Once more, the shield flared and then vanished. Coco watched another lance of white ricochet off the pincer and hit the purple dome before both faded away. The crowd behind the protective dome cheered anew.
“What do we do? What do we do? What do we DO!?” Shame rushed through her. Hold it together, Coco! We have to do something! We can’t just leave them to struggle like this!
When the shield flared again, the top of the encircling wall blazed with a thin purple line for just a moment. Part of her mind – amid all the terror, desperately splashing for a life raft – wondered if there were power crystals hidden within.
Suri hung back. If only I could control myself like she can! She’s not even breathing hard. Just staring.
“Suri!” It was a disgraceful impulse, but Coco was beyond caring. “You always took charge! What do we do now?!”
“Me!?” Suri’s voice broke. “Kid, I’m not going anywhere near that thing, OK?”
“We have to do something! We can’t just sit here!”
“Well, what are you waiting for, you mook?” Suri spat. “You wanna do something, go do it. Sheesh, do you ever think for yourself?”
The words slapped Coco round the face. “Wh-What?”
“Look, think about it. They’re doing fine. Don’t, uh, don’t wanna put ‘em off their concentration, right? But you wanna play hero with ‘em, be my guest. No one’s stopping you.”
Coco groaned and looked away. Now more than ever, she hated Suri. Words turned to poison in that mouth. The mare always sounded so… so sensible. There was something about her that made Coco feel very, very stupid.
Indecision held her at bay.
She cast about, desperate for anything – a trigger, a clue, some concrete thing that would fit into what was left of her mind – and spotted the opposing team on the other side. They were obviously waiting for the Scorpony to do all the work.
Another screech ripped through the air; the Scorpony was getting impatient. She thanked the world again and again for giving her heroes to fight on her side.
Part of her hated the idea. Dependent again.
Around the arena, the other ponies had stopped galloping. Either they’d run out of breath or they’d stopped just to watch the fight. Perhaps they’d figured out how much rode on it.
If Applejack and Rarity went down, the thing could pick them off one by one…
Still, her legs were rooted to the spot. She liked the Scorpony a long, long way away.
“Huh,” said Suri behind her.
When Coco turned to look, Suri was staring out at the centre of the dunes. Coco immediately followed her gaze.
“What is it?” Coco said. “Will it help?”
“That Scorpony left a trail of weapons. See them crystal thingies?”
Focusing, Coco definitely caught a glint here and there. A staff lay on a peak. A hoof device twinkled near the shadow of a red arch. A kind of scythe had been dropped in the middle of a relatively flat patch.
“Right along the Scorpony’s path, see?” said Suri.
There was a strange flatness in her voice. It was as though she were distancing herself from the words.
Coco swallowed. “That monster took their weapons too. But why?”
“Come on, kid. Keep up. Team Backstabbers dumped anything and everything shiny. Don’t you know jack about Scorponies?”
“Well, how do you know about it?” Coco snapped. It must’ve been the panic talking; Suri’s obnoxious tones suddenly filled her with the dread certainty that they should not exist.
Suri was eerily silent.
And avoiding Coco’s eye.
That was like the day turning blue without the sun.
“They guard treasure,” said Suri, appearing to talk to the crowd on the far side of the arena. “That dirty rat Feldspar must’ve pinched the treasure along with the Scorpony. No wonder it’s gone crazy for shinies.”
Warning bells went off in Coco’s head. “Suri, you live in the city. How do you know this?”
For the longest time, Suri said nothing. She continued to stare as though contemplating the horror of all the cheering.
She turned away from Coco. She took a few steps towards the centre until a Diamond Bite swooped down to hover a few feet ahead.
Coco’s brain sent urgent demands to her legs. The ice of fear began to crack. She rose a leg to take a first step.
“S-Suri?” she said. “What’s wrong?”
And then Feldspar’s voice echoed across the arena. “Oh my, sports fans! Looks like there’s some drama developing among the roses!”
Suri’s face instantly appeared on all screens. She might have been staring into the depths of Tartarus.
She said: “I’m announcing… a backstab.”
Gasps ran along the crowd. Theatrical gasps. This was all just a bunch of ponies playing along.
“Oh dear!” Feldspar was almost laughing. “Shock! Horror! Betrayal!”
When Suri turned round, the device on her hoof aimed.
