Applejack winced as her hooves cracked into the worn trunk of an apple tree. The satisfying sound of apples falling into well-placed baskets soothed the momentary sting. Overcoming the discomfort, she moved on to the next tree. Those baskets ain’t gonna fill themselves. Gritting her teeth, she slammed her hooves back into the trunk of another tree. The uncomfortable prick trickled up from her hooves along her legs before dulling at her hips.
She backed up slowly and dropped to a sitting position on the ground with her back against the trunk of the tree. Surveying the immense orchard spread out before her, she wondered how she managed in the recent years. The only memories she possessed were memories of work. Crawling out of bed before the sunrise, throwing her strength into the trees until the moon was high in the sky. She allowed herself a smug smile of satisfaction. Applejack: the most dependable of ponies.
The smile didn’t last. An aftershock of pain coursed through her tired tendons resulting in an involuntary shudder and curling of her legs. She reached down with her hooves and massaged her sore muscles. But this provided only a temporary reprieve after several straight hours of applebucking.
Maybe Braeburn’s right. I can’t keep going like this.
She shook her head fiercely. In her heart, she desperately wanted Braeburn to be wrong. She wanted to prove she was more capable than any pony out there when it came to apples. This was her life, her family’s life, and there’s no way she would even consider the prospect of “taking it easy.”
If I stop, it’ll happen again. Sweet Apple Acres.
She pulled her ever-present hat down over her eyes as she felt the tears welling up. Her hooves pressed down on her legs and she squeezed as hard as she could. The physical pain was nothing. She would overcome it. But the memory of Sweet Apple Acres was too much for her to bear.
Her thoughts drifted to the memory of her friends, the friends she longed to see again. Together, they had overcome every single challenge. The memory was comforting but bitter. It served as a reminder of what she had gained and lost.
A sudden gust of wind ruffled her mane and carried her hat aloft into the air. That’s odd. It’s hardly ever windy in the orchard. Forgetting the pain and springing to her hooves, she looked up frantically for a glimpse of her hat. Luckily, it hadn’t gone far. It floated lazily above her in the hooves of a rainbow-maned pony.
Rainbow grinned down at Applejack, twirling the hat playfully within her hooves. “Hey, AJ. Nice hat. Mind if I borrow it for a bit?”
Applejack didn’t respond. She remained rooted on the spot with her eyes turned upward. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Seeing the pegasus’s brilliant mane contrasted against the clear sky triggered a rush of blood to her head.
“AJ?” Rainbow’s voice shifted from mischievous to slightly guilty. Something’s not right. The barrage of insults and threats she expected never manifested themselves. Slowing the flapping of her wings, she slowly dropped in altitude until she was on the ground in front of Applejack. From her lower vantage point, she noticed the glimmer of liquid coating the emerald eyes she had faced off against many times in the past.
“Don’t tell me you’re crying because I stole your hat? This is practically how we say hello to one another!” She cracked a grin, but it wasn’t confident. It ended up looking more nervous than anything. “Come on, AJ, speak to me. Look, I’m sorry I took your hat, don’t go all quiet on me.” She took a step closer and gently prodded Applejack on the withers with the hat. “AJ? You all right?”
The gears in Applejack’s head churned as she tried to make sense of it all. One moment she was thinking about her friends, the next moment Rainbow Dash appeared out of nowhere and stole her hat. She bit down on her tongue and winced slightly at the pain. Least I’m not dreaming, or at least I don’t think I am. The prodding from her hat jarred her back to her senses. Suddenly, she became very aware of her current situation and the state she was in.
“Oh, hey there, RD.” Wait, that ain’t right at all. You haven’t seen her in years, and you start with a “hey there”? She chuckled nervously while trying to casually shift onto three hooves so she could wipe her eyes with her forehoof. “I’m jus’ dandy. Nothing to worry about. What are you doing here? Mighty fine weather we’re having today, eh?” She shifted her eyes to the side nervously
Rainbow arched her eyebrow at Applejack and tilted her head. “Uh...yeah. Lovely day. I was just looking for you. Applebloom wanted to show you something.” She tossed the hat at Applejack with a casual flick of her hoof.
Applejack sighed in relief and nabbed her hat from the air with a quick nip. Once she had it safely placed on her head, she smiled at Rainbow. “Well, what are we waitin’ for? Let’s see what my little sis wants.”
“Sure.” Rainbow smiled and took a step forward.
Applejack blinked and took a step backward, bumping into an inconveniently located appletree she just finished bucking.
Rainbow’s smile shifted to something slightly more devious as she quickly closed the gap and pressed her head right up against Applejack, staring her in the eyes. “Right after you tell me what’s going on. Why aren’t you even surprised to see me?”
