//------------------------------//
// 19. 
// Story: 8-Bit Pony 
// by Dawn Flower 
//------------------------------//

“Alright then, moving on,” Twilight spoke up.

“Excuse me, Black Mage,” Rarity butted in.

“Oh for the love of Celestia!” Twilight shouted out.

Rarity, however, ignored Twilight’s outburst, and continued with what she was saying.

“You know, it’s awfully difficult to see your face with that hat on.” She gave him an inquisitive look, and then smiled brightly. “Why don’t you take it off?” She then reached with her hoof to take his hat off. “That way we can all see your….”

Black Mage immediately backed away from her, holding his hat down tightly against his head. “No, touch nothing, you fool! All my robes are booby trapped! You’ll kill us all!” BM shouted out.

“Really?” Fighter chimed in. “Because I could have sworn that that whole thing was all just about your low charisma.”

BM then turned around to face Fighter. “While that’s certainly one way to categorize it, I must defend my ego by saying that you’re wrong and also stupid. And also, shut up.”

Fighter then looked down at the ground, dejected, with a sad look on his face.

This act earned Black Mage hard glares from the surrounding ponies. “What?!” BM shouted out.

Twilight then stepped forward, staring down (yes, down) at Black Mage. “How can you treat your friend like that?” She asked in a condescending tone.

“Simple,” Black Mage replied back. “He says something stupid, and I tell him to shut up. That’s pretty much the Alpha and Omega of our dialogue trees.”

Twilight, however, just continued glaring down at him.

“Hey, he benefits from it too.” Black Mage continued, with his arms in the air. “The less he talks around me, the longer he’ll live.” There was then silence for a moment and he lowered his arms again, but then he put his hand to his mouth. “Wait a minute.”

“Still…” Twilight continued. “He is your friend. Don’t you believe in the magic of friendship?”

*Beat*

“Oh, I swear, if I hadn’t misplaced my stabbing knife, you’d be so stabbed right now.” BM said.

Everyone else in the group, except Fighter, who just stood there and didn’t move, all dropped their mouths in shock. Twilight, however, managed to keep a straight face.

“You are a horrible little creature and I pray for your swift and just end.” She commented.

“Thank you.” BM responded.