Session 26.0 Kendell2
"So...Your hive only comes out of hiding once every 17 years?" Twilight asked, sitting at a game of Crystals and Rainbows 3.5 with Empress Black Rose and another Changeling Queen. This one with orange wings and red eyes.
The Queen, named Cicada nodded. "Yes, thus is our way."
"What do you do while you're underground?" Twilight questioned curiously.
"We feed off Equestria's ambient love, we're a very low energy hive and don't need much," she explained, giving a smile. "I have Long Dreamer ask Minty what she missed while she was sleeping."
Rainbow Dash jumped as the sound of extremely loud partying once more picked up outside. "Low energy, huh?"
"Why do you think we emerge at all?" Cicada asked. "You try not wanting to spread your wings a bit when you get to come out."
Outside, Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie were partaking in a giant party with a hive of Changelings, which Ponyville had just became used to enough to roll with it. Kevin was just happy to get to hang out with benign Changelings.
"Besides, massive parties generate a lot of ambient love when you invite popstars," Cicada explained.
"I'm just glad I get to have fun with Cadie given how little I see her," Empress Black Rose said, nuzzling her daughter. "It's a shame Chryssy wouldn't come. I wonder why."
---
Chrysalis looked at the party invite from Pinkie Pie...then torched it. "No way, my sister's hive is more annoying than that dancing pink abomination we got locked in here with for months..."
---
"I'm...sure it's nothing too bad," Twilight replied, then cleared her throat. "Minty replies you missed meeting Princess Rarity and everypony becoming Princesses."
(OOC: I admit, this idea is silly. I just couldn't get this idea out of my head with Cicadas coming out this year and it mutated into the idea of a Changeling hive that feeds off of ambient love and only emerges once every 17 years for EXTREMELY loud partying.)
Session 26.1 Kichi
Twilight decided to visit Fluttershy, as she missed last night game and was worried but when she opened the door to her hut she was surprised by a scene.
In front of Twilight, sit in a perch, was her owl, Owlowiscious, but that was not the strange thing, the strange was that he was holding a screen as a DM and he was not alone, in a table, Angel Bunny was checking the dices and smoking from a cigar, Tank was looking to them, Opal and Winona sit together waiting with little pieces of them and looking to Pinkie Pie alligator Gummy. There was also Fluttershy that was taking drinks and food from everyone and replacing them.
"Fluttershy?" Asked confused Twilight.
"Oh, Hi Twilight, sorry I didn't call you, today was busy as you can see," commented Fluttershy with a smile.
Session 26.2 Mtangalion (OOC: Here's another one for the queue. :) )
Voices echoed from the far side of the mirror portal, making rainbow colors ripple around the edges.
"Um, Dash? It's a statue. Tell me I didn't drive all this way to see some lame statue."
"The statue isn't what's awesome." A cyan pegasus emerged from the mirror, still tugging on something on the other side. It's what's *in* the statue!" She yanked again and tumbled to the crystal floor, pulling a griffon out of the mirror after her.
"What the hell, Dash?" Gilda shook herself and tried to stand upright on her lion paws. "Wha... whoa!" She fell to all fours, then lifted her left foreleg and flexed her talons in front of her face, shocked. Then she tried to squint at her own beak, opened a wing, and turned in circles trying to see it better.
Dash grinned smugly at her, showing off her own wings.
"Oh my gosh," gasped Gilda. "We turned into our World of Horsecraft characters! We're inside the game!"
Dash blinked. "Er, not exactly. I mean, kinda yes, kinda no! They do play a lot of games here, but..."
Gilda stumbled over to a balcony and threw the doors open wide, gaping at the town below and the colorful landscape. "But we're in Equestria! That is totally Ponyville out there. Huh, it looks weird. I'm gonna check it out!"
"Gilda, wait!" yelled Dash, but the griffon was already out the window, flying rather ungracefully, but not bad at all considering it was the first time she'd actually flown.
"Check out these graphics!" yelled Gilda, clipping a tree, then swooping too low over a street crowded with ponies. "Heh, my bad. Man, tell me somebody knocked me out and stuck VR goggles on my face, cause this is just too intense!" She took a deep breath and busted out a real live griffon roar. "Look at me, you dweebs! Hah, I'm flying! With my wings! Cause griffons are awesome like that!"
She heard a sound like a shrieking falcon, a few seconds before another griffon dove out of the clouds, hovering in front of her. "Hey, what gives?" groused the native Gilda. "Disguising yourself as me and making a fool of yourself is *not* cool." She grabbed the other Gilda and tried to peer into her mouth. "C'mon, who's in there? Wolfy? Pinkie Pie? Bug boy?"
"Back off!" rasped the other Gilda, pushing her away. "Wait a sec... where's your armor?" She did a double-take. "Where's *my* armor? Gah, I'm naked!"
The native Gilda faceclawed. "I swear, if that's you, Discord, we're gonna have a little chat with your parole pony!"
"Where's my inventory?" demanded the other Gilda. "What happened to all my gold!? You, you look just like me! You must be one of those hackers, tryin' to steal my World of Horsecraft account!" She posed dramatically. "Furious Charge!" Nothing happened. "Rending Warcry! Eegh!"
The native Gilda snickered. "Ya gonna try casting Magic Missile on me too?" The other Gilda punched her in the beak. "Okay, that's it!!"
By now, Twilight's friends had heard there was trouble and come running or flying, but they seemed to be at a loss, watching Gilda fight a pitched battle against... herself? The other Dash landed beside them, wincing. "Yeah, maybe I didn't think this through."
"Rainbow Dash, not thinking something through?" said Rarity. "Perish the thought."
The two Gildas went crashing and tumbling to the ground, smashing right through a wooden cart parked next to the castle entrance. Then they launched themselves skyward and repeatedly collided in midair, like something out of Eternal Dragon Fighters.
Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity all cringed, folding their ears in unison at an impact that sent loose feathers flying.
Pinkie planted a red flag with two crossed swords on the lawn, then watched with wide eyes. "Oooh. Griffons are scary when they're not holding back... much."
The native Rainbow Dash landed next to her twin. "Well, yeah. How did you think Griffonstone got so beat up?"
The other Dash gasped, then coughed, trying to play it cool. "So, uh... hey, other me. How's it going?"
"It's going awesome!" said the native Dash. "That was a trick question, right?" They high-hoofed each other.
"My shipment of rare journals from Canterlot!" shrieked Twilight Sparkle, galloping up to the smashed cart. Brilliant purple bubbles seized two protesting Rainbow Dashes and two bruised and tired and still hissing Gildas, forcibly separating them. Twilight took several deep breaths, failing to calm down. "Okay. Which of you do I toss back into the portal before I board it up?"
"I'll get the paint!" said Pinkie Pie cheerfully.
