“I call this meeting to order!”
Carrot Top was standing behind a podium in a small conference room at town hall. About twenty other pony farmers were crowded around the conference table, representing most of the major non-Apple farming groups in the area. Green Grape, who tended to wind up as the spokespony for these farmers, was sitting in front and looked attentive. Most of the farmers, in fact, looked interested in what Carrot Top was going to say. A few of the more sullen and disagreeable ones – Boxxy Brown and Red Onion in particular – were slouching near the back and appeared to be bored, but that was only to be expected.
The other Elements weren’t there. Raindrops had a late shift on the weather patrol; Cherilee had a late parent-teacher conference with Filthy Rich; Lyra and Bonbon already had plans, and so had Ditzy and Dinky. The latter four would probably have rescheduled and gone out to support Carrot Top had she pushed, but she wasn’t going to impose like that on them. Trixie had been available, but half the ponies in the room didn’t like the showmare, so Carrot Top had decided against inviting her.
But it’s alright, she told herself. This is a business proposal. It’s fair to all ponies involved and makes good business sense, so I should have no trouble getting them all to sign on. I just need to be confident and present it well, and…
But thoughts like that would have to wait. It was time to begin. “Alright,” said Carrot Top. “I’m here to present a proposal—“
“You’re here to beg for our help,” called out Red Onion. “Cause you just realized the Apples are gonna kick your flank from here to Stalliongrad!”
Carrot Top paused. “Uh, actually, no. I’d like to make a proposal that will, I think, be advantageous for all of us.”
Green Grape waved a hoof in a ‘go on’ gesture.
“All of us have farms that currently require infrastructural work – laying new irrigation pipes, mending broken fencing, rearranging fields -- but these jobs require such a large initial investment that we can’t afford to ever get started. And – of course – this just hurts us more and more, because without the latest equipment, or even working equipment in some cases, our daily chores take longer and longer, and we fall further behind. Furthermore, most of the grants and works projects that are awarded in the Ponyville area tend to go to the Apples instead of us, so we can’t rely on government help.
“However, just as most of us offer discounts to vendors who buy in bulk from our farms, a lot of the companies that offer the maintenance and expansion supplies we need will also offer discounts if we buy enough at once. If we were to all, say, buy the newest irrigation system and have it laid at once, we could do it together and save a substantial amount of money.”
“We know,” said Banana Split. “Every year there’s always a few of us who try to get everypony together to do a big bulk purchase, but there’s never enough farms with the bits on hoof to actually do it.”
Carrot Top continued on. “True – that’s usually how it goes. But let’s say that my farm does well in the Farm Competition. That’ll bring in a lot of bits. As it seems to be tradition for Ponyville teams to give back one-fourth of their winnings to the community, I was thinking that, if my farm wins any money, a quarter of the prize could be used for infrastructure projects like irrigation and fencing for our farms. Then we’d all be better off, and the money would go further because we’d be buying the equipment at the bulk rates!”
“And what do you want from us?” asked Grape. “We appreciate your generosity, but if you were just going to donate your money to us, you wouldn’t need to call this meeting.”
Carrot Top’s voice was clear and businesslike. “As Red Onion mentioned, it will be difficult for me alone to win over the Apple Trust teams or the big farms from other villages. They have access to expensive ingredients, equipment, and experts that I don’t. But if we pooled our resources, such as produce and equipment I’d have a better chance to win, and then we’d all have a better chance to get new equipment.”
Grape held up a hoof. “If I understand this correctly, you would like us to donate some of our produce to you, which you will use to help do well in the farm competition. Then, upon your return, should you have won money, you will spend one-fourth of it on general improvement projects for our farms. Is that the deal you are proposing?”
“Well, yes.”
There were murmurs, but Grape silenced them with a quick glance. “And, hypothetically, suppose you were to lose regardless? Then we would be out the costs of whatever we gave you, and would have nothing in exchange.”
Carrot Top paused. This was the hard part. “In that event, yes—“
“The total effect would be that you – and the Apples – would be no worse off, while we all would have suffered a financial loss,” finished Grape. “You are asking us, essentially, to gamble on your success.”
“It’s not a big financial outlay,” said Carrot Top as quickly as she could. “Nothing like restaurant-level quantities of food. Even if I make it all the way to the finals, I’ll only need to present twelve dishes or so. Twelve plates of food, and the bulk of it has to be carrots, which I grow anyway. You would stand to gain a lot more than you would invest.”
