Cory dragged his feet down the bleak hallway, with a look of fear and despair. He never wanted anyone of his friends or family to get into such a rut. After all, he owed them big for saving his life. Yet at that moment he thought: What is a life if everyone sacrifices just for you? No one should suffer that. Not even if you're desperate. He knew at that moment what he felt had to be done.
"We all gotta go someday." He said to himself as he snuck behind the stage to the podium. "I'm just a little young for it."
He peered his eye through a slit in the curtain. The situation had now reached a tipping point. Principal Stiffson and the staff had now gathered all of Canterlot High's students into a single pile, their arms were tied behind their backs, cautiously watched over by one of the school bullies or a faculty member. Each of his friends looked weak and small compared to their menacing guards. The IPAD displaying Cory's friends in Equestria were projected on a big screen by the janitor, forced to watch the event. The principal approached the podium, wiping his hands with a lysol and slicking back his bald head. As he walked front and center of the perpetrators and started to open his mouth, a few hall monitors barged in.
"Hold on!!" One of them shouted. "We found these three in your office trying to escape."
Then, they presented to him a wounded Sunset Shimmer, a scarred Spike, and a now reformed Miss Orchid.
"SPIIIIIKE!!!" Shouted Twilight Sparkle, which was followed by a gasp from her pony friends. "If you so much as lay a finger on him, I swear..."
A bully slapped her in the back of the head before she could finish.
"Sir please." A remorseful Orchid pleaded. "This girl needs a doctor, she can't..."
"I'll deal with you later, you traitor." Stiffson interrupted.
He tapped his foot, signaling the faculty and academy students to step away.
"I am feeling a rare and unusual sense of generosity today." He continued in a cool voice. "You have the option to spare yourselves a lifetime in a loony bin. All you must do is resign your post as Canterlot scum, and enlist in our glorious academy, for there may be a chance for you. The other option is you will all be labeled official terrorists, and be locked in a cell, till the day you die."
At that moment she approached Twilight.
"And don't worry." he said with a snicker and palm on her chin. "We'll take care of your pestilent puppy very nicely."
Twilight chomped her teeth and thrust herself forward, as if to bite him, to which he lurched back in the nick of time.
"Tick tock Canterlot students." He continued. "The head of education will be here any minute."
"My god, I really was a monster." Sunset muttered in a daze.
Twilight stood up and bowed her head, much to her hooved friends's dismay. Yet, in either circumstance, they would never see her again. So they solemly stood there as she stood forward. An entrance was up in front of her, ready to be signed, thus placing her among the confines of the treacherous prison they called a school. But she knew she had no choice: One prison or the other. Then, she defiantly threw the pen to the ground.
"No." she said in tears.
"What?" Said the principal. "Freedom? The beauty of the world? Lost to all forever? Don't you see what I'm about to do to you all?"
"Yes." Twilight responded. "But today, we've also seen what you've done to the lives of innocent individuals. I'm very confident both our worlds will go on without us, but I don't think this one will if you continue to incite fear and hatred on those who deserve better.
"So, go ahead, lock the key away. We are not...joining...your...school."
After a moments tense silence.....
"Fine! Your choice" Stiffson said with a spit.
"WAIT!!" Shouted a voice from behind.. "Kill me instead!"
The school turned to see Cory step out of the shadows and onto the stage.
"How did you get out?" Asked Stiffson.
"We're sorry sir." Said one of the hall monitors. "He escaped before we could catch him."
"You have no right to be here. Guards! take him..."
"Didn't you hear me?" Cory interrupted. "The whole plan was my idea. I'm the one you want. Not them."
"They caused just as much..."
"They just went along with me. It won't be fair justice."
"Cory? What do you think you're doing?" Asked a shocked Twilight.
Cory raised his hand to shush her as a tear fell down his cheek.
"Something I should've done." He shuddered. "Stiffson. Let all my friends go.....and......you can put an end to me."
"Now let me get this straight" Said Stiffson as he approached him. "You are willing to waste your pathetic existence for these losers?"
"They're not losers!!!" Cory snapped. "They're my family. And I'd do anything to save their lives. After all, I owe them for saving mine."
"Cory Wait!! Don't do this!!" Tony shouted.
"We're not worth it!!" Rachel added.
