Applestar

by Alaborn

Rating: everyone
Tags: Big Macintosh, Slice of Life, Applejack, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 4774

After expanding cider production, the Apples find themselves with an overabundance of apples. But Apple Bloom knows just what to do with the leftover apples. Together with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she will create Equestria’s newest energy dr

After expanding cider production, the Apples find themselves with an overabundance of apples. But Apple Bloom knows just what to do with the leftover apples. Together with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she will create Equestria’s newest energy drink!

Thanks to FanOfMostEverything for lyrics!

Published 2014-05-05 16:20:04 UTC
Last updated 2014-05-05 16:20:04 UTC

Applestar

Applestar

By Alaborn

Standard disclaimer: This is a not for profit fan work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright Hasbro, Inc. I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.

“Well, that’s a lot of bad apples,” Applejack said.

“Eeyup,” Big McIntosh replied.

The three Apple siblings surveyed the basement, filled with bushel baskets of apples. They weren’t truly bad apples, but each one was deemed not good enough for use in the family’s annual cider production. Typically, they’d be consumed by the family over the course of winter, but even with Apple Bloom’s growing appetite, heck, even if they had to feed all three Crusaders, there was no way they could finish this many apples before they went bad.

“Granny did warn us this’d happen if we expanded the grove,” Big McIntosh noted.

“Eeyup. Guess we’ve got some applesauce and dried apples to make,” Applejack said.

“Aww,” Apple Bloom complained.

The ponies each balanced baskets of apples on their back and headed upstairs. The baskets were placed on the floor while Applejack rummaged through the cabinets, looking for the right pot.

“Are we really goin’ to turn all those apples into applesauce?” Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack placed a heavy pot on the stove with a thud. “We’ve gotta do somethin’ with ‘em, Apple Bloom.”

“But these are juicin’ apples! They don’t even make good applesauce!” Apple Bloom said. “Why don’t we sell them as juice?”

“Apple Bloom, juice or cider, it’s all the same. These apples aren’t tasty enough for us to sell.”

“Then we need to make them into somethin’ where nopony cares about the taste! Like that tonic from the Flim-Flam brothers!”

“Apple Bloom, we’re never gonna sell fake tonic with Apple family apples,” Applejack stated.

“Eenope,” Big McIntosh confirmed.

“But it doesn’t have to be fake! I learned from Zecora and Twilight Sparkle all about plants and stuff that have real effects, like giving you energy!”

Applejack leveled her eyes at her sister. She had originally suspected some scheme to get out of chores, but Apple Bloom seemed sincere in her desire to help the family. And it was hardly as strange as the typical idea she came up with when with the Crusaders.

But it could wait. “Apple Bloom, if you have an idea, put it down in writing and show us the plan later. But for now, we’ve got apples to cook.”

“Yes, Applejack,” Apple Bloom grumbled.

At school the next day, Apple Bloom joined Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for lunch at their favorite picnic table. “What did you bring to drink?” she asked.

“I brought a Cerberus,” Sweetie Belle said, pulling out a bottle with a black label, emblazoned with an image of the famous denizen of Tartarus. “Cheerilee is doing her lesson on early post-unification Equestrian history, and that’s my only hope of staying awake.”

“Eh, I’m just drinking water,” Scootaloo said.

“But Ah thought you always brought a Red Minotaur to school,” Apple Bloom said.

“Uh, yeah,” she replied. “But I’m saving it for flying practice.”

“I know the ad says it gives you wings, but that’s not the problem,” Sweetie Belle said, poking one of Scootaloo’s diminutive wings.

“Look, it helps, okay? I feel like I have more energy, and I can fly higher, at least until I get all tired,” Scootaloo said.

“Uh, sorry, girls, but can Ah have both of your drinks? Ah need to do research. You know, what Twilight has me doin’,” Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo hesitated, but pushed her bottle to Apple Bloom. “Sure, but if this doesn’t get you your cutie mark, you owe me another Red Minotaur. These things are expensive!”

“Okay, but if I fall asleep in class, it’s your fault,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Miss Cheerilee doesn’t care about students falling asleep in class,” Scootaloo stated. She had extensive experience in the matter.

“Well, I don’t want to fall asleep,” Sweetie Belle said. “So what kind of research are you talking about?” she asked Apple Bloom.

“Well, it’s somethin’ to use up our extra apples. And if Ah can get it to work, then you’ll be the first to try it!”

After school, Apple Bloom headed to the library. It wasn’t their normal day for Twilight Time, but hopefully Twilight Sparkle would be available to help her research.

