Mojo

--- snip ----

Deciding that she'd had enough of a break, the aquamarine unicorn returned to the track, this time without musical accompaniment. As soon as she did though, she was suddenly over taken by what appeared to be a screaming blue and grey blur that shot past her and into the sky. Somewhat shaken by this, she fell in line beside another runner, a brown and white painted earth pony. "Did- did you just see that!?" she asked.

As he maintained his trotting pace, Mojo turned his head slightly and was surprised to see a lovely blue unicorn mare asking him a question.

"Hello there! Name's Mojo and yes, I'm afraid I did see that. Me pal the Professor wanted ME to strap on that solar powered jet pack to use in this race. When I told'm no, he paid a pony to test it to prove to me that it was safe. Poor blue bloke's been flyin' all around this area ever since. Wish I could help'm, but I'm just a simple Earth pony. Got no wings, got no magic. I hope me chums can bring'm down safely."

Mojo smiled at the unicorn mare after he spoke, trying to hide the fact that he was very worried about Saddlesore's fate. The poor guy's a real pain in the flanks sometimes, this is true, but even he didn't deserve this. Even in the midst of his concerns, Mojo remained focused on the race and the fact it was the pounding of hooves on the trail that shook the leaves from the trees. Still, the trotting Paint stallion couldn't help but notice the attractiveness of the blue unicorn mare galloping beside him. Under normal circumstances, the hippie brony might try to use his 'charm' to flirt with her. But these were not normal circumstances so he decided to be friendly and not attempt to try to land a date with her.

"So, what's your name, love? Just because we're competitors doesn't mean we can't chat it up a bit."

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In the sky above Sweet Apple Acres, a determined Jubilee was attempting to intercept the runaway jet pack with Saddlesore attached to it. The airborne white furred Pegasus mare calculated the blue stallion's trajectory while she flew a circular course to try a tricky midair rendevous. With her hovering Pegasi friends Louise and Professor Krashkop pleading with her to stop, Jubilee swooped through the sky before going into a sharp power dive.

"It's now or never!" she neighed as she bore down upon Saddlesore from behind. The gutsy Pegasus managed to hook her front hooves under the back strap of the jet back before it's frightened passenger instinctively kicked his back legs up. His back hooves struck Jubilee in her abdomen, causing her to lose her grip on the device and whince in pain. Her companions gasped at the sight of the blonde maned pony going into a spin before beginning to fall downward.

"Ach! Un-nee-mal!" Professor Krashkop shouted in horror.

"Quick Professor, we gotta save her!" added Louise as the two Pegasi soared up to catch the startled blonde maned Pegasus in midair with their extended front legs. "Jubilee! Jubilee! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Gonna have a big bruise on my belly tomorrow, but otherwise, I'm ok."

"Can you fly on your own now, fraulein?"

"Yeah," the petite winged filly said as she flapped her wings to maintain her position, prompting her friends to release her.

"That stunt is way too dangerous to try again. Professor, what can we do to save Saddlesore?"

"I vish I knew, Miss LaMare. He seems to be flying further down dee track, vee must follow him!"

"That thing'll run out of fuel eventually, won't it?"

"Nein. It is solar powered und as long as dere is sunshine, mein jet pack vill keep flying."

"Let's hurry guys, before we lose sight of him again!" Louise neighed as the three Pegasi flew off in pursuit.

Mojo maintained his steady pace as he was passing by Sweet Apple Acres. Apple trees loaded with fruit as far as the eye could see! The young Paint stallion had never seen so many apple trees together in his entire life! His thoughts briefly drifted as the aroma of those fresh apples reached his nose. Was he just imagining that exquisite smell? A smile came across the trotting pony's face as he imagined taking that first, juicy, sweet delicious bite of a shiny red apple! He could pracitically taste it in his mouth!

His brief 'daydream' was interrupted as a blurr of brown fur and white feathers zipped by him.

"A griffin?" he asked, stunned at the sheer speed of the creature. "Well, no pony said a griffin couldn't run this race!"

Mojo looked up ahead as a shower of falling brown leaves showered down behind the race leaders as he gathered his thoughts.

