Scoot-A-Loo: Cruel Critters

An ear-splitting siren jolts Scootaloo's body to life as she launches out of her bed and sprawls onto the floor. Her blurry vision and disorientation sends her into a panic as she crawls under her bed for protection against whatever is making that horrid sound. Gathering her senses, she comes to realize this siren is the alarm she set the night before. Then it hits her: she made a promise to Twilight yesterday that she can't afford to break. She races to gather herself together and focus on getting herself out the door as quickly as possible. First the alarm clock, which is much faster to silence by unplugging the chord from the wall than searching for the right button. She checks herself in the mirror, and other than her mane being absolute mess, it's nothing she's concerned about. Perhaps the most important thing--her backpack--is what she's scouring her bedroom floor for. Not for any of the schoolbooks inside, but for something much more important than that--at least according to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo rockets down the stairs into the living room, where she's tempted to completely ignore the sweet scent of breakfast. She reasons that surely she can't fulfill the promise she made to Twilight on an empty stomach. So, she peers into the dining room to find a quick bite she can snatch before leaving.

"Ahh, good morning Scootaloo!" says her Aunt as she pours herself a glass of juice.

"Hey, Aunt Holiday! What'cha making?" Scootaloo inquires.

"Well, I know you have to be out of here early, so I got your breakfast right here in a bag for you. There's a cantaloupe slice, two pancakes, a juice pouch, and a little bottle of syrup. Can't have pancakes without syrup!"

"Thanks Aunt Holiday; you're always lookin' out for me! Be back later!"

"Have Fun!"

Scootaloo snatches the brown sack of food, and heads for the door. After that the only thing left is the stretch of road leading to Twilight's Castle of Friendship. She twists the knob, pulls open the door, and is greeted by yet another surprise: a roadblock that had to have been put there by fate.

"Uhh, hey Scoot!" says Apple Bloom with her hoof in position to knock on the door.

"Wow, you're up early," says Sweetie Belle. "Where are you going?"

Of course, it had to be her two closest friends whom she had hoped she wouldn't bump into today. Despite how desperately she wants to share what she knows, part two of Twilight's promise kicks in. Not only does she have to be there as early as possible, she's forbidden from telling anypony about it. She needs to come up with a fib and fast.

"I'm . . . on my way to school!" She proclaims.

"But it's the weekend," says Apple Bloom.

"Uhh, you see, I asked Miss Cheerilee for a catch-up study session!" She stammers.

"You? Study?"

"Yeah, since when do you of all ponies go to school on a weekend to learn?" Sweetie Belle adds.

"Well, Sweetie Belle, I figured it'd be a nice change to help bring my grades up," Scootaloo says through her clenched teeth.

"But don't you always say as long as you're passing you're passing?" Apple Bloom asks.

"If I don't make it then I'm going to end up below passing--so, sorry guys, but I really need to go!"

Scootaloo then squeezes through her two friends. She knows it's rude of her to do so, but as soon as the time comes, she'll tell them everything. Right now, she can't afford the risk of word spreading about what Twilight's made--and if it does--she'd rather not consider what consequences might follow. Such as any future involvement with Twilight's project as a reliable confidant.

"Wait, Scoot! We need your help!" Her friends beg in unison. Just like that, Scootaloo stops in her tracks. If her closest friends are in need of her help, she can't simply turn a blind eye to it. Surely even Twilight--the Princess of Friendship herself--wouldn't approve of such a thing. If she ends up a few minutes late she knows Twilight will understand given the circumstances.

"You guys know I'll help no matter what," Scootaloo affirms. "So, what do you need me to do."

"Alright!" They cheer.

"C'mon! This way!" says Apple Bloom as she leads the brigade in a full gallop through Ponyville.

