Love Games: The Quest for Mares, Glory, and Honor!by StardustSurvivorChaptersPart 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 1 (Starlight Blaze)Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 2 (Bel Canto)Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 2.5 (Rarity)Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 3 (Starlight Blaze)Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 4 (Bel Canto)Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 5 (Starlight Blaze)Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 6 (Derpy Hooves)Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Prologue (Bel Canto)Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 1 (Starlight Blaze) My name is Starlight Blaze. I am a unicorn with a white coat, and a bright yellow unkempt mane with a wierd bright red stripe that goes down the right side for some reason. I have a knack for the guitar; I can even play it without using magic! My best friend, Bel Canto, and I won a strange raffle and a free vacation to Ponyville, where our best friend Vinyl Scratch lives, conveniently enough. We finally arrived in Ponyville a few days later, but before I even moved an inch off the station platform, BAM! I was mauled by a vicious pink furball! Shortly after, Bel had been hit too, that time by a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane, I think her name was Rainbow Dash. The aforementioned pink furball turned out to be an earth pony named Pinkie Pie. Shortly after impact, an orange earth pony in a stetson hat named Applejack had to drag the two off of us! Vinyl, instead of coming to meet us herself, had sent us a welcome party to bring us back to a library for some odd reason! I came back to the real world after thinking about everything that had happened so far. I wish I hadnt. Pinkie wouldn't stop talking! "Applejack, how far to the library?" I asked. "Not far now, just try to hold out a teensy bit longer. All this walking must have you beat!" "It's not the walking that's getting to me," I revealed, glaring at Pinkie Pie. "You sure 'bout that? City folk that come 'round here dont usually last this long," Applejack retorted. Oh, it. Is. On. "Oh yeah? I bet you I could probably beat you there!" I then got the feeling that I had said something I shouldn't have, because Pinkie Pie finally stopped babbling incoherently. I came to the assumption that when Pinkie was silent, it was suspicious, like with foals. "OOOOH you did not just challenge Applejack to a race!" "Yes, I just did," I responded, unaware of the folly of my actions. "Oh yer on, Sugarcube!" Applejack challenged as she drew out a starting line in the dirt. That was when Bel spoke up, "Star, you don't stand a chance! We went to gym class together and you were always last after we did laps around the field!" He was flying slowly in the air with his large, teal wings. Bel had always made fun of me for my lack of athleticism, in a friendly way though. He had been the track star. He excelled in the running races as well as the flying races due to his alicorn-like wing span. He laughed and brohoofed Rainbow Dash. That's when I had to let out my dirty little secret. "Bel, you remember all those times I said I was going out to buy muffins, but came back without them, saying I ate them all?" I asked as I cantered up to the starting line. "yeah, what about it?" he asked, confusion clear in his pale, pupilless eyes. How was that even possible? He wasn't blind! "I lied! Every time I told you that, I went for a run around the outskirts of the city." It was true, ever since I almost failed gym class because I couldnt run, I'd been going out for almost daily laps around the city. This was the perfect moment to show off my newfound skills. "So you've got stamina! Speed is what counts to win in a race like this, though!" Bel teased as he landed by the line too. Rainbow Dash landed next to him. "You guys are so not gonna' race without me!" "Ready," Applejack started the countdown. "Set," I was admittedly nervous. I had heard about the Apple family and their legendary athletic skills, but now it was time to show them 'city folk' could be fast too. "GO!" She shouted, and we were off, it was neck and neck the whole way there, but in the end I started really sprinting once the library came in sight. I figured we had passed the pegasi, because I lost sight of them as soon as we began. I could tell Applejack was straining to keep up, but she was too good for me, and pulled out ahead and got there first. I collapsed to the ground and admitted defeat, but was shocked at what Applejack had to say next, "You did pretty good out there Starlight. Ah'm mighty proud of you. Maybe not all city folk are as wimpy as Ah thought." Above us, somepony cleared their throat. We looked up and there were Rainbow and Bel with snarky expressions on their faces. "We got here first, actually, Applejack." Bel countered. "You just got beat by one of those 'City Folk.'" That was enough to do me in. I blacked out. I woke up inside what appeared to be the library, where I was greeted by 9 pairs of eyes standing over me, one of which caught my attention immediately. They were a nice, dark shade of purple. As beautiful as they were, the mare attached to them was what really caught my eye. She was a unicorn with a lavender coat and...and...wings? She gently asked, "Are you ok, there?" I realised that must have been Princess Twilight Sparkle, an alicorn, and immediately passed out again from the shock of being this close to an actual princess. I finally awoke, this time laying on the couch instead of the floor, and bolted upright. Had I really passed out? Twice? How embarrassing! In front of that beauty of a princess too! I took a quick glance around and found that everypony was, once again, surrounding me. "Uh....Hi..." I finally managed to say. "Hey there sleepy head," That voice...it was unmistakable! "Vinyl! Sorry you had to see that, but I'm sure you would pass out too after racing one of the fastest ponies out there and waking up with a princess hanging over you!" I apologized sheepishly. "Chill, man! It's cool. Get up so I can introduce you to everypony!" She had her trademark grin plastered across her face, shades covering her eyes, even in the dim light of this library. I got up, feeling a little wobbly, and walked slowly to the rest of the group. "These girls here, are the Elements of Harmony!" Vinyl began, "You know Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack, of course." "Hi there, Starzy!" Pinkie exclaimed, waving excitedly. Vinyl continued to introduce the ponies surrounding me. "The yellow pegasus hiding behind her pink mane -and Rainbow- is Fluttershy." Fluttershy did indeed have half her body hidden behind the more confident pegasus. "The alicorn over there, reading at her desk, is quite obviously, Twilight Sparkle," I whipped my head around to get another look at Twilight. She was just as beautiful as before. I found myself staring and quickly looked back to Vinyl and Bel. Vinyl shot me a grin. She had obviously noticed, but Bel seemed to be giving me a death glare. What did I do? "Last, but not least, is Rarity!" A white unicorn with a perfectly curled, purple mane extended a hoof in my direction. "It's so nice to meet you, Darling." I smiled and shook her hoof. "Its nice to meet all of you guys!" I addressed them all at once. As soon as the words left my mouth, they started bombarding me and Bel with a plethora of questions. "What's it like up on stage? don't you get nervous?" Fluttershy spoke up for the first time. She turned to Bel, "Do you like to sing with birds?" She seemed more excited about his singing. "I've heard you can play the guitar without using magic! why don't you demonstrate for us later, once your guitar gets here? A little performance from the two of you?" Twilight asked excitedly. I was about to respond to her, but I was cut off. "Darling you absolutely MUST come over to my boutique so i can measure you for some outfits later! what do you say? it will be free, of course, since we're friends now! Having rock stars in my designs would be great for business!" That was when Rainbow cut in, seeming to fangirl over us the most, "I love your music! It's soooo cool! Guitar is awesome!" She looked over to Bel, "I knew you could sing awesome, but your wings are huge! I had no idea you were so fast! We've gotta' go train together some time!" The entire time all these questions were being asked, Pinkie was bouncing behind the rest of them, steadily spewing out question after question without an end in sight. Didn't she breath!? I backed up a little, nervous that they might trample us both in their excitement. As I did, something caught my eye. "Before I answer anything, I want to know why theres a bucking DRAGON in here!" I knew who he was. Who didnt? I just needed to change the subject. "Who, me?" Spike answered, frowning a bit at my fake fear. I'd have to apologize for that later. "I'm Spike, Princess Twilight's number one assistant!" Bel spoke up, "What's wrong, Star?" He chuckled a bit and zipped over to Spike. "I think he's awesome!" He brohoofed the purple dragon, eliciting a chuckle from him. Bel always was better with fans. The more praise he got, the better. He was a pony pleaser at heart. "Nice to meet you, Spike" I replied, ignoring Bel's jab. He seemed to be on a roll, but I'd get him back. I needded to change the subject from us again, sensing that Spike wasn't a good enough distraction. Hay, he might even start to ask questions of his own Feeling peckish, I decided that was a good enough distraction...if it worked. "When's lunch?" I asked, "Sprinting half a mile and passing out twice really takes a lot out of you!" I chuckled nervously, scratching the back of my head with a hoof. Oh Celestia, I hoped that worked.... Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 2 (Bel Canto) I guffawed as I watched Star slump the rest of the way to the ground. "I can't believe he actually passed out after a race!" I got out between giggles, though I had once done the same thing. At least I won that race. Rainbow just rolled her eyes at me. Applejack looked up at me with narrowed eyes, "What're you laughin' at, Sugarcube? Y'all cheated to win!" I stopped laughing and landed in front of her with a smirk. "Of course we didn't. You never specified that it was a foot race. Star merely issued the challenge to beat you to the library." I winked at her, eliciting a tiny blush. She pulled her hat down over her eyes embarrassedly. "Alright, alright," She caved, "Y'all got me there." I chuckled under my breath as I picked Star from the ground. I laid him across my back with a grunt and walked toward the door. I was going to have a looong talk with him about cupcakes and why a pony shouldn't eat them for every meal. I raised a hoof to knock gently to the door and found it connecting softly with something squishy instead. I blinked several times before I could interpret the action. I was looking straight into dashing, violet eyes on either side of my hoof. I quickly dropped it. "Oops! Sorry. I didn't mean to bop you on the nose, there," I apologized, closing my eyes in a warm smile. Twilight giggled a bit, "That's quite alright." She fluttered her eyes, and though I don't think it was on purpose, it was tantalizing all the same. I had seen Princess Twilight in portraits and pictures before, and I knew she was quite a beautiful young mare, but to see her in pony was entirely different. She was absolutely gorgeous! Her big, violet eyes twinkled with her smile. Her perfect mane was cut in a simple fashion, but I found it adorable. She had a shapely body with curves in all the right places, perfect, lavendar fur, and....I was staring, wasn't I? Twilight's face was one of concern as I came to. "Are...you and your friend alright?" She asked. I blushed a bit and nodded quickly to hide it. "Yes, yes, I'm quite alright, and he just pushed himself too hard in a race," I grunted and shifted his weight on my back. "He's pretty heavy though. Can we come in?" She nodded and turned into the house. "Of course! Come on in." I tried my best- and failed a little- not to stare at her plot as she walked away. I followed her into the spacious den and deposited Star onto the floor next to me. Twilight looked down at him with a concerned look that mirrored the one everypony else gave him. After a few minutes, his eyes fluttered open. He looked up at us all, then directly at Twilight. "Are you ok, there?" She asked and his eyes rolled toward the back of his head before shutting again. His head hit the floor with a thump. Yep. That was Star, for ya'. Twilight sighed and picked Star up in her magic, placing the syncopal unicorn on her couch. It was better than the floor, I guess. She looked at me and smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Vinyl showed me one of your band's albums, as well as your solo record. You have an amazing voice." I beamed at her. I was just about to thank her, and maybe make a suave remark about how I could sing for her in a special performance...or not. She probably wouldn't go for it, or she might even take it as an innuendo. A word never escaped my lips. The door slammed open revealing a pearl white unicorn with a messy, blue mane and purple designer shades. She looked like she'd already gotten tipsy...without me? C'mon! "Vinyl!" I shouted, walking over to her. "Bel Hop!" She responded back loudly, closing the distance between us. I stopped dead in my tracks and glared at her as I sat on my haunches. I pointed a hoof at her. "I told you not to call me that, Scratch," I warned. "But it's sooo funny!" She protested. "When I first met you, you were just a-" She was cut off by my hoof over her muzzle. I glanced fleetingly from side to side. "Sh-sh-sh-sh-shush!" The mares -and dragon- behind me sniggered. I glowered at them, then back at Vinyl. Once again, I was cut off by a sound behind me. Star was stirring. I turned and everypony was looking at him with a concerned look except Twilight. She had rushed over to her desk to write something down. It must have been important princess stuff. While Vinyl was introducing everypony to us, I caught Star staring at Twilight. I saw her first! It. Is. On! I shot daggers at him with my eyes. When he finally glanced in my direction, he gave me a confused look. I tried to respond with a look that said, "You know what you did!" At this point, If I had the ability to shoot laser beams -and how cool would that be!