It was an exciting day at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, as Miss Cheerilee announced, “Today, we have two special guests with a very special announcement! Everypony, please give a warm welcome to the Head of the Equestria Games…”
She pointed to the doorway and in walked, “Ms. Harshwhinny!”
Ms Harshwhinny entered, once again with her face living up to her name, as she held her nose up high, a narrowed look in her eyes, not a wrinkle in her mare’s business suit, not a single hair in her mane astray. She took her place in front of the class, Cheerilee giving her the floor as she spoke in a haughty tone.
“Thank you. Now I’m sure you all know about the Equestria Games, where ponies from all over the land, and even foreign visitors, gather to compete for glory in various athletic pursuits?”
Scootaloo and Rumble shared a curious look as they and their class listened closely.
“Well, now you littlest ones will have the chance to compete for a weighty responsibility of your very own-”
“Oh c’mon, Ms. Harshwhinny! Quit beating around the bush and tell them the great news!” shouted a voice from outside, and its source made itself known as it teleported into the classroom beside Harshwhinny, revealing himself to be…
“Prince Midnight…!” Twist swooned.
Midnight spread his wings and gave a bow, wearing a cap on his head and a whistle around his neck, soaking in the ooh’s and ah’s of his little subjects. He stood up and showed a cocky look as he announced, “All of you – That’s right, you, colts and fillies – will compete against each other by showing off the most awesome and special routine for the chance to go to the Games to carry the flag for Team Ponyville!”
Immediately, the colts and fillies whispered excitedly but Ms. Harshwhiny snapped, “Your Highness, with all due respect, do behave in the manner appropriate to your title!”
Midnight’s ears drooped a little, for even though he was taller than Harshwhinny, he felt oddly small before her disapproving gaze.
“Now then, allow me to explain the rules,” Ms. Harshwhinny pointed out the visual aids she’d had drawn on the chalkboard.
“You, my little ponies, will form teams with the goal of creating their own flag-carrying routine. Everypony will be judged on grace, style, and originality. There’s a most complicated scoring system, will I will elaborate upon now-”
“Oh details-details,” Midnight interrupted, “As you’re all putting together your routines, you will report to me, the self-appointed coach of Team Ponyville.”
“Midnight’s the coach for the team?” Sweetie Belle whispered to her friends.
“Yeah, since he’s a prince he doesn’t get to compete in the games, he was so bummed out,” Twinken confirmed.
“Ahem!”
They returned their attention to Midnight, “As I was saying… I want you all to know that I will help each and every team equally and fairly, but know this! I will not be playing favorites – Each and every team gets their fair chance and their fair amount of help and attention.”
He then gave Diamond Tiara a close-up, much to her surprise as he said in a dismissive manner, “Got that, Diamond Tiara?”
He backed up without waiting for a response and Diamond Tiara growled in annoyance when she noticed Twinken stick his tongue out at her.
However, Midnight’s little stunt got his tail stomped on by Harshwhinny, as she said to him, “Professionalism, Prince Midnight! If you want to keep your job in coaching these little ponies as well as Team Ponyville, you are to maintain a professional attitude and keep your emotions in check!”
She then got up in Midnight’s face, which looked a tad funny the way she was glaring up at him, much to Midnight’s discomfort.
“Am I making myself absolutely, one-hundred percent, crystal clear?!”
When she backed up, Midnight salvaged his composure and assured her, “Yes, Ms. Harshwhinny. Prince’s honor!”
Giving him an extra stink eye for good measure, Ms. Harshwhinny cleared her throat.
“Now then, in three days’ time, Prince Midnight will accompany all ponies competing to the Crystal Empire, where you will demonstrate your routines for me and the other judges, who will judge you very professionally…”
“Ahem, thank you for your thorough clarification, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Midnight said stoically before gushing, “Until then, everypony, train hard, be creative, and remember to have fun. Regardless of how this turns out, this is gonna be an event to remember!”
The class erupted in a cheer and midnight almost joined in, only for Ms. Harswhinny’s famous disapproving look to halt him in his tracks. When the cheering ceased, Midnight cleared his throat, “Meet me after school tomorrow at 3, sharp! Catch ya lat-”
*SKID*
Midnight noticed Harshwhinny again that he halted and stoically said, “Until tomorrow.”