Session 26.3 Mooncalf99
Twilight gazed attentively at the checkered black-and-white board and its many carved wooden pieces, and her heart brimmed with confidence and enthusiasm. Chess really was her game; logical, intellectual and sound. It was definitely the thinking pony's game. They were several moves into the game, and had reached the point where she could put her brilliant mind to work; forming strategies, predicting her opponent's moves, setting up contingencies. She disliked stories where a character was established as a genius by predicting their victory before even the first move (as literally any possible game could be derived from that point, and nopony could possibly keep that much information in their brain without losing their mind completely), but once you moved past a certain threshold the game would find its direction, and she could work from there. Very few ponies could keep pace once she took control of the game.
Of course, her opponent for the day wasn't like most ponies. She was… unconventional, to say the least.
After some more consideration, Twilight moved one of her pawns ahead another step, breaking out of formation. Immediately her opponent swooped across the board with a bishop to claim the exposed piece… and Twilight took that out with her knight.
"No!" Trixie protested. "I didn't see that one, Twilight."
"Didn't you yourself say that the knight is unpredictable, before?" Twilight retorted, allowing herself a victorious grin.
"Hmph," Trixie muttered, shifting a pawn ahead. Judging from the lineup, she didn't have much of a strategy going - just advancing in the hopes that Twilight might slip up at some point, probably. Typical defensive playing. Which meant that Twilight just had to maintain the offense. Still, that didn't mean she could take it easy.
Chess was definitely Twilight's game, and it definitely wasn't Trixie's. Sure, she was a passably able player, but Twilight left her in the dust. Her forte was mahjong, which employed a different kind of thinking, and Twilight would respectfully admit that their positions were reversed there.
"I'm a little surprised that you wanted to play chess against me again," Twilight admitted, moving one of her rooks to the left side, where it seemingly had no purpose. The key word being seemingly. "After all, I keep winning. Wouldn't you prefer something where we're more evenly matched? Checkers? Scrabble? Buffalo Poker? Grabby Grabby Griffons?"
"Didn't Gilda throw your copy of that game into a fire?" Trixie asked. "Anyway, I'm enjoying this. I'm fine with losing."
"You're fine with losing?" Twilight asked disbelievingly. "Should I check for impersonation magic? Brainwashing?"
"Har de har har," Trixie retorted, rolling her eyes. She took another pawn with her knight, unwittingly walking into another of Twilight's pitfalls. "Are we on the stage now? Is my reputation on the line? No. We're just playing a friendly game, and you're a master. There's no shame in losing against a master. Besides, I enjoy seeing you this enthusiastic, giving your all. You can be so passionate when you try. Besides, we don't really spend much time together. Not alone like this."
"Uh, okay?" Twilight said uncertainly. What is she implying? Is she… no, she can't be… She was suddenly struck by a realization.
She's playing a mind game. Trying to get me out of balance so I'll mess up, huh? Nice try!
"So… how does it feel to have a student of your own now?" Twilight asked, shifting the topic to a favorite of Trixie's. Perhaps this way, she'd be too distracted to try cheap tricks.
"You mean Ember?" Trixie said, her voice suddenly filled with pride and joy. "Oh yes, she's shaping up well. At first she seemed like just another Badlands dragon, arrogant and thick headed, but she turned out to be a lot more clever. After she accepted that the Great and Powerful Trixie was a worthy teacher, that is."
Twilight moved her bishop into the center, where Trixie's rook could threaten it. Will she take the bait? Or will she spot the trap, avoid it, and walk into a different one? "That was when you knocked her out somehow, correct?"
"I may have overestimated her resilience against my full mahjong power," Trixie admitted. "Still, Uncle said that some students must be humbled before they can learn. She wouldn't have accepted who I was if I'd just told her, after all."
"Trixie, being a good mahjong player doesn't give you superpowers," Twilight pointed out.
Trixie laughed. "It's so cute when you think you know everything."
One week earlier…
"Determination is of essence," Trixie declared to her students. "When you hold a tile in your hoof… or, in your case, claw… you decide if you want to keep it, or discard it. But once your mind is made up, you must not! Not! Try to change your mind! If it's discarded, it is gone! Cleared from your thoughts! Do not regret, do not doubt, do not linger on the thought that you should have kept it! Do you doubt yourself, Ember?"
Ember, sitting on the opposite side, shook her head vigorously. "Never!"
"Never?" Trixie inquired.
"Never… teacher," Ember amended.
"Good!" Trixie said. She drew a tile from the wall, and discarded it. "Three-Sou. Spike, what have I said about letting your opponent read you?"
"Uh… don't?" Spike ventured. Mina, sitting across from him and to Trixie's left, giggled.
"And yet you give yourself away," Trixie said. "You're waiting on two separate Sou, because when I discarded one, your eyes immediately darted to the left, where you keep them. Correct?"
"Uh…" He chewed on his lip nervously. "...yeah."
"And you're hoarding a single white dragon, because your left claw twitched when Ember discarded one earlier, because you wanted to take it even though you couldn't," Trixie continued. "And because you think they're pretty."
He faceclawed. "Jeez, am I that transparent?"
"I think it's cute," Mina said with a big smile. "So you like white dragons, huh? Should I tell Rarity?"
"Aaah! No!" Spike's eyes shrank to pinpricks. "Mina, don't. Please!"
Ember looked at Trixie with appreciation. "Ponies are more able than I first thought, in many ways. Still, it's to be expected of the student of Master Babylon, ruler of Dragontown."
Mina let out a sharp laugh. "Grandpa? Ruling Dragontown? Have you been eating fluorite? He's got better things to do."
"Well, who else has the influence to do it? Not you, surely?" Ember protested.
Mina faceclawed. "No dragon rules Dragontown. The flaming point of Dragontown is to not have rulers. Is it that difficult for you to understand? I mean…"
"Mina," Spike said suddenly. "Stop being a jerk."
"Huh?" Mina asked. "I'm not--"
"Yeah, you kinda are," he insisted. "You keep bugging her. Look, I know you got off on the wrong foot, and she's not like most dragons you know, and there's the whole Dragon Lord business, but Ember's my friend and so are you and this isn't very cool."
"But… but…" Mina paused. "Yeah, I guess you're right…"
"I don't like it either," Ember admitted. "I started it, too. That was…" She searched for the right words. "...not very cool of me?"
"I suppose we could get over it," Mina suggested. "I'm stilling not bowing to you, though."
"I'll accept that for now," Ember said.
"Fair's fair, you all weren't the only ones acting stupid 'cuz of those sirens," Spike said. He grinned at Trixie. "Right?"
"That's for sure," Trixie said with a grimace. "Still, you enjoyed it, didn't you, Spike? Three pretty dragon girls fighting for the right to be your girlfriend? Must've been nice."
"'Girlfriend'?" Ember asked in confusion.
