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Coffee [LAST UPDATED 29/5/13]

By: Bolding on May 28th, 2013 | syntax: None | size: 50.04 KB | hits: 79 | expires: Never

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~x~ Chapter 1 ~x~
>The reflection on the water’s surface breaks as your bucket dips into it.
>Water flows right in, taking no time to fill the bucket.
>Once it reaches the desired level, you pull it away and place it in the cart alongside the other filled buckets.
“Hey Fluttershy! You ready to go?” you yell from the small pond outside her cottage.
>She pokes her head out of the front door, a smile fresh on her face.
>“Almost, Anon. I’m waiting for Angel to finish getting ready.”
>You let out a sigh and wipe the sweat from your forehead.
>The humid air from the summer’s day was perfect for the plants’ growth.
>Fluttershy exits the house, carrying the small bunny in her hooves.
>As she approaches you, he jumps out of her grip and onto your shoulder, tapping his foot repeatedly on it.
>Reaching into your pocket, you pull the small bag of sunflower seeds out and hand him a pinch, which he shoves into his mouth.
>He gives a satisfied smirk and jumps onto a small, empty spot among the buckets on the cart.
>Turning to Fluttershy, she gives off a small giggle as you push the cart forward.
“Thanks again for this, Fluttershy,” you say, slowly following the path towards the Everfree Forest.
“The fruit should be ripe enough for picking today and you’re the one who knows this part of the forest best.”
>She blushes at the compliment as you both make your way into the dark forest.
>“It’s no problem at all,” she mutters with a soft voice.
>“I don’t like to venture into the forest alone, but as long as you’re with me, it isn’t as scary.”
>She gives you a smile warm enough to melt ice.
>No matter how bad of a mood you’re in, that smile always brought one to your face.
>You both continue your way throughout the thick brush of the forest, pressing past trees and bushes, eventually leading to the little sanctuary that hides within.
>The warm sun pours into this small area, not blocked by a single tree.
>Like magic, the air in this area was completely different: It was humid and musky all year long.
>It was almost like being in the eye of a storm, completely calm and broken off from the forest.
>Small coffee plants cover the land here, lining the small pond they used to drink.
>The thing about coffee plants, however, is that they need a lot more water than that, so you’ve been tending to their needs for the past couple of months, making sure to water and care for them.
>Grabbing a bucket from the cart, you begin to pour the water down onto the soil and plants themselves, making sure not to add too much; you didn’t want to drown them.
>You carefully tend to all the plants water needs and place the buckets back into the cart.
>Kneeling down, you inspect the plant’s small, cherry-like fruits.
“These plants are funny,” you mutter to yourself. “They’re definitely coffee plants, but they aren’t anything like Earth’s coffee plants.”
>Fluttershy cocks her head in confusion, placing her hoof to her chin.
>“What makes them so different?” she asks as she hovers over your shoulder.
>Grabbing one of the cherries from branch, you pluck and place it inside of the empty buckets.
“Back on Earth, these things take years to bare fruit.”
>You lift the branch carefully, making sure not to damage it in any way.
“Yet these took a mere two months to grow from seedlings to full grown plants.”
>Fluttershy softly lands next to you, making sure not to step on any of the plants.
>“Well, the soil in Equestria is magic, so maybe that has something to do with it.”
“Another thing that gets me is this area.”
>You look around the small clearing, noticing the small details amongst it.
“Ever since I arrived here, this place has yet to lose its humidity and warmth, even in the winter.”
>Fluttershy looks around the area as if the answer was right in front of her.
>“Well, the Everfree Forest is... strange to say the least.”
>She pokes at the ground with her hoof, unsettling the soft soil.
>“Everything works on its own. The weather, the animals; nothing is normal, which is why ponies tend to stay out of it.”
“Magic is a strange element, isn’t it?” you whisper to yourself, continuing to pick the rest of the cherries.
>After an hour or so of picking with Fluttershy’s help, you turn back to the cart which contained mounds of small cherries.
>Angel picks one up with his mouth wide open, ready to consume it.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, buddy,” you insist, pointing at him sternly.
“They may look like cherries, but they sure don’t taste like them.”
>The bunny rolls his eyes and shoves the cherry in his mouth, taking no regard of your warning.
>The instant he bites down his face changes to that of complete horror.
>Spitting it out, he begins to wipe his tongue, trying to rid his mouth of the bitter taste.
>Fluttershy begins to giggle as you dig into your pocket and pull the small bag of seed out.
>Handing him a pinch, he shoves it into his mouth and calms down.
>You can’t but help giggle as well.
>Grabbing the cart’s handle, you make your way back home with Fluttershy and Angel.
>As you make your way throughout the forest, the only sounds you can hear are the soft flapping of Fluttershy’s wings and the creaky wheels of the cart.
>It was a nice calm day, unlike last week when the manticore tried to attack you, only to be scolded by Fluttershy.
>As you exit the dark forest, you cover your eyes from the blinding sunlight.
>The walk is short, but the dark quickly consumes your vision whenever you step into that accursed forest.
>Pressing forward, you push the cart up the small hill and stop once you reach the cottage’s backyard.
“Are you sure about letting me prepare the coffee here?” you question. “I don’t want to impose on you.”
>Fluttershy gives a reassuring nod, patting you on the shoulder.
>“It’s no problem at all. Besides, you live here. My home is your home.”
>Giving a small breath of relief, you wrap your arms around her and give her a hug.
>Fluttershy’s face burns up as you tighten the grip around her torso.
>As you let go, you head to the shed in the back and begin the preparations.
>Taking out the tables, wooden boxes, and cauldron, you begin lining the tables up in the fenced area of the yard, making sure to align the boxes across them.
>Fluttershy begins unloading the buckets of cherries from the carts and places them next to the tables.
>Taking the cauldron down to the small stream, you fill it up with fresh water.
>Making sure not to spill it, you carefully carry the heavy canister back to the tables.
>Fluttershy looks at it curiously, then back to you.
>“Anon, what exactly is that for?”
>Taking one of the buckets of cherries, you dump it into the cauldron and wait.
“The thing about coffee cherries is this...”
>You point at the cauldron as a few cherries float to the surface.
“The floaters, or the ones that aren’t ripe, float right to the top. The ones we need, the drowners, are on the bottom right now.”
>Using your hand, you scoop out the floaters and place them back into the bucket.
“We can actually take the floaters and use them for a couple of things.”
>You begin to remove the drowners and place them inside a different bucket marked with an “X”.
“We can grind them up and use them as a fertilizer or we could plant them and grow more coffee plants.”
>Taking the drowners, you place them into a wooden box and lay it down on the table.
> As you grab the next bucket, Fluttershy looks over at the table and back to you.
>“How do you know so much about coffee, Anon?”
>Looking at your reflection in the water, you think back to your times on Earth.
“I’m what you called an ‘enthusiast’ when it comes to coffee. I love the taste, the aroma; pretty much everything about it. At one point, I ended up flying down to Brazil to see how it was grown.”
>Fluttershy gives you a confused look as you shake your head.
“Brazil was a country on Earth. It’s one of the biggest distributors of coffee.”
>She nods as you grab another bucket and dump it into the cauldron.
“From there on, I learned how to grow, process, and prepare coffee.”
>“So what do we do with the cherries?”
>Removing the floaters, you place them into the bucket before turning your head towards her direction.