Scootaloo considers the possibilities of what the emergency could be. Given the speed they're moving and the sense of urgency, it must be something important. She wonders if Apple Bloom's farm's been raided by an unknown apple thief who's stolen all the apples, or if Sweetie Belle's sister is having another one of her dramatic episodes--and how she'd be able to help with that is even in the realm of possibility. She fears that they've maybe gotten themselves into a situation with they're favorite school bully Diamond Tiara, that term used loosely of course. Scootaloo relishes the weekends as it's a two-day respite from Diamond Tiara and her fellow accomplice Silver Spoon. If they're causing trouble now, it might be the end of peaceful weekends from now on. Apple Bloom and Sweetie come to a screeching halt before the trunk of what has to be tallest tree in Ponyville.

Sweetie Belle desperately points up at the tree. "Up there! Look!"

Caught between some branches is a dark blue, plastic frisbee. Scootaloo, with her hoof pressed against her forehead, sighs a breath of both frustration and relief. Sure, it wasn't the world-shattering emergency she thought it was, but at least the weekends are still safe.

"We were just playin' like normal until a gust of wind up an' carried the frisbee all the way up into this tree!" Apple Bloom explains.

"Yeah, and since we know you're not afraid of heights, we figured you'd be able to climb up there no problem!" Sweetie Belle explains.

"Guys, it's really not that high," says Scootaloo.

"Says you! I can't even reach it with my magic!"

"Whaddya say, Scoot? Think you can get it down?" Apple Bloom asks.

Scootaloo smirks, "No biggie! I'll get that thing down in a flash."

Burning with confidence and still pressing for time, she drops her schoolbag and takes hold of the first branch. Her friends watch in excitement as she effortlessly hops from branch to branch inching closer to their lost toy. Scootaloo hadn't ever been afraid of heights once in her life, and she isn't planning on ever starting. She always considered it a perk of being a pegasus; her love of the air and flight never wavering. Within seconds the frisbee is at eye level with her. It's a little far from the trunk, but she knows she'll reach it if she stretches out far enough. She can feel the edge of the frisbee at the tip of her hoof, but the snap of a branch above her catches her attention. She looks up into the mesh of leaves and branches, and is puzzled by a strange shape inside. It's far too big to be a squirrel; even too big to be a hawk. Her heart starts to tremble as the thing in the tree starts to shift. As it moves, the sunlight glimmers off its body like how it would if it were made of metal. Scootaloo, wanting nothing more than to get down and escape, grabs the edge of the frisbee. The entire body of the tree quakes as the shiny creature launches itself into the air. Scootaloo panics, loses her balance, and plummets downward with a scream. Her little wings flap and flutter in a vain attempt to keep her afloat to no avail.

"Scoot!" Her friends yell as they position themselves under Scootaloo. They collectively grunt as she falls into the safety cushion that is her friends, followed by groans of pain.

"Th-Thanks guys," says Scootaloo as she gets to her hooves, and helps them get to theirs.

"Don't mention it,"--Apple Bloom dusts herself off--"But what happened up there?"

"Yeah, the tree just shook for no reason!" Sweetie Belle asks.

"There was this . . . thing!" Scootaloo stammers. "I saw it moving in the tree. I couldn't really tell what it was, but it was huge, and kinda shiny too. Next thing I know it takes off! Didn't you guys see it?"

"We didn't see anything."

"Yeah, once you fell the only thing we were lookin' at was you," Apple Bloom explains.

"Ugh, you're kidding!" Scootaloo stomps her hoof into the grass, but notices something glint from underneath it. She lifts up her hoof and finds a large feather beneath the blades of grass. "Guys. . . Look."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle huddle next to Scootaloo hypnotized by the sleek, golden feather. Scootaloo picks it up, unsure if what she's seeing is even real. No words are spoken by the trio as they examine it. Scootaloo wonders if it's just a paint job, and carefully looks over every aspect of the feather for any sign of its true color. However, every part of the feather from between the vanes down to the quill are perfectly golden. Their dreamlike haze is interrupted by the loud chime of the town clock tower. Upon realizing the time, Scootaloo's heart races as she shoves the feather in her schoolbag.

"Sorry guys I really gotta go! We'll meet up later!" She shouts back to her friends as she vanishes from sight.

