After given some candy canes by his sisters so that he could add peppermint upon a customer's request, Silver went through the day mixing mug after mug after mug. The repetitiveness of the task was helping him memorize it better, though he wasn't entirely sure he got the measurements right each time. Sometimes he felt as if he had missed an ingredient, like a marshmallow, the vanilla, or some of the melted caramel, and had a brief bout of panic at the thought of somepony tasting the difference as easily as they could tell somepony forgot the pickles or onion in a burger. Luckily, nopony seemed to complain about it.
Still, the job was a little tedious with the mixing of the cocoa, receiving the bits, and then getting the mugs back so that he would wash them. But it would have been more tedious than it already was had there not been some colorful characters that had approached his stand.
One such character was the local dentist, Minty, who trotted along and asked for an extra minty mug of cocoa, reaching into her sock purse and paying him. As he had mixed the cocoa, he couldn't help but stare at the sock that Minty was using as a hat, and the ones she wore on her legs, and the extra long stocking that she was using as a scarf. It was strange enough that she used socks for decoration in her office, but as far as he was concerned, wearing them like she did was ridiculous. Curious, he asked the question about the socks that he couldn't during appointments when she was working on his teeth.
He regretted bringing about the explanation about how in poverty, Minty's family only had socks to help them survive. They carried everything with socks, kept warm with socks, dined with socks, cleaned their teeth with socks, played with socks, created temporary dolls out of socks, and just about everything under the sun was done with socks in her family. Silver felt queasy at the part that when her mother gave birth, Minty caught her newborn sister... with a sock. And then they cleaned up afterwards... with socks. And that was why she loved socks.
Finally, Minty had finished her cocoa and returned the mug. She gave him a present--which was, of course, a large sock--and trotted off, reminding him to brush his teeth, and to stop pouting, lest he develop an underbite. Silver forced a grin as he waved goodbye to her, and then went to the water bucket. Putting some hot water from one of the kettles in the bucket to keep it warm and adding a little more soap, he scooped some of the water and swirled it around in the cup. As he did so, he couldn't get the image of the foaling sock out of his head.
He glanced at his present and gagged. "I'll never look at a sock the same way."
Soon, he found a pair of twin fillies in front of his stand, and he grew increasingly annoyed with their indecisiveness.
"Stardust, we must get peppermint! It's a tradition for this time of year!" one twin argued.
The other twin rolled her eyes. "Sweet Tart, I'm not in the mood for peppermint. So... no."
Sweet Tart groaned. "We don't have time for this! We have to play the accordion for the talent show tonight!"
Stardust stuck her tongue out. "Well, maybe if you didn't insist on peppermint. I'm craving chocolate, and that's what we're gonna get!"
Silver tapped on the table. "Eh, excuse me?" When he got the twins' attention, he said, "Yanno, you both could have your own mugs."
The twins gasped in horror. Then, Stardust said, "No, no, no! You don't understand!"
Silver grimaced. "Understand what?"
Sweet Tart then said, "As twins, it is mandatory that we share everything. Whether it be our clothes, our toys, our bed, our toothbrush..."
Silver leaned back upon hearing that last one. It was disgusting, but it couldn't top the story of the foaling sock from earlier.
"...and of course, we share our accordion."
He blinked. "Wait... you girls only have one accordion?"
The two nodded.
Raising an eyebrow, he imagined the two of them each holding one end of the accordion, and just pushing and pulling towards each other. In that position, how did they not drop it? He wondered which one held the end with the keys, and the other with the buttons. The resulting image in his head made him snort in amusement.
Sweet Tart sighed. "You know, if I want peppermint, I'll just get a candy cane." She pulled some bits out of her coat pocket and set them on the table.
As Silver took the money and started mixing the drink, Stardust asked, "So, are you going to give us straws?"
He frowned. He didn't have any.
Much to his confusion, one pony left their ventriloquist dummy on the stand.
When the customer had told him that the dummy was thirsty, Silver had looked at him funny. Then, after he paid the guy left, saying that he needed to do something, and the dummy was left on the table. Rolling his eyes, Silver started mixing the drink, as he was sure the pony was going to come back for both the drink and the dummy.
