***DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains scenes of homosexuality vs. religious extremists as a social discussion, and the views and opinions of the characters in the story do not directly or indirectly represent the authors' viewpoints. Some content in this chapter may be offensive to you. You have been warned. Viewer discretion is advised.***

The next morning, Rarity took it upon herself to take Fluttershy and Bulk shopping for outfits that were more ‘fitting’ for the Las Pegasus scene.

“You’ll see, darlings!” Rarity smiled, pulling them both by the wrists out of the elevator and into the hotel lobby, heading for the exit. “You’re going to LOVE the outfits you find, whatever they may be!”

“Oh, Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a blush, “that’s very kind of you, but the fashion here is very… um, revealing…”

“Whatever are you talking about, Fluttershy, dear?” Rarity asked in confusion. “I got my outfit from Las Pegasus last year, and it’s fine!” She said as she gestured to the low-cut dress she was wearing, which exposed plenty of cleavage, the bottom of it stopping high up on her thighs. “And Bulk, darling, I can find you some south beach fashion to really show off your impressive physique.” She beamed as Bulk sheepishly chuckled.

“Um, I’ll go if Fluttershy wants to go…” Bulk said, not wanting to leave the comfort his closest friend provided for him.

Fluttershy, not wanting to disappoint Rarity, agreed to go with her, consequentially electing Bulk as well. “Sure, Rarity, I’ll go. It might be… um, fun.”

“Oh, it’ll be just MARVELOUS, darling!” Rarity said, giddy with excitement. “I simply must show you two the newest beach line on the market! I’m certain Abercrombie & Finch just got a shipment of them!” She said, holding both Bulk and Fluttershy by the wrist, practically dragging both of them against the better part of their wills into the streets of Las Pegasus.

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Twilight awoke slowly, being roused from bed after a slow, laborious stretch and yawn only by the enticing smell that was coming from what she assumed to be the penthouse’s kitchen. As she got out of bed, she found that she was slightly confused. ‘This is strange. I swear the last thing I remember was cuddling with Spike on the couch. I didn’t drink enough to forget anything, either, yet I don’t remember getting up from the couch at all...’ As she was thinking to herself, she noticed a note on the door in what she recognized as Spike’s handwriting. Her eyes not fully adjusted, having just woken up, she squinted in order for the writing to come into focus as she read the note to herself.

‘ You fell asleep on the couch last night, and I didn’t want to wake any of the girls by bringing you in their room, so I took you into this empty bedroom and slept next to you. You make cute noises and faces when you sleep. By the time you wake up, breakfast should be nearly done, so come to the kitchen after you read this. Love ya!’

Twilight smiled and blushed after reading the thoughtful note. “He’s so sweet. I’m such a lucky girl.” She then opened the door and headed towards the source of the wonderful smells that awoke her. When she arrived at the breakfast table, she was greeted by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Big Macintosh, and Pipsqueak. Spike and Big Mac did not turn to greet her, as they were hard at work on the kitchen’s large cooking space, complete with spacious countertops, every type of cooking utensil in existence, and top-dollar appliances. Twilight smiled and waved groggily at her friends, still not fully awake thanks to the deep and peaceful sleep she had gotten the night before. “Good morning, everyone.” She managed to reply after a long, contagious yawn, causing almost everybody else at the table to yawn as well, Spike, Applejack, and Big Macintosh only being immune to the contagion because they were practiced early-birds, almost always greeting the morning with open arms.

Twilight’s eyes were fully open now, and she was scanning the room with her practiced and analytical eyes. Her mind flashed in a spark of interest as she noticed that the large table was missing a few assets. “Where are Rarity, Fluttershy, and Bulk Biceps?” She asked her friends in curiosity, wondering in the back of her mind if they were still asleep.

Rainbow put Twilight’s thoughts to rest as she answered her in what sounded like a bored tone of voice. “Oh, Rarity dragged Bulk and Flutters along for a shopping spree or somethin’ like that.” Her voice and face then changed exponentially as she continued. “They don’t know what they’re missing! The day we’ve got planned is gonna be freakin’ AWESOME!”

“We’re gonna head to the beach today, right?” Spike asked with a raised eyebrow, looking towards Pipsqueak while cooking some eggs. Pip nodded in response.

“You bet we are, mate!” He chuckled. “With some luck, I might even be able to pick up a beauty or two.

