//------------------------------// // Round 2: Twilight's Tyrannical Tickling // Story: Tickle Tag // by NightFurySpeedey8156 //------------------------------// The Princesses and their feline friend made their way back to the throne room for round two. Since Cadance had caught Twilight first, it was now the small lavender Alicorn’s turn to play ‘it’. “Okay, so the turn comes to me. I hope you all are ready.” Twilight declared. “Oh trust me, Twilight, we are. Though I can't say the same for Celestia's stomach." Fury chuckled, getting a giggle out of Luna. Celestia blushed and giggled at his comment. “Well, we’ll see about that.” She stated, summoning her magic to make a small cake appear. “I suppose I should indulge before we begin. Would anypony, or cat, like a slice?” She offered. “Tia, spare us the pleasantries. We all know you're just going to eat it yourself.” Luna remarked snootily. Celestia was surprised that she would be taking such accusations. She looked to Cadance for assistance. “Sorry, can't help ya, Auntie.” Then Twilight… “I don't think I even have to say anything.” And finally, Night Fury. “Sorry Princess, but after that Gabby Gums article, (and Luna showing me your dreams) there's no denying that you have no interest in sharing.” He quoted, mumbling about Luna's dream reel. Celestia finally just rolled her eyes, blushing profusely, and finished the cake. “You all bug me sometimes.” “Aww, is old granny Tia not pleased with the younglings? Should I get your walker and dentures, meemaw?" Fury joked. The others could just barely keep from laughing. Celestia cast an angry glare at Night Fury. “Say that again, and you’ll be sporting a different shade of black! Understood?” She threatened. “Eh, I'm not as scared of you as most others are. As a matter of fact, I think I'd enjoy seeing you try and attack me. If your old stick legs don't give out, that is. Rattle Me Bones!” “Ok, that’s enough!” Cadance yelled, casting a barrier between the two. “Chill out, the both of you. I don't need you blasting my castle to smithereens, and I don't need you trying to give yourself an early funeral. I still need to have a friend around." “Besides,” Twilight put in. “We’re all here to have a fun and good time. Let’s not waste it fighting each other. We’re all friends, right?” “Hey, I'm not the one who looks like they're about to blow their stack. I'm just making jokes.” Fury stated. “And besides, Discord taught me those lines.” The others all deeply sighed and shook their heads. “Oh fine, I'll tune it down with the snideness. Sheesh, and I thought Rarity was stuck up.” “Thank you, Night Fury. And… I apologize for my attitude earlier. That’s just a very touchy subject to me, and I don’t like it being talked about.” Celestia stated. “Eh, I get it. Having to live with the fact that you're over 1000 years old cannot be easy.” Fury said more calmly. “But anyway, let's get on with the bookworm trying to tickle us.” “As you wish,” Twilight said, giggling. “Three… Two… One… Go!” The four players took off to find their hiding spots. But strangely, Fury was sticking with Luna. “May I ask why you are following me?” she inquired. “Well, I figured since you're the most like me, you would be the best to hide with.” Fury admitted. Luna was taken by surprise at the statement. Was she similar to him in some way? “And give Twilight a double bounty? Are you sure you want to risk that?” She asked, with a smirk. “Hey, it gives me the chance to get to know you. And besides, I like living on the edge. I wouldn't have been gifted with super speed and the ability to turn into any creature I want if I wasn't meant to put them to their limits.” “Fair enough,” Luna said with a shrug. “Come young feline, let us hide away and get familiar with each other.” She took the lead and guided him to their spot. Fury was somewhat attracted to her. She was assertive, strong, kind and funny. Maybe there was a chance for something greater between them. – “Ready or not, here I come!” Twilight called as she began her search for the other players. She began her search in and around the guard barracks, searching supply lockers and random doors for any traces of prime tickling subjects. Thankfully, the guards were deployed somewhere else for a few weeks as they would be rather confused as to why all four princesses and a random feline would be running around tickling each other. “Hmm, if I were trying to hide around here, where would I go?” she asked herself, paying close attention to her surroundings. She then stopped as she saw a rather funny sight. It was obviously Celestia, but she was attempting to hide behind a batch of lockers. Unfortunately, being so big, she stuck out like a sore hoof. Twilight smirked, and used her magic to silently teleport behind Celestia without the solar princess noticing. To her luck, Celestia’s hooves were placed right next to where she landed. Twilight plucked a feather from each of her own wings, wincing slightly as she did so, then caught her mentor’s hooves in her magical grasp, and attacked her with the feathers. “I've gotcha now, Celestia!” She called out as she began her assault. As soon as the feathers made