MLP: Friendship is Adventure

Not an hour later were Midnight and Twinken riding a chariot, pulled by two Pegasus members of the Royal Guard, Twinken still holding the message from the princess, as they flew through the sky.

"There is more to life than studying, a lesson I wish to impress into you, my dear apprentice, Midnight,'" Twinken continued, "'so I am assigning you to be supervisor for the preparations of the Dawn of Spring Celebration in this year’s location, Ponyville.’”

Ponyville? Midnight considered to himself. That’s where Twilight went to live after she found the Elements of Harmony and stopped Nightmare Moon! …Perhaps she’ll lend an ear to my-

“‘All I ask,’” Twinken went on, interrupting Midnight’s train of thought, “‘is a personal favor from you – Make some friends! Sincerely, Princess Florinda' Y'see, Midnight? Nothing to worry about!"

“Hmm,” Midnight just sulked, having mixed-feelings about the whole situation.

“Aw come on, Midnight!” Twinken assured. “Ponyville’s got a wonderful reputation, and the princess requested Twilight to temporarily bunk us. I’m really excited to see her again!”

“Y’know what, little brother? So am I!” Midnight’s enthusiasm got Twinken excited… until he heard what else the older unicorn had to say.

“I’ll check through the preparations as quickly as possible, then meet with Twilight at the library and surely with her help I’ll be able to compile more evidence of Frostfright’s return.”

“But… what about making friends, like the princess asked?” Twinken reminded him.

“She said to check on the preparations, little brother,” Midnight reminded him back. “As her student, I will gladly and obediently carry out her orders. But the fate of ponykind does not rest on me making friends.”

“We’ve arrived,” Twinken groaned, as the chariot landed.

They found themselves in what they assumed was a town square. Ponies everywhere, earth ponies, unicorn ponies, Pegasus ponies, mares, stallions, foals. The architecture of the buildings was simply yet homey, lampposts here and there, the roads were simply dirt roads, and all around them were shops and abodes. All an’ all, a very pleasant looking town.

The Pegasus guard ponies panted a little but frisked upon landing, Midnight saying to them, “Thank you, gentlecolts. You are dismissed.”

The guards nodded and decided to rest before returning to Canterlot, while Midnight and Twinken started making their way through the square.

“At the very least, Midnight, we should ask somepony to show us around.”

As if on cue, they noticed two ponies walking towards them. One was a pink earth pony mare with a swirly/fluffy mane and tail of darker pink, her cutie-mark a trio of balloons. Next to her was a dark gray Pegasus pony stallion, with a Mohawk-like mane of light blue and silver, his tail was colored the same but kept short, he had golden eyes, and a storm cloud with lightning for a cutie-mark.

“Come on, Midnight! At least try!”

Seeing the pleading look on his little brother’s face, Midnight sighed and approached the two ponies, saying, “Uh, hello?”

Responding to his words, the pink mare suddenly gasped, in horror, shock, surprise, Midnight couldn’t tell, and zoomed off faster than a balloon that was losing its air.

The three looked on in the direction she’d fled, Midnight saying, “…What the hay?”

“Don’t bother.”

“What was that?” Midnight asked the Pegasus, who was chuckling.

“Pinkie Pie,” he pointed out, as the mare disappeared around a sharp corner. “No matter what you do, there’s no point figuring out that pony. I’m Thunderlane, you guys new here?”

Clearing his throat, Midnight answered, “Why yes, my name is Midnight Blaze, and this is my little brother, and assistant for the day, Twinken.”

“Well hey there, little pony,” thunderlane greeted, holding a welcoming hoof out to the colt. “Happy to meet ya! Y’know, I have a little brother too, just your age!”

“Really? I’d like to meet him!” Twinken laughed, before saying to his own brother, “Look at that Midnight! One of the first two ponies we meet is a big brother like you!”

Chuckling nervously, Midnight said, “Yeah. Now, um, Thunderlane is it?”

“That’s me! One of Ponyville’s weather-team, and a pretty awesome flyer, if I do say so myself!”

“Well, in that case, would you be so kind as to play tour guide for the day?” Midnight requested. “For I am here, by order of Princess Florinda, to supervise the preparations for the Dawn of Spring celebration.”

