A bright sunny day was the backdrop for the perfect date with Pinkie Pie. The chirping of the birds, a nice little breeze, and a picnic basket full of fruit and sweets was all the couple needed for the perfect, romantic day.

“Would ya like another slice of cake?” Scribble asked coyly.

Pinkie already had her plate out and waiting. “Yes please!” she chimed, licking her muzzle at the thought of more cake entering her belly.

Scribble put a slice on her plate while looking into her magnetic, addictive blue eyes. Those eyes, the doorway into another world, were the one thing that could make Scribble lose all sense and reason.

Pinkie noticed Scribble starring into her eyes, returning the favour with a seductive wink of her own. “C’mon Scribble, get up, we’re startin’!” she yelled.

“Wait…what!” Scribble was baffled at the sudden change of topic.

“Hurry up! You’re gonna miss it!”

“Pinkie! What gives?! Ya don’t even sound like yaself anymore!”

Pinkie started to fade into the distance, slowly sliding out of Scribble’s grasp. “Hurry up!” she yelled again, getting further and further away.

“PINKIE! PINKIE, COME BBBAAAAACK!”

Scribble shot up, shock of losing the pony he loved weighing heavily on his heart. A little yellow filly was catapulted off the end of the bed as a result.

“Ouch! Hey Scribble, watch it, will ya!” Apple Bloom scolded, rubbing her sore flank.

Scribble quickly took in his surroundings noticing he must have been dreaming. Apple Bloom was a sore little filly on the ground. “Sorry, Apple Bloom, I didn’t notice ya was on the bed.”

The little filly got up and trotted around to the side of the bed, still rubbing her now-red flank. “That’s okay. Applejack jus’ wanted me ta wake ya up is all. An’ what’s wit’ cryin’ out fer Pinkie in yer sleep?” she slyly asked.

Scribble pulled the sheets off slowly pulling himself out of the cozy bed, not really in any mode to get up right now. He started stretching while he answered the filly. “She was gettin’ further an’ further…HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but break out in laughter, making Scribble’s cheeks as red as the filly’s mane. “That…that is none of your business, ya little ankle biter!”

“Course it is! You were the one yellin’ in yer sleep,” she shot back.

Scribble stuck his head high, knowing what would shut her muzzle up. “This kind of topic is big pony stuff only.”

“Ah’m a big pony!” Apple Bloom huffed, puffing out her chest.

“No you’re not,” Scribble cheekily corrected.

“Fine!” she huffed, making for the door. “Ah am a big pony!” she protested again, slamming the door shut.

“Big ponies don’t chuck wobblies like that either!” he shouted back.

Apple Bloom thrust the door back open and trotted right up to Scribble, bold and determined, each hoof step slamming into the wooden floor. She puffed up her chest while pointing an accusing hoof at him. “Ah’m not gettin’ angry either!”

Scribble started to chuckle as he started to count, completely ignoring Apple Bloom, who was standing in his face yelling to be acknowledged. “Three, two, one…”

He predicted the outcome perfectly, like a master thief planning Equestria’s most daring heist. Just as Scribble finished counting, Applejack bellowed out from down stairs, “Apple Bloom, what is all that yellin’ an’ huffin’ fer?!”

Apple Bloom’s eyes shot open and her jaw fell to the floor, she knew she was in trouble. Sounds of somepony coming up the stairs to investigate the ruckus proved it.

Scribble let a giggle slip out. He couldn’t help but find the state the little filly was in to be downright funny. “Stop laughin’ at me!” Apple Bloom demanded as she jumped up on the bed and stuck her muzzle right in Scribble face.

Scribble’s smile turned into a cheeky grin. “An’ if I don’t?”

“Ah will buck ya like an apple tree!”

Scribble’s smirk only increased as he tried to stop his laugh with a forehoof. Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, was just about ready to let the cheeky pony have it good and right in the face, as she pulled back a forehoof of her own.

