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Chapter 3 - Your Guide
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Twilight Sparkle stood before her brother wide-eyed as she was trying comprehend one simple question. ´Why is my brother here?´. Theories were so many, but only 2 were the most significant and they were ´Is he coming too?´ and ´Is he here to help us?´. This theories can be answered only by Shining. “Shining, why are you here?” Twilight said with a tone that had the mark of worry.
Her brother looked at her and said. “I come to help you because of order from Princess Celestia, but to be honest? I would come even if she would forbid it.”
Almost all worries Twilight had were gone by the end of this sentence. 'Almost'.
Main 6 entered the room and Pinkie started. “Oh, oh, Hello Shining. I haven’t seen you since… I dunno, but it was really long. Are you coming too? I am so excited like the first day we met… Wait! You didn´t have welcome party yet! It simply mu-. “She was cut off. Yes, she was!
“Pinkie please, be quiet. Shining is trying to say something.” Twilight said as she looked at her brother.
Shining was thinking, thinking about the same thing that didn’t let him sleep last night, nor think clearly since his discussion with princesses. ´Why them?´ dumb luck? Another heroism? Whatever reason was, he wanted to know that reason. But priorities first.
Rarity interrupted the silence and Shining´s thoughts. “Shining, darling, you were trying to say something, weren´t you?”
“Huh? ... Oh, Yes, of course. About the games.” Said Shining as he was trying to sort his thoughts. “First of all, I must ask you something. Do you have any experiences with this?” That was a cruel thing to ask, he knew, nopony should have experience with this kind of survive.
Main 6 looked at each other and shook their heads.
“As I expected. Let’s start, Tell me something about yourselves, so I can set you perfect role.”
Moments later of silence Twilight clear her throat and asked. “Can I start?”
Almost immediately her question was answered by another 5. “Of course, darling.” “Go on.” And nods from other ones.
“Thank you, Shining I didn’t change at all, well except maybe that I put my friends first.” Said Twilight Proudly.
Applejack continued “If there’s somethin’ Ah’m proud about, it’s my strength. Also, ah reckon there’s somepony that is faster than me.” Applejack said with 'the' smirk on Rainbow Dash, who returned blank expression.
Rainbow tried light up the mood. “Ha! Some element of honesty you are! Everypony in this room, if not in the whole world, know that I’m way faster than you Applesmack! It doesn’t matter if I am in the air or on the land.” Rainbow Dash challenged.
“Oh! Y’all so on!” Applejack accepted.
“Rainbow, Applejack, are you done?” Twilight said with a roll of her eyes.
“Yeah.” “Yep.” Said RD and AJ simply.
“Thank you. Without any interruptions, we can continue.”
“Very well. Greetings Shining Armor, I am Rarity, the fashionista from Ponyville and someday I want to set a small fashion boutique in Canterlot.” Rarity said without thinking, automatically.
“Um, thank you… I don’t know how that will help but…” Shining muttered.
“Rarity, I think that Shining Armor didn’t mean this in his question, I can be wrong if I am then I am sorry…” Timid pegasus said.
“Oh, my apologies Shining Armor, I have many ponies that ask me same question, hehe…” Small nervous chuckle escaped as Rarity started thinking about her answer. Moments later she answered. “I don’t have any experience that can help, but I know Tai-Chi.”
“Wait… That spell you use to find gems.”
“Yes? What about it, darling.”
“We can Refine that spell so it can find a life around.” Said Twilight with all her excitement.
“Great Plan, but it has a few flaws, like, if you use it, it will find not only your friends around you, but also all animals around. I suggest that you can re-make it so it can find the specific temperature of the body. I don’t know if wolves, zebras or griffons have different temperature of the body, but worth a try.” Suggest Shining as he looked at the last 3 of Main 6 who didn’t (practically) tell anything about them. “What about you 3? I am pretty sure that your speed isn’t all that meet the eye Rainbow.”
“Of course it isn’t. I’m black-belt on the karate. I can use properly bow and best of all pause for dramatic effect , Sonic Rainboom!” Said Rainbow proudly with a hoof on her chest. Shining only nod. That was devastating for Rainbow.
“What about you Fluttershy?”
“I… um… I can speak with differ-rent kind of animals… that, if it isn’t enough I am sorry…” muttered Fluttershy.