- I would have been. The girls went all paparazzi on us. I adored my fans, and to know that we were celebrities to other celebrities was pretty cool, but Star seemed nervous. He didn't always make the best decisions when he was nervous. Here we go again. First, he offended the baby dragon, and I knew he was just trying to change the subject -poorly- but that must've hurt. I played it off and took the heat off him by making a unified front with Spike against him. He shot me a nasty look for the joke and I knew I'd be getting mine later. "When's lunch?" He asked, "Sprinting half a mile and passing out twice really takes a lot out of you!" Smooth, dude. Smooth. You don't just ask when lunch is as a visitor in somepony's home. I rolled my eyes. Time to save him. "Totally. I'd love to try out one of the local restaurants!" I chimed in. "Twilight, why don't you pick? Everyone's invited. My treat." I smiled warmly at them all. Oh Celestia, please tell me that worked! "Hmmm," She smiled and tapped a hoof to her chin. Why don't we stop at Bon Appétit's. Bon makes the best Prench cuisines, "Oh great, I thought sarcastically, "At a decent price too!" She added. Oh great! My mood changed for the better after that. I didn't bring a million bits with me just because I was going on holliday, so a cheap-ish lunch among new friends sounded awesome. I just hoped that whatever Star had planned for me would come later... We were all making our way into the restaurant when Star stopped me. He gave me a pleading look. I sighed and turned to the group. "Go ahead and find a table, guys. We'll be there soon enough. Ask for a spot near the back of the restaurant for me, will ya'?" They nodded and complied. I turned back to Star. We were mere hooves away from the door. "What is it, Star? "Dude, I'm in love with Twilight, and I need your help to impress her!" He confided to me in a hushed and excited tone. Oh no he didn't! "Uh uh. No way, Dude! I saw her first!" I protested loudly. Star blinked a few times at my sudden and unexpected irritation. "Wait, what? That's not fair! If it was an, 'I saw her first,' contest, then that's cheating, because I was passed out at the time!" "Well maybe you should think of that before you decide to show off!" I scoffed. ""WHAT?!" Star shouted at me angrily, "You're the KING of show off! Why do you think I broke so many bones when we were in college?! You were always showing off to the mares, and I always got the short end of the stick!" He pointed an accusing hoof in my direction. "Whatever! I'm a FRONTSTALLION for a ROCKBAND! Showing off is my job! I'm a professional! Do not attempt at home!" I yelled back, getting dangerously close to him. I sighed and facehoofed at myself for the stupidity of the words that had just left my mouth, but I was quickly filled with rage once more. It was time to break out college rules. "You know what?" I shouted, "This means war! I challenge you to Love Games! We'll fight for her heart!" "Oh, it's on, Motherbucker!" He cursed. "You mess with the blaze, you get burnt!" I growled. "Alright! You mess with the Bel, you're gonna' get rung! Wait...?" I facehoofed again. I was terrible at on-the-spot comebacks. I slowly slid the hoof down my muzzle and allowed it to plop to the ground. "Look, for right now, let's just get in there before they start worrying about us." I turned and began walking to the door, but I paused to look back at him over my shoulder. He was still standing in a fighting stance, horn pointed at me angrily. I smiled the tiniest of smiles. "You're my best friend, Starlight." I don't know what he did after that, because I turned and quickly entered the restaurant. I really hoped this would be a pleasant lunch. Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 2.5 (Rarity) "Hmmm," I thought. "They're taking rather long. Maybe I should go see what's going on." I looked at everypony around the table, lost in conversation. "Excuse me, Girls," I got up, "I'll be right back. I need to go to the 'little filly's room'." With that, I took off. I didn't go to the restroom, however. I made my way to the front of the the building just in time to hear, "Well maybe you should think of that before you decide to show off!" Uh oh. Are they arguing? I peeked around the doorway to look at the two, fighting stallions, making sure to stay out of sight. "WHAT?!" Star shouted, he seemed upset, "You're the KING of show off! Why do you think I broke so many bones when we were in college?! You were always showing off to the mares, and I always got the short end of the stick!" I had no idea Bel Canto was so popular with the ladies, even before becoming a star! He does have a certain charm about him. I didn't hear what was said in the next couple seconds as I picked the two stallions apart, silently judging their appearances. Bel had most likely been the silent, brooding, bookish type that had lured mares in with an air of mystery about him. At that point, he would have employed his hyperactive friend into a scheme to impress those same mares. They had apparently tried many things before finally settling on performing music as their cutie marks suggested they do the entire time. I quietly giggled to myself, but shut up when Bel caught my attention. "You know what?" he shouted, "This means war! I challenge you to Love Games! We'll fight for her heart!" Her heart? They're fighting over a mare? Wait...I caught both of them staring at...TWILIGHT! A devious grin grew on my face. I just had to tell the girls. This was going to be good! They were coming back! Oh no! I shot to my seat at the table near the back of the restaurant. This lunch could not end sooner! It took forever!!! Eventually, however, Bel picked up the bill and we all began walking back to the library. On the way, we left the stallions at the inn so they could check into their rooms. While the rest of us walked, I stayed near the back. One by one, I got everypony's attention, everypony but Twilight. I gave them all the signal to meet me at the boutique, and one by one, they made excuses to leave. Twilight suspected nothing, except possibly from Applejack. The girl couldn't lie correctly if her life depended on it. I silently facehoofed as she explained that the apples needed to be re-bucked. In just three minutes, I was the only one left with Twilight as we approached the door to the library. It was at that point that I excused myself to work on a large order Photo Finish had laid on me earlier that day. We said our goodbyes and I ran to my boutique to find the girls, and Spike, already waiting for me. Yes! I let them in and we all sat in a circle in the living room. Sweetie Belle was still at school. "So, what's this super duper Über secret meeting about? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Pinkie asked excitedly. I took a deep breath and let it out with an audible squee. "I overheard the stallions fight over Twilight before lunch!" Fluttershy blushed with an, "Oh my!" Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly. Applejack smiled at the news while Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes. "So?" She asked bemusedly. "So," I respondedly, "I think we should help Bel out with Twilight!" I revealed. Rainbow brohoofed me, "Alright, sure!" She smiled. "He's almost as fast as me and likes books as much as Twilight! He's perfect!" Applejack looked at her smugly and she blushed, adding, "...For her." Applejack rolled her eyes, then looked to me, "Ah, for one, Don't like him as much as the other feller, Star." She confessed. "Ah wanna' help him. He's got spunk." Pinkie and Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Star is soooo fun!" Pinkie added, "I wanna' help him too!" Fluttershy put her two bits in as well, trying and failing to look small, "He's...nice." Spike, whom had been silent thus far, spoke up at this time. "I'll help you, Rarity. I like him a lot!" I smiled back at him. "Thank you Spikey Wikey," I said, kissing him on the cheek. He got a dreamy look in his eyes and floated a hoof or two into the air. Pinkie pulled a rifle from her hair...somehow, and held it to her chest. "Well girls," She said, firing the gun. A small flag with the word "BANG" written on it popped from the barrel. "This means war!" Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 3 (Starlight Blaze) "Three days...its been...three days...!" I groaned as I walked into sugarcube corner. I sat myself down at a table, and Pinkie at once appeared at my side, almost as if out of thin air, shouting "Hi there star!" at the top of her lungs. Needless to say, going three days without sleep had affected me greatly. I was too tired to be surprised. Ever since we declared war, Bel and I had been pranking each other non-stop, typically in the presence of Twilight. During this time I'd been too paranoid to sleep, eat, or even exist within fifty hooves of him. "I'm exhausted Pinkie. Please...just get me a muffin...?" I managed to ask groggily. "Sure thing star! The usual?" pinkie asked. "Yes..." I responded, planting my head firmly on the table with a resonding THUMP! I had developed a taste for Pinkie's muffins in my short time there in Ponyville. There was something...off...about them that really kept my mood up. Pinkie appeared seconds later with a muffin in hand. I thanked her with a mouthful of muffin as I handed her the bits, which she promptly gave back. "No need to pay for this one, Starry. It's on me!" Feeling rejuvinated by the muffin already, I found myself smiling "Thanks, Pinkie" I said gratefully and much less groggily. Pinkie scooted up next to me on the stall and put her mouth near my ear, whispering conspiratorially, "Psst, Hey Starry. You wanna' get in Twi's pants, right?" She asked. I clamored away from her on the stall, staring at her wide-eyed. "What? What are-" I was cut off as her hoof was placed over my mouth. "SSssshhhh!" She shushed, "The authors don't care that you don't know what pants are! Do you want her or not?" I silently nodded, her hoof still over my mouth and she beamed at me, her smile really large enough to touch both ears. "Good! I want to help. Rarity heard the two of you fighting outside the restaurant and filled us in." Her toothy grin turned mischievous. "So I heard you were having trouble with some...pranks." "Pinkie, I'm uhh...flattered...you want to help me out, but you don't know what your getting yourself into! Bel is ruthless! He will stop at nothing to impress a girl once he has his mind set, and he will do anything he can to hinder me in the process!" I protested as we walked through town, looking for Bel. "Don't worry, Star," Pinkie assured, completely unphased. "Fluttershy and Applejack are on your side too, so we've got him outnumbered as long as he doesn't find out Rainbow Dash, Spike and Rarity are on his side!" I was beginning to sweat profusely, panicking that anypony was helping him at all. This...this was his specialty. Bel didn't talk about it often, but he had spent several years in the royal guard before he went to college and finally met back up with me after high school. If he had an army, he was going to win for sure! "You're a swell guy, Star. I can't lie. Something about you just screams, 'I'm the perfect match for Twilight Sparkle!'" I meant to respond; however, I found myself pulled into a bush, and I suddenly had a pair of glasses with eyebrows and a nose that made me look like Groucho Hooves. Pinkie motioned to my eyes, then out to one of the market stalls, explaining wordlessly that I needed to look. I gazed out of the foliage to see Bel with