"Yeah, uh, I'm no pony, Trixie," Mina said nervously, in the tone of someone having to explain the birds and the bees to their own kid. "I'm like, whoa! So not ready to even think about making eggs. You know?"
"Yes, I'm not… uh…" Ember swallowed embarrassedly. "Not of age yet either. Besides, I have more important things to do."
"Oh, right, weird dragon physiology," Trixie said, rolling her eyes. "Wait, does that mean at least Rarity…" She thought for a moment and then shook her head. "Eh, never mind. So what was with that whole fight? Why'd you want Spike so badly?"
"Uh, because I wanted to have him?" Mina said. "Duh."
"Yes, obviously," Ember agreed. "He's interesting and different from other dragons and knows about friendship. He's valuable to me. So I wanted to have him for myself."
"So just dragon greed, then?" Trixie suggested. "Hmm, I guess that makes a lot more sense…"
"Yeesh, I hate when that gets the best of me," Spike said with distaste.
"More reason to play mahjong, though?" Mina said. "Grandpa says it teaches better control, after all."
"On that point…" Trixie intoned. "Tsumo."
"Uh?" Spike said. "Oh! We were playing! Heh, eh-heh, I kinda forgot."
"So whatcha got, Trixie?" Mina asked.
"Menzen Tsumo," Trixie declared, revealing her tiles. Three five-Pin, three red dragons, three white dragons, three green dragons, and two east winds. "Also triple Yakuhai, Hon Itsu, San An Kou, and Dai Sangen. That's eight Yaku and one Yakuman."
"Sweet superdickery, that's gotta be a lot of points," Mina said. Then she blinked in surprise. "Hang on just one fillysecond! I had three green dragons!" She dug through her own tiles quickly. "Where did this junk come from?"
"I had a concealed kan of red dragons," Ember said in confusion.
"And I had two white dragons!" Spike said.
Trixie tapped her hooves together and smiled. "And so we learn the most important lesson of the game: Pay attention to the game!" She knocked over the remaining wall and began shuffling. "Oh, and stop being so attached to the dragon tiles, all of you. You're predictable."
Present day…
"I still can't get over how they let you get away with cheating," Twilight said. "Or how you managed to do that without magic."
"It was an object lesson in playing," Trixie said blithely. "And besides, dragons respect cunning and aren't quite so brutish all the time. Unlike some ponies I could mention."
Twilight paused in mid-move. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, you know what I mean," Trixie said pointedly. "I still have those unpaid hospital bills."
"Oh… right." Twilight facehoofed. "I overreacted, okay? I said I was sorry."
"No, you actually never did," Trixie corrected. "But I'll forgive you if you take care of the bills. Contrary to popular conception, being a traveling showpony doesn't really bring in that much money."
"I'll talk to the hospital later," Twilight promised. "And I really am sorry about that. Now, can we just play?"
"Of course!" Trixie took her bishop and claimed Twilight's queen. "Hah! I may not have high chances of winning, but at least I took your queen! That'll make the game harder for you, won't it?"
"I've told you, I don't have any emotional attachment to my queen," Twilight chided with a wide grin. "But now that your bishop is out of the way…" She slid her rook two steps to the left, putting it on the same row as Trixie's king. "Check. And Mate. Good game, Trixie."
"Mate?" Trixie asked. "I could just move my king--"
"Except it's penned in on the left side, and my king is on the right," Twilight said gleefully. She was really satisfied with this trap; Trixie had walked right into it, every overcomplicated step of the way. "If you try to move any way to the right, you get adjacent to it, and that's an illegal move."
"True…" Trixie raised her king as if to move it anyway. "Except that's not your king. Discord, you can come out now."
"What?" Twilight blinked. She blinked again. Did… Discord? Did they replace my king with him? Did she… did they… "Oh, no, no, no. You have got to be kidding me!" She snatched the offensive piece off the board. "You do not get to ruin the plan I spent half an hour setting up, Discord! You hear me? No!" Then she threw the piece in the air and shot it with a burst of magic strong enough to give even him a nasty sting.
Little burnt wooden shards rained down around them.
"Huh," Trixie mused. "Maybe that wasn't actually Discord."
"Eh?" Twilight asked, dumbfounded.
"It appears that you don't have a king on the board, Twilight," Trixie observed. "I'm assuming that Trixie wins by default. Good game."
"Eh?" Twilight asked again.
Trixie patted her on the head gently. "I'll let myself out. See you next week, Twilight." And then she walked away.
"Eh?" Twilight asked.
Three seconds passed.
And then she banged her head against the table. "TRIXIE!"
Meanwhile, in Fluttershy's cottage…
Discord froze, half-drunken teacup against his mouth. "Huh. I felt a sudden disturbance… as though somepony took advantage of my name and reputation to cause chaos."
"Is that bad?" Fluttershy asked.
Discord laughed and hugged her tightly. "My dear, I couldn't be happier!"
Session 26.4 Alex Warlorn
'I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord. I will not turn Trixie into a chess piece for revenge. I am not Discord.' Twilight calmly told herself over and over again. 'I won't asked Trixie if she wants some up close and personal chess lessons, get her to sign a waver, and turn her into a chess piece for an afternoon as I play a game as Sunset. I will not use her book entering spell to appear on her game pieces as a prank. I will not turn her into a chess set as revenge.' Twilight thought to herself over and over.
Later that night...
Trixie awoke from her bed as a giant floating form of the chess king Trixie had tricked Twilight into blowing up appeared before her. Except it looked now like a zombie on fire, always smoldering, pieces of it gone and other creaking and cracking.
"YOU!!!! YOU!!!" It pointed a burned wooden hoof at her. "YOU!!! You have done this to me! You have made my queen a widow! You have left my subjects with their king!" There was the weeping chess queen their weeping subjects.
Trixie found herself the size of a chess pieces, and fell, landing on the board and was flanked by the two knights, looking rather angry with her.
"You shall PAY!!!" the giant wooden zombie chess king zapped Trixie, and...
Trixie is a chess piece. Trixie is a happy chess piece. Trixie existed to be played with. Trixie is king. Trixie shall rule over the land. Trixie Shall stand there and look pretty as the gods decide the next move.
"Uh, Princess, should you help the unicorn whose having the chess cheating guilt dream?" Asked Echo politely of his princess.
"In a minute, Twilight is having the quesadillas nightmare again... Diamond Tiara is running from a mountain sized dragon that looks like her mother again. And I need to keep Princess Flurry Heart's dreams from breaching the quantum state again. And Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich are having shared dreams again, need to make sure they don't spill over into other ponies' dreams... again."
"Who what cute little chesspieces! Wonder what they taste like!" Said Baby Pinkie Pie as she began using chess piece Trixie as a sucker.
"Like that. Oh well, Princess Luna to the rescue." Princess Luna appeared in the dream as a nanny. "Bad baby, don't use boastful chess pieces as pacifiers, you don't know where they've been."