Spike chuckled in response to this. “Dude, no girl’s gonna want a guy in an arm cast; no offense.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said as he flipped over a pancake, revealing a perfect, even brown shade across the top of it. He cleared his throat before speaking again. “Besides, that ain’t the most important part of the beach fer you, me, an’ Spike. Last night, before Ah went to bed, Ah wrote up a workout regimen that we can do there, an’ Ah made sure that your arm doesn’t get in the way of the exercises, Pip.” The two younger boys groaned at this, while Rainbow eagerly entered the conversation.

“You guys are gonna do a beach workout? You gotta let me get in on this! That sounds so awesome!” The rainbow-haired girl said, a large smile on her face.

Big Mac chuckled before directing his attention to Spike and Pip before smirking. “Now, why can’t you two be as excited as Miss Dash is t’do mah workouts?” This caused the two boys Mac was teasing to laugh, knowing the full extent of the laziness their friend was referring to.

“Ah, alright, mate.” Pip said with a chuckle, “What’s the regimen you’ve got planned today?”

“It’s core and cardio today. Not much to it, Ah’m sure you two’ll survive.” Mac then turned to Canterlot High’s most prized athlete before adding, “Won’t be problem fer you, Miss Dash.”

Rainbow chuckled before responding to the large country boy. “Bro, don’t call me ‘Miss Dash’, it makes me seem like an old lady or something. Rainbow’s fine.”

Mac chuckled sheepishly before looking at Rainbow over his shoulder as he finished cooking breakfast on his half of the stove, Spike working diligently beside him. “Sorry, Rainbow, Ah was jest raised that way. Forgive me if’n Ah call you Miss Dash again; Ah’ll have t’get used to callin’ you Rainbow instead.”

“Matter’a fact, Mac, jest call all the girls by their names, y’don’t need to use formalities with any of ‘em.” Applejack told her brother before flashing a devilish smile. “Well, ‘cept fer Rarity, maybe.” This caused everyone in the room to laugh, knowing how much their fashionista friend loves to be treated ‘like a proper lady.’

Mac nodded at this as him and Spike quickly finished cooking breakfast, and served huge portions of it on large plates. Mac looked around at the table as he took his seat, then quietly cleared his throat. Applejack picked up on this and smiled sheepishly. She spoke up a second after. “Sorry, y’all… Ah know this may seem a little strange, and we don’t want y’all to feel forced into it, but… Me ‘n Mac jest cain’t eat without sayin’ grace first… Would y’all be okay with that?”

Everyone nodded and agreed respectfully except for Pip, who looked blankly at Applejack before speaking up. “Sorry, love, but I’m not a man of faith if it’s alright, I’d like to excuse myself for grace. No hard feelings, I hope.” The slim teenager then stood from the table and walked out of the kitchen, leaving a slightly awkward tension in the air behind him.

After a few seconds of silence, Mac bowed his head, and everyone at the table followed suit. They said a quick prayer, and after they finished, Spike got up and found Pip sitting on the couch, his face buried in his hands. Spike cleared his throat, and Pip looked at his friend, quickly plastering on an artificial smile before speaking.

“Um… You can come back in now.”

Pip jumped at the unexpected sound of his friend’s voice before quickly standing, a smile quickly finding its way to his face. “Thanks, mate.”

The two quickly went back to the large dining table and the delicious breakfast Spike and Mac had cooked was talked over with happiness and community, the awkward air quickly dissipating as everyone began to socialize, readying themselves for a fun-filled day at the beach.

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“R-Rarity, this is…. I don’t think I could wear this!” Fluttershy said with a dark blush on her cheeks a Rarity held up a scandalously low cut top for her friend to look at. The shirt seemed more like underwear to Fluttershy, showing enough cleavage and midriff to make almost any girl uncomfortable, except, apparently, for those that live in Las Pegasus.

“Oh, but why not, dear? That top suits you so well; you’ll look absolutely divine in it!” Rarity said, genuinely curious as to what was causing Fluttershy to object to the shirt she had picked out for her. Her eyes lit up with joy as she realized that the problem was. “Oh, I get it. Try the shirt on with this, dear. she held up a tight green t-shirt that showed only a small bit of midriff. Fluttershy gazed at the two pieces for a minute before deciding that she’d be okay with wearing them, for Rarity.

“Okay, I suppose that’s alright… It’s not… too revealing, I guess.” Fluttershy said, still blushing a bit as she took the two garments with her to the changing rooms.

Rarity waited patiently for her friend to return in the new shirts. Her ears twitched as she heard a quiet voice call her name from the changing rooms. The fashionista turned to Bulk before quickly explaining that she would be going into the changing rooms to help Fluttershy. Bulk agreed to wait patiently outside. Rarity entered the changing rooms as she replied to the shy voice. “I’m here, Fluttershy. What do you need, darling?” Rarity called from the other side of the stall door.