“APPLE BLOOM!”

The little filly froze solid, much like an instant block off ice. Sweat started to pour down her face as true terror got closer and closer behind her. Scribble was still trying to stifle his laugh, failing to do so at Apple Bloom’s plight, partly because he thought she deserved it.

Applejack grabbed her little sister by the main and lifted her in the air. “What is this Ah heard comin’ from yer mouth, lil’ sis?”

Apple Bloom lost all the control she had left, sweating profusely all over her body and trying to mumble any excuse that would come to her head. “But…bu…but sis, Ah wasn’t really gonna…”

“Ah don’t wanna hear it, Apple Bloom! Fer now, yer’re grounded, lil’ missy!” Scribble turned his head a little to cover a snicker, but Applejack caught him out the corner of her eye. “An’ yer on extra apple buckin’ detail, Scribble!”

“What! Me? How come?!”

It was now Apple Blooms chance to return the favour, she used a forehoof to cover a vengeful snicker of her own.

“’Cause it takes two ta tango. Both ya an’ Bloom were figtin’, so both o’ ya get punished.”

“Not fair!” Both Bloom and Scribble protested.

“Well, if y’all like, Ah will make both ya clean the barn as well!”

“NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” both the ponies in trouble yelled, not wanting more scolding or chores.

“Good. Then both o’ ya head downstairs. We got Zap Apple Jam ta make.” Her work good as done, Applejack about-faced and made her way downstairs.

Scribble leaned over to Apple Bloom to whisper his next remark. “Ya know, this is all your fault.”

“Is not.”

“Is to!”

“Is not!”

Applejack stuck her head back in the door. “What was that?”

She saw an Apple Bloom and Scribble Script with golden halos above their heads. “Nothing,” they answered with all the innocence they could manage.

“Okay, youngin’s, pay close attention. Today, Ah will show y’all the way ta cook my famous Zap Apple Jam,” Granny Smith ordered, making Apple Bloom and Scribble stand at attention.

“Applejack, ya sure it’s okay for me to learn your family’s secret process for making Zap Apple Jam?” Scribble asked, not wanting to be a burden to his friends. Scribble looked away from any gazing eyes, not able to look anypony in the eyes, especially Applejack.

Applejack knew what Scribble was thinking and was going to have none of it. She trotted up to his and whacked him, hard, upside the back of the head. Scribbled yipped at the sudden pain jolting from his head all the way through his body. She then used both forehooves to grab Scribble by the face and look him in the eyes. “Ain’t ya figured it out yet? Yer already family!”

“But…but!” For Scribble friends was one thing…but family was another. Can the Apples really make him a family member?

“No buts Mister.” Applejack looked him firmly in the eyes again. “We’re siblings, along with Bloom an’ Mac. Right y’all?” all Apple family members agreeing without a second thought.

Scribble broke down, tears full of and thankfulness to Applejack and her family. “You all really mean that?”

“Ah course we do sugar. Now come here an’ give me a hug,” Applejack grinned.

Scribble obliged without hesitation, giving Applejack a huge hug. Scribble had gotten used to the idea of friends, but Applejack and her family were just so kind, so selfless.

“Oi, Ah didn’t say we got time fer slackin’ off, youngin’s!” Granny Smith snapped.

On Granny Smith’s order, all Apples—including a Scribble--resumed to the job at hoof of making Zap Apple Jam. Scribble did so with a skip in his step, much like Pinkie in some ways, Applejack noted to herself.

The day dragged on as Granny Smith and Applejack showed Scribble every step of the Zap Apple Jam process. At some points, he was completely shocked, pink polkadots and giving orders to glass jars being the highlights. Scribble laughed especially hard when Apple Bloom and her friends tried to be “Cutie Mark Crusader lawyers,” taking it upon themselves to challenge Granny Smith’s ruling on some of the glass jars.

