//------------------------------// // The Preliminary Match: Dunes of Death // Story: Magical Deathmatch // by Impossible Numbers //------------------------------// When the mechanism clicked and the grand doors creaked their way upwards, Rarity grimaced and shielded her face from the light. But only for a moment, before she remembered her dignity. She wouldn’t be caught cringing at anything. The arena was… was… She forced herself not to be impressed. Oh, the ponies around her might gawk and gasp and blink incredulously, but this world was all the work of thieves and monsters and liars and criminals and barbarians! She’d be darned if she was going to give them any credit for soiling such a remarkable, magnificent, architecturally impressive… It was proving really, really hard. The stadium ran around, seemingly as far as the horizon. Those endless rows of seats could have enclosed a village if the settlement was developed enough, possibly even a town. Pillars and columns ran among the seats, along with drapes that were almost tapestries. All the high walls separating spectator from spectacle gleamed. There was no way to climb out. Every seat was packed. Swarming, waving, cheering, chanting fans were everywhere. There must’ve been thousands at least. Crystal ponies even flashed as they switched from their usual drab selves to shiny forms. Her keen eye caught details on the rows opposite. Spaced out, as regularly as numbers on a sundial, were crystal guards. All of them had jet-black manes and glowing green slits for eyes. Gingerly, her fellow teammates stepped out, and sand crunched under their hooves. The arena itself was a mass of undulating dunes, like a golden sea caught and frozen. Craggy arches and stacks of red stone stood out like fractured ribs. Yet it had its own desolate beauty. Why now? Why this? Oh, please no! It’s too, too perfect! Why can’t we meet under more auspicious times!? Unlike her fellow ponies in the pit, she strode forwards, head high and haughty like a queen. Neck muscles strained with the effort. Part of her wanted to hop about giddy and giggly. But no. Poise. That was the key… “Ladies and gentlecolts!” boomed a voice. She recognized it instantly. Her jaw tightened. Overhead hung a massive black stalactite like a mountain turned upside-down. Dots of light winked on it. She thought she saw heads peering out of the lower windows. “Welcome to the one thousand, nine hundred, and eighty first preliminary round of this, the greatest, most exciting, most creative, and most historically significant event in the entire universe: MMMMMMAGICAAAAAAL DEATTTTTHHHHMAAAAAAATCH!” The crowd screamed and turned into a cooing, clapping, stomping mass of noise and colour. For a brief moment, Rarity’s inner turmoil died down. This? No more than a show. Well, she knew how to deal with a show. “And what better way to start than with an all-classic Arid Desert Arena Deathmatch? You see, ladies and gentlecolts, ladies and gentlecolts, Team Rosebud has been joined by two extremely special guest stars! From the humble town of Ponyville comes a pastoral powerhouse! She’s a gritty gift to gastronomical grandeur! An agricultural agitator! An indomitable desperado! Say howdy and buckle up for the buck-‘em-up heroic bronco, heeerrrreeee’s AAAAAAAPPLLLLLLEEEEJAAAAAACK!” All around the arena, Diamond Bites split open and showed images. Images of sandy expanse, and of Applejack, starting and looking around in shock. Cheers broke out. Beside Rarity, Applejack reached up to hide under her hat’s brim. Then she stopped. She visibly remembered. She lowered her hoof and sighed. Do not break ranks, Rarity thought to herself. Do not move. Do not show these ruffians any weakness. Oh, why does this have to be so hhhaaaaard!? I should be comforting the poor lost soul! Forgive me, Applejack! I’ll explain once this is over. Please let us last that long. “And now, ladies and gentlecolts, the House of Silicates is proud to announce the inauguration of an awe-inspiring sensation! She’s a fashionista and a brilliant socialite, cut from the finer fabric of the beautiful society! She’s an idol who ain’t idle! She’s the gem of the gentry, the crown of the country, the dashing, debonair, dressmaking diamond of dreams and delights! All rise for the lovellllyyyyy LAAAADYYYYY… RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIITTTTTTYYYYYYYYY!” Images of her implacable tiara flickered around them. She forced herself to stare directly ahead. High and haughty. High and haughty… Furiously, she fought against the burning in her cheeks. Darn it, that speech was polluted coming out of that mouth. