Battle Ready: The Rising of Sin

by D101 Reviews

Chapter Twelve

Battle placed his foot on the trunk of the tree at about waist height and, using his momentum to carry him into the wood, managed to run up the trunk for a few paces before, as he felt gravity beginning to call him back to the ground, he flipped over and landed in a cat-like crouch. He remained there for a few moments, palm pressed flat against the ground and eyes closed, before he straightened up to look at Fluttershy.

"You see?" he asked. "The idea isn't to take off straight from the ground but to try and get some room to maneuver and create an escape route if possible."

"Okay," Fluttershy muttered, scuffing her feet. Battle cocked his head.

"Something up?" he said. Fluttershy looked up and shook her head wildly from side to side.

"Oh no, it's nothing," she mumbled. Battle sighed and leaned against the tree behind him.

"'Shy we've gone over this, if there's something bugging you, you gotta tell me."

Fluttershy scuffed her feet and bit her lip. "Well, it's just... you seem to be... well not that I don't mind but... you're teaching me a lot of how to escape a fight, rather than what to do if I get in one."

"That is what you do if you get in a fight 'Shy," Battle replied evenly. "Look I know you want to help other ponies in need, but if it's just you on you're own I want to know you'll be able to get out of the situation. If running away is an option, more often than not it's better to sacrifice a little pride and run away then stand and fight."

"You said I had my thorns."

"And we'll get to that 'Shy. These are the basics of Aviaform. The Pegasus branches of Omniform are more focussed on the fundamentals of Pegasus physiology. Speed, acceleration, freedom of movement, space. It's about manipulating your opponent to fight on your terms."

Fluttershy paused. "Then what about Magiform? Or Monoform?"

"Monoform generally accepts that Earth Ponies are just a hell of a lot more powerful and durable then Unicorns and Pegasi," Battle explained. "Monoform is standing your ground. Like a rock. Like the earth. Magiform is all about adaptation. Understanding your opponent and getting inside their heads. It works off of the expectations that Unicorns are of quicker wit. It's all about flowing but also about patience. Magiform is like being a body of moving water. It's like being a river. You twist and turn, let your victims wear themselves out as they try and struggle against you before bam! They're pulled under before they realise what's happening."

Fluttershy nodded, finally getting at where Battle was headed. "So Aviaform is like the wind? To be free and always in motion, never in spot for too long?"

"Exactly," Battle said, smiling and giving her the thumbs up. "And when the wind does strike it's either in quick, sharp and painful jabs before it brushes by, or it's a heavy and devastating gale." Fluttershy nodded, showing she understood. "The early stages therefore are all about teaching you how to stay in motion no matter what. It's not that I don't think you're capable 'Shy, heck even coming this far proves you're more than ready for what comes later. We're simply laying the foundations for you to either find an escape route, or, if none exist, for you to make one."

"Okay," she said, smiling, reassured.

"Good!" Battle cheered, clapping his hand. "Now I want to see you do a bounce take-off from that treetrunk there. Got it? And don't come back down until you reach the first clouds 'kay? I'll be watching."

"Right!" Fluttershy nodded, getting into the sprint stance Battle had taught her a few hours earlier.

"Go!" Battle cried, and Fluttershy dashed at the tree Battle had been leaning against and ran up it the same way Battle had done. However instead of flipping off of the tree like Battle had done, Fluttershy pushed off of it with her right foot, her wings spreading out beneath her as she did so. With one final kick off from the tree, Fluttershy was in the air and soaring high above the treetops. Within a few moments she had disappeared, skyrocketing higher and higher with every beat of her wings. Battle smile, folded his arms and waited. He knew Fluttershy wasn't the fastest flyer in the world but then she never needed to be. It wasn't like these lessons were there to improve her wingpower, though that would be a positive bonus he knew. She'd never be as fast as Rainbow, not with the hours the prismatic wonder put into her training, but she'd be able to put some of the local weather team to shame after she was finished.

There was a cracking sound from overhead and Battle stepped back as Fluttershy broke back through the canopy and landed in the same position Battle had a few minutes beforehand, wings quivering with excitement. Her mane was a rat's nest by now and her feathers were in disarray but the warm smile on her face put Battle at ease. She slowly straightened up and got into her resting stance. Legs bent, weight on her back foot, one arm crossed across her body at jaw height and the other crossing over her torso.

