Ponyville Square(#138RA)
#=#=#=#=#=# PONYVILLE SQUARE #=#=#=#=#=#
At the heart of Ponyville stands a proud and massive pavillion known as Town Hall. Around it lies the town square, a well-kept ring decorated with tall banners and the occasional picturesque bush. A fountain sits before the entrance to the hall with a joyous, reared-up earth pony statue as its ornament. Various municipal officials have pitched colorful, conical tents in the square from which they run their operations. The town square is lined along one side by a stream crossed by a broad stone bridge, while on its other sides it's surrounded by a combination of commercial establishments and some of the oldest houses in Ponyville. The mood here is generally cheerful but officious.
Today, the Square is bustling in full glory! It's the Summer Harvest Parade, and there are ostentatiously huge floats catching the eye in every direction, most of them representative of some type of produce. There are banners and carts and balloons all over the place, too. The parade route is loosely marked by ribbons strung between posts. Corrals have been set aside for the presentation of prize crops, and the market has overflowed into the square with enthusiastic merchants selling food, fun things, and all things farm related.
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Derpy shouts "How is everypony! I am ready to begin RPing preliminaries to the Summer Harvest Parade in Ponyville Square!" (Public-shout)
12 folks heard that.
Nimble_Hooves has arrived.
Shutterbug has arrived.
Eris has arrived.
Shutterbug enters, with Eris walking along next to him.
EconomistBrony has arrived.
Imagine that--it's a perfect summer day. Bright and balmy and not too hot, but definitely and distinctly summer, if the slightly nostalgic trailing end. Ponyville residents are making good use of their square today, putting the finishing touches on parade floats, adjusting their costumes, and displaying the best fruits and vegetables of their summer harvests for all to see. Mayor Mare strides through the midst of it all, accompanied by two attendants. She nods and says words of encouragement to participants here and there, but above all she's making sure the parade is ready to start on time.
Shutterbug has VIP passes for both himself and a guest, courtesy of the newspaper, so long as he takes plenty of photographs! *CLICK!* Well, there's one. The colt is looking forward to their special VIP ride in the giant kohlrabi, because, wouldn't you? Of course, there's a Griffon as the guest, which is technically not a VIP, but VIP&G is really awkward to say. o.o Shutter pretends that the 'P' stands for something other than Pony. Very Important... Ponyvillian?
<OOC> Derpy says, "Very Important Prettyface!"
<OOC> Shutterbug hoot'nannies.
<OOC> Shutterbug blushes. His face isn't all that... oh. o.o You meant Eris.
<OOC> Derpy nodnods knowingly.
<OOC> Shutterbug says, "If only there existed a non-pony word for a multiple category of individuals! D:"
<OOC> Derpy says, "Plethora!"
<OOC> Eris is not a plethora, either, unless you're saying something about her weight. ._.
Eris certainly isn't a pony villain! The little griffon is looking nice today, though - she hasn't gone all out, as it were, but she's got on a nice necklace, and a bracelet around one of her forelegs. Her bandages recently removed, Eris is more active than she's been, and she shouldernudges Shutterbug, with a curious look on her face. "Uhm, which one is the gull-rabbit? The one we'll be riding?"
Celestia has arrived.
Berry_Punch has connected.
<OOC> Twig wagwagwags.
<OOC> Berry_Punch likes a good wag.
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Especially when they get older and become skallywags."
<OOC> Eris puts the timberwolfling on her back - has missed the little scamp!
<OOC> Twig perches! And curls between wings. Observes ponies hungrily.
<OOC> Twig 's gonna watch first for a lil bit! Has that feeling where it just woke up from a long nap. Yaawn.
Berry_Punch is moseying along with Pumpkin Seed, the two of them together pulling a gigantic strawberry on wheels. Ponies before them sometimes hastily make room and sometimes come up to ask admiring questions about the thing's construction! Questions like, 'Aren't you two planning a wedding? How did you find time for this?' And Berry loves the attention while Pumpkin Seed smiles humbly and hangs back.
Derpy shouts "Is 7:00 and time for official starting of Summer Harvest Parade RP! Come and join us in the Square!" (Public-shout)
19 folks heard that.
StarryBlade has arrived.
Fluttershy has arrived.
Shutterbug snaps a photo of the bandstand, where the ponies are showing just what three accordions and a didgeridoo can do! It's a didgeri-daring-doo. He blinks and looks back at Eris. "The... oh, the kohlrabi. That's... uh..." Carrot, peapod, grapefruit, that pineapple one looks painful to ride in... he finally spots it over by a bunch of bumper-car brussels sprouts, and points it out.
Solar_Solstice has arrived.
The mayor eventually guides her attendants back toward Town Hall and disappears into it for a while. They have business to attend to like good attendants before the parade can officially start.
Eris follows Shutterbug around faithfully as the colt takes pictures - she's taking in the sights, too! Just not through a viewfinder. On a couple of occasions she intervenes and keeps Shutterbug from getting run over, by redirecting attendees and participants around the photographing pony. When Shutterbug points out the kohlrabi float they'll be riding on (in? o,o ) she stares for a few moments, then: "You... eat those?" That looks less edible than grass. Where's the tuna float?
Nimble_Hooves drops Squirrel tree parade float.
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Oooooh!!"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves smiles and completes his float
<OOC> Shutterbug wanted a Root Beer Float. :/
<OOC> Derpy says, "Is easy to float anything when giant ice cream scoop!"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves suspects Berry Punch would want a plain beer float
<OOC> Eris thinks root beer and tuna would be a strange combination. You ponies. o,o
Solar_Solstice was one of the first ponies to arrive, some hours ago. In previous years, he had been content to sell smoothies by the sidelines, but this year would be different. After much work and planning, he and his compatriots had finally managed to gather the resources to build a float of their own: an island paradise reminiscent of tropical climes. There were trees of mango and coconut and palm lining the edges, and in the middle a miniature version of Casa Des Trevalles, complete with brightly coloured star-lamps. Several ponchos and sombreros moved about, attached to several ponies bearing guitars. Solstice himself is wearing some kind of sash and wielding, on a long staff, a flag bearing a large tropical sun shooting out lightning bolts across a dark blue sky.
Berry_Punch is just saying something to a random onlooker when the new tree float comes into view. She scrambles over, pulling the big strawberry out of line and forcing Pumpkin Seed to follow at a distance. "Wow!!" she exclaims. "Who made this one? I love those squirrels. Those aren't real, are they?" Then she veers again toward the newer float, with even more trees! "Oh fiddlesticks, that's even better! No, it's just better in its own way. Play a song!" she calls to Solar Solstice and his companions. "Play Free Bird!" Berry Punch is always calling for Free Bird, a song which may not even exist.
StarryBlade watched from one of the rooftops she had climbed and was hoping to see where Mister Snuffles had run off too. The Tentabun had made his own parade float... he appeared wedged between two larger ones. His float was carefully pulled the tentabun himself and the a summer crookneck squash on wheels with a cardboard cutout of Starry, celestia and himself...on top of it, though you really had to look close to make out who was who.
Shutterbug lines up a photo of several proud ponies posing before their floats. He snaps a couple of good shots and then lets Eris have his mostly undivided attention again. "Hmm? What was that about eating? You getting hungry too? Dreamy told me to get lunch at the parade, so she could take a nap after she woke up from her nap." o.o It's a wonder Shutter's not in Colt Protective Services at this point. Slinging the camera around his neck, he looks for someplace where he and Eris can both find something tasty.
Hollyhock has arrived.
Nimble_Hooves quietly wanders to the square, harnessed to a rather odd looking float. It is a tree, or at least it appears to be at first glance. Nimble looks decidedly uncomfortable, clearly unused to having so much attention on him. It was his grand plan to build a float this year, but he had forgotten to find a pony to pull it. Now it was too late. His wings sparkle in the sun, the way many of Rarity's creations would. He had worn them hoping they would be a distraction from him, but instead they seem to pull more attention. The cart goes over a small bump and Nimble looks back with concern: he had been checking over the tree for the last few days, and it had to be perfect.
The Mayor heads through Town Hall to the dignitary's room where she earlier left Princess Celestia and her staff. Along the way, she tells one of her aides to go find Marble Memory, her former coworker whose relation to her in the power structure was never established.
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "GUISE IS IT WRONG AH HAVE A CRUSH ON THE MAYOR"
<OOC> Celestia says, "..."
<OOC> Derpy says, "Was that pose allure, Skychild?"
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "WHAT"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves says, "It is wroing to crush the Mayor.
"
<OOC> Shutterbug says, "Blue, you have a crush on everything. ._. You asked a fire hydrant to lunch the other day."
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "WHY DOTH THOU HATEST MAYORLOVE? XD"
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "AH THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY STILL DRAGON SHUTTERBUG"
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "(And pose allure?)"
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "Mayors gonna may."
<OOC> Derpy confiscates her adopted daughter's Caps Lock.
<OOC> Sky_Blue snorts in her drink. Flutter. XD
<OOC> Derpy is just puzzled that the preceding mayor's pose, which is totally dry, somehow triggered your crush mechanism.
<OOC> Sky_Blue is puzzled too!
<OOC> Celestia says, "Clearly, it's all that discussion of relations to her in the power structure."
<OOC> Fluttershy impounds Sky Blue.
<OOC> Shutterbug says, "Hot mayor on city ordinance action. >.>"
<OOC> Sky_Blue ends up in a gaol. Does D: faces. Then tries to date her bunk.
<OOC> Celestia says, "Oooooh, you make me shiver, Shutterbug."
(You won't BELIEVE what crazy laws are still on the books in this municipality!)
Enigma has arrived.
<OOC> Enigma HOO HA!
"C'mon, guys, let's do an encore!" Solstice declares, raising his hoof and preparing to conduct the pony guitarists. "Ready...!" And so they began to play a stirring but also upbeat and exciting tune, and what a tune! Their manipulations of their instruments were something quite unheard off; they actually seemed to be plucking each string individually, which is rather hard to do with hooves. The ribald melody is brought to greater energy when the lead singer - who, as it turns out, is Paja Fuerte - begins to croon aloud in a strange, flowing language. It is a full-on Eskellian mariachi experience!
"FREE BIRD!!" repeats Berry, arching her back down and her neck and rump up. She seems to be enjoying the mariarchi tune anyway, though. Her fiance comes up to cuddle her, and she's just about to cuddle back when Nimble Hooves goes over a bump and one of the leaves comes loose, landing on Berry's face. "Ooh. Nimble! Did you make that whole tree float? It's great! It does all that stuff and there's not even anyone in there, is there?"
<OOC> Celestia says, "... Free bird. Only Berry Punch."
<OOC> Celestia floats over a tiny, drunken, tiara.
<OOC> Enigma >_> <_< and steals Celestia's crown. |3
<OOC> Celestia watches Enigma steal that tiny, drunken tiara instead.
<OOC> Enigma
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "How does a tiara get drunk? I mean, I would've thought I'd have heard if that were possible."
<OOC> Sky_Blue sends love letters to Mayor Mare <3
So many ponies gathered; so many things to steal! Equestria's most infamous burglar is on the prowl! The little colt trots his way around ponies as he scopes out vendors and other potential targets. Enigma's Golden Irises shimmer and glow with a soft hum as he gazes this way and that with that cheeky, mischevious grin of his. ;D
Pina_Colada has arrived.
"I didn't-" Eris starts, but she realizies it's probably no use - and an audible stomachrumble does actually make Shutterbug's misinterpretation more relevant. "Uhm, yeah, actually.!" The little griffon looks around at the various vendors and stands. Saltcicles, hayburgers, flower-salads. ._. "Uhm, I think I saw somethin' over there." She points at another cluster of vendors - hopefully there's something more griffon-friendly for sale.
StarryBlade stayed where she was perched, waving to Mister Snuffles as he pulled his little squash float along. She wriggles as she spots Eris down amongst the venfdors and takes a mighty leap off the rooftop to glide as gracefully as a bird but falls like a stone into a bush.
Pina_Colada peeks out into the crowd, as though looking for something. Or some-pony-.
Hollyhock comes trotting into the square, following the sound of music - and what music! She's grinning to herself as she arrives here, her tail swishing in time to the sound of the guitars and vihuelas as she reaches the outskirts of the crowd gathered here, and cranes her neck to get a look at the band.
Shutterbug thought those hayburgers looked good! D: He lets himself be tugged away by the grifflet, only to spot Enigma as he whirls around. The colt's eyes widen and he scoots in closer to Eris. "Careful, that's-- he was--" Shutter mimes loopy eyes spinning around, and then hisses, "I 'member him, he does a whammy and then takes stuff!"
Derpy is flying around somewhere in the clouds! No postal uniform today--it's a holiday!
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Hey, we following pose order or doing rule of three? Or just going completely chaotic, like the last time Berry got stuck in the wine cellar?"
<OOC> Berry_Punch has no idea what those things mean. 'Pose order'? 'Rule of three'? Those sound like overregulation and I'm pretty sure I voted against that!
<OOC> Sky_Blue ENDORSES REGULATION. And Mayor Mare to respond to her love letters. ;.;
<OOC> Berry_Punch just remembers she voted for the changeling.
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Yeah, yeah, we all know your political views, Berry. Your pamphlets are everywhere."
<OOC> Shutterbug says, "Dreamy makes me eat oatmeal for regulation. o.o"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves didn't vote. He can't complain.
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Oatmeal? Are you c--wait, I have pamphlets?"
<OOC> Solar_Solstice believes in a constitutional society governed jointly by the monarch, the aristocrat, and the common ponies n.n
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Yeah, remember when you had me print them all up?"
<OOC> Derpy herpaderpocracy.
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Oh yeah! That was hilarious!"
<OOC> Celestia is Princess. That basically sums it up.
<OOC> Pina_Colada glowers.
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "And then you gave one to me anyway."
Nimble_Hooves blushes and nods when Berry asks about the float. "Y-Y-Yes... I-I did... I-I have b-been working on i-it for a while, b-between finishing my workshop." He looks over the tree and smiles, "N-No, nopony is in there. J-Just wires a-and pulleys." His eyes widen with alarm as he notices on of the leaves. He looks back to the tree, for a moment, and hopes that is the only part to go wrong. He sighs and reminds himself to just let it go. Today is for fun. At this, the music catches his ears and he perks up.
Berry_Punch gives the fallen leaf back to Nimble Hooves. "Pretty great! I like pulleys. Just the idea is kind of amazing. Pulleys. You pull on one end, and then there's this big crazy switcheroo with the direction of motion, and suddenly, whoa! You're pulling back the way you came! Pretty crazy, right?" She chuckles, and then sniffsniffs the air. She turns around. "Pina!!" she exclaims, seeing her little sister.
Pina_Colada's eyes land on Berry Punch. Target Acquired. She slips from pony to pony - the little filly sliding through the crowd a knife through butter. All to meet her ultimate objective: Operation HUG HER SISTER! Pina Colada leaps headlong towards Berry Punch, forelegs outstretched. "BERRY!"
Mayor Mare shoves her way brusquely through a pile of love letters inexplicably sent by one of the local fillies and opens the door to the room where she left Celestia. She assesses things within. "All's well, Your Highness? We're ready to get the parade underway!"
Enigma spots a bright green earth pony vendor giving out preztles! Oh how tasty! YUM! The boy trots over and beams his sweet little smile up at the vendor, "Hello!" THe green pony vendor blinks, "Hey there little fella! Would you like a preztle!" "Gosh, sir, I would LOVE one!" THe green pony holds out a hoof, "Two bits!" The boy's eyes suddenly glow BRIGHT yellow and the green pony's blue irises turn yellow. Enigma then scoops up some rocks and hoofs it over, "Golly gee, sir, I already paid you for the preztle." THe vendor, still yellow-eyed, nods, "Oh! I must've forgotten. Sorry about that! Here you go!" He hoofs over a preztle and the boy noms then trots away, "Thanks!" ^^
Dinky has arrived.
