• Published 5th Dec 2012
  • 15,480 Views, 800 Comments

Apples and Wheat - TheAlmightySage



The Apple Family decides to plant wheat this year and end up with a surprise house guest.

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Wolf and Pink Surprises III

Many thanks to my editors: BrackMadar, Jamza, Hybridnecros


HI HARRY!!

Pinkie, please stop that.

Oh, hush and eat your cake.

--- Apples and Wheat ---

“Dispute not with her: she is a lunatic.”

― William Shakespeare, Richard III

---Wolf and Pink Surprises III ---

------

"Yer crazy," Applejack stated matter-of-factly as she glared at Holo, who was calmly skimming through one of the open books on Twilight's study desk and occasionally smirking at what she read.

"I have been accused of far worse things, my dear Apple mare," Holo answered with a dismissive wave of her hoof, not even bothering to look up from the book.

Applejack sighed and rubbed her forehead, wondering just how much more trouble Holo would stir up before the day's end.

Before she could berate her irksome companion, Applejack's thoughts were interrupted by a throaty groan from the nearby couch. Twilight's stirring caused Applejack's head to snap up and Spike to nearly bowl over Applejack, as he ran past her.

"Twilight, how are you feeling?" Spike asked while Applejack trotted over.

"Ugh, like I was hit on head by the Encyclopedia Equestria," Twilight groaned, removing the small, moist towel that was draped over her eyes as Applejack stood beside Spike.

"Well, you did hit your head," Spike explained, anxiously looking towards Applejack.

"I had the weirdest dream..." Twilight started, but trailed off when she saw Applejack standing beside Spike and Holo looking at her with a mischievous grin playing across her face from the study desk.

Twilight jumped with a squeak and shuffled back, pressing herself as far as she could against the arm rest of the couch then pointed an accusatory hoof at Holo. "Wha-what is she doing here?!"

"Twi', try and stay calm now," Applejack said putting a reassuring hoof on her panicky friend's shoulder, "Holo don't mean no harm to ya."

Twilight gulped and nervously looked from Applejack over to Holo.

"Yes, Applejack is correct," Holo answered casually as she shut the book and trotted over to sit beside AJ, "I am not here to bring harm, nor wreak some terrible havoc."

Twilight glanced to Applejack, her right eye still a bit twitchy.

"She's a headache, but no real trouble," Applejack said, answering Twilight's silent question with a sigh.

Twilight looked back at Holo, her panic slowly replaced by confusion as her scholarly observations brought several questions to mind regarding the wolfish mare before her. "But... you... even with your ears and tail, you look like a regular earth pony."

"Shall I explain myself a bit?" Holo asked with a prideful smile.

"Um, sure, if you don't mind," Twilight answered relaxing and feeling more comfortable with Holo after Applejack had vouched for her.

"Very well then", Holo put a hoof to her mouth and cleared her throat then began, "I was born in the land of Yoitz, in the far north, where the summers are short and the winters are long..." Holo began to explain while Twilight and Spike looked up at her with a bit of wonder.

Ah reckon, this'll take awhile, Applejack thought as she took a seat beside Twilight on the couch.

---

After a rather hasty explanation, some dramatic pleading, and a vigorous reminder that Mayor Mare had agreed to cover up to 45% of the expenses of any Welcome to Ponyville Party, the Cakes had agreed to let Pinkie start decorating and preparing for the party. Which gave the Cakes some greatly, appreciated time to spend with their precocious twins. So Pinkie, with Rainbow Dash's help, had the Sugar Cube Corner's private party room's major decorations finished with only a few odds and ends left to do.

"Oh no, no, no, no, Dashie, put the blue streamers over the doorway and the red ones on the ceiling trailing towards the light," Pinkie explained to Rainbow Dash while balancing a bowl of punch on her head.

"Ugh, you're killing me here, Pinks," Rainbow Dash groaned petulantly from where she hovered above the doorway.

"Oh, come on, Dashie, just a teensy bit more and we'll be done," Pinkie explained with a smile as she set the punch bowl on the buffet table.

"Pinkie, I doubt the wrong streamer color will be that much of a deal breaker for a party," Rainbow said lazily flapping her wings as she pointed to the blue streamers.

"Are you crazy!? Streamers are like the second most super duper important party ceiling fixture!" Pinkie answered while waving her hooves dramatically.

"Um, I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly, glancing between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash from the doorway.

"Of course not, Fluttershy," Pinkie declared with a smile, "Dashie is just helping me set up the welcome party for the new pony in Ponyville."

"Oh, ok I'll just, um, come back later," Fluttershy said trying to politely excuse herself, while backing out of the doorway.

"Nonsense!" Pinkie beamed darting over and throwing a forehoof over Fluttershy's shoulder, "Like Granny Pie used to say: The more the merrier!"

Before Fluttershy could object, both her and Pinkie's attention was suddenly taken by Rainbow Dash landing, on her flank, in front of her two friends with red and blue streamers tangled around her forehooves, "Yeah, I could use just a little help here, Fluttershy."

---

Even after Applejack had vouched for Holo, Twilight was still initially nervous with the wolf in mare's clothing, but as Holo had started explaining and speaking about some of her history, Twilight's nervousness had quickly blossomed into fastidious, if nigh obsessive, fascination.

