//------------------------------// // This is going to suck... // Story: No Game No Life // by Spirit Shift //------------------------------// “Spike!” Twilight called out, “Can you come here for a sec?” Spike came around the corner and walked into Twilight’s room, “Jeez, I swear this castle is like a maze. What’s up.” Twilight turned around from her game and looked at her assistant with a smile, “We’ll get used to it eventually. But for now, I need some help with this question.” Spike examined the game she was playing, “What is Hum Drom’s secret identity? Another trivia game? Well… at least this one’s got good taste in questions,” he said proudly. Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. Spike noticed and crossed his arms. “Why don’t you play something more fun, like Mass Effect or Fallout: Equestria?” Spike asked. “Because these are more intellectually stimulating," Twilight shot back. "So, do you know the answer?” Spike's eyes drifted to the top of the screen, “Of course I do. Hold on, what’s that?” Twilight looked back to her screen. “Oh, I got a new message from somepony named Noct-3-r-nal.” Spike slapped a claw to his face. “Oh! Nocturnal! I get it, how clever. Though there isn't an 'e' in Nocturnal.” The young dragon finally revoved his claw and leveled a deadpan look her her. “Twilight… it doesn't matter. That’s Princess Luna’s username. What's it say?” “It’s an invite to a brand new trivia game," Twilight squealed. "She’s offering to gameshare with me!” she gushed. Suddenly her face twisted in confusion, “Wait, I didn't know you could do that over the net.” This time it was Spike's turn to eye roll. “Maybe it’s some new feature? I don’t know. Personally, I would still recommend something else like--” Twilight was already in the midst of accepting the invite. “You have your games Spike, and I have mmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Spike hel--” The second she finished accepting the invite a large wind began blowing throughout the room. Spike covered his face to protect himself, so he couldn't see Twilight being dragged into her television set until it was too late. He ran up to the screen in fear. “Twilight? Twilight!” Spike pounded on the screen. ~~~ Pinkie hopped off her bed and rushed to the screen. “Oh! OH! Run, Dashie! Run!” “I’m trying! They won’t stop chasing me!” Rainbow Dash twisted her controller in a futile effort to wring more speed out of her plane. “Well of course they’re gonna chase you. You have 5 stars up there.” Pinkie pointed towards the top left of the screen at the five little white stars, then at the multitude of police behind Rainbow's characters.          “All I did was rob a bank!” Dash whined. Slamming the control stick in order to dodge a magic missile from the airship behind her. “You also had me lift your tank into the air while you blew up the choppers that were chasing us!” Pinkie cheered happily.         Rainbow chuckled, “Yeah, that was pretty awesome!” A loud explosion noise came from her screen. “OH COME ON! How the hay did I explode?” Pinkie leaned closer into the screen, “I think you reached the height limit, Dashie.” Rainbow Dash’s eye twitched. “Seriously? I was thiiiiiiiiiiis close to getting away. All I had to do was reach that mountain over there, and I would have been set,” she sulked. Pinkie looked away and gave a sly smile, “Well, maybe if you hadn't shot me in the back as soon as we reached the plane I would still be able to carry out the plan.” Rainbow Dash oppened her mouth, though about it, shrugged and answered, “...Point taken.” Pinkie pushed Dash aside and shoved her face into the screen once more, “Oh look! You have an invite. It’s from Luna!” Dash pushed the pink pony aside and read the invites contents. “It’s for a heist. Count me in!” The second Rainbow hit the accept button an incredible wind began sucking everything into her TV screen. Taken by surprise, she had no choice but to succumb to the suction of the screen. Not willing to be left out, Pinkie hopped in along with her, leaving the party pony’s room completely empty. There was a light knock on her door before Mr. Cakes voice sounded through, loudly. “Keep it down in there! The twins just fell asleep and--” ‘WAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHH!!” Mr. Cake sighed. ~~~ Sweetie Belle turned to the colt next to her, “Hey, Button?” Button stopped what he was doing and glanced over, “Yeah?” “Did this come out crooked?” she asked, gesturing to the structure on-screen. “Sweetie Belle,"--Button shook his head-- "we’re playing Minecraft, nothing can come out crooked in this game.” Sweetie looked towards the screen and back, still not fully comprehending the curious physics of the game. “Well, what if I put the block in the wrong place?” Button deadpanned, and said, “Then you would know, because it would be sticking out.” Sweetie Belle’s eyes lit up in understanding, “Ohhhh.” The two foals continued to play together in silence for a few more minutes. “Hey, Button?” “Yeah?” Sweetie smiled softly before lowering her gaze. “I like playing these games with you, they’re so much fun. Even if I am a complete noob at most of them,” she said sadly. Button patted her on the back and nodded sagely, “It’s not your fault.” “Yeah, it is," she insisted, giving him a wide eyed look. "It took you almost two weeks to help me get the hang of this. You could've used that time to build any number of awesome things.”   “Sweetie, being a noob doesn't mean that you’re bad at the game. It just means that you haven't reached your potential yet. That’s something mom and dad taught me.” “What do you mean?”           