Discord: Last time, on Total Magic Pony Island: emotions were flying faster than Rainbow Dash trying to pull off a Sonic Rainboom. Silver Spoon was playing with a heavy heart after feeling alone on the island. Spike tried to comfort her, but failed. After Pinkie played detective for a while and Rarity threw one of her usual fits, the two teams were put into a series of blind trust challenges. Scootaloo failed yet again at cooking and caused Rarity to become a zombie, while Spike and Silver Spoon grew closer when the latter fixed together a delicious bowl of non-poisonous mushroom soup. Princess Luna bombarded her sister with apples, Pinkie sent Trixie for a dip in a pool of jellyfish, and Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a beating when the Pegasus got distracted by Mare Do Well. In the final challenge, Luna and Silver Spoon’s sled blew up inches from the finish line, allowing Pinkie and Twilight to finish first for the win. Pinkie revealed in a confessional that she has feelings for the purple mare; who could’ve seen THAT one coming? Now confident that she was going home, Silver Spoon sat alone on the beach in sadness. Spike showed up and gave her a promise that he wouldn’t let her go home that night. At the elimination ceremony, the biggest shock of the season so far occurred when Luna was voted out instead of Silver Spoon, four votes to three. Luna was actually happy to go, going so far as to thank her team for making the right choice and then teasing her sister about taking over her moon-raising duties while SHE still couldn’t reclaim her sun-raising ones. Silver Spoon then kissed Spike; who could’ve seen THAT one coming, too? Will their young relationship last? Who’s next on the chopping block? Can the Ruffians ever reclaim their early dominance? Find out right here, on Total…Magic…Pony Island!
*the opening theme song showing all 20 contestants plays a moment later before the episode*
“Spike…what are your dreams?” Silver Spoon asked, staring up at the stars as she lounged on the baby dragon’s lap, “Have you thought about stuff you’d like to accomplish in the future?”
“Hmm…well, I’d LOVE to find a gem mine somewhere in the mountains,” Spike said bluntly, a wide grin on his face as he idly stroked Silver Spoon’s back, “Ah, just thinking about mining all those gems, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year…all those tasty, succulent, delicious, magnificent gemstones…all for me!”
“That sounds…nice,” Silver Spoon chuckled, poking at her glasses as she snuggled close to her dragon, “Anything else besides that?”
“Yeah, totally!” Spike bragged, now running a hand through Silver Spoon’s grey mane, “I want to win this game and get those million bits! With it, I would buy Twilight and Rarity everything they could ever want, not to mention buying YOU the world, Silver Spoon.”
“You wouldn’t buy anything for yourself?” Silver Spoon questioned.
“Nah…what could I possibly need?” Spike laughed, “I got everything I want back in Ponyville…and right here on my lap. I got a warm, loving home with Twilight…I get food, shelter, and everything I need to maintain a happy lifestyle…I got Rarity…and now I have you. If I could find a gem mine, then I’d be one happy dragon fully content with life. I kinda got too greedy on my recent birthday and I learned a lesson that it’s not good to want everything that you don’t need; it’ll only end up hurting you and those around you more than the possessions could ever make you happy.”
“Mm, I see…” Silver Spoon purred, rolling over onto her back and basically asking Spike to stroke her belly, “Spikey, use those claws gently, would you please? They feel so nice on my sensitive body.”
“Anything for you, Silver Spoon,” Spike responded, flexing one of his claws on his left hand as he softly placed the tip at the base of Silver Spoon’s neck. He then gently began easing the claw up and down Silver Spoon’s belly, pushing down very lightly to not hurt her, but pressing and adding just enough pressure to soothe and pleasure the little filly. Silver Spoon could only moan in delight as she arched her head back and clenched her eyes shut. Her glasses soon draped off her face and fell into the sand, but she didn’t even care.
After the night’s stunning elimination ceremony, Silver Spoon had led Spike to the beach, which seemed to be the favorite gathering place for many campers during the game. The two had sat down and just stared out over the ocean for a long time, before Silver Spoon crawled onto Spike’s lap and cuddled up to him as lovingly as she knew how. Spike had won her heart, and even if he DID still love Rarity, she didn’t care; she would share Spike, if that’s what it came down to. The kindness that Spike had showed her was true and genuine. He had faith in her that her “poisonous mushrooms” wouldn’t kill him, and they didn’t. He had promised her that she wouldn’t go home, and she didn’t. He had opened up his heart to her and told her just how meaningful her life was and how great she could be, and Silver Spoon could almost see Zecora giving her a warm smile. Everything had worked out beautifully.
Silver Spoon: Zecora once asked me to look at myself in a mirror and identify the filly staring back at me. At first, I had no idea what she meant. Whenever I looked into a mirror, I would see a snobby, rude, stuck-up filly who only cared about being popular and better than anypony else. But, now when I look into that same mirror…I see a happy filly who loves life and has a heart filled with joy. Win or lose the next challenge, it no longer matters to me. Spike…has opened up a new door for me…and I love it.
Spike: Oh yeah, baby! Did you all see me? I’m such a stud. *he grins and flexes his muscles, giving each of them a kiss* But…in all seriousness…it feels incredible to have done the right thing. Yeah, I kinda blindsided one of the princesses of Equestria…heck, BOTH princesses when you stop to think about it. But, as Luna said, it was the right move. You can’t expect someone to open up to you without showing them a little love first. Silver Spoon is awesome! But…um…oh boy…I forgot about Rarity…not good.
“Just look at them, girls,” Cheerilee gushed, watching the beautiful scene on the beach from the safety of the campgrounds, “Isn’t that lovely? Young love is always such a wonderful joy! I’m so happy for Silver Spoon; I was really happy to see that she didn’t go home this evening.”
“At least Princess Luna didn’t mind in the end,” Twilight sighed, still honestly feeling slightly angry that the princess had gone instead of a school filly, “I don’t really know what’s been going on with that team, but the feeling I get is that there’s a lot of tension there. I guess Silver Spoon deserved another day.”
“I knew she’d eventually come around,” Scootaloo grinned, “I knew she wasn’t as bad as Diamond Tiara. You’re only as good or as bad as your leader, you know.”
“Humph…may as well get it out of the way before he gets much older,” Trixie muttered, shaking her head as she watched Spike and Silver Spoon continue to cuddle on the beach, “They will both learn heartbreak soon enough, and once they do, it’ll be all downhill from there.”
“Aww, Trixie, don’t be such a grumpy pants!” Pinkie scolded, playfully giving Trixie a sneak-attack cuddle from behind, “Love is such a big joy, no matter what the age! You need to enjoy it while you can and live for the moment!”
“Release Trixie or she will show you just how NOT to live for the moment,” Trixie growled, glancing back at Pinkie and trying to nudge her off, but failing. During all this conversation, Rarity had remained silent. Watching Spike hold another female in his arms really hurt her, and she couldn’t bring herself to really say anything positive from the viewing.
Rarity: Do not think of me as a grouch, nor as a jealous mare. I am happy for Spike and wish him and young Silver Spoon the best. *she forces a very pained smile* They are…perfect for each other. I’m sure Silver Spoon will show Spike…the love the little sweetie deserves… *her eyes begin to water* …yes, such a cute couple…so cute… *she snaps and starts crying her eyes out* NOOOOOO! SPIKEY, NO! WHY?
“Are you two SERIOUS?!?!” Rainbow Dash gasped, frowning at Applejack and Fluttershy after hearing their admissions on what took place at the ceremony, “How could you listen to Spike? Don’t you two want to WIN? You voted out Princess Luna over that little filly? Unfair or not, we can’t just vote out our strong players over weak ones!”
“Dash, yer startin’ to sound just like Gilda,” Applejack spat back, glaring at the Pegasus, “Ah know that it technically would be foolish to keep Silver Spoon around over some of the rest of us, but she DID deserve another day here after what she’s been through. Besides, Princess Luna didn’t really mind goin’ home, so why do you care so much?”
“Because it makes us WEAKER!” Dash argued, “This isn’t just a game, I know it! Beat me up all you want, AJ, but I KNOW I saw somepony dressed as Mare Do Well. Plus, this is Discord and Nightmare Moon we’re talking about. This can’t just be about a million bits; don’t you think he something else up his sleeve? That’s why we need to keep our teams STRONG and put our personal feelings aside; it’s stupid to keep around weak players just because it’s the ‘right thing to do’ and whatnot.”
“Um…I’m sorry to interrupt, but…what did you say, Dash?” Fluttershy asked, “Did you say…Mare Do Well? What do you mean by that?”
“Dash claims that she’s seen somepony dressed up as Mare Do Well,” Applejack explained, rolling her eyes up at the night sky, “Ah don’t really see how it’s possible, though. Nopony besides the six of us know what transpired in Ponyville, and nopony has access to those costumes. Unless Twilight, Pinkie, or Rarity is doin’ this to scare Dash, ah don’t see how Mare Do Well can be here.”
“I know what I saw!” Dash snapped, slamming her front hooves on the ground in frustration, “I was THAT close to catching her, too! What, are you saying I’m imagining it?”
“Rainbow, look at the facts,” Applejack interjected, “Yer constantly tryin’ to make a conspiracy theory out of what we’re here, ya continue to act like a mule on our team, and now ya keep sayin’ that you saw Mare Do Well when it’s impossible. Ah ain’t sayin’ that it’s not possible Discord and Nightmare Moon ARE up to somethin’, but until that time comes, it’s pointless to worry about it. All six of the elements of harmony are on this island, not to mention the princess of Equestria, so no matter what happens, we’ll be ready when push comes to shove.”
“Ugh! You’re impossible, AJ,” Rainbow Dash groaned, turning away and flapping towards her team’s cabin, “I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Fluttershy and Applejack…I hope this decision doesn’t come back to bite us.”
“Um…goodnight, Dash…sleep well, okay?” Fluttershy said, waving to her Pegasus friend as she flew away, turning to Applejack when the azure pony was out of sight, “Applejack? Do you think…um, well, that is…do you suppose Dash has a point? Should we…take this game…more seriously?”
“Don’t listen to Dash, Fluttershy,” Applejack assured the yellow Pegasus, draping a hoof over the mare’s back and giving her a soft nuzzle, “She’s just lettin’ the pressure get to her; you know how she is when it comes to competitions and stuff. C’mon, let’s go fer a little walk before we turn in fer the night, alright?”
“Okay,” Fluttershy whispered, giving Applejack a weak smile. The two mares nodded to one another, then began to softly trot along the campgrounds towards the forest.
Fluttershy: I’m…kinda worried for Rainbow…she hasn’t been acting like herself. Sometimes, she can act so aggressive…and so violent…it’s scary. *she shivers and wraps her wings around herself* You don’t think that…Discord is affecting her mind again…do you? *she squeaks and very weakly hits herself on the forehead with a hoof* No! No, Fluttershy, do not think that…she’s Rainbow Dash, your best friend and life-long companion from Flight Camp…believe in her, like she always believes in you…
Rainbow Dash: *growling, her mane looking ruffled and somewhat wild* I can’t BELIEVE Applejack and Fluttershy went against me like that! They listened to Spike over me? Just to keep that useless little filly in this game? They aren’t THINKING! I can’t believe I’m always accused of being the one left in the dark…ugh, how annoying! They aren’t seeing the big picture here! *she cracks her hooved knuckles and glares at the camera* I need to find out who Mare Do Well is, pronto. This game isn’t safe with her here.
“You WILL pay, dear sister…you will pay most dearly for this,” Celestia whispered, standing inside of the Royal Ruffians’ cabin as she stared out her usual window at the half-moon in the distance, “You get to go home before I do and reclaim your duties…this is unacceptable! Having Equestria ruled by my baby sister, even if it was for just one day, is so insulting! No, no…calm down, Celestia…it’ll be fine…your sister will do a fine job without you there. She will be great at ruling Equestria without me by her side…just have faith in your little sis…”
Princess Celestia now felt all alone on the island, much like Silver Spoon had been. Sure, she was the ruler of Equestria and she had the apparent respect of all her subjects, but there was something amiss. It wasn’t about not being able to raise the sun each morning. It wasn’t about having her sister taking over Equestria for the time that she remained on the island. It wasn’t about being treated with such disrespect and rudeness by a spirit who was supposed to be locked in stone. She couldn’t explain it, and perhaps it was just her new young body and mind causing her to act out, but Princess Celestia really felt alone for the first time in her life.
“Um…Princess?” a timid voice spoke from the cabin door, breaking Celestia’s train of thought. Perking up slightly at the familiar voice, Celestia turned around and saw Fluttershy standing and watching the small princess from a good distance away. “Are you…alright? Um, it’s none of my business, I know…but, you seem…really sad. Did you get all your frustration out earlier?”
