July 1st, 995
Pinkie Pie prowls around the Summer Sun Celebration, making sure her party is in order. It won't do to have an incident under her watch! She glances left, then right, then left again; still no ponies acting out, no disturbances, just fun. Too much fun! Wait, can you have too much fun? Pinkie Pie puts a hoof to her mouth; she is getting a little hungry, and she doesn't like patrolling on an empty stomach! Or on a half full stomach, she smiles to herself, rubbing her pregnant belly. Pinkie Pie disappears behind a trash can, reappearing inside one of the bushes near the food.
Lots of ponies are milling about, walking one way or the other. More ponies are seated at the tables spread out, enjoying their meals from the scattered booths. Doug is stationed at the grill, trays of food displayed on a few of the park benches around him. Pinkie Pie moves forward, trading waves with Doug as she loads up a plate with a few muffins, carrots, an apple, and a small mountain of Doug's prized pickled pepper poppers. She pauses before she starts devouring the monstrosity - Silver Set, one of the mares in the Rich herd, is walking up to Doug. Her tongue idly grabs one pepper popper at a time, depositing it in her mouth as she watches the two.
The grey earth pony smiles at Doug, who returns a casual wave at her. She asks, "So, Doug, how has grilling been going?"
Doug shrugs, standing in one of the few areas not under an umbrella or next to a building, "Well, I don't mind the heat, and it gives me something to do. Would you like me to get you anything? It's all turning out really well."
Silver Set nods, looking over the arrangement of goods, "I can get the items myself, thank you for the offer. Although, I think Pinkie Pie cleaned you out of the pepper poppers, and I did want to give them a try."
Doug glances back at Pinkie Pie, the mare keeping her eyes trained on them while slowly moving her plate of pepper poppers away from the two. Her tongue creeps out of her mouth, grabbing a single popper, slowly depositing the morsel in her mouth as she begins demolishing the pile. Doug looks back at Silver Set, "So she did. I guess I can whip up a few more." Doug pulls a box from the side of the grill, setting a couple dozen more of the peppers out. He asks, "So, Silver Set, what do you do around Ponyville?"
Silver Set places a plate with a haydog, a few sliced apples, and a garden salad next to the grill, "Well, my full name would be Silver Setting, but you don't have to call me that. I help in one of the jewelry stores in town, working on all things silver. Sometimes I'll help out with other materials, making settings out of gold or platinum. Especially if Princess Celestia did something noteworthy and lots of ponies want to mimic her style that season."
Doug nods, spotting Silver Spoon playing out in one of the fields with Diamond Tiara. He glances to Silver Set, her belly protruding in a manner very similar to Pinkie Pie's, and asks, "So, do you think Silver Spoon will follow you in jewelry craft?"
Silver Set shrugs, "If that is her calling, she is welcome to it, but I think she is going to be more into mass production, making silverware, utensils, that sort of thing. Knowing Spoiled Rich, she'll be sure to get Silver Spoon to have a section of her craft dedicated to making higher end utensils and dining sets out of pure silver. Not just so she can get a discount, but because Spoiled Rich wants unique, custom work done. Looks much better that way, instead of the plain decorations many other ponies end up using."
Doug hums, "So, you find that ponies get more specialized in their occupations as time goes on?"
"Yes; I don't know how well that trend is documented, but it is fairly common knowledge. Do humans have similar trends?"
"Well, to a certain extent. Lots of children, or foals to use the common vernacular here, follow in their parents hoofsteps. They are trained by their parents, apprenticed, and so grow up doing similar things, if not working at the same store. You see a lot of names, like 'Silver and Sons'. It tends to be some sort of invention that leads to work being more specialized. Although, finally having enough ponies to make specializing an option does tend to be necessary, too; if you only have five ponies, you can't really dedicate one to making silverware, you know?"
"Indeed, that would be a little ambitious." She rubs her belly, "I have a feeling this one will follow more in my hoofsteps, helping around the jewelry store."
Doug smirks, "So, it's not going to be a little Silver Fork running around?"
Silver Set smiles, "Oh, that would be fun, wouldn't it? And a Silver Knife for the last one? Though if the last was a colt, that might be a little inappropriate."
Doug chuckles, "I take it Silver Stud, if it's a colt, wouldn't work either?"