Twilight Sparkle and Spike were in the middle of shelving books. “Oh, hi, Apple Bloom!” she greeted her. “Spike, you keep on tackling the reference section while I’m busy.”

“Sure,” Spike replied, without much enthusiasm.

“Now, how can I help you?” Twilight Sparkle asked Apple Bloom.

“Ah want to learn what’s in these here bottles,” Apple Bloom said, pulling the two energy drinks out of her saddlebags. “Is there some alchemical test Ah can do?”

Twilight Sparkle peered at the bottles. “You want to know something beyond the ingredient list?”

“There’s an ingredient list?”

“Yes, Apple Bloom,” Twilight Sparkle said as she facehooved. “Why do we even require labels when nopony reads them?” she grumbled.

“Sorry,” Apple Bloom said. She looked over the ingredient list on one of the bottles. She recognized water and sugar, but that was about it. “Ah guess Ah’ll be needin’ the reference books, then.”

Apple Bloom sat at a table, four different books open in front of her, summarizing each ingredient in the two energy drinks. The bottles prominently mentioned flavors, but the ingredients were a mess of vitamins and chemicals. One ingredient was rather prominent in both brews: caffeine. Her own previous experience with drinking too much coffee got her and the Crusaders put on the no coffee list, so while she could find the rest of the ingredients, she would need to find some way to get some caffeine.

After all, it was clearly the most important ingredient in the energy drink.

All would be for naught if she couldn’t convince Applejack and Big McIntosh that making an apple energy tonic was a good and honest use of the family’s apples, though. Zecora taught her about a Zebrican plant called guarana, and Apple Bloom had learned about the beneficial properties of ginseng from Twilight Sparkle. So, Apple Bloom searched the library for boring science journals.

After searching proved futile, Apple Bloom asked Twilight Sparkle for help. “Ah’m lookin’ for a study that says guarana and ginseng are good for you. Do you have any of those scientific journals?”

Twilight Sparkle pondered. “This library doesn’t have journals, but I know which one to check. I’ll order the volumes from the Canterlot library. Will that help?”

“Yes it will! Thank you, Twilight Sparkle!” Apple Bloom bounded over and hugged the young princess. “I’m sure to get my cutie mark now!”

Twilight Sparkle put on her best fake princess smile and nodded. Her special talent was not going to be in research. At least this plan of Apple Bloom’s wasn’t likely to end up causing major property damage. Again.

The next day, Apple Bloom brought her test brew to school. She got the ginseng and guarana from Zecora, and used some cinnamon and nutmeg from the family’s spice rack, mixing it all together with the family’s bad apples. The brew then mixed overnight. And now, her two best friends would serve as the test market.

Apple Bloom poured a small amount of her drink into the cups sitting before Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Now, tell me what you think about Apple Family Energy Tonic. And Ah want you to be completely honest.”

Scootaloo sniffed the glass before taking a small sip. She smacked her lips. “It actually tastes like apples.”

“Well, of course it does!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

“I’d drink it,” Sweetie Belle said after sampling the brew. “But if you’re going to sell it, you need to make it cooler.”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo agreed.

“What do you mean?” Apple Bloom asked.

“First of all, the name,” Scootaloo said. “Don’t call it tonic. Tonic is what old ponies drink.”

“Just call it energy drink,” Sweetie Belle added.

“And you need a cool name. There’s a reason why ponies drink Cerberus and Red Minotaur,” Scootaloo said.

“And a cool label too!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Maybe you could help me with that? Make this a Cutie Mark Crusader energy drink?” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said.

Scootaloo held up her empty glass. “There’s one important question remaining. Does it work?” she asked.

Apple Bloom sighed. “Not yet. Ah’ve got the strange ingredients in the drink, but Ah have no idea how to add caffeine to it.”

Scootaloo’s ears perked as she heard a familiar buzzing. “We may not know, but there’s somepony who would know!” She stood up and waved. “Hey, Zipporwhill, over here!”

Zipporwhill was a newer resident of Ponyville, known for her limitless energy and hummingbird-like flight. Most residents thought she was just an unusually active filly. The Cutie Mark Crusaders knew her secret; she got her energy from the products sold in her parents’ coffee shop. She flew over to the Crusaders, and before she even opened her mouth, she had already flown several laps around them.

“Hey, girls! How’s lunch been? Any big plans after school? Ooh! Is that apple juice? It looks funky!” Zipporwhill said rapidly.

“That’s mah apple tonic, Ah mean energy drink,” Apple Bloom said. “Do you know where we can find caffeine for it?”