“Well, we have to dry out the cherries so that the beans are easier to extract. Most distributors had machines for this process, but I prefer the old fashioned method.”
>Dipping your hand into the cauldron, you remove the drowners and place them into another cardboard box.
“If you let them dry out in the sun, the beans tend to taste a lot better.”
>Fluttershy gives you the next bucket which you proceed to dump into the cauldron.
“Once that’s done, we take the dried cherries and peel away the fruit to extract the beans.”
>You continue on with the procedures of preparing and processing the beans, from polishing them to grinding them as you continue dividing the good fruit from the bad fruit.
>Fluttershy listens attentively, not taking her eyes off you the entire time.
>Before you know it, all the buckets are empty and the table is cover in boxes of cherries.
“Crap, I forgot.”
>You turn to Fluttershy with a sign of frustration in your face.
“By any chance, do you have a net? I don’t want any of the animal eating at these and getting sick.”
>Fluttershy puts her hoof to her chin and thinks for a second.
>“I have something even better, actually.”
>She goes into the shed and returns with a bottle filled with a green paste.
>“This is some repellent that Zecora made for me. If I put it down, it’ll keep the animals away for a few days.”
>Before you say anything, something inside you tells you it’s probably a bad idea to ask what it’s made of.
>She grabs a cloth and dips into the pasty substance, spreading it all around the edges of the table.
>It has an acidic smell, almost as if it’s bitter.
>Once applied, you both head back to the house to attend to your daily routine.
>With each passing week, you inspect the cherries to check if they are ready or not.
>They are slowly drying out, looking more and more like raisins.
>Sure enough, Fluttershy’s repellant worked wonders: Not a single cherry was out of place or touched for that matter.
>The only time they have been moved was when you had to move them for the rain.
>Around the fourth week, you decide to check on them, before heading out to the forest to help Fluttershy with an errand.
>And sure enough, the cherries are completely dried out.
>With a raisin in hand, you run to Fluttershy as she sorts through her medical supplies.
“Hey Fluttershy, check it out!” you exclaim, holding out the cherry for her to see.
>You place it on her hoof as she curiously inspects it.
>She pokes at it a few times as if she expects something to happen.
>“Are they ready?”
>You give her a nod.
“Yeah, we just have to peel them and they’re good to go!”
>“Alright, I’m going to go into town today and ge-”
>A hard knock rasps out from the front door interrupts her.
>You make your way for the door and open it to reveal a very distraught Minuette standing in the doorway.
>“Please tell me Fluttershy is home,” she pleads.
>Taking a quick glance, you notice a basket hovering over the ground by magic.
>It holds a small ferret who seems to be in dire pain.
>Moving aside, you allow the unicorn to enter as a confused Fluttershy looks over.
>Her eyes widen as she takes notice of the small creature and immediately starts to grab medical supplies.
>“Anon, I’m sorry, but can you start without me? I need to take care of this.”
>You give her a nod.
>She replies with a nod and mouths ‘sorry’.
>Giving it a shrug as if to say ‘don’t worry about it’, you turn and head back outside.
>Taking the cauldron from the shed, you head down to the small stream and fill it up, watching the water slowly take its place in the large pot.
>Carrying the heavy canister up the hill, you place it down next to the table of raisins.
>Looking down at your watch, you note the time.
11:24 am.
>If you work at a steady rate, this should take only a couple of hours.
>Grabbing a handful of raisins, you begin ripping the outer layer of skin and remaining pulp from the fruit, revealing two small green beans.
>Taking the beans, you throw them into the cauldron.
>The sun slowly goes on about its business as you continue extracting beans from the fruits throughout the day.
>As you finish ripping the flesh off the last fruit, Fluttershy enters the backyard, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a hoof.
>Throwing the final bean into the cauldron, you give her a small smile as you stand up and stretch.
“How’d it go?” you ask her.
>She lets out a sigh and peers into the cauldron.
>“The poor little ferret had a horrible fever. After some medicine and proper care, his temperature went down to a suitable level.”
>She dips her hoof into the cauldron water and gives it a little stir.
>“I’m sorry that I took so long and you had to do all the work.”
>You kneel down and place your hand on top of her head, giving her a warm smile.
“Fluttershy, don’t worry about it. You have your own things to worry about. I can take care of it myself.”
>Giving her a quick pat, you turn back to the cauldron.
“I have to get some firewood to roast these. Do you mind gathering some stones so we can make a place for the fire?”
>She gives you a quick nod and trots off as you walk towards the edge of the forest.
>Gathering a few branches and sticks, you compose a pile of wood large enough to build a lasting fire.
>Bringing back the spoils of your venture, you see Fluttershy already placing the stones down for the fire.
>You place the wood down and enter the house, making sure to grab a box of matches, a strainer, a pair of oven mitts, and a skillet.
>As you approach the fireplace, you notice the wood has already been placed inside, ready to be lit.
>Using a few matches, you light up the fire and it illuminates the area around you.
>You hadn’t even noticed that the sun was beginning to go down.
>Looking at your watch, you check the time again before taking it off.
6:15 pm.
>Time really does fly when you don’t pay attention to it...
>Taking the strainer, you begin scooping out some of the beans and letting the water drain.
>You take them and place them on the skillet.
“Now we just have to roast them and they’ll be ready to make coffee with.”
>Placing the skillet over the flame, you return to the cauldron to ready the next batch.
“We’re going to make different roasts. Some days have different tastes.”
>Fluttershy raises an eyebrow at your statement and you chuckle.
>“It’s a weird expression used by some Brazilian baristas, or coffee brewers. ‘Gosto do dia’, or ‘tastes of the day’ is a way of saying that different days haves different moods, so you accommodate those days with different roasts.”
>She gives you a slow nod, but knowing Fluttershy, she still didn’t get it.
>She just didn’t want to hurt your feelings by going too far into it.
>Looking into the skillet, you inspect the beans.
>They no longer had a green color, and were now a beige-like color.
>They looked almost like peanuts.
“Look at this,” you call out to Fluttershy. “They’ve already hit the drying phase. All the water inside the beans is gone at this point. Now we just wait for them-”
>The beans begin to give off loud cracking sounds and Fluttershy yelps, hiding behind you.
>You can’t help but giggle at her expense and she quickly follows after she realizes there is no danger.
>She takes a seat next to you, eyes a taken by the fire.
>“Anon,” she whispers, “you have a great passion. I’m pretty sure if you were a pony, you’d have a coffee bean as your cutie mark.”
>She begins to chuckle at her own joke and before you know it, you do as well.
>Checking the beans, you notice their light brown coloring.
>Pulling the skillet off the fire, you ready take the beans and pour them into a bucket.
“These are called a cinnamon roast. They have a light coloring and have very acidic tones. When it’s brewed, it looks almost like tea. These are good for days when you wake up after a good night’s sleep or as a beverage with a very sweet dessert.”
>You take the strainer and prepare the next batch of beans.
“We’re going to make four more roasts. We should have enough beans in here to make quite a few batches.”
>For the rest of the night, you continue roasting the beans, making sure to time them and check their colors accordingly.
>Fluttershy brings you a plate of veggies and fish for dinner as she takes a seat next to you.
>Waiting for the last batch, you look down at your watch.
11:18 pm.
>It was getting late, but the last batch was almost done.
>Small, subtle snores begin to enter your ear as a very tired Fluttershy lays her head against you.
