//------------------------------// // Game Night // Story: A Soldier Past and Future // by Norwegian boy //------------------------------// It was Friday night in Ponyville and Blaze was taking a walk through town but there was no pony around, it was like a ghost town. He knew that Friday was the day the weekend started but this was ridiculous. “Where is everypony?” He ask no one particular as he stood in town square. He couldn’t help scratch his head. He then decided to walk towards Sugarcube corner to see if anyone was there or someone could tell him where they were. He didn’t get very far as he saw a pony walking towards him with bags in her hands. She had dark purple fur and her mane was two different colors, which he couldn’t see that well thanks to the dark, but he recognise her as the pony at the school. “Excuse me miss, can you tall me where everypony is..” He ask the mare when she was close enough. The pony stood and look at him, she could swear she had seen hm before. “Don’t I know you?” Then it dawn on her. “Oh, you are the one that came with the princess yesterday to paint the school. Thank you for that, building looks much better.” Blaze bowed a little. “It was nothing, do you know where everypony is?.” She gave him a puzzle look. “You don’t know?” Blaze just shook his head. “It’s Friday and that means it’s game night.” Blaze just look clueless, Cheerilee couldn’t help but giggle a little. “If you want to know, just find the building that have the words Game corner on it, and you will find out where most ponies are.” Blaze thank her and took to the sky so he could find the building. It didn’t take long before he found it considering it was way to find, the name Game corner was blinking, Blaze landed by the door and walk in. Once inside he could see a bunch of wooden boxes that ponies was standing in front of, there was also names on them, Space Invaders, Pac-man and many more. It also look like the ponies that were playing had fun. He looked around the room and notice that it was pretty big, it looked like it could have at least forty maybe fifty ponies. He then saw a familiar pony with blue fur and even more darker mane by one of the bokes, he walk over to the pony. “Come on you stupide plumber, get up there.” The pony, who was female was playing a game called Donkey Kong and she was very into the game, she didn’t even notice Blaze standing behind her. “I didn’t know that the princess of the night could skip her duty.” The mare heard his voice, she froze and then Blaze heard a sound on the boxes, he then saw the words game over on the screen. The mare turned around very slowly and boy was she surprised when she saw who it was. “Blaze, how did you know it was me.” “I didn’t, you just confirmed it now.” Luna relax a little. “I guess I did.” She said with a smile. “So, may I ask what you are doing here? This place dosen’t say Blaze Fury.” “Tell you what, if I tell you my reason you will tell me your, deal?” Luna thought for second, it was just Blaze and she sure he wouldn’t tell anypony. “Sure.” “The reason I am here is because I was curious where everypony was.” Luna blink a few times. “That’s it?” Blaze nodded. “If that’s your reason, then ok. My reason is that this is the only day I can come and relax and other stuff, night court is so boring.” She said that last part while whining. “Nopony shows up and those who do are ponies from Canterlot who only complain, I want have one night that I can do things I want to do and on Friday I want to come here and play video games. Is that too much to ask for? I don’t understand why we have night court.” She said while crossing her arms under her breast. Blaze did understand what she meant, he has been standing guard a few time when Celestia had court in the day and it was boring as hell. He wanted to say something to Luna but never got the chance. “Oh yeah, that’s number 98, who wants to be number 99?” Blaze and Luna look over to where the voice were coming from and what the saw was a familiar rainbow colored pegasus by one of the boxes, Rainbow Dash. She had her arms in her air, then Blaze saw another pegasus walking away while looking down on the ground with ears folded, the pegasus looked defeated. There was also a crowd around them. “Right, I had forgotten about that.” Luna said in annoyed voice. “About what?” Blaze ask without taking his eyes from Dash, he then saw a male pegasus with mohawk walking towards her with determined look. “Rainbow Dash is trying to set a record by beating 100 ponies in the game Street Fighter 2, I was victim number 50 a couple of weeks ago.” Blaze didn’t now what Street Fighter 2 was, but he knew that he didn’t like Rainbow Dash very much. The little time he had been in Ponyville she had done only one thing and that’s bragged that she is the best, he want to do something about that. He can’t stand ponies with a ego. “Is it easy to learn?” Blaze as the princess. Luna look at him with raised eyebrow. “You aren’t think about challenge her are you? She is the best player in town.” He ask again. “Is it easy to learn?” “Yes, you just have to press the buttons right and the game will do the rest. You are really going to challenge her.” He said nothing as he walk towards them. “This I have to see.” Luna followed him. When they both arrived, they could see Dash and male pegasus bushing