Busted.
Applejack swallowed as beads of sweat started to form on her head. Suddenly, she felt very hot. “What’re ya talkin’ bout, RD? There’s nothing going on. Just a lot of applebuckin’, ‘nd I was mighty shocked when I first saw ya, but it feels right natural to have you back here in my orchard.” She pushed back against Rainbow in an attempt to get a little personal space.
“Oh, really? What about your eyes? They looked awfully teary when I got a good look at you.” Rainbow pushed back in return. Something was wrong and she could feel it. Not to mention Applejack was giving off more tells than Fluttershy in a game of cards.
Horseapples. Applejack thought. If I screw up, I’m gonna spill the beans to RD and burden her with all my troubles. I need a distraction.
“It sure is dusty out here. After all that applebucking, I’m parched. How about we get back and get some cider?” Applejack smiled harder. It was getting really difficult to keep up the act with Rainbow staring daggers into her soul.
“Cider? Where?” Rainbow backed up excitedly, her eyes darting from side to side as if she was looking for a cool mug of cider out in the middle of the orchard.
Phew. Applejack relaxed as Rainbow moved out of her personal bubble to a more respectable distance away. She winced again. She was unconsciously tensing all her muscles in her verbal fencing match with Rainbow. The reprieve was short lived.
“Nice try, AJ.” Rainbow smirked and stepped forward again. Her forehooves slammed into the apple tree and trapped Applejack in between them, leaving Applejack wedged uncomfortably between Rainbow and the tree. “In case you forgot, I was a Wonderbolt for years. I’m not that obsessed with cider anymore after years of open bars.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Applejack. “Now tell me what’s going on here. Why is Braeburn in such a hurry to get to town? Why is Applebloom making strange devices? And why were you rubbing your legs when I spotted you from the air?”
Applejack gritted her teeth and leveled her gaze at Rainbow Dash. She wasn’t going to back down, not now. She shoved her head forward butting it against Rainbow’s. “What’s with all the questions, RD? I haven’t seen you in years, and the first thing you do is steal my hat and question me like I’m some kind of criminal?”
Feeling Rainbow back down slightly, she pressed her advantage and shoved her head forward more. “And so what if my eyes are a little misty? Maybe yer crazy flying kicked up too much darn dust.”
Whatever advantage Rainbow thought she had, it seemed to have disintegrated in a moment. She fell back onto all four hooves and backed away slowly from Applejack. Oh, buck me...I think I took it too far. She glanced away. She couldn’t meet Applejack’s intense stare.
Applejack didn’t relent. Years apart didn’t diminish her ability to read Rainbow when things got heated. If this was a competition, she was going to win it. She stepped forward once more and pressed a forehoof to Rainbow’s chest. “Now, you listen here, Rainbow. Whatever you may think you know about me, my family, and my business, it ain’t the half of it. And I’d be more than happy to share it with a friend.”
Rainbow looked down at the firm orange forehoof pressed against her chest and back up at Applejack. “AJ...I--”
“Save it, Rainbow,” Applejack interrupted. “I only wanna hear one thing from yer gob: Are you still my friend? Or am I gonna have to buck you over an apple tree for stealing my hat and assaultin’ me?”
“What?” Rainbow exclaimed, her wings flaring out in aggravation. “What kinda question is that? Of course I’m your friend!”
“Really now?” Applejack dropped her hoof from Rainbow’s chest and kicked at the ground. “I reckoned you forgot all about yer friends once you got into yer fancy Wonderbolts team.”
“I never forgot about you guys! I thought about you all every night. I just couldn’t find the time...” Rainbow trailed off as her initial indignation cooled. In its place a tense discomfort filled the void which forced her to look away from Applejack. “I really wanted to see everyone. I just couldn’t.”
“Rainbow, yer the fastest flier I know. Not to mention you’re jus’ about as stubborn as I am. What could possibly stop you from seeing yer friends?”
Rainbow bit her lip and dropped to the ground. “I...I can’t tell you. Just believe me. Please.”
Applejack sighed long and slowly before placing her hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Awright sugarcube, I won’t press the issue. But I want you to tell me the whole truth sometime.”
“So...we’re still friends?”
“Sure as sugar. You’re a good pony, Rainbow. I’d be a fool to not want you as a friend.”
Rainbow lifted her head slowly and smiled up at Applejack. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her forehoof with a sigh of relief. “Thanks, AJ. You scared me for a moment there.”
