//------------------------------// // Arcade Gaming // Story: Mane Six vs. Technology // by StevieBond //------------------------------// "Quick everypony, to the arcade store!" Twilight said to them. "Got it!" Rainbow replied. "YAY! More fun time!" Pinkie exclaimed as they galloped into the arcade store. "They're going inside the arcade store." one of the pilots said. "No...really?!" the other asked sarcastically. "Whatever, get the thermal heat sense set up, they won't be hiding for long." Back inside the arcade, the ponies caught thier breaths and were looking for areas to hide, apart from Pinkie who was dazzled by the pretty lights. "Wow! This is amazing!" she exclaimed, "Ponyville should have one of these places!" "Uh Pinkie, we're tryin' not to get captured 'ere?" Applejack responded. "Well, it's a good thing there are no humans around in this store." Rarity said. "Twilight, don't you have any kind of invisible spell?" Rainbow asked. "I've used that spell once before, I haven't even perfected it yet." Twilight replied worryingly. "Well you gotta perfect it before they take us back to London!" "Okay, okay...I'll try it now." Twilight took a deep breath and used her magic and in a moment of lavender lights, her whole self disappeared. "Twilight!" Fluttershy gasped, "Are you still here? Please talk to us!" "Don't worry girls, I'm invisible." she replied. "Looks like it works after all." "But what about the rest of us?" Applejack asked. "Hmm, maybe if I increase the size of my aura of invisibility and you all crowd close to me, it'll give the technology in that helicopter the impression that we just disappeared, as if we weren't here anymore." "Will that really work?" Rarity asked. "Only one way to find out." The ponies all got close into a group hug and at first, it felt weird for the five mares who couldn't see Twilight but felt her hooves. Twilight began to use her magic and increased the invisibility aura three times as big and soon, they were all completely invisible. Back outside and in the helicopter, the pilots had their thermal heat scanner set up, but they were too late. One of them looked through the camera with the thermal setting on and looked all around the arcade store to find nothing at all, not even a glitch of the ponies, this left them confused. "Problem?" one of them asked. "Yeah, they're...gone." the other replied. "How could they be gone?" "I don't know, maybe the camera's busted or something." "Enable the night vision setting." "Nope...nothing with this setting either." "Then how are we supposed to keep track of those ponies if we can't get a visual reading on them?" "Maybe we should report back to base and file in a faulty equipment." "Are you kidding? The Major would have our backsides handed to us if we abort now." "Well, unless you have a better idea, I can't think of anything else." "Don't look at me, I'm not going down there and make myself an easy target." "Actually I've been wondering, has anyone ever seen what these ponies have done?" "Do I look like I care? We have orders to capture them and send them back to where ever universe they came from." "Wow, you really didn't get loved by your parents much, did you?" "Shut up, co-pilot! Your job is to use that camera. I'm gonna try and lower us down via the beach-side so we can get a better look" As the pilot holding the control stick began to move the copter, the other pilot put down the camera and took out a taser from his holster and got ready to use it. "No, why don't you shut up?" "Oh what are you gonna do, tell me off some more?" The camera pilot then sharply placed the taser on his co-pilot's neck which shocked him completely, knocking him out. He then reached for the control stick and took control of it. "Nope, because when we go back to base and I tell them that you aborted the mission, you will be in for another shock." He then steered the copter away from the arcade store and they flew away from Brighton till it was out of sight. Back in the arcade, the invisibility aura disappeared and the ponies were all visible again. "I don't hear the helicopter." Fluttershy said. "They're...gone." Applejack replied. "Oh what a relief!" Rarity exclaimed. "I thought we were done for." "I still think I could've taken it on." Rainbow added, pouting. "Owwww!" Twilight said, "My horn." The mares gasped as they saw that the top half of Twilight's horn was now in a bruised red colour. "Uh, are you okay?" Pinkie asked. "Not really, I think I used too much of my magic to make that spell." "As a fellow unicorn, it would be wise to not conjure any more magic until the horn is completely healed." Rarity said. "Yeah, we should be safe for now though." "That's mighty good to hear." Applejack replied. "So, this arcade has a lot of things ah don't understand." "Well from the book, they have various kinds of arcade games and machines here." Twilight explained. "There are those small ones where you try to win prizes, there are machines there that involve shooting, driving and a flight simulator from what I can see." "A flight simulator? That sounds cool I guess." Rainbow said. "And a bumper car area too on the far left of us." "Bumpers cars sound like fun!" Pinkie exclaimed. "We should go on those." "Ohhh, I'm not sure if it's safe enough to do that." Fluttershy replied. "Well they have seatbelts on them which protect you from flying out and hurting yourself." Twilight said. "Oh, that's good to know." "In that case, we should enjoy ourselves with them bumper cars and make up for the time we lost earlier." Applejack suggested. "Way ahead of you." Rainbow said as she got inside a bumper car. The others each got into a bumper car and use learnt to use the seatbelts...but nothing was happening. "Uh, how are we suppose to move these?" Rarity asked. "Oh wait, I forgot..." Twilight replied. "All these arcade machines require money in order to work." "Money? You meant bits, right?" Rainbow asked. "No, in this universe it's called money and it looks like there were a lot left on that display counter." "Hold on dear, I'll get them for you." Rarity said as she used her magic to bring a tray of pound coins over. "Now take one each and...where do