Apple Bloom placed her toothbrush on the rack and spit into the sink. She looked at her face in the mirror and removed her bow, placing it gently into a basket in the corner of the bathroom. She opened the door with her magic.
She walked across the hall and down the stairs to the living area. Applejack and Big Mac were seated on cushions at the table, while Granny Smith snoozed in the corner.
"Hey sis, I thought you had gone to bed for the night," said Applejack.
Apple Bloom yawned and replied, "I just wanted to ask you if I could borrow the hay wagon tomorrow."
"Now why would you want that old thing?" asked Applejack.
"Well, we wanted to try pulling it around to see if we could get our charioteer cutie marks," replied Apple Bloom.
"I guess you can't get into too much trouble with an old wagon," replied Applejack. She thought for a second before adding, "just be sure to bring it back in one piece."
Apple Bloom hugged her sister and mounted the stairs. She giggled a bit as she entered her room and got two small pieces of parchment. On each she wrote, "Cutie Mark Crusaders Cloudsdale Tours is a go." She thought of Sweetie Belle's room at her parent's house and looked at the first parchment. Her horn glowed brightly as the letter vanished in a pop of magic. She thought of the main bedroom in her cloud dwelling. Her horn glowed softly as the remaining letter vanished. Satisfied, she drifted off into sleep.
----
Scootaloo woke up and stretched. The cloud bed that Apple Bloom had built was extremely comfortable and she had been getting a better night's sleep than she ever remembered having. She trotted over to the bathroom and took a short shower, then gave her wings a quick preening before exiting through one of the many large window openings.
She embraced the early morning air with a soft glide as she tacked towards Ponyville. She came in for a landing just outside Sugarcube Corner and gave the door a short series of raps.
The door opened to reveal Pinkie Pie wearing a large poofy chef's hat. She pushed a cupcake into Scootaloo's muzzle and started rapidly talking, "That is my most recent creation, kumquat cupcakes. You have got to love how that sounds. Kumquat cupcakes Kumquat cupcakes, yum. We aren't open yet but if you come back in an hour we’ll be ready to serve you."
Scootaloo tried to swallow the cupcake and get a few muffled words out before Pinkie could close the door. "I just wanted to see if I could borrow your megaphone."
Pinkie Pie's pupils grew, then she blinked, said "oh," and vanished in a cloud of flour. She returned moments later with the megaphone and another two cupcakes.
Scootaloo grabbed them with her magic and thanked Pinkie as she trotted off towards town square. Her fellow crusaders were already there with the cart, a couple of harnesses, and an easel with a placard reading, "visit Cloudsdale for only 10 bits. Cloud walking included. Chariot leaves at 9:00 and returns at 5:00."
Scootaloo passed a cupcake to each of her friends, then sat down by the easel. She put the megaphone in front of her muzzle and started to hawk. "Once in a lifetime opportunity today only. Visit Cloudsdale, the greatest city in the sky. See where the weather is made and the cloudesseum: only 10 bits round trip."
For every pony that passed by another pony seemed interested in the trip, and within an hour there were over a dozen ponies milling around.
"I don't think the cart can hold this many ponies," said Sweetie Belle.
"Then we will just have to do two trips," replied Apple Bloom.
"That's a lot of cloud walking spells," added Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo walked over and counted the ponies. "Any objections to leaving early?"
No ponies spoke up so Scootaloo opened the cart.
As each pony walked past Sweetie Belle, she cast a cloud walking spell. It was a tight squeeze but all of the ponies barely fit inside.
Sweetie Belle was visibly sweating by the end but gave her companions a quick nod of assent.
"Thank you for flying cutie mark crusader air tours," started Scootaloo. "Please keep all hooves in the vehicle at all times and enjoy the ride."
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom hitched themselves into the harnesses while Sweetie Belle took a position behind the cart to steady it with her magic.
They turned the cart towards the "road to nowhere" and went into a trot. That trot turned into a gallop down the steep slope. The slope turned into a rise and the alicorns felt the full weight of the cart behind them. They jumped off the edge and spread their wings. To the accompaniment of gasps and shrieks, the cart alighted into the air.
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom pumped their wings hard, focusing their pegasus magic with all of their will against the weight of the cart. Sweetie Belle struggled to keep the cart steady and even. The overloaded cart gained altitude.
They gradually angled their path towards the general direction of Cloudsdale. It was obvious to all three that they were not going to make it in one pass. Their wings ached as they spiraled around and around Cloudsdale, getting closer with each rotation.
