Day at the Parade [Open to all]

[RarityDash]

Dazzle Dawn looked around downtown Canterlot and could only be filled with a deep sense of joy and pride. It looked beautiful. The snow, the lights, the decorations, it was like something out of a picture book. Best of all, she had been a part of it. Over the last week, Dazzle had volunteered her time helping get things ready for the much celebrated parade and other festivities associated with the Winter Moon Celebration.

With Canterlot University on break for the rest of the year, Dazzle had a lot of time available to her with which to help out. She had hung lights and decorations and even helped decorate some of the floats. She was confident that this parade was going to be the best ever. Surely it would bring smiles to even the most down on their luck ponies in the city. She sure hoped it did, at least.

With the parade just starting, Dazzle looked around to see the ponies starting to gather at the side of the street, eager to see it pass by. She could see eager foals, standing eagerly beside their smiling parents. Young and old, ponies of all kinds were gathered there to behold the festive event. Dazzle beamed, ultimately satisfied with her small part in it all.

As she watched the scene and the crowd, Dazzle began to wander, curious as to who she might be able to meet there enjoying the parade that day.

[crp_dude]

Pushing through the crowd at the same time was Apis, eager to spread the cheer of the holidays whether or not it was entirely appreciated. Strapped to him by any sort of means imaginable was a large cart of treats that he was giving away, one per customer, in hopes of spreading around a little culture, since all of the items were imported from Roam. So, orange scarf added to his normal apparel, Apis made his way through the crowd up to Dazzle. He seemed to have caught her attention moving by, so he stopped, cleared his throat a little, and addressed the mare, "Saluto, madame. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, should I not get the chance to see you again later today! Would you care for a nice treat? I have here all manner of delicious treats, imported from the eastern land of Itaily! Sugared oranges, dried mangoes, plum cakes..." Apis quickly looked from left to right, scooched in close, and whispered, "But if you want my opinion, go for the almond nougats. They're to die for back in Roam!" Apis gave a quick wink and decided to start up a conversation as well, since he felt as though the day was a bit on the empty side, "By the way, it looks lovely here in Canterlot. This is my first year here in the big city, you know! I'm used to crowds of course, especially around this time of year, but usually because of a wild festival, eh?" Apis laughed a little, and continued, "How long have you been here, might I ask?"

[RarityDash]

"Oh, wow, these look great!" Dazzle said, staring down at all the treats offered to her by the kind stallion. "I've never been to Itaily before, but I've always wanted to go." She said as she grabbed some of the treats offered to her.

"Yeah. Canterlot is beautiful. I've always loved it here, especially this time of year!" Dazzle said with a cheery smile. "I was born here... while, out in the Solstice Heights, really... but I've lived in the city proper for long time now."

Dazzle decided then to shove the almond nougat the stallion had recommended into her mouth. She ate it happily. "Wow! That was really good!" she said with a giggle.

[ThunderFlash]

Thunderflash was trotting along with a smile, enjoying the festivities that were going about. It was his first time actually attending a parade, since he had only recently moved into Canterlot. Thunder watched and looked at the activity of other ponies in amazement. It all looked so much fun! He was just about to go off into a shop, but some commotion caught his eye around the street. The parade must have been starting! It was so exciting, one might have thought he was a little colt again. Giving a few flap of his wings, Thunder floated above the crowd of ponies that had gathered, blocking him from clearly seeing the street. The parade didn't seem to be heading their way just yet, or something of the like.

He decided to land, two other ponies right next to him. One was pulling a cart of various goodies, and it reminded him just how hungry he was getting. The oranges seemed to catch his eye the most. "Heya there! How 'bout this parade, eh? Are those oranges for sale? I'll buy one, if they are." he said. He gave an excited tap with a hoof and looked to the other pony. "Oh, I'm forgetting my manners. I'm Thunderflash! Good to meet you both!" he said with a joyful nod.