"So you can change your form at will?" Twilight asked while scribbling down notes onto a scroll.

"Not quite, in order to change into my true form from this pony one, I require an offering of fresh blood or wheat", Holo answered in a slightly bored tone, for one of the few times in her long life becoming tired of explaining herself.

"B-blood? Like blood blood?" Spike asked while nervously looking over at Holo and inching behind Twilight, who continued scribbling down her notes.

"Yes, but you have nothing to fear, young dragon, after all, wheat is far easier to obtain and I do believe your scales would hurt my fangs quite a bit," Holo assured Spike with a chuckle while tapping the small pouch of wheat seeds around her neck.

"That... That's a very old type of geas," Twilight said, lowering her scroll revealing amethyst eyes that were wide with surprise, "You... Holo, how old are you?"

“My, such boldness now?" Holo countered playfully, while giving the inquiring scholar an appraising look.

"Um, well it's not often I could ask these kinds of questions from somepony, er somebody as venerable and knowledgeable as you are," Twilight said sheepishly plying, Holo with compliments and hoping her question hadn't offended the wolfish mare.

"Hmm, I do believe you were much cuter when you were panicking," Holo teased with a coquettish grin.

"I, um well, that is um...," Twilight stuttered as her cheeks grew red, while Applejack frowned at Holo.

"Leave her be, Holo," Applejack said firmly while nudging the wolfish mare with an elbow to her ribs.

Holo merely rolled her eyes. "I was merely joking, my dear Apple mare."

"Uh huh," Applejack deadpanned still wearing a stern frown.

Applejack continued giving the grinning Holo a mildly annoyed look until she felt Twilight staring at her.

"What?" Applejack asked looking confused.

"Um, Applejack, I don't think Holo really meant to, um, make you jealous," Twilight ventured, partially hiding her face behind the levitating scroll, her cheeks still a touch red.

"Jealous?!" Applejack blurted out as a blush now creeped onto her cheeks, "Nuh uh, no ma'am. It ain't like that at all!"

"Um, should I go do something somewhere else?" Spike asked uncomfortably while glancing between the three mares.

"Mayhap's," Holo answered between snickers while a blushing Applejack frantically tried to explain the situation to Twilight.

---

"Food and Drinks?" Pinkie asked as she, somehow, marched about the room on hind hooves while wearing a drill sergeant cap, that bore her cutie mark on the lapel pin, and held a clipboard, that she had found somewhere, in front of herself.

"Check," Rainbow Dash answered looking longingly at a large tray of chocolate chip cookies.

"Music ready?" Pinkie asked, glancing over at Fluttershy, who stood next to the record player.

"Ready," Fluttershy confirmed with a smile and a nod.

"Streamers?" Pinkie asked glancing up at the ceiling.

"Yes, the dumb streamers are all set up," Rainbow answered with a roll of her eyes.

Pinkie and Fluttershy giggled at Rainbow's exaggerated annoyance.

"Well, all that's left is to set up the party banner to let the new pony know where the party is!" Pinkie declared happily as she tossed the hat and clipboard aside and pulled a rolled up vibrant pink cloth banner the size of a two pony tent from under a table.

Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise while Rainbow Dash plopped down on her flank with her forehooves crossed. "Nope, I am not hoofing that thing up by myself."

"Oh, come on Dashie," Pinkie pleaded with a pout.

"Nope," Rainbow said resolutely shaking her head.

Pinkie Pie desperately latched onto Rainbow and looked up at her with the most pleading of puppy dog eyes she could muster, "But Dashie, you're the only one strong enough to do it."

Rainbow Dash valiantly resisted Pinkie's big blue, pleading eyes looking up at her, but then Pinkie stuck out her bottom lip, which quivered pathetically and came together with her pleading eyes into an irresistible and irrefutable puppy dog pout.

"Okay, okay, fine I'll do it," Rainbow relented with a groan, before adding, "but first, I want at least three chocolate chip cookies."

---

Once Spike had quickly left to the kitchen with the excuse of making tea, Applejack was able to deliver her rather expedient explanation. After AJ had explained her and Holo's relationship, Twilight's resulting embarrassment from her own conclusion jumping led to a weighty, awkward silence falling upon the walls of Golden Oaks Library. Fortunately, for Applejack and Twilight, Holo was more than willing to help move things along, after she was done laughing, of course.

"Did you have any other questions?" Holo asked, still grinning ear to ear.

"So Holo, um, you're just an old friend of Granny Smith's and a guest of the Apple family?" Twilight asked for clarification's sake as she glanced between the annoyed Applejack and the grinning Holo.

"Yes, that is indeed the case," Holo answered Twilight while giving Applejack a sidelong grin.

Applejack felt an inward twitch at Holo's answer, her Element's way of signaling dishonesty, but again she let it slide for now and just rolled her eyes while maintaining her annoyed frown.

"Do you only eat, um meat?" Twilight ventured, with a slight nervousness in her studious voice.

"No, I enjoy much more than simply meat," Holo answered with a titter, "I find fruits, breads, and sweets to be more enjoyable than meat alone. Furthermore, I maintain my promise to partake of only fish whilst I am in the lands of ponies."(1)

"Promise?" Twilight parroted inquisitively while tilting her head.

"Yes, a promise," Holo replied, her voice giving the impression of reflecting on pleasant, old memories as she looked out one of the library's windows with a small smile gracing her lips, "A promise I made long ago to someone very dear to me."

