//------------------------------// // Movie Night Three: Rule of Three // Story: Permanent Vacation // by Apple_Crack //------------------------------// “Permanent Vacation” Movie Night Three: Rule of Three        Ah, Saturday, how I look forward to you each week. And now with more fervor than before since I can actually spend them with Scootaloo. But… That may prove to be an issue today.         “Come on! Do I really have to go out shopping with you today?”         I motion out the front door. “Yes, you do. I would like to spend some father daughter bonding time today.”         She huffs. “Fine. Just try not to make it too boring.”         I chuckle as I step outside, Sonja right on our heels. “Well then, I may have to spice things up then.”         Scootaloo turns her head towards me as Sonja runs around in the fresh air. “How?”         I rub my chin in thought. “How about something from Sugercube Corner and a quick stop at Quills and Sofas for some more stuff for your room?”         She smirks. Ah, there’s my girl. “That does make things a bit more awesome.”         I smirk as well. “Awesome enough to rival Rainbow Dash?”         She playfully punches my leg. “You wish!” We both laugh.         As our chuckles die down, I decide to get down to brass tacks. “Alright, I know I said I wanted you with for some bonding time, but I also wanted you to learn some things today.”         She groans. “Great, and I though shopping couldn’t get any lamer.”         I whistle for Sonja, who falls in step beside me. “Scoots, I want to know that when you get older, you can take care of yourself. That means learning basic skills in life.” I point to Sugercube Corner. “And today’s lesson doesn’t begin until we get something to eat.”         She smiles and looks up at me. “Whatever I want?”         I chuckle and rub her head. “Whatever you want.” After our treat, being two vanilla milkshakes, we head towards the marketplace. Scootaloo seems to have perked up a bit, but I can tell she isn’t hyped about this. “So, what am I supposed to learn about shopping? It’s simple enough to understand, even for me.” I raise an eyebrow at the already packed marketplace. “First, don’t put yourself down like that. You can be smart if you put your mind to it. Secondly, what do you know about haggling?” “Haggling? Sounds lame.” “So getting stuff cheaper sounds lame? Come, let me show you the tips and tricks of haggling.” I motion for her to follow me as I head over to a stand proudly displaying multiple vegetables. The owner is that one stallion that scammed (Maybe, wasn’t around for that day) Fluttershy out of her bits back when Iron Will was in town. I casually browse his selection, waiting for him to notice me. “See anything ya like?” Ah, there we go. I glance up at his smiling face. “Possibly. How much for a couple of carrots?” “Ten bits per carrot.” “That’s a bit out of my price range.” Honestly, far too expensive at this point. “Sorry, I gotta make a profit here.” I nod my head. “Then have a good day, sir.” I wander away from the stall. Scootaloo grabs my arm. “What was that? You need carrots, don’t you? Go back and buy them so we can get out of here faster.” I shake my head. “No, because that would break the first rule of haggling, showing need over an item. If he found out that I really needed those carrots tonight, what do you think his reaction would be?” She scratches her chin. “Um, sell them to you?” “No, he’ll raise the price because I need them.” She raises an eyebrow. “Why? Why not just sell them at the first price instead of losing a sale?” “Because at that point, I’d be willing to pay anything to get it.” At her confused expression, I rub my chin in thought. “Let me put this in terms you’d understand. Suppose your scooter needed a part to fix it, and the only place to get that part was from one vendor. You still with me here?” “Yeah.” “You can’t ride your scooter till you have the part fixed, and you really want it fixed since it’s your favorite thing. The vendor will jack the price up higher so that you’ll pay the higher price.” “And all because I really want the part and can’t find it anywhere else! I get it now!” I pat her head. “See, you’re learning. Another quick tip is to show interest in the item, but say something like the price is too high. If they don’t lower the price after that, then they aren’t willing to lower it at all.” She chuckles. “Yeah, ten bits for carrots seems a bit high.” I chuckle and rub her head. “I can probably get them cheaper from somewhere else, like Applejack or someone.” “Where’d you learn about this stuff anyway?” “Self taught. The human mind has always fascinated me with the ways it can and could be manipulated, so I studied up on it. And haggling is just another mind game to some. And trust me, there are plenty of ways that the mind can be manipulated.” I motion for her to follow. “Now come, we actually need to get some shopping done today.” “Don’t forget about me.” I smirk. “How could I forget if you keep reminding me all the time?” We laugh as we continue through the market, looking for supplies tonight.         