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// 7 - Start Episode 3 - I Can't Bear to Watch 
// Story: Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful 
// by David Silver 
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Prickle bounded from roof to roof, an activity she was gaining increasing comfort with doing. Sure, she still only skipped one roof at a time when she was trying to be fast, but she didn't feel like she was going to go flying off each roof each time she landed.

"Hey!"

She glanced back behind her to see a pony waving a hoof at her angrily. "Sorry!" She shouted back. Most ponies didn't care about her bouncing on their houses, but once in a while... She tried to remember which place to avoid in the future.

Prickle saw a crowd ahead, a dazzling mix of bright colors of ponies. They looked concerned, so Prickle bounded down to street level and went to investigate, trotting up at a more sedate pace.

Mayor Mare was there. "I understand Princess Twilight and her friends handled it last time, but they're not here."

"So what are you gonna do?!" Demanded a stallion in the crowd.

Mayor Mare looked around nervously before her eyes fell squarely on Prickle. "Ask and the answer arrives."

The entire crowd turned at once to look where the mayor was looking. Confusion raised. Carrot Top pointed at Prickle. "A costumed filly? How is she going to help?"

Prickle took half a step back with discomfort from being stared at so intensely. "W-what seems to... be the problem, Mayor?" She tried to flash a winning smile, but it may have shown more fear than confidence.

"I'm glad you asked." Mayor Mare pulled down a tab that revealed a big picture of a strange mixture of bear and bee. "A bugbear is coming to Ponyville, and this time the Elements of Harmony aren't here to stop it. They were called away on other business. I was going to go over emergency plans, but if you are the hero you claim to be, perhaps you can stop it?"

Prickle trembled faintly, and it was noticed. 

Another pony spoke out, "You can't be serious. She's a little foal!"

Mayor Mare's eyes remained solidly on Prickle. "It is up to you."

Prickle swallowed softly before she stood up tall. "R-rest at ease, ponies of Ponyville! I, Tiny Titan, will batt... batt... I will fight the bugbear and make him go away!"

Carrot Top approached close enough to put a hoof on Prickle's head. "Little filly, you don't have to do this. What are you going to d--"

Prickle picked her up. She held the startled mare over her head as she reared up onto her hind legs. The mare blinked, eyes wide with confusion as the little filly held her as if it were nothing. "I will fight the bugbear!"

"O-okay, can you put me down please?"

"Oh, sorry." Prickle gently placed Carrot Top down and gave a sheepish smile.

Another pony stepped forward. "Who are you?" Her eyes sparkled with fear and curiosity. "Can you really do it?"

Mayor Mare suddenly cleared her throat. "Our young hero here has already served the community. It was she that rescued Silver Spoon from the raging inferno that destroyed her home."

Murmurs of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

"And with no request for compensation. She fled before we could even get her name, though now she has given it. Ponyville, I present Tiny Titan." She waved a hoof at Prickle dramatically. "With incredible strength and speed, she should be able to handle things."

Prickle felt nervous, but she was already invested. She tried to rise to the challenge. She stepped towards the mayor. "When is that mean bugbear supposed to get here?"

Mayor Mare nodded as she looked over the crowd. "It's estimated the creature will arrive within two days. Tiny Titan, you have our full support."

Prickle quirked a nervous smile. "Does that include help?"

Never before had Prickle seen the town square empty of all equine life so quickly. She was alone, mostly. Mayor Mare was still there and waved Prickle closer. "I'm afraid most of the citizens are not eager to... deal with these things directly. They will hide and hope it passes them by. Most often, it does."

Prickle reared up and pulled herself up onto the stage with the mayor. "Do you really think I can do it?"

Mayor Mare let out a little sigh. "You know better than I... Are you really a filly, or just a small pony? If you are a filly, then... I can't in good con--"

"I'm Tiny Titan," piped Prickle, bristling as she detected the usual 'you're too young' spiel coming. "I'll... do my best."

"That's all we can ask." Mayor Mare nodded and turned to walk away. "Celestia watch over you."

The ringing of a bell drew Prickle's eyes quickly. Oh no! Class was starting and she was late. She pushed off the stage with a thunderous boom, splintering the wood behind her as she propelled herself towards the school far more quickly than she was comfortable with. She may have screamed, just a little, before she hit the ground with a skid and a great plume of dust.

She hurriedly scrambled into the nearest cubbyhole and emerged as Prickle, the school filly. She hurried off to class, pretending she hadn't just volunteered to fight her first monster.

Cheerilee saw her as she scampered in. "There you are. Class, if you didn't hear, there's a bit of an emergency on the way. The bugbear is coming back and our usual defenders won't be here to fight it off. I'm suspending school until this blows over. I don't want any of you little ponies being hurt by it, so stay inside until you're told it's safe."

There was a chorus of noises, but it was far from in sync. Some ponies looked happy to have class canceled while others trembled in fear. A few pouted at class being canceled at all.

The CMC, on the other hoof, made their way to Prickle.

