The moon was bright, casting a soft glow over the streets of Ponyville. The air was thick, the streets were cold, empty, and lifeless. It was as if Ponyville had become a ghost town overnight. However, as the moon shone upon Ponyville and the leaves gently floated by with the wind, two ponies, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, were currently inside SugarCube Corner. They sat opposite each other with cards in their hooves.
“Oh, that’s unfair! Applejack, how do you always beat me at crazy eights?”
Applejack lightly chuckled. “A magician never reveals their secrets,” she said with a smug grin, placing her set of cards on the table.
Life at Sweet Apple Acres had been draining for Applejack recently. Every day she would wake up, eat breakfast, work, then go back to sleep. The upcoming festival in Ponyville was all about different kinds of fruits and vegetables and the history that surrounded them. Applejack, feeling the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, worked tirelessly to ensure there were enough apples for the festival. On one particularly exhausting day, Pinkie Pie offered to help. Applejack was unsure at first since it was Pinkie Pie. She was too unpredictable; one minute everything would be going fine, and the next minute the whole of Sweet Apple Acres could be on fire. However, Pinkie begged, promising she would help Applejack declined at first; ultimately, Pinkie’s earnestness and sincerity won her over. She didn't understand why Pinkie would want to help her harvest crops, kick trees with her, and lug heavy baskets of apples around. Pinkie Pie had an infinite number of friends, friends with more interesting lives than hers. What made Pinkie want to hang around with her so much?
As Applejack took Pinkie under her wing, she was mighty impressed by Pinkie's physical skills and the endless energy she possessed. Pinkie Pie's enthusiasm and energy were infectious; hanging around the pink earth pony felt like she was cast with a spell of infinite energy and happiness. Soon Applejack found herself enjoying her work more than she thought she would. The days on the farm, for the most part, were rather lonely. But Pinkie's constant visits were all that she needed for her day to brighten. Applejack found herself opening up to Pinkie in ways she would have never considered, and Pinkie opened up in return, talking to her about her wacky adventures and the lessons she had learned throughout her life. It was an eye-opener for Applejack to learn about Pinkie and her unique perspective on the world around her.
Her thoughts were broken as she heard Pinkie calling her name. "Applejack! You’re a magician?" Pinkie said excitedly, her eyes so wide they could pop out of her head in no time.
Pinkie leaned forward, placing her two front hooves on her chin, and stared at Applejack intently. "Oh, oh! Can you turn me into a chicken?"
“Uh… a chicken?” Applejack asked with a raised brow. "First, Pinkie, I'm no magician. I was just using a figure of speech. Second of all, why do ya want me to turn you into a chicken so badly?” She prodded at the pink mare, who shrugged.
“Because, silly, I want to learn how to speak chicken! Then, I can show up to their functions and host endless amounts of parties with my new friends.” Pinkie explained as she looked down and pretended to eat imaginary seeds from the table, earning a chuckle with the orange earth pony. “You can’t go wrong with having too many friends, right?”
Applejack chuckled, finding Pinkie Pie's way of thinking utterly ridiculous yet endearing. “Pinkie Pie, ya never fail to bring a smile to my face,” Applejack said with a genuine smile, reshuffling the deck of cards laid on the table. “So, Pinkie, do ya have any other card games we can play to pass the time?”
Pinkie raised her hoof, flailing it in the air. “Oh, I know! But it requires a lot of brains and smarts to play it properly. I’m not sure if you’re qualified to play it.”
“Qualified?” Applejack raised a brow. “Sugarcube, don't ya know who you're talkin’ to?”
Pinkie lowered her hoof. “Duh, of course, I know who I’m talking to, you’re Applejack!” Pinkie giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "But this game is super-duper difficult!”
“Difficult, ya say?” Applejack asked, feeling her competitive spirit ignite within her. "I'm always down for a challenge. What’s the game called, Pinkie?”
Pinkie picked up the cards and began to shuffle them. “The game's called Take Two! I used to play this game at my parties all the time before it got banned.” Pinkie explained the last part in a solemn voice, sparking intrigue in Applejack.
“Banned? Why did it get banned? Was somepony caught cheating?” Applejack asked, leaning forward, hoof on her chin.
“Well… you see, sometimes… I like to bet with my friends," Pinkie explained slowly. Applejack's heart sank, expecting what Pinkie was about to say next to be horrifying. “One thing led to another and Rainbow was piss drunk on the floor. It was so funny! You could see her eyes rolling to the back of her head, and it was like she was dead!”
