Chapter 9: Canterlot Comic Con
"The things you do for those nerds." Refined Taste looked on at Final Cut at his editing bay. His eyes were bloodshot, he looked like he hadn't eaten since he told the crew they would be going to Triple C. The light from the monitor had drained almost all the moisture from his eyes. Refined couldn't recall the last time he had blinked.
"You know what would help the process, Refined?"
"What?"
"You being a bitch. Could you keep doing that?" Cut didn't even turn to her. He was too far gone into the editing realm. Adjusting audio levels, removing clips in the footage, rending special effects he had to do himself, he was just too busy to pay Taste any real mind. With a scowl, Taste left the editing compartment.
The mane six as well as several members of the crew were traveling in a special train cart, made especially for traveling film makers. The cart was huge, allowing for bunks, a green screen, a writers lounge and the aforementioned editing bay. Taste entered the kitchen compartment, where the mane six where chilling.
"At this rate, Cut's going to work himself to death before we get there. I'll have 'dedicated to' card on standby."
Twilight had a twinge of concern on her face. "What do you mean?"
"Every movie panel has to have something to show. A trailer, a clip, something. These cosplaying losers could make or break our movie. The only way to get them on our good side is to show them we know what the hell we're doing."
Twilight looked through the doorway to Final Cut, looking completely drained. "Maybe we should give him something to eat."
"Well, you're his Mare, Sparkle. You do it." The two Mares glared each other down.
Pinkie stepped forward. "Back off. Who Twilight mounts is her own business!"
Twilight laid a hoof on Pinkie. "Pinkie, it's fine. If anypony needs me, I'll be in the editing bay." Using her magic, she picked up a platter of food, a hot cup of coffee and trotted into the editing bay, making sure not to make eye contact with Taste. She gently closed the door behind her.
"If anypony need me... don't." Refined stormed into her private cabin, slamming the door.
"What got in her britches?" Asked Applejack.
"Maybe she's just stressed," interjected Fluttershy. "I know I wouldn't be able to handle all of this movie convention stuff. I'm proud of them for working so hard." The other ponies stared blankly at Fluttershy. "But... but she doesn't have to be such a meanie about it."
"She's just being a jerk about it. I say we take a trip into her cabin and give a big serving of-"
"Cider, anypony?" Before Rainbow could finish, she turned to see the pony who so rudely interrupter her.
"T... Trixie? What are you doing here?" Trixie was carrying a platter of cider with her magic.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie is simply trying to offer her co-workers some cider. Is that so wrong?"
Rarity stepped forward. "Perhaps. I thought Cut fired you. Why are you on this train?"
"The Great and Powerful Trixie... needs whatever work she can get."
...
"I need the money, OK? Just let me do the best job I can. Now, can I give any of you ladies cider?"
The ponies stood in bemusement. "No thanks. We're good... but thanks," Rainbow said, doing her best to laugh.
"Very well." Trixie turned around and headed into the other compartment, where most of the Colts were staying.
Rainbow started to laugh. "Is it bad that I think that's kind of hilarious?"
"In all honesty... a little." Applejack looked away, not trying to make Rainbow feel too bad. It didn't work.
...
"I'm gonna go hang with Soarin. Cool?"
"Ya, cool." Rainbow trotted into the boys compartment. Leaving the other ponies behind.
"Ah aint liking where this is going."
"What do you mean, dear?"
"Look at what's going on. Ever since this movie started, everypony has been on edge."
Fluttershy raised her hoof. "I do believe I touched on that."
"No. No I mean, everypony is starting to crack. With all the rumors about Twilight circulating, she could go nuts at any second. Rainbow's fling with Soarin is taking time away from us. Rarity is still dressed like a dominatrix-"
"I simply do not wish to start the lengthy process of getting this thing off me."
"- Fluttershy tried putting the smack down on the movie-"
"Sorry about that."
"And.. Ah will admit, that maybe Ah was a bit forward with pushing the farm on Final Cut."
"What about me? Am I on edge?" Pinkie's face lit up with excitment.
"Pinkie, you're always on edge."
"Yahoo!"
"That point is, what happens when one... or two of us, goes off?"
"You looked hungry, so I thought I'd bring you a snack."
Cut rotated his eyes to Twilight, who hand an entire platter with her, complete with a cup of Joe. His eyes returned to the monitor. "You and I must have different definitions of the word 'snack', Sparkle."
"Well, I didn't know what you like to eat, so... yeah." Twilight laid the platter next to Cut.
"You've known me for almost 2 months and you don't know what I like to eat? I'm hurt."
Twilight chuckled as she tried to get a glimpse of what Cut was working on. "So... whatcha' doing?"