contact with her hooves, Celestia collapsed and began laughing like a hyena. Caught off guard, the tickling was twice as intense as she was expecting. But it still felt good. “Bahahahahahaha! H-how did you see mehehehehehehe?!?” “You stuck out from where you were hiding. For once, your size was your downfall.” Twilight giggled, continuing her tickling. Celestia blushed from the embarrassment of being caught, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the tickle torture she was being put through. “Okay okahahahahahay, I think I've hahahahahahad enough! Uncle uncle!” Twilight smiled, and ceased her tickling. She knew that she’d worked Celestia up good with that play. Celestia soon regained her composure and stood up. “Oh bother, sometimes I wish I wasn't so big.” She huffed, which caused Twilight to have to muffle a giggle. “Who do you propose we seek next?” The violet Alicorn inquired. “Let us go after Night Fury next. I need to get my revenge for his jokes regarding my age.” Celestia said with a devious smile. “As you wish,” Twilight giggled. “Just, please don’t kill him. He is our friend, after all.” “Oh trust me, I won't kill him. But I will make him suffer for his crimes.” Celestia said, walking with her former student to find the cheeky feline. They soon reached the ballroom that houses many tables, a disco ball , and many curtains for aesthetics. “Hmm… this doesn’t seem like a place that I’d want to hide. Then again… you can never be too thorough,” Twilight said. There was then a gust of wind from behind that swept her mane and tail to the side. She quickly took a glance behind her to see what made the wind, but nothing was there. “That's strange. Either one of the windows is open, or somepony is trying to toy with us.” “I’ll bet you it’s the latter,” Celestia stated. “I also have a feeling that there's not just one somepony here.” Twilight furrowed an eyebrow at the statement, but went with it. They began to work their way around the ballroom in search of any players. Looking under the tables, behind the curtains, and even up on the stage, they found nothing. Then they heard some giggling from above. Twilight and Celestia then cast knowing glances at each other, and nodded knowingly. Just above the ground, Luna and Night Fury sat on top of the gantries, giggling to each other as their cheeky work to confuse the other princesses prevailed. “Wow, I can't believe that we managed to stay out of sight while doing that.” Fury chuckled, Luna nodding in agreement. “I must agree, this is a very funny experience. But, do you get the feeling that they've stopped looking?” The two looked below and saw that Celestia and Twilight had disappeared. “Yeah, that's weird. Where'd they go?” Fury asked. They then felt an overwhelming presence behind them. “Uh Luna, is it just me or do you sense an overwhelming presence behind you?” “TICKLE TIME!!!” Celestia and Twilight pounced on them and brought them swiftly, but harmlessly, back to the floor and ruthlessly tickled the pair silly, laughing themselves almost just as hard as their captives. "Gahahahahahahaha, I cahahahant do this!” Fury said, trying to squeeze out of Celestia's grasp. He successfully did so and began to make his escape. “Nahahahahahahahahahhaha! Stahahahahahap ihihihihihihihihiht!!!” Luna laughed as Twilight mercilessly tickled her hooves. Twilight then noticed the fleeing Speed Shifter and called him out. “Fury's getting away, catch him!” “I've got him!” Celestial leaped to him and grabbed him by his hips. She dragged him back and turned him around, hugging the small feline close to her chest. “Oh how small of prey I have in my grasp. But a big, dangerous predator like me has to satisfy her desire to hunt. So I must take advantage of my size and gobble you up!” She giggled deviously. She then laid him down and sat on top of him, blowing a raspberry on his tummy as she pretended to gobble him up. Twilight heard Night Fury’s squeal, and had to laugh at it herself. “I think he’s enjoying this just as much as Luna is,” she chuckled, looking back at Luna, who was still writhing in ticklish bliss, tears of laughter flooding out of her tightly closed eyes. “Uncle! Uhuhuhuhncle!” Luna finally cried out, which told Twilight to cease her attack. “Okay okahahahay, I was wrong for the age jokes! Uncle Uncle!” Night Fury screamed. Celestia stopped her tickling and let Night Fury go. The two hiders were now tickle-tuckered out, completely drained of their strength. “Fury, are you still functional? And not eaten?” Luna asked breathlessly. “Sorry Luna, but I've been viciously gobbled up.” He sighed. Twilight and Celestia just about died at those statements, laughing just about as hard as their ‘prisoners’ did during the tickle torture. “Oh this is amazing, we got you two so good.” Celestia giggled, the two affected players righting themselves onto all fours. “I told you that going for a little cheeky teasing was too much!” Luna shot, giving Night Fury the stink eye. “Heh, maybe you're right. I got a little too ambitious.” He admitted, blushing a bright red. “Well, that leaves Cadance as our last one. And I have an idea for her.” Fury said with a devilish smirk. “And just what might that be?