//------------------------------//
// S1E11: Winter Wrap-Up 
// Story: My Little Pony: Bureaucracy is Politic 
// by swirlstar 
//------------------------------//


Season 1 Episode 11 - Winter Wrap-Up



Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville


The Agenda:
1. Meeting with Mr. Rich [ ] 
2. LONG TERM - Break the Power of the Apple Family [ ]

"Now I don't remember much, but I sure as sugar did not see Filthy in them fields!" the voice of Caramel wafted over from the nearby table.

"And course, he wouldn't be in the skies either! So where'd he go?" Sassaflash's voice agreed.

"So you see," Secretary for Administration Crimson Ribbon whispered to his superior, "that's what the average Ponyvillian is talking about right now."

"Mm-hmm," Mayor Mare breathed, putting down her piece of paper. "So you're thinking that's what Filthy's meeting is about."

The gray stallion nodded. "Now if experience serves me well, you'll have a day before the Exp- "

"REALLY?" an eavesdropping Pinkie Pie gasped. "You'll only have a day before what? Before what, Mayor?"

A score of ponies stopped and turned to see what the fuss was all about.

"I- well I never, Ms. Pie!" Mayor Mare scolded the party pony. "I and Mr. Ribbon were discussing confidential business here!"

"Oh! Oh. Sorry," the pink mare withdrew with a cheesy grin. "I just thought that the way you two leant so close together, you may be discussing something really secret! Like really secret and fun! Like how you were saying you only had one day before- "

"Pinkie!" Mayor Mare yelled.

"Oh. Sorry!" Pinkie Pie's grin grew even cheesier. "I just can't help it, Mayor; sometimes this stuff is just so interesting, if I don't use a Pinkie Promise then I just get the urge to share it with everypony and- "

"All right, Ms. Pie." Crimson Ribbon interrupted. "We get it."


*


Rich Industries Main Office, Ponyville


"Sit, Mayor Mare," Filthy Rich, Ponyville's leading industrial baron, gestured to the chair opposite his desk. The businesspony reeked of cigars and fine wine.

"Yes, Mr. Rich," Mayor Mare acknowledged, following her biggest donor's command.

The industrial baron swiveled his chair back towards the window. "It is always nice to have a punctual springtime, Mayor."

"Indeed," the Mayor responded. "Ms. Sparkle was a great help this time 'round."

"How nice," Mr. Rich remarked half-heartedly. "anyway, Mayor Mare, I'm a busy stallion, so I'll make this short. Do you mind?"

"No, Mr. Rich." The tan mare didn't really have much choice in the matter.

"There have been... rumors, Mayor Mare," the magnate began. "Rumors about my... contributions to Ponyville."

"Oh?" Mayor Mare feigned ignorance. "Well, totally unfounded, I'm sure- "

"Yes... and no," the magnate said, pouring himself a glass of LaCheval 967. "Surely, Mayor, you agree that I have been of immense help to the economy of Ponyville- "

"Of course!" Mayor Mare reacted enthusiastically.

" -and so what's the problem with a few rounds of golf now and then?" the portly stallion mused, still facing out of the window. "Even if it is during Winter Wrap-Up... " He let his words drift off into the ether, patiently awaiting the tan mare's response.

A pause. "Perhaps," Mayor Mare finally suggested, "perhaps rumors can just be ignored- "

Wrong answer. Filthy Rich sighed. "Oh well, if I am that unappreciated amongst Ponyville citizens, perhaps I could just move my business elsewhere... "

"Oh, no no no! There's no need for that, Mr. Rich!" Mayor Mare jumped up in alarm. "I will do everything possible to sav- I mean, assist you, Mr. Rich!"

The industrial baron smiled. "Thank you, Mayor. You may go."


*


Ponyville Express Editor's Office, Ponyville


A bay unicorn stood up to welcome Mayor Mare into the morass of paper and ink that was the editor's office. "Musk Raker, Ma'am. Editor of the P.E."

"Thank you, Ms. Raker," the tan pony said. 

"Now how can I help you, Mayor? I do hope you're not planning anything too suspicious," Ms. Raker warned. "we are allowed to publish anything we want. Within reason, of course."

The Mayor shook her head. "No, no, nothing of the sort - I just want to know, Ms. Raker, if you know anything about the truth of these rumors about Filthy Rich."

"Oh sure - read it all tomorrow! Front page news, I bet!" The bay mare said with unbridled glee.

The tan pony shook her head. "No, no, Ms. Raker, I meant if you knew anything about the truth of the rumors. Not just if you knew about them."

"To Tartaros if I know!" the editor shrugged. "But I mean, nobody saw Filthy Rich in Winter Wrap-Up, so he's got to be absent, right?"

Good, at least she doesn't have concrete evidence. "Ms. Raker, I need you to write a story that explicitly denies the rumors," the tan mare asserted.

The bay mare was perplexed. "Huh? Why don't you just issue an official communiqué then?"

"Mr. Rich's actions during Winter Wrap-Up hardly concern the government - I mean, cannot be seen to concern the government," the Mayor corrected herself.

"Right. And why is that?" the editor whipped out a notepad and clicked on her recording pen.

"Uh... national security," Mayor Mare tried to brush the question off.

"Come on, Mayor, you can tell me," Ms. Raker cooed innocently, batting her eyelids. "Only I need to know. Readers won't know."

"Well... " the Mayor tried, in vain, to think of some task that wouldn't put anypony in jeopardy. "umm... no. It's really important. National security."

Ms. Raker, thus rejected, drew back in a pout. "Mayor, the Ponyville Express does pride itself on having a strict journalistic code," she warned. "I will not publish your rumors on a whim."

