//------------------------------// // Prologue: A New Attraction // Story: My Little Mages: Harmonic Turbulence // by Foxhelm //------------------------------// Approximately two weeks after the Summer Sun Celebration that fell in line with Princess Flurry Heart's Crystalling, on the outskirts of Magiville, farthest from both The Everfree Forest and the Castle of Friendship, a pair of mages, a man and a woman, were conversing in front of the site of a large area of construction. The man was dressed in a blue three-piece business suit and grey tie. The woman had light blue eyes with grayish crimson hair with white streaks. She wore a short sleeve shoulderless white shirt, a pair of blue shorts, a long leather sleeveless vest, a necklace with a pink gem and a headband with a set of three leaves with a set of what looked like small oranges. As the two looked at the sight, the woman turned to the man, “So Mr. Rich, this is your newest idea for a cash cow, is it?” She asked. “A theme park?” Filthy nodded as he took the sides of his jacket. He smiled and nodded. “Indeed it is Ms. Vignette. Equestria Land, ‘the most magical place on earth.’ What do you think of the slogan?” he couldn't help but grin with eyes closed, proud with himself. “It’s already trademarked.” She stated as if bored as she took out a small device from her vest’s pocket. “Alright Filthy hunie, can I call you that.” Vignette started. However, she didn't let Filthy answer. “First, if you’re gonna call me ‘miss’ it’s ‘Ms. Valencia’. Second, the name. Equestria Land, ugh, is this place know for its horses? No. This place is most noted in most of Mystica as the home of Princess Twilight Sparkle.” She said as seemed to use the device to look at something. “So are suggesting ‘The friendliest place on earth’?” Filthy asked confused. “We’ll cross the slogan bridge later, no we’re still focusing on the name. Now what is Mystica is known for?” she asked. Filthy scratched the side of his head as he tried to think of an answer, “Um…” Vignette raised her finger, cutting him off. “As of last week having five princesses...” she informed him, her gaze never leaving her device. “So… I should call this ‘The Five Princesses Theme Park?” He asked. Vignette laughed. “Oh, that’s cute, no. People can’t get the idea that this place needed the actual blessings of the princesses. It will lead people to think it’s owned by the state and some tinfoil hatters will go around saying that this place is set up to be a money sink to fund some black book program that Princess Celestia can’t let people know due to tax recording laws. Or some other out there conspiracy theory. No, you need to refer to something else.” She brought up her finger and began to tap her chin in thought. She snapped her fingers trying to regain Filthy’s attention, which she already had. “Where do the princesses live?” She asked almost out of the blue. Filthy shot his gaze back and forth in confusion. “Umm… Chantalot, Magiville…Krystalopolies?” “Not the locations, what do they live in?” The distracted woman asked more perturbed. Filthy blinked. “Castles…?” “That’s it. That’s what I was was looking for. Castles… The Four Castles Amusement Park. One to represent each of princesses in all their glory. Polls show after Princess Flurry Heart was born, princess love and popularity has skyrocketed to near ludicrous degrees of trending.” She showed Filthy her device, presenting to him the evidence supporting her claim. Filthy whistled at what he saw, there more people that had voted against the princesses then the population of Magiville and that was about half a percent of the people who were polled. Vignette pulled her device back and threw her arms open looked at the sight. “I can see it now. Rides themed after the princesses and their champions, whimsical character meet-and-greets, parades, shows…” Filthy seemed to followed Vignette’s train and smirked, “Yes, overpriced carnival food and vendors, merchandise, and fireworks… gigantic firework spectaculars at the end of every night!” he declared as he tried to get on the image. Vignette shock her head, “Hold your horses, first, the prices. No, you want people to come in and come back, so they have to be fair. As for the fireworks, by all means, we should have them, but every night?” she asked, “Look, you’re not that far from Magiville, which is a small town and everyone knows where you live…” she trailed off as she waved her right-hand palm-up to Filthy. Filthy rubbed his chin and then his eyes widen as he realized what his console was pointing out. He then gave a nervous laugh as he conceded the point. “Maybe once a week.” he offered as another idea. Vignette nodded, “Good call.” she then looked back at her device and seemed to be looking