Coffee: Chapter 2

>Putting the coffee pot down, you grab Fluttershy’s cup and take a sip.

>Caramel.

>You hand her yours.

“Drink mine, tell me what it tastes like.”

>She looks into the cup cautiously and takes a sip.

>“It still has a hint of banana in it.”

>This was absurd.

>How was it possible that this coffee was the same yet tastes different?

>Grabbing the beans from the bucket, you inspect them.

>They hold the usual dry appearance a City Roast bean, but have no sign of being special in any way.

“This is weird,” you mutter.

>Fluttershy gives you a concerned look as she gets up from her chair.

>“What’s weird, Anon?”

>Taking one of the beans, you pop it into your mouth and begin chewing it.

>The bitter taste is there, but the caramel slowly makes its way across your taste buds.

>Swallowing it, you turn to Fluttershy with a grimace plastered across your face.

“These aren’t normal beans,” you tell her. “Something is odd about these. You taste a hint of banana in them, I taste caramel.”

>She rears her head back, taken aback by this realization.

>“That is strange,” she whispers, looking down to the ground. “Maybe we should get Twilight to look at them. For all we know, she might have a book on them.”

>You give her a nod and turn back to the counter.

>Grabbing a thermos from the cabinet overhead, you pour the remaining coffee inside of it, making sure to pocket some of the beans as well.

>“I’ll go with you, Anon. Just let me take care of the animals first.”

>Fluttershy grabs the box of animal food and enters the living room.

>The sleepy animals perk up as the food clangs against the metal bowl.

>Backing up, you watch as the horde of animals comes rushing to the bowl in a crazed frenzy.

>You give off a small laugh, thinking back to the first time when you didn’t back up and almost got trampled.

>Fluttershy closes the box and grabs her saddlebag before following you out the door.

>The orange glow from the rising sun covers the hills like a beautiful painted scene.

>An occasional cool breeze greets the warm summer air, making it the ideal weather for a perfect day.

>As you make your way into the town, you watch the ponies open their shops and get ready for their daily routines.

>Many of them looked tired, not ready for the day at all.

>“We’re here.”

>Fluttershy’s voice breaks you out of your weird trance as you look up at the giant tree-like building.

>Giving the door a hard knock, you can faintly hear someone call out “Coming!” as you wait.

>The door opens and Spike pokes his head out, looking at both of you with weary eyes.

>“Oh, hey Fluttershy, hey Anon.”

>He opens the door, allowing you both to enter.

>“Is Twilight home?” Fluttershy asks. “We need her help with something.”

>“Twilight!” Spike yells from the bottom of the stairs, “Fluttershy and Anon are here!”

>Twilight makes her way down the staircase with a smile lurking across her face.

>You take notice the bags under eyes before she starts speaking.

>“Good morning, you two. What brings you here this early in the morning?”

>Looking down at your watch, you glance at the time.

7:18 am.

>Fluttershy pulls the thermos out of her bag with her wing and gives it to you.

>You pour the bitter liquid into the cup-like lid as a confused Twilight watches.

>The aroma hits the nose of everyone in the room, bringing a look of ecstasy on their faces.

>Once the lid is filled to the brim, you hand it to Twilight.

“Try this,” you urge, handing her the cup.

>A magic aura surrounds it, lifting it to her face.

>You can see the uncertainty in her eyes as she hesitantly brings it to her view.

>“Uh, I’m more of tea person,” she says, returning the cup to you. “Thank you, though.”

>Not reaching for the cup, you give her a stern look and shake your head.

“Just drink it and tell me what you notice.”

>She looks at the cup once more time with a look of doubt on her face.

>Lifting the cup to her lips, she takes a slight draught from the cup.

>As the liquid touches her tongue, her eyes fly open and a smile comes to her lips.

>She downs the rest of the cup’s contents and gives it back to you.

>“That’s amazing, Anon!”

>You place the lid back onto the thermos and look her dead in the eyes.

“What did you taste?”

>She looks down at the ground, as if she’s embarrassed to answer.

>“A hint of lavender.”

>You look over at Fluttershy with an uneasy stare that she returns.

>Twilight looks between the two of you, confused at your expressions.

>“Was that the wrong answer?” she worriedly asks.

“It’s not that it’s the wrong answer, it’s that we had the same exact coffee, and it tasted different to both of us.”

>Taking the coffee beans out, you hand them to her.

“For some strange reason, I can catch a hint of caramel in mine, but Fluttershy tastes bananas.”

>Twilight picks up the beans with her magic, a perplexed look crossing her face.

>See brings them closer and inspects them, as if she’ll find the answer right before her.

>“Where did you find these?”

“The Everfree Forest,” you answer.

>Twilight looks at you with concern.

>“How did you find these beans? Better yet,” she begins, giving you a suspicious look, “why were you in the Everfree Forest?”

>“We found a little clearing one day while helping a lost bear cub find her mother,” Fluttershy says.

