OC Apprentice Pre-Challenge #5 · 4:06am Mar 16th, 2016

Where we last left off, the contestants were turned back into children and were sent back to high school as freshmen. All except one; Nova Blaze. Here, the five children reenact The Breakfast Club.

The freshman sat in silence as they all sat rigid in their seats. The “detention room” was empty, save for them, and was all too quiet in general. The noise was broken quickly as the sound of squeaking shoes could be heard coming towards them.
A chill went down Reneighah’s spine. The principal, wearing a tacky grey suit, gave them a small nod. Why are humans so ugly? She thought angrily. And how in Celestia’s name are we going to raise money when we’re stuck in detention?!
The man now stood in front of them. “Well, well, well.” His voice practically echoed through the room, no one bothered to reply. “Here we are.”
Reneighah quickly raised her hand, “ Uh sir?” She said softly. “I uh, I know it's detention and all but, I don't think think I’m supposed to be here.” If diplomacy worked on Toriel, She thought quickly, maybe it will work here too?
“Yeah,” Sentinel added. “As a criminal justice practitioner, I demand to know the charges against me.”
Not so, he barely gave her a glance before continuing to survey the group.
Coalstone only offered a casual snort at the principal’s blunt state of the painfully obvious, “Yeah, mind explaining why we’re here in the first place? This is our first day and I’m pretty sure you usually don’t get detention straight out of the gate for stuff like this.”
The principal merely sneered at Coalstone’s comment, continuing to scan over the five unfortunate students currently stuck in detention, before looking to his watch. “It’s now 7:06, you will be spend the next eight hours and fifty four minutes sitting here and pondering the reasons why you’re here.”
At the mention of how long they were gonna be trapped, resulted in groans of annoyance and misery from several, along with a somewhat loud growl from Coalstone, who seemed particularly irritated with the Principals rather cocky tone of voice and behavior.
“You may not talk, you will not move, and you will not sleep. Instead you’ll each write a 1000 word essay about yourselves.” He laid down a piece of paper and pencil before each of them. “And it has to be a thousand words, not one word repeated over and over again, understand.” His gaze focused on Coalstone for emphasis, getting the stoneworker even angrier, gripping the table looking like he was ready to rip it off.
“My office is across the hall, so don’t even think about doing anything funny, any questions?”
Coalstone somewhat whispered to himself, “How about whether you’d like the taste of your own teeth, you monkey suit wearing, underpaid jackass.”
“Coalstone.” Reneighah whispered. “Watch yourself. We’re already in enough trouble!”
The Principal glared at the duo, “I believe I said no talking, perhaps you’d both like to be here next Saturday perhaps?”
The sense of superiority and condescension dripped off his voice so much Coalstone’s rage spiked several notches, with his grip actually tightening enough to leave indents in the wood. Just as he prepared to charge however, a quick sound from Spark made him turn his head and an obvious “No” gesture from her got him to restrain himself.
“Good, now then, your detention begins now. Hopefully you’ll have learned something about yourselves from this experience and not end up here…..At Least some of you will.”
Passing another glance, the principal headed to his office and once the door shut behind him, the group stopped being silent.
“Lousy, smug, Arrogant, SOB! I should just go kick that assclowns door down and shove this essay down his throat.”
“Ugh.” Sentinel muttered. “Dude, don't ask me how, but you gotta remember this is for charity.”
“Really now?” Reneighah sighed. “Do you seriously think this is helping anyone? I swear to Luna I-”
“1000 words!” The principal shouted from his office, leaving the group in silent frustration.
“I bet I can think of a 1000 words detailing ways I can shove my foot up his ass.”
Sentinel snickered at the remark, but began writing anyway.
“Shh!” Reneighah hissed. She sat up straight and picked up her pencil, or rather, tried to. She still wasn't used to her human form, especially since she was a lot younger now. The writing tool tumbled out of her hands, and she promptly stared at her feet, not bothering to even try. “I can't do this.” She whispered. “How in Tartarus am I supposed to even write an essay when I can't even pick up a freaking pencil?!”
“You don’t,” Spark grinned, speaking up from her back seat. “You take advantage of the situation.” Without another word, she was lost in her own world, doodling away and turning what should’ve been the 1000 word essay into...art..?
Coalstone merely scoffed at the zebra turned human’s frustration, picking up the pencil and scribbling down something on the paper itself. With a few quick strokes he put the pencil back down and lifted the paper up, revealing a picture of the principal being maimed and beaten by what appeared to be a pair of gargoyles. “Not really sure why you’re worrying about the essay, this challenge is only for like a day, not like that Principal guy can hold us to it in the end.”
She blushed, and tried focusing on holding the pencil once again. “Ah, um, old habits die hard, I guess.” She shrugged, and attempted to copy the way Coalstone had doodled. “I was pretty studious, back when I was a filly.”
“And what, never had to deal with some real asshole teacher like that prick. Seriously, how are any of you guys not tempted to go medieval on his ass?”
Once again Reneighah sighed. “Trust me, Coalstone. The feeling is mutual.”
Sentinel looked up. “Easily, I want to do the challenge. Focus on something productive that isn’t mindless rage sometime Coalstone. Who knows? You might actually go through a day without breaking something.” With that Sentinel got to work on the essay, thinking of different things to write over. Mostly food came to mind.
Snap.
...Snap.
A few more pops followed, then more, as the cyborg teen responsible became more and more comfortable with the silence around her.
Nova cringed slightly with the next snap and turned to face Spark, who was currently huddled up in her plastic chair, fiddling with her left arm.
Snap.
Coalstone’s gaze followed, as he turned to her with a confused glare.
The rest of her detention buddies looked back at her, and she looked up to meet them. The snapping stopped, as the room stood at an awkward standstill.
It didn’t last. Spark, with an uncaring shrug, went back to her arm, fiddling with the wires inside and switching buttons back and forth. Snap. Snap.
“You keep going like that, you’re gonna blow a fuse,” Coalstone commented, keeping his bewildered glare. Spark looked directly at him, pulled a wire out of place, and pelted it at him.
Sentinel laughed. “Hey, now you have a piece of her always. Isn’t that sweet?”
Spark directed her gaze at Sentinel, and popped off a battery, chucking it at his forehead.
It hit with a thunk and Sentinel laughed again. “That stung a little, but I’m glad something broke the silence. Don’t you need these though?”
Spark shook her head in dismissal and started to make a “Nope” sign with her hands...only to find that her left arm wouldn’t raise. Defiantly silent, she settled for brushing off any need with only her right.

