Story
“Come on Rarity, please.”
“I’m sorry Spike, but my answer is still no.”
“But Rarity, I need another player to play this game.” Spike said as he held up a large box with a picture of ponies in armor clashing against giant horrific monsters and above the image is the title of the game: Oubliettes & Ogres.
“Can you not play the game by yourself?” Rarity suggested.
“No, you can’t play Oubliettes & Ogres by yourself.” Spike explained. “It’s a social game that requires you and other ponies to play it.”
“Again I’m sorry Spike, but my answer is still no.”
“Oh Ok.” Spike sadly said and walk in the other direction.
‘Oh Dear, Spike looked really disappointed. Perhaps I should’ve agreed to play his little game.’ Rarity thought in her head. ‘No, Spike is looking for ponies that are into his game and unfortunately I’m not one of those ponies.’
Rarity then continues her trot through town and headed straight for the Friendship Castle in the distance.
Inside Rarity enter the throne room Twilight, Starlight and Pinkie were sitting around and talking.
“Oh hey Rarity, you finally arrive.” Pinkie Pie said, being the first one to notice her entering the room.
“Sorry I’m late girls, Spike kept me from getting here faster.”
“Oh really what did he want?” Twilight asked.
“Oh nothing much he just wanted me to play Oubliettes & Ogres with him.”
“No way has he asked you too!” Pinkie suddenly blurted out.
“Spike asked you play Pinkie?”
“Yeah and not just me, he asked everypony here.”
“Really, what did you all said to him?”
“I told him that I wasn’t really interested in some children game.” Starlight answered.
“At first I was on board with playing the Oubliettes & Ogres with him, right until he began explaining all the rules of the game and he just went on and on.” Pinkie Pie explained. “Next thing I know I’ve fallen asleep and when I woke up, he was gone.”
After listening to the two of them Rarity then turns her attention towards Twilight. “And what about you dear, what did you said to him?”
“Well same thing as you guys, I told him I wasn’t interested.”
“Well that is really unfortunate then, cause Spike looked really disappointed when I told I didn’t want to play.” Rarity mentions this to everypony in the room.
Twilight sighs after hearing this. “If only Shining Armor was here, he would have definitely played with him.”
“He really would?”
“Of course he would.” Twilight responded. “My brother is one who got Spike into Oubliettes & Ogres in the first place.”
“Really when did he did that?”
“Well Rarity it happened a long time ago.”
This was way back before I moved to Ponyville, when I used to live in Canterlot.
Back when I was still Princess Celestia’s student, Spike grew old enough to start walking and talking. He eventually became my assistant and we been together ever since.
Also at this time my big brother, Shining Armor had recently completed his training and was now part of the royal guards.
While Shining is my B.B.B.F.F, Spike was my number one assistant. At first I thought this would’ve been great, that both my favourite brother and assistant would become great friends.
However, that was not the case as I learned later that both Spike and Shining didn’t really have much to say.
“So you’re Twilight’s brother?” Spike questioned, trying to start a conversation.
“Um yeah, I am.” Shining answered. “So you’re my little sister’s assistant, Spine?”
“It’s Spike, actually.” Spike corrected.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Shining apologize.
The two continue to stand in silence as neither of them attempt to say anything else.
“So um yeah, I’m just gonna go to bathroom right now.” Shining stated.
“Um Ok.” Spike responded.
“You know, to use the toilet.” Shining added.
“TMI Shining, TMI.”
And that’s pretty much how all their conversations go whenever they found themselves alone with each other. Both barely knew one another and both were not really keen to open themselves for each other’s as well.
But, then on one fateful day the two would finally find something to bond over, the board game: Oubliettes & Ogres.
“Shiny, for the last time I said no!” A young Twilight exclaimed.
“Please Twilight.” Shining begged. “My friends are busy and Cadence won’t do it. I need another player for Oubliettes & Ogres.”
“I can’t Shiny, I got to study.” Twilight said as she slammed the door to her room.
“Great, now who am I going to get to play with me now?” Shining asked as he looked down sadly at his board game. “Maybe I can get Prince Blueblood with play me. Actually forget that, that guy is a jerk.”
“Perhaps I can play with you?” A familiar sounding voice said from behind.
Shining turn head around and spotted Spike standing behind him.
“Oh well do you know anything about Oubliettes & Ogres?” Shining questioned.
“No, but I’m willing to learn.” Spike answered honestly.
‘Well better than nopony I guess.’ Shining thought in his head.
So then after explaining some of the rules of the game Spike started of his campaign as a level one wizard.
“You approach a room with the door that is slightly ajar. Inside you can hear the sound of several bandits partying in celebration of their recent raid of village.” Shining said, narrating and describing the scene to the young dragon. “What do you do?”
“I want to stealthy take a peek inside the room and see what I’m up against.” Spike answered.