"Sorry..." She pulled the chess king Trixie out of her mouth, covered in baby Pinkie slobber.
-
Trixie awoke from her dream wondering if it might be in good taste to apologize for Twilight for her prank way of winning yesterday.
Princess Twilight knocked on the door of Trixie's gypsy cart. "Good morning Trixie, sleep well?"
"Not... precisely. Twilight... I... am sorry if my prank yesterday was over the line."
"It's alright Trixie, consider it mostly forgotten. Here's something for you."
"What's this?" Trixie looked at the note.
"The rest of your hospital bill, I paid most of it. I deducted however the price of that antique chess set from yesterday that is now in smoldering shards."
"Oh.... Can Trixie entertain you for an afternoon?"
"My niece is always in need of a fresh foalsitter."
"Oh dear."
"Don't worry, it's not like she can atomize you with a sneeze, anymore."
Session 26.5 Alex Warlorn
"BAM! BAM! BAM!" Baby Flurry Heart giggled, slamming Tixie into the floor.
Then Trixie dared take her Pinkie Pie plushie from her.
Baby Flurryheart thought, 'Me no like you, what me no like goes to the corn field!'
Trixie faded from existence....
And reappeared in a seemingly endless crystal corn field.
"Hey!" Sunburst happily waved sitting next to her.
"Ugh. Where am I? How does Trixie get out of here?"
"Get out? There is no way ooooooout!!" Sunburst boomed ominously. Then laughed and shrugged. "No seriously, the exit's right over there." He pointed with his horn. Trixie walked out and found she was really just down the street from the castle.
Session 26.6 Kendell2
"RARR!" roared the gigantic, fearsome purple dragon, standing between the brave twin knights and the castle.
Princess Flurry Heart, in the proper attire for a Princess stuck in a castle would wear, screamed, stuck in the tower of a gigantic, ominous looking castle.
With a war cry, good Sir Pound Cake and his sister, the brave Lady Pumpkin Cake, charged on their horse, swords drawn at the dragon.
Spike made cliche growling nooses as the Cake Twins harmlessly swung paper rolls at him, Princess Flurry Heart sitting on a building block castle, all three babies making the happy noises one would expect from a baby imagining a gigantic fantasy story in their minds alone.
Session 26.7 Ardashir
Flurry Heart went through foalsitters with amazing speed. Cadence and Shining Armor would return from their duties to find yet another traumatized pony begging to be permitted to flee their gleeful daughter. Once they were freed of whatever transformation their laughing daughter had subjected them to.
Finally they got desperate.
"Er, thanks for allowing us to return to Equestria. We were starting to get tired of that world with the humans." Adagio, currently in a pony-like form along with her two sisters, told Cadence and Shiny. Aria watched Sonata as she played with little Flurry Heart, who squealed with joy as Sonata did the 'Who's There?' game with her. "So... we just keep her happy for a few hours, and we become free citizens of Equestria again?"
"That's right," Cadence said. She smiled at her daughter. "Just keep her happy, clean her, feed her, and we'll give you a royal pardon after we return."
"If you're still here -- ow!" Shining Armor rubbed his right front fetlock as he trotted out after his wife.
"What was that supposed to mean?" Adagio muttered as they left.
Aria meanwhile trotted over to Sonata and Flurry Heart. She looked into the crib and frowned. "Wow, that is one ugly foal. At least she'll end up smarter than you one day, Sonata."
No sooner did the words leave her mouth than the milk in Flurry's bottle sprayed at her face. Aria spluttered and gasped as Flurry laughed.
"Look what that brat did to me!" Aria shook herself.
"I don't blame her," Sonata sniffed, her muzzle high. "You said something nasty about her. She likes it better when you play games with her." She turned and hid her face behind her hooves again. "Where's Auntie Sonata? Here she is!"
Flurry Heart burbled laughter. Then she reached for her bottle, noticed it was empty, and began to cry.
"Great." Adagio rolled her eyes."She's hungry. She's not a sea pony or siren, we can't feed her fish or seaweed... What do lander brats eat? Something that comes from a bottle -- not that!"
She frowned at Sonata and gave her a nasty bite along the neck. Sonata yelled and Adagio smirked.
"That got your attention. You're the foal expert, go and get her something to drink - OW! I'm sorry, kid! I'm sorry!" She flailed wildly in mid-air, held tightly in Flurry's magic grip. VERY. TIGHTLY. "Put me down! I won't misbehave again! YAAA!"
The shivering Adagio settled to the floor. Flurry's horn glowed again and Sonata found her muzzle pressed against Adagio's neck.
"Oh!" Sonata said. "You want me to do this, huh?" Sonata clamped her teeth down on Adagio's neck hard enough to bring a howl of pain from the siren, and a howl of laughter from Flurry Heart.
"I think she likes it when you two get hurt." Sonata smiled down at the little foal. Adagio and Aria cringed back against the wall in terror as Sonata asked, "Awww! What else would you like to see me do to them?"
Hours later.
Cadence and Shining Armor returned to find Sonata giving Flurry Heart a pony ride around the room. The little alicorn filly whooped with glee as Sonata mock-reared and whinnied.
"So..." Cadence said, taking her daughter from the siren, but not before permitting Flurry to give her foalsitter a hug. Flurry promptly went to sleep. "Everything's okay? No permanent trauma -- not that there would be?"
"We got along great!" Sonata said. She almost danced for joy. "We played all sorts of games; I even won once or twice. I like Flurry Heart."
"That's great," Shining Armor smiled at his daughter. "Wait, where are your two sisters?"
"Mistress Sonata?" Two voices said at once. Adagio and Aria entered the room, dressed like clowns, and tried standing on their heads -- only to fall and lay on the floor, eyes rolling as they gasped out. "Shall we entertain you and Mistress Flurry Heart again?... Please say no."
"No, I'm good," Sonata said. Her sisters smiled, the smiles freezing on their faces as she said, "We need rest for tomorrow. Princess Cadence is going to be leaving the Crystal Empire for a whole month; we'll get to play with Flurry every day!"
Session 26.8 Mtangalion
"You know, this is all your fault," grumbled Gilda.
"My fault!?" squawked the other Gilda, the one who was normally human and a senior at Griffonstone High. She winced, glaring at the bandages wrapped around her midsection. "In what way was that my fault?"
The two griffons were sharing a room at Ponyville General Hospital, curled up on separate beds. The windows were open, letting in plenty of fresh air and sunlight and cheerful birdsong, but that wasn't improving their mood much.
"You started it."
"Well, you asked for it! Ugh, this sucks. Can't we just drink a potion or have somebody cast a heal?"
The native Gilda snarled, grinding her beak. "Look, get this through your skull. We are not in a game! This is real life!"
The other Gilda snerked. "Says the girl who lives in magical talking pony land."
