//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Solar Vs Lunar - Sibling Rivalry // by SwordFlare //------------------------------// Chapter 3 "Everypony, don't shove! No, don't push either. Wait, they're the same, aren't they? HEY- NO BARGING!!" Pinkie Pie tried to speak over the rowdy crowd before her. This crowd was gathering at Sugar Cube Corner, which had been partly converted to house all the betting for the game. Everypony liked to bet on things, as ponies had seen in the past, and news of this game had been echoed far and wide around all of equestria. Ponies from Manehatten, Canterlot, Trottingham, and even some strange beings from the everfree forest had travelled for a long time to search for the infamous Sugar Cube Corner. Some ponies had heard of it before, because the cakes they made had a reputation for being absolutely divine, but, now that it had another use to it... well, let's just say it wasn't built for the amount of ponies that had attended opening evening of the betting. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were not ignoring the opportunity, and with all these rich ponies from Trottingham and Manehatten visiting, they were willing to pay a high price for what they considered 'High-Quality confectionaries'. "Come in, come in everypony! Cakes for all!" Mr Cake shouted joyfully. A bead of sweat was forming on his brow as he struggled to keep up with the selling of the cakes, the making them, and on top of it all, looking after two naughty, new-born foals. "That one's for 10 bits, dear." Mrs Cake told a light blue stallion in a top hat. "10 BITS?! That's an outrage! I simply for the life of me, cannot stand for this!" The stallion cried out, feigning disinterest in the cake. "Well then, why don't you sit for it? There's a seat over there." Mrs Cake pointed out to the stallion with a hurried,busy expression on her face.The stallion, looking disgruntled, took the cake and dropped 10 bits onto the counter, which were quickly swept up by the femenine hoof. Meanwhile, while Pinkie Pie was trying to calm the crowd so she could make a slightly inspirational, but probably more eccentric speech, which might have some tidbits of useful information, Spike managed to find a megaphone from somewhere behind the Cakes' counter, probably kept there for emergencies. "Everypony, everypony. Testing, one two three." Spike talked quietly down the megaphone, which unfortunately had been set to the highest setting. Therefore, this was received by groans from everypony in Sugar Cube Corner, many of them falling to the ground clutching their ears with their hooves. "Uh oh. Sorry everypony." Spike looked embarrassed. This only stimulated more groans from the crowd. He STILL hadn't turned it down from the highest setting. Realising, Spike did so. "Well, I guess it got their attention, eh pinkie?" He said to Pinkie Pie, turning to her. "Yes, Spike. Yes it did. Anyway, as I was about to say when I was so rudely interrupted- No, that's not right. You were all interrupting me from the start..." Pinkie Pie said to herself, looking puzzled. Everypony in the crowd could see Spike had put down his loud weapon, and removed their hooves from their ears. A couple of them didn't, though, for they knew Pinkie Pie well. "IN ANY CASE, as I was saying, everypony here is here for the betting, right? Well, if you've seen the latest footage, you must probably have noticed that Luna's team can't seem to find any place to build their fortress at the moment!" She commentated on events already past, for those who had been unable to watch. This part of the speech also provoked murmurs within the crowd. "Quieten DOWN, everypony. But, although Celestia has found somewhere to build her fortress, there's a forest behind her, although she has a clear view ahead. I don't know, everypony, but that gives me some baaaaad vibes!" Pinkie Pie said, once again riling the betters. Clearly, she was really getting into the swing of things, passionately talking to the crowd. "SO! Everypony, you are welcome to bet on who you think will win, but the odds don't come in until two days time! However, my Pinkie sense has been talking to me, and let me give you some advice..." She trailed off, leaving everypony literally cocking their heads to try and hear what she had to say. They had heard of her revered "Pinkie sense". "Well, based on the current information... I think......" As she trailed off again for dramatic emphasis, a mare cried out from the crowd, 'GET ON WITH IT ALREADY, PINKIE!' and once she had said it, she blushed and crouched down a little, hiding behind her mane. "Yes, thank you Fluttershy. We all know how you deal with stress, there's no need to put it in the spotlight..." Spike said nonchalantly, as though it was normal behaviour for her, so as not to make the guests in Ponyville think EVERYPONY there was crazy. "Anyway, at the moment, I think Princess Celestia has the upper hand. That is all, everypony!" Pinkie finished off with. Suddenly all the ponies surged forward to place their bets with volunteers who had stepped up to be the 'bookies'. Pinkie Pie looked pleased with herself, and grinned. After all, SHE was up by 500 bits, and Princess Celestia, suspiciously, was down by 500 bits.