Total Magic Pony Island

by Tailslover13

Episode 9: Strudel Gossip

Discord: Last time, on Total Magic Pony Island: love was in the air! Well, actually, derp was in the air…where did I come up with love? Oh, right, maybe it was from watching our resident little dragon always spying on his “rare bird”, or from watching Scootaloo constantly try to get Rainbow Dash’s attention. But, anyway, it was more like an episode of total derp-ness when all was said and done. There was an oar-burning ceremony, Zecora finding something on Dusk Island, Derpy being insane, and Trixie saving Twilight from certain doom. Isn’t it funny how Twilight always gets hurt? You think she might be a masochist? Well, either way, when it was time for the elimination that night, it was derped up when some random ponies came and crashed the party. They talked about things that made no sense and that I didn’t care to remember, but what DOES matter is that they took Derpy away. So, the Magical Misfits are now down to just six campers, while the Royal Ruffians still have eight strong. Can they be stopped? Can the cameras make me look any handsomer than I already am? Can Nightmare Moon ever forgive me for putting a stinkbug in her normal cup of coffee? Find out right now, on Total…Magic…Pony Island!

*the opening theme song showing all 20 contestants plays a moment later before the episode*

“Watching the sun rise AGAIN, sister?” Luna sighed, lifting her head from her pillow and immediately seeing her big sister by the window, “Has that now become a habit for you?”

“While you might cast aside your responsibilities for raising the moon without a worry, dear sister, I cannot do the same with the sun,” Celestia responded, her chest decompressing as she let out a large sigh that she had been holding in for a while, “Watching a duty that I’ve done my entire existence happening on its own every morning…you wouldn’t understand.”

Luna: This has become routine, it seems. I wake up and the first thing I see is my big sister…still in her tiny body, which is always good for a giggle…standing at the window and staring out at the sun. I am honestly surprised that she has not become blinded yet. *she giggles a bit* Poor Tia…always worrying.

“Sister, for the last time, please stop obsessing over something that requires no worry,” Luna scolded, idly using her hairbrush on her mane while sitting up in her bed, “In fact, if you do not stop staring out that window and scaring our team, you MIGHT just be voted out sooner rather than later.” She grinned and shot her sister a teasing wink, to which Celestia immediately returned.

“You dare try voting out your big sister and you’ll have a nice surprise waiting for you once we get back home…Lunacy,” the white alicorn whispered. As soon as the interesting nickname was uttered from her lips, Luna gasped and a massive blush broke out across her face.

“SISTER! YOU PROMISED THAT WE WOULD NOT SPEAK OF THAT EVER AGAIN!” the ebony princess shrieked, apparently unnerved by her sister using the nickname of “Lunacy” on her. Unfortunately, thanks to her sudden outburst, the rest of the Royal Ruffians began to stir from their slumber.

“Mm…yeah…bow down to Wonderbolt Rainbow Dash…you know you all love me…” Rainbow Dash muttered, rolling over onto her back and kicking her left hind leg in the air. Since she practiced sleeping so much, the Pegasus was rather an expert on the subject and was sometimes hard to wake up. This was no exception.

“Ah…what’s wrong, Princess?” Applejack yawned, rubbing a hoof into her right eye as she wearily glanced over towards Luna’s bed, “Ah heard ya screamin’ just a second ago…did ya have a bad dream or somethin’ like that?”

“No, Applejack, I did not…at least not one while sleeping,” Luna muttered, the hint of red still slightly visible on her muzzle as she glared at her smirking big sister by the window.

“Uh…okay then…whatever floats yer boat,” Applejack shrugged, getting out of bed and doing her stretches, “But, if ya need anythin’ at all, ya know who you can talk to.” She gave Luna a warm smile as the rest of the team, minus Rainbow Dash, began lifting their eyes to the new day.

Celestia: *giving one of her trademark troll grins as she winked at the camera* Ooh, I bet you’re all wondering just what “Lunacy” means, right? Well…that would be telling, wouldn’t it? *she laughs and holds a hoof over her mouth as she does so* Ah, but be assured…it’s a great tale! Shame I can’t share.

“What’s with all the racket?” Spike grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and frowning irritably, “I was having such a nice dream about rare…um, my rare bird…yeah, that’s it. I was having a wonderful dream that involved me and my rare bird flying through the heavens, locked in a warm embrace and with our mouths…”

“Um, Spike? Birds don’t have mouths,” Fluttershy pointed out, shaking her head to get some of her long mane out of her face, “You meant to say ‘beak’, right?”

“Er…uh…right, yeah, what Fluttershy said,” Spike nodded, ignoring the amused expression on Applejack’s face, “Anyway, I’m hungry! Let’s get some breakfast, okay?”

“It seems that we are all not awake just yet, so do not be so rash,” Zecora stated, “As usual, we are not all awake; the only one still in a slumber is the smart-mouth Rainbow Dash.” Never having had a high opinion of the Pegasus, Zecora frowned when she pointed to the snoozing Pegasus’ bedside. Despite all the commotion, Rainbow Dash was still fast asleep and still had one of her hind legs kicking in the air.

“Let’s tickle her to death!” Silver Spoon giggled, “I once did that to Diamond Tiara when she fell asleep from one of Snails’ class presentations on turtles. Boy oh boy, was she ever mad, but it was really fun!”

“Ah’m cool with that!” Applejack smirked, licking her lips excitedly as she trotted quietly up to Dash’s bed, “Are the rest of ya in or out?” In less than five seconds, the entire cabin had joined Applejack at Dash’s bedside, each camper wearing a wicked little grin on their face. Spike even had his fingers twitching with excitement and Fluttershy looked like a playful filly ready to prank her best friend.

“Okay, on the count of three,” Luna whispered, sitting on her haunches as she lifted both of her front hooves in the air, “One…”

“Two…” Spike joined in, his eyes as wide as dinner plates as he seemed to want to do this a bit TOO much, for whatever reason.

“THREE!” Applejack yelled, instantly rushing in at whatever part of Rainbow Dash’s body that she could reach. Rainbow Dash, despite her deep slumber, soon felt 14 pairs of hooves or hands on her body, and once her brain alerted her to quickly wake up, she shrieked when she realized what was happening.

Fluttershy: *giggling* Oh my…Rainbow Dash is so very cute when she gets scared, and even more so when she’s laughing…it’s really quite the combination, you see. *her ears droop slightly* Um, I do feel slightly bad about waking her up in such a way, though…am I a bad girl for doing that? I’m so sorry.

“Ugh…WHAT was that annoying clamor?” Trixie grumbled, angrily hurling her pillow off her head and sitting bolt upright, “First, a strange elimination ceremony that gave Trixie nightmares, and now she gets awakened by some loud and aggravating noise from outside the cabin? Unforgiveable!”

“Your temper tantrums really don’t help, Trixie,” Twilight moaned, groggily rubbing her eyes as she glanced at the angry show-mare, “But…I must admit that whatever made that noise was quite annoying and wasn’t a great wakeup call.”

“I think that whatever made that noise needs a good lesson in manners,” Rarity added, removing her cucumbers from her eyes as she pulled herself up from her bed, “Does nopony around here care about the beauty sleep that I require so that I might function properly?”

“It was Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo squeaked, instantly racing out of her bed and peeking out the window, “I know her scream anywhere! Did she get hurt? Is she in trouble? Does she need me by her side?”

“Scootaloo, everypony, please calm down!” Cheerilee called out, stepping out of her own bed and removing her nightcap, “We had to wake up eventually anyway, so let’s not get on each other’s nerves, okay? We’re down to just six teammates now, so getting angry with one another this early won’t help anypony except the ones on the other team.”

“Cheerilee’s right, gang,” Twilight admitted, beginning to comb her mane down with her own hairbrush, “Let’s just calmly let ourselves wake up and then get to the bottom of this…or in the very least let Scootaloo get to the bottom of this.” She chuckled when she saw the filly race out of the cabin a moment later, apparently having seen enough to get her worried.

“Ugh…rambunctious brat,” Trixie grumbled, shaking her head in disgust as Scootaloo ran out of the cabin, leaving the door wide open behind her, “Speaking of twits that don’t ever resist driving a metal stake through Trixie’s fragile brain with their idiocy…where’s Pinkie Pie?” In response, Twilight pointed a hoof over to the pony’s bed. Trixie looked for herself and saw that Pinkie was sleeping upside down on her bed, snoring loudly and in a huge puddle of drool. Apparently, she was also a heavy sleep, just like Rainbow Dash. Trixie, even more repulsed, was sorry that she had bothered asking where she was.

Trixie: *looking beyond angry* Trixie is TIRED of waking up to the same uncouth charlatans that she is forced to share a cabin with! That disgustingly-aggravating Pinkie Pie, that arrogant egotist Rarity, that unbearable brat Scootaloo, that obnoxiously politically correct Cheerilee, and…Twilight Sparkle. *her cheeks turn slightly red at the mention of the purple unicorn’s name* Humph…talentless foal.

Outside both team’s cabins, Rainbow Dash was lying in a heap in the middle of the campgrounds, gasping and twitching on the ground as Scootaloo circled her and constantly kept asking if she could do anything to help. Judging from the large, gaping hole that was now visible on the Royal Ruffians’ cabin roof, one could make the guess that Dash had caused such destruction. The fact that there were pieces of splintered wood stuck to Rainbow’s wings and mane probably didn’t help her cause.

“Dash? Dash! C’mon, Dash, speak to me!” Scootaloo whimpered, nudging her idol’s shoulder with her head, “What happened? Are you in pain? Are you having an asthma attack? Did you dream about me and finally realized that you just couldn’t live without me?” It wouldn’t be until much later that Scootaloo would realize just what exactly she had said during the moment of worry for the azure Pegasus. However, at the moment, all she cared about was seeing to it that Rainbow Dash was alright.

“Heh…those guys…are so…gonna pay!” Rainbow Dash gasped, not really even paying attention to what Scootaloo was saying, “They know…I’m most ticklish…right underneath my wings! How dare they…wake me up…in such a way! Dude…so not cool…ugh, just give me a moment…I’ll get them for this…”

“Huh? Wait…so your team tickle-tortured you to wake you up?” Scootaloo blinked, sitting down and scratching her head as she observed the rainbow Pegasus muttering to herself and scratching the folds underneath her wings, “Hmm…interesting…”

Scootaloo: *eagerly scribbling notes on a small piece of paper* Rainbow Dash is very ticklish right underneath her wings…ooh, that’s great knowledge! *she sighs dreamily and holds the piece of paper close to her heart* Just wait, Rainbow Dash…soon, we’ll be tickling each other every single night…

“It seems that Rainbow Dash is up and ready,” Zecora grinned, leading the Royal Ruffians out of their cabin, “But the question that must be asked is if she is steady. Judging by her ominous twitching on the ground, the tickling we issued onto her might not make her too sound.”

“Do you think we overdid it?” Silver Spoon questioned, trotting up and poking the blue Pegasus.

“Nah, we had to get her movin’ somehow,” Applejack chuckled, ignoring Rainbow Dash and heading to the mess hall, “C’mon, team, let’s get ourselves some grub; Dash will be just fine.” The cowpony led the rest of the Ruffians away from Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, the older Pegasus finally acknowledging that she was being tended to by her biggest fan.

“Hey there, kiddo…when did you get here?” Dash chuckled, finally pulling herself up into a sitting position, looking slightly embarrassed that she had made herself look so vulnerable to Scootaloo.

“Oh, you know…when I heard you scream, I came running right away,” Scootaloo said, blushing and shyly pawing at the ground with her hooves, “You’re alright, aren’t ya, Dash?”

“Never better! I just…uh…I totally LET my team have their fun with me,” Rainbow scoffed, getting to her hooves and casually dusting herself off, “Yeah, that’s it. I totally knew that they were gonna tickle me to death; it’s not like AJ hasn’t done that to me before. They just cheated by tickling my weak spot under my wings…and I just love making a flashy entrance, you know?” She gave Scootaloo a wide grin as she brushed a few wood particles off her wings.

“I thought as much,” Scootaloo sighed, her eyes never leaving Dash’s, “Um, but Dash? Do you think that maybe…later today…we could possibly do something together or…?”

“Sorry, squirt, but I gotta go catch up with my team,” Dash interrupted, turning and strutting away from the filly, “Ya better not let your team catch you talking with me; I AM your enemy in this game, you know. Take care, okay? I’ll enjoy beating you guys again at today’s challenge!” The Pegasus laughed as she trotted away, leaving the lovesick and dazed Scootaloo in her wake.

Rainbow Dash: Yeah, it ain’t easy being so popular; even the opposite team can’t get enough of me! Scoots has been acting kinda weird lately, though…have you all noticed? *she looks right at the camera, then shrugs and leans back on the toilet seat* Eh, she’s just my number one fan. Sometimes, fans will get a bit weird when it comes to their idols…trust me, I know. *she gives a snarky grin*

Eventually, after the Misfits finally managed to wake up the slumbering Pinkie Pie, the team exited their cabin to find their filly teammate still sitting in the same place right in the middle of the campgrounds. Scootaloo had her frozen stare locked in the direction that Rainbow Dash had left, and it took a slap upside the head from Trixie to finally snap her out of her daze. When Scootaloo blinked and was left wondering what just happened, noticing Trixie’s angry look quickly reminded her just where she was.