“Oh, Fluttershy…weren’t you with Applejack?” Celestia asked, calmly trying to regain her composure as she sat as gracefully as she could while facing the yellow Pegasus. She was not at all accustomed to having others feel sorry for her, so the feeling of being consoled by one of her subjects who was now arguably the same age and size of her felt incredibly awkward.
“Well, we finished our little walk around camp and she decided to go and find Rainbow while I decided to turn in early,” Fluttershy explained, meekly stepping forward toward the white alicorn, as though scared to really get too close to her, “Um…am I bothering you? I really hope that I’m not…but, if I am, I can go to bed and leave you alone…if that’s what you want.”
“Fluttershy, I…” Celestia began, stepping a little closer to the element of kindness, but she suddenly dipped her head and her body began to twitch. She choked back whatever she was gonna say as she lifted up her left foreleg and covered her face with her hoof. She looked to be on the verge of crying, a completely new emotion for her. Recognizing the emotional signs of distress almost immediately, Fluttershy dropped her timidity and instantly rushed to her princess’ side.
The tears began falling almost as soon as Fluttershy wrapped a hoof around Celestia’s neck and brought her head close to her heart. Without saying a single word, Fluttershy closed her eyes and held the small princess to her body, hugging and cuddling her tightly. Celestia was out of her right state of mind. She didn’t understand why she was crying. She didn’t understand why she had gotten mad at her sister so badly when she was here and when she left. She didn’t understand anything.
Tears soaking Fluttershy’s chest, the Pegasus softly stroked Princess Celestia’s back as she let the ruler of Equestria bawl her eyes out. She kept trying to choke out random sentences, but nothing was audible enough to be understood, at least to anyone except Fluttershy. As though she understand everything perfectly, the yellow mare simply gave little nods of her head while keeping her right hoof softly pressed against the back of Celestia’s head and having her left hoof rub up and down her back. With Celestia’s sobbing face pressed right into Fluttershy’s heart, the princess felt safe and warm, and for the first time in possibly a very long time, it felt right for her to drop her morals.
Celestia: *with tearstained eyes* Being held to such high standards…being the one all the ponies look up to…being treated like a goddess…being marked as higher than everypony else…do you know how much of a weight that is? Do you know how much pressure that puts on my heart? *she sobs again* This is…a disgrace, I know…but, this game…it’s getting the better of me. I might be…a princess with stunning powers…but, underneath this crown…I’m still a pony, just like you and me…Equestria.
“We’re back, peeps!” Rainbow Dash called out, bursting into the Royal Ruffians’ cabin a moment later and exaggeratingly stretching her wings as she hovered towards her bed, “Oh, it’s just you, Fluttershy. Wait, is that the princess in her bed? She went to bed early, eh?”
“Shh…she needs her rest…um, if you could, please keep it down,” Fluttershy said softly, using her hoof to gently silence her flying friend, “Please don’t ask what happened, but…could you please leave her be for now? She’s been through more than any of us realize.”
“Perfectly understandable,” Applejack nodded, giving Dash a quick look that easily told her to not press the issue, “Ah think Spike and Silver Spoon will still be out fer a bit. Let’s just head to bed and leave them be; they know enough when to get back here.”
“Fine, fine,” Dash grumbled, plopping down on her bed and curling up her wings, “Just remember what I said, Applejack. If we don’t win next time…”
“Ah heard ya the first dozen times, Dash,” Applejack sighed, dismissing the Pegasus as she hopped up onto her own cot, “Just go to sleep and don’t think about that, okay? No more negative thoughts.”
“Whatever…goodnight, girls,” Rainbow Dash yawned, immediately zonking out after snuggling up under her covers.
“Night, Dash, Applejack…Princess,” Fluttershy whispered, turning off the light in the cabin and giving the trembling Princess Celestia a gentle pat on the back. The Pegasus tucked the princess in a bit more before she flew to bed herself.
Fluttershy: *softly* What you must realize is that every little creature, no matter what species, has a heart and feelings. Both can be damaged and hurt by the simplest of things. When that happens, the only thing that can cure that pain is having a loving touch nearby. What can cause a creature pain can be almost anything, but no matter what it is, showing kindness is always the right way to go.
“Okay, girls, we have a little winning streak going and naturally that feels good,” Twilight stated, pacing back and forth as she faced her team inside of the Magical Misfits’ cabin, “However, let’s not let this taste of success go to our heads. They say that arrogance is the ultimate downfall of everything great.”
“Speak for yourself, Sparkle,” Trixie sniffed, obviously taking offense to Twilight’s shot at arrogance, “What would YOU know about greatness? Student of Princess Celestia or not, you still have not accomplished anything worthwhile that even remotely intrigues the Great and Powerful Trixie.”
“But she totally led us to stop Nightmare Moon!” Pinkie argued, bouncing up and down impatiently as she scolded Trixie, “And then she was the shining light that led us through the darkness to stop Discord! Of course, it wasn’t really dark out at the time, since the night and day were going by so fast, but she totally helped us through it anyway!”
“Trixie is not impressed,” Trixie sniffed, crossing her forelegs and glaring at Pinkie.
“Ooh, ooh, and she got invited to the Grand Galloping Gala and she took all of her best friends with her!” Pinkie continued, “Then she saved Ponyville from that Ursa Minor that YOU couldn’t stop, Trixie! And after that, she helped save our Winter Wrap-Up with her totally awesome organizing skills! Later, she made some totally amazing wings for Rarity and then cast spells on the rest of us so we could go to Cloudsdale without falling down and going SPLAT!”
“Trixie is STILL not impressed…and she is now very angry at you for mentioning the Ursa Minor incident,” Trixie snarled, looking ready to slap Pinkie silly.
“And let’s not forget she held Rarity and Fluttershy’s secrets for a very long time before she burst,” Pinkie went on, “And then there’s the time she saved Spike from a big meanie dragon along with the help of her pet owl, Owlowiscious. Ooh, and then she totally survived not believing in my Pinkie Sense, despite being smashed flat by a few doors, being crushed by an anvil and random other stuff, and then surviving an encounter with a hydra!”
“Read…Trixie’s…lips,” Trixie said slowly, her voice icy, “She…does…not…CARE!”
“Speaking of that time with my Pinkie Sense, I still remember when she dragged me down into her basement,” Pinkie smiled, sitting down and staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought and forgetting where she was, “Twilight hooked me up to this weird machine thingy and put this totally cool hat on me with all these wires poking out the top. She was SO interested in studying me…looking back on that, it tickles me pink that she was so intrigued with me. Well, I can’t REALLY be tickled pink; I already AM pink, duh! But, still, it was a really cool feeling; it made my heart flutter!”
“Trixie…finds that disturbing…and will no longer participate in this conversation,” Trixie said, her eyes wide as she began backing away from the pink pony.
“Uh…Pinkie…thanks for vouching for me so much…but, er, how exactly do you remember all that?” Twilight asked, feeling slightly unnerved by her friend’s vast memory, “And…what exactly did you mean by that last part?” In response, Pinkie tilted her head and looked at Twilight, seemingly confused about something. Then, she gasped and put her hooves to her forehead, instantly leaping into her bed and diving under her covers.
“Well, time for bed!” she said quickly, hurryingly setting her head down on her pillow and turning away from the rest of her team, “Nighty-night! Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” Almost immediately, she began to snore, leaving the rest of her team looking at one another with strange expressions.
Twilight: *nervously running a hoof through her mane while she looked at the camera* Did anything that Pinkie said seem a bit strange to you? Or…was that just Pinkie being Pinkie? Somehow, I feel like I should be slightly creeped out that she remembered so much about MY exploits. But, she probably remembers ALL our adventures, not just mine…so, it’s probably nothing. *she gives a deep sigh and puts on a forced smile* We just need to go to sleep and make sure we remain strong and fit!
“Okay, team, let’s take Pinkie’s example and get some shuteye,” Twilight said, stifling a yawn with her hoof as she gave a weak smile to her four watchers, “Scootaloo, Cheerilee, Rarity, and Trixie…sleep tight, girls. If you ever need anything, feel free to wake me up. I’m always here for each and every one of you.”
“Trixie would sooner ask a bear,” Trixie scoffed, hopping into bed and putting her nose in the air, “But, it’s good to know that Trixie can wake you up whenever she desires. If Trixie feels like a glass of water and does not wish to move from the warm confines of her bed, she knows who to throw a book at.”
“Don’t abuse a pony’s kindness, Trixie,” Cheerilee warned, “Kindness goes back ways; if you want it delivered onto you, you need to show it in return.” Instead of answering, Trixie simply flicked her tail in Cheerilee’s direction and hunkered down under her sheets without another word. Cheerilee sighed in dismay and instead turned to Scootaloo. “Ready for bed, Scootaloo?”
“I could stay up longer…but, eh, I suppose I should get some rest,” Scootaloo shrugged, trying hard to not show her tiredness. It was evident that the little filly was pooped, though, when she practically had to drag herself over to her bed. Cheerilee gave a little giggle, gave her student a little wave, and then got into her own bed as well.
“Rarity…you alright?” Twilight asked, noticing that Rarity had remained silent the entire time without interrupting once, “You seem…kinda down.”
“Hmm? Oh no, darling, I’m just fine,” Rarity said, giving a weak laugh that sounded forced and reserved, “I was just…meditating…and thinking about…things.”
“Anything you want to talk about?” Twilight questioned, “As I said, if you need a pony to lean on and talk to, you know that I’m here for you, Rarity.”
“Thank you, Twilight, but…I’m fine,” Rarity responded, turning and seemingly hurrying into her bed, “No need to worry about me. Goodnight, darling.” Twilight got the feeling that Rarity was trying to make her stop talking to her; she may not have been so great at reading ponies and their body motions, but Twilight knew enough when she wasn’t wanted. With a sad little nod towards Rarity’s cot, Twilight turned off the light in the cabin and was the last to turn in for the evening without saying another word.
Rarity: *mellow and distraught, but obviously trying to hold in her rage this time* How could Spike choose Silver Spoon over me? She…she is CLEARLY not more beautiful than me…right? Was this because Spike caught on that I knew he was spying on me the entire time on this island and I was gonna slap him silly for it later? Was this because I was on the opposite team as him? *as usual, she can’t hold in her emotions and begins to bawl once more* SPIKEY…HOW COULD YOU?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Pinkie snored loudly through the night, for once not leaving her bed to go sleepwalk. Cheerilee was smart enough to put earplugs into her ears, as she was used to destructive sleepers after having dealt with Snips and Snails falling asleep in some of her classes. Scootaloo was a hard sleeper and could sleep through an earthquake, so she stayed zonked out through the entire evening. Twilight was forced to hide her head under her pillow and clutch the sides with her hooves to hold it down, and even then her ears couldn’t fully tone out Pinkie’s snores. Rarity couldn’t sleep at all, with or without Pinkie’s snoring.
“Ugh…Pinkie, dear, you really should start sleeping on your stomach!” Rarity complained, moaning and heading towards the cabin door, “Do you know what you do to my beauty sleep? Oh, this is terrible…I’m never gonna get a good night’s sleep now!” Her excessive whining could be heard by another Misfit who also couldn’t sleep from Pinkie’s snoring, and when Rarity trotted out of the cabin to go for a walk, the camper followed after her.
Rarity winced as she staggered along, her eyes saggy and her heart heavy with her hooves barely following her directions. Even though she didn’t like walking in sand, she headed for the beach. She didn’t wish to go where Spike had been with Silver Spoon, but she knew it was the most peaceful place on the camp and one of the best areas to go to try and escape your troubles for a while. Plus, Rarity always did enjoy the sound of the waves and the coolness that escalated from the ocean and calmed the beach during the nighttime air.
The white unicorn nimbly stepped through the cold sand as she headed for the ocean. When she got the shoreline, she forced herself to sit down. She winced at the grainy rock particles under her rump, but she knew this was no place to whine about how she didn’t like getting dirty or being uncomfortable. All she wanted to do was get a moment of peace. However, as Rarity stared out over the ocean and tried to lock onto some of the faraway stars in the distance, she heard hoof-prints trotting through the sand behind her back. She wasn’t alone.
“Good evening, Rarity,” a crisp voice stated, slicing through the silence like a bugle during role call at other summer camps, “You can’t sleep, either?”
“What do you want, Trixie?” Rarity grumbled, hanging her head and not even bothering to turn around, “I really wanted to be alone. I am in no mood to listen to your bragging and rudeness.” Despite giving a little grunt of annoyance, Trixie trotted up to Rarity’s side and sat down beside her anyway.
“Trixie does not fully enjoy your egotistic and haughty attitude, either,” the blue unicorn sniffed, “But, she is still here. Perhaps the two of us can tolerate the other for at least a little while?”
“Do whatever you want; it’s not like I can stop you,” Rarity sighed, “My horn won’t work, I don’t have the heart to start a fight, and I’m too tired to really start yelling at you. I’m a wreck.”
