PART(ie)

Chapters

How To Make a Mess
A Conversation of Great Importance
Up In The Clouds
The Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense
Pleasant Morning
Landings
Through the Forest
The Ruins of Hollow Shade
Battlefield Shade
Attack on Birdie
Attack on Birdie 2: The Sequel
Teams, Old and New
The Hour Time Stood Still
Killing It Swiftly
Thorn in the Side
History 101
Blackmail
A Talk in the Hall
White Tail Woods
Attack of the Demon Tree People
Message from the Shadows
Playing With Fire
Thank Faust It's Friday- The First Part
Thank Faust It's Friday- The Other Part
Lust at First Sight
Escalation
Trouble Cometh
Nearing the End
Outmatched
Now There Are Two
Resurgence
A Brief Lesson

How To Make a Mess

Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie as she is more commonly known by her extensive network of peers who totally know who she is, sits cross legged on a floor in the late hours of the night, wearing her favorite outfit: pink shoes, dark pink skirt and a pink, sleeveless shirt that has three balloons stitched on the front. She also has cozy blue and yellow stripped knee high socks. But outfits aside, the floor that Pinkie Pie is sitting on is not just a normal floor, but it is a rather comfortable floor that belongs to a gem shop in the quaint town of Ponyville.

For Pinkie Pie, her love for the shop is only bested by two other places. The Cake's Bakery and Partytropolis, both of which are closed at the moment. But for the late nights such as now, Pinkie Pie enjoys the welcoming environment of bright lights, displayed gems of various shapes, sizes and colors, all of which are locked behind thick glass and overseen by a sweet old man. There is one thing that Pinkie Pie loves doing in this particular shop, and that is sitting in the corner, reading a weapon's magazine and listening to the dreamy voice of her musical crush on her Walkman.

“Don't want to be an Equestrian idiot.
Don't want a nation purged by the mania.
And can you hear all the mass hysteria?
The subliminal mind rut Equestria.”

Pinkie Pie hums along to the rest of the lyrics, bobbing her head and turning the pages on the latest issue of Guys, Guns and More Guns. She stops and whistles as she turns the magazine longways, letting the folded paper expand to show off a titan of a man with big arms and tight abs sensually licking the barrel of a rifle as tall as he with a massive drum and a scope the size of his biceps. He is also wearing a speedo that shamelessly displays a good sized bulge.

Pinkie Pie grins and blinks a couple of times. “Yeah, you're definitely going in the memory books.”

Then she feels someone tap on her shoulder and she turns slightly to see a man in a suit and pony mask holding a gun at her and motioning her to take off her headphones. She slides the bulbous things off, letting her pink, puffy hair pop out, and the music to flow freely into what she just now realizes is a very tense atmosphere.

“Yes?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Put your hands in the air,” says the man.

“Why?”

“Because we're robbing this place.”

Pinkie Pie blinks again and looks past his shoulder to see five more guys in suits with pony masks being led by another man who is not disguised. He is wearing a gray blazer, striped brown pants, a gold tie and has only one glove, which has sharp fingertips. He also has a long, gray goatee and spiky head of gray hair that is not meant for people who are in their midlife crisis stage. Which is what he appears to be in. She also notices that while the others are carrying small machine guns, he has a cane.

Pinkie Pie blinks again and looks at the man pointing the gun at her.

“Why?” she asks.

“Why what?” says the robber.

“Why are you robbing this place?”

“Because we can. Duh.”

“Duh?”

“Duh.”

“Duh?”

“Duh.”

“Duh?”

“Duh!”

“Oh. Duh.”

“Yes. Duh!”

“I see.”

Then with a a quick flick of her wrists the hammer she has been so casually resting on her lap is twirled with the head pressing against the floor at an angle, and then she pushes one little button on the handle. The handle extends at breakneck speeds, hitting the crook in the gut with the orb bottom and launching him into the ceiling. His back breaks the ceiling tile and pops loose the lighting fixtures, sending debris, glass and sparks raining down on the shop owner and the gang. The group screams and swears and dives for cover, and the victim of Pinkie Pie's attack has a hard landing when he falls and bounces off the reinforced counter top, body twitching and covered in insulation and broken tile.

With sparks falling and lights hanging from the ceiling, Pinkie Pie stands up with the help of her hammer and spins on her heels to face the general area of the remaining thugs, leaving a nasty hole in the floor behind her. Seconds later the criminals gradually poke their heads out, one at a time, like man-sized, pony-prairie dogs. The last one to poke his head out is the man with the mismatched clothing, and he looks at the fallen thug, and then at Pinkie Pie. She, in turn, twirls her hammer before aiming it at them with a massive grin.

“Hey there,” she says.

“Did you do that?” says Mismatch.

“I did.”

“Huh. Nice. But, anyway.” He points at his thugs and then at Pinkie Pie. “Kill her until she dies.”

Five guns are pointed at Pinkie Pie in an instant, but even though she is meeting those barrels with a smile, inside she is screaming. That inner screaming comes out as a nervous chuckle, and she drums her sweaty fingers against her hammer's handle with more trailing down her neck with every pump of her heart.

“Yeah. Not good,” says Pinkie Pie through her teeth.

She spots one of the crooks starting pull on his trigger, and she leaps off to the side, sliding on the ground as the bullets fly, deafening her and clouding the atmosphere with shredded paper, splinters and sparks. Magazines fall and destroyed displays crumble, and Pinkie Pie spins to sit on her rump and she flicks down a gun grip and trigger, and pulls down another grip further down. She then presses a smiley face button on the trigger grip and the hammer head parts ways to reveal a barrel, glowing blue and whirring from a spinning ball of energy inside.

A pair of crooks come into view with their weapons raised, but when they see the glowing ball in Pinkie's hammer-cannon, their eyes bulge to dinner plate sizes. This she only knows because she can see it, and before they can so much as take a step they are blasted away.

The blue ball decimates the floor and flings the crooks away, smoking and sparking with the remains of floorboards and carpet. One thug hits a rack and takes it to the ground with him, and the other spirals in the air, head over feet and face plants a wall. Upside down. He slides down with a human shaped crack in the wall.

With that, more bullets fly and Pinkie Pie keeps her head down as she runs across the store, feeling an odd sense of fear and excitement with her rushing blood and stupid giggles. The shooters lose track of her, but it does not stop them from making a carpet of spent shells and decorating the wall with hundreds of new holes. Much to Pinkie Pie's relief, they all run out of bullets at roughly the same time, if the trio of clicks and clacks are any indication.

Pinkie Pie takes cover behind a counter, shaking and biting her tongue in an honorable effort to keep herself from laughing her position away. It is the most fun she has had in a while, and the potential of being shot to death has nothing to do with her trembles and crazy energy or racing heart.

When Pinkie Pie pokes her head around the corner, she sees the last three thugs standing in a circle, eyeballing the smoky, sparking surrounding as they eject their empty clips.

“Yo, Biff! Gimme more ammo!” says one thug.

The one named Biff checks himself, then looks at the one that talked to him.

“Yeah, I forgot the ammo,” he says.

“What?” says the third thug.

The first thug growls. “Damn it, Biff. You had one job, and you blew it.”

“I don't blow things, Chief. Things blow me,” says Biff.

And then Biff is blown out the window by Pinkie Pie's cannon. The two thugs and Pinkie Pie watch him roll and bounce across the street with a trail of glass from the now nonexistent window, coming to a stop when he hits a car. The car alarm goes off and the two remaining criminals look at Pinkie Pie, and she looks back at them, grinning wolfishly.

“Okay, who's next?” says Pinkie Pie.

The two look at each other, nod, and then adjust their grips on their weapons to sprout blades from the grips, trailing well past the barrels, and after quick, fancy hand work, the rifle stocks are morphed into blade handles with a gem battery glowing on the side. The two pull the triggers of their weapons and their blades vibrate and hum with sparks of red dancing around them, and Pinkie Pie's eye twitches with a smile longer on her face.

The two spread out, keeping their hands on their hilts and blades aimed at Pinkie Pie, and she steps back just as slow as their steps, eyes and hammer darting between them. Her mouth goes dry and her knees and hands quiver as more sweat wets her neck, forehead and palms.

Three heart beat loudly with squeaking and sparking of loose fixtures, and the elderly shop keepers barely pokes his head out to see what is going on. Debris is crunched underneath their footwear, and when the remaining criminals brace themselves, Pinkie Pie's muscles tighten and her breath is sucked away.

And then they charge.

From outside no one can see much of anything in the shop. They can see flashes of blue light, hear screams, thumps, explosions, and objects breaking on top of pained grunts and swears. Shadows of humans and rubble flicker in and out of view, and after a particularly loud scream and explosion, the wall to the gem shop is reduced to splinters and broken brick that is flung across the quiet street in a fiery, blue smoke. With the rubble comes the remaining crooks, flying or skidding across the road, smoking in torn up suits and masks. When they stop, Pinkie Pie staggers out of the gaping hole, teeth grinding and chest heaving from her panting and body covered in sweat, grime and blood. Her outfit is torn in spots, her puffy hair is clumped and sagging, and her hammer's blue glow is dim.

Somewhere a dog barks, and Pinkie Pie collapses on her knees, using the hammer for support as she grips a slash on her arm. She looks up seconds later, sucking in the cool night air and sees Mismatch standing on the roof of a not so far off building, staring at her with a massive case on his back and a bottle of chocolate milk in his hand.

She narrows her eyes and stands up with a groan, and she looks over her shoulder at the shop keeper, who is standing in the middle of a crater with all of the rubble pushed against the wall, jaw to the floor and eyes devoid of life. Not too far from him, a piece of the wall and ceiling crumbles into a heap, but the shop keeper makes no reaction whereas Pinkie Pie winces and meekly jabs a thumb towards Mismatch.

“Will you be all right if I go after him?” asks Pinkie Pie.

The shop keeper stiffly turns to her. “You destroyed my shop.”

“I'll pay you back.”

“You're unemployed.”

“Eh... Bye!”

And with that Pinkie Pie runs off, ignoring the burn of her wounds and sore muscles. By the time she runs down the block, climbs the ladder and clambers on to the roof her lungs feel shriveled and her throat dry. She also tastes copper and her kidney feels like it has just been punched, and has to once again use her hammer for support so she can catch her breath without falling over.

An empty bottle of chocolate milk tossed at her feet makes Pinkie Pie jump and aim her hammer at Mismatch, and he meets her tired ferocity with a goofy smile. With them being merely a few paces apart Pinkie Pie notices that one of his red pupils is bigger than the other, and his eyes are yellow. She also sees that he has really, really big bushy eyebrows.

“You know, I think I like you. You did a great job making a mess,” says Mismatch. He pulls out a gold pocket watch with a grinning dragon etched in it, checks the time, then closes it with a obnoxious sigh. “But, alas, I must leave ye, oh fair maiden, for my chariot awaits me.”

Pinkie Pie grimaces. “Are you going to give back those gems you stole?”

“No. They're mine.”

“What? No they aren't! You stole those!”

“Think of it like a transfer of property.”

“Don't make me make you give them back. I already beat up your creeps and I can do the same for you.”

Mismatch puts his pocket watch away. “Can you now?”

Mismatch then grins and steps back, and from behind him rises a spearhead shaped craft with red tinted windows and four fat, cylindrical engines attached to stubby wings on socket joints. Its four engines turn as one, piercing the night with their screams and illuminating the dimness with red glows. The noise hurts Pinkie Pie's ears and the rush of air knocks her off balance, but Mismatch coolly keeps himself planted and extends his hand in perfect timing to grab a rope ladder that drops from the craft. Once he has a firm grip he starts his ascension and waves his cane theatrically, speaking loud enough for Pinkie Pie to hear him. Barely.

“Honestly, I would love to see you try, but I have places to be, people to meet, and dinners to nuke, so farewell!” says Mismatch. Once he is on the craft he aims his cane at her. “By the way! Here's my parting gift for an exciting night!”

He twists the tip of his can with his thumb, then he pulls the trigger and tip of the cane pops open to launch a brown at Pinkie Pie's feet. It splashes all over her, sticking her feet to the ground, and the gooey substance hardens in seconds.

Pinkie Pie growls and bashes at the cocoon with her hammer's bottom, but it is no use. It has become equivalent to a rock and her chipping at it is about as useful as a plastic spoon beating against it.

“What in the world? This is so not fair,” says Pinkie Pie.

Then she hears another pop and her eyes flick up just in time to see an orange orb only inches from her face. Luckily enough for her, she does not die. Instead she is blinded and her hearing blown out by the explosion, and more explosions and pops and crumbling concrete and snapping metal. When all is said and done, Pinkie Pie blinks and sees a translucent circle in front of her with all the craters, grooves and seas of a full moon. Around her is smoke and pockets of flame, and the roof is nearly nonexistent with holes all around, each growing bigger as the support gives out with loud groans and snaps, pushing out dust and smoke when they collapse to the floor below.

The brown sealant is then destroyed in a dark blue glow and Pinkie Pie staggers back a bit, having to use her hammer to steady herself, and that is when she sees her savior of the night standing next to her, looking less than thrilled.

The woman next to her has pale skin and strange, waving hair of light and dark blue, studded with twinkling, star-like dots, and she has it tied to a pony tail. Her blue eyes are focused on the craft in front of them, and one of her elbow length gloved hands is extended towards the shield while the other grips a pistol with a bayonet. She has a dark blue tunic with silver trim and long, black boots, has a dark cape, and her dark belt and choker both have crescent moons.

Without saying a word, the newcomer flexes her hand and the moon shield shatters, and she launches the shards towards the craft. It shakes and sparks and smoke fly from it as the magic shrapnel impales it. Mismatch only laughs and slips away inside, and the newcomer's hand glows in a bright, flaming blue, and the shards do the same. However, they are wrapped in a flaming aura, ejected from the ship and turned towards the two women.

The newcomer quickly puts up a domed shield that covers both of them, and Pinkie Pie cringes and shrinks down as the shards explode against the shield, shaking their bones what little of the roof is left. The dome muffles the explosions, but does very little to shield their eyes from the light. It hurts Pinkie Pie's eyes, but the newcomer does not appear to be affected. Instead, when the smoke clears, she aims her pistol at the ship and pulls the trigger.

The gun hums and the dome is sucked into a silver ball, sparking and swirling at the barrel, and when she fires it turns into a bright, screaming beam. From the craft comes a stream of fire that intercepts the newcomer's attack, and both roll and mix with each other, making a bright mess of flame and silver magic. Moments later it explodes, knocking the two women off of their feet and the craft off balance while a burning, sparking shock wave erupts across the sky, bringing just moments of day light and a thunder that rattles structures and activates dozens of car alarms.

After Pinkie Pie gets up, she groans and clutches her head. Her whole body is aching at this point, everything is spinning and she can only hear ringing. But when she looks at the strange woman that saved her she is flabbergasted to see that she is fine and dandy. Maybe a little dusty, but she is not bleeding and stumbling around.

The newcomer taps the side of her weapon and the blade shrinks down, and when she holsters her weapon Pinkie Pie sees the badge of a red “H” inside a gold shield which is in the center of a blue circle. Seeing that, Pinkie Pie gasps and a toothy smile grows as her bulging eyes twinkle in the moonlight, and the newcomer stares at her, bemused.

“You're a Huntress! Can I have your autograph?” says Pinkie Pie.

And that is how Pinkie Pie got arrested.

A Conversation of Great Importance

Pinkie Pie sits in a cold, dimly lit room, sulking and unable to lift her eyes. Her hands are cuffed to the freezing metal table, her chair is bolted down and worse of all, they took her hammer.

“I hope you are aware that your actions will not be taken lightly,” says the mystery woman as she paces behind her. “What you did was reckless, destructive, and dangerous. You could have gotten yourself or others killed.”

“They started it,” says Pinkie Pie.

“That's a five year old's argument, Pinkamena Diane Pie. And for the record, myself and a few others managed to pull some strings so you do not face jail time, but we also called your parents.”

Pinkie Pie groans and slams her head on the table. “Why did you have to call them? They're going to kill me.”

“If my daughter was blowing up shops and trying to play hero then I would want to know about it, too.”

Pinkie Pie barely lifts her head up. “Can I at least get my shoes back before they come and get me?”

“Your shoes?”

Pinkie Pie tilts her head down, and the mystery woman peers under the desk and sure enough, Pinkie Pie's striped toe socks are exposed.

The mystery woman arches her brow. “I did not tell them to take your shoes.”

0000000000

Minutes later Pinkie Pie is sitting in a comfortable chair in a spacious office with her shoes on, her Walkman on her lap and her hammer beside her, retracted into its rectangular carrying form.

As the clock ticks Pinkie Pie shifts in her seat, nibbling her lip and rubbing her hands together, begging herself with every passing second for her rump to stay put. To pass the time Pinkie Pie blinks and studies the room. It is a lot warmer, brightly lit with carpet and has a wall lined with awards, photos, plaques and stuffed heads of animals. For some reason all the heads are turned towards the visitor's chair, though, so Pinkie Pie feels just a mite uncomfortable. Behind the crowded office desk is an older man with dark, sunken eyes, a buzzed head and a uniform of dark blue with lavender trim. His hands are clamped tight together and his eyes have yet to break away from Pinkie Pie. Behind him is a pair of dying house plants and a cracking oil painting of the sun over a flower field.

Tick. Tock. Blink.

Pinkie Pie looks at the mystery woman. She is sitting next to Pinkie Pie, one leg draped over the other and her thumbs working tirelessly on a rectangular device that is making laser noises and cheap explosion sound effects. Her brows are scrunched and every now and then she will twitch or mutter something. Usually with an elementary curse laced in the sentence.

Tick. Tock. Blink.

Pinkie Pie blinks and looks at the pistol in the mystery woman's holster and notices its revolving chamber has a midnight blue aura radiating from it, and she also brings her focus to the boots.

Tick. Tock. Blink.

The boots are scuffed and discolored in spots, and a quick glance at the rest of the older woman's attire reveals that they are not faring well. Pinkie Pie also sees that the woman's eyes are baggy and she has yet to remove her worn gloves.

Tick. Tock. Blink.

Pinkie Pie looks at the old man behind the desk, who has yet to break eye contact with her. His build is sturdy, his uniform is sharp and Pinkie Pie hears a faint humming coming from him. His fingers are also constantly twitching and he has his revolver sitting in front of him, barrel aimed towards her.

Tick. Tock. Blink.

A quick observation is enough to tell Pinkie Pie that the revolver is loaded.

“I still think we should throw her in jail for at least fifteen years, Luna,” says the old man, his eyes narrowing on Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie pushes herself into the seat, but the mystery woman, Luna, shakes her head.

“We already had this discussion, Vigilance,” says Luna. Suddenly her face scrunches and her thumbs work faster and harder. “Freaking die, already!”

“Wort-wort-wort!” says the device.

There is another eight-bit explosion, followed by a ominous gong, and Luna sighs, slumps in her seat, and then glares at Vigilance.

“You made me die,” says Luna.

“Oh, bull. You just suck,” says Vigilance.

Before any more words can be said, the door opens and a tall, muscled woman enters. She easily stands six foot, has a good tan, sharp, purple eyes and is wearing an ankle length, sleeveless, white dress with golden flares on the bottom and a swirling sun on her chest. Wrapped around her waist is a decorative, purple belt with a gold sun and pouches, and around her neck is a purple diamond necklace with a thick, gold chain. However, what Pinkie Pie finds really strange is that the newcomer's hair is made up of light blue, green, green and purple floats like a gentle breeze pushing against it. The hair covers one of the tall woman's eyes and she also has a swirling sun tattooed on each of her shoulders.

Pinkie Pie blinks at the woman, her eyes wide in wonder while Vigilance and Luna snap to their feet, with Luna quickly putting away her device and Vigilance clamping his hands behind his back.

“Good evening, sister,” says Luna.

“Celestia, welcome to Ponyville PD. Always a pleasure to have you. Do you want some tea or coffee or a snickerdoodle? Or perhaps you would like some more coupons? I got plenty I haven't used,” says Vigilance.

Celestia's lips curl to a very odd smile and she stands behind Pinkie Pie, placing her hands on the young girl's shoulders and squeezing them. Hard.

“Actually, I want this one,” says Celestia.

Pinkie Pie seethes quietly and tilts her head back so she can get an upside down view of Celestia.

“Me?” she asks anxiously. “But I'm nobody special. I'm just a small town girl in a small town police station.”

“Everybody is special to an extent,” says Celestia as she relaxes her grip on her shoulders, “but it takes something really special to turn a hammer into a cannon and gut an entire gem shop with one blast.”

All the elders in the room look at Pinkie Pie, and she chuckles nervously and holds the hammer to her chest protectively.

“I plead the fifth,” she says.

“I have no idea what that means, but I just met your parents out in the lobby and I figured I could bring them in so we can have a conversation of great importance,” says Celestia.

She then turns Pinkie Pie's chair around in one swift twist, leaving the young woman's eyes spinning and her fingers gripping her hammer tighter. When she is able to regain her focus she sees her parents standing in the doorway, looking livid and tired.

Her father, Igneous Rock Pie, is a sturdy, but old man, well into his golden years. His gray hair may be thick around the edge, but it has faded much at the top of his head, and his dark suit is but a shade of its former glory. Her mother, Cloudy Quartz Pie, is roughly the same age as her husband, with her gray-opal hair tied into a bun and golden glasses perched on her nose. Her light gray dress is hand stitched, just like her black and white plaid shawl.

With their appearance Luna and Vigilance have to do double takes, and Pinkie Pie chuckles nervously and weakly wiggles her fingers for a tiny wave.

“Hi, mom. Hi, pops,” says Pinkie Pie.

They nods to her, quick and silent, and Pinkie Pie drops her hand and dips her head, feeling nothing but a cold, suffocating dread wrapping around her throat.

“That cannot be right,” says Vigilance.

“Agreed,” says Luna. “Tia, are you sure you called the right people?”

“I am. Mr. and Mrs. Pie, I am glad you could make it on such short notice,” says Celestia.

“My wife and I were nearby on business,” says Igneous. He focuses his harsh gaze on Pinkie Pie. “It would have been unfortunate for my daughter to have to spend the night in misery due to our distance.”

Pinkie Pie shrinks further in her seat, whimpering quietly.

“Pray tell, Pinkamena, were thou not to spend the night at the Apples before Applejack set forth on her training?” says Cloudy Quartz.

“Uh, kinda. I mean, I was, but then Applejack had to do some stuff so I went to town and stopped a robbery,” says Pinkie Pie.

Vigilance snorts and reaches in his pocket to pull out a stick of gum.

“More like blew up a building and let the criminal escape,” says Vigilance, adding under his breath after popping the candy in his mouth: “Loser.”

“Hey, I tried. That should count for something, right?” says Pinkie Pie, looking at everyone in the room for some sign of support.

“Daughter, thou knowest that thou dost or dost not. There is no try,” says Igneous Rock.

Pinkie Pie huffs and slouches in her seat, lips twisted to a moody frown and once again clutches her hammer tight while her legs are straight and stiff.

“The event was unfortunate, but I think we are missing the big picture,” says Celestia.

She pulls from her pouch a small circular device and places it on Vigilance's desk. She then holds up two fingers and guides the light away, leaving the room dark, which brings more curiosity than fear to Pinkie Pie. The same cannot be said for her parents, however. Celestia then activates the device and a holographic projection made up of four different angles sprouts up, displaying Pinkie Pie's fight against the criminals. Or, at least what it can in its damaged state. The silent footage occasionally fuzzes out or is momentarily transformed into a mess of pixels and numbers, but enough is shown to leave everyone awestruck, save for Vigilance who looks more concerned than before about her speed and the mess she caused during the fight.

The footage ends when Pinkie Pie slams her hammer on the ground when the remaining thugs charge her, bringing about a blinding flash of blue light. After its end, Celestia flicks the light on and turns off the device.

“Mr. and Mrs. Pie, Pinkamena has shown to have remarkable traits, but needs help tweaking them,” says Celestia as she puts away her device. “My school can help her so this does not happen again.”

Vigilance scoffs. “Great. So now we are rewarding bad behavior? That lunatic needs to be locked up for what she did!”

“Curb thy tongue! My daughter is no lunatic!” says Igneous.

“Gentlemen, please,” says Celestia. “I understand that there has been a lot of damage dealt, but as Principle of the Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense I am willing to allow her enrollment to hone in on her abilities, provided that the damages be added on to the tuition and she does not drop out.”

The group stares at Celestia, and after a couple of seconds of silence, Pinkie Pie raises her hand.

“Yes?” says Celestia.

“What if I don't join your school?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, that's easy.”

Celestia nods to Luna.

“Incarceration with the damages being transferred to your parents account, seeing as how you are unemployed,” recites Luna.

“And what doeth Pinkamena owe?” says Igneous.

Vigilance wastes no time in giving Luna the sheet containing the estimates, and in turn Luna shows it to the parents, and they take one look at it before Igneous crushes it and snaps his fiery eyes to his daughter.

“Heed my words, young lady, thou art going to the Academy and thou shalt love it,” says Igneous.

Pinkie Pie groans. “But daddy, I don't wanna go back to school!”

“Pinkamena, my words are final and thou shalt cease all arguments instantly!”

Pinkie Pie turns to Cloudy Quartz, lips puckered and eyes big. “Mom?”

“The words of thine father are final, as he hath said,” says Cloudy Quartz.

Pinkie Pie huffs, turns her chair, and lays her head on Vigilance's desk, scowling, and Celestia grins brightly while Vigilance rolls his eyes and Luna discretely pulls out her device again.

“Excellent. I brought a brochure for you to examine,” she says, and she pulls from her pouch a small pamphlet with a business card paper-clipped to it and hands it to Igneous Rock. “If you have any questions feel free to call the number. Its toll free.”

Igneous puts on reading glasses and studies the pamphlet carefully with Cloudy Quartz reading over his shoulder. Moment's of awkward silence later and he looks at Celestia while his wife continues reading it.

“This brochure says the school starts in three weeks,” says Igneous.

“The facility looks nice, but must we buy uniforms?” asks Cloudy Quartz. She tilts her head and the brochure slightly. “They seem... strange.”

“They look like they belong in a dating sim for heathens,” says Igneous.

Everyone stares at Igneous, some with arched brows, others confused or bemused, and Celestia is the only one with an amused smile. When Igneous realizes the looks he is receiving he clears his throat with a slight tint in his cheeks and puts the brochure in his jacket pocket.

“As I was saying, this is all short notice,” says Igneous.

“Yes, well, nobody expected your daughter to blow up an entire building with a hammer,” says Luna.

“And get away with it,” grumbles Vigilance.

“Pinkamena will have fun, though. It is a great school with a great staff, facilities, and food and programs and plenty of clubs,” says Celestia. “And the uniforms are all part of the tuition. Like the repair bill.”

Pinkie Pie groans and bangs her head on her hammer, and Celestia chuckles and ruffles her puffy hair.

“I will be very excited to see you there with the new students,” says Celestia. She then looks at the clock on the wall, hums, and clamps her hands behind her back and heads out the door. “Come, Luna. We have a charity dinner to attend. We do not want to be late this time.”

Luna follows Celestia out, once again playing on the device, and when the two women and the sounds of cheap lasers and explosions leave the room there is a moment of tense silence. Nobody talks, nobody looks at each other, it is all unbearably sinister with more cheer in a graveyard than in the office. Finally, after the silence reaches a very long fifteen second mark Vigilance frowns and points at the door.

“Get out.”

Up In The Clouds

It has been a very fast three weeks for Pinkie Pie, and now she finds herself on her cellular communications device, staring at the screen with a grand smile that hides her disappointment perfectly. On her screen is a website called Chatbook, and her five hour old status is as put: I am going away on an amazing trip with my favorite cousin to the city of Canterlot to train to become a super soldier. Wish me luck! <3 <3 <3

So far out of her one thousand six hundred and eighty two friends, she has only gotten one rating. And it is a smiley face from Applejack. Said person is also sitting next to her in the passenger cabin, wearing her plaid shirt, jeans, boots and Stetson with her long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail and her battered travel case sitting next to her. She is also sitting back with her hat over her eyes, her arms folded across her chest and her legs stretched out.

“You okay, Pinkie?” asks Applejack.

“I'm bubbly,” says Pinkie Pie.

“That's not what your tone is saying.”

Pinkie Pie sighs and puts her device in her travel case. Unlike Applejack's, which has bland colors and three red apples on it, Pinkie's is made of neon fabric and is covered in stickers of rainbows, unicorns, pegasi, balloons, and a teddy bear wielding a chainsaw. Though, if her case had aged better then it would still glow in the dark. But its old, just like Applejack's case and personality.

“I really don't want to go to Canterlot,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Why?” says Applejack, lifting her hat just enough to look at Pinkie Pie. “Its a city. It has plenty of places for parties, has bars, parks, theaters, a stadium, and plenty of people around so you can make more friends. I honestly thought you would love to go since it is right up your alley.”

“And I thought you hated cities.”

“Oh, I do. They're big, smelly, rude and cesspools of sin and vice, but the Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense is the best school for the field. Besides, Ma and Pa went, and Big Mac went. Heck even Granny and Gramps went, and Bloom will go when she's old enough.”

“Keeping the tradition alive, huh?”

“Its what a good kid does. But you are plum gloom. What's the deal?”

Pinkie Pie shrugs. “Something about being blackmailed to go to a boring school just rubs me the wrong way.”

“Well, you did blow up a store.”

Pinkie Pie scoffs and pulls out her Walkman. “Yeah, but I got five criminals doing it, so I think the trade off was pretty good.”

Applejack smirks and pulls her hat over her eyes again. “Whatever you say, Pinks.”

Pinkie Pie rolls her eyes, turns on her music and stretches her legs out on the seat so she can comfortably watch the scenery pass by. And that scenery consists of clouds, clouds and more clouds. She can see the wing and the fumes of rectangular engine of their craft, also, but it is still a very boring view that she wishes will end. The only good part of the trip, so far, has been her music, which she is enjoying very much. However, she soon becomes restless and leaves the cabin with her hammer and travel case.

She walks from the slim hallway to the spacious commons area in about a minute. There she is bathed in the warmth of sunlight, which is let in through the many large windows, and she smiles at the sight of the crowd and starts forward with a light skip in her step. The very first person she meets is a young man finagling with a vending machine.

“Hey there, I'm Pinkie Pie,” she says with a big smile and extended.

The young man immediately retracts from her, repulsed. “Ewww.”

And then he runs off, leaving Pinkie Pie alone and still smiling but with a brain currently malfunctioning.

“Huh,” says Pinkie Pie. She looks at her hand and sees nothing out of the ordinary, so she shrugs and goes to the next person she sees. A tall, muscular, dark hair, red-eyeliner guy with a skin tight shirt, ripped jeans and a fannypack with flaming skulls stitched on it. “Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie.”

“Hi, Pinkie Pie. I'm Drake Firewall. I'm a badass,” says the man in a low, aggressive voice.

“Uh... yeah. So, nice day, huh?”

“A nice day to be a badass. Which is what I am.”

“Yeah...”

“I'm such a badass, right now.”

“I kinda got that the first time. Do you like parties?”

“Only if they're badass.”

Pinkie Pie clicks her tongue and points in a random direction. “I'm going to walk that way.”

“Good. Walking is good for you. And healthy.”

Pinkie Pie walks faster from Drake and when she is out of his ear shot, she sighs and leans against the wall, shaking her head.

“Its okay. Its only two weirdos. There's plenty of fish in the sea to be friends with,” says Pinkie Pie.

“And so Haywarts beat Pinto in a 800 to none football match, thus concluding possibly one of the most bizarre matches in football history. Now, back to you, fellas,” says a man next to her.

Pinkie Pie cocks a brow and steps away from the wall and sees a holographic footage being projected from a hanging orb. Right now, a man and woman anchor in business suits are sitting behind a desk with a picture of angry students in the corner picketing signs and raising fists. At the bottom are the letters ANP in bold, white, complete with the time and temperature below them and a stream of minor headlines.

“A protest held by San Frisco University students turned violent today when students and police clashed, resulting in injuries and arrests,” says the female anchor with a picture of angry college students in the corner of the screen. “Authorities are blaming the incident on the Equality First movement, which has gained popularity in recent years, particularly among teenagers and young adults.”

“This has been one of numerous violent disturbances by the activist group, and warrants have been issued for the arrest of the Equality First founder and leader, Starlight Glimmer,” says the male anchor.

A fuzzy picture appears next to him of a woman with an arrogant smile, blue eyes, and thick hair with different shades of purple and a single streak of light blue. She has big bangs, too, and with all the hair that is tied up and curling around her shoulder, Pinkie Pie is wondering how her neck has not snapped yet. Starlight Glimmer is also wearing a thick jacket with a white blouse and dark tie and has a two pronged staff in her hand.

“The royal government has offered a reward of one and a half million bits for information on her whereabouts,” says the male anchor.

The picture of Starlight Glimmer changes to a mugshot of Mismatch making goofy faces with his criminal ID board in hand.

“In other news, the unnamed criminal authorities are calling 'Discord' is still at large,” says the female anchor. “His records so far include assaults, auto thefts, robberies, frauds, murders, arson, bombings, harassment, prison breaks, public indecency, vandalism, hacking, and dine-and-dashing. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous, and should he be spotted the authorities are to be contacted immediately and is not to be engaged under any circumstances. A reward of one million bits has been offered for information as well.”

The footage snaps away after that, and in its place appears Luna with her hands behind her back and holding a stern expression.

“Good afternoon, students, my name is Luna Fuastsend, and I am the Vice Principle of the Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense. You have been one of the few selected to join this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace and as future Hunters and Huntresses it is your duty to preserve it. Here, at the Academy, we will give you the tools and training needed to be the next generation of defenders and peacekeepers to protect our world.”

Luna then fades away and Pinkie Pie as well as numerous other students gasp and eagerly move closer to the windows. Outside, the clouds part like curtains to reveal a castle with a decorated courtyard spanning hundreds, if not more, feet towards a dozen landing pads, which more ships are using. Finely crafted walkways connect the large towers and provided shade for the courtyard, and dozens of brick buildings of all shapes and sizes surround the towers, with a clock tower in the center of it all. On one far side is an observatory, which also has a landing pad, and on the other is a domed stadium that has numerous flags fluttering in the breeze on its roof. Then, there is the forest. The forest is a good distance away, but Pinkie Pie can still see the thick, green canopy and the towers guarding its edges.

“What do you think, Pinkie?” says Applejack as she takes a spot next to her. “You think you'll be able to survive here?”

Pinkie Pie jumps a little from her cousin's sudden appearance, but she still smiles and nods. “Yeah, I guess I can give it a shot. I mean I'm sure I'll make plenty of friends here that'll make this whole blackmailing thing easier to deal with.”

“Hrrr-blargargh!”

The two turn to the source of the strange sound and see a young man with spiked blue hair and a guitar case slung over his back puking into a garbage can. The two cringe and step back and those around him groan and also move away while he continues puking. Then Pinkie Pie turns green and averts her eyes as a very uncomfortable, acidic surge bubbles up in her throat.

“Oh, great. He's making me sick,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah, why don't you sit down and I'll give him a helping hand,” says Applejack. “Don't go vomiting on me, you hear?”

Pinkie Pie clamps her hand over her mouth and nods quickly, swallowing the bile. It only leaves her tongue feeling icky and her brain screaming at her for being gross. She can see Applejack helping the stranger to the bathroom through the reflection, and when those two are out of sight she looks at Academy, feeling more nauseous as the ship begins its descent.

'Well, its day one, Pinkie Pie. Are you going to puke or are you going to be a lady and not puke?'

“Excuse me, darling, I wondering if you could take a picture of me and the Academy?” says a posh lady behind her.

Pinkie Pie turns and rather than excusing herself as she intended, she instead sprays out a geyser-like stream of green, orange, and pink chunky slosh all over the said posh lady's white blouse and purple device. All eyes fall on the two, and the posh lady is completely still, save for a twitching eye, and all is quiet except for the drip of puke and the hum of engines.

And then there are screams.

The Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense

Pinkie Pie and Applejack walk down the cobblestone path leading to the Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense. The scenery of eager students, lush grass, healthy flowers and fine architecture would have been a wonderful sight for Pinkie Pie if she had not had a burning palm shaped red mark on her face that not even a bottle of cold soda can cure.

“I leave you alone for one minute and you go and puke on somebody,” says Applejack, shaking her head in disappointment. “Do you know how hard it is to clean off puke with tap water and paper towels?”

“I'm sorry, but it wasn't my fault. You know I get queasy when I see puke and roaches,” says Pinkie Pie defensively.

“So you're saying the girl you puked on looks like a roach?”

Pinkie Pie snorts. “No, but she certainly acted like one.”

“Probably because you puked on her.”

Pinkie Pie glares at Applejack. “Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

Applejack rolls her eyes up, humming thoughtfully. “Hmm... Nah.”

Right as Applejack says that simple word, an obnoxious set of trumpets blare, overtaking the chatter and freezing all movements and conversations. The crowd turns and Pinkie Pie whistles, impressed with what she is seeing, whereas Applejack frowns and shakes her head, and the rest of the crowd exchanges confused looks.

Standing in front of a sleek personal craft shaped as an arrowhead with a single fat engine in the back is a pair of large men in suits, which can barely contain their bulging muscles. The men share the craft's azure color and purple racing stripes, but their suits are blue and their ties are purple. They are also wearing a silver star on their tie, which is also painted on the door of the craft, and they are holding polished trumpets.

“Make way! Make way for the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon!” shouts one of the men.

The craft's door slides open and a young woman around Pinkie's age steps out, nose in the air and a purple case with a silver star stamped on it. Her black, shin high boots clap the cobblestone ground and her star studded, purple cape held around her neck by a silver gem flutters behind her, just barely staying off the ground. Her white long sleeve, blouse is partially covered by a blue vest and her jeans emphasis the curves of her legs and thighs, just like the shirt and vest draw eyes to her chest and curvy body. There is also a wand tipped with a silver, five point star with a purple gem in its center, and Trixie's curled, silver hair flows dramatically in the wind.

Trixie stops between the two men and stares at the crowd, and she stares back at them, smiling with alluring eyes and perfect teeth. Then she holds out her hand and a third overly large man slides next to her and places a pointed, purple hat with a large brim and covered in stars in her hand, which she puts on without hesitation. Then a fourth muscle man comes out, pushing an elegant cart loaded with expensive luggage.

“Holy crap,” says Drake Firewall, who is next to Pinkie Pie. “I have porn of her.”

Pinkie Pie and Applejack slowly look at him, and next to Applejack, another new student walks up. Her purple hair is curled, has blue eye shadow and purple sunglasses with a lightweight, long sleeve blouse and a knee length black skirt with a black belt that has a gold buckle. Behind her, a not so muscular man is pushing a not as extravagant cart with less luggage than Trixie.

“Who on earth does she think she is, walking in like that?” says the student.

Applejack shrugs. “I reckon somebody who's got too much ego for their own good.”

Pinkie Pie rubs her chin and her eyes focus on Trixie's wand, taking mental notes on the grooves and collection of buttons. When Trixie starts walking, she blinks and watches how the steps are heavy and realizes that the boots are large on the front, and has no shoe laces, for it is held on by zippers and Velcro.

“Its freaking, Trixie, man!” shouts a random guy in the crowd, and with those words, the crowd gasps as one and surges forward, chatting excitedly with pens, papers and pictures at the ready.

Meanwhile, Pinkie, Applejack and the new girl stay put, watching with mixed expressions as Trixie is crowded with pens and paper and shouts all around her. This makes her smug smile impossibly more so.

“By the way, I want to thank you for helping me clean off my shirt after your friend puked all over me,” says the new girl. “I still had to throw the shirt away, but at least you tried helping me.”

Pinkie Pie stiffens and looks out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the glare of the two women next to her makes her regret that decision rather quickly.

“It was no problem,” says Applejack, her eyes still on Pinkie Pie.

“Glad to hear, but I would like to repay you, somehow,” says the new girl.

Applejack looks at the new girl. “You don't have to do that.”

“Oh, but I insist. A dinner, perhaps?”

Applejack cringes and rubs the back of her neck, her eyes unable to look at anything. “Eh, well, I...uh..”

“Excellent! My name is Rarity and here's my phone number, so you can give me a call whenever you want that dinner.” The new girl gives Applejack a business card and smiles brightly at her. “And what's your name and phone number?”

“Applejack, and I don't got a phone.”

Rarity's smile fades. “How can you not have a phone? That's like walking around without a piece of your brain!”

“I got a phone!” blurts Pinkie Pie, and she slides next to Rarity and whips it out, grinning with lidded eyes. “And I'd like to exchange numbers and get dinner from you, too.”

Rarity frowns. “You puked on me.”

“That was so forty five minutes ago.”

“Yes, well-” Rarity clears her throat and slides Pinkie Pie out of the way so she can see Applejack “-I must be off. Applejack, you got my number, so feel free to contact me whenever you wish.”

“Right,” says Applejack slowly.

“Toodaloo!”

And then Rarity leaves with her assistant, leaving Applejack and Pinkie Pie alone in the courtyard, confused, and after a few seconds of silence Pinkie Pie snickers and nudges Applejack in the ribs.

“You're someone's eye candy, farmer girl,” says Pinkie Pie.

Applejack rolls her eyes. “Just because she gave me her phone number, asked me for mine and offered me dinner does not mean I am her crush.”

“Uh, huh, sure.”

“You there!” barks another voice, prompting the two to look at the source. It is none other than Trixie Lulamoon, herself, marker in hand and hand red. “Do you two wish to have Trixie's autograph?”

Pinkie Pie and Applejack exchange looks, then look at Trixie.

“I don't know,” says Pinkie Pie, “are you famous?”

“Very,” says Trixie.

“Then sign my face!”

Applejack does a double take and Trixie shrugs and with quick strokes her autograph goes all over Pinkie Pie's forehead. The whole time Pinkie Pie giggles, and when Trixie is done she caps her marker, stuffs it in her pocket, takes an ice pack from one of her escorts and starts walking.

“There. Done. Ciao, peasants,” says Trixie.

“Hey, wait a second!” hollers Pinkie Pie.

Trixie and her entourage stare at Pinkie Pie as she hugs Applejack around the waist and presses her body against hers.

“What is wrong with you?” says Pinkie Pie. “You give all those people autographs and sign my face, but you completely ignore my amazing cousin? How thoughtless.”

“What? Trixie is full of thought!”

“Then prove it and sign her face, too.”

“Fine, Trixie will prove it!”

Trixie uncaps her marker and extends her hand towards Applejack's face, and in turn, Applejack holds out her hand against Trixie's head, blocking her advancement.

“No, you ain't signing my face,” says Applejack as she slides away from Pinkie Pie without taking her hand off of Trixie.

Trixie frees herself from Applejack after some struggle. “Trixie will sign whoever she pleases. Now, give me your face!”

“No!”

Trixie lunges at Applejack, and Applejack bats Trixie's hand away, but the smaller girl is persistent, and in a few very fast seconds the blocking and maneuvering turns into a slap happy mess. Hands whip at each other in blurs and both women growl or yell with their faces turned away from each other and eyes closed. While this happens, Pinkie Pie slides next to one of the men and flashes a big smile with half lidded eyes.

“Hey, there, stud, do you like parties?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“I'm not allowed to talk to strangers,” says the man.

Pinkie's smile remains, but her eye twitches. “Oh.”

Applejack and Trixie shriek, and when Pinkie Pie looks at them she sees that their hands are really flying and both of their faces and hairs are red and disheveled, and their hats laying on the ground. Then Trixie's boot suddenly collides with Applejack's shin, and she swears and drops her hands to clutch her shin, putting her hopping on one foot. Trixie then takes the opportunity to sign Applejack's forehead, and she smiles proudly, albeit with very aggravated eyes and chest heaving from her panting.

“Ha! Signed your face!” Trixie puts away her marker, grabs her hat and turns to Pinkie Pie, face red and hand appearing to be throbbing. “There. Happy?”

Pinkie Pie gives her a thumbs-up and a smile with a wink. “Yep!”

“I'm not,” grumbles Applejack while picking up her hat.

“Good,” sighs Trixie. “Now Trixie will need a salt bath for her hands.”

Trixie then hurries away with her group, and Applejack glares at Pinkie Pie, growling through her teeth, and Pinkie Pie giggles and waves farewell. Not that Trixie can see, anyway, since her back is turned. Though, when Pinkie Pie gets wind of Applejack's demeanor, her smile changes and her giggle degrades to a nervous chuckle.

“Nice tat,” says Pinkie Pie.

0000000000

Minutes later, Applejack and Pinkie Pie enter a large auditorium with a stage in the front, travel cases still in their possession, and the autographs mostly wiped from their faces. There are still black streaks on them, but they figured it will not be a crime to leave a little bit of mess on them. What is a crime, however, is being late for the orientation. Which is what they were. Thankfully they got in just in time, but due to their last minute arrival they are forced to take a spot in the the back. Applejack really does not seem to mind, and Pinkie Pie definitely does not mind since she can see everything. The students are still quite excited, and Pinkie Pie can see Trixie and Rarity in the crowd, as well as vomit boy and Drake. Though, rather than conversing with the familiar faces, Pinkie Pie looks around the room.

Its domed ceiling is a few stories high and has rings of pulsating lights around it. Large screens and speakers circle around the room, too, and the tall windows are currently covered by dark curtains. On the stage are six guards, standing stiff with their hands clamped behind their back and rounded full body armor and full faced helmets. Two of the guards have single horns on their heads with gold plates and blue trim; the next pair are slender with blue bases and white trim, and have wing shaped jet packs; and the last two are wearing bulky, green and brown armor with apparently nothing special about them. In the middle of the guards are Celestia and Luna, and they look absolutely the same since Pinkie Pie last saw them. Outfits and all.

Celestia steps forward while Luna remains still and watchful, and when she is in the appropriate spot a microphone slides out of the floor at her level. Once it is locked in place, Celestia clears her throat, which is amplified by the surrounding speakers. This quiets the chatter.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I'll keep this brief,” says Celestia. “I am Principal Celestia Faustsend, and I welcome you to the Royal Canterlot Academy of Supernatural Defense. You have been chosen out of thousands of applicants to carry on a powerful tradition of duty, honor, selflessness and defense. You have been selected to further enhance your abilities and the knowledge of this world and its mysteries.”

The students grin and shift excitedly in their spots, and a thin smile graces Celestia's face, too.

“When I see your faces, I see excitement and eagerness, and I am glad that you feel these things,” continues Celestia, “but I must be frank. The paths you have chosen will not be easy, for being a Hunter and a Huntress will pit you against creatures and magic of dark origins. You bodies, your spirits, your will, your faith, all will be tested in the coming years, and the hard truth is that in the end, some of you will break, some of you will die, and some of you will be lost. But I promise you, this school -your new home for the next four years- will do everything it can to strengthen you so you can be strong in the face of adversary. You are our future, and we will make you worthy guardians of the people. Thank you.”

Celestia steps back, and quiet murmurs echo in the chamber while Applejack and Pinkie Pie glance at each other, the positivism now dwindled to a lower level thanks to anxiety. As this happens, Luna steps forward and adjusts the microphone so she can speak into it.

“Hello, students, I am Vice Principal Luna Fuastsend, and I, too, welcome you here,” says Luna. “Your training will begin tomorrow with a very unique activity that will determine where your skills lie, your ability to adapt and your tolerance of cooperation. I personally think it is fun, and I am sure you all will have fun with it, as well. As for today, you will spend your final moments of peace in the Barn in a big sleepover. We will be playing a few movies and offering snacks and drinks, and if you do not have a sleeping bag or pillow, we have plenty at our disposal. That is all. Dismissed.”

Luna taps the microphone and it sinks back into the stage, and the students talk quietly among themselves again. Though, now they are back to being excited, all except for Applejack, who has gotten a delightful shade of white. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, is grinning ear to ear and vibrating in her spot.

“Oooh, a sleepover!” squeals Pinkie Pie. “This is going to be so much fun! This is like the best blackmail ever! I'm going to have so much fun! Are you going to have fun, Applejack? Applejack? Can you hear me, Applejack? Are you going to have fun, Applejack? I'm going to have fun. I'm going to have so much fun, just like you, right? Are you going to have fun?”

Holds up a finger, opens her mouth, and after a strange moment of silence she sucks in some air and says one word.

“No.”

0000000000

Hours later, students are scattered across a large, open floor with dim lights hanging above them, either in pajamas or their underwear, talking or watching the movie that is being projected on the blank wall from a hanging orb. Currently it is showing a group of men and women in space, wearing red, blue and yellow shirts, all gripping their seats or a railing as the ships' deck shakes and spark. All the ones in red die a horrible fiery death, but the other colors survive with scratches and bruises. All of this is kind of hard for Pinkie Pie to see, though, since the camera is shaky and close to the actors, and the gratuitous use of lens flares is not helping.

Speaking of Pinkie Pie, she is sitting a good distance away from the screen, legs folded, mouth stuffed with popcorn and her glittering eyes focused on the film. She has on a pair of thin, pink pajama pants and a sleeveless, white shirt, and between her legs is a large bowl of popcorn and next to her is a large cup of soda, plus her empty bottle of soda from earlier. Nearby, Applejack remains mostly hidden in her red sleeping bag. Not a piece of her is exposed, but the lump that is her body ruins her nigh perfect hiding spot.

“You are missing a really great movie, Applejack,” says Pinkie Pie, spitting out chunks of half chewed popcorn everywhere as she talks.

“Already saw it. Didn't like it,” says Applejack, still staying inside her sleeping bag.

“Liar.”

“I ain't lying. This one sucks. The old one's better. No contest.”

“Then what's going to happen next?”

“How should I know?”

“Then you admit to not seeing it before.”

“What? Pinkie, I'm trying to sleep. We got that test thingy tomorrow, and staying up late with popcorn, movies and soda is a great way to mess yourself up.”

Pinkie Pie swallows her food and shakes her cup, rattling the ice cubes inside.

“Joke's on you, cousin. This is caffeine free and the popcorn is low fat. Totally healthy. I'll be perfectly fine, tomorrow,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Hardy har har. Let me sleep,” says Applejack.

Pinkie Pie shrugs and goes back to watching the movie, squinting her eyes in a feeble attempt to decipher the scene when a lens flare blocks out the dramatic faces and gritty destruction.

“Captain Smirk, Con just took out our engines! We're losing altitude!” says one of the survivors on the bridge.

The Captain sits in his chair and rubs his chin dramatically, with more sparks and flames shooting around him and the ship shaking more violently.

“I think,” says Captain Smirk slowly and dramatically, “we need to... possibly fire back. Put some shields up while you're at it. I'll need to think about this some more.”

There is yet another explosion on the screen, and a sudden thwak next to Pinkie Pie sends her jumping in her spot, spilling her popcorn and knocking over her drink. She blinks at the rolled sleeping bag that has landed next to her, and she looks up to see Trixie standing above her, arms folded across her chest and her body covered by a light blue, button up shirt and pants of the same color. She also has bandages on her hands and her hair is a mess while her face is damp.

“Oh great,” huffs Trixie, “the one open spot is next to a slob. But I suppose it will do for now.”

Pinkie Pie is quick to pick up her popcorn and drink, and she watches Trixie with some curiosity and resentment as she unrolls her sleeping bag and fluffs up her pillow. When she is done, she too crawls inside, pulls the flap over her head and goes still. Pinkie Pie looks at Trixie, then around the crowded barn, and then back at Trixie again.

“Where did you come from?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Trixie is above your questions,” replies Trixie swiftly.

“Did I just hear the ego maniac?” asks Applejack.

Trixie snaps up, glaring daggers all around. “Who just called me an ego maniac?”

“I did,” says Applejack, having yet to reveal herself from her sleeping bag.

Trixie leans over so she can peek behind Pinkie Pie, and she frowns when she sees the lump that is Applejack.

“Are you too cowardly to insult me to my face?” says Trixie.

Pinkie Pie gently pushes Trixie back into her original spot. “Don't worry about my cousin. She has been in that sleeping bag the whole time we've been here.” She then leans forward and whispers obnoxiously loud. “She sleeps in the nude.”

Trixie's face flares red and all the young men around them stop talking and turn to Applejack's sleeping bag, suddenly intrigued. Some even lean a little bit closer with perverted grins and hums.

“I do not!” says Applejack defensively.

“Then get out of your sleeping bag and insult Trixie face to face,” says Pinkie Pie.

“... No.”

Trixie snorts and goes back into her sleeping bag. “Whatever. Trixie needs her beauty rest so she can perform at peak capacity tomorrow.”

Right as Trixie is back to being comfortable, a certain purple haired student with a white gown steps over Trixie apologizing along the way. Trixie curses under her breath and watches the student, as does Pinkie Pie, as she lays in front of Applejack's sleeping bag.

“Hello, Applejack, do you remember me?” says Rarity.

Applejack's groan is muffled from the fluff of the sleeping bag. “Yes, I remember you, Rarity.”

Pinkie Pie snickers and turns to Trixie, who is still watching the two students.

“Trixie. Hey, Trixie, look,” says Pinkie Pie.

Trixie huffs and reluctantly looks at Pinkie Pie, and when she does, Pinkie Pie rubs her palms together and waggles her brows with a strange smile stretched across her face.

Trixie arches a brow. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Pinkie Pie stops rubbing her palms together and cocks her head quizzically. “You don't know what rubbing palms means?”

“No. Are you cold? Because if you are, tough crap. I don't cuddle unless I get something out of it.”

“Like a prostitute?”

Trixie scoffs in disgust and goes back in her sleeping bag, her back turned to Pinkie Pie. “Goodnight, weirdo.”

“My name is Pinkie Pie, not weirdo.”

Trixie folds her pillow over her head. “Whatever. Goodnight.”

After a little bit of silent staring, Pinkie Pie shrugs, wishes Trixie a good night, and then resumes watching the movie. It is now on a scene of the Captain fighting a buff, scarred man wearing a fur outfit and a cloak. Both men are bloody and dirty, but still managing crazy swings and cheesy dialogue in the ship's engine room.

“My super mind and strength is superior to your inferior mind and strength!” says the fur man.

