//------------------------------//
// Testing Gone Wrong 
// Story: Just One Chance 
// by ndisfoshiz 
//------------------------------//

         The six little ponies all crowded around the Apple family’s kitchen table. All couples sitting side by side, even though Scootaloo and Rumble weren’t officially a couple.
“Okay, my little ponies,” Seltzer announced to them all, “in front of you there are five samples of the new zap apple sparkling water. Each is labeled and when I say try a number, you will pick up the cup with the number I had just said. You will then drink the sample and tell me your thoughts. Any questions?”
All ponies looked at Seltzer with anticipation, waiting to try the samples. Applebloom was hooves down the most excited of them all. This was her and Snips idea and she couldn’t have been more excited to taste their vision. 
“Okay, my little ponies, try #1” Seltzer declared.
All six of the ponies picked up their cups, whether it was with magic or their hooves. 
“Drinking race!” declared Button Mash. They all sipped the shot size of a sample. Applebloom closed her eyes waiting for the flavor to come, but it didn’t. All she got was an endless amount of bubbles and no taste of zap apple at all. There may happen been a tiny bit but none that crossed her taste buds. 
“Well, what do you think?” Seltzer asked.
The six were silent until Scootaloo spoke up, “Did you even try to put any zap apple in here? All I got was bubbles.”
“Same here,” Rumble agreed, “All I tasted was bubbles.”
Sweetie Belle looked at Button Mash and the two said, “0-10.”
“Uncle, I’ve had your sparkling water before, this doesn't taste like any of them,” Snips spoke.
“Okay, how about you Applebloom?” Seltzer asked.
Applebloom was hesitant but after a hoof to the back and a smile from Snips she voiced her option, “It felt like water with bubbles and no taste.”
“Okay! Now try #4” Seltzer requested.
The ponies stopped for a second, confused that they were not going in order. They obeyed, however, and tried the sample in cup #4. The second the water hit Applebloom’s tongue she felt bubbles again. This time not as many and she could definitely taste the zap apple. It was a beautiful mixture of water and zap apple. The taste was there and not overpowering. The bubbles brought the zap apple down a little but didn’t complete obliterate the flavor. Applebloom opened her eyes and looked at the others. Sweetie Belle had her head on Button Mash, Scootaloo had her front legs on the table and was staring into space as if she were daydreaming. Every pony just seemed relaxed as if the flavor and balance caused some sort of group climax. 
“I think I know all of your answers to this one,” Seltzer said.
“That was amazing!” Sweetie Belle spoke up.
“Yeah,” every pony else agreed.
“Alright, now try #2.”
The ponies obeyed and lifted their sample cups. Applebloom sipped the sparkling water sample and swallowed. She suddenly was taken out of her trance of harmony and was shot back into the real world. The zap apple flavor was different this time. It didn’t taste sweet, in fact, it tasted sour. There were too many bubbles and way too much zap apple flavoring. Her face shot a sour look, as she heard Rumble spit out the sample into his cup. Every pony in the room was horrified by the taste. Seltzer slid big cups of water in front of them. The six ponies accepted immediately and chugged the regular water as if it were an antidote for a deadly disease. 
“Okay,” Seltzer acclaimed as the six ponies caught their breath.
“Uncle! Seriously? What was that!?!?!” Snips spoke, “Whatever that was it was terrible!”
“Okay, moving on. Try #5,” he commanded kindly.
Applebloom was dreading the next sample. If it was anything like the last one, her taste buds would probably crawl out of her mouth and strangle her. Applebloom took a sip. It wasn’t sour this time but had way more bubbles and the zap apple flavor tasted like some pony had added 18 cups of sugar. She spat it out immediately and looked at her friends. Snips shivered as he swallowed the sample, Scootaloo, and Button Mash looked sick, Sweetie Belle looked as if she had just gotten a root canal from the Ponyville dentist, and Rumble had his head between his back legs as if about to throw up. 
“Okay, my little ponies, I get it! Just hold on for one more. Now try #3,” Seltzer explained.
The six all took a deep breath and sipped the sample. It tasted like #4 did. A beautifully harmonious balance of flavor, bubbles, stillness, zap apple, and water. Applebloom closed her eyes and imagined zap apples falling around her as she was lifted by bubbles in a sea of relaxation and inner peace.
“…just like it,” she heard Snips say.
“Yeah, just like #4! It’s divine as my sister would say,” Sweetie Belle agreed.
“You’re right you two, you wanna know why?” Seltzer said, “Because it is the same one as #4.”
The six ponies looked at each other from different sides of the table. They could not understand why there were two cups of the same sample.
“The reason why is because that’s what Applebloom’s family liked the most. The balance is perfect, the zap apple flavor has been brought down to a level where it is not overpowering but still existent. Therefore, this is the sample that will be mass produced during the next zap apple season.”
Applebloom was so happy that her vision had become a reality. Her family was finally going to have a special item specifically for zap apples, which will make zap apple season even more successful! She turned and kissed Snips on the cheek.
“So Applebloom, I’m going to go talk with your family. Where would they be right now?”





