Paper, Rock, and Scissors!
By
Eccentric Bloodstone
I like to thank the proofreaders/prereaders Dusty Sage, MindAssassin, and Alexandre Dorion for their awesome help and input
Ponyville was bathed in the crimson light of the sun setting below the horizon, making way for the night to make its appearance. Earlier in the day, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash had a clever idea on what to do to spend the evening at her tree house.The planning took place around the morning when Rainbow Dash came by the library to check out more Daring Do books. Spike had a lot of supplies brought in from Sugar Cube Corner, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, and he asked Twilight what they wanted to do with it. Rainbow Dash had a moment of inspiration and suggested that they should have a party. Of course, it was Pinkie Pie who sensed that they should have a get together, but she wanted Rainbow Dash to come up with the idea. “Oh that sounds like a great idea Rainbow Dash.” said Twilight.She grabbed a book from the bookcase, titled A Lonely Critter’s Guide to Throwing a Party and Making Friends by Angel Bunny, and placed it on the table near the far side of the room. Rainbow Dash and Spike looked over Twilight’s head and tried to keep up as she was zooming through the pages. Rainbow Dash thought her mind would explode from all of the information presented to her, but she focused and got through the intense reading session. “Alright everypony. Rainbow Dash, try and decorate the room as fast as you can, are you up for that?” Twilight pointed around the library. “Of course, Twilight. Nothing easier than setting up some party decorations. I’ve had some practice at Sugar Cube Corner a couple of times.” Rainbow Dash flew up the stairs with the supplies Spike brought in from earlier. “Spike, I want you to make some desserts. I believe you have the skill to pull that off. But just in case it goes wrong, no offense, just head on down to Sugar Cube Corner and ask Pinkie for food supplies. I’m sure she’ll be happy to help out.” “You got it, Twilight. Um, one question.” said Spike. “Yes, Spike? What is it?” “Why can’t we just have Pinkie help us with the party planning? It would make things a whole lot easier.” “I think you’re right, but I feel as though she somehow wants us to do it ourselves. You know how she is.” Twilight smiled and walked up the stairs. Spike stood there and wondered what she was supposed to do. He shrugged his shoulders and assumed it had to do with some organization, magic, and paper. He quickly made his way toward the kitchen and donned his apron and chef hat for the occasion that just randomly occurred. Rainbow Dash flew around to hit each part of the walls with tacks and tape, and placed every ribbon and balloon in their own perfect spot. She remembered Pinkie’s words of wisdom:Remember, Rainbow Dash, each individual balloon and ribbon and any other party decoration has a life of their own and they have they’re own preference. We must notdisrespect their preferences or else they will be grumpy and ruin the party for everypony. She had no idea what to make of that advice, but she just went with the flow and managed to pass the strange test she was given that day. She ran out of tacks and ribbons. Every balloon and ribbon was perfectly placed around the library, and it provided a warming atmosphere of awesomeness divine. Rainbow Dash was certainly proud of her work. The party was ready to commence, but she saw the clock pointing at noon. Everything will start in eight hours just after sunset. Spike wasn’t doing so well and had problems with the desserts. He wasn’t sure his friends would like the jewels baked inside the cake, but he figured it was no big deal. He knew that his friends were missing out on how delicious gems are. Out of the blue, the fire alarm blared and it scared him. The cupcakes were burning and smoke leaked from the oven, hovering right below the ceiling. Twilight ran into the kitchen panicking. “Spike! What’s happening? Open a window or something, but don’t just stand there.” She moved around the kitchen, opened the windows, and let out all the smoke that lingered throughout the place. Rainbow Dash opened the front door while trying not to panic. She came into the kitchen where she saw Spike disappointed and Twilight angry. His cupcakes were burnt to a crisp and Rainbow Dash felt bad about his failure. “Spike, let’s just get some food from Sugar Cube Corner. I’m sure you can do better next time, as mistakes happen. We just have to learn from our mistakes.” She assured him not to feel disappointed. He was upset about what had just happened. The three of them fanned out the rest of the smoke and heat, double checked everything in the kitchen, and headed down to Sugar Cube Corner. Pinkie Pie was happily awaiting their arrival knowing they would come. “This is really great Pinkie Pie! Thanks you so much for all the food.” Twilight was delighted by the wonders that Pinkie did for the three of them. She was super excited about the party and Twilight wasn’t surprised either. Rainbow Dash was amused with knowing that she had decorated the place without her help. Spike didn’t seem so happy about the food. He was still disappointed about his effort.