S2E19: Putting Your Hoof Down
Season 2 Episode 19 – Putting Your Hoof Down
The Gentlecolt’s Club, Canterlot
The Agenda:
1. Meeting with the Princess. [ ]
2. Win Election! [ ]
3. LONG TERM: Secure political control of the Legislative Council. [ ]
GALLOP POLL: HEARTSTRINGS (EQE) 35%/BUSTER (EQA) 30%/MARE (IND) 2% (±4%)
“Not now, Jeeves,” Dr. Filthy Rich GSS OB HP dismissed with one imperious hoof, while tossing away the useless scrap of paper with his other.
The maître d’ respectfully acceded, deftly slipping yet another bottle of Dom Perigmane onto the side table before his departing bow. The door shut with a delicate clink.
The business magnate chewed pensively on his cigar.
“Continue, you two,” he commanded.
Lyra Heartstrings and Filly Buster quickly obeyed. “Right, Councilor Buster. Sixth Ward. M- “
“Mine,” the silver-maned stallion interrupted, a devious smile on his crooked face.
A harsh glare from the unicorn. “Berry Punch has been campaigning there for weeks now,” Lyra reminded her co-legislator. “My party should own that seat.”
“But that would give you a veto-proof majority in LegCo,” Filly Buster observed.
The mare wasn’t about to back down. “I deserve a supermajority, Councilor. I’ve been the one who’s been hammering at the Mayor all this time. You’ve just- “
“Enough,” the industrial baron ruled from across the smoke-filled room. “It will do my business no good to have either party gain a majority. Sixth Ward to Filly.”
If the lime-green pony was feeling any sort of displeasure at the ruling – and she was hopping mad – she hid it well.
“Anyway. Thank you for the agenda, Lyra,” Filthy tried to assuage the unicorn’s hurt. “Celestia on the agenda today, as expected. Mayor is truly on the ropes. Time to cash in and start changing things.”
“Finally!” Councilor Buster thrust an excited hoof into the air. “We’ll soon be rid of this awful tyrant forever!”
“Indeed.” Lyra nodded, regarding the aged stallion next to her with a suspicious eye. “I’m confident we have her cornered. A few more nudges – few more days – and she'll be gone for good. At the very least, she won’t survive the impeachment charges.”
Another ring of smoke from Filthy’s Coltiba 978 Edicion. “The impeachment is to be a last resort – only to be used should the Mayor resist. We still have Bit’s excellent plan. I trust she has carried it out.”
Lyra nodded. “Yes, Dr. Rich. Ms. Coin has been more than helpful to us. She truly deserves to stay as Finance Secretary for our new administration- “
“Denied, Lyra. Filly gets Finance- “ the unicorn gritted her teeth in barely-concealed outrage – “and you will not tell Bit Coin of that. Understood?”
The mare quickly regained control of her indignation. “Understood, Dr. Rich.”
“Good, good!” Filthy Rich chuckled. “Let’s take a break for our favorite radio show. It is time to reap the fruits of our labor.”
“Oh, marvelous!” Filly Buster gushed like the irredeemable sycophant that he was. “Simply unbelievable, your genius, Mr. Rich- !”
The brown earth pony narrowed his eyes at this perceived insult. “Doctor Rich.”
Almost comically, the silver stallion stalled and shrunk back in groveling fear. “Oh, no- oh, how could I forget!” he howled in unspeakable agony. “Oh, Doctor Rich, please forgive me, please forgive me!”
He was lucky that Filthy was in a happy mood today. “Don’t do it again,” the rich pony warned. “Now sit.”
Lyra went over to a nearby radio, taking some secret pleasure in seeing the arrogant legislator whipped into place. A few clicks on the radio, a few magically changed wires. Mechanical skill was required for this radio station.
A brief crackle over the airwaves. A rather interesting program playing on this station: no music, no news, no ads. Just the sound of some hoofsteps, sound muffled by the carpet the originator was walking on.
The trio in the smoke-filled room leant in closer, fiendishly anticipating every moment.
Three knocks on the door. “Come in!” a schoolteacher’s voice called out. The jangle of fumbling keys. The door unlocking-
*
Room 1023, Mareiot Hotel, Canterlot
- and Cheerilee trotted up to Mayor Mare, hauling her saddlebags over onto the desk. “Well?”
The tan pony gave her answer by flopping unhappily onto the bed. “Nope. Her Highness was ‘busy’.”
“I thought the Princess placed your visits amongst her highest priorities?”
“That’s why I know she’s lying,” the Mayor muttered, curling up into a depressed ball.
The cherry pony could only look on dumbly, not quite sure what to think of this. Mom’s last hope had fallen through; that was for sure. But would that mean…?
The bespectacled mare sighed. “I don’t know, Cheerilee.”
The schoolteacher’s eyes widened: oh by Celestia, it DOES mean-
“All this business… all this trouble… maybe it’s really time to...”
Cheerilee gulped in sync with the Mayor.
“…t-to… quit.”
A blank.