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves waves to Dinky
<OOC> Dinky says, "What the *$!*# is going on two rooms from my house??"
<OOC> Enigma says, "Nothing!
"
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Oh. Hey Dinky."
<OOC> Dinky says, "You're making a boatload of noise. Just saying."
<OOC> Pina_Colada takes a step away unconsciously.
<OOC> Enigma swirly eyes, "Or ARE we?" @_@
<OOC> Sky_Blue
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves says, "It is 'Deprive Dinky of Sleep Day' didn't you get the memo?"
<OOC> Sky_Blue loves the love letter reference, Ms. Mayor <3
<OOC> Dinky @.@
<OOC> Dinky says, "Never mind. I though I heard something but I guess I was just being cranky."
<OOC> Enigma ^_^
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves awws and hugs Dinky.
<OOC> Pina_Colada passes Dinky a note.
<OOC> Hollyhock greets Dinky. She opens her mouth, and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpQu5lg9i7Q comes out.
Eris is just about halfway though dragging Shutterbug to a roasted apple vendor, when there's the distinctive thud of 'pony-vs-ground' beside her. She knows that thud! The little griffon looks mildly worried, but knows the little filly is made of tough stuff. "Starry!" There's about to be a barrage of questions, but Shutterbug's grabbed her attention, warning about Enigma. Wait... she sorta remembers him!
The stirring mariachi music comes to a rousing finish, prompting more than one pony standing by to applaud. "Great job, mi amigos!" Solstice says. "Right, we're definitely ready for the parade now." -- Paja Fuerte grins in that sly manner of his. "We are always ready, senorito." And he tips his sombrero and retires, for the moment, to a bench with his compadres.
Celestia is being tended to by a small handful of attendants in that room. A couple are tussing with her mane while the rest polish her jewelry and otherwise make her look Princessly. You know, normal Princess things. "Yes, just let me know when you're ready. I believe my helpers are almost finished."
Shutterbug smooshes Eris' face a little as he points her head at the other colt, just as he's finishing up his whammy on the pretzel vendor! AHA! See! PRETZELS. A sure sign of criminal intent. Wait. No, not the vendor, Enigma!
<OOC> Enigma XD
StarryBlade pulls her self up, shakes herself off and looks at her satchel as she managed to not crush it in her landings. "E...er....Eris!" She stutters out and holds up an only slightly crushed box of treats, "Forgot parade today, made green tea raspberry scones! wanted you to try!" She fluffs and flops looking around before spotting Snuffles pulling his little squash float along. "Look it's Snuffles! he made a float by himself!" She boucnes a bit then looks at Shutterbug and tips her head far to the side.
Mayor Mare nods. "The other judges aren't ready yet, but we mustn't delay the parade any longer. It's more about the community than the prizes, anyhow!" She waits politely outside the room, tapping her hoof quietly and looking nervously one way and the other.
Hollyhock sees the band wrapping up their number, and lifts her chin, cupping hooves around her mouth to shout out her request, "Mlaguena salerosa! Malaguena salerosa!!" Almost direcly into a neighboring pony's ear. She doesn't even notice that pony start away from the shout, so intent is she on the stage, doesn't even notice him trip over his own hooves and fall bodily into the pony next over. She does notice the band putting things away though, and scrunches her mouth up in disappointment. Humph.
Nimble_Hooves smiles and accepts the leaf, which he carefully stows in a saddlebag. He looks to Berry, his head tilting, rather confused as to what she is going on about with the pulleys. "U-Umm... sure." He is rather relieved when the mare is distracted by a little filly, and he turns his attention back to joining the parade.
Paja Fuerte hears Hollyhock and turns towards her. "Maybe when we get going, senorita!" he says, and he winks at her coyly.
Dinky walks through the crowd, vaguelky irritated with it all. She hurries up upon seeing Enigma. "Hey. Hey!" She taps him on the shoulder. "You know there's hundreds of ponies here, right? And they're watching things? This is kind of a watching event, you know?"
Enigma's horn glows bright gold and the preztle hovers in his golden magic as he noms at the preztle. When he's out of range, the green pony vendor's eyes shift from yellow back to blue. He shakes his head, rubs it, then looks down at the rocks on his stall. He brushes them away. The little colt continues nomming at the preztle as he looks this way and that at the going-ons. As Dinky appears, the boy turns, cheeks full of preztle. He gulps then beams that large, cheeky, TOm Sawyer-ish grin of his. His white teeth shimmer and his golden eyes flicker, "Wha~at? I AM watching." ;D *shwing*
Berry_Punch shoots a grin back at Nimble before completing the mission and giving her little sister a HUGE hug! "Pina Pina Pina. Li'l collider. How're you doing, huh? You come out to help Pumpy and me pull our float?"
Celestia waits for her attendants to finish before she stands and makes her way out into the hallway with the pacing Mayor Mare. "Then we don't shouldn't keep them waiting any longer."
Hollyhock's disappointment disappears at once as she hears Paja Fuente. Indeed she gives a little jump, her wings giving a flutter of delight, "Gracias, seƱor!"
Eris is smooshed .,. and forced to are at the clearly felonious vendor. Call the guard! Those pretzels are criminal. Criminally good! ^,~ The little griff does get a sense something is off. Waitaminute... that was nowhere /near/ enough rocks for that pretzel! Sharp golden eyes watch Enigma for a bit, until the magical words "green tea raspberry scones" rediverts her attention. With a grin, Eris says, "Those sound amazing, Starry!" And when the squash-pulling tentabun is pointed out, she stares for a moment. Snuffles - no matter how often he's been in the teahouse, still sort of.. weirds her out.
Pina_Colada hugs so tight you could swear wine started coming out of Berry's pores. "Berry Berry Berry!" n.n She's just as happy as she can be, attached to her sister. She slides back down to the ground and hops gleefully. "Sure, I can help! Whatcha need me to do?"
Shutterbug oh. Looks like Dinky's... uh... surly'ing the whammy-pony. o.o That's almost as good as the police, right? I mean, she's scary enough? He reluctantly turns back to see who Eris is talking to, and looks mildly curious at Starry. Then he sees the squash, and, uh... O.o OH GODS IT'S GOT NO BONES AND IT LOOKS LIKE ANGEL TURNED INSIDE OUT. He ducks behind Eris, staring fearfully at the tentabun.
Mayor Mare nods, and it's only professionalism that keeps the nod from being sharp! "Right then." She walks at Celestia's side, as if they were arm-in-arm or the like, but keeping a consistant distance. Out the great doors they come, and one of the mayor's assistants releases a bucket of tinkly sounding sparkles that blow over the entrance! The mayor gets some in her face but doesn't wipe it. "We were expecting Princess Twilight today," says the mayor covertly as they walk. "Would you happen to know where she is?"
Celestia shakes her head slowly. "I haven't seen her for at least a month now. She's been busy becoming accustomed to her new role." The Princess, being the Princess, delicately shifts the little sparkles around her so they float all across the air just around her form, but then land on the ground impeccably. Princess Powers. Though a little bit does get in her mane. Not that anypony will notice, likely, given the normally luminescent state of her mane.
Hollyhock starts to pick her way through the crowd, more carefully than normal. She's gotten all dressd up, and she doesn't want to muss her clothes, but she also wants to get a better view of what's going on.
Forge has arrived.
"Yeah?" counters Dinky in a low voice, next to the pretzel-guzzling Enigma. "Are you sure nopony's watching you?" Her eyes happen to turn to the shriveled cabbage thing and linger for a moment on Shutterbug and Eris. Just a moment. "You could get in trouble if someone saw you doing your hex thing out here."
Berry_Punch leads Pina back toward the giant strawberry, towering over the nearby carts and cauliflower and matched narrowly by Carrot Top's new and improved carrot stick. "You know, you could steer! Pumpkin put a sort of rudder on this thing, but we can't use it while we're hauling." She shows her little sister the handle that controls it. "Just make sure we don't crush anything or catch on anything. Ooh, I think we're about to start! Let's get in line! Hi, Hollyhock! Nice day, huh?"
Pina_Colada is kinda impressed by the gigantic strawberry. The detail on those seeds is fantastic. "Steer?" the filly with no driving experience and absolutely no concept of what that entails asks. "Yeah, that'd be awesome!" She hops onto the float and grabs the handle with her teeth. That's the way to drive, right? "Mmmhnh fmffn fffhf!" She's ready to go, is what she's saying. She waves a hoof to Hollyhock. Nice hat.
Hollyhock is standing on tiptoes, trying to see whateveryone else is staring at - town hall? Is there going to be a speech? Fireworks? More music? Please let there be more - "Oh! Howdy Mizz Punch. Right nice day. Good turnout, too!" She smiles then to Pina Colada, touching a hoof to her hat brim, "Howdy."
Nimble_Hooves smiles to Berry and her sister. He dips his head to both, and moves on to join the parade. He moves forward, dragging the float behind him. He winces at every little bump, the top heavy tree swaying. He probably should have made his design a little more rugged, but it was too late now. With a sigh he looks about, his eyes stopping on the Princess herself. He hadn't expected Royalty to be here. The worry and nerves return full force, and for a moment he freezes.
Red_Velvet has arrived.
Mayor Mare heads up to the little wooden podium prepared not far from the official starting line. It seems to be made out of recycled soapboxes. Meanwhile, the parade's marshalls guide everyone with a float or an instrument or who has some other reason to be in the parade into place. The Mayor clears her throat and speaks into her megaphone. "Citizens of Ponyville!" ! ! Hm, too much reverb on the megaphone. She adjusts it and continues. "We are pleased and proud today to be in possession of a summer crop worth celebrating! Let's hear it for our farmers and gardeners!" Her attendants clop on the stage for her.
Forge trots up to join in the float line, his float is -huge- and...made of iron fashioned into giant tomato cages, with...massive...solid steel tomatoes. Oh this could be bad...
Enigma chews more preztle and winks at Dinky, "I've never been caught, babe. I'm the King of Bandits remember? I could steal the sun in broad daylight without any pony noticing." He stands up on his hind hooves and turns to wave at the floats as they pass by!
Eris is used by Shutterbug as cover! Because you always put the one you love inbetween you and danger, right? Eris laughs a little. "S'ok, 'bug! It's just Mister Snuffles. He, uh... he's Starry's pet. Won't hurt you or nothin'." The griffon finally looks to the box of scones - then to the roasted apple vendor. Decisions. o,o Or, wait... Eris plucks one of the profferes scones, and is just about to drag Shutterbug and Starry over to the apple vendor, but there's a commotion! Proud crops? Farmers and gardeners? Okay! Eris claps (Ha! She's the only one here that can do that! Griffon superiority!) along with the stomping clomping of ponies.
Berry_Punch has no sense of trouble from Pina as driver because Pina doesn't either! "Yeah, go ahead and practice while we're getting lined up. Feel free to use your hooves instead!" She blows her sister a kiss and shuts the door. "Ooh! Cast iron tomatoes! I love it. WOOOO FORGE!" she calls from across the crowd.
Red_Velvet has managed to slip into the crowd of spectators, wearing a rather modest sun hat and little else save her saddlebags, the fabulous ex-unicorn is positively understated today! She applauds and calls from among the onlookers, "Bravo!"
Dinky isn't so sure. "Sure. Right. If you say so." She jerks her head over toward the big radish... no, turnip, at the MRC end of the Square. Where Quasar and his famous archaeologist dad are. "I gotta go help them pull, I promised I would. I... look, I wanted to tell you I thought about what you said. All you told me. I'm just a confused kid, if I storm off you can't take it personally. You know that?"
Shutterbug orbits Eris, keeping her between him and the boneless thing. o.o Filet o' bunny. Eeeee. The clomping of applause reminds him of his paid duties and he takes a few photos of Celestia and the Mayor together on the podium. "Uh, that's... Sluffles, right, Sluggles. I'll... hey, how about we get some chestnut tacos and see if the kohlrabbit... /rabi/, kohlrabi, if that float's ready, right?" His eyes never leave the snufflething.
Meanwhile, Solstice and his crew are quietly getting into place on top of their float, which doesn't seem to be powered by nny discernable source. Paja Fuerte peers out apprehensively, feeling something off, somehow..
Pina_Colada has absolutely no sense of trouble whatsoever because Berry Punch doesn't either! She tilts the handle back and forth, back and forth, before blinking and withdrawing her teeth from the handle. She could use her -HOOVES-. How brillant! She braces them up on the handle to steer and practices hither and thither. There's no way this is going to end badly.
Dusk comes over from the building with the magic wand and flask sign out front.
Dusk has arrived.
<OOC> Dusk says, "Greetings, everypony!"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves waves to Dusk
StarryBlade is drug along, the sounds and excitement almost too much for the lil filly but she puts on a smile and watches everything going on before she leaves the box of scones with Eris and scampers to a place she can watch as she was small... climbing onto another rooftop seemed the best idea.
Somewhere on the muck, Colgate connected.
The mayor smiles proudly, adjusting the straw hat she's donned for the day. "I quite agree!" she says about the round of applause she herself called for. "It's a bumper year! At least so far as summer crops go. And speaking of bumpers, don't forget the bumper brussel sprouts over by the fountain--good for the colts and fillies! Now... we're very blesssed to have the greatest representative of summer one could possibly hope for with us today... none other than PRINCESS CELESTIA! Give her a hoof, friends! Your Highness, would you care to say a few words?" She stands aside and makes room for the High Princess of the Realm.
Hollyhock looks back towards the hall as she hears the Mayor begin to speak. Her ears perk, and she lifts onto the tips of her hooves again, her eyes getting bigger, grinning as her head turns in unison with the other ponies in the crowd down towards the start of the parade route. Ain't nothin' like this back home! She leans slightly forward to see -- wait. Highness? Her head snaps back to the rostrum, eyes getting even bigger. That's Princess Celestia!
Forge beams and waves at Berry Punch, looking up with pride at the monstrously massive produce on his float! The big burly blacksmith prances in place with delight, there are few ponies that could haul this float, and those humong'atoes sway and rock nicely on their massive black cages. Looking almost good enough to eat, so shiny and well painted.
Enigma blinks as he looks to Dinky. He then gives a suprisingly warm smile and his eyes glow softer from behind those pretty boi black locks of his, "We all got our quirks, babe. It was a lot to take in." He gives a big cheesy white toothy smile, "Noticed I didn't scare you off, though, it seems." His eyes grow large and he turns as he looks at Celestia. His eyes also fixate on her crown. He gets That Look in his eyes.
Dinky drags Enigma along to keep him from watching the princess for too long with -that- look in his eyes. "Come on. That's not my princess, anyway."
Enigma's klepto trance is broken and he shakes his head as he gets yoinked by Dinky, "Meep!"
<OOC> Hollyhock says, "Dinky's princess is in another castle."
<OOC> Dusk grins.
<OOC> Enigma says, "But..that crown..it's sooo shiney!
I must have it for my hoard! FOR THE HOARD!"
<OOC> Fluttershy reappears.
<OOC> Enigma snatches FLuttershy, lifts overhead, steals away!
Nimble_Hooves stands frozen for some long moments. He can't make a fool of himself in front of the Princess. The calls from a couple of floats behind him snap him out of his frozen state. He blinks and apologises before quickly moving to join the rest of the queue before the Princess can begin her speech.
Berry_Punch waves gleefully back at Pina through the window of the huge strawberry. SHe cuddles with Pumpkin as she pulsl the float toward the parade line. "Yeah, those tomatoes look almost real, aside from looking like metal! Probably all the iron you need in a year, right? You want to be next to us in the parade?" she asks the blacksmith. "Ooh! That's the princess! WOOOO, PRINCESS CELESTIA!! WOOO-OOO!!" Say what you will about Berry--she's a patriot.
Red_Velvet perks up and smiles when the Princess is called to the podium, she lifts a hoof and waves at Celestia! Oh she really must remember to make an appointment to see her highness, well all four princesses really, and perhaps the Mayor as well, so many things to do. But today if for celebrating! Business tomorrow...or later at least!
