//------------------------------//
// Arsenal: Annihilation Nation 
// Story: The Sparkle in his Eye 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	The trio arrived at Annihilation Nation, Twilight posed a rather important question.  "So which of us is going to be running the Death Course?"

Ratchet spun around to face her.  "Wait...you want to run the Death Course?" he asked in shock.

"I never said I wanted to," she countered.  "But success here is important.  We need that Tyhrra-Guise.  So who would it be most logical to have enter?"

"You're just a kid, Twilight!" Ratchet pointed out.  "Your tenth birthday is a few months from now.  Do you really want to risk your life here for somebody's entertainment?"

"Do you think anything this course can throw at me is any more dangerous than what I'm going to face going up against Nefarious?" Twilight countered.

"Honestly, I'd rather you take a support role on the Phoenix," Ratchet refuted.

"And you assume I'd be safe there?" Twilight demanded.  "How many times will you thwart him before he attacks the ship?  And there I'm limited in space and taking a defensive position.  You know I'm better on offense."

"But-"

"Ahem," Clank interrupted.  They both turned to him.  "Twilight raised an interesting point about who would perform better in the course.  Perhaps an analysis of the course and your abilities would do better than this argument?"

"I can accept that," Twilight agreed.

Grunting in resignation, Ratchet leaned against the ship, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Now then, the course is two parts," Clank explained.  "One part obstacle course, one part combat.  Now, I'm sure we are in agreement that nothing in the combat segment is going to be a serious threat to either of you, correct?"  Ratchet and Twilight both nodded.  "Then the only matter of course should be the obstacle course...which is a series of platforms over lava, similar to the Path of Death back on Florana."

"The thermals back there were awesome!" Twilight sighed in reminiscence.  "I've never flown so well before..."

Ratchet sighed.  "Alright.  Twilight gets to fly the course," he allowed.  "Just go all out for the combat segment."

"I certainly will!" Twilight said happily.





As the cameras panned in, the announcer began his pitch.  "Are you ready to play?" he screamed out, to a cheering response.  "Alright!  Let's meet our first contestant!"  More cheers, as Twilight waved to the crowd.  "She's Gadgetron's star prodigy inventor, mascot, and adventurer!  However, most know her as...Secret Agent Clank's ward Sparks!"  The cheers were deafening.  "She wants the Tyhrra-Guise to win a costume contest this Halloween!"

"Really?" Ratchet asked Clank.

"It's both more conservative and gets better ratings than 'to save the galaxy'," Clank replied.

"Give a warm welcome to...Twilight Sparkle!" the announcer shouted, to rousing cheers.  "Twilight will attempt to be the first contestant ever to survive the Death Course!  Contestant number 1, are you ready?!"

"Here I come!" Twilight shouted happily as she faced down the course.

She started off by racing towards the first gap before leaping into the air and spreading her wings.  The thermals from both the lava and the flame platforms gave her more than enough lift to clear the gap well out of range of any of the obstacles.  She actually had to slip air to enter the gate without crashing into the wall.

"Now hang on!" the announcer began.  "Is that legal according to the rules?"  There was a turning of pages as the announcer searched the rule book.  "Well, it seems flying isn't against the rules, as long as you were born with wings...and according to her paperwork, she was!  This is going to be a fast course run, folks!"

Diving through the gate, Twilight threw her Omniwrench out.  She'd given it a few upgrades and tweaks, and when thrown in a round arc, it generated a magnetic field that attracted metallic foes, as well as bolts.  The floating bots awaiting her smashed into each other as the wrench flew by.

"Someone's in a hurry!" the announcer shouted as Twilight caught her wrench and headed down the next open path.

Racing up to the edge of the platform again, Twilight spread her wings and caught the thermals into the air.  The robot at one end of the path tried to shoot her down with his laser, but she was able to easily fly circles around it.

"Look at her go!" the announcer proclaimed.  "She should be a stunt flyer with moves like that!"

She stayed airborne as she swooped through the corner into the next flame platform segment.  The maneuver sent her straight over the next section of flame platforms to trigger the next switch.  She tossed a few bombs from her bomb glove as she swooped in, blasting the bots to bits.

Racing across the next bridge, she used her Plasma Coil to blast the bots backwards while she triggered the next gate.  As she raced across the next bridge - leaping from moving segment to moving segment since she didn't have enough room to get lift - the announcer spoke up again.  "She could be championship material, folks!"

Grinning widely, she brought her hooves down on the head of the last robot before leaping into the winner's circle, where she acquired the first of two prizes for the Death Course: the second Qwark vid-comic.





As she was brought into the arena - with several groups of robots and other gladiators charging out to meet her - the announcer spoke up.  "Now it's time to get down and dirty for a lowdown showdown!"

Twilight blinked.  "Uhh...I need an adult," she whimpered.

"I am an adult!" the announcer proclaimed loudly.

Shaking her head in confusion, Twilight pulled out the Plasma Coil, the Heavy Bouncer, the RY3NO v2, her N60 Storms, and her recently upgraded Agents of Doom.  She held them all in her telekinesis.  "Come on!" she challenged the assaulting gladiators.  "If you think you're hard enough!"

She opened fire.

Over the sound of gunfire, the announcer shouted, "Where does she get all these wonderful toys?"

Under the force of the onslaught Twilight was able to bring to bear, the waves of gladiators were mowed down like wheat.

"I don't believe it, folks!" the announcer proclaimed.  "She survived the Death Course!"  Twilight waved happily.  "And here to give her the prize is the lovely Miss Courtney Gears!"

Twilight turned towards the pop starlet who was sashaying towards her.



Courtney Gears threw the small green circle to Twilight casually before walking back off.  Curiously, Twilight activated the device, instantly taking the form of a Tyhrranoid.

"Isn't she adorable?" the announcer proclaimed.

Twilight removed it as Ratchet and Clank approached her, just as Sasha called on the vid screen.  "How's progress?" she asked.

"Twilight won the Tyhrra-Guise," Clank explained.  Twilight held it up proudly.

"And I'm pretty sure Annihilation Nation is going to completely redesign the Death Course so wings and telekinesis don't break the game," Ratchet joked, ruffling her mane.

Sasha chuckled.  "She's that good, huh?" she asked.  "Maybe my father bet on the wrong horse...er, pony."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Now that Qwark's back in shape, President Phyronix has put him in charge of the fight against Nefarious," Sasha replied, "and he's called the first team meeting.  You'd all better get back to the Phoenix."

"We're on our way!" Ratchet announced, saluting.