“I don’t need another word out of you! Any of you!” The principal shouted angrily, opening the door to berate the group for being loud for the fifth time in a row.
“Eat my shorts,” Coalstone muttered to himself, crossing his arms. The principal’s ears perked, moments before he was going to slam the door.
“What was that?” He asked quietly, not turning around. Coalstone sat up, and smirked.
“Eat. My. Shorts.”
“You’ve just earned yourself another detention, Mr...”
“Coalstone, sir,” Coalstone said, in the most utterly non-respectful tone anyone could say “sir” in.
“Coalstone, that’s another detention, right there.”
“Fantastic! You can take me away from this crazed competition any time, sir,” he answered.
“Don’t think I won’t? Try me. Keep pushing, go ahead, see how far I’ll go. Would you like another detention??”
“You think I care? That god’s put me through detention enough, this is respite. Yeah, give me another!”
“That’s another! Your friends can thank me for this, I’m doing them a favor!”
“And??”
“ANOTHER. I don’t know who you think you are, but you sure as hell ain’t a bigger fish than me! Do you want another??”
“I can do this all day,” Coalstone laughed, putting his legs up on the desk.
“And you can earn detentions for all of your life! That’s another Saturday, Mr. Coalstone!”
“Coalstone!!” Spark and Reneighah shouted simultaneously.
“Your girlfriends think it’s a mighty high time to stop, what about you?” the principal asked with an incredulous look on his face.
“Rack ‘em up, bucko!” Coalstone said, throwing his arms to the win.
“Fantastic! I will! That’s one more, right there.”
“I honestly, truly don’t care for you right now, sir.”
“Another. You through?”
“How many is that?”
Nova raised his hand to speak, with a redicualous contrast to the tone that Coalstone had been speaking in.
“That’s seven, sir, including the one when we first came in and you asked him if someone else punched him in the face because of how messed up it was...” Nova said.
“Well, now it’s eight,” the principal said, glaring at Coalstone before snapping his attention to Nova. “You stay out of this.”
“But...it’s seven...”

