Chapter 1: The Cider Festival
As the mango-sweet sun rose over the magnificent land of Equestria, its warm glow bathing the nation in a comforting golden light, ponies were emerging from their cosy homes with wide smiles on their faces.
Thank Celestia, for a new day had begun.
Up above, lively pegasi could be seen having races through the sapphire-blue sky, laughing and chattering as they zoomed rapidly through fluffy rings of marshmallow-soft clouds, whilst far down below, earth ponies and unicorns were having the time of their lives, sipping ice-cold, freshly-squeezed apple cider as they gathered jovially in Ponyville’s very own town square, talking merrily to one another as they reminisced all the wonderful memories they had made with all of their closest friends.
For this was what Ponyville was famed for; it was a land of harmony and diversity, a land of friendship and magic, a land of love and peace.
“Who wants more CAAAAKE?!?!” A bright pink earth pony squealed, bounding into the town square with a platter of chocolate cake in her hooves.
A lavender alicorn rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, smiling at her friend. “Pinkie, it’s the annual cider festival. Where people drink cider. What are you doing with all that cake?”
“What would I be doing without all this cake?” With a large gulp, she swallowed the chocolate cake whole and belched contentedly. “Really, Twilight — and you’re supposed to be the smart one!”
“Fillies and gentlecolts!” A voice blasted from the speakers, echoing and resonating through everypony’s ears as Mayor Mare stepped onto the podium and adjusted her tiny glasses perched atop her pointed muzzle. She smiled widely at the townsfolk, who gazed up at her from their drinks eagerly, waiting for her to begin. Even the pegasi flew down from their races, attentively turning their ears towards the mayor, their wings folded neatly against their flanks.
“Fillies and gentlecolts,” she repeated. “For over five hundred moons, Ponyville’s very own Sweet Apple Acres has provided us with a high abundance of top-quality apple cider! To this day, they have tirelessly worked to satisfy our infinitely unquenchable thirst for the refreshing beverage.”
Deafening cheers came from the crowd, stomping their hooves against the dusty ground in approval.
“And we owe it all to the Apple family! Applejack, would you like to come up and say a few words?”
The townsfolk turned to face an orange earth pony to the side of the podium, who was blushing a brilliant shade of crimson. “Aw, shucks, Mayor Mare. It’s nothing, really. Us Apples love to do what we do, and if it makes the lives of everypony even just a little bit better, then I guess we’ll keep at it!”
The mayor beamed at her wise words, nodding in agreement. “And now, it is of great and wholehearted pleasure, that I, Mayor Mare, do so commence the annual Ponyville Cider Festival! May you all drink cider to your hearts’ content!” She raised a mug of cider towards the sky, its polished surface glinting in the radiant daylight, the sweet bubbly goodness spilling over the glass brim.
And so it began. Mugs of fresh, sweet, refreshing cider were passed about the bustling citizens of Ponyville, the fragrant scent of apples drifting through the air like a lightly aromatic perfume. The sound of clinking glass and merry laughter filled the streets, as colourful, flamboyant flags decorated the town, flapping and fluttering in the morning breeze.
“Applejack!” A snow-white unicorn with a luscious violet mane approached Applejack with a smile of delight. “You’ve really outdone yourself this year! I’m loving the new décor, I really am!”
“Rarity’s right!” Their other friend, Rainbow Dash, agreed, nodding vigorously. “And this cider is just…” She took a big swig of cider, her eyes rolling back in her head in pure happiness. “…AWESOME! Right Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy smiled. “It’s lovely,” she agreed, taking a quiet sip from her mug.
Pinkie Pie skipped over to their group, her muzzle smeared with cider froth. “This is the Best. Cider. Festival. EVER!!!” She stared at Applejack straight in the eyes, her own eyeballs positively bulging out of their own sockets. “Pinkie Promise me you’ll never stop making cider!”
Applejack blushed again, tipping her cowboy hat to her friends. “Okay, Pinkie. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I don’t see why I’d ever stop making cider.” She added, grinning widely. “Thanks y’all. Me and the rest of the Apples have been workin’ our flanks off for the past month gettin’ ready for the festival — makin’ sure everypony gets their fill of cider!” She glanced around at all the happy ponies in the square. “And it was totally worth it!”
Twilight appeared beside her in a burst of magenta-hued teleportation magic. “That’s right, everypony! And based on my recent calculations, Sweet Apple Acres has stored up enough cider to last Ponyville a whole moon!” She spoke the last three words a little too loudly, causing a ripple of excitement to spread through the townsfolk. “Oops. I guess that’ll keep you pretty busy for the next couple of weeks.”
“Aw, don’t worry ‘bout it, sugarcube,” Applejack replied. “Us Apples have got this whole shindig under control!”
She smiled to herself. She was usually quite the modest pony, but this time, she found it difficult to contain her pride. After slaving in the apple orchard for a whole month, under the blazing summer sun, the Apple family could finally reap the fruits of their labour by witnessing the joy on their happy customers’ faces as they drank the finest cider in all of Ponyville — why, all of Equestria, even!
She barely had time to relish in her moment of happiness before her younger sister, Apple Bloom, came galloping towards her at full speed, her face as white as a sheet, the expression of sheer shock. Trailing just behind her were the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who seemed equally distraught.
“What’s wrong, sis?” Applejack asked.
Apple Bloom stopped to catch her breath, puffing and panting as she wiped beads of sweat trickling from her forehead. “The c-c-cider!” She wheezed.
“It’s all gone!”
[TO BE CONTINUED…]