​ Chapter VIII: The Commencement of the Tournament

Coco Pommel POV

“Are zey here yet Coco?” asked Sapphire. “Non Sapphire,” I replied, looking at Luna's night sky.

“Ladies, eef I am not meestaken, ze Hogwarts delegation is approaching.”

“Look! It eez a flying house!” shrieked a first-year.

“Non! C'est coaches!” screamed a fifth-year.

“How eez it able to fly?” asked another third year.

“Thestrals!” boomed a seventh year.

“Zat makes perfect sense!” shouted Ruby.

The coaches came to a smooth halt. Slowly, the students began to disembark. In the first carriage I could see Headmistress Celestia and Deputy Headmistress Luna magically untangling some of the teachers. A few carriages down I saw Sweetie Belle, Rarity, Rainbow, Apple Bloom, Applejack, Pinkie and another girl who I strongly suspected to be her twin sister, Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, Babs Seed, and two other girls whom I didn't know yet. “Coco, Saph, Ruby! How are you guys?” squealed Sweetie.

“Excellent! You girls?” said Sapphire just as excitedly as her cousin.

“We're good,” said Fluttershy cheerfully. “Who are ze other girls?” asked Ruby.

“Hi, I'm Silver Spoon! You can call me Sil and my talent isn't being stuck up or snobbish, it's actually silversmithing” said the bespectacled girl breathlessly. “I'm Sonata Dusk,” said the cyan-skinned girl with cobalt blue hair. “Pleasure to meet you,” I said. "They seem really cool!" I thought. I smirked with the other girls at Rarity's expression of sheer joy. “Rarity, you look real pleased. This beauty's even shinier than our prize-winning entrant in the Appleloosa State Fair,” drawled Apple Bloom, smirking most smugly at Sweetie Belle who had the same expression all over her face. “Sco-ore!!” cheered the all the other girls, high-fiving, fist bumping, fist pumping, bouncing in place, and giggling. “We've had a bet with Rarity on her reaction to seeing this palace,” whispered Sonata. “Ooohhh!! I get it” I whispered back.

“Mare hug!!” screamed Pinkamena. Pinkie and Pinkamena engulfed me, Sapphire, and Ruby into a massive hug. The girls' grins grew wider every second. In a matter of thirty seconds, Rainbow Dash had already fallen victim of a gargantuan laughing fit. Tears began streaming copiously from her wine-colored eyes as she collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. “Oh—by Celestia— you two are—insane! In a good way, of course” huffed Dashie. “Darlings, please do stop,” chided Rarity. “Oki-Doki-Loki!” said the twins. “Merci,” I replied with a deadpan tone.

"Uh Rares,” began Rainbow, “What?” snapped Rarity. “Could we move? I really don't want to run into the terror that is Dolores Jane Umbridge again....” “Move it, ladies!! Let's get away now.” ordered Rarity, shoving us away from Umbridge. “Zat Umbridge woman sounds like somepony not to be mezzed with” piped up Sapphire. “Whoo yep. She ain't nice, not one lil' bit. She even put the twins in detention for a week. She found some party plans but she thought they were Quidditch tactics. This was 'fore she remitted and let Quidditch be played again.” said Applejack “Harsh,” I said. “Mhmm. When she put the twins in detention I wanted to do the Stare on her, even if I got in detention too,” whispered Fluttershy.

“Oi, what's that noise?” quipped Sunset. “Look at ze lake!” yelled a fourth-year. “Ow!” hissed Rainbow rubbing a sore spot on her neck where the muscles had tensed up in her rapid jerk towards the lake. It wasn't smooth and shiny anymore, instead it was extremely choppy. In the center of the lake a humongous whirlpool appeared. A mast slowly rose from the vortex. “Eet eez a ship!” yelled Sapphire. “It is!!” shrieked Fluttershy.

It looked like a reawakened, ghostly, shipwreck. The ship began to sail calmly to shore as the water calmed down. It anchored and a plank was lowered onto the shore. “Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh!!! Do I look good? Do I need to look 20% cooler?” said Rainbow in an undertone. “You look fine, darling. What's all this fuss about?” asked Rarity. Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded. “Krum! Viktor Krum, Rarity!! Youngest Seeker ever to be on the Bullgarian Quidditch Team! And in my opinion, the cutest,” hissed Rainbow Dash. “Oh. How highly embarrassing,” whispered Rarity, blushing furiously, looking extremely mortified but not blushing as hard as Rainbow. Her cheeks burned to a shade like the sun. “Welcome Professor Will. Would you like to go inside?” inquired Madame Maxime. “Vell, let me ask the boys,” said Professor Iron Will. It was clear that they said “yes” even though they were talking in rapid Bullgarian. We parted a space to let them pass then we followed suit.

“There eez a party set up inside, in ze Dining Hall. It's going to be a-ma-zing!” I squealed. “Are there tacos?” asked Sonata. “I just hope there are none of Mother Pie's Tabasco Frosting cupcakes,” muttered Twilight. The others sniggered, including Sonata. Pinkie and Pinkamena squeed and began to sing as DJ Pon-3 turned up the music.

“You don't have to look like a movie star,

Ooh I think you're good just the way you are,

Tell me if you could would you up and run away with me?

