Uniting a Nation

Scootaloo’s second Stare Down match was against Comet, again. It took about an hour before her turn cycled around again, and when she walked over to her square, there he was, waiting.

“I asked for a rematch,” he said, as she took her place across from him. “This time you won’t trick me!”

“Will too,” Scootaloo said.

“Will not,” Comet replied.

“Will too,” Scootaloo repeated, as the proctor tried to ask them if they knew the rules.

“Will not,” Comet said, as he got up and the two of them bumped hooves to start the match, sitting back down and continuing to glare at each other.

“Will too,” Scootaloo said, carefully stretching one wing, then the other.

Comet’s eyes didn’t wander. “Will not,” he said, doing something to the clouds they were sitting on with his hooves.

Scootaloo didn’t look to see what. “Will not,” she said, flopping her ears back and forth randomly.

“Ha!” Comet said, standing up and pointing at her. “I win.”

“Yeah, you got me,” Scootaloo said. “Might as well go over and get your star.”

Comet’s eyes drifted momentarily towards the proctor, who gave an ear-piercing shriek with his whistle, then walked over and gave Comet another black star, making four. “No. NO!”

“Don’t worry,” Scootaloo said, smirking. “It’s barely noon. You’ve still got time.”

===

Scootaloo’s third Stare Down match was against Comet, again. She followed him after the second match, and watched as he flew up to the booth where they were planning out the pairings and asked to face Scootaloo again – apparently, that was all it took.

“This is kind of pathetic,” Scootaloo said, when the time for the match came around. “I mean, I’m not complaining – I’ll be done before lunch, and I can go watch Rainbow Dash race.”

“This time, you’re going down,” Comet said, narrowing his eyes.

The proctor saw that they were both in position, and asked, “Do you need me to go over the rules? Otherwise, bump hooves to start.”

They bumped hooves, and sat back, staring.

“So how do you think you’re going to lose this time?” Scootaloo asked.

Comet didn’t take the bait, instead staring silently at her, motionless. She tried wiggling her wings, and her tail, and making various small motions with her hooves, but he didn’t react at all.

“Are you even awake?” she asked, waving a hoof between their eyes. “Hey, proctor, I think he’s asleep. That’s against the rules, right?”

“I’m not asleep,” Comet said, keeping his gaze otherwise unfocused.

Scootaloo sighed, and settled down for a long game.

They stared at each other for a while. It was really boring.

“Are you sure this is better than actually playing the game and losing?” Scootaloo asked, after five hours or so. Or maybe five minutes. It wasn’t like she could check a clock. “If it’s petty revenge, it’s not going to do anything. Once I win this game, I’m done. You’re the one who needs to squeeze five more games in afterwards.”

Comet continued to say nothing.

“If you make me miss all Rainbow Dash’s races I’m going to push you into the vat myself,” she said, trying not to think about just how fast Rainbow Dash could win a race. It had already been several hours – she was probably done by now.

Comet smirked, slightly.

Scootaloo felt something shoot through her, and before she knew what she was doing she was on top of him, punching him in the face with her hooves, ignoring the whistle going off behind her head in favor of hitting him again and again, until somepony bit down on her tail and dragged her off, and up into the air where she was helpless.

Comet wiped a bit of blood off his muzzle, and grinned up at her. “Ha! I knew you’d crack.”

“Physical contact means you forfeit,” the proctor explained, after setting her down.

“I know,” Scootaloo grumbled, as he gave her another black star.

“If you’re going to lose your temper, you might want to go play Battleclouds,” he suggested.

“Uh uh,” Scootaloo said. “Now it’s personal. That little creep is going down!”

Comet grinned. “Fine with me, loser. How about we make it interesting?”

Scootaloo perked an ear.

“Next time we face off, we make a side bet. Whoever wins gets to eat the loser. Right here in front of everypony.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No way! I told you, nopony’s eating me but Rainbow Dash.”

“You’re that sure you’re going to lose?” Comet said, smirking. “Guess I know why you can’t fly now. Chicken.”

“Don’t call me a chicken,” Scootaloo said, spreading her wings and taking a step towards him. “Only two ponies get to call me a chicken, and they’re both dead!”

“Then don’t be a chicken,” Comet said, motioning at her with one of his hooves. “Come on, hit me. Or are you too afraid now that I can hit back?”

She was not. Getting kicked in the face barely hurt, when you were as mad as she was, and her own blows didn’t seem to be bothering Comet much either. The proctors pulled them apart before they could get very far, holding them both back as they squirmed to try to get at each other. “No fighting in the stadium!” said the one holding Comet. “You’ll distract the other ponies. Take it outside!”

But by the time they were actually dumped on their tails outside the stadium, the moment had passed, and the bruises were starting to hurt, a little.

“So your friends are dead, huh?” Comet asked.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “I was supposed to join them yesterday, but Rainbow keeps putting it off.”

Comet nodded. “Mine are too. We promised to win this together, but those losers couldn’t even get past the first day.”