Applejack shook her head and smiled back at Rainbow. “You too? When ya stole my hat, I thought you had some kind of grudge, ‘specially since I haven’t seen you in years.” She settled into a comfortable laugh. “But I suppose that’s a little far fetched.”
The laughter was addictive. Rainbow soon found herself chuckling along with Applejack. The more she laughed, the closer she got to Applejack. Soon, she was leaning back-to-back with Applejack while recounting the previous events in a more humorous light.
“So, RD.” Applejack began once their mirth had finally settled. “You said Applebloom wanted to see me?”
Rainbow got to her hooves and nodded. “Yep, though I wouldn’t mind a slight detour.”
Applejack tilted her hat upward and eyed Rainbow suspiciously. “And why’s that?”
The pegasus shuffled a little on her hooves, glancing down on the ground. “I think you mentioned something about cider a little while back?”
A smirk slowly grew on Applejack’s face. “What about it? I thought you were over cider.”
Rainbow did her best impression of a innocent smile. “Well, that may have been a tiny exaggeration. I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving Apple family cider.”
Applejack threw a forehoof over Rainbow’s shoulder and pulled her in for a sideways hug. “Shucks, RD, on account of you finally showing your face around here, I suppose we could pop one of the aged cider barrels open.”
Rainbow grinned widely and did a little bounce on her hooves. “This is gonna be so awesome.”
Applejack grinned back. “You betcha.”
* * *
Twilight peered warily into the marginally lit shed which served as Applebloom’s workshop. Regardless of the previous explosive scene it experienced, the workshop seemed rather tidy. One wall was covered entirely with varying types of tools hanging on pegs. Before she got a chance to compliment Applebloom’s organizational skills, she noticed the pegs lacked labels and the tools seemed to be placed haphazardly with no order or reason.
Well, mostly organized, but at least they’re all in the same place.
She smiled and trotted into the workshop a little more. Perhaps working with Applebloom wouldn’t be so bad. Sure, the young filly didn’t seem to have the same structured work style which matched her own, but the similarities were there.The workbench was littered with papers, quills, miscellaneous scraps of metal, gears, and other mechanical doodads. The scene before her felt nostalgic, and it tugged at the faint memories of her laboratory tucked beneath her beloved library tree in years past.
“So, what do ya think, Twilight?” Applebloom practically skipped into the workshop. “Impressive, ain’t it? I didn’t think I could get this many tools and materials this far out, but I’ve been mighty fortunate. The train brings in a lot of useful items on a weekly basis for our automatons.”
Twilight nodded. The sheer amount of stuff Applebloom managed to acquire was impressive. “It’s very well stocked. How did you get all of this?”
Applebloom grinned mischievously. “Well, some of my materials are leftovers from fixin’ up the town’s automatons. The railroad pays me a fair number of bits too for my repair and maintenance work. I give some of it to sis, but I keep some for myself to mail order the harder-to-get stuff.” She leaned in close to Twilight and winked, “The rest...is from my secret source.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Secret source?”
Applebloom wrapped a forehoof around Twilight’s head and pulled her in. Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. “Scootaloo slips me parts from her job at the Las Pegasus Aerodrome. I think she’s supposed to throw them away, but they jus’ go into a crate for me.”
“Scootaloo, huh?” The unicorn giggled and pulled away, “I’m pretty sure she’s not going to get in trouble for sending you airship scraps.”
“You can never be too careful.” Applebloom turned her head back and grasped at the straps which held the metal braces to her legs. Squeaking with exertion, she tugged firmly in a vain attempt to loosen them.
After a minute of struggling, she gagged on the foul-tasting material in frustration and kicked at the floor.
A resounding boom filled the workshop followed by the crackling sound of wood. Twilight hopped backwards and slammed into the wall in surprise causing a fair number of tools to clatter to the dusty floor. The shed subsequently descended into chaos.
When the dust finally cleared, Twilight found herself on her rump sitting rather uncomfortably upon a pile of tools and a screwdriver in her mouth. She spit it out distastefully. Her head lolled from side to side as her pupils spiraled in circles. Faintly, she could see several ghostly visages of Applebloom floating in front of her. “Nng...my head...” She grasped her head with her forehooves and breathed deeply until her vision cleared.
“A little help, please?” Applebloom pleaded. The yellow filly grasped at the floor with her forehooves, her left rear hoof buried into the ground which left her right rear hoof jutting out in an odd position.
Finally coming to her senses, Twilight gently gripped Applebloom with her magic and lifted her bodily out of the hole and deposited her back onto solid ground. Not wanting to take any more chances, she directed her attention to the straps holding the metallic legs in place and eased them loose.