“You're only superior in the ways of evil, Con!” says Captain Smirk.

Pinkie Pie giggles and shoves a handful of popcorn in her mouth. “Man, I love this movie.”

Meanwhile, Rarity tries to peek inside Applejack's sleeping bag, but a fluffy pillow blocks all views inside.

“Aren't you hot in there?” asks Rarity.

“I'm fine,” says Applejack.

“Oh. Well, anyway, I was just wondering what restaurants you prefer. Or what your favorite food is. I got a lot of coupons and I want you to have the best thank you dinner possible,” says Rarity.

“Steak, potatoes, beer.”

“Oh... You don't want anything... better?”

“You can't get better than steak, potatoes and beer.”

“Of course you can! Why, I know about this amazing Crystal restaurant on Sunset and Shimmer that I know you will love. It is a bit pricey, but the food is fantastic.”

“I don't do fancy.”

“Well, surely you'd like to try fancy at least once.”

Trixie turns her body so she can stare viciously at Rarity. “Hey, save the flirting for another time! Some of us are trying to sleep!”

Rarity glares at Trixie. “Well, pardon us for having a conversation.”

“You aren't pardoned. Now shut up so I can sleep!”

Rarity makes a whiny scoff. “How rude. Do you speak to your parents with that mouth?”

Trixie growls. “If this sleeping bag wasn't so comfortable, I would get out of it and smack you.”

“Oh, yes. I would hate for you to get out of your comfort zone,” says Rarity.

“Lady, you are just asking to get slapped to next week.”

The two then start bickering like hens, and Pinkie Pie sighs and shakes her head, and tries to focus on the movie again. Now Captain Smirk and Con are falling through the atmosphere, clutching each other in a death grip and going bloody face to bloody face. The wind rushes past their faces, and the ship falls behind them with chunks of flaming debris breaking and spiraling off from pockets of explosions, and in the background with a ridiculous flare is a setting sun.

“Well, Con, it looks like we're about to die together. What do you have to say for yourself?” says Smirk.

Con smirks. “Stupid Captain, I always have a plan.”

Con then holds up a cylinder, pops the cap open to reveal a red button, and when he pushes it his body begins to break apart in colorful swirls with happy jingles mixing with the rushing wind.

“Peace, jackass!” says Con.

And then he disappears, leaving Smirk in free fall, and the Captain sighs and shakes his head.

“Well, shit,” says Smirk. “It looks like I'm in for a world of hurt.”

Pleasant Morning

The sun is up, the warm light shines through the windows of the bustling cafeteria, and students chat excitedly among themselves with their plates of food and tall glasses of juice and milk. It is everything a student can possibly want. Eggs, cereal, pancakes and syrup, bacon and sausage, and even oatmeal and grits for some with sweet rolls and biscuits. It is a good sized meal, and some students exchange portions of their meal for more desirable parts. In the case of Applejack, with some trading, she no longer has sweet rolls and cereal, but a whole lot of grits. For Pinkie Pie, her stomach hurts too much to eat anything, leading to soggy cereal and cold food that she can only watch with baggy eyes. At least the cool table top is comforting against her slightly green face.

“Applejack, help me,” moans Pinkie Pie.

“Eat some oatmeal,” says Applejack as she pours a gratuitous amount of butter on her grits.

“I don't like oatmeal.”

Applejack is now sprinkling bacon all over her grits. “How about grits?”

Pinkie Pie groans, and her stomach contents gurgle and slush. “I want something with flavor.”

Applejack stirs her bacon and butter into her grits. “Well, we can't have you eating anything sweet or else you might, eh, make a mess.”

A second later, a familiar blue haired student with a guitar case on his back slides next to Applejack, grinning from ear to ear.

“Good morning, beautiful,” says the student.

Applejack has food in her mouth when he says this, and she stops in mid-chew and stares at him curiously, and when she looks at Pinkie Pie, she sees she is holding the same look. A second or two passes and Pinkie Pie nods towards him, too scared to say anything since a very uncomfortable pressure is going up her throat.

“Eh, good morning... Who are you?” says Applejack.

“The name is Flash. Flash Sentry. Rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it. Guys envy it,” says the student.

“Right,” says Applejack slowly. “Aren't you the guy that puked on the ship?”

“At least it was in a garbage can,” says Flash.

“Ha. Ha. I'm dying with laughter,” says Pinkie Pie.

A sickly gurgle surges through her stomach, and Pinkie Pie clamps her hand over her mouth and her cheeks puff out, but neither Flash or Applejack seem to notice.

“So, anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to join my team,” says Flash as he casually inspects his fingernails.

“Your team?” says Applejack with a raised brow.

“That's right. Team Flash. We'll be the best of the new teams because I have leadership experience that nobody else here has.”

“And what experience is that?”

“I was the lead singer in my band, Flash Drive.” He whips out a CD case from his pocket, which has a picture of a flaming flash drive on wheels. “We're multiple winners of battle of the bands, both on and off school.”

Applejack frowns. “Yeah... Listen, I don't wanna sound rude, but-”

0000000000

“You sounded pretty rude back there,” says Pinkie Pie minutes later in a locker room that is gradually emptying of students leaving with their gear, no longer green in the face but still a bit woozy.

As she speaks, Pinkie Pie's eyes are flicking between a slip of paper with numbers on it and the pad on the locker in front of her. Next to her is Applejack, who is also working on her locker, and after Pinkie Pie gives her statement, she sighs exasperatedly and pulls her locker open, revealing her Stetson, a pair of gloves, gauntlets and boots and a battery pack, all of which are lined with gems and colored orange.

“I was not,” says Applejack as she puts on her battery back and fastens the strap around her body.

Pinkie Pie pulls open her locker. “He left in tears.”

“Those were not tears. It was just the lighting.” Applejack takes off her old boots and slips on her new ones, which are armored and start humming after she gives them a couple of test stomps. “Besides, your face was on the table. How could you see anything?”

Pinkie Pie pulls out her hammer and checks the gems inside, smiling approvingly and closing the chamber when she sees them glowing blue.

“I heard it in his voice,” says Pinkie Pie.

Applejack slips on her gauntlets and gloves, and after tapping a button on each one, the items lock themselves into each other and start glowing and humming as well.

“He was a mite disappointed, I'll say that, but he only wanted me on his team because you said I sleep in the nude,” says Applejack.

Pinkie Pie giggles and closes her locker. “Aw, relax, Jackie. It was only a joke. Nobody took it seriously.”

Applejack closes her locker and stares at Pinkie Pie with her arms folded across her chest. “Well, ever since that joke boys have been flocking me and asking me if I want to be on their team all day.”

Drake Firewall slides next to Applejack. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“No.”

Drake Firewall slides away from Applejack. “Bye, gorgeous.”

Pinkie Pie hums and rubs her chin thoughtfully, then turns to a random male student . He is wearing a simple yellow shirt and jeans with a red helmet that has an advanced monocular with three, and is is pulling out a bulky rifle with a stubby barrel that has a telescope-like scope on it. He is preoccupied with checking his gem power supply with an energy gauge that has data scrolling across it, and Pinkie Pie grins wolfishly and leans against her locker, drawing the student's attention.

“Can I help you?” says the student nervously.

“Hey, guess what?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Uh... What?”

“I sleep in the nude.”

The student scowls. “Shame on you for your perversions! Your body is a temple and you go and prostitute yourself like that? People like you disgust me.”

The student then slams his locker shut and storms off, shaking his head, leaving Pinkie Pie still leaning against the locker, but she is trembling and feels a vein throbbing in her head.

“Smooth,” says Applejack while she makes final adjustments on her gauntlet.

Pinkie Pie growls and slams her locker shut with a resounding bang, drawing some heads, but the observers keep on walking.

“What. Is. Wrong with these people!?” says Pinkie Pie. “Like, seriously! I'm just trying to make some friends so this blackmailing thing won't suck as bad but everybody is... is... is like on drugs or something!”

“Have you tried being yourself instead of doing whatever it is you're doing?”

“I tried that! The first guy I talked to got grossed out and ran away, the second guy gave me the heebie jeebies and the third guy said he wasn't allowed to talk to strangers. Then there is Rarity, and I know for a fact that she doesn't like me.”

“I wonder why,” mutters Applejack.

“And then there is Trixie, and I think hates everybody.”

“I reckon she does.” Applejack closes her locker and places her arm around Pinkie Pie's shoulder, giving her a warm smile. “But you ain't gotta worry none. I'm here with you, and even if we don't get to be on the same team I'll still be on the campus, so I'll be close.”

Pinkie Pie returns the smile and hugs Applejack tight. “Thanks, cuz. I can always count on you.”

Applejack chuckles and awkwardly walks with Pinkie Pie still latched to her. “Come on, now. No need to get corny.”

The two share a laugh and walk normally, but still keep their arms wrapped around each other.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Trixie sits on a bench, watching the two students walk away, being disgustingly optimistic with their giggles, smiles and hugs. Seeing the two is leaving her cold without much light, and when they disappear around the corner, she stares at their exit a bit longer, throat tight and finger twitching. Then Rarity skips in front of her, humming brightly and wearing knee high, purple armored boots with a white band running down the shin. She also has purple goggles with blue tinted lens, an armored vest with a gem battery pack on the back, gloves and gauntlets that are also purple with white bands running down them. Beneath all of that is a light blue dress, and keeping her hair out of her eyes is a blue hair band.

Trixie watches Rarity skip along, and when Rarity is out of sight Trixie looks at her phone and sees zero messages or calls. Her Chatbook has plenty of updates, but none of them are important and frivolous is too generous of a word.

Trixie blows heavily through her nose and runs her hand through her silver hair, and then she rests her mouth on her mist ans stares at a tall mirror placed conveniently in front of her. Her eyes glaze and her foot taps rapidly on the concrete floor.

She is wearing her outfit from yesterday, with the only difference being a heavy belt around her waist loaded with gem packs, a medical kit, flashlight, flare gun and night vision goggles. She also has her hair tied into a pony tail. Her wand, which she has resting on her lap, has a blue gem in its cartridge and the power bar is at a full green bar

“Going to war, duchess?” snickers a passing student who is wearing a wife beater shirt, jeans, street gloves and shoes with boosters, and is carrying a pair of sub-machine guns with blades on them. For reasons beyond Trixie, said student has also dyed her hair the colors of the rainbow and has a cloud with a colorful lightning bolt tattooed on her shoulder.

“No,” says Trixie flatly. “Trixie believes in being prepared.”

The student shakes her head and puts on sunglasses. “Its a first year test. Not a warzone. Relax a little.”

“Not gonna happen.”

The rainbow head keeps on walking without saying another word, but she still keeps on with her repulsive snickering. With the menace gone, Trixie takes a deep breath, gets up and stretches her arms and starts walking, but stops in mid step when she sees a familiar student going through her locker.

The student has thick rimmed glasses and purple hair with purple hair that has a thick stripe of violet and a thin stripe of pink, which she has tied in a bun with the help of a star pin. She is wearing a grayish-purple, plaid skirt, a white dress shirt with a tie underneath her purple vest, and knee-high socks with armored shoes. She has shin pads and gauntlets, as well, and on her persons is a circular device with a glowing dot hanging around her neck, a round shield with three blue stars on it, and a spear that appears to be mechanical.

The student appears nervous, but Trixie knows her. She has seen her in action plenty of times, and in exactly four cases, she has had personal experiences with her that left her without a trophy. That said, Trixie knows exactly what she has to do, and so she gets a mischievous smile approaches the student. When Trixie is at the perfect distance, she slams the locker door shut with both of her hands, making the student squeak and jump and trapping her between her and the locker.

The student turns around, eyes wide and her glasses reflecting the wicked grin and lidded eyes of the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon.

“Hello, Twilight Sparkle, do you remember me?” says Trixie.

“Um... Pixie?” says Twilight, smiling nervously.

Trixie frowns. “Wow, really? No. Its me, Trixie. The student you beat four years in a row during the Simulation Tournaments.”

“Oh, um, nice to meet you... again. Um, I have to go to the Launch Zone for the test, so...” Twilight looks past Trixie's shoulders, then extends her hands slightly, but stops. “Can you please move?”

“No. Trixie has a proposition for you that you cannot refuse.”

“Which is...?”

Trixie's grin widens and her eyes become an inferno of demented glee from her destined victory.

“Trixie wants you, Twilight Sparkle, to join Team Trixie. With you and mir on the same team we will be unstoppable. Your intellect, my resourcefulness, our social status, all of it will enable us to dominate the freshmen of this school in ways never seen before. We will be invited to every party, boys will be drooling over us, teachers will be doing us favors, you will give me good grades and Trixie will teach you how to be human. We will be unstoppable!”

Trixie then cackles madly up until-

“You suck,” says a man from far away.

Trixie stops laughing immediately, and pulls away from the locker and scans the room.

“Hey, who said that? Seriously, who said that?“ says Trixie. When no one answers and no one crosses her line of sight, she sighs and looks back at Twilight. “Anyway, Twilight... You are gone.”

Trixie huffs and turns away from the locker and with a quick look she is able to spot the nerd making a speed walk towards the exit with her shield on her back. Only for her to be stopped cold when she and Flash Sentry run into each other, knocking them on their butts and the glasses loose from Twilight's face.

Trixie face palms.

“I am so sorry, I did not mean to bump into you like that,” says Twilight as she crawls around on her hands and knees, feeling for her glasses.

“No, its my fault,” says Flash. He picks up Twilight's glasses and holds it out to her, smiling apologetically. “Looking for these?”

Twilight giggles and her cheeks flush as she gently places her glasses back on her face. “Thank you. I'm nearly completely blind without them.”

“You imbecile!” says Trixie. She marches over to the two and pulls Twilight up in a completely ungentle way. “Do you have any idea who you just bumped into?”

Flash stands up and brushes himself off. “A girl?”

“No duh, genius, but which girl?”

Twilight pulls away from Trixie. “Its okay. It was just an accident. Besides, it was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going.”

Trixie pinches Twilight's lips shut. “Silence. Brad, is it? Do you realize who you just bumped into?”

“First, it's Flash. Secondly, I already said a girl.”

Trixie releases Twilight's lips. “This is Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight smiles and waves nervously. “Hello.”

“Hi. And?” says Flash.

Trixie scoffs. “She graduated the top of her class at Crystal Preparation Academy.”

“Never heard of it,” says Flash.

“She won the Simulation Tournament four years in a row, which is a new record.”

“Yeah, I don't know what that is.”

Trixie's eyes narrow and her fists clench, then with a growl she says: “She's on the Lucky Pete's Marshmallow Flakes cereal box.”

Flash's expression blanks out for a few seconds, but when intelligence returns, he hums with a smile.

“Oh, so that's who you are. My little brother loves Lucky Pete's, and he'll be stoked when he finds out I met you in person. Heck, you look a whole lot better in real life than on the box. You look weird on the box, like too much makeup or something, no offense,” says Flash.

Twilight chuckles and rubs the back of her neck with her cheeks glowing red. “Digital editing has that effect, I guess.”

Trixie pushes Flash away and links her arm around Twilight. “Now that you know who she is you can buzz off. She is way above your level and we already agreed that she will be on Team Trixie.”

“Um, actually-” starts Twilight.

“Wait, teams?” interrupts Flash. He goes on the other side of Twilight and slips his arm around her free arm. “I never said anything about teams and I'm pretty sure she didn't say anything about your team. But you're kinda bitchy, and I'm really cool, so she clearly needs to be on Team Flash for sake of her self esteem.”

“Uh, guys...” says Twilight.

Trixie pulls, making Twilight and Flash stumble.

“She's mine!” says Trixie.

Now Flash pulls, lurching Twilight and Trixie towards him.

“Dibs. She's on my team, now,” says Flash.

Trixie pulls. “Trixie saw her first!”

Flash pulls. “You can't break the rule of dibs!”

Trixie pulls. “Trixie just did! She's mine!”

Flash pulls. “No, she's mine!”

And so the tug of war between Flash and Trixie commences, leaving Twilight without a voice, save for a long, deep sigh.

0000000000

Outside, on the edge of of a cliff, bathed in warm, magnificent sunlight is a row of one hundred and twenty eight students that have an excellent view of the misty, dark green canopy before them.

Each student is armed with a unique weapon and many have some sort of armor on them. In front of them, Celestia and Luna stand with a thermos for the former and a pad for the latter, and with them is a pair of new teachers. One is a woman with olive skin, dark hair with stripes of gray, wearing a safari hat, khaki shorts and an olive drab shirt plus combat boots. With her is a canteen, a whip, a pistol and a notebook. The next is a man who is a bit older than the woman, also with dark hair, but he has only one stripe of gray and has a five o'clock shadow. He is wearing a light brown shirt, a red ascot with white polka dots, and thick olive drab pants with boots, as well. He has a canteen and has armed himself with a pistol and a notebook, as well.

The staff is patiently waiting for the remainder of the students to file out, and as each one takes a spot on a platform with a sun on it, they are given special gear by people in lab coats. One is a thin camera that wraps around their head and has the transparent lens positioned over the eye, and the other is a spider-like device that latches on to their chests. For those with equipment in the way, modified devices are given to suit them.

Seeing as how Pinkie and Applejack were one of the first, they have already been equipped and are now on the brink of boredom induced collapse.

“So, how are you feeling?” asks Applejack.

Pinkie Pie flashes a smile and a thumbs-up. “Better than earlier.”

“All the funny feelings passed, eh?”

“Oh yeah. Nothing a bench, tap water and burps couldn't fix.”

The spot next to Pinkie Pie is taken by Flash Sentry, who still has his guitar case, but is now wearing a metal vest and shoulder pads. With him next to Pinkie Pie, he nods coolly at her.

“What's up?” says Flash.

Pinkie Pie points up. “The sky.” Then she leans back slightly to get a view of his strangely normal looking guitar case and blinks. “Why are you bringing a guitar?”

Flash grins, cracks his knuckles and rolls his shoulder. “Miss, what I have is no ordinary guitar, and if you promise not to vomit on me I just might show you what it can do.”

“Its not some kind of music based weapon is it?”

“No!” snaps Flash. He then coughs into his fist and shifts in his spot. “I mean, not anymore, anyway.”

Pinkie Pie sighs sadly and turns away. “Bummer. I really like music.”

Flash turns slightly and snaps his fingers, making a disappointed grunt. Then the devices are attached to Flash and his questions about them are ignored. Though, a few minutes later when the last twenty slots are filled a ding catches everyone's attention and they see Celestia holding a triangle, which is vibrating and twirling from its little string. With all eyes on Celestia, the Principal smiles and puts away the instrument.

“Now that I have your attention, I would like to make a couple of announcements,” says Celestia. “First off, this is the Assessment Test to gauge where your skills in both fighting and people interaction lie. You will be dealing with the beasts of Tartarus, and it will be scary and challenging. Secondly, the devices we gave you are cameras with audio and visual recording and a booster pack that will strengthen your natural aura. They will also measure your vitals, and should we determine that you are about to die you will be teleported out and scheduled for a reexamination. We cannot have our students dying on the first test, after all.”

A very uncomfortable silence falls on the group as the students glance at each other. The wind rustling the grass is the only noise and somewhere in the distance a bird caws. After some seconds, Celestia continues.

“That said, should you be taken out for a reexamination that will count as a strike. Three strikes and you are out of the school for at least six months,” says Celestia. “Now, for the Assessment Test. Luna, if you will.”

Celestia steps back and Luna steps forward, thanking her sister.

“Students, the rules for the test are simple,” says Luna. “You will be launched into the Hollow Shades Forest, and it will be up to you to use an efficient landing method. Once you are in the forest, you will form teams of four, fight your way to the far end where the ruins of an ancient temple lie and retrieve one of the chess pieces on display. You will then take your piece back with your full team to the other side of the forest where Doctors Daring Do and Rene Cabelleron will be waiting.”

The two professors that are with them nod and barely wave at the students.

“However, there is a twist,” says Celestia. “Your teams will be chosen by who you come into contact first. For example, students A through H are launched into the forest, and student A comes into contact with students E, G, and H first, they are now teammates for the full four years they are here.”

Students gasp and murmur, and Pinkie Pie feels an odd mix of panic and excitement rushing in. Sure there are plenty of opportunities to make new friends, but so far she has seen nothing but questionable characters and she really does not want to be stuck with someone she despises for four years. From the reactions of the other students it seems that they are feeling similar things.

“This is such poop!” says Drake Firewall. “I already had a team planned!”

“Would you like some cheese to go with that whine?” says Luna flatly.

Drake doesn't reply and the students gradually fall silent. When all is back to chirping birds and sunshine, Luna types on her pad, which leads to a series of clicks and whirs, with all the lights on the platforms turning green. Seeing this, the students brace themselves in quick and mostly sloppy manners. Some get cocky smiles, others do quick breathing exercises, and quite a few mutter quick prayers. For Pinkie Pie, she giggles and shudders, getting a strange look from Flash, who has not prepared himself in any way.

“Oh, I'm so excited I could just squee,” says Pinkie Pie.

“The pads are activated. Are there any questions?” says Celestia.

Flash raises his hand. “Um, I got a question.”

“Excellent. Luna, do it.”

Luna pushes a button on her pad, and one by one students are flung into the air, like dolls on a catapult. Their bodies rapidly turn to black silhouettes and their screams, shrieks and terrified sobs fade with distance, and each student has only three seconds to prepare after their neighbor is launched.

“Um, Principal, ma'am?” says Flash.

“Yes?” says Celestia.

Twilight is catapulted.

“What do you mean by landing method?” says Flash.

“Exactly what I said,” says Celestia. “Be creative when you begin your descent. Don't hurt yourself or others, and use quick wits to figure out the best and least painful plan of using the trees to slow your fall. Trust me, you will thank us for this should you have to jump out of a burning airship.”

“Oh. Wait, what?”

Now Rarity is flung into the forest.

“Can we at least get jetpacks or parachutes or something?” asks Flash.

BOING! And off Trixie goes!

“No,” says Luna.

Another platform ejects the rainbow haired student, only she is hollering with a crazed enthusiasm only an adrenaline junky can get.

“This is crazy!” says Flash.

“Your point?” says Luna.

Applejack salutes Pinkie Pie, and then is shot off into the sky. Pinkie Pie then grins and giggles wickedly at the forest, heart racing and body coiled, and her hammer held tight in her hands.

“I mean, this just seems really dangerous, especially for first year students,” says Flash.

“Oh, it is,” says Celestia.

“But it is fun,” adds Luna.

Pinkie Pie is then launched, leaving everything behind her in a blur. Even her body seems to be farther than her excited screaming and laughing.

Meanwhile, down below, Flash holds up a finger, knees quivering and face dripping with sweat.

“But-”

And that is all Flash can say before the launch pad shoots him into the sky. His terrified shrieking quickly becomes distant, and Luna pulls out a pair of binoculars and watches his twirling flailing body shrink with the more disciplined students. Next to her, Celestia calmly sips from her thermos, and when the last of the students are launched, she sighs with a content smile.

Landings

Wind rushes past Pinkie Pie's grinning face. It feels like her cheeks are about to be ripped off and her eyes dried to dust, and she cannot hear a darn thing, except for her own excited scream and laughter. She looks to each side and sees students making their landings, using the weapons or maneuvering their bodies, and when she looks ahead she sees the lush canopy has gotten a whole lot closer than she last remembers.

Pinkie Pie cannot help but laugh at what is to come, and she aims her hammer towards the trees, and with a quick motions she activates the cannon inside her hammer. She holds the grip tight and squeezes the trigger, and a blue ball shoots forward, slowing her fall just a bit and blowing a tree apart. Pinkie Pie flies through the ball of flame and burning splinters, and narrowly avoids the severed portion of the tree. It falls behind her, smoking and crashing through the canopy, breaking more trees and shaking the ground when it lands, shooting up smoke, mulch and dust.

As this happens, Pinkie Pie holds her hammer straight ahead and hits the ground before she can finish the blink. Her body is shrouded in the cloud of debris that is shot up, and she loses her grip on her hammer and has a very nasty trip across the ground. Grunts and yelps of pain leave her as everything becomes a blur from her bouncing, rolling and skidding, and when she comes to a stop it is only because of a tree that she hit with her side.

Pinkie Pie curls on the ground, coughing and wheezing for air as she holds her ribs. Her ears ring and the camera on her face flashes red with a message blinking white at the bottom.

Aura Low! Recharge Needed!

Pinkie Pie groans and sees her hammer laying not too far from her, still in its cannon mode with no sighs of damage, save for a lot of dirt and some shaved paint and scratches. Seeing this, Pinkie Pie chuckles, grips the dirt and pulls herself forward.

“Yes, my hammer lives,” says Pinkie Pie proudly, albeit with a lot of pain in her voice.

She crawls on her stomach, wincing and coughing with her hair hanging over her eyes and wet mulch clinging to her body. Sweat mattes her hair to her forehead and neck and the red blinking on the camera snaps to yellow, but her body still hurts, especially her ribs. That does not stop her from smiling, though.

Once Pinkie Pie reaches her hammer, she uses it prop herself up, and then uses it as a walking stick to take her to a large, gnarled root, where she sits. She takes a moment to catch her breath, and when that moment passes, she looks around for any sign of prying eyes. With no one around she flicks a switch on her hammer and the barrel dims. Then she removes the gem from its slot, pulls off her shirt, silently congratulates herself for wearing her favorite red bra today, and starts cleaning the filth from her weapon.

Rarity keeps her eyes on the prize during her descent through the air. The trees are thick at both their trunks and leafs, and after watching a few more students go down with flashy trails or overly complex landings, she decides now will be a good time to land. Her acceleration of descent has something to do with it, too.

Rarity curls herself into a ball, and in a flash she is encased in a translucent cocoon of light blue and her body becomes a blur as she spins like a wheel. She then rockets towards the forest, leaving a trail behind her. Her cocoon bounces off of the trees, sending chunks of bark and broken branches flying and falling, and when she hits the ground dirt, mulch and shrubbery is ejected towards the sky with a BOOM shaking the nearby leaves and echoing in the forest.

Rarity bounces along the ground and off of a few more trees before skidding to a complete stop inside a puddle of mud, which has its contents sprayed everywhere. When Rarity gets up from her ball form, her eyes are rolling, her heading is spinning and the ground and sky are turning like a carousel. Rarity hiccups, wobbles in circles, and holds up her finger and points in a random direction.

“World, stop moving, please.”

And then she flops backwards in the mud becomes still.

Shotgun blasts ring over the forest as Applejack shoots balls of flame from her gloves to propel her across the sky. Like the others before her, she hollers from the thrill, and she has a giggle fit when she skims the top of the trees.

With the leaves brushing against her, Applejack curls her body and shoots out a jet stream of fire that turns her into a blur. Applejack is able to twist her body and kick herself off of a tree at a downward angle, leaving burnt foot prints and broken bark in her wake. And she continues this method, kicking herself off of one tree to the next, getting lower to the ground with every leap, and when she hits the ground, she hits its hard in a kneeling position with her fist in it.

Applejack stands up, takes a deep breath, and smiles and removes her Stetson to rake her fingers through her hair. Her glove is still hot and she regrets doing it, but when she realizes that she is standing in the middle of a crater all the self-inflicted pain goes to the back of her mind and she looks around at the damage before looking at her gloves. Then she shrugs and runs off.

Trixie narrows her eyes on the rapidly approaching trees, and she extends her wand and pushes a button on the handle. The blue gem glows and shoots a sparkling orb at the tree top, and when it hits the leafs it expands to a blue ring ring void of any color and Trixie quickly turns her the chamber in her wand so an orange gem replaces the blue one. She then turns and coils her body and shoots an orange orb that hits the trunk of a tree that is much closer to the ground. The orb expands to an orange ring and reflects the sky, and once Trixie falls through the blue ring she pops out of the orange ring and flips to her feet.

The wet mulch flies around her and she slides backwards, digging her feet and one hand in the ground while the other hand clutches her wand. When Trixie stops moving, she stands up, shakes the wet leafs from her cold hands and then switches out her orange gem with a purple one. An energy blade extends from Trixie's wand soon after, and at the base of the energy blade two smaller blades ones poke out from the sides, and she scans the area for any signs of trouble, keeping her blade out and eyes sharp.

With no signs of trouble anywhere, Trixie retracts her weapon, paces in circles a few times, and then blows raspberries and decides to just go in a random direction.

Twilight keeps her shield in front of her, and turns her head slightly to avoid the splinters of the trees her shield breaks through with ease. After breaking through the third tree Twilight lands on a particularly thick branch and rolls to a stop, which she is quick to hop to her feet while simultaneously slinging the shield on her back and twirling her spear to hold it like a gun. Gears and pistons click and whir, and the spear transforms into a slender rifle with the blade sliding back to turn into a bayonet and an iron sight popping up.

Twilight sweeps her rifle over the area, watching the remaining students making their landings throughout the forest. Then she sees Flash screaming and flailing and spinning in the air, completely helpless.

Twilight pushes a button on her grip and her rifle morphs back into a spear as she twists its position so she is holding it in one hand while using her thumb to gauge its direction. After a quick mental calculation she throws the spears, and a burst of energy rockets it across the sky. It arcs over the trees with Flash, and seconds later she hears a distant thud and cringes, hoping she did not just impale a fellow student.

However, her worries of becoming a prison plaything are put to rest when she hears Flash's faint voice echo: “Thank you!”

Twilight sighs with relief and begins her climb down.

The rainbow haired student known appropriately as Rainbow Dash makes her way through the forest, weapons drawn and eyes halfheartedly searching for foes. She knows the teachers will not do anything too crazy since she is a first year student. She still would like a challenge, but there is no point in getting too worked up about the test.

So far she has not encountered any students, but she has heard their attacks, and she has slayed a few monsters, such as large spiders, evil chickadees, and couple of little goblins. Nothing too hard. So far the event has been boring, except for the beginning when she made her amazing landing that no one saw. But she will have plenty of time to display her awesomeness once she forms a team.

Some minutes and bug killings later and Rainbow Dash steps into a clearing. The grass is a good height and the sun shines down on her. The trees around her show no signs of trouble, and so she continues on without much of a care. The she hears a growl and heavy thumps.

Rainbow Dash turns to the source and curses and jumps back when she sees a massive creature stepping through the tree line. Its blood red eyes stare at her, and its fangs gleam in the light from its slobber. Its lion body is bulging with muscles under its fur, its bat wings are expanded and its scorpion tail is raised and dripping venom.

Rainbow Dash's knees and hands shake, but she still puts on a confident smile and braces herself as she aims her weapons at the beast.

“A manticore, huh? Finally a challenge I can actually enjoy!” says Rainbow Dash.

A series of fast, flickering lights suddenly appear from the tree line, and an ominous bzzzzzzz overtakes the manticore's scream of pain. Dirt, grass and blood fly and Rainbow Dash swears and jumps back as the manticore thrashes on the ground. Each round penetrating it jerks its body and by the time it is still and silent, the ground and its body are soaked in blood, and Rainbow Dash can only stare. Eyes wide and jaws slack.

Rainbow Dash hears a couple of clicks along with snapping twigs, and she turns and sees a slender girl stepping out from her cover with a large case on her back. She is slipping a couple of gems into a drum of a Thompson machine gun that appears to have been born from a musical instrument. The smoke from its glowing barrel rise to her face, and she meet Dash's cerise eyes with her tired purple eyes. Her black trench coat is open, exposing her gray blouse and pink ties, she has black pants and shoes -which are covered in mud, a black hat with a pink band, and her black hair is straight with large bangs and goes past her shoulders.

“Hey, I could've handled that!” says Rainbow Dash.

“I'm sure you could've,” says the new girl. “But I wanted to kill something.”

A cold feeling runs up Dash's spine and she takes a step back. “Okay, that's creepy.”

The student steps forward and. “Being as the rules dictate that we're a team, now, I think we need to introduce ourselves. I am Octavia Melody.” She holds out her hand. “What's your name?”

Rainbow Dash hesitantly shakes Octavia's hand. “The name's Rainbow Dash.”

“That's nice.”

Octavia then walks away in the opposite direction of Rainbow Dash without looking back, leaving the vibrant haired girl to stare flabbergasted. When Octavia is almost back into the trees, Rainbow Dash marches forward.

“Hey, where are you going?” says Rainbow Dash.

“To the ruins. They are in this direction,” says Octavia, still not looking at Dash.

Rainbow Dash points over her shoulder. “No, the ruins are that way!”

Octavia faces Rainbow Dash, her weapon cradled in her arms and a brow raised skeptically. “You wanna bet?”

“Yeah, I wanna bet!”

Octavia rests her weapon against a tree, pulls out a gray wallet with a black clef on it, which is attached to her belt loop via gold chain, and pulls out a small wad of cash.

“How much?” says Octavia.

“Oh.” Rainbow Dash chuckles, and then seethes and rubs the back of her neck as she averts her eyes. “Listen, I'm kinda broke, so... dish duty for a month?”

Rainbow Dash then looks at Octavia and forces a smile, and Octavia sighs in disappointment and puts her money away.

Flash struggles to free himself from the spear that has him stuck in a tree, using his guitar case. He grunts and swears under his breath as he awkwardly pulls on the weapon, but he stops momentarily when he hears a distant bzzzzzzz and an animal making a very painful scream. When the noise stops, leaving only bugs and birds, he goes right back at it, although with more ardor since he really does not want to die in a tree. That, and he is sure that the people watching him are laughing at his misfortune. Though, several minutes of failed trying later he drops his hands with a defeated sigh and hangs limp, not being sure if he should thank or hate the person that saved him with a spear.

He is grateful that someone stopped his fall, but the method itself was reckless. What if he got speared through the gut? What if his weapon is now destroyed? What kind of lunatic would throw a spear at someone to stop them from falling, anyway?

“It looks like I'll be on Team Flash, after all,” says someone down below.

Flash looks to the source and sees Twilight staring up at him, arms folded across her chest and an odd smile on her face.

“Very funny,” says Flash.

“Do you need help getting down?” asks Twilight.

“Nope. I got this.” Flash starts pulling on the spear again, grunting and cursing and pressing his feet against the trunk for support as his face turns red and veins throb. He then says with a strained voice: “I totally got this!”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, yeah. This isn't the first time this has happened to me.”

Twilight nods. “Okay. I'll just wait here until you're down.”

Pinkie Pie's legs feel like jelly and her ribs still ache as she makes her way through the forest with a clean hammer and a shirt completely covered in mud and leafs. She climbs over fallen logs and twisted roots, hops over mud puddles and streams, and in one cases has to do a balancing act so she does not fall into a rocky river and get carried away into the mysterious beyond. Though, most of her trek has been aimlessly walking through the forest instead of climbing and balancing acts. She has found the test to be pretty easy, so far, and has admittedly done some overkills with her cannon against some evil bugs and a goblin. That said, she has yet to meet a single student. The creatures of Tartarus are a-plenty, but students? Nope.

Pinkie Pie knows there are students around. She can hear their attacks and she knows that they are not scattered too far apart, and it is while Pinkie Pie thinks about the lack of students that she spots an interesting sight. High off the ground, pieces of trees are broken apart, and not too far from her is a small crater that is connected to a trail, which leads to more damaged trees, and finally a mud hole that has a whole lot of mud splattered on the scenery surrounding it.

Pinkie Pie raises a brow and carefully approaches the site with her cannon at the ready, and right as she is at the edge a creature of mud and twigs emerges, roaring viciously with its mutated hands stretching out to suck away her soul!

Pinkie Pie shrieks and leaps back, firing her cannon, striking the creature in the chest. The blast of the shot pushes Pinkie Pie backwards and she lands on her back with a grunt, and the creature also flies backwards, leaving cloud of flash-dried mud behind. The creature hits a tree and slumps to the ground, mostly free of mud, twitching and smoking with a massive crack of splinters behind it, and when Pinkie Pie sits up, she blinks, then cringes.

“Oh, crap.”

Through the Forest

Applejack trudges through the Hollow Shades Forest with grit and determination in her steps. Her heavy boots easily crush everything in her path, leaving clear footprints in the wet ground, and she bullies her way through the trees. Branches are pushed aside or broken off, shrubs are stepped on, and obstructions are blasted away.

All the dark bark trees and gnarled roots look the same to her, and the gunshots and explosions all sound like to be the same distance away from her. She has not seen any signs of Pinkie Pie or any familiar faces anywhere, and as much as she hates to admit it, the forest is freaking her out. Between the damp environment, the roaming beasts and the idea of having to spend four years with a potentially random person who she may or may not like depending on attitude, work ethic and moral code is something that leaves her mind running in a hamster wheel of barely contained panic.

That said, Applejack has never thought of herself to be anti-social, but the kind of random team generating that is incorporated into the test is begging for a disaster. Much like how sacrificing a virgin or a baby goat is inviting a demon into the house. Bad ideas, all around.

“The things I put up with to make my family proud,” says Applejack to no one in particular as she pushes a branch out of the way. With the branch out of the way, she gets an up close, nose to snout view of a yellow eyed wolf made entirely out of wood. It growls and grips venomous sap from its fangs, and she smiles and calmly pulls the branch back in place. “Nope.”

The wolf leaps through the shrubbery, roaring viciously and splattering Applejack's face with sap, and she falls on her back, screaming and swearing. The claws slash at her, but her aura merely flickers, leaving her body free of harm for the most part. However, she thinks her heart and lungs might explode, and she screams again when the wolf pins her down by pressing on her shoulder, and when it lunges at her head she puts her arm in the way, giving it a taste of her gauntlet.

The wolf growls and gnaws at Applejack's gauntlet, covering it in sticky drool, and ripples scatter across her gauntlet from the creature's teeth. The wolf bites harder and shakes its head while its paws claw at her shoulder, and Applejack's ears and eyes start hurting when an alarm flashes with its noisy accomplice.

Aura Low! Recharge Needed! is what she sees on her eye-piece, and below her aura bar is another bar. Only this bar grows a little bit more with every bite into her.

After some very fast and gut wrenching seconds of gnawing leading to her near complete depletion of her aura, Applejack roars and activates her glove. It jerks in the wolf's mouth from its sudden jet-powered burst, and the wolf reels back, yelping with broken teeth flying. Applejack then aims her other hand at its head fires off a ball of flame that blows its head apart.

The headless wolf crumbles, and smoke rises from its neck as its body twitches on the ground, but Applejack can barely get to her knees before she hears more paws hitting the ground. She turns, swears and rolls away right before another wolf can land on her, and she has to dive away from yet another wolf that jumps towards her.

Applejack turns on her back fires off two more fiery rounds that strikes the newest wolf in the leg and chest. It collapses with a pained howl and a smoldering hole in its chest, and Applejack scrambles to her feet and charges the remaining wolf. The wolf snarls and runs towards Applejack and when it is enough it roars and jumps towards her, but she slides on her back on the ground shoots of a stream of fire balls across its stomach in rapid succession. When she stops sliding she lays flat on her back and gets an upside down view of the wolf falling into burning pieces. Applejack's aura is back to being fully charged and her other bar is completely depleted, as well.

Applejack turns on her stomach, sighing with a smile of relief when its flaming carcass crashes into the ground, splashing mulch and dirt all over. However, when a growling shadow covers her and heavy paws slam on her back with something thick and wet drips on her, her smiles vanishes and she looks up to see yet another wolf looking down at her. Grinning nonetheless.

But before the wolf can do anything more than growl, a purple streak slices through the wolf's neck, and its head rolls away with wretched smelling, sappy blood jetting out and getting all over Applejack. Applejack coughs and sputters the foul fluid out of her mouth, and when the headless wolf collapses Trixie is revealed, deactivating her wand and staring at Applejack with an unimpressed frown.

“Need a hand?” asks Trixie.

“Nope,” replies Applejack. She pushes herself up and brushes herself off, and then smiles meekly. “Thank you kindly for the help, but I think I could've taken it just fine.”

“Would that be before or after your head was ripped off?” says Trixie.

Applejack says nothing, and Trixie smirks arrogantly as she brushes herself off and adjusts her cape.

“Anyway, Trixie believes that we are on a team, now, and as team leader Trixie's first order is for you to take a picture of Trixie standing proudly with her kill,” says the silver haired student. She tosses Applejack a small camera and then kneels next to the headless wolf. “Chop, chop, subordinate. Time's a wasting.”

Applejack looks at the camera, and then at Trixie with a quirked brow. “Say what, now?”

Trixie frowns impatiently. “Take Trixie's picture with the magical device. Its not that hard.”

“I know what a camera is, but we should be going towards the ruins to get the chess piece, not... whatever this is.”

“Its a photo shoot. The camera's already on, just point it at me and push the red button and it will take care of the rest.”

Applejack tosses the camera to Trixie. “I ain't got time for this.”

Trixie tosses the camera back to Applejack. “There's always time for a picture.”

Applejack tosses the camera back to Trixie. “Not for me, there ain't.”

Trixie tosses the camera back to Applejack. “Take my picture.”

Applejack tosses the camera back to Trixie. “Take a selfie!”

Trixie tosses the camera back to Applejack. “Trixie is above selfies!”

“Fine!” Applejack stuffs the camera in her pocket. “I'll take your picture when we're done. How's that sound?”

“No!” whines Trixie. She stands and marches towards Applejack with her hand outstretched. “Gimme back my camera if you're going to be like that.”

“Never mind. You'll get your camera back when you get a better attitude,” says Applejack.

“Why you little...!”

Trixie lunges at Applejack, and Applejack merely holds out her hand, once again keeping Trixie at arms length. The smaller girl swears and tries to swing at Applejack, but the farmer is out of her reach and shakes her head with an amused smile.

“It didn't work last time, hun. It ain't work this time,” says Applejack.

Trixie swings a few more times and Applejack chuckles and shakes her head, but when Trixie suddenly stops struggling and gains a wicked smile, Applejack's spine shivers. Trixie's wand then clicks and its gem changes to blue, and after that a blue circle is shot at Applejack's feet.

“What the?” says Applejack as she flicks her eyes to the strange circle.

Trixie then changes the gem to orange and shoots it at a tree that is a short distance from another tree. Applejack's whole body is suddenly sucked away from Trixie, and before she can so much as think she gets a face full of bark. The tree shakes, her vision is knocked out of focus, and she lands flat on her back, eyes rolling and branches and leafs falling around her.

Applejack hears Trixie laughing, and she groans and clutches her head as she turns to look at the menace, who is red faced and having trouble standing from how hard she is laughing.

“Ha! How do you like them apples, hick!” says Trixie.

“CAW!”

A black blur suddenly takes Trixie away, and her wand twirls in the air for a few seconds before it clatters to the ground. Trixie's shriek is carried off with her body, and Applejack can only watch, eyes wide and mouth sealed shut as the ego-maniac is carried higher into the sky by an enormous black feathered raptor. Then she looks at the wand and then at Trixie again, who is screaming something that Applejack cannot understand.

With a sigh, Applejack brushes herself off, picks up the wand and tilts it down as she inspects it, knowing she is well out of range to attack the creature with her equipment and figuring the device might have a trick up its sleeve. It is during her prodding that she accidentally switches the orange gem to a teal gem, but she thinks nothing of it.

“Leave it to the farmer to save the city slicker,” mutters Applejack. “How's this contraption supposed to work anyway?”

During her inspection, her thumb presses the trigger and the wand shoots out a teal orb that splashes on the ground, forming a circle with four arrows pointed in the center. Next thing Applejack knows she is rocketed into the sky with a boing!

“SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!”

Pinkie Pie follows Rarity through the forest. Strangely she has not heard a peep from Rarity after their initial conversation of agonizing screams, apologies, failed attempts to calm down, and more apologies, followed by a mutual agreement to not speak to each other for the rest of the trip.

“SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!”

Pinkie Pie stops and looks around, but doesn't see anyone, so she shrugs and carries on without much thought of the strange sound. Besides, she has bigger fish to fry, like Rarity, for example, who has not said a word to her the entire time after she helped her out of the mudhole.

Pinkie Pie watches her new teammate, blinking and inspecting her body and movements every few seconds. Rarity's movements are guarded, her facial features are warped by a never ending scowl, and her gauntlets are on a constant charge. There are also her steps and unnecessarily rough handling of branches that get in her way. One particular branch has the misfortune of being stubborn and therefore being mangled to shaved and twisted remains due to a whining fit Rarity throws when she tries to move it without much luck.

“Rarity, you should probably calm down a little bit,” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity snaps to Pinkie Pie, eyes red and wide, veins throbbing and the destroyed branch in her hand. “I AM CALM!”

Pinkie Pie slides back with her hands held up defensively, and Rarity throws the branch down and continues stomping her way through the forest. The two continue their walk in silence, occasionally killing demon bugs and removing obstacles, and after around ten minutes Pinkie Pie takes a deep breath and matches her pace with Rarity's.

“Hey, I know you're mad and all, but you need to breathe and relax a little,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Mad? I'm not mad,” says Rarity. Her glove and gauntlet glows, and from them come an aura of energy that solidifies into a light blue, curved blade. “I'm beyond mad, actually.”

Pinkie Pie gulps and slides back, sweating nervously. “In a good way?”

Rarity looks at Pinkie Pie from over her shoulder. “In a bad way, dear. A very, very bad way.”

Rarity then slices a branch off with on fell swoop and quickens her steps, but Pinkie Pie keeps pace.

“Would an apology make things better?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“When have apologies ever made things better?” retorts Rarity.

Pinkie Pie cocks her head quizzically. “Eh, not the answer I was looking for.”

Rarity slashes through yet another branch, and sighs and pinches her brows. “Fine. I'll be blunt. No an apology will not work. An apology has never worked, an apology will never work, so don't apologize. Just stay away from me, you hooligan.”

“But we're a team, now, remember?”

“Teammates don't shoot each other with cannons!”

“Oh, my gosh! For the fiftieth time that was an accident! Holy crap, why can't you get that through your pampered head?”

Rarity stomps forward and points at herself. “Maybe because that accident almost killed me!”

Pinkie Pie goes toe to toe with Rarity, meeting her feisty eyes with her smoldering eyes, and getting red in the face. “Maybe you shouldn't've dressed up like a soul sucking mud monster!”

“Maybe you should exercise some caution before shooting everything that moves!”

“Maybe you should lose the attitude before I go rock farm on your butt!”

Rarity scoffs and stomps away from Pinkie Pie. “Typical uncouth ruffian. All brawn, no brain, no sense of civility. Of all the people I had to run into it just had to be you!”

Pinkie Pie growls and shakes in her spot, and when Rarity is a good distance away, she screams furiously and swings her hammer against the closest tree. Its side is gutted with its interior scorched and flaming splinters scattering everywhere. She then marches after Rarity, and doesn't look back when the tree falls behind her and crashes into the ground.

“Okay, I bet you four snack bags of cracker fish that you won't be able to shoot that banana patch out of the tree,” says Rainbow Dash, grinning mischievously with her arms across her chest and her eyes locked on a healthy bundle of bananas hanging from a tree.

Octavia hums and scratches her ear. “Okay. I'll see your bet and raise you one that you cannot do the same for that banana bundle.”

Dash and Octavia look at each other, and the latter meets the former's grin and they both raise their weapons. Steady their arms. And right as they are about to fire there is a very nearby roar of something vicious, followed by the thud of something big crashing into the ground.

The two whip to the direction of the source and aim their weapons at the trees, each taking careful steps back.

“That sounds big,” says Octavia.

“Yeah, it does... Race you to the ruins?” says Rainbow Dash. She turns her head, only to see Octavia disappearing into the trees. “Oh, son of a bitch.”

The distant sound of crashing wood stops Flash in his tracks, and he looks over his shoulder, but sees nothing.

“I wonder what that was,” says Flash.

Twilight glances over her shoulder. “Whatever it was it sounded big. We should keep moving, just to avoid it.”

Flash nods in agreement and resumes following Twilight. With the way she is walking and constantly looking in every direction she can, Flash has come to a solid conclusion.

“You're lost,” says Flash.

“I am not lost,” says Twilight. “I have studied many maps of the Hollow Shades Forest and know exactly where we are going.”

Twilight moves a branch aside and freezes in her tracks, eyes wide and muscles tense, and Flash leans over her shoulder, whistling when he sees the far, sharp drop to the shallow, rocky creek below.

“You were saying?” says Flash.

Twilight scoffs and pushes her way past Flash. “Don't be a jerk.”

Flash snickers and walks after Twilight.

“Look, just admit that you're lost. There's no problem in admitting that,” says Flash lightly.

“And I suppose you know where to go?” says Twilight.

“Yeah, we gotta get to the ruins, and we may have gotten a little turned around, but I think I can get us there if I take point.”

“Have you ever seen a map of this forest?”

“Have you ever memorized a map of this forest?”

“As a matter of fact I have and we are...” Twilight paces in a circle, hand raised, and then she stops in her starting spot and points at the ground. “We are in the third quadrant.”

Flash shakes his head and walks towards Twilight. “That's it. I'm taking point.”

“No, I got this. I'll get us to the ruins with no problem, you'll see.”

Twilight speed walks ahead, and accidentally runs into a tree. She stumbles back, shakes her head, and then smiles with flushed cheeks and an embarrassed laugh. Flash can only shake his head, but a little smile does make a flicker of an appearance.

“Right, well, considering that you don't even know where we are, I stand by my idea of me leading,” says Flash.

“But you don't know where we are, either,” points out Twilight.

Flash nods. “Yeah, I know, but I can get us unlost quicker than you.”

Twilight folds her arms across her chest and raises a brow, gaining a tiny smile of her own. “Oh, really? And how can you be sure of that?”

“Because I've gone camping before, so that automatically makes me better at nature stuff than you.”

Twilight's jaw drops, as does her hands, which ball into fists. “What? I've gone camping before, too, so by that logic that means we're equal.”

Flash leans against a tree, lips puckered in mock interest and he looks down his nose at Twilight, fighting to hold back an amused smile.

“Really? What kind of camping was it?” asks Flash.

“Well,” begins Twilight snobbishly, “when I was little my father rented us a cabin for a family vacation, and we went to a fish farm, grilled out and... and... Why are you looking at me like that?”

Flash resistance has crumbled. Now a large, toothless grin has spread across his face and he shakes his head slowly. Seconds later, he sighs, pulls away from the tree and approaches Twilight, tuting playfully.

“Twilight Sparkle, student extraordinaire, four time champion of the Simulation Tournament, and mascot of a cereal company, does not know about camping,” teases Flash.

“I do to!” says Twilight with a whiny pitch.

“Oh, no. What you did was not camping. So, first chance we get I'm going to show you real camping, with tents, sleeping bags, s'mores, hot dogs and brats, and fishing with just a stick, a string and a hook. None of that fancy cabin stuff or cheap fish farms. It'll be camping done right.”

His grin widens to show off his pearly white teeth and he leans close so that they are nose to nose, allowing him to see his lidded eyes and suggestive grin reflecting off of Twilight's glasses.

“And since we're now a team we can call it team bonding,” says Flash.

Twilight's cheeks flare and she steps back, balling her hand over he chest, and Flash clicks his tongue and winks, and then walks ahead of Twilight. As he walks, he unslings his guitar case, pulls out a blue guitar with yellow lightning bolts on it and its strings covered by a metal casing, and then he presses at the base of the guitar's neck. The guitar clicks, whirs and hums, and from the body comes a trio of curved blades. Once the blades are locked in place, he looks over his shoulder and smiles at Twilight.

“Now you get to follow my lead,” says Flash.

Twilight says nothing in response, so the two walk in silence. This goes on for a little while with no dangers, save for the inconvenience of shrubbery and fallen logs in the way, but Flash makes the mistakes of getting distracted by a flock of birds taking flight. He turns his head for a fraction of a second, but that's all it takes for his foot to get snagged in a twisted root. For the briefest of moments time slows to a crawl for him when he starts falling, but that slow down only helps him realize that he is about to get a face full of jagged rock. He closes his eyes, turns his head, and feels his bones crack and flesh rip right after.

The pain is immediate and Flash's excruciating cry of pain is loud. He jumps to his feet, clutching his jaw as blood flows out of his mouth and past his fingers. He can hear Twilight's stream of apologies, sees her bulging, panicking eyes and feels her hands on his shoulders in her attempt to keep him still, but she cannot stop him from stomping in circles and swearing up a storm.

“Oh, fuck! Fucking hell! Holy fuck this hurts!” cries Flash as blood pours past his hands.

“Oh, my goodness, are you okay?” says Twilight.

“I think my teeth are loose!”

“Okay, hang on! Just hang on! I'll fix this!”

“What is this flap? What am I holding!?”

Twilight grabs the device on her necklace and her fingers fumble to activate it, bringing up a holographic display of various icons. She then sifts through the icons, muttering unintelligibly to herself until she comes to a cross with a heart in it, and after tapping on it, her device and hands glow white and she gently grabs Flash by the back of his head and instructs him to keep still. Despite her gentle touch and tone, he still curses and trembles in his spot, but Twilight is able to place her glowing hand on Flash's jaw. Twilight then closes her eyes with a deep breath, and with a slow exhale white energy seeps all over Flash's injury and he stops swearing, fidgeting, and bleeding. When the glowing stops and Twilight pulls away, all he has to do is wipe the blood from his face. The pain is still there, but it is a throbbing feeling and nowhere near as bad as earlier.

“Huh,” says Flash. He smacks his lips, runs his tongue along the inside of his mouth, and pats his jaw. “My mouth feels weird.”

“You're jaw was pretty bad, so I fixed it as best as I could,” says Twilight.

Flash tenderly rubs his face. He can feel small bumps along his face, like the remnants of a scab and pain flares in his jaw, but it is bearable. Satisfied that he is not holding his mouth together, he smiles brightly and picks up his weapon.

“Well, you did a great job. My teeth feel fine and my mouth isn't broken, so... yeah, good job,” says Flash.

Twilight steps back and rubs her chin, scrutinizing Flash. “Your injury doesn't make sense, though. Your aura and the aura booster should have stopped such an injury, unless... Have you unlocked your aura?”

“My aura? Psh, of course I did.” Flash points at Twilight accusingly. “Did you unlock your aura?”

“I just used my aura to fix your mouth,” says Twilight flatly.

“You could've faked it.”