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but notice her applause was a lot louder and far more enthusiastic than Applejack’s. Not that she cared. Because she didn’t. Nearby, Trenderhoof let out a breath as though he’d been holding it for too long. Two of the ponies she didn’t know began to gibber. “Together, our two guest stars form part of the Spirited Seven of Equestria, the most courageous of all heroes across the globe. They’ve saved our sister empire to the north, but can they save themselves in the sinister south? No idea, but it’ll make for some cool entertainment, right!?” Those walls: too sheer to climb. Not even Applejack’s diamond rope thing could scale that. They had weapons, but surely no one would be dumb enough to give them an obvious chance like that? “In fact, I’m so confident we’ll have a good show that I’m appearing in person to announce this principal match! Look up and say hi, brief mortals! Mwahahahaha!” The crowd's indulgent laughter echoed around the arena. Instantly, Rarity’s keen eye saw why. A dot detached from the stalactite overhead. Amid the floating stars of Diamond Bites, it tumbled and freewheeled. Soon the crowd fell silent. What the…? What’s she doing? The crowd gasped. The figure became a clear pony outline. Its legs stretched out. Then it reached up to pull something on its back. Whoomph! One parachute burst open and went taut. Laughter returned, along with applause. On all the screens, the helmeted head of Officer Feldspar grinned maniacally. Her figure gently floated down to a speaker’s podium on the far side of the arena. Airily, she waved at the crowd around her. Then she removed her helmet and backpack to blow kisses and raise her forelimbs. She’s just an overgrown child. Rarity snorted. “Haha!” Feldspar tapped something on the stand. “All right! I beat a record!” Warm applause echoed all around. Utter confusion quelled fear for a moment; around Rarity, the other ponies exchanged puzzled glances and whispered amongst themselves. “Sweet! But this isn’t about me, folks. This is, in all honesty, about all of YOU AMAZING PONIES!” Whooping: stamping. “Yeah, lift those spirits! We’ve been hungering for this big buffet of bloodshed! Well, LET’S TUCK IN!” The crowd didn’t die down, but they became an endless rush of noises that was as close to silence as they were likely to get. Excitement crackled among them. Opposite, another door creaked open. More ponies stepped out of the darkness, but at this distance they were mere suggestions. Lights gleamed off their barding. “Challenging our special guests today is nothing less than the finest, roughest, toughest, dirtiest team ever to disgrace the name of Magical Deathmatch. You love to hate ‘em! You hate to love ‘em! Cutthroats and criminals, the whole lot of ‘em! Who better to become the reigning champions and favourites of this year’s destruction junction? Boo and hiss for the dark hearts of the empire: TEEEEAAAAMMMM BACKSTABBEEEEEEEEERRRRS!” Rarity stared. Stepping out among the ponies came a towering blue mass. Part jackal, part gigantic ape: she’d recognize that outline anywhere. She’d seen it at the altar of a terrible temple, once before, during one of her friends’ more outlandish outings. Not a pony. Probably not even anything civilized. A creature so secretive that she’d had to venture to the boondocks of Equestria to find it, and even then had to track it down to its ancient lair. For the crystal ponies to have not only found him but caught him… It was Ahuizotl. Overhead, the screens burst into life. Sparks zapped behind her; she turned to see Cheese Sandwich peer out from a balcony over the entrance, and his own frown looked out from a larger screen over the crowd behind him. When she turned back, she saw a distant pony figure on a balcony opposite, and from his larger screen… Unshaven, unsmiling, and almost certainly as unethical as ever, Doctor Caballeron adjusted his ragged tie and dishevelled collar. But-But those are Daring Do’s enemies! Wh-What in blazes are they doing here? “Ladies and gentlecolts, you all know the rules! Two teams, one arena, no time limit! Last team standing wins!” Fresh fear filled the air. Suri trembled. Coco rubbed her temples trying to force the nightmare out of her head. Applejack reeked of sweat. Even the one with the orange cutie mark kept looking about for support, and Rarity’s discerning social eye had judged her to be the most stoic of the bunch. Silently, she weighed up their chances. Trenderhoof, for all his virtues, was a creature of culture; he’d have a panic attack the instant things went south. Now that stallion there with the brick cutie mark seemed the rough type, but that mare with the slender legs and long eyelashes was almost certainly going to flee… “And… that would be really, really boring and predictable.” Feldspar laughed. Rarity’s