//------------------------------// // Payback! Round Two For Whimper Of The Feather Cloaks! // Story: Ponyville's First Warrior Meet // by Wise Cracker //------------------------------// Rumble groaned when he came to. He rubbed his sore neck and blinked. Even his hooves looked greyer than usual. “Wow, you got banged up even worse than me.” The sound made his ears perk up. “Spike? W-what happened? Is it over?” He tried to get up, but his limbs wouldn’t quite cooperate. “A-ah… ow.” “It is for you,” the Ashen Blizzard said. “You’re gonna wanna stay still for a little bit, make sure your brain isn’t damaged.” The colt sighed as Fluttershy put a breathing mask on him. He took a deep gulp of the medicinal mist inside and nodded. “Okay.” “Fear not, Rumble, you did well. In fact, you may have noticed a little something there.” Princess Luna said, pointing to his flanks. Even with Fluttershy applying bandages and cream on him, Rumble saw it: his cutie mark. The lines were crude, thick and old-fashioned, but the symbol was easily recognised. “An iceberg?” “A hyozan,” Ash said. “Very old, very powerful mark. A symbol of hidden depths, and perseverance. You got it because you wouldn’t give up.” Rumble smiled. “Terrible thing for a ninja to have, that kind of stubbornness. You should have surrendered when you had the chance, or taken advantage of the surprise.” Rumble clenched his jaw. “W-what do you mean?” “You heard me. Silver Spoon’s technique should have paralysed you. It didn’t. You didn’t bleed out her poison, and you can’t block that kind of attack. I didn’t teach you that, and neither did Moongazer. So where did you figure out how to counteract it?” “There’s a shop in Canterlot, sells books about martial arts. That’s where I got your book, too. I got that countering technique from, umm, the Book of Balance?” Ash whistled, impressed. “I see. In that case, well done. Not a lot of ponies can make sense of the ramblings of the ancients. But you still held back. You could have gotten that girl, with your skill. You were an even match.” Rumble looked away and winced as Fluttershy carefully stroked down some fur and applied more cream to his chest. That was definitely a friction burn. “You weren’t trying to beat her down, were you?” Luna asked. “You wanted to reason with her.” Rumble pouted and nodded, taking another big gulp of treated air through the mask. “I didn’t want to make it worse. I just wanted her to stop and think about what she was doing.” Luna smiled. “A noble endeavour, to be sure. You’ve taken the ninja lessons to heart, I see; preferring a way of life to one of death. But against a pony who is motivated and driven to see you fall, reason alone does not suffice.” Ash nodded, thinking. “I’ve only got one more remark for you, then, Rumble.” “What’s that?” “Next time, wait ‘till the opponent can’t move before you start pontificatin’. You’d be surprised how open-minded ponies get when they’re pinned down.” Apple Bloom huffed. “Well, that’s it, then. Silver Spoon won. We ain’t got anypony left.” Sweetie Belle nodded in resignation. “She’s gonna be insufferable in school now.” Cheerilee rolled her eyes as the rest of class risked coming closer. “It won’t be that bad, Sweetie Belle. We don’t tolerate bullying here.” “But that doesn’t mean it’ll stop.” Cheerilee turned to face the source of the voice. “Featherweight, please. You can always just tell me if anything happens, you know that.” “But what are you going to do after we tell you, Miss Cheerilee?” Another child asked. “Let her know it’s wrong, and punish her if I have to. Same as always, Dinky Do.” “Sorry, but… I don’t think that’s gonna help,” Snails said as he saw Rumble wince in the medical ward. Ash and Luna had gotten back to their seats by now. “If Silver Spoon beats somepony up and then you punish her, they’re still gonna be beaten up.” Fleur took a moment to regard the herd of children crowding around, then cast her glance to Live Wire. “Quite the conundrum you are facing, Cheerilee. Can’t say I envy you.” “It’ll be alright, really. Nopony is going to get beaten up.” “Hi, blank flanks!” Cheerilee groaned. Rarity followed suit. “Really, darling? Now?” “What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom asked the pink filly. “Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you with all the progress you made in