“Speak with animals?” Shining asked with a sign of confusion.
“Y-yes, Is that bad?”
“No, It’s fantastic, definitely it’ll have any use.”
“What about The Stare!” demanded Rainbow Dash from Fluttershy.
“The Stare?” again, Shining asked with a sign of confusion.
“Um, how to describe it, it’s a humbo-jumbo vision magic that can order animals.” Rainbow Dash tried to explain Fluttershy's ‘humbo-jumbo vision magic’.
“Really?” Shining looked at Fluttershy.
“Yes, but I don’t like us-“ Shining cut her off.
“Brilliant, you are full of surprises Fluttershy.” Shining said with a small smile, then he looked Pinkie Pie.”What about you?”
Pinkie Pie started throwing with her hoofs with strange gesticulation.
“Pinkie Pie, is something matter, darling?” Rarity asked.
Pinkie let out a sigh. Pull off from her mane a note show it to her.
Twilight said that I should be quiet, so I am trying to show you.
It was time to almost synchronized group face-hoof. After that Twilight said. “Pinkie, I said you should be quiet because Shining was trying to say his reason, why he is here.”
“Mmm m?”
Well, that sound like a question, Twilight didn’t understand muttering, but she translated it to ‘So? I can talk now?’ She had to answer that. “Yes, you can.”
Pinkie Pie let out a squeak, jumped and galloped to a canteen wagon, she came back with a giant cake.
Everypony else wear a same look of confusion. Twilight was first that shook herself from a state of confusion and asked. “Um… Why do you have that cake, Pinkie?”
“Mmmm m mmmm.” Pinkie pie muttered again. It was getting annoying.
“UH! Pinkie Pie! I told you, you can speak.” Twilight said and after the deep breath from Pinkie, Twilight waited for her response that never came.” Pinkie, can you tell us why you have that cake.”
“It’s for Shining Armor’s party, of course. Duh!”
“Huh? Wait, wait, wait… When do somepony said that Shining will have a party?”
“I asked you, you said I can.”
“What? When?” confused as ever Twilight said.
“I asked you when I couldn't talk.” Group face-hoof, again.
“Sorry, but we don’t have time for this!” Twilight tried to reason Pinkie.
“No time for party?! WHO ARE YOU?!” Pinkie shouted at Twilight.
“Pinkie, please, You can have a party when we come back, okay?”
“Okay.” Pinkie replied with an unreal smile on her face.
“Ladies, when your episode is over, we should come back to a business.” He got small nod from Twilight and hug from Pinkie.
“U, uuu, It’s my turn now, isn’t it? Hi, I am Pinkie Pie. 1. Party proper in Ponyville. I live in Sugarcube Corner. I plan and make parties
for everypony, when you want so-“ A horrid sound came from Pinkie’s mouth as she started sobbing.
Fluttershy and Applejack automatically said. “What is it, Pinkie Pie?”
“I forget to throw a party for Cheerilie *snob*. It’s her *snob* birthday today. She will hate me.” And she started crying. Shining started to worry, her tears were like waterfalls that instantly despaired after they reached the floor.
‘That doesn’t make any sense!’ shouted Shining Armor in his mind.
-Pinkie Pie doesn’t make sense, deal with it.
‘Huh? What was that?’ confusion erupted in Shining’s head.
Meanwhile, in the outside world, Fluttershy was trying to calm Pinkie. “There, there, Pinkie. I am sure when we come back home and go apologize to Cheerilie, she will forgive you.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
“Yeey!”
Shining regained his consciousness.”Pinkie, do you have something that can help us?”
“Of course, I have party cannon here. This room will be decorated in ten second flat.”
-Copyright Pinkie! That is Rainbow’s quote!
“So what? I can’t use it because it’s Rainbow's quote?”
-Well…
“Ha, that what I thought, now hush!”
-Grr… You won a battle Pinkie, but war is far from over, I swear!
“Like you can win against me!”
‘Don’t ask it. Don’t ask it.’ Shining repeated in his head, then he asked. “What was that!” ‘Why did you ask it!’
“That was MyLiveStyle, nobody important. We can continue. Something that can help… Well Pinkie sense can!”
“Who is MyLiveStyle? Did you say ‘Nobody’? Also, what is Pinkie sense?” Shining asked. 'YOU IDIOT! Why did you ask that! It won't be healthy for your mind, and you know it!' Shining's mind yell at him.