He then trotted out in the same manner Harshwhinny walked in, making her groan. She then addressed the class again.
“Ponies, remember this most important fact – Your routine must display what it is to you that makes your town special. So! Do Ponyville proud. Work hard. Be bold. Wow me… That is all!”
The bell rang and school was out. The colts and fillies poured out of the schoolhouse, chattering excitably, voicing their hopes and ideas for their routines and already asking others to form teams.
But six little colts and fillies were already a team and they spotted Midnight leaning against the fence bordering the schoolyard.
“Big brother!”
Twinken, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rumble, and Button Mash ran up to him, Twinken and Apple Bloom saying, “We’re gonna win that competition and carry the flag for the honor of Ponyville!”
Midnight chuckled, “Perhaps you will, Cutie-Mark Crusaders, but… You’re gonna have to prove yourselves the best and most deserving team out of your whole class, `cuz I think they’re all planning to compete.”
“Well somepony in our class if gonna carry that flag,” Scootaloo pointed out
“So it might as well be us!” agreed Rumble.
“I dunno…” Button Mash sounded hesitant. “We’re a great team an’ all, but… can we prove we’re really the best out of our whole class?”
“C’mon, everypony, are you in or are you in?” Scootaloo both challenged and encouraged, “`Cuz I’m in!!”
“Me two!”
“Me three!”
“Me four!”
“Me five!”
“Uh, me six, I guess.”
Midnight chuckled at the Crusaders’ enthusiasm and went followed, listening as Scootaloo spoke up, “Alright, so our routine’s gotta show what’s important about Ponyville, right?”
“Right!” the rest of the Crusaders chorused.
“But… what’s special about Ponyville?” Button Mash asked the million bit question.
“Well, it’s… it’s…” Rumble pondered, looking to Apple Bloom before noticing Twinken’s horn and then looking to Scootaloo and her wings.
“That’s it!! Ponyville’s where different kinds of ponies live together as friends!”
“Earth ponies like me!”
“Unicorns like me.”
“And pegasi like we!” Scootaloo playfully bumped her shoulder to Rumble’s, the both of them blushing a bit.
“But how do we show that in our act?” Button asked.
“Well we’ll need to really think about this,” Twinken considered.
“And a lotta hard work!” added Apple Bloom.
“And no small amount of practice,” they all looked to see Midnight looking at them proudly before stepping past them, “but I know you can do it! You might be little ponies but you all’ve got hearts as strong as horses!”
Seeing the marching gait Midnight was taking, the Crusaders smiled and followed after as Midnight felt a great pride for his little brother and sister and their friends.
[Midnight Blaze]
You’re all the toughest
Ponies in town
Got the moves, got the mojo,
No harder working ponies around
You’re not alone now,
Just work as a team…
[Cutie Mark Crusaders]
We’ll be the first ponies out on the flag waving scene!
Midnight smiled at the little foals, seeing them gaze boldly o’er the rise of the hill they stood on, and left the Crusaders to get started.
[CMC]
We get going when the going gets tough (They started with some running…)
We know our very best is just never enough (…before testing their strength in a tog o’ war with Bulk Biceps)
We’re kinda short but so what? We don’t get defeated (They took turns bucking a punching bag)
We could take a little break but we don’t need it (Sweetie Belle offered some water to a sweaty Button but he kept going)
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hea-a-a-arts as strong as horses
(The training continued all throughout the day)
When we put our minds together, we can achieve
We’re the Cutie-mark Crusaders, and you should believe!
We’ve got determination to represent our nation
For the win…!
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
And we’re playing to win as we gallop to glory
We can conquer any challenge we’re in
We got hea-a-a-arts as strong as horses
Hearts strong as horses….!
The Crusaders finished up their last runaround the park before they finally paused for a break, panting to still their beating hearts.
“Whoo! My hooves are burnin’, baby, they’re burning!” Rumble laughed but panted as he worked his wings to spread a breeze.
“Somepony kill me…” Button whined, Sweetie Belle giggling before lending him her water bottle.