Scribble was paying attention, finding this process simply amazing, and in some ways, quite similar to some things his mother used to when making jams and spreads, minus all the magical stuff. But thoughts also drifting to his new life, being a member of the Apple family and having a special mare that might be his own someday. Quite often Applejack would catch him drifting off into some daydream, or just deep in thought, subconsciously writing down notes.

“Hey,” Applejack said out of concern, poking Scribble in the side. “You okay? Actin’ a little spaced out there.”

Scribble shook himself from any lingering thoughts, tapping himself on the head and making a mental note to pay more attention to the cooking process. “Ya AJ, I’m fine.”

“Ya sure? Ya seem a might distracted ‘bout somethin’.”

“Just thinkin’ on a few things is all.”

“Talk o’ family got yer mind on yer folks, does it?”

Scribble nodded, memories of home starting to flood his mind.

Applejack trotted up and put a hoof around his back. She quickly turned to the older Apple. “Hey, Granny. Me an’ Scribble are gonna take five.” To which Granny Smith yelled out something about needing more honey and slowly trotted off towards the barn.

Applejack and Scribble went to the front veranda and sat on the bench. The view overlooking the orchard under the midday sun was a brilliant site to behold. Celestia really did live up to her reputation on perfect, sunny autumn days such as this.

“Tell me ‘bout yer family. Ah really wanna know what life was like back then.”

Scribble thought about it for a moment, wondering where to start. “Well, what ya wanna know?”

“What life was like on yer farm,” Applejack replied, interested to see if anything was different between the different parts of Equestria.

“Hmm, where to start?”

Scribble came racing home after a long day at school. He was in the final years of school, being only sixteen and all. He raced in the door, straight past the kitchen and into his room, wanting nothing more than to get the heavy load of school books off his back and disappear into some reading for the afternoon.

“Scribble, come to the kitchen please,” his mother called.

No reply came from down the hall. Sugary Delight was a little annoyed her son no came on her first call. “Scribble! Get your sorry little flank into this kitchen before I drop kick it to Canterlot an’ back!”

A few items being thrown around and a pony falling over in his attempt to hurry into the kitchen told the sugar chief that her son was now on the way. She walked back into the kitchen and resumed her cooking.

Scribble rushed into the kitchen, the promise of being physically kicked halfway over Equestria and back didn’t sound too fun. As he entered, the sweet smell of pastry goods filled the room and his curious nose. “Scribble, next time I call for ya, I expect to have to do so only once. We clear, young colt?”

“Yes mom,” he groaned.

“Good.” She placed a doughnut on the counter for him to snack on while she addressed the matter at hoof. “How was school today?”

“It was okay,” Scribble deadpanned, taking a bite of the tasty treat.

“Oh honey, not again. What happened this time?”

“Nothing,” he lied, looking away from his mother’s gaze.

“That bad, huh?” she asked, already knowing the answer. Scribble slightly nodded to confirm, putting down what was of his half-eaten doughnut, having no more apatite.

“Oh Scribble, wanna chat ‘bout it?”

“No thanks,” he sobbed.

“Okay then. Well, dad is out at the mill refining the sugar. Ya could go an’ help him?”

“Hmm, okay. Beats doin’ nothing,” he mumbled, slowly trudging out the front door to help his father.

“That’s it! Scribbled suddenly yelled, bringing the story to a sudden halt and scaring Applejack half to death.

“Whoa, nelly!” was all Applejack could scream before falling off the seat and onto the wooden deck with a rather loud THUD!

She got up, rubbing her now-sore flank. “What in tarnation was that fer?”

Scribble was brimming with a huge smile. “’Cause I just got a really sweet idea,” he teased.

Applejack gave him a flat look, none too happy over the whole sore flank she now had. “What idea?”

“The surprise-kind-of, I-can’t-tell-you-now idea.”

“What?! Jus’ spit it out!” she demanded.

“Nope.”