Twilight raises an eyebrow. “Flash, do you even know what aura is?”

“Yeah, do you know what aura is?”

“Yes.”

“Oh... Well...” Flash forces a cough into his fist. “Why don't you tell me, just so I can see if you're right or not.”

Twilight huffs. “All right, I'll play along. Aura is a barrier that shields our bodies from harm while allowing us to use special abilities, but its power is limited and its origins are unknown. The theologicals believe that it is formed by our souls, or is a divine gift. Others, like myself and the scientific community, believe that it is created by some sort of network of nerves and chemical reactions, or perhaps a defense mechanism provided by brain waves.”

Flash gets a teasing smile. “You don't know, do you?”

“It is an energy that our bodies produce with no definitive origin. How am I supposed to explain that? Besides, at least I am able to use my aura. You can't.”

Flash seethes mockingly. “Ooh, the burn. Look, I haven't been able to use this aura thing for as long as I can remember and look at me. I'm perfectly fine.”

“You're face was busted until I used my aura to fix you!”

“And I'm thankful for that, but we wasted enough time talking and need to move. I don't like this area.”

“But you could get hurt... Again.”

“Wouldn't be the first time.”

Flash walks ahead of Twilight and gets a few more paces before Twilight stops him.

“Wait,” says Twilight.

Flash groans and moodily turns to Twilight. “Yes?”

“I'm not going anywhere until you're aura is unlocked.”

“Then we're going to be here for a while.”

“But I know of a process that can release your aura. I read about it and I know I can do it.”

Flash places the head of his weapon in the ground and leans against the handle, frowning. “Uh, yeah, I hate to spoil your fun, but reading and practicing are two different things. So, why don't we wait until we're near a hospital before you do whatever it is you want to do. Just in case you almost kill me or something.”

“Flash, you can't continue on like this! You need your aura if you want to survive in this forest.”

“I have made it this far without my aura. I think I can manage a few more hours.”

“Flash, don't be difficult or else I won't go camping with you.”

Flash sighs and approaches Twilight, shaking his head. “All right, fine, I'll let you try it, but you gotta make it quick, okay?”

Twilight nods and places one hand on Flash's shoulder and the other his forehead. His muscles twitch, and his throat tightens with his heart feeling like it is trying to jump out of his body. He tries to take a step back, but Twilight keeps him in place with a firm grip, and he looks at her nervously with beads of sweat trickling down his face.

“Hey, wait a second. What are you doing?” says Flash, his voice trembling slightly.

“Close your eyes. Clear your mind of all thoughts and relax,” says Twilight.

“Is this part of the procedure thing?”

“Yes. Now please relax and be quiet.”

Flash takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and exhales slowly, letting his shoulders go slack and his legs do the bare minimum to keep him up.

All Flash sees is a darkness. A heavy darkness that is crushing every part of him, but seconds later a gold light appears in the dark and he feels warm hands holding him steady. The light breaks apart the darkness, brick by brick, and as each brick floats off they disintegrate into blue powder that spreads and eats more of the blackness. The hands soon go from warm to hot and the light becomes blinding and like a flame in the shape of a palm. The flame turns into shades of purple and mingle with the blue, fusing as one, like roots in the ground. The two colors crackle and white cracks spread rapidly, and when the two colors are separated by the white like pieces of a mosaic later there is an explosion of white that obliterates the two colors. With that explosion comes a shocking pain that strangely feels good to Flash and leaves him feeling lighter.

Flash opens eyes, and everything is blurry at first, and the ringing in his ears covers his heavy breathing and heartbeats. The seconds go by, and his vision becomes clearer so he can see Twilight in front of him with her glowing hands on his shoulder and head. Her limbs are quivering, though, and she is breathing heavily with lines of purple slithering and fading around her body.

Flash gently grabs Twilight's wrist, snapping her out of her trance with a startled gasp, and he pulls her off of him and guides her to sit on a root. He then kneels in front of her, ax in hand and concern heavy on his features.

“I don't know what you did, but you don't look so good,” says Flash.

Twilight looks up, swallows some air and wipes sweat from her face, and then smiles wearily. “I used my aura to unlock yours. But I think I'll need to sit for a while, now.”

Flash nods and stands up. “Take all the time you need. I'll keep watch.”

Flash turns around, adjusts his weapon, flicks down a pair of grips and a trigger, and then watches the forest intently.

“Hey, Flash,” says Twilight.

Flash looks over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“You're glowing. Just thought you'd like to know.”

Flash stares at Twilight with some skepticism, but when he inspects himself, his eyes pop wide open from seeing the blue fading around him, like a shield disappearing from view. His shock quickly turns to glee, and he giggles and scans the forest with more enthusiasm with hops in his steps.

“Oh, cool! This day isn't turning out to be so bad, after all,” says Flash.

And that is when a large pair of red eyes opens up behind Twilight.

0000000000

In a dim, armored room far off site, Celestia sits in a large chair with a notebook, pen and computer tab on her lap, and standing behind her is Luna. Her chair is attached to a ball-joint system that is bolted to the floor, and on its thick arms are buttons and speakers. Her chair also has a cup holder, which is housing the thermos of tea. Facing the sisters are numerous screens showing first person footage of students going through the forest, fighting or walking, or in many cases arguing. As of now, Celestia and Luna are focused on Flash and Twilight's screens, which have been enlarged and are showing their vitals and aura levels. For Flash, his aura is being measured at a level Celestia has rarely seen, whereas Twilight's aura is low recharging. The protege's breathing and heart rate is also a bit high, but it is nothing a quick rest cannot fix.

“He didn't have his aura unlocked? That is not a good sign,” says Luna. She pulls up Flash's information on her pad and furrows her brows as she scrolls through them. “His transcript says he graduated in the top ten percentile of Tall Tale, but how can that be if he did not even use his aura?”

“His transcripts are fake,” says Celestia.

Luna types in a command on her pad and it brings up a red button with white wings. “If that is the case then he must be removed immediately.”

Celestia sips from her thermos. “No need to be rash, Luna. We'll keep an eye on him, see how he does, and if he proves his worth we'll overlook it. If not, we'll send him back home.”

Luna looks at Celestia, baffled. “But, Tia, he broke the rules!”

“Luna, you know as well as I do that we need every hunter we can get and fast. As of now we cannot afford to be picky of our selections, and if this student thinks he is well enough to be in our ranks then we shall amuse him for the time being. Besides, this will be an overall hard lesson for him as to why he should not be doing things the wrong way.”

Luna huffs, closes out Flash's tab and then stomps out of the room, leaving Celestia to watch the many screens in silence. Celestia hears Luna's steps fade and the door slam shut, but she refuses to break away from the live feeds. After some minutes of watching students fighting monsters, arguing and hurting themselves or each other, one student feed catches her attention. It is footage is a pack of a dozen manticores flying away, wailing like cubs, and the student that scared them off turns towards a group of three students sprawled on the ground. Celestia pulls up their vitals and aura and sees that the latter is depleted and their physical damage is almost in the red.

“Principal Faustsend, maa'am, students Drake Firewall, Astro Neptunio and Thorn Shoot are nearing the critical zone, should we pull them out?” asks a man over the radio, which is built into Celestia's chair.

Celestia pushes a button on the arm of her chair. “No. I want to see what this student does.”

“Roger that.”

The student's hands extend and she and the three others she is with are covered in a white mist, and their auras and vitals are returned to normal, save for hers which her aura drops to near zero. The student collapses to her knees, and her breathing becomes labored and heart rate increasing sharply. Her pink hair partially blocks some of the footage, and her hands are barely able to keep her up. She looks up when one of the students approaches her with a flanged mace and wearing Gothic armor of black and red, which is covered in scratches, dents and blood and mud. He extends his hand to hers, and she swallows and hesitantly takes it and is helped to her feet.

“That was so badass what you did,” says Drake, his cuts healing before Celestia's eyes. “Can you walk?”

The student shakes her head, and Drake grins.

“Well, all right, then. Hold on,” says Drake.

The student squeaks and the feed gets topsy-turvy as she is lifted off of the ground and placed over his shoulders, giving Celestia a sideways view of the world.

“Thorn, take point. Astro, you're in the back,” orders Drake.

A student with a red helmet and three lens monocle armed with a bulky sniper rifle nods in agreement, but the other, a gold haired student with a grayish blue trench coat and double barreled shotgun scoffs.

“Who died and made you king?” says the student.

“Don't be a dick, Thorn,” says Drake. “We got to get to those ruins, get that checkers piece or whatever it is and get back to those teacher people, and it'll get done faster if we don't argue.”

“Why don't you take point?”

“Because I'm carrying the girl.”

“How about I carry the girl?”

“Dibs on carrying the girl. Now shut up and walk.”

Thorn grumbles and starts walking without much discipline, griping and using his shotgun to whack away branches the whole time while Astro sweeps the area with his rifle.

With what she has seen, Celestia hums and scribbles in her notebook, which is filled with notes on students, appointments and doodles. She then looks at her pad and studies autopsy photos of bony corpses with gray skin, sunken, cracked eyes and mouths petrified wide open with shriveled tongues. Next to each photo is the name, age, rank and place of birth, as well as location of their discovery and other notes. And all of them are seasoned hunters and huntresses that have been found in a condemned city of San Palimino in the Badlands. Their weapons energy reserves were dry, no spare gems have been recovered, and vital records show a spike in activity followed by a sharp drop in all of the fallen. None of their cameras or audio devices have been recovered.

Celestia frowns and leans back in her chair, one leg draped over the other with the pad on her lap, and she tee-pees her hands and lifts her eyes to the many screens displaying the students performing. Seeing all of the students fighting and traveling through in the forest brings a chill through her body, for if this unknown enemy can annihilate a group of veterans, how can her students fight what is coming?

The Ruins of Hollow Shade

“Adagio Dazzle's team has checked in to Doctors Do and Cabelleron with the black queen and are now awaiting their assessment score.”

“Drake Firewall's team has recovered the black knight and are on their way to the extraction point.”

“Noteworthy Parchment's team is halfway to the extraction point with the white rook in their possession.”

And on the chatter goes around Celestia through the many speakers. Though, she remains still and quiet in her chair, ever watchful of the events being broadcast live to her from feeds, cameras, and satellite footage. Most of the students are now fighting hard and side by side against the Tartarus creatures, using a combination of insane weapons and aura abilities. It brings back memories for her of when she was training, and it makes her a bit envious of how the students have it easy.

Reduced chances of death, constant observation for accurate assessments, aura boosters, an obvious target with less opposition and snacks and drinks at the end of it all with a film festival for the night before. None of these things were available to her and her class way back when she started her career as a Huntress.

Back in her day it was welcome to the Academy, here's a sleeping bag, here's some books, lights out at eight. Now with the luxuries these students have coupled with the looming threat, Celestia has a sickly feeling rotting her insides that pushes the idea of disservice to the front of her mind. She does not want to believe it, but with the evidence gathered and the lax attitude the Academy now has due to policy changes over the years, she fears that all the faces she is seeing right now will not last long.

Bzzt.

Celestia glances at her pad and sees an envelope icon in her corner. She opens the icon and a digital scroll rolls across the screen, revealing text with two dozen picture icons attached.

“Another village gone in the Badlands. Signs of looting and tracks of feet and vehicles. Images attached. Satellite feed blocked for this location. Two more dead Hunters. No recordings recovered. -W-&-R"

Celestia taps on the first icon, and a picture opens up showing gray bodies sucked dry. They are sprawled out across the main road of their small town, and other pictures show failed barricades and more corpses inside empty buildings. After those pictures are photos of tread tracks of all sizes and styles, circles of burnt grass and gravel, and a whole lot of footprints following the tracks or ending at the burnt circles. The final set is of the dead Hunters, and a copy of their vital records. It is just like the last batch with their sudden spikes and sharp drops.

Celestia types on her pad. “Traitor? -SQ”

The pad beeps. “Definitely.”

“Keep trailing. Be safe. I'll send you reinforcements and hunt on my end.”

“Always am. Don't forget to get some rest. You look tired.”

Celestia's lips twitch to a smile, and she raises a finger to type a response, but decides to close the message, instead. Afterwards, her smile fades and she leans into her chair and resumes watching the students prepare for a war they don't know is coming.

0000000000

Soaring majestically in the sky is an eagle-like creature with blood red eyes, plumage like polished onyx, and talons like curved blades with clawed hands at the tip of its wings. Its tail flutters behind it like a banner made of fine thread and its caw is a sound of absolute beauty. It is such a shame that Applejack and Trixie cannot marvel at the creature's beauty since they are currently clinging on to it for dear life and can barely hear anything over screeching wind and their own terrified screams.

“Trixie, you good?” says Applejack, her throat hurting from how loud she has to yell over the commotion and hr hands holding on to the sturdy feathers as tight as she can. It is a little difficult to do since she also has to hold Trixie's wand.

“Does Trixie look good to you?” replies Trixie, her limbs wrapped around the creature's leg.

“We gotta get off of this thing!”

“No shit, Star Swirl!” Trixie looks down, and when she sees the hundred plus feet below them, she squeaks and holds the beast tighter.

“Give Trixie her wand!” says Trixie.

“Oh, no! I ain't climbin' this thing! You come and get it!”

“What!? Screw that! Trixie's not moving!”

The two stare at each other in silence, both holding unpleasant stares and suffering from the cold and wind, but when they look down they see not only the forest, but a circle of ruins next to a cliff. Their returning staring contest is not nearly as hostile, but the fear is still gripping them with its talons.

“Halfway?” suggests Applejack.

“Halfway,” says Trixie.

Applejack's heart races and her body stiffly moves as she gradually climbs the beast, whimpering and feeling sick in her gut and bladder. Her boots are able to get a good grip on the thick feathers, and she put the wand in her mouth so her hands can hold on better. Applejack's eyes flick between Trixie and the ground, and seeing the toothpicks that are trees her muscles lock and she holds on to the bird all the tighter while burying her face in the plumage.

The feathers scrape her like slivers of metal and her frantic heart tries to climb out of her throat. Another whimper leaves Applejack and her body trembles violently. She can feel her grip loosening, which springs her into adjusting her grip to a tighter degree.

“Hey!” shouts Trixie.

Applejack's eyes pop open and to her surprise she sees Trixie next to her, but she does not look too thrilled about having to climb to her, especially since she did not even make it halfway to the halfway mark.

“Give me my wand!” says Trixie.

Applejack leans towards Trixie without taking her hands off, forcing Trixie pull the wand out of her mouth. Saliva coats the grip and Trixie grimaces, but she still uses her thumb to change the gem. She flicks it from blue to orange, constantly, back and forth, back and back, over and over again.

“What are you doing?” says Applejack, her voice quivering and her tears being blown dry, just like her eyes.

“Working!” snaps Trixie. She keeps the wand on the blue gem and looks at Applejack. “Okay, I'm going to get us down, but I'll need you to boost us!”

“What!?”

“When I make the portal we'll need to jump, but we can't make it unless you boost us, got it!”

Applejack swallows and nods.

“You sure?” says Trixie.

Applejack nods again.

“You don't look like it!” says Trixie.

“That's 'cuz I'm about to piss myself!” says Applejack.

“Oh! Aw, gross! Way too much information!”

“Just do your thingy already!”

Trixie aims her wand at the cliff, and after taking a few precious seconds of calculating, she takes a deep breath and then shoots a blue and orange orb. The blue orb splashes on the cliff side and seconds later when the orange orb hits its target the interior of the ruins appear in the circle.

“Do it!” orders Trixie.

Applejack grinds her teeth, presses her legs against the predator with one hand hugging Trixie's waist and the other holding on to the feathers, and then she shoots herself off. Puffs of flame are ejected from her boots, and the bird squawks and flinches with smoking feathers falling from it, and Trixie shrieks in Applejack's ear as she wraps her arms and legs around the farmer's neck and waist. The grip Trixie has on Applejack is suffocating and her ears and exposed skin are stung from the cold, rushing wind. In a very short time they are upon the portal, and Applejack closes her eyes, turns her head and-

After a good while of aimless walking, Pinkie Pie and Rarity finally enter an expansive clearing, and they both stop and stare, unsure if their eyes are deceiving them. Across the open field of lush grass and colorful flowers is a towering cliff with a crumbling stone buildings in front of it. Pillars line the main stone path, but some have crumbled to piles, have toppled over with their pieces lined neatly, or are standing perfectly fine. Fluttering in the breeze are old, tattered banners of blue and white winged unicorns circling a sun and moon with a light blue background dotted with white stars. But with their faded condition, most of them are hard to see. Small, gutted buildings with collapsed roofs or walls surround the main building, which is circular and has a chunk of its domed top missing. In front of its entrance is a pair of winged unicorns, sitting regally on raised platforms. One is made from granite, but is missing a wing and horn, and the other is made from marble, but is missing half of its head and a chunk of its chest and front hoof.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity walk down the main path, and while Rarity marvels at the intricate carvings in the pillars and the faded hieroglyphics on worn path, Pinkie Pie keeps her weapon out. She scans the scenery, noting ballistic and shrapnel damage in the ruins.

“This place is beautiful,” says Rarity, her hand brushing along the carving of a sun above a group of stick figures. “Such a shame that it is being used for a training facility instead of being preserved.”

“Yeah, that kinda sucks,” says Pinkie Pie.

The two then enter the main building, and see the chess pieces displayed in a half circle with some pieces already missing. There is also a sun and moon in the center, with the rays of the sun extending like a compass rose and a moon in its center. Rarity is once again distracted by the beauty and makes a comment about loving to see the temple in its prime, but Pinkie Pie ignores her and scrutinizes the chess pieces, humming and hawing as she does so. With each inspection she sees nothing out of the ordinary, but hears faint humming come from each of them. So faint, in fact, that she wonders if she is hearing things.

Pinkie Pie puts her concern to the test and grabs a white knight and turns it upside down. She purses her lips and rubs her finger along the bottom, feeling a thin line. Then she presses it against her ear and nods with a proud smile when she hears the humming, as well as little clicks.

“What are you doing?” asks Rarity.

Pinkie Pie turns to her teammate and shows her the white knight.

“Wanna snag a pony?” asks Pinkie Pie.

Rarity sighs. “Pinkie, I don't think it matters what piece you get. Let's just get out of her and finish this assignment.”

“But we still need two more people to complete the teams.”

“I'm sure they'll turn up.”

After Twilight performs the procedure, Flash opens eyes, and everything is blurry at first, and the ringing in his ears covers his heavy breathing and heartbeats. The seconds go by, and his vision becomes clearer so he can see Twilight in front of him with her glowing hands on his shoulder and head. Her limbs are quivering, though, and she is breathing heavily with lines of purple slithering and fading around her body.

“I don't know what you did, but you don't look so good,” says Flash.

Twilight looks up, swallows some air and wipes sweat from her face, and then smiles wearily. “I used my aura to unlock yours. But I think I'll need to sit for a while, now.”

Flash nods and stands up. “Take all the time you need. I'll keep watch.”

Flash turns around, adjusts his weapon, flicks down a pair of grips and a trigger, and then watches the forest intently.

“Hey, Flash,” says Twilight.

Flash looks over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“You're glowing. Just thought you'd like to know.”

“Oh, cool! This day isn't turning out to be so bad, after all,” says Flash.

And then a pair of large, red eyes open up behind Twilight and Flash's eyes expand quicker than a marshmallow in a microwave.

“Uh, Twilight,” starts Flash, his finger aimed behind Twilight.

Twilight looks behind her, then gasps and jumps away from the creature. She runs next to Flash with her spear in one hand and her other hand spinning through the holographic display on her necklace. She selects an icon shaped like a lightning bold, and her body and spear is covered in a flash of yellow, and the encased in a shell of electric currents. She then holds out her shield, slides one foot back and curls her body behind the shield as she aims her spear at the beast. Flash, on the other hand, gets an incredibly lame weapon cocking, and translucent spear heads slide into view of his weapon's barrel.

The red eyed beast growls, shaking the duo's organs and bones, and its eyes dissolve to flaming orbs as it rises from the ground. Wood snaps and pops, dirt cascades off of it, and its maw opens to reveal a forked tongue, thick, green slime that oozes all over its jaw and curved fangs, and sucks in air, creating a bright green orb of swirling energy in the back of its throat.

Flash screams.

A bloodcurdling shriek echoes from outside and into the ruins, and Pinkie Pie and Rarity snap to the temple doorway, bodies tense and weapons at the ready.

“What was that?” says Rarity.

“Some girl's in trouble,” says Pinkie Pie.

A shadow briefly covers the two students, and during its passing an orange circle appears next to Rarity. All she can do is turn her head right before Applejack and Trixie shoot out of it, clutching each other and screaming together, and hitting Rarity in the side. The three roll and bounce over each other and come to an abrupt, very painful stop when they hit the stone wall as a bundle, creating a cloud of dust and shaking off loose chunks of brick. When the dust settles, Applejack and Trixie are tangled, and Rarity is squished between them and the wall with her face down, butt up and leg twitching. All three sets of eyes are spinning and all of them are groaning or wincing, and Pinkie Pie immediately springs into action... by smiling and waving.

“Hi, Applejack!” says Pinkie Pie.

Applejack groans in response, and Rarity moans painfully.

“Why me?” she says.

The three stand up, wobbling and stepping in circles, having to use each other and the wall or pedestals for support. When Trixie has a good grip on a pedestal, her hand aimlessly swipes at a black pawn, accidentally knocking it over in the process. After a few more failed attempts and nearly falling over she finally grabs it and holds it up proudly.

“Trixie got the black thing,” she says, grinning widely with her eyes facing different directions.

Pinkie Pie wordlessly grabs Trixie's shoulders and turns her so that she is facing the group, and then she holds up the white knight, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry, Trixie, but me and Rarity already got a piece,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Rarity and I,” corrects Rarity.

The group stares at her, and she looks at them, unashamed.

“Its proper grammar,” says Rarity.

“Trixie will proper your grammar,” says Trixie sourly.

Rarity raises a brow, Pinkie squints questionably, and Applejack tilts her head slightly,

“What the heck is that supposed to mean?” says Applejack.

“It means Trixie doesn't like this piece! Now follow me. We're getting out of here!”

Trixie throws the pawn away and boldly goes towards the door... only to be stopped when a girly scream gets louder by the second. She and the other three look up curiously, and when Pinkie Pie realizes what's going on, her eyes bulge and she zooms towards Trixie, pushing her out of the way just in time. As for her? She gets squished by a falling Flash Sentry.

The impact is sudden, the cloud is thick, and pain is all over Pinkie Pie's body with her ears ringing, chest and back sore, and her alarm going off. Below her is a small crater, and above her is Flash, sprawled out, eyes closed, tongue out, and a pained groan leaving him.

“Ow... My back,” winces Pinkie Pie.

Trixie, Applejack and Rarity rush to the two and help them up, with Rarity helping up Flash and the other two helping Pinkie Pie. Once standing, Pinkie Pie winces again and pops her back, sighing with relief when the brief pops of pain are drowned in a relaxing sensation. Meanwhile, Flash clutches Rarity's shoulder and uses his free hand to hold his side, but even though he is in obvious pain he still smiles at her flirtatiously.

“Hey there,” says Flash.

“Hello, yourself,” purrs Rarity, returning the smile.

“Oh, hey, it's Brad,” says Trixie.

Flash snaps to Trixie, frowning. “Seriously?”

Trixie shrugs, and Flash sighs and shakes his head, and then he pulls away from Rarity and grabs the nearest chess piece, which is a white king. He studies it for a moment, then stuffs it in his pocket and heads towards the exit, clicking his tongue and winking at the girls along the way.

“Well, anyway, ladies, it was nice seeing you, but I gotta go and rescue a damsel in distress,” says Flash. “Oh, and thanks for breaking my fall, Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie is using a pedestal for support when he says this, and she mindlessly waves him off before tenderly rubbing her back. “Yeah, yeah, it was fun.”

“Hold on, are you sure you can walk?” asks Applejack. “You fell pretty far.”

“Oh, I'm all right. Just a little sore. Not bad for a simple minded musician, eh?” says Flash, his tone having a hostile edge to it.

Applejack's face flushes with embarrassment, and she turns away from him, twirling her golden locks with her fingers. Flash tries walking again, but Rarity stops him by grabbing his shoulder.

“Surely you cannot be thinking about going back out there after such a hard fall,” says Rarity. “And without a weapon, nonetheless.”

Flash inspects himself casually at first, but the seconds speed by and his casual demeanor devolves into frantic pats and swipes all over his body that ends with him cursing and tugging at his blue hair.

“Aw, man! I dropped my weapon!” says Flash.

Pinkie Pie staggers forward, hand still on her back and her eyes fixated on Flash with a pained scowl twisting her face. Thankfully the pain is gradually fading with the return of her aura, but that still does not change her mind about what she wants.

“You owe me an ice pack and a back rub, buster,” says Pinkie Pie.

Flash waves her off. “Yeah, sure, whatever, but my weapon is gone! Gosh darn it all! I can't believe I dropped my weapon!”

“Well, you did fall from high up,” says Applejack.

“How did you get so high, anyway?” asks Trixie with her arms across her chest and her brow raised provocatively.

There is a distant roar and crashing of trees, and the group spins to face the entrance, and that is when they see Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Octavia running out of the forest, being pursued a massive creature with a trail of destroyed trees behind it. With that unpleasant sight, Trixie pales, Applejack swears and leaps back with her fists raised protectively and Rarity's jaw drops. Pinkie Pie is the only one who gets a smile, even though she really wants to scream and run away from the horrible beast, but that will be hard to do since they are in a dead end and the only exit is to an open field that leads directly to it.

“By the way, that thing whacked me,” says Flash nonchalantly.

Pinkie Pie laughs grimly and gets a fire in her eyes fueled by the pure will to live, and she spins her hammer into the proper position and morphs it into her cannon. The barrel glows and sparks, and Pinkie Pie adjusts her stance and takes aim at the charging beast, as do the other girls. Clicks, whirs, hums, and sparks all roll over each other and various lights mix and spread the shadows along the ancient wall.

“Oh, goodie,” says Pinkie Pie as she cocks her weapon. “It looks like we're going to have one heck of a party.”

Battlefield Shade

Octavia blows through a poor barricade of flimsy branches and trees, hear racing and mouth getting just a bit dry. Everything has been a blur for her ever since she started running, but one thing is clear. She does not want to mutilated by whatever big creature is out to get them.

She runs a bit further until a thick chunk of wood is suddenly swung against her chest, knocking her right off of her feet, and she lands flat on her back with splinters raining around her and mulch popping up. Her sore lungs try to take in the air she swallows and her eyes struggle to focus on anything around her, but the trees, the leaves and the sunlight that pierces them is spinning slow enough to make her nauseous.

Octavia hears footsteps and she reaches for her weapon, but a very familiar shoe steps on her wrist and an equally familiar girl kneels next to her, grinding her foot into her wrist. Octavia winces and Rainbow Dash points at her nose with her little gun, her expression grim and sucking away the light.

“Don't ever leave me behind again,” says Rainbow Dash.

Octavia is silent, not that she can say much since her throat is dry, but her pinkie finger does curl slightly and she meets Dash's eyes with defiance. Much to her confusion, Rainbow Dash's dark look is replaced with a smile, and she helps Octavia up and gives her her weapon.

“By the way, I think we lost whatever that thing was,” says Rainbow Dash.

Octavia rubs her chest, silently glaring at Dash as her aura recharges. It did not go down by much, so the charge is fast, and the pain is quick to fade. However, seconds later, when Octavia is brushing leaves off of her pants, she feels the ground shaking and something roaring. This roar is considerably different from the one she heard earlier, and the shaking is tuned like running feet. There is also a very high pitched scream, and when they look up they see someone flying through the air, twirling like a doll. The scream fades with him, and they look at each other, brains at a blank about what is going on.

“Run!” shouts a girl.

Octavia and Dash turn to the source and see Twilight running towards them with a shield and ax-guitar on her back and sparking spear in hand. Behind her, trees explode and a towering, scaly creature with flaming red eyes bursts through the wreckage. Its forked tongue whips the air as it roars, spraying thick, green slime everywhere, and its claws shred the ground and crush more fallen logs. The Beast swipes at Twilight and she narrowly avoids the claws and the flying debris of shattered wood, and when she lands she stumbles a bit and barely blocks another barrage of flying splinters with her shield.

Seeing this, Octavia pales and reels back, tripping over a root, and Rainbow Dash swears and pulls her back up by the collar of her jacket and forces her to run by pushing her forward.

“Oh! Oh, hell no! That thing should not be in a first year test!” says Rainbow Dash.

“What is that thing?” says Octavia.

“How should I know!?”

The two run through the forest with Twilight close behind, batting away branches and leaping over rocks, roots and logs, cursing and screaming as the forest around them erupts and shatters. The air becomes heavy with falling dirt and leafs, and all three of them are briefly overwhelmed with relief when they breach the tree line and see the ruins at the far side of an expansive field.

“There's the ruins! Go! Go! Go!” says Rainbow Dash.

The Beast roars and Octavia runs ahead with a burst of speed, having to keep her hand on her head to keep her hat from flying off. Rainbow Dash bolts after her, and she briefly runs backwards to look at Twilight and cups her hands over her mouth.

“Run faster, egghead!” orders Rainbow Dash.

Twilight leaps over a fallen tree near the tree line and when she breaches the field she staggers and is kept from falling by Rainbow Dash grabbing her. Then the trees burst outward in a mess of splinters and mulch, and both scream or shriek and shrink down, shielding each other as the remains of the vegetation rain down around them, bouncing and kicking up more dirt. When it clears enough, the Beast is even closer to their heels and they scramble up and start running again.

Pinkie Pie's group and Flash watch with fear and helplessness as Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Octavia run out of the forest, being pursued the Beast with a trail of destroyed trees behind it. Seeing the monstrosity that is chasing the girls, Trixie pales, Applejack swears and leaps back with her fists raised protectively and Rarity's jaw drops. Pinkie Pie is the only one who gets a smile, even though she really wants to scream and run away from that thing, but that will be hard to do since they are in a dead end and the only exit is to an open field that leads directly to it.

“By the way, that thing whacked me,” says Flash nonchalantly.

Pinkie Pie laughs grimly and spins her hammer into the proper position and morphs it into her cannon. The barrel glows and sparks, and Pinkie Pie adjusts her stance and takes aim at the charging beast, as do the other girls. Clicks, whirs, hums, and sparks all roll over each other and various lights mix and spread the shadows along the ancient wall.

“Oh, goodie,” says Pinkie Pie as she cocks her weapon. “It looks like we're going to have one heck of a party.”

“Actually, I think we're going to die,” says Rarity calmly.

“Not if I can help it,” says Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie then roars and runs ahead, firing round after round at the Beast. Blue balls streak across the ruins and explode around the Beast and its prey, and when one of the girls calls her a maniac and tells her to stop shooting at them, she switches her cannon to her hammer mode. She then raises it for a strike with sparking energy surrounding its head, and she runs past the three fleeing girls, leaps in the air, and brings her hammer down, but the beast swipes at her before she can land a hit.

A hot flash of pain erupts all over her body, and everything becomes a blur as she flies back. With the blend of green, blue, brown, white and every other color imaginable comes pockets of pain that gets worse with each impact from her bouncing along the ground. Before she can fully comprehend what is going on, she finds herself laying flat on her stomach, a face full of old stone and dirt, and a crippling soreness tearing apart her abdomen and limbs. Her ears are hurting from a blaring alarm, too, and when she lifts her head she sees a hole in the wall and gashes of torn land like an evil rock skipping result. There is also a lot of dust floating around and just about everyone is staring at her, including three new girls, save for Applejack who is gently helping her up.

“Dang. Is she okay?” asks the rainbow haired one.

The mafioso girl shrugs and the nerd frantically flips through her holograms, only to stop when Trixie butts past her and slaps a red cross sticker on Pinkie Pie's arm. The sticker flashes for a moment, but the soreness immediately fades and the vitals on Pinkie's eye-piece shows a great improvement. There is even a boost in aura.

“That went well,” says Trixie as she slaps another sticker on Pinkie Pie, which seals a gash that has bathed her arm in blood and led to a nice puddle on the floor.

With the return of some of her strength, Pinkie Pie winces, grabs her hammer and uses it to prop herself up with the help of Applejack since her wobbly legs cannot hold her up, anyway. Once standing, she leans on her weapon, blinking blood out of her eyes, and she flashes a toothy, bloody grin and a thumbs up in which the thumb is shredded.

The group grimaces.

“I meant to do that,” claims Pinkie Pie, her wounds healing right before everyone's eyes with the help of aura and Trixie's stickers.

“Sure you did, Pinks” says Applejack.

With the last of her wounds closed, leaving just streams of red all over her, she hoists her hammer up and starts towards the beast again.

“Are you seriously going back out there?” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity and points at her bloody face. “This is my serious face.” She twirls her hammer and aims it at the beast. “And that is a serious boss. So let's get serious.”

Applejack cracks her knuckles. “She's right. That's a big fish, and cowering in here is not gonna help us.”

“Or we could not fight it and just outrun it,” suggests Octavia.

The group looks at her, and she stares back at them, bemused.

“There is no point in fighting it,” says Octavia. “Our objective is to return with a chess piece, so there is no need for us to make this harder than it already is.”

Flash nods approvingly. “Run and live. I like that.”

Pinkie Pie sighs disappointingly and lowers her weapon slightly. “Fine. I guess we don't have to kill the big bad monster. Let's go, everybody.”

The group starts to file out, but they are stopped by Rainbow Dash.

“Hold on a second, me, Octavia and Starlight still got to get a chess piece,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Actually, it's Twilight,” says Twilight, her hand raised slightly.

Dash merely waves her off with a dismissive grunt, and Flash holds up the white king proudly.

“Never fear, ladies, for I got the piece,” he says.

And that is when the entrance to the temple explodes towards them with an earth shaking roar. Chunks of stone and a thick cloud of dust flies towards them, and they scream and dive away from the debris. The rubble bounces across the floor, popping up shards of stone and crushing the pedestals and their chess pieces, and more broken stone is flung when the Beast rips apart the rest of the entrance.

The group cowers down and scrambles for cover, using the debris to give them the illusion of an advantage.

“Holy shit!” screams Rainbow Dash.

“Take it out!” orders Flash.

Flashes and streaks of light of various colors and intensities hit the Beast at once. It roars over the pops, buzzes and bams, and it swings blindly through the growing haze. The stench of burnt flesh and blood clogs their noses, and the screams and orders on top of the Beast's angry and painful cries hurts their ears, but they still persist.

Pinkie Pie shoots ball after ball at the Beast, and each impact leaves a dark circle on its scales, with some burnt shavings falling off. When it slams its hand down to crush her, she rolls out of the way, switches her cannon into her hammer and swings it against the top of the Beast's hand with a jet-burst coming from the weapon. There is a crack, the Beast howls, and Pinkie Pie is once again whacked away, right into a boulder.

Between the creature's legs, Rarity ferociously slices away, grunting and growling with every slash. The scales block most of her attacks, but when pieces start falling she hollers joyously.

“I'm breaking through!” says Rarity.

The Beast suddenly pivots, snatches Rarity and holds her up with her arms pressed against her sides. She screams and kicks her legs wildly while squirming in the Beast's grip, and it squeezes harder, turning her scared screams into that of agony as her bones and armor crack.

“Rarity!” cries Pinkie Pie, her hand outstretched and eyes wide in panic.

Trixie growls and shoots a portal at the floor, and then another at what's left of the ceiling. She then jumps through and lands on the Beast's head with her energy sword at the ready. Upon landing she stabs the Beast through the skull, and it roars, drops Rarity, and then claps its hands above its head, squishing Trixie, all while Pinkie carries Rarity to safety.

When its hands pull apart, Trixie rolls off, limp, and lands without a sound on the ground with her wand clattering next to her. Rarity also falls as a heap on the ground, and she curls on the ground, coughing and wheezing with blood lining her lips. Pinkie Pie is quick to rush to her side, and she slings her over her shoulder and runs for cover while Flash, Octavia, Rainbow Dash and Twilight shoot at the Beast.

The energy round stab at the Beast, and it snarls and swipes at them, knocking all four back, and then it glares at Trixie, blinking a trail of blood out of its eyes. Trixie groans and weakly shifts in her spot and the Beast brings its hand down on her, but in a blur of orange accompanied by a shotgun like blast, Applejack comes between it and Trixie, forming an X with her arms and grunting with sweat flowing and knees buckling in her fight to keep the hand up.

“Applejack?” says Trixie groggily.

“Howdy, Trixie. Can you please move? This thing's heavy,” says Applejack.

Trixie grabs her wand and creates another portal that connects near Pinkie Pie. The two fall through and fall in a heap on the other side, and so does the Beast's hand. And then the portal closes.

The Beast's cry of agony shakes the ruins, loosening chunks of old stone and causing those standing to topple over, clutching their ears and cursing or yelling. As for the severed hand? It flops in front of Trixie and Applejack with the cauterized and stinky smoke rising from it.

When the Beast falls on its back, breaking through what portion of the ruins was not destroyed, Flash switches his gun back to his ax and points at the Beast.

“Let's kill that thing!” says Flash.

Pinkie Pie lays Rarity against one of the stones and watches Flash's group leap on the Beast and stab and shoot it repeatedly. She cringes and recoils slightly from the sight of the Beast thrashing and blood squirting up all around it. When Octavia hops her way to the Beast's face and unloads in its open mouth, it gives one last cry that devolves into a gurgle as it drown in blood that bubbles out of its mouth and splatters over the mafioso girl. The Beast goes limp and blood pours all over its body and spreads on the broken floor, and Rainbow Dash hollers and holds out her fist to Octavia.

“Freakin' awesome, girl! Pound it!” says Dash.

Octavia sighs and halfheartedly bumps her fist against Rainbow Dash's. Meanwhile, Flash climbs down and helps Twilight off. She smiles sheepishly and quietly thanks him as she brushes herself off.

Moment's later, Rarity sits up, breathing heavily and clutching her side. She looks at the Beast, then at Flash's team, and then at Pinkie Pie, her expression equal to that of a confused puppy.

“Did we win?” asks Rarity.

Her aura crackles and her body is briefly covered in a shimmer, as is Trixie's, and Pinkie Pie grins wearily and helps Rarity up.

“Not yet. We still got to get to that one place,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Its the Extraction Point,” says Trixie sourly. She ejects a smoking gem from her wand and places in a fresh one, slamming her chamber shut like a clip to a pistol. “We better get extra credit for this kill.”

“Hey, that kill was all us! We should get the extra credit,” says Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie's group turns and shares various levels of annoyance directed at Rainbow Dash as Flash leads the girls over to Pinkie Pie's group. All of them sweaty and ready to collapse, and Octavia is loading a fresh gem into her drum, looking at Rainbow Dash out of the corner of her eye.

“Technically I killed it,” says Octavia.

Rainbow Dash snorts and turns away with her arms across her chest and nose in the air. “It was all teamwork. Don't be a bragger.”

“We should move before more creatures show up,” says Twilight after brushing a lock of hair off of her face.

“Twilight's right. We wasted enough time fighting whatever the heck that thing was, so we really need to double time it before more teams beat us,” says Flash.

Pinkie's group looks around at the wreckage and all the chess pieces scattered about, and Pinkie Pie looks at Flash, grinning with a teasing shine in her lidded eyes.

“Yeah, we really wouldn't want the other twenty seven teams to finish before us,” says Pinkie Pie.

Flash frowns, and Pinkie Pie snickers, swings the hammer up so it leans against her shoulder and she strolls out, waving her team forward.

“Come on, girls, lets get out of here,” says Pinkie Pie.

Applejack smiles and jogs up to Pinkie Pie, matching her speed with her cousin's when they are next to each other. “I'm right next to ya, Pinks.”

Rarity and Trixie walk after the two with less enthusiasm, and they both nod with respect or lack of towards Flash's team. Once they are outside, Pinkie Pie breathes in the fresh air, loving its clean smell and choosing to ignore the wreckage leading up to the carnage of the ruins. Shortly after, she hears a shout and she and her group pauses and they look over their shoulders to see Flash's group hurrying after them.

Flash stops next to Pinkie Pie, panting a little bit and using her shoulder for support. All she does is smile, though. She will not deny a shoulder someone needs, after all. That is just rude.

“I think,” begins Flash, having to take another breath. “I think we need to finish this together. Both of our teams worked together to kill that thing, so it seems appropriate that we finish this together.”

Pinkie Pie nods. “I like the way you think. Will I get an ice pack and back rub when this test is over?”

Flash pats Pinkie's shoulder and walks ahead. “We'll see.”

Pinkie Pie goes after him, her smile fading to exaggerated panic. “But you owe me!”

Flash chuckles, and Trixie gags while Applejack stares at the two with an easygoing smile as their conversation carries on with apparent involvement of lotion. Next to them, Rarity intently inspects Twilight's now ruined schoolgirl uniform. This visibly makes the latter nervous.

“Can I help you?” asks Twilight.

“I find it curious that you would come here dressed like that,” says Rarity. “It was a very cute outfit until it got ruined from this test.”

Twilight inspects herself. “Oh, this? This is a cultural thing. The Crystal Empire Remnant takes pride in how well its citizens present themselves, especially when they come from academies like Crystal Preparation.”

Rarity raises a brow. “So, you wear that outfit everywhere?”

“I got others,” says Twilight defensively. “I got a blue one, a pink one, a white one, purple, and yellow, and a pair of pajamas. Even a one piece body swimsuit that has stars all over it.”

Rarity sighs and places her hand on Twilight's shoulder. “You poor dear. I'm going to have to take you shopping for more clothes and a swimsuit that does not sound so horrendous. I'll also have to find something for those two.”

Rarity nods to Rainbow Dash and Octavia, her expression heavy on pity. The colorful girl is currently walking backwards, talking nonstop and making hand gestures and noises that mimic a gun.

“That's what you did, right?” says Rainbow Dash after pretending to spray a line of energy fire. “You were a mafia cleaner, like what's his name in The Course to Perdition?”

“If I was with the mafia then I wouldn't be here,” says Octavia.

“Really? What would you be doing?”

Octavia looks at Rainbow Dash and brushes her trigger. “Killing annoying people.”

Rainbow Dash immediately steps back with her hands in the air. “Point taken.”

Octavia smirks and walks ahead, her rifle aimed to the sky and her finger exercising trigger discipline. “By the way, I still have to get back at you for hitting me with a log. Just something for you to sleep on.”

Rainbow Dash's steps slow to where she is trailing behind, and she watches Octavia with an odd combination of fear and anticipation. But when Octavia looks over her shoulder and winks at her with a devilish smirk, the anticipation turns more to the side of fear and Rainbow Dash finds herself shuddering just a bit.

And up ahead, Pinkie Pie is now riding on Flash's back, leading him to a considerably slower pace and his body hunched over. The good news is that now they are near the tree line, and the forest has a nice trail they can follow.

“Yeah, how's that feel? Feels bad, huh?” says Pinkie Pie playfully.

“Why do you have to be so heavy!” whines Flash childishly.

“What!?”

“Oh, he did not just say that,” says Applejack; though she is still smiling and holding back a giggle.

Suddenly a bird shaped shadow flies over the group and a very ominous sound freezes them in their track.

“CAW!”

Attack on Birdie

The group bursts out of the forest, sweating profusely, lungs burning, and limbs feeling like wet noodles. Every part of them hurts, but they keep on running. There is no option to stop. After breaking through the trees, they come into another opening with more ruins. However, these ruins are at a canyon, with the cliff of their starting point on the other side.

There are worn towers, crumbled pillars, statues falling apart, and stone paths overtaken by vegetation that lead to a bridge. The bridge is crumbling in spots, and on the other side is a tower that stands high in the sky with many pillars on each level and a domed top. Surrounding the tower are smaller, block like structures and the remnants of a wall with broken down towers on its edges.

The two teams nearly collapse against the old walls of the nearest structure, and some keel over, wheezing or gasping for air. Pinkie Pie has to use her hammer for support when she hunches over and coughs, staining her tongue with a copper taste and leaving her throat and sides feeling like they are going to split apart. Moments later, the Bird soars overhead, cawing, and Pinkie Pie peeks around the corner and sees it decimate the bridge by flying through it with no trouble whatsoever. The massive pieces of the bridge fall out of view as the Bird curves up into the sky and perches on the tower on the other side. Seeing their easy way cut off, Pinkie Pie groans and slides to the ground, banging her head against the wall.

“Great,” she says.

“Any ideas on how to get past the Bird? Or across the canyon?” says Flash.

“Let's just avoid that pigeon, like whatsherface suggested with the other thingy,” says Trixie. “I can use my portals to get us to the other side and we'll sneak by it, give them pieces and get our grades and sleep.”

“I am all for that,” says Rainbow Dash, peeking around the corner with Octavia and both of their weapons ready to fire.

Pinkie Pie, however, shakes her head and stands up with the help of her hammer. “No, we can't do that. We got to get rid of that thing.”

“Why?” asks Flash. “We don't have to fight everything that moves.”

Pinkie Pie sighs. “All right, let's huddle and I'll explain.”

Pinkie's team bunches around her without question, and it is more than likely due to fatigue, and after some hesitation Flash's team goes to them, too. Once the two teams are in a circle, they kneel down and put their arms over their shoulders and bow their heads.

“Look, most teams are not doing a double team like we are,” says Pinkie Pie, “and we had a hard enough time against that thing back there, and this Bird is probably going to be the same way. We can actually afford to gang up on it and take it down, whereas the others can't.”

“We're taking a needless risk,” says Flash.

“She's right,” says Twilight. “Avoiding it is easy, but if we have the means to remove a threat then we should do it and spare the other teams a danger they cannot afford to confront.”

The group is silent, letting their shifting eyes and twitches do the talking. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash speaks.

“Okay, you know what? Let's say we agree to kill this thing, but do we know anything about it? Other than that it is big and headbutted a bridge to death,” she says.

“Its feathers felt like metal,” says Applejack.

“So did its talons,” adds Trixie.

“It seems to be a slow flier,” says Rarity.

“Everybody took my answer,” says Octavia.

“Wait a minute. Its an adolescent Thunderbird,” says Twilight, bringing all eyes to her. “The metal feathers are not as strong as a fully matured Thunderbird, and its skin is not as thick, but if we can breach its feathers then we can take it out.”

“So, basically shoot at it until something breaks?” says Pinkie Pie.

Twilight nods, and Pinkie Pie grins and shudders.

“Sweet,” she says.

Flash sighs sharply. “All right, I think this is stupid, but let's do it. Long range only. We're not getting close to that thing.”

“Fine by me. Break!” says Pinkie Pie.

She claps her hands and the group runs out from their cover, weapons at the ready or morphing to the ready. The Thunderbird caws and takes flight, and when it is high in the air it aims its wings at the group and launches dozens of feathers. They avoid the attack with leaps, rolls and side steps, and the feathers stab the ground, popping up chunks of grass and stone. Once the group recuperates they shoot at the Thunderbird with various colored streaks that tear through the sky and either hit it harmlessly or miss entirely.

“Hit it with everything you got! Don't stop shooting or moving!” orders Flash.

Pinkie Pie slides to stop next to one of the feathers, braces herself and fires off a salvo of blue orbs. Next to her, Applejack punches balls of fire at the beast, and together the blue and fire orbs explode against the Thunderbird's chest and face. It screeches from its annoyance and veers away to circle the tower again with smoke trailing from it.

Then Pinkie Pie notices out of the corner of her eye all of the feathers vibrating and glowing red, and all it takes is a half of a second for her brain to click and her eyes to pop.

“Get away from the feathers!” screams Pinkie Pie.

That is all she is able to say before her vision is blinded by fire and a heat wave engulfs her with dozens of pops assaulting her ears, an aggressive push taking her off of her feet, followed by flaming vegetation flying all around her and the sky flipping into a statue of a knight. Then there is darkness.

Attack on Birdie 2: The Sequel

Ba-Dum. Ba-Dum. Ba-Dum.

Pinkie's closed eyes twitch.

Ba-Dum. Beep. Ba-Dum. Beep. Ba-Dum. Beep.

Pinkie's eyes gradually open, and her fingers dig into the ground as she turns her head, trying to see what is happening through the pink locks that have fallen in her line of sight. It is all blurry, and every muscle aches and every bone hurts. She's sure her ear is bleeding since there is a warm liquid pooling in it and trickling down her neck and collar.

Aura Low! Recharge Needed! flashes in front of her eyes with bright red borders and her upper aura bar completely gone. Pinkie Pie's eyes drift over the smoldering, crater filled landscape, and through the haze of smoke and floating dirt she sees Flash carrying Octavia away and Rainbow Dash covering them with sporadic gunfire directed at the Thunderbird. All three are bloody and dirty, but Octavia is limp, her clothes are torn and blood drips from her body in clumps. Rainbow Dash has Octavia's weapon slung over her shoulder and Flash is barking an order that Pinkie Pie cannot make out, mostly due to the ringing in her ears.

Though, after Flash finishes, Pinkie sees Twilight disappear into one of the buildings, and seconds later she appears on its balcony. Twilight props herself, takes aim, and fires well placed slivers of purple at the Thunderbird's chest and head, but the attacks are mostly harmless. The Thunderbird turns towards her and she leaps off of the balcony before it can snatch her, but the building is reduced to rubble in the process and she narrowly avoids the avalanche of rubble. She is covered in a gratuitous amount of dust, however, and scrambles for cover behind a ruined statue.

Not too far from Twilight, Trixie creates a portal link that leads above the Thunderbird, and Rarity curls up in her ball and zooms inside, popping out above the Thunderbird and striking it in the head. It squawks and dips, and Rarity keeps on hitting it a few more times, bringing it lower with each strike, before she unrolls with both of her gauntlets sprouting blades and stabs it between the shoulders.

The Thunderbird screeches and crashes into the ground, creating a gash and a cloud of dust. It stops when it hits another building, but it trashes, flailing its wings wildly, which cut into the ground and buildings like giant blades, flinging stone and dirt everywhere. As this happens, Trixie switches her gem to green and creates a path that leads towards the Thunderbird, then she sprouts her blade, and in a flash she has the blade in its chest and her feet are pressed against it.

The Thunderbird starts falling backwards, and Rarity backflips off and rolls out of the way when it hits the ground. Applejack then launches fireballs at it, blowing off shavings of feathers with each strike, and Flash and Rainbow Dash focus their firepower on it.

The Thunderbird flips back to its feet right as Pinkie Pie manages to stand up with help of her hammer, and it runs straight towards another building with Trixie still attached to it. Pinkie's heart jumps to her throat when it rams the building, blowing in its wall and pushing out a thick cloud of dust, and she starts running forward, wanting to call for her teammate. Though, when Trixie runs out of the dust cloud, tripping over herself, she slows down with a smile of relief. That smiles goes when the building explodes and the Thunderbird soars into the sky with a trail of grayish-brown following it.

The group dodges the falling rubble, and after the Thunderbird curves and dives towards them Pinkie sees only one target separated and out in the open. Applejack.

Pinkie Pie activates her cannon and runs towards Applejack, chest and throat hurting and legs feeling like they are about to snap apart. “Applejack, move!”

Applejack looks over her shoulder, swears and brings her hands up right as the Thunderbird dives into her. It lifts its head up, flexing its beak, which is held open by Applejack, and Pinkie Pie screams and shoots at it with an unrelenting, nigh useless barrage of energy orbs.

“Let her go, you jerk!” says Pinkie Pie, her eyes and cheeks burning from the tears.

Flash's team also shoots at the Thunderbird, and this time Octavia joins in, albeit with very unsteady legs and needing Twilight's help to keep her up. Just like the previous times, their shots do nothing but annoy the Thunderbird, and with a distorted caw it rockets into the sky, pushing everyone back with a burst of air.

Pinkie Pie has to shield her eyes from the flying grass, but when she opens her eyes she sees the Thunderbird is way high up, going well past a hundred feet, with Applejack still in its mouth. The bird adjusts its body, and then dives down.

Pinkie's eyes widen and one word leaves her lips. “No.”

An electrical explosion rips apart the ground when Thunderbird dives down, and the shock wave knocks everyone off of their feet and covers them in a choking cloud. But Pinkie Pie doesn't care. She jumps to her feet and runs, coughing and sputtering all the way with her hammer held tight and the cannon charging.

The Thunderbird takes flight again and Pinkie Pie screams furiously and shoots a blue beam at it as she slides to a stop at the edge of the crater. The beam hits the Thunderbird and it squawks and is knocked off course, but it does not turn to attack. Instead it keeps evading the continuous shots against, and Pinkie Pie slides down the crater, stumbling to a stop and falling on her knees next to Applejack's limp figure.

Blood seeps out from underneath Applejack, and her eyes remain closed with her mouth barely open. Smoke rises from her cousin, and all of Pinkie Pie shuts down. All she feels is a cold and a pain in her heart and eyes. A burning pain, a crushing pain, a void inside her sucking away everything, even the very air in her lungs. Her chest becomes heavy and her lips tremble from her whimpering as tears bleed out from her red, puffy eyes and splatter below.

“Applejack,” whimpers Pinkie Pie.

There is no reply, no sign of movement, and Pinkie Pie squeezes her eyes shut and hunches over, gripping at her hair and seething. Her chest heaves as the pain inside her grows like a tumor and more tears splatter below. Then she screams and punches the ground, uncaring of how it leaves her hand throbbing.

“Dang it! Why!? Why is this happening!?” Pinkie Pie grabs Applejack's head and turns it so that she can look into the eyepiece, face red and wet, and having to swallow for air. “Hey, you buttheads! Are you blind? Applejack needs to get out of here! Do your magic crap and get her out right now! Please!”

Applejack's hand suddenly snatches Pinkie's arm, making her yelp and jump back, leading her to land on her back, but after sitting up she sees Applejack looking at her with drooping eyes. Her cousin is gasping for air and her coughing is raspy, and she tries to get up, but Pinkie Pie grabs her gauntlet and holds her steady. Despite her cousin's condition, Pinkie Pie cannot help but smile and the tears of sorrow turn to tears of joy.

