The crowds went silent as the colt and stallion squared off.
Well, mostly silent.
“I don’t get it,” Apple Bloom said. “How do y’all know that kid?”
Rarity winced. “Every mare in Ponyville knows him. The ones who’ve lived here long enough, that is. He’s a local legend; the boy who drove all his foalsitters away.”
“Huh?”
Sweetie Belle nodded with a pout. “His name is Waiwai. We used to go to kindergarten together, and we were in the same junior drama club. We were pretty close. But everything changed when he got his cutie mark. He started pranking everypony.”
“He was not pranking ponies, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said. “He couldn’t help himself.”
Sweetie nodded with a sigh. “No, I know. But that’s what everypony thought. He let them think that.”
Apple Bloom was still shaking her head. “I still don’t understand what the big deal is.”
Fleur smirked. “Give it a moment.”
In the arena, Ash smiled at the boy. “Well, then. Your move, kid. Show me whatcha got.”
Apple Bloom barely had time to gasp when Hammer showed everyone exactly what he had.
He gritted his teeth, and all around the light seemed to drain around him, darkening the air around his body. He raised his head, swinging his horn like a magic wand.
When he brought it down, the very skies quaked.
Thunder and lightning, the likes of which Apple Bloom had only seen from the safe confines of her farm home, erupted from his fur and surged around his horn to lash out at the Ashen Blizzard.
The stallion chuckled as the sparks and arcs of lightning danced over the floor, driving him back.
Apple Bloom picked her jaw up. “Whoa. He knows lightning spells?”
“It’s a little more complicated than that, darling,” Rarity said. “I’m sure Master Lee here has had the opportunity to study his abilities more closely.”
Fleur closed her eyes and smiled. “Ouais. Hammer, or Live Wire, as you know him, is quite the rarity, no pun intended. He has a very peculiar condition, linked to his cutie mark.”
Ash chuckled. “Nice technique. Good voltage, too. But you can’t rely on just that against somepony like me.”
Live Wire snorted and lowered his head, ears perked and letting off a vague buzz. “I know, sir. Close quarter combat is what I’m trained in.”
“Royal Guard style, I take it, mixed in with some ninjutsu? I’m guessing… rope techniques, to match your magic? I saw you whippin’ your arms at Apple Bloom there.”
The boy smirked. “Something like that.”
Ash smirked right back. “Confident little fella, ain’t you?”
“I know my skills, sir. I know my strengths, and my limits. I know how to handle both.”
“Show me.” With that, the Ashen Blizzard charged at him.
To his credit, Live Wire wasn’t bowled over by the high-speed lunge that sent a stallion careening towards him. He sidestepped the initial rush, then held his hooves up to block the backhooved blow that would have smacked him in the snout otherwise.
He took a step back, but he didn’t buckle.
Ash turned smoothly and went into a low Bear Stance. “Fast reflexes, but then I suppose your talent would help with that.”
Live Wire smiled. “You’re holding back.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t?”
“I’m saying I want to test my limits, sir.”
“Suit yourself.” Ash tapped his right hind hoof on the ground, once, then twice. “Don’t come cryin’ to me when you get knocked right out of the ring.”
“I won’t be.” With a gesture, he conjured up more lightning, this time a pair of whips that circled around him for defense.
Apple Bloom had a better grasp now of what Ash meant with ‘natural movement’. Both of them were clearly of a high level, higher than her, at least, but the way they moved was radically different. Live Wire’s motions were those of a dancer, a performer: he swung his arms in wide arcs, made big sweeps with his legs, carefully adjusted his footing. Every punch and swish of the hooves was careful, but swift.
Strange how she hadn’t noticed that while he was fighting her.
Ash, on the other hoof, was brutal by default. Every step he took was a curt stomp, every punch came with a snap to it, even his dodging was all brief motions, erratic, hard to predict. One moment he’d have his hooves up to guard, the next his arm would be stretched for a straight jab, and there was nothing in between. Even stranger, though, was that his speed didn’t match his rhythm: where Spike’s Fire Style relied on quick successive blows, Ash left a good amount of time between every move. Then again, that only made him more unpredictable.
