//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: Cider 
// Story: The Cassandra Chronicles 
// by CassandraMyOCisBestpony 
//------------------------------//

"Ah will agree to yer Cider Competition" said Applejack to the Flim Flam Brothers, "Because Ah have noooooooooo business sense and ah'm too distracted thinkin' about rollin' around in the hay with Braeburn."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" said Cassandra.  "Applejack, you silly pony, you really are clueless."  Twilight was going to object to Cassandra's choice of words, but decided not to - she was right after all.

"It doesn't take a genius to understand supply and demand," Cassandra explained, "Exhibit A, the supply, 18 gallons of homemade cider, 144 pints.  Exhibit B, the demand, looks like 208 customers."  It was actually 209.*

"Your supply is falling short, it's no wonder you're having trouble making ends meet.  You need to either increase the price or increase the supply."

"But won't the Flim Flam brothers just sell their cider for less?"

"That's a good question Applejack" said Cassandra.  It wasn't, but she didn't want to hurt AJ's feelings.  "True, they could make good on their threat to compete, but what do they stand to gain?  Spite maybe, but they'll definitely be selling at a loss.  They've got machine maintenance to deal with, plus there must be tons of towns where they don't have any cider competition.  Besides, there's the import cost of apples that they have to contend with, where are they even going to get the apples from?"

"Ah already let 'em harvest the entire west orchard fer their demonstration"

"Oh for ****'s sake Applejack!!!" said Cassandra.  In the background Rainbow Dash blushed,  She liked it when Cassandra got rough.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. Granny Smith, keep making apple cider.  Big Mac," she motioned to the Flim Flam brothers, "escort these gentlemen out.  And Appleboom, your cutie mark is building things, go make some cider-making machines." 

"Wow Cassandra, yer much more help than Applejack" said Applebloom.  She rushed off cheerfully. 

"Ah'm glad ah didn't get suckered into their silly challenge" said Applejack.  From the crowd, John Goodman Pony spoke up, 

"Applejack, you threw the gauntlet, you can't just un-throw it.  This is not Vietnam, there are rules here."

"But-"

"AM I THE ONLY ONE AROUND HERE WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THE RULES!!!!" said John Goodman Pony.
Applejack realized that she didn't want to enter a world of pain, so she went ahead with the cider competition.  And just like the legendary John Henry, Applejack took on the machine with her bare hooves, and she won, and it was glorious, and everypony got their cider.  But also like John Henry, Applejack died.


The end.