Twilight fidgeted, feeling slightly uncertain of what to say, then glanced over at Applejack, who merely shrugged her shoulders showing an equal loss of explanation.

"Um, how long will you be staying with the Apples?" Twilight asked, deciding to tread onto more mundane questions.

Holo was about to give a teasing answer, but paused, her smile fading and tail falling limply, as she saw a tan mare with a long, dark red mane and tail walking with a stallion with a chestnut coat and a short cropped mane and tail of dull silver. Holo watched with wide, bewildered eyes as the couple, in a brief moment, walked side by side past the window and out of sight. After the short glimpse Holo's ears flattened beneath her white beret before she responded in a voice that carried the weight of uncounted seasons and years, yet sounded as fragile as paper-thin crystal, ready to shatter at the slightest pressure, "For as long as I am able."

Twilight was caught completely off guard by Holo's tone and fell silent, not knowing what to think; let alone say.

What little was left of Applejack's frown completely faded upon hearing Holo's response. Looking towards Holo, Applejack felt a deep sympathy for her. It was easy to forget that despite Holo's mischievous and flirtatious attitude, she was older than even Granny Smith. In their brief time together it had become apparent to Applejack, that Holo had clearly seen many long years pass and, at times, Holo let slip signs of a deep seated loneliness somewhere in her heart.

"Holo," Applejack found herself calling out in soft, worried voice.

"I shall be fine, my dear Apple mare," Holo answered in a small, fragile voice, still facing the window, "just give me a moment, if you will."

Applejack nodded and got up, motioning with a hoof for Twilight to follow her. Twilight got up and followed Applejack, but not before looking back uncertainly at Holo, who stayed seated, looking out the window seemingly lost in thought.

"Just giver her some space, sugar cube," Applejack whispered to Twilight with a gentle nudge.

Twilight just nodded in response and followed her friend to the kitchen.

Holo remained sitting and looking out the window, with her lovely tail idly swaying, while she reflected upon Applejack's attitude towards her and how it reminded, almost painfully so, of how her Merchant had acted with her when they had first met all those many years ago.

"Such striking similarities," Holo quietly said to herself as she ruminated upon her current circumstances.

---

"Is everything okay?" Spike asked as he glanced over at Applejack and Twilight from the sink where he was filling a teapot, as the pair trotted into the kitchen

"Yes, Holo just needed a moment to herself," Twilight distractedly answered, still concerned with the wolfish mare's sudden melancholy.

Applejack remained silent as she took a seat at the small kitchen table. With a heavy sigh she slipped off her trademark hat, setting it on the table, before she stared at the ceiling while thoughts and concerns for Holo fluttered through her mind.

"Uh, is there a specific tea either of you want?" Spike asked, trying to keep himself busy.

"Chamomile would be nice, Spike, and thank you," Twilight said as she levitated the box of the chamomile tea blend on the counter within Spike's reach.

Spike nodded with a smile and set the teapot on the stove to heat up then began filling the diffuser with the tea blend.

Twilight took the seat across from her friend, trying her best to order her anxious thoughts, before she spoke. "Applejack?"

"Hmm?" Applejack absentmindedly responded, as thoughts and concerns continued to play across her mind.

"Does Holo often, well, act so melancholic?" Twilight asked as she glanced back to the doorway leading to the main library room.

Applejack mulled over the question for a moment while fiddling with her Stetson between her hooves, before answering. "Holo don't get like this often from what Ah seen but, ya gotta remember Twi', she's been around a long time and Ah imagine she's seen and felt a lot in that time."

"I can understand that," Twilight replied with a nod, thinking briefly to the rare moments of melancholy she had seen Princess Celestia display before Princess Luna's return.

"Ah know It ain't somethin' Ah talk about much, but Ah ain't exactly a stranger to feelin' that way every now and again... when Ah think about... about somethin' that happened," Applejack hesitantly admitted as she affectionately ran a hoof over her hat's brim, "Was a long time ago, though. Ah'm over it... mostly." She added with a sad smile before slipping her hat back on.

Applejack went to get up from her chair, but was immobilized by a hug from Twilight on her right and from Spike on her left. Applejack was taken by surprise, then smiled and hugged her friends back as she inwardly thanked the Maker for such good friends.

"We're always here if you need help with anything, Applejack," Twilight said as she partially pulled out of the hug.

"Yeah, you can always count on us," Spike agreed with a toothy grin.

"Thank ya," Applejack said with a genuine smile with her forehooves still wrap over her two friends, "Right now though, Ah think Holo could use a bit of good cheer."

The trio of friends exited the kitchen in good spirits. Twilight and Applejack wore warm smiles and Spike hummed to himself as he carried a tray with three hot cups of chamomile tea upon it.

Despite her cheerful demeanor, Applejack was still worried about Holo. However, that worry was soon dispelled when she saw Holo grooming her tail's white tip with long deft strokes of the jade comb and the occasional lick of her nimble tongue to gather stray strands of fur.

Holo's nose twitched, almost imperceptibly, and she paused the grooming of her lovely tail, "Is that chamomile I smell?"

"You betcha!" Spike answered cheerfully as he waddled over to Holo and offered her a cup.

