Applejack silently made her way back to her bedroom when she heard a voice coming from the guest room where Rainbow Dash was staying overnight. Putting an ear against the door, she listened intently for a moment.
The pegasus moaned softly.
Her suspicions having been confirmed, Applejack gently knocked on the door. She rolled her eyes at the unsubtly loud crash preceding the reply.
"Y—yeah?" Rainbow Dash stammered.
"Rainbow, I know what'chu were doin' in here," the farmpony said quietly, opening the door to enter the room.
"What are you talking about? I was... reading this book!" her friend replied almost innocently, gesturing to the open book in front of her.
"So that's what'cha were up to while doin' it?" the orange pony asked, raising an eyebrow and the corner of her mouth.
Rainbow Dash raised her forehooves defensively. "I wasn't doing anything wrong, I swear!"
"Rainbow, I can smell it from here," Applejack flatly stated.
The world seemed to have frozen a thousand times over, yet it was still warm enough in the room for the little pegasus to begin sweating nervously. "Uh, well... that... uh..." she began, until the other mare got close enough to notice something else.
"An' ya wasted some," she added, pointing at the sheets the cyan pony had been sitting on. There was a stain on the bed. The guilty pony's ears dropped in defeat. She knew she was responsible, and there was no denying the evidence.
"Fine, ya got me..." she finally admitted.
Applejack merely raised a hoof towards her expectantly.
Rainbow Dash sighed, reaching under the bed to retrieve the stolen mug of cider. She handed it to its rightful owner, whose frown deepened.
"Oh, come on..." the pegasus whined, reaching down again to recover the second mug she had hidden there.
Applejack shook her head disappointedly, heading back out of the room. "Y'know, Dash, if I gotta tie ya down to th' bed so ya don't go 'round stealin' our cider at night, I'ma do it."
Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry in her friend's direction as the door closed. She did not expect her to come back a moment later. Especially not with a rope in her mouth.
There was another stain on the bed.