“Pinkie, can I ask you for a favor?” Twilight thought it would be very helpful of her to bring out invitations among their friends. “Yes, what is it Twilight?” She blinked her eyes a couple of times. “I need you to invite Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity over. Can you do that and also tell them that they can bring whatever refreshments or snacks they can provide?” “Okey Dokey Lokey, Twilight. That’ll be easy as baking apple pie.” She took off from the shop to carry out her assigned task. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Spike headed back to the tree house to drop off the food. Twilight felt that the party wasn't complete without having a couple of more ponies over. She thought about it on the way back. Spike watched her think as they walked along through the town streets. “Um, Twilight? Can I ask you something?” He asked. Twilight looked down to him, breaking her train of thought. “Sure, Spike. What is it?” “About the cake earlier. Are you angry at me for not cooking the food right and causing the alarm to go off?” He still felt bad about the situation, and the feeling of not knowing what she thought was even worse. “Don’t worry about it, I’m not mad about that. It was just unfortunate, that’s all. I’m pretty sure that you’ll have better success next time.” He was relieved to hear her say that and felt better about knowing. He thought about doing better next time. “Come on guys. We’re running out of time. It’s already mid afternoon. I don’t want to miss out on any more things.” Rainbow Dash became annoyed about walking slowly through Ponyville. She hoped to get her nap before the afternoon would passed. They entered through the door and placed the desserts in the fridge. Twilight was busy with the preparations and she read through the planning book again on what they needed for games. There was one game they haven’t played yet, and it was called Paper, Rock, Scissors. She read the rules on how to play it. “We should totally play that game, Twilight. It’s very fun.” Said Rainbow Dash as she looked over her shoulder. “Really? Is it that fun, just to make different hoof gestures.” “Uh, yeah. It’s pretty fun, all you have to do is make your hoof into either paper, rock, or scissors. The objective of the game is beat the other player by making one that could beat theirs. Paper covers Rock, Rock smashes Scissors, and Scissors cuts Paper. Simple as that.” “Hmm, sounds easy enough.” Twilight then remembered her little idea from earlier. “Spike! Would you come over here?” “Sure thing, Twilight. What do you need?” He answered her call eagerly. “I need you to take a note.” She saw him pull out a scroll and his quill. “Okay, Ready.” “Okay. Dear Princess Celestia, My friends and I are planning a little festivity for tonight and I thought it would be nice to invite you and your sister, Princess Luna. If you have the time to come by, then we could all have some fun playing a few games and having a pleasant friendly gathering. Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle.” “—Friendly gathering. Is that all?” He looked up to see if she had anything else to say. “Yes. Sign it and send it.” Spike finished signing his name and then rolled it. He blew his fire breath through the scroll and sent it to Canterlot. They waited and heard Rainbow Dash snoring. She snuck away without making them aware and took a nap on Twilight’s bed. A few moments later, Spike burped out a new scroll from the Princess. He grabbed it, but Twilight pulled it out of his hand with her magic. She opened it and spoke. “Dear Twilight Sparkle, I am pleased to be invited to your party tonight. I would love come over, as would my sister. She is really enjoying the idea of fun ever since she came back from the Nightmare Night festival in Ponyville. She is always eager to have fun. And yes, we have some time and we will visit your party after Luna finishes raising the moon. Sincerely, Princess Celestia.” Spike was pleased with the good news. “We got the princesses to come over. This time, it’s a longer stay and there’s hardly any disaster.” “Tell me about it. I just hope there won’t be a disaster this time around, wouldn’t want to spoil a good evening and a good party.” A few hours had passed when Rainbow Dash woke up from her sleep. She yawned and scratched the back of her wing as she sat up in the bed. She looked around the library wondering what was going on. The decorations jogged her memory, and she remembered the party. “Wow, that was one heck of a nap. I feel so rested.” She stretched out her arms and picked herself up out of bed. Twilight entered the library. “Good Afternoon sleepy head. You slept like a filly. We decided not to disturb you because it would’ve made you irritated. There’s nothing else to do now but wait, and that’s what we’ve been doing.” She sounded deeply excited for the party. “Whoa. I thought that nap was something. I feel a whole lot better.” Rainbow Dash soared down to the floor below. They heard a knock on the door. The two of them went to answer it. Twilight opened the door, and she saw Fluttershy and Applejack with some snacks and a few barrels of cider carried in a wagon. “Oh, Hey, Fluttershy. I see you guys brought some food, just like Pinkie promised.” “Yes, she came over