Applejack was rather annoyed, shooting Scribble with an unamused glare. He only responded with a childish face and cheeky laugh. “I will need the kitchen for an hour, undisturbed.”

“What fer?”

“Silly! It’s secret, ‘member?”

Applejack folded her forehooves in reluctant defeat, “Fine.”

“What ya thik he doin’ in there Applejack?”

“Ah’m not sure, lil’ sis. But it does smell nice in there,” Applejack observed, taking a few greedy whiffs of the sweet smell coming from the kitchen.

Scribble had been cooking something in there for nearly an hour now. Curiosity was killing the Apple family. Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom all stood along the hallway wall leading into the kitchen, wanting to know what Scribble was doing in there.

Applejack sneakily poked her head around the corner of the wall to get a look, only to receive an apple to her mouth. “Oi, no peaking!” Scribble yelled.

She spat the apple out to address Scribble, quite annoyed she got one thrown at her in the first place. “Tarnation! Ya can’t go thrown apples at me like…” Applejack was cut off with another apple to the mouth.

“Family, ‘member? Gives me ‘I-can-throw-apples-in-your-mouth-an’-get-away-with-it’ permission,” Scribble chuckled. “Now, get out!” He throw a few more apples towards his dearest friend and sibling, making her do a quick turn and bolt back down the hallway.

Applejack landed on her stomach after tripping over her own hooves in the escape attempt. Apple Bloom and Big Mac could hardly contain their laughter. “He got ya good sis!” Apple Bloom chuckled, rolling around on the floor.

“Eeyup,” Mac agreed, trying harder than his little sister to hide his laughter.

Applejack was both annoyed and pleased at the remark. ‘He sure has taken ta things rather quickly after that first big hurdle three months ago. Now Ah look back on it, Ah guess he really is family ‘round here.’

She picked herself off the ground and dusted herself off. “An’ don’t bother comin’ back into the kitchen till I good an’ ready, AJ!” Scribble hollered from the kitchen.

“One o’ these days Ah will…” Applejack trailed off when she noticed her brother giving her a knowing look.

“He’s settled in quite well. Don’t ya reckon?” Mac asked.

“Ah know,” Applejack smiled.

“C’mon, let’s go wait in the other room til’ he’s finished.”

Applejack and Apple Bloom followed their older brother into the front room and waited for Scribble to finish. They passed the time with chatter about their latest family member over the last three months.

It took Scribble another twenty minutes to finish, but he was done and the surprise ready. The kitchen might have been in a little bit of a mess, some dishes and pots not cleaned yet, and some food scraps on the floor, but Scribble couldn’t wait any longer to show off his surprise.

“Okay guys, all ready! Come an’ check it out!” Scribble yelled from the kitchen.

A stampede of curious Apples piled into the kitchen. On the dining table were two jars of Zap Apple Jam, each with some slices of bread with the spread on it for them to sample.

Apple Bloom got up on a chair to better see the contents on the table. “So ya wanna show us yer Zap Apple Jam makin’ skills?”

Scribble giggled, watching the filly take a carful sniff of the food on display. “Not quite. I can make Zap Apple Jam fine. But, what I did this time was add something of my own to one of the jars.” Scribble pointed to the jar on the right to make his point. “The one on the left is a jar you guys made earlier. The one on the right is one I made with my extra…ingredients added to it. I want ya to taste-test both an’ tell me what ya think. Start with the left one.”

All Apple family members took a bite from the left jar. After a few minutes, they all agreed it was their Zap Apple Jam, alright.

Applejack was first to pick up one of Scribble’s altered jam recipes. “Ya sure this is edible?”

“Yes!” Scribble huffed. “Just try it.”

Applejack brought the piece of bread with Scribble’s version of their jam to her mouth. Apple Bloom and Big Mac paying close attention to reaction. She took a slow bite and began to chew, instantly lost to the taste. Somehow, Scribble had made it sweeter and more lasting. The fact Applejack’s mouth was open and her tongue hung out while she was lost to the world proved it.