they go?" "In the coin slot on the side, by the steering wheel." The ponies all inserted their coins and soon the bumper cars began to power up and sounds were made from the speaker in the corner. They all began to move their cars and in no time at all, started bumping into each other since the others couldn't drive, apart from Fluttershy who tired to avoid bumping into the others. Twilight soon forgot about the pain on her horn and was smiling again. The mares began to really get into it and were enjoying the fun a lot for a while, laughing a few times along the way until a siren played and the bumper cars stopped moving. "Oh, looks like our time is up, driving these." Twilight said. "Well that's a little bit depressing, but it was so cool!" Rainbow replied. Suddenly, Pinkie paused the whole scene and looked at the fourth wall. "Just wanna say quickly that to anyone or anypony who drives." she said, "Always drive safely, responsibly, always wear a seatbelt and obey the laws of the road." She then showed a big grin before she went back to where she was and un paused the scene. "So, what should we do next?" Fluttershy asked. "Maybe we should explore the whole arcade." Twilight replied as she got out of her bumper car. "I'm sure each one of us will find something fun to do and we'll have these pound coins to use so we can enjoy playing for as much as we want." "I can agree to that." Rarity replied. Soon the rest of them got out of the bumper cars and began exploring the whole arcade separately. Moments later, they all found a game they each liked. Rainbow was playing on a flight simulator called After Burner Climax, Fluttershy was on a claw machine that had prizes inside, Rarity was using her pound coins on a horse racing bet game, Pinkie was playing on a dance machine called Dance Dance Revolution, Applejack was on a kart driving game with a famous moustache plumber as the icon and Twilight was on a quiz machine and getting most of the questions wrong. Soon, they began to work up an appetite and were starting to feel hungry. They spent the last of thier pound coins on vending machines and each getting a packet of cheese flavoured nachos which was no surprise, seeing how Equestria has nacho cheese too. "Can't beat any packet of good ol' nachos!" Applejack commented. "Nacho, nacho mare!" Pinkie sang as she put on a Disco outfit from out of nowhere, "I got to be a nachomare!" Twilight stared. "Seriously?" was all she could ask. "Pinkie, no offence darling, but you sing somewhat below average." Rarity said to her, bluntly. "Uh beg ya pardon, Rarity, but isn't being that honest my job?" Applejack asked, nudging her a little. "Well you can't blame me for going out of character, Applejack. I'm sure you've behaved in ways you shouldn't have." "Don't remind me..." They then left the arcade store and seeing the sky going from blue to a bit of orange. "I think we've had our fun in this arcade place, so where can we go next?" Rainbow asked. "Well the sun is starting to set." Fluttershy, pointing to the sky, "Maybe we should go and find somewhere to stay before night time." "I think Fluttershy has the right idea." Twilight agreed, "It would be bad news for us to go back to that coach and sleep there during the night." "Then we must leave this place and find a hotel." Rarity replied. "And can we try to walk with grace and dignity?" Rainbow rolled her eyes as they left and walked down the pavements, taking in the places of Brighton until they came across a hotel. "Well, it's not as fancy as the other one we're stayin' in, but ah reckon it's comfy enough for all of us." Applejack said. "Hmm, maybe my taste of appearance is starting to rub off on you." Rarity replied. They walked on inside and as before in the hotel back in London, no one was at reception. They grabbed a hotel room key, took the lift to the second floor and looked for room 210. Before they found it and unlocked the door to reveal a somewhat big enough room with separate rooms for a kitchen and a bedroom. "We should have a party in here!" Pinkie said as they walked in and closed the door behind them. "And then what, make ourselves heard when there are other humans around?" Rainbow asked. "Ah think what Rainbow meant was is that doesn't seem like a good idea, after what we went through today." Applejack told Pinkie. "Awww, but we haven't had a vacation party since we got here." "We know that, but you can make up for all the unplanned parties when we go back to Equestria." Twilight replied. "I guess so." "And besides, it's getting towards night time and we should rest." Rarity said. "Maybe we should so we can be ready for tomorrow." Fluttershy added. The others nodded in agreement as they looked around the room to see plentiful of food and drink so they were okay with eating the next day, before each of them took turns at using the shower room which Twilight had to teach them about using it before each of them look to find somewhere to sleep. "Hmm, this bed can only fit at least three of us on here, the rest of us will have to find somewhere else." Twilight said. "Well I don't care which of you choose to sleep, as long as I get the fabulous king-size bed." Rarity replied. "To share with, Rarity." Applejack added. "Don't forget that." "Well of course, I'm not that selfish." "Please, can we get some sleep now?" Rainbow asked. Shortly, Rarity took the centre of the bed and shared with Fluttershy and Twilight. Applejack and Rainbow found a couple of spare bedsheets and placed them on the sofas before getting into them and Pinkie rested on a very soft carpet rug besides the bed. "Okay girls, we'll have a good night and then in the morning, we'll think about what else we can do around here." Twilight said. "Ah agree to that, sugarcube." Applejack replied. "Good idea. Goodnight, girls." Fluttershy said. Each of them said goodnight before Rarity used her magic to switch the the lights off and thankfully, none of them snored unless Pinkie was recovering from one of her party events in which case she would her flank off. With them now safe once more, only time will tell if they'll be able to enjoy more of thier vacation before going back home to Equestria.