//------------------------------// // A Night to Remember // Story: The Sweet Taste of Apple // by Icecane //------------------------------// Under the gaze of two mares, a flustered Trader gaped at both Applejack and Trixie, the question of their knowledge of one another still hanging in the air. The pegasus was at a complete loss for words, the sudden appearance of the unicorn being a bad enough surprise, but with his friend with him, he wasn't sure what to do. Beads of moisture formed across his brow, the world around seemingly slowed down as the gratingly tense moment petered out as long as it could. After what felt like an eternity, Trader's thoughts finally formed together enough to form a cohesive explanation. He turned to Applejack, gesturing toward Trixie for a moment. “Um... well...” he began, his time spent preparing doing little to improve his ability to speak, “I met Trixie a while back. Not too long after I left Las Pegasus the second time, actually. I was traveling the roads to find a town that had available work and I ran into her. Her wagon was wrecked on the side and I helped repair it. After that, she offered me work herself and so I became her... uh... I became her... assistant...” A soft giggle escaped the unicorn as she stepped forward even more so, eying the two ponies pleasantly. “Oh, assistant is such an unfitting term,” she said meaningfully. “I'd say... partner more than anything.” Trader flushed slightly, his eyes practically trembling in his skull. “I considered myself quite lucky to snag a former cloudie.” “I-I mostly just maintained her wagon and helped with a few of her magic routines,” Trader explained, perhaps more quickly than he should have. “And being good traveling company,” Trixie added, her eyes drifting between the stallion and mare. “Now you're with her... It is a small world, isn't it?” The first half of his answer done, Trader's attention drew more to the unicorn as he gestured to Applejack. “She's actually an old friend of mine. We've known each other since we were foals. It's only been recently that we've seen each other after a long time apart, I'm helping out on her farm in Ponyville.” “Is that right?” Trixie murmured as her gaze fell onto the mare. “He's never mentioned you, Applesmack.” The farmpony's eyes furrowed yet again as her jaw clenched. “It's Applejack! You no-good snake in the grass!” Trixie was taken aback by that, as was Trader. The pegasus had never expected such a response from his friend. “Applejack...” he said in his shock, “where did that come from?” “You don't know what she's done, Trader,” Applejack shot back through her venting anger. “Nearly destroyin' Ponyville with an ursa-minor!” “That was hardly my fault,” Trixie quipped, almost offhandedly. Applejack ignored her as she continued. “Then usein' her magic and try and take over and get back at Twilight!” A concerned and surprised Trader then looked toward the accused, no realizing how the two knew each other. A light, if rather forced, cough escaped the blue-coated mare then, looking embarrassed of herself. “Well... I wasn't entirely in the right state of mind at the time... But I won't deny what I did, and how wrong it was. Though, Twilight did see fit to forgive me for what I had done...” “She might have, but that doesn't go for the rest of us,” Applejack was quick to say. Not wanting to see anything escalate, Trader stepped in between the two mares, keeping his eyes on Applejack. “Girls, girls,” he pleaded. “Let's keep things civil.” Turning to the unicorn, he gave a weak smile. “It's been... nice to see you again, Trixie. But me and Applejack are kind of busy, and we really should be going.” Seemingly buying it, Trixie gave the stallion a simple nod before returning to her wagon. “Of course,” she said with a wave of her hoof. “I'm very busy myself, as you might guess. But come by and fine me later tonight. I'll be putting on several shows to entertain the masses, give them a taste of real magical talent.” “Will do,” Trader said as he started off on the path they had originally taking, followed by Applejack after giving the mare a momentary glare. The air around the hatted mare was heated, for obvious reasons. Though Trader wasn't fully aware of the history between the her and the theatrical unicorn, it was certainly bad enough to get under her skin. He could even feel her piercing gaze on him a few times, unable to discern what she must be thinking, though having a good idea given what she heard. Eventually, they managed to find their way to a more active part of Hoofington. The town square was a massive clearing of stone, with little in the way save for a fountain in the very center. On this day however, it was filled with many different tents, each being visited by a substantial amount of ponies. Small stages accompanied several of them, with performers doing what they did best to the watchful crowd. Both Applejack and Trader were curious at the strange sights that drew such