Testing

Rainbow had stayed up all night, helping to bring her friend down from her....severe mental state. Pinkie had eventually quit crying about halfway through the night, and had started to become coherent and responsive just a few minutes ago. Now, she had her head buried in Rainbow's mane, taking deep breaths.

'It's alright Pinkie...it's alright...I'm here." Words of comfort had been flowing from her mouth and into Pinkie's ear all night, soft tones and good intentions whispered from her lips.

"I....I...R-Rainbow Dash.....don't...don't leave me with her again..." Pinkie was clinging to her like a life-raft on stormy waters. She didn't want to let go, and she wasn't going to anytime soon. "Don't let her get me..."

"Shh...I won't let her get you. I won't....y'know why...? Because I love you..." Her lips met Pinkie's forehead in a soft, gentle kiss. "And I promise that I won't let anything ever hurt you..." A promise to Pinkie was a promise for life...Rainbow just wished that it wouldn't cost one of them a life.

The door opened with a soft hissing sound. Both mares turned and looked at it, the chamber was empty and as barren as they came.

"Out. Now. You two need your exercise just as much as the others." This voice, instead of being the maniacal male from yesterday, was a stern female. Rainbow Dash stood and Pinkie stood with her, still hanging on for dear life. The pink mare's eyes were dangerously wide, taking in every detail in case some of the voices decided to talk to her again from out of nowhere

"Hey...it'll be fine. All of our friends are out there.." Rainbow Dash nuzzled her smaller friend's mane and pulled her into the chamber between doors. When the door behind them hissed closed, Pinkie started freaking out. Her breaths became shallow and rapid, her pupils dilated, and she began to sweat. "Pinkie...Calm down...please." After a few words of encouragement, the mare stabilized. Then the door opened.

Jazz had been leaning against the door before it opened. He hit the floor in front of them with a thud, which made Pinkie cling to Dash tighter. The gold and blue unicorn just looked up at them from behind his sunglasses...a moment passed, then he smiled.

"Two mares gettin' close in a closet? I can dig that." Dash glared down at him and simply stepped over him, making sure to land a strong hoof right in his stomach. Pinkie practically levitated over him, which caused the colt to give a whistle. "Damn..."

"Pinkie! Rainbow!" The three mares that were in the main room rushed over and hugged them. Pinkie tried to avoid the hugs, pushing away what she could and avoiding the rest.

"Are y'all okay...?" Applejack hugged Pinkie close and stroked the pink mare's mane, trying to get her to calm down. "They didn't hurt'cha did they?" Pinkie relaxed and leaned into her country friend.

"It was really quiet in there." Rainbow commented. "I could hear my stomach...It was crazy. No wonder she's like this." Rainbow sat down, then Pinkie let go of AJ and sat beside her, nuzzling her rainbow friend. "Aaand...she's still clingy..."

A loud whirring sound filled the room, every prisoner turned to the center of the room. A circular platform lowered from the ceiling, on it two figures stood. One in a purple vest and a matching hat, the other was a pony with a red and black coat. The one in tacky purple get-up, tapped a cane on the platform with magic. The crowd just watched.

"Hello, Hello, Hello My Little Ponies!" They all know the voice, it was the one from the orange orb. Maddeningly gleeful, insane. 11 pairs of eyes turned into glares, Pinkie was too busy whispering sweet nothings into Rainbow's ear. "Awww, you're not happy to see me? Well you've never actually seen me, but you could still be happy to see me for the first time!" Once the platform was close enough to the ground, the mad unicorn hopped off and stepped forward. "Game Master's the name! This lovely lady behind me is Harlequin!" His cane pointed to the red, black, and blonde unicorn who didn't look happy at all. "Speaking of...Harls, will you please go fetch our last guest?" The mare rolled her eyes and went to go fetch Twilight. She came out of the room, Twilight held aloft by magic. "Faaaantastic!"

"Alright, y'all got some questions to answer!" Twilight was sat down right beside Applejack. "Like why are we here?"

"Well paint me blue and call me baby!" Game Master did a really bad southern accent, clearly poking fun at AJ. The mare just furrowed her brow. "Ah reckon that we all are wonderin' what we're doin' here!" He trotted right over to Applejack and tapped her head with his cane. "How about you be a dear and keep that freckled trap shut...that accent is going to drive me mad......er."

"Ah ain't got no accent....everypony else has an accent..." The farmer grumbled under her breath and kicked the ground idly.

"Right! Now that everyone is gathered here....Harls, if you would be so kind as to use our newly acquired spell to free Ms.Sparkle." The mare, Harlequin, closed her eyes. Her red horn glowed a brilliant yellow, the glow then engulfed Twilight. After a bright flash and the other contestants complaining about the flash being too bright, Twilight's eyes and mouth moved. First the Element of magic took a deep breath, then fell to her front knees. In the next moment, something frightening happened: Twilight got up, bolted over to Soarin, headbutted him to the ground, then placed her hoof right on the sack beneath his sheathe.

"Y-You...you....I will destroy you..." The mare's eyes were akin to the fires of Tartarus, her gaze could penetrate solid concrete, her nostrils flared with every breath. "You're lucky this thing is on my horn......or else you wouldn't have a thing. Do I make myself clear...?" The stallion, his sexual future beneath the hoof of an angry mare, nodded rapidly. "And if you ever touch me again, I'll make sure you never fly...are we clear?" He nodded again and she raised her hoof, then quickly and quietly made her way over to her friends.

"So much drama! Absolutely delicious!" The madpony cackled gleefully. "This is a good batch. I can sense it already!" After a minute straight of his insane laughing, he calmed down. "Right-o. Onto business. Tomorrow the Preliminary Round begins! 'What's that?' you may ask.....well, shut up. You ask a lot of questions. You will all wake up tomorrow in a different place, and you must.....survive in that place. Are we clear?" Several contestants opened their minds as though to speak, but Game Master cut them off. "Good!" The tacky pony stepped back onto the circular platform and tipped his hat to them all. "Good night~!" Harlequin followed them, and soon the platform raised back into the ceiling. Leaving the ponies(and griffon) to talk about the encounter.