Anticipation is incredibly unforgiving to a young pony. Whether it’s a holiday, birthday, or a surprise revealed too early, anticipation can drive a young filly mad. Having no chance to speak to Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle before class, Applebloom was forced to sit through what felt like days of lecturing before finally having the chance to speak with them after school. As the bell rang signaling the end of the lesson for the day, Applebloom motioned Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to follow as she dashed out into the schoolyard and sat on a bench.

“Ah need to talk to y’all ‘bout somethin’ important.”

“Should we go to the clubhouse then?” Scootaloo asked. It was their headquarters for a reason, and it was an incredible breach of CMC code to hold such a meeting anywhere else.

“There’s no time. Now listen, mah sister said there may be a way to get Silver t’ come back if we can find a way to cheer up Ruby. Now, anypony have any ideas?”

“Man, Ruby’s been really down since Silver left. She doesn’t seem to have cheered up at all the last few days,” Scootaloo replied, pointing to the dejected unicorn who was slowly walking towards home.

“That’s why ah said we should try t’ cheer ‘er up, then!”

“Applebloom, I think she’s still mad at your sister. I don’t think she’s going to respond well to anything coming from you,” Sweetie Belle explained.

“But ah didn’t do nothin’! Ah wanna help!”

“Storm wanted to patch things up with me, but I wouldn’t listen. We can try, but she may not be ready,” Scootaloo explained, uncharacteristically somber.

“Ah don’t wanna make anythin’ worse. What should we do, y’all?”

“You could actually try talking to me, maybe.” The three drew silent as Ruby slowly trotted over and sat next to Sweetie Belle on the bench.

“Ruby, ah just wanted to say ah’m sorry for what my sister’s done. Ah don’t know what it was, but it musta been ‘orrible, t’ make Silver run off like that.”

“It wasn’t your fault, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still angry at Applejack.”

“Well, maybe...”

“Really angry, Applebloom.”

“If ah could fix it, ah would.”

“I know,” Ruby said with a sigh. She had thought venting a little might help, but seeing Applebloom sad for something she didn’t do just made her feel worse. “I don’t like being angry, it’s no fun.”

“I’ve got just the thing, Ruby.” The unicorn grew skeptical as Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, along with a place to stand on the table, and began to sing. The melodious sound drew the attention of everypony else in the class, who began crowding near the table to watch as she let the music flow.

“I see a friend, I know she’s sad,
but I know just what to do.
I’ll sing a song, nice and long
until a smile returns to you!

Cheer up, Ruby!
Things won’t stay this way.
You’ve got your friends,
We’ll make amends,
And bring Shiny back to stay!”

Catching on to the idea and remembering her remarkable performance at the talent show, Scootaloo decided to grace the audience with an encore.

“Let’s all work together,
to pound that bad mood in the face!
We’ll take a...”

A tap on the shoulder cut her short, and she glanced down at Applebloom who still had one hoof covering an ear.

“Uh, Scootaloo, why don’t ya leave the singin’ t’ Sweetie Belle?”

“Oh well, I tried. Ok, Sweetie Belle, let ‘em have it!” Ruby was unable to restrain the corners of her mouth from rising an inch or two, and before she knew it, she was grinning just as widely as every other pony while Sweetie Belle continued.

“A sip of juice, a dash of rainbow,
a little more juice, just to make you glow.
A little more laughter, a little more fun,
and soon we’ll have that frown on the run!

Cheer up, Ruby!
Things really aren’t that blue.
Things may have gone wrong,
but by the end of this song,
you’ll know we’re here for you!”

“Sweetie Belle, that was amazin’! Ah wish ah could sing like that. But more importantly, Ruby looks happier.”

“That’s ‘cause I am. Thanks, you three. I’m sorry for being such a stick in the mud.”

“That’s what you have friends for, to reach in and pull ya out!” Scootaloo explained, throwing an arm loosely about Ruby’s shoulder.

“Well, I suppose I can’t call you a blank flank anymore, Sweetie Belle. Took you long enough.” Even though the words were congratulatory, Diamond Tiara still found a way to make them sound offensive.

“What are you talking about, Diamond? I was just singing to...” Sweetie Belle started before stopping mid sentence in disbelief. A pink heart emblazoned with a purple microphone had appeared on her flank while she had been singing, pouring her soul into using a song to lift another’s spirits.

“Sweetie Belle, you finally got yer Cutie Mark! Ah can’t believe it!”

