sweet apple acres 47th Annual Cider Season (Open to all)

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

Taira remained focused on his run on the mill, doing his darndest to produce at least some cider for the day. If there was one thing somepony would say about him it wasn't going to be "He doesn't work hard." His huffing and puffing on the mill must have been noticed as he soon heard Applejack talking to Blueblood and that one mare from the other day. He'd failed to catch her name then, but now he could overhear it being spoken: Bellissima.  It was a lovely name and it was even lovelier to see her warming up to the farm. Perhaps the other day the stress had gotten to her. 

 

Even better it seemed as though Blueblood was joining them to help out with the broken mill! This day was getting even better. He gave the fetching Bluebelle a happy smile as she drew closer,  taking on paw off the mill to wave once and then right back to work.


Applejack's holler back to him made his ears perk up. WIth a delighted smile he would call back, "That's right! No magic at all! ... Don't try to cheat now: I'll smell your aura if you do!" He said with a wry grin as he kept up his pace on the mill, only slowing a moment as he noticed a surprising potent magical aura nearby. He stalled a moment on the  mill but pushed on through, only taking a moment to look around to investigate... and noticing an alicorn was here! Not just any Alicorn either, but Celestia's sister. Goodness, this farm was drawing in all sorts of bigwigs! 

A multitude of questions popped up in Taira's mind. He had enjoyed his visit with celestia during the last Nightmare Night. HE had so few opportunities to speak to beings as old or older than himself. With a happy bark he would look to his now feminine friend, "Blue! Is that one of your aunts over there? I don't think I've gotten to speak to her yet? Does she like tea and cake as much as your other one?"

 

In between panting he would look to his perspective temporary co-worker and chuckle at hesitant words on sweat, "It certainly is from what I've heard! I wish I could sweat, all I can do is huff and pant to cool off." He slowed up a little on the mile to offer the mare a smile, "I'm Taira, I don't think we got to speak yesterday. It will be a pleasure to run with you!"

Edited November 27, 2019 by Pretzelparty

[Hippo]

 

Noticing the chagrins coming from the magic ponies gifted with telekinesis and the like, Applejack could see these impromptu volunteers not appreciating the idea of not using magic. It would be like asking a pegasus to not use her wings, or an earth pony to not use her legs. But she had to reassure and convey her view of it, because since becoming friends with several magical creatures like a magical wolf, a student changeling, and a mood-swinging kirin, not to mention the bona fide princess of friendship alicorn, Applejack had come to terms with the idea of magic being a part of her life through many different ways, despite how stubborn she had been all the years before. During traditional events like the annual winter wrap up, or physical competitions like the running of the leaves or the iron pony, magic would of course be viewed as a disgrace, but Applejack no longer sticks her nose up at a friendly unicorn pony levitating an apple in front of her face. "Look, ya'll. I'm not saying you can't use magic. Just be moderate about it. If you have to glow your horn for more than a few seconds, then you're probably abusing your powers a lil' bit."

 

Applejack started reaching around the scatter parts of the treadmill on a clue for where to start. "Hey pass me that mallet over there in mah box," she said to no one in particular. "I may have to work a few hours to get this fixed, but just organizing all these parts by shape and size will probably save me the most amount of time." Applejack started separating the pieces into different piles. One pile had small wooden screws, another had large planks. Anything made of metal had it's own pile, and broken pieces were stashed out of the way.

Applejack chuckled at the idea of a batpony generation having a boom all because of the Princess Luna's reconciliation with her ruling sister. "Heh heh. The magic of friendship causes all sortsa ripples in everypony's lives, don't it?"

 

As the day grew longer, Applejack hoped to see many customers return again for a third day. With any luck and some hard work, cider production might be at its maximum. If Applejack gets a third treadmill to work, she might grind on it all night if her body allows.

 

Current fresh cider supply: 0%

((The day will reset in 2 days, on December 1st 12:00am UTC))

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                                                

Gallus looked deep, deep into the dirt fo a few seconds as he heard the impact and the aftermath of the pies. He hated Sweet Apple Acres because it seemed to hate him acutely. No cider for two days straight and then they give out pies and he just had to have an accident. The result? No pies for the griffon and a bit of an embarrassment to boot. After a few more moments of allowing himself to wallow in the throbbing miasma of his failure he looked up and saw what had happened. Silverstrem had been knocked flat on her flank, face covered. She was being helped up by Princess Luna, who wore a scowl equally alongside the pie filling that seemed to get everywhere.

 

He wanted to just dig a hole into the earth and hide but that wasn't possible. Griffon talons weren't made for digging and he was sure that even if he tried that Luna could just pluck him from the ground like an oddly colored weed. He flew over to the pair, rubbing the back of his neck as he did. Luna sounded...he was going to go with angry. Luckily she couldn't exile him anymore so that fear was gone but she could still probably turn him into a trout or make his nightmares become a lot worse or somesuch. Truth was he only had a faint grasp of what she did but he didn't really want a firmer, more tangible grasp because of all this. It seemed like a purely bad idea based on the scowl.

 

"Sorry," he said quickly as he flew in for a landing, immediately setting on Silverstream unconsciously to help clear her face off. "I was getting pies for the two of you-" a lie never tasted so sweet or so he hoped, "-and then somecreature stepped on my tail while I was double-timing it. Sorry, Princess Luna...please don't turn me into a sponge," he ended with a nervous smile, not sure whether or not that was within her wheelhouse. 

[Skycoaster]

Luna’s scowl would fade to a more neutral expression as the blue griffin pled his case. “I see,” is all she would say. A pale glow would come from the princess’s horn followed by a bright flash. “Considering the circumstance, I shall accept thy apology Gallus.” 
 

The spell that the alicorn cast was simply a clean up spell, though with a bit of drama. All traces of the pie that have covered the princess’s face vanished as a sly grin began to creep upon her muzzle as looked to Silverstream with a wink, awaiting Gallus’s reaction to the magic flash.