"Hay now! I know some of those ponies! There's Pinkie Pie! She's REALLY a far out chick! And there's Applejack! Bet she has a home course advantage on this leg of the race! Is that her brother Big MacIntosh up there? Bet that'll be a family rivalry! I think I know that Pegasus mare up ahead, Shanna I think her name is. She has a twin brother as I recall. Hope she's not tempted to use her wings for extra speed, that's wouldn't be cool. Is that a dog I see? Groovy! Just have to stick to me strategy, keep a steady gait, let the speed merchants in the field wear themselves out and then make me move to the front of the pack!"

Mojo continued the race, turning his head from side to side to enjoy the fall foilage as he moved down the race path. There was some racers behind him, no doubt they too were attempting to employ the same tatic he was using. He didn't let that bother him, nor was he concerned about those who had already passed him by. It was the leaves that were the mane task. Making them fall to prepare for the onset of winter. As he trotted on, his ears perked up to a very loud, piercing noise behind him. Instinctively, the Paint Pony took a sharp right turn towards the fence line seconds before a screaming blue stallion strapped to a gray jet pack buzzed by him before soaring skyward.

"WHOA! That was Saddlesore, poor lad. Note to self, NEVER volunteer to be the guinea pony in ANY of Professor Krashkop's experiments! Sure hope some pony figures out a way to stop him before he hurts himself. Spending weeks in the horse-pital mending broken bones wouldn't be cool."

The trotting Mojo steered himself back towards the center of the path and continued on until Sweet Apple Acres was well behind him.

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Up above Sweet Apple Acres, Jubilee, Louise LaMare and Professor Clyde Krashkop hovered as the three Pegasi observed the race.

"Oh no!" Louise neighed. "Mojo is falling behind! He's going to lose the race if he doesn't hurry up!"

"No he isn't, silly!" Jubilee shouted defensively. "It's part of his gameplan! He's pacing himself for the long run!"

"Ja! Dat is sheer genius!" the green Pegasus Professor added. "Brilliant tinking! Glad I suggested it to him!"

"YOU told him to use that crazy jet pack of yours!"

"Yeah!"

"NEIN! Mein invention vas not a crazy idea!" the Professor neighed as the three watched Saddlesore buzz by Mojo before flying upward. "See dat? Mein jet pack vorks perfectly!"

"Oh yeah, PERFECTLY, except for the fact that it's OUT OF CONTROL!"

"Time for me to do something about this!" Jubilee brayed confidently as the petite Pegasus filly flew upward towards the path of the jet pack wearing blue stallion.

"NEIN! YOU CANNOT FLY FAST ENOUGH TO CATCH HIM!"

"FOR ONCE, THE PROFESSOR'S RIGHT JUBILEE! COME BACK HERE!"

Meanwhile, back at the starting line, Misty Magic and Starflower continued watching Mojo's progress through the magical portal the petite yellow furred unicorn mare had accidentially formed with her unpredictable magic.

"Mojo's in the middle of the pack," Misty said sadly. "You sure I shouldn't give him a magical power boost?"

"Absolutely NOT!" the older unicorn neighed. "You know Mojo said he wanted to run this race HIS way, with no cheating."

"I know, I know, but still..." Misty was interrupted by the sight of Saddlesore zipping by the trotting Paint stallion. "Look at that, Starflower! Poor Saddlesore. I have to do SOMETHING to save him!"

"Don't do it, Misty. Your magic could make things worse! Remember the time you tried to use your magic to put a new coat of paint on Mojo's peddler's wagon?"

"HAY! I happen to think those peppermint stripes added charm to his wagon! What wrong with the candy cane look?"

"But he asked for SOLID BROWN as the color!"

"Oh yeah," Misty muttered as she lowered her head in shame.

Destiny Star was mortified. She had made a complete fool of herself tonight. She wanted to be the center of attention tonight, but not like this! What if the press found out about this? The reddish maned unicorn shuttered at the thought of the possible headlines in the Entertainment section of the newspaper: "Destiny's Star is Tarnished at Big Time's Party." As she opened her mouth to try to defend herself, she noticed all the angry looks from the gathered crowd of ponies. Embarrassed beyond belief, the unicorn bowed her head low, began to sob as she slowly walked towards the exit.

"That wasn't cool, miss," Mojo neighed.

"Way to score points with Big Time!" Jubilee laughed. "You really got your POINT across to him!"

