E3: Equestrian Earth Expo
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
By Andrew J. Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fanbased work of prose. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the property of Hasbro, and the reinvention of the lovely Lauren Faust. No copyright infringement is intended, please support the official release.
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Ponyville had once been nothing more than a sleepy town on the edge of the Everfree Forest. A little rural community right next to a fearsome, untamed area of Equestria. It had attracted some tourists, scientists, and wanderers, as well as a few local conventions.
Then Nightmare Moon had returned, and six plucky mares had defeated her. Even later, one of those same plucky mares had become an alicorn princess, and gained her own castle. Those things attracted interest and investment.
The local railroad station, once nothing more than a cargo hub, had grown into a busy freight and passenger center. Taller buildings were erected, more ponies and sapient creatures moved in, and more organizations began to choose to meet in the once sleepy little hamlet.
All this attention required bigger, more functional meeting places. Convention centers. Alas, the only place that could fit a full convention was the local princess’s palace. This gave her a fair amount of leeway to choose just what kind of gathering would take place.
So, she chose-
“An Earth Pony trade and magic show?!” Rainbow Dash demanded. Twilight looked up from the checklist she’d been examining, standing in the main hall of her crystal palace. Many other pony workers were scattered about the hall, finishing final checks on several decorations. Rarity was shouting directions at the decorators, while occasionally using her magic to adjust the hangings.
“Oh Rainbow Dash, it’s not just Earth ponies,” she said. “I managed to get a few Pegasi and Unicorns here, too!”
“But a trade show?” Dash demanded, hovering over Twilight’s shoulder. “You couldn’t have booked the Wonderbolts or a Daring Do convention or something less boring?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “You were right there when I was doing the negotiations! You saw how intense it got sometimes-How could arguing that furiously be boring?”
Rainbow Dash remembered, all right. She covered her face with her hooves and moaned dramatically, tugging down her cheeks and then letting them flap back into place.
“When you’re arguing about ‘ancient this’ and ‘taboo that’ for hours, of course it’s boring! No matter how loud it was!” Dash said. Twilight checked off the next to last item on her list, and happily trotted towards the front doors. Rarity soon joined her, shaking her head as her purple mane bounced.
“Oh Rainbow Dash, really. A trade show helps everypony’s businesses!” Rarity said cheerfully. “It helps our reputation! It lets you make more connections, experience new ideas-!”
“Oh good, all new ways to be bored,” Rainbow Dash snorted, as the doors slid open. Out on the castle grounds, hundreds of tents, stands and small tables under umbrellas had been set up. Vendors were already plying their wares, as ponies, griffins and other beings from Ponyville and beyond walked the temporary streets. Pegasi flew overhead, carrying this and that or just stretching their wings in the warm morning air.
“It has another important purpose, Dash,” Twilight explained. She was interrupted though, when Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy galloped, bounced, and fluttered up to them. Twilight smiled warmly.
“Hey guys! How are things going?” She asked. Applejack grinned.
“Jest fine! Got mah stand, Grandpa Pear, and a whole load o’ others up! Took a while to get it going, but we’re just in time!”
“We-We’re all set on our end,” Fluttershy said softly. She was uneasy but putting on a brave face.
Pinkie Pie though was bouncing up and down even more excitedly than usual. She leaped forward, and wrapped Twilight Sparkle in a tight hug.
“WE’RE ALL SET TOO, TWI! Oh thank you so much! You should have seen Mom and Maud’s faces when I told them! They’re so proud to be the opening act!”
Dash’s enthusiasm for the event, already lukewarm at best, became frozen solid. She rolled her eyes.
“So, we get to start off with a lecture on rocks. Thrilling,” Dash said dryly. Pinkie Pie jumped up into the air, her eyes meeting Dash’s. She grinned brightly.
“I KNOW! It’s so amazing!” Pinkie Pie cheered. Dash drooped further. Rarity gave her a look: She was the drama queen, thank you very much.
“Now Rainbow Dash! Be more polite!”
“Yeah,” Twilight said. “After all, this convention has a much more important purpose.” She began trotting in the direction of the large open field next to her castle. Several fenced off sandy circles now dotted it. The crowds parted, but thankfully only a few ponies bowed.
Rainbow Dash hovered after her friends, not even bothering to pretend to be eager.
“Oh? And what’s that?” Dash asked. Applejack rolled her eyes.
“Tirek,” she explained. Dash growled.
“What’s this got to do with that withered up prune?”
“As it turns out,” Twilight said, “we weren’t the first to try fighting him. He started with the outskirts of Equestria, after all. And I read the reports.” They passed the tents, and headed for the sandy arenas.
“Did you know what I learned?”
“That a lot of ponies got sucked? And not in a good way?” Dash snarked. Twilight shook her head.
“That a lot of ponies used magics, techniques and practices to try and fight him,” Twilight explained. “Stuff that had been thought lost for centuries-Even millenia.” Twilight sighed. “As it turns out, there’s still a lot that each of the three tribes of Pony keep to themselves. Even in a crisis.”
“So Twiley thought,” Pinkie Pie said happily, “and I totally agreed with her, by the way, that we should gather them all together and show off what everypony can do!”
“There’s so much we can learn from one another. That we can’t afford to keep hidden anymore,” Twilight said, firm as the earth they were trotting on. “If we’d all come together…” She took a deep breath, and looked at Dash. Her eyes were clear.
“I’m doing this to make Equestria stronger, Dash,” she said. Rainbow Dash sighed… But didn’t say anything else. When she was right, Twilight was right. At least she wasn’t rubbing it in.
They passed through the throngs, to a simple wooden stage at the head of one of the sandy arenas. Twilight trotted up the steps to a podium, engraved with the seal of Equestria itself. Rainbow Dash sighed, joining the crowd above. Twilight cleared her throat, and her horn lit up as she enhanced her voice.