Celestia makes her way over next to the podium at which Mayor Mare is standing. The Princess of Equestria bears a slightly odd look upon her face for just a second, as though scowling at Mayor Mare. But she shakes it off and stands to the Mayor's side, a little smile borne back onto her face. "I would be happy to, Mayor." The Princess tips her head politely down to Mayor Mare for a moment before stepping up to the podium. "Stallions and mares, fillies and gentlecolts, I am honored to be standing here today as we celebrate the success of this summer's harvest and our hopes for this coming autumn season. As the heat of the summer begins to subside and we enter into these cooling months, I can think of no better time to extend our warmest thanks to the many ponies who work hard out in the field day in and day out to keep us fed." She looks out across the crowd of ponies and that little smile grows. "Equestria is in your debt, year after year, for keeping our bellies and kitchens full. This year has been one of change and strife, but also one of great hope and aspirations for the future - just as we eagerly await the autumn harvest, so we await the coming year. And so, hearts and hooves together as one, I now happily announce the beginning o-" the Princess's voice shakes for a moment and she turns to stare at the Mayor with a look of horror. She pauses, the moment stretched thin like a rubber band, before she catches her breath and returns her gaze to the ponies before her. "The beginning of the Summer Harvest Parade!" She regains her state and smile and her horn glows a bright gold. Banners unfurl from Town Hall and streamers catch upon the wind. Guards to her flank sound the trumpets and the Princess steps away from the podium.
Pina_Colada waves gleefully back to Berry Punch with a hoof from inside the massive strawberry before realizing that that is an absolutely terrible idea. She also shouts something, but it's mostly unheard because she's inside a strawberry.
When the Princess takes the stage, Eris /stares/. It's the Fuhrerin of the Equestrian Kingdom! This... this is not what Eris had been expecting. Her eyes dart nervously to Shutterbug. "I, uhm... hey, don't you need to... get more film?"
Berry_Punch is too busy hobnobbing with Forge and the other float-builders to notice the screaming from inside hers. She does notice something odd about Celestia's speech, though. "Did the princess seems distracted to you?" she asks you.
"You go, Princess!" Solstice shouts in celebration and praise. He does, however, catch Celestia's horrified look to the Mayor, which compels him to look that way, too. What's going on?
Enigma turns back to the parade and finishes his preztle. He smiles as he watches the ponies cheer... But the Princess' speech causes the precocious youth to arche a brow, "Er...Babe...did...did something seem off bout the Princess' speech?"
Hollyhock whoops and hollers as the princess declares the fiesta to have begun. She stamps her hoovs in approval as the banners catch the wind, "Woohoo!"
Forge happily trots up to get ready to step out beside Berry and Pina, "Da! T'would be my pleasure!" His huge iron tomatoes bobble back and forth in the breeze... "Mmm! She did! I just thought that she was speaking to the Mayor. But come to zink of it I did not see the Mayor's mouth move at all."
Mayor Mare steps back when Celestia glares at her. She looks to her attendants for an explanation, and then adjusts her hat. No, the hat isn't the problem. She applauds enthsiastically as Celestia indicates the start of the parade and steps away. The trumpets blare and the marshalls wave their flags--the floats are away!! But the Mayor hurries up to the princess. "I'm sorry, princess. I thought I'd mentioned that we'd be asking you to speak." She scratches her chest nervously. "Or was there something I did wrong? I've been so nervous today, so many things to keep track of."
Shutterbug snap, snap snap. Click-snap. He's taking a lot of photos, but when Eris nudges him, he looks down at the camera. "...no, I've got..." He meets Eris' edgy gaze. Oh. OH! Yeah, he's a touch dense at times but even he can see she wants to get away. "Uh, film. Right, let's film. Get some, with lunch, sure!" He figures he's got enough of the preliminaries and can get photos from the patio of wherever they have lunch. He... was looking forward to riding that kohlrabi, though. Anypony would. He and Eris slip away through the crowd.
Pina_Colada is pretty sure the 'you' Berry is referring to is her beloved little sister, so she shouts something in return, but once again, it's mostly unheard because she's inside a strawberry. She thinks carefully about a better communication method and completely forgets that she's supposed to be driving this sizeable fruit. She does occasionally put back out a forehoof to guide it straight again, though.
Dinky finally reaches Quasar and the radish. TURNIP. It's a turnip--Dinky hates radishes. She grabs a harness and starts to pull, for all the trivial good her negligible horsepower will provide. "Yeah, it kinda did. Like someone was poking her inside her skull. You figure maybe someone sent her a message in her mind while she was talking?"
Nimble_Hooves watches on, cheerfully, as the Princes gives her speech. There is something odd about her. Something not quite right, but when the banners unfurl and ponies about him begin cheering Nimble hesitantly joins in and stomps his hooves. He must be imagining things. Just nerves. Nothing to see here, move along.
Celestia shakes her head quickly from side to side as Mayor Mare rushes up to her. "No, no, you did nothing wrong, and I was happy to speak. Please, do not be concerned." Her voice lowers and she looks to be thinking deeply for a moment before she seems to think better of it and shakes her head again, once, quickly. "I.... have a small headache, that is all. I will be fine."
Nopony has any idea who got her to do it, but Fluttershy takes her place atop a float - a very modest float - made up of a very modest fountain of crochet butterflies and other pollinators. Um. Because it wouldn't do forgot our little friends, right? Flutters waves timidly.
The Mayor is the sort of public official who will not only be taken in by an excuse like that but will be glad to believe it. She nods. "It's a loud day! Sorry about the headache, Highness. We can put up a sound-muffling dome if you like?" She glances over to the marshals leading the floats out one by one--the kohlrabi with the griffon and her coltfriend is already out and rolling. "Keep right!" she shouts to the lead marshall. "You need to make the bridge, remember?"
"No, you do not need to do that. I shall be perfectly fine in short order," the Princess responds before taking her place once more and waves a hoof to some ponies in the crowd. "But I appreciate the offer, Mayor."
StarryBlade squees happily as Mister Snuffles pulled along his crookneck squash float, (he grew it himself) the cardboard cutouts were starting to droop slightly but he kept on pulling looking happy and as dapper as could be.
Berry_Punch strives to straighten her giant fruit. (Which technically isn't even a fruit, let alone a berry, but only if you're a real stickler.) She gets in line next to Forge's tomato plant from Tartarus and nods to him. "Yeah, I think you're right! Maybe the mayor just screwed something up and pissed the princess off. It happens! Ooh, the marshal's telling us to veer right." She turns back to Pina Colada and tries to indicate a twenty-degree turn to the right with dramatic leg movements.
Pina_Colada looks up from her Master Plan for Communication and Direction (MPCD) and blinks twice. Is Berry waving to her or is she just doing her normal drunken flailing? She decides to err on the safe side and makes a 25% turn to the right with a drrrrrrrLLLL! turn of the handle.
Forge turns his own float to the right, and as his muscles bunch to nigh the size of grapefruits his gigantic colossus begins to creak and sway as it turns mobile. Looking more like a gigantic, fruit themed war machine as it rumbles along, is that the sound of cobblestones popping beneath the weight of it? "Is very possible! Had to say at this distance, but dat is what happen sometimes da? At least zis it all in good fun!"
Solar_Solstice seems momentarily satisfied that things are quieting down. However, he can't really shake the feeling that something his wrong; his anxieties persist as his float slowly gets moving, the trees (which are quite real) swaying happily and depositing exotic scents everywhere.
Hollyhock ooohs and ahhhhs as the floats come on, grinning in idiot pleasure as she watches the giant fruits, and vegetables, and other assorted produce come rolling on. She nudges the pony next to her with her elbow and points at the lead float, "'s right impressive, ain't it!" The nudged pony does her best to ignore the exhuberent filly, giving a polite smile and a nod before turning back to watch. Holly, for her part looks pleased, but comes away wanting something more. She turns and scans the crowd, looking for someone else to talk to. Say, is that Red Velvet?
"Okay, sweetie," coos Fluttershy, leaning over the winged prow of her butterfloat. "It's our turn now. Take it out nice and easy, okay? Just like we practiced." A few steps below her, dressed in a snappy driver's outfit and tiny little hat, Angel raises his arm and snaps his whip. The float jerks (knocking Fluttershy back onto her haunches) and rolls forward, hauled by a hoppy little rabbit team.
Berry_Punch grins at Hollyhock as she trudges on by. "This is just too cool, isn't it?" she asks the relative Ponyville newcomer, winking. She nods back to Forge. "Yeah, probably nothing." And she waves to Nimble Hooves behind her. "You know what? I think those mariachis actually have *real* trees! I think I can smell them from here! I don't know if that's more impressive or less than your mechanical marvel!" The one place she isn't looking is back at her sister. Uh-oh, her float is getting awfully close to Forge's!
Red_Velvet smiles and waves, seeing her aide and good friend Holly in the crowd at the same time, then gesturing for her to come join her further down the parade path. "Hello Holly, darling! How are you enjoying the shoooooh my goodness what is that massive thing!? A golem? A torture device!?" No...it is just Forge's float.
<OOC> Celestia says, "You just made me giggle out loud, Red. X3"
<OOC> Red_Velvet says, "^-^! I am glad for that majesty."
The mayor nods, slightly discomfitted. "Very well. We're so grateful you could come." She backs away from the princess and turns to run down the steps. "Has ANYPONY seen my former Chancellor?!" she shouts.
Pina_Colada glances up from her Master Plan just in time to see them veering dangerously close to Forge's mechanical tomatabominatio- er, creation? Hopefully souls aren't powering it. That would just be weird. She tilts the handle back to the left just a bit to readjust the strawberry's course.
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Tomato bombs are among the best vegetable bombs."
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Garrison Keillor did a whole Lake Wobegon segment on it once."
Enigma watches the floats pass by...What DInky said makes the little psychic furrow his brows in thought. For now, though, he cheers the floats and smiles as he watches the ponies having fun.
Applejack has arrived.
Nimble_Hooves blushes and waves back to Berry, surprised he can hear her. At the compliment about his tree, a further blush spreads across his cheeks. Just then another bump in the cobblestones pulls his attention back to the parade. He was sure the parade route wasn't this bumpy yesterday. His focus on the cart and cobbles means he doesn't notice what is happening with Berry's float in front.
Hollyhock waves back to Red Velvet, "Be right down!" She marches out into the parade route at this point, walking next to Berry Punch as she heads down to join Red. It's easier to do this than fight through the crowd anyhow, "That there." She tells Berry, "'s a right nice lookin' Strawberry! You make't y'rself?"
"So, yeah," says the little mauve filly as she stays far enough for Quasar so he doesn't hear her. "You may be a huge drain on society and all that, but I'm not one to talk. And you may have major, like, pysch issues, not being able to stop stealing, but whatever. Not like I'm in the clear there, either. Anyway, I thought about it. Probably better if I help you get over your $ stealing habit than turn you over to the authorities and just escalate things." Dinky glances back toward Celestia, just in case, but nothing seems wrong any more.
Forge would lift his head and strut proudly down the street, if he wasn't pulling this juggernaut class float of tomaterrors. the metal fruit swing in the wind and two collide way up high, making a fabulous ringing sound that would be wonderful and uplifting, if it were not so terrifyingly solid, that's right. Those massive things aren't hollow. The big black stallion hauls along his big black cages of doom, veins standing out across his chest and shoulders, yes, the road is definitely going to have new furrows in it when this parade is over and done.
Marble_Memory has arrived.
<OOC> Celestia found the chancellor!
<OOC> Marble_Memory flails.
Solar_Solstice's float breaks out the entertainment at once: the mariachi band goes into full swing while Solstice hoofs out samples of his mango and coconut-flavoured smoothies, some of them made from the very same trees on the float. "Don't forget: end of summer discount is coming in a month!" he declares.
<OOC> Celestia says, "A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything.""
<OOC> Scribble writhes around on the ground in pain.
<OOC> Celestia says, "Two antannae met on a roof, fell in love, and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent."
<OOC> Scribble dies.
<OOC> Scribble literally just dies.
<OOC> Celestia 's work here is done.
Marble runs out of the restroom in a panic. He's in costume for judging, he's panting, he's tired and OHGOD AIR! The stallion fumbles around, straightening his suit and tie and monocle and tie and suit. Gah!
Don't be surprised if you can hear Berry Punch. Never be surprised by that. In her yearbook she was voted "Most Likely to Be Heard." She has a way of finding that pitch that slips through all the crown noises and finds its way through. Plus she talks loud. "I like how the leaves move faster when you go faster!" she calls to Nimble Hooves. "Look out for those bumps!" Ironically, she should be paying attention to her own float. It brushes against Forges, causing one of the massive tomatoes to =bong= into another, which swings back and -booongs= the first. "Whoa!! Pina!" she shouts, looking back through the window. "Okay, yeah, keep it that way!" She set sherself to pulling more accurately in hopes of steering this thing right on her own power... combined with Pumpkin Seed's of course.
Apple_Bloom has arrived.
<OOC> Applejack hugs her sister
Enigma trots along side Dinky. His long, fighting-fish-like-tail billows and flutters behind him as he trots about Dinky. He smiles and hehs softly, ears folded back, "That's cool of you, babe. I appreciate it." He closes his eyes in that coony patch of black fur over his eyes. ^_^ He glances toward the princess again and notes her crown. It's so...buckin'...shiney! +_+ His pupils dialate and get all shimmer as he stares at that tempting, shiney, glittery, must-be-part-of-his-hoard crown!
Celestia glances sidelong as Marble stumbles and fumbles his way out of the... restroom?... and to the podium as well. Well, better late than never. "Good to see you again, Dr. Memory," the Princess says with a tip of her head to the stallion.
Dinky sees Enigma eying the princess and knows it can't be for a good reason. She reaches back and teeths him a spare harness. "Here. Pull." A little good noest work should distract the bandit. Her own tail? Not like any fish you ever saw, unless it's one in a tank with lots of bigger fish.
Red_Velvet smiles and waits for Holly, but her mouth drops open and her eyes venture up again as those huge...things begin rebounding off one another, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks at the sight.
Pina_Colada scowls at Berry Punch as she attempts to take control of the steering of the great seeded fruit (yeah, yeah, I know it's not really a fruit or a berry, Berry) and proceeds to completely overcompensate by yanking the handle all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. She's the one in power here! Huff! And then gets back to work on her blueprints.
Mayor Mare walks sternly behind the former Chancellor, her expression heated. "Your suit is -fine-, for the last time!" she insists. "I hope you can still see all the floats from here!" The first ones, including the kohlrabi containing Eris and Shutterbug, are already across the stream and headed up Maple Street. "You may have to run in order to see them all!"
Hollyhock gives a startled little squeak as, looking sharply back over her shoulder at Forge's clinging and clanking float. She stares good and long as she trots along, eyes big, "I - uh - reckon I'll duck out here. You folks have a good p'rade, hear?" And don't drop those big tomatoes on anyone. She thinks it, but doesn't say it aloud. She doesn't want to jinx anything, not until she's safely out of the blast radius anyway. She ducks into the crowd, and soon enough finds herself next to Red, whispering, "Them things ain't dangerous, are they?"
Enigma meeps as he gets teethered. He shakes his head, eyes back to normal, and smiles to Dinky as he helps pull the float. He asides to her as he waves a free hoof to ponies, "Not everyday the ponies of Equestria cheer for the King Of Bandits." He winks at Dinky. ;D He's so full of himself. >D
Marble flails. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Marble shouts right at the podium, jumps on it, then takes off flying with... actually wow, who knew Marble was such a really fast flyer?
Pinkie_Pie has arrived.
Nimble_Hooves gasps as he hits a particuarly nasty rut. The tree float swings precariously over the audience, and a couple of the leaves and an acorn fall off. Fillies and Colts in the audience giggle at the unexpeted tree swaying over them, thinking it is part of the show. For a moment Nimble pauses as if to run after the wayward parts, but then he realises where he is, harnessed to his float. Unaware of events happening ahead, he closes his eyes briefly and tells himself 'let it go, let it go...'
