Burning pain stabbed into Trader's eyes as they first began to open. The sun hung directly above him and the small cloud he had commandeered as his bed for the night. Groaning loudly, he rolled himself over and managed to stand on all fours, his eyelids feeling as heavy as iron.
Slowly, his mind began to start back up, the harsh memories of the night before coming back to him. Unable to think of what to do, the pegasus sat on his lone cloud, looking down at Hoofington and all the ponies who went about their day. In no time, his gaze fell on a spot where a large crowd had begun to congregate, the tops of small tents able to be seen in rows.
It then hit him like a speeding wagon. “The competition!” he shouted in panic, wings flaring open as he jumped off of his cloud and dove straight toward town.
It took only a few minutes for him to soar over to where the contest was being held. As he had seen from the air, rows of small tents were lined up, the front of them open to reveal the miniature stoves within, as well as the stacks of supplies that anypony would need to create a tasty confection. In front of them all, three judges stood by, waiting for the festivities to commence. Between both, the crowd of ponies eagerly awaited, curious minds wondering just what each group of contestants would make.
Trader quickly managed to find the right pony he needed to talk to, a unicorn with a clipboard hovering in front of her. Nearly barreling through the poor creature, the frantic stallion landed in front of her and spoke a mile a minute.
“I'm here! Name's Trader! I'm with Applejack! Should say Applejack and Trader on the sheet! Has it started yet?! Am I too late?!” He was ready to go longer, but a quick smack across the head from the clipboard silenced him.
Looking perturbed, the mare's eyes fell back down to her board and she nodded her head simplistically. “Yes, I see your name here,” she said. “Where's the rest of your party?”
“Huh?” he questioned. “Sh-she's not here?”
“No,” the mare replied in an even tone. “Only you have reported in. Now, the contest is starting. We can't simply wait for her to arrive. You'll just have to do it on your own. Unless you want to forfeit now?”
Trader gaped at her wordlessly for a few moments, mind racing as he wondered where the farmpony was. Her question then came back to him as he meekly shook his head. “N-no... I can't do that...”
“Okay then, Trader,” the mare continued, pointing a hoof toward the nearest tent. “Get inside and get ready to be signaled.” Still unsure, the pegasus did what he was told, entering the shaded tent and looking about at all the supplies that had been set up.
Most of it was basic ingredients one would need for any kind of baked good. From sugar to flour, and everything in between. There was even a number of different fruits and vegetables, giving a wide variety to choose from, though Trader already knew what they would have used. But fear gripped the stallion tight as he looked between them and the stove, the sad fact quickly coming to him that he had absolutely no idea how to bake.
Just outside, the mayor, a rather posh stallion in dapper clothes, began to explain the contest to the eager crowd. They had a set amount of time to bake the best treat they could think of, using the items they were given. After that, the judges would sample what they made, determining who the winner was. Trader payed no attention to it, his entire body shaking as he nervously gnawed on his hoof. Silently, he wished and hoped with all of his heart that Applejack would suddenly appear, able to save the day and win them the contest. But even as the contest began, the mare was nowhere to be seen.
Pacing the floor, the pegasus tried to think of something, anything, even as he could hear the contest beginning and the rest of the competitors jumping into the fray. But just as cruel as the fact that he was hopeless and that Applejack was gone, was the fact that he was utterly sunk. No one else could help, being so far away from home without a single friendly soul to help. Then, his eyes nearly burst from his skull as he realized that that fact wasn't entirely true.
Trader immediately flew outside, startling several of the spectators who were both curious and confused at what he was doing. But he didn't bother to notice them as he began to scan the crowd of ponies that had come, not stopping until he saw a familiar hat standing out amongst the bare heads around it.
“Braeburn, I need your help!” Trader shouted, hovering in front of the yellow-coated pony. The stallion was as surprised as one would expect, clearly not expecting the sudden appearance of the pegasus.
“T-Trader? What's goin' on?” he asked, oblivious to what had happened.
Impatient, Trader grabbed hold of stallion's vest, yanking and pulling him toward the tent. “Just come on,” he urged in need. Braeburn didn't put up much of a fight, allowing them to quickly get back into the tent as the frantic pegasus was close to losing it.
“Where's Applejack?” the stallion then asked, not seeing his cousin anywhere.
