//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10: Fight! 
// Story: What is a Tatzlpony? 
// by Skylight77 
//------------------------------//

	Both ponies charged for each other at the same time. Rainbow Dash managed the first strike, but Clang blocked with his fetlock. When he struck back, Rainbow used her wings to back away and avoid it. She then flapped her wing from behind to zip right back. Her punch managed to strike his face, causing a bit of saliva to escape his mouth. At that moment, he struck with his hind hooves, slamming against Rainbow’s chest. A loud grunt came from her as she was shoved away, eyes wide open from the impact. 

The battle reflected in Fluttershy’s eyes, making her wince every time Rainbow took a blow. It was difficult to see due to the lighting, but she could see every detail of what happened with Rainbow Dash. After Rainbow took that hit, she immediately dove straight for Clang. Clang blocked the blow with his hooves, but the force of Rainbow’s speed caused him to slide along the floor. Rainbow didn’t stop pushing until he was shoved against what sounded like crates.

That was when Clang sprung his trap. Near that crate was a chain which he pulled. Something shot out from above. Rainbow gasped as she heard the trap, immediately separating her distance from Clang. A large iron ball came crashing down just in front of Clang. If she hadn’t moved, it would’ve slammed down on her.

But Clang wanted her to move. When it reached him, he punched it with both forehooves, making it hurl towards Rainbow. She thought it was an iron ball, but it was just a capsule. It opened up and launched out a net at her. With a panic, she made a quick flap with her wings that increased her altitude. The net managed to make contact with her tail, but barely failed to ensnare her.

Clang grunted and pounded his hooves on the floor, causing what sounded like another trap to activate. But instead, intense winds started to blow. The winds threatened to blow off Rainbow’s flight, but she turned to the direction of the wind and fought against it.

Clang continued pounding his hooves on the ground, activating more contraptions. These must've been what he was setting up earlier. Fluttershy couldn’t see where they came from, but it seemed Rainbow could hear them. Some actual iron balls held by chains swung from the ceiling. Rainbow ducked herself to avoid it. Another came, making her descend further. The further she descended, the less violent the winds became. Realizing she was being led back to the ground, she turned her attention to Clang, flying towards him with glaring eyes. If that was what he wanted, that's what he was going to get. With her increasing speed riding the winds blowing on her, she nearly closed the distance.

”You fight to protect, to protect those who are in danger...-” Rainbow gasped and froze her flight when Fluttershy’s words played in her head. That was when Clang truck with his hoof, hitting air. That would’ve hit her if she hadn’t stopped. She glanced towards Fluttershy. “-to defend those who are bullied, to never let your friends down.” Following those words, she rushed back to Fluttershy’s side. With her wings flared, she covered Fluttershy’s body with her own and glared at Clang.

Clang chuckled. “I told you. I’m after you, not her.” He slammed his hooves once more, causing the fans to stop blowing. He then started running. “Protect yourself before you protect somepony else!”

Fluttershy's words played in Rainbow's head again. She fought to protect others. Right now, Fluttershy was defenseless. But Fluttershy wasn't the one in danger. Or was she? Was defending yourself the same as fighting for others? Rainbow wasn't sure. What she was sure about was that Fluttershy was defenseless, and she couldn't defend Fluttershy if she couldn't defend herself.

Rainbow Dash stayed where she was. Clang continued to charge closer. If Fluttershy wasn't in any danger, would he hesitate to strike in this position? She could hear Fluttershy whimpering from behind her w while Clang closed the distance. There was no hesitation or sympathy coming from him. That was all she needed to know.

Rainbow jumped, or at least, it looked like she did. That was when Clang responded and jumped after her. But thanks to her wings, she came back down just as soon as her hooves left the ground. She then pushed her hooves back off the ground, ignited her wings, and slammed both her hooves against Clang’s chest, sending them away from Fluttershy.

With a loud grunt, Clang tried to retaliate by smacking Rainbow away with his hoof. She did it herself by letting her wings take her back to the ground, halting her momentum. It caused Clang to hit air while his momentum kept him going. He landed on all fours and skidded along the ground. After he stopped, he charged back to Rainbow.

Once again, Rainbow waited until he closed the distance. After he swung, she dodged. He swung again, and she dodged again. With the help of her wings, her balance along the ground was more agile than Clang’s. Even though Clang felt stronger, she was faster. Every so often, she would sneak a hit in. Every so often, he would block and strike back. And every so often, Fluttershy would flinch every time his hoof got close to Rainbow.

In the middle of the fighting, Fluttershy heard banging coming from behind her. It was like a knocking bang. Her eyes grew wide as her hope sparked. Somepony was just outside the building. Was it one of their friends? She tried to move her head and call out to them, but with her mouth and body tied up, she could only manage silent muffles.

Fluttershy could hear somepony yelling after those bangs. Due to the fighting from Rainbow and Clang, and everything in this building being covered up, she couldn’t make out who it was or what they were saying. Even worse, the banging had stopped as well as the yelling. There was no longer any sign of them around. She hoped they were coming back with help.

“HOLD STILL, DARN IT!!!”