"You've got your whole life ahead of you!!" Camden added.
The other Mane 6 just stared at the screen, stunned at what they heard. Applejack, though doing her best to hold it in, was on the verge of tears. Cory turned his head, not even bearing to see his big sister like this. Yet he stared at the captive audience, friends and family whose future was at the cusp of his decision. He took a deep sigh and looked back at his adversary.
"I'll do it." He said solemly.
"Speak up!!" Stiffson shouted.
"I'll...I'll do it. I'll let you kill me, in exchange for their freedom."
"DONE!!"
He swiftly shook Cory's hand and walked away.
"Now let them go!" Cory said sternly.
Stiffson reluctantly tapped his foot, signaling the faculty and bullies to free Cory's troupe. That was, except for Sunset, still in the Hall Monitors's grasp.
"Her too." Cory demanded.
"Really?" Stiffson asked sinisterly. "After all the wicked things she did to your friends? After all the..."
"RELEASE HER!!! NOW!!!!!"
Cory's voice echoed across the room, causing the walls to slightly wobble and shake.
"If that is what you wish." Stiffson said, to which he tapped his foot and set her free.
"And take her to a hospital." Cory added.
"Are you.."
"Do you want to kill me or not?!"
Stiffson rolled his eyes as he tapped his foot once more, allowing Orchid to carry Sunset outside to the ambulance, but not before she limped over to Cory.
"You're sacrificing your own life, for my own?" Sunset asked in a daze. "Even after all the terrible things I did your mother? And your School? But why?"
"Because..." Cory answered. "The Sunset Shimmer I was told about, is long gone."
Sunset made a weak smile as she was escorted out the exit.
"CORY!!" Shouted his five friends who ran up to him. "What are you thinking?!"
Cory looked down at them with a sad look on his face.
"I've lost you guys once, I can't afford that again." Cory replied solemnly. "Besides, you have your whole ahead of you. You should be grateful."
Before he knew it, Twilight jumped onto the stage, latching her arms around him, and sobbing like never before.
"It's OK mom." Said Cory as he hugged back. "It's Ok. Just let it out let it all out."
That moment seemed like an eternity as mother and son embraced each other in what seemed like one last time.
"Besides." Cory continued. "You have responsibilities back home, and I can't let myself get in the way."
Then, all of the sudden, Cory turned his head to his friends and made a little wink. They knew now he was hiding something, but what? Stiffson yanked Cory away from Twilight's grip and was pulled center stage.
"Your turn now." He said menacingly.
"Please just make it quick." Cory said.
"No." He replied coldly. "I'm going to drag this one out. And your friends will be here to see it."
The principal snapped his fingers, ordering two hall monitors to grab him by the arms and bring him to his knees. A third hall monitor brought forth an old box that looked like it had not been opened for ages.
"Oh no." Katie Shuddered. "Not the skinner."
Sure enough, The head coach opened the box and took out what was clearly a rusty device used for skinning dead animals. Cory bowed his head, awaiting the inevitable, as Stiffon walked to him, inches from his face.
"Any..Last..Words?" Stiffson asked.
Cory looked up at the menacing face of his adversary. He could feel the steaming breath from his nostrils.
"Just one." He replied. "Heads...UP!!"
And with those words, Cory butted his forehead right into the principal's skull. The blow was so powerful, it knocked him right off the stage. Everyone gasped in disbelief. Then, they started to applaud. Next, Cory scratched his right fingernails on the right hall monitor's arm, releasing his arm from his grasp, to which he swiftly grabbed the left hall monitor and flung him off the stage. This brought Cory back on his feet, ready to spar.
"That's my boy!!" Shouted Pony Rainbow Dash.
In a split second, a few other faculty ran up to the stage, surrounding Cory, to which he climbed up the back curtain and latched on the stage lights.
"C'mon!!" Shouted one of the Canterlot High students. "Lets go save our brave friend!!"
The other Canterlot High students released themselves from the rest of the faculty's grasp and ran towards the stage. Human Applejack kicked the nurse, Katie punched an athlete, Camden smacked a math teacher, Human Fluttershy knocked a random bully or two with the occasional "sorry", etc. Soon the whole auditorium transformed into a brawl of epic proportions. Cory looked over the rafters, observing the event with pride. The scene was worthy of being shown in a movie. In fact, he could've sworn he saw a similar scene in Beauty and the Best.
