Apple Bloom’s ears twitched when she heard the name of the boy Spike would be fighting. “Whimper? Did he just say Whimper?”
“He did,” Sweetie Belle replied. “I heard it, too.”
“So that’s Scootaloo’s friend? And Spike’s gonna fight him?”
“You know that guy?” Live Wire asked.
Sweetie Belle winced. “Umm, we don’t know him, exactly, but we’ve heard a lot about him. Scootaloo went to Flight Camp with him, apparently they were friends, but something happened. Now she’s scared of even being in the same town as him.”
Live Wire grumbled. “Can’t say I blame her. That Whimper’s ruthless.”
“You know him too, then?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Of course. I’ve seen him fight. He uses the same technique as Silver Spoon, but his focus is different. Iron Saddle jutsu, entry level one. That’s the one they teach white belts first. Silver Spoon’s technique is entry level two.”
Spike took a low stance and breathed in deep. Behind him, Ash raised a hoof. “Ready?”
“This should be interesting,” Fleur said. “That Whimper is one of the better rookies in Blazing’s class. If Spike has progressed as quickly as Apple Bloom, it should be an even match.”
“Begin!”
The two boys held up their guards, circling around each other slowly, each gauging the other’s motions.
“What do you mean, ‘progressed as quickly as Apple Bloom’? I went down like a sack a’ potatoes,” the little Earth pony started.
“As I explained to your friend earlier, the Ashen Blizzard doesn’t teach often, but he is good at it. Do not underestimate your own skills, ma petite, you don’t know what to measure them against. My Live Wire here is an exceptional fighter, certainly a few levels higher than you. The fact that he had trouble taking you down painlessly is a testament to your own progress.”
“Really? You’re a bigshot?” Apple Bloom asked.
His ears fell back against his head. “Eheh, not yet, but last Warrior Meet I kinda put on a show. That’s where I got the name ‘Hammer,’ too. My talent kind of makes it easy for me to do damage, so I try to get my level up as high as I can.”
“Quite successfully, I might add,” Fleur said. “But that does not mean you are of a low level yourself, Apple Bloom. And neither, I should hope, is Spike.”
“So what does that Whimper kid usually do?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“That one?” Live Wire replied. “That one’s just like any Feather Cloak: he gets under your skin any chance he gets.”
“I’m sure you’ve heard by now they, too, have a bit of a reputation,” Fleur said.
“Yeah. Why, though?”
“It’s in their nature. Certain abilities are only unlocked by summoning certain emotions, and the Feather Cloaks tend to use anger more than anything else.”
“Like Mercurial Hoof?”
“It’s a long story,” Live Wire replied. “But yes, that Whimper uses part of the same practice. Part of the same legend.”
Spike’s pose was uncannily similar to Whimper’s once the colt got on his hind hooves: fists held close, elbows half up, a more closed form of Tiger Stance for quick jabs and swipes, obviously. The pegasus was different in his footwork, though, bouncing up and down while Spike moved in more of a sliding motion.
Whimper dealt the first blow: a small jump and a flap of the wings and he was on his target, jabbing and putting Spike on the defensive.
Spike ducked under the first strike to the head, then sidestepped the follow-up and swung his arrowhead tail in the way of the third.
Whimper hit the sharp tip dead on, but it didn’t seem to phase the boy.
Spike took the opening. He’d prepared for this. His reflexes were fast enough to keep up with his opponent, his stamina meant he could outlast this kid.
And his Dragon Code meant he had to take him down fast, with minimal damage.
“Haiyah!”
He took a swipe at the kid’s torso, slashing the fur from the right shoulder to the belly.
Whimper stumbled back two steps.
Spike smiled. A scratch like that wouldn’t cause too much damage, but it would hurt. It would keep him distracted.
He raised a fist to his earfin and wound up a finisher, going into a run to put his whole body behind it.
Tap.
“What the...”
Whimper smirked as he blocked that speedy punch with a hoof. Spike looked down.