heart began to burn with fresh hatred. “Just a simple one-on-one? Feh! Forget that! Let’s give these heroes a REAL challenge! To spice things up a bit, here comes the WILD CARD!” She could’ve sworn the crowd went “OO, OO, OOO, OO”. Why? Some weird native tradition? In the middle of the arena, the ground shuddered. Rarity felt it through her hooves. Oh no… What now…? “And boy howdy, HAHA!” Feldspar slapped her thigh; she’d had to rear up to the speaker’s stand. “Boy howdy have we got a doozy for you-zy! She’s four storeys tall and twelve and a half tons of fighting force! Dread of the desert! Terror of Tabbano! Sharp as a scythe and quick as a kick!” A slit opened up. The hatch doors slid aside. Sand poured over the edge. The pincer shot out first. Then the articulated arm. Urgent chatter broke out around Rarity, but she barely noticed. Her own mind shattered with suddenly urgent messages. That pincer was the size of a bus. Another one clasped at the edge, and then the muscular torso and pony-like head rose out. Curls bounced around a face that could’ve been raised high enough to peer through a princess’ tower. Oversized though the pincers were, it whirled them about with ease. The tail flexed. The stinger tried to hook the air itself. The giant heaved its armoured, shifting plates up and over, revealing a back like a plaza and far too many scuttling legs. Were it not for the natural weaponry hefted elsewhere, the curving, jagged spikes of the legs alone would’ve made her faint. “Behold, ladies and gentlecolts, the IMPERIAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL SCOOOOOOORRRRRRRPOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNYYYYYYY!” Rarity's legs began shaking. She forced them to stop. I’ve faced monsters before. I can face this one. And the team. And the chance that I’m about to collapse onto my knees at any second now. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, wake up Rarity! Wake up! I want out of here right now! Wrapping around the Scorpony’s neck, its chain tethered it to a rising platform that clicked into place. Crystal ponies – presumably attendants – surrounded it. They had glowing white diamonds at the ends of prods. Surprisingly, the Scorpony yawned. It glanced about at the crowd around it. Defiance creasing its face, it began to heft its weight about and curl up. “Ohoho, everyone! Looks like ‘ickle snippy doesn’t want to play today!” “Phew,” murmured Applejack. Suri wiped her forehead. By now, the Scorpony was almost curled up on its side. One of the attendants lunged forwards with the prod. The creature's scream ran through Rarity and shook her from hooves to hair and back. Trenderhoof jumped. Several other ponies backed away hurriedly, distant though they were from that suddenly slashing monster. Another crystal pony attendant leaped forwards and jabbed, stinging it again and again. Sparks flew. The screams became desperate. The body writhed in agony. Jolting with a sudden rush of fury, the creature snapped to its feet and raised its pincers. A swipe: the chain disintegrated into links. Leftover leash dangled and swung from its neck. With advisable haste, the attendants scuttled back onto the platform, which sank out of sight. The approaching pincers only met the hatch sliding shut; they met with a clank. Everyone flinched. The Scorpony struck the hatch again and again, clearly frustrated. To Rarity's disgust, the crowd jeered and chuckled at this. Then the Scorpony turned about, trying to see all the crowd at once. It filled its lungs, then swelled further, then swelled some more, and finally stopped, braced itself, and bellowed. Wailing, screeching, whining, squealing, roaring so much defiance that the world shook and the echoes dared it to boom louder and the only reason Rarity knew anyone had screamed was because she saw Coco’s face explode with the effort. That echoing earthquake rolled away like thunder. Now the crowd’s whooping came back. The thrill of excitement gave it added shrillness. “Hey-hey! That’s better!” said Feldspar. That poor creature… Is there nothing these brutes won’t sink to? Get a hold of yourself, Rarity! You’re you! Not Fluttershy! That creature is not your immediate concern! Oh, I wish I hadn't thought that. “Rarity!” Applejack spun round. Her face was a mask of terror. The starting horn blared. Rarity whimpered. “IIIIIIIIIT'S SHOWTIME!” All around her, Applejack saw the other ponies stiffen or look around. There was that breathless moment when everyone wondered if things had really started. Confusion held them at bay. As soon as the horn’s blaring echoes cut out, Applejack braced her legs. Something bumped against her spine: the weighty backpack Flim and Flam had given her. Gaping, her mouth