• Published 22nd Dec 2012
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Heat-Stir-Serve - Mr Merritt



Peppermill has a crisis of faith...and gains a mortal enemy!

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Chapter Three

Even before becoming the Element of Honesty, Applejack put a great deal of weight on the subject of telling the truth. There were some who felt she tended to see things too much as being black and white, with little desire to accept or even acknowledge the possibility of a grey area. To the blond mare, not telling the whole story about something was just as bad as not telling the truth about it. Situations like this tended to occupy her thoughts to the point of distraction.

As such, when Granny Smith had told her a day or so ago that she should go and talk with Twilight Sparkle about ‘something’ that had happened between the unicorn mare and her adopted little brother, she couldn’t shake the feeling she was missing something. It would not have been the first time Granny Smith had given her orders without providing all of the pertinent details. But as devoted to her unshakable belief in honesty as she was she was still one of Twilight Sparkle’s best friends, devoted elder sibling to Peppermill and doting eldest granddaughter to Granny Smith. Apple bucking and selling would have to wait until the situation was resolved.

This was the reason why Applejack was heading to Ponyville’s library that morning instead of the apple stand in the town’s market square. True, it was entirely possible that Twilight Sparkle and Spike didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn like she did. And the odds were pretty good she would have to patiently wait until the door in the large tree in the center of Ponyville unlocked, but as a grower of fruit one learned how to be patient.

Though she fully expected no answer, Applejack (out of the good manners drilled into her head from living under the roof of Granny Smith) knocked politely on the door of the library once she had arrived. After waiting the proper amount of time for a response, she began to turn away in the direction of Sugarcube Corner to grab an apple muffin to pass the time. But as she did she heard the sound of the door lock click open and a small scaly head poke outside.

“Oh, hey Applejack.” Spike, the baby dragon, greeted the blond mare.

“Howdy Spahk. I hope I didn’t wake yuh.”

“Nah, we’ve been up for a while now. Come on in.” Spike led Applejack into the main part of the library, where he hopped onto a chair and popped what appeared to be a small gemstone in his mouth.

“Is Twilight busy? I kinda need to talk to her…”

“Hmmm…sort of.”

“Sort of?” questioned the mare. In response the dragon motioned up over his shoulder to a small staircase leading to the second floor of the building.

“In the middle of last night Twi had one of her brainstorms, and she tore through the shelves looking for one specific book. Naturally I had to spend the rest of that really, really early morning re-shelving.”

“Ouch…” Applejack knew fully well that the dragon enjoyed his sleep, and genuinely felt for him.

“Anyways she’s been reading, making notes and practising ever since.”

“Practisin’? Practisin’ wut?”

“Well, the book is ‘The Art of the Apology’. Twi’s been pretty down since she and Peppermill had their little…discussion.”

“I heard it wuz a heck of a lot more than a discussion. Peppermill has been moping back at Sweet Apple Acres since the day before last.”

“Well, I suspect having Twilight lose her cool, literally, didn’t help. She pulled another Hydra.” Spike sighed.

“A hydra? Oh ponyfeathers, no wonder Peppermill wuz upset…” A ‘Hydra’ was the term coined by Twilight’s friends that described when the lavender mare became so mad that she seemed to literally burst into flames. Ever since the first time she had did so when she tried in vain to understand Pinkie Sense, the other mares had learned to gauge the unicorn’s mood and be properly prepared. Unfortunately, open flames and fires were one of Peppermill’s personal terrors and source of reoccurring nightmares.

“Once she calmed down and remembered what had happened, she was pretty sorry for herself. Naturally she has to do things ‘by the book’.” explained the baby dragon. “She’s been at it all morning. At least it gives me a chance to do things at my own speed, thank goodness…”

“I reckon ah better go up there and set that gal straight.” As the blond mare went up the nearby staircase, it dawned on Spike that Applejack might not have known the real extent to the argument. But, surely Twilight would provide an explanation right?

***

“Twi?” Applejack called out as she approached the top of the staircase to where she knew the lavender unicorn’s bedroom was located. As expected, Twilight Sparkle was laying on her bed, legs folded underneath her body, and reading a large book with a blue cover. Beside her was a scroll, an inkpor and a quill.

“The key to an apology is sincerity. Without it, an apology can seem meaningless and can cause even more friction between the parties involved…” recited the mare. As she did, she dipped the quill into the ink and wrote out some notes.

