Chapter Three: Co-Author

Hearts and Hooves Day was in full bloom in Ponyville. The love in the air was so thick those not inoculated by their special somepony found it suffocating. Fortunately for Rainbow Dash, she was safe from its ill-effects within the confines of the Ponyville library where she had been scheming in secret since the early hours of the morning. While reading the adventures of her favourite archaeologist/adventurer, Daring Do, had done little to alleviate that which plagued her mind, it had given her ideas. What Dash needed to do was be more like her heroine - bold, daring, and totally unstoppable! And that called for an equally bold and daring plan. Brash and foolhardy plans were also acceptable since it was difficult to tell the two apart until it was too late.

A regular, boring pony might have gone up to Applejack and simply asked her out on a date, using the significance of Hearts and Hooves Day to add weight to the request. But Dash knew such a straight-forward plan was likely to go down in flames when she considered the likelihood of her nerves overriding all common sense. On top of that, even if the earth pony were interested, there was a chance she’d brush off the advance due to her commitment to working the vendor’s wagon that day. Dash needed a plan that would both surprise and impress her friend.

Sadly, while planning an aerobatic routine was one thing, trying to win over the affection of a long-time friend was proving to be a far more arduous task. In aerobatics it was easy to impress - just fly really fast, make some sharp turns, pull off some loops, and do something incredibly daring at the end. And while speed, precision, and boldness would be required in equal quantities in order to catch Applejack’s attention, every idea that came to mind seemed lack-lustre or had some critical flaw. If she went too fast, she’d just scare Applejack off; too precise and it would feel too contrived; and if she went with something too big and daring right away, everything afterwards would feel weak in comparison. Whatever she settled on, it had to be perfect. Her inability to formulate a worthwhile plan was why, even after several hours, Rainbow Dash was still pounding her head upon the breakfast table in the hopes that something resembling an idea would pop out. She had even gathered a bunch of fliers from around town in hopes that one of the advertised events would give her an idea, but as she went through them one by one, nothing sensible came to mind.

Perhaps she could write a message in the clouds.

No. Forecast for today had a southwesterly wind; the clouds would get blown away. Also it would be too time-consuming, even for her.

Maybe she could fly a banner over Ponyville.

No. Applejack might miss it and Dash needed to capitalize on the surprise quickly for such a proposal to work. The only other pegasus she could trust with such a task was nowhere near strong enough to fly a banner through the air.

Serenade? No - too sappy.

Poetry? Even sappier.

Ask her to a dance at the Ponyville Barnhouse Social? Maybe...but that wasn’t until the evening and Rainbow Dash didn’t want to leave something so crucial to the last second.

“This is getting me nowhere!” In her frustration, the pegasus slammed her hoof down once more upon the table. She his it with such force, however, that it caused the numerous fliers and the cold, half-eaten remnants of her breakfast to be scattered into the air and across her face. Alas, the only idea that getting hit by cold toast brought to mind was breakfast in bed and it was far too late for that. But as she brushed the half-eaten slab of bread aside, she noticed a flier that was slowly drifting down before her eyes. As she did not recognize the flier, Dash promptly snatched it out of the air and gave it a quick read-over. “‘Alone on Hearts and Hooves Day? Still searching for that special somepony? Then come down to town square for the Ponyville Charity Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction. Winners receive free dinner and entertainment for two.’ That’s it! This is perfect! But wait...”

Applejack would never willingly sign up for a bachelor auction, and it would be too obvious if Dash asked her to. There wasn’t, however, anything from stopping Dash from volunteering her friend for the position. And as the opposite side of the flier also served as an application form, all Dash needed to do was fill it out with Applejack’s information, trick the earth pony into signing her name at the bottom, get her down to the auction, and then win the auction. Bold? Yes. Daring? Most definitely. It was so brilliant that Dash almost wished there was somepony around for her brag to.

“Hello? Is anypony here?” For a brief moment, Dash ignored the voice coming from the other room. She had been so caught up in her scheming that she had almost forgotten her responsibilities as librarian. After all, who hung out at library by themselves on Hearts and Hooves Day? A second calling, however, snapped Dash back to reality and she hurried to see who it was.

“Just a minor setback Dash,” the pegasus reassured herself. “Just help her find her books, close up the library for a few hours, and then you can begin Operation: Farmer’s Market.” That plan, however, nearly went out the metaphorical window when she saw who it was waiting for her.