reached down for the Ice Lash. And froze midway. Opposite, the Scorpony spun round to face the opposing team. Tail flailed; pincers snipped. Chain swinging feebly around its neck, the creature heaved its laborious bulk around and then, much faster than anything that size should have managed, scuttled across the dunes. She almost felt its thundering through her legs. Team Backstabbers just stood there. Unease crept through Applejack. Coco and a few others turned to her and Rarity for clues. One or two turned to Suri. Suri herself calmly watched the creature moving away. Perhaps there’d be a bit of good luck after all? The creature was almost on top of the opposing team. And the team still stood there. Unease curdled into suspicion. Applejack squinted. They should’ve been attacking: maybe whipping it; maybe firing at it; anything. Surely even Ahui-whatever-his-name-was would’ve been rearing to tackle it? A few shiny dots dropped away from the figures. Unluckily, her eyes just weren’t that keen. “What are they doin’?” she murmured. “Is-Is it over alr-r-ready?” Coco drew closer as though ready to use her as a shield. Rarity hummed. Now that wasn’t encouraging; Rarity only hummed when she saw things that didn’t add up. Unpredictably, the Scorpony skidded to a halt. Clouds of dust puffed away from its legs, visible even over this distance. Around them, the stadium crowd settled for a continuous mutter, confused and uncertain. “What? What is it?” Applejack watched. “They’ve just dropped… their armour?” Rarity squinted. “I can’t quite make it out.” A Diamond Bite must’ve drawn closer to pick up details; on the screens around the arena, images of the goons flared into life. Their barding lay scattered on the sands before them. And “goons” was about right; whether scuffed, scarred, or bearded, all of them looked like images from a series of wanted posters. Ahuizotl turned his pointed head up to them. The paws and thighs of his back legs drew taut with muscle and tendons. His hands clenched. At the end of a long snout, two tiny eyes blazed with hatred. He lunged. At once, the screens went blank. “Ohoho! Looks like Team Backstabbers are up to their usual tricks!” Feldspar’s voice dripped with glee. “Why are they droppin’ their bardin’?” “Shh,” hissed Rarity. “Look!” She pointed at the moving mass opposite; the Scorpony had bent its more pony-esque half downwards. Forelimbs shifted. It was still hard to tell what it was doing. Applejack’s mind ran through the options. Beasts of all kinds had their own little quirks. Maybe the other team knew something about shiny armour and Scorponies? After all, she’d faced things like the chimæra, which could be tamed by – of all things – a chair, a flute, and a satchel full of ricotta. If it was even an Equestrian beast. She’d never heard of Scorponies in the country. Pincers rose and fell, easily discernible over this distance. White gleams tumbled down the creature’s back. “It’s collecting the armour,” said Rarity. Applejack didn’t waste time asking questions. “Y’all heard that! They’re givin’ it armour to stop it attackin’ ‘em, Ah’ll betcha anythin’! Drop the armour! Quick!” “What? No!” one of the mares yelped. “And let the other team have a clean shot?” Suri laughed. “I don’t think so!” “At once, my wise worker!” Trenderhoof immediately wriggled out of his chest plate. Watching this, several other ponies soon followed. None of them looked remotely like they understood the whys and wherefores, but the voice of command and the definite action cut through the confusion. The crowd booed and hissed around them. To go so long without any clashes: that could be dangerous. Feldspar was just the sort of lowlife to prod things along. Without warning, the Scorpony spun round. Its outline glowed purple with magic. Even a short-sighted mare couldn’t miss it. The Scorpony ducked rapidly. Sand exploded. As soon as the dust cleared, the creature had vanished, leaving Team Backstabbers standing idly by their own entrance. But when she focused, Applejack definitely saw a hump rushing along the dunes of the desert. Possibly aided by the acoustics of the arena, the rumble grew. “It’s coming towards us!” one of the mares squealed. “Pile up the armour there!” shouted Applejack, pointing at random. Clanking hastily followed, as did Suri’s muttering. “It’s getting closer…” Trenderhoof rubbed his forehead. “May my faith in you never be misplaced, O dearest petal of the –” “Really not the time.” Applejack never took her eyes from the geysers of grains blasting up from the hump. By now, the rumble was a growling of the ground itself. “Woohoo, sports fans!” Feldspar shouted overhead. “Looks like Team Rosebud are favourites! Favourite SNACKS, that is! Haha!” Please let it