Equestria Girls: Go, Rainbooms and CMCs, Go!

In the depths of an eerie, otherworldly chamber, Rarity and Sweetie Belle emerged, sliding through a translucent tube at alarming speed. The sisters tumbled out unceremoniously onto the smooth, metallic floor, landing with sharp thuds on their butts. Rarity winced as she got up while Sweetie Belle groaned and rubbed her head.

"What just happened?" Rarity exclaimed, standing up and dusting off her jumpsuit.

Sweetie Belle blinked, taking in their strange surroundings—a glowing, futuristic arena with two raised platforms. "I… I have no idea. What kind of place is this?"

Before they could speculate further, a booming, cheerful voice echoed.

"Welcome, contestants! You’ve been selected for our intergalactic game show, The Battle of the Brains! Step onto your designated platforms, please!"

Rarity frowned. "This is positively absurd! Sweetie Belle, stay close to me—"

But Sweetie Belle, though hesitant, climbed onto the smaller platform marked with her name. Rarity reluctantly stepped onto hers. Once they were in place, the floor below them shimmered. Suddenly, glowing orbs shot upward, embedding themselves directly into their chests.

"Ahhh!" Rarity screamed, flailing as she grabbed at the orb. "Get it off! This is barbaric!"

Sweetie Belle grimaced but stayed still, breathing deeply to calm herself. "I don't think it's going anywhere, sis."

The large screen before them lit up with a wall of text:

"You are the contestants on our intergalactic game show The Battle of the Smarts. Answer questions correctly to avoid punishment! Each of you has five lives, as displayed by the glowing numbers on your orbs. A wrong answer—or your opponent’s correct answer—will result in a shock and the loss of one life. Lose all five, and you will be disqualified… permanently."

"Permanently?" Rarity repeated, her voice trembling. "What does that mean?"

Before anyone could explain, their orbs glowed, emitting a pulse of electricity that made both sisters yelp. The number 5 appeared on their orbs.

"First question!" the voice boomed.

Question 1: Which animal possesses the largest brain relative to its body size?
a) Elephant
b) Sperm whale
c) Dolphin
d) Gorilla

Rarity, quick to act, slammed her buzzer. "It's obviously the elephant!" she declared.

BZZZT. Incorrect! “The answer is the Sperm Whale.”

Rarity shrieked as a shock coursed through her body, reducing her orb's life count to 4. Sweetie Belle gasped but kept quiet, her brow furrowing in thought.

Question 2: What city holds the record for the highest altitude among the world's capital cities?
a) La Paz
b) Kathmandu
c) Quito
d) Bogotá

Rarity buzzed in again, her confidence undeterred. "La Paz!" she cried.

Correct!

Sweetie Belle winced as her orb emitted a harsh jolt, her life count dropping to 4. "Ouch! Okay, maybe this isn't just a silly game…"

Question 3: In George Orwell's dystopian novel, what is the ruling entity that governs Oceania in 1984?
a) The Brotherhood
b) The Regime
c) The Council
d) The Party

Rarity buzzed before Sweetie could react. "The Party!" she announced with determination.

Correct!

Sweetie Belle let out another pained cry as her orb pulsed, reducing her to 3 lives.

The game dragged on, with shocks and correct answers exchanged, the sisters’ chances of surviving slowly dwindling until they were tied at 1 life each. The stakes had grown immeasurable, and the tension was palpable.

"Rarity," Sweetie Belle muttered, her voice trembling, "we have to finish this. For Sunset… for our friends."

Rarity nodded grimly, her elegant demeanor replaced by raw determination. "Right, darling. Let’s do this."

Final Question: What is the title of Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel that portrays a futuristic society where human beings are genetically engineered and classified into castes?
a) Fahrenheit 451
b) Brave New World
c) The Handmaid's Tale
d) Animal Farm

A timer appeared on the screen. 10… 9…

Both sisters were presented with writing boards. Sweetie Belle immediately scribbled her answer: Brave New World.

Rarity hesitated, the pressure of the moment paralyzing her thoughts. She had her pen over the board, but time was against her. The timer hit zero, and their answers were revealed.

Sweetie Belle: Brave New World. Correct!
Rarity: [Blank.]

The arena erupted with a cacophony of alarms. Sweetie Belle’s orb pulsed and disappeared off her suit, and a tube descended, sucking her upward. But Rarity’s orb began glowing ominously.

"Wait!" Sweetie Belle cried, reaching out. "Rarity!"

Rarity screamed as her orb discharged, her entire form exploding into a dazzling array of particles. Sweetie Belle was whisked away, tears in her eyes, as the voice proclaimed:

"Winner: Sweetie Belle!"

Sweetie Belle landed in a corridor where Sci-Twi, Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were waiting. They surrounded her, but Sweetie kept her head low.

"Sweetie Belle!" Sci-Twi exclaimed. "Where’s Rarity?"

Sweetie swallowed hard, her voice breaking. "She… she didn’t make it. She lost the trial."

The room fell silent, save for Sweetie Belle’s soft sobs, as the reality of their perilous situation sank in.

Fluttershy started sobbing, her tears getting absorbed by her jumpsuit. “What are they doing to us?!” she screamed in sorrow.

Sci-Twi adjusted her glasses, her expression grave. “The trials was rigged to divide us. Pitting you two against each other in a competition of wits was meant to tear at your bond. Did they explain what happens to the... ‘loser’?”

Sweetie shook her head. “No, but—” She hesitated, her voice faltering. “She… exploded into particles, like she just… disappeared.”

Spike whimpered. “You don’t think she’s... gone-gone, do you?”

“No way!” Rainbow Dash interjected, her flaring. “Rarity’s too stubborn to let some creepy intergalactic quiz show wipe her out. She’s probably… I don’t know… in some weird holding cell or something. We’ll find her.”

“I think you may be right, Rainbow! They’re only trying to mess with us when they told us that we would be erased forever. They may be placed back in those tubes by now!” Sci-Twi exclaimed as everyone understood what she meant. The aliens are trying to mess with them to stall us from saving Sunset!”

Applejack placed a firm hand on Sweetie’s shoulder. “You did what you could, darlin’. If anyone can figure out how to get Rarity back, it’s us. But we gotta stick together and stay sharp and save Sunset first.”

“Don’t forget about Pinkie and Apple Bloom.” Rainbow exclaimed as Fluttershy starts to feel better.

Sweetie nodded, though her stomach churned with guilt. “I just… I wish I could’ve done more.”

Sci-Twi took a deep breath. “Sweetie, don’t blame yourself. These trials are designed to exploit our weaknesses and make us doubt each other. What matters now is using what we’ve learned to save Rarity, Pinkie, Apple Bloom—and Sunset too.”

Sweetie looked up, finding strength in their resolve. “Right. We’ll save them all. No matter what it takes.”

“Wait! We have to find out if Scootaloo passed her own trial first.” Apple Bloom exclaimed as everyone gathered around the screen that showed the orange girl soaring through her tube on the way to her trial.

“Good luck.” Sweetie whispered.

To be continued…