A pegasus was waiting patiently in the main hall, casually browsing through a few of the shelves but making no attempt to look at the titles more closely. Dash recognized her immediately, causing her voice to become violently lodged within her throat. Even with the absence of the trademark sky blue bodyglove, her fiery-tinted mane brushed down, and dark sunglasses obscuring her amber eyes, there wasn’t a chance that Dash would have mistook Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, for anyone else.

“Of all the book joints in Equestria, why’d she have to walk into mine?” Dash cursed. On any other day, Dash would have been bouncing off the walls as giddy as a schoolfilly, but today was too important to become star-struck.

“There you are. I was beginning to think I had accidentally wandered into somepony’s house and-” Spitfire stopped abruptly when her eyes fell upon the acting-librarian. “Wait a second, you’re Rainbow Dash, right? Since when did you run a library?”

“Oh, this?” Dash remarked as she gestured to her surroundings with forced modesty. The fact alone that the famous Wonderbolt still recognized and even remembered her name was almost enough to permanently etch a grin across her face had willpower not kept her in check. The best way for her to keep a level head was to force herself to act as though she were just talking to any other friend of hers and to anchor herself with indifference. Do what Twilight would do, Dash told herself: be professional; be courteous; and be efficient. “I’m just looking after it for a friend. Now are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Yes, actually. I was wondering if you have a copy Trotting Hill by Hoof Granite?”

“Hm, lemme check,” the librarian replied. The title didn’t sound familiar, but the same could be said for ninety-five percent of the books present. Dash, however, wasn’t going to admit to being clueless in front of another, especially one as famous as Spitfire. One advantage of having a pegasus for a librarian was that they didn’t need ladders to check the high shelves; thus, Dash was able to quickly fly about the library in search of the aforementioned book. “Sooo...what brings you to Ponyville?” Dash asked in an attempt to stave off the silence with some idle conversation. “I would have pegged you as the type to spend Hearts and Hooves in the big city with some hotshot celebrity.”

“Ugh...been there, done that. Not enough wine in Canterlot to repress those memories,” Spitfired said, grimacing at the thought. “I still can’t look at pineapples without feeling queasy.” It took considerable effort for her to push the memories of champagne and an overabundance of citrus fruit out of her mind. “For a change, I’d like spend Hearts and Hooves Day without it being made into a media spectacle. Celestia knows its hard enough trying to find a special somepony without the cameras going off every five second and a dozen gossip columnists speculating over every gesture I make. I figured in Ponyville I’ll actually have a chance to enjoy the day, even if my date only exists on paper.” Despite sounding frustrated by her predicament, Spitfire still managed a slight chuckle at her own expense. Why drag the mood down with complaints, she figured.

“You’re telling me that the single most eligible pegasus in all of Equestria is spending Hearts and Hooves Day alone?” Dash asked incredulously. She would’ve added a remark about her willingness to give up both left hooves for to take Spitfire out, but Dash had found the book that the Wonderbolt had asked for so her mouth became otherwise preoccupied.

“Hey, being famous doesn’t make finding love any easier. It can make the motions go by faster but that’s about it,” the Wonderbolt explained with the confidence that came from many years of experience under her belt. “When you’re a celebrity, ponies already feel like they know you so oftentimes they think they can skip that step of a relationship. But then again I suppose that’s true for any pony. It doesn’t matter how well you knew them before because entering a relationship means having to learn about them on a whole different level.”

Rainbow Dash was a bit surprised to find herself nodding in agreement as she set the book down on a nearby tabletop. That was something that she hadn’t considered before; she couldn’t take her previous friendship with Applejack for granted or as some kind of short-cut. And for a brief moment, it made Dash wonder if she was doing the right thing. Her friendship with Applejack was something to be treasured, and the decision to try and move things beyond that was not one to be made lightly. Dash wondered what Daring Do would consider in this situation, though contemplating the potential choices of a fictional character notorious for recklessness was perhaps an unwise decision.