“Shut up, shortstacks!” He shouted back, and Nova nodded his complience. Satisfied, the man turned back to Coalstone, grinning and pointing bull horns at him.
“You’re mine. You belong to me, for the next two months of your life, and you’re going to regret every day.” He smiled. “I gotcha.”
“Beautiful,” smiled Coalstone.
“...You know something, Coalstone? You may be too hard-headed for your own good. You may think you’re impressing someone, I know I’m impressed with how much detention you’re gonna serve, but listen. Instead of trying to impress other people...” He said, motioning to the other contestants, holding his motion on one girl in particular, “you may want to start doing something for yourself.”
“...You may be better off.”

“I mean, I don't think anyone really gets it. How many other zebras do you see in a lifetime? It just makes you feel so alienated, you know?” Reneighah said, to herself more than anyone else in the room.
“BOO BUCKING HOO,” Spark shouted, shattering the silence she’d created for herself. If it weren't for her refusal to retrieve her arm’s parts, she would've raised it to prove her point, but the refusal was there, so she did not. Instead, she opted to brush the electric hair out of her face and get back to doodling, back to her natural freshmare state of being.
Reneighah blinked.
“I'm sorry??” Reneighah asked, a little more than hurt. “My entire RACE is victimized and shunned, while you get to be part robot!!”
“Really now, victimized? In the land of Equestria, where harmony and acceptance reign?” Sentinel joked. Reneighah squinted her eyes at him, not noticing Coalstone standing up and walking to Sentinel.
“What's your work like, Thunderhead?” Coalstone said, tilting his head. Spark smiled, the nickname made her proud. “Does it pay well?” He stepped closer. “Are you happy with it?” Sentinel glared at him, and though he was within decent punching distance, restrained himself.
“I'm proud to be an Equestrian soldier, Coalstone, and I don't care who knows it.”
“Hah!! PROUD! Proud to be a soldier, proud to watch the princesses have tea parties all day, you mean!” Coalstone laughed, his nose now inches away from Sentinel’s. “Your job is nothing but a standup comedy, and I'm not laughing.” Sentinel opened his mouth to reply but, surprisingly, Nova answered for him.
“H-Hey guys, I mean...don't be hating on what people do...” Coalstone and Sentinel simultaneously turned their heads to face him. “I mean, I don't even HAVE a real job. I just-”
“No offense, Hoardy, but we don't need a second Reneighah in here,” Coalstone said, turning to face the non-dragon. “And I'm obviously not getting too far, or else Sparkle over there,” he said, jabbing a thumb back at Spark, who was secluding herself in her own world, “woulda done something more than sit on her flank and be useless.”
“Is this why you don't have any friends? Because you're mean to EVERYONE YOU MEET?” Sentinel demanded.
“ALL OF YOU! Celestia’s sake!!” Reneighah said, putting a hand to her head. “You both come from the same place! Can't you get along for two seconds?” The silence that followed did, actually, last for the two seconds that she asked for, before Sentinel shook his head.
“Yeah...I've been a little more jerkish than I think is okay,” Sentinel said, turning to Nova. “We're all from Equestria...well, where are you from?”
Nova blinked at the sudden turn of attitude, and put a proud fist to his chest.
“Los Pegasus, born and raised! It was nice to be able to get home a challenge or two ago!”
“And what about you, Reneighah?” Coalstone said, with a decidedly less kind tone than Sentinel had offered. “Where are outcasts like you even born?” Reneighah huffed indignantly, but not without a hint of somber tone.
“I'll bet you,” Coalstone whispered, inching closer to her face, “one million bits. That you don't have the slightest idea.”
“Why don’t we break the silence?” Coalstone said. “We’re all just wasting time here. We should be dealing with that principal and doing an actual challenge.”
Reneighah looked over. “Can you stop being such a bad boy? I usually don’t mind, but right now I’d like you to stop. It’s not attractive if that’s what you're thinking.”
Coalstone walked over to her, leaning down in front of her. “...did you have any friends growing up?? Did you have anyone to open up to? Did anyone ever not laugh at you behind your back?” She was silent, and so was the rest of the room. “Never had anyone pick on you, or kick you around for being different?”
“Leave her alone.” Sentinel said breaking the silence. It was clear he’d had enough.
Coalstone said nothing, standing and staring at Reneighah.
“I said, leave her alone.” Sentinel repeated getting up from his seat.
“You gonna make me?” Coalstone replied moving from Reneighah.
“Yes.”
Coalstone walked over the desk to Sentinel, towering over the guard by roughly three inches. “You gonna try calling your guard friends for help perhaps?” Coalstone was giving Sentinel a death glare. Spark looked up and slowly, almost impossibly shyly, raised her hand, unnoticed by them both.
