Chapter 2
Sweetie Belle reappeared in a room that was immediately identified as Luna’s “mythical” gaming cave as evidenced by the multiple flat-screen monitors lining one wall, shelves of games lining another, and innumerable game systems hooked up to the various monitors. As for the location of the Princess of the Night, or the Princess of Gaming as Celestia called her, she was sitting in a GIANT beanbag chair that sat in the middle of the room next to a trash can overflowing with empty snack food bags, and a mini fridge with a mini freezer sitting on top. Luna got up with the experience of one who has used giant beanbag chairs for hundreds of years, which wasn’t far from the truth. She walked over to a small table in the corner and sat down in one of the two chairs. She gestured to Sweetie Belle to sit in the chair across from her. Sweetie got up, and sat in the chair. On the table in front of them, a chess board was sitting open with the pieces properly placed. Luna looked at Sweetie Belle with a smug expression.
“Ready?” was all she asked.
Sweetie Belle nodded her head with determination. “Ready,” she said. Luna moved her piece and the game began
{20 Games Later}
Sweetie Belle was fuming and exhausted. She had won once and she suspected the only reason she did win was that Luna let here to be nice. Luna was currently sipping a coffee while Sweetie Belle’s chocolate milkshake sat untouched, warm, and abandoned off to the side. Luna had gotten it for her during Sweetie Belle’s bathroom break as a surprise. Luna then noticed it and zapped it back into the mini-freezer.
“Do you give up?” asked Princess Luna.
Sweetie Belle shook her head vigorously. “Nope. Not for a while.”
{-----}
Halfway through their next game, Luna requested a bathroom break. When Luna returned she found Sweetie Belle slumped over on the table, drooling slightly, fast asleep, with chess pieces lying about. Luna smiled.
“Oh, well. She was losing anyways.”
Luna picked up Sweetie Belle and teleported the both of them to Sweetie’s room in Carousel Boutique. She tucked in Sweetie Belle, and after giving her a light, motherly kiss on the forehead (not that she would tell anyone), she wrote a quick note and set it on the nightstand next to Sweetie’s bed.
When Sweetie Belle woke up the next morning, she thought about what she had experienced last night. Preparing to dismiss it as a dream, or nightmare, depending on your point-of-view, a small note caught her eye. She picked it up in her magic and floated it over.
“Rest today, Sweetie Belle. Shall we continue tomorrow with Pinkie Pie’s dancing game? -Princess Luna,” she read aloud. She then proceeded to ball up the note and toss it into her garbage can before going downstairs grumbling. Rarity was sitting at the table in a bathrobe sipping some tea as Sweetie walked downstairs.
“Oh, hello Darling,” said Rarity. “I take it you slept well?”
Sweetie Belle nodded, her previous anger gone, having been overtaken by drowsiness. She began pouring herself a glass of orange juice.
“You know,” began Rarity, “I had the most peculiar dream last night.”
Sweetie Belle nodded, “Uh-huh.”
“You were in it. I had gone out to go to the bathroom when I saw sitting on the computer upstairs still. I was about to tell you to go to bed, but then you disappeared in a flash of blue light…”
Sweetie Belle nearly choked on her orange juice, eyes wide. “Oh, really,” she managed in between coughs, “That’s interesting.”
“Yes, it was. Do you have any idea where I could have gotten the idea from?” Rarity asked.
“Nope,” replied Sweetie Belle with nervous hastiness. “I went to bed when you told me and certainly didn’t spend the night playing chess against Princes Luna.” She laughed nervously.
Rarity raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Well that was a weird response. But then again, it was a weird dream so I guess that’s that.” Rarity stood up. “Now, I have to go ask something of Twilight. Do you think you can manage the store while I’m out?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yep. Don’t let anyone in while you are out and keep Opal out of the fabric room.”
“Good,” said Rarity. “Now, I must be off. See you later, darling.”
As soon as Rarity closed the door, Sweetie’s face thunked onto the table, fast asleep.
{-----}
Rarity knocked on the door of castle, which was opened by a bleary-eyed Starlight.
“Oh, hi Rarity,” said Starlight, pausing to yawn. “Come in, come in.” As Starlight waved her in sleepily, Rarity accepted the hospitality and walked inside.
“Do want breakfast? I made pancakes,” said Starlight.
“No, thank you dear, not today. Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Spike for a moment.”
“Spike?” asked Starlight. “Sure, though you might want to cover your ears.”
“Why?” Rarity asked, though complying anyway.
“You’ll see in a sec,” said Starlight. She cleared her throat, then yelled, “SPIKE!!!!”
Spike came running down the hall.
“Yeah, Starlight?” he panted. He waved at Rarity. “Hi, Rarity.”
Starlight turned to her friend, “So… what’d you need Spike for?”
“I need to deliver a message to Princess Luna.”
Spike pulled out a quill and parchment as Starlight walked away. “Ready,” he said.
“Alright. I wish to say: ‘You took Sweetie Belle to play chess with you in your game cave last night, didn’t you?’”
Spike raised an eyebrow, “Really?”
Rarity put a hoof to her face, “Just write it and send it. I never said it made sense.”
Spike finished writing, and sent the letter on its way. A few moments later, he belched out the return letter. Spike picked it up and looked at it.
Rarity craned her neck to see. “Tell me what it says, please.”
“‘Nooo……’” Spike read.
“‘Noooo….’? What do you mean ‘Noooo….’? Is it bad?” asked Rarity, confused.
“No,” replied Spike. “That’s what it says. Look!”
He held it out facing her for her to read. When she finished reading, she sighed and said, “Looks like I need to pay a visit to the Princess of the Night.”