Rainbow Dash took a sip of her cup of tea and savored the minty sweet taste of it. She then placed the tea cup back on to the table in front of her and regarded the purple alicorn that sat across from her sipping her own tea.
“Thanks again for getting me out of work Twi. The higher ups have been running me ragged all week.” Rainbow Dash said.
“Don’t mention it Rainbow. I mean what’s the point of being a Princess if you can’t abuse your power to help a friend get out of work every now and then.” Twilight giggled.
“I know right. So you mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something.”
“Well yes…it’s about Osaka.”
“Osaka? What about him?”
“Well does he ever talk about himself or his past at all?”
“No, why?”
“Well it’s just…” she sighed. “We really don’t know anything about him or his past. Even if his memories are still jumbled up with the false ones, there still should be enough of them for him to start remembering his past just a bit.”
“So it’s taking him a bit longer for him to regain his memories? I don’t see how that’s a big deal Twi? I mean it’s not like he’s hurting anything.”
“It’s not just that Rainbow. You see the other night I got a letter from Princess Luna, and…”
I hugged the wooden oak barrel so hard that I felt splinters getting stuck in my fur. I never wanted to let it go. I gave it a light kiss on one of the metal bands that kept it together.
“Umm OJ what in Equestria are you doing?” asked Applejack who was behind me.
“Just…just give me a minute AJ…I’m just so happy.” I sniffed and fought back the tears that formed in my eyes.
“Uhh alright then…I think I’m going to wait for you upstairs.”
“That’s a good idea, cause I’m about to get all freaky with this barrel.”
“Please don’t.” She said.
I heard AJ make her way up the dirt steps and exit the cellar. I released the barrel and stood back up on my four legs. I patted the top of the barrel with my hoof and gazed at its forty-nine brothers and sisters. “I love you all equally from the bottom of my heart.” I told them as I walked out of the cellar to rejoin Applejack in the main barn.
I emerged from the cellar and into the main structure of the Apple Families barn. I saw Big Macintosh pouring small glasses of our recently created whisky and placing them before the ponies we selected to be our guinea pigs. They all sat behind a long table that was set up in the middle of the barn. There was Fluttershy, Snowflake, Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, and Lyra.
I walked up to Applejack who was in the middle of talking to Rarity. “Hello Rarity, what you up to?” I asked.
“Hello Osaka, I had some free time this afternoon so I thought I come by to see you guys test your product.” She answered.
“That’s cool. You want to take part in the test?”
She cringed. “No thank you darling. Applejack offered as well, but I took a whiff of the stuff and well it’s just too pungent smelling for me.”
“Ah, you don’t know what you’re missing.” I teased. I turned to AJ, “We already here?”
“Yup were all set up and ready to go OJ.”
“Cool”
I walked up the table and addressed the ponies behind it. “All right everypony I like to thank you all for coming to test out the whiskey that the Apple Family and I have made. Now I’ve already tried it myself and it has turned out better than I thought it would for a first attempt. Now since this liquor is a whole lot stronger than most of the stuff on the market we need to tests it to make sure it’s safe by consumption by normal ponies.”
“Just how strong is it?” squeaked Fluttershy.
“It’s about 45% alcohol, 90 proof.” I answered.
Snowflake and Vinyl both whistled.
“Now none of you need to worry. If anything bad happens Big Mac will take care of it. He has had a bit of medical training and he’s assured me that he knows how to work a stomach pump. Now why does the Apple Family own a stomach pump? That’s another question all together.”
“Our Family reunions get a little crazy.” Big Mac replied as he placed a small nurse’s cap on his head.
“Ah they aunt gonna ned no fancy medical treatment. I ben drinkin this all day an I feel fine,” slurred Granny Smith as she stumbled into the barn. She had a big ceramic jug which I could only assume had our whiskey stored within it. She put the jug to her mouth and started to chug the contents, not stopping.
“Wow Granny Smith is hard core.” said Vinyl. Octavia nodded her head in agreement.
“And why have I been labeled as the town drunk again?” I asked Applejack and Rarity.
