Cider season.

The disclaimers from the previous chapters extends to this chapter as well. I'm still putting this out for you Hasbro, suing me will only makes you lose money over whatever amount you think i might have that you know I don't have but you still want to feed your lawyers some guy, besides, it'd make you guys look like a bunch of corporate man-eaters and have tons of bronies complaining and boycotting. I don't think you want that.

The red stallion and the magenta mare walked their course through the orchard. For Mac, this was simply an extension of his home but for Berry, this was a magnificent and lovely stroll around one of the most productive farm in Equestria. The boost in sales from away clients had doubled since Applejack had been in charge of the catering of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding. For her, walking through the orchard was satisfactory and renewed her hope to gain such a prestigious commercial title.

After a few more minute of walking, the two arrived a few dozen meters away from the Apple family house. On the porch of said house was Granny Smith taking a nap in her rocking chair. The air was filled with the sweet scent of apples and the burgeoning blooms in the trees. Sure there wasn't too many apples in the trees yet for the season had only begun a few weeks ago.

"So where would Applejack be right now" Berry asked Mac

"I remember her talking about going to check out for some place to expand the farm some more. She's got plans to make a little experimenting with cross breeding varieties of apples to try to bring in a new sort of apple into the market"

"Wow, she's more ambitious than I first tought. Everyone knows that she's quite the competitive athlete but I didn't thought she was also competitive on the commercial level"

"Eeyup. She's no push-over. She's one, if not THE most competitive mare in the family"

But as for looks, Braeburn's got it all and there's no contest about it she thought, remembering the cover and the article from a country fashion magazine featuring Braeburn on the cover. She shrugged her thoughts away from the handsome farmer and repurposed her mind on to the task at hand: setting a commercial deal with Applejack.

"Alright then. Do you think she could spare some time? I have business to talk to with her"

"Maybe".

Macintosh instructed her the way to go and Berry went on her merry way. The scent of blooming flowers in the apple trees and fresh ground was appealing to her. Berry was always fond of nature and this orchard was in the best of its moments of the year. The pink and white flowers specked the apple trees. Many bees we're happily buzzing a few feets over the heads of Berry and Big Macintosh, pollinating the flowers for the upcoming season's harvest. The sun was arcing over them, nearly to it's zenith. Berry thought perhaps talking business over lunch might be a good way to motivate Applejack. After a few more minutes, the duo of ponies came to a large plain field where markers, wooden boundaries and Applejack. She was hovering her eyes over some plans over a table. Big Macintosh rattled his voice and whislted to pick his sister's attention. Applejack took her eyes off the large sheet of paper to take notice of Mac and the mare alongside him.

"Howdy Big Mac, who's that friend of yours?" Applajack said as she strolled towards the two ponies.

"This here is Berry Punch, you remember her, right? Good client during the cider season" Mac said.

"Aah yeah, I reckon seeing you buy a good quantities of our cider, guess you've taken a mighty liking to it huh?" Applejack said, a bit of nervousness in her voice. "So what brings you around here, I"m sure you know its still a good time before cider season"

"Well, thats a motive behind the reason I'm here. I won't turn around the bucket so i'll be direct: I'd like to talk to you about a business deal over lunch, my treat. What do you say?" Berry said with as much genuine enthusiasm she could generate.

"Oooh, huh... Well... That might not be possible at the moment, i've got these figures to go through, run the number with Big Mac here to make sure the new land can be made adequate, then we got to figure out this area maximal efficiency ratio for the growth of appletrees..." Applejack said frantically "I'm mighty sorry, but right now a business deal isn't something i can have my mind on right now. Being just me and Mac and Applebloom on occasions to run the orchard. nothing personal, maybe some other time, I'll keep you in mind for the future though"

"Ooh... wow, Ok. You run this orchard tight and by the numbers if i can believe all you're saying" Berry said with a pang of sadness in her tone. "Hopefully when your schedule clears up we can discuss the matter. I guess it's only a set back. I'll just be on my way then, I won't be holding you longer than needed"

And with that, Berry turned and walked away from the sibblings. Big Mac looked at her sister briefly and when Berry punch was out of sight, Macintosh let out a sigh.

"We might run the orchard tight, but saying we run it this tight was exagerated. Anypony could've seen through your lie sis. Why did you do it" He asked his sister with his monotone voice.

"If only you knew half the story Big Mac..." Applejack said, tipping the front of her stetson over her eyes in shame.

Berry returned home silently, heading towards her basement. Although she had braced for the possible negative response and felt sadness in her heart, she still held confident that this was only going to be postponed. With that, she opened a bottle of one of her bottles of wine, a La petite filly, 15 years of age and pourred herself a glass to drink in her melancholy.