Learning To Laugh Again
A Cupcake Chronicles Side Story Series
by milesprower06

Part 8

As the sun rose over Ponyville, Surprise's heart was in her stomach as she worked to scrub the spray paint from her front display window. Business had not picked up at all, not even since she had helped Scootaloo get her cutie mark four days ago.

As she dipped the scrub brush into the bucket of soap and water, and returned it to the paint that spelled out 'NO MORE PARTIES!', her heart continued to ache, wondering why this act of vandalism had come out of a town that had been so wonderful to be a part of. Luckily, this was the extent of the damage. The store was not broken into, and nothing had been stolen. Still, this was not how she had wanted to start her morning. She had filed a report with Ponyville law enforcement, but there were absolutely no leads.

"Hey kid. You doing alright?"

She immediately recognized the voice of Filthy Rich. Even as Ponyville's largest business owner and main competitor, he was nothing short of a true gentlecolt. He had been nothing but helpful in her first week of entrepreneurship. Seeing the concerned look on his face finally brought out the tears she had been holding back for the past two hours. He came forward and put a hoof around her shoulders.

"It's gonna be alright." he consoled her.

"Why would somepony do something like this?" Surprise asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Well, I think I have that answer. It's not gonna be the easiest thing in the world for you to hear, but part of me knew I should have told you when you first came to town. I just didn't want to discourage you, that was all. Are you planning on opening today?"

Surprise shook her head.

"This paint has barely come off. I'm probably gonna have to hire a cleaning crew to come get it off. I'm barely gonna be able to afford that."

"Well, alright, come on then. I don't want you to worry about that. I'll pay for the paint removal. Come on, I want to show you something."

Filthy lead the disheartened pegasus deeper into downtown Ponyville, and brought her to the rebuilt memorial fountain.

"I'm assuming you did a bit of research on the town before you decided to start a business here, but I wouldn't be surprised if the town tried to hide what happened. Do you know what this is, Surprise?"

She shook her head. She had passed the fountain multiple times, but wasn't aware of the significance.

"This fountain was built as a memorial to the twelve victims of a serial killing spree that happened back in September a year and a half ago."

Surprise looked at the beautiful statues of the dozen ponies surrounding the fountain.

"Noi, Cotton, Carrot Top, Bon Bon, Sparkler, Blues, Tropical Storm, Cloud Kicker, Colgate, Seafoam, Vanilla Skies...all of them good ponies. One by one, they disappeared without a trace over the course of four months. A lot of townsfolk started getting scared."

Filthy led Surprise back through town to Barnyard Bargains. She followed him through the store until they got to the back, where his office was situated. He invited her to sit at one of the two chairs in front of his desk while he went around to the other side, as he started looking through a binder of newspaper clippings.

"The investigation got nowhere. There were no clues, as if each one of them up and vanished. And then..."

Filthy came to the page he was looking for, laid the binder out on the desk, and turned it around so Surprise could see it. She leaned forward in her chair, and looked at the article.

PONYVILLE SERIAL KILLER DEAD!
Disappearances in Ponyville solved.
Rainbow Dash, latest victim, listed in critical condition at Ponyville Urgent Care.

There was a full color, front page photo of law enforcement surrounding Sugar Cube Corner. In the bottom right corner, was a picture of a bright, happy pink earth pony, a goofy smile adorning her face. Surprise felt a lump in her throat.

Aside from the wild shades of pink in her coat and mane, she was her spitting image.

"They...they did this because I look like her?"

"Pinkie Pie was Ponyville's best party planner and host. When this whole thing went down, brain surgeons determined that she had been suffering from a severe split personality disorder. Evidence down in the basement proved she was performing crude, tortuous surgery on her victims, extracting their organs, and using them as baking ingredients."

Filthy closed the binder and set it back in the drawer he got it from before continuing.

"Your heart is in the right place, Surprise, but this town has been hit awfully hard. The Cupcake Killings are some of the darkest moments for Ponyville, and some folks aren't comfortable with carrying on like nothing happened. Is it wrong what they did to your storefront? Absolutely. I just wanted you to know why they did it."

"Knowing this, it makes part of me want to close up right now. I had no idea..."