“Indeed you are,” Trixie agreed, glancing out over the sea and calmly pawing at the sand in front of her hooves, “The challenge was not a pretty sight, especially for you. Plus, that obnoxious Pinkie Pie and her snoring is enough to wake the dead.”
“Those are not the reasons why my heart is restless,” Rarity said, “I’m…heartbroken.”
“Heartbroken? Oh, of course…that little dragon, right?” Trixie snickered, turning around and giving Rarity a mocking grin, “Such a shame that he picked a younger girl over you, is it not? It seems that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, hmm?”
“Shut up, Trixie!” Rarity snarled, having to contain her rage so that she didn’t slap Trixie in the face, “You don’t understand love! You don’t even have any friends to care for, so love is OBVIOUSLY not within your heart to comprehend! Don’t you DARE mock me when you can’t understand what I’m going through, you rotten mare!”
Trixie seemed taken aback by Rarity’s justified defensiveness, taking a small step away from the angry unicorn as she saw the pain in her eyes. Indeed, Trixie didn’t have any friends and didn’t really understand love that much, but Rarity’s words still cut her close to her own heart. She was half expecting to be slapped, or in the very least left alone. Instead of stomping away and leaving in a huff, as she usually would, Rarity stayed put on the sand and only kept glaring at Trixie. Despite her anger and her past statement about being by herself, it seemed like she didn’t WANT to be alone.
“Yes…you would be correct in your assessment of Trixie’s lack of knowledge involving love,” Trixie said, her voice slightly frazzled from being verbally attacked, “But…that would be because…Trixie herself never really knew what love was. Her parents never showed her anything at all when she was a filly.”
“Hmm? Whatever do you mean, darling?” Rarity blinked, getting over her own sadness at the moment as she took her usual interest in finding out more about those around her, “Are you saying that, as a filly, you were…neglected?”
Trixie was silent for a long time, and it almost seemed like the two unicorns had switched places. Trixie was now the one staring down at the shoreline and the wet sand in front of her hooves, her eyes skewed and her mouth curled up in a pained frown. Her body was tense and she was seriously wondering if she should trust Rarity with her story. She didn’t like the white unicorn; she was stuck-up, annoying, haughty, and almost just as arrogant as her. But, nopony had ever bothered asking Trixie about her past before, and since she couldn’t have herself tell Twilight for some reason, Rarity seemed like the next best pony to share her heart with.
“Trixie was…just a foal at the time…barely old enough to crawl,” Trixie whispered, closing her eyes so she didn’t have to see Rarity’s curious looks, “Her mother and father were both star magicians, and carrying on that legacy was very important to them. When they had Trixie, they were convinced that she would be the next best thing that Equestria had ever seen. But, as the years passed, and Trixie began to mature into a playful little filly…her skills wouldn’t come to her. Trixie’s parents grew more and more frustrated, and pushed Trixie harder and harder to become what they had envisioned. But, no matter how hard Trixie tried…she could not use the kind of illusion magic that they could. They would put Trixie into hard magic classes…rigorous training courses…brutal psychic exams to examine Trixie’s inner magic strength…but nothing happened. Trixie was…just not as strong or as…great…as they hoped.”
“Due to the expectations placed on her, Trixie began calling herself the Great and Powerful Trixie wherever she went,” Trixie went on, “But, when she was asked to prove herself…she could not. She was a failure and a joke each and every time…and each and every time, it hurt worse and worse. They called Trixie names and…they would hurt her…for their own amusement. Did Trixie’s parents care? No, they did not. All they cared about was how their family name would be ruined by this ‘bad egg’ that couldn’t use powerful illusion magic at all. So, when Trixie was still a maturing little filly…they kicked her out of the house…and let her fend for herself. They said they were gonna…try again…”
“No…” Rarity whispered, looking ready to cry. She found herself wrapping a foreleg around Trixie and giving her a gentle hug, hoping that she wouldn’t mind. Trixie didn’t even seem to notice.
“With no home, no food, no water, no nothing…Trixie became a traveling magician…a show-mare,” Trixie continued, gritting her teeth and looking like her pain was driving her into a rage, “Trixie did what she could to get by…and she pushed herself hard to try and get stronger with her magic…to prove her horrible parents wrong. She worked tirelessly day after day to perfect her skills. She began to talk in the third-person, since she was all she had…no family, no friends, no nothing…Trixie had only herself. What ‘love’ was there? There was certainly none for the filly cast out by her family for being a ‘failure’.”
“This…is why…you brag so much and try to do things that you know you can’t?” Rarity asked, trying her best to not make her voice sound harsh, “You want to make yourself the mighty show-mare that your parents envisioned, despite knowing that you’re not?”
“Do you know Trixie’s hat and cape?” Trixie said, ignoring Rarity’s question and staring the white unicorn in the eyes, “The ones she wore during her show in Ponyville? Those…are special to her. They allow Trixie to create a…mask…to hide behind; a version of her true failure self that is accomplished and truly IS great and powerful. Trixie’s hat and cape…are her only ‘friends’, if you wish to call them that.”
“Darling…that’s…horrible,” Rarity whimpered, pulling Trixie into a hug and stroking her backside, “How any wretched parents could do that to their precious daughter, just because she didn’t turn out the way they expected…is horrendous! You are perfect the way you are; we ALL are. No matter what anypony says, you should be proud of what you can do and not hate yourself for what you can’t. Even I know that I’m not perfect; don’t you see that you don’t have to think that way?”
“What do YOU know?” Trixie snapped, pushing Rarity away and shaking her hooves off her back, “You’re out here moping and weeping like a foal about a stupid baby dragon who happened to fall for somepony else who wasn’t you! What do YOU have to be sad over? You HAVE a home; Trixie’s stage was HER home, but it got destroyed. You HAVE friends; everypony on this island likes you, but nopony likes Trixie. How DARE you cry about such a foolish thing when you don’t even know what true pain is?”
“But…but…I…” Rarity gulped, finding herself backing away from Trixie’s ranting, “You…don’t understand! Spike and I…well, mainly him…he loved me! And I…well, kinda felt the same way for him, but…well, it’s a different kind of love than between friends! Trixie, I understand your pain, really I do! But…do you know what it’s like to see someone that you’d love to hold, to kiss, to hug, to cuddle with, to tell ‘I love you’ be with somepony else instead of you? It…it hurts…it really does.”
Trixie was up on all four hooves, ready to continue ranting at Rarity, but both mares were hurt and they both knew it. Trixie and Rarity both felt like crying, but both were too proud to do it in front of the other. Inside of her heart, Trixie yearned for what Rarity had. The feeling of love, not just friendship. She would love to have somepony hold her and stare into her eyes while whispering those three beautiful words into her ear, just before they pressed their lips to hers and filled her with a joy she had never once experienced in her life. But, when she couldn’t even get a friend, there was simply no shot at love, right?
“Humph…utter nonsense…love is an illusion, one that Trixie can never master,” Trixie whispered, slowly turning her back to Rarity and shaking her head, “Trixie is…sorry…but she cannot help you. If you love this dragon so much, then you cannot give up on him…like Trixie’s parents did with her. What fate has in store for you…who knows? Trixie already knows HER fate…and it’s calling her.” With that, Trixie began trotting away from Rarity and the beach, leaving a cold silence behind her.
Rarity: *placing a hoof over her heart, she stares into the camera* My plight seems silly compared to the inner battle that Trixie has suffered her whole life. But, all the same…I cannot help her until she accepts help from those outside of her shell. I fully believe that Twilight can accomplish that…even without her horn, that unicorn can use powerful magic. *she gives a weak smile* Just watch her work.
Trixie: *angrily* WHY did the Great and Powerful Trixie share all that with that arrogant fashion unicorn? Ugh, how disgraceful…Trixie is now gonna be the laughingstock of her team…just brilliant. *she hits the side of the confessional with a hooved fist, then hangs her head and clutched it with both of her hooves* Get it together, Trixie…just focus on winning this stupid game and getting that million bits…
A restless night for half of the campers dragged by, continuing most of their misery for countless hours that didn’t even result in sleep. When the sun finally began peaking around the mountains, most of the campers were already up. Celestia was once more staring out her usual window to watch her sun rise, but this time wasn’t greeted by her sister’s usual teasing, since her sister was no longer there. Instead, Fluttershy was the one to “greet” her by trotting over and giving her a gentle nuzzle.
“Good morning, Princess,” Fluttershy said, trying to give the white alicorn a big smile, “Um…you look tired…did you not sleep well? I’m sorry if you don’t want to talk about it…”
“Thank you, Fluttershy…and, I’m fine, don’t worry,” Celestia said, patting the yellow mare on the head, “I’m really glad I have you on my team…Twilight is lucky that she found you as a friend. She couldn’t have asked for more in a friend.”
“Oh…oh my…um…I, um…t-t-thank you?” Fluttershy squeaked, nervously looking away as her face turned dark red, “I…um…I’m nothing special, though…nothing special at all…”
“Ah, what a good sleep!” Dash’s loud voice rang out, leaning up in her bed and stretching, “Yup, I had a good dream, too. I know we’re gonna rock today!”
“Well, let’s just hope so,” Applejack responded, jumping out of bed and already heading for the door, “C’mon, let’s not dilly-dally this time; we need to stay focused so we don’t lose again.”
“Morning, everyone!” Spike called out cheerfully, bouncing out of bed as he immediately ran over to Silver Spoon’s side and offered the filly a hand, “Did you have a good rest, Silver Spoon?”
“For one of the first times on this island, I sure did!” Silver Spoon giggled, taking Spike’s hand with her hoof as she was helped out of bed, “Hey, Spikey, could you hand me my…oh, thanks.” Spike was way ahead of her and had already handed the filly her glasses from the dresser. When she slipped them on, Spike soon handed over her hairbrush as well so she could comb her pretty grey mane.
“I feel so juiced up today! I just KNOW we’re gonna bounce back with a big win!” Spike said, bouncing up and down like Pinkie Pie, “Silver Spoon, let’s dominate today!”
“Humph…we’ll see about that,” Dash whispered, glaring over at Spike and Silver Spoon, “For your sake, you two, you’d better HOPE we dominate.”
“Did you say something, Dash?” Spike asked, glancing over at the Pegasus and raising an eyebrow.
“I said that I’m gonna go and get a milkshake and…uh…yeah, that’s what I said,” Rainbow smiled innocently, whistling and quickly flying out the door after Applejack. Spike and Silver Spoon glanced at one another, then gave a little nod; they knew what would happen if they lost again.
Spike: It’s a no-brainer if we lose again. Silver Spoon has the confidence she needs to succeed in this game, so she’s gonna be playing her heart out. If we do lose, it’ll be because of Rainbow Dash. Therefore, when that happens, she’ll be voted out next! It’s perfect! *he pumps his fist, then sighs and gets a dreamy look in his eyes* It feels so great to be in love…er, even though I still need to talk to Rarity.
Led by their fired-up teammates Rainbow Dash, Silver Spoon and Spike, the Royal Ruffians exited their cabin to face the next day’s challenge. Despite being slightly less cheery and motivated, the Magical Misfits soon filed out of their own cabin to begin the day. Trixie was still inwardly beating herself up for revealing more than she had intended last night to Rarity. The prissy white unicorn herself hadn’t told any of her teammates what Trixie had told her, and deep in her heart, she felt it wasn’t her place to do so; she did plan to tell Twilight, though, since she was the only one who could help her.
“Hello, my little campers!” Discord’s voice rang out, the draconequus popping up out of nowhere as per usual and scaring several of the contestants, “Ooh, what’s this? It’s almost hard to see exactly which team has won three out of the last four challenges. What’s with the enthusiasm, Ruffians? Have you forgotten how badly you’ve played the last two challenges?”
“WHAT last two challenges?” Rainbow Dash grinned, “We’re gonna cream those Misfits today and make sure we keep the numbers advantage.”
“Uh, Dash, both teams have the same number of players…” Applejack whispered, nudging the Pegasus and giving her a little frown.
“Oh…well…we’re gonna cream the Misfits and make them…vote somepony out…and THEN we’ll have the numbers advantage!” Dash replied lamely, saying the first thing that came to her head.
“You’re gonna cream us? Aww, Dashie, that’s SO sweet of you!” Pinkie squealed, bouncing up and down as she licked her lips, “What kinda cream are you gonna use? Whipped cream? Ice cream? Banana cream? Shaving cream? I don’t recommend that last one; I tried it once and it tasted pretty yucky.”
“She MEANS that her team is gonna beat us today,” Trixie sighed, correcting Pinkie’s thought process, “And Trixie must disagree with that notion. The only team around here that is gonna get creamed is the Ruffians. That foolish little Pegasus will suffer defeat once more before long.”