Fluttershy’s attention was brought back just as Clang suddenly raised his hoof and stomped it down. As Rainbow Dash moved away, his hoof moved with her. When it struck the ground, Rainbow’s eyes went wide. Her movement had stopped. Fluttershy squeaked seeing what happened. Rainbow’s long tail was caught stuck under the hoof of Clang.

“No… not the tail!” Fluttershy thought. ”It’s always the tail!”

With her tail caught, Rainbow’s body fell back to the ground. Clang struck his other hoof down. Rainbow had to roll to dodge it. But that left her vulnerable when Clang released her tail with his other hoof and used it to grab around her neck. Before she could react, her tail was caught again with Clang’s hind hoof.

Grunting and struggling to breathe, Rainbow Dash placed her hooves on Clang’s, trying to pry them apart. But he was too strong. And with her tail trapped, she couldn’t squirm free.

“No… Rainbow!” Fluttershy thought. She could see a smile widening on Clang’s face.

“Now I got you ya little-” All of a sudden, Rainbow opened her mouth and lashed two of her tentacle tongues straight for Clang’s eyes. “AHH!!!” Clang’s speech was silenced when those coils poked his eyes. Rainbow then kicked his stomach with her hind hoof, causing Clang to stumble back, releasing the grip he had on her neck and tail.

Seeing Clang holding one hoof over his eyes and the other on his stomach, Rainbow retaliated. She darted towards his face and gave him a good uppercut with her hoof. With Clang stumbling back even further, she rotated her body around a ninety degree angle. Planting both forehooves on the ground, she kicked both hind hooves as hard as she could, pounding at Clang’s exposed stomach.

Clang’s eyes shot open as that impact caused saliva to sputter out of his mouth. His mouth was ‘O’ shaped, his eyes were pea-sized, and his limbs were stretched in front of him while the rest of his body was dragged with him, plummeting a good distance between him and Rainbow across the room. When his body landed, his limbs and head went limp and his eyes shut tight.

Rainbow gasped for breath as she rubbed her neck. After easing the pain, she took a look to Fluttershy’s direction. She started walking over there. Fluttershy was still helplessly binded by those ropes, lying forwards. Fear seemed to fill her eyes, but at least she wasn’t hurt. When Rainbow got close, she opened her mouth, ready to untie those ropes.

Suddenly, Fluttershy’s eyes opened wider as they filled with more fear. Rainbow nearly froze seeing the sudden struggles and hearing those moans. Fluttershy must’ve still been terrified of her tongues. She had tried not to reveal them for Fluttershy’s sake. And after the display she just showed with them, Fluttershy's fear of them seemed to increase further.

Rainbow retracted her tongues back and closed her mouth, moving her hooves to the ropes to get Fluttershy free. For some reason, Fluttershy kept struggling. It made it difficult to untie the ropes. But she continued to untie it, and Fluttershy struggled harder. After getting the knot loose, Fluttershy’s moaning got louder. Her body was thrusting. Worried, Rainbow pulled the rope from Fluttershy’s mouth.

“LOOK OUT!!!” Fluttershy shouted after a gasp of breath. But it was too late. The last thing Rainbow heard was a loud smack. The back of her head rang a deafening screeching clang. Her lights went out.

Fluttershy yelped loudly at the sight of Rainbow Dash getting bucked in the back of the head like that. Her head turned as Rainbow’s body went flying over her. Each second felt like dozens. Every heartbeat pounded ten times harder. She could even hear the air being sliced from Rainbow’s momentum. Rainbow’s body bounced once after hitting the floor, sliding to a halt. There was no movement after that.

A hard breath could be heard escaping Clang’s mouth. “That was a cheap shot you just pulled...” He released another pant and rubbed his eyes. “So I gave it back…”

Flutershy looked at Rainbow’s still body slumped on the ground. There was no movement coming from Rainbow. No muscle movement in her eyes. And her wings laid apart, away from her sides. She appeared to be out cold.

Worry filled Fluttershy’s heart, then sadness. Tears welled in her eyes, feeling the pain that was inflicted on Rainbow. She wanted to cry. 

But then she blinked her eyes and those tears steamed. “How could you...” a whisper escaped her mouth as it shook. Anger filled her heart. Her teeth gritted. With the ropes loose, they slid off her body as she stood herself up. Then she turned to Clang, fire igniting her eyes. “HOW COULD YOU?!”

Clang’s eyes widened, seeing the sudden change in Fluttershy’s nature. Fluttershy slowly walked over to him as she scolded, stomping with each step.

“Is this your example of protecting us from a dangerous pony?! All she’s been trying to do is defend herself, AND me!” Clang cranked his head back, gritting his teeth as Fluttershy drew closer. “The only dangerous pony in here is YOU! Everything was fine until you sent us that letter.” Clang’s eyes squeezed closed while he plugged his ears hard with his hooves, grinding his teeth now. “You asked us to come, we accepted your request. And THIS is how you repay us?!”  Fluttershy’s face was up against his. “You are nothing but a big bully! A monster! And you should be-”

“SHUT UP YOU OLD HAA-” Fluttershy gasped loudly when she saw a hoof being thrown her way. With her hooves up, she shut her eyes and flinched away, waiting for the inevitable pain to strike her face.

For that moment, everything was silent.