//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 (The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000) // Story: Spike The Brony Dragon // by red4567 //------------------------------// Cider Season was coming up, and that meant one thing. Besides thirty more days until sapphire season, of course. It was “The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000” episode. In that episode, Applejack’s family keeps running out of cider, much to their customers’ (especially Rainbow Dash’s) frustration. As much as I didn’t like Rainbow Dash, even I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her in that episode for not getting a single mug. One thing that occurred to me was why Applejack didn’t try out a one-item-per-customer tactic. For a pony who sells apples like hotcakes, Applejack is terrible at business decisions. I doubt if it’ll help give cider to all her customers, but I think it’ll be enough so that Rainbow can at least get a mug of her own. Even if the Flim Flam Brothers still show up, there was one ace up my nonexistent sleeve. I’ll have to thank my past college self for changing majors. But for now, I’ll need to start with Plan A. I went to Sweet Apple Acres, looking for Applejack. Big Mac told me she was in the barn. I quickly headed there to see Applejack rolling a barrel. “Hey, Applejack,” I greeted. “Getting ready for Cider Season?” “Yep,” Applejack said as she stacked the barrels. “We’ve made and sold cider before, but it’s at this time of year where the apples we buck are just right for making the freshest cider. Thus, why we call it 'Cider Season.' This is yer and Twilight’s first time, right? Just come here Saturday ‘round 8 a.m., and you can drink cider to yer heart’s content...or until we run out for the day.” “Wait...so you let customers buy as much cider as they want?” “Well, yeah. Ya can’t just have one when it comes to cider like this.” Applejack patted the barrel like a kitten. “That doesn’t sound like good business.” “What do you mean?” “You might run out before everypony gets a chance to drink. Why don’t you do a ‘one cider per customer’ deal? That way, everypony will have a mug, and you don’t have to worry about Pinkie buying all of it and leaving the other ponies dry.” “How do ya know Pinkie buys a ton of cider? Did Rainbow Dash tell ya?” “No, Pinkie did,” I lied. “She told me about Cider Season coming up and how she buys at least two dozen mugs a day. That got me worried about the other customers.” “I know that yer worried but...” Applejack looked around. “I’ve gotta tell ya something. I actually let Pinkie buy most of the cider.” My eyes widened. “What?! But what about the other ponies? What about Rainbow Dash?!” “Rainbow Dash is the reason I’ve been lettin’ Pinkie do this in the first place.” “I don’t understand. Tell me the truth.” “The truth is...” Applejack sighed. “I’m sure I’ve mentioned this to ya, but the truth is Rainbow Dash has a cider addiction.” “So Rainbow’s an alcoholic?” “What?! No! Is that what ya think is in our apple cider? Of course not! It’s just apples that have been prepared much differently than apple juice. We don’t add anything else. Honest.” “What about those frothy bubbles? Some of the non-carbonated cider I’ve seen doesn’t usually do that.” “It can if it’s fresh enough.” “Anyway, since Rainbow has a cider addiction, you’re letting Pinkie buy all of your drinks before the pegasus gets a chance?” “Yep. I know it means that the other customers won’t get a chance to drink, and it pains me every year to do so, but we’ve got to cure Rainbow of this addiction somehow. When it comes to cider, Rainbow Dash is like a rabbit in a carrot farm. Now, don’t get me wrong. Our cider is irresistible, and we don’t mind it if somepony buys more than one mug, but Rainbow turns that dial up to eleven. Her constant demands and flimsy excuses for a mug have driven me up the side of the barn, and I’m gettin’ sick ‘n tired of it.” “Have you tried talking to Rainbow Dash about it?” “Ya think I didn’t try that already? Last year, I told her. And this is what she said.” Applejack removed her hat and brushed her mane until it looked similar to Rainbow Dash’s. She then spoke in a raspy voice, “‘I don’t have an addiction, Applejack! I can quit anytime I want! Now gimmie that cider!’” I chuckled. “Wow! You sound exactly like her.” “But ya understand my point do ya?” Applejack fixed her mane and placed her hat back on her head. “Rainbow Dash is too addicted to this cider. She needs to cut back.” “By subtly having her give up cold turkey?” “Not turkey, cid...oh, ya mean give up completely? Yeah, I’m doin’ that.” “Applejack, addictions can’t be stopped completely. That would just mess up the pony’s mind. I’ve been reading some books in Twilight’s library that prove that. You have to try to have Dash ease off on the cider. Having her minimize her drinks can slow her addiction down. I’m sure even she would understand the one-cider-per-day rule. Plus, it would give more ponies a chance to get some before you run out.” Applejack sighed. “Are ya sure this would help? Givin’ her cider to stop her cider madness doesn't sound like a good idea. That’d be like adding fuel to a fire.” “Like I said, stopping the addiction completely isn’t gonna help. It’ll just make her angry. Rainbow Dash would eat dirt just to get one mug, so only one mug is what we’ll give her.” “I hope yer right about this, Spike.” Applejack glared at me. “If Rainbow tries to get another mug, she ain’t gonna be the only one who won’t get cider this year.”  “I understand.” I knew Rainbow loved cider, but I didn’t realize it was so bad that Applejack had to make sure she didn’t get one for Cider Season. This somehow made me feel even worse for Rainbow. On Saturday morning, Twilight’s alarm clock rang at 6:30. Twilight rubbed her eyes and turned off the alarm. “Wait, six-thirty?” Twilight asked. “I thought I set the alarm to seven-thirty.” I sprung out of bed. “I changed it, Twilight. Applejack told me how many ponies might show up for Cider Season, and I don’t want to be stuck in the back of the line while all the other ponies get their mug.” Twilight sighed. “Fine.” After we quickly did our respective morning routines, Twilight and I hurried to Sweet Apple Acres. There was already a long line forming. “Looks like some of the other ponies got up early as well,” Twilight said. “Twilight! Spike!” A voice called out. “How wonderful to see you, darlings!” Twilight and I looked to see Rarity approaching us. “You two have gotten up earlier than usual, I see,” Rarity said as she stood behind us. “Well, Spike was so eager to try a mug that he changed the alarm clock,” Twilight said. “I can’t blame the little one, Applejack does make the best cider. Just try not to let it go to your head. Like somepony I know.” Rarity glared at the distant line behind her. How many of Dash’s friends are in on this? About an hour later, it was five minutes until Cider Season’s opening day. Applejack and her family were preparing the stand up ahead. “Isn't this exciting, Spike? Opening day of Cider Season!” Twilight said. “Yeah. It’s almost as good as Sapphire Season, which is only thirty days away,” I replied. Twilight and Rarity’s eyes rolled after I said that. “Attention, everypony!” Applejack called out through the megaphone. “Cider season is now officially open!” The excited chattering from the ponies in line filled my eardrums. Pinkie approached the stand with big bags of bits. Where she got them from I didn’t know, but she’s Pinkie Pie, so I didn’t question it. “Uh, sorry, Pinkie,” Applejack said, “but we’ve got new rules this year.”  Applejack tapped a sign next to her that said in big letters: “One Cider Per Pony. No Exceptions!” Pinkie’s jaw dropped, and her bags of bits followed suit to the floor. “But! But! You never told me about this!” Pinkie exclaimed. Applejack replied, “Ya never asked.” “But you always...” Pinkie looked back at the line and whispered something in Applejack’s ear. “I’m sorry,” Applejack loudly whispered back. “But we’ve changed the rules and we’re stickin’ to them.” Pinkie whispered again. She pointed to something in the distance. I assumed it was Rainbow Dash she was pointing at. “I know,” Applejack hissed. “But this might be a better way to do it. Just work with me here.” “What are those two talking about?” Twilight asked. “Pinkie’s probably upset because we get only one cider each,” I said. “She must really love cider.” “Oh, she’s the one who’s too attached to cider,” Rarity snarked. Pinkie sighed and placed a couple of bits on the counter. Applebloom pulled the pump and out came a shower of cider that filled the mug below it instantly. Pinkie took one sip and her disappointment was swept away from the taste. I know this was Pinkie Pie, but the cider must’ve been that good. Twilight handed me some bits. “Here, Spike. You’ll have to buy your own mug.” “No need to give me any bits, Twilight. I’ve already brought some of my own.” I showed Twilight the coins I had. “Where did you get the money?” Rarity asked. “I think it’s some sort of hammerspace magic. Twilight told me that it...” “No, darling. I mean how do you receive funds?” “Oh. Since Twilight works in the library, she gets money for doing so. Being her number one assistant, Twilight gives me some as part of my ‘allowance.’ I don’t care much for getting paid, but I accept it anyway. After all, I need to buy comic books somehow.” Rarity eyes widened. “Wait, so she’s an actual librarian? I think I need to return something after this.” Twilight said, “Rarity, it’s not like that. I—” “Next!” Applebloom called out. “Nevermind.” Twilight approached the stall and placed her bits into the chest. Applebloom filled another mug and handed it to Twilight. Twilight’s face lit up as she sipped the mug.  