“Rainbow Dash doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘defeat’,” Scootaloo piped up, forgetting exactly which team she was on, “She never loses; she just chooses not to win. Therefore, she has never tasted defeat because each time she’s lost, it was by her own choosing!”
“Thanks, squirt,” Rainbow Dash laughed, giving a little wink over to her little filly admirer, “You really DO know me pretty well.”
“Just whose side are you on, Scootaloo?” Twilight scolded, glaring down at the little filly. She gave a weak sigh of irritation when Scootaloo completely ignored her; she was too busy basking in the compliment that Rainbow Dash gave her to pay Twilight any mind.
Through the minor trash-talking and rises in motivation from both teams, two certain campers had remained silent throughout. Rarity and Spike were both attempting to catch the other’s attention while at the same time attempting to not stare at each other, too. Silver Spoon was right at Spike’s side, nuzzling up to him while even doing a little playful trash-talking herself about how her team was gonna win the day’s challenge. The more Rarity saw the filly nuzzling up to Spike, the angrier and more jealous she got. She wanted to talk to Spike about this, but she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of the entire camp. She would wait until later.
“Well, all this has been fine and dandy, but the day won’t stay young forever,” Discord yawned, pointing towards the mess hall, “All of you get a quick bite to eat, then meet me out near the forest. I have a fun and rowdy challenge in store for you little ponies.”
“I’m a dragon!” Spike called out, crossing his arms in a huff, “Geez, can’t I get a LITTLE recognition around here for all my hard work?”
“You’ve got MINE, Spikey,” Silver Spoon said softly, butting her head against Spike’s chest as she nuzzled up to him yet again. Hearing Silver Spoon call Spike by his cute nickname, Rarity was visibly shaken.
Rarity: *horrified* SPIKEY?!?! That little BRAT dares call Spike by the nickname I gave him? Ooh, the nerve of her! *completely forgetting that she was talking about a filly, the unicorn growls and puts on one of her rage faces* That does it! I’m gonna THRASH that little brat and PROVE to Spike I love him!
Throughout breakfast, Rarity kept casting dirty looks over to an oblivious Silver Spoon, who was too busy cuddling up to Spike and even feeding him some of Nightmare Moon’s black oatmeal to notice. When Cheerilee attempted to ask Rarity why she was so quiet, the unicorn growled at her with her eyes flashing; the school teacher didn’t say another word. Scootaloo kept her eyes on Rainbow Dash the entire time, wondering if she might go up against her today and how she would fare if she did. Celestia was continually getting pep talks from Fluttershy to keep the princess’ spirits up.
“Hey, Trix, are you feeling alright?” Twilight asked, noticing how her unicorn counterpart was being so quiet and sullen, “It’s not like you to be so silent during breakfast time. Usually, by this time, you’d be calling me names and warning me to not get in your way or lose us today’s challenge and blah blah blah. Is everything good with you?”
“Trixie is fine, Twilight Sparkle…just worry about yourself…you nosy foal,” Trixie muttered, taking a sip of her glass of orange juice while trying to avoid Twilight’s eyes. Twilight cocked an eyebrow and frowned slightly. Trixie’s little insult sounded forced. What was wrong with her?
Twilight: Did I do something wrong? Was Trixie purposely avoiding me? *looks slightly hurt* I thought I was doing my best to get through to her. Just last night, she seemed fine. *she shakes her head* Oh, I’m probably just overthinking this. That’s just Trixie being Trixie; I’m sure if she had an issue with me, she’d come right out and say it. We all know she’s not shy about expressing her opinions.
After breakfast, both teams exited the mess hall and headed towards the forest. With Trixie’s added sullenness, Twilight’s added concern, and Rarity’s enraged attitude, the Magical Misfits didn’t seem like a team on a winning streak. On the Royal Ruffians, with the exception of Princess Celestia, the team was pumped and excited. However, all the sad, angry or excited expressions were quickly wiped off each and every face when they came face-to-face with Discord at the edge of the forest. He was holding a colorful gun in his hands while wearing goggles over his eyes and a camouflage hat on his head.
“So GOOD of you all to join me,” the draconequus laughed, pointing the gun at Celestia, “Allow me to share with you what your challenge is today.”
“DISCORD, NO!” Twilight screamed, quickly moving to protect the princess, but accidentally stumbling over Scootaloo due to her moving so fast. Discord cackled insanely, narrowing his eyes as he focused on the horrified white princess, then pulled the trigger of his rifle.
From the barrel of the gun rocketed three tiny orbs of red fluid, zipping straight towards its target without any hope of dodging. Princess Celestia was struck right in the face by all three balls, one striking her forehead while the other two hit her two cheeks. The small princess was thrown off her hooves from the powerful blasts and crashed down a second later on her backside. She looked dazed and very angry, but otherwise perfectly alright. Her face was now dripping with fresh red paint.
“Aww, cool!” Dash cried, pumping her hooved fist in the air, “It’s a paintball gun! Now this is my kinda challenge! Oh, and…Princess, are you alright?” The sheepish Pegasus offered a hoof to the downed alicorn, who weakly accepted the gesture and returned to her hooves a second later.
“What is…a paintball?” Celestia murmured, poking at her forehead and scraping off some of the paint with her hoof, “I’m not as bad as my sister with the times, but…what IS this?”
“You got hit by three red paintballs, Princess,” Rainbow Dash explained, “They’re…uh…well, they’re tiny balls filled with a type of paint that usually isn’t damaging to your body…I think. Gilda and I used to steal some paintball guns all the time from the storage shed in Flight Camp and play with have paintball wars through the night. Man, we got in SUCH trouble, but it was so worth it. It’s AWESOME! To taste the thrill of blasting your rival with paint…to suffer the agony of defeat or to bask in the rays of victory…to feel your heart pumping with excitement as you hunt your prey…to shiver in delight from hiding and holding your breath while you yourself hide to prevent yourself from being picked off…it’s so INCREDIBLE!”
“Sounds barbaric to me,” Silver Spoon muttered.
“Ooh, it sounds PERFECT!” Rarity sneered, stepping forward and licking her lips in a slightly insane fashion, “Discord, explain the challenge! I think I love the sound of this already.”
“Uh, Rarity…if it’s about firing paintballs at each other…that would mean you not only getting dirty, but having your beautiful coat mixed with paint,” Twilight pointed out, “Why in all of Equestria would you LIKE the sound of that? Am I the ONLY unicorn around here that ISN’T acting crazy?”
Rarity: *grinning insanely* Ooh yes…to cover that little filly with paint…to completely and utterly humiliate her and RUIN her coat…ooh, it’s perfect! After I drench her and make her beg for mercy, I’ll show Spike the true essence of beauty and will win him over again. *she fluffs her mane, apparently calming herself down* I make evil look good, don’t you all agree, darlings? *she winks at the camera*
“Since our resident blue Pegasus has been kind enough to explain what paintball guns and paintballs are for, I won’t bother explaining what this is,” Discord mused, pointing to the green and orange gun he was holding limply in his right clawed hand, “But, allow me to explain just what the challenge is. Since each team now has an even six players, we’re gonna have ourselves a little paintball hunting game today. Each team will have three deer and three hunters and…”
“N-N-NO!” Fluttershy screamed, instantly flapping her wings and furiously flying up to glare right into Discord’s face, “YOU WILL NOT HUNT DEER! IF YOU DARE, I WILL HAVE TO DO THINGS TO YOU THAT I WOULD RATHER NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! NO HARMING ANY ANIMALS!”
“Er…by deer, I meant it in a metaphorical kind of way,” Discord explained, meekly backing up to avoid the harshness of Fluttershy’s powerful glare, “Three of your teammates will dress up as deer, while three will be hunters with PAINTBALL GUNS. The challenge will be for the hunters on each team to hunt the deer on the OTHER team using the paintballs as bullets to ‘mark’ their prey.”
“Oh…well, that’s okay then,” Fluttershy said, her face once again returning to her happy and shy form as she fluttered back down and rejoined her stunned team.
“So…the three teammates with paintball guns try to douse the deer on the opposite team with paint?” Spike said, putting two and two together, “How is it decided who wins the challenge?”
“All 12 players will have two hours to run wild in the woods,” Discord went on, “After the two hours are up, I will call both teams back in. At that point, the team that has the most deer with paint on them will lose. So, basically, you want to remain as clean as you can, so hopefully you have some dodging skills.”
Scootaloo: *cheering and pumping her little hooved fist* YES! Totally awesome! I’m positive that I’m gonna be an expert sharpshooter for my team. I so hope that Rainbow Dash is a deer…I wanna nail her hard! *she giggles playfully, and gives a somewhat mischievous smirk* When I beat Dash, she’ll so totally realize my skills and will FINALLY recognize me! After all, you learn more when you lose, right?
“Oh, COME ON!” Scootaloo pouted, crossing her forelegs angrily as Discord put a small pair of antlers on her head, “This is SO not fair! I wanted to be one of the ones with a paintball gun.” What made the situation even better, however, was when she saw Rainbow Dash be given antlers instead of a paintball gun, too. Scootaloo couldn’t help but giggle at Rainbow’s angry expression; she looked SO cute and awesome when she was mad and throwing one of her usual fits. Plus, they were BOTH deer.
“Beautiful…don’t worry, my baby…Rarity is gonna take good care of you…” Rarity purred, holding and kissing her paintball gun that was given to her. The insane look had cropped back up into her eyes, leaving many campers feeling incredibly nervous around the unicorn. Spike and Silver Spoon exchanged slightly uneasy looks themselves.
Spike: Um, is it just me, or has Rarity been acting kinda…crazy…since this morning? You don’t suppose that she’s…um…nah, couldn’t be. She’s just getting into the challenge. She may not look it, but that pretty mare is one feisty competitor. I’d be scared if I was on…oh, wait…I AM on the opposite team. *he suddenly turns white and gulps* Uh-oh…I suddenly fear for Silver Spoon…this is NOT good.
“Ooh, cool! I get to shoot paint at Dashie and her team!” Pinkie giggled, twirling her gun around and accidentally firing a few stray paintballs into the sky, very narrowly missing hitting Discord.
“Be careful with that, you dingy pony!” Discord scolded, wagging his finger at the ditzy Pinkie Pie, “You only get 20 paintballs each, so don’t waste them! Well, you just did waste three of them, so now you only have 17.”
“Discord, could I possibly plead with you to let ME be the one with the paintball gun instead of Pinkie?” Twilight begged, looking very humiliated at wearing her antlers, “No offense to Pinkie, but I just feel that I would be better with that gun…not to mention make it safer for the rest of our team.”
“Aww, Twilight, that’s SO sweet!” Pinkie smiled, bouncing over and giving Twilight a big hug, “You’re worried that I’ll get hurt and you would rather have it happen to you instead of me? That’s SO sweet of you! But, don’t worry; Paintball Sharpshooter Pinkie Pie won’t get hurt. You have no reason to worry that pretty little head of yours.” To emphasize her point, Pinkie petted Twilight’s head with a hoof.
“Pinkie, that’s not what I…” Twilight began, flushing slightly as she tried to push the clingy pony off, but Discord interrupted her.
“Sorry, Twi, but I’m afraid the hunters and deer that are picked out are FINAL,” the draconequus said, “For the Magical Misfits, the deer are Scootaloo, Twilight and Cheerilee. Their hunters are Pinkie, Rarity and Trixie. For the Royal Ruffians, the deer are Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Silver Spoon. Their hunters are Celestia, Fluttershy and Spike. Now, let me make one thing perfectly clear. Do NOT take off your antlers at any time; if you dare, your team automatically loses the challenge. So, whenever you feel like being a quitter, just remember what it’ll cost you. Oh, and I suppose you should all wear these goggles, too, just as a precaution.” The naughty host tossed 12 pairs of goggles out to the campers, all of whom put them on without a fuss.
“This is so cheap…Fluttershy and the princess with guns?” Dash whined, “This is bogus! At least Spike has useable dragon hands, so he SHOULD be able to use his gun efficiently. But, still…NOT cool. I’m glad Gilda isn’t here to see this.”
“Ah think ya look pretty good in antlers, Dash,” Applejack teased, playfully jabbing her own pair of wooden antlers at the ones on Dash’s head, “Ya make just as good a deer as ya do a Pegasus.” Discord had taken Applejack’s hat off for the challenge, promising to give it back when it was all over.
“You take that back, AJ!” Dash snapped, aggressively shoving her antlers back towards Applejack’s, “I am nowhere as cool a deer as I am a Pegasus, and you know it! These antlers make me look lame…and I never thought it was POSSIBLE to make me look lame!”