“What’s even the point?” Scootaloo said, rolling onto her back and staring at the clock. “I can’t play any of the fun games, and Rainbow is off doing grownup stuff without me. Again. Why won’t she just eat me already?”

“Maybe she wants you to earn it,” Comet said. “Look, I don’t want to go to the stupid Rainbow Factory. If I lose again, there won’t be time to come back. So even if you’re too chicken to bet, I’ll let you eat me if you win. It’s lunchtime anyway, right?”

“Fine,” Scootaloo said. “I’ll make your stupid bet. If you beat me again, you get to eat me instead of Rainbow Dash. But I’m warning you, there’s no way I’m going to lose with something like that at stake.”

“Sure,” Comet said. “I believe you.”

“It’s true!” Scootaloo said.

“Uh huh.”

Scootaloo rolled to her feet and glared at him. “Stop teasing me!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Comet said, grinning.

Scootaloo leapt on him, but he was ready for her, and this time there was nopony around to stop the fight.

===

The two bruised and bandaged foals limped up to the square. Scootaloo’s front leg was tied down with bandages from where Comet had almost twisted it out of joint, and Comet had an eyepatch over the eye Scootaloo had nearly gouged out, which was probably an unfair advantage somehow. The pills were taking the edge off the pain, but she couldn’t stop feeling around the gap in her teeth with her tongue, even though it sent a stab of pain through her jaw every time she poked at it.

It had been a pretty good fight.

“You two again?” asked the proctor. It wasn’t one of the ones they’d had before, but apparently word had gotten around.

“This is the last time,” Comet said. “We’re making a side bet. Winner eats the loser.”

The proctor looked back at Scootaloo, who nodded, poking at her missing tooth again.

“Then bump hooves and begin, I guess,” he said.

Comet held out a hoof and smirked. Scootaloo snorted, and buzzed her wings to help support herself on her hind legs for long enough to bump her remaining hoof into his.

Then, they stared. Scootaloo focused on Comet’s eyes, and ignored the rest of the world. His unpatched eye was red. Almost like Rainbow Dash’s, but not quite. She imagined it shifting into Rainbow’s magenta, and the rest of her idol’s face filled itself in around them – the sky blue fur, the rainbow mop of a mane, the confident friendly smile. It was beautiful. She could have stared at it all day.

“So who are you thinking of?” she asked, breaking out of her trance as she spoke.

“Huh?” Comet said.

“Nevermind,” Scootaloo said, going back to imagining Rainbow Dash. This was for Rainbow. There was no way she could lose.

“Sunshower,” Comet said, after a while. “I’m thinking about her. What you said about Rainbow – I would have let Sunshower eat me, but she had to go and get herself eaten first.”

“Ouch,” Scootaloo said. “So why are you here, then?”

“What?”

“You already lost. She can’t eat you. It’s going to be somepony random.”

“I don’t want to be eaten by anypony!” Comet said. “I don’t want to die!”

“That sucks,” Scootaloo said. “Because you’re going to. Winning or losing this isn’t going to change anything.”

“Hah,” Comet said. “I’m going to make sure you die first.”

“Why?” Scootaloo asked.

Comet snorted. “Because you’re my enemy. Duh.”

“Oh,” Scootaloo said, frowning. “I thought we were friends.”

“What?” Comet asked. “No really, what?”

Scootaloo grinned, a cool breeze making the gap in her teeth twinge. “We’re totally friends. We’ve spent all day playing together and everything.”

“Why would I want to make friends with you?” Comet asked. “Even if I liked you, and wanted to make up with you, why would I do it now? When one of us isn’t even going to live out the next hour? What would be the point?”

Scootaloo stuck out her tongue, and made a face. “Do you really want to get eaten by an enemy?”

Comet stared back at her in horror, and then curled up, covering his eyes with his hooves. As the whistle blew, he said, “Stop it! Stop saying that I’m your friend!”

“Are you okay?” Scootaloo asked, leaning closer. The way he was holding his eyes – was he crying?

“I hate you!” Comet said. “I can’t stand being around you! Just eat me and get it over with!”

“Um, I think we need to go off into the center,” Scootaloo said, reaching down with her good hoof and helping him up. “Come on. I’ll try to make it quick, okay? I still need to get another game in.”

===

“Now, here’s a pair that have really had it out for each other all day. I don’t know how many ponies were following their games, but I know everypony was entertained by their brief scuffle earlier. Now it’s time for the final act! For your viewing pleasure, Comet Tail has volunteered to be eaten by his opponent and arch-rival, here in the stadium!” A cheer went up through the crowd. “Let’s all hear it for Scootaloo!” A louder cheer, and then all eyes were on the two of them, there in the center ring.

“So how do you want it?” Scootaloo asked. “Headfirst or tail first?”

Comet cringed, his wings locked tightly to his sides. “I don’t want to die,” he said.

“Oh come on! You’re the one who made the stupid bet!” Scootaloo said. “Now everypony’s watching!”

