//------------------------------// // 3:1 The Tickets // Story: My Little Pony: The Shadow Games // by raven618 //------------------------------// The Ticket Master The Tickets Dear Diary Yesterday, Spike and I finished moving into our new home. I keep insisting that he gets a real bed, but he is adamant in keeping his old doggy bed. I suspect it’s because of sentimentality, as he’s had that bed since he hatched. We plan on completely reshelving the library the day after tomorrow. The reason for the delay is that Applejack has asked us to help her with harvesting some of her apples tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it, both for being able to spend some one-on-one time with Applejack, but also for learning more about apple harvesting. -Twilight Sparkle 4th of Sororis, 1 EH = = = The sun shone down on the apple tree leaves, filling them with life giving energy. “No.” The remaining light trickled its way down creating tiny spotlights that danced across three creatures busy harvesting apples. “Nope.” “Thank you kindly, Twilight, for helping me out.” Applejack said, getting herself hitched up to a wooden cart filled with dark red apples. “Nope.” She began pulling the cart towards the barnhouse, Twilight and Spike following behind. “I bet Big Macintosh I could get all these red galas in the barn by lunchtime.” “No.” “If I win, he’s going to walk down Stirrup Street in one of Granny’s girdles.” The farmmare giggled to herself at just the thought of such a thing. “No.” “No problem at all, Applejack.” Twilight said, her own cart of apples being pulled along behind her, “Though I’m glad the goal is lunchtime. All this hard work is making me hungry.” “I know, right.” Spike agreed, tossing out another apple, this one knocking Twilight on the head. She gave the baby dragon a scowl. “Oh really? You’ve been lounging on my back all morning while we worked.” “Exactly, you two are taking so long I missed snack time.” Twilight’s mind heard the mention of snack time, sent a reminder to her stomach, which confirmed that it was very empty in the loudest, wettest, most embarrassing growl Twilight had ever heard herself make. “Ah-hehehe, I guess we better get some food.” “Nope. Worm. AH HA.” Spike paused in his ‘lightening of Twilight’s load’ when he pulled out a glossy, crimson red apple that looked far more appetizing than the dull red galas they were carrying. Twilight couldn’t help but lick her lips at the thought of eating it. “Oo, Spike, that looks delicious.” Spike evidently agreed, as he consumed the fruit in one large, and messy, bite. “Spike!” Twilight chastised. He swallowed, “What?” He then held his claws over his mouth as his cheeks inflated, like he was about to throw up. Instead, he let out a sound like a burp, as a jet of emerald flames flew out and condensed into a scroll of paper bound in red silk and bearing the seal of the Princess. “What in the Sam heck was that?” Applejack shouted in confusion. “Oh, right, you haven’t seen Spike’s magic before, have you?” She shook her head; not even aware Dragons had any kind of magic. “Spike’s fire breath can send messages like an instant delivery service. Princess Celestia uses it to send me messages and assignments.” Spike picked up the scroll and read aloud. “Ahem, ‘Hear ye, hear ye! Her grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the prestigious and refined capitol city of Canterlot, on the 21st day of…’ Uh, yadda yadda yadda ‘Cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest.” Both Twilight and Applejack inhaled in glee, “The Grand Galloping Gala!” “The Grand Galloping Gala!” They cheered again. Jumping up and down in child-like glee and excitement. Spike found the girlish display of joy just a little too cheery for his taste. His response was a Griffon gesture of one claw pointed towards his open mouth in an invitation to gag him. The universe saw this display and decided to oblige him, as a second burning feeling built up inside him before spitting out another bought of green flames. “Look!” Spike said, “Two tickets!” The Gala tickets were printed on a gold-foil paper that reflected the late morning light. “Wow,” Twilight said, “I’ve never been to the Gala. Have you Spike?” Spike was almost insulted by Twilight’s lack of awareness, until he remembered that this was the same Twilight Sparkle who left a dozen of her prized books lying on the ground unorganized not a week prior. “No,” he finally answered, “and I plan to keep it that way. I don’t want any of that frilly-girly-frou-frou nonsense.” “Ah, come on, Spike. A dance would be nice.” “Nice!” Applejack interrupted, “It’s more than just nice. I’d love to go. Land sakes, if I had an apple stand setup, ponies’d be trying to taste our vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why! With all that money, we could do a heap of fixing up around here. We could replace that saggy old roof.” As she was talking, she pointed towards one of the storage barns, which did indeed have a sagging, and