"Hey, hey!" The native Gilda tried to spread her wings dramatically, and winced in pain. "I'll have you know this is magical talking *griffon* land. Those lame ponies only run the place because they've got demigoddesses and magic and all that."
"Cheaters."
"Heh, you said it..."
Nurse Redheart trotted into the room, two manila folders in hoof, only doing a mild double-take at the identical griffons. "You're our more frequent visitor, correct?" she asked the native Gilda. "You're free to go."
"Yes!" whooped Gilda.
"Just take it easy and avoid strenuous activity and flying for a couple of days." She moved over to the other Gilda. "However, we'd like to keep your 'twin sister' overnight for observation."
"Aw, no way!" whined the other Gilda. "You mean, she beat me up more than I beat her up?"
The native Gilda grinned smugly, puffing her feathers up. "Any time you want a rematch..."
Nurse Redheart smiled politely. "You do have some scratches and deep bruising, miss."
The other Gilda buried her face in a pillow. "But I can't just laze around here! I've got classes on Monday!"
"Also, a number of blows to the head and a pulled wing muscle."
"Lady, I won't even have wings when I get home!"
Nurse Redheart twitched. "Just... relax, and everything will be fine." She patted the other Gilda on the shoulder soothingly, then deftly removed her hoof before Gilda could peck it.
Someone else barged into the room just as Nurse Redheart was leaving... a handsome young male griffon with large wings. "Gilda!" he blurted out, spotting the one that was bandaged up first. "Are you..." He coughed and cleared his throat, then spoke more calmly, pitching his voice lower. "You're Gilda, aren't you? I heard something about a big fight, and I... you know, wondered if you were okay..."
"You," growled the native Gilda. Only then did the male griffon realize there were two of them, comically looking back and forth. "Yeah, I remember you. You put on that little show outside the castle window, and then you were gone before I got there." She looked to her double. "You want to play with him? Knock yourself out."
The male griffon blinked. "Wait... what?"
The other Gilda was stalking him, tail swaying and pain seemingly forgotten. "You are *totally* hot, in ways I can't even describe right now." She pounced, cooing and purring. "I wonder what kinda hot guy you'd be back in my world..." The male griffon was obviously liking the attention, from the way he was purring back, even if he was confused as heck.
"You fledglings have fun," said the native Gilda, hopping out of her bed. "Seeya tomorrow, maybe?" She left their room without bothering to shut the door and padded away down the hall.
"Yo!" squawked the other Gilda from back in the hospital room. "How do I kiss with a beak?"
The native Gilda walked faster. "La la la, not having this conversation!"
Session 26.9 Zaku789
"What the hell happen to you two?" Sunset asked as they were sitting in a cafe.
"It wasn't worth it, I'd rather eat my own hoof/hands then deal with that brat 24/7," Aria muttered emotionlessly.
"Word," Adagio said.
"Okay.... then what happen to Sonata?"
'We elected her to stay cause for some horrible reasoning she think babysitting for a month sounds fun," Aria muttered.
"We get to see her on the weekends till then," Adagio said.
"What the heck are you talking about?"
"Lets just say we hate babies and clown now and put it like that," Adagio said.
"And cornfields, we hate cornfields," Aria added.
Session 26.10 Zaku789
"Oh great former Dragon Lord Torch," Garble said with a grin.
'Oh great... the hugger...' Torch mentally groaned but said, "Yes what do you want?"
"You won't believe this but I discovered something shocking about your daughter." Garble stated.
"... and?"
"My great former Dragon Lord, I have heard she is seen playing mahjong with the heir of Dragon Town and a pony."
"Yes I know," Torch said blandly.
"Y-you did!?!" Garble shouted shocked.
"You think I'm that slow in getting new information?" Torch said annoyed. "I admit I didn't take the news well at first, but then I realized this is a blessing in disguise. We still get info about Dragon Town via Babylon's granddaughter, granted I bet that old wyrm is also getting data about us, but it's not a complete loss," Torch stated with a shrug. "Now why did you bring this up?"
"Uh...." Garble as his plan to restart the Dragon Lord trial by revealing that bit about Ember failed spectacularly could only say this. "What's that over their?" Torch turn his head, which gave Garble a chance to fly away as fast as he could.
Session 26.11 Kendell2
"Okay, has ANYONE no managed to not violate their alignment?" Trixie questioned, still with Twilight's personality. The group had tried to play O&O with their scrambled personalities...but of course they'd all had their old classes for a reason.
"It's not my fault that bear wouldn't move," Fluttershy grumbled, her Druid having lost their status for their actions towards nature.
"I'm afraid I slipped too far into lawful territory," Pinkie lamented. "I though I was being clever using story telling...This is quite the pickle."
"Darn it, I broke my monk's lawful alignment..." Rarity lamented. "That bar fight probably wasn't the best idea, but I couldn't resist once that thug challenged me!"
"Same here..." grumbled Spike, his paladin having done several things on impulse he regretted...including now being drunk.
Starlight snarled. "I can't believe I violated ALL of my restrictions! How do you even do that?!" she asked, to her own surprise. She'd been a multiclass mess as is so she'd assumed Discord's personality would help...the problem was Starlight's normal tastes were much more lawful.
"I've still got mine!" said Rainbow Dash. Barbarians required an Unlawful alignment...though that didn't stop her from probably being the most happy-
go-lucky Barbarian ever and coming up with half a billion fight songs.
"And I do declare, may have gotten so caught up in how my character looked I may have sold off some important armor..." said Applejack.
Gilda whimpered. "And...do I have to fight so much? I'd rather be support..." she muttered, her normal Fighter not exactly messing with Fluttershy's timidness.
"And I'm so busy overthinking schools of magic I keep miscasting!" Trixie snarled.
"Come back here!" Discord yelled, chasing some Frazzits.
"So, what's next on this disaster train?" asked Fluttershy, crossing her hooves.
"Okay, time for the one way there's absolutely NO way to mess up...I hope," Rainbow Dash said, producing Crystals and Rainbows 3.5.
Sadly, it didn't. While Pinkie Pie as Spike filtered through Pinkie Pie worked fine as Gamemaster and Gilda had to make a character (which would be utterly useless to her once her personality was back to normal), the rest of their characters were still THEM, even if it was a side of them they didn't show that often.
And Fluttershy was rapidly losing friendship points.
Rainbow Dash gave a sad look, mane deflating a little. Had she gotten Rarity's personality she'd be doing fine, but she'd gotten Pinkie's...She then gave a gasp, a light bulb appearing next to her head. "I say to Princess Rarity 'Didn't you hear? Todays 'Be Somepony Else Day!'"
Rarity blinked. "Um...Princess Rarity gives a confused look and asked 'What's Be Somepony Else Day?'"