Their progress started to slow. Sweetie Belle compensated by proving more lift with her magic. Sweat was streaming off Scootaloo and Apple Bloom as they neared level with the city. They were just barely too low as they came in for a landing. Sweetie Belle poured all of her magical abilities into trying to get the cart above the cloud deck.
The cart skidded across the clouds and came to a gradual stop. Bewildered ground ponies tentatively tested the cloud surface with their hooves before disembarking. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom drifted out of their harnesses and collapsed onto the spongy surface.
Sweetie Belle came in for a landing and fought through her splitting hornache to address the ponies. "Welcome to Cloudsdale. Please be sure to gather here by five as no pony can be left behind. We know of a great place to eat if you want to follow us."
She walked over to her friends and gave them a nuzzle. "Are you okay? I thought we were going to lose it there for a moment."
"My wings feel like Spike breathed on them," said Scootaloo.
"My wings feel like my sister mistook them for an apple tree," added Apple Bloom.
"Are you able to make it to Olov's?" asked Sweetie Belle. "I kind of announced it to the tour group and I am famished myself."
"So long as I don't have to fly, I should be able to make it," replied Apple Bloom.
The entire group of earth ponies and unicorns followed behind the three exhausted alicorns. They merited several stares from passing pegasi as they slowly walked down the street and into the Impatient Griffon restaurant.
The cutie mark crusaders melted into the seats at one table and the rest of the ponies took several tables to either side.
The pounding beat of the ambient griffon rock music helped take their minds off their aching bodies.
Sky Swirls walked over to the group and emitted a small eep before setting out menus in front of the ponies. "I'll go fetch Olov," was all they heard as she darted into the side door.
The boisterous griffon emerged from the door and trotted over to Scootaloo's table. "You are full of surprises, my friend. That is quite the group of ponies you have with you."
"It was almost more than we could handle getting them up here," said Scootaloo. "If I ever try for a Cloudsdale tours cutie mark again it will be with five fewer ponies."
They gasped, looked at each other's flanks, and then sighed, completely missing the raised eyebrow Olov gave at the former statement.
"Of course the meal is on the house," started Olov. "The carnivore special is a seafood pancake. I had one earlier and it was exquisite."
"We couldn't ask that," replied Sweetie Belle. "I hoped for a discount for the tour group but that is too much."
"Think nothing of it. The business we will receive for having such a variety of ponies over for breakfast will more than make up for the cost of the meal."
"A double order of the pancakes then, please," replied Scootaloo.
Apple Bloom sighed.
"Oh come on Bloom, you have watched me eat here several times and I am fine," said Scootaloo. "It is good for your wings after all that work."
"One strawberry pancake and okay Scootaloo, a seafood pancake, and some apple juice."
"Some apple juice for me also," added Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle crinkled up her nose. "I will stick to the hungry pegasus special, thank you."
Olov collected the menus, bowed in Apple Bloom's direction and went through the side door.
The alicorns watched as baffled patrons entered the restaurant, the collection of non-pegasi being quite hard to miss. They were surprised that the tables bordering on their group filled rapidly and that conversations sprang out all around them.
Olov returned with a cart and carefully placed their meals in front of the crusaders. He paused and waited until they each had a bite of their meals. Apparently satisfied, he wheeled the cart away.
"I thought you said this was good," asked Apple Bloom as she took a second bite of her pancake.
"I said it was good for you," replied Scootaloo. "Some of the the top flyers swear by the occasional seafood dish. You get used to the taste."
"I'll take your word for it," chimed in Sweetie Belle. "But I am not placing anything in my mouth that once moved around."
A sudden flash of light alarmed Scootaloo but she couldn't discover its source or reason. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"It got sharply brighter for a second," replied Scootaloo.
"Nothing I noticed," added Apple Bloom.
They went back to eating their pancakes. When they finished, Olov gathered their plates and deposited a few eclairs. He thanked them for choosing his establishment. They waved and he retired through the side door.
They left a nice tip on the table, stood up, and walked out the door. Scootaloo tested her wings and shivered at the resulting twinge of pain.
"Can you make it back to Ponyville?" asked Sweetie Belle with concern in her voice.
"I'll make it," replied Scootaloo. "I am sure Dash has flown in much worse condition."
Two pegasi in light armor were poking at their cart. They overheard one of the pegasi say, "Think we should impound this... vehicle or just push it over the edge?"
They quickened their pace and Apple Bloom said, "Hey, that is our cart."
"Is that what it is?" responded one of the pegasi. "You can't just leave a vehicle of this size out in the open. It impedes pegasus traffic and in general is in the way."