your lessons. You’ve really gotten good at this fighting thing.” “If you are looking to critique our teaching methods, little lady…” Moongazer glared at the girl. “Oh, no, Ma’am, I’m serious. Really, you were great, Apple Bloom. I can’t wait to see you practise some more.” “Practise?” “Against Silver Spoon.” Diamond Tiara cocked her head towards the Feather Cloaks. “You girls are going to want to practise some more, right?” “I don’t think so, Diamond Tiara,” Sweetie Belle rasped. “Not against Silver Spoon. She’s too brutal.” “Aww, but how are you ever gonna get your cutie marks if you don’t try?” “Diamond, that’s quite enough,” Cheerilee said. “But Miss Cheerilee, you always tell us to help other ponies out. Silver Spoon needs to practise, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are the only other ninja ponies in town, right? You don’t know anypony else who can fight, do you?” Cheerilee let out a quiet and, most of all, nervous chuckle at that. “Well, now that you mention it…” “I’m just trying to be nice. It’s not my fault they’re chicken.” “Who are you calling ‘chicken’?!” Fleur rolled her eyes. “My word, if this drama keeps up I’m going to fetch myself some popcorn.” Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, along with the rest of their class, were surprised to see Scootaloo flying towards them. They were even more surprised when Scootaloo, lips still quivering and eyes still red from crying, went right up to Diamond Tiara and growled. “Hi, Scootaloo? What’s up?” Diamond said with an edge in her voice. “You wanna try your luck against Silver Spoon? Apple Bloom got knocked out early.” Scootaloo snorted. “No. I’m not here for Silver Spoon. I’m here for you.” Diamond shook her head. “Umm, I’m not competing, Scootaloo, you can’t challenge me.” “That’s not what I meant. I’ve got something to say to you.” The pink filly scoffed. “What?” “You’re using Silver Spoon to get what you want. That’s low, even for you. You know that’s wrong, you can’t seriously think it’s not.” “Psh, as if. Silver Spoon doesn’t have to listen to me.” “She doesn’t have to, but she still listens. She’s just trying to be a good friend. Ponies like her just want to help, they wanna feel appreciated more than anything in the world, and you abused that, just like you abuse every other weakness you see in ponies. You got it into her head that she has to fight for you, that she has to hurt everypony that so much as looks at you wrong. You’re going to ruin your best friend’s life: everypony’s gonna be scared of her, scared to even talk to her, because you put her up to this. And as if that’s not bad enough, you scared me out of town.” Diamond smirked. “Hey, it’s a Warrior Meet, you knew you were gonna end up fighting. It’s not my fault you can’t handle the competition.” “No, you’re right about that. You didn’t know. You made me think that I was just as bad as you, that I deserved it.” This got a look of confusion out of the girl. “Err, I don’t get it. What are you talking about, blank flank?” “You almost made me forget that my friends can forgive. But you know what the worst part of it is?” “What?” Diamond asked with a snide grin. “You almost made me forget that two can play that game.” “So… why are you here?” Scootaloo let out a deep sigh, forcing herself to look the boy in the eyes. Like clockwork, Peachy Pie was there with him. He probably didn’t want to go out much after what Scootaloo had done, after the trouble she’d gotten him in. She mustered up all her strength and made sure to talk slowly, so she didn’t make any more mistakes. “I wanted to apologise, Whimper. I don’t know what happened. I wanted you to feel better, or at least that’s what I kept telling myself. I like showing off what I can do, and I wanted to make you show off, too, even though you don’t like it the way I do. I wanted you to act like somepony else, and I didn’t care about how that made you feel. And that was wrong. That was horrible, and I’m sorry. You didn’t have to apologise to me for snapping when you did, I should have said I was sorry, too.” Whimper tilted his head, confused. It still made Scootaloo shiver. His eyes were so different now, like there wasn’t a pony behind them but a puppy. He even still had that whispery voice like Fluttershy did. “Okay, but I kind of got that you were sorry, Scootaloo. You never acted