Applejack awkwardly chuckled over Pinkie’s version of ‘fun’. “Let me guess, that’s the reason why the game got banned?”
“Yep, it turned out betting with my friends accidentally fueled Rainbow's gambling issues.”
Applejack was star-struck, her jaw dropped. She jittered in place from the news. She stared at Pinkie for a moment, expecting her to say she was joking, but she didn't. “Wait! Rainbow gambles?” Applejack asked, leaning back, wondering if she was going crazy or if she really heard those words come from Pinkie.
"Yep! Every Saturday night, Rainbow and I go to the casino and bet a couple of bits," Pinkie replied in a nonchalant tone, casually taking a sip from a bottle of water that Applejack swore had just appeared out of thin air.
“Only a couple? Pinkie Pie, recently we’ve gotten to know each other really well, and I know for a fact you’re lying. Tell me, Pinkie, how much do you and Rainbow truly bet?”
Pinkie fidgeted slightly, her eyes darting around the room, avoiding Applejack's probing gaze. “Well, maybe more than a couple of bits,” she admitted sheepishly, “but don't worry! It’s not as bad as it sounds! We never, and I mean never, bet more than we can afford to lose."
Applejack stared at her for a moment, her eyes narrowed, taken aback by her friend's honesty. “How many bits are we talking about, Pinkie? How many bits do you and Rainbow honestly gamble?”
Pinkie Pie took a deep breath and then blurted out, “Okay! Okay! Sometimes we bet over fifty bits. But that’s when we’re sure we’re going to win, and sometimes we do, and sometimes we don't.”
“Pinkie, you and Rainbow need to be careful. Gambling can get out of hoof quickly. Promise me you'll have everything under control?”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Pinkie said, performing her usual promising ritual. “But we’ll keep everything under control, I promise!” Pinkie giggled, causing Applejack to think she didn't understand the severity of the situation.
Applejack took a deep breath, making a mental note to have a word with Rainbow later. “Ok, let’s get on the topic at hoof… alright yeah, Take Two.”
Pinkie nodded. “Alright, so Take Two is a simple but easy game to master. First, each pony starts with seven cards, and the main objective of the game is to end the game with zero cards remaining, and then you win!”
“Okay then, that doesn't sound that hard. Actually, I reckon I'll beat ya in a landslide.”
“Don't get too confident, Jack. I’ll let you know that I’m the Take Two champion. The reason why Rainbow got hammered was because she lost to me, fair and square. She simply lost the bet.”
“And let me guess, the loser had to drink five whole bottles of whiskey?”
“Yep! Typical Rainbow thought she was going to win, but I came in at the last second and snagged the win. She was so devastated. But when I won, it felt like I ran a marathon! My heart was beating faster than when I was chewing my delicious cupcakes earlier, and my hooves were shaking like I had seen a ghost. It was crazy!”
Applejack shook her head over Pinkie’s experience. “Well, okay then.”
Pinkie picked up the cards from the middle of the table and shuffled them at an incredible speed, her hooves a blur. Once the cards were shuffled, she hoofed over seven cards to Applejack and herself, leaving the rest of the cards in the middle of the table.
“Alrighty then,” Pinkie paused, her voice darkening as she explained the rules of the card game. “The main rule of the game is that you can only place a card on a card that has the same suit or number. If not, then you have to pick up from the discard pile until you draw a card that matches the suit or number. The first pony to have no cards remaining is the winner.”
“That sounds easy enough,” Applejack said.
“Yay!” Pinkie exclaimed, clapping her two front hooves together with a massive smile. “This is where the fun begins!”
Pinkie picked up the first card on top of the discard pile and flipped it over, revealing it to be the seven of diamonds.
“Since I'm the champion, I'll go first!” she declared excitedly, placing down a seven of clubs.
Applejack nodded as Pinkie placed her card down. She checked her hoof to see the cards she was dealing with. With a light chuckle, she picked a card out and placed it down—it was the seven of hearts. “Sorry, partner, but I must let ya know, I won't back down from a fight that easily.”
“Oh, is that so?” Pinkie smugly said, placing down a two of hearts. “Take two, Applejack.”