After our little sojourn throughout the market, we picked up all the supplies I would need for dinner tonight, stuffed green peppers, one version with meat and the other without. Alas, I can’t forget the other reason for going out today, getting my girl some more posters for her room. After setting the rice to boil for a time, I sit down on the sofa and fire up my Xbox. “Any suggestions, Agent?”         “I’m in a bloody, gory, action kind of mood today.”         Just as I fire up Gears of War Three, Scootaloo comes out of her room. I glance at her to see her watching the screen. “What’s this?”         “Gears of War Three. Wanna play?” I hold out a second controller towards her.         “This is a game?! Looks awesome!” She snatches the controller out of my hands and sits down beside me. I notice her messing with each of the buttons. “Huh, never seen an arcade machine like this before.”         I groan. “Seriously? I’m gonna have to introduce everyone to the modern age of gaming. Not that the old school is bad or anything, just that it's time for you to be introduced to the modern era.”         “So… How do I play?”         “First, this game is rated mature—”         “What’s that supposed to mean?”         “It means that this game has highly disturbing or mature themes, like swearing, gore, things like that.”         She smirks. “Yeah, and?”         I smirk as well, reaching over to ruffle her mane a bit. “Oh, you are definitely my girl.” I access the main menu. “First, let’s get you set up with an account.” Going through the account creation process is simple enough for her, nothing too fancy for her name though.         “So… How do I play?”         “The left stick controls movement, right controls aiming. The A button is used for many things. Holding it down causes sprinting, pushing it and the left stick in a direction causes a roll, or if a piece of cover is available, to get behind it."         “That could get confusing.”         I chuckle. “That’ the same thing everybody else said, but I have faith in my girl to have my natural gaming abilities.”         “She’s not flesh and blood, genius.”         She smirks. “Maybe I could be better than you?”         I raise an eyebrow. “We shall see, young one. But don’t you think learning the rest of the controls would be better?” She nods her head. “Good. The B button is for melee attacks. Hold it down when using the Lancer or Retro Lancer to use the chainsaw or bayonet charge.”         “A chain what?”         “Chainsaw. A long bar with sharp teeth on it able to cut through wood, and people, if needed.”         Her eyes widen. “That. Sounds. Awesome!”         “Great, we’ve created a monster.”         “Like I care? I’ll just reinforce that this is a game then.”         “Awesome, yes. But understand that this is a game. We don’t go around doing this stuff in the real world.”         She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m old enough to understand the difference between the real stuff and fake stuff. How much longer before I actually play?”         “Just making sure, and soon. Back to the controls. The X button is used for picking up weapons and mounting turrets, or for taking downed enemies as a meat shield. The Y button is used for executions. Tap once for a curb stomp, hold for a special execution.”         “What are these for?” She pulls on the triggers.         “The left one is for aiming down the sights for increased accuracy, the right one is to actually fire. The things above each trigger are called bumpers. The left one will allow you to see where I’m at and where weapons are at. The right one will reload your weapon.”         “Anything else I need to know?”         “Yeah, that pad that looks like a plus? It’s called a D-Pad, and it’s used for switching what weapon you’re using. Down is pistols, up is grenades, and left and right is your primaries.”         “Yeah, yeah, I think I got it.”         “Good, cause we aren’t starting out easy.” I select Horde mode and a random map for us to get started with. As for character selection, I take Cole while Scoots takes Dom.         