Apple Bloom flexed her wings and cringed. "Is there anywhere it can be stored for the day? I'd prefer if I didn't have to take it down to Ponyville and back up again and Applejack would be really upset if anything happened to it."
"One level down, first building on the left," replied a pegasus. "Five bits per day." He looked at how Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were carrying their wings. "Tell you what; if you give me the bits, I'll take it down for you."
Scootaloo thanked the officer and passed him six bits. The three alicorns then spread their wings and leapt off the edge into a soft glide.
Gravity did its work, and in short order the crusaders came to a landing outside their clubhouse. Apple Bloom opened the mailbox and produced a letter addressed to her from the City of Ponyville. She unfolded it.
"Miss Apple Bloom,
It has come to our attention that an unlawfully constructed dwelling has been built above lot 5A(Sweet Apple Acres). You are hereby ordered to remove the offending structure within two weeks time or it will be removed for you at your expense.
Mayor Mare"
Apple Bloom choked and passed the letter to Scootaloo.
"Oh come on," said Scootaloo. "There is no way that we are letting them tear down our cloud house."
"What?!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle while grabbing the note with her magic.
Apple Bloom reclaimed the note and placed it in her saddlebag. "Let's go give Mayor Mare a piece of our mind."
Three angry alicorns trotted through the orchard and into the town. Other ponies instinctually gave them a wide berth as they passed by.
Apple Bloom wrested the doors open with her magic and they paraded into the town hall, the doors slamming closed behind them.
"Do you have an appointment?" deadpanned the mare at the desk.
Apple Bloom placed the letter in front of the assistant.
"If you do not have an appointment then you will have to wait," added the mare, as she penciled in Apple Bloom's name on a list behind four others.
Apple Bloom snorted, then sighed, then turned away from the desk. They took their position on one of the uncomfortable benches that bracketed the room.
"Serena, the Mayor will see you now," said the mare at the desk.
Scootaloo rapped on the bench with her hooves. Sweetie Belle grabbed a magazine with her magic. Apple Bloom sat in silence.
"Mr. Waddle, you are up," said the mare at the desk.
Scootaloo counted her feathers for the fourth time and facehoofed. Sweetie Belle set aside another two year out of date copy of "Equestrian Times" magazine. Apple Bloom preened.
"Winter Withers, the mayor will see you," said the mare at the desk.
Scootaloo paced, while Sweetie Belle made pirate hats from some of the ads, and Apple Bloom restacked the magazines.
"Roma, the Mayor will see you now," said the mare at the desk.
The earth pony stood up with a creek, and walked through the door behind the assistant leaving the crusaders alone in the waiting room.
"I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'B'," said Scootaloo.
"A bench," replied Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom, the Mayor will see you," said the mare at the desk.
"Finally," cried out Scootaloo.
The three terminally bored alicorns gathered themselves and walked through the door.
Mayor Mare stared down at the crusaders from behind a large mahogany desk. She removed her spectacles and set them aside. "I take it you are here because of the demolition order."
The alicorns nodded in unison.
Mayor Mare took a sip of coffee and then started. "Here in Ponyville, we have a set number of designs that have been pre-approved for houses in town. Other buildings need to have their architectural plans submitted before construction."
"A building the size of your cloud house would also need to be submitted for the purpose of collecting taxes on the property. It adds a substantial value to Sweet Apple Acres which would need to be defrayed."
"We were initially willing to let your cloud fort slide because it was a small recreational building, made by fillies on farm property; but as large as it has become, it has started to draw attention."
"It is also the case that no cloud dwelling has ever been approved in Ponyville. It is not in keeping with the tone and ambience of the community. We do not want to become a suburb of Cloudsdale like what happened to Appleheim with Los Pegasus."
"Hold on one second here," started Apple Bloom. "The cloud house owned by Rainbow Dash is almost twice the current size of my building."
"That is correct, Miss Bloom, however Rainbow Dash's residence is located outside the boundaries of Ponyville," replied the mayor. "She was denied twice when she came to council to submit plans for a cloud home within the city limits. In the cellar we still have the broken door with her hoofprints on it, which by the way she had to replace at a sizable cost in bits."
"But the Apples built Ponyville," countered Apple Bloom. "Aren't we allowed to do what we want with our property?"
"No more than any other resident," replied Mayor Mare. "And keeping the style of this community within earth pony norms would no doubt be something the Apples would support."
"Of course you could appeal this decision to the building committee which meets on alternate Thursdays at sunset. I can pencil you for the next one if you like."
"We'll be there," replied Apple Bloom as the three turned to leave.
"Best of luck," replied Mayor Mare. Under her breath she added, "You'll need it."