“Wow! Must be good!” Bloom cheered, grabbing a piece for herself and wasting no time in woofing it down. “YUMMY!” she screamed, jumping around the kitchen.

“Eeyup!” Mac excitingly agreed, taking another piece to try.

Applejack finally was able to end her own daze and shook it off. “Land sakes! Jus’ what in tarnation ya do ta make it taste so sweet?” Everypony else looking to Scribble, curious as well.

Scribble put a forehoof in the air and dawned a cheeky smile. “Family secret.”

“WHAT! Ya have ta tell us what ya did ta our Zap Apple Jam!” Applejack demanded, running up to Scribble and grabbing him with both forehooves.

Scribble expression was calm and excited at the same time, the kind of peace one can only have when you know you have others in the world that will be there for you. “Applejack,” Scribble chuckled, “have ya already forgotten what ya told me before?”

Applejack put Scribble down to try and contemplate what she might have said, “Umm…”

He gave Applejack a playful shove. “Silly, you are family.”

All at once, it clicked inside Applejack’s head. She turned to Scribble, a huge, excited smile plastered across her face. She hugged him and asked, “Wait, ya mean…?”

“Of course I do.”

Mac and Bloom were now out of the loop. “Applejack, what does he mean?” Apple Bloom asked.

Not letting go of her hug, Applejack turned her head to address her little sister. “He means the secret ingredient he used in his version of our Zap Apple Jam was his family’s secret sugar recipe. That stuff is the sweetest sugar in all Equestria. Nopony was ever able to rival the Sugar’s when it came to making sugar that sweet.”

Apple Bloom’s face went into over-excited-mode. “REALLY?!”

“She’s right, Bloomy,” Scribble confirmed.

“No wonder that Zap Apple Jam was so sweet,” Applejack claimed. She squeezed Scribble tighter, thanking him for what he did. “So, yer gonna tell us how ta make sugar like yer family did?”

Scribble finally broke the hug, and wiped a happy tear from Applejack’s eye. “Of course I will. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner.” Scribble let out a little sigh, dimming his excited demeanour a little. “My family is all…gone, an’ I’m the last living member who knows this secret. Considering what you and your family has done for me, Applejack, I think ya would honour my family’s legend by takin’ this secret an’ making it your own.”

“So, it’s really okay?” Applejack asked again, crying tears of joy.

“Applejack, ya saved my life, became my very first friend, an’ now made me part of your family. I know my mum would kill me if I didn’t show ya.”

Applejack grabbed Scribble by the forehooves and danced him round in circled. “Oh, thank ya so much! With this, our family will be able ta make all the sweetest pastries an’ Zap Apple Jam in all Equestria. Our sales will surely go up! Right, Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Mac agreed, spreading himself another slice of Scribble’s sweet jam across another slice of bread.

Scribble managed to stop himself from going dizzy, settling his four hooves back on solid ground. “I will do ya one better. Next season, I will show ya guys how to grow, harvest, an’ refine the sugar. Sure, the way I cooked the sugar ya have here is tasty, but if ya grow it and refine it yaselves, it is much better.”

“Mac, go an’ grab the good bottle o’ cider. Tonight, we party!” Applejack proclaimed.

It had been one hell of a party for the new and improved Apple family, celebrating into the late hours of the morning. Scribble finally came to on the lounge room floor, a huge splitting head and stomach pains the first things to greet him. He slowly got up, still a little wobbly, and proceeded to the kitchen with a groan.

“Mornin’,” Applejack teased. She was sitting at the table with a coffee and some toast. Scribble noticed his handiwork from yesterday spread across it. “You okay? It’s like ya neva had a hangova’ befo’?”

Scribble only responded with an annoyed groan and a not-impressed expression directed at Applejack. He slowly made his way to the table and pulled a seat, almost falling off it in the attempt to sit down.