[crp_dude]

Apis looked upon the pegasus with joy, and smiled, saying, "Oh no, they aren't for sale! That is to say, I'm not asking for money. If you are so interested, feel free to take one! It is to be Hearth's Warming Eve, after all, and what better time to give and share a little culture, eh?" He was always eager to see that ponies took an interest in his foreign goods. Suddenly, he was reminded of something to say, and turned back to Dazzle. "Well, you couldn't have run into a better pony if you want to talk about Itaily! I happen to be the ambassador to the very same land! You know, our culture is all around Solstice Heights, if you take a keen eye to it. Should you ask, I could always meet you sometime and point you in the right direction!" Apis then used his magic to take a card out of his vest pocket. The card contained his name, occupation, and address. He then turned to the pegasus again, and switched to his usual cheery business mode, asking, "Which festive treat catches your eye today, sir?"

[ThunderFlash]

Thunder smiled, glad that the foods were merely for the enjoyment of others. He didn't have many bits on him at thte moment anyway. He looked a bit surprised when the pony said he was from Itaily. Now Thunder wasn't usually good with how far away places were, except for Cloudsdale and Ponyville, but Itaily sounded like it wasn't exactly around the corner. To travel all the way out here must have been quite the trip! "That orange looks pretty tasty. I'll take one of those, please." he answered, eager to get his hoof on the delectable snack.

"So, you're from Itaily? Wow, that's gotta be pretty far away." he said, trying to make casual conversation. Thunder didn't get a whole lot of time to meet new people, so he was always ready to make new friends.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle smiled at the pegasus who approached them, drawn by the first stallions oranges. He introduced himself, so Dazzle felt keen to return the gesture.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Thunderflash," she said with a smile. "I'm Dazzle Dawn, and I'm glad you like the parade. I volunteered a lot of my time helping everypony make it look so wonderful!"

Dazzle smiled softly until the first stallion spoke to her again. Her eyes went wide. "An ambassador, huh? That makes you pretty important!" She giggled. "And I see. That's very interesting. Guess I never noticed... Though I suppose I only know so much about other cultures in the first place..."

[crp_dude]

Apis raised an eyebrow at Thunder's comment and shook his head. "Actually, it's westernmost border is only a few hours away from Canterlot, you know. We may be considered a country in and of itself, but we've been close neighbors and... good friends, in recent years..." Apis's head drooped slightly, as did his mood. He knew that he couldn't rightly say that the two countries had ever been friends, in recent or past years. Silently cursing his father for the trouble, Apis replied to Dazzle, trying to keep his head in the present, "You worked on this parade? Well, I know that we haven't seen much of it so far, but I'm very impressed! And, of course, since the two countries are as close as I just mentioned, a lot of culture mixing is going on. Although, I've heard we're pushing to have more Itailian products available in places like Canterlot. Think of it as a bit of a good will movement." Apis smiled again, more hopeful than his previous mood. "In fact, we have something veeerry big planned for here in Canterlot near the middle of next year! I very much hope we get approval from the princesses, though!"

[CircePonyDemigoddess]

Savory Spell trotted along the streets of Canterlot, wrapped up in her best winter attire. Taking in all the decorations on the buildings and lampposts with murmured oohs and aahs excited her so. Adding to her glee was the fact that this was her very first time being in Canterlot, and she believed she couldn't have picked a more enchanting time of the year to visit. According to all her customers back in Ponyville, the Winter Moon Celebration was the most extravagant holiday-themed festival anywhere. She continued down the main thoroughfare when she felt a tickling sensation on her left side. Looking down, she noticed that her ocean blue, snowflake-patterned scarf was sliding off her slender neck. Picking it up in her teeth and slinging it back over her shoulders, Savory just managed to glimpse a large cart loaded with treats that already had three equestrians standing around it.

"Good day, everypony," the turquoise-coated unicorn said, her Greek accent showing through. "It's so nice to see someone else providing refreshments for a change. I could barely get any time off for the holiday."

