//------------------------------// // Story Time // Story: Business is Good // by Flint Easthoof //------------------------------//         The events of the day had dwindled down into emotional embers of a once great fire. The romance between Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash had been smothered and relocated, leaving the moonshiner pegasus and farm pony to themselves. “Ya know, ya’ll never did tell me how ya’ll got yer cutie mark.” “Stud stamp, thank you. An I doubt you wanna hear that story, ain’t all that wonderful.” Flint stared intently at the night sky, Applejack by his side. “I ain’t gonna judge ya’ll,” She said “It’s what ya’ll are good at.” “Yeah, that’s true” he sighed “I guess ya’ll should know from the start, it took me a long time to get my cutie mark, and that day changed my life forever, and not in the good ways neither.” Applejack lay silent, listening intently as her stallion began spinning his tale. ~ A young pegasus colt ran through the streets of cloudsdale, his fathers cowpony hat loosely atop his head obscuring his cerulean eyes from taller ponies. He was skinny and slightly taller than most his age, but he was also the latest bloomer having no cutie mark yet when everypony else did. “Hey Spitfire!” “Sup’ Flint?” “Oh you know, just sayin’ hi to the prettiest filly in Cloudsdale.” He tipped his hat brim up and winked at his lifelong friend. “Shut up, I’m not that pretty.” The young Spitfire blushed, despite being used to Flint’s Coltanova-esque antics. “Yeah, an I must be Princess Celestia too, right?” He galloped up to Spitfire’s side and matched her pace toward the Flight Camp main building. “Face it Spits, you’re the coolest, fastest, prettiest pegasus around. Even that Rainbow-y filly got nothin’ on you.” “You tell me this every day Flint,” she stated matter of factly “In fact, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you rehearsed all this to yourself in the mirror every night.” She teased “Yeah yeah whatever. Anyway, I got that book we needed, should be about two weeks after we get everything set up. Graduation is gonna be a blast!” “Hay yeah it is! But listen, just to stay safe, I don’t think we should let A-Dub know about this. I have a feeling he’ll rat on us an get us expelled,” Spitfire said through clenched teeth. “I feel ya.” Ever since I hit him with that hoofball the day we met him, I’ve been trottin’ lightly around him.” ~ “Who’s ‘A-Dub’?” Applejack inquired. “Old buddy of mine, well acquaintance is more like it. Back at Flight School, he transferred from Canterlot and ended up on our Hoofball team.” Flint sat up and readied a cigarette. “I’m sure you know Spitfire.” Applejack nodded and let him continue “Soarin too. Anyway, me an them two was the stars of our hoofball squad, undefeatable in our league.” ~ ‘There goes number 85, Spitfire, down the south end of the cloud, ball in tow!’ A yellow streak streaked past two defenders, leaving many more in her wake. ‘Ooh! Blazed right through thirteen and thirty four, Fodder and Maple Block! She’s making her way down the field at unimaginable speeds! But what’s this? Number sixty seven, Firefly, is catching up!’ The yellow bolt chanced a look back, slowing slightly, she watched as the sky blue pegasus galloped hard toward her. The away crowd cheered as their soon-to-be heroine caught up to the fiery filly and put her down on the cloud bed. “You’re one fast filly there Spitfire, but I’m faster,” The blue filly chided through her facemask. Spitfire watched as the blue wonder turned and trotted back to her team, still lagging far behind. “Damn Spitfire, I bet if you didn’t look back, she’d-a never caught ya.” “Sometimes we gotta play to win, isn’t that right Soarin?” “Yeah buddy,” Soarin bragged, clad in his maroon and gold Cloudsdale Falcons jersey and helmet with the number fifty five printed on his back. “Let’s go all the way this time.” “Be sure I get the ball this time.” Flint hissed, letting Spitfire and Soarin behind as he trotted off. “So Spits, ya hear the news? We’re gonna be getting a new player, from Canterlot.” “Oh some big city hotshot eh?” Spitfire giggled “I can’t wait to see him and Flint butting heads.” “Yeah, that’ll be quite the show.” ~ “So ya’ll were a star hoofball player huh? Why’d ya quit?” “Had to.” “Why,” Applejack voiced her concern “You’ll see.” ~ “Oi, Soarsie... ‘Mere.” The beige pegasus motioned for his blue buddy to follow, making sure nopony saw him heading toward the abandoned shack. “You got them sacks an jugs right?” “Yeah, right here.” Soarin turned and showed the two sets of saddlebags to Flint. “You really think there’s that much in there?” “An then some. C’mon, ‘fore anypony see’s us an starts to gettin’ snoopy.” Flint trotted through the brush, making very little noise as opposed to Soarin who could have woken the dead with all the noise he made. Before Flint could chastise his friend for making such a racket, they neared the shack. He could faintly hear the small fire burning within, and knew his creation was ready. “Alright, let’s go get these filled and split. Fast and efficient, ya hear?” “Yeah, gotcha.” With that, Flint broke through the brush and opened the door, motioning for Soarin to head inside first. When his partner got inside, he too went in, shutting the door quietly behind him. “Dang Flint, this is gonna be the best homecoming dance yet! I’m not gonna drink before the game though.” “I hear ya there. Throw a jug down in there an pull that lever. Once it’s full throw a cork on it an do your other three. Soon as your done, get the hay out of here.” “Sounds good...” ~ “Wow, started out young huh?” Applejack looked impressed, not many ponies knew how to make alcohol while they were still in school. “Yep, that wasn’t the night I got my mark though, that came later... Much later”. ~ “Shhhh, quiet! We don’t want nopony to know we’re in here!” “Hey, I ca- *hic* I can be as loud as I want.” “Dammit Spitty, you really gotta stop bein’ so pretty an such.” “An you need to shut up and kiss me Flint.” “Ya’ll can’t hold your alcohol all too well can ya?” Flint questioned, unsure of whether or not he should take advantage of the moment. “ You know as well as I do that if I get to kissin’ ya, it’ll lead to other things.” “Exactly! Now get over here.” Without a moments hesitation, Spitfire wrapped a hoof around Flint’s neck and pulled him into a passionate embrace. ~ “Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up there!” Applejack interrupted. “Ya’ll really got down an dirty with Spitfire?!” “Yup, an boy howdy was it good.” AJ glared at him, “‘Course, I was drunk, an so was she... Come to think of it, I ain’t never done nothin’ like that without my product bein’ involved somehow.” He began tapping a hoof to his chin in thought. “Why d’ya think that is?”         “Hate to break it to ya sugar cube, but Ah’m probably the only pony that’ll ever find you attractive.”         “Ouch...”