>Poor thing had a long day, so it was only natural that she’d pass out by now.
>Finishing the last batch up, you pour the last skillet into the bucket before lifting Fluttershy up and heading inside.
>You place her in her bed, making sure to tuck her in well before venturing back outside.
>Taking the remaining water in the cauldron, you pour it onto the fire and clean up your day’s worth of work.
>As the early birds begin their chirping, you open your weary eyes to a brand new day.
>Lifting yourself from the couch, you head into the small kitchen and realize a mistake you made last night.
>Roughly twenty or so buckets of beans cover the floor and table, leaving very little room to move around.
>Giving a disgruntled sigh, you begin grabbing the buckets of beans and place them in the shed.
>As you reach for the last bucket, you stop and look at the counter.
>Sitting on top of it is a brand new coffee maker, along with some filters, sugar packets, and other coffee essentials.
>This must have been what Fluttershy went into town for.
>Shaking your head, you take the last bucket and place it on the counter.
>Inside was your favorite kind of roast: The City Roast.
>Boasting a medium-brown color, this roast is good for tasting the varietal character of a bean.
>Looking around the cabinets, the only thing you can find to grind the beans is a mortar and pestle.
>You aren’t exactly keen on such an old way, but beggars can’t be choosers.
>Taking a handful of beans, you begin crushing them, making sure that it results in a texture similar to sand.
>The clanging from ceramic stone rings throughout the kitchen as you pulverize the beans into dust.
>“Good morning, Anon.”
>You turn around to see a very sleepy Fluttershy who has taken a seat at the table.
“Morning Fluttershy,” you say in a chipper tone.
>Taking the grounds, you place them inside one of the coffee filters and ready the machine.
>The machine does its work, filling the pot with the black liquid.
>The aroma quickly consumes the room, leaving a sensual, pungent trail.
>Fluttershy lifts her nose into the air and takes the aroma in with a deep whiff.
>A look of concern spreads across her face as you pour the coffee into a mug and hand it to her.
“I want you to try it first,” you tell her, pouring another cup for yourself.
>You weren’t going to drink it until she took her first sip; it was bad luck for the brewster to take the first sip of the harvest.
>She stares down into the cup before lifting it to her lips with a bit of worry on her face.
>Her eyes widen as the liquid enters her mouth.
>“Goodness...”
>You lean forward, waiting for her to finish her response.
>She closes her eyes and takes another whiff before a smile slowly creeps across her face.
>“This is amazing, Anon!”
>She takes a long draught from the cup, letting the aftertaste settle in her mouth.
>Grabbing your cup, you take a sip for yourself.
>The taste perks your tongue almost immediately.
>The usual bitter taste was there, but there was a hint of something else.
>Though very light, there was a slight taste of...
“Caramel.” You look over at Fluttershy who returns you a look of confusion. “My coffee has a hint of caramel.”
>“That’s strange,” she says, looking into the cup. “Mine had a hint of banana in it.”
>Grabbing the coffee pot, you stare at its contents.
>Just what the hell kind of coffee did you find?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
~x~ Chapter 2 ~x~
>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?”
~x~ Chapter 3 ~x~
>“I said, I’d like to buy all your beans.”
>You scratch your forehead, trying to process this.
>The words were understandable, but you’re having a hard time comprehending them.
“Why?” you suddenly blurt out.
>Filthy Rich lets out a sigh and shrugs.
>“Ponies like your product. It makes money. If I sell it, I make money as well. It’s that simple.”
>Fluttershy throws you a concerned look, making you feel even more uncomfortable.
“Excuse us for a moment,” you tell him, turning around and crouching down to Fluttershy’s level.
>You bring your head close to enough to her that you can feel her hot breath brush against your cheek.
>She has a look on her face that screams uncertainty.
“Who is this guy?” you whisper to her, checking over your shoulder to make sure he wasn’t eavesdropping. “No one comes up to a stand that just opened and asks to buy all of their product!”
>Fluttershy looks out the corner of her eyes, double checking that he wasn’t listening.
>“His name is Filthy Rich. He owns a chain store called Barnyard Bargains that sells things for ridiculously cheap.”
>Her gaze doesn’t break from yours as a bigger frown creeps onto her face.
“Why he would suddenly want your beans, I have no idea.”
>You look down at the ground and put yourself deep in thought.
>Maybe you’re overthinking this.
>He’s an entrepreneur, just like you, looking to make money off of a product.
>If you’re lucky, you could strike it big with this guy and work with coffee for a living.
“I say we take a chance,” you mutter.
>Fluttershy’s eyes widen as she places a hoof on your shoulder.
>“Anon, if you’re certain about this, I’ll follow you every step of the way, but please be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
>You give her a smile and place your hand on her head, tousling her hair a bit.
>She gives you a small smirk and lets out a sigh as you both turn back to Filthy Rich who is still standing at the counter patiently.
>He grins as you make eye contact with him again.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss a few things with you before agreeing to such an offer,” you bluntly say.
>He gives a slight nod, not breaking eye contact with you.
>“By all means. I wouldn’t expect you to jump into this blindly.”
>Grabbing a bag of beans, you place it on the table.
“These beans can’t be mass produced. The procedure to growing and processing them takes time and care.”
>He furrows his brow and looks into the bag of beans.
>“Aren’t they just coffee beans? It shouldn’t be hard to grow them in mass quantities.”
>You shake your head and lower your voice down to a whisper.
“These beans are special. They taste differently to everyone. Whereas I taste a hint of caramel, Fluttershy here tastes a banana.”
>Fluttershy meekly nods upon being mentioned.
>Taking a deep breath, you continue.
“As for the growth, they don’t seem to grow outside of a specific spot in the Everfree Forest.”
>You remember taking the beans and planting them outside Fluttershy’s house with no success.
“The processing is also done by hand, so mass producing these beans is out of the question.”
>Filthy puts a hoof to his chin and ponders for a moment.
>He closes his eyes for a moment and hums as his daughter rolls her eyes at his little thinking process.
>After a few seconds, he opens his eyes and smiles.
>“How about a café? I’ll set you up with a store here in Ponyville for you and all you have to do is make coffee for anypony who walks into the shop. The only conditions I have for it are that the store will be under my name and I get fifty percent of the profits after you pay off the store. You can do whatever you want with it; you run the show.”
>You almost jump up in glee.
>If there was anything you wanted more, it was your own cafe.
>Back on Earth, you never had the money to start your own shop, so there was no way you could pass up this opportunity.
“What about staff and equipment?” you ask, trying to hide the excitement in your voice.
>“It’ll all be taken care of. All you need to do is keep the place running.”
>Peeking out of the corner of your eye, you look over at Fluttershy.
>She shrugs and nods.
“Alright, I guess that’ll work then. I assume you’ll get all the paperwork for this ready?”
>“Of course. I’ll have my boys write something up real quick and you can look it over when you get the chance. Once you sign it, give it in and I’ll take care of it from there.”
>He slaps five bits down on the table and grabs the bag of beans.
>“And thank you for the beans.”
>As he walks away, you pull off a little victory dance.
>Fluttershy can’t help but giggle as you bounce up and down, waving your arms around.
>You pick her up and dance with her, only to have her giggles turn into hysterical laughter.
>After a little while, you stop and try to catch your breath.
>Fluttershy still has a case of the chuckles as you pant like a dog.
“I... can’t... wait...” you breathe.