“Yes, but you also need to practice making the dishes. You may try several different things before settling on your final menu. And – please do not take offense – you have never done this before. You may damage or otherwise lose your ingredients through accidents in storage, transportation, or cooking, and thus need to obtain more. It is quite possible that you will need large quantities of our produce to have a good chance at competing,” said Grape.
Carrot Top nodded. Grape had valid points, and she wasn’t going to try to pretend otherwise – only to show, rather, why those points were outweighed by her own. “I understand that it’s a gamble. But it’s also a huge opportunity. Does anypony in this room have an irrigation system newer than fifteen years old?” No hooves went up. “It’s no wonder we can’t compete with the Apples. They have new low-water systems that are specially calibrated to only use exactly as much water as needed – no waste. They have the new plows from Neighjon that are twice as easy to move as anything I have. For that matter, they have a brand new fence with animal-warding spells. Me, I just have a regular fence, and every day I have to chase away rabbits.” There were chuckles. “If you support me, and I win, we’ll be able to dramatically improve our farms. You’ll be getting a four-fold return!”
“Yeah, that’s a big if,” called Boxxy. “Even with my cherries, you don’t have a shot.”
“You’ll be going up against some of the biggest farms in Equestria,” yelled Red Onion. “The Apples aren’t the only ones with a huge company behind them.”
“And even if it was just the Apples, they have political connections,” said another pony, a salmon-colored one that Carrot Top didn’t know. “They know a bunch of the judges.”
“Hang on,” said Lily. She grew flowers (edible and otherwise), and was one of Carrot Top’s friends. “Carrot Top’s an Element. The judges might like her because of that.”
Carrot Top blushed. She was trying not to bring politics into this, especially given what the Flim Flam brothers had been trying to do. But if a few of the judges did decide they wanted to support an Element, well, there wasn’t anything she could do about that. “Um. I’d like to hope that the judging will be based on the food, not political considerations.”
Red Onion burst into laughter. Carrot Top flushed, but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t think there’d be much of a point.
“I see the risk we’re taking, but where’s the risk to you?” asked Banana Split. “Or, put it another way, why shouldn’t one of us sign up and do this?”
“The risk to me is that, if I’m doing this, I’m probably going to have to spend all week working on it,” said Carrot Top. “Because Green Grape is right – I haven’t done this before. I won’t be able to tend to my farm much, and I don’t have the money to hire farmhands. So, yes, that’s going to hurt me, win or lose. That’s my risk.”
Split nodded thoughtfully. “Fair enough.”
A few of the ponies looked to Grape, who had shut her eyes. She seemed to be thinking hard. Carrot Top forced herself to appear calm, but she still felt extremely nervous. A ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ from Green Grape would mean the difference between having a chance and --
“Well. Ain’t this a cozy little meetin’.”
Every pony turned to see Applejack walking in through the conference room doors.
“Ah could barely believe ma ears when ah heard that Carrot Top had called on y’all ta help her in the competition, an’ that y’all had come runnin’. Still hard ta swallow, even though ah’m seein’ it right here.” Incredibly, Applejack sounded hurt and betrayed. “After all ma farm’s done fer this here town, fer y’all in particular, how could y’all do this?”
“Done for us?” Banana Split frowned. “What do you mean? What have you ever done for us?”
“There ain’t one of ya in here whose hasn’t had a bad harvest some year an’ who didn’t come ta us ta beg some apples just ta survive through the winter. An’ we always sold ‘em ta ya. Could’ve just looked away, but y’ar our neighbors an’ we helped ya. No matter how bad yar situation was—“
“Our situations are bad because of your predatory business tactics,” said Grape, in a crisp, clean voice.
“Ah ain’t gonna apologize fer runnin’ a successful business, or fer obtainin’ the resources ah need ta weather any kind of disaster.” Applejack had almost reached the podium by this point. Her voice took on a harsh undertone. “This town exists ‘cause of Sweet Apple Acres an’ the Trust. Our tax revenues fund more government services than any other business. The Apples feed more ponies more food than any three of ya combined. Y’all and this town need us, an’ that means ya need us ta have the money an’ equipment ta keep producin’ apples even after a fire, flood, or parasprite attack.” She was silent for a moment. “But ah know ya know that. So ah just can’t see why ya’r backstabbin’ us an’ helpin’ her try ta take us down, when it’ll just hurt yarselves even more than us!”
