Post by Derpy on Jun 4, 2012 1:19:40 GMT -5
Day 2? Is hurdle race! Enjoy!
#=#=#=#=#=# PONYVILLE SQUARE #=#=#=#=#=#
It's clear that something's going down in town square today! The normally bucolic heart of Ponyville is a lot dustier than normal, for one thing. Did they import dust from Appleoosa? There's a big arena taking up most of the formerly grassy space between the Town Hall and the surrounding buildings. It's walled off with wooden plank fences, with big corner posts and ropes adding magnitude and various waving banners and pennants adding decoration. Rows of bleachers six levels high surround the arena.
Meanwhile, vendors nopony in town remembers ever seeing before have taken up the circuit in the marketplace and all the way to the stream. The atmosphere is more rollicking than usual by far, and there seem to be an inordinate number of big, broad-rimmed hats and immaculate white vests, not to mention the occasional lapel flower. And the arena itself is scattered with crates, barrels, coiled ropes, metal trappings, reins, signboards, and other dusty miscellany.
Do you know what this is? The Equestria Rodeo Competition is being held in Ponyville this year--that's what it is! Are -you- on the roster?
]
[ Players: Screenplay(#748PB), Pinkie_Pie(#209PBC), Stronghold(#667PB), ]
[ Scope(#265PBC), Chance(#503PBC), Plain_Sight(#867PB), ]
[ Marble_Memory(#688PBC), Fluttershy(#208PBC), ]
[ Skyheart(#795PBC) ]
"I s-suppose I could do the first run." Marble says, walking nervously up to the barrels. "Okay. This should be easy. No catastrophes whatsoever. Just... run through the barrels." This will be easier than the forks!
Screenplay looks as she sees ponies getting redy for the second event. "Derpy.. Derpy.." she calls out. "Has any pony seen Derpy?
Luna has arrived.
Pinkie_Pie rummages in her cart of pies, and pulls out Derpy.
"Oh, Pinkie Pie, are you running for Mare? Good luck!" Fluttershy squeezes her eyes shut and throws in a (yay) for good measure. Save some for the competition, Flutters! "Um...s-so this event is about, um...barrels."
Derpy was asleep in there. "Oooop?" she asks, looking up with one pupil still apparently asleep.
<OOC> Luna says, "Does that mean one is an x?"
<OOC> You say, "No! That would undead."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie o.x
<OOC> You say, "o.-"
<OOC> Marble_Memory o.taxform
<OOC> Luna hands both of them monocles.
<OOC> Derpy ties the monocles together and gives one end to Pinkie.
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "o.yay"
Stronghold turns and trots over to the railing around the event area. He glances back at the two mares and then directs his gaze towards the competing stallions before chuckling to himself in a whisper, "Lovestruck ponies...." Then he shakes his head and calls out, "Competitiors on your marks! Get set! GO!" he bellows in his best drill instructor voice.
Skyheart looks at the trail of barrels in front of him. He used to weave through crowds all the time on the streets in Manehatten. This should be cake. He darts into his line of barrels and starts to move back and forth through them. He seems to get a good start.
Marble runs forward, and one can already tell what he thinks of this contest with the quiet "eeps" and "oh dears" emitting from him as he slaloms his way through the first few barrels. Also not a bad start. Are the two ponies truly more athletic than the others think they are?
While the private grudge match continues, ponies start to gather for the second day's events. Already, vendors are selling hats, lapel flowers, belts, vests, kerchiefs...and ushers are handing out programs. On the far side of the stream, some training is going on. And the staff is starting to set up hurdles, eying Marble and Skyheart suspiciously.
Screenplay hovers over the crowd looking for the mail pony, "Derpy, Derpy.." she then come to ponies asking of they seen the mail pony'
Pinkie_Pie starts pulling out tables from an unidentified area just offscreen. She lines them up carefully, then rolls in her party cannon and pushes the fuse. BOOM! Tablecloths shoot out and neatly cover the surfaces.
Derpy is delighted by all this. She tries to straighten the tablecloths, but they mostly end up with the corners halfway along each edge. Maybe that's how countryfolk do it now.
Ooooooh. Fluttershy watches the party shell soar through the air and dispense its candiful joy. Wait, she's supposed to be watching the race. "Go Marble! Go Skyheart! Be careful!"
Swan_Song has arrived.
Plain_Sight is walking towards the big Stronghold, who nicely didn't fight her the other day. But she is sidetracked by the new pink pony. Especially as she sets of the cannon and she watches the effect. She goes over to look at what she is doing. "Hello!"
