Title:           Chapter 7: Diamonds are Breakable
Author:          CookieSfh
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/0pCswsMJ
First Edit:      Friday 10th of June 2016 05:03:34 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Last edit on: Friday 17th of June 2016 05:17:11 PM CDT

>The two are laughing in the distance.
>You decide that you want to talk to them.
>Walking up, they go down to a snicker, trying to hold it in the best they can.
>"Well? How was it?" Diamond is trying her best to stop laughing, but it just keeps going.
"I aced the test."
>They stop laughing and look at you with mixed looks of confusion and disbelief.
>"You aced the test?" Silver couldn't contain herself, now sporting a curious look.
"Every single question answered. Scootaloo passed out."
>This causes Diamond to burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha, I knew she wouldn't be able to handle it!"
"She passed out because I answered them all correctly."
>And now she's back to confused silence.
"Diamond, Silver, what do you gain from belittling others?"
>This snaps both of them out of their trance. "What we gain?"
>Diamond answers for Silver. "We have a reputation to hold here in Ponyville, and because we're the most important fillies you'll ever meet, it's our job to show 'you' how 'we' do things. Right Silver Spoon?"
>"Right, Diamond Tiara" like a parrot answering its owner.
~Reminds me of something~
>Hmm?
~Remember the weak~
>Ah, those.
>Looking at the two of them, their confidence has returned.
>"So, are you ready to be put in your place?" Diamond Tiara taps her hooves together, summoning two colts from no where in particular. "Snips, Snails, please show our guest here why 'I' am not to be trifled with."
>"Don't worry, we'll show'em what's what"
>"Yeah... what are we doing again?"
>Snips whispers something into Snails ears and Snails eyes pop up. "Oh yeah, that."
>And now they've taken battle stances.
>Very.
>Horrid.
>Battle stances.
>You question how they've survived thus far.
>The two dash at you at pathetic speeds, 'attempting' to nail you in the head with a 'punch'.
>You stop Snails in his path, blocking his hoof and deflect Snips into a nearby fence.
>Taking his hoof, you dislocate it towards his back.
>A head-wrenching crack is heard as you force a horrific yelp out of him.
>"Snails!" Snips rushes towards him as as Snails starts to cry.
>"Owhow, I-I-I-I can't feel my hoohoohoohoof." as Snips tries to comfort his friend, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are utterly shocked.
>Diamond has started yelling at you in a panic. "I-A-Are you crazy! You just broke is hoof!"
"You shouldn't send random colts after me."
>Now Silver is yelling at you. "T-This is too much! That was completely unnecessary! Oh Celestia, we need to go to the hospital."
"We don't need to go to the hospital."
>"But you just crippled a pony!"
"I can fix it. I didn't break any limbs. It was a simple dislocation."
>Silver tries to talk more sense into you, but Snips stops her. "Y-y... 'sniff'... can you really fix it?"
"Yes. I only need to fix it."
>So they let you.
>Walking up to the mess in front of you, Snails is pouring with tears.
>Taking his head, you shove it into the ground as you grasp the hoof with yours, pushing it towards the air.
>A another crack is heard and now he's screaming into the ground.
>At least you don't have to hold your ears.
>Another snap towards the ground and a lunge to the left.
>Pushing the hoof back towards the ground, a final crack is heard as the screaming has now stopped.
>The three of them stand in horrified silence as you walk off the potential corpse.
>That is until Snails gets up one all fours, with a bright smile on his face. "Ay, I can't feel a thing, you know!"
>"Snails!" The two give each other a passionate embrace before returning their eyes to you.
>"Oh I don't know how to thank you for saving Snails' life. How can we ever repay you?" This could be the perfect opportunity to... no.
"He wasn't going to die, I stopped him before he could hurt himself."
>"But he still got hurt, and by you! That makes it worse!" Diamond is fuming in rage with how reckless you acted in mere moments. How could some pony do that to another? How could he even do it in the first place?! She was so angry and confused, it only fueled the flames that were about to be doused in a matter of seconds.
"But instead of seeing him as a klutz, you saw a monster hurting a innocent. Did you not?"