attention, approaching them to sate themselves. It was truly a strange assortment, mostly what one would expect to find in a circus of some kind. One showcased a massive minotaur, covered in rippling muscle as he lifted up a carriage filled with ponies, not even breaking a sweat. Another featured a griffon who breathed fire like a dragon, though nearly singeing the feathers on his face doing so. There was even a small group circled around what was called the “incredibly bearded mare,” with the spectators simply watching said mare run a brush through the rather abundant strip of facial hair that nearly dragged across the ground. They didn't stay for that very long. Taking a break from following the crowds, the two broke away and found a food vender trying to take advantage of the number of potential customers with his mobile cart. Feeling a bit peckish, they ordered a simple helping of hay-fries and found a bench where they could sit and relax. Quietly they ate their little snack, temporarily curbing whatever feelings of hunger that might come, able to hear the enamored gasps of the onlooking ponies in the distance. “Trader, Ah'm curious,” Applejack eventually said, breaking the silence on their simple meal. Her gaze looked over to the stallion for a moment, but hardly linger, the mare having trouble with what she was about to say. “Well... Ah was just wonderin'... Were there any special somponies you had while you were away? Ya never seem to mention any.” A minor look of stunned shock crossed the stallion for a moment, wondering why she would suddenly ask such a question. Though, he did realize he never went into any detail about his love life, leaving it up as a mystery. And he didn't doubt that recent events might have helped spark it. “Um... well...” he murmured in thought. “You already know about Spitfire. Really, she's the first and only mare I've ever had any kind of serious relationship with. I did live with her for a while after all. And well... there's not much else I could really say...” “Really?” Applejack questioned, actually holding a hint of surprise in her voice. A grin showed on the pegasus' face. “I know, right? A stud like me, I should be beating 'em back with a stick.” He chuckled at the flat expression he received from that, slowly developing a more serious demeanor. “I mean, sure, I've met a few mares over the years, but it's never amounted to much. Always more worried about work and paying off my debt, I didn't socialize much. So most times they were in the same job as I was, which never ended well. Took me a while, and a few lost jobs, to learn my lesson. Stuff just never worked out for me romantically...” He paused for a moment, heaving a soft sigh over the less than fond memories. “What about Rainbow Dash?” Applejack asked suddenly, nearly causing the pegasus' blood to freeze. “She's a lot like that Spitfire, and you two seem to get along well enough.” It was through sheer force of will that kept Trader from becoming a flustered mess yet again, giving off an easy laugh. “Uh... well... I-I'm not really her type...” he quickly said. Though he couldn't see Applejack give much reaction, he wasn't sure how much of it she was buying. Thinking fast, he wanted to change the topic, though not entirely change the subject. “So what about you? What stallions are in your past? I know any of 'em?” Oddly enough, the farmpony wasn't fully expecting the question, despite asking it herself. With a shake of her head, her answer was a simple one. “No, Ah can't say Ah've ever had my own special somepony.” “Oh, come on,” Trader said in a grunt of skepticism, thinking his friend was just trying to weasel out of reciprocating the answer. “Ah'm not lyin',” she pressed, noting the irony in her statement. “Gallivantin' with some stallion's just never been much of a priority. Workin' the farm's more than enough for me, and Ah don't see that changin' any time soon.” Thinking on what she said, Trader figured it made sense enough. He also wondered if the same went for Big Macintosh. From what he saw, the big guy never seemed too interested in such things either. It almost seemed a crying shame to him, a strong silent-type like Big Mac staying single, he knew a few mares who'd practically kill for a chance to snag him as their own. Then, a wry smirk crossed his lips as he said, “You know... we could always try and find Bucky. I bet he'd be able to change your mind.” She laughed at that, cheeks stretched from her large smile. Both then noticed that their simple meal of hay fries was finished. Getting up from the bench, Applejack gestured off toward more of the town, saying, “Let's see what else we can find to spend the day,” which Trader happily obliged. Some time had past with the two ponies simply walking the streets. Though they were indeed looking for something to occupy themselves with, they were more than content with the way things were. Such good friends, the concept of doing nothing at all was a rather pleasing one, so