Derpy is about to notice Screenplay searching for her when she gets distracted and runs off, a new thought in her head.
Plain_Sight is still waiting around listening to Fluttershy. She is getting a better look though seeing what that is about. She nods to Fluttershy. "Oh it isn't?" She looks back to the two who seem to have stopped their race. "Well I guess just more to learn!"
The Mayor appears again, leading a crowd of hangers-on, politicos, and groupies--presumably for the athletes, not for her. "And now," she says through her bullhorn, "the Hurdle Course will begin! Racers to their places, please!!"
PUB >> Derpy says, "The Mayor appears again, leading a crowd of hangers-on, politicos, and groupies--presumably for the athletes, not for her. "And now," she says through her bullhorn, "the Hurdle Course will begin! Racers to their places, please!!""
Stronghold blinks and drops the stopwatch he had been holding while helping Marble and Skyheart. He was entered in this event! He rushed to get himself in position for the beginning of his own race. "I'm coming!" He calls, he had been training for this just forty minutes ago, so he was already limbered up and ready to go.
Luna has two methods of making an entrance - silent as a cloud or earth-shaking. She opts for the former this time. With a downright modest and unassuming blink of blue light she appears in the press stand next to Firefly, then proceeds to blast her loyal and badly injured squire with giddy questions. "WE ARE ARRIVED! HAVE WE MISSED THE RODENTS? HOW DOES ONE SCORE THE MUD WALLOW? WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT?"
Berry Punch is totally in the hurdle race! She's pretty speedy when she needs to be! And she's great at startled jumping! She just needs to harness that into something that resembles control. She confidently heads for the starting line. And...leaps in surprise when she hears the voice of Nightmare Moon bellowing incoherently.
Fluttershy looks up with a start and a shriek as Luna starts to give the Royal Canterlot Social Questionaire. "Um," she offers helpfully, "P-Princess? The chipmunk roundup show was yesterday."
Skyheart looks around as the new event is announced. "Oh shoot..." He had to get out of there. He sees a bunch of hurdles put before him. His ears flatten and his eyes widen. "Uh oh..." The princess was here? Ah shoot... This was not the time to get stuck in this. He quietly tries his best to duck out and sneak back into the crowd. He was still panting from the exercise. "I'm still amazed I won..." he takes a seat by himself in the back, hoping not to be noticed by anypony.
Firefly ACKS! at being taken off guard but recovers quickly, not that she could leap or jump presently to begin with. "AYE MY....." then shakes her head. "I mean, Welcome to the Rodeo my Princess. Tonight is the earth pony hoof racing, which I think thee Keeper of Records has lost, thus discracing the Royal name....but were not Palace employees bade not to enter for reasons of conflicted interest?"
Swan_Song hasn't been in a race in a long time, and wasn't sure what special rules they may have for this, but she decides to enter anyway just to have a little fun participating in the rodeo. So she flutters over to land with the others near the starting line, waving to Skyheart as she sees him moving away. "Congrats on winning!" She calls to him and smiles.
And not one to be shown up by a princess, Gunstar plods slowly into the field, his hat slung low over his eyes. It's actually remarkably understated...until a pair of tight-beam firefly lamps sweep around and focus, allowing his grinning teeth to gleam a perfect gleam. "Howdy, y'all."
Screenplay flys over to the drinks as she smiles seeing over ponies. "Hey had any pony seen Derpy I must speak with her
Ace, master of the arena, wanders down the line, inspecting all the racers. He swings a tennis racket with a pen built into it casually, making checks on a clipboard. "Two minutes to start! Any other contestants present?"
Marble is dropped face-first in the mud. And he's still in the middle of the arena he had done the barrel run in. After a few minutes, the bureaucrat starts pulling his way back toward what he thought was the drink stand, but is insteam crawling more into the ring.
Rarity has connected.
Derpy is in her announcer booth, of course. A spectator who happens to hear Screenplay points that way over his shoulder.
Luna treats Firefly to the air cannon some more. "HOOF RACING? GREAT IS OUR APPROVAL! IN OUR DAY, SUCH SPORTS WERE PERFORMED NUDE, THAT ALL MAY APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THE PONY FORM IN MOTION!" She pauses, looking around, and adds, "AND FOR ONCE, NOTHING HAS CHANGE!" Her horn flashes twice. The first time teleports Fluttershy up next to her. The second time teleports bags of popcorn in front of all three ponies. "WERE THE CHIPMUNKS DELICIOUS, ELEMENT OF KINDNESS? ARE THEE HERE TO ADMIRE THE LIQUID FLEXING OF AN EARTH PONY'S MUSCLES AS WELL?"