>They lay on their flanks speechless.
>But then Snips speaks up. "But then what about me, you didn't break my hoof."
"There is no need. The harm of one will lead the masses."
>You have learned this through experience.
>A crucial fact in breaking your own world.
>And now you know it works in this world as well.
>So you walk passed Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who are still stunned.
>Leaving them to their own devices.
>The walk through town is uneventful, the occasional pony either flying too fast or running too fast, bumping into you.
>But other than the more than active streets during the afternoon, a familiar feeling catches you like a spark.
>Looking back, you see Snails running towards you.
>He runs up and quickly shoves something into your hair before running past you into the roaming crowd.
>It looks like his appendage is doing fine to say the least.
>Your hair distorts the loan gift into your hooves, allowing you to unfold the parchment for you to read.
'Anonymous, I cannot describe in words how you were able to come up with such a ludicrous answer to a simple exchange of fists, but because you were able to fix the problem and... teach me something valuable... I would like to inquire on your behavior tomorrow, if that is adequate to your needs.   Diamond Tiara '
>What could she want with you?
>You thought that injuring one of her subordinates with relative ease would scare her away.
>But she fought back.
>Like them.
>And now she has grown curious of your behavior? The notion is laughable at most.
>But it would make sense if she wanted to learn how an opponent played its cards.
>Though you can't count the amount of cards you have in your hand.
>And the only thing preventing you from using them are rules.
>But rules will always be set in a game.
>It's just what makes it fair.
>You wonder what Twilight keeps around at her castle.
>Maybe she has a game you can play.
>It would bring some joy while you wait.
>But for now you have to get to the castle.
 
 
>You stand at the doors of the castle once more and knock.
>After a few seconds you hear a faint "Wait a second." come from Spike who is probably a little down the hall.
>Spike opens up the castle doors and lets you in. "Hey man, how was school?"
"I broke a colt's leg, but I fixed it by relocating the bone."
>Spike cringes. "Ouch, wait... you said that you broke his leg?"
"Yes."
>"Why did you break a colt's leg?!"
"He tried to hit me"
>"But you can't just hurt any pony, didn't Twilight give you a list of rules to follow?" Spike was trying to act condescending, but was failing in terms of stature.
"She did, but the voices are in slumber."
>Spike was still curious as to how those things in your head worked, seeing that they could manipulate the world around you, as well as your own body. "How exactly do they work? Do they remember and do stuff for you?"
"One remembers, another protects, one laughs, and another wishes of death."
>Spike pauses. "What was that last one?"
"One wishes of death, sweet release, in hopes of revival yet again."
>"Jeez, and I thought I had it rough. It must be a pain having to listen to that all day, right?"
"It becomes boring through time, but occasionally he tells of the sands of time, usually of the past."
>Spike was peaked at all the things he was learning, and he wanted to learn more. "So he can, like, learn what might have happened, but not whats going to happen?"
"He can do both, but the case of the future is very rare."
>"Ah, yeah that sounds neat. I wish I had something like that..." But then he shakes his hands in defense. "Not like that though, more like just a voice that could tell me random facts, you know, like a history book or something."
>You stare at him for a moment, before the two of you start to walk through the hall way.
>Spike seems to be in some sort of pain. "Jeez, I sound more like Twilight every day. I swear her facts and lectures are contagious."
"Does she rant too?"
>"How'd you know?"
"According to how you've described her thus far, and the ludicrous amount of rules she listed, I'd say she rants about things on occasions"
>Spike takes his claw and brushes you off. "Oh man, you don't even know the half of it. Imagine having to sit through a whole lecture. It's crazy!"
>The both of you make it through the hall and up the staircase, making it into the main throne room.
>Spike takes a seat on Twilight's chair and eats away at his lunch.
>So that was what he was doing.
>"So Anon, want to do anything?"
"Do you have any games?"
>"Games? Huh, never took you for a the game-type." Spike ponders for a moment before getting up and looking into one of the cupboards, pulling out a multitude of boxed games. "Here are the games that Twilight used to play as a foal, though we never got to getting rid of these things, so I guess its your lucky day." Spike places the giant pile onto the table. "Take your pick."