“A-Are you sure this undershirt isn’t too tight?” Fluttershy asked her friend, almost whispering to avoid unwarranted attention.

“Darling, there is no such thing as too tight in Las Pegasus.” Rarity said with a small chuckle. “Open up the door and I’ll help you put it on.” Fluttershy quickly opened the door as Rarity entered the small enclosed space, shutting the stall behind her. She got behind Fluttershy and started to ease the top down over her large bosom, and pulled it down to halfway down her midriff. “There, see? Now put on the overshirt.” Fluttershy did as she was told and completed her ensemble, her sizable breasts holding the undershirt high on her midriff as her overshirt was suspended in the air, only being held on her body by the fleshy orbs on her chest. Rarity gasped in joy as she looked at her friend wearing the clothes she had picked out. “Oh, darling, you look absolutely BEAUTIFUL! You simply must go out and show Bulk the newest additions to your wardrobe, I’m sure he’ll adore it!”

“B-Bulk?!’ Fluttershy blushed very dark as she almost squealed in surprise. “I-I can’t let B-B-Bulk see me like… like this!” She began to panic slightly, her voice becoming very shaky and labored with jagged breaths.

“Oh, but you must, darling! He’s going to love it, you have my word.” Rarity said as she gave Fluttershy a reassuring smile.

“B-But… I’ve never worn anything like this in front of anyone! How can I wear it in front of Bulk, of all people?”

“Fluttershy, darling, as far as I’ve seen, Bulk has been nothing but a gentleman; I doubt he would do anything to make you feel awkward or estranged.” Rarity said, yet again trying to assure her friend that all would be well and the sky would not fall if she walked outside in that outfit.

After thinking about this for a few seconds, the shy girl gave a small nod. “O-Okay…” Though still timid about showing off her curves, she knew Rarity was right; Bulk wouldn’t look at her like some slab of meat. “...L-Let’s go, um, I guess.”

Rarity clapped her hands in excitement. “Oh, you won’t regret it, darling! Come now, let’s not keep him waiting any longer!” She said as she gently took Fluttershy by the arm and walked out of the changing rooms with her in tow. “Bulk, darling!~” Rarity chimed happily, getting the boy’s attention. He looked over, and though it was Rarity’s voice that called him, he quickly developed tunnel vision as he saw Fluttershy. She was absolutely beautiful.

“U-umm… I uh…. you look… wah...wow!”

Fluttershy blushed profusely, hiding her red face behind her hands. “I-Is it too… revealing?”

Bulk shook his head as he realised that he was gawking at his friend, probably embarrassing her in the process. “Revealing? No, I wouldn’t say that. I-I-I think you look great in it. I mean, you look great in everything - um, not hitting on you or anything - that is to say I don’t… umm... Y-you look good.” Bulk finally decided on after fiddling with his barely-functioning mouth for a while, deciding that, as he had heard many times in the past, sometimes when speaking, less is more.

“Th-Thank you…” Fluttershy gave a shy smile, which warmed Bulk’s heart. While some guys may have called her, ‘hot’ Bulk thought she looked adorable and was glad that she seemed to be slowly but surely embracing her beauty.

Rarity looked at Bulk with a large smile on her face. “Now it’s your turn, darling! Let’s go to the men’s section! Oh, this area’s style will suit you so well!” She said before dragging Bulk and Fluttershy towards the other side of whatever luxury clothing store they were in; they had both forgotten the name, it being too hard to pronounce correctly. Their jaws both dropped as Rarity held up an unreasonably expensive tank top with a sunset hue and silhouettes of palm trees on it. “Let’s try this one first, darling!” She said, her almost creepily large smile ever-present on her face. Fluttershy and Bulked gave each other looks of both sympathy and pain.

This was going to be a long day.

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“Holy shit, Mac!” Spike groaned as he and his three friends, Rainbow, Mac and Pip, had just finished a 30 minute leg circuit on the hot sand, all of them dripping with sweat. “How could you go the full 30 minutes without rest? Even Dash couldn’t do that!”

“Yeah, you’re awesome, dude! How did you do that?” Rainbow asked in surprise, impressed by Applejack’s brother’s feat of athleticism.

Mac chuckled before simply responding with, “Ah had to work real hard to earn the name, ‘Big Mac’. You should know most out of everyone here that bein’ in shape takes work, Rainbow.”