Live Wire was putting up a good fight, though, at least good enough to make a show of it. How much of that was Live Wire’s skill, and how much was the Ashen Blizzard holding back, she couldn’t tell. “Exactly what condition are we talkin’ about here?” Apple Bloom asked as the lightning at least managed to keep the Ashen Blizzard at bay, though with the intricate motions of dodging and kicking, he managed to put the little walking battery on the defensive.
“When he first got his cutie mark, he developed an electrical charge under his skin. Every time he was touched, it would discharge. His parents thought it was just a phase, and they were out of the house a lot because of their jobs, so they didn’t think much of it. Then the first of his foalsitters resigned,” Fleur explained.
“He shocked her? So what? Just don’t touch him and you’re fine.”
“Again, more complicated than that, darling,” Rarity said. “You have to understand, this was four or five years ago. A boy that young needs proper affection and encouragement. But when such a boy is in your care, if you have to constantly be on guard not to touch him, it can be quite stressful. The slightest little touch, a pat on the head, a kiss goodnight, even so much as brushing past his shoulder while you’re reaching for something across the table, it could shock you as badly as an electric fence. It may sound easy, but having to put with that from a small child can be maddening.”
“C’est vrai,” Fleur concurred. “After the first incident, his parents took him to see a doctor, as you would. The doctor made the obvious diagnosis that Waiwai was simply running a current because of a spell he’d cast. Lightning shields are a common tactic in the Royal Guard, very effective boobytrap, relatively easy to learn for ponies with the talent. Not that unusual to see in children, even. Since that sort of spell remains in place without conscious action, requiring a timely recharge, it was only a matter of time before the shield would simply die out and run its course. They put him in a rubber suit in the meantime and got him some other sitters. There were only two problems. The first was that the insulation suit kept his head free, so there was still the risk of being shocked. His new sitters typically didn’t last long, and from what I gather, he did try his best to avoid accidents, but that took its toll on his composure.”
“You gathered correct,” Rarity said. “By the time I went to look after him, he was as timid as a beaten dog. That suit they got him was an ill fit, it wasn’t designed for ponies like him, or for that condition. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that thing was, or how embarrassing.”
Live Wire struggled to keep up with the Shadowbolt. He ducked under a snap kick, swatted another away with his lightning whip, then sidestepped a jab that came in fast enough to blur.
He froze. He saw the next blow coming, but he was too slow. The last one landed, dead on his snout.
“Ah!” He backed up a step, then two. He rubbed his nose and winced.
Ash shook his head. That smile from before had faded, to be replaced with a disappointed scowl. “Just like I thought. Your technique is centred on awareness of your skin. It makes you more sensitive, tender. You’re a glass cannon, you got nothin’ hard to back up your firepower.”
This, much to Ash’s surprise, got a growl out of the boy. “I… am not… a glass cannon. I am an apprentice Fencer, I can fight melee just fine. And I will not shame my teacher.”
Ash cocked his head. “Prove it.”
Then, just like that, Live Wire vanished.
“Nande-” Ash had his front hoof up just in time to block the swipe to his gut. He held the striking hoof fast in both his front hooves. “That was a pretty quick lunge. How’d you learn how to move like that?”
“Good role models.” Live Wire slapped his hind hoof free and stepped forward to knee the stallion in the thighs, only to be blocked.
“Not bad, not bad,” Ash said as he let Live Wire punch and kick to his heart’s content with lightning trailing only from his limbs now, though the boy never hit anything but air or a block. Ash wasn’t so much as tingling, as every time he blocked something he made sure to hit Live Wire’s arms down low, at the nerve points. Still the boy persisted. “You wouldn’t do too bad on the circuit with moves like that.”