Applebloom stepped out of them gratefully and dropped to her haunches. “Phew. I knew I shouldn’t have put them on so early. I was just so excited to try them out.”
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to slow down a little and test them a bit before strapping them on.” Twilight pulled the right legging off Applebloom and hovered it in front of her. “So...how long did it take for you to make these?”
“Oh, jus’ about a day. I was toyin’ with the idea of finding someway to combine magical, mechanical, and physical strength together for the farm.”
Twilight’s mouth dropped open. “A day? Really?”
Applebloom picked up the other legging and moved it from the ground to the worktable. She turned around and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof while looking downward. “A-heh...fine. Maybe more around 20 hours? I tend not to sleep when I get inspired. You would stay up studying all night. It’s sorta like that.”
Twilight gathered up her hanging jaw and shifted her attention back to the magical gem tucked behind the mess of gears and coils. “I can understand. You’d be surprised how often I still do that. Though...I think I may need to drink less coffee.”
She gently fed a touch of magical energy into the gem and watched the sensors click in response. “So, if I understand your design correctly, you store the mechanical energy in these coils which fire off when you detect a motion?”
Applebloom nodded. “Yup, that’s right. I use the energy initially applied by the wearer...” She trailed off seeing the knowing look which dawned on Twilight’s face. “You think you know what’s wrong?”
Twilight grinned and nodded. “It’s tuned to detect too many directions. I’m guessing if you want them for applebucking, you want it to only trigger when it detects a substantial horizontal force.” She flicked the leggings downward and was rewarded with a substantial snap from the actuators responding. “Unfortunately, whoever tuned your magical amplifier set it to fire off in any direction. So the slightest bit of force is initiating the entire process.”
“So you can fix it?” Appleblooms’s eyes expanded hopefully.
“Of course. Just give me a bit, and you’ll be the greatest apple harvesting pony that ever existed.”
Applebloom leapt into the air and did a twirl. “Yee-ha!”
* * *
A half-empty mug landed on the table with a resounding thump. “Ya know, RD, granny always warned it was bad drinkin’ aged cider before dark. But heck, sometimes you jus’ have to let loose.”
Rainbow simply nodded, her hoof loosely slipped between the handle of her own mug. Her head rested on the table as she panted slowly. Urg...I may have overdone it on the cider. Her thoughts came woozily through the sweet veil of apples. Pushing herself upright she lifted the mug to her lips and took another deep draught of the delightfully sticky-sweet substance. Never. I can never have too much Apple family cider.
Applejack grinned at the sight and toyed with the rim of her mug with her free hoof. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to sit down and jus’ stop worrying. Somehow, seeing you puts my heart at ease.”
Rainbow set her mug down and smirked. “What do you mean, AJ? You sound kinda... frou-frou when you say stuff like that.”
Applejack straightened up in her seat as if a bee stung her. She pushed her hat back and narrowed her eyes at Rainbow. “What? No! That’s not what I mean at all! It’s jus’...I’ve been working so hard trying to keep this farm together. Sure, I’ve had Braeburn, Big Mac, and a lot of my family. But it’s always been so hard.”
Rainbow smiled and leaned in conspiratorially with her head resting upon her crossed forehooves. “So...you aren’t trying to say...” She paused and presented Applejack with the best half-lidded bedroom eyes she could manage. “You know...”
Applejack stuttered and shifted backwards in her seat, nearly tipping it over. “Oh, hay no!” She looked away as the warmth of the cider reddened her cheeks. “Look, Rainbow, you’ve always been my very best friend. We drive each other forward. I jus’ feel like you showing up right as the Ministry is threatening to turn my farm into some oil plant is the push I need to fight this, to stop this and save my farm for good.”
Rainbow blinked. Wait. What? The Ministry of Development is getting involved in Appleloosa? Oh, this is going to be trouble. She grabbed her cider mug and downed the remainder of it’s contents in one fell swoop before slamming the empty mug upside-down on the table. “You got it, AJ. We’re gonna save this farm, or my name isn’t Rainbow Dash!”
“Applejack! There you are! We’ve been lookin’ all over for you!” Applebloom burst into the room, eyes aglitter, completely overjoyed. “Look! Twilight and I got ‘em working!” Applebloom turned around and presented her rear hooves to Applejack.
Twilight walked into the room behind Applebloom, bearing the slightest smug smile. I’m making a difference. I’m not cooped up in that library anymore trying to share knowledge with ponies who don’t care. She spied the two empty mugs on the table and directed a knowing glance at Rainbow.
Rainbow winked in return and licked her lips while patting her stomach. Twilight snickered and nodded.