long as they were together. There were a few things that they did find along the way however, though not lasting long. Several stands seemed dedicated to playful games, allowing ponies to try their luck and ability at winning simple prizes. One centered around tossing small balls into stacks of milk bottles, an assortment of stuffed animals being the incentive to victory. Neither of them were very good at it however, Trader failing miserably while Applejack had trouble judging the right distance. Horseshoes was more her game, and it showed. They nearly got into trouble when the mare tried bucking the balls into the targets. Just as it seemed they'd find nothing, they encountered something strange. What had to of been the largest tent they had ever seen towered over them, almost imposingly. It reached just as high as any of the buildings and they could hear the muffled sound of music coming from the inside. Curiosity taking over, they followed the sound to the tents front flap, what was most likely the door, and went inside. The upbeat, energizing music filled the enclosed space within the tent. Lights were strung up across the beams that held the whole structure together, all shining down on the only other thing inside, the large group of ponies who danced to the rhythmic beat. The open space allowed ample room for them to move and enjoy themselves. At the far end, they could see the source of the thumping excitement, a large set of speakers bordering a blue-manned mare who ran the disks producing the sound. She looked just as into it as everypony else, moving along with it like the others. Applejack and Trader looked on into the crowd, unsure of how to react to it all. Then, a smile showed on the earth pony's face as she looked at her friend and nodded toward the others. “I-I'm not really sure...” the stallion murmured, his nervousness showing up well enough. “Dancing's never really been my thing.” With a playful huff, Applejack rolled her eyes and immediately grabbed onto his hoof. “Just come on,” she demanded as she pulled him into the mass of dancing ponies. They found their own patch of space to move about freely and were soon surrounded by others, blending into the ground. Though Applejack wasn't the best dancer, finding her ability tied to only certain kinds of music, she did her best nonetheless. Having fun with it, the farmpony moved about the best she could, nothing extravagant, as she knew she wasn't about to embarrass herself. The same couldn't be said for Trader however, finding it hard to get into the swing of things, his movements stunted by his own inhibitions. But his eyes never left his companion. Watching as she herself never let her own lack of ability fully restrain her. Slowly, if ever surely, he began to pick things up. The music continued on without any sign of stopping as the pegasus' own dancing came full swing. Working off the confidence of his friend, he let the music coarse through him and direct his movements into a suitable groove. It didn't take long for his own dancing to be wilder than Applejack's, impressing the mare quite a bit. She herself watched as he moved body well, his movements were fluid and precise, as one would expect from a pegasus his size. Hardly even thinking, Trader kicked off the ground, flipping through the air before gracefully landing back down and resuming in his dance. Large smiles were had as they laughed in their merriment, enjoying themselves to the fullest. It seemed all too soon when the heavy pounding of the speakers lessened, the music growing quiet. Everypony stopped in their enjoyment of it all, thinking the music was stopping, but it was only changing. In a drastic change, a soft, slow melody filled the inside of the tent. The lights dimmed, the ponies underneath of them changing along with the music. Couples moved closer together, their swaying movements matching that of what was now caressing their ears. Applejack and Trader stared blankly at one another, standing out against the others around them. Wordlessly, with her own sheepish look, Applejack closed the gap between them. Draping her forelegs across his shoulders and neck, she was soon followed by Trader as he placed his own across her back. Holding each other up and helping to keep their balance, they slowly moved along with the music, beginning to match many of the others. Their eyes never parted from one another, both out of the difficulty in doing so, as well as something else. Trader's expression remained an utter blank, unable to fully process his own reaction to it all. It was clear that such a dance wasn't one he took part in normally. Though the same could be said for Applejack, she mostly found a bit of amusement watching her friend. “Trader,” the farmpony said, nearly whispering. “Ah just... Ah don't think Ah've ever told you how grateful we all are for you bein' here. At the farm, Ah mean.” A light chuckle brought on a bit of a smile onto the pegasus' face. “I should be