Twilight and Fluttershy walked down the same street they had the night before, Twilight hoping to find the information she had not gotten previously. “You sure you’re not going to be scared this time, Fluttershy?” she asked.
“I know I’m not the bravest pony, Twilight,” Fluttershy huffed, “but I’m not a scaredy cat.” A loud crash could be heard from up ahead and Fluttershy jumped in the air with a gasp before huddling on the ground with her hooves over her head.
Twilight rolled her eyes as she proceeded towards the source of the noise. A blue stallion stood on the sidewalk looking up at a second story window where a green yellow mare was dumping pieces of furniture from. The stallion threw his hooves up exasperatedly as he talked to the hysterical mare. “Baby, I’m sorry! I can change!”
The mare stuck her head out and yelled back, “This is the third time, Tony! Three strikes and you’re out!”
“How can it be three?” he asked back.
“That pink floozy in San Franciscolt! Don’t think I didn’t know about her!” she shot back dropping an ataman.
The blue stallion dodged it as it fell and crashed before him. “That was a business meeting! I don’t even know Frisky!”
The yellow mare stuck the entire front half of her body out the window. “If you don’t know her then why do you know her name!?” The blue stallion pursed his lips and swore at himself for his slip.
The yellow mare continued to toss furniture as Twilight approached the stallion. “Excuse me?” she asked politely with an apologetic smile. “Do you have a moment?”
The yellow mare stuck her head out again. “Who’s that? Another girl on the side?” she asked angrily.
The blue stallion shrugged his shoulders defensively, yelling up to the mare. “I don’t even know her!”
“Wait, is that a princess?” the yellow mare asked leaning even further out the window.
“Uh, yes,” Twilight responded nervously to the mare above. “Good morning! I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle and I just wanted to ask your husband here-”
“He is not my husband!” she shot back. “He’s a four-timing bastard!”
“So it’s four now?” the blue stallion asked throwing his hooves in the air again.
The yellow mare stared down at Twilight until the blue stallion did as well. “Woah, hey!” he responded defensively.
“Oh, sweet Celestia, no!” Twilight responded. “He and I aren’t like that! I swear I don’t even know him!”
“Then why you gotta talk to him?” the yellow mare asked.
The blue stallion chuckled. “Damn, she’s good at pointing out inconsistencies. Probably why I married her.”
“Aw,” the yellow mare replied with a soft look. Then she immediately frowned and through a glass at him.
The blue stallion dodged. “Woah, hey, what’s with that!?”
“Stop making me forget why I’m mad at you!”
“Can we please just focus for a minute!?” Twilight shouted exasperatedly, a small bubble of magic catching the mare’s next thrown glass. The yellow mare took notice and stopped her actions, placing her hoof to her cheek while she leaned out the window. The blue stallion turned to face Twilight. “Thank you.”
“So what do you want with this bozo?” the mare asked.
Twilight took a breath and turned to the stallion. “I was walking by here last night and you were talking to a friend about something weird that happened about a day ago. Could you tell me what that was?”
The stallion scratched his chin in thought, trying to recall. “Oh, yeah. That thing about the big explosion in the bay. About a day or two ago my pal, Vin, tells me about how he was working by the docks and his ship nearly got tipped over by what he calls a ‘water displacement.’ Apparently something big landed in the bay a little down the coast line and caused a big wave. Only a few ships in the dock got affected though. Yeah, I was telling Vero- I mean… Tammy about that last night.”
“You’re friend with the green coat?” Twilight replied.
“Green coat!” the yellow mare shot back. “That floozy you saw last night was sky blue! Did you see another mare that same night!?”
“Baby, please!”
“That’s it!” The throwing began again.
Twilight sighed and returned to her friend’s side. “So we got some new information.”
“That’s good,” Fluttershy replied. A loud crash came from behind the two as they walked away. Fluttershy tried to turn to look but Twilight grabbed her friend’s hoof and sped them away.
“Trust me, do not get involved.”
---
Applejack sat at her cousins’ booth in the Manehattan Central Park. The usually idyllic scenery and walkways now filled to the brim with shoppers and food stalls. Applejack could smell the succulent fragrances wafting through the breeze. The smell of cooked and spiced apples made her mouth water. Her stomach gave a rumble in concert with her hunger.