>Fluttershy finally breaks off from her fit and clears her throat.
>“Neither can I. I’m so happy for you, Anon. How about we celebrate?”
>Finally catching your breath, you nod in agreement.
“I don’t see why not. I’ll clean up the stand and meet you back at the cottage.”
>Fluttershy makes her way to Sugarcube Corner as you begin packing everything up and placing it in the cart.
>Grabbing the two handles, you start your venture back home.
>The sun was beginning to set, leaving a nice, warm glow across the landscape.
>As you enter the small property, the animals come to greet you with their usual chitter and chatter.
>Making your way into the backyard, you unpack all the goods into the shed and head inside the small cottage.
“Maybe I should try it...” you mutter to yourself.
>Entering the kitchen, you fill a kettle with water and place it on the stove.
“It’s the end of the day. Knowing Fluttershy, she went and bought a cake, so a French roast would be ideal.”
>You dig into the cabinet and grab a small bag containing almost blackened beans and pour them into the pestel.
>The clanging of the mortar against the ceramic bowl echoes throughout the empty kitchen as you crush the beans into a fine powder.
>Behind you, you hear the front door shut.
>Fluttershy walks inside, carrying a package in her mouth.
>She places it on the table as you pour the grounds into a filter.
>“I got your favorite cake to celebrate: Chocolate and caramel with peanuts.”
>Your mouth begins to water.
>That cake tasted just like a Snickers bar, but it melted in your mouth.
>Fluttershy takes a seat down at the table and begins humming.
>Removing the kettle from stove, you set it down on the counter on top of a coaster and grab two mugs.
>Fluttershy pokes her head around curiously as you place the filter filled with grounds into a funnel over the cup.
>“What are you doing, Anon?”
“I’m making coffee, but in a different way. It’s called hand dripped coffee.”
>Pouring the water from the kettle into the filter, the hot water begins to develop a light foam on top of the grounds.
“This is how people used to make coffee before they had coffee machines on Earth. If done correctly, it’ll taste a lot better.”
>The water begins to build up in certain spots, leaving little pools of water.
“It’s important to spread only enough water to barely cover the top.”
>You stop pouring and watch as the water slowly drains into the mug.
>“I never knew there was more than one way of making coffee,” Fluttershy says.
“There’s actually many ways, but it depends on what type of coffee you use and such. Espresso, French Press, Cold Brew; there’s more ways than I can count on my fingers.”
>Fluttershy’s eyes widen as this new tidbit of information hits her.
>“You really do love coffee, don’t you, Anon?”
>Removing the funnel, you dump the filter and grounds into the garbage and place the two cups on the table along with some dessert plates.
“In a way, yes. But, don’t think it can take your place in my heart,” you reply, booping her on the nose with your finger.
>Her cheeks turn a bright red as she turns her head to hide her embarrassment.
>You can’t help but chuckle at her expense.
>Opening the box, you take out the cake, resisting the urge to dig your face into it.
>As you place it down on the table, Fluttershy sticks a single candle on top of it.
>You give her a confused look as she giggles.
>“I can’t believe you forgot,” she laughs. “Today is also the anniversary of when we first met, remember?”
>Looking over at the calendar on the wall, you check the date.
“Wow, you’re right. It’s been a whole year since I showed up here.”
>Thinking back to that day brings many memories.
>You had been working the coffee fields non-stop in Brazil, making sure to make waterways for the plants.
>A heavy storm was going to run by, so you didn’t want them to drown.
>No one had told you how fast the weather developed in the area, so before you knew it the rain came pouring down.
>You can only remember brief moments after that: Running, lightning, then blacking out.
>When you awoke, the little yellow pegasus pony that sat before you was right in your face, trying to wake you.
>“I have to admit, it was kind of scary finding you in the Everfree Forest. I didn’t know what you were!”
>You laugh because it was the same way for you.
>When you woke up after the storm, Fluttershy was the only thing you saw in front of your face.
>It wasn’t until that day you knew what your scream sounded like and to be quite frank, you weren’t proud of having a girly scream.
>Fluttershy had just helped one of her animal friends back into the forest after being treated for a week when she stumbled upon you and that ‘sanctuary’.
>It took a couple of weeks getting used to the fact that you were in a world of talking, multicolored equines.
“Well, if it wasn’t for you, I would been killed in that forest. I kind of owe you a lot, especially since you’ve given me a place to live and have taken care of me all this time.”
>Fluttershy shakes her head, a wide smile forming on her face.
>“It’s not like you’re freeloading here. You pull your weight and you’re great company, Anon.”
>She pushes a matchbook towards you with her hoof.
>“Now, enough about that. Let’s have some cake!”
>You smile as you light the candle and make a wish.
“I wish...”
>You stop for a moment and eye Fluttershy.
>She cocks her head like a confused dog and stares back. A smile creeps onto your face as you look back at the candle.
“I wish for nothing but happiness between me and Fluttershy.”
>Blowing out the candle, you watch as the smoke slowly rises and disappears into the air.
>Fluttershy takes the cake knife and begins cutting a piece for you, placing it on the plate.
>Grabbing a fork, you wait for her to cut her piece.
>Just as you’re about to dig in, Fluttershy mutters something.
>You look up to see her face is completely red, her eyes avoiding any means of contact with yours.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”
>She takes a deep breath and puts on a face of determination.
>“I have something important to tell you,” she says sternly.
>You place your fork down on the table and lock eyes with her.
>She gulps as her hooves shake frantically.
>“For a long time, I’ve had this feeling in my stomach everytime I’m with you. Whenever I hear your voice, whenever I see you, even at the mention of your name, I always get nervous. I’ve alway felt different around you since the day we met.”
>You stand up from the table and walk up to her.
>Leaning over, you wrap your arms around her and embrace her in a hug.
>She lets out an eep, not expecting this at all.
“I know where you’re going with this Fluttershy. I’m not blind, deaf, or dumb. You kinda make it obvious.”
>You catch the scent of lilacs in her hair, completely washing your nose.
“This isn’t something you should rush into, Fluttershy. Let’s take it nice and slow. For the most part, I do have the same feelings for you.”
>Leaning your head back, you look into her eyes.
>They slowly begin to fill with tears as a small smile takes her lips.
>“Anon, I...”
>She begins leaning forward, lips puckered and eyes closed.
>You find yourself doing the same, inching close to her face, feeling her hot breath press against chin.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>You both open your eyes at look over at the door.
>Releasing your grip, you check to see who it is.
>“Ah, so you are here!” exclaims Filthy Rich. “I’ve been looking all over for you. I had forgotten to ask where you live, but thankfully your friend Rarity was so kind as to tell me!”
>He pulls out a piece of paper from inside his coat and gives it to you.
>“Here’s the contract. You can look it over and give it to me when you’re ready. After that I’ll start the necessary preparations and get your store on the map.”
>He takes his leave as you look at the paper and close the door.
>Fluttershy enters the living room and hovers over you to peek at the paper.
>“Is that the contract?” she asks.
“It would seem so. Eh, let’s worry about it tomorrow. For now, we have some delicious cake to eat!”

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~x~ Chapter 1 ~x~

>The reflection on the water’s surface breaks as your bucket dips into it. 
>Water flows right in, taking no time to fill the bucket. 
>Once it reaches the desired level, you pull it away and place it in the cart alongside the other filled buckets.
