"Ah'm sorry, but how many bits did ya said that single slice of cherry pie costs?" Braeburn asked, as if he hadn't heard correctly what the salespony told him. "For a moment Ah thought ya said twenty-five. Silly me! Can ya please say it again?"

"You heard correctly, sir." said the light brown pegasus stallion at the cherry sales booth in the market. "Appleloosa isn't the only place 'round these parts suffering with sudden death of trees. Miss Jubilee's cherry trees are giving us less and less cherries as every day goes by. Take it or leave it!"

The apple farmer sighed and was about to reach for his saddlebag when the pegasus colt on his back grabbed his hoof.

"It's ok, Mr. Braeburn!" Aladdin said with a reassuring smile. "I'm not that hungry, you don't need to buy me anything! Also, my friends probably saved me one or two of the apples we... Stole from the orchard! I'm sorry about that!"

"Don't worry 'bout that, kid. It's in the past an' Ah already forgave ya!"

He turned around and walked away from the market. He didn't saw the stallion sell an unsuspecting unicorn mare that same slice of pie for thirty bits.

"It's like some kind of curse fell upon Equestria!" the red colt said. "Every single fruit tree is withering and dying. Did somepony did something to anger the Princesses and now we're all paying the price?"

"Ah doubt that, kid. The Princesses love and respect all o' their subjects, they would never let us to starve, no matter the situation, much less force us to as some kind o' punishment. An' according to the news Ah heard, it's only the fruit trees from Appleloosa an' Dodge Junction that are suffering, towns really close to San Palomino Desert, so it's probably just the very strong heat. In a couple o' months everythin' will be back to normal!"

"I hope so!"

Braeburn gave a silent sigh. "Me too, kid." he thought. "Me too."

* * *

"Thank you so much for bringing my son back home, safe and sound." said the pale pink middle aged earth pony mare with a long, flowing brown mane. "It's not that I don't trust his friends, but they are always staying out late and, even though Appleloosa is such a peaceful city, I still worry about my loved Aladdin!"

"It was no problem at all, miss Rahimah!" Braeburn said, ruffling the colt's mane. "It's always a pleasure to spend some time with the other ponies from Aaaaaappleloosa!"

The applebucker stood on his hind legs while shouting the name of his beloved town, eliciting a giggle from the mare.

"Would you like to have dinner with us, Mr. Braeburn?"

"Nah, Ah don't want to impose!"

"You're not imposing at all! A friend is always welcome to share a meal with us. Isn't that right, Aladdin?"

The red colt smiled and nodded while flapping his wings, making his mother giggle.

"Thanks for the offer, but Ah still have a few chores to do before call it a day! You and yer lil' kid here have a nice meal."

"I understand. Thanks again for bringing him home!"

"Not a problem! Goodbye, miss Rahimah. Goodbye, 'lladin!"

"Goodbye!" both said at the same time while waving at the stallion.

"What a nice lil' family." he said before looking away from the mother and her son. For a moment he thought he saw a tall, slender, cloaking figure standing in front of a nearby alley, but there was nothing there. He shook his head and smiled before adjusting the hat on his head. "Must be the sun messin' with mah head. Maybe Ah should call it a day sooner than usual today!"

Since the market was located on the main street of Appleloosa, Braeburn had to go through it again on his way home. Everything looked the same, with the same sellers at the same sales booth, with the sole exception of a booth that was empty a while ago, the apple booth. And the seller was a pony that he didn't expected: a lavender alicorn with a dark blue mane, which had a violet and pink streak.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?" he asked, not sure if she was really there or if the heat was playing tricks on him again.

"Oh! You're Applejack's cousin, Braeburn, right? How are you?" she asked with a bright smile.

"Fine, thanks for asking. But what are ya doin' 'round these parts?"

"Only recently the news about the trees of Appleloosa and Dodge Junction reached Ponyville. Applejack decided to come help out and, since it's applebucking season, her brother couldn't come along and leave the farm unattended, so I offered myself to help her!"

"That's really generous of ya, Yer Highness. Thank ya kindly!" he said while bowing his head.

Twilight waved her hoof dismissively, a small blush coming to her cheeks. "Oh, please, no need for all that formality, I'm just a pony like everypony else. And it was nothing, really!"

"But still, yer a Princess! By the way, where's cousin AJ?"

"She wanted to visit her relatives, so I offered myself to take care of things here while she go say 'hi'!"

"Ah understand. Need some help?"

"I'd love it! I was never a good saler, so I would probably end up giving half of the apples for free, and Applejack would be disappointed!"

With a smile, Braeburn walked around the booth and stood beside the Princess of Friendship. "How much is couin AJ asking for these apples?"

"One apple for two bits, three apples for five bits!"

"Fair price. Ah like it. Let the sales begin!"

* * *

"Two hundred ninety-seven, two hundred ninety-eight, two hundred ninety-nine, three hundred!" Twilight said, dropping inside a pouch the last of the bits she was levitating. "I still can't believe you managed to sell everything, Braeburn! It's not even sunset yet and we ran out of merchandise."

"Ya helped a lot too, Princess!"

"Don't be so modest, Braeburn. You did most of the job!"

"But ya sold a good share of the apples too. Not to mention that yer pretty face attracted many costumers!"

Twilight smiled and looked down, blushing at the compliment she just received. "Th-Thanks..."

"Ah'm back, Twi!" said a blonde, orange coated earth pony mare with a stetson hat, who was approaching the sales booth. "How many apples did ya managed to-- Whoa Nelly! Where are the apples?"

"We sold them!"

"'We'?"

"Ayep!" Braeburn said.

"Oh! Braeburn! Sorry, didn't saw ya there. Ah was wondering where ya were. It's good to see ya!"

"Good to see ya too, cousin."

"And Ah see that you've been busy. Thanks for helpin' Twi out!"

"Not a problem. By the way, for how long do ya plan on hangin' 'round here?"

"Not much, actually. Since applebucking season it's starting, Ah plan on going back tonight on the last train."

"Oh, Ah see. Well, Ah better be goin'! Please, come visit more often."

"Don't worry, we will!" the Princess said.

"Good to know!" the apple farmer said before leaving the apple booth for his cousin and her friend.

"Miss Sparkle really got prettier since last time..." he thought, then shook his head. "Why am I thinking this? She is a Princess! Waaaay out of your league, Braeburn." he chuckled at the random thought, but stopped when something caught his attention: the same tall, slender figure from before, going into an alley. "Okay, now I know the heat of the sun is not playing tricks on me. That pony is real! And the way he is dressed... Better check on him, make shure he's not after trouble."

Braeburn followed the cloaked figure into that alley, which turned out to be a dead-end. There he saw an old, wooden table with two chairs, each one on a different end of the square table. The hooded pony was sitting on one, pointing at the other.

"Thanks for coming." he said with a raspy and tired voice. "Please, take a seat! I have a great offer for you and only you, Braeburn Apple!"

Author's Note

Aladdin's mother name is an Arabic name that means "merciful, compassionate"! And that's the last of the Arabic names. And finally, to the main plot!
And it was a nice cameo of Aladdin, his gang and his mother, but sadly they have to go, for the spotlight here belongs to another pony!