“Shoot, ya didn’t need a book to know that.” remarked Applejack with a smile and a shake of her head. “I reckon ya already knew that a long time ago.”

“Yes, but I prefer having something…tangible as back-up to what I know.” Twilight looked up from her book with a sad smile. “I want to do this right. I have a lot to make up for. I just hope Peppermill will be willing to even speak to me… “

“Sugar cube, you know he ain’t lahk that. He’s jus’ as upset about this as you are. I reckon I ain’t seen such a miserable feller in all mah days. He’s moping around the farmhouse so much he’s darn near underhoof.”

“It’s just…I was so embarrassed by his behavior at the restaurant. And even worse, after the fact I did some research and…”

“Hold on partner…” Applejack held up a hoof, a frown growing on her face. “Wut restaurant?”

“The Golden Horseshoe. I had invited Peppermill…”

“You…an’ Peppermill…went to the Golden Horseshoe?”

“Well, I had skipped breakfast…”

“Please tell me you didn’t have a run-in with Horte Cuisine…”

“Um, well Peppermill did…” Twilight swallowed, and felt her ears flatten against her head. Unlike Peppermill, who rather vocal in his anger, Applejack was known to be the type of pony that became almost frighteningly quiet when she got mad. She recalled another one of her friends Rainbow Dash who compared Applejack when angry to a rogue thundercloud: benign until it blew your head off.

“Peppermill and Horte Cuisine…had words?” The calmness of the blond mare began to unnerve Twilight, to the point where the unicorn began to mentally prepare a teleportation spell.

“Um…yes?” managed Twilight, doing a rather good impression of Fluttershy during one of her attacks of shyness.

“Come with me Twilight…” While any other pony hearing this would have considered this a simple statement, the Element of Magic knew better. It wasn’t a request so much as it was a direct order, in which disobeying it could result in something…unpleasant.

“Where are we going?” squeaked Twilight.

“We’re heading back to Sweet Apple Acres. I reckon this is as good a tahm as any to go an’ apologize to Peppermill.” Applejack answered. “And then, when yer done that, it will be high tahm to give that colt sum marching orders…”

***

“You know…this really isn’t necessary.” Peppermill said, for approximately the fifth time that day, to the three fillies that were blocking the only doorway out of the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse. Peppermill, for all intents and purposes, had been sequestered in the building against his will. To the Cutie Mark Crusaders it was a just cause. To the grey colt it was yet another example of Applebloom going over-board in her recent attempts at big sisterhood.

On the day that it was determined that Applebloom was actually exactly one week older than Peppermill, the dynamic of their relationship changed completely. Applejack and Big Macintosh couldn’t see what the big deal was, seeing as though the stallion was a few years older than the Apple clan’s middle child. But while a week might have been insignificant to them it meant the whole world to the yellow filly. For years she had no choice but to play the role of youngest, until Peppermill and the truth of his age came to light. She now, in the blink of an eye, had become a big sister herself. And she had every intention of trying to do as good or even better a job than Applejack ever did.

As far as Peppermill was concerned, Applebloom’s already over-protective nature towards him suddenly became cranked to 11, became 20% more annoying and down-right ridiculous in its intensity.

When Granny Smith, by no fault of her own, had let slip that Peppermill was to keep his distance from the Golden Horseshoe and Horte Cuisine Applebloom saw her chance to prove herself. It hadn’t taken long for her to convince her two best friends to help her…watch over the colt. And that was how he found himself in another, admittedly less emotional stand-off with the fillies.

“Why would you even want to go to that place in the first place?” snorted Scootaloo. “Horte Cuisine is a big jerk…”

“Well, we did go into his kitchen without his permission.” admitted Sweetie Belle.

“And you…apparently wrecked…the place…” added Peppermill with a sigh.

“Ah thought we agreed never to talk about that.” snapped Applebloom. “We ain’t here to talk about tha past. We are here to make sure Peppermill doesn’t git inta any more trouble.”

“By…holding me…hostage?”

“By watchin’ out fer ya lahk family is suppose ta.”

“You almost said ‘like a big sister’.” the Pegasus filly snickered.

“Ah did not!”

