Post by Apple Bloom on May 27, 2012 15:55:37 GMT -5
Ponyville Square
It's clear that something's going down in town square today! The normally bucolic heart of Ponyville is a lot dustier than normal, for one thing. Did they import dust from Appleoosa? There's a big arena taking up most of the formerly grassy space between the Town Hall and the surrounding buildings. It's walled off with wooden plank fences, with big corner posts and ropes adding magnitude and various waving banners and pennants adding decoration. Rows of bleachers six levels high surround the arena.
Meanwhile, vendors nopony in town remembers ever seeing before have taken up the circuit in the marketplace and all the way to the stream. The atmosphere is more rollicking than usual by far, and there seem to be an inordinate number of big, broad-rimmed hats and immaculate white vests, not to mention the occasional lapel flower. And the arena itself is scattered with crates, barrels, coiled ropes, metal trappings, reins, signboards, and other dusty miscellany.
Do you know what this is? The Equestria Rodeo Competition is being held in Ponyville this year--that's what it is! Are -you- on the roster?
---
Derpy says "In that case? First contest? Is forklifting! Who can lift more forks at once!"
---
Am ponyy!!! Am pegasus pony! Can fly. Can mail. Also talk, but not good. Am gray, yellow hair, bubblemark behind: Pop pop pop! Want to fun?
---
Derpy dumps a bunch of forks onto the field using a forklift.
Derpy announces over the escapes of Mr. Sundance over in the main arena: "Is Sideshow! Extra ring-a-ding? For IRON PONNNNYYYYYYY!!" She flutters around upside-down. "In contentionality! MARBLE! MADNESS! Chief of PAPER!!" She cheers. "And in ~this~ corner...even without corner. Is SKYPART! Best at...being new? Have address? Cannot say. Best mystery is IRON MYSTERYYY!"
Plain_Sight watches as many of the crowd leave but seems some remain. She goes over where there seems to be another competition, but not nearly as many ponies. She sees all the forks being dumped out. She tilts her head curiously.
---
Plain lives up to her name, being a fairly simple mare. She has a light tan body color, and her mane and tail are a light milk chocolate brown, with a pair of spectacles appearing on her flank as her cutie mark. Her eyes though are a nice soft sky blue, seen behind a small pair of glasses she usually wears, not unlike her cutie mark. She has tried to add a touch of color, tying her long mane up behind her head in a pony tail with a light pink wrap around the base. Similar pink wraps tie back her long bangs, keeping them out of her eyes.
She currently has a pair of saddle bags over her back with a symbol similar to her cutie mark on each side.
---
Derpy goes and delivers a big pink package which turns out to be full of ice cream sundaes.
Skyheart stands in the rodeo ring clearly nervous. He didn't train a whole lot, even if he knew it would be for naught anyway, and he was still preoccupied with getting his poem ready to submit for his first column in tomorrow's paper. Then again, he was going up against Marble Memory. Then AGAIN, this wasn't about trying to win. He casts a glance to what of the crowd didn't go off to either be with the Apples or swoon over Gunstar and gives a cringing smile.
---
tinyurl.com/bphkgdk Skyheart has a rather lean stature due to not being particularly active. However, he keeps himself very tidy. His wings, in particular seem to be very well groomed and taken care of. He doesn't fly much on them so they are nigh pristine. In addition, he is often seen with his green saddlebags adorned with his cutie mark on the clasp. Inside this bag he carries his parchment, ink, and custom purple quills (which have a curious habit of sticking in his mane whenever he dips his head in to retrieve something.) Oddly enough, he never gets ink spilt anywhere, which might be the reasons why his mane isn't filled with ink when the quills assault it.
---
Derpy leaves the package of ice cream sundaes on the field near the forks and makes no further announcements.
O-oh dear. That's her cue. Fluttershy flitterfluts forward from the far reaches of the field, looking down at Derpy, Skyheart, and Marble Memory. "Um...y-yay," she cheers, and then she goes and arranges big, cushiony haypiles around the arena...
---
Um...Fluttershy is really, really sorry that it took so long to get this description set up. She's just really nervous. It's not like she's really, y'know, used to talking about her own body that much, like her long and flowing pink mane and tail, which she's often seen using to hide her face, or her sunny yellow coat, or anything, and she'd feel too anxious talking about her bright blue eyes to even get any words out! She does have wings, being a pegasus, you see, but she's not really a very strong flier. Oh, her cutie mark is okay, though! It's three little pink butterflies arranged on her flank.