“What in tarnation are ya on about, Pinkie? Ya never explained anything about cards having special effects.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Pinkie replied sheepishly, “but let’s be honest, Applejack, it doesn't take a genius to know that in a game called Take Two, when somepony places a two card, the other pony must draw two. Plus, if you have a two yourself, then you can stack it on the previous two, making me take four.”
“Oh really?” Applejack placed a two of clubs. “Ya shouldn't have told me that, Sugarcube.”
Pinkie chuckled at Applejack's confidence and she quickly placed down another two, making her friend's eyes widen. “Oops, sorry, take six.”
Applejack slammed the table, causing the cards to bounce from the table and into the air. They gently glided downwards like feathers falling from the sky. “What! Did ya seriously lead me into a false sense of security so ya could plus six me?”
Pinkie leaned back on her chair. “Yep! Like I said earlier, Applejack, I'm snagging wins like there’s no tomorrow. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Now draw six, my fellow earth pony!”
Applejack cleaned up the mess she caused and reluctantly picked up six cards. “Before ah continue with this game, are there any other rules I should know about?”
“Totally! For starters, eights skip the other pony's turn, aces can be stacked with other aces or a card from the same suit, and jacks can be placed whenever. Jacks are the most important cards in the game.”
“And why is that, Pinkie?”
“Because when you place a jack down, you can change the suit to whatever you want.”
“Color me impressed, Pinkie. That sounds mighty useful. I reckon I can snag a win with this jack I possess right here.” She pointed the card towards Pinkie with a grin, feeling her competitive instincts ignite within her like a flame. Applejack's eyes sparkled with a new sense of determination. “Alright, I'm ready, Pinkie. Let's continue this game.”
“Alrighty, Jacky! It’s your turn.”
Applejack shuddered from the nickname, quickly placing down the eight of diamonds. “Your turn gets skipped, Pinkie.”
Pinkie playfully pouted. “No fair! But okay, it's your turn again.”
Applejack picked a card from her hoof and placed down the five of diamonds. “Show me what ya got, Pinkie.”
Pinkie felt her heart pumping faster, the competition flowing through her veins. She placed down the five of hearts with so much force she almost broke the table in half. “Boom! Match that, Applejack!”
Applejack's chair shot up from the shockwave, her hat almost falling off her head in the process. “Chris' almighty, Pinkie, was that really necessary?” she asked, readjusting her hat and placing down the queen of hearts. “Next time, I reckon ya should place your card ever so slightly gentler.”
Pinkie blushed, realizing how insane she must have looked. She glanced down at the table and noticed a crack beginning to form from the heavy impact of her hoof. “Oh, sorry. Sometimes, whenever I'm having a super-duper fun time, my mind starts to act on its own,” Pinkie remarked, sneakily placing a card from the discard pile over the small crack.
"I know ya mean no harm, Pinkie, but next time, uh, be gentler with the furniture."
Pinkie chirped, her usual high spirits undampened, "I’ll try to be more careful, no promises!"
Applejack tipped her hat. Flipping through her cards, she pulled out an ace of hearts, followed by an eight of hearts, an eight of spades, and a four of spades. "I might have a hefty amount of cards, but Granny Smith taught me to never give up, no matter how much the odds are stacked against me!"
Over time, Applejack caught up to Pinkie. Her deck of cards slowly dwindled until three cards remained in the orange earth pony's deck compared to Pinkie, who had two cards left. Applejack’s smarts and tactics surprised Pinkie, making the pink pony shudder in fear. The possibility of her losing was now nearly a reality. Pinkie was undefeated in Take Two; many ponies had tried to beat her, but she always managed to edge them out and win in the end. However, Applejack's relentlessness to never give up, combined with the perfect combination of planning her moves carefully and determination, made Pinkie believe her undefeated streak was over.
Applejack studied her remaining cards, her brow furrowing in concentration. She had a queen of spades, a jack of clubs, and a two of diamonds. Pinkie had backed her into a corner, but Applejack refused to give up. She placed the queen of spades on the pile, and Pinkie followed suit, placing down a king of spades.
Applejack itched her hooves. The tension was rising, and she knew she had the game in the bag. Just two more successful turns were all she needed to accomplish something she didn't know she truly wanted, which was to outbeat Pinkie Pie at her own game.
"Alright, Sugarcube, it’s my turn. Prepare to lose, Pinkie Pie," Applejack said, confidence oozing through her as she placed down the jack of clubs. "It’s been nice knowing ya, Pinkie, but your luck has run out. I’m changing the suit to diamonds!"