The cider can’t be that good, can it? I walked up to the stand and placed my bits on the counter. Applebloom poured cider into a mug and handed it to me. I took it and stepped aside. The frothy drink showed no sign of dissipating its bubbles. “Well, down the hatch,” I said to myself. I tilted the mug and allowed the cider to gush into my mouth. Already, my taste buds have reacted to the sheer sweetness unlike any other! It was like drinking heaven! I continued to chug the entire mug down. The only audible sounds was the rushing liquid and my throat gulping down every last drop. Some of the unlucky drops trickled down my cheeks, but I ignored them. The second the last gulp of cider went down my throat, I yanked the mug away from my mouth and expelled the air from my lungs. The mug fell to the ground with a soft thunk as I fell to my knees. "Spike?! Spike, are you alright?" Twilight ran up to me like I was having a heart attack.  "Land sakes, Spike." Applejack adjusted her hat. "I haven't seen any pony or dragon this thirsty before. You were chuggin' that cider faster than Winona with her water dish during the dog days of summer." I regained my posture and wiped the foam from my mouth. "I can see why Pinkie used to buy a dozen of these," I awkwardly said.  I didn't know why I drank the cider like that. The cider might’ve been that good or my dragon-greed instincts were kicking in. If it's the latter, then I have to be careful. "Secret of my Excess" happened during Spike’s birthday, which wasn’t going to happen for a while, but I still had to make sure I didn’t go crazy from the greed. As much as I liked Spike’s greed-zilla form, I don’t want that happening to me. I watched as the other ponies in line bought a cup of cider. Every so often, the barrel would run empty and get replaced with another one. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were next. After Fluttershy got hers, Rainbow placed her bits into the chest. Applebloom turned on the pump, and her eyes widened when cider came pouring out. Rainbow Dash was panting like a puppy. “Uh...Applejack?” Applebloom called out. “We still...” “Just give ‘er the mug and move on, Applebloom,” Applejack said. Applebloom uneasily handed Rainbow Dash the mug. Within two seconds flat, Rainbow gulped the entire mug down and slammed it onto the stand. I could hardly comprehend what happened. Applejack yanked Rainbow down from the air. “Remember Rainbow Dash, this is yer ONLY mug fer today! I don’t want ya beggin’ for any more! Got it?” “Yeah, yeah. I got it.” Rainbow flatly replied. “I’m serious! If I find out you disguised yerself or something, I’ll see to it that you are in the back of the line for tomorrow.” “Hey, hey, take it easy, AJ. I already got my mug. Do I look like the pony who would beg for seconds?” “Yes,” I bluntly replied. “You stay out of this!” Rainbow retorted. I continued watching each pony buy and drink a mug of cider. Sadly, my method didn’t work as well as I thought. The Apple family ran out for the day, and there were still a significant amount of ponies who didn’t get a chance to drink. While I was glad Rainbow Dash wasn’t one of them, I still felt sorry for the others. “Sorry, everypony,” Applejack said. “That’s it for today.”  Just like in the show, the crowd complained about how Applejack always ran out of cider, and Applejack reassured them that there would still be more for tomorrow. This did nothing to cure the annoyed ciderless ponies. So much for my idea. I knew not everypony would get cider, but I thought it would be only a handful of ponies. At least Rainbow got hers. Suddenly, I heard a loud horn honking. I knew what that meant. We all looked to see a giant contraption heading our way. It looked like an automobile the size of a locomotive, powered by what I assumed was magic. It would fit nicely in a Steampunk-Equestria universe. The giant behemoth stopped right in front of the stand.  Two identical ponies hopped off the device. Both of them were tall cream-colored unicorns with red manes. Their cutie marks were apple slices, and their outfits looked like they dropped out of a barbershop quartet. The only way to tell these two apart was one of them had a mustache. “The Flim Flam Brothers,” I said under my breath. “You know them?” Twilight asked. She must’ve heard me. “I’ve only heard stories about them,” I quickly lied. “To be honest, I’d thought they’d be taller.” “Well, lookie what we got here, brother of mine, it's the same in every town,” Flim, the clean-shaven one, sang.  