It had been about two hours since her aunt had left to sign on some deal with a catering company. An older pony having come around earlier, blown away by the taste of the Orange family’s oranges and simply needed to sign an exclusive sales deal. The Oranges were not really farmers in the rustic sense. The family actually owned several groves in the San Hornando Valley and hired out workers to till the land and pick the oranges. Whatever they were doing the Oranges were doing it well since Applejack’s cousins seemed to be in the money. Despite their financial differences Applejack held no ill will toward her cousins.
In fact she was a little surprised when they asked for her help during FruitCon, considering she hadn’t really talked to them or visited in years. Aunty Orange had sent a letter nearly two weeks explaining that her daughter, Valencia, had taken a six month trip to Prance and she was short on help for the event. “All I need is someone to help for one day,” her letter said. “I know you would be up to the task, Applejack. P.S. Feel free to bring a bushel or two of Sweet Apple Acre’s Apples and pass them out, you might get some investors.” Applejack agreed immediately. This was the perfect opportunity for the Apple family to get ahead.
Applejack rubbed her stomach in hunger as she longed just for a bite of the candied apples that the vendor across the walk was selling. Suddenly her vision was full of pink. “What’s up, AJ?” Pinkie shouted as she seemed to pop out of thin air on the other side of her booth.
“Pinkie!” Applejack shouted surprised, losing her balance in her seat and falling backward. She rubbed her head from the ground and stared up at the excited pink pony. “What in tarnation are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with Twilight searching the city?”
“Twilight said we should split up,” Pinkie said through a mouthful of fruit kebab. She held out the platter to AJ. “Want some?”
Applejack’s stomach growled. “Yes, desperately,” she sighed, taking a kebab and gobbling it down. When the whole thing was gone Applejack sighed in relief only to hear her stomach growl once more. “Tarnation,” she breathed.
Pinkie smiled as she hopped the counter. “You know, if you’re still really hungry then I can watch this place for you.”
Applejack smiled. “I appreciate the offer and the snack Pinkie but I made a promise to Aunty that I’d stay right here.” She motioned to two bushels of apples in the corner. “Plus once were finished sellin’ the oranges, Aunty says I can start selling some Sweet Apple Acres produce.”
Pinkie eyed the bushels hungrily. “Mmm. They look good enough to eat.”
Applejack slapped her friends travelling hoof away. “Now you lay off those until later.” Pinkie gave her a big eyed pout and Applejack felt her will crumble. “Fine, you can have two.” Pinkie smiled broadly and jumped in place while Applejack opened the bushel and produced two juicy red apples. Pinkie took one immediately and gobbled it down, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips.
“Delicious!” she declared. Applejack smiled then frowned, hearing her stomach rumble for the loudest time yet. She glanced at the other vendors and bit her lip in frustration.
“Alright, Pinkie,” Applejack sighed. “You can watch the booth for a minute while I go get something to eat. But no more apples!”
Pinkie raised a hoof in salute. “Aye aye, Captain Jack!” Applejack rolled her eyes as she hopped the counter and walked down the paved road. Pinkie sat patiently still behind the counter.
Brainiac raised his head over a hillside finally putting the pink mare in his sights. “Located Target,” he declared to no one. Ponies passed the lime green stallion as he lay on his belly peeking just above the grassy hill. He looked like a filly playing ‘spy.’ “Objective: Capture and Contain.”
He slid from his position, and stalked the booth that the pink mare was currently manning. He moved closer, low to the ground until he was right below the counter, out of the mare’s line of sight. Brainiac prepared himself to pounce on the mare, readying a hoof to deal a concussive blow that would incapacitate her. He would then escort her out in one of the empty bushels behind the counter, back to the ship. The perfect plan. He tensed his muscles.
“Hiya!” a feminine voice appeared directly in front of him. Brainiac turned his attention to the mass of pink fur in front of him and then back to behind the counter. The mare seemed to have instantly teleported. That ability was not in the information scan. “Hey, you’re that pony from before.”
Brainiac felt his plan crashing around him. Not only had he been spotted, compromising the mission, but the mare called Pinkie Pie appeared to possess powers beyond that of his initial profile. Time to retreat again.