Plain_Sight makes her way over to the table with the pies and sniffs at them. Seeing as they seem to be offered for everypony she tries one of for herself. She woners if these are common here in Ponyville. She hears the load voice too, looking up to see Luna. He seems a bit surpised, but makes her way off to find a place to watch the race.
Thinking quickly, Fluttershy has already jammed a big puff of popcorn in each ear, reducing Luna's volume to only earth-tearing levels. "Um...I-I didn't see the finish," she mumbles, deflecting any accusations about eating chipmunks. "A-and I guess you could say that."
Firefly cups her ears to her head and waits until the air blast subsides, then grins. "This my lady is the Iron Pony, a series of events to see who has the greatest endurance, as I understand it." then perks her ears as Fluttershy and popcorn appear. She promptly shoves her nose into her popcorn, crunching away.
Ace is about to blow the starting whistle when Mayor Mare taps his shoulder and whispers in his ear. She points in Luna's direction. Ace stands down, and the mayor announces: "Fillies and gentlecolts! We have a surprise guest of honor in attendance at our rodeo! Everypony please give a hearty round of applause for...Princess Luna! ...And her squire, uh...Firefright. Er...Firefly. Right. How do you turn this thing off?"
Stronghold smiles when he notices Berry punch in the line of races and he waves to her, they -had- trained together after all and it was she who had coaxed the Royal Guard into joining the rodeo. He frowns upon seeing Gunstar there, simply because he knew he was raising against not just professionals, but one of the top professionals in the circuit. He would have to bring his A-game as well as all his guard training to this. He glances up at the stands, oh great. Luna was here. He would have to be sure not to disgrace his armor now! He trotted in place a moment and muttered to himself, "Control your breathing, stay loose, this isn't about strength this time it's speed and agility...you can do this, you can do this..." He lowers himself into the ready position and begins trying to slow his breathing before the race even starts.
Skyheart perks his ears up at the announcement. He immeidately turns to the mentioned balcony and bows, spreading out his wings and letting his snout almost hit the floor. D-Did she watch his race? It must have been pathetic. He shrinks down and keeps to himself in the back.
Luna agrees bouyantly, "A PERFECT CONTEST FOR EARTH PONIES! AS PEGASI ARE GIFTED WITH FLIGHT, SO EARTH PONIES ARE GIVEN ENDLESS VITALITY. A TEST OF THEIR STAMINA IS A TEST OF THEIR TRUE EARTH PONY ESSENCE! WERE WE NOT EARTH PONY AS WELL AS PEGASUS AND UNICORN, WE WOULD BE FRAIL INDEED." Shoving her face into her own popcorn bag, she chews with a blood-curdling series of crunches and grunts and growls. The official recognition from the announcer is met with a friendly wing wave of acknowledgment, without her head lifting from the bag.
Well, well. So the Princess really IS here. Gunstar'll have to try extra-hard to be extra-impressive. The big, showy stallion turns toward Luna's box and grins that same smug grin, then spits a blast of Prickly Pear as one of his groupies appears with a spitoon and vanishes just as quickly.
Derpy notices! She takes to her microphone prematurely, interrupting the cheers and assorted other noises for Luna. "In raceway? Is poor Marble. Driven to madness by sixtyfourklift. What is next ahead for most Iron Pony?" she babbles.
Firefly ahhs and sits up. Popcorn. It has been....a while since she had any. She tilts her head. "Keeper of records! Please remove yourself from these ponies equipment area! There are no artifacts in the mud!"
Stronghold grits his teeth and paws the ground, extremely anxious to get the race going, then he hears Derpy and blinks, looking out at the track he sees Marble wallowing about in the mud. He considers running out and getting the unfortunate pony, but...does he have time?
In a page-pose to you, Pinkie_Pie giggles! It is a mystery!
The mayor frowns at Luna's cursory acknowledgement, but the crowd gives a passable round of clomping, though not without murmurs. Mayor Mare stands back and Ace again stands behind the lined-up racers! The course begins with a wide curve and a low hurdle, and then it straigthens out for a while, and three more hurdles lie ahead, followed by a ditch! Then it wobbles back and forth, with several more hurdles, the last two of which one must not jump over, but through--under the top bar and over the bottom one. To make it more challenging, the bars are wavy as well. The official blows the whistle--the racers are off!!