"Thank you," Holo said with a smile as she took the tea cup in her hooves and sipped on the soothing chamomile tea, "Mmm delicious, though I would prefer a good ale instead," Holo said with a smirk before sipping again on the hot tea.

"A bit early for that ain't it?" Applejack commented before taking a cup of tea for herself.

"So long as it is after noon, what does it matter?" Holo replied still wearing her smirk which Applejack just rolled her eyes at.

Twilight watched the pair exchanging quips, as Spike went back into the kitchen to clean the tea pot, at first she had been bit worried until she realized that the back and forth wit between the two mares was just how Applejack and Holo's natures complimented each other. As this realization came to Twilight, she had to put a hoof to her mouth to stifle her own giggling.

---

"Are you certain you do not wish walk with us to this, apparently planned party?" Holo asked as she and Applejack stood on the doorstep of the library.

"No, me and Spike need to clean up first," Twilight explained with a sheepish smile as she thought of the cause of her study binge, "But we'll meet you and Applejack there."

"Sounds good ta me," Applejack said as she looked towards the sky gauging the time to be around 4 o'clock from where the sun was sitting.

"A pity, I was hoping for more of your cute antics," Holo commented with a coy grin.

"I, um, well, that is," Twilight stammered while her cheeks reddened slightly before blurting out, "I hear my books calling!" And slammed the library door closed in a slight, embarrassed panic.

"That was rather amusing," Holo giggled out partially hiding her mischievous smile behind a hoof.

Applejack let out an exasperated sigh before giving Holo an annoyed look, "Did ya have ta tease Twilight like that?"

Holo looked over at Applejack with a haughty smile, “You, my dear Apple mare, are just desperate for me to tease you instead."

"Ah am not!" Applejack declared indignantly as her cheeks reddened slightly.

"Do not worry, my dear Apple mare, I still believe you to be more adorable,” Holo said matter-of-factly as she turned to walk away and flicked Applejack's nose with her lovely tail's white tip.

Applejack would have retorted, but was too busy rubbing her nose trying to suppress a sneeze, while Holo sauntered towards the street, wearing a mischievous smirk.

---

Applejack maintained a sour frown as she trotted slightly behind Holo. While Applejack was somewhat getting used to Holo's antics, her bolder teasing still rubbed her the wrong way. However, her annoyance with Holo's antics faded after the wolfish mare reluctantly admitted she was at a loss as to which street was the proper one to take them to Sugar Cube Corner.

"I am simply not familiar enough with the town, as of yet," Holo explained as her own touch of embarrassment annoyed her.

"Of course, sugar cube," Applejack replied wearing a self-satisfied smile.

Holo glared at Applejack for a moment, before the farm mare looked back at Holo still smiling. The two held eye contact in some manner of test of wills for a several long seconds, before both mares broke out into mutual laughter at their own silliness and resumed the walk to the Sugar Cube Corner with amused smiles.

As Applejack casually guided Holo through Ponyville on their way to Sugar Cube Corner, she would explain what certain shops were and what they sold as they passed them. While Applejack gave the impromptu tour, Holo felt a thought persistently tugging at her mind, but she could not bring herself to outright ask the question.

While Holo had never really been one to hesitate on something she considered important, at this moment she found herself unsure of what to do. Normally, she would give the thing in question thought, contemplating the possible outcomes and how to manage them until the situation resolved itself into something that she wanted or would benefit her, and only then would she act. However, this situation, or rather this question, that currently needed dealing with had very few possible outcomes to it and only one of them was the one that Holo wanted.

Fate favors the bold, Holo thought to herself and turned her to the Apple mare in question.

"Applejack, may I ask you a question?" Holo asked as she and the farm mare casually trotted over a small bridge on their way to Sugar Cube Corner.

"Ya just did," Applejack replied without missing a beat.

Holo gave Applejack a rather flat look that lost most of its effect from the grin she couldn't suppress, "You know very well that is not what I meant."

"Heh, alright sugar cube, ask away," Applejack said with a chuckle as she trotted over to one side of the bridge and leaned against the railing, looking at Holo expectantly.

Holo rolled her eyes then hopped onto the railing, sitting upon the ledge with graceful ease.

"Applejack, what..." Holo paused for a moment, a brief twinge of nervousness causing her to weigh her words before speaking them, "What do you think of me as?"

"Whatcha mean?" Applejack asked quirking an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued by the question and what it could mean.

Holo pursed her lips in thought before rephrasing her question, "What am I to you?"

Applejack hmm'd with her brow furrowed in thought, while Holo watched and waited for her answer, though her tail twitched anxiously.

"Am I simply your grandmother's best friend and a guest of your House?" Holo asked trying to prompt Applejack into speaking her mind.

"Well, ya are Granny's best friend and honestly, Holo, she treats ya more like kin than her friend," Applejack answered as she watched a few ponies walking about in the near by park, "At first Ah couldn't see why, but now Ah can. Even though ya can be a bit of a pain; yer sincere, ya got a good heart, and ya were willing ta help me at the apple stand. All in all, Holo, this has been one of the better days Ah've had in awhile and Ah'd be more than happy ta call ya my friend," Applejack finished smiling at Holo.

At this Holo hopped down from her perch, smiled warmly and gave Applejack a brief hug then took a step to look at the surprised farm mare.

"Words so true, mean a great a deal to one such as myself," Holo said still wearing a warm, genuine smile.

