>You wake up.
>The sun is once again shining through the window, giving the room a comfy, warm feeling.
>You start your day as you did yesterday, looking at the clock.
>9:44 A.M.
>A little earlier than usual, but that didn't bother you.
>Polo was out of his bed, doing those odd stretches he's always done in front of the window.
>You watch as he stands on his hind legs and squats, his forehooves reaching for the sky.
"I will never understand some things about you, Polo."
>His knees go back up.
>"Nothing like a good morning stretch to get the blood flowing, sir!"
>You decide to bathe yet again, enjoying the feeling of the water on your skin.
>You wash your clothes after the bath, drenching them in the tub with a small soap bottle provided by the inn.
>You were to present yourself to an entire town's population.
>Not to mention the princesses of the sun and moon.
>Especially the sun.
>It would be in your best interests to look presentable.
>You finish your clothes and dry them off quickly before putting them back on.
>Still a little wet, but there wasn't much you could do about it.
>Unless you wanted to stay in the bathroom for an hour.
>Or streak through Ponyville.
>Well, ponies never did wear clothes...
>"Sir, are you almost finished in there? It's past 10:00! We don't have much time to eat breakfast and get to the Arena!"
>Right, you were thinking too hard on this.
>You exit the bathroom and meet with Polo.
>The two of you walk down the hallway, the hungry pony leading the way, but are stopped by a door opening in front of you.
>Two grey, muscley hooves step out.
>It's Stonewall.
>Polo takes his place behind you.
>Stonewall closes the door behind him, then notices you two.
>He sneers.
>"The rat still needs his bodyguard, it seems. There won't be anything left of him after today, though, so you'd best prepare for my vengeance, rat."
>He laughs loudly and leaves the two of you in the hallway.
>Polo waits until he's out of earshot, then shouts, "Brute!"
"Very brave, Polo."
>"It's the most I can do, sir."
 
>After breakfast, you and Polo made your way to the Arena at a hurried pace, the clock striking almost 11.
>Arriving at the Arena, you and Polo's jaws almost hit the ground.
>The line to the entrance was LONG.
>Seemed the entire population wanted to be here early to get good seats.
>Look how well that worked out for them.
>"We'll never make it inside on time, sir!"
>You racked your brain for ideas, then remembered something from yesterday.
"We can just go in through the back entrance, remember? That's where contestants go in."
>Polo thinks for a moment, then nods.
>"Ah, yes, I remember now!"
>He stops for a moment.
>"But are you sure they'll let me in as well? I'm no contestant, after all."
>He did raise a pretty good point.
"We'll find out when we get back there."
>He rubs his chin with his hoof.
>"Alright, but we're giving up our spot in line. And considering all the ponies that are behind us, I'd say this is a huge risk."
>You looked behind Polo and noticed that a large crowd had built up behind you.
>That's when one pony from the crowd noticed you, his face plastered with a huge grin.
>"Hey, that's Anonymous! One of the contestants! Mr. Anonymous! Hey, I've got a couple questions for you!"
>He pulls a camera out of hammerspace with his magic.
>So do several other ponies behind him.
>Journalists, paparazzi, and ordinary ponies began to get riled up in your presence.
>Now was a good time to get out of here.
>You grabbed Polo by his forehoof and almost dragged him along with you as camera flashes fired off behind.
>Your agility you had honed over the time journeying certainly helped you lose the crazy ponies.
>You were at the back entrance in a flash, a large earth stallion standing in front of the door.
>His eyes move up and down as he scans you.
>"Anonymous, glad you could make it."
>He steps aside and opens the door behind him, allowing you inside.
>Polo, however, is blocked by the stallion's free hoof.
>"Only contestants are allowed back here."
>"B-but I'm with Anonymous!" Polo points to you.
>"Sorry, but I can't let you in. You'll have to wait in line like the rest of the ponies."
>Polo realizes that this means he will have to wait a millenia in line and frowns, his ears drooping.
>Time to step in.
>You grabbed your bag of bits, and looked inside.
>5 golden coins still sat inside, waiting to be spent.
>It wasn't exactly morally correct of you to do this, but you made Polo give up his spot in line.
>You had to make this up to him.
