The Battle for Everypony's Home

[ponymeisters]

Who: OPEN to all
What: Time to raise money for the commune! Tom Shanks thinks he's got this in the bag; time to prove him wrong!
Where: All over Ponyville
When: Throughout the week of August 16-22
Warnings: None!
Prose or Commentspam: Either!

Well, the day was set. Tom Shanks threw the proverbial gauntlet, and the time the ponies had left to live on the commune were numbered.

Or were they?

The commune was an important place for the off-worlders since their arrival. It was one of the first places established by the off-worlders. And there were few ponies who would allow for Tom Shanks to take it from them. It was time to fight back...by raising the money needed to save the commune!

Too bad there wasn't a worldwide race being announced with a 1.5 million bit prize pot. Or a dance off. Or a contest of any kind for another month. But everypony would surely find a way to pitch in!

So, everypony, what will you do? You'd better figure it out - the clock is ticking.

Comments

The Encircled Star - Enchantment Commissions

[wizardofharmony]

The easiest to enchant are the bracelets and earrings - those for resistance to hot weather, these for the power to sense the health of a living thing, these others for endurance for hard travels and hard work.

The process is as much theatre as it is high magic; there is a reason she's doing the enchantments on the store floor. The flare of magic and the careful drawing of geometric patterns is a show to draw in customers as much as a ritual to empower her wares.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

A loud laugh and an arrogant boast outside could only mean the Overlord was causing trouble in some way... which meant that when a large alicorn barely hidden under a voluminous cloak slipped in, while that distraction was still going on outside, the store was empty.

"I need a bracelet," Zetta said without preamble as he stalked up. "Enchanted, of course, but it needs to be pretty much the most damn beautiful and sweet-looking bracelet in the history of Equestria."

Rainbow's Delivery Service

[elementofloyalty]

Rainbow Dash, after everything she had been through, still had one asset call on that could turn the tide here: her phenomenal, world-class, best-in-show speed.

Her deliveries, normally a more local thing, would take on a reach that spanned the nation, maybe even beyond.

So morning found the pony up and about unusually early, shouldering bags that she expected to fill with goods.

[appletastic]

"Well, somebody's sure going the distance to save us all today,"

Applejack's up at dawn as she always is, but...it doesn't appear she slept much either. She's carrying a pile of scrolls in her saddle bag and a small pouch of bits.

Massage and Hooficure Special!

[thedoctorsmate]

Donna might not be a masseur herself, but she's been friends with the spa ponies for an age now, and they're more than willing to help their friends from the commune after so much business they've brought in over the past few years. Out in the square, there are massage and hooficure stations set up.

"Special, special!" Donna yells, hopping up onto the ring for the fountain at the center of the square. "Massage and hooficures, pay what you'd like. All proceeds to benefit the Ponyville Commune! And shove it in that ponce Shanks' face, yeah?"

[strengthinkindness]

A big patron of the spa herself, Fluttershy smiled as she approached the stations.

"Let's see...a massage, or a hooficure...? Or maybe both..."

She normally didn't get as deep a massage or a full hooficure when she went, and she never went all out during her and Rarity's trips to the spa. But this was all for a good cause after all.

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

Though it goes against the grain for Zecora to open her brews and tonics to a wider world than just her personal acquaintances, the zebra owed countless debts to Ponyville and its inhabitants, newponies and old alike. And friendship ran even deeper than that.

So morning found her in her stall in the Night Market, working hastily to bottle green liquids in bulk.

[chatwithdeath]

Well, this was something Naomi could help with, and it was another chance to learn more about this world's natural remedies. Helping to brew and bottle though, it was more hoof work and less horn which she was perfectly fine with. Rules were rules.

"How are we on bottles?" Did she need to go get more?

The Minako Science Theater 3000

[verygassy]

Yup. She even made a makeshift Satellite of Love in the park, allowing for people to sit inside it to watch the magic unfold at the cost of 3 bits a pony. Being an idol was her dream, and she learned she was capable of quite a few things on that dogbone space station. It was time to put those skills to use.

"In the not-to-distant future,
next Sunday AD..."

[sailorlaughter]

Pinkie, of course, is so here for this.

"Ooooh, ooooh, what're we watching? Is it The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway?" She pauses in her enthusiastic jumping for a moment. "'Cause I kinda don't wanna see that again."

Seeking 1 DPS, Tank or Healer PST

[blamemysister]

Woona had contacted people privately, and soon, she had finished preparations. With the Diamond Dogs informed, a small party of at least 4 or so would be headed to the physical location of the currently mythical Diamondia.

Woona looked ready for a dungeon dive, with a pack, various accessories, and her Kyoryuger Gaburevolver strapped to her hind leg. The airship was fueled and provisioned, but only lightly. It was a 3 hour trip after all.

How about someone who can do all three? XD

[alentorbust]

[All Justin had to hear was "Adventure" and he was already on board. He'd been excited to hear about the possibility of great treasure hidden somewhere nearby, so much so that he'd accelerated his running training so he would be ready by the time he had to leave. True to form, he was barreling towards the airship at top speed, feeling much more comfortable in his new body now than he had before.

