The Gaming Room
CHAPTER 16: THE GAMING ROOM
The Elevator rounded a bend and approached a large room. It slid into a small alcove, engulfing the group in darkness.
“Hey, who turned off the lights,” said Pinkie with a chuckle.
“Uh Miss Pie, should this been happening,” asked Apple Bloom.
She had a feeling it wasn’t. But given how the rest of the tour had gone, this could very well be normal.
The door slid open, shining a bright light over the group. They quickly covered their eyes, until their vision had adjusted.
Apple Bloom lowered her hoof and looked out the door. The room on the other side was painted completely white, even the machines. A large platform sat in the center, with a large cyclindrical machine sitting above it. A control center sat behind the machine, with more Oompa Loompas working away.
“Okay everypony, follow me,” said Pinkie.
She trotted into the room, with the group following behind her. Apple Bloom saw Oompa Loompas look at the group before returning to work. Like the Inventing Room, these Oompa Loompas were unicorns. They all had white coats and black manes. They were also wearing large goggles with black lenses.
As the group walked towards the center of the room, an Oompa Loompa came walking up to them. A tray of goggles floated behind him, which he quickly held out to them.
“Okay everypony, I’m going to need you to put on a pair of goggles,” said Pinkie, putting on a pair herself. “The work done here could burn your eyeballs to a crisp, and we don’t want that to happen do we?”
Apple Bloom took a pair of goggles and put them on. Taking a look around, she say that everything looked the same as before. Even though the glass was black, Apple Bloom couldn’t see a tint overlay that usually came with things like sunglasses.
Once the others had put on their goggles, Pinkie addressed them.
“Okay everypony, follow me and try not to touch anything”.
Pinkie bounced down a walkway around the machine. The others quickly followed behind her.
“Miss Pinkie,” said Button, “what is this room used for”?
“This is the testing room,” replied Pinkie, “for my very latest and greatest invention”.
“And what’s that”?
Pinkie turned to the group and grinned...which looked even creepier thanks to the goggles.
“Videogame Candy”!
Apple Bloom didn’t understand what she was talking about. Was she talking about videogames that could be eaten? Or maybe videogames that came with candy?
Pinkie continued bouncing along as she explained.
“You see one day a thought came to me. If videogames can store the code for thousands of different food items, duplicate them for different playthroughs, and reasemble them when needed, why couldn’t I do the same thing with candy? Why can’t I put a real piece of candy into a videogame so that gamers could really reap their rewards?”
Apple Bloom and the others were dumbfounded. How was it possible to put a piece of candy into a videogame. And even then, how were you supposed to get to it?
“It seems impossible,” said Love Tap.
“It is impossible,” replied Button. “I don’t think you understand the science behind games Miss Pinkie”.
“That so,” said Pinkie.
She didn’t seem to care; even her face had a smug look to it. Button continued on as they reached the control console.
“First, there’s a clear difference between confectionary and programing. Matter and Pixels are not the same thing. Also, the amount of energy you’d need to convert matter into energy would be equal to almost 500 megaspells”.
Pinkie smilled at the young colt.
“Well you seem to know your science,” she said. “So I guess I’ll have to show you how it works. BRING IN THE CHOCOLATE!”
A door opened up across the room. The group watched as four Oompa Loompas walked in, carrying with them a Pinkie Bar the size of a large stallion.
“It’s huge,” said Granny Smith.
“Of course,” replied Pinkie. “Game food isn’t to scale of real food, so we have to make it big to make it normal size during the process”.
The Oompa Loompas placed the bar on the platform. One of them nodded to the ones in the control center, who then nodded to Pinkie.
“Okay, let’s shrink,” said Pinkie.
She pressed a large button on the console. The platform the bar was on slowly began to rise. A glass cylinder slid down from the top, completely encasing the bar. A loud hum began to permiate the room.
“Let’s get CYBERED!” screamed Pinkie.
A flash of light covered the inside of the cylinder. The group watched in amazement as the light died down, revealing a now empty cylinder.
“It’s gone,” said Apple Bloom.
Pinkie grinned. “Told you so”.
“But where is it now,” asked Love Tap.
“It’s being converted to code, which will be sent to the video game in the form of an update”.
Pinkie pointed to the other side of the room. Apple Bloom and the others looked. They saw something they hadn’t when they first walked in. A large television was set up in the corner, with an Oompa Loompa sitting on a bean-bag chair. He held a game controller in his hooves, and was deeply focused on the video game he was playing.
“Come along everypony,” said Pinkie.
The mare trotted towards the TV, with the others following close behind. As they approached, Apple Bloom saw that the Oompa Loompa was playing Fallout: Equestria - New Pegasus. He didn’t even take his eyes off the screen as they gathered around him.
“Best of the series,” said Button. “Take my advice though: don’t play Fallout: Equestria - Online”.
Pinkie leaned in closer to the gamer. “Excuse me, could you go to the Candy Factory near Stable 3?”
Nodding, the Oompa Loompa fast traveled to the location. Once inside, Pinkie relayed more instructions.