“Um…I don’t…really want…to use this thing,” Fluttershy whimpered, awkwardly holding her gun with one hoof while trying to keep her balance with the other, “It…it looks too dangerous…and the paintballs look like they could REALLY hurt…I don’t want to use this on Scootaloo, Twilight or Cheerilee…um, but, I will…if I really have to…”
“So…which way do I point this thing?” Celestia pondered, looking through the barrel of her paintball gun and frowning, “It looks dark in there…are you SURE there’s paintballs inside of this?”
Rainbow Dash: *dejectedly* Oh yeah, this is REALLY fair. I am gonna knock Discord senseless for this injustice. *glances up and angrily slaps at her fake antlers* Is Discord TRYING to make us lose?
“Okay, both teams’ deer will get a five minute head-start to find a place to hide in the forest, and then the hunters will be sent in,” Discord said, clearly looking amused by Fluttershy and Celestia’s reluctance and confusion with their guns, “Oh, and my special paint only comes off using a special kind of water back in the infirmary cabin, so don’t even think of trying to remove any that you get on your body.”
“So much for finding a river to stick around,” Cheerilee joked, inciting a few chuckles from her team.
“Indeed,” Discord agreed, before snapping his fingers and making a whistle appear in his clawed hand, “Now, when I blow this whistle, all six deer hurry out into the woods and start running around…and do whatever it is deer do. When two hours pass, I’ll blow this again to signal that it’s time to come back. Hopefully, you all will hear it. So, without further ado…” He raised the silver whistle to his lips and gave a mighty blow, resulting in a piercing din that easily made all 12 contestants cringe and put their hooves over their ears. It wasn’t until nearly 30 seconds later when the deer got brave enough to remove their hooves from their ears and finally hurry out into the woods.
“Okay, Pinkie and Rarity, listen to Trixie,” Trixie whispered, pulling her team’s two sharpshooters into a huddle, “We’re gonna have to carry these guns with our mouths, since our magic doesn’t work here and these guns are a bit too bulky to carry on our backs. When you find you target, quickly hop onto your hind legs and aim carefully. Do NOT waste a single paintball. Do you both understand Trixie?”
“Crystal clear, Trixie!” Pinkie giggled, using her gun to give herself a salute, which resulted in her accidentally firing off ANOTHER paintball into the distance, “Um…oopsies…my bad!”
“Do not worry about me, Trixie, darling,” Rarity said calmly, still patting her gun and admiring it like it was a beautiful quartz diamond, “I know EXACTLY how to work this beauty. Oh, and if at all possible, could you and Pinkie try catching Rainbow Dash and Applejack? I have my eyes locked on Silver Spoon.”
Trixie: There is something about the way Rarity was talking that leaves Trixie feeling slightly unsafe being around her. Did the rest of you feel that way, too? *she looks right into the camera*
“Ladies, using a paintball gun is like writing a letter…or petting a bunny,” Spike said, giving a pep talk to Fluttershy and Celestia, “All you do is hold it firmly in your…hooves…and point it at your target as best as you can. Then, you pull back the trigger to expel the paintballs located inside. It’s as simple as that.”
“Um…I’m sorry, but…how does that have anything to do with petting a bunny?” Fluttershy asked.
“Because you have to be gentle petting such a delicate creature, right?” Spike explained, getting a bit dazed for a moment as he thought of how soft Rarity and Silver Spoon were, “Ooh, yeah…when you have your paws or hooves or whatever on such a delicate creature, you have to be careful to not harm the beautiful thing. A paintball gun works the same way. Mishandled, it can be deadly. You need to be very careful and just use delicate handling.”
“Okay…what about writing a letter?” Celestia pondered, taking her turn to ask Spike the same thing.
“When writing a letter, you want to make sure you don’t make any spelling mistakes and jot down all the important stuff, right?” Spike continued, wagging his finger expectantly at the two girls, “One wrong twitch of your finger or lapse of the brain and you misspell a word or forget to write a word and you mess up the whole thing! A paintball gun works the same way. If you don’t think, you’ll get burned. You need to use quick precision and thinking and keep your mind focused on the task at hand.”
“Wow, Spike…you really know a lot!” Fluttershy smiled, giving the dragon a gentle pat on the head, “I’m very impressed; where did you learn all that?”
“Er…well…Rainbow Dash kinda whispered most of it to me before she went off into the woods…” Spike muttered, looking incredibly embarrassed, “She…kinda said that I would need to take charge…since you two looked…um…clueless. Oh, and…living with Twilight my whole life…kinda helped, too.”
Celestia: That’s my student for you. Always having a long-lasting impression on those around her. *her eyes narrow a bit* But, as for Rainbow Dash…clueless, am I? As true as that may be, I’m gonna have a little talk with her once this is all over…and remind her just who I am. *she huffs slightly*
“Okay, five minutes gone, so…hunters, get moving!” Discord called out, “Good luck to all of you!”
“FOLLOW TRIXIE!” Trixie called out, stuffing her gun into her mouth and instantly charging into the woods, expecting Rarity and Pinkie to follow her. Instead, Rarity stuck her gun into her mouth and slithered off in the opposite direction, trying to remember the exact direction that Silver Spoon had run off. Pinkie stuffed her gun into her puffy mane instead of her mouth, then hummed a little while bouncing off in a random direction as well, leaving Trixie to fend for herself.
“Fluttershy, Princess, let’s get ‘em!” Spike cheered, pumping his gun into the air and racing into the forest as well, “Ah, it feels so good to have hands in a case like this.” He grinned a little at the annoyed expressions on Fluttershy and Celestia’s faces as the two mares charged alongside him into the dark forest. With all 12 campers now running around in the forest, Discord smirked and winked at the nearest camera. Without saying a word, he snapped his fingers and vanished. No one seemed to notice a 13th visitor stalking into the woods off to the side.
For a good 20 minutes, nothing happened within the confines of the forest. Trixie, having discovered that Pinkie and Rarity didn’t follow her, had thrown a fit and loudly proclaimed how she hated her team. Spike, Fluttershy and Celestia had all stuck together, as the Ruffians had wanted, and only spread out into selected areas to check for the three deer from the Magical Misfits. Silver Spoon had wandered off on her own, trying to hide under bushes while always making sure she was on the move. Rarity was stalking the little filly after picking up her trail almost immediately. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were traveling together, and were being stalked themselves by the unknown 13th forest visitor. Cheerilee had found Scootaloo actually attempting to FIND Rainbow Dash, and had gently talked the filly out of it. Twilight, who wasn’t used to such a weird game, was idly trotting along and seemingly treating this like a nature hike. Pinkie seemed to have vanished.
~~~
“Gotcha, you little boyfriend-stealing brat!” Rarity whispered, peeking out from behind a tree and spotting Silver Spoon nibbling on some blackberries she found, “Prepare to get your pretty little coat drenched! Once you’re called out for being a loser, Spike will come right back to me!” She stifled an evil little giggle as she got up onto her hind legs. Using the tree for balance, she put the paintball gun into her hooves and pointed it out at Silver Spoon. She locked on and narrowed her eyes through her goggles. She couldn’t miss such an easy shot; the filly was only 10 feet away.
“Hey, was that a squirrel?” Silver Spoon gasped, peeking off to the side after thinking she saw a flicker of movement, “Like, how neat! Hey, squirrel, come back here!” She quickly charged after the little animal, leaving Rarity without a shot.
“Darn it!” Rarity cursed, slamming her gun down in frustration, “Ooh, you think you can run from me? Well, think again, brat! Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t steal Spike; he’s MY man!” Finally letting out one of her insane laughs, she quickly picked her gun back up with her mouth and galloping after the escaping Silver Spoon.
~~~
“Hey…Applejack…do you get the feeling that…we’re being watched?” Rainbow Dash muttered, looking around furtively with her eyes narrowed, “It’s creeping me out…somepony is watching us, I know it.”
“Aww, Dash, would ya’ll cut that out?” AJ groaned, “Of COURSE we’re bein’ watched; there’s cameras always on us, remember? Plus, we’re kinda in a forest bein’ chased by Pinkie, Trixie and Rarity? Discord couldn’t have picked three better hunters, if ya’ll ask me…that spirit of disharmony is an evil one.”
“No, AJ…something ELSE is watching us…I can feel it,” Dash whispered, scooting even closer to the farmer, so close that she was nearly knocking her over, “I know the feelings I get when my friends are watching me…trust me, it’s a great feeling. But…no, this look…it’s different. It’s cold, it’s creepy, and I don’t like it…”
“Dash, ah think yer just bein’ paranoid and…” Applejack began, but hushed when she heard a soft snap from somewhere to her left. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack froze at once and quickly pressed against one another, glaring towards the bushes where they heard the loud noise. Nothing happened.
Slowly, Rainbow Dash took a brave step towards the dark bushes, keeping her head low and slightly pointing her wooden antlers towards the brush instead. Then, the same snapping noise came from behind Applejack, like something was purposely breaking twigs to get their attention. Letting out a soft gasp, Applejack whirled around and stared at the thick bushes that were once behind her. There wasn’t any movement whatsoever and the noise didn’t come again.
“Maybe…it’s just a squirrel?” Applejack mumbled, yelping softly and quickly slapping a hoof over her mouth when she accidentally backed her rump into Rainbow’s.
“GAH! AJ, don’t DO that!” Rainbow Dash growled, glaring back at her friend, “And, no, this is no squirrel. I don’t even think this is a camper. No, somepony is playing with us…stalking us…and I repeat, this isn’t Pinkie, Trixie or Rarity. This is…this is…”
There was a long pause, and all the wildlife of the forest suddenly shut off, as though an off switch had been thrown. It was almost like something had spooked all the animals…and the forest itself. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were now standing in the small clearing, surrounded by dark bushes, and in perpetual silence. The two ponies were slightly trembling, sitting back-to-back and staring in opposite directions, trying to find their stalker. A tiny piece of branch slowly fell in front of Rainbow Dash from somewhere above her head, and she slowly lifted her eyes. Her heart froze and her body paled. Indeed, they were not alone.
~~~
“Miss Cheerilee, why is Rainbow Dash so…well…awesome?” Scootaloo asked, sitting down in another clearing with her teacher. It seemed like she just couldn’t say a negative thing about her idol. “Why do I have to like her so much, huh? I should be focusing on getting my cutie mark, not on Dash. But…man, I just can’t help it! She’s…so amazing…so EVERYTHING!”
“Scootaloo, sweetie, you still have your whole life ahead of you,” Cheerilee said, her voice barely above a whisper, since she didn’t want to give away her location to the Ruffians’ hunters, “This isn’t really the time of your life to be worrying about your cutie mark or…other things. As I’ve told you before, your cutie mark will come in time and when it’s READY to appear. You should be having fun and just enjoying being a filly. It only happens once in your life, you know; you really shouldn’t be wasting it.”
“But…but…what makes me happiest is pleasing Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo argued, dipping her head down and shyly pressing her front hooves together, “Just seeing her smile at me…just hearing her call me some cute nickname…just having her ACKNOWLEDGE me…and having her compliment me and realize that I’d do anything for it…it fills my heart with butterflies! THAT’S what makes me happy.”
“What about the Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Cheerilee placed a hoof on Scootaloo’s back, her face not showing any other expression besides her usual caring and understanding nature. Scootaloo didn’t miss a beat.
“They’re not here…I’m the only one left,” she said calmly, “And we all promised each other that we’d do things as a team, or not at all. I…I have no place in this game…it’s obvious I don’t. So, all I want to do is make Rainbow Dash happy…and to see HER win that million bits. She deserves it and I don’t; I know that. I just haven’t been voted out yet because…you’ve been protecting me.”
Cheerilee’s face fell as she heard Scootaloo speaking seriously, and she was a loss for words. Her head was telling her that Scootaloo was correct in saying that she really had no business in the game. What story did the filly have? Why WAS she there? Without Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, she was just a piece of a team that nopony cared for…except for Cheerilee herself. But, the teacher’s heart told her that it wasn’t true. Cheerilee wanted to believe that Scootaloo was still there for a reason and that fate had to have SOMETHING in store for her. Discord had nothing to do with this; this was about Scootaloo.
“Scootaloo, I…” Cheerilee began, but gasped and quickly pulled the filly into a hug when she heard what sounded like branches breaking from somewhere nearby, “Oh no, what was that?”
~~~
“We’ve got ourselves a live one here, ladies!” Spike grinned, peeking out of the bushes with Celestia and Fluttershy as they spied on an oblivious Twilight Sparkle, “Um…man, this feels…kinda awkward. Princess Celestia…that’s your star pupil. Fluttershy…that’s one of your best friends. And…she’s like a mother to me, or at least a big sister. I…I don’t know if I can do this…” The paintball gun shook in his hand, the little dragon being incredibly nervous about performing the deed.
“Spike, I’m sure Twilight will understand,” Celestia said calmly, “It’s just a game, after all. She knows this as well as I do. Let me do this…you and Fluttershy shouldn’t have to. I know how much Twilight means to the both of you.”