"Tell you what," you say to the guard, reaching into your bag and pulling out the last of your bits. "Why don't you just think of him as an aide?" you mosey up to the stallion, slowly pushing the bits in his face.
>He eyes the coins stoically, and takes them.
>"Yeah, sure, I can make that happen."
>He took his hoof off of Polo, who grinned and hopped through the door.
>The stallion closed the door behind you two, encasing you in mild darkness.
>"Thank you, sir! And it only cost us-"
>His eyes shoot open in realization.
>"Our last bits..."
>The room is silent.
>"Well, maybe I could have gone back to the li-"
"No, Polo. It's fine. I'm going to win this, remember?"
>His smile returns.
>"Right, sir."
>He playfully punches your arm.
>"And you'll get that Stonewall back, too?"
"Of course, Polo."
>With your conversation over, you and Polo try to find your way into some kind of waiting room for the contestants.
>The tile floor beneath you clacks as you and him wander the back halls of the arena.
>The overhead lights provide a decent amount of brightness to the hall.
>"I wonder where everypony is?" Polo thought aloud.
>"-...all I'm saying is that this whole contest is in the bag for me."
>A voice!
>From what you can remember from yesterday, it sounded a lot like that griffon. What was his name...?
>...Lark.
>An odd name, but then again, you were "Anonymous".
>"Ah, civilization! Let's follow the voice, shall we?"
"Sounds good to me."
>The voices only got louder as you walked down the hall, signaling the presence of your co-competitors.
>"Boy, I don't think you quite understand what you're up against. Trust me, those bits are mine!"
>"What about the princess' kisses? That's what I'm aiming for."
>"Pfft, Hel-LO, do I look like I'm interested in that?"
>"...fair enough."
>The voices led you to a walk-in entrance to what looked like a locker room of some sort.
>In this locker room, all the other contestants conversed.
>Except for that dragon.
>He leaned on the wall in the corner, arms crossed, eyes closed, one leg over the other.
>Your typical douchebag look, really.
>"Oh, hey, look who decided to show up!"
>Lark got up from his spot and elbowed you in the ribs.
>"My first opponent. 'Bout time you got here."
>The dark pink stallion, who you remember as Miracle Crop, stands up as well.
>"Enough about him. Who's your cute friend there?"
>Crop winks at Polo with a sly grin.
>Polo blushes and looks away.
>"O-oh. Heh-heh, nopony's ever called me cute before..."
"Polomarco. He's my friend and navigator."
>Crop hums.
>"He can navigate me wherever he wants."
>The chocolate-colored diamond dog, Moses, pops his knuckles.
>"Better question, why's he back here? Unless he's here to compete, too, in which case I'd be happy to oblige."
>You speak before Polo gets the chance.
"Because I asked ahead of time to have him let in. Took a bit of convincing, but he was approved."
>"I don't buy that for a second. Who'd you a-?"
>"Look, does it matter why or how he got here?" a gray stallion, Gravel, interjects. His stoic expression remains despite the volume of his voice.
>Everyone in the room, sans the dragon, stares at the stallion.
>"Uh...whatever, not a big deal anyways," says Lark, turning his attention to his claws.
>The room sits in awkward silence.
>It's then that you decide to actually enter the room, having only stood at the entrance this whole time.
>Polo follows you, and you sit at a small bench.
>Right next to...
>"Oh, uh...hey."
>That bat pony from yesterday...Star Gazer.
>"Well hello, how do you do?" Polo, ever the friendly pony, asks the the shy bat pony.
>"...I'm alright."
>Star Gazer averts his gaze from Polo's.
>The awkwardness of the situation seems to be getting to your friend, as he shifts his eyes left and right.
>You only now see that he's looking at a picture on the bench.
>What looks like him and three other bat ponies pose happily in the photo.
"Is that your family?" you ask as you point to the photo.
>He gasps, likely shocked by your sudden questioning.
>He quickly regains his composure.
>"Um, yeah. It is."
>Polo stands up and looks over Star Gazer's hooves to get a better view of the picture.
>You notice Star Gazer subtley slide the photo closer to his chest.
>"Could you not get so close...please?"
>Polo backs up, a little flustered.
