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// Start Episode 9 - My Game, My Rules 
// Story: Roll for Initiative 
// by David Silver 
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Spike grumbled softly to himself as he ate his cereal.

"Still mad?" asked Twilight, seated across from him at the small table and looking at him with concern. "I understand that... wasn't what you had in mind."

"No, it wasn't." Spike jabbed the milky mess with his spoon, but it didn't have the courtesy to argue the treatment. "Almost none of it was. It wasn't my game!"

Twilight lowered her left ear a little. "This happened to me once before."

Spike jerked at the news. "W-what? You ran O&O before?"

Twilight bobbed her head quickly. "Oh, yes. I used to love it quite dearly." She smiled as she stood up, her empty plate lifting from the table under her quiet magic. "I tried to run a game, and it went well enough, at first."

He abandoned his cereal in favor of following Twilight towards the sink. "What happened?"

"Lyra got... ideas... Looking back at it, I can laugh, but at the time, I was furious. She stole the show, took the reins away from me without even trying, then looked confused when I was upset about it." She set her plate down in the sink and took a slow breath. "I'm not mad, not anymore, but I remember I used to be."

Spike nodded thoughtfully as he stood beside Twilight. "Well, she didn't invite your coltfriend over when you weren't expecting it, I hope?"

Twilight pinkened at the idea. "You know better than that."

Spike kept his thoughts of the idea of Twilight suddenly getting a coltfriend to himself. "Can you even imagine it?"

Twilight glanced aside at Spike before turning towards him. "There have been a pony or two in my time that I... might have had some interest in... Having one of them turn up suddenly to return my thoughts without preparation?" Her eyes went skywards. "I'd probably freak out." She tensely laughed with memories of her last episodes. "Lucky me, that never happened..."

Spike raised a brow. "You almost sound disappointed."

Twilight turned away from him fast enough to whip him in the face with her tail. "Of course not! Anyway, I am sorry." She peered over her shoulder at him with a softening expression. "That wasn't... right. I'll talk to Discord next time I see him."

Spike waved the idea away as he ambled back towards the table. "As if he'd listen to whatever you said. I mean, thanks, I guess, but I doubt a stern talking to is going to make all the difference unless Fluttershy's the one doing it."

Twilight hopped up, placing her forehooves on the table and leaning in towards Spike. "Have you tried asking her? Fluttershy, I mean. She might be willing to lend a hoof when it comes to correcting Discord."

"Huh..." Spike frowned a little as he took a spoonful of his soggy cereal. "Maybe... I didn't think of that. That's not a bad idea."

"I have a few." She dropped back to the floor. "I have to get started with my day; royal duties and all that. I trust you're alright?"

"Yeah." He gave an emphatic thumbs up. "I appreciate, you know, all this. Thanks."

Twilight paused in her retreat. She turned back around and trotted up to Spike, wrapping a leg around him and hugging gently. "You're more than worth it, Spike." She left swiftly after that.

Spike was left sitting there, warmed in the cheeks. It was nice to be reminded. "Yeah..." He had business of his own. He dumped out his ruined breakfast and quickly cleaned the mess he made before patting himself clean and scampering for the door.





"All set." Applejack nodded towards a cart full of apple-baskets, each of them brimming with fresh apples. "Let's walk back together."

Big Mac nodded, already under the harness of the wagon. When he took the first heavy step, the wagon lurched into motion and began to follow him. "Ayup."

"We got things to discuss..."

Big Mac glanced aside at her, but it was only an instant before he looked forward at the barn they were to get to eventually.

"Ah still don't fully... support what yer doin'..." She looked away and back. "But maybe ah was bein' jus' a little hasty..." She stepped closer to his side as they both walked ahead slowly. "Yer playin' a unicorn an' all, an' ah can't say I 'get' that fully, but yer an earth-pony's unicorn." She bumped up against him. "Yer a warrior, big and strong."

Big Mac smiled faintly, a hint of a curl on his lips. "Yup."

"And yer even fightin' ta protect yer kin." She bumped him again. "Ah can't... say that's a bad thing." They walked together in companionable silence for a time, the barn coming closer with their steps. "Say, how did you get involved in this anyway?"

Big Mac turned an ear at Applejack as he drew the wagon towards the barn door that Applejack had opened just in time for him to enter. "Well... Spike done had a game to try, and ah didn't see no harm in it."

"Discord wasn't in it from the start then?" She closed the door behind him and the wagon and moved to start hefting up the baskets and set them with others, ready to be sold and used. "The way he was actin', figured he was the one that started the whole darn thing."

"Nope." Big Mac shook free of the harness and circled around to help with moving the individual baskets. "Only his second game."

Applejack froze a moment. "Huh. He takes to it natural 'nough. Guess he would, gettin' ta break all the rules and not be yelled at fer it." She bumped a basket into position. "Nothin' wrong with that, ah guess. If'n he can have fun and be part of somethin' others find enjoyable, good for 'em, right?"

"Yup." Big Mac wiped his forehooves off one another. "All done."

"Yup," replied Applejack with a smile. "Sorry, by the way, you know, for the... mean things I mighta said earlier..."

Big Mac threw a leg over Applejack and squeezed her tight. "Forgiven."

