“Alright, everypony, that’s our first one done!”

With a mighty tap Scootaloo slaps a lid onto the first of many wooden barrels; hay, they might need to start reusing them judging by the cartloads of apples Pinkie Pie and Trixie will be bringing in to Granny Smith, Rarity, and a still-sullen Sweetie Belle.

The energetic pegasus kicks the barrel over and leaps on top, riding the short distance like it’s a rodeo - or Rainbow Dash making her practice agility by rafting down the Ponyville River and doing her best to not get dunked. Her wings buzz for both speed and balance, propelling her up the short ramp and onto the serving table as deftly as if it was her trusty scooter. With one smooth motion she rights the barrel as she flips off, gliding to bring around the next one as soon as the spurting spigot fills it up.

A joyous cheer goes up from the long line of ponies stretching from Sweet Apple Acres practically all the way to Ponyville. Lemon jams in a faucet and turns to Spoiled Rich and Silver Set with a wide grin. The silver mare deposits a short stack of ten bits in their open coffer, enough for their whole herd to each get a mug of their own.

Well, for those who aren’t helping out. Hedge, Pomarbo, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon have the least arduous job of everypony involved: unloading the full baskets from carts laden high with red and green McIntosh apples or their more popular Red Delicious, dumping them out for the sorters, and refilling the carts with the newly emptied baskets. The scion of the Rich family can’t help but grumble at not getting her preferred position of overseeing everypony and making sure everypony’s efforts are balanced, but Pomarbo wanted to work with apples. Starlight Glimmer and Meringue gauge each of them instead, ready to supplement or reshuffle as needed.

Apple Bloom and Applebaum pair up with Applejack and Big Mac, moving baskets around while the older ponies buck ‘em down. Fluttershy and Twilight help on the orchard end by loading up the carts, putting their wings to use while every horn stays unlit. On the other end of the operation Doug and Rainbow Dash power the grinder, jogging a pace on the treadmill that they could keep up for hours. And that’s quickly looking to be how long it will take to make enough cider to give everypony a mug, hardly enough to quench their evident thirst.

At least there’s plenty of distractions for the ponies in line. If watching the Apples perform their labor of love isn’t enough, there’s the growing speculation about why the stallion of the herd has a full-sized Celestial crest tattooed across his glistening torso, or the Lunar symbol on his back. Or what the two diarchs are doing at the stand besides providing security with their mere presence. Trixie pops out from time to time to dazzle those nearby with a few quick sleight-of-hoof tricks, leaving them while she makes another apple-laden trip to argue about how exactly she made the Princess of Moons appear at multiple points in the deck. Or deciding between Pinkie Pie’s fully stocked pie cart and the Filly Guide cookie salesfillies as to which to pair with their cider. Or, to the regret of many a future-pone, why not both?

The line starts shifting as ponies receive their mugs, the trickle of cider turning to a steady flow. More and more ponies depart with stupefied expressions of pure delight, and soon enough the first chest is full of bits and needs to be swapped out.

“Thanks, y’all,” Applejack says to the herd as they take their first break after about an hour. “Ah was real worried ‘bout gettin’ enough cider for everypony, and with your help Ah think we’re gonna get it done!”

“Of course we’re gonna get it done!” Rainbow Dash echoes from her position on the treadmill, still keeping pace with Doug. She grins, casually flipping some of the sweat from her prismatic mane. “We’d never leave ya hanging!”

“Indeed,” Rarity says as she stretches, a large pile of ‘lovely’ apples behind her and awaiting their turn at the grinder. She gives a long, forlorn look to the line of ponies still waiting their turn, many of whom are likely going for seconds. “I only wish I could drum up this sort of business at Carousel on a whim. Ponies sure love their apples!”

“Got that right,” Pinkie Pie agrees, exuberantly bouncing back and forth as if dragging a full cart is no more tiring than her normal activities. “Apple pies, apple fritters, apple cider. It’s like anything your hoof touches turns to gold!”

“-en Delicious,” Fluttershy jokes in a quiet voice, the others chuckling along. They’ve started to run low on their main cider varieties, at least with enough set aside for their other contracts, and branched out to others that they have extra of.

“Inefficiencies detected.”

Meringue’s high-pitched growl deflates some of their enthusiasm, heads turning to the small yellow filly and a clipboard-wielding Starlight Glimmer.

“On our break?” Applejack asks, raising an eyebrow.

Meringue shakes her head, her cream mane shaking back and forth like strands of licorice.

“Insufficient supply. Must construct additional py… presses.”

The ponies look around. It’s true; their backlog is on the pressing wheel, only able to handle a certain number of apples flowing inside, at least without exhausting their runners. It’s also why Rainbow Dash and Doug are still working through their break, the only other still on duty the inexhaustible Lemon. And, technically, the two Princesses, though their duty of ‘guarding’ the cash box while sipping on cider barely qualifies.

“Y-yeah,” Applejack concedes, though hesitantly. She frowns as she looks at their press, then at the vast number of trees still able to be harvested. “Ah guess we could do that.”

“Really?” Rarity questions, the slight cock of her head to the side conveying her disapproval more than her words. “This has been a fun diversion, darling, but would it really be worth the effort?”