work. For Apple Bloom’s sake, please let it work. Whether it was cynicism or a premonition, doubt and horror hit her from the inside-out. Then the hump grew, became a moving dune… “It ain’t stoppin’!” Instantly, the desert blasted itself in front of them, and the torso emerged from the cloud, rippling with muscles like crevices in a cave wall. A leg rose up and stepped into view, almost crushing Suri who leaped backwards. One of the ponies reared up and whinnied. Another two turned and bolted. “Whoa Nelly…” said Applejack. Pincers cruised by like levitating prisons amid the swinging iron chain. Behind them, the articulated arms creaked with the mechanical strain. And glaring down at them, the curl-fringed head bared fangs that could crumple a barn door and slice through stacked timber. “Rarity!” Yet Applejack was too late. Rarity’s face stretched, widened, tried to hide behind her neck, trembled with the effort, and then screamed. Instantly, whatever spell had kept them at least standing quietly now shattered. Wherever Applejack looked, panic leaped from pony to pony. In a group like this, ponies were just sheep. The herd lost its mind utterly, each and every one of them. “No, wait! Stick together!” Coco rammed into her, blinded by terror. Hooves pounded away. Kicked-up sand clung to her nose and eyes and mouth as she tried to call them back. Overhead, the Scorpony growled. It sounded for the moment uncertain, spoilt for choice. “Rarity!” There she is! Bouncing off and banging against the doors. Cheese’s shouts were lost to the screams, whinnies, and occasional monstrous growls. Loyalty kicked her into gear. Applejack rushed forwards – A leg crashed into the ground before her. Pincers clicked overhead. “Rarity, you dummy! You’ve got the tiara! Use it! Use it!” Another leg crashed, and then more of them thudded and scuttled over Applejack, eclipsing the sky and heading straight for Rarity, who stopped banging the doors. She pressed her back up against them. She screamed. Ponies ran about at random. “Don’t split up!” Applejack galloped for the space between the legs for Rarity. “You’re just makin’ easy targets! Calm down!” The tail thrashed the air in readiness. It struck. Rarity leaped aside, rolled, stumbled back onto all fours, and narrowly missed the second stab of the stinger. When the stinger withdrew, it left a hole in the sand itself. “Oh no, you don’t!” Fury and fear threw Applejack towards the nearest of those craggy, misshapen limbs. She yelped at the shock. Thankfully, it also gave. Angry screeches met her ears. The aftershock rippled through her and she blundered away, cursing. Another leg crashed right in front of her. Too late: she bounced off it and stumbled. Another crash woke her up at once. This was no time to be dazed. Feldspar's voice boomed. “Whew! Finally we get some action! And wouldn't you know it, the cowpony's dishing out the dirt! Haha, it's funny because she's an earth pony.” What the heck, what the heck, what the heck am Ah s’posed to DO!? Rarity! Coco! Gotta… We gotta do somethin’. Anythin’! She saw the pincer make a grab for Rarity’s retreating tail. It missed. The other reached down instead. “Ah said NO!” Applejack leaped up to ram the thing. Except the creature pulled the punch seconds before she could meet it. And that was terrifying enough; the pincer moved so fast. It must’ve weighed half a ton at least, and yet it moved like a real scorpion’s. She landed hard; one leg buckled. She forced it back up. No time for sprains either! Something to kick. Something to ram. Anything. There was plenty on that mass of creepy-crawly armour and pony flesh. Only most of it was several feet off the ground. “Wow, what a mess! Team Rosebud are in trouble! Only one of 'em knows how to kick, apparently, and she doesn't seem to know what she's doing. Pity if anything happened to her, eh?” Applejack groaned. Feldspar's voice was drilling into her concentration. She’d have to improvise. Farmers generally didn’t; pests were pests whatever generation they happened to be in. Most of the rulebooks for things like vampire fruit bats and thieving snakes had been written long ago. Unthinking, she charged forwards. Another pony ran past. She had to quickstep to stop them both colliding. The only loosely good thing to come out of it was that the Scorpony immediately switched targets; its bulk heaved around to begin the chase. “What the hay?” she snapped at the retreating pony. Applejack glanced across the dunes. Surely Team Backstabbers were going to creep up on them. That must have been the plan. Nothing. No reactions. The team still hung around their entrance. Come on! So what’s the deal with the bardin’, then!? She checked their own pile. In the mayhem, the lot had