“Hey, Applejack, you need to stay down for a moment. You don't look so good,” says Pinkie Pie. “I'm sure the Academy will teleport you out any second and you'll get a nice bed and food and great T.V. shows.”

“Get me out of this hole,” orders Applejack, speaking through gritted, bloody teeth.

Pinkie Pie hesitates, then nods and wraps her arms around Applejack to help her stand. Her cousins legs are wobbling and her fingers can barely hold on to Pinkie Pie. Every steps brings a seethe or grunt of pain from Applejack, and dots and lines of blood trail her from her blood soaked back. Halfway up the crater, Trixie and Rarity slide down and help carry Applejack out, and once they are out, Applejack collapses to her knees and hunches over, coughing and shivering.

“Hey, are you all right?” asks Trixie.

Applejack looks at Trixie out of the corner of her eye. “I'm fine.”

Applejack then punches the ground, popping out a small circle of cracks and grinds her teeth as she pushes herself up. This prompts Pinkie's jaw to drop and Rarity to gasp with horror while Trixie's eyes widen with an impressed glint.

“What in the world is wrong with you? You should be resting!” says Rarity.

Once Applejack has stabilized herself she looks at the circling Thunderbird, panting with a gash of red from her forehead down to her cheek, which bleeds past her collar and on to her chest.

“Ain't no time to rest,” says Applejack, her voice weak, but minatory as her body is encased in slithering beams of orange. “Now get back, y'all. This bird's mine.”

Pinkie Pie obediently backs away, far away, and Rarity stays put for the most part until Trixie drags her away, despite her protests.

“Applejack, you're going to hurt yourself!” cries Rarity.

Applejack ignores her and closes her eyes, takes a deep, ragged breath and when she opens them they are bright red and her hands are engulfed in flames. Applejack then stomps her feet as she spreads her legs for a more sturdy stance. Upon stomping, her boots sprout hooks that dig into the ground, and Applejack places her flaming hands together, which now has a ball of flames growing in between her palms, and she turns her body slightly and eyes the Thunderbird's path like a predator. In seconds, the fireball grows to be the size of her torso and smoke rises from the burning the vegetation around her. A growl leaves her, and as soon as the Thunderbird turns towards her she fires.

The fireball that leaves her hands sounds like an artillery blast, and the shock wave that comes from it blows away everything around Applejack, leaving just a small, unaffected area. All of the stones, the grass, dirt, the ancient bricks are gone, leaving a circle of hard dirt that has cracked and popped.

The fireball reaches the Thunderbird in the blink of an eye and hits it in the chest. It squawks and is pushed into the tower. The pillars snap and the whole thing crumbles on top of it in a thick cloud of dust with snapping and shattering rocks hurting their ears and echoing over the forest. In seconds time, the tower is but a pile of stone with a shroud of dust surrounding it. The dust bleeds out and falls over the canyon's edge, and the group cheers and waves their weapons high. All except for Applejack since she falls to a kneel, panting and shaking with bloody sweat dripping off of her. But this does not stop Pinkie Pie from wrapping her in a tight hug and lifting her off the ground with a triumphant yell, thus causing Applejack's face to twist from the pain that is signaled by faint cracks and pops.

“You did it, Applejack! You did it! You killed a kind-of grown up Thunderbird!” says Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah,” says Applejack. With her arms pressed against her side, all she can do it tap Pinkie's thighs with her fingertips. “Can you let go? Its getting hard to breathe.”

Pinkie Pie releases Applejack and smiles apologetically, giving her cousin enough room to hunch over and swallow some much needed air.

“Sorry about that,” says Pinkie Pie.

“You are so crazy!” says Rarity as she stomps towards Applejack, but when she is by the farmer her hostile expression fades to a relieved smile. “But, I think I will treat you to the best steak house in Canterlot. You deserve it.”

“I'm just doing my job,” says Applejack.

Rarity chuckles and pats her on the shoulder. “Of course you are.”

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash runs around, hollering ecstatically and giving everybody a round of high fives. Trixie and Flash enthusiastically return it, Rarity and Twilight are mediocre about it, and Octavia is a prude and barely lifts her hand for one. Then, with Rainbow Dash done, Flash hugs Twilight and spins her around, getting a surprised squeal and giggle from her. As this goes on, Trixie runs to Applejack's side, grabs her shoulders and turns her so that they are face to face.

With her being so close, Pinkie can see that her teammate's eyes are glittering like stars and that she is barely able to keep still. Pinkie Pie gets a warm feeling in her chest, and she balls her hands up, dawing, whereas Applejack tries to keep some composure with her simple smile.

“Such raw power and discipline of your craft,” says Trixie. “Trixie can feel her heart racing and this sense of joy and glee and happiness and this pressure building up in her chest and throat that makes her want to scream and prance like a happy pony! And it is all focused on you. Trixie thinks she has found levels of adoration never felt for any other person before! Trixie believe she loves you, Applejack!”

Pinkie's lips pucker and her brows scrunch as she blinks, and the others stop celebrating and look at each other, shrugging or scratching or shaking their heads in their state of confusion. However, Applejack sighs and averts her eyes as she rubs the back of her head, only to look back at Trixie with a nervous smile.

“Well, that's nice and all, but I'm asexual,” says Applejack.

“What?” says Trixie, her smile gone in a blink.

“I'm asexual. I don't got any sexual or romantic feelings towards any gender. I'm just here and don't want anything to do with anybody. I just wanna live my life and that's it.”

Trixie nods and speaks slowly. “Oh, well, that's okay, because I'm totally straight.” She awkwardly glides her hand forward. “Like an arrow.”

Applejack returns the nod and gives her a thumbs up. “Good to hear.”

Wind blows a bundle of tangled plants past the group, and no one speaks as Trixie and Applejack stare at each other. Not even the bird makes a sound. The first sound anyone actually makes is Flash forcing a cough, and Rainbow Dash clicks her tongue and shifts in her spot.

“Well, this got awkward pretty quick,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Agreed,” says Octavia.

Then there is a distant rumble, followed by crumbling stone, and then another explosion with stones crashing into the ground or toppling over the edge. The Thunderbird screeches soon after, but it is raspy, and Trixie whips around, fists clenched, teeth gritted and flaming eyes of hatred aimed at the beast. Everybody else is more afraid than angry and quickly reload their weapons and aim it at the Thunderbird as it hobbles forward, coughing strings of blood and ruffling its feathers, which sounds like thousands of blades sliding against each other. Once it is at the edge of the bridge it aims its wings at them, and they all step back.

“Oh, for Pete's sake! How is that thing not dead!?” yells Trixie.

Flash growls and cocks his weapon. “Yeah, seriously. What's it take to kill that thing?”

The feathers are launched towards them, and the group leaps out of the way, even though most of the sharp projectiles fall short, and the explosions for them are weak puffs. This attack leads to the Thunderbird coughing again, and while the others recuperate, Pinkie Pie studies the creature's wound, blinking every so often. Then she looks at Trixie's wand, blinks again, and she looks at Rarity and blinks one last time.

“Rarity! Trixie! Here! Now!” orders Pinkie Pie.

The severity of her tone wisely informs them not to question her, so they run to her side, and as they do this, Pinkie Pie looks at Twilight's weapon. After a blink, she whistles, getting Twilight's attention, and she waves her over.

“You, too, Missy!” says Pinkie Pie.

Twilight points at herself, her expression blank, and jogs over when Pinkie nods and waves her over. Once Twilight is by her side, she grabs hers and Rarity's should and tugs them close for a huddle, and Trixie leans in without objection.

“All right, listen up. I got an idea,” says Pinkie Pie.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple of minutes later Pinkie Pie runs and slides to a stop directly in front of the Thunderbird, glaring fiery daggers at it with her hammer held tight. Trixie stands next to her, wand at the ready, and Rarity takes the other side, shifting and nibbling her lips nervously.

“Are you sure this will work?” asks Rarity.

Twilight's spear soars overhead, and gets a jet boost that impales the Thunderbird's talon into the ground. The beast shrieks and flaps its wings, trying to take flight, but an ice blue glow appears from around the spear and its talon is covered in a jagged block of ice, trapping it. The Thunderbird, however, is quick to start pecking at the ice, occasionally crying out in pain.

Seeing this, Pinkie Pie narrows her eyes and nods. “Oh, yeah. Get ready, Rarity and Trixie. We're ending this fight, right now.”

Rarity nods and curls up in her ball, spinning into a blur, and Trixie takes a couple of paces ahead, and flicks her wand, creating a green path marked by arrows that leads directly to the Thunderbird. After that, Pinkie Pie walks behind Rarity and flicks a switch on her hammer. Her weapon hums and clicks, and its gems glow bright while a chubby exhaust pipe sprouts from the back of its head. Pinkie Pie then braces herself and eyes the path leading up to the Thunderbird. Long seconds later, she flashes a demented grin and swings her hammer, creating a sonic boom and two streaks of blue. One for her hammer and one for Rarity.

“Fore!” hollers Pinkie Pie.

Though, her call is of little use since as soon as the word leaves her lips Rarity has already blown clean through the Thunderird's wound and has popped out on the other side. Blood, bone and feathers splatter on the landscape, and Rarity bounces off of the cliff wall, leaving a crater of her own, and soars into the sky as a blue blur. Everybody looks up with various levels of intrigue, but when she comes back down like a whistling missile they all scream and scatter.

There is another explosion of broken stone and dirt, and Rarity's blue streak bounces off of pillars and trees and the ground like a pinball, flinging more shrapnel everywhere. The two teams narrowly avoid the out-of-control Rarity, all screaming and scrambling around, occasionally tripping over their own feet or each other, and unfortunately for Pinkie, she runs straight into Trixie. The two bounce off of each other and stumble around, eyes spinning and feet unable to work, but when Pinkie sees the blue ball of death coming right towards her she shrieks and swings her hammer with her eyes closed. Only to hit air.

She cracks an eye open, and then other, and finally she blinks at Rarity's ball form, which is still spinning, but considerable slower and is stuck in the air by a purple hue. Rarity stops spinning seconds later, and off to the side, Pinkie Pie sees a purple mist dissipating around Twilight's hand. With the mist gone, Rarity's hold disappears and she belly flops on the ground, green in the cheeks and groaning.

“I think I'm going to be sick,” says Rarity, her voice muffled by the grass her face is squished into.

Pinkie Pie giggles, sits next to Rarity and pats her on the shoulder. “You'll be fine. We won, by the way.”

“Yay... Can I just lay here for a moment?”

“You sure can, Rarity. You earned it.” Pinkie Pie takes a deep sniff and stares dramatically at the sun set with a single tear rolling down her cheek. “We all earned it.”

Teams, Old and New

Pinkie Pie, Flash and their teams sit in the front row of the auditorium where the students had their orientation just a couple of days earlier. However, unlike last time, it is now completely packed with other students and more guards and cameras have taken position in various locations. On the stage is Celestia and Luna, both wearing their usual attire with the former holding a microphone and the latter staying back. Not too far from them is a group of four girls. One has a lot of curly, orange and yellow hair with a spiked headband and orange eye shadow; the other is a pale girl with purple sunglasses and spiked, electric blue hair; the next one has her purple and teal striped hair fixed into pigtails with silver stars holding them in place, and she has thick bangs and purple eye shadow; and the last one has her blue and dark blue hair tied into a ponytail with her bangs cut like an arrow, and she has blue eye shadow and an excited, childlike grin.

“Adagio Dazzle, Vinyl Scratch, Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, the four of you retrieved the Black Queen,” says Celestia, her voice echoing from the speakers and the photos of the girls sliding into view on larger screens with their names below them. Once the pictures are locked in place the names fade except for the first letter of their names, and they expand to a great size. “From this day forward, you shall work together as Team AVAS. Led by Adagio Dazzle.”

The auditorium is quickly filled with applause and cheers, and Pinkie Pie claps with the other students, smiling brightly, even though her whole body feels like it is going to rip open at any moment. Like every other female student, Pinkie Pie is wearing a white blouse with a red bolo tie, a green blazer and the seal of the Academy on the right side of her chest. Her uniform also consists of a light green, pleated skirt, white knee length stockings, and black loafers.

Next to her, Flash wears something similar, only he has pants instead of a skirt and a necktie instead of a bolo tie, and dress shoes instead of loafer, just like the rest of the male students. He, too, is clapping enthusiastically and shares a smile with Pinkie Pie, and they look back at the stage to see the ponytail girl, Sonata, giggling gleefully and hugging the pigtail girl, Aria, who looks less than thrilled by the attention.

Team AVAS walks off of the stage seconds later, and another team takes the stand. Like before, their pictures float up and lock in place. This team consists of all men, with the first having dark blue hair, somewhat messy, the second having blonde hair in a comb-over, the third having light brown skin and dark brown hair, and the last one having dark hair cut like a spiked mohawk. He also has a large grin and is barely able to stay still, unlike his more disciplined teammates.

“Noteworthy Parchment, Octavius Oppenheimer, Burnt Oak, Lucky Clover, the four of you retrieved the White Rook,” says Celestia. “From this day forward, you shall work together as Team NOBL. Led by Noteworthy Parchment.”

Noteworthy's team all nod approvingly, but the mohawk one, Lucky, screams with an inappropriate amount of enthusiasm, runs up to the dark blue haired one, Noteworthy, and slaps him on the back hard enough to knock him off balance. Lucky then points at the crowd with a crazed smile and laughter.

“Yeah! We're a freaking team now! Suck it losers!” says Lucky.

The students and staff exchange confused looks and shrugs, and Luna frowns and steps forward, but Celestia puts her hand on her shoulder, microphone still in her hand.

“Yes, we're all proud of you. Get off the stage, please,” says Celestia.

Team NOBL leaves the stage, and despite Noteworthy quietly scolding Lucky, the new team is still getting cross looks. Once they are out of the way, Luna steps back and Celestia clears her throat and brings up the next team, which is Drake, Astro, Thorn, and a frail girl with long pink hair and timid steps. They stand in their appropriate spots and the frail girl keeps her head down, hiding behind her hair.

“Drake Firewall, Astro Neptunio, Fluttershy Breeze, Thorn Shoot, the four of you retrieved the Black Knight. From this day forward you shall work together as Team DAFT. Led by Drake Firewall,” says Celestia.

The students and staff applaud, but Drake's smile is painfully forced as he waves to the crowd, and Thorn in particular has developed a bright shade of red on his face, like a cooked lobster. Still, they leave the stage without protest, and in the seats, Flash snorts a laugh as he claps.

“Wow, that is terrible,” he says, grinning.

“They'll get used to it,” says Pinkie Pie, also smiling.

A buzzer in Flash's lap turns red and vibrates, and he quickly shuts it off and stands up, motioning his team to follow. The girls walk by him while he takes a breath and straightens out his blazer, smiling nervously at Pinkie.

“Well, it looks like we're up. Fingers crossed that we don't get a dumb name,” says Flash.

“Can't get much worse than DAFT,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Good point.”

Flash then hurries up to the stage and takes a spot next to Twilight, nodding coolly at her with his hands clamped in front of him. She, in turn, smiles and looks at the screen, watching everything fall in place.

“Flash Sentry, Octavia Melody, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, you have recovered the White King. From this day forward, you shall work together as Team FORT. Led by Flash Sentry,” says Celestia.

Another round of applause and Flash stiffens, his expression equivalent to a deer in headlights, and Celestia smiles and winks at him. Though, only Pinkie seems to notice this since the rest of Team FORT is having a mini-celebration and everybody else is focusing their praise on the new team.

“I see a bright future ahead for your team, Flash Sentry. Do not disappoint us,” says Celestia.

Flash nods and wordlessly leaves the stage with his team, and seconds later, Pinkie's buzzer goes off and she flinches, almost dropping it to the floor.

“Crap. We're up! We're up!” says Pinkie Pie. She jumps to her feet and nearly pulls Trixie off of her seat. “Let's go, lazies! We need to get up there!”

“Will you relax?” says Trixie, now standing and pulling out the wrinkles on her blazer. “We are literally in front of the stage.”

Before Pinkie Pie can counter, Trixie is already climbing the steps, and nearby Applejack is using a generic cane to help her stand. Rarity stays by her side, though, and helps her climb the stairs even though Applejack strongly insisted that she does not need help. Pinkie Pie is the last one on the stage and she steps on a glowing square with her name on it. Once in place, the glowing fades and Celestia speaks.

“Pinkamena Pie, Ashlyn Apple , Rarity Belle, Trixie Lulamoon, you have recovered the White Knight. From this day forward, you shall work together as Team PART. Led by Pinkamena Pie,” says Celestia.

The applause is loud and Pinkie Pie feels a sick pressure expand inside her, like a balloon from Hell. She manages a smile and giggles anxiously, and she looks at her new team when Applejack squeezes her shoulder. Upon looking, Applejack pulls her in for a hug, and Rarity claps without a smile while Trixie is shamelessly displaying her disappointment.

“I'm proud of you, 'cuz,” says Applejack.

“Yeah, I'm proud of me, too. I think,” says Pinkie Pie, returning the hug.

Rarity walks by Pinkie Pie. “Since you're our leader now, please try not to use me as your personal punching bag. It'll set a bad example.”

“Oh, don't worry, those days are behind me,” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity hums skeptically, and Celestia's voice breaks through their loose celebration.

“As the highest score holders of this test in recent years, I am very proud to have you in the Academy,” says Celestia. “Enjoy your night, ladies. You earned it.”

Team PART climbs off of the stage and goes into a brightly lit hallway with polished tiles and a few doors. Not too far from them Team FORT is chatting, and Team PART bundles up in a circle, and when the heavy metal door closes behind them, the chatter and instructions being broadcast from the other side disappear.

“Now that that is done, what are we going to do?” asks Rarity.

“Well, seeing as how I am the leader, I think it is appropriate that I start things with an easy order,” says Pinkie Pie. The team looks at her, and she grins and from her breast pocket she pulls out a booklet of coupons. “We're going to party!”

0000000000

After the ceremony, Celestia flops in a large, fluffy chair and her body becomes loose like a noodle, even going as far as sliding most of the way down until her outstretched legs stop her. She is barefoot, so her feet enjoy the thick carpet and her ears find comfort in the lighthearted, harmonious music playing from her phonograph. All this comfort is made all the better by how brightly lit her room is by the strong light and bright colors of her furniture and carpet. Though, that peace is short lived since Luna comes waltzing in like the room is hers.

“Another stressful day?” says Luna, her eyes having a hard time breaking free from her device as her thumbs push the buttons, creating bouncing noises and various pops.

“Very,” says Celestia, her fingers now massaging her temple.

Luna pauses her game and flips her device around, finger poised like a cobra ready to strike. “Should I call one of your escorts for relief?”

Celestia meets Luna's teasing smile with a small frown, and a second later she looks back ahead, shaking her head.

“Don't be vile, Luna,” says Celestia. She looks at Luna's boots and her frown deepens. “You forgot to take your shoes off. Again.”

Luna sighs and sits on Celestia's round bed, which is decorated with a yellow blanket and orange pillows, and she pulls off her boots and holey socks and carelessly tosses them to the floor.

“Is that better, Princess?” says Luna.

“A little bit,” says Celestia. She folds her hands on her lap and stares ahead again, focusing her attention on her wall of photos and medals. And after many long seconds of a heavy silence, Celestia sighs and speaks glumly. “We found more dead Hunters and Huntresses. They were killed just like the others. There was also a village wiped out and picked clean. Their deaths matched the Hunters and Huntresses.”

Luna's brows furrow and she leans forward, hands clamped together. “Let me guess. No recording devices recovered from our fallen brothers and sisters?”

“There was no satellite footage for the village attack, either.”

“Obviously there is a rat that needs to be exterminated. We'll just figure out who ran the satellite at the time of the attack, who has the skill to block the signal, and who had a sudden generous deposit. Then I can get them acquainted with a bullet and a ditch.”

Celestia shakes her head. “No, that will only mask the symptom, not provide a cure. Whatever is out there, whoever is pulling the strings, we need to find them and stop them, and that requires patience and tact. Something you severely lack.”

Luna huffs. “Your caution will bring the end of us. Do you at least have an idea of where to start?”

Celestia's eyes find contact with a framed, burnt picture, but she quickly looks down, clenching her hands tight together. “I have an idea. But the problem is finding him, first.”

0000000000

In the darkness of a long room, Discord sits alone with a single fancy lamp on the corner of his desk. In front of him are four small monitors, each with green shields on the bottom of their screens, and on his desk is a map of Equestria, a coffee cup full of pencils, markers and pens, and a plate of chocolate cookies with a large glass of chocolate milk. The map is marked with large portions of the nation in red, with the entire Badlands Regions completely red, and major cities such as Canterlot, Ponyville, Tall Tale, and Los Pegasus are circled in blue. The map is also covered in black dots, and next to the map is a calendar with the days X'd off.

Currently, Discord is sitting in an easy chair on wheels, listening to crackling and popping opera on a phonograph. He is in the comfort of his plush bathrobe that has a sun stitched on its back and he has carefully placed his bunny slipper covered feet on the desk, blissfully smoking an ivory pipe.

One by one, gray rings float out of his polished pipe and slowly dissipate. He watches this pattern of behavior with only the lowest of interest, for his real interest lies in the distant sound of pouring water and the blank screens in front of him.

It is after a short while that the screens flicker on, each revealing a black silhouette with gold outlines, and with their arrival, Discord grabs a headset from his desk drawer and puts it on, still careless in his attitude.

“Good evening, everybody. How is life treating you?” says Discord after activating it.

“It is well for now,” says a silhouette labeled Xolotl; their voice having a masculine, Hispanic accent.

“Things are noisy on my end, unfortunately,” says a silhouette labeled Lamia and having a feminine voice.

“I am getting better. Thank you for your concern, Belial,” says the last silhouette with a sickly voice, also masculine; this one labeled as Abaddon.

Discord giggles and averts his eyes as he waves bashfully at Abaddon's screen. “Aw, shucks, mister. You don't have to act that way around me.”

“Good. I hate acting this way.”

Discord snorts and takes a swig of his milk. “Don't we all.”

“I personally don't mind a little kindness from time to time. I actually wish there was more of it,” says Lamia.

“And I wish I ruled the world, but we can't get everything we want, now can we?” says Xolotl.

Discord snatches a cookie and speaks with his mouth full. “You just need a little more faith in yourself, or whatever those fortune cookies say.”

“Says the washout.”

“You don't need a lot of faith in yourself if your standards are low.”

“Let us resume this meeting on a more serious note,” says Abaddon. “I am recovering, and in due time we will reclaim what is rightfully ours, but I need to know what your status is. Xolotl, you are first.”

“The project is going at the predicted pace. As of now our biggest problems are those Tartarus beasts. They are costing us manpower and resources,” says Xolotl.

Discord leans over his desk and draws a line connecting Equestria to San Palomino.

“Acceptable for now,” says Abbadon. “And what do you have, Lamia?”

“Our people are moving nicely,” says Lamia. “We are gaining support from within and outside of the walls, and key targets have already been found with plans being developed on how to remove them. Naturally Canterlot has the big fish and will require... more attention.”

Now Discord grabs a notebook from his desk and flips it open to a page that consists of cities and names. On that list is Canterlot with Celestia and Luna Faustsend at the top, written in red and circled with stars around them. Below them are other other names, such as Daring Do and Rene Cabelleron, but he scribbles in a few new names: Twilight Sparkle, Trixie Lulamoon, and Fluttershy Breeze.

“They will be dealt with in due time. Belial, what is your status?” says Abaddon.

Discord closes his book and sips his chocolate milk before speaking. “Progress is putt-putting along, but I'm going to need more men if I am to meet the schedule.”

“You have an easy job, Belial. How can you be falling behind?” says Lamia.

“Working in prison is not as easy as you think, Trigger Queen,” says Discord. “Which reminds me, what is our schedule again? I would hate for us to fall behind because of unequal distribution of assistance among our amazing circle of friends.”

There is silence, and Discord is sure he hears water spilling over, but he remains seated. The floor needs cleaning anyway and last he checked all of his towels were off the floor, so no harm is being done.

“We'll send you more men, but your assignment better get done on time or there will be consequences,” says Abaddon after some tense seconds.

“Deadly or very painful?” asks Discord.

“Deadly.”

“Good to know. Now, what about you, Game Master, sir? What moves are you making?”

“You will know in due time.”

“That is just what I wanted to hear! I got a nice warm bath waiting for me, so I gotta go. We'll chat later, okay?”

“We still have things to talk about on your end.”

“You'll hear them in due time. T-T-Y-L!”

Before any more words can be spoken, Discord turns off his headset, tosses it on his desk and walks out of the room, whistling with his pip back in hand and the opera echoing eerily behind him. He knows he is in for a long few weeks, so he might as well enjoy his last comfortable bath while he still can.

The Hour Time Stood Still

Boring.

Doctor Daring Do's class is boring. There is no fancy words to describe it, no clever metaphors or similes. It. Is. Boring. And it became painfully obvious as soon as Team PART walked in late and nearly missed getting the synopsis of the course. Not even the anatomy posters of the Tartarus demons, maps, drawings, and time lines that are on the walls can alleviate this. It is so boring that being in the vicinity of the room is bringing Pinkie Pie to the verge of an early siesta. This lack of energy to put her all in the class certainly has nothing to do with her mind swimming in fish oil, or her eye lids feeling like someone has hooked cinder blocks to them, or that she and her new team of super friends spent the waking hours organizing their room and converting their beds into bunk beds using sheets and books after spending the whole night partying.

“Tree Trolls, Thunderbirds, Timberwolves, Goblins, Changelings, Zombies, Vampires, these are just a few of the things that you will be facing once you graduate this prestigious academy. But after you graduate you will come to call them something simpler. Prey,” says Daring Do, her overly rehearsed voice echoing in the round chamber where a few more teams sit. These teams include Team FORT, Team DAFT, Team AVAS and Team NOBL

From what Pinkie Pie's weighted eyes have observed, Doctor Do is incredibly uncomfortable in her blue pleated skirt, blue blazer and white blouse. On the professor's desk, aside from stacks of papers, books, a mug of pens and a globe, is her tie, and she has loosened the two top buttons of her shirt, giving some view of her cleavage. Not that Daring seems to mind. If Pinkie did not know any better, she would think that Daring did it on purpose, but she is certain that no professor would purposely flaunt themselves to students half their age. The uniforms are uncomfortable, after all, and maybe the professor just needed a little room to breathe. Nothing wrong with that.

Daring Do places her hands behind her back and starts pacing in front of the class, her polished shoes echoing in the chamber and the eyes of a few male students -one being Flash- following her closely.

“Now, as I was saying earlier,” says Daring Do, “this world is treacherous, but there are safe havens, Equestria being one, the Crystal Empire Remnant being another, then there is the Altain Federation and the Republic of Bernese. But even these places are not completely safe, as you all know, and that is where you come in. Huntresses. And Hunters.”

Daring finishes with a wink directed at Flash as her fingers glide across his desk, and he smiles and clicks his tongue when he pretends to shoot her with a finger gun. This gets him a quick slap on the shoulder and an annoyed look from Twilight, which he meets with confusion, mouthing: “What?”

Twilight huffs and rests her cheek on her fist. On the other side, Pinkie yawns and groggily moves her pencil on her paper to make a three headed banana monster destroying a city. Nothing extravagant, just a simple doodle to keep her eyes open.

“You will all be trained to be honorable individuals who will protect this nation and those who cannot protect themselves,” says Daring. She stops and stares dramatically at the students with a hand balled in front of her chest. “But from what, you may ask? Why, from the very world!”

Crickets chirp in the strange silence, someone coughs, and Trixie mutters: “No shit.”

Seeing the disappointing reaction, Daring clears her throat and leans against her desk, arms folded beneath her chest and her eyes focusing on the crowd more intently. However, Pinkie Pie barely looks at her teacher, and her cheek has found a nice spot on her hand so it is not moving, and she is having too much fun drawing her banana monster to stop.

“You kids are obviously lacking focus,” says Daring Do. She then stands up and starts unbuttoning her blazer, earning her a scrunched brow from Pinkie Pie and confused looks from students. “So it appears that I'll have to get your attention.”

Daring tosses her blazer on her desk, putting her loose blouse on display, and then she pushes a button on her desk, which summons a projector that is brought up on a platform which was hidden under the floor. After that, she flicks switches on her desk that dims the light and she turns on the projector, filling the silent room with a gentle hum and breaking the dark with a black and white photo of a considerably younger Daring Do kneeling next to a camp fire, smiling and stirring something in a pot above the flames.

“And I'll get it with a story. When I was eight I killed my first rabbit,” says Daring Do.

Rarity gasps, Pinkie Pie grimaces, Trixie yawns, and Applejack perks up, but when Daring Do begins her exposition of traveling across the land boredom returns. The words blur into blahs, the tone becomes less interesting than a wet carrot, and time has decided to fall asleep on the job. In a pitiful attempt to keep herself awake, Pinkie Pie resumes doodling her banana monster, but this time she is adding more detailed lines with various strengths of her strokes.

“Now, my grandpa smelled like cabbages-”

Pinkie Pie does not care that Daring Do's dziadek smelled like cabbages, but she does like cabbages, so she starts on another creature, using swift, circular motions. In seconds time a circle has leafs wrapping around it, a stem pokes from the top and bulky limbs with large hands and feet sprout from it. Pinkie Pie bites her lip a bit and rubs her pencil on the paper, making the shadows follow the lines for both creatures in an appropriate manner, with the occasional correction from her trusty eraser, which is getting a bit worn. Nothing a five dollar eraser bundle pack can't fix.

“That was when I learned the many ways to use a cucumber-”

With Daring Do mentioning cucumbers, Pinkie Pie realizes that she has not had a cucumber in a long time. About five hundred and five days if she is not mistaken. She also realizes that a cucumber will make one helluva of a rocket. So, with some hard erasing and speedy strokes the cabbage man now wields a bazooka, which has fired a cucumber at the banana monster. Some more rubbing and erasing ensues and now there is an exhaust cloud, darker shadows and a bit of fire.

“Of course, I was also able to slay the beast using my superior intellect-”

Intellect is important, that is something obvious to Pinkie Pie. But she wonders how intellect can be drawn into her doodle of cabbage man versus banana monster. Perhaps a mad scientist in a floating egg thing? Or a portal to other star systems? It certainly is a hard to draw intellect, so Pinkie Pie settles with drawing a man with broad shoulders, big arms, tight abs and great legs. A shirt is not needed, but a book is included since she needs to have intellect in there somewhere.

“And he got on a bike and I never saw him again.”

And so Pinkie Pie decides to draw a bicycle behind the buff man with the book, just because Daring Do's stupid bike statement put one at the front of her mind. She does not even know how to draw bikes, and now that she thinks about it, why is there a shirtless muscle man with a book and a bike near fighting two plant monsters? She settles with the classic 'don't know, don't care' approach and puts her focus back on the bicycle. The spokes are a pain in the butt and she is certain the seat looks more like an anal violation device than a seat. The seat must go.

“I guess what I am trying to say is that to be a true Huntress and Hunter you must put others first, you must be honorable and diligent, and above all else, you cannot be a complete dickwad,” concludes Daring Do.

Pinkie Pie stops erasing the seat and looks up, eyes wide and ears perked.

“Wait, what?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Any questions?” says Daring Do, completely ignoring Pinkie Pie and once again leans against her desk with her arms folded under her chest.

Pinkie Pie has a lot of questions, but every single one will point to her not paying an ounce of attention in class, and she really does not feel like being crucified. That said, she nibbles her lips and glances to her left and to her right, heart racing and throat going dry since no hands are being raised. Though, when Trixie raises her hand, Pinkie Pie's tension is washed away with relief and she sighs and slouches a bit in her chair.

“Yes, Trixie has a question,” says Trixie.

Daring Do scratches her head. “Eh, okay.”

Trixie places her hands on her desk and sits prim and proper, like a good school girl. “Will we be getting hands on experiences about these things?”

Daring Do smiles and walks behind her desk. “Actually yes. In fact, you'll have one today.”

The professor pushes a series of buttons on her desk, and the projector goes down, the lights turn on, and the floor opens up at the far end of the room. Clicks, whirs, hums and bangs are reflected off of the walls, and the class leans as far as they can to see what's coming. A metal container slides into view and is locked in place with multiple clangs. The only opening is a metal slot, and when something inside squeals and bangs against the thick door, the students jerk back, some swearing others laughing, and Daring Do pulls out a pad from her desk and flashes a wicked smile.

“And I'm going to need a volunteer,” she says.

Killing It Swiftly

“Will we be getting hands on experiences about these things?” asks Trixie, her posture prim, proper, and kind of smug now that Pinkie Pie thinks about it. Maybe it is her tone, or the way her eyes gaze at Doctor Daring Do, or maybe it is something else, but whatever the case, the radiating smug is strong with that one.

“Actually yes. In fact, you'll have one today,” says Daring Do with a cool smile.

Daring Do's fingers are quick to push a series of buttons on her desk, and the projector goes down, the lights turn on, and the floor opens up at the far end of the room. From the floor, a steadily increasing volume of clicks, whirs, hums and bangs are reflected off of the walls, and the students lean as far as they can to see what's coming. Moments later a metal container slides into view and is locked in place with multiple clangs. The only opening is a slot in its thick, metal door, and when something inside squeals and bangs against the thick door, everyone jerk back, some swearing others laughing, and Daring Do pulls out a pad from her desk and flashes a wicked smile.

“And I'm going to need a volunteer,” says Daring Do. Her eyes slide along Teams PART and FORT, and her smile remains. “How about one of the champions of the freshmen class?”

Both Teams exchange looks, varying from confused to worried, and the other Teams stare at them also, eagerly waiting to see what will happen next. It is during this that Pinkie's ears pick up a very faint humming. At first it sounds angelic, but there is also something off about it. She cannot quite put her finger on it, but the noise is giving her sharp shivers and her hands have a strange compulsion to rise as a claim for the challenge, as well as a growing sensation in her gut that wants her to leap to her feet and rush right into battle. Soon her feet and hands tremble, and her abdomen feels like it is twisting into a knot, but right as she places her hands on the desk and lifts her rump Trixie jumps to her feet, waving her hand theatrically.

“Ooh! Ooh! Me me me! Pick Trixie! Pick Trixie!” says the local celebrity.

The humming stops and Pinkie sits back in her seat, blinking and looking around the room, but is only seeing students snickering and some cheering her on. Near her, Applejack shakes her head and pinches her nose and Rarity places her face in her hands to hide her flushing cheeks. Trixie is summoned to the floor, and she marches on down, smiling eagerly, and she stops to wave and bow at the students who are cheering and whistling. Rarity huffs and looks away with her arms across her chest while Applejack forces herself to smile and salutes her. Pinkie Pie also smiles brightly, but years of practice have enabled her to mask her worry and confusion with a perfect counterfeit of a genuine smile, and her clapping and cheering for Trixie helps the show. However, as soon as Trixie faces Daring Do, Pinkie Pie resumes her scanning, but keeps her smile up, albeit with some of its mask breaking apart. During her next round of observations she sees Twilight rubbing her temple and Fluttershy being the picture perfect example of confused, but other than that, only excitement.

Trixie is instructed by their teacher to change into the appropriate attire, and a few minutes later she returns, wand in hand and dressed in her boots, cape and jeans, blouse and vest. The heavy belt is once again around her waist and she has her hair tied into a pony tail, as well.

The students once again voice their excitement, and Trixie grins and waves, but is brought to look at Daring Do when she clears her throat.

“Trixie Lulamoon, you have volunteered for the first hands on test,” says Daring Do. “So, tell me, what do you know about olim bellus lepi?”

Trixie thinks for a second, and Pinkie Pie pulls out her textbook and opens it almost perfectly to where she needs to be, and upon seeing the artistic depiction of the creature she cringes.

“Its... ugly?” says Trixie.

The class snickers and Daring Do sighs while Pinkie Pie's eyes zip side to side on the page, taking in every word like water to a dry sponge.

“Well, you aren't wrong about that. Anything else?” says Daring Do.

“Eh...” Trixie scratches the back of her head. “Its evil and needs to die?”

“I can say the same about my ex. Now, how about an answer that isn't generic?”

The class giggles, and Trixie growls and clenches her fist.

“What difference does it make? Just let the thing out so Trixie can kill it!” says Trixie viciously.

“You just made your first mistake,” says Daring Do after a pause.

Daring Do activates a shield that covers Trixie and the cage in a shimmering, transparent dome, and Trixie is quick to activate her blade and slide into a defensive position.

“Knowing your enemy is the first step in defeating them,” says Daring Do. “You know their names, what they look like, and what they can do and you can make the appropriate plans, but since you don't know anything about the olim bellus lepi you are in for an unpleasant surprise.”

The cage opens, and a black and red flash darts into Trixie's gut, knocking her off of her feet and right into the barrier. Ripples travel across the dome and Trixie collapses to her hands and knees, eyes bulging and mouth open in its attempt to suck in air. A good distance away from her is her wand, and the flash skids to a stop, leaving claw marks in the floor, and after it stops it hisses at Trixie, spitting out thick slobber with more dripping from its fangs and pointed tongue. Its black and red fur bristles and its long ears fold down as its solid green eyes focus on her.

Trixie gulps and tries backing up, but her feet bumps against the shield. The olim bellus charges her again, and she rolls out of the way just in the nick of time, scrambles to her feet and runs towards her wand. As this happens, the beast bounces off of the walls, howling in a mix of rage and pain as its sharp paws rub its head. Once it stops comforting itself Trixie grabs her wand and turns to face it, only to get rammed again.

The force expels the air from Trixie, and ripples of energy erupt from where her back hits the shield. Warning bells literally ring and her eye piece flashes red as she crumbles to the ground again, feeling a large bruises forming on her stomach and on her back. Her muscles feel tight and sore, and she looks up, seething with tears in her angry eyes, watching the olim bellus through the silver locks that dangle in front of her face. The beast charges again and Trixie activates her sword and swings at it, but it veers off to the side, runs along the shield as a blur and rockets itself towards her, impacting her in the side and slamming her into the floor with a loud thud and a sharp cry of pain from the student.

The olim bellus runs over Trixie, leaving her twitching on the ground, and when it gets to the other side of the dome it skids to a stop, turns and snorts at her. Trixie, meanwhile, grinds her teeth and uses her sword to help her stand. Her knnes quiver, her hands shake, and tears roll down her bruised face as blood drips from her nose. She then takes a deep breath, adjusts her stance and aims her sword at the beast. The beast charges and-

Outside the bubble, Rarity has managed to squish herself next to Applejack and is ravaging her formerly perfect fingernails with unrelenting nibbling. Applejack is watching the scene unfold, as well, gripping her cane tightly and wincing and flinching with every hit the olim bellus lands against Trixie. Team FORT is also cringing and flinching, save for Octavia, who is munching on a bag of chips with absolutely no concern whatsoever of Trixie's painful situation. In Pinkie Pie's case, she is flicking her attention between Trixie and her textbook, and her textbook is not being helpful. In fact, all it really says in fancy text is that the olim bellus lepus is stupidly fast and the best chance to kill it is to treat it like a rabbit.

Another hit from the olim bellus slams Trixie into the shield, again, and she rolls down to the floor, barely able to move. Pinkie Pie shakes her head in disbelief of what is happening and unable to comprehend why Doctor Daring Do is not stopping the exercise. It is during this that she sees Trixie reaching for her wand again, and something clicks inside Pinkie Pie's brain that sends her leaping over her desk and running to Trixie's side. Once there, Trixie is on her hands and knees, barely able to stand, and Pinkie Pie bangs her fist on the shield, thus getting Trixie's attention.

Her teammates face is pale and covered in streaks of red and pockets of dark blue blobs, her hair is a mess and her attire is ruffled, torn and in the case of her vest, missing the buttons so it is now hangs open, revealing her ripped blouse.

“Trixie, you gotta trap it!” says Pinkie Pie.

“What?” says Trixie, her voice muffled by the barrier.

“Trap it!” Pinkie Pie pokes on the shield in different spots. “Portal. Portal. Trap the sucker! You hear me? Trap it!”

Trixie nods and presses her palm against the shield to help her stand, and Pinkie Pie presses her hand above Trixie's and follows her up. When Trixie is standing, she flicks her wand to the appropriate gem and aims it at the olim bellus and meets its evil, green eyes with her bruised purple. Her hand shakes and sweat and blood drip from her, but when the creature charges a portal appears on the floor and on the crest of the dome with quick flicks.

The olim bellus tumbles from ceiling to floor, ceiling to floor, ceiling to floor, over and over again, and very soon its twisting, flailing body becomes a blur and its squeals are jerking, like a terrible music on a scratched CD. As this happens, Trixie narrows her eyes, activates her sword and marches forward, wincing with every step. Then she holds out her sword and lets the demon rabbit land on it. A sick sound of flesh being sliced is not heard beyond the bubble, but everyone can see the blood that sprays all over Trixie, her weapon and the floor, and the pieces of the olim bellus lepus falling in different directions.

Soon after, the portals close, Trixie falls on her rump, panting and shaking and clutching her face, and the students stare at her, at a loss for words at what they just saw. Daring Do turns off the shield moments later and Team PART rushes to Trixie's side and tries to see if she is okay and offer comfort, but she is quiet.

“I think we have had enough fun for the day,” says Daring Do as she walks past Team PART. “Your homework is to read chapter one of Tartarus Beasts, answer the questions at the end of the chapter and write a summary of the chapter. It'll be due next class.”

The students start to file out and Daring Do looks at Trixie, but she does not look at her and the rest of Team PART stares at the Doctor, none of them expressing anything but anger and disgust for what she allowed.

“By the way, your performance was terrible. Dismissed,” says Daring Do.

Daring Do walks towards her desk and calls for a janitor, and Pinkie Pie and Rarity help Trixie walk out with Applejack following close behind. Waiting for them at the top of the stairs is Team FORT, and they offer gentle words of sympathy and support as they go out into the hall.

When the two teams are in the hallway not a soul is to be found, but despite the lack of people, Pinkie Pie still gets an uneasy feeling in her gut and feels the hair on the back of her neck stand. She looks around but sees nothing out of the ordinary, so she keeps walking. Her steps are heavier, though, and her fingers twitch and her ears listen for everything, but once again there is nothing. Just electrical hums and their footsteps. Though, seconds later the feelings return, only this time she does not give it the satisfaction of a peek, which really hurts her neck since she is forcing herself to stare straight ahead. She will let whoever is watching think that she is clueless for now, but when she figures who they are, she will show them a thing or two about surprises.

Thorn in the Side

In a pitch black arena with only one light shining above, Flash Sentry slams his ax into ground, panting and shaking with a heavy sheen of sweat coating his face and neck. He looks up at his opponent, who is Thorn Shoot, and growls in aggravation while pushing himself up.

The coat clad fiend is lacking any signs of damage and fatigue, and is pacing back and forth, sporting a cocky smile and tapping his shotgun against his palm, which has been converted into a club. After taking a few breaths and adjusting his grip on his ax, Flash roars and charges Thorn. When he is near, he swings his ax, but Thorn calmly blocks it and he deflects another of Flash's attacks, resulting in metallic clangs. Another swing from Flash is skillfully blocked, and Thorn starts pushing forward, forcing Flash to awkwardly back up and clutch his weapon tighter lest he wants to fall.

Soon Thorn is towering over Flash, and Flash's knees quiver and buckle. Flash grunts and meets Thorn's malicious smile with a determined snarl and attempts to push back, but to no avail.

“Just give up, Pretty Boy. I'm too much for you,” says Thorn.

Flash adjusts his footing and tries to smile. “Give up? I can do this all day.”

Thorn smirks, and suddenly headbutts Flash. Pain erupts across his forehead and his vision becomes flooded with stars as his feet gives way and his grips loosens. Thorn then twists Flash's ax away, rams the butt of his club against his stomach, and as he stumbles back, coughing, Thorn swings his mace against his face, sending him spiraling off of his feet and landing flat on his back with a thud.

Flash's entire skull and back hurts and his vision spins, and when Thorn stands over him, all he can do is blink before his opponent stomps on his testicles, bringing out a very girly shriek of pain. An alarm immediately buzzes and a dozen blinding lights flash on, revealing a crowd of students and two staff members. One of the staff is Luna, who is messing with her phone, and the other is a teacher named Bulk Biceps, but the students have given him the nickname of 'Snowflake'. He is a pasty pale, mammoth of a man with blood red eyes, short, golden hair, a tattoo of dumbbells on his shoulders and a gold earring on his left ear. He is also wearing a skin tight wife beater shirt, blue yoga pants and red slipper socks.

“That is enough, Shoot,” says Luna.

Thorn instantly steps back and slides his weapon on a scabbard on his back while the teachers climb on the stage, leaving Flash to curl up and hold himself, whining. Without the noise of battle, the students are heard clapping and murmuring quietly among themselves. Some snickering is heard, but nobody does anything, and Octavia is munching on a bag of crackers. She casually offers some to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, but the sharp glares from them convince her to finish her crackers alone. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie ogles the male teacher's amazing build with some drool and sparkles in her eyes, Applejack is stuck cringing, Rarity has covered her mouth with her hands, leaving only her wide eyes to speak for her, and Trixie is facing away from the stage. One arm is resting on the other and she is snobbishly inspecting her doctored fingernails.

“Trixie could've beaten him,” says Trixie.

“Trixie got beaten by a bunny rabbit,” counters Applejack.

Trixie glares at Applejack. “Trixie was not beaten by a rabbit. She pulverized it with skill and determination.”

“If I remember correctly you got banged around until Pinkie saved your hide.” Applejack looks at Pinkie Pie. “Right, Pinks?”

“Bang me, senpai,” says Pinkie Pie distantly.

“What?”

Pinkie Pie looks at Applejack blankly. “What?”

Applejack turns away. “Never mind.”

Pinkie Pie shrugs dismissively and looks back to the stage. Bulk is standing at ease in front of the students, keeping his back to Thorn and Flash, with the former standing firm and the latter groaning and laying curled on the ground. Above them, a pair of screens drop, displaying the profile of Thorn and Flash and their aura levels. Thorn's is barely touched whereas Flash's is almost depleted.

“Students, as you can see, Sentry's aura has dropped into the red, which would lead to his dismissal in a tournament match and land him in hot water on the field!” yells Bulk. “Sentry did not check his aura and did not adjust his strategy to fighting a superior opponent! Bull rushing is not always better! It can actually get you killed in the field in most cases! Any questions?”

The class is silent, and Luna walks next to Bulk, putting her phone away in the process.

“Thank you, Mr. Biceps,” says Luna. “Students, I am afraid that is all the time we have for today. Practice your close range combat skills and read up on the Tom Rock Fighting Manuel. Next week's assessment will be as scheduled so don't slack off. Dismissed.”

The students file out, but Flash remains sitting on the stage. His aura is still recharging and his body is sore, especially his face, and the disappointment he sees in his team and their sister team is as obvious as a knife in his heart. He turns away from the girls and looks at the floor with sunken eyes, only to look up when a shadow falls over him. He barely lasts a second before he looks away from Luna's condemning stare.

“Sentry, it has been a month already,” says Luna. “You should know how to gauge your aura by now. If I do not see drastic improvement from you soon then I will have you dismissed from the Academy. Are we clear?”

Flash nods, but keeps his eyes on the floor.

“Good. Dismissed,” says Luna.

Luna walks off with Bulk, and Flash peeks out of his peripheral vision to see that Team PART and most of his team have left. Only one person has remained by the stage, but her worried gaze pushes his eyes away from her and he finds himself looking at the floor, again. It is only when Twilight extends her hand to him does he muster enough strength to hold his eyes on her.

“Come on, Flash. Let's grab some lunch,” says Twilight.

Flash is hesitant, but Twilight's smile brings him to reach out to her. After she helps him stand she links her arm around his and the two gradually make their way to the brightly lit doorway, where Team PART and the rest of FORT are waiting.

0000000000

Nearly an hour has passed, and most of Teams PART and FORT are done with their lunches, so they are sitting at one of the long, wooden tables of the cafeteria, enjoying each others company. The only two who are not finished are Flash and Octavia, but Octavia is taking her time, eating each portion of her meal separately and with deliberate slowness whereas Flash's appetite has been destroyed by a black hole of gloom. So cold and consuming is the darkness creeping in that he barely hears what is going on around him.

“So, there we were in the middle of the night,” begins Rainbow Dash dramatically, her hand brushing through the air as Rarity and Applejack listen with anticipating smiles.

“It was daylight,” corrects Octavia while making a volcano out of her mashed potatoes and gravy.

“We were surrounded by manticores.”

“They were kujos.”

“Dozens of them!”

“Two of them.”

“But they were no match for my mad skills, and in the end, I saved Octavia and I sold their skins as rugs, making a fortune and being named Huntress of the Year.” Rainbow Dash folds her arms over her chest, beaming with pride and glory.

“Liar. I saved you,” says Octavia, shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

Rainbow Dash's pride fizzles, as does her smile. “Dude, really? How can you possibly know what goes on in my dreams?”

Octavia stops chewing and slowly looks at Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash's hostile gaze fades to worry. All Octavia does after that is nod once, then Dash slumps in her seat, lips puckered and face heating up like a boiling lobster. Applejack arches a brow and stops chewing, and Rarity and Twilight look at the two before meeting each others eyes. Pinkie Pie, however, is keeping her attention of Flash, who is poking at his peas, completely oblivious of his surroundings, and Trixie is typing away on her phone.

“Pinkie, why did you send me a friend request on Chatbook?” asks Trixie.

Twilight shakes her head and looks at Flash. “Flash, are you okay?”

Flash stops poking at his peas and looks at Twilight curiously. “Hm?”

“Are you okay?” repeats Twilight gently.

“Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just another day at the Academy. Why?”

“Well, you don't look fine. You look glummy,” says Pinkie Pie. “You've actually been looking glummy shortly after the team ceremony thing ended.”

Trixie scoffs. “That's fine. Trixie likes being ignored.”

“No, really, I'm fine,” says Flash. He smiles at the group, but his smile is on par with stretching a corpse's lips. “See? Dandy.”

Thorn then strolls by, hands stuffed in his pocket, whistling a cheerful tune, and when he is by Flash he ruffles his hair, leaving Flash wincing, his hair disheveled, and strands of blue floating down. He and the two teams glare at Thorn as he takes a seat at the table where his team is. The team meets his arrival with ill will, and Teams PART and FORT wordlessly agree to mind their own business.

“It's that Thorn guy, ain't it?” says Applejack.

Flash rubs his scalp and checks his fingers, wincing, then he moves his peas around to make a random pattern.

“No, Thorn is not a problem,” says Flash. “Can we drop this, please? You girls are making a big deal out of nothing.”

“The guy's been messing with you from the start. Plus he stomped on your nuts! I thought there was a guy code that said that that was off limits,” says Rainbow Dash.

“He is a bit of a brute,” says Rarity.

Trixie puts her phone away. “Don't be so polite, Rarity. Thorn is not a brute. He's an asshole. A crusty, shit filled, asshole... We are talking about Thorn, right?”

Rarity gags and turns away, shuddering, and Applejack sighs and nods slowly.

“Yes, Trixie, we are talking about Thorn,” says Applejack.

“Oh, good,” says Trixie. “Trixie would hate to waste her insults on someone unworthy. So, Brad, when are you going to grow a pair and knock Thorn's teeth out?”

The group gasps in unified shock.

“Trixie, you aren't helping!” scolds Pinkie Pie.

“What? Trixie is just saying that the only way to deal with a bully is to be the bigger bully. It works quite well,” says Trixie.

Rainbow Dash seethes nervously, and speaks slowly. “You know, I think the diva is on to something.”

“I concur,” says Octavia.

“I don't,” says Twilight. She glares at Trixie. “Two wrongs don't make a right. Ever.”

Trixie rolls her eyes. “Please, spare Trixie the crybaby rhetoric. If Brad can't stand up for himself, then how can he stand up for his team?”

Twilight opens her mouth to counter, but snaps it shut and looks down, resentful, and Trixie smiles smugly and turns to Pinkie Pie.

“Now, then, Pinkie Pie, why did you send Trixie a friend request? We live in the same room,” says Trixie.

Pinkie Pie nibbles her lip and drums her fingers on the table before asking: “Flash, do you want me to... you know... talk to Thorn about his bullying?”

Trixie scoffs and throws her hands in the air, and Flash throws his fork down, glaring at Pinkie Pie.

“There's nothing to talk about. He isn't a bully. He just likes messing around with people,” says Flash.

“He's a bully,” says Pinkie Pie sternly.

“Oh, really? Name one time he's bullied me.”

“Atomic flushies,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Whacking your books out of your hand,” says Twilight.

“Putting super glue in your uniform shoes when we were doing a field exercise,” says Octavia.

“Smashing your muffins,” says Applejack.

“Spitting chewed gum in your hair,” says Trixie.

“Throwing glitter all over your stuff in your locker,” says Rarity.

“Karate chopping you in the face!” says Pinkie Pie.

The two teams look at her, and she smiles uneasily and shrinks a bit in her seat, bringing her fists up to her lips.

“I was not karate chopped in the face,” says Flash.

Without moving her fists, Pinkie Pie points at Flash. “Give it time. It'll happen.”

Flash shakes his head and resumes poking at his peas, and Twilight slides close to him and places her hand on his shoulder.

“Flash, you know if you ever need help you can just ask,” says Twilight. “All of us are here for you.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I'm fine,” says Flash, his tone turning sour.

Octavia then flexes her pinkie and a sleek, silver blade slides out from her sleeve, barely above her hand, and both teams curse and jump back slightly, leading to Twilight pressed tightly into Flash.

“Do you want me to shank him?” asks Octavia.

“Octavia, what the hell!?” says Flash.

Octavia's confused eyes flick between the horrified faces around her. “What?”

“Why do you have a blade on your hand?”

Octavia pulls back her sleeve to reveal an antique aged apparatus of gears, wires and straps clamped around her wrist with a sleeve big enough to hold the blade. With the device on full display, she turns the blade for all to see, and the blade reflects the light of the lamps above, briefly covering Twilight's face in bright gash.

“This is a family heirloom,” says Octavia. “And it is still sharp and lubed, so it'll be easy to take care of Thorn.”