---
Nimble_Hooves trots closer to the field, watching on. He sees a familiar pegasus poet on the field. Having never been properly introduced, he doesn't know the pony's name, but he claps his hooves in support anyway...
---
Before you stands a chestnut coloured pegasus, yet this pegasus is certainly not normal.
There is an obvious difference to this pony's wings. Seemingly taken straight out of an antique store, these wings are a curious assembly of wood, metal and cloth. Thin polished wood slats have been carved to appear as feathers. These feathers attach back to a metal frame with polished brass gears, springs and armatures. Sewn in place around the frame, and beneath the wooden feathers is some kind of silken cloth.
The whole assembly appears to attach directly back to the pony's body, where leather straps hold it in place. It its current folded state, these wings don't appear as if they'd be useful for flight. Yet, as you look closer at the mechanism, you catch a glimpse of what may be scars beneath the harness. Your stare is suddenly met by bright sapphire blue eyes, rimmed with round gold-framed spectacles. His gold and copper toned mane is long, its loose curls framing his face. There is a hint of apprehension there. He then smiles to you, somewhat shyly, and introduces himself as NimbleHooves. A glance to his flank reveals a cutie-mark: a pair of horseshoes, each of which is composed of an intricately woven Celtic knotwork. The hair of his tail is a match for that of his mane.
---
Indeed, this is about impressing Fluttershy. That's at least what Marble is hoping to do. Of course he could end up frightening her, but he thinks this could work! He'll win the challenge, then meekly ask if Fluttershy likes him. For now, he is seeing the piles of forks. Well... this looks like it could be hard to do. He has what to lift forks? Teeth?
---
---
Derpy lifts her foreleg directly up into the air, closing her eyes. "One! Fork!"
Skyheart blinks as he looks at the pile of cutlery only unicorns really use regularly. Well so much for the test of endurance. He looks at the forks and hears Derpy's announcement. He uses a hoof and lifts up a single fork. "Like this?"
"Hey, um...D-Derpy? Marble? Skyheart? A-are you sure this is a good idea?" Fluttershy lands near the mailmare and watches Skyheart lift. He didn't cut himself! That's a good sign.
Marble too wonders what the challenge is, and he dips down and picks up a fork. One. Done. "Haa a huuurk!"
Derpy claps and cheers for Skyheart, but then looks at Fluttershy. Her eyes go a'derping. "Why not idea?" she protests. She holds up both forelegs. "TWO fork!!"
Plain_Sight finds this all very - curious. She sees the familiar yellow pony Fluttershy. She makes her way over to her much more easily with the smaller crowd. "Hello, Fluttershy. Are they going to fight with those small weapons?" She points out to the two ponies on the field.
Skyheart looks at the pile curiously. He picks up two forks as instructed. He's holding them in one hoof and picking them up with his other.
"Um..." Fluttershy blinks and Plain Sight, looks at Derpy for confirmation, and then back to Ms. Sight again. "I-I don't...think so?" At this point, all bets are off.
Two more forks or another fork reaching a total of two? Marble assumes the latter and dips down and picks up another fork. Two forks in his mouth. So far so good. Right? "Ooo huuurk!"
Derpy looks very seriously and somewhat intensely at Fluttershy. She cheers for Skyheart! She cheers for Marble! "Soo goood!" she praises. A few audience members applaud in anticipation more than in admiration. Derpy turns herself around and then rolls onto her back, thrusting up all four legs. "FOUR FOOORRRRK!!"
Plain_Sight looks to Fluttershy curiously. She follows her gaze to Derpy, nudging her glasses in place with a hoof, not sure what to make of the intense look. She nods to Fluttershy. "Hmm okay." But her attention is drawn back to the challengers. Hmmm now they are each holding two of the pointy utensils. This is better?
Skyheart still debates the nature of the competition as he scoops up four more forks. "Are you sure this is part of the competition?" He asks Marble, "I really hope they're not making fun of us..."
Fluttershy isn't! A-at least she doesn't *think* so. Maybe that's Derpy's plan? "I don't think they're fighting," she says to Plain Sight. "I don't know *what* they're doing." Derpy meets Skyheart, who now has seven forks, with a soft, almost pitying glare. "Too many forks," she instructs softly. "Four only."