Applejack stared at the pair of metallic braces on Applebloom’s rear hooves. “What in tarnation are those?” Her voice was passive, tinged with the slightest bit of surprise.
“They’re Applebuckers! The best thing for the hard-working pony. I’m as strong as Big Mac with these!” She trotted over to Applejack and tugged her off her seat. “Come on, let me show you! You’ll be mighty impressed when you see how many apple trees I can buck in a day.”
Applejack looked to Rainbow Dash for support, but the pegasus merely winked in return.
“I’m sure you’ll have a blast, AJ,” Rainbow quipped.
Twilight immediately face-hoofed. “Dashie...wordplay.”
Applejack did her best to resist the consistent tug by Applebloom, “Well...excuse me, girls. It seems Applebloom has something she really wants to show me. And Twilight, it’s good to see you too.” She craned her neck and did her best to tip her hat apologetically. “Sorry to make introductions so short. I’ll make it up to you.” Without another word, Applejack disappeared around the doorway. Moments later, the front door slammed and Rainbow and Twilight were left alone.
Rainbow trotted quickly to the doorway and peered down the hall. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned around.
Twilight blinked. She hadn’t seen Rainbow this serious since Ponyville and her declaration to find all their friends again. Tentatively, she took a step forward.
“Twilight...” Rainbow paused and took a deep breath. “The Ministry of Development is trying to take Applejack’s farm. I wasn’t able to gather much from Applejack, but it seems there’s a sizable oil deposit under the orchard.”
Twilight gasped and looked around frantically. “W-what? But if Applejack loses her farm, she’ll be crushed. She was devastated when the apple trees stopped bearing fruit at Sweet Apple Acres.”
Rainbow nodded. “That’s why we can’t let this happen. We have to convince them to leave the orchard alone.”
“How are we going to do that?” Twilight trotted to the window and looked outside. She could just barely make out the greenish gleam of leaves in the distance. “The Ministry has authority from the Princess herself to direct the advancement of Equestria and the procurement of resources. They’re not going to just take ‘no’ for an answer.”
“What about the Princess? I’m sure she would understand how important this orchard is. How it’s part of Appleloosa.”
Twilight closed her eyes. That makes sense...a part of Appleloosa...I wonder...
She whirled around and ran to Rainbow, pulling her into a tight hug. “Of course! It’s historical! This orchard is both historical and essential to the town. If we can get it designated by the Princess as such, we can protect it from further development!”
She extracted herself and made her way to the table. “Dashie, paper, ink, and quill please.”
“I’m on it!” A blur of colors filled the farmhouse before Rainbow returned with paper, ink, and quill, just as Twilight asked.
Twilight levitated them from Rainbow’s hooves and set them gently upon the table. She picked up the quill, gingerly dipped it into the ink, and began writing:
Dear Princess Celestia,
It has come to my attention the Ministry of Development intends to convert Appleloosa Orchards into an Oil Extraction and Refining Plant. I normally support the utilization of the resources of Equestria to its fullest extent, but there is more to be gained by preserving Appleloosa Orchards.
Historically, it’s the first settlement in the Appleloosan plains entirely self-sufficient due to the hard work of the settler ponies and their orchard. It serves as a guiding story to the lasting peace between the Buffalo Tribes and ponies. And it sustains the town to this very day. Additionally, Applejack and her family here provide Equestria’s renowned Apple Family Cider, which the Ministry would be hard pressed to provide without the existence of this orchard.
Would you please consider designating Appleloosa Orchards as a Historical and Protected site to preserve the heritage of Appleloosa and the livelihoods of the ponies who inhabit it?
Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight finished the letter with a flourished E around her name before turning to Rainbow. “What do you think, Dashie?”
Rainbow nodded vigorously. “I think it’s great! Can you send it right now? Applejack seemed really upset. This would certainly put her at ease.”
Twilight glanced at the rapidly drying ink on the parchment and then back to Rainbow. “I don’t know. I usually send these by post since I don’t have Spike anymore. I could try magically sending it, but it would just end up in the Canterlot Office. She might not see it right away anyways.”
Rainbow wrapped her forehoof around Twilight’s shoulder and pulled her in. “It’s worth a shot. Do it for Applejack. You saw how she looked. We can’t let her down when she needs us.”
The parchment curled up on itself, hiding the words it contained from the pair of eyes staring at it. Twilight bit down on her lip and shook her head. “I haven’t sent a letter to Celestia in so long. And the Ministry, it’s huge, who are we to challenge what they feel is best for Equestria? I know it’s for Applejack, but I’m not sure about this.” She sighed as a pair of wings wrapped around her and Rainbow turned her head gently with her hooves.