“Very well roll your dice to see if you succeed.”
Spike picked up his dice and shake in his claws. He shook them for a couple of seconds before throwing it onto the table.
Shining and Spike both look at the die and saw the number six.
“Is that good?” Spike asked.
“It certainly is Spike.” Shining happily said.
“Your character peeks inside the room by lightly pushing the door a bit. Despite the creaking sound the door made none of the bandits heard it as they were all too busy partying to hear it. Inside you spot eight bandits in various sizes, each one wearing a different piece of body armor and wielding a different bladed weapon. Also in the room were tables with various food and drinks sitting on top of them. Then all the way in back was a large treasure chest, filled with stolen items from the villagers.”
After describing the scene for him Shining waited to see how Spike would handle this situation.
“There is no way I can fight all eight of those bandits.” Spike stated. “But, perhaps I can get them to fight each other.”
“And how are you going to that?” Shining inquired. “You don’t know any enrage spells that would make them fight each other.”
“No, but I can do that without that spell.” Spike answered. “I’m going to levitate one of their drinks and pour over the head of one of the bandits. That pony would be so enrage that he’ll assume that one of his comrade did it and will get into a fight. Hopefully this fight will spread out and get the rest of them as well. If not I just repeat the process with the other remaining bandits.”
“Well Spike that’s pretty much a gamble if your plan can actually work, so roll for luck then.” Shining explained the situation to him.
Spike picked up his dice and took a deep breath before shaking them and throwing them on the table.
The die landed on the number seven and Spike looked up at Shining and waited for the results.
Shining looked down at the anxious little dragon and gave him a grim look. That is until a big smile morph on his face.
“Looks like lady luck is on your side, because that bandit you poured cider all over, turns out he has quite the anger problem and immediately attacked his buddy next to him. Their fight intensify and soon enough the other bandits in the room were drawn in, becoming one big brawl!” Shining said with huge amount of enthusiasm in his voice.
“Once the Dust has settled down all the bandits were beaten, broken and bruised up from their fight. With no left standing the treasure chest was right for the taking!”
“Awesome I’m going open that chest and bring all the stuff back to the villagers and complete my quest!” Spike said triumphantly.
Ever since than the two started getting friendlier with each other and would always play Oubliettes & Ogres whenever Spike comes over to my house. Sometime my brother would even come over to my school just so he can play with him.
“The Ogre Warlord twirls his war club around and charges right at you!” Shining yelled out.
“I quickly cast my ice spell!” Spike responded.
“But the ogre’s armor protects him against any spells.”
“That is why I’m not aiming it at him, instead on the ground I’m standing on. That way I’ll jump out of the way and the Ogre Warlord will slip and fall off the edge behind me.”
“Clever, but you still got to roll for evasion!”
Spike rolls the dice on the table and raise in his fist in the air triumphantly.
They then even started hanging out together and became more open with each other.
“So Twilight asked me to deliver some papers to Princess Celestia, but the problem was I was really sleepy because she woke me up in the middle of a nap. My mind wasn’t focus and because of this I accidently deliver some other different papers to Celestia. Turns out they were actually stories she written and drawn about her being an alicorn princess and how she was some kind of hero to Equestria. Man, I sure got into some trouble that day and but it was worth to hear how Celestia teased her over it.”
“Wow Spike that’s a great story.” Shining said. "It also reminded me of the time I found some drawings in Cadence’s room the other day. When I found them they were all crudely drawn, like something a foal would’ve drawn. Later I asked Cadence if she drew them when she was little, she inform me she drew them today. So I basically compared her drawings to a foal!”
The two started laughing, having a good old time.
“And this how Spike and Shining became good friends.” Twilight said. “And it is all thanks to Oubliettes & Ogres. While it is just like any other board game, this board game changed lives. It created a bond between two strangers and over time they became the best of friends.”
“Oh my Twilight that is quite the interesting tale.” Rarity said.
“Yeah my favorite parts were the ones that you weren’t there for.” Pinkie commented.
Suddenly the large double door to the room open and Spike walked in.
“Oh Spike darling can I ask you something.”
“Sure Rarity, what do you want?”
“Well I’m wondering you’re still up for that game of yours?”
“Really, why the sudden change?” Spike questioned.
“Well Spike I saw how disappointed you looked when I decline and well I just felt bad for not giving your game a try.”
“No Rarity, I don’t want to guilt trip you into playing O&O with me. It’s a game that is only fun if everyone is having fun and I know that none you girls are into it like me. I just have to accept that some friends are just not into the same things as you’re into and that it is OK.”
Spike then headed towards the kitchen. “I’m heading into the kitchen to get some drinks, you want tea right?”
Rarity couldn’t help but smile at how mature the dragon has gotten. “Yes Spike, I would be delighted.”
THE END