No scratch.
His dragon claws hadn’t pierced the skin. It hadn’t done anything.
“How?”
“What happened?” Apple Bloom said as Spike was driven back by a quick succession of blows, some landing on his shoulders, some taken by his blocking arms. “Spike got a clean shot on him. Those claws can’t be that dull, why didn’t he draw blood?”
“Like I said, that Whimper is a fully trained white belt in the Feather Cloak School. He uses Iron Saddle, the entry level,” Live Wire said.
“So?”
“So, the entry level is Silver Skin. The basic variant of that makes you resistant to blades, including dragon claws.”
Apple Bloom needed to think about that for a moment. Sweetie Belle was a little less subtle. “Oh, come on! How is that even possible?”
Fleur furrowed her brow, thinking. “How do I explain this? There are certain meditation techniques, close to self-hypnosis, that supposedly allow a pony’s magic to take on… different functions. One such technique is the Iron Saddle series of meditations. It’s part of a long list of traditions, developed by the pandas and passed down by the Eastern Unicorn Bowl-Bearers. If you believe in that sort of thing. The Wonderbolts use a less esoteric version of it, more physical than magical, and, really, most ponies develop it to some degree naturally.”
“So is it legit or isn’t it?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Hmm, depends on whom you ask. There are legends, but that’s about all there is. Some say guided imagery can tap into a pony’s magic, some say it’s just an old mare’s tale. It’s hard to tell which is which, even if you can find the proper scrolls. A lot of the material is coded, and requires a certain frame of mind to read, a frame of mind that, again according to legend, can only be achieved via oral transmission or… previous experiences. What is known and what is written down are very simple things: postures, instructions to tense certain muscles and breathe in a certain way. They’re mostly taught in yoga classes now, but without proper guidance, it never amounts to much more than basic exercise. It requires a form of harmony to be effective, if it can be made effective at all. There are many legends surrounding its results, not all of them are based on truth. And the ones who would know the difference are quite tight-lipped about the whole thing.” Fleur stole a glance towards Princess Luna and the Ashen Blizzard. “The means to acquire Silver Skin is not in the series itself, but it is a preparatory exercise, a kind the Feather Cloaks teach, along with their Mercurial Hoof. It’s not actual legendary Iron Saddle, but as you can see, it’s potent enough on its own.”
In the ring, Whimper was panting, but smiling as he bounced up and down after a quick flurry of punches. “Heheh. What’s the matter? I thought a dragon would put up more of a fight.”
Spike grumbled as he rubbed his sore arms. He was hurting, but that wasn’t unusual. “So you can’t get scratched, huh?”
“Nope. My skin is packed with magic. You can’t pierce it that easily.”
Spike looked down at the blue colt’s muscular arms. They were packed, alright, but they were bruised, too.
So his skin is hard, but he can still get bruised. He’s got a lot of hard muscle, too. Guess I don’t have any choice, I’m gonna have to fight for real now.
Whimper came at him with a raised arm, another wide and wound-up blow incoming. Spike went right into it and slammed his fist into the kid’s frog.
Whimper recoiled. Spike didn’t.
Spike chuckled. “You wanna know how a dragon fights? Well, here’s a tip for ya: I don’t just have scales and claws, I have hands. I don’t fight with hooves.” He smiled confidently at his opponent. “I can fight with fists.”
Whimper growled and shook that aching hoof. “Cute. Okay, warm-up’s over.”
Apple Bloom winced. “I don’t like this. Spike’s only a baby dragon, but he’s still a dragon. He might hurt that kid.”
“They’re testing each other. Or they were,” Fleur replied. “And believe me, the danger comes from both sides. That boy has an unhealthy fascination with monsters.”
“So he can beat Spike, then? With that Mercurial Hoof thing? Dragon scales don’t block that.”
“Possibly. But Mercurial Hoof isn’t the most reliable of techniques, least of all to a pony like Whimper, who isn’t trained in it. It’s the stuff of legends.”
