9. Correspondents
High up on the top floor of Apple Tower, two fillies stood looking out the window in its owner's office. The streets and the ponies walking along them seemed impossibly small from their viewpoint. The cliché remark of them looking like ants would've proved an understatement.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were permitted inside Applebloom’s office by herself, provided they promised not to touch anything. The pair wished to "shadow" their friend during her work this Monday. Of course Applebloom couldn't say no, but she had a few errands to run in the morning. Assuring the two she wouldn't be gone long, she informed her secretary ahead of time to allow a "white dictionary with cotton candy for a mane and an orange chicken" into the room. Her friends were...not amused by the choice of words.
Sweetie Belle looked out onto the cityscape. The tall skyscrapers were visible, each with their own company logos on the sides. Beyond that she could just see plumes of steam coming from the refineries and factories far off in the industrial districts. Likely Applebloom owned most of them.
She quickly glanced over her shoulder to the sound of the door being opened. A scruffy-looking pegasus wearing overalls walked in, carrying a box on his back. He noticed the two mares at the window.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know anypony else was in here."
"Um...hey. I don't mean to sound rude, but what're you doing in here?" Asked Scootaloo.
"Oh I just came by to drop off a gift to Miss Applebloom. I guess you both got permission to enter too."
"Yeah. But Applebloom isn't here; she had other things to do."
The stallion had a disappointed look on his face. "Dang. Well do you two mind if I hang around until she does? I'd really like to give this to her personally."
"Sure! We don't mind, right Scootaloo?" Sweetie warmly replied.
"I guess not."
"Thanks." He took the box and placed it on the wooden table in the small sitting area of the office.
"Excuse me sir, but who are you?" The white unicorn asked.
"Name's Rusty, ma'am. I'm one of Applebloom's first employees, so I have special permission to enter her office like this. You two must be her best friends. Pleasure to meet you both!"
"What do you do?"
"I work down in the Shop, making prototypes and things like that. It's a rewarding job."
"Applebloom sure has a lot of stuff all around her. I wonder how she did it all." The orange Wonderbolt looked back at the window, and proceeded to her thoughts.
Rusty walked over to the two, trying to figure out what they were looking at in particular. "Well it wasn't easy. I can tell you that before she got on her feet, Applebloom almost went into debt five times. She nearly lost it all. But your friend's something special."
"You know we never thought about it, but I wanna how it started. What about you, Scootaloo?"
"I could use a story to pass the time. She sure is taking a while." Scootaloo said, reading the clock on the wall.
"It's a good story, but kinda long. You sure?"
"Yep!"
"You're a peppy little unicorn, ain't ya?" Rusty said giving a hearty laugh. "Alright, well back some time ago, I just got laid off at a plant. So I'm standing in the unemployment line, waiting to see what jobs are available, and this little redhead with nothing to her name except a college degree and a whole lot of debt, comes up to a group of us. She asks 'anypony want a job?' We're like 'hell yes!' “
"She just...asked some random ponies to work for her? That's kind of odd." The orange pegasus remarked.
"I guess to some ponies. Anyway we get to this little...basically a shack she bought. Next to it is a warehouse filled with some machines. She gives us a few rules and we sign some contracts...yadda yadda yadda. Then she puts us to work machining components for factory equipment. At first I expected her to just go off to her office and do whatever managers do. But no!"
Sweetie Belle looked a bit concerned, as if something wrong had happened. "W...what happened?"
"That yellow mare came up, put some goggles on, and started working alongside us. I've never had a boss that did that. A supervisor, but not an actual 'boss'. So well fill the orders, and start getting more. Nothing too special. Applebloom's trying to balance the budget with little success. Then word starts spreading of some place called 'Apple Ironworks' that makes a damn good coupling. More and more orders come in. She gets a little extra capital to work with. It was incredible! The phone was ringing off the hook! We buy a second building and hire more workers. She's scouring the unemployment lines looking for jobless ponies like I was."
"Then what? Did she start a whole chain of 'Ironworks' or something?"
"Not quite. One day AB gets the crazy idea that we not only make the parts, but put them together too! Soon she gets the even crazier idea of actually putting the machines to work for us. And instead of keeping all that money to herself like some young businessponies who don’t know what they’re doing, she buys mines and foundries. We got blast furnaces and pumps just churning out metal! She also gives us all really big salaries for simple factory workers. Soon entire firms are losing their workforce to come here!"
