The hunt was on.
The Friendship Express pulled into the train station of the grand capital of Canterlot. Twilight, Starlight, and Spike sped off the train and onto one of the city’s numerous streets. Despite Twilight’s status as one of Equestria’s princesses, the nearby ponies trotting, talking, or laughing scarcely noticed her presence and went about their business.
In the distance, an enormous castle, home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, loomed tall like a guardian of the city.
Starlight turned her head back and forth. “Where do we go first?”
“We should check Stablemart.” Twilight pointed down a street. “It’s that way.”
Twilight, Spike, and Starlight sprinted along the streets in the direction Twilight directed them in.
Five minutes later, the friends reached a towering building. It was Stablemart, Canterlot’s largest department store. They charged through one of its several double doors; Twilight and Starlight came a hair's breadth from bumping into a unicorn on the doors’ opposite side.
Inside the initial section of the spacious store, clothes, furniture, rows of mops, and many other household items spread throughout. Signs explaining which areas of the store sold what hung high from the ceiling.
Twilight directed a hoof toward a sign halfway across the store. “Ooh! That sign says ‘games’, puzzles’, and toys’! That must be where we need to go, so let’s hurry!
The three game hunters slowed and merely walked to an area featuring toys, puzzles, board games – such as Dragon Pit – and rubber balls on numerous shelves. Behind a counter stood a blue unicorn salesmare. Her striped mane was of a dark-blue and light bluish-gray.
“Hi, welcome to Stablemart!” The salesmare greeted with a friendly smile. “Can I–wait, Twilight?” The salemare's smile brightened to be somewhat more genuine. “Oh, it is you!”
Twilight smiled and trotted to the mare. Spike and Starlight trailed her from behind.
“I didn’t know you started working at Stablemart, Minuette! You know Spike, but I don’t think you met my former student.” Twilight motioned to Starlight. “This is Starlight Glimmer.” Twilight pointed to Minuette. “And Starlight, this is Minuette. We were friends...more or less, before I moved to Ponyville.”
Starlight and Minuette traded cheerful greetings.
Introductions over, Minuette focused her attention on Twilight and said, “I was planning to visit you the next time I was in Ponyville, Twilight, but you visited me!” She giggled with a hoof over her mouth. “What brings you here? I didn’t know you were a game-mare.”
Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a bashful smile. From how Twilight had been more serious and less inclined for games in the past, Minuette’s assumption was fair. “Well, I’m not quite the muzzle-in-the-book mare I used to be, but I’m here to buy something for Eric. Today's his birthday.”
“Eric?” Minuette tapped her cheek but smiled a moment later. “Oh, he’s the, uh, ‘boman’ that lives with you in Ponyville, right?”
Twilight nodded, but a hint of annoyance sparked in her eyes. “Yes, that’s Eric, but he is called a human. He also loves games, so do you have any arcade-style games?”
The blue unicorn giggled again. As before, she covered her mouth with a hoof.
“What?” Twilight, Starlight, and Spike asked in unison.
“Didn’t you say you wanted an arcade game?”
“Yes?” Twilight answered.
Another, louder, giggle left Minuette’s mouth.
Twilight leaned her head to the side, wearing a bewildered frown. “I don’t understand. What’s so funny?”
Minuette waved her hoof in a "come here" motion to another store worker, a yellow unicorn mare, who was inspecting a shelf lined with jigsaw puzzles. “Hey, Citrus! Come over here!”
The unicorn named Citrus stomped over as she let out a groan. “What now? Don’t tell me you want to take another break.”
“Not this time.” The giggly Minuette pointed at Twilight. “Get this: Princess Twilight asked if we had any arcade games.”
Citrus’s lips quivered, followed by hearty laughter.
Twilight alternated her staring between the two laughing workers. “Wait, why is asking for arcade games so funny?”
The joker Minuette circled from around her counter, pointed at Twilight, and shouted, “Hey, everypony! Princess Twilight asked if we had any arcade games!”
All ponies in earshot, both store employees and customers, bellowed in laughter. Some fell on the floor laughing.