“But I got beaten up with Mercurial Hoof. So it is a real thing, right? Not just an old mare’s tale?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Fleur pondered it for a moment. “Yes and no. Yes, a lot of the supposed feats of the old masters seem extraordinary by modern standards, and the means used to gain their skills outlandish. But no, it’s not all bunk and hokum, there is some merit to some of the legends. There are techniques of mental imagery that have been shown to work, and those are recorded and spread for therapeutic use, mostly for paediatrics. They’re called rune pages, after the original works. You wouldn’t know of them unless you’ve had hypnotic therapy. The, ah, fancy name helps children believe in their magic. Magic feather principle, so to speak.”
“Kinda like those meditations we had to do, then,” Apple Bloom said. “That’s what Ash meant when he said he taught the inner and outer stuff: he knows what you’re supposed to imagine for it to work.”
Fleur nodded. “That is part of why it is so hard to teach under normal conditions. Not every pony reacts the same way to the same imagery, and not every pony can even imagine with enough clarity. I’m told it’s easier for children, but I wouldn’t know.”
“Wait, I’m confused. Does that mean Spike’s fighting somepony who’s a fake? Is Silver Spoon a fake?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Silver Spoon and that Whimper have mastered a section of the legends that’s not mere legend. The Silver Skin technique is the most common of the bunch: energy and magic are built up underneath the skin, tightening it and protecting against certain forms of attack,” Live Wire explained. “In hypnotic therapy, the equivalent is called glove anaesthesia: you picture cold, to numb your skin. That helps you dull any pain on the surface.”
“Like Spike’s dragon skin, then?”
Live Wire nodded. “Something like that. Silver Skin technique allows you to dull the sensations of pain, particularly those of a scratch or burn, even friction burn. It also packs energy under the skin, magic, to provide a mild protection from bladed weapons, especially along the arms. Still, it doesn’t accomplish much besides opening the gates for Mercurial Hoof. Well, that and the second part of Silver Skin.”
“Warm-up’s over? Seriously?” Spike chuckled. “And ponies say I read too much Neighruto.”
Whimper hissed and lunged, swiping his arms like a scythe. Spike punched the blows away, but he was hitting hard limbs, whereas Whimper got a few shots in at his gut.
It was like fighting a wild animal. Whimper didn’t stay on his hind legs all the time; he let his body drop to wind up his blows and get more traction for hard shoves.
Spike was driven back by the hoofblows, and even with his skill in slowing down his sense of time he couldn’t keep up with this speed.
Why isn’t this kid slowing down?
Spike slapped and slashed at those arms as they continued their barrage, to no avail.
Shouldn’t his muscles be getting tired by now?
“Oof!” Spike got the wind knocked out of him. That was another blow to his gut, but Whimper didn’t press the attack afterwards. Spike coughed and gagged, and he felt something cold creeping into his stomach. He tasted something metallic in his saliva, too.
He held a hand up to his mouth to check.
Blood? The dragon stumbled back, his head swam. “W-what did you do?”
Whimper rubbed along the edge of his right arm. “A little pegasus specialty: contact magic. I’m sure you’ve heard of our school’s signature technique by now. It’s perfect for dealing with wild animals and monsters, makes your thick hide pretty useless.”
Spike groaned. “Attacking the insides, huh?”
“Exactly.” Whimper grinned, then ran up to kick Spike in the teeth.
How or when the dragon had punched him in the face, Whimper couldn’t tell. All he knew was that one moment, he was ready to seal the deal, the next moment, he was reeling back and his nose hurt.
Spike swallowed the blood along with the pain. “Don’t underestimate me, kid. I can get you just as good as you can get me.”
“Yeah? Is that what the Ashen Blizzard taught you?”
Spike barely had time to wince when another blow came to his gut. He felt something pass through his skin again, like a vague flame that tickled at his stomach.