Rusty took a deep breath, wiping his brow. "Sorry. I get a little worked up about this kinda stuff. It can't possibly be as interesting for you as it is for me."
"Nah, it's cool. Go on. Applebloom never talks about this kind of stuff."
"Yeah, she wouldn't. Alright Scootaloo, if you say so. Because we're just getting started! So she changed the name to Apple Industries. Soon, a run-down old shipyard is up for auction. She buys it, then..."
----------
On the streets of Manehattan, a small red maned pony dressed in a black suit walked down the pathway. Her mane was neatly combed and her clothing devoid of lint or any other such imperfections. Her teeth were a pearly white, and in her eyes a glimmer of determination shone. Today she had a very important meeting, and Applebloom needed to look her best.
Her morning errands completed, the industrialist made her way to her building. Nothing unusual happened during the journey, just the daily occurrences of the big city. A stallion dropped his wallet and she returned it. An old mare had her purse stolen by a thief. Applebloom tripped him during his getaway, causing him to slam into the icy sidewalk. The last she saw of him, he was on the way to the ER to stitch his face back together.
Her cheery disposition was revealed by the tune she whistled all the way and the smile she held. Several blocks away from the Tower, Applebloom noticed a bell ringer beside a metal pot hung by a stand. A sign was next to her that read "Manehattan Foal's Fund".
She made her way towards the charity worker. "Good mornin'! How's it comin' along?"
"Good Morning! We've had quite the turnout in the last few days. Nothing warms you up more in this cold than to see a few coins clank into the pot!" The bundled-up unicorn said, her bell ringing never ceasing. "Care to donate? All the money goes to getting a Hearth's Warming present for foals whose families can't afford much this year."
"Ah'd be happy to! Here, lemme see..." Applebloom pulled out a wallet and looked through it. "Hm...ya know what? Ah got a better idea." Pulling out a checkbook and pen, she took the writing utensil in her mouth a scrawled some letters and numbers on a check.
After putting away the book and pen, Applebloom dropped the check into the pot. As she turned to leave, the bell ringer picked up the piece of paper and forgot to breathe for a second. "My goodness! No no no I cannot possibly accept this much!"
Nonchalantly continuing on, Applebloom responded. "Think nothin' of it. Everypony deserves a present for the holidays. Happy Hearth's Warming!" Waving at the unicorn, the donor resumed her trek.
"Oh bless you! Happy Hearth's Warming!"
By the time the enthusiastic sound of the bell faded from her ears, Applebloom had made it to the Tower. Walking inside the building, she was greeted by all sorts of employees. Naturally she returned the gregarious responses, often asking how family was and how kids were doing. Scanning the room, she spotted a stallion sitting in one of the lobby seats.
Cantering over excitedly, she addressed the pony. "Well howdy! Ah don't recognize you, so you must be the rep from Bitumen Incorporated. Pleasure to meet ya!" She immediately took the stallion by the hoof.
The reserved pony was taken aback by Applebloom. "You must be the CEO of Apple Industries. They said you would be rather...up front."
The yellow businesspony flashed her beautiful teeth. "The one and only! Now come with me, and we'll discuss whatever's on your agenda."
"Yes ma'am." He rose up and got beside Applebloom. "Now, as you may know, the Board of Directors for my company is thinking about expanding into the northern regions. The coal deposits should prove to be very profitable."
"Mhm. There ain't much work for ponies out there; a couple mines oughta liven things up! But y'all better treat 'em right." She said, cantering to the elevator.
"Of course, Miss Applebloom. Which is why they had some of us scour many different manufacturers of excavators and pumps." He explained as the pair entered the carriage.
"Well, the quality of a machine can make or break the quality of a mine. What have ya found out so far, mister...?"
"Feldspar. Several companies have forwarded us excellent deals. But several directors were very interested in your business. Apple Industries does have quite the reputation."
"Alright, now we're talkin'. Ah can assure y'all that there ain't nothin' that can match one of mah machines per hour of hard labor. Feldspar, who's your biggest competitor?"
"The CMC, why?"
Applebloom blinked for a couple seconds. "The...CMC?"
"Yes. Coltorado?"
"Oh! Oh, right. You know where they get their machines?"
"Not off the top of my head."
Giving the stallion a sly smirk, she uttered. "Us."
"You supply our competitors?"
"Of course. A little competition never hurt nopony. In fact, the market would stagnate without it. Ah'll give y'all both the same tools to play ball with. Now you don't want Coltorado havin' better toys, do ya?"