Starlight and Spike switched between staring at each other and the guffawing ponies.
Twilight growled and yelled, “Okay, that is enough! Minuette, what in Celestia’s name is so funny?!”
The store ceased laughing. Minuette frowned and asked, “Wait, you weren’t kidding?”
“Of course I wasn’t! Why would I joke about that?”
The mare gasped. Despite her personal history with Twilight, Minuette delivered a respectful bow to the frustrated Princess. “Oh. I-I am SO sorry, Twilight. It’s just, they were always in high demand, but with the rumors of a possible Cov-20 epidemic coming, the games have been selling at a far faster rate than normal. We have been sold out for weeks, and even pre-ordering upcoming ones is nearly impossible.”
“So not only are you out, but other places are too?” Starlight asked.
She nodded, remaining in a bow. “I’m afraid so, and that’s why I thought she was joking."
Twilight facehoofed, its smack generating a weak echo. She was aware that some things had become hard to find, but she didn't know video games were one of them. “Of all the birthdays I could have forgotten, THIS had to be the one.”
Starlight rubbed her chin. “Well, let’s check the stores anyway. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Minuette straightened herself and crept back to her counter, shame blanketing her; Citrus trotted back to the shelves to resume her task.
Twilight, Starlight, and Spike sped out of Stablemart and across Canterlot. They jumped from one store after another that sold arcade games, but they had long sold out. Unlike the playful Minuette, none of the other stores’ employees attempted to use Twilight’s questions as entertainment.
However, Twilight grinned at an “Arcade games available here!” sign on the window of a smaller yellow store.
“Yes yes, we’re in luck, we’re in luck, they have some!” Twilight quickly shouted. She bolted into the store in an audible zip; a gust of wind blew from her movement. At half the speed, Starlight and Spike ran toward the door.
Twilight flashed back out as Starlight and Spike got near the door. Her smile had soured to a vexed frown. “No, we are not buying any games here.”
“Why?” Starlight asked.
Twilight pointed at two yellow unicorn stallions inside the store. They had red and white-striped manes and tails; one of the pair wore a mustache.
“Oh,” Spike said in a low voice. “Them.”
Starlight stared at the stallions in question with a confused frown. “Who are they?”
“They are the Flim Flam brothers and have conned ponies in the past. Even if they aren’t running a scam this time, their cheapest game cost 8,500 bits!” Twilight glared at the greedy brothers and growled. Twilight is a princess, but even she has a monthly budget and can't buy whatever she wants. “Not only is that extremely overpriced, even if you help pay, Starlight, I don’t have enough bits!”
Starlight growled, glaring massive daggers at the stallions. “I hate price gouging. They should be ashamed of themselves!”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Twilight remarked, “and worse, there are no other stores in Canterlot that sells arcade games.”
Starlight blew a dejected sigh, but it wasn't over yet. “What if we try someplace that’s out of Canterlot? We still have plenty of time.”
“Or you two could just get Eric something easier to find.”
“No way, Spike. Let’s try Manehattan next. Their toy and game stores aren’t as well known, so that could work in our favor.” Twilight’s eyes burned with unflappable determination. The young mare’s mane flapped in an appropriately timed breeze. “I may have forgotten his birthday, but I WILL buy Eric one of those games before his party, or my name isn’t Twilight Sparkle!”
“Okay, if you say so,” Spike said in acquiescence. “Let’s go to Manehattan.”
Their newest plan set, the trio re-boarded the Friendship Express and traveled to Manehattan.
After the Friendship Express arrived at the train station of the busy city of Manehattan, Starlight, Twilight, and Spike ran off it and into the city.
Spike turned his head to the surrounding buildings and skyscrapers, some seemingly reaching into the heavens. A peculiar sensation of something missing struck him. “Hmm. Feels weird being out here without Rarity. We usually come out here with her.”
“We do always visit Manehattan with her, don’t we?” Twilight asked in a cheerful voice, but her lips darkened into a determined frown. They had a job to do. “But nevermind that, let’s hurry and locate a toy or game store.”