I didn’t hear any background music this time. Yet everypony, including me, joined in singing. Just like last time, the twins showed everypony how their machine worked. It was called the “Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000,” obviously. It was meant to mass produce a lot of cider using apples. Applejack offered some of hers for the demonstration. The cider machine was impressive, but I know Applejack’s cider was better without having to try the other one. Flim and Flam offered the Apple family their services. Applebloom was quick to accept it, but Granny Smith thought otherwise. The family has made the cider the same way for generations, so a sudden change in methods didn’t sound ideal to them. “We'll sweeten the deal,” Flim said. “You supply the apples...” “...we supply the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000,” Flam continued. “Then split those profits 75-25,” they both said. “Hold on. Who gets the seventy five?” Applejack asked. “Why, us, naturally,” Flim replied. Flam added, “And, we'll throw in the magic to—” “Woah! Woah!” I interrupted. “What kind of shady business deal are you two trying to pull? 75-25? You’re just asking them to refuse you.” “Spike, what are ya..?” Applejack asked. “Plus, none of the Apple family have horns,” I continued. “How do you expect them to operate this machine without a horn?” “And what about repairs ‘n stuff?” Granny Smith added. “Them fancy parts on that contraption of yours don’t look cheap.” Flim cleared his throat. “You can rely on us to provide maintenance. Purchase parts, run repairs, what have you.” “So, is it a deal?” Flam asked. “No deal!” Big Mac said firmly. “Hmph. Very well,” said Flim. “If you refuse our generous offer to be partners, then we'll just have to be competitors.” “Where will you get the apples then?” I asked. “You can’t buy them from the Apple family if you're going to be rivals with them.” “They don’t grow the only apples in Equestria, son,” Flam replied. “We’ll just get them somewhere else.” “Even so, your profits wouldn’t be enough because you would have to purchase your apples. The Apple family here gets them for free, and I doubt thievery would do well for your business.” “We’ll just double our prices then,” Flim said. “It will be worth it.” “Why would anyone buy something that’s mass produced and expensive when they can buy it locally for a cheaper price? While I acknowledge the demand here outranks the supply, it would still be better than to buy cider that's of lesser quality.” “Lesser quality, you say?” Flam asked. “Perhaps you’ve gone tone deaf, but we’ve mentioned how this machine chooses only the best quality apples when making cider. We’ll provide an encore to show it.” “Those best quality apples came from Applejack’s farm. They’re already good raw, juiced, baked, frittered, drizzled, lustered, candied, etc. If you claim that your machine can make better cider with any bunch of apples, then try to purchase apples from another farm and we’ll see the difference.” “Very well,” Flim said. “We’ll get a crate of apples and prove to you what this Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 can do.” “All right then. We’ll see you later.” Flim and Flam hopped on the machine and drove off. “Spike...” Applejack bit her lip. “While I admire you convincing those two that my farm has better apples, is it really a good idea to challenge them?” “I know you’re skeptical, AJ, but even if Flim and Flam’s cider tastes better, there’s something to be said about quality over quantity,” I replied. “How do you know so much about business, anyway?” Rarity asked. “You’re awfully young for someone who knows this kind of stuff.” “I’ve read books about it in Twilight’s library,” I lied. “Comic books aren’t the only thing I read.” “That would explain the one-cide-per-pony idea ya had,” Applejack said. “Wait, you’re the one who set a limit on buying cider?!” Pinkie exclaimed to me. “Why?!” “Because you kept buying most of it,” I replied. “You’re not the only pony who drinks cider here. You shouldn’t hoard so much and leave the rest of us dry. Even I know better, and I’m a dragon.” “So, how are you going to prove which cider is better?” Rarity asked. “I have an idea that might work.” I proposed a taste test. Both teams would provide a cup of cider, and the better one would be voted. But I know I couldn’t do this alone, so later in the day, I asked some ponies around town if they were willing to volunteer with me tomorrow to taste the cider. I was able to get a handful of ponies to help me out. The next day, I arrived early at the orchard with the group of ponies. There was already a long line forming near the stand. Applejack set up a table nearby with five chairs, cups of water, and clipboards for us. “Howdy, Spike,” Applejack greeted. “Are these the ponies who’ll be our judges today?” “Yep,” I replied. “I’ve brought Rumble, Button Mash, Lyra, Pinkie Pie, and...Rainbow Dash?!” We all looked to