The Immortal Game

My Name is Nihilus

The deep thumping of Ponyville's only dance club filled Rainbow Dash's ears as she threw herself onto the ground in front of their table. Colorful lights flashed on and off above them, each outlining the silhouettes of dancing ponies for an instant before vanishing. Applejack took a seat beside Dash, and Fluttershy and Rarity sat delicately on the floor across from them. Pinkie Pie remained standing, bouncing in place as she addressed her friends.

"Now!" The party pony spoke loudly to be heard over the pumping music of the dance club. "Everypony knows tonight's objective?"

The friends seated at the table exchanged confused glances, struggling to figure out what the pink-haired pony expected an answer. Pinkie was unpredictable, but tended to follow a single constant: "To party?" Rainbow Dash hazarded a guess.

"No, silly filly!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "To have fun!" With that, she stood on her back legs, throwing a shower of confetti into the air. "Just because Twilight is off having some midnight picnic with the princesses in Canterlot doesn't mean the five of us can't have a perfectly good time here in Ponyville the way we usually do! I mean, five out of six ponies is still, like, five halves the fun that four out of twelve ponies is, right?" She frowned, considering her last sentence for a moment, then shook her head. "In any case, drinks on me!" Before any of the friends at the table could express their appreciation, the pink pony had cartwheeled off toward the dance floor.

None of the group sitting at the table gave her outburst more than a raised eyebrow. For Pinkie Pie, it had been almost mild.

"What do you think they talk about up at the palace, anyway?" Rainbow Dash wondered aloud. "Doesn't Twilight write to Celestia, like, every day?"

"Princess Celestia, Rainbow Dash," Rarity corrected her. "The title is important. And being arguably the three most magical beings in all of Equestria I would think that magic comprises a great deal of their conversation, wouldn't you? Or perhaps they will discuss the accident that happened last week."

"Er..." Applejack started, obviously confused, "what accident?"

"Oh Applejack," Rarity gasped dramatically, "hadn't you heard?" The earth pony gave Rarity a blank stare. "Honestly, anypony who is anypony knows by now. Though I suppose you wouldn't be as 'In the know' as a pony such as myself. I do have a number of -shall we say- connections-"

"Just tell us what happened, Rarity," Rainbow Dash interrupted her, obviously as confused as Applejack.

"Well if you're going to be so rude about it, I don't see why I should tell you two anything." The unicorn turned up her snout and sniffed.

"See if I care." Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack, completely ignoring Rarity. "So today I was breaking a cloud, right, and this other pegasus struts up like she thinks she can-"

"Alright, fine!" Rarity's shrill voice cut Dash off. "Somepony went crazy and attacked the princess! There!"

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both turned back to the unicorn. Dash was, if anything, even more confused. "So you're saying that somepony was actually dumb enough to try and kill Princess Luna? I mean I know there was the whole Nightmare Moon thing, but-"

"-Not Princess Luna, Princess Celestia," Rarity corrected, leaning in and whispering in a conspiratorial tone, her grudge seemingly forgotten. "In the middle of her throne room, while she was holding court. They failed, obviously. In any case, her assailant wore a grey cloak, and wearing the color has become a major faux pas. The entire aristocracy has to reorder their summer wardrobe."

"Celestia had the entire thing under control in moments, of course," Rarity continued, "Though I have heard rumors- and these are totally invalidated, mind you- that in order to catch all the culprits she used mind magic on her assailant."