Luna gave a pleasant sigh as she felt the sun on her face. All throughout the Canterlot park, ponies mingled with their friends and families, enjoying the nice day and the perfectly-tended garden. "This is nice..." she murmured as she watched Krieg from her bench, "I think this will work."

Krieg had positioned himself a small distance from her, happily humming a little song as he went about setting up something on one of the picnic tables. Luna couldn't quite see what it was he was doing, but she was happy that he seemed content to entertain himself in a peaceful manner.

"Princess Luna!" she turned her head slightly to see Rarity approach her, "What a pleasure to meet you here!" Rarity did a small bow, "Are you enjoying the beautiful weather as well?"

Luna returned Rarity's greeting with a kind smile. As always, the element of generosity had made sure to look her best. Rarity was bearing a finely crafted summer hat and purple sunglasses, finished off with a long, velvety scarf. "Greetings, Rarity. It is indeed a nice day. Are you here to meet anypony?"

"Me? No, no... I am simply enjoying the lovely weather and waiting for inspiration to strike me." Rarity chuckled, "I have found that visiting this place always fills me with new creativity. May I ask, are you here all alone?"

Luna shook her head, "No, I am currently taking my new minion for a small walk... He gets excited easily and I hope that this place will help to calm him down a bit."

"Oh? You have a minion?" Rarity swooned, "It must be an impressive one considering your beauty!"

"Yes..." Luna's face sagged a bit, "Impressive is one way to put it."

"May I see him? Where is he?" Rarity started to turn her head to search the park and quickly spotted the laughing Krieg at one of picnic tables, "Oh, my... Is that..."

Luna sighed, "Yes. That is him. His name is Krieg."

"He's..." Rarity was clearly struggling not to let her terror of the obscenely dressed beast enter her voice, "Something."

"That may actually be a very good description..." Luna mumbled out of hearing.

"What is he doing?" Rarity asked with curiosity.

"I am not sure..." Luna let her gaze travel over Krieg's work. He had set up little flags along the whole of the table and white lines ran over the surface between them. "It looks like a race track." She raised an eyebrow, where had he gotten the crayons from?

Out of their hearing Krieg started to reach into his pockets, pulling out the snails he had so deviously collected along the way. It had taken a good hour to prepare everything, but now each of the snails had a small number drawn upon its shell.

We haven't played this one for some time now...

Luna saw him place the first of the snails at the starting line, "Oh, he has made a snail race."

"How lovely..." Rarity chimed with mixed emotions. Snails certainly weren't on her list of lovely things, but the creature simply looked adorable as it sat up the little houses... At least as far as adorable was appropriate for something dressed in yellow pants, a bizare mask and with a terrifying axe strapped to one of its legs.

"RIMBIDDIBIMBAM!" Krieg started to chant as he placed snail upon snail on the table, "BRUMBRUM! START YOUR ENGINES! VROOM! HONK HONK!"

"Oh, my. He can talk too?" Rarity asked with surprise, "And what a strong voice he has! Do you think I could talk with him? I am curious to know what would inspire such an outfit." she was actually more anxious to give him some styling tips.

Luna cringed slightly, "Yes... I am sure he wouldn't mind..." she gave a nervous swallow and fell in behind Rarity as she trotted towards him, "Please don't do anything crazy." she whispered to herself. It would be good for Krieg to meet Twilight Sparkle's friends, but somehow she couldn't help but feel a bit concerned at letting anypony so close to him.

She was sure Krieg wouldn't hurt Rarity, but she knew well enough by now that some of Krieg's behavior could appear peculiar to ponies. "Who am I kidding?" Luna sighed quietly, "Everything about him is peculiar..." not to mention that Rarity was a very special case when it came to peculiar behavior.

"Hello, there." Rarity chimed with her sweetest voice as she reached his table, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Krieg." the name sounded strange to her even as she said it.

Krieg looked up from his snails for a short moment to study her, making Rarity take a startled step backward as he inspected her with his bloodshot eye.

Pony with a hat... go figure...

"Krieg, this is Rarity..." Luna stepped up beside her, "She is the element of generosity and a close friend of Twilight Sparkle."

"A pleasure to meet you." Rarity repeated herself and nervously held out a hoof.

Krieg took a short look at the hoof, then back at Rarity's face... and returned his attention to the snails, "BRUUUM! SCREECH! ALL RACERS ON THE LINE!" he placed another snail on the table.

Rarity turned to Luna, "Did I say something wrong?"

Luna cringed slightly, "No... He is just... shy around new faces."

No, we're not... We're playing insurance fraud.

"INSURANCE FRAUD!" Krieg happily laughed.

"Is that the name of this game?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow, "I thought it was a snail race..."

Krieg suddenly threw both of his arms into the air above him, making Rarity flinch at his sudden action, "ALL RACERS READY! WAIT FOR THE FLAG!"

You may want to step back a bit...

Before Luna could ask what he meant, Krieg started again, "ON YOUR MARKS!" one of his hands traveled to his side as the two ponies watched in wonder, "GET READY! VROOOO!" Luna saw the snails on the board and heard his voice become louder and louder, "BRUMBRUMBRUM!" she saw him raise his buzz axe... "GO!"

The axe came down upon the table like a jackhammer, hacking away at the racing track and the racers, sending shreds of wood and snail gunk flying in all directions as Krieg's insane laughter accompanied the bloody slaughter. In a matter of seconds both Luna and Rarity where covered in what remained of the former racing team.

With the final downward swing the table finally broke in a shower of torn wood, metal and snail entrails, Krieg standing on its shattered remains and raising his gunk-covered weapon into the air like a trophy, "INSURANCE FRAUD!"

Not bad... Maybe we can find some more for a second race?

While Luna could only stare at the scene in silent horror, Rarity did what most likely anypony in her position would have done... She looked at the laughing and roaring Krieg, then at her snail-covered coat and getup, gave a short scream of horror and promptly fainted on the spot.

"BUTT STALLION HAS JOINED THE RACE!"

I thought her name was Rarity?

"BUTT STALLION!"

Author's Note

Who knows where the snail game is originally from?