“Heh, yeah, you’re right. Still, though, it must be hard to be such a big guy and run for that long. That’s a lot of heavy muscle to carry around, ya know?” Rainbow responded with a smile, always happy to be working out. “So, what’s next on the agenda, big guy?”

“Next up is some swimming. Y’all brought swimsuits?” Mac asked the three joining him in his workouts. They all nodded, excited to get in the water. “Good. Once we get in, do yer best to keep up with me, an’ don’t go too far out; try t’stay close to the shoreline.” The other three nodded in understanding and everyone began swimming after quickly disrobing down to their swimsuits, overjoyed to finally go into the cool ocean water. After a minute or two of adjusting to the water, Mac called to the other three, prompting them to follow him. “Alright, y’all, follow me this way.” He swam along the shoreline as far as he could, eventually leading the group past the point of being able to see the beach, stopping about a half mile away from the beach at an open rock grotto above the water. Big Mac climbed onto a piece of the rock that was jutting out before helping the others onto it. He then stood, his tall, muscular frame silhouetted by the sun’s brightness as the other three looked up at him. “Okay, y’all. We’re gonna swim to the shore and back twice.”

The others smiled and nodded, immediately starting their laps, save for Pip, who stopped before the water only to take a protective plastic wrap out of his gym bag and apply it to his casted arm. “I’m glad I’ll be out of this thing in a few weeks, it’s gettin’ rather itchy.”

It came as no surprise to Spike and Pip that Dash and Mac were soon far ahead of them. They pushed themselves harder as they attempted to catch up; they got close a few times, but couldn’t match the speed of the two older athletes. By the time they had finished their last trip to the grotto and began to head back, Mac and Rainbow were already out of the water and had begun to dry themselves off. About twenty five minutes later, Spike and Pip arrived on shore, panting in exhaustion.

“Holy shit…” Spike said with heavy breaths, “I swear you guys aren’t human…”

Pip nodded in agreement, his skinny, muscled abdomen heaving with each gasp of air. “I know, mate… They must be mutants.”

“Heh, naw, you guys just aren’t as awesome as us! Mostly me, though.” Rainbow said with a laugh. “Seriously, though, for freshmen, you guys made pretty good time for a three mile swim.”

“You think so?” Spike managed to say between labored breaths, looking at his friend with an appreciative smile.

“Well, yeah! I mean, not as good as me, but you two are definitely above most of the other freshman at CHS.” Rainbow said, patting Spike and Pip on their backs encouragingly.

They smiled at their sporty friend, then heard Big Mac’s deep voice sound off. “Alright, y’all. We’re done for today, go ahead, ‘n have fun.”

“Awesome! Hey, Rainbow, Mac? Pip and I were thinking of walking around town, seeing the sights, that kinda thing. either of you wanna come with?” Spike asked his two older peers as he began to dry himself off.

Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, I’m good. I’m gonna see if I can get in on any volleyball games; if not, I guess i’ll go sunbathe with the girls. You guys go ahead, I might catch up with you later.”

She stated with a smile. Her friends smiled back, and walked towards the street, ready to explore town.

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“Damn, Unc! You sure got us the hookups. This hotel is swanky as fuck!” Gilda said eagerly, grinning from ear to ear as she looked around the large hotel room. She plopped on a giant, cozy bed with velvet sheets and felt the soft material.

Hawkeye chuckled at his niece’s eccentric attitude as she excitedly examined the hotel room. “Heh, Yeah, I guess it is. Ollie and the band are doing a show here in Las Pegasus on Friday, and they told me they’d pay for our hotel fees if we came to the show, greeted them backstage, and went out to dinner with them after the show’s packed up. The guys really like you, I guess. You must remind ‘em of themselves as teens. Can’t say I really blame ‘em, though. You’re just like Ollie was when I first met him.”

“Wait, we get to see Rot-Trot again! Fucking sweet! Why do you only tell me this shit when we get here? I wanna be psyched as soon as we leave the house, Unc!” Gilda said with a large smile on her face, almost jumping up and down from the excitement that had spontaneously formed in her when she found out that she would get to see her favorite band again. “You know what? You owe me a blunt, like, now!”

“Alright, kid, go ahead and roll one from my stash box.” He chuckled as he opened his suitcase and started hanging up clothes in his closet.

