//------------------------------// // Late-Night Incidents // Story: The Sweet Taste of Apple // by Icecane //------------------------------// The small cottage abode of Fluttershy was filled with the accumulating noise of chirping birds and squeaking critters. Their beady eyes were alight with anticipation as their favorite pegasus mare slowly made her rounds across her living room. A large bag in her grasp, she dangled it above the many bowls that were scattered across the floor. As soon as the small bits of food had fallen, the famished creatures descended upon the unsuspecting bowl, digging in happily. While they already began eating, Fluttershy moved to her feathered friends, filling their houses that were hung all across the room with seed, receiving happy chirps of appreciation before they too began to dig in. It was a happy, peaceful scene as the loving pegasus watched the adorable critters fill their small bellies. Then, it was shattered. At an incredible speed, the front door swung open, a cyan-coated mare bursting through at an even faster rate. With shrieks and squeals of fright, the animals scattered in all directions, chaos ensuing in a miniature form as their little paws scurried across the ground and they darted to the deepest corners of the room to hide. “Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash shouted upon seeing her pink-manned friend. “I need your help!” Confusion was the dominate feeling that the meek mare had, staring at the colorful pony for a moment before saying, “What's wrong?” That question alone opened the floodgates. Rainbow Dash's voice was frantic, her words pouring out of her like water. It was as though she had swapped personalities with Pinkie Pie for a moment. “I'm looking for something to wear!” she shouted, looking desperate. Further explanation was given as the pegasus darted up the nearby stairs and into Fluttershy's bedroom. The animal caretaker followed after her friend, hearing the sound of fabric trailing as she saw Rainbow Dash searching through a wardrobe she had. “What do you think I should wear?!” Rainbow Dash blurted out, beads of sweat showing clearly on her face as her widened gaze looked through her friend's outfits. “Maybe a simple dress? No, no, he wouldn't like that! Something more fancy? Ugh, no, it should be something casual! Maybe a- No! Come on, are these the only clothes you have?!” Again, filled with little else but confusion as to what was going on, the yellow pegasus asked, “What are you talking about? You're not making any sense.” She almost regretted the question as Rainbow Dash's gaze was immediately drawn to her, looking half-deranged as she bolted toward the mare, wrapping her forelegs around her and shaking her rapidly. “I've got a date with Soarin!” she blurted out through her near-throttling of her friend. “The Soarin! As in the Wonderbolt Soarin!” There was evident shock written on Fluttershy's face as she stared blankly at her friend, feeling somewhat dazed, but not from the treatment by her friend. “A... date?” she questioned. A frown creased across Rainbow Dash's mouth before she turned back to look at Fluttershy's choice of clothing. “Well,” she started, “it's not really a date... It's just lunch, right? Does he have to specify? And even Trader thought it was a date, and he knew Soarin longer than anypony! Now I just need to know what to wear. Should it be something big or... no, no, it's just lunch, can't make it too much now... Oh... I just don't know...” Fluttershy hadn't seen Rainbow Dash act in such a way for some time, an odd mixture of giddy and frantic that didn't meld together very well with the high-speeds pegasus she knew. Seeing that her situation would only get worse, as well as the organization of her clothes, if she didn't say anything, the yellow-coated mare lightly cleared her throat and said, “Um... well, I don't think you would really need anything. You'd be just fine... as is...” A light gasp escaped the energetic pegasus as the revelation hit her as well, a fierce and determined expression replacing her previous frantic one. “That's right!” she proclaimed. “I'm awesome just the way I am!” A proud smile spread across her face as she voiced her realization. “Some frilly dress or stupid piece of clothing would only bring my awesomeness down! Soarin knows that, and I bet he wants me at my peak!” What came next elicited a sharp squeak of surprise from the animal caretaker as Rainbow Dash grabbed onto her, wrapping her forelegs around her in a tight hug. “Thank you so much, Fluttershy,” she said happily. She then let the mare go and began moving back toward the front door she had come bursting through just a few minutes ago. “I gotta go now, but I'll tell ya all about it tomorrow. See ya, Fluttershy!” The last of her words were uttered while the cyan pegasus was already flying into the skies, her voice trailing off and disappearing entirely as she disappeared into the clouds. It was only after they were completely certain that she was gone did the fearful animals come crawling out of their hiding places, looking understandably tense from the sudden intrusion that none of them were expecting. Fluttershy didn't pay the simple creatures any mind however, her gaze focused on the skies as she looked out her door. “Good-bye... Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said in her late farewell, a look of worry and sadness on her face as she saw her dear friend leaving. As the skies began to darken, Celestia's sun drifting down behind the horizon, a breath of relief escaped Trader as he carried his heavy load toward the barn for the final time. Behind him, the soft squeak of turning wheels was heard as he pulled the wagon he was strapped down to. Big Mac had finally finished his repairs, allowing them to use it on the farm once again. It certainly made a difference, being much easier to carry the heavy baskets of apples from the trees to the barn. They were also able to carry many more, not just one at a time. Though the Apple family seemed to have a near-endless field of apple trees, the white pegasus couldn't help but feel he was making a dent in the number of them that actually held apples, seeing more and more trees that were bare the longer he worked. But with the day ending however, that also put an end to his work, not that he was complaining. As he moved to bring the last of his apples into the barn though, he saw an odd sight. There was a large panel rising out of the ground at an angle near the entrance to the barn. Trader had never seen it before and soon realized why, as the top of it completely blended in with the ground surrounding it. Examining the sight further, he saw that the panel was previously concealing a hidden stairway, leading down deep underneath of the barn. Curious, the stallion released himself from the wagon and made his way down the creaky steps. It led to what looked like a primitive basement. The ceiling was only a few feet higher than an average stallion, lined with criss-crossing wooden beams as well as ones that stuck into the ground itself to keep the entire thing from collapsing. The four walls that made up the room were mad of stone, while the ground itself was just dirt that was packed in. Despite the height of the room, it was very spacious, stretching out at nearly twice the size of his basement dwelling. Much of its space was already filled however, multitudes of wooden barrels taking up the majority of the room. Several of them were filled to the brim with apples, while the contents of others were unknown as they were sealed shut. Against the wall closest to the entrance, a large counter was pushed against it with several barrels resting on top, as well as several mugs stacked beside them. Each barrel had a spigot attached to it, making the pegasus all the more curious as to what was inside. Next to one such barrel was Applejack, the farmpony drinking from a mug as she turned to see her friend watching her. “Oh, it's you, Trader,” Applejack said as she finished her drink, smacking her lips happily. “Ah see you've found our apple cellar.” "Apple cellar, huh?” the pegasus murmured as he took another look at his surroundings. The orange-coated mare nodded. “Yup. Like Ah said before, your room used to be it. Then we made a new one under the barn, makin' it a lot bigger and so we didn't have to bring everythin' into the house.” She looked at the collection of barrels along with the stallion, a smile of pride on her face. “We usually just store the apples that we aren't gonna bake into anything here. Lately though, we've been workin' on ways to store barrels of our famous cider too. Our cider seasons always leave ponies wantin' more, so we thought we'd try a few ways to preserve it so we have even more when the time comes.” She gave the stallion a knowing look. “Ah don't think you've ever had any of our cider before, since you've been away from Ponyville for so long. That'll sure be a treat for ya.” Trader slowly nodded his head. “Can't say that I have,” he murmured, his gaze slowly falling back to the barrels that had spigots on them. “Is that what you were sampling?” Her own eyes being drawn to the barrels, a mirthful smile appeared on her face as she said, “Nope, that's somethin' much better than plain ol' cider!” Holding up her mug, she took another gulp of whatever was inside. It was then that the pegasus noticed a faint, rosy tint appearing over the mare's freckled cheeks. “Something better, huh?” Trader remarked, having an idea as to what it was. “Mmhmm,” replied Applejack. “An Apple family secret recipe, some of the best drink you can taste this side of Equestria! We don't ever sell it though, only savin' it for friends and family. But it's just the thing to help unwind after a hard day of work.” Setting her own mug down, she reached for another and held it under the tap. A frothy liquid poured out from it, nearly filling the mug to the brim before she pulled away and extended her hoof toward the peagasus. “Here, try some.” Taking the mug from her, Trader looked down at the liquid that was inside. It was a dark-amber color, with small amounts of froth around it. Swirling it around for a few moments, he brought it too his lips and took a sizable gulp. What hit him first was the warm sensation flowing down his throat and into his stomach, like a dull flame trailing through his body. The taste itself was something odd as well, his tongue coated with a natural sweetness that almost made him think that a pile of sugar had been dumped into his mug. Besides that, there was an apple aftertaste that stayed with him long after he had swallowed, but that was to be expected. Other than that though, the white-coated stallion was surprised by the