She fired.
Coco flinched. The beam shot past her, and before she had time to turn around, a nearby teammate screamed. The beam hit. The scream died. There was a flash.
Afterwards, the pony was gone.
Everything inside Coco was blinded. She couldn’t move. Sheer terror told her she’d only have seconds to waste it.
Suri aimed at her.
“Sorry, kid,” said Suri. For once, she meant it. There was no trace of smugness in the voice. Her face was still staring into some torturous underworld.
Only Coco’s jaw trembled. “S-Suri… p-p-please… I-I kn-know we had our… our d-differences, b-but… You wouldn’t… You’re not… Just please… Please, no…”
White specks glowed within the hoof device. “Feldspar and I had a little natter before the match. I’m just doing a job.”
“Suri…” Lights grew brighter. Sounds became stabbing pains in her ears. Her senses scrabbled in desperation, grabbing details, seizing upon anything at all.
“I’m sorry, kid! It’s nothing personal. But it’s either you or me, and I sure as heck ain’t letting it be me!”
She’ll do it. She’ll do it. She’s never held back before. She always knew what she was doing. Oh no, oh no, oh no, please no, don’t let it end like this! I had dreams! I wanted to make dresses again! No! There’s still too much to do… and… I…
What’s she waiting for?
Suri was shaking.
And not firing.
Coco licked her lips. “Suri, think! You’re not a monster! You’re still a pony inside, like me! Don’t do this, please!”
Suri stopped shaking. “I don’t have a choice. Eat or be eaten.”
Rocks roared in protest and collapsed. Suri turned to look. Coco stared past her, and instantly the Scorpony stumbled through the red dust floating down amid a scattering of stones. It lashed out, batting away another lash of the rope, and looked up. In that fatal moment, it spotted the pair of them.
Clearly, it wanted easier prey. The stumble became a determined scuttle.
By then, Suri had dropped the device and galloped away, yelling, “Oh heck no! You’re on your own, kid!”
Instead, the Scorpony’s shadow soon loomed over Coco. Too late, she backed away. A pincer filled the world. Two rows of fangs parted like the gates of a graveyard.
Much, much too late, she cast about for a weapon. A device. Anything.
Someone hit Coco; they tackled her hard. She squeaked as she tumbled. Strong limbs gripped her in a full embrace.
She’d never faced anything so rough, not even at school when she’d been knocked about during dodgeball practice. And that had been years ago. She never felt so helpless.
Rarity let her go and stood up, tall and towering like the world’s most beautiful gym instructor. “Coco! You poor dear. Are you quite all right?”
Irritation vanished beneath the tidal wave of relief. “You… You just… saved me.”
“You were expecting anything different? Please excuse me. I hate to tackle and run, but –” Rarity shot past her, towards the increasingly strained bellows of the Scorpony.
Does she know? She doesn’t know!? Duty forced Coco to her feet and to a gallop after the retreating tail. A task to do, and then she could find some respite.
“Rarity!” Coco yelled. “Watch out for Suri! She’s on their side!”
“Keep an eye out for her, then!” The order was hasty; Rarity was already firing another shot from her tiara’s gemstone. This time, it smacked into the back of the Scorpony’s head and Applejack’s whip rapped it across the sting trying to stab them both.
Coco sighed. Keep an eye out for her. She could do that. She clung on to the order. She didn’t want to drown again.
No one was on the nearby dunes, at least.
Wild with rage, the pincers no longer even aimed. They just swiped randomly, hoping to slash something meaningful. Applejack’s diamond rope lassoed one, then wrapped around the other. By the time the creature had coaxed its stinger into the knots and wrappings, Rarity’s shots batted it about the head. Rarity moved in a ballet, sweeping and swishing her tail while she volleyed from one side and then slid around to fire at the other. Coco found it both impossible and undeniable that she were the same dressmaker she met so long ago.
They’re amazing. Such teamwork! Such confidence! Oh, I wish I had half of their strength. Rarity, how can you sow beautiful dresses and then pull something like this?
Remembering herself, she checked. No sign of Suri anywhere.
After much fiddling, the rope tumbled to the ground. Applejack tried to leap and grab it until the Scorpony crouched low enough to bite. Instead, it snapped on empty air. Worse, the tail now flexed and curled and batted aside Rarity’s shots no matter how randomly she weaved and dodged.
