//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: A Twinkle and a Sparkle 
// by xzillerationer 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 5:
gallowsActivator36 has started messaging lunarBiologist0:

GA: lunar, are you almost ready?
LB: I’m still waiting on my friend.
GA: The match begins in five minutes, she better not be late.
LB: She should be here soon...I hope...
GA: What’s wrong, lunar? You sound sad.
LB: I just hoped that she would be here to help us win.
GA: You know that’s not true, we can win by ourselves!

carnageAndPie has signed in. carnageAndPie has joined the chat.

CaP: Hey everypony!
GA: Hey, carny.
LB: Hey...
CaP: What’s wrong lunar?
LB: Nothing is wrong! I just wish my friend were here.
CaP: I’ll have to talk about that later! We have a match to win!

“Twilight, what should my username be?” I asked the mare in question. She responded with a shrug. “Maybe I’ll call Luna about it?”
“Perhaps. Give her a ring.”
I took out my phone, and dialed up Luna. 4. It’s so hard to remember sometimes. “Hey, Luna?”
“Twinkleshine! Where are you! The match begins in four minutes!”
“I can’t figure out my username. Should I just use Twinkleshine?”
“What?! No! Don’t use your real name!”
“Why not?”
“Because...you...I never thought of it.” She paused for a moment, Twilight shrugged. “Because if the stallions find out you’re a mare, you’ll be hit on nonstop.” 
“Oh, okay. I think I have it figured out, I’ll be online in a moment.” I hung up the phone, and turned to Twilight. “I have an idea!”

shineTwinkle has joined the chat. 

LA: ….really?
ST: Yeah, what’s wrong with it?
LA: Nothing.
GA: lunar, who’s this?
LA: My friend I’ve been telling you about.
ST: Fluttershy, is that you?
GA: Meep \(>.<) /
ST: Twilight, stop talking through my mic!
LB: Twilight Sparkle?
ST: Oh, hey Luna.
ST: Twilight! Fine.

I glared at Twilight, she grinned back. “Sorry.” She offered me an apology hug. I may have taken it. I can’t resist the power of the hug. It’s my only weakness. That, and improper usage of its and it’s. Well, mostly. There’s another, but I won’t get into it right now. 

LB: gallows? gallows?
GA: …
ST: Did I scare her away?
ST: Well, Fluttershy is really shy. It’s an interesting coincidence.
LB: Wait, she’s Fluttershy? gallows is the meanest, most brutal and ruthless player I’ve ever seen. She never loses a match.
GA: Meep 
ST: Whoops. I guess I’ll just keep quiet.
LB: No, no, it’s okay. Hey, have you seen carnage?
CaP: Sorry everypony! I’m kinda busy at the moment! My headset must’ve gone out of range!
ST: What are you doing?
CaP: I’m taking care of toddlers. 
ST: You have kids!? ಠ_ಠ 
CaP: No, silly! They’re my landlords’! I just take care of them! They’re so adorable!
ST: Wow, they’re already toddlers?
CaP: Yeah! They grow up so fast!
ST: Luna, you’re being quiet.
LB: t-toddlers?
LB: I don’t like kids.

gallowsActivator36 has sent lunarBiologist0 a private message:

(P)GA: lunar, why did you invite Twilight? I didn’t want anypony to know who I was!
(P)LB: To be honest, I didn’t know you were Fluttershy.
(P)GA: Well, now the cat’s out of the bag...oh why was it in the bag at all? Such a cruel thing to do to a cat!
(P)LB: Well, does it feel any better knowing you’ve been playing with a princess?
(P)GA: Oh, I already knew that. For the first two weeks you used the Royal ‘we’.
(P)LB: Somepony else must still use the royal ‘we’ besides us. I mean, me.
(P)GA: Uh, Princess? I don’t think so. It was only you.

CaP: All done! Let’s game!
ST: Alright!
LB: I’m in. Fluttershy?
GA: Meep.

(P)LB: Fluttershy, get over yourself! We need this match to qualify for the tournament!
(P)GA: I-I’ll try.

GA: Okay, everypony, I’m game! Let’s go!

Boop. Boop. Beep! the screen flashed with activity; the game was on.
“Behind you!” Twilight shouted to me, despite the fact that we were in the same room. I saw the shadow of the enemy player sneaking up on me, knife drawn. I spun around on point, and unloaded most of my clip of ammunition through his face, and into an unlucky teammate of his that had decided that then was the perfect time to run around the corner. Sweet, first blood, double kill. Not a bad start of the match.

