//------------------------------// // Applementium Industries // Story: "Just Progress, My Friend." // by Sloped Armoured Pony //------------------------------// Like any good businessmare, if you have a lot of money at your disposal, spend it on your business first. Applejack converted her killings and her new shed into a full scale factory, anticipating the first shipment of iron. There was still another day to go before business would start, so Applejack and her new administrators gathered together to discuss of final terms. They made a last minute checklist of all the equipment and ponies they needed for the big day. No one before had ever done this type of work at a large scale, so there was no reference point to form the industry. They counted 50 workers who would move and refine all the iron that would be shipped into the factory, each worker being paid a heavy 20 bits per hour. 10 more stallions were hired as guards to keep any wandering hands off of the fungus. They also confirmed that each station was ready with scissors to cut the fungi, shovels to dig up extra fungi, and carts to move Applementium (Applejack's name for the substance) and fungi for storage. On the fields, Applejack realized how fast the fungi grew. Her apple trees were barely blooming, and she had already recorded double quantity of fungus. She had to store the excess for winter so her business could flourish even then. The first shipments arrived on April 16th, and the factory had immediately turned from a dormant building to a power house. Workers were scrambling to create Applementium, gather fungus, and collect funds. Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity sat in the main barn counting profit and managing progress. After money was stashed away for the business, half of the rest of the profits were divided equally amongst the six ponies, and the other half were given to charity. Fluttershy did not partake in the discussion. Being as shy as she was, she never got into any budget management situations, so the timid one was left on the fields tending to the ants, learning about how to make the ant farming more productive. As for the ponies' original jobs, Twilight lived in her business. Rarity sold out her business in about a month, only working on clothes as a free hobby. Rainbow Dash never really had a job. Pinkie was already out of work when the Cake family sold their business and left the town. Fluttershy pretty much kept her job. Life seemed all fine, if not more productive, for the crew. ------------------------------------------------------------- It was almost a year since the business started. The rest of the Apple family helped with the selling the apples, while Applejack made the primary revenue for the family. Half of her earning went to funding the apple farming. She had Granny Smith's hip fixed, she had the house refurbished, and she even made a steam powered tractor for Big Mac to use. Work on the farm was significantly easier. Judging by the size of the farm, all this revenue had cut down the amount of work needed by half. Being the generous family they were, they spent their free time volunteering and helping elsewhere. Granny Smith volunteered for Applebloom's school, which Applejack had donated money to, making the school in a facility capable of educating foals and young adults, while Big Mac helped with in-town construction. As for what impact this refinery had on the rest of society, the town had almost turned into a small city. With Applementium supporting the heavy loads, they could use it for cranes and as the structure for buildings, raising almost all the buildings in town around two stories in height. Ponies from all over Equestria came to Ponyville in search of work, whether it was helping in the mines, directly for Applejack, or helping in improving the city. Not only was Applementium helping build the city, but also the whole idea of a company run by a massive work-force, which had been almost tripled in Applejack's farm. They had to build into almost two square miles of forest, with Fluttershy's help in displacing the animals. Other companies started to develop around Applementium. They had no access to the fungus, but they created jobs for distributing the refined iron, storing it, recycling it, and even making products out of it. Ponies who used to spend their lives hoping for sales in the market place could make a steady income working in these new industries. Some of the industries formed included Applementium Distribution Association, Applementium Final Production Centre, and Applementium Storage and Market. With all this success, Applejack had a statue of her erected in town square. Eventually, after about 18 months of production, Princess Celestia became exceedingly interested in this "industry" business. Princess Celestia payed a visit to Applejack to learn more about her industry. The businessmare showed Princess Celestia around, and explained where the money went and how the fungus worked. Other that her friends, the Princess was the only other pony worth trusting for this. She was pleased with how all the efforts greatly contributed to the growing of Ponyville and the rest of Equestria. All the other cities in the nation started growing due to trade companies. As a reward for formulating a magnificent idea, Princess Celestia requested that Applejack make some shipments of Applementium to Canterlot, specifically the palace. Business and publicity really hit the roof at this point! ---------------------------------------------------------------- After a regular day of working at the factory, Applejack and her friends decided that they should have a well earned vacation for the weekend. The business shut down, and all the workers were on temporary paid leave. Rarity treated her friends to a supper at a fancy restaurant in Canterlot that night. Together they rented a private table for them to chatter about anything that did not pertain to the Applementium business. "This weekend, I am going to spend some time here in Canterlot working on a new dress design I came up with. After researching some dress styles found in East Equestria, I decided that it would be magnificent if I started working my magic on ethnic styles," explained Rarity. "What are you girls going to spend your time upon?" Twilight Replied, "Well, I discovered this awesome new form of relaxation! This weekend, I am going to the beach! I even have my sunscreen, dark tent, shades, and parasol ready to go!" None of the other ponies replied to the weirdness of that comment, so the continued with Rainbow Dash's plans. "I have some wind sailing to catch up with. I am going to try and beat my last dive height record! It's going to be awesome!