see Rainbow standing on the far end. “I didn’t invite her, I swear!” “There’s no way I’m saying no to free cider!” Rainbow declared. Applejack sighed heavily as she rubbed her forehead. “Since Rainbow’s here, she might as well join ya.” Applejack set up another chair for Rainbow. She then handed the pegasus a cup of water and a clipboard. “Now, remember ya’ll, this will determine who has the better cider, so taste carefully and answer truthfully.” It didn’t take long for the Flim Flam Brothers’ machine to show up. They had a big crate of apples up in their front seat. “We are here with our purchased apples!” Flim announced. “Got them straight from Appleloosa,” Flam added. “They do overnight delivery, ya know.” “I should’ve warned Braeburn about them,” Applejack said. She then grabbed the megaphone. “Attention, everypony! Today, we’ve been facing some competition, but fear not. We’ve got some ponies and a dragon who are willing to volunteer to see which cider is better: the Flim Flam Brothers’ or the Apples’. They’ll be given the same amount, and we won't reveal whoever made the cider until after they've voted. Also, to keep any lingerin' tastes from skewin’ the results, we provided water just in case. So make sure to wish our judges good luck for this event.” "Enough talk!" Rainbow Dash said. "Let's get to the cider already!" "My goodness, you do have an addiction," I said.  "They got you, too? For the last time, I don't have an addiction to cider! I just really like it." "If this was a game, I'd be pressing the X button right now," Button Mash said. "The what?" A confused Rainbow asked. "Nevermind." I understood that reference.  The judges and I were seated with our backs to the stand so that we couldn’t see which cups were filled. After a while, Twilight gave us two white cups each. They were smaller than the mugs, and they were either labeled A or B. I started with cup A, and so did the other judges. I swished it around like a wine glass before taking a sip. Already, I was overwhelmed by the taste. Given the pleasing reactions from the others, they probably enjoyed cup A’s cider as well. Next was cup B. After drinking some water, I sipped cup B. It did taste pretty good, but that was just about it. It was good more or less, but it tasted like it came from your average grocery store. I had an idea who made this cider. We wrote our answers on the clipboard. “Okay, judges,” Twilight said. “Your results?” We showed our answers. We all picked cup A as the better cider, which just happened to be the Apple family’s cider. Said family was relieved at that. “This proves conclusively that our cider is better,” Applejack said. “Though, the quality of Appleloosa’s apples kinda worries me. I reckon the soil ain’t used to growing apples down there yet.” “While we won’t dispute the current circumstances resulted in a fair victory,” Flim said, “I’m afraid there was one variable that might’ve gotten the odds in your favor.” “We weren’t using the same apples,” Flam said. “We’ve only gotten different apples, so perhaps you didn’t expect a different tasting cider.” While it was true it tasted different than the Apples’ cider, it was still no better. “Alright, then. For the next round, you can use some of our apples and we’ll see if there’s a difference,” Applejack said. “I don’t think anyone besides Granny Smith tasted it.” Just like last time, we waited until the ponies were done making cider for us, and Twilight handed us the cups again. This is when it got interesting. Cup A tasted really good, but so did cup B. In fact, they both tasted the same. The judges around me shared similar reactions. We wrote our answers on our respective clipboards. “Now, who has the better cider?” Twilight asked us. We held up our clipboards, and the results were mixed this time. Pinkie said both, Lyra and Button said Cup A, Rainbow and I said Cup B, and Rumble just gave a question mark. It was revealed that Cup A was the Flim Flam Brothers this time, and Cup B was the Apples. Applejack sweated nervously. “Despite the results, it is clear to say that we’re the better cider makers,” Flim said. “We can make equally high-quality cider with only the fraction of the work.” “Why, with our machine,” Flam said, “we can make enough cider in one hour to satisfy this entire town!” “We can do it in 45 minutes!” Applebloom declared. Just like in the show, the Flim Flam brothers challenged the Apple family into who can make the most cider. Granny Smith agreed, and the challenge would start tomorrow morning. “Can you believe it? They’re gonna make cider for all of us!” Lyra exclaimed. “Finally, I won’t have to worry about not getting any cider,” Rainbow said with a giant grin on her face. “Am I the only one who cares about the quality of something over its quantity?” I said in an exasperated tone. “That quality is the reason why the Apple family keeps running out,” Rumble said. “Even with the customers getting only one cup each.” Right as he said that, the Apple family announced that they ran out of cider again. The thirsty crowd groaned once more. “See?” “If it’s possible, could you guys come tomorrow?” I asked. “I just want to make sure the quality will remain the same after the contest.”  