Live Wire growled as he broke away from the melee. “Stop holding back!”
Ash chuckled. “You first.”
Apple Bloom looked on, awestruck. “And the second problem?”
Fleur shrugged, ignoring the violent crackling in the arena. “The spell never wore off. Several months passed, and his lightning shield was still up. But then he had the good fortune of getting one foalsitter who was curious about his condition and who asked around in Canterlot. Turns out it wasn’t a spell that gave him his shield.”
“What?”
“Elemental magic doesn’t come purely from a unicorn’s horn, Apple Bloom. Parts of it come from the internal organs. Lightning energy in particular is generated in the heart. What you’re looking at right now isn’t a wizard pony casting spells; he’s only flexing what he was born with. He can toss a lightning bolt as easily as you can toss a ball,” Rarity said.
“How do you-oh, that was you?” Fleur asked.
Rarity nodded with a smile. “Yes. I got him a bracer for his chest, one with a crystal, to balance out the magic that had gone haywire, make his heart come in tune with his horn, that’s how they did it in the old days. That’s what I was told, at least.” She shook her head, thinking. “He was fine when I left him, though, his other foalsitters came back. Last I heard he was going to school in Canterlot. Why would he still need his armour?”
Fleur shrugged. “He doesn’t. Not all the time, not really. But like I said, he has acquired an acute case of gymnophobia.”
Apple Bloom gasped when it dawned on her. “His cutie mark. He covers up his cutie mark. It’s a hazard sign.”
Fleur nodded. “Exactly. That mark is a sign of danger, a warning not to come near him. His armour, as odd as it may seem, makes him look normal enough to socialise. Without it, I suppose he feels like he’s tricking ponies into liking him. But once he dons it, he looks and feels imposing by default. It’s normal for ponies to shy away from someone in a suit like that, he doesn’t have to feel bad about it. Plus, he can’t hurt them by accident when he’s covered up. It’s not rubber padding, but the rope harness helps him channel his energies into something more harmless.”
“And what do his parents have to say about that?” Rarity asked.
“They do not mind, actually. The Blizzards are very supportive of their son, in all matters. And, for all his little problems, Live Wire appreciates the value of a silver lining. His armour weighs him down, slows his movements, forces him to acclimate to heat.”
Live Wire took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Okay. This is where things get rough.”
Ash smiled in sympathy. “I know. I’ll try not to hurt you too much.”
Live Wire’s body blurred now, just like that of the Shadowbolt. Even with his showy swipes, his blows made a high-pitched whizzing sound followed by a dull ‘thud’ as he traded blows with Ash, both aiming for the soft spots on their opponent, both going at speeds the naked eye could barely follow.
Both going at Wonderbolt speed.
Ash brusquely slapped another blow away and pressed his hooves against Live Wire’s, putting his body weight against the boy and holding him in place. “You are exceptionally fast for a unicorn, you know,” Ash said. “I was under the impression your kind didn’t get this sorta speed until they were older.”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, sir, I’m a bit of an early bloomer,” Live Wire managed to say under gritted teeth.
“Oh, yeah, the snout. I wouldn’t worry about that, kid; pony genetics are just weird.”
With another deep breath and a surge of adrenalin, Live Wire pushed up and away to break free, resuming his quick jabs and dancing sidesteps while Ash did the same, never missing a beat.
Apple Bloom squinted as she tried to follow the boy’s movements. “How is he doing that?”
“He has trained himself to dodge while weighed down,” Fleur explained. “He’s quite a capable fighter for his age now. Still difficult to test him, though. Not many ponies last long enough for him to resort to this.”
Ash had found the proverbial chink in Live Wire’s armour, or rather the boy’s speed limit. He clipped Live Wire’s skull with a quick swipe, then delivered a wallbreaker punch to the boy’s guarding hooves while he was distracted, sending him stumbling backward.
Live Wire still didn’t break.
“You’re gettin’ roughed up, kid. You sure you want to keep going?”
