With the knowledge I gained from the schoolteacher, there had to be other sentiments that ponies were either too afraid or too foolish to express openly. So the very next day, I decided to raise the stakes. Or hay. Whichever sounded cooler. In any case, since I had gotten the opinion of one of the school teachers, my next logical leap would be to pay a visit to the head of the school board herself: Spoiled Rich.
I approached the mansion in the middle of the town. Large hedges on all sides were guarding it with the most pristine front gate made of gold I ever witnessed. They sure weren’t shy about flaunting their wealth were they? But wealth alone didn’t define one’s character. I got closer to the gate, and it seemed to open on its own. Was I being expected?
“Hello?” I called out? No response. I figured I should at least head up to the front door to see if I was being welcomed. Huge risk, I know. But the pursuit of knowledge knew no bounds with me. “Guess they know I’m here,” I shrugged and started to walk up the path. It wasn’t too long, and the yard was well-kept. A fountain, several hedges within that were cut into the shapes of ponies, a massive bed of flowers over to my right. It was as if those living here did this to give something for the visitors to be impressed by on their way to the door.
Well they certainly got me.
By now, the front gate had closed behind me, and I was standing in front of the massive double doors of the estate. “Hmm…” I raised my hoof to knock ever so slightly before the door was promptly answered--much to my eyebrow-raised shock.
“A visitor? During the day from a common pony? This better be worth my time,” the surly mare with an up-turned nose ‘greeted’ me. Well, it was more like a mere acknowledgement than a greeting. “Are you attempting to sell me something?”
The slight wrinkles below her eyes indicated she was either overworked or constantly annoyed. No prizes for guessing which. Even so, I would attempt to be polite with a tip of my hat. “Hello, Madam. My name is Pale Vestige. I’m actually here to ask you a few questions regarding--”
“If it’s insurance, ask my fool of a husband. He’s the one who handles that nonsense.” She couldn’t look more uninterested if she tried, preferring to check the state of her mane. Did she really think I was a debt collector?
“No no, Madam. I’m here about questions regarding the state of affairs in Equestria. As a high profile official of Ponyville, I decided you would be the best choice to speak with next.”
She stared at me for a moment. First with a look of confusion, then a half-lidded gaze of intrigue. “Oh, so that’s what you’re here for, dear boy? Luckily for you, my husband isn’t home and my daughter is at school all day. I have the house to myself. Come with me.” She beckoned me inside with her hoof like a stray cat. I would’ve felt insulted but there was no time for that. I was in, and that’s what mattered. The massive foyer was certainly a sight to behold. “Please be careful and don’t touch anything. Each item in his home costs more than your house.”
As much as I hated to admit it, she looked to be correct. All around me I notice valuable items such as vases, antique teapots, paintings along the walls. Each one alone looked like it would be worth a fortune. Even the velvet carpet beneath our hooves was rather lavish.
“This way, boy,” she led me up a wide flight of stairs that took us out of the foyer and up to the next floor. While I did feel disdain towards the term ‘boy,’ I accepted it, given how old she probably was.
“Yes, Madam,” I answered swiftly as I continued to follow her up. Now the flooring would switch from warm carpeting to prestigious black tile flooring that had bits of infused pearls. I was impressed by the artistry on display. The contractors certainly had their hooves full.
At last, we arrived at a room with doors nearly as massive as the one’s for the front entrance. She pushed it open, and led me to yet another luxurious room. There were two comfortable looking white sofas, more art lining the walls, and a massive coffee table with placemats for an assortment of snacks. This had to be the room where she had private discussions with guests. Made sense. My office was essentially the same.
“Sit,” she commanded me while she took a seat opposite of me. “So you want to discuss important things about society with me?”
“Correct. And to get your opinion on a few things. Is that alright with you?”
The older mare had the smallest of grins. I could tell that, deep down, she really wanted to brandish her knowledge of the upper echelon to a ‘commoner’ such as myself. Her eyes displayed a sense of excitement that only the keenest of eyes could suss out. Yep. I knew it.
“Oh it’s no problem at all, my boy. Please, ask away. Would you like some cider? Oh don’t worry, the regular kind.”
I suppose it couldn’t hurt, “Sure. If it’s not too much trouble.”
To my surprise, she rose from her seat. She then proceeded to enter a nearby mini-fridge and grab the cider as well as a pair of mugs. Quite unexpected. I thought she would’ve had servants to do things like that for her. But I wouldn’t comment on it. At least, not yet. Now wasn’t the time.
“Here you are,” she nudged a fizzy mug towards me, and I would take it with a grateful smile.