>Looking through the pile, you find a letter game called "Scrapple", a linear game "Collect Pone", "Monopony", you guess they just try to put anything relating to ponies into the game.
>Throwing some across the room and others onto the chairs, you finally find one that interests you.
>"Castle Kingdom"
>It appears that you build up a kingdom out of little nic nacs until you eventually take over the other persons kingdom through conquest, negotiations, and... peace?
>As you shuffle through the deck, you find a single peace card, declaring peace among two kingdoms.
>Maybe it isn't meant to be played by only two players.
>But you suppose that removing the card for a two player game wouldn't hurt.
>So taking the card and swallow it whole, while facing away from Spike.
>"Uh, you OK there Anon?"
"Yes. I want to play this game."
>"'Castle Kingdom' huh? Well, guess it can't hurt being King hehe. Though Twilight always thought I'd make a better jester." Spike begins to set up the board while you settle into a seat with balloons printed onto it.
>"It's time to prove her wrong!" You both take 4 cards and put your kings in their designated castles.
>You place down a barracks card, giving you a foundation to train soldiers.
>Spike places down a farms card, allowing himself to the ability to grow crops at a faster pace.
>You both draw a card and continue through.
>You continue to advance your armies through archery upgrades and bombardment tactics while Spike has grown his army through numbers, teaching them how to fly through 'Pegasus Adaption' and how to use lances.
>Drawing another card, you smile.
"Just what I needed."
>Placing a watchtower card down, you shut down Spike's pegasus advancements for 4 turns, forcing him to focus more on the kingdom.
>But two turns in Spike lights up. "Hah! My pegasi will be hindered no longer!" as he places down a one of the natural clause cards 'earthquake' ridding the area of any structures build too far from the enemy kingdom.
>You grimace, but continue on with more advancements to your army.
>The both of you send your armies to combat as the board is covered in miniature ponies and pegasi, resembling a raging battle of spirits.
>Multitudes of forces are defeated, but you stand firm as more disaster cards come your way, with a blizzard card making Spikes forces impossible to advance.
>Your troops drill through his empty tactics, making Spike sweat profusely.
>Drawing his next card, he lets out a breathe of relief as he casts 'fiery depths', making it impossible for your ground forces to advance any further towards his kingdom. "Oh man, you're giving me a run for my money."
>Placing down a bombardment card, you destroy some of his cloud barracks before 'fiery depths' wears off.
>Making your way to the castle, destroying as much as possible, Spike is shaken up. "Jeez, you don't have to destroy the civilian homes, they don't even do anything."
"If you surrender your kingdom to me, I will stop. Either way, you will lose at this point."
>Spike becomes more shaken as more and more of the houses around his castle become rubble. "Dude, just, do it!"
and now hes getting angry.
"Are you going to surrender?"
>"This is too much man, not even Twilight was this ruthless on the board." Spike didn't know what to do. Should he surrender now or should he wait for you to make the right choice and take down the castle. Spike was hoping for you to stop and do it, to make the right choice... but it never came.
>As the last civilian house falls to your army, you finally start the assault on the castle.
>Spike doesn't throw down a single card as you take the castle, throwing his king chip to the side, taking victory. "That was so uncalled for man! You could have just destroyed my castle and won!"
"It's a board game Spike. It isn't real."
>"But what if it was? What if you really did kill all those people?"
"If they were real, you would have surrendered before I had made it to your kingdom."
>"Well I-uhm..." Spike couldn't say no, he probably would have, he just didn't like the fact that you destroyed the civilian houses. What if that happened to Canterlot? or the Crystal Empire? Or all of Equestria? The amount of questions would be vast, but they never had valid answers, and who would surrender their entire kingdom to a tyrant?
>You hop off the chair and gaze at him as he cleans up the table, putting all the pieces and cards back into the case.
"Do I have a room?"
>Spike takes a second to think, and snaps his fingers together. "Back downstairs next to Twilight's bedroom. She said that the closer you sleep to her, the better it would be for the both of you, whatever that means."
>You shrug and walk out the door to head to your room.