The doorbell rang, to the eagerness of one Mayor Mare.
Everypony at City Hall had said she was crazy to host Equestrian Games Inspector Harshwhinny at her personal home for lunch, but she'd show them. If the stories from Pinkie Pie and her friends held any weight, pulling this off should help guarantee Ponyville next year's Equestrian Games for sure.
Just imagining all the good that could come to the town through hosting the Games was enough to make her prance around like a schoofilly in excitement, but first she had to get through this lunch.
She opened the door to find Ms. Harshwhinny, holding a jar of apple cider.
Nice to see the Apple Family has done their part, now it's my turn, she thought to herself.
"Well, Miss Mayor, I made it, despite your directions," the Inspector noted, looking to her itinerary to find that, sure enough, the directions to her house had been misprinted. No matter.
"Welcome, Ms. Harshwhinny, welcome," Mayor Mare greeted. "How's your stay been in Ponyville so far?"
"Well, it's been quite the experience, I must say," Harshwhinny answered. "The town has certainly changed a lot since the last time I was here for the Summer Sun Celebration."
"Yes, we Ponyvillians are quite proud of the recognition our home is getting recently." The politician couldn't help but brag a little. "Where are my manners?! Come in! I hope you're ready for an unforgettable luncheon."
"Quite a high bar you're setting for yourself, Mayor," the Inspector remarked as she entered the humble abode.
As she sat down at the table, placing the apple cider in a bowl of ice at the table's center, Mayor Mare went to check on her roast hay. Once she saw the smoking oven, she realized, to her panicked chagrin, the exact thing that her staffers said might happen had happened. She opened the appliance to survey the damage.
"Oh my Celestia!" she muttered. "My roast hay is ruined!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed The Hay Burger outside her window. She'd always been fond of how one of her favorite eating establishments was in close proximity to her house, making it easy to grab a quick bite on her way to the office, but perhaps it just might save Ponyville's chance at hosting the games.
"But what if I were to purchase fast food and disguise it as my own cooking?" She gave the idea a mental once-over. She found a few holes, but she could probably make it work.
"Well, it's not like I have any other options." She resigned herself to her situation before propping open the window to make her escape. Unfortunately, that's when a certain pony happened to come through the door.
Ms. Harshwhinny's expression looked startled at first before turning into suspicion. "What is the meaning of this?!" she pointedly asked.
"Terribly sorry, Ms. Harshwhinny, but I figured I'd wait for our meal to finish by stretching my legs on the window sill, isometric exercise. Care to join me?"
Her suspicious gaze turned to the smoking oven. "Why is there smoke coming out of your oven, Mayor?"
"Oh, it isn't smoke, it's… steam." She mentally congratulated herself for working her way out of that one. "Steam from the steamed hays we're having. Mmmmm. Steamed hays."
The suspicious look never left the Inspector's face as she retreated from the kitchen. Relieved at her guest’s departure, Mayor Mare made one of her own, hopping out her window and making a mad dash to The Hay Burger.
One Purchase Later
"Well, Ms. Harshwhinny, I hope you’re up for some mouthwatering hay burgers," Mayor Mare said, placing the tray full of said food items onto the table.
The orange earth pony raised an eyebrow, seemingly confirming a suspicion she had. "I thought we were having steamed hays," she said slowly, like she already knew what was going on, and all she needed was a conformation.
"Oh, we are," the politician said as she took her seat. "That's just what I call hay burgers."
"You call hay burgers… steamed hays?"
"Yes, it's a regional dialect."
"Uh-huh, what region, might I ask?" She still wasn't buying it.
Just pick a region!!! Mayor Mare internally screamed.
"Uh, Southern."
"Really?" The Inspector’s eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm from Dodge City, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase 'steamed hays.'"
Buck! the politician inwardly cursed. I seriously had to pick the region where she grew up?!
"Oh, not in Dodge City, no, it's an Applewood expression." Mayor Mare hoped to Celestia Harshwhinny would buy that.
"Ah, I see."
The pale amber earth pony let out an internal sigh of relief as she began to enjoy the hay burgers. Hopefully, her troubles were now over.
"You know, these burgers are quite similar to the ones they have at The Hay Burger."
And just like that, her hopes were dashed.
Mayor Mare gave a small chuckle, "Oh no no no. They're an old family recipe I got from my mother."
"...for steamed hays?"
"Yes."
"And you call them steamed hays, despite the fact they are obviously grilled."
Why couldn't Harshwhinny just confront her about her fib already?!
"Ye...You know, the... One thing I should..." The politician wiped her mouth with her napkin, stirring to come up with a reason for what her guest just pointed out, only to come up with nothing. So, she did the only thing she could. "Excuse me for one second."
"Of course," Harshwhinny said.
Thank Celestia for table etiquette, Mayor Mare internally praised as she entered the now-burning kitchen. No time to deal with that! She needed to get the Inspector onto the next part of her visit now. She exited the kitchen a mere couple seconds after she walked in.
"Oh well, that was wonderful," the Mayor said. "A good time was had by all. Say, isn't it about time you went to see the School?"
Ms. Harshwhinny checked her watch and, sure enough, it was about time. "Yes, I should probably be..." Unfortunately for the already stressed mayor, she caught a peak at the flames going in the kitchen. "By Celestia, what is happening in there?!"
"Aurora Borealis." Immediately the politician internally facehooved. Did those words seriously just leave her lips?
The orange earth pony gave a surprised "Uh-," not quite sure she heard what she thought she did. "Aurora borealis?! At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of Equestria, localized entirely within your kitchen?"
Oh well, no use going back now. "Yes."
It seemed like the Inspector was caught off guard by that confirmation, before her face morphed into a look of curiosity. "May I see it?"
Mayor Mare let a second pass, as if she'd actually let the Equestrian Games Inspector bear witness to a fire in her own home.
"No."
As the duo walked out to the Mayor's front porch, a certain mail mare's distressed shout almost blew her cover. "Mayor Mare, your house is on fire!"
"No, Derpy, it's just the Northern Lights."
Derpy's look of panic immediately left her muzzle. "Oh, all right. Have a nice day, then!" she said before flying off to her next delivery.
"Well, Miss Mayor, you are an odd mare, but I must say, you steam a good hay," the Inspector complimented. "I'll tell you this, with the growth Ponyville has experienced in recent years, I think it might be about time to christen it as one of Equestria's central hubs by having it host the games. I can't guarantee anything, since I still have a few more places to scout out, but I'm liking what I'm seeing."
"That means a lot coming from you, Ms. Harshwhinny. Do enjoy the School!" The politician bid her guest farewell with a good-natured wave.
Said good-natured wave continued even when the orange earth pony looked back again, even as her house burned behind her.
Only once the Inspector was out of view could the mayor finally breathe a sigh of relief. Sure, her house was burning down behind her, but Ponyville was one step closer to hosting Equestria Games, and that's what mattered.
Luna was almost wheezing as she exited the dream.
"I haven't laughed like this in centuries!" This was definitely one she'd be telling Celestia about later.
Still giggling a little bit, she randomly grabbed a new orb in her magic about five feet in front of her.