Gilda laughed as she walked over to her Uncle’s nightstand and opened a drawer, revealing a large book. She opened the book, the inside of the pages cut out, the border of each page still intact, all of them glued together to create a clever disguise. Inside the stash book was a large bag of marijuana, a few dozen sheets of rolling paper, A large stack of fifty dollar bills, and a cigarette roller. Gilda grabbed the roller, a piece of rolling paper, and enough weed to fill the blunt she was about to make. She set up the weed on top of the paper in the roller and began to spin the knob on the side, the roller making a perfect marijuana cigarette in just a few seconds. “Perfect, as always.” Gilda said before putting the roller, paper, and pot back in the book and closing the drawer, She then pulled a lighter out of her pocket and walked out onto the hotel room’s balcony before lighting her joint and taking a large hit. “Huh.” She said, smacking her lips as she tasted the smoke. “This tastes different than that ‘Element of Harmony’ strain your dealer gave you last time; what’s this one called?”

“Oh, yeah, he was out of that one. It’s really fuckin’ hot on the market right now; he’s makin’ bank off that one strain alone. Instead of waiting for him to restock on that one, I decided to try a new flavor. This one’s called ‘Alicorn Magic.’ You like it?” Hawkeye responded as he changed his shirt, opting for a dark v-neck instead of the gray button-up he wore on the drive up to Las Pegasus.

“Yeah, your shit is always good, Unc. You need to introduce me to your dealer so I don’t have to feel bad for mooching off your stash.” Gilda replied as she began blowing rings of smoke out of her nose, each ring pushing the last one apart in a rhythmic pattern.

“Sure thing; I’ll give you his number after we get home from this little vacation.”

“Cool.” Gilda said as she quickly puffed through the rest of the blunt before flicking the stinger into a potted plant in the corner of the balcony. “Well, I’m gonna take a shower, and probably smoke some more or go out for a walk, I dunno. Do we have anything planned for later tonight?” Gilda asked as she began to walk towards the bathroom.

“Nah.” Hawkeye said, waving a hand dismissively as he did so. “We don’t have anything scheduled until Wednesday, so just feel free to do whatever until then.” He then stood from the bed and grabbed a messengers bag from the corner in which he had placed it earlier. “I’m goin’ out for a few hours. Call me if you need anything, and take some cash from the stash book if you’re gonna go out.”

“Thanks. I’ll catch ya later, Unc.” Gilda said before shutting the bathroom door and getting ready for a long shower to relax her muscles, tight from the long car ride. She quickly disrobed herself, her cloth, leather, and denim garments dropping unceremoniously to the tiled floor before she turned on the shower and stepped inside, letting the warm water roll off of her. She sighed in comfort, enjoying the feeling of the water cascading down her body. “Ah, it’s good to be outta Unc’s car; there’s not a whole lotta leg room in that compact motherfucker. We shoulda just brought the bikes.” She thought aloud. “Huh. Oh well, next time, I guess.”

Gilda stayed in the warm water’s embrace for a few more minutes until turning off the shower and drying herself off. She walked into the bedroom and quickly donned one of her favorite outfits: A black undershirt with a black denim jacket, coupled with skin-tight leather pants and black combat boots. “Back in black, bitch.” Gilda joked to herself as she brushed her short, dyed hair. She finished her ensemble by putting on her black lip ring. “Perfect.” She grabbed $250 from Hawkeye’s stash book along with her green military-style backpack, filled with all of her everyday essentials, before locking up the hotel room and preparing to preparing to greet the late afternoon with her badass attitude as she headed out into the streets of Las Pegasus, ready for any trouble that might come her way.

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As Spike, Pip and Mac were walking down the street, they heard some commotion nearby. There were two men holding hands, backed against a wall by a few men in khakis and collared shirts. The attackers seemed to be holding Bibles. Spike seemed to put two and two together, and stomped over to the men who were harassing the couple, now able to hear what they were saying.

“You are committing a crime against the natural balance of the Lord’s world!” One of the men yelled.

“God hates you!” Another continued. The couple cringed at these words and the shorter of the two turned into his partner’s chest as he began to cry.

“FAGGOTS! You’ll burn in Hell!”

Spike had heard enough and stepped in front of the ‘Christians’ who were yelling the comments, his two friends joining him. “HEY!” Spike yelled, “Why don’t you just move along, huh?! These guys aren’t doing anything to hurt you, so why are you attacking them?” Spike had never seen such an outrageous act of inhumanity; where he was from, different or alternative lifestyles were accepted without discrimination or ridicule, and he couldn’t stand to see such senseless hate.

One of the religious extremists turned to Spike, a look of anger on his face. “These queers are ruining this city, and their kind are ruining this world! They’re dirty, disgraceful sinners, every single one of them!”