As Destiny continued her 'walk of shame,' Saddlesore emerged from under a table and promptly stuck out his tongue at her.

"Serves you right, you crazy hornheaded clown!" the blue stallion laughed, turning to shake his rump at her before walking back towards the buffet table. At that same table, Starflower and Spirit Flame sat together and began to dine. When she saw Big Time getting attacked from the rear, the nurse unicorn stood up to take action.

"Please excuse me, Spirit Flame. I'll be right back after I tend to our host's injuries," Starflower said politely as the light blue unicorn rushed up to Big Time, levitating her black bag with her. "Mr. Big Time, I'm Nurse Starflower and I want to help you with your injury. If your wound is serious, I'll need to wrap a sterile bandage around it to prevent infection."

Starflower really felt awkward. Having been a nurse for a long time, she was used to viewing other pony's rumps, but how will the host of the party react to a mare he's never met before asking to give his rear medical attention? Jubilee looked down at her hooves. They held Big Time's sunglasses that Hoss had just given her.

"Thanks, Hoss, I owe you big for this," the petite blonde Pegasus said as she flew up to the blue stallion. "Mr. Big Time, sir, here are your sunglasses. By the way, if you're still accepting entrants to your talent show, may I sign up? I'm Jubilee Flyer, you may not have heard of me but I hope to be a big star someday, and since I have no horn, I'd never jab you in the rear like Destiny did!"

Jubilee hoped her humor would make Big Time feel better. Seeing this, Mojo turned towards Hoss.

"Looks like Wings is getting to talk to him. Hoss, thanks for helping me chum! Where's your sister? Love to meet her!"

(ooc): Just for information, AppleNitrox, "Wings" is Mojo's nickname for Jubilee. He is the only one who calls her Wings. She calls him 'Modge' from time to time, but that's also a nickname. I am not asking you to change your last post, just keep that in mind for future reference.

(extra ooc): According to Vinyl Scratch's character log, she has 'exited' this RP. I will edit this entry and from now on, remember that Vinyl Scratch has left the scene.

"Sure, I'd love to have a jam session with you, Beauty Brass!" Jubilee neighed with a grin as she waved at the departing DJ pony. "Bye, Vinyl Scratch! I'll be there for rehearsal tomorrow and thanks again for giving me this big break!"

"Half a mo' folks!" Mojo shouted as he looked at the sky down the street. "Dig all those groovy colors up there!"

"It's far too early for that to be from fireworks," Starflower said. "Could it be related to that wonderful music that filly in the town square was playing?"

"I say we find out! Ya comin', Wings?"

"Coming! Hay Beauty Brass, Tobias, wanna see what's going on?" Jubilee asked, smiling widely as she waited for their replies. After politely excusing themselves from the group, Mojo and Starflower gallop back to the town square. By now, the biggest part of the crowd was starting to disperse but a petite yellow furred unicorn mare stood with her eyes still closed, complete enthralled with Fox's music. Fearing that the mare was somehow asleep on her hooves, the two ponies rushed up to her.

"Pardon us, miss, are you alright?"

"Hay, wake up young mare!"

The words they spoke snapped Misty Magic out of her musical 'trance'. When her eyes opened wide, the spectatular 'lights show' in the sky above instantly vanish.

"Huh? What ... what's going on?"

"We were about to ask you the same question. Are you responsible for that lights show we saw earlier?"

"Lights show? I don't understand, ma'am," Misty timidly answered the taller unicorn. "I was just standing here enjoying some of the most lovely music I've ever heard in my life. Guess I lost track of time."

It was then that Mojo noticed Fox putting her guitar away and getting ready to leave. The Paint stallion had to meet her! Rushing up to her, he smiled politely.

"Those were some groovy tunes you were playin', miss. You play like a pro! My name's Mojo and I have to know where you learn to strum those cool songs!"

"Thank you, Mr. Big Time," Starflower said with a smile as she turned to Spirit Flame. "Now that we have our tickets, come with me and we'll help ourselves to the wonderful buffet! You can get whatever you'd like to eat and as much of it as you like. I'll show you."

Starflower's nurturing personality was in 'full gear' as she watched over her new young friend. Meanwhile, Mojo and Jubilee continued their conversation with Hoss.