Panting for breath, Live Wire shook his head. “I can keep going, sir. Just a little longer.”
Ash broke his fighting stance and held up a hoof. “While I have you on the cooldown, one question: I couldn’t help but notice that when I had you in a deadlock there, you didn’t try to shock me.”
Live Wire’s ears perked.
The Shadowbolt looked down at the ground, pondering aloud. “Now, I have to wonder: a boy like you knows that, of all the times to try and shock your opponent, the best time is when they’re close by and you can get the drop on them. So why would you neglect that opportunity?”
Live Wire shrugged. “I was shutting off energy openings, so you couldn’t drain me, sir.”
Ash smirked. “Did your master tell you I can do that? Funny, I don’t recall her ever learning about that little trick.”
Cheerilee winced. “This is ridiculous. He’s fighting a grandmaster.”
Fleur snorted. “Hardly. Ash is playing with him at this point. Waiwai is an advanced fighter for his age, he’s mastered some of the secrets to super speed, secrets that normally only come natural to pegasi. But as fast as he is, the Ashen Blizzard could fly circles around him.”
Live Wire went back on the offensive, pummeling Ash’ arms as hard as he could. He only barely managed to sidestep the jab to his gut that broke him out of it and grazed his fur. He stepped back, and the next jab connected with his stomach, knocking the air clean out of him. With the shock numbing him, a backhooved blow to his cheek sent him flying to land on the hard floor of the arena. His moans and groans contrasted with the sound of him dragging himself back to all fours.
And right when he got back up, Ash slammed his body into him and put an arm around his neck. Or he would have, if Live Wire hadn’t managed to thunderbolt him off before that arm had locked.
Ash flew up and shook off the electric aftershock, chuckling all the way. “Hoowee! You got a lot more fight in you than I figured, little boy. I’m impressed, truly I am.”
“I’d hardly call that playing,” Cheerilee remarked.
“Oh, it’s only a spot of exercise. My apprentice needs to let it all out every now and then.”
“That’s not my point. He’s taking all that from an adult, and he’s still standing. If it was me up there, I’d be in the emergency ward by now.”
“That’s simple body conditioning against injuries, every pony with any physical fitness has that to some degree. Magic tends to… compact, once you get to a certain level. And the Ashen Blizzard wouldn’t just beat you up.”
“It’s not him I’m worried about; it’s the child! How is he that strong and that fast if he’s that young?”
Fleur smiled. “That’s less of a matter of age than it is a matter of ceilings. Every pony learning a skill grows along a curve, until they plateau. They always hit a ceiling, some obstacle or limit that needs to be bypassed. In combat skills, where success can depend on any number of factors and attacks can require a wide range of skills, this is doubly true. Some ponies hit a higher ceiling when they are older, some hit it when they are younger. And then you get situations like these, where children need to be measured against adults to get a proper challenge. It’s not as rare as you might think; they do keep growing, but at a slower pace than initially. It’s… a quicker trip up the learning curve, is all.”
“But he’s… he could take on any adult in this town, with that speed and strength. Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t be able to fight him.” Cheerilee’s stomach groaned when she realised the implications. Strange how she’d lived so close to the Everfree Forest for so long, only to learn true terror might be found not stalking the darkness of the wild, but sitting in the front row of class, taking notes on Neighpoleon’s conquests.
The fact that a similar sentiment was shared by bully victims all over Equestria was completely lost on her.
“Cheerilee, with all due respect, but I think you gravely underestimate what a pony can do when they set their sights on the warrior path. Little Apple Bloom here is strong enough to snap a pony’s arms clean off if she gets a good grip. That’s the first thing you’re warned against, even, at least when fighting Earth ponies. What do you think makes Live Wire any different?”
Cheerilee stared in awe as Live Wire still struggled. Even with his limbs showing signs of fatigue, he tossed out bolt after bolt, swiping and whipping this way and that while Ash danced around it at a leisurely pace.