lack of actual kick that it had. “Wow,” Trader said, giving Applejack a positive smile, “this stuff certainly is good.” “Ah knew you'd like it,” the mare replied with a proud smirk on her face. Her expression didn't last long however as she took notice to a disapproving frown slowly making its way to replace the stallion's smile. “But...” the pegasus murmured carefully, “as good as it is, it's not really that strong.” “What do you mean, 'not that strong'?” Applejack asked, sounding slightly offended. An uneasy smile appeared on his face as he chose his words carefully, not wanting to strike the mare's ire. “Now, don't get me wrong,” he said, “it's one of the tastiest brews I can say I've ever had, but it's not something that can knock you off your hooves, like a lot of ponies might be looking for in a drink.” Not wanting to meet Applejack's gaze, he looked back down into his mug, swirling the rest of the liquid in a clockwise direction. “It could just be me though,” he added. “I mean, I worked at a tavern in Fillydelphia, sampled most of the drinks they served, so I know I can handle my own better than most other ponies.” Taking a step toward him, Applejack's eyes narrowed as she locked squarely onto the stallion's own. “Is that some sorta challenge?” she demanded. “W-what?” Trader questioned, taken aback by the assumption. “No, no, I'm just saying that-” “Ah know what you're sayin',” the farmpony huffed indignantly. “Thinkin' this is some kinda weak drink or somethin'. After barely a sip no less. Bet you think Ah'm some lightweight too because of it, huh?” “I... I didn't say that...” Trader tried saying, trying to shake away the words that were being put in his mouth. But Applejack didn't even hear him, her gaze focused on the barrel before her as she filled two mugs up and thrust one toward the stallion. “We'll see about that,” she said, her glare on him promising a great many things if he even dared to refuse her. Trader could see it clearly enough, the old and unmistakable determination in her eyes. It was something he saw a lot back when they were foals, the stubbornness that rivaled that of a the most crotchety of mules. She was now fixated on besting him, something that even Celestia herself wouldn't be able to stop. Releasing a small sigh, Trader resigned himself to play her game, unsure as to whether or not he would end up regretting the decision, not that he had a choice. Taking the mug from her, both ponies shared a momentary stare off before they tilted their heads back and chugged their first official drink. It was a bit difficult for the pegasus to get it all down in one go, his throat still getting used to the warmth of it. Applejack on the other hand guzzled it like a pro, already refilling her mug by the time her opponent was finished. A shuddering thought went through the stallion's mind, thinking that he had bitten off more than he could chew. As though reading his mind, Applejack developed a smirk as they began swallowing down their latest mug, certain that she was going to drink the stallion under the table. Several mugs later however, Trader felt little more than a buzz in the back of his mind. Though his stomach felt full, bursting with the warm liquid he was ingesting, there was only a few passing moments where his head seemed to swim. Mostly, he could barely keep his eyes from falling half-open, feeling more sleepy than anything. Applejack was a much different story. The apple tasting brew sloshed about in her mug, small amounts of it spilling over the sides as she had difficulty standing without swaying back and forth. Her green eyes seemed distant, unable to focus on anything for very long, while the orange on her face was almost completely enveloped by a rosy tint. There was even an occasional hiccup from her, followed by a stunted giggle. Most notable was the fact that the farmpony seemed to have forgotten all about their little drinking contest, talking to Trader in a casual tone, much of it being complaints about a certain unicorn she knew. “And then... and then Rarity goes on to say my hooves were still dirty,” she said, “even after Ah washed 'em. Can ya... believe that?” “No... not at all,” Trader replied, humoring her as he took small sips from his mug. Though he was sure he had won their little contest, he wasn't sure how to break it to the mare, or how to stop her. “She's a good friend an' all,” Applejack continued, “but sometimes... that... that prissyness can get right on your nerves. A pony needs to... to get down and dirty when the need calls for it, ya know? But nope, not her, she was just like that when we were all foals too.” A simple shrug came from the stallion as he replied, “Some things just don't change, I guess.” Huffing slightly, Applejack's gaze fell back onto the pegasus before her, her lips parting into a sheepish smile. “And Ah guess other things do too,” she murmured, taking a step forward. “You... you know, it's been mighty sweet of ya to be helpin' us out like ya have... Workin' so hard...” A bubbly giggle escaped her, as she took another step forward. “Ah bet Rarity's all... all kinds of jealous too... Me gettin' this strong... and handsome stallion to work with...” Trader's ears twitched and his eyes fully opened as he stared at the mare for a moment, just noticing how she was closer than she had been before. “E-Excuse me?” he questioned, certain