"Just bein' honest with ya, sugar cube," Applejack replied with a warm smile of her own.

The two mares resumed their casual pace to Sugar Cube Corner, and were almost there, when AJ stopped dead in her tracks then facehoofed with a groan. Holo blinked confusedly, then looked in the direction her companion was looking and started giggling at the sight before her.

"Tighten the rope on the right corner just a smidgen of a hair, Dashie!" Pinkie instructed excitedly as she held her hooves horizontal to each other in order to a giver her vision a measured, box like, perspective.

"Like this?" Rainbow Dash asked flapping her wings and pulled the securing rope tighter.

Fluttershy watched, along the small crowd of ponies that had been attracted to Sugar Cube Corner by the commotion from Welcome Party in the making, as Dash and Pinkie straightened the large, pink canvas sign. While Fluttershy was supposed to be watching to make sure no pony tried to enter the bakery before the sign was properly in place, she was, in truth, mostly distracted as she mentally went over her list of chores, making sure that she hadn't left any of her little animal friends without food or water. She was almost done when a familiar voice startled her.

"Hey, Fluttershy," Applejack greeted cheerfully, "What's all this about?"

Fluttershy let out a small squeak and whipped around to face a smiling Applejack and an amused looking pony she hadn't met before standing beside her.

"Oh, um, hello Applejack," Fluttershy replied quietly, her chronic shyness rearing up with the presence of the unknown mare, "Pinkie is, um, getting a party ready for the um, new pony in Ponyville."

"So Ah noticed," Applejack said with slight frown as she looked up at the oversized, pink banner with the words"Welcome to Ponyville!" across it in bold, black letters.

"Well, this is certainly a fitting welcome," Holo practically purred with an ear to ear grin.

"Oh my gosh! You're the new pony in Ponyville!" Pinkie Pie declared excitedly as she popped up directly in front of Holo.

Holo nearly jumped in surprise at the energetic mare's sudden appearance.

"Your timing is like so awesome! We just finished getting the party all set up and..." Pinkie excitedly and quickly spoke as she hopped about, while Applejack vainly tried to get her manic friend's attention.

Holo, however, was more alarmed than amused as she watched the pink mare hop about excitedly, ignoring the look of shock on the face of the recipient of her verbal assault. Slowly, the blank look on the wolfish mare's face morphed to one of recognition as she recalled a similar scene and mare from long ago.

-- 160 years ago --

"And then you do a twirl upon your hind hooves, as you raise your front hooves over your head, and then land giving the look, like so!" A pink coated and maned, energetic mare explained before gracefully twirling on her hind hooves and lifting her forehooves in a smooth fluid motion.

Holo sat and watched the pink gypsy dancer twirl, with hooves overhead, then come to a stop landing facing away from her on all four hooves then glance back with a sultry expression and provocative swish of her tail, that gave way to an exuberant smile.

"I must say, that was an impressive display of skill," Holo said with a smile, "I'm afraid the few dances that I know are of a rather chaste variety, that are from an old harvest festival."

"That's okay, it just means there's more dancing to do as you learn!" The gypsy dancer replied happily as she skipped about while Holo laughed merrily.

"Just think of it, Holo, if you learn these new dances you'll have one more thing to boast about," a male voice said with a chuckle from the other side of the small campfire.

"I do not boast, I merely state things as they are," Holo replied indignantly as she turned to face a chestnut coated stallion with a short silver grey mane, wearing a thin green jacket.

"Whatever makes you feel better," the stallion said chuckling, before an acorn that Holo tossed at him pegged him in the forehead.

The pink dancer laughed mirthfully at the pairs' antics before returning to the mare in question. "If you can dance as well as you throw, then this should be easy!"

"Well, I suppose that we should continue then." Holo began with an amused grin, "Now would you show me the motions for the last one you performed again?"

"No problema," the mare replied, her smile almost eclipsing the fire in its brightness. "Now first..."

-- The Present --

"...and oh my gosh! I forgot the apple ale! Come on, Fluttershy!" Pinkie declared before darting back inside Sugar Cube Corner and pulling Fluttershy inside with her in a pink blur, leaving a still bewildered Holo standing beside an amused Applejack.

"Heh, Pinkie tends ta get a touch ahead of herself when she's got a party ta set up," Applejack said with a grin, her voice pulling Holo from her memories.

"You can say that again, AJ," Rainbow Dash commented with a roll of her eyes, as she touched down beside Applejack.

"She seems like the enjoyable, carousing sort to me," Holo commented wearing a broad grin.

"You would say somethin' like that," Applejack said with a grin of her own.

"So, AJ, who's your friend?" Rainbow Dash asked while her magenta eyes looked over the new mare.

"Rainbow Dash this is Holo. Holo, this is mah friend Rainbow Dash," Applejack said, taking a step back and waving a hoof from Dash to Holo then back again.

"A pleasure to meet you," Holo said with a smile and a polite nod to Rainbow Dash.

"Ditto," Rainbow Dash replied nonchalantly, trying to maintain her air of coolness.

"Well, Applejack, I do believe I should properly introduce myself to your other two friends," Holo said grinning with an almost feral grin, "And there is no better way to introduce oneself, than over good food and a strong drink," Holo finished as she trotted to open door of Sugar Cube Corner, along with the small crowd of ponies.