[crp_dude]

Apis sympathized with the Greek accent a good bit, being used to it. He did after all have an almost blaring Italian (Itailian?) accent himself. Looking over to the second mare, he remarked, "Aha! Well, most of the stuff here is either imported or made by me! I had nothing to do but bake yesterday, so I have lot of stuff to give!" Apis gave a slight chuckle and opened up the drawers below the food racks to reveal tons of delicious-looking baked goods: pastries, cakes, and cookies of countless variety. He then used his magic to close the drawers again, and gave one of the sugar-coated oranges to the eager pegasus. "Careful eating that. The juice inside turns to a syrup when it absorbs as much sugar as these have, so it can be a little... messy." Apis smiled and then turned once again to Spell and asked, "Would you care for one, ma'am? No charge."

[ThunderFlash]

The pegasus nodded in hello to the other pony who had introduced herself as Dazzle. "Good to meet'cha Dazzle. And wow, you helped set up? It looks fantastic!" he said with a small smile. Apis had gone on to say that Itaily wasn't as far away as one might expect, making Thunder get the urge to someday take a trip there. "It sounds like a pretty cool place! I'll hafta take a trip there someday." It made him wonder just what Itaily was like. Thunder himself had never strayed too far away from Canterlot, with the exception of Cloudsdale and Ponyville.

Another pony soon happened by. She wore a scarf with a snowflake pattern, and had a very pretty turquoise coat. He blinked as she approached, but regained what little of his composure he had lost. "Hello there, nice to meet you!" Thunder said cheerfully. It must have been his lucky day to meet so many new ponies. Apis handed him the orange he requested, and almost dug right into the tasty treat. He stopped short when Apis gave him the warning that it could be messy, and Thunder nodded. Instead of chowing down, he carefully began eating it without letting the syrup get everywhere. To his surprise, it was a lot tasty than he thought it might be! "Wow, that was delicious!" he exclaimed, regretting that there wasn't anything left of the snack. He'd definitely have to try and find that snack somewhere else again.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle giggled as she looked at the two stallions. "Well, it wouldn't be right to take too much of the credit for the parade. It was a group effort, with lots and lots of ponies pitching in. But I guess I did my part," she said with a blush.

She smiled at the Itailian pony and nodded. "Ooh, something planned, huh? I bet it's something fun."

Dazzle gave a polite nod as a fourth pony, a mare with an accent wearing a nice scarf arrived. Her eyes then went to the oranges the Italian ambassador was handing to the pegasus. They looked tasty.

"Ooh, I think I'll try one of those too!" she cheerfully declared, taking one. She began to eat it excitedly, delighted by the taste.

[ThunderFlash]

Having gobbled up the orange treat, he had taken a moment to let it settle while the others talked amongst themselves. He looked to Dazzle, who seemed to have also been interested in the same orange food he had chosen. "I bet setting up for the parade was fun, huh? Maybe next year, I'll see if I can help too." he said, finding that the choice seemed like a good one. He was sure they might need a pegasus to help with things only a pegasus could do. Thunder would have volenteered, but other plans had kept him busy. "Well, I'll say you've done your part spectacularly Dazzle." he assured her.

When Dazzle said she have one too, he smiled. It seemed Apis did good, handing out treats for the occasion. "You outta come around when we have events all the time. These snacks you brought along are great!" Thunder gave a little bounce as he spoke.

[crp_dude]

Apis tilted his head back a little bit at Thunder's talk of visiting Itaily, being a little unsure. However, that was completely masked by enthusiasm about Dazzle's remark about the event he was expecting to come along. "Yes, well, Itaily may be a land only to the east, but it is not hard to get lost in it. Far too much to see in only even a month, for what little we have to offer... One of these things, however, is coming here, to Canterlot, permission willing! So, ready for this? Aya, I'm so excited about this! So, Itaily, besides being specialized in the agricultural and culinary industries, is also the leader in high fashion all around the world, we beat Equestria by a landslide! The one particular event that decides who is best in the world of couture though is the international fashion show, simply known as La Galleria, or, The Gallery, in common Equestrian tongue, which is hosted in Itaily's capital of Roam every three years! The last Galleria ended almost two years and ten months ago, with our diva of fashion, Ornatia, the pride and joy of Itaily, once again on top. Her record lies unbroken for fifteen years in a row, now! This year, however, we have had a lot more Equestrian applicants than ever before! Young, ambitious, and, in my opinion, very brave designers have risen to the challenge in almost unprecedented quantities! Thus, we in the Itailian Embassy thought it would be a very good idea to move La Galleria from Roam to Canterlot! So many cultures in one place, from the familiar land of Equestria, the fresh air of Itaily, the snappy and oddly captivating designs of Germaney's fashionistas, a few zebra designers from the northernmost points of Unyasi, even a few from the far off twin islands of Caspain and Prance, who, in my opinion, have lovely cultures despite their segregation from Equestria. Of course, there will be more, but just think of it! So many languages, all in one place!" Apis squealed very loudly and excitedly, and only stopped to notice that he had gathered a few odd stares. Clearing his throat, Apis changed the subject,"These oranges, by the way, are a traditional treat reserved for the end of winter in Itaily. I know it's a little early, but I thought, why no give them something sweet? So I did!"