[Hippo]

 

Silverstream was shocked at the spectacle that was Luna's magic emanating a bright flash everyone at the farm could see. Though harmless, Silverstream could see Gallus flinch at her magical beam that would result in only a simple sanitation spell. "Whoa." Silverstream stated. She hovered in place at the flash but then landed when Luna appeared clear of the pie debris with a bit of a smirk. "That was so awesome!"

 

 

 

 

At the treadmills, Applejack saw the shadows that the bright flash created and then stood up to look behind her to see what was going on. What she assumed was an amusement spell that didn't cause any damage or injuries, she could see the level of commotion increase among the impatient ponies. An empty pie tin rattled and rolled towards Applejack and stopped its aimless wheeling at her feet. "Alright ya'll. That's enough! We need everyone to please leave the front area of the farm and please mind your space. We're out of cider today, so take yer free samples and leave for the day. I don' want anypony gettin' hurt all because of the excitement. Tomorrow morning, same as before, we will have more cider." As Applejack stepped back towards the treadmills and continued sorting parts, many customers reluctantly dispersed the from the front of the cider stand, the cart with apples and pies completely emptied by the agitated patrons.

 

Distracted with royalty and Gallus' antics, Silverstream was just now realizing that cider was out again. "They're out again!? Gallus, lets get to where my tent is and make sure no one moves it." She flew quickly to where her tent was where it was dirty with dirt picked up from the road, but otherwise undamaged and unmoved. She was faced with the dilemma of packing up and giving up an early spot, or continuing to camp out yet again in order to try and guarantee Gallus and herself a spot at the theoretical front of the line. She would talk to Gallus about the possibilities as the day grew older.

 

 

__________________________________________________

 

Day 3

 

 

Third time's a charm. It was the morning of yet another day in the beautiful autumn sun, and another day of cider drinking. Everyone would have the pleasure of doing one of those things, but it was yet to be determined who would enjoy them both. Applejack had worked into the night working on the third treadmill that was not yet operational. With the help of Taira's continued pace, and the additional help of a pop star unknown to Applejack, cider production seemed promising for the next day's customers. It was clear that more cider than either of the first two days would be available for serving.

 

However, while filling the barrels, they encountered a small problem. Many of the barrels used for cider storage were not fit to contain the cider. Over the years, many of them had been reused as they were in good conditional to be used for many seasons. But some of them finally bit the dust, and no extra materials were had to create new barrels in time for morning. So, instead of stopping production, Applejack decided to store the surplus cider in a juice vat. It was cleaned and filled with cider, with a valve at the bottom giving flow to the next empty barrel available. As barrels are emptied, the vat will be used to fill the barrels and continue a hefty supply of cider. There was more cider, but it was harder to get an accurate estimate of how many barrels of cider were left.  It wasn't perfect, but the extra cider made Applejack rest a lot easier.

 

Except she didn't rest at all.

 

Applejack worked so late into the night trying to put together the third mill that she failed to use any of the night to get sleep. This was mostly evident by the massive bags under her eyes walking up to the cider stand as the sun rose. "hhhHHHHHaaaaaauuwww." She yawned and cracked a smile. "Today will be a good day, I just know it." She stepped up on top of the cider stand, but lost her footing and slipped off it. "Whoops." She carefully stood back on top of it and aimed herself at the line of patrons, who almost in the same color order as the day before had their tents lined up. "Today is the third day of cider season. It's gonna be a hhhhhhHHHHHaaaauuhhhuhhhwhh. Good day. We have more cider today than we did yesterday." She hesitated to speak. "That means more cider than yesterday, so." Applejack blinked hard and thought for a minute. "And more than the day before that." She jumped off the counter and in front of the line. "So let's get to it!" Applejack gave Apple Bloom the go-ahead nod, and then walked back to the treadmill which still had not been completely fixed and attempted to finish the assembly of the machine so that cider production could be optimal.

 

 

Current fresh cider supply: ???%

Cider press #3 repair: 78%

[GoldenDaze]

 

Bell continued to trot, already feeling the nasty liquid trickle down her forehead. She was hoping her mane wasn't matted, as it felt like a waterfall was pouring off her head. Of course, though, she was probably being dramatic. From a common onlooker, most could only spot a little drop. Bell didn't feel like that though. 

 

Her mind started to drift as somepony began talking to her, and the brightly blue eyed mare caught a creature running on another treadmill next to her. The wolf must've heard her previous words before hand, as Bell just nodded without making any eye contact. She didn't give a good look until the furry wolf introduced himself. She cleared her throat rather aggressively, sort of out of breath. "Ah- Nice to uh- meet you." She finally got a clear view of him, which made her tilt her head. A wolf? How strange. "I'm Bellissma Stella. You may call me Bell," she responded hesitantly, giving a tired smile. She honestly didn't want anypony- or creature- to talk to her. She was over this 'making friends' thing. 

 

Thankfully, all her trotting came to a stop, as the day was getting older. 

 

                                                                                        

The next morning..

 

Bell woke up a little sore, probably from the trotting. Though she was used to dancing on a stage, this was a different type of exercise that left her body aching. The pink mare woke up grouchy to boot, as the bags under her eyes grew larger. The stretched as she got up, brushing her mane in a quick swipe then putting it up in a ponytail. She knew she was going to have to work today, which is why she left her tent underneath a large apple tree. 

 

She walked out, letting the sun warm her face up to wake up a little. She rubbed her eyes, a grumpy looking taking over her face. She began trotting to the work area, spotting Applejack. She looked extremely tired, which kind of made Bell feel bad. She knew hard work when she saw it, and Bell was going to say something, but she didn't know what exactly to say. She was already grumpy, so her brain wasn't really thinking right. The only thing she could think about was dreading running on one of the treadmills. She wasn't in the mood for running. 