"My company has appropriated millions to pay for the expansion. I'm afraid taking the indirect word of a rival corporation will not suffice."
"Ah thought you'd say that. So let's get down to the nuts and bolts. Ah can sell ya the machines you want at a fraction of the price of other manufactures. Not only that, but each one comes with a 5 year warranty. If y'all have a problem, Ah will personally compensate you."
"Wow...that's very generous. You certainly have a lot of faith in your products."
"Ah got good ponies makin' them. Now, let's talk specifics..."
----------
"Wow!" Sweetie Belle shouted, completely moved by Rusty's story. "I...I never knew that! Is that true?"
"Every word. Applebloom is a bona fide grade A pony. Come to think of it, you three are a match made in Heaven." The old pony looked at the clock. "I wonder where she is."
As if on cue, the office doorknob turned and in came two well dress ponies, a mare and a stallion.
Applebloom looked inside the room to see it already occupied by three other ponies. Temporarily ignoring the others, she returned to her client.
"My goodness! Uh...I've got to speak with my superiors immediately! Thank you so much! You don't know what this means to me!" The businesscolt practically exploded in happiness, his chance of securing that bonus all but certain.
"Mah pleasure. So Ah take it we're gonna have a deal?"
"You bet! By golly they can't possibly be stupid enough to reject this offer!" He turned around and left the room. "Goodbye, Miss Applebloom! Expect a call VERY soon."
She waved at the departing stallion. "Take care, <name>!" Facing her friends, she smiled and began to speak. "Sorry 'bout that, you guys. Ah had some business to take care of."
"Don't worry, AB. We were just listening to a fantastic story this guy told us." Scootaloo said as she nudged her elbow into the old pegasus' side.
"Did he? Rusty, what brings ya up here?"
"I have a box for you. By the way, if you don't mind me asking," He paused, looking at the businessmare. "Where's your hat and tie?"
Applebloom had indeed come to work without bearing two of her signature accessories. No brown Stetson rested on her head, and a traditional necktie finished off her suit instead of the bolo. Looking a tad guilty, she answered. "Ah'm tryin' somethin' different. Somethin' less...regional." Her response elicited raised eyebrows from Sweetie and Scootaloo. Where had they heard that before?
"Oh...alright!" Rusty just smiled, and returned to his warm demeanor. "So about that box!"
Applebloom noticed the box on the table. "What's in it?"
The overalled pegasus picked up the container and brought it over towards the fillies. "Well Little Red, my wife was so thankful for my bonus this year, that she baked you a batch of apple muffins." He popped the lid off and the breathtaking aroma of the baked goods permeated into the nostrils of the three mares. They became lost to the scent, fantasizing about indulging in that splendiferous taste.
Rusty then placed the box on a clear spot on Applebloom's desk and put the lid back on. "If there isn't anything you need from me, I'm gonna go back to work. See ya later, Miss Applebloom!"
Shaking herself out of the daze, the mare bid her employee farewell. She then trotted over to the box, pulled off the lid, and took out a muffin. "Help yourselves! There's a dozen in here!"
Over the next few minutes, the room was silent except for the near orgasmic sounds the three former Cutie Mark Crusaders made while they ate their muffins. Lost to culinary bliss, nothing else mattered except the marriage of their taste buds and the treats.
After they had finished, Applebloom licked her hoofs clean of all residue the muffins could have possibly left. "Alright...nopony EVER tell Granny Smith."
"My lips are sealed." Scootaloo said, making the motion of zipping her mouth shut.
"About what?" Sweetie replied. At first the other two thought she was just playing dumb, but her innocent smile gave them other ideas. The white unicorn could be a bit...slow to pick up on cues.
Applebloom walked over to her desk and sat down in her chair. "Anyway, how have y'all been enjoyin' your day?"
Before her friends could answer, however, a voice on her intercom spoke out. "Excuse me, Miss Applebloom?"
Pressing the button, the industrialist answered. "Yes, Cyrus? Whadya need?"
"Somepony is requesting to see you. A Mr. Amber. Shall I tell him to make an appointment?"
Applebloom's eyes widened. She had really wanted to talk to a member of his family, and now one was outside her door. "Uh...no! Let him in."
A couple seconds later, a golden colored earth pony walked in, his coat and mane rather messy and tattered. He rushed over to the front of Applebloom's desk. "Oh thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much it means that you let me speak with you."