“Thank you. Now first, I would like to ask your stance on the way the Princesses rule the land.”
She looked up from her glass and raised an eyebrow. Such a question was lost on her. “My stance? On how they rule? Heh, boy when you’re as busy as me, things like that aren’t on your mind.”
“How so?”
“I’m far too busy handling the funding of the school district to worry about what the eternal alicorns do in their spare time. There’s bills to run, files to manage, and that damn water boy still hasn’t arrived with the cases yet.”
So she truly did have a lot on her plate. I initially pegged her for the type to sit at home all day or go out spending her husband’s money, given that she married into the Rich family. Was I wrong already? Time to change my approach. “Okay that’s fair. However, let me ask you something else. If you could improve the way society is in some manner, what would it be?”
“Hmm…” she looked up for a moment, her hoof tapped the bottom of her chin before it came to her. “That’s quite easy. If it were up to me, I’d fund a special school for Earth Ponies.”
Hang on, Earth Ponies? Given that I was one myself, I was most definitely interested. My eyes beamed with interest, growing wider by the second. “Would you--ahem. Could you elaborate, Madam?”
She took another sip from her mug and began explaining. “Well there’s the School for Gifted Unicorns. You know of it, yes?”
“That I do. It’s the location that Twilight once attended.”
“And you know of the Wonderbolt Academy, yes?”
“Correct. That’s where Rainbow Dash went.”
“And yet nothing like that at all for the Earth Ponies. You catch my drift, boy?”
I blinked once, twice. Then it dawned on me. Yet again the prestigious mare was correct. While there were institutions dedicated to Unicorns and Pegasi, there was no such thing for Earth Ponies in particular. “...Huh. You do make a point. Earth Ponies don’t have any special location to hone their race-specific abilities.”
This was something that clearly annoyed the head of the board. With a roll of her eyes, she lied down on the small couch, resting on her side. “I am no expert on magic or the finer details, but if there were something like that for Earth Ponies, we’d be way more efficient.”
“I see,” my notes were out, that pencil scribbling away with the eraser clenched between my teeth. Then another thought came to me. “Wait a second, just why does this matter to you? I-I mean, from an outsider’s perspective, would this really help things.”
She started to stretch with her back against the cushion. “I quite frankly don’t see why not. Listen, boy. Between you and me, I think that the Earth Ponies and their talents are being wasted.”
“Wasted?”
“Absolutely. Think about all those Unicorns at the school of magic learning to further their variety of spellcasting. And imagine all of those Pegasi flying around and honing their skills to be the best fliers. What do Earth Ponies get? Nothing special. And just so we’re clear, I hold no animosity towards the other races. It’s not their fault that they were given extra special treatment. I just want things to be even, you know?”
I had to think about it for a moment. But the idea of a special Earth Pony institution didn’t sound like a bad idea. However, the main problem arose when I thought about it even more. Just what special abilities did Earth Ponies have compared to the other races? “I wonder...if that’s possible. I have heard that EPs such as ourselves have a closer connection to the earth and are able to grow food more efficiently. Which is exactly how Ponyville was founded.”
“How clever of you. Read up on your history, hm? But there’s more to it than that. My husband’s father started a business selling Zap Apple Jam provided by Granny Smith and her family. That’s pretty much what drew everyone in. And here we are.”
“I see...so is it possible that we have deeper ties to the earth that could allow use to control it?”
That’s where the mare’s knowledge ran thin, “Pegasus control the skies, and Unicorns control the arcane. So it’d stand to reason that we could control the earth. But beyond that, I’m afraid I’ve got nothing else, boy.”
I gave a nod. “Makes sense to me. I’ll pass this onto my fellow crew members.”
Unfortunately, she wasn’t done. She got up again, and went to a nearby bookshelf. “Now where is it...aha!” An old leather book was held in her teeth. Now she sat next to me, showing off the photos inside. The first one was a photo of the Zap Apple stand and its long line of customers on its grand opening. “Here, see? This was the first time it opened. And what led to the founding of this town. It’s annoying at times, but I come across rather entertaining individuals every now and again. Nowadays, I’m mostly making sure my daughter follows what she wants in life.”
“How...inspiring. There’s probably lots of hidden potential in our species that hasn’t yet been discovered. Whether small or large scale.”
“Tch, I can guaran-damn-tee that if the Empire Princess’ baby--what was her name again?”
“Flurry Heart.”
“Her, yeah. If she was an Earth Pony at birth, how much fanfare do you think there would’ve been, boy? Just as much? Little? None at all?.”