“I’d love to!” Thunderlane reared up, waving his front hooves. “And while we’re at it, we can hang! After all, what’re friends for?”

Midnight ignored the smirk on his little brother’s face at that remark.

“Dawn of Spring Celebration official supervisor’s checklist,” Twinken read as he rode on Midnight’s back while his brother followed their tour guide, Thunderlane.

“First item, catering: Sweet Apple Acres.”

It was a farm, complete with a big red barn, there was a chickencoop, a house nearby, and all around them were acres willed to brim with apple trees.

Nice-looking place, Midnight thought. I would imagine some of the more tolerable of the Canterlot Elite would consider it… charmingly rustic.

“You’re gonna love this place,” Thunderlane neighed as they passed through the front gate, “it’s only the very best apple farm in all of Equestria, and the owners are friends of mine. They’re really great.”

“Yee-haw!”

They all looked and saw an orange earth pony mare, with a blond mane tied back near the ends, wearing a Stetson hat, and had a trio of apple for her cutie-mark. They watched as she galloped right up to a tree, bucked it with her hind-legs, and every apple fell into baskets placed at the base prior. She shook her head, beaming with pride.

“Let’s get this over with,” Midnight muttered to himself, Twinken getting down from his back, as he approached the earth pony. “Good afternoon, my name is Midnight Blaze-”

But instantly the earth pony was roughly shaking Midnight’s hoof with her own, neighing, “Well, howdy-doo Mr. Midnight, a pleasure makin’ yer acquaintance! Ah’m Applejack! We here at Sweet apple Acres sure like making new friends!”

“Fr-r-riends?!” Midnight echoed in a shaky voice from Applejack hard shaking, rather taken by how strong she was for a mare. “Actually-”

“So! What can I do ya for?” Applejack asked with a friendly smile.

Midnight’s hoof continued to shake until Thunderlane stopped him, Twinken chuckling. Midnight cleared his voice and said, “Well, I am in fact here to supervise preparations for the Dawn of Spring Celebration, and you’re in charge of the food?”

“Sure as applesauce! Care for some free samples?” Applejack asked.

“Well, I suppose a dish or two wouldn’t-” Midnight said, trying to be polite but that was all Applejack needed to hear.

She rang a triangle, shouting, “Soup’s on, everpony!”

“Uh-oh!” Thunderlane uttered before grabbing Twinken and taking flight. Midnight was about to ask what he was doing when the answer came in the form of a bunch more earth ponies stampeding over him and roughly setting Midnight on a chair in front of a table beneath a gazebo. Midnight shook off the confusion of what just happened, Thunderlane bringing down Twinken as they joined him at the table.

Applejack popped up behind them, neighing, “Now, lemme introduce y’all to the Apple family!”

“Thanks, but I really-” Midnight tried to say, but apparently the Apple family didn’t hear him.

“This here’s Apple Fritter,” Applejack, introducing her family members one by one, as they each brought a dish to the table.

“Apple Bumpkin. Red Gala. Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp... “

Applejack stopped to take a breath before continuing.

“Big McIntosh, Applebloom, Zaps, and Granny Smith.”

The old mare was asleep in a rocking chair, prompting Applejack to amble over and gently shake her awake.

“Up’n’at’em, Granny Smith, we got guests.”

“Wha… Soup’s on? I’m’a comin’,” Granny Smith muttered as she got up and ambled over, not quite awake yet.

“Why! I’d say yer already part’a the fam’ly!” Applejack laughed.

“Whoa!” Midnight was in awe of all the dishes set before him, Twinken and Thunderlane were practically drooling beside him as they gazed upon the buffet in front of them. Caramel apples, apple pies, apple cakes, apple strudels, apple fritters, apple cider, apple “I have no idea what it is but looks good” and generally anything you could associate with apples. Along with two or three orange based dishes, which confused him a little, but not enough to raise an objection. He, his brother, and their guide were seated right in the middle of the table as guests of honor, while each Apple family member stood by the dish they’d brought to the table.

“Well then!” Midnight chuckled nervously as he stood up to leave, “I can see the catering’s well in hoof! Come on, Twinken.”