>“Why didn’t you tell anypony about it?” Twilight asks.

>Fluttershy looks down at the ground as if she’s afraid to look her friend in the eyes.

“She didn’t tell anyone about it because I made her promise not to,” you sternly say. “As for why, there was no reason for anyone to know about it.”

>Twilight gives you a suspicious glare before shrugging it off.

>Taking the beans with her, she opens the door to her basement, motioning her hoof as a signal for you all to follow her.

>Following behind her, you slowly descend into the dark room, waiting for some sort of light source.

>A revving sounds roars throughout the room, causing something to yelp and jump into your chest.

>Grabbing a hold of the object, you can tell from the weight and feeling that Fluttershy must have been spooked and jumped into your arms out of instinct.

>You wrap an arm around her begin stroking her mane as she violently shakes.

>Her shivers begin to die down as the lights come back on, revealing everything around you.

>She looks up at you with rosy cheeks, completely embarrassed.

>“Thanks,” she mutters, leaving your grip and stands by your side.

>You give her a nod and whisper, “No problem,” before turning towards the revving noise.

>Before you is a giant machine, covered in flashing lights and wires.

>Twilight takes the beans and places them inside a small beaker, which she inserts into a small compartment in the side of the machine.

>She closes a cover over it, causing the machine to roar.

>The revving intensifies as Twilight begins inspecting the paper spewing out.

>Her brow furrows as she continues reading off the sheet.

>You turn to Fluttershy, who has the same look of confusion on her face.

“What does it say?” you finally blurt out.

>Twilight lets out an annoyed sigh before turning to you.

>“The machine doesn’t see anything wrong with it. It doesn’t have any noticeable magic traces in it, so I don’t understand how the tastes are different. I’m going to look into this further, but for now, it’s safe enough to drink.”

>Giving it a shrug, you thank Twilight for her help and head back outside.

>“Good morning,” says a mellow voice behind you as you close the door.

>You turn to find that the voice belongs to Rarity, her eyes slowly drooping as she attempt to stay conscious.

>“Rarity, are you okay?” Fluttershy whispers, concerned about her friend’s well-being.

>Rarity puts on a small smile and slowly nods.

>“Yes, dear, I’m just tired is all,” she says, letting out a sleepy groan. “I’ve been up since yesterday working on new designs for the upcoming fashion show in Manehatten. I must say, I’ve never hit such a block in all my career.”

>Reaching for you thermos, you give her a small laugh.

“I’ve got just the remedy,” you boast, pouring the coffee into the lid.

>She looks down into the cup and shakes her head.

>“I’m more of a tea person, but thank you for the kind gesture.”

>Shaking your head, you throw your arms into the air.

“Why doesn’t anypony like coffee?”

>Fluttershy casually shrugs to signal that she didn’t understand either.

>Looking back at Rarity, you give her a persistent stare.

“Rarity, trust me on this. You’ll enjoy it and thank me.”

>Rarity grabs the cup with her magic aura, then proceeds to look at it and back to you.

>The cup slowly reaches her lips, allowing the magic drink to enter her mouth.

>Her eyes shoot open as if all sleepiness in her body was removed instantaneously.

>“Oh my!” she exclaims, retracting the cup from her mouth. “Such a wondrous taste! The bitterness is mild and the hint of cream and strawberries makes the drink such a delicacy!”

>She takes another sip before handing you the cup.

>“How did you know they were my favorite?”

“Funny story actually. The beans I used seem to taste different to everyone, from the looks of it.”

>She puts rubs a hoof against her chin and ponders for a moment.

>“Well, why not make use of this?”

>You raise your eyebrow in confusion as she scoffs at your expression.

>“Sell the beans for money, dear. Make some bits off your discovery!”

>Fluttershy nods her head in agreement.

>“Come on, Anon. It can be fun! We can set up a stand and sell the extra beans we have.”

>Looking down at Fluttershy, you could see the excitement in her eyes.

>Giving off a shrug, you let out a sigh.

“Eh, why not?”

________________

>The orange sun begins to rise over the mountainside as you start assembling the stand in the town market.

>Fluttershy decided that it would be best to accompany you so you had an extra pair of han- hooves to rely on.

>As you fiddle with the contraption, Fluttershy continues to unload the buckets of beans from the cart.

>Ponies begin to flow into the market as time goes by, creating quite a bit of noise while they set up their own stands.

>Some give you nods and small “hello”s, while others give you silent stares, almost like they were judging your every move.

>Wiping the sweat from your forehead, you take the buckets and place them on top of the stand.

>Murmurs begin to travel about the market as you finish setting up the stand.

>“What is he selling?”

>“They look like peanuts.”

>“No, I think those are beans.”

>“Is he selling coffee beans? Who would buy them?”

>The whispers and small jeers begin to fill your head as they continue making their way throughout the market.

>You turn to Fluttershy, who innocently hums to herself as she sets the sign up for you.