 

Maybe she could stall though.. and an idea struck her. Hopefully she didn't have to run now. "What a good morning it is today, right Applejack?" She stared at the tired earth pony, waiting for a response. Bell was good at stalling. "You need any help, darling? I can hold something you need, or get you some tools?" Anything but running..

 

 

 

[Blueblood]

 It was a sad truth, but one essential for every prospective diplomat to learn, that one mare's concession was another mare's pig-headed refusal to budge on a pointless point.  No offense meant to any of the hoggish persuasion on Sweet Apple Acres.  Quite accommodating, actually, your average porcine.  It would probably be a good idea for Princess Bluebelle to delete that particular phrase from her patois.  A suitable replacement must therefore be found; Apple-headed, perhaps?

 

Not that it was anything but a matter of perspective, but even the orange mare's limit of three consecutive seconds to horn usage rankled the alabaster one.  Honestly, just how useful did she think the Princess' hooves would be?  Earth Ponies were the best at hoofwork, by necessity.  Everypony knew that.  It was how they did all fine manipulation.  Just like pegasi did with their wings, for that matter.  But was that ever mentioned or curtailed in the interest of fairness or tradition?  It probably was, actually, but there were no pegasi around actually helping AJ with repair work, so Bluebelle could feel free to stew a little bit on the injustice of it all.

 

Not that she would ever be so gauche as to actually say anything out loud to voice her displeasure.  The Princess was quite similar to Bellissima in that manner, and as such could tell that her fellow unicorn was being another silent sufferer.  Or rather, painting a chipper face over troubles.  "Great job with the treadmill, my dear!  And you're making it look a breeze, darling; keep up the good the good work!"  She called out an encouragement to the showmare, a heartfelt one.  However turmoiled, or even blackened, another's heart may be, while their hooves were doing good, they should get all the praise they deserve, and perhaps a little bit more.  Change can often work from the outside in...

 

Meanwhile, Bluebelle resolved in herself to not push Applejack's limit.  If the job got done while it was enforced, no need to raise a complaint.  If not... well, a hard day's labor was a worthwhile investment for an opportunity to gently encourage the mare to be a little less stubborn next year, bless her heart.  In the meantime, no reason not to engage in friendly banter with her fellow hard workers.  "It is indeed, Taira!  Auntie Luna has graced us with her presence!"  And her niece was very happy to see that; faust knew the alicorn hardly got out enough as it was.  "I think she's more of coffee mare, actually, though I've never seen her turn down cake!"

 

Speaking of Auntie Luna, Blue had to share a chuckle over the unexpected results of her return with AJ, as she pointedly let some supplies drop after three seconds.  "Indeed it does, but positive ones, ultimately.  I rather like seeing more thestrals about the place.  I honestly like the looks of them, I should recruit one to my honor guard someday."

 

 

And so the day passed.  Bluebelle stayed slightly longer, being as helpful as she could while observing AJ's limit (which, truly honestly speaking was not as much as it could have been.)  The Princess had to plead leave, however, as she still had Friendship School work to wrap up before the day was done.  Waving a goodbye to Bellissima, she called out to her fellow mare, "Excellent work out there today, truly.  It's always heartwarming to have a friendly face working by one's side, and all the better when it's a pretty one!"  She couldn't help herself, blowing a playfully flirtatious kiss before returning to her tent for some late night paperwork...

 

~NEXT DAY~

 

It was not before his morning coffee that Prince Blueblood emerged into the morning sun.  Hence, why it was the Prince, and not the Princess, that greeted day three of the cider season.  Stretching and popping a few joints, he grimaced, gulping down an artificially cooled second mug of coffee, just to get him through the morning.  "Good morning, Applejack.  I hope last night wasn't too rough on you."  He frowned, looking at the still-messy state of the third press.

 

Before he could say anything else, he looked up to see Bellissima return, even offering to volunteer!  The impromptu program was working!  However reluctant the starlet may be internally, it was the action that ultimately counted.  "And good morning to you!  Glad to be working with you again."  He smiled, but carefully watched her reaction to his selected form for the morning.  He had another theory about her, but she may or may not betray any evidence one way or the other concerning it.  "Tell you what, why don't I run on the press today?  I need to work on my figure anyway."

 

Turning back to AJ, he asked, "By the way, why don't you ask our students to help you out as well?  They haven't had a drink yet, and I think it only fair that they have theirs reserved, one way or the other.  I think it would be an excellent extra credit opportunity as well."

[Hippo]

 

Today was going to perfect. The conditions were perfect. The zipper on the tent was not jammed. The conditions were perfect. Silverstream was determined to not let herself sleep in. In fact, she stayed up all night in order to make sure that didn't happen. When she started hearing the rooster's crow, she unzipped herself out of her tent and grabbed Gallus. "It's morning!" Silverstream, despite being up all night, did not show any signs of being fatigued or non-cognitive. Silverstream would sleep well eventually, but her young hippogriff energy was bolstered to regular excited levels.

 

 

 

Today was going to be perfect. The conditions were perfect. The dirt on the path was not muddy. The conditions were perfect. Granola had been trying to conquer the simple task of talking to Applejack in an attempt to introduce a new breed of apple. Why she decided to keep on trying during cider week's insanity was a question for another day. She took a deep breath and exhaled in confidence. "It's morning." She trekked up to the path and decided to play the safe and fair route. She waited at the end of the line, where several ponies who elected not to sleep on the farm path were filing in as the sun peaked over the hills.

[Skycoaster]

Luna had yet to sleep, doing her nightly duties from within the rather haphazardly assembled tent. As the alicron poked her head out, she saw her sisters sun slowly beginning to rise over the hills of Sweet Apple Acres. It was with a heavy sigh that she steeped out into the dawn a bit concerned. She had noticed a lack of one pony's dreams, Applejack. Luna would hover into the sky to try to track down the orange mare as she knew all too well the dangers of lack of sleep.