"I've been to a few big cities before, but this is my first time here," the petite Pegasus mare said. "I came to this party hoping I would have a chance to talk to Big Time. I hear he's one of the most famous talent scouts in all of Equestria!"

"My first time here too," added Mojo. "Came here to make some sales but couldn't pass up this great party! Groovy tunes and excellent grub! What pony wouldn't want to be here?"

At that moment, the one pony who would like to be somewhere else is Saddlesore. Realizing that a very furious Destiny Star was searching for him in the crowd, the blue stallion continued to crawl under tables as he hoped to find the exit and slip away. Destiny's rage caused the tall reddish maned unicorn to growl loud enough for ponies nearby to take notice of her.

"Where is he? Where is that no good plug that dared to attack my flank?" she roared, turning her head to scan the crowd for any signs of the blue pony who had jabbed her butt. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a blue stallion's rear near the front of the room. "AH HA! There he is! Two can play at this game!"

Galloping at full stride, Destiny growled as she lowered her head, aiming her unicorn horn for the blue rear ahead of her. Startled ponies back away from the path of the angry mare who soon scored a direct 'hit' on the blue pony's behind.

"TAKE THAT, YOU HOOLIGAN!" she shouted with a satisfied look on her face, only to spot Saddlesore out of the corner of her eye still moving beneath a nearby table. "Wait! If he's there, then who did I.... HOLY CELESTIA!"

The horrified look on Destiny Star's face said it all. She had just harpooned Big Time, the very pony she had come to this party to impress. Now she just stood there, nervously stuttering jibberish, at a complete loss for words.

I know there is a way to do this because I've seen other members do this.

I've tried different combinations of the "a herf" command and it doesn't work for me.

How do you do it?

Starflower stood with Spirit Flame as Big Time politely asked for her name. She hoped that the shy pony wouldn't be too nervous to respond. The light blue unicorn smiled at her, hoping her mere presense would help Spirit Flame feel comfortable enough to begin to socialize with other ponies. She could sense her unease though she didn't quite understand the source of it.

Meanwhile, Mojo and Jubilee continued pleasant conversation with Hoss.

"You're welcome, Hoss!" the petite blonde Pegasus neighed. "It's great to make new friends, especially when one is a fan of mine!"

"Your sister wants a lava lamp, cool!" Mojo neighed. "My wagon's parked outside. I'll be happy to set her up with one of my finest! Creating lava lamps isn't easy, especially when it comes to getting the fresh lava to put in them."

"That joke is as old as Granny Smith!" Jubilee giggled. "Ya gotta overlook Modge's sense of humor, since he doesn't really have one."

"Ha ha nice one, Wings! Maybe you should add comedy to your resume,"

Near the restroom entrance, Destiny Star stood, still furious over what had happened to her earlier.

"I'll bet it was that grouchy blue pony was the one that jabbed my rear," the tall unicorn grumbled. "I'll find him, so help me I will!"

Seated at a nearby table, Saddlesore heard Destiny's ranting. Finishing his plate of food, the blue stallion decided to bid a hasty retreat. Stooping down low, he began crawling under tables trying to avoid her angry gaze.

(ooc): My entry into the big race is..... MOJO!

The big day had finally arrived! It was the Annual 'Running of the Leaves' and this year, Mojo was ready for it!

The Paint stallion had always dreamed of running the race. Not for fame or glory, but because it was his way of helping the ponies of Equestria to positively affect their environment. The pretty brownish fall leaves needed to be removed from all the trees, and this was a very fun way to do it!

As Mojo prepared to take his place on the starting line, his thoughts turned to all his good friends who had came out to support him in the race today.

"I'm so happy to be here!" Mojo thought to himself. "I know Jubilee will be cheering me on! Poor ol' Wings admitted to me that she doesn't have the patience for this sort of thing. Of course, nurse Starflower lectured me on how to race safely and not overstrain meself. She's like me own mum! I turned down Misty Magic's offer to boost me speed with magic! I wanna run this race fair and square, not have a tussle like Applejack and Rainbow Dash did last year! Glad I turned down Professor Krashkop's silly invention too. Don't want to use a 'solar powered rocket pack' to win. I want to pace my steps, run a nice, even race. Like me dad used to tell me back when I was a foal, 'Compete against yourself, go for your personal best.' That's exactly what I intend to do! If I win, jolly good! If not, no sweat. It's making the leaves fall and having fun that count most."