“That’s so cool! How’d you do it?”

“I don’t know, it just happened!”

“Ugh, that’s just what everypony else says! Can’t you give us anything more than that?”

“Well, when I was singing for Ruby, it just felt right, you know?”

“Not really, we got blank flanks still. So does this mean... the end of the Cutie Mark Crusaders?”

“What, are you crazy? There’s no way I’m leaving until you two have your Cutie Marks! And besides, we’re still friends.” The three shared a rather loud three way high hoof while Diamond Tiara lost interest, and the small crowd went about their business. “Now Ruby, we’re gonna find a way to cheer you up even more.”

“And how are you gonna do that?”

“We’re going to, uh... what are we going to do, Applebloom?”

“Ruby, you want yer uncle t’ come back, right?”

“More than anything. Shiny made my mom smile a lot, and that’s all I really want.”

“Well then, we’re just going to have to get him back! Even if we have to drag him all the way from Manehatten!” Scootaloo declared, crossing her hooves across her chest.

“There’s no way we’d be allowed t’ go all the way t’ Manehatten. Mah sister would kill me.”

“Hey, I know! Let’s get everypony to sign a letter saying they want Silver to come back! When we get enough names, we can send it. I’m sure once he sees how many ponies miss him, he’ll come racing back on the very next train.”

“Sweetie Belle, you’re a genius! That sound good to you, Ruby?”

“I like it, let’s get going!” The usual three-way high hoof made room for one more. Once the pact was sealed, they raced back into class, grabbed a stack of papers and some pencils, and made for town to set about their work.

Silver was much more popular than any of the fillies had imagined. By the time evening came, they had signatures from well over half of the town, many with personal messages. Carrot Top’s alone was nearly five pages, and they all apologized for calling Applebloom crazy when she insisted on bringing such an enormous stack of papers with them. The thought of getting to slake their thirst with some Shockberry juice fueled their efforts, and legs, to keep going, and Twilight opened her door to find four exhausted fillies at her doorstep.

“Hey girls, what’s with the stack of papers?”

“We’ve been... having ponies sign a... a petition,” Sweetie Belle gasped out, allowing herself to collapse on the ground and sending the papers scattering to the ground. Twilight immediately gathered the pages from each filly into one large stack, carrying it into the house with great interest and motioning for them to follow. Dawn found the sudden company much more thought provoking than her food, and with a flash she was in the center of the group of friends, watching their every move.

“Girls, this just looks like a bunch of names. Where’s the petition part?”

“It’s in there somewhere, Twilight. Those names are all the ponies who want Silver to come back,” Sweetie Belle explained.

“What an excellent idea! I will bind them and make sure he gets them tonight. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds amazin’, Twilight. Thanks fer the help.”

“Um, Miss Twilight?”

“Yes, Ruby, what is it?”

“Can I borrow one more paper to write my own letter to Shiny?” Twilight nodded and levitated a parchment to the little unicorn, who got right to work drafting her message to Silver. Upon its completion, Twilight put Ruby’s letter on top, bound it with cord and had Spike send it away. Ruby was impressed with the dragon’s magic, and offered him her praise and thanks, leaving him thoroughly embarrassed. Seeing the time and knowing her mother would be worried, Ruby and her newfound friends scampered off towards Starfall Tavern.

It wasn’t right. And yet, it wasn’t wrong. The truth, it seems, is just as convoluted as the emotions of the heart. Silver pulled away from the beaker on the heating pad, breaking the flow of magic and breathing heavily. The answer seemed so close, but every time he seemed to grasp an answer, it would slip away. “Maybe my parents are right, this is all just a waste of my time...” He looked around at the pages of notes that littered the room, where he had spent every spare moment he had working towards the completion of the long sought-after recipe that had eluded him at every turn.

Confusion turned to sorrow, and sorrow gave birth to rage as he shoved everything on the table to the floor, tearing his notes and finally sinking to the ground. “Are these scars... all for nothing? Has everything I’ve worked for been a lie?” Disregarding his best efforts, the tears came forth, running from his face and down his chest as he stared at the ceiling. Were he not so exhausted, seeing a thick stack of papers appear above him would have been cause to shield himself, but instead he stared as it hovered a moment, contemplating its descent before smashing into his face. Recalling the last letter he had received in such a manner, and knowing who it was from, he grabbed the package and without a thought tossed it into the trash before storming out of the room.