Silver Set laughs for several seconds, closing her eyes and turning her head to her hooves. She recovers, "Oh, that would be precious. Filthy would appreciate it, he loves those kind of jokes, but Spoiled might have a few cross words with me. I was thinking Silver Hoop if it was a filly, but I may have to use Silver Stud if it is a colt."
Doug smiles, "Well, maybe you'll have twins, and can use both."
Silver Set gasps, holding a hoof to her mouth and glancing from side to side, "Who told you?"
Doug winks at her, "Why, you did, just now."
Silver Set laughs, "Well, it was supposed to be a secret, I just learned a few weeks ago."
"Well, congratulations, nonetheless." Doug pulls the peppers off the grill, "You may want to wait a little before chowing down."
Pinkie Pie finishes her plate off; everything seems to be going well here, so where else can she be needed? She disappears under the table, wincing as a bit of pain jolts through her belly. Maybe she should stick to slower modes of transportation, especially when she is double full. She casually lifts the table above her head, stealthily walking towards her second destination.
She spots the next most likely source of something going wrong, slowly lowering the table and pulling out a pair of binoculars. Rainbow Dash is standing in front of four other pegasi, each wearing a Rarity designed uniform that mimics the Wonderbolts. The red and pink is a stark contrast to Rainbow Dash's cyan wings and rainbow mane and tail, and her uniform has her cloud and lightning bolt cutie mark above the town flag, two red ponies prancing around a pink heart. Rainbow Dash begins pacing back and forth, "Alright, gang, this is going to be our first live performance. I know each of you has what it takes, and we've worked hard to get to this position." She stops, pointing a hoof towards Canterlot, "In a few minutes the Wonderbolts are going to begin their presentation. We each need to be in position when that begins."
She points a hoof at each pony in turn, "Cloudchaser, you start in the southwest corner of Ponyville. Bulk Biceps, you start in the southeast." At the stallion's raised hoof Rainbow sighs and points, "That direction. Move to the center of the town, you know the routine after that. Thunderlane, you start northeast; Raindrops, you are northwest. I start in the center."
Rainbow double checks the packs on each pegasi's side, turning and waiting for Cloudchaser to check her own. Satisfied, each pony sticks a hoof to the center, chanting, "For Ponyville!" and taking off, keeping low to the ground as they fly to their respective corners. Pinkie Pie watches as the Canterlot Wonderbolt show begins far in the distance - long, thin streaks of smoke passing over and around the castle.
In Ponyville the four outer pegasi start their performance, four lines of smoke starting from each corner of Ponyville. They meet in the center, breaking apart to make a second set of spokes. The four pegasi reach the outside, doing a quarter lap around the town and completing the circle. Rainbow Dash takes off from the ground, a steady climb from the middle of town. Her teammates hover along the outside of the wheel as they turn off their smoke generators, making a low speed wind that starts turning the wheel. Rainbow Dash breaks through the center spokes, a rainbow contrail following behind. She slowly arcs above the wheel before doing one and a half revolutions around Ponyville and making a mirrored arc back to the center.
Her four teammates fly just above the wheel, changing the direction of their wind. The wheel is slowly pushed down towards the ground, the rainbow circle above it falling down at a faster rate. Rainbow Dash, no longer followed by a contrail and minus her pack, takes off to high above the outside of the wheel, whispering to herself, "Alright, Rarity, don't fail me now!"
Rainbow stops flying, slowing arcing through the air as her momentum carries her higher. She reaches the apex of her climb before plummeting, slowly at first but quickly accelerating towards the ground. She readies her wings, watching the scattered houses of Ponyville get closer and closer before her wings flare out, Rainbow now speeding across the ground and zooming around the outside of the wheel. Rainbow can't spare a glance but can barely see, out of the corner of her eye, the smoke changing color as she blows past. She smiles to herself, giving a cheer soon echoed by her compatriots and the Ponyvillians below.
The spokes of the wheel change shape and color, stretching out to form thick, wavy lines and turning orange, the same orange around the sun in the sky. Dash's central rainbow circle has changed to gold, forming the inside of the sun while Rainbow clears away the outer circle. Rainbow lands among the cheers of her teammates, the stomping of hooves pierced by a sharp whistle and the clap of hand on hand, leaving Princess Celestia's cutie mark hovering above the town, slowly rotating.