"Y-Yeah! See ya later!" says Apple Bloom. "Sweetie Belle, on a scale of one to ten, how weird was that?"

"It's hard to say, but I think it was a decent seven," says Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, I'm right there with ya."

After dodging and weaving her way through to the other side of town, she finally reaches her destination: Twilight's Castle of Friendship. She had a fear of getting lost and forgetting where her castle exactly was, but it's difficult to miss a large, crystalline tree that doubles as a four story home complete with doors, windows and balconies. Out of breath and her hooves aching, she knocks on the tall, golden doors. Scootaloo can't keep but think back to that bizarre encounter. She's still unsure of what she even saw, or if the feather in her bag even came from what was in that tree. So many questions buzz around in her head like a swarm of parasprytes, and she can't come up with a single answer to any of them. She knows Twilight's very knowledgeable in just about everything, but wonders if she should even bother asking. It could just be a big misunderstanding; the feather might not be gold, and the creature could've been anything. That's if it was even a creature at all.

"Scootaloo! You made it!" Twilight happily greets from the doorway. Scootaloo hadn't noticed the door was open since she was staring down at the doorstep pondering to herself.

"Uhh-yeah! I told you I'd be here, and I meant it! There was no way I was gonna miss out on this," says Scootaloo taking a breath between every word.

"Are you okay? I hope I didn't make you rush. We could've scheduled for a later time if you wanted."

"No, no. That's okay. I wanted as much time as possible to help you with this."

"Well, I appreciate the dedication there, Scootaloo. Please, come in. I'll get you some water; you look parched."

Together they wander the halls of the castle as the sounds of their steps echo throughout. Twilight looks to Scootaloo as she guzzles down the glass of water she'd been given with such haste she's surprised she doesn't choke. She feels Scootaloo must've been inconvenienced by the time she chose to host this meeting, yet is grateful to have her volunteering for her project.

"Thank you again, Scootaloo, for helping me with this," says Twilight.

"Are you kidding?! This is like one of the coolest things ever! I should be thanking you for asking me."

"It's my pleasure. So, did you study them?"

"Oh yeah, I studied them all night!"

"All night?"

"Well, most of the night anyway. I did get sleep though. Honest."

"I won't lie; I didn't get much sleep either. I had to make sure that everything was in perfect, working order during our test."

"You mean it's working?! For real?!"

Twilight giggles at the sight of her excitement. "Just head through that door and you'll see!"

Like a child on Hearth's Warming, she darts through the door into a wide-open room with one large spotlight beaming down onto what appears to be an arena of sorts. Littered around the room are various tools and blueprints detailing the schematics of the rectangular platform in the center of the room. The platform itself appears to be made of glass where a slew of circuits, wires, and other technologic architecture can be seen underneath. The outer rim of the arena is protected by a shiny, metal boundary meant to contain every wire and circuit board inside. Scootaloo climbs up onto a podium that's built into one side of the arena; a small stepstool has been provided for her to get a clear view of the arena.

"Woah. . . You built this whole thing?" Scootaloo asks.

"Yep! Everything down to the smallest detail." Twilight walks over to the podium on the opposite side of the arena, and uses her magic to lift up a deck of cards to show to Scootaloo. "So, are you ready to get started?"

Reaching into her schoolbag, Scootaloo pulls out her own deck of cards like a warrior drawing her sword. "Oh, you know it!"

"Then in that case"--Twilight uses her magic to grab hold of a lever peeking out of a switchbox built into the side of the arena--"you're on." She throws the lever, activating the arena as the machinery hums. Lights illuminate the platform, as well as the podiums on which they stand. "Go ahead and set your deck in the appropriate space."

Scootaloo examines the glass grid laid out before her, recalling that the deck goes in the bottom far right space. She pulls exactly five cards from the top of the deck as her hoof trembles with both excitement and anxiety. She hadn't expected Twilight to have finished building the arena for her visit, but now that she'll actually get to see it in action, she wonders just how impressive it'll be once the first card is played.