“Find a candy bar if you please”.
“Second floor, next to the CEO’s desk,” said Button.
Apple Bloom was impressed: Button had a real knack for video games. Must have been the reason his cutie-mark was a game controller.
The Oompa Loompa found the container and looted the chocolate bar. He selected it in his inventory, bringing the bar into a selection menu.
Pinkie tapped Button’s leg. “Take it,” she said gleefully.
“How,” asked Button, “It’s just a formation of code”.
Pinke rolled her eyes. She turned her attention to Apple Bloom.
“Alright then, you take it. Just reach out and grab it”.
Apple Bloom wasn’t sure about this. She looked at the others, who had a similar mixture of scepticism on their faces. For a second, the young filly thought about agreeing with Button.
But at the same time, she thought about everything she’d seen today. A room full of candy plants. A piece of gum that turned you into a blueberry. And an army of bunnies that could tell if you were good or bad. All seemed imposible, yet Pinkie had made them a reality.
So, Apple Bloom walked towards the screen. Slowly, she reached her hoof forward, inching closer to the glass.
But once she reached it, her hoof didn’t stop. Instead, it passed through the glass like it wasn’t even there. Everyone gasped in surprise, especially Button. Apple Bloom continued reaching forward. Eventually, she came to the bar itself.
To her surprise, she could actually feel it against her hoof. She grabbed it, and slowly pulled it back towards the screen. Soon it passed through, leaving an empty screen where it once was.
“Sweet Celestia,” said Granny.
“She...she just grabbed a bar from a video game,” said Button, completely in shock.
Apple Bloom stared at the bar, then at everyone else. But while the others were in shock, Pinkie had the biggest grin on her face.
“Go ahead and taste it,” she said happily. “It’s still the same bar, it’s just gotten smaller on it’s journey”.
Apple Bloom grabbed the bar at the top, quickly ripping the wrapper off. Below it was clean, glistening chocolate. Apple Bloom took a small bite, savoring the flavor.
“Your right, it is delicious,” she said happily.
“Incredible,” said Granny.
Pinkie grinned. “Now just imagine this: you’re sitting at home playing video games. You’ve been playing for six hours and are hungry, but don’t want to stop to get a snack. With the Pinkie Transport System, you can simply reach out a get a snack whenever you want”.
Love Tap spoke up. “Miss Pinkie, is chocolate the only thing that you can send?”
“What do you mean,” asked Pinkie.
“Like, could you send something like Breakfast Cereal or Honey-Pops?”
“Honey-Pops? Ugh, you know that stuffs just frozen honey on a stick right?”
“But could you send them to Video Games if you wanted to,” asked Apple Bloom.
“Sure I could. Nothing my machine couldn’t handle”.
Button steped forward. “What about ponies?”
The whole group turned their heads towards Button. Apple Bloom saw that he didn’t look surprised anymore. Instead...he was starting to look like the others did before they broke the rules. The filly started to get nervous.
Pinkie giggled. “Why would I want to send a pony, they can’t be eaten?”
Button snorted. “Don’t you see what you’ve invented? It’s a dual teleporter/matter digitalization machine. You could send people and objects across the world in no time flat! Or send ponies into the digital world! And all you want to do it use it to give ponies a snack!?”
“Button, calm down,” said Love Tap. “As a gamer I though you’d love this idea. And besides, I think Miss Pinkie knows what she’s talking about”.
Button stomped his hoof. “No she doesn’t, she doesn’t have a clue as to this thing’s potential. She’s acting like an IDIOT!”
The group gasped...expect for Pinkie. She looked at Button the same way she’d looked at the others. Uncaring, disappointed...and perhaps a little annoyed.
Button turned towards the machine. “But I won’t”.
The young colt charged towards the machine. Oompa Loompas dodged out of the way as he ran up the ramp to the controls. The group watched in shock.
“Button,” said Pinkie, “I wouldn’t do what you’re about to do”.
Button ignored Pinkie as he reached the control board. He pressed the large red button as he jumped over it. He soared through the air and landed on the platform.
The machine sprang to life, raising the platform upward. The glass came downs, enclosing Button inside. He waved at the group, smiling all the while.
“Time To DIGIFY!” he screamed.
A flash of light englufed the machine. When it died down, Button was nowhere to be seen.
“BUTTON,” screamed Love Tap.
“He’s gone,” said Granny.
“Quick, to the Television,” said Pinkie.
The group ran over to the television. Apple Bloom say how worried Love Tap looked. Even Granny was looking uncertain, and Apple Bloom wasn’t far off. But Pinkie looked...curious. Like she wanted to see how this would play out.
“How are we going to find Button in this game,” asked Love Tap.
“I have an idea,” said Pinkie.
She turned back towards the Oompa Loompa in the chair.
“Look at the recent updates. It should tell us where he is”.
The Oompa Loompa paused the game, switching over the Notifications. He scrolled to the top, finding the newest one.