the grateful one,” he murmured. “After all you've done for me... I really don't want to imagine where I'd be right now if not for you and the others.” “It's not like we hold that against you,” Applejack returned. “You've been an awful big help, workin' the farm and everything else. You know, Applebloom and her friends have taken quite a liking to ya.” With a cocked eyebrow, he looked at his friend questioningly. “Really?” “That's right,” she said with a slight nod. “Though they don't show it often, mostly when you're not around. They're always tryin' new things, betterin' themselves and findin' out what they're good at to get their cutie marks. They know about all the different things you've done over the years. You're kind of a role model to 'em.” “Not the best choice...” Applejack couldn't help but laugh a little. “All things considered, Ah'm just happy to have my old friend back.” For a much more than prolonged moment, they two stopped. Still wrapped in each others hooves, their eyes locked together, both holding large, beaming smiles. Not a word was uttered. Just when their moment was just about up, they suddenly realized that the music had stopped. They looked out to the others to see they themselves had halted in their own slow dance. The ponies rested their hooves during the brief pause in music. It allowed Applejack and Trader to slip out of the tent as well, greeting the open air yet again, and seeing just how much time had flown by. Nearly all of the blue in the sky had vanished. The sun was kissing the horizon and it was clear that night would soon be upon them. They stared up into the sky, watching as the colors changed and shifted. As they did, Trader's own gaze shifted toward a group of clouds, a devious smile spreading across his face. Without warning, he moved behind Applejack and dove down between her legs. The mare gasped as she was suddenly lifted into the air, now lying on the stallion's back. She didn't even have a chance to speak as his wings fanned out and he took off into the air. “T-Trader! What the hay do you think you're doin'?!” Applejack shouted in a panic, a hoof placed on her head to keep her hat in place as the rest of her limbs latched onto the pegasus as tight as they could. “Just hold on,” he said, his only response as he continued to fly into the air, his ability hardly impeded by the bit of extra weight he carried. Feeling sick, the farmpony shut her eyes tight as the ground was further and further below them. The rushing cold air and beating of Trader's wings were the only things her mind held onto as she kept her world in darkness. After a few moments, both suddenly stopped, only able to hear the steadying breath of the stallion under her. “You can look now,” Trader said, an air of amusement in his voice. Ever so slowly, the mare did just that, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the soft whiteness of cloud surrounding them, Trader having laid out on top of it. Though the pegasus could safely rest on the surface, an earth pony like her would sink through as easily as she would open air, the exact thing that was right below them. Sensing the oncoming panic, Trader did his best to calm her. “Hey, hey, it's going to be alright. You won't fall, you can trust me.” “W-why are we up here?” Applejack managed to ask, never before feeling so uncomfortable in her life, her legs wrapped around the stallion's body in as strong a hold as he could manage. “Just look,” he said simply. With deep, even breaths, she calmed herself and looked out to where they were facing, her eyes growing wide with amazement. Stretched out before them, the most perfect view of the sunset could be seen. From their height, all that could be seen was the open sky and the very edge of the horizon. Beautiful colors of fiery red and orange blended with a cool and calming blue and purple, exploding out across the natural ceiling of the world they called the sky. It must have been what the pegasi of Cloudsdale always saw, living so high up in the sky, only having to look out a window to see it. “I used to always come up this high when I was little,” Trader murmured, lost in thought as his own eyes remained trained on the familiar sight. “Since mom and dad couldn't fly, I would always hide out in the clouds when I wanted to be alone. Just looking out into the world... watching the sun rise and set... floating through the air with the clouds, it's easy to forget about your troubles.” Silence soon befell them as they stayed there and watched the twilight pass. It didn't take very long for the last vestiges of daylight to be snuffed out, the sky darkening as the moon and stars came to conquer it. Applejack was no longer afraid, calmly watching it all unfold in front of her. Even if she did somehow fall, there was no doubt in her mind that Trader would come to save her. Just as the silvery light of the moon was being cast down on them, the two decided to leave. It was a much easier trip down, Applejack not