"Since you say you've studied all night, let's see how much you know. I'll let you take the first turn," says Twilight.

Scootaloo swallows to help ease her dry throat as she does her best to recall everything she had learned. Every space on the grid is a space for a card, and the top row is going to be her main focus as of now. She looks at her drawn cards and is a bit overwhelmed by the amount of options she has, but she sets her eyes on the one card she wants to play. With the card in hoof, she places it onto one of the available spots on the grid.

"I play The Hooded Robin!" The space lights up around the card, and the corresponding space on the arena glows. Before her eyes, an image of the creature on the playing card begins to take shape. Within seconds, every aspect of the creature from its crimson feathers to the olive-green hood over its head are rendered in stunning realism. Even Twilight herself is impressed by the beauty and ferocity of the creature's appearance. "Woah. . . I-I played my first critter!"

"Good job!" Twilight cheers. "Don't get too carried away though. You're only allowed to play one critter per turn, at least in this fashion."

"Right! Then I think I'll end my turn there."

"So, you didn't send your critter on the offensive. I'm glad you remembered you can't do that on the first turn of the game."

"See? I know my stuff."

"Well, playing your critter in offensive mode might not have been the best idea."

"What do you mean? Look how tough she is!"

"You're right; her offensive points are fifteen hundred, which isn't bad at all. I'll draw one card to start my turn, and next I'll play my Friendship Fairy in offensive mode." Twilight places her card on the grid, and the image of a small, innocent critter with pink fur and a pair of butterfly wings digitizes on her side of the arena. Its wide, yellow eyes blink in wonder as it squeaks with glee.

"Is that it? I'm not scared of that little fuzzball! Its offense points are only one thousand two hundred!"

"For now, but not after I play this; I activate this mystic card: Circle of Friendship!" Once the card hits the grid, Twilight's side of the arena becomes surrounded by a heavenly, golden ring. "As long as this card remains in play, any critter I control with the word Friendship in its name gains five hundred offensive and defensive points!"

"Huh?! Then your fairy's at seventeen hundred!"

"That's right. Now, Friendship Fairy, use your blinding beam against Scootaloo's Hooded Robin!" The pink-haired critter pulls out a magic wand from its fur, and with one commanding point of the tip, a golden beam shoots toward Scootaloo's robin. The bird caws as an explosion erupts from the impact; Scootaloo shields her face from the incoming gust of smoke, and to her surprise it feels all too real. The strength of the blast, the shaking of the floor, and the painful sounds of her critter biting the dust are so frighteningly realistic that Scootaloo looks on in bewilderment as the smoke dissipates to reveal an empty space where her critter once was.

"Woah. . . That. Was. Awesome!" Scootaloo bounces on the stepstool. "I totally wasn't expecting anything like that!"

Twilight giggles. "I'm glad you like it, but pay attention to your life points! Since my fairy was two hundred points stronger than your robin, you take two hundred points of damage." Scootaloo watches as the digital number counter on her screen decrease from four thousand to three thousand eight hundred. Twilight's, however, gets to stay at a hefty four thousand as displayed at the front of her podium in big, white numbers. "Whenever one of your critters is defeated, it gets sent to the dungeon space above your deck. Along with any mystics cards and such that are played."

Scootaloo moves the card to the correct space. "I may have lost some life points, but that's your only attack this turn!"

"That's right. I can only attack once with each critter I control; in this case: one. Before ending my turn, I'll set one card facedown." An image of a large card appears on one space of the back row on Twilight's side, but only the back of the card is visible. "Remember, Scootaloo, you want to try and be one step ahead of your opponent. You want to make sure you have a plan in place for whatever I might do."

"You're right. I left my robin defenseless, but that won't happen again!"

"I like the confidence! Go ahead; your go."

"I'll draw for my turn."

Scootaloo, I can help you.

"Huh? What did you say, Twilight?"

"I didn't say anything. I'm just being patient; take all the time you need."

