The barmaid fondly remembered the first time she had met that crazy girl. It had been another late, desolate Tuesday evening: not much at all for business, but it did give her a good chance to get ahead on some cleaning duties. She had taken apart some of the nozzles on the soda-pop machine and was cleaning them all out, had them spread across the back counter. It was never very busy on Tuesdays, but that Tuesday was especially slow. The entire lounge had been empty for some time, and due to the shortness of the staff in Jubilee's Joint, the barmaid herself was left to watch the door just down the stairs across the lounge. Not that it was very difficult, considering the lack of patrons.

Wiping some imagined sweat from her forehead with the back of her unfortunately frilled sleeve and tipping her hat back, the barmaid looked down at her name-tag, and noticed several white spots across it. That must have happened when she had changed the CO2 and cream in the whipped cream tins; it had sprayed back at her the way it often did. She frowned and licked her thumb, running it along the metal, engraved tag and wiped it with her collar until the shine looked right. It may have been upside-down, but it clearly read her name in perfect text and sizing: Applejack.

The chiming bell that signalled the door opening gave her something of a fright, as she seldom could hear it over the usual chatter of the lounge and whatever duties she had been performing. She ran her hands under water to make sure they were clean, though it stung a bit since she had used more hot than cold. She shook them gently and dried them on a paper towel, using it to turn off the handle as per proper procedure. She turned and looked over her shoulder to see the guest approaching her, all bundled up in a big, stuffed-up jacket with a wide hood. It saved her the time of going out from behind the bar, across the lounge and down the stairs to greet them, anyway.

The guest sat down right in the middle of the bar stools that bordered the counter, and Applejack noticed the dark, fingerless gloves that touched the edge as the guest pulled the stool up closer. Pale fingers were quite striking against the dark granite of the counter, but Applejack waited to speak as the guest began removing them finger by finger. Twisting the nozzle back onto the soda-pop dispenser, Applejack curiously watched her guest shed clothes out of the corner of her eye and under the brim of her brown Stetson.

The gloves were shoved haphazardly into the pocket of that large jacket, and the shivering bare hands seemed much too small to suit the overcoat. As that was unbuttoned and a scarf was pulled roughly from under the hood, more pale skin became visible. The guest reached up and took hold of the top of their hood, tossing it back off of their head in a furious motion, revealing the most gorgeous hair Applejack had ever laid her eyes on.

She couldn't help but stare as the guest—who she could now identify as a woman—flipped her hair out and displayed all the brilliant colours of the spectrum right there on her head. The woman's face was slightly pink from the cold, which matched her shining and youthful eyes, but her sharp and feminine features were undeniably attractive. Applejack swallowed anxiously as she felt herself flush a bit at the girl's beauty, but regained her composure and opened her mouth to speak in that same nonchalant, low tone of hers.

“Howdy there.” Applejack extended a casual nod as she placed the drink nozzle into the cradle and moved towards the refrigerated box that frosted glasses. “Can Ah getcha somethin' t'drink?”

“I guess the name Jubilee's Joint is what's keeping everyone away,” the girl avoided the initial question in favour of admiring Applejack's own unique appeal, her eyes crawling over the barmaid's body suggestively. “Because the staff here sure is fine.”

“Beg pardon?” Applejack blinked with surprise to hear such a remark, especially from a woman who seemed no older than herself.

“That accent is adorable,” the girl continued with a cheeky smirk, her thin eyebrows pointing aggressively at the ends. She pursed her lips and stared at Applejack's hands as they drummed over the metal handle of the refrigerated box she had waited for confirmation to open. “I bet you sing really well too, fingers like those probably dance across guitar strings.”

Applejack looked at her own hands and took them off the box at once, though she opted to keep her cool by grabbing the nearby cloth and tossing it onto her shoulder. The girl at her bar was certainly strange, but the barmaid wasn't certain she found that unappealing. She cracked a suave smile of her own, which must have spread her freckles across her face, and kept up the conversation carefully.

“What, y'think every blonde southern gal is a country-western singer?” Applejack asked passively, lifting an eyebrow and leaning against the counter with one hand.

“Only the cute ones,” the girl ventured a compliment, and Applejack was once again stalled by the unwarranted statement.

“You're the one showin' up in a Coat o' Many Colours, sugarcube,” Applejack remarked as her eyes were once again drawn to the guest's brilliantly coloured hair. Even if she wasn't a country singer herself, Applejack did know a thing or two about them, and could slip in a Dolly Parton reference where she pleased. This did not seem to go unnoticed by the girl across the counter.

“You gonna write a song about it, Dolly?” the girl asked simply, her smile turning to a confident grin.

“Dolly, huh?” Applejack chuckled a bit at the nickname and dropped her hat over her eyes in a shy habit, but actually found the name kind of flattering and cute. Her laughter fell to light huffs as she stood back up and put her hands on her hips, meeting the eye-line of her guest firmly. “So, what's y'poison?”