The trio rushed down Manehattan’s streets. Like in Canterlot, the ponies nearby acted as if Twilight, a princess, was a normal pony, though some did give her friendly hoof waves.
Ten minutes later, a store with glowing letters that spelled out “Games R Us” over its door, came into view. The friends picked up their running and zipped through the store’s door. Unlike the huge Stablemart, Games R Us was a small, modest store, brimming with mostly fun-related items, such as board games, toy trains, balloon animals, and dolls.
Or, fun-related items for most ponies. They did not sell books, one of the things Princess Twilight Sparkle considers fun.
The friends ran to a counter. Similar to the one in Stablemart, a brown earth pony mare stood on its other side. On the wall behind her hung a row of kites.
Starlight peeked at the kites, but mentally smacked herself. ‘Not now, Starlight.’
Oblivious to Starlight restraining herself from querying about the kites behind her, the salespony greeted, “Hello! Welcome to–”
“Hi, do you have any arcade games?” Twilight asked.
The mare nodded. “Yes, we do.”
Twilight and Starlight hopped in joy, and they both shouted, “Yes!”
Spike turned his head, looking around. “Where are they? Which ones do you have?”
“We keep them in the back, but we don’t sell any separately. Our games come in bundles.”
Twilight, Starlight, and Spike gasped, mouths agape. None of them even knew arcade-style games could come in bundles.
“B-bundles?!” Twilight shouted. “You don’t have any by themselves?”
The salespony shook her head. “I’m afraid not, Princess. In fact, the only bundle we have left is a bundle of five that costs 11,000 bits.”
Twilight’s wings spread out from shock, her pupils shrinking. “11,000 bits?!”
“We don’t have anywhere near that much!” Starlight yelled, also with tiny pupils. They enlarged to their normal size as she composed herself and questioned, “Is there another place nearby that sells them on their own?”
“Well, ‘Bullseye’ did, but they sold out two weeks ago.”
Twilight groaned in defeat, her pupils also back to normal size. She failed again. “Okay. Thank you for your help.”
The three game hunters left the store. Twilight’s and Starlight's heads were tilted toward the ground as they walked.
“That is a cheap trick they pulled,” Starlight whined. “Not everypony can afford to pay for bundles.”
“I understand it from a business standpoint, but still.” Twilight lifted her head in resolution. “But I can’t start moping. I’m not giving up on finding one of those games.”
His eyes showing less sadness, Spike said, “Well, if that Bullseye store is out of arcade games too, we’re–”
“Did you two say you’re trying to find arcade games?” a grey earth pony stallion asked. He stood by a nearby building’s wall.
“Yes, we are,” Twilight answered. She smiled and dashed to the stallion, eyes oozing hope. “Do you know of a place that sells them?!”
“And aren’t part of bundles?” Spike asked.
“Yep.” He pointed in the direction he was facing, the same direction the trio was already walking in. “I heard Bullseye got a late shipment ten minutes ago.”
“Really?!” A huge grin curled on Twilight's face, reminiscent of a filly on Hearth’s Warming morning. “Thank you so much for telling us! I owe you one!” She lunged for and hugged the earth pony, whose eyes widened from the ecstatic alicorn’s sudden embrace. Twilight's mane flapped forward, inadvertently brushing against an ear of the stallion in her forelegs, and triggered the ear to twitch. After three seconds of hugging, Twilight released her grip and looked at Spike and Starlight, her grin unchanged. “Did you hear that?! Let’s go!”
Twilight darted down the street, followed by a smiling Starlight.
“Hey, wait for me!” Spike yelled, chasing after Twilight and Starlight.
The stallion that delivered the valuable information stared at the running ponies and dragon, or more so at Twilight. His cheeks glowed red, a fuzzy warmness heating his body. “Wow, I was just hugged by Princess Twilight. Dance Fever will be so jealous when I tell him this!”