“Hey Fluttershy! You ready to go?” you yell from the small pond outside her cottage. 
>She pokes her head out of the front door, a smile fresh on her face.
>“Almost, Anon. I’m waiting for Angel to finish getting ready.” 
>You let out a sigh and wipe the sweat from your forehead. 
>The humid air from the summer’s day was perfect for the plants’ growth. 
>Fluttershy exits the house, carrying the small bunny in her hooves. 
>As she approaches you, he jumps out of her grip and onto your shoulder, tapping his foot repeatedly on it. 
>Reaching into your pocket, you pull the small bag of sunflower seeds out and hand him a pinch, which he shoves into his mouth. 
>He gives a satisfied smirk and jumps onto a small, empty spot among the buckets on the cart. 
>Turning to Fluttershy, she gives off a small giggle as you push the cart forward.
“Thanks again for this, Fluttershy,” you say, slowly following the path towards the Everfree Forest. 
“The fruit should be ripe enough for picking today and you’re the one who knows this part of the forest best.” 
>She blushes at the compliment as you both make your way into the dark forest.
>“It’s no problem at all,” she mutters with a soft voice. 
>“I don’t like to venture into the forest alone, but as long as you’re with me, it isn’t as scary.” 
>She gives you a smile warm enough to melt ice. 
>No matter how bad of a mood you’re in, that smile always brought one to your face. 
>You both continue your way throughout the thick brush of the forest, pressing past trees and bushes, eventually leading to the little sanctuary that hides within.
>The warm sun pours into this small area, not blocked by a single tree. 
>Like magic, the air in this area was completely different: It was humid and musky all year long. 
>It was almost like being in the eye of a storm, completely calm and broken off from the forest. 
>Small coffee plants cover the land here, lining the small pond they used to drink. 
>The thing about coffee plants, however, is that they need a lot more water than that, so you’ve been tending to their needs for the past couple of months, making sure to water and care for them.
>Grabbing a bucket from the cart, you begin to pour the water down onto the soil and plants themselves, making sure not to add too much; you didn’t want to drown them. 
>You carefully tend to all the plants water needs and place the buckets back into the cart.
>Kneeling down, you inspect the plant’s small, cherry-like fruits.
“These plants are funny,” you mutter to yourself. “They’re definitely coffee plants, but they aren’t anything like Earth’s coffee plants.” 
>Fluttershy cocks her head in confusion, placing her hoof to her chin.
>“What makes them so different?” she asks as she hovers over your shoulder. 
>Grabbing one of the cherries from branch, you pluck and place it inside of the empty buckets.
“Back on Earth, these things take years to bare fruit.” 
>You lift the branch carefully, making sure not to damage it in any way. 
“Yet these took a mere two months to grow from seedlings to full grown plants.” 
>Fluttershy softly lands next to you, making sure not to step on any of the plants.
>“Well, the soil in Equestria is magic, so maybe that has something to do with it.”
“Another thing that gets me is this area.” 
>You look around the small clearing, noticing the small details amongst it. 
“Ever since I arrived here, this place has yet to lose its humidity and warmth, even in the winter.”
>Fluttershy looks around the area as if the answer was right in front of her. 
>“Well, the Everfree Forest is... strange to say the least.” 
>She pokes at the ground with her hoof, unsettling the soft soil. 
>“Everything works on its own. The weather, the animals; nothing is normal, which is why ponies tend to stay out of it.”
“Magic is a strange element, isn’t it?” you whisper to yourself, continuing to pick the rest of the cherries. 
>After an hour or so of picking with Fluttershy’s help, you turn back to the cart which contained mounds of small cherries. 
>Angel picks one up with his mouth wide open, ready to consume it.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, buddy,” you insist, pointing at him sternly. 
“They may look like cherries, but they sure don’t taste like them.” 
>The bunny rolls his eyes and shoves the cherry in his mouth, taking no regard of your warning. 
>The instant he bites down his face changes to that of complete horror. 
>Spitting it out, he begins to wipe his tongue, trying to rid his mouth of the bitter taste. 
>Fluttershy begins to giggle as you dig into your pocket and pull the small bag of seed out. 
>Handing him a pinch, he shoves it into his mouth and calms down. 
>You can’t but help giggle as well. 
>Grabbing the cart’s handle, you make your way back home with Fluttershy and Angel.
>As you make your way throughout the forest, the only sounds you can hear are the soft flapping of Fluttershy’s wings and the creaky wheels of the cart. 
>It was a nice calm day, unlike last week when the manticore tried to attack you, only to be scolded by Fluttershy.
>As you exit the dark forest, you cover your eyes from the blinding sunlight. 
>The walk is short, but the dark quickly consumes your vision whenever you step into that accursed forest. 
>Pressing forward, you push the cart up the small hill and stop once you reach the cottage’s backyard.
“Are you sure about letting me prepare the coffee here?” you question. “I don’t want to impose on you.”
>Fluttershy gives a reassuring nod, patting you on the shoulder. 
>“It’s no problem at all. Besides, you live here. My home is your home.” 
>Giving a small breath of relief, you wrap your arms around her and give her a hug. 
>Fluttershy’s face burns up as you tighten the grip around her torso. 
>As you let go, you head to the shed in the back and begin the preparations.
>Taking out the tables, wooden boxes, and cauldron, you begin lining the tables up in the fenced area of the yard, making sure to align the boxes across them. 
>Fluttershy begins unloading the buckets of cherries from the carts and places them next to the tables. 
>Taking the cauldron down to the small stream, you fill it up with fresh water. 
>Making sure not to spill it, you carefully carry the heavy canister back to the tables. 
>Fluttershy looks at it curiously, then back to you.
>“Anon, what exactly is that for?” 
>Taking one of the buckets of cherries, you dump it into the cauldron and wait.
“The thing about coffee cherries is this...” 
>You point at the cauldron as a few cherries float to the surface. 
“The floaters, or the ones that aren’t ripe, float right to the top. The ones we need, the drowners, are on the bottom right now.” 
>Using your hand, you scoop out the floaters and place them back into the bucket. 
“We can actually take the floaters and use them for a couple of things.” 
>You begin to remove the drowners and place them inside a different bucket marked with an “X”. 
“We can grind them up and use them as a fertilizer or we could plant them and grow more coffee plants.”
>Taking the drowners, you place them into a wooden box and lay it down on the table.
> As you grab the next bucket, Fluttershy looks over at the table and back to you.
>“How do you know so much about coffee, Anon?” 
>Looking at your reflection in the water, you think back to your times on Earth.
“I’m what you called an ‘enthusiast’ when it comes to coffee. I love the taste, the aroma; pretty much everything about it. At one point, I ended up flying down to Brazil to see how it was grown.”
>Fluttershy gives you a confused look as you shake your head. 
“Brazil was a country on Earth. It’s one of the biggest distributors of coffee.” 
>She nods as you grab another bucket and dump it into the cauldron. 
“From there on, I learned how to grow, process, and prepare coffee.”
>“So what do we do with the cherries?” 
>Removing the floaters, you place them into the bucket before turning your head towards her direction.
“Well, we have to dry out the cherries so that the beans are easier to extract. Most distributors had machines for this process, but I prefer the old fashioned method.” 
>Dipping your hand into the cauldron, you remove the drowners and place them into another cardboard box. 
“If you let them dry out in the sun, the beans tend to taste a lot better.”
