//------------------------------// // Crapture The Flag // Story: Toadal Magic Island // by Starlight Fan //------------------------------// “Last time on Toadal Magic Island Returns. The campers went on an underwater mission. Twilight used one of her spells to help Pinkie Pie breathe underwater while Discord outright made a submarine out of magic. Lightning Dust sabotaged the bomb gun Rarity was meant to use and because of that, she was sent to elimination by her own friends. Ouch. Only fifteen left, can the remaining players anticipate what I'm gonna do to them? No, of course they can't, but that's what makes this job fun. Stay tuned for Toadal Magic Island Returns!" Toad recapped. Outside the cabin, we see that Starlight and Trixie were having another conversation. “So you seriously got Twilight and Spike on our side?” Trixie asked curiously. “Yep.” Starlight smiled at her best friend. “Awesome. So we control half the votes.” Trixie began to squeal, “I was thinking in the next vote we target Grubber. He’s so annoying.” “Actually… I was kinda thinking we should target either Cheese or Applebloom.” Starlight admits sheepishly. “What?! Why?!” Trixie asked incredulously. “They’re both big social threats, and Cheese and Pinkie don’t have the best attention spans and I’d rather get rid of Cheese than Pinkie.” Starlight explains. “Oh come on. Grubber is clearly the bigger nuisance.” Trixie groaned. “Okay.” Starlight sighed, “How about we make a pact. Whichever one of the three does the worst in the challenge and if we lose, we vote out the worst performer.” Starlight compromised. “Fine.” Trixie groaned. We then cut to Applejack and Fluttershy at the cabin, awkwardness in the air. “Y’all get the feeling that maybe we shouldn’t have voted off Rarity?” Applejack asked curiously. “I’m so glad you asked that because I’m not sure if we made the right call ourselves. Especially with how hard Rainbow Dash is taking it.” Fluttershy admitted sheepishly. “Yeah, I tried to say good morning to her but she didn’t even acknowledge me.” Applejack raised a confused eyebrow. “She must be really upset with what we did.” Fluttershy sighed guiltily. “What’s done is done.” Applejack said sternly, “The best we can do is try and win today’s challenge and try to talk with Rainbow Dash later.” “You think she’ll listen?” Fluttershy asked curiously. “I wanna say yes, but I know how she is.” Applejack rubbed the back of her head nervously. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Cheese were playing around with a ball decorated in stars. “You’re really good at this Cheese.” Pinkie Pie complimented. “Thanks Pinkie.” Cheese said happily as they continued playing around with Grubber watching the two to see what would happen when he heard a Psst noise. “Huh? Oh hey Applebloom.” Grubber smiled at the filly. “Look Grubber, I hate to say it, but I don’t think you and I are very popular with our teammates.” Applebloom admits nervously. “What do you mean?” Grubber asked curiously. “I mean, look around us. The teams are split into duos. Pinkie and Cheese, Twilight and Spike, and Starlight and Trixie and they get along real well so that leaves you and me.” Applebloom said solemnly. “So… you saying you wanna make some sort of pact to get one of them out?” Grubber raised an eyebrow. “Exactly my point.” Applebloom smirked at the hedgehog. Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike were discussing in the mess hall, about a potential elimination. “So I was thinking in the next elimination we could vote with Starlight and Trixie to vote off Cheese. He’s not exactly very focused in challenges.” Spike told the alicorn. “Are you sure? Pinkie would be really upset about him leaving…” Twilight said nervously. “Twilight. This is an elimination game. All of us have to go at some point and we’re not as close with Cheese as Pinkie is. If we don’t start pulling some moves, then we’re going to be the next ones gone at some point.” Spike said in a lecturing tone. “Sorry Spike.” Twilight sighed sadly, “I’m just a little shaken up after Rarity’s elimination and all.” “Yeah, and I really miss her too, but we need to at least try to do the best we can to win.” Spike comforted. “Okay, I’ll try to be less sensitive.” Twilight smiled at the dragon