Perfect Jewel said nothing as the door to the shop slammed shut, silently wishing for something, anything to happen that would restore her son to the happy stallion he once was. He may have had dark times before where fear and doubt took a hold, but he always shook it off. But this...

“Celestia, Luna, please do something to help Silver.” Luna was, in fact, helping more than Jewel could know, raising the stars at night which Silver frequently slipped away to watch. Outside, away from the city and artificial light, he found freedom from the confines of daily life. It was in the outskirts that he could almost feel at home, almost feel like he were back in Ponyville, where the stars shone the brightest.

“I want to go back,” he whispered as he stared at the sky. “But what would I say? What can I do... Please, Applejack, just one more letter. Just give me a little more, so I can overcome this turmoil in my heart.” Sometimes, the answers can be known without one’s knowledge, and are simply buried too deeply to be realized. Whether a hallucination or simply his subconscious mind showing him what he already knew, the stars seemed to suddenly form a scroll. “That’s right, she did send one more!” Leaping upright, he galloped back into town, making straight for home. “Mom, I need the keys.”

“You know I don’t like you experimenting when there’s nopony to keep an eye on you, Silver.”

“Mom, please, this is really important.” Jewel nodded and tossed him the keys, smiling as he made his exit. Somehow, and she really didn’t care one way or the other, there was hope in her son’s eyes again, and for that she was thankful.

By the time he arrived at the shop again he could only rest against the door, his ragged breaths clawing their way out of his chest as he gasped for air. It was quite a distance to the shop from home, and he as already exhausted from using so much magic. As he spared a little more magic to fit the key into the lock, he let out a soft groan as his head started to throb. Flipping on the lights, he trotted back to the lab and pulled out the stack of papers. It may not have been from Applejack, but the message from Ruby broke through the uncertainty and hesitation that had barred him from returning, and his eyes filled with grateful tears as he read.

“Uncle Shiny,

When are you coming back? Mommy and I have been really sad since you left. I made some new friends today, but it’s not the same without you here. Please come back soon! I’m not the only pony, that wants you back. Just keep reading, there’s a bunch of ponies that miss you. You never liked that dirty city, so come back to Ponyville, ok?

Ruby Pinch”

“Ruby, I’m not going to keep you waiting much longer. Just be patient with your Uncle Shiny, ok?” he whispered, clutching the page to his chest. “I’m coming back soon.”

Word of Berry’s challenge had spread like wildfire, and the bar was packed full as she made her entrance with Big Macintosh in tow. A number of nasty jibes were thrown in the first few moments, but Twilight leapt onto a table and put on a rather flash display of her magic, causing any would-be mockers to silence themselves for fear of their lives. Upon seeing her challenger, Berry stooped down and pulled out a small cask that she had filled with the Dragon Liquor, setting it down with a resounding thump and motioning for silence.

“Attention everypony. I’m sure you’ve all heard that Applejack has accepted my challenge, with the wager being my forgiveness.” There was a murmur as the crowd nodded, and she waited for the noise to die down before continuing. “That means that, in effect, she’s vying for all of your forgiveness as well. If she wins tonight, I want to never hear of any bitterness towards her in regard to what she’s done to my cousin. Are we agreed?” There was a resounding cheer as the room screamed their approval.

“All right, cut the fancy theatrics, Berry. What kind of ‘orrible challenge ‘ave ya got for me?”

“In this barrel,” Berry called out, raising her voice once more, “Is a special brew made by Silver. He calls it ‘Dragon Liquor’ because it’s strong enough to get a full grown dragon drunk with just a single mug. Or, more recently, two glasses for the princesses.” There was a chorus of laughter at the memory, along with some rather inappropriate comments and whistles. “Now, as many of you know, I’ve been drinking for a very long time. I have never, to this day, been able to take on a full mug at once. I’ve gotten close, to be sure, but never finished it down to the drop before passing out. That,” she said with a flourish, pointing all eyes to Applejack, “is your challenge.”

“What, is that all? Here you got me all excited fer nothin’!” Applejack countered locking eyes with Berry. “What’re you waitin’ for? Pour me a mug an’ let’s get this show on the road!”