at something. “Although to catch the widest demographic range, we're also gonna need to do something for the baddies they face, Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra and Tirek,” she said before she held the screen of the device so that Filthy could see villains and their popularity and nodded in agreement. As Vignette took her device back, "Now, Nightmare Moon being the edgy dark half of Princess Luna is obvious, a Nightmare Night haunted house theme ride. As for Discord, I am thinking funhouse built using Euclidean geometry.” “What?” “Euclidean geometry, that’s what your daughter is taught when she draws triangles. It's a flat surface.” Vignette pointed out. “And that works for a Discord themed funhouse because…” Filthy asked as he didn’t quite understand where Vignette was going. “We live and interact on a curved surface, thus real-world geometry is non-euclidean. Focus,” she said as she walked with Filthy walking behind her in the site. “Now what is Chrysalis known for?” she asked. “Um crashing Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s wedding through an invasion?” Filthy answered in more of a question. Vignette nodded, “So I am thinking something like a walking arcade shooting gallery. Now Sombra?” she asked. Filthy rubbed his chin in thought, “Didn’t he try to retake Krystalopolies and he’s some sort of shadow and has a big thing of fear.” “So let’s go with an interactive ghost train.” Vignette said as she continued to walk and talk. “Now Tirek is known for draining everyone’s inherent magic, so thinking either a drop tower or pendulum ride.” She mused. “We’ll cross that bridge as the park gets flushed out.” She then started to tab on the device she had. “I sent a message to your fax machine in your, it’s the invoice for this consultation, also a list of few more suggestions to better flush out this park.” She then started to leave the construction site. “Now you can always call me up as this progresses. Ta ta.” she waved goodbye leaving Filthy with a few ideas. Over a year later, more accurately three days after Cozy’s attempt to drain Mystica of magic was thwarted, at the theme park was just about to be completed, the main thing that remained was the parade for the night of the opening day. Filthy and Vignette were standing up and were watching a test run of the opening night’s parade. Vignette raised a megaphone and spoke into it. “Experience the world like you've never seen it before, at the one, the only, The Four Castles!” she declared as the first platform came out with four people dressed in white jumpsuits each suit had the theme of a basic shape. Vignette stood up and shouted, “Stop! Cut! Cut!” she then walked to the group on the platform, “Why is everyone dressed like they're not dressed?!” she asked as she looked around. From backstage came a woman in a white long sleeve jacket and pants with glasses with gray lenses, “Because you keep changing your mind about the costumes, Ms. Valencia.” she stated as she crossed her arms. Filthy got up and tried to get in between the two to prevent a possible volatile exchange, “Now, I hired Ms. Valencia to manage the park’s public relations and affairs. She must be under a lot of pressure to pull this off because there are gonna be…” he trailed off as he turned to Vignette. “At least fifty thousand people,” she informed as she looked at her device from her pocket. She then turned to both, “and the last thing they’ll see before they leave at night will be this light parade.” she said as she pointed to the platform. She then more specifically to the people on the platform, “And, by extension, your costumes,” she then lowered hands and turned her sole focus to the costume designer, “which apparently do not exist as of this moment!” she then sighed in frustration as she crossed her arms. After a second she regained her composure. “Fortunately we can make this work because I have the perfect philosophy; B.Y.B.B. Be yourself, but better.” she declared. “Do you even have a philosophy?” she asked. The designer raised her left hand, “G.W.I.Q.” she said as she raised a finger per letter. She then crossed her arms, “Guess vhat. I qvit.” she then turned and left. Vignette sighed and then inhaled in exhaustion, “Where am I gonna find a new costume designer for the parade with only days left?” she asked to really no one before she let out another sigh. “There is Ms. Rarity,” Filthy pointed out after a second of thought, “She’s local and available.” “Looks like we know how you do live up to your name,” Vignette said as she left Filthy. After a short while and she was alone she took a breath and a lime-green fire came from her chest revealing the deposed queen, Chrysalis. “All according to plan.” she mused and laughed.