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "o/` Let it go... Let it go... don't fret over it anymore. Let it go... let it go... you wouldn't want to be a bore! Worry not, lest you get worry lines! Everything is fine! It's all future you's problem anyway! o/`"
Forge's tomatoes are the MOST dangerous in all of Equestria! As the strawberry veers wildly he begins to as well, turning left, then right in an effort to keep things stable, the inertia has other plans however, and one tomato actually does a stunt for the amusement of the crowd, cartwheeling once, causing the enter float to lean first one way, then another. Maybe he should have a license for that thing...
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Good job, you got the most dangerous tomatoes in all of Equestria. Have a sticker."
<OOC> Pina_Colada gives Forge actually quite a nice sticker. It glows in the dark and everything.
<OOC> Forge says, "Ooooh!
"
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "And if you scratch it, it smells like... .... well, that should be obvious, right?"
<OOC> Marble_Memory says, "A Klingon targ?"
Solar_Solstice's float happens to be farther back, and with a keen eye he can see the trouble ahead. "Uh...hang on a second." He carefully retreats into the mini-house on the float, and moments later the whole thing swerves carefully around each of the obstacles with an agility unbecoming of such a large object.
Fluttershy waves to the princess as she nears...and then the float jerks to a halt again. All the birds and rabbits are just standing there, blinking in their harnesses. "What's wrong?" Fluttershy leans forward, peering down...and then ahead. "Oh dear. I-it's a Manehatten traffic jam..."
Berry_Punch is getting scared now, despite what she just sang internally to the tune of "Let it Go". She eyes the freehweeling tomato of doom and backs off a bit. "Give it leeway!" she calls to Pina Colada inside the huge strawberry. And she nudges Pumpkin Seed. "Keep pulling left! I gotta help." She unharness herself and runs over to Forge's float, pushing against it when it tilts too far too the left! Berry Punch has been in Manehattan traffic jams, Fluttershy--this isn't even close. Except for the Big Apple aspect.
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "Teehee."
<OOC> Marble_Memory says, "There's a lot of chaos here. XD"
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "Apples."
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "CHAOS"
<OOC> Sky_Blue HUGS MARBLE
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves says, "Normal for Ponyville, of course
"
<OOC> Scribble says, "Discord managed to get a hold of the weather schedule."
Celestia waves back to Fluttershy.
Red_Velvet has her eyes fixed on what she is starting to believe may be one of the first signs of the pony apocalypse. "I...uh...I don't Know Holly, dear. But maybe we should take a few steps backward? Just...you know. Should one want a head start if we end up living out a live version of one of the Daring Do books."
Derpy hops merrily on a cumulus cloud above the parade, forgetting her court injunction.
Bastion has arrived.
<OOC> Bastion shimmershimmers ^^
<OOC> Solar_Solstice says, "Bastion I haven't seen you in over a year
"
<OOC> Bastion turns to metal, picks up Solar, snuggles! CWUSH!
"What-ever", murmurs Dinky to Enigma. "Seriously, I can't believe all those crazy headlines were all the work of some mourning unstable kid. All those things in your hoard... are you even attached to them? Do you even use them? I bet some ponies would be pretty glad to get some of those trinkets back, you know?"
Pina_Colada was singing along internally, in harmony, to Berry Punch's jaunty rendition of a song that is similar to but legally distinct from the song 'Let It Go', owned by an extraordinarily litigious company. She barely hears what Berry Punch is shouting, but can't hear any specifics because she's inside a strawberry. "HEY. HEY. HEY." She shouts, but to likely no avail. And then she yanks the handle all the way over to the right, and then to the left, and then the handle breaks off entirely. Thank Celestia she's inside that strawberry, because otherwise this scene would distinctly lose its G-rating from the resultant curses.
MArble is fast-flying, trying to get ahead of all the floats so he can judge them, screaming all the way. Zoom zoom.
Mayor Mare watches Marble soaring after the parade to catch up. She rubs her eyes. That can't be right! Is... she rubs her eyes again. Was Marble Memory always a pegasus? She'll have to check the paperwork to be sure.
Hollyhock nods slowly in agreement with Red, her eyes not leaving the swaying Floats of Doom as she takes a half step back, "Reckon y'r right, jefa. Might be, uh..." She trails off at this point, taking another step back, watching the berry fail to slow down. It's like a slow motion train wreck.
Enigma narrows his eyes which hiss with a bright golden fire and looks at Dinky, "They're mine! I need them!" He realizes how sharp that was and frowns. His eyes dim and he slants his ears back, "....I never steal that which cannot be easily replaced."
Nimble_Hooves opens his eyes to impending doom ahead. Pulling his float to a halt as quick as he can, which isn't quick at all thanks to momentum. The tree swings wildly over the audience once more, and yet more leaves separate and drift down over giggling fillies and colts.
Celestia mouths to Pina Colada, "You're welcome."
Uh-oh. Berry is trying to control Forge's float, and the giant strawberry (which is taller than a normal strawberry of its girth would be, just sayin') is no longer internally steerable. And it seems to be gaining on the float in front of it, which happens to be Starry's little crookshank squash. Oh dear. Can Mr. Tentabun save the day?
Trundling along near the rear comes a rather large float, dragged along by a vehicle in the shape of a golden - literally golden! - apple; a tractor, from the sound of it. The float itself is a long trailer, caparisoned with banners and bunting in green, red, and gold, but the actual contents seem to be less the result of planning and more the result of a terrible argument. There's a sculture like a tree laden with several kinds of apples, some barrels, a rocking chair, a large papier-mache cornucopia with the traditional mess of things spilling form it, and a 1/3 scale airship. One banner is flying Luna's colors for some reason, and the pile of laundry in the rocking chair turns out on closer inspection to actually be a sleeping Granny Smith. Applejack is driving the thing and giving the parade-goers the kind of desperate smiles and waves that only come from being REALLY mad about how some work turned out; Apple Bloom, on the other hoof, is in the model airship shouting orders at her imaginary crew and waving around a wooden sword!
Dressed in his Crystal Imperial armour, Bastion trots his way through the crowd as he looks at the parade. As he sees the massive metal float upahead tilting, the knight eyes widen. He suddenly rears, back, whinnies, and his flesh turns from grey to shimmering, rigged, polygonal metal! He then lands with a THUD and gollops (THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD!) to the front to try and throw himself at the side of the float to try and keep it stable!
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "THERE's the Big Apple we needed!"
Solar_Solstice gawks at the building chaos in front of him, pondering a possible response from himself. He whispers something to Paja, who nods in agreement. What could they be planning?
The side door to the gigantic fruit (strawberry) suddenly swings open and out from it leaps little Pina Colada. "ABANDON FRUIIIIIIIIT!" the little filly cries as she leap-land-rolls onto the ground, ending up somewhere right in front of Dinky and her little coltfriend. "... Oh. Uh, hi, Dinky." She scratches the back of her right ear awkwardly, now oblivious to the chaos unfurling behind her.
Of course, Apple Bloom had TRIED to convince her sister to let her use the *real* Crusader for a float. Imagine how easily they would have won this contest, alas. Still, she's making the best of it, flinging around her sword. "Ah'm tellin' y'all, ye scurvilous dogs, HOIST THE MAINSAIL." How did this happen?!
"YOU DON'T HAVE A MAINSAIL!" Dinky shouts at Apple Bloom. She glares at Enigma. "Well that's just great. And yet somehow you need every last coin, huh? Don't suppose you can explain without your eyes going all goldfire, can you?" She grimaces at the sight of the pink filly jumping out of the strawberry up ahead. Oh cripes. And she's coming right this--"Hi, Pinto. Pinta. Sorry, whatever your name is. Something wrong with your big berry?"
Enigma chuffs and glances away, "...told you... my power can't work on you." He then blinks as suddenly filly lands before them! He looks down at Pina... then to her float then Pina...float..Pina..Float..."WHo is driving that float?"
Celestia perks up suddenly as she notices a bit of tumult somewhere along the parade route. Her great white wings unfurl to her sides and she pushes straight up into the air, taking flight and heading straight towards the floats.
The mayor watches this in dismay. "Oh--no, Your Highness, you don't need to--there's no need to--" Oh, feathers. She's gone. The Mayor whispers to hone of her attendants to get the marshalls on this problem. "And who is that gigantic stallion made of metal, anyway?!"
"Pina Colada," the little pink filly corrects the little... whatever the heck Dinky's color is. Greyish? Mauve? She doesn't actually care, she tries not to look at her too long. "Uh, I'm sure that my sister and Pumpkin Whatever can handle it. No big." She puffs up her chest.
Forge quickly frees himself from his halter, and with Berry's help and that of a strangely metal stallion, they.....do NOT manage to save the day. The cartwheeling metal tomato flies free as it's cast iron hanging snaps. Forge is at the front of the float, muscles straining to help straighten things out, then the Strawberry goes rolling wild and he is distracted, only to find himself in the shadow of his own flying creation, Oh yes...that tomato has it's targets set on patricide today. "Oh Horseapples..." But in a last ditch effort Forge rises on his hind hooves and manages to actually -catch the massing piece of produce before anypony end's up 'squashed' he stands there, holding the tomato aloft like some god-king of the harvest, "Ha HA! It is good day to be giant pony!"
Pumpkin_Seed has arrived.
<OOC> Dusk says, "Heya, PS!"
<OOC> Pumpkin_Seed waves a big strong hoofy.
<OOC> Pumpkin_Seed says, "What's going on?"
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Well, you're desparetly trying to pull our giant strawberry float to the left out of the way of Forge's Tomato Apocalypse float, since our rudder's steering handle broke and my little sister abandoned fruit."
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "desperately"
<OOC> Pina_Colada looks quite proud!
<OOC> Pumpkin_Seed grins. "We have a strawberry float, babe?"
<OOC> Applejack says, "Not no more."
<OOC> Berry_Punch herself is trying to steady a tomato pendulum. And yeah, I was gonna RP with you but I didn't see you.
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "It's more like a strawberry shake now."
<OOC> Berry_Punch has been spoofing you a little.
<OOC> Pumpkin_Seed grins. "No big giant pumpkin? (Lamekin)
<OOC> Bastion is not a mutant! Just...my crystal state happens to be carbon. ._.;
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "Aww, honey. You know pumpkins are more of a fall crop."
<OOC> Dinky hears Bastion explaining and all she retains is the word 'mutant'.
<OOC> Pumpkin_Seed smooches his wifey, will be okay with a strawberry.
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "We can have a pumpkin-shaped coach for our wedding procession!"
<OOC> Pina_Colada gags somewhere in the distance at the smooching of her sister.
Marble finally reaches the head of teh parade and shouts at the first float. "I NEED TO JUDGE YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FLOAT NOW!"
Dinky is a color out of space, yeah. She knows. She's ugly as regret. "Uh... well, don't look now, but some big metal monster thing is stomping up toward your float. In fact, I met that guy. He's a mutant Crystal Pony or something. Okay, you can look now." She looks at Enigma. "I meant the look in your eyes you had just now when you got all grabby," she tells him.
Bastion lands with a resounding, thunderous THUD!!!! He takes notice as Forge seems to have the situation under control. THe metal pony 's glowing silver eyes look up at Forge as the young knight says in his strange half-mechanized voice, "Do you require assistance, citizen?"
Enigma turns to watch Colossus pony try to save the metal float and looks back to DInky, "Never a dull moment in Ponyville, eh?" He heh hehs, "And yeah... When I fixate on something, I'm compelled to steal it. It's meant to be part of my hoard."
Nimble_Hooves tries his best to pull his own float under control, then watches helplessly as the float ahead veers off and out of control. He calls out, "M-Miss Berry... a-are you okay?"
Red_Velvet is a firm believer in being brave, she has faced a good many things in life already, but sometimes, one has to pick one's battles, yes indeed, and so she has already begun running. She's seen these sorts of things get out of hoof before...
Applejack stares at the commotion. She slows down the Applocalype float as best she, trying not to smack into anything. The float judders and shakes, waking up Granny Smith, who reacts to the excitement and hubbub by smacking her lips, saying "turn that goldarned radio down, big macintosh" and falling asleep again. AJ meanwhile is struggling not so much with the golden apple's controls as with her own powerful desire to leap out and help - but there is nopony else to take the wheel!
Berry_Punch lets go of the metal vine garden of red bloodplants and looks at the amazingly muscled Forge. For a little too long. "Wow. You need a hoof with that?" To Nimble Hooves she waves offhoofedly. "I'm fine." Then she looks back and sees her own float rolling away. "Oh CREPES oh CREPES!" She shouts to the weird crystally stallion beside her: "YES! Go catch that berry!" And she goes running off after it herself.
<OOC> Marble_Memory finds it hilarious how Marble's oblivious to the mounting float wreck. xD
Marble floats over to Fluttershy's float. Okay, he'll judge this one. "TELL ME ABOUT YOUR FLOAT I'M LATE!"
As he barrels ahead with the strawberry in tow, Pumpkin Seed feels the vehicle starting to sway side to side as it starts to work it's way out of control. Glancing over his shoulder, his green eyes bug out of his skull as he starts to run a bit faster, trying to outpace the large fruit wagon, though it will be all for naught. "Ah, shucks." He grunts out as he digs his hooves into the ground, then rams his shoulder into the side of the float as it starts pushing him towards the bridge.
"Who?" Pina Colada turns around to look at the Crystal Pony Mutant. "Huh. Well, good for him." She turns back around to Dinky and rolls her shoulders casually. "Well, I'm gonna go... fetch my... fruit..." There's really no cool way to say that. "Hope you had a good -lunch-, Dinkters Dew." She turns around and flicks her tail at the pony colored with regret. And then begins sprinting off after the strawberry as well.
"BE QUIET DINKY!" Apple Bloom says, shaking an angry hoof at her rival. And then the float slows down suddenly, forcing Apple Bloom to grab on for dear life. "Whoa."
Forge quivers with the strain of holding his tomatoes aloft, and he nods at Bastion, "Stop...the...cart. Help Berry." He gestures to the berry float as it rolls away, one just doesn't stop something with that kind of weight once it gets going. "Oh...ponyfeathers..." Forge may have -caught- the tomato, but that doesn't mean he can -hold- it. he overbalances backwards and with a slightly squishy sound the metal fruit clangs against the cobbles and rolls over it's creator. The betrayal....
"Issuuuues!" singsongs Dinky acerbically. "We'll have to work on that. Maybe test what makes you fixate on something and see what--" She breaks off. "Something's going wrong up there." She looks at Pina. "You mean that out of control strawberry? Yeah, good luck with that." Then she has to turn around and glare one of her best glares at Apple Bloom. Priorities, you know.
Bastion turns to Berry and snaps his head to the runaway berry. He turns and begins galloping after the runaway float. THe ground rumbles and shakes under him as his metal hooves dig into the earth. He then tries to throw himself in front of the float and spreads his limbs out spread eagle with his head held down. >_<;
Derpy hops cautiously on the cloud one more time. It shakes and then breaks into eighteen parts. Derpy falls through the air, eyes revolving.
Enigma watches metal pony try to be all knightly again. The colt turns to Dinky, "Maybe we should get to safety or stop the floats?"
Applejack can't take it any more. "Oh HORSEFEATHERS!" She jams on the brake, and - hoping it will hold - leaps out of the applecab to try to help. Things are running away, and they shouldn't be, and to AJ there's exactly one solution to that: Ropes. LOTS of ropes. She yells "YEEEE HAW!!", then starts running through the chaos, lassoing everything that even looks like it might WANT to get out of control!
... And then the Apple float gets moving again. "Oh HORSEAPPLES!" Apple Bloom shouts and leaps out of the scale model airship, making a break for the steerign column. "HORSEAPPLESHORSEAPPLES."