vanished. She could only watch helplessly as one of her teammates zigzagged around the slamming pincers and lashing tail. Hardly any of the team remained this close to the Scorpony now. She looked about. Most of them were scattering across the dunes. “Come back!” she called out. Too late: most of them were out of earshot, and in their current panic she doubted it’d register anyway. It was worse than dealing with Ponyville during a stampede. At least there, she was known. She had a chance. The Scorpony snatched. A yelp was cut off. Applejack winced. Dust clouds hid most of its lower half. Someone screamed. Slowly, surely, menacingly, creaking as though on axles, the Scorpony's head turned to look. It growled. Coco and Rarity galloped towards the nearest of the rugged red stacks. Horribly exposed. Easy targets. The next growl had overtones of “aha!” Applejack was already moving before the creature’s outline shone purple and it half-phased, half-ploughed through the sands. Such was the earthquake in its wake that Applejack’s running hooves barely made contact half the time as she galloped alongside. “Coco! Rarity! Incoming!” Furious with herself, she unwrapped the Ice Lash. Stupid. Panicky. Even she’d been swept up in the chaos. Her diamond rope swished through the air in readiness. The ground surged alongside her and then the moving dune rolled ahead, obscuring the bottom of the stack. Even over the grumble of strained sand, she heard two piercing screams. As easily as before, the glowing purple body slid ghostlike out of the ground, followed by the crash of the sands as the bulk strained against its own phasing magic. At this distance, the creature was almost pony-sized. Applejack watched the tail curl round for attack. One of the two ponies finally figured out how to work their weapon. A white lance shot for the creature’s face. Instantly – far too fast – both pincers rose up as a shield. The light fractured and shot off around the obstruction. Overhead, hovering Diamond Bites darted down and intercepted the wayward beams before they hit the crowd. Some missed; the beams shot for the space above the arena walls and then hit a purple shield, which flared into existence as the energy dissipated. “Would you look at that!” Feldspar yelled. “Whoa! Remind me not to spill cocktails on this connoisseur!” Applejack saw through the Scorpony’s legs. Rarity’s tiara sparked and fired another shot. Instantly, the relaxing pincers rose up again. “TAKE THAT, YOU RUFFIAN! NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY, YOU MONSTROUS BRUTE!” But in between shots, the Scorpony crept closer, pausing only to shield itself. Already, it had backed both ponies up against the red rock face. Coco cowered behind Rarity’s fading glower. Eventually, even Rarity's eyes widened and she realized what was happening, yet more shots fired and the pincers tackled them easily. Diamond Bites zipped about, intercepting ricochets. Applejack saw the tail whip downwards – Instinct forced her to move before she realized she'd struck. Her Ice Lash moved so fast it wrapped around the middle of the tail like a whip. Applejack almost jumped off her hooves with the sudden tug. The rope fell off. In her haste, she hadn’t adjusted for proper technique. But the Scorpony had felt it. The Scorpony glared over its shoulder. Applejack aimed another whip-crack. That stung a back leg. She threw herself into another. Spite and anger were flexing and striking through her teeth and down the diamond chains to the tip. Another howl: the rope hit its carapace. That’s what you get for messin’ with us. Rapid retaliation struck. Applejack dodged around the crashing sands and went straight for its stamping legs – just like dodging barrels. She almost laughed. The thing couldn't aim for toffee. Now the rope was in her mouth, the old habits came back. She rammed into another leg, and then used the rebound to shoot across and go for another one. Except this time, she turned and bucked. Hard. It was classic apple-bucking technique. She could fell trees with a move like this. Screaming, the ceiling of armour shook above her and she galloped out before the whole thing crashed into the ground. “Well, she's found a weak point,” said Feldspar as though the admission was pulling teeth. “I'll grant her that. Won't do her much good in the long run, though.” Ha! Nuts to you, Feldspar! This is just a bigger rodeo. Apple-buckin’. Lassoin’. Dodgin'. Ropin'. Ah KNOW about that! Haha! Ah got it! You son of a gun, Ah got you bang to rights! Old thrills returned like long-forgotten friends. She was home. At last, she was home! “Now they got the pieces, what are they gonna do next?” said Feldspar. Coco and Rarity took the hint; both made a break for