//------------------------------// // Round 1 Day 0 // Story: BLAMMO! // by 2K Chrome //------------------------------// The next day, the Mane Six met up with each other in front of city hall. Dozens of ponies with spoons in their mouths had already gathered, chattering with one another about their targets. “Alright, so it’s agreed, everypony here helps each other out to see how long we can last?” Twilight asked the group. Everypony else nodded in agreement, except for Rainbow Dash. “Wait, but what if one of us has somepony here as a target? We can’t just knock each other out of the game,” Rainbow objected. “Hmm… well what if… No that won’t work. How about… no then both get eliminated.” Twilight sighed. “Well, it is a game that’s everypony for themselves. If one of us is each other’s target, then it’s may the best pony win.” “And we all trust each other, right?” Applejack inquired. The group smiled at each other and nodded, but their smiles soon faded as they looked back towards the facilitators sitting in front of the building. Hopefully, none of them would be their hunters or targets. Twilight gulped. “Everypony together then?” The group trotted over to the tables and waited in line. Within a few minutes, the six reached the tables wear the facilitator ponies were sitting. Applejack was the first in line. “Name please?” the pony asked. “Applejack.” “Applejack… Applejack…” the pony muttered, scrolling down a long list of pony names. “Aha! Ms. Applejack, your target is…” the pony whispered the name into Applejack’s ear. Applejack got off the line and patiently waited for her friends to get their targets. The same went for Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Rarity.” “Name please?” the pony asked. “My name is Fluttershy,” the yellow Pegasus mumbled. “Excuse me? Didn’t quite catch that.” “Umm… my name is Fluttersh…” the Pegasus trailed off again. “Excuse me, miss, but can you please speak up? I can’t hear…” “Her name is Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash yelled irritably. As a Pegasus that always loved to go fast, she absolutely hated having to wait in line, and couldn’t stand having to wait for Fluttershy to speak up. “Oh, Miss Fluttershy… Here you are!” the pony whispered her target in her ear. “Oh my…” Fluttershy whispered to herself. She gave a quick glance at Applejack, who smiled back at her. Fluttershy gloomily trotted beside her friends, terrified of the target that she had been given. “Who the hay is Fyrefly!?” Rainbow suddenly yelled. Everypony in hearing distance looked over to Rainbow. “Not that she’s my target or anything,” Rainbow lied. Off at the end of the street, a pink Pegasus began to nervously trot away from the area. Rainbow flew over to the rest of her friends, cheeks flushed at everypony hearing her outburst. “Smooth one Rainbow,” Applejack commented. “Shut up! I just lost my cool because I had to wait so long and then I finally get my target and I don’t even know who she is!” Rainbow retorted. “Fyrefly?” Pinkie said, tilting her head. “She’s the pink Pegasus with a blue mane. Her cutie mark is two blue lightning bolts.” “How do you know her, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked. “Well duhhh. I only know every pony here in Ponyville. I couldn’t possibly know about her.” “Point taken,” Rainbow replied. “Well, now that that’s all settled. We know of Rainbow’s target, how about everypony else’s?” Rarity queried. “I, myself have to go after Scootaloo. I’m certain Sweetie Belle will bring her over to the Boutique one of these days.” “Ah got Junebug. Ah reckon ah’ll meet up with her later,” Applejack added. “I got Ace!” Pinkie exclaimed. “And I got Daisy,” Twilight concluded. She looked over to the shuddering canary-yellow mare next to her. “And what about you Fluttershy?” “Oh!” Fluttershy said in her soft voice. “I’d rather not say…” “C’mon Fluttershy! Everypony else here told, it’s only fair you should too,” Rainbow said. “It’s not one of us darling, is it?” Rarity chimed in. “No, it’s not…” Fluttershy answered. “So what’s the problem?” Pinkie said. “If it’s not one of us, then it should be okay for you to tell us,” Twilight added. “It’s… it’s…” Fluttershy stuttered. “Go on then,” Applejack pushed. “It’s Apple Bloom!” Fluttershy finally answered. She closed her eyes and looked away from the general direction of her orange-coated friend. The rest of the group looked over to Applejack, waiting for her reaction. At