Twilight. They had stopped at a stall on their way somewhere and seemed to be having a good time. My face flushed red as I seethed with anger. Pinkie handed me a pie, then threw one of her own at the back of his head. It was a direct hit, messing up the careful style of his short, blonde and black mane. He turned in our direction angrily, just in time for his eyes to widen as another cream pie hit him directly in the muzzle. "Graaahh! Star!" He began to make chase and we bolted in the opposite direction. As we ran, I heard Twilight shout, "Wait! What about our date?!" The disappointment was crystal clear in her tone. Just how quickly was I losing this war? It had been four days since I found out that I now had a miniature army at my disposal. I assigned Pinkie to be my personal bodyguard, as I was paranoid as ever over Bel's pranks. He had begun to do some serious damage with the help of his followers. One of them shot fire, for Celestia's sake! "Pinkie, I'm going out. I need to relax. Try to contact Bel for a cease-fire, will ya? All this stress is really getting to me!" It was highly unlikely Bel would stop in his pursuit of Twilight, but I could be sure that he would, at least, leave me alone for a while if i asked him to. It would allow him more time to concentrate on wooing her. "Yes, General!" Pinkie shouted, offering a sharp salute in return. I added, "If you need me, I shall be in sector sigma-alpha-omega," which was our military code for Sweet Apple Orchards. I needed some time alone, so I picked up my guitar, a notebook, and a pencil and went out. As I weaved my way through the multitude of trees in the orchard, I searched for somewhere to sit. I found a clearing with an especially large tree in the middle. Surprisingly, it bore no apples. I sat down at the base of the tree, took out my guitar, opened the notebook and let the creative juices flow... "There's a place and a time for the likes of war, There's a place in my heart, thats beats for more, More than just fighting, more than just peace, Not quite victory, not quite defeat, Maybe all i need, is a breather..." Suddenly, I heard a crack, and everything went dark. I awoke to somepony running frantic circles around me, "Ughhh...What happened...?" I grumbled, rubbing what felt like a large lump on my head. "Oh, finally! You're awake!" The stranger sounded anxious, "Sorry I landed on you...I'm not exactly the best flier..." She apologized, "My name is Ditzy Doo, but most people call me Derpy...What's your name?" Those eyes...they were crossed. The left one seemed to work correctly while the right lazily lolled toward the ground. I caught myself staring and quickly looked away, unaware of the growing blush on my face "Uhhh...." I began, "Hi Derpy. Is it ok if I call you Derpy? My name's Starlight Blaze..." The mare gasped loudly, and I expected to be tackled to the ground in a fit of fan-girling. I braced for an impact which never came. "You're one of those two stallions trying to impress Twilight!" She observed. "What? How do YOU know about that?" I asked, slightly annoyed. "EVERYONE IN PONYVILLE knows whats going on between you two and Twilight....except Twilight, of course...." The adorably cross-eyed mare informed, "Most ponies found out during an especially heated argument between Applejack and Rainbow Dash in Town Square the other day. Ever since then, ponies have been taking sides! Some even have bets open on who's going to win. Others have fights, and even take up arms against one another in small skirmishes led by Fluttershy on your side and Spike on Bel Canto's!" I was beginning to be less concerned that others could be injured by this war, and more by the fact that there could be someone, a spy trying to take me out, standing right in front of me! "W-which side are you on, D-Derpy?" I asked, clearly nervous. Way to go, Hotshot. The mare seemed to pick up on my nervous behavior and backed up a bit. "Well...I don't really want to get involved in something like this...but if I had to pick, I'd pick you!" Derpy said, going from nervous to excited in the blink of an eye. "Hmmm....Derpy, I like you. Something about you is just...off...in a good way! How would you like to be my assistant, second in command?" I asked, worried I sounded a bit too excited to drag her into a war that she clearly didnt want to get involved in. "Hhhh...This is all so sudden! I've never worked for, nevermind, NEAR a rockstar before!" She was excited, and I was relieved that she accepted the job. She gave off an interesting vibe, to say the least. "What are my orders, Sir?" She asked with a crooked salute, seemingly too excited to be under my command. "Your first orders are to take these bits," I handed her a medium-sized bag of bits, "Go to Sugarcube Corner, and buy a dozen muffins. Tell them Starlight wants the usual." She seemed to almost burst with joy once I uttered the word 'muffins.' "SIR, YES SIR!" she shouted, dropping her salute. She flew off and left me wondering what it was about her that I seemed slightly drawn towards....I picked up my guitar and let the creative juices flow once again, with nothing but that strange, cross-eyed mare on my mind. Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 4 (Bel Canto) "Admiral, Sir!" a soldier called out to me as she ran into my "strategy room," which in all actuality was just my room in the inn. She was mint green with a matching mane. It had a white stripe in it. I think her name was Lyra, and she had quickly raised through the ranks to Master Chief. In the early stages of the war, Vinyl had introduced her and her mare Bon Bon to me, and Lyra had proven to be one of the brightest mind that I had on my side. She had constructed a device that enabled not only unicorns to use our paintball guns, but pegasi and earth ponies as well! Under my supervision, she was training my soldiers in their use. So far, they had proven useful, though a few had gone missing from the armory (Bob Bon's Confectionary)... "Yes, Master Chief," I responded, "What is it?" If she wasn't on the training grounds, then this must have been important. "Sir, some of our scouts have reported sights of the enemy with our H.A.N.D.S.!" She reported with a quick salute. H.A.N.D.S. were her creation. It stood for "Human to Animal Nabbing Device for Surface warfare." I pounded my handed hoof on my desk. "What!" I responded furiously. "Whoever's job it was to be guarding the armory is to be on head detail for the rest of the war! Was the enemy capable of using the devices?" Lyra nodded. "Yes Sir. The Apple family is actually quite bright. They used them in a short skirmish with our scouts Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash; however, we were capable of holding them off. They eventually retreated back to their farm." I nodded. "Thank you, Lyra," I responded, "Dismissed." Lyra swiftly exited, on two legs for some odd reason. "Wow," Vinyl commented from the corner of the room between bites of cake. "This is even funnier than when you and Neon Lights did this over me in college!" She guffawed. "Vinyl!" I shouted, blushing profusely. "I thought the three of us agreed never to speak about that!" She merely laughed louder in response. The normally friendly town of Ponyville had become a warzone. For the most part, it was unorganized and chaotic, but I had been slowly training anypony wishing to join my forces to be more efficient. The age of geurilla warfare would be no more. Ponies would no longer be sniped from rooftops by water balloons. Ponies would no longer be afraid to visit the market lest they be peppered with paintballs. Somepony must have been spying, however, because Star's side of things seemed to be getting better as well. Despite Star and his army's attempts to prank and embarrass me, my own army of shameless shippers had been protecting me from harm. Because Star was spending much of his time hiding, I had plenty of time to spend with Twilight, and we were getting close. I was walking to her house now. We had scheduled a time to sit down to read together. It sounded like a lot of fun, and I found myself picking up the pace in excitement. A wide grin graced my face with its presence. I was almost there when I found myself surrounded by animals. "Ahh. Fluttershy, I presume," My grin turned devilish. I still had my hands on, and I stood on two legs. I flared my wings out to hold my balance. "You won't stop me!" I roared, pulling my paintball gun out of...wait, where did I get it from? One by one, the animals lunged out at me, attempting to tackle me to the ground, but each time I dodged their attacks and responded with three paintballs in their back. They cried out in anguish and remained on the ground, defeated. I heard the sound of a paintball gun being loaded and turned swiftly to find a small, white bunny holding a gun and a balloon. He tossed the balloon, and I was barely able to dodge it. The rubber sack of water soared right by my ear as I lunged to my side, causing a whooshing sound. I hit the ground and rolled to my feet. I had no time to counter-strike. The bunny was already following my every move with paintballs as I ran to avoid being hit. PLAT! Angel Bunny fell to his knees first, then to his face. On the back of his head was a large, red paint splatter. He was out cold. I followed the trajectory up with my eyes to find Rainbow Dash, unconcious Fluttershy draped over her back. Perfect! Prisoner of war! "I'll never talk!" Fluttershy shouted between giggles. She was tied to one of Twilight's chairs, and Rainbow Dash was tickling her with one of her blue feathers. Twilight looked up from her book at the scene before her with amusement. I lifted the bunny from before up by his ears. He stared daggers at me out of the corner of his eyes, his front paws crossed defiantly over his chest. "Talk, or the bunny gets the same treatment," I threatened. "No! Not my Angel Bunny!" Fluttershy cried cutely. "Oh, yes!" "O-Ok. I'll talk," Fluttershy hung her head low and spoke barely audibly, even for her. "He's hiding...in the orchard." I let Angel go. He swiftly kicked me in one of my shins then hopped toward Fluttershy. Rainbow freed her from her bindings, and they went to find a book to read. There was no way I would let them out. I turned to Rainbow Dash, "Go get our troops assembled. I will hand pick some to go on a search and destroy mission!" She gave me a quick salute, an, "Aye aye, Sir," and quickly exited the building. Twilight stood up, walked over to me, and put a hoof on my shoulder. I turned to look at her, and concern colored her face. "Bel, you don't have to do this," She pleaded. "Let's just end this." I shook my head dismissively. "This is a matter of honor and glory! I have to beat him!" I shook her hoof off my shoulder and walked nearer the exit. Twilight sighed. "But you've-" I closed the door on my way out, cutting her off, "Already won..." She finished to no one in particular, a small pout forming across her face. Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 5 (Starlight Blaze) Derpy, our soldiers, and I were waiting up in the trees of the orchard, hoping they had believed fluttershy. We didn't have to wait long as the sound of many, many hooves filled the air. Then, I heard Rainbow Dash speaking, "Ok men, we're going to go in quietly and take them all out. Ready your weapons." They were on the move. Once they got to the clearing we had surrounded, I gave the signal. "NOW!" We all jumped down and surrounded them. We clearly outnumbered them, four to one. There was no way they could win, and they knew it. They dropped their weapons, but Rainbow appeared to have a plan B. She shot up into the air in a flash and grabbed Derpy. "NO!" I shouted "OPEN FIRE!" "On whom, General?" A random colt asked. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK?! FIRE ON RAINBOW!!" Rainbow wasn't going as fast as usual, encumbered by a struggling Derpy, looking at me with those eyes of hers, or at least one of them. My soldiers opened fire and missed every time. She got away. "Cease fire, Soldiers! She's gone." I commanded sternly. I turned my attention to our new hostages, all of which looked afraid. Among them were Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and a bunch of other kids. "Figures he would send a bunch of kids. He thinks we wouldn't shoot a bunch of kids." I walked right up to them, my gun relaxed at my side. I wasn't about to start threatening children. "Would any of you like to tell us where Rainbow just flew off to?" I asked, trying to sound friendly. I may have added a slight, accidentally sinister edge to the simple words. "Like we would tell you!" Scootaloo spat back at me. "Oh really, now? I'm sure one of you would be willing to tell us." I had an idea. I pulled out my radio. "Pinkie, I need you to take the two, nearest howitzers and aim them at Sweet Apple acres Orchards." I spoke into it slowly. I could see the fear set into the kids. Pinkie's voice crackled into the radio, "Aye aye, General!" I looked them over again, "Let's try this again, shall we? Where did Rainbow take Derpy?" "Don't fall for it, Guys! He won't fire on himself!" Oh, were they in for a surprise! I pulled out my radio again. "Pinkie, are those two howitzers trained on my position?" I asked calmly, a smirk approaching my lips. "Yes, Sir! Ready to fire on your orders!" She sounded excited; she probably knew exactly what was going on. "Fire." I commanded. Everyone cowered in fear as two shots went off, clearly distinct from the many that were fired every couple seconds. The sounds of battle in the distance had become the song of Ponyville over the last week. The gunfire was the hi-hat. The water-balloon bombs had become the symbals. The marching had become the rhythm, the shouts and scream, cries of anguish becoming a sadistic melody. However, this! This was something that would have done Vinyl Scratch proud. What had been fired from my massive, powerful, highly expensive tanks? What was I currently dropping on myself, among others? This...was the BASS! "WAIT! WAIT! WE'LL TELL! WE'LL TELL! I DON'T WANNA' DIE!" Somepony cried out in desperation. The cry came from Scootaloo. I quickly casted a magical barrier over the clearing. The two shots hit with pinpoint accuracy, right above the kids. It was a good thing they were just giant water balloons, otherwise someone might have literally shit themselves! "Now that you know I mean buisness...where's Derpy?" I asked, much more stern than the first two times I asked; I was growing inpatient with the unanswered question. "Rainbow probably took her to the inn, where the Admiral is!" Scootaloo stated, looking like she was on the verge of tears from what she thought was a near-death-experience. I wouldn't ever hurt kids, though. I turned to the orange mare next to me, "Applejack, take these 'hostages' to your barn and see if you can't get them something for lunch. I'm sure they're all pretty terrified after that." "Will do, Sir" Applejack replied with a salute. I turned towards town and started running as fast as my legs would carry me. I wasn't going to let them take Derpy. Over the past few days, I had sometimes found my mind filled with thoughts of the grey mare, her grey coat, her blonde mane, and...those eyes. I couldnt stop thinking about those eyes of hers: the way they always tended to drift away from eachother, the way they shone when we were talking. I really liked Derpy. I could say anything around her, and she probably wouldn't mind, the same way I never minded how she was always so straightforward, just speaking what was on her mind. I tended to do that too, and I think that was why we both got along so well. We were just honest with each other. I wasn't going to let Bel take that from me. This would be a win in a sea of losses, even if it was the last thing I would do! Before I knew it, I was at the town hall. My rare presence in town caught a lot of attention from friend and foe alike, but they were all too stunned to fire upon me. I supposed my obscurity was paying off. As I was getting closer to the inn, my radio sparked to life, "Star, what are you doing?! You're smack dab in the middle of enemy territory! You gotta get out of there!" Pinkie's voice came through loud and clear, "Once they snap out of it, you'll be absolutely-tutely peppered with paint for sure!" She was right, of course, but I wasn't about to leave derpy behind. "Negative, Pinkie. Rainbow took derpy, and I'm going to get her back. Maintain radio silence. There's someone coming." I was crouched behind Town Hall. There, I could hear what sounded like a small squad of soldiers marching swiftly in tight formation through the streets. What I heard next was the sound of Rainbow's voice. "Ok guys, we gotta' get this girl over to HQ, pronto! She's star's second in command! So, shes pretty valuable! We can't lose this one!" Valuable, I'd say! I snuck a peek around the building, and there she was, all tied up. She spotted me, and I suddenly noticed her eyes light up. I felt my heart warm, though I wasn't sure why. I mouthed the sentences, "Stay calm," and, "Wait for me," to her. She nodded, careful not to let the enemy notice the movement. I followed the group from behind until they got to the inn. I shot around to the back of the building, where I had noted a second entrance previously, and readied my gun. Show time! Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 6 (Derpy Hooves) "AAAHHHHH!" I shouted as rainbow grabbed me. "OPEN FIRE!" WHAT! They'll hit me! "On whom, General?" "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK?! FIRE ON RAINBOW!!" It was the last thing I heard before rainbow finally conked me on the head to knock me out. I woke up several minutes later, tied up and being carried to the inn. I was surrounded by guards, all marching swiftly in unison around me. I lolled my eyes around to get an idea of my surroundings. The few unicorns in the very middle were carrying me magically. I started struggling, but the ropes were too tight. I wasn't sure if they had been tied better by their H.A.N.D.S., or if it was magical. Either way, I was stuck. That was when Rainbow started shouting behind me. "Ok guys, we gotta' get this girl over to HQ, pronto. She's Star's second in command, so shes pretty valuable! We can't lose this one!" I started struggling even more, imagining their sinister plans for me. "Wait, is that star?" I thought as he caught my eye from behind the white pillars of Town Hall. "What's that he's saying?...Stay calm...wait fo-" Gosh dangit eyes! why do you always go wonky at the worst times! I just nodded and complied with his first command. I noticed him following us back, but I tried not to make it too obvious. Star was a pretty cool guy. He was a rockstar, for Celestia's sake! But around him, I just felt so...comfortable! Like, I could tell him anything, and he wouldn't get mad! So that's what I did. I told him everything that was on my mind, and he told me what was on his. My thoughts of Star were interrupted when we stopped moving, abruptly. I noticed we had made our way to the inn. I was taken up the stairs to Bel's room, still tied to a chair. My left eye drawled over the room number as we passed through the door. "4B." The soldiers set me down in the middle of the room, upright thankfully. My eyes widened as I took in the sight. He'd acquired the largest suite in the inn, and it was all decked out to be a command center! The set-up alone must have costed hundreds, maybe thousands! It really amazed me how much those two rockstars had invested over this silly contest. Howitzers? *Really*?! It was all pretty neat, actually! He'd even set up radar, somehow, and the entire town was being scanned. He could see everything but Sweet Apple Acres. I silently prayed to Celestia that he didn't see Star sneaking in through the back door. I certainly did! The only soldier who hadn't left yet, Rainbow spoke up, "Sir! Our team was ambushed at the orchard. It was a trap!" She seemed really good at this, proffesional even. I knew she was training to be a Wonderbolt, but damn, girl! "Damn it!" Bel shouted, slamming his hoof to his grand oak desk in the middle of the room. Strewn across its surface were several maps, figurines laid out carefully across them. On one side of the desk was a large stack of military-strategy books he was apparently studying, taller than the desk itself. On it was a small sticky note that read, "Read." On the other side were two books stacked on top of each other/. They also had a sticky note on them that read, "Unread." Maybe he was perfect for Twilight! As if noticing me for the first time, Bell turned to me with a grin. That same rockstar grin made mares swoon all across Equestria. With one of my eyes, I noted that Rainbow Dash's knees wobbled a little at the sight. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Is this, perchance, Star's second in command?" I glared at him. I had to stay strong! For Star! "Yeah. What of it, Bel?" I retorted angrily. It came out more agressive than I had intended it, but he was being a meany, kidnapping me like this! "Well, I guess that mission wasn't a total failure. A king can do little with pawns and no queen." He sneered and leaned forward in his chair a bit. "Obviously, if that had been a trap, then Fluttershy fed us false intel. You, on the other hand, can lead us right to the base." bel stated calmly as he plucked a large feather from his...woah! His wings are huge! What is up with that? I shook my head to clear my thoughts, realizing what the large feather was for. "You're going to torture me? Fine! Do your worst! I won't ever give in!" "Oh, I plan on doing that, and more, Derpy. You're going to wish you never-" His evil -of course it's evil, this is my chapter- monologue was interrupted by gunshots downstairs with a chorus of tortured cries from his soldiers. His teal ears perked up, pupiless, light blue eyes widening with the realization that his base had been infiltrated. "Rainbow!" He commanded, an underlying twinge of fear present in his urgent voice. "Go figure out what's really going on downstairs, while I talk with our 'guest' here." He turned to me and gave me a confusing glare. I looked away. "On it, Sir!" Rainbow complied as she flew out the door and downstairs, gun at the ready. The gunshots were getting closer, much closer. Seconds later, Rainbow burst back through the door, covered in paint and bruises. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Sir, it's Star, and he-" SPLAT! she was cut off by a paintball to the back of the head. Her eyes glazed over, and she collapsed to the floor. "STAR!" I shouted, knowing already who had come to my rescue, though I couldn't see the door. "DERPY!" Came the reply from the doorway. He ran to my side. He was covered from head to toe in paint and bruises, yet he was still standing, gun pointed directly at Bel. The look on his face was protective, stern, and almost terrifying! "I'm taking Derpy, Bel." He stated in a firm, commanding voice; he was getting good at that. "Go ahead," Was Bel's reply, forehooves in the air defensively, "I obviously can't stop you in this situation." Star wasted no time in untying me. I breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure of my bonds was released. "I'm not going to finish you off right now, Bel," Star growled. "That would be too easy! We'll meet again Bel. Count on it!" With that, he teleported us all the way back to HQ, where he promptly collapsed from exhaustion. "Star? Star? STAAAAAAAR!" I shouted. I was scared, scared to lose the stallion I loved. Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Prologue (Bel Canto) We stepped off the train into the quaint townstead. This was where Vinyl lived? Interesting. My friend, Starlight Blaze, and I are members of a popular rock band, "The Manticores." Just a week ago, we'd decided to catch a movie after the last concert of our East Equestrian tour. A strange looking, brown pony with crazy red irises set into yellow eyes had been offering a free drawing for a vacation in Ponyville. It wasn't exactly vacation spot of the year, but they did have a friend there that they intended to visit: Vinyl Scratch. As soon as we stepped off the station platform, I heard a crash and looked over my shoulder to find starlight covered by a pink ball of fluff which happened to be squealing loudly and jumping up and down. The pink pony it turned out to be finally got off of him and he stood up as calmly as possible, only to fall back over again. While helping him up, an orange coated pony with a stetson hat walked onto the scene and asked "Poor fella never stood a chance against Pinkie. Its a real shame. Y'all doin' ok over there?" I tried to respond, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I was cut off by a loud "AAAAHHHHH!!!" and soon found myself in a shockingly similar situation that Star had been in just moments ago. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane quickly got off me and lent a hoof to help me up. "Omigosh! Omigosh! Omigosh! Bel Canto! I just crashed into a rock star!" She looked excited, but the blush of embarrassment was evident across her revealingly blue coat. "I'm soooo sorry!" I sighed exasperatedly and took her hoof. She helped me up and I gave her a smile. "It's alright. Just don't do it again, ok?" She nodded her head and let go of my hoof. Her friend, however, seemed more upset than me. "Ya'll, we're supposed ta be their welcoming party, not fangirl over 'em! What were ya doin' up there anyway? We were supposed ta be waitin' for 'em here!" The orange mare shouted. "Yeah, well, I got bored. Waiting is boring!" the pegasus responded with a roll of her eyes. "Wait...welcoming party?" I asked. I thought they were paparazzi. Applejack sighed. "Vinyl asked us ta welcome y'all ta Ponyville and take y'all over ta Twilight's, and she said she'd be over later ta see ya." "Oh, ok. Wait...Twilight? As in Princess Twilight?!" "Yeppers Deppers Peppers!" The pink pony responded, enthusiastically bouncing in place. This was going to be interesting.
Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 1 (Starlight Blaze) My name is Starlight Blaze. I am a unicorn with a white coat, and a bright yellow unkempt mane with a wierd bright red stripe that goes down the right side for some reason. I have a knack for the guitar; I can even play it without using magic! My best friend, Bel Canto, and I won a strange raffle and a free vacation to Ponyville, where our best friend Vinyl Scratch lives, conveniently enough. We finally arrived in Ponyville a few days later, but before I even moved an inch off the station platform, BAM! I was mauled by a vicious pink furball! Shortly after, Bel had been hit too, that time by a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane, I think her name was Rainbow Dash. The aforementioned pink furball turned out to be an earth pony named Pinkie Pie. Shortly after impact, an orange earth pony in a stetson hat named Applejack had to drag the two off of us! Vinyl, instead of coming to meet us herself, had sent us a welcome party to bring us back to a library for some odd reason! I came back to the real world after thinking about everything that had happened so far. I wish I hadnt. Pinkie wouldn't stop talking! "Applejack, how far to the library?" I asked. "Not far now, just try to hold out a teensy bit longer. All this walking must have you beat!" "It's not the walking that's getting to me," I revealed, glaring at Pinkie Pie. "You sure 'bout that? City folk that come 'round here dont usually last this long," Applejack retorted. Oh, it. Is. On. "Oh yeah? I bet you I could probably beat you there!" I then got the feeling that I had said something I shouldn't have, because Pinkie Pie finally stopped babbling incoherently. I came to the assumption that when Pinkie was silent, it was suspicious, like with foals. "OOOOH you did not just challenge Applejack to a race!" "Yes, I just did," I responded, unaware of the folly of my actions. "Oh yer on, Sugarcube!" Applejack challenged as she drew out a starting line in the dirt. That was when Bel spoke up, "Star, you don't stand a chance! We went to gym class together and you were always last after we did laps around the field!" He was flying slowly in the air with his large, teal wings. Bel had always made fun of me for my lack of athleticism, in a friendly way though. He had been the track star. He excelled in the running races as well as the flying races due to his alicorn-like wing span. He laughed and brohoofed Rainbow Dash. That's when I had to let out my dirty little secret. "Bel, you remember all those times I said I was going out to buy muffins, but came back without them, saying I ate them all?" I asked as I cantered up to the starting line. "yeah, what about it?" he asked, confusion clear in his pale, pupilless eyes. How was that even possible? He wasn't blind! "I lied! Every time I told you that, I went for a run around the outskirts of the city." It was true, ever since I almost failed gym class because I couldnt run, I'd been going out for almost daily laps around the city. This was the perfect moment to show off my newfound skills. "So you've got stamina! Speed is what counts to win in a race like this, though!" Bel teased as he landed by the line too. Rainbow Dash landed next to him. "You guys are so not gonna' race without me!" "Ready," Applejack started the countdown. "Set," I was admittedly nervous. I had heard about the Apple family and their legendary athletic skills, but now it was time to show them 'city folk' could be fast too. "GO!" She shouted, and we were off, it was neck and neck the whole way there, but in the end I started really sprinting once the library came in sight. I figured we had passed the pegasi, because I lost sight of them as soon as we began. I could tell Applejack was straining to keep up, but she was too good for me, and pulled out ahead and got there first. I collapsed to the ground and admitted defeat, but was shocked at what Applejack had to say next, "You did pretty good out there Starlight. Ah'm mighty proud of you. Maybe not all city folk are as wimpy as Ah thought." Above us, somepony cleared their throat. We looked up and there were Rainbow and Bel with snarky expressions on their faces. "We got here first, actually, Applejack." Bel countered. "You just got beat by one of those 'City Folk.'" That was enough to do me in. I blacked out. I woke up inside what appeared to be the library, where I was greeted by 9 pairs of eyes standing over me, one of which caught my attention immediately. They were a nice, dark shade of purple. As beautiful as they were, the mare attached to them was what really caught my eye. She was a unicorn with a lavender coat and...and...wings? She gently asked, "Are you ok, there?" I realised that must have been Princess Twilight Sparkle, an alicorn, and immediately passed out again from the shock of being this close to an actual princess. I finally awoke, this time laying on the couch instead of the floor, and bolted upright. Had I really passed out? Twice? How embarrassing! In front of that beauty of a princess too! I took a quick glance around and found that everypony was, once again, surrounding me. "Uh....Hi..." I finally managed to say. "Hey there sleepy head," That voice...it was unmistakable! "Vinyl! Sorry you had to see that, but I'm sure you would pass out too after racing one of the fastest ponies out there and waking up with a princess hanging over you!" I apologized sheepishly. "Chill, man! It's cool. Get up so I can introduce you to everypony!" She had her trademark grin plastered across her face, shades covering her eyes, even in the dim light of this library. I got up, feeling a little wobbly, and walked slowly to the rest of the group. "These girls here, are the Elements of Harmony!" Vinyl began, "You know Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack, of course." "Hi there, Starzy!" Pinkie exclaimed, waving excitedly. Vinyl continued to introduce the ponies surrounding me. "The yellow pegasus hiding behind her pink mane -and Rainbow- is Fluttershy." Fluttershy did indeed have half her body hidden behind the more confident pegasus. "The alicorn over there, reading at her desk, is quite obviously, Twilight Sparkle," I whipped my head around to get another look at Twilight. She was just as beautiful as before. I found myself staring and quickly looked back to Vinyl and Bel. Vinyl shot me a grin. She had obviously noticed, but Bel seemed to be giving me a death glare. What did I do? "Last, but not least, is Rarity!" A white unicorn with a perfectly curled, purple mane extended a hoof in my direction. "It's so nice to meet you, Darling." I smiled and shook her hoof. "Its nice to meet all of you guys!" I addressed them all at once. As soon as the words left my mouth, they started bombarding me and Bel with a plethora of questions. "What's it like up on stage? don't you get nervous?" Fluttershy spoke up for the first time. She turned to Bel, "Do you like to sing with birds?" She seemed more excited about his singing. "I've heard you can play the guitar without using magic! why don't you demonstrate for us later, once your guitar gets here? A little performance from the two of you?" Twilight asked excitedly. I was about to respond to her, but I was cut off. "Darling you absolutely MUST come over to my boutique so i can measure you for some outfits later! what do you say? it will be free, of course, since we're friends now! Having rock stars in my designs would be great for business!" That was when Rainbow cut in, seeming to fangirl over us the most, "I love your music! It's soooo cool! Guitar is awesome!" She looked over to Bel, "I knew you could sing awesome, but your wings are huge! I had no idea you were so fast! We've gotta' go train together some time!" The entire time all these questions were being asked, Pinkie was bouncing behind the rest of them, steadily spewing out question after question without an end in sight. Didn't she breath!? I backed up a little, nervous that they might trample us both in their excitement. As I did, something caught my eye. "Before I answer anything, I want to know why theres a bucking DRAGON in here!" I knew who he was. Who didnt? I just needed to change the subject. "Who, me?" Spike answered, frowning a bit at my fake fear. I'd have to apologize for that later. "I'm Spike, Princess Twilight's number one assistant!" Bel spoke up, "What's wrong, Star?" He chuckled a bit and zipped over to Spike. "I think he's awesome!" He brohoofed the purple dragon, eliciting a chuckle from him. Bel always was better with fans. The more praise he got, the better. He was a pony pleaser at heart. "Nice to meet you, Spike" I replied, ignoring Bel's jab. He seemed to be on a roll, but I'd get him back. I needded to change the subject from us again, sensing that Spike wasn't a good enough distraction. Hay, he might even start to ask questions of his own Feeling peckish, I decided that was a good enough distraction...if it worked. "When's lunch?" I asked, "Sprinting half a mile and passing out twice really takes a lot out of you!" I chuckled nervously, scratching the back of my head with a hoof. Oh Celestia, I hoped that worked....
Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 2 (Bel Canto) I guffawed as I watched Star slump the rest of the way to the ground. "I can't believe he actually passed out after a race!" I got out between giggles, though I had once done the same thing. At least I won that race. Rainbow just rolled her eyes at me. Applejack looked up at me with narrowed eyes, "What're you laughin' at, Sugarcube? Y'all cheated to win!" I stopped laughing and landed in front of her with a smirk. "Of course we didn't. You never specified that it was a foot race. Star merely issued the challenge to beat you to the library." I winked at her, eliciting a tiny blush. She pulled her hat down over her eyes embarrassedly. "Alright, alright," She caved, "Y'all got me there." I chuckled under my breath as I picked Star from the ground. I laid him across my back with a grunt and walked toward the door. I was going to have a looong talk with him about cupcakes and why a pony shouldn't eat them for every meal. I raised a hoof to knock gently to the door and found it connecting softly with something squishy instead. I blinked several times before I could interpret the action. I was looking straight into dashing, violet eyes on either side of my hoof. I quickly dropped it. "Oops! Sorry. I didn't mean to bop you on the nose, there," I apologized, closing my eyes in a warm smile. Twilight giggled a bit, "That's quite alright." She fluttered her eyes, and though I don't think it was on purpose, it was tantalizing all the same. I had seen Princess Twilight in portraits and pictures before, and I knew she was quite a beautiful young mare, but to see her in pony was entirely different. She was absolutely gorgeous! Her big, violet eyes twinkled with her smile. Her perfect mane was cut in a simple fashion, but I found it adorable. She had a shapely body with curves in all the right places, perfect, lavendar fur, and....I was staring, wasn't I? Twilight's face was one of concern as I came to. "Are...you and your friend alright?" She asked. I blushed a bit and nodded quickly to hide it. "Yes, yes, I'm quite alright, and he just pushed himself too hard in a race," I grunted and shifted his weight on my back. "He's pretty heavy though. Can we come in?" She nodded and turned into the house. "Of course! Come on in." I tried my best- and failed a little- not to stare at her plot as she walked away. I followed her into the spacious den and deposited Star onto the floor next to me. Twilight looked down at him with a concerned look that mirrored the one everypony else gave him. After a few minutes, his eyes fluttered open. He looked up at us all, then directly at Twilight. "Are you ok, there?" She asked and his eyes rolled toward the back of his head before shutting again. His head hit the floor with a thump. Yep. That was Star, for ya'. Twilight sighed and picked Star up in her magic, placing the syncopal unicorn on her couch. It was better than the floor, I guess. She looked at me and smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Vinyl showed me one of your band's albums, as well as your solo record. You have an amazing voice." I beamed at her. I was just about to thank her, and maybe make a suave remark about how I could sing for her in a special performance...or not. She probably wouldn't go for it, or she might even take it as an innuendo. A word never escaped my lips. The door slammed open revealing a pearl white unicorn with a messy, blue mane and purple designer shades. She looked like she'd already gotten tipsy...without me? C'mon! "Vinyl!" I shouted, walking over to her. "Bel Hop!" She responded back loudly, closing the distance between us. I stopped dead in my tracks and glared at her as I sat on my haunches. I pointed a hoof at her. "I told you not to call me that, Scratch," I warned. "But it's sooo funny!" She protested. "When I first met you, you were just a-" She was cut off by my hoof over her muzzle. I glanced fleetingly from side to side. "Sh-sh-sh-sh-shush!" The mares -and dragon- behind me sniggered. I glowered at them, then back at Vinyl. Once again, I was cut off by a sound behind me. Star was stirring. I turned and everypony was looking at him with a concerned look except Twilight. She had rushed over to her desk to write something down. It must have been important princess stuff. While Vinyl was introducing everypony to us, I caught Star staring at Twilight. I saw her first! It. Is. On! I shot daggers at him with my eyes. When he finally glanced in my direction, he gave me a confused look. I tried to respond with a look that said, "You know what you did!" At this point, If I had the ability to shoot laser beams -and how cool would that be!- I would have been. The girls went all paparazzi on us. I adored my fans, and to know that we were celebrities to other celebrities was pretty cool, but Star seemed nervous. He didn't always make the best decisions when he was nervous. Here we go again. First, he offended the baby dragon, and I knew he was just trying to change the subject -poorly- but that must've hurt. I played it off and took the heat off him by making a unified front with Spike against him. He shot me a nasty look for the joke and I knew I'd be getting mine later. "When's lunch?" He asked, "Sprinting half a mile and passing out twice really takes a lot out of you!" Smooth, dude. Smooth. You don't just ask when lunch is as a visitor in somepony's home. I rolled my eyes. Time to save him. "Totally. I'd love to try out one of the local restaurants!" I chimed in. "Twilight, why don't you pick? Everyone's invited. My treat." I smiled warmly at them all. Oh Celestia, please tell me that worked! "Hmmm," She smiled and tapped a hoof to her chin. Why don't we stop at Bon Appétit's. Bon makes the best Prench cuisines, "Oh great, I thought sarcastically, "At a decent price too!" She added. Oh great! My mood changed for the better after that. I didn't bring a million bits with me just because I was going on holliday, so a cheap-ish lunch among new friends sounded awesome. I just hoped that whatever Star had planned for me would come later... We were all making our way into the restaurant when Star stopped me. He gave me a pleading look. I sighed and turned to the group. "Go ahead and find a table, guys. We'll be there soon enough. Ask for a spot near the back of the restaurant for me, will ya'?" They nodded and complied. I turned back to Star. We were mere hooves away from the door. "What is it, Star? "Dude, I'm in love with Twilight, and I need your help to impress her!" He confided to me in a hushed and excited tone. Oh no he didn't! "Uh uh. No way, Dude! I saw her first!" I protested loudly. Star blinked a few times at my sudden and unexpected irritation. "Wait, what? That's not fair! If it was an, 'I saw her first,' contest, then that's cheating, because I was passed out at the time!" "Well maybe you should think of that before you decide to show off!" I scoffed. ""WHAT?!" Star shouted at me angrily, "You're the KING of show off! Why do you think I broke so many bones when we were in college?! You were always showing off to the mares, and I always got the short end of the stick!" He pointed an accusing hoof in my direction. "Whatever! I'm a FRONTSTALLION for a ROCKBAND! Showing off is my job! I'm a professional! Do not attempt at home!" I yelled back, getting dangerously close to him. I sighed and facehoofed at myself for the stupidity of the words that had just left my mouth, but I was quickly filled with rage once more. It was time to break out college rules. "You know what?" I shouted, "This means war! I challenge you to Love Games! We'll fight for her heart!" "Oh, it's on, Motherbucker!" He cursed. "You mess with the blaze, you get burnt!" I growled. "Alright! You mess with the Bel, you're gonna' get rung! Wait...?" I facehoofed again. I was terrible at on-the-spot comebacks. I slowly slid the hoof down my muzzle and allowed it to plop to the ground. "Look, for right now, let's just get in there before they start worrying about us." I turned and began walking to the door, but I paused to look back at him over my shoulder. He was still standing in a fighting stance, horn pointed at me angrily. I smiled the tiniest of smiles. "You're my best friend, Starlight." I don't know what he did after that, because I turned and quickly entered the restaurant. I really hoped this would be a pleasant lunch.
Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 2.5 (Rarity) "Hmmm," I thought. "They're taking rather long. Maybe I should go see what's going on." I looked at everypony around the table, lost in conversation. "Excuse me, Girls," I got up, "I'll be right back. I need to go to the 'little filly's room'." With that, I took off. I didn't go to the restroom, however. I made my way to the front of the the building just in time to hear, "Well maybe you should think of that before you decide to show off!" Uh oh. Are they arguing? I peeked around the doorway to look at the two, fighting stallions, making sure to stay out of sight. "WHAT?!" Star shouted, he seemed upset, "You're the KING of show off! Why do you think I broke so many bones when we were in college?! You were always showing off to the mares, and I always got the short end of the stick!" I had no idea Bel Canto was so popular with the ladies, even before becoming a star! He does have a certain charm about him. I didn't hear what was said in the next couple seconds as I picked the two stallions apart, silently judging their appearances. Bel had most likely been the silent, brooding, bookish type that had lured mares in with an air of mystery about him. At that point, he would have employed his hyperactive friend into a scheme to impress those same mares. They had apparently tried many things before finally settling on performing music as their cutie marks suggested they do the entire time. I quietly giggled to myself, but shut up when Bel caught my attention. "You know what?" he shouted, "This means war! I challenge you to Love Games! We'll fight for her heart!" Her heart? They're fighting over a mare? Wait...I caught both of them staring at...TWILIGHT! A devious grin grew on my face. I just had to tell the girls. This was going to be good! They were coming back! Oh no! I shot to my seat at the table near the back of the restaurant. This lunch could not end sooner! It took forever!!! Eventually, however, Bel picked up the bill and we all began walking back to the library. On the way, we left the stallions at the inn so they could check into their rooms. While the rest of us walked, I stayed near the back. One by one, I got everypony's attention, everypony but Twilight. I gave them all the signal to meet me at the boutique, and one by one, they made excuses to leave. Twilight suspected nothing, except possibly from Applejack. The girl couldn't lie correctly if her life depended on it. I silently facehoofed as she explained that the apples needed to be re-bucked. In just three minutes, I was the only one left with Twilight as we approached the door to the library. It was at that point that I excused myself to work on a large order Photo Finish had laid on me earlier that day. We said our goodbyes and I ran to my boutique to find the girls, and Spike, already waiting for me. Yes! I let them in and we all sat in a circle in the living room. Sweetie Belle was still at school. "So, what's this super duper Über secret meeting about? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Pinkie asked excitedly. I took a deep breath and let it out with an audible squee. "I overheard the stallions fight over Twilight before lunch!" Fluttershy blushed with an, "Oh my!" Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly. Applejack smiled at the news while Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes. "So?" She asked bemusedly. "So," I respondedly, "I think we should help Bel out with Twilight!" I revealed. Rainbow brohoofed me, "Alright, sure!" She smiled. "He's almost as fast as me and likes books as much as Twilight! He's perfect!" Applejack looked at her smugly and she blushed, adding, "...For her." Applejack rolled her eyes, then looked to me, "Ah, for one, Don't like him as much as the other feller, Star." She confessed. "Ah wanna' help him. He's got spunk." Pinkie and Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "Star is soooo fun!" Pinkie added, "I wanna' help him too!" Fluttershy put her two bits in as well, trying and failing to look small, "He's...nice." Spike, whom had been silent thus far, spoke up at this time. "I'll help you, Rarity. I like him a lot!" I smiled back at him. "Thank you Spikey Wikey," I said, kissing him on the cheek. He got a dreamy look in his eyes and floated a hoof or two into the air. Pinkie pulled a rifle from her hair...somehow, and held it to her chest. "Well girls," She said, firing the gun. A small flag with the word "BANG" written on it popped from the barrel. "This means war!"
Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Chapter 3 (Starlight Blaze) "Three days...its been...three days...!" I groaned as I walked into sugarcube corner. I sat myself down at a table, and Pinkie at once appeared at my side, almost as if out of thin air, shouting "Hi there star!" at the top of her lungs. Needless to say, going three days without sleep had affected me greatly. I was too tired to be surprised. Ever since we declared war, Bel and I had been pranking each other non-stop, typically in the presence of Twilight. During this time I'd been too paranoid to sleep, eat, or even exist within fifty hooves of him. "I'm exhausted Pinkie. Please...just get me a muffin...?" I managed to ask groggily. "Sure thing star! The usual?" pinkie asked. "Yes..." I responded, planting my head firmly on the table with a resonding THUMP! I had developed a taste for Pinkie's muffins in my short time there in Ponyville. There was something...off...about them that really kept my mood up. Pinkie appeared seconds later with a muffin in hand. I thanked her with a mouthful of muffin as I handed her the bits, which she promptly gave back. "No need to pay for this one, Starry. It's on me!" Feeling rejuvinated by the muffin already, I found myself smiling "Thanks, Pinkie" I said gratefully and much less groggily. Pinkie scooted up next to me on the stall and put her mouth near my ear, whispering conspiratorially, "Psst, Hey Starry. You wanna' get in Twi's pants, right?" She asked. I clamored away from her on the stall, staring at her wide-eyed. "What? What are-" I was cut off as her hoof was placed over my mouth. "SSssshhhh!" She shushed, "The authors don't care that you don't know what pants are! Do you want her or not?" I silently nodded, her hoof still over my mouth and she beamed at me, her smile really large enough to touch both ears. "Good! I want to help. Rarity heard the two of you fighting outside the restaurant and filled us in." Her toothy grin turned mischievous. "So I heard you were having trouble with some...pranks." "Pinkie, I'm uhh...flattered...you want to help me out, but you don't know what your getting yourself into! Bel is ruthless! He will stop at nothing to impress a girl once he has his mind set, and he will do anything he can to hinder me in the process!" I protested as we walked through town, looking for Bel. "Don't worry, Star," Pinkie assured, completely unphased. "Fluttershy and Applejack are on your side too, so we've got him outnumbered as long as he doesn't find out Rainbow Dash, Spike and Rarity are on his side!" I was beginning to sweat profusely, panicking that anypony was helping him at all. This...this was his specialty. Bel didn't talk about it often, but he had spent several years in the royal guard before he went to college and finally met back up with me after high school. If he had an army, he was going to win for sure! "You're a swell guy, Star. I can't lie. Something about you just screams, 'I'm the perfect match for Twilight Sparkle!'" I meant to respond; however, I found myself pulled into a bush, and I suddenly had a pair of glasses with eyebrows and a nose that made me look like Groucho Hooves. Pinkie motioned to my eyes, then out to one of the market stalls, explaining wordlessly that I needed to look. I gazed out of the foliage to see Bel with Twilight. They had stopped at a stall on their way somewhere and seemed to be having a good time. My face flushed red as I seethed with anger. Pinkie handed me a pie, then threw one of her own at the back of his head. It was a direct hit, messing up the careful style of his short, blonde and black mane. He turned in our direction angrily, just in time for his eyes to widen as another cream pie hit him directly in the muzzle. "Graaahh! Star!" He began to make chase and we bolted in the opposite direction. As we ran, I heard Twilight shout, "Wait! What about our date?!" The disappointment was crystal clear in her tone. Just how quickly was I losing this war? It had been four days since I found out that I now had a miniature army at my disposal. I assigned Pinkie to be my personal bodyguard, as I was paranoid as ever over Bel's pranks. He had begun to do some serious damage with the help of his followers. One of them shot fire, for Celestia's sake! "Pinkie, I'm going out. I need to relax. Try to contact Bel for a cease-fire, will ya? All this stress is really getting to me!" It was highly unlikely Bel would stop in his pursuit of Twilight, but I could be sure that he would, at least, leave me alone for a while if i asked him to. It would allow him more time to concentrate on wooing her. "Yes, General!" Pinkie shouted, offering a sharp salute in return. I added, "If you need me, I shall be in sector sigma-alpha-omega," which was our military code for Sweet Apple Orchards. I needed some time alone, so I picked up my guitar, a notebook, and a pencil and went out. As I weaved my way through the multitude of trees in the orchard, I searched for somewhere to sit. I found a clearing with an especially large tree in the middle. Surprisingly, it bore no apples. I sat down at the base of the tree, took out my guitar, opened the notebook and let the creative juices flow... "There's a place and a time for the likes of war, There's a place in my heart, thats beats for more, More than just fighting, more than just peace, Not quite victory, not quite defeat, Maybe all i need, is a breather..." Suddenly, I heard a crack, and everything went dark. I awoke to somepony running frantic circles around me, "Ughhh...What happened...?" I grumbled, rubbing what felt like a large lump on my head. "Oh, finally! You're awake!" The stranger sounded anxious, "Sorry I landed on you...I'm not exactly the best flier..." She apologized, "My name is Ditzy Doo, but most people call me Derpy...What's your name?" Those eyes...they were crossed. The left one seemed to work correctly while the right lazily lolled toward the ground. I caught myself staring and quickly looked away, unaware of the growing blush on my face "Uhhh...." I began, "Hi Derpy. Is it ok if I call you Derpy? My name's Starlight Blaze..." The mare gasped loudly, and I expected to be tackled to the ground in a fit of fan-girling. I braced for an impact which never came. "You're one of those two stallions trying to impress Twilight!" She observed. "What? How do YOU know about that?" I asked, slightly annoyed. "EVERYONE IN PONYVILLE knows whats going on between you two and Twilight....except Twilight, of course...." The adorably cross-eyed mare informed, "Most ponies found out during an especially heated argument between Applejack and Rainbow Dash in Town Square the other day. Ever since then, ponies have been taking sides! Some even have bets open on who's going to win. Others have fights, and even take up arms against one another in small skirmishes led by Fluttershy on your side and Spike on Bel Canto's!" I was beginning to be less concerned that others could be injured by this war, and more by the fact that there could be someone, a spy trying to take me out, standing right in front of me! "W-which side are you on, D-Derpy?" I asked, clearly nervous. Way to go, Hotshot. The mare seemed to pick up on my nervous behavior and backed up a bit. "Well...I don't really want to get involved in something like this...but if I had to pick, I'd pick you!" Derpy said, going from nervous to excited in the blink of an eye. "Hmmm....Derpy, I like you. Something about you is just...off...in a good way! How would you like to be my assistant, second in command?" I asked, worried I sounded a bit too excited to drag her into a war that she clearly didnt want to get involved in. "Hhhh...This is all so sudden! I've never worked for, nevermind, NEAR a rockstar before!" She was excited, and I was relieved that she accepted the job. She gave off an interesting vibe, to say the least. "What are my orders, Sir?" She asked with a crooked salute, seemingly too excited to be under my command. "Your first orders are to take these bits," I handed her a medium-sized bag of bits, "Go to Sugarcube Corner, and buy a dozen muffins. Tell them Starlight wants the usual." She seemed to almost burst with joy once I uttered the word 'muffins.' "SIR, YES SIR!" she shouted, dropping her salute. She flew off and left me wondering what it was about her that I seemed slightly drawn towards....I picked up my guitar and let the creative juices flow once again, with nothing but that strange, cross-eyed mare on my mind.
Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 4 (Bel Canto) "Admiral, Sir!" a soldier called out to me as she ran into my "strategy room," which in all actuality was just my room in the inn. She was mint green with a matching mane. It had a white stripe in it. I think her name was Lyra, and she had quickly raised through the ranks to Master Chief. In the early stages of the war, Vinyl had introduced her and her mare Bon Bon to me, and Lyra had proven to be one of the brightest mind that I had on my side. She had constructed a device that enabled not only unicorns to use our paintball guns, but pegasi and earth ponies as well! Under my supervision, she was training my soldiers in their use. So far, they had proven useful, though a few had gone missing from the armory (Bob Bon's Confectionary)... "Yes, Master Chief," I responded, "What is it?" If she wasn't on the training grounds, then this must have been important. "Sir, some of our scouts have reported sights of the enemy with our H.A.N.D.S.!" She reported with a quick salute. H.A.N.D.S. were her creation. It stood for "Human to Animal Nabbing Device for Surface warfare." I pounded my handed hoof on my desk. "What!" I responded furiously. "Whoever's job it was to be guarding the armory is to be on head detail for the rest of the war! Was the enemy capable of using the devices?" Lyra nodded. "Yes Sir. The Apple family is actually quite bright. They used them in a short skirmish with our scouts Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash; however, we were capable of holding them off. They eventually retreated back to their farm." I nodded. "Thank you, Lyra," I responded, "Dismissed." Lyra swiftly exited, on two legs for some odd reason. "Wow," Vinyl commented from the corner of the room between bites of cake. "This is even funnier than when you and Neon Lights did this over me in college!" She guffawed. "Vinyl!" I shouted, blushing profusely. "I thought the three of us agreed never to speak about that!" She merely laughed louder in response. The normally friendly town of Ponyville had become a warzone. For the most part, it was unorganized and chaotic, but I had been slowly training anypony wishing to join my forces to be more efficient. The age of geurilla warfare would be no more. Ponies would no longer be sniped from rooftops by water balloons. Ponies would no longer be afraid to visit the market lest they be peppered with paintballs. Somepony must have been spying, however, because Star's side of things seemed to be getting better as well. Despite Star and his army's attempts to prank and embarrass me, my own army of shameless shippers had been protecting me from harm. Because Star was spending much of his time hiding, I had plenty of time to spend with Twilight, and we were getting close. I was walking to her house now. We had scheduled a time to sit down to read together. It sounded like a lot of fun, and I found myself picking up the pace in excitement. A wide grin graced my face with its presence. I was almost there when I found myself surrounded by animals. "Ahh. Fluttershy, I presume," My grin turned devilish. I still had my hands on, and I stood on two legs. I flared my wings out to hold my balance. "You won't stop me!" I roared, pulling my paintball gun out of...wait, where did I get it from? One by one, the animals lunged out at me, attempting to tackle me to the ground, but each time I dodged their attacks and responded with three paintballs in their back. They cried out in anguish and remained on the ground, defeated. I heard the sound of a paintball gun being loaded and turned swiftly to find a small, white bunny holding a gun and a balloon. He tossed the balloon, and I was barely able to dodge it. The rubber sack of water soared right by my ear as I lunged to my side, causing a whooshing sound. I hit the ground and rolled to my feet. I had no time to counter-strike. The bunny was already following my every move with paintballs as I ran to avoid being hit. PLAT! Angel Bunny fell to his knees first, then to his face. On the back of his head was a large, red paint splatter. He was out cold. I followed the trajectory up with my eyes to find Rainbow Dash, unconcious Fluttershy draped over her back. Perfect! Prisoner of war! "I'll never talk!" Fluttershy shouted between giggles. She was tied to one of Twilight's chairs, and Rainbow Dash was tickling her with one of her blue feathers. Twilight looked up from her book at the scene before her with amusement. I lifted the bunny from before up by his ears. He stared daggers at me out of the corner of his eyes, his front paws crossed defiantly over his chest. "Talk, or the bunny gets the same treatment," I threatened. "No! Not my Angel Bunny!" Fluttershy cried cutely. "Oh, yes!" "O-Ok. I'll talk," Fluttershy hung her head low and spoke barely audibly, even for her. "He's hiding...in the orchard." I let Angel go. He swiftly kicked me in one of my shins then hopped toward Fluttershy. Rainbow freed her from her bindings, and they went to find a book to read. There was no way I would let them out. I turned to Rainbow Dash, "Go get our troops assembled. I will hand pick some to go on a search and destroy mission!" She gave me a quick salute, an, "Aye aye, Sir," and quickly exited the building. Twilight stood up, walked over to me, and put a hoof on my shoulder. I turned to look at her, and concern colored her face. "Bel, you don't have to do this," She pleaded. "Let's just end this." I shook my head dismissively. "This is a matter of honor and glory! I have to beat him!" I shook her hoof off my shoulder and walked nearer the exit. Twilight sighed. "But you've-" I closed the door on my way out, cutting her off, "Already won..." She finished to no one in particular, a small pout forming across her face.
Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 5 (Starlight Blaze) Derpy, our soldiers, and I were waiting up in the trees of the orchard, hoping they had believed fluttershy. We didn't have to wait long as the sound of many, many hooves filled the air. Then, I heard Rainbow Dash speaking, "Ok men, we're going to go in quietly and take them all out. Ready your weapons." They were on the move. Once they got to the clearing we had surrounded, I gave the signal. "NOW!" We all jumped down and surrounded them. We clearly outnumbered them, four to one. There was no way they could win, and they knew it. They dropped their weapons, but Rainbow appeared to have a plan B. She shot up into the air in a flash and grabbed Derpy. "NO!" I shouted "OPEN FIRE!" "On whom, General?" A random colt asked. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK?! FIRE ON RAINBOW!!" Rainbow wasn't going as fast as usual, encumbered by a struggling Derpy, looking at me with those eyes of hers, or at least one of them. My soldiers opened fire and missed every time. She got away. "Cease fire, Soldiers! She's gone." I commanded sternly. I turned my attention to our new hostages, all of which looked afraid. Among them were Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and a bunch of other kids. "Figures he would send a bunch of kids. He thinks we wouldn't shoot a bunch of kids." I walked right up to them, my gun relaxed at my side. I wasn't about to start threatening children. "Would any of you like to tell us where Rainbow just flew off to?" I asked, trying to sound friendly. I may have added a slight, accidentally sinister edge to the simple words. "Like we would tell you!" Scootaloo spat back at me. "Oh really, now? I'm sure one of you would be willing to tell us." I had an idea. I pulled out my radio. "Pinkie, I need you to take the two, nearest howitzers and aim them at Sweet Apple acres Orchards." I spoke into it slowly. I could see the fear set into the kids. Pinkie's voice crackled into the radio, "Aye aye, General!" I looked them over again, "Let's try this again, shall we? Where did Rainbow take Derpy?" "Don't fall for it, Guys! He won't fire on himself!" Oh, were they in for a surprise! I pulled out my radio again. "Pinkie, are those two howitzers trained on my position?" I asked calmly, a smirk approaching my lips. "Yes, Sir! Ready to fire on your orders!" She sounded excited; she probably knew exactly what was going on. "Fire." I commanded. Everyone cowered in fear as two shots went off, clearly distinct from the many that were fired every couple seconds. The sounds of battle in the distance had become the song of Ponyville over the last week. The gunfire was the hi-hat. The water-balloon bombs had become the symbals. The marching had become the rhythm, the shouts and scream, cries of anguish becoming a sadistic melody. However, this! This was something that would have done Vinyl Scratch proud. What had been fired from my massive, powerful, highly expensive tanks? What was I currently dropping on myself, among others? This...was the BASS! "WAIT! WAIT! WE'LL TELL! WE'LL TELL! I DON'T WANNA' DIE!" Somepony cried out in desperation. The cry came from Scootaloo. I quickly casted a magical barrier over the clearing. The two shots hit with pinpoint accuracy, right above the kids. It was a good thing they were just giant water balloons, otherwise someone might have literally shit themselves! "Now that you know I mean buisness...where's Derpy?" I asked, much more stern than the first two times I asked; I was growing inpatient with the unanswered question. "Rainbow probably took her to the inn, where the Admiral is!" Scootaloo stated, looking like she was on the verge of tears from what she thought was a near-death-experience. I wouldn't ever hurt kids, though. I turned to the orange mare next to me, "Applejack, take these 'hostages' to your barn and see if you can't get them something for lunch. I'm sure they're all pretty terrified after that." "Will do, Sir" Applejack replied with a salute. I turned towards town and started running as fast as my legs would carry me. I wasn't going to let them take Derpy. Over the past few days, I had sometimes found my mind filled with thoughts of the grey mare, her grey coat, her blonde mane, and...those eyes. I couldnt stop thinking about those eyes of hers: the way they always tended to drift away from eachother, the way they shone when we were talking. I really liked Derpy. I could say anything around her, and she probably wouldn't mind, the same way I never minded how she was always so straightforward, just speaking what was on her mind. I tended to do that too, and I think that was why we both got along so well. We were just honest with each other. I wasn't going to let Bel take that from me. This would be a win in a sea of losses, even if it was the last thing I would do! Before I knew it, I was at the town hall. My rare presence in town caught a lot of attention from friend and foe alike, but they were all too stunned to fire upon me. I supposed my obscurity was paying off. As I was getting closer to the inn, my radio sparked to life, "Star, what are you doing?! You're smack dab in the middle of enemy territory! You gotta get out of there!" Pinkie's voice came through loud and clear, "Once they snap out of it, you'll be absolutely-tutely peppered with paint for sure!" She was right, of course, but I wasn't about to leave derpy behind. "Negative, Pinkie. Rainbow took derpy, and I'm going to get her back. Maintain radio silence. There's someone coming." I was crouched behind Town Hall. There, I could hear what sounded like a small squad of soldiers marching swiftly in tight formation through the streets. What I heard next was the sound of Rainbow's voice. "Ok guys, we gotta' get this girl over to HQ, pronto! She's star's second in command! So, shes pretty valuable! We can't lose this one!" Valuable, I'd say! I snuck a peek around the building, and there she was, all tied up. She spotted me, and I suddenly noticed her eyes light up. I felt my heart warm, though I wasn't sure why. I mouthed the sentences, "Stay calm," and, "Wait for me," to her. She nodded, careful not to let the enemy notice the movement. I followed the group from behind until they got to the inn. I shot around to the back of the building, where I had noted a second entrance previously, and readied my gun. Show time!
Part 1: Let The Games Begin: Chapter 6 (Derpy Hooves) "AAAHHHHH!" I shouted as rainbow grabbed me. "OPEN FIRE!" WHAT! They'll hit me! "On whom, General?" "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK?! FIRE ON RAINBOW!!" It was the last thing I heard before rainbow finally conked me on the head to knock me out. I woke up several minutes later, tied up and being carried to the inn. I was surrounded by guards, all marching swiftly in unison around me. I lolled my eyes around to get an idea of my surroundings. The few unicorns in the very middle were carrying me magically. I started struggling, but the ropes were too tight. I wasn't sure if they had been tied better by their H.A.N.D.S., or if it was magical. Either way, I was stuck. That was when Rainbow started shouting behind me. "Ok guys, we gotta' get this girl over to HQ, pronto. She's Star's second in command, so shes pretty valuable! We can't lose this one!" I started struggling even more, imagining their sinister plans for me. "Wait, is that star?" I thought as he caught my eye from behind the white pillars of Town Hall. "What's that he's saying?...Stay calm...wait fo-" Gosh dangit eyes! why do you always go wonky at the worst times! I just nodded and complied with his first command. I noticed him following us back, but I tried not to make it too obvious. Star was a pretty cool guy. He was a rockstar, for Celestia's sake! But around him, I just felt so...comfortable! Like, I could tell him anything, and he wouldn't get mad! So that's what I did. I told him everything that was on my mind, and he told me what was on his. My thoughts of Star were interrupted when we stopped moving, abruptly. I noticed we had made our way to the inn. I was taken up the stairs to Bel's room, still tied to a chair. My left eye drawled over the room number as we passed through the door. "4B." The soldiers set me down in the middle of the room, upright thankfully. My eyes widened as I took in the sight. He'd acquired the largest suite in the inn, and it was all decked out to be a command center! The set-up alone must have costed hundreds, maybe thousands! It really amazed me how much those two rockstars had invested over this silly contest. Howitzers? *Really*?! It was all pretty neat, actually! He'd even set up radar, somehow, and the entire town was being scanned. He could see everything but Sweet Apple Acres. I silently prayed to Celestia that he didn't see Star sneaking in through the back door. I certainly did! The only soldier who hadn't left yet, Rainbow spoke up, "Sir! Our team was ambushed at the orchard. It was a trap!" She seemed really good at this, proffesional even. I knew she was training to be a Wonderbolt, but damn, girl! "Damn it!" Bel shouted, slamming his hoof to his grand oak desk in the middle of the room. Strewn across its surface were several maps, figurines laid out carefully across them. On one side of the desk was a large stack of military-strategy books he was apparently studying, taller than the desk itself. On it was a small sticky note that read, "Read." On the other side were two books stacked on top of each other/. They also had a sticky note on them that read, "Unread." Maybe he was perfect for Twilight! As if noticing me for the first time, Bell turned to me with a grin. That same rockstar grin made mares swoon all across Equestria. With one of my eyes, I noted that Rainbow Dash's knees wobbled a little at the sight. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Is this, perchance, Star's second in command?" I glared at him. I had to stay strong! For Star! "Yeah. What of it, Bel?" I retorted angrily. It came out more agressive than I had intended it, but he was being a meany, kidnapping me like this! "Well, I guess that mission wasn't a total failure. A king can do little with pawns and no queen." He sneered and leaned forward in his chair a bit. "Obviously, if that had been a trap, then Fluttershy fed us false intel. You, on the other hand, can lead us right to the base." bel stated calmly as he plucked a large feather from his...woah! His wings are huge! What is up with that? I shook my head to clear my thoughts, realizing what the large feather was for. "You're going to torture me? Fine! Do your worst! I won't ever give in!" "Oh, I plan on doing that, and more, Derpy. You're going to wish you never-" His evil -of course it's evil, this is my chapter- monologue was interrupted by gunshots downstairs with a chorus of tortured cries from his soldiers. His teal ears perked up, pupiless, light blue eyes widening with the realization that his base had been infiltrated. "Rainbow!" He commanded, an underlying twinge of fear present in his urgent voice. "Go figure out what's really going on downstairs, while I talk with our 'guest' here." He turned to me and gave me a confusing glare. I looked away. "On it, Sir!" Rainbow complied as she flew out the door and downstairs, gun at the ready. The gunshots were getting closer, much closer. Seconds later, Rainbow burst back through the door, covered in paint and bruises. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Sir, it's Star, and he-" SPLAT! she was cut off by a paintball to the back of the head. Her eyes glazed over, and she collapsed to the floor. "STAR!" I shouted, knowing already who had come to my rescue, though I couldn't see the door. "DERPY!" Came the reply from the doorway. He ran to my side. He was covered from head to toe in paint and bruises, yet he was still standing, gun pointed directly at Bel. The look on his face was protective, stern, and almost terrifying! "I'm taking Derpy, Bel." He stated in a firm, commanding voice; he was getting good at that. "Go ahead," Was Bel's reply, forehooves in the air defensively, "I obviously can't stop you in this situation." Star wasted no time in untying me. I breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure of my bonds was released. "I'm not going to finish you off right now, Bel," Star growled. "That would be too easy! We'll meet again Bel. Count on it!" With that, he teleported us all the way back to HQ, where he promptly collapsed from exhaustion. "Star? Star? STAAAAAAAR!" I shouted. I was scared, scared to lose the stallion I loved.
Part 1: Let the Games Begin: Prologue (Bel Canto) We stepped off the train into the quaint townstead. This was where Vinyl lived? Interesting. My friend, Starlight Blaze, and I are members of a popular rock band, "The Manticores." Just a week ago, we'd decided to catch a movie after the last concert of our East Equestrian tour. A strange looking, brown pony with crazy red irises set into yellow eyes had been offering a free drawing for a vacation in Ponyville. It wasn't exactly vacation spot of the year, but they did have a friend there that they intended to visit: Vinyl Scratch. As soon as we stepped off the station platform, I heard a crash and looked over my shoulder to find starlight covered by a pink ball of fluff which happened to be squealing loudly and jumping up and down. The pink pony it turned out to be finally got off of him and he stood up as calmly as possible, only to fall back over again. While helping him up, an orange coated pony with a stetson hat walked onto the scene and asked "Poor fella never stood a chance against Pinkie. Its a real shame. Y'all doin' ok over there?" I tried to respond, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I was cut off by a loud "AAAAHHHHH!!!" and soon found myself in a shockingly similar situation that Star had been in just moments ago. A cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane quickly got off me and lent a hoof to help me up. "Omigosh! Omigosh! Omigosh! Bel Canto! I just crashed into a rock star!" She looked excited, but the blush of embarrassment was evident across her revealingly blue coat. "I'm soooo sorry!" I sighed exasperatedly and took her hoof. She helped me up and I gave her a smile. "It's alright. Just don't do it again, ok?" She nodded her head and let go of my hoof. Her friend, however, seemed more upset than me. "Ya'll, we're supposed ta be their welcoming party, not fangirl over 'em! What were ya doin' up there anyway? We were supposed ta be waitin' for 'em here!" The orange mare shouted. "Yeah, well, I got bored. Waiting is boring!" the pegasus responded with a roll of her eyes. "Wait...welcoming party?" I asked. I thought they were paparazzi. Applejack sighed. "Vinyl asked us ta welcome y'all ta Ponyville and take y'all over ta Twilight's, and she said she'd be over later ta see ya." "Oh, ok. Wait...Twilight? As in Princess Twilight?!" "Yeppers Deppers Peppers!" The pink pony responded, enthusiastically bouncing in place. This was going to be interesting.