Brainiac raised himself and tried to trot off but the mare caught him by the tail, her strength surprisingly large considering Brainiac’s own increased strength. “Where you going?” she asked. “We just met again and I don’t even know your name! I refuse to meet a pony twice and not know their name.”
Pinkie proceeded to sit on Brainiac’s tale, holding him in place. Brainiac struggled in futility but finally ended up sitting next to the mare. He was caught. Trapped. He could fight his way out but that would draw too much unwanted attention. He needed to do something that would keep his cover. The pink mare wanted to know his name. Perhaps he should give it to her. “It is Brain… y.”
“Brainy?” Pinkie asked raising an eyebrow. Brainiac did not give an expression of worry but he could still feel perspiration on his forehead as he waited for the mare to respond. “That’s a wonderful name!”
Pinkie smiled broadly wrapping a hoof around Brainiac’s shoulder and drawing him in close for a hug. “It’s great to officially meet you, Brainy! I hope we become best friends!”
Brainiac squirmed in the mare’s embrace, a flush of red coming to his cheeks unconsciously. He darted his eyes to the side, trying to look anywhere but the mare. “Then will you release yourself from my extremities?” he asked in monotone.
Pinkie’s eyes shot open as she realized that she was still sitting on her new friend’s tail. “Oops, sorry.” She stood up and so did Brainiac. He patted the dirt from his coat before turning to leave. “Wait, you’re leaving already?”
Brainiac stopped, unsure of how to respond. “We have concluded our conversation, correct? There is no other logical meaning to our continued dialogue.”
Pinkie frowned and pouted her lip out, hoping that would convince the stallion to stay. Brainiac did not respond. However a loud groan echoed from his stomach. Brainiac looked down at himself, raising a curious eyebrow. Pinkie grinned. “Looks like you’re hungry,” she cooed. Her eyes popped open as she ducked beneath the counter. “Hold on!” she brought a shiny red apple back up and handed it to him. “Here. You can have it. Best apples in Equestria!”
Brainiac simply eyes the apple. He lifted it a little in his hoof to weigh it and even squeezed it a little to measure its density. After completing these standard tests a little part of him in the back of his mind asked himself, “now what?” His stomach rumbled again as his mouth began to water. That’s right. Organic beings need to consume sustenance. Such an outdated way of creating energy. Brainiac grimaced as he lifted the apple to his lips and slowly bit into it.
An explosion of sensation hit the sentience. His eyes widened as he chewed the first bite, releasing a burst of juice that seemed to overwhelm his new senses. He gulped it down, savoring the feeling. Brainiac eyed the apple in his hoof hungrily and dug in, devouring the whole fruit. His pupils widened with delight as the edges of his mouth curled unconsciously into a smile. He fell backward onto his flank and simply stared off into space.
Pinkie waved a hoof in front of him, unresponsive. “Wow. Never seen a pony react like that before.”
His pupils undilated and Brainiac was back in control of his faculties. He felt the sides of his face stretched into some awkward expression and tried to pull them down to no avail. He gave Pinkie an odd look as his eyes were half lidded and his mouth seemed stuck in the rictus of a smile. “What poison did you give me to accomplish this?” he asked through a wide grin.
“No poison, silly!” the pink mare replied. “Just good old fashioned Sweet Apples!” Pinkie returned to behind the counter and grabbed a tray of neatly arranged orange slices. She popped one in her mouth, smiling broadly as she chewed. “Mmm, if you think that’s good you should check this out too.” She offered the tray to him.
Brainiac’s smile finally started to fade as his dour expression returned. This time he raised an eyebrow at Pinkie skeptically. “Do you take me for a fool?” he asked. “I will not subject myself to another sordid attempt at-” A loud grumble overtook his words as Brainiac keeled over, grasping his stomach in pain. It continued to growl as the mare stared at the writhing stallion on the ground.
“Sounds like somepony’s hungry,” Pinkie sang as she continued to gnaw on the orange slices.
Brainiac glared at her as he gripped his gut. True, he had not ingested anything in the close to twenty four hours of his birth. He had invulnerability but that meant nothing against an empty stomach. A slightly annoyed expression crossed his features as he struggled to his feet, eyeing the mare. “If I partake of these citrus fruits,” he groaned. “Will this deficiency be rectified?”