"It's a special day where everypony acts like somepony else!" Rainbow replied. "Today, I'm acting like Pinkie Pie!"
"So wait," said Applejack. "The idea, darling, is that we're all going to behave like each other's characters?"
"Yep!" Rainbow Dash said with a wide grin. "If Pinkie Pie doesn't have a problem with it!"
Pinkie Pie gave a smile. "I think that sounds like a smashing idea, Rainbow Dash."
Session 26.12 Grogar-the-oneser (and a bit by me so it relates to games)
"I hate freeloaders," Angel bunny sighed. it was pet day and each pet was playing with each other while their owners chat.
"Really? but you seem so-" Winona said.
"Before you finish that sentence, need I remind that while Fluttershy take care of us, we are still seen doing chores around her cottage or around town, we don't just bum around. it's a.... symbiosis thing," Angel said.
"It's true, I use to help hold the tray on my shell for the other cleaning supply," Tank said.
"Yeah, were not like that good for nothing brother," Angel said.
"Oh yes, I've seen him. He was lazy yet smart enough to trick Spike to doing all his work. Very Trot Sawyer of him I must say." Owlowiscious said.
"Wait... if the others do work, what do you do?" Opal questioned.
"Me, I am the official appointment keeper," Angel said. "Which means I have to make sure she does her schedule."
"So a perfect excuse to act like a jerk," Opal said blandly.
"Hey! it's not my fault rabbit look cute but are fierce. Just be thankful I ain't a vampire Jackalope. Those guys are vicious." Angel stated.
"Okay, who was the fool who introduced Fluttershy's brother to 'click' games and is now hogging my computer? I was going to introduce Flash Sentry to World of Horsecraft."
"Which one? The one that's your species or the one you've actually spoken to and gotten to know?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"None of your business!"
Session 26.13 Alex Warlorn
Meanwhile, Spike was trying to dislodge Breeze from the alien computer (repaired and upgraded since the point and click adventure incident that shall never be named), with little success.
"Man these games are awesome!" Breeze said mindlessly clicking away.
"They're made to prey on those who have OCD! That's why Twilight made me promise I'd never let her try those!"
"Hey, I know the basic of game design."
"You DO?"
"Sure, I have a vast variety of job experience!"
"That's because you kept getting fired."
"Details, details. I once even chatted with Princess Twilight Sparkle's brother's, game developer friends...
And cue the flash back
"I have some GREAT ideas to steer games into the second Lunar/Solar era!"
The threesome of stallion stood in attention... well, an outsider perspective often helped with projects and idea creating.
"First! Imagine a parody of the Legend of Cadence 64! Little foal, ya know, Shining Armor is summoned as a colt to the Tree of Harmony to free it of a changeling feeding on its roots before going on the rest of the quest? Well, what if we throw in a cut scene at the end... where after the final battle... we cut back to the inside of the Tree of Harmony, where Shining Armor is being slowly digested after walking into the Tree of Harmony's mouth, and the forest foals are really the Tree of Harmony's food, and the entire quest was a illusion implanted in his mind while he's eaten!"
The stallions cringed and frowned.
"Don't like that one? I have others! A parody of Mega Pony, where after defeating the mad doctor and his reprogrammed six robots, it's revealed that Mega Pony was the one reprogrammed to help conquer the world thinking he was the good guy. And the six robots were trying to stop him! and then break the forth wall where the REAL evil scientist thanks the player for helping him conquer the world."
The frowns deepened.
"Wait wait wait! I got another, a remake of Froggy where after crossing the road and finishing the game, it turns out that minotaurs have completely bull dozed his pond, and his entire struggle was pointless."
The three stood up.
End flash back
"What happened after that?" Spike had to ask.
"They shot me out of a cannon back to Cloudsdale. I guess those guys can't appreciate art games."
Session 26.14 BrutalityInc
"Sweet Celestia, THIS IS AWESOME!" Button Mash's older brother 16-Bit squeed, eyes wide and glued to the screen as he played through a rather... interesting game. The room was filled with the sound of gunfire and explosions.
"I know, right?!" His father 8-Bit concurred, with an almost unhinged grin of glee plastered on his face as 16-Bit blazed through the level. "Wait until you get your first Berserk power-up, then the fun REALLY gets started!"
"Alright, what exactly got them both so excited?" Shining Armor asked as he and the others watched from the outside through the window. They haven't seen 8-Bit for a while, and it appears they have discovered the reason why.
"I recognize that. It turned up in the arcade quite recently" Point-Dexter said, cringing slightly as she witnessed a rather brutal 'glory kill'. "Apparently it's one of those games imported from the Human world. Basically, in the future, some people from a company called the UAC built a base on a planet called Mars in their Solar System where they developed advanced technologies to sell, one of them being a teleportation system."
"That doesn't sound so bad." Gaffer remarked, while going pale from the sight of horrible creatures being blown to visceral pieces by an automatic rocket launcher, "But I guess there was a catch o' some sort."
"Bit of an understatement, because the teleporter works by going through another dimension - which turned out to be the Human underworld of 'Hell'." Point-Dexter explained, "Sort of like Tartarus, from what I heard. It's a terrible realm where demons torment the sinful undead for all eternity, and now thanks to the UAC, they were free to escape and invade Mars en-mass, killing everyone in the UAC base off."
"Except for a lone marine, it seems, which you get to play as." Shining Armor noted. Having played though enough games and seeing variants of the same premise over and over again, it was predictable by this point. "And I guess it's up to you to fight your way through Mars and Hell and stop the demonic invasion at its source."
"It's crazy, I know." Point-Dexter muttered "According to the arcade owner, that game was considered novel back where it came from, not only because it launched the 'First Person Shooter' genre, but also because while religious folks had been trying to exorcise demons with prayer and ritual, and tabletop gamers fight demons with sword and spell, no one had ever thought of simply shooting them in the face or blowing them up with guns and explosives until that game came out. "
"I bet the censors must had yelled those game makers' ears off when they try to publish it." Gaffer quipped, "I don't even want to know how they manage to get it pass the censors here in Equestria."
"Chainsaw kill! RIP AND TEAR!" Both father and son chanted and whooped as 16-Bit managed to eviscerate a spherical 'Cacodemon' with said weapon in a corridor filled with gore, cult runes, ritual pentagrams and other disturbing imagery. With every passing moment, both seemed to become ever more consumed with blood-lust, annihilating one demon after another with extreme ferocity.
"I'm more worried about what happens if Mrs Love-Tap ever catches them playing it. There's gotta be hell to pay, mark my words." Point-Dexter quipped.
"Still," Gaffer noted. "it's lucky that we live in a world that doesn't have to deal with demons from another dimension invading, right?"
= = =
Sweetie Drops panted as she dropped an empty magazine onto the metal floor of the walkway with a resounding clang, before pulling out a full clip from a bag and slamming the reload into her weapon. Behind her cover, monstrous howls and screeches could be heard, coming ever closer and louder.