Celestia swoops down towards the gathering chaos, surveying the situation. The Special Crystal Pony Bastion appears to have the strawberry under control - but the giant tomato formerly held by Forge appears to have rolled right over Forge and is now headed right towards a sizeable group of ponies. She takes in a deep breath and her horn regains its great golden glow. A similar golden aura appears around the metal tomato - and while it doesn't stop its Roll of Doom, it does slow. Just enough time for the Princess of Equestria to sweep down to land in front of it. Taking in another great, deep breath, the Princess lifts herself up onto her hindhooves and braces for the tomato to make contact with her forehooves.
"Eeeek!" Fluttershy rocks back and forth on top of the float, clinging to the wings of her crochet butterfly for comfort. "I, um, I...m-made it myself?" Angel crosses his arms.
PUB >> I Am Rush says, "Hello."
PUB >> The Bandit King snatches Rush, lifts overhead, steals away
PUB >> I Am Rush is stolen?
PUB >> Dinky says, "Yeah, that'll never get old."
PUB >> The Bandit King says, "FOR THE HOARD!"
PUB >> Dinky says, "...yyyup."
PUB >> Lying in wait in one of Applejack's apple buckets, with an apple pierced on the tip of her horn, Celestia says, "At least he steals -you-. He just wants my crown. ;.;"
PUB >> The Bandit King says, "Your shiney, shiney crown! :>~"
PUB >> Applejack says, "Don't worry, yer Highness, LOTSA ponies want you."
PUB >> Applejack says, "... uh... ah mean... uh..."
PUB >> Applejack aheh heh. Ahem.
PUB >> Berry_Punch sure does!
PUB >> Lying in wait in one of Applejack's apple buckets, with an apple pierced on the tip of her horn, Celestia beams.
PUB >> Pinkie_Pie says, "She means they pine for your big, soft, adorable tushie!"
PUB >> I Am Rush reaches into his saddlebag, pulls out a bat...
PUB >> Lying in wait in one of Applejack's apple buckets, with an apple pierced on the tip of her horn, Celestia leans over and plants a warm kiss onto Applejack's forehead.
PUB >> Applejack facehoofs.
PUB >> Pinkie_Pie says, "And then she started growing a horn."
PUB >> Applejack says, ".... yeah. Ah did mean that. Sorry."
PUB >> Applejack feels her forehead in a brief panic!? Phew. Just nonsense.
PUB >> Lying in wait in one of Applejack's apple buckets, with an apple pierced on the tip of her horn, Celestia does have the best big soft tushie in all of Equestria.
Hollyhock is still watching the chaos unfolding just in front of her, unable to tear her eyes off what's happening. There's a hint of a twitch as that Tomato comes down, then a heaved sigh as Forge catches it. It's then she hears the retreating hooves of her boss. She glances back over her shoulder and watches Red tearing off through the crowd. She watches for a good fifteen seconds before she turns and follows, grumbling to herself. She didn't want to run anywhere today. Not all dressed up.
Nimble_Hooves watches on in horror as disaster unfold in front of him. He is torn between running in to help, and running away to safety, but as he is still harnessed to his float he is stuck where he is in the midst of the chaos.
"Tell me about the materials and theme, and be as detailed and descriptive as possible. How did you come up with the idea? How did you get the materials?" Marble continues interviewing, oblivious to the mounting tragedy.
Pinkie_Bye has arrived.
Pinkie_Cry has arrived.
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Oh, [BUY SOME APPLES]."
A reverberating twang of guitar strings suddenly punctuates the already cacophonic occasion. "Andale!" Paja Fuerte shouts, and he leaps down into the chaos. The mariachi band is more than happy to help by providing the soundtrack: a tense, dramatic Eskellian tune that has all the makings of chase music. However, Paja doesn't seem to appear after a while..
Red_Velvet would try to help, but with no magic and a snapped off horn, Red is quite ruined as a unicorn, and doesn't begin to have the physical strength needed to do anything an earth pony might. She finds herself quite literally, nothing but a hindrance in a situation like this. She is a clever pony, but you can't negotiate with a half ton of rolling metal death.
Berry_Punch hurries after Pumpkin Seed and Bastion, now frantic. The strawberry is about to roll into the river! She's about to meet the fate of the Cutie Mark Crusaders! She's a grown adult--she needs her own ways of being humiliated! Oh, but the big metal pony is lying down. And yes, the strawberry bangs into him, still going pretty fast... how does Bastion react?
<OOC> Applejack says, "Oh good, here Ah was worried we might see an end ta th' chaos."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "I was worried too, AJ! Good thing I happened along!"
"I, um..." The cart starts moving again - Angel is trying to pull Fluttershy away! "I jst had all the yarn already, a-and it's a few stiff backing cards...I really just wanted to honor our little friends, who make all of the harvests possible." She sweeps her hoof, pointing at all the shapes of bugs and butterflies and bees.
Just as the mariachi band resumes playing, Pinkie Bye leaps down into the fry. The fray. "Andale!" she replies, her togue swift, herhind legs poised in dramatic arches on Solar Solstice's float, and her forelegs crossed. She has a sombrero on with little hard candies dangling from the brim.
<OOC> Sky_Blue says, "Why ARE there three Pinkies?"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves says, "We're doomed"
<OOC> Forge says, "Oh holy horseapples, all we need is Discord now..."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "All right girls, on the count of three, we all start posing what our float is without consulting each other. One, two..."
Bastion OOFS! Screeeeeeeech! Bastion's hooves dig trenches through the road as sparks fly against his flank as the float smashes into his side! He leans his shoulder against the float and presses his shoulder against it as he GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRS!!!!! His hind hooves and metal tail dig deeper groves and trenches into the earth as he tries to stop the float.
Pina_Colada races desperately after Pumpkin Seed, Bastion, and her sister. The strawberry is going into the river! Code pink! CODE PINK! I that the code? She's really not sure, but she does like pink. She makes a flying leap and lands on Berry Punch's back. How does she do that, you ask? ... Well, a lady doesn't reveal her secrets. "We need to stop the strawberry!" shouts Captain Obvious.
Pinkie_Aye has arrived.
<OOC> Applejack says, "... there ain't three Pinkies."
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "There are FOUR Pinkies!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye can hardly even COUNT that high!
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "FOUR! FOUR PINKIES! AH AH AH! That's as many as four ones!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "Or two pairs!"
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves says, "and that is terrible"
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "And that's wonderful!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "THAT'S IT OUR FLOAT IS PEARS"
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "Or a full house!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "Or eight halves!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "(we take up a lot of space. hee hee)"
Pumpkin_Seed goes home.
Pumpkin_Seed has left.
"Well, that's very nice and honorable of you. Please, wave to the crowds as you pass. I have to judge the other floats now." Marble then flies to the next float.
Dusk has come out to watch the parade he heard about. A little late due to some work out of town. He watches the floats going this way and that and wonders if this is considered normal for a parade here. Oh right. Ponyville. He gets out a chair and watches the festivities.
Forge relaxes in the divot he now occupies in the road, upsidedown, he observes the Sun Princess getting ready to confront his gigantic tomato, "I...made you an your....ugh.....sister...a present...." He mutters, seeming half out of it, "...hope ya like it. "
The soil rumbles in the path of the strawberry as, quite suddenly, great vines sprout upward and try to catch it! "Hang on tight, mi amigos!" Paja Fuerte shouts, emerging from behind the vines and tapping their stiff green coating with a hoof.
Pinkie_Pie pokes her head over the edge of the judging stand. "Hey, guys, sorry I'm late for the judging! Did I miss anyth - oh my gosh, it's a float depicting a tossed fruit salad!" she squeals, jabbing her hoof at the chaos below. "IT WINS!
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves wonders if CODE PINK is the Pinkies' cue?
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "It is now!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "Oooh. That's a great idea, Nimble! We should totally use that next time."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie slips a pink siren on top of town hall. WE HAVE CODE PINK ALERT
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "Code Pink means some sort of Eskellian pop remix disco, right?"
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "It does now!"
"How are we gonna stop those things?" asks Dinky. The big strawberry hits the big mutant and seems to be under control. "There, see? Taken care of." She gets back into her harness and keeps pulling to big turnip. "Just means the judges won't pick them. More prizes for us. Oh hey, look. Celestia's playing with a big tomato."
Hollyhock calls after Red as she gives chase, "Hey! Slow down! Think - think they've got e'erything - e'erything under control!"
Celestia takes in a great, big, deep breath.... and then, the great metal tomato makes contact with her hooves. Her horn glows ever brighter with its beautiful golden aura and the halo about the metal tomato brightens along with it. the Princess of Equestria exhales slowly, her body trembling ever so slightly as she tries desperately to hold back the massive metal tomato.
The mayor hurries up to Celestia's side. She looks between Forge, Celestia, and Nimble Hooves as his float passes by. "Is... is everything all right here?" Her attendants follow in her wake, ready to help.
Pinkie_Pie waves her hooves. "Celestia, no! You don't have super breath, you'll never get anywhere trying to blow that tomato!"
The mayor's attendants press into the tomato on either side of the Sun Princess, ameliorating the pressure against her.
Applejack lassos the tomato and the strawberry and the mayor "Oops, sorry!" and the vines, trying desperately to get things under control again. It's not working. It is in fact making things worse, as the dangling ropes catch on more things and drag along bystanding objects. The strawberry turns out to have been an ESPECIALLY bad idea - as it rolls away, it starts dragging AJ along, too! "Whoa! Whoa! WHOA NELLY! GAAAANGWAAAAY!!"
Apple_Bloom has connected.
Pinkie_Cry pops up next to Apple Bloom. "HI!" she shouts.
Apple Bloom screams and grabs the wheel, jamming a hoof against the brake as hard as she can.
Then Pinkie pops up, startling Apple Bloom, who screams in shock and falls right out of the float. SAVE US, GRANNY SMITH.
And the strawberry's movement is summarily arrested by crashing into a giant crystal pony, being roped by spontaneous vines, and being roped by Applejack, all at once. It... basically stops moving. It's tilted now, not quite fallen over, and Bastion is under it.
Dusk asides to some other pony, perhaps fleeing the mayhem, or hiding behind something sturdy, "This isn't bad. I imagined it'd be more decorative, but much less exciting. Ooo, a tree with a squirrel float. Squirrelly should see this."
Pinkie_Cry rolls out of the float right next to Apple Bloom, wearing a gleeful expression. Thwmp thwmp thwmp
Red_Velvet begins to slow, turning to look back at the wild melee of floats and ponies trying to bring about order from the chaos, then she spots them, the four Pinkies, AND Paja FUERTE!? "NOPE!" is all Red replies before she turns and if possible, begins running away EVEN FASTER!
Applejack's momentum is not so reduced, unfortunately, and as the rope slackens she smashes into the strawberry! And it, and she, slowly... slowly... start... to tip...
Derpy remembers to fly and swoops over the parade, her eyes unfocused. She lands on top of Nimble's tree for a better view. And out of nowhere, like a ray of sun from the hidden horizon, she smiles.
Granny Smith grab the wheel, eyes narrowed as she peers out into the setting sun from beneath her cowboy hat! She's going to save us all! No, she's fallen asleep again, flopping over the wheel and snoring.
The mariachi band stops abruptly at the same time as the strawberry. But not for long, as they notice the big fruit begin to tip over again, the last tense stanzas building up all over again to a crescendo.
Now. The time is now! Angel doffs his little driver's cap, and replaces it with--a hat of the Admiralty! Seeveral gaps in the crochet open up, and little popgun cannons reveal themselves. Fluttershy hunkers down. "T-this isn't in my design!" Prepare to be boarded, Ponyville!
<OOC> Apple_Bloom says, "Well, at least Granny trawed."
Bastion GRRRRRROWLS a deep bellowing metallic rumble as he pushes his forelegs against the float as it stiops. He THUDS his fore hooves into the ground and turns himself with a metalic groaning, grinding sound. He tries to push and tilt the float back onto the ground evenly and steady. Prats of his joints blacken and his hide seems to crack here and there trying to manipulate the massive weight.
Pinkie_Dye has arrived.
<OOC> Solar_Solstice says, "A FOu"
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "YES. We need MORE Pinkies."
<OOC> Solar_Solstice says, "A FOURTH ONE?"
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "Nope. Fifth!"
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "(yay)"
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "YAY! Five Pinkies!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry throws streamers.
Enigma trots alongside Dinky as all the chaos insues. He shrugs and looks back to Dinky, "Is it sad that I've sorta grown use to this $#!+ by now?" He sweatdrops.
Pinkie_Bye slides down Paja Fuerte's vines and lands on the strawberry float. She strikes a pose and dances, using a particularly active vine for a partner! With her added weight, the strawberry crashes onto its side.
<OOC> Pinkie_Dye Bouncie Bouncie Bouncies!! <3
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "Isn't that six? I count six."
<OOC> Pina_Colada is pink, but doesn't like pie.
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "I count six sometimes too but only after I count five and usually before counting fizzbin."
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "You made up Fizzbin to win at Monopoly!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Eye arrives to ruin everything! Nah, just more streamers!
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "Wait, I know! There's exactly 3.1416, obviously!"
Nimble_Hooves suddenly finds a himself dragged by the float as Derpy lands in it, and upsetting the balance briefly. It is wrought metal and can easily take her weight. Gladly distracted from the unfolding disaster ahead, he waves to the mailmare, "U-Umm... Hello?"
Pumpkin_Seed has arrived.
Berry_Punch finally arrives at her overturned float! She immediately leaps onto it and hugs it! Then she calls: "Pumpy! Pumpy, are you okay!?" Somehow she managed to be the only thing in the area that Applejack *didn't* lasso.
Pinkie_Aye flips open a hatch - how do you even GET a crocheted hatch!? - and climbs out of Fluttershy's float, decked out in scurvy pirate gear and trundling her cannon! "YARRR! AVAST YE MIZZENMAST AND LUBBER SOME LAND! I'm here to put the PARTY in boarding party!" *BLAM* streamers
<OOC> Pinkie_Fie is dangling from the rafters of town hall.
<OOC> Pinkie_Guy emerges from all the restrooms at once.
<OOC> Pinkie_Guy is singing in a baritone in the background. "Oh, she's an evil enchantress..."
Pina_Colada also managed not to be lassoed! Thank Celestia. She hops down onto the ground and stares wideeyed. Whoa. And also makes sure to take a big step away so she isn't in the path of the strawberry as it tilts forward from the Apple plastered onto it. The Apple with a nice hat. "... Sorry."
Celestia struggles against the weight of the tomato - thankfully, the attendants definitely help attenuate the great force needed to keep this tomato from rolling out of control. Her breath increases slightly - and the momentum of the tomato appears to stop. She exhales deeply and she stares at the metal fruit (or vegetable?) solidly. "Someone put something under this tomato to keep it here," she commands.
Wiggling under the strawberry float, Pumpkin Seed lets out a loud, painted grunt. Pulling himself free, he limps slightly away and gives a few shakes of his mane out. Looking haggared, sweaty and tired, he says, "Yeah, ah'm fine. Jus' another day here in Ponyville it seems like."
"Vencer!" the mariachis shout as the strawberry crashes to the ground, their guitars falling silent with it. Meanwhile, Paja Fuerte is at the wreckage, inspecting it closer. "Senor Calabaza, you are OK?"
Hollyhock covers her face with a hoof at Red's answer. What's wrong with the music? She likes the music! She shakes her head, then continues giving chase. Why does Red need to run so fast?
Paja smiles. "Most indeed, Senor Calabaza, most indeed."
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "Senor Calabaza means: Mister Pumpkin! This has been a Pinkie Service Announcement."
"P...Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy turns back, looking up with two parts awe and one part Zap Apple Brandy as the float makes a sharp turn to port. "W-what's going on?" And then pop, pop, pop, go the little cannons, firing harvest cider corks at the other floats.
Bastion turns around sharp to the Princess' shout. The metal pony pants in heavy metallic mechanized tones and once again gallops across the street to her! His hooves POUND and THUD against the ground as he leaps... then lands with a KABOOM and skids through the ground to slide himself to Celestia's hooves. He says in his heavy mechanized voice, "Quick your highness! Put it on me!"