“We’re not trying to take you down!” cried Carrot Top. “I’m just trying to compete and—“
“Come on, Carrot Top, ya gotta know by now the odds’re against ya! All yar competin’s gonna do is make it harder fer the Apples!” Applejack glared at Carrot Top. “If the Apples go under, this town goes with it. Hay, if the Trust goes under, Equestria will be in real bad shape. So if ya have any respect or compassion fer any other pony, let it alone an’ stop interferin’.”
“You aren’t going to go under if you don’t win this competition!” yelled Carrot Top, exasperated.
“Besides,” said Grape, now looking very annoyed, “Even if your farm fails to place, that will have no affect on the overall Trust finances—“
“Ya can’t know that, either of ya! Farms are precarious, an’ the Trust is just a collection of farms. What if it has a bad year? We’re a pretty big part of it; it could need our help at some point. An’ if we don’t have this money, maybe we can’t help them so much.” Applejack scowled.
Carrot Top, guessed that it would be pointless to try explaining the size of the Trust to Applejack. “Are you really asking me to drop out of the competition?”
“What ah’m askin’ is fer ya – all of ya -- ta remember what it is we do an’ how vital we are. Ah want ya ta remember how much money we’ve brought in, an’ how many government grants. How many of ya we’ve personally fed in lean times.” She let her gaze drift from farmer to farmer. “Ah want ya ta think how ya’d feel if ya supported some pony when she was in a real pickle, helped pick her up an’ dust her off, an’ she went right on over ta yar rival an’ tried ta ruin ya.” Her gaze settled on Green Grape. “Ah want ya ta think ‘bout all that an’ then do the right thing. Let the Trust continue ta support Equestria an’ Ponyville, an’ don’t make it harder fer us ta bring home the money we need ta do it right.” She turned to stare at Carrot Top. “Just let things go back ta the way the usually are, ‘kay?”
Carrot Top flushed. We don’t owe you an easy victory! And one loss wouldn’t hurt the Trust anyway! “Well,” she said, slowly, “Who here would like for things to stay exactly where they are? Who’s perfectly content with the state of agriculture in Ponyville?”
There was silence for a moment.
Then Green Grape stood up. She looked incensed, but her voice was clear. “Carrot Top, I apologize, but I am not willing to donate some unknown amount of produce to you on the mere chance that you will win sufficient prize money to make the investment worthwhile. While I wish that I could afford such an outlay, it is simply not possible at the moment.”
Carrot Top lowered her head. Green Grape spoke for most of the ponies in the room. If she wasn’t going to help, that was it for the plan.
“But.”
Huh? Carrot Top looked up again.
“I will sell you grapes, raisins, wine, and any other food my farm can produce, of value equal to the irrigation system you mentioned – at the bulk rate, covering my entire farm. And I will let you delay payment for two weeks. You need not pay until one week after the competition, at which point you will have received any forthcoming prize money.”
“That’s the same…” began Carrot Top. But it wasn’t, because under this deal, Carrot Top would be obligated to buy the town’s irrigation system whether she won any money or not.
Green Grape’s gaze was not unkind, exactly, but it was stern. “Carrot Top, if you were not certain of victory, you had no business asking for our donations in the first place.”
Carrot Top didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t even sure she disagreed with Grape, exactly, but… but it was such a big risk…
“Are ya insane?!” Applejack swiveled to stare at Grape. “If she don’t place high, she’ll owe tens of thousands of bits!”
Before Carrot Top could figure out a response, Banana Split rose. “I’ll agree to the same deal as Green Grape.”
Carrot Top did the math quickly. If she won or placed well, she’d be fine. Better than before, actually, because she’d get to keep some of the prize money. If she lost…
If she lost, she would almost certainly have to sell the farm to pay off the debt. She had nowhere near enough money to buy the town’s irrigation system outright, and her friends couldn’t possibly get her enough.
“I’ll take that deal,” called Lily.
“Me too.”
In fact, depending on the market, the farm might not even cover that kind of bill. It was an old farm, hadn’t been maintained as well as it should have been, and Carrot Top could easily see a realtor managing to give her a fraction of its worth. She could wind up both homeless and drowning in debt.
“Me three!”