Five minutes later, the three friends, with Twilight and Starlight still ahead, hurried through the doors of Bullseye, a store roughly the same size as Games r Us. Similar to Games r Us, Bullseye was filled with toys and board games, but also different entertainment-related items like balls and scooters.
Twilight and Starlight reached the store’s counter, this one with a white earth pony stallion. Shortly afterward, a wheezing Spike caught up to the pair.
“Hi, we just heard you received a late shipment of arcade games. Are there any left?” Twilight asked, voice bearing no trace of weariness.
The stallion shook his head with a sympathetic frown. “Oh, I’m sorry, Princess Twilight, but you’re too late. We had five, but somepony just came and bought all of them around two or three minutes ago.”
“WHAT?! ONE PONY BOUGHT THEM ALL?!” Twilight and screamed shouted in unison.
“Yep. I guess they were purchasing for several ponies, since it’s so hard to find even one. We were lucky to have gotten that late shipment at all.”
Starlight released a frustration-filled moan. “Seriously?! If they wanted that many, why didn’t they go to ‘Games R Us’?! That place has bundles of five!”
“They must not have known they did,” he answered. ‘And I wasn’t going to tell them and risk losing their future business.’
“I-in that case, are there any other stores that do, even if not in Manehattan?” Twilight flapped her wings to hover. She set her hooves together in a begging position, her former bloodshot eyes returning. “Please! We’re desperate!”
The salespony rolled his eyes up. “Let's see. Canterlot’s stores have been sold out for weeks. Uh...your best chance would be in Las Pegasus, but the odds are against you.”
Twilight thanked the salespony, and the trio departed the store. Once outside, Twilight grumbled to herself. This was just not their day.
"At least we're not out of options," Starlight commented with a frown, but hope still burned in her eyes.
“We do, but I still can't believe it! If we went to Bullseye first, we could have bought a game in time!” Twilight groaned, but took a deep breath. The redness in her eyes faded. “But, as you said, Starlight, we at least have a chance, so I can't keep complaining.”
“Uh-oh," Spike muttered with a sudden frown. "Twi, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but do we even have enough time?”
Twilight’s jaw fell. A facehoof followed. “Oh, right, I’m forgetting birthdays and a sense of time today. Las Pegasus is in the sky, and even if we find an airship or hot-air balloon right now, there’s no way we could get there and back to Ponyville in time.” She hung her head and closed her eyes. Her ears wilted. “We failed. I guess you should call me a different name from now on.”
Starlight raised her head in thought, then smiled. There was still hope for them. “We don’t need to call you ‘Tara’ or 'Rebecca' yet, Twilight. If we cast a weak Accelero spell on either the balloon or airship, we could travel to Las Pegasus and back in Ponyville before Eric's party.”
Spike scratched his head with a claw. “I don’t know, Starlight. Spells tend to...backfire when you use them to solve your problems.”
Starlight leaned to Spike with a sly smirk. “But this isn’t my problem, but our problem. Plus, Twilight's here too.”
“But still–”
Twilight raised her head, her depressed frown replaced with an encouraged smile. “Normally, I’d agree with you, Spike, but we have no choice this time.”
“Fine. I still say you two should buy Eric something that's easier to find, but let’s go.” After a quiet groan, Spike thought, ‘And I wish you two would listen to me more.’
The trio searched Manehattan for the nearest airship or hot-air balloon. Ten minutes later, they tracked down a mare that owned a suitable hot-air balloon. After Twilight gave a princess’s promise to return it the next day, she and Starlight cast an Accelero spell to boost its speed, then the two mares and Spike hopped in the balloon’s basket. The balloon zipped across the sky and headed toward the cloud-based city of Las Pegasus, thanks to a map Twilight acquired while searching for their air-ride.
Later, tall buildings and part of a roller coaster, on top of a massive cloud, became visible. Twilight and Starlight cast a cancel spell on the speed-boosting Accelero spell, slowing the balloon to its normal, leisurely pace. The trio hoped with all their hearts that the elusive prize they desperately sought would finally be seized.
By them.
They only had roughly one and a half hours left until Eric Reed's party.