like you weren’t, Rumble’s been over plenty of times since then. So why apologise now?” “Because I’ve been learning how to fight now, for real. The Ashen Blizzard came to town, me and my friends signed up for lessons. I got a taste of my own medicine, like you gave Rumble.” “I didn’t give him a taste of any medicine. He asked for some tips on weather control, so I showed him how to cool and heat up his hooves. That’s what friends do. I would have shown you too if you’d asked.” “I know, thank you. Anyway, the point is: those two girls who pick on me and my friends, one of them turned out to be a Feather Cloak. She hurt Sweetie Belle. That’s why I’m here now. Silver Spoon attacked my friend because she was trying to stick up for her friend. Diamond Tiara, the girl who’s the ringleader in our class, she put Silver Spoon up to it. Just like I tried to put you up to it. I just couldn’t…” She choked on her words. Peachy Pie aww-ed in sympathy. “You couldn’t take thinking you were like that, too.” Scootaloo nodded. “Exactly. Silver Spoon’s gone nuts, I don’t know what to do. I don’t wanna make things worse, not again. I figured if maybe I could just stay here, it would be better. So, is it okay if I hang with you, Whimper? Just for today?” Whimper thought that over for a second. “Why is the Ashen Blizzard in Ponyville?” “Warrior Meet,” Scootaloo replied. “But they had one in Manehattan just a few weeks ago. Isn’t it too soon for another?” “I don’t know, maybe. Does it matter?” Whimper looked to Peachy Pie, pondering. “So are your friends in the Meet, too?” “Yeah. I hope they’re not getting hurt, but I can’t be sure. And I can’t help them if they are. I’d just get in the way, or make Silver Spoon even madder.” Whimper nodded. “Okay. You can stay with me for today.” Relief washed over her. She finally managed to smile. Everything was alright again, just like that. He had a weird way of doing that. “Thanks, Whimper, you’re the best.” “I’ll stick close enough for you to feel safe. I just need to go get some things, okay?” Whimper went up the stairs and into his room. “Mom? Where are my arm guards?” Passiflora, a green pegasus mare, came out of the kitchen, wiping off her apron. With the door open, the house smelled of herbs and bread. “The white ones? They’re in the wash, sweetie.” “No, the black ones, with the rope and padding. The heavy ones.” “Did you try the chest behind your books?” A rumbling and thudding noise answered her. “Got’em!” Passiflora smiled at Scootaloo as she sat down. “Quite the warrior, my little boy, but he doesn’t have the best sense of weapons inventory.” Scootaloo smiled nervously. “Heheh, sorry to barge in like this, Miss.” “Oh, don’t be. I finally get to see the filly that got Whimper out of his shell,” Flora whispered. “But Peachy Pie-” “I just tag along with him, or the other way around,” Peachy Pie said. “I told you, he doesn’t talk that much, or listen, not like he does with you.” Passiflora nodded, before getting a good look at Scootaloo’s wings. “I think you struck a nerve with him, honestly. Flight trouble, was it?” Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I kept falling when I tried back at Flight Camp. Whimper caught me every single time.” “Hmm.” Flora smiled knowingly. “He got that from his father. Took Whimper weeks to master that trick, now it’s a reflex he can’t seem to stop. Only one in his class who can do it, too.” “I heard.” “Okay, I’m ready. Uh, mom?” Whimper called out from above. The mare waved away any questions the boy might have, albeit sluggishly. “I know, honey, I know. You’ll be going out today. It’s okay, you’ve been cooped up with your baby brother long enough. I can handle myself now, you can go.” Scootaloo perked her ears. “You’re going out? Going out where?” “To Ponyville,” Whimper replied. “Wait, but… the Feather Cloaks are there.” “I know. That’s why I’m going.” Her blood froze. “No, you don’t have to go beat up Silver Spoon just because she scared me.” “I’m not.” The colt slowly, quietly, strode down the stairs as he adjusted the bracers on his arms and legs. “Master Blazing told me to try his style and my own style. It’s been more than two months since the last Warrior Meet, since I started fighting in my own style for real, so I should go get evaluated, in front of everypony else. Besides, I’m sure Silver Spoon didn’t mean