"That's what I was afraid of, which is why I didn't say anything to you when I helped you unload your supplies a week ago. I probably should have, but I didn't want to discourage you."

"Business hasn't been picking up at all. At this rate, the last of my life savings is going to be drained away paying my bills."

"It may not come to that. I have a proposition for you."

Surprise sat back in her chair, waiting to hear what the business tycoon had to say.

"Over 70% of Ponyville shops at my store. Even Pinkie bought most of her supplies for her parties here. I'll now be brutally honest. From a business perspective, I'd say the chances your store has aren't good at all. But I've been looking to expand my party supply section here, to help convince Ponyville to move on. They shouldn't stop celebrating joyous occasions just because of the tragedy of one pony. I know you've got the heart for it, and I don't want to see somepony like you out on the streets, or have you move back to Seaddle when Ponyville needs your spirit. I'd like to hire you, Surprise. I want you to spearhead the expansion of my party section, and once it's up and running, you'd be the manager of that area of the store. What do you say?"

Surprise didn't know what to say. This hasn't been how she pictured things. But...since when did things go exactly according to plan? Here was Ponyville's most successful businesspony, offering a struggling entrepreneur a job, and an opportunity to still do what she loved, without leaving the town she was loving more and more by the day. Remodeling and expanding the party section would be like having a store within a store. She wouldn't have to build and maintain customer loyalty over years of extreme financial hardships.

"I...I don't know what to say, Mr. Rich. I mean...well, of course I know what to say. Yes, yes I'll take it!"

"Excellent. Under other circumstances, I'd have you start tomorrow morning, but the Pegasi have one heck of a blizzard coming in tonight, and it'll probably take time to get everything cleared. So let's go two mornings from now, alright?"

"You've got it! Thank you."

Applejack sat in the living room of the farmhouse, with a pitcher of apple cider on the end table next to her. There was an empty glass next to her, with another in her hooves. Sipping at her own cup, she glanced down next to the chair she was sitting in, down at her saddlebags. She recalled what Twilight had told her when she picked up the potions she had promised earlier today.

"Whenever you feel uncomfortable, just take a deep breath and remember why you're doing this. Also keep in mind that she likes this."

Applejack took that deep breath, just as Rainbow was coming in the front door.

"Whew. I've forgotten how fun that can be." she remarked.

"Enjoying volunteering for the weather patrol?" Applejack asked.

"You bet. We're finished preparing the major blizzard that's gonna come through tonight. First major storm of the season."
"Heh, just doesn't seem like a traditional way to spend your vacation."

Rainbow scoffed.

"Yeah, like you haven't set one hoof in those orchards over the past two weeks."

Rainbow had her there. She spotted the pitcher and glass on the end table.

"Aw, sweet. Cider!" Rainbow said, quickly grabbing it and pouring herself a glass. She gulped it down immediately, and just as quickly went for another serving. After she finished pouring, Applejack put a hoof on Rainbow's, keeping her from lifting the cup up.

"Not so fast, pet." she said, reaching down into her saddlebags. She came up with a small corked glass vial. Popping the cork off, she poured it into Rainbow's cup, and then released her hoof.

"There. Now, drink it."

Rainbow gulped, caught just a bit off guard. Every mindset switch so far had taken place in the bedroom, not out here in the middle of the house. Just what was AJ planning?

"AJ, what-"

"I didn't say you could speak. Drink it. Now."

This was definitely a command. Rainbow found her gaze slipping away from Applejack's eyes, down to the waiting cider in her cup.

"I have never had to tell you something three times. Do you really want to see what happens?" AJ threatened.

'Wow she's good at this...' Rainbow thought to herself, feeling truly intimidated by her lover at the moment. Convincing herself that Applejack wasn't going to put her in any real danger, Rainbow brought the glass to her lips and put the contents down her throat, swallowing it all with two gulps.

The effects were almost immediate. With a hiccup, Rainbow swayed, and felt very dizzy. Her vision began to blur, and she sat down in the chair behind her.

"AJ...? Applejack, just what was th...thaa..."

Rainbow slumped out of the chair, her body and the glass she was holding falling to the floor. She was out like a light.

Applejack was amazed at the speed of the potion's intended effect.

She had work to do.