 

She would land nearby and trot up to the group that had assembled. "Good morrow everypony," she would say with a yawn. "It is so wonderful to see all the ponies that have offered their help, is it not." Looking over her nephew, she would smile. "I agree with that idea. From those that I met yesterday, I would say they have excess energy to burn. The pink hippogriff in particular..."

 

Gazing over to Applejack once more it was clear the toll the lack of sleep was having on her. It was with a audible gulp that the alicorn would swallow her pride before volunteering her services as well. "You need to sleep Applejack. I shall assist AppleBloom today. I'm sure the Royal Canterlot Voice will come in handy if anything should arise." She would glare at the orange mare. "Do not make me issue a Royal Decree for thou to get some sleep. Even though I near retirement, I am sure you do not wish to go against a princess's wishes?"

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                                    


Apple Bloom had gotten a lot more rest than her sister had. She had so much help with her job that Apple Bloom would just have been a pair of hooves in the way/ So the smaller sister had worked on other projects. Inventory of the next day's apple supplies tat would become the cider, ensuring that the mugs and counters were cleaned, even a run into town for some new mugs when a few of them had shown cracks. You didn't want a mess! She had worked hard but when time for bed came she took it and took it quickly. She woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed and didn't give it a second thought when she saw her sister half a mess. You didn't stay around Sweet Apple Acres for long and not see Applejack operating on little to no sleep. She had come a long way from just a few years go but that didn't mean her workaholic personality didn't coe to the fore once in a while.

 

Enough ponies were getting on her case that she didn't feel like joining in. Either she'd go in for a nap or she wouldn't. Apple Bloom had a lot of work to do herself and couldn't really wait any longer to get to work. She had tied her mane back today to get the sweat out of her eyes, going bowless for once in a blue moon. Of course the idea of working along, with, under Princess Luna was equal parts awesome and terrifying. She didn't know if the mugs were Royal Canterlot Voice approved after all... 
But bfore she could really think about it much longer, the rush came in again. A quick breath and work!

 

“Y'all have a good'n!”
Two bits, mug.
“Hehe, we sure have a lot more than yesterday!”
Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug.
“Oh, we'll have more days after this for sure”
Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug.
“Ah reckon yer gonna remember this mug for a long time!”
“Well, tell them ta come on down too!”
“Nocreature can say no!”
Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug.

It came time for Silverstream to get served. The pink Hippogriff remained the only one she had ever met and if she was anything to judge the rest of their society on then she could only guess that they absorbed all the sugar in a certain radius because she was like a flying, swimming energy ball that was as friendly as the warm sun and as curious as a kitten. Well, hopefully both sides of her personality would be well-served by the cider. She poured Silverstream a nice, thick cup of cider, a good foam spilling over the top as she slid it over to the Friendship School student. "Howdy! Yer gonna like that mug a whole lot, Ah bet. Feel free ta get some more, ya know, assumin' y'all can stand tha wait," she said with a wink as she collected the bits. 

[QuickLime]

It was no easy task for Pink Lady to get here from Solstice Heights to aid her family for Cider Season, and in fact she seemed to be 3 days behind schedule! But that couldn't be helped, not only was it a long way, but some Yaks had camped out on the railroad tracks and had refused to move till the next morning!

Pink Lady sighed, as she took in the familiar sights of her old town, and home, and trotted even faster once the sight of the barn and orchards came into view! There seemed to be quite the gaggle of ponies..and other creatures...all awake and looking tired...

Lady had accounted for this, having brought a batch of her delicious preserved jam, some fresh bagels.. and in specially designed thermal bags, the sweet, and strong smell of Solstice Heights coffee.

"Good Morning everypony! I'm here to help! Sorry I just now got here, some Yaks  slept on the tracks yesterday and simply would NOT be moved"

Ofcourse the sight of the press made her move a hoof to her mouth.

"Oh my GOODNESS what HAPPENED?"

[Hippo]

 

When Applejack sat down to begin piecing together the large inventory of mechanical parts to the treadmill, she was immediately confused and had a hard time arranging her thoughts. Her knack for putting things together was hindered by her inability to focus and maintain a relatively easily thought process. Simple problem-solving would prove difficult in her current circumstance. Just then, Bella came up to her to greet her on the day and reflect on the previous evenings activities, one Applejack was very grateful for, even if she couldn't show it well. She asked her if she needed help, hinting at the possibility of not having to run today.

 

Of course, Bella had no obligation to do anything, but Applejack would put her to work if she offered. But instead of insisting that one of the treadmills was idle, she decided to put forth a request of more importance to the earth pony. "Oh, um. Could you maybe get me a cup of coffee? I know Granny stores some coffee beans in the pantry on the top shelf. I don't usually drink it often, but today I think I'm gonna need it." Applejack made her request to Bella without looking at her. She instead was staring at several nuts and bolts of various sizes trying to ascertain the differences between them.

 

Prince Blueblood walked up behind her and greeted her and Bell. After a short exchange with Bell, Applejack overheard that he was willing to run on the treadmill today. Applejack then questioned her short term memory on the identity of the prince, having remembered something different about his or her appearance, but quickly determined it didn't really matter. "Prince? Wait, wasn't the princess...   um, well great, I would appreciate the hoof-power you can give us Prince. The students are here, yes. But Twilight has gotten on the professors about using the students for free labor and told us to mind their time off." Applejack smiled smugly. "It's all Rainbow Dash's fault because she once tried to get about a dozen students to help organize her trophy cabinet to illustrate some sort of lesson on determination and accomplishment. So while I would love to ask them to help, I do not wish to do so unless they volunteer first."

 

And Princess Luna was here as well. "Princess Luna, I saw you yesterday but we didn't really get a chance to talk." Before she could get a royal return in greetings, Princess Luna commanded Applejack rest instead of attempt to fix the third treadmill for cider season. Applejack was stunned, but then respectfully shrugged it off. "Princess, I appreciate you're concern, but this is not my first rodeo in being a little sleep deprived. We here at the farm work hard every day and are used to the stress of this kind of pressure. We thrive in these conditions." Applejack picked up a wooden plank in the pile of spare parts and started checking the piece for quality and sturdiness. "Now what was this piece for again?" Applejack would never disobey a royal decree, but she wanted to convince Luna of her stubbornness, while maintaining her focus on fixing the treadmill to the best of her fatigued ability.