“So what’s Trotting Hill about?” Dash asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“A small-town bookstore owner whose crumbling love-life suddenly turns about when a big-shot celebrity comes into his store one day.” Suddenly, Spitfire shot a flirtatious gaze as her lips curled into amorous smile. Dash’s eyes widened for an instant as her voice decided to bunker down in her stomach once more. But the Wonderbolt couldn’t hold her composure for more than a second and promptly fell into a fit of laughter. “Sorry about that, couldn’t resist,” she said after stifling a few dying chuckles. “But seriously, that is the premise of the novel. It’s been a favourite of mine since I as a little filly.” She let out a quiet, wistful sigh as her eyes and hoof drifted across the book cover. “It’s funny, when I was younger I had always hoped to be the bookstore owner one day, but now I’m stuck as the big-shot celebrity.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Dash said after she recovered from her momentary dumb-struck stupor.

“It’s not,” Spitfire insisted. “But it’s just that...well, you’ll understand when you’re a Wonderbolt one day.”

Dash’s eyes instantly lit up like beacons. Any pretense of keeping a level head went up in flames as her mind, and ego, shot into the clouds. “You...you really think I’m going to be a Wonderbolt?” she repeated as though her mind was certain that this was only a dream. It wasn’t an open invitation, but the opinion of the team’s captain carried more weight with it than any trophies or awards.

“Are you kidding me?” the captain replied with a hint of amusement. “With a sonic rainboom in your repertoire, it’s only a matter of time. But don’t take that as invitation to slack off - you’ve still got plenty to learn, okay?”

“Praise...too strong...getting distracted! Must...abort!” It took all of her willpower to stop the ear-to-ear grin from snapping her face in half. While listening to Spitfire’s compliments were as addictive as Apple Family cider, Dash had to break free of the Wonderbolt while she still some mental control. “Listen, Spitfire...I really, really wish I could stay and hang out with you some more, but there’s something super important that I have to go do.” Each word felt like tearing a feather from her wings, but Dash knew this was for the best. Loitering with Spitfire would only rob her of valuable time. With any luck, she could potentially catch up with Spitfire later - she’d have to return the book eventually.

“Something important, huh?” Spitfire mused. It was Hearts and Hooves Day and there was a pegasus in front of her eager to get about for ‘super important’ business; even a blind pony could see the writing on the wall. “Off to meet your special somepony?”

Dash flustered at the teasing inquiries. She figured there wasn’t much point in denying the truth when it was obvious to the other pony. “Something like that,” she said while being intentionally sparse on details. “Technically the bachelor’s auction, but I’ve got plans in the works.”

“Then far be it for me to keep your lucky pony waiting.” Spitfire knew better than to stand in the way of young love so she grabbed her book, wished the pegasus good luck, and headed for the exit. “A bachelor auction? Hm, that might not be such a bad idea.” Spitfire knew the odds were rather slim for her finding love on Hearts and Hooves Day, but perhaps she could rent a decent imitation for the night.

*****************************

If there was one thing that Applejack could always count on, it was that by five minutes after ten in the morning, her vendor’s stall would be completely inundated with hungry ponies. And the fact that it was Hearts and Hooves Day only made that sentiment ring truer. The heart-shaped apple fritter was a particular favourite amongst culinary-inept coltfriends who still wanted to surprise their special somepony with a breakfast in bed, and nothing chased away the ‘still single on Hearts and Hooves’ blues like a hot spiced cider first thing in the morning. Celestia knows that she needed one just to get out of bed.

“H’okay, that’s two pints of cider, two fritters, and an extra large order of apple fries. That’ll be twenty bits,” Applejack said as she carefully packaged the goods into a convenient, easy-to-carry box. Once she had the money, she pushed the box to the side and shouted, “Next!”

The line stretched as far as Applejack could see and, knowing how things went last year, it likely continued around the block and looped back on itself. But the work kept her mind preoccupied and free from distracting thoughts about peculiar pegasus. The next customer trotted up and ordered a half-dozen fritters, and like everypony before him, insisted that he was in a hurry. Who wasn’t in a hurry these days? Undaunted, Applejack filled out the next order with speed and precision.

“Twelve bits,” she said as she rang up the order.

Next order: one heart-shaped apple pie.

After that, a dozen apple dumplings.

Then two hot ciders and a pie.

“Hey sis!” a familiar voice popped up. It was followed a moment later by the bow-adorned head of the youngest pony of the Apple family.

“What is it, Applebloom?” the elder sister replied, indifferent to the filly’s sudden arrival. Despite the interruption, she didn’t miss a step in the current transaction, sweeping up a pile of coins and waving the next customer up. At the very least, the filly’s presence offered a slight break from the monotony.