“She... she's not here,” Trader answered, suddenly having trouble matching his gaze.
It only added to his compounding confusion as the earth pony eyed him questioningly. “What? Where is she then?”
“I-I don't know!” Trader quickly said, becoming frantic again. “I just don't think she's coming and the competition's already started! That's why I need your help, Braeburn! I don't know how to bake, much less make anything passable for a contest!”
Braeburn simply stared at the pegasus blankly for a moment, a long pause crackling inside of the tent. Then, his cheeks reddened slightly as he said, “Uh... Well... Ah don't really know how to bake either...”
Every muscle in Trader's face suddenly twitched horrendously, his entire body beginning to shake. “Wh-wh-wh-what?!” he blurted out. “You don't know how to bake?!”
“I'm usually not even allowed near a stove...” the stallion admitted.
Seeming to be utterly broken, Trader's expression continuously shifted between a manic smile to an utterly crushed bout of misery. “How is that possible?!” he then shouted. “You're an Apple, aren't you?! How is it that you can't bake?!”
“Well... that's a mighty big assumption there,” Braeburn said, looking somewhat offended. “Not everypony in the family can cook y'know.”
“Name one!”
“Oh...” he murmured, not expecting that. “Uh... well there's- No... There's Little- Well, she's only two, Ah guess... Um... Ah... Ah just can't think of any right now, alright?!”
Trader could already smell the sweet scents of the other competitors in the air, making his heart beat all the faster. “Never mind that!” he quickly said, unable to control the volume of his voice any longer. “Just please, please help me with this! I have no chance on my own!”
Almost begrudgingly so, Braeburn nodded his head in barely willing acceptance. They had to work fast, already behind by a great deal. Between them, they did their best to recreate what they had seen others do, as well as what they assumed to be common sense, to make the best apple pie that they were capable of. Shoving it in the stove to bake, they barely had anytime to thoroughly cook it before their time was up and they were called to present what they had.
Their pie was a sorry excuse of one, to say the least. The top crust lopsided and nearly spilling off the side of the tin. Instead of a baked, golden brown, it looked discolored, with large cracks splitting open across it from its half-hazard creation. They were the third group to be judged, both stallion's barely able to breathe from the lumps in their throats as they were approached.
The mayor himself was one of the judges, looking between them both expectantly. “Mm, apple, my favorite,” he said sniffing the concoction pleasantly.
Braeburn and Trader managed uneasy smiles as they sliced into their creation. The sauce inside was incredibly runny, as though they had tried to water it down, some of it seeping onto the plate. Adding a dollop of whipped-cream to it, they hoped it would offset whatever taste the actual pie would bring. As they were serving the other two judges, the mayor was already taking a bite of his, savoring it as he tasted every detail.
Breath stilled, hearts pounding, they stood there and watched as the mayor chewed and swallowed. To their surprise, a warming smiled appeared on his lips soon after, the mayor nodding his head in appreciation, saying, “Now, that certainly was a fine-” He stopped, eyes rolling up to the back of his head before the mayor collapsed into a heap. Both stallions held looks of pure horror as everypony else around them rushed to his side.
It took only a few minutes for the mayor to be rushed off to the nearest hospital. Soon after he was gone, a replacement judge was found and the contest slowly picked itself back into full swing. Neither of the other two judges even bothered to try the apple pie Trader and Braeburn had made, with good reason.
The two hadn't moved an inch since the incident, both staring off at nothing, unable to form any other expression. Even as the crowd of spectators moved on to the other tents, they were as still as statues.
“How could that have happened.?” Braeburn murmured quietly. “None of the ingredients would’ve been that spoiled... It couldn't of been too undercooked or overcooked... Even if we missed a step, it wouldn't be that bad... Ah just don't understand it...”
A heavy thud sounded as Trader's forehead smashed into the table, rattling the piece of furniture and the remaining pie that was on it.
The competition was heading for its end by the time Braeburn and Trader pulled themselves out of their stupor and began walking away. Just ahead, the crowd had returned to circling the main stage, one of the judges facing them all as he announced their choice. Just from looking at him, it seemed as though he was having trouble not gazing back toward their tent.
