NNFF (Not Necessarily a Fan Fic)

Summer weather such as this was impossible in the winter. People embraced the rays that hit the skin, the warm they haven’t felt for months, and wanted to dart for it immediately. However, they couldn't move. Not until the game started. Not for 30 more seconds. When midnight hits, it will officially become Christmas Day. People were ready to explore the virtual world.

It will be known as the largest online match in history with over a million players waiting for the same gates to open using the same ungodly internet bandwidth in which every individual had implanted in their brains. The virtual bloodbath will stretch for hours on end, as Scouts, Heavies, Soldiers, Medics, Snipers, Demomen, Pyros, and Spies are waiting to reveal their voices, as their speakers were disabled. Noticing the 30 seconds left before the game, I saved the video file I was editing within my head and closed. I couldn't make words, but one thing I could do is stare at one of the scouts on my team. As the crosshairs matched with him, his eyes crossed mine, and his username popped up as my friends, Ablaze. I nodded at him. The mod worked. We spawned near each other.

10 seconds.

I was psyched for the biggest online match in reality. How all of the fanbases could collide and make such technology is revolutionary.

5 seconds.

If Valve never supported this, we would never be able to experience the hellish heaven we’re about to witness.

The announcer didn’t sound the same, it shouted louder than it ever had, in a different tone, and with much more emotion, almost as if it had a life of its own. “BEGIN!”

It sounded like a war. Battle cries and “LEROY JENKINS” of all kinds soared through the air. Gabe Newell and Notch, was leading the red team was the most psyched, almost as if they landed on the moon pulling this off.

Gabe Newell exclaimed “We made history starting this battle! LET’S MAKE HISTORY AND END THIS!” You can make out what they said thanks to the priority box they set up in our head.

Updates from the server admins and favorited friends are amplified and appear in a chatbox, one that didn't require typing. We ran. We ran like hell. The blue team was so much further now, making this bigger than all of the war grounds combined in real life. A voice started coming clear to us. We never expected the richest man in America to appear in our chat.

“Spartans! Tonight, we dine, in hell!” It was the biggest irony, because Bill Gates, in a specially modded Spartan model, lead his army of game designers and testers. The entire red team cheered at his appearance, although some mac fans swore.

Ablaze and I smiled, and I crank my head continuing the dart, still knowing he’s a long way away. “Where do you wanna go after the grand opening match?” Ruben shot a confused look at me. I looked back. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. So what pony do you want to meet?”

Ablaze stops in his tracks, looking back at the opposing team smiling. “I’m going to go for the big one; Princess Luna,” Ablaze looks back “The fans are going to be all over her. “

I smile, but then look back. “Ruben,”

Ruben corrects “Call me Ablaze.”

“Ablaze, listen. The population is going to spike in Equestria by the millions. I’m not sure if we’ll be welcome.”

“Well why the hell not?”

“I just feel… Nervous. Ponyville’s not going to be a village anymore; more likely a bustling city after the bronies are done with it. And… Humans… There’s some pretty damn stupid ones down there, I’m just being defensive. Did you hear the Team Fortress announcer? It was so realistic! I fear that this isn’t just a computer chip in our mind, we’ve created another universe.”

Ablaze nods and looks back. “I’ve thought of that too but, my blood is just running so damn fast right now, I don’t think I can contain my excitement!” Soldiers started shooting their rockets and snipers started blaring. “I’m ready for anything this universe throws at me!” He charges, and I follow behind him.

An anonymous voice blares. “It’s about time you fuckers did something!” We ignored it. “Fucking pussies, watching ponies and shit. I’m ready for the biggest Call of Duty fight ever after this! Like a MAN!!” A rocket blares over us during his rambling, and he’s blown to bits.

“Holy fff-” I shouted under my breath. We ducked in a building; the other team was closer than we thought. I open a window, and cover my hand to signify I’m going long distance. “Where the hell are you?!”

My friend Christian picked up. He’s not a brony but rather, a real life friend. “Of course I get sent behind our entire team!”

Ablaze picked up. “Hah!”

“Really Eric, you brought that ponyfag here?”

“Call me Ric man, you’re ruining the moment,” I say. “And can’t we just have fun for a little while?”

“God, how long does this battlefield go for?”

“I don’t know, but I’m near the battlefield right now! I’m ducked behind a wall.”

“Get out in the game, man!”

“I’m a sniper man, I’m not even supposed to be ‘in the game.’”

“Quickscope!”

“You can’t fucking quickscope in Team Fortress!” A minigun spams us, as we duck as tightly as possible below the windowsill.

Ruben panicked. “Dude, that’s a fucking Heavy!”

The Heavy was charging and the bullets were getting steeper and steeper. “Dude, get the fuck up from there, you’re ruining my streak!” The sound of bloodsplatter spaws as the Heavy is blown to bits. A soldier cheers. I check my crosshairs to see the usernames. I didn’t know the one that was killed, but I knew the one that shot him. As he runs away, I turn back to Ablaze.

“Dude, that was fucking PewDiePie.”

“PewdiePie? Hell no, a million players, and pewdiepie saves us?”