“Hmm.” Zipporwhill put a hoof to her chin to ponder her response, if it were possible for a constantly flying pegasus to ponder. “No, but I bet my stepmom does! I know she makes decaffeinated coffee! That means she must have caffeine somewhere!”

“Can we talk to her?” Scootaloo asked.

“Please?” Sweetie Belle said, adding big, sad puppy dog eyes to her request. With one glance at her, the other Crusaders followed suit.

“I don’t know,” Zipporwhill replied. “Mom wasn’t very happy when you drank all that coffee, and….” At that moment, Zipporwhill made the mistake of looking at the Crusaders. “And… and I don’t….”

“Please? It’s for mah family,” Apple Bloom implored. Her lower lip quivered.

“Aw, ponyfeathers. Okay,” Zipporwhill said.

After school, the Crusaders followed Zipporwhill out of the schoolyard. Scootaloo hitched the wagon to her scooter. Once the other Crusaders were seated, she took off in pursuit of the speedy little pegasus. Keeping up with Zipporwhill was straining her wings and tiring her out. She wished she had grabbed a Red Minotaur before leaving!

Finally, they made it to the coffee shop. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hopped out of the wagon, still feeling the vibrations from the fast and bumpy trip. A tired Scootaloo leaned against the handle of her scooter, breathing hard. But Zipporwhill blew past them and into the shop.

“Wait for us!” Apple Bloom called.

The coffee shop looked a lot more lived in than the first time the Crusaders visited. The smell of coffee was stronger, but now it felt like a part of the building. The shop was currently empty, save for the four fillies and an earth pony mare. The Crusaders remembered the mare’s name was Coffee Cream; her coat color fit the name perfectly.

“Welcome home, sweetie!” the mare said, just in time for Zipporwhill to fly in for a hug.

“Thanks, Mom!” she replied. “I brought my friends from school, and they want to talk to you!”

Coffee Cream smiled, at least until she saw the Crusaders. A hint of a frown crossed her face before she greeted them with a politeness born of running a shop. “It’s nice to see you again, girls. Now, I’m sorry, but you know I can’t serve you coffee.”

“That’s okay. We’re not here for coffee,” Scootaloo said.

“Yeah! Ah just want to know where Ah can get some pure caffeine,” Apple Bloom said.

“I think that’s even more dangerous,” Coffee Cream said. “It was the caffeine in the coffee that made you….”

“Yeah, yeah, Ah know.” Apple Bloom turned to her friends. “You almost destroy Ponyville one time, ONE TIME, and nopony will let you forget it!”

“I know. Totally uncool,” Scootaloo added.

Apple Bloom sat down at the counter, planting her forehooves on the smooth tile surface. She leaned in. “Miss Coffee Cream, Ah’m not here for me. Ah’m here for my family, for my farm. We’ve got a whole lotta apples, and Ah think they can make a darn fine energy drink. But you can’t have an energy drink without caffeine. Like Ah said, it’s not for me. Ah don’t even like the things.”

Sweetie Belle nodded vigorously. “That’s right! She doesn’t drink energy drinks.” Scootaloo joined her in nodding.

“Now, from one purveyor of fine beverages to another, let’s talk business,” Apple Bloom said confidently. “Ah know you can decaffeinate coffee, so can you caffeinate mah apple juice?”

Coffee Cream nodded. “Decaffeination is a simple alchemical process. The coffee beans are soaked in water, which draws out the caffeine. From there, I use activated charcoal to remove the caffeine.”

“That doesn’t sound like alchemy at all,” Apple Bloom observed.

“Then what is it? Chemy?” Scootaloo asked.

“Why are you all looking at me?” Sweetie Belle said. “Apple Bloom’s the closest thing we have to an expert!”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Focus, girls.” She turned to Coffee Cream. “Now, what Ah’m hearin’ is there’s a way to get caffeine, and this could be the start of a profitable business venture. Ah can’t promise we’ll move forward with this; Ah still need to win over mah sister and brother. But to do that, Ah need a finished product. So let’s talk a fair price for a little caffeine.”

“You just want enough to make a test batch?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, I think a fair price is nothing,” Coffee Cream said.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing, if you promise not to overstimulate yourself and destroy Ponyville again.”

“One time,” Apple Bloom grumbled.

“Actually, Zipporwhill, what was that special promise called?”

“A Pinkie Promise!” Zipporwhill replied.

“Will you Pinkie Promise?” Coffee Cream asked.