 

"Oh, look who it is. It's Lady." Applejack gave Pink Lady a short side hug. "Well, this here treadmill has been broken for a while and we just never fixed it. Had I known the demand for cider this year, I would have fixed it before hoof, but here we are."

 

 

 

 

Silverstream found her way rummaging at the front of the line. Eventually, Apple Bloom put a mug in front of the hippogriff, and Silverstream in turn, dropped two bits into the coffer. She stepped away from the with the mug in her claws and held it to her beak with the attempt to take the first sip of the famous cider. But she stopped herself. "Oh wait. I can't drink this by myself." The first night Gallus and her camped out in line they discussed many different things. But between the jokes they talked about the possibility of one of them getting cider, and that when the first one does they have to share a sip or two with the other so that they can partake at the same time.

 

So she started looking for Gallus. He was right behind her, she thought. He couldn't be too far away. "Gallus, I got cider!" She yelled as she weaved through the crowd of ponies that created a challenge for her to get through.  She had to be careful in order to keep the drink from spilling, so she remained on the ground. She finally saw Gallus and quickly ran towards him while holding the mug in one claw. A few steps away from Gallus, she tripped on a loose stone in the path and the mug flipped end of over end before spilled its contents all over the ground in front of the blue griffon. Silverstream, also on the ground just stared at the saturated dirt, contemplating her level of regret.

[Blueblood]

It probably shouldn't have been surprising to Prince Blueblood that Applejack put the kibosh on the idea of "volunteering" their students for help.  But, being royalty was literally a privileged existence, in the old, Roaman sense of the term: "private law."  Blueblood never really had to follow the rules, provided his actions did not upset Auntie.  It made him a useful diplomatic pawn when red tape and yellow papers would ensnare the Foreign Office's official ponies in doing work.  

 

"Oh, I see.  But given that they're already spending their free time just waiting in line, seems that the opportunity for something more constructive, with the same or enhanced rewards, could be offered."  He didn't push the point, however, as he gently took a seat beside her to inspect the inner workings of the cider press.  He nodded at Bella again as she would move off; AJ certainly looked as if she could use the coffee today.

 

Speaking of Auntie, one of them had just turned up!  He gave Luna a wave and a wry smile, "Looks as if you'll have to give that order, Auntie.  She's not the sort to let her pride go like that."  He said with a chuckle.

 

Over the sounds of their conversation could be heard the calls of Applebloom giving out the cider.  The Prince noted that Silverstream was now getting her mug, which gave him some sense of relief... until he saw her trip and spill the mug just as she was going to share it with her fellow student.  He winced, sucking a breath through his teeth.  "Now that's just... unfortunate.  I don't suppose there's any way we could reserve a replacement mug for them?"

[GoldenDaze]

 

Bell's joints ached from all the running from the day before. She woke up stiff, mildly grumpy, and just wanted to leave everypony alone. Scratch that, she wanted to be alone by herself. The stubborn unicorn knew it would be bad business for her though, staying was the better option. It felt like her status on the farm controlled her decisions. If she wasn't a rising popstar, she would've already left. 

 

This early in the morning, Bell didn't want to be confronted by anypony. The bags under her eyes were darkened enough to make her look like a vampire. As she rubbed them, a familiar voice came up behind her to greet her. Bell put on her fake smile, turning to see a tall white unicorn. It appeared to be Blueblood, and Bell was a little taken aback from the sudden change of her new acquaintance. She then remembered it was normal for him/her, and promptly spoke a "Good morning, sir. Glad to be of your acquaintance." She dipped her head. 

 

He seemed to be in a good mood, making Bell sigh a little. "If you insist. Running on that machine takes a great deal of endurance." The pinkish unicorn looked around to gain an idea of her surroundings, noticing a whole group were forming around the orange earth pony. Bell was met with strangers, whom knew her or didn't. She wasn't about to talk with everypony around though. Ponies looking at her appearance would destroy her confidence. She knew she looked like a complete and utter mess. 

 

Applejack responded to the unicorn's offer, and her answer satisfied the young unicorn greatly. "A cup of coffee, yes? I can surely get that for you." The unicorn gave a smile, which AJ didn't see, and she trotted off to the shed. Time to look for some coffee beans..

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                                       

Life was very unfair at times. He had done a lot to try and ensure that he got himself some cider but day after day it as proven to him that it wasn't to be. AT least that is what it felt like. It was really easy to get very negative about the whole experience as long as he focused on the results, and he was the sort who tended to focus on the resulted. After all, much of his life was spent rationalizing the means and ways he used to get what he wanted. But all of that turmoil was slightly dulled by the fact that it was Silverstream who got the cider. He knew they would share, and that was enough for him. A half victory wasn't really satisfying when he had waited for as long as he had but a half-victory that was half-shared with Silverstream felt pretty filling emotionally.

 

"Hey, good going Silverstream!" He said excitedly as he prepared to take flight to avoid all the obstacles that lived on the ground. He wished that Silverstream had the same thought a moment later as she tripped and the mug went flying, splashing across the ground in an exercise of sadomasochistic futility. His first instinct was to bemoan the loss of the Cider. It was, after all, why he was here. His second instinct as to worry about SIlverstream. At this moment they competed pretty terribly, but he decided to verbalize that second instinct. His Chancellor wasn't far away, after all. "Silverstream, you okay? That was a nasty trip."