Spike’s eyes turned to slits as he became enraged. “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” He screamed in the man’s face before continuing, “All my life, I’ve never seen or met anyone as horrible as you. The bible you’re referencing says to love everyone equally, right? And it also says that we all sin, ALL of us!” He snarled, “So who are you to tell these two men, who only want to have their love be accepted, that they’re doing wrong, when you’re hating on them and harassing them just for living their lifestyles?!”

The other extremists stepped forward in an attempt to defend their comrade. One of the larger men spoke up first, his voice deep and bassy, laden with a tone of disgust. “Any form of sexually-engaged partnership is intended ONLY for a monogamous union between a man and a woman. Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!”

“Who says they’re having sex, mate? And even if they were, that’s none of your business, you stupid git!” Pip growled at the man, stepping towards him angrily, confident despite the obvious size disadvantage he would be at if things were to turn violent.

“Oh, so you’re fag enablers?” The large man asked with a glare. “Well you’re going to Hell too! God hates fags, and He also hates anyone who supports their infectious, disgusting lifestyle!”

“Yeah, why are you supporting those lecherous creatures? Are you gay, too? Are you a fag?” Another extremist added, pushing up the glasses that rested on his greasy nose as he did so. “God has a special place in Hell for you beasts, I promise you!”

“Why don’t you assholes fuck off?!” A shrill, slightly feminine voice screamed as it’s owner stomped toward the scene, delivering a powerful right hook to the face of the one who had spoken right before her. The man landed on his flabby, fat back, letting out a grunt as he hit the pavement. Gilda stood over him with a look of pure disgust as she dropped her backpack beside her. “You should shut your fucking trap before someone rips your damn tongue out, you ignorant motherfucker!”

“D-Don’t hurt me, please! I’m only doing what the Lord has commanded!” The stout man said in a shaky voice as he waved his arms defensively. Before Gilda could reply to this, another of the extremists, much shorter in stature than the stocky man, shoved her down.

“You shall not touch a holy man such as this soldier of the Lord; you will be condemned in eternal damnation for your transgressions!” The man yelled at a now defenseless Gilda. Pip saw this and became enraged beyond description. Big Mac was furious, as well, and he took his anger out on the wall of extremists behind Pip’s target. He stood in front of the short wall of men along with Spike, and the two slowly began to walk forward, their visible anger intimidating the men into backing away slowly, their faces pale with fear.

Pip walked up to the short street ‘preacher,’ matching heights with him as he stared into his eyes with a fury of which hell itself has no equivalent. All of the muscles in the Trottingham teen’s body were tensed, the veins in his arms and neck protruding past their usual limits. “Listen here, you barmy minger!” He snapped angrily, causing bits of spittle to fly everywhere, some of them landing on the other man’s face. “I don’t care if you’re Jesus of Nazareth himself; you don’t ever fuckin’ hit a woman, and you definitely don’t hit a defenseless, unsuspecting teenage girl. I don’t know what God you believe in, but other Christians that I know don’t hit girls or fag-shame. I can’t even believe you lot call yourselves Christians, you’ve got no justified morality for what you’re doing. If anyone’s going to Hell, it’s you despicable fucks! You flippant fucks are really brassin’ me off! I’m gonna say this one time, so listen well, alright? If I ‘ave to look at you for one more bloody second, nobody, not even God, will be able to forgive me for wha’ I’ll do to you and your little band of cultists! Get the fuck outta ‘ere a’fore I bash your fuckin’ ‘eads in, you cock-up, muff-suckin’ chavs!” One of the extremists began to provide a rebuttal, but was immediately bitch-slapped by Pip so hard that a large welt immediately began to form on his cheek, his skin there quickly turning a dark purple, leaving a large bruise on his face.

The other extremists ran away in fear quickly, leaving their friend behind, who was currently on the ground, tenderly rubbing the welt on his face. His expression turned quickly from fear to anger as he lifted his bible in the air before getting up and following his comrades whilst yelling at Pipsqueak. “You’ll burn in eternal damnation for your actions, sinner! The Lord has commanded it, and so it shall be; you and all your fellow lecherous miscreants!”

The last thing that everyone heard as the last extremist turned the corner was a group effort by all of the ‘soul-soldiers,’ they all simultaneously yelled a response to their brethren’s comment. “Amen, Brother John!”