>Fluttershy gives you the next bucket which you proceed to dump into the cauldron. 
“Once that’s done, we take the dried cherries and peel away the fruit to extract the beans.” 
>You continue on with the procedures of preparing and processing the beans, from polishing them to grinding them as you continue dividing the good fruit from the bad fruit. 
>Fluttershy listens attentively, not taking her eyes off you the entire time. 
>Before you know it, all the buckets are empty and the table is cover in boxes of cherries.
“Crap, I forgot.” 
>You turn to Fluttershy with a sign of frustration in your face. 
“By any chance, do you have a net? I don’t want any of the animal eating at these and getting sick.”
>Fluttershy puts her hoof to her chin and thinks for a second. 
>“I have something even better, actually.” 
>She goes into the shed and returns with a bottle filled with a green paste. 
>“This is some repellent that Zecora made for me. If I put it down, it’ll keep the animals away for a few days.” 
>Before you say anything, something inside you tells you it’s probably a bad idea to ask what it’s made of. 
>She grabs a cloth and dips into the pasty substance, spreading it all around the edges of the table. 
>It has an acidic smell, almost as if it’s bitter. 
>Once applied, you both head back to the house to attend to your daily routine.
>With each passing week, you inspect the cherries to check if they are ready or not. 
>They are slowly drying out, looking more and more like raisins. 
>Sure enough, Fluttershy’s repellant worked wonders: Not a single cherry was out of place or touched for that matter. 
>The only time they have been moved was when you had to move them for the rain.
>Around the fourth week, you decide to check on them, before heading out to the forest to help Fluttershy with an errand. 
>And sure enough, the cherries are completely dried out. 
>With a raisin in hand, you run to Fluttershy as she sorts through her medical supplies.
“Hey Fluttershy, check it out!” you exclaim, holding out the cherry for her to see. 
>You place it on her hoof as she curiously inspects it. 
>She pokes at it a few times as if she expects something to happen.
>“Are they ready?” 
>You give her a nod.
“Yeah, we just have to peel them and they’re good to go!”
>“Alright, I’m going to go into town today and ge-”
>A hard knock rasps out from the front door interrupts her. 
>You make your way for the door and open it to reveal a very distraught Minuette standing in the doorway.
>“Please tell me Fluttershy is home,” she pleads. 
>Taking a quick glance, you notice a basket hovering over the ground by magic. 
>It holds a small ferret who seems to be in dire pain. 
>Moving aside, you allow the unicorn to enter as a confused Fluttershy looks over. 
>Her eyes widen as she takes notice of the small creature and immediately starts to grab medical supplies.
>“Anon, I’m sorry, but can you start without me? I need to take care of this.” 
>You give her a nod. 
>She replies with a nod and mouths ‘sorry’. 
>Giving it a shrug as if to say ‘don’t worry about it’, you turn and head back outside. 
>Taking the cauldron from the shed, you head down to the small stream and fill it up, watching the water slowly take its place in the large pot. 
>Carrying the heavy canister up the hill, you place it down next to the table of raisins.
>Looking down at your watch, you note the time.
11:24 am.
>If you work at a steady rate, this should take only a couple of hours. 
>Grabbing a handful of raisins, you begin ripping the outer layer of skin and remaining pulp from the fruit, revealing two small green beans. 
>Taking the beans, you throw them into the cauldron. 
>The sun slowly goes on about its business as you continue extracting beans from the fruits throughout the day.
>As you finish ripping the flesh off the last fruit, Fluttershy enters the backyard, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a hoof. 
>Throwing the final bean into the cauldron, you give her a small smile as you stand up and stretch.
“How’d it go?” you ask her. 
>She lets out a sigh and peers into the cauldron.
>“The poor little ferret had a horrible fever. After some medicine and proper care, his temperature went down to a suitable level.” 
>She dips her hoof into the cauldron water and gives it a little stir. 
>“I’m sorry that I took so long and you had to do all the work.”
>You kneel down and place your hand on top of her head, giving her a warm smile. 
“Fluttershy, don’t worry about it. You have your own things to worry about. I can take care of it myself.” 
>Giving her a quick pat, you turn back to the cauldron. 
“I have to get some firewood to roast these. Do you mind gathering some stones so we can make a place for the fire?” 
>She gives you a quick nod and trots off as you walk towards the edge of the forest. 
>Gathering a few branches and sticks, you compose a pile of wood large enough to build a lasting fire. 
>Bringing back the spoils of your venture, you see Fluttershy already placing the stones down for the fire.
>You place the wood down and enter the house, making sure to grab a box of matches, a strainer, a pair of oven mitts, and a skillet. 
>As you approach the fireplace, you notice the wood has already been placed inside, ready to be lit. 
>Using a few matches, you light up the fire and it illuminates the area around you. 
>You hadn’t even noticed that the sun was beginning to go down. 
>Looking at your watch, you check the time again before taking it off.
6:15 pm.
>Time really does fly when you don’t pay attention to it...
>Taking the strainer, you begin scooping out some of the beans and letting the water drain. 
>You take them and place them on the skillet.
“Now we just have to roast them and they’ll be ready to make coffee with.” 
>Placing the skillet over the flame, you return to the cauldron to ready the next batch. 
“We’re going to make different roasts. Some days have different tastes.” 
>Fluttershy raises an eyebrow at your statement and you chuckle. 
>“It’s a weird expression used by some Brazilian baristas, or coffee brewers. ‘Gosto do dia’, or ‘tastes of the day’ is a way of saying that different days haves different moods, so you accommodate those days with different roasts.” 
>She gives you a slow nod, but knowing Fluttershy, she still didn’t get it. 
>She just didn’t want to hurt your feelings by going too far into it.
>Looking into the skillet, you inspect the beans. 
>They no longer had a green color, and were now a beige-like color. 
>They looked almost like peanuts. 
“Look at this,” you call out to Fluttershy. “They’ve already hit the drying phase. All the water inside the beans is gone at this point. Now we just wait for them-” 
>The beans begin to give off loud cracking sounds and Fluttershy yelps, hiding behind you. 
>You can’t help but giggle at her expense and she quickly follows after she realizes there is no danger.
>She takes a seat next to you, eyes a taken by the fire. 
>“Anon,” she whispers, “you have a great passion. I’m pretty sure if you were a pony, you’d have a coffee bean as your cutie mark.” 
>She begins to chuckle at her own joke and before you know it, you do as well. 
>Checking the beans, you notice their light brown coloring. 
>Pulling the skillet off the fire, you ready take the beans and pour them into a bucket.
“These are called a cinnamon roast. They have a light coloring and have very acidic tones. When it’s brewed, it looks almost like tea. These are good for days when you wake up after a good night’s sleep or as a beverage with a very sweet dessert.” 
>You take the strainer and prepare the next batch of beans. 
“We’re going to make four more roasts. We should have enough beans in here to make quite a few batches.”
>For the rest of the night, you continue roasting the beans, making sure to time them and check their colors accordingly. 
>Fluttershy brings you a plate of veggies and fish for dinner as she takes a seat next to you. 
>Waiting for the last batch, you look down at your watch.
11:18 pm.
>It was getting late, but the last batch was almost done.
>Small, subtle snores begin to enter your ear as a very tired Fluttershy lays her head against you. 
>Poor thing had a long day, so it was only natural that she’d pass out by now. 
>Finishing the last batch up, you pour the last skillet into the bucket before lifting Fluttershy up and heading inside. 