As soon as they left the town hall, Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle. "Could you send a letter to Luna?"
Sweetie Belle's eyes narrowed to pinpricks. "To-to Luna?"
"Yeah, she would help us," said Apple Bloom as she veered in the direction of their clubhouse.
"I don't know," mused Sweetie Belle. "Certainly not now, but could I? I don't think so but I really don't know."
They slowly changed their direction to the library.
Apple Bloom opened the door with her magic and the three alicorns trotted in.
"Good afternoon Twilight," said Apple Bloom.
"Could you send a letter to Princess Luna for us?" asked Scootaloo.
"The dragonfire messages go to Princess Celestia, and Luna wouldn't be awake yet," started Twilight. "Why do you need to send such a letter anyway?"
Apple Bloom passed the town hall document to Twilight. "The mayor wants to tear down my cloud house."
"I can't predict what the princess will say, but I can certainly send a letter for you," said Twilight before shouting, "Spike, could you come down please?"
Spike emerged from the upper floor of the library holding a feather duster. "What do you need, Twilight?"
"Please take a letter for the CMC."
Spike walked over and grabbed a quill and piece of parchment.
The alicorns looked at each other.
"It's your letter," stated Twilight.
"Dear Princess Luna," started Apple Bloom. "Mayor Mare said I have to tear down my cloud house. I have put so much effort into it and it isn't hurting any pony. Please help, Apple Bloom."
"PS: It really is a great house," added Scootaloo. "Please don't let her tear it down, Scootaloo."
Spike paused a bit in case anything else needed to be added, then burned the letter with a gout of green fire.
Twilight pulled a book off the shelves and floated it over to the central table. It was a thick book titled "Ponyville Building Codes." She started furiously turning pages.
"It appears by code 417 that she is within her rights to order the demolition of your building, but code 419b allows an appeal to the building committee," said Twilight.
"Mayor Mare said as much," replied Scootaloo. "She said the committee meets on Thursday."
"Eeew, even if you were to succeed with the appeal you are looking at some hefty fines," added Twilight. "Code 421a sets a fine of no fewer than one hundred bits for failing to file for a permit in addition to the ten bits for the permit itself."
Spike burped up a scroll which Twilight caught with her magic and deposited in front of the crusaders. "I believe this is yours."
Apple Bloom removed the ribbon from the scroll and began to read it out loud.
"Apple Bloom,
We are touched by your dilemma with your cloud house. Unfortunately it would set a very bad precedent if we were to act on your behalf. Each city has the right to handle its own local affairs and it would be improper for the crown to interfere.
Regretfully,
Princess Celestia"
Apple Bloom crumpled the letter. "They are not tearing down my cloud house."
The crusaders charged towards the exit.
"Please wait," started Twilight. "You are going to need research and a plan if you are going to win this."
They were already gone.
-----
With each hoofstep the fire of their anger cooled into doubt and sadness.
"Now what do we do?" asked Scootaloo.
"I just don't know," replied Apple Bloom.
They approached the place they set up earlier to sell tickets. Sweetie Belle collected the placards and placed them in a nearby bin, while Scootaloo grabbed the megaphone with her magic.
Apple Bloom took hold of the easel and walked up to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie shook her head and Apple Bloom grimaced. Apple Bloom's horn flared a bright yellow and the easel disappeared.
They walked around the loop to Sugarcube Corner. The doorbell tinkled as they passed through the entryway.
Pinkie Pie sized up the situation and zipped in front of the crusaders. "Why the long faces? Did no pony want to go up to Cloudsdale? I can kind of see why they might be afraid of the trip but it is way worth it."
"That isn't it," replied Scootaloo. "Cloudsdale Tours was a rousing success."
"It was this that wrecked the day," said Apple Bloom as she produced the letter.
"Why that meanie mean pants," said Pinkie Pie. "See if she gets my vote in the next election." She stuck out her tongue. "She was already on thin ice with that sugar tax. Why would any pony want to tax sugar? Why?"
Apple Bloom rolled the letter back up and stuck it in her saddlebag.
"Oh, you might want to go ask Dashie," said Pinkie Pie. "She had some trouble with her cloud home a few years ago." She galloped into the back room with the megaphone and returned with a box of cupcakes. "Triple chocolate layered, the perfect thing to turn that frown upside-down. Be sure to give one to Dashie when you see her at her cloud house." She zipped off yet again, leaving the crusaders in the now empty front room of the bakery.
"Well that was different," said Sweetie Belle.
"At least her advice always comes with cupcakes," replied Scootaloo as she ate her second.