“Well you were humping one of the barrels of whisky in the cellar a few minutes ago.” answered AJ.
“Hey that barrel and its contents have been magically aged 18 years by Twilight. So therefore it is of legal age, if it didn’t want me humping it. It should have said so.”
Applejack and Rarity both facehoofed and shook their heads.
Granny Smith came up and leaned her weight against me. “You know it’s been years since I been with a Pegasus.” She said.
I twisted my neck and looked at her. “Don’t you mean centuries?”
Granny Smith collapsed in a fit of laughter.
“Hey Rares, do you mine looking after Granny for us for a little while?” AJ asked Rarity.
“Sure it shouldn’t be a problem at all.” Rarity replied. She grabbed the hysterically laughing old pony and dragged her out of the barn.
“Come on Granny Smith let’s get some water in you.”
“It’s also been years since I been with a Unicorn mare as well.” I heard Granny Smith say as she was dragged around the corner
I turned to Applejack. “I like your family.” I smiled at her.
“Can we get on with this?” she huffed out.
“Hey Osaka I got a question.” Lyra piped up.
“Yes Lyra?”
“Why am I here again? I mean I don’t drink.”
“I’m really glad you asked that Lyra. In fact Snowflake has an answer for you, Snowflake?”
“PUNISHMENT!!!” yelled out the bulked up Pegasus.
“You’re still mad about the whole kidnapping thing aren’t you?”
“Snowflake?”
“YEAAA!”
“Then why isn't Bon Bon here then?” she smugly asked.
“Well that’s because Bon Bon has a business to run. You on the underhand are currently unemployed.” I gave Lyra a huge smile.
“Lyra did you get fired from another orchestra?” Octavia asked.
Lyra looked away and grumbled.
“Now getting back on track, each of you has a glass of whisky in front of you. All you need to do is try it out, if it’s too strong or not to your liking. We have ice you can add to it or cola for you to mix it in. Now why does cola exist long before whisky? I don’t know. I mean the idea of distilling fermented grain mash is just a weird one but the idea of making a soft drink is obviously a…”
Applejack poked me in the side interrupting me. “You’re getting off topic here Osaka.” She said.
“Right…sorry…yea start drinking ponies.”
Applejack and I walked off to the side of the barn and sat down next to Big Mac and his stomach pump, as we watched the ponies taste their drinks.
Fluttershy sniffed at the whiskey and timidly took a sip of it, then another. Snowflake gulped down half of his drink and broke out in a coughing fit. Big Mac had to go fetch him a glass of water so he could recover. Vinyl took a sip of her drink and grimaced. She levitated a couple of ice cubes and poured some cola into her glass with her magic. She took another sip and smiled. Octavia held up her glass and inspected the liquid closely. She swished it around in her glass a bit before she took a drink. She then gave out a little happy sigh before taking another. Lyra downed hers in one gulp and slowly developed a goofy grin.
“You know I think I like drinking. Can I have some more Osaka?” Lyra asked.
I smiled. “Sure Lyra.” I grabbed the bottle Big Mac had filled with the whisky and topped Lyra off. “So, how does everypony else like it?”
“It has a rather interesting aftertaste” Fluttershy said.
“That’s the dragon fire charred oak barrel.”
“Dragon fire?” Fluttershy started to look nervous.
“Courtesy of Spike and it’s not harmful so don’t worry.” Fluttershy relaxed after that.
“It’s smooth.” Snowflake choked out before having another coughing fit.
“Eh I didn’t care for it on its own but it’s great with cola.” Vinyl said.
I shrugged, “To each its own, what about you Octavia?”
“I think I’ve found my one true love.” Octavia swooned.
“Well that’s good news for me, possibly bad news for Vinyl. Now what’s your opinion Lyra?”
“I love everythingggg.” She slurred.
“I think mine’s apple juice.” Pinkie said next to me.
I took Pinkie’s drink and tried it myself. “Yup, that’s apple juice.” I gave her back her glass.
“It’s no fun now that you don’t act surprised.” Pinkie pouted as she walked out of the barn. I ignored her.