“Fine. Cross mah heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.”

Coffee Cream nodded and headed out the back of the shop. She soon returned with a small jar with strange white crystals. “Now be careful. You only need a fraction of a gram.”

“Yes, ma’am. Ah’ll be careful. Ah did Pinkie Promise,” Apple Bloom said, repeating the gesture.

Zipporwhill frowned as she watched Apple Bloom. “Wait. A cupcake in your eye? That doesn’t sound fun at all!”

The next afternoon, the Crusaders met up in the clubhouse. “All right, Crusaders. You’ve tried the finished product at school. Verdict?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo slammed her empty bottle of Apple Bloom’s test energy drink on the floor. “I’m ready to get out there and fly!”

Sweetie Belle returned her empty bottle in a gentler manner. “Miss Cheerilee spent the entire afternoon recounting the earth pony council’s debate over the Forty-Seven Traditions, and I was smiling and attentive the whole time!”

“Great, it works! But we can’t sell this stuff in a plain bottle,” Apple Bloom said.

“And you still need a name,” Sweetie Belle noted.

“A cool one!” Scootaloo added.

“Sure, it’s called Apple… uh… drink?” Apple Bloom said tentatively.

“Lame,” the others replied.

“Apple Kick? Apple Punch?” Scootaloo suggested.

“Ah don’t want ponies to think this stuff’ll hurt them!”

“Apple Shine?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Mah brother makes ‘shine out of apples. This ain’t the same thing.”

“Well, I think it shines. Brighter than the sun!” Sweetie Belle said.

“Like an apple sun?” Scootaloo wondered.

“Maybe it shines like a star?” Apple Bloom offered.

“But that’s not as bright!” Sweetie Belle protested.

“But that sounds better. Apple Star!” Scootaloo said.

“Perfect. But make it one word,” Apple Bloom said. “Applestar. Now all we need is a rockin’ label!”

Immediately, the Crusaders attacked the stash of art supplies in the clubhouse. Paper, colored pencils, and glitter went flying. And just as quickly, the corner of the clubhouse started to fill up with crumpled papers covered in discarded designs.

“I’m getting tired of drawing stars,” Scootaloo said. She pushed away a paper with a partially drawn star.

“You know, that kind of looks like an A,” Sweetie Belle observed.

Apple Bloom snatched up the paper and added a drawing of an apple overlapping the partial star. The Crusaders all smiled.

“Perfect,” Scootaloo said.

“There’s just one more thing Ah gotta do now,” Apple Bloom said.

Applejack and Big McIntosh sat at the kitchen table, watching the youngest member of their family diligently setting up a display. Apple Bloom lined up glasses and bottles, and displayed artwork that wouldn’t be out of place in a magazine advertisement. The whole thing rather resembled one of her school science projects, except that the end product was something to drink. Given her track record with science projects, Applejack was a bit worried. But in Apple Bloom’s face, she saw that Apple family determination. She hoped her sister would make her proud.

Finally, Apple Bloom was ready. “Big McIntosh, Applejack, thank you for comin’. We have a basement full of apples that we can’t use for cider, but Ah have a product that can make good use of ‘em. Ah now present Applestar energy drink!

“This here drink is made for all those younger ponies who don’t like tea but want somethin’ to pick them up. It’s got healthy ginseng and guarana for an extra kick, and the taste of genuine Apple family apples. Ah think it’ll be a star!”

“Now hold on there, missy,” Applejack interrupted. “Ah don’t like you makin’ high-falutin’ claims like those Flim-Flam brothers! Not with our apples!”

“But look, Applejack! Ponies at the big university say it’s true. There’s studies and everything. Twilight helped me find them. It’s science!” She passed Applejack a bundle of papers.

Applejack looked at the first paper. It looked like a summary from some paper, but even the title of the paper made her head spin. She set it down. “If Twilight says it’s okay….”

“And Ah’ve written down all the ingredients Ah put in the drink, and how much it’ll cost in bits or trade to get each of them, plus the bottles and labels.” Apple Bloom pushed a single sheet of paper to her brother. “Big McIntosh, Ah think you’ll find the numbers look good.”

“Eeyup. Looks good. Wait. Ponies are gonna pay five bits a bottle?”

“They already do!”

“But you haven’t answered the important question,” Applejack said. “How does it taste?”

Apple Bloom poured her energy drink into two of the waiting glasses. “Give it a try.”

Applejack and Big McIntosh sipped the drink. The looks on their faces weren’t happy ones. But Apple Bloom remained confident.