Luna misses Firefly's response. She misses Gunstar's flashing smile. She misses all the nervous looks. Her head is completely buried in a bag of popcorn. A few kernels spill out as her head rears back, and finally the bag itself is sucked backwards into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. She peers around eagerly to see what she's missed, while asking Fluttershy, "IS THY EYE SET UPON A PARTICULAR RACER? ARE THEE THE PRIZE? DO THEY STILL CHOP THE HEADS OFF OF THE LOSERS? WE HAVE NOT ATTENDED ONE OF THESE EVENTS SINCE BEFORE WE WERE BANISHED FOR BETRAYING ALL OF PONYKIND AND ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY THE WORLD!"
Stronghold clearly does not! He grimaces and leaps forward with a snarl of determination. Lowering his head he attempts to get out ahead of the other racers right away, now his attention is split however. He intends on running the race but he won't let Marble be trampled! He plans on snatching him up, and this is why he desperately pounds out along the course as fast as his well muscled legs can carry him!
Derpy flies upward and bonks her head on the ceiling of her booth. "THHEEEYYYY'RE OFF! OwW!" She shakes her head and looks out again, recovering, her eyes juggling about. "But where to? Maybe toward midpoint? Maybe fiinnish?" She grins, then frowns.
Berry Punch leaps into action at the surprise of the whistle and lets the momentum carry her. She angles a liiittle toward the center, trying to cut Stronghold and Swan Song off so that they have to take the first, low hurdle at an awkward angle.
Marble pauses in his wallowing toward the drink stand when he hears something, a sound? Then he sees ponies running. Running straight toward him. "OHCOGSOFGREATAPPLESYRUP!" He shouts in shock and turns and starts to run, run in the mud away from the racers, screaming.
Firefly looks to Luna. "Did you hollow some gears and cogs and fill them with syrup?" making a face. "You DO know we have bottles now?"
Skyheart watches the racers take off. He blinks as he looks around for where Marble went. It was then he sees the squirming form trying to get out of the mud. "They're not stopping..." He isn't sure about the others but he KNEW Gunstar wasn't going to stop for anything and could even hurt him. Doing was was likely the stupidest thing he's ever thought up, he flaps his wings and rushes the arena, aiming to help Marble get out before he got trampled.
Swan_Song takes off running, but instead of running as fast as she can, she holds back a bit, conserving her stamina for the rest of the race. As she sees Berry Punch trying to drive her and Stronghold to an awkward position, she stays just enough behind her that she can still make the hurdle however she wishes. She too now sees Marble up ahead, and tries to plan ahead to avoid him if he doesn't get out of the way of the racers in time.
Gunstar doesn't notice that Luna missed his smile; he's too busy flying off the starting line. He can't take his hooves off the ground, so his hat's fastened to his head with a piece of elastic string. He likes Berry's style, too; now that's a filly with ambition! He's a bit too far back to fall for her trick, though. WHen he hits the first hurdle, Gunstar leaves the ground...and practically floats over it, his jump is so graceful. Actually, he puts a bit *too* much power into it and stumbles when he hits the ground again.
Stronghold grimly tries to keep his position while not bumping into Berry Punch. But he's not planning on giving an inch, he grins at her while keeping the brutal pace going, He can't get away from Marble's position, so he tries to leap over the other pony AND the hurtle, bellowing, "DUCK MARBLE!!" He just hopes the other stallion doesn't think he is trying to issue a warning about wild water foul.
Berry Punch is happy enough being a clear length in front of Swan Song! She saaails over the first hurdle. Now time for the curve. The purple mare lowers her stance and digs in, putting effort into making this turn as accurately as she can. She scowls when Gunstar appears in front of her as though he leapt there. Aha! He's stumbled! She zips ahead and in front of him--now she's in third place!
Luna chortles, "HO HO HO! THIS IS SOME GRAND AND MERRY QUIP BASED ON METHODS OF MODERN SPEECH, IS IT NOT? WE ARE CERTAIN IT MUST BE CLEVER!" LEaning forward out of the box, she points a hoof at Marble and asks, "THE WEEDY AND PATHETIC PEGASUS COVERED IN FILTH - IS HE THE RITUAL SACRIFICE? ARE THE EARTH PONIES PROVING THEIR WARRIOR SPIRIT BY CRUSHING HIS SKULL AS THEY PASS? HOW WAS HE CHOSEN? MAY WE HAVE HIS HIDE AS A MEMORIAL OF THIS DAY AND TO HONOR HIS FALLING?"