They fight together like such good friends. I wish more than anything I had friends like that. Think of all the happy years I could’ve had. It’s like my childhood’s come back…
Rapidly, the Scorpony spun round. Sheer turbulence knocked Applejack and Rarity backwards as pincers and tail and general bulk swept around.
Coco took a deep breath. Rarity might still be a kind of boss, but she was a fellow dressmaker. Maybe they were close enough to be friends?
Still no Suri.
She could risk it.
She had to do something. She wanted to do something. But did she really dare to do it?
Rarity stood panting and heaving and not even looking up as the Scorpony effortlessly sauntered closer.
Coco charged forwards.
As soon as she did so, the talisman bounced off her chest. To her amazement, she’d gone all this time without even noticing it.
Overhead, the Scorpony reared up onto four of its eight legs and drew back both pincers. Coco reached Rarity in time to meet the downward stabbing and push her out of the way.
The world around both ponies flashed white.
Coco blinked.
When the world came back, it shimmered under a dull blue crackling veneer. Everything suddenly seemed very, very depressed. Next to her, Rarity was covered head-to-hoof in the same crackling veneer, only more concentrated. Coco’s skin tingled. Her own hoof crackled too.
The Scorpony turned to face them, and then kept on turning. Puzzled growling: the creature looked left and right.
Beyond it, Applejack looked… broadly in their direction. She too creased her brow with puzzlement.
Talisman glowed on Coco’s neck. She tapped it once. The world flashed again.
Instantly, the crackling veneer was gone. Equally instantly, both Scorpony and Applejack spotted them.
“What just happened?” said Rarity quietly.
Puzzlement was past; the Scorpony raised a pincer – and yelped and cringed when Applejack’s rope cracked near its ear. Yet turning around, it completely missed Applejack running through its legs to meet them.
“Nicely done, partner!” She nodded to Coco. “Looks like you got a good ‘un round your neck.”
“Applejack! Focus!”
“Oh, right. Sorry, Rarity.” Before Coco could even register the comment, Applejack stiffened. “We can’t keep goin’ one at a time on it. We gotta nab every weapon it’s got, all at once. So here’s what we do.”
The Scorpony spun round again, and its roar had a certain “There you are!” quality to it.
“Rarity-you-get-all-three-in-place-at-once-Ah’ll-do-the-rest-got-it?” Applejack rushed back into the exploding dune and bursting roars.
Rarity sighed. “I hate it when she does that.”
“What should I do?” said Coco eagerly.
“Watch for Suri!”
Embarrassed, Coco’s gaze jumped from dune to dune. Luck was on her side for now. No ambushers.
Stomps, kicks, slashes: by the end of it, Applejack was on the other side of a beast trying to fight things moving too fast. Rarity slid into place alongside her.
“Give me a boost!” Rarity clambered onto the strong back.
I’m joining in. Where’s everyone else? Coco scanned again. Apart from the odd dot here and there, she couldn’t see her team at all. Cheese’s anxious face stared out from the screen over the entrance. Around them, the crowd chanted, “FINISH! FINISH! FINISH! FINISH!”
Applejack kicked off hard. Rarity soared in a graceful arc.
Coco held her breath.
As though in slow motion, she saw the Scorpony’s glare trace the rising unicorn. Its head tilted back. Rarity began to rotate for a flip any choreographer would die for. Her tiara tumbled away.
Pincers rose up to meet it. Tail rose up to meet her.
And then Applejack’s rope finally struck like a snake, and all speed came back.
Rarity landed less elegantly on the other side, leaving behind a Scorpony thoroughly trussed. Pincers and tail were lost to a mass of coiled diamond links. Pulling, screeching, stamping: nothing was left or could manage to untangle it.
Coco checked again. No ambushers. Good.
For the finisher, Applejack bobbed between its legs. A kick: one leg tumbled like a tree. Another kick: the side of the creature teetered dangerously far. She zigzagged and bucked, and the whole thing howled and screamed and yelped as Applejack rolled and ducked out of the shadow before carapace, legs, and side crashed like an avalanche onto the dunes and vanished.
When the dust cloud cleared, the Scorpony lay on its side. Furiously, it utterly failed to untie the rope. It began to whimper.
Applause ran around the arena. Writhing bodies flashed on and off.
