Chapter Sixteen
"Hey Star!"
Applejack called out to the mare as she was headed toward the barn.
"I saw ya giving a vendor a hand. Was there any trouble?"
"Not at all," she smiled. "They're really nice! They did question my appearance a bit, but it wasn't a big deal."
"That's good to hear. It's good to see that your confidence is up. Did they have anything interesting?"
"They're a candy shop. I promised to stop by later to show some support. You should too if you get the chance."
"A candy shop, eh? I'm certain Pinkie Pie won't bat an eye to that. I'll be doing walkthroughs during the event, so I'll be sure to stop by. In the meantime, are you able to help Granny and Apple Bloom in the barn for inventory?"
"Sure thing!"
"Need an extra hoof?"
The ponies caught SweeTango trotting up to them.
"Ah, SweeTango! We meet again. Applejack, this is one of the vendors that owns the candy shop I've been talking about."
"Howdy!" she greeted, tilting her hat. "I'm just thrilled that you're making new friends already."
"I know I'm a vendor here, but would it be all right if I could help out for a bit? Zestar and I pretty much have everything ready for tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" Starburst asked.
"Absolutely! We've already prepared enough to hold us over for more than half the day. Anything we run low on we make the day of."
"Well, I guess if you say it's all right, then I don't see why not," the orange mare smiles. "Just know that we'll only ask little of ya. You still play a part in the event tomorrow."
"No worries! I promise I won't overdo it."
The other half to Zestar's Confits continued to peruse the mare's notebook.
"Starburst's timing couldn't have been quick enough. I needed some alone time…"
His eyes lit up as he turned each page. It was full of recipe ideas.
"Cinna-swirls...Mascarpone Fruit Tarts...Jelly Bursts…? I've never thought of these before...Why are there recipes in here? Did she think these would help drive our overall sales?"
Taking some time to think of the combinations based on the ingredients, he was surprised that they would actually work well...and that upset him.
"These recipes make my pastries look better to none...Everything about them are so perfect! And she said she came up with them while we were traveling to Ponyville!" He slams the notebook into the ground. "My ideas take days to research! How could she create so many recipes in less than a day!?"
He took a deep breath after venting and looked at the notebook again.
"It doesn't matter how quick she's able to do it. I just can't let her steal the spotlight."
He begins flipping through it again until he came across a roll that caught his eye.
"Hmm...Apple Bites..?"
He reads its description: 'A delight that stays true to your palate.' Not sure if it held any significance, but the instructions were easy to understand.
"Let's see...Flour, yeast, warm water, and sugar for the rolls. Mashed apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla extract for the filling. Seems simple enough, but how can I make it my own?"
The colt perked up to something glowing within the caravan. It was only for a moment, as it was seen glowing behind a large cloth draped over something. Removing the cloth revealed an unfamiliar chest lined with assorted, painted apples. It appeared dated based on the apples having faded in color, let alone the few cobwebs surrounding it.
"I've never seen this before," he said. "Has it been here the whole time..?"
Curious that there were no locks on the chest, he popped it open...and was disappointed by its contents.
Flour, sugar, yeast...They were the same ingredients needed for the recipe, and that made no sense. The chest seems like it had seen better days...Why would it provide what he needed?
A labeled bottle within the chest shortly caught his eye…"True Vanilla Extract." Looks and smells just like ordinary vanilla. Is it any better than what he brought? Perhaps it's a new brand. He glanced at the writing on the back of the bottle: "Bring out the irresistible flavor! Recommended dosage for industrial batches: 3 t-..."
The remaining label was blurred out, but he feels confident of what the amount would be. It doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary, so a smile was brought to his face.
"I'll definitely have to test this out," He says, flipping to the very last page of the notebook to make his own notes. "Just a simple change in the name and design...and SweeTango won't know the difference. I'll make sure these 'Apple Blasts' will be the star of the Golden Apple Harvest!"
While he begins preparing the dough, he couldn't help but skim through the rest of her notes, touching up whatever he found of interest.