“Nope, Just me.” He replied. Spark’s hand fell again. “Just you and me, Coalstone. Two hits and you’ll be on the floor. Anytime you’re ready pal.” The tension in the air was palpable. Coalstone and Sentinel had not gotten along well recently, and Coalstone was still mad about the bus station.
Coalstone smirked, and raised a hand pressing the back of it against Sentinel’s face as though daring him to attack. Sentinel quickly grabbed Coalstone’s arm and twisted it, only for the Stone worker’s other arm to snap forward and grab Sentinel by the throat lifting him in the air, applying enough pressure to make him choke. “What’s the matter, not so cocky now are you, little tin soldier.”
Sentinel however, responded quickly and with equal vigor, quickly slamming his knee into Coalstone’s stomach with as much force as he could, caving in the teen’s chest causing him to release his hold and drop the guardsman to the ground while the stone worker dropped to a knee, coughing and trying to get back his oxygen.
Quickly glaring at Sentinel, the tightened his fists ager to attack, before dropping his arms, meriting a confused look from the others.
Coalstone with a grunt said. “I don’t want to get into this with you man.”
Sentinel let go and got up, taking a step back. “Why not?”
“I’d destroy you.” Coalstone got up and walked toward a large bookshelf. “I’d completely destroy you, and GOB might get mad. I don’t want to lose over that, that’s all. I don’t care enough about you to do it.”
“Ha, chicken shit.” Sentinel snickered going back to his chair
Coalstone punched the bookcase, smashing through it and knocking it down..
“Let’s end this right now.” Sentinel said getting back up. “You don’t bother her, you don’t antagonize her, you don’t even THINK about her! Understand me?” While Sentinel was yelling, Spark starting building with the pieces of the bookshelf Coalstone broke.
Coalson was silent for a moment, then spoke. “I’m trying to help her. Some ponies had a harder time than others growing up. Just reminding her, that’s all.”
“Bull fucking shit.” She growled, Reneighah's face clouded with silent rage. A look of concern passed through some of the teammates, but the tension of red hot anger still lingering.
Once it was over, everyone sat back down. They were happy it didn’t turn too violent this time, but who can say about next time?
Lunch bags crinkled and sighs of happiness quietly filled the room. Homemade lunches! It had been forever since Reneighah had had something made by her grandmother, not since she was a little filly. But even as she lifted out her food, she had to bite her lip to ignore the stinging comments she had gotten earlier. Her fillyhood...hadn't been lonely, per se. But the nomadic life she had always lived made it hard to keep friends. Even now something as simple as a homemade lunch was making her nostalgic and insecure.
“Whatcha got there?” She glanced over as Nova pulled up a chair closer to where she sat. She shot him a glare, not in the mood to socialize.
“Guess.” She dead panned. Reneighah shrugged at his silence,“Dude, what happened to your lunch?”
He grabbed a soda from the table, passing one over to Spark as well. “This.” He said jokingly. “Is the proud meal of anyone who grew up in Las Pegasus. Especially if you're always short on time.”
The girl turned her body towards him, amusement in her eyes. “Um, I think someone as young as you should be eating more than gross caffeinated drinks.”
To this Nova grinned, “I think you've already forgotten that I haven't gotten any younger. As a freshman, you guys are all younger than me.” Spark rolled her eyes and tossed a balled up piece of paper at him.
“Whatever you say little dude.”
Sentinel reached into his bag and pulled out a sandwich, then another, and another, and another, then a soda, some french fries, and yet another sandwich. The rest of the group simply stared for a moment.
Spark smiled as she opened her own paper bag, producing a bag of tortilla chips, bean chili, and two apples’ worth of apple slices. Carefully, she made a small empire of food, setting up the chips as a boundary, pouring the bean chili around it as a moat, and leaving bits of apple inside for citizens. She licked her lips, and...produced a fork. And she smashed the empire to pieces. With that out of the way, she began happily consuming her lunch.
Reneighah gave a small giggle. “You know what I like most about this whole competition? The mansion. There's food everywhere, like not only in the kitchen, it seems like ponies just leave snacks out.”
Nova shook his head, tapping the human soda can. “Tsk tsk. All that food means nothing when you have sweet pepsi’s or a can of-”
“Nova!”
The dragon turned human laughed, followed by the rest of them. Lunch, in the end it was just a little slice of home.