“Thank you, Princess…make it quick, please…um, if that’s alright…” Fluttershy whimpered, turning away and holding Spike. The dragon and the Pegasus gently held each other as Celestia quietly pulled out her paintball gun and focused it on Twilight.
“Forgive me…my faithful student…” Celestia whispered, pointing the barrel right at Twilight and holding it in place. Twilight herself was studying the dark bark on a tree and was much too busy to look behind her back. Princess Celestia stuck out her tongue in concentration, using her left hoof to balance the gun while slowly pulling her right one over the trigger. With a deep sigh, she pulled down hard on the trigger.
“BANZAI!” a loud and familiar shriek roared out. Then, before Princess Celestia’s paintballs even shot out three feet, a rush of pink had zoomed down from somewhere up in the trees, scooped up the stunned Twilight, and had vanished straight back up into the trees just as quickly. Celestia’s paintballs splattered harmlessly onto the ground a good full second later, hitting nothing. Twilight was gone.
“Um…are the paintballs…SUPPOSED to make the targets vanish?” Fluttershy asked, blinking in shock after turning back around and finding Twilight gone.
“Uh…what just…was that…who did…where did…WHAT?!?!” Spike stammered, completely confused.
“Did Twilight…teleport?” Celestia muttered, “No…the island doesn’t allow magic. Oh, wait…hmm, actually, it DOES allow ‘magic’…except not the kind used from a unicorn’s horn.” She gave a weak smile, glancing up into the trees, then just shook her head and turned away. “Come, Spike and Fluttershy. Let’s get going.”
~~~
“P-P-Pinkie?!?!” Twilight gasped, looking up into the face of her rescuer and finding the goggles of Pinkie Pie looking down at her, “W-w-what’s going on?!?! Where did you come from? Why did you do that?”
“Like, DUH, Twilight!” Pinkie sighed, rolling her eyes and snuggling the unicorn tighter in her hooves, “You were about to get shot with icky paint, so that’s why I saved you, silly-head! Did you think I was just gonna let my favorite pony get eliminated so easily?”
“Um…oh…yeah, I thought I heard something like a gunshot…” Twilight muttered, finally realizing how stupid she was for not paying attention to the game, “Thanks, Pinkie…I’ll pay better attention from now on. I’m just…kinda out of my element here…say, wait a minute…how did you know where to find me anyway? Were you…following me?”
“Mayyyyyyyyyyyyyybe…” Pinkie giggled, still not releasing the unicorn from her hooves, “Is that wrong?”
Twilight paused for a moment, staring up at the shy and smiling face of Pinkie Pie. The unicorn thought about what Pinkie had said last night. She thought about what Pinkie said before the challenge started. She thought about how Pinkie just called her “my favorite pony”. She glanced back and realized she was still being held by the party pony. She thought she could see the face traces of crimson on the earth pony’s cheeks. She imagined Pinkie following her through the forest and waiting at just the last minute to rescue her with her randomness. Slowly, Twilight’s eyes began to widen and her own face proceeded to turn into a dark red.
“P-P-Pinkie…um…do you…?” Twilight squeaked, trying to formulate a sentence that she’d never thought she would ever say, especially to her most ditzy and crazy friend.
“Uh-oh!” Pinkie gasped, interrupting Twilight as she glanced behind her and saw her puffy tail twitching, “Twitchy-twitch, twitchy-twitch! My Pinkie Senses are going off! Twilight, we have to get moving! Come on; Paintball Sharpshooter Pinkie Pie will keep her little deer safe and sound.” She gently tossed Twilight up into the air and smiled as the purple pony landed with a soft thump on her backside. Then, when feeling Twilight weakly wrap her four legs around her friend, Pinkie gave another battle cry before lunging out of the tree, her gun still tucked inside of her puffy mane.
~~~
Silver Spoon happily trotted after the squirrel, which kept chattering and glancing back behind it, as though it wasn’t sure if the filly was still behind it. Soon, Silver Spoon chased the squirrel out of the forest. The little animal had led the filly to a cliff, which was overhanging a deadly drop into a deep, dark gorge. When Silver Spoon playfully cornered the squirrel and attempted to pounce on it, the little creature shocked the filly by leaping off the cliff and stretching out its arms. Flaps of skin seemed to expand from its sides, and the squirrel safely floated to the other side of the chasm, which is where another forest seemed to begin. Silver Spoon could only watch in shock.
“Wow…a flying squirrel…I’d never seen one before!” the filly said, adjusting her glasses and giving a smile, “How cool is that? So, that’s how they glide…pretty neat. I can’t wait to tell Diamond Tiara about this!” The filly took a little break, confident that nopony had followed her, so she began peering down the gorge and whistling a bit. She had no idea who was sneaking up behind her.
“It’s time to kick some flank and chew bubblegum…but, I don’t have any gum,” Rarity whispered, rolling her eyes and licking her lips, “Now, my vengeance will be swift!” The unicorn charged out the forest and galloped straight at Silver Spoon. When the filly heard the hooves stomping from behind her, she curiously looked behind her and widened her eyes when she found that she had been cornered.
“Aw man…” she whimpered, backing up as far as she could without slipping off the cliff. Rarity closed the distance to within 10 feet before she grinned evilly down at the little filly. “Er…well, you caught me…I should’ve paid better attention…make it quick, alright?”
“Oh, it’ll be quick alright, you little brat!” Rarity snarled, leaping up onto her hind legs and pointing her gun straight down into Silver Spoon’s face, “I’m gonna blast you hard for stealing my boyfriend! Who do you think you are, hmm? You think you can steal the heart of MY little dragon? Well, not in my books!” To add emphasis to her point, she stomped one of her hooves. A soft cracking sound followed.
“Wait…what?” Silver Spoon blinked, staring up at the angry unicorn in confusion, “Steal your boyfriend? Do you mean Spike?” Another soft cracking sound followed, which went ignored.
“YES, YOU LITTLE FOAL! Spike loves ME, not you! Do you KNOW what he’s done for me? That little sweetheart is the only one who’s ever loved me for who I am! He’s the only one who’s treated me right! He’s the only one who knows how to treat a girl. I won’t let you steal him from me!” Rarity stamped her hoof again, and this time, the cracks grew louder.
“But…but…I’m sorry! I…I can’t tell my heart to not think something when it does. I love him, too! I don’t want to start a fight, but…I refuse to let Spike go. If he wants me, I’m gonna keep him. If you don’t like that, then go get someone else!” Silver Spoon, using her renewed confidence given to her by Spike, glared back up at Rarity and tried to ignore the fact that a barrel of a paintball gun was pointed right into her face. Again, loud cracking sounds began to resonate within the area.
“Ooh, darling, you don’t know who you’re messing with. You are but a little filly. I’m the great Rarity; perhaps you’ve heard of me? Now, I’m gonna give you one chance to dump Spike and realize that he’s not your true love and that you’re just being a little foal. If you do, all will be forgiven. If not…let’s just say that the storm will keep coming until it washes you out to sea.” Rarity smirked, giving Silver Spoon the ultimatum as she continued to stand on her hind legs. All this time, she managed to keep her balance, but continued to fail to hear the cracking sounds. Silver Spoon began to notice them, though.
“You…you…YOU CAN’T BULLY ME!” Silver Spoon screamed, spitting at the ground near Rarity’s hooves, “I’m sick and tired of being treated like the bad girl! I’m not the bad girl anymore, and I refuse to EVER go back to that horrible past again! Spike loves me, and I love him, and if you don’t like it, I could care less. Eliminate me all you wish, but you won’t win Spike’s heart back that way. You’re the villainess here, not me. Let the storm come…I’ll get an umbrella and wait it out…and I will emerge after it’s done…and I’ll be that much stronger for it.” The filly sat down, crossed her forelegs, and glared up at Rarity. She didn’t budge an inch.
“Suit yourself, you little brat,” Rarity shrugged, lifting her gun back up and holding her hoof over the trigger, “Say goodbye to your beautiful coat and your dignity. I gave you the easy way out, but if you want this to be hard, so be it. I can fight for a LONG time, darling…remember that.”
“Oh, shut up, you stupid…uh…what IS that cracking sound?” Silver Spoon slowly glanced behind Rarity’s back, then widened her eyes in terror at what she saw, “Oh no…Rarity, hurry, get back! Get back to the forest, hurry!”
“Yeah, like THAT’S gonna happen. Sorry, darling, but I wasn’t born yesterday. So, any last words?” Her stubbornness caused her to not notice the large cracks that were appearing in the rock formation that the small cliff was created out of. The monstrous cracks had almost reached the other side of the cliff, and the noise of the cliff splitting could easily be heard. Rarity was much too focused on revenge to care.
“Rarity, please, go back! You’re gonna get hurt! Don’t worry about me, just go!”
“Oh, I’M gonna get hurt? Do you not see the one holding the paintball gun?”
“RARITY, GO! I DON’T LIKE YOU, BUT I DON’T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO YOU! MOVE!”
“SHUT UP, YOU IGNORANT LITTLE…foal?”
An earsplitting noise cracked through the area, finally forcing Rarity to freeze up and glance behind her back. Her eyes widened in terror when she saw that the cliff had split in two thanks to her stomping and her added weight, and it was now breaking apart and slowly dipping towards the gorge. Rarity quickly dropped her paintball gun and tried to get back over onto the other side of the falling part of the cliff, but since the cliff was now dropping, the smooth and slanted surface prevented Rarity from elevating herself at all. Plus, without her magic, she was a sitting duck. Silver Spoon had already fallen over the edge, her screams echoing and dying away as she plummeted into the gorge.
“Forgive…me…” Rarity sobbed, closing her eyes as she and her paintball gun both slipped off the cliff as well and followed Silver Spoon to what she presumed was her death. A second later, the falling piece of cliff, Rarity, Silver Spoon, and the paintball gun all vanished into the dark gorge.
~~~
Rainbow Dash and Applejack both screamed in fear as they raced away as fast as they could from their clearing, never looking back as they galloped along. Their antlers were still on their heads, but they could care less about the game at the moment. All they cared about was escaping the freakish situation they had just experienced. Sitting alone in a dark, silent forest and finding a dark, masked mare sitting up in the trees and leering down at you wasn’t a pleasant feeling. True, Dash could’ve easily flown up and decked her stalker, and Applejack probably could’ve used her lasso to great effect. But, Mare Do Well had chosen the perfect time to make her appearance, and it had left both Royal Ruffians terrified.
“Is…she…following us?” Rainbow Dash gasped, refusing to look back to see for herself.
“Ah…don’t…know!” Applejack responded, wheezing and shaking her head as she kept running, “Just keep movin’…we’ll lose her…OOMPH!” She gasped as she plowed into something, falling over onto her back and accidentally tripping Rainbow Dash up at the same time. Both mares slowly glanced up into the grinning face of the Great and Powerful Trixie.
“Oh, Trixie, thank goodness!” Dash sighed in relief, placing a hoof over her heart, “We thought you were Mare Do Well…thanks for finding us.”
“You are most welcome, little Pegasus,” Trixie said super-sweetly, obviously knowing something that the two mares didn’t, “So…you two were running from…something called Mare Do Well?”
“Yea…kinda complicated, but…it’s not an easy situation to explain,” Applejack said, rubbing her head and giving a weak chuckle as she and Dash sat up, “Um…what are ya’ll doin’ out here?”
“Oh, you know…Trixie just enjoys going for random hikes in the woods…while holding a paintball gun,” Trixie said, pulling her gun out from behind her back as her grin grew even wider, “So…why WOULD the Great and Powerful Trixie carry around a paintball gun? Ooh, right…maybe because…she wanted to win a challenge for her team?”
“Oh…”
“…crud.”
A couple of rapid-fire shots later and both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were drenched with blue paint. Both mares moaned as they were once again lying on their backs, both of their heads locked together from being blasted backwards by Trixie’s barrage of paintballs. Since the blue unicorn had wanted to get her point across, she had used up her entire paintball supply, but she didn’t care. With two of the three Royal Ruffian deer now eliminated, Trixie was sure that she had just won the challenge for her team. This left the unicorn feeling absolutely giddy with excitement.
“Trixie thanks you both for your business,” Trixie mocked, tossing her empty gun onto her back and sticking her tongue out at the two paint-covered mares, “If you ever wish to come back for another humiliation, you know who to call. As you can tell, Trixie does not care where she humiliates you, since she can do it ANYWHERE. First in Ponyville, and now on Calamity Island. Perhaps Trixie should make you both her favorite customers?”
“Shut…up…Trixie,” Applejack growled, spitting out some blue paint and crossing her forelegs.
“Yeah…or else…” Rainbow Dash added, slapping some paint off her eyelids and feeling beyond disgraced.