He finished mixing, and then set the drink aside for the guy to come back. He leaned in his hoof, whistling a Hearth's Warming carol as he waited. His corner of the fair was quiet, and all he could do was just wait until that pony returned.
Then, suddenly, he heard a gulp, a sigh of delight, and a declaration of, "That was some good cocoa!"
His eyes widened, and he turned around quickly in order to give the cocoa thief a piece of his mind for stealing someone else's drink. He wasn't sure what he was going to do past that, since he was just a little colt that could be creamed by just about every other pony there...
He stopped once he saw that there was nopony there. It was just the dummy, still sitting there, with chocolate smeared all over it's fake grin. Its eyes were on Silver, it's little hoof on the mug, and the mug was empty. Dummy and colt stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours, with the latter's heart racing as he slowly scooted his stool away. The longer he stared at the dummy, the more wicked it's grin looked, the redder its eyes looked, and the more he expected it to leap at him and eat his face. He didn't know why, but there was clearly something possessing that doll.
Finally, the dummy said, "Hey, champ."
He screamed and fell out of his stool.
It was right then that the pony, a unicorn, returned and picked up his dummy, saying, "Did you like the cocoa, Mr. Chuckles?" He then levitated it to Silver's face, making the dummy say, "Oh, yes, it was de-lish! Mr. Metal would have been proud!"
Silver stared in silence from where he lay, not wanting to move out of fear of the dummy.
The pony laughed, and said, "Well, thank you, little guy, for helping quench the thirst of Mr. Chuckles. Noble Metal was always happy to oblige, and it's nice to see that his boy is taking up his mantle!" His eyes went soft. "He is missed very much."
As the pony left with his dummy, Silver got back onto his seat, and then looked at his most recent customer. He leaned in his hoof once again, and looked up at the sky, sighing. It was nice to know that his family wasn't the only one that missed Pop, even if an evil dummy was one who missed him.
Still, why couldn't Pop just have stayed longer, at least to celebrate one last Hearth's Warming before passing on? Why couldn't he be here to run the stand, or at least guide Silver in doing this? Why couldn't he stay long enough until he and Penny and Pearl and Goldie were all grown up? Why did that storm even happen on Nightmare Night? Why did the event committee even come up with that stupid haunted lighthouse?
Why? Just... why?
He shook his head and wiped his nose. Now was not the time for him to wallow in those questions; he had a stand to run.
Next, a black-coated teenage unicorn with a bright red mane and piercing yellow eyes was at the stand, wearing a saddle that was an ugly shade of green, bearing spikes, and bore a pair of nightmarish wings. He wore a spiked choker and anklets that matched the saddle, four pairs of earrings, and had pierced nostrils, eyebrows, and tongue. Silver scooted his chair back at the sight of the teenager, expecting the angry looking unicorn to try to hurt him. He was afraid to look at the cutie mark.
He put his hooves together and asked, "C-can I help you?"
The teen put a hoof on his chest. "I, Baron Von Bloody McLudicrous VIII, will request your finest choco-lot-tay garnished and flavored with the spiciest and hottest of chili peppers, imported from the land of dragons. Fulfill my request, or perish!"
Silver blinked, his mouth agape at the ridiculous request. Was this guy for real?
Clearing his throat, Silver answered, "I-I don't have any chili peppers. Would you like some peppermint instead?"
Baron Von Bloody McLudicrous VIII gave Silver an exaggerated sneer. "Peppermint?!"
Silver jumped and clung to his seat tightly, biting his lip so his teeth didn't chatter. "Please don't kill me! That's illegal!"
It was at that moment that Goldie bounced in, carrying a bag of candy canes and setting them on the table. She had one in her mouth, and she cheerily sang, "I brought ya more candy canes for peppermint cocoa!"
She then glanced at the Baron, and gave him a funny look. "What the hay?"
The Baron snorted. "Why do you not have chili peppers, you insignificant blubbering insect?!"
Goldie had no idea what he just said, but she was sure it was an insult. She glared at him. "Do you want me to buck you in the face, dummy?"