Mojo positioned himself on the line.

"On your marks!"

Mojo steadied his Earth pony frame into a starting stance.

"Get Set!"

He now raised his rear up slightly to get a good, clean start.

"GO!"

And he's off! As he planned, Mojo got off the line quickly before settling into a trotting 'rythem', a pace he hoped to maintain during the entire race. The Paint brony kept his leisurely pace up, even as other competitors passed him by.

"Slow and steady wins the race," Mojo grunted as he continued his gait.

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From the sidelines, Jubilee, Starflower, Misty Magic, Professor Clyde Krashkop and Louise LaMare cheered as the race started.

"GO GET'M, MODGE!" Jubilee shouted, flapping her wings in excitement.

"STAY SAFE OUT THERE!" added Starflower.

"YOU CAN VIN DIS RACE!" shouted the Pegasus Professor.

"YEEE HAW! MOJO!" added Louise.

"YAY MOJO!" shouted Misty.

"I still say Mojo should've used mein rocket pack! He vould vin dee race for sure vith it!"

"But didn't the pony you have testing it return yet?" Starflower asked as a blue stallion strapped to a large gray jetpack whizzed by from above, screaming at the top of his lungs as he shot back upward.

"Oh! Dere he is! I vish I had remembered to put an 'off' svitch on dat ting!"

"Poor Saddlesore! Maybe I can use my magic to rescue him," Misty suggested before Louise placed her front leg in front of the petite unicorn.

"Not a good idea, kid. No offense, but you're magic is far too unpredictable to try something like that."

"Hay! I'm going to watch the race from above! Who's with me?" Jubilee asked. Louise and the Professor nodded in approval as the three Pegasi took flight towards the race trail.

"Darn it! I wish I had a way to watch Mojo in the entire race!" Misty grunted, stomping her hooves as her horn accidentally began to glow. Instantly, a large square image appeared before her and Starflower. "Huh? What's this?"

"I think you just created a magical portal that is showing us Mojo in the race!" Starflower neighed as she moved next to her fellow unicorn, gazing at the portal to see Mojo trotting with the rest of the field.

"Thank you very much," Starflower said as she finished eating. The unicorn mare got a shocked look on her face when Aqua mentioned a bump. "A bump on your head??? I better have a look at that!"

The light blue mare began to examine it carefully.

"Well, it's probably swelled all it's going to, but just to be safe, perhaps I should prepare an icepack for you to wear. Is it giving you any pain? I have some pills in my black bag that would help you manage the pain better."

Starflower hoped Aqua didn't have a concussion or some other kind of lingering head trauma. Realizing that any affects would be more likely to show up the day AFTER a sharp blow to the head, she was now more determined than ever to stay close to Aqua just in case she needed more medical attention.

(ooc): Let it be after they met, Boss.

Jubilee smiled at Hoss. "Of course you can hang out with us! The more the merrier! I came with my pal Mojo here."

"Hi there!" Mojo neighed as he offered his hoof to shake. "Any friend of Wings here is a friend of mine!"

"And I came with Starflower too, where is she? Oh, there she is, up there with that filly standing in line. Are they giving tickets away up there?"

The line began to move swiftly as Starflower and Spirit Flame reached the blue pony who was passing out the tickets.

"I would like one ticket for myself and one for my new friend here," the taller unicorn said politely to Big Time. She then turned to look at Spirit Flame. "Don't be nervous, Spirit Flame. This is all a part of the party experience. When we're done here, would you like to have some cake and goodies?"

Meanwhile, Saddlesore finally began to eat. The crabby blue stallion showed all the manners of a backyard animal as he smacked his lips, groaned as he ate and belched several times as he devoured all of his three plates of food. Soon, Destiny Star emerged from the restroom all sparkling clean but not in a very good mood.

"Who jabbed me in the rear?" the reddish maned unicorn grunted. "Just wait until I find the joker who did this to me! I'm Destiny Star! No one gets away with making me look foolish! I'll find out who did this if I have to stay here all night!"

Starflower felt relieved to hear Aqua was doing so well.