“Yes…you did.” sniffed Peppermill, unimpressed by the whole situation. He felt that he was in total control of his emotions now that he had (he hoped) blocked out all memory of the events of that terrible day. Besides, having to deal with Applebloom hovering over him and watching his every move was a good distraction (or a good alternate focus for his anger, whatever worked better…) Even so, he took Applebloom’s unwillingness to trust him personally.

“Anyways, it ain’t lahk Horte Cuisine is as great as he acts. Silver Spoon told me he her pa knew him from long ago. Apparently he’s always been a big jerk, even when he wuz a colt.”

“Somehow…I’m not surprised.” Peppermill grumbled. “I know…if my father…were still alive…he wouldn’t like him…all that much either.”

“Peppermill? Are you up thar?” The older twang of Applejack could be heard from outside the clubhouse. The young ponies all made their way to the window to find the apple mare and Twilight Sparkle waiting below.

“Twilight…” murmured Peppermill. The grey colt had a suspicion he knew what the reason for the visit was, and decided it was probably better this way. Leave it to Applejack to get things moving at a brisk pace, whether it was apple bucking or patching up hurt feelings between friends. With a quick glance to Applebloom to determine whether or not she would give him permission to leave the clubhouse, the colt carefully made his way down the ramp to the ground.

“Hello…Twilight.” began Peppermill, with a firm chin and level gaze in what he hoped was a look of maturity.

“Hello Peppermill.” answered the mare. The grey colt sensed some sort of…nervousness from the mare, which puzzled him. Before he could ponder this further the mare continued. “I just wanted to express how sorry I am for getting mad at you the other day.”

“I’m sorry…too. As mad…as I am…er…was at…Horte Cuisine it…was wrong of me…to be so public…about it.”

“And I shouldn’t have gotten as mad as I did. I know that…my reaction can be a bit over the top when I get frustrated but that isn’t an excuse.”

“I think…it would be best…if we never talked…about this again.” The colt announced this with such grave intent, but with that vague hint of a teasing smile that Twilight was unable to hide her amused smile.

“Was Peppermill trying to make a joke?” whispered Sweetie Belle, a little too loudly than necessary.

“That’s just Peppermill bein’ himself.” snickered Applebloom. “He’s as good with his words as he is with a knife…”

“That’s enough from you girls.” intoned Applejack, through a very small smile.

“Friends?” offered Twilight.

“Friends.” nodded Peppermill. Colt and mare shared a quick hug, much to the delight of the three fillies. As soon as they released their grip, the mood changed significantly. Even from high up in the clubhouse, the young fillies could sense the sudden change in Applejack’s demeanour. The small smile she had only seconds ago was replaced by a grim line.

“Um, tell ya whut girls. How about we…go into town for a spell? I reckon there must be something excitin’ happened today…somewhere…” managed Applebloom nervously. The Pegasus and unicorn fillies nodded frantically, and the three of them took off as quick as they could. Meanwhile, Twilight had been carefully backing away from the blond mare, seemingly relieved that Applejack’s focus was now on the colt and not on her. Peppermill, who couldn’t shake the sense of unease building in him, watched as Twilight eventually turned and ran off. That left him and the apple mare alone, and he suspected something big (and possibly unpleasant) was about to happen.

“Twilight told me wut happened.” said Applejack, her voice ominously calm.

“Oh…” was all the colt could manage.

“I suppose its mah own fault, not warnin’ you ahead of tahm. I jes figured you got enough of yer fancy vittles here ta want to try something else. But ah guess this was one of them there ‘trying new things’…er…things.” Even with the slight slip of the tongue Applejack still radiated controlled fury, to which Peppermill was grateful.

“Granny Smith…” began Peppermill, hoping to try and diffuse the tense situation.

“Ah imagine Granny tol’ you a bit of our family’s history with that place and…him.”

She wouldn’t…really do anything to…hurt me if I…tried to run…would she? Peppermill felt a small bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck just along the edge of his black mane.

“Ahm only going to tell you this once sugar cube: you ain’t allowed to go anywhere near that place ever again. And you ain’t ta talk to, or even mention, Horte Cuisine in mah presence ever again. Got it?”

“Yes’m” rasped Peppermill after a mighty swallow.

“And ya ain’t allowed to ask me why neither. It ain’t fer you ta know.” With that order hanging in the air like a dark cloud, the mare turned on her hoof and marched off. Peppermill could only sit there, trying to determine whether or not he had experienced the second life-or-death moment of his short life.