The Shadowbolt could dodge all that. If Cheerilee got caught by even one of those attacks, she’d be fried. “It’s monstrous.”
“Yes, Silver Spoon really isn’t the only monster in this town, as I told her.” Fleur looked Cheerilee in the eyes then.
Cheerilee, for her part, felt her heart sink at the very thought of it. “H-how do you control a child like that?”
“Who, Hammer? He’s quite easy to keep in line, really: simple rewards, praise when it’s earned, ambitions to dangle in front of his nose, and timely reminders when he is at fault.”
“But how do you keep him from turning into a bully?”
“Hmm? Well, when a child gains a certain amount of power, they will want to exercise it; it’s in their nature. The only way you can get them to stop exercising it is by finding the, ah, how do I put this, other big fish in the pond.”
Cheerilee gasped in disbelief. “Other big fish? You mean throw him in with more monsters?”
“Of course. Find an opponent of equal measure. Someone who can fight them on their terms, someone who understands the burdens that come with that kind of power. As I understand it, your Silver Spoon is currently lacking that sort of counterweight, non?”
“You’re slowing down there, kid,” Ash said. “Don’t tell me you’re spent?”
Live Wire coughed, before licking his lips. “Not even close.” His horn glowed, and the bruises on his body started healing. Little snaps and cracks went through his body, and limbs that looked weak and battered now looked perfectly serviceable.
Ash smiled knowingly. “You’ve got a healing spell, too. Figures. Your master should be proud, smart kid like you.”
Cheerilee’s jaw dropped. “He’s got a second wind?”
Fleur shrugged again. “His talent lends itself to certain forms of first aid, and besides that, he had the aptitude to learn body reconstruction spells. He can’t do it more than once, though. Takes days to recharge.”
“How? How do you deal with that? What do you do if he ever gets out of line? You just get an adult to beat him up, twice?”
“Oh, non, non, that would not work. Well, if they’re careful, they can knock him out, obviously, but it wouldn’t change any attitude problems in the long run. For that, the opponent must be an equal. Against an unfairly advantaged opponent, against the Ashen Blizzard, here, after all he’s displayed, defeat means nothing to a boy like him. Even monsters, of any size, have hearts that can be pierced, or upset, or lonely. Non, you can’t get that high a level in solitary warriors, anyway. Fighters like him, like Silver Spoon, you always put them in sets of two or three, or they never grow to their full potential. Complementary abilities, usually, but equal in worth. Much like you and your friends, Apple Bloom.”
“Yes, speaking of which, Apple Bloom, I do hope you weren’t planning on fighting anyone like you did Hammer,” Cheerilee started.
Apple Bloom smiled nervously. “I wouldn’t, Miss Cheerilee. I got a little carried away, is all, it won’t happen again. We don’t have a nurse close enough for that. And besides, school hours ain’t the time to be beatin’ each others heads in.”
“Yeah, Scootaloo can barely stay awake as it is,” Sweetie Belle joked.
“Not helping, Sweetie Belle.”
“Now that you mention it, where is Scootaloo?” Rarity asked.
Cheerilee furrowed her brow, thinking. “So your Hammer does have an equal, then?”
Fleur chuckled. “Obviously he cannot do sparring matches on the regular circuit, not yet. That’s why he’s being evaluated now. I mean, there are defences against his technique, but they usually aren’t taught early. So everyone I pit him against only wants to fight once.”
“So he is a solitary one, then?”
The unicorn snorted. “I suppose that all depends on your perspective.”
“How’s that?”
“If you had a pet chimera, and you got them a manticore to keep it company, what would you call that? Two monsters who are equals? Or would it have to be a second pet manticore to count?”
Ash and Live wire circled around each other, both in a deep stance.
“You’re not bad, kid, I’ll give you that much. Most your age would have taken a dive by now.”
Live Wire smiled. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”
“I don’t say that lightly. But, given that you are doin’ this to be accepted as a Duellist, I have to ask: why are you still holding back?”