“Listen, Twilight. You’re Celestia’s most awesome student, and your thoughts will always matter to her.” Rainbow traced her hooves from Twilight’s cheeks down to her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “And I promise, if anything happens, I’ll be right there for you. I said I’d stick with you in Ponyville, and I meant it. I’d never leave you hanging.”
“Alright. Thanks, Dashie.” Twilight smiled. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to send one now. If you can go to the nature preserve south of here and get Spike, we can send another one later on. Just in case we don’t get a response to this one.” She lifted the letter up and touched her horn to the parchment. A brief flash of purple light filled the room, and the letter disappeared.
* * *
Thousands of miles away, the letter re-materialized in a massive in-pile of the Central Canterlot Office. Surrounded by piles of documents, a tired unicorn glanced up at the newly appeared letter and sighed. Grabbing it with his horn, he skimmed the first couple lines. “Another letter for the Princess about the Ministry. Don’t ponies know it should be directed to the Ministry itself?” He groaned in frustration and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’ll just send it along like the hundreds of other letters I get every day.”
The letter disappeared once more in a brief flash of magic before reappearing across Canterlot at the Ministry of Development’s secretary desk. One more letter in already massive pile of documents. “Good morning, Minister,” the secretary intoned dully as a whistling pony trotted through the massive double doors.
The Minister smiled, his eyes alight with energy as he looked over the pile of documents on the desk. “My, my, we have quite a lot today, don’t we?” He trotted over and glanced over the letter at the top of pile. His whistling stopped abruptly. He lifted the letter with his magic and tucked it firmly within his coat-vest before trotting through the double-doors to his office.
“Please call Agent Fixer and prepare Airship Three. Oh, and summon Delta Team to accompany the Agent.” He gently closed the double doors behind him and walked across the plush carpet to his seat. Settling into his swivel chair, he sighed and rested his hooves upon the fine, polished surface of his desk. He magically fished out the letter and re-read it more slowly.
“So. Ms. Sparkle is getting involved. Ponyville council...” He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his forehooves. A knock on the door jarred him back to reality. “Come in.”
The door opened with nary a sound and clicked shut behind the dark gray unicorn which opened it. “You wanted to see me, sir?” Agent Fixer scanned the room for any irregularities before noticing the letter on the desk.
“Ah, yes. Agent Fixer, please go to Appleloosa and inspect the orchards there again. I suspect we may have some resistance regarding our plans to move forward.” He realized he was still facing his desk and rapidly straightened up with a smile. “I will need a full report on their so-called efficiency or lack thereof so we can justify converting Appleloosa into a shining gem of industry in the south.”
“Certainly, sir. Anything else I should be aware of?”
“Right. Princess Celestia’s personal student, Twilight Sparkle, seems to be in Appleloosa. Do try to stay on good terms with her.” He glanced down at the letter once more before pulling it off his desk and putting it into a side drawer.
“Of course, sir. Might I get a letter made and notarized requesting Twilight Sparkle’s presence here in Canterlot? In case she has any concerns, of course.” Agent Fixer smiled.
“Oh, right. Certainly. You can get it from Ms. Note outside. Airship Three is ready for your departure. Delta Squad will accompany you should you need any aerial data.”
Agent Fixer’s lips twitched downward but he caught himself. “Thank you, sir. I will handle this with the utmost speed.” He turned and exited the office as quietly as he came.
The Minister sighed and pulled himself heavily out of his chair and wandered over to a small bar built into the side of his office. He poured himself a small glass of fiery filtered cider and gazed out of the window. “This is for the good of Equestria,” he muttered to himself and tipped the contents of glass into his mouth.
This chapter was awesome. Thanks!
And once again, corporations are proven to be the root of all evil!
Awesome chapter once again!
none good adventure is complete without conflict. the last part reminded me of Harry Potter.
keep these chapters going, they are pure and shining gold
Fix the formatting in the letter to Celestia, it looks really off. Other than that, keep on writing, you are doing great!
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw1493_95413-animateddancingrainbow_dashtwilight_sparkle.gif
This is how happy I am to read another great chapter of this awesome story. Keep up the great work also happy birthday for your editor.
1783318 I was trying to tab it over though fimfiction doesn't seem to want me to indent entire paragraphs which is a little annoying. I think I'll have to revert it to being just italics.
zulb.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1306258144546.jpg A major thickening of the plot has been detected: Severity: HIGH
I await further chapter good sir,
This reminds me of static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Communist_a7b549_2239094.jpg communism it's for the "good" of the people.
Still loving the universe. Still loving the pacing. Still loving the reasonably regular updates.
