Serious about Silly

by Grey Faerie

Part Two (The off part)

"Go over there...I mean, it's supposed to be there. Um, oh! The blue tent next to the white, I mean..." Twilight groaned to herself. Organizing was her thing, so why was this so hard? She stared down at the map with a tilt of the head and wide eyes. It was huge compared to Ponyville Center. Every little detail needed to be laid out and the vendors only had an idea of where to go!

"Here you go." A gruff emerald stallion chucked down a small stack of papers on the table under her tent. It was laid on top of all the other paperwork for vendor license, spot reservations, vendor needs, etc. She looked back over her shoulder to her 'assistant' if that's what he was to be called. He was so slow! I could only wish Spike was available...

"One second sir! Let us just take a look at it," she said in vain. He had already walked off to his booth.

"I need change! How am I supposed to run my shop without change?!" the pink mare yelled over the counter. Twilight wanted to pull her ears off. That was the sixth person in only an hour! And the food stalls were complaining of needing more outlets, no one could find their spot, along with fights between artists at the artist alley so they need to be switched.

Twilight tried her hardest to not breathe exercise herself into hyperventilating.

---

Rainbow Dash grit her teeth. I will not throw a kid off a cloud. I will not throw a kid off a cloud. I will... "Don't use so much glue!" she yelled. "Don't open it! Use the spout...ugh."

The colt giggled as the glitter glue poured out of the uncapped bottle. RD flicked her hooves in an sad attempt at getting some of the sticky substance off of her. She was currently covered in enough paint and glitter to make her look like a coloring page gone wrong.

"Where's my mom!!? She's supposed to be here by now," A little girl yelled and stomped her foot. That's what I'm wondering. Dash thought.

"Here, let's go see." Dash picked up the foal and flew off into the sky. She scanned around the nearby areas before settling on the parent in question.

"There! See, piece of cake," Dash said gleefully. She looked down at the girl only to find her bursting into tears from the heights. Dash grimaced and fluttered down to the ground.

"My baby! What have you been doing to her?" the mother questioned. She shushed her daughter and promised her 'The mean lady won't do that again.' Dash felt her eyes wanting to roll out of its sockets. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Scaring a little filly."

"Hey, lady. Your daughter isn't some angel herself."

"Why I never!" she yelled before trotting away angrily. The filly turned back to stick her tongue out at Rainbow Dash who stuck her's out in return.

---

Applejack patrolled the food court like a it was a sheep herd out in the pasture. The other security guards walked around giving directions, passing out water bottles or just sitting in the shade. AJ huffed at their behavior. Didn't they know they are supposed to be on alert? As she walked around the mobile vendors, her ears peaked at the sound of stamping hooves and a thump. AJ swelled with pride and walked over to the disturbance.

"Hey! What are ya all think you're doing?" she asked.

A purple stallion swayed, clinging to the bar top. His rump dusted with dirt and grass.

"I ain't doing nothing! This broad isn't giving me was I paid for," he slurred out. The tan mare behind the bar stared wide eyed and shook her head at Applejack.

AJ puffed her chest. "This 'broad' seems to have given you just enough from the looks of it. Now you skedaddle on and leave her alone."

"I ain't doing nothing!" he roared before propelling off the counter and grabbing her around her middle. AJ fell back for a moment then flipped him over. It became an all out brawl with punches flying as quick as curses. The other security guards jumped in to pull them apart.

"What are you doing?!" a guard yelled. "I know he's not being the most civil but you don't have to put him in the hospital." He gave her a disappointed shake of the head as they dragged away the drunken patron.

Applejack blushed and hung her head. This wasn't as easy as it was supposed to be. She trotted down the road to another part of the food market. The sounds of two mares yelling caught her attention and rounding a bend, she came to the scene of a very drunk mare picking a fight. Applejack sighed before walking over to intervene. She barely got there before a familiar voice spoke.

"Alright, pal, that's enough," a stern voice said from behind the drunken mare. She quickly got enveloped by a gray energy and gently lifted from the floor. "We're taking it from here, Applejack," said Officer Steel as he took the patron in his magic grasp. "I brought three other colleagues that are off-duty to supervise the carnival security guards plus one that is still on-duty to take care of any patron that becomes too much of a problem." He nodded and ignored the drunken green pegasus thrashing against his magical grip.

"Thank you kindly, Officer." Applejack said. "But might I ask what ya are doing here? Did Twilight call ya'll in ta help?"

"You are welcome, ma'am. And, actually, Pinkie Pie came knocking on our door a few hours ago, asking me to show up with a few of my colleagues for security."

"Really? That's very helpful, but, she's sick! I hope you dragged her back to bed. I really appreciate the extra hooves but she really should be getting some rest." Applejack shook her head.