Nimble_Hooves watches on intently, quietly holding his breath when the poet pony picks up more forks. He wonders at the progression of fork numbers.... Could it be that Derpy plans an exponentially increasing number of forks? He gasps slightly as the poet is told he has too many forks...
Ah ha! Marble knows precisely what he is supposed to do! He picks up two more forks! Two plus two is four! Math! It's part of a bureaucrat's standard arsenal. Maybe not to the degree of his boss, though. Four forks, though. "Huurrrr hurrrr."
Plain_Sight turns back to Fluttershy again. She nods. "So far I think you are right." Indeed so far they do not seem to be doing much more than picking up increasing numbers of the objects. Maybe they are building up to something so she watches closely.
Derpy looks at both opponents and approves. She now flips back onto her back and, rather spasmodically, waves around all her legs, her wings, her head and her tail. "EEEEeiiiiiggghht foooorrrrrrrkssss!" she cries, while the audience looks a little disturbed.
Skyheart feels his train of thought derail as he's told he has too many forks. He sees Marble's alternate approach and sighs. "Wait... Did I lose?" Apparently not. Derpy just announced the next round. He looks at the number of forks he has: seven. He picks up just one more. Somehow this isn't what he thought an Iron Pony Competition was like. Did they somehow swap all the physical activities with mental ones like this for the two of them or something? Well that didn't help either because Skyheart isn't exactly the most intelligent pony around, either. He's far from stupid but compared to Marble he's not particularly knowledgeable. He's seriously starting to question the nature of this whole event.
Fluttershy does look disturbed. "Um, Derpy? I-I'm not sure how many more forks they can hold..." Especially Marble, who seems to be keeping them in his *mouth*. That can't be healthy. Flutters looks around, trying to see if anypony else thinks this is odd.
Nimble_Hooves looks on, somewhat concerned, following the action closely. He winces and knows what number will come next. He stands straighter and clops his hooves together, "Y-you c-can d-do it!" He calls out.
It's getting to be a real challenge, holding all these forks in his mouth. Either by their heads or their handles. So... he ducks down and starts organizing the forks in his mouth, and takes in... four more. "Eeee huuurrrss!"
Derpy shouts: "SIXTEEN FOOORRRKS!!!" She doesn't have enough appendages to wave any more, so she just flops her whole body around in the dirt for a while.
Plain_Sight has thought the whole thing odd from the start. But then this pony rodeo is new to her. The winged gray mare wiggling around on the ground does give her concern. "Fluttershy, what is that pony doing?" Was she injured? Did Plain miss part of the fight? She looks around. She also wonders about the box of whatever it is, appearing to be melting.
Skyheart sighs. Okay, eight more. He tries his best to scoop them all up and hold them in the other hoof. What was this meant to test?
"Derpy is, um..." Fluttershy hesitates. She isn't really sure what to say about Derpy. "D-Derpy Hooves is just excitable, that's all. Um...go everypony? (yay)" She throws her hooves in the air like she just don't care, but she does. If that's okay.
Derpy isn't sure what to say about Derpy. Suffice to say that she's the reason Applejack had so many problems last year...indirectly. Town Hall is looking a lot better these days, though! She looks up at Fluttershy and flips herself pertly onto her feet. "Ex-citablllle!" she croons.
Nimble_Hooves peers, concerned, at the odd announcer pony rolling in the dirt. He's about to run over and help when he hears Fluttershy's explanation. His attention turns back to the poet pony, concern back on his face. He knows how many forks cones next, and hopes the pony can handle it. He continues to clop his hooves.
Marble is sorting with his tongue! He's not even bothering to get off the ground anymore, he's just scooting around, scooping forks into hos mouth, getting them into his mouth. He somehow manages sixteen. It looks painful.
Plain_Sight listens to Fluttershy then looks back to Derpy blinking her simple blue eyes. "Ah" she says as if understanding. At least the gray mare has stopped writhing about on the ground and is back on her hooves. She looks around though and watches Fluttershy and the others around. She turns back to the competitors and stomps her small hooves just a little. "Yay!" She looks about some more. It does seem the other ponies are somewhat expectant. They sure do have a lot of the pointy objects being held.
Skyheart holds a small collection of forks in his hooves, still trying to wrap his head around what this had to do with an Iron Pony Competition. He looks again to Marble, who challenged him in the first place in another of his attempts to catch Fluttershy's attention. "So... This is an Iron Pony Competition? Seems... a bit different, from what I imagined." He remarks as he looks at the pile of forks between them.