who smiled back. “Challenge time!” Toad spoke from the loudspeakers causing everyone outside the cabins to groan in annoyance. “Hey, stop complaining. I practically give you food around here." Toad said angrily. “Do we really need to make another joke on how bad the food is?” Rainbow Dash asked sarcastically. We then see both teams in the forest meeting with Toad, Bobei, and Jimmy. “Today‘s challenge is capture the flag.” Toad said happily. “Boring.” Discord and Tempest chorused. “With bazookas.” Toad added. “Oh.” Discord and Tempest spoke in intrigue. “Each team will have a world base. The objective is to prevent your flag from being taken by the other team. In your base you have a large supply of weapons and ammo. Guard your flag at all costs, if it's stolen and brought to the other base, your team loses. Also, if you get hit at all, you'll be teleported to the rest zone until someone presses the release button sending all the captured back on their team." Toad thoroughly explains. “What do you mean by world bases?” Applejack asked curiously. “These.” Toad answered vaguely, “Hit it Jimmy.” “Aye aye.” Jimmy smiled before pulling a lever which caused the contestants to teleport to their world bases. Half of it was a winter wonderland while the other was a dry and sandy desert. “These are the world bases. The Killer Dragons have the dry desert base while the Screaming Parasprites have the ice sherbet base.” Toad said happily. “Please tell me the ice can hold us all up.” Fluttershy whimpered. “I’m sure it can.” Applejack said reassuringly. "Okay then, I will transfer you to your world zones, and on the horn you go." Toad instructs. "But what if-" Spike was cut off by a horn going off. “Alright guys. Let’s open this crate already.” Rainbow Dash said angrily before using her hooves to try to open the crate. “Need some assistance, Rainbow Crash.” Lightning Dust taunted. “Only the Wonderbolts can call me that!” Rainbow Dash cried out indignantly before punching the crate open and what they ended up seeing was a few bazookas and lasers. Meanwhile, the Killer Dragons were in the desert base and were about to open their crate. “I wonder what we got.” Grubber questioned before he opened the crate and what the Killer Dragons saw was a bunch of bazookas and lasers. “Don’t worry everyone. We have a literal God of Chaos on our side.” Sweetie Belle said optimistically. “Why thank you Sweetie Belle.” Discord smirked smugly. “But they have two of the most powerful magic users of all time, two party ponies who bends the laws of physics daily, a dragon that can breathe fire, a filly who has farm strength, well there’s Trixie and Grubber but we may be outmatched.” Tempest reminded the others. “I’m sure we all can use our own strengths to win this challenge. And there’s no use in giving up.” Applejack said in a motivating tone. “We just need to hide our flag so we don’t lose.” Fluttershy told the group. “I’ll do it.” Lightning Dust volunteered before grabbing the flag and flying off. “She better not lose this for us.” Rainbow Dash grumbled.  We then cut back to the Killer Dragons with their weapons as Trixie spoke up, “Now we just need to figure out how to steal their flag.” “Weaponry!” Grubber shouted out. “Anyway we could do it without needless violence?” Starlight asked with a roll of her eyes. “You don’t like weapons?” Grubber asked curiously. “Not when we might not even need to use them if we can come up with another plan.” Starlight explains. “Alright you guys, this is war we’re talking about.” Pinkie Pie suddenly spoke, wearing a pink camouflage military uniform, “Survival of the fittest. Get your flanks in gear.” “Since when are you a general?” Twilight asked incredulously. “Were you instructed to speak private! Grab a bazooka and let’s go!” Pinkie Pie commanded. “Aye Aye General Pie!” Cheese cried out enthusiastically as Twilight groaned at her friend’s antics. Back in the ice territory, Lightning Dust finally buried the last bit of snow on top of the flag before smirking in satisfaction, “Perfect.” “So… who's gonna be our spies?” Rainbow Dash asked sternly. “I’ll go.” Tempest said roughly. “Uh… how about I go.” Applejack said nervously, clearly unsure about letting Tempest go off alone. “Both of you can go for all I care. Just don’t screw up.” Rainbow Dash scoffed in annoyance. Confessional: Applejack “Discord may have been the one to blindside Rarity but someone had to put that idea in his head. He ain’t exactly strategic after all. Lightning Dust is too reckless and Sweetie Belle would never vote her sister off so that leaves Tempest.” Applejack spoke sternly. Confessional Ends “So that just leaves me, you, Sweetie Belle, and Discord to protect the flag.” Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash. “Ha. I have this in the bag. Here comes the Lord Of Chaos.” Discord emphasizes arrogantly. Sweetie Belle just sighed miserably. We then cut back to the Killer Dragons at their base. “Let’s get down to business to defeat the Parasprites.” Pinkie Pie said sternly. “How does this thing work?” Cheese asked curiously as he fiddled with his laser until he accidentally fired it with a blast heading towards Starlight’s direction. “No no no!” Starlight cried out fearfully before getting hit by the laser. “Aw great.” Starlight grunted before fading away, we then see later that she was teleported inside a gigantic cage. “Oh great Cheese. Now we just eliminated one of our players.” Spike said angrily. “Sorry.” Cheese gulped. “It was an accident that General Pie is willing to forgive. Anyway: Cheese, Applebloom, and Spike, come with me. The rest of you stay here and guard the flag. Now let’s move out.”  We then see Applejack and Tempest hiding behind a cactus field when Tempest began speaking, “I’ll go ahead and scout.” “Oh I’m sure you will. Plan on doing another sabotage?” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “What is your deal?” Tempest asked incredulously. “My deal is that I know you’re the one who got Discord and Lightning Dust to eliminate Rarity and thinking further, you likely sabotaged her bomb gun.” Applejack said angrily. Tempest’s eyes widen at this accusation but she hums in thought before speaking. “I campaigned for Rarity’s elimination, that is true but I most certainly did not sabotage the weapon she was using in the last challenge.” Tempest explained neutrally. “Oh really?” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Indeed. Why would someone do that? It would take extreme recklessness and idiocy to pull a move like that.” Tempest scoffed indignantly. “Wait a minute… Lightning Dust.” Applejack’s eyes widened as she gasped in shock. “Are you sure?” Tempest raised an eyebrow, “She is very competitive and I doubt she’d want to lose any challenges.” “I get what you’re saying, but she thoroughly enjoys messing with Rainbow Dash. You just gotta trust me on this.” Applejack told the former commander. “Why should I do that after you accused me of sabotage?” Tempest scoffed, “Not exactly a solid foundation of trust to me.” Applejack just sighed and facehoofed at the mistake she made. Confessional: Applejack “Maybe I shouldn’t have jumped so far to conclusions. So much for making up for my mistakes.” Applejack sighed nervously. Confessional Ends We then cut to Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Sweetie Belle, and Discord sitting together and playing cards. “Got any threes.” Discord smirked at Rainbow Dash who groaned and gave her cards to the Draconequus. “Ugh. You’re totally cheating.” Rainbow Dash grunted furiously. “I’m doing no such thing.” Discord gave a mocking smirk, “You just have horrible luck.” Suddenly they heard a scream from Sweetie Belle and saw her fading away, alerting them of Pinkie Pie, Cheese, Applebloom, and Spike’s presence. “Aw man. Sorry Sweetie Belle.” Applebloom cried out to the skies. Spike then began breathing a fireball which Discord and Rainbow Dash dodged but Fluttershy wasn’t so lucky as she got hit in the chest. “Ow!” Fluttershy grunted before falling to the floor, she then faded away afterwards. “No one messes with the Lord Of Chao’s teams and gets away with it.” Discord growled before snapping his fingers and summoning a giant fireball and aiming it at Spike. “Wait wait, come on Discord, let’s talk about th-“ Spike began before he and Cheese were then hit by the gigantic fireball and knocked backwards. The two males immediately faded away afterwards. “Retreat!” Pinkie Pie cried out before running off fearfully with Applebloom