"Don't you worry, we told her to go back to bed and we'd take care of everything. I wonder how come she did not think of just calling us."

AJ chuckled, "Ponies do funny things when they are sick, don't they? How about we talk about the show tonight? We've got to work out where everyone will be needed most."

"Sure, but first let me pass this mare to my colleague," Steel passed over the pony in his magical grasp to another officer waiting nearby, "Drunk and disorderly," he said to him with a rub on his mustache. The stallion nodded and took her by the arm toward the police station. Two other security officers sitting on the shade, promptly raised up and began patrolling the carnival.

Applejack and Office Steel started off towards the main stage area. "What's this play going to be about?"

"It's sleeping beauty, a musical version. Spike's mighty exited to be playing some small roles and then the main dragon." the earth pony said.

The unicorn nodded then smiled, "Spike, eh? I bet he is eager to be on stage. I don't talk much to him, but I do know he is not a troublemaker and he helps the ponies around town during his free time. That makes him good in my book,"

---

Metal rattled as the machine started to throw ponies into the sky and back down at rapid pace. Others forced them in one position as it spun them round at increasing speeds. Even with ears pulled tight, she still could hear the screams.

"Um, miss? Miss! Can I, um, get on now?" The stallion looked over the control console of the Twirl a Whirl with his son.

"Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yy-yes." Fluttershy quickly pushed the button for the ride doors to open. The stallion raised a concerned brow as her almost inaudible voice whispered, "Please keep all hooves inside. Enjoy."

Maybe I should go back to games. I don't care if I get in trouble again for giving away prizes. Those games are all rigged anyway.

---

Rarity turned her head away from the sizzling oil of the fryer. She squealed for the umpteen time. How did I ever get stuck working the food stalls?

"Hey! I need five more orders of hay fries. Keep them coming!" the cashier yelled from the front of the stall. Rarity had to do as she was told. Someone has to cover for lunch, but why does it have to be me?

The sound of "I'm back!" was music to her ears. Rarity ran out quicker than even she thought she could move.

Aya chuckled and shook her head at the sign of Rarity running away.

"Five hay fries, coming up!" The griffin yelled at the cashier as she expertly moved around the booth. Aya loved to cook and did not mind the smell of grease; she was used to the smell of the fried carnivorous meals they made in Griffinstone.

A while later after the shift change, Aya caught up with Rarity.

"I reek of failure and hay fries!" the unicorn said dramatically. She was rubbing at her coat with moist towelettes.

Aya chuckled as she approached, "You'll get used to it, dear. If you want, I'll give you my shampoo later to wash the grease out of your coat. I brought some to wash up a little before sitting for the show."

"Oh why thank you, Aya. What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were in Ponyville," Rarity asked.

Aya chuckled again and waved her claw. "I was. Pinkie Pie apparently crawled off her bed to tell us you might need some help. So Steel got some of his colleagues to make for an extra security patrol and I decided to come and see if I could help with the stalls."

Rarity rolled her eyes in jest, "She's very sweet."

"Rarity! We need a hand at the corn dog stand!" a vendor called out. He waved his arm at her impatiently.

"If you're okay with it, could you go with him and I go check on the costume department?" She said with a bat of her eyes.

The griffin shrugged with a last chuckle, "I got the stall covered, you can go ahead."

---

The rush to the line filled the entire main entrance of the tented theater. Security held out hooves to take ticket stubs and push back any one not fit for the show. One or two inebriated ponies had to be dragged to the holding cell kicking and screaming. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood guard over the entrance for the outdoor theater center. Trixie and her assistants were preparing a special show for the children as their guardians watched the main show inside.

Trixie glanced out from behind the curtain to the seats. Twilight was trying to make sure every kid had a goody bag with props for the interactive part of the show but they kept leaving them everywhere. She chuckled to herself.

"Ugh, finally!" Rainbow Dash shouted as the last kid was corralled into their seat. "When do we get to go inside ourselves?"

Twilight looked over her check list, "We're going to end up missing the first few minutes of the show..."

"Ahhh!" Rainbow pulled at her face.

"I'm not happy about it either but we have background stuff to do, like starting up the break down of the booths." Twilight shook her head.

"Alright," Rainbow groaned one last time.

"I think I might be of some help with that." Aya came walking up with her husband, Officer Steel.

Rainbow zoomed over to the pair, "Really!!? Awesome!"

"Are you sure about that? It is a lot of work still left to do." Twilight said. She had a two page long checklist floating in the air. Steel took the list with his own magic and brought it over.

"Doesn't look too hard. You girls save us two good seats. We've got this."

"You heard him Twilight, let's go!" Rainbow took her friend by the arm and dragged her towards with tent entrance. Twilight tried muttering a few last statements before giving up and letting herself be taken. The rest of the girls waved at the couple then followed the other two inside. It was ten till current rise.