“Good, good.” I rubbed my fore hooves together. “Anypony want some more?”
They all nodded their heads.
I smiled.
“So he doesn’t dream, like at all?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“According to Princess Luna he doesn’t. She’s been visiting him in his sleep every night since he got here and she has found nothing, no strange dreams, no memories being relived, nothing, just a blank slate.”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head and scratched her chin in thought she then shrugged.
“So?” she asked.
“SO!!! Rainbow we know absolutely nothing about Osaka besides the fact that he believes he came from another world. Where he claims he used to be a completely different species. We know nothing about him, he doesn’t even dream! He could be a Changeling Spy for all we know!” Twilight freaked.
“Wow wow calm down Twi. I’m pretty sure he’s not a Changeling Spy, but you can always cast one of your detecting spells on him the next time you see him if you want to be sure.”
Twilight sighed and poured herself another cup of tea. She offered some to Rainbow but Rainbow just shook her head. “I don’t really think he’s a Changeling either Rainbow, it’s just we don’t know anything about him. He doesn’t like to talk about himself. The other day when he was here for our weekly session he just dodged every question I asked about him. I just think if we can get him to open up he might just start to remember his real past that’s all.” Twilight said before taking a sip of her tea.
“Well maybe he really is from another world.”
Twilight spat out her tea. “Really Rainbow? That very idea is ridiculous.”
“I mean just think about it Twilight. He knows all about odd and weird stuff that we’ve never thought about before. Take that drink he’s making over at AJ’s farm, no pony has ever thought about distilling grain and aging it in barrels before. Also the other night when he was trying to write clop, he went on an hour long rant that there was no way that running a hoof through another pony’s fur or mane could be sensual in any way since hooves are hard and bulky.”
“Did he really?”
“Oh, yea he did. I finally got him to shut up when I snuck behind him and started to run one of my hooves through his mane. He then admitted it did feel good and he mentioned something about having to experience life as a pony before her could write about ponies or something like that.” Rainbow shrugged.
“Huh, I see. Well I still don’t believe he came from another world Rainbow.”
“I don’t fully believe it either Twi. I’m just saying that maybe we should look into it.”
“Perhaps we should.” Twilight sighed. “But we still need him to open up about himself Rainbow.”
“I agree Twi, but like I asked earlier is he really hurting anything by being here?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Bon Bon is going to leave me!” Lyra cried burying her head in her hooves on the table.
“Vinyl you know I didn’t mean that I loved this whiskey more than you.” Octavia consoled the pouting white unicorn.
“Then why you say it then.” Vinyl replied.
“Oh my silly little Scratchy as if a simple little drink could ever replace you.” Octavia said as she started to rub Vinyl’s chest with one of her legs, and nibble on Vinyl’s neck.
Vinyl blushed, her white cheeks turning a violent crimson. “Octy we’re in public.” She panted out.
“As if I care” Octavia breathlessly whispered into Vinyl’s ear.
“I’M SO LONELY!” screamed Snowflake interrupting Vinyl and Octavia’s love fest. He slammed his forelegs down on the table splintering the wood a bit as he broke into a bout of uncontrolled sobs.
“Oh quit you’re crying you little cry baby.” Fluttershy spat out as she finished her fifth whiskey neat.
“Did you know that they would start acting this way Mr. Jones?” Apple Bloom asked me.
I turned and regarded the three fillies sitting next to me. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo must have entered the barn without me realizing it. I shrugged “Kind of I guess. Pretty much everyone acts differently when they ingest that much liquor. I’m more surprised about Fluttershy she’s drank the most out of all of them. Any who I don’t think this is the best place for three young girls to be at the moment.”
“Eh, I’ve seen worse at the family reunions.” Apple Bloom said unconcerned.
“I kind of want to go to one of these reunions now.”
“Apple Family Only.” She sang.
“Damn, I’m really not into blondes.” I pouted.
“Hey!” Applejack and Big Mac said in unison.
I gave them a smile and turned my attention to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. “What about you two?”
“You should see Rarity when she’s running behind on an order. Talk about crazy.”