“Uh, Ah don’t know what to say, sugarcube,” Applejack said, setting down her glass. “Ah like the bit of cinnamon and nutmeg you used. That always goes good with apples. Ah don’t know what the heck guarana is, or what it tastes like, but if it’s in here, it just don’t taste right. And the apples? Well, Ah can still taste why we didn’t put them in the cider.”

“Eeyup. Ah don’t think it’s right to charge ponies five bits for this,” Big McIntosh said.

Even with this rejection, Apple Bloom was smiling. “There’s a reason why Ah wanted to make an energy drink. It’s ‘cause nopony drinks them for the taste!” Apple Bloom opened the other two bottles she brought, one Cerberus and one Red Minotaur, and poured the drinks. “Try the competition.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow, but picked up the glass. Both she and Big McIntosh tried one of the other energy drinks. Their eyes widened, and they quickly swallowed, lest they spit out the offending beverage.

“Ponies drink this stuff?” Big McIntosh asked.

“Ah see the bottle says citrus flavor, but that sure don’t taste like any orange or lemon Ah’ve ever had,” Applejack said.

Apple Bloom leaned in. “So you’re a pony lookin’ for a drink to give you a burst of energy. What are you gonna drink? A Cerberus? A Red Minotaur? Or an Applestar?”

“When you put it that way, Ah’d want the one that tastes like somethin’ real,” Big McIntosh said.

“Gotta agree with you there, Mac,” Applejack said. “Now, Apple Bloom, there’s one thing left for you to prove.”

“What, sis?”

“Can you sell it?”

“Ah think I know just how to do it. Ah gotta talk to the Crusaders!”

Once Apple Bloom met with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, it didn’t take long for them to make plans for getting their energy drink selling cutie mark. After one planning session in the clubhouse, they were quick to depart. Apple Bloom practiced her spiel as she bottled the first production batch of Applestar Energy Drink. She knew the others would be working on their parts.

The next Saturday, the Crusaders met behind the stage, the very same stage where Scootaloo learned she was not a singer, Sweetie Belle learned she was not an artist, and Apple Bloom learned she was not a dancer. Apple Bloom poked her head between the curtains. The ponies in town, having heard word of their performance, had gathered outside the stage. They whispered to each other, no doubt wondering what the Crusaders had planned, and what was under the large tarp next to the stage. She spotted her family in the crowd, along with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and even Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Apple Bloom bounded back to her friends, beaming. “There’s a ton of ponies out there! Ah’m sure to sell all mah bottles. Are y’all ready?”

Scootaloo spun the front wheels of her scooter. “I’m ready to roll!”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “I’ll get the crowd jumping!”

Apple Bloom checked the mirror, straightening her dress ribbon. The others couldn’t see what made the ribbon special, not even Scootaloo, who had previously become overly familiar with all of Apple Bloom’s ribbons. But regardless, Apple Bloom looked confident.

“I have a good feeling about this!” Scootaloo said.

“We’re sure to get our cutie marks!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“Applestar, the cutie mark maker!” Scootaloo said.

Outside, the crowd grew louder. “All right, time to go,” Apple Bloom said. “Scootaloo, take your position behind the stage. Sweetie Belle, get ready. Ah’ll get the curtains.”

Scootaloo tightened her helmet and scooted out the back. Sweetie Belle strode forward.

Apple Bloom grabbed the heavy rope in her teeth and pulled. The magical lights on stage illuminated as the curtains opened, revealing a large paper screen painted with the Applestar logo and images of bottles. Sweetie Belle burst through the paper and stepped into the spotlight.

When you're feeling run down,
You need get up and go
Which Applestar provides for sure!
You'll be flying high
Like a star in the sky
Applestar, break the status quo!
Apple power
Keep on shining!
Apple power
Applestar, break the status quo!

The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves in applause. Sweetie Belle bowed. Apple Bloom then walked on stage. She hoof-bumped her friend and took the spotlight.

“Thank you, thank you everypony! How about another round of applause for Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom announced. After her friend’s undeniably catchy song was properly recognized, she held up a hoof. The crowd quieted.

“Ah’m so glad y’all came out to the introduction of the latest product from Sweet Apple Acres, and as mah friend Pinkie Pie would say, it’s a doozy!” She pulled out a bottle and held it aloft. “Applestar Energy Drink!”

“Get a kick of energy from the only energy drink made with Sweet Apple Acres apples. It’s all natural, with ginseng, guarana, spices, and all the care and love you’ve come to expect from Sweet Apple Acres. Now, who out there could use a burst of apple goodness?”