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. “Let's just say that I have some prey to catch. And this predator is feeling hungry.” Fury snarled as he took off. “Intriguing,” Luna said, and left to follow him. The other princesses shrugged off the strange wording and left the ballroom to follow the feline to his destination. – “Hmmm, I can smell her. She has to be close by.” Fury said, looking around another one of the lounge areas for the Princess of Love. The other three royals soon caught up to him and looked on as he slowly and methodically searched the area. “Are you getting close to your prey, Fury?” Celestia asked, smirking. “Close, but not close enough.” He sniffed around at the furniture in the room trying to pick up Cadance's scent. He then took a look at the fireplace at the center of the room. He didn't think much of it and was about to give up when he saw the slightest puff of sutt and a slipping noise come from the fireplace. “I know that look, Fury,” Twilight said with a smirk. “Do you think you found a clue?” “I think I may have found more than just a clue, my purple pony pal.” Fury then turned around and used his long tail to feel around the fireplace. He grazed the walls carefully until he hit something soft and heard a giggle. He began flicking his tail back and forth quickly for several seconds before a cloud of sutt flew up and Cadance came giggling out. Night Fury continued his attack as he held her down and listened to her squeaking and squealing. “Awww, you sound so cute when you laugh.” Fury chuckled. The other princesses had to laugh, themselves, as Cadance’s cheeks, although covered in black soot, turned a darker shade of pink at the cat’s comment. “Okay okahahahahahay, I give in! Uncle Uncle!” She called out. Fury took his grip away as he let Cadance squirm around, but he wasn't done yet. “Oh but I'm not done with you yet. Ladies, allow me to show you my second ability.” Night Fury said confidently. His body began to glow red, electric energy flowing around him as he slowly grew in size and became more bipedal. Soon, the energy dissipated and a giant, black kangaroo stood before the four princesses. The three princesses who weren't still recovering from a tickle attack went slack jawed, they had known Fury had the ability to turn into any creature he wanted, but to be able to go to such an extent? That was a truly amazing feat. “I know, this looks unbelievable. But it isn’t, my royal companions. Now, for my final trick.” Fury then turned to the still giggling Cadance and grabbed her, bringing her up to meet his face. “You have fought well, Cadance, but I grow hungry from this little charade. Now, be terrified as I consume you forever!” He declared, tossing her up and letting her land in his pouch. The other Princesses’ eyes widened with terror at his statement, but they relaxed and laughed a little when they saw where she ended up. Cadance landed in Fury's pouch with a thud, her eyes widening as she realized where she was. She soon calmed down though and decided to play along with him. “Nooo! I've been eaten by a giant kangaroo, what ever shall I do now?” She said sarcastically. She began squirming around inside of Fury's pouch, tickling him in the process. The other princesses were rolling on the floor in stitches from the scene unfolding before them. “Hahaha, hey! Stop squirming around in there, that tickles!” “Ohhohohoho! Thihihihis is greheheheat!” Twilight tried to say through her laughter. “I cahahahan’t breheheheathe!” Luna wheezed. “Sthahahahahap beheheing sohohoho funnehehehenehehy!” Celestia was all but screaming. “H-hey, it's not me! If it weren't for Cahahadance squirming around in there, I could focus enough to take the credit! And don't make me stuff you three in here too!” “Maybe if you let me back out, they’ll eventually calm down.” Cadance suggested, slyly. Fury conceded to Cadance and let her out of his pouch, returning to his original form. “There, the show's over. Are you guys done forfeiting your lungs over there?” Fury sighed. After a few more minutes, the other Princesses regained their composure and stopped giggling. “Ohoh, oh that was brilliant!” Luna chortled. “I must figure out how to do that with a transformation spell.” “I'd do the exact same.” Celestia said. “Ditto.” Twilight added. Fury smiled at how much recognition his powers were getting and decided to oblige their wishes. “If you three want, I can give you a few tips so you can be just as good as me.” “We’d love that!” They all exclaimed at one. “Then it's settled, I'm gonna teach you all how to be like me! Now, since she was first caught this round, It's Celestia's turn to go on the hunt.” Fury pointed out. “Of course,” She said. “Let us return to the throne room, get a quick lesson in transformation from our feline friend, and begin round three.” And with that, they all returned to their starting point to initiate the next round and learn a few new tricks from their friend. Things were going smoothly. Friends were bonding, jokes were made, laughter was all the rage, and a new favorite game was slowly making its way to popularity.