At first, she struggles with the controls, taking lots of damage or outright dying, frustrating her to no end. But she never once gave up in her endeavors. With each wave, she slowly got better and better, to the point that she was almost matching me in terms of abilities. Though long and arduous, we reached the end of a long fifty waves, both of us shouting out in triumph.         “That was awesome! Did you see the way I killed that one with the flamethrower?!”         “I did! See, I knew you had it in you!”         “Can we do it again?”         I glance at the clock. “Well, I gotta make dinner, but if you want to keep playing, go right ahead.” I stand up and head towards the kitchen.         “Can I help?”         I raise an eyebrow and glance over my shoulder. “You want to help cook? Isn’t that kind of… I don’t know, boring in your eyes?”         “Like you said this morning, I need to be able to take care of myself. If that means doing things I don’t like, so be it. Besides, maybe I’ll get my Cutie Mark in cooking!”         I smile and jerk my head towards the kitchen. “Glad to see you actually listening to me. Sure, you can help.”         She follows me into the kitchen, where I guide her through the basic process of cooking a decent meal. As time wears on, she slowly starts to open up more to the idea of cooking, doing each task I give her with more and more vigor. As I pull the last batch of peppers from the oven, she says to me, “I could get behind cooking. If, you know, I’m having fun doing it.”         I set the tray on the stove top before tossing the oven mitts on the counter. “See? Not so bad, is it?”         She chuckles. “Yeah, you were right again.” She takes a deep whiff of air before licking her lips. “I can’t wait to try those!”         I smirk. “So am I, considering I haven’t made these in a long time, and with fresher ingredients to boot.”         She smirks. “They should taste awesome since I helped make them.”         I shake my head. “Time will tell.” There’s a knock on the front door. “Or quite possibly right now.” Heading to the front door and opening it, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom dart around my feet and head straight towards the kitchen. I chuckle as the cacophony of questions coming from the two, all directed towards Scoots, assails my ears.         “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity huffs in annoyance. “I’m terribly sorry for Sweetie, Blake.”         I shake my head. “Nah, it’s fine. Kids will be kids, right?”         Pinkie wraps her arm around Rarity’s waist. “Yeah, Rarity, let them have their fun! It won’t last forever, unless you’re around me of course, then the fun will last as long as this mare is breathing, and even after cause I can hold my breath for a really long time!”         “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s that delicious smell?”         I smile and step off to the side. “Ah, tonight’s treat, Fluttershy. Please come in, dinner is going to be served.” I glance down the hall to see the Crusaders darting into Scootaloo’s room. “Five minutes, Scoots!”         “Yeah, yeah! Be out then!” She shouts back.         Just as I go to shut the door behind Rarity, a dark blue hand grips the door. “Now, is that any way to treat your princess?” Luna’s head peeks around the door.         I smirk and hold the door open again. “Ah, Luna! So glad you could make it.”         She walks inside. “As am I, Blake. Canterlot can be so dull at times.”         “Trust me, there’s never a dull moment in this town.” I walk past her. “Please, follow me for our magnificent meal tonight.” Once Luna takes a seat at the table and everyone greets her, I ask, “So, how did everyone’s day go?”         “I’ve been working on a top secret recipe for the Cakes! It’s a lot harder than it looks, but once it’s finished, it’ll be the most delicious, most delectable treat in all of Equestria!”         “Um, the usual for me. Staying at home with my animal friends.” Sonja comes over and places her head on Fluttershy’s lap. “And how are you, Sonja?” Sonja barks twice. “Really? That’s wonderful to hear!”         “I’ve been working on a gorgeous new line of outfits for the everyday mare and stallion. I just need to think of a name for it before it goes live to the public.”         I shrug my shoulders. “It’ll come to ya sooner or later.” I jerk my head towards Luna. “What about you, Luna?”         She rolls her eyes. “Blueblood.”         “Ah,” Rarity and I both say.         At this moment, the Crusaders come into the kitchen and sit down. “Ah’m starving! What’s on the menu?”         