It was a predictably perfect day in Ponyville. There was no rain scheduled for the rest of the week, so the skies were clear and the sun was shining bright. Rays of golden sunlight glinted majestically off of the buildings, giving the town square a warm, welcoming glow. The weather was warm but not hot, as it was still late spring. The days of scorching heat were not to come for at least a month.
If one were to walk down the main road of Ponyville at that time, one would have seen a purple unicorn and a baby dragon quickly making their way through the marketplace.
It was a Saturday, which for most ponies meant grocery day, and as a result the marketplace was packed. For Twilight Sparkle, though, it meant it was time for her weekly get-together with her friends. Pushing and shoving her way through the crowd, she hurried in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. It was in sight now, and even in the throng of the crowd Twilight could still see her friends sitting in the window table there, the one Pinkie always reserved just for them.
"C'mon Spike!"Twilight said, when she noticed that Spike had stopped at a stall. He was eying a very large sapphire hungrily. "We're late as it is already!"
"But Twilight! Can't I just look around for a little bit?" the baby dragon whined.
"No. You're coming with me and that is that." Twilight said firmly.
"I don't wanna go! You know that I don't like any of the food at Sugarcube Corner!" Spike said , a little more loudly than necessary.
Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "Why don't you like Pinkie's cooking? Pinkie Pie is one of the best pastry chiefs I know."
"Because there are no gemstones in the cupcakes she makes." Spike said, as if that explained everything.
"Ugh. Spike, you know I don't have the bits right now. I used them all getting groceries yesterday. My stipend from the Princess doesn't come until tomorrow. Until then, you will just have to make do." Twilight said, rather decisively. "Besides, we are still running late!" She turned around and started trotting off.
"Can I just stay here and look around?" Spike called after her. "There are so many cool things in the marketplace!" Twilight turned around to see that he wasn't following her.
'How can I convince him to come... Spike usually doesn't complain this much. He must be taking whining classes from Rarity. Wait a second...' "Rarity is going to be there!"
--- Spike charged into Sugarcube corner fast enough to make Rainbow Dash jealous. Twilight soon followed, making 5 mares in the room. Applejack couldn't come usually, her apples sold like hotcakes on Saturdays, and she was needed at the stand. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were already there, and Pinkie was leaving the table, probably going to the back to get some food for everypony.
Twilight took her seat. "Hello, girls! Sorry I'm a little late." She smiled sheepishly.
"Think nothing of it, Twilight. I just got here myself." Rarity returned the smile, though hers was more sincere.
"I was late too. I, umm, needed to make something special for Angel before I left." Fluttershy's soft voice could barely be heard across the table. Her head was down, and her mane covered one of her eyes.
"I was here on time! I guess all of you just aren't fast enough!" Rainbow Dash's voice was scratchy and brash, a direct contrast to the timid and light voice her fellow Pegasus had.
"Didn't you help Pinkie make the cupcakes for today's meeting?" Twilight said, in mock sarcasm mode.
Rainbow waved her hoof. "Not really. She only needed my help getting the ingredients. She did most of the actual work." Rainbow laughed. "Still, I don't know how she makes that Spectra taste good in her cupcakes. It's normally so spicy!"
All of the mares in the room shared a hearty laugh. Twilight was the first to speak after that. "The election is in two days. I'm so excited! My first democratic election ever!"
"It is truly marvelous." Rarity smiled. "I usually don't get involved with politics, but this year Mayor Mare has my vote. She has been doing a great job in office and I simply cannot think of anypony competent to replace her.
"Mayor mare is the one who made aerial tricks over Ponyville illegal! So not-cool!" Rainbow Dash protested.
Fluttershy spoke up. "I think it's a nice law. If one of your tricks went wrong, you could seriously hurt somepony. Or some animal.."
"Yeah, but my tricks don't go wrong. EVER." RD would not let the subject go. "And besides, even if one did I would make sure not to hurt anypony. I could totally swerve out of the way or aim for a hay bale or if I was doing a loop I could do a barrel roll and re-direct my momentum..."
Rainbow Dash continued on and on about different ways she could avoid disaster, but nopony was really listening. Everypony's mind wandered to the coming election. Mayor mare and the Sun party had just been elected 4 years ago, replacing the Moon party administration that that lasted 12 years. Certainly a lot had changed since then, but something still bothered Twilight..