to our houses an’ told us ya’ll were planning a party this evenin’.” Said Applejack. “She came by and mentioned that we should bring some snacks and refreshments with us. I didn’t know what to bring, so I just brought along some salad and vegetables, if that’s alright with you guys.” Fluttershy smiled and walked in with Applejack. “It’s no problem guys. You can set the food on the table over there where that book is.” Twilight pointed out to the far side of the room. “The decorations here are lovely Twilight. Did you do all this?” Fluttershy left the food on the table and stared at the decorations. “No, Fluttershy, as lovely as they look, it wasn’t me. It was Rainbow Dash who did this. I can tell that she did a really wonderful job with it.” Twilight saw Rainbow Dash acting proud. “Yes, it was all me, Fluttershy. Thank you kindly for the compliment.” “I say Rainbow Dash, I wouldn’t have thought that you decorated the place. It looks a little too nice to be made by somepony like you.” Applejack chuckled. “What’d you say Applejack? Just because I have an attitude, it doesn’t mean I can’t properly decorate the place.” Rainbow Dash sounded irritated. “Whoa there, I was just teasing ya. You don’t have to get worked up about it. It does look nice.” Fluttershy trotted around and conversed with Twilight at the stairs when the door busted open. It was Pinkie Pie with her all cheerful smile, and Rarity, properly dressed in her newest attire. Sparkles glistened from her dress. Spike was mesmerized by her looks once again. Twilight rolled her eyes and snapped him out of his daydream. The sun was vanishing behind the distant horizon, bringing in the first stars. Last of the sunlight dissipated and the dark blanket of the night covered the sky. The stars shined brightly and the moon was full. It was a very beautiful sight to behold, and it’s been like that ever since Princess Luna came back. Twilight moved around the library. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie talked about their next set of pranks to pull on new unsuspecting victims. Rarity spoke with Fluttershy, and she mostly listened to her rambles about the latest fashion trends. The party was off to calm, but enjoyable start. Not an hour had passed after the sunset when a knock came from the door. Twilight opened it and saw that the Princesses arrived. “Good Evening, Twilight, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” Princess Celestia was in a good mood. “Evening, Miss Sparkle, We are pleased to be invited to your festivities tonight.” Princess Luna still talked in a somewhat old manner, but she was a lot more quiet than from her last visit. “Good Evening Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. I’m glad you two could make it to our party. It’s nice to see you again.” She was happy to see the two of them show up. They made their way inside and were greeted by the others. Twilight watched her friends and the princesses engaging in social interaction. “Well, everypony, I’m pleased to see that you all are here. What should we do tonight? Play some games, tell some stories, or just hang out and talk?” “How about all of the above?” said Rainbow Dash. “We can start by playing some games. That would be fun, but then again, talking and telling entertaining stories can be entertaining. It would be boring if it weren’t entertaining, but I’m sure we can come up with pretty entertaining stories.” Pinkie Pie continued to blabber on when Applejack spoke. “Let’s just play some games first. Those are always fun.” “Okaaay… Rainbow Dash, what’s your input?” Twilight stared at her while her friend thought to herself. It was a long silent moment. “I think we should just start with the games.”“Okay.” Twilight turned to Pinkie and spoke. “It’s settled. We’ll play some games first.”“Sure, Twilight. Whatever floats your boat.” “Right. Alright everypony, let’s play some games.” Rainbow Dash interrupted Twilight before she even spoke. “First, we have a game called Paper, Rock, and Scissors. It’s an easy game and it can be quite challenging, many ponies who played it before have suffered bitter defeats. Others enjoy their delicious victories over their opponents. It’s a game that works the mind, it’s a game that tests your morals, and it’s a game—” “Just get to the point Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy stayed quiet and withdrew herself before she was noticed. She gets impatient with her friend’s speeches sometimes. “I’d love to play paper, rock, scissors. But who do we have to play against?” Said Rarity. Rainbow Dash and Twilight looked at each other, formed a circle, and quickly devised a plan. Spike joined their little circle. “How could we forgot who would play who Twilight?” Rainbow Dash was anxious. “I honestly don’t know. It slipped my mind as well.” Twilight was clueless. “We could just draw their names out of a bowl or something.” Said Spike. “That’s a great idea spike!” They broke their circle and Spike ran to the kitchen. Not a moment later he came back with a paper, quill, and a mixing bowl. He stood in front of everypony and said for them to write their names on the scroll. They all cooperated and each of them signed their name with the quill. Princess Celestia smiled when she saw that Luna’s name was terribly written. She was the last to sign and Spike gave the paper to Twilight. She levitated it and sliced it in between the names. The slices were then folded into small slips with the names hidden. She wrapped her magic around the bowl and placed them inside. She began twirling it in small rapid rotations. After a few seconds she placed the bowl on the floor. “Spike. Would you care to draw the first name?” “Sure thing Twilight. Rainbow Dash, can you get another piece of paper real quick? I didn’t think to grab two.”