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

    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.