“Equestria to Scootaloo...you are needed back on the Magical Misfits!” Trixie snapped, mockingly waving a hoof in front of the filly’s face, “Are you in there? Or do you need Trixie to get rough on you?”

“Trixie, I think you’ve done more than enough,” Twilight frowned, ushering the annoyed unicorn away from the filly, “Let’s just hurry to the mess hall before poor Scootaloo suffers brain damage. Cheerilee, take care of Scootaloo, please.”

“At once, Twilight,” Cheerilee nodded, watching as Pinkie and Rarity both trotted past to join the two annoyed unicorns. The teacher leaned down and gently ran a hoof through Scootaloo’s mane, making sure that she was alright after Trixie had slapped her. “Scootaloo, you okay? Is there anything that I can help you with?”

“No, Miss Cheerilee…I’m fine…I think my heart is the one that needs help, though,” Scootaloo whispered, butting her head into Cheerilee’s stroking hoof in an affectionate way before casually and slowly trotting off towards the mess hall. Cheerilee watched her student amble off on her own, her own mind deep in thought at what was troubling the filly.

Cheerilee: I feel so bad for Scootaloo. She’s still just a filly; her head is full of many dreams. She’s shared her thoughts with me many times…her future looks so bright. Having a crush on an older mare, at her young age…she’s just asking to be hurt. But, I cannot help her…this is something she must learn and experience on her own. When going through life, one must experience love…and pain. *she sighs*

Inside the mess hall, as both teams formed and sat at their respective tables, Nightmare Moon served them a breakfast of slices of assorted black fruits, black oatmeal, and black waffles. Naturally, Pinkie Pie was digging in and giving Nightmare Moon compliments on her “cooking”, while the rest of the mess hall was silent and struggling to just LOOK at what they had to eat. Between feasting on Nightmare Moon’s food and starving to death, a good number of campers were honestly giving it some thought.

“How do you think she makes them black?” Silver Spoon asked to her team, removing her glasses to see if her food looked any better with them off instead of on, “Maybe she summons them with her horn from another dimension?”

“If you ask me, she…” Spike began, before suddenly yelping and being thrown backwards out of his seat. A loud cracking sound echoed Spike’s fall, as his chair broke into pieces and joined the fallen dragon on the floor of the mess hall.

“Whoa nelly! You ahright, Spike?” Applejack gasped, quickly leaping out of her own seat and helping the little dragon up, “That was quite a nasty fall. What the hay happened?”

“It seems that this chair has crumbled and broken,” Zecora muttered, stepping over and examining the splintered chair surrounding Spike, “It snapped apart almost at once when Spike had spoken.”

“That’s odd…and very suspicious,” Celestia frowned, casting a glare over at Nightmare Moon behind the kitchen counter, “Nightmare Moon, did you tamper with Spike’s chair before we came in today?”

“Watch your tongue, Celestia,” Nightmare Moon snarled, her eyes flashing as she glared down the small white princess, “I might be evil, but don’t accuse me of such a petty act. If I were to do something to your team, I would do something much worse than just tweaking a chair.”

“Eh, it must’ve just been the wood getting old or something,” Rainbow Dash shrugged, leaning back in her own seat, almost in a mocking way, “Besides, Spikey is just fine, aren’t ya?” She cast a glance over at the dragon who, besides a sore tush and a deflated ego, was just fine.

Spike: *rubbing his rump and grumbling a bit* What kind of world is this when we can’t even trust the chairs we sit in anymore? Oh, right…Discord’s world, of course. *slaps his forehead*

“Now what am I gonna do for a chair?” Spike whined, since the number of seats at their table was equal to how many teammates they had.

“Um, if you want, you can have my seat, Spike,” Fluttershy smiled, “I wouldn’t want you to have to suffer and have to stand or sit on the floor. You deserve my seat much more than I do.” Before Spike could comment on Fluttershy’s kindness, his eyes happened to glance up at the ceiling of the mess hall. A loose piece of wood was hanging down from the ceiling, dangerously close to snapping altogether. It was hanging right over Fluttershy’s head.

“FLUTTERSHY, LOOK OUT!” Spike cried, quickly lunging over a confused Silver Spoon as the dragon tackled a squeaking Fluttershy to the floor. A second later, the large piece of wood snapped from its home and smashed down onto the chair that Fluttershy had been sitting upon a moment ago. The piece of wood was so heavy and the force so powerful that the chair instantly was cracked in two.

“Whoa nelly…again!” Applejack cried, widening her eyes in shock as she looked down at the second splintered chair their team had to deal with in only a matter of minutes, “That was dangerous! How the hay did such a heavy piece of the ceilin’ suddenly fall and nearly crush Fluttershy?”

“I have no idea, but that was WAY too close!” Spike sighed, not realizing that he was still laying on top of Fluttershy and had their bodies a bit too close for comfort, “Thankfully I saw it in time, or who knows what could’ve happened!”

“Um…Spike?” Fluttershy squeaked, a heavy blush pasted across her muzzle as she stared up at the dragon savior, “Thank you ever so much for saving me, but…um, maybe it’s best if you get off me now? I mean, if you want to…you can stay, if you wish…you’re kinda cuddly and warm.” Finally realizing the position he was in, Spike gasped and instantly leaped off the yellow Pegasus, his own blush soon breaking out when he heard the rest of the team snickering.

Spike: *panicking* Rarity didn’t see that, did she? She couldn’t have seen that! Ooh, if she saw that, she’s SO gonna get jealous! I totally didn’t mean to lay on Fluttershy like that! I was just watching out for her, really! I don’t think of her…like that…really I don’t! I mean, she’s really cute and stuff...and such a sweetheart…and she’s a very pretty nurse…NO, NO, NO! *he hits his head* STOP THAT, SPIKE!

“What rotten luck…but, hey, good news!” Rainbow Dash laughed, giving Fluttershy and Spike both pats on the back, “Now BOTH of you don’t have chairs, so whether or not Spike was gonna take Fluttershy’s seat doesn’t even matter now! Funny how that happens, huh?” Just as Applejack was about to give Dash a good bucking right in the butt for that, the blue Pegasus tried to use a nearby saltshaker to add just a little bit of salt to her black oatmeal, but she gasped when the top of the saltshaker suddenly spilled open and the entire contents poured into her bowl.

“Bad luck it is to spill salt,” Zecora pointed out, “Although it seems that this was not your fault. Over your left shoulder is where you should throw a pinch, and given how you like to throw things, that should be quite a cinch.”

“Bad luck? Bah, nice try, Zecora,” Rainbow Dash snickered, “I think we already learned a while back that there’s no such thing as bad luck or curses. It was you who taught us that, too.”

“Yes, I did indeed help you realize the error of your ways,” Zecora admitted, “However, while I myself am not evil, I still believe…” However, her thought was cut off when Rainbow Dash idly tossed a bit of salt over her left shoulder anyway, just because she felt like it, and it struck the zebra right in the face. Almost immediately afterwards, Zecora gasped and let out a sneeze, and then blindly ran out of the mess hall to try and wash out her eyes.

“Rainbow Dash, you jerk!” Silver Spoon growled, quickly racing after Zecora after giving the Pegasus a look of disgust, “Zecora, wait, let me help you!” When the filly and the zebra were both gone, the rest of the Royal Ruffians all glared at Rainbow Dash and either tapped their hooves or their feet in anger while crossing their arms. Rainbow Dash was left looking like she just wanted to crawl into a corner.

Rainbow Dash: *sheepishly* Um…hehe…oops?

After the rather unusual breakfast, both teams exited the mess hall and went off to enjoy the day on Camp Paradox, since Discord hadn’t made an appearance yet, which meant that the challenge would most likely be later that night. Twilight managed to convince her team (mostly Trixie; the rest of the team immediately agreed) to go for a nature walk near the mountains to help build team morale and make them bond even more.

“Doesn’t being out in the mountains just make you feel alive?” Rarity sighed, trotting alongside her team of six up the mountain path that Twilight had found, “The clean air, the beautiful scenery, the privacy, the silence, the fact that I’m here to make it that much better…it’s perfect!”

“Do you see that cliff over there, Rarity?” Trixie asked, pointing to a cliff overlooking a deep gorge on the opposite side of the camp, “How about going over there for a better look at the beautiful scenery? Trixie promises that she won’t sneak up behind you and push you over the edge.” That little comment was almost enough to get the two unicorns fighting, but Twilight was thankfully right there to break it up before it even began.

“Girls, please, not now!” the violet unicorn scolded, “We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves, not picking reasons to fight with each other!”

“SHE started it, Twilight!” Rarity growled, trying to push Twilight away so that she could be at Trixie, “I was just commenting on our little hike and that rude mare dared to open her mouth!”

“Maybe if you were to deflate that ego of yours, Trixie wouldn’t have thoughts of wanting to destroy you in her mind!” Trixie snapped back, also trying to push Twilight aside to get at Rarity.

“EXCUSE me? You’re accusing ME of having an overinflated ego?” Rarity scoffed, giving Trixie a mocking grin, “Darling, perhaps you should look in the mirror…oh, wait, I do believe you already do enough; it would explain how YOUR ego is so massive that you are in complete denial of your true self.”

“THAT DOES IT! PREPARE TO GET DESTROYED BY THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” Trixie snarled, shoving Twilight hard and rushing straight at Rarity, “NOBODY INSULTS TRIXIE LIKE THAT AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!”

“Bring…it…ON!” Rarity grinned insanely, pawing at the ground and preparing to charge straight back at the oncoming Trixie. Twilight, however, refused to be pushed aside like some common ragdoll. When she saw Rarity, one of her best friends being charged at, she did the first thing that she thought of.

“Trixie, don’t!” she cried, quickly tackling the azure unicorn before she could hair a hair on Rarity’s pretty head. Unfortunately, Twilight had tackled Trixie a bit too hard. The momentum when Twilight crashed into Trixie ended up propelling both mares straight over the side of the steep mountain path and making them tumble straight down into the valley below.

“TWILIGHT! TRIXIE!” Cheerilee shrieked, instantly racing straight over to the side of the cliff and looking down in fear, “Oh no, oh no, oh no…this isn’t good…this is NOT good! They can’t use magic…they could die from a fall like that!”

“Nah, you don’t have to worry, Cheerilee,” Pinkie giggled, bouncing up to the scared teacher’s side and giving her a playful nuzzle, “I don’t think anything bad will happen to those two…haven’t you noticed how they always get beat up but they always pull through? It’s totally like a sign!”

“Pinkie…I hope you’re right…that’s all I can say,” Cheerilee sighed, watching both unicorns vanish into the tall trees in the valley below, “Twilight…Trixie…please be okay.”

“If Rainbow Dash was here, she’d totally have saved them in three seconds flat,” Scootaloo bragged.

Rarity: *giving a deep sigh as she puffed up her mane* I just feel TERRIBLE about what happened to Twilight! I can only hope that she is alright, the poor dear. I somewhat feel that it’s my fault, but…no, it was Trixie’s fault. That stuck-up little mare…ooh, she is SO outta here if she survived that fall!

At the bottom of the mountain, a good half-mile or so from camp, both Twilight Sparkle and Trixie lay motionless next to each other on the forest floor. As luck would have it, both mares had some thick foliage and trees with thick braches break their fall before they crashed onto the ground. Despite multiple cuts, scrapes, bruises and sore muscles, both unicorns were still alive. Trixie was the first one to awaken ten minutes later after being knocked out from the fall.

“Ouch…that…seriously hurt,” Trixie moaned, forcing herself to stand as she wobbled and nearly fell right back down, “Twilight Sparkle…you stupid, insane, idiotic mare…YOU NEARLY KILLED TRIXIE!” The mare angrily berated the other unicorn, who finally stirred as well thanks to her counterpart’s big mouth.

“Ugh…Trixie? Is that…you?” Twilight groaned, her eyes fluttering open as she glanced up at the enraged unicorn standing over her, “Heh…sorry about that…ouch, my left flank hurts…must’ve landed hard on it or something.”

“Oh, your flank is gonna be the LAST of your worries, Twilight Sparkle!” Trixie snarled, steam nearly being seen blasting out of her nostrils as she glared down at the bookworm, “What you SHOULD be worried about is your butt, since Trixie is about to kick it up and down that mountain!” Trixie tried taking a step towards Twilight, but she immediately winced and fell down onto her hind legs as soon as she did.

“You’re hurt, Trixie,” Twilight said softly, pulling herself up and easing herself over towards her fellow unicorn, “Here, let me help…”

“Trixie thinks that you’ve helped more than enough, Sparkle!” Trixie snapped, attempting to back away from the oncoming unicorn, but once more wincing and falling onto her rump when the pain in her hind legs were too much for her to move.

“Lean on me, Trixie…I didn’t seem to get that hurt during the fall,” Twilight said, gently rubbing against Trixie and allowing the mare to put most of her weight on her. Using Twilight as a crutch, Trixie managed to take a few unsteady steps forward while testing her hind legs.

“Humph…don’t think this makes up for the FOOLISH thing you just did, Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie growled, putting almost all of her weight on Twilight, “Trixie WILL make sure that you get paid back for nearly taking her precious life. Do you even realize what this world would be like without Trixie?”

“No…no I don’t…and all I can say is that I’m sorry, Trixie,” Twilight sighed, hanging her head and mostly ignoring her own aches and pains, “I just didn’t want you to fight with Rarity…she’s one of my best friends, you see. I’d do anything for her, like I would my other friends. It was stupid of me to jump at you while up on that mountain path, true…but, my heart forced me to.”