Lunch was over, the group was quiet. The silence was broken by their dragon turned human friend, Nova.
“What happens when it’s over?” Nova asked looking at the rest of them. “Will we still be friends?”
The group was quiet for a minute.
“I think so.” Sentinel answered.
Reneighah looked over at Sentinel. “Do you really think so? Look at us. Nova’s a baby dragon. What would you do if you were with your guard buddies and he walked up to you huh? Probably say hi and then tell your friends you don’t really know him so you don’t look weird.”
“Hey don’t say things like that!” He yelled back.
“Why not? It’s the truth and you know it. How about you and Coalstone? Do you think when this is over you’ll be buds?”
“Cut it out!” Sentinel shouted. “That’s enough.”
“Yeah, really.” Coalstone replied.
“We may not always agree, but I’d trust Coalstone to have my back if it came down to it.”
Spark cut in. “We’re all different, but we could make it work.”
“We all have different friends, but we also have each other,” Nova finished.
Reneighah replied. “I know, but we’re all so different. I want to be friends with you all, but I don’t know what things will be like in the future. Even this contest! More of us will lose eventually, we can’t all win.”
Sentinel walked over to her. “What’s important is we never forget. I’d trust all of you with my life.”
Coalstone smirked. “My other friends had better learn to deal with you all. You aren’t going anywhere.” He pointed at Sentinel. “But you owe me a one on one.”

Spark simply smiled, messing with her broken cyborg-arm.
“We’re all different, but I’ll never abandon any of you. Dragon, zebra, I don’t care. I’ll never abandon or forget any of you. I’d be a really crappy friend if I did.”
The five sat back down, the day was almost over. They all knew that their friendship would be tested in the future, but somehow, they knew it would hold.

Smiling, Nova reached down beneath his desk and produced a comically large dj kit, complete with a set of synthetic turntables and two booming speakers on either side of the box.
“How did you-” Coalstone started.
“Shh, don’t question it,” Spark said, smiling at her baby dragon.
Nova hit the giant Play button, and the music started to blare, playing an 80’s classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkuzSdIonHM
Spark stood first, finally putting down her pencil and finished drawing. Her feet did the “No Place Like Home” number, clicking back and forth, while she nodded to the song’s beat.
Coalstone was up on top of the bookshelf that had crumbled at his blow, and that was now put solidly back together. He felt something that he hadn’t in a long time, true, pure happiness, and the ability to let go and be free with no one judging, or watching. They way he danced held nothing back.
Sentinel held off on his dancing for the moment, instead scanning the floor for...aha! There it was!
Reneighah stood above them all, on the higher balcony of the detension room, dancing and swaying as though she weren’t a species completely un-equine, as though she weren’t stuck back in her high school days, as though she weren’t trapped in a strange competition for charity. She danced like she was at home, which, in a manner of speaking, she was, with her friends.
Nova nodded to the beat of his own jukebox’s music, gradually growing more and more confident in his own movement, ending up headbanging and dancing with no cares in the world. His dance was a bit modern for the genre, but the footwork was impressive, even for a natural biped.
The cyborg human twirled, lost in her own beat, caring as little as she would have in her real high school days. She was so lost, in fact, that she twirled right into Sentinel, nearly knocking them both to the ground. Before she could fall, though, Sentinel grabbed her limp arm, holding her precariously mid-fall.
They both smiled, and while Spark was there, Sentinel opened up a small flap of her arm and reinserted the wire and battery that were retrieved off of the dancefloor. She felt feeling flow back into her arm and wiggled it just to make sure. She mouthed a quick “Thank you,” and twisted her arm free of his grip, letting herself fall to the floor. As she landed, she did a backwards somersault and landed right back on her feet. Off she went, then, with full use of both arms again, twirling like she was her own little helicopter. Sentinel smiled, and went off to his own dances, which were more like synchronized training exercises than anything. Still looked cool as hell, though, and that’s what matters.
The day, quickly turning night, went well for them all, as the insanity of the day and the challenge were left behind, the only thoughts now with the competitors being of themselves, and the friends they’d made. They danced with a certain happiness that can only be replicated once or twice in a lifetime, and for this, they were each grateful.
Any challenges could wait. Now, they were friends.
They didn’t even notice that their detention was over.

