The Calliope Caper

by Weavers of Dreams

Tickets, Bits, and Little Fits

Nyx and the CMC stood awestruck at the first booth they saw. It appeared to be staring back at them. Big menacing eyes watched them from above a giant mouth-like window.

"Uuuum," Sweetie Belle started with a nervous laugh, "what is this thing?"

"Yeah," Scootaloo said, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "Is... is this a game or... I don't know."

"That there is a ticket booth."

The four foals whirled about to see the owner of Eclipse standing behind them smiling. "Your gold bits are what it eats. The quicker you eat it the quicker you can enjoy the rest of the night."

"Ooooh," the four foals said in unison. They turned back to the ticket booth and started digging through their saddlebags for bits.

"Actually, allow me," the mare chuckled tossing in a few bits of her own. The booth shook and rattled and then spat out a long string of tickets. "This one is on me. I should have put up instructions."

"Wow," Nyx gasped from under the veritable mountain of tickets that had been spit up. "That's so cool. Thank you, Miss... er... what's your name?"

The Mare smiled sweetly. "Cat... er... hehe... Catherine."

"Catherine?" Scootaloo asked, tilting her head to the side. "That's a weird name."

Applebloom socked her shoulder. "Now that was just rude, Scoots. Sorry, ma'am. Yer name's actually very pretty. Kind of exotic."

"Nah," the mare said with a chuckle, "just very old."

"Well, thanks again," said the fillies as they gleefully divided up the tickets and took off.

"Remember children," the mare called out after them, "play, if you cannot enjoy yourself, you may as well be dead."

"Ah, that was really nice of you," Twilight, who had seen the whole thing, said with a smile on her face.

Catherine looked at her and nodded. "It was my pleasure. The only frowns that belong in my carnival are the ones you where when you have to leave."

Twilight nodded. She noted the mare's way of talking was almost as if she was singing. "So... I don't see any staff. Is everything automated?"

The yellow mare nodded, taking off her top hat and bowing. "The one and only fully mechanical amusement park in the entire world. Designed and brought to life by me."

"It must have cost a fortune," the alicorn mused with a whistle.

"A small price to pay to see all your precious faces, Princess."

Twilight blushed and looked away. "Y-you don't have to call me that. Just Twilight is fine."

"As you wish, Twilight," the mare chuckled, placing her hat back upon her head. "Now, please excuse me. I have things to do and ponies to meet."

"Sure," the princess said stepping up to the ticket booth and tossing some bits of her own in. It was almost mesmerizing to watch. So creative.

"Hey, hope you don't mind girls but I've got a date with some games," Rainbow Dash said as she tossed in her own bits and then took off.

"And the rides are calling my name," Pinkie giggled as soon took off as well.

"Whelp, I reckon I'll keep an eye on those four fillies," Applejack went next.

"I'm gonna check out the exotic creature exhibit," Fluttershy said with a small hint of excitement after looking over a map of the carnival. "I can't wait to see the cute little animals."

"Well, why don't we stick together and go stallion watching, Twilight?" Rarity suggested as she took a few tickets of her own. She bounced her eyebrows as she saw the blush on Twilight's face. "Now-now, I won't take no for an answer. Let's see if we can't find our princes tonight."

"Rarity stop it," Twilight chuckled good-naturedly. Then she looked about to make sure no one was within earshot. "Think there'll be some hunks?"

Rarity giggled and nodded. "Probably near the food and games section."

Meanwhile, the four filly friends had been having a blast in the past five minutes. The first stop was a booth selling candy parasprites. They looked so lifelike that you could almost believe they were actually real. Sweetie Belle was half convinced they were real until Scootaloo bit the face off of one. She managed not to put when she saw the sugary insides.

"How does it work?" Applebloom, for her part was curious about the booth. There was nopony working it, You just put a ticket in a slot and a mechanical arm handed over the candy.

"Who cares?" the pegasus said around a mouthful of not-parasprite face. "This stuff is delicious."

"You can say that again," Nyx chuckled as she started on her third candy. "Though, maybe we should get something to drink."

"That's what ya get fer stuffing yer face," Applebloom rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't fill up so early. There's lots of other places we ain't been yet."

"Uh, girls," Sweetie said suddenly in a hushed tone. "Six o'clock. We've got a shadow."

Scootaloo blinked. "It's not that late. And we've always got shadows."

Applebloom sighed. "She means someone's watchin' us. You've been readin' yer sister's detective stories again, ain't ya?"

Sweetie groaned. "Yes, but that doesn't matter. I think your sister is trying to keep and eye on us."

"Applejack?" earth pony asked starting to look about before Scootaloo grabbed her face.

"Don't look, she'll know we're onto her," the pegasus hissed. "We've gotta give her the slip."

"Why?" Applebloom asked, tilting her head to the side.

Scootaloo paused a moment in thought. "I... I don't know. But we should totally do it anyway. It'd be fun."

"Totally," Nyx said with a big grin. She gestured towards the far end of the line of booths. "First we should walk casually around that corner and then book it."

"Yeah, the split up," Scootaloo grinned maniacally. Then she saw the other's faces. "What?"

"We're not turnin' this into a horror movie, Scoots," the red-maned filly sighed. "We stick together like sensible ponies."

Sweetie and Nyx nodded.

"Ugh, fine," the pegasus groaned.

And they were off.

Elsewhere, a lone wine-colored mare was tossing a ball at a stack of bottles. Berry Punch, that is. Of course it was no ordinary stack of bottles. it was inside a glass cage, and the object was the bounce the ball off of various objects to get it inside. Surely it was impossible.

"Oh my, you were so close that time."

The mare whirled about to see the owner. "Ouch. You could give a mare a heartattack."

The yellow mare chuckled as she stepped up and leaned against the booth. "So, what's your story? Trying to win the stuffed bugbear for yourself?"

Punch looked up at the grand prize on the high shelf. It was almost as big as she was. "Well, my little Pinchy was sick today, so I promised I'd bring her back some candy and prizes."

Catherine nods understandingly. "I see. It would be the perfect gift for a sick filly. Surely you didn't leave her alone, though, did you?"

The mare shook her head. "Of course not. No husband's not one for carnivals. He stayed behind to watch her."

The yellow one was taken aback. "Doesn't like carnivals? How barbaric. Sounds like a workaholic to me."

Punch sighed an nodded. "Well, at least he puts food on the table and... hehe... other things."

Catherine chuckled and winked at her. "I see."

The yellow mare then grabbed Punch's remaining ball and casually tossed it into the booth. It bounced off several pipes and a jack-in-the-box and flew right into the box and hit the bottles. The word "Winner" appeared in flashing lights and the grand prize flew from the shelf and landed atop Berry Punch.

Catherine smiled and help a hoof to her lips. "Tell no one, alright?"

The other mare nodded quickly and made a zipping motion over her mouth.

Comments

[Asphalt Pegasister]

I love Carnival Cat! Such a cute song for her.