Red Onion was staring at Applejack with an ugly fury. “Yeah. Me four. Kick this idiot’s flank to Tartarus and back, ‘kay?”
This was getting ridiculous. Carrot Top opened her mouth to say that she wouldn’t take that deal. She wasn’t going to wager her farm on this competition. Bad enough that she’d have to trim back her time in the fields to design and prepare the recipes, but if she did this, she could be homeless in as little as two weeks.
“But,” Carrot Top began, “I don’t—“
“What, so you want us to give you our produce when you’re not even sure you can win?” demanded Boxxy Brown. “Is that it?”
“No, I—“
Green Grape rose. “I think we’re all agreed. Excepting Applejack, does everypony agree to sell Carrot Top produce and wait two weeks for payment?”
“Aye!”
“Carrot Top, think fer a minute!” Applejack looked flustered. “All this is gonna do is take down both of us! Dang it, ah don’t know if ya’ve got some vendetta ‘gainst ma or what, but this ain’t worth it!”
It’s not about you! thought Carrot Top.
“We all agree, then.” Grape turned back to the carrot farmer. “Will you take this deal?”
“Uh.”
Carrot Top could see the town farms with new, working irrigation systems. She could see their crops flourishing, growing better, and with less effort. The farmers could put their extra hours into taming new land, growing new crops, fixing up their dilapidated farmhouses. They could even spend more time with their families and friends. She saw the power of the Apple Trust checked, however slightly, with one of their advantages erased. She saw the farms still alive in a few years, alive and flourishing.
She also saw herself homeless, or forced to accept Greengrass’s help lest she wind up freezing under a bridge.
But then again… who was she to weigh herself against something every farmer in there so desperately needed? If she didn’t take this chance, they’d all continue dying slow deaths to the Apple Trust, and within fifteen years they’d probably all be bankrupt anyway. It wasn’t about beating Applejack or taking down Sweet Apple Acres, it was about keeping the rest of the farms afloat.
I’m too generous for my own good. I’m about to give away my farm. But she couldn’t do anything else. It was just who she was.
And so, knowing as she said it how stupid she was being, knowing she was probably signing her own eviction notice, she said, “I’ll do it. If you’ll get me those ingredients, then two weeks from today -- win or lose -- I’ll fund a modern irrigation system for every farmer in here that doesn’t have one.” That only excluded Sweet Apple Acres, but Carrot Top felt it was important to make that distinction. “I’ll calculate out what that’ll cost for each of your farms, and you’ll provide me with that value in produce for this week. And… I’ll try to win the competition.”
There was silence, and then Green Grapes started to drum her hooves on the ground in applause.
“Three cheers for Carrot Top!” yelled Banana Split.
I’m doomed, the carrot farmer thought.
“Hey.”
Carrot Top looked over. She had just left city hall and was wandering around the village. She wanted nothing more than to go home and hide. But she couldn’t, because somepony was talking to her.
She turned to see Applejack. The apple farmer was looking at her, and seemed almost… concerned?
“Why’d ya do that?” she asked. “Ya realize they’re all wantin’ ya ta fail now, right?”
“What? Why?”
“If ya win, they get new equipment. If ya lose, they get it anyway, an’ ya go bankrupt so they’ve got one less competitor.”
Carrot Top froze. “We don’t think like that,” she said, quietly. “Why, do you?”
“No! No, of course not!” Applejack shook her head. “Ya just bet yar farm ta try ta beat ma. Carrot Top, did ah do somethin’ ta make ya mad? Is this a grudge?”
“Applejack, I’m not out to hurt you, or Sweet Apple Acres, or the Trust. Honest. I just want to win the prize money,” said Carrot Top, feeling very weary. “I need it. And the other farmers need the irrigation system too.”
Applejack’s face showed that she didn’t believe her. “Look. Ah wish ah could buy that irrigation system fer the town maself, but ah can’t afford ta take that much money an’ sink it outside the farm. It ain’t gonna do nopony any good if ah spend ma money on some big charity project an’ go bankrupt, cause them the farm ain’t around ta help the town anymore.”
Carrot Top didn’t say anything.
“Look… when – ah mean if – ya lose, ah’ll give ya a good offer on yar farm, okay? An’ ya can stay with us till ya find somewhere else ta live.”
“…thanks.” It was practically no sacrifice at all to the apple farmer, but Carrot Top didn’t say anything about that. She knew that, by Applejack’s standards, this was incredibly generous.