 

                                                                                                    

Apple Bloom moved like a mare on fire, taking bits and pumping cider as fast as she could. Two bits, mug. Two bits mug. Two bits mug.
“Y'all have a nice one!”
Two bits, mug.
“Well, ain't you lookin' nice there with that mug! Remember ta use it if you come back or return it!”
Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug. A bit of spillage there, a bit of spillage there. No big deal.
“Drink up fast, that one's real foamy!”
Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug. Apple Bloom tried to have a quick talk with everypony but there was so many.
“Have a good'n Missus Ca-”
“Say hi ta Sweetie fo-”
“What a charm-”
Two bits, mug. Two bits, mug.
 

Then it was Bellisima Stella's turn.
The mare was about to head off to get some coffee but Apple Bloom flinged her a mug of cider. "Here ya go!" She said as she snapped her head to Blue. "Uhh, sure. Where are they? Hello?!" She tried to yell over the din before she was mobbed by customers once more, lost in hooves and cups.

TWO BITS
MUG


OOC- If I could get a list of characters currently in line, please?

[Hippo]

 

Applejack silently waited for Princess Luna to aggressively force her away from her exhausting labor to get much needed sleep, but after a waited a few seconds, forgot about the encounter entirely and began tinkering with the treadmill. One of many interruptions came from Prince Blueblood suggestion compensation for students volunteering to help. "We're already spread pretty thinly as it is, and even if it made sense, I don't think these students are as dexterous as you think they are." Just then, Silverstream tumbled her own cup of mug. Applejack looked at the prince half-lid. "See?" When the prince suggest a replacement mug, Applejack almost lost her fuse. "What!? Now that there just wouldn't be fair! All these ponies and critters waitin' in line all patient-like and you think a customer should get a freebie just because she's a student at your school!?" Applejack's rant was energized by her lack restraint. She was cranky to say the least. But a moment passed and Applejack apologized. "I'm sorry, Prince. I'm just a little on edge. But, no. I think we have plenty of cider today, but anyone who spills their drink needs to wait in line again. We wont charge them again, but we can't give them special treatment." Applejack had her ways of doing business. And though she was often begrudgingly stubborn to support her traditional ways of avoiding favoritism, there were times when she just ended up acting like a mule.

 

 

 

Silverstream's eyes welled and she began to ball. She lamented at how she has failed the simple task of drinking and sharing. "It's my fault, Gallus. I failed." Silverstream covered her face, still lying on the ground. "You don't think they'll give us a free refill, do you?"

 

 

 

Granola had just about enough of this cider nonsense. She appreciated the hard work the Apple family did, and loved the taste of the cider, if she to ever get a glass of it. But she was here to do business and upon inspection of the area for three straight days, she came to the conclusion that it was not a good time. So she turned around and went home. In the coming week, she would attempt to gauge the crowds around the cider season festival dwindling and when she felt Applejack was finally free to talk to, she would approach her then.

 

((Granola Gracie continues her ambition in this thread.))

 

 

 

Current fresh cider supply: Plenty

Cider press #3 repair: 79%

[Blueblood]

Blueblood was glad to see that Bellissima was greeting the morning in a good, or at least outwardly pleasant, mood.  Not every pony was a morning pony, but a day like this, with a lot of hard work ahead of them, would be made all the easier if everypony was in it together to make it as good as possible.  Even if it meant nothing more strenuous than getting coffee when asked; she looked the sort of mare who more often made than fulfilled such a request.  It never hurt to see things from the perspective of the lower classes, after all, whatever one chose to do with that information afterward.

 

It was a bit... unfortunate, therefore, that Applejack wasn't quite so agreeable.  The earth mare's allergy towards favoritism frankly struck the Prince as strange; growing up in a world of patronage and power gave him a completely different perspective.  "There comes a time, you know, where too rigid and strict an adherence to the principles of justice is indistinguishable from tyranny.  Tempering a sense of justice to a sensibility for situational circumstances is a key part of leadership.  Perhaps I ought to hold a special lecture on that..."  He pondered, letting his words sink in.  They seemed to have an effect, as Applejack apologized for her outburst.

"Ah, I will concede the point then, for now."  If the cider supply got low enough and it looked like Gallus and Silver would go away dry for the third time, however, Blueblood would pull rank.  He anticipated unpleasantness from that act, but really, one had obligations to those underneath oneself, more special obligations than one owed towards ponies in general.

[GoldenDaze]

 

The blue eyed pink unicorn trotted her way to the pantry, by herself, which was nice. She was starting to feel overwhelmed from so much going on. Normally she was good with this kind of stress, because of how much it takes to create a concert, or a whole tour. This farm stuff though.. was kind of confusing. And hard work. Bellissima was used to sitting back and letting all her workers do everything for her. But now she was here, going to get a mug of coffee for Applejack, who seemed to be rather grumpy.

 

The unicorn began humming to herself, quickly running into a little yellow filly who she met recently. Apple Bloom handed over a mug of cider, which made Bell perk her ears. "Oh, uh- thank you kindly, little one," Bell muttered out, grabbing the mug with her magic. She quickly whipped out a couple bits, more than the actual price, and floated over the change onto the table. "Keep the change, sweetie." She then huffed, trotting off again, and taking a long sweet gulp of the drink.

 

The unicorn eventually made it to the pantry in the barn. She opened the door and spotted the coffee beans, just from the strong smell that was radiating off of them. Bell wasn't much of a coffee pony, but she did love the smell. 

 

She levitated the beans off the shelf, looking around for a coffee bureau, grazing her deep blue eyes around the pantry. Even if there was one, she wasn't sure how to make it. So, she left the pantry, closing the door with her back hoof, and searching around for anything that would resemble a coffee maker. Finally, she just decided to head farther into the barn, and into the kitchen.

 

She finally found something that resembled a coffee maker, so she put the beans in it and some water, and waited for the coffee to be made. The unicorn kind of felt awkward, sitting in the kitchen by herself. This was probably the most she's ever done for somepony. It felt.. kind of good? But she also hated taking the time to do all this extra stuff, when she could be taking the time to be pampering herself instead. Bell was just ready to leave. 