“Your heart forced you to do that? Ha, you are indeed quite the foal!” Trixie scoffed, “For one as brainy as you, Sparkle, you can be quite stupid. Everypony knows that you use your brain to do things, not your heart! Even Trixie knows that the heart is not part of the head; the brain is.”

“You don’t understand, Trixie…wouldn’t you try to stick up for your friend no matter what, too?” Twilight asked, turning and looking at the weakened mare beside her. Trixie was silent for a moment before answering.

“Trixie doesn’t have any friends,” the mare said simply, “Trixie is a traveling show-mare; friends would just get in the way of her dreams and desires. Friends are nothing more than fakers who just want a piece of the good life. Ever since Trixie was just a little filly, she has not had any need for friends…or family for that matter. They are all useless; the only pony that matters in Trixie’s life is Trixie herself.”

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could somepony feel such a way about friends and family? Sure, back in Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle herself wasn’t big on friends, but Princess Celestia was the one to turn her heart around on the subject. Twilight had been so enticed with books and studying that she simply didn’t make time for friends and she didn’t think they were necessary. But, the way Trixie was talking made Twilight’s former plight lackluster and even meaningless. What had happened in Trixie’s past that made her think the way she did?

“Trixie…” Twilight whispered, trying to read the azure mare’s eyes and attempt to find a message of understanding, but Trixie was avoiding looking at Twilight by whatever means necessary. Both Trixie’s eyes and her heart were locked, and if Twilight wanted to try and understand her, it would take a lot of work. For now, though, there was only one thing to do. Both mares had to get back to camp and have Nightmare Moon fix them up in time for the night’s challenge.

Giving a little sigh of sadness and defeat, Twilight began ambling along the forest in the direction that she believed Camp Paradox was located. Trixie allowed herself to fully rely on Twilight, her hind legs still searing with pain whenever she put too much pressure on them. Without saying another word, both mares began their long trek back to camp in silence.

Twilight: *sitting on the toilet with bandages taped to multiple places on her body* What do you say to a mare who doesn’t believe in friends or family? A mare who thinks you should think with your brain and not your heart? A mare who only cares about herself? *she closes her eyes, then goes silence*

Trixie: *sitting on the toilet with a cast on each of her hind legs and even more bandages than Twilight had on her body* Humph…stupid Twilight Sparkle…nearly killing Trixie and then annoying her with foolish talk about friends and love and all that junk. *she shakes her head* What utter nonsense.

Back at camp, the rest of the Royal Ruffians were busy giving Rainbow Dash the cold shoulder, due to her recent attitude issues and her arrogance. When the team had left the mess hall, they immediately separated and left the Pegasus alone, half of them going to go check on Zecora to make sure the zebra had gotten all the salt out of her eyes and face. When Dash tried to talk to Applejack about possibility hanging out together, the cowpony ignored her.

“What is this? Hey, don’t ignore me!” Rainbow Dash cried, flapping her wings irritably, “What did I do? It wasn’t my fault that Zecora happened to be in my way when I threw that salt over my shoulder. She’s the one that told me to do it! C’mon, guys…I hate being ignored!” The Pegasus continued to whine and beg for attention, but she soon found herself completely alone in the middle of the campgrounds. With the Misfits on a disastrous nature hike, the Ruffians all tending to Zecora and ignoring Rainbow Dash, and Discord nowhere to be seen, Camp Paradox almost seemed like a ghost camp.

Grumbling, Rainbow Dash decided that she may as well go for a little fly. Stretching out her wings, the Pegasus forced out a yawn and began hovering. However, just as she was about to take flight, she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her right eye, in the direction of the Magical Misfits’ cabin. At first, Dash figured that it was just a bird or a squirrel and didn’t pay it any mind. However, when she saw what seemed to be a black cape blowing in the wind, her body froze up almost instantly.

Slowly, the blue Pegasus cast her eyes over in the direction of her opponent’s team cabin, hoping that she had just been seeing things, but when her blood ran cold, she knew that her eyes weren’t lying. She recognized that cape, that mask, that hat, that dark and mysterious costume all too well. She still had nightmares involving that which she was staring at. As Rainbow Dash hovered in the air, her eyes narrowed and her front hooves clenched tightly. The Pegasus grit her teeth as she felt her cold blood now start to boil. She was looking at none other than Mare Do Well, the mysterious and stylish vigilante that had shown up Rainbow Dash back in Ponyville not too long ago.

“Okay, okay, VERY funny,” Rainbow Dash said, sarcasm just dripping off each of her words, “Nice one, Applejack; thank you SO much for once again deciding to teach me a lesson about not being so arrogant. Where did you get that costume, anyway? Ooh, let me guess…you brought it with you because you were EXPECTING me to act like a foal again, right? Wow, how NICE of you!” It was clear that Dash was visibly upset and angry about this.

Back in Ponyville, not too long ago, Rainbow Dash had decided to play the role of superhero and was apparently getting a bit too arrogant and egotistical about it. Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie had all decided to “teach Rainbow Dash a lesson” by stealing her thunder and dressing up as Mare Do Well, seemingly trying to get Rainbow Dash to be more humble and not such a braggart. Even though Dash had agreed to what her friends had asked, deep down she was still angry that they had deceived her just to prove a point. Now, seeing somepony dressed as Mare Do Well wasn’t helping matters; it was only worsening them.

“Yo, stop ignoring me!” Dash snarled, flying straight up into Mare Do Well’s expressionless masked face, “I KNOW it’s you, Applejack; you can’t fool me! I know how crafty you can be. Okay, I’m SORRY for being insensitive and mean and all that, now take that ridiculous costume off before I MAKE you take it off!”

Mare Do Well just stared back at Rainbow Dash, only her cape moving in the gentle zephyr passing through the camp. She said nothing and continued to keep staring right into Dash’s angry face, not at all fazed by her threats and rage. For a moment, both the Pegasus and the mysterious mare kept staring at one another, as though they were waiting for the other one to make a move. Then, almost just as suddenly as Mare Do Well had appeared, she quickly turned on her hooves and leaped off the cabin. She then hurried off towards the mountains.

“HEY! GET BACK HERE!” Rainbow Dash yelled, flexing her wings and instantly taking off after the fleeing masked mare, “AJ, THIS ISN’T COOL! GET BACK HERE AND FACE ME!” The Pegasus narrowed her eyes and gnashed her teeth together as she tried to follow the mare into the thick forest, not about to get humiliated twice.

Mare Do Well led Rainbow Dash around twists and turns, forcing the stubborn Pegasus deeper and deeper into the forest. The mountains that the Magical Misfits had recently ventured up was drawing closer, but Dash paid no attention to that; she was too busy trying to capture the masked mare. After turning another corner, Rainbow Dash reached out and tried to grab Mare Do Well’s cape, but was forced to dive aside when a tree branch suddenly got in her way. Mare Do Well then quickly raced around another corner and vanished on the opposite side.

“Dang it! Applejack, curse you and your speed!” Dash growled, angrily snapping the tree branch that had gotten in her way and continuing the chase, “I will not be made a foal of…again?” As Dash turned the new corner, she immediately stopped. Twilight and Trixie were both hobbling along, looking injured and very tired. Mare Do Well and the rest of the Magical Misfits were nowhere in sight.

“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight gasped, a weak smile instantly refreshing her face when she spotted her friend, “Thank goodness! I don’t mean to impose, and I know you’re on the opposite team, but…do you think you could help Trixie and myself out? We kinda need to get back to camp.”

“Twilight? Trixie? But…but…wait, where did…how did you…what?” Dash sighed, beyond confused, “Okay, okay, fine…you do look hurt.” Giving up on her chase, Rainbow Dash swooped down and gently eased Twilight and Trixie onto her back. Despite a minor whine, Trixie made no effort to protest. Twilight herself soon wrapped her forelegs around Dash’s neck to make sure she stayed on and the Pegasus was soon flying back to camp with the two injured unicorns. Deep down, however, she was still fuming at letting her mark get away.

Rainbow Dash: What rotten luck! I had that rotten Mare Do Well right in my clutches, and as always, she slipped right through my grasp. Could Twilight and Trixie…nah, couldn’t have been them. It was clearly Applejack. Ooh, once I get ahold of that mare…I’m gonna teach HER a thing or two!

After Rainbow Dash got back to camp, she instantly delivered Twilight and Trixie to the infirmary; both mares thanked the Pegasus, with Trixie’s thanks being slightly forced. After that, Dash tried to find Mare Do Well again, but she was nowhere in sight. She DID, however, find the rest of her team relaxing in their cabin with an annoyed Zecora. Deciding to keep her confrontation with Mare Do Well a secret for the time being, or at least until Applejack confessed, Rainbow Dash instead apologized to Zecora for her previous actions and asked the rest of her team for forgiveness, too.

“It is fine, Rainbow Dash, I am fine as you can see,” Zecora sniffed, still dabbing her eyes now and then with a damp washcloth, “You should try not to be so brush; kindness does not always come for free.”

“Yeah…right…” Rainbow muttered, casting glances at Applejack every now and then.

“There somethin’ on mah face, Dash?” Applejack asked, curiously glancing into Silver Spoon’s mirror to see if she if something was wrong with her, “Hmm…ah DO have a bit of dirt on mah nose…” She began to scrub it off, not noticing the glare that Rainbow Dash was giving her.

Rainbow Dash: Who does she think she’s fooling? I’m no dummy! She’s such a good actress. She is SO gonna pay for what she did. Opening up a wound and then rubbing salt on it, just to prove a point? *she slowly puts on her favorite sunglasses* Prepare yourself, AJ…your time’s a-coming! *she smirks*

“BRING IT IN, PEEPS!” Discord called out, once again using one of his favorite megaphones, “IT’S TIME TO GET TO TONIGHT’S CHALLENGE! AND THERE’S A REWARD INVOLVED, SO HURRY UP ALREADY!”

Six hours later after Twilight and Trixie’s accident and Mare Do Well upsetting Rainbow Dash, both teams were ready to get to whatever the challenge was for that evening. When all 14 remaining campers walked over to where Discord was waiting, they found a large grocery truck waiting for them. When Discord flipped open the back, mountains of different kinds of food could be seen occupying the inside of the vehicle. Seeing edible, non-black food was enough to get most of the campers drooling.

“Say, Discord, how exactly did you get this thing here?” Spike questioned, taking a closer look at the grocery truck, since he had never seen one before, “This thing has wheels, and this island is surrounded by water, right? How is that even possible?”

“It makes sense if you don’t think about it,” Discord pointed out, “Now then, for today’s challenge, each team is gonna get to try their hooves at cooking! After picking a head chef, each team must complete a three-course meal that will be presented to me for evaluation. Naturally, this means that you must make an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. It would help if you actually had a theme to get you off to a good start. Each of your courses will be ranked on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best score. The team that scores the highest marks will win not only immunity, but also a nice reward!”

“Is the reward a vacation away from YOU?” Celestia asked, looking hopeful. For her comment, the small princess soon received another bucket of water dumped right on top of her head.

Celestia: *having the bucket lodged onto the top of her head, making her expression unreadable* Please allow me to reiterate something that I’m sure I’ve said enough by this…I REALLY HATE DISCORD!

“The reward is a fancy dinner, made with actual GOOD food and not the black kind that Nightmare Moon has been serving you,” Discord smirked, “Worth playing for? If so, let’s get started! Each team is allowed to use whatever they want from the truck, no matter how much or how little. The mess hall’s kitchen has been modified into two kitchens for each team to work with, so you should have everything you need to create a good meal! You have two hours to cook everything, so get started!” The host snapped his fingers and vanished on the spot, leaving the two teams eagerly staring into the truck and looking at the mounds of delicious ingredients.

“Trixie is head chef!” Trixie called out, instantly smirking at her team, “Trixie called it, therefore Trixie is now the head chef. Besides, after Twilight Sparkle nearly killed her earlier today, Trixie thinks that she deserves this honor.”

“But, Trixie, Pinkie works at a bakery for a living!” Rarity protested, “What knowledge do YOU have at cooking? I fail to see any cooking genes in you.”

“Not to mention that last time we trusted you, you kinda lied and made us lose the challenge,” Scootaloo pointed out, crossing her arms and frowning, “How do we know we can trust you this time?” Seeing all the suspicious looks that she was getting, Trixie growled and realized that perhaps she shouldn’t take the leadership role just yet.

“…very well, Trixie will let Pinkie Pie be head chef then,” the unicorn grumbled, instantly regretting her decision when a thrilled Pinkie gave her a tight hug.

“Ooh, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Trixie!” the pink earth pony gushed, spinning Trixie around and around until she got dizzy, “You won’t regret this, I swear! We’re gonna cook the best food EVER! This is gonna be SOOOOOOO much fun! Ooh, ooh, do I get to wear a chef’s hat and everything? Ooh, and an apron? Maybe one that’s painted pink? Oh, I know! We totally should rename our team for this, like the ‘Cooking Misfits’, or the ‘Spicy Misfits’, or…”

“Pinkie…maybe you should actually start by…oh, I don’t know…telling us what food to get and what theme we should focus on?” Twilight sighed, giving her friend a gentle shake to snap her out of her little happy trance. Pinkie blinked for a moment, and after tilting her head and tapping her chin, she gasped and gave herself a face-hoof.