Twilight sits up, but remains scrunched into Flash, and he holds out his hand cautiously towards Octavia.

“Octavia, please put the blade away,” says Flash.

Octavia dips her head, sighing quietly as she retracts the blade and pulls her sleeve over her device. Then she reaches behind her and pulls out a metal rod, which she then extends to a baton and puts it on the table.

“Can I at least break his knees?” asks Octavia.

“No!” Flash inhales and pinches the bridge of his nose, then he exhales steadily and stares at Octavia. “Look, Octavia, I appreciate the sentiment, I really do, but I'm going to deal with this without mob tactics, all right?”

Octavia moodily returns her baton and folds her arms across her chest, lips slightly puckered, and Flash nods approvingly and stands up with his tray.

“Good,” says Flash, feigning a smile. “You ladies have nothing to worry about. I'll take care of this. Besides, Thorn is a prick to everybody, so its not like I'm special.”

Flash then hastily leaves the group, not giving them a chance to reply, and after he dumps his trash in the garbage can by the door he casts one more look in the direction of his team. Only, instead of seeing his team, he sees Thorn looking right at him. Thorn grins and raises an energy drink bottle in salute, and Flash scowls and leaves the cafeteria without looking back.

History 101

In the chamber of yet another classroom, Pinkie Pie sits at her desk, cheek squished in her hand, drool collecting in her mouth and her eyelids feeling like concrete slabs. Her pencil drags along her paper, creating a picture of a super-heroine in an armored suit, fedora and cape fighting a robot with electric cannons. It has nothing to do with what the current lecture is about, but Dr. Rene Caballeron does not seem to notice her lack of attention, for he is talking to his hearts delight with an accent Pinkie Pie would have liked if he were younger. And better looking. And shaven. And some deodorant, too.

Pinkie's sluggish eyes glide up from her paper to see Caballeron standing behind his desk, still talking, with a map of the Old World being projected behind him. Next to her, Rarity is taking notes, Applejack's book is open but her notebook is blank, and Trixie is typing on her phone. On her other side is Team FORT. Flash is snoring softly with his head resting on his folded arms, Rainbow Dash is fidgeting in her seat, rocking back and forth, drumming her fingers and looking at everything other than what's in front of her, and Octavia is munching on a bag of crackers with a sparsely filled notebookbook. Twilight, however, is diligently taking notes and has her heavily marked textbook open.

“Prior to the Fall of the Kingdom of Levant, the Royal Family made a lot of enemies in every facet of their culture,” explains Caballeron. “From religious, to ethnic, to class, and even in their military and their congress. Obvious rampant corruption, endless wars, class and racial divisions, and so on led to the rise of dozens of factions, but three distinct ones took the historical spotlight. Can anybody tell me what those factions were?”

Twilight's hand shoots up.

“Yes. The celebrity,” says Caballeron.

“There was the People's Prosperity Front, which was a faction made up of disenfranchised laborers, such as farmers, miners and factory workers,” says Twilight. “They wanted to create a state where the workers ruled, everybody was equal and nobody would be without a home, work, food, education or healthcare.”

“Right, right, an idealistic society. Now let's give someone else a chance to answer.” Caballeron points at Pinkie Pie. “How about you?'

Pinkie Pie points at herself. “Me?”

“No, the other pink haired girl.”

Near the door, where Team DAFT sits, Fluttershy looks around nervously before hesitantly pointing at herself with a quivering finger. “M-Me?”

Caballeron does a double take. “What? No. I still meant Pink Cakes, or whatever her name is. Not that I could hear you if I wanted your answer, anyway.”

Fluttershy looks down, face flushing pink, and Pinkie Pie throws up her free hand in defeat while keeping her head on her other hand.

“Beats me. I don't even know what today is,” says Pinkie Pie.

“It's Wednesday, and your answer is terrible,” says Caballeron.

“Meh,” grunts Pinkie Pie.

Caballeron shakes his head and approaches Trixie. “Fine, then. How about the other celebrity? The one who is on her phone.”

Trixie's obliviousness is no thanks to her eyes being transfixed on her phone, and by this point her thumbs are almost blurs with her typing. That comes to a quick end when the Doctor yanks her phone out of her hand, eliciting a surprised and angry whine from Trixie.

“Hey, that's mine!” says Trixie.

Caballeron takes the battery out of the phone and stuffs it in his pocket while placing the phone on his desk, next to two stacks of books and a golden pony skull with gems in its eye sockets.

“You'll get it after class,” says Caballeron. He then leans against his desk and eyes Trixie critically. “Now, tell me, what was one of the major three factions during the Fall of the Kingdom?”

“Um...” Trixie gulps and drums her fingers on her desk, shifting her eyes and body uncomfortably for a moment before looking at the Doctor with an uneasy smile. “The PPF...?”

“All ready taken. What's another one?”

“Um...”

Trixie shifts side to side and glances at every student she can see for help, but no one comes, and Caballeron frowns and shakes his head.

“How disappointing,” says Caballeron. “Should I call on another student?”

“No, wait, Trixie knows one!” says Trixie desperately.

“Okay, prove it.”

“There was the, uh, the... the Tsiun Liberatyon Militer! It was made up of the Tsiunites, an ethnic group targeted by the government, media and various hate groups. They eventually waged a guerrilla war for survival against the Kingdom and other militias.”

“What a pleasant surprise. We got one more major group in the Fall. Does anybody know what it was?” Caballeron points towards the back. “Yes! The one with way too much hair!”

Pinkie Pie looks behind her and sees Caballeron pointing at Team AVAS and Adagio Dazzle lowering her hand.

“The Antiquity Society led by General Solar Flare,” says Adagio Dazzle smugly.

“Yes, that was the last one. What do you know about the Antiquity Society?” asks Caballeron.

Adagio shrugs. “I just remember the name and something about occult stuff.”

“Yes, General Solar Flare was a fan of the occult and was rumored to dabble in splicing humans and monsters. I actually wrote a book about the General and his passions that you can buy for forty bucks. An extra five if you want a signature.”

Caballeron returns to his desk and picks up a book from one of his two stacks. Its cover is a close up picture of a bronze colored man with a thick white beard and eyebrows with yellow eyes, and its titled: The General of the Lost Society.

The Doctor grins and shows it off, but all he gets are blank stares from the students. Save for Octavia, who is digging in her wallet. That said, the lack of excitement eats away the smile that Caballeron had and he returns his book with a moody frown.

“Let's get back on subject,” says Caballeron. “Under General Solar Flare's direction, the Antiquity Society shifted its goals from cultural preservation to expansion. They worked tirelessly to promote diplomatic, scientific, military and economic operations that would lead to the revival of Kingdom prior to the emergence of the Creatures of Tartarus. But when a civil war breaks out between twenty four factions plus the invasion of the Creatures of Tartarus, ambitions tend to fall flat.”

Caballeron pushes a button on his desk that changes the map to a picture consisting of four symbols. The first one being a sun and moon crossing into each other with winged unicorns rearing on either side, marked as the Kingdom of Levant. The second one is made up of an eye inside a triangle with the sun above it, and it is labeled as the Antiquity Society. The third is a red star with gold scales in the center, and has People's Prosperity Front underneath. The last one is a white eagle clutching arrows inside a blue shield, and it is labeled as the Tsium Liberation Army.

Pinkie's brain goes kaput for a second, but when she regains her bearings she scribbles down cheap doodles of the symbols with their names next to them.

“The Society was actually the first to go since they were mainly scholars with very little experience militarily wise,” continues Caballeron. “However, they were still very valuable, so they were accepted into other factions. In fact, their research actually laid the foundation for modern science. Gem tech, aura enhancers, shields, transportation, et cetera.”

Caballeron changes the picture to a black and white group shot of a group of men and women in suits, lab coats and military uniforms, with the bearded man in the center. All are holding neutral expressions, save for the bearded man. He is smiling brightly.

“As I said, when the Society disintegrated their members joined other factions,” says Caballeron.

He changes the picture again, only this time it is the same picture, but with names and dates and which person joined which faction.

“Many of these Society guys went to the PPF and TLM,” says Caballeron. “However, the TLM was eventually defeated by the PPF and was scattered across the world. The PPF was able to gain control of East Levant and formed a new country with members of the Society greatly influencing the new government.”

The picture changes to the PPF's flag draping over the ruins of moderately damaged palace with celebrating militants and civilians outside.

“According to historical accounts the celebration was fantastic,” says Caballeron, “but eventually the Workers Republic of East Levant crumbled due to constant engagement of rebel factions, Tartarus monsters, government sanctioned purges, corruption, and economic and social plight. East Levant did ask for help to fight against rebels and monsters, but none was given. Any ideas why?”

Thorn flicks a paper football at the back of Flash's head, waking him up with a start and a loud snort. Caballeron marches over to him in a snap and slams his hands on the student's desk, causing him to jump in his seat.

“Finally, Flash decides to contribute. So, what is the answer to the question?” says Caballeron.

“Right... The question...” says Flash, his hands held up and voice steady like a politicians formulating their words. “The question which you asked and the question that I got an answer for... It's, um... It is a very, very complex issue that essentially comes too, eh... People suck?”

The class laughs and Caballeron sighs, grabs Flash's book, and then whacks him over the back of the head with it, causing Flash's face to have a hard landing on the table with an echoing BANG! The laughter disappears immediately, save for Thorn, who is snickering, and as Flash seethes and rubs his head Caballeron tosses the book down and looks at Thorn.

“Oh, you think that's funny?” says Caballeron.

“A little bit,” says Thorn.

“I'll tell you what will be even funnier. If you knew the answer to my question.”

“Well,” begins Thorn, “I think it was only a matter of priorities. Like why would we waste our time on a backwards race when we could be doing something more important? Like protecting our civilization, for example.”

“You aren't the most open minded of people, are you?” says Twilight.

“It's easy to criticize others for lack of open-mindedness when you've lived a narrow life,” says Thorn sharply. “But, I will give credit where credit is due. The Levanites did do one thing right and that was their extermination of the Tsiuns.”

Trixie's pencils snaps in half.

“But that one favor still does not change the fact that they were backwards and were not able to coexist with the rest of the world, so that is why we had to let them go. It was sad,” says Thorn.

Caballeron hums. “Fascinating. You, Drake and Flash can see me after class. Same with Pinkie.”

“Wait, why me? He's the dick!” says Drake.

“Yeah, what gives?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Now before we travel further off course, does anybody have an answer to my very simple question? Preferably somebody who is not a complete retard,” says Caballeron without making any attempts to answer the two.

Twilight waves her hand up.

Caballeron sighs and halfheartedly points at her. “Sure, why not? What do you got?”

“It was not that we didn't want to, it was that we couldn't,” replies Twilight. “We didn't have the manpower or resources to break through the swarms, and what we did have we had to use to defend our borders from the monsters.”

Caballeron nods approvingly. “Yes, yes, that is a good platform. During the Fall of the Kingdom there was another event occurring simultaneously called the Surge, which was when there was an unexpected spike in Creature activity that consumed a dozen nations, leaving just the four we got now.”

Caballeron then smiles brightly and pulls out a book with the picture of a burning skull imprinted on the map of their world, titled: The Surge: How the World Was Reshaped. Again!

“It is another subject I wrote about, and you can purchase the book for only forty dollars,” he says. “But purchases must be made after class with hard cash only.”

0000000000

2,700 seconds later Caballeron ends his class, returns Trixie's phone, and gains a broad smile, for a few students have bought his books. Two of which are Octavia and Adagio, and they each bought one copy of his two books. That said, the students that are having to stay behind are not exactly thrilled. Drake's frown is tugging on his face like a wire; Thorn is leaning against a desk, arms folded across his chest and smoldering eyes locked on the brown carpet; Flash is also looking at the floor, but is nervously massaging his hands; and Pinkie Pie has her hands clamped behind her back and is rocking back and forth on her heels, watching the students file out with a critical eye, and blinking at each one. Her stomach also feels like it has been shriveled and twisted into a knot, which brings her to thinking of each student as food. Such as Rarity being a vanilla cake with grape frosting, Rainbow Dash being candy, and Octavia as burnt toast.

“Do you have a nervous twitch or something?” asks Caballeron as he walks by Pinkie Pie.

“What?” says Pinkie Pie, snapping away from her food thoughts.

“You're blinking a lot.”

“I got something in my eye.”

Caballeron hums skeptically. “Sure you do. Now, students, I am sure you are wondering why you are here while your teams get to have lunch.”

“Yeah, I'm definitely wondering that,” says Drake.

“Me, too,” says Pinkie Pie, her stomach growling right after.

“The answer is quite simple. You are all lacking,” says Caballeron.

“Hey, I'm not lacking. I got bad ass grades,” says Drake defensively.

“You're lacking as a leader,” says Caballeron. “And so are you Flash and Pinkie. You're supposed to set an example and you two are off in lalaland. The leader influences their team, so if they see slackers they see more than enough justification to slack off themselves. As for you, Drake, if you were a proper leader you would have had Thorn's attitude straightened out a long time ago. Yes, your grades are fine, but Thorn's grades suck, and that reflects on you as much as him.”

The group is silent, and Drake glares at Thorn, who in turn rolls his eyes away. Seeing this, Caballeron sighs and rubs his face as he paces in circles. He stops a moment later and looks at them harshly.

“Do you guys want to know a secret?” says Caballeron.

“Ooh, I love secrets!” says Pinkie Pie, grinning widely.

“You are being graded.”

Pinkie's smile drops, and Drake and Flash stare at Caballeron curiously while Thorn arches a brow.

“That's not a secret,” says Thorn.

“You are being graded outside of academics,” reiterates Caballeron. “Everywhere you go, you are being watched and graded. How you conduct yourself in public, how you treat others, how you organize and present yourself, it is all being graded. You represent this Academy and a legacy, and if we deem you to be a poor representation there will be consequences. Are we clear?”

The group nods quietly.

“Good,” says Caballeron. “Drake, you are exempt from this since your grades are fine, but Pinkie, Flash and Thorn, you are to do extra work until your grades are at a satisfactory level. Starting with the History of the Equestrian Hunter, chapter one, the end chapter quiz completed and an essay no shorter than four pages about the said chapter. It'll be due next week.”

Pinkie Pie groans and Thorn shakes his head, muttering curses under his breath.

“Do we have to do that as well as that, uh, other book thing?” asks Flash.

“If by other book thing you mean notes on chapter four of the Tartarus Wars, then yes. Any more questions?” says Caballeron.

The group shakes their heads.

“Good. Get out and enjoy your lunch,” says Caballeron. “I heard sloppy dogs are on the menu.”

Blackmail

Pinkie Pie's cheek is currently fused to the cafeteria table. Along with a stuck cheek, her hair is frazzled and sagging, her eyes are red and shrouded with black bags and her hand feeling like cracking wooden and is unable to move away from the pencil holding posture. This comes as no surprise to anyone who sees the notebook full of notes and textbooks full of more notes. The only solace Pinkie Pie has in her current state is the punk rock music that her headphones are blasting into her ears, thus blocking all outside noise and fueling her thoughts with something other than school work. Like boulevards of broken dreams and holidays.

Pinkie Pie's eyes sluggishly glide over her marked book, taking in each little letter about as enthusiastically as a poor soul stuck in a hospital waiting room. Her focus drifts away from her book and sees her team doing what they are supposed to be doing, and doing it with a little bit more care than she is.

Applejack is reciting questions off of flash cards to Trixie, who appears to be getting more and more annoyed as one stack in particular gets larger, and Rarity is reading and taking notes. After Trixie answers another question and gets a head shake from Applejack, their resident celebrity throws her hands up and screams. Pinkie Pie decides that now is a good time to take off her headphones.

“Why are you being so mean to Trixie?” says Trixie, her voice cracking and face red.

“I ain't being mean,” says Applejack firmly. “You keep answering the questions wrong. That's all.”

“Trixie answered every question correctly.”

“You only answered five questions correctly.”

“Liar!”

Shadows suddenly darken in Applejack's angry, wrinkled face and she slams the stack down and slides it towards Trixie.

“Forget this. I'm done,” says Applejack, turning away from Trixie and folding her arms across her chest.

“What?” Trixie's panicked eyes snap back and forth between Applejack and the cards. “But Trixie needs a study partner! Rarity sucks and Pinkie's a moron!”

Rarity snaps up from her book. “Hey!”

Trixie looks at Rarity. “What?”

“Don't be rude.”

Trixie scoffs. “Rude is my middle name, plebeian.”

Rarity slams her book shut and whips to Pinkie Pie. “Aren't you going to do something about her behavior?”

Pinkie Pie, without taking her head off of the table, looks Rarity. “What do you want me to do about it? Have her do push ups?”

“Something. Anything! Any kind of disciplinary action of any caliber!”

Pinkie Pie sighs, pulls her head off the table with some difficulty, cracks her back, and then walks by Rarity on her way to the vending machine not too far from their table. She can feel Rarity's eyes on her, but in no time at all Trixie says something stupid and she and Trixie start bickering. Applejack's voice drops in seconds later, and by the time Pinkie Pie is by a Mr. Vendor vending machine she can hear the conversation turn into something about a death battle.

“You turn into a ball and spin. That is not cool, that is dumb,” says Trixie.

"I do more than that!" says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie sighs glumly, pulls out Rarity's wallet and slips a few coins into the machine.

“Hey, Pinkie,” says Flash as he walks next to her with his wallet out and body slouching from fatigue. “Having fun with your studies?”

“Oh, yeah, I just love doing school work instead of something more exciting. Like living,” replies Pinkie Pie.

Flash rubs crust from his eye. “Yeah, the extra work is kicking my can, too.”

Pinkie Pie punches the numbers into the machine, and her eyes follow the clangs and thumps down towards the access chute when they echo from the machine. She then pulls out a can of Grapetastic soda and steps back, tossing it back and forth in her hands while Flash slips in the coins.

“Has Thorn given you any trouble, lately?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“No. He only rammed me into the urinal while I was trying to take a leak,” says Flash. He punches in some numbers and adds with a sigh: “And he smashed my muffin. Again... It was blueberry.”

“Oh.” Pinkie Pie tosses the soda in the air, letting it spin sporadically before catching it with one hand, and then she tosses it up again. “I can still talk to him if you want me to.”

Flash pulls out a Dr. Cola and shakes his head. “No, don't worry about it. I got it all under control. Besides, I'm more concerned about failing and getting the boot than an idiot who smashes muffins.”

Pinkie Pie shakes her Grapetastic soda while nodding in agreement. “Oh, yeah, I feel you.” Pinkie Pie takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, and then glances at Flash apprehensively. “Hey, listen, about the whole failing thing, I actually think we should, you know, study together since we're both falling behind. What do you think?”

Flash stares at her soda can uneasily. “Yeah... um, look, you seem nice and all, and-”

Pinkie Pie shakes the can harder without breaking eye contact.

Flash shifts his posture. “Well, I just don't that, um...”

Pinkie's hand and soda can are now a blur, and her eyes are more narrowed, more focused, like a blowtorch ready to slice metal.

Flash steps back. “Okay, what are you doing?”

“Shaking a soda can. Am I getting a yes or a no?” says Pinkie Pie.

Flash seethes. “Not right now.”

Pinkie Pie nods. “Okay. See you some time in the future.”

She then walks back towards her table, still shaking the soda can, which is now inflated and hard like the stones of her family's rock farm, and she stands next to Trixie and takes aim.

“All Trixie is saying is that between all of us fighting in a free for all death match, Trixie would slaughter all of you. So, HA!” says Trixie, meeting the angered looks of her teammates with an arrogant grin.

Pinkie Pie clears her throat and Trixie turns to her, but before a word can be spoken Pinkie Pie pops the can's tab, resulting in a firehouse spray of grape soda splashing all over Trixie. Fizzy, carbonated and sticky fluids goes all over Trixie's face and hair, and she raises her hands to stop it, but only gets the tail end. When the geyser stops, leaving only a few purple droplets to drip to the floor, a soaking wet Trixie is coughing, sputtering and wheezing for air while Applejack and Rarity stare at the scene with wide eyes and sealed lips. Pinkie Pie remains standing besides Trixie and twists her can into a disk, and Trixie flaps her hands, flinging sticky droplets everywhere and she slowly turns and glares at Pinkie Pie through her dripping locks.

“Why?” says Trixie dangerously.

Pinkie Pie tosses the flat can in front of Trixie. “Be nice.” She then tosses Rarity her wallet and falls in her seat like a bag of rocks. “By the way, I owe you seventy five cents.”

Rarity sneers. “Seriously?”

“Yep.” Pinkie Pie slams her face on her book. “Seriously.”

Flash is walking back to his table, sipping his soda, and he looks over his shoulder at Pinkie's table when he hears Trixie screaming. Seeing Pinkie Pie standing above Trixie with the soda can answers enough, so he shakes his head and flops in his seat, rubbing his tired eyes.

“Pay up,” says Octavia.

Flash looks up and sees Rainbow Dash begrudgingly tossing a dollar to Octavia, who then snatches it and shoves it in her pocket without hesitation.

“Um... what?” says Flash with a quirked brow.

“We made a bet to see what soda you would get,” says Rainbow Dash.

“I won,” says Octavia.

Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I think he figured that out.”

“I don't care about your bets,” grumbles Flash as he bows his head and runs his fingers through his hair.

“Pay up,” says Octavia.

Rainbow Dash growls and throws another dollar at Octavia, and Flash slams his hands down on the table and glares at the two.

“Seriously?” he says.

“Yeah, we kinda made a bet about whether or not you cared about us betting,” says Rainbow Dash.

“I won,” says Octavia, smiling thinly.

Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I think he figured that out.”

Flash groans and buries his face in his hands. “Faust help me. I'm stuck in a time loop.” He takes a long, deep breath, and then presses his hands on the table and looks at his two women warriors in training. “Did you two at least do any studying?”

“Of course!” boasts Rainbow Dash.

Flash and Octavia stare at her skeptically.

“Not,” adds Rainbow Dash meekly.

Flash looks at Octavia. “How about you?”

“I don't need studying. I have resources that will guarantee me a pass,” says Octavia, now flicking her thumb over each bill in a tempting wad of cash.

“Wow... Just... Wow,” says Flash. “In case you haven't realized it, we are all being graded and watched constantly. In fact they are watching us right now and listening in, and I will gladly put a hundred bucks on the table right now saying that they heard you say how you are buying test results and that they will kick out your gloomy butt quicker than shit in a cereal bowl!”

When Flash is done his chest is heaving, his eyes are wild and froth has lined his mouth, and his elbows are perched on the table with his hands slightly extended towards Octavia like claws. Rainbow Dash and Octavia both have very different reactions to this. The former's eyes are squinted and her lips are twisted to a confused snarl, whereas the latter has a blank expression.

“So, are you saying I should tie up loose ends?” asks Octavia after a strange moment of silence.

Flash's jaw drops with an explosive, wheezy gasp. “What? Oh... Oh, wow. You know what? You're scary. I'm going to go that way.” Flash jumps up, grabs his drink and books and hurries off without looking back. “And don't look at me!”

Rainbow Dash and Octavia watch Flash leave the cafeteria, and when he is out of sight Rainbow Dash looks at her companion while said person still watches the doorway.

“You really gotta learn how to talk to people,” says Rainbow Dash.

Octavia slowly looks at her, and she smiles nervously and slides back.

“But lessons can wait another time. I, uh, I hear sloppy dogs!”

And then Rainbow Dash zips away in a blur, leaving Octavia alone at the table. She takes a deep breath, looks down and stares at the money in her hand. And then she shrugs and puts it all in her pocket.

Flash Sentry's foot steps are the only things making any noise in the empty hallway. The lights shine down on him in their always warm way, but he still feels cold. A little bit of guilt has infected him for how he reacted to Octavia's statement and how he left Dash with the disturbed girl. Though, from what he has observed, Octavia seems to be mostly harmless and appears to have an odd fascination with their team athlete if her snooping through Dash's dream journal is any indication. It still does not change her creepy personality and careless actions, though.

After a few minutes of walking through the labyrinth of halls, Flash finds his room, which is mostly due to him finding Team PART's room. Unlike the other doors, which have boring numbers and sparse decorations, Team FORT's self-proclaimed sister team has gone all out, leaving no piece of wood showing. Streamers, balloon cutouts, confetti, stars, diamonds and apples of various colors are taped to the door, same with big letters that spell their team name with a “(ie)” added at the end of the T for some reason.

Then there is Team FORT's door. A boring white door with bronze numbers screwed above their peephole. Whoopee-do.

Flash looks at his boring door, then he glances at Pinkie's awesome door, and then he looks back at his door and digs into his pocket, where he finds absolutely nothing but lint. He furrows his brows and reaches into his other pocket, where his fingers graze his brick of a flip phone. He scoffs and mutters as he pats himself all over his pants and jacket, and much to his dismay and increasing annoyance he finds no trace of his keys.

“Great.” Flash's hands flop against his thighs and he shakes his head. “Just great. Way to go, Flash. Way to freaking go! Now Octavia's going to have to lock-pick the stupid door again!”

He growls and kicks the door, and in response a crack of pain spreads across his foot, and he bites his lip, hissing and curling his fingers as he limps in a circle away from the door. He can feel the hot red staining his face, too, and that pain only spreads when he sees Twilight staring at him with her books up against her chest. Twilight. Staring at him. With his teeth digging into his lips, hands curled like claws, eyes bulged at different levels and face red, and his legs appearing gimpy.

He really wants to cry, right now.

“Are you okay?” asks Twilight.

Without breaking face, Flash nods.

“Did you leave your keys on your bed, again?”

Flash's bizarre face shifts back to a somewhat normal state, and he leans against the wall to rub his foot. “Maybe. Where did you run off to, anyway? The rest of us were in the cafeteria studying.”

“I was in the library,” says Twilight.

She pulls out her keycard and swipes it into the doorknob's slot. The doorknob flashes green, a keypad rolls out, and after typing in the password the door clicks and opens just a bit. Twilight then uses her foot to push the door the rest of the way while adjusting her grip on her books and putting the keycard back in her vest pocket. After she walks in their room, Flash follows her in and puts his stack of books on his bed, which is pushed to the far end of the room, away from the other three beds.

Twilight also puts her books down and shakes off her backpack, which shakes the floor when it lands, and she makes a breathy sigh as she rolls her shoulders. Flash, meanwhile, flops on his bed, right next to his keycard. A moment later a shadow goes over him and he looks over his shoulder to see Twilight standing above him, her worried eyes glued to him.

“Yeah?” says Flash.

“I know you're tired, but there is something I want to show you,” says Twilight.

“Can't it wait?”

“It could, but I'd rather it be sooner than later.”

Flash groans and rubs his face in his pillow, loving the flat goodness of its former fluffiness. Though, a few seconds later he reluctantly peeks above the fabric and turns his clock so he can see the digital numbers. It is later than he thought, and he really, really, really wants to enjoy his bed and blankets for a few hours. But one more look at Twilight's puppy dog eyes convinces him to get up. It is a painful process, but he manages to push himself into the sitting position, and he sighs quietly as he rubs his eyes.

“Fine, but let's make it quick,” says Flash.

Twilight cheers, grabs Flash's hand and yanks him out of bed and runs out of the room, dragging him with her and slamming the door shut behind them.

0000000000

A few minutes later the two are on the roof of their dormitory. The layer of gravel crunches underneath their shoes and a chilling breeze gives Flash the shivers and goosebumps, and his masculinity is put to shame when he sees no signs of Twilight being cold. That said, the view is nice. He can see the whole Academy, from the main tower of the Administration, to the distant arena, various academic structures, the wall blocking the Hollow Shades forest, and the multiple landing pads. There is even an excellent view of the night sky. No clouds interrupt the dark purple sky or its sprinkled, glittering stars and full moon. However, all the serenity of the view comes to a very rude end when a gust of frosty wind slams into him. Twilight's skirt fluttering in the wind is a nice sight, though.

“So,” begins Flash. He blows into his hands and rubs them together. It helps little. “Why are we up here?”

“It has been a rough week for you. A rough month, actually,” says Twilight. “Being a team leader is a lot of pressure, and knowing that your failing is not doing your confidence any favors.”

Flash frowns and rubs his hands again. “Thanks for the lecture, Doctor Twi. Any advice?”

Twilight nibbles her lip and turns to Flash, hesitating before she speaks. “I want to help you.”

Flash stares at her, his tired expression blank and his brain thinking about how warm his blanket will be. As for Twilight, she looks down and twiddles her fingers for a couple of seconds before taking another deep breath and looking at him again.

“I know you're struggling in class and you aren't exactly the best of fighters, so... I want to help you. I want to train and tutor you,” says Twilight. “I can tutor you in our room and I can train you up here where no one will bother us.”

“Are you saying that I suck?” says Flash,.

“No, I'm saying that you need help.”

“In other words, I suck.”

“No! Flash, just please listen to my words,” begs Twilight. “I just want to help you. Everyone needs help from time to time and asking for some is not a bad thing.”

Flash shakes his head. “I don't need any help. I can do this on my own.”

“No you can't.”

“Yes I can! I don't need your help! I don't need anybody's help! I'm fine!”

“You've barely slept all week and its showing. I know I can help you if you'll just let me.”

Flash looks away from Twilight, getting a look at the dark silhouettes of the Academy's buildings and the tiny blocks of light that illuminate bits and pieces of them. Even when he feels Twilight's hand on his arm he does not look at her, instead choosing to keep his eyes on the shadows.

“But-”

Twilight puts her fingers on his mouth, silencing him, and he looks down at her annoyed stare with one of his own, with an added touch of weariness.

“Flash, don't be difficult,” says Twilight.

Flash pulls her hand away. “I'm not being difficult. All I am saying is that I don't need or want your help, but you keep persisting, making it harder for both of us. Besides, you'll be wasting your time on me. I'm a one trick pony. You can't really train me.”

Twilight huffs and rubs her brow, looking down. “I'm trying to help you understand your potential.” She drops her hand and looks into Flash's eyes. “I know you are capable of great things because you got in here. That alone speaks volumes. You just need a little push to get you back on the right track.”

Flash sighs and looks at Twilight shamefaced. “Yeah, about that. I kinda lied.”

Twilight blinks. “What?”

“I lied. I faked my transcripts to get in here, but right now I am really regretting it.”

Twilight pulls away, her eyes wide and hands held up to her chest. “What? But why would you do that?”

“I don't know,” says Flash, shrugging and his eyes lowered. “Maybe its because I wanted to be somebody special for once. My dad, my grandpa, my uncles, they were special. My sister is special, my mom is special, my grandma was special. Everybody is special and get all the love just for existing and what do I get? A fake ticket to a place where I don't belong.”

“But you do belong here.” Twilight gently grabs his hands and tries to look into his eyes. “Don't you remember when we were in the forest, how you organized us and helped us get out?”

Flash pulls away, quivering. “Pinkie did most of the work. I just got tossed around. You know that.”

Twilight steps forward. “You did more than you think you did. I know what I saw and I saw someone special doing something great in that forest, and I see that same person in front of me.”

“Then you don't see me,” says Flash, his voice wobbling and his feet taking him back. “You see what you want to see and it is not. Me.”

Twilight swallows and looks down, rubbing her arm and blinking tears out of her eyes, and Flash exhales though his nose and looks at the dark scenery again.

“Please leave me alone,” says Flash quietly.

Twilight looks up. “But-”

“No. Just... I want to be alone.”

Twilight opens her mouth, but says nothing and lowers her eyes, nodding and rubbing her arm, and without saying a word she leaves the rooftop. Once the door closes, Flash looks over his shoulder and sees that he is all alone in the dark, but when he looks at the Academy again he sees none other than Thorn climbing up on the roof, chuckling like a predator who has trapped their easy prey.

“Well, that was a nice talk you had with your girl,” says Thorn.

Flash's blood freezes, and his face pales as he steps back, now regretting that he didn't leave with Twilight.

“How the heck did you hear all that?” says Flash.

Thorn jabs his thumb over his shoulder. “My window was open, plus I cleaned my ears.”

Flash yells in frustration and rips at his hair. “You have got to be kidding me!”

Thorn scoffs. “I hate jokes. But, funny story, I was thinking about you and me and the kind of relationship we have, and I think there is a lot of room for improvement.”

He lunges at Flash and traps him in a headlock before he can block, and as Flash struggles and swears to no avail, Thorn drags him over to the edge of the building so he can see the sixty foot drop. It makes Flash sick to his knotted stomach and his pupils shrink to tiny dots as his hands now dig into Thorn as tight as they can get, which does not phase him in the slightest.

“I was actually thinking that we can be friends if we work together,” says Thorn. “Think about it. Both of us are falling behind in Caballeron's class and we basically got to do the same thing, so why not help me out? Kind of like a you scratch my back and I scratch your back kind of thing.”

Flash gulps for air. “I don't think that's the proper phrase for that.”

“Oh it is,” says Thorn. He makes a dramatic sigh and leans just a bit farther over the edge, dangling most of Flash over while planting his feet firmly into the roof and wall. “After all, we wouldn't want your secret getting out, now would we? I'll keep your secret safe from Faustsend and as payment you get to do my work. How does that sound?”

Flash gaks and desperately digs his feet into the roof and wall while trying to pull his head out of the lock. “Terrible! It sounds terrible, you damn psycho!”

Thorn squeezes tighter, forcing Flash to wheeze for air. “Do you want to go back home to your sister and mommy in disgrace and blacklisted from every school and academy there is? Or, hell, we can send you back after a little accident on the roof. But I don't want to do that since I like you. So, what do you say, buddy? A little teamwork between struggling students?”

Flash's eyes roll back and his vision bleed to black, and Thorn snickers over his wheezing and slowly beating heart.

“Good. I'll keep in touch,” says Thorn.

The releases Flash, grabbing him by his collar just before he falls and throws him towards the door. Flash slides backwards, leaving a trail of pushed gravel and thin dust, and he pushes himself on his side, coughing and wheezing and rubbing his bruised neck. His vision is swimming in and out of focus, but he does manage to make out Thorn climbing back over the edge and flashing him one last smile and two fingered wave before disappearing over the edge.

A Talk in the Hall

In the early hours of the night, Team FORT relaxes in their dormitory, dressed casual and on their way to bed. For Twilight, she is wearing a pair of purple, star studded pajama pants with a light blue shirt, and she is sitting on her bed, back against the wall, reading a very thick book with a worn spine and wrinkled pages. Octavia is wearing nothing but a long, gray dress shirt, exposing her slender legs and is setting up an iron-board next to her bed, which has a pile of clothes on it. Then there is Rainbow Dash. She is laying on the floor, in just a sports bra and shorts, grunting and puffing and abs flexing with every crunch she does.

“How come. Flash is. Getting. Home. So late. All the time?” asks Rainbow Dash between her disciplined breaths.

Octavia delicately lays out a gray, long sleeved blouse on her iron-board. “He's probably studying with Thorn.”

“But. I thought. They hated. Each other,” says Rainbow Dash. She flops on her back, panting and beads of sweat rolling off of her shiny, toned and smelly body. “Besides, we got that field trip tomorrow, so we kinda need him to not fall asleep on us.”

“I'm sure Flash knows exactly what he's doing,” says Twilight coldly without looking up from her book.

With the hot iron in hand, Octavia raises a brow quizzically at Twilight, all while Rainbow Dash remains staring at the ceiling with her hands behind her head.

“Oh, yeah, totally. Its not like Celestia would put an idiot as our team leader. That's just retarded,” says Rainbow Dash.

Octavia presses her iron down on her blouse and starts rubbing it in slow, gentle circles, intensely watching the wrinkles being flattened away. “People do make mistakes. Perhaps Celestia made one with Flash.”

Out in the hallway, Flash peers through a crack in the door, watching his team relaxing in their own way, but after Octavia's statement he lowers his eyes and closes the door as quietly as he can. Once it clicks shut he turns around and comes face to face with Pinkie Pie and her tired, baggy and very wonked out eyes and creepy smile.

“Hi,” says Pinkie Pie.

Flash leans back slightly. “Eh... hi.”

“It has been thirty three days since we last spoke. How have you been?”

Flash blinks. “Fine. Um, are you okay?”

“Absolutely not. I am running on five minutes of sleep and Trixie's stash of energy drinks.” She holds up a tall, half empty can with a silhouette of a Thunderbird on it. She then takes a large gulp of it, gasps, and shudders, and she holds out the can to Flash, shaking it enticingly. “Do you want to taste the magic?”

“No. You should probably get some sleep. You look like you're about to crash.”

“Oh, I know I'm about to crash. I can feel it in every bone and muscle and hair in my body. You look like you need a nap, too.”

“No, I'm okay.”

“Meh, suit yourself. But you didn't answer my question. Are you good, are you bad, are you great, what are you?”

Flash sniffs, calmly takes Pinkie Pie's energy drink and sets it down on the floor by his foot, and she fidgets in her spot and scratches her hair like a feral animal.

“I'm thinking those energy drinks were a bad idea,” says Pinkie Pie. She pulls her hand away and grimaces at the pink strands, and after shaking them off she smiles at Flash. “So, how's life?”

“Well,” begins Flash. He looks behind him and then with a deep sigh he looks at his feet. “It could be better. I mean, I messed up big time. I did something very stupid and now Thorn's got me on a leash and Twilight won't talk to me, anymore.”

Flash closes his eyes and slides down the wall, rubbing his hands down his face. When his hands are off, his reddening eyes are peering at the carpet once more.

“I'm starting this whole thing was a mistake,” says Flash. “I'm starting to think that I really am a failure and nothing will fix it.”

“Nope,” says Pinkie Pie.

“No?” says Flash, snapping his eyes to her.

“Nope. You're a leader, now. You are not allowed to be a failure.”

“But what if I failed as a leader?”

Pinkie Pie thinks for a moment. “Nope.”

“You aren't exactly the easiest one to talk to about these things.”

“Nope,” says Pinkie Pie with a smile.

Flash shakes his head and looks away as Pinkie Pie takes a seat next to him, still fidgeting and drumming her fingers against each other.

“Look, Flash, you may be a failure in your eyes and the eyes of other people, but you cannot afford to be a failure to your team,” says Pinkie Pie. “I can think you suck, the school can think you suck, heck, the whole world can think you suck, but the only ones that should matter are your teammates. Just ignore everybody else and focus on what is best for your team. You have to lead and protect them with everything you got, and sitting out here, moping and wishing things were different won't actually do anything. If you want Twilight to talk to you again, if you want Thorn to stop being a pill, if you want things to get better then you got to take charge and make those wishes happen or else everything will remain the same. But for the record, I don't think you suck.”

There is a moment of silence between the two. Flash finds himself staring at Pinkie Pie's stern expression with wide eyed wonder, and she will not look away from him. This silence goes on for a few seconds before Flash speaks.

“Wow. That... that was surprising, coming from you,” says Flash.

Pinkie Pie's stern face breaks into a smile, and she giggles and playfully pokes at him. “Hey, don't be mean.”

Flash chuckles. “I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean. I'm just saying that those words were unexpected, especially since you are... well, you're you. There isn't another girl like you, and what you said really did not fit you.”

“I thought it fit me pretty good.”

Flash smiles and looks down, shaking his head as a little laugh escapes him. “All right, then.” He looks at her again a second or two later. “Have you been reading those leadership books that librarian has suggested, by any chance?”

Pinkie Pie bobs her head, humming thoughtfully. “Kinda. I mean, I read some, noted some, and tried a trust exercise with my team that one of the books said to do, but I accidentally dropped Rarity, so she's kinda mad at me about that.”

Flash's brows scrunch in tune with his confused frown, and Pinkie Pie stares up at the ceiling, lips puckered and fingers stroking her chin.

“But, what really bugs me is that she will not accept an apology. Or make one. It is really weird,” says Pinkie Pie. She then shrugs her shoulders, drops her hand down and folds her hands across her stomach as she stretches her legs out. “Oh, well. I'm sure she'll come around, soon enough.”

Flash looks ahead at the overly decorated door of Team PART(ie). “I'm sure she will, too.” After some peaceful silence, Flash looks at Pinkie Pie. “Hey, I got a question.”

“I might have an answer,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Why do you want to be a Huntress?”

Pinkie Pie's relaxation hardens, and a frown hooks on her face. “I don't.”

Flash blinks, but before he can probe her response she uses his shoulder to help her hop up. Once up, she stumbles back and has to place a hand on the wall to keep herself up, and Flash looks at her with worry.

“Are you all right?” asks Flash.

“Oh, yeah. My head just got a little spinny for a second. You know how that is, right?” says Pinkie Pie.

“I... guess?”

“Sweet.” She kneels down in front of Flash and presses her finger against his nose, grinning devilishly. A look that is obviously forced. “By the way, you still owe me an ice pack and a back rub.”

“Seriously?”

Pinkie Pie nods and Flash sighs.

“Okay, fine. I'm sure we can work something out,” says Flash.

“Goody!” Pinkie Pie stands up and walks backwards while waving farewell. “Night, night, Flash.”

Flash holds up a two fingered wave. “Good night, Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie reaches her door, stops, turns around, and with two large skips she lands in front of Flash again, kneeling with her hand out, thus making him scrunch into the wall.

“Another by the way, do you happen to have seventy five cents I can borrow?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Um.” Flash digs in his pockets and pulls out a handful of change. After a quick count he puts the remainder back in his pocket out and holds the requested amount to her. “Here.”

“Thanks!” Pinkie Pie snatches the change and stands up, beaming. “I'll pay you back the first chance I get!”

Flash nods and Pinkie Pie bounces over to her door. After she unlocks the door, she looks at Flash, smiles and winks, and throws the door open hard enough for it to bang against the wall, making her team jump from their spots around a Scrabble board.

“Guess who's back!” blurts Pinkie Pie. She then slams the door shut, shaking the wall and the words from her muffled voice can still be understood. “And I got money!”

Flash cannot help but smile at that, and with a great deal of weight fading from his chest and shoulders, he stands up, sighing contently and braces himself to face his girls. However, as soon as his keycard is put in the slot his phone buzzes. Flash freezes, and when his phone buzzes again he sighs heavily and shakes his head as he pulls out his little brick of a flip phone.

“Asshole. Line 1” scrolls across the little screen and Flash groans quietly and hesitantly answers the phone.

“What?” says Flash.

“That's no way to talk to a friend,” says Thorn.

“You're no friend.”

“How ungrateful. I keep your future safe and this is how you thank me?”

Flash steps away from his door, growling. “What do you want?”

“I was actually thinking that you have been a huge help to me, and now that my grades are good this can be our last hurrah.”

“Just spill it, already.”

“I need you to catch me some terrorjackers.”

Flash balks. “What? No, screw that!” He jabs his finger at the air and glares ahead as if Thorn is standing in front of him. “If you want those things you can get them yourself!”

“Relax. According to that paper you wrote, terrorjackers sleep heavy during the night, so you just grab a box, snag a nest, put the nest in a box and leave it at the edge of the Seasons Trail.”

“No, I'm not-”

“I got Faustsend's office number on speed-dial. Get me those jackers or your future goes bye-bye. Its one last job, man. You'll be free after all this, so either you do this and never hear from me again or it is a one way ticket out of here.”

Flash stares ahead at the blank wall, body quivering face red and scrunched and his phone case cracking underneath his grip.

“I knew you'd see things the right way. Have a good night, buddy. It's going to be a long day, tomorrow,” says Thorn.

The other end clicks off, flooding Flash's ear with dial tone, and he slams the phone shut, inhaling deeply through his nose and exhaling just as heavy as he grips his phone with both hands. He glances over his shoulder at his door, looking at the light spilling out from beneath it, and then he looks outside to the darkening world. He swallows, takes one last look at the light, and then with a heavy sigh he reluctantly ventures out into the darkness.

White Tail Woods

Red and gold leafs from thick , towering trees block much of the afternoon sunlight, allowing only sporadic beams of warm light to beat down on the group of students being led by Luna. Currently this batch is made up of Teams PART(ie), FORT, DAFT and AVAS, and each of them are carrying a metal spout, mallet, and a glass jar. Save for Flash and Thorn. The former is carrying three jars and the latter has none. The students are not wearing their school uniforms, either, but instead are wearing their designated “battle suits”, which, in all reality, is just the outfits they wore during the Hollow Shades Test.

“This forest is beautiful,” says Rarity as she brushes her hand along the rough bark of one of the trees.

“Yes, White Tail Woods is a beautiful place, but we are not here for sight seeing, we are here to collect sap samples for Professor Soil and I am here to make sure none of you die a horrible death,” says Luna as she pushes buttons on her phone, adding the noise of eight-bit explosions over her unenthusiastic voice.

The class comes to a stop at a clearing and form a half circle, facing Luna, and the Vice Principle pauses her game and spins on her heel to face the class while clamping her hands behind her back. Once the students stop moving around and looking at the pretty trees, Luna starts speaking.

“Your task is simple. Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap,” says Luna while holding a full jar of purple sap. “However, this forest is full of the Creatures of Tartarus, so be sure to stay close to your teammates. We will meet back here at sixteen hundred and proceed to return home with our supplies. Any questions?”

Sonata raises her hand.

“Yes?” says Luna.

“How come its called red sap when it is purple? And what does this have to do with fighting evil monsters?” says Sonata.

Luna looks at Sonata, and then she looks at her jar, and then she looks back at Sonata, frowning. “Shut up.”

Sonata groans and looks down, sulking, and Aria shakes her head, grabs Sonata by the back of her shirt and drags her away, following Adagio and Vinyl into the forest. Team DAFT also starts their trek into the forest, but Thorn stays behind with Flash, and Trixie grins maniacally and takes huge leaps towards a particularly fat tree.

“Trixie calls this tree!” Trixie's hands become a blur as she hammers her spout into the bark and she kneels in front of the item, giggling a little too enthusiastically and holding the jar underneath. Once the sludge of purple colored red sap starts dripping out Trixie's giggling evolves into cackling. “Yes! Come forth my delicious syrup and meet your new master!”

Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity exchange looks, and Rarity shrugs while Pinkie Pie scratches her scalp hard and fast.

“She is quite excited about the sap,” says Rarity.

“Eeyup,” says Applejack. A second later she makes her way towards a tree that is not too far from Trixie. “Welp, no sense in standing around. We got work to do.”

“Right. Work stuff. Go do your work stuff,” says Pinkie Pie while inspecting her fingers and the strands of hair that have coiled around them.

She looks away from her fingers and sees Applejack using her bare hands to shove her spout into the tree with minimal difficulty, Luna playing on her phone in the comfort of a tree's shade, and Rarity having trouble getting her spout in. She will press the spout into the bark, beat it with her mallet a couple of times, but then miss and hit her thumb or her spout, both resulting it in falling to the ground.

“Why does this have to be so hard?” whines Rarity while clutching her throbbing digit.

Pinkie Pie smiles thinly and shakes her head as she goes to Rarity's side. When she is close enough, she jumps near her and slides on the leafs, coming to a stop when she bumps into her Rarity, knocking her aim away and causing her to hit the spout out again.

Rarity's face burns red and her teeth grind behind her sealed lips as she looks at Pinkie Pie, who is now leaning against the tree with lidded eyes and a cheeky smile with her arms folded across her chest.

“Hello. I'm here to do my leader stuff. Need any help?” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity rolls her eyes and makes another attempt to hammer in her spout, which leads to yet another abysmal failure. “If you must know, I am having a rather difficult time getting this uncooperative spout in.”

Pinkie Pie blinks at the spout, and then smiles thinly and shakes her head, tutting obnoxiously. “Rarity, you goof. You're holding that thingy all gimpy. Give it to me.”

Pinkie Pie takes Rarity's bent spout without caring about her teammate's protest, not that it was much of one, anyway, and after carefully digging it into the bark, she hammers it a few times and steps back, smiling proudly at how deep it is in the tree. She turns her smile Rarity, who is flabbergasted and coolly hands the hammer back to her.

“See? Piece of cake,” says Pinkie Pie.

“That is not fair,” says Rarity, adding after a breath. “But thank you.”

“No problem... So, are we cool about me puking on you, blasting you, stealing your wallet, dropping you and taking your socks?”

Rarity whips to Pinkie Pie, wide eyed. “You stole my socks?”

“Uh... Hey, look, a tree!”

And Pinkie Pie disappears in a flash, leaving a trail of kicked up leafs and mulch in her wake.

While Teams AVAS and PART(ie) are off collecting their samples, Flash is watching his team walk away and Twilight stops trailing Dash and Octavia for a moment so she can look at Flash. She does not have to say anything, for the silent pleading of her eyes is enough for him to see, but he looks away, shamefaced, and when he peeks out of the corner of his eye he sees Twilight's shoulders sag and her feet drag her away. She is not looking at him, anymore, and all he can see of her is her shield, but it quickly disappears from sight with the rest of his team.

“Well, I'm ready to go,” says Thorn. He grabs Flash by his shoulder and starts dragging him away from the clearing. “Come on, buddy. Let's learn things together.”

“Wait!” barks Drake.

Thorn stops and turns around, smiling but digging his fingers into Flash's shoulder pad while Drake and Astro approach him.

“Yes, boss?” says Thorn.

The two stop in front of Thorn and Drake jabs his thumb to Astro.

“Take Astro with you,” says Drake.

“Why? I got my best friend with me,” says Thorn, wrapping his arm around Flash's shoulder for bro-hug effect.

Flash tries to pull away, but Thorn tightens his grip and nearly squishes their bodies together, eliciting an unpleasant grunt and death glare from the former. Seeing this, Drake frowns and steps forward, jabbing his finger into Thorn's chest.

“Because I said so. End of discussion,” says Drake.

“You just want quality time with Fluttershy, don't you?” says Thorn.

All four boys look towards Fluttershy and see her crouching down in a flower bed to inspect a rabbit, wearing her yellow dress and knee high, brown work boots, and thin armored vest. She is being illuminated by a wide beam of light and butterflies and chirping bird glide gracefully around her in circles. She holds out her hand and giggles when the rabbit sniffs her, and Flash, Thorn and Astro look at Drake as he folds his arms across his chest and tilts his nose up and away from them.

“No, that's totally not it,” he says.

With the students scattered, Luna is enjoying her game of a little blue man with a white helmet planting pulsating, classic bombs next to bricks. The music is funky, the colorful enemies are whack, and she has found that really, really hates the game's conveyor belts. She still likes watching the little pixilated blocks explode, though. And nothing can break her concentration. Not the chirping birds, not the chatting students or the rustling leaves and gentle breeze, not even the melodic humming in the wind. Nothing will distract her from blasting her way out of the next level. Nothing!

Nothing, except maybe the picture of a Celestia giving a duck face selfie with a big green phone silhouette in the center that has taken up her entire screen with a depressing song playing.

“Seven days and seven nights of empty tries.
It's all ritual, habitual, and nothing's gonna work this time.
We're at the point beyond return
And all we've ever learned is how to hurt each other.”

Luna frowns and her thumb hops between the green check mark and red x, just barely above the screen, but right before she can make a decision the picture goes away, leaving a paused screen for her game. Seconds later, Luna shrugs and hits the play button and manages to move her little bomber a few blocks before Celestia's selfie and the accompanying sad song returns.

Luna scoffs and bangs her head against the tree. “Seriously?” Another sigh and she reluctantly answers the phone. “Luna speaking.”

“Hello, Luna, how's the field trip?” says Celestia.

Luna looks around and sees nobody dying.

“It is going fine. How is your research?” says Luna.

“Doing very well. Our team has found something interesting and we can only hope that the results will be fruitful,” says Celestia.

“Glad to hear. Are you mobilizing?”

“No. We're watching, but so far we see nothing of concern.”

“That can change very quickly, though.”

"Exactly. We need to gather as much data as possible before acting. How much time do you have left on your trip for Professor Soil?”

Luna checks the time on her phone. “The students have eighty five minutes, and then we'll be heading back. We should be back at Canterlot within four hours. Five hours max.”

“Good. I will give greater details when you return, but in the mean time, keep a special eye on those students. They are our future.”

Luna rolls her eyes. “Yes, Tia, I know. On another note...” Luna looks side to side quickly before quietly speaking into her phone. “Why are we collecting sap?”

After a long, unknown amount of time, Flash makes his way to Thorn, carrying four full jars of sap. Astro is sitting a good distance across from Thorn with his rifle clutched and aimed towards the ground, but his finger is just above the trigger. Meanwhile, Thorn is weaving what Flash can only guess is a bracelet made out of flowers and grass. Once the jars are dropped in front of Thorn, he stops his weaving and smiles at Flash.

“You got them? Good job, buddy,” he says.

“I did your dirty work. Now we're done. No more of this crap,” says Flash.

Thorn sighs and slips on the bracelet, muttering Flash's name in a mockery of disappointment, and Astro's eyes flick between the two.

“Flash Sentry, my friend, my fellow struggling brother, did you even wonder why I had you collect four jars when there is only three of us?”

“It crossed my mind, yeah, but I really don't want to know,” says Flash.

He takes his jar and starts walking in the opposite direction while waving farewell to Astro, who has now stood up, but is still keeping his finger disciplined and his rifle aimed down.

“Have fun with your teammate,” says Flash.

“Thanks,” grumbles Astro sourly.

“Hold it,” says Thorn.

Flash stops, groans and turns around. “What?”

“We're not done yet. There's one more thing left to do.”

“There's no more left to do. We're done.”

“Do you remember what I have?”

Flash's jaw and fists tighten, and Thorn grins kneels down, placing his palm on the ground, and Astro is once again shifting his eyes curiously between the two.

“Good. Follow me,” says Thorn.

He stands up and tosses Flash a jar, which he almost drops it, but after a couple of bounces Flash gets a good hold of it, and he glares at Thorn as he strolls through the forest.

“You're going to need to hold on to that! It's very important!” says Thorn.