“Whatever you'll wet my lips with, baby.” The girl winked at her, but it did not catch her off guard this time.

Applejack was rather good at picking out just what kind of drink a person favoured, though it was never an exact science. As she looked at the brash girl across the bar from her, it became obvious that she was very unique, that there was something about her that screamed daring and rebellious. Her eyes glanced down at the girl's slender fingers, which rubbed together to spread what little warmth they had. With an inquisitive hum, Applejack considered several options before voicing them. She glanced behind herself at the television that hung above the bar for patrons to watch, and noticed the temperature displayed in the bottom right corner was less that ten degrees Celsius, which suited the original legend that permitted the mix in mind.

“Y'strike me as a Blue Blazer kinda girl,” the barmaid said in an even tone, though the girl's curious expression told her she was unfamiliar with the drink. It wasn't much of a wonder, not many bartenders made such a thing or spoke of it any more. “But we can start off with a lil' Rum an' Coke.”

“Blue Blazer? Sounds freaking sweet, make me one of those!” The girl eagerly slapped her hands on the counter twice, her face lighting up with intrigue.

“It ain't your usual cocktail,” Applejack warned with a tilt of her head, and added, “Ah don't make it for jus' anyone. It can be a mite dangerous.”

“What do I have to do to you to earn one?” The girl across the bar grinned and bit her lip lasciviously.

“Somethin' y'can't do from that side'a the counter,” Applejack murmured in a retort, but left it at that as a joke.

“Alright, I'll take that Rum and Coke,” the girl agreed with a nod. “But you'd better have that Blazer in the mix by the time my empty glass hits the counter, Dolly.”

“Y'got a deal.” Applejack came to terms with the agreement, and the two girls shook hands in a manner that did not seem to suit two girls at all. Though Applejack noticed the chilled temperature of the girl's hand, she made no mention of it.

The barmaid fixed up a Rum and Coke with no issue, the drink being so painfully simple she could do it with her eyes closed. As she passed it easily in a slide to her guest's awaiting hand, she went on to make that very something special. She placed two identical silver-plated tulip-shaped tankard mugs on the counter in front of her and turned around, carefully selecting the highest proof and most favourable Scotch whiskey she could find. Next, she grabbed a lemon, scraping a knife under the peel to remove just a shaving. She ran it along the lip of a short, stout little snifter glass and placed it inside, pushing the whole glass just off to the side. The girl across the bar watched intently, entranced entirely by the skilful fingers of the barmaid.

“S'tell me, what brings y'down here, if y'ain't much for the name'a the place?” Applejack made conversation, something she had become adept at from keeping bar, as she found some sugar and laid out just a bit in a measuring spoon.

“Well, my night was kind of dull, and I'd never been in here before. I mean, there are only so many pubs in Ponyville, right?” The girl smiled and shrugged, but her terribly devious eyes shifted up to Applejack's as she quoted, “Besides, a rose by any other name, baby.”

“Well, this place ain't been 'round for too long any who,” the barmaid continued as she measured the boiling water from the machine behind her, placing it beside the two silver mugs. “A gal from Dodge Junction came down here an' opened it up, she's got one jus' like it back there, Ah'm told.”

“Do they have such infatuating barmaids in the Dodge Joint?” the girl mused in an affectionate voice, watching the barmaid continue, measuring the whiskey and adding it to one mug.

“Ah ain't never been there m'self, but Miss Jubilee almost only hires girls, puts 'em in frilly get-ups like this.” Applejack shook her head and forced a laugh, hating the way her uniform made her feel, all done up like she worked in some old time western saloon.

It was tight around her midsection, laced up to hug her in fact. It accentuated the curves of her hips and bust rather well, but that was not what Applejack liked to dress for. The sleeves were short and white, frilled up and tightened around her unusually sizeable biceps, which she had earned through vigorous hard work. It was complete with a skirt that hardly covered half of her thighs, which grew troublesome when she had to bend down for anything. She was permitted to wear her own worn leather boots and her Stetson, but it still didn't seem to make her feel any better about the outfit.

“Maybe I should come around more often.” Her patron seemed to enjoy the look, and cocked her head as she observed the way the fabric moved as she did.

“Y'done with that there Rum n' Coke?” Applejack shifted the attention back to the girl at her counter.

“Mmm.” Her guest hurriedly brought the glass to her lips and finished it off in rushed gulps, clinking the counter with it as she finished and sighed aloud. “Hit me, Dolly.”

“Ah'mma hafta ask you t'sit back. For safety,” Applejack spoke seriously as she began the mix, pouring the hot water into the mug.

“Sit back?” The girl blinked in surprise, but did as she was told. “What's this drink made of, anyway?”