first, Applejack’s jaw dropped after hearing her friend having to go after her sister. But she quickly shook her head, and laid a soothing hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. Fluttershy opened her eyes to reveal small specks of tears forming in them. “Now, don’t ya go on crying, ya hear?” Applejack said comfortingly. “Ah don’t mind ya having to go after my sis. Ah understand every pony wants to win, and it’s only fair that our friendship doesn’t get in the way. And ah promise ah won’t tell anything to Apple Bloom.” Fluttershy sniffled and wiped the tears away with her hoof. Finding herself unable to speak, she complied by nodding and giving her friend a warm smile. “Umm… I don’t want to interrupt all this mushy stuff going on right now, but isn’t that Princess Luna?” Rainbow asked. The six looked over to the tables and there she was, Princess Luna. The Moon Princess leaned in to have the facilitator whisper her target into her ear. The princess nodded and turned to seek her target, when she espied Twilight and her friends waving at her. A wide smile appeared on her face and she dashed towards the six. The six all huddled around the princess. “We are glad to see you all again!” Luna said with the slightest touch of the royal Canterlot voice still lingering in her throat. “It’s great to see you too, Princess!” Twilight replied. “What are you doing here?” “We have heard of the game dubbed Blammo and wished to partake in it to become more familiar with thy royal subjects. And also because thy dear sister told us to,” Luna answered. “Ooh! The princess is playing too! How exciting!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement. “What about Princess Celestia?” Rainbow asked. “Oh no, thy sister is far too busy to participate in such tomfoolery. But she truly believes that this will get thy subjects to appreciate and accept me more.” “Well, we sure are glad to see you trying to get closer to your subjects,” Twilight said. “We are glad to see you all participating in the game as well and wish you good luck. But pray tell, dost thou know of the mare they call Allie Way?” “I know her!” Pinkie said unsurprisingly. Clearly, she had quite the advantage, knowing everypony in Ponyville instead of having to ask around who this or that pony was. “She’s a cream-colored unicorn with a striped blue mane. She’s also really lanky and hangs out by Ponyville’s bowling alley.” “We thank thee,” Princess Luna exclaimed. “We are to set off for the bowling alley at once!” “But the game doesn’t start until tomorrow morning,” Rarity chimed. “Oh,” Princess Luna said awkwardly. She rubbed the back of her mane with her hoof. “We are to set off for the bowling alley tomorrow morning!” The seven mares shared a hearty laugh at the Moon Princess’s remark. Meanwhile at the facilitator tables, Mr. and Mrs. Cake finally reached the start of the line to receive their targets. “Are you sure you two wish to receive your targets together? There is a chance one of you two can be the other’s target,” the pony stated. “It’s fine,” Mr. Cake replied. Mrs. Cake nodded in agreement. “If you say so. Names please?” “Mr. Carrot Cake and Mrs. Cup Cake.” “Hmm…. ahh here you are! Mr. Carrot Cake sir, you will go after the Miss Fluttershy.” Mr. Cake nodded his head satisfactorily. She may be Pinkie’s friend, but anything would be done to win those bits and get an anniversary trip to Hoofululu. “And Mrs. Cup Cake, you will go after the Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie.” The two Cakes gasped and looked at each other nervously. They never expected Pinkie to be one of their targets. They wanted to win the competition, but they would never think of making their favorite baker lose a game. They could only imagine what her devastation would be like. “What should we do?” Mrs. Cake asked. “What would she do if she got Blammoed by me?” “I don’t know honey bunch. You don’t think she’ll start talking to the flour sacks and rocks again do you?” “I hope not, but we can’t just lose our chance for our dream vacation…” The Cakes continued their conversation as they exited the tables. The game was set for the ponies of Ponyville. The next day, the game would start at six in the morning. The Mane Six, Princess Luna, and the Cakes found out their targets for the first round of Blammo. It would be every pony for themselves as spoons will be found in everyponies’ hooves. The next day, all hell would break loose.