the buttons on the game like crazy. Then Dash threw her hands in the air. “Yes, that’s number 99, to bad Thunderlane.” The pegasus known as Thunderlane walk away and Blaze could her him cursing. “Alright, who is going to be number 100?” Dash ask while looking over the crowd, no came forward. “Really? None of you want to challenge me? Cowards.” That did not Blaze like. “I will challenge you.” Now everyone’s eyes were on him. “Are you crazy Blaze? Rainbow Dash is the best player in town, you can’t beat her.” Luna whispered to him. He look at the princess. “I won’t know until I try.” He then look at Dash. “If you didn’t hear me Rainbow Dash, I will challenge you.” Dash couldn’t help but started at Blaze if he had gone mad. While growing up, she idolized Blaze, she wanted to be like him and now he is challenging her in Street Fighter 2, one thing she is better than then the game and that’s flying. Dash scratch her head. “I’m not sure, I don’t want my number 100 to be that easy to obtain.” Blaze crossed his arms. “What’s the matter? Are you scared? Scared that I will beat you?” That got the crowed to say ‘oohh’. It also made Dash angry. “Fine, if you want a beating then game on.” He walk over to her and got ready. The first thing he saw was a stick sticking up from the wood and two buttons, he figured out that it was almost the same as using a computer. “If you want me to explain how to play then just say so.” “No thanks, let’s just play.” Dash snorted. “If you say so, this one is on me.” She took out a bit and put into the machine, Blaze was a little shocked that one had to pay to play this games. “Pick your character.” Blaze look at the screen and he saw eight different pictures he guessed that they were the character he had to choose from, they all looked different but the one he was drawn too was the one called Dhalsim. That made Dash laugh. “Your picking Dhalsim? He’s the weakest character in the game. Whatever, if you want to lose that bad then fine, I’m picking Ken.” She did that. When Luna saw that she became very worried, she knew that Dash was an expert with Ken and Blaze had never played a game in his life. Then they began. The first round went to Dash, she won the round with ease, Blaze managed to get in two hits but that was it. Then the second round started and this time it was much closer, they picked the same characters, but this time Blaze was the winner. They had the same amount of life left but Blaze managed to get the finish blow. Dash was in shock she had never lost a round in Street Fighter before. She look over to Blaze who was just calm as ever. “You got a lucky shoot, not in the last match.” Blaze said nothing, he just got ready. The last match was the opposite of the first one, in the first match Dash destroyed Blaze and this time it was his turn to destroyed Dash. She didn’t have any chance at all, she manage to land one hit and that was all. Blaze won with ease. The entire crowed was silence, Dash was undefeated in 99 matches and she had just lost match number 100. When it came to Blaze, he wasn’t the one to gloat but this time it felt good to win. Blaze decided he had enough fun for one night, he turned around and started to walk towards the exit, the ponies that had been watching step aside, not saying a word. Dash just started at the screen she didn’t like to lose. “Hey Blaze.” She said while turning towards him, he stop. “I want a rematch.” Blaze just stared at her. “Why?” “I am one of the best player when it comes to Street Fighter and you managed to beat me after playing the game twice, that’s not possible so I want a rematch.” He just keep staring at her which irritated her. “Say something.” “What’s you problem?” “My problem? My problem is that I don’t like to lose, that’s my problem.” Blaze sighed. “I get it, you have an ego.” He ruffled his hair. “Let me guess, you won something, or something happened to you when you were young that change your life and it gave you an ego.” Dash was about to respond but Blaze didn’t let her. “Here’s something you might have heard but you are probably ignoring, losing is a part of life, you cannot win in everything, you learn more when you lose then winning. Take me for example, I lost every time before I got as fast as I am, but I didn’t whine like a baby when I lost, I just tried to get better. If you can’t accept that you lost, then you are lost.” He didn’t let Dash respond he walk out the exit. Luna followed him. When Luna step outside she loo around to see if she could spot him, lucky for her, he hadn’t gotten far. “Blaze, wait up.” She said while running after him. Blaze stop and turned around. “Is there something I can help you with princess?” She stop. “Yes, you can tell me how you managed to beat Rainbow Dash like that. Like is said before, she is the best player in the game so how did you managed to beat her?” “I learn fast.” Luna wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind, she just laugh little. “If you say so. Are you going home?” Blaze nodded. “Yes, I have to think what to do when Shining arrived on Monday. What about you? Going to play more games.” Luna shook her head. “No, I think I had enough games for one night. I think I will head home, nice talking to you Blaze and thank you for the show, it was fun to see Dash lose.” They said goodbye and went their separate ways.