"Oh really?" Pinkie taunted Applejack. She straightened her posture and looked Applejack dead in the eyes, the world's biggest grin known to Ponyville plastered all over her face. Applejack's mouth made an 'O'; she knew she had just screwed up big time.
"Applejack, Applejack, Applejack," Pinkie repeated in a conniving voice. "I planned this out from the start. I knew a pony like you would save the jack till the very end so you could screw me," Pinkie explained, showing Applejack her last card, which was an eight of clubs.
Applejack's eyes widened, having no clue what Pinkie was about to pull out of her backside. The whole atmosphere in the room seemed to change; the joyful and calm vibe turned darker and tenser.
"W-What are ya going to do with those eight clubs?" she stammered. "Ya can't do anything since the suit is diamonds, Pinkie! What are you planning?"
"Something that only Pinkie Pie would do, silly!" Pinkie exclaimed, her voice and atmosphere returning to normal. "And that is, to rely on chance!"
Pinkie reached her hoof forward, reaching towards the pile of cards laying on the table. She picked up the top card and immediately flipped it over, revealing it to be a jack of diamonds.
"Game over, Applejack," Pinkie joked with a sly grin, placing the jack on the table. "The suit is now spades. Any last words, Applejack?"
"Nope," she shook her head, "except I’ve been beaten by complete utter horse-"
"Applejack! Language!"
"Alright, sorry, partner," she let out a sigh. "Let’s just see what card I pick up." Applejack reached over to the pile of cards, her hooves trembling in fear. Ironically enough, the only thing that could save her from losing was if she managed to draw the perfect card she needed through sheer luck. But alas, her luck ran out as she picked up a three of hearts.
Applejack pouted and showed Pinkie her card. "Congratulations, Pinkie. Ya won."
Pinkie cheered, "I knew I could do it! I’m still the undefeated Take Two champion!” Her excitement was infectious. She picked up the two sevens of clubs she held in her hoof and raised them in the air before quickly slamming them on the table.
“Pinkie, no!” Applejack shouted, but it was too late. The force from Pinkie's hoof caused the table to explode into pieces. The vibration from the collision shook the ground, causing the chairs the two sat on to shake, and the two ponies fell forward.
The two lay on the floor, the air filled with smoke from the debris of the wooden table. The sound of rain could be heard in the background, relentlessly pouring against the glass windows like there was no tomorrow. That was the only sound that filled the room as Pinkie and Applejack stared at the ceiling in utter silence, not mentioning a single word.
Applejack blinked once and saw something small slowly floating down to her. She couldn't grasp what it was at first, but realized it was a piece of paper drifting lazily through the air. It landed softly on her nose and read the number ‘2’ on it. The memory of the card game she had just played came rushing back, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
“That was some card game, Pinkie,” Applejack remarked, her voice filled with admiration. "I don't think I've ever played a card game so intense before in my life.”
“Yeah, totally! That's the most fun I've had in a while! Like really, that’s definitely going in my party memories journal.”
“Really?” Applejack asked, surprised by Pinkie’s enthusiasm over a single game. “Did ya really have such a fun time?”
“Of course! Spending time with my friends is always fun, even if it's only the two of us.” Pinkie said, leaning forward. Her eyes widened at the sight of debris all over the floor; it looked like Sugarcube Corner had been hit by a tornado. "We've got a lot of explaining to do to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, don't we?"
“Yep,” Applejack replied, leaning forward and dusting herself off. “I reckon they’ll be none too pleased about us wrecking their shop.”
Pinkie nodded, her usual cheerfulness somewhat tempered by realizing the mess they had made. “Totally. To make amends with them, we should clean the shop, make it brand spanking new, spotless. Then we can just say that some magical entity ate the table!”
"Alright, Pinkie, let’s clean up Sugarcube Corner, but let’s not make a sound. We don’t want to wake up Mr. and Mrs. Cake."
"Says the one who slammed the desk earlier," Pinkie teased, picking up a nearby broom and beginning to sweep the floor. "But I must say, it’s a super-duper good idea to stay quiet and lay low because if we don’t, then I’ll probably get banished and that means no more cupcakes!"
"Oh, Pinkie, you're so overdramatic," Applejack said with a chuckle, grabbing a dustpan and brush to gather the scattered debris that littered the floorboards.