“But don’t think we’ll go easy on ya. Like ah said, we’re gonna win. The Trust needs this money, and Ponyville needs the Trust.”
“You mean Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Whatever! However much y’all don’t get it, y’all do need us. Ah only hope there never comes a time when ya find out first hoof,” said Applejack. She shook her head. “Ah don’t want ta have ta crush ya. Honestly, before this whole thing, ah kinda liked ya. But ah’ve gotta protect the ponies that rely on our food. So ah’m gonna beat ya, Carrot Top, an’ win this whole thing despite you. An’… an’ ah feel real bad that ya could lose yar farm, honest, but there’s more important things at stake here. Hope ya understand.”
“Fine.” Carrot Top didn’t know what else to say.
After another few moments, Applejack turned and left. Carrot Top watched her go. That apple farmer, she knew, would never bet her farm to help other ponies. She’d never get anywhere near that position. If she’d needed the produce from the other farms, she’d have found some way to knock the price down in negotiations. But then again, she was good at that kind of thing. Carrot Top didn’t think that way.
I’m too generous. And now it’s cost me my farm. Unless I can somehow beat the Trust, not just Sweet Apple Acres but all the Trust teams, and also all the others…
“Hey, Carrot Top! How’d it go?”
Carrot Top turned to see Trixie approaching. “It went.”
“Huh?”
Carrot Top stared up at the night sky. “It’s kind of a long story.”
“Oh.” Trixie hesitated. “Not well, huh?”
“Not what I was hoping for. Now I’m under more pressure than ever.”
Trixie thought. “I’d help you, but usually when I’m under pressure I just get some bourbon, and that’s obviously not your thing.”
Having a drink or two to help her de-stress sounded great to the carrot farmer. “Brilliant idea.”.
“You’ve been a lot more appreciate of my ideas lately,” observed Trixie. “You should enter these things more often. Which idea now?”
“Let's get something to drink at Berry Punch’s.” Carrot Top began to lead the way.
“Um, I don’t recall that idea—“
“First round’s on me.”
Trixie smiled. “Objection withdrawn.”
Alcohol! The ubiquitous solution.
In the M-verse, it took a couple annoying and insulting salesponies to get the Apples to wager their farm. Here, it takes the promise of being able to improve the lives of all the farmers. Hopefully it’ll go as well for L-verse CT as it did for M-verse AJ.
So if BoxxyBrown, in M-verse, is a mover who was a cherry farmer one time for no reason, in L-verse he can be a cherry farmer who maybe moves something once for no reason. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Green Grape was mentioned in Boast Busted as having the idea of mixing ingredients between farms to sell more dishes, so I made her the ultra-businessy pony here. Banana Split, Red Onion, and the rest I just made up.
Kind of a bad time for AJ, realizing that the farmers she considers herself to be ‘supporting’ don’t seem to appreciate her ‘sacrifices.’ She really does believe that, because she brings in money to the town (through grants and taxes) and because she’s willing to let some of the other farmers buy her apples instead of starving, that she’s vital to the town. (I debated including a scene with her thinking something like I should let the other farms fail out, so I can buy their arable land and build the farm/the Trust up more, but I'm just so compassionate and generous that I can’t help but try to sell the farmers food so they can get by during the winter months. I took it out because it seemed over the top, but I hope that AJ’s narcissism showed through regardless).
Note: ability to answer comments will be a bit curtailed over the next couple days, due to the people in the Prague dorm not knowing how to configure Internet (which, to be fair, includes me). I'll try to respond to everyone within... two days or so.
832545: I don't think we've had an M6 antagonist since LNLD. My previous one had Octavia as the antagonist. Carrot Top of the Line didn't really have an antagonist, unless you count Angel.
AJ has many resources the others don't, though. For one, she has a huge Trust behind her that can assist her if something goes wrong. She also has more resources. What's devastating to other farmers is a minor inconvenience to her. Sure, she's not invincible, but she's a lot better off than she lets on.
832495: Glad you like it! I just love the idea of Carrot Top being all, "deconstructed what now?"
835484: That was their other big problem, yes. Had they just said, "Look, the whole point here is to see who can make more cider for Ponyville on a regular basis, so nopony can help unless they'll also help with all of the cider-making from here on," they'd have won easily.