Comet looked at the crowd, which was staring back at them, expectantly. His breathing started to get harder and faster, and he suddenly shot to his hooves.

“Oh no you don’t!” Scootaloo said, leaping on him as he turned to bolt, pinning him to the clouds. She couldn’t get a good grip with only one forehoof, though, and when he spread his wings to try and fly, she started to slide off his back – so she sank her teeth into his wing, biting down hard and wrestling with it with her good hoof, and ended up sliding off to the side, hanging from him by his wing and completely fouling his flight.

The two of them slammed into the cloud-soft ground with a quiet ‘poof’ of fog, and Comet gave a gasp, his wing going limp in Scootaloo’s grip after a faint ‘pop’ she could feel through her teeth. She released her grip, and rammed into his side with her forehead, getting a whimper out of him as he fell over onto his side and rolled onto his back, cradling his bad wing with his hooves.

Scootaloo lunged at his hind legs, and took a kick to her face. There wasn’t as much force behind it as there could have been, but hind legs were strong, and her muzzle exploded in pain, stars floating in front of her eyes.

“Looks like we’ve got a live one here, folks!” said the announcer, watching the fight.

Scootaloo shook her head to clear it, and feinted towards Comet’s legs again, dodging the inevitable kick and countering with her teeth around his ankle. Comet tried to squirm around and get it loose, but couldn’t manage to break her grip, even as she dragged him around the ring. Realizing that wasn’t accomplishing anything, she rolled over onto her side and wrapped all three of her unbandaged legs around his to hold it in place while she shifted her muzzle to engulf it.

Somewhat to her surprise, she felt her muzzle and throat stretch around Comet’s leg as she shoved it into her mouth as quickly as she could. He was still struggling, and giving every sign that he wanted to get away, but Discord’s spell was working. Which meant he was faking, right?

Either way, Scootaloo was determined. Comet was going down. Down her throat. No matter how much he struggled.

She couldn’t get his other hind leg into her mouth, but she managed to get her own leg in the way and keep him from kicking her with it as she swallowed his thigh and stretched her lips wide around his rear end. After a brief bout of squirming and struggling, tugging and a couple of kicks to his side to distract him, his stray hind leg ended up folded forwards, unable to get enough leverage to move as she slowly sucked the squirming pegasus into her throat.

And his wings! He was flapping his good wing, worse than Derpy had, but his other wing was limp, and when she bit down on it he screamed and went limp.

Good boy, she thought to herself as she folded them both safely into her mouth, where they couldn’t cause any more trouble.

Of course, that meant that her face was in range of his front hooves, and she had to just close her eyes and take the beating as her muzzle made its way up his barrel. Her face was all rubbery, stretched out around him, and the blows didn’t really hurt. They ended soon enough, as she got his shoulders into her throat and restricted his range of motion.

“No!” he was whimpering, as his head slowly vanished between her remaining teeth. “No no no no no!”

She jammed her front hoof into his muzzle, shutting him up and helping her rippling throat muscles pull him into her stomach. There were a few last halfhearted kicks against her teeth as his front hooves flexed at the ankle, and then he was inside her.

Scootaloo groaned, and collapsed on her side, completely exhausted. Comet was still thrashing around inside her, and it was making her feel sick. “Yes,” she said, punching herself in the stomach. “Yes yes yes!” That last jab hurt, but it must have hurt him too, because he finally calmed down.

Somepony grabbed her by the hoof, and she looked up as the announcer helped her sit up and raised it above her head. “The winner, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo saw the whole crowd standing and cheering for her, some of them jumping up and down in excitement, and gave a gap-toothed grin for the crowd. Yeah, winning was kind of sweet.

===

Scootaloo’s last match was against a different pony. An adult mare, but one with five black stars and a haunted look on her face. She kept glancing up at the small clock next to the booth where they were setting up the matches.

“I’m not going to lose,” she said. “I don’t care how much the crowd loves you, I’m not going to lose!”

“Geez, calm down. It’s just a game,” Scootaloo said.

“This is my last chance!” she said. “If I get one more black star, they won’t even let me compete!”

“Cool Breeze, Scootaloo, if you’re ready, bump hooves and begin,” said the proctor.

Scootaloo held out her hoof, buzzing her wings to hold herself up, since her other foreleg was still bandaged. Breeze took her time bumping it, which was annoying. They sat back, and locked gazes.

“Boo!” came a voice from inside Scootaloo’s belly. Cool Breeze looked down in shock, and the proctor blew his whistle.

Cool Breeze squeaked, and collapsed onto the clouds, covering her face with her wings and sobbing.

“Um...” Scootaloo said, wondering if that match counted, since Comet had interfered. But the proctor didn’t say anything about it, and gave her the last gold star she needed, covering up all the black. She was safe for the day.

As she staggered out of the square, and out of the stadium, she asked the pony in her stomach, “Did you just help me?”

“Did I? Maybe I wanted you to be the one to look,” Comet said. “Come on, let’s go see Rainbow Dash.”