"You won't publish my 'rumors'," Mayor Mare commented sarcastically, "but you'll publish the rumors of Ponyville citizens."

The editor shrugged. "Says a lot about the trustworthiness of Ponyville Government, really. You know that the tenure of Mayor Fields has left us very wary of you ponies."

Darn it! "Well, let me give you my solemn guarantee that- "

"No, Mayor," the bay pony's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what happened, and I'll put your story in the Express."

"Ms. Raker- "

"Then Mayor, you should quit while you're ahead," the editor opened the door to her office and gestured for her guest to leave. "Don't make me write a letter of protest to the Journalism Board."


*


The Cabinet Room, Ponyville


"You know, since the Nightmare Moon Emergency Law is still technically in force, we could just nationalize the Ponyville Express and stop them from publishing this," Mayor Mare opined hopefully.

"We could, I suppose," Crimson Ribbon remarked. "But you are going to draw an inordinate amount of attention to the Emergency Law - which, I will not deny, has smoothed our paths in more ways than you can imagine."

"Grrr... " the tan mare gritted her teeth in frustration. "Isn't there something I can use to smother this story? A disaster, or a death, or something?"

"How about," the Secretary of Administration advised, "you take a half-victory, given the circumstances."

"A half-victory?" Mayor Mare queried. "How?"

"Well, let's admit it: there's no way you're going to totally quash the rumor without either risking censure from the Journalism Board, or fatally compromising your anti-established-interests image," the gray stallion noted. "Both equally unfortunate outcomes, need I remind you."

"I guess," the Mayor slumped her head onto the table.

"So let us spread another rumor of our own making. We sow the seeds of doubt and thus reduce the impact of the original rumor. Obviously you'd still have to explain yourself to Filthy, but it's much less painful this way."

"Well... " the tan mare exhaled. "Fine. It's not like I have a choice here."


*


The Library, Ponyville


The chatter and laughter of ponies filled the normally-sedate library. It was the post-Winter Wrap Up party - a time for ponies to get together, have a good time, and talk about recent happenings. The perfect time, therefore, for spreading gossip.

"Hello, Amethyst Star! Thank you again for your help... alright, where's Ms. Pie?" the Mayor trotted over to Crimson Ribbon.

The bureaucrat pointed at Pinkie Pie across the room. "She's got a clear line of vision. So we'll just huddle up and..." the gray stallion cleared his throat. 

"Mayor, I've just realized what Filthy was up to during Winter Wrap-Up," he murmured mysteriously, glancing nervously around all the while.

"Really?" the Mayor widened her eyes and put her hoof to her mouth. "What happened?"

"It turns out that Filthy was actually on an expedition to... uh... the Garden of Hipporides. He was trying to find the legendary Golden Apple, the one from which ambrosia is made from..."

"So you mean Filthy, during Winter Wrap-Up, was actually on expedition to the Garden of Hipporides, in order to look for the legendary Golden Apple, the one from which ambrosia is made from?" Mayor Mare repeated in hushed tones, making sure all the details were transported into the ear of the pink pony behind her...

"Wow, REALLY?" Pinkie Pie interjected.

Everypony's head turned. The bureaucrat and the Mayor glared at the party pony in faux anger. 

"Ms. Pie, you're doing it again!" the tan mare protested indignantly.

Pinkie Pie covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" she apologized profusely. "It's just that I heard you talk about Filthy Rich and the expedition to the Garden during Winter Wrap-Up for the Golden Apple and all that- "

"Pinkie!" Crimson Ribbon did not look happy at all. "You've done it again!"

Only then did the party pony realize what she had wrought. "Oh my, oh by Celestia, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to... "

"Pinkie!" Twilight's admonishing voice rang out. "I've told you before not to listen in on other ponies, and definitely not to reveal their secrets... !"

"I'm so sorry, Mayor Mare!" A remorseful Pinkie Pie grabbed the tan pony's forelegs, tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't- "

"It's fine, Ms. Pie," the Mayor patted the party pony on the head. "Just don't do it next time."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Pinkie Pie bounced back up in jubilation.

Regardless of Pinkie's apology, the 'damage' had been done. For as soon as the party resumed, the topics of conversation morphed, in line with the new reality.

"No wonder I didn't see Filthy around - he was trying to get the Golden Apple!"

"I wonder what he saw? I've heard that the Apple is guarded by a six-headed Griffon!"

"By Celestia, I never thought that Filthy would have the guts to even try that!" 


*


Mayor's Office, Ponyville


"PONYVILLE EXPRESS DAWN EDITION - FILTHY RICH PART OF A SECRET EXPEDITION?"

"Well," Mayor Mare said, tossing the Ponyville Express to one side, "at least now, nopony's going to blame Filthy for being absent during Winter Wrap-Up."

"I did say that it was only going to be a half-victory, Ma'am," Crimson Ribbon reminded the Mayor.

The tan pony smiled gratefully at the bureaucrat. "Thank you, again, Mr. Ribbon, for saving all of our flanks. Don't know what would have happened if he just packed and left."

"In all fairness," the gray stallion said, "that would have fulfilled one of your campaign goals."

"Campaign goals?" the Mayor asked skeptically, consulting her agenda again. "It says here that my goal is to break the Apples- "

"No, no, Mayor, your goal was to break the entrenched interests of Ponyville. You just decided to start with the Apples first."

"Really? But... " the Mayor suddenly remembered. "ah... but surely, Filthy's the right type of entrenched interest! He's really important! To Ponyville!" she added as an afterthought.

Crimson Ribbon smiled. "I see. In that case, May I remind you that you are nearing the mid-point of your tenure, and you still do not seem to have made any headway regarding your objective... "