LB: Nice job!
CG: WHAT A BUCKING NOOB.
ST: Sour sport.

Behind the two unfortunate stallions was the spawn point for their team’s tank, interestingly enough only activated when their team is down by two kills. Score. I grabbed some of their ammo, smashed a fresh clip into my carbine, and hopped into the metal machine of rolling death.

ST: W0000000000000T!
LB: Calm down there, nothing to be excited abou- dear sister you have their tank!
ST: It has five pedals, but only four directions!

Once I got control of, well, the controls, I was good to go. It was too early in the match for any of them to bother to pack anything heavy enough to even scratch the tank. You should have seen their faces as their front line was crushed by their own tank. Literally crushed, I didn’t even have waste a single round, despite the fact that I somehow had infinite rounds. I couldn’t actually see their faces, actually, but I could sure as Celestia imagine them. And it was hilarious.

GA: We’re about to win! Just a few more kills!
ST: Hay yeah! 
GA: Twinkle, look out for that mortar!
CG: You’re a mare?
ST: Oh dear Celestia no.
CG: Wanna go out?
ST: She’s taken.
CG: By who?!
ST: Me. 
CG: You’re dating yourself? A bit narcissistic, don’t you think?
ST: No, my marefriend is sitting next to me.
ST: I’m surprised you know the meaning of that word.
CG: This is kinda confusing...
ST: Run.