Scootaloo looks back over her shoulder as if expecting to see somepony there, but of course there isn't. She could've sword she'd heard a voice just now, but reasons that it must be the lack of sleep finally catching up to her. With a stronger critter in the arena, she needs to build back up some line of defense. She scans her drawn cards for something with a large defensive number, and luckily, she finds just the card she needs.

"I play my Dragon Hatchling in defensive mode!" She sets the card in a sideways position on the grid, and an image of a large, speckled egg forms on the arena. The egg wiggles and shakes until a big-eyed, baby dragon pops its head out from the top with the shell still on its head. It roars with its little voice and spits a tiny burst of flame from its mouth. "His offensive points may be zero, but his defense is what counts!"

"Hmm, you know you can only play a critter in defense if it's facedown, right?"

"Thanks to my dragon's ability, if I don't control any critters, I can play him from my hoof faceup!"

"Ooh, well done. Your dragon's got two thousand defensive points! That's going to be tough to deal with."

"You bet! But I'm not done yet." Scootaloo takes another card from her hoof and sets it on the grid. "I'm gonna play a mystic card of my own! I'll use Coat of Armor!" Suddenly, the young dragon's egg turns from white and speckled to silver and metal with a brilliant sheen. "This will give my little dragon a two-hundred-point boost to his defense! Since that's all I can really do right now, I'll end my turn there. Good luck getting past that!"

"You've made a nice wall of defense there, Scootaloo! But I don't think it's going to be much of a problem for me."

"What do you mean? Your fairy's not even close to being strong enough to get through my dragon!"

"She's not. Which is why her time here in the arena must sadly come to an end. I'll be using her as tribute to play a much more powerful critter." Twilight's Friendship Fairy vanishes from the arena as she removes the card from the grid in place of a new critter card. "I play Marigold The Protector of Friendship!" On the arena forms the figure of a unicorn mare dressed in antiquated, silver armor with gold linings, and a long, flowing mane of golden yellow given her namesake. She glares at the little dragon, scaring it back into its shell.

"Woah. It's almost like they're alive."

"Isn't it amazing? I've programmed the algorithm to have the critters interact slightly during standby. Not all of them will, but I'm glad we got to see it happen with these two. It's just one of those little details to immerse you even more so into the game."

"Yeah, in case I wasn't already! This is epic! Aw, but she's so powerful! She got two thousand offense points plus an extra five hundred thanks to your Circle of Friendship! Little guy won't stand a chance; I guess I'll be taking three hundred points of damage."

"Sorry, Scootaloo, but you'll be taking much more than that."

"Huh? How?"

"I'll show you by playing my facedown card! I play the hex card: Dazed and Confused!" The large hologram of the card lifts up to reveal the image of a derpy-eyed pony dressed in simple armor and stumbling about.

"A hex card?! Those are the cards that are like mystic cards except they're magenta instead of teal, right?"

"Sort of. These are the cards that need to be set facedown first before they can be played. Not only that, but they can be used during your turn or mine. What this card does is it switches one of your critter's battle positions!"

"Th-Then that means. . ."

"That's right. Your dragon's coming out of his shell with his zero offense points, and your life points will take the full twenty-five hundred points of damage! Marigold, attack her dragon with Friendship Blast!"

The unicorn soldier's horn begins to shine as particles of light gather at the tip. She stomps her hooves onto the floor and releases a powerful blast of golden light at the small dragon who's no longer protected by his shell. Scootaloo watches in terror until the intensity of the light and the deafening roar of the beam become too much for her to bear. She ducks under the podium to hide from the bombardment of the unicorn's magic, and notices a subtle glow creeping out from her schoolbag. Scootaloo's eyes become permanently affixed to it as it continues to brighten.

Scootaloo, let me take over. I'm here to help you.

"Who. . ? Who are you?" Scootaloo mutters.

