//------------------------------//
// The Beginning -or- Where it Started 
// Story: The Calliope Caper 
// by Weavers of Dreams 
//------------------------------//

Day - 1:

A carnival. A Carnival was coming to Ponyville. Actually, on the edge of the Everfree Forest, and a little bit into it. Wasn't that place supposed to be dangerous? Maybe it was relative. Anyway... A CARNIVAL.

Every foal, colt and filly, was ecstatic. Hardly able to wait the entire month before it was scheduled to start. Construction had started already, and the owner of the Carnival, some mare who had just seemed to appear in town one day, had gone out of her way to hire local contractors. Mayor Mare had been more than happy to help fill out the paperwork with the mare for the permits to use that land. No one wanted that land anyway.

Who was this mare, what did she look like? Well, other than the Mayor, who had been too excited with paperwork, no one other than the foals seemed to have seen her.

The young ponies talked excitedly of her doing magic tricks and juggling when the adults weren't around to build up excitement for the upcoming Carnival. A few parents had complained, but she didn't appear to be doing any harm, and the foals were more than capable of taking care of themselves, right?

After all, one of them was an Alicorn. Speaking of which.

Twilight chuckled as her daughter showed her the poster of the upcoming carnival. In the center was a grinning silhouette of a mare, presumably the owner, surrounded by an eclipse of moths trailing brightly colored sparks. It was simple, but it was certainly eye catching with the gold trim. Goodness, whoever this mare was hadn't spared any expense whatsoever.

"The Carnival of the Millennium, featuring rides, games, food and prizes. Bring your brother, bring your sister, grab your parents too if you can. Leave no one behind. Only twenty-three days left till the grand opening. Admission free for foals."

The little purple maned alicorn bounced excitedly. "Isn't it awesome. We can go, right?"

The lavender alicorn nodded as she gave the poster back. "Barring any unforeseen tragedy, yes. Why don't you take this up to your room, and have spike come down so I can make a list in preparation."

Nyx gasped. A list? Twilight was serious about going if she was making a list. She vanished in a blur.

Twilight chuckled again as she turned back to her work, Winter Wrap-Up was going to going even smoother in eight years. This would revolutionize the holidays. Maybe they would right a book about it.

"It sounds like fun," she said to herself as she picked up her quill.





Day - It opens because filler sucks, and authors you use a lot of it suck :(

The crowd of eagerly awaiting guests spoke among themselves in hushed whispers in front of the gates to the long-awaited carnival. Of course, the foals had the front-row seats, not wanting to be left behind or left out. And at the very forefront were six familiar foals... giving death-glares at each other.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood opposite the CMC. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Nyx weren't sure how it got this way, but, darn it if they were gonna let that spoiled filly and her sycophant win. Whether or not there was a prize was irrelivant.

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes as she stared at them. "One day someones gotta grow up."

Twilight shrugged. "Not too soon I hope."

"Yes, let the dears be children, today especially," Rarity chuckled. Though secretly she was praying the the Maker there were no clowns. Those ghastly colors and clothes were almost too much to bare.

"I hope she does a flip," Pinkie said, lost in her own little world. She was sitting in a chair and eating a bag of popcorn as if expecting some show to happen any moment now. "This is gonna be the best night ever."

Rainbow Dash was standing with Fluttershy, smiling broadly, hardly able to wait for the gates to swing open. "This is gonna be so awesome."

Half of Ponyville was convinced she had sneaked in a few times, and half of Ponyville was right.

To cut to the chase, the gate rocketed open. Dear reader, I fear you may have misunderstood what I meant. They didn't fly open really fast, no, they flew high into the sky and exploded in a dozen colorful and twisty fireworks. Suddenly Pinkie seemed to be only one who wasn't out of place.

When everyone looked back down from the display they saw a mare grinning invitingly at them, she was dressed in a black suit with a red bowtie and a top hat. She also wore a pair of red sunglasses shaped like stars. She was also standing on a colorful box.

"Do a flip," Pinkie called out through a mouthful of popcorn. She was practically bouncing in her seat after the fireworks.

"As my patron commands," the mare responded jovially, tumbling down from her perch with the grace of a trained acrobat. This action caused the box to unfold to unveil a dozen different instruments attached to a machine. A haunting and playful tune began to play.

"Welcome one and all and then some to the grand opening of my amusement park, my carnival of delights and fancies. Ponyville proper, may I present," she paused for dramatic effect, "Eclipse. The carnival to end all carnivals. You'll never have fun anywhere else once this night is over."

Rainbow Dash snorted. "She sure is building it up a lot. C'mon just let us inside."

"You know what, speeches are long winded and stupid," the mare said with a shrug, she leapt aside and bowed to the audience and she beamed a great smile that rivaled Pinkie's. "Knock yourselves out. My park is at your disposal."

Like a flood, they surged into the unknown for the promises of joys and pleasures yet to be realized.

As the last pony entered the park the music machine hit it last note and closed itself up. The mare grinned broadly as she picked it up and carried it into the maze of distractions.