"It seems I can't catch a break these days, even after I retired." She muttered irritably. "Guess I better write a magic post to Lyra telling her I'll be late tonight."
It was Saturday, and she was hoping to catch a bit of peace and quiet hiking alone in the countryside. The place she was going to was near the Tartarus gate, yes, but as long as Cerberus was guarding the portal, there was no monster or evil overlord that anypony needed to worry about escaping the prison in the pocket dimension beyond the portal, built by the gods, ancients or whatever (It and Cerberus was already there when the ponies founded it ages ago, of course, that didn't include Celestia who had at least once called Cerberus 'her dog').
Of course, no-pony had accounted for the advanced arcane research facility that was researching new teleportation spells in the area, which just so happens to be within visual and walking distance of the hiking trail. Which just so happens to be conducting a new experiment today.
Whatever happened, it tore a gaping hole through reality into the Tartarus dimension and shattering the bonds of every creature within the vicinity of the tear, allowing them to escape (Tirek didn't escape, as Sweetie later learnt, being imprisoned on the other side of the extra-dimensional prison pit).
Sweetie Drops seethes at being the only pony in the vicinity with any training or experience with combat or the supernatural who could respond to the threat the tear poise to Equestria. She doesn't seethe as much at the fact that her agent days have left her with a being crazy-prepared mentality that resulted in her often carrying a hidden magical Bag of Holding which carried her former agent armor, tools and weaponry.
Sighing, she poked her head out of cover, ducked back down from a few fireballs thrown in her direction by terrible looking imp-like creatures, before she rolled out and started laying down the hurt from her tail cranked, silver-tipped flechette-firing, saddle-mounted gatling gun, driving them back and allowing her to proceed towards the communications room where she could call for more backup.
Session 26.8 Mtangalion
Princess Twilight Sparkle rolled over and yawned blearily, flopping half out of her bed. "Huree..." She blinked, then did a double-take, noticing the huge green diamond floating above her head. "Ooo, shanga day..."
The door to her bedroom swung open, and Spike walked in at a calm, unhurried pace. "Shoo flee! Nurfver!" A picture of Discord's face literally appeared in a visible thought balloon over the drake's head.
"Frabit!" exclaimed Twilight. "Garnar frash!" A picture of Discord's smirking face appeared over her head too, but hers was crossed out and had two red minus signs. Twilight hurried out... at the same slow walk.
A few minutes later, Spike heard Twilight shout, "Firby nurbs!" in the royal Canterlot voice, followed by a great sizzling zap, and Discord's voice yelping and shouting "Wabadebadoo!!"
Session 26.16 Ardashir
"Hey guys!" Dash dropped down onto the floor inside Twilight's castle. She saw them gathered around yet another of the video games submitted for testing by Gaffer and his friends. Applejack was currently at the controls, and her friends were trying hard not to laugh at whatever was going on.
"Operation a failure again?!? Dangit!" Applejack snorted and set the controller down. "Who ever thought it'd be this hard ta fix injured ponies up?"
"Hey, maybe ya oughta let me try," Dash moved into their midst. "I can be awesome at anything, after all."
"Dash!" Twilight blinked and looked suddenly nervous. "Uh, perhaps you should steer clear of this game."
"Yeesh, why?" Dash picked up the controller and saw the new game load. "I mean, it's not like we're really operating on anypony, and if it goes wrong -- WHAT!?"
On the screen was a simple hospital room. With a bed. And a pony with their barrel opened up to display cartoonish internal organs.
A blue-coated pony with a rainbow mane and a somewhat vacant expression on her face.
"What! The! Buck!" Dash snorted and threw the controller down. Pinkie promptly snatched it up and started playing. "What the hay is going on? Why am I stuck in some screwy game as a medical patient?"
"We-ell..." Twilight rubbed one goof along her mane. "Originally, this was going to be used in training new doctors and nurses. They figured the students would pay more attention if they were operating on a national heroine."
"Huh? Okay, I can be cool with that." Dash looked smug. "But wait, why do you guys have it?"
"Heh," Twilight somehow looked even more embarrassed. "The thing is, Dash, they wanted the students to get what failure could mean in medicine... But at the same time they didn't want to really traumatize anypony..."
Twilight's voice trailed off as Dash took her by the withers.
"Twi, what are you trying to say?"
At that moment the screen lit up, a bell tolled a funeral march, and on the screen Dash with a harp and halo started to rise from her X-eyed animated counterpart. Dash shuddered. Pinkie Pie laughed.
"Aww! It's hard to amputate a wing!"
"WHAT?!? They have you chopping my wing off??" Dash looked at the screen and facehoofed. "Pinkie... that was my HEAD, not my wing!"
"Well, that explains why the operation failed!" Pinkie smiled broadly. Dash shuddered in horror. PInkie patted her on the head. "Aww, don't worry, Dashie, you know we'd never really hurt you! But the way this game has that poor pony die is hilarious."
As she spoke the screen lit up again, and a voiceover said, "Not only do you fail medicine, you are going to spend a few centuries as stone courtesy of Princess Celestia. You butcher!"
"For pete's sake, can't they use somepony else for this game?"
"They tried usin' Queen Chrysalis at first, but the had a problem," Applejack said. She removed the current disc and stuck in the test one that showed Chrysalis. She took the controls and Chrysalis was spare parts in moments. The game started to play the old classic, 'Ding-dong, the witch is dead!'
"Nopony wanted ta even try savin' her." Applejack finished. "Ah just hope old Cheeselegs never finds out about this. THey only even did send out one other o' those original games. Wonder where it went."
Far to the Frozen North:
"Cady, sweetie, this is getting creepy. You've played that game for hours and killed Chrysalis dozens of times. Maybe you can stop?"
"Just once more, Shiny, darling. It feels so good."
Session 26.17 Alex Warlorn
Chrysalis reached over and hugged Cadence. "Ahhhhh! I knew we were kindred spirits deep down! It's never enough is it? Not just killing my characters in game! But this too! The nectar never loses its sweetness!" Chrysalis said with a sadist grin. "You love seeing your enemies suffer die and too!"
"What are you doing in our castle?!" Shining barked.
"Game night remember?"
"Oh right."
"Suddenly this isn't as delicious as it was a few seconds ago." Cadence said.
"Pst, pansy." Chrysalis snorted.
+
Meanwhile in the Changeling Kingdom (as recognized by the Cloud Imps, some other creatures who hated Equestria, and the diamond dog clans after a hefty bribe).
"I'm happy the queen lifted the ban on video games," said one changeling to another.
"Though I admit, this M-For-Mature game where you mutate Princesses into near mindless egg-laying machines does get boring after a few times. How does Chrysalis keep playing the level with Cadence?"
"I dunno, but she keeps laughing at it."
