It all started so innocently. Filthy Rich, having noticed that his profits dipped sharply around Homecoming, decided to try something new — to open his shop earlier than usual, and to offer special bargains. It was just supposed to counter the normal appeal that his Canterlot rivals would have at that time of year. How could he possibly know it would lead to the Great Ponyville Homecoming Holiday Riot?
Read it here
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Tropes found in this story include:
- Disproportionate Retribution: Sparkler is understandably upset about wasting ten days of her life waiting in a tent for a fast-cooker, only to miss out thanks to Overstock. She then dedicated herself to become a published author and scholar, wrote a book chronicling the Riot and researched Overstock's career...all to ensure that she would have enough bits to tempt ponies into killing him. Sparkler put out a hit on a pony over a fast-cooker.
- The Dreaded: By the time of Amethyst's book, Overstock has evidently become one to retail stores all over the world. It has reached the point where a coalition of his victims banded together to spread his description to every corner of the planet (a colossal feat, given the setting's near-total lack of long-distance communication magic or technology), and it is implied that he has been tried and sentenced in absentia to life in prison.
- Sparkler outright states that the world would have been a far better place if Mr. Rich had simply let the mob trample Overstock to death. Only the fact that he could not possibly have known the consequences of his action (since Barnyard Bargains was Overstock's very first catastrophe) excuses this mistake.
- Flashy Teleportation: How Discord arrives and leaves:And then there was a flash of light, somewhere over his head.
[...]
"I don't know what this is," Discord openly laughed. "But I like it!"
[...]
Mr. Rich watched the fresh ponypile collapse into itself as a burst of rather offended light took its former center occupant away - Gone Horribly Right: The whole mess that ensues stems in one part from the incompetence of an employee, Overstock, and vastly more from Filthy Rich failing to forsee the true dangers of the Equestrian herd mentality.
- Insane Troll Logic: Overstock, an employee, decides that since he's been the first pony to come to work at Barnyard Bargains for 22 of the days leading up to the special day, then that leaves him entitled to 22 of the 30 fast-cooker devices Barnyard Bargains has in stock, and which it has been promising to the first thirty ponies to arrive on that special day. In some slight defense, it's implied that he's under the effect of a powerful recreational drug and not thinking straight.
- It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: It's defied by the use of pegasine weather manipulation:What everypony else has written concerning the Riot has taken the form of a story. I have spoken to the ponies who were there. I know what truly happened and so you, as a student of the Riot, will gain that knowledge.
It was a dark and storm-free night.
It had taken just about all of his remaining pull with the Weather Bureau to get that storm postponed. But if ponies were going to be waiting, then they were going to be waiting in the dry. - Mythology Gag: Referencing the gray pegasus mailmare that keeps dropping things on Twilight Sparkle in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S1 E15 "Feeling Pinkie Keen", known as Ditzy Doo, Derpy Hooves, Muffins, Bright Eyes, etc.A few have even attempted to blame a single innocent mailmare for losing the shipments, one who appears in so many works under so many different names that some personally doubt she ever existed at all.
- Narrator All Along: The chronicler of the events leading up to the Riot is revealed to be Sparkler, who is still upset about missing out on the fast-cooker and wants Overstock dead for it.
- Noodle Incident: The long and dubious career of the bungling incompetent Overstock, as alluded to constantly throughout the events of the story.
- Obliviously Evil: Overstock is never shown to be outright malicious, just that special blend of stupid, self-absorbed and oblivious to the true impact of what he's doing that leads to him causing problems for other ponies.
- One-Word Title: Of the only chapter, "Once.".
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!:
- Again, I would like to stress that a competitive streak is a perfectly natural aspect of a business mark.
...
"They're opening when we are. So why should we open at that time any more? They want to be up and galloping at five in the morning to get those who might have gone for the first trains? I say we target the really dedicated shopper. Let's start announcing that we'll have our own limited-time deals. Those first hours only."
...Perfectly. Natural.
..."And," Mr. Rich concluded with satisfaction, "we'll start selling at four." - Serious Business: The fast-cookers. Herd mentality played its part, but still...it's a violent riot over cooking appliances.
- The story does actually lampshade this, explaining a huge part of the appeal of fast-cookers: they're the very first properly functioning edition of the Equestrian analogue to the hotplate, that trusty miniature oven that is considered so essential by college students everywhere.
- Take That!: At the concept of Black Friday in general.
- Tragic Mistake: While it's clear Filthy Rich made a number of mistakes leading to the Riot, the biggest one was hiring Overstock in the first place.
- And even more so saving Overstock's life from the subsequent riots. Had Mr. Rich simply let the mob trample Overstock to death, countless future disasters would have been averted.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Sparkler notes that Filthy Rich had no way to know that he should never have hired Overstock.