Pinkie contemplated his overly complicated phrasing before answering. “It depends how hungry you are.”
Brainiac writhed once more as a growl emitted from his stomach. He grabbed all the oranges on the tray and gulped them down. His eyes dilated once again as a sense of euphoria rushed through him, but it was short lived. Another growl sounded and Brainiac grimaced.
“Geezie Louisie,” Pinkie sighed. “You’re really hungry aren’t you, Brainy?” She tapped a hoof on the counter while scratching her chin with the other one. Suddenly she pounced up on the counter before shoving her face into the green stallion. “Would you watch this booth for me? I’ll be right back!”
In a flash the two had switched places. Brainiac standing inside the booth while Pinkie Pie stood on the other end of the counter. “Just stay and hand out free samples to anypony that comes,” Pinkie directed. “And no eating the merchandise!” Pinkie disappeared in another flash as her pink mane faded into the distant crowd. Brainiac sat silently behind the counter, trying to figure out what just occurred.
“I came here to acquire the mare and yet she has tasked me with an assignment instead,” he narrated to himself. “This is a pointless endeavor. I must return to the ship and simply await analysis of this world’s energy source. I was far too hasty with this foolish body.” Suddenly a young white filly with a pink mane and striped bow raised her hooves to the counter.
“Excuse me,” the filly said sweetly. “Do you have any samples?”
Brainiac looked the filly over with a dead eyed gaze, her innocent smile only wavering slightly. Brainiac blinked menacingly. “There is no samples,” he said in a threatening monotone. “Leave now.” The filly’s eyes grew large as they began to fill with tears. She sat down as she began to cry. Other ponies began to notice. “Why are you crying?” Brainiac asked.
“You sound scary!” the filly cried. “Like a robot!”
Brainiac felt his blood run cold as he turned to look at the sea of ponies that had begun to notice him and the filly. He had to do something to avoid this attention. He looked around the booth and found two big bushels of the apples he had had before. They had restricted his mouth in that smile, perhaps they would stop the incessant whining. He grabbed an apple and shoved it into the filly’s open mouth, her crying immediately stopping. “There is your sample, child. Proceed on your way.”
The filly’s eyes turned angry before taking a bite of the apple and softening immensely. A large smile crossed her face and she continued to chow down as she left the counter. “Thanks, mister robot!”
“I am not a robot!” Brainiac shot back before lowering his head behind the counter to avoid the stares he got.
A minute passed and another filly appeared at the counter. This one was a Pegasus filly with a light yellow coat. The previous filly accompanied her. “Can I get a sample?” she asked. Brainiac frowned, knowing he was powerless to these children’s cries. He grabbed another apple and hoofed it over. “Thanks!” the Pegasus responded, taking a bite and moaning in pleasure. “See I told you,” the other filly stated as the two walked away.
The same thing occurred a minute later, the fillies having increased by two. Then four. Then eight. Pretty soon Brainiac was surrounded by children clawing at the counter for apples. Brainiac worked frantically to hand them out finally just indulging them by throwing the last of the contents of the bushel into the crowd like a bunch of bird seed. The small crowd grabbed all the apples they could and scattered, revealing a very orange, very irate looking pony in a Stetson hat.
“What in tarnation is going on here!?” Applejack shouted, throwing an accusing hoof at the stallion. “And who the hay are you? Where’s Pinkie Pie?”
A pink blur appeared as Pinkie rushed to the counter, setting down a giant cake. “Happy New Friends Day, Brainy! You would not believe how hard it was to find an oven in this… convention… center…” she trailed off as she noticed Applejack’s angry expression. Pinkie giggled with an apologetic frown. “AJ, have you met Brainy?”
Applejack walked forward, slinging herself over the booth counter. “You mean the stallion that gave away my apples?” She eyed the bushel that he had emptied. “That’s an entire bushel gone!”
Pinkie looked at the bushels and shot Brainy a frowny face. “I told you to hand out the samples!” She threw her hooves in the air. “Not apples!”
“To be fair,” Brainiac posited with a blank expression. “You left the meaning quite open.”