“Ooh, right, of COURSE!” she laughed, instantly leaping right into the truck and reappearing almost a second later with a large crate of random food already placed on her back, “C’mon, let’s hurry back! I totally got everything we need right here! I’ll race you all!” She giggled and began trotting towards the mess hall, leaving her confused and stunned team in a daze right behind her.

Pinkie: *now decked out in a large chef’s hat and an apron while holding a spatula in one hoof and a large spoon in the other* Pinkie Pie is no longer Pinkie Pie…she is now Head Chef Pinkie! *she lets out a ninja shout and strikes a cool cooking pose with her two utensils* We’re gonna cook our tails off!

“Naturally, I’m head chef, so let’s get started and pick out some ingredients,” Rainbow Dash grinned, leaping up onto the truck and peering inside, “Hmm…let’s of good stuff in here…”

“Why the hay do YOU get to be head chef, Dash?” Applejack complained, “Ya’ll don’t know the first thing about cookin’ GOOD food. Ya watched Pinkie make cupcakes ONCE; Zecora here actually cooks for herself every single day, not to mention she knows a thing or two ‘bout creatin’ fancy stuff.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Rainbow Dash muttered, completely ignoring Applejack and getting focused in on the challenge, “Let’s see…hmm…oh, I got it! Yes, yes, this’ll work perfectly! Uh-huh…yes…and that’s all three courses! I’ve got the three meals all laid out inside my brain, team!” She peeked her head back outside the truck and gave the Royal Ruffians an excited grin, but only received scowls in return.

“The art of cooking speaks with actions, not from what one says,” Zecora warned, “The fact that you have ideas inside your brain is worrisome…there is not a lot of room inside your head.” She gave a gentle laugh, which the rest of the team joined in on. It was Rainbow’s turn to scowl as she turned and began to gather up supplies for her ideas.

Rainbow Dash: There’s not a lot of room inside my head? What is THAT supposed to mean? Who does Zecora think she is? It’s not like my head is full of dust bunnies or anything! *she blinks, then pokes at her ears and removes a bit of lint from one of them* Ah…that might explain what was tickling me…

“Okay, so this is what Head Chef Pinkie wants,” Pinkie stated, standing proudly in front of her five teammates when they all got to their team’s kitchen, “We are gonna make some southern food, because southern food tastes so sweet and delicious, and sweet is what gets ya! First, we’ll make some tamale for our appetizers; ooh, they’re so sweet and juicy and can be filled with almost anything! Second, we’ll make Canterlot vegetarian stew for our main course; ooh, I can just taste the spiciness of the thick broth already! Then, for dessert, we’ll make some churros; ooh, they’re so sweet and tangy that you just can’t get enough of them! Any questions?”

“Yes…why are you in that ridiculous getup?” Trixie asked, frowning at Pinkie’s large chef’s hat and her apron, which was more like a karate uniform thanks to the way it was tied around her.

“Because Head Chef Pinkie is locked in and focused!” Pinkie growled, getting into Trixie’s face and poking her in the nose with her large spoon, “Do you dare go against Head Chef Pinkie’s orders?”

“Er…for fear of going insane…Trixie will just keep quiet now,” Trixie muttered, quickly scooting behind Twilight and trying to stay away from Pinkie.

“Goodie! That’s just what I wanted to hear!” Pinkie gushed, happily hopping over to her team’s stove and their large crate of food, “Let’s get started, everypony! We’re gonna cook our way to the top!”

“That or lose our minds trying,” Trixie muttered, before hesitantly joining in with the rest of the team with washing her hooves before getting to the cooking itself.

Pinkie: *giggling cutely, still in her chef’s garb and holding her large spoon and spatula* Mr. and Mrs. Cake would be SO proud of Head Chef Pinkie! They taught her everything she knows! Except for the things that Gummy taught her; that gator sure knows good food when he eats them! *she pushes her face right into the camera* HI, GUMMY, I LOVE YOU! I HOPE YOU’RE BEING A GOOD BOY!

“Okay, I need the two princesses on the goulash!” Rainbow Dash barked, holding the door to her team’s kitchen open while the rest of her teammates trudged past with their backs loaded with food, “Silver Spoon, Fluttershy and Spike? I need you all on the vegetarian schnitzel, pronto! AJ and Zecora, both of you work on the apple strudel for dessert. C’mon, let’s move it! We’re gonna cook the other team for dinner and then serve them up to Discord!”

“…that made no sense, since we’re cooking our own western course, Dash,” Luna frowned, giving the Pegasus a strange look, “And, for the seventh time, I have no idea what ‘goulash’ even is!”

“If you can’t take the heat, get outta the kitchen, Princess,” Rainbow Dash stated, flapping her wings and glaring at the ebony alicorn, “C’mon, where’s that mental toughness that you had to endure through your 1,000 years on the moon? Where’s that fight to never give up? Where’s that evilness that was ultimately Nightmare Moon? Show it, Luna! We believe in you!”

Luna: Was that supposed to be…what you call…a pep talk? It certainly did not help. Not only do I still not know what goulash is, but now my feelings are hurt and I want to strangle Rainbow Dash. Is that natural? *she sighs and rubs her temples* The world was SO much simpler 1,000 years ago…ugh.

“Um…Spike? Silver Spoon?” Fluttershy said, preparing the breading for the schnitzel while whispering to her two partners, “I’m sorry, but…does Rainbow Dash seem…a bit different to you? I mean, ever since we arrived here at camp, she’s been…well…slightly different. Have you two noticed?”

“To be honest, Fluttershy, I don’t even know who she IS outside of this game,” Silver Spoon admitted, frowning as Fluttershy accidentally splashed bread crumbs into her glasses, “But, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Rainbow Dash is just a jerk…she reminds me a lot of Diamond Tiara.”

“I think maybe she’s still thinking about Gilda,” Spike guessed, preparing the soybeans and tofu, “The two were best friends, right? Maybe when Gilda came here and got Dash all riled up, it unleashed Dash’s inner competitor…or something…right?”

“Well…yes, I suppose, but…Dash always loves competing,” Fluttershy argued, casting a glance over at the Pegasus as she was barking orders at Applejack and Zecora, “But…this just doesn’t seem like her. The Dash I know…isn’t so…well…mean. I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to say that…”

“No, no, you have a point…maybe something about this game…is making her act this way?” Spike responded, tapping his chin and watching Dash’s actions, “She seems so tense…like something is really eating at her…too bad Twilight isn’t on our team; she’d know what to do.”

“Or Miss Cheerilee,” Silver Spoon interjected, “She knows a lot about reading ponies’ emotions. One time, I got a sliver in my hoof and I tried to hide it, but she read me like a book. It really hurt, but she managed to get the sliver out…Diamond Tiara kept snickering and calling me a foal the entire time.”

Fluttershy, Silver Spoon and Spike all glanced at one another, then continued to whisper amongst themselves while preparing their schnitzel. They sometimes cast glances in Rainbow Dash’s direction, but they never let the Pegasus know that they were watching. They also failed to notice that the frying pan they were trying to make their vegetarian schnitzel in had a small hole in the bottom.

Fluttershy: *nervously fiddling with her hooves and looking down at the floor; when she speaks, it’s barely above a whisper* I’m worried about Rainbow Dash…half of the time, she looks…um…well, she looks…like she’s possessed. *she squeaks and shivers in fear* No! I-I-I didn’t mean to say that!

“Sister…please tell me that you know what this…goulash is,” Luna sighed, staring down into her empty kettle without a clue.

“Of course, LITTLE sister,” Celestia smirked, carrying some ingredients on her back over to the stove where Luna was waiting, “Goulash is a stew made with noodles and vegetables and topped with spices. Now, we just need to boil the noodles for 10 minutes or so while we chop up these potatoes and other veggies and get the spices ready. Simple enough, right?”

“Humph…know-it-all,” Luna grumbled, moving the kettle over to the sink and starting to fill it with water, “Say, Tia, do you think Rainbow Dash has been acting a little…well, weird? This is not the mare that I met on Nightmare Night. Sure, she was a playful scamp, not to mention very annoying, but this mare seems so…so…distant and bossy.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Luna,” Celestia shrugged, not even giving Rainbow Dash a second glance, “She is the element of loyalty; she will always be by our side, since she’s part of our team. My guess is that she’s just very competitive and…changes…when the pressure is on. This IS a game for a million bits, or so Discord says, after all. Plus, she is young and ambitious; we were like that, too, when we were that age.”

“Equestria to Celestia, but…you ARE that age!” Luna teased, smirking down at her sister. Celestia narrowed her eyes at this realization, since she was always trying to forget what Discord did to her, but whenever it was brought up, the solar princess would always take offense to it.

“Thank you SO much for reminding me of that…Lunacy!” Celestia soon countered, grinning when she saw the horrified expression creep back into her sister’s face, “Aww, what’s wrong? You don’t like your sister calling you that?”

“If you’re gonna continue to spite me with that nickname…I’m just gonna have to do the same thing to YOU…Trollestia,” Luna smirked.

“SISTER! I WARNED YOU TO NEVER CALL ME THAT!” Celestia shrieked, not realizing that the entire kitchen was now staring at her. The white princess had her face beet red while it was the ebony princess’ turn to laugh. A moment later, however, Rainbow Dash floated over to the twosome.

“Hey! What is this?” she snapped, using a spoon to remove a noodle from the kettle and tasting it, “This is raw! What is wrong with you two? Oh, let me guess, you’re used to having your servants cook for you, so you’re not good at cooking!”

“I JUST put those noodles on the stove, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia frowned, “The water isn’t even boiling yet! Of COURSE they’re still raw!”

“Get it together, ladies,” Dash demanded, “This is no time for slouching. One mess-up and that’s all it takes to bring an entire kitchen down.” She fluttered away to go back to barking orders at Applejack and Zecora, while Celestia and Luna glanced at each other again.

“…I think Rainbow Ramsey needs an attitude adjustment,” Celestia muttered.

“That or this game is getting to her head,” Luna agreed.

Rainbow Dash: Hey, don’t judge me! For all I know, my entire team is conspiring against me! I bet they ALL were behind that Mare Do Well nonsense. If they’re gonna treat me like a foal, I’m gonna show them just how bad it feels to be hurt! *she twitches a bit* It’s not funny…it’s really not funny, you know?

“For the LAST time, Rainbow Dash, ah KNOW what ah’m doin’!” Applejack snapped, “Apple strudel is somethin’ that ah often make as a snack for mah little sis. Go and bug somepony else, would ya?”

“Zecora…could you give AJ and I a moment?” Dash said coolly, glancing at the zebra and shooing her away with a hoof. Even though Zecora looked ready to assault Dash once and for all, she once again kept her cool and granted the Pegasus her wish by stepping away from the two and going to check on the two princesses. When Rainbow Dash and Applejack were both alone, the Pegasus leaned down and hissed into her ear. “Why did you do it, AJ? Did you think it was funny or something?”

“Huh? Do what, Dash?” Applejack asked, sheer confusion plastered across her face.

“You know darn-well what!” Dash snapped, pushing her face closer to Applejack’s, “That little ‘scene’ that you pulled this morning after breakfast! Just to try and make me stop being so cocky, despite the fact that our team rocks and I SHOULD be feeling that way…you had to go and pull out that same stupid trick again. Didn’t you have enough fun humiliating me the LAST time?”

“Ah repeat…what ARE ya’ll talkin’ about, Dash?” Applejack asked again, frowning slightly and trying to push the Pegasus away, “Ah seriously have no idea what the hay is wrong with you. You know perfectly well where ah was this mornin’; I was helpin’ Zecora get that salt out of her eyes, and then consolin’ her when she was wantin’ to kick yer flank!”

“Humph…oh really?” Rainbow scoffed, but couldn’t follow it up with a deeper statement. Applejack was the element of honesty; would she really be lying about being Mare Do Well? Rainbow Dash KNEW that she saw her; she even chased her through the woods until she ran into Twilight and Trixie. Was it possible that it wasn’t Applejack at all? Was it possible that it was someone else on the team? Or maybe one of the Magical Misfits? Or just one of Discord’s tricks?

Shaking her head and sighing, Rainbow Dash gave Applejack a hard look before slowly flying off and leaving the cowpony alone. Applejack watched her best friend leave, one eyebrow lifted as she was curious as to what Dash meant and why she was grilling her. She really had no idea what was up with the Pegasus, but it was bothering her. Despite her attitude, Applejack genuinely cared for Rainbow Dash even more than most others. Something was definitely bothering Dash, and it was up to Applejack to try and solve it. As she began adding cream to her apple strudel, she formulated a plan on how to try and talk to Dash about her inner problems.

Applejack: That silly mare don’t like sharin’ her personal feelings and whatnot; she tends to keep them inside, ya know? But, ah’m her best friend; ah know ah can get her to open up to me. Maybe…ah HAVE been a bit rough on her…but she’s just such a dang braggart! *she sighs and shakes her head*

“How is everypony doing?” Pinkie asked, bouncing around between each station and observing the work that was going on, “Ooh, this is looking super-duper-spectacular! All of you are doing WONDERFUL! In fact…it almost makes me want to sing!” Since nopony was taking her seriously, Pinkie grinned and hopped away to the crate that she had brought in on her back; she had the perfect plan in mind.