"Yes, of course I'll come with you! Thanks for inviting me!"

As she spoke, her empty tummy growled again. By now, the unicorn mare could smell the fresh waffles.

"Oh Shanna, I only did what any other Unicorn nurse would. The real hero here is Aqua!"

When Hoss and Shanna ordered waffles, Starflower knew what she had to do.

"Waiter! May I please have some of those delicious smelling waffles too?"

The light blue mare didn't realize how hungry she was until her food arrives. She completely devours her first plate of waffles and immediately asked for a second helping. Starflower hoped everyone at the table would understand how hungry she was and not think she was a glutten.

"I'll be happy to share that story with ya, love," Mojo proudly announced.

"I would like to hear that story too," added Starflower as she sat on the floor next to Whirlwind's hammock. As the Paint stallion began to speak, Jubilee arrived back at the wagon, letting herself in through the side door.

"I'm back guys!" Julibee neighed before Mojo rushed over to hug her.

"Glad to see ya made it, Wings!"

"Hay, it was a piece of cake!" the blonde maned Pegasus spoke as she fluttered up to Whirlwind. "Found your folks, told them you'd be safe with all of us. No problem!"

"I'm happy to see you again too, Jubilee," Starflower said with a smile. "Mojo was about to share his cutie mark story with us."

"Oh I LOVE this story!" Jubilee shouts as she lands in a nearby hammock, "this story NEVER gets old! Fire away, Modge!"

"That's groovy! Here's the lowdown on my cutie mark. I was born on a farm not far from here. My parents and I had a happy life there on the farm surrounded by other farming pony families. As a colt, they taught me how to appreciate and create hoofmade arts and crafts, how to grow food without the use of magic and the virtues of living in peace with nature and with other ponies. I took their teachings to heart and even in my school days, I avoided fighting and kept those foals around me at peace by words. I was quite the wordsmith back then, and one day I recited a poem I wrote about peace and love and THAT'S when it happened! After I finished my presentation, I got my peace sign cutie mark."

"And that's how he became Mojo, the pony of peace!" added Jubilee, clapping her front hooves together. "Ol' Modge is being too modest! He has a special talent for making ponies feel more relaxed. Sometimes he's broken up arguments just by walking into a room!"

"Now Wings, I think you might be stretching things a might. I'm no pony special, I'm just me."

"Well, I think that's a delightful story," Starflower said with a grin of approval. "You certainly have remained calm and cool throughout this situation."

"Thanks Star," Mojo said as the rain began to fall harder. When the first crack of thunder was heard, a frighten Starflower instinctively grabbed Mojo and held him tight in fear, her whole unicorn frame trembling.

"Wow Starflower! Didn't know YOU were scared of a little bit of thunder!" Jubilee laughed. Now aware of what she has just done, Starflower released the Paint pony.

"I'm not afraid! Not at all!"

"So, ya just hugged me cause you felt the love vibes I was sending across the room, Star?"

"Well, I, I..."

"Chill out, love. Nothin' wrong with fearing thunder! We're all friends here. We'll make it through this night together, right?"

"RIGHT!"

"Right," Starflower said, feeling more calm as she returned to her spot next to Whirlwind's hammack. "So, what shall we do next to pass the time before bedtime?"

(ooc): Looks like we need to get these chars back together.

Delighted at what she heard from the Pegasi twins, Starflower trots downstairs and into the dining room to see Aqua eating more waffles. Panicking, the tall light blue unicorn mare quickly positions her stethoscope and begins to do a 'on the spot' examination.

"Oh my! You poor dear filly, are you alright? Are you feeling well? Any pain, stress or strain? Better check your magic energy levels."

Starflower continued to ramble as she proceeded with the examination. Her concentration was shattered by the sound of her own rumbling stomach.

"I'll eat later, right now I care more about my patient," the determined mare said as she continued the examination.

Here's a new one from Cross Time Cafe (warning, CTC is crudely drawn with stick figures)

Hearing Big Time's admonishment made Destiny Star feel instantly embarrassed. Her ears drooped as she lowered her head and began to quietly walked backwards to get out of the gathered crowd. Saddlesore had just sat his full plates of food on a nearby table when he looked up just in time to see Destiny's rump knock him down again. THIS time, the grumpy blue Earth Pony had had enough! Reaching for a hat pin he spotted on the table, Saddesore grabbed it in his teeth and eagerly thrust it into the reddish maned unicorn's flank.

"YYYYYYEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!" she screamed, jumping high up into the air before galloping towards the restroom, knocking down other ponies like bowling pins during her mad dash.

"That big doofus mare had that coming!" Saddlesore laughed as a smile came on his face. Realizing he was now happy, the stubborn blue stallion quickly returned to frowning. "Now at last, maybe I can eat!"

Meanwhile, Jubilee was overcome with joy that Hoss actually knew who she was and wanted her autograph!

"WOW! Thank you! I'd LOVE to give you my autograph!" the petite Pegasus said as she signed. "Yeah, that street party was a lot of fun! Oh, don't mind Destiny, she's a little too high strung and..."

Jubilee was interrupted by Destiny's loud scream of pain and subsequent dash towards the restrooms.

"Hmmmm. I wonder what got into her? She's running like she got stung by a bee or something."

"No Wings, I think Destiny got what she deserved in the end," Mojo giggled.

"I don't get it," Jubilee said as Starflower continued her conversation with Spirit Flame, noticing how the filly moved towards the crowd gathered around Big Time.

"So, would you like to go up there and get a raffle ticket? I'll gladly buy one for you if you like," the tall light blue unicorn mare said softly. Through her many years of nursing, Starflower could recognize a shy pony when she saw one. She could also sense that somehow, this party seemed to be overwhelming her. Starflower's natural 'mothering' instincts kicked in as she tried to be both supportive and protective of her new friend.

Starflower yawned and stretched as she rolled out of bed. She had been up most of the night watching over Aqua until she was totally exhausted. Grooming herself quickly, she flung open the door of her room.

"Oh my! I hope that young unicorn's alright!" she neighed, rushing over to the room only to find she was gone.

"Where, where is she?" Starflower asked in panic until she saw Shanna and Hoss. "Where is your friend? Did she leave? I really need to give her a follow up examination to make sure everything's ok."

Hearing her name called out, Jubilee turned to see Hoss, giving him a wide smile.

"Hi there!" the excited Pegasus neighed. "So happy to meet you!"

As she began to talk to him, Destiny Star emerged from the restroom. Spotting Jubilee speaking to a handsome Pegasus, the taller unicorn mare became jealous.

"If ANYONE'S going to be the center of attention tonight, it's going to be ME!" she snarled, trotting up to Hoss and pushing the smaller blonde Pegasus away. "Hello handsome! You don't want to talk to that nobody. You want to be with ME, Destiny Star!"

"HAY!" Jubilee squealed as her hooves slid on the floor.

"That's not cool, babe," Mojo brayed.

"YOU again?" Starflower asked sternly. "Leave our friend alone!"

"Like I'm going to listen to Methusiah Mare and Beatnik Bumpkin!" Destiny shouted before Jubilee flew upward and then swooped down to ram the arrogant reddish maned mare in the side with such force, she slid across the floor and once more collided with a full plate laden Saddlesore.

"Nobody disses my friends! Now, where were we, sir?" Jubilee asked as Starflower returned to Spirit Flame.

"This is an open party, miss," the light blue unicorn said softly with a smile. "My name is Starflower, what's yours?"

Meanwhile, near the rear wall, Destiny and Saddlesore were once more covered in food debris and laying on top of each other.

"Am I EVER going to get anything to eat tonight?" the blue Earth Pony grumbled as he struggled to free himself of the large unicorn mare pinning him down to the floor. "Are you crazy? Is THAT your problem?"

"You Neanderthal clod! Just look at me! My beautiful coat is all messy again! I'm going to have you thrown out of this party for being so disruptive!"

"YOU are the clumsy oaf that keeps running into me, you ditzy hornhead!"

"YOU RUDE, CRUDE glue factory reject! GO AWAY AND STOP BOTHERING ME!"

"Let me up first then I'll gladly leave you alone, crazy broad!" Saddlesore grunted before Destiny got up on her four hooves, allowing the blue stallion to get up and walk back to the buffet table. "That woman's three apples shy of a bushel!"