Berry_Punch embraces Pumpkin Seed. She embraced Pina COlada too when she arrives. "I guess we lose the whole float thing. It's okay, Pina! I should've... done something better, somehow. What went wrong, anyway?" She looks up and sees a Pinkie Pie on top of her strawberry, dancing or something. "Hey! Hey you! Get offa there!!"
Forge drags himself to his hooves, he is dirty, smushed, and covered in streamers. His eyes seem to be struggling to focus but as he sees Celestia pressing on the tomato he made, as well as several of the Mayor's attendants, and with the arrival of Bastion he sits down, looking up at the massive dreadnought of a float, "Maybe next year....I'll only make one half as big." He muses.
Applejack extracts herself from the Strawberry of Doom and shakes her head. She catches sight of the Apples' float, which has lost control, has Granny Smith asleep at the wheel LITERALLY, and is picking up speed... headed directly for Celestia! "OH SWEET MOTHER OF [BUY ALL THE APPLES EVER YOU DIRTY APPLE CUSTOMER]!!"
<OOC> Celestia is going to be hit and run by an Apple. ... How ironic?
"Ayup, ah'm fine." Pumpkin Seed says to the Paja as he leans into Berry, wrapping a forehoof about her shoulders as he tucks her in against his broad chest. Giving a smile to Pina Colada, he nudges her into the group embrace as well. "Not sure what went wrong. At this rate ah've come ta' expect it by now."
Pinkie_Pie gasps. She's never heard such language! She swoons dead away.
Pinkie_Bye jumps down from the strawberry and looks around, blinking. "Huh. I guess things are gonna be ok--OH NO WHO'S DRIVING OUR FLOAT?"
Apple Bloom is valiantly running after the float. She looks very heroic but let's be real, the float's going so fast she's not catching it.
"Well, the handle broke," Pina admits morosely. "But hey, maybe next year. And it's not your fault. I love ya, sis," the little pink filly says as she hugs her big sister tightly.
<OOC> Pinkie_Dye Is just hear to watch tonight, she's a bit distracted...
<OOC> Dinky says, "Oh, what will we do without Pinkie @*$% DYE."
<OOC> Pinkie_Dye
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "If only we had some replacement for her! But it would have to be somepony nearly identical."
<OOC> Dusk puts on a pink wig. Virtually indistinguishable.
Pinkie_Aye yells! "What's going on? What's going on!? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON! - This is a pirate ship! you know what piratse ships are like, right? "They have scurvy and peg legs and cannonballs and rum and - OOH I KNOW!" She pulls out a concertina and starts playing it! o/` There is SCURVY on a pirate ship! / It'll rot your bones, so here's a little tip / When there is survy on your pirate ship / EAT A LIME! / EAT A LIME!! ... o/`
Dinky hauls her float dutifully, most of the work still being borne by Quasar's dad. "Nah, it's not sad. Just coping. Good if you can tune out the mayhem." She closes her eyes, then remembers not to go that far and opens them again. Oh ^$@, Apple Bloom's float is rolling by them now. "Whoa! Maple Bloop, get your thing under control!!"
Solar_Solstice's float floats by, probably the only one that managed to emerge from the road unscathed. "Uhh..." the young stallion mutters, looking down at the carnage. "...I don't suppose anypony wants a smoothie right about now?" He grins guiltily.
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye is singing this!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWXf0iubbJ4Forge then looks up and his pupils wide, "Da...zis...zis is oing to hurt." He is right between Celestia and the Apple float, he rises to his hind hooves and tries to brace himself, but come on now, even as strong as he is...he can only really delay this. He just hopes when he collides with the princess he doesn't land somewhere awkward.
Derpy starts to sway vigorously back and forth on top of Nimble's mechanical tree, as if dancing to an unseen tune!
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "Bad news, Forge. You have at least a fifty percent chance by volume of hitting her plot."
<OOC> Apple_Bloom says, "... Who WOULDN'T want to hit that plot. *BanneD*"
<OOC> Forge says, "I was afraid of dat."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "Afraid of DAT PLOT"
Red_Velvet has disconnected.
The mayor untangles herself angrily from Applejack's lasso, throwing it to the ground. "Is... is the tomato under control? I... I think another one of the floats is loose!" If Celestia is within earshot, she addesses it her way, but either way, she races off toward the golden apple tractor!
Celestia looks towards Bastion as he THUDs right onto the ground next to her (well it's really more of a KABOOM but who's being picky). She stares at him for jsut a moment before then nodding firmly. She pushes once again, her muscles rippling and the aura about her horn shining brighter than ever as she slowly pushes the giant metal tomato onto Bastion. "Push... push... PUSH!" she urges on the attendants around her. She doesn't even notice the apple spiraling out of control at her, she's so focused on her task at hand.
<OOC> Celestia shakes dat plot.
<OOC> Pumpkin_Seed swats. <3
<OOC> Bastion smacks! <3
Enigma continues to trot along side Dinky as he watches the chaos...and Celestia about to be sandwiched between Vin Diesel pony and X-Man Colossus pony. "Looks like the princess is about to be the meat of a beefcake sandwich."
Nimble_Hooves hears a noise from behind, and then Applejack's cry. He looks and sees the Apple float, seemingly out of control, and heading for the Princess. He winces. His float had been mostly unscathed in all of this, but now the Princess was in danger. He looks up to the mailmare, "U-Um... y-you should probably jump, Miss Derpy." With that he pulls his float across the parade route, into the path of the Apple float. It is all he can do, and he crouches waiting for the impact....
Pinkie_Bye eats a lime as she runs to the edge of Runaway Cart Road and disappears. A minute later, a COLLOSAL BEET with WHEELS comes rolling out! Because that's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of. Beets don't have wheels! They have roots! They're root vegetables!
Now is the Dawning of the Age of Aquastria! Another figurehead converts out of Fluttershy's float - it's a seapony! The rabbit teams pull it up alongside AJ's float. Several bunny buccaneers leap aboard, while other go for Nimble's tree. You didn't think rabbits wold let that delicious vegetation go to waste, did you?
Pinkie_Dye has disconnected.
Float? A pink float? Why never ever ever would anypony ever do such a thing. It would just be downright silly! Oh, no - instead, Pinkie Cry drives in on a good-sized float that looks like... ROOT BEER. Sweet, bubbly root beer. And it's on a collision course with Pinkie Bye's beet float! She desperately waves her hooves out the window. "NOOOOOOOO! ROOT BEER FLOAT GANGWAAAAAAAAAY."
<OOC> Pina_Colada says, "Oh sweet mother of [CENSORED FOR AUDIENCE]."
Berry_Punch trots back out of the way of the floats crossing the stream bridge, placing a hoof on her little sister's back, hoping comfort her. "So what went wrong, anyway? I thought you were steering pretty okay for a while."
Applejack, who is luckily faster than her sister, scrambles into the Apple float's cockpit. on the passenger side. "Granny! Granny, ya gotta move! GRANNY! Oh no oh no..." She looks up. The Nimble-Celestial impact is coming closer and closer... she can't reach the controls, what to do! Granny MSith remains resolutely asleep. "Granny, Ah'm SO SORRY-" And Applejack drops Granny Smith out of the door - directly on top of a barely-catching-up Apple Bloom! Applejack grabs the now accessible brake lever and pulls hard, hoping with everything she's got that this brake is enough to styop the huge float before she drags Nimble Hooves anbd his float into committing involuntary regicide!!
Pinkie_Pie looks at the two pink floats, tapping her chin with a hoof. "Hmmm. There's a joke rapidly approaching here, but I can't put my finger on it... oh, wait! It's because I don't have fingers."
<OOC> Apple_Bloom says, "Applejack: Boldly sacrificing family members to save parade floats."
"NOOOOO we agreed nothing bubblky this year!" shouts Pinkie Bye at the root beer float, not bothering to veer away. "Just wholesome vegetables! They're good for you! Strong bones! Big bright teeth!"
<OOC> Celestia hoofs Apple Bloom.
The knight OOFS and grrrrrRRRRROANS as his legs shake and tremble! He arches his back and spreads himself spread eagle to bear the weight of the half-ton of steel. He hangs his hea dnad scrunches his eyes tightly shut. His hooves begin to sink into the ground as cracks appear here and there in his crystallian metal hide. He winks an eye open to see a float and a pony more massive than even he barreling towards the Princess' back! He looks up at Celestia and roars in his mechanized voice, "YOUR HIGHNESS! MOVE!"
Forge sees several ponies moving to intercept and he allows himself to let go a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, maybe he would escape the impact, he can hope can't he? He does yell for anypony's sake however. "Move! Get out ze way!" He keeps his own hooves planted...just in case, da, this seems like a good 'just in case' scenario. Everypony should do somezink just in case right now...
"NOOOOO we agreed on something sweet this year! AND BESIDES, BEETS ARE EXTREMELY BAD FOR YOU! SO MUCH SUGAR. DRINK ROOT BEER INSTEAD." Pinkie Cry screams out the window at the beet float, also not bothering to steer away.
Dusk watches some lasso ropes go this way.. float parts go that way. He wonders if he should be keeping some kind of score on all the different events going on. "I have to remember to catch this again next year."
Mayor Mare is just reaching the apple float's tractor. She leaps heroically in--just as Granny Smith gets tossed out. "OOOF!" she cries, taking a senior citizen to the face. Oh, the things one does in the name of politics!
Pinkie_Pie shouts at the mayor, "No, no! How many times have I told you, kiss BABIES!"
<OOC> Solar_Solstice says, "I mean before somepony posts an action that invalidates mine n.n"
Apple_Bloom invalidates Solar Solstice's pose.
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye bursts out laughing at Original Flavor Pinkie.
Pinkie_Pie revalidates it!
Pinkie_Cry invalidates it again!
Pinkie_Bye shouts out her window as a rhythm booms from within her float: "o/` Can't stop! (Can't stop) Can't stop the beet! Let's re-re-re-re-rejoin the fleet! Can't stop (can't stop) can't stop the beet! NOoo Nooo Nooo Nooo o/`"
Pinkie_Pie is outnumbered by herself. Oh, why did she make herself a democrazy?
"STOP!" somepony screams, and it becomes apparent that it's Solar Solstice. Something about him is different, however: since when was there a glowy aura around him? Indeed, that watch his always wears around his neck is glowing very brightly, and around him a swirl of energy glows and throbs. He dashes from his floats towards his Princess, his shield powering up as he dives into the area. Did he make it?
Celestia succesfully puts the tomato up onto Bastion's back and lets out a deep, content breath of air. All safe. Until, of course, she gets jarred out of her momentary trance by Bastion's shout. She watches Applejack leap in and Nimble move his float in to intercept - then Solar Solistice runs in and pulls up his shield. A thought suddenly crosses her mind. She snags Solar SOlstice with a wing and, rather than extricating herself out of the way, flies straight on in towards the runaway float. Her horn gains a brillant golden aura once again and... Solar Solstice's shield suddenly magnifies in strength and size. SHe pushes the shield right on in front of Forge to protect him from the resulting float mayhem as well the others.
Dinky huddles near Enigma. "Beefcake sandwich. Well, that'd be a *$&%+ of a way to go. Imagine her tombstone." She doesn't seem too worried for the princess. Indeed, she seems to have everything under control. "Yeah, she's fine. This isn't her first rodeo."
Bunnies to the left of you! Bunnies to the right of you! Everything not nailed down, which is most things, because these are floats, finds itself in the paws of Angel's Avengers, Four-Pawed Privateers! Angel swings his mallet high, ready to fire another barra- "Angel!" The rabbit's ears droop as Fluttershy closes in, hovering right beside him. "You've had your fun, sweetie, but this has gone far enough. Tell all the bunnies to put everything back where they found it." Who knew a rabbit could look so sheepish?
At that exact moment, the two Pinkie-driven floats finally crash together... forming a single float composed of beverages and beets! Oh my Celestia, it's a Root Beet Float!
Mayor Mare scrambles out of the aura and the giant shield, Granny Smith on her back. She gets clear of the parade route before dumping the apple matriarch off and trying to wake her up. "Mrs. Smith? Mrs. Smith, this is no time for a snooze!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pinkie Cry shouts her float crashes right on into Pinkie Bye's. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she cries mournfully into the air.
Pinkie_Bye says "NOOOoooooO!!!!"
Solar_Solstice yelps as he is suddenly nabbed by an alicorn! This definitey isn't what he had in mind for this, but it's no matter, since Celestia's ploy seems to be achieving the desired effects.
Forge actually sags when the Princess rockets past him, then he simply falls to the ground, looking exhausted. "Yes, definitely making them smaller next year. I hope my gifts at least get me banished to a not-so-horrible dungeon."
Dusk ooooooos! and applauds! Pirate bunnies! He definitely scores them high, even as they're hauling things around him away.
Pinkie_Bye flies into the rootbeer's foam bubbles and disappears. The giant beet turns out to have been made out of normal-sized beets, and hundreds of them fall to the ground and start rolling down Runaway Cart Road.
Pinkie_Aye meanwhile is pillaging the Apple float with the bunnies! Only she mixed up what the word means, and is currently arranging whatever debris is left into a model town.
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "NO that's VILLAGING you silly!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "Pinkie, you fool, that's villaging, not pillaging!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye jinxie
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie hoofbumps ALL the Pinkies.
<OOC> Dusk says, "Who decided to have the parade down Runaway Cart Rd? Brilliant idea. ;-)"
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry hoofbumps!
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "Is it!? I'm so silly!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye is so silly too! It's like we're sisters!
Bastion hangs his head and shakes and shudders hard! He shuts his eyes very very tight and turns to an open area off the road. He GRUNTS, GROWLS and whimpers as he STOMPS his way very slowly off of the road with the massive tomato. His crystallian metal body cracks louder and the cracks spread with every painful step he takes to get the deathball away from ponies. Each step he takes cracks the ground and sinks his hooves in. If he could sweat in this state, he'd be sweating bullets right now.
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "DEATHBALL"
<OOC> Celestia says, "DEATHBALL."
<OOC> Derpy says, "DEATHBALL??!"
<OOC> Enigma imagines the look on Spiderman's face when he tried to stop the runaway subway train.
"RUNAWAY BEEEEETS!" Pinkie Cry shouts as the hundreds and hundreds of normal-sized beets roll down runaway cart road. It's not really a danger, just sort of a nuisance. Unless you really like beets, in which case it's basically like Hearth's Warming Day. The root beer pours all over the beets. "You got beets in my root beer!" she cries.
Derpy goes flying in search of a better perch to watch the parade! She happens to land on the untethered tomato.
<OOC> Marble_Memory says, "Amusing fact: Though I haven't posed him in a while, Marble is STILL judging the floats and asking questions.
"
Forge simply lays there in the road, closing his eyes as hundreds of thousands of beets cascade down the road from the collision and cover him completely, this is a good place to hide.
Applejack's float plows right into Nimble's, and between them into the shield. **WHAM**crunchcrunchcrunch.... everyone and everything on the Apple float is shaken hard, and the apple-shaped cab is crushed up hard agaisnt everything else. AJ is no longer visible, caught in the mangle...
Pinkie_Bye emerges from the bottom of the root beer floats, her gizzards seething. "You. Got rootbeer. IN MY BEETS!!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "It's... it's like we're being attacked! By some sort of killer tomato!"
<OOC> Enigma smacks Pinkie with a rolled up newspaper ;p
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie heehehees!
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye ouch!
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "Don't smack her for her puns! We can all feel it! ... I think."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie says, "Wow, Forge looks exhausted. He must really be beat!"
<OOC> Forge says, "Ho ho ho ho ho ho!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye was gonna say that but you beet her to it!
Enigma watches Bastion cart away the tomato deathball, Celestia and Solar leap to save the other float, and to all the other silliness going on. He looks back to Dinky, "So~ .... did we win?"
And so, the killer bunny attack is almost at an end, except for the ones who are playing house with Pinkie Pie And the ones trying to eat the tomato and tree floats.