#=#=#=#=#=# PONYVILLE SQUARE #=#=#=#=#=#
It's clear that something's going down in town square today! The normally bucolic heart of Ponyville is a lot dustier than normal, for one thing. Did they import dust from Appleoosa? There's a big arena taking up most of the formerly grassy space between the Town Hall and the surrounding buildings. It's walled off with wooden plank fences, with big corner posts and ropes adding magnitude and various waving banners and pennants adding decoration. Rows of bleachers six levels high surround the arena.
Meanwhile, vendors nopony in town remembers ever seeing before have taken up the circuit in the marketplace and all the way to the stream. The atmosphere is more rollicking than usual by far, and there seem to be an inordinate number of big, broad-rimmed hats and immaculate white vests, not to mention the occasional lapel flower. And the arena itself is scattered with crates, barrels, coiled ropes, metal trappings, reins, signboards, and other dusty miscellany.
Do you know what this is? The Equestria Rodeo Competition is being held in Ponyville this year--that's what it is! Are -you- on the roster?
]
[ Players: Screenplay(#748PB), Pinkie_Pie(#209PBC), Stronghold(#667PB), ]
[ Scope(#265PBC), Chance(#503PBC), Plain_Sight(#867PB), ]
[ Marble_Memory(#688PBC), Fluttershy(#208PBC), ]
[ Skyheart(#795PBC) ]
"I s-suppose I could do the first run." Marble says, walking nervously up to the barrels. "Okay. This should be easy. No catastrophes whatsoever. Just... run through the barrels." This will be easier than the forks!
Screenplay looks as she sees ponies getting redy for the second event. "Derpy.. Derpy.." she calls out. "Has any pony seen Derpy?
Luna has arrived.
Pinkie_Pie rummages in her cart of pies, and pulls out Derpy.
"Oh, Pinkie Pie, are you running for Mare? Good luck!" Fluttershy squeezes her eyes shut and throws in a (yay) for good measure. Save some for the competition, Flutters! "Um...s-so this event is about, um...barrels."
Derpy was asleep in there. "Oooop?" she asks, looking up with one pupil still apparently asleep.
<OOC> Luna says, "Does that mean one is an x?"
<OOC> You say, "No! That would undead."
<OOC> Pinkie_Pie o.x
<OOC> You say, "o.-"
<OOC> Marble_Memory o.taxform
<OOC> Luna hands both of them monocles.
<OOC> Derpy ties the monocles together and gives one end to Pinkie.
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "o.yay"
Stronghold turns and trots over to the railing around the event area. He glances back at the two mares and then directs his gaze towards the competing stallions before chuckling to himself in a whisper, "Lovestruck ponies...." Then he shakes his head and calls out, "Competitiors on your marks! Get set! GO!" he bellows in his best drill instructor voice.
Skyheart looks at the trail of barrels in front of him. He used to weave through crowds all the time on the streets in Manehatten. This should be cake. He darts into his line of barrels and starts to move back and forth through them. He seems to get a good start.
Marble runs forward, and one can already tell what he thinks of this contest with the quiet "eeps" and "oh dears" emitting from him as he slaloms his way through the first few barrels. Also not a bad start. Are the two ponies truly more athletic than the others think they are?
While the private grudge match continues, ponies start to gather for the second day's events. Already, vendors are selling hats, lapel flowers, belts, vests, kerchiefs...and ushers are handing out programs. On the far side of the stream, some training is going on. And the staff is starting to set up hurdles, eying Marble and Skyheart suspiciously.
Screenplay hovers over the crowd looking for the mail pony, "Derpy, Derpy.." she then come to ponies asking of they seen the mail pony'
Pinkie_Pie starts pulling out tables from an unidentified area just offscreen. She lines them up carefully, then rolls in her party cannon and pushes the fuse. BOOM! Tablecloths shoot out and neatly cover the surfaces.
Derpy is delighted by all this. She tries to straighten the tablecloths, but they mostly end up with the corners halfway along each edge. Maybe that's how countryfolk do it now.
Ooooooh. Fluttershy watches the party shell soar through the air and dispense its candiful joy. Wait, she's supposed to be watching the race. "Go Marble! Go Skyheart! Be careful!"
Swan_Song has arrived.
Plain_Sight is walking towards the big Stronghold, who nicely didn't fight her the other day. But she is sidetracked by the new pink pony. Especially as she sets of the cannon and she watches the effect. She goes over to look at what she is doing. "Hello!"
