The Swarm

Rainbow Dash groaned as she sat at her desk, eying the pile of paperwork in front of her as she resisted the urge to either burn them or throw them away.

“Rainbow Dash, you got some visitors,” Cloudchaser stuck her head in the doorway. The rainbow maned mare smacked her head against her wooden desk in frustration and Cloudchaser winced as Rainbow rubbed her forehead with a hoof.

Cloudchaser was used to Rainbow doing stuff like that when frustrated enough. Cloudchaser had offered countless times to help with her job as an assistant weather manager but Rainbow was adamant that she could do it alone. Cloudchaser was still slightly happy that she at least got the position and her own office down the hall that she shared with Firebug.

“Send em away. I got too much work to do and paychecks to sign. Tell to come back later,” Rainbow answered and brushed her rainbow mane aside before picking up a quill.

“Can’t. It’s the authorities and Derpy. Apparently it’s about a surprise visit this week from Princess Celestia,” Cloudchaser answered and Rainbow gulped nervously. Refusing to see the royal guards was always bad news. Especially if they got pissed about it.

“Send them in. I’m always down to see Derpy,” Rainbow commented and leaned back in her chair. She wasn’t lying either. She genuinely enjoyed Derpy’s company. And her kids were pretty cute too.

Cloudchaser nodded and disappeared. Rainbow waited patiently as her door opened again and she grinned widely at Derpy, waving a wing at the mare as Silverspeed stood silently in the corner.

Rainbow admired her golden armor for a second before looking away to Derpy shutting the door. Rainbow always did admire the Royal Guards. For a short while, she had contemplated joining. Didn’t really pan out the way she wanted. Too many rules in her opinion. But Rainbow did have to admit, the benefits of joining up were really good. She and most, if not all ponies she knew respected the hell out of the Equestrian military.

“Hey Derpy. What’s this I’m hearing about Princess Celestia coming here? More importantly, what does that have to do with me?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow and stifled a yawn.

She needed her daily nap later today.

“We kind of need some clear sky for the week. No rain preferred. Things have to be perfect. Sunset can’t be here because she’s sick at home with the flu. Pretty bad case of it too,” Derpy sighed as she and Silverspeed both shared a worried look. The others had shared their sentiment of being concerned about her, Trixie doing so in her own way.

“No can do. The schedule calls for rain. And besides, the earth ponies need the rain for the farms. I’m not about to end up on their bad side,” Rainbow shook her head side to side. And besides, she really did like carrots. Most of the farmers were her friends. Like AJ and Junebug, for starters. Only one she didn’t really get along with well was Roma, but nopony got along with her except rare cases.

“Roseluck said the same thing,” Silverspeed sighed and made eye contact with Rainbow. “Just one or two days of sunshine? Or at least, the day Celestia comes to visit?”

“I want to work with you but I can’t risk that. Winter is coming up in a few months. The farmers need as much time to gather food for Ponyville. The politics with this position is difficult. Pissing off the earth ponies and my friends is a horrible idea. We all remember what happened the last time a weather manager in Ponyville did so. He got fired in a week. I’m not fond of losing my job,” Rainbow pointed out flatly and leaned back again in her chair.

“Okay,” Derpy sighed and Silverspeed glanced out the window. “Thanks Dashie.”

“Anytime Derpy. But since it’s you, I’ll try talking to them. And besides, I don’t wanna anger the Royal Guards. Next thing I know, I’ll get her over there following me all over town,” Rainbow rolled her eyes and Silverspeed scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t say anything,” Derpy whispered and Silverspeed nodded slowly as she scowled at Rainbow. “Alright, thanks Rainbow.”

“Anytime Derpy. And uh, tell Sunset I hope she feels better. We don’t really see eye to eye but still. Flu is a bitch.”

Derpy gave a brief nod and Rainbow sighed, glancing at the clock. She supposed she could fit a thirty minute nap in.

Roma leaned against her stall, frowning slightly at Shoeshine trotting up with a bag of bits held in her mouth and Roma resisted the urge to make a snarky comment, instead choosing to examine her blue eyeshadow in her mirror instead.

“Hey Roma,” Shoeshine dropped the bag of bits on her stall. “How are you?”

“Oh, just dandy,” Roma grumbled and bit her tongue. Market days were her least favorite day of the week. Especially since what she found out earlier this morning from Roseluck made her less than happy to see ponies.

“Seven beefsteak tomatoes, please?” Shoeshine requested and Roma inhaled. She and the others had made plans to refuse service to ponies that had they deemed were working against them. Pity really. Roma always slightly liked Shoeshine as a friend. Or well, as close to a friend as they ever really got. They never hung out or talked really other than a few words when Roma and Angel were out.

“Sorry, we’re all out,” Roma lied and nudged a box of said produce out of sight under her stall. “Ran out this morning.”

Shoeshine’s face fell and sighed, scuffing her hoof against the dirt.

“Well, damn. I was gonna use them to make dinner for Screw Loose. Beefsteak tomatoes are her favorite,” Shoeshine explained and Roma tried to push the guilt she felt down. “Thanks anyway, Roma. Let me know when you get any?”

Roma managed a weak nod as Shoeshine gave another tired sigh and picked up her bit bag, watching her trot away as Roma rested her head on her stall and gave a groan.

She never really had a problem with Screw Loose. Roma didn’t necessarily think that the groups actions would affect anypony else other than the ponies they intended.

“Hi. How much for four beefsteak tomatoes?” A stallion asked and Roma shrugged.

“Four bits.”

Golden Harvest stood with a scowl as few stalls down from Roma’s, watching Shoeshine trot away with a sad expression. She didn’t necessarily know what was said, but she could tell it wasn’t great.

“Next!” Golden called out and accepted some bits from Caramel. “Have a good day and don’t lose these ones!”

“I won’t!” Caramel called back and Golden resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Golden stifled a curse as Trixie stood in front of her and Trixie smiled at her.

“Trixie would like a bag of carrots for a trick she is planning on this next week.”

“Next!” Golden ignored her and hoofed some carrots to another mare after accepting her bits. “Next!”

“Uhm, I was here first,” Trixie interjected as a stallion walked around her. “What the hell is the big idea?”

“Next!”

Trixie watched in confusion as Golden helped the other ponies around her. Everypony except Trixie. Trixie was too confused to even make a rude comment like she normally would to ponies.

Trixie made a frustrated sound and trotted off with a huffed as Golden smirked slightly at her.

Berry Punch leaned against a wall with a bottle of wine held in hoof and watched in stunned silence. She knew they had talked about it at their impromptu meeting today, but Berry didn’t know they would actually go through with it. Berry personally had no intention of doing so. She, Applejack and Big Mac had all agreed on that in private after the others had all left to go open their respective businesses for the day.

It made her a bit sick to her stomach to think of it. Not that she would ever admit it. If she did, she’d probably be loosing all her friends and be ran out of Ponyville. That was something she refused to allow happen. Ponyville was her home after all. She had her first kid here, after all. She didn’t entirely plan on making Ruby leave her friends and aunts behind.

Berry watched in slight disgust at Roma and Golden leaning against their respective stands and took another long sip of her wine, savoring the slightly sweet taste.

“This is so fucking wrong,” Berry whispered to herself and flattened her ears against her head.

The mulberry mare gave her wine a shake and tossed the empty bottle in a trash can with a sad sigh.