“Why are you? I’ve heard the stories, sir. If you really wanted to, you could’ve tossed me out the ring in ten seconds, flat.”
“I ain’t here to toss ya, kid; I’m here to measure you. And by my measure, you’re not showin’ everything just yet.”
The boy stopped circling. “What do you mean?”
Ash smiled impishly. “I mean a smart boy like you wouldn’t challenge me if he doesn’t know he can win. Winning, in your case, involves me conceding a modicum of perspiration as a response to this exertion. Now, you’re good enough to be a warmup, but I ain’t sweatin’ yet. And that don’t make a lick of sense. A smart boy like you doesn’t stop at Wonderbolt speed, a smart boy like you’s got an ace up his sleeve.”
“Maybe.”
Ash chanced a glance back at Fleur. “Oh, you wanna be coy about it, then? Alright. How about this: you show me your strongest technique, or you go out the ring right here and now.”
“W-what?”
“You heard me. I wanna see your ace, kid. It’s not often talent like yours shows up in a town like this. Ponies don’t get to see it that often.”
Live Wire chuckled. “Actually, sir, I’m a local. So they will be seeing it pretty often.”
“All the better to demo it now. Come on. Let me see what you’ve really got. Unless you want to see what a grandmaster’s strike can really do to a colt’s body.”
Live Wire’s body tensed up. “You want to see it? Look up.”
The shift in air pressure and humidity registered first in Ash’s brain, making him jump back in a reflex. Then the flash of light, then the sound of thunder.
Nande… he wasn’t channeling any lightning then, where did…
He looked up to see a dark cloud forming above the arena, little sparks still flying off it as it expanded. Then he saw the light spread through the colt’s body and out around the ring.
The Lightning Ring Technique. He knows the Lightning Ring Technique. The ultimate lightning spell.
Ash dodged a bolt that came out of thin air and jumped, before getting clipped in his right shoulder by a second one.
This kid’s something else. He knew I couldn’t sense his magic if it didn’t come directly from him.
A third bolt whizzed harmlessly past his visor.
He was gunnin’ for me. He knows my abilities. He knows my limits.
How? How did he know this would work? Fleur doesn’t have that kind of intel on me.
A fourth bolt was sidestepped, the fifth was evaded with a flap of the wing, leaving him safely off the ground.
Five bolts. That’s the maximum.
Ash looked down and realised his mistake. Live Wire had one last projectile left.
Himself.
With lightning crackling over him, the boy had launched himself with one final burst of legs and magic.
Ash hung there, his enhanced senses letting him see the attack in slow motion. He could feel his body taking over, clouding his mind. Warrior’s Heart, the perfect harmony of mind and body.
He brought both hooves together on Live Wire’s horn and flipped him backwards, before flying down and mashing a hoof on his neck.
The boy was slammed with his back into the stone, but Ash knew that wouldn’t faze him. This kid was tough, a lot tougher than a unicorn had any business being. With his hoof planted firmly on Live Wire’s neck, Ash pondered just how such a boy could have gotten this far.
“You okay, kid?”
Live Wire grunted and tried to puch that hoof off him. “I’m fine, just… get off!”
Ash chuckled and obliged. “Hoo! Nothin’ like a little lightning to get the juices flowing. Come on, kid, round three.” He clapped his hooves and got back into a deep pose.
Live Wire coughed and shook his head. “No. I give up, sir. That was my last move.”
“What? Oh, come on. You were doin’ so well. You almost got a shot in at me,” he started jumping around like a petulant child, trying to goad the kid into another round.
“I doubt that. I’m nowhere near as fast as you, not really.”
Ash stopped. The childish tone of his voice made way for the sagely one of a master. “Don’t sell yourself so short, kid. You’re closer than you think.”
“Be that as it may, I’m done.” Live Wire plopped his rump down. “I give up.”