following. Discord smirked at his handiwork and turned to a stunned Rainbow Dash, “Come on. Go and see where the Killer Dragons hid that flag.” “Yeah okay.” Rainbow Dash gulped nervously. Back at the Killer Dragons’ base, we see that Pinkie Pie and Applebloom have returned. “It’s about time you guys showed up. Where’s the flag?” Trixie asked curiously. “We got chased off by Discord.” Applebloom grunted. “Aw man.” Grubber said sympathetically. Suddenly a Bob-omb dropped from the sky near them which caused Trixie to begin freaking out, “AH! That’s a Bob-omb. Everyone run!” “Not so fast!” Rainbow Dash cried out confidently as she ran over to the remaining Killer Dragons, “I’m here for that flag, so we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” “Rainbow Dash, now is not the time to-“ Twilight groaned before an explosion was made, causing all of the creatures nearby to be hit by it, including Applejack and Tempest who were still hiding and then faded away after all was said and done. In the empty desert; Lightning Dust immediately swooped downward from the sky and took the Killer Dragon’s flag and headed back to the ice base where Discord was waiting. “Where’s the others?” Discord raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry about that. We won!” Lightning Dust said happily. “And she is correct. Because Lightning Dust got the flag, the Screaming Parapsrites win invincibility.” Toad walked over with a smile. “Woohoo!” Discord cheered. “Yes!” Lightning Dust pumped a hoof in the air. “But seriously, where is everyone who got captured?” Discord asked curiously. We then cut to everyone in a giant cage but even with the cage’s large size, it was still very cramped. “Well this bites.” Starlight rolled her eyes. The elimination ceremony was now taking place, with everyone sitting at the logs.  “Alright, you know the drill. So let’s get this show on the road.” Toad said brightly. Confessional: Starlight “I’m voting off Cheese. He got me out of the challenge first and like I agreed with Trixie, the worst performer has to go.” Starlight explained bluntly. Confessional: Cheese “Spike DID get both me and him out by targeting Fluttershy.” Cheese said nervously. Confessional: Trixie “I can’t take it anymore. I’m voting for Grubber. Sorry Starlight, but he needs to go.” Trixie said solemnly. Confessionals End “Okay, marshmallows go to…” Toad began. “Twilight.” “Applebloom.” “Starlight.” “Pinkie.” “And Trixie.” “The rest of you all got votes for this elimination.” Toad told Spike, Cheese, and Grubber. “Wait, the three of them got votes?” Starlight whispered as she raised an eyebrow before glaring at Trixie furiously who chuckled nervously. “The next one safe is… Grubber.” Toad tossed a marshmallow to the happy hedgehog. “And the final marshmallow goes to…” Toad began. … … … … … … … “Cheese.” “What?! I don’t understand! What did I do wrong?!” Spike asked in shock. “You kinda angered Discord to the point where he chased us off.” Applebloom said awkwardly. “Sorry Spike, but it was a really hard choice.” Pinkie Pie said solemnly, “You are honorably discharged.” “I’m so sorry Spike.” Twilight apologized sincerely, “You really don’t deserve to leave. I didn’t even vote for you.” Twilight and Spike just shared a solemn look before Toad turned to Spike, “Spike. The Dock Of Shame awaits.” “Awwwwwwwww.” Spike groaned while Starlight gave a piercing glare towards Trixie who gulped nervously. Confessional: Starlight “I can’t believe it!” Starlight said indignantly, “Trixie totally went against our deal! Does she not realize how badly she just screwed us over?! Now if we lose, it could be me or her going home next!”  Confessional Ends We then see Spike at the Dock Of Shame with Toad next to a cannon. “So the Hurl Of Shame can no longer be rented due to budget cuts, so we made something infinitely cooler. The Cannon Of Shame.” Toad said with a smirk. “Let’s just get this over with.” Spike sighed solemnly before getting in the cannon to which it immediately blasted him away from the island. “Only fourteen contestants left. Will anyone live to see tomorrow? Will Starlight regain control of the game? And will Pinkie actually get somebody killed? Find out on the next episode of Toadal! Magic! Island Returns!” Toad said happily.