"Of course, of course," Applejack replied as she shook her head still smiling with amusement.

Rainbow Dash watched the two mare's exchange with equal parts confusion and curiosity, but held her tongue, a miracle unto itself, until Holo was out of earshot and did her best to not stare as she trotted away.

"So Applejack, is Holo, like, a relative of yours or something?" Rainbow Dash asked tilting her head.

"What makes ya say that?" AJ asked quirking her eyebrow.

"I dunno, I just figured she'd be a relative of yours," Rainbow Dash answered with a shrug, "I mean, you have a lot of cousins and stuff that visit every so often."

"True enough, Ah suppose," Applejack replied with a shrug of her own, as she and Dash trotted to the door of Sugar Cube Corner, "But Holo ain't no kin of mine, she's more of a friend of the Apple family, visiting ta help with the wheat plantin' this spring."

"Okay, just one more question," Rainbow Dash said then paused at the doorway and leaned in, wearing a mischievous grin, and whispered, "Is she your special somepony?"

Applejack groaned and gave Rainbow an annoyed look, "No, she ain't."

"Oh, so she is single?" Rainbow asked wiggling her eyebrows.

To her credit, Applejack didn't give in to Rainbow Dash's teasing and say anything foolish in response. She did, however, shove Rainbow Dash off the bakery's steps and into the bushes by doorway.

---

Applejack trotted into the main room of the bakery and was rather impressed at the breadth of the welcome party. While the set up wasn't too different from the many other parties Pinkie had thrown in the past. There were several things that were different enough to cause Applejack to wonder how Pinkie had known to best accommodate the guest of honor, Holo. The first thing to catch Applejack's attention was the music, normally Pinkie had an upbeat and happy song playing in the background, but this time the music coming from the record player had a very old folk, feel to it. Applejack found herself smiling in earnest, while she looked for Holo, as the delightful melody drifted about the atmosphere of the quickly filling party room.

Applejack wasn't too surprised when she found Holo at a small table, with a tankard already in hoof and a half eaten platter of sweet treats in front the wolfish mare. What did surprise her though, was seeing Holo chatting with the normally timid Fluttershy. Granted, Fluttershy was staying close to Pinkie, but she was still actively talking with Holo, whom she had just met.

"Oh yes, manticores are rather easy to pacify, if you know what they want or what has upset them," Applejack heard Holo say as she approached the trio's table.

"Yeppers, that's exactly how Fluttershy got a big, angry manticore to calm down," Pinkie agreed excitedly, "She found the thorn in its paw that was making it all rawry!" Pinkie explained with her hooves in the air in an exaggerated imitation of said manticore.

"Oh, it wasn't that impressive," Fluttershy said demurely with a slight blush.

"It is my experience, that those who are normally quiet, are the boldest when it counts most," Holo said with a smile before sipping on her apple ale.

"Ah can certainly attest ta' that one," Applejack said with a smile as she took a seat at the small table.

Fluttershy simply blushed and hide behind her long, pink mane in response at her friends praise, but smiled shyly; while the others smiled and laughed good-naturedly.

"Here drink with us," Holo said with a warm smile as she slid a full tankard to Applejack.

"Well if you insist," AJ said with a smile and gladly accepted the offered tankard.

From the heady, yet inviting, smell of the brown ale, Applejack was able to recognize the apple ale as one that was brewed in the foothills of the Foal Mountains, that used Sweet Apple Acres apples in the ale's brewing process. AJ relished the dark beer-like qualities of the sweet, yet yeasty, ale as it washed across her taste buds, the after flavor of nutmeg and cinnamon reminding AJ of a perfect fall day.

"Applejack, Holo, there you are," Twilight greeted cheerfully as she trotted up to the table with Rarity beside her.

Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie responded in kind to the arrival of their friends. Holo, however, was to busy emptying her tankard to do anything more than wave her free hoof in acknowledgement.

"If you're gonna pack yer drinks away like that tonight, Ah'll end up havin' ta put ya in the cart, just ta make it back ta the farm," Applejack said looking over the the two tankards Holo had already emptied.

"I can assure you, my dear Apple mare, that I can hold my alcohol quite well," Holo retorted before she reached for the pitcher to refill her tankard.

Applejack just raised a dubious eyebrow, while Pinkie cheered, "Woo-hoo! More drinks!" And quickly hopped off to the back to retrieve a fresh pitcher.

Rainbow Dash set her tankard down after taking a long drink and looked towards Applejack, "This is good stuff, but still not as good as that special aged cider you guys make at the farm," Rainbow said with a wistful expression as she idly swirled the ale in her tankard.

"Ain't mah fault ya forget ta place an order before the season starts," Applejack replied before popping an apple tart into her mouth.

"Specially aged cider, you say?" Holo asked looking at AJ with piqued interest as she set her already half empty tankard down.

"It's just Sweet Apple Acres' cider aged in barrels made from the wood of fallen zap apple trees," Applejack explained with shrug.

"Oh, darling, you make it sound so plain," Rarity offered in polite protest after taking a dainty sip from her mug, "It is by far the most delightful and full bodied cider I have ever had the pleasure of tasting."

"Full bodied? Do you mean it is a proper hard cider?" Holo asked as she reached for a skewer with three cubes of smoked salmon on it.