that he had heard her wrong. “You know...” Applejack continued, her half-lidded gaze never leaving the stallion, “Ah never noticed how cute you've gotten...” Shock was showing clearly on Trader's face as he said, “Uh... Applejack, what... what are you doing?” Beads of sweat forming on his brow, he took an immediate step backwards. In response, the farmpony took another one forward. It continued like that for several moments, with every step the pegasus took, Applejack took one as well. Soon, it came to an end, with Trader's flank bumping into the wall, trapping him as Applejack continued to clear the space between them. Soon enough, only a few inches were separating them, her lips pursed as she finalized her approach. “N-now, Applejack,” the uneasy stallion tried to say, “just... just... think about this for a min-” Unable to finish, Trader was silenced as, only a few more steps away, the unsteady Applejack stumbled forward. It caused for the mare's nose to be pushed against the stallion's mouth before she inadvertently knocked him over and onto the ground. Trader lied there on the floor, his entire body seizing up and frozen despite how warm he felt. Applejack rested on top of him, having fallen over him as they tumbled. All the pegasus could do was stare blankly up at the ceiling, unable to move or even create the thought of doing so. It wasn't until he heard a light snoring did he find the will, looking at the orange-coated mare as she was clearly unconscious, fallen into a deep sleep from all of the homemade brew she had consumed. Left unsure as to what he should do, Trader slowly began to squirm his way up, trying his best to get the sleeping earth pony off of him without disturbing her too greatly. Once again however, the pegasus' body froze as he felt a presence, turning his gaze to the side to see Big Macintosh standing there, his eyes dead set on him. “Big Mac!” Trader exclaimed, nearly throwing Applejack off of him as he quickly scrambled onto his four hooves. Eyes wide, gaping wordlessly at the red stallion with him, the pegasus frantically looked between him and his sister. “Th-This isn't what it looks like! I... She... We...” Big Mac said nothing in response, his expression just as flat as it typically was. Only his eyes seemed to move as they shifted from Trader to Applejack and then locking onto the barrel they had used in their competition. Then, much to the pegasus' surprise, he simply said, “You challenged her, didn't you?” “N-no...” Trader tried to explain, finding it difficult to think straight with the heavy beating in his own chest. “I mean... not really... I just... She gave me a drink and I said it was a little weak and then she goes off about how-” Again, his sentence was stopped as Big Mac gave a weary sigh. Silently, the large stallion approached his sleeping sister and hoisted her up onto his back, her body hanging limply atop him. Heading for the stairs that led back up and out of the cellar, the faint murmuring of the stallion could be heard. “Wish she wouldn't get like this... Be settin' a bad example for Applebloom.” For several minutes, Trader simply stood there, hoof pressed against his chest. All he could do was breathe in and out in an attempt to steady himself, feeling as though his heart would give out at any moment. Morning was a horrendous event for the poor stallion. Though the drink he had consumed the night before didn't hit him as hard as it had his competitor, the usual effects of one such beverage caught up to him the moment he awoke. Head pounding continuously, feeling as though a raging thunderstorm had gone off inside of his skull, Trader nearly had to drag himself out of bed and outside into the farm. He cursed the sun for being too bright, and the ground for being too hard. But his self-hatred for himself and everything around him was ended quickly as he heard his name being called by a familiar voice. It took only moments for Applejack to run up to him, a large smile spread across her face with an energy that she had before any hard day of work. “Good mornin', Trader. Ya sleep well?” she asked pleasantly, showing no signs of the previous night. “Just... fine,” the stallion lied, stunned at what he was seeing. “How are you feeling?” Giving him a curious look, Applejack simply smiled as she replied, “Well rested, as always. But dang, Ah musta been a lot more tired last night than Ah thought. Ah don't even remember going to bed after workin'.” “Must have...” the pegasus murmured, silently breathing a sigh of relief at that. “Anyway,” the mare continued, “we're only gonna do a little apple buckin' today. We'll need to head off into town to pick up a few supplies later.” “Yeah... alright,” Trader replied, giving a weak nod of his head. Applejack did the same before heading off into the fields, ready to get their day started. The white-coated stallion lingered for several minutes, slightly disturbed at his friend's abilities. It was what reminded him on a cruel fact about his life, even when it seems he's won, he still loses. Sucking it up, he realized there wasn't much he could do about it, fighting back his aching hangover as he slowly trotted to where he needed to begin his apple bucking. Though his day seemed to already have a bad start, he was determined to make it better. Sadly, he was unaware of the dark shadow that had been cast over him.