“Yes sure, Spike.” She flew into the kitchen and hurried out with another sheet.Spike grabbed the first slip and opened it. He grabbed his quill and wrote on the new sheet. She still had it in her mouth while he wrote.“First contestant is Rarity.”Rarity saw him write her name. She wasn’t expecting to the be first. Spike then grabbed another slip and opened it. Rainbow Dash gave him the paper and stood next to Twilight. He wrote the second name down.“Rarity will be facing, Princess Celestia.”Princess Celestia jumped for joy when she heard her name. She was going to compete with Rarity. “That’s great!”“Okay. The contestant for the second match will be, Twilight.”Twilight saw her name on the paper. She was pleased to be in the second match. She knew it was going to be fun. Applejack broke from the crowd and poured some glasses with her apple cider as the fourth name was drawn.“Fluttershy.”Twilight wasn’t sure about playing against her. But she knew it was just a game and winning isn’t everything. Fluttershy stared at Twilight and she was tense about the game. Applejack returned with her glass, Rainbow Dash quickly filled her own cup, and Pinkie Pie already drank hers. Spike drew another name from the bowl.“Applejack.”Applejack cheered when she heard her name. She was thrilled to be playing. Spike announced her opponent.“Princess Luna.”Princess Luna was excited when she heard her name called. It was like she already won even though her match hasn’t started yet. Soon everypony was already enjoying their glasses of cider, and they felt happy. Spike finished by drawing the last of the two names.“Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.” He grabbed the paper and set it on the table. He continued talking. “The game is going to be set up like a tournament. Each pony has a match with another. The match is divided into three rounds. If by chance both players have a tie in three rounds, then we’ll have to settle it with sudden death.“There are rules that every pony has to follow. First rule, each pony takes turns when starting each round. They’ll have to say the paper, rock, scissors to start it. Then they draw hooves and play. Second rule, anypony can use their own strategy as long as it’s not cheating. Third, no magic if you’re a unicorn, no offense.”Everypony looked at the sheet. It was organized in tournament style brackets. The table was improvised as an arena where they would play. They moved around and waited for the game to start. Twilight announced herself.“Is everypony ready to play?”“Yes!” They replied.“Alright. Let’s play.”Rarity and Princess Celestia proceeded to their match at the little makeshift arena.“Don’t mind me Princess, I won’t resort to being a poor sport about petty things.” Rarity made sure to keep to her manners.“You shouldn’t worry about that, Rarity. I’m most likely gonna win, so you won’t have to worry about that.” Celestia snickered. Rarity felt a challenge brewing, and she wasn’t going to back down after hearing that. They shook hooves and played. Rarity went first and she was thinking about what to play. She called out Rock, Paper, Scissors and they drew their hooves. She saw Celestia draw Rock. Rarity had an attention for detail. Her dressmaking enhanced her focus and it helped seeing things quickly and made her respond thoroughly. She countered Celestia’s play with Paper, covering her Rock. She had won the first round. She looked up and saw a threatening glare. “I’m sure you can let me win. Wouldn’t want anything bad happen between us. Right?” said Celestia. “I’m sure you can afford to lose one round, Princess. There’s a couple more to go.” “You’re right about that. Let’s just hope I win. Is that alright with you?” “You’re not going to be upset about this,” Rarity chuckled. “Are you?” “I’ll make sure.” Rarity wasn’t sure if she should be worried.Celestia sounded a little serious about it. She started the second round and they played. Rarity had Scissors and she played Rock. Celestia won the second round. She noticed Rarity was worried now.Rarity thought to herself for a moment. If she wins the last round against her, then she might have to face some unforeseen consequences. She started the third round. The two of them drew their hooves. Rarity ignored the taunting from the princess and concentrated. In that moment of tense anticipation, Rarity looked at her friends and noticed that Twilight remained cheerful as ever. She decided to go all or nothing and ignore the mind games. She saw her play Paper and countered it with Scissors. Celestia was shocked with devastation. She saw that Rarity played a fair game and her gaming tactics have failed. Celestia’s taunts usually worked with her sister. But it failed against Rarity. She had no choice to accept her defeat.