“Rainbow Dash! What are ya’ doin down here? I been lookin’ for you everywhere!” Applejack asked as she came to the bottom of the ramp in the apple cellar. Dash was hovering there in the dim light, scowling.
“I found it! You thought you could hide it from me, didn’t you?”
Applejack blinked. “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ ‘bout.”
“Suuuure you don’t. What do you think I found here in the cellar, Applejack? Something you swore to me that you don’t have? Something I trusted you about, because you’d never lie to me about that?”
“Apples?” AJ guessed.
“Yes! I mean, no! Something in a barrel?” Dash hinted.
Realization dawned on Applejack. “You went lookin’ for cider again, after ya’ promised me you’d stop?”
“I caught you lying! There’s a big barrel over there marked ‘cider.’ A barrel you promised me you didn’t have!”
“And you didn’t believe me.” Applejack narrowed her eyes. Then she smirked. “Well, I guess ya’ caught me, Dash. Let’s go get a mug.”
“Really?” Dash’s eyes went wide, and she followed AJ out of the cellar and up to the farmhouse. “Just like that? You’re gonna let me have some?”
“I reckon ya’ deserve it.”
“Ohmygosh! I mean, yeah, I totally deserve it.” Dash paused, considering for a minute. “In fact, I think I deserve the whole barrel.”
“I dunno if ya’ deserve all that.” Applejack said uncertainly as she grabbed a mug from the kitchen, and started towards the cellar.
Dash pouted, and looked at Applejack with the biggest eyes she could manage. “You lied to me, AJ. I’m totally hurt. Wounded, really. You didn’t even trust me not to go looking for your stash of cider.”
“That’s cause ya’ did go lookin’-” Applejack started to snap, then she paused. “Know what Dash? I reckon you do deserve all that. You oughta drink the whole barrel.”
“Woohoo!” Dash noticed AJ’s raised eyebrow. “Um, er, that might be enough to make up for all the heartache you put me through.”
Applejack rolled her eyes as they went back down into the cellar. She walked over to the barrel marked “cider” and filled the mug from the tap. Then she offered it to Dash with a smile. “Here, sugarcube. Go on and drain this mug, there’s another right after.”
Dash put the mug to her lips, and took a long drink, but only swallowed a mouthful before her eyes went wide and she spit out the rest, spraying it across the cellar. “BLARGH! Ugh! That isn’t cider! Yuck!”
“Oh yeah, that’s right. Cider don’t keep, like I told ya’. We sell every single drop of it durin’ the season, like I also told ya’. But we do make a barrel or two of cider vinegar. I might not’a mentioned that part.” AJ smirked and leaned over, kissing Dash on the cheek while the pegasus gagged and tried to wipe the taste off her tongue. “This pony don’t lie, sugarcube.”