<OOC> Enigma says, "Just beet it?
<OOC> Dinky says, "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmJ2Bkx2C5A"
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "o/` Now they're rolling down the street-it! o/`"
Nimble_Hooves is crouched with his hooves over his head when the impact happens. The impact separated the coupling and flings him several yards away, while his float suffers a worse fate. Nimble lays there, for some moments, not moving.
Mirage has arrived.
"Beats me," says Dinky, after which she winces for having involuntarily joined in the wordplay. "We didn't get in any accidents, so we've got a chance. Those musicians were kind of heroes, though, so maybe they'll take it." She seems to have having an okay time regardless.
Pinkie_Aye was serving black forest cake for high tea to two bun-caneers on the deck when the impact happened! She is thrown forward into the cake, splattering it everywhere! She rolls off it, red cheery sauce splattered everywhere, and twitches! "OH THE HUGE MANGLED TEA!"
<OOC> Enigma snatches Mirage, lifts overhead, steals away! FOR THE HOARD!
<OOC> Dusk says, "Oops? :-)"
<OOC> Dusk snatches Enigma and launches away. ;-)
<OOC> Mirage says, "A dragon's hoard?"
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye thinks Enigma has hoarderline personality disorder.
<OOC> Applejack says, "Here Ah thought he was just grabcessive compulsive. Heh heh."
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "He's a cloptomaniac!"
<OOC> Enigma says, "
"
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie ooohs...
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry o.o
Pinkie_Cry seethes at Pinkie Bye!
Forge simply lays in the road, hidden by beets and swimming in rootbeer, he may be dead, or maybe the muscular pony is wishing he had worked today instead, he could have pulled a double shift in the smelter and not been this tired.
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie apologizes for leaving in the middle of the chaos! She's very tired! She leaves things in the capable hooves of Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie and Pinkie.
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "Good night, Pinkie!"
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry says, "I LOVE YOU"
<OOC> Bastion sits on Pinkie Pie, WHUMP!
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie loves me too!
<OOC> Nimble_Hooves says, "But What about Pinkie? She always gets left out."
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "We're a chaos firm. It's the opposite of a law firm. ^^"
Derpy promptly flies off the tomato again. This isn't nearly as nice a seat as she hoped! She'll just hover overhead for now.
Celestia holds fast as floats collide, and then collide right with the shield she's reinforcing! Well, this is definitely something for a parade. She closes her eyes and concentrates hard on keeping the shield strong. And ultimately - it holds, and the floats come to a stop. A mangled, chaotic stop, but a stop nonetheless. She lands, her hooves becoming submerged in beets and root beer. ... There are worse things.
Pinkie_Pie has disconnected.
Dusk is has a seat out in the Square watching the floats.. go by. And all the other things going on. He's been admiring how much more exciting this parade is than he expected it to be.
Mayor Mare goes running up to Princess Celestia, Forge, Solar Solstice and Bastion. "Princess! I'm so sorry about this! I thought my marshals had things under control!" She looks from one heroic stallion to the next. "Thank you all for getting that mess cleared up. Is... Is Applejack all right?" The mayor would hate to be deprived of her future rodeo prize money.
Mirage is sitting next to Dusk as she has one of Sugar Rush's specialities. "Are the floats supposed to do that?" she asks Dusk. "I thought they were supposed to, you know, float?"
Bastion manages to get the tomato of death off the road. With tremendous effort, he turns his body and lets the massive thing THUD against the ground with an earth shaking BOOM! He then flops to the ground with his own thud, cracking the ground under him as the crystal pony pants and shudders from head to hoof. His body flickers then fades back to his normal metallic glossy state. His Imerpial armour is dented and cracked and his body looks heavily bruised.
Solar_Solstice aids his Princess by tweaking the knobs of his not-watch, modulating the shield's functions and making it just a bit more effective. The shield also keeps off the mess of drink and food, and by the time Solstice trundles back to his float it seems as if his float is the only one left intact. "So...that was a day, huh?" -- "Uhuh, of course," says the mariachis, surveying the scene idly. They are used to such shenanigans in town by now. Paja Fuerte, for his part, goes over to inspect the downed ponies. "Ah, Senor Forje, como esta?" he asks.
"Estoy bien!" calls up Pinkie Bye.
Dusk smiles over to Mirage as she comes back with treats and gets settled in. "Yes, isn't this pretty exciting? The ponies are putting on quite a show. Oh, they're suppose to actually float? Well, some where kind of flying, for brief periods." He hoofs her over one of the score cards he found floating by in the debris. He's scoring on form, and airtime, then style.
Enigma nodnods and looks over at DInky, "So.. this was fun." He beams a little smile, "If it wasn't for all the chaos and shenanogans, I'd have call this a splendid day."
Dinky grins ruefully. "So you're not one for shenanigans, huh?" She lightly touches her forehoof to Enigma's side. "Coulda fooled me." Their float rolls on along Ample Street, with Quasar chatting happily with his father. They just all left the carnage behind.
Mirage'ohs' and nods before taking up a scorecard, too. "So they can't use helium? I see." She decides to score on appearance and the amount of the float that actually stays attached to the float.
Nimble_Hooves stirs, and blinks. He's not dead. That's a start. He rolls himself upright, and disconnects the now useless remains of the float harness. Slowly he edges to his hooves, wincing as he does so. At least nothing appears to be broken. He hobbles to the wreckage, checking carefully for injured ponies. "I-Is everypony o-okay?"
Enigma's eyes shrink and his cheeks pinken from Dinky's touch to his side. He smiles smoothly and rolls his eyes, "Well, again, what can I say? Neve ra dull moment in Ponyville." He glances to Dinky and melts that smooth smile into that Fonzie grin of his, "Especially this moment."
Celestia catches her breath as Mayor Mare comes running up to her. "Applejack? I'm... not sure," the Princess says as she flaps her wing and takes to the air. "Thank you, Solar Solstice," she says as she makes her way into the ruins of the apple float. She shifts rubble about with her magic, searching for the element of honesty.
Forge lifts his head to look at the dancer, and he nods with a soft nicker, "Da." Then he starts to rise, his coat matted with rootbeer, sweat, and his body looking ever so scuffed himself, "Are you alright? Um...sir knight?" He calls to Bastion, not knowing the crystal pony's name. "He walks over to the mayor and the Princess, bowing himself before both of them until his forehead touches the ground, "I am so...so very sorry for this. I will repair ze road, and pay for all ze damages."
StarryBlade had fallen asleep on the rooftop despite all the noise and disasters around... snores.
"I dunno," says Dinky, meeting his eyes for a moment. "This moment seems pretty dull to me."
Bastion lays panting loudly. The world is hazy and foggy to him and sounds are warbled and distorted. He lays there groggy and in incredible amounts of pain. He vaguely hears Forge calling out to him. He gulps and murmurs, "...f-fine..." He says in a suprisingly young and soft voice, the mechanized tone gone while he's non-crystally.
Solar_Solstice "Happy to serve, Your Majesty!" Solstice declares, making a salute-like gesture, but he's quickly distracted by the broken Apple float. Did /anypony/ escape this? -- Paja Fuerte nods to Forge. "Si, si, that is good," he replies, following the bigger stallion to where Bastion lies. "Ah, los caballeros! You have made much with your strange ability." Not that Paja is one to talk.
The cab is well and truly crushed, there couldn't possibly be room in the seats for a pony to survive. Indeed there wasn't... the place where Applejack had been sitting is mangled, destroyed, and fortunately also free of ponies. There is damage enough for the princess to become nervous... but when she breaks past the smashed dashboard, there is Applejack - bruised, sore, and angry, but very much alive. "Uh. Aheh heh. Hay there, yer Majesty."
Enigma ears flatten and he smirks at Dinky as he helps pull their float away from the chaos behind them now.
Berry_Punch finally works her way back up to where Forge's and Applejack's floats met their ends. And Nimble Hooves'? SHe's not really clear on what happened to his. "Uh... yeah. So I guess it was partly my fault, too," she admits, a little less loud than usual in the presence of the princess and the mayor. "Oh, hey, AJ! Good to see you made it through!"
Dusk nods to Mirage about the helium, as he hasn't seen any using it yet. Though appears it's not exciting enough for the young crowd, as Starry slips off into a nap. "Even Princess Celestia is participating this year, it appears," he notes to Mirage. He wonders if it's fair to score her with the others. Well why not. *scribble* *scribble*
Bastion's silver eyes look up at the ponies over him, "...i-..." He ulps and closes his eyes as his eyes well up with tears, "...is...e-every...pony...okay...w-was...any...pony...hurt? The princess..." He struggles to get up then flops out and twitches. "...is..the..p-rincess..safe?"
Nimble_Hooves is there with the Princess, although he is unaware of who the other pony is, as he goes through the wreckage. Pulling through the wreckage, he offers a hoof to help Applejack out. "G-Good t-to see y-you are i-in one piece... A-are you okay, Applejack?"
Pinkie_Aye hops off of the smashed float, then with one mightly lick of her tongue cleans off all the cake. Also the pirate outfit. Hmm. But there's no time to dwell on that! She has found her one-mare-band instruments and starts marching around! "o/~ The fruit went marching one by one / Hurrah! Hurrah! / The fruit went marching one by one / Hurrah! Hurrah! / The fruit went marching one by one / Then they all smashed, so no-one won! / At the Po-ny-ville parade... o/~"
Celestia still looks through the wreckage for a good long moment before she finally crushes past the dashboard and finds... the Princess lets out a sigh of relief. She pulls Applejack out and immediately surrounds her with a healing glow. She plants a little kiss right onto the apple pony's forehead and then sets her back safely on the ground."I am find, thank you Bastion."
Mirage nods to Dusk and then studies her scorecard. "There's no section for scoring songs," she says with a frown.
Pinkie_Bye pops out of Senor Fuerte's float and marches past all the smashed up floats, singing enthusastically while whipping a bright silver piece of trim that fell off of someone's uniform and clanging a cymbal against a fallen off shingle! "o/~ Be kind to your no-footed friends! For a beet may be somepony's brother! Be kind to the denizens of the ground... where your bottom is pointy and top round! o/~"
Nimble_Hooves smiles as Applejack is rescued by the Princess. At least both of them are safe. He quietly dips his head and steps away, still limping, to survey the remains of his own float.
Pinkie_Cry pops out of a small pile of beets and begins marching past all great float wreckage somewhere nearby Pinkie Bye. "O/~ Oh when the pinks! / Oh when the pinks! / Oh when the pinks come crashing in! / Oh how I want, to have a root beet flooooat! / Oh when the pinks come marching in! o/~"
"In that case," says Mayor Mare, "I suppose I'll set the parade marshals to cleaning this mess up! And Your Highness can clean yourself up, if... if you feel it's necessary. And then we can prepare for judging back at the end of the course!"
"Indeed, La Princesa is most able to deal with such troubles," says Paja Fuerte. "Such trouble over a few overgrown plants. In Eskellia, we always have ready solutions to such things." -- Solar Solstice peers as Pinkie bursts out of a hitherto unknown section of his float, which has pulled over to the side now that parade, for intents and purposes, is over. "...Well," he utters, reaching into the mini-villa and producing a large cooler which he carries on his back. "...So who wants smoothies?"
Berry_Punch's eyes light up at the word 'smoothies.'
Forge moves to rehitch himself to the remains of his float, now considerably less tall and in shambles, he makes sure the two remaining tomatoes are on no danger of shifting before he begins dragging the whole mess back towards his smithy, it takes a good long time, but once that debris is removed he returns to help search for possibly injured ponies. Looking rather shamefaced the whole while.
Celestia is, actually, quite all badly scuffed up and rather ruffled by all the... crazy events of the parade. One golden shoe is cracked, another is missing, her crown is just barely still on her head, her collar is off-center, and her mane is just a shambles. She hadn't even given it a thought. Wait, did she just hear smoothes? the Princess floats over next to Solar Eclipse. "A smoothie would be lovely, yes. Nimble, come join us."
Dusk hmmms and looks over to Mirage curiously.. "There should be.. They're golf score cards." How else would anypony bare playing or watching golf if not for the musicals? "Though I have been filling in my own categories too.." He ohs and waves, seeing Nimble heading back to his mechanical tree and squirrel float. It was low on airtime, but does have good form and style.
Applejack gets extracted and healed and looks terribly embarrassed. "Yeah. Ah'm SO sorry, yer highness. 'Scuse me please, Ah gotta help clean up." She tests her legs, everything seems fine, and she nods to Nimble Hooves. "Yeah. Ah'm okay. Just gotta- GRANNY!" AJ runs back, trying to find her grandmother and her sister!
Pinkie_Bye says "YAY everypony come drink Smoothies together!!! Happy ending!"
Pinkie_Bye cartwheels back toward the Eskellian float.
Pinkie_Aye says "I like it when everything goes smooth!"
<OOC> Dusk says, "Brought to you by the letter A. For A Team parade productions."
Nimble_Hooves stands silently and surveys the carnage that was his float. He doesn't hear the Princess's offer of the smoothie. Instead it looks as he is about to burst into tears... Stepping forward, he unfurls his bejewelled mechanical wings. *fwoomph* It is not the wings that are amazing, well at lest not to Nimble anyway, it is the multitude of tools neatly arranged in pouches and pockets beneath. His eyes twinkle like Twilight Sparkle's before a test. Oh yes, he is prepared for this...
Bastion breaths a sigh of relief as his cheek flops on the ground. He lays there with cracked armour and his body covered in bruises as he trembles. When told everypony is (relatively) alright, he nods, "...g-good..." THe knight's eyes roll up and he passes out.
"Your grandmother is fine," interjects the mayor as Applejack hurries off. "I--caught her as she was flying off the float. She's sleeping over by the fountain."
Mirage nods again to Dusk. "Golf score cards? Oh, so that's why my card says it's a long drive to the Princess' palace. I thought that meant it took a while to get there."
"Huh," says Dinky, looking back across the stream at the mess there. "Looks like they're calling the parade done. Guess we should stop pulling. And hey, that crystal mutant looks pretty beat. Wonder if he's okay."
Pinkie_Cry eats a beet in the corner.
And Fluttershy has gathered up all her bunnies.
Enigma shrugs and unhitches himself from the float. The little colt cracks his back and looks over at Dinky, "Looks that way." He turns to look towards the injured crystal pony. He notes the armor, "Eh, he'll be fine. Guy's a crystal pony. Sides, did you see how he handled those floats and carried that metal sphere? Guy's pretty buckin' tough." He looks towards Forge, "And I haven't seen a pony that ripped since Roid Rage."
Berry_Punch waits to see if she's getting punished. Her hoof is on her flask and her mouth is wriggling. Ske knows smoothies are nearby but she has to be responsible and face the consequences of her actions!
Marble soon finds himself amongst all the wreckage... he finds the most smashed amongst all the floats, and he shouts, "EUREKA!"
Paja is standing right there when Bastion collapses. "Senor Caballeros?" he asks, gingerly nudging the fallen knight with a hoof. "Ay, he is tres cansado, it seems." Reaching into his saddlebag, he produces a seed which he plants right next to Bastion. Moments later, a small aloe plant (at least, it /looks/ like aloe) sprouts and begins to drip healing dew on the stallion.
Dusk nods to Mirage. "And a lot of floats getting a hole-in-one scores. Several holes even." Though now a lot of the floats seem to becoming much more still, and a lot less exciting. "Hmm, perhaps this is the mingling part where we get to check out the floats. Care to join me for a smoothie, my love?" He stands and reaches out a hoof to Mirage.
Pina_Colada returns to Berry Punch and glares at her for a moment. "... Go ahead, get a smoothie. I'm gonna go home and sleep a bunch."
Nimble_Hooves with the frenzy of a pit crew, a one-pony pit crew, Nimble descends on the wreckage. So much of the float is utterly destroyed, but Nimble does what he can. When he is finished, what is left is less like a mighty Oak, and more like a twisted bonsai. Yet it is a tree, complete with leaves acorns and squirrels. Of course, none of it moves any more, and they cart wheels are no longer completely round, but it is still a float... of sorts.