“You’ve beaten me in a fair game, Rarity.”“What? I thought you were going to be upset, from what you said, if I win.”“The taunts? It was just to make you anxious and lost. It didn’t work.” “You mean, you weren’t planning anything terrible for me?” “No, I wasn’t. What’d you think I would do? Banish you or something?” “Uh, kind of, actually. You were very convincing when you acted that way.” “Oh. Don’t bother with that, it’s just a cheap trick I use a lot on my sister.” Rarity wasn’t sure what to say, but accepted her victory. Celestia moved away from the arena and she proceeded to do the same. She wondered if she’d play against Fluttershy or Twilight. They were going to play in the next match. She was a little curious about how it will play out. Twilight made her way to the arena and Fluttershy slowly followed from behind. She was up against Fluttershy and she didn’t feel good about it. Of all the ponies it had to be her, delicate in everything and fragile in every way. She thought of Fluttershy as too sensitive to be competitive in any kind of game. She watched her friend make her way in front of her. They looked at each other. Twilight saw those kind blue eyes and now she was afraid of winning. She didn’t want to feel guilty from making her friend sad. Twilight was the first to start and she called out Paper, Rock, Scissors. They drew their hooves out and played the first round. All of a sudden, to Twilight’s surprise, her friend acted quickly. She played Rock and it crushed Twilight’s Scissors. Twilight had lost. She was confused at what had happened. It happened so fast. She thought about it, but then continued on. There were two more rounds left, and she was made sure not to lose them.Fluttershy started the second round. She spoke softly as she called out Paper, Rock, Scissors.Twilight made herself ready this time and played Rock. She was confident in her anticipation, but suddenly noticed that her friend had won again. Fluttershy had beaten her two out of three rounds effortlessly. Her Rock was wrapped in defeat. She didn’t know what to do. Fluttershy smiled and approached her. She hugged Twilight with sincerity. “It’s okay, Twilight. Rarity and I play together. I hope you’re not mad about this.” Her soft voice struck bitter resentment in Twilight’s heart. She wanted to get mad, but in the end, she kept her cool and returned her hug. The two of them then watched Fluttershy’s name advancing to the next round. She was going to be up against Rarity, but that was at a later time. The two of them have played before and Fluttershy knew it was going to be difficult. There was an intermission after Twilight and Fluttershy finished their match. The group helped themselves to the refreshments. Luna already had a few glasses of cider during the last two matches. She didn’t understand the game and her sister explained it. She never played before and felt clueless, but that didn’t hinder her confidence. Luna was only in it for the fun. She was already feeling fuzzy from the drinks. It didn’t matter if Celestia explained the game to her. She was already impaired and didn’t care. Luna was vague on her replies to her sister’s questions. The game seemed simple enough to understand now. She thought to herself, The Paper cuts the Rock, the Scissors smash the Paper, and the Rock covers the Scissors. She figured it out, but wasn’t sure how Applejack was at playing. She doesn’t know her well enough, and knowing is half the battle. Applejack didn’t look like the pony who would back down. She helped herself to another glass and gulped it down within seconds. Her sister was on her back about drinking again, but she needed it in order to have a chance at winning. She knew that she could boost her performance greatly in a lot of games while intoxicated. The last drop went into her mouth and she finished her glass. Luna took a deep breath and met with Applejack on the way to the arena. It was a tense moment for her. Everything she just learned from watching the previous matches, and everything Celestia told her would determine her outcome. She was nervous, but reminded herself that winning isn’t everything. The only thing she cared for was to have fun. “Are ya ready Princess Luna?” said Applejack, interrupting Luna’s train of thought. “Sort of, yes, Applejack. I’m not sure if I remember the rules. My head is feeling a little fuzzy.” Luna could hardly see Applejack with her blurred vision. “Well, I’m sure you’ll remember once we play.” She assured Luna. “Applejack, are you ready?” said Spike “Sure am, Spike.” “Princess Luna, are you ready” “Yes, I am.” “Alright. Applejack goes first.” Applejack called out Paper, Rock, Scissors and started their match. Luna watched carefully her vision wasn’t helping. She just decided to go with her instincts and went with whatever came up. Applejack and Luna drew hooves simultaneously. Applejack was confused and looked at Luna. “Uh, Princess Luna, you didn’t play anything.” Luna looked at her hoof and realized what she done. She felt a little embarrassed. “Oh, sorry, Applejack. I just got lost for a bit. Let’s have a do over.” “Sure, that’s fine by me, Princess. Ready?” “Yes I am.” “Okay let’s do this.” Applejack threw down her hoof and saw Luna do the same thing, but she instead smacked Applejack’s hoof. “Hoofbump! Haha, this is fun!” She was unaware about the game. Applejack was patient and let her shenanigans slide. They were ready the third time. This time Luna paid attention. They drew their hooves. She played Rock and Luna played Scissors. She lost the first round. “Ah, you beat me Applejack. Oh well, I’ll win the next round.” “Sure you will Princess.” She was amused by her behavior. She waited for Luna to start the second round. “Ready, Applejack?”