Yikes, Carrot Top has it all on the line here, doesn't she? But I have faith in her!
(Also, I'm surprised that she doesn't think that, if the worst happened, she couldn't shack up with Trixie or Lyra or somepony).
Um...Applejack, how did you get the zebra spellbook?
I actually like Applejack in this chapter. She definitely, actually feels bad about what she's going to be trying to do...she's just going to try to do it anyway.
835796: Oops! Fixed both appearances of 'hand.'
Carrot Top is being slightly melodramatic, but she's also worried that, while she could stay with someone for a couple days, it might be a very long time before she found somewhere else to live, and she couldn't sit on Trixie's couch for two months. If this plan fails, she might wind up not only homeless, but in enough debt that any future wages she makes get garnished. Basically, she'll have no money and no way to get any for a while.
Glad that you got the characterization of AJ that I was going for. AJ isn't chaotic evil or a sociopath; she's not Snidely Whiplash; she doesn't actually want to hurt other ponies. She just believes, fervently, that it's necessary for the protection of everypony, and that she's just gotta make the hard choice.
835711
Let's not forget that L!Applejack has had it drubbed into her over the years that she has to behave this way to survive. The Trust cannot have genuine compassion in its representatives at this stage in the game. Once one of them has been ennobled, the more zealous subordinates (like AJ) will no doubt be removed in order to impress the other members of the Night Court with House Apple's benevolence but until that day, towns like Ponyville have to contend with insane monsters like her. I half-way intend to write a side story that has Braeburn and Granny Smith decide that once he gets to be Baron Braeburn, Big Macintosh can sweep in and be Ponyville's saviour.
835825
"Removed?"
...somehow the Lunaverse has come across as much, much darker than I ever intended it to be...
Also ennobling might not be an end-goal for any member of the Apple Trust. Far from it; it might be better for the Trust if they're consistantly the power *backing* some member of the Night Court rather than having any actual presence in the Night Court. The rewards are nearly as great, while the risks are far smaller.
(Also in the "Dune" parody I wanted to write but probably never will, the Apples were actually going to be the Fremen. The Bluebloods wre the Harkonnen, and Trixie was Paul, at least until the very end when the Bluebloods start acting more like Paul triumphant and Trixie has to step in as Feyd-Ruatha, with Luna standing in as the Padishah Emperor).
835825: I'm not sure I'd go that far. In particular, I have different characterizations in mind for the other Apples. Granny Smith (who'll show up in a couple chapters, once the FF brothers begin messing things), I don't see as a schemer, and she probably opposes a lot of AJ's actions, but she doesn't have the power to do anything, since she's not really in charge. As for Big Mac... well, one thing I want this story to touch on is why AJ's the prospective heir even though BM is older, stronger, and less prone to random bouts of craziness. Shouldn't it naturally be him? But maybe he's not all that fond of AJ and the Trust's direction...
I also don't think 'becoming a noble' should really be on the Trust's radar at this point. Hobknobing with them, sure, but promotion to Baron is perhaps a bit much.
835838: And, yeah, seconding RDD. No assassinations, please. Besides, it would be very bad for the company if they rewarded competence and following the Trust's direction with firing (or killing) that employee.
835840
835838
Point taken. The Trust seems to reward crazy ponies to the detriment of the Granny Smiths and Big Macintoshes of the world. I should think that at some point or another, his trying to explain that the Trust isn't within light-years of collapse was rebuffed by a comment about not caring about fancy mathematics. The comfy lie that she's indispensable isn't AS suppressed by honesty as it is in the Celestiaverse.
(As for the Apple family, part of me wants to think of them as actually being descended from Smart Cookie.)
835853: Yeah, BM has probably tried to get AJ to lighten up, but there's little hope of that.
The Trust rewards ponies that make lots of money. AJ is willing to do what it takes to do that, and is motivated by her beliefs in the absolute importance of the Trust. BM probably isn't, so much. Hence AJ is in charge.
Good solid story telling and setup. Not the wondrous joy ride of Ch2, but nothing much I can find to complain about either. Everypony seems in proper character. CT is lacking in self-assurance, but determined to give it her all. AJ is naively arrogant, but still well intentioned. And Trixie is still, well, Trixie.
Anyway, the stakes have been laid, the competitors have been announced and led off to wait in their respective corners, now we're all just waiting for the opening bell so this 'grudge' match can get under way.
