Census Maximus Ultimatum

Chapter 7

Apple Bloom blinked open her eyes. The sun was bright in her face, the window straight in front of her. She blinked, once, twice, and then she removed the blankets enshrouding her. As she threw off the coverings, the slid her legs out and over the bedside. She leaned forward, and dropped down to the floor. Her forelegs slipped sideways and she fell. Her chin hit the floor, and then the rest of her body. “Great, jus' great! A nahce, wonderful way tah start off the mornin'!” she grumbled to herself. Picking herself up, and rubbing her jaw, she exited her room and headed down the stairs. Her sister was in the kitchen, having at a bit of apple pie. Granny Smith was already taking her first of several naps during the day. Big Mac was outside already, kicking apple trees.

“Howdy, Apple Bloom! Ready for work?”

“Yep! What are we gonna do today?” Apple Bloom pulled an apple from the bowl on the table and took it down in a few bites.

“We'll be haulin' in yesterday's harvest and makin' apple stuff! Pies, fritters, whatever ya want!”

“You'd think Ah'd have mah Cutie Mark by now, I mean, all I do for work is stuff with apples. But seriously, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have their Cutie Marks, and Ah don't even know what the hay their talent is, other than bein' jerks all the time.”

“Don't you worry about that, Apple Bloom! You'll get yours soon enough!”

Apple Bloom opened the door and walked outside, muttering to herself.

When she reached the spot of ground where there were several carts piled high with apples, she tried pulling on one.

It didn't budge.

“Hhhnnnngggg!” She struggled against the force of mass and gravity before deciding that she could not move it and she had to wait for Big Macintosh or Applejack.

Before long they showed up. Applejack picked up one of the carts and rested the brace against her shoulders, and she started hauling it away. Apple Bloom jumped on top of the one Big Mac was pulling, and smiled as she bounced up and down as the ruts and ditches in the road affected the cart the stallion pulled.

A thought came to her mind. When Scootaloo had left the day before with Rainbow Dash, where had she gone? And why hadn't she come back? Soon  after, Sweetie belle had left, muttering something about Rarity, and so Apple Bloom had just gone home as well. No friends, no one to play with.

But Rainbow Dash had looked funny, and there was something in her eyes.

A jolt from the cart interrupted her train of thought. She held on as the forces of physics tried to throw her off the cart.

Within a few seconds, the cart stopped and Apple Bloom jumped off, and grabbed a large bucket from next to the barn. She set it next to the cart and began pulling apples from it and piling them into the metal container. When it was full, she carried it back to the house and set it down next to the door.

The process was repeated for the next pair of hours.

Bucket, after bucket, after bucket, eventually Apple Bloom forgot all about Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash's mysterious appearance and looks.

“No! No, no NO!” Rarity ran back and forth across the room, her frantic persona showing once more. Sweetie Belle sat there, annoyed. Her sister was so refined, that everything had to be perfect. This was OCD on a level she had not seen. Rarity was levitating so many random objects across the room to various locations, that Sweetie Belle had stopped caring. Her sister was apparently “working” on a large order from some Canterlot yahoo named Photo Finish, but “work” meant running in circles worrying about the most minute things in existence.

“Hey, Rarity-”

“Not NOW, Sweetie Belle! I'm trying to work!”

Sweetie Belle left the house.

She walked to Sugarcube Corner and used the few bits she had to buy a cupcake. It was chocolate, covered in white frosting and sprinkled with purple dots. It made her feel good, looking at it. She got one every once in a while. Usually when she was annoyed, or depressed, or irritated about something.

“Hey Sweetie Belle!” She looked over and saw Button Mash, having at another milkshake, sitting with his JoyBoy. She waved to him, and then went and sat by herself in a corner. The cupcake was divine, made, it seemed, by angels, and brought down for her to enjoy a taste of heaven.

The door opened, the bell jingling over it. Scootaloo walked in. Sweetie Belle called to her and waved, but the orange filly gave no response. Her head was down, and she walked straight to the counter and asked for the last thing Sweetie Belle expected her to say. Coffee.

Sweetie Belle left her cupcake and walked to her, sitting down. Scootaloo sighed.

“What's wrong, Scootaloo?”

No response.

“Well, okay, I'll be over there if you wanna talk...” Awkwardly, the white filly stood and returned to her place.

She watched her friend wait for the drink, whilst nibbling on her cupcake, her desire for the luscious flavor diminished.

Scootaloo was given the drink, and then she walked to the bar of condiments and poured a copious amount of sugar and cream into it. The orange pegasus brought the cup over to where Sweetie Belle was, and sat down.

“You know how I always dream of impressing Rainbow Dash?” She asked.

Sweetie Belle looked at her, puzzled. “Sure?”

“Well, she informally adopted me yesterday.”

“She did? Why?”

“I dunno, I guess she wanted me to be her little sister as much as I wanted her to be my older sister. But now that it's happened, somethin' feels all weird about it. Like, there is a piece missing.”

“I cannot even imagine what you are talking about.”

“I should ask Twilight.” She sipped her coffee, and almost gagged it all back out. “Still hot,” she muttered.

Sweetie Belle stuffed down the rest of her cupcake. “Well, when you do, come to the clubhouse, we're gonna try and get our Cutie Marks again today!”

Rainbow Dash flew in a straight line toward the Mayor's house. She had to start her search somewhere, and she might as well start here. Dropping onto the porch, she hit the door three times, loudly. Swift footsteps were heard, and then the door creaked open. “Oh, my dear Rainbow Dash! Whatever can I do for you? Do come in!” Rainbow Dash stepped inside, and

Mayor Mare closed the door.

“I....uh...”

“Rainbow Dash? What is it?”

She crossed her front legs. Embarrassed to be asking this sort of question, she blurted out, “I want to see the Ponyville birth records!”

The Mayor blinked, and gave her an odd look. “Whatever for? I can't just allow anyone to view them, it's an invasion of privacy...”

“Please! It's for a dear friend of mine!”

“What exactly are you looking for?”

“I want to see if there is a name. A certain pony, I want to know whether or not she was born in Ponyville or not.”

“And that pony is?”

“Scootaloo.”

The Mayor looked at Rainbow Dash with sudden understanding. “I knew there was a special bond between you two. How about I have a look, and send you a formal letter in a couple days?”

“Uh...I guess...”

“Fantastic, I will make sure to let you know.”

Rainbow Dash opened the door to leave. “Uh, thanks!” she shouted, and she took off and soared into the clouds.