[ThunderFlash]

Thunder listened to Apis's long explination, suddenly finding his visit to Itaily something of a snore. He scratched the back of his head a bit awkwardly. "It certainly sounds...um...fancy." he said with a bit of uncertainy. Thunder wasn't the fanciest pony around, so he'd probably be a bit out of place. The way Apis explained it, Itaily seemed a bit too high-class for him. But perhaps he'd try a visit anyway. Inwardly shrugging, Thunder hadn't realized that Apis was still going off. The squeal earned a strange look from Thunder, unsure what to make of what just happened.

The subject was quickly changed to the oranges again it seemed. Thunder made no hesitation to talk about something he could work with, since fancy clothes and atmosphere wasn't. "Well, I'm glad that ya did! They were really good," Thunder said with a nod. He secretly wondered if he could have more, but since Apis was handing them out, there was probably a limit. This saddened him slightly, but the feeling soon left him. This was no time to be sad! This was a parade! "I'm glad I got the day off to come down here. If I knew I was gonna miss sugared oranges, I don't think my day would have been nearly as good!"

[crp_dude]

Apis suddenly recalled a small detail that he had come here to learn in the first place. Turning again to Thunder, he inquired, "You know, that reminds me. Where do you come from? What is it like? I apologize for asking so suddenly if you feel insulted it's just that... Well, you might find this a little odd, that despite the fact that I'm an ambassador, I'm, eheh, shall we say, not very experienced in your nation's geography... er, that is to say... Aya, what am I doing? I don't know much about Equestria myself, okay? Canterlot is all I've seen! I may be multicultured, but I'm fairly new at this job." Apis seemed a little smitten and indignant, with a tiny blush to his face. Clearly, he was very embarrassed, for all his experience.

[ThunderFlash]

Thunder blinked when Apis tried to get out that he wasn't very knowledgable about the surrounding places, besides a bit of Canterlot. A small grin spread along his face, more than happy to share his origins. "Well, I've only been around a few places, but I've pretty much lived in Canterlot my entire life. I've been to a few other places though. Cloudsdale and Ponyville mostly. Cloudsdale is a cool little city in the couds, home to the pegasai. Ponyville is a nice town with a mixture of different ponies. I think you'd like it, since it's a bit more calm than Canterlot." he went on to explain. After giving his chin a scratch, thinking of any other place, he nodded. "Insulted? Are you kidding? A little question like that's not gonna do any harm! You're amongst friends here, so go ahead and ask away!" he said, patting Apis on the back assuringly.

[crp_dude]

Apis still felt a little sheepish, but was slightly more heartened by the warm reception. Deciding this was a nice opportunity to get to know more about the place he lived, he asked, "Well, I suppose a good place to start would be the live you sort of ponies live. I mean, there's a lot of culture where I come from, but 80% of our exports are fresh produce. Nothing more insane than your common fruits and vegetables, with a few more expensive exceptions, like olives and that sort. What do you do for a living? What kind of town is Cloudsdale? I cannot say that I've ever gone to a city in the sky. Perhaps it would be a nice place to visit sometime? How does it even float? Can only pegasus go there?" Apis would have continued with the questions, but didn't want to overload the poor guy. He also turned to Dazzle, and asked, "What about you? What sort of things have you seen here that I might have not?"