“Why? I ain’t done testing you yet.”
He tapped his chest and whispered, making sure none of the other fighters, especially the Feather Cloaks, would hear. “My power comes from my heart, sir.”
Ash leaned in closer so he could hear. “What was that?”
“My power, it’s from my heart. I’m empty. If I keep going, I’m tapping into my reserves. And I don’t want to end up hurting myself just for a test.”
Ash tilted his head, curious. He whispered back at the boy. “So you don’t care about your result, then, is that it? This whole thing was just a game to you? And here I thought you were following a calling.”
“I am following a calling. My talent, it’s pretty big. I do want to use it, and I want to use it right. But I don’t want it that badly. It’s not worth risking a heart attack over, sir. I want your approval, really. It means a lot to me, hearing that I’m doing something right. I want that more than anything.”
Ash nodded knowingly.
“Thing is, as much as I want it, I can’t risk dying over it. My parents would kill me.”
That got a hearty and sincere laugh out of the Shadowbolt. “Good answer. My approval, you have. Master Lee! You’ve got a fine apprentice here. Good speed, good sense of balance, good dosing of his power…“ He lowered his voice so only the boy could hear and patted him on the back. “Good sense of priorities. Keep that up. For now, I’ll reserve judgement whether you should be duelling other ponies just yet. I’ll discuss it with Princess Luna, we’ll compare notes. In the meantime, I guess I win.”
“I kind of thought you would, sir.”
“Don’t sweat it.” He looked around the arena, checking the reactions. “I think the other kids are just as scared of you as they are of me.”
“He’s givin’ up?” Apple Bloom asked. “Just like that?”
“Yes,” Fleur replied. “Just like that. I figured he would, eventually. The Ashen Blizzard does not take his tests lightly.”
“But why?”
“Because he’s only trying to show his strength, Apple Bloom. It’s not worth getting injured over,” Rarity replied.
“So, did he get what he wanted, then? Ash said he’d tell him later.”
Fleur smiled as the stallion went back to sit with Princess Luna. “I suspect he will be deliberating on the matter of Waiwai’s stamina, as well as his major weak points. Thinking of good feedback, no doubt. And I will be sure to mention my apprentice mastered a high-level spell behind my back, without my approval.”
Live Wire picked up his things and hopped off the edge of the arena. He smiled and let his black-tipped ears fall back against his head when the girls greeted him with awkward silence. “Umm, hi, Sweetie Belle. It’s been a while, huh?”
Sweetie Belle’s body moved forward hesitantly, almost tilting forward for a split second. “A-are you…”
“I’m spent,” Live Wire said. “I don’t think I even singed his suit.”
Sweetie Belle needed no further encouragement and rushed forward to hug the boy, now that he was momentarily de-volted. “Good to see you again, Waiwai.”
He wrapped his arms around her and lay his head on her shoulder, smiling. “You too.”
Sweetie’s throat croaked. “I really missed having you around, you know.”
“Same here. But, umm, things got kind of complicated and then back in Canterlot… I figured I’d bump into you again eventually, so… here I am.”
Apple Bloom tilted her head to get a closer look at him. This Live Wire kid really did have a very strange snout for a colt: already flattened on the brow and broad in the muzzle, like an adult stallion. Like her brother, when she really thought about it, except his legs were still as short as hers. His nose gave him away, though; he didn’t have the big nostrils to give a proper stallion snort with just yet.
He was an early bloomer, in more ways than one.
He winced at Apple Bloom when Sweetie broke the hug. “I’m really sorry I didn’t say anything, Apple Bloom. I didn’t know you were friends with Sweetie Belle, too.”
“Never mind that, you had me thinkin’ you were an alicorn prince or somethin’.”
Fleur nodded. “A common deception.”
“Huh?”
“Think about it, Apple Bloom,” Rarity said. “If you’re a warrior, and you don’t want your opponent to know what you can do, what’s the first thing you cover up?”