Applejack leaned into the hug a moment. "Shoot, ain't like yer doin' nothin' that bad." She trotted away. "Marryin' a unicorn, pfft, as if."

Big Mac colored silently, watching her go.





"You want what?" Lyra tilted her head slightly. "I mean, I'm not against the idea or anything..."

"Then you'll do it?!" Pinkie bounced in place. "I have one right here." She pulled out her new lute and came down on her haunches, the lute up and across her front. "I'm ready!"

Lyra smiled gently. "I can see that. First thing is, I'm a unicorn." She pointed up at her horn. "Which means I might not be the best teacher for--"

Pinkie huffed and crossed her hooves behind her lute. "Are you saying earth-ponies can't play an instrument?"

"No! No no no! Celestia no." Lyra shook her head violently. "I just mean that an earth-pony is a better teacher for an earth-pony. The way I'd teach you would be all about how to hold it right in your horn, which you aren't going to do. I know just the pony!"

Pinkie brightened at the news. "Who?" She stood up, slinging her instrument. "If you're suggesting them, they must be good."

"The best," easily agreed Lyra. "It's always a pleasure when I get to play with her. She can craft wonderful pieces. It's like she was born with her instrument. The way they move together..." She sighed out gently. "Yeah, she's good. Don't let a single pony tell you an earth-pony can't rock a string instrument, because she is and does and I even get a little jealous sometimes thinking about her." She burst into airy giggles, not sounding very jealous or upset. "Best part, she lives here in town!"

Pinkie began to clap her hooves together in eager little clops. "Fantastic! Who is this wonder-mare?"

Lyra pointed off. "Her name is Octavia Melody."

Pinkie felt the color drain from her. She had met Octavia before... "Oh..."

Lyra blinked at the response. "What's wrong? She really is the best." She reached out a hoof towards the stricken Pinkie. "I'll introduce you, don't worry about it."

Pinkie shook her head quickly. "We, uh... met... I... might have, just a little..." She sat and brought up her hooves close together. "Just maybe crashed one of her performances?"

Lyra's right ear quirked to the side. "How bad was it?"

Pinkie nervously laughed as she rubbed her hooves together. "Well, you see, it was my first Galloping Gala..."

"You crashed her Galloping Gala?!" Lyra almost fell back over herself in shock. "That's one of the biggest gigs we can get!"

Pinkie sank bonelessly to the floor with a sad whimper.

Lyra raised a hoof to her face. "Alright, alright, we can work with this. We just have to put a good spin on it, yeah!" She clopped her hooves together. "You've considered how rude you were and you want to learn just how hard it is to play an instrument like her, so you know just how bad you were being. It's, you know, a punishment so you can see things from her side."

Pinkie peeked up from beneath her hooves. "You think that'll work?"

Lyra shrugged softly. "Couldn't say for sure, but it's worth a shot. At the very least, another chance to say you're sorry. You are sorry, right?"

"Super mega sorry," easily agreed Pinkie as she sat up. "I learned my lesson." She began the sacred process of the Pinkie Promise. "And I really do want to learn how to play this better."

"And you will." Lyra nodded firmly. "If she agrees to it, she will make it happen. Octavia is a super dedicated pony. Once she starts, she is in it until it is done." Bouncing to her hooves, Lyra  began trotting towards Octavia's house. "C'mon, no time like the present."





Spike looked left and right, taking in the natural tones of Fluttershy's cottage and the menagerie of critters that called its vicinity home. He took a slow breath, then stepped up to the door, knocking gently. "Fluttershy?" he called through the closed door.

Things were quiet a moment, but he didn't dare knock again. Alarming Fluttershy was too easy. A faint voice? He heard a gentle voice from within the house and smiles. Soon enough, his patience was rewarded with Fluttershy's face as the door opened.

"Hello there, Spike. Is something wrong?" She glanced around as if expecting some terrible monster.

Spike shook his head quickly. "Nothing like that. It's about the game, you know, the one you saw after the trip to YakYakistan?"

"Oh, yes." Fluttershy nodded. "Discord looked like he was having a wonderful time. Thank you ever so much for keeping him company." She reached out and pulled him into the cottage. "I was worried he wouldn't make other friends besides me, but seeing how excited he gets whenever we talk about it, I know I made the right decision."

Spike stiffened as Fluttershy spoke. "Oh, uh, yeah... a great time..." He worried his fingers together, considering how to phrase it. "And he is good fun to have around. Even Applejack got along with him."

"Applejack is playing?" Fluttershy's tone carried her surprise as she led Spike towards her tea table and invited him to sit on a cushion. "It's become quite a thing, hasn't it? Is Twilight also playing?" When Spike shook his head, she looked relieved. "Oh, for a moment I thought I was the only one not playing. I mean, I suppose I don't have to even if I was..."

Spike felt her uneasiness and smiled gently at her. "You're welcome to come, or not. You're not any less or more of a friend either way, Fluttershy. If it helps, the group's pretty full at this point anyway."

She did look relieved. "Oh, alright." She sat down across from him. "Thank you. You're such a good dragon, Spike. Now, what was it you came to talk about? Did you just want me to know how well Discord's doing?"