GOB sat behind his desk angrily staring at his computer as he rapidly typed. He was in the middle of a flame war with what he assumed was an autistic twelve-year-old. It was about how a YouTuber; PewDiePie was overrated and annoying. The kid was trying to be a white night and defend the YouTube celebrity, and dammit, GOB wasn't just going to let this one slide! He was going to beat this little twerp! Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door.

"Open!" He answered. In came Candle Light.

"Sir, the contestants should be back now! What are you doing!?" Candle asked.

"I- Nothing, they're supposed to be here? What time is it?" GOB asked.

"Uh, an hour after you said you'd pick them up!" Candle exclaimed.

"Sorry, I was busy working, Candle! Why can't you pick them up!? You have magic too!" GOB argued.

"Yeah, but it's not my job to pick them up, sir! In fact, my job for this week was food shopping for the break room! Yours was picking up the contestants!" Candle argued as she presented GOB a job calendar. On the calendar had pictures of GOB, Candle, Barrel Roll, and various other workers.

"Oh... Right." GOB cleared his throat and stood up. "I'll be back in a second," GOB said.

"What are you doing? Don't you just poof them here?" Candle asked.

"That's getting boring. I wanna try something different." GOB said with a smile as he snapped his fingers, poofing himself away.

~***~

"How'd you get in detention on the first day, idiot!?" A young man asked as he shoved Coalstone. The senior who was teasing Coalstone had lackeys picking on Sentinel and Nova, leaving Spark and Reneigah trying to stop the meatheads.

"I'd like it if you'd stop it please..." Coalstone said trying to keep away from using violence.

"What're you gonna do about it, fag!? Huh? Are You gonna beat me up with your little freshman muscles? That's cute." Coalstone was embarrassed. If he were in his normal body, he'd be able to wipe the floor with this punk. For now, however, he just had to endure it.

"Hey guys, maybe you all should stop. They've had a hard day." Nova tried reasoning with the jocks. He figured since he was roughly around their age he could communicate to them better.

"Shut it, puke. Or else you'll get it too." One of the jocks said as he forcefully poked and prodded the human Nova with a thick finger.

"Hey, you leave him alone!" Spark said shoving the jock's arm away from Nova.

"Get outta here, tramp." Said the leading bully.

"Yeah, why are you defending him? He your boyfriend or something?" The second jock asked.

"I wouldn't count on it, guys. This kid looks like a fruit. I think he'd be more acquainted with the one with the faggy black and yellow hair." The third jock teased pointing to Sentinel who seemed to be triggered by that statement.

"You shut up about how I look, numbskull!" Sentinel said angrily as he tried to get in the face of the jock but the bully was easily able to push him away.

"Get off, homo. Or else I'll drop kick your ass!"

"Guys, can we seriously stop this? Why isn't GOB teleporting us yet!?" Reneigah asked under her breath. Suddenly a loud horn echoed. All heads turned towards a sky blue minivan with GOB inside. GOB then opened the driver seat door and slowly stepped out the car and towards the three bullies.

"So what, you're like their dad or something?" The leading jock asked.

"Oh, I'm much worse than that, buckaroo." GOB suddenly grasped the leading jock's cheeks and his eyes suddenly turned a glowing neon blue as him and the jock began to float. As if it couldn't get creepier enough, GOB's eyes turned back showing off pure white sockets as the jock tried his best to kick out of the god's grasp.

"Let Henry go, you freak!" One of the jocks shouted as he tried to hit GOB with a large stick but before he could get a swing started, GOB turned his head towards the third jock and shot his arm out towards him, sending the jock flying towards a parked car. The jock's body met the car with a loud crash. The contestants didn't know whether or not to cower in fear or watch in awe as GOB handled their bullies. GOB's attention returned to the first jock. The third jock had run off minutes ago.