Everypony accepted. The next morning, the Apple family and the Flim Flam Brothers were getting ready for the contest. Although, I wouldn’t say the brothers were doing anything at all. I’d say they were relying on their new technology too much, but then again, I came from the Digital Age. “Attention, everypony!” the mayor called out. “The teams have one hour to produce as much cider as they can, after which the barrels will be counted and the winner will be named the sole cider provider for all of Ponyville!” The crowd was pleased to hear that, but I wasn’t. I knew what was going to happen. The Flim Flam Brothers would end up causing some damage to the southern orchard, and make the cider taste horrible. What’s worse was that I couldn’t prevent this from happening.  Even with my previous tactic and my skills in economics, the Apple family still ends up facing a competition with the Flim Flam brothers. Once both teams declared that they were ready, the one hour timer started. The Apple family quickly went to work bucking, collecting, examining, and crushing each apple into cider. Meanwhile, the Flim Flam Brothers were just kicking back and letting the machine do all the work. Despite their laziness, they were making three barrels for every barrel the Apples were making. I wasn't the only one who noticed this. Twilight asked the mayor if honorary family members (the rest of the girls and herself) were allowed to join. Both sides allowed it. I guess the brothers' ego outweighed their common sense. Thanks to the girls' assistance, the Apple family was already getting ahead. The Flim Flam Brothers noticed this and took drastic actions. They've increased their power to their machine and disabled quality control, which was a pretty stupid move, but I wasn’t gonna call them out for that. An hour passed, and the contest was over. The girls and the Apple family collapsed out of breath, while the Flim Flam machine looked like it was about to fall apart. Sadly, just like in the show, Flim and Flam made more barrels than the Apple family. “We... lost?” Applejack was dumbfounded. “Too bad, Apples,” Flim said. Flam added, “Guess you'll just have to find a new—” “Wait a minute!” I called out. “What is it with you and interrupting us? Do dragons ever learn how to be polite?” “Before the Apples declare bankruptcy, why don’t the judges have a taste first? It’ll be just like yesterday.” “Still not convinced our cider is high quality? Go ahead. You’ll soon learn who made the better cider,” Flim said. The judges and I sat back at the table and waited for the ponies to hand us our cups. Once they did, it was obvious to tell which one was the Flim Flam Brothers’. The judges and I took a sip from Cup A, and it tasted amazing. But when we tasted Cup B...let’s just say nobody swallowed. “BLEGH!! What the heck is this?!” “I think you made Apple Cider Vinegar by mistake!” “Where’d you make this from?! The outhouse?!” “Are these rocks?!” “I should’ve saved before drinking this!” “I think this killed off my non-existence cider addiction!” We were spitting it out, using the water and Cup A to wash out our mouths, anything to get rid of the taste. I did my utmost best to avoid tossing my gemstone cookies. “So who had the better cider?” Applejack asked. “CUP A!!” we shouted in unison. “Oh, dear,” Flim said. “That’s what you imbeciles get for picking quantity over quality,” I said as I spat out a piece of leaf. “It looks like we've encountered a slight... problem here in Ponyville,” Flam said. “Next town?” Flim asked. “Next town!” The two brothers hopped onto the machine and took off. “And don’t come back, Flip Flop Brothers!” I called out. “They're gone,” Applejack sighed. “That means Sweet Apple Acres is still in business!” Twilight exclaimed. “Plus, we can have high quality Apple family cider!” Rainbow shouted. “Because of this silly competition, we've made enough of our cider for the whole town!” Applebloom said. The crowd cheered after hearing that. “Sorry about your orchard,” I said to Applejack. “Looks like some of the trees got uprooted thanks to those two.” “It’s fine, Spike,” Applejack said. “We can get them replaced.” Applejack’s orchard was saved, and everypony including Dash got a chance to drink some cider. I hope the girls and I can help Applejack again next year.  As for Applejack’s letter, I found it to be the funniest one I’ve sent so far. To clarify: she didn’t learn anything.