“This is what my master taught me.”
Spike grabbed that hoof still in his stomach. “Good. I was hoping you’d stand still.”
“Huh?”
Spike dug the claws of his left hand into the kid’s hoof, and before Whimper could retaliate, the dragon delivered a mighty blow to the neck that sent the pegasus skidding over the ground. He couldn’t press his attack, though, not with the tingling in his stomach intensifying, that creeping cold started to make its way up to his lungs and chilling his veins.
Whimper chuckled as he got up. “Nice one. You pack a pretty good punch for a white belt.”
“How are you not knocked out?”
The colt scoffed. “You don’t know about Feather Cloak initiations? We harden noobies right from the start. I fight green belts for practice. I toughen up against opponents who are bigger than me. They beat me up a lot worse than anything you can do.”
Spike doubled over in pain. “Ah!”
“And there’s why I’m standing here today. Dragonslayer Jutsu: Inner Flame Extinction. I’ll be a green belt after I beat you, you know. You should feel honoured.”
Spike gritted his teeth. Those shots to his stomach had magic behind them. All this kid’s blows had magic behind them. But he delivered it with speed, strength. Whimper didn’t move like Scootaloo or Rumble. He was still physical first, magical second.
Which meant the magic was weak. The pain he was feeling now wasn’t damage, it was a distraction. The actual damage was still in the physical blows, meaning all he had to do to get the cold out of his system was to keep fighting.
“Oh, I get it. Whimper’s attacking Spike’s internal organs, like Scootaloo and Rumble do. And since you can’t protect your internal organs from an attack like that, it’s impossible to defend against,” Sweetie Belle said.
Live Wire arched an eyebrow. “Who told you that?”
“Spike did. He knows about that sort of thing.”
Fleur chuckled. “Of course he does. Yes, the Feather Cloaks do pride themselves on that Mercurial Hoof technique. It’s one of their signature moves, the key to their more advanced katas.”
Okay, Spike. You can do this. This isn’t some monster or another dragon.
He’s just a pony trying to bully you.
Just breathe.
You can take him if you breathe.
Just…
Breathe!
The gout of flame that Spike sent out was more of a forceful one than a hot one, but it was enough to drive the pegasus back.
“What the… your magic should be blocked! You took a shot to your gut!”
Spike wiped his snout and jutted out his chest, pointing a thumb to himself. “You think you’re tough because you fight green belts? You don’t know who I am, do you? I’m Twilight Sparkle’s number one assistant. I’ve been hit with books, spells, I’ve even done a belly dive one hundred feet straight into a lava pool. I’ve gone up against dragons bigger than me, bigger than you.” He conveniently forgot to mention he got a lot of running done during those confrontations. Ninja Style: Omit Embarrassing Details Jutsu and all that. “And if that was your best shot-” He got into a low pose. “-you’re not up to fighting dragons just yet, even a baby one like me.”
Fleur smiled. “It seems Spike has found the chink in Whimper’s armour.”
“What do you mean? They’re both roughed up,” Apple Bloom remarked.
“Yes, but Spike still has his composure. If I know the Ashen Blizzard’s approach, he’ll have taught you the sight techniques for your elements, non? Does Spike know the speed vision?”
“He does,” Sweetie Belle said. “We all do. But what does that matter? Whimper’s skin is too thick to penetrate.”
“Regular blows still work, right?” Apple Bloom said.
“You’ll see,” Fleur replied. “Silver Skin only protects the outside, it doesn’t provide any internal protection. Spike is matching Whimper blow for blow. He’s a lot more clever than he appears, that little dragon. The longer this fight goes, the more the advantage shifts to Spike. And I think he knows it.”
“Seems like that whole Iron Saddle business is a bit of a useless gimmick, then,” Apple Bloom noted.
“Don’t discount it just yet. A lot of seemingly innocuous abilities can evolve into devastating combat techniques in the right hooves.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Like what your friend suffered, for instance. The technique to put cold hatred into one’s hooves is almost identical to the shielding of Silver Skin. Mercurial Hoof is the advanced version of it, after all.”
