Census Maximus Ultimatum

Chapter 3

Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle trotted down the country lane toward Applejack's barn. The birds above were calling out to one another, and the sky was stretching across a plane of azure blue. The rows of apple trees began to reach out  on either side of the path, hundreds of the fruit-bearing plants, one after another after another.

The two ponies walked side by side, moving steadily closer to the buildings at the center of the massive farm.

A shout, and then a rough cracking noise reached their ears. Rainbow Dash smiled. Applejack was already working away on the apples, gathering them before winter set in. She and Twilight turned from the path down between two rows of apple trees, following the sound of the working mare. It was excessively loud, first the thud-thud-thud of her hooves against the earth, then the hoarse yell, and then the harsh crack of Applejack's hooves connecting with the tree, shaking he apples to the ground, where the orange mare gathered them into baskets.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight found her finishing with one tree and moving on to the next. She stopped as she saw them.

“Well how ya'll doin', sugarcubes?”

“Just fine, Applejack.” Twilight said. “Started your work, for the end of the season, I see?”

“Sure have, Twilight, Ah gotta get this done. If Ah don't, we will lose some money and have to raise our prices. We make some good business here in Ponyville, but we're trying to make some tradin' agreements with the folks in Canterlot and Appleloosa, and then Manehattan.”

“Sounds like work, work, and more work.” Rainbow put in. She flopped down on the grass, folding her cyan wings against her body.

“Well, Rainbow, ya'll can do what ya want, but Ah chose my work, Ah got mah Cutie Mark workin' this here farm, and here's where Ah'll stay, if ya don' mind me doin' so.” Applejack turned around and swiftly bucked a tree, the harsh, thunderous crack echoing through the trees. Apples dropped to the grass.

Twilight used her magic to levitate the apples into the various baskets on the ground, and then released the magic.

Applejack cut to the chase. “So, Twilight, what can Ah do ya fer?”

“I'd like to talk to you, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity about something.”

Rainbow Dash looked up. “What?”

“Well, Twilight, can ya wait maybe half an hour or somewhat, and Ah can meet ya'll somewheres in town, how's that sound?”

“Perfect, Applejack, thanks! Rainbow Dash, let's go. We need to find Rarity.”

“Whatever you say, Twilight, but we're flying.”

“Oh no.”

“Come on! You're part Pegasi now! You gotta practice!” Rainbow Dash jumped into the air, easily gaining height with her ease of assurance in the air, her home territory.

Twilight Sparkle cursed under her breath. “Fine, fine.” she complied. She jumped into the air, and then dropped back to the ground, falling on her front hooves. Irritated, she stretched out her wings, and tried again, without falling, but still struggling to keep her balance and flap her wings hard enough and often enough without returning to the force of gravity.

After a few vain attempts, Twilight managed to maintain a height of ten feet above the ground, they bid Applejack farewell. She and Rainbow Dash flew as fast as Twilight could manage without falling again. Rainbow Dash grew increasingly pushy about it, always nagging her to go faster, flap harder, work harder, use her muscles, and all that pegasus nonsense. Twilight still preferred to read about flying rather than practicing it.

After several minutes of verbal annoyance from Rainbow Dash, she and Twilight managed to get  far enough and close enough to Ponyville that they dropped to the ground and walked the rest of the way. Her mood had become annoyed and strained, about to snap if anything else irritated her.

Which could be a lot of things.

They walked along the dirt paths between the buildings until they reached Rarity's boutique. Typical Rainbow Dash burst through the door without knocking and barreled into Rarity, who was levitating various lengths of different colored cloths across the room. With a loud “Oof!” Rarity hit the ground, Rainbow Dash on top of her, and a moment later, all the material hit the carpet. Twilight walked in like a princess should, head high, wings partially folded back, neat steps, until the tripped on the bottom of the door frame and ruined the entire thing.

After the awkward moment of the three ponies getting to their feet, and Rarity shrieking at Rainbow Dash, and Twilight standing, trying to maintain her dignity, and all three talking at once and nobody listening to anyone else.

Twilight sat, irritated, until Rainbow Dash had begun shouting at Rarity over something, and Rarity was shouting back at how expensive her material was, and she could stand it no longer.

“EVERYPONY SHUTUP!” she yelled over them.

The two arguing ponies stopped, quite suddenly, and looked at her. Then Rainbow Dash started giggling, and Rarity did a sort of professional laugh, until all three ponies sat laughing at one another or with one another. After a few seconds they all stopped. Twilight closed the door and moved closer to them. “Well, girls, it seems we have had our fun. Time for business. But we have to wait for-”

The door jingled, and the orange mare walked in. “Hey ya'll, Ah figured ya'll would be here!”

Twilight smiled. She waved the Applejack over to join them. “Now, girls, I have a rather important question involving the diplomatic concerns-”

“Speak English, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight Sparkle glared at her. “Involving the diplomatic concerns about the population of Ponyville and whether or not performing certain actions would affect the economy.”

Rarity caught on. “Such as?”

“As you may or may not know, as a Princess, I am required to perform a Census every other year to make sure that Canterlot can monitor our needs.”

“Twilight, you know I don't speak politics. What's a Census?”

“Sugarcube, it means she counts all the ponies who live here. Try an' pay attention.” Applejack watched Twilight attentively.

“I want to know if you three think that we should count the older fillies as well. They will all be  adult mares within a couple of years, and I wondered about counting them. Rarity, as Sweetie Belle's guardian, and your parents are not living here, you are responsible for the filly. Applejack, Granny Smith will represent your family, but I want your opinion on Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash, because Scootaloo's relatives are not here, you will stand as her guardian, because she sees you as an older sister. I wish for the three of you to seek out the three fillies, ad ask them what they think, and then come back to me. The number of ponies counted can determine the taxes, the growth rate, and more political stuff that you don't need to know about and probably don't care to hear.”

Rainbow Dash said, “Well, I'll go find Scootaloo. I'd bet that all three of them are together, at their games. See ya!” She flapped her wings, and zoomed out the door.

Rarity spoke next. “I can just wait for Sweetie Belle to come home. She'll be here within a few hours, I'm certain.”

“Same here,” Applejack said.

Twilight nodded. She started to leave. “I've got some reading to do. I'll see you girls later!” She opened the door and left, closing it behind her. She took a deep breath, inhaling the morning air.

Applejack appeared next to her. “Ah don't know about all that political stuff, or why what's what, but if you think it's best for us ponies, then Ah'm all fer it.” The orange mare trotted off back toward her farm. Twilight Sparkle watched her go, then turned back to her library, planning on spending the rest of the day enjoying silence in her library, with her books.