Derpy is about to notice Screenplay searching for her when she gets distracted and runs off, a new thought in her head.
Plain_Sight is still waiting around listening to Fluttershy. She is getting a better look though seeing what that is about. She nods to Fluttershy. "Oh it isn't?" She looks back to the two who seem to have stopped their race. "Well I guess just more to learn!"
The Mayor appears again, leading a crowd of hangers-on, politicos, and groupies--presumably for the athletes, not for her. "And now," she says through her bullhorn, "the Hurdle Course will begin! Racers to their places, please!!"
PUB >> Derpy says, "The Mayor appears again, leading a crowd of hangers-on, politicos, and groupies--presumably for the athletes, not for her. "And now," she says through her bullhorn, "the Hurdle Course will begin! Racers to their places, please!!""
Stronghold blinks and drops the stopwatch he had been holding while helping Marble and Skyheart. He was entered in this event! He rushed to get himself in position for the beginning of his own race. "I'm coming!" He calls, he had been training for this just forty minutes ago, so he was already limbered up and ready to go.
Luna has two methods of making an entrance - silent as a cloud or earth-shaking. She opts for the former this time. With a downright modest and unassuming blink of blue light she appears in the press stand next to Firefly, then proceeds to blast her loyal and badly injured squire with giddy questions. "WE ARE ARRIVED! HAVE WE MISSED THE RODENTS? HOW DOES ONE SCORE THE MUD WALLOW? WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT?"
Berry Punch is totally in the hurdle race! She's pretty speedy when she needs to be! And she's great at startled jumping! She just needs to harness that into something that resembles control. She confidently heads for the starting line. And...leaps in surprise when she hears the voice of Nightmare Moon bellowing incoherently.
Fluttershy looks up with a start and a shriek as Luna starts to give the Royal Canterlot Social Questionaire. "Um," she offers helpfully, "P-Princess? The chipmunk roundup show was yesterday."
Skyheart looks around as the new event is announced. "Oh shoot..." He had to get out of there. He sees a bunch of hurdles put before him. His ears flatten and his eyes widen. "Uh oh..." The princess was here? Ah shoot... This was not the time to get stuck in this. He quietly tries his best to duck out and sneak back into the crowd. He was still panting from the exercise. "I'm still amazed I won..." he takes a seat by himself in the back, hoping not to be noticed by anypony.
Firefly ACKS! at being taken off guard but recovers quickly, not that she could leap or jump presently to begin with. "AYE MY....." then shakes her head. "I mean, Welcome to the Rodeo my Princess. Tonight is the earth pony hoof racing, which I think thee Keeper of Records has lost, thus discracing the Royal name....but were not Palace employees bade not to enter for reasons of conflicted interest?"
Swan_Song hasn't been in a race in a long time, and wasn't sure what special rules they may have for this, but she decides to enter anyway just to have a little fun participating in the rodeo. So she flutters over to land with the others near the starting line, waving to Skyheart as she sees him moving away. "Congrats on winning!" She calls to him and smiles.
And not one to be shown up by a princess, Gunstar plods slowly into the field, his hat slung low over his eyes. It's actually remarkably understated...until a pair of tight-beam firefly lamps sweep around and focus, allowing his grinning teeth to gleam a perfect gleam. "Howdy, y'all."
Screenplay flys over to the drinks as she smiles seeing over ponies. "Hey had any pony seen Derpy I must speak with her
Ace, master of the arena, wanders down the line, inspecting all the racers. He swings a tennis racket with a pen built into it casually, making checks on a clipboard. "Two minutes to start! Any other contestants present?"
Marble is dropped face-first in the mud. And he's still in the middle of the arena he had done the barrel run in. After a few minutes, the bureaucrat starts pulling his way back toward what he thought was the drink stand, but is insteam crawling more into the ring.
Rarity has connected.
Derpy is in her announcer booth, of course. A spectator who happens to hear Screenplay points that way over his shoulder.
Luna treats Firefly to the air cannon some more. "HOOF RACING? GREAT IS OUR APPROVAL! IN OUR DAY, SUCH SPORTS WERE PERFORMED NUDE, THAT ALL MAY APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THE PONY FORM IN MOTION!" She pauses, looking around, and adds, "AND FOR ONCE, NOTHING HAS CHANGE!" Her horn flashes twice. The first time teleports Fluttershy up next to her. The second time teleports bags of popcorn in front of all three ponies. "WERE THE CHIPMUNKS DELICIOUS, ELEMENT OF KINDNESS? ARE THEE HERE TO ADMIRE THE LIQUID FLEXING OF AN EARTH PONY'S MUSCLES AS WELL?"