LET'S GET READY TO RUUMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEEE!!!!!!!
...
Well I guess that declaration might be a little preemptive. Got to get through CT's obligatory underdog in training montage sequence, plus there's whatever wrench F&F are going to through in the works, but we all know what the real main event here is.
835859
Which makes her a Well-Intentioned Extremist with Skewed Priorities. It also makes her somepony that M!Applejack fears becoming....as I'm sure will become quite clear.
835887
Now I'm envisioning M!Applejack smacking L!Applejack in the crisis crossover fic.
As for Big Macintosh, I think the big reason why he's not the heir is that while he's big, strong, hardworking, and certainly far from stupid, he's not really a businesspony. And that's what a farm like Sweet Apple Acres needs to get ahead in either 'verse.
I see M!Applejack as a fair businesspony in her own right, just not as cutthroat as L!Applejack or as dedicated to 'apple supremacy'. I honestly think that the Flim Flam brothers episode was the only time when she was in serious fear of actually losing the farm itself. For good reason I think, because a split of 25-75% in the brothers' favor would probably mean that the Apple family had spent far more money growing the apples than they would have made selling the cider.
836004: Which makes one wonder why they even offered it.
Yeah, I think M-verse and L-verse AJ would not get along very well. M-AJ would be horrified by some of L-AJ's attitudes and acts. And, I think she would see a little of herself in L-verse, which would more horrify her. She'd think, 'is this what I would be like if I was raised a little different and didn't have my friends to help keep me level-headed?'
Meanwhile, L-AJ would see M-AJ as a shirker who may have already condemned Ponyville by her laxer business practices.
836020
Oh, I think it was pretty obvious that the cider competition was the brothers' goal from the get-go. The offer was just to make it look like they had tried to be friendly first.
Using a little fridge logic, I think the ultimate goal of the M!Flim Flam brothers was to gain the farm itself, and maybe drive the Apple family into working as cheap labor.
I had the feeling that AJ was the head of the Apple Trust personally. Sweet Apple Acres is basically one town over from Canterlot and has the one product they can legitimately monopolize and she's in charge of SAA
As for my comments about antagonists, the Mane 6 may not be the villain of the story but it seems to me they are consistently the rivals or the main obstacles of the Luna 6
835840
I didn't realize AJ was just a prospective heir. I thought she was the boss.
835853
As for Granny Smith, Zap Apples exist. FiM canon states the crazy things she does is necessary to make the as good as they are. So her not being crazy is pretty questionable
836089
Ponyville may be less than a day's journey out from Canterlot, but it's also something of a backwater hicktown built along the edges of the untamable Everfree Forest. It's the kind of place no self-respecting pony of any class or social standing would choose to live. Because of the zap apples, Sweet Apple Acres might be the heart/soul of the Apple Trust, but I rather think the actual head/brains of the beast is in one of the larger more populace settlements.
Ouch! Things are getting intense for Carrot Top. Like the way things are progressing. I also like the fact that the other farmers had a point. And that Applejack, while something of an antagonist isn't a villian. You can tell that she isn't a bad pony. She just has a rather skewed view of the world combined with a rather paranoid and self-centered attitude.
836004>>836020
She and Twilight seem to be the ones that would be actively horrified by their Lunaverse counterparts. We know that M!Twilight would see L!Twilight as a cautionary example but M!Applejack would have an emotional reaction to this: terror.
836223
Which is why nopony in Manehattan cares if there are a bunch of malcontents complaining about the abrasive worker bee who can be counted on to meet quota. If they wanna live that close to the Everfree, they have to expect horrible conditions.
835840 Personally I think that that the key differnce between the pre-show M-AJ and pre-show L-AJ is the absence of Big Mac to balance out AJ. While the Mane Universe Sweet Appple Acres is co-owned and run by the four Apples (with Big Mac and AJ doing more of the work due to age) I see M-AJ as the Face of the Farm due her being more out spoken and better known but she still values the involvement and opinions of the others.
The Lunverse Sweet Apple Acres, on the other hand is expected to be run and owned by just one pony. For what ever reason (I was toying with the idea of the Apple Family being a Matirarchy and the daughters inheriting), AJ was chosen. Big Mac would probably have tried to help out his sister but was stopped because she was expected to do on her own without help. This lead to Big Mac, realising that all he had to look forward to was a life of pulling plows and other forms of manual labour all to earn a paycheck from his own sister, still paying his due's to the family but ultimately washing his hooves of the Apple Family Trust. AJ, being the isolated from the support of Big Mac, had to grow up with the entire burden of inheriting and running the farm placed squarely on her shoulders. That would have been enough to make anyone slightly neroutic.