“Good morning all!” Twilight bellowed out, making everypony wince. None moreso than her. “Sorry!” She recanted loudly. “Sorry, still working on that. Ahem. Welcome to the Equestrian Earth Pony Trade and Magic Exposition! Ponyville’s first! I am also proud to say that this is the first such exposition open to all tribes!”
Applejack winced just a bit, as did a few other Earth ponies. Dash noticed this, but soon grew bored as Twilight’s speech went into the inevitable reasons they were all gathered here and blah blah blah. Her eyes shifted to the arena.
Pinkie Pie was bouncing around two older mares-Her mother, Cloudy Quartz and of course, her sister Maud Pie. Both of the darker hued mares were adjusting smooth tunics, dark in color, loose and easy to move in. Pinkie Pie was busy adjusting armored greaves on their forehooves, armored vests on their chests and barrels, and fussing over their manes. The two stoic mares were placid as the energetic Pinkie Pie danced around them-They were probably far more used to this than Dash herself was.
Rainbow Dash’s attention was drawn back to Twilight. It seemed her nerdy friend was finally wrapping up the spiel.
“... And so, with the tragedy of yesterday past us but never forgotten, let us never forget what saved us: The truth,” Twilight Sparkle said. “I know that grudges still exist between our tribes, even after thousands of years of peace and unity. I know they’re not something you can easily get over.” She took a deep breath. “Well we can’t afford those grudges anymore. I’m hoping that this is the first of many steps towards ponies coming closer together in harmony… And friendship.”
Twilight beamed, enjoying the applause. Her smile grew far more genuine as she extended her right wing and arm out towards the arena.
“So! Without further ado,” she said, “let us enjoy our first opening demonstration! Earth Control Magic, by Cloudy Quartz Pie and Maud Pie!”
The hoof clapping roared, and Twilight stepped down from the stage. Pinkie Pie bounced out of the arena, though not before two very happy hugs to her sister and mother. Pinkie took her place next to Twilight, leaning against the wooden fence with an eager look on her face.
Soon, Twilight was wearing the same expression. Dash’s curiosity was piqued, despite her misgivings.
“Okay, so, what’s Earth control magic?” Dash asked.
“It’s to control the Earth with magic, of course!” Pinkie giggled. “Mom’s a master of it! Maude's gonna become an Earth Master in a few decades, and this demonstration will help to assess her progress! She's been working so hard!"
“I can’t believe one was living right here in Ponyville all this time!” Twilight said happily.
Cloudy Quartz bowed to her daughter. Maud bowed back. Cloudy Quartz turned back to the crowd, looking as sure and unshakeable as a mountain. She opened her mouth.
"In the days before our Tribes were one,” Cloudy spoke, “creatures great and small tried to enslave or worse, devour our kind. Even the pegasi and unicorns, at different times, attempted to take our freedom. They were stopped only by ponies of great courage and strength. Those who knew the price of freedom.” Her rock hard gaze swept over the crowd. “We were taught to be unyielding as the mountains. As fearsome as the volcano. As swift as the earthquake. Today, we honor not just our ancestors by keeping these arts alive: We honor all ponies who, in an hour of need, will answer the call.”
That was kind of cool, Dash thought. Like something out of one of Fluttershy’s Neighponese mangas. She found her hesitance fading. Given how Pinkie Pie could move, maybe her family had some kind of cool karate or kung fu or-
KABOOM!
Dash was nearly shocked out of the air by the loud boom, even though her keen eyes had caught it. Both Maud Pie and Cloudy Quartz had kicked up pieces of rock, and then bucked them right at one another-Faster than cannon shells! The dust kicked up initially obscured both mares, but a massive shard of rock jutted through it. Atop it rode Maud Pie, as stoic as ever. Her mother emerged from the dust cloud, throwing a powerful hoof at Maud.
Maud dropped down, Cloudy Quartz sailing over her. The earth itself erupted, and formed a platform for her to land on. She swung around, and threw her hooves forward-The rock followed the movement, slamming against Maud’s outcropping and smashing it to rubble!
The crowd was silent in shock. Dash couldn’t blame them, her experienced eyes now seeing the Earth ponies move like nothing she’d ever seen them do before.
Maud had leaped off her rock formation, and landed in the sand. She slid along it like it was made of glass, skating without any resistance. She leaped over a rock pillar Cloudy rose in her way, and slid around another and another. Maud slid around, slamming her hooves down and sending a shockwave through the dirt. Cloudy rose on a rock tower, letting it absorb the quake. The tower was shattered, now falling like a felled tree. Cloudy moved, sliding on the underside of the tower and landing on her hindhooves with a harsh rumble through the earth. She used the momentum of the falling tower to swing the great tower like a bludgeon, right for Maud Pie.
Maud dug her hooves in, and pulled them up-A shield of rock and sand moved over her, forming a dome. The loose conglomerate of rock and sand solidified into dark, hard stone-Stone that broke as the tower crashed down upon it!
Dash’s jaw dropped in shock as Cloudy Quartz stood there, unmoving, like she hadn’t just crushed her own daughter under solid rock. There was a reason for that though.
The earth behind Cloudy Quartz rumbled and rippled, like water. Just before Maud burst out, breaching like a whale. She swung a powerful hoof right for her mother’s head-A rock wall jutting upwards just in time to take most of the force of the impact. It shattered under the blow, and Cloudy turned to face her daughter.
The hoof… Stopped a mere inch from her snout. A snout that was now smiling.
The silence lingered, just like the dust in the air… Before unrestrained applause erupted from the crowd. Dash yelled, cheered, and whooped with all her heart, almost as enthusiastically as Pinkie Pie.
Because that… Had been awesome!
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