Derpy clears her throat and says demurely: "Twenty-twelve fork, if you please." She spreads her wings with aplomb.
Derpy closes her eyes blissfully.
And behold, Derpy ha transcended the bounds of mortal math and appeared from on high the bearer of metal forks, utensil and tuning both. Fluttershy's internal monologue is right, this is getting crazy. "Um...go Marble! Go Skyheart! Please...be careful?"
Derpy's internal monologue taps Fluttershy's internal monologue on the internal shoulder. "Want to fun?"
Fluttershy's internal monologue perks up. "Do I ever!"
"FUN!!" exclaims Derpy's internal monologue. And they go off to enjoy themselves...somehow.
Nimble_Hooves watches on, concerned now. He wonders how either pony can hold that many with their current technique.... He wishes he'd joined in now. Still, he stomps his rear hooves and clops his forehooves, and cheers on the poet pony.
Marble takes a moment to rearrange the forks so that only handles are in his mouth, then he starts gathering them in handle first. He's actually bleeding a little from some cuts. But he manages to get them all in there. And he'll need to use his hooves now.
Plain_Sight gives some more cheers and clops a bit more too like much of the rest of the audience. She smiles cutely and moves to watch the competition from a different vantage. Twenty twelve? she wonders to herself though, and watches more closely to see what this means. The signal to start the battle?
Skyheart looks at the forks and things. "Eh... Twenty Twelve? That's not a number..." He thinks for a moment, trying to figure this out. "Well things have been doubling since. so... Wait. Thirty-Two." He nods and starts scooping the forks into the pile in his left hoof.
Derpy crouches and looks between the two. "Who is more iron," she wonders rhetorically.
Well, Fluttershy's in a pickle now. With her internal monologue gone, how will she make observations about the events around her? Just fine, as it turns out; Marble and Skyheart's contest is still weird. "M-Marble, you're bleeding..."
Nimble_Hooves cringes and looks to the other pegasus, looking back to the poet pegasus and the rather odd announcer. He wonders if this will go into injury time. Still he clops his hooves together as both ponies seems to be making a valiant effort.
Marble carefully stands up, holding in the forks in his mouth, sweating big ones to keep them in. Indeed, he's still bleeding. "Mmmmm, eeehee oooo huuurrr?"
Plain_Sight does seem to be growing a little more perplexed about the event. The rope pulling one did seem more understandable. She clops a little more along with the other ponies as the two gather up the pointy things. It does actually start to look potentially dangerous. Well harmful at least.
Skyheart cringes at Marble's bleeding and then looks to Derpy. "So ah... um... Who wins?" He asks.
Derpy is a little troubled by the bleeding. She goes to Marble and pokes her on the shoulder gently. "Not bleed. Sixty and forks. I mean sixty-four." She looks to Skyheart and nods firmly.
Fluttershy gets out her gauze and cotton. And...a little bottle of mouthwash. These are going to come in handy soon. "Everypony, please, *please* be careful." The yellow mare glances at Plain Sight. Is she...clapping for injury?
Nimble_Hooves shifts somewhat uncomfortably as the action keeps going. He knows a much easier way to win, but bites his lip to keep from calling out. He wouldn't want to get accused of unfair play. He keeps clopping his hooves.
Marble looks down tearfully at the pile of forks... and leans down to scoop up the next 32 and hold them tightly in his hooves... starting to lose balance. Derpy looks impressed! And turns to Skyheart expectantly.
Plain_Sight is copping for something, perhaps not quite clear. She's not entirely clear what it is. Her ears perk as she sees them starting to carry an ever increasing number. She doesn't expect them to keep this up much longer, can they?
Skyheart begins tossing forks into the pile he's collecting in his hoof. He's trying his best to balance on his hind hooves, not using his wings at all. He's balancing very carefully. <CRASH> Never mind. He falls to the ground, forks piercing the area around him in a pegasus outline.
Derpy gassssps. "Is comeback!!" She leaps to Marble's side and raises his leg carelessly with her own. "Marble Madness is winner! One point out of twenty." She pulls a red wooden apple tile with a 1 carved into it out of somewhere and places it on the archivist's head.
Fluttershy is getting tenser and tenser, putting a hoof to her mouth. This is so tense for...some reason! And not the *right* reason. She wonders which will go down fir - oh. "Um...yay? Congratulations, Marble. I-I'm really sorry, Skyheart."