You don't have to roll like a millionaire,

Baby I would go with you anywhere,

We don't need no gold, we'll be shining anyway, we'll see

You know can't nobody get down like us,

We don't stop 'till we get enough,

C'mon, turn it up 'till the speakers pop

Break it down, show me what you've got

Ooh my my baby don't be shy,

I see that spark flashing in your eye,

My heart beats fast 'cause I want it all,

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la

Take my hand, we can go all night,

And spin me round just the way I like,

It feels so good, I don't wanna stop

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la

You don't have to wear no designer clothes,

Just as long as we're dancing on the floor,

Fingers in my hair and I'm letting go tonight, so free

You know can't nobody get down like us,

We don't stop 'till we get enough,

C'mon, turn it up 'till the speakers pop

Break it down, show me what you've got

Ooh my my baby don't be shy,

I see that spark flashing in your eye,

My heart beats fast 'cause I want it all,

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la,

Take my hand, we can go all night

And spin me round just the way I like,

It feels so good, I don't wanna stop

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la,

Ooh my my baby don't be shy,

I see that spark flashing in your eye

Ooh my my baby don't be shy,

I see that spark flashing in your eye,

My heart beats fast 'cause I want it all,

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la,

Take my hand, we can go all night,

And spin me round just the way I like,

It feels so good, I don't wanna stop

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la,

Baby come with me and be my ooh la la,

So baby come with me and be my ooh la la,”

A rousing cheer came from the crowd when the song finished. We weaved through the crowd to find a table to fit us all. I found a table large enough and that was close to the teachers' table. Rainbow and the twins wanted a table close by so they could all spy on Umbridge while going incognito. “Um, darling, how do we eat?” asked Rarity.

“Like zis: Bruschetta Pomme.” said Ruby.

“So that's how you eat!” exclaimed Pinkie.

I laughed, then said “Oui. Zat is how you eat,”

Two hours, and several courses, later we trooped up to the seventh floor to retire to bed. When we entered the massive common room, Rainbow yawned and toppled onto a divan in an almost Rarity-like fashion and began to snore. “Um, what just happened?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Let me explain,” said Fluttershy. “That's what us Pegasi call Too Much Oxygen Syndrome or, for short, TMO Syndrome. It happens when a Pegasus is inactive for too long and they're not up in the sky. Rainbow is so active that she naps when she isn't working or practicing, or studying. We all fall asleep in History Of Magic class because Professor Maud is really boring, in the tone where she drones on. There's less oxygen in Cloudsdale but there's enough so other ponies can be in hot air balloons and survive up there, though”

“Okay. That does rather make sense,” remarked Silver Spoon. “Mom is a Pegasus” she explained.

“'Shy did you notice that you sound like The Egghead? No offense,” said Sunset.

“Don't worry Sunset! It's perfectly fine,”said Fluttershy, very quietly. Twilight didn't hear her.

“Touché, Sunny, touché” snarked Twilight.

“Oh, Twilight,” sighed Spike, winking at the others.

“I dunno bout y'all but I'm gonna hit the hay,” said Applejack.

“I too, must get my beauty sleep. I highly suggest you do the same,” yawned Rarity.

“You can leave Rainbow Dash there. G'night!” whispered Fluttershy.

“Twilight, if you plan on doing an all-nighter, that's a bad idea,” said Spike flatly.

“Fine,” retorted Twilight. We went up the stairs into the main room where there were several, slightly raised, levels.

“Pick any bed zat you want. Bon nuit,” I said happily.

“Tomorrow we will visit ze Beauxbatons equivalent of Hogsmeade!” squealed Sapphire Gem.

“Oooh la la!” cheered Rarity.

“I'm telling sis when she wakes up!” said Scootaloo “Is there something like Quality Quidditch Supplies there?”

“Yep. C'est fantastique!” said Ruby. “We 'ave our own Quidditch team” I added. Within minutes, we were all asleep.

A loud BOOM startled me awake. “What eez going on?!” I shrieked. I was very cross at being awoken, then I remembered. “What time eez it?” I asked.

“7 o'clock, darling.” said Rarity.

“Bien. We do not leave until 9 o'clock,” said Ruby.

“Pinkiemena!! Where. Are. My. (Twilight's) Wing muffs!!!” yelled voices I recognized as Fluttershy's and Twilight's. Fluttershy didn't raise her voice unless she was extremely upset. I peeked into the common room to see them nearly dressed, going for a morning flight most likely. Except Twilight was missing her wing muffs. All the Pegasi were readying for a few morning laps.

“Where are Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo?” I asked.

“They're already out doing laps. Derpy, Blossomforth, and Thunderlane are out doing laps too. Rainbow and Scoots wanted us to join them but, it's too cold for me without my wing muffs. 'Shy said the cold doesn't really bother her, but she doesn't want to leave me alone. I suspect the twins are trying another experiment. I let them use mine all in the name of Magical Science” said Twilight. “Never shoulda done that,” she muttered darkly. The others sniggered again.

The twins slid out from a vase. “As for you two,” said Twilight as she glared and rounded on the twins. “I. Will. Murder. You. Both. In. Your. Sleep!” she screeched.

“Uh, Twilight?” asked Pinkamena cautiously.

“What?” inquired Twilight curtly.

“They're right there,” she said, pointing to Twilight's trunk, where her wing muffs lay.

“Oh. This is so embarrassing!” exclaimed Twilight. “Sorry, girls”

“No biggie,” replied the twins.

“Let's hustle y'all,” said Applejack.

“Hey guys,” greeted Rainbow Dash.

“We're ready!” chimed Rarity and the rest of us who were upstairs.

“Shall we get some grub?” asked Scootaloo. “Yeah. Agh, flying on an empty stomach was a bad idea,” replied Rainbow.

“Normally I eat but I was in such a hurry I forgot to grab a couple muffcakes before my laps.”

“Darlings could we please get some food!” exclaimed Rarity.

“Let's go,” declared the twins.

“Allonzy!” yelled Silver Spoon.