As they worked to clean up the mess, the sound of rain continued to pour softly against the windows, creating a relaxing backdrop. It was like music to their ears as they worked in sync, dusting, collecting, and scraping the debris that had accumulated. After five minutes, which felt like an entire day, the duo managed to clean the shop. The walls were sparkling, the floorboards shining, and the general vibe of the room radiated with newfound life and warmth. Applejack and Pinkie stood side by side and admired their handiwork, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Applejack turned to Pinkie. “I just want to say, Pinkie, that I had a mighty fun time with ya tonight. I reckon we should do this more often.”
Pinkie’s ears perked up at the news. “Totally! We should do this every Thursday night!”
"I’m not sure about that, Sugarcube. Sometimes I’m busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
Pinkie lowered her head, disappointed by the news. Applejack, noticing her sudden change of demeanor, placed a hoof on the earth pony's back.
“Now, now, Pinkie, don’t be upset. Whenever I’m free, I’ll make sure to drop by and play another round with ya.”
“That’s a Pinkie promise then! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
“I’m not sure about stickin’ cupcakes in my eyes, and even flying, but I promise not to let ya down.”
Pinkie hugged Applejack, who quickly reciprocated the hug.
“Pinkie Pie,” Applejack suddenly said, startling Pinkie, “I just want to say that it’s been a mighty fun time getting to know ya a lot more recently. I have no idea why you’ve decided to help me out so much, but I greatly appreciate your help nonetheless.”
“Oh, no worries, Jacky. Recently I couldn’t help but notice your behavior changing. You seemed sad and always on edge, like a filly afraid that the bed bugs would bite them at night.” Pinkie chuckled at her analogy. “Then I remembered the upcoming festival and, me being the good friend I am, decided to help out in any way I could. Plus, I really enjoy spending time with you, Applejack. You’re one of my bestest friends!”
“Aw shucks, Pinkie, you’re one of my best friends too.” She smiled, feeling a warm sensation growing in her chest. “Thanks for everything.”
With Sugarcube Corner being cleaned and Applejack remembering that the festival was starting tomorrow, Applejack picked up her bags and walked to the entrance, with Pinkie leading the way, bouncing with each step. As Applejack reached the front door, she paused and looked back at Sugarcube Corner. The place that hosted all the chaos that transpired tonight was clean as a whistle. The tension, the chaos, and the fun she had still lingered in the air, creating a warm fuzzy feeling in her heart.
Pinkie suddenly opened the front door. The coldness of the night grazed across her skin, causing her to shiver. The light generated from the moon beamed across her face, her eyes reflecting the moonlight. The sensation of the night filled her heart with joy, reminding her that the bond of friendship always brought warmth, even in the coldest of nights.
Applejack stepped outside, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of Ponyville under the moonlight. The earlier cold, empty streets seemed less lifeless and more serene, a stark contrast compared to the chaos that transpired in Sugarcube Corner.
“I guess I’m heading home now,” Applejack tipped her hat with a smile. “Tonight’s been a blast.”
“Okay, Applejack, stay safe, and make sure to get a good night's sleep for tomorrow's festival,” Pinkie said, bouncing in place. Some dust that lay on the ground flew gently in the air from the contact with her hooves. “Oh, you gotta have a good night's sleep because if you don’t, then the bed bugs will strike!”
Applejack simply chuckled, “They might if ah don't get myself back to Sweet Apple Acres and get myself some shut-eye.” Applejack said, beginning her walk away from the shop.
“Well, okay, night Applejack! See you tomorrow!” Pinkie called from a distance, waving her arm in the air.
Applejack smiled, touched by Pinkie's enthusiasm. “Good night, Pinkie Pie,” she called back, her heart warmed by the bond they shared. As she walked home under the moonlight, she was grateful for the unexpected development in her friendship with Pinkie Pie. Pinkie always managed to brighten her days in Ponyville and knowing more about the overzealous earth pony strengthened their friendship to limits that knew no bounds. Tomorrow's festival seemed brighter in anticipation; in her heart, she knew that she was glad to have such a lively friend by her side.
Author's Note
Yo, I just want to say thanks for reading my story. I appreciate it. I haven't written a non-Twi-Dash story in a while, and I haven't written Pinkie Pie and Applejack in a while as well, so this story might contain some out-of-character moments and other elements that might come off as "off." Also, I've had this story on the shelf for a while now and just decided to publish it. Finally, feel free to comment on anything about my story that you liked or didn't like.
This is Ben. Peace.