Applejack furrowed her brow in frustration. “Just how am I gonna explain this Aunty? There’s still plenty of orange samples left and I’ve already lost over half my own.”
Pinkie looked down dejectedly. Brainiac did not respond in any way, but a small hint of a strange emotion crossed his face. Was he feeling… remorse? No, that was impossible. Brainiac was logic. Even in this fleshy body he was logic incarnate. The sound of a hoof tapped against the counter making everypony turn. An older mare with pink neon hair and a gorgeous white coat with a silky scarf and pearl necklace stood at the booth.
“Excuse me,” she said. “But my daughter said you had the best apples she’d ever had here. I was wondering if I could try as well.”
Applejack stood a little straighter, trying to put on a professional attitude. “Uh, yes, of course, ma’am.” Applejack gave the mare an apple. “Best apples in Equestria.”
The older mare bit into the juicy fruit and instantly let out a moan of pleasure. “These are simply divine!” she complimented.
Applejack blushed slightly and tilted her hat. “Uh, thank you, ma’am.”
“You grow these yourself?” she asked.
“No, ma’am,” Applejack shook her head and smiled broadly. “What you got there is top notch Sweet Apple Acres Brand Apples, straight from the Apple family!”
“Sweet Apple Acres,” the high profile mare mused. “I’ll have to remember that name next time I plan a luncheon. Do you do catering?”
Applejack’s smile broadened. “No, but we do supply for several caterers across Equestria.” She reached into a saddle bag she had left on the side of the booth. “Here’s a list of our partners. Please just ask for Sweet Apple Acres Apples when you call on them.”
The mare smiled, impressed by the young mare’s professional attitude. She took the list happily. “I’ll do just that.” Then she walked off.
Applejack slumped into a lower posture as she found her anger again. “Where was I? Oh yeah! Pinkie how could you just give Aunty’s booth to somepony you don’t even know!?”
“His name is Brainy!” Pinkie replied. “And it seems to me like he got you a valuable future customer.”
“That’s not the point-“
“Plus,” the pink mare interrupted. “You seemed pretty ready for that lady. You were gonna give out the apples eventually!”
Applejack sighed in defeat. Her friend was absolutely right. Still, her honor told her she should have waited until her Aunt’s wears were gone first. “I guess I owe you an apology, Pinkie and… uh?”
Brainiac tried to respond but found a pink hoof wrapped tightly around his neck constricting his airway. He began to turn blue as Pinkie held him close. “Brainy! He’s my new bestest buddy!” She gave the green stallion a playful noogie, still unaware that she was cutting off his breathing.
Applejack snickered and pried Pinkie from her new friend. Brainy took a deep breath of relief before returning to his expressionless face. Applejack was impressed by how the stallion could take Pinkie’s… style of friendship. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Brainy!” She lifted a hoof to him in greeting as Brainy simply stared.
Brainiac felt his mind race. Once again he was in the perfect position to take down a target and yet something inside him was telling him to stop. Frankly he was growing impatient with his own incompetence, a feeling he did not like to have. He decided to simply play along for now. “Hello,” he replied flatly with a small hoof bump.
“Better prepare yourselves guys,” Pinkie smiled devilishly.
“Why’s that, Pinkie?” Applejack asked.
Pinkie pointed to a mob of ponies converging on the booth. “Cause I think the popular word spread a little faster than we thought.” Pinkie hopped behind the booth as the first of the hungry customers came up.
The various ponies were in rich dress and coiffure, all apparently from wealth. Stallions and mares alike asked about the Sweet Apple Acres Apples. Soon it became too hard for Applejack and Pinkie to keep up. “What are you waiting for, Brainy?” Applejack said as she threw Brainy a tray. “Get out there and give out some samples.”
Brainiac caught the tray deftly, though he had no idea why. Was he seriously going to help these ponies? He saw no logic in it. This had all gone a little too far off track. He needed to regroup. The ship should have finished its analysis by now. He could come up with a strategy from there. As the two mares were distracted handing out fruit, Brainiac slipped out of the booth the back way, the tray still in his hooves. With a final check to his surroundings he began to move silently away. A loud voice caught him off guard.