“A lil' Scotch, a lil' sugar, a lil' hot water,” Applejack orated as she was satisfied with her preparation, before stepping back and flicking the lights off from behind the bar, leaving but a dim ambiance between them. She drew a long, barbecue lighter into view and raised the tankard up, tipping it as she flicked it on. “An' some fire.”

Flames ignited from within the tankard, giving a cool blue light to Applejack's face as she made certain it would stay lit. She placed the lighter down and took the next tankard up in her other hand, stepping away from the counter. The guest's eyes lit up as she saw the fire, and her heart raced, her hands squeezing the counter as she resisted the urge to lean in for a better look.

“Holy shit,” the girl incredulously gasped, watching as the barmaid brought the tankards closer together. Slowly, the flaming liquid began to pour from one mug into the next, a stream of blue fire emerging between them. Her eyes grew wider as a great big grin spread from ear to ear. “Holy shit!”

Pouring slowly as to get used to the feel of it after so long without practice, Applejack kept her hands steady as the stream of fire ran from mug to mug. As she grew confident enough to spread her arms wider with the bright blue blaze, she found it difficult to keep her eyes on the act instead of on the captivated girl in front of her, whose face flickered magnetically in the light of the fire. Applejack gulped and forced her eyes on the tankards, though they nearly watered with intent attention on the hot light. The handles grew warmer in her hands, but she dared resist for just a bit longer, pouring great, wide, daring streams to evoke the positively passionate response from her patron.

The barmaid flirted with fate, spreading her arms almost the full meter apart that the legendary "professor" and accredited inventor of the drink used to practice. Spilling but a few drops over all, Applejack wound down her performance and poured the entire line of blue fire into one tankard, letting the flames erupt out of the rim for a few more seconds. While usually she would extinguish the fire with the bottom of the second tankard, she felt particularly inclined to tease the girl across the counter from her.

Moving the snifter glass closer to her again, she slowly poured the still blue and flaming liquid directly into the glass. She knew her own glasses well enough to be certain this one was heat-resistant enough to take the cocktail at the full strength, and certainly it did. It still lightly burned in the glass between them, the light dancing across their faces in the darkness in a tantalizing way. She hardly had to look at her hands to douse any remaining flame in the tankard, placing one atop the other.

Applejack leaned over the counter, and the girl across from her went still as she noticed the way the light caressed her somewhat revealed bosom. It was a good thing it was too dark to notice blushing, as both girls were guilty by the time Applejack's lips neared the glass. With a gentle and sensual breath, she blew out the fire from atop the cocktail. The barmaid stood up straight with a smile across her lips, caught in the wondering gaze of her infatuated guest. A gentle push slid the glass across the counter until the absent hands of her guest took hold of the steaming mix.

“That was... the most awesome thing I have ever seen,” the girl praised in a bewildered voice, her eyes jumping up to Applejack's. “You're so cool. Seriously, I, like, got wet watching that.”

“Good t'know.” Applejack chuckled awkwardly and stepped back to turn the lights on.

“Where'd you learn how to do that, anyway?” the girl asked curiously.

“Y'know what they say 'bout magicians and secrets, honey.” Applejack smirked as she set to cleaning up the mixing tools. “That, an' a lil' thing called The Bon Vivant's Companion.”

“I'm not even going to pretend I know what that means.” The girl laughed as she brought the warm glass to her lips, taking a long sip and letting it roll smoothly over her tongue. “Oh my freakin' balls, this is awesome!”

“Glad y'like it.” Applejack was pleased as she rinsed the mugs and placed them into a stray bus bucket behind the counter. “It's a nice warm treat on a cool night, Ah find.”

“You got that right,” she spoke over the liquid in her mouth.

The rainbow-headed girl wrapped both hands around the small glass, her fingers still pink from the cold, especially at the tips. Applejack found herself staring at them again, her small and cold hands. Though she had come in wearing gloves, they didn't seem to do the trick. Her guest tipped the drink back again and finished it off, more than delighted by the heat as it trailed down her throat. She licked her lips to savour the sweet and citrus flavours, before placing the glass down, with the lemon peel still inside, and sliding it across the counter.

“Y'want another one, sugarcube?” the barmaid asked casually as she snatched the glass up from the counter and tossed the lemon peel into a nearby garbage with the flick of her wrist, placing the glass into the bus bucket.

“I shouldn't.” The girl at the counter leaned back and stretched her arms out, breaking into a confident smirk as her eyes met Applejack's. “I get more charming when I drink, and I wouldn't want you falling hopelessly in love with me, Dolly.”

“How thoughtful o'you.” Applejack returned the smile and laughed lightly. Turning around to replace the bottle of whiskey, she asked a burning question, “So tell me, what can Ah call you, then? If y'don't mind m'askin'.”

