Love Games: The Quest for Mares, Glory, and Honor!

      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....