“Oh, well there’s this...um, thing at...uh, school that Ms. Cheerilee wants to do,” Applebloom began. “A...um, field trip. Yeah, a field trip!”

“That’s nice.” As Applebloom had hoped for, her sister was so focused on filling out each customer’s order that she was barely paying even a wink of attention to what was being said. She could have told Applejack that the farm was on fire and it probably would have prompted the same response.

“We...er, I just need you to sign this consent form,” she continued as she took out a scrolled up paper and set it down on the cart.

“Ask yer brother,” Applejack replied as she loaded another box full of apple dumplings.

“He’s...busy,” the filly lied. Thankfully, her sister was still far too distracted to scrutinize.

“Can’t this wait? Ah’m a little busy.” Impatience and ire were beginning to surface, which meant it was time to for Applebloom to break out the coup de grace.

“But I needs it now!” she whined, stomping her hooves and ensure her voice was loud enough to project all the way to the back of the line. “If I don’t get it signed, then Ms. Cheerilee will take everypony else on the trip and I’ll be stuck all alone in the schoolhouse!”

Years of being an older sister and still she had no defense when Applebloom started to whine at full force. The added pressure of all the disapproving glares of impatient customers shattered the pony’s stubbornness like a walnut beneath her hoof. “Okay! Okay! Ah’ll sign the blasted form,” she snapped. It was far easier to give into the filly’s demand than divide her attention. And if the whining continued, Applejack would surely start losing customers.

With a triumphant grin, Applebloom nudged the paper towards her sister, who scribbled her signature across it without even reading it over. With the paper secured, she was more than willing to give her sister the space she needed to work; plus, if Applebloom stayed any longer, she’d burst out into a gleeful laugh and that would blow the entire operation. Once the vendor’s stall was out of sight, the giddy filly broke into a sprint.

So excited was the pony that she could barely contain it when she burst into the library shouting, “I got it, Dash! I got it!”

“Awesome!” the pegasus exclaimed as she flew over to meet her. “And she doesn’t suspect anything?”

“Nope, she’s none the wiser,” Applebloom boasted before producing a auction sign-up sheet that was now complete with Applejack’s signature. “So now all we need to do is get Applejack to the auction and then she’ll get to have her own special somepony! Oh, I just can’t wait to find out who it’s gonna be!”

The passionate exuberance of youth was precisely why Dash had gone to Applebloom for assistance. It took very little to convince her to join up, especially when it was explained that the main objective was to find Applejack a date for Hearts and Hooves Day. What younger sister didn’t love meddling in the affairs of their siblings? And since Applebloom was still firing on all cylinders, Dash had no intention of letting this resource go unexploited.

“Okay Applebloom, it’s time for phase two of Operation: Farmer’s Market!”

*****************************

“I thought you were dead!”

“For a while, so did I. But the thought of seeing your beautiful face once more gave me the strength to drag myself out from that ditch.”

Though his muscles ached and every breath made lungs burn, the rugged stallion could not hold back his desire any longer. He lunged forth like a bestial predator, forcing Lady Stirling Silver to the bed with a fervent kiss. Driven by his primal desires, he tore the dress from her delicate frame, revealing the curvaceous young mare that his body had longed for. And she, too, longed for him. A fire burned deep within her loins, yearning for the feel of his-

“Hey sis, what’cha reading?”

The suddenness in which her younger sister popped out of nowhere, shattering the tranquility of the marketplace, caught Applejack completely off-guard. She was barely able to yelp out a ‘nothing’ before her sister’s prying eyes forced her to slam the book shut. “Oh, uhhh...h-hey Applebloom, what are you doing here again?” Applejack said with a nervous chuckle.

By mid-day, the hordes of customers that had swamped the marketplace earlier had dispersed. Normally there would be a lunchtime rush but given the nature of the holiday, most of the cafes and restaurants were seeing a surge in business rather than the lone food vendor. It gave her time to rest and catch up on her reading before the mid-afternoon crowds started to return.

“What’cha got there?” Applebloom asked, once again inquiring about the book the her sister seemed intent on keeping away from her. She had both hooves over the cover and every time Applebloom shifted position to get a better view, her sister moved the book away.

“It’s nothing,” her sister insisted. While outright lying was tough for her, Applejack had no qualms about deflecting the truth. “It’s just a book; a grown-up book.” She should’ve known better than to use that as a reason to dissuade her sister. Since when did youth ever stop Applebloom?