And I must say. Spicing things up with a conflict now are we? Things have just gotten much more interesting. Delightful premise. Do go on.
1783145
Corporate Evil? Nope, this is 100% Pure Refined GOVERNMENT Evil! Basically, the Ministry of Development is trying to use Eminent Domain to take Appleloosa Orchard because there's a Massive Oil Deposit under their hooves, but unlike the United States Government, which has Limitations on Eminent Domain in the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution which states:
the Ministry of Development intends to take Appleloosa Orchard WITHOUT Giving the Apple Family ANY Just Compensation PERIOD.
1783349 GODDAMN HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! man i hate those greedy bastards. if aj loses the farm ill *T.V. smashing out the window in the backround*. shit. i need a new window and tv .
The most concerning development is the hooves off approach Princess Celestia has taken. I'm quite I interested in the founding of the ministry and how it got their authority from the princess
As soon as I saw this in the feature box, the story got on the top of my 'Must Read' list.
Alt. Title: Welcome To The Machine Dash
Technology? industrial espionage? Ponies?
You, sir, get a favorite, a thumbs up, a , and all of my WOW THIS IS AWESOME!
Commence read.
I think we've found the plot.
And so the conflict begins....
Dun DUN DUNNNNNN!
They should really send that second letter with Spike... before things get out of hand!
Saw this updated, haven't even opened it yet and I'm already pumped.
Daaaamn, this is getting intense! I really hope RD and Twi can save the day!
Really amazing how you manage to write such awesome work.
1784878 They won't be able to. Worse, I bet even if the princess got the letter, she wouldn't care. After all, she has take the beautiful land and let the pony destroy it to hell. What is one more piece of land to be killed off for the better of the future?
I was a little worried when the cider came into play with AJ. Dunno why but that seems to be a favorite of people to get Dash drunk and then she does something stupid and then a whole dramatic farce breaks out. Glad to see that didn't happen.
Something I do find interesting that I think some people are skipping over is the Minister himself. You've made him evil, but not he himself being evil. The heavy sigh and fixing himself a drink to convince himself what he is doing is right was so brilliant. I love it. It's showing that despite what they might do these people don't think what they are doing is right along with everyone else. They just keep trying to convince themselves it is in the face of what their job actually is. It awesome point of what is evil and how people who are evil can live with themselves? I love it.
Thanks for the update. Just keeps getting better.
Wow, in equestia the bureaucracy has apparently become sentient and hostile...
1785498 Yeah, you are most likely correct, but I mean in general, not just for the orchard. In fact you are quite correct with everything you said. The rest of Equestria is getting screwed up for its oil and such.
Warning!
th09.deviantart.net/fs71/200H/i/2012/212/2/8/twilight_spankle__i_dunno_xd_by_rainbowtavi-d598or9.png *Plot* complications detected!
Superb work, good fellow!
AJ & RD are remarkably functional when hammered; I was half expecting a drunken romancing. Way to break that cliche!
I have the feeling shit is going to hit the fan soon. Really soon.
1783145 I don't see a single corporation here. Also, This Equestria doesn't seem to support private ownership of land in anyway. This means it is doubtful a corporation can even exist in Equestria. If one forms the ministry has the right to requisition the land and take ownership of it without compensation. ~Take that wealthy ponies!
1783516 well said.
1790752
my bad, evil government then. mind you, the government often acts in favor towards corporations, because they control a major part of the economy.
Wonderful chapter. Can't wait for the next, I'd like to see some good conflict.
1790768 You haven't heard of communism then. Nah, I get what you are saying. The government doesn't actually produce anything but laws, jobs to enforce those laws, and money (er, most of the time). Corporations produce the most of the exports and create jobs, and have more flexibility than a government. They just need to be watched all the time, or else they do some less than noble things.
I don't trust corporations, but anyone can create a corporation given time and constant support of customers. Politicians on the other hand tend to require schooling from exclusive schools before you can get the connections needed to be influential in government. *I continue to babble for 5 more minutes* I'm done.
I'm sure that if Twilight could just get proof of the corporation's behavior, that Celestia might be convinced to look into said corporation just a little closer than they'd like.
Ah. Right, well that certainly explains how Celestia could allow such an abusive power exist within her government. Can't act too effectively in the public interest when the interests of the public are being hidden from you, after all.
...Drat.
The only appropriate thing to say to this chapter.
First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their comments. I always appreciate seeing what my readers have to say. I'd like to apologize that I've been a little slow responding to everyone's comments. I've been exceedingly busy. Please bear with me, I'll do my best to keep up with a regular update schedule.