Scootaloo nudged her with a hoof. "You're gonna beat it up, right?"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Let's not talk about that right here." She gestured with her head at the rest of the class.

Diamond Tiara approached with a frown "What are you all whispering about?" Her eyes settled on Prickle. "Are you going to use your freakish strength on the bugbear?"

"No!" Prickle squeaked, taking a step back in fear of being found out.

Diamond Tiara blinked softly. "Hmmph, fine." She returned her gaze to the crusaders. "Well, go on. We're supposed to go home until that icky bugbear goes away."

Sweetie tilted her head at Diamond. "What about you? Oh! How's Silver doing?"

Diamond's scowl deepened. "She's fine... She'll be safe from any stupid bugbears at the hospital." She kicked a dropped pencil across the room. "If that stupid costumed pony's so great, why aren't they beating up that bugbear?"

Scootaloo puffed up proudly. "Tiny Titan'll take care of it!"

"Is that their name?" Diamond raised a brow, then returned her attention to Prickle. "See, at least they know how to put their creepy super strength to good use." She huffed and turned away, trotting for the door.

Prickle rubbed her cheek a moment. "Does she... Is she..."

Apple Bloom nudged against Prickle gently. "She's tryin' t' be good, honest. Ah don't even thin' she's tryin' t' mess wit' ya."

Sweetie shrugged at that. "Sometimes it's hard to tell. I don't think she really considers you creepy."

Scootaloo hopped over a desk towards the door. "Who cares what she thinks! Tiny Titan's gonna kick some flank and take some names!"

Prickle gave an unsure smile at that, but followed the rest as they filtered out of the classroom and onto the lawn.

Cheerillee waved the way onward. "Be safe, my students. Go directly home, no detours!"

Prickle let the others go ahead a bit, then ducked to the side. There were many things for her to do. No, things for Tiny Titan to do! She was soon up on the roofs, doing a circuit around the city and considering angles it might approach from and how she could fight it.

She had a dozen ideas. Unfortunately they all boiled down to hit it really hard and hope it would not like it and go away without making a big mess.

Her belly grumbled softly. It had been a few hours of roaming the town, and her body's needs would not remain silent no matter how nervous she was.

She landed lightly in front of her favorite candy shop and trotted inside, or tried. The door was closed and locked. She peeked at the sign. It read 'Open', so she frowned. She gave the door the gentlest knock so as to not harm it. "Hello?"

"Go away," came Bon Bon's voice.

There was some muttering inside, a whispered exchange. Lyra spoke up, "Who is it?"

Prickle almost said her own name, but caught herself. "Tiny Titan! I was hoping to get some candy please."

The door opened so suddenly made Prickle leap back in shock.

Lyra was there with a big smile. "Oh wow, it is you! You're so cute!" She hopped forward at Prickle and grabbed her up in a fierce hug. "Ponyville's littlest defender! Bon Bon! Come take a look!"

A head peeked out of the gloom, barely visible. "Come inside and close the door, Lyra. We've been over this."

"Well fine! But I'm taking her with me." She trotted inside, Prickle levitated along in her magic. The door closed, putting them back in moody dim lighting. "There." Lyra tapped the ground and Prickle landed. "Now what can we do for you?"

Bon Bon raised a brow. "So, you're the one they hope will beat the bugbear?"

Prickle started at the question. "Yes, ma'am. I was looking around and got hungry. Can I get some candy?"

Bon Bon gave a wry smile at that. "Candy is not exactly ideal fighting food."

"What is?" Prickle had no clue, ultimately. "I'll take whatever you have, please. I'm starving."

Bon Bon rose to her hooves and trotted towards the kitchen. "Some town, not even feeding its defenders. You stay here with Lyra..."

Lyra bobbed her head, still grinning. "Hey there, Tiny Titan. That's a great name. It's your super hero name, right? What's your real name? Oh wait, you won't tell me that, duh, nevermind. Nice to meet you though. I'm Lyra Heartstrings! Also, here." A bit of wrapped candy floated out of her pelt and over to Prickle. "I always save some for an emergency."

Prickle eagerly accepted the treat and had it in her snout. She let out a happy sigh as she chewed it up into dust.

Lyra blinked slowly. "You do know that was hard candy, right?"

"What?"

Lyra rolled a hoof. "You're supposed to suck on it, not chew it." She suddenly started clopping her hooves. "You really are strong! I woulda broke my teeth trying that and you didn't even notice!"

"O-oh, sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" Lyra bounced up and glanced around. "Here." She handed Prickle a fire poker she found long unused. "Bend it into a shape. Please!"

Prickle peered at it, and its owner, and back at it. "Really?" Lyra kept nodding. "All...right." She brought her hooves together and the bar bent like cooked pasta under her will. She curled it into a knot even as it began to glow with heat from being so roughly handled. She couldn't quite finish the knot as it became too hot to hold comfortably and she dropped it with a yelp.

"Amazing!" Lyra's magic grabbed it and tossed it right into the sink of water beside Bon Bon where it made a loud fwoosh of steam. "I'm so going to keep that forever!"