“A grown-up book, huh?” Applebloom mused, flaunting her indifference to her sister’s authority. The filly continued in her attempts to get a closer look at the book but her sister’s superior reach kept the book a safe distance at all times. Suddenly, Applebloom shifted her gaze to something past her sister, eyes widening in horror. “Oh my goodness, is that Granny Smith on the ground?” she gasped with an outstretched hoof.

“Granny Smith? Whe-?” No sooner had Applejack turned her head in the direction her sister had pointed towards did she regret that decision. To absolutely nopony’s surprise, there was no Granny Smith - just a wall-eyed pegasus chewing on a muffin. And judging by the sounds of hurried hoofsteps and a taunting giggle, Applebloom, and her book, were already half-way down the block. “Applebloom, you get back here right this instant!” she shouted as she leapt over the counter and gave chase. In all honesty, she didn’t care too much for the book, but if her little sister started reading it and if Big Macintosh found out, Applejack would be doing double-chores until the next applebuck season.

Yet despite being one of the most athletic ponies in town, the pint-sized thief was somehow able to elude her. She had managed to keep her sister in sight but upon reaching the town square, she lost Applebloom in the crowds. “How in tarnation can somepony with such stubby legs run so fast?” she pondered. The large crowd of ponies, gathered around a raised platform for reasons unknown to her, made for an near-impassible barrier, forcing Applejack to slow to a crawl in order to safely worm her way through. She was about half-way through, deep in the sea of ponies, when she heard a voice calling out ‘found her!’

“Applejack, there you are!” sounded a familiar, authoritative voice. Standing behind a podium on stage and beckoning the orchard farmer to approach was none other than the Mayor of Ponyville. “We were beginning to worry that you had forgotten.”

Now Applejack was absolutely certain that there was nothing for her to have ‘forgotten’ but that didn’t stop her from erring on the side of caution. “What? Me forget? Ah’d never do that,” Applejack replied. She didn’t recall making any sort of commitments to the Mayor, but she couldn’t rule out the possibility either. Between the library and the farm, a promise made weeks ago could easily have slipped her mind. She knew she should have just left it alone but since she had already said otherwise, Applejack had little choice but to play along and trot onto the stage. Her only hope was to feign comprehension until the answers presented themselves. From what she could tell, it was some kind of ceremony or celebration, as she appeared to be the only other pony on stage and all eyes were set on her. Did the Mayor decide to give her another trophy?

“Okay everypony,” the Mayor addressed the crowd, “I apologize for the delay but we can finally resume with our next lovely and eligible bachelorette.”

“Bachelorette?” Applejack was certain that she would’ve remembered agreeing to something involving that particular term.

“Now she’s a pony who needs no introduction...but I’m giving you all one anyways. She’s the five-time champion of the Ponyville rodeo. She enjoys baking, apple ciders, and long walks through the orchard. She is the face of Sweet Apple Acres, and without a doubt, the friendliest, most, honest, most dependable pony in all of Ponyville - I present to you, fillies and gentlecolts, Miss Applejack of the Apple family!”

“Pardon me, Miss Mayor,” Applejack interrupted in a whisper as she pulled the Mayor away from the podium, “now Ah don’t want to sound ungrateful after that nice little introduction speech but...what exactly is going on here?”

“Have you been working too hard again? It’s the Charity Bachelor Auction,” the Mayor replied as though this fact should have been plain to see. In fact, it was plain to see since it was written across the large banner that spanned overhead.

“A-auction?” the farmer repeated in disbelief. “Ah...Ah think there must be some mistake.”

“Mistake? This is your signature, is it not?” the Mayor asked as she produced Applejack’s application form.

It only took a quick glance for her to deduce how her signature had wound up on the application form. Sadly, blaming this mess of Applebloom would come across as a cowardly cop-out. On top of that, this was for charity, and Applejack was hesitant to disappoint the Mayor a second time over promised money. “Well...yes, that is but-”

“Excellent.” The Mayor seemed very eager to resume the auction as she hadn’t even waited for Applejack to finish before returning to the podium. “Now everypony, we shall start the bidding at ten bits. Do I hear ten bits?”

Applejack was convinced this ordeal was going to be a brutalizing lesson in humility for her. Few things torpedoed your self-worth like attaching a monetary value. But despite her misgivings, and a growing voice in her mind telling her to run, she found her hooves to be all but cemented to the stage. She was too terrified to do anything but hide behind a forced smile.