“Hey! They’re bringing out more samples!” a male voice shouted as a wave of connoisseurs overwhelmed Brainiac, surrounding him. By the time the crowd died down Brainiac lay with his back on the ground, slightly trampled but fine. The tray was still held upright in his hoof with two apples left.
“Oh my gosh!” Applejack shouted as she jumped the booth counter. She rushed to Brainy’s side and tried to help him up. “Are you alright?”
Brainiac could not respond before Pinkie Pie popped up from nowhere. “That was a brilliant strategy, Brainy! Taking some samples out to the street lightened the load for us at the booth!”
“It did make it easier,” Applejack had to agree. “Thanks for helping, Sugarcube.” She gave Brainy a small peck on the cheek to which the stallion blushed slightly.
Brainiac frowned. Was he really having an emotional reaction from hanging around these ponies? This was not good. Not good at all. He lifted himself off the ground, denying Applejack’s helping hoof. “I really must go-“ he started but was cut off by the appearance of another mare approaching.
“Why, if it isn’t Applejack!” the cream colored mare stated with a happy smile as she approached the three. Her mane was a beautiful red and done up quite stylish with a cherry cutie mark, a small beauty mark on her cheek.
“Cherry Jubilee!” Applejack and Pinkie Pie replied excitedly. The two girls trotted up to greet the older mare.
“What are you doing here?” Applejack asked as she exchanged a hug with her former employer.
“It’s FruitCon, dear!” Jubilee replied. “Where else would I be? Got to make those connections and earn those contracts.” Applejack blushed, feeling foolish for forgetting her ex-employer was a fruit salespony as well.
Pinkie Pie nudged Applejack with a wink. “Applejack’s been making those connections too. We must have gotten thirty business cards and given out twenty contact sheets!” Pinkie displayed the business cards to Jubilee like a hand of poker. Jubilee examined them and smiled.
“Fancy stuff, Applejack!” she laughed. “Looks like a couple of these ponies are some of my customers as well. I hope we can work together in the future.”
“Thank you, Jubilee!” Brainy approached the group from behind, still holding the tray with two last apples. Applejack grabbed one. “I don’t think you’ve ever had any of my wares. Care to try a Sweet Apple Acres Red Delicious?”
Jubilee accepted it happily. “Don’t mind if I do.” She took a large bite and her eyes popped open in surprise. A smile grew on her face and she let out a loud “MMM.” “This is simply divine, Applejack. You should certainly be proud of the work you’ve done.”
Applejack beamed as the mare she highly respected began to praise her efforts. Unbeknownst to the mares, behind them Brainy rolled his eyes irritatingly. He tried to sneak away again but another mare interrupted. “What’s going on here?”
The mare this time was older as well with a soft yellow coat and an orange mane. She too had a beauty mark as well as jewels dangling from her neck, her cutie mark the shape of three orange slices. “Aunty!” Applejack shouted in surprise, beginning to lose her cool. “Wh- What are you doing here?”
Aunty Orange raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her niece. “Well it is my booth,” she replied and looked at the stall, finding it to be on the brink of collapse from so many ponies slamming their hooves on it. The stall immediately gave way nearly collapsing on Brainy who jumped out of the way. “Or what’s left of it.”
Applejack’s mouth was agape at the scene and felt the blood rush to her ears as she tried to apologize to her aunt. “Aunty, I’m so sorry! There were just so many ponies and they were banging on the sides and the counter. I really couldn’t give apples away fast enough!”
“Apples?” Aunty asked. Applejack shoved a hoof over her mouth. “Did you finish handing out the oranges?”
Applejack still held the hoof to her mouth as she lowered her head and shook it forlornly. She lowered her hoof. “I really am sorry, Aunty. I meant to hand out the oranges first, but I just got so hungry and then…” Applejack looked at Pinkie and Brainy. It didn’t feel right to put her friends in blame’s way. “It’s all my fault, Aunty.”
Aunty Orange frowned but soon smiled. She put a reassuring hoof under her niece’s chin. “Applejack, it’s perfectly okay that you handed out your apples. Besides we’ve gotten enough with the five year contract with Hillton Hotels I just made.” She waved slightly at an older stallion further away who Applejack remembered from before. “I’m just glad you got to experience this. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if you were ready for the pressure that comes from networking. But I can clearly see by those cards in your friend’s hooves that you did a splendid job.” She pointed at Pinkie with the business cards.