"Goldie, no, that's not nice," Silver said. He cleared his throat, and as he trembled, he answered, "W-we're not rich enough to import chili peppers from the land of dragons, mister. Besides, last I checked... uh, dragons didn't grow food. They eat gems. So... no, we don't have that. You either get plain or peppermint."
The Baron stared at him for a moment, and then shouted, "VERY WELL! Provide me with the peppermintiest, hottest, and most extreme chocolate drink that you can conjure up! Work your dark magic, and please Baron Von Bloody McLudicrous the VIII!"
Goldie started laughing at the customer's loud voice and his funny wording, while Silver took some candy canes out of the bag, and mixed the drink together with the bundle for who knows how long, until it dissolved. Adding a bit more hot watery milk, he presented it to the Baron, who swiped the mug and dumped the entire contents of it into his wide open mouth.
The result was a loud, gravelly scream that turned heads and made them mutter in confusion.
His ears still ringing from the ordeal with the Baron and his burnt tongue, he was pleasantly surprised to see Coco Pommel pop up at his stand once again. With a smile, he asked, "Hey, what brings you here?"
Coco drummed on the table. "Oh, well... I, uh, just wanted to have some more of that cocoa. It's just really good."
"You have three bits?"
Coco dug into her pocket, and produced three bits. "I got some from my mom earlier... after the first time I drank the cocoa, that is."
"That's fine by me." Silver slid the bits into the money box, and then started to mix the cocoa once again. As he stirred, he glanced at Coco, who seemed to be in awe at how quickly he was making it. It felt nice to have this kind of childlike attention on him.
Coco looked up at him. "I have to wonder... is mixing drinks your special talent?"
Silver shook his head. "Psht, no, it isn't. I've been mixing stuff for a while now, and I'm still a blank flank. I don't know what my special talent is, so..."
"Mine's sewing," Coco said, pulling up her jacket to reveal her cutie mark, which was a purple, wide-brimmed hat with a red feather.
Silver looked at the mark with interest. "Oooh, nice hat."
Coco released her jacket and let it cover the mark again. "Thank you. And I'm sure that if you ever get your cutie mark, it'd be wonderful."
Silver gazed up at the sky as he stirred. "My Pop said the same thing. I just wish that he would have stayed long enough to celebrate when I finally do discover my talent... for that matter, make that when Goldie gets her cutie mark." He looked down at the swirling drink. "But, you know... being dead makes him miss important stuff like that."
Coco tilted her head, worry coming across her face. "Are you okay?"
He perked up and cleared his throat. "Oh, uh, I'm fine." He finished mixing the cocoa, and pushed it toward the filly, letting a grin come upon his face. "Here you go! Cocoa for Coco!"
Coco giggled, took the mug, and said, "You're being silly with the wordplay."
"Oh, uh..." Silver rubbed the back of his head. "Why don't you try playing with my name? I-it's Silver Shill, in case you forgot. Ponies always forget."
Coco tilted her head. "Silver Shill..." She sipped her cocoa, her eyes looking off to the corner as she tried to think of some sort of play on his name. Finishing her sip, she asked, "Uh, what's a shill?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Funny story, really... you see, uh, when I was born, Mom and Pop were planning on naming me Silver Shell, because, you know, we live by the ocean and there's a lot of seashells, and silver's a metal... because Pop's name is Noble Metal. Heck, it's why my second oldest sister's name is Pearl--well, Pearly Whites, but she's got a cutie mark that fits the name, don't worry--even though that's not a metal, but it comes with seashells and oysters and stuff. So yeah... my mom grew up here and wanted some beachy names..."
Coco nodded. "Okay."
Silver cleared his throat. "So... eh... the doctors misheard the name, and wrote down 'shill.'"
"Oh, okay. So, do you know what 'shill' means?"
Silver's eye twitched, and he squeaked, "Nope."
Coco blinked, and then shrugged. Then her eyes widened in an "aha" moment, and she smiled. "Oh, I've got one!"
Silver leaned forward. "Yes?"
"Silver Shill sells seashells down by the sea shore!"
They both laughed.