“Your cutie mark, obviously.”
“Right. And how do you hide your abilities?”
“Umm, you don’t. You show them off while you fight.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Yes, but you want the element of surprise.”
“So?”
“So, how does a unicorn hide their horn? How does a pegasus hide their wings?”
“They can’t. Unless… oooh.”
“Unless they wear both a fake horn and fake wings,” Live Wire said. “Then you just have to bluff, and maybe use some tricks, and nopony can tell what race you really are. Or what you can do.”
“Huh. That is kinda clever, I guess. So… you’re Sweetie Belle’s old friend, huh?”
“Yeah, we go way back. Again, sorry.” He looked up at Rarity. “Hi, Rarity.”
Rarity gave him a nod in greeting. “Hello to you too, young sir. I see you’ve made quite a name for yourself since last we met?”
He blushed and idly dug a hoof in the ground. “Umm, yes, Ma’am.”
“And the covering up? Really dear, you’ve no reason to.”
“I have plenty of reasons.”
Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. “What do your teachers have to say about you fighting the way you do?”
“Huh? Oh, I never fight in school, Miss. And I try to keep my distance in the playgrounds, so I don’t get any accidents. Swimming lessons are still kinda tricky, though.” He grimaced at the thought.
“But you can control your electricity now, can’t you?” Rarity asked. “That crystal I gave you?”
“I still have it. Just, you know, I’m a little bigger now, so it’s tight around the chest.”
“Yes, and tight clothing isn’t something you have the fondest memories of, I know.”
“Not that kind of tight, no. But it did help, with the balancing and everything, and I got some other crystals, too, it’s fine. But, thing is, that’s not the only issue. My electric magic is part of me, like a tail or an ear. I can’t switch it off completely.”
“Not yet, you mean,” Fleur said. “Give it a few more years, it will come.”
“Thanks. But, yeah, in the meantime I don’t wanna hurt anypony.”
“Why not?” Cheerilee asked. “You’re good at it.”
At that, the boy recoiled. Rarity would have said something, but Fleur’s hint of a smirk and subtle shaking of the head stopped her.
“Umm, maybe I am, but so are the Royal Guard. And the Royal Guard don’t hurt ponies when they don’t need to. I have my magic, so I’m going to use it. And I don’t like being called a bully, Miss.”
“Cheerilee,” Fleur said. “That is Miss Cheerilee.”
“Oh.” He winced. “Umm, wow.”
Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “What is goin’ on here?”
“Nothing you need to worry about, Apple Bloom,” Cheerilee replied.
“Okay, fighters: next challenge!” Ash called out. “Master Blazing, I’m told you have a rookie wanting to prove himself?”
Blazing nodded as the muscular, blue pegasus colt stepped forward. “That I do. A very eager one, at that.”
“Okay, kid, the floor is yours.”
The colt huffed. “I challenge the dragon!”
Ash tilted his head at that. “Beg yer pardon?”
“I’ve been learning the ways of the Dragonslayer, sir. I want to measure them against your student, in a challenge for recognition.”
Ash looked back. “Spike, I don’t know about this.”
“You said I might run into a dragonslayer. He’s only a little one.”
“Yes, he is. And in case you hadn’t noticed, you’re only a little dragon. Are you sure you want to accept this challenge?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“He’s a Feather Cloak. They’re not like the other schools here. I’d be fine with it if the Tai Chi club had a dragonslayer, or the karate schools. Feather Cloaks are ninja, and brutal by default. He’s not gonna go easy on you.”
Spike nodded. “Okay. Then I won’t go easy on him.”
Ash nodded. “It’s a personal challenge to you, you have to answer him.”
“I accept!” Spike called out as he walked onto the stage to face the colt. “My name is Spike. Who’s challenging me?”
The kid grinned as he lowered his stance, still on all fours. “They call me the Mangler. But seeing as you don’t have a warrior alias, you can call me by my real name: Whimper.”
Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Whimper?”