it, but in opposite directions. Rarity slowed, looking over her shoulder. Looking at Applejack. No! Just get outta here! Rarity's slowness had not gone unnoticed. As soon as the Scorpony was up again, it whirled round and aimed a gaping pincer for the flapping tail. Applejack’s rope met it halfway. This time, it wrapped the thing. “Bull’s-eye!” she yelled, or at least something that sounded like it around the rope in her mouth. And this is just tug-o’-war. She pulled. And failed instantly. Shock snatched her up and over; the ground threw itself away and she felt her stomach lurch and she dangled from the rope. The Scorpony held her up, lifted her higher, and brought her angrily up to its face. What a face! The mouth could have been a cave. It twitched. Tell-tale. Applejack instantly let go. The second pincer snipped the air where, a fraction of a second before, it would’ve had her midriff. She tumbled and grunted down the slope of a shallow dune. This time, there was plenty of time to be dazed. The sprain in her leg bit down hard. She winced. Through the daze, she was dimly aware of the crowd’s cheering. Not very enthusiastically, but cheering nonetheless. Feldspar’s voice boomed. She couldn’t make out a word. Senses trickled back. She got unsteadily to her hooves in time to see the Scorpony. To her satisfaction, its free pincer worried at the rope like a hedge clipper biting at iron chains. In fact, its own chains briefly got tangled up in the finicky work. A good chunk of the team were dots around the arena. Applejack went cold. They were sitting ducks, and too far away for shouting. Was it worth attacking the thing again? But she couldn’t keep bucking its legs forever; she’d get tired before it did. And with Team Backstabbers still out there… She peered round the rock. Nope. Still lurking around the entrance. What were they up to? With a triumphant roar, the Scorpony flicked the rope off its trapped pincer. Applejack turned around in time to see the coils slap onto the ground and the tail retreat, job done. Its gaze fell on her. “Come on,” she murmured. “You don’t wanna fight any more than Ah do. Let it go.” Maybe if she ran really fast, she could snatch up the rope… One pincer rose threateningly. So it wasn’t entirely stupid. “ONCE MORE UNTO THE BRRRRRREEEEEAAAAAACCCCCCHHHHHH!” Startled, it turned to follow the returning figure of Rarity. Whether through loyalty or desperation, she was the only pony making any kind of effort. The Scorpony growled uncertainly. It began scuttling towards her. Applejack was already galloping when Rarity fired the shot. The Scorpony blocked. It spotted Applejack, but she grabbed the rope and turned her stumble into a rolling tumble before the strike got anywhere near her. What are we s’posed to do? Can’t hit it, can’t bring it down, sure as heck can’t kill it. Seriously? “Can’t kill it”? What are you, Fluttershy? It’s that thing or us! No choice there! Get it down and get it down fast! Rarity fired. A slash: she leaped over the scything pincer and managed a twirl around the punching tail. Another slash: when it cleared, Rarity spread herself flat on her back and flipped aside delicately. Throughout, her face was set in ice. As soon as it scuttled closer for the next slash, Applejack whipped at its legs, and in that moment noticed the sparkles on its back. Just below where the pony torso met scorpion segments, a slight hollow rattled with the armour in it. All the barding. A clue? After all, so many creatures in Equestria eat shiny things. Yet more swipes and slashes cut through her concentration. She lashed out. The Scorpony’s tail caught on the rope, but Applejack had expected this and yanked it skilfully off before the tail could tug the rope, with her on it or not. She was not falling for that again. But it was slowing. The creature's face widened with doubt and fear. Rarity fired. The Scorpony turned to block, and Applejack lunged for the opportunity and for its legs. The Ice Lash cracked off an errant pincer. Roars of Scorpony pain and confusion punctuated the fire-lash-fire-lash attacks. Too many targets, too many hits. Now it was reduced to blocking one pincer for each pony, one juddering under Rarity’s shots, one getting scuff marks from Applejack’s rope. If her mouth wasn’t full, she’d laugh. This was just a bigger rodeo. Nothing to it. The crowd were cheering louder. Perhaps they could wear it down? Haha! We still got a chance! Applejack’s spirits rose and she almost, almost whooped around the next crack of the whip. Then she thought, Ah, what the heck? Why not? She laughed, loud and long and loving every second. Sooner or later, they'd have their chance. She was sure of it. Only then did she wonder why Feldspar was so eerily quiet.