“Ugh…this Canterlot vegetarian stew is a lot of work,” Rarity sighed, “And we’re still missing some prime ingredients…um, does anypony hear music? It sounds…like a violin.” Indeed, it seemed that soft music had suddenly began to play in the background, but none of the other Magical Misfits seemed to notice.

“Trixie knows that this is hard, and Trixie knows that this is ugly,” Trixie muttered, glancing sideways at Twilight standing right next to her, “But Trixie just cannot cook with you right there anymore…Twilight Sparkle.” Then, just as Trixie was done speaking to her cooking partner (who had been crowding her the whole time), the background music intensified and Pinkie soon bounced onto the counter and began to sing a song while continuing to aid her team’s cooking.

La la-la-la-la la-la, la-la-la, la-la! La la-la-la-la la-la, la-la-la!

We are cooking…and now singing! But we need cups of rice, more cups of rice!
Four tablespoons…of olive oil! And now we add a nice pile of chopped onions!

I am Head Chef Pinkie Pie! I’ll stick a cupcake in your eye!
We’re gonna win, that much is true, we just can’t lose!

We need to add, we need to add…a jalapeño! *at this point, she starts to dance with some jalapeños*
We must mix in, we must mix in…oregano!
Just add a pinch, no you cannot touch! Be careful or you’ll add too much!
And don’t forget, and don’t forget…red tomatoes!

Jalapeño, jalapeño! Jala-jalapeño, jala- jalapeño!
Jalapeño, jalapeño! Jala-jalapeño, jala- jalapeño!

“Stop…please…just make her stop!” Trixie cried, pulling at her mane as she gave Twilight a desperate look, “Twilight Sparkle…just make her stop!” But, Pinkie wouldn’t be stopped, and she continued singing a moment later, much to the chagrin of the rest of BOTH kitchens.

We’re the Misfits; that one is Trixie! She can sometimes get real mad, so very bad!
And there’s Rarity, and Cheerilee. And Scoots sometimes looks real sad, so very sad!

Then there is my best friend Twi! She likes to look at the sky!
But, oops we should be cooking food, ‘cause we can’t lose!

We need to add, we need to add…some jalapeños!
We must mix in, we must mix in…oregano!
Just add a pinch, no you shouldn’t touch! Be careful or you’ll add too much!
And don’t forget, and don’t forget…chopped tomatoes!

Jalapeño, jalapeño! Jala-jalapeño, jala- jalapeño!
Jalapeño, jalapeño! Jala-jalapeño, jala- jalapeño!

Everypony now! *she gives the team one of her puppy-dog looks that nopony could resist*

Yes Trixie hates, yes Trixie hates… jalapeños! *this was Trixie’s line before she swatted Pinkie away*
This makes me sneeze, this makes me sneeze…o-o-oregano! *this was Rarity’s line before she sneezed*
It’s time to add, it’s time to add…chopped tomatoes! *this was Cheerilee’s line; she was still cooking*
I wanna hold, I wanna touch…my Rainbow! *this was Scootaloo’s line; thankfully, no one paid attention*

Turn down the heat, turn down the heat…make it real low! *Pinkie had taken back control of the song*
Can’t let it burn, can’t let it burn…like DUH, you know!
Now add some salt, then sour cream! Ooh, if I had ice cream, I would scream!
But I really like, I really like…wait, what did Scootaloo say about Rainbow?

“Um…I said nothing about nopony!” Scootaloo squeaked as the song paused for a split-second and the entire team started at her. Then, just as quickly as Pinkie paused, she just as quickly picked the song right back up for its grand finale.

Jalapeño, jalapeño! Jala-jalapeño, jala- jalapeño!
Jalapeño, jalapeño! Jala-jalapeño, jala- jalapeño!

*at this point, Pinkie starts doing acrobatic flips all around the kitchen and singing “jalapeño” over and over again, allowing her team to finish the song themselves*

Just make her stop, just make her stop…Twilight Sparkle! *Trixie is now going stir-crazy at the song*
We’re almost done, we’re almost done…at least I think so! *Twilight was looking at her team’s stew*
I need a rest, I must sit down; oh my, just listen to how I sound! *Rarity sang this; she sounded frazzled*
We’re just so cool, we’re just so cool…just like Rainbow! *Scootaloo sang this line, puffing out her chest*

Jalapeños! *Pinkie ended the show by blasting out of her team’s food crate and firing jalapeños everywhere, including one stuck in her nose*

“HEY! What’s with all the singing in here?” Discord shouted, poking his head into the Magical Misfits’ kitchen door. As soon as he saw Pinkie with a jalapeño stuck in her nose and a dozen more spread around the room, he gave the pink pony a wide-rimmed grin. “Perfect! Pinkie Pie, your singing is sure to drive the ratings through the roof! Keep it up, my dear.” He chuckled and vanished a moment later.

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie giggled, playfully fiddling with the jalapeño sticking out of her nose, “Hey, Twilight, look! I have a boogie hanging from my nose! See how big and green it is?”

“Pinkie Pie…in the words of Rainbow Dash…you are SO random,” Twilight sighed, slowly picking up a jalapeño off the floor and shaking her head at the pink pony.

“Ah-ah-ah, I’m not Pinkie Pie…I’m Head Chef Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie corrected Twilight, giving a huge inhale as she sucked the jalapeño stuck in her nostrils straight up her nose, soon devouring the spicy pepper and licking her lips, “Yummy! So nice and spicy! Head Chef Pinkie Pie likes it spicy!”

Trixie: *gagging and looking repulsed* Ugh! That disgusting pink mare! First making the Great and Powerful Trixie engage in ridiculous singing, and then… *she shivers* …what she did with that pepper should be outlawed! Does her tomfoolery know no bounds? Where DOES Twilight Sparkle find these ponies? Oh, right, she’s Twilight Sparkle…she’s not that bright. *she snickers to herself* So obvious.

“What in the world was going on over there?” Spike asked, glancing over towards the Magical Misfits’ kitchen, “It sounded like Pinkie Pie broke into one of her songs again…”

“That’s HEAD CHEF PINKIE PIE!” Pinkie snarled, poking her head out of the Royal Ruffians’ microwave and glaring down at them before vanishing just as quickly as she had appeared. The rest of them, despite being visibly spooked, decided to not question just how Pinkie managed to do these things.

“Ugh…whatever, let ‘em sing!” Rainbow Dash scoffed, “While they’re singing, we’re cooking to win! My team is 40% stronger, 30% smarter, and 20% cooler than Twilight’s team! We’re gonna fillet them with our flashy cooking skills! We’re gonna blend them up in a blender of total despair! We’re gonna chew them up and spit them out like spinach! We’re gonna…”

“Dash, ah think we get the picture,” Applejack frowned, swatting the Pegasus on the butt with a spatula, “Now, if ya’ll don’t mind, ah’m tryin’ to put the finishin’ touches on our apple strudel, and yer bellyachin’ is kinda distractin’ us from doin’ so.”

“Hey! Watch the hindquarters, AJ!” Rainbow Dash squeaked, rubbing her tush and glaring at the cowpony, “You better hope there’re no bruises on it now; I can’t be flying around with a red mark on my rump! I should make you kiss it better.”

“The only butt that’ll be gettin’ any kisses around here is mine, Dash…and from YOU!” Applejack whispered, smirking to herself as she lowered her hat and put the finishing touches on her apple strudel.

“Did you say something?” Dash questioned, raising an eyebrow as she watched Applejack and Zecora both put the apple strudel in the fridge.

“Nothin’ at all, Dash!” Applejack grinned, turning back around and nodding to the Pegasus, “Now, let’s clean this place up and get ready for the dinner service.” The entire time, Zecora had been watching Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s actions closely, and couldn’t help but grin to herself.

Zecora: Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the two are quite a pair…take away one, and thus will lead to a bout of despair. The forces of yin and yang are all around, like a heart of love that is surely abound. What this team learns from moving on, who’s to say? But, to put it simply, this has been a very odd day.

Eventually, all six dishes were complete and both kitchens were cleaned. With the Misfits, Pinkie gave a rousing speech on how she was proud of her team and how the food looked delicious, not to mention talking about a good dozen other random things that continued to give Trixie gray hairs. With the Ruffians, Rainbow Dash didn’t even bother looking at her team’s food; she was sure that they were perfect and that they would easily win this challenge. Despite her suspect attitude lately, the Ruffians had to admit that the boast of confidence from Dash wasn’t really a negative thing.

“Discord is waitin’ for his grub, gang!” Applejack smiled, glancing at Rainbow Dash, “Dash, you guard the food, okay? We’ll go out there and set things up and wait until it’s our turn.”

“Aww, but guarding the food is SO boring!” Dash whined, but she was soon left alone in the quiet kitchen with her team’s three course meal sitting on the table next to her. With a growl, Rainbow Dash pulled a chair over and sat down while eying the food. “Humph…well, at least this is relaxing.”

In the mess hall’s dining area, Discord had removed the tables and chairs so that he was sitting by himself at a long judge’s table. Deciding to elicit their own personal flare for what they were serving, Twilight and Zecora both set their team’s side of the table in a different fashion. Twilight set some candles out and lit each one, while Zecora pulled out the little wooden doll she had got from Dusk Island and set it in the middle of her team’s side.

“Your food will be ready in a moment, Discord,” Twilight said politely, bowing her head and trying her best to act like a waitress.

“Prepare for a meal that you will surely love,” Zecora smiled, “Our cooking skills are ranked high and above!”

“Ooh, how precious!” Discord grinned, having a good time watching Twilight and Zecora both try to act classy, “Each of you are trying to suck up to me so that I don’t tell you just how terrible your food is and then instantly force Nightmare Moon to eat it. Not a bad move, actually. Anyway, Magical Misfits, your team gets to go first, so better make sure it’s a good opening statement!”

“You can bet it is, Discord!” Twilight said, turning towards her kitchen and giving a shrill whistle, “Okay, Pinkie, bring ‘em on out here!” When the kitchen doors stayed close, Twilight groaned and gave herself a face-hoof. “Ugh…Head Chef Pinkie, would you PLEASE bring out the food?”

“With gusto, Twilight!” Pinkie giggled, bouncing out the doors a moment later, still in her chef’s outfit as Cheerilee, Scootaloo, Trixie and Rarity all wheeled a cart out just behind the thrilled earth pony. The cart had all their courses laid out perfectly on the top; Rarity had done the arranging, of course. “Discord, prepare yourself for yumminess that you have never experienced anywhere else in the whole entire world! I am so, so, so, SO proud of my team! You’re gonna love this!”

“For your sake, I’d better,” Discord chuckled, “So, what did you ladies decide to make?”

“We made some southern food,” Twilight spoke up, “For the appetizer, we have some tamale. For the main course, we put together a very festive Canterlot vegetarian stew. For dessert, we have some churros.”

“Ooh, sounds nifty! Lay them on me!” Discord smiled.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if we set them down in front of you so you could actually eat them?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head, “Why would you want us to lay the food on you? Plus, they’re still hot, so it could burn you, and that would be so horrible because burns can really sting. I know because I went out to the beach one time and I thought, ‘Hey, I know, I think I’ll get a suntan!’ But, then I fell asleep on my tummy, so my poor little tushy was sticking up in the air for a whole six hours and…”

“Eh-hem…Pinkie, darling, just serve the food, please,” Rarity said politely, her right eye slightly twitching. By this point, Trixie had lost all energy to make insults or threats at Pinkie; she was completely spent. Cheerilee and Scootaloo both simply grinned and said nothing.

“Hmm? Oh, right, okay!” Pinkie laughed, “Why didn’t you just say so in the first place? Are you ready, Discord? Here you go!” The pony butt-bumped the cart and sent the plate of tamale sailing through the air and somehow landing right in front of Discord without a single spill. Giving Pinkie an amused and satisfied look, Discord picked up his fork and sank it into the steaming plate of food.

First, Discord cut open one of the tamales on the plate and examined the insides. He then gave it a long sniff and even held his clawed hand over the top to make sure it was indeed radiating good heat. Finally, the final part was to actually taste it. Pulling off rather a large chunk with his fork, Discord raised it to his mouth and took a greedy bite. He chewed only two times before swallowing. Almost as soon as he did, he gave the Magical Misfits a small nod.

“The cheese is deliciously melted, the veggies are packed but not so dense that they take the taste away, and the flavor is to die for!” the draconequus complimented, “It’s still nice and hot, the waffling aroma is delicious, and this is an overall great appetizer. All 10 points, Misfits! Now, pass the Canterlot vegetarian stew, please.”

“How about a handoff instead of a pass?” Pinkie giggled, butt-bumping the cart again and having a large bowl of the stew land on her head. She trotted up to Discord and slid the bowl down in front of him, and once more the spirit of disharmony had to give Pinkie a grin at her methods of delivery. Again, he used the same tactics as he did with the tamale. He smelled, felt, observed and tasted the stew before giving his second review.

“This stew is…magnificent!” he gushed, “Ooh, the spiciness is so PERFECT! The jalapeños really give it that kick that it needs, but the crunchy tomatoes…the minced onions…it’s all blended beautifully. Ah, and I can really taste that oregano; nice job on not overusing it. Another 10 points, Misfits!”

