Angry Brenda was made up like a mad Maleficent, complete with black corseted gown and what looked like a steampunk crown. Her heeled boots dug into the pegasus's side hard enough that it's snowy coat was smudged with blood. Brenda sat on top of the magnificent beast like a giant malevolent tick swollen up with avaricious bile. From her costume alone it was immediately apparent that Brenda planned to be the new queen of Mirth.

\"Holy nemesis on a pegasus, Batman,\" Nelda muttered.

Angry Brenda was wasting no time. She was holding a rather dramatic silver sword high with one hand and looked like she was keen to use it.

For a crucial moment, Nelda froze. She wanted to run for the cover of the hall, but not lead the crazy human towards Smithguild, but she also wanted to get her hands on the unicorn horn. The wave of inspiration that had come to her made her quite certain it was the weapon she needed. [Even though it is basically about as offensive as a walking stick, and not even one of those cool ones with a sword inside.]

Nelda began to scramble away through the garden, hearing heavy hoofbeats gaining on her rapidly. She fell and rolled onto her back raising her arms reflexively. The giant pegasus leap over Nelda rather than trampling her. [No mistaking that it's a male pegasus from that angle.] Strange blurs swirled around it like the shadows of birds but with no birds attached.

Spitting out mud, Nelda lurched upright again. Brenda was already wheeling the pegasus to charge again, its saucer-sized hooves driving a foot into the tilled soil with each step.

[How the heck does a critter that heavy get off the ground?]

Suddenly SmithGuild was next to her, thrusting the unicorn horn into her hand. He stayed behind her, suddenly seeming so frail in his human form. It made no sense to stand and meet the charge. But Nelda did what she had before and threw her question into the void. [Am I meant to use this to stab Angry Brenda?]

[The answer washed over her with wordless shape.]

Not Brenda.

The pegasus.

\"Oh no,\" Nelda whispered. She didn't want to kill the pegasus. It was just so undeniably magnificent even as it was trying to stomp her to death like an errant cockroach. [No, strike that. The pegasus jumped over me even while Angry Brenda was clearly trying to urge it to be as stompy as heck.]

It was probably shock that made the pegasus's charge towards her seem to happen in slow motion, but it did give her a little time to think. It was probably also shock that kept her feet frozen to the ground rathert than any kind of deliberate bravery. That really narrowed down the decision-making possibilities.

[I can stand here and get bowled over, or I can make be a hostile target. Either big, bad and beautiful will swerve away or I'll at least have the satisfaction of doing a little damage on the way out.]

Nelda continued to hold the horn in front of her and started to run towards the pegasus, from this angle Brenda wasn't even visible behind its blowing mane. She hoped like hell that SmithGuild stayed behind her and out of the way.

As she charged, trying to emit a fearsome roar but having it come out more as a curious squeal--she still had time to consider--[The line between stupidity and courage has never been a bright one..]

When Nelda had been maybe five years old, her family had taken a Christmas time trip to Kentucky. Despite being only about five years old at the time, Nelda had several very strong memories from that vacation. Prime amongst them being her mother, with unusual generosity, agreeing to little Nelda's requests buying a small snow sled and going to the trouble of taking her out to the top of a large snow-covered hill. As her mother shoved her off, with a noticeable amount of vigor, the round sled immediately spun around. Nelda careened down the steep slope backward, faster and bumpier with every second until she was thrown out onto lake ice at the bottom. Her mother waited for her to trudge back up the hill where the car park was, blood dripping down her face. The only thing her mother said was: \"it really does seem like all your ideas are stupid. That's why you should listen better to me.\"

[Is this my life flashing before my eyes?]

The tip of the horn, clearly not very sharp, was pointed right at the base of the pegasus's neck. If it saw this, it showed no sign and made no move. The giant creature began to collide into itwith the force of the train.

And then it seemed to quietly explode into..

..?

[Popcorn?]