"Ohmygosh that would be so cool, if I did a reverse back-flip over a alligator pond and didn't flare my wings until the last second..."
It appeared to Twilight that Mayor Mare was running on an... unstable platform. She was pandering to the majority (which was, statistically young mares) with more maternity leave, better insurance for ponies, and more restrictions on sports. however, that left many minorities dissatisfied. One minority angry was one thing, but 7 minorities can quickly become a majority. The moon party hasn't announced their candidate yet, but she would certainly have to be very savvy and able to pull all of the minorities in Ponyville together.
"And me and Soarin would get married and we would live happily ever after!" Rainbow beamed, completely unaware that nopony had been listening. "What do you think?"
"I think that it's time to change the subject." Twilight said, after a brief pause. "About the coming election..."
Rarity interrupted her. "If I was a betting mare, I would already have my money on Mare to win it all. It doesn't matter who the Moon party brings to the plate, Mayor Mare already has the vote of the younger mares in Ponyville.
"The problem is, even though the largest demographic is young females in Ponyville, if you add up all the stallions, extra-pony species, and independent voters, you get a majority."
Everypony stared at her blankly. Was it something I said?
"What's the problem? Is there something I'm missing? Some custom I don't know?" Twilight was confused. What did her friends know that she didn't.
"Are you telling me you never explained to her?" Rainbow Dash said accusingly to Rarity.
"It just never came up in conversation. I figured with all her studies, she would have known..." Rarity defended.
"Umm... I don't like talking about politics... it makes everypony mad..." Fluttershy added.
"What in Celestia's mane is going on? Can someone please tell me?" Twilight was tired of guessing games. The answer needed to come out. Apparently, she had missed something important about Ponyville.
Rarity decided to speak up. "Well, Twilight... The truth is... We just meant..."
Suddenly she was interrupted by a stallion's voice. It was loud and obtrusive, and sounded like it was coming from outside. Over a megaphone, if Twilight wasn't mistaken.
"Fillies and Gentlecolts! The time has come!"
Rarity and Rainbow Dash groaned. "Not this again!"
"Won't he give it a rest already?'
"EVERY. FOUR. YEARS. THE. SAME. THING!" Rarity said in her 'the worst possible thing' voice.
"Who? Does what?" Twilight was confused. Who were her friends talking about? Was this some kind of event that happened every election? Her train of thought was cut off by the voice again.
"We are equal citizens in Ponyville! We pay taxes, do our jobs and even go to fight when Equestria needs it. And what is our thanks? Nothing. Our rights are being infringed on every day when we are ruled by a party we had no hand in selecting! By an administration we have no power to ask for anything! And no political leeway to say anything! I say it's time somepony changed this tradition! Somepony fought for all citizen's rights! It's time that somepony cared about us!"
Twilight made up her mind. She was going outside to see who this mystery speaker was. He seemed angry, and judging by his speech, he had good reason. "If you won't tell me, I'll go find out myself." and she stood up, leaving the table.
"But Twilight!" Rarity yelled after her.
"Don't go out there!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"Umm... If that's okay with you..." Fluttershy added. But it was too late. Twilight was out the door and looking at the square.
The marketplace was still crowded, but a large group had gathered around a stallion standing on an apple crate. The stallion looked familiar, Twilight knew she had seen him before. Carmel, his name was. He was speaking into a megaphone to the crowd. Never before had Twilight seen so many stallions in one place since coming to Ponyville. She didn't even know there were this many. Oddly, there were almost no mares there, though.
Twilight studied the speaker. The megaphone was on a stand, and the apple crate was pretty small, so Carmel was standing on the back edge, with his hind hooves on the ground. It was hard to see his face as a result, but the mane she could see was messy and crazy. Rarity would have a field day with this one.
He lifted his head up to speak, and Twilight caught a glimpse of his eyes. He had this intensity, not an angry intensity, but the kind that stems from somepony who is determined to reach his goal. Twilight could tell by his face that he meant business, whatever it was he wanted.
"All of us are fed up with the current way things are run! It is time, Ponyville."
Time for what? Twilight was confused.
"It's time to give stallions the right to vote!" The crowd erupted into cheers.
Twilight was at a loss for words.
(A/N Below, please read!)