To his right, he saw Human Rainbow Dash and Katie fending off a few hall monitors. They nodded at each other and locked their arms together. With that, the two jumped simultaneously and spun themselves around the mop, kicking each head like a punching bag. Then they let go and flew through the air, landing with two feet and a fist to the floor.
"Nice moves me." Pony Rainbow Dash complimented.
"Right back at ya me." Human Rainbow Dash responded, to which she ran back to fend off a few more adversaries.
To Cory's left, he saw Tony and Human Pinkie Pie engaging in what looked like a Marx Brothers esque prank on two of the Math Teachers. Tony was spraying a powerful seltzer from of his coat pocket into one's face, while Pinkie threw a bunch of confetti from a party cannon into another's crotch.
"A party cannon?" Asked an amazed Pony Pinkie.
"Just got it yesterday." Bragged Human Pinkie, after which she made a large grin, to which Pony Pinkie grinned back.
Cory's excitement had now reached a climax. He had never realized so many people would be doing this for him. So enthralled he was in the action, he didn't realize the Coach climbing up the rafter and approaching him with the skinner in his mouth. At the last second, Cory dodged the arm to face and gave a good kick under the chin. This however, did not faze the Coach, since he looked like a bulk of steel and iron.
"How dare you hit me." The coach said menacingly. "Now you're gonna get it!!"
He attempted to throw another swing at him, but Cory blocked it and kicked him in the shin. This caused the skinnerr to fall off the rafters and onto the podium floor.The two now engaged in a fist to fist combat.
What Coach had in strength, Cory compromised with agility. Every blow was blocked, every kick was dodged. Every strike was averted. Of course, Pony Rainbow Dash watched him attentively, assisting him in any move he had trouble in.
"Turn left!! Lunge forward!! Strike below!! Uppercut!!" She shouted.
"Right punch!! Knee kick!! Bend right!! Lower Jab!!" Cory responded
The spar went on for a few more seconds, when suddenly, the wires that held the rafter went loose. Before he knew it, the platform flew off the stage and across the audience, dangling by mere metal thread. He found himself hanging over the chaos that was happening below, with the Coach just a few feet underneath him. Like a menacing tarantula, he climbed the metal skeleton and clutched on Cory's left ankle.
"I'm going to enjoy seeing you die." The coach giggled.
"I...Have...had...enough..of..You!!" Cory replied back.
As he said this, he kicked the Coach multiply in the face with each word, until finally he let go of his grasp, and plummeted to the floor. Cory, on the other hand, carefully climbed down the rafter and jumped on the hard surface with the greatest of ease. As he put his fists up, ready to fight again, the Coach got up as if nothing happened. Then he ran towards him like a wild animal, with arms thrust forward as if ready to strangle him. But before he could even touch Cory, a zap of magenta lighting flew if off to the side, slamming him against the concrete wall, knocking him unconscious. Cory turned turned to see Twilight, who had now grown wings, a tail and pony ears, as well as the ability to shoot magic from her hands.
"I've said it before I'll say it again." She declared. "You threaten my son, you threaten me."
She winked at Cory who gave her a thumbs up, to which she flew back into the air, zapping any faculty who got in her friends's way. Meanwhile, Cory took on a few more bullies with his bare fists, whacking each attempted blow and jab. But one move truly stood out among the rest. It was where he made a handstand and kicked his legs in the stomachs of his opponents, just like Pony Applejack would. This proved affective since they all flew 10 feet back.
"You truly are an apple to the core." Commented Pony Applejack.
"Only learned it from the best sister." Cory responded.
"You can say that again." Human Applejack added, who was lassoing some student's unconscious.
"That's great and all.." added Katie, who was fending off some faculty. "But I think we're gonna need some more reinforcements."
Just after she said that, an acorn hit one of the teacher's heads. Everyone turned to see what looked like Fluttershy's pet angel, standing on top of the left windowsill, dressed in warrior regalia. He took out from behind him a small bugle and played what was obviously a 'CHAARGE!!' jingle. Suddenly, all the windows were smashed open by hundreds of critters big and small. They swooped, crawled, ran and galloped towards the scene, clutching onto the faces and bodies of Stiffson academy.