“Oh, you two are such a joy,” Trixie giggled, turning around and shaking her rump at the two angry Royal Ruffians, “Well, Trixie must be off now; she has winning to get to and stuff, you know. It’s actually rather important than dealing with an imaginary mare in the woods. Oh, and a word of advice: next time, you probably should not travel together, since it makes it easier to pick off two for the price of one. Ta-ta!” With that, the thrilled unicorn trotted off towards the direction of the camp, leaving Applejack and Rainbow Dash in a puddle of blue paint behind her.
“I REALLY hate that unicorn…” Rainbow Dash grumbled.
“Don’t we all, Dash…don’t we all,” Applejack sighed, attempting to get up, but finding her head stuck to something, “Ugh! What the hay? Dash, are you…uh-oh.” Using her strength, Applejack found herself yanking the somewhat lighter Rainbow Dash to her hooves.
After being bombarded by Trixie’s paintballs, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had fallen adjacent to each other, nearly landing on top of one another. Their antler hats had gotten tangled during their fall, and now both were struck in a position that was impossible to get out of without taking off the hats. Despite being covered with paint, both Dash and AJ knew enough that they would automatically give their team the loss if they were to remove their antlers. So, both teammates were left with staring right into each other’s faces with their heads adjoined by their antlers.
“Oh…
“…crud.”
~~~
“Run faster, Miss Cheerilee!” Scootaloo cried, ducking behind a tree and stealing a nervous glance behind her back to make sure her teacher was still with her.
“Scootaloo, if I get caught, I’ll try to block them so you can escape,” Cheerilee wheezed, silently cursing herself for not being more in shape, “As long as only I go down, it won’t be so bad. You can make it, Scootaloo. Keep running!”
“Miss Cheerilee…don’t sacrifice yourself just for me…again!” Scootaloo whimpered, “C’mon, we’re both gonna make it; just believe that we will! I know that we…oh man.” The filly screeched to a halt as she came to a dead-end. A large tree was blocking the path, and both sides of the tree were blocked by thick bushes that made it impossible to break through.
“Scootaloo, bend over!” Cheerilee called out, continuing her full-throttle gallop straight at Scootaloo’s backside. Confused but deciding to trust her teacher, Scootaloo gulped and bent over, lifting her small tush into the air. Cheerilee quickly ducked down and shoved her head and antlers between Scootaloo’s hind legs and, giving a massive heave, shot her head straight back up with Scootaloo on it. The momentum caused the little filly to squeak, but sent her flying up into the large tree blocking their path and safely protected her from what was about to come. Spike, Celestia and Fluttershy all charged into the area a second later, all of them gasping and out of breath from the long chase.
“We…got you…now!” Spike wheezed, weakly pointing his gun at Cheerilee, “You can run…but you can’t hide! Wait…what happened…to Scootaloo?”
“I propelled her to safety, Spike,” Cheerilee said calmly, sitting down and accepting her fate, “I wasn’t about to let you eliminate two of us for the price of one. If you’re gonna take me out, it looks like you caught me fair and square. Princess Celestia, Fluttershy, Spike…go right ahead.”
“Ugh…clever move, Cheerilee…no hard feelings, alright?” Celestia puffed, pointing up her gun as well to join Spike’s, “This time…we can’t miss! Fluttershy…you ready?”
“Yes…let’s go…” Fluttershy said simply, her own breaths coming out in short, cute little squeaks. She raised her own paintball gun and weakly pointed it at Cheerilee. Facing down three paintball guns, Cheerilee sighed and closed her eyes. Deep down, she had to smile, though. She had protected Scootaloo and made sure her team would only get one of their deer eliminated. She had done her job and she had no regrets.
“Okay…one…two…” Spike began counting down, but a loud battle cry halted his progress and made him look up into the large tree that Cheerilee was sat in front of, “What the heck?”
“BANZAI!” Pinkie laughed, pointing her gun down at the three Royal Ruffian shooters and unloading all its contents in one massive blaze of glory, “YOU CANNOT STOP PAINTBALL SHARPSHOOTER PINKIE PIE!”
Much to their horror and surprise, Spike, Celestia and Fluttershy all suddenly found themselves bombed by Pinkie’s remaining 16 pink paintballs, each one finding one of their three targets with shocking accuracy. When Cheerilee found herself clean and without paint products being slammed into her body, the school teacher opened her eyes curiously and found her three pursuers all moaning and lying in a heap of pink paint. When she glanced up into the large tree, she found a grinning Pinkie Pie waving cheerfully down at her. On her right sat a smiling Twilight Sparkle and to her left was a relieved Scootaloo. Cheerilee herself found herself smiling a moment later, too.
Five minutes later, a shrill whistle sounded throughout the entire island, and all 12 campers knew what it meant. The game was over and it was time to head back.
~~~
“Falling off a cliff into what should’ve been certain death…” Discord mused, floating back and forth in front of the decimated Royal Ruffians’ team…or at least four of them, “Destroying a perfectly good paintball gun thanks to falling off said cliff. Acting like a bunch of foals and running around like newborn chicks. Do you know what I see here? I see a total lack of respect for camp property! I see a total lack of maturity! I see a total waste of paint products! This is a downright disgrace! Do you know what I think about this?” A massive grin broke out on Discord’s face. “I think this is AWESOME! I couldn’t be prouder of you campers! It…it brings a tear to my eye…to see such BEAUTIFUL chaos…oh, how lovely!”
Ten of the 12 campers had made it back to camp, two with the help of Discord’s ability to sense two campers injured who were unable to get back on their own power. Celestia, Fluttershy, and Spike were all drenched with pink paint and looked downright humiliated. Silver Spoon had survived her fall, most likely due to Discord’s enchantments on the island that made it impossible for somepony to actually die from something usually fatal, but was now in a wheelchair with severe injuries to almost every body part. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were nowhere to be seen.
The entire Magical Misfits team was back and mostly unscathed. Pinkie had led Twilight, Scootaloo and Cheerilee all back to camp in very high spirits. Trixie came out a moment later, loudly bragging about her exploits in downing Applejack and Rainbow Dash to the point of aggravating Discord and almost making him shoot some paintballs at Trixie, but realizing it wouldn’t be fair at this point, he changed his mind. Rarity was much like Silver Spoon. The regretful pony was in a wheelchair and was strung up from head to hoof in casts and bandages, due to her own case of severe injuries she sustained from falling off the cliff after her moment of insanity.
“Silver Spoon! Rarity! What…what in the world happened?!?!” Spike shrieked, finally noticing just what had happened to his two main loves, “Discord, did you do this?!?!”
“No, he didn’t…I did, Spike,” Rarity confessed, unable to move her wheelchair due to all four of her legs being in casts, but still able to speak despite the neck brace, “I…I was jealous and…I did something really, really stupid…Spike, Silver Spoon…please forgive me.”
“Rarity…what are you talking about?” Spike didn’t leave Silver Spoon’s side. Instead, he wheeled the filly’s chair over so that the two injured ponies were looking at each other.
“Spike…when I saw you with Silver Spoon…it tore my heart out,” Rarity whispered, trying her best to avoid Spike’s gaze, but her neck brace made it impossible to look down, “I wanted you…I know that you loved me…I didn’t understand what you were doing. So, I…I tried to sabotage Silver Spoon and make her less appealing…or something…I don’t even know. I chased her to the edge of that cliff…and thanks to my own arrogance and selfishness…it almost cost us our lives. Spikey…I’m so sorry…please, forgive me.”
At first, Spike didn’t want to believe what he just heard spoken from Rarity’s beautiful lips. At first, Spike looked sympathetic and guilty, thinking he was to blame for Rarity losing control over her emotions. Then, after glancing at Silver Spoon next to him, the dragon’s eyes began to narrow. Silver Spoon’s glasses were broken; one of the lenses was gone and the other had a massive crack right down the middle. The more Spike looked at her horrible injuries and the pained expression on her face, the angrier he got. Finally, the dragon clenched his fists and glared at Rarity.
“Rarity…you’re horrible!” he snapped, pointing his paint-covered finger right into Rarity’s sorrowful face, “I can’t say you deserved what you got, since I wouldn’t wish a near-death situation on ANYPONY. But, you…you’re terrible. You let your jealousy get the best of you, AGAIN. First you got jealous when Fluttershy was with Photo Finish and becoming famous, then you got jealous and made me give up my precious fire ruby to you, and now you got jealous just because I was showing Silver Spoon love and affection for possibly the first time in her life! Instead of coming to talk to me about this, you had to go and nearly KILL HER?!?!”
“Spike…no…I-I wasn’t meaning for that to happen, I swear…”
“Quiet, Rarity! You talk enough, and I’m not through with you yet. You shouldn’t even be apologizing to me; you should be apologizing to Silver Spoon. SHE’S the one you hurt, not me. Actually, by hurting her, you DID hurt me. I never expected this from you, Rarity…I really didn’t. This is NOT the mare that I love and grew to respect and appreciate more than the entire world itself. I don’t know if it’s because this is Discord’s game or if it’s the island’s evilness getting to you, but whatever the case…you and several others here are NOT acting like yourselves. I…I’m disappointed in you, Rarity. I don’t hate you, but…I’m very, very disappointed. Now, apologize to Silver Spoon…like you mean it.”
With her eyes soaked with tears, Rarity gave Spike a look like her heart had just broken, but she knew that Spike’s angry and hurt expression was justified. All it took was looking at the hurt filly sitting across from her in a duplicate wheelchair and Rarity knew just how wrong she was and how everything WAS her fault. When she spoke, she spoke in barely above a whisper. “Silver Spoon…I’m very, very sorry. I understand if you want to hate me forever…and you don’t have to accept my apology…but, I am truly and utterly sorry for my callous actions.”
Silver Spoon glared weakly back at Rarity through her busted glasses, locking eyes with the unicorn and further punishing her with scornful looks. However, instead of letting her have it, like she deserved, Silver Spoon thought back to how Diamond Tiara treated her. She thought back to what Zecora had taught her. She thought back to the lesson Cheerilee scolded Diamond Tiara with. She glanced to the side and saw the little dragon who was sticking up for her over the mare that practically all of Ponyville knew he loved. She knew what the right thing to do was. “I forgive you, Rarity.”
“Bravo, bravo,” Discord yawned, idly clapping nearby and tossing away a cold bag of popcorn, “VERY touching, I must say. But, if you don’t mind, we kinda need to continue with the game. Now…oh, it seems that Applejack and Rainbow Dash are FINALLY gracing us with their presence.” The draconequus pointed towards the forest, leading the rest of the campers to do the same.
“Ugh…can somepony PLEASE get these off of us now?” Rainbow Dash moaned, being yanked along blindly by Applejack’s powerful head, since their antlers were still stuck together.
“Yeah, we had to drag ourselves all the way back just like this!” Applejack complained, “Discord, help us out here, would ya?”
“I didn’t hear a ‘please’ out of you…but, may as well,” Discord shrugged, floating over and unhooking the antler hats from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, finally setting them free.
“Ooh, Dashie…you naughty little filly!” Pinkie giggled, casting the Pegasus a wink, “Couldn’t resist hooking up with AJ, hmm?”
“What can I say? I’m just THAT awesome,” Dash chuckled, “Applejack just couldn’t stand to be away from me for too long. She must’ve figured that being locked in my presence would increase her coolness, don’t you all AGREE?” The Pegasus shrieked loudly as Applejack had reached under her stomach and punched her right in the groin with a hooved fist. Female or not, the powerful blow was no thrill ride.
“Watch it, Dash…yer skatin’ on thin ice with each word ya speak,” Applejack growled, glaring at the mare and trying to hide her embarrassed blush, “Discord, mah hat, please. And…did we lose?”
Discord floated over and returned Applejack’s hat to her, then glanced back and forth between both teams. “Well, let’s see…since the most paint I see is on the Ruffians…and some of the ones with paint AREN’T EVEN DEER…I think we have our winners. Yes, indeed you lose, Applejack. The Magical Misfits win their third in a row.”
“YES!” five of the six Misfits cheered, bouncing up and down and giving each other hugs. Only Rarity remained without enthusiasm. She didn’t even smile as she remained limp in her wheelchair. To her shock, it was Trixie who trotted up to her.
“Hey…don’t look so sad, you foolish unicorn,” Trixie scolded, “We won, so be happy! Sure, you made a very stupid and egregious mistake that is very unacceptable, even for Trixie’s standards. However, none of us are perfect…not even Trixie. So, do not wallow in such self-pity; Trixie learned to not do that YEARS ago. Just bounce back from this humiliation and pain and make yourself a better pony for it.”
“Y-yes…you’re right…t-thank you, Trixie…” Rarity sniffed, giving the unicorn a weak smile, “You…you really aren’t so…bad…are you?”