“And now, for the dessert!” Pinkie smiled, butt-bumping her team’s cart for a third and final time and this time having the tray of churros land on her back. She then hopped over to Discord and tossed the plate up onto the table again, receiving the same amused expression as before. However, this time when he tried to eat one of the snacks, he looked repulsed.

“Ugh…these are as hard as rocks!” he complained, instantly spitting out the churro he had been trying to eat and frowning down at the plate, “You clearly overcooked them. I can’t even bite into them without chipping one of my fangs! Which one of you foals did this?” He glared over at the team that he had been so proud of just moments ago. Immediately, the team looked at Scootaloo, since the filly was the one in charge of the desserts.

“Um…I, uh…maybe I…well, you see, the thing is…” Scootaloo gulped, trying to make herself look small. The truth was that she had been distracted by Rainbow Dash, since the Pegasus’ loud ranting had gotten the filly curious and even a bit worried about her. As such, she had completely forgotten to take her churros out on time, which led to them being seriously overcooked and made as hard as rocks.

“It was MY fault,” Cheerilee interrupted, quickly stepping in for her student, “I told Scootaloo to let me handle it, since she seemed to be working herself too hard to try and prove herself to the team. I fear that I’m the one that let the churros overcook. Please, forgive me.” This statement instantly stunned Scootaloo. The earth pony had clearly just lied to protect the filly, but the rest of the team and even Discord seemed to buy it.

“Well, all the same, the only thing that THESE are good for now is hurling into the ocean,” Discord mused, randomly tossing one of the churros onto the floor and watching as it cracked one of the floorboards by how hard it was, “I’ll give you one point for effort, but that’s it. Your grand total is 21 points out of 30. Not bad, Misfits…but now it’s the Ruffians’ turn.”

Scootaloo: W-w-why did Miss Cheerilee lie just to save me from being humiliated? She…didn’t have to do that…now I feel bad. *she hangs her head* Ugh…I shouldn’t have been watching Dash…

Cheerilee: If we end up losing, I’d rather myself go home over Scootaloo. She…doesn’t deserve to go yet…and I’d rather not have to suffer more pain from seeing another one of my dear students leave…

“This challenge is in the bag…” Rainbow Dash snickered, leaning back in her chair and propping her arms behind her head, “Ah…this chair is kinda comfy…wait, what’s that sound?” A second later, Dash let out a squeak as her chair ended up cracking, causing her to go barreling into the nearby table. The same table that her team’s entire course was resting upon.

As soon as the Pegasus crashed into the table, the plates of food went flying into the air and the table itself was broken into pieces. With a horrified shriek, Rainbow Dash quickly stretched her wings and zoomed around the room at lightning-fast pace, trying to catch each plate of food before it crashed onto the ground. The plate of vegetarian schnitzel safely landed on her back, the apple strudel landed on one of her wings, but the hot bowl of goulash landed right on top of her head. Plus, not only was the bowl really hot, but Dash had no place to set the food down and if she moved, she would drop everything.

“Um…somepony…anypony…help?” the Pegasus gulped, frozen in a rather awkward stance and grunting a bit, since keeping her wings open just to hold up a plate was not an easy task. Unfortunately, the rest of the Ruffians were still sitting outside the kitchen door, waiting for their turn to deliver their food to Discord. At the moment, Discord was just finishing up giving marks to the Magical Misfits. It was also at that moment when a drop of tomato sauce ended up seeping over the side of the bowl of goulash and dripping right down onto Dash’s nose.

Rainbow Dash: Just so all you know, I regret nothing! *her ears drooped and she then wrapped her wings around herself* Okay…I kinda do regret what happens next…man, I’m disgraced.

“Uh…what was that sound?” Silver Spoon asked, tilting her head towards her team’s kitchen door.

“It kinda sounded like a crash,” Fluttershy said, “Do you think Rainbow Dash is alright?”

“Ah know what’d BETTER be ahright when ah go in there to get our food…” Applejack frowned, listening as Discord called out that it was her team’s turn to deliver their meal to him, “HEY, DASH, YA’LL CAN BRING OUT THE FOOD NOW!” When the kitchen doors remained closed and Dash didn’t come out, the Royal Ruffians waited a moment longer, but Dash still never came back out.

“Eh-hem…Ruffians, TODAY if you’d please?” Discord frowned, tapping at the invisible watch on his right arm and looking irritated.

“Dang it. Dash, what the hay are ya’ll doin’ in there?” Applejack sighed, pushing open the kitchen doors and taking a look inside. As soon as she did, her jaw dropped all the way to the ground and her hat very nearly flew right off her head.

Rainbow Dash was shivering in fear, showing the same expression as she had back during the Best Young Flyer competition. She was cowering in the middle of a circle of spilled and destroyed food…the same food that her team had just worked so hard to make. The goulash was spilled all over the floor, the schnitzel was in pieces, and the apple strudel looked more like someone had murdered a pile of strawberries. Ironically, Rainbow Dash didn’t have a drop of food on her body.

“Hehe…hehehehe…Discord, would ya’ll give me just one little bitty minute?” Applejack grinned, very slowly turning to look at the draconequus. The expression she was giving off was enough to send chills down Discord’s spine. The cowpony looked ready to explode, despite her creepy grin.

“Er…sure…just, um, make it quick…I don’t have all night,” Discord muttered.

“Hehe…oh, don’t ya’ll worry ‘bout that…this won’t take long at all,” Applejack giggled, her body rigid and the smile stretching out into an even creepier grin that eclipsed her usual docile expression. Slowly, she removed her hat and gave it to Fluttershy before she slowly stalked right into the kitchen, letting the doors slowly slide shut behind her.

Fluttershy: *timidly cowering while wearing Applejack’s hat* I’ve…I’ve seen…Applejack when she’s mad…it’s one of the most horrifying…one of the most terrifying…I-I-I just don’t want to think about it! *she squeaks and quickly dives down to hide from the camera a second later* Applejack is scary.

A few uneasy seconds passed in the mess hall dining area, the Royal Ruffians, the Magical Misfits and Discord all looking at one another in confusion and wondering what in the world was going on. Then, it was like a volcano erupted inside the Ruffians’ kitchen. A loud roar was heard, followed by what sounded like random items being hurled around the room, some of which seemed to be heavier than just a stove. Screaming could be heard, ranging from horrified shrieks and pleas for forgiveness to angry insults and threats and warnings. It got so bad that the walls of the mess hall began to shake.

Celestia and Luna quickly held onto one other, not exactly looking scared but still looking rather uneasy with the massacre that was apparently going on in the kitchen. Fluttershy was trembling and cowering in the corner, her little tush sticking up in the air as she tried to hide her face in said corner. Spike, Silver Spoon and Zecora were all huddled together and trying to think of happy thoughts. Discord himself seemed thrilled that chaos was going on, but even he winced when large dents began appearing in the wall that separated the Ruffians’ kitchen from the dining area. Some of the dents looked Pegasus-shaped, too. The Magical Misfits had all slowly backed away towards the nearest exit.

Eventually, the kitchen doors burst open again and Applejack poked her head back out. Her mane was ruffled and she was gasping profusely, as though she had just experienced a heavy workout. She had a deep snarl plastered across her that was showing off her teeth, and her front hooves were clenched and were barely able to keep her standing. When she noticed that everyone in the mess hall was now looking at her, the cowpony suddenly grinned and seemingly went right back to normal.

“Hehe…sorry ‘bout that, ya’ll,” she chuckled, quickly trying to pat down her mane as she glanced behind her back into the destroyed kitchen, “Ah just needed to…get Dash in line. C’mon now, Dash; we can’t keep Discord waitin’ any longer. Please deliver our food…right now.” She kept the same forced grin on her face as she held the door open. Almost an entire minute later, a limping Rainbow Dash trudged out of the kitchen, the food cart right behind her. It looked like it had been forcibly tied to her tail.

The Pegasus looked like she had been through a tornado, a volcano, an earthquake, and a tsunami all in one hour. Both her mane and her tail were sticking up in many different directions, not to mention looking ragged and ruined. She had two black eyes, a busted nose, a limp in one of her hind legs, rough scrapes against both of her flanks, red spank marks on her butt, and a few of her feathers from her wings having been stuffed into her ears. Somehow, she wasn’t missing any teeth.

“Discord…I present to you…the Royal Ruffians’…food,” Rainbow Dash wheezed, her voice coming out low and raspy as she limped up to the draconequus, “We made…some goulash…and some vegetarian schnitzel…and some apple strudel. We hope…that you…enjoy it.”

“Okay then…uh, goody,” Discord said, feigning enthusiasm as she looked at the cart tied around the Pegasus’ tail, “So, maybe you’d like to serve me now?” Instead of doing that, Rainbow Dash just let out a pathetic whimper and collapsed onto the ground. “Okay…I guess I’ll serve myself.” Already giving the Royal Ruffians a disapproving stare, he reached out and grabbed the goulash first.

“Um…our meals were…primary made while thinking of western places,” Luna spoke up, thinking it was important before Discord decided to eat. However, when Discord dug into the near-empty goulash bowl, he raised an eyebrow when he pulled out a spoon that was mainly full of blue Pegasus feathers and not much else.

“Uh…I do not recall goulash having Pegasi feathers as an ingredient,” Discord frowned, giving the spoonful of food a sniff and instantly turning away, “And it smells like it’s been all over the floor! This is downright insulting! What foals made this?”

“I’ll have you know that I am NOT a foal!” Celestia frowned, “And I did NOT add Pegasi feathers to it. I didn’t even know what in the world goulash WAS before my sister told me!”

“Well, be that as it may, this is pitiful and I wouldn’t feed this to a starving parasprite,” Discord snapped, throwing the disgusting goulash over his head and very nearly hitting Trixie’s, “One point for the effort, but that’s it! Now, you said that vegetarian schnitzel was next?” He reached over and picked up the plate that had the schnitzel on it and put it in front of him.

“Yes, and we worked very hard on it!” Spike said proudly, “Fluttershy, Silver Spoon and myself all pitched in together and we’re sure that you’ll…”

“…find it very unappealing and disgusting,” Discord finished, frowning when the schnitzel was reduced to nothing but bread crumbs when he tried to poke it with his fork, “This looks like it has been stepped on over and over again and then just thrown onto the plate for good measure! How DARE you feed me something like this! If you have a problem with Nightmare Moon’s food, you take it up with HER, not take it out on me! Another one point and good riddance!” The draconequus angrily tossed the plate of destroyed schnitzel over his head as well, once more nearly taking Trixie’s off. It was clear that he was not enjoying being served dog food.

“Um…but, the apple strudel, it will be sure to please,” Zecora gulped, “Making such a simple and tasty snack was as easy as a breeze.”

“Oh, really?” Discord sighed, holding up the apple strudel plate and showing the Ruffians that all that was on it was a bunch of bread crumbs and red smears, “Then where is it?”

“Hehe…hehehehehe…oh, Discord…come now, ya’ll know that it’s good…right?” Applejack smiled, her left eye slowly twitching as she looked on the verge of another breakdown.

“Yes, I do…it’s good…FOR NOTHING!” Discord growled, using the plate as a Frisbee and this time nearly taking AJ’s head off instead, “Ruffians, I am appalled, humiliated, disgraced, and downright nauseated by what you tried to serve me! Do I look like just any ordinary draconequus that would enjoy a bowl of dirty Pegasus feathers? Or a plate of trampled breadsticks? Or a plate that looks like a tomato just exploded from shame? Well, I do not; I have a much higher degree of pride for what I eat. By a score of 21 to 3, I hereby declare that the Magical Misfits EASILY win this challenge!”

“YES! WE WON!” Pinkie cheered, throwing her chef’s hat up into the air and happily squeezing her entire team into her arms, “I KNEW YOU ALL COULD DO IT! WHO WANTS TO HEAR A SONG?”

“NO MUSIC!” Trixie screamed, quickly slapping a hoof over the pony’s mouth. The entire team laughed and continued the group hug, despite the protests from Trixie, while the Royal Ruffians looked downright humiliated, embarrassed, and angry.

“This ain’t fair!” Applejack snarled, once again having her anger fire up as she stomped over to Discord and the fainted Dash, “Ever since this mornin’, ain’t nothin’ but bad luck been happenin’ to us! First our chairs get all busted, then Dash spills salt and throws some in Zecora’s face, and now THIS nightmare! What the hay is goin’ on here? We were a great team and we had all the momentum! Why in the world was Dash actin’ the way she was? Why did she ruin all our food? Why did our chairs break? WHY?!?!”

“Um…hold on…what’s THAT?” Spike asked, pointing to the tabletop after spying Zecora’s wooden doll, “Who put THAT ugly thing there?”

“That is no ugly thing, my curious little friend,” Zecora said, trotting up and pulling it off the table, “I found this on Dusk Island; for this challenge, I thought it should attend.” Almost immediately after Zecora was done talking, the entire mess hall gasped in horror, including Discord. Rainbow Dash weakly lifted her head and let out a tiny gasp as well. Every eye in the mess hall was now staring at Zecora in the same way most of them had when she first entered Ponyville.

“You took that from Dusk Island?” Discord groaned, “The same island that I distinctly told you NOT to bring anything back from or else you and your team would be cursed?”

“I…do not remember…you saying anything about that,” Zecora muttered, noticing all the looks and feeling rather uneasy about them.