Flash and Astro look at each other, and after a reluctant sigh Flash follows Thorn and Astro follows him seconds later with his eyes intently scanning his surroundings.

~~~~~~~~~~

After a few minutes of walking Thorn has successfully led Flash and Astro to a vantage point with tall grass and a few trees that overlooks a piece of the forest. This piece just happens to be where the rest of Team FORT is collecting samples. Twilight appears to have just finished her samples because she is proudly inspecting a full jar of the red sap. Near her, Rainbow Dash is scratching her head and Octavia is rubbing her chin, both curiously watching water thin red sap gush out of a tree from the spout like a broken pipe, covering the jar and creating a puddle of bubbling, sticky fluids in front of them.

“I think this tree is broken,” says Octavia.

“Ya think?” says Rainbow Dash.

Back on the vantage point, Flash and Astro look at Thorn worryingly.

“Thorn, what's going on?” asks Flash.

“We're going to teach your self righteous friend a lesson,” says Thorn, his eyes focusing on Twilight. “She thinks she is so high and mighty, coming from silver spoons and fancy books and academies, and then having the guts to accuse me of narrowmindedness when she has never taken her nose out of a damn book! She wouldn't know reality even if it stabbed her in the heart.”

“Are you seriously still mad about that? That was over a month ago!”

“Who cares? That little elitist snot needs to be put in her place, and you're going to help me do it.” Thorn goes by the nearest tree and pulls out a box with a lot of angry buzzes coming from it, and when he shakes the box the buzzing gets more severe and the box shakes with the hundreds of tiny bumps inside it. Thorn is able to keep a steady grip on the box and his teeth shine like poisoned blades when he grins at Flash. “That essay you wrote for me said that terrorjackers love sweet things, and I'm thinking that this particular hive hasn't had anything sweet in a long time.”

Flash pales and Astro carefully approaches Thorn with his hand out.

“Thorn, put the box down. I don't think Drake will approve of this behavior,” says Astro. “It really is unacceptable.”

Thorn sighs, puts the box by his feet and holds his hands up while lowering his head.

“All fine. I'll abide. All I really wanted was a little fun, but you had to go and ruin it,” says Thorn.

“Your 'fun' is dishonorable,” says Astro.

Thorn clicks his tongue. “Right.”

Then in one swift motion he grabs Astro by his throat, hoists him off of the ground until his feet are dangling, and as Astro gags, kicks and tries to pry his neck free, Thorn slams him on the ground. There is a thud and a grunt, and Astro lays on his back, wheezing and trembling. Then Thorn stomps on his head and Astro becomes still and silent, and Flash swears and jumps back, dropping the jars.

“Holy shit!” says Flash.

“What?” says Thorn.

“That was your teammate, man!”

“So? He sucks as a teammate. He wouldn't help me with my schoolwork.” Thorn steps over Astro, smiling. “But you did, which is why when you hit Twilight with the sap you won't hear from me ever again. Sort of as a big thank you for all of your help.”

Flash shakes his head and steps back, his hand reaching behind his back for his weapon. “I'm not doing that.”

Thorn steps closer. “You will or else you'll be on the first ship out of the Academy.”

Flash grabs his weapon and narrows his eyes on Thorn. “I am not hurting my team!”

“Oh, you think you're some tough guy, now, huh? Is that it? You think you're so pious, so righteous now that a chick is in the crosshairs?” Thorn chuckles and shakes his head, still stepping closer to Flash. “That's great. That's really, really great, but you are nowhere close to being like them. You are not as self-righteous or courageous as you think you are. At least I got in here honestly, but you? You had to lie to get this far. There ain't nothing honest, nothing good about you. You can't fight, you can't lead, and you certainly can't stand up for yourself like the worthless piece of shit you are!”

Flash screams and swiftly draws his weapon and fires a blast at Thorn. The shot explodes against Thorn's chest, forcing him to stumble back, and when Flash realizes what he did, his eyes widen and his pupils shrink to dots. Then Thorn looks at him with a tight jaw, heavy breaths and white tight knuckles with smoke rising from the sparking aura surrounding him. Seeing this, Flash's whole body becomes cold and stiff, minus the trembling in his hands and knees.

The air becomes suffocating as the stare down ensues. Nervous sweat falls from Flash and his throat goes dry when Thorn tuts and shakes his head. He calmly cracks his neck and knuckles, and then he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When his eyes fly open they are bright green, and green, translucent vines with thorns protruding from them circle his arms. The vines then solidify into pulsing green tendrils and a ghostly brown haze travels down his hands, tracing his bones and harden into claws as he pulls out his shotgun from his scabbard and holds it with one hand.

“Big mistake, friend,” snarls Thorn.

Attack of the Demon Tree People

Luna has yet to part from the comfort of her tree and from what she has observed from her sporadic checking the students have moved on from the initial area to find better sap. Much to Luna's surprise Trixie actually brought with her more than one jar. Not that the eight other jars are as big as the one Professor Soil gave them, but Luna will let Team PART(ie) figure that out how they are going to carry them, for as of now she is too preoccupied with her relaxation to care about idiocy.

Speaking of relaxation, Luna has been hearing the same pleasant humming for quite some time and it has certainly eased her mood. If anything, she feels like she can fall asleep right on the spot. Her muscles are certainly relaxed enough and her blinking is slow, like a heavy door sliding up and down. She has even found herself yawning. But she cannot fall asleep just yet. She still has to beat the one eyed, cyborg genius bomber that has been chasing her around the map with those stupid remote controlled bombs. There's also the students. They are kind of important, too.

As Luna runs in circles on the square map, planting bombs everywhere she can to stop the evil bombs chasing her, her screen suddenly shrinks down to display Astro and how low his levels have dropped. With that unpleasant sight, she scoffs and cranes her head up to the tree canopy.

“Oh, great,” mutters Luna.

She stands up, yawns and shakes her head, and then presses a circular device clipped to her ear. It unfolds to a thin eye-piece and one quick link up later and she has Astro's location being pinned. She proceeds to run towards the marker, but a minute later the ground shakes.

Luna skids to a stop and places her hand on her pistol as her tired eyes glide over the scenery. Her bones rattle as the ground rumbles and splits, and trees snap and groan as something rises out of the ground barely thirty yards from her. She turns to the beast and her eyes widen as she cranes her head up to look at the rising beast. When it is fully up, Luna is covered in its shadow, and it slams its massive stumps of hands into the ground, shaking the earth. Then it opens its mouth for a challenging roar, revealing a swirling orb of orange in the back of its throat, and Luna grins and draws her weapon.

“Do your worst, vermin!” says Luna.

The two charge and-

Flash's face is crushed against a tree, and while he struggles to regain his footing and focus Thorn slashes him across the chest, sending him twirling to the ground and face planting the dirt. Flash coughs and sputters out leafs while getting on his hands and knees, but Thorn kicks him in the ribs, dropping him.

“You really should not have done that,” says Thorn.

He kicks out another cry of pain from Flash.

“Now I'm going to kick your ass and the ass of your girls,” says Thorn.

“I don't care what you do to me but you are not hurting my team,” says Flash, glaring up at Thorn with reddened eyes.

Thorn goes for another kick, but Flash grabs his foot and twists it, flinging Thorn to the ground. Thorn grunts upon impact and Flash scrambles to his weapon and brings it to bear, but by the time this happens Thorn is already up and charging with his shotgun aimed at him. Flash rolls out of the way of the first blast, comes to a stop at a kneel and fires off a trio of shots that Thorn easily dodges.

Smoking dirt and pieces of trees scatter, and Flash charges Thorn while his gun switches back into an ax and when he is close enough he brings the weapon down. Thorn uses his shotgun to block the attack and he kicks Flash back. His feet clumsily try to find footing in the ground and right as he stops he transforms his ax back into the gun and swings to shoot.

Thorn dodges the first shot and whacks his aim off for the second, blowing off a chunk of a nearby tree. Thorn then tries to shoot Flash, but he is elbowed in the chest. Thorn stumbles and the blast narrowly misses Flash's foot, spraying dirt up all around him. With Thorn stumbling, Flash screams and swings his ax towards Thorn's head. A quick rise of the shotgun blocks it, and a hard twist yanks the ax from Flash's hands. The weapon clatters to the ground and when Thorn brings his shotgun to bear, Flash grabs the weapon and pushes it against Thorn's chest.

The two grunt and growl as they push back and forth. Flash's face is coated in sweat and his legs quiver as his heart pounds chaotically against his ribs. His snarl meets Thorn's, and every inch Flash pushes is lost when Thorn pushes two inches back, forcing him to slide his foot farther back for a brace and his back to bend backwards. Right after Flash blinks sweat out of his eyes his vision flares white and everything becomes a blur as he falls flat on his back, head throbbing and ears ringing. After his vision clears up, he sees Thorn stands above him, rubbing his forehead, and before he can react, his opponent's boot squishes his gut, explosively forcing all the air out of him.

Flash curls on the ground, coughing and wheezing while Thorn towers over him, shaking his head.

“Such a shame,” says Thorn. He grabs Flash by his throat and hoists him up so that his feet are dangling, and he talks over his gulps and gags and ignores the clawing against the wrists. “We had such a great friendship and you do this to me. Now your whole team is going to pay because of you.”

“You're not hurting my team,” says Flash, his words barely heard from his choking.

“Just you watch.”

Thorn coils his arm and aims his claws at Flash's stomach, and Flash closes his eyes. Once he closes his eyes a pulse of energy flows through him. It is warm, serene, and he feels a bump against him but no pain. He hears a crackle and a ripple as well as Thorn screaming in pain, and when he opens his eyes he finds himself on the ground with a thin golden shell cracked while Thorn is a good distance back, holding his hand, his claws smoking and broken down to size.

“Faust-damn it!” cries Thorn with tears in his eyes. “Fucking shit, man! Damn!”

Flash gets up, growling and vision red, and he grabs his ax and hobbles towards Thorn. When he is within swinging distance he roars and swings his ax against Thorn's side. Thorn's aura shield sparks and he gasps and barely catches himself when he falls to his knees. Thorn tries to push himself, but Flash strikes Thorn on the back with a vicious yell. His enemy's shield flickers and pieces fall off and fade into the grass, and Flash tries to go for another strike, but Thorn rolls out of the way, leaving the ground to take the beating.

Thorn swipes at Flash with his other claw, causing him to stumble and large gashes to damage his shell, but he quickly recovers and slashes Thorn across the chest. Thorn flies off of his feet and lands on his back, kicking up mulch upon impact, and when he tries to stand up Flash stomps on his chest and presses down on him while his ax morphs into his gun.

“Stay away from my team,” says Flash.

Thorn starts to raise his hands, but Flash cocks his weapon and aims the glowing spearheads from his barrel at Thorn's nose.

“Don't move your hands!” orders Flash. “You stay away from my team, got it!”

Thin lines of red trace Thorn's teeth when his lips gradually part for a smile, and he presses his palms on the ground, nodding and breathing heavily through his nose. “Sure thing, buddy. By the way, we got company.”

Thorn jerks his eyes not so subtly to the side, and after some hesitation Flash looks to where his nemesis motioned and sees his team standing there. All holding jars of sap and a variety of expressions. Rainbow Dash is sporting a wide grin and has stars sparkling in her cerise eyes. She seems to be vibrating, too. Octavia has a neutral expression, but after seeing the hidden blade she carries around Flash is not liking the way her finger is twitching. Lastly there is Twilight. She has her jar clamped to her side and her jaw is slack while the glasses she has on make her shocked eyes appear bigger than they really are.

“Oh. My. Gosh. That was awesome!” squeals Rainbow Dash.

“Wait, you guys watched?” says Flash.

“It was Twilight's idea.”

Flash looks at Twilight, and she smiles sheepishly and averts her eyes as her cheeks flare.

Flash frowns. “That's really messed up.”

Then Thorn looks at Octavia and winks, clicking his tongue. “Hey there, hot stuff. You single?”

Octavia looks at Flash. “Can I kill him?”

“No.” Flash steps off of Thorn and holds his hand out to him, staring down at him minatorily. “We're done fighting, right, Thorn?”

“Yeah, we're done.” Thorn grips Flash's wrist, and after being helped up he looks him in the eyes and smirks as he pats his shoulder. “For now.”

Thorn pulls away from Flash, meeting the glare with an easygoing smile as he walks backwards, hands out and carefully picking up his weapon, which is met with Octavia and Flash aiming their guns at him. Thorn slowly puts his shotgun on his scabbard, keeping one hand extended and darting his eyes to and from Flash and Astro.

“By the way, there's a couple of things I need to say before I go,” says Thorn. “First, you might want to wake up Astro yourself. Secondly, when I said company I was not talking about your line of models.”

“What are you talking about?” says Flash.

There is a distant roar and Team FORT spins towards the direction of the sound. Twilight is quick to whip out her spear and morph it into her rifle and Dash stuffs her jar in a sack tied to her waist and pulls out her two SMGs. When Flash looks over his shoulder he sees Thorn is nowhere in sight, but Astro is still laying on the ground next to the box of terrorjackers.

There is another roar, and this time it is closer with a few more war cries with it. The group steps back, eyes darting to every tree they can see, fingers tense and hearts beating like fast, deep drums. Flash's throat feels particularly dry at this point, and the ever approaching roaring and howling is not doing anything to help him.

“Spriggans! Eight o'clock!” shouts Octavia.

Flash turns to Octavia just in time to see her fire a burst at a leafy monster wrapped in vines and bark. The humanoid creature howls and flails on the ground as chunks of bark and squirts of red sap are ejected from it, splattering the tree next to it.

“No, what are you doing? Don't draw them to us!” says Flash.

Four more of the tree creatures appear. Their long, curved claws of sharp wood extend from their hands and horn like branches protrude from their shoulders and head. Their eyes and open mouths glow orange, and their root-like feet rip apart the ground as they run towards them. And behind them, half a dozen more are spotted running through the trees.

“Run!” orders Flash. He swiftly slides his ax-gun on his back, slings Astro over his shoulder, grabs the sniper rifle and waves towards his team, who has completely disobeyed him and are now firing sporadically into the forest. “Stop shooting and start running! Get to the extraction point! Go! Go! Go!”

His team stops shooting and they run with Flash. His spine quickly feels the crushing burden of his weapon, plus Astro and his armor and weapon, and despite his best efforts the fallen student flops against him like dead meat. His heart beats thrice for every step and his dry throat cracks and bleeds, staining his tongue with a copper taste. He looks to his side and sees a Spriggan running towards them, but it is cut down by a duel barrage of tiny energy bolts. It crumbles to the ground, howling and bleeding sap, and Rainbow Dash runs ahead towards two more Spriggans that try to intercept them, shooting down one and stabbing the other in the chest before shooting it under the chin. The back of its wooden skull explodes all over the mulch, and after she kicks it off the Spriggan falls stiffly and her bayonet drips with the red sap.

To make things more chaotic, Flash hears a buzzing swarm to go along with the war cries of the Spriggans. A quick glance over his shoulder reveals a pair of the tree monsters flailing next to a wrecked box surrounded by a swarm of terrorjackers.

He looks back ahead and is thankful that the path is clear.For now.

“Dash, you're point. Octavia, you're rear. Twilight, by me,” says Flash.

There is no debate. Octavia slows her pace while Rainbow Dash runs ahead, and Twilight switches her rifle into her spear and slings her shield in front of her, and the team keeps running.

Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity stand in front of Trixie, watching her lay curled on the ground, her mouth and chin smeared with the purple coloring of the red sap and her eyes zigzagging all around. In her iron grip is one of her many jars, now empty, and her stained teeth exposed from her wide smile.

“Trixie sees sound. Heheheheh. Sound sound sound, SAP!” Trixie shudders and looks at Applejack. “You will make a fine man, my delicious apple pie. Heheheheh.”

Pinkie Pie and Rarity look at Applejack, and she looks at Trixie, lips curled to a bemused frown, hands on her hips and head shaking.

“Way too much sugar, hun,” says Applejack.

“Do you think we should tell Faustsend?” asks Rarity, now looking back at Trixie with the other two.

“Nah, she's fine,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Fine? Look at her! She's in a sugar shock and called Applejack an apple pie!”

Pinkie Pie shrugs. “So? Do you know how many times I've had a sugar shock?”

Rarity frowns. “No, and I really don't want to.”

“Fifty eight. They're not that bad.”

Rarity's jaw drops. “How are you not diabetic?”

Pinkie Pie sniffs deeply and stares up dramatically. “One of life's great mysteries.”

The forest becomes still and quiet, save for Trixie's giggling and mumbling, as Rarity and Applejack stare at Pinkie Pie, who has yet to break her pose. That is, until the ground rumbles.

“Did you guys hear that?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Eeyup,” says Applejack as she activates her wrist guns.

There is a distant roar, followed by gunfire, both near and far.

“How about that?” says Pinkie Pie, now taking out her hammer.

Rarity's blades snap out and she curls her body into a defensive stance. “I heard that, too.”

There is a whistling sound, and the trio looks around, and then up, and they all scream and dive out of the way as a blur impacts the ground at an angle. Dirt and mulch flies up as the object skids into the dirt, leaving a trench that gets deeper the farther it goes. When it finally comes to a stop there is a cloud of dust and splinters, and the tree the object hits groans, snaps and falls on top of whatever the object was, kicking up more dirt with explosive force. The trio cringes and Trixie laughs.

“What was that?” says Applejack.

Before anyone can answer there is a bright blue beam accompanied by a high pitched whistle that breaks through the tree. The tree then explodes in a blinding flash of light that scatters smoldering chunks of wood in every direction and covers the surrounding area in a choking fog.

Team PART(ie) coughs and closes their eyes, and seconds later when Pinkie Pie opens her eyes she sees someone marching through the haze, eyes glowing blue like the gems in her pistol. Her bayonet is sparking as well and when the shroud ceases Pinkie Pie gasps joyously and waves.

“Hi, VP Luna!” says Pinkie Pie.

Luna keeps on walking, eyes narrowed and her bruised face scrunched from her snarl. Her ponytail has come loose, allowing her hair to flow freely, her cape and tunic are ripped, exposing her white undershirt.

“Get to the extraction point,” orders Luna.

“Do you need help?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“You'll only get in the way.”

The ground shakes and trees are knocked aside, spraying splinters and mulch all over the forest, and Pinkie Pie's eyes shrink to dots and her hands grip her hammer tight as her body shivers from a very cold, death promising feeling. She knows her team feels the same way, too, if their hair standing, shrieks of fright are proof enough. Besides, it is not every day one encounters a fifty foot tall monster with six glowing orange eyes made of thick wooden hide that is wrapped in gnarled roots, razor sharp thorns, leafs, bristling spines of sharp bark and stubby hands that have enormous claws.

“Its a thingy!” cries Pinkie Pie.

“Its a big monster!” yells Applejack.

“Its a Spriggan Lord!” screams Rarity.

“Heheheh. Monsters,” giggles Trixie.

“Get to the extraction point, now!” says Luna.

Luna charges the Spriggan Lord, yelling defiantly as the beast roars, blowing out Pinkie Pie's hearing and vibrating the earth and the leafs off of the trees. Her ears ring and vision becomes a mess of stretching and compressing and spinning. To Pinkie Pie's amazement Luna appears to have no ill effect from this and leaps on the creature's arm, clambers up to its shoulder and unleashes a barrage of blue energy bolts into its temple while gripping one of the many roots snaking around it. Bits and pieces of charred wood pop off of it, and the beast howls and slams its hand towards Luna, but she nimbly avoids it by using a root to slide down, and she she stops her descent by stabbing the monster in the ribs with her gun. She then fires point blank into it, spraying out more chunks of broken wood and covering her with smoke and sap that bleeds from its wound.

“Pinkie, let's go!” hollers Applejack.

Pinkie Pie breaks her eyes from the scene and sees Applejack waving at her with Trixie slung over her shoulder and Rarity next to her. Pinkie Pie takes another look back and sees Luna has somehow climbed on top of the Spriggan Lord's head and is now shooting directly into its skull.

Pinkie Pie swallows and after fighting against a heavy weight keeping her legs in place she runs towards her team. The other two run into the woods and Pinkie Pie swears under her breath when she sees a large swarm of Spriggans running towards them.

“Oh, dear, we got company,” says Rarity.

“Okay, keep it tight, girls,” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity then turns into her ball and streaks towards a Spriggan, knocking it off of its feet and using its body to bounce towards another Spriggan. That, too, is knocked off of its feet with a yelp and Rarity continues pinballing off of the many Spriggans in the area. Despite the impressive display, Pinkie Pie still points her hand at Rarity, scoffing.

“What did I just say!? Rarity, what did I just say?” says Pinkie Pie.

Trixie suddenly lands in front of her, still curled and giggling, and with her hand still up, she looks down at her for a moment before she looks at her cousin, who is pummeling a Spriggan to pieces.

“Seriously? Come on, Applejack!” says Pinkie Pie, slapping her hand down.

“Sorry, 'cuz, gotta clear the area first,” says Applejack. “Keep watch over Trixie, will ya?”

Pinkie Pie slams her palm against her face, growling and when she pulls her hand off she sees Applejack punching a Spriggan square in the face. Its head explodes in a ball of fire, and as it falls Applejack blocks another Spriggan's claws with her gauntlet and punches it in the gut. Its charred guts burst from the back and Applejack slams the corpse down on another Spriggan. It screeches and pieces of its body snap from the impact, but it falls silent after she stomps its head. There is another roar and Applejack turns toward three Spriggans that are running towards her, flailing their claws madly. She grins and runs towards them and when the first one swings she side steps it and punches it in the back of the head. It crashes into the ground with only a bottom jaw left of its head, and she slides underneath another swing and shoots the next Spriggan in the chest. After that she rolls to her feet and punches two more shots into the final Spriggan's back. It doesn't make a sound as it falls, and after Applejack stands up, she brushes herself off and smiles at Pinkie Pie.

“Coast is clear,” says Applejack, smiling. That smile fades though when she does a quick look around. “Eh, where's Trixie?”

Pinkie Pie looks to where Trixie is supposed to be, only to see a portal disappearing. She and Applejack look around and see Trixie off in the distance wildly slashing at a group of Spriggans using more portals and amateur attacks, and she is completely ignorant of the converging Spriggans that are surrounding her.

“Ha ha! Die, monsters, die!” says Trixie, her echoing voice faint.

Applejack shakes her head and she and Pinkie Pie run towards Trixie, passing Rarity along the way as she continues her pinball assault on the tree creatures.

“Dang nabbit! That girl ain't got any sense!” says Applejack.

“Something quipy,” grumbles Pinkie Pie.

“What?”

“Spriggan!”

Pinkie Pie's feet slide on the mulch from her attempts to stop herself from running into a swinging Spriggan. It works for the most part since the beast's swipe comes early and she runs right into it. The two roll over each other as a sprawled mess, and after a quick scramble Pinkie Pie gets back on her feet and uses her hammer's jet boost to swat the Spriggan in the butt. The monsters scream becomes distant as it rockets into the air and disappears from sight, but while Pinkie Pie is admiring her strike she does not notice another Spriggan until it slashes her across the back. The pain is dulled to a mere thump and her aura flashes and crackles as she falls flat on her face with her hammer out of her grip. She pushes herself up on her hands and knees, spitting out leafs and gagging, and she eeps and scrambles away when the same Spriggan takes a jab at her. With her lucky dodge the creature stabs the ground and Pinkie Pie grabs her hammer and yells out a war cry as she swings her weapon at the monster, spinning down to the kneeling position. When she stops her back is to the Spriggan, and the monster collapses in heap on the group with a chunk of its side blown out and sap gushing all over the ground.

Pinkie Pie stands up and rests her hammer against her shoulder and marveling at her kill.

“And that is why you don't mess with rock farmers,” says Pinkie Pie.

After her sentence, she barely sees another claw going towards her out of the corner of her eye, and she yelps and jumps backwards. The Spriggan staggers forward and Pinkie Pie swings her hammer against the Spriggan's back with a jet stream of energy ejecting from her hammer. Splinters fly and the beast disappears in a cloud of ejected debris when it hits the ground with a loud thud. Another Spriggan takes a swing at her, but she pivots out of the way and blasts it through the side with her cannon, leaving just the legs standing while the top half spins away as a smoking mess.

After that, Pinkie Pie looks around, jerking her head in every direction possible, and feels just a tad bit lighter when she sees Applejack dragging Trixie away from a circle of dead monsters, waving and hollering at her.

Nearby is Flash with his team in the clearing of the extraction point, and he is tossing an unconscious Astro in front of Drake, who immediately turns to Thorn with a death glare. Thorn, however, cannot see this since his back is facing Drake and his attention is putting as much energized buckshot as possible into the Spriggan swarm. Luckily, Fluttershy is there and presses her palm on his chest. Her palm glows green and Astro wakes up, coughing. As this happens, Team AVAS, her teammates and Flash's teammates unleash hell on the swarm of Spriggans with an apparently endless supply of energy projectiles.

As Applejack punches and kicks fiery, shotgun like projectiles, Trixie uses an insane amount of portals and speed zones to hop through, zip along and slice and dice the Spriggans without much chance of them striking back. That said, her kill streak of a dozen Spriggans comes to an unfortunate end when Aria Blaze shoots her with a fireball from a grenade launcher-flamethrower hybrid. The blasts knocks Trixie into a nearby tree, and when she gets up, her sugar rush smile is replaced with red faced, vein throbbing, teeth gritting rage. She shakes her fist at Aria Blaze, completely oblivious to Applejack punching away a Spriggan that was about to take full advantage of her distraction.

“Vos di baren!? Watch where you're shooting!” yells Trixie.

“Then stop jumping all over the place, you moron!” shouts Aria Blaze.

She then shoots just above Trixie's head to fire bomb a Spriggan that made its way up a tree. Trixie ducks from the shot and she looks at the corpse when its burning body lands next to her, and then back at Aria, growling and grinding her teeth. Aria merely shrugs and casually shoots another Spriggan.

Pinkie Pie looks past the group and blinks, then gets a bad case chills in her bones when she sees dozens of distant Spriggans running closer to the group. With half of her team already with the group she feels a very urgent tug directed towards that spot, so she runs faster and charges her hammer, passing Rarity along the way. Her teammate has exited her ball form and is now nimbly dodging and countering each Spriggan with graceful, fluid motions and clean cuts that leaves her targets lying dead at her feet.

“Rarity, get to the group, right now!” orders Pinkie Pie viciously.

Rarity pauses for a second and looks at Pinkie Pie with some shock, but eventually nods and runs after her, weaving through and slicing more Spriggans that try to intercept them, splattering her in sticky sap.

Pinkie Pie keeps her eyes on the group of fighting students, but out of her peripheral vision she sees the Spirggan Lord crashing into the ground from a blue beam striking it in the chest. The ground shakes and earth is kicked up in a choking cloud that rolls through the trees and covers Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Pinkie Pie keeps on running despite her lungs and eyes burning, and her hammer's ever increasing glow from its sparks serve as source of light.

Very quickly the cloud breaks down to a lingering haze and Pinkie can see Luna's gunfire streaking through the forest and beast, leaving a trail of destruction with everything it touches. The Vice Principle is also heard shouting archaic phrases at the screaming demon as it luges forward, decimating the ground and flinging more debris.

By this point Pinkie Pie is near the group of students and her heart beats like a trapped humming bird while her breathing has become heavy. Every part of her hurts from the charge she is putting into her hammer. She runs past Fluttershy, who is keeping her green aura covered hands extended and is protected by Drake and Astro, despite the latter looking dazed. All the students appear to be covered in green, as well, and when Pinkie Pie enters the circle she feels the pressure fading from her organs. The feeling gives her a boost in speed and when Applejack curves to slam a Spriggan down she uses her cousin's back as a vaulting board, unintentionally pushing her face first in the ground. With the leap, Pinkie Pie activates her hammer's booster and rockets herself past the tree line. She tilts her body and right as she is facing the group of demons below time slows for a crawl just for a second as her thumb brushes against her booster button.

“BANZAI!” screams Pinkie Pie.

The Spriggans look up and the last thing they see before they are engulfed in an explosion is a pink blur coming down on them with an electric hell-storm of blue trailing it. The blast creates a mushroom cloud and blows everybody off of their feet. Bark is stripped, weak branches and leafs fly away and the screams of dying Spriggans are drowned in the ear breaking boom. Heavy smoke lingers and students cough and call out to their teammates, but Pinkie Pie remains still in her crater, panting with sweat dripping off of her nose and soaking her hair down to her forehead and neck. Her hammer sparking weakly and she looks up at the burnt mulch while Spriggan body parts rain down around her.

Pinkie Pie swallows dryly and with a grunt and hard pull she gets her hammer out of the ground, leaving a cracking hole behind. She takes a long, deep breath and climbs out of the crater. Her legs feel loose, as does her arms and she has to use her hammer to help her walk. During her ascension her head and heart throb and once she is out of the crater she is met with fifteen pairs of eyes. She sees Luna approaching them from the distance, too. Their Vice Principle is reloading her pistol and is covered in sap, twigs, cuts bruises and mud. Her outfit is ripped and ruffled in just about every spot imaginable ad even from the distance Pinkie Pie can tell that Luna is royally pissed. But that does not stop her from flashing a cheeky smile. And as she smiles, she leans forward on her hammer, her head now feeling like it is about to float way and her vision fading to black.

“And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why you don't mess with rock farmers,” says Pinkie Pie.

Then she stiffly falls face first in the dirt and blacks out.

Message from the Shadows

Discord is slouching in his chair, eyes glazed and fangs exposed from a grin as his ill kept finger repeatedly presses the button on the remote control while lovely women sings their operas. All around him are speakers, television sets, and phonographs, all talking and singing over each other. Picture after picture, talking head after talking head, sound after sound, madness circling and swinging to and fro and all around with each sound fuzzing and snapping and trying to compete with the beauty of long dead voices.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap goes the finger on the button. The lights splatter his shadow and the shadows of many others against the wall and floor. Screaming, tugging at their hairs, curling, laughing, dancing, clawing. All jerking from every appearance of a laughing man, a crying woman, a crazy child running in circles, eyes, lips, shushes. A plane, spinning and breaking into a shards to be swallowed by more shadows. All there. All flicking on and off, away and back, darkness and chaos.

Tap. Tap. Tap. The never ending tapping. The never ending cycle. The never ending noise! The never ending faces. The forever dancing shadows. The chaos of it all, all caused from something as simple as pushing a button. The same button many many times. All from refusing to let voices speak coherently or faces to be seen. It is putting him in the clouds.

Clouds!

Fluffy goodness so high up they see problems but not feel them. Always working to block the heat, to give coolness, to give rain. Always helping while oblivious to the true troubles beneath them.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

If only he could be a cloud.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

If only he can see, but not feel.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

If only reality did not exist.

[[[[[O]]]]]

Discord eyes inexplicably open, and he finds himself where he was last. Sitting in his chair with his reflection staring back at him from the blackness of the monitor before him. A deep inhale and slow exhale later, and he runs his fingers through his messy hair. On his desk is his map, his paperwork, and his cookies and milk, and after a quick scan he sees nothing out of the ordinary, so he looks back at his map and stares at it with absolutely nothing on his mind. Complete and total silence in his thoughts.

Then his screen flashes on and a silhouette of a man stares at him, and Discord sighs and sluggishly puts on his headset.

“It's too late to talk, sweetie, go back to bed,” says Discord.

“Belial, we need to talk. Now,” says Abaddon.

“Can it wait?”

“Do you have something more important than your boss?”

“Well...”

“Your operations have provided very little fruit, therefore I am sending in my most trusted operatives to ensure that everything gets done.”

Discord tuts. “Oh, Abaddon, my dear friend in the shadows, where art thou's patience?”

“I have been more patient than you realize.”

Discord leans in his chair and teepees his hands, eyeing the screen with a wolfish smile. “Or maybe I do know and just have enough guts to tell you you still have no patience.”

There is a moment of pause, which Discord takes to check his milk. It is empty much to his dismay.

“The operatives will arrive shortly. You best be prepared,” says Abaddon. “And if you call me sweetie again I will rip out your tongue and shove it up your ass.”

“Relax,” says Discord with a flamboyant wave of his hand. “No more sweeties and I'll have things rolling by the time they get here... Which reminds me. When will they get here?”

Abaddon's screen flashes to black, leaving only Discord's smile to stare back at him. A moment later, he huffs and reaches into his desk to pull out a large phone. He plugs the phone into the wall, flips the body open to reveal a keypad and screen, and after typing in a command a shield appears on the said screen. Discord then dials his desired number and sits calmly in his chair with one leg draped over the other and his eyes investigating his fingernails.

“Thank you for calling the Happy Tree House of Fun. This is Sunset, how can I help you?” says a girl with a very disgruntled, hates life and everyone in it tone.

“Is Topsy Turvy there? Its her old man,” says Discord.

“One moment.” The phone hits the table on the other end and Sunset yells: “Hey, Screwball, you got a phone call! … You really got to tell your dad to stop calling this place.”

“I know, I'm sorry,” says another girl with a honeyed voice. “Hi, daddy!”

Discord grins. “Topsy, toss your hat. We're moving.”

Playing With Fire

Silicon Chip never imagined his day would end up like this. Well, a good sized portion of his conscious did. The vast majority of it told him this would happen. Sooner or later his choices would bite him in the butt. Sooner or later, he would be sitting in an interrogation room with a blinding, hot light aimed at him and Celestia Fuastsend staring directly into his eyes. Not the soft kind of eyes that she usually carries, either. No, these ones will be red hot steel-like organic devices that belong to someone who has seen some shit and does a great job of keeping it buried unless she wants to scare someone. And that eerie prediction has come true, and not even his deodorant can stop the sweat from darkening his blue dress shirt.

Then there is Celestia, herself. Her staring is unfazed, her hands are clamped tightly in front of her, and laid out for both to see is every bit of information about Silicon's work history, bank records, payments and emails. It is enough to fill up a coffin, and he is certain that she has a shanty one picked out for him.

“Do you have a defense?” says Celestia firmly.

Silicon swallows dryly. “I have explanations, ma'am.”

Celestia's eyes narrow. “Are they a defense?”

“I needed the money.”

“I see,” Celestia slides her finger down the list of bills. “All of these bills are easily manageable with your pay grade, including your movie sites and porn subscriptions.”

Silicon's muscles petrify to solid rock, and Celestia nods slowly.

“Yes, I know what they are. I checked,” says Celestia. “Your vehicle is paid off, your apartment rent, your utilities, your internet, your phone and cable, all of it is easily manageable. Yet here we find you not only failing to meet these dates, but are also getting more money in your account than what your paycheck is normally. A whole lot more. You withdrawal most, if not all, and make little payments here and there, but the rest of the money... Gone. What is your defense?”

Silicon's eyes flick from the damning files to Celestia's red eyes, and when the Principal starts taping her fingers very... very... very... slowly, up... down... up... down... up... down, he opens his mouth. Then he closes his mouth and wrings his cuffed hands together. After some very long seconds he looks at her again, shaking his chair and sweat dripping from face.

“I needed the money,” says Silicon meekly.

“I am well aware of your claim. Tell me why,” says Celestia, her finger now glowing like the tip of a blowtorch.

Silicon hesitates. “I gamble. I gamble a lot and I go to those underground casinos and I lose a lot. Eventually it got to where I couldn't pay, so the guy in charge hooked me up with some people that would help me pay him off. All I had to do was help them out with some stuff.”

“Such as blocking or falsifying satellite feed.”

Silicon nods. “Right. I don't know why they wanted me to do it, but they paid me to do it, but the guy I owe keeps upping the payments and I can't get out. For immunity I can testify against him and he can bring you the ones who want all this mess.”

Celestia's now smoking finger stops moving and her lips curl into a deep frown as her eyes glow brighter. Silicon shrinks in his seat and looks at the one way mirror for any signs of help, but all he sees is himself trapped in a room with the strongest Huntress in the Equestrian arsenal.

“Your actions have led to the deaths of many civilians, soldiers and hunters, plus almost cost me sixteen students and my sister,” says Celestia, her tone thirsting for blood. “You're going to have to do a lot better than giving me an illegal casino owner if you want any mercy from me.”

“I don't know their names or what they look like,” stammers Silicon. “They always wore masks when they talked to me, but one called herself Lamia, and there was always two disguised people with her. One male, one female. The male was called Mammon and the female was called Lilith.”

“Where did you meet them?”

“Under the Celestial Bridge at night. They came on a speedboat. It was black with a purple stripe and was driven by another person. They were short and also had a mask.”

Celestia stares at Silicon, and even when she blows out the flame on her finger her fiery eyes are staying on him. He looks down, swallowing and shivering, and when he looks up again, Celestia is putting away the files and stacking the folders. Once done, she slides them off to the side, folds her hands on the table and zeros in on Silicon.

“Silicon Chip, as of now you have two choices,” says Celestia. “The first is you face fifty years in prison without parole for everyone that has died because of your activities plus an additional fifty one years for almost killing my students and sister. Believe me when I say that I can make it happen.”

Silicon pales and squeaks. “But-”

Celestia's hand snaps up, silencing him, and she speaks a few seconds later.

“Or, we can go with option two,” she says. “You go undercover for us, work your way into whoever these people are, report back to me with everything you find, and what you give me will determine whether or not you get immunity. Are we clear?”

Silicon nods his head at neck breaking speeds. “Yes. I'll take choice two.”

“Excellent.” Celestia pushes a buzzer on the table and the metal door slides open, allowing a pair of the full armored, gold plated guards with single horns on their full faced helmets to take Silicon away in glowing cuffs, and as he passes her, she speaks. “We'll discuss more of the arrangements tomorrow. As for now, you get a night in the dungeons.”

“The dungeons!? But I'm cooperating with you!” cries Silicon while wrestling the guards with futility.

Celestia stands up, places her hands behind her back and follows the guards out.

“You should not have put my sister in danger in the first place,” says Celestia. “Captain, put him in isolation. Make sure no other prisoner sees him. We'll begin the process tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma'am,” says one of the guards.

“Wait, can't we talk about this?” says Silicon.

“We talked enough,” says Celestia coldly, now walking in the opposite direction of Silicon and the guards.

“But you can't do this to me! I'm an Equestrian citizen! I have-”

Silicon's voice is suddenly muffled, and when Celestia enters an elevator she turns and sees a black bag over the traitor's head and his body being jerked out of sight. When the door smoothly slides shut, she closes her eyes with a deep inhale, and when she opens them her pupils are back to being purple, and a flame in her clenched fists is extinguished.

A moment later, the elevator dings and slides open and Celestia smiles brightly at an old man with receding gray a thick mustache and tiny glasses perched on his nose. In his possession is a day planner and a pen, and as is the usual case with him, he is also wearing a red suit jacket with gray cuffs, gray pants and a white dress shirt.

“Hello, Kibitz. Its a nice day isn't it?” says Celestia.

“Good evening, Celestia. The day is nice but I need to inform you that your hearing on the White Tail Woods Incident is set to start in thirty minutes,” says the old man as he hands her a locked briefcase with a sun stamped on it. “With the time it takes to get to the vehicle, get through traffic, find a parking spot, get inside the building and get to the correct room that only leaves us with a two minute window.”

Celestia pats him on the shoulder as she walks past him. “Well, we best act quickly, then.”

Thank Faust It's Friday- The First Part

A good Friday evening is where all of the work is done for the day, leaving only relaxation. No homework, no essays, no lab reports, no field trips, no school. All of it done and under the rug for two days and one evening. In Team PART(ie)'s case, with all of their academics fulfilled they are taking the relaxation to heart.

Trixie is playing on her phone from the comfort of her bed, which is stacked on top of Rarity's bed using books and stabilized two-by-fours and rope. Rarity is sitting on the floor, painting her nails purple and using an old newspaper to keep the carpet safe. Lastly, Applejack sits at the team table, drinking coffee and reading. All that peace and quiet comes to an unfortunate end when Pinkie Pie kicks open the door, leaving a door knob indent in the wall.

“Mail time!” hollers Pinkie Pie, dragging a sack of mail and a pair of bundles.

Once in the room she slams the door shut, throws the sack in front of her and awkwardly clutches the remaining mail in between her fingers to keep track of who gets what. The first -and largest- of the stack has Rarity stamped all over it. It is a bundle of personal letters stores in fancy envelops and coupon packs. Pinkie Pie calls Rarity and she gladly takes the bundle, sets the coupons next to her and uses a letter opener to retrieve her letters. After that, Pinkie Pie gives Applejack a little stack of envelopes held together by rubber bands. With her hands free, save for one thin pink envelop, she calls to Trixie and tosses her the sack of mail. The load knocks Trixie back, but she thankfully does not fall off, and while their celebrity is recuperating Pinkie Pie looks at her mail.

“And one for me,” says Pinkie Pie.

No one seems to care, and while the others open their mail in a decent fashion she shreds the envelop and nearly rips the paper from how fast she unfolds it. With the glorious parchment and its delicate ink now being blessed with lamp light, Pinkie Pie's zip through it with the gayest of smiles.

Dear Pinkamena,

The family hopes that thou art doing well.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Pinkie Pie folds the paper down, still smiling. “Well, that's not disappointing at all. Maybe Chatbook has something.”

Pinkie Pie pulls out her phone and goes to her Chatbook app, which she would have had to retype her login information if she did not have her phone save all that information. As soon as she is logged in a 'Welcome Back!' banner pops up on the screen with confetti and text appearing.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie, you have been off of Chatbook for 85 days. Would you like to view your notifications?”

Pinkie Pie hits the 'Yes' option and sees six hundred and eighty seven game invites, three thousand likes, sixty lol's, forty lfmao's, ten birthday notifications, and one poke. Said poke is from Applejack and much to her disappointing Trixie has turned down her friend request.

“Hey, Trixie, why did you turn down my friend request?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“We live in the same room,” says Trixie. “Besides, you never answered Trixie about why you sent the invite in the first place.”

“Well, I was going to answer if you would have given a chance.”

Trixie rolls her eyes and lays on her side to sort her fan mail. During this, Applejack claims the team desk and immediately begins writing response letters while Rarity uses a file folder to organize her abundance of coupons. Next to her, the more personal mail is being stored in a shoe box.

Pinkie Pie smiles at her team, but that is only a coat of paint to hide the rot underneath. She is glad that her disobedient team is getting all the love, but having something more than a crumb of familial acknowledgment will be nice. Maybe a loaf of bread like what Applejack got.

Pinkie Pie's gloom and thoughts of bread mail is interrupted by a nagging curiosity when she hears Team FORT's door slam shut, and she peeks through the peephole to see their sister team dressed casual, with Dash wearing a snow hat for some reason. They are making their way down the hallway and talking about shopping, and where there is shopping there is money, where there is money there is debt, and where there is debt there is seventy five cents.

“Crap!” blurts Pinkie Pie. She slides next to Applejack and turns her by her shoulders so they are locking eyes. “Jack-Attack, can I borrow seventy five cents?”

Applejack pulls out a coin purse with an apple stitched on it and gives Pinkie Pie the three quarters she wants. “Sure, but what'cha need seventy five cents for?”

Pinkie Pie stuffs the change in her skirt pocket. “Oh, you know, just one of those things. Don't you worry, though, I'll pay you back.”

And then she runs out into the hallway before Applejack or anyone can say anything, and she sees Team FORT making their way to the elevator, but while Dash and Twilight talk casually, Octavia remains quiet as does Flash. Team FORT does stop when Pinkie Pie calls Flash, and when she calls him again all four turn and she skids to a stop in front of him. She finds herself barely an arms length away from him and he meets her massive grin with confusion.

“Hey, Pinkie,” says Flash, his hand barely up for a wave. “What's up?”

Pinkie Pie digs into her skirt pocket and produces the seventy five cents.

“I got you money!” she says proudly.

“Gee, thanks. That only took a few weeks,” says Flash.

Pinkie Pie puts the coins in his hands and curls his fingers over them, smiling and patting his hand.

“What can I say? I'm a girl of my word,” says Pinkie Pie.

Silence comes between the group, but a particularly hostile gaze from Twilight feels like a smoldering iron to Pinkie Pie's brain, so she backs up and clears her throat.

“So, what are you guys up to?” asks Pinkie Pie, placing her hands behind her back and rocking innocently back and forth on her heels.

“We're heading into town to do team bonding stuff. Lots. And lots. Of team bonding. Stuff,” says Flash, his shoulders sagging and his face falling into chalk colored dread with each passing word.

“We're going to go shopping for books,” says Twilight, sympathetically patting Flash on the shoulder with a thankfully softer expression. “Martini finally came out with another Game of Woes book after twenty years and I'm so excited! I can't wait to read it!”

“And I have to get more clothes,” says Octavia. “Flash has said that I was scary, so I am going to remedy that. With clothes.”

“Oh, I love clothes! Maybe I can give you some pointers,” says Pinkie Pie.

“No.”

Pinkie Pie stares at Octavia. Octavia stares back.

Pinkie Pie continues staring at Octavia. Octavia continues staring back.

Pinkie Pie clicks her tongue. “Okay.”

“Look, before we do all of the boring books and clothes shopping, I got to get me some more hair dye,” says Rainbow Dash. “I'm about dry and my hair is way more important than you guys' books and clothes.”

Pinkie Pie stares at Rainbow Dash with puckered lips and scrunched brows, and now that she is looking at her, she sees strands of her colorful hair poking out, but they are faded with a brunette under-layer.

“What? You didn't think my hair was a rainbow naturally, did you?” says Rainbow Dash wit a raised brow.

“I actually did,” says Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow Dash snorts a laugh and Pinkie Pie looks down, blushing shamefully.

“Wow. You're an idiot,” says Rainbow Dash.

“Be nice, Dash,” chides Flash.

Rainbow Dash holds up her hand. “Sure. My bad.”

Pinkie Pie scratches the back of her head and looks at Flash, smiling sheepishly as she flicks hair off of her fingers. “So, what about you? What are you going to be doing?”

“Me?” Flash straightens himself out and puts on a pair of sunglasses with a heavy sigh. “I'm going to ensure their safety and productivity at the expense of my fun.”

“Oh, can I come? I'll make sure that you'll get some fun.”

Flash seethes quietly. “Sorry, Pinkie, but this is a FORT exclusive. We got to do some bonding stuff so we can operate better as a team and all that jazz. You understand, right?”

Pinkie Pie nods. “Oh, yeah, I completely understand. I understand completely enough for completion.”

The elevator dings and slides open, and his teammates file inside with Twilight holding the door open and Dash calling him.

“Right,” says Flash. “Why don't you spend some time with your team?”

“My team doesn't listen to me,” says Pinkie Pie. “They tag along for classes and then do whatever the heck they want to do after.”

“Well...” Flash looks over his shoulder at his impatient girls, and then back at Pinkie Pie. “Why don't you try bonding with them? Put all those leader notes to use. I'm sure it will work out in the end.”

“I guess I can put my notes to use...”

Flash nods and backs up into the elevator, and he places his hand on the door when Twilight releases it.

“I'm pretty sure it'll work out,” says Flash. He releases the door and offers a two fingered wave and a small smile. “Enjoy your night.”

Pinkie Pie lifts her hand. “You-”

The elevator door slams shut and Pinkie Pie remains still with her hand up.

“Too...” She sighs, claps her hands together and rolls on her heels until her back is to the elevator, and then she starts walking slowly back to her dorm. “Okay, you can do this. You are Pinkamena Diane Pie. You are the master of making people happy. You bring sunshine and happiness wherever you go and everybody likes you. Everybody likes you a lot. And your team will like you more than anybody else because your the team morale leader and leader leader. Happiness is your turf and you love spreading your turf!”

Pinkie Pie walks into her dorm grinning and waving.

“Hello, Team PART(ie)!” says Pinkie Pie.

And absolutely no one greets her back.

Pinkie Pie's smile and posture deflates and she shuffles into her room, passing Rarity and Applejack. The former is leaning on the desk, next to the latter, who is trying to hide her letter using her arm and keeping her head close. As for Trixie? She is still reading her fan mail from the comfort of her bed.

“But I still owe you a dinner,” says Rarity.

“No you don't owe me a dinner. Besides, I honestly forgot about it and you should, too,” says Applejack. “Can you please give me some space?”

Rarity backs away and Pinkie Pie, flops on her bed, grabs her notebook and flips it open to an area marked as BONDING. The header is complete with hearts, stickers and glitter glue, and below is a list of effective team bonding activities with descriptions next to them. The list includes frequent meetings, frequent exercises, study sessions, game nights, movie nights, recreational activities, and eating together.

“But we have yet to celebrate our victory in the woods against that Spriggan swarm, too. A dinner would be perfect to celebrate and to thank you for your help,” says Rarity.

“That field trip sucked,” says Trixie without looking up from her mail. “Besides, Trixie doesn't feel like going out. Can't we order pizza and watch a movie instead?”

“You know, that trip probably would have gone better for you if you didn't drink two quarts of tree sap,” says Applejack, flashing a wolfish grin in Trixie's direction.

Trixie jerks up right, guffawing and slapping her knee as she shakes her head, and then she takes a deep breath and glares at Applejack. “You're not funny.”

Applejack and Rarity grimace, and Pinkie Pie strokes her chin, humming and looking out the window at the beautiful campus lawn below. She sees Sonata trying to play patty-cake with Aria while Vinyl Scratch listens to music and Adagio sits on the concrete table, scribbling in a notebook. At another part she sees Lucky poking Noteworthy repeatedly on the head while Burnt Oak and Octavius play cards. Then there is Thorn sitting by a tree making bracelets out of grass and flowers, Drake doing one armed push ups in front of Fluttershy, and Astro tweaking his gear. Lastly she sees Flash and his team boarding a bus with a flashy advertisement for a Klumsy K's on the side, and that sight finally flicks on the light in her brain, and with a happy gasp she snaps her fingers.

“Girls, I got it!” says Pinkie Pie. She leaps up and hugs Applejack and Rarity around their shoulders, bringing them in for an uncomfortable hug. “Dress nice, 'cause we're going to dinner. Operation: Team Bonding is in effect!”

Thank Faust It's Friday- The Other Part

The public bus system of Canterlot is something Pinkie Pie is not used to. A bus in general is something she is not used to because Ponyville and Rock Town do not have buses. Heck, Rock Town barely has paved roads, much less sidewalks, and while Ponyville does have roads and sidewalks, they are all confined to the historical town center. Plus, the last time she saw a bus in Ponyville it was old and inhabited by a bunch of lost stoners with a dog, and they had a craving to solve mysteries.

This bus, however, is unique. This Canterlot bus that she and her team is riding in is big! Its well lit, sparkling clean, is plastered with overly cheerful advertisements and has a crisp holographic projections of a news program. Said program is broadcasting a footage of Celestia sitting calmly at a polished wood table in front of a committee of old men and women in suits, saying something that Pinkie Pie is too distracted to care about.

Pinkie Pie's hands and face are pressed against the clear window, and her smile is wide and her glittering eyes snap to every illuminated building and sign she can see. From video shops to restaurants and theaters to department stores, and everything in between, she is taking it all in like a glutton. However, if anyone on the other side of the window were to look at the bus, they would see an overly excited girl who is blinking as fast as a little bird flaps its wings. And in Canterlot they call those folks loony. Not that she cares what other people think about her. Mostly. Or maybe a little bit mostly. Or possibly way below the don't care area. She might possibly care a lot about what others think, but as of now she only cares about the scenery.

“This city is beautiful,” says Pinkie Pie. She is wearing a knee length, pink skirt, a pair of knee high boots, and a thin, blue jacket over a white shirt that has a pink heart on it.

“The center is beautiful, but the rest of it is not,” says Trixie without looking up from her phone. She is wearing tight black pants, a pale blue dress shirt and a purple vest with her cape and hat.

“The whole place is rotten,” grumbles Applejack. She is sitting across the team with her legs stretched out, arms across her chest and her stetson covering her eye. Her idea of dressing nice is wearing a plaid shirt of various brown shades, faded blue jeans and a pair of boots in need of cleaning.

Rarity quickly found out that arguing with Applejack about her taste in fashion is about as successful as carving stone with one's voice. Speaking of Rarity, she has found a spot next to Trixie and is going through her snow white, purple laced purse, plucking out coupons to various eateries. She is also wearing a purple skirt with a thick belt, an airy white blouse and a purple tie, as well as polished dress shoes.

“I wonder how FORT's shopping is coming along,” says Rarity. “I know from experience that shopping can be quite hectic without a plan.”

Pinkie Pie hums thoughtfully and stares up at the dimming heavens.

In a bustling department store, Twilight lays on the ground at the base of a decapitated mannequin in a Hawaiian shirt, shivering and knees to her chin, eyes blood shot and cheeks soaked with tears with a thick book laying open in front of her.

“That didn't happen. He didn't kill him. Martini would never kill him.” Twilight sniffles and hiccups, getting disgusted sneers from passerbys. “No, no, he's too good of a character to kill off. He's not dead. He's not dead. He's not dead.”