“Bad? Humph…watch your tongue, foal,” Trixie smirked, getting behind the wheelchair and starting to push Rarity along, “Trixie is still the baddest unicorn to ever walk Equestria, and don’t you forget it. Sparkle, coming? Trixie desires a bath in the hot tub, and she believes the rest of the team deserves a dip, too. Bring the ditz, the teacher, and the brat and let’s get going, hmm?”
“Huh? Oh, right, of course, Trix,” Twilight chuckled, turning to Pinkie, Cheerilee and Scootaloo, “Let’s go, girls; we could use a good soak.” With happy nods, the three ponies followed after Twilight and Trixie, leaving a sullen Royal Ruffians team in their wake.
“Ruffians…it really sucks to be you, but the elimination ceremony is your only reward tonight,” Discord said, shaking his head, “Sad…you looked so strong to start the season…but, that’s life! So, have fun voting off one of your own this evening. Ta-ta!” He laughed and vanished on the spot, as per usual, once more leaving a dead silence behind him.
Applejack: Well, shoot…nothin’ stings worse than this one. All of us are either hurt or covered in paint…and humiliation. Dang…so this is what it feels like…to be as low as you can go… *she sighs*
Rainbow Dash: *holding an icepack over her groin* Darn it anyway! Why do we keep LOSING? This isn’t fair! I’m not a loser! And why did Applejack punch me THERE? That’s a low blow…literally!
Spike: It’s obvious who should go tonight. I blame Rainbow Dash’s brashness and overzealousness in this loss. Silver Spoon should be safe, at least; she’s the only one WITHOUT any paint on her.
It was becoming custom for the Royal Ruffians to see the blazing flames of the bonfire, but it was never a welcome sight. With each and every ceremony, the mood around the Ruffians was going more and more south. Applejack looked nervous and uneasy, Celestia looked drained, Fluttershy looked weak and sorrowful, Rainbow Dash looked angry, and Silver Spoon was still in her wheelchair with her massive injuries. Only Spike seemed to be mostly unaffected; the only thing he cared about at the moment was Silver Spoon’s wellbeing. He never left her side.
“Hello again, Ruffians…I swear, you really must love coming here,” Discord pointed out, floating up a moment later and eying the six remaining Ruffians, “Tell me, I know the flames make me look even hotter than I already am, but do you really love seeing me THAT much? I’m flattered, really, but this is NOT the place you WANT to be. You see, right now, your six is about to become five and you’re gonna have to watch one of your own once more go off on the Boat of Losers.”
“Shut up, Discord,” Celestia said coldly, “Your voice has gotten past irritating and now is just unbearable. If you’re gonna do this, just get to it and shut up.”
“Touchy, touchy,” Discord frowned, pulling out his paintball gun and firing a red paintball right into Celestia’s face, “Really, Celestia, no reason to go all red in the face!”
“I hate you SO much,” Celestia snarled, trying to scrape off the paint, but once again finding it impossible. None of the Ruffians had had a bath yet, so save for Silver Spoon, they were all still very messy. The added blast from Discord didn’t help the princess’ complexion, either.
“Now that our resident princess got some added makeup, we can get on with it,” Discord coughed, clearing his throat, “As you all know, each of you must vote off one of your teammates right now. The one that gets voted off much walk down the Dock of Shame, board the Boat of Losers, and get the heck out of here! And they CAN’T come back to camp…like, not now, not two days from now, not a week from now, not EVER! Is that absolutely CLEAR? Good, then let’s vote! Applejack, you’re first.”
Celestia: *showing the camera that she voted for Silver Spoon* I’m sorry, my dear. But, you are just too fragile. This is nothing personal; you just are not cut out for this. *she puts the ballot in the box*
Rainbow Dash: *showing the camera that she voted for Silver Spoon* Finally. This has been a long time coming. Sorry, kid, but you and your wheelchair have to go. *she puts the ballot in the box*
Silver Spoon: *writing by the tips of her hooves, due to the casts, and barely able to hold up her vote for Rainbow Dash* Ugh…you deserve to go…you mess everything up… *she manages to slip the ballot into the box*
Spike: *showing the camera that he voted for Rainbow Dash* C’mon, Applejack and Fluttershy, do it one more time…you KNOW Dash deserves the boot now! *he puts the ballot in the box*
“You all have cast your votes,” Discord sighed, seemingly bored as he snapped his fingers and got the ballot box appearing again, “Once a majority is reached, the decision is FINAL, and the eliminated contestant will be sent down the Dock of Shame at once. I shall now read the votes.” He flipped the top of the ballot box off, reached for the first ballot, and unfolded it.
“First vote…Silver Spoon.” Discord showed the ballot to the campers, and Spike visibly winced at seeing the filly’s name written and shown first thing.
“Second vote…Rainbow Dash. That’s one vote Silver Spoon and one vote Rainbow Dash.”
“Third vote…Silver Spoon. That’s two votes Silver Spoon, one vote Rainbow Dash.”
“Fourth vote…Rainbow Dash. That’s two votes Silver Spoon and two votes Rainbow Dash.”
“Fifth vote…Silver Spoon. That’s three votes Silver Spoon, two votes Rainbow Dash, and one vote left.”
“No…please, no…” Spike sobbed, his lip trembling as he reached out and gently grabbed one of Silver Spoon’s hooves as Discord reached for the final ballot. Would it possibly be a tie?
“Ninth loser of Total Magic Pony Island…” Discord announced, looking slightly sad as he flipped over the last ballot, “…Silver Spoon. Wow, harsh…but, my dear filly, the team has spoken. By a vote of 4-2, I’m afraid that you…”
“NO! THIS CAN’T BE!” Spike screamed, getting up and instantly raging at his four teammates, not even caring that one was the princess, “HOW COULD YOU? THAT’S NOT FAIR! SHE’S THE ONLY ONE WITHOUT PAINT ON HER! SHE DIDN’T LOSE US THIS CHALLENGE! YOU…YOU…THIS ISN’T FAIR!”
“Spike, dear, please calm down,” Celestia said, taking a deep sigh and attempting to ease the dragon’s obvious pain, “This wasn’t because of her losing the challenge or anything like that. You can tell what happened to her. She is simply not cut out for this game, and keeping her around would only further the pain between you two and Rarity. It’s for the best if she goes.”
“No…no…NO!” Spike kept screaming, clenching his eyes shut and balling his clawed hands into fists, “You lie! You ALL lie! All you care about is the stupid game and keeping the stupid team strong! What about Rainbow Dash and her attitude problems?”
“Ugh, do I always have to be brought into these things?” Dash groaned.
“YES, because YOU deserve to go, not Silver Spoon!” Spike kept crying, falling to the ground in front of Silver Spoon’s wheelchair. All this time, the filly hadn’t uttered a single word. Spike was the only one raging, and he wasn’t about to stop. “She didn’t do anything to deserve warranting being voted off! She actually changed her attitude since day one. Sure, she started off as a bully who only cared about herself, but…but…she changed. Today…she was showing heart and spirit…and she was excited. Didn’t you even see the joy in her eyes…for the very first time in this game? Didn’t you see her passion?”
“Are you saying I don’t have passion, heart and spirit?” Dash snapped, glaring at Spike, “Do you even know who you’re talking to? I’m Rainbow Dash!”
“I don’t care WHO you are! You’ve been nothing but a jerk since you got here, and you’re nothing but a jerk NOW!” Spike was trembling, his claws digging into the ground as his eyes flashed. He bared his fangs and glared up at Rainbow Dash, ready to attack her. “If you only had TWICE the heart that Silver Spoon has, maybe you’d be the element of harmony that you’re SUPPOSED to be, Dash!”
“HOW DARE YOU!” Dash finally snapped herself, flying up and getting into Spike’s face, “You DARE bring my element into question? That does it! Put ‘em up, dragon boy!” She and Spike were about to throw down, but Discord finally broke them up.
“As interesting as this is, it isn’t gonna change anything,” the draconequus explained, “As I said, the decision is final. Spike, if you want, you can wheel your filly friend down the Dock of Shame, since I don’t think she’ll be getting there herself.”
“Fine…but I won’t forget this…” Spike said darkly, taking hold of Silver Spoon’s wheelchair and stomping away from her team towards the Dock of Shame.
Rainbow Dash: It looks like we all know who’s gonna be going next time. Thanks, Spike, for making yourself the villain! *she grins a bit and crosses her forelegs* The dragon boy goes home next.
Spike’s tears dribbled down his face as he blindly ushered Silver Spoon in her wheelchair down the Dock of Shame. The walk seemed to last for miles, and Spike’s legs felt like they were walking through jelly. No matter how close Spike got to the Boat of Losers, he never seemed to be within reach of it. That or he just didn’t want to say goodbye to Silver Spoon. He was still beyond angry for what he considered a total unjust elimination, but he had just made himself look bad in front of his team. He knew that he was now on the chopping block, thanks to his own temper.
“Spikey?” Silver Spoon whispered, finally finding her voice. Just as the baby dragon managed to wheel the hospital chair to the edge of the dock and near the awaiting Boat of Losers, the filly’s soft voice broke the sounds of Spike’s crying and instantly seemed to soothe him. “Please…please don’t cry for me. It…it indeed was my time. I had fun, and…I now have you…that’s all that matters to me.”
“But…but…I couldn’t save you this time, Silver Spoon,” Spike whimpered, slowly walking in front of her, barely falling over the dock and into the water as he did so, and kneeling down in front of the hurt filly, “I couldn’t save you from falling off that cliff…and I couldn’t save you from this elimination ceremony. I thought…Applejack and Fluttershy were on my side…but, I guess not…”
“You cannot fault them,” Silver Spoon said, wincing as she patted Spike’s head with one of her hooves, “All three are elements of harmony, are they not? They are best friends. No matter what Dash’s attitude is like, did you really think they would betray her? And…Princess Celestia…nopony would be stupid enough to vote for her. You should be happy that it was me instead of you…but, next time…”
“I don’t care about myself. I only care about you, Silver Spoon. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” Spike slowly got off his knees and took both of the filly’s hooves into his hands, very softly clenching them to not inflict any pain on her. Then, he stared into the filly’s broken glasses and into her beautiful violet eyes that the glasses always tried to cover up. Giving one last, loving smile, Spike leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers. The two shared a final kiss together.
Silver Spoon moaned softly as she remained stationary and useless in her wheelchair, but Spike was doing more than enough to compensate. He slowly reached up with his hands and gripped the sides of Silver Spoon’s face, caressing her as she continued his soft yet passionate kiss. Their tongues met, and a warm blush broke out on both faces, but neither one cared. The filly and the baby dragon just continued to kiss and show each other their love one final time before they would have to part ways.
When Spike finally forced himself to give Silver Spoon air, he weakly pulled himself away and gave the filly a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze of her hoof to let her know that he would always be there for her. Knowing that prolonging this would only make it hurt worse, Spike took a glance back at the dreaded Boat of Losers, gave a sigh, then meekly gripped the sides of Silver Spoon’s wheelchair and began to push her onboard.
“…Spike?” Silver Spoon said, her voice coming out rather mysteriously serious.
Spike paused and halted the wheelchair, then cocked his head as he gazed back into Silver Spoon’s face. “Yeah, Silver Spoon?”
Slowly, a playful, evil smile broke out on Silver Spoon’s face. The filly slowly pulled her right eye shut in a wink as she whispered her final words to Spike. “Make…them…pay.”
The dragon blinked a bit in shock at seeing Silver Spoon’s sudden change in attitude, but with a slight glance back towards camp, Spike’s lips curled into an evil smirk himself. Looking back at Silver Spoon, he returned her wink and gave her a thumbs-up. “Oh, don’t you worry…I plan on it.”
“Uh-oh…it looks like Spike isn’t quite done yet in this game,” Discord smirked, appearing to the cameras as Spike finally delivered Silver Spoon onto the Boat of Losers, “It seems the Royal Ruffians, aided by Silver Spoon, have possibly awoken a sleeping beast within the belly of our young dragon contestant. Will anything actually happen from it? Will Spike and Silver Spoon’s relationship continue on past the game? Can Rarity ever make Spike forgive her? Will the Ruffians keep losing? Find out all these answers and more, next time, on Total…Magic…Pony Island! Bye-bye!” The host snapped his fingers and vanished, leaving Spike standing on the edge of the Dock of Shame and watching the Boat of Losers slowly drift off into the night.
Spike: *giving the camera a deadly-serious look, he cracks his knuckles* So, they wanna play dirty, do they? Well, two can play at that game. I hope you’re ready, Dash. You should know not to mess with a dragon, no matter the size. Because, you see, a dragon… *he bares his fangs* …has fangs. Oh, and they also… *he flashes his claws* …have claws. Mess with the dragon, and you get the flames. Game on, Dash. *he crosses his arms as the slits in his emerald dragon pupils seem to flash while the cameras fade out*