“Will we be getting hands on experiences about these things?” asks Trixie, her posture prim, proper, and kind of smug now that Pinkie Pie thinks about it. Maybe it is her tone, or the way her eyes gaze at Doctor Daring Do, or maybe it is something else, but whatever the case, the radiating smug is strong with that one.

“Actually yes. In fact, you'll have one today,” says Daring Do with a cool smile.

Daring Do's fingers are quick to push a series of buttons on her desk, and the projector goes down, the lights turn on, and the floor opens up at the far end of the room. From the floor, a steadily increasing volume of clicks, whirs, hums and bangs are reflected off of the walls, and the students lean as far as they can to see what's coming. Moments later a metal container slides into view and is locked in place with multiple clangs. The only opening is a slot in its thick, metal door, and when something inside squeals and bangs against the thick door, everyone jerk back, some swearing others laughing, and Daring Do pulls out a pad from her desk and flashes a wicked smile.

“And I'm going to need a volunteer,” says Daring Do. Her eyes slide along Teams PART and FORT, and her smile remains. “How about one of the champions of the freshmen class?”

Both Teams exchange looks, varying from confused to worried, and the other Teams stare at them also, eagerly waiting to see what will happen next. It is during this that Pinkie's ears pick up a very faint humming. At first it sounds angelic, but there is also something off about it. She cannot quite put her finger on it, but the noise is giving her sharp shivers and her hands have a strange compulsion to rise as a claim for the challenge, as well as a growing sensation in her gut that wants her to leap to her feet and rush right into battle. Soon her feet and hands tremble, and her abdomen feels like it is twisting into a knot, but right as she places her hands on the desk and lifts her rump Trixie jumps to her feet, waving her hand theatrically.

“Ooh! Ooh! Me me me! Pick Trixie! Pick Trixie!” says the local celebrity.

The humming stops and Pinkie sits back in her seat, blinking and looking around the room, but is only seeing students snickering and some cheering her on. Near her, Applejack shakes her head and pinches her nose and Rarity places her face in her hands to hide her flushing cheeks. Trixie is summoned to the floor, and she marches on down, smiling eagerly, and she stops to wave and bow at the students who are cheering and whistling. Rarity huffs and looks away with her arms across her chest while Applejack forces herself to smile and salutes her. Pinkie Pie also smiles brightly, but years of practice have enabled her to mask her worry and confusion with a perfect counterfeit of a genuine smile, and her clapping and cheering for Trixie helps the show. However, as soon as Trixie faces Daring Do, Pinkie Pie resumes her scanning, but keeps her smile up, albeit with some of its mask breaking apart. During her next round of observations she sees Twilight rubbing her temple and Fluttershy being the picture perfect example of confused, but other than that, only excitement.

Trixie is instructed by their teacher to change into the appropriate attire, and a few minutes later she returns, wand in hand and dressed in her boots, cape and jeans, blouse and vest. The heavy belt is once again around her waist and she has her hair tied into a pony tail, as well.

The students once again voice their excitement, and Trixie grins and waves, but is brought to look at Daring Do when she clears her throat.

“Trixie Lulamoon, you have volunteered for the first hands on test,” says Daring Do. “So, tell me, what do you know about olim bellus lepi?”

Trixie thinks for a second, and Pinkie Pie pulls out her textbook and opens it almost perfectly to where she needs to be, and upon seeing the artistic depiction of the creature she cringes.

“Its... ugly?” says Trixie.

The class snickers and Daring Do sighs while Pinkie Pie's eyes zip side to side on the page, taking in every word like water to a dry sponge.

“Well, you aren't wrong about that. Anything else?” says Daring Do.

“Eh...” Trixie scratches the back of her head. “Its evil and needs to die?”

“I can say the same about my ex. Now, how about an answer that isn't generic?”

The class giggles, and Trixie growls and clenches her fist.

“What difference does it make? Just let the thing out so Trixie can kill it!” says Trixie viciously.

“You just made your first mistake,” says Daring Do after a pause.

Daring Do activates a shield that covers Trixie and the cage in a shimmering, transparent dome, and Trixie is quick to activate her blade and slide into a defensive position.

“Knowing your enemy is the first step in defeating them,” says Daring Do. “You know their names, what they look like, and what they can do and you can make the appropriate plans, but since you don't know anything about the olim bellus lepi you are in for an unpleasant surprise.”

The cage opens, and a black and red flash darts into Trixie's gut, knocking her off of her feet and right into the barrier. Ripples travel across the dome and Trixie collapses to her hands and knees, eyes bulging and mouth open in its attempt to suck in air. A good distance away from her is her wand, and the flash skids to a stop, leaving claw marks in the floor, and after it stops it hisses at Trixie, spitting out thick slobber with more dripping from its fangs and pointed tongue. Its black and red fur bristles and its long ears fold down as its solid green eyes focus on her.

Trixie gulps and tries backing up, but her feet bumps against the shield. The olim bellus charges her again, and she rolls out of the way just in the nick of time, scrambles to her feet and runs towards her wand. As this happens, the beast bounces off of the walls, howling in a mix of rage and pain as its sharp paws rub its head. Once it stops comforting itself Trixie grabs her wand and turns to face it, only to get rammed again.