The dragon and its egg are completely enveloped in the unicorn's blast, creating an even larger cloud of smoke compared to the destruction of the first critter. Twilight watches the life point counter on Scootaloo's podium drop significantly to thirteen hundred. "Sorry Scootaloo! I'm just trying to show you how important it is to think ahead! One turn can really do a number on your life points!"

"Thanks for the tip, Twilight," says a much more mature-voiced mare from behind the smoke. Caught off guard, Twilight takes a step back in bemusement as the smoke clears. An adult mare who bears a striking resemblance to Scootaloo now stands where the young filly once did. Twilight isn't sure if it's simply her eyes playing tricks on her, or this invention of hers is somehow inducing some sort of hallucinogenic affect that's altering her perception. Unless her ears are deceiving her as well, she believes that mare can only be Scootaloo. "I'll guarantee you I won't make that mistake again."

"Scootaloo? Is . . . Is that you?"

"Who else would it be? I'll draw for my next turn." Scootaloo draws her new card and instantly smirks upon seeing it. "It seems I don't have exactly what I need right now, but I'm looking to change that. I play the mystic card: Beggar's Plea!" The card materializes on the arena to show an image of a vagrant pony begging for bits. "If you control the strongest critter in the arena, I get to draw two extra cards from my deck."

"Smart choice. Hopefully you draw what you need, because my Marigold won't be going down that easy."

"Are you sure?"

"Huh?" Twilight winces at Scootaloo's stern confidence; the new look in her eyes with the smirk on her face is a formidable combo that's starting to put Twilight on edge.

"I play another mystic card: Anti-Magic Arrow!" A large bow and arrow materialize on Scootaloo's side of the arena; the tip burning with a greenish flame. "This card allows me to destroy one faceup mystic card on the arena, and I'll be choosing your Circle of Friendship!" The arrow fires into the golden ring of light surrounding Twilight's side of the arena, shattering it into pieces as if it were made of glass. "Now your critter's offense points drop back down to two thousand."

"Hmph, maybe so, but she's still the strongest."

"She is. For now. I'll be ending my turn there."

"What?! You didn't even play a critter or set any cards! How do you plan on making it through my next turn?"

Scootaloo smirks. "Must've slipped my mind. Go ahead and attack then. What have you got to lose?"

Twilight pauses, then smiles. "Well played, Scootaloo. You almost had me." Scootaloo's eyebrows lift, and her smirk disappears. "You've remembered some of your critters have special abilities that can actually activate after they're defeated. Like your Hooded Robin for example, it can deflect an attack directly back at me if I were to do so. After that, it's completely removed from play. I like the strategy there, Scootaloo; you've really studied your cards."

Scootaloo shrugs. "What can I say? I gave it a shot."

"It was a good attempt, but I'll be keeping control of this match with this!" Twilight pulls a card from her hoof, and confidently places it on the grid. "I play: Duplication Spell! I choose one critter on my side of the arena, and create a clone with the same name, offensive and defensive points!" The card materializes on the arena, showing an image of a fuzzy critter similar to Twilight's Friendship Fairy with a hazy copy of itself leaving its body. Twilight's Marigold is then split into two; one being the original, and the other being a semi-transparent clone beside it. "But that's not all. If you thought two Marigolds was enough, how about a third?!"

"What?!"

"I play another Duplication Spell to make yet another clone of Marigold! That makes three powerful critters on my side of the arena, and just in case you have any plans, I'll set one card facedown before ending my turn."

Scootaloo draws a new card. "I gotta say, you've really outdone yourself. Three powerful critters, and a hex card as a backup."

"How do you know it's a hex card? It could be either one."

"Good point! How about we find out?"

"What do you mean?"

"I play: Hex-Sealing Sword!" On Scootaloo's side of the arena, a giant sword with a green gemstone embedded in its crossguard materializes. Upon seeing the sleek, silver blade, Twilight's body tenses. "This card allows me to pick one of your facedown cards. If it's a mystic card, then you have to reveal it to me; if it's a hex card, then it must remain facedown for the rest of this turn." Twilight, speechless, is taken back by Scootaloo's play. "So, which is it?"