Dinky grins and strolls back across the bridge with Enigma. Time to see what the judges think. And heck, maybe there are some non-dairy smoothies in that float.
Fluttershy has tea in Pinkie Villiage. Her float has remained somehow intact, if corkless, and all parade refugees are welcome as it finishes out the route.
Forge has returned with a much smaller carry now and parks it on the side of the road, it's wooden with sides that are able to fold down, there is a rather large box in it, black and looks to be made of stained oak. He also has saddle bags filled with medical supplies. He also waits to see if he is to be punished for the episode. He is ready to help the injured, and lays his bags beside Bastion, as (thankfully) the other stallion seems the only pony hurt.
Dinky didn't say that out loud, but yes.
Pinkie_Bye sets up shop mixing smoothies for everypony! She's half dressed like a mariachi by now anyway, so why not?
Enigma chuckles as he trots along side Dinky to fiish the route with their float.
Pinkie_Cry chews on a beet.
Pina_Colada has disconnected.
Pinkie_Bye chews on a root beer bottle.
Bastion lays there past out as the healing dew drips over him. The teenage pony is out like a light. One does not simply stop a runaway moving vehicle with one's body and carry half a ton of steel on one's back and get out of that unscatched. @_@ Though if he were awake, he would find the aloe drops soothing. ~_~
Solar_Solstice manages to sell quite a few smoothies to the still-dazed crowd, his path taking him close to the others. "You guys should get this for free," he tells the other float-minders. "Got any preferences?"
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye to the limit.
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye also is where the limit can be found!
<OOC> Pinkie_Cry chews on Pinkie Bye.
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye takes the limit of Aye as Bye approaches Cry!
<OOC> Pinkie_Aye says, "Seventeen!"
<OOC> Enigma says, "Dancing Queen?"
Marble then continues walking past the float that seemed to get his attention. He trots over to Nimble. "Quickly! Tell me about your float!"
Celestia turns around, smoothie in tow, and sips it slowly. Ahhhh. She closes her eyes for a moment and takes in a deep breath. "It appears that all our little ponies are safe and sound," she says, looking out across the field of destruction. "That is what is most important. Now, if all the float builders could please line up."
Pinkie_Cry ooohs, and scrambles forward!
Haunting_Melody has arrived.
Forge steps over to get a smoothie, keeping one eye on Bastion, making sure the teenage stallion's breathing remains strong. He softly asides to the Princess, "Majesty, in light of recent events it may be a bad time to present them, but I wish you to know I have crafted gifts for you, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Princess Twilight. I will bring them to the palace later in the week." He then steps into line, he is ready to have his float addressed.
Applejack collects Apple Bloom and Granny Smith and was going to take them home... "Oh. Right. Consarnit." She lines up with the others with her family in tow. Granny Smith in particular is draped across AJ's back, *still* asleep!
Still limping, Nimble pulls his now much smaller and rather lopsided float forward until he is interrupted by Marble. He blinks, not quite taking in the question a-at first. "O-Oh, m-my float i-is c-celebrating the harvest th-that happens in nature. S-squirrels saving nuts f-for the winter. I-It i-is m-much like us ponies."
Dinky pulls her giant radish--no, turnip--over obediently into line, assisted by Enigma, Quasar and his dad. "Guess we're wrapping up." She doesn't seem cowed by Celestia's presence--she has an in with her sister, after all.
Marble, somehow absolutely oblivious to everything that happened around him, asks. "But what happened? WHAT? It looks damaged?" Marble takes wing to one dent and affixes the blue ribbon on the dent. "There. All fixed." Marble blinks, then looks back at Nimble. "Where did the other floats go?"
Enigma finds himself sitting before Princess Celestia herself. The little boy gives his most charming smile. Inside he's steeled his mind. He glances towards Celestia's crown. THat shiney, shimmering, must-be-added-to-his-hoard crown. +_+ He bows his head to Princess Celestia, though. ^^
Berry_Punch waves her hoof fron the smoothie line! "Mine is lying over there, by the stream! It's... it's a huge strawberry! Did you know that strawberries are a very unique fruit? They're the only berry that has its seed on the *outside!* Because that's just..." She looks at the sadly prostrate float again. "...how they roll," she finishes lamely.
Solar_Solstice's float comes over to its proper place, mostly intact apart from the root beer stains. Occasionally its height over the ground changes, as if not entirely rooted to the road. "We're celebrating the Eskellian contribution to Equestrian agriculture!" Solstice declares. "This is...well, it's kinda just a miniature version of the farm, really."
Nimble_Hooves blinks at the blue ribbon on the dent. "Th-there w-was a-a bit o-of an incident.... I-I believe most o-of them a-are back there." He points to the pile of wreckage further back along the parade route. Then he hears the Princess. He dips his head and excuses himself from Marble, and pulls his float to the parking zone lined up with the remaining floats. Unhitching himself and goes to stand with the other float builders.
Pinkie_Aye rides Pinkie Cry up to the line. She has found a Civil War cavalry looking outfit somewhere and is looking military. Especially the mustache.
Pinkie_Bye finishes dispensing smoothies and lines up neatly beside the other Pinkies.
Pinkie_Bye is holding a beet! It's all that's left of her float but maybe somepony will stick a ribbon on it!
Bastion lays near the Eskellian pony and Forge still past out. Little X's in his eyes and his silver tongue hanging out. X6
Hollyhock comes walking back in, her mouth scrunched up, her hat pushed back on her head. She's got Red calmed down - fixed her a fortifying drink, and seen her safely in bed, and now here some comes back. This is her first harvest festival - well - ever, and she's determined to have fun. Her jaw is set, and there's a certain hardness about her eyes. She's going to have fun if it kills her, and judging from what she sees are she approaches the parade route that might just be what's going to happen.
Derpy flies lightly down and lands on the now inert tree on Nimble's float. She peers in amazement at the blue ribbon.
The current pose order is: {Apple_Bloom StarryBlade Mirage Dusk Fluttershy Celestia Pinkie_Cry Forge Applejack Dinky Marble_Memory Berry_Punch Solar_Solstice Nimble_Hooves Pinkie_Aye Pinkie_Bye Enigma Bastion Hollyhock Derpy}.
Applejack looks around. Is the judging over? Can she take AB and Granny home?
Dusk is sharing some smoothies with Mirage and milling about checking out the now mostly stopped floats. "An impressive showing this year!" He goes over to Nimble too, "Congratulations, my friend!"
Forge nods in greeting to the returning Hollyhock and to Derpy as well, offering a lopsided smile as he waits for his judgment.
The Mayor waits too. She covertly summons Dusk and Mirage over, now that it looks like the judging is imminent! They were definitely official judges appointed as such before the parade. No question about that.
Hollyhock walks back to where she was standing when she was almost crushed by a cast-iron tomato (well, not really, but who's going to be able to say otherwise). She sits down there and gazes with a certain complacency on the ferrous fruit.
Celestia walks over to Forge. "Thank you, Forge, for the gift. I look forward to receiving it next week.You receive the ribbon for best metallic fruit float." She then moves to Pinkie Aye and... her mount, Pinkie Cry? She stares for a second and looks up at that scene. "Most clever combined float," she says before giggling slightly, hovering up a pink ribbon before the Pinkies, and then walking to Dinky. "Your radish was very fine and I am glad it was spared the.. activity of the rest of the floats. You receive the ribbon for Best use of felt in representing a root vegetable." She hovers up a golden ribbon and offers it to Dinky. She gives Shutterbug and Eris their golden ribbon as well, then moves to Applejack. She hands her a special green ribbon, then gives her a kiss on the forehead. "You receive the ribbon for heroic actions in an apple." She moves to Fluttershy and smiles again. "Best use of lapine entertainment." She floats up a cream-colored ribbon and ties it into Fluttershy's mane. She then walks to Shutterbug and Eris's float. "Best float of a difficult-to-pronounce root vegetable." She's pretty sur ethat's correct. She then walks over to Berry Punch and hovers up a dark purple ribbon. "Best Fruit Float Too Tall for its girth." She then moves over to Solar Solstice and his trio, to whom she hovers up a red ribbon. "For heroic actions and exceptional background music." She then walks over to Nimble Hooves. "And it appears that Marble has given you the blue ribbon - for heroic sacrifice and Best in Show. Congratulations, Nimble Hooves."
<OOC> Berry_Punch thinks kohlrabi is a relative of the cabbage, actually. Celestia might've been thinking of rutabagas.
Fluttershy smiles bashfully. And, uh. Shares that with Angel.
Enigma smiles over at Dinky and bumps into her gently, "Congrats."
Pinkie_Bye grins at the ribbon! She pins a smaller ribbon on Pinkie Aye's costume.
Forge lifts a hoof to brush it over his ribbon, the first award he's ever won, he will build a special display case for this. His first award during his first year in Ponyville...
Bastion slowly begins to come to. He opens an eye and looks over to where Celestia is awarding the float builders. He groans softly.. still far too sore, tired and weak to move. Least the pain is at a dull ache. He closes his eyes again and just lays there unable to move.
Pinkie_Aye says "Ah have won thuh battle, suh! Now will yuh finally tell me whut the war is!?"
"Uh...thanks?" Solar Solstice utters, wondering if this awards method was usual. Nevertheless, the mariachis break out in celebration, and they sing a rousing victory song.
Dusk gives some applause for all the winners. Some even could have made it to the finish line.
Nimble_Hooves blinks at all the attention now focussed on him. He blushes and then bows deeply to the Princess, which helps him hide his face. "Th-thank you, y-your highness." He sniffs back tears, and touches a small red crystal on a silver chain around his neck. "Th-this is for you", he whispers quietly to it.
<OOC> Pinkie_Bye says, "EVERY PONY MUST GET RIBBON"
<OOC> Celestia says, "I think, given the circumstances, the parade itself was highly unusual, Solar. X3"
The finish line was on Runaway Cart Road. So it may be for the best.
Applejack blushes again. "Uh. Thanks kindly!" Seems to be her day for getting princess-kissed. Ahem.
Applejack squares her shoulders. "No point hangin' around here. C'mon, AB." she says, then starts trotting off towards home, her tired little sister trudging along next to her. The last thing others hear as they get out of sight is Granny Smith FINALLY waking up. "Myup. Hm. Applejack. Applejack? What time is it? We gonna get ourselves over to th' parade now? Don't wanna miss it or nuthin'." Applejack shakes her head. "Don't worry, Granny. We didn't."
<OOC> Dusk was thinking the parade should have started on Runaway Cart Road.. But then who needs that when you have a parade anywhere in Ponyville.
Dinky smiles awkwardly and a little self-consciously as Celestia herself gives her a ribbon. She bows. Dinky bowing? Must be a holiday or something. When she rises, she grins cocksidedly to Enigma. "Gold and everything. I think gold's good, right?"
Hollyhock blinks out of her little revery, watching Celestia award ribbons all around. She quirks one corner of her mouth up into a smirk before the sound of music makes her ears perk up, then the other corner of her mouth lifts, changing her smirk into a real smile. It's impossible not to smile while there's mariachi music!
Pinkie_Cry bows back to Dinky, then to Nimble, then to all of the ponies. "Thank you all again, once more."
Pinkie_Cry hops off!
Pinkie_Cry roll roll roll
Pinkie_Bye hops after!
Pinkie_Aye waves to everyone, then is dragged away with Pinkie Cry!!
Forge turns and quick trots back over to Bastion, sitting beside the younger stallion, "You are tired, but not hurt anymore? Da? Have you a place in town you are living? I am Forge, Ponyville blacksmith, you are a very brave pony."
Pinkie_Bye has left.
Pinkie_Aye has left.
Pinkie_Cry has left.
Enigma grins smooth and handsomely, "ALl that glitters is not gold." He hip bumps again, "But gold is my fav color. I think it looks good on you!"
<OOC> Solar_Solstice wonders if Senor Forje is descended from one of the burgher famiies that ruled the free cities? :u
<OOC> Celestia says, "SO BORING."
<OOC> Celestia falls asleep.
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "Angel, when this float hits 88 miles an hour, we're gonna see some serious friendship!"
Bastion murmurs softly from where he lays, "Not in pain..but still quite hurt." He notes the plant dripping on him, "Chloromancy... interesting." He looks to Forge, "I am Sir Bastion of the Crystal Empire... and no, I've no where to stay. I usually just stay in the inns or even outside under the stars."
Derpy flies over to the smoothie float and buys a guavaberry smoothie. Mmmmm!
Celestia smiles tenderly down to Nimble Hooves and examines the red gem for a moment. "How beautiful," she says softly before leaning in and planting a little kiss on his forehead. "Congratulations, Nimble. And your wings look quite lovely," she says with a smile before turning and tipping her head to Dinky, then to the Mayor, then to all the ponies before her wings extend out and she flaps them to rise into the air. Off to canterlot, once more! She really could use a nap.
Berry_Punch looks over her new dark purple ribbon. "Heh," she says to Pina and Pumpkin. "Best Fruit Float Too Tall for Its Girth? This has gotta be the most specific award I ever got." She balances it on Pumpy's muzzle. "I like the color, though!"
"Ah, a /wandering/ caballeros, I see!" says Paja Fuerte, whose plant seems to be getting slightly bigger every minute. "Perhaps, then, the Senorito can arrange for you to stay at Villa des Trevalles? We would be glad to receive such a guest as yourself."
"Farewell, Princess!" calls Mayor Mare. "Thanks again, and sorry for all the mess!"
Hollyhock watches Celestia take to the sky, following her flight until the Princess is out of sight. Then she grunts, and stands. There's got to be food around here, right? In spite of the carnage a fiesta's gotta have viddles. She goes hunting for them.
Forge has disconnected.
Hollyhock does not trust beets.
Nimble_Hooves closes his eyes, at the kiss. Then lifts his head. He wanted to tell the Princess that it had been her messenger's pendant, but it was too late. He waves a hoof at the departing alicorn, "T-Take care, Y-Your Highness. Th-Thank you."
Celestia could tell, Nimble. She knew her messenger well.
Fluttershy eets beets. Sometimes she feeds them to beests.
Bastion nodnods, "That would be... kind of you." The knight then heh's, "Brave? I only did what a knight does." He then passes out again. x.x
<OOC> Celestia says, "And so if the phase-space is isometric to the orthogonal vector field..."
Berry_Punch has disconnected.
Enigma has disconnected.
Bastion has disconnected.
Applejack disappears with a mild flash of light.
Applejack has left.
Dinky has disconnected.
Marble_Memory has disconnected.
Apple_Bloom has disconnected.
Celestia has disconnected.
Nimble_Hooves remains stunned at all the attention. Ponies he had never met shake his hoof and offer their congratulations, but it is all a blur. Quite some time later, he finds himself back at his float, staring at the blue ribbon...
The mayor is standing next to him, her mane all disheveled. She shrugs, giving him a little smile.
Dusk and Mirage go around and give the various floats their own personal scores. Nothing as fancy as Princess ribbons, but gives something to strive for next year. Like more air time.
Nimble_Hooves dips his head to the Mayor. After a while he speaks, "Th-thank you. I-I know i-it w-wasn't the parade y-you were hoping f-f-for. I-I'm glad e-everypony i-is okay." He dips his head again. "I-If y-you don't mind, I-I'd like t-to leave this--" He guestures to his float. "--here for a bit. I-I'm f-feeling a-a little sore t-to pull it home." With that he stands and limps away. Those bruises are going to hurt in the morning.
"Yes... that's all right," says the Mayor. "I'll have my staff make sure no... further harm comes to it." She stands and watches Nimble Hooves make his way off. She smiles to Dusk and Mirage and then walks off, making sure things are well in hoof.
Derpy is still sitting on top of the tree in Nimble's float. She looks around the Square, her eyes shifting this way and that. Finally, she lifts her wings and flies away.