Session 26.18 Alex Warlorn
"So this new Grabby Grabby Dragons game... " Rainbow Dash said looking at the cute little plastic baby dragons. With tiny little plastic gems for them to gobble up. "You sure Spike isn't going to set it on fire like Gilda did Grabby Grabby Griffins?"
"Apparently greed is considered a VIRTUE among dragons. So they aren't likely to protest. Besides, Spike doesn't play these kinds of boardgames anymore. ... And Ex-Dragon Lord Torch ordered some extra large versions, he said they can help teach traditional dragon values to hatchlings."
Session 26.19 Grogar-the-oneser
"huh, okay then," Rainbow Dash said eyeing each one but then did a double take as she notice a Spike one. "What the-"
"Spike may have accepted a offer to be a game model as well as Ember," Twilight said, at Rainbow Dash look she added. "She said it was important that young dragon know who the current Dragon Lord is."
Session 26.20 Mtangalion
"Howdy, ya'll!" said Applejack, opening the door for the newest arrivals. "C'mon in, make yourselves at home. Sunset and the others just about have tonight's game all set up."
"Thanks, AJ!" said Rainbow Dash, strolling in first.
A confident young woman wandered in right behind her, wearing tight pants and a leather aviator's jacket. She had pale skin and striking white hair with violet fringes. "Nice place," she said, pausing to look around at the Apple family home.
"You must be Gilda," said AJ. "Nice to finally meet ya in the flesh. We've been hearing all sorts of interesting things about you."
Dash smirked, elbowing Gilda. "Yeah, that Buffalo Firewater was a pretty cool prank, wasn't it?"
AJ rolled her eyes. "Actually, I was referring to the other messages we get. You know, from you know where?"
Dash flinched. "Uh, I can explain..."
"Yeah, that oughta be good," said Applejack. "Oh, who's your other friend?"
A young man had followed Gilda in and now stood arm in arm with her, looking all around and seeming mildly astonished by everything. He had pale skin like Gilda's and blue hair with a black stripe down one side, and he wore faded jeans and a blue vest over a white t-shirt.
"Yes, do tell, darling," said Rarity, coming out of the gaming room to meet them. She peered closely at the young man. "I could swear I've seen him somewhere before."
Dash smirked. "Yeah, fat chance of that. He's from..."
Gilda interrupted loudly. "This is... Karl, from out of town! I mean, Griffonstone! He's from Griffonstone."
'Karl' did a twitchy double-take. "But that's not my..."
"You definitely look like a Karl to me," said Gilda, leaning close and slipping an arm around him, winking.
He grinned slyly at her. "Well, when in wacky mutant Diamond Dog land..."
AJ raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that."
"We should get the game started!" said Dash suddenly. "Don't want to keep the others waiting..."
Session 26.21 Alex Warlorn
"Where the heck is Dash?!" Gilda squawked. "She didn't show up for our game session and-"
RAINBOW COLORED KA-BOOM! "-hahahah-"
"I don't believe this! She's ditch me just to go for a fly? Well two can play-"
RAINBOW COLORED KA-BOOM! "-hahahah-"
"UGH! Something is wrong here."
+
"You're Tartarus cutting our pay by HOW MUCH?!" Daisy Jo exclaimed on behalf of the cow herd.
"This is outrageous!" Fleece the sheep shouted for the flock.
Applejack adjusted her tie and snorted. "We provide ya with room and board, ya protect ya from predators, we allow ya to function as yer own community, all fer stuff yer bodies produce for free?! Yer lucky Ah'm still payin' ya at all! Now get them Orc costumes on! Remember yer lines! The LARPers will be comin' through!"
Applejack climbed a tall wooden platform and spoke through a megaphone. "Alright everypony! Here's the grand opening of the Sweet Apple Acres LARPing service! Have your character sheets written out and checked."
"Sellin' out part of the family fields to rent for LARPin'!? Now Ah know she's gone evil!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"And remember ya can pay extra bits for rerolls and better equipment."
"No, THAT'S how we know she's gone evil," Scootaloo said.
"And any apples that fall because of you, you bought'em!"
+
"Come back here Starlight! As my apprentice, this loyalty spell is mandatory! Refusing it is treason! Or do you want me to take my royal pardon?!" Empress Twilight shouted as Starlight ran for her free will, and leapt out a window. Glimmer had barely had time to warn Sunset Shimmer to close the portal on her end until the all clear was given and not to trust any message from 'Empress' Twilight Sparkle.
Trixie was waiting outside, and threw down a smoke bomb obscuring the Alicorn's view as they teleported away.
Twilight looked around, couldn't magically sense them, and shouted with the royal Canterlot Voice. "ALL MEMBERS OF THE EQUALITY PARTY ARE TRAITORS TO THE CROWN! THEY ARE TO BE ROUNDED UP AND GIVEN A LOYAL SPELL TO PROVE THEIR DEVOTION TO PONYVILLE! THIS GOES DOUBLE FOR LUNA'S WITNESSES! I AM EMPRESS OF PONYVILLE! I WILL TOLERATE NO WORSHIP OF ANY OTHER PRINCESS!"
Buttons looked at the flower girl trio. They hugged her.
"Don't worry," Daisy said, "We're not giving up our beliefs because Twilights gone insane... again... but... we may want to hide in somepony's basement."
"LUNA'S WITNESSES!" Pipsqueak stood on top of some playground equipment, "Do not be afraid! Princess Luna is coming to save us! Have faith in her!"
A bat fluttered down in the middle of the day, and did flag motions to Pipsqueak that translated as, 'Our most loyal subject, Pipsqueak, run thy bum to safety! Doth command your princess of the night.'
"Uh, okay princess."
Windy Whisper had been woken by the loud public announcement, grabbed the chosen of her princess, and flew like Tartarus.
+
"FASTER Alisa! FASTER! YOUR MISTRESS COMMANDS YOU!" Rarity snorted.
"Yes Mistress Rarity!" Alisa replied, wearing her claws down as she tireless worked to make the dress her boss had ordered her to make, down to every last precise detail.
"Meanwhile, I have to send letter to Coco and Ssassy Saddles. I've been FAR TO LAX IN MY STANDARDS! No wonder I've never gottan anywhere in life! And rally those loyal! Ponyville will be mine! Not Twilight Sparkle's!"
"Yes Mistress."
Session 26.22 Zaku789
"Well at least I now know why she demanded a Doctor Doom-like outfit," Alisa muttered.
"LESS TALKING, MORE DOING!!" Rarity snapped, her red eyes glowing angrily.
+
"Dear I'm worry that Pinkie may have turned evil. She's laughing like a comic villain and keeps playing that music from the 'other side of the mirror' upstair," Mr. Cake said.
"Just keep stocking the basement dear, it's our last line of defense from the town latest bout of crazyness," Mrs. cake said.