Fluttershy is still operating on the assumption that the two *want* to compete in this for some reason...
It's clear that something's going down in town square today! The normally bucolic heart of Ponyville is a lot dustier than normal, for one thing. Did they import dust from Appleoosa? There's a big arena taking up most of the formerly grassy space between the Town Hall and the surrounding buildings. It's walled off with wooden plank fences, with big corner posts and ropes adding magnitude and various waving banners and pennants adding decoration. Rows of bleachers six levels high surround the arena.
Meanwhile, vendors nopony in town remembers ever seeing before have taken up the circuit in the marketplace and all the way to the stream. The atmosphere is more rollicking than usual by far, and there seem to be an inordinate number of big, broad-rimmed hats and immaculate white vests, not to mention the occasional lapel flower. And the arena itself is scattered with crates, barrels, coiled ropes, metal trappings, reins, signboards, and other dusty miscellany.
Do you know what this is? The Equestria Rodeo Competition is being held in Ponyville this year--that's what it is! Are -you- on the roster?
---
Derpy says "In that case? First contest? Is forklifting! Who can lift more forks at once!"
---
Am ponyy!!! Am pegasus pony! Can fly. Can mail. Also talk, but not good. Am gray, yellow hair, bubblemark behind: Pop pop pop! Want to fun?
---
Derpy dumps a bunch of forks onto the field using a forklift.
Derpy announces over the escapes of Mr. Sundance over in the main arena: "Is Sideshow! Extra ring-a-ding? For IRON PONNNNYYYYYYY!!" She flutters around upside-down. "In contentionality! MARBLE! MADNESS! Chief of PAPER!!" She cheers. "And in ~this~ corner...even without corner. Is SKYPART! Best at...being new? Have address? Cannot say. Best mystery is IRON MYSTERYYY!"
Plain_Sight watches as many of the crowd leave but seems some remain. She goes over where there seems to be another competition, but not nearly as many ponies. She sees all the forks being dumped out. She tilts her head curiously.
---
Plain lives up to her name, being a fairly simple mare. She has a light tan body color, and her mane and tail are a light milk chocolate brown, with a pair of spectacles appearing on her flank as her cutie mark. Her eyes though are a nice soft sky blue, seen behind a small pair of glasses she usually wears, not unlike her cutie mark. She has tried to add a touch of color, tying her long mane up behind her head in a pony tail with a light pink wrap around the base. Similar pink wraps tie back her long bangs, keeping them out of her eyes.
She currently has a pair of saddle bags over her back with a symbol similar to her cutie mark on each side.
---
Derpy goes and delivers a big pink package which turns out to be full of ice cream sundaes.
Skyheart stands in the rodeo ring clearly nervous. He didn't train a whole lot, even if he knew it would be for naught anyway, and he was still preoccupied with getting his poem ready to submit for his first column in tomorrow's paper. Then again, he was going up against Marble Memory. Then AGAIN, this wasn't about trying to win. He casts a glance to what of the crowd didn't go off to either be with the Apples or swoon over Gunstar and gives a cringing smile.
---
tinyurl.com/bphkgdk Skyheart has a rather lean stature due to not being particularly active. However, he keeps himself very tidy. His wings, in particular seem to be very well groomed and taken care of. He doesn't fly much on them so they are nigh pristine. In addition, he is often seen with his green saddlebags adorned with his cutie mark on the clasp. Inside this bag he carries his parchment, ink, and custom purple quills (which have a curious habit of sticking in his mane whenever he dips his head in to retrieve something.) Oddly enough, he never gets ink spilt anywhere, which might be the reasons why his mane isn't filled with ink when the quills assault it.
---
Derpy leaves the package of ice cream sundaes on the field near the forks and makes no further announcements.
O-oh dear. That's her cue. Fluttershy flitterfluts forward from the far reaches of the field, looking down at Derpy, Skyheart, and Marble Memory. "Um...y-yay," she cheers, and then she goes and arranges big, cushiony haypiles around the arena...
---
Um...Fluttershy is really, really sorry that it took so long to get this description set up. She's just really nervous. It's not like she's really, y'know, used to talking about her own body that much, like her long and flowing pink mane and tail, which she's often seen using to hide her face, or her sunny yellow coat, or anything, and she'd feel too anxious talking about her bright blue eyes to even get any words out! She does have wings, being a pegasus, you see, but she's not really a very strong flier. Oh, her cutie mark is okay, though! It's three little pink butterflies arranged on her flank.