“Yeah, I got that, but besides that, what else is there? I mean, it only protects your skin. Can’t it protect all of you?”
“It could, in theory. But that’s the part that’s an old mare’s tale,” Live Wire said.
“How’s that?”
“Most ponies don’t think the actual Iron Saddle techniques are real, or if they do, they think they’re not worth learning.”
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Do you know them?”
Live Wire shrugged. “I know the techniques, and all the postures, but I don’t practise them. I mean, yoga’s nice for flexibility, but I can’t do the whole thing.”
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
Sweetie Belle winced. “Is it your magic?”
Live Wire sighed. “Not exactly. Remember, to be able to do it at all, you need to be able to feel a certain way on command, you have to practise imagination. The first problem is that it’s next to impossible to know whether the feeling you get at all is the right one. You just know when you’re doing it right, or you’re supposed to know. The second problem is that, umm, you need to feel something on command. Getting angry or psyched up on command is one thing, but the other ones… you’d have to be a really good actor to be able to do that. One of the downsides to any internal technique is that it’s always linked to the breath. If you do it a lot, it can affect your attitude, your mood. For most ponies, it’s just not worth it, especially if you only get a toughness that would develop naturally anyway.”
Spike let his eyes go out of focus to better track the speedy kid. He saw Whimper wind up to go into super speed again, but this time he was ready.
He stepped forward and let out a rough jab to the colt’s shoulder. A left hook met with an under arm nerve blow, and a kick was swatted away with his tail.
He realised too late he was still open to an attack. Whimper had a clear shot at Spike’s gut again, and he took it with full force.
“Oof!”
Even the Ashen Blizzard winced in sympathy at that one.
Spike curled up in pain. “G-gaaa… why do you keep aiming for my stomach?”
“It’s an easy mark. Plus, it’s nice and soft, so I don’t have to risk chipping a nail,” Whimper taunted. “Had enough?”
“Not even close.”
“So that kid over there-” Apple Bloom asked.
“Can get angry and hateful on command,” Live Wire replied. “That’s how the Feather Cloaks learn that technique. It’s hard to tell if any other way works, too.”
“What about yours? Isn’t your lightning like that, too?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Mine’s elemental. It’s neutral; it doesn’t have any emotions attached to it, just simple mental images, tops. But, since it’s connected to my heart, it does have the same weaknesses. If I’m feeling scared or nervous, it can act on its own.”
“But do you have any accidents, still?” Rarity asked.
“Sometimes. I just try to stay out of trouble, stay focused so it doesn’t go wrong. I like my powers now: I could do a lot of good with them. But it’s still dangerous.”
“And how does your class handle that?” Cheerilee asked.
“My class?”
“You go to school, don’t you? In Canterlot? How do the other students manage being around you?”
The boy gulped. “Umm, they don’t. I manage it. I have to. It’s my magic, so it’s my responsibility.”
That, it seemed, was enough to get a smile of approval from Cheerilee.
This is wrong. He’s just trying to get his belt.
But he’s gonna hurt me, or himself, if this keeps up.
Spike panted and wheezed as he traded blows with the muscled pegasus.
“What’s the matter? Getting a little winded?” Whimper taunted.
Spike let out another gout of flame, a smaller one this time. “I’m holding up just fine. You’re not looking so hot yourself. Why did you even want to fight me? I don’t know you, you don’t know me.”
Whimper was indeed not looking well. His eyes were wet with the beginning of tears, and his breath came in ragged hisses. Still, the pegasus kept up his barrage. “I wanted to know if it was true,” Whimper said as he pummeled the air Spike had occupied a split second ago.
“If what was true?” Spike backed up and lowered his stance.
“If you can beat a dragon, you become invincible.”
“Seriously? That’s why you’re doing this? You read waaay too much Neighruto.”