So, the hours continued to tick on by, and ponies came and went, asking for cocoa and watching as Silver mixed up the drinks and served them. In between that, refilling the kettles, keeping the liquid from boiling out of them, making sure the bucket of dishwater didn't freeze, keeping stock, and counting bits, he was a rather busy colt.
Like with Minty, the accordion twins, the dummy, and the Baron, Silver found himself either raising an eyebrow, cowering, or trying not to throw up with a few unforgettable customers. He had a repeat of the dummy situation, except it was a rubber chicken that time, and the chicken didn't seem as evil as the dummy. There was a stallion who snorted the cocoa up his nose, prompting Silver to rub his own nose, since it hurt from seeing that. There was a pony dressed up as a tree, another dressed up in a patchwork dress, and another dressed up in nothing but duct tape. At one point, Santa Hooves came up to the stand, asking for a nice and minty mug.
As he had stirred Santa's mug, he looked up with hopeful eyes and asked if his Pop could be brought back to life. Santa sadly replied that he didn't have that power, but he could bring him any toy he wanted.
With downcast eyes, Silver had replied, "I'm not sure I want any toys this year."
And so it went, pony after pony, having their hot cocoa, and Silver mixing the stuff until his front legs ached from the repeated action. His movement, being surrounded by steaming liquids, and his proximity to the tiki torch was keeping him at least a little warm. Not to mention that that Coco Pommel filly kept coming by to say hi, whether she had the excuse of "wanting more cocoa", or just making sure that he wasn't lonely.
Every time she came by, there was a question asked by either him or her.
"So... what's Manehattan like?" Silver asked.
Coco sipped at her cocoa. "It's big, and everypony's cranky and in a hurry. My mom gets pretty cranky too, and it gets annoying. Sometimes it even gets scary when ponies are in a hurry. Some carriages don't even stop for little colts crossing the street!"
Silver gasped. "You saw a colt get run over?!"
Coco shook her head. "Oh, no no no, just almost. He was pulled away by his... I think it was his big brother, but it was a close one."
She was called by her cousin to go ice skate, and left him alone for a bit.
After Silver dealt with a few more customers, she returned, with a question of how he liked living in a little seaside town.
Silver rubbed his hooves together. "Well, I very much like it here. I smell the briny air all the time, I hear waves pounding on the beach a lot, I get to play on the beach all the time! But... I have to watch Goldie so she doesn't get swept away by the tide. And I can't play in the water or build sand castles when it's snowing... because it's cold."
Coco simply blinked.
"...or... in a storm, since the waves get pretty tall and the water gets dark. It's always scary when a ginormous one crashes on the lighthouse."
Coco had a uneasy look on her face, glancing away and scrunching her nose.
Silver pouted, and then cleared his throat. "My uncle takes me and my sisters on boat rides in the summer."
"Ooh, that sounds fun. Have you seen any whales or dolphins... or maybe even sea ponies?"
"No, but the waves once threw seaweed in my face. It was disgusting!"
Coco laughed. "Oh no! How did they feel?"
"Blegh, slimy!" Silver scratched his chin and mumbled, "Maybe it was sea ponies... that didn't like me for some reason..."
Coco laughed some more. Then, her ears twitched as she heard her name being called, and she turned to see her mother there, pointing to the igloo that Santa Hooves was in. "Okay, Mom!"
She turned back to Silver and said, "Sorry, I gotta go now." She turned around and started running to her Mom, calling back, "I'll see you later!"
Silver waved back, and then let out a happy sigh.
That was when Goldie came trotting along with a skip in her step. She sneezed, propelling her into the air, and onto the table with a loud thump, startling her brother and making him fall back on the snowing ground. With a big smile on her face, she shouted, "Hi, Silver!"
Silver looked up at her with a pout.
Goldie sniffled and then sneezed again. Wiping her nose, she said, "I want some cocoa now! Some chocolatey yummy in my tummy will keep me nice and warm!" She narrowed her eyes. "And stop the sneezing. I don't like sneezing."
Silver got onto the stool, and then looked past Goldie to make sure their big sisters were there. Sure enough, Penny and Pearl were walking up to the stand, and it was not hard to figure out that Goldie's skipping brought her to the table more quickly than their leisurely pace. Nodding, he said, "Okey-dokey, I'll make you some."