---
Nimble_Hooves trots closer to the field, watching on. He sees a familiar pegasus poet on the field. Having never been properly introduced, he doesn't know the pony's name, but he claps his hooves in support anyway...
---
Before you stands a chestnut coloured pegasus, yet this pegasus is certainly not normal.
There is an obvious difference to this pony's wings. Seemingly taken straight out of an antique store, these wings are a curious assembly of wood, metal and cloth. Thin polished wood slats have been carved to appear as feathers. These feathers attach back to a metal frame with polished brass gears, springs and armatures. Sewn in place around the frame, and beneath the wooden feathers is some kind of silken cloth.
The whole assembly appears to attach directly back to the pony's body, where leather straps hold it in place. It its current folded state, these wings don't appear as if they'd be useful for flight. Yet, as you look closer at the mechanism, you catch a glimpse of what may be scars beneath the harness. Your stare is suddenly met by bright sapphire blue eyes, rimmed with round gold-framed spectacles. His gold and copper toned mane is long, its loose curls framing his face. There is a hint of apprehension there. He then smiles to you, somewhat shyly, and introduces himself as NimbleHooves. A glance to his flank reveals a cutie-mark: a pair of horseshoes, each of which is composed of an intricately woven Celtic knotwork. The hair of his tail is a match for that of his mane.
---
Indeed, this is about impressing Fluttershy. That's at least what Marble is hoping to do. Of course he could end up frightening her, but he thinks this could work! He'll win the challenge, then meekly ask if Fluttershy likes him. For now, he is seeing the piles of forks. Well... this looks like it could be hard to do. He has what to lift forks? Teeth?
---
---
Derpy lifts her foreleg directly up into the air, closing her eyes. "One! Fork!"
Skyheart blinks as he looks at the pile of cutlery only unicorns really use regularly. Well so much for the test of endurance. He looks at the forks and hears Derpy's announcement. He uses a hoof and lifts up a single fork. "Like this?"
"Hey, um...D-Derpy? Marble? Skyheart? A-are you sure this is a good idea?" Fluttershy lands near the mailmare and watches Skyheart lift. He didn't cut himself! That's a good sign.
Marble too wonders what the challenge is, and he dips down and picks up a fork. One. Done. "Haa a huuurk!"
Derpy claps and cheers for Skyheart, but then looks at Fluttershy. Her eyes go a'derping. "Why not idea?" she protests. She holds up both forelegs. "TWO fork!!"
Plain_Sight finds this all very - curious. She sees the familiar yellow pony Fluttershy. She makes her way over to her much more easily with the smaller crowd. "Hello, Fluttershy. Are they going to fight with those small weapons?" She points out to the two ponies on the field.
Skyheart looks at the pile curiously. He picks up two forks as instructed. He's holding them in one hoof and picking them up with his other.
"Um..." Fluttershy blinks and Plain Sight, looks at Derpy for confirmation, and then back to Ms. Sight again. "I-I don't...think so?" At this point, all bets are off.
Two more forks or another fork reaching a total of two? Marble assumes the latter and dips down and picks up another fork. Two forks in his mouth. So far so good. Right? "Ooo huuurk!"
Derpy looks very seriously and somewhat intensely at Fluttershy. She cheers for Skyheart! She cheers for Marble! "Soo goood!" she praises. A few audience members applaud in anticipation more than in admiration. Derpy turns herself around and then rolls onto her back, thrusting up all four legs. "FOUR FOOORRRRK!!"
Plain_Sight looks to Fluttershy curiously. She follows her gaze to Derpy, nudging her glasses in place with a hoof, not sure what to make of the intense look. She nods to Fluttershy. "Hmm okay." But her attention is drawn back to the challengers. Hmmm now they are each holding two of the pointy utensils. This is better?
Skyheart still debates the nature of the competition as he scoops up four more forks. "Are you sure this is part of the competition?" He asks Marble, "I really hope they're not making fun of us..."
Fluttershy isn't! A-at least she doesn't *think* so. Maybe that's Derpy's plan? "I don't think they're fighting," she says to Plain Sight. "I don't know *what* they're doing." Derpy meets Skyheart, who now has seven forks, with a soft, almost pitying glare. "Too many forks," she instructs softly. "Four only."
Nimble_Hooves watches on intently, quietly holding his breath when the poet pony picks up more forks. He wonders at the progression of fork numbers.... Could it be that Derpy plans an exponentially increasing number of forks? He gasps slightly as the poet is told he has too many forks...