“Actually, I read more classic stuff. And that’s not the exact legend.” Whimper lowered his voice to whisper. “They say that if you get a dragon’s blood on you, you become invincible. That’s why I wanted to fight you.”
Spike gulped.
“You can’t do anything to hurt me, but I’m gonna make you bleed, dragon. Even if I have to do it from the inside out.”
“So what if you can feel stuff on command? Are the best actors, like, super strong?”
“No. There’s more. According to legend, the Iron Saddle techniques require you to go into yourself, shift your awareness to your internal organs, muscles, bones. That’s the biggest reason no one does that: it’s next to impossible. Silver Skin and Mercurial Hoof technique, the warm-up meditations, are more common, because it’s easy to feel out your skin or the surface of your hooves. You already feel with those. But the other ones, the legendary ones, you’d have to be able to see inside yourself, and feel with bodyparts that don’t have nerves to feel with, if you catch my drift.”
“Oh. Well, that’s a shame. Makin’ your whole body all impervious-like sounds like a really neat thing to try.”
Fleur smiled. “I’m sure it would suit your style well, but it’s not for everypony. A lot can go wrong, there’s hardly any feedback mechanisms, and even if you get it right there are... side effects.”
“Such as?” Cheerilee asked.
Fleur arched an eyebrow.
“Purely out of professional interest, of course.” She cast a brief glance at Live Wire.
“Training through mental imagery, conjuring a semi-permanent change in the aura, it puts magical pressure on the entire body, and adds another level of attention to the breath and heart rate. When done right, even if it is just the basic Silver Skin technique, it can raise or lower sensitivity as part of the post-hypnotic suggestion. This can make practitioners either callous and careless or hyper-sensitive to the point of irritability, as you can no doubt see in the arena. One of the better known applications is astral shapeshifting, the Wolf Skin technique.” She sighed and nodded to the arena. “Which should be demonstrated live in just a few seconds.”
Whimper closed his eyes and growled. Spike shivered when he felt a wave of cold hatred wash over his scales. “W-what the...”
When the pegasus looked up again, there was madness in his green eyes. “Silver Skin, level two: Silver Wolf Rush!”
Whimper vanished for a split second into super speed, barely giving Spike the time to get his guard up before getting swatted.
A whistling sound came from his left, and Spike relaxed his eyes.
Breathe.
Slow it down.
You can do this.
You’ve seen Scootaloo move faster than this.
“Haiyah!” Spike slashed at the boy right before he could strike, but the claws didn’t penetrate. Even his eye sockets were impenetrable.
That’s why.
That’s why he didn’t slow down.
He’s numbed himself to the pain.
He doesn’t realise how much damage he’s taken.
Spike ducked and blocked more shots, but another hard blow landed on his gut.
He could taste it clearly this time. He knew what the kid was trying to do, what he was after.
Dragon blood.
He knows he can’t cut dragon scales. He wants me to cough up blood.
He’s crazy.
Whimper stood still and growled, lowering his whole body like a predator would, his eyes narrowed, his teeth bared. “Come on, just a little more. You don’t want me to try and cut you, do you?”
“Ulfserkers, or berserkers,” Cheerilee said. “Is that why they’re called Feather Cloaks? Because they picture a cloak of feathers around them?”
“Yes, that is their one and true foundation. The image of a quill is simple and universal enough to hold in the mind, to form into a weapon. Having them cover your back, over the pressure points, supposedly allows for self-healing, but that level of detail is reserved for grandmaster techniques. The points you need to target for that to work are the size of a needle’s tip. Most students only get as far as the combat application, and the rage. What you’re seeing now is a very old and very dangerous technique. They numb themselves to pain and fill their hearts with rage, then unleash themselves on the enemy. In this day and age, it’s a final resort. Or at least it would be, if it wasn’t being taught to hair-trigger bullies who read far too much Neighruto. Blazing Trail must have a lot of confidence in Whimper if he taught him how to do that. The aggression problems alone are enough to make any other master think twice.”
