//------------------------------// // Chapter 19- Stare Down // Story: Good Morning Equestria // by Quoterific //------------------------------// "Fillies and Gentlecolts!" Pinkie excitedly announced to the audience, "Welcome to our new challenge, The Stare Down!" "This is going to be just as bad as when she used me to cook s'mores, isn't it?" Autumn sighed. "I have a feeling that it is going to be a hard one to rank..." Silverstream trailed off. Marble quivered in her seat. She was not going to like this. "This is not going to end well," Gabby huffed. "Taking part of the challenge is Fluttershy!" Pinkie pointed to the pegasus, who waved with a shy smile, "The challenge is easy. Who can resist Fluttershy's Stare the longest! I'll be your judge on time whilst the others have their go!" "How convenient," Gabby sighed "Um, Pinkie," Fluttershy shyly answered, "Are you sure this is a good idea?" "Of course it is! What could possibly go wrong?" Pinkie innocently asked. "And she just had to say it," Silverstream sighed and chuckled wryly. "What could go wrong? Where shall I start?" Gabby hummed in thought. "Who can resist Fluttershy's Stare the longest? So without further ado, Silverstream is up first!" Pinkie pushed the hippogriff into place in front of Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus sighed, then gave the hippogriff the hardest stare she could muster. Silverstream momentarily stopped breathing, with beads of sweat trickling down her face. "Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?" Silverstream quivered with fear, "It's staring into my very soul! It's worse than my test with the Tree of Harmony with those Storm King illusions! Make It stop! Make it stop!" Silverstream begged, "Fine, I cheated on my last friendship report because I asked Terramar for his help! And I may have slipped a Griffonstone Scone into Gallus' book locker!" Silverstream clutched her beak shut as the words escaped her mouth. At the School of Friendship, the Princess of Friendship decided to give the hippogriff some more reports to give in, and a certain griffon in the library suddenly received stares all around him. "27 seconds. Not bad Silverstream," Pinkie checked his watch, "Next up is Gabby!" The griffon gave a scared gulp before taking up her place. "You can do it, Fluttershy!" Pinkie cheered her friend. Fluttershy just sighed, took a deep breath and gave Gabby the Stare. "Oh boy," Gabby shivered, "This is worse than Grandpa Gruff's!" "Okay! Okay! I ate Mr and Mrs Cakes' latest delivery to Cranky Doodle because I was hungry! I had the weird dream that Spike and I were in this crazy land of ice-cream, but Rarity came and took her Spikey-Wikey away. Princess Luna thought that I needed counselling from Princess Cadance of all ponies." In the Castle of Friendship, a certain dragon spewed his hot chocolate from his mouth. In Carousel Boutique, Rarity pricked her hoof whilst she was sewing. “I learnt my lesson on that day, thank you very much,” Rarity huffed, “And now I’m going to lie on my fainting couch and eat ice-cream because of the stares I will receive tomorrow.” She huffed as she landed on the couch, cried until her mascara drizzled down with her tears, and levitated a tub of strawberries and cream ice-cream. “Fifteen seconds,” Pinkie announced, “Could be better. Autumn, your next.” The kirin took and deep breath and stepped in front of Fluttershy, who simply sighed, nodded and gave the kirin the hardest stare she could muster. “Is it me, or did I forget to put my flames out?” Autumn began to sweat, “I mean, I know hot, but this is a different kind of hot. It’s like there’s fire in her eyes!” “Just like Maud when she and Rarity helped in get my party canon back!” Pinkie giggled, “Maud sure knows how to be angry.” Her other sister rolled her eyes. “Must. Prevail. Can’t. Let. It. Break. Me,” Autumn said each word through gritted teeth. She began rubbing her head with a hoof, “This is harder than the Vow of Silence. Like way, way harder than that.” After a few more seconds she broke her silence. “I once sang a song about toilets. Toilets, would you believe. But I was so lonely!” Autumn blurted out. The others gave her a weird look. “And I thought my song about rubber ducks was weird,” Pinkie chuckled, “That was 33 seconds. Marble? Want to have a go?” Marble shook her head profusely, but Pinkie pushed her into place. “There is nothing to worry about. You can do this, sister. I know you can.” The moment Fluttershy’s stare turned on, Marble froze into place. The others waited to see what would happen, but nothing happened. Marble was stuck in her place. When Autumn’s record was passed, Silverstream cautiously stepped towards her and gave her a light poke to the side. Marble tilted over a fell on her side like a statue. “Oh dear,” Fluttershy glanced at the frozen form of Marble, “I think I may have broken her.” Gabby flew over to the table, “We’re going to have a short break here every creature! See you after the adverts!” She pressed the air button before yelling to the others. “Get something for her to breathe!”