1687087 I've always felt Applebloom would fit into this role perfectly because of how capable she seems in the show.
1701754 It is my intention to save the farm. Whether or not that happens is up to the characters right?
1783145 In this case, there isn't a direct corporation involved. It's sort of a government entity. Not that I'm suggesting there isn't some financial gain involved somewhere by someone.
1783272 Thank you! I actually had a little bit of Harry Potter in mind when I was going over my outline for this particular chapter.
1783453 Their reasoning is pretty much along those lines. "Improving" Appleloosa is for the good for Appleloosa. Nevermind what the Appleloosians think.
1783486 I figured now that I have developed Twilight and Rainbow's relationship to a reasonable degree it is time to introduce the overarching conflict and plot I had in mind for the first story arc.
1783516 That is essentially their justification. An additional note, the financial gain for Appleloosa is supposed to come from the newer higher-tech jobs the oil extraction and refining would provide. It's for the good of all ponies right?
1783596 I've always felt like the Princesses try a hooves-off approach. Only interceding when absolutely necessary. The ministry acts as a sort of pony government which is supposed to direct Equestria forward for the good of Equestria. Unfortunately, sometimes it's easy to lose track of your idealized goals. Plus, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
1783663>>1784010 Thanks! I always thought this was an interesting concept. I'm glad I'm finally getting the abilities to write something related to it.
1784614 If only Spike weren't so far away! If only there was a fast pony around somewhere who could get a hold of him.
1784878 Thanks! I imagine they should be able to. They're both very determined characters after all. Plus, they have the help of their friends.
1786503 Since many years have passed I figured AJ and RD should be good at holding their liquor. They didn't exactly drink a lot, just enough to get the conversation going.
1786776 Or perhaps a little too bloated for it's own good. It gets tricky when there is so many ponies to handle.
1787915 They're mature ponies! No drunken shenanigans for now.
1788076 This is very possible.
1790874>>1796485 I think the biggest issue here is the fine-line the Ministry is riding between what is an abuse of power and what is good for Equestria. Certainly the gain of resources would have tremendous returns, but the cost of it may not be worth it in this case. I've always felt Celestia was a hooves-off kind of ruler to avoid a personal abuse of power. As a result, I'm hoping the ponies themselves will grow and become better characters.
1797843 You know it's coming.
The plot thickens.
1802215
It MIGHT be "For the Good of all Ponies" but there's also the possibility that Appleloosa Might get as polluted if Not EVEN MORE Polluted than Ponyville, and there's also the Dangers that come with Oil Extraction and Refinement, and Appleloosa Turns into a Ticking Time Bomb, and Eventually a Crater. (See Among the Ruins for a Worst Case Scenario of Unregulated Industrial Growth and almost Non Existent Enviromental Regulations in Canterlot coming back to bite ponies in the Plot, from the POV of Twilight from within the Ruins of Canterlot.)
Finally found time to read through all published chapters. Well done, good sir! Loved relationship buildup (reconstruction?) between Twilight and Rainbow.
The end of chapter 5 raises many questions about how exactly did Equestria turn out like this. Evicting ponies from their privately owned lands for the sake of resource gathering sounds more like China-style economy management than anything we can expect from United Kingdom of Pastel Ponies. What happened to individual rights and how did the country turn out like this? Some kind of external threat?
So far we've seen mostly negative aspects of industrialization and very few benefits for common ponies. Without any positives mentioned, the tone of the story is shifting to [Dark] very quickly. I just hope that overall message of the story won't be 'Technology is the source of all evil.' Because, seriously...
Also, all those hints about what Rainbow truly did when she was away got me intrigued. Was she a spy? An enforcer like those agents in Canterlot?
... Here we go.
Alright, this is definitely going to turn out to be an awesome story. Lovin' the direction you're taking with this. And happy birthday to your editor!
The story is looking fantastic so far. I would say, keep doing what you're doing, because it's turning out great!
The CIA is behind... all of this...
Just casually reading the story believing that I roughly know what's going to happen and then BAM 180 degree turn and shit gets serious
Great story and really am curious how you are going to develop this especially since you created many questions for us to ponder over
"Appleloosa is resisting, send out War Rocket Ajax to retrieve the stragglers"
fenspace.net/images/thumb/b/bb/War-Rocket-Ajax.jpg/285px-War-Rocket-Ajax.jpg
Ooooo! Someone in the ministry is up to something fishy! And Applebloom is a mechanical genius, naturally.
Actually, I half expected it to be Flim and Flam running the ministry, really.
Finally, glad to see I was wrong about the reunion.
~Skeeter The Lurker