rather leaky looking roof. “And Big Macintosh could replace that saggy old plow. And Granny Smith, could replace that saggy old hip!” She let out a deep sigh, like she was coming out of a daydream. “Wow, I’d give my left hindleg to go to that Gala.” “I didn’t know Granny Smith needed an operation like that.” Twilight said. Applejack looked confused for a moment then turned away with her cheeks flushing, “Sorry about that, I let my mouth run off without my head again. Granny doesn’t need an operation.” She wrapped her hoof around Twilight’s shoulders. “But I would like to earn some bits at that Gala.” “Well, since Spike really doesn’t want his ticket, I’ll let you use it.” “Yeehaw! I’m going to the Grand Galloping Gala! Thank you, Twilight. Thank you, Spike.” Spike was staring at the sky. “Spike?” “Are you looking at something?” Twilight inquired. “I don’t know.” He admitted, “Do either of you get the feeling that somepony else is supposed to be here?” “Ya mean Rainbow Dash? I asked her to come and help, but she said she was too busy to help me haul apples.” Applejack explained, then straightened up as she remembered what they were doing before The Princess’s letter arrived. “Come on, we got to get these into the before lunchtime!” She rehitched herself to the cart and began to canter towards the barn. Twilight levitated Spike onto her own back and quickly followed after the farmer. = = = Meanwhile in town, Rainbow Dash was locked in a duel with a Pegasus mare with a periwinkle coat of fur and a curly blonde mane held back by a lily flower. They were dueling on one of the arenas and a significant crowd was gathered to watch. Both mares had a single monster on their field. Rainbow’s monster was a green parrot-like monster with a long feathery tail. Faith Bird Atk: 1500 Her opponent’s monster was a fishy looking pony, with a gangly body covered in blue scales, and purple fins lining its spine. Add that to a barbel lined mouth filled with teeth and red, sunken eyes, and it made for a rather frightening illusion. Root Water Def: 800 “Alright, Rainbow Dash, it’s time to take you down.” She drew her card, a smile dancing across her lips. “I summon, Fire Kraken!” Emerging onto the field was a deep red cephalopod. Orange flames licked out from under its tentacles, as a much more violent blaze stretched over its mantle like a pony’s mane. Fire Kraken Atk: 1600 “Now Fire Kraken, destroy her monster!” The beast from the depths shot flames out from its mouth, destroying Rainbow’s bird. Rainbow Dash LP: 1300 -> 1200 “Not bad, Drizzle.” Rainbow smirked, “But I’m better. I summon my Whiptail Crow.” Rainbow’s monster was a bird like pony with orange skin, green claws and a pointed yellow beak. Its wings were leathery like a bat’s and its tail was long and whippy like a lizard’s. Whiptail Crow Atk: 1650 “But I’m not done. Since I have a Dark Attribute monster on my field, I can special summon this little guy. Caligo Claw Crow!” Rainbow’s second monster was a cartoonish crow with metal blades attached to two of its claws. Caligo Claw Crow Atk: 900 “Now, Claw Crow, destroy her fish, and Whiptail Crow, destroy her Kraken!” Both monsters flew across the field, striking with claw and tail. Drizzle LP: 500 -> 450 “Nice move Rainbow, getting two monsters on the field at once.” Drizzle complimented, “But that won’t save you in the end. Its my turn and I summon Sea Kamen.” Drizzle’s new monster was a purple corpse of a sea pony. With pulled back lips and rotting limbs, it was definitely the ugliest monster Rainbow had faced yet. Sea Kamen Atk: 1100 “Next, I activate the spell card, Gravity Lash. By targeting a monster with this card, that monster loses attack points equal to its defense points.” Whiptail Crow Atk: 1650 -> 50 “Now, Sea Kamen, destroy her Whiptail Crow!” The frightening monster lunged forwards, slamming its hooves into the weakened monster, destroying it effortlessly. Rainbow Dash LP: 1200 -> 150 “I end my turn.” “I got to give it to you, you’re a much better duelist than I thought. But the duel isn’t over yet, not till I win.” She drew her card and had the biggest smile on her face. “I summon my Blue-Winged Crown.” Rising in flight was a blue swan like monster with large wings and a crown of white flames on its head, Rainbow’s monster left the crowd in awe. Blue-Winged Crown Atk: 1600 “Alright, Blue-Wing, attack her monster and finish this duel!” Drizzle hadn’t been expecting Rainbow to pull out another strong monster so quickly and had left her field wide open. Thus, there was nothing she could do but watch as her monster disappeared in a plume of blue and white flame. Drizzle LP: 450 -> 0 The monster illusions disappeared as both mares collected their decks. Rainbow quickly shook hooves with her opponent before flying into the sky and soaking in the praise the crowd was giving her. “That was just the start!” She announced, “If you want to see more Rainbow Dash dueling action, tell your friends. I’ll be taking on all challengers!”