“Sounds kind of funny, considering we were just talking about Miss Parton,” the girl rubbed her hands together again and blew some hot air between them. “But my name is the same as one of her albums, actually. Take a wild guess.”

Applejack glanced over her shoulder for a good few seconds, noticing the way the girl knocked her hair behind her ear with one of her cold hands. Her vibrant locks were unmistakable, and Applejack already knew just what it had reminded her of. With a smile playing coy with her lips, the barmaid turned back to face her patron and tilted her head at the endearing girl.

“Rainbow,” the barmaid guessed with a firm tone, and the two girls shared identical expressions of amusement.

“You got me.” Rainbow shrugged her shoulders casually and laid her hands out across the counter leisurely. “Rainbow Dash, if you want to know.”

“Pleasure, darlin',” Applejack tipped her hat at the girl respectfully.

“So, what do I owe you, Dolly?” Rainbow reached back and grabbed her wallet from one of the pockets of her jacket, rifling through it.

“If y'could pay in banter, we'd be square,” Applejack murmured wistfully.

Applejack frowned, for some reason, she didn't feel quite right taking money from the girl. But being a woman of business and a responsible employee, she had to do just that. She turned to the machine behind her and punched in the orders, though she had to search around for a way to add in the Blue Blazer, printing up a receipt of the drinks. Noticing the clock on said machine, she knew it was time she started on her closing duties anyway, but still, she was disappointed that this marked the end of the transaction. Applejack ripped the receipt from the printer and creased it along the middle, placing it on the counter face-down in front of Rainbow.

The girl placed two fingers on it and slipped her thumb underneath, lifting it up just enough to see the amount. It was clearly upside-down, both of them know that, but Rainbow just closed one eye and squinted, reading it as it was. She plucked a twenty-bit bill from her wallet and placed it right on top of the receipt, leaving her fingers lingering there.

“Keep the change,” Rainbow said with a smile, causing Applejack to frown deeper, almost insulted by the gesture.

“Tha's too much,” the barmaid told her dully, leaning over the counter as she went to retrieve and reread the bill to distribute the change accordingly.

As her hand touched the bill, Rainbow's closed around it, holding Applejack in place. Applejack's eyes flashed up to hers, and the two faced each other in stubborn silence for a few more seconds. Rainbow Dash's cold hand felt weird against hers, but it made her own skin turn hot to the touch. The patron leaned teasingly further across the counter, coming right close to the barmaid's face.

“Consider it a tip, for the show. And a promise,” Rainbow spoke slowly and sensually, holding Applejack still with the words and motions. “You'll be seeing more of me.”

And with that, Rainbow Dash moved closer and pressed her lips right up against Applejack's. Completely stunned by the action, the barmaid could do nothing but stare wide-eyed and let it happen, feeling the warmth on her mouth that defied the cold in her hand. She nearly flinched as the second cold hand touched her freckled cheek tenderly, but was too shocked to do much of anything at that moment. It was quite frightening, the kiss being so unprofessional and unexpected, but that made it all the more thrilling too.

But suddenly it stopped. Rainbow Dash pulled back just about an inch, her warm, scotch and citrus-scented breath tempting Applejack for a better taste. They remained still for another few seconds as Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, leaving them seductively half-lidded. The barmaid blinked back to reality when she felt the front brim of her hat get poked, knocking it back and a bit off centre. Rainbow Dash grinned cheekily and moved away at last, taking her hands with her, but leaving the cash on the counter.

“G'night, Dolly.” The patron strung her scarf back around her neck and gave a casual two-fingered salute to the barmaid, spinning around and strutting back down the stairs and out the door.

“E-ev'nin',” was the quiet stammered mumble that Applejack could muster, though Rainbow Dash was probably too far away by then to hear it.

Applejack numbly looked down at her hand, and the now scrunched up twenty-bit bill and receipt clutched inside. Placing the cash into the small detached till, she found herself unwilling to crumple and toss the receipt. A smile graced her face as she read the unusual name of the fiery cocktail she had made for the girl, something no bartender ever had to do around Jubilee's Joint; not that any of the others would risk it anyway.

The barmaid reached under the rear counter beneath the lines of alcohol along the back wall, where she kept her very own personal copy of The Bon Vivant's Companion, an old edition that was a bit torn up and well used. After laying the receipt on top of the book and running her fingers along it to fix the few wrinkles, she fingered around in the book for the correct page, opening it up to see the familiar sketch of the professor and his own stream of fire. With a fond expression curling her lips into a crooked, dimpled smirk, she slipped the receipt snugly between the pages and closed the book back up.

Author's Notes:

So, the first chapter of another new Human AppleDash story. I anticipate a good lot of downvoting as usual, but I'm not too worried. I decided to go with a restaurant theme rather than sports or school this time, so we'll see how it sits with y'all. I couldn't resist putting a little Dolly in there, too. Anyway, tell me what'cha think.