>You place her in her bed, making sure to tuck her in well before venturing back outside. 
>Taking the remaining water in the cauldron, you pour it onto the fire and clean up your day’s worth of work.
>As the early birds begin their chirping, you open your weary eyes to a brand new day. 
>Lifting yourself from the couch, you head into the small kitchen and realize a mistake you made last night. 
>Roughly twenty or so buckets of beans cover the floor and table, leaving very little room to move around. 
>Giving a disgruntled sigh, you begin grabbing the buckets of beans and place them in the shed. 
>As you reach for the last bucket, you stop and look at the counter. 
>Sitting on top of it is a brand new coffee maker, along with some filters, sugar packets, and other coffee essentials. 
>This must have been what Fluttershy went into town for. 
>Shaking your head, you take the last bucket and place it on the counter. 
>Inside was your favorite kind of roast: The City Roast. 
>Boasting a medium-brown color, this roast is good for tasting the varietal character of a bean.
>Looking around the cabinets, the only thing you can find to grind the beans is a mortar and pestle. 
>You aren’t exactly keen on such an old way, but beggars can’t be choosers. 
>Taking a handful of beans, you begin crushing them, making sure that it results in a texture similar to sand. 
>The clanging from ceramic stone rings throughout the kitchen as you pulverize the beans into dust.
>“Good morning, Anon.” 
>You turn around to see a very sleepy Fluttershy who has taken a seat at the table.
“Morning Fluttershy,” you say in a chipper tone. 
>Taking the grounds, you place them inside one of the coffee filters and ready the machine. 
>The machine does its work, filling the pot with the black liquid. 
>The aroma quickly consumes the room, leaving a sensual, pungent trail. 
>Fluttershy lifts her nose into the air and takes the aroma in with a deep whiff. 
>A look of concern spreads across her face as you pour the coffee into a mug and hand it to her.
“I want you to try it first,” you tell her, pouring another cup for yourself. 
>You weren’t going to drink it until she took her first sip; it was bad luck for the brewster to take the first sip of the harvest. 
>She stares down into the cup before lifting it to her lips with a bit of worry on her face. 
>Her eyes widen as the liquid enters her mouth.
>“Goodness...” 
>You lean forward, waiting for her to finish her response. 
>She closes her eyes and takes another whiff before a smile slowly creeps across her face. 
>“This is amazing, Anon!” 
>She takes a long draught from the cup, letting the aftertaste settle in her mouth. 
>Grabbing your cup, you take a sip for yourself.
>The taste perks your tongue almost immediately. 
>The usual bitter taste was there, but there was a hint of something else. 
>Though very light, there was a slight taste of...
“Caramel.” You look over at Fluttershy who returns you a look of confusion. “My coffee has a hint of caramel.”
>“That’s strange,” she says, looking into the cup. “Mine had a hint of banana in it.” 
>Grabbing the coffee pot, you stare at its contents.
>Just what the hell kind of coffee did you find?


____________________________________________________________________________________________________
~x~ Chapter 2 ~x~

>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?”




~x~ Chapter 3 ~x~

>“I said, I’d like to buy all your beans.” 
>You scratch your forehead, trying to process this. 
>The words were understandable, but you’re having a hard time comprehending them.
“Why?” you suddenly blurt out. 
>Filthy Rich lets out a sigh and shrugs.
>“Ponies like your product. It makes money. If I sell it, I make money as well. It’s that simple.” 
>Fluttershy throws you a concerned look, making you feel even more uncomfortable.
“Excuse us for a moment,” you tell him, turning around and crouching down to Fluttershy’s level. 
>You bring your head close to enough to her that you can feel her hot breath brush against your cheek. 
>She has a look on her face that screams uncertainty.
“Who is this guy?” you whisper to her, checking over your shoulder to make sure he wasn’t eavesdropping. “No one comes up to a stand that just opened and asks to buy all of their product!” 
>Fluttershy looks out the corner of her eyes, double checking that he wasn’t listening.
>“His name is Filthy Rich. He owns a chain store called Barnyard Bargains that sells things for ridiculously cheap.” 
>Her gaze doesn’t break from yours as a bigger frown creeps onto her face. 
“Why he would suddenly want your beans, I have no idea.” 
>You look down at the ground and put yourself deep in thought. 
>Maybe you’re overthinking this. 
>He’s an entrepreneur, just like you, looking to make money off of a product. 
>If you’re lucky, you could strike it big with this guy and work with coffee for a living. 
“I say we take a chance,” you mutter. 
>Fluttershy’s eyes widen as she places a hoof on your shoulder.
>“Anon, if you’re certain about this, I’ll follow you every step of the way, but please be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” 
>You give her a smile and place your hand on her head, tousling her hair a bit. 
>She gives you a small smirk and lets out a sigh as you both turn back to Filthy Rich who is still standing at the counter patiently. 
>He grins as you make eye contact with him again.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss a few things with you before agreeing to such an offer,” you bluntly say. 
>He gives a slight nod, not breaking eye contact with you.
>“By all means. I wouldn’t expect you to jump into this blindly.” 
>Grabbing a bag of beans, you place it on the table.
“These beans can’t be mass produced. The procedure to growing and processing them takes time and care.” 
>He furrows his brow and looks into the bag of beans.
>“Aren’t they just coffee beans? It shouldn’t be hard to grow them in mass quantities.” 
>You shake your head and lower your voice down to a whisper.
“These beans are special. They taste differently to everyone. Whereas I taste a hint of caramel, Fluttershy here tastes a banana.” 
>Fluttershy meekly nods upon being mentioned. 
>Taking a deep breath, you continue. 
“As for the growth, they don’t seem to grow outside of a specific spot in the Everfree Forest.” 
>You remember taking the beans and planting them outside Fluttershy’s house with no success. 
“The processing is also done by hand, so mass producing these beans is out of the question.”
>Filthy puts a hoof to his chin and ponders for a moment. 
>He closes his eyes for a moment and hums as his daughter rolls her eyes at his little thinking process. 
>After a few seconds, he opens his eyes and smiles.
>“How about a café? I’ll set you up with a store here in Ponyville for you and all you have to do is make coffee for anypony who walks into the shop. The only conditions I have for it are that the store will be under my name and I get fifty percent of the profits after you pay off the store. You can do whatever you want with it; you run the show.” 
>You almost jump up in glee. 
>If there was anything you wanted more, it was your own cafe. 
>Back on Earth, you never had the money to start your own shop, so there was no way you could pass up this opportunity.
“What about staff and equipment?” you ask, trying to hide the excitement in your voice.
>“It’ll all be taken care of. All you need to do is keep the place running.” 
>Peeking out of the corner of your eye, you look over at Fluttershy. 
>She shrugs and nods.
“Alright, I guess that’ll work then. I assume you’ll get all the paperwork for this ready?”
>“Of course. I’ll have my boys write something up real quick and you can look it over when you get the chance. Once you sign it, give it in and I’ll take care of it from there.” 
>He slaps five bits down on the table and grabs the bag of beans. 
>“And thank you for the beans.”
>As he walks away, you pull off a little victory dance. 
>Fluttershy can’t help but giggle as you bounce up and down, waving your arms around. 
>You pick her up and dance with her, only to have her giggles turn into hysterical laughter. 
>After a little while, you stop and try to catch your breath. 