"It"--Twilight sighs--"It's a hex." The sword launches into the air, then arcs downward, piercing the hologram card.

"Now, how about we set the stage with this? I play: Thunderstorm!" Suddenly, the light in the room starts to dim. Above both their heads a mass of dark storm clouds begins to form. They roar as a loud crack of thunder causes Twilight to jolt from shock. She watches as small droplets of rain brew into a violent storm; her Marigold and clones all struggling to shield themselves from the winds. "As long as this card is in play, all wind and water critters gain a five hundred offense point boost! All other critters on the other hoof, lose five hundred. Looks like yours all drop down to fifteen hundred points.

"Heh, good work!" Twilight yells over the raging storm. "But where are you going to go from here?! You're only able to play one critter from your hoof! Say you defeat one of my Marigolds; that still leaves me with two! When my next turn starts, and my hex card is freed from your sword, this match will be tipping in my favor!"

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but there won't be a next turn!"

"W-What? How?!"

"Really it's all thanks to you. Since you didn't attack me so I can use my robin's ability, she's still in my dungeon. Which means I can play this!" Scootaloo shows Twilight one of the cards in her hoof. "I'll use the mystic card: Jailbreak! This card allows me to bring up to two critters from my dungeon back to the arena for one turn. However, they stay in defensive mode. Welcome back, Hooded Robin and Dragon Hatchling!" The two critters reappear onto the arena as Scootaloo readies another card in her hoof. "Now that I have two critters, I play this!" The card appears on the arena, depicting two fluffy yaks blowing into ivory horns with a bolt of lightning striking down between them. These same yaks materialize onto the arena, and blow into their horns to produce a haunting call that not even the sounds of the storm can overpower. "I activate Stormcaller's Beckon!"

"You mean. . ? Y-You can--!"

"It seems like you already know what's coming next. By using my two critters as tribute, I get to play the last card in my hoof! Come forth, Thunderbird: King of the Storm!"

Twilight, brimming with dread, reluctantly looks up into the clouds as the sounds of wing beats grow louder and louder. Something similar to an eagle's cry echoes throughout the chamber, and as the clouds part, Twilight's eyes widen with fear as a flash of lightning reveals a brief glance at the enormous creature.

Scootaloo raises her hoof to the sky. "With three thousand offensive points, plus an extra five hundred from the storm, your Marigolds stand no chance! And since you left them on the offensive, you'll be paying the price in life points! Thunderbird, use Sonic Shriek on her Marigold!" The silhouette of the giant beast rears its head, and unleashes a deafening screech that shatters Twilight's Marigold as her life point counter drops from four thousand to two thousand. "And that's not all! I'll use his special ability! By paying one thousand of my life points, he can make a second attack this turn!"

"What?! Then . . . that means. . !"

"That's right. This match is over. Now, my King, strike her Marigold clone with Lightning Barrage!"

From the clouds, an onslaught of lightning bolts rain onto Twilight's Marigold clone. The attack rattles the arena with a strength far beyond any that came before. She shields her face with her hoof whilst holding onto the podium with the other as to not lose her balance. The life point counter reaches zero, and the chaos dissipates. The winds calm, the clouds vanish, and the arena is left empty.

Twilight lowers her hoof to find everything has returned back to normal, along with little Scootaloo who's gleefully celebrating at her podium. Still in a state of shock, Twilight takes a brief moment to breathe. She hadn't expected such convincing realism from her invention, and most certainly didn't expect such skillful play from her opponent. The first two turns felt just as novice as she had expected; then it was as if a switch had been turned in Scootaloo's head to completely change her way of playing. To Twilight, it felt like facing somepony entirely different.

"Woohoo!" Scootaloo cheers. "I did it! I can't believe I did it! Did you see that, Twilight?! All that rain, and the wind, and all that lightning just came crashing down like: boooooom!"

