Can You Stop Progress?

by Thranx

A White Flag

A month later...

Applejack was devastated. She was only a tenth off from the quota. A tenth off. The unicorns had tried everything from quick growth spells to mass levitation. Yet they still couldn't keep up. The Acquisitions Division had just arrived and with it came the same mare that she met a month ago.

"Good morning, Miss Applejack. We came from the Acquisitions Division to collect your monthly produce according to the quota, may we come in?" the mare politely asked.

"Morning to you too, miss. Sure you can come in. We had already packed our produce in the barn," Applejack tipped her hat and opened the gate.

As the trucks drove past the gate, the mare approached Applejack and shook her hoof. "I see some new faces on the farm and they're Unicorns. You have been a bit progressive this past month haven't you?"

"That Ah did, that Ah did, all in the name of helping Equestria," Applejack replied.

"Did your farm keep up with our recent change?" the mare addressed the elephant in the room.

"Yah have to find that out yourselves," Applejack vaguely replied.

"How cryptic. Alright then, we'll how this pans out,"

"Right this way, Ah can make something for you while we wait," Applejack escorted her to her home.

---

"Thank you very much for this delicious meal, Miss Applejack and Mrs. Granny Smith, I very much appreciate your hospitality," the mare thanked them.

A knock on the door interrupted Applejack before she could reply.

"Ah'll get it, Granny," Granny Smith nodded as Applejack opened the door to see one of the loader ponies.

"May I come in?" he gruffly asked.

"Sure, make yerself at home," Applejack stepped aside as the pony went in and she promptly closed the door.

The pony gave the mare a paper, "The list of produce, ma'am,"

"Thank you, you may go back to your group," the pony nodded and left the house.

She watched as the pony disappeared from her view before turning to see the paper, "Let's see how this farm fare, shall we?"

After a few minutes of analysing in silence the mare looked up from the paper, "Miss Applejack, Mrs. Granny Smith? I'm afraid you were a little off with the quota. If you can't keep this up, unfortunately we have to seize your property for the Crown to make better use of it,"

"Yah can't do that! Princess Celestia personally granted us this here farm!" Granny Smith snapped.

Applejack could only watch in silence.

The mare took off her glasses and sighed, "I didn't want to do this, you know? But we have to. Everypony has to play their part. I even had to seize my aunt's cherry farm in Dodge Junction yesterday," she paused for a few seconds. "You can start packing up, the Crown will compensate your losses, you have until the end of the week," the mare stood up and began heading for the door.

Applejack rushed to her and grabbed her hind leg, "Please, don't do this. The farm's all we got. Give us one more chance, we were only a tenth off! We work harder for next month. Ah swear! It's the honest truth! Please Ah'm begging you, give us another chance," Applejack begged.

The mare looked at Applejack in silence, contemplating her words, then sighed "Fine, but this is your last chance, if you can't keep up by next month, this property will be owned by the Crown,"

"Thank you, miss. Yah don't know how much this mean to us," Applejack gratefully thanked her.

"No problem, but your quota for next month will be 50% higher than this month," the mare replied.

"What?! Why?!" Applejack shouted.

"The changelings have already put Las Pegasus under siege, so did the Stalliongradians at Griffish Isles. We need all the food we can get so they can hold out," the mare sadly replied.

"Why can't you ask other farms to do this too? Surely there's plenty more?"

"A lot of the farms are already struggling to keep up, they are at their limits. We can't keep pushing them. Your farm, on the other hoof, is by far one of the largest in Equestria, yet it still haven't reached its full potential, one of the last few to not achieve it, might I add. The Crown intends to make it so," the mare explained.

"Ah... Ah understand," Applejack replied.

"You'll receive your next quota in another letter from the Division by tomorrow, until then, I must excuse myself. Remember, try to keep up, I can only pray for good luck on you. For now, I bid you goodbye," the mare left.

Applejack nodded and watched the trucks left her farm. She went inside her house and she approached Granny Smith, still sitting on the chair by the dining table, staring numbly on the wall of the kitchen.

"Granny, Ah think we have to do this,"

"Yah don't think so, we Apples will stay true to our roots! How dare yah thinkin' of nonsense like that!" Granny Smith shouted.

"Wait, wait, hold up Granny! Just hear me out! If we don't do it they're gonna kick us out and they'll do it anyway with or without us. But if we do it at least we can decide how much we want to use it and put some quality control in the process, that sound good, ain't it?" Applejack reasoned.

Granny Smith was silent for a full minute, thinking on Applejack words before she sighed, "Ah suppose there's some good in that. At least the farm's still in our hooves. Fine, Ah approve Applejack, just do what yer gotta do," Granny Smith sank into her chair.

Applejack nodded, "Thank you for understanding, Granny. Ah'll be right back," Applejack left Granny Smith alone. She went for the living room.

She thought of this whole ordeal, can she stop progress?

She didn't think so. She had tried working hard, she had tried using unicorn magic, yet she still failed. However, she there was one thing she haven't tried. She could try and keep any semblance of tradition if she can, in the unrelenting wave of progress, she can at least make an island where tradition survives.

Applejack arrived at the living room and head for the telephone. Then started flipping open the phonebook next to it looking for the number. Once she found it she dialed the number and waited for the other end to pick up.

She hated it.

But she had to do it.

She hoped it was the right thing to do.

Somepony picked up.

She began, "Hello, is this the Flim and Flam Industries?"

The End