“Oh, my. Does that happen with all of them? That aggression, I mean?” Cheerilee asked.
“All of the Feather Cloaks? Usually, regardless of the techniques they master; it’s in the nature of their teachings. They grow out of it during adolescence, most of the time. It’s a cultural thing, really. A lot of younger Feather Cloaks are bully victims who turn their frustrations into force. Can’t say I approve, but you can’t argue with results, quoi?”
“I didn’t know you were interested in martial arts, Cheerilee,” Rarity said.
“I have a, err… minor interest in it, yes, just as a spectator. So, purely hypothetical, if you put a child like that Whimper in a classroom, what happens if anyone picks on him?”
Rarity grimaced. “Yes, and while we’re on the subject, Fleur, is Spike going to be okay? I know he’s a dragon and all, but I’m starting to think that might not be much of advantage here.”
“Nopony will ever pick on me again if I beat a dragon,” Whimper hissed.
Whimper moved and hit faster than even Spike could keep track of now. The little dragon had gotten used to hooves treading over his body, hard nails meeting hard scales. He’d even taken the scorn of other dragons for granted.
This was different.
There was an anger behind this pain, a purpose.
This Whimper kid wanted him to suffer.
And while he was getting slapped around by a pony moving like a wolf, his own scratches and punches hardly doing any damage, he did know this: his Dragon Code demanded he deny this bully the satisfaction.
“With that boy? Immediate retaliation. The Feather Cloaks draw power from confidence. They teach their members to be pure alphas, always; the technique they use to enhance their speed relies on it. They don’t cause trouble or start fights, though, if that’s what you’re wondering. As long as no one challenges their supposed superiority, that is. If they do, well…” Fleur nodded towards Sweetie Belle, who was still croaking from her throat every now and then.
“I see.”
“They’re no different from any other child, really, just a little angrier and better equipped to vent it. They don’t turn on adults, as a rule.”
“It’s not the adults that concern me. Look at what he’s doing to Spike! If Whimper was in my class, he could...”
Fleur shrugged. “Fair point. The best way to handle a situation with a child like that is by talking them down. At least, that’s what I have been told. I’ve never trained one of his ilk myself, obviously.”
Apple Bloom winced at the motions of Whimper and Spike. “I don’t think Spike can take much more of this.” The dragon was practically obscured by a blue blur, occasionally being jerked this way and that as more hoofblows raked across his already battered body.
“I’m afraid you’re right,” Fleur said.
Rarity gasped. “What? Is Spike alright?”
“Non. He’s taken too many blows to his nerves. His skin is hardened, but his muscles can’t take that kind of punishment much longer. That Whimper kid is a loose cannon, but he hits so hard it doesn’t necessarily matter.”
Spike coughed and spluttered, but he swallowed the blood that came up.
“Come on, it’s for science,” Whimper taunted. “I just want to hear you, you know, whimper. What does a dragon look like when he’s cornered? What do you do?”
Spike bit through the pain. Bruises on his arms, belly, nothing on his legs, that was good. His nerves were shot, though, and his ears rang with the sound of that insane pegasus clopping and flapping every which way. With all the punching and blocking, along with that freaky touch magic he’d been loaded with, he wasn’t going to win with any punches now. But, it occurred to him, neither would Whimper. He’d gotten that kid just as good. So why was Whimper still standing, and Spike shaking?
Was he just numb to pain, or was he really immune to any damage?
“Is this what a Feather Cloak can do?” he asked.
“No,” Whimper replied,”this is.”
It came as a light touch to his belly, a caress, almost. But then the caress turned into a twist and a shove, and his whole world went white. Just like it had when the Ashen Blizzard had used this technique. He couldn’t even scream. He bit down on the blood when it came back up, still, he wouldn’t give in.
Apple Bloom almost jumped up. “What? Why’s Spike groanin’ so much? He barely touched him. Wasn’t even a slap.”