 

When the coffee was done, she grabbed a mug from the counter and poured the coffee into it. "All right, the odor resembles coffee. Looks like coffee. Very well done, Bell," she said to herself, levitating the coffee mug with her horn. She took the last sip of her cider and headed out the barn, trotting slowly to the orange farm pony. When she got there, she hoofed over the coffee. "Hopefully that's good enough for you." She gave a small smile at AJ, then looked around. She noticed a little bit of tension. "Everything okay over here?" she looked at Blueblood, tilting her head. She obviously missed something.

[Skycoaster]

Luna had assumed that Applejack would follow her order and slowly made her way over to the counter where Apple Bloom was serving her customers. "It appears that you have quite the operation here. I will help out where you would like me to," she said with a smile to the young filly. The princess was quite unaware of what tasks Apple Bloom would assign to her. Quickly, she did find a rather simple, but needed task. She would help fill the mugs. She would smile to the customers, though did not wish to address them fearing it may be a distraction or would hold up the counter in case any of them where filling 'chatty.'

 

The alicorn had lowered her head to look for some bits that had slid off the counter. When she looked over the line once more, she saw the hypogriff and griffon from yesterday. She felt her heart sink a moment as she began to fill another mug for her new friend. As it was half filled, she would overhear her nephew and Applejack's argument. With a heavy sigh, she would serve what was meant to be a replacement to the next customer. The Princess's eyes however where now fixed on the orange earth pony with a glare that would put Fluttershy's to shame.

 

 

[Hippo]

 

Applejack continued fidgeting with the parts of the treadmill, only making moderate small successes that would eventually lead to a fixed machine. Unfortunately, she could tell that at the rate she was going she would be at it all day and night once again. Should she give up on fixing the treadmill, there might not be enough cider for everyone today like she had hoped. Granny Smith had always known that when it comes to cider, taking time doing things the right way was of utmost importance. But that also, if the delays became too long no pony will stick around to taste how wonderful the cider is, and the boosted sales of the famous cider will not be kind to the family during the slow winter and spring moons. She had to fix this treadmill.

 

Salvation could be seen however, when her new pink unicorn friend arrived with a cup of coffee from the barn. "Oh thank heavens, I'm more thirsty fer somethin' to wake me up than a..." Applejack stumped herself, unable to finish what would probably be a layup of a countryism, a standard feature of apple ponies from this side of the hemisphere. But because she was so tired, the loose tongue vernacular she was sometimes known for was rigid and stale. "Ah, I forget." She used both hooves to grab the cup of coffee Bellissima was levitating towards her. "Smells great, uh. What was your name again?" Applejack wasn't sure if she wasn't properly introduced to her, or if she had and just forgot due to exhaustion.

 

Applejack sat back to take a deep sip of the coffee when in her line of sight ahead of her she could see Apple Bloom's backside serving ponies at the cider counter, a large stack of cider barrels waiting to be fed into the pump, and a rather long-legged alicorn with flowing mane staring back at her with a look of disapproval. It jolted Applejack up a little before she could even take the first sip of morning nectar. She tossed out to Prince Blueblood again for a tip, since he seemed to be an expertly trained contrarian to Applejack's stubborn philosophy in this moment. "Hey, do you think there's a way I can actually trust you guys to run this system for me. I might need to take a short nap or two on account that a certain princess might make my night last forever if I don't." Applejack said in jest with a serious reluctant request for help.

[Pretzelparty]

 

Taira had mostly been sticking to his job on the mill for the past few days and focusing on that. The conversations of the surrounding equine were always fascinating, but he had a job to do for a friend. Today though, he'd been given some time off. His labors had been beneficial to the apple clan in this season, though not so much that he could take much pressure of his gracious host: Applejack. In his younger days he might have been able to keep at it nonstop through the night, but as he was getting on in years he felt he needed a break... and there were even some eager volunteers trying their hoof to push this season forward. How Fortunate!

 

The old yokai's curiosity soon lead him to one of the few ponies here he had not yet gotten to speak to. Princess Luna. 

 

It was curious how many royals he was running into on his travels. First Blueblood, Then Celestia, and now Luna! Maybe he was having a run of good luck. It wasn't everyday he got to talk to someone so close to his age. So, with this time off he had been granted he saw fit to approach the princess. Not wanting to appear too obtrusive, he'd taken on his kirin shape once again. It was a good choice for social interactions. 

 

For the moment, It seemed that the princess was involved in decidedly one sided staring contest with Applejack. It was clearly a very intense one... had something happened between them? The stories he'd heard made no mention of animosity between the Moon Princess and a heroine of this wondrous land. Green eyes bounced between Luna and Applejack. Taira stuck a hoof out and waved to the princess, leaning into her line of sight.  He spoke up with a rather pleasant tone, "Good day, Princess! I'm Taira from the mountains to the far far east, may I ask what brings you to cast your gaze on Miss Applejack this day?"

 

 

 

[Blueblood]

Blueblood looked up towards the approaching Belladonna, relieved to have the tension between him and Applejack at least a little loosened.  "A bit of a disagreement over... hm, the nature of justice and the demands of duty."  He could have elaborated on the point, expanding on the contrasting philosophies of paternalism versus democratic equality, and how both developed divergently in the unicorn and earth pony tribes respectively, but some instinct told him that the rising pop idol was not a history buff.

 

The orange-coated Apple mare in question, though, looked pretty near at the end of her lasso.  The experienced diplomat within him knew that a concession would soon be forthcoming, he just needed to facilitate it.  The country mare wouldn't be as trained in the moves of the game, and would probably have little patience for the prevarications that went with normal play, so he decided to take the bold move of spelling out the gambit.  "I don't mind playing the role of public-facing subordinate for this; if we do well, all credit goes to the Apple Clan, if not, the blame shall fall upon my shoulders.  That all agreed?"