I was stumped. That question was literally impossible to answer. No one could know for sure if there was that much of a divide among the races that something like that could occur? “I...can’t answer that--”
Before I could finish my sentence, I felt her hoof around my neck. “Ah, I’m just messing with you, boy. Expecting you to answer something like that would be unrealistic.”
It was awkward, being so close to the mare who was old enough to easily be my own mother. She must’ve got the hint because she let go in a matter of seconds. “Ahem--I see now, heh…”
“So, is there anything else I can answer for you, boy?”
“Yes, one last question: What is your opinion on the imprisonment of one named Cozy Glow?”
A pause, and the mother pony would take a moment to recall the events of how the world was saved not long ago. “Oh her. To be honest when I think of her, I thought of my daughter. Not long ago, the little scamp called me out for being overbearing. She was right. I was getting way too involved in her personal life and taught her how to be nasty. Once I realized that she wasn’t having it anymore, I figured why bother? Maybe that’s what that child dealt with also.”
“You think overbearing parents is what may have caused her to become evil?”
The mare sighed in defeat. “If it made my daughter act that way, who’s to say it wouldn’t make that filly go even further? Now I’m glad I stopped bothering Diamond Tiara. I couldn’t bear it if she ended up like Cozy. And I mean that. I love her. But my teachings were only what my mother taught me, so it was the way I raised my child.”
I was no expert on her side of the family, so I couldn’t very well comment on that. “Well, as long as you learn from your mistakes, then you’ve improved as a pony, Madam.”
She laughed with a bit of a snort. “Ha! A compliment coming from a common boy that isn’t about my appearance? What is the world coming to?”
“Back on the main subject at hoof. So you disagree with the imprisonment of the filly?”
Another laugh. If this was a comedy routine, I’d be making millions right about now. “Haha! Boy, there’s dozens of things in this world that I disagree with. Maybe they should’ve tried to find her parents, if you ask me. They deserve the punishment since they didn’t take care of their child right. I would know. I’ve been there,” her daze turned somber, with feelings of regret brewing in her eyes.
I chose to end the discussion there. The last thing I wanted was a sad mare in my sight. So I gave her a hug, “As I said. As long as you’re improving yourself, there’s no need to fret, Madam.”
I couldn’t see her face, but her expression softened. Her muscles relaxed, and she started to feel comforted by it. The strangest part is that she didn’t really return it until after a few seconds. Almost as if she hadn’t experienced a genuine hug in a while. “...Thank you. Is there anything else you wish to ask?”
“No no, that’s all. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, Madam Rich,” I responded before letting go. I didn’t want to make her anymore uncomfortable than I already did.
She got up and put the book away. I could tell from her dropping eyes that she wished for me to stay longer. But alas, I didn’t want my visit to turn into something suspicious.
We went back downstairs and she led me to the door. Before I headed out, she stopped me. “Listen, boy. If you ever need to speak about anything again, don’t be afraid to come back. Like I said earlier, my husband is usually out all day and doesn’t come home until the late evening. And my daughter prefers to spend more time with her friends. It gets boring around here, so if you’re ever free again, don’t be afraid. If you need anything, and I do mean anything, be sure to return,” she said with a wink.
“Yeah, right.” That wasn’t going to happen. Given just how much power she held, the last thing I wanted was to be roped into something I wasn’t prepared for. Despite this, I responded amicably, “Oh. If it’s no trouble, then I suppose I wouldn’t mind.”
“And take this.”
A bag of bits was shoved in my face. She did it so quickly that you’d swear it was second nature. “Um...excuse me?”
“Take it. I’m buying your silence. Opinions such as the ones I shared could prove controversial.”
“Oh no. My reports are always anonymous,” and yet, regardless of my words, she insisted. Yet again, my weakness of guilt was exploited. “...but for you, I’ll accept.” I took the bits. There had to be at least 200 in there. On the bright side, this could allow me to purchase real food for a while instead of pigging out on junk.
I trotted down the steps of the estate, and the mare would snidely comment behind my back. “Good. Now begone, common boy,” and the door was promptly slammed shut. Was that a genuine distaste for who I was? Or was it a show to ensure her status as a snobby older mare was intact? Doesn’t matter. I got free money.
Or was it? Was I just bought? Would this come back to bite me in my flank and my puzzle-piece cutie mark?
“It’s times like this where I wonder just how the world would be different if everyone could be honest,” I mumbled to myself yet again. With the bits and notes all tucked away in my coat, I set off down the road yet again, planning my next course of action.
I need to buy some real food.