“He’s an au-“
“NO Pinkie! Don’t!” Twilight shouted. Pinkie only moaned. “Huh, that was close one.” Twilight muttered. “Don’t try to understand it Shining, just accept it.”
“Oookayy…”
“As for Pinkie sense. It’s a tick or series of ticks that can predict an upper coming danger, like something is gonna fall from the sky, etc.…” Twilight tried to explain, but it’s not like you can explain unexplained.
'Okay, Now i have 2 thinks to ask.' Shining thought. “Uh huh… Great, we totally will have any use for it, I guess?.” He shooed his head, enough of this confusion. He tried to collect his thoughts, after a moment of confusion he said. “Now, something about Hunger games.”
“Don’t let us stop you.” Rarity stopped him.
Shining shook his head and started to question. ”Do you know who you stand against?” they nodded. “Well, maybe you do, but I will say it anyway. Zebras are in nature like a fish in the water. Be sure to not let them surprise you. Look for their shaman. Wolves have weapon advantage, their teeth are like knives, they can run faster than nopony (well, except Rainbow Dash, maybe Applejack) but the rest of you can’t out-run them. Griffons are similar to wolves, only they have flying advantage, but they are way slower than wolves. Now, about you. You all are extraordinary, Of course, unicorns can use magic, pegasai can fly and earthponies have lots of strength, but only 3 of you posses these abilities. Strength, speed and magic are only statistic data, I can look at your cutie marks and I know that is not true. They will expect a 2 most magical, 2 strongest and 2 fastest ponies we have. That is where they are wrong and that is where you got advantage.”
Shining looked at his sister. “Twilight, you are a pony who got most magical energy whiting yourself, they will try taking you on before anypony else, don’t let them take you by surprise, otherwise it will be your end.” Said Shining in his serious tone.
Shining looked at spectrum-maned pegasus. “Rainbow Dash, your speed is nearly unreal, what I am saying? It is unreal.”
Rainbow dash thought about it a moment, then she asked. “Are you referring Sonic Rainboom?”
“Yes, I do, but I suggest that you shouldn’t do it in the arena, I will tell my reasons. First of all, use your flying only in a time when it’s needed, flying makes you a positional target for everyone in the land who can see you and they have something that can shoot you down. Second of all, I don’t know if there is enough space to create Sonic Rainboom. And the last reason, it can be easily tracked down, am I clear?”
As much as Rainbow tried to deny his logic, he has a point, she nodded.
“Good, now.” He turned on the other pegasus in the room. “Fluttershy, your talking with animals ability can help with scanning arena and you can make powerful allies that can save your life. When you enter the arena, you will go with Rarity find first animal and befriend it.” He said his piece, she seems thinking about it and after a jiffy she nodded.
Shining continued. “Rarity, I think you know what you should do, now you go with twilight and both of you will try refining that spell you talked about.” He got a nod from both of mares.
Shining looked at Applejack. “Applejack, your strength won’t be useless. You’ll be the defender of your group, but defender doesn’t mean that you will jump in first battle you see. Do you understand?“ She nodded. “Good, I know what you Twilight think, more we kill them, the better chances we have, but that isn’t absolutely right, because of the risks, you should wait, find any safehouse or something and don’t go out before there will be last team of your enemies alive, it will increase your chances to survive all of you.”
Shining turned on last mare standing in the room. “Pinkie Pie, your unpredictability and your Pinkie… sense? Yeah, Pinkie Sense is going to be in use, I guess?”
Shining continued. “Alright, now something about game itself. At the beginning you appear in a field, right in front of you, In the middle of all 24 of you will be placed where will be all kinds of weapons. I know how it sounds, but don’t go there, just run in the woods and start searching for water. In the beginning of games will be massacred in that ‘place’. At the midnight there will be sent into the air a pyrotechnic. Light blue means that some zebra died. Red means that Griffon died. Light green means wolves and… Yellow means someone of you dies…”
The atmosphere changed nearly at Rainboom-speed from listening to despair.
The only thing that can be heard is muttering of Rainbow Dash. “I officially hate yellow right now…”
“Did I forget something to mention?”
“I think you said everything, Shining.” Twilight said seriously.
The last thought that Rainbow had was ‘Yeah, everything, it’s not like we are going to sadistic game… great.’