>Fluttershy still has a case of the chuckles as you pant like a dog.
“I... can’t... wait...” you breathe. 
>Fluttershy finally breaks off from her fit and clears her throat.
>“Neither can I. I’m so happy for you, Anon. How about we celebrate?” 
>Finally catching your breath, you nod in agreement.
“I don’t see why not. I’ll clean up the stand and meet you back at the cottage.” 
>Fluttershy makes her way to Sugarcube Corner as you begin packing everything up and placing it in the cart. 
>Grabbing the two handles, you start your venture back home. 
>The sun was beginning to set, leaving a nice, warm glow across the landscape.
>As you enter the small property, the animals come to greet you with their usual chitter and chatter. 
>Making your way into the backyard, you unpack all the goods into the shed and head inside the small cottage.
“Maybe I should try it...” you mutter to yourself. 
>Entering the kitchen, you fill a kettle with water and place it on the stove. 
“It’s the end of the day. Knowing Fluttershy, she went and bought a cake, so a French roast would be ideal.” 
>You dig into the cabinet and grab a small bag containing almost blackened beans and pour them into the pestel. 
>The clanging of the mortar against the ceramic bowl echoes throughout the empty kitchen as you crush the beans into a fine powder. 
>Behind you, you hear the front door shut. 
>Fluttershy walks inside, carrying a package in her mouth. 
>She places it on the table as you pour the grounds into a filter.
>“I got your favorite cake to celebrate: Chocolate and caramel with peanuts.” 
>Your mouth begins to water. 
>That cake tasted just like a Snickers bar, but it melted in your mouth. 
>Fluttershy takes a seat down at the table and begins humming. 
>Removing the kettle from stove, you set it down on the counter on top of a coaster and grab two mugs. 
>Fluttershy pokes her head around curiously as you place the filter filled with grounds into a funnel over the cup.
>“What are you doing, Anon?”
“I’m making coffee, but in a different way. It’s called hand dripped coffee.” 
>Pouring the water from the kettle into the filter, the hot water begins to develop a light foam on top of the grounds. 
“This is how people used to make coffee before they had coffee machines on Earth. If done correctly, it’ll taste a lot better.” 
>The water begins to build up in certain spots, leaving little pools of water. 
“It’s important to spread only enough water to barely cover the top.” 
>You stop pouring and watch as the water slowly drains into the mug.
>“I never knew there was more than one way of making coffee,” Fluttershy says.
“There’s actually many ways, but it depends on what type of coffee you use and such. Espresso, French Press, Cold Brew; there’s more ways than I can count on my fingers.” 
>Fluttershy’s eyes widen as this new tidbit of information hits her.
>“You really do love coffee, don’t you, Anon?” 
>Removing the funnel, you dump the filter and grounds into the garbage and place the two cups on the table along with some dessert plates.
“In a way, yes. But, don’t think it can take your place in my heart,” you reply, booping her on the nose with your finger.
>Her cheeks turn a bright red as she turns her head to hide her embarrassment. 
>You can’t help but chuckle at her expense. 
>Opening the box, you take out the cake, resisting the urge to dig your face into it. 
>As you place it down on the table, Fluttershy sticks a single candle on top of it. 
>You give her a confused look as she giggles.
>“I can’t believe you forgot,” she laughs. “Today is also the anniversary of when we first met, remember?” 
>Looking over at the calendar on the wall, you check the date.
“Wow, you’re right. It’s been a whole year since I showed up here.” 
>Thinking back to that day brings many memories.
>You had been working the coffee fields non-stop in Brazil, making sure to make waterways for the plants. 
>A heavy storm was going to run by, so you didn’t want them to drown. 
>No one had told you how fast the weather developed in the area, so before you knew it the rain came pouring down. 
>You can only remember brief moments after that: Running, lightning, then blacking out. 
>When you awoke, the little yellow pegasus pony that sat before you was right in your face, trying to wake you.
>“I have to admit, it was kind of scary finding you in the Everfree Forest. I didn’t know what you were!” 
>You laugh because it was the same way for you. 
>When you woke up after the storm, Fluttershy was the only thing you saw in front of your face. 
>It wasn’t until that day you knew what your scream sounded like and to be quite frank, you weren’t proud of having a girly scream. 
>Fluttershy had just helped one of her animal friends back into the forest after being treated for a week when she stumbled upon you and that ‘sanctuary’. 
>It took a couple of weeks getting used to the fact that you were in a world of talking, multicolored equines.
“Well, if it wasn’t for you, I would been killed in that forest. I kind of owe you a lot, especially since you’ve given me a place to live and have taken care of me all this time.” 
>Fluttershy shakes her head, a wide smile forming on her face.
>“It’s not like you’re freeloading here. You pull your weight and you’re great company, Anon.” 
>She pushes a matchbook towards you with her hoof. 
>“Now, enough about that. Let’s have some cake!” 
>You smile as you light the candle and make a wish.
“I wish...” 
>You stop for a moment and eye Fluttershy. 
>She cocks her head like a confused dog and stares back. A smile creeps onto your face as you look back at the candle. 
“I wish for nothing but happiness between me and Fluttershy.”
>Blowing out the candle, you watch as the smoke slowly rises and disappears into the air. 
>Fluttershy takes the cake knife and begins cutting a piece for you, placing it on the plate. 
>Grabbing a fork, you wait for her to cut her piece. 
>Just as you’re about to dig in, Fluttershy mutters something. 
>You look up to see her face is completely red, her eyes avoiding any means of contact with yours.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?” 
>She takes a deep breath and puts on a face of determination.
>“I have something important to tell you,” she says sternly. 
>You place your fork down on the table and lock eyes with her. 
>She gulps as her hooves shake frantically. 
>“For a long time, I’ve had this feeling in my stomach everytime I’m with you. Whenever I hear your voice, whenever I see you, even at the mention of your name, I always get nervous. I’ve alway felt different around you since the day we met.” 
>You stand up from the table and walk up to her. 
>Leaning over, you wrap your arms around her and embrace her in a hug. 
>She lets out an eep, not expecting this at all.
“I know where you’re going with this Fluttershy. I’m not blind, deaf, or dumb. You kinda make it obvious.” 
>You catch the scent of lilacs in her hair, completely washing your nose. 
“This isn’t something you should rush into, Fluttershy. Let’s take it nice and slow. For the most part, I do have the same feelings for you.” 
>Leaning your head back, you look into her eyes. 
>They slowly begin to fill with tears as a small smile takes her lips.
>“Anon, I...” 
>She begins leaning forward, lips puckered and eyes closed. 
>You find yourself doing the same, inching close to her face, feeling her hot breath press against chin.
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
>You both open your eyes at look over at the door. 
>Releasing your grip, you check to see who it is.
>“Ah, so you are here!” exclaims Filthy Rich. “I’ve been looking all over for you. I had forgotten to ask where you live, but thankfully your friend Rarity was so kind as to tell me!” 
>He pulls out a piece of paper from inside his coat and gives it to you. 
>“Here’s the contract. You can look it over and give it to me when you’re ready. After that I’ll start the necessary preparations and get your store on the map.”
>He takes his leave as you look at the paper and close the door. 
>Fluttershy enters the living room and hovers over you to peek at the paper.
>“Is that the contract?” she asks.
“It would seem so. Eh, let’s worry about it tomorrow. For now, we have some delicious cake to eat!”

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