Nearby, Octavia walks out of a dressing room wearing polka dot shorts, a neon green tuxedo shirt and sandles with her regular black socks pulled all the way up to her knees. She has yet to remove her blade contraption and halfheartedly lifts her arms and stares straight ahead, her mild annoyance visibly heating up to the next level.

“Is this better?” asks Octavia.

A passing mother gasps in horror and covers her daughter's eyes and hurries off in the opposite direction, all while Rainbow Dash stares at Octavia, eye twitching with her jaw to the floor and a bag full of hair dye in her hand.

“Ahck,” chokes Rainbow Dash. “Ah... I... What!? No!”

Rainbow Dash pushes Octavia back into the dressing room and slams the door shut.

“Girl, get out of those ASAP!” orders Rainbow Dash.

“No no, he'll bring him back. He can't stay dead forever,” says Twilight, now rocking herself back and forth. “He can't, he can't, he can't.”

And sitting on a display chair, resting his cheek on his fist, watching all of this with a smile and a desire for somebody to shoot him in the face, is Flash Sentry.

Flash takes a deep breath through his nose and exhales slowly,and his eyes casually glance to the side where a copper skinned man sits next to him. He appears a couple of years older than Flash and has really beautiful, silky smooth, free flowing black hair that hangs past his shoulders, and he has on a pair of polished dress shoes, ironed black pants and a black shirt with red cuff links as well as really dark sunglasses.

“Women, huh?” says Flash.

The man silently pulls out a flip phone with a glittering green gem sticker, presses it against his ear, and looks away from Flash, and Flash slowly turns his head to the opposite direction.

“Whatever,” mutters Flash.

Back in the bus, Pinkie Pie shrugs and turns herself around to face her team, still smiling and now tapping her foot rapidly on the floor.

“I'm sure Flash is fine,” says Pinkie Pie.

The bus glides gracefully to a stop and a pleasant ding echoes in the passenger area.

“Sunset-Shimmer Stop,” says the driver.

Team PART(ie) makes their way to the front, but before they can leave a petite girl with curl purple and white hair hops on board, flashes a card and briskly walks towards the back.

“Excuse me, fair maidens,” says the oncoming girl with a voice sweet like honey.

Pinkie's muscles lock in place like a flash frozen fish, and while her teammates gladly let her through, she remains in place and is bumped aside by a large bag in the girl's possession. The new passenger quickly apologizes, and Pinkie Pie's finger twitches as she turns slightly to watch her.

The petite girl is wearing a knee length, purple frock with a large yellow bow that has purple polka dots skips her way on the bus. As she passes, Pinkie Pie notices that she is not only wearing a shoe and a knee length boot, but she is also wearing mismatched stockings, with one being red and blue and the other green and yellow. The girl also has a copter beanie and is carrying a baseball bat and a sports dufflebag that appears to be stuffed to the limit.

The girl take a seat next to the rear exit, and places the bag next to her and the bat in between her legs. She starts humming an unfamiliar to tune, and Pinkie Pie takes a step forward, but her wrist is grabbed, making her squeak and miss a beat.

“Jeez, 'cuz, relax,” says Applejack. She pulls Pinkie Pie off the bus and leads her to the other two, which she is shaken off by then. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

Pinkie Pie zeros in on the distancing bus, frowning and stroking her chin. “I don't know. That girl on the bus weirded me out, I guess.”

The other three exchange looks before casting quizzical looks at Pinkie Pie, save for Rarity, who is holding a neutral expression.

“I have to agree with Pinkie Pie,” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity hopefully. “Really?”

“Of course. Her fashion sense was terrible. No discipline, whatsoever.”

Pinkie Pie's shoulders sag. “Not what I had expected.”

Rarity shrugs. “I see no other reason to be unnerved.”

“So the random person we saw on a bus and will never see again has poor fashion sense. Who cares?” says Trixie. “There is a Hearty's Junior and a MovieBox just around the corner. We can get a fifty piece tender box, big drinks, lots of fries and sauce and rent a movie.”

Applejack raises an eyebrow. “You do realize that if we go into Hearty's Junior and order a fifty piece they will hate our guts for life, right?”

Trixie waves her hand dismissively. “They won't remember us. Besides, it's good business to order big.”

“Trixie, trust me, fast food workers remember everyone they hate.” Applejack leans forward and pokes Trixie ominously. “And I mean everyone.”

Silence seeps in like a vicious fog, and Pinkie Pie and Rarity glance at each other for a moment before looking back at Applejack and Trixie, who have yet to break eye contact from each other. Seconds later, Pinkie Pie sighs and pushes the two apart.

“Okay, let's forget this bumpy start,” says Pinkie Pie. “We're going to have fun, so let's forget about the weird girl on the bus and let's not get blacklisted from fast food joints.”

Pinkie Pie then snaps her pointer finger at Rarity's nose.

“Rarity, bring forth thy coupons!” orders Pinkie Pie.

“Why did you say it weird?” says Rarity, pushing Pinkie Pie's finger away.

“Because I felt like it. Plus its a sign of sophistication. Now, what do you got for us?”

Rarity rolls her eyes and produces some coupons. “I got coupons for Kulmsy K's, Shimmering Seafood and Steak, House of Waffles, Down Under, and-”

Trixie slides next to Rarity with her hands balled up to her chin hopefully. “Hearty's Junior?”

Rarity recoils slightly and brings her coupons closer to her chest while Pinkie Pie shakes her head and pulls Trixie back.

“No Hearty's,” says Pinkie Pie.

“But Trixie wants tenders,” whines Trixie.

“Down Under's got tenders and steak,” says Applejack. “And beer and those deep fried onion blossom thingies. We should go there.”

Rarity pulls out a stack of Down Under coupons, and while she organizes them, Pinkie Pie moves next to Applejack and slyly wraps her arm around her shoulder and speaks low, like a paranoid drug dealer.

“Two questions. Do they have an arcade? And what do they got for dessert?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Not Hearty's tenders,” grumbles Trixie moodily.

“O-M-F.” Pinkie Pie points at Trixie with both of her hands. “We're not having Hearty's!”

Trixie turns slightly to Pinkie Pie with her arms folded across her chest and her eyes condemning.

“You got something against Hearty's?” accuses Trixie.

Pinkie Pie throws her hands up. “Where did this even come from?”

“Trixie wanted pizza and a movie, not this lame attempt at team building. But no, we're out and about, not relaxing and Hearty's is the best course for relaxation. Its quick, easy and a dollar movie rental is right next to it. Chicken tenders and movies! You can't beat that!”

Pinkie Pie's eye twitches. “That's heresy. Everybody knows nothing is above popcorn and movies!”

“But-”

“No buts! We're bonding as a team over a fun dinner that Rarity's paying for-”

“What?” says Rarity, wide eyed.

“So you're going to Down Under with us, you're going to have their tenders, and you're going to love it!”

“Um, excuse me.” Rarity raises her hand. “But why am I paying?”

Pinkie Pie looks at Rarity impatiently. “Because you got all the money.”

“I'm not a bank.”

“You still got the money.”

“We should have talked about this first. Besides, Trixie's got money. She can help hoof the bill.”

“Trixie doesn't have any money,” says Pinkie Pie, jabbing a thumb at the subject. “Why else do you think she never buys anything or goes for the cheapest stuff?”

The trio looks at Trixie, and she stares back at them, face getting an ever prominent red tint and eyes getting just a bit bigger with each second.

“Trixie's got money. She just doesn't like spending any,” says Trixie.

She smiles and squees with an unconvincing flare right after, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack frown skeptically while Rarity smiles smugly and looks at Pinkie Pie.

“There you go. Mystery solved. I got the coupons and Trixie's got the money,” says Rarity. “What do you and Applejack have to offer?”

Applejack digs in her pockets and pulls out her wallet. She sifts through the contents and pulls out a few wads of bills, receipts, a coupon and gift card, and finally a business card.

“I got three bucks, a ten percent off coupon for Battle House Arcade, an old gift card for Wally World and a business card for an injury lawyer,” says Applejack. “What about you, Pinks?”

“I, uh...” Pinkie Pie shifts uneasily in her spot and wrings her hands, then offers an anxious smile. “Good looks and charm?”

Rarity and Trixie stare at Pinkie Pie, bemused, and Applejack coughs awkwardly into her fist, and Pinkie Pie's smile fades and she steps back, flicking her eyes between her teammates.

“What? I do,” says Pinkie Pie.

“And how will that help us buy dinner?” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie grins. “Watch and learn.”

1800 Seconds Later...

“And that is why you are single,” says Rarity matter-of-factly as Team PART(ie) leaves the parking lot of a well lit steakhouse with Down Under being illuminated by gem lights.

The team's hands are as empty as their stomachs, and frankly Pinkie Pie really wants to scream, and not even Applejack's comforting pat on the back can relieve it.

“Trixie believes we should help our fearless learn how to talk to boys,” says Trixie. “But only after we grab tenders and a movie.”

Pinkie Pie groans and dips her head down to hide the shameful blush staining her hot face.

“I keep telling you to be yourself, but you don't listen to me,” says Applejack.

“Well, you guys don't listen to me, anyway, so consider us even,” says Pinkie Pie sourly.

The group stops and gathers around her, sporting various levels of confused expressions, and she lifts her eyes slightly glare at them, shrugging.

“What? Its true,” says Pinkie Pie.

“When was the last time we didn't listen to you?” says Applejack with a brow raised critically.

“The forest! Remember I told you to stick together and to run to the safe space, but all of you scattered and acted like you were in a video game trying to get some killer XP?”

“Are you seriously still mad about that?” asks Applejack. “That was weeks ago.”

“Yes, I'm still mad about that!” snaps Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, I'm sorry, I thought trying to eliminate our enemies would be better than having them stab us in the back. Besides, it was just like when we killed those beasts in the Hollow Shades Forest, so I really do not see what the big deal is,” says Rarity snobbishly.

“Alrighty, smarty pants, there's two things wrong with that,” says Pinkie Pie harshly, flashing up two fingers for emphasis. “Firstly, we had Flash and his team helping us. Secondly, it was one boss beast at a time, not a swarm of three to one or four to one or however many Spriggins there were going after us! All of you ran off even though I said stick together and you were alone without any cover and you could have gotten hurt or worse and who would have gotten in trouble? Me!”

The team silently stares at Pinkie Pie with wide eyes as she glares back at them, shaking and seething. Some cars pass by, blowing garbage past them, and Pinkie Pie scratches her scalp again, grimacing when she flicks hair off of her fingers. The seconds tick by, and Applejack looks down, shamefully rubbing her arm and shuffling her feet, Rarity looks off in a random direction, and Trixie keeps her eyes on Pinkie Pie.

A few more seconds later, Applejack speaks. “Sorry, Pinks, I had no idea that my actions hurt you. I was only trying to clear a path for us to get out.”

“As was I,” says Rarity.

Pinkie Pie grunts, and Tixie hesitantly lifts up her finger.

“Trixie would like to point out the immense influx of sugar intake corrupted her judgment for that day,” she says.

“Oh, how nice. You drinking two quarts of sugar by your own free will made you make stupid choices.” Pinkie Pie claps hard. “Nice save, Trixie. Bravo. Brah! Vo!”

Applejack gently places her hand on Pinkie Pie's shoulder.

“Pinkie, I know you're upset, but please be honest... Is it that time of the month for you?” asks Applejack.

Pinkie Pie gasps sharply and jerks away from her cousin. “What? No!... That was last week.”

A random stranger with a large backpack suddenly brushes past Rarity, quietly excusing himself, which no one seems to mind for the most part, but Pinkie Pie notices his hand jerking deep into his pocket. She squints at the stranger, then glances at Rarity's waist and sees the pouch on her belt is open and empty.

“Hey!” barks Pinkie Pie, pushing her way past Rarity and Applejack and marching towards the stranger.

The stranger keeps on walking, and Pinkie Pie marches faster while her team stares on, frozen in place.

“Did you just steal her phone?” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity gasps and her hand snaps to her pouch, squeaking gibberish, and the stranger -the no good dirty rotten Thief- bolts. Pinkie Pie gives chase, ordering him to stop and come back, and Rarity's teeth grinds with the fires of Hell burning in her eyes.

“That.... That... Hoodlum!” screams Rarity. She runs after Pinkie Pie, snarling like a vicious wolf chasing its prey. “That hoodlum stole my phone!”

Applejack and Trixie give chase, as well, but Pinkie Pie is already a good distance ahead of them.

Pinkie's feet are barely touching the ground and she is surprised that the Thief is able to keep ahead of her with such a large backpack. But her determination is fuel and her lust for justice is the boost she needs to catch up with the Thief when they curve into an alley.

Her hand is barely able to grab his backpack, but with her success she jerks him to the ground. He lands on his back hard with a grunt, but when Pinkie Pie tries to grab him again, he whips a small stick with a dial and a button from a holster on his leg. He then pushes the button and the stick extends into a rod that hits her right in the gut.

The air is expelled quickly and painfully from Pinkie Pie, and she staggers back, coughing and clutching her gut while the Thief rolls to his feet. Once up he holds out his rod and slides one foot back to keep a steady stance. Seconds later, the rest of Team PART(ie) shows up, and his golden eyes flick between each of them and his stance becomes tense.

Pinkie Pie glances for just a moment at her team, and then looks at the Thief. His face is beautiful, his stature is tall and a medium weight, his skin is like delicious dark chocolate and his thick silver hair that is patterned like a centurion helmet looks soft and compels her to feel it. His clothing does not look too bad, either. It is casual mostly, consisting of tan cargo pants, boots, and a thick, light gray hoodie with an insignia of a speeding dark cloud that has a bolt of lightning coming from it. But he is the enemy, so Pinkie Pie swallows the drool pooling in her mouth and tries to compare him to something evil to push the lust back. Like chocolate bars with nuts in them and chocolate skim milk. It doesn't work very well.

“Stay back. I really don't want to hurt you,” says the Thief.

“I'm really not in the mood for this. Give us back her phone!” says Pinkie Pie.

“I can't do that.”

“You do realize who we are, right?” says Trixie.

The Thief studies them. “No.”

“We are Huntresses.”

“Yeah, we're Huntresses!” says Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie snaps to a pose of her body slightly turned with her arms across her chest and it takes Trixie a moment to mimic Pinkie's pose so their backs are together. As this happens, Applejack cracks her knuckles and rolls her neck and Rarity... looks at her teammates.

“What are you doing?” asks Rarity.

Pinkie Pie sighs and shakes her head in disappointment. “It was supposed to be intimidation, but you ruined it.”

“Sorry, but getting my phone back from that Tsuinite is more important than your games.”

Trixie leans back slightly to glare at Rarity, and the Thief rubs the back of his neck, now more confused than worried.

“Yeah, you are not Huntresses,” says the Thief.

Pinkie Pie breaks from Trixie walks up to the Thief, cracking her knuckles, and to her relief she sees fear returning in his gorgeous golden eyes and feels pride inflating inside her when he steps back.

“But we are Huntresses in training,” says Pinkie Pie. “So, give me my girl's phone and that bag of definitely stolen stuff before we use your ridiculously good looking hair as a mop!”

The Thief looks at Pinkie Pie's hand, then at her eyes, and then steps back. “I can't do that.”

“Fine, then. Have it your way,” says Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie lunges at the Thief and in a blur of movement he spins the dial towards a lightning bolt and slams his rod into the ground. The air explodes into a fierce display of pale blue electric currents that engulf him in a protective bubble. The currents zigzag across the ground and burn through the Team's shoes and surges through their bodies and pops out of their pores.

The girls scream in agony and contort sharply as their aura shields explode and disintegrate from view. Their shadows flash erratically on the old brick walls and Pinkie Pie feels her skin and muscles burning, same with her hair and clothes. Tears dry with her eyes and just when she thinks her heart is about to explode, the currents stop and she collapses on the ground, wheezing and twitching.

Pinkie Pie's heart thumps like a jackhammer, her muscles are too sore to move, and her vision blurs and pulses as she glares at the Thief past her smoking locks while he clambers over a chain link fence. When he drops on the other side, he looks at the team, but seeing as how Pinkie's vision is a haze, she cannot tell what kind of look he is giving them. She decides to settle on smug, and she extends her hand out to him, growling with thin lines of tears moving down her red face.

“I'm sorry!” shouts the Thief, and then he runs out of sight.

“Jerk,” says Pinkie Pie weakly.

And then her hand drops and her tongue rolls out with a sick wheeze and she stares at her team helplessly.

They shift on the ground, smoking and twitching with sparks coiling in and out of them like glowing eels. There is a silence among them with the only noise of their survival being pained groans and aching coughs. It is only after a long thirty seconds of silence does one speak.

“What. Just. Happened?” says Trixie.

Lust at First Sight

In the dark of the night, a poor, defenseless styrofoam cup is ruthlessly crushed underneath Pinkie Pie's burnt boot as she stomps down a grungy alley with her team in tow. All of them are covered in blotches of black, smoke lingers from their spiked up hair and flash ironed clothes. All of their skins are also red and each one winces from every step they take.

“This night has gone well, so far,” says Rarity sourly.

Trixie's stomach growls, and she clutches her gut as she looks at the team like a sick puppy. “Can't we just break into a vending machine and grab some candy? Rarity can buy a new phone.”

Rarity glares at Trixie and Applejack rolls her eyes.

“Trixie, we're all hungry, but we ain't robbing anybody,” says Applejack.

“We're getting Rarity's phone back before we eat anything,” says Pinkie Pie. She then clenches her fists and her eyes narrow ahead at the brightly lit street at the end of the alley. “And I swear, when we eat, I will eat a whole pony.”

“With barbecue sauce?” asks Trixie with watery eyes and mouth.

Pinkie Pie looks over her shoulder and smiles at Trixie. “Definitely with barbecue sauce.”

And then she comes to an abrupt stop when she runs into a metal pole. The impact knocks her vision and footing out of balance and leaves a red line on her face that feels like a hot iron being smacked against her burnt skin.

“Crap!” Pinkie Pie staggers back with her eyes squeezed shut and her hands pressed against her face, which only makes the pain worse, and she turns around and stomps her foot, screaming through her hands. “Ow! What the heck!?”

She throws her hands down and spins on her heel to stare death at the menace.

“Seriously, what-” Pinkie Pie stops and her eyes grow like a blooming flower at who she sees being blessed by the illumination of the lamp post.

Who she ran into is not a pole, but rather a tall man who is not as muscular as the one who stole Rarity's phone and electrocuted them, but they do share the same golden eyes and silver hair. Though, his hair is more wavy and his bangs curl down his smooth, perfectly sculpted face that is colored like refined bronze. Then there is his style. A red tail coat with black cuffs and gold buttons over his blue vest and pants. He is a beautiful man. An absolutely beautiful man who just went shopping if his bags of linen and sewing needles are any indication.

“Oh... Hi,” squeaks Pinkie Pie, her face now red like a healthy apple.

The rest of her team flanks her and Applejack shakes her head while Rarity stares blankly at the man and Trixie tilts her head to the side. The strange man stares at Pinkie Pie for a moment with absolutely no discernible expressions, but that all changes seconds later when he looks her over and smiles with his hand out.

“Greetings, attractive female. My name is Pinprick Pierce,” says the man.

Pinkie Pie squees and shudders with hearts pumping in her glittering eyes while shaking his hand and looking at her team. “Did you hear that? He called me attractive!”

“And what may I call you, beautiful angel?”

Trixie turns away, gagging, while Applejack's face finds comfort in her hand.

“Oh, you can call me Pinkie Pie.” She leans up next to him and waggles her brow with a lewd smile. “Or future wife, if you know what I mean?”

Pinprick grins. “I believe I do.”

Rarity cringes and extends her hand out slightly. “Pinkie, I think you should slow down. It is not lady like to throw yourself out like that.”

“Or intelligent,” adds Trixie.

Pinkie Pie sticks her nose up snobbishly and caresses Pinprick's smooth jacket. “You're all just jealous that this hunk chose me over you. Deal with it. He likes me.”

“There is no way you can be this desperate!” says Rarity.

“Actually, you'd be surprised,” says Applejack. “Pinkie has a special talent of being single.”

“Says the asexual!” snaps Pinkie Pie.

Applejack points at Pinkie Pie harshly. “Hey, I choose not to be romantically involved with anybody! Big difference from what happens to you!”

Pinkie Pie sticks her tongue out at Applejack, earning her a growl, and she snickers and places her palm on Pinprick's chest when he wraps his arm lovingly around her waist.

“Indeed, your body structure and first impression behavior indicate a suitable companion for those who enjoy exuberant personalities,” says Pinprick. “I would like to continue this relationship in hopes of advancing our friendship.”

Pinkie Pie turns slightly and fist pumps. “All right.”

And off to the side, Team PART(ie)'s jaws are to the ground, and Pinkie Pie whips her hair around and blinks with lidded eyes at her team.

“Checkmate, teammates,” says Pinkie Pie.

Trixie's mouth closes and her steps are robotic as she walks towards the road. But rather than trying to stop her, her teammates just stare at her.

“Where are you going?” asks Applejack.

“Trixie has to be dreaming, so Trixie will walk in front of a bus to wake up,” says Trixie.

Applejack sighs, and one quick stride later she has Trixie by the collar and is dragging her back to Rarity's spot.

“Don't be stupid,” says Applejack. “Pinkie's just lost her marbles and we need to snap her out of this stupid trance she is in.”

“My trance is powered by love. You wouldn't understand,” says Pinkie Pie.

Applejack's eyes narrow to slits and her knuckles turn white from how hard she is clenching her fists, and as this happens, Rarity steps forward and takes a deep breath.

“Pinkie, does it not concern you how strange this man is?” asks Rarity. “Or the fact that my phone is still missing?”

Pinkie Pie looks at Pinprick's perfect smile, and she looks back at Rarity, blinking blankly.

“Have you met me?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“We're just saying that he seems a bit off, Pinks,” says Applejack. “Like, unhealthy kind of off.”

“Pinprick can hear you, you know?”

“Indeed I can hear all of you,” says Pinprick. “My hearing is actually above average by an estimated seventy five percent.”

“Okay, this guy is definitely on some kind of drug,” says Trixie. “Actually, he's probably on a lot of drugs. He might actually be a drug dealer for all we know!” Her hand snaps to her wand and she snarls at Pinprick with her stance ready to charge him. “What kind of smack are you dealing, fiend!”

Pinkie Pie points at Trixie. “Calm down, Trixie!”

“Calm down? I'm hungry, we got mugged and electrocuted, we've been walking aimlessly for hours looking for a stupid phone, and now we run into this drugged up crime lord? No calm for me, thank you!”

“He's not on drugs! I would know if he was.”

“Oh, yeah? How?”

“Maud.”

“Who?”

“Maud.”

“Mud?”

“Maud!”

“Who the heck is Mon?”

Pinkie Pie waves her hand dismissively at Trixie. “Forget it. He's not on drugs. I love him. End of story.”

Pinprick looks at Trixie, his ever growing smile exposing more of his perfect teeth. “I can assure you my circulatory and nervous systems, internal organs and thought processes are not compromised by any foreign substances.”

Three sets of eyes dim as all sense of thought evaporates from them, but Pinkie's only glows brighter, and she hugs him once again.

“See, you guys? He's smart and good looking.” Pinkie Pie hugs his arm and giggles as she stares lovingly into his magnificent golden orbs of sunshine eyes. “And strong, too. You should feel his muscles, AJ. He pumps some iron. He's like the perfect man.”

“That's nice, but you can't keep him and he can't have you,” says Applejack, frowning deeply with her arms folded across her chest.

Pinkie Pie looks at Applejack with sad puppy eyes. “Aw, why not?”

“Because he's weird and I don't care what you say, he's on something!” says Trixie. “The guy hasn't even blinked, yet.”

“Then I shall blink for you, average female.” Pinprick blinks. “I blinked.”

Trixie's eye twitches and Rarity shakes her head and approaches Pinprick's side to give him a look over of her own.

“Yes, I think we can agree that he is good looking and has some sense of style, even if it is a bit dated,” states Rarity.

“Dibs. He's mine,” says Pinkie Pie, hugging Pinprick tighter.

Rarity shoots a nasty look at Pinkie Pie for the briefest of moments, and then she takes a deep breath and slowly exhales. “But we still need to find the Tsunite that stole my phone and electrocuted us. As team leader of PART I would think that would be a priority rather than picking up a date.”

“You just want him for yourself,” accuses Pinkie Pie. “But I see through your deception.”

Rarity growls. “I'm being serious. Besides, if I wanted to, I can get any boy I want. My looks and feminine charm are a guarantee of that.”

Applejack leans towards Trixie, grinning wolfishly. “And I thought your ego was bad.”

Trixie frowns. “Thanks.”

“I heard that!” snaps Rarity. “As for you, Pinprick, we're looking for a Tsunite like you, only taller, darker, dressed like a hoodlum and has a backpack full of stolen stuff.”

Trixie stares at Rarity hands up slightly and an annoyed snarl twisting her face, and Pinprick instantly points behind him.

“Oh, yes, the Tsuinite-Negro went that way to the Projects,” says Pinprick.

“Excellent!” says Rarity. “Thank you for your help.”

Pinprick smiles and waves. “It was my pleasure.”

She and the other two start walking, but-

“Do you want to come with us?” says Pinkie Pie.

The trio freezes and groans, and Pinkie Pie looks at them questionably without breaking away from Pinprick.

“What?” asks Pinkie Pie.

The three march back to Pinkie Pie and Applejack places a firm hand on her shoulder while taking a long, slow deep breath.

“Pinkie, you just met this guy a few minutes ago,” says Applejack after a drawn out exhale. “You don't know anything about him.” She nods to his bag of goods. “Besides, I'm sure he would like to go home to finish whatever it is he was working on.”

“But I feel a bond forming,” says Pinkie Pie. She sniffs deeply and gazes towards the moon with a manly tear sliding down her cheek. “And it is glorious.”

“Your cousin is desperate,” says Trixie.

“Yeah, I know, and I'm done talking about this nonsense,” says Applejack. She pulls Pinkie Pie off of Pinprick with no effort, slings her over her shoulder and walks off with the others without any care of her kicking and screaming. “Let's go, Pinks.”

“But my future happiness is right there!” cries Pinkie Pie with tears pouring down her cheeks and her hands outstretched towards the ever shrinking Pinprick.

“You can reunite with your happiness when I get my phone back,” says Rarity. “I will even pay for your first date if you act like a leader. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like a bribe!”

“You ain't reuniting with that happiness. You're gonna have to find another one,” says Applejack. “Besides, you're our leader and searching for Rarity's phone was your idea, so please stop being dramatic and play the role.”

“Call me!” hollers Pinkie Pie.

“I shall!” replies Pinprick, now waving to her.

Pinkie Pie waves back, and when the group rounds a corner and her future happiness disappears from sight, bringing in the cold, dark, abyss into her soul once more.

Author's Note

I don't... I don't know. I don't know. I. Don't. Know.

How did this chapter happen!?

I don't know, but progress -not filler- next time for PART(ie)

Escalation

Hours of useless searching has led Team PART(ie) back to the Royal Academy in the middle of the full moon night. A weak wind rustles the leafs of the lifeless campus's trees, and the team's dead, baggy eyes stare straight ahead with nothing registering of their peripheral visions. Their brains are barely functioning enough to get them into the elevator of their dorm building, and after a couple of mishaps of pushing the wrong buttons they finally reach their floor. Then there is the problem of Pinkie Pie's card not wanting to go into the slot. It grazes in front of the slot or to the sides of the slot, but it really does not like going in. After the sixth attempt it finally goes in and Team PART(ie) staggers inside, welcoming their carpet and the darkness granted to them by the thick, red curtain blocking their window.

Pinkie Pie celebrates their arrival by face planting the floor, and her flat hair spills around her, giving her the appearance of a used pink mop head attached to a mannequin. Rarity goes to her bed, which is underneath Trixie's bunk, and flops on her back, deflating with a loud, weary sigh. Applejack flops in her seat at their desk and willfully allows her head to fall on the cool wood, and Trixie heads straight to the bathroom, clutching her stiff hand. Shortly after the door closes, running water is heard and Rarity yawns.

“What a great night,” mutters Rarity sarcastically.

“Eeyup,” says Applejack.

“Serry fer nut finden yer fon,” says Pinkie Pie.

Rarity leans on her elbow. “What?”

Pinkie Pie pushes herself up and sits crosslegged on the floor, sighing with her shoulders sagged and her hair partially covering her blackened, drooping eyes. “Sorry for not finding your phone. I thought we had a chance of finding it, and I was wrong.”

Now Rarity is sitting up on the bed and rubbing her eyes. “It's okay. We'll just have to look for that Tsunite tomorrow.”

The bathroom door suddenly bangs against the wall, jolting everyone up, and all falls on the source, which is Trixie standing in the bathroom doorway, seething with a red face and fingers digging into the frame. The trio stare at her for a few more seconds before Pinkie Pie stands up.

“Um, are you okay, Trixie?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“What is your problem with Tsunites?” says Trixie.

“What? I don't got a problem with them. I'm friends with fifty of them on Chatbook.”

“Not you, you dodo.” Trixie stomps towards Rarity and jabs at her. “You! What's your deal?”

Rarity points at herself. “Me? Nothing. Why are you asking?”

“Don't play dumb with me! All night long it has been nothing but: Have you seen a Tsunite? Have you seen a Tsunite? That Tsunite. I can't believe that Tsunite. Tsunite, Tsunite, Tsunite, Tsunite! That's all you ever said!”

Rarity gets up and stands toes to toe with Trixie, glaring down at her and forcing the smaller girl to look up.

“He was a Tsunite, just like you,” says Rarity. “I hardly see what is so offensive about it.”

“It was your tone,” says Trixie sharply with tears pooling in her eyes. “Trixie could practically smell the poison in your voice.”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie get between the two, with Applejack gently guiding Trixie back and Pinkie Pie pulling at Rarity's arm.

“C'mon, hun. I think you might be overreacting some,” says Applejack.

“Trixie is not overreacting!” cries Trixie. “How can you not hear her tone? It was mean!”

“What else did you want me to say?” says Rarity. “He's a Tsunite, nothing more!”

Trixie snarls and tries to wiggle past Applejack, but the farmer holds her back.

“How about an actual description?” says Trixie, her eyes now bloodshot and tears trickling down her cheeks. “How about what he looked like beyond a Tsunite!”

“Trixie, please relax,” begs Pinkie Pie as she steps in front of Rarity and places her hands together like a prayer. “I am sure Rarity didn't mean anything hateful but we can talk about this some more after we get some sleep, okay?”

“Again, he was a Tsunite. What else was I supposed to say?” says Rarity over Pinkie Pie. “Or is that offensive to you? Is your own race name offensive to you? Do you want me to stop calling the bed a bed? Or the lamp or lamp? Or Pinkie Pie single?”

“Heh, I'm not single, anymore,” says Pinkie Pie proudly.

“Pinkie, this is serious!” scolds Applejack.

Pinkie Pie's smile instantly deflates and she shrinks back, whimpering in shame, and Applejack turns to Trixie and places her hands on her shoulders and looks her in the eyes.

“And you need to relax,” says Applejack.

Trixie shrugs off Applejack and points at Rarity. “No! She hates Trixie! She hates Tsunites!”

“Maybe if the Tsuinites didn't destroy the world we wouldn't hate them!” screams Rarity.

She immediately clamps her hands over her mouth, and her eyes bulge as her face burns red, and Applejack and Pinkie Pie stare at her, jaws to the floor while Trixie glares at her. The air becomes cold and thick, and nobody moves. Nobody speaks. Nobody but Rarity.

“Trixie, I'm sorry,” says Rarity quietly, her hand reaching out to her teammate.

Trixie's trembling fists clench and tears drench her cheeks as short, sharp breaths exit her nose, and when Rarity takes a step closer, she steps back.

“I'm sorry, it just came out,” says Rarity shakily with tears streaking her mascara.

Without saying a word, Trixie storms out of the room and slams the door shut, shaking the wall. Her heavy steps are quick to fade, and when Pinkie Pie runs out into the hallway all she sees a portal closing on the patio. She runs out on the patio, leans against the railings and strains her eyes in hopes of seeing any signs of her teammate in the multitude of structures of the Academy, but there is none. There is only darkness.

Growling, Pinkie Pie bangs her palms on the railing and then stomps back to her room, scratching her hair out, and by the time she yanks open the door she is seething and seeing red. Directly in front of her is Rarity, who sitting on her bed in a catatonic state while Applejack is back at the desk, arms folded, legs outstretched and her eyes burning like a wildfire with darkness in her baggy eyes.

Pinkie Pie brushes some of her flat hair out of her eyes, storms towards Rarity, grabs her by her blouse's collar and hoists her up.

“What the heck was that!” says Pinkie Pie, giving Rarity a hard shake.

Rarity squeaks and looks away with her eyes shut and lips trembling. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to,” she whimpers.

Pinkie Pie huffs and throws Rarity back on her bed, and she steps back, rubbing her along her forehead, which leads to a few more strands floating off. With the strands of pink sticking to her hand, Pinkie Pie mutters angrily and flails her hand, but because of this, she almost misses Applejack leaving.

“Halt!” barks Pinkie Pie, her hand outstretched to Applejack, but her hardened glare focused on the floor. She takes a deep breath through her nose and looks at Applejack, who has stopped in midstep and is also looking at her. “Where do you think you're going?”

“To get a drink,” says Applejack, now fully facing Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie turns fully, stomps her foot and points at the floor. “Oh, no, you're staying right here with us.”

“Why? So I can hear Ms. Pamper talk about how great her bullshit is?”

Rarity sniffles and hides her face in her hands, and Pinkie Pie shakes her head.

“No. So you can plant your butt in that seat and help us come up with a plan to find Trixie and bring her back,” says Pinkie Pie.

“She's a celebrity!” says Applejack. “Her old man's probably got a loft in Canterlot somewhere that she can crash at. She just needs some time to cool off. Like me.”

Pinkie Pie scoffs. “Oh, yeah, sure, let me just look up Lulamoon in a phone book and see where that takes us.”

“That's what they're there for!”

“I was being sarcastic!”

Right after, a trio of knocks sound off, but Applejack and Pinkie Pie hold their stare down while Rarity remains quiet and stiff. There is another set of knocks and Flash's muffled voice seeps through their door, asking if everything is okay. Hearing that, Pinkie Pie sighs and points at the chair as she walks towards the door.

“Sit,” orders Pinkie Pie.

Applejack huffs and drops on the chair like a rock and glares straight ahead, and when Pinkie Pie opens the door she is greeted by Team FORT. They are in their pajamas, with Twilight in her gown, Rainbow Dash in her sweats and tank top, Octavia in just her really long shirt and putting on the finishing touches of her device, and Flash wearing an orange pajama set dotted with green musical notes.

Not really wanting to ponder why Octavia is not wearing any pants, Pinkie Pie forces a smile and coolly leans against the door frame as she her arms folded across her chest, despite her face being red and her vein throbbing.

“Hey, Flash, how's it going?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“We heard shouting and wanted to see if everyone was okay,” says Flash. He looks past Pinkie Pie's shoulder and sees Rarity's distressed state. “Is she okay?”

Pinkie Pie slides in front of Flash, blocking his view of Rarity. “She's fine.”

“None of us are fine, Pinkie,” says Applejack.

Pinkie Pie turns to Applejack, glaring and slashing her finger across her neck as she speaks through her teeth. “Shut it!”

“Your hair is flat,” points out Octavia.

Pinkie Pie sighs and rubs her brow. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

“You're also hostile.”

“Do you want a medal for the esteemed Most Obvious Observation Award?”

Flash gently puts his hand on Pinkie Pie's shoulder and tries to look her in the eyes, but she averts her focus away from him, preferring the view of the door frame over his face. Plus, she really does not want to deal with the envy gaze Twilight is giving. It is bad enough that she can feel it, but she really does not want to see it, especially now.

“Pinkie, what's wrong?” asks Flash softly.

Pinkie Pie breathes heavily through her nose, and after flicking her eyes to and from Flash, she swallows a hard lump in her throat and musters the courage to meet his eyes.

“Trixie ran away,” says Pinkie Pie, her eyes glazing and nose runny. “She got mad over some words and ran off. She didn't tell us anything. She just took off, used her portal thing and disappeared, and now we have no idea where to start.”

“Why not just call her and ask where she went?” asks Twilight.

Pinkie Pie frowns and holds up a charred and cracked phone.

“Oh,” says Twilight.

“How did that happen?” asks Flash.

“Some jerk electrocuted us after he stole Rarity's phone and the whole night went zepsuł się right after that,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Wow, that really sucks,” says Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie grins broadly. “Thanks! I thought so, too!”

Team FORT grimaces and Pinkie Pie scowls and throws her broken phone over her shoulder, where it lands perfectly in a garbage can. Moment's later, the team's expression softens and Flash rubs his neck, keeping a concerned eye on Pinkie Pie.

“Look, if you want us to, we will be more than happy and willing to help you find Trixie. Besides, I'm pretty sure Octavia knows someone that can track her,” says Flash.

“It'll cost you,” says Octavia.

Flash glares at her. “Really?”

Octavia shrugs. “It is only business.”

“Can't you make an exception? Trixie is a friend of ours.”

“She is an acquaintance, and it is for that reason that I am charging ten percent less.”

Pinkie Pie shakes her head. “You got issues, lady.”

Before any response can be made, the phone on the dorm's desk rings and everyone looks at it, confused beyond words. The phone rings again and the group looks at each other, letting their mixed bag of expressions speak the words their tongues won't. After the fourth ring Octavia raises a brow.

“Am I going to have to answer the phone?” she asks.

The phone rings yet again and Applejack answers it while giving Octavia an unfriendly look.

“Hello? … Wait, who? … Land's sakes, how did you get this number?” says Applejack. She stands up with the phone's body in hand and paces in a circle, trapping herself in its cord. “You looked it up? ... This number ain't listed … What are you, some kind of hacker?”

“Applejack, who is it?” asks Pinkie Pie.

Applejack untangles herself, and then leans against the wall, grunting and nodding. As this happens, Pinkie Pie scoffs and points at her cousin with her hand while looking at Flash.

“See what I've been having to deal with?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah,” says Flash.

“It looks like you haven't been following your own leadership advice,” says Twilight.

Pinkie Pie turns to Twilight, smiling toothlessly and cracking her knuckles.

“Please be quiet before I do something horribly mean to you,” says Pinkie Pie.

Flash gets between the two girls with his hands out. “Okay, everybody just calm down. Applejack, who's on the phone?”

Applejack holds up her finger and turns her back to the group. “Do you know what time it is? … Okay, how about the three day rule? Have you ever heard of that?”

Pinkie's eyes bulge and glow like a super nova, and she bolts away from Flash, slams Applejack into the wall holds the phone to her ear while laying prone, face to face, on top of Applejack's twitching figure.

“Pinprickisthatyou?” says Pinkie Pie breathlessly. She gasps from pure, untainted joy that illuminates her in warmth and she scrambles to her feet, completely oblivious to how she is stepping all over Applejack or the Applejack shaped indent in the wall. “Yay, it is you, my happiness cupcake!”

With Pinkie Pie off of Applejack, the downed farmer crawls away and is eventually helped up by Rainbow Dash and Octavia, all while Pinkie Pie takes a seat and twirls the phone cord around her finger with a whimsical glow.

“Pinkie Pie does not seem to handle emotions very well,” says Octavia as she and Dash ease Applejack on Pinkie Pie's bed.

Applejack rubs her head and glares at Pinkie Pie out of the corner of her eye. “Control ain't her strong suit.”

“So, what's the deal with her?” asks Rainbow Dash, jabbing her thumb at Rarity.

“She's in trouble.”

“Because...?”

Applejack looks at Rarity, and she looks back at her, her pathetic reddened eyes barely able to focus on the trio in front of her.

Applejack sighs and looks down. “She just made a mistake, but it ain't one we can ignore.” She then wipes her nose and looks at Pinkie Pie harshly. “And she ain't the only one who needs a talking to.”

At this point, Flash and Twilight are in the dorm with the door closed, and Pinkie Pie is leaning over the desk, gripping the phone tight.

“Pinprick, I actually need your help really, really, really bad,” says Pinkie Pie desperately, “like super bad kind of bad because one of my friends got mad and ran off and we don't know where she went so can you help us pretty please I'll love you forever if I … What? … Oh, she's short and … Yes, she's the one that called you a drug dealer … Okay, I'll try, and OH! Can you do me another favor and bring seventy five cents? … Awesome sauce, we'll meet you there. BYE!”

Pinkie Pie slams the phone down unnecessarily hard, hops to her feet and points at Flash.

“Flash Sentry, my comrade, do you still want to help me?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Of course,” says Flash, nodding.

Pinkie Pie claps her hands, grinning from ear to ear with determination glowing in her tired eyes. “Goodie. Operation: Finding Trixie is in full swing!”

=====000=====

A chilled breeze blows trash and brown leafs past Trixie's feet as she sits on a cold metal bench near the quiet road with the only light being the lamppost next to it. A tiny shiver runs along her arms and legs, and she wipes tears from her baggy eyes without looking away from the wall across the street.

It is nothing special as far as she can tell. It has an enormous picture of a pale skinned man with golden hair wearing a white suit with a blue bow tie and a red rose in his breast pocket, flashing a peace sign. His smile is arrogance incarnate and below him is:

Blueblood-Rich 1963
One More Term!

Though, those words blow him -as well as a large part of his body- are covered with crudely spray painted words saying: EQUALITY NOW!

Another gust chills Trixie and she turns her body so her back is to the wind and she folds her arms across her chest, shivering and growling. She then looks at a schedule with a red header being displayed on a metal sign via holographic projection and her eyes scan the lines for any indication of when the bus will come. After finding the red track schedule she finds out that much to her dismay she still has fifty minutes to go for the next bus to show up.

Scoffing, Trixie slumps down and grabs the back of her next. “Well, that's just great.”

“A gute nakht,” says a nervous voice from behind.

Trixie jumps and turns around with her hand snapping to her wand. Confusion and caution infest her when she sees a tall, dark skinned man with fantastic silver hair and a hoodie carefully approaching her with an empty backpack slung across his shoulder.

“What?” says Trixie.

“A gute nakht... Tsi ir redn Tsiun?” says the man.

Trixie's expression becomes blank as a white wall, and the the man stops and his cheeks flush.

“Aw, crap. You don't speak Tsiun, do you?” he asks.

This time Trixie's brain actually works, and she shakes her head and waves her hand with her face averted to hide the embarrassed blush, her hand now off of her wand.

"Nit, nit, ikh red aundzer shprakh,” says Trixie. She sighs and continues in her tongue, keeping her eyes on the ground. “Sorry, it has just been a very unpleasant few hours and it has been a while since I heard someone else speak my language.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” The man hesitates, then eases himself down, and when she glances at him he smiles sheepishly. “It is not safe to be alone in the dark. I'll wait with you for the bus if you want. I mean, if you don't mind, anyway. If you do mind I can always go the other way.”

Trixie holds up her hand and the stranger stops talking. She then takes a heavy breath and slides over on the bench to give him some room, and to emphasis her wordless order, she points at the open space. The man sits next to her with his empty backpack on his lap and he taps his foot quickly on the pavement. Trixie's eyes slide from the road, to his foot, back to the road, back to his foot, and another cycle of road and foot before slams her had on his leg, stopping it cold.

The man looks at Trixie, and she quickly pulls away, keeping her eyes up front.

“That tapping was annoying Trixie,” says Trixie.

The man scoots back clutching his backpack tighter. “Is Trixie your friend?”

“Trixie is me, idiot!”

“Oh... Sorry, I just never heard anybody mention themselves like that before.”

“Obviously.”

The man frowns. “You don't have to be rude.”

Trixie huffs and folds her arms across her chest as she looks down, fighting back another wave of hot tears and a wet lump in her throat. Despite her best efforts, some still break through, and a weak whine leaves her trembling lips while her hands dig into her arms, wondering why the fifty minutes are not over yet or why she even allow the stranger to sit next to her in the first place.

“Why are you crying?” asks the man.

Trixie looks at him out of the corner of her eye and sees that he has slid closer to her, and is now in a mixed state of fear and concern. It is a look that she has seen often, where one stays because of an unspoken obligation, but will run at the first opportunity they feel deserves her abandonment.

“Trixie does not want to talk about it. Especially to a stranger,” says Trixie.

“Okay, then let's start over so we aren't strangers,” says the man gently. He extends his hand to her. “My name is Thunderlane.”

Trixie looks at his hand, and then at his face, and reluctantly grips his, but they keep their hands loose.

“Trixie,” she says as she shakes his hand, but during this she notices something odd about him. Odd as in he looks exactly like the jerk that electrocuted her those hours back and contributed to her terrible night. “Wait a minute, you're the thief!”

“I am?” Thunderlane looks over Trixie, and then his eyes widen when her grip becomes iron and her eyes narrow to slits. “Oh, crap.”

Trouble Cometh

Pinkie Pie aggressively opens a can of one of Trixie's energy drinks and chugs it down, ignoring the fizzy stream that flows down her hand, arm and chin. The fizzy fluid dribbles on her chest and she wipes her mouth with her arm, burping. Next to her, Applejack finishes putting on her gauntlets and gives them a quick cock, smiling when they hum and glow. Rarity quietly tests her blades and looks at Pinkie Pie when she snaps her hammer to a scabbard on her back.

“You girls ready to go?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Eeyup,” says Applejack.

“Whoa, what the heck?” says Flash.

Team PART(ie) looks at their doorway and sees Team FORT standing there, dressed casually with their team leader balking.

“I thought we were looking for Trixie, not a fight,” says Flash.

“It is just in case we run into that jerk that electrocuted us,” says Pinkie Pie. She grins and flexes her hand and her body shimmers with aura. “Besides, it is better safe than sorry. You don't know what kind of creeps you'll run into at this time.”

Flash rubs the back of his neck. “I guess you're right.”

“I was already prepared,” says Octavia, smiling thinly with her violin-rifle seemingly appearing out of nowhere and pointed at the ceiling.

Flash sighs and pinches his brow. “Why am I not surprised?”

=====000=====

Trixie slams Thunderlane into a grated door and presses her wand against his back. The thief winces and Trixie digs her fingers into his shoulder while looking around the desolate area hawkishly. She does not see anything out of the ordinary for the ghetto. Graffiti here and there, cracked roads and sidewalks, rampant garbage and a car with missing tires propped up on cinder blocks. Off in the distance a metallic clang echoes and cat yowls, and Trixie swallows and tries to hold back her shaking, really wishing she brought her aura booster.

“You sure this is the place?” asks Trixie.

“Yes, this is the place. I was just here,” says Thunderlane sourly. “And I really don't want to be here so can you let me go?”

“No, you're getting me inside or else you're losing a liver.”

Thunderlane glances at her. “That is a bit extreme, don't you think?”

“You electrocuted me.” Her eyes snap down the road when she hears a rumbling engine approaching and lights shining on a brick wall. “Now open the stupid door right now or I'll cut you and it open!”

“All right, all right, jeeze.”

Thunderlane takes a shaky breath and presses a buzzer on the wall, and when a neon green, bulbous car dotted with hippie flowers comes around the corner, Trixie slinks her arm around his and flashes a cheeky smile and wave. The car keeps going and once it is out of sight, she presses her wand into his side, forcing a wince out of him.

“What's taking so long?” says Trixie.

“It is four in the morning, the guy is probably asleep,” says Thunderlane.

“Buzz him again.”

Thunderlane reluctantly hits the buzzer again, and this time there is a crackle and pop from an old speaker above the buzzer.

“Thunderlane, we already did business. You know the rules,” says a tired man on the other end.

“This girl wants to do business,” says Thunderlane, jabbing his thumb to Trixie.

“Is that why she has a weapon pressed into your liver?”

“What? Oh, no. No, it is not what it looks like. This is actually how we play around.”

Trixie's hand whips the back of Thunderlane's skull, causing him to lurch forward and growl in pain as he glares at her. In turn, she raises both of her eyebrows and jerks her head to the door, and he lifts his hand up, returning the scorching glare.

“Woman, stop it,” mouths Thunderlane.

“Open the fricken door,” says Trixie, her harsh voice barely a whisper through her gritted teeth.

“I'm trying to open the door, but these guys aren't exactly the nicest bunch around,” says Thunderlane, also speaking through his teeth.

“You open it or I open it. Either way that door is opening.”

“Do you two need a room?” says the man.

Thunderlane turns to the buzzer and slams his palm against it. “No. We're actually going to take a long break after tonight. Can you please let us in so she'll leave me alone?”

“And have her cause problems inside? No. Besides, we have rules and you will abide by those rules or else there will be consequences, are we clear, Tsunnie?”

“That's it!” growls Trixie. “Move!”

Trixie throws Thunderlane aside, activates her blade and stabs the lock. Sparks fly, the lock glows red, and chunks of metal fall off, and after Trixie pulls out her energy blade she yanks open the door and storms inside the dark hallway, ignoring Thunderlane's shouts for her to stop.

A random guy comes out of a room cocking a shotgun, but Trixie grabs the weapon's grip and rams the barrel into the guy's face. He crumbles to the floor and clutches his nose, cursing up a storm as blood pours past his fingers. Trixie keeps on marching, eyes zeroes in on the lit up room at the end of the hall directly in front of her, and Thunderlane apologizes to the wounded man as he passes.

When Trixie reaches her destination she sees nothing but an empty metal desk and locked cabinets. She looks around for any signs of anybody, but once again comes up empty. That is, until a door off to her side slides open.

Trixie jumps and aims her blade at the doorway and has to squint her eyes to dull the effects of the ridiculously bright light bursting from the doorway. However, when the lighting dies down and the floating blotches are blinked away, Trixie sees a tall, lanky man hastily approaching the desk, adjusting the sleeve buttons on his white dress shirt. His green eyes are baggy, his red and white striped hair is a mess and his red mustache is hooked down from his frown.

“Forgive me if I don't look at all charming, miss, but you did come by unexpected and at a terrible time,” says the mustachioed menace as he takes a seat behind his desk. He takes a moment to adjust himself, and then flashes any easygoing smile while placing his hands on the desk. “But now that we are here, what can I do for you?” The man extends his hands. “My name is Flam Sham, by the way. Who might you be?”

“I don't care who you are. You have something that does not belong to you and we want it back,” says Trixie.

“Actually, I don't want it back. I'm just here because she threatened to cut out my liver,” says Thunderlane. “Can I please go?”

“No,” says Flam, his hand retreating and his frown returning. “We're actually going to have a chat when my brother comes back from his errand. He is more diplomatic about these contract violations than I am.”

Trixie looks at Thunderlane and sees him paling and swallowing as he retreats into the wall, and she looks back at Flam when yawns obnoxiously.

“As for you, little lady, you're going to have to be more specific with your request,” says Flam. “We get all kinds of merchandise and sometimes stolen items slip through. So, help me help you. What do you seek in my humble shop.”

Trixie aims her blade at Flam's throat, which does nothing to faze him in any observational way, much to her disappointment.

“Where do you keep your stolen phones?” says Trixie.

“Is there something peculiar about this phone?” says Flam.

“Aside from it being not yours, no.”

Flam hums and drums his fingers together. “Okay, I'll play along. What does it look like?”

“It is... a phone.”

Flam cocks a brow and Thunderlane paces in circles, groaning and rubbing his face.

“Like its... its kinda rectangular...ly,” continues Trixie. “Um, I think its a touch screen, or maybe part touch screen part button pushing.”

“The phone has a keypad?” asks Flam.

Trixie points at Flam. “Yes!” She retracts her hand and taps her chin. “Only, I'm not sure if it was like that. I think it might have been a full touch screen. It probably had a purple case. Or maybe it was indigo. Or what's that weird color that's like blue and purple combined?”

“I'm pretty sure that's indigo.”

“...No~”

“Are you kidding me!” yells Thunderlane.

Trixie looks over her shoulder and sees Thunderlane's dark face has reddened and his eyes are crazy while his hair is ruffled from his fingers clawing at them.

“You held me hostage and almost stabbed me over a phone and you don't know what it looks like? What is wrong with you?” scolds Thunderlane.

Trixie stomps her foot, vein throbbing and face red as she points at herself. “Hey, Trixie is tired and working, so shut it!”

A BANG, followed by a hot, sharp pain suddenly pierces Trixie's side and she collapses to her hands and knees, wheezing and clutching her smoking side while her aura crackles and sheds. Thunderlane curses and his hands snap towards his rod, but Flam jerks up with one hand on a small button and the other clutching a glowing flintlock styled pistol with a red glow in the barrel. The pistol is aimed right at Thunderlane's forehead and at the table is a smoking and glowing hole that is leveled with where Trixie was shot.

Thunderlane's hands slowly lift up and Flam tuts as Trixie pulls her hand away, gasping at the sight of her palm being red and dripping. Her body shakes and her vision blurs as tears drip down her cheeks. A moment later, a set of footsteps enter and she looks up to a group of five more come in behind Thunderlane. One is tall and lanky with the same stripped hair and a weapon as the mustache man, but he has no mustache and has a bright smile, and the other four have no distinguishing features about them.

“So nice to see you, Flim.” says Flam.

“Likewise, Flam. I feel lonely when we part, but everything is set with our clients,” says the look-a-like. He then taps the back of Thunderlane's skull. “Toss your weapon in the far corner, big guy.”

Thunderlane begrudgingly tosses his weapon away, and one of the goons is quick to leave Flim's side to grab it. As this happens, Trixie's breathing becomes heavier and her vision begins to fade in and out while her elbows buckle and blood from her wound patters to the floor. This brings Flim to look at her, in which she returns with a weak glare past her hanging locks.

“Flam, did you shoot another girl?” asks Flim with disappointment lacing his tone.

Flam shrugs nonchalantly. “Who else was going to shoot her? Soda Pop didn't show up.”

“That's because he is laying in the hallway with a broken nose.”

“Who broke his nose?”

Flim nods to Trixie, and Flam and Trixie look at each other for a fraction of a second before Trixie's eyes widen and Flam's face reddens and contorts. In a flash, he kicks Trixie's wound with his sharp tipped shoe and she jerks and buckles down, crying in agony as she curls and clutches her wound, feeling colder. Her side is throbbing, her hands shake and her throat hurts from her crying, and the growing red has stained much of her shirt and pants and now spreading to the floor.

“Hey, cut it out!” says Thunderlane.

“You hear that Tsuinnie, brother? Cut it out, he says,” says Flam. He stomps over to Thunderlane and presses his pistol underneath Thunderlane's chin, glaring deep into his eyes while Thunderlane swallows and trembles. “He brings a nasty skirt in here, violates the contract and he tells me to cut it out.”

“Yes, yes, I know he broke the rules,” says Flam. He forces Thunderlane on his knees and presses his pistol on top of his skull, ignoring his shaky begs of mercy. “And he will be punished just like the others.”

“Shall we kill him?”

“No, don't be silly. What kind of punishment is a punishment if the punishment is-”

“Short lived? You're right.” Flam turns his pistol to Trixie, who is now shifting weakly on the floor and coughing little specks of blood. “Should we kill her? I really want to kill her.”

“Don't waste your ammo. She looks like she is about to die any minute, so let's try something a bit more-”

“Profitable?”

“Yes.”

Flim digs into his pocket and pulls out a cellphone, does a quick speed dial and presses it against his ear, humming patiently. Meanwhile, Trixie whimpers and tries to drag herself to her wand using her free hand, but stops when she hears a weapon click, and she looks up to see Flam pointing his pistol at her, but with her vision mostly shrouded in black she has a hard time seeing him and Thunderlane.