“Let’s do this!” “Alright then.” “Okay!” “Paper, Rock, Scissors!” Luna yelled at the top of her lungs. Applejack stumbled back a bit and played Paper. Luna countered her with Scissors. She won the second round. Applejack watched her jump around with joy and waited. She tried not to laugh. “Ready whenever you are Princess.” Luna noticed the sudden silence and stopped. She was jumping around for almost a minute. The awkward moments had passed when she focused herself. “Ready Now, Princess?” “Hehe, I’m ready now.” “Paper, Rock, Scissors.” Applejack started their final round. Luna watched her opponent’s moves. It was as though time had stopped when they threw down their hooves. She went with Rock and she went with Paper. The long moment of intense agony had passed. Luna had won. She had her mouth wide open in disbelief and she yelled with excitement. She jumped around and hugged Twilight. Luna was very happy knowing that she won her first game of Paper, Rock, Scissors. Celestia prepared for her sister to attack. The two of them hugged as she cried out in joy and tears. She was happy about winning the game, and it was a thrilling experience for her. Applejack was humble about her match against the princess. She congratulated her and they hugged. She smelled the cider in her breath and wondered how Luna won. Applejack sighed and figured it was some sort of luck. Everypony waited for the contestants of the fourth match. Rainbow Dash was nearly finished her eighth glass of cider. She was stumbling around to Pinkie Pie and they made their way to the arena. She was really psyched. Pinkie hopped alongside her. She was talking about the day and how it went. Rainbow Dash was already impatient with her. “Uh, Pinkie Pie, we’re about to start.” “Silly Rainbow Dash. I know the game is starting, but I thought I’d talk to pass the little time we had. I’m sure they don’t mind.” Pinkie was oblivious to her friend’s annoyance. “Since you can’t control yourself, what is it you’d like to talk about?” “Just about today. It’s fun just hanging with you guys because you’re my best friends and I can’t miss a party, especially with you guys.” “Are you serious, Pinkie? You just wanted to talk about the party?” “Duh. What’d you think I was gonna talk about?” “Pinkie, we have a match right now. Can you just focus?” “Okay.” “Okay then. Start already.” “Okay.” “Say Paper, Rock, Scissors.” “Okay.” “Pinkie, stop saying okay, Okay?” “Okay.” “Just say Paper, Rock, Scissors!” “Paper, Rock, Scissors.” Rainbow Dash played Scissors, she had a sinisterly confident that she would win. But Pinkie didn’t play anything and it irritated her. “Pinkie, you’re supposed to play.” “Yes I know I’m supposed to play, silly.” “Then why’d you—” “Just because.” “Because what?” “Because, I wanna see what you put down and then I could win.” “That’s not how it works Pinkie. You’re supposed to either choose Paper, Rock, or Scissors at the same time I’m supposed to throw down my hoof.” She slurred her word explaining the rules. “Ohhhh. So that’s how it works.” “Have you been watching the other matches?” “Yeah. I figured I’d be different.” “No. Just play by the rules.” “Alright.” “Let’s go again.” “Wait.” “You forgot to call out the name of the game.” “Pinkie, I was about to—” “You cheated. You didn’t play by the rules.” “What? I did not cheat.” “Yeah you did.” “Pinkie I didn’t cheat.” “Yes you did.” “No I didn’t” “Yes you did.” “No I didn’t.” “Yes—” “That’s it. I’m not gonna play if you act like this. I forfeit the match. I didn’t cheat.” Rainbow Dash was infuriated about everythin. She could hardly keep her balance and tried not to keep her anger from flowing. “Well, okay then. I forfeit too.” “Pinkie, both players can’t forfeit.” “I know that. I just want to annoy you.” “Huh? What?” “Yeah. It’s fun watching you like that.” “Pinkie. Are you kidding me?” “Nope. I forfeit for realsies.” “Well then. Alright. I don’t understand why you did that, but okay.” Pinkie Pie gave her a high five and bounced away. She wasn’t sure what happened, but she was okay with going to the next round automatically. Spike was confused as well, but he just went it and advanced her to the next round. She would be up against Princess Luna. Rainbow Dash hoped that she’d at least play in the next match. Rarity was nervous about her upcoming match against Fluttershy. Both knew each other very well about their tactics. They played games together and it created a stronger bond between them. Playing games was for the both of them, but this competition is had made them both anxious. Fluttershy trusted her on helping with her social abilities. Rarity trusted her on listening to her many rants and daily issues. Both of them proceeded to the arena at each end. Fluttershy looked into Rarity’s eyes. Their seemed