I wordlessly groaned as I picked myself back up.

"Lu? Are you alright?" Tia called out.

"I'm fine, keep a weather eye out, I think this is some sort of demented test." I called back, rubbing my head some more and recentering myself.

By the Moon, that pink phantasm could kick...

"Lu watch out!"

I opened my eyes to find the world aglow again, this time in a light sky blue.

My shadow was long and stark on the ground before me.

The whistle of rapidly moving wind warned me of the attack.

I dropped myself back to the ground.

Something blew a gale wind above as I lay.

"Aaugh!" Tia shouted in pain.

I lifted my head to see the new mare of light, indeed light blue. Except this time she was flittering about like a Pegasi, although again, I could discern no wings or horn.

Her assault on Tia was so vicious and quick, my sister simply couldn't conjure shields fast enough to protect herself.

Crack!

"Yeowch!"

-RUNCH!

"Oof!"

"Stars damnit..." I grunted as I pushed myself up again.

Tia was obviously not able to handle this... thing... I now hesitate calling them mares. They were obviously magical in nature, and far too vicious for somepony made of flesh and blood.

"Hey!" I shouted, hoping to draw the attention of the brilliant blue creature.

By now, Tia was reduced to huddling on the ground, covering her vital areas as best as she could.

The brilliant creature cast it's gaze in my direction, abating in it's assault for a moment.

"... Nah." it stated nonchalantly before it resumed it's attack.

At first I was at a loss. Such blatant disrespect and disregard for a foe... Tia was clearly beaten, and yet the brilliant creature never relented in it's attack.

"Hey!" I shouted again, this time more forcefully.

This time, the brilliant creature didn't even pause.

I felt my anger rise in my chest and face.

Before I knew it, I was rushing at the blue creature, already wrapping myself in a shield and a hoof raised to strike.

The creature hadn't paid me the slightest attention, enough for me to land a punch across it's face. My attack sent the brilliant creature spinning through the air, but it swiftly caught itself before it hit the wall or ground.

I raised my shield a little wider, enough to fully encompass Tia as I stood protectively over her.

Below me, I could see Tia wearily open an eye.

"...Lu?" she whimpered.

I tried to cast a reassuring look downward, but was swiftly brought back to the situation as the brilliant creature impacted against my shield.

"Come on!" the brilliant creature exclaimed, ramming into my shield again.

I grunted as the strain put on my already aching head mounted.

The fake mare was hitting harder than she looked capable of...

"Let me in!" the brilliant blue phantasm exclaimed.

"Never." I grunted, taking another hit.

"I." the creature backed up. "Just." Impact. "Want." Impact. "The." Another impact. "White." Yet one more impact. "One!" This time the brilliant caricature of a mare hit the shield and stood atop it, before furiously jumping up and down.

With my mounting headache, I was briefly tempted to drop the shield and let the brilliant mare in.

Briefly.

"Not. In. A. Month..." I grunted in time with each of the mare's jumps. "Not. In. A. Year. Not. In. A. Thousand." I regained enough focus to look the brilliant creature in the eyes. "I will never let you lay another hoof on her."

The caricature met my gaze and smirked.

"Good enough for me." she shrugged.

And then she promptly vanished like her sisters.

Even with my supernatural night vision, I was momentarily blinded by the sudden darkness left by the brilliant light blue light's absence.

"... Lu?" Tia muttered underneath. "Is it-?"

"Hold on Tia, I think another might be coming..."

"'Another might be coming.'" mocked a new voice directly to my right, from inside the shield.

Daffodil yellow light, and a pain in my gut blossomed into existence.

Not only was I knocked aside once more, but my lost concentration broke the shield spell as well.

"Oof!" I grunted as I hit the opposite wall, my breath knocked out of my chest.

"Luna!" Tia cried out.

"Oh please... What do you see in such a worthless peon?" asked the new voice.

I opened my eyes to see the new, yellow mare of light standing over Tia. But this time, instead of beating her senseless, the apparition was slowly caressing a hoof under Tia's chin. Not unlike that of a lover.

"How could she ever protect you?" the yellow mare of light chided.

"Get your hooves off-" I snarled, pushing myself up.

The dazzling mare's gaze whipped to me with cold precision.

Her eyes... Her eyes were so deep and full of the promise of torment...

"Aw... Is the little filly trying to play the big strong mare?" she taunted, walking with deliberate slowness.

I growled and went to continue push-

I couldn't move.

My limbs wouldn't obey me.

They were frozen.

"Tia... I can't move..." I snarled through clenched teeth.

"Oh such a big powerful warrior..." the dazzling mare cooed. "Undone by. Little. Old. Me." she tsked as she got within touching distance.

"Don't hurt her!" Tia exclaimed, trying to force her own battered body into moving.

"Oh don't hurt her?" the dazzling mare gasped as she drew out my right wing with barely a touch.

"Don't you d-" I snarled angrily.

"Like this?" she sighed as she twisted.

"Mmmmmmmm!" I grunted in pain, doing my best to manage the sudden pain.

"No! Stop! Stop hurting her!" Tia exclaimed.

"Now why would I do that?" the dazzling mare at my side asked.

And my wing twisted in a totally different way.

"Grrrraaah!" I shouted. "Thrice cursed damnable cur!" I cursed loudly. "When I get free I will rip off every limb you possess and throw you into the sea!"

"Lu! Don't antagonize her!"

"Oh Tia, don't you get it? Lu here understands the assignment."

The mare then decided to stomp on my hock.

"Mother fucker!" I shouted loudly. "Mare I will personally destroy all you know and love!"

"Come on Tia... You've already figured it out. You just gotta commit."

From my point of view, Tia seemed to deflate.

"... Luna's right isn't she? This is all some sort of test. Every mare we've faced in this cave was cruel in someway, but they all vanished when we did something contrary to how they acted."

"Oh very good Tia... I'm almost impressed." the dazzling mare cooed.

She gave another yank on my wing.

"Fu-ucker!" I screamed.

"Luna..." Tia sighed. "You are the most intelligent mare I know."

"What are you doing Tia?! She's trying to yank my wing out!" I exclaimed.

Tia didn't budge.

"No matter the problem, you always have an answer, and no matter how strange your solution may seem, it is always the best option."

Something glittered to the floor beneath Tia's face.

"You are brave and resilient... And there is nopony else I'd rather have for a sister."

The pain in my wing, and the dazzling yellow light disappeared.

I mean really! How corny! How-

Ok seriously, time to get back behind the fourth wall.

Ow! Hey! Stop it!

Go on get!

You can't handle the truth!