Midnight telekinetically grabbed Twinken right before he was about to take his first bite of a cupcake (causing him to choimp on nothing), and unceremoniously placed his brother on his back, Applejack coming up asking, "Don’cha wanna sample some b’for ya go?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Midnight replied, “I can see the quality of the food just by looking at it.”

There was a massive groan of disappointment from the entire clan. But as soon as he passed by Applejack, there was a pair of obstacles much more dangerous right behind her. Obstacles that could potentially kill an unprepared rookie from big city.

“Aren’cha gonna stay for brunch?” asked two sad little foals, one was a filly of light yellow fur, her apple red mane held by a big pink bow, next to her was a colt of a slightly deeper yellow, his mane and tail were blond tipped black while the bangs framing his face were tipped orange. The both of them had blank flanks, and were gazing sadly at Midnight with big puppy-dog eyes, the filly’s were orange while the colt’s were brown.

"Hnghhh." Midnight suddenly felt a pain in his chest. He pressed his hoof where his heart was, fighting the urge to die. Not like this, not by... THAT! He could hear the whispers from the crowd.

"Oh boy, she’s done it again."

"Poor guy has no chance."

"Eeyup."

"Ain't never seen a pony able to resist our lil' Applebloom."

“She musta’ taught Zaps well, since he’s helpin’!”

Twinken got down, and joined Applebloom and Zaps, adding his own puppy-dog face, mournfully pleading, “Can’t we stay, big brother? They’re being so nice!”

Darn you, Twinken! Midnight thought as he groaned in guilt, before giving in.

“We’ll stay, we’ll stay! Just make `em stop!”

At his words, everypony cheered, and the sampling began.

“No… no more… I’m about to…”

“More please!”

“Hey, let’s get another round over here!”

In response to those requests (and ignored declination), a big mug full of apple cider was thrust in front of Thunderlane, a slice of Apple Pie à la Mode was set in front of Twinken as he sat with Applebloom and Zaps. Midnight could not fathom where that little colt was putting it all.

He on the other hoof wasn’t doing so well. Everytime he finished a dish, Applebloom or zaps would bring him a new one, threatening to use the same puppy-dog look if he refused. It just got to the point where he had enough, as Zaps approached with a new dish.

“Please! No more…” begged Midnight, hurking as he struggled to keep it all down. “I’m gonna explode!”

For a moment, they held each other’s gaze, and Midnight was afraid those puppy-dog eyes were gonna make an encore.

“Ok!”

And he trotted off on his merry way.

All I had to do was ask?! Midnight thundered in his mind but kept to himself for the sake of courtesy.

“How’s all that Apple Fam’ly cuisine treatin’ ya, gentlecolts?” Applejack asked, as she gave the two brothers a hearty slap on their backs.

“This is so yummy!” Twinken neighed, and Applejack took a napkin, wiping his little muzzle clean of the crumbs and ice cream still on it.

“Whoo! Yeah, Apples! You never fail to disappoint!” Thunderlane whooped as he patted his belly, now full of apples and cider.

“Hey Miss Applejack, do you think you could give me some recipes?” Twinken asked. “I’d love to give them to my mom!”

“Sure thing, sugarcube!” Applejack beamed as she ruffled Twinken’s mane. “But before y’all go, there’s one more treat…”

The brothers could swear they heard some kind of angelic chorus as they saw an earth pony bigger than any they’d ever met, his coat a light red, his slightly messy mane and tail orange, his cutie-mark a green apple sliced in half, matching the same green of his eyes, he wore a work collar around his neck, and he carried on a plate of fine china, three cupcakes that seemed to have Everypony present except for the brothers in awe.

“Ah present t’y’all the piece de resistance,” Applejack declared, despite her butchering the words, as she placed a cupcake in front of the brothers and Thunderlane each.

The Pegasus pony stared in daze, his tongue showing, and Twinken said, “Wow, these look good!”

“‘Good’ doesn’t do these delicacies justice, little buddy!” Thunderlane’s voice quivered as if he were about to cry.