having to cling to her friend or feel her heart bursting from her chest. When they landed, she slipped off of him, still feeling grateful to finally have solid ground under her hooves. Their silence continued as Trader simply stood there, a warming smile on his face that held an expectant look of apology. “I just wanted you to see something in our perspective,” he then said. “I know you probably don't get the chance often.” “Yeah...” Applejack murmured, unsure of what else to say. She just couldn't stop smiling, even if she didn't want to, she was certain that it would be impossible. The swelling sense of joy inside of her forced it out, even when she didn't fully understand it. Just looking at her old foalhood friend seemed to bring it on, her heart fluttering in her chest. “Trader...” she started, trying to put it all into words. Nervousness bubbled up just as much in her, as she delved into unknown territory. It was almost frightening. “Ah just...” She never was one to hold back on anything, always willing to dive straight in. But hesitation gripped her so tightly, she could barely breathe. “Ah want to say...” Then she stopped. A sudden, crushing feeling of inadequacy stilled her tongue. The pause was only for a moment, her ears drooping down across her head as she again looked her friend in the eyes. “Thank you... for what you did...” she said, a dull murmur compared to her previous words. Trader looked at her with worry for a moment, it disappearing in a second as he developed a delighted smile. “Anytime,” he replied, simply happy that she enjoyed herself. He looked up into the sky yet again, reminding himself how late it was. “Maybe we should go back to the inn, it's getting late and I'm kind of hungry.” Without a word, Applejack nodded her head slightly and they both left. Much like the nights before, the streets were as busy as one would expect. Ponies continued to go about their business, hardly looking like they even noticed the change in the sky. Trader and Applejack kept their eyes peeled for anything familiar as they trotted by the crowds. Though they wouldn't admit to being lost, they were in a part of town that neither one of them recognized, having trouble making it back to the inn. Through their aimless wandering, it was an odd little surprise as they heard a voice that they had heard so much earlier ringing into the nighttime air. It was followed by gasps of wonderment of nearby ponies, all of whom were crowded around a wagon that opened out into a miniature stage. Upon that stage, the blue-coated mare Trixie performed her acts. The spectators all seemed enamored by the show, like they had rarely ever seen such magic before. It raised the question how magically adept the unicorns who lived in the simple town were. Applejack and Trader stood at the far back of the crowd, watching the show go on. A fond smile remained on the pegasus' face, watching the acts go on without a hitch, somewhat impressed himself at how the unicorn had improved since last he saw her. Applejack's own expression remained as look of the purest contempt. Saying there was a chip in her shoulder just might be an understatement. Once again, the crowd gasped in shock and awe as Trixie made a group of doves fly out of her pointed hat, each one suddenly bursting into a shower of confetti and sparks, the sparks themselves hanging in the air and spelling out her name. The whole thing made the farm pony roll her eyes, not seeing much changed since the first time she came to Ponyville. “Her show really isn't all that bad,” Trader murmured to his friend. “So long as you can get past her ego...” Applejack merely huffed to herself, noticing how the pegasus next to her seemed just as impressed by the feats of magic as the rest of the crowd. It only served to deepen her sneer as she turned away. “Watch her all you want, Ah'm gonna find somethin' to eat,” she said before trotting off. It took a moment for him to realize he had been left alone, but when Trader saw his friend leaving, he made the move to follow. But just as he was about to go after her, he was stopped in his tracks, feeling the sensation of limbs coiling around his body. All of a sudden, the pegasus was lifted into the air and carried across the crowd, where he was soon dropped onto the stage. “Looks like we have ourselves a volunteer!” Trixie shouted out, followed quickly by a cheer from the crowd. Trader could only look out into the small lake of faces as he felt dozens of eyes following his every move. “I think my lovely assistant should look the part.” A bright flash of light then enveloped the stallion, forcing the spectators to look away. Looking down at himself, Trader yelped in horror as he saw the sparkling red dress he was wearing, the garment fitting him all too well. His face soon began to match it as he heard the stifled laughter and snickering of the crowd. Even Trixie giggled in enjoyment, once again looking out to the crowd as she said, “Now, let's begin.”