Equestrian Underground

by Krysto

Scene 3

Quick and Flash began to meander their way through the marketplace back to the outskirts of Ponyville where Sweet Apple Acres stood, it's trees lining the horizon like green clouds. Quick was taking in all his surroundings at once, his eyes darting from stall to stall, pony to pony, sizing each and every one of them up. That one with the glasses could be hiding a weapon in his bag, or that sign overhead could be rigged to fall when they walked underneath. But of course none of this ever actually happened, every scenario simply played out in his head slowly distracting him from the overall task at hand. Flash's voice brought him back once more.
“Wow, look at all these market stalls.”
“You know, Flash, it kinda surprises me.”
“What does, Quick?”
“Aren't you paying attention? Look around, tell me what you see.”
“Stalls, lots and lots of stalls. Fruits and vegetables, clothing, just about everything you could want, really.”
“Yea, so tell me what you don't see.”
Flash thought on this for a moment.
“I can't really think of anything, there's so much here.”
“Apples, Flash, apples! There's not a single apple vendor around.”
“Well naturally, Sweet Apple Acres is the primary supplier of all apples in Ponyville, if not the entire region.”
“Of course Apple Acres sells apples, but aren't you in the least bit curious why no other apple merchants ever show up?”
“Oh not this again. Quick, just because no one competes with Apple Acres doesn't prove a definitive conspiracy.”
“Flash, there are loads of apples across all of Equestria, some are very unique and very much in demand. Have you ever heard of Cloudsdale's famous sunbeam apples?”
“No, I can't say that I have, given that I can't fly up there to find out.”
“They're a pegasus delicacy. Very easy to grow in the clouds and very good to eat. Importing them would be a matter of simply carrying a small crate down from Cloudsdale to Ponyville, renting a stall, and making a fortune in a matter of minutes,”
“So why don't they do that?”
“Can't you see Flash? Apple vendors are afraid of selling here.”
“Afraid of what exactly?”
“Here, let me enlighten you.”

Quick walked up to a nearby vendor who was selling a wide variety of fruits. His wares ranged from tropical to local and covered almost every fruit you could think of off the top of his head.
“Fresh fruit here, get your fruit, we've got just about every fruit you could ever hope for! Two bits to the grapefruit, three for a sack of plums!” The vendor was shouting his pitch out over the heads of all the ponies shuffling to and fro, hoping for another customer. The merchant noticed Quick approaching and suddenly addressed him.
“Ah, good stallion, you must try my fruits, they are the best around! I've got nearly everything you could possibly want!”
“Yes, about that good sir” Quick suddenly replied smoothly, his social skills kicking in again. “You claim to have every fruit I could want.”
“Indeed I do sir, what'll it be? We have grapes, canteloupes, kiwis, you name it!”
“Well I'm not from around here and I'm looking for some apples.”
“Are you some kind of wiseguy pony-type-fellow? We don't have any apples here, you gotta go out to Apple Acres for those. You know, the place with all the apple trees you can see from almost anywhere in Ponyville.”
“Allow me to clarify. I'm looking specifically for sunbeam apples, and I'd be very interested in buying a few.”
“I'm sorry, but I just can't sell those around here. It's bad luck ya know, selling apples in Ponyville.”

Quick's assuring smile quickly faded away and an intense look came over his face.
“I told you. I'm very interested in purchasing some sunbeam apples. I would love to buy some or would at least like a decent explanation as to why not.” With every word he spoke a very subtle glow appeared over his horn and a small spark gleamed in his eyes. It was a warm comforting glow, and as Flash watched it he simply couldn't help but listen to every word Quick spoke, as if it were of the utmost importance.

The vendor's indignant attitude suddenly gave way to a much more peaceable tone. “Like I said, I can't sell any sunbeam apples around here. Every vendor knows what happens to anypony who does. They disappear, and they don't ever come back.”

As subtly as the glow appeared, it faded away, and Quick's smile returned again. “Thank you so very much. Here's two bits for your help.”

The vendor stared back with a confused look on his face, as if he didn't quite know what was going on anymore. He shook his head and resumed his sales pitch as if nothing had ever happened. Having just cleared his head of any stray thoughts, Flash's attention suddenly turned to what the vendor said.
“What in the name of Celestia just happened back there, Quick?”

Quick responded coolly, “when a reporter needs information, sometimes it helps just to know how to ask properly.”
“Quick, I feel like I know so little about you? I mean, we just got stuck together for this report, it's not like I know you or anything. And seriously, what kind of name is Reel Quick anyways?”
“Hey, your name is Flash Pan, so don't start insulting my name for one. Two, that's just my stage name, you know, an assumed identity for the sake of remaining anonymous.”
“Then what's your real name, Quick?”
“I already told you, Flash. Any secret worth keeping is never obvious.”
“Gee, thanks. So I suppose we're headed out to Sweet Apple Acres now?”
“Are you crazy, Flash” to which Flash mumbled an appropriate retort under his breath, “we can't just go marching up to Apple Acres with this sort of information anymore. Now we need proof! If anypony showed up in Ponyville selling apples and disappeared mysteriously, there's bound to be evidence somewhere. We're going to the Ponyville Historic Records Center. There's bound to be some kind of clue there.”

Flash suddenly contemplated the change in plans. No more Sweet Apple Acres meant no chance at some apples, though he sincerely wondered how he could simultaneously accuse somepony of a dastardly crime and ask for free food as well. His train of thought was suddenly cut off by a sharp pain to the back of his head. Flash cried out in pain and stopped to look for what hit him.
“Yeow, something nailed me in the back of the head, Quick.”

The two ponies stopped just at the edge of an intersection between two narrow market roads. Flash turned around and raised another apple core into view.
“Another apple core, somepony must have thrown this at me. It's still got some seeds left in it too. There's two this time.”
“Strange, maybe there's some kind of connection.” Quick began pondering the situation and took a few casual steps forward. Flash was eying the apple again.
“That or a habitual litterbug, don't you think, Qui- look out!”

Flash leaped forward and knocked Quick onto the ground, both sliding forward in a dust cloud a few feet ahead. The abrupt silence was followed by a thundering roar and crash as a hay cart loaded with masonry stones rolled down the alleyway and crashed into a nearby wall. Both Flash and Quick got back up and dusted themselves off, chests heaving from such a near-disaster.
“Flash, somepony is certainly trying to stop us, we must hurry before they succeed.”
“Oh, Quick, I'm sure it was an accident or something. This could have happened to anypony at anytime. You have to control yourself, you're acting like a scared little filly, fearing monsters hiding in every shadow.”
“You can't be too careful, Flash. Anypony here could be out for us now. By this time they probably already know we're on to them and are already scheming to stop us.”
“I still find this all hard to believe, Quick. I mean, seriously. Applejack? We're talking about a pony who has saved all of Equestria, and multiple times too! She's the element of honesty! How can somepony who represents the very essence of honesty be hiding a massive criminal organization?”
“That's what I aim to find out, Flash. We're going to get to the bottom of this and by the time I'm through, everypony will know the truth of the Applecore Syndicate.”