Cheerilee thought she would have swooned, screamed, at least gasped in response to the moment her Mom quit politics. But That Moment was now, and she felt strangely zen about the whole affair.
She gave the most basic comfort possible. “You did your best.”
“Yeah,” Mayor Mare replied emotionlessly.
Perhaps Mom needed a gentle nudge. "Perhaps it is time to retire."
“Perhaps.”
“And-“
Cheerilee stopped herself.
The schoolteacher and her mother didn’t see eye-to-eye on much: that was obvious. But all the same, the latter lived for the rarefied office she had spent so much time and energy gaining. Losing office – forced out by an angry electorate – that was precisely the sort of thing that would break the Mayor’s heart. Cheerilee could just imagine Mayor Mare's retirement: alone in the house, with only sepia memories to while away her idle days...
Maybe… maybe it was like those hoof-painting artworks the fillies made at school. The results were bad, for sure, but you still had to fake a smile and egg them on...
The schoolteacher stumbled towards the window, trying to make sense out of her garbled mind. She had always thought of herself as a civic-minded pony, putting community above all else; but now, perhaps...
Cheerilee looked back. "Mom."
The reply came back, struggling and weak. “What?”
Cheerilee went to the sprawled, dejected figure. "You don't want to retire, do you?"
A sniffle. "It's hopeless.".
The schoolteacher dabbled at the tan pony's face. "Don’t say that."
A few slight hiccups. "I just d-don't think I can win- "
"You can, Mom, you can,” the cherry pony soothed and lied. “This election isn't over yet, not by a long shot."
"But it's just not- "
“Believe in yourself, Mom,” Cheerilee exhorted. "It's all about the confidence. That's what I tell the fillies before they go on stage. You're a brilliant Mayor, Mom; you’re better than Lyra, better than Filly, better than any other pony who would dare think otherwise!"
The gray-maned mare shuddered with unspoken emotion.
"You can do this, Mom," Cheerilee encouraged. "You just need to try."
Mayor Mare looked up at her daughter. "You... you really think so?"
The schoolteacher nodded solemnly. "Just believe in yourself, Mom-“
Something suddenly clicked within her mind.
“Oh, I just remembered!” the cherry pony added. “If you need some help, Bit Coin was telling me about this motivational speaker that came to Ponyville: Iron Will, I think his name was. Says he’s really good."
"Iron Will?" Mayor Mare muttered, the name having a certain resonance. "Oh. The minotaur who made us build that maze within Ponyville Park. That was annoying."
The schoolteacher facehoofed. "Well, apparently he’s also really good at motivating ponies, Mom."
"Right." The tan pony sank back into contemplation as a slow guilt crept back behind Cheerilee. Was she really justified in doing this? The Mayor was going to lose anyway. Why prolong this needless pain-
"Do you really want me to do this, Cheerie?" the tan pony asked tentatively. "I mean, you know, they will try and- "
Cheerilee gently stroked the gray-maned mare’s back. “We’ll be fine.”
Mayor Mare returned with that rarest of compliments - a genuine smile. "Thank you so much, Cheerie."
*
Fight and be right.
Concede and be kneed.
Power, not cower.
Offence, not on-fence (alright, that was a poor one; even the minotaur admitted it himself).
*
The Mayor's Office, Ponyville.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in!" Mayor Mare yelled, trying – a bit too late - to restrain herself. She had learnt a lot from Iron Will - cost a fair bundle too, thank Celestia for government training grants! - but copying his speech was overdoing it. Innovate, don’t imitate!
A squeal from the other side of the door.
"Argh: come on, Fluttershy!" Lyra's annoyed voice accompanied. “Go in!”
The door clicked open and revealed the cyan pony and the quivering yellow pegasus. The bespectacled mare’s body tensed up, keenly anticipating battle. Be scared and be pared!
The tan pony looked squarely at Lyra Heartstrings, trying to smile but ending up as more of a sneer. She would need to work on that.
"Ah, Councilor Heartstrings! What’s the matter?"
"Fluttershy, Mayor," the opposition leader replied-matter of factly as she shunted the timid Ranger into the room. "She's here to resign."
The gray-maned mare raised an eyebrow. "I see. What for, Ranger Fluttershy?"
The timid pony shuddered in terror and blurted out some incomprehensible language. Iron Will’s magic sure wore off on her fast.
"Fluttershy's done a bad thing, Mayor, and she’s here to resign," Lyra translated.
"I didn't ask you, Lyra," Mayor Mare snapped. Put them in their place, or suffer egg on face!
The unicorn scowled. "Fine. So we'll stand here and wait for her to say something. Happy, Mayor?"
The Mayor smiled innocently. “As happy as Celestia at dawn, Councilor Heartstrings. After all, Fluttershy’s the one resigning here.”
Lyra Heartstrings pawed the floor impatiently, both irate and perplexed in equal measures by the Mayor’s volte-face.
Fluttershy eventually regained her composure. "I-it's true, M-mayor… I-I... I did something... bad."
"What thing, Ranger Fluttershy?"