Cut used his free hoof to keep Twilight from seeing what was on the screen, still keeping his eyes on the task at hoof. "No. No. No. No. You have to wait like everypony else."
"Come on. Why not?"
"Because that wouldn't be fair to the others."
"Aww, please! Not a even a little-?"
Cut quickly used his free hoof to turn off the monitor entirely. He turned to Sparkle, the first time he had pried himself away from the view of a bright screen for days. "Please. We have our panel tomorrow. I promise it'll be worth the wait." Twilight smiled as she stepped back. Cut turned the monitor back on. "Thanks for the food, Sparky."
...
"Sparky?"
"Sparkler. Sparkle. Whatever. I'm tired."
Twilight giggled as she left the room. Before she shut the door, she looked back the director. "Don't work too hard."
"I never have too."
"And then we broke the sound barrier... again!" Soarin had learned to move past the bragging stage of his powers, but when he was just hanging around with the Colts, he couldn't help but cut loose a little. Rainbow entered the room. "Hey Rainbow, come here. I'm telling the guys about the race we had last night."
The other colts started laughing. "Was it so quick you had to call it a race?" Even Soarin couldn't help but join in laughing.
Rainbow was not amused. "Hey!"
"Got something to say, Rainbow?" Asked one of the crew workers. Rainbow kept her mouth shut.
"Rainbow, come here." Rainbow took a seat next to Soarin, he wrapped his hoof around here. "So, what are you gents going to do when we get to the con?"
"I'm going to the 'Dragonfly' reunion! They've got the whole cast back," one colt proclaimed.
"I'm checking out the autograph booth. Tara Stranger will let you take a picture with her for $50."
Soarin turned to Rainbow. "How about you, Rainbow? You going to check out anything?"
Rainbow roller her eyes. "Pfft! Nah, that nerd stuff isn't really my bag."
"Well... it's not really ours either, but we're still checking it out," another crew member pointed out.
"Well... yeah. But still, it's not something I care enough about."
Soarin looked more then a little disappointed at Rainbow. "You know you really should."
"Since when did you start caring about geeks?"
"Well... we are making this movie for them. And, I admit I've been delving in the field a little bit."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"
"When you can do anything you want at super-sonic speed... you have a lot of free time on your hooves."
The colts laughed again. "Seriously, dude. You can't just leave yourself wide open like that and not expect us to take the opportunity."
As Soarin rejoined the laughter, Rainbow pushed his hoof away and got up. "I'm hitting the hay. See ya."
Soarin followed her to the door of her cabin. "You feeling alright?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"You just seem, less you then you. You've seemed like that for a while."
"Sorry that the rest of us can't have the energy needed to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants!"
...
"That's it. Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing's wrong. I don't know what's up with me."
"We both know that's not true. Just tell me. What's making you this way?"
"Cider, anypony?"
Soarin and Dash found Trixie standing behind them, carrying the same platter of cider that she had before. "No thank you miss Trixie. Could you please give us a moment?"
"Yes sir." Trixie left the two alone.
"Look, I'll give you a chance to rest, but please try to have some fun tomorrow. Geeks aren't less then you. Everypony is equal." He looked at her with a warm smile. "And who knows? You might enjoy yourself."
Rainbow smiled as she shut the door. "Night, Soarin." The door closed.
"Good night."
"Hey, Cut. I made a sandwich and-" Twilight entered the room, carrying the freshly made sandwich on a spare platter, only to find Cut had passed out at the keyboard with drool running down his jaw. The monitor had one thing on it 'Export: 100% complete'. Twilight smiled as she turned off the monitor and pulled a blanket over Cut with her magic.
"Wow. You love him, don't you?" Twilight shot around to find Rarity (still in costume) watching over them.
"I was just making him comf... that was just going to sound worse, wasn't it?"
"Relax darling. I promise this will work out, just wait until he gets a minute to think about something other then the movie. I'm sure you'll be able to talk then." The two looked back at Cut, sleeping like a foal. "You know how I can tell you like him?"
"How?"
"You don't seem to mind the fact that his drool is all over your hoof."
Twilight's eyes shot open as she realized her hoof was drenched in saliva. "Giiiii-"
"It won't matter, darling. You'll get used to it."
"That's the best you can do?" Twilight looked less then impressed at Spike's costume for the con; a purple dragon costume that was only slightly bigger then he was.
"It's not like we had anything else. I'm surprise you didn't show up in your Star Swirl costume." Spike exited the train cart, the other ponies all filing out behind him. Applejack came out in her giant apple costume that she had a few weeks back.
"Let me guess; marketing?"
"A bunch of ponies waiting in lines that go on for hours, they'll be begging for some refreshing apples!"