“Right here!” a voice shouted. A blur of motion came from behind the stage, and with a jump and a spin, Scootaloo landed her scooter in front of the stage.

“Well, here you go, pardner!” Apple Bloom tossed the bottle to Scootaloo. She caught it in one hoof, knocked the cap off, and chugged its contents. “How’s it feel?”

Scootaloo tossed the empty bottle back to Apple Bloom. “With the energy of Applestar, I feel like I can accomplish anything!” she said.

“Anything, you say?” Apple Bloom said. She trotted off stage and headed to the tarp-covered object. “Even this?”

Apple Bloom yanked a rope and pulled down the tarp, revealing a wooden ramp. But it wasn’t the typical ramp Scootaloo used to launch herself in the air. Rather, it formed a complete loop. To traverse it, Scootaloo would have to ride her scooter upside down, with only her wings keeping the wheels pressed to the ramp’s wooden surface.

“Bring it!” Scootaloo shouted, her little wings buzzing. She wasn’t actually feeling the effects of the bottle of Applestar she just drank. But the two bottles she drank before the show started were making her feel giddy.

Scootaloo kicked off and scooted towards the wooden loop. She picked up speed, far faster than she dared go through town. But with nopony in the way of the ramp, she didn’t have to hold back. She lowered her head and focused on the goal. The front wheels touched the ramp. She felt herself twist and rise. She lost sight of the ground, but never lost sight of the surface of the ramp. Her stomach lurched. She imagined she was Rainbow Dash, performing one of her legendary tricks, and just like Rainbow Dash, she wouldn’t fail.

Then, she saw the ground, and the end of the ramp. Once safely on the dirt, Scootaloo braked, spinning to face the crowd. Again, the crowd cheered.

“Wasn’t that amazin’, everypony?” Apple Bloom called. While the crowd had been watching Scootaloo, she had moved two crates, filled with bottles, in front of the stage, and she now stood between them. “Now, who wants to buy the first bottle?”

The crowd jumped up and surged around Apple Bloom. “Everypony, form a line!” she announced. “Five bits a bottle! Get a six-pack for only twenty-five bits!”

Apple Bloom deftly exchanged bottles for bits. Her first crate was soon emptied, and she used it to store the rapidly accumulating pile of bits. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle helped keep the line organized, and brought more crates out as Apple Bloom emptied them.

The crowd thinned, and Apple Bloom’s stock ran low. By the time she was down to one crate, there were only a few ponies left, all friends and family.

Pinkie Pie pronked to the front of the line. “I’ll take the rest!” she said, dropping a heavy sack into the crate in front of Apple Bloom.

“Gee, thanks, Pinkie Pie!” Apple Bloom replied. “We did it, girls!”

“That’s right, you did it,” Applejack said.

Apple Bloom turned to her friends. “And I couldn’t have done it without you showing how awesome our energy drink is.”

“Yeah, it is awesome!” Scootaloo said.

The warm feeling the Cutie Mark Crusaders felt inside was joined by a warm tingling on their flanks. Apple Bloom turned and gasped as she saw the Applestar logo appear on her flank. Her friends also screamed in delight. Sweetie Belle’s cutie mark featured a musical note, and Scootaloo’s a scooter, but both shared the star shape with Apple Bloom’s cutie mark!

“WE GOT OUR CUTIE MARKS!” they shouted.

“And now we need to have a superduperrific awesometastic triple cuteceañera with cookies and cupcakes and punch and of course lots of Applestar Energy Drink!” Pinkie Pie said. “And it’s going to be the best party ever because your sisters are paying for it!”

“What?” Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all exclaimed.

“Don’t you remember?” Pinkie Pie asked them. “I said I knew the Cutie Mark Crusaders would get their cutie marks at the same time, and then Applejack said ‘Not likely’, and Rainbow Dash said “That’s like ten to one it won’t happen’, and Rarity said ‘More like one hundred to one,’ and I said ‘Wanna bet?’, and Applejack said “You’re on!’, and Rainbow Dash said ‘Me too!’, and Rarity said ‘A lady doesn’t bet, but if you insist on giving away your bits…’, and we spat and shook hooves, except for Rarity of course, but we still shook hooves, and that means this will be the biggest cuteceañera ever!”

Pinkie Pie smiled even wider and pulled out a large sack from nowhere, one much like a pony holding up a bank would use. “Now pay up!”

Author's Note

I rarely drink energy drinks. It's like they're deliberately made to taste as artificial as possible.

But I'd drink an Applestar.