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// Page 83 
// Story: The Purloined Pony 
// by Chris 
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“Alright then, mister boggie-king. If you’re so tough, I challenge you to a fight. If I win, Applebloom goes free. If I lose, then you can take me and her both.” The boggie is tiny, and in any case he’s so fat that he looks like he can barely move. Surely he won’t be able to put up much of a fight?



The boggie king leans forward in his throne. “Let me get this straight. You are challenging me to combat, and the foal is my wager?”



“That’s right.”



“Very well. My conditions are that the combat be observed by all the boggies, and that each of us be allowed to use one weapon.”



You nod. “Let’s get this over with.”



Soon, a large space has been cleared in the middle of the chamber. Standing all around you and the Ceanntighern are perhaps thirty or so boggies, all eager to see the outcome of this fight. The Ceanntighern, for his part, stands opposite you with one of the spears his people seem to favor clutched in one hand. He hasn’t even bothered to remove his crown or put down his scepter.



All right Carrot Top, you can do this, you think to yourself. As long as you don’t let him hit you with that spear of his, there’s no way he can win.



The Ceanntighern calls out to you, “Are you ready for the trial by combat to begin?”



You nod. 



“Then let the fight... commence!” 



Immediately, you feel a sharp pain in your flank. Looking back, you see that one of the boggies in the crowd has stabbed you with a spear. As you feel your legs start to wobble under you, you gasp out, “You... you cheated!”



The Ceanntighern gasps in mock indignation. “I? Cheated? Why, I never! We agreed that the duelists would be allowed to use one weapon each!” He tosses aside his spear, “And you can clearly see that I only used one weapon on you! If you didn’t think to specify that the weapon couldn’t be wielded by another, that’s your problem.”



Before you can retort, unconsciousness overtakes you. The last thing you hear is the cheers of the boggies, congratulating their ruler on yet another impressive victory.






The End