//------------------------------// // Winter 01 // Story: Six Best Friends Play Diplomacy // by DagaYemar //------------------------------// “Why don’t we have our interrupted talk now, Twilight.” Rarity said smoothly, drawing the alicorn away from the table. They walked over to the same area by the kitchen and Rarity set about adjusting some cups and dishes. “I set a pot for tea to boil earlier. You don’t mind, do you?” “Go right ahead,” Twilight said absently, pulling out her personal notebook and flipping through it. “As I was trying to say last round, I think you should go to Konja, Gryphos, and Hippopotamia-” “Now, now, slow down.” Rarity interrupted, checking the teapot on the stove. “I heard you say that last time, but you left out the most important part.” “And that is?” “Why?” Twilight blinked. “Why what?” “Why should I take those three countries right now?” Rarity continued to bustle around the kitchen as she talked, seeming to barely be paying any attention to her friend. “You are heading to the south, not the north. Pinkie Pie is too far away to reach them any time soon, and Rainbow Dash must first walk all the way up the coast. If Applejack doesn’t come around the top, which it doesn’t seem like she’s going to do; why, then there’s nopony else who can take them from me. It would be a waste of my first few turns not to try for more valuable territory.” “But… but…” Twilight stuttered, at a loss for words. She wanted to argue, but the fashionista actually had a really good point. It just wasn’t a very good point for Twilight. “Oh, don’t look at me like that!” Rarity said, draping an arm around Twilight’s shoulders and pulling her into a quick hug. “I’m not going to take all of them from you. Just one. After all, there’s a very good reason for me to be down there.” Twilight started flipping through her notes. “What are you talking about? I didn’t make note of anything advantage for the Principality of Equestria allowing the griffons to go south.” Rarity sighed and pushed Twilight’s notebook down so she could look her in the eye. “It wasn’t on the board, dear. I’m afraid our dear Rainbow Dash has made her plans quite clear. She told Pinkie rather loudly that she’s going to amass a squad to storm up the coast, right over the spaces you want for yourself. Really, you should pay more attention to the players…” “I was a little distracted…” Twilight said sheepishly, blushing a little bit and backing down. Sensing the opportunity, Rarity smiled and went for the kill. “That’s all right dear, I have a plan. With my air force down here, I can help you defend until you can make more forces of your own. On the next turn, I’ll go down here…” … “You see, AJ? My plan I working already!” Rainbow boasted, leaning back in her chair and putting her hooves back. “It’s only the start, Rainbow. Plenty can happen in the next few turns.” AJ returned. Rainbow Dash snorted and waved her notebook over her head. “I’ve already got my moves all written down. There’s nopony who could get in my way.” ‘Cept for Pinkie Pie. Applejack thought, but she kept it to herself. She turned around and there was the party pony herself, close enough to nearly slam her face into AJ’s own. “Hey Applejack! Have you decided what you want to do with your navy yet?” she half shouted. “Hold yer horses!” Applejack said quickly, clamping her hooves over Pinkie’s mouth. Casting a glance over her shoulder in case Rainbow was paying attention, she pulled Pinkie a safe distance away from the table and sat her on her haunches. “Listen, you’ve got an army in Alpaclan. You can stop RD from takin’ the West Dune Sea.” “Why can’t she have it?” Pinkie asked, cocking her head to the side. “Because we don’t want her to win, do we?” Applejack said, exasperated. “Wouldn’ you rather get it anyway?” “No, I’ve got a different plan!” Pinkie said excitedly. “But if you are that worried about it, then…” … “So, um, Rainbowdash?” Fluttershy asked softly. “…Can I move my army now? I just think I should…” “Hold on for a little longer.” Rainbow said dismissively. “There’s nothing for you to do right now, so stay where you are.” “…If you think that’s best…” Fluttershy said softly, sitting back and staring morosely at her notebook. Maybe this isn’t such a fun game after all… Suddenly, a steaming cup of tea was placed down in front of her eyes. She looked up as Rarity slid down into the seat next to her and sipped from her own cup. “Are you alright? You look a little down.” “I’m fine…” Fluttershy sighed, picking up the cup carefully and breathing in the aroma. She could already feel the tea soothing her tensed muscles. Rarity glanced at the other pegasus. “There’s more in the kitchen if you want some.” Rainbow Dash pursed her lips and flapped up off her seat. “Nah, but maybe I’ll see if there’s a soda or cider or something.” She flew off and left the two of them at the table. “You know, you don’t have to listen to her.” Rarity said softly, watching her leave. “It’s no fun if you don’t even get to move a single piece.” Fluttershy looked down into her cup as if it contained some kind of perfect answer. “I know, but… it sounds like it’s really important to her. I don’t want to get in her way…” “Well, there are other kinds of moves you can do; even in you don’t want to upset Rainbow.” Rarity started pointing out places on the board and the shy pony leaned forward to watch. … Looks like they’re really starting to get into it. Spike thought, sitting at the top of the stairs with the hourglass on the step next to him. Good thing I kept clear of it, myself. It's starting to get a little intense. He held up a specially prepared bag in his claws and breathed a slow trail of green fire over it. Within seconds the bag started shaking as the kernels inside popped. He kept his breathing even until the popping slowed down, and then cracked the seal on the bag with one deft gesture. The smell of fresh popcorn wafted out and he closed his eyes to enjoy the smell. “HEY, is that POPCORN!?!” “Hi Pinkie.” He sighed, already extending the bag out to the pink pony. Pinkie grabbed it out of his claws and buried her face in the bag. Spike