"Oh, you bet it is!" Rainbow replied enthusiastically while her wings twitching excitedly.

"Does it require a long time to age?" Holo asked looking towards Applejack.

AJ shrugged as she replied, "Nah, it takes about six months ta age, but you're better off askin' Twi' on how the agin' works."

Holo and the rest of the mares turned and looked expectantly at Twilight.

The young scholar blushed slightly at the sudden attention, then politely cleared her throat, "Well the zap apple wood imbues the cider with its naturally ambient magic and ferments it at the same time," Twilight explained, slipping into lecture mode, "The magic that is inherent in the wood of the zap apple trees is transferred to the cider, much in the same way that flavor is transferred to various spirits that are aged in oak casks. However, the magic inherent in the zap apple tree causes the dramatically increased speed of fermentation and adds a unique flavoring, that is best described as a combination of magical and electrifying," Twilight explained scholarly before sipping on her mug of apple ale.

The gathered friends looked at Twilight with impressions that varied from impressed to confused.

"Silly Twilight, you could have just said its magic," Pinkie declared as she popped up at the table with a large pitcher balanced effortlessly on her pink, poofy head.

"Pinkie, that's hardly a succinct explanation," Twilight said, admonishing her pink friend with a slightly annoyed look.

"Is too!" Pinkie countered as she filled Holo's now empty tankard, "I use it all the time!"

"Of course you do," Twilight said with a sigh, before taking a long pull from her mug.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash laughed in amusement; while Holo wore a thoughtful look.

"Pinkie, would there happen to be any of this specially aged cider here, for me to try?" Holo asked with a charming smile.

"Yes, but it's reserved for special orders or if one of the Apple family asks for it," Pinkie replied, turning to Applejack with a questioning look.

Applejack bit her bottom lip, trying to quickly work out the cost of, what she was sure to be, the first of several rounds of the prized cider, "Well, it is a might costly."

"Surely it is not that costly?" Holo asked, leaning against Applejack's side, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Yeah, come on AJ, please?" Rainbow pleaded leaning over the table, "I'll even pay for my share!"

"I, um, wouldn't mind having some too," Fluttershy quietly chimed in.

Feeling slightly besieged, Applejack looked to Rarity and Twilight for support, only to see them both looking very hesitant to disagree with the drink suggestion.

Clearly outnumbered Applejack sighed in defeat, "Alright, fine, Pinkie go on an' bring out two rounds."

"Woo! Back in a jiffy!" Pinkie declared happily as she hopped off towards the back room.

"Oh mare, trust me Holo this is gonna be awesome!" Rainbow said, eagerly licking her lips in anticipation.

Meanwhile, Applejack rubbed her head, feeling a slight dread wash over her, as she pondered how many bits would be spent by the nights end.

--- Three Rounds Later ---

Tingly, delightfully tingly. That was the best way Holo could think of to describe the effect of the zap apple barrel aged cider in her cup and her belly. For all intents and purposes, the specially aged cider looked like regular cider, but when Holo drank it, the ciders special qualities became very apparent. The cider had pleasantly tingled in her mouth, and down her throat, with a magical charge imbued by the zap apple trees wood; a more lewd part of her mind idly compared the tingly effect to that of the tales she had heard of unicorns and their horns during intimate encounters.

Speaking of unicorns, Holo thought to herself with a smile in amusement at the giggly and very tipsy Twilight, who had apparently, been most taken by the aged ciders intoxicating effect.

Pinkie had left the table a few moments ago, chastising Rainbow Dash, about something to do with no pranking. Holo had her suspicions, but kept them to herself and continued to indulge in casual, if tipsy, conversation with Rarity. While Fluttershy dozed with her head on the table surrounded by four empty tankards and two empty zap apple cider cups.

"Uh, Holo, you alright over there?" Applejack asked as she nursed her own cider with measured sips.

"I am quite fine, my dear Apple mare," Holo assured AJ despite her rosy cheeks and tipsy smile, "Though I am feeling quite merry, I am not a mess."

Applejack rolled her eyes and sipped again on her zap apple cider, noticing, out of the corner of her eye, Twilight tapping her chin in thought.

"Um, Twi'?" AJ ventured, setting her cider cup down.

"Shhhh, I'm trying to remember something," Twilight replied waving a hoof in exaggerated annoyance, earning a giggle from Holo and Rarity.

"Oh, what are you trying to remember, Darling?" Rarity asked as she and Holo leaned forward in interest.

"Something I read about, um, old inns and the ponies that would play songs, I think," Twilight replied scratching her head, the drinks were clearly not doing her thinking abilities any favors.

"By chance, do you mean the bards?" Holo asked before drinking more of the delightfully, tingly cider.

"Yes! Bards!" Twilight exclaimed, nearly falling from her chair, earning laughs from her three present and awake friends; along with a few glances and grins from the other partygoers.

"I do recall that a few of the more popular inns would hire a bard to stay and keep guests entertained with music and song." Holo said, forlornly eyeing her nearly empty cup.

"Ohmygosh!" Twilight declared, nearly losing her balance, again, as she sat up suddenly, but regained it and pointed at Holo, "Do you remember any of the songs the singing ponies used to sing?"

Holo blinked, slightly taken aback by the scholarly unicorns inebriated choice of words and enthusiasm.