A few hours had passed. Applebloom and the other five ponies were all hanging out at the lake where she and Snips had had their second date. Every pony was laughing, swimming and having a jolly time together. They had all settled down under the shade of one of the apple trees. 
“I’m so excited that your family has a new zap apple product now!” Sweetie Belle said to Applebloom.
“Thanks, Sweetie Belle, it was Snips idea though, I just pitched it to my family,” Applebloom replied. 
“I bet its gonna be great!” Button Mash said.
“By the way Button,” Rumble said, “we don’t know too much about you, could you tell us a bit about yourself?”
“Sure!” Button screamed in excitement, “I live in Ponyville, obviously, with my mom, dad, and my big brother. My big brother's in Canterlot for high school and comes home on the weekends. My dad works a lot as a builder and is in Manehattan right now for some renovating things, whatever that means. I love video games!”
“What kind?” Applebloom asked.
“Well, my favorite right now is Colt of Duty. I really like playing as the head of the royal guard and this time we’re attacking-“
“Changelings,” Applebloom interrupted, “I’ve been playing it and I love it way more than Grand Theft Chariot, my favorite thing I stole was a blimp!”
“Really? I find them really slow, them and hot air balloons. My favorite was the detachable pegasus wings that one inventor pony was making.”
“Oh dear luna, they are awesome!” Applebloom replied, “Which game got you into video games?”
“World of Waricorn, believe it or not. My brother had it, he put the parental controls on it so I wouldn’t see anything I shouldn’t. I like role playing video games, they’re a lot of fun.”
“Wow cool! Me, I like the classics, Mareo Brothers, Ms. Pac-Mare, Donkey Kong, which my sister said it way being mean to donkeys everywhere, but I liked it. I like the pixelated games, they just leave so much to the imagination.”
“Oh, the Mareo games are awesome! Paper Mareo, Super Mareo, Super Mareo Galaxy!”
“I love Super Mareo Galaxy! You even get to meet Luna on the moon and Celestia on the sun!”
Scootaloo and Rumble listen in awe at how well Button and Applebloom were getting along. Sweetie Belle wasn’t liking the fact that her colt friend was getting along with one of her friends like this. Snips just sat back and watched his special some pony get along with another colt, who looks, talks, and seems better than him. He loved Applebloom and didn't wanna lose her.
“Well, this has been fun but Rarity wants me home soon, so I have to go,” Sweetie Belle said standing up, “Button, shall we?” 
“Well, I must walk my lady home now,” he said standing up and kissing her on the cheek, “Applebloom we should play some Minecraft some time!” 
Applebloom agreed and said goodbye. She had never played Minecraft before, despite the name being odd she heard great things about it. It was a good looking survival game that could be multiplayer or solo. She couldn’t wait to play with her new friend.
The others said goodbye to Sweetie Belle and Button Mash. Once they were out of sight, Scootaloo looked at Applebloom and told her what she had seen, “you made Sweetie Belle angry, you know that right?”
“What are you talking about?” Applebloom asked. 
“Talking to her colt friend about something she can’t? Bonding with him over something she's not too into? Talking about different video games in front of her? Come on Applebloom you can’t be that blind.”
Applebloom couldn’t believe what her friend was saying such things to her. All she was trying to do was get to know the colt that was dating her best friend, not take him from her. Besides she had Snips and she wouldn’t trade him for anything. 
“Oh, come on Scootz, I’m just trying to get to know the colt, not steal him from Sweetie Belle. So we both like video games, so what! For all I know that could be the only thing we have in common,” Applebloom proposed.
“She’s right Scootaloo,” Rumble said “anyway, we should be going. I gotta get you home before it gets dark. I’ll see you both tomorrow?”
“Yep,” Snips said.
Scootaloo got up with Rumble and the two were on their way. Snips and Applebloom were right behind them. Snips walked her to her house. Right before he left Applebloom stopped him.
“Snips, do you think I was doing something other than talking to Button Mash?” She asked.
“Applebloom, you’re with me,” Snips said, “I’m sure she’ll realize that you were just bonding over something you have in common and she’ll forget about it and everything will go back to normal.”
Applebloom smiled and nodded in approval. She kissed him goodbye and Snips left. She felt confident everything was going to be fine. 


He can’t take her, she’s mine! I had her first! I love her, he better stay away. Be thankful we go to different schools Button Mash.