“Oh! Sorry, Scribble. Ah had no idea ya neva had a drink until last night. But Ah know jus’ the thin’.” She got out of her seat and opened the fridge, pulling out a few ingredients and some weird bottle from the cupboard. “Ah know yer not one fer coffee, so this will do the trick.”

Applejack put a few different things into a glass and mixed, including a spoon full of powder from that bottle. Scribble tried his best to pay attention, but his state made it impossible to contemplate anything that was complicated.

Applejack placed the glass of bubbling liquid in front of Scribble. “Here, drink up. Jus’ don’t ask what’s in it, but it will fix ya right up.”

Scribble went to pick up the glass, but missed with a hoof as it landed on the table. Applejack giggled. She had to admit Scribble was fun to watch like this. “Okay, let me do it.” Like Scribble had a choice.

Applejack grabbed his mane and held his head back, while she used her other free hoof to hold the cup to his mouth. “Open wide.” Scribble took a sniff of the contents and shook his head in protest. “Fine, we can do this the hard way,” Applejack snickered, a cunning smile on her face. She used a spare hindhoof to step down—hard—on Scribble’s tail, making Scribble yip in pain and open his mouth wide. Applejack wasted no time in pouring the contents of that drink down his throat.

It took a minute, but Scribble finally came round, whatever was in that drink certainly did the trick. His eye shot open as the effect of that drink took full force. “WHAT THE BUCK YA DO THAT FOR?!” he yelled, directing his rage at a chuckling Applejack who was at the sink, rinsing the cup out.

Applejack smirked again, that cunning smile back on her lips. “Family, ‘member. Gives me ‘Ah-can-get-rid-o’-yer-hangova-by-shovin’-this-here-liquid-down-yer-throat-an’-get-away-with-it’ permission.”

Scribble’s jaw dropped. Applejack had used his own line and excuse against him. Part of Scribble was annoyed he let her get away with it, the other happy he was this close to the Apples that events like this were common place. “Just, what was in that stuff? Was potent!”

“Trust me, ya won’t wanna know. Will only make ya throw it up.”

“…Really?”

“Eeyup.”

Applejack sat back down at the table to finish her breakfast. “So, what do ya ‘member from last night?”

“Don’t worry, my hangover wasn’t that bad. I still ‘member everything that happened last night. I don’t think I want to participate in a drinking contest ever again, ‘specially verses Mac.” Scribble was still sick to the stomach at the idea of how much cider Mac was able to down last night, same for Applejack, who almost kept up with him.

Applejack’s snicker had turned into full blown laughter. “Okay, noted.”

“Speaking of which, where is Mac and Bloom? I heard Granny asleep in her room coming to the kitchen, but those two, where could they be?”

Applejack got herself another piece of toast, spreading more of that yummy Zap Apple Jam on it. “Apple Bloom is probably wit’ her friends. It is the weekend after all. An’ Mac already workin’ the eastern fields. We do have ta get them apples in befo’ winter hits in a month.”

She took a bite of her toast in between talking with Scribble, moaning at how nice it tasted. “Speakin’ o’ which, yer date wit’ those orphan kids this afternoon, right?”

Scribble himself had a few pieces of toast with his spread on them by now, munching into them between talking to Applejack. “Yup, but I got something to do first this morning before that. Got some free time?”

Applejack thought on it for a moment, finishing her breakfast and taking her plate to the sink. “Well, Ah supposed ta be helpin’ Mac today. But what did ya want?”

Scribble’s smile couldn’t get any bigger. This was his chance to finally thank Applejack for all she had done to save his life and keep her promise she made back then. “Teach ya how to make my family’s sugar.”

Her eyes went open from pure excitement, she got to learn one of Equestria’s best-kept secrets. “Sure Ah would. Jus’ let me go tell Mac Ah will come help him later.” She started galloping out of the kitchen, but stopped suddenly to ask one last quick question. “Sure yer up fer it in yer state?”