Applejack raised her head and smiled warm heartedly. She nuzzled her head under her aunt’s in a gesture of affection. “Shucks, thanks, Aunty.”
The older mare smiled and gave her niece a big hug. Pinkie Pie and Cherry Jubilee trotted forward. Aunty lifted herself from Applejack and reached for Brainy who was once again trying to sneak away. She pulled him and the tray over, grabbing the last apple. “Mind if I take the last one, Applejack?”
“Go right ahead, Aunty!” Applejack replied with a wave of her hoof.
Aunty bit into the juicy red flesh and moaned in delight. “I’m more of a citrus girl,” she mused, “but you’ve certainly outdone yourself with this, Applejack.” Applejack beamed once more. More proud than ever that two mares she highly respected had complimented her.
Brainiac examined the tray still in his hooves. A small business card had been lodged underneath the last apple. He picked it up to throw it away but Pinkie intercepted him. She grabbed his hoof and squinted her eyes intently at the card. It had a blue dolphin printed across it and the monogram S.S.
“What is it, Pinkie?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
Pinkie turned the card over to find a little bit of writing. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrank as she finished reading. “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!” she screamed and grabbed Brainy around the throat once more.
Applejack grabbed the card from the hysterical mare and read it, Pinkie slowly cutting off Brainy’s oxygen once more in the background.
“What is it, dear?” Cherry Jubilee asked in concern.
Applejack lowered the card and smirked nervously. “S- Sapphire Shores wants to buy some apples for tonight’s catering for Fashion Week,” she stated plainly.
The two older mares mouths dropped open. Aunty was the first to respond. “That’s… That’s less than six hours from now!”
Applejack’s face grew gaunt. “And I don’t even have any apples left!”
Pinkie Pie finally let go of Brainy, the stallion breathing desperately for air. She grabbed her cowpony friend’s shoulders. “I don’t think you understand the biggest problem, AJ!”
“What’s that?” Applejack asked.
Pinkie Pie shoved her face into AJ’s. “Sapphire Shores was here and I didn’t get an autograph!!”
“I believe that’s the least of your pal’s worries, Pinkie Pie.” Cherry Jubilee trotted forward and placed a reassuring hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “But don’t you worry your sweet little head. I’ve got an in with the conductor of the fastest train car out of Manehattan. Don’t ask me how, a girl’s got to have a few secrets.” She winked at Applejack who smiled a little. “I’ll send a courier along to Ponyville and we should have some fresh top quality Sweet Apple Acres Apples here by sundown.”
“Seriously?” Applejack asked, tears forming in her eyes. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course, dear!” Jubilee replied. “What are friends for? Course it’s always good to have a few ponies in your pocket in case you ever need a favor.” She winked once more at them all and walked off to start on her plans.
“You certainly have some… colorful friends, Applejack,” Aunty said. “I’m glad so many ponies are willing to help you.”
Brainiac felt his awareness beginning to leave him. Was he actually feeling swayed by the sappiness of this moment? Could he actually understand what sappiness was now? There were too many variables appearing in his mind. Each one led to an abnormal reaction he had no clue of. What was he becoming? Brainiac finally set the tray down and tried to sneak away once more.
“She sure does!” Pinkie Pie shouted, grabbing Brainy once more and pulling him into a group hug with Applejack. “Right, Brainy?”
Applejack smiled at the stallion. “You’d really be willing to help me out tonight too?”
Brainiac’s mind shouted “NO” but all that came out was “eh.”
Pinkie seemed to take this as an agreement as she increased the strength of her hold. Brainy let out a slow moan.
---
A loud ping echoed throughout the hollow metal ship. A screen appeared before the empty control chair as the words “Analysis Complete” splayed across a diagram of elements and atoms. Silence fell over the ship for a few moments before Brainiac’s voice came on.
“Analysis of magic is complete. Central program has yet to return. Will act according to secondary protocols and begin creating defensive measurements against magic. Reallocating energy usage of ship repair to creation of magic energy siphon as well.”
The insides of the hollow ship began to buzz with movement as things were happening again. Despite the noise, at the bottom of the bay all sound became lost in cold dark silence.