//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Apples and Shakes 
// Story: Lost Fate 
// by Fluxxdog 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 9: Apples and Shakes

Well that didn’t go as planned.
It had been a long time since they had seen each other. Specifically, when a scroll was stolen from the Starswirl the Bearded wing. They never planned on seeing each other ever again, save for chance encounters. Even then, they weren’t supposed to recognize each other and dismiss any recognition as, “Oh, you remind me of someone else.”
That definitely didn’t go as planned.
It definitely didn’t help when Pinkie said in response, “I invited them. It’s not like I thought you guys had broken into the Starswirl the Bearded wing and stolen something right before Twilight, Spike, and me showed up when she was going crazy from having visiting herself from the future so I hatched this crazy plan to get you all together to trick you into confessing. That would just be silly!”
Right now, the silence tasted like licorice to Cantrip.
Pinkie was a little unnerved by everything. She started packing the six of them into a booth, brought the carrot cake and some lemonade and ordered (well, more like insisted) them to enjoy themselves.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MILKSHAKE CHUGGERS!”
Pinkie Pie looked back. “Oh boy. You ponies get comfy. I’m gonna make sure they don’t go too crazy.” That sounded like saying the sun was going to make sure a candle didn’t get too bright.
Cantrip was the first to break the 30-inch thick sheet of ice. “Okay, this is just really bad timing combined with high stress. We just walk out of here, we don’t know-”
Slipwind stopped him. “Oh no, I just got offered a job at the post office. I’m not leaving.”
Ink Nose nodded. “I’m working at a library again after all this time. I can’t just give it up."
Lookout said, “Yeah, I just got a job with the weather team! I’m not giving that up.”
Ivy said, “I just got hired on at Sweet Apple Acres. I’m their first hire ever. I’m not about to walk out on them.”
They all looked at Sledge. “What?”


The Cutie Mark Crusaders (or, as some adults affectionately referred to them as, the unholy terrors) were slurping away slowly after being convinced by Pinkie their brains would turn into popsicles if they chugged their milkshakes and they wouldn’t thaw out until next Winter Wrap-Up. “Why do you think they call it a brain freeze?”
Besides, their shakes would last longer and that really convinced them. Apple Bloom noticed the party in the back booth. The blue pegasus had her back to her and noticed her left wing shaking. Twitching wasn’t the right word. It was definitely shaking.


They started catching up. Somehow they felt comfortable enough to start talking. They learned what had happened, though Lookout kept some of the seedier moments to herself. They even started to relax.
They all learned why they were willing to commit the crime. Considering Cantrip did it for his sister, Ivy could sympathize. Maybe she was a bit quick to judge. Sledge understood as well. His money paid off an old debt his father had that he was working every day just to pay off. Now, he could retire. Lookout also did it for family, but not because she loved them, but because they hated her. Slipwind… well, his gambling was his own fault, but he was taken advantage of by the bookies. For Ink Nose, books were her life, and her friend’s bookstore was worthy of her fight.
At some point, Lookout’s wing shaking had spread to her left ear. Cantrip noticed this and asked the obvious question, “Lookout, what’s wrong?”
She answered simply, “What are you talking about?”
“Your ear is shaking. For that matter, so is your wing. Are you cold?”
Lookout blanched. “Oh no. No no no. It wasn’t supposed to happen so soon.” She started getting to her hooves. Apple Bloom saw how she was shaking. She just read about that with Zecora a couple days ago.
“Are you sick? Should we get you to the doctor?”
“No, I don’t need a doctor. I just need some razor grass.” Apple Bloom heard it clear as if she had yelled it in her ear. Both wings were shaking and her legs were wobbly.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo saw Apple Bloom make a dash for the kitchen.
Not even a minute later, Lookout collapsed. She just lay there, shaking all over. Her legs kept moving like she was trying to walk. Cantrip shouted, “Get a doctor!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle look frightened for a moment. Scootaloo ran to her scooter and made a beeline for the hospital.
Pinkie didn’t know what to do. She was scared. Here was a pony who was sick and she didn’t know what to do and something was wrong and she didn’t know…
Suddenly, they heard Apple Bloom shout from the kitchen “Get out!” They saw Mr. Cake running out, followed by a flash and an explosion.


Apple Bloom rushed in the kitchen. Mr. Cake start to chastise her, “You can’t be in here! Go back-”
Apple Bloom shouted, “Where are your apples?!”
He was taken aback. “Uh, in that cupboard, but why-”
“Alright, I need an iron pot and… what would you have… Tarragon, saffron, and rosemary! Do you have them?”
“We have an iron skillet that we… wait what are you-”
“That’ll do. Fill it with water, put it on the fire, and put those spices by it.”
“Now just one second Apple Bloom, what-”
“No seconds! NOW! Or somepony could die!”
That shocked him into action. He never heard that tone from anypony, let alone a small child. While he got everything set up as she asked, she pulled out one of his sharper knives and went to work on the apple. They weren’t the freshest apples, but she didn’t need to eat them, she just needed the seeds. She grabbed his rolling pin, and used it to crush the seeds flat. She scooped up what she could and took it to the skillet. The water was starting to boil, that meant she was taking more time than she really had.
She started grabbing the spices. It wasn’t the pure form of what she needed, but they should have the parts she did need. It also meant she was risking quite a bit. She started tossing them in with careful attention, mixing it with a wooden spoon. The mixture turned from a thin, sickly brown to a rich green. She turn off the fire and looked at Mr. Cake. “I need you to leave the kitchen.”
“Why? What in Celestia’s name-”
“GET OUT!” He turned and ran for it. Looking over his shoulder, he swore he saw a flash of light coming from her as the wooden spoon hit the side of the skillet.
A small clang followed by a noxious BOOM! The smell of… something vile filled every bit of her nose, but when she looked down, all that was left was small, green ball. It almost looked like a candy. She grabbed it and walked out as quickly as she could. Her head was spinning, she felt filthy, and she wanted to take a nap, but she got back out into the shop.
Lookout was still trying to walk. Good, she wasn’t too late. Apple Bloom walked up to the pegasus and put the ball in her mouth. Cantrip asked, “What was that?”
Apple Bloom smiled weakly and said, “Medicine.” With that, she decided she could take a nap.


Twilight thought Ink Nose had taken too much time. But then again, this was Pinkie, so no telling what happened. Besides, she could go for a cookie or two. Suddenly, she got the feeling she smelled the number eight. Wait, that didn’t make-
An explosion came from Sugarcube Corner. She ran as fast as she could.