He all but skid to a stop in front of where he was supposed to board and stood at attention...or as best of attention he could stand while being so excited.]

Hiya! First Class Adventurer Justin, at your service!

[He might have seemed young to most, but that sword hanging on his back and the shield strapped to his foreleg didn't seem to encumber him at all despite being a pony. He'd had to redevelop his fighting style for his new form, but he felt confident enough in it now for all his movements while equipped to be fluid. That alone should be telling enough of his experience.]

Otsuki Chacha Matsuri Edition

[needsteaplz]

[August meant the height of festival season for any analogue for Japan like Neighpon. While the Night Market's tea house was no where near it, the spirit lived on. Before the crack of dawn for the week, Saori made her way up to the highest point in Ponyville to cast her goddess-based magic. While the good fortune boost would only last for a few hours that same day, the first sales were vital in hooking in more.

At Otsuki Chacha, Saori had her outdoor venue open. Of course there was tea blends ranging in classic green tea from the newly harvested crops, to more contemporary blends like peach and ginger flavored black tea. Of course, she had help from Nephenee for the herb tea blends. Along side the teas, there was rice to purchase in bulk. She had a special charcoal grill set to the side where she could slowly roast tea leaves for Hoji-cha.

If the aroma didn't entice ponies passing by, then the food they were selling would. Round baby castella cakes were simple, sweet, but satisfying bites that paired rather nicely with a cup of freshly brewed tea. For those for something a bit more filling, there was Inari sushi. The juicy slightly sweetened fried tofu enveloped the seasoned sushi rice beautifully. Of course, being a girl straight outta the Kansai region, she had to make a pony friendly version of Takoyaki. Instead of the traditional octopus inside, the warm gooey round fritters would be filed with things like cheese, caramlized onions, or even chocolate. Honestly, if Saori had more time, she probably would've snowballed the opportunity to pull a full-scale summer festival but she did what she could under such conditions. Surely even those who never tried Neighpon food would be willing to try some.

Of course the most interesting part was a clip board with a few sheets of lined paper on it. The title read "Sign Ups for Friday Curry Eating Contest". The following blurb explained it would be a timed contest to see if anyone could handle eating an incredible volume of curry and rice. Anypony who won would win free tea orders for a year.

Of course, Saori could be seen rotating between the stations, ensuring her employees were keeping things consistent. Her experience in the kitchen showed as she taught them how to properly rotate both the cakes and the takoyaki in their special grills. At the same time, she seemed so much more energetic than before as she called out to passersby.]

For this week only! Otsuki Chacha is happy to bring you the flavors of a Neighpon festival! And you won't even need your passport!

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE EVER

[bornoflove]

[Well, a challenge is a challenge, and Homura's certain she'll win. The devil knows fir, and surely, the spiciness couldn't be that bad.

The dragon appears out front of the tea house, wings folded.]

Hello.

[notgivinguponyou]

[Tadashi would have been more than happy to help with any of the efforts to raise enough money to keep the land from being bought by Shanks. But the food and the feel of the tea house reminded him a lot of home, with San Fransokyo's heavy Japanese influence. So even while he wasn't entirely familiar with the cuisine from there, the smell and feel of it was enough for him to drop by for a peak.]

Hey, Saori...

Errand Boy - Throughout the week

[namedforcat]

While Gaignun was certainly willing to empty his pocket book for the sake of the Commune, he knew he could help better in other ways. So he's making trips to Canterlot, mainly to make legal inquiries and to gather up some books that Kamala had requested.

He has also made it known that he was willing to take or retrieve stuff from the larger city for anyone who wanted something. Not to say that he wasn't also doing grunt work for Saori, but shush.

[4thdimensional]

Doc's busied himself back at his odd little clock shop, but he still has time to poke his head in on everyone else's efforts.

"Morning!" Doc calls out, pushing an unusually large pile-up of his work. "How's it all coming along?"

[ms_perfection]

"Gaigun!" Kamala ran up on day two of the incident, holding a pile of papers. "I need your help with something. I might have found a lead by listening to some tellers at the IRS but I can't get in without proper approval."

...backdated to earlier in the week u_u

[bluesuit_hoofy]

When the going gets tough, the tough...automate. Andrew hasn't built anything quite this large since the death machine harvester, but how hard is it to automate candle-making, really? Alright, so he wasn't able to come up with a mold tray on short notice, but everyone loves candles in jars, right? It's so...domestic. Especially when you put all those oils and so forth in to scent them and why does everything smell like lysol and burning.

It's not so hard, once he gets the machine running. Melt a batch of wax, scent it lightly, load up the jars and the wick holders, and let the machine do the rest. Trouble is, he's sort of used all the empty jars that were to be had around the commune. Also, this is going to take quite a lot more wax. Also, everything smells terrible because of the first failed batch.

But that's all just hiccups on the road to a cottage industry, right?

SUNDAY MORNING

[ponymeisters]

Tom Shanks was a pony of his word. Sunday morning at 9 o'clock sharp, he was making his way into the Ponyville Town Hall, a contented look on his face and a check and form in his pocket. Smiling, he greeted many ponies on his way - who didn't greet him back.