“It's been another great year everypony,” the stallion called. “Though the contestants have, uh... all been really great... there can only be one who is the best. We have tallied our scores and deliberated who we think that is.” A hush fell over the entire crowd as they awaited the answer, the actual contestants all looking hopeful. “This years winners are... the duo Flim and Flam for their delicious apple cobbler!”
Most of the ponies began to applaud, expressions of disappointment and acceptance crossing the ones who had lost. The two victorious unicorn stallions were quick to jump up on stage, basking in the attention with smug grins. Trader could easily tell by their cream-colored coats, as well as their red and white manes that they were twins, even wearing the same clothes.
Something about the two though did strike the pegasus as odd, unable to place why. He soon shoved it aside as Braeburn relinquished a much needed sigh. “Well, think Ah'll end up headin' back to Appleloosa a bit early,” he said. “Don't really wanna stick around after our little mishap.”
“Sorry about what happened,” Trader said, feeling responsible for it.
“Don't beat yourself up over it,” the earth pony replied. “Ah'd say it was a team effort. But Ah do see why Ah'm not allowed to try bakin' on my own.”
In spite of everything, Trader couldn't help but chuckle a little. It was soon followed by Braeburn's own sound of merriment, helping to alleviate their bitter loss by their own incompetence. As soon as it had sparked up, it was extinguished, lifting their spirits if ever so slightly. It helped the young pegasus out considerably so though, until he caught the approach of a familiar orange-coated mare.
“What's goin' on?” Applejack asked, eying her cousin specifically.
“Applejack?!” the stallion asked, astounded. “Now just where have you been? You done and missed the entire competition.”
“Ah... Ah did?” The mare looked surprised, looking around to see ponies already leaving from around the stage as well as those who stood atop it. For a brief moment, her expression shifted from one of shock into a glare of seething rage. Looking back to her cousin, a slight blush appeared across her freckled cheeks. “Ah guess Ah just... overslept.”
“Overslept?” Braeburn murmured, having never heard of the mare oversleeping before. Though Trader could see clear signs of it. From the darkened lines just underneath her eyes, as well as her mane looking more disheveled than usual, it looked as though she hadn't had much of a restful night.
“Ah'm sorry... Ah'm not really sure why...”
The stallion simply shrugged his shoulders, saying, “It's alright. Me and Trader here managed on our own. Though... we lost pretty bad... And Ah think we may have kill the mayor.”
“You what?” Applejack said in shock, looking to her pegasus friend for more of an answer. But as her eyes were on him, Trader stared down at the ground, refusing to meet her gaze.
“It's kind of hard to explain,” Braeburn was quick to say. “Just don't worry too much about it. Though... like Ah told Trader, Ah think Ah'll be headin' back home. Not much else for me here, and Ah can catch the next train in a few hours.” Hugging Applejack, he looked between her and her pegasus companion. “Nice seein' ya again, cousin. And nice meetin' you too Trader. Both of ya come visit whenever you can.”
“Have a good trip,” Applejack returned. Watching the stallion go, her sights were once again drawn back to Trader. This time, the pegasus had been looking at her as well. But as their eyes met, they both immediately adverted their gazes away. It didn't take long for an overbearing silence to fall over the two friends, made all the more apparent the longer they stayed alone together.
Much like with Braeburn, there was nothing left in Hoofington for Applejack or Trader. The mare herself wanted nothing more than to leave, to get back home where she knew she belonged. Neither cared that noon had already came and went, deciding to simply travel through the night to reach Ponyville.
It took only a few minutes for them to pack up the wagon and strap themselves in. Their load had been considerably lessened, allowing them to move faster with every step. In no time at all, they were all set and ready to go, leaving Hoofington behind as they followed the same road they took to enter the quaint place.
Much like the trip their, leaving Hoofington was more of the same. So few ponies traveled the road along with them, leaving it an utter silence. This time however, it was much worse, neither of them having the company of the other this time around.
Despite being bound so close together, the two remained quite distance, looking away and out toward the fields to their sides or up aimlessly into the sky. Not a word was spoken, the only sound being that of the wagon wheels turning across the dirt road. Only on a few rare occasions did one look toward the other, mouth open as if to speak. But nothing was said, quickly turning away before the other caught them in the act.
It was like that throughout the journey. They didn't bother to stop and rest, even as night fell and cold winds blew against them. They continued unabated in their task, pulling their heavy burden toward Ponyville.