The pink mare's mane drooped. Not only from the isolation she's been through, but from the sheer heat of the desert. Dunes of orange sand stretched out for miles, with not a single landmark to go buy.
"UUghh! It's like an oven in here!" She griped, her tongue hanging from her mouth. Her throat stung from the intense thirst that caused her lips to dry up. However, a single sliver of color beamed out in the sandy dunes. Pinkie Pie turned her head to it, and squinted. The waves of heat distorted the landscape, but Pinkie could see lush green. "Is that... water?" Pinkie asked herself. "No... it can't be. It's just a mirage." She said.
But as Pinkie kept walking, she felt herself wandering toward it, and saw more details arise. Bushes, palm trees, and of course, a small pool.
"It IS water!" Pinkie chirped. Her mane puffed up to the same curly shape before she galloped toward the green. As she got closer, she grinned widely as the vegetation grew closer, instead of vanishing like a normal mirage. It was only until she set hoof next to the water when she gleefully submerged her face in the water and drank. She enjoyed the crisp, fresh water that quenched her thirst. "Mmmm! Quenchy." She chirped. She began to sip more water, until she was interrupted.
"Well, hello Pinkie." Discord said, with a seemingly cheerful demeanor.
"Hiya, Discord!" Pinkie replied, looking up at the empty space in front of her. "Whatcha doin'?"
"Oh, I was just stopping by. I guess it's just time for another round of our little 'game'." Discord said, chuckling softly.
Pinkie nearly shuddered. "Uh... I'm not sure. It's not very fun." She muttered.
"I think it's fun. Nothing like making you and your friends fight to the death with supernatural creatures, huh?"
"Uh, well, the thing about that is-" Pinkie said, but she was cut off by a loud hissing behind her. Pinkie Pie turned to see an enormous serpent slithering from the bushes. It was very long, at least ten feet, all of it green, slender muscle. Its tail was a leafy pattern, baring yellow strips and with small leaves protruding around its neck. It's narrow, pale green head glared at the pony with red eyes, holding its head high.
"Okay. Everything seems to be in order. Pinkie, meet Serperior. Serperior, Pinkie." Discord said nonchalantly.
The Serperior reacted lightning fast, lunging toward Pinkie Pie with ferocity. Pinkie, caught of guard, was quickly wrapped in the monster's tail, which began to constrict her. Pinkie attempted to gasp for air, but the Serperior's crushing grip soon overwhelmed her. "UURRK!too... tight!" She choked out, trying to pull the coil away from her neck. Her face flushed a deep blue, and her muscles began to grow weaker with each passing second.
Pinkie gasped, taking in very little air, but exhaling twice as much. Her vision grew blurry and fuzzy, before Pinkie Pie started seeing spots. "Can't... breathe. Can't... think." Pinkie thought. Her body went numb, as she lost feeling in her limbs. The mare heard another deep hiss, and could barely see the Serperior hovering over her, baring its enormous fangs.
It didn't take Pinkie long to realize that she would end up snake lunch if she didn't act soon. But what was there to do? Pinkie was in the merciless grip of a massive serpent, having the life squeezed out of her. However, in a brief moment of instinct, she opened her own mouth and sank her teeth into the closest chunk of coil.
The Serperior stopped its squeezing, but released Pinkie after hissing in pain. The party pony tumbled out of harm's way, and rose to her hooves, shaky. She took a few deep breaths, the color returning to her face. "Not so much... fun being bit yourself... huh?" Pinkie asked, in between breathes.
A dark fluid dripped from Pinkie's bite mark. The mare's mouth also detected a leafy taste, like an aged head of lettuce. However, the Serperior was not finished. It's eyes glared at Pinkie Pie, averting attention from its tail. The leaves around the tip of its tail extended, forming sharp triangular points.
Pinkie, however, was too intimidated with the two vengeful eyes of the Serperior to notice the tail. The Serperior lashed its tail forward, but Pinkie could only flinch enough to see the blade of the tail slice off a lock of her mane. Then, the eye contact was broken, and Pinkie Pie was able to focus. She galloped closer, and the Serperior swung its tail once more. Pinkie leaped into the air, soaring over the blade and head-butting the Serperior right in its own forehead. Pinkie landed back on the sand, out of breath and sweating. She turned around, expecting the Serperior to snap at her.
But the serpent simply lay on the sand. It sat still, its eyes rolled back into its head. "D-did I win?" Pinkie asked aloud. She cautiously stepped over to the beast. She leaned over it, and put her ear to its body. Pinkie Pie could hear a faint movement, paired with the lack of flow from the Serperior's wound. It was still alive, but barely. "I-I won!" Pinkie sighed, relived. She fell back, exhausted.
"I'm afraid not, little pony. You didn't kill it. It simply passed out. You need to finish it." Discord's voice sounded, in a condescending manner.
"B-but why?" Pinkie whined. "I've done enough. I'm sure once it wakes up it will forgive me!" She said, looking around for the disembodied voice.
"No excuses. Your friends have done their part. Even Fluttershy has finished her business." Discord cajoled.
"Fluttershy killed something?" Pinkie whimpered. "I-I-I guess it's not that bad." She said. Reluctantly, Pinkie placed her hooves on the limp body of the Serperior. She then pushed it closer and closer to the water. Before she fully submerged the serpent's head, she whispered one last thing to the creature. "I'm sorry."
Once Pinkie rolled the rest of the creature into the water, her mane flopped down into a straight style.
"You know, this is becoming too easy for you. I'm going to have to step up my game..." Discord chuckled, his deep chortle echoing to silence.
Pinkie felt a tinge of panic and worry. "I just hope Fluttershy is okay." she mumbled, staring into the hot sky.