Scribble finished the last of his toast. He got out of his seat and made for the sink. “Am now, thanks to your drink,” he deadpanned.

“Great. Back in a jiffy,” Applejack chirp, galloping out of the house quicker then Rainbow could fly. Scribble only rolled his eyes. Some things will never change.

Applejack came rushing back into the kitchen to find Scribble had already had most of the things needed for his family’s secret. “Where do we start?” she asked, hoping she could help.

“Well, normally we use sugar we grew ourselves, but your sugar here will do the trick.” Scribble picked up a jar of normal sugar to show her. “Once we grow our own sugar we can use the same recipe to make it the sweetest in all Equestria.”

Scribble put the sugar back down on the bench and summoned Applejack over with a wave of his hoof. “Come on, ya the one cookin’ this up, not me. I only showing ya how it is done.”

Applejack turned into an excited little filly, acting part Pinkie Pie with all her excitement. Scribble could only laugh at his sibling as she skipped over to the stove. “Okay, little miss filly, put a little olive oil in that pot and set it to hot.”

Applejack obeyed, putting the oil in and turning the heat on the stove just shy of maximum. “This seems a little weird fer a sugar recipe.”

“Why nopony other then our family knows it.”

“True,” she said, watching the oil start to bubble a little. “What’s next?”

“All ya have to do now is wait for the oil to cook for five minutes. After which, ya put the jar of sugar here in an’ continue to stir. Keep stirin’ ‘til the sugar starts to turn brown. Then ya put a little teaspoon of honey in. Then, keep slowly stirring until the mix loses all forms of liquid an’ turns into a powdery substance. Pour it into a bowl to cool for ten minutes, then mix it to loosen the powder up. An’ wolla instant Sugar family sugar!” Scribble was standing with his forehooves extended out like he was a show pony presenting an award-winning contest entry.

“Ah think Ah get it now. It sorta makes sense…sorta,” Applejack thought out loud.

“There is one step I will have to do myself once the sugar starts to brown. It’s hard to explain, so I will show ya.”

Applejack poured the sugar in as per Scribble’s instructions, watching as the heat started to evaporate the oil a little. She continued to stir for about twenty minutes, and was shocked as the sugar started to turn brown, just like Scribble said. “Wow! Colour me impressed! It really is turnin’ brown.”

“Naturally,” Scribble boasted. “Now, pay close attention. This is the important bit.”

Applejack moved away from the pot, standing to the side so she could still see what Scribble was going to do. Scribble poured a little more olive oil on top of the sugar, and stirred a few times to mix it in with the sugar. He then—much to Applejack’s surprise and shock—pulled out a box of matches and struck one against the bench. He held it over the pot and lit the oil alight.

“Whoa, nelly!” Applejack took a few steps back. “What in tarnation ya doin’?! Applejack yelled, making for a blanket in the far cupboard.

“Settle down, Applejack. It’s fine. This is part of the process. The flames won’t come out of the pot, that’s why we can’t cook too much sugar at once.” Scribble took a long metal rod he had prepared before, sterilizing it and cleaning it. “Wood is not normally good to stir while the fire is goin’.”

Applejack was simply blown away. She watched Scribble use the long rod to slowly stir the sugar as heat from below and flames from above cooked it on both sides. “Ya only do this for another five minutes. Then, we quickly put the flames out by putting the lid on the pot for a minute. After that, we just follow through with the stirring ‘til nice and brown and powdery.”

Applejack took back over looking after the brewing sugar as the flames died out. “Ah gotta say, Scribble, this is one o’ the most interestin’ recipes Ah ever seen.”

“That’s what I said when my mum first taught me.” Scribble yawned. “Think ya can finish it? I need a little nap before seeing the kids this arvo.”

“Sure. An’ Scribble…” Scribble turned around, only to be quickly swept into a huge hug by Applejack. “Thanks so much.”

“My pleasure AJ, my pleasure.”