Ah ha! Marble knows precisely what he is supposed to do! He picks up two more forks! Two plus two is four! Math! It's part of a bureaucrat's standard arsenal. Maybe not to the degree of his boss, though. Four forks, though. "Huurrrr hurrrr."
Plain_Sight turns back to Fluttershy again. She nods. "So far I think you are right." Indeed so far they do not seem to be doing much more than picking up increasing numbers of the objects. Maybe they are building up to something so she watches closely.
Derpy looks at both opponents and approves. She now flips back onto her back and, rather spasmodically, waves around all her legs, her wings, her head and her tail. "EEEEeiiiiiggghht foooorrrrrrrkssss!" she cries, while the audience looks a little disturbed.
Skyheart feels his train of thought derail as he's told he has too many forks. He sees Marble's alternate approach and sighs. "Wait... Did I lose?" Apparently not. Derpy just announced the next round. He looks at the number of forks he has: seven. He picks up just one more. Somehow this isn't what he thought an Iron Pony Competition was like. Did they somehow swap all the physical activities with mental ones like this for the two of them or something? Well that didn't help either because Skyheart isn't exactly the most intelligent pony around, either. He's far from stupid but compared to Marble he's not particularly knowledgeable. He's seriously starting to question the nature of this whole event.
Fluttershy does look disturbed. "Um, Derpy? I-I'm not sure how many more forks they can hold..." Especially Marble, who seems to be keeping them in his *mouth*. That can't be healthy. Flutters looks around, trying to see if anypony else thinks this is odd.
Nimble_Hooves looks on, somewhat concerned, following the action closely. He winces and knows what number will come next. He stands straighter and clops his hooves together, "Y-you c-can d-do it!" He calls out.
It's getting to be a real challenge, holding all these forks in his mouth. Either by their heads or their handles. So... he ducks down and starts organizing the forks in his mouth, and takes in... four more. "Eeee huuurrrss!"
Derpy shouts: "SIXTEEN FOOORRRKS!!!" She doesn't have enough appendages to wave any more, so she just flops her whole body around in the dirt for a while.
Plain_Sight has thought the whole thing odd from the start. But then this pony rodeo is new to her. The winged gray mare wiggling around on the ground does give her concern. "Fluttershy, what is that pony doing?" Was she injured? Did Plain miss part of the fight? She looks around. She also wonders about the box of whatever it is, appearing to be melting.
Skyheart sighs. Okay, eight more. He tries his best to scoop them all up and hold them in the other hoof. What was this meant to test?
"Derpy is, um..." Fluttershy hesitates. She isn't really sure what to say about Derpy. "D-Derpy Hooves is just excitable, that's all. Um...go everypony? (yay)" She throws her hooves in the air like she just don't care, but she does. If that's okay.
Derpy isn't sure what to say about Derpy. Suffice to say that she's the reason Applejack had so many problems last year...indirectly. Town Hall is looking a lot better these days, though! She looks up at Fluttershy and flips herself pertly onto her feet. "Ex-citablllle!" she croons.
Nimble_Hooves peers, concerned, at the odd announcer pony rolling in the dirt. He's about to run over and help when he hears Fluttershy's explanation. His attention turns back to the poet pony, concern back on his face. He knows how many forks cones next, and hopes the pony can handle it. He continues to clop his hooves.
Marble is sorting with his tongue! He's not even bothering to get off the ground anymore, he's just scooting around, scooping forks into hos mouth, getting them into his mouth. He somehow manages sixteen. It looks painful.
Plain_Sight listens to Fluttershy then looks back to Derpy blinking her simple blue eyes. "Ah" she says as if understanding. At least the gray mare has stopped writhing about on the ground and is back on her hooves. She looks around though and watches Fluttershy and the others around. She turns back to the competitors and stomps her small hooves just a little. "Yay!" She looks about some more. It does seem the other ponies are somewhat expectant. They sure do have a lot of the pointy objects being held.
Skyheart holds a small collection of forks in his hooves, still trying to wrap his head around what this had to do with an Iron Pony Competition. He looks again to Marble, who challenged him in the first place in another of his attempts to catch Fluttershy's attention. "So... This is an Iron Pony Competition? Seems... a bit different, from what I imagined." He remarks as he looks at the pile of forks between them.