He scooted his stool to the stoves, and tried to remember which one of the kettles had just water in it. The last thing he wanted to do was get Goldie sick thanks to her lactose intolerance, and he remembered quite clearly the instructions his Pop gave in making a dairy free cocoa. After all, Noble wasn't fond of making ponies cramp up or vomit during a Hearth's Warming celebration.
"Hurry up!" Goldie shouted.
Red. It had to be the red kettle. He grabbed the red kettle, and set it on the heat pad on the table, shooing Goldie off in the process. Bringing out another mug, he mixed in the other ingredients, but left out the caramel and halved the creamer. As he poured the liquid, he asked, "So, do you want some peppermint?"
Goldie nodded happily, so Silver obliged by stirring with a couple of candy canes.
Penny and Pearl were at the table, with a latter asking, "You poured the one with the water, right? Not any of the ones with the water-milk mix, or worse, the one that's entirely full of milk? Because we don't want to make Goldie sick!"
"I-I'm taking steps to make the cocoa good for her," Silver said, looking at the mix and seeing nothing but brown. "I'm pretty sure I got the water one."
Penny took a candy cane and took a bite out of it. "Are you doing all right? Have any crowds come along and overwhelmed you?
Silver finished stirring, shaking his head, and then gave the mug to Goldie, who squealed and started to chug the cocoa down. "Nah, it was just one or two at a time. Nothing I can't handle. And there haven't been any complaints... or sick ponies..." He looked up at the tiki torch. "Or fires..."
Penny had a small crease of her brow, and she set a hoof on Silver's. "Perhaps I should take over from here. You should go out and have some fun before the day is done."
Silver frowned. "Penny, I'm the one that knows the recipe, so I gotta stay here and mix it for the ponies who want it."
Penny raised an eyebrow. "Silver, perhaps you should write it down so that the rest of us can mix it." Her expression softened. "Besides... I don't want you to be alone back here."
"Oh, I'm not alone. I met a bunch of weirdos that kept me from being bored, not to mention that Coco Pommel keeps coming over and chatting with me."
Pearl tilted her head. "Winter Mist's cousin?"
"Yep."
Penny shook her head. "Silver, you know Pop would want you to go out and have fun."
Silver pouted at her. "Well... well... Pop's not here! And since he's not around to watch the stand, I'm doing it! I promised myself I'd continue this tradition for him, and I'm going to keep it!"
Penny sighed. "Silver... we're his family, too."
Silver turned his back on her. "Just go. You deserve to have fun more than I do. After all, I'm more of a 'champ' right here than out there, where I'll slip and fall on the ice, or embarrass myself in some other way."
Penny was silent for a moment, looking at a concerned Pearl, and the oblivious Goldie still drinking her cocoa. With a shake of her head, she said, "Very well, have it your way. At least Coco was talking with you." She tilted her head. "Perhaps she keeps coming so you wouldn't be lonely."
Once Goldie had put the mug back on the table, Penny took both her and Pearl, and left to do something else.
Silver grabbed the mug, hopped down, and started washing it in the bucket. He sniffled and wiped his eyes, and looked in the bucket, where the image of his Pop appeared. Noble Metal grinned at him, and said, "You're doing great, champ. Those ponies do appreciate some nice, hot cocoa on a cold winter day."
Silver smiled at the image. "Yeah... they do."
It was about a half hour before Coco returned, her trots seemingly light as a feather. She set three bits on the table, explaining that her mother wanted some cocoa. Silver was more than happy to oblige, and began that same mixing that he had been doing all day.
As he stirred, she asked, "So... do you collect seashells?"
Silver shook his head. "Nah, I've seen just about every kind you see on our beach. It gets kinda old. It doesn't stop my sisters from making necklaces with them."
"Aww, I'd like a seashell necklace. But, Winter doesn't make necklaces, and she hates the beach and the ocean."
Silver shrugged. "Eh, ever since I met her in school, she's liked snow stuff more than beach stuff. She's the one that complains all the time about sand and how it gets in her fur. Believe me, I've seen her pouting on the beach more times than I can count."