as though they peered into her soul. Everypony saw the competitive behavior brewing. Twilight and Rainbow Dash watched with anxious excitement. Celestia was stared with anticipation. Luna leaned against her for balance. Applejack and Spike were tense with excitement hoping their friends would put on a magnificent match. Pinkie Pie was scared hoping they won’t tear each other apart. They prepared themselves for the match. Rarity wiped her forehead with a handkerchief. Fluttershy cleared her throat and started first. She called out Paper, Rock, Scissors.The match had started. Rarity quickly watched her and saw that she played Paper. Rarity then played Scissors. Fluttershy was quick enough to change to Scissors. She hoped Rarity played Paper. They were surprised at had happened. A tie had occurred between the two of them in the first round. Scissors and Scissors cancelled each other out. Rarity started the second round and she hoped to end it soon. She watched fluttershy while she drew her hoof. It was Scissors. She went with her play, Rock. How was this possible? Fluttershy tricked her with an illusion. Both had thrown down Rock. They tied again in the second round. Fluttershy anticipated Rarity, but she can’t be certain on her exact moves. The two watched each other, they never had a game like this. Fluttershy continued with the third round. She spoke Paper, Rock, Scissors.The third round had happened and passed. They finished their match, with all three rounds ending in ties. Their eyes were closed during the round. They opened them and were surprised to see that they both played Scissors, again. “How is this possible, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked. “I don’t know Rarity. We never took the game seriously before.” Fluttershy was unsure.“I guess you’re right. We just played this for fun.” “I’m pretty sure we can go again.” “Sudden Death!” Spike shouted in front of them. Rarity moved back, frightened by the shouting. “Sudden Death?” said the both of them. “Yes, Sudden Death. Both of you tied in all three rounds. Since neither of you won two out of three rounds, we have to go to sudden death to settle a winner.” “That’s okay. Are you ready Rarity?” Fluttershy smiled. She was ready to play sudden death with her. They were friends and this would end the match. Rarity felt it was the best thing to do. The two of them didn’t want their competitive spirits to get in the way of their friendship. “Yes Fluttershy. I believe I’m ready.” Rarity understood what they both wanted. “Are you two ready to play?” said Spike. Fluttershy and Rarity both nodded. “Yes, Spike, we are ready. In a proper manner of course. I don’t want to spoil anything.” “If Rarity is ready, then so am I.” “Well, okay. Let’s do this!” Spike signaled for sudden death. Rarity and Fluttershy waited for the countdown. They remembered it was all in good fun. Spike counted down and they drew their hooves. Rarity drew Rock, and Fluttershy played Scissors. The match was settled and they both felt relieved that it was over. Spike noticed them holding tears and he wondered they were taking the game seriously. Rarity won. They walked away together and joined the rest of the ponies to watch the next match. Rainbow Dash against Luna. Rainbow Dash and Luna were lost in their own worlds. They had drunk a lot of the cider and both stumbled around. Luna bumped into Rainbow Dash, knocking her over. She helped her up and they both chuckled and had a difficult time walking straight, but eventually made it to the arena. Spike watched them struggling to keep their balance. “Are you guys ready to play?” “What?! I can’t hear you! Speak up a little louder!” Luna shouted at his face. He fell, and picked himself up. “I said, Are you guys ready to play!” He dusted himself. “You are really deaf, aren’t you.” “Yes!” Luna shouted again, knocking him down again. “Uh, yeah, whatever, Spike! I’m ready to win!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “How am I going to deal with this?” Spike muttered to himself. “Are we yelling at each other?!” Luna shouted at Rainbow Dash. “I guess so, Luna! I’ll go first! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” She screamed at the top of her lungs at Luna. She also did the same thing. The two of them yelled, shaking twilight’s house. Everypony covered their ears. Celestia came up from behind and smacked her sister in the back of her head. “Sister! Focus! Rainbow Dash, be quiet please! We’re still playing.” Celestia didn’t want to feel embarrassed. “Right sister. I forgot about that. Lettuce play Rainbow Dash. Haha, get it? Lettuce play.” Luna laughed at her pun. Rainbow Dash took awhile to think about it. “Oh I get it now. That’s a good one Luna! Lettuce Play.” “Alright, guys. Have had it. Let’s play already.” “Haha, Spike said—” “Focus Rainbow Dash” Spike was irritated. “Okay.” He told them to get ready for their first round. Rainbow Dash licked her hoof and waited. Luna realized she was supposed to start the round. She shouted and drew their hooves. Rainbow Dash played Rock and Luna played Paper. She won. The second round came along and Rainbow Dash felt anxious, she was too unbalanced to focus on the game. She called Scissors, Rock, Paper. They drew their hooves and Luna won once again. She beat Rainbow Dash with Rock and smacked her hoof hard. Rainbow Dash yelled in pain. “OW, Luna! Why’d you do that!” Rainbow Dash grabbed her hoof. “I thought Rock was supposed to crush scissors. Isn’t that how it works?” “No! You’re not supposed to do it for real! Ow!” “Well, fine. I’m sorry I didn’t know that. I’m just really hammered.” Celestia shook her head. It was happening again and now she was drunk again at her pupil’s house. “Whoo! I won the match. Do I get my prize?” “No, sister, you get your prize after the final match. You advanced to the final match against Rarity.” Celestia was a little displeased with her, but she figured it would eventually happen again. “Aw, sister, when do we play?”