"Good morning!" He strode into the office, and straight to the secretary's desk. "I'm here with an appointment to see the town clerk on account of paying off a lien. Might I go in?"

The secretary looked at Tom, then at her book, then at Tom. She quietly slid a blank piece of paper to him, which he signed.

"Of course. Now, can I go in?"

Folding the paper, the secretary nodded solemnly. Tom ignored the seeming seriousness of everypony and their lack of greeting towards him - they'd warm up to him, just like the ponies at Hoovesweek! Besides, he was doing Equestria a favor - Canterlot and the princesses didn't need the influence of those ponies poisoning their mind, after all.

Not what happened the last time off-worlders came to Equestria. He'd learned all about that, after all, and there was no way his teacher could have any kind of motive but to tell him the truth! If only others could understand that, he pondered as he went to open the door to the clerk's office...

[needsteaplz]

"Oh, good morning, Mr. Shanks. May I offer you some morning tea?" Saori had gotten to the Town Hall as soon as she could and greeted him with a smile and a freshly brewed pot of tea floated next to her.

She did turn her attention to the accountant and drew up several bags. "Now then, I'm sure the others will be joining us shortly but for now I'd like to put this down as payment. You may confirm the total to be 500,000 bits."

[neighfeni]

Not long after seven a.m., Nephenee had flat-out run around the place, gathering the funds that hadn't been deposited already and weren't being brought by others, and mentally adding it all up. They were so close! When she brought what she had by, it was indeed close, largely thanks to Luna's efforts.

But not quite enough. And it was then that she knew she had to do.

So when the other ponies come to Town Hall before nine, Nephenee stands there in the lobby, a wagon of bagged up coins nearby. It's obvious she's run herself ragged this week, by the bags under her eyes and her aura in general. But the fire in her eyes still burns bright, and what's more, she's wearing her Sentinel leathers; It's almost habit to do so when the going gets tough, and this was a battle, albeit not one fought with blade. Upon her back sits her forged Silver Lance, Ohma, its blue crosspiece shining in the indoor lighting; it's not an uncommon sight for her to have one on hoof, though.

Her ears perk up when she sees those who enter, her voice almost offsetting her exhausted stance. "Hey."

[mostcolorfulepithets]

Littlepip can be seen with her deck of Duel Monsters cards, looking them over. When she hears Shanks enter, she looks up and frowns a little before shaking off any frustration, putting her deck away, and making sure she still has her pack of bits she entered with.

"Oh. You're here for The Commune? I'm not so sure you're going to be able to top what everyone else has."

Is that a bluff, or does Littlepip actually know how much everyone managed to raise? If the latter, did she or did she not sneak into peoples' houses to make sure? It can be very hard for Shanks to tell. Even moreso if she doesn't even know about her curiosity problems.

You know what? Shanks should just think it's a bluff just to make things easier.

Re: SUNDAY MORNING

[wizardofharmony]

Wordlessly, Lucia places a bag and several rolls of coins on the table.

"505,757 bits towards the debt. Most from one very generous commission, I may add; Ponyville owes a certain alicorn a great debt."

Just a Farmer, In the End (Closed to Nephenee)

[ponymeisters]

No. No. No no no no no no. This wasn't right at all. They weren't supposed to do this. These off-worlders, these...these...intruders...!

"ENOUGH!" His roaring shout echoed through the building as he turned to face the newponies, eyes on fire. "You think you can put your dirty hooves into this fair world, and pretend to be like us? Looking like ponies doesn't make you one in truth!! You think you can corrupt the goodponies of Equestria with your horrible actions and cultures!? Do you think you'll lead the princesses astray once more!? Enroach the world with your fake alicorns?!? I won't allow you invaders to do that...ANYMORE!"

And then he burst into song.

You think that you are going to win
But you'd best think again!

I won't let you take over this world
This is the land of Star Swirl

You won't get away at all!
My mind has heard the call and

it says

STOP THEM!
They'll ruin everything now
STOP THEM!
If you don't we'll lose everything now!

Don't bother asking why
My source would never lie
Just take a gold star because you tried
But all your plans have gone AWRY!

With this, Tom turned to the clerk (who was just shaking her head at the absolute lunacy of her morning) and the assessor (who didn't look to care either way).

"My bid...350 million!" He turned towards the newponies, his eyes twitching. Then at Kafei with the absolute angriest look as he practically screeched the last part. "AND TWO BITS!"

He wasn't mad or shocked or desperate or...anything like that...but he also knew there was no way anypony present could easily come up with that much money.

Farmer, Lancer, born and bred

[neighfeni]

In the silence that followed that outburst, Nephenee's heart and stomach shuddered with the number, even as she stayed -mostly- calm on the outside.

So it had come to this.

Swallowing, she took a deep, steeling breath, before stepping forward. Even as she tried to stay calm, fought for it, there was the beginning of tears in her eyes.

"So...that's why you're doin' this...is that it? Y-your final offer?" Her upset was visible, even to the ones in the room who didn't know her.