"Oh my." Pony Fluttershy commented. "Looks like Angel did take my advice, and in record time."
The animals trounced all over Canterlot's foes, carefully making sure they weren't harming the wrong people. Some rodents scurried inside the faculty's clothing, other birds glided over, pooping on unsuspected bullies, and even an occasional moose or buck rammed a cafeteria lady in the behind, flinging them over the auditorium.
Then, as the dust cleared, the non-human allies walked back, seeing they'd knocked each Stiffson faculty and student unconscious, except of course for Stiffson, who was nowhere to be found. Human Fluttershy put her fingers to her mouth and gave a little whistle, signaling the animals to walk towards her.
"Alright little ones." She said. "Lets make sure everyone's ok."
She gave pony Fluttershy the ok who quickly counted for any missing members.
"Everyone seems accounted for to me." She replied.
The Canterlot students turned to see several of the Stiffson faculty and students regaining conscience. Cory and friends stood in a fighting pose with him front and center. The faculty went on their hands and knees, each throwing up the black substance that was once Sombra's magic, which evaporated seconds later.
"Oh my goodness." Said one of the redeemed faculty. "What are we doing here?"
Cory approached the dazed and frightened souls with the best of ease.
"We'll explain everything to you later." He assured them. "Guys? Escort these poor saps outside."
All of Canterlot High nodded in unison, as they walked over and led each redeemed faculty to the apartment. However, there were still a few unconscious ones left behind. Twilight went to one of them and opened an eyelid. She saw the eye of Sombra still embedded in their sockets.
"So whatever shall we do with these troublemakers?" Human Rarity asked.
"We could just throw em in the can." Jolene suggested.
"I think we got a better punishment for them." Human Applejack concluded with a smirk.
Cory and Pony Applejack giggled a little as the rest of the students tied up what remained of the Academy, under the supervision of Human Applejack. Cory, on the other hand ran down the school hallway, ready to take down his foe head on.
Meanwhile, a few of the students drove the 7 unconscious faculty members (Coach included), down to the Canterlot High grounds. From there, they took them out of the car and dragged them towards the portal. A few of the students lifted them up like a log with Pinkie Pie directing the way.
"Ok guys and gals!! Here we go!! Right down the center!!" She shouted with glee.
"W..wait. What's going on?" Asked the faculty who was just gaining consciousness.
"One for the money..." Pinkie continued.
"How dare you.."
"Two for the show...."
"I'll have your head for this!!"
"Three to make ready..."
"You cant do this to us!!"
"And four to...."
"AAAAHHHH!!"
"GOOOO"
And with those words, the Canterlot students threw the faculty into the portal, where they came out the other side. The once disciplinary brutes all landed with a thud on the smooth ground of the crystal palace. As they got up on their knees, they saw they were outnumbered by a whole crowd of ponies from the Apple Family, staring down at them with angry looks. Front and center was Big Mac, Applebloom, Applejack and Granny Smith, tapping a rolling pin with one of her forelegs.
"So you the one who's been pickin on my brother Cory all these years!!" Said a mad Applebloom as she approached them.
"What are you talking about?" Asked a confused faculty.
"We got a sayin here in the Apple clan!!" Applejack added. "You mess with one of us, Ya mess with all of us!!"
"You?" Asked the Coach with a chuckle. "Them? You're...You're a bunch of ponies. What are you going to do? Trample on us?"
"Oh, we got something much better for the likes of you." Granny Smith corrected him.
The Apple family grabbed the faculty members and strung them up against the other wall, turning their backs toward them. Then they pulled down their pants, exposing their bare bottoms and took out wooden planks, one for each member of the family.
"IIIIIIIIT'S SPANKY TIME!!!" shouted a small filly.
"Wait wha..AAAAAAHG!!!" Shouted the faculty as they were paddled silly by dozens of earth ponies.
"Now this here's what I call a good ol fashion spankdown!!" Said Applejack who threw a whack at their bottoms.
"EEYUP!!" declared Big Mac who made a good one as well.
The hollering of the faculty was so loud, one could swear the students heard it from the other side.
Now Stiffson, wherever he was now, was outnumbered, out of support and out of luck. It was just him, and Cory, ready to duel it out, ready to show his courage, ready to do away with his greatest of fears.