"You..." GOB's voice sounded much more menacing. It echoed and was as deep as can be. The jock suddenly stopped squirming and kicking and only stared blankly into GOB's eyes. "You dare challenge me or my friends again, and I will shower all my fury upon you..." GOB said. But suddenly his eyes became normal and the two landed on the ground.

"Actually... That sounded pretty cheesy. I'll just get it over with. Takes less time you know." GOB said with a smile. Then his gripped tightened on the jock and like that, the jock was gone and all that was left of his was his blue and white letterman jacket that GOB grasped in his hands.

"Wha-what did you do?" Sentinel asked.

"I don't know. Either I sent him to the universe in which all males are females and all females are males and they're all civilized cannibals, or to my basement. Either way, he'll die within ten minutes." GOB shrugged as he through the jacket to the ground.

"GOB, he was just a kid, he still has a family." Reneigah reminded.

"Oh yeah, huh? Hm... Well, they can always make a new Henry. Alright, get in the van! Let's go!" GOB said with a clap as he rushed back to the van. After seeing GOB's power, none of the contestants wanted to challenge his word. They all got in the van and stayed quiet while GOB started the engine.

"So, how was everybody's first/last day of school?" GOB asked seeming like nothing happened.

"Good." They all answered. None of the contestants could say anything else.

"So... You're all probably wondering what you'll be receiving for the pre-challenge. Well, it's simple," GOB shifted the gears and suddenly the mini-van entered overdrive and sped into an entirely different universe. "You'll be getting a ride to the ceremony," GOB said as the contestants noticed they were hovering above what looked like an empty park.
is just an empty park

"GOB, this." Nova pointed out.

"Woah! We got here too early..." GOB said. "How to kill time... I got it! How's ice cream sound, eh?" The contestants were pleasantly surprised. GOB was actually being hospitable.

"Yeah, OK," Coalstone said with a small hint of a smile.

"Alright, I'm down," Nova replied. The others answered yes to GOB's request and the mini-van suddenly appeared in front of an ice cream parlor. Fifteen minutes later, GOB and the still young contestants returned to the car.

"So, this charity event challenge. What's the deal?" Sentinel asked as he licked his ice cream.

"Well, the attendees will want some entertainment for the night. See, this challenge would have been perfect for Lucky, but unfortunately, she's no longer with us. So now we'll settle with you all!" GOB said with a smile as he ate another spoonful of his bucket of mint ice cream.

"Entertainment? GOB, do we need to entertain for the attendees?" Reneigah asked.

"Yep! Please, keep in mind these are sophisticated individuals. Your entertainment will need to be... Well, appropriate." GOB said.

"Like, how appropriate?" Nova asked.

"Suit and tie appropriate," GOB answered briefly.

"That's pretty appropriate," Nova replied as he licked his ice cream.

"Indeed, that's why I'm assigning you all forms of entertainment," GOB said nonchalantly.

"What!?" Asked the entire cast of contestants.

"Yep, after this ice cream, I'm dumping you all off at the ceremony. You'll get dressed there and I'll have Candle host the show. So she'll be introducing your acts.

"But, what if we can't perform the acts!?" Spark asked.

"Don't worry. In this universe, humans are unnaturally kind and will always clap and applaud to anything. Even if it's terrible. Hell, they'll even donate if you do really good or really bad. Point is, they don't care about how good or bad you are. In fact, you'll never know if you're good or bad because they'll never tell how you did to your face and will instead talk about it on social media." GOB informed.

"What's social media?" Coalstone asked. GOB stared at him blankly.

"And you wonder why I mess with you. It's too easy." GOB said with a chuckle as he finished off his mint chip ice cream. "Alright! Let's go!" GOB shifted the van into gear and in seconds the van arrived in sight. The stage was set up, the audience were getting their food and taking their seats at their tables. It looked as though Candle was nervous. She could be seen sweating beads. GOB got out of the car, but the contestants hesitated.

"What? What's wrong!?" GOB asked.

"GOB, we're still kids! We can't go out like this!" Spark reminded.