"You're quite welcome. Have a seat. Allow me to introduce you to mah friends. The orange one is Scootaloo, and the white one is Sweetie Belle. Girls, this is Amber Waves, CEO of Amber Food Company." The three guests greeted one another. Afterwards, Mr. Amber turned back to face Applebloom, his countenance very worried looking.
"Actually, I'm no longer CEO. I'm just a minor and often ignored member of the Board."
"What? Bu...but Ah was told you still run the company."
"No. That's why I've come here. I'm sure you read in the newspaper about Amber Foods being bought by Rich Enterprises."
Placing her hoofs under her chin, Applebloom leaned in intently. "Indeed Ah have. Ah thought it was odd. Y'all'd never sell."
"Of course not! But we didn't have much of a choice!"
"Why? Did you have some rough spots? Needed money?"
"Not at all! We were doing excellent! That's why they wanted us."
"Woah!" Sweetie shouted out. "Wait a second. Rich Enterprises? As in the company Diamond Tiara runs?"
Applebloom's response was rather morbid. "The very same, Sweetie. Mr. Amber, what happened?"
"One day a representative came from the company, and put an offer on the table. Naturally we all rejected it. Day after day, they kept coming back. And every time we turned them down. But they wouldn't take no for an answer."
"So y'all didn't get shares in Rich Enterprises?"
"What? No! They played dirty. My family controlled the company, and together we owned it. Soon, more and more of my family members resigned their positions, or sold their shares. Most wouldn't say why they did it. About two weeks ago, Rich shareholders acquired the entire company; except for my own stock. I'm the only one left of the original directors."
"So what're you sayin'? What kind of stuff did they do to get the shares?"
"After digging around for a bit, I found some things out. Anything from brides, to blackmail, to outright threats. They kept me because I'm the face of the company; the patriarch of the Amber Family. But for all intents and purposes, Rich owns everything. I've been under house arrest for the past week, and I'm gonna be in serious trouble for having escaped."
Applebloom had a panic attack. "Oh no! W...What are we gonna do? Are they looking for you right now??"
"Yes. Which is why I cannot stay. You're the only pony I trust anymore, Applebloom. You must do something!" The stallion then ran towards the door, extremely agitated and not wishing to remain in the office anymore. "Goodbye! I...I gotta go!"
Before Applebloom could say anything back, Amber Waves galloped out of the room at full speed, hell-bent on trying to return home without being noticed. But, it was probably already too late.
The red-maned businesspony, so honest and moral in her conduct, knew the corporate world was full of backroom dealings and less than ethical actions, whether legal or not. And every gnawing doubt in her mind on the situation with Amber Foods she had pushed aside. She had been giving her new friend the benefit of the doubt.
But now those blinders she made for herself were shattered.
Her expression conveyed exactly what Applebloom thought, and Scootaloo took notice. "Face it, AB. Your little friend Diamond Tiara is a robber baron."
"I knew she couldn't be trusted!" Sweetie said, slamming her hoof down on the desk.
A few moments passed before Applebloom responded. Her thoughts were racing along at a mile a minute. Finally, she gathered them into a cohesive answer.
"Ah...should go talk to her soon. Ah ain't gonna start point' hooves."
"This is the perfect time to point hooves!" Scootaloo yelled, losing her composure. "That guy was a friend of yours. Would he ever lie to you?"
"Never in a million years. But there are two sides to this story. I need to get down to the truth."
"And is Diamond Tiara gonna tell you the truth?" Sweetie Belle harshly asked. "She told you those lies! You really think―"
Applebloom lost her temper, and shouted so loud that the other two shrank in size and fell deadly silent. "AH DON’T KNOW!! BELIEVE ME AH'M JUST AS UPSET AS Y'ALL!!" Taking a deep breath, she slammed her head onto her desk. Tears streaming from her eyes, Applebloom continued in a quieter tone. "Ah'm sorry for yellin'. But part of friendship is trustin' your friends. Ah cannot call myself a respectable pony if Ah don't do that." Turning to face the window, Scootaloo could see Applebloom's expression, now unmistakably determined.
"But y'all better bet that Ah'll get to the bottom of this."
----------
Noontime in city hall, and Police Chief Babs Seed was standing within the grand corridors of the building. The marble columns and vaulted ceiling made her feel very small, and every sound, even the slightest drop of a pin, would’ve echoed throughout the room. She was here to catch a certain pony who ventured out into the hall at 12 o'clock every weekday for lunch.
Looking out onto the steps that led to the Council Chamber, Babs saw a light blue unicorn canter down the stairs. His mane was a muted shade of grey and he wore a navy suit.