“What a beautiful take-out, eh?” Feldspar’s voice struggled not to be impressed. “I’m telling you, nothing’s as good as some old-fashioned teamwork. Am I right, ponies?!”
“YEAH!” went the crowd. “TEAMWORK! TEAMWORK! TEAMWORK! TEAMWORK!”
“My word,” muttered Rarity between the chants. “They’ll cheer anything.”
She was a war between white coat and yellow dust. Her curls had locks sticking out at odd angles like broken limbs, but at least she wasn’t breathing too hard. Coco looked at these and saw gold dust and stylish rogues.
“You… were…” she began.
Applejack strode over. Unlike Rarity, she wasn’t remotely out of breath, but Coco winced at the battering ram of musk and hot scents weighing her down.
“Ah swear,” growled Applejack. “When Ah get mah legs around that lowlife Feldspar’s dirty neck, Ah swear she’s gonna wish she never put us through this.”
The chants sounded much further away now. To Coco’s surprise, Rarity smiled. Still caked in dust, the dressmaker guided a gentle hoof onto Applejack’s shoulder.
The way they look at each other…
Applejack chuckled and smiled back. There were unspoken words here. Coco marvelled; they could speak without language, almost without bodies in the way at all.
A spark bloomed into life. In the hearth of her heart, light glowed again.
“You’re incredible,” she said before she could stop herself. Even when they looked at her, she couldn’t resist adding, “Both of you. The teamwork, the risks you took, the… the way you just don’t give up for each other.”
“A li’l diff’rent in Manehattan, huh?” Applejack winked at her.
“Not when I knew Charity Kindheart. That’s what you remind me of. I… I feel like I’m back there again.”
“It’s like Applejack said.” Rarity looked down. “What happened to my coat? Oh my, oh my, oh my! What happened to my coat!? Ew! It’s filthy! Get it off!”
Coco and Applejack looked past the half-hearted struggling of the Scorpony, up the wall, and at the shrieking crowds around them. What little spark lurked in Coco’s chest now died away.
“Wait a moment…” she said.
Rarity stopped moaning. “What?”
Something clicked nearby.
Applejack looked around. Coco looked around. Rarity looked around.
While the Scorpony howled piteously, several gruff voices guffawed. From every direction.
Panic seeped in. Coco gulped.
“Oh no…”
Team Backstabbers had them entirely surrounded.
Rarity felt the wind retreat from her sails. She almost deflated on the spot. To have gotten so swept up in the moment…
“Oh no…” Coco breathed.
Thickset ponies encircled them, at least ten at a glance. While Rarity looked around for possible escape, she backed into Applejack. Every criminal bore scars or rugged beards or suits and hats that just screamed “gangster”. More to the point, they bore weapons. Crystal weapons.
“Any ideas?” Applejack whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
Rarity forced herself not to weep. “Not even one.”
A Diamond Bite floated into place overhead and split open, revealing a screen. Caballeron’s foul, diabolical little smile leered down at them.
“Ah, such a shame,” he said, and somewhere in the grip of dread and guilt, Rarity wondered what that accent was supposed to be. “Such fighting spirit, such beauty, such teamwork. If only we had met under more fortunate circumstances, I would be honoured to invite you to dinner –”
“Get stuffed, Caba-what’s-it-called,” Applejack snapped.
Caballeron’s grin tightened for a moment. “Don’t flatter yourself too much, country girl. Although I will admit to some admiration, you were not who I was speaking to. I am a stallion of wealth and taste, or at least, aheh, I should be.”
He winked at Rarity.
Mad with embarrassment, outrage, and a kind of exhausted quasi-delirium, Rarity snapped, “Is this some last-minute torture session? We have to hear you blabber on before we go?”
“Manners, manners, my dear. I’d hate to send you off like some common thug.”
Nearby, Suri cantered over the dune and skidded to a halt. The last criminal received the last weapon from her outstretched hoof and immediately aimed it at Coco, who was nearest.
Rarity glowered at her. A backstabber to the end. How fitting. You could at least look me in the eye, you coward.
“You were smart enough to discard your armour,” purred Caballeron cheerfully. “But you should’ve discarded the weapons too. And, of course, your magnificent battle provided all the distraction poor Suri here needed to retrieve ours again. Excellent work, Suri.”