“I lived in an orphanage for most of my life.”
“And was two full grown mares making out a regular occurrence there?”
“You be surprised.”
“…I see…remind me to ask you about that later.”
I heard the faint clopping of hooves on the ground and looked behind me. I saw Rarity reentering the barn.
“Well Granny Smith ended up passing out. I dragged her into her bed, but she seems to be doing okay now…oh my, what’s going on here?”
I watched Fluttershy tower over Snowflake as she began to verbally threaten him to stop crying. Snowflake just cowered and tried to hide underneath the table in fear, but he was too big to do so. Octavia was forcibly making out with Vinyl. Vinyl was trying to push her off but she really wasn’t putting up much of a fight. Lyra was off to the side vomiting in a trash can.
“Oh you know Rarity, product testing.”
“Oh, dear. How much did they all drink?” Rarity asked in concern.
“Well Fluttershy has had five…” Fluttershy grabbed Snowflakes unattended drink and chugged it. “Make that six. Everypony else stopped at three…you ponies sure have a low alcohol tolerance.”
“It looks like you were right OJ. We’re gonna need to dilute it a bit before we try to sell the stuff. I’ll see if I can get Twilight over here tomorrow to magically do it for us.” Applejack said.
“Sounds good. Try to see if she can knock it down to 70 to 60 proof, but only to half the barrels. We can start to sell the stronger stuff once everypony gets used to the weaker, and crank up the price on it.”
Applejack tapped her hoof against her chin before she cracked a smile. “I like your way of thinkin OJ. Alright you guys might want to clear out of the barn for the next part, things are gonna get messy. Alright Big Mac get the stomach pump and the buckets of water ready.”
"It seems like he’s become rather good friends with that Snowflake fellow as well as Vinyl and Octavia.” Twilight said over her tea cup as she took another drink.
“Yea, he and Scoot’s are even getting along better as well.” Rainbow smiled and closed her eyes.
Twilight put down her tea cup and gave her rainbow colored friend a devious smile. “That’s good.” She said. “You know he’s also quite the looker.” She added.
“Oh yea you got that ri…” Rainbow stopped and instantly blushed. She turned her head and attempted to hide her blush as she let out an angry huff.
“Oh don’t be mad Rainbow. It’s not like it was that big of a secret, you pretty much jumped at the chance to take him in when we were trying to figure out what to do with him.”
Rainbow fidgeted around. “Um…well…you…see…” Rainbow took a deep breath and sighed. “Alright so I think he’s cute. What’s wrong with that?”
“Oh Rainbow there’s nothing wrong with it. I’m just messing with you.”
“But messing with ponies is my job.” Rainbow grumbled.
I sat down outside the barn and gazed into the sky. I felt the urge to just take off and fly around in the sky, to just enjoy the feeling of the air flowing through my wings and fur, and just never come down. I’ve been having this feeling a lot lately. I’ve just assumed that it has something to do with me being a Pegasus now, but maybe I should talk to Twilight about it, or at least Rainbow. The feeling of somepony poking me with a hoof brought me out of my musing. I looked down and saw Scootaloo looking up at me. She seemed like she wanted to ask me something. “What’s up?”
“Well Sweetie Belle asked her sister if she could have a sleepover tonight and she said yes. I was just wondering if I could go.” She gave me a sheepish smile.
“Weeeell” I stroked my chin. “That’s really something you should ask Rainbow Dash, but I don’t see why you can’t. After all tomorrow is the weekend. I’ll tell you what you can go ahead and head off with Rarity and your friends and I’ll run it by Rainbow when I see her later. If it’s cool will stop by and drop off your sleeping bag and stuff, if not will pick you up and take you home. That sound good?”
“Yea thanks Osaka!” she jumped up and gave me a quick hug before she sprinted off towards her friends and Rarity. They gave me a wave as they started to make their way back into town.
The barn door opened and I turned around to see my guinea pigs walking out. Their heads and manes were thoroughly soaked but they all seemed to be a lot more sober now. Well except for Lyra who was clearly passed out and draped over Vinyl’s back.
