Cider season.

Cider season

By Iron Clad

All rights reserved. My little pony:friendship is magic is a franchise owned by Hasbro and Lauren Faust

I do not claim Ownership of any of the character or the show as my intellectual property. The story written here belongs to Iron Clad (Frederic M.Bourdages) and the use of the characters do not reflect Hasbro, Lauren Faust or DHX Media's vision.

Don't sue me, it's not worth the whole juridic shenanigans over one story.

The magenta mare sat down on her stool, contemplating a series of glass jugs filled with liquids varying from a dark red shade to the light green-yellow. Her craft, her passion, her whole reason for being: brewing. Berry Punch stood at a point in her life where a choice was to be taken. a decision that would influence the rest of her life. To progress forward and strive as famous brew-master, or to stay there, in Ponyville and create spirits for her and her good friends to enjoy in sweet privacy.

The mare stared in melancholy through the window of her basement, observing the busy market square of her hometown. She always loved this place. It was never dull; always something happening. Today seemed to be a somewhat slower day. She kept observing the market square, in search for someone selling a solution to her troubles. A few ponies she recognized with all the shenanigans that happened to the town since last year: She noticed Twilight Sparkle, followed by her trustworthy assistant, Spike, going around looking for some produce from the local farmers. She noticed the mare was quite the eater, yet she didn't seem to ever pick much weight. Berry brushed the thought aside, believing it had to do with all the adventures her and her group of friends lived on a near weekly basis.

Then came Rarity. Berry only talked a few times to the fashion designer, but from what she got from her occasional talks with her, she seemed a refined lady who could, in her opinion, enjoy a nice glass of wine if she ever had the occasion. She fancied ordering a dress from the fashionista, but alas, her income did not leave much room for such fancy thing. She had some respect for the mare. She was successful as she secretly wanted to be yet kept close to her friends. The prospect of success brings fame, and fame only brought attention from more and more clients. This is the one thing she dreaded from her choice she was standing in front of. She enjoyed the group of friends she had. Colgate, her best friend since foalhood, was always the first  to try Berry's brews.

Carrot Top, another fine friend of hers. She had always enjoyed the company of the ginger pony. She is quick and witty and never let the occasion to make a pun or a joke go. She is fun to have around in the evenings with the rest of her friends when they had their weekly chat over wine and cheese.

Her thoughts continued to drift in such a fashion about Ditzy, Lyra, Bon-Bon and the occasional visit of one of her more odd acquaintance: Doctor Whooves. Her gaze lazily watched the busy market square when her eyes landed upon a Stetson-wearing orange mare. She contemplated the country pony selling her apples and apple-derived goods as good as... well... apple pies. Thoughts were drifting through her mind when an epiphany hit her like a ton of bricks easily ruins a wooden floor when dropped on it. The solution to her dilemma was never so close as it was now, even on a physical level.

Her thoughts drove her back a couple of months ago, during her favorite time of the year: Cider Season. She remembered how she enjoyed the Apple family's famous cider year after year. The thought started to construct and assemble in her mind and an idea formed. This blooming idea took the form of a partnership. She enjoyed the cider's honest and truthful taste, but it lacked a certain subtlety and tang. She didn't know Applejack too well, but she knew she was one of the most straightforward and honest ponies around Ponyville. Dependable and trustworthy. Berry always valued these traits important for ponies to have.

She rose from her seat and trotted away from the window, going between the bottles and barrels of her maturing brews. Thoughts of her cherished craft being distributed around Equestria placed a gentle smile on Berry's beautiful face, seemingly lighting it up. She knew applejack's business was local and yet she reached as far as Canterlot. For the mare to have done the catering of the royal wedding, it must mean that she has a very solid clients, so far as to reach the ears of royalty. The prospect of Canterlot nobility enjoying a soirée over her wine and spirits was appealing to her.

Her mind filled with the prospect of sharing her love and passion all around Equestria for all the ponies to enjoy and use to celebrate anything their hearts desired. The feeling of success was never so close to her as it was now. She kept strolling through her basement, crossing many more casks and bottles of her craft. So many memories of days and nights perfecting her art of brewing. Her tolerance to alcohol increased as she kept on her art and the more she kept doing it, the better and more delicate it became.

She also noticed that her mood was also a major factor in the taste of her brews. Her mother always told her that unicorns weren't the only ones to possess magic, but pegasi and earth ponies as well. Although different in shapes and form, every pony had a bit of magic within them and earth ponies had the most delicate and discreet magics of all ponies. From her knowledge that her mood made the product vary in taste, color and tang, she had, to her own beliefs, proven her mother's saying right. When she was in bad mood, her drinks seemed to taste bitter and seemed to pack a higher percentage of alcohol. When she was happy, her spirits and ales seemed to be lighter and easier to drink and much preferred by her friends. This discovery allowed her to experiment with various sorts of combinations for diverse alcohol. Over the years, she had created a notebook containing the secrets of her craft and how to obtain what flavor with what ingredients and mood she had to be in while making the concoction. She had still many pages left to write in and she intended to fill this book as not only a recipe book, but to create the ultimate earth pony's guide to brewing mastery.

Her thoughts of leaving a legacy made her think back to what it all depended on: a collaboration with Applejack. She hoped to be able to convince the farmer mare to a business partnership. She was convinced she could do it, she had to do it, for all the earth ponies with the same talent, no, not only for them, but for Equestria itself! It was now her mission, nay, her duty, her mandate, to make her craft known and appreciated by all. If her and her friends can appreciate having a night of fun and drinks, why can't other ponies do so as well?

She was now adamant on what she must do: she was going to make the biggest, most determining decision in her life and all she had that stood in front of her was a mare: a mare with, unknowingly, the power to stop a dream dead in its tracks, or to make it the most profitable business operation ever. She was going to strike a deal with Applejack... tomorrow, when her hangover from the night with her friends cleared up.