“Thanks, Sweetie Belle…”
“We’re doing great, everypony!” Scootaloo encouraged, “Now that we’ve warmed up, it’s time to start thinking up our rou-”
“Move it, losers!”
*SHOOOM/SPINNN*
“WHOAAA!!!” the Crusaders were sent spinning as something blurred past them in a way very similar to how Scootaloo did with her scooter sometimes.
When they stopped being dizzy they gaped at the newcomer and recognized him, Twinken groaning, “Ugh, it’s Hotshot…”
Hotshot was a pegasus colt who’d moved to Ponyville recently from Las Pegasus. He had a sky-blue coat, a blazing orange mane in a mohawk style, his opal eyes were hidden behind his shades, and his cutie-mark was a comb and skateboard forming an X. He wore pads and a helmet as he did a 360 move on his skateboard before coming back and skidding to a halt in front of the Crusaders, spraying dust and dirt on them.
He took off his helmet and pushed up his shades, giving them a high n’ mighty look and spoke in the same kind of voice, “I hear you’re all gonna compete to carry the Ponyville flag…”
“What’s it to ya?” Scootaloo glared.
“Oh nothin’ much,” Hotshot shrugged before throwing them a nasty look, “except it boggles my mind why you’re wasting your time… when I’m the one who’s gonna carry that flag!”
“Pbth, as if!” Twinken scoffed, “Don’t you remember? A team has to carry the flag, and I don’t see a team with you...”
“Hey Hotshot!”
“We’ll be your team!”
All eyes turned to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon swooning at Hotshot, who posed a cocky way, soaking it in before Diamond Tiara said, “And if that’s the best these loser have got, we’ll win for sure!”
“We’ll come up with the most divine routine,” Silver Spoon said snottily.
“A routine sure to crush the competition,” added Diamond Tiara.
“Well, girls,” Hotshot stood by them while throwing a nasty smile at the Crusaders, “I do enjoy a good crush! Besides, it’ll be no sweat to beat these lame-os, because we’ve got something they don’t.”
The three bullies pointed them out, “Cutie-marks! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Blank flanks, blank flanks, blank flanks!!”
“What’s tha’ got t’ do with flag-carryin’?” Apple Bloom asked.
“There is no way an obviously untalented gaggle of goofuses could ever hope to represent this one-horse town in the Equestria Games,” Hotshot snorted.
“Granted, I’d rather represent Las Pegasus, but as long as I’m here, I may as well answer the door when opportunity knocks. For example…”
Hotshot lowered his shades and put his helmet back on before kicking off on his board. Everypony watched as Hotshot’s wings propelled him, increasing his velocity, as he jumped and grinded a birdbath, scaring off the bluebirds that had been bathing in it. Flapping his wings, he got airborne where he, to everypony’s shock, did a slow flip while spinning before coming down to a perfect landing and hopped up to have his board stand vertically while balancing himself on the upper half with one hoof!
“He’s good…! Like Brony Hawk!” Button Mash couldn’t help but say.
Then Hotshot pushed upwards, his board flipping onto its wheels and he landed with the grace of a leaf, throwing a cocky smile to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who both swooned and giggled.
He slid over to join them before throwing another nasty look to the Crusaders, “Y’see that, blank flanks?! And I wasn’t even warmed up. Ha! With my skills and these pretty fillies lovely looks, we’re gonna win, posolutely-absitively!”
“You’re not so great!” Scootaloo snapped, “I could skate circles around you!”
“You? Please, I’ve seen you on that scooter, and frankly it just wouldn’t be fair,” Hotshot scoffed.
“Y’know you’re right,” Scootaloo said in a way similar to her surrogate big sister, “I’d have to put one hoof behind my back for you to even have a chance!”
“Ooh…!” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked to Hotshot who narrowed his eyes behind his shades.
He walked up challengingly to Scootaloo who walked up challengingly to him as well, their noses inches from each other, their eyes narrowed as Hotshot said, “What’d you say…?”
“You heard me…” Scootaloo didn’t flinch, “If you think you’re so good, let’s see!”
“A race then,” Hotshot decided. “First one around the park back here wins.”
“You’re on!” Scootaloo got out her scooter and helmet and said in a tone to say it was on, “Let’s race…!”