Apple Bloom grabbed the box away from Scootaloo. "We won't have any left for Dash."
With that the three flew up to Rainbow's cloud house. Rainbow Dash saw them coming and interrupted her afternoon training regimen to come to a landing just outside her front door.
"Triple chocolate layered cupcakes, what trouble are you in?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Hmm?" replied Scootaloo.
"Pinkie only makes these for frown emergencies," replied Rainbow Dash. "'If you are going to share a problem you might as well be eating the best cupcakes while doing it,' was what she said last time I saw one of these."
"Mayor Mare wants to tear down my cloud house," said Apple Bloom.
Rainbow Dash ate a cupcake. "And that is why I stay out of local politics. Now you see the largest reason why I live outside city limits — smartest thing I ever did."
"The smarter pony was Fluttershy. She didn't need to spend months in red tape to make her decision. When her application for a permit to house wild animals was denied, she built her house five trots into the Everfree Forest."
Sweetie Belle gasped.
"Yep, the official border is right at the river, but Shy knows better. She doesn't live up against the forest for her health you know. It does ensure that she can live a more secluded life than most ponies. She can do whatever she wants with her animals and Ponyville can't tax or fine her a bent bit."
"If you want some good advice, I'd say just move your house outside of city limits. You can even hitch it onto my house until you find a more permanent location."
"But I want it to be at Sweet Apple Acres," complained Apple Bloom.
"I don't think it would go over well having our cloud house in the wilds," added Scootaloo. "Where it is gives us privacy and supervision."
"Don't say I didn't warn you," said Rainbow Dash. She pushed the box of cupcakes in their direction, "you will be needing these more than I."
Each crusader took a cupcake leaving Rainbow Dash the empty box. They started back for Cloudsdale.
Sweetie Belle was noticeably in the lead for most of the trip with the other two ponies lagging behind, their normal playfulness in the air completely absent.
They came in for a landing on the level below where they normally went. The storage building was a ramshackle affair with a droopy cloud roof and plain square design dominated by the huge front entryway. They trotted to the entrance and knocked on the door. It slid sideways revealing numerous vehicles and other bulky items.
A dark brown pegasus fluttered out. "What can I get for you?"
"A pegasus officer brought down our wooden cart this morning," stated Scootaloo.
He pointed at their cart and said, "that thing?"
"Yup, that's our cart," replied Apple Bloom.
He produced a clipboard and quill. "Sign here."
Apple Bloom signed the paper and he dragged the cart over the threshold.
Sweetie Belle hitched herself into the cart. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stared at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time before Scootaloo also hitched herself and Apple Bloom took the rear position to steady the cart. They did a wide loop, landing one level higher near the waiting ground ponies. The ponies seemed generally happy, most of them sporting packages and obvious momentos of their trip.
Apple Bloom took a quick count of them as they entered the cart. The numbers matched up so she started giving some instructions. "Please keep all items secured. We do not want dropped items landing on some pony. As with the trip up, please keep all hooves in the vehicle. Thank you for flying CMC."
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo started to trot along the edge of the clouds dragging the heavy cart behind. When they were going as fast as they could they turned right and leapt off Cloudsdale. Apple Bloom groaned as she tried to hold the cart up while the other two struggled to get enough forward velocity. Gravity was on their side this time and soon Apple Bloom just had to steady the cart.
They did one long looping pass of Ponyville and landed with a jolt on the upslope of the road to nowhere. The cart rapidly lost velocity and came to a stop just outside the main part of town. Several ponies thanked the crusaders for their visit and a couple gave them extra bits. They looked at their flanks and saw no cutie marks.
Apple Bloom did a quick check of the cart then let her friends know it was sound. They dragged the cart along the outskirts of town to Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack was waiting for the crusaders when they arrived with the cart at the barn.
"What in tarnation have you filles been up to today?" asked Applejack.
She tossed the current edition of the Ponyville Gazette in front of the crusaders.
Staring back at them were three large pictures, one of them at the Impatient Griffon, one of the cart being towed by two police pegasi, and another of a group of earth ponies outside the Weather Factory.
"You could have gotten those ponies killed," started Applejack. "You have wings but those ponies did not. What if one of them fell off? What if some pony got lost?"
She looked at Sweetie Belle. "What if the cloud walking spell had worn off?"
She looked back at Apple Bloom. "And what is this about you eating meat? This is not the apple family way or even the pony way. It could reflect very poorly on the farm and on how other ponies think of you."
Applejack sighed and gave Apple Bloom a hug. "You got lucky today, sugar cube. You just have to be more careful and think about your actions before you do them. They have consequences and can not be taken back."