To her surprise, however, the hooves began to shoot up and in startling numbers. Within the first few seconds, Applejack could have sworn she saw at least twenty separate hooves making a bid. By the time the price passed fifty bits, the number of bidders had dwindled to about a half-dozen. Unbeknown to her, one of the hooves belonged to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus had scrounged up every bit to her name in preparation for the auction, and she wasn’t leaving until she had what she came for; failure was not option. The bidding war continued unabated, the price jumping in small increments that snowballed into large sums. After a hundred bits, another two of Dash’s competitors had dropped out, but Dash was growing nervous; she had only a hundred and fifty bits to spend and the other bidders showed signs of giving up.

“This is getting bad! Why did I have to blow my last paycheck on that replica Daring Do safari helmet?”

“Rainbow Dash? What in Celestia’s name are you doing here?” The pegasus almost jumped out of her skin when Rarity’s voice perked up behind her. She froze on the spot, her hoof still raised in the air from her previous bid. “Are you...bidding on the auction?”

“No! I mean yes! I mean...I’ll explain later.” Dash realized there was little point in trying to deny what was plainly obvious. But Rarity’s arrival proved to fortuitous as the ongoing bidding war was about to breach Dash’s budget. “Quick, Rarity, I need to borrow some money!” she said as she turned to her friend with pleading eyes.

Now Rarity had only just been passing by on her way home when she caught sight of her friend at the bachelor’s auction; she still had little idea what had gotten Dash so desperate for money until she glanced up to the stage and saw...Applejack? Now Rarity was truly confused, but Dash appeared to be in genuine need. “Very well then, how much do you need?”

“Whatever you can spare,” Dash asked with ever-increasing anxiety. Her eyes bounced back and forth between the stage and her friend, who had pulled out a coin purse to count what remained.

“I’m afraid I don’t have much on me; only about thirty bits.”

“That’ll do! Thanks!” It was a good thing that Rarity didn’t thrive off gratitude as Dash snatched the coin purse from her with a half-second ‘thanks.’

While she had been en route to return home, Rarity’s curiosity was piqued and would not allow her to leave until it was sated. She watched as Dash resumed bidding, only to have her hopes crushed as the rising price devoured the additional funds in seconds. When her friend’s face dropped as failure seemed all but certain, Rarity knew she could not stand idly by and watch her go down in flames. Just as the bidding past two hundred bits, forcing all but one of the contenders out, Rarity pushed her friend’s hoof back into the air.

“Hey wait, Rarity! What are you doing?” Dash asked, caught by surprise once again by the unicorn.

“I have more money at the boutique,” she explained, “you can pay me back later.”

Her friend’s generosity left Rainbow Dash speechless for a moment. “Thanks,” she said when she finally managed to find her words, “this really means a lot.”

“I could tell.”

With a renewed sense of hope, Dash continued her aggressive bidding war. She could just see the yellow hoof on the far side of the crowd popping up mere seconds after every bid Dash made. Her competitive spirit refused to yield, much to the chagrin of Rarity’s bank account as the bid continued to climb.

“It’s no good, he’s outbidding me at every step,” Dash grumbled in aggravation. One could usually tell when a bidder was nearing their end as they spent more time deliberating every raise, but Dash’s opponent still did not hesitate.

“Then we’ll have to go with shock and awe,” Rarity replied. “Five hundred bits!” Her announcement sent a ripple of gasps through the crowds. Even Applejack, who couldn’t even clearly see who had just made the outrageous bid, though the voice did sound familiar, was left stunned. “Let’s see him top that,” the unicorn chuckled to herself in triumph. Silence overtook the crowd as a few heads turned towards the other bidder. On stage, the Mayor called out for any further bids, her gavel raised to finalize the deal.

“One thousand bits!”

Elation turned into crushing despair in a second as Dash’s jaw fell open, along with everypony else’s. This was it, she realized - this was how it would end. And the worse feeling of all was that if the other pony had no qualms about dropping a thousand bits on an auction, then Dash never stood a chance from the beginning. Even Rarity was surprised; few residents of Ponyville had that kind of coin to drop and she could not imagine any of them having the want or the need for the auction block. Every pony was wondering who was behind this colossal bid, and when Dash flew up a few feet to see over the crowds, she was the first to recognize the pony.

“Spitfire!”