“Of course you don’t, because you were too busy frolicking in the woods with Silver Spoon!” Spike snapped, crossing his arms and glaring at Zecora, “Way to go, Zecora…you cursed all of us…and this time, it’s not just rumors…you seriously did!” Combined with what Spike said and seeing that now most of the looks of horror she was getting were turning into glares of rage, Zecora realized that this was not the best place to be at the moment.

“Yes…well…I do believe that I should go put this back,” Zecora said meekly, quickly easing towards the nearest door with the small wooden doll, “Then…our team…should hopefully get back on track.” With that, the zebra quickly burst out of the mess hall and left a silence in her wake.

Rainbow Dash: *now sporting multiple casts and bandages on her body* So, Applejack kicked my butt for NOTHING? It was all Zecora’s fault? Man, that’s SO not fair! Applejack seriously owes me a big apology for this. *she grumbles and crosses her arms* Ow…man she’s strong…not to mention scary…

“Well…while the Royal Ruffians head off to their elimination ceremony,” Discord explained, turning to the Magical Misfits, “You all earned that reward that I was telling you about. Your surprise is that you get a lovely dinner in the middle of an outdoor makeshift restaurant…under the stars. Just the six of you with Nightmare Moon as your waitress. Please follow me.” He snapped his fingers and vanished.

“Now THAT’S a reward that I can really sink my teeth into!” Pinkie giggled, throwing away her chef’s hat and apron and bouncing up and down excitedly, “C’mon, Misfits! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! Hungry Pinkie Pie can’t wait for a good meal!”

“Great, so Head Chef Pinkie is now Hungry Pinkie…what’s next, Haunted Pinkie when Trixie invades your dreams and makes you wish you had never angered her?” Trixie asked, frowning at the earth pony. In response, Pinkie simply playfully bucked Trixie onto her back and took off out the door. Twilight, Cheerilee, Scootaloo and Rarity all watched and listened in amusement as Trixie’s shrieks and Pinkie’s giggles vanished into the evening.

Twilight: Well, a win is a win, even if it was…um, somewhat chaotic. I’m sure Discord just LOVED that. I feel bad for Applejack and her team, though…poor Princess Celestia has to deal with all that…

Rarity: Ah, what a lovely reward. I get some suitable fine dining under the GORGEOUS stars and finally Nightmare Moon is forced to wait on us and get us some GOOD food. How quaint, don’t you think?

“I think the choice is obvious on who should be voted out tonight, AJ,” Spike stated, standing with Applejack outside of the Ruffians’ cabin about ten minutes later, “Rainbow Dash might’ve destroyed everything and acted like a jerk, but it was Zecora’s fault because she cursed us!”

“Ah dunno, Spike…ah feel bad about that,” Applejack admitted, hanging her head, “We ahready made the mistake of misjudgin’ Zecora before and it really made us all feel like foals. She made one simple mistake…should that really garner her bein’ voted off?”

“Would you rather get rid of Rainbow Dash?” Spike questioned, “It has to be one of the two of them, right? I mean…Fluttershy is timid and stuff, but at least she doesn’t destroy stuff and give us attitude. Silver Spoon is…well, kinda worthless…but, she’s been trying hard to make a better impression on those around her. Heck, even the two princesses can’t really do much without their magic. Who do YOU want to see voted off?”

“Ah…ah don’t know,” Applejack sighed, “Ah’d rather not vote anypony off…it makes me feel bad inside. Sure, ah voted for Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara, but…it wasn’t easy. Ah really don’t want any bad feelings to go into this.”

“Well, do what you think is right,” Spike shrugged, turning and walking off, “I know who I’M voting for. Do what your heart tells you to do, Applejack.” The cowpony looked at the dragon as he walked off, then looked back at the ground. Her mind was lost in thought at what to do at the ceremony that night.

Did she vote for Rainbow Dash, her best friend who, despite her issues, was still a wonderful mare that AJ knew she could always count on? Did she vote for Zecora, simply because she apparently cursed the team with her wooden doll, even though she didn’t know that she had? Did she maybe vote for Silver Spoon, simply due to the fact that she was a little filly and wasn’t much good for anything? Did she possibly vote for one of the two princesses and possibly get punished for it later? Even though this was nothing more than a game, Applejack could feel the pressure swelling inside of her chest. This was not gonna be an easy decision.

Applejack: It feels so wrong votin’ for Zecora ‘cause it makes me think back to when we falsely judged her before. But, then again, ah don’t want to vote for Dash…despite the butt-kickin’ ah issued onto her in that kitchen…ah don’t want her to go. *a faint blush broke out onto her face* Horse-feathers.

“And, voilà!” Discord grinned, leading the Magical Misfits to an outdoor eatery that he had put together with his magic, “Each table is set for two, so you will each have to pair up. Nightmare Moon, I expect you to be nice to them.”

“I don’t get paid to be nice,” Nightmare Moon frowned, wearing a small waitress’ outfit and looking very pissed off about it.

“You don’t get paid at ALL, my dear,” Discord smirked, giving the alicorn a tickle under the chin, “Now, with that, I must leave you all and go attend the ceremony. Have fun, Misfits!” He laughed and vanished, leaving the six amused Magical Misfits behind him with the cranky Nightmare Moon.

“Wow…this is…lovely!” Rarity gushed, trotting forward and looking around the area. The top of the restaurant was fitted with a transparent silver veil that allowed those sitting right underneath to view the stars in the heavens above. There were three tables set up, each one made of the finest stone material that money could buy. The tablecloths, silverware, napkins and even the flooring were all made of either the finest linen or out of gold.

“Ooh, ooh, Rarity, let’s sit together!” Pinkie smiled, grabbing the fashion pony and dragging her towards one of the three tables.

“Miss Cheerilee, would you sit with me?” Scootaloo asked, giving a humble bow to her teacher, “I, um, wanted to talk to you about what you did earlier for me…”

“Of course, Scootaloo,” Cheerilee smiled, giving the filly a pat on the head and trotting with her over to the second empty table. This left just two Magical Misfits left and only one table to fill.

“You CANNOT be serious,” Trixie groaned, glancing at Twilight and slapping her forehead, “WHY does this keep happening to Trixie? Something tells her that the Ruffians were not the only team cursed.”

“Oh, Trixie, stop it,” Twilight scolded, playfully nudging the mare and trotting over to the final table, “I won’t bite. Now, c’mon, sit down and take a load off; we all earned it.”

“Humph…very well…but Trixie can tell that this is already gonna be a LONG night,” Trixie grumbled, taking her seat opposite Twilight as Nightmare Moon trotted forward to ask what they wanted to drink.

Rarity: *gasping and holding up one of the golden spoons she had at her table* Oh…oh my…these spoons are encrusted with emeralds and rubies! I…I must have them! Discord won’t miss them! *she tries to hide it on her body, but growls when she realizes she can’t* Oh, poo…this is NOT fair AT ALL.

Discord had already situated himself in front of the bonfire after saying goodbye to the Magical Misfits. The Royal Ruffians didn’t look happy about being there after they day they had, but they knew that there was no looking back now. Someone on their team was about to be voted off, and since Gilda and Diamond Tiara were no longer in the game, voting a camper out of the game was no easy task. Even to that very moment, none of the teammates really looked happy about what they were imagining.

“So, Ruffians, kinda a shock to see you all here…you all looked so powerful and dominant after axing two of your three filly campers,” Discord smirked, loving how he instantly drew uneasy looks from everyone on the Ruffians except Silver Spoon, “I’d be worried if I was Silver Spoon…the only two players voted off from her team were her two fellow fillies, Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle. Will they make it three for three? Or will they go elsewhere? Well, we’re about to find out. You all know how this works by now; it’s time to vote. Applejack, you’re up.”

Rainbow Dash: *showing the camera that she voted for Zecora* You may’ve not cursed us the first time, but you did this time, and you’re gonna pay for it! *she puts the ballot into the box*

Silver Spoon: *showing the camera that she voted for Rainbow Dash* Please, please, PLEASE don’t send Zecora home…she’s the only friend I have left… *she weakly puts the ballot into the box*

Spike: *showing the camera that he voted for Zecora* Sorry, Zecora, but I haven’t forgotten when your cauldron blasted me in the head the other day…plus, you cursed us. *he puts the ballot in the box*

Zecora: *showing the camera that she voted for Rainbow Dash* You, my friend, are nothing but trouble. If you were to stay, the chaos would surely be doubled. *she puts the ballot into the box*

“You have all made your decision,” Discord said, snapping his fingers as the ballot box appeared in front of him, “Once a decision is reached, the vote is FINAL, and that loser will be sent down the Dock of Shame and forced to board the Boat of Losers. And they CANNOT ever come back to the island…EVER! Are you ready? I’ll read the votes.” He put on his sunglasses instead of his fake reading glasses before he removed the top of the ballot box and reached for the first folded ballot.

“First vote…Zecora,” Discord said, showing the first ballot to the Royal Ruffians’ with Zecora’s name on it.

“Second vote…Rainbow Dash. That’s one vote Zecora and one vote Rainbow Dash.”

“Third vote…Zecora. That’s two votes Zecora and one vote Rainbow Dash.”

“Fourth vote…Rainbow Dash. That’s two votes Zecora, two votes Rainbow Dash.”

“Fifth vote…Zecora. That’s three votes Zecora, two votes Rainbow Dash.”

“Sixth vote…Zecora. That’s four votes Zecora, two votes Rainbow Dash.”

“Seventh loser of Total Magic Pony Island…” Discord announced, flipping over the seventh and deciding ballot, “…Zecora. My dear zebra, the tribe has spoken. It’s time for you to head home.”

“NO!” Silver Spoon cried, angrily facing the rest of her team, “How COULD you? She makes ONE little mistake that just so happens to curse the team and you punish her? That rotten Rainbow Dash has totally been a thorn in our sides since day one! First you get rid of Sweetie Belle for one little mistake, and now Zecora? You are all nothing but cruel, heartless…”

“Silver Spoon, that is enough, my child,” Zecora said, gently shushing the enraged filly, “Please try to keep your temper under mild. I saw this coming, and I am at peace; do not berate your team for doing what had to be done, please.”

“But…but…Zecora…” Silver Spoon whimpered, her eyes forming tears as she was trembling and nearly having her glasses fall off, “You…you were the only one who believed in me…the only one who made me see right from wrong…and I know that this is so wrong! You weren’t the one who wrecked that challenge! To heck with curses! There’s no such thing! Don’t you understand? You taught me that YOU are in charge of YOUR OWN destiny! You know that you did nothing wrong to warrant being voted off!”

Zecora said nothing to this, but for some reason, she just continued to smile all the brighter. Silver Spoon finally broke down and began sobbing, burying her face into Zecora’s chest and snuggling up to her one final time. While the rest of the team watched and felt slightly guilty about what they had decided to do, Zecora gently hugged the sobbing filly and stroked the back of her head while softly hushing her and trying to make her calm down.

“Silver Spoon, this game was not for me,” she whispered, “I have no need for something as troubling as money. I came out here for the thrill and excitement of trying something new; I knew from the start I would not win, but that is not true for you. You are still here, Silver Spoon, so you must go on. Do not think of my elimination as harsh, nor that it was wrong. The team will be better without me; I am not much for games. Rainbow Dash might be a gnat, but in physical strength, we are not the same.”

“But…b-b-but…I don’t want you to go…” Silver Spoon sobbed, “I have nopony left. Diamond Tiara is gone, Sweetie Belle is gone, Apple Bloom is gone…and Scootaloo and Miss Cheerilee are on the opposite team! I’m all alone…don’t leave me…please don’t leave me.” Clearly, the filly’s past was none too friendly to her, which might explain her dependency on Diamond Tiara and Zecora.

“Zecora, try to wrap this up, would ya?” Discord sighed, tapping his foot impatiently, “As I said before, I REALLY don’t have all night to be listening to the waterworks. Just give her a kiss and a pat on the back and get your tush down the Dock of Shame, would ya?”

“Humph…as rude as ever…what a shock,” Zecora said sarcastically, “It’s a shame that my heart is not akin to a rock. However, Silver Spoon, I must take my leave. From this point on, you must fight strength in your heart and believe. Win or lose, it should not matter; between money and integrity, you should pick the latter.” With that, Zecora smiled and gave Silver Spoon a little kiss on the top of her head, then gently eased her away and began to trot towards the Dock of Shame.

Silver Spoon blinked in complete shock, slowly reaching up to the top of her head and rubbing at the spot where Zecora kissed her. It wasn’t anything romantic; it was more of a friendship kiss, or a motherly one. A sign of Zecora telling her that it would be alright and that she would always be with her, no matter what. Sadly, this didn’t cause Silver Spoon’s tears to stop flowing anytime soon, and she once again tried to follow the zebra towards the Dock of Shame.

“Z-Z-Zecora?” Silver Spoon whimpered, her legs feeling like jelly as she tried to follow the zebra. It was almost as if something was pushing her back and preventing her from continuing. Zecora trotted farther and farther away until she finally stepped onto the Boat of Losers. Giving one last glance back at the camp, Zecora and Silver Spoon locked eyes and the zebra delivered one, final, faint message.

“Your brain will fool you…your eyes will deceive you…but your heart will lead you, Silver Spoon,” the zebra said, her words somehow reaching the little school filly despite their distance apart. Then, as though a large, invisible hand was stopping her, Silver Spoon froze in her tracks and could only watch as the Boat of Losers slowly began chugging away, taking its resident zebra with it.

