//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Recall Scandal of 1002 // by Blue Hour Pony //------------------------------// The Recall Scandal of 1002 Chapter 3 By: Blue Hour Pony The harsh flutter of posters and pamphlets blowing in the wind attacked Applejack from all sides. It was a dry, blustery day, and it seemed that even the weather was conspiring to let Ponyville know that Rainbow Dash was on the warpath. Her face, beaming triumphantly from posters plastered on walls, lampposts, and newsstands all over town, lent one the impression that she was ever present and always watching. Her brilliant eyes shone forth from every corner, deep and lucid.         Applejack clutched her bag of groceries tightly as she stopped and cast her eyes down Stirrup Street, the winding cutting into her mane and sending strands into her face. It had been a few days since Rainbow Dash had begun her campaign in earnest, and Applejack had only really started to notice that the atmosphere of the town had changed. Perhaps it was her imagination conjuring up ominous symbolism where there was none, but as she looked down the street she noticed that everypony’s gait seemed different. There was an air of purpose in their step, as though they were all on their way to business meetings. This wasn’t the Ponyville she knew. Something about their demeanor called to mind the way she saw ponies walk when she had run off to Manehattan as a filly. Cold, seemingly self-contained, and harboring thoughts she could scarcely discern. At this hour, ponies were supposed to be relaxed and leisurely. For most ponies working hours were over, and this was a time for rendezvous with friends, parents settling in, and general lighthearted chatter. Instead, carried on the wind, Applejack could hear the sound of a rally reverberating from a few blocks away. Drums were beating as though a carnival was going on. Somepony was giving a speech. She could not hear what was being said, but every so often it would be punctuated by an eruption of applause and cheering from the crowd that had gathered. She could not quite put her hoof on it, but something about this just seemed all wrong. She was all for events that helped build a sense of community, such as country fairs and picnics, but there was something too antagonistic in the way Rainbow Dash was doing it. A gust of wind blew across the street sending dust, leaves, and paper into the air. The speech reached a high note, and an especially loud burst of cheering, applause, and drum beating began. Applejack squinted as she turned her face away from the wind and noise and pressed on home. *** “Big Sis! What’s a ‘reactionary element’?” Apple Bloom cried with frustration. Applejack had just barely walked through the door when she was met with the anguished countenance of her little sister. Applejack was an attentive sibling, and she could tell from the pained look on the little filly’s face that something was really bothering her.         However, it was a most unexpected question, and before answering Applejack tried to wrap her mind around why Apple Bloom would even ask such a thing in the first place.         “Uhh… well. A reactionary… that’s someone who doesn’t really like things to change.” Applejack spoke slowly and quietly, unsure of where the conversation was going and somewhat afraid to find out. “Why do ya wanna know? Where did ya hear it?” she added quickly.         Apple Bloom's words poured forth like water from a faucet, her eyes large and earnest as she looked desperately at her sister. “Well I was at school and everypony was talking about the mayor and whether or not she was going to be replaced and almost everypony in my class wants Rainbow Dash to win and I asked whether Rainbow Dash really knew what she was doing and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon called me a reactionary element and Scootaloo was acting all weird and everypony was picking on me and Sweetie Belle and trying to get us to vote in this election thing and…”         Applejack interrupted the little filly with a chuckle as she set her grocery bag down on a table. “Heh heh heh. Those two were calling you reactionary. That’s kinda funny. I’ll reckon they only learned that term yesterday. But slow down there. What’s goin’ on? Everypony was picking on you, ya say? And Scootaloo was acting weird?”         Apple Bloom took a deep breath of air and started to pace nervously around the room. “Scootaloo wouldn’t stick up for us when they started hounding me and Sweetie Belle. And everypony in school is really getting into this election business when, really, I just wanted to be a journalist. And me and Sweetie Belle are feelin’ really guilty about the whole thing, ‘cause we were the ones who wrote that article about the mayor in the first place, but Scootaloo doesn’t seem to mind at all. I mean, she was worried at first when she saw that everypony in town was gettin’ all upset, but now she’s a part of it. And I was thinking that maybe if I just told everypony that I supported Rainbow Dash, maybe they’d leave me alone, but I don’t know about that. You always told me stand up for what I believe in and stuff, but now I ain’t so sure…”         Her voice trailed off and she looked at the floor sadly, the weariness of the day palpable in her downcast head and slumped shoulders.         Seeing how the campaign was affecting her sister, Applejack felt a fire begin burn in her heart. It was one thing if recent events made a grown mare feel a little uncomfortable. However, she drew the line when the matter percolated into school and started to make her own sister feel worn out and confused by the end of the day. She was not going to stand for this. Not one bit.         Applejack patted her sister affectionately as she tried to lift her spirits. “Apple Bloom. Don’t you feel intimidated by those ponies at school, ya here! If you don’t support Rainbow Dash, then you don’t need to do anything you don’t want to do. You don’t need to change yourself in order to make other ponies feel better. I told you the other day that I was running in this election too, didn’t I? Now I’m not saying you should support me just ‘cause I’m your sister, but I am saying that you should be allowed to have a choice. And making that choice means that your friends and your family should respect you no matter what that decision is.”         Applejack was pleased to see the smile that had spread across Apple Bloom’s face as she spoke. The little filly raised her head and hugged her big sister, her eyes bright with incipient tears as she felt, for once that day, that someone was on her side.         “All right, Apple Bloom. Go get Big McIntosh and Granny Smith. We need to have a family meeting. Then, I’m gonna go have myself a talk with Rainbow Dash.” *** Above Ponyville on this windy, blustery day there sat a solitary cloud. It hung in place, its silhouette made silver by the late afternoon sun. Most ponies paid it little mind, but close friends and confidants knew that this was where one could find Rainbow Dash. Even after all the political activity and campaign chaos she had helped unleash, she still found time to take lazy afternoon naps.         She snored loudly, and if one paid careful attention they were sure to hear it. However, for the most part, her snorts and exhales were carried away on the steady wind, off with the leaves and papers and rallying cries and speechifying that blew around at ground level that day. The energy in town vibrated into the dreams of the blue pegasus, and through her head danced visions of crowds cheering for her, of high honors, executive authority, and exalted praise. She dreamed of her first executive order: the building of a massive sports arena the likes of which would attract the Wonderbolts. Then she would be able to see them race every single day! And she would be able to do political favors for them every time they were in town, and they would reciprocate her skill and kindness by granting her full membership in their group.         She could see it and feel it as though it were happening to her already. She could feel the power and the emotion and the sense of fulfillment. She would be able to bring into being everything she had ever wanted.         “Rainbow Dash! Hey, Rainbow Dash!”         A voice called out as if from far away. Another admirer? She had plenty. Rainbow Dash waved triumphantly in the direction of the voice.         “Rainbow! I know you hear me! Wake up!”         Something hit Rainbow Dash on the head and her eyes flew open. Above her was an endless, clear blue sky toward which she was waving. She sniffled and shook her head, trying to break herself from her sleepy reverie. She stretched her legs before rolling over onto her stomach and peered over the edge of her cloud toward the ground. In a meadow below she saw Applejack with her hoof arched behind her head as though she were getting ready to pitch something.         “Huh?” Rainbow Dash blinked rapidly. Speech was lost to her, and the world was still covered in the haze of her sleepy eyes. A bright red apple sent sailing through her cloud and dangerously close to her body finally brought Rainbow Dash around to her senses. She leapt as vapor from part of the cloud kicked up beside her and a hole appeared where the crimson projectile had punched through. “Okay! Okay, I’m awake! Hold your horses, Applejack! Yeesh!” Rainbow Dash grabbed her cloud and squeezed it back together before taking it lower. The grimace on Applejack’s face alarmed the pegasus, and she approached her friend cautiously, unsure of what she wanted or what she was going to say.         “Rainbow! We need to talk! You’re taking this election campaign business too far!” Applejack pointed menacingly at Rainbow Dash.         “Huh? Too far? What did I do?” The pegasus winced as though she hadn’t the foggiest idea what Applejack was talking about.         “Don’t you play innocent with me!” Applejack angrily stomped a hoof on the ground and her hat tilted on her head as she shook. “You’ve got the young’uns all riled up, and now they’re goin’ all over town making speeches and causing trouble.”         Rainbow Dash smiled pertly, her head cocked upward with a haughty and amused air as she began to understand why her friend had interrupted her nap. “Oh come on. They’re just practicing their freedom of speech. They heard some good ideas – from me, of course – and now they’re just spreading them of their own free will.”         “Free will? Sounds to me like some of your supporters are bullies.”         “Bullies?” Rainbow Dash leaned forward. “Hey, I didn’t tell anypony to bully anyone. All I wanted was for there to be a lively debate on the issues, and that’s what’s happening.”         Applejack growled with frustration. “Have you even seen what’s goin’ on out there? There is no ‘lively debate.’ It’s just a bunch of ponies givin’ loud speeches or yellin’ over each other. And when anypony disagrees with the mob, they get shouted down. That’s not freedom of speech, sugarcube. And to top it all off, you’re askin’ them to lie!”         Rainbow Dash jumped off of her cloud and landed hard on the ground in front of Applejack. “Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on a minute. You’re calling me a liar now? Since when?”         Applejack pulled a copy of the Foal Free Press out of her saddlebag and held it in front of Rainbow Dash’s face. “Since you told yer supporters to write this. It’s all outta context. You’re tryin’ to make me look like a dodgy, foal hating liar who has something to hide.”         “Hey, the students write that. They just write what they see. If you look like a lying, dodgy, whatever, then that’s ‘cause you came off as one.” Rainbow Dash shrugged innocently.         Rainbow Dash turned away from Applejack as though the matter were settled, but the earth pony jumped in her path.         “Now hold on, sugarcube! You’re not gonna take any sort of responsibility whatsoever? All you’ve done all day is sleep here on your cloud, and you’ve had all these fillies and colts run around in your name.”         Rainbow Dash sighed loudly and flicked her tailed in annoyance. “And… what is wrong with that?”         “I’m saying that you’re the one who’s bein’ dodgy, sugarcube,” Applejack said calmly. “You want everypony to see how awesome you are, then how about you prove it?”         The pegasus raised her brow and her eyes lit up with a perceptible glow of interest. “Oh, really? What did you have in mind?”         “How about you stop hidin’ behind your foals and you debate me out in the open. Mare to mare. You get time to talk and I get time to talk. And we’ll see which one of us the ponies like.”         Rainbow Dash laughed. “You sure you want to do that? Everypony might see that you have no ideas.”         “And I reckon everypony will see that you don’t know what you’re doin’!” Applejack shot back.         Rainbow Dash’s wings spread out as the excitement of the prospect of a debate coursed through her. “Oh, I was born for things like this! It’d be a whole lot easier on you of you just backed out of the race silently. But since you want this to be public, I’m sure we can set something up. Let’s pick a time and a place, and I’ll be there!”         She spat onto her one of her hooves and extended it toward Applejack. Applejack smiled and returned the gesture, pressing her hoof against Rainbow’s to seal the deal.         “Sure thing, sugarcube. Sure thing.”