“Okay, it says he’s at Goodsprings General Store. Head there fast,” said Pinkie.
The Oompa Loompa resumed the game and fast traveled to the store. The group scanned the area, looking for Button. Eventually, the door to the store opened and Button stepped out. He looked around, observing his new surroundings.
“There he is,” said Granny.
“Oh thank Luna,” said Pinkie, “he’s completely unharmed”.
Love Tap glared at Pinkie. “You call that unharmed”?!
Button turned towards the screen, finally seeing the group before him. He smiled and waved.
“Hey everypony, check it out. I’m the first pony in the world to be transported into a video game,” he said happily.
Apple Bloom could see how something like this could be cool. Getting to experience Minecraft and Super Pony Sisters at this level is something that people would kill to have. But this wasn’t mean for pony use, so there was probably a lot of drawback to it.
But as Apple Bloom thought about this, a noise met her ears. She looked around and saw that the Oompa Loompas were begining to encircle them. They slowly hummed a beat, which soon drew the attention of the others.
The most important thing
That we've ever learned
The most important thing we've learned
As far as foals are concerned
Is never, never let them play
On a Gaming Set
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all
(Ah, ah) Never, never let them
(Ah, ah) Never, never let them
(Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)
Never, never let them
Never, never let them
It rots the senses in the head
It keeps imagination dead
It clogs and clutters up the mind
It makes a foal so dull and blind
(So dull, so dull)
He can no longer understand
A fairy tale, a fairyland
(A fairyland, a fairyland)
His brain becomes as soft as cheese
His thinking powers rust and freeze
Barely think and Barely SEE!
Regarding little Button Mash,
We very much regret that we
(Regret that we)
Shall simply have to wait and see
(Wait and see, wait and see,
Wait and see, wait and see,
Wait and see)
We very much regret that we
Shall simply have to wait and see
If we can get him back to size
But if we can't...
It serves him right!
The Oompa Loompas finished their song, giving the group a final bow before returning to work. Pinkie clapped in appreciation, smiling the whole time.
Love Tap snorted. “Okay, this has gone on long enough”.
The mare reached into the TV and grabbed Button. The young colt struggled as Love Tap pulled him through the screen, holding him before her.
Love Tap turned to Pinkie. “How do we fix him?”
Pinkie tapped her chin, thinking deeply. After a few seconds, she smilled.
“I know, let’s put him in the Taffy Puller!”
“TAFFY PULLER!”
“Of course,” said Pinkie. “Small foals are particularly stretchy. All we have to do it put him in the machine and stretch him back to his proper height”.
“Can’t you just put me back in the other way,” asked Button, having to yell to be heard.
“There is no other way,” said Pinkie. “You can’t send an update back to the manufacterer. Believe me, I’ve tried”.
Button huffed and started stomping around his mother’s hoof. Love Tap looked at her son worringly, as did the rest of the group.
An Oompa Loompa walked up to the group, saluting Pinkie as he passed. He motioned for Love Tap to follow her. The mare looked at Pinkie with concern.
“Don’t worry,” said Pinkie, “everything will be fine. You’re in good hooves”.
The Oompa Loompa turned and walked towards another doorway on the opposite end of the room. Love Tap gave the group one final glance before following along. They watched as they walked through the doorway and out of sight.
Pinkie sighed. She turned to the Oompa Loompa playing the game. “Go ahead and save, that’s enough for today”.
The Oompa Loompa nodded before finishing up the level he was on. Pinkie turned to the other Oompa Loompas in the room.
“That’s it for today,” she called, “go ahead and shut down. Either head to your quarters or go help in another room. You just can’t stay here”.
The Oompa Loompas went to work shutting everything down. The lights in the room began to fade, and all the machines made a “power down” noise. As they worked, Pinkie turned to the remaining members of the group.
“We’ll, let’s keep moving. No point in standing here all day”.
She turned and started bouncing towards the elevator. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith looked at each other. Both were once more feeling unsure about everything.
A group of ten ponies had now been reduced to only two. Each one put into horrible situations before being carried off to who knows where. And Miss Pinkie never looked concered about what happened to them. She looked disapointed, but that was it. Did she not care about her guests...or was it some way of coping?
Still, Apple Bloom wasn’t about to let that get in her way. There was still so much of the factory left to see. She wouldn’t be back every again, so she wanted to see everything. And if that meant following a pony like Pinkie, so be it.
With a nod to Granny Smith, Apple Bloom walked after Pinkie. Granny paused for a moment before walking after the two.
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Excellent, now that Apple Bloom is all that's left what will happen next
9501142
Apples
That's my explanation
IT'S BACK!!!
He? Isn't Button talking about Pinkie?
THANK GOD IT'S BACK! Been following since the inventing room, and I love this story. Hope to see what happens next soon.
OK, I'm just gonna say it...the Gaming Room idea was genius. It keeps up the basic message of the TV Room in the original book, while also giving it a fresh new spin that people will still be able to resonate with years from now.
Nice job. Kudos to you for coming up with a new spin that actually works. :)