“Do you really want to test your luck with a second shot?” says Flam grimly.

“Its ringing,” says Flim. “And still ringing... And ringing... And ringing...”

Flam looks at Flim and Thunderlane puts his eyes on Trixie, who is having trouble keeping her eyes open.

“Trixie, keep your eyes on me,” says Thunderlane gently.

Trixie's eyes meet Thunderlane's, her heart thumping slowly and her breath short and jagged, and Thunderlane smiles and nods at her, despite the shimmering in his eyes.

“That's it. You're doing good. Keep them open. You got this,” says Thunderlane.

“The phone is still ringing. Faust, doesn't he hear it?” complains Flim.

“He's probably sleeping,” says Flam. “I know I was until these degenerates came buzzing along.”

Flim shakes his head. “No, I just sent Party Favor to him with all those phones. I swear, you can't rely on anybody these days.”

=====000=====

“Thanks for the ride!” says Pinkie Pie as she hops off the bus to join the two teams, who are all equipped with their weapons and armor and waiting for her underneath the light of the bus stop.

The bus driver, meanwhile, shakes his head and silently closes the door, then speeds off. With the bus getting smaller from distance, Pinkie Pie sighs, shakes her arms and looks at her team.

“Applejack, are you okay?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“Fine and dandy,” grumbles Applejack wearily.

“Rarity?”

Rarity quietly nods, and Pinkie Pie looks at Team FORT.

“Flash, you ready to roll?” asks Pinkie Pie.

Flash nods. “Yes, I am.”

“How about you, Octavia?”

Octavia cocks her rifle and looks at Pinkie Pie with a neutral expression, and she smiles nervously and flashes a smile and thumbs up.

“Coolio.” Pinkie Pie looks at Rainbow Dash. “How about you, Dash Attack?”

“I've been ready,” says Rainbow Dash impatiently.

“And what about you, Twilight? Are you ready to rumble?”

Twilight looks up from her pendant, her thumb freezing over a lightning bolt and her eyes wide from confusion and worry. “Wait, what? Are we fighting?”

Rainbow Dash chuckles. “Heh, I wouldn't mind a cat fight.”

“I can give you one,” blurts Octavia.

Rainbow Dash's smile fades and she looks at Octavia with a twisted lip while the others slowly look at her strangely, and the Mafiosa looks at all of them curiously.

“Was that inappropriate?” asks Octavia.

“It was weird,” says Rainbow Dash.

“I would be interested in seeing a cat fight,” says Pinprick from right next to Dash.

Rainbow Dash yelps and leaps away almost into Octavia's arms, and the rest of the group also retreats with surprised yells of their own. Save for the every quiet and bemused Octavia and Pinkie Pie squealing joyously and jumps into the man's super arms.

“Yay, you came!” says Pinkie Pie, her embrace tight, her face buried in his manly chest and one leg kicked up. She takes a long, deep, whimsical sniff of his cologne and looks up at him with a glitter in her eyes. “You smell like bacon.”

“I wanted to smell manly to attract the appropriate mate,” says Pinprick proudly.

“And its working!”

Flash furrows his brows and jabs his thumb at Pinprick as he leans close to a very disgruntled Applejack. “Who's that guy?”

“Trouble,” replies Applejack sharply.

“Oh~” Flash looks him over. “He's kind of mediocre.”

Meanwhile, Pinprick digs into his pocket and gives seventy five cents to Pinkie Pie. “Here you go.”

Pinkie Pie snatches the change. “Thanks, Pin.” She turns to Applejack and puts the seventy five cents in her hand. “Here you go.”

Applejack scowls. “Did I just seriously see this?”

In a blatant move to ignore Applejack, Pinkie Pie turns to Octavia. “All right, Octavia. We got some more help, so where is the guy that can help us find Trixie?”

Octavia walks through the group and waves them forward. “Follow me. They are not far.”

=====000=====

Flim's foot taps anxiously on the floor with the phone pressed against his ear and his pistol tapping irritably against Thunderlane's skull. Every tap pushes a cringe from Thunderlane, and his throat has dried and sealed, and his glazed eyes focus on Trixie. He tries calling her, but he can barely speak, and he gets no response for his raspy calls, for she is laying motionless on the dirty floor, eyes closed and body limp with a pool of red seeping from under her.

“You know, Flim, I am tempted to just kill them now,” says Flam.

“Remember what the old man said, Flam? Patience is a virtue,” says Flim.

“And the old lady.”

“Right. Can't forget the old lady.” Flim suddenly perks and he pulls his pistol away from Thunderlane's head. “Oh, good. It is about time you answered your phone. What took so long, Double? … Oh, yes that can be problematic. Anyway, I have a quick question for you. Do you still have the kid?”

Thunderlane stiffens and looks at Flim, short of breath and eyes wide. “What?”

“Excellent. Keep him there just a little bit longer. We got a surprise for him ... Right … Uh huh, buh-bye.” Flim hangs up and hoists Thunderlane to his feet. “Time to go.”

“What are you doing? What's going on?” asks Thunderlane, his voice quivering.

“If you walk you'll find out,” says Flam.

Flim tugs on Thunderlane's shoulder and forces him to walk while pressing his pistol against the back of his skull and-

=====000=====

A metal door with a broken lock is yanked open by Flash Sentry, and Octavia pivots inside, weapon at the ready with Pinkie Pie and Pinprick following close behind. Pinkie Pie has her hammer out, but Pinprick has nothing but his bare hands and sharp eyes, much to the disdain of everyone. However, no protest goes beyond condemning gazes and both quietly teams file in, with each one keeping their weapon out, auras boosted and scanning the derelict hallway intently while making their way to a lit up room at the end.

The group is quiet in their trek, and Octavia leads the way with her rifle still ready to cut down anyone she desires and Pinkie Pie keeps a short distance between herself and the mob girl. Every step is like two beats of a heart for Pinkie Pie, and her gut has twisted to a knot and she can barely breath from the nausea plaguing her.

“So, what are we going to do with her?” says one voice from the room.

“The incinerator. Such a shame, too. She was good looking,” says another.

Pinkie Pie's chest tightens and her throat dries as she hurries past Octavia, towards the room where a man casually holding an energy pistol casually paces into view, completely oblivious to er group.

“Don't make it weird,” says the pistol man. “Just get her out of here so we can get this place cleaned up before the bosses come back.”

“Right, right,” says the other.

Three more step into view with two carrying a body and the third holding a set of keys, and when Pinkie Pie sees the body she skids to a stop, eyes bulged, throat tight and all air gone from her lungs. Sagging unceromoniously in their grip, covered in blood and pale is none other than Trixie Lulamoon.

The criminals stop in their spot and stare at her, and the rest of Team PART(ie) and FORT and Pinprick come up behind her, all with slack jaws and expressions twisted to horror. All but Applejack, who is growling viciously and flexing her fists with a feiry glow around her gauntlets.

“What did you do?” growls Applejack.

One of the holders looks at Trixie and then back at Applejack, balking. “Uh... Oh, uh... um. Nothing. She was like this when we got here.”

Red bleeds into Pinkie Pie's eyes and her breathing becomes ragged as her hands and pupils tremble with tears streaming down her cheeks. The crooks stare at her and the group, with the ones carrying Trixie's body looking at each other nervously and the other two raising their weapons at them.

“You... You....” chokes Pinkie Pie.

The structure rumbles and cracks pop from underneath Pinkie Pie's feet and go along the wall, causing the two groups to recoil as dust swirls in the hall. Pinkie Pie's close for just moment, and when they open after a sharp breath they are pure blue and bright like an exploding star.

Flash curses and leaps towards Octavia, his outstretched hand tugging on her jacket's collar. “Octavia, get back!”

“YOU JERKS!” screams Pinkie Pie.

Nearing the End

Dust. Ringing. Crumbling stone. Shouts.

Such basic words, and yet that is all Pinkie Pie can comprehend. She really does not know how she is standing since everything is spinning, like a leaf in a vortex. Flickering lights dangle from the ceiling, flashing shadows on the broken walls. Broken tiles fall from the ceiling and large pieces of the wall roll down and crumble to the cracking floor, letting in beams of starlight into the wrecked structure.

Voices, so many voice, collide with the rumbles, groans and cracks of the building, and Pinkie Pie steps forward, chest heaving from her seething and her flat hair blocking much of her furious blue eyes that bleed tears. She steps over Trixie's limp body, not hearing the words of her friends, and she approaches the only moving criminal, who is dragging himself across the floor, leaving a trail of blood from his leg.

“Did you hurt Trixie?” growls Pinkie Pie.

The crook stops and looks at her, pale and shaking with his bloody hand held up.

“No,” stammers the crook. “I didn't hurt your friend.”

Pinkie Pie tightens her grip on her hammer and presses its glowing head against his chest, causing him to wince as smoke rises from his dirty shirt.

“Who did?” says Pinkie Pie.

There is a shaking rumble and the criminal looks at the ceiling, eyes bulging and tears flowing as pieces of the ceiling fall around them.

“Who hurt my friend!” yells Pinkie Pie.

The corner collapses and covers the two in a cloud of choking dust, but while the criminal coughs and tries to stand, Pinkie Pie keeps her hammer pressed against him and remains still. Her glowing eyes burn through the haze and the falling debris does nothing to faze her.

“Are you kidding me? The place is collapsing!” says the criminal.

“Tell me or you're getting buried!” says Pinkie Pie.

Suddenly, a hand grabs Pinkie Pie's shoulder and she is turned to face Flash, who now has both of her shoulders and is looking into her eyes with desperation.

“Pinkie, we need to go, right now!” says Flash.

“But Trixie-” says Pinkie Pie.

“Applejack already carried her out.” Flash shoves Pinkie Pie down the hall and runs to the wounded criminal. “Get out of here!”

Pinkie Pie really does not want to go since she has an interrogation to do, but when she sees Flash grabbing the crook and helping him run, her feet reluctantly follow him out. Once they are outside, the building folds in on itself, covering everybody in a cloud of sharp dust and rubble and shaking the block with its groans, snaps and shattering glass.

The dust cloud bleeds into the streets, alleys and through windows, and broken brick rolls along the pavement and roads. After the building's full collapse, the two teams plus the criminal are coughing and trying to get the dust off while sirens wail in the distance, but it only takes a few seconds for Pinkie Pie regain her senses and go after her target once more.

“All right, creep, who hurt Trixie?” says Pinkie Pie.

The criminal looks at her meekly, and he shrinks down when Pinprick, Applejack and Rarity flank her, with the first staring, the second growling and cracking her knuckles and the last sprouting her blade.

“It wasn't me, I swear! She was like that when we got here!” says the criminal.

“Who was here before you got here?” says Applejack.

“I don't know. I think it was Flim. Or Flam. I really can't remember who's who.”

“What did this person look like?” asks Rarity.

Octavia marches past the team, towards a parked truck, and Pinkie Pie activates her cannon and points it at the criminal when he stares at the mobster.

“Hey, eyes on us! What did that jerk look like?” says Pinkie Pie.

The criminal gulps. “Tall, lanky, mustache, ugly hair.”

“That is a terrible description.”

Shattered glass brings Pinkie Pie to look in Octavia's direction, and she sees their resident mobster pulling her gun away from the truck's shattered driver window and crawling underneath the dashboard.

“Octavia, what are you doing?” says Flash.

“She's hotwiring it, duh,” says Rainbow Dash.

Seconds later, the truck rumbles to life and Octavia buckles up in the driver's seat with her weapon next to her and her eyes on Flash.

“Truck's on. Let's get Trixie to a hospital before the cops slow us down,” says Octavia.

“But we just leveled a building! We have to give statements about what happened,” says Twilight.

“We can give statements after you get Trixie to the hospital,” says Applejack, now scooping up Trixie and carrying her to the truck.

Rainbow Dash runs past her, climbs on the bed helps Applejack put her on, and Flash shakes his head finds a spot next to his teammate while motioning Twilight to get inside the truck.

“Twilight, get in,” orders Flash.

“But what about protocol?” says Twilight, her fingers tapping against each other in a nervous fit.

“Protocol can wait. Trixie can't. Let's go.”

“But- Hey!”

Pinprick picks up Twilight by the back of her shirt and stuffs her in the truck next to Octavia, despite her protests, then slams the door shut and points down the road.

“Take Seventeenth Street all the way down and turn right on Redheart Drive. That is the quickest route to the hospital, and traffic is lowest at this time so traffic laws are no problem,” says Pinprick.

“I don't obey laws,” says Octavia.

The truck then zooms off and Pinprick hurries back to Pinkie Pie's group, who has yet to relinquish their deadly arsenal's aim from the criminal.

“I can tell you where to find the guy that hurt your friend,” says the criminal.

“Start talking,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Talking fast will be appreciated,” says Pinprick. He jabs his thumb over his shoulder to an ever growing swirling light of red and blue. “Company is coming.”

“Pier One at the Gemstone River Ports,” says the criminal.

“Thanks,” says Applejack.

And then she punches him in the face and he falls back, limp with his tongue out a fist imprinted on him.

“Nice hit,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Thanks,” says Applejack.

“We should probably go, now,” says Rarity.

“Follow me. I know where to go,” says Pinprick, running ahead of the girls.

Pinkie Pie nods and runs after him, as do the other two, and they disappear into the maze of alleys right as the approaching vehicle screeches to a halt.

0000000000

Thunderlane is forced to his knees on the cold, concrete ground by Flam and Flim keeps watch with a calm smile and his flint-lock pistol aimed down as a man steps out of a small building with three extra guards. The man is chubby with blue, straight combed hair and pale blue eyes and is wearing a blue suit and tie. His tired eyes are aggravated with icy blue veins snaking towards his pupils, and he holds his palms out as he marches towards the trio.

“Party Favor, it is good to see you,” says Flim.

“Good to see you, too, but what's going on?” asks Party Favor.

“You got the kiddo?”

“Yeah.”

“Bring him out.”

Party Favor nods and goes back inside, and not even half a minute passes before he comes with short, fat kid with pale skin and gray-blue hair. His mouth is stuffed with a sock, his hands are tied behind his back and he has purple eyes, currently unsteady and wet.

“Rumble!” calls Thunderlane. “Rumble are you okay?”

Rumble's reply is muffled and Flam orders Thunderlane to be quiet while charging his weapon. Thunderlane falls silent, but glares at him while Party Favor shakes his head.

“So, what's the deal?” says Party Favor.

Flim taps his weapon. “Oh, nothing much. There was just a violation of contract, Flam killed a girl and I missed my show.”

Party Favor shakes his head. “Really, Flam? Why can't you be more like Flim?”

Flam shrugs. “Not my fault the female species are despicable.”

“Anyway, here's the deal,” says Flim. “Lamia is very picky, she does not like me or Flam, but, like us, she doesn't like it when someone breaks a contract. Thunderlane, here, broke the contract. Flam wants to put a laser in his skull, I want to kill the kid in front of him, but technically he belongs to Lamia, so technically she gets to decide the punishment.”

“And you want me to take him to her?” says Party Favor.

“Yes. She actually likes you and that queer and I am sure she would do something that would be more impactful.”

“Why don't you come with us so you can explain this problem to her?”

Flim clicks his tongue. “We got a business, here. Can't leave the business.”

“Hey, guys, I know I did something stupid, but we really don't have to go this far,” says Thunderlane. “Let Rumble go and I'll accept whatever consequences Lamia wants to impose.”

Rumble's eyes widen and he shakes his head, and Flim chuckles and ruffles Thunderlane's hair.

“Oh, good ole Thunderlane, I almost hate doing this to you, but contracts are contracts,” says Flim. He twists a dial on his laser pistol and aims it at Thunderlane's head. “Sleep tight.”

He pulls the trigger and a blue ball explodes against Thunderlane's skull. His body instantly goes limp and he flops to the ground with his eyes closed, and Rumble screams, but he meets a same fate. With the two on the ground, Flim holsters his pistol and looks at Party Favor.

“Get those two out of here,” orders Flim.

Party Favor nods to his guards, and as they collect the hostages he looks at the Twins.

“What are you two going to be doing, now?” asks Party Favor.

Flim and Flam look at each other.

“I guess we can see if more work is needed if the big guy is still around,” says Flam.

“Yes, work is good,” says Flim.

They look at Party Favor, flash a smile in unison and wave farewell as they walk away.

“Have a good night,” says Flim.

“Enjoy your trip,” says Flam.

Party Favor slowly waves back. “Yeah, thanks for answering my question... dicks.”

Outmatched

Pinkie Pie crouches next to Pinprick when he stops and kneels by the corner of a brick building that has PIER ONE MANAGEMENT painted on it. Applejack and Rarity come up behind Pinkie Pie, as well, and while Rarity inches closer to their appointed leader, Applejack checks her gauntlets.

“What do you see?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“I see our target, plus a small female with poor fashion sense and a middle aged man in a midlife crisis,” says Pinprick.

“Really?”

Pinkie Pie climbs on top of Pinprick and leans out, seeing twins, the girl from the bus, and Discord chatting in front of an SUV with his cane in his hand while a dozen other SUVs drive off, leaving shipping containers open.

“Hey, its that girl from the bus! I knew there was something wrong with her,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Really?” says Rarity. She slides next to Pinprick and peeks out, as well. “So it is. Her fashion sense is as terrible as her sense in people.”

“Say what?” says Applejack. She pushes Rarity down and uses her body as a prop and Pinprick's shoulder for stability as she looks around the corner, ignoring her teammate's annoyed growl as she stares at the petite girl. “Huh, small world.”

“Why is she with Discord?” asks Pinkie Pie.

“It would only be logical to assume that she is a criminal as well as that Discord person,” says Pinprick. “The twins from what I have gathered are Flim and Flam Sham, suspected of fraud and a dozen cases of murder, but with no solid evidence to prosecute them. Discord has an impressive criminal record and hefty bounty on his head, so maybe if we can capture him and his group we can obtain a cash reward and buy Trixie some much needed chill pills.”

Applejack glares at him. “Trixie is in the hospital and you make that comment?”

Pinprick returns the look. “I do not like her.”

Pinkie Pie smacks both of their heads, but when she slaps Pinprick her hand instantly throbs and she pulls back, seething and holding her red hand while sitting on his shoulder.

“Ahhh-wwwww-ah, what the heck, Pinprick? Do you have a metal skull?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Yes,” says Pinprick bluntly. “It is very expensive.”

“Oh...” Pinkie Pie slides off of Pinprick and pulls the hammer off of the scabbard on her back and elongates the handle. With a quick twirl she has her hammer held tight in her hands and she starts marching towards the group of criminals. “Well, we've sat here long enough. Let's get those creeps!”

The other three follow her out from cover, and while Pinkie Pie marches her eyes keep a lock on the twins. Specifically the one with the mustache, and one of her hands tighten on her weapon as her jaw sets, and the other scratches her hair before taking of her weapon once more. It does not take them long to reach the distracted group, but when they do, the group of criminals stare at her and her team, speechless and perplexed, with the twin without the mustache eyeing the girls, especially Applejack.

Applejack returns his look with a scowl and cracks her knuckles, and he raises an eyebrow, and as this happens the petite girl from the bus sizes up Rarity. Then she tuts and shakes her head.

“So normal,” condemns the girl.

Rarity narrows her eyes at her, and Pinkie Pie and Pinprick focus on Discord, who is now laughing and leaning against the SUV while opening a bottle of chocolate milk.

“Wow, call me insane, but I think we have met before,” says Discord, looking at Pinkie Pie. “You're the one that made a big mess in your town and had to get saved by Lulu.”

“Yeah, I blew up the store stopping you and your crooked friends,” says Pinkie Pie. “And now me and my friends are going to stop you from whatever it is your doing while kicking your cans to next week for what you did to Trixie!”

“And what exactly are you going to stop?” asks Discord. “We already got everything we need, and we're just talking. If you wanted to interrupt our bonding time then you absolutely succeeded at that.”

Pinkie Pie looks at the containers and realizes that they are all empty, and she looks at Discord, jaw to the ground.

“Well, we came mostly to kick your butts for what you did to Trixie,” says Pinkie Pie.

“I didn't do anything to whoever this Trixie is, though,” says Discord. He looks at the petite girl. “Topsy, did you hurt Trixie?”

“I didn't hurt anybody today, daddy,” says Topsy.

“How about you, Flim?” says Discord.

“No,” says the one without the mustache, still eyeballing Applejack. “Am I the only one concerned about how big she is?”

“Yes you are,” says Discord. “How about you, Flam?”

“'Yes, I shot her and it was fun,” says the one with the mustache.

“What!?” yells Applejack.

Her eyes flash and a burst of orange aura erupts around her as she slides into a battle stance with her gauntlets humming and charging, and Discord sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Great. Topsy, get the goods out of here before they are ruined,” says Discord.

Topsy nods and heads towards the SUV with Flim and Flam following close behind, but a shotgun blast echoes and flaming chunks of concrete erupt in front of the trio. The crooks stop and turn, and Pinkie and Rarity look at Applejack, who has her smoking gauntlet aimed at the three with a fire in her eyes and an ominous glow radiating from her barrels.

“Y'all ain't going anywhere,” says Applejack.

“Is that so?” says Flim.

Applejack cocks her other gauntlet. “Yeah.”

Flam shakes his head, chuckling as he activates his weapon. “This has been one bizarre night, brother. How are we going to solve this one?”

“Simple. Me, you and Topsy-”

Tires suddenly screech and the Twins as well as Discord, Pinprick and Team PART(ie) look at the source and see the SUV speeding away with a trail of burnt rubber and exhaust in its wake. The vehicle swerves around the corner, nearly flipping in the process, and continues driving out of sight. Seconds later, when the noise is really starting to fade, the Twins and Discord look at Team PART(ie) and Pinprick, and the team of students and Pinprick make eye contact with the gang of thugs.

“Well, so much for that,” says Flim.

“Bah, we can take them,” says Flam.

“I doubt it,” remarks Pinprick.

“Yeah, we're going to kick your butts straight to the moon!” says Pinkie Pie. She flips a switch on her hammer and it glows blue and hums, illuminating the vicious grin spreading on her face. “Which one of you wants to suffer first?”

The Twins point at Discord in unison and Discord coolly glances at them while chugging the last of chocolate milk. After finishing, he burps, wipes his mouth and tosses the bottle away.

“All right, this old man will volunteer as tribute,” says Discord. “Even though you two ruined my night.”

“Our fight ain't with you!” snaps Applejack. She points at Flim and Flam. “They're the ones that need to be sent to Hell!”

Discord scoffs, twirls his cane and rests it on his shoulder. “Hey, country patch, I got news for you. We're already in Hell. But feel free to drag those two farther down with you.”

Flim and Flam balk at Discord, and Applejack narrows her eyes while Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Pinprick prepare themselves. Rarity sprouts her blades and a glow appears in Pinprick's hand, and from that glow comes crystals which form into a curved bow, and he takes the appropriate archers stance with an arrow materializing in his other hand. During this, Pinkie Pie's hammer is glowing bright and sparking, and Discord giggles and beckons them with two fingers.

“Your move,” he says.

It is then that Pinkie Pie hears a snap, and out of the corner of her eye she sees Applejack charging Flim and Flam, leaving a pair of indents in the ground. And just as fast as a blink, Pinprick shoots an arrow and Pinkie Pie launches a blue ball at Discord.

In a blur of movement, Discord rolls underneath the arrow and uses his cane to bat the energy ball away. The ball explodes against the side of a crane, sending twisted metal flying and bouncing across the ground. The metal groans and snaps as the crane topples over, and when it crashes into a building debris is launched into the sky and its windows are blown out, covering the pavement in shards of broken glass, brick, metal roofing and wood. Discord then looks up, grinning from ear to ear while still in the kneeling position with his cane out theatrically.

“You're making messes again,” says Discord.

Pinkie Pie's eye twitches, and with rising blood temperature and a vicious yell, she charges Discord with Rarity and Pinprick in close pursuit. She swings the hammer against his head, but he rolls out of the way, leading her to smash the pavement. A shock wave erupts and splinters of asphalt and under-layer pop up around her. The impact brings both of her feet in the air and Discord kicks her in the side.

Pinkie Pie flies away with her hammer still in the ground and side throbbing as her aura shield flickers. When she hits the ground, it cracks, and as she rolls and skids, shards fall and flicker away. She only stops when her back hits a stack of wooden crates, breaking the first and being covered by the rest. And there she lays, twitching and body throbbing and burning from the dozens of scratches that have ripped her skin and clothing.

“Ow...” winces Pinkie Pie.

An explosion shakes the ground, and Pinkie Pie winces and pushes the broken planks of wood aside to witness a ball of fire and a mutilated forklift rolling into the sky with Applejack marching towards one of the twins. Said twin is crawling on the ground towards his pistol, and Applejack pays no mind when the vehicle falls on its nose next to her, crunching it like an accordion. Applejack then hoists the twin up by his shirts, tosses him in the air and punches him with with a ring of fire bursting from her gauntlets. The twin flies away with a whistle, arcs over the building and disappears somewhere in the waters with a distant splash.

“Yeah, she's got that,” says Pinkie Pie.

She stands up, hissing painfully and grabbing her side while clutching a crate for support, and she looks towards Pinprick and Rarity.

Rarity has just been kicked away and Pinprick is pushing himself up from a small crater in the ground. Pinkie Pie's aura then crackles and a shell shimmers around her, allowing her collection of small injuries to heal, and she cracks her back and airs out her fingers before charging Discord again.

She grabs her hammer along the way, and when she reaches him she yells and swings at him, but he leans back so all she gets is air. She takes another swing, which he easily dodges, causing her to destroy the ground, and after she tries yet again to him, Discord grabs her hammer's handle and spins her around, cackling madly as she shrieks. Everything becomes a blur and when she hits Rarity, her hands release the hammer and the two girls fall in a tangled pile as they bounce and roll over each other.

The world spins fast and after Pinkie Pie untangles herself from Rarity she tries standing, but with the ground shifting, all she is able to accomplish is falling on her hands and knees.

“What's the matter? Got two left feet?” taunts Discord.

He kicks Pinkie Pie in the ribs, and she falls flat on the ground, groaning and clutching her side. Rarity, meanwhile, rolls into her ball and zooms towards Discord.

The madman grabs her and grunts as he is pushed back. His feet dig into the ground and his gloves smoke, but he still grins. Even when Pinprick's arrows explode uselessly against him.

“Stop it, that tickles!” laughs Discord.

Another arrow explodes against him, and he brings one foot up and fires off a red beam at Pinprick. The beam narrowly misses him thanks to him rolling out of the way, but it does reduces a pile of crates to flaming splinters.

As this happens, Discord's gloves and sleeves shred, and Rarity unrolls from her ball, kicks him in the face, and as he stumbles back, she back flips to her feet and tries stabbing him. However, he turns his body to the side, grabs her wrist and elbows her in the gut. Rarity gasps and keels over with no air in her, and she is elbowed on the back her shoulder with a loud crack.

The aura shield shatters and Rarity cries out in pain as she falls at Discord's feet with shards of her aura flickering away. She is then kicked away and hits a lamp post, falling limp, and Discord cheers and fists pumps.

“Yes! Lamp in one!” says Discord.

“Rarity!” yells Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie roars and charges Discord again, her teary eyes bright like blue flame and teeth gritted like a rabid wolf. Her hammer leaves streaks of blue and strong gusts of wind as she swings wildly, but Discord's moves are too fluid, too precise for her to hit him. Every strike is a miss or a block from his cane, and his demented smile makes it worse.

“Is this what Celestia calls Hunters now? Pathetic,” says Discord.

Pinkie Pie yells viciously and swings low at his legs, which he has the audacity to jump on and squat as if it is a chair, and he grins and bats his lashes at her flirtatiously while she struggles to keep it held up.

“Oh, why can't I be younger? You're cute when you're mad,” says Discord.

“Get off my hammer!” says Pinkie Pie.

She twists her hammer and Discord rolls off, only to be struck by a trio of arrows that explode against him. When the haze clears, he is brushing himself off and looking at Pinprick with absolute boredom.

“You know your arrows are doing absolutely nothing to me, right?” says Discord.

Pinprick's eyes zero in on Discord and he readies another arrow, but this one glows brighter and crackles with energy.

“We'll see about that,” says Pinprick.

Using this moment as a distraction, Pinkie Pie screams and swings her hammer against Discord, creating a sonic boom, a spiderweb of cracks and a cloud of dust that engulfs the two. When the smoke settles, Pinkie Pie is panting and sweating, and her body feels like it is made of wet noodles. But her tired eyes widen to disbelief and tears trail out when she sees Discord holding her hammer's head, tutting at her. Then Pinprick shoots a large, sparking energy arrow at Discord, which he easily catches.

“Thanks!” chirps Discord, grinning at Pinprick.

Discord then throws Pinkie Pie's hammer aside, grabs her shoulder and stabs her through the gut with it, piercing through her aura shield and body with one strike. She gasps and chokes, and her feet dangle helplessly as drops of red patter and spread underneath her. Her hands grip his wrist and blood pools in her throat, with some trickling past her lips.

Everything begins fading into darkness, but she hears Rarity's scream echo and when she is tossed away time crawls for her. The fall is slow, the screams are slow, and Pinprick and Rarity's charge is like watching people run under water. When she hits the ground next to her hammer she does not feel anything and barely hears the thud of her impact.

Pinkie Pie gasps for air and clutches her gut as she turns on her side. Tears and sweat wet her face and she tries to blink away the darkness and haze so she can see Rarity and Pinprick fight Discord. Rarity slashes at him with her one bladed gauntlet with blind fury being her guide while her other arm hangs limp, and Pinprick is swinging at him with a crystal saber. The blades are moving so fast that they are blurs, but so is Discord's cane and his limbs as he weaves past or blocks the attacks.

After dodging one of Pinprick's attacks. Discord swings his cane again the man's cheek. There is a crack and Pinprick's head snaps to the side at an unnatural angle. He twirls to the ground and lays flat on his face, and Pinkie Pie's mouth opens for a scream, but she cannot tell if she is screaming or not.

Discord then smiles at Rarity, and he spins his cane as he approaches her with slow, heavy steps.

“It is just you and me, now, precious gem,” says Discord. He cocks his head quizzically and wags a finger at her, still smiling. “You actually look quite familiar. You wouldn't happen to be a Belle, would you?”

“Leave her alone!” Pinkie Pie's aura crackles weakly and she grinds her bloody teeth as she grabs her hammer and pulls herself to her knees, panting with sweat dripping off her nose. “I'm warning you!”

Discord waves dismissively at Pinkie Pie. “Stay down and bleed to death in peace, would you?”

A distant chain of pops echo and Pinkie Pie sees out of the corner of her eye Applejack diving for cover while the remaining twin advances on her, wielding a small Gatling gun with an energy pack on his back. The stream of energy projectiles chew up the pavement and reduce everything in its path into glowing, jagged remains, forcing Applejack to seek more cover.

Pinkie Pie whimpers and looks between Applejack and Rarity, heart heavy and slow and her blood soaked hands weak and sweaty.

“Yes, you are a Belle! You are Hondo Belle's prized gem, Rarity,” says Discord. “I thought I recognized that pretty face of yours.”

Pinkie Pie grunts painfully and her wounded gut burns in protest as she flexes her muscles to lift her hammer. During this, Applejack tries taking pot shots at the remaining twin, and Rarity growls and swings her blade at Discord. He turns his body slightly and with no regards to pain he grabs the blade and pulls her close so their bodies are touching and she is forced to look up to his psychotic face.

“Such a shame that Celestia and the rest of those lunatics recruit such lovely bodies for their war on reality,” says Discord. Rarity tries to pull away, but he grabs her chin and keeps her eyes on his and tightens the grip on her wrist, shattering her energy blade and making her cry out in pain as bones snap underneath him. “But they don't want the truth. People like Fuastsends, Belles, Bluebloods, Riches, they want to keep reality away from everybody, but that is where I come in!”

As Discord talks, Pinkie Pie sits crosslegged, barely able to keep her body up, and her trembling finger presses the appropriate button to transform her hammer into its cannon.

“I am an agent of reality, and this agent is going tear down your precious walls!” says Discord.

Rarity kicks Discord away and yanks her wrist away from his grip. She then sprouts another blade and stabs his chest, only for the blade to shatter and for ripples of red, green and blue warp to his figure for mere seconds. Seeing this, Rarity gasps and steps back with her eyes wide with tears pooling and pupils shaking, and Discord snickers and holds out his palm. There is a burst of translucent red, green and blue waves and Rarity is blasted off of her feet. She lands on her back, bounces, rolls and skids for dozens of more feet before coming to a stop with her face laying in the pavement and a trail of aura shards disappearing.

Rarity groans and presses her hands into the ground so she can left her head, and she looks at Discord as he approaches her, pale and shaking with blood coating her hair and covering her face. And for Pinkie Pie, she is muttering banging her fist on her hammer, urging for its blue glow to brighten while Applejack dives for cover behind a metal shipping container to avoid the continue onslaught of endless ammo from the twin's weapon.

Pinkie Pie's breathing is now ragged wheezes, and her chest and eyes hurt from her crying, and her neck and back does not feel too good, either, from her constant switching between Rarity and Applejack.

“Come on, hurry up hurry up hurry up,” begs Pinkie Pie. She then bangs her fist hard on her battery and screams at the top of her lungs. “Come on, you stupid thing, hurry!”

Rarity is now pulling herself backwards as Discord towers above her, his eyes pulsating and his grin impossibly large. In a flash, he has Rarity by her throat and has her hoisted up so her legs are dangling, and her chokes and desperate clawing at his hand and wrists do nothing to faze him.

“But I have talked so much and now it is time for you to talk, so here's a question for you. Have you or any other Belle's ever been inside a burning airship?” says Discord. “It's quite fun!”

Pinkie Pie's hammer dings, and she growls in pain through her teeth as she turns her body to the remaining twin and shoots a blue ball at him. He barely turns his head before the projectile explodes against him and blasts him into the nearby building. Dust and broken brick explode outward in a cloud and Pinkie Pie spins up to her feet and aims her cannon at Discord, keeping her stance as steady as her buckling knees, sweaty hands and failing vision will allow.

“Put her down!” orders Pinkie Pie.

Discord looks at Pinkie Pie with a raised brow, and she steps forwards, eyes bright blue, breathing labored, and her shaky steps heavy.

“I said, put her down!” says Pinkie Pie.

“I heard you the first time,” says Discord flatly. “But need I remind you that last time you tried shooting me it really didn't work very well for you or the crane?”

“I can try again.”

Discord wags his finger. “No, no-no, you either do or you do not. There is no try.”

Pinkie Pie's heart skips a beat. “What?”

Without saying a word, Discord forms a finger gun, and from it comes a red beam that punctures Pinkie Pie's abdomen and blows a hole in a dumpster behind her.

“That is doing,” says Discord after blowing the smoke away from his finger tips.

Pinkie Pie gasps, drops her weapon, and falls to her knees, her arms hanging limp at her sides. She chokes and tries to stay up, but her body swings back and forth and eventually she falls face first into the pavement. Pinkie Pie's teary eyes stay open just long enough for her to see Discord slam Rarity into the ground and for him to grab a pair of dumpsters with blue energy and slam them into Applejack when she runs towards him.

Then Pinkie Pie blacks out.

And stops breathing.

Now There Are Two

Two large streaks of fire illuminate the dim pier, and two explosions rip apart the brick structures, shaking the earth and flinging fiery debris in every direction. Thick smoke chokes the sky and bleeds into the streets as debris crashes down, splashing into the water or breaking the ground.

Standing at one of the pier, with cuts and bruises marking her body is Applejack in her torn clothes. Her aura crackles, her boots have hooked her into the ground, and her palms are together and aimed at Discord. Applejack's eyes are wide and tears clean off streaks of grime, and her mouth hangs open in disbelief as her target remains perfectly fine. He is smiling like a fool with his cane in front of him and two burning trails flanking him, each ending at gutted buildings that are engulfed in flames.

“H-How?” stammers Applejack. “How are you still standing!”

Discord places his cane against his shoulder and strolls forward, and when Applejack tries firing another round at Discord nothing but a pitiful puff of orange smoke happens. She growls and tries again, but the same thing happens.

Again and again Applejack tries, but again and again she fails, and with each steps Discord takes towards her with his eyes flashing green she takes a step back. Very soon her growls turned to panicked breaths and when he is upon her, she takes a swing at him, but he pivots and grabs her wrist and when she tries to kick him he effortlessly deflects it and when she extends her other leg to balance he brings his fist down on her femur.

There is a loud crack and Applejack shrieks in pain and drops to her knee, sobbing and cussing through her teeth as her vision blurs from the tears drenching her bloodied face. Discord still holds on to her gauntlet, though, so she cannot hold her leg as she wishes. Instead, all she can do is clutch it with one hand try not to vomit from feeling her shattered bone moving against her flesh.

“Looks like you're out of aura,” says Discord calmly.

“You bastard!” sobs Applejack.

“I know.”

Discord squeezes the gauntlet and Applejack screams again as the metal is crushed and sparks and flames fly, burning her sleeve and hand. He throws her down to the ground and shakes his head as she holds her leg, weeping and trembling. He then looks at the others. Pinprick has yet to move, and his eyes stare at Discord, wide and dead; Pinkie Pie lays face first in the ground, soaked in blood and covered in a thin layer of debris; and Rarity is laying on her side, wheezing and face warped from the pain of her battered body and wet from blood, sweat and tears.

“Well, this has been fun, but I have to go, now,” says Discord. He aims his cane at the remains of a wall and shoots blue ball laced with red bolts. The ball splatters on impact and a portal with a sparking red and blue border opens up with a scream. He then hastily approaches it while waving to the two girls. “Tell Celly I said hi, would you? Thanks!”

Discord then enters the portal and when his body disappears from view the portal seals shut, leaving only desolation.

Applejack's vision is still hazy from the tears, and she flops her head on the ground, shaking and crying as she squeezes her leg.

“Applejack?” calls Rarity.

Applejack looks at Rarity and sees her using one hand to drag her forward. Her bangs are matted to her face from the bloody gash, and one eye is swollen shut. Her teeth grind against each other with every pull, and as much as Applejack wants to yell at her to stay put, she cannot speak. Her throat is tight and her lungs are starved for air, so all she can do is look at Rarity, trying to swallow what air she can between her whimpers.

When Rarity is next to Applejack, tears squeal and a white van swerves around the corner and skids to a stop next to Pinprick. The back door flies open and a group of six blond men in white suits jump out wearing thick, padded gloves with small computers strapped to their wrists. Four of them grab Pinprick and gently, yet quickly, slide him into the van while the other two keep watch with their hands on their holsters. After Pinprick is in, one of the men in white shouts in a foreign tongue and the other two jump inside, close the van, and the vehicle speeds off, leaving a trail of exhaust behind.

The two girls watch, flabbergasted at what they have seen, and when the vehicle is out of sight, Applejack yells and slams her fist on the ground.

“Faust-dammit! Really!?” cries Applejack. “We're dying here and they just drove off!”

Rarity winces and sits up, letting her arm hang limp, and with her good arm she guides Applejack so that her head lies on her lap, and she gently shushes her as her bloodied fingers rake her hair. Applejack closes her eyes and buries her face in Rarity's leg, her burnt hand gripping her teammate's leg while the other holds her leg, and her body shudders as she cries and chokes for air.

“Please be strong,” sniffles Rarity, her voice being drowned by Applejack's cries. She closes her eye and tilts her head down with tears falling off her cheeks. “I can't be strong for all of us. Please stay strong, just a little bit longer... Just a little bit... For them... For them...”

[[[[[OOO]]]]]

At the bus stop at the edge of Ponyville, Pinkie Pie has just finished hugging Cloudy Quartz and is now hugging Igneous. She is disappointed that her sisters are not with them to see her off, but she understands why, so she is not complaining. Vocally, anyway.

So, here she is, outside of the bus with Applejack patiently waiting, the bus driver not being patient, and Igneous hugging her tight. She feels a slight tremble in him, and when he pulls away he keeps a grip on her arms and looks her in the eyes.

“Remember, Pinkamena, thou dost or dost not. There is no try,” says Igneous.

Pinkie Pie smiles and nods. “I know.”

“Also, thou art forbidden from dating.”

“What? Oh, come on!”

Cloudy Quartz smiles and places her hand on Igneous' shoulder.

“Igneous, thou should not worry. A strainer has a better chance of holding water than Pinkie getting a special someone,” says Cloudy Quartz.

“Mom!” whines Pinkie Pie, her body sagging and face burning red.

Applejack snickers behind her, but she does not get a chance to look at her since Cloudy Quartz has taken a hold of her and is kissing her on her head.

“We love you, Pinkamena, always know that,” says Cloudy Quartz.

“I love you, too,” says Pinkie Pie, huffing. “Will you write me?”

“Of course,” says Igneous. “Now, go forth and repay your debt, and may Faust bless you.”

[[[[[OOO]]]]]

Beep. Boop.

Pinkie Pie's eyes peel open. Her eyes feel like they have been lit aflame by the lights above, and she groans and rubs her eyes. Doing this, she feels a tug on her arm and she finds a thin tube connecting her arm to a hanging blood bag. She also realizes that she is in a paper thin gown with her legs covered by a blue blanket and her cot is positioned so her body is up slightly. A quick observation also shows her that she is in a plain, white room and ha sensors hooked up to her that are constantly giving off vitals. So far everything looks stable.

Beep. Boop. Blink.

Pinkie Pie sees her Walkman on her lap, which is concerning for her since she knows she did not bring it with her. She winces and gingerly reaches for her device, trying not to disturb the blood bag too much.

Beep. Boop. Blink.

As Pinkie Pie pulls her Walkman towards her, her abdomen feels like it is splitting open from the two wounds that nearly ripped her in half. Every flex of every muscle is felt and Pinkie Pie looks ahead at the door, seeing nothing past it. However, the footsteps outside speed up when they are in her door's area.

Beep. Boop. Blink.

Pinkie Pie sees Rainbow Dash sitting on a chair next to her cot, eyes closed, arms folded across her chest and her head bowed with her legs outstretched. One of her arms is bandaged and a crumbled bag of Hearty's is nearby, plus a large cup is on a table that just happens to be nearby.

Seeing the cup, and the droplets of dew clinging to its smooth, plastic surface makes Pinkie Pie realize how dry she feels. Saliva pools in her mouth and her tongue runs along her dried lips, and after inspecting the length of the tube, she carefully extends her hand to the cup.

She cringes from the tug, but she perseveres. She grunts and squints her eyes as she grinds her teeth, but she freezes when Rainbow Dash giggles and shifts in her chair. Then, much to Pinkie Pie's amazement, she curls up tightly on the chair, tucking her legs to her chest and resting her head against her knees while her hands bunch up close to her chin.

Pinkie Pie remains frozen in place for a few seconds, watching Rainbow Dash intently. When she feels safe, she snatches the cup and starts drinking. Watered down soda had never tasted so good to her before, and her eyes roll up in bliss and she shudders with a smile.

In seconds the air suction scrapes at the bottom and she pulls the cup away with a wet pop and licks her lips, humming happily.

“Mmm, yum,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Not the peanut butter!” screams Rainbow Dash suddenly, jerking and falling off her seat with a loud thud.

Pinkie Pie jumps and yells, accidentally tossing the cup in the air, where it twirls and crashes to the floor. The door is then pushed open and a fully armored, gold plated guard slides in with his fist aimed straight ahead and the horn on his helmet and a pair of barrels on his wrist glowing.

The two girls stare at the guard, frozen solid, as he sweeps the room, but when he finds nothing interesting he retracts his weapon, nods and moves to exit. However, Pinkie Pie calls him, so he stops and looks at her.

“Where's my team? And why is she here? No offense,” says Pinkie Pie.

“Your team is stable and being held in separate locations, awaiting further interrogation about the incidents of the morning,” says the guard. “As for this one, she gave you blood and upon doctor's firm request she is to stay here until stated otherwise. That and apparently all the other rooms are filled. Any more questions?”

“Is Pinprick here?” asks Pinkie Pie, her hands wringing and her eyes hopeful despite the slimy ink feeling in her that is telling her otherwise.

“Who is Pinprick?”

“He's a tall guy-”

“No males were recovered at the site of your extraction.”

A smile grows and a light gasp escapes Pinkie Pie. “So he survived? He had to have survived! I mean, I saw him get whacked in the head and he got all gimpy and fell weird, but if he wasn't there then he must have walked away and will probably come back and see me any moment now, right? Right?”

Pinkie Pie's head snaps between the guard and Rainbow Dash, desperate to see the answers in their faces, but the full faced helmet only displays her reflection and Rainbow Dash is absolutely confused.

“Right?” asks Pinkie Pie again, her voice losing some of its cheer.

“Enjoy your rest while you can. Principal Celestia Faustsent will have a word with you when she is ready,” says the guard.

He then leaves the room and when the door closes Pinkie Pie's shoulders sag with a loud sigh and her eyelids droop as she looks at Rainbow Dash.

“I'm in serious trouble, aren't I?” says Pinkie Pie.

“Well, a whole building and pier were destroyed by you and your team, Trixie was shot by a black market weapon, Rarity's arm was busted to uselessness, Applejack's leg got shattered and you were basically dead, so, yeah, you're in hot water,” says Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie groans and slams her head against her pillow, using the arm without the bloodbag to cover her teary eyes. “Great. I just got the worst team leader of the year award. Now Applejack, Rarity and Trixie will hate me, my family will be bankrupt, and I'll be going to prison and probably become someone's prison bitch.”

Rainbow Dash yawns and sits on her chair. “Yeah, that's what Octavia said.”

Pinkie Pie sniffles. “That's not helping.”

“She also said prison is not too bad. All you need is friends, wits and a fighting spirit.”

“How would she know?”

“Apparently her father was sent to prison after he killed three guys with a pencil. He still writes to her and all that, but he is basically there for life without parole since they keep finding more murder cases tied to him.”

Pinkie Pie pulls her arm away to look at Rainbow Dash. “You're making that up.”

“I'm not, I swear,” says Rainbow Dash, grinning. She then leans forward and pats Pinkie Pie's arm. “But look on the bright side of all this. You survived a fight against a wanted maniac and basically forced yourself to stay alive even though you were drained of blood, so if anything, you'll make a harem of prison bitches dedicated to you since nobody will keep you down.”

“I guess so...” says Pinkie Pie slowly.

“Another thing, Flash said that you should claim self defense since they can't charge you for that and any further investigations will only expose more bad stuff for the other guys, so you just might get an award for helping uncovering an elaborate crime network!”

Pinkie Pie hums and strokes her chin. “That is insanely optimistic, but insanity is fun, so I'll take it!”

“Awesome!” says Rainbow Dash, giving Pinkie Pie a playful punch in the blood bag arm that makes the injured student cringe and grab the impact spot. However, Rainbow Dash ignores this reaction and grabs her cup, looking disappointed. “Huh, I thought there was more in here...”

=====OOO=====

Underneath the light of the morning sun, Luna stares at a cleared away segment of what was once the Flim Flam pawn shop. Her composure is disciplined, but her brain is smoking from how fast the gears are turning. Around her, investigators are collecting items ranging from weapons to leisure goods, and books to videos. They also found a safe and are now working on opening.

Next to Luna stands a stocky guard with cropped blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His tag reads: Lt. Falx.

“When we found this we wanted you and your sister to see it,” says Falx.

Luna says nothing, for her attention is solely on the cracks that have formed eight barbed arrows in a radial pattern inside a pentagon that is surrounded by a circle.

“What do you think it is?” says Falx.

Luna takes a deep breath and clenches her hands tight. “It means we have a problem.”

“Ma'am?”

Luna ignores him and pulls out her phone. She selects Celestia and in a flurry of motion she sends out a single message:

“Tia. Pinkamena is a Warper.”

Resurgence

Celestia sits in her office, her lips pressed against her fisted hands and her baggy eyes staring at the doorway, phone flipped upside down so she does not see whatever message was sent to her. Footsteps and voices are heard outside. The steps sound disciplined, but the voices are easygoing, like old friends talking. The clock above the doorway tick and the phone on her desk flashes red, displaying 42 missed calls. In front of her is a thick folder with the Academy's seal and an old cup of tea.

The voices and steps stop outside, and seconds later there is a knock on the door.

“Come in,” says Celestia.

Kibitz enters the room and closes the door behind him before approaching Celestia.

“Celestia, Team BLAK is back from their operation,” says Kibitz when he is at her desk.

Celestia nods and feigns a smile. “Thank you. Let them in.”

Kibitz nods and leaves the room. A moment later he returns with a group of four trailing him. All of them are wearing their uniform of green blazers, trousers and skirts with white shirts, and either a red necktie or bolo tie as well as stockings for the two women on their team.

Leading them is Balsam Gilead, a tall man with with cropped silver hair and dark tan skin. Next to him is his right hand man, Larix Conifer, a thickly built man with spiked, green hair and a robotic hand. Then there is Abies Evergreen; she is the tallest of their group and has a thin stature and light brown skin and her dark hair is tied into a bun. Lastly is Kesyia, who also has light brown skin, but she is the smallest of the group and has her hair braided.

Their hardened and scarred faces are nowhere near their innocent stages when they first began their careers as Hunters and Huntresses. Celestia remembers them without their cold, darkened eyes, their faces free of scars and all of them smiling for the camera when they got their official badges. Their eagerness to fight and the glee from graduating is something that she cannot forget. But seeing this batch now leaves a cold stone in her stomach. However, she does not have time to reminisce on the past, and seeing as how she got no word of Discord in cuffs, she has a sick feeling that the mission did not go as planned.

“Was Discord there?” asks Celestia.

Balsam shakes his head. “No, Mom. The place was abandoned and all the electronics were melted, but he left something behind, addressed to you specifically.” He places the box on the table and steps away with his hands behind his back. “It was already scanned and nothing harmful was found.”

Celestia opens the box, but when she sees what is inside, she freezes and stares at the object inside, wide eyed and pale.

“What is it?” asks Abies.

Celestia picks up a mangled, burnt toy plane and holds it out for the others to see. Team BLAK and Kibitz stare at it, confused and some heads cocked to the side.

“Is that a plane?” asks Kesyia.

“Weird... What do you think it means?” asks Larix.

Celestia slumps in her seat and slowly turns the burnt plane in her hand, her eyes reddening and a tear sliding down her cheek.

“It means that Discord is not who we thought he was,” says Celestia.

=====OOO=====

A metal door slides open and Discord walks in with light feet and a satisfied smile. His cane taps in tune with his steps in perfect harmony, and when he enters a room, a bright light turns on, blinding him for a moment, but when his eyes adjust to the light he is greeted with a flag pinned to the wall. The flag has an eye inside a triangle with a red star at the tip, and below in calligraphy is: To Preserve and Prosper.

Sitting in front of the flag, by a table with a flat screen monitor on it, is a copper skinned man with silky black hair tied into a ponytail, wearing dark sunglasses and a dark suit with a red tie and cuffs. Next to him is a female who is around the man's age, has the same skin color, but her hair has been dyed to a dark cerulean and her dark opal eyes are surrounded by an opal eye shadow. Her dress is made of dark fabric with a dark green corset and belt with the top revealing, and her knee high boots are also dark with green shoelaces. And sitting in a corner, tied up with a gag is a nerdy man with his white dress shirt wet and stinking of sweat.

“You must be the agents I was told about,” says Discord.

“Discord, you are late,” says the female with a voice cold like a night in an arctic dessert.

“Are we dropping code names? That's good!” chirps Discord. “Snookums, Sombrero, random guy, it is nice to see you.”

The man in the sunglasses raises a brow and “Snookums” growls, but before she can say thing the monitor flashes on and Abaddon's silhouette appears.

“Belial, I am pleased to see you after the fiasco at the pier. But despite the setbacks, you have proven worthy,” says Abaddon.

Discord smirks and inspects his fingernails. “Thank you. I try.”

“But past actions have not reversed my decision. Sombra and Chrysalis will still be involved, as well as my other agents, but because of your success Phase Two of Resurgence is now in effect. Contact me again when the mission is successful.”

The screen flashes off and Discord grins and rubs his hands together, giggling.

“Excellent. Let's get back to work.”

A Brief Lesson

Legends. Myths. Fairy tales. Humanity has grown fond of tales of the old. The stories of great heroes and villains, and the battles of good and evil, the birth and fall and resurgence of civilization, it has sparked imaginations, encouraged courage and inspired more stories. Yet, with time comes the corruption of knowledge and the challenge of truth.

Heroes and villains just mere legends.

Their stories, myths.

Their lessons, morals of fairy tales.

The truth has become a midwife's tale told to children and nothing more.

But the few that know the truth cling to it.

Humanity was born from the earth and into a world of perfection. The forerunners used their resilience and knowledge to tame the earth and its creatures, and to build monuments and spanning cities. All was fair, all was just, and all saw the light that blessed them.

But then they were deceived.

A serpent's tongue whispered in their ears, promising them more knowledge and more power. So much more, in fact, that Paradise was promised to them. Humanity toiled night and day without falter, obeying the words of the serpent so they may gain the knowledge and power of the Divine, but by the time they realized the deception it was too late.

A gateway was built, and from it came a great shadow that covered the world in darkness and unleashed terrible creatures from the chasms of Tartarus. Cities fell, civilizations collapsed, and untold numbers lost their lives. Soon humanity saw only darkness and its inevitable extinction.

But it was not all lost, for the Divine heard the cries and saw the destruction, and they blessed mankind with knowledge to turn the magic of the creatures against them and to unlock the magic within themselves. Mankind's ingenuity and determination allowed them to harness this new knowledge and to turn the tide in their favor using the very things they used to display their superiority over all things.

Gems.

The gemstones amplified their powers and their weapons, they powered their crafts, created shields and most of all, they gave hope and restored their faith in the light.

With newfound strength, mankind used the powers within themselves and of the gems to push back the creatures of Tartarus. After a century of despair, light finally burned away the darkness, and cities were rebuilt, and with them, new civilizations and hope for a better tomorrow.

Humanity flourished once more with their victory, but the Gate of Tartarus remains open, and its creatures still roam, but there are the brave ones known as Hunters and Huntresses that keep them at bay. They are the light of the world, and should they fade, then darkness will consume all things once more.

Author's Note

So, this is a RWBY crossover, and it has humanized ponies. So, yeah. Have some music.