Button Mash paused the game and sat his controller down. “Playing video games and being skilled at them, is the same as getting a cutie mark. You don’t have one when you’re born do you?” Sweetie looked at her still-blank flank, “No.” “Exactly, you grow into it and gain it when you discover the ability you’re best at. You’re only a noob until you find that one skill or ability that you can specialize in. Like for instance, in Minecraft, you’re ridiculously good at finding things when we go underground.” Sweetie blushed slightly, “You really think so?” “Of course! We made so many things since you started! I--” “Button!” a feminine voice sounded out from somewhere in the house, “Could you come here for a second?” “Sure, Mom!” He turned back to Sweetie Belle, “I’ll be right back.” Button immediately ran out of the room. Alone, Sweetie unpaused the game and continued to build. A few minutes later a message appeared on top of the screen reading invite. Sweetie turned back to the door. “Button? Somepony’s inviting you to join their world. Should I accept?” Receiving no answer, Sweetie contemplated on what she should do. “Button would want me to join,” she reasoned. Accepting the invite Sweetie shrieked when she found herself being dragged into her screen. “BUTTON! BUTTOOOOO--” ~~~ Bon Bon inched fearfully away from her room mate and best friend. “Lyra… stay away from me. Or I swear to Celestia I will--” Lyra scrunched her muzzle tightly to try to hide the wide grin on her face. “Come on, Bonnie, it’ll be fun. I swear!” Bon Bon threw her hoof forward in an accusing gesture, screaming, “You said that about the last three games you wanted me to play! Now I don’t know what this ‘Slender’ is, but it sounds like some kind of horror game!” Lyra’s face puffed with barely contained laughter. Swallowing it she continued, “No… I promise -hehe- it’ll be fun!” he voice was squeaky by the end of her sentence as she desperately tried to contain her laughter. “And that! You keep saying that it’ll be fun! Why are you laughing? It’s really creeping me out!” Lyra did a few motions to calm herself down. Still standing near her computer, she tried something different, “Fine, we won’t play Slender. Let’s watch some anime instead.” Suspicious, Bon Bon slowly made her way over to her roommate. “Which one?” she asked with narrowed eyes. Lyra’s face puffed up with laughs again, but she quickly pushed them down. Leaving only a wide smile in it’s place. “Oh, nothing popular. Just a little anime called… School Days.” Bon Bon’s eyes shrank to pinpricks. She jumped far back in alarm, “NO WAY! My sister showed me that when I was younger and it scarred me for life. I still can’t watch school related anime!” Bon Bon bolted out of the room. Lyra, however fell to the ground laughing. It took a full ten minutes before she could stand again, and even then she still had the giggles. Behind her, she heard a ding sound come from her computer. Turning around, she noticed that she had received an invite to play something. “You’ve been chosen as a beta tester for the new game… Half Life 2: Episode… 3” Lyra’s jaw hit the ground so hard it made it’s own crater. Stars in her eyes she wasted no time in clicking the accept button. When a large wind sucked her into her computer screen she screamed at the top of her lungs, “NOT COOL!!!” ~~~ Octavia slammed her hoof if the final button. She grinned when the K.O appeared in the middle of her screen and she saw her character stand tall, victorious. “Well, that’s 10 wins in a row, Vinyl. You now owe me 20 bits, as per our agreement.” Vinyl’s signature smirk had long since fell into a deep frown, “I never should have made that stupid, bucking.... ONE MORE MATCH!” she demanded. Octavia chuckled lightly, “Vinyl, as much as I enjoy trouncing you in these games, I do still have practice to attend to.” Vinyl stared up at her with ruby red eyes, sparkling and sad, “Please, Tavi…” Unable to resist those orbs, Octavia relented, “Fine,” she sighed. “One more match, but that’s it!” Vinyl hoof pumped and hit the rematch button, “Same characters?” “It wouldn't matter either way," the earth pony scoffed, "I would still win.” Vinyl bit her lip in concentration. “Jeez... I used to be so good at Banished or Alive," she muttered. "What happened to me?” “You messed your hooves up spinning records, that’s what,” Octavia commented snidely. “Oh, ha-ha! At least I don’t have to get a hooficure every time I scuff mine on my own instruments.” Octavia;s face lit up in offence before lowering in determination. “Why you! This time I’m not holding back!” Octavia picked Eliot for this match while Vinyl picked her favorite character, Rig. Once the match started, Vinyl couldn't even get a single attack in during the barrage of combos, throws, and attacks Octavia sent her way. Dodging and blocking was all she could do, and even that wasn't very effective. Within two minutes, Vinyl was soundly trounced in two out of two rounds. Octavia grinned victoriously and sat her controller down. Just as Octavia did so, however, an invite flashed at the top of the screen. Vinyl pointed at it and turned back to Octavia. “Hay, Tavi, Luna invited us to play a game!” Octavia, meanwhile, was currently straightening her mane and bow tie in the mirror. “That is an honor, Vinyl, but I really need to leave now. You’ll have to play with her alone this time.” “Suit yourself,” she said as she accepted the invite. A loud wind whooshed through the room, and began dragging Vinyl in. “Octavia! Octavia! Help!” “Vinyl!” Octavia screamed as she saw what was happening to her friend. Leaping forward, she grabbed the unicorn’s hooves, but without any leverage she simply got dragged in screaming along with her.