Midnight observed the cupcake, topped with a rainbow frosting, and a single apple slice. He felt his horn shiver a little, as if he were in the presence of strong magic, and he knew at once this was no ordinary confection. He looked at Applejack, who prompted him to go ahead with a smile.

Well, I suppose a nibble won’t kill me, he thought with a sigh. Levitating the cupcake to his mouth, he took a small bite.

Everypony appeared to lean in to get a better view of the blue unicorn’s face, when they saw his turquoise eyes snap open and widen to the size of dinner plates. He stared into forever, looking as though his mind had snapped. Twinken waved his hoof in front of Midnight’s face, saying, “Big brother, you alright?”

“My mouth…” Midnight uttered, “has found… nirvana!!!”

Midnight’s eyes welled with tears as a smile spread across his face, and he fell off his chair in a swooning sigh of bliss.

“Oh!”

Twinken looked to see a similar expression on Thunderlane, and a telltale smidge of rainbow frosting still on his lip. Like Midnight, Thunderlane’s own eyes were streaming tears as he moaned in ecstasy, “They’re even better than I remember…!”

And the Pegasus also keeled over, joining the blue unicorn in a culinary high, Big McIntosh going over with a box of tissues, which the two stallions absent-mindedly accepted, Midnight even blowing his nose.

Giggling, Applejack asked, “Ah take it yer satisfied, gentlecolts?”

Midnight bolted up and hugged Applejack, braying, “Thank you…! Thank you for sending my taste buds to heaven!”

“Aw shucks, sugarcube!” Applejack blushed, a bit because of the “personal space” thing as she gently removed Midnight from her person, while Big Mcintosh and Zaps high-hoofed, other members of the Apple Family cheering.

“I gotta try this!” Twinken yelled as he took a big bite from the cupcake, and it appeared his brain stopped working.

“What is this?” Midnight asked as he gazed at the cupcake, ready for more despite his aching gut. “Was this really made from an apple?”

“Not just any apple,” Zaps corrected from Big McIntosh’s back. “That there’s a ZAP APPLE CUPCAKE!!!”

"Zap apple cupcake?" repeated puzzled Midnight, to which all Apples nodded.

"Eyup, Granny Smith’s own original recipe," answered happily Applejack, "might seem like a normal cupcake to any other pony, but th’ secret is on th’ inside. Y’see, Zap Apples ain’t normal things growin’ on them trees like any other apples. They appear only once every year, have t’ be harvested in a very specific way an’ prepared carefully using only th’ proper type of tools, techniques, and ingredients that make zap apples happy."

"Happy?" asked Midnight. “These zap apples can feel happy?”

"You betcha, pardner," answered Applejack, lightly smacking him on the back. "Zap apples are magical, with minds o'their own, only mindin’ ya when ya treat `em right. Tha’s a secret passed in th’ Apple family for generations, since we settled in this land not so long ago, way before it was even named “Ponyville” in th’ first place. Granny Smith here was among the settlers who first found themselves here an’ she discovered the zap apples herself as well."

"Wow…” whispered Midnight in awe. As odd as it sounded, he couldn’t deny that the cupcake he tried just a moment ago was too good to be just a regular food. There was surely magic in them that set them apart from all other apples.

“Midnight!”

Everypony looked and gasped! Thunderlane was holding Twinken, the little colt looked to be puffing up, and gasping.

“He can’t breathe!”

Gasping, Midnight hurried over, and recognized the symptoms. He whirled at Applejack, yelling, “Tell met at once! Was there buttercream in that cupcake?!”

“Er- yes, it’s part’a th’ recipe!”

“Thunderlane, he’s having an allergic reaction to the buttercream!” Midnight quickly explained to the Pegasus. “Get him to the closest hospital, on the double!”

“I’m on it!” Thunderlane swore as he held the poor colt close and flew away, Midnight watching them zoom towards Ponyville, looking worried.

“Midnight, wer’ awful sorry!” Applejack held her hat over her chest, looking like she was on the verge of tears.

“I need somepony to lead me to the hospital,” Midnight requested.

“Ah’ll take ya,” Big Mcintosh volunteered, Zaps asking, “Can I come too? I’m worried for my new friend!”

Midnight thanked them and the two earth ponies led the way, leaving a very worried Apple Family behind them.