“I’m so sorry I don’t know what came over me.” Fluttershy comforted Snowflake.
“…It’s all right.” He sniffed.
“Ughh my head is pounding. I’m never drinking that stuff again.” Vinyl rubbed her head with a free hoof.
“Are you sure Vinyl? I think if you continue to drink it and build up your tolerance you should finally be able to beat Berry Punch.” Octavia mused.
“Ya know that’s kind of lost its thrill since Osaka beat her. I guess I could train and try to beat him, but you’ve seen the way that dude drinks. It’s a little scary at times.”
“Hey I’m sitting right here.”
Octavia nodded her head. “Hmm I think I understand what you mean.”
“Yo, right here still.”
“But I for one can’t wait for this stuff to hit the market. What are you going to call it Osaka?” asked Octavia.
“Oh Octavia, Vinyl, and Lyra too! I didn’t see you there.”
Octavia and Vinyl gave me playful smirks each. Lyra chuckled in her sleep.
I rolled my eyes. “To answer your question Octavia. It’s going to be called Osaka’s Shanghai Twist Whiskey.”
“Oh, well…that’s an interesting name.”
“That’s actually my middle name.”
“Wait, your full name is Osaka Shanghai Twist Jones?” Vinyl inquired.
“Yup.”
“Huh, you learn something new every day don’t you Vinyl.”
“You said it Octy.”
I rolled my eyes at them again.
They broke out in laughter.
Rainbow Dash glided listlessly through the air enjoying the fresh afternoon air. She pulled off a somersault effortlessly and smiled as she made her way towards Sweet Apple Acres. She spotted an orange purple colored pony next to a big red one. She floated down and landed right behind them.
“So you’re telling me that the Zebra that lives in the woods sells a potion that can sober you right up and prevent hangovers the next day?” Osaka asked Big Mac.
“Eeyup.”
“Then why didn’t you use that instead of just ducking their heads in a bucket of water and using the stomach pump on Lyra?”
“It’s not as fun, plus it’s pretty expensive.”
Rainbow Dash crouched down low and with the grace of an experienced silent prankster, snuck up right behind Osaka.
“HI OSAKA!” she shouted startling the two ponies, she collapsed in a fit of laughter.
Osaka was the first to recover, Big Mac was still trying to slow down his rapidly beating heart. “Hey Rainbow. You almost done there?”
“Hahaha” she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She stood back up. “Yea I’m good, but you really should have seen the looks on your faces.” She snickered.
“Umm how did you see our faces? Our backs were turned?”
“Well…uh..you see…umm…so where’s Scootaloo?” she stammered out.
Osaka chuckled at the flustered Rainbow. “She went off with her friends and Rarity. She wanted to know if she could stay over for a sleepover. I told her I would see if it was okay with you.”
“Eh, I don’t see anything wrong with it. I’m guessing we’re going to need to stop by the house and grab her sleeping bag and stuff for her aren’t we?”
“Yup.”
“Well I got an idea. Why don’t we go out to eat after we drop scoot’s stuff off? My treat.”
“Well I hope so, since I’m broke.” Osaka awkwardly chuckled.
“Of course don’t worry about it, let’s go.” Rainbow Dash took off and Osaka quickly followed.
Big Mac watched them go and shook his head as he walked away.
“Hey Rainbow I got Scootaloo’s stuff all together. You ready to head out?” I yelled out.
“In a minute Osaka…I’m just….uh freshening up.” She yelled back from somewhere up stairs.
“Huh, why is she freshening up? She looked fine when we got here…” I thought plopping down on the couch/my bed. I stretched out and relaxed.
My relaxation was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. I took a moment to wonder how knocking on a door entirely made of clouds could sound the same as knocking on a wooden one, before I got off the couch.
I opened the door and was greeted with a light blue colored Pegasus with a dark blue mane giving me a huge smile. His smile disappeared once he realized I was the one at the door.
“Who are you?” He asked.
“I’m Osaka, who are you?”
“Soarin” He replied.
We just stared at each other in silence before he spoke again. “Did Rainbow Dash move without telling me again?”