Equestria Girls: Go, Rainbooms and CMCs, Go!

Fluttershy landed with a face-plant on the soft padded floor, her tube spinning off into the void. The sudden shift left her disoriented, but as she sat up, her wide eyes took in her surroundings. She was in a dimly lit arcade simulation room, with glowing neon lights casting colorful patterns across the walls. The faint hum of machinery surrounded her, a sound that stirred a memory.

Sunset Shimmer and I played something like this before, Fluttershy thought. A small smile crept onto her lips. She could almost hear Sunset’s encouraging voice cheering her on.

But her nostalgic moment was interrupted by the appearance of her own huge metal orb that just so happened to be embedding itself into her chest. The sensation was warm and tingling, but the glowing "5" that appeared on the orb made her heart sink.

“Oh dear...” she whispered, clutching at the orb as if she could pry it off.

Suddenly, a platform rose from the floor, carrying a small box to her. Hesitantly, she opened it, revealing a folded note. She carefully read the words, her voice trembling as she whispered them aloud.

“Dear Fluttershy, you’re probably on your way to save Sunset. If you want to see your friends and save one of your own, you must beat 100 perfect shots in a row in a duck hunting VR game. You have one minute to do so and you get 5 tries. If you fail to reach the goal in the allotted time or lose grip of your controller sniper, you will lose a life. Lose all 5 lives, you’ll disappear forever, and Sunset and your friends who passed the trials will be imprisoned on this ship forever. The Overlord.”

Fluttershy’s hands shook as she read the ominous message. She clutched the note tightly, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths with her orb moving along.

“This can’t be real,” she whimpered. But her glowing orb pulsed in response, sending a surge of energy through her body as if to confirm the stakes.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. “I have to save Sunset. I have to save my friends.”

Fluttershy grabbed the sniper controller from the platform. It was heavier than she expected, and its sleek, futuristic design made it feel alien in her hands. She swallowed hard, adjusting her grip as the room dimmed further, and a virtual landscape filled with flying ducks appeared around her.

A robotic voice echoed through the room: “Game start.”

The ducks took flight, their erratic movements challenging Fluttershy’s aim. She hesitated for a fraction of a second, but then she squeezed the trigger.

“Miss,” the robotic voice announced.

“No!” Fluttershy cried, panic flooding her as she scrambled to line up her shots. Her movements grew jerky, and though she hit a few targets, her score at the end of the minute was only 57.

“Life lost. Four remaining.”

Fluttershy’s heart sank as the game reset. Her grip tightened on the controller, but her hands were damp with sweat. The orb on her chest absorbed the moisture, glowing faintly brighter.

The second attempt was better, but she only managed 76 points before time ran out. The third attempt was even worse—her trembling hands betrayed her, and she dropped the controller for a split second, costing her another life.

“Life lost. Two remaining.”

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. If I mess up again, I I’ll have one try left. My friends are counting on me.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, willing her racing heart to calm down. She imagined her friends cheering her on. Rainbow Dash would tell her to go all out, while Twilight would offer advice on steadying her aim. And Sunset...Sunset would simply smile, her eyes filled with trust.

“I can do this,” Fluttershy murmured, her voice firm.

The fourth attempt began. The ducks flew faster, darting in unpredictable patterns, but Fluttershy’s resolve didn’t waver. Her breathing steadied, and her fingers danced across the controls with precision. One by one, the ducks fell, her score climbing rapidly.

“90... 95... 99...”

The final duck appeared with a split second to spare. Fluttershy fired, her shot perfectly on target.

“100. Perfect score.”

The robotic voice declared her success as triumphant music filled the room. Fluttershy dropped the sniper controller, tears of relief streaming down her face.

“I did it,” she whispered as the orb on her chest had vanished. “I did it!”

But her celebration was cut short as the floor beneath her gave way. With a startled yelp, she fell, but was risen up as she’s sitting on a giant slingshot. The slingshot plummeted her into a chute that sent her sliding down a slippery shaft at dizzying speed. Her screams of surprise turned into laughter as the thrill of the ride took over.

She landed in a heap in a brightly lit corridor, where Sci-Twi, Spike, and Rainbow Dash were waiting for her.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight exclaimed, rushing to help her up.

“You made it!” Rainbow grinned. “Told you she’d pull through!”

Fluttershy smiled through her tears, hugging them both tightly as Spike has his dog instincts kick in, pounced Fluttershy down and licking her in the face repeatedly, showing that he was happy that Fluttershy survived as well.

“We’re getting Sunset back,” she said with newfound determination. “Together.”

To be continued…