Derpy clears her throat and says demurely: "Twenty-twelve fork, if you please." She spreads her wings with aplomb.
Derpy closes her eyes blissfully.
And behold, Derpy ha transcended the bounds of mortal math and appeared from on high the bearer of metal forks, utensil and tuning both. Fluttershy's internal monologue is right, this is getting crazy. "Um...go Marble! Go Skyheart! Please...be careful?"
Derpy's internal monologue taps Fluttershy's internal monologue on the internal shoulder. "Want to fun?"
Fluttershy's internal monologue perks up. "Do I ever!"
"FUN!!" exclaims Derpy's internal monologue. And they go off to enjoy themselves...somehow.
Nimble_Hooves watches on, concerned now. He wonders how either pony can hold that many with their current technique.... He wishes he'd joined in now. Still, he stomps his rear hooves and clops his forehooves, and cheers on the poet pony.
Marble takes a moment to rearrange the forks so that only handles are in his mouth, then he starts gathering them in handle first. He's actually bleeding a little from some cuts. But he manages to get them all in there. And he'll need to use his hooves now.
Plain_Sight gives some more cheers and clops a bit more too like much of the rest of the audience. She smiles cutely and moves to watch the competition from a different vantage. Twenty twelve? she wonders to herself though, and watches more closely to see what this means. The signal to start the battle?
Skyheart looks at the forks and things. "Eh... Twenty Twelve? That's not a number..." He thinks for a moment, trying to figure this out. "Well things have been doubling since. so... Wait. Thirty-Two." He nods and starts scooping the forks into the pile in his left hoof.
Derpy crouches and looks between the two. "Who is more iron," she wonders rhetorically.
Well, Fluttershy's in a pickle now. With her internal monologue gone, how will she make observations about the events around her? Just fine, as it turns out; Marble and Skyheart's contest is still weird. "M-Marble, you're bleeding..."
Nimble_Hooves cringes and looks to the other pegasus, looking back to the poet pegasus and the rather odd announcer. He wonders if this will go into injury time. Still he clops his hooves together as both ponies seems to be making a valiant effort.
Marble carefully stands up, holding in the forks in his mouth, sweating big ones to keep them in. Indeed, he's still bleeding. "Mmmmm, eeehee oooo huuurrr?"
Plain_Sight does seem to be growing a little more perplexed about the event. The rope pulling one did seem more understandable. She clops a little more along with the other ponies as the two gather up the pointy things. It does actually start to look potentially dangerous. Well harmful at least.
Skyheart cringes at Marble's bleeding and then looks to Derpy. "So ah... um... Who wins?" He asks.
Derpy is a little troubled by the bleeding. She goes to Marble and pokes her on the shoulder gently. "Not bleed. Sixty and forks. I mean sixty-four." She looks to Skyheart and nods firmly.
Fluttershy gets out her gauze and cotton. And...a little bottle of mouthwash. These are going to come in handy soon. "Everypony, please, *please* be careful." The yellow mare glances at Plain Sight. Is she...clapping for injury?
Nimble_Hooves shifts somewhat uncomfortably as the action keeps going. He knows a much easier way to win, but bites his lip to keep from calling out. He wouldn't want to get accused of unfair play. He keeps clopping his hooves.
Marble looks down tearfully at the pile of forks... and leans down to scoop up the next 32 and hold them tightly in his hooves... starting to lose balance. Derpy looks impressed! And turns to Skyheart expectantly.
Plain_Sight is copping for something, perhaps not quite clear. She's not entirely clear what it is. Her ears perk as she sees them starting to carry an ever increasing number. She doesn't expect them to keep this up much longer, can they?
Skyheart begins tossing forks into the pile he's collecting in his hoof. He's trying his best to balance on his hind hooves, not using his wings at all. He's balancing very carefully. <CRASH> Never mind. He falls to the ground, forks piercing the area around him in a pegasus outline.
Derpy gassssps. "Is comeback!!" She leaps to Marble's side and raises his leg carelessly with her own. "Marble Madness is winner! One point out of twenty." She pulls a red wooden apple tile with a 1 carved into it out of somewhere and places it on the archivist's head.
Fluttershy is getting tenser and tenser, putting a hoof to her mouth. This is so tense for...some reason! And not the *right* reason. She wonders which will go down fir - oh. "Um...yay? Congratulations, Marble. I-I'm really sorry, Skyheart."
Fluttershy is still operating on the assumption that the two *want* to compete in this for some reason...