“If effort is what you’re worried about,” Twilight Sparkle starts, a certain glint in her eye that Applejack immediately recognizes.

“Nnope,” she cuts in, putting an abrupt stop to whatever plan Twilight is concocting.

“But-” Twilight starts.

“Ee-nope,” Big Mac echoes with a curt shake of his head.

“What if-” Twilight gamely tries again, her growing frustration briefly visible.

“Yer a Tartarus-bound foal if ya think we’d go along with some spur-of-the-moment plan,” Granny Smith spits out, much to Twilight’s consternation. “This is how we Apples have done things, and we ain’t gonna be changin’ that just to get a couple more barrels made a couple minutes sooner.”

“Fine,” Twilight says, stoically holding back her tears. “I’ll…”

Her words catch in her throat, then a sniffle before she regains her composure. “I’ll just keep my ideas to myself.” She turns, taking a few steps before laying ponyloaf, facing away from everypony else.

“Scoots, take over,” Doug commands, hopping off the treadmill. Rainbow Dash yelps as she picks up her pace until the smaller pegasus joins her. “Bloom, you get the barrels.”

“Okay,” Apple Bloom says quietly, her ears folded back. She doesn’t care for how her family told off Twilight, and is glad Doug is walking over to the despondent alicorn. After all, it is their farm, and the others are just exchanging worried glances.

“Hey,” Doug consoles as he sits next to Twilight’s crumpled form. He runs a hand through her mane, prompting her to rest her head against his leg. “You were just trying to help.”

All she trusts herself to do is nod, and chance a peek at Applejack. The orange mare does look remorseful, a quiver to her muzzle she mostly controls.

“What was your idea?” Doug asks, even as he knows Applejack won’t appreciate it. The snort from his lead mare confirms his suspicion.

“If it’s some horn-brained-”

“-Applejack,” Doug cuts in, his stern glare directed squarely at her.

Applejack huffs. “Fine. What brilliant idea did your amazing alicorn brain come up with?”

“Applejack.” Doug doubles down, his harsh tone enough to get her ears to fold back.

“N-no,” Twilight apologizes, pacifying Doug with a hoof against his leg. “She’s right. It wasn’t a fully thought-out plan. It would have been a come-to-life spell on the grinder, or the treadmill. Make it spin on its own.”

“Oh. Yeah, that goes bad real quick.” Doug gulps, giving his lead mare a conciliatory smile. “Like, the wheel breaks loose and rampages through the orchards. Or the town. Or the long, long line of bowling pins on the way to the town.”

Twilight forces a smile as Applejack approaches, the two trading nuzzles to show no hard feelings. “Exactly. I just thought I saw a way to make your job easier, and didn’t fully think it through.”

Applejack sighs. “That’s true, but maybe you’re right. Ah’m real grateful for y’all steppin’ up an’ helpin’ out, but it ain’t somethin’ Ah’d want to make a habit of. Doug’n Big Mac takin’ turns on the press has worked out for us before. We’ll just need ta make sure to have enough barrels made beforehoof, though it’s hard with so many hours before it ain’t fresh cider any more.”

“And ya best not be thinkin’ bout sellin’ cider that ain’t fresh on Fresh Cider Day,” Granny Smith cautions with a decisive shake of her shakin’ hoof. “That’s how we’s done things here at Sweet Apple Acres since Ah was a lil’ filly, and that’s how we’s gonna keep doin’ ‘em!”

“Granny’s right,” Applejack says with a broad, if slightly regretful smile. “Ponies come to Sweet Apple Acres ‘cause we promise quality, and quality takes time. No sense in rushin’ if it ain’t gonna be as good.”

Applejack smiles as the gathered mares stomp their approval, only to cock an ear as an unexpected noise slowly grows louder. At the far end of the line ponies are turning around, watching with piqued curiosity something cresting the hills at somewhere between a fast trot and a slow gallop.

“What in Equestria is that?” she demands from nopony in particular. Rainbow Dash flies up to take a look, abandoning Scootaloo and forcing her filly to leap off the treadmill. Everypony slowly creeps forward to get a better look; Doug stands at the fence, everyfilly of his climbing up to get a better view.

Puffs of smoke periodically burst upward from dual smokestacks at the back end of the bright red vehicle, half a dozen other gizmos and gadgets running to various wooden barrels and oversized glass beakers. The front end has a cowpusher, then a lectern and couch, and a large yellow funnel on one side. And there, sitting in the middle, are a pair of yellow unicorns with bright red manes with white stripes. They snap their blue and white striped vests with aplomb, grinning at everypony watching them drive by.

“Ah should have known,” Applejack spits out as the vehicle comes to a stop, knocking down a section of fence. Doug is barely able to hop back, staring slack-jawed. “Hello, cousin Flim and Flam.”

“Cousin Applejack!” the mustached unicorn exclaims, his twin brother sharing the same suave smile. “Surprise! You’ve got… opportunity!”

Next Chapter: Ch. 58 - Cheap Construction, Part Four Estimated time remaining: 22 Hours, 41 Minutes