Bulk Biceps gives out a loud, "YEAH!!" as the group gathers into a hug, Bulk picking the other four pegasi up and squeezing them together. Once he lets them go the five give a brief bow to the gathered ponies and break apart.
Thunderlane says, "Hey, Rainbow, thanks for, uh, convincing us to do this. Great job!"
Rainbow laughs, "Well, Doug is the one who convinced me to press gang you all into helping. You know, you all could be Wonderbolts if you liked doing it so much!"
Raindrops gives a nervous laugh, "Well, none of us are nearly as good as you, Rainbow. It'd take us years to get where you are."
Rainbow moves over, putting a hoof on Raindrops' back, "Hey, all the more reason to start training now, right? I can help out if you need, you know, some ideas of what to practice."
The gathered pegasi nod, Thunderlane saying, "That sounds like a great plan, Rainbow!"
Rainbow nods, "Alright, then, I'll get back to you all with the details. See you at work!" Rainbow waves, the assembled pegasi waving back, and moves over to find Rarity. The unicorn was in charge of releasing the canisters of orange smoke that her four teammates laid at the start of their flight. The four pegasi then blew away the black smoke covering the canisters as Rainbow made her flight around the outside; then, the four pegasi manipulated the wind to keep the expansion to the correct shape, and Rarity was there at the end to keep everything looking fabulous. Rainbow snickers to herself; the unicorn does have an affinity for making things look awesome.
Rainbow walks over to Rarity and the crowd of admirers, weaving her way through the ponies to give her herdmate a nuzzle. Rarity nuzzles her back, saying, "That was an amazing performance, Rainbow!" to the stomps of the nearby ponies.
Rainbow grins, "Yeah, you were pretty awesome too, Rares! Great job, as always!" The two push their heads together, looking up with closed eyes and beaming smiles. The sculpture above slowly rotates, though small wisps of cloud occasionally break free and threaten to ruin the entire design. Rarity opens one eye, glaring at the offending cloud before a blue aura surrounds it, pushing it back into place.
Rainbow and Rarity finish their hug, Rainbow remarking, "Pony, I'm looking forward to the Wonderbolt interview next year. I think I'll finally be back in shape, especially if training those four goes well." The two turn, looking at the totally-not auspicious table moving towards them. Rainbow rolls her eyes before making her way over, saying, "Alright, Pinkie, what do you have planned this time?"
The table drops down, Pinkie Pie appearing from behind Rainbow, "It's not what I'm planning, it's what everypony else is planning! Somepony is planning something big, and I'm going to find out what and put a stop to it!"
Rainbow sighs, "Pinkie, you planned something big. Nopony here would ever try to do something this monumental, and look at it! There's no way I could have pulled off that stunt without your inspiration and assistance."
Pinkie Pie nods, holding a hoof to her chin, "Hmm, you may be right, Rainbow, you may be right."
Rainbow puffs up, "Of course I'm right! I'm-" Pinkie Pie's tail starts twitching, Rainbow Dash noticing and diving for cover. She looks up at Pinkie from underneath the table, a scared look on her face, "Alright, Pinkie, what's going to happen? I know something is falling, just look at your tail!"
Pinkie Pie laughs, "Oh Rainbow Dash, that was just your ego! It took a huge fall when my tail started twitching!"
Rainbow's eye squints, "But, if your tail never started twitching, my ego wouldn't have fallen. How does that make any sense? Isn't that sort of, um, catch twenty-two?"
Rarity shakes her head, "No, that's when you can't make a choice because making the choice means you can't make the choice."
Rainbow holds a hoof to her head, grimacing, "Morton's Fork?"
Rarity shakes her head, "No, that's when both 'choices' lead to the same outcome."
Rainbow looks up, "Paradox?"
Rarity shakes her head, "No, that's when something contradicts itself. Though Pinkie Pie does tend to do that."
Rainbow puts a hoof to her chin, "Double bind?"
Rarity shakes her head, "No, that's when you can only comply with one of two instructions."
Rainbow's eyes light up, "Self fulfilling prophecy!"
Rarity nods, "Yup, that's it."
Pinkie Pie scribbles on a sheet of paper, "You two are giving me so many good ideas!" as the three smile, laughing and heading back to the party.