Twilight knows it had to be another presence battling her during that match, yet there she is recalling events passed with childlike glee. No longer a mare with a stern tone of voice and commanding stare, but the restless filly who's head barely reaches up above the podium without a stepstool. Twilight deduces there must be some scientific reason for it, but whatever that reason is, it isn't as important as seeing Scootaloo in such a joyous state. She smiles, and walks over to Scootaloo's podium.

"Good game, Scootaloo. You made a really big comeback there."

"Thanks, Twilight! You weren't just going easy on me, were you?"

"Nope! I really was trying. You've really gotten a good grasp of your deck."

"Oh, yeah! I guess I should return it to you, huh? You did say it was just to borrow."

"Actually, I want you to keep it. Just a little thank you for helping me."

"You're kidding! Thank you! Thank you! Can we play again?!"

Twilight chuckles. "Of course we can, but I think we'll have to hold off on that for a bit. There's some tweaks and adjustments I need to make to the arena, but soon, everypony will be able to play!"

"Yes! I can't wait! I'm gonna get Sweetie Belle to play, and Apple Bloom, and if Rainbow Dash plays that'd just be insane! Wait, do I still have to keep this a secret?"

"I'm sure it must've been hard to keep it a secret for this long, and after seeing how excited you are now, I think it'll be okay if you told your friends--as long as they promise not to talk about it."

"They won't! I swear!"

"Alright, then go ahead."

"Sweet!" Scootaloo puts on her bag and gallops toward the door. "Thanks, Twilight! Your game is the best!"

The door closes behind Scootaloo, and Twilight looks back at the arena. She considers the entire test run to be a success. However, something about the machine is giving her a strong sense of uneasiness. Using her magic to grab hold of the control lever, she yanks it downward to shut down the arena. The electrical humming steadily comes to a stop, and Twilight prepares to get to work.

Epilogue

Three Days Later

Diamond Tiara sits near the crackling fireplace in her living room, the only light being that of the dancing flames. Periodically, she glances at one of the many family portraits strung up along the walls, but isn't able to stare for very long. The stiff, lifeless gaze of the painted ponies forces her to break eye-contact out of fear. She sits anxiously with the monotonous ticking of a clock being the only thing keeping her somewhat calm. The knob of the front door twists, and Dimaond Tiara rushes to meet her father as he hangs up his coat.

"Father!" She exclaims. "I need to talk to you."

"Of course, darling. As do I."

"I overheard some fillies at school talking about some new game that Twilight's making, and it sounds like it's going to be the next big thing!"

"Is that so? Well, we'll just have to make sure that when the game comes out that you'll be the best. Whatever it is you need I'll make sure you'll get it."

"Thank you, Father. I will be the best. So, how was your expedition?"

"Grueling." Her father groans as he sinks into the soft chair by the fireplace. "I was beginning to think there was nothing to be gained, but what we found was fascinating. In fact, I brought it with me."

Diamond Tiara curiously walks over to him as he reaches into his satchel. "What is it?"

"What we found in that area beneath the forest was incredible. Evidence of structures, ruins of a civilization long before ours. I don't even think there's anything in the history books about what the Everfree Forest was before it became what we know today. We're going to keep excavating to learn more, but I did stumble onto something that's probably worth hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions. I was thinking about getting it inspected by a jeweler; perhaps it can go into a museum, but I want you to see it first." Out of his satchel he reveals a tiara that appears to have been carved completely out of amethyst. The way the pulsing light of the fireplace graces it hypnotizes Diamond Tiara. Unlike the family portraits, her gaze is held onto the tiara as if it won't let her go.

"It's beautiful. . . I've never seen anything like it."

"Then it's yours. Go and try it on in the mirror."

The tiara is gently laid in her hooves, and in a burst of excitement she rushes to the nearest mirror. She closes the bathroom door behind her, rests the new tiara onto her head, and soaks in the new her in the reflection.

"Yes, this is perfect." The tiara glows as it exudes a shadowy mist, flooding the bathroom with an unnatural darkness. "Now, the real fun can begin."