The group bursts out of the forest, sweating profusely, lungs burning, and limbs feeling like wet noodles. Every part of them hurts, but they keep on running. There is no option to stop. After breaking through the trees, they come into another opening with more ruins. However, these ruins are at a canyon, with the cliff of their starting point on the other side.

There are worn towers, crumbled pillars, statues falling apart, and stone paths overtaken by vegetation that lead to a bridge. The bridge is crumbling in spots, and on the other side is a tower that stands high in the sky with many pillars on each level and a domed top. Surrounding the tower are smaller, block like structures and the remnants of a wall with broken down towers on its edges.

The two teams nearly collapse against the old walls of the nearest structure, and some keel over, wheezing or gasping for air. Pinkie Pie has to use her hammer for support when she hunches over and coughs, staining her tongue with a copper taste and leaving her throat and sides feeling like they are going to split apart. Moments later, the Bird soars overhead, cawing, and Pinkie Pie peeks around the corner and sees it decimate the bridge by flying through it with no trouble whatsoever. The massive pieces of the bridge fall out of view as the Bird curves up into the sky and perches on the tower on the other side. Seeing their easy way cut off, Pinkie Pie groans and slides to the ground, banging her head against the wall.

“Great,” she says.

“Any ideas on how to get past the Bird? Or across the canyon?” says Flash.

“Let's just avoid that pigeon, like whatsherface suggested with the other thingy,” says Trixie. “I can use my portals to get us to the other side and we'll sneak by it, give them pieces and get our grades and sleep.”

“I am all for that,” says Rainbow Dash, peeking around the corner with Octavia and both of their weapons ready to fire.

Pinkie Pie, however, shakes her head and stands up with the help of her hammer. “No, we can't do that. We got to get rid of that thing.”

“Why?” asks Flash. “We don't have to fight everything that moves.”

Pinkie Pie sighs. “All right, let's huddle and I'll explain.”

Pinkie's team bunches around her without question, and it is more than likely due to fatigue, and after some hesitation Flash's team goes to them, too. Once the two teams are in a circle, they kneel down and put their arms over their shoulders and bow their heads.

“Look, most teams are not doing a double team like we are,” says Pinkie Pie, “and we had a hard enough time against that thing back there, and this Bird is probably going to be the same way. We can actually afford to gang up on it and take it down, whereas the others can't.”

“We're taking a needless risk,” says Flash.

“She's right,” says Twilight. “Avoiding it is easy, but if we have the means to remove a threat then we should do it and spare the other teams a danger they cannot afford to confront.”

The group is silent, letting their shifting eyes and twitches do the talking. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash speaks.

“Okay, you know what? Let's say we agree to kill this thing, but do we know anything about it? Other than that it is big and headbutted a bridge to death,” she says.

“Its feathers felt like metal,” says Applejack.

“So did its talons,” adds Trixie.

“It seems to be a slow flier,” says Rarity.

“Everybody took my answer,” says Octavia.

“Wait a minute. Its an adolescent Thunderbird,” says Twilight, bringing all eyes to her. “The metal feathers are not as strong as a fully matured Thunderbird, and its skin is not as thick, but if we can breach its feathers then we can take it out.”

“So, basically shoot at it until something breaks?” says Pinkie Pie.

Twilight nods, and Pinkie Pie grins and shudders.

“Sweet,” she says.

Flash sighs sharply. “All right, I think this is stupid, but let's do it. Long range only. We're not getting close to that thing.”

“Fine by me. Break!” says Pinkie Pie.

She claps her hands and the group runs out from their cover, weapons at the ready or morphing to the ready. The Thunderbird caws and takes flight, and when it is high in the air it aims its wings at the group and launches dozens of feathers. They avoid the attack with leaps, rolls and side steps, and the feathers stab the ground, popping up chunks of grass and stone. Once the group recuperates they shoot at the Thunderbird with various colored streaks that tear through the sky and either hit it harmlessly or miss entirely.

“Hit it with everything you got! Don't stop shooting or moving!” orders Flash.

Pinkie Pie slides to stop next to one of the feathers, braces herself and fires off a salvo of blue orbs. Next to her, Applejack punches balls of fire at the beast, and together the blue and fire orbs explode against the Thunderbird's chest and face. It screeches from its annoyance and veers away to circle the tower again with smoke trailing from it.

Then Pinkie Pie notices out of the corner of her eye all of the feathers vibrating and glowing red, and all it takes is a half of a second for her brain to click and her eyes to pop.

“Get away from the feathers!” screams Pinkie Pie.

That is all she is able to say before her vision is blinded by fire and a heat wave engulfs her with dozens of pops assaulting her ears, an aggressive push taking her off of her feet, followed by flaming vegetation flying all around her and the sky flipping into a statue of a knight. Then there is darkness.