Cringing and coughing, Suri tugged at her neckerchief. “Uh, yeah, well, you know, right?”
Rarity’s expression softened. Suri was restlessly looking about and fidgeting: far more nervous than the steady criminals.
No! Don’t pity her! Perhaps she merely feels out of her class!
A motion: Caballeron’s gaze flickered past Rarity for a moment.
“Touch that invisibility jewel,” he snapped, “and you’re doomed.”
Coco whimpered. Oh, Coco. It was worth a try.
“Ah well,” he said with a chuckle. “You’re doomed anyway. What does it matter?” Turning back to Rarity, he continued, “Fate indeed has not been kind to us, ma cherie. Perhaps there is still a way yet for you to be spared…?”
A thud.
Rarity turned her head, and over Applejack’s stare and Coco’s frightened squeak, a pair of fists slammed into the dune, blasting sand into the air.
“CABALLERON!” roared Ahuizotl.
Even the criminals – armed and aiming – went pale, whimpered, flinched, and inched away.
This close, Ahuizotl was a looming beast. His pointed ears, pointed snout, angular muscled limbs, and bared incisors like knives seemed to burst as spikes through whatever veneer of self-control wrapped around him. His tail ended with a hand like a tuft, but silly as it looked, it only made clear what wild power hung in the rear legs of a jaguar, in the gorilla arms and jackal head. Even his tiny eyes at the end of his long snout merely exaggerated the size of his bite. In fact, the only sign he was even remotely civilized was the jewellery; gold cuffs restrained his hands, and a gold collar forced his neck to hold the bite in check.
Rarity quailed. Last time she’d faced him, she’d had all her friends with her. And Daring Do. He’d only stopped once they brought down the temple on top of him. Besides, there’d been all that running.
“Enough with these pointless banter-talk!” he snapped. “Destroy them all now!”
But Caballeron merely grinned all the more widely. Despite herself, Rarity was impressed.
“I don’t recall you being Team Captain, my good friend,” he said smoothly. “We’re not in the jungle anymore.”
“Fool! I will rip you limb from limb! Idiots talk! Warriors fight!”
“Oh, really?” Caballeron’s cold voice now made ice look rough. “That is an interesting perspective coming from Lord Easily-Escapable Deathtrap himself. Perhaps Feldspar should have made you Team Captain, though it seems we’re a little short on piranha taAAAH AHHH!”
Suri yelped and backed off hurriedly. Criminals muttered urgently.
Behind Ahuizotl, the ground shifted. Groaning, sobbing, and still struggling, the Scorpony heaved itself back up.
“Whoa Nelly,” said Applejack. “Get ready for round two.”
The creature screamed. It struggled to untangle itself. Thundering randomly, it zigzagged towards them, half-blinded by crying. Rarity barely noticed two of the criminals yelling and bolting before the Scorpony’s pitifully moaning approach drove all distraction out of her mind.
Ahuizotl turned and stared up for a moment.
She and Applejack crouched at once to leap. If only she had the tiara –
He leaped.
Screeching, the Scorpony’s tear-streaked face didn’t even wince as Ahuizotl clambered over it. The creature was too busy shaking the Ice Lash wrapped around its weapons.
On its back, Ahuizotl braced his legs, seized its curls in two great handfuls, and pulled.
At once, the screeching shot through several octaves and stabbed into their ears. Rarity winced and Coco cried out in pain. The Scorpony’s head jerked back. It winced.
Ahuizotl yanked harder.
Then the Scorpony wailed as its head jerked further back, and then face, neck, chest, underside, and tail rushed up and over before the whole creature curled round and over, and finally it crashed facedown onto the dune.
Ahuizotl landed before the settling clouds.
“Whoa,” said Applejack.
The Ice Lash and tiara tumbled away from the body. An occasional leg twitched. Otherwise, the Scorpony was eerily still.
“We’re doomed,” moaned Coco.
“Less of that talk,” squeaked Rarity. “Please?”
Even the criminals nodded, impressed. Ahuizotl strode over to the circle.
“Now!” he yelled. “Enough playing-charades! The crowd hungers for dripping-blood! Deliver! Now!”
This time, Caballeron kept his mouth firmly closed. Not even pretending to look to him for orders, the criminals aimed. Nearby, Suri closed her eyes and turned away.