"Oh yeah! Alright, give me a sec." GOB snapped his fingers and the contestants appeared outside the car, back to their original ages (except Nova who stayed his age) but the thing was;

"GOB WE'RE NAKED!" Sentinel shouted angrily as they all covered their respective privates.

"What's with you and making us naked!?" Spark asked with a glare. GOB simply shrugged.

"What, I'm no good with creating clothing. But Candle is!" Suddenly, Candle Light came up behind GOB. She seemed very anxious.

"GOB, where have you been! I've been stalling them for the past thirty minutes!" Candle complained.

"I'm sorry, but I had some work I needed to handle." GOb excused.

"Why are the contestants naked?" Candle asked flatly.

"Why is everybody getting on me about this, I don't know!" GOB said sternly.

"Ugh, next time let me change their physical appearance." Candle snapped her fingers and smoke covered the contestants. As the smoke cleared, they were all clothed in formal dresses. Dresses. GOB snickered and slowly clapped at Candle's work.

"Bravo, Miss Light. Bravo."

"Hey! I'm a girl! I'm not used to changing males!" Candle argued.

"You changed more than just my wardrobe..." Said a feminine sounding voice. GOB and Candle's head turned towards the five contestants. Spark and Reneigah seemed fine, but hey were staring at the other three in awe. Nova, Sentinel, and Coalstone were females. GOB's eyes went wide and turned dark brown as he gazed at the female Coalstone.

"Mì Amor" GOB said as he swooped in and took female Coalstone by the waist. She struggled but the GOB was somehow away stronger from what he remembers. "¡Gracia, cuánto te he echado de menos!" Candle panicked and pulled GOB off of Coalstone who wore an embarrassed blush.

"Just, be ready for the performance you guys. Uh, GOB was supposed to assign you each the acts. Oh well, I guess I'll do it for him." Candle reasoned as she snapped GOB back to his office. "Okay... Hm. Obviously Nova or... There's no real female equivalent to your name. I guess your name can be gender neutral. Anyway, you're obviously the DJ for the night so you don't really need to be on stage. Just play some nice, dinner music to set the mood. Spark, First Spark... Huh. You're a tricky one. Perhaps you could be..." Candle reviewed the pony turned human. "First of all, that arm needs to go. Mechanics aren't sought as being classy." Candle said as she snapped the young woman's arm away.

"But I need it!" Spark protested.

"Hold your horses, horse girl, I wasn't finished." Candle said as she snapped her fingers once more. The rest of the contestants watched in awe as a new, fleshy, natural arm grew in place of Spark's missing arm. "It'll expire by the end of the night, so you won't need to say goodbye to- this clunker." Candle said as she held Spark's mechanical arm up. "Anyway, let's put that arm to use and have you play the piano. Oh, I'll also be giving you all human names. Can't having you all go up there with your pony names, now can we? Spark, that means your human name is Francine" Spark couldn't protest. She was too busy staring at her new arm in wonder.

"Sentinel... Sen-Tin-El... Hm... Thunderbolt. Alright, your human name for tonight is Tabitha."

"Wha-" Sentinel tried to protest, but Candle proceeded to tell him there was no time.

"Okay, 'Tabitha' you'll be telling jokes. BUT they must be high-brow, classy, and dignified jokes. No low-brow, no dirty jokes, and Heaven forbid any knock-knock jokes." Candle said.

"Coalstone, you won't be on stage either, however, you'll be carving the ice sculpture in front of the crowd. You can either carve it into a swan, a bouquet of flowers, or GOB's face. Your human name is now Constance." Candle said, giving Coalstone/Constance no time to protest or argue.

"Reneigah, you're easy. Your human name is Renee and you'll be covering a classic song. 'If I Can Dream' it's a beautiful song so don't screw it up! Any questions?" Candle asked. Nova raised 'her' hand.

"What's your human name?"

"Christine. Christine Lite. Now, I'll give you all time to prepare! Good luck!"

Whoof! A lot of changes in this one! OK, thanks to Candle, all the contestants are female and each of you have different tasks. Especially Nova Blaze and Fan. Your jobs will be explained later. For now, Cambiato, Zoetic, and Centurion, you all need to write about your characters performing their tasks, and if your character was a male, they'll be female now.

Oh, and that arm thing, Cambiato, you have to incorporate that into your writing.

So, you all have until Saturday to get this to me. Good luck, and goodbye!