Silver Spoon: My brain…will fool me? My eyes will deceive me? But…my heart…will lead me? *she removes her glasses and trembles a bit* Diamond Tiara…Zecora…I love you both. I won’t forget you two.

Applejack: Ah feel really bad and all, but…what was ah supposed to do? Votin’ for ANY of the campers on mah team would’ve resulted in hurt feelings. Zecora…was the logical choice…right?

“And thus ends another mesmerizing and stunning elimination ceremony,” Discord said dramatically, cracking his knuckles and smirking at the nearest cameras, “With Zecora gone, will the Royal Ruffians get over their curse? Maybe…and maybe not. That depends on if Zecora actually put back the doll or not.” He gives an evil grin and twirls a finger around his chin. “Ooh, I just love cliffhangers! For the rest of you, this has been your legendary god of chaos, Discord, signing off! See you peeps later on another episode of Total…Magic…Pony Island! Hang ten!” He snaps his fingers and vanishes.

Meanwhile, the Magical Misfits were just about done with their fancy dinner, not to mention their conversations with the one they had been partnered with at their table. Nightmare Moon had finally snapped and stomped off to do something more worthwhile with her time, but thankfully had already delivered all the drinks and food that the Misfits had wanted…all of which were of the finest quality and were beyond incredible.

“And then I was all like, ‘Raw oats? Are you crazy? You need to roast those oats!’” Pinkie laughed, telling her 134th story of the evening to her twitching partner, “And they were all so totally not gonna roast them, because they were SOOOO convinced that fire would somehow kill the flavor! But…um, Rarity, am I boring you?”

“No, my dear…I always enjoy lying in a comatose state with my face in my bowl of soup,” Rarity muttered, her voice just barely being heard as it was poking out of her soup bowl.

“Okie-dokie then!” Pinkie giggled, “Ooh, and then there this other time where I saw Lyra and Bon-Bon going off into the woods together, and I swore that I saw Lyra hiding a necklace or an anklet behind her back, so I totally had to follow and…” Pinkie talked on and on, and Rarity continued to try and drown herself in her soup. Over at the next table, Scootaloo had just fallen asleep after finishing her meal.

“Come on, Scootaloo…I think you should get to bed now,” Cheerilee smiled, gently cradling the sleeping Scootaloo in her arms, “It is well past you bedtime, game show or not. You ate like a little piggy tonight, too…guess you were hungry. Aw, you growing fillies…always so hungry.” The teacher chuckled and cleaned up her table as best as she could, then gently put Scootaloo on her back and began to gently trot home. She didn’t want to wake her sleeping passenger. Shockingly, it was the final table that actually had the best camaraderie.

“…and after that, it’s all history,” Trixie bragged, puffing out her chest and smirking across the table at Twilight, “You may bow and worship Trixie now, Twilight Sparkle. Clearly you are in awe of Trixie vanquishing a dozen Windigoes without even breaking a sweat, no?”

“Oh yes, Trixie, I am in GREAT awe,” Twilight smirked, playfully poking her straw around inside of her drink as she eyed the unicorn across from her, “Tell me…did you see your good friend, the Ursa Major, while you vanquished these Windigoes?” Upon hearing this, Trixie immediately flushed and very nearly bit her tongue when she snapped her teeth together out of rage.

“How DARE you!” she snapped, “Twilight Sparkle, you have the manners of a diamond dog and the integrity of a mountain mole! That Ursa Major was…slightly overblown…but Trixie DID vanquish a dozen Windigoes! It is the truth!”

“Uh-huh…whatever you say, Trix,” Twilight giggled, taking a sip of her drink with her straw and having a ball playing with Trixie. She didn’t know why, but she really enjoyed riling Trixie up…when it wasn’t in danger of something involving the game or their lives. Trixie almost looked…cute…when she was angry.

“D-d-did you just call the Great and Powerful Trixie…Trix?” Trixie gasped, horrified, “That is a sheer lack of respect, Twilight Sparkle! Trixie demands better!” The two ponies continued to bicker back and forth way into the night, one doing so playfully while the other continued to “insult” and “verbally abuse” the other one. It seemed that neither one really wanted to stop. Eventually, the cameras began to fade, since the night was lingering way too long.

Trixie: Do NOT end this episode yet! Trixie is not done talking! Do you all BELIEVE Twilight Sparkle? This so-called pupil of Princess Celestia is nothing more than a rude, uncivilized miscreant! Doubting Trixie’s story of vanquishing a dozen Windigoes…how could she? *she goes silent for a moment, then grumbles and flushes* …so maybe Trixie added one too many Windigoes. *the cameras finally fade out*

Comments

[Rainbow Dash the Awesome]

I just noticed a small error in the part where they wake up Rainbow: "Rainbow Dash, despite her deep slumber, soon felt 14 pairs of hooves or hands on her body." It says there were 14 pairs of hooves or hands, but that would imply that there were in fact 28. There were only seven individuals involved, so there were only seven actual pairs; 14 is the number of individual hooves/hands, not the number of pairs.

[ShiroExia]

i wanted dash to go shes being a bitch :/

I don't think the mane 6 and the princesses will be leaving anytime soon

[flame phoenix]

No offence Dashie, but you've been... A COMPLETELY CARE-LESS, DUMB-HEADED TROLL OF A BITCH!!!!!!!!!
Zecora did NOT deserve to go!!!

75894
Bucking Quadrepeds, how do they work?

Technically, there /were/ 14 pairs of hooves/claws, but standing typically takes at least one limb.

I'm actually glad RD stayed. Yeah, she's acting arrogant and all, but the thing with the food wasn't actually her fault...technically. Plus, I dunno, I've just been feeling more sympathetic to her lately ever since the Mare-Do-Well episode, after seeing how she gets when her friends abandon her.
I'm not saying Zecora specifically deserved to go, since she didn't know the doll was cursed, but who else can you blame? What're you gonna do, send Spike home for being a pervert?

On a slightly related note, Y U NO SEND TRIXIE HOME YET!

[Amberdawn]

No! I can't believe Zecora had to go!

Nightmare-moon X discord?

[RTStephens]

Another fine installment!

It seems the Magical Misfits do pretty well with the food based challenges. The other group just can't seem to pull through with those.

I think this has to be my favorite voting ceremony to date. Not because Zecora is leaving but because she was able to accomplish something before getting voted off. She set Silver Spoon on the right path and was satisfied with her results, making her arc feel more complete than any of the others so far. Nice touch.

Not sure if the Twilight and Trixie scene with them falling off the cliff accomplished anything. It didn't seem to go anywhere other than to force the two together for a bit longer. I'll have to wait and see if this leads to anything.

Till next time!

[BlueEricsson]

you have managed to make Silver Spoon a wholely likeable character.

You have achieved literary greatness

[Pecan Crisp]

76282
I believe Bucking Quadrupeds work by standing on their front hooves and kicking their hind hooves back.

[Blue Breeze]

im glad dash is still in

[CharginChuck]

Dang, I was rooting for Zecora. But then, it was obvious from the last chapter that she would be getting voted off.

And it seems we have a mystery on our hooves. Who is the Mysterious Mare Do Well....this time? I have a guess, but I don't really want to say....

[MIssingPony]

>Just wait, Rainbow Dash…soon, we’ll be tickling each other every single night…
What. The. Hell.
>Trollestia
:
Yayception.

what's lunacy?

I just noticed that, according to your elimination table, the only ponies left that can be eliminated are the mane cast (and Spike), the princesses, Trixie, and three others that likely nobody cares much about (Scootaloo, Cheerilee, and Silver Spoon). This is getting REALLY interesting! The possibility of one of the fanbase's favourites getting sent home is increasing dangerously fast...

[B- Alicorn]

Whens next chapter coming out :D?

why do i have the feeling celestia is owen and twilight is gwen and trixie is heather so they end up doing that hillilarious spin the wheel torture game later?
.....please continue this series, i NEED to see that happen.

[10000 B_C]

I just want to know why you haven't uploaded this to EQD, or if you have, why they haven't put it up yet. This is my favorite to date and I made an account just so I could follow and comment and rate n stuff on this story. Keep it up!

[Tailslover13]

92744 That's very kind of you, and I must thank you for bothering to do all that just for my story. That means a lot, really! But, if you haven't seen it, take a look at one of my comments earlier on here; it explains why this isn't on Equestria Daily. Despite the nice efforts of some nice people on here, like Chargin Chuck, the site STILL doesn't want my story. I really don't know why, though. But, at least I have nice and happy readers like you and the rest of the people who read, track, and comment on this, and that's what makes it all worthwhile. I'm working hard on the next episode, but since two of my other stories on here have also become popular, it's not so easy writing nearly 20,000 words per episode on this when I'm obligated to work on my other two stories, too. Ah, having people to please...it can be hard sometimes, eh? But, it's all worth it.

92763 You've been updating "Trip Of A Lifetime" daily for the past short while, so obviously you have a lot of spare time. Just saying you should be able to put aside some of that time to work on this. Just a thought.

[Carbie]

It's been 9 days already you usually get it in 8 :P But after reading you comment I guess I can see the hardness in writing that much. Most people don't really think about what the author does to get stories this good, you probably put a lot of work into this and it does pay off because you make a lot of people very happy. Just an idea but a way to get it onto Equestria Daily but right after a chapter update get a bunch of people to just submit it to Equestria Daily. I don't think they really want to say no when a lot of people think it's really great but then again they might just not want to waist time by reading a 100,000 and more word story that updates about every week or so.

[Tailslover13]

92818 I don't really want to ask that of people. They shouldn't have to do that just for me and this story. Besides, I don't want Equestria Daily to hate me over this. I DO feel a bit snubbed and annoyed that this story isn't on there, considering all the hype it's gotten, but...I guess it's just like Tim Tebow. Some love him, others can't stand him.

[Carbie]

I guess you have a good point. Just putting out but you really are a good writer if you can write fast enough to put out chapters every 8 days or so then you could deffinatly write a good book someday.

[10000 B_C]

Tails responded to my comment!
But I guess when a story doesn't have a super huge amount of commenters and the author actually checks the comments...

[shadow0knight]

I had a feeling Zecora was going once the food challenge bagan. I hoped RD left, but I know you're planning a story with RD/AJ.

I just need to go over 1 more episode and I'll be all caught up.

Rainbow Dash wasn't really... herself in the last few episodes. I think there's something really bothering her.

[Phoenixfire92]

I can't believe you managed to write for Zecora for so long. I woulda went nuts trying to rhyme for her constantly.

[DevilsMessiah]

“THAT DOES IT! PREPARE TO GET DESTROYED BY THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” <--- A quote that i think should be used more in real life! Somehow... Many lol's were had this chapter, thank you muchly.

Sorry for the late comment, just catching up on ya' masterpiece.

[solareclipse]

damn u gettin rid of zecora silver spoon needs her, rainbow was bein a total bitch she deserved to go

[flying_griffon]

what the hay was going on with mare do well

[Raven Dreamcatcher]

229152

It might be the unicorn that is SUPPOSED to be trapped.

I dunno, but you can't tell if it's an earth pony or a unicorn with that hat.

[Pizza201]

THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE WILL WIN!! eeyup

[Pinkamena777]

diden't that brase girl from total drama island took a thing from an island?

[CommanderX5]

Poor Silver Spoon, she is out with a hard start, no more moral support for her.

As for Rarity, is she out of her mind, she literally asked PinkiePie to eat with her over Twilight, did her brain was damaged after listening to PinkiePie singing, why would she choice Pinkie over Twilight while eating food and having a conversation.

Oh, and Twilight should finally thank Nightmare Moon for healing her since she end up hurt a lot, enemy or not, being polite win you friends and reform enemies.

[TheMainManeMaineBrony]

Rainbow and discord both channelled Ramsey...he must haunt the island!

Now, all we need to know is what happened to Jean- Philippe.

[jmmovieboy]

As I've progressed more and more into the story I'm starting to root for trixie and rainbow to leave. But I don't know why.

[jifijesijiwofjwo]

If apple bloom was still here "Pinkie's Brew" would have fit perfectly XD

[GoldenCyclone4]

1952412 That would be Beth, and yes, she did. She missed the whole curse speech because she was on the can.

[MattTOB]

Pinkie: *now decked out in a large chef’s hat and an apron while holding a spatula in one hoof and a large spoon in the other* Pinkie Pie is no longer Pinkie Pie…she is now Head Chef Pinkie! *she lets out a ninja shout and strikes a cool cooking pose with her two utensils* We’re gonna cook our tails off!

If Pinkie doesn't start quoting Gordon Ramsey, I will be severely disappointed.

[MattTOB]

10574234

“Hey! What is this?” she snapped, using a spoon to remove a noodle from the kettle and tasting it, “This is raw! What is wrong with you two? Oh, let me guess, you’re used to having your servants cook for you, so you’re not good at cooking!”

“I JUST put those noodles on the stove, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia frowned, “The water isn’t even boiling yet! Of COURSE they’re still raw!”

“Get it together, ladies,” Dash demanded, “This is no time for slouching. One mess-up and that’s all it takes to bring an entire kitchen down.” She fluttered away to go back to barking orders at Applejack and Zecora, while Celestia and Luna glanced at each other again.

“…I think Rainbow Ramsey needs an attitude adjustment,” Celestia muttered.

Okay, so it wasn't Pinkie, but this counts!