Surprise running through his voice, Caballeron said, “Well, uh… any last words, ma cherie?”
Rarity sighed with relief. Thank the stars for crooks that waste time.
“In fact,” she said weakly, “I’ve got a list of proposed last words somewhere. If you’d just be a dear and let me go fetch it –”
“NOW!” roared Ahuizotl. She was really starting to hate his voice.
Weapons charged up around them, humming and whirring.
“Applejack,” she whispered while a couple of nearby crooks chuckled. “Before we go… I just wanted to say… I…”
Her heart squeezed her chest with fear. She might as well have been a filly again. Everything inside her was much too big, much too outrageous, for one small unassuming body to contain. Surely, surely it couldn’t!
“It’s… been an absolute pleasure… to have you as a friend,” she settled for, somewhat lamely in the circumstances.
Warmly, Applejack replied, “Ah don’t regret nothin’, Rarity. ‘Cept maybe how much of a pain Ah was when we had that sleepover. An’ some of the comments about the dresses. An’ that business with Trenderhoof, ‘cause that frou-frouey getup was itchy as heck –”
Rarity sighed. “Honest unto the end.”
“Aheh. Sorry.”
Rarity wondered if they should touch hooves or something. She just wished she knew how to deal with Coco.
“Jus’ one thing…” murmured Applejack.
“Yes?”
“Really? A list of last words?”
“Well, I wanted them to be just right.”
“Oh. Ah see. Ah kinda like that friend one, if that helps.”
Rarity smiled. “Farewell, dear Applejack.”
The nearest criminal was lost to a starlight glow. She stared it down. Defiant unto the end.
“OW!” It went out. The criminal went flying.
Before the neighbouring criminals could react, an orange blur shot between them. Two more thumps. One doubled up, clutching his stomach. Another rolled backwards and tumbled down to the bottom of the dune, out of sight.
“GET DOWN!” Applejack’s weight slammed onto Rarity’s back. She heard Coco give an “OOMPH!” beside her, and then the air overhead blazed with dozens of shots.
Rarity spat sand out of her mouth. “What is it!?”
“It’s the orange pony!”
Yelps and cries ran around the ring. Ahuizotl and Caballeron barked orders, drowning each other out. Even the crowd began yelling and crying out with excitement.
“My word!” shouted Feldspar while more criminals groaned and grunted. “What a twist! Who is this gal!? I’ve never seen such skill!”
Intrigued, Rarity risked a peek.
Half the criminals had vanished. They’d been stupid to stand in a complete circle; when they’d missed, one half must’ve shot the other half. What was left now surged forwards or backed off warily. Orange bursts of activity knocked more of them down. The attacker herself was hard to spot, moving so fast and so carefully that half the time, the criminals were kicking or punching each other.
A nearby fallen crook struggled dazedly to his hooves. Rarity shot up at once, knocking Applejack over. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!
“Now’s our chance!” She seized Applejack’s hoof and pulled a cowering Coco onto her feet. Around the latter’s neck, the blue talisman tangled. Waiting for no one, Rarity hit it.
Joyful relief swept through her. They were instantly smothered by the dull blue crackling veneer. It covered her vision, tinting the arena and the sands, and it was thickest around her limbs – when she looked down to check – and Coco’s body. Smothering them both with its spell, she was sure of it.
“Applejack?” Puzzled, she looked round.
The orange pony knocked the last would-be attacker up and over, before –
“Look out!” Rarity pointed.
Then she remembered no one could see her.
Distracted by the shout, the orange pony didn’t notice Ahuizotl until his leap ended with a thud, and his fist shot round as she turned –
WHAM!
Coco actually leaped with shock. The orange pony flew backwards, across the scattered bodies. She burst through the surprised image of Caballeron’s face, convulsed with arcs of electric shocks for a moment, and then disappeared behind an explosion of Diamond Bite shards to continue right across to…
Rarity winced at the impact.
When the dust cleared on the nearby slope, a small crater surrounded the pain-clenched pony. She shuddered, clutching her underbelly. Her face twitched.
Suri stood at the peak of the dune. Clearly, she’d gotten out of dodge fast.
Ahuizotl snorted with contempt. “Annoying vermin-pest.”
Sparks ran along the orange pony’s body.
“That poor mare,” whispered Coco.