Plain_Sight makes her way over to the table with the pies and sniffs at them. Seeing as they seem to be offered for everypony she tries one of for herself. She woners if these are common here in Ponyville. She hears the load voice too, looking up to see Luna. He seems a bit surpised, but makes her way off to find a place to watch the race.
Thinking quickly, Fluttershy has already jammed a big puff of popcorn in each ear, reducing Luna's volume to only earth-tearing levels. "Um...I-I didn't see the finish," she mumbles, deflecting any accusations about eating chipmunks. "A-and I guess you could say that."
Firefly cups her ears to her head and waits until the air blast subsides, then grins. "This my lady is the Iron Pony, a series of events to see who has the greatest endurance, as I understand it." then perks her ears as Fluttershy and popcorn appear. She promptly shoves her nose into her popcorn, crunching away.
Ace is about to blow the starting whistle when Mayor Mare taps his shoulder and whispers in his ear. She points in Luna's direction. Ace stands down, and the mayor announces: "Fillies and gentlecolts! We have a surprise guest of honor in attendance at our rodeo! Everypony please give a hearty round of applause for...Princess Luna! ...And her squire, uh...Firefright. Er...Firefly. Right. How do you turn this thing off?"
Stronghold smiles when he notices Berry punch in the line of races and he waves to her, they -had- trained together after all and it was she who had coaxed the Royal Guard into joining the rodeo. He frowns upon seeing Gunstar there, simply because he knew he was raising against not just professionals, but one of the top professionals in the circuit. He would have to bring his A-game as well as all his guard training to this. He glances up at the stands, oh great. Luna was here. He would have to be sure not to disgrace his armor now! He trotted in place a moment and muttered to himself, "Control your breathing, stay loose, this isn't about strength this time it's speed and agility...you can do this, you can do this..." He lowers himself into the ready position and begins trying to slow his breathing before the race even starts.
Skyheart perks his ears up at the announcement. He immeidately turns to the mentioned balcony and bows, spreading out his wings and letting his snout almost hit the floor. D-Did she watch his race? It must have been pathetic. He shrinks down and keeps to himself in the back.
Luna agrees bouyantly, "A PERFECT CONTEST FOR EARTH PONIES! AS PEGASI ARE GIFTED WITH FLIGHT, SO EARTH PONIES ARE GIVEN ENDLESS VITALITY. A TEST OF THEIR STAMINA IS A TEST OF THEIR TRUE EARTH PONY ESSENCE! WERE WE NOT EARTH PONY AS WELL AS PEGASUS AND UNICORN, WE WOULD BE FRAIL INDEED." Shoving her face into her own popcorn bag, she chews with a blood-curdling series of crunches and grunts and growls. The official recognition from the announcer is met with a friendly wing wave of acknowledgment, without her head lifting from the bag.
Well, well. So the Princess really IS here. Gunstar'll have to try extra-hard to be extra-impressive. The big, showy stallion turns toward Luna's box and grins that same smug grin, then spits a blast of Prickly Pear as one of his groupies appears with a spitoon and vanishes just as quickly.
Derpy notices! She takes to her microphone prematurely, interrupting the cheers and assorted other noises for Luna. "In raceway? Is poor Marble. Driven to madness by sixtyfourklift. What is next ahead for most Iron Pony?" she babbles.
Firefly ahhs and sits up. Popcorn. It has been....a while since she had any. She tilts her head. "Keeper of records! Please remove yourself from these ponies equipment area! There are no artifacts in the mud!"
Stronghold grits his teeth and paws the ground, extremely anxious to get the race going, then he hears Derpy and blinks, looking out at the track he sees Marble wallowing about in the mud. He considers running out and getting the unfortunate pony, but...does he have time?
In a page-pose to you, Pinkie_Pie giggles! It is a mystery!
The mayor frowns at Luna's cursory acknowledgement, but the crowd gives a passable round of clomping, though not without murmurs. Mayor Mare stands back and Ace again stands behind the lined-up racers! The course begins with a wide curve and a low hurdle, and then it straigthens out for a while, and three more hurdles lie ahead, followed by a ditch! Then it wobbles back and forth, with several more hurdles, the last two of which one must not jump over, but through--under the top bar and over the bottom one. To make it more challenging, the bars are wavy as well. The official blows the whistle--the racers are off!!