"What's next?" she asked eagerly.

Battle opened his mouth to respond but a quiet chiming sound drew their attention. Battle walked back over to where his coat lay and pulled out the small glowing wristwatch that had been in one of the pockets. Fluttershy put her guard down, looking disappointed.

"Is it really that time already?" she pouted.

"'Fraid so," Battle answered, shrugging his coat back on. "Still we got a lot done today so that's something at least. More than I expected anyway."

"Because I'm a bad student?" Fluttershy whispered meekly, grabbing her own turquoise hoodie and slipping it over her head.

Battle laughed. "'Shy you really have to stop putting yourself down every time someone says something to you. It's a bad habit. I didn't say what I said because you're a bad student. This is a martial art we're talking about here, it's difficult to master. In fact you're picking it up at a record pace 'Shy. "

"Really?" Fluttershy asked amazed.

"Best student in the class," Battle said smiling.

"I'm the only student in your class."

"Mare, stop looking at the glass like it's half empty."

Fluttershy laughed, and Battle chuckled, before the two of them made their way back to Fluttershy's cottage for some tea and some polite conversation. Battle had seen very little of Discord since their first encounter, and when he had the God of Chaos was always very cautious around him. Battle wasn't ungrateful for this. Something about how Discord approached him put him on guard as well. It wasn't that Battle believed him a threat. He knew the potential threat Discord could pose, but he was also aware by now of how firm Discord's relationship with Fluttershy and the others was.

It took Battle a moment to realise they were already walking across the bridge to Fluttershy's cottage. She opened the door and walked inside, Battle following and shutting the door after he entered.

"Mind if I put the kettle on?" Battle asked. "You may want to go... clean up."

Fluttershy frowned and looked at herself in the hall mirror and gasped at her appearance, blushing profusely. Battle chuckled before heading over to the kitchen as Fluttershy walked upstairs. He filled the kettle with some water before placing it on the hob to warm. He mixed up some tea leaves into two mugs and waited for Fluttershy to come back downstairs. Whilst he waited, he reviewed the lessons they'd managed to get through so far. No doubt about it, Fluttershy was making excellent progress. He smiled at that. For one he assumed to be the permanent pacifist Fluttershy was taking to Aviaform like a duck to water.

He noticed one of her stray feathers on the floor. He frowned and blinked; shook his head.

When he opened his eyes again the feather was cobalt blue instead of butter yellow. His eyes widened. He was no longer in Fluttershy's kitchen. He was in the cold, in the rain. Lying down in fact. The feathers of such a brilliant blue were falling before his eyes, dripping with slick red blood. The rain filled Battle's eyes as he lay in the dank filthy water, listening to the anguished screams from nearby. He forced himself to look up and saw he who made the screams.

"Battle!"

Battle blinked, and discovered himself back in Fluttershy's kitchen, slumped against one of the counters, sweating profusely. His hand was clawed over his heart, which was beating like a wild elephant against his ribs. He gulped and looked up. Fluttershy was standing there, looking on the verge of tears.

"Sorry," Battle managed to pant at last. "Don't know what that was. Funny turn I think."

"Maybe we should get you to the hospital?" Fluttershy suggested meekly. Battle waved the suggestion off.

"I'm fine 'Shy," he said, climbing to his feet. He turned away so that Fluttershy couldn't see him wince in pain. He quickly poured some hot water into both of their mugs. He handed one to Fluttershy and smiled at her reassuringly. She took it, looking worried still. Battle sighed and rolled his eyes. "Come on 'Shy it was just a thing. Look if it'll make you feel better then I'll go to the hospital later on 'kay?"

Fluttershy still looked uncertain, but another look from Battle convinced her otherwise. As she turned away, Battle looked at his free hand. It unnerved him to see how hard it shook.

Comments

[Moongaze14]

Love the chapter and the way Fluttershy and Battle interact with each other.

[Balewood]

I love the flashback at the end I could see the scene change there. Thanks for writing!

[gamer4COD]

Im guessing alacorn is fire, quick like the wind, adjustable as water, and as unforgiving as the earth. please let Twilight Sparkle learn it. PLEASE!