The force expels the air from Trixie, and ripples of energy erupt from where her back hits the shield. Warning bells literally ring and her eye piece flashes red as she crumbles to the ground again, feeling a large bruises forming on her stomach and on her back. Her muscles feel tight and sore, and she looks up, seething with tears in her angry eyes, watching the olim bellus through the silver locks that dangle in front of her face. The beast charges again and Trixie activates her sword and swings at it, but it veers off to the side, runs along the shield as a blur and rockets itself towards her, impacting her in the side and slamming her into the floor with a loud thud and a sharp cry of pain from the student.

The olim bellus runs over Trixie, leaving her twitching on the ground, and when it gets to the other side of the dome it skids to a stop, turns and snorts at her. Trixie, meanwhile, grinds her teeth and uses her sword to help her stand. Her knnes quiver, her hands shake, and tears roll down her bruised face as blood drips from her nose. She then takes a deep breath, adjusts her stance and aims her sword at the beast. The beast charges and-

Outside the bubble, Rarity has managed to squish herself next to Applejack and is ravaging her formerly perfect fingernails with unrelenting nibbling. Applejack is watching the scene unfold, as well, gripping her cane tightly and wincing and flinching with every hit the olim bellus lands against Trixie. Team FORT is also cringing and flinching, save for Octavia, who is munching on a bag of chips with absolutely no concern whatsoever of Trixie's painful situation. In Pinkie Pie's case, she is flicking her attention between Trixie and her textbook, and her textbook is not being helpful. In fact, all it really says in fancy text is that the olim bellus lepus is stupidly fast and the best chance to kill it is to treat it like a rabbit.

Another hit from the olim bellus slams Trixie into the shield, again, and she rolls down to the floor, barely able to move. Pinkie Pie shakes her head in disbelief of what is happening and unable to comprehend why Doctor Daring Do is not stopping the exercise. It is during this that she sees Trixie reaching for her wand again, and something clicks inside Pinkie Pie's brain that sends her leaping over her desk and running to Trixie's side. Once there, Trixie is on her hands and knees, barely able to stand, and Pinkie Pie bangs her fist on the shield, thus getting Trixie's attention.

Her teammates face is pale and covered in streaks of red and pockets of dark blue blobs, her hair is a mess and her attire is ruffled, torn and in the case of her vest, missing the buttons so it is now hangs open, revealing her ripped blouse.

“Trixie, you gotta trap it!” says Pinkie Pie.

“What?” says Trixie, her voice muffled by the barrier.

“Trap it!” Pinkie Pie pokes on the shield in different spots. “Portal. Portal. Trap the sucker! You hear me? Trap it!”

Trixie nods and presses her palm against the shield to help her stand, and Pinkie Pie presses her hand above Trixie's and follows her up. When Trixie is standing, she flicks her wand to the appropriate gem and aims it at the olim bellus and meets its evil, green eyes with her bruised purple. Her hand shakes and sweat and blood drip from her, but when the creature charges a portal appears on the floor and on the crest of the dome with quick flicks.

The olim bellus tumbles from ceiling to floor, ceiling to floor, ceiling to floor, over and over again, and very soon its twisting, flailing body becomes a blur and its squeals are jerking, like a terrible music on a scratched CD. As this happens, Trixie narrows her eyes, activates her sword and marches forward, wincing with every step. Then she holds out her sword and lets the demon rabbit land on it. A sick sound of flesh being sliced is not heard beyond the bubble, but everyone can see the blood that sprays all over Trixie, her weapon and the floor, and the pieces of the olim bellus lepus falling in different directions.

Soon after, the portals close, Trixie falls on her rump, panting and shaking and clutching her face, and the students stare at her, at a loss for words at what they just saw. Daring Do turns off the shield moments later and Team PART rushes to Trixie's side and tries to see if she is okay and offer comfort, but she is quiet.

“I think we have had enough fun for the day,” says Daring Do as she walks past Team PART. “Your homework is to read chapter one of Tartarus Beasts, answer the questions at the end of the chapter and write a summary of the chapter. It'll be due next class.”

The students start to file out and Daring Do looks at Trixie, but she does not look at her and the rest of Team PART stares at the Doctor, none of them expressing anything but anger and disgust for what she allowed.

“By the way, your performance was terrible. Dismissed,” says Daring Do.

Daring Do walks towards her desk and calls for a janitor, and Pinkie Pie and Rarity help Trixie walk out with Applejack following close behind. Waiting for them at the top of the stairs is Team FORT, and they offer gentle words of sympathy and support as they go out into the hall.

When the two teams are in the hallway not a soul is to be found, but despite the lack of people, Pinkie Pie still gets an uneasy feeling in her gut and feels the hair on the back of her neck stand. She looks around but sees nothing out of the ordinary, so she keeps walking. Her steps are heavier, though, and her fingers twitch and her ears listen for everything, but once again there is nothing. Just electrical hums and their footsteps. Though, seconds later the feelings return, only this time she does not give it the satisfaction of a peek, which really hurts her neck since she is forcing herself to stare straight ahead. She will let whoever is watching think that she is clueless for now, but when she figures who they are, she will show them a thing or two about surprises.