Chapter 16

     Twilight sparkle stepped out of the bathroom stall and wiped her tears with a paper towel. She had missed the feast, but she didn't care. They didn't want to see her there anyways.

     She looked down at her feet, wondering how smug she really was. Then she noticed it. She was standing in a shadow.

Towering above her was a green, slimy mountain troll.

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     "Help!" Fluttershy and Applejack heard Twilight yell.

They rushed into the bathroom to find her hiding behind one of the sinks. The troll was holding the club high over his head.

"Twilight! Move!" Applejack commanded.

     Twilight leapt out from behind the bathroom sink just as the club came down on it. It broke through the sink and water shot everywhere.

     The troll raised the club again. This time, it was right above Twilight Sparkle. Her knees buckled, and she froze in fear.

     Fluttershy flew towards the troll. She came eye to eye with him.

"Don't you dare hit anypony with that club mister!"

The troll didn't seem to comprehend. He grabbed Fluttershy's tail.

"Ow! I'm warning you mister troll! Ow! If you don't let gow right now, I'll call your mother! Ow!"

     The troll held Fluttershy upside down by her tail.

"Do something!" Fluttershy yelled at Applejack.

The troll swung his club at dangling Fluttershy. She pulled herself up just in time to dodge it.

     Applejack looked around. There wasn't anything to use except for the rubble from the broken sink. She galloped to the sink and began kicking the jagged marble and rusty pipes at the troll.

Fluttershy dodged the club again. She wasn't sure how much longer she could do this.

     Applejack missed the troll twice. She lined up again and kicked a fragment of a pipe at the troll. It hit the hand that was holding Fluttershy. The hand was cut badly, and naturally, it let go.

Fluttershy fell to the ground. She had been fairly high up before, and wasn't able to flap her wings in time. 

Thud

     Fluttershy groaned and rolled over on the floor, and Twilight was still petrified with fear. The troll was angry now. It held the club high over its head, and prepared to bring it down on Fluttershy.

      Quickly, Applejack kicked another piece of jagged marble at the troll. This time, it lodged itself in the troll's right hand. It let go of the club and howled in pain. The club however, was right over his head. The troll's own club hit his head. He began stumbling around dizzy, before finally collapsing and falling to the floor with a giant thud.

     Just as the three fillies breathed a sigh of relief, Professor Luna and the rest of the staff rushed in.

"Oh my," Professor Luna gasped, looking at the unconscious troll. "Explain yourselves immediately!"

"Well..." Applejack stuttered.

"It's my fault Professor," Twilight interrupted Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other shocked.

"I'd read about trolls," Twilight continued. "I thought I could handle it. I was wrong. If Applejack and Fluttershy hadn't come looking for me, I'd probably be dead."

     "Well," Luna said. "That was an extremely foolish thing to do, and I would've expected more rational behavior from you Miss Sparkle. Five points from Gryffindor."

Professor Luna turned to Fluttershy and Applejack.

      "And you," she said. "I just hope you two realize how fortunate you are. Not many first years could take on a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Five points to each of you, for sheer dumb luck."

Professor Luna and the other teachers turned to leave. Fluttershy noticed Professor Trixie walking with a limp. Her cloak had blood on it as well.

      "I s-suppose I'll take care of it," Professor Jet Set said, pointing at the troll. "It could wake up."

The three fillies ran along to see what was left of the Nightmare Night Feast.