Snips 'n Snails

"Okay... This is what m'ah cousin Braeburn taught'us. Putchya hooves 'round in a circle. Like this," instructed Apple Bloom, stumbling for a moment, only to regain her balance as she held out her hoof- almost in offering. The rest of the schoolfillies followed suite- Snips quickly joining in as Snails held out his hoof.

"Now... Ah'm gonna count t'twenty one. Whoever's hoof I land on when ah finish is tagged. Now if y'REALLY wanna be the first to get it, then y'all can curl it. Like this," she continued, now curling her hoof, craning it towards the ground. She trailed her orange eyes around the group, smiling as always- meeting Snips' for a moment. "That means y'get counted twice."

"Who would want THAT?" scoffed Diamond Tiara from where she sat beside the tree, glaring on at the proceedings before her- occasionally casting her fury upon the oblivious Silver Spoon, holding out her hoof with the rest of them. "If you put out two, you're obviously gonna get tagged first!"

"That's the point, Diamond Tiara," huffed the filly, casting a sharpened, darkening glare her way, that smile dimming from her lips. It wasn't the first time today.

Snips tried to jut in- mouth beginning to open, to back up Apple Bloom- but that unicorn with the.. slanty eyes jutted in. "Come on!"

Whisking her gaze back to her listeners, Apple continued. "If ya.. if ya REALLY wanna get tagged, poke ya tongue out. Like thiths," she instructed, tongue poking through her lips, maw now curved into a small little grin. It earned her a chuckle or two. Snips made sure to laugh.

Snips got tagged third- after the fluttering, smirking Scootaloo had claimed a bored unicorn reading a book near the schoolhouse and Sweetie Belle, whom had willingly surrendered herself to her friend.

He watched the orange pegasi scamper off, laughing along with her friend, purple mane blowing about her head as she ran. He could still feel her hoof on his side, where that imaginary tag had been placed.

They were laughing at him. He knew it. He ran out of breath faster than everyone else. He tripped over more often- and as much as he told himself it was because of those 'dumb pebbles' or 'stupid roots', he knew it was his legs. Stubby n' chubby.

Stubby and Chubby. Stubby and Chubby. Snips can't run 'cause he's Stubby n' Chubby.

Between pants, Snips managed to cast his gaze aside, trailing it off towards the fence in the distance. Silver Spoon was watching him, scampering along the fence, followed by Pip. A smirk had curved along her lips.

Flickering his eyes away, Snips looked back off towards the tree- he knew someone must have been hiding up there. Maybe if got a running start, threw himself up with magic, he could tag someone up there- by surprise, too. Or maybe he could sneak up there, pretend to not be tagged, and catch them by surprise. Hehe. Sneaky.

He had taken a sole step towards the tree when he heard the thud. Something grey had fallen from the tree, something pony-like- a filly. That one with the brown mane and tail, that one that wore a beanie- her name escaped him. She.. hit the ground hard.

"O-ow.." mumbled the mare, words croaked, her drifting, trembling gaze falling upon one of her legs. Lips pursing open, a quiet gawk Snips' sole response, the colt trailed his gaze up along the tree bark. It was Snails.