He raised his eyes to his Auntie, hoping that his soothing words would placate both Luna's ire and Applejack's stubborness.  Seeing his friend Taira come in to discuss as well only bolstered his confidence, and he added, "I know these ponies, kirin, and others very well, and can vouch for their character and work ethic."

[SteelEagle]

                                                                


Gallus offered a talon to help pull Silverstream up off the ground. She might have been a klutz but she was his friend the klutz before anything else and he wasn't gonna allow her to wallow in self-made death spiral. The smell of the lost cider could still be felt wafting through his decidedly dry nose, which was close to his dry mouth, which was dry because no cider had yet graced his lips. "It isn't your fault. You tripped. It happens," he said with a heavy sigh. "Are you going to be all right?" He asked with some genuine concern. She seemed rather down and he couldn't blame her, because..."I doubt it. Not today at least. There are so many creatures in line and I don't think they're gonna push them away just for us. It isn't fair though. Look at all the other creatures who aren't anywhere near the start of the line!" Gallus said as he gestured to others around, who looked despondent as well. "There's gotta be another way..." he huffed before he smiled. "Well, at least you didn't break your wing or something."

Apple Bloom was lost in the reeds with all the ponies she was serving some awesome cider to, bit not so lost that she didn't feel her heart leap in excitement when Princess Luna came by to help her. She really liked Princess Luna! More than most ponies. She was an honorary Apple and Apple Bloom hadn't forgotten all the good she had experienced on account of her. She also saw the look she was given her sisters, though she didn't have time to unpack the who, what, or why. Even as she bent her head to take in her new Princess helper she was still serving mugs- two bits, mug, two bits, mug. "Well, howdy thar Princess! Nice ta see ya back here. Sorry if this ain't so glamorous but hey, its an honest day's work!" She said with a smile as she saw a mighty impressive Taira lean in and get the Princess' attention. "Howdy! Two bits, mug!"

[GoldenDaze]

 

Bellissima approached Applejack with the warm coffee, watching the orange earth pony fiddle around with various parts. She levitated the cup over to her, a blue aura of magic brightening up her horn brilliantly against the new morning sun. The unicorn put on her classic fake smile, motioning AJ to grab the coffee. "Well, you're very welcome," she said, even though Applejack never really said a thank you. She was visibly tired though, not even able to finish her sentences. "Hopefully the coffee will suit you well. I trust in my dazzling abilities to make you feel a little more.. conscious."

 

The unicorn's ears perked up when she asked for her name. "Mm, Bellissima Stella." She smiled, kind of surprised she didn't know her name. "You may kindly call me Bell." 

 

After the rather awkward interaction with Applejack, the new popstar looked up at the prince, letting out a huff. "Oh, I see," she commented, nodding her head slightly. She didn't really know what to say after that, so she stood awkwardly with a small smile. The prior years of lacking social interaction with ponies that she could barely call friends came into view here, as she just swiped her long mane back.

 

The mare thought it would be best to leave the conversation to the rest of them, as she listened quietly. Finally, she felt the need to say something, maybe off topic. "Hm, you can surely trust me with delicate work, don't you know." She cleared her throat. "Whatever the task may be." The unicorn still wasn't used to helping like this, but it felt a little good to help.

 

Would she say that? No.

[Hippo]

 

 

Silverstream stood back up with the help of Gallus' leverage. She was distraught that she had spilled her mug of cider and felt it was on her to try to figure out a way to get it back. However, a fresh cup would be better than trying to distill the cider from the soil. "Should we ask the Archancellor?"

 

 

Answering her own question, Silverstream fluttered towards the prince, slowly approaching as she got close. There seemed to be a situation in the supply chain of the cider-making and Silverstream couldn't make heads or tails of it, nor did she feel it was any of her business. But she didn't want to hover idly waiting for nothing. "Prince, um Archancellor? Um." Silverstream rubbed the back of her neck with a claw. "Gallus was wondering if there was anyway we could get a replacement for a lost mug of cider. Lost as in, gone. Gone as in spilled." She smirked, implying the attempt at cider-acquisition was all Gallus' idea. Silverstream looked around at the tired Applejack, the grumpy-looking Princess Luna, the slightly-annoyed unicorn pop star, and a the socially curious kirin. Her assessment is that something big was going down. "Is everything alright?"

Applejack peered at Prince Blueblood and the others around her. Seeing Apple Bloom able to deal with the sale counter while making pleasantries with a Princess proved she could handle her own. The Prince was also formidable in delegation, despite how unfortunate his early years as a destined leader may have fallen into place. And the others around her have made successful attempts and doing whatever is was Applejack needed help doing. She realized it was time for her to take a nap.

 

She looked up at Silverstream who had just included herself in the conversation by the cider presses. "Oh. Hey Silverstream." She stood up and gave her exposition to the hippogriff to make everything clear and concise to everycreature around her. "I was just about to take a break and I just needed affirmation from mah friends here that everything will be taken care of the right way." She cracked a smile and looked at the archancellor. "Prince Blueblood, I need your trust that the use of magic will not be used as a direct source of energy to make the cider. Telekin-whatsit and levithems magics for the purpose of carrying a took and whatnot is okay, but I don't want to see some magical aura spinning the treadmill with no pony on it. Alright? And if I can trust you, and I think I can, it'll give me a moment to get some much needed rest." Applejack looked around her at her supporting cast of volunteers. In this time of stress she had to rely on creatures and ponies of all types. But her, the only earth pony in the circle, decided to give the others a chance to prove their integrity.

 

Applejack started walking towards the barn, looked back for a second, smiled, and then continued walking to the barn. Once inside, she would stresslessly walk up the stairs and fall into a bed of hay.

 

 

 

Silverstream looked confused but only slightly. It was obvious that there had been a change in who was in charge for the time being, but that wasn't priority number one for the hippogriff. She broke the silence that stood after Applejack had departed. "So is that a yes or a no on the replacement cup of cider?"

 

Current fresh cider supply: Enough for now

Cider press #3 repair: 79%