“Hey, Fluttershy?”

>She looks down at you and notices your concerned look.

“I don’t think this was such a good idea. Ponies don’t really drink coffee that much and it seems like not many ponies here are flattered to see me selling it.”

>Fluttershy hovers down to your level and places a hoof on your shoulder, looking into your eyes with her crisp blue eyes.

>You feel the tension in your joints lessen as you make eye contact with her.

>“Listen, Anon, I’m nervous too,” she says with a sheepish grin. “But if anypony can sell these beans, it’ll be you.”

>Letting out a sigh of relief, you wrap your arms around her and pull her in for a hug.

>She returns the gesture by wrapping her hooves around your neck.

>Once your heartfelt moment comes to an end, you raise your fist in the air.

“Let’s sell some beans!”

>The plan is simple: Fluttershy watches the stand as you attempt to lure customers in.

>Taking your trusty thermos out, you pour yourself a cup and take a seat right in front of the stand.

>Several ponies glance at you as they pass by, watching you indulge in your cup of coffee.

>Their expressions scream of curiosity, but none approach you.

>Doubt begins to settle in your mind, telling you this was a bad idea, but you shake it off.

>Patience was key to a properly brewed cup of coffee and this should be no different.

>Taking another sip of your drink, a shadow looms over you as you lower the cup.

>A grey mare stands before you with a curious look on her face. If you weren’t mistaken, her name is Derpy.

>“Pardon me,” she says, pointing at the cup, “What is that? It smells delicious.”

“Oh, this?”

>You extend your arm out and give her the cup.

“It’s coffee. Would you like to try some?”

>The mare nods at you before muttering, “Thank you” and drinking from the cup.

>You can feel the stares coming from the ponies in the surrounding area, watching with bated breath to see this mare’s response.

>As she removes the cup from her mouth, she smacks her lips and lets out a satisfied sigh.

>“Mmm. This is good!” she exclaims, giving you back the cup.

“I need to ask you secret question.”

>You beckon her to come closer, cupping your other hand over your mouth.

>The confused mare moves in closer, lending her ear to you.

“What did you taste besides coffee?”

>She leans back, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

>“Cinnamon. I tasted cinnamon.”

“I see. Thank you. Would you like a bag of beans? They’re only five bits.”

>She gives you a nod and eagerly digs into her saddlebag to grab her purse.

>Handing her the bag with a smile, you take the five bits and give them to Fluttershy.

“These bags will last you about four cups of coffee, so if you run out, by all means, come back and I’ll sell you more!”

>She lets out a small giggle as she spreads her wings and takes off.

>Another pony approaches you, sporting a mint green coat and lyre cutie mark.

>She pokes at the ground nervously before looking up at you.

>“Um... Do you mind if I try some?”

>Giving off a subtle chuckle, you pour another cup and hand it to her.

>She takes a sip, giving off the usual performance with wide eyes and smacking lips.

>She reaches into her saddlebag and grabs a sack of bits.

Before you know it, ponies are all around you, asking to sample the beverage.

>Fluttershy begins handing out beans like there’s no tomorrow, clearly having trouble keeping up.

>You run behind the counter, lending her a hand while giving out samples to different ponies.

>After about six hours of catering to the ponies’ coffee needs, you put a small sign out labeled “CLOSED” on the counter.

>You let out a long sigh before turning to Fluttershy with a smirk.

“How much did we make?”

>She places the last bit inside the metal canister, shutting and locking it swiftly.

>“About three hundred bits.”

>A smile creeps onto her face as she shivers from excitement.

>“Oh, Anon, this is just wonderful!”

>A small tapping sound from the counter catches your attention.

>You turn around and look down and see a pink filly with a poofy purple and white mane.

>She gives you an impatient look as she taps her hoof on the counter repeatedly.

“Can I help you, Miss?”

>She rolls her eyes whilst giving you an annoyed sigh.

>“You sell coffee here, right? Why aren’t you doing your job?”

>Giving her a deadpan look, you shake your head.

“Sorry, Miss, but you’re much too young to be drinking this stuff.”

>She begins walking away from the counter and towards a stallion who seems to be conversing with another shop vendor.

>Tugging at his shirt, she grabs his attention and points in your direction.

“Oh boy, here we go,” you whisper to Fluttershy as the two walk your way.

>The stallion adjusts his tie, giving you a grade A smile.

>“So, this must be the popular coffee stand I’ve been hearing all about all day.”

>He places a hoof on the counter and widens his smile.

>“Mind if I try a sample?”

“Sure,” you reply, grabbing the thermos.

>You hand it to him, waiting for the usual reaction.

>He chugs down the coffee and gives the cup back to you, taking a moment to let the aftertaste settle.

>His face makes no change.

>“Interesting,” he grunts.

>“I’d like to buy all your beans and all your future crops.”

>You turn to Fluttershy, who shares your flabbergasted look.

“Uh, come again?”