“That’s right, Applejack, you show ‘em what you’re made of!” Rainbow Dash shouted, with the rest of her friends echoing their encouragement. Berry knew just how dangerous this was, as Silver had always been around to make sure she didn’t die of alcohol poisoning each time she’d tried the gamble. She may have set an impossible challenge, but she didn’t want Applejack to be in harm’s way. Turning her back to the crowd, she opened a vial of the hangover cure and dumped it into the glass before turning back to the counter and filling the mug. The scent of the potent liquor filled the room, causing everypony to look at Applejack for a response as Berry walked over and set the glass down.

“Here you go, Applejack. You may start whenever you’re ready.”

“I ain’t no fool, Berry. This is a set up, somethin’ you don’t think ah can possibly win.”

“Getting cold hooves, Applejack?”

“Not a chance, Berry.” She slowly stood, grabbing the glass and stopping with it just before her lips. “This is fer you, Silver,” she whispered. The room dropped silent as she suddenly bit into her unused hoof, sinking her teeth deep and grunting slightly at the pain. “Ah hope this can clean such a nasty taste outta the mouth, Berry,” she said with a grin, wiping the blood from her mouth and noting the look of shock on the mare’s face.

The world faded to black as she closed her eyes, bringing the glass to her lips and starting in. It took all her effort to suppress the urge to choke as the brew sizzled and burned going down. She was only a fourth of the way done, but she could already feel the effect kicking in, and knowing it would be foolish to continue standing she sat down hard, not letting the cup leave her lips. Even with her eyes closed, she felt the room begin to spin as she breached the halfway point while her chest caught fire from the potent inebriant. Stopping briefly to gasp for air, she took one deep breath and plunged in again, focusing every fiber of her being on the throbbing pain in her other hoof that hung at her side. A numbness began to take a hold as the voices grew quieter and quieter, the cup seeming to grow exponentially heavier and heavier. With one last push, she bit down on the mug and fell onto her back, downing the last drop as she passed out amidst roars of admiration that fell on deaf ears. Big Macintosh stooped to collect his sister, hoisting her onto his back and transfixing Berry with a piercing glare.

“When my sister wake up, ah hope you’re ready to apologize. An’ if she comes t’ harm from this little challenge o’ yers, Silver ain’t gonna be able t’ help you.” By the time he got Applejack back to Sweet Apple Acres, her temperature had plummeted, and she began sweating profusely as her body forcibly dehydrated from the excessive alcohol consumption. The thermometer read dangerously low when he pulled it out, and with care he gathered her into his arms and whispered an apology into her ears before heaving hard. By reflex, her body expelled the contents of her stomach, but in her drunken stupor she remained incapable of regaining consciousness.

The more Twilight thought about it, the more dangerous Applejack’s feat became. Berry had said nothing since the event, serving drinks in silence and avoiding the table in the center where her friends sat, casting glances her direction every so often. She busied herself washing glasses as she saw Twilight stand and walk over.

“Berry.” She slowly turned to face the lavender mare, swallowing hard. “How much was the most you ever drank of a glass of that Dragon Liquor?”

“Half... no, two thirds of a glass.”

“And what happened afterwards?”

“I think Silver induced vomiting and took care of me, making sure I didn’t...”

“Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’re putting her in?” Twilight’s shout commanded the attention of the room, and Berry found a host of stares to be her only comfort.

“I... I put in one of my cousin’s inventions, a compound that eases the effect of a hangover. It should help her body fight off the alcohol.”

“Let me see.” Berry reached under the counter and handed the vial to Twilight, who glanced at it for a moment before teleporting out of sight. Cerulean raced over to where she had just been standing, picking up the empty tube and reading the inscription.

“Oh no...”

“What’s...”

“Tell me, can you read this?” he demanded, pointing at the label.

“No, but it looked like...”

“It doesn’t matter what it looked like, Berry. It says ‘Augment Alcohol Poison.’”

Twilight didn’t even bother to knock as she appeared outside of the Apple family house, throwing open the door and racing up the steps. The door was slightly ajar, and she entered cautiously, noting the pile of unattended vomit and the fact that Applejack was nowhere to be seen. As she fought to calm the pounding of her heart, she noticed the sound of running water and eased open the bathroom door. Big Mac sat cradling his sister under a steaming downpour in a desperate attempt to increase her internal temperature, and he slowly raised his eyes to meet Twilight’s. Despite the water cascading down around them, Twilight could tell that the streams coming from the frightened stallion’s eyes weren’t coming from above.

“Ah don’t know what to do, Twilight. Please, help her! Help mah sister...” He held his sister’s limp form out, and with a flash of lavender light, he was left alone with empty hooves.