Ahuizotl’s ear cocked. He looked right at them. Too late, Coco clapped her hooves over her mouth.
“AHA!” He crouched to pounce.
If only she’d been a bit faster, Applejack might have made the kick land. As it was, she came up behind and aimed and only met air before Ahuizotl leaped out of range. Fists and paws thudded the ground.
Both circled each other, predator and prey silently sizing up their chances. Nearby, the Scorpony lay unconscious.
Applejack, no. Please no. Not you. Not when we were so close!
Rarity cast about. Plenty of weapons strewn about. She stepped away from Coco to examine them. Instantly, the blue crackling cut out. A range limit, or so it seemed.
“Rarity!” hissed Coco. “What are you doing?”
“Improvising. It’s what a dressmaker does!”
Growls and thumps: she looked up in time to see them both bounce off each other and recover from their lunges.
She looked at the nearest weapon: a staff, pulsing gently. Next to it lay a flail. A double-ended mace lay near that. She had no idea how any of this stuff worked.
“Curse that wretched Feldspar,” she hissed. “Sick, twisted, arrogant, unhelpful, cocky little –”
Some of these things could kill. The thought briefly made her hesitate.
Applejack cried out; a hit had landed. By the sound of the thud, it had landed hard. Body tumbled over the sands.
The thought vanished from Rarity’s mind at once. Kill or not, this ended now.
Instantly, Ahuizotl yelped and tumbled backwards. She glanced up. Both combatants were back to circling each other. Neither had a clear advantage; Applejack limped slightly, and Ahuizotl winced on every other step.
Enough of this! I can’t take it anymore!
Rarity’s horn glowed. She raised whatever met her hoof and threw it.
The double-headed mace went spinning, spinning, spinning right towards Ahuizotl’s rising head and widening shock.
She’d treasure the sound for as long as she lived.
It was classic.
Ahuizotl went down like a toppled statue.
One spiky head of the mace landed deep into the sands beside him. She almost wept for how perfectly the angle was slanted. A sword landing pointy-end-down couldn’t have looked more elegant.
The crowd applauded. Applejack limped over to her, whispering “ouch” every other step. Criminals around them whimpered and twitched. Pity forced Rarity forwards to take the weight, and Applejack for once didn’t protest.
“Nice throw,” she said calmly. “Remind me never to play horseshoes against you.”
“Enough with the stubborn act, please. Where are you hurt?”
“Ain’t hurt exactly – ouch – jus’ a bit shaken up RARITY BEHIND YOU!”
“What?” She spun round.
Suri stopped creeping towards them. She raised the hoof device.
A thud.
Suri’s careful, concentrated look remained. She lowered her hoof. She began to lean to one side. She opened her mouth as though gaping at them, and then gurgled and fell further and slowly folded up and hit the ground.
Behind her, the orange pony massaged a hoof.
In their local oasis of calm, another Diamond Bite zipped into view and opened up. Cheese’s face beamed at them.
“Listen to that crowd! You girls put on a fantastic show! This is great! We’re bound to get a lot of credit for this, you mark my –”
The orange pony threw something. Sparks and sizzling broke the screen and the shards rained down. A crystal staff fell among them.
“That was beyond good timing! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!” Rarity said; Applejack gently pushed her away and stood on her own. Coco reappeared in a flash.
Unexpectedly, the orange pony glared at them. She said nothing.
Rarity burst with relief and sheer, giggling joy at still being alive. She couldn’t believe this pony was still as stoic as when they’d started. A deep, unreadable pit opened up between them.
Then the orange pony’s lips parted. In a cold command, she spoke.
“This game isn’t over yet,” she said.
The words took a while to sink in. Rarity gestured to the prone bodies all around.
“B-But, but… we won! Don’t you see? We’ve beaten the other team.”
“Not quite.” Applejack’s voice was tight, restrained, almost cracking with the effort. Her gaze was locked onto the speaker’s podium. A white dot indicated an approaching Diamond Bite.
“Wh-What do you m-mean, ‘not quite’?” said Rarity. Her heart sank. She was just about ready to collapse. What else were they supposed to pull off?
The orange pony still remained expressionless. That – more than any terror or fury or pitiable, twisted misery – frightened Rarity more. She barely seemed alive.
The orange pony said, “You forget what ‘Deathmatch’ means.”