>"Oh, uh, sorry."
>There's a pregnant pause.
>"So, who's-"
>Heavy hooffalls sounded off within the room.
>"Looks like the 'champ' has arrived," Lark says.
>And behind you Polo goes.
>Stonewall glares at Lark.
>"You say that in a tone that seems to mock my position. Are you challenging my honor?"
>Lark scoffs.
>"And what if I am, big guy?"
>Stonewall leans down to get in Lark's face.
>"Then I am fully inclined to defend it, bird," he spits, his tone threatening.
>Lark stares into Stonewall's eyes, though you can see his gaze falter.
>"Oh come on you two, we're just here for some friendly competition, right?" asks Crop.
>Stonewall stands up straight again to look at Miracle Crop.
>"Maybe you are, pony, but I am here to defend my title, and that is that."
>Stonewall finds a place to sit as he finishes his sentence, noticing you and Polo.
>He crosses his arms in disapproval.
>"I don't feel like asking how the rat managed to sneak in with you, bodyguard. This just makes it easier to get to him."
>Polo grabs onto you for security.
>"It's not right to bully others, you know."
>That was...Star Gazer.
>"Oh, yes, let us allow a tiny bat pony to explain to me what is and isn't right, even after I follow my code of honor."
>"It sounds like a messed up code, if you ask me."
>"And I didn't, tiny. I'd suggest you to shut your trap."
>Star Gazer glares at Stonewall, but stays silent.
>There's another silence as the competitors in the room all watch the tense stand-off.
>And then, there's more clacking of hooves against tile.
>You notice the time on a clock hanging in the room.
>11:45.
>Who else could be coming in?
>"Good to see you again, gentleponies."
>Celestia.
>"Yes, greetings."
>And Luna.
>Everyone in the room moves in to greet them.
>Even the dragon, who you now remember as Cerulean.
>Celestia smiles calmly at the sudden rush of attention she's receiving, while Luna is giggling.
>"Princesses, you know you're much more beautiful up close," Lark tries to smooth talk.
>"You've got such a pleasing color set to your coats, y'know," Crop butts in.
>You try to make your way through the rest of the opponents just for a moment, so that you can at least talk to Celestia.
>"I'll make sure to make the kisses are worthwhile, princesses," Cerulean says, speaking for the first time.
>"I'm in this to win this, princesses. Whether or not my kiss is good will be up to you," Gravel tells them.
>"Do you think you could switch the bits to gems?" Moses asks.
>Star Gazer only stares at Princess Luna, a blush forming on his face.
>Seems he's as smitten as you, just with the other princess.
>Stonewall knocks everyone out of the way and kneels down in front of the princesses.
>He takes their nearest front hooves and plants a kiss on them.
>"My princesses, it would be my honor to take your kisses once I win. I do hope you bestow the greatest of honor on me."
>He kisses their hooves again.
>"Thank you, Stonewall. Know that if you win, you shall be honored immensely," Luna tells him.
>"But if we don't start the contest, there can't be a winner, can there?" Celestia lightly giggles. "That's what we came back here for. The competition officially begins in fifteen minutes, and we need our first competitors to come with us."
>Moses and Stonewall step up.
>"I'm ready when you are, princess."
>"I will win this match for the two of you."
>Celestia waves her hoof.
>"You flatter us, Stonewall."
>"Anything for ladies."
>Moses points his finger to his open mouth, signifying his displeasure.
>"Now then, right this way," Luna says as she and her sister turn around to lead the competitors out.
>They leave with the princesses, readying themselves for their match.
>You're disheartened that you weren't able to speak even a word to the princess.
>Polo puts his hoof around your shoulder.
>"Don't worry, sir. You'll get another chance."
>You smile at him.
"Thanks, Polo."
 
>The crowd cheers as an announcer speaks on the field.
>He had given an opening speech, riling up the ponies for the first match of the competition.
>From either side of the field come the competitors, Stonewall and Moses.
>After their introduction, the event for them had been picked.
>A weight tossing challenge to see who would be able to throw large weights the furthest.
>Once the weights were set and referees readied, the announcer brought the microphone to his mouth again.
>"Let the first official Ponyville Endurance Competition BEGIN!"