I smile and motion behind me. “Tonight’s special is stuffed green peppers in two versions, meatless and meat, in a broth of tomato juices, prepared by tonight’s chefs.” I serve out a dish to everyone, with it being no surprise Scoots and I are the only ones to eat the meat version.         Once everyone is finished, Luna speaks up. “Tis a wonderful meal, Blake.”         I place my hands behind my head and lean back. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. I had some help, of course.”         Scootaloo smiles. “Told ya it’d taste better.” At Apple Bloom's and Sweetie’s snickers, she glares at them. “You two better not say anything about this at school. I gotta keep some levels of awesomeness.”         I chuckle. “That you do, that you do. Alright, usual routine everyone. Settle down and we’ll start the movie after I’m finished up here.” Luna tilts her head at me. “Right, sorry. Someone please explain the process to Luna too.”         After a quick cleanup process, I head into the living room. “So, what’s everyone in the mood for tonight? Comedy? Action?” I waggle my eyebrows. “Romance?”         Scootaloo makes a gagging noise. “Eww, romance.”         I chuckle. “Alright, guess that’s out of the picture.”         “Oh, comedy! Comedy! I love comedy!”         “Hmm…” I rub my chin in thought. “I think I got the perfect movie then.” I search through my DVD collection.         “Umm, what’s this movie about?”         I glance over my shoulder. “Showing that you’re never too old to act like a kid, which I’m sure some of us can learn from.” I throw in one of the better, in my opinion at least, Adam Sandler movies, Grown Ups. As the movie chugs along, I glance at the smiles and listen to the mirthful laughter from everyone. Ah, Blake, you’ve done it again.         As the movie ends, I catch Pinkie nudging Rarity. “See? Just because we get older, doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun and act like a child every once in a while!”         “I do suppose you are right, Pinkie.”         I flick on the lights. After waiting for everyone to finish groaning, I speak up. “I find it strange that you’re the one to pick up on that lesson, Pinkie, but whatever.”         Luna chuckles. “It’s a lesson that Celestia might want to learn from.”         Apple Bloom shakes her head. “Ah can’t see Celestia ever acting like that.”         “I’d actually like to see that!”         I laugh. “That’s my girl!”         Rarity sighs. “Well, I do believe that it is time for Sweetie and I to take our leave. I thank you again, Blake.” Sweetie starts to whine in protest, but a look from Rarity shushes her.         I wave my hand. “Anytime, anytime.”         Luna glances from me to Rarity. “So that’s it? We eat a meal, watch a movie, and then head home?”         “Yeppers! Not bad for your first time, right?”         I smirk. “Granted, things may be switched up at times, but if you really want to keep the fun going, Luna,” I tap the side of my head.         She smirks as well. “In that case, yes. I may have to join you from now on if this is what you regularly do.”         “Fair enough, Luna. Again, thank you all for coming. Please enjoy the rest of the night.” I share a knowing look with Luna. “I know I will.”         Once everyone has left, I start cleaning up the kitchen while Scootaloo spends her time practicing with some of the bots on Gears of War Three multiplayer. Amid the screams and gunfire, she asks me, “What’d you mean with Luna earlier?”         I dry my hands before heading into the living room and standing behind the couch. “About what exactly?”         She pauses the game to look at me. “About keeping the party going with her?”         I roll my eyes and smirk. “Luna and I meet up in the dreamscape every so often to hang out.”         A devilish smirk crosses her face. “So it’s that type of hangout?”         I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t follow.”         She rolls her eyes. “Don’t play dumb with me. I’ve seen the way Luna looks at you.”         I roll my eyes and allow the slightest twinge of a smirk to cross my face. She's more observant than I would have thought. Then again, living alone could've made her naturally more aware of her surroundings. “Whatever thoughts you have, and wherever you got them from, put them to rest. We’re just friends, nothing more, nothing less.”         She chuckles and goes back to playing. “Whatever you say, player.”         I vault over the couch. “Oh, so you want to play that way, eh?” I grab the other controller. “Let’s see how well you fare going up against me!”         “Bring it on!”         “It shall be brought, young one!”