“Ah, bugger off ya fuckin’ fag-flamin’-fairies!” Pip spat, chucking a ball of trash where the offensive self-proclaimed holy man once stood. The surrounding crowd cheered in praise as Pip smirked and began to help Gilda up. “You alright, love?” He asked at the now blushing girl, who quickly did her best to hide her flustered look by directing her gaze to her own body and brushing the dust off her clothes.

“Yeah, I’m fine… Thanks, I guess…” Gilda then realized that there was a problem with what she had just said: It wasn’t rude or a witty backhanded comment. “Now, if you don’t mind.. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY, SMALL FRY!” She piped as she shoved past the Trottingham teen, who scoffed in response.

“Bloody Hell, she’s a feisty one all right.” He said, a sour look on his face as he rubbed the shoulder of his casted arm absentmindedly. He then turned his attention to the couple that the preachers had so horrendously attacked. “You blokes alright?”

The larger of the two men, who was currently holding his partner in an attempt to comfort him, now turned to his rescuers before smiling through tears. He then spoke, his deep voice complimenting his large frame. “Thank you so much for helping us… They’ve been harassing us every day since we got here; this whole first week of this tour has just been horrible…” The man wiped his tears away before his smile grew brighter. “Can I ask your names?”

Pip, Spike, and Big Mac introduced themselves, before the smaller man of the couple spoke up for the first time, his voice a much higher register than his partner’s. “I-It’s nice to meet you all… My name is Crescendo, and this is Trebleheart.” He said as he gestured to his partner. “As you’ve probably guessed… we’re together; and apparently, homosexuality isn’t so popular here.”

Pip was quick to reply. “Oi, mate, don’t listen to those extremist pricks, I doubt everyone in Las Pegasus thinks that way. I sure don’t, and my friends don’t seem to mind. I don’t see anything wrong with being gay, personally. It’s not my sexual preference, but that doesn’t mean I should hate on anyone for being different than me. There’s nothing backwards or rotten about being different, don’t listen to anyone who thinks that, yeah?” He finished with a smile, before his friends decided to voice their approval.

“Pip’s right!” Spike agreed. “Crescendo, Trebleheart: Just be yourself, and be confident about it. You are who you are, and nobody’s hate is gonna change that, and it never should!” He said enthusiastically.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said with a small smile on his face. “Jest be yerself.”

“Thank you, all of you.” Trebleheart said as he held Crescendo’s hand lovingly. He looked at his watch before he gasped in shock. “Oh no, we’re gonna be late for our show!” He looked back at Spike, Pip, and Mac before he began to walk briskly past them, Crescendo following him. “I’m very sorry, I wish we could reward you for your kindness, but I’m afraid we need to be somewhere. Thank you all, I’ll remember your heroism my whole life, I promise!” He finished, his smile proving the authenticity in his words.

The three friends waved to the couple before turning to each other; Big Mac was the first to speak. “Alright, y’all, we best be gettin’ back to the hotel if’n we’re gonna meet the rest of the group in time for dinner.”

“Oh, man, I totally forgot we’re having dinner at that super fancy place tonight, let’s go!” Spike said as he led the pack back to their hotel, walking briskly in excitement.

-------------------

Spike burst through the penthouse doors, followed by a calmer Big Mac and Pip. Spike quickly walked into the living room, where everybody was lounging on the large couch, all of them chatting happily, a lively air among them. “Hey, everyone! Me, Pip, and Mac are here!” He quickly licked his lips in anticipation before he spoke again. “When are we heading out for dinner?”

Everyone laughed heartily at Spike’s enthusiasm before Twilight replied. “Hey, Spike. We’re actually about to start getting ready; we were just kind of waiting for you guys.”

“Getting ready?” Spike asked, a look of slight confusion on his face. “What do we have to get ready for, why don’t we just go now?” Spike’s question elicited an exaggerated gasp from Rarity.

“Oh, dear, you don’t honestly think that you can show up at a five-star restaurant wearing that, do you?” She asked rhetorically as she gestured at Spike’s ensemble consisting of ratty, torn jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his arms and chest tightly. “Oh, no, no, NO, absolutely unacceptable. We all need to dress out, Spike! It’s one of the most essential guidelines to being a proper lady or gentleman!”

“Oh.” Spike said dumbly before his stomach growled loudly. “Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s get ready to go, I’m hungry!” Everyone laughed at the impatience that was quickly surfaced by Spike’s hunger before one by one, they stood from the couch and went to their respective rooms and began to pick out their wardrobes. “Man, I sure am glad that Twilight insisted on packing my bags; I never would’ve thought to bring anything dressy.” Spike said as he pulled out one of the suits Twilight had packed for him, consisting of a black pair of slacks, a black suit jacket, a white button-up dress shirt, and a red bowtie. Spike completed his outfit with his favorite (and only) pair of dress shoes: black and white spats.