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash as Twilight brought up a confused expression. "Dash, is it even possible for you to go faster than the speed you travel to make a sonic rainboom? I mean, that is breaking the light spectrum!" criticized Twilight. Dash then replied, "How many dreams have you attempted to crush using your egg-head logic?" The two started to argue before the other ponies ended the argument. "We are officially on vacation, so let this actually be a pleasant one, please?" begged Fluttershy as everypony else agreed. "Now what am I going to do this weekend? Well, I don't really know. The beach sounds nice, but I am afraid of large bodies of water. I also don't want to leave Angle behind for too long, or else he gets crabby. I know that he should just live with it, but I think it is less trouble if I just tend to his vacation instead. So, I will probably stay at home, you know, doing, stuff." Pinkie responded, "Hey, maybe we should getter together! I have nothing to do this weekend. You have nothing to do this weekend. We can go party somewhere! We should go to the carnival!" "But I'm Angle doesn't like carnivals because they are to noisy. and he will be angry if I go somewhere without him. Besides, I am afraid of large crowds," muttered Fluttershy. The other ponies groaned in frustration to this response and continued with their discussion. "Hey Pinkie, speaking about a carnival, there is just a spectacular circus coming into Canterlot, and I am just dying to see it. I can buy you tickets so you two can come. Oh, and don't worry about angle! How bad could be possibly be?" said Rarity, who immediately shut up after Fluttershy showed her a picture of Angle charging with a chainsaw. "Yes, um. I didn't know such a little guy could hold a large, um, object." Applejack then explained, "I have some work on the Apple farm, so I can't go anywhere, but would it be fine if my sis tagged along? She has always wanted to go to a circus." "Splendid! The three fillies will have a wonderful time!" reacted Rarity. "Which reminds me, have any of you wondered where Scootaloo lives? I mean, she appears out of nowhere to play with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, but none of us have ever thought about how to contact her for play dates and such. I don't even know her own mum or siblings! Rainbow Dash?" "Don't look at me! I am just here role model, not her family. To be honest, she gets on my nerves at times," replied Rainbow Dash. The bill came and supper had met to a conclusion. The ponies shook hooves and hugged good-bye. As Applejack walked to the train station, she ran into a messenger. "Wow Applejack! It's hard to imagine you without your cowpony hat! Anyways, I have a message sent to you directly from Princess Celestia, and she would like to meet you immediately. I don't know why, but hey, I am only the messenger," explained the messenger mare. Applejack turned around, called a cabby, and rode off to the grand palace to see what was needed to be said. As Applejack entered the building, Princess Celestia stood across the hall, and ordered to e guards to leave the hall and lock the doors to keep strangers out. This was to be an important private discussion. "So how is business Applejack? Making money? Sharing it with other deserving ponies?" asked the Princess. "Everything's fine! Each day brings in a killing, enough to pay for schools and hospitals, as well as enough for me to keep at home. I have had some refurbishing done at the Apple house recently, so it now looks brand new," explained Applejack. "Well, your services to all of Equestria have been astounding, but it seems to be much work. I mean, the whole country rests in your hooves! What will you do about it? Would it be better if the company was a little bit more, um, you know," explained Princess Celestia while still nowhere near the point she was trying to make. "What is it? I don't understand?" asked Applejack. "I am making a proposition. How would you like it if I bought the company off of your hooves?" requested the Princess. Applejack smiled in glee. She became very excited about the matter as happy thoughts about her answer rushed her head. She eagerly responded, "You're kidding me, right?" "No I am not kidding-" responded the frustrated Princess. "Are you kidding me?" responded Applejack. "I am making more money then ever, I have gotten plenty of respect, and I have introduced something great to Equestria. I am not about to give up the dreams I made the day I found that fungus. You understand, right?" Applejack became frightened as the Princess became enraged. "You are backing away from a direct order from the Princess? I will not tolerate this. Do you even know why it is dangerous for you to own the company?" angered the Princess. The businessmare was puzzled. "Your ideas have given you more power over Equestria than I should have! I have had more experience with governance, so I demand you give your power to more able hooves with appropriate compensation!" "No can do Princess. I am starting to think that you are just plain jealous. You don't like how I have more power than you, so you are trying to take it away from me. However, you are too kind to force me to sacrifice my business, so you are desperate to buy it from me. I'm sorry, but you can become more powerful some other way. I have earned my power and I plan on keeping it! If you want my business, then you have to take it from me!" intimidated Applejack. "You are banished from Canterlot now! If you do not withdraw from your power hungry state, you will be sleeping with Luna from now on!" enraged the angry Princess. "You can't banish me, because I am this close to banishing you! And who are you calling 'power hungry'?" angered Applejack. "You leave me no choice but to deal with you with force! If you can't take a polite offer, that I will force you to retire your factory, and this time, with no compensation!" intimidated Celestia. "Oh ho! You are really asking for a beating now! I will be waiting for you, for I have a brilliant plan now! Even the power of the sun will not help you! Prepare for war!" yelled Applejack. She was then immediately and painfully literally kicked out of Canterlot. Applejack was not on her right mind. What had she gotten herself into. She could either give up her whole life to prevent apocalypse, or she could get help from some friends. Would they have mixed thoughts about the Princess, or would they side with her and throw away Applejack. Maybe the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed. After all, she and her friends were the elements of harmony.