//------------------------------//
// More Cider 
// Story: Caramel's Flower 
// by Stratocaster 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 9: More Cider

Caramel sat hunched over the counter at Mr. Cake’s cider bar with a dower look across his face. Four big empty glasses surrounded him with a fifth almost empty one in his hoof. Around him, the atmosphere in the bar was slow and dreary as he was with only a few other ponies present; it even rained outside. All day long, Caramel had been hiding away from everypony he cared about after the shocking incident at his house. He realized he had just set up to see both his marefriend and his ex marefriend the next day and could not find solace in talking with any of his friends, not even Rarity or Time Turner. The whole day had been spent with aimless wandering through Ponyville and ended with him sitting at the bar sulking over his new complication. He took another swig and spoke to Mr. Cake.
“Another cider, please.” Caramel said with his speech slurred.
Mr. Cake looked at him discerningly while scrubbing a glass. “I think you’ve had enough, pal.”
Suddenly, Caramel reached over the bar and grabbed the bartender by his collar. “I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough! Oh, my head is killing me.” He immediately slumped back down and rubbed his temples.
“Something on your mind, son?” asked Mr. Cake. “I’ve never seen a pony your age drink this much cider.”
“Ugh, mare troubles. I’m sure you understand, right?”
“Well, not really. I’ve been happily married for nearly twenty years.”
“Well, here’s to the luckier of us.” Caramel raised a glass and took a swill only to realize it was empty.
“Come on, kid, what’s getting you down? I’ve seen plenty of heartache around this bar.”
Caramel sighed not wanting to tell what he went over in his head numerous times. “Well, my marefriend wants to live with me. But my ex marefriend wants to get back together with me. And neither of them knows about the other. I’m at a crossroads here! I’m feeling more depressed than when I had neither of these two mares. I mean, what does somepony even do in a situation like this?”
“Wow, it seems like you got yourself in a real bind. But think about this. Which one do you love more?”
“That’s the problem. I love both of them equally. But I don’t know how I’m going to make them both happy without upsetting the other.”
“Well, it’s gonna have to be one or the other. And either way, you’re going to let somepony down.”
“Yeah thanks, that’s a lot of help.” Caramel remarked sarcastically. “But you don’t know what it’s like for me to let somepony down. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to help anyway I can.”
“Just help by keeping the ciders coming.”

Applejack walked down the street that night with her faithful dog, Winona, trotting by her side. She headed toward the cider bar as only several ponies were out and about in the nighttime. Winona barked twice.
“RUFF! RUFF!”
“That’s right, Winona,” replied Applejack. “If Caramel is nowhere else in town to be seen, then he must be at Mr. Cake’s cider bar. He’s probably celebratin’ over a few ciders with his friends. Ah wouldn’t mind joinin’ him.”
As the farmpony and her furry companion approached the bar, they heard some muffled shouting from inside. Suddenly, the double door of the bar burst open and out was tossed a tan stallion who landed square on his face, with his hind legs dangling upward. Then, Mr. Cake stood at the door way shaking an angry hoof.
“And stay out, you lazy drunk!” he scolded and shut the doors.
A dazed Caramel lay on the cold pavement with birds circling his head. Applejack rushed over to the dizzy stallion and stood beside him. Winona happily licked his face.
“Caramel, you alright?” asked Applejack leaning down to him.
“RUFF! RUFF!” barked Winona as he slowly began to stir.
Caramel lifted his head, shaking off the spunky little collie. He grunted with wooziness as he started to sway from side to side standing up. Applejack helped him to his hooves.
“Lansanks, Caramel, you can barely stand up.” She said. “You and your friends must have been partyin’ mighty hard in there.”
“Ugh, I wasn’t partying, Applejack, I was alone.” He gurgled.
“Alone? But why would you be celebratin’ alone?”
He looked at her quizzically. “Why would I be celebrating at all?”
“What are ya kiddin’? I’m talkin’ about yer new life with Fleur de Lis.”
Caramel perked up slightly as he heard her. “Wait, how did you know about me and Fleur de Lis?”
“Why, Rarity told me of course. She told me that the two of ya were gonna start livin’ together. Normally, Ah would advise against havin’ an affair n’ what not. But Ah’m happy fer ya, Caramel; yer finally movin’ on after Sassaflash.”
“RUFF! RUFF!”
“Yeah, but there’s just one problem, AJ.”
“RUFF! RUFF!”
“What is it, buckaroo?”
“RUFF! RUFF!”
Caramel tried to continue, but he couldn’t hear himself think with Winona’s excessive barking. He groaned and rubbed his aching forehead.
“Hush up, Winona!” ordered Applejack.
The herding dog obeyed and Caramel blurted out.
“Sassaflash is back!”
Applejack gasped and stared at him stunned followed by a long pause. “What now?”
“Sassaflash, she showed up this morning at my house when Fleur de Lis was sleeping over.” Caramel explained still struggling to keep balance. “She told me that she wanted to move back to Ponyville and get back together with me. I kept her from discovering Fleur de Lis and told her I would see her again tomorrow. Then, after she left, Fleur woke up and I told her the same thing!”
“Dear Celestia, Caramel, you didn’t!”
“I’m in a bind, AJ. I’ve got two mares who both want me to stay with them and have no clue about the other. I don’t know what to do. Ugh!” He then lowered his head as he felt a rising pain in his stomach. Immediately, he upchucked on the street.
Applejack looked at the conflicted stallion with pity and laid a hoof on his head. “Oh Caramel, what have you gotten yerself into now?”
Caramel rolled over on his back and stared up at the stars with disdain. “You were always right about me, Applejack. I’m lazy, clumsy, incompetent, nothing but a slacker. And it’s because of that, I’ve gotten myself in this crazy secret love triangle. I bet anypony other than me could handle this.”
“Listen to you; yer beatin’ yerself up again just like when Sassaflash left. Maybe these problems wouldn’t seem so bad if ya didn’t hate yerself so much.”
“You don’t know what it’s like.”
“Caramel, ya may not be the best worker, but that doesn’t mean yer a bad pony. We’re all lucky to have you as a friend. And Ah think you know just what to do. Now you love both Fleur de Lis and Sassaflash, right?”
“Um, yeah?”
“And neither of ‘em know about each other, right?”
“Nope.”
“Well, maybe they should.”
Caramel’s eyes widened. “You mean…I should…introduce them?”
“Well shoot, why not? Ah mean, who’s to say they won’t get along? Ah’m sure once they get to know one another, y’all work somethin’ out to make sure nopony gets disappointed.”
“Huh, I never really thought about that.” He sat up on the sidewalk. “What harm could be done, right?”
“Exactly, you’re a nice pony. Ah guarantee once the three of ya have cleared the air, everything will work out just fine.”
Applejack extended her hoof and helped him back up to his hooves. “Wow, you what, you’re right, AJ. It’s time I stopped being coy about my love life. Tomorrow, Fleur and Flash are going to get to know each other and all this mess will be out of my life. Thanks a lot, Applejack.”
“T’weren’t nothin’. Anything to get ya back to work in at Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Yeah, we’ll see about that.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta head home to prepare for tomorrow!”
Caramel began to head off triumphantly only to collapse once again on his face. This time, he fell fast asleep as Winona started licking him again.
“Lazy stallion.” Applejack sighed and carried her snoring friend off on her back.