//------------------------------//
// 22. 
// Story: 8-Bit Pony 
// by Dawn Flower 
//------------------------------//

A few minutes later, after walking in silence, the seven of them eventually reached the Friendship Castle. They were now just outside the front door.

“Well, here we are.” Twilight said, as she stepped out in front of the group and gestured to the castle in front of them. She then turned to face Fighter and Black Mage. “What do you think?”

“Hmmm.” Black Mage said as he stared at the castle in front of him. He then brought his hand to his mouth. “Well let’s see: it’s completely out of place with the rest of the town, it takes up way more space than necessary, proportionally it makes no sense, and it’s sparkly. So yes, I’d say it would make the perfect playset for a five year old girl.” Black Mage concluded.

“Awesome!” Fighter exclaimed, with his arms in the air. “Where can I buy one?”

Black Mage simply looked down at the ground for a second, and then he turned back around to face Fighter. “Fighter, do me a favour and just stand there silently for about thirty seconds.” He said in a straight tone.

Fighter then lowered his arms again. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to try.”

“Good boy. You do that.” Black Mage replied. He then struck a strange pose, and everyone was silent for thirty seconds; except for Pinkie Pie, who had suddenly disappeared.

While they were being silent, Twilight grimaced to herself. “This better not be another tangent.” She thought to herself.

When the thirty seconds were up, Black Mage spoke again. “Okay, there we go. I just activated a low level fire spell in your lungs. It’s been entirely too long since I tried to kill you, and I needed my fix.”

Fighter simply stared back at him strangely. “What exactly are you talking abou…” He then collapsed on the ground.

Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy all gasped, Pinkie Pie still wasn’t there, and Twilight, oddly enough, didn’t react at all. She must be getting used to them. She then had the harsh realization.

“There,” Black Mage started, pointing to the rest of the ponies, in front of him, except for Twilight, who was behind him. “Let that be a lesson to all of you about not crossing me, or I make your body explode.”

Rainbow Dash then stomped forward. “Oh yeah?” She spoke confidently. “Well the rest of us aren’t exactly stupid enough to just stand there while you do it.” She said in a tough tone of voice. “Except maybe Pinkie Pie.” She whispered under her breath. She then glared back at Black Mage again.

“Oh, you think you can take me, you rainbow-loving…” He then wracked his brain for a second, trying to come up with the right word. “Fillyfooler!” Black Mage challenged her.

Rainbow’s right eye twitched slightly, and then she suddenly raised the volume of her voice. “NOBODY CALLS ME A FILLYFOOLER!” She shouted out.

Black Mage was unimpressed by her outburst and just continued aggravating her. “Oh, really? Well bring it ooooooo……”

Before he could finish, however, Rainbow Dash then immediately yanked him by the arm and pulled him away into a clichéd, comic book style beat down, that took the form of a big ball of dust in the middle of the group, and beat him to a pulp, in a completely one sided fight, due to her anger-enhanced strength.

And Black Mage’s complete lack of physical strength.

Once Rainbow had had enough, she then tossed BM to the side, and he collapsed on the ground.

A few seconds later, he spoke up again, still face down in the dirt. “Okay, I had that coming. Apparently, it’s also been entirely too long since someone tried to kill me.”

Pinkie Pie then suddenly returned, with a big, pink box in her hooves. “Hey Fighter, I’ve got your…” She stopped mid-sentence and looked down at his body on the ground. “Oh, never mind.”