was already picking up a second bag and set about popping it as she ate greedily. “Mmmm…” Pinkie said a minute later, finally coming up for air. “Thanks, Spike! What are you doing all the way up here?” “Just watching the sparks fly.” Spike said, popping a kernel into his mouth. “This looks like it’s gonna be more fun than playing, anyway.” Pinkie looked confused. “What do you mean? You didn’t want to play with us?” “It’s not that!” Spike started, trying to find a way to put it into words. “There was an option for a seventh player, but I didn’t really want to get involved. Twilight… well, we used to play chess sometimes back in Canterlot. Sometimes other strategy games; she really likes those. And she can get a bit… competitive… when things don’t go her way. “Besides, I like being the announcer more than a participant, anyway. Like at the Running of the Leaves, remember? It takes someone very important to memorize all these rules!” he said, proudly producing the rules book and waving it. Pinkie snatched it from his claws and opened it to a random page. “Wow, you really memorized all this? This is a lot of… hey, wait! This means… ah, I get it! That’s clever!” “What is?” Spike asked, trying to look over her shoulder. “No time, I gotta make a few changes!” Pinkie exclaimed, flipping the book back to the dragon and bouncing down the stair. Spike scratched his head as he watched her go and picked up the rules, trying to find the page Pinkie had been looking at. “Did I miss something…?” he mused. His train of thought was disrupted as he remembered to watch the hourglass and he set the book aside. … “Just another two minutes!” Spike’s voice called out. “Already?” Twilight said, looking up from where she sat in the kitchen. She’d gotten caught up in her planning again. But this time I’ve got a better plan. Rarity really knows what she’s talking about. We’ve got to stop Rainbow Dash from claiming all these territories in a row. But… wait a second… Twilight pulled her map closer to her eyes as something dawned on her. She said Rainbow will probably be leaving Caballeria and that I should take it to cut back on her territories, but that would put me right between her armies. I can’t hold that! She’d just push me right out… A clicking caught her attention. Rainbow Dash was right behind her, half inside her fridge as she hunted for drinks. Twilight came to a snap decision and walked up behind the speedster. “Hey, Rainbow? I was thinking about taking one of your spaces next turn.” Rainbow bumped her head as she backpedaled too fast out of the fridge. She rubbed it and glared in surprise at Twilight. “What?!” “Don’t worry; I’m not going to go through with it.” Twilight said, levitation her notebook up and crossing out the move where Rainbow could see it. “Just promise me you’ll go after Rarity’s pieces before mine.” “Uh… alright?” Rainbow said, scratching her head and backing out of the room. “I wasn’t thinking that far ahead, but sure. Thanks.” Twilight nodded to herself, not catching the backward glance Rainbow shot her as she flew off. She picked up her pencil and wrote a different order on the paper. That should do for now. Rarity was clearly trying to trap me, and I’m not going to fall for it. Besides, I’m sure Fluttershy won’t mind me borrowing a space for a turn. I’ll give it back after a turn… … “Ok, Rarity’s navy moves into the Griffon Sea.” Spike said a few minutes later, when they were all gathered around the table. “And her two air forces take both Konja and Zaldia unopposed. You get two new units this turn!” “Thank you, Spike. I know just which ones I need.” Rarity said, brushing aside the praise with a dainty laugh. “You’d better move on before the others get impatient.” “Oh, right.” Spike said, pulling a green flag out of the box. “The elks navy moves into the Sea of Naqah, their air force goes into Breidas, and their army takes Pferdreich and claims the supply center.” “But wait, I moved into Pferdreich too!” Twilight interrupted. “Yeah, with an air force.” Spike said, pointing out the piece. “An army beats yours since you didn’t get support. The good news is that your army takes Semental, so you are getting a new piece next turn. The other bad news, though, is that you tried to dock your navy in Ard and Fluttershy’s navy didn’t move, so your attack there also fails.” “What?!” Twilight exclaimed. Fluttershy also put her hoof up. “Um… but I did move that piece. I know I did.” Spike held up the page for the rest of the ponies to see. “I’m sorry, but you got them switched when you wrote your orders. You put down for your army to go into the Crescent Sea and for your navy to go to Samak. Since neither piece can go there, neither gets to move. Again.” “Oh… but I was so sure I did it right that time…” Fluttershy said, sinking low in her chair. Rarity tapped her on the back comfortingly. “Don’t worry, I was helping you write. The mistake was probably mine.” “Anyway…” Spike said, getting back to the game. “Pinkie moves into the Zebrican Sea and Horse Steppes, claiming a second supply center. Her army in Alpaclan doesn’t move for some reason. And Rainbow Dash moves into West Dune Sea, Heyuktan, and Garanha, raising her territories to seven!” “Aw, yeah! Halfway there!” Rainbow crowed, pumping her arms in victory. “That’s four new units!” “Actually, since you can only make new units in your starting spaces, you can only get three right now. But you can get the fourth in two more turns, if you still have it. Now, everypony can put their new pieces on the map. We can start the next round after their all out!” Spike pushed the box into the center of the table and the others started digging around in it, searching for pieces of their color. All save Twilight, who sat and stared at the pieces spread out on the board. Nothing was working like she’d thought it would. Her moves had been countered, nopony seemed to be listening to her ideas, and now it looked liked she’d been the first to try and attack a friend. And now, aside from Fluttershy, she was in last place. She was losing. Twilight gritted her teeth in determination. Alright. No more Mrs. Nice Mare…