The pegasus stared firmly at the ground. "I... I- "
"Battery, Mayor," Lyra informed her as she slid the resignation letter over the desk. "Intentional harm done to the bodies of other ponies, as you well know- "
"Yes, I know that." Mayor Mare glared at her political opponent. “Evidence?”
The lime-green mare smirked. "The police have all the evidence they need to prove Fluttershy's guilt. So we can quietly hush-hush this thing up, or we can drag this out into the open… another of your employees getting into trouble… "
The tan pony ignored the implicit threat as she read the letter. I, Fluttershy, hereby tender my resignation from the post of Chief Ranger of the Everfree Forest-
Wait. Why was she even reading this?
Think and you blink.
Lyra was now privy to another government scandal. Another hostage she could use to threaten the Mayor with. Could the Mayor trust Lyra – Lyra Heartstrings, so patently salivating at the seat so close to her – to keep her word?
"No."
The bespectacled mare looked up, renewed determination written all over her face.
Lyra took a second to recover, her furrows deepening. "N-no what?"
The tan pony rapped on her desk. "No means no, Lyra!"
Fluttershy's ears twitched.
"What do you mean, NO?!" Lyra suddenly yelled. "She’s resigning! You don't have any power over that!"
"Yes, I do!" Mayor Mare rebuked her, scrunching up the letter and throwing it out of the window. "Ranger Fluttershy, I refuse to accept your resignation: you will stay on your post until this election is over!"
"Ahh!" The pegasus shrank back in dread terror. "O-ok, Mayor! I'll do whatever you- "
"NO!" Lyra quickly stuffed her hoof into the timid Ranger’s mouth. "Mayor, you are going to accept this resignation!" She thumped her other hoof on the desk to emphasize her point. "You can’t refuse!"
"I've already said it once, Lyra!" The gray-maned mare pointed an accusatory hoof at her tormentor. "No means NO!"
A momentary denouement as both sides reorganized themselves.
Lyra glowered at her opponent and tried again. "You don't have a choice, Mayor," she explained slowly. "I've generously held off on your impeachment in the hope that you'd see reason. My patience is fast wearing thin, Mayor."
Mayor Mare snorted derisively and made no response.
"The dossier I have on you is huge, Mayor. Stuff both on you and on Cheerilee. Your family will be disgraced, Mayor; you'll be driven out of this town. Is that what you want, Mayor? Is that what you want?"
"You can try," the tan pony snarled in a way that only cornered beings can. "But as long as I'm in this room, I am Mayor of Ponyville and I will not allow you to fire my employees!"
The unicorn rolled her eyes. "Right. You sure know how to pick your battles. You are sacrificing everything for this- " she gestured to Fluttershy, " -this pony who has done everything wrong, no questions needed. You really think it's worth it?"
"It's worth it to spite you and your ambitions," Mayor Mare deadpanned.
A deadly gleam in the lime-green pony's eye. "Oh, but it's not just me, Mayor." The unicorn leant closer. "It's Filthy Rich too. He won't be happy you’re being so uncooperative. He's been looking to buy up the Everfree Forest- "
"W-WHAT?!" Fluttershy abruptly whimpered, only realizing what she had gotten into now.
Lyra shrugged. "Might as well tell you now," she said coolly. "He’s going to get it in any case. Your choice, Mayor. Sacrificing so much... for nothing. Nothing at all."
In a panic, the pegasus threw herself at the Mayor. "Oh, Mayor, please... you can't- you can't- oh!" Desperate tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
The Mayor ignored her pleas. "No means no, Lyra."
The unicorn snarled and stomped her hoof. "Fine," she menaced as she swept out into the room.
But just before she disappeared from view- "Oh, I should tell you, Mayor Mare: the Justice Department is going to charge Iron Will with incitement of hatred. How dare he mess with poor Fluttershy's mind!"
The bespectacled mare cursed under her breath. Darn it to Tartaros!
Lyra Heartstrings smiled in victory. "I sure hope he hasn't been spreading his nefarious ideas to anypony else, Mayor Mare."
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The more I read, the more I want to see Lyra under the management of the Diamond Dogs.
3460582 Well Mayor Mare isn't much better. It's kind of like the situation here in the U.S., you can vote but both parties are bought tooth and nail by extremists.
Go Go Cheerilee. Stand by your Mum, you might not see eye to eye but she's still your mother and needs your support,
Go Go Mayor, you can do it!
Yay, finally something somewhat positive happening.
I think Fluttershy might have words to say about Filthy's scheme.
Fuck you, Lyra! I don't always support the Mayor, but I'll support her here just to spite Filthy Rich.
Lyra was at that seminar too, I'm 90% certain.
3461005 Hmm... well I just checked Mayor Mare's image gallery in the wiki, the "Putting Your Hooves Down" image wiki, and the episode itself, and I can't find her. Do you remember where she was?
I'd probably just have to ignore it or something if it's not easily explainable
3462218 Hmm. Could'a sworn the bouncy green wench was there.
Oh well, even if she wasn't, Bonnie 100% was. Front and center.