Luna misses Firefly's response. She misses Gunstar's flashing smile. She misses all the nervous looks. Her head is completely buried in a bag of popcorn. A few kernels spill out as her head rears back, and finally the bag itself is sucked backwards into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. She peers around eagerly to see what she's missed, while asking Fluttershy, "IS THY EYE SET UPON A PARTICULAR RACER? ARE THEE THE PRIZE? DO THEY STILL CHOP THE HEADS OFF OF THE LOSERS? WE HAVE NOT ATTENDED ONE OF THESE EVENTS SINCE BEFORE WE WERE BANISHED FOR BETRAYING ALL OF PONYKIND AND ATTEMPTING TO DESTROY THE WORLD!"
Stronghold clearly does not! He grimaces and leaps forward with a snarl of determination. Lowering his head he attempts to get out ahead of the other racers right away, now his attention is split however. He intends on running the race but he won't let Marble be trampled! He plans on snatching him up, and this is why he desperately pounds out along the course as fast as his well muscled legs can carry him!
Derpy flies upward and bonks her head on the ceiling of her booth. "THHEEEYYYY'RE OFF! OwW!" She shakes her head and looks out again, recovering, her eyes juggling about. "But where to? Maybe toward midpoint? Maybe fiinnish?" She grins, then frowns.
Berry Punch leaps into action at the surprise of the whistle and lets the momentum carry her. She angles a liiittle toward the center, trying to cut Stronghold and Swan Song off so that they have to take the first, low hurdle at an awkward angle.
Marble pauses in his wallowing toward the drink stand when he hears something, a sound? Then he sees ponies running. Running straight toward him. "OHCOGSOFGREATAPPLESYRUP!" He shouts in shock and turns and starts to run, run in the mud away from the racers, screaming.
Firefly looks to Luna. "Did you hollow some gears and cogs and fill them with syrup?" making a face. "You DO know we have bottles now?"
Skyheart watches the racers take off. He blinks as he looks around for where Marble went. It was then he sees the squirming form trying to get out of the mud. "They're not stopping..." He isn't sure about the others but he KNEW Gunstar wasn't going to stop for anything and could even hurt him. Doing was was likely the stupidest thing he's ever thought up, he flaps his wings and rushes the arena, aiming to help Marble get out before he got trampled.
Swan_Song takes off running, but instead of running as fast as she can, she holds back a bit, conserving her stamina for the rest of the race. As she sees Berry Punch trying to drive her and Stronghold to an awkward position, she stays just enough behind her that she can still make the hurdle however she wishes. She too now sees Marble up ahead, and tries to plan ahead to avoid him if he doesn't get out of the way of the racers in time.
Gunstar doesn't notice that Luna missed his smile; he's too busy flying off the starting line. He can't take his hooves off the ground, so his hat's fastened to his head with a piece of elastic string. He likes Berry's style, too; now that's a filly with ambition! He's a bit too far back to fall for her trick, though. WHen he hits the first hurdle, Gunstar leaves the ground...and practically floats over it, his jump is so graceful. Actually, he puts a bit *too* much power into it and stumbles when he hits the ground again.
Stronghold grimly tries to keep his position while not bumping into Berry Punch. But he's not planning on giving an inch, he grins at her while keeping the brutal pace going, He can't get away from Marble's position, so he tries to leap over the other pony AND the hurtle, bellowing, "DUCK MARBLE!!" He just hopes the other stallion doesn't think he is trying to issue a warning about wild water foul.
Berry Punch is happy enough being a clear length in front of Swan Song! She saaails over the first hurdle. Now time for the curve. The purple mare lowers her stance and digs in, putting effort into making this turn as accurately as she can. She scowls when Gunstar appears in front of her as though he leapt there. Aha! He's stumbled! She zips ahead and in front of him--now she's in third place!
Luna chortles, "HO HO HO! THIS IS SOME GRAND AND MERRY QUIP BASED ON METHODS OF MODERN SPEECH, IS IT NOT? WE ARE CERTAIN IT MUST BE CLEVER!" LEaning forward out of the box, she points a hoof at Marble and asks, "THE WEEDY AND PATHETIC PEGASUS COVERED IN FILTH - IS HE THE RITUAL SACRIFICE? ARE THE EARTH PONIES PROVING THEIR WARRIOR SPIRIT BY CRUSHING HIS SKULL AS THEY PASS? HOW WAS HE CHOSEN? MAY WE HAVE HIS HIDE AS A MEMORIAL OF THIS DAY AND TO HONOR HIS FALLING?"