“Dude, I recognize that username, it’s not a fake.” I motion back Ablaze. “Comon man, we’ve got to boost our score. You charge out there and capture that base, I’ll keep you safe.” Ablaze nodded and ran. I set my sniper and look frantically for pursuers. Surprisingly, the bass seemed empty either than a blue medic camper jumping around singing “Gagnam Style.” He got a bullet in the head by me.

“Thanks for getting that guy,” Ablaze updated.

I saw a shadow loom over me, and I turned instinctively. It was another red scout. “Ric?”

“Hey!” I recognized your username. “Frost right?”

“Yeah.”

“We never talk man! What’s goin on?”

“Oh nothing, just going around killing people, you?”

“Same.” I focused back on my sniping.

“Well, back to work. Added you to my friends list.” The shadow shifted, which I wasn’t aware of. I turn.

“Thanks man, I…” I start stuttering, fear has robbed me of words.

Ablaze started getting paranoid. “What is it?”

“That’s a fuckin…” I pause for the word. “Spy.”

A bloodsplatter. It’s Ablaze’s turn now.

Chapter 1½ - Winner Takes All

Ablaze captures the base and steps off. He aims his scattergun but finds the spy dead. I find myself overviewing the fight. I know what the spy did.

“He changed classes. He’s a pyro now.”

Ablaze slops. “Dammit, not a pyro!”

“Turn left and aim.”

“Alright,” he says, doing so. He sees how underpowered he is as a scout fighting a pyro. He switches to his bat and baseball. Frost comes, nailing a shotgun at his head. Only one shot made contact. Ablaze hits his baseball right in Frost’s head. His life is halved. They orbit each other like a pack of wolves, shooting shotguns and scatterguns. Frost switches to his flame thrower and charges Ablaze. Ablaze dodges.

“Dude, stay still! You’re obviously not taking this serious!”

I responded. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the higher place you get in this tournament, the higher the chances that you’ll meet someone you want to! I can tell you right now, the mane 6 are going to be really popular right now, the most we’ll get out of them if anything is an autograph if we don’t win this!”

Ablaze gasped. “You’re shitting me!” I have to meet Luna. I have to!

“Of course it’s just a rumor,” Frost continued. “It’s a risk I ain’t willing to take, however.” Frost charges, and Ablaze instinctively scattershots. Frost dodges and sets him on fire.

I shout. “Ablaze!”

Frost frowns. “I had to do it guys. Please forgive me.” He runs away. Now me and Ablaze are in a waiting room of some sort.

“What are we going to do now?” Ablaze grunts. He collapses on the chair waiting for him.

“Dude, I’m sorry.”

“What are you guys on about?” He was quite a ways, and we couldn’t see him.

“Is it true that the more kills you get, the higher the chance of you getting to meet a protagonist in a game or series?” I ask him.

“Tell your friend to calm down, they would never separate such dedicated fans in a simple match.” We sigh with relief. The player reveals himself, a dead Notch. We become speechless at his presence. “It’s a tight fit though. Millions of fans looking for the same person, they’re gonna become celebrities, you know.”

“It’s not fair. How are we going to compete with a million people? It’s like rescuing a princess,” Ablaze said.

“Listen though, I’ll see if you can fit.”

I blush, and smile down at the thought of it. I expected a good reaction from Ablaze, but shocked that their isn’t one.

“If they’re gonna be treated like celebrities, then how? How are we going to ‘truly’ meet them? I don’t want to be treated like a fan, I want to be treated like a friend.”

I noticed that this tied in very well with my nervousness. I hang my head as well. “I guess I feel the same way.”

Notch sits beside us. “Well don’t. The brony community is a hard one, because everybody, or, should I say ‘pony’ wants to befriend a member of the mane 6 rather than just “see” them. But…” He looks over “Equestria seems to think they have it covered.”

Ablaze looks up. “Seriously?”

Notch is now the one looking down. “Don’t ask me how.” Beeping, and everyone looks up at the screen in front of them. Bill Gates collapses. Only a few people are left. The battle rages on, and Red team takes the win. Notch stands up and claps us. “We did it, guys!”

We’re cheering at this point. I’m smiling and Ablaze is smiling. Our bad moods have been cured. Ablaze turns around and looks at Notch. “You see? Getting someone’s autograph just doesn’t seem enough. People should stop treating others like “things.”

Notch pats Ablaze on the back. “I completely agree.” He wraps his arm around us. “Well, are you ready?”

I flinch. “For what?”

“Equestria, of course!” Windows fly through his eyes, and he locks on. “What, did you forget that I might wanna go there too?”

“Going to Equestria with the dutch creator of Minecraft…” I repeat. “What’s next, doughnuts will start flying out of the sky?”

“What,” Ablaze flinches.

“I’m telling you that unicorns exist without sarcasm! I’m sure there’s a universe for the doughnut thing too.” He looks up.

“God, I wanna visit that universe. We stare, awkwardly, before I turn back to Ablaze. “Will we be accepted when we go there, man?”

Ablaze hesitates. “Hell, I would be glad if they took me as a slave!”

We laugh. 10 seconds before the server switch.

Ablaze’s eyes stare into a different realm of thought. “That would be very kinky, wouldn’t it?”

Another awkward stare. 5 more seconds.

I speak to Ablaze. “Ablaze, when we go, cover your eyes. I want the first look to be the best.” I tremble as the last second ticks off the timer. Suddenly, we’re gone.