"Okay, Twi' Ah think ya've had yer fill of cider," Applejack said, with Rarity nodding in agreement, as she reached for her friends half empty mug.

"Actually, my dear Apple mare, there is one song I do remember," Holo said as she recalled a particularly memorable night of dancing and singing with a certain pink, gypsy dancer.

---

Rainbow Dash wore a petulant frown as she watched the last of the prank sweetener, that was actually extremely potent hot sauce, go down the sinks drain.

"Is that all of it, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie asked with a serious expression, before tossing the now empty bottle of prank sauce into the trash.

"Yes, Pinkie, I only bought the one bottle," Rainbow Dash answered with an annoyed sigh, "By the way, that's ten bits you owe me."

Pinkie hopped back onto her hooves turning her nose up with a "humph".

"Well, I told you there was to be no pranking at this party, so whose fault is you're out ten bits, Dashie?" Pinkie countered with a cheeky grin.

"Whatever," Dash muttered following Pinkie to the door separating the kitchen from the party room, "So what am I supposed to do for fun then?"

"Oh I'm sure something will come up," Pinkie replied with a knowing smile and opened the door, only to be greeted by a cheerful shout from a certain wolfish mare.

"I AM THE JOLLY PRINCESS OF DRINKERS!!" A thoroughly intoxicated Holo happily declared capturing the attention of the small crowd which cheered her on, much to Applejack's embarrassment.

With a tankard in hoof, Holo jumped onto the table she had been drinking at with her new friends and proceeded to regale the gathered partygoers in song as she danced and twirled upon her hind hooves.

"I am the jolly princess of drinkers,

Ranting, roaring, and befuddling colts!"

Holo sang, swinging her tankard and sloshing the apple ale onto the table and flicking her lovely tail flirtatiously to her cheering audience.

"Told ya!" Pinkie Pie declared to Rainbow Dash, before cheering Holo on, as the loudest of the crowd.

Rainbow Dash nodded dumbly, too busy watching Holo dance upon the table, with reddening cheeks and slightly stiffening wings, to make comment.

Back at the table, Twilight was too busy cheering and clapping her hooves in tipsy joy to notice Applejack burying her face in her Stetson in complete mortification, definitely regretting her decision to bring out the special hard apple cider.

Holo, for her part, was lost in revelry as she continued to delight the small crowd with cheerful song and risqué dance.

"Who takes a delight in tossing full tankards,

Filling the ale-house with my noise!"

Holo sang, with her tankard held high in a toast to her cheering crowd, before chugging down the sweet apple ale as the gathered partygoers cheered jubilantly.

That is, before Holo fell back off the table and landed on top of Applejack, while Twilight, Rarity, and the rest of the crowd roared with laughter.

-- Canterlot --

Princess Celestia was sitting upon a large plush, velvet cushion in her study, as per usual after Day Court had ended, wearing a mischievous grin as she read the urgently and haphazardly written letter from her faithful, if neurotic, student. The Princess' smile grew even wider when her sister, Luna, opened the door the study.

"Now then, Tia, what was it you wished to discuss?" Princess Luna asked her sister after she closed the door behind her.

"You won't be holding the Night Court this evening, correct?" Celestia asked, without setting the amusing letter down.

Luna raised an eyebrow curiously before answering, "No, I only hold court on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Why do you ask?"

"Read this and I believe you will understand," Celestia replied, levitating the letter to Luna.

Luna caught the letter in her magic and gave her sister a look of confusion, before she sat upon her own cushion and began to read the mysterious scroll.

Celestia watched in amusement as her sister's expression slowly went from curious, to alarmed, and finally to surprise.

"Holo is in Ponyville?!" Luna exclaimed joyously, nearly falling into the Royal Canterlot Voice as she jumped back onto her hooves.

Celestia laughed at her sister's outburst, it was good to see her break out of her normally reserved habits.

"Sister, We must go visit her soon!" Luna insisted with a grand smile.

"Luna, you know we cannot simply up and leave Canterlot without notice. Between the Nobles and Parliament we'd be listening to a months worth of complaints," Celestia reminded her younger sister while she levitated over a fresh scroll and began jotting down details to giver scheduler for planning a day away from the city and the Courts, "I believe we can leave the day after tomorrow, if I pull the appropriate strings."

Luna pouted and her ears drooped a touch at this news, "A full day of waiting?"

"Well, it will take a day of planning for us to visit face to face, at least," Celestia said with a smile and a wink.

Luna tilted her head wearing a perplexed expression, before a smirk graced her lips, "However, in the Dreamscape, I can visit at my discretion. Correct?"

"Indeed, my dear Sister," Celestia replied with a smile as she rolled up the parchment with a grin.

Next Episode:

The Wolf and The Moon

Author's Note:

I enjoyed writing tipsy Twilight way too much.

1. Pegasus ponies are eaters of fish and similar seafoods in my head canon. This is because of the ease of which protein and other nutrients, which I believe would be a necessity in the developing and maintaining of flight muscles, can be easily acquired from fish and would be easy for pony gastronomy to absorb. Furthermore, cloud cities would be easier to form over large bodies of water, like lakes or oceans, and a cloud city established over water would have to rely and maximize their use of renewable aquatic food sources; such as kelp and algae, while fish, and similar non-sentient aquatic animals, would be for protein.

2. Sauce for tavern song