He finished stirring, and pushed the mug toward Coco. "Okay, be sure to bring the mug back!"
Coco took the mug, and said, "Thanks." And thus, she turned around, and carefully walked back to her mother with the mug in hoof.
Silver leaned in his hoof, and smiled. That was a really nice filly, and he was glad she came down from the big city, even if the reason she was here was because she was visiting her cousin. He liked making a new friend, especially a filly like her.
All of a sudden, the unusual sound of his eldest sister yelling in a sharp tone rang out. "Silver Shill!"
Jumping and tipping his stool yet again, he managed to swim back to place and regain balance so that all four of the stool's legs were on the ground. His relief in having avoided crashing to the ground was brief, and he was face to face with the glare of Platinum Pen. He gulped, knowing that Penny breaking out of her austere demeanor meant he was in big trouble. The problem was, he didn't know what he did.
Her glare unyielding, she snarled, "Did you give Goldie milk?"
His eyes widened, and he leaned to look behind Penny, where Pearl stood, Comedy Gold on her back. Little Goldie was sobbing and moaning, her eyes red with tears, her mouth wet with spittle, and a hoof clutching her belly. She whined about wanting a bathroom, and that holding it in was painful. There was no denying what he did wrong now.
He looked at the red kettle on a cool part of one of the stoves. He bit his lip, any words that he wanted to say were caught in his throat.
Penny glanced at the kettle, marched toward it, and then took off the lid for a good long look at what was inside. Looking up with that same glower on her face, she snapped, "Did you forget to check the kettle before giving her that cocoa? This one's entirely full of milk!"
Silver blinked, and then sank his muzzle into his scarf, muttering, "Oops."
Penny groaned. "That's all you have to say? 'Oops'? You should know better, Silver! Don't neglect checking just because you think you remember which kettle had which liquid! I thought you'd be extra careful about this when our baby sister is involved!"
"I'm not a baby!" Goldie protested.
She then hiccuped, and retched out only drops of saliva, making Pearl shudder from one end to the other. Seeing the drops hit the snow, Pearl said, "I... am just going to take Goldie home now." With that, she shuffled away and started the trek home, with another pony coming in and taking her place, watching Silver and Penny.
Penny shook her head. "You know what? I'm taking over the stand, and you're going home."
"But... b-but... but," Silver hopped down from his stool. "You don't even know the recipe!"
Penny narrowed her eyes. "Gee, that problem could be solved by you telling me or writing it down."
"You watched me make it earlier!"
"Doesn't mean I have a complete memory of all the things you put in, the measurements, and how much I need to stir. What's wrong with just writing it down or at least telling me what you know?"
Silver brushed his hoof on the snow. "You know I'm not very, uh, elo... elo... what's that word again?"
"Eloquent," Penny replied bluntly. "So take a pencil and paper and write it down, and then you can be on your way. You do have those under the table."
"But what if somepony steals it?! It won't be Pop's special recipe anymore!"
Penny massaged her forehead and sighed. "Silver, don't be so paranoid. Why are you even arguing? You know very well I can't just let you get off scot-free after you were so negligent in mixing Goldie's drink. So, just write down the recipe, and then go home."
"But... but... but..." Silver snorted and growled, "What makes you think that you'd do better than me? I was the one that was taught personally by Pop!"
Coco squeezed herself in between some ponies that had gathered in the area, who were waiting for the two to stop arguing and make them some cocoa, and then set the mug on the table. She was followed by her cousin, who grumbled under her breath. Looking up with bright eyes, Coco said, "Okay, Mom's all--" She blinked at the sight of the siblings, and backed up a little. "Uh... is this a bad time?"
Winter tilted her head. "Looks like it to me."
Silver glanced at her and waved a hoof. "It's fine, Coco, it's fine. Penny just thinks that she can run this stand, even though she's never done anything like this or a lemonade stand."
Penny shook her head. "I don't know what is making you argue for staying here; your friendship with our neighbor's cousin, or just you being wrapped up in being the 'stallion of the house' ever since Pop died. Either way, it's time you go home."
Coco sighed. "Aww... that's a shame. I like coming over here."