Humming to himself, the pony froze at the sight of the policemare. Quickly glancing at a way out, he tried in vain to leave the building. A mere five feet from the door, Babs was right in from of him, staring him down.
Smiling almost sadistically, Babs "greeted" the stallion. "Why hello there, Blue Suit. Where do ya think you're goin'?"
Using his magic to straighten his tie, the unicorn cleared his throat. "Good morning, Officer Babs Seed. I was just on my way to lunch. Now if you'd kindly―" His attempt at leaving was foiled when Babs placed her strong hoof on his chest, effectively halting his movement.
"Not so fast. I gawt some question for ya, and I ain't leavin' 'til you answer them. It won't take but five minutes."
"Alright. What do you want?" He asked, rolling his eyes.
She led him into a secluded corner in the room. Whispering, Babs began. "Palomino. What do ya know about the Mayor pawrdoning him?"
"What makes you think I know why the Mayor does what he does?" Blue Suit replied, obviously upset about having to be there.
"Because he's a member of your pawrty, AND you're a Council member. I did some diggin'. What you guys voted on was unconstitutional. Not to mention the fact that he appointed replacements to those six that resigned. What do you know about that too?"
"Wow, you don't waste time. I can assure you, the Council is working to make Manehattan a better city. There's no need to-"
"You're not answerin' my question. Ain't that just like a politician. You're the only one who hasn't dropped a big fat pile of money on anythin', AND who didn't resign. So you're my only lead...unless..." She grabbed his lapels and propped him against the wall. "Unless you're wearin' a wire!"
"No! I...I swear I'm not!" Calming down, Babs released him. "Thank you. Officer, I'm just as concerned for the city as you are. I investigated a bit myself, and from what I've gathered, the six who resigned received threats and blackmails. Several were threatened to have...extramarital affairs exposed."
Babs gave a sarcastic chuckle. "I bet they were. What about Palomino? I busted my flank takin' him down and they up and release him!"
"Believe me, I was furious. I voted against giving the Mayor the power to pardon. I voted against legalizing all those drugs. I voted against at least five ordinances. But I was the only opposition."
"So, Blue Suit actually using his vote towards something useful? What's goin' on with the unconstitutionality issue?"
"I looked in the paper, and it didn't say anything about the appointments. So I went to the newspaper offices."
Babs furrowed her brow, now VERY interested. "And what'd they say?"
"I asked why nopony was talking about it, and they told me it wasn't 'newsworthy'. Whatever that meant."
"What?"
"Indeed. But they said it rather...nervously. As if somepony were...watching them."
"Damn. So this runs deeper than I thought...crime is on the rise, and now that bastards like Palomino are protected, what the hell's gonna happen?"
"I'm not sure. But I do know the poverty level in the East End has grown quite a bit in the past week or so."
"What? It doesn't work like that. Ponies just don't fall into poverty like that. At least not a whole section of a city."
"They might if something were taking their money, somepony like your greedy little cousin. It's like a depression hit the place. I know; I've seen it just yesterday."
Babs glared at the stallion. "Screw off. But you do have a point. Risin’ crime and poverty rates...the city has never been more prosperous. Blue Suit, your Council's corrupted like no other. Do you know anything about the National Court appeal to the appointments?"
"Yes. I've read into it. Some politicians are burying the case under literal stacks of paperwork. What do you think this all means?"
"The crime organizations...may be banding together...and interweaving themselves in politics."
"Are you sure? That's a bit farfetched, don't you think, Officer?"
Babs smiled and looked at the unicorn. "Never."
"Hm...well if that is all true, I'll have to start writing some new laws. We must bleed those criminal CEOs of their money."
" 'More regs'. Whatever. It's not about the money." Babs then turned away and walked towards the door.
"Wait a second? Then what is it about?"
"Enjoy your lunch. And Blue Suit," She turned her head back to face him, giving the stallion a very serious look. "Keep in touch. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but you're all I gawt." With that, the policemare exited City Hall, leaving the suited pony to his grumbling stomach.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, nonchalantly reading a paper, there sat a grey unicorn on a bench. When the blue unicorn had left, the grey pony rose up and walked over to a payphone. Dialing the number, he picked it up with his magic.
"I believe Officer Babs Seed has become a major detriment." He listened to the voice on the other end. "Yes. She has placed her nose into many places it does not belong. I think now might be the time." Listening again, he got a devious grin on his face. "Oh, I know just the pony..."