[ThunderFlash]

Thunderflash was more than happy to answer the fellow ponies questions. He thought for a moment before answering. "Well, let's see. I work as a weather pony. I usually tend to the storm clouds. Me and my team work to move the storm clouds when it's supposed to be sunny, or move them in when it needs to rain. It's kinda complicated. Cloudsdale is a fairly quite town. It's also home to the Wonderbolts! They're some of the most impressive pegasai EVER! Any pegasus whose worth their wings would give the WORLD to be part of their team, and uh, ahem..." Thunder noticed his sudden rambling, stopping before it got too out of hand. "Yeah, only pegasai can usually go their, since only pegasai can walk on clouds. I've heard of a few occasions where a unicorn or earth pony could visit, assuming they used the right spell, but I don't know much about that." Thunder took a moment before continuing with the small interview. "Well, I dunno how it floats. Because clouds can float...I guess." he said with a small shrug. Thunder also turned to Dazzle, eager to hear what she emight say about herself. He didn't want to hog all the attention, after all.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle listened with interest as the two stallions talked, not sure what to say about a lot of it. As big a deal as the high fashion event the Itailian stallion talked about was, Dazzle didn't have much of a reference point. Her parents had been accepted by some (but not all) of the Canterlot high society since moving out of the poor part of the Heights they had used to live in, but their world was one that Dazzle had just never really been all that interested in. She was a simple, kind of goofy college student more concerned with learning new things and having fun than she was with following any sort of fashion trends. So even if this event was something big and important, Dazzle couldn't think of anything much to say about it.

Thunderflash didn't seem all that invested in fashion either, as he steered the conversation back toward the tasty treats. The ambassador then proceeded to ask him about where he came from. Thunderflash seemed to have lived in lots of different places. That was pretty cool. Dazzle had only ever had two homes, and both were in the greater Canterlot area.

Eventually Dazzle found her place to speak in the conversation. She smiled at them both. "What have I seen?" she started, thinking about it for a long moment. "Well, I've never really left East Equestria... As I said before I was born in the Heights and have lived here in the Canterlot area all my life." She looked down, "But when we were foals, me and my best friend Arc used to always go off and explore the Whitetail Woods. They're really pretty if you haven't seen them..."

Dazzle tried to think of something else to say, but she had lead a fairly simple life all things admitted. "Other than that, I haven't really been many places. Ooh, but at the University I'll often read about places I really want to visit. That's how I heard about Itaily actually. I'd love to see Stalliongrad or the Gallopocus Islands or even Aquelia. Cloudsdale would be just amazing to see too, but the cloud walking spell is probably a little much for a Gamma class unicorn like me to hope to perfect."

Dazzle gave a long sigh as she stated this fact.

[crp_dude]

Apis's grin widened. "A traveler at heart, I see! Well, perhaps since Itaily is so close to home, it might be a nice start!" Apis laughed a little, and continued, "It seems as though I may need to do a bit of travelling myself, no? Your land's ways may take some getting used to, admittedly..." Apis turned to Thunder, "Such as your use of clouds to control weather. I've never even heard of such a feat! Honestly, it seems a bit ridiculous. In Itaily, we usually leave the clouds to themselves. They probably know what they're doing anyway! I know it likely sounds odd or barbaric by your standards as well as your ways sound odd and a little perfectionist to me, but it is what it is, I suppose. My people can make due with whatever the world throws at us, and you are resourceful enough to make the world throw you the best of what it has! A brilliant system, when you look at it like that." Apis's thoughts suddenly shifted to the group of pegasi Thunder had mentioned, and took a guess, "You know... The Wonderbolts... I've heard that name going around a lot around here, but I've never really understood exactly what they are... a performing team, are they? I might need to see them in action... Perhaps in one of these cloud cities you mention! I, after all, have received great formal education on magic, being from where I am. I'm sure it would be doable! What are the other places like, do you know?" Apis was brimming with enthusiasm at this sudden idea of travel.