Pinkie was next to come out, dressed in a giant gum drop costume. "Wow, Pinkie," said Twilight. "That's a great costume. Who exactly are you going as?"
"What costume? I just thought I dress up."
"Now that's something we can agree on." Out came Rarity.
"Rarity, are you sure that wearing your costume around the show floor is a good idea? Won't ponies recognize you?"
"Darling, look at your surroundings." The train station was full of cosplayers and walking advertisements that have arrived just in time for the con. "I'm practically in formal attire. No one will recognize as an actual cast member until after the panel. Speaking of which, when is it?"
"The panel is in three hours! Be there or be fired!" Refined Taste stormed out of the cart. "I've got to go to the ushers and get us sorted."
"What about Cut?" Asked Twilight.
"He'll be awake before long. Just be at hall H before long." With that, Taste trotted off to the convention, carrying a single flash drive. Fluttershy was the last one out of the cart. She was wearing a nice hat that Rarity had made for her.
"OK, girls. I'm ready to- Oh my, are you sure you girls are going to be OK in those costumes. The weather ponies said it would be hot today."
"Ah hooey, how hot could it get?"
"Oh Celestia, it burns!" Applejack struggled to make her way through con, bumping into several sweaty, overdressed nerds. It wasn't helping that the air conditioner wasn't reaching the whole of her body because of her costume. "I hope the other girls are alright."
"Oh my, that's a long line." Fluttershy couldn't help but feel intimidated by the sheer length of the line for the Super-Stallion panel, which looped several times around the central block of the building. "Pinkie, do you think we'll be able- Pinkie?"
Fluttershy was horrified when she saw Pinkie, lying flat on the ground, still in her costume, literally smoking. The sun had been beating down on them the whole 3 hours there were in the line. The sun had turned her pink skin a bright red. "Does anypony else smell bacon?"
Fluttershy turned to the colt in front of her. "Excuse me, sir, but do you know much longer we're going to be in line?"
"HA! Lady, haven't you seen how long this line is? The 100 or so ponies in front of me and in line for next year."
Fluttershy started to quiver. "Oh my- What have I done?"
"What in Celestia's name are these lovely ladies doing in this line?" Fluttershy and Pinkie found Final Cut standing in front of them. "Get out of there. I'll get you in right now."
"Oh Celestia! It's Final Cut," one nerd screamed out. The crowd started to cheer and shout.
"Gentlemen, please. You'll get to see what we have in store soon. Now ladies, please come."
Pinkie slipped out of her suit, making her apperance even funnier when others could see that her torso hadn't been touched by the sun. Final Cut lead them past the screaming geeks. "I usually don't ask this question; but what's got you so happy?" Pinkie couldn't help but be curious in regard to the huge grin on Final Cut's face.
Cut looked back at her with a confident smile. "Because I'm about to make the world stop!"
"Wow... look at them." Rainbow watched from downstairs as the fans took their seats. There had to be easily five thousand.
"Since when do you get stage fright, Rainbow?" Twilight on the other hoof, didn't seem to feel intimidated at all.
"That's when they were watching me preform. They're hear to listen to me... talk."
"Rainbow, you talk big game all the time. I'm sure you'll be fine."
The pegasus looked back out at the crowd with a gulp. Soarin joined her in looking at the audience. "Wow... look at them."
"Not you too, Soarin."
"Well, they're usually watching me preform... not talk."
Twilight laid a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. "I'm sure you're going to be fine. You're the leading stallion for a reason."
Soarin returend a smile. "Thank you Ms Sparkle. I think you may have to hold our hooves out there." When Soarin looked back at Rainbow, he thought for a moment that she saw a golden shimmer in her eye. "You OK, Rainbow?"
"Yeah... yeah I'm fine."
"30 seconds everypony!" Trixie was now running around back stage with a clipboard, frantically searching the area. "Where's Cut? Where's Taste?"
"Calm down. We're here." Taste and Cut reared up on them. Whereas Taste looked drained and boared, Final Cut looked ecstatic. "Let's just get this over with." Taste took to the podium. The audience applauded her arrival.
Twilight turned to Cut. "You look happy."
"I feel happy."
"Before we go on, is it OK if I ask you why you didn't me to see what you were working on?"
Taste looked at her with the most genuine smile he ever had. "Because I want you to see why Celestia chose me for this."
"What's up, losers?" Taste's tired voice made the audience think she was joking. "I guess you want to see some footage or something?" Still going with her, the geeks laughed as she inserted the flash drive into the laptop on the podium.
The house lights dimmed...
The audience smiled...
The projector lit up...
Next: Interlude: Coming Soon...