Pip, who was dressed a bit more casually, clad in a back button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark, tight jeans, chuckled as he saw Spike’s shoes in the mirror while he was combing his hair. “Oi mate, what’s with the spats? You look like a mobster.”

“Oh, these things?” Spike gave a lively laugh as he lifted up one of his legs. “They were my dad’s, and they fit like a charm. It’s a nice little memento that I can hold onto, y’know? Plus, they’re really comfy, I don’t even mind walking around in ‘em.”

“Huh. Well, good on ya, they look good.” Pip complimented his friend as he went back to combing his hair, styling it into a wavy form that hung off the left side of his head.

Big Mac walked out of the bathroom shirtless as he was using a black band to tie his usually unkempt hair back into a ponytail. He then walked over to the dresser next to his bed and pulled out a red button-up, a silver vest, and a black necktie. he quickly put on his ensemble and also wrapped a belt around the waist of his black slacks, a large green apple belt buckle clipping it into place. He completed the look by adorning his head with a black cowboy hat. “Ah’m headin’ down t’the lobby. Ah’ll se y’all down there.” All the guys waved to Mac as he walked out of the room, the heels of his black dress boots making muffled clicking sounds as he walked on the carpeted floor.

Bulk had almost finished dressing, buttoning the cuffs on his gray button-up, which blended well with his black jeans, before he quickly finger-combed his short hair. “I’m gonna go wait downstairs, see you guys in a few.” Bulk said as he exited the room, bumping fists with Pip and Spike on his way out. The two friends were ready only a few minutes later, and they headed down to the lobby to wait for the girls, joining Mac and Bulk. They passed the time by chatting idly about the school year so far, and how excited they all were for the upcoming football season. After about twenty minutes, they heard the elevator next to them sound off loudly, and out of it walked the girls, all of whom looked beautiful. Rarity was wearing a white, strapless dress that exposed a considerable amount of her legs and cleavage. The dress was fully covered in sequins, making it twinkle reflectively in the lobby’s light, and her hair was curled more dramatically than normal, her usually long, flowing hair stopping only an inch or two past her shoulders. Twilight was sporting a beautiful blue ball gown of sorts, the lower half of the dress bespeckled with sequins in what seemed to be star shapes, her ensemble representing what seemed to be the night sky, and her hair was curled slightly, the back of her hair laying itself over her right shoulder. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie were both wearing simple, identical dresses, both of them covered in a swirling blue and pink design. Pinkie’s hair seemed permed, a curly pink afro of sorts sitting atop her head, while Dash’s hair was done up in a french braid. Applejack was wearing a vibrant orange dress that hugged her hips and legs tightly, the sides of the dress were slitted so that most of her leg was exposed, and her hair was let out of her usual ponytail, her blond locks flowing freely as they draped over her shoulders. Fluttershy was the last to step out of the elevator, holding her shoulder meekly in embarrassment as she tried to make herself smaller, embarrassed by the amount of skin that she was showing. She was wearing a dress that Rarity had bought for her during their shopping spree earlier that day; the dress was very short, and exposed a large portion of her long, shapely legs, and a large amount of her cleavage. The dress had holes on her back and midriff, exposing her skinny waist and back. Her hair had not been styled, taking on its natural form as her wavy bangs covered one of her eyes, making her look even more sheepish. All four of the boys’ jaws dropped as they saw the six beauties before them.

Pipsqueak spoke with an admiring smile as he complimented the girls. “You lovelies sure know how to clean up nice; you’re all aces, ladies.”

The girls blushed slightly at Pip’s smooth talk, and Applejack spoke up to return the compliment. “Thanks, pardner, y’all look pretty spiffy yerself, boys.” The guys all fist bumped Pip for his slick words as everyone headed to the valet, and they all got in their designated cars as they readied themselves for another night of luxury in Las Pegasus.

Author's Notes:

*Lifts arms in victory* FINALLY!!!!!!!! I'm so glad that I'm able to put up another chapter again, it's been way to long! I hope that the longer chapter makes up for the fact that I haven't updated this story in almost a month. (College has been sucking away a lot of my time, sorry!) Anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be coming sooner than this one did. :D

As always, don't forget to check out Ringmaster's page. He's an awesome co-author!

Fee; free to leave a like if you haven't already, and let me know in the comments if you're liking the Spring Break Arc so far!

Deuces, guys!