“Never, I lost and I’m eliminated.”“Aw, that’s not fair, I wanted to play with you.”“Just look for Rarity. I need a moment to myself.”Luna looked around for Rarity.She was near the refreshments. Rarity silently giggled to herself during their match. She couldn’t believe Luna smacked Rainbow Dash’s hoof. She knew it wasn’t nice, but she couldn’t help but laugh. Luna gave up on her search for Rarity and returned to the arena. Rarity stepped up to meet with her. Rainbow Dash walked away with Fluttershy tending to her wounds. Twilight kept to herself. She thought it was funny, but she didn’t want to be seen laughing in front of Celestia. She looked embarrassed, but Twilight thought it was amusing. Rarity greeted Luna. They shook hooves and started the match. She shouted incoherent nonsense, but Rarity ignored it. She never noticed until at that moment that the princess almost sounded like her in a strange way. Rarity cleared her throat and focused. She was surprised to find herself playing against another princess. Luna watched her very closely. She wondered how a pony like Rarity fashioned her hair in a strange manner. She will have to ask her someday when she is sober enough to think clearly. She remembered to keep her mind on the game. “Are you ready, Rarity?” Spike blushed as he asked. “I’m ready to play.” Rarity noticed he was red and she sighed. “I’m ready to play, Rarity! Funny, I never seen you at Nightmare Night!” Luna continued to yell. She didn’t care because she wanted her prize. “Yes, I wasn’t here when you visited. I was with my family.” “Charming. Ready to play?” “Yes, let’s get this over with.” “Hehe, Lettuce.” “We’re not starting that again are we?” “Okay.” Rarity started the first round. They both drew their hooves. Rarity used her tactics once again, but she saw that Luna was quicker than the other ponies she faced. She drew Rock and Luna lost the first round. She made a lucky guess. Luna started the second round, slurring her words. They drew their hooves and She played Paper. Rarity quickly acted and countered with another guess, she played Paper as well, and they were tied. She saw Luna struggling to maintain her balance. The princess was quiet. “Are you ready Princess Luna?” “Yes, I’m Ready. Lettuce do this.” “Okay. Rock, Paper, Scissors.” They drew their hooves. Rarity went with Scissors. Luna fell to the floor. Celestia hurried to pick her up. Twilight followed closely behind. Rarity just realized what had happened. “Is she alright, Princess?” Twilight was worried. “She’ll be fine, Twilight. She just had too much to drink. That’s all.” Celestia was relieved that her sister wasn’t hurt. “She hit her head pretty hard.” “It’s not that bad. We just need to her to get some rest.” “She can’t just sleep on the floor. We should put her somewhere.” “How about on your bed, Twilight? It looks comfortable enough.” “Are you sure?” “Where else can we put her. She’ll be some work to bring back to the castle.” “Well. Only for tonight though.” “Alright, then. Let’s get her there.” Rarity stood silent during their conversation. She wasn’t sure what to do about the match. Spike caught Twilight’s attention. “Um, Twilight. What about the game?” “Uh, yeah, the game. I thinks it’s over.” Twilight and Celestia picked up Luna with their magic. “Soooo... Did I win?” Rarity was hesitant about her question because of the situation. “Yeah, sure. Help us with Luna.” “Okay.” Rarity assisted in their journey to the bedroom upstairs. They placed Luna in Twilight’s bed and quietly made their way down stairs. The rest of the group came back. Fluttershy came back with Rainbow Dash. She had her hoof bandaged. Applejack listened to Pinkie ramble on. Rarity, Twilight, and Celestia proceeded to end the game. Spike forgot to include a prize. Rarity was a little disappointed, but she didn’t mind that their was no prize. Everypony sat around and continued on with the rest of the activities for the party. The rest of the evening was spent talking about their most recent happenings, and they also shared a couple of entertaining stories. Celestia had interesting tales to tell that intrigued Twilight. Most of the food was gone along with the cider. Everypony helped themselves to finishing the last couple of barrels. It was getting late for them and they eventually fell asleep, one by one. Twilight and Celestia stayed up for the remainder of the night talking. She fell asleep before Celestia left to lower the moon and raise the sun. It was an interesting party, with the game and Luna’s shenanigans, but it was nice.
THE END
