//------------------------------// // Xanthocaseophobia // Story: The Day of Discord // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "Um, maybe if we leave it alone it'll just go away on its own?" "Are you out of your mind, Fluttershy?! That thing is obviously out for our blood, and Princess Celestia needs us in Canterlot, not stuck here in a train!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Girls, girls, arguing isn't going to solve this problem!" Twilight interrupts, stopping the spat that had developed between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. "What we need is a well-thought and coordinated attack plan." "So, has your big brain come up with one? Preferably one that won't backfire on us like last time?" Rainbow Dash sarcastically asks. "As a matter of fact, I have. But I'll need the help of you, Fluttershy and Applejack." Twilight answers, gesturing Applejack to come over from the corner of the train carriage she was currently sitting in. A slightly confused Applejack does so, and once she does the four Element Bearers go into a huddle. Twilight talks to the other three for a minute, and each them nod in turn in agreement to whatever her plan was. She then turns to Rarity and Pinkie - the other two left out of the discussion - and explains a little bit about what was going on: "I have a plan for dealing with that thing. One of you go tell the train operators what's going on in case something happens to us. We're heading out." Rarity and Pinkie exchange looks somewhere between surprise and outright shock, but do not verbally object to Twilight's statement. Instead, Rarity is the one that volunteers to inform the train operators what is going on. "Then let's roll." Twilight confidently exclaims, leading Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Applejack toward the front of the train carriage... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unable to see much out of the cheese-covered windows of the train, Rarity and Pinkie Pie join the train engineer and conductor watching Twilight Sparkle's plan unfold by leaning out the front of the leading carriage just behind the engine. The giant quesadilla bug blocking the track forward had seemed to be content simply looking fierce in its cheesy way and just sitting put, so nopony had any idea what would happen next as Twilight began deploying according to the plan she had come up with. Twilight and Applejack were airlifted into place (by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy respectively) and began cautiously walking forward along the slicked rails, the pegasi hovering alongside in case either pony lost their balance. Inch by agonizing inch the ponies approached closer, the knots forming in stomachs and growing tighter with each step closer to the looming quesadilla bug. The enemy meanwhile gets more agitated, growling and hissing at the approaching ponies and finally letting out a roar when the ponies had gotten close enough. "I can't look!" Pinkie Pie exclaims after the roar, pulling Rarity's forehooves in front of her eyes and nearly throwing the off-white unicorn off-balance, much to the irritation of said unicorn. The four mares are now within feet of the grotesque magic-created creature. Twilight gives a small nod in Rainbow Dash's direction, which prompts the light-blue pegasus to charge directly at their enemy. Rainbow rebounds off the creature, which roars in irritation from the hit; this gives Twilight an opening to fire a blast into the open mouth of the creature, lighting it on fire as a result! Rainbow Dash recovers as the odor of burning cheese fills the air - the burning creature staggers forward in an attempt to counterattack, prompting Applejack to launch into the air and smash into the giant burning bug in attempt to knock it off balance. Fluttershy catches Applejack in the rebound, but neither she nor Rainbow Dash can do anything to stop the staggering mass from tilting toward Twilight Sparkle! Everypony watching gasps in horror as the dying giant bug collapses on top of her, sliding off the raised track as it does so! Rainbow Dash sees the inertia of the falling mass drag Twilight off the track, setting her into plunging into the gorge below, and races after the burning corpse, trying to pull the heavily-gunged Twilight out of the burning, falling mass. Fluttershy brings Applejack back to the other Element Bearers on the train, but they are so riveted toward watching Twilight's fall they don't notice the return. The falling mass explodes into smoking fireballs far below, with no apparent sign of Twilight or Rainbow Dash down there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For about 20 seconds, there is silence, the burnt cheese odor now steaming up from far below amplifying the unpleasant knots in stomachs and fear of the worst. It is not until signs of movement near the base of the bridge that hope returns, followed by the sight of a bright blue object struggling to gain upward momentum beside the bridge supports. "Fluttershy, go down there and see if Rainbow needs help with the airlift!" Applejack exclaims to the yellow pegasus, the stern expression on her face making it perfectly clear she was not to be argued with. Fluttershy, despite the obvious reluctance on her face, does silently take off and slowly drop down a few seconds later. Fluttershy's yellow form is seen edging sideways toward the light blue shape, and then the two start moving in the same direction - up toward the train - faster than before. When the forms of the two pegasi, along with a coughing Twilight being carried between them, come into clear view, everypony watching lets out a cheer of relief and joy that the menace to the train had finally been defeated for good! The Element Bearers back up slightly as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy work together to lay Twilight on her back, the purple unicorn now covered with sticky cheese and still coughing up clods of it. It was very obvious that Twilight had become trapped in the burning mass and probably would've choked to death on the cheese around her had not Rainbow Dash pulled her out of it. "Rarity, get the train engineer to start her up again. Slowly." Applejack tells the white unicorn, and the unicorn nods in response, stepping aside to talk to the train engineer as the rest of the crowd gathers around the heavily-breathing Twilight. "All... that... sticky cheese... I... might... be... scarred... for... life..." Twilight pants out between heavy breaths. "Well, we're just glad you're still breathin', Twilight sugar." Applejack reassures with a smile. "We'll get you cleaned up and the train movin' again so that we can finally deal with this here problem Princess Celestia wants us to deal with." "Oh... yeah... the problem... almost forgot about that..." Twilight continues panting out, cheese dripping off of her and adrenaline still coursing through her veins. It would be little surprise in the future that even the sight of quesadillas would provoke a fearful response out of Celestia's former student, even after becoming an alicorn and a teacher of friendship in her own right...