“That’s it,” Sweetie Belle said. “That’s Mercurial Hoof. That’s what Silver Spoon did to me.”
“But… that’s a lot lighter than anythin’ we’ve been doing.”
“Mercurial Hoof doesn’t cause that much damage under the skin; it targets the nerves and organs,” Live Wire explained. “Because of that, the most critical blows aren’t hard hits, but carefully positioned pushes and jabs. It’s mostly a Water Style sort of motion. Energy doesn’t travel well through tense muscles. A loose touch and a twist is all it takes. That guy has trouble doing it in combat, that’s why he wears you down first.”
“But Scootaloo’s a Water type, and she never moved like that,” Apple Bloom objected.
“Actually, she did. Once or twice,” Sweetie said. “So did Rumble. Hurt a lot, too.” She winced and rubbed her still sore throat.
“Then I guess Scootaloo either wasn’t very good at it, or you blocked her often enough, or she just didn’t want to hurt you. Getting your nerve points hit isn’t like getting bruised. It’s a lot scarier to have your arm go limp when you know you still have to punch with it,” Live Wire said. “It doesn’t just hurt you; it makes you feel powerless. And then you get desperate. And then… you start making mistakes.”
“Give up,” Whimper said. “If you’re not gonna give me what I want, don’t make this any longer than it has to be.”
“No.” Spike forced himself to stand upright. “I can still fight.”
“If you don’t give up, I have to chuck you out of the ring or make you lose consciousness.”
The dragon panted for air, but his eyes still shone with defiance. “Pick one.”
Whimper picked the first option and threw his whole body at Spike.
Just like Spike had predicted.
With all his might, Spike clutched at that blue fur and tried to grapple him.
The colt was, to say the least, not impressed. “You’re kidding, right? You’re like, half body fat. I’m all muscle. You think you can grapple me?”
Spike grinned. “I can’t pierce your skin, but I can still keep a grip on it. And you might be muscled, but you’re just as beaten as I am.” He swatted his tail at the kid’s hind hooves to unbalance him and push him towards the edge.
Whimper opened his wings and gave firm flap to get them both off the ground. “You idiot. You don’t have traction in the air. You don’t even have wings.”
Spike held on even as Whimper went higher. Then he grinned. “No, but I’ve still got this!”
“What?”
“Giant Fireball Jutsu!”
Spike threw his head back and let rip. The fireball that erupted from his mouth pushed them both down before the pegasus could react, prompting the ponies below to scatter. Right at the last second, Spike managed to twist his body so Whimper would land with his back first.
Once the dust settled, Spike rolled off and chuckled.
Ash and Luna exchanged some words, then shrugged.
“Double ring out,” Ash said.
“Alright,” Spike said with a groan. “We’ll call it a draw.”
“No!” Whimper jumped upright. “You cheated! I had you! I had you dead to rights!”
“Now, now, Whimper.”
The boy froze.
“Spike put up a good fight. You let him get the drop on you,” Master Blazing said. “It doesn’t matter in the long run. Everyone could plainly see you’re the stronger fighter. After all, Spike is in dire need of some medical attention. You are fine. Right?”
Whimper snorted. “Right. Go get patched up, dragon. I’m gonna take a breather and then get a rematch, if there’s anypony left in this town with some guts.”
Spike shook his head as the kid walked off and Fluttershy flew closer, bandages at the ready. “Jeez, and that’s supposed to be Scootaloo’s friend? No wonder she ran off.”
Ash and Luna muttered something to each other, then called out. “Okay, seeing as Whimper is still able and willing to fight, we’ll hold our decision in deliberation. In the meantime, next challenger?”
Blazing Trail raised his hoof. “I have one more.”
“I accept!” Rumble called out before anyone else could.
Silver Spoon grinned as she took the stage. “I challenge for recognition.”
Rumble growled at her. “I accept, for retribution.”