Winter turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "How many times have you been over here and why?"
"I lost count. Still, the cocoa's good, and he's sweet and fun to talk to. I'm just sad that he was all alone over here and hasn't had any fun in the festival today."
Silver growled. "It's not like I can, Coco! I would have just embarrassed myself out there and tripped or slipped or said something stupid or got pelted with snowballs by the local bullies and Pop's not around to make anything better! I just want to be here where I can still feel him nearby, hear him call me 'champ', and not feel like a spineless loser!" He bucked away his stool, feeling a lump in his throat.
The buck was stronger than he thought it would be, and the stool crashed into the nearby tiki torch, which snapped in half and fell on the table. Within seconds, the torch had lit the tablecloth on fire, making Coco and the waiting ponies shout in dismay.
Penny's eyes were wide as she scooted away from the flames. "Silver Shill!"
Silver turned to the table and jumped. "Oh my stars! Put it out, put it out!"
Staring at the fire, Penny quickly took the kettle of milk and tossed it onto the fire. She heard sizzling, but the fire was barely deterred, so she backed up, grabbed another kettle, and threw some of the water-milk mix on it. She did this again, and again, her body language barely indicating what she was feeling. The only expression she held was that of her wide eyes staring at the fire.
Silver was quickly at work, panicking and screaming as he jumped by the stoves, grabbed kettles, and threw the cloudy fluids inside onto the fire. Each jump knocked the kettle into his hoof, and he swiftly dodged the hot water that spilled out. His heart racing and his muscles filled with an urge to tremble, he tossed the liquids on the fire, mentally pleading for the flames to die before they spread to under the table, where dry ingredients lay.
At one point, he took a blue kettle, and threw the water that was inside. Blinking upon realizing that it was the water he was supposed to use for Goldie, he shouted, "Dang it! It was the blue one!"
The other ponies took to gathering hooffuls of snow, and throwing it on the fire in order to smother it. Coco Pommel and Winter Mist were in on the action, and watched as their snowballs melted in contact with the fire, making at little difference on the burning table . The ponies continued to try to imitate a snowdrift, and heaved as much snow as they could onto the flames, backing up from the attempted hot licks of the fire.
Finally, out of kettles, Silver considered joining the others in throwing snow, but then spotted the water bucket that he had used to clean mugs. He quickly grabbed it, and tossed it onto the table, and the resulting sizzle and the erupting steam was met with sighs of relief and satisfaction. A couple of stallions from the crowd took to removing the blackened tiki torch, and carrying it elsewhere.
Breathing heavily, Silver dropped the bucket. Staring at the ashes that were left of the tablecloth, and the charred marks on the table, he felt an awful pit in his stomach. Right there was his second screw up in a row, right after making his little sister sick. Why had he been so obtuse as to argue with Penny about whether or not he should have just given her the recipe and then went home? If he had just obeyed her, this fire wouldn't have happened!
Stupid, stupid, stupid... he chided himself. He looked up at the other ponies, and realized that he had just made a fool of himself again. His eyes met Coco's, and he stared for a moment before turning away, seeing as he could have hurt somepony, whether it was her, or Penny, or somepony else.
Finally, in his mind's eye, he saw his Pop leaning against the wall, shaking his head in disappointment at those moments of carelessness that resulted in a sick filly and a burnt table. His eyes welling up with tears, Silver knew that he had no right to be called "champ" right now.
Penny was looking under the table, where she checked the ingredients. With a sigh of relief, she went back to her usual impassive demeanor, and said, "It's a good thing it didn't spread to the ingredients; the powders would have made the fire worse."
Winter was staring at the burnt top of the table. "No kidding. This fire was bad enough."
Coco looked under the table as well. "I'm glad it didn't spread. Somepony could have gotten seriously burned."
"Luckily, nopony did, the ingredients are safe, the money is safe..." She stood up. "Don't worry, Silver, I know it was an accident, so I won't hold this one against you."
As she turned her head to face him, she realized he wasn't there. Blinking, she wondered when he left.
Coco was beside her. "Where'd he go?"
With a crease in her brow, she answered, "I better check if he went home."