836819
There's a thought. Might be worth a check on RDD's fics Boast Busted and LNLD to see if Big Macintosh has been mentioned there. I know Applebloom has, but I can't remember if the older brother of the Apple family has even come up at all.
836898
I've checked through both of them and I couldn't find any mention of Big Mac. Infact until this story I couldn't find any mention at all about him in any of the Lunaverse stories. I've submitted the first chapter of a story (It's currently awaiting approval) that is going touch on Big Mac and what part he plays in this this universe.
837001
He may not come up in any of the stories, but over on the group boards we generally assume he's still around doing the same kind of stuff we see him doing on the show. It's just that much like his M! counterpart he's not very outspoken so doesn't really get involved with SAA's public relations. He does his work and keeps his peace. It's not really that we're intentionally ignoring him, we just haven't thought of all that much interesting to do with him.
Hopefully G&C2 has plans for him though. At the very least I expect him and AJ to have a brief discussion involving 'fancy mathematics'.
since the Apple Trust is multiple farms and AJ can afford to hire help make Mac was asked/decided to move someplace else to start another branch of the family business
All this from a need of a hundred bits, Carrot Top, you really need to grow a spine and a head for business. That being said, I love how Carrot Top being basically pushed from pillar to post and being strongarmed into putting everything on the line trying to win this competition. She really is the Fluttershy of the Lunaverse. I can't wait till she gets her "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE ME!" moment.
No Carrot Top you didn't need to promise the irrigation system! You can't loose golden Harvest farm! You could have just hammered a deal to pay for the produce you need in instalment! Plus you could share your cooking with the other farmers and get their opinion on it.
Good luck Carrot Top, I'm rooting for you (get it? 'cause carrots are roots ).
Woo! Go Carrot Top!
And good god, I'm really starting to hate Applejack now...
838800 You are SO not the only one. I legit, 100% serious want to see her ending the story with raindrops breaking her jaw. I know it won't happen but good god she is a Diamond Dog here. And no, it's not 'she's not bad!'. She is seriously out to wreck Carrot Top and keep the other farmers down. She needs pain!
841767 To be fair, she hasn't been exposed to the magic of friendship. Only inbreeding.
Shut up Applejack. Carrot top needs to man up and make a carrot lasagne. And an onion one. Maybe not one with grapes though.
Ok Applejack, you were acting unpleasant before, but now you're just being a jerk.
842229
You good sir just made my day .....i think about your coment and still laugh
most of the grants and works projects
1. Work.
ya'r/yar throughout this chapter should be yer
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yarselves even more than us!
yerselves
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then
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842229 I was gonna put down an angry rant thing against Applejack, but then I saw your comment, and all my hatred just melted away...
So, I reread the story, and...
That's kinda bullshit. No, that's a big bullshit. I'd expect the farmers want to give Carrot Top risk before Applejack went and drove them angry. After that little thing if I was a farmer, that Carrot Top asked for help I would take risks AWAY from her. I would take pressure off her, so that she was more motivated to win, not pile up risks, with no increase in reward.
If I was in Carrot's place, I'd EXPECT from others to make it EASIER for me to win, not increase the debt I would own, if I still lost. I would f*cking walk away right then and there, with explaining of my motivationts, of course.
"We chose not to actively let you starve to death -- but we charged you money for it, of course. Aren't we saints?"
Also, it's "you're" or "yer" if it's meant to represent the accent. "Y'ar" isn't a word.
"The fact that you can't do this because we're actively keeping you from being able to is entirely besides the point."
Applejack is... interesting. She does hold good values, at least nominally, and does genuinely want to help people -- honestly, if she weren't up to her eyeballs in delusions, she would be a pretty good sort. It's a pity that she's so out of touch with... everything.
I'm also going to have to second 9408754 here -- in a gathering like this, if the local land baron came along and essentially said "You lot don't get to compete with me or make money, now roll over and go back to knowing your place", my absolute last priority would be making it harder for Carrot Top to show her up.
The problem with using alcohol to drown your troubles is that Trouble knows how to use alcohol as floaties