I took Twilight’s advice just as CG’s mortar shell imbedded itself into the tank’s armor, causing an explosion that was entirely perfect for me to walk away from, gun blazing, picking off anypony who was dim enough to look at the exploding tank, resulting in their screens going white for a moment. Just long enough for me to land a shot squarely between their eyes. As the last near opponent fell, I caught his sniper rifle in midair (a terrible choice for close up combat, but considering the typical intelligence of the ponies that play this game, it didn’t surprise me), looked down the sight, adjusted for drop, and sent a single shot through the side of CG as he loaded his next shell. Game, set, and match. 
I turned off the console, and Twilight and I went into my kitchen. Twilight glanced at the clock, and suddenly gasped. “It’s already noon! I told Spike I would be back 16 hours ago....”
“I’m sure he’s fine! Having a grand old time, getting into the ice cream!” I grin.
“But he’s probably worried sick! I’ll have to go to Celestia right away, and ask her to send Spike a letter informing him I’ll be late!”
“Well, you’re already late, so any damage is already done, so there’s no use worrying over it. Instead of going insane over letters, why not just head home and apologize in person?”
Twilight swallowed, and smiled. “Yeah, I guess I’ll do that.” And pecked a quick kiss. “That sounds like a wonderful idea!” Twilight started turning and went towards the door, I stopped her real quick.
“Hold on, filly, you’re coming with me to the game store first.” Twilight swallowed again, grinning. “I have one game, I intend on fixing this.” 
“And how exactly do you plan on fixing that?”
“Well, there’s a GameMare near the castle, and I heard that it’s quite the nice walk to it.” 
It was, actually. The GameMare gleamed with beauty, where fillies and colts can go to buy used games for not quite the full price. Thankfully, I had a few more bits than I had when I was younger, so I didn’t have to worry about counting out my bits for the latest copy of Wonderbolts Racing or Celestia Sim, but I also shouldn’t go overboard either. No matter how shiny the advertisements for the new Colts of War game looks. Although I’ve been thinking of picking up Ponycraft for a while...
We walked into the store, and immediately all eyes were on us, it helps that we’re two good looking mares walking into a store filled with teenage stallions. Well, I’m not quite sure about myself, but I was certain that the mare next to me was gorgeous. I snuck off, and half the eyes followed me. I quickly cast a minor perception field to make everyone look away. Not that I didn’t like the attention, I was just kinda...self conscious. I picked out a couple games, Ponycraft 2: Heart of the Changelings, and Cooking Mare. I really wanted to learn to cook, for Twilight, of course. 
I found Twilight and lead her over to the counter to buy them, when everyone stopped looking at us, and stared at the door, everypony bowing down. I looked around in awe, when I saw Luna standing in the doorway, blushing and looking nervous, and still wearing a headset. I smiled. “As you were, everypony.” And with that, she started trotting in, and saw us. “Ah! Twinkleshine, Twilight Sparkle! It is good to see you both again!” Luna practically sprinted towards us.
“Hey, Luna.” I said towards her. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I’m just here to buy a new game, you know...” Luna looked over at Twilight. “Twilight! What are you doing here too?” She smiles towards her.
“Twinkle dragged me here. She said I had to help her pick out a new game.” She glared at me, I grinned. “Even though she didn’t even ask for my input.” She held her glare for a moment, before bursting into laughter. I joined in after a moment.
“To be fair you kinda went off on your own.” This wasn’t really a big store, though. 
“I guess.” We both stood awkwardly, staring somewhere over each other’s shoulders until I turned back to the front counter. The nerdy colt standing behind it was trembling equally in fear of displeasing the all powerful Princess Luna, and in anger that we not only drove out all his other customers, but we were also taking our merry time. He ran a red scanner over my games, and threw them in a crumpled paper bag as I tossed a bag of Twilight’s bits onto the counter. He wasn’t even looking at us during the entire interaction, and I didn’t even see him count the bits. In retrospect I think I was actually a few bits short, but oh well, his loss.
As I left the counter to fawn over the plastic wrapped goodness that is new games, Luna approached the counter. “I would like these games, if you would not mind.” She said with a bit more force than was most likely necessary, but most likely not intentionally. She still had a bit of trouble with volume control at that point, I guess.
“Right away, your majesty.” The colt said, pulling out a pristine cloth bag, this one with the store’s logo embroidered on the side. “This will be on the house.”
Princess Luna royally face hoofed. “Why must you all demand on giving things to me for free?” she demanded. “I happen to have my own bits to buy what I want with, and that’s what I’m doing.” She levitated an ornate bit bag from her saddlebag, counted out a dozen or so bits, and placed them on the counter. She then pulled her bag of games gently from the grip of the terrified cashier, and turned to leave the store herself.
“So, what are you both doing after this?” Luna asked us as she got outside. “If you wish, you may both visit the castle.”
“Actually, what were we planning on doing?” Twilight said, turning to me. “You were rather vague on where we were going after the game store. And by vague, I don’t think you actually planned anything besides your own personal shopping trip for this morning.”
I thought for a second, and then remembered something I probably should’ve done a few days ago. “Actually,” I said, talking to both Twilight and Luna, “I think I have to see someone about something.” That someone was of course Moondancer, and the something was the steps Twilight and I had taken in our relationship recently. I wasn’t going to tell that to either of them, though, even with their matching utterly perplexed expressions. Trusting that leaving Twilight in Luna’s hooves wasn’t a completely horrible idea, I threw my bag of games into my own saddlebag, and stared off on a quick trot over to Moondancer’s house.
For once I was able to regain my (almost) complete attention after knocking on the door, and greeted Moondancer as she opened it. She actually looked presentable. Like, I would take her out in public, for once. We went inside, with her sitting in her favorite armchair and me sitting anywhere but the couch, and I began to tell her about everything that happened so far between me and Twilight.
“So, how much have you accomplished since we last spoke?” Moondancer asked, tapping her hooves together lightly.
“Well, we went on a double date with a couple of Twilight’s friends. When things tapered off,” Well, the other two ditched us. “we wandered into the statue garden and sat down under a statue, and then it happened.”
“What happened? You finally got the nerve and bucked her?” Moondancer said, sitting forward in her seat excitedly.
“No, of course not.” I said, waving my hoof dismissively at Moondancer’s antics.
“So you wouldn’t?”
I stuttered around for several seconds, attempting to refute her comment until Moondancer held up her hoof, silencing me. “I was just joking,” she said. “But seriously, would you?”
I looked at her blankly. “Well, if she wanted to, and we were both ready, I might I suppose. She is rather beautiful...” Well this just got awkward. 
“So you would! Excellent!” Moondancer shouted, apparently waking a colt in the other room. Moondancer rubbed her hooves together, with a smile that could best be described as downright creepy. “Now then, about Step 2 of my patented Three Step Program.”
“Step 2?” 
“Yeah, Step 2: Secure her love.” She said semicolon aloud. “It’s easy, really. Just spend a lot of time together, hang out, go on dates, and just be yourself. If she’s worth it, it’ll work out. Trust me, I put the Ponyville Shipping Service out of business with this system.”
“You mean shipping as in putting two ponies together?” I asked, interested.
“No, I just carried a bunch of stuff around for everypony. Of course I meant that!”
Well, for the first time it seemed Moondancer was trying to get me into a meaningful relationship, rather than getting me laid. I decided to take her advice, and after a little more conversation, I left, going to pursue Twilight to get her to go on a date with me!
This should be easy.