//------------------------------// // Eight Of Swords: Restriction (The Mane Six) // Story: Draw // by TheVulpineHero1 //------------------------------// Eight Of Swords: Restriction Keyword: Restriction. A run of bad luck, feelings of being trapped and powerless. Patient effort is needed to get out of this difficult situation. Help is available if you can forget pride and ask for it. Restrictions will gradually fade. Reversed: Frustration, which you take out on others. Being your own worst enemy, placing restrictions on yourself. There are times in life when you feel trapped, completely and utterly- times when, no matter how far or fast you run, the long arm of fate will drag you bodily back to the problem and rub your face in it until either it goes away or your face erodes. Ponykind, in their great wisdom, have manufactured a way to instil this feeling into another pony at will. They call it the art of the double-dare. And it is an evil, soul-sucking, pride-destroying technique that hangs like a black shroud over every sleepover, ever. “Come on, Rainbow Dash. You can do it. You're not...chicken, are ya?” Applejack grinned slyly. “I'd rather be a chicken than an earth pony. At least I could still fly,” she bit back, but without real venom. It was Twilight she was really annoyed at. Why'd she have to dredge up that old 'anypony can walk on clouds' spell, anyway, and who'd volunteered her house for the sleepover? “But you're not a chicken, silly. You're a pegasus. Peg-a-sus. Remember?” Pinkie Pie said blithely, toying with the bottle that they'd been spinning. She'd gotten out of her dare on a technicality, mainly because Dash had dared her to jump out of the window and she'd looked like she was actually going to do it. This prompted a ten minute wrestling match to keep her from plunging earthwards, which eventually culminated in Fluttershy telling them all, very firmly, to sit down. Wisely, they all had. “Don't do it, Rainbow Dash! It's not worth it. Nothing could be worth it!” Rarity advised, somewhat melodramatically. She was right, though. It was only pride, after all, and she could do without- “Aw, man,” Dash muttered to herself, finally picking up the implements of her own doom. She could not live without pride. No way. “Gosh, Rainbow Dash. You're so brave. I hope you survive,” Fluttershy added less-than-helpfully. Rainbow Dash gulped. The pressure was starting to get to her. “Yeah. I don't want to tick 'bury dead friend' off my sleepover checklist. I'm pretty sure it's not even in the book,” Twilight said critically. “Hey, are you sure you're okay? You look like you're about to drop it.” Rainbow Dash shook her head quickly. Between trembling lips, she held a bag of nachos. “Now there goes a brave pony! C'mon, gals, let's all cheer her on so she doesn't weasel out,” AJ hollered, and the rest of the ponies agreed. With the rest of the girls following her footsteps, there was simply no way out. She was well and truly trapped. Never before had the art of the double dare seemed so fearful to her. Inwardly, she vowed vengeance. Against Applejack, mostly. Although, ironically, she kind of accepted that it was all her fault. Decorating really wasn't her strong suit, was it, and why didn't she just pick a different theme for her house, maybe one that wasn't so deliciously pun-based? But there was nothing for it. So, with the trot of the newly condemned, she made her way through the house and out of the door, to where her final demise awaited her. “I always wondered why you had a rainbow pouring out of your wall, Rainbow Dash. Now it all makes sense!” Pinkie Pie called. She groaned in response, and shook open the bag of nachos. “Twilight, do the honours if'n you'd be so kind,” Applejack said grandly, and with a small twinge of magic, the nacho bag was wrested from Rainbow Dash's grip. Soon, the nachos had been brought forth, flying like magical corn-based birds in the grip of Twilight's arcane might. One, the largest, rose slowly, and then soared skywards- before plunging into the pool of rainbow. Then, it returned, and hovered in front of Dash's mouth, as she mournfully prepared herself to 'taste the rainbow'. Slowly and carefully, she took the smallest bite she possibly could. And then the world exploded in a shower of colour and light and she didn't even know it was possible for taste buds to scream and how could the colours still be there if everything had gone black and what was wrong with her stomach- She awoke to find the rest of the gang looking over her with evident concern. Six colours floated hazily as spots in front of her eyes, so she imagined a seventh to go with it and all was well. Her jaw had set like an iron vice, holding the rest of the nacho like a tiny rainbow sail above her mouth. Her wings ached under her. She could hear the others speaking, but their voices seemed to float, to boom and whisper randomly so she couldn't quite make it out. Then she blinked, and Pinkie Pie's face was hovering inches above her, too close, unbearably close, so she could see her eyelashes and the individual curls in that frizzy mane of hers and oh gosh it was getting closer and the rainbow spots wouldn't stop appearing in front of her eyes and everything was just going wrong. Oblivious to Rainbow Dash's palpitations, Pinkie Pie carefully took the nacho out of her friend's teeth, before crunching it down herself. For just a split-second, every hair in her mane stood straight in shock, then immediately curled back into its regular arrangement. “Wow, Pinkie Pie...I can't believe you did that,” Fluttershy said in awe. “It's not that bad, once you get used to it,” Pinkie half-sang. “I think rainbows are an acquired taste.” “Shouldn't we make sure Dash is okay? She looks...shocked,” Twilight said cautiously. Something stirred in the pegasus as she saw a thinly glimmering chance to regain her dignity. “O-of course!” she shouted, jumping to her feet a lot faster than was wise. “I mean, wouldn't you be shocked after a close encounter with the Pinkie kind?” “But, you keeled over before Pinkie even came near ya,” AJ pointed out. “I-I was just being dramatic! Y'know, put on a show for you guys, that sorta thing! The nachos were nothing! I just didn't expect Pinkie to just come looming down and...” “And what?” Pinkie asked with perfect innocence, whilst carefully eyeing the remaining nachos, as if they might escape. “And...just, and, Pinkie. Just and,” Dash sighed, giving up. At least she had the pleasure of devising one hundred and one dares to get back at Applejack- and it was her turn to spin the bottle next. The bottle, of course, landed on Fluttershy. Who, when dared to do a triple loop-de-loop whilst wearing AJ's hat, didn't take it well at all...