Unconventional Paneling

by FanOfMostEverything

Opening Ceremonies: Cavernous Depths

"Thanks for coming to Petricon with me this year, Pinkie."

"Sure..." Pinkie's neck ached from the weight of the water her mane filtered out of Baltimare's humid air, but that was nothing compared to how her cheeks felt from forcing her smile for this long. She knew she was forcing it. Maud knew she was forcing it. Boulder probably knew she was forcing it, and he'd been in Maud's pocket since they'd gotten off the train. But it was preferable to the alternative.

As if on cue, Maud said, "I really appreciate you filling in for Mudbriar. And Limestone. And Marble."

"Well, you know what I always say," Pinkie said as eagerly as she could, "You can't spell Pinkamena Diane Pie without Plan D!"

Maud glanced at her. "You've never said that. Nor has anyone else. Ever. Also, your name doesn't have any Ls."

"Riiiight. How is Mudbriar?" Pinkie was pretty sure the twitch just meant her eyelid was especially excited for Petricon.

"Probably still bedridden."

Any improvement in Pinkie's mood was entirely unrelated to that news. She took in the approaching convention center, bedecked in banners in various shades of gray and brown. More ponies than she would've guessed gathered around the doors, waiting for the day's events to begin. "So, you're the Petricon veteran. What should we do once we're registered? Go to a panel? Check out the vendors' hall? Pay way too much for petrified wood-themed snacks?"

"Brace ourselves."

"Brace ourselves? For what?"

"Look!" cried a voice from the waiting congoers. "It's Maud Pie!"

The next thing Pinkie knew, she was surrounded by a cheering crowd the likes of which she hadn't seen since Rainbow Dash's birthaversary. She found herself tossed about in a churning sea of equinity, a storm with Maud at its eye. The excited chatter blended together until even ears trained by countless soirees and shindigs couldn't make out anything.

A familiar voice cut through the din. "Pinkie."

"Uh huh?" She was fairly certain that was who she was.

Maud hoofed her a camera. "Could you get a picture of all of us?" The crowd receded as she held out the camera, gathering behind Maud, jostling one another for the spots closest to her.

Probably-Pinkie blinked and nodded. She got just about everypony in the viewfinder just before the shoving escalated to full-on rioting. "Say 'permineralization!'"

"PERMINERALIZATION!" The response was enough to blow Pinkie's mane dry.

As the crowd dispersed—to a degree, anyway—Pinkie managed to gather herself enough to say, "I didn't know you were so popular."

Maud gave a shrug measured in micrometers. "You aren't the only social butterfly in the family."

Author's Note:

Ingrid Nilson, Maud's voice actress, greeted the crowd in character during the opening ceremonies, then snapped a selfie with them as the background. The mental image of Maud taking a selfie with a legion of adoring fans didn't just inspire this short, it inspired the entire con-wide prompt of "panels I attend."

Comments

[Lurks-no-More]

Maud gave a shrug measured in micrometers. "You aren't the only social butterfly in the family."

I can so hear this in Maud's voice.

[Speckle]

It runs in the family

[Zennistrad]

I could never get those typewriters to work.

Neat anthology, tho

[BleedingRaindrops]

Hah, this would so happen.