Hearing the insult, Destiny was red hot mad until she spotted Big Time up ahead. Plowing through the crowd, knocking down several ponies along the way, the reddish maned unicorn fought her way towards him.

"MR BIG TIME!" she screamed out, "MR BIG TIME! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU! I'M FAMOUS JUST LIKE YOU!"

Most of the party guests were now visibly annoyed with Destiny Star, staring at her with angry looks on their faces as she continued trying to get the blue stallion talent agent's attention. She was so determined, she forgot how sloppy and messy her fur and mane were.

"Oh my! That's horrible!" Starflower neighed in shock. "So this young mare's wagon was vandalized and she used her unicorn magic to drive the bandit away? Did either of you try to contact the authorities here to report this incident?"

Using her unicorn magic, the mare opened the room door to take another look at Aqua.

"Looks like she's resting comfortably now. Bandits ponies can be dangerous to confront. All of you are lucky not to be injured. Did you bring her wagon here?"

This is a WONDERFUL IDEA!

One quick question. I know that each of us can have only ONE OC pony in the race, but in our posts, can our OTHER OC's serve as a 'cheering section' WITHOUT being directly involved in the race?

Just trying to plan/think ahead for the start of the event.

Second question: Do we have to pre-register our 'entries' for the race?

"I'm fine, and thank you," Starflower said as she stood up on her four feet. "Glad I could help. Guess it comes from a lot of years of experience dealing with sick and injured ponies. Young mare, I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Nurse Starflower. Your friend just needs rest now, she will regained her physical strength and regenerate her magical energy as she sleeps. Could you tell me how she got into this condition? What did she do that so depleted her magical energy?"

The light blue unicorn looked concerned, hoping that her energy transfer will be enough to make the unicorn in the bed whole again.

Jubilee was the first to see Bull Dozer confront Spirit Flame and flew over to her defense.

"Leave her alone, ya big bully!" the blonde maned Pegasus shouted, buying enough time for her friends to trot over.

"Chill out, pal," Mojo said in a calm voice. "No need to send out negative vibes towards this young lady."

"Are you alright, miss?" Starflower asked, lowering her head so she could speak to Spirit Flame face to face.

Meanwhile, Destiny Star sensed her chance to corner Big Time, but when she trotted up towards him, she collided with Saddlesore who was backing away from the buffet with loaded plates of food on his back. The collision caused the loaded plates to fall upward and then send a shower of goodies down on both of them.

"Watch where you're going! NOW see what you've done, you insane horn headed plug!" Saddlesore roared as the two slowly got back up on four feet.

"MY furry coat! My mane! RUINED! You barbarian! How DARE you do THIS to ME!" Destiny yelled back.

"YOU ran into ME, crazy horse!"

"NO! YOU rammed ME, you poor excuse for a blue colt! I have half a mind to sue you!"

"I agree!"

"Agree that I should sue you?"

"Nope, agree you have HALF A MIND, you brainless bimbo! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"WELL I NEVER!"

"Better hop on your broom and fly back to Oz, witch!" Saddlesore sneered, shaking additional food debris onto the furious reddish maned unicorn before trotting back to the buffet table. Suddenly aware that her soiled coat is not the look she wanted to display to Big Time, Destiny Star galloped to the restroom to clean herself up fast.

Starflower gasps when she heard Hoss's story.

"I'm Nurse Starflower and a unicorn exhausting her energy is a serious matter!"

Using her magic to bring her black bag over to her, Starflower rushed into Shanna's room. The light blue unicorn quickly went to work.

"Got to act fast! Unicorns are magical ponies and must retain a healthy level of it to live. I'm going to attempt to transfer some of my magical energy into the patient. If this works, at least she'll be stable and conscious. Stand back please, I need plenty of room."

Closing her eyes, Starflower began to focus her thoughts. Within seconds, a tight beam of energy shot out from Starflower's horn and connected with Aqua's. Pulses of light could be seen traveling the length of the beam from the unicorn nurse to her patient. The transfer was taking more of a toll on Starflower than she thought it would. After two minutes of pulsing, the beam stopped and the nurse unicorn staggered, leaning up against the wall to support herself.

"Whoa! Haven't done one of these in many years. Guess I'm not as young as I used to be! If I did this right, the patient should wake up any minute. She's still physically exhausted, so she'll need bedrest for a while."