it. Maybe she just needs a… a hard to hard, you know.” “You mean a heart to heart.” “No. No, I don’t.” Diamond tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were as confused as Diamond Tiara then, until they looked at the stands where Luna and Ash were sitting. A new pony had arrived; a blue pegasus colt with a spikey mane, a bit like Star Hunter’s. He was dressed in a black canvas shirt and bracers on his arms and legs; black padded tubes that protected his cannons, in the same style of armour that Live Wire had been wearing. Another Eastern Unicorn armour, only not a complete one this time. No metal on it. Nothing protecting the rest of his body, either. One thing that stood out about the boy was his body language: his ears were turned back and he kept his head down ever so slightly when he spoke to the referees, or rather, while Luna talked with Ash. The boy himself didn’t do much talking yet, and the way he stood, looking around so furtively, dragging his hooves the way he did, was near identical to the gestures Apple Bloom had learned to recognise Fluttershy by. Why he would be so shy, Apple Bloom could only guess, because the other thing that stood out about him was that even with the canvas shirt, he clearly had a very buff and hard pectoral area, and the bracers on his arms and legs did nothing to hide the tree-trunk thickness of his muscles. Where Spike’s opponent had a chiselled physique, this new arrival looked like he hadn’t been chiselled out of stone as much as he’d been poured out of metal. Luna gestured to the boy with a wing, and he took off his vest, casually sliding the arm padding through the wide but short sleeves. Like Apple Bloom suspected, he was ripped like a classical statue model. His muscles weren’t swollen to the extreme, like Bulk Biceps’s, but there was a definite bulge underneath his fur, and clear hints of the valleys that would mark the hard musculature of an adult. He looked like a workhorse, or a little strong stallion, same build as the circus performers her brother liked to imitate. Squinting her eyes, Apple Bloom spotted an oddity in his aura, too; a vague glimmer on his forehead. “Oh, my, you don’t see that very often. What do you suppose they’re feeding that one?” Rarity asked. Fleur chuckled. “That one? They’re feeding him plenty. This day just keeps getting better and better.” “Who is that?” Apple Bloom asked. “My friend,” came the reply in stereo. “You know him?” Scootaloo asked. “Wait. You know him, too?” Live Wire asked in kind. Fleur, for her part, used her magic to hand a coin to a passing vendor, got herself a corn on a cob, and proceeded to enjoy the show as it unfolded. This day was turning out to be more fun than a whole season of ‘Hays of Our Lives.’ The bit in Apple Bloom’s mind finally dropped. “Wait, you mean that other kid wasn’t…” she managed to stammer. Diamond furrowed her brow. “What is going on here?” Scootaloo turned away from Live Wire for the moment and focused back on the pink filly in front of her. “Diamond Tiara, you’ve heard of my friend from Flight Camp, right? That’s Doldrum Whimper, also known as the Mangler from the Marshlands.” “Well, alright then,” Ash said. “If’n you really want to compete in the Meet, that’s fine. You did arrive within the allotted time, and you’ve obviously got the shape for it. There is, however, another matter to square: what school are you with, officially?” Whimper looked away. “Well, I’ve read up a little on the Nine Dragons Style, and a few others, but officially, umm, I guess none, sir.” “None?” “He is an independent student, Ash, and unranked, much like you were at one point. He has no master,” Luna explained. Ash nodded. “I see. But what are you challenging for, then? For honour, for authority?” That question prompted the boy to rise up and take a deep breath to steady himself. “For evaluation, sir. My skills have been questioned by a master, my choice of school disputed. I’d like the matter to be judged, in view of the other masters. I’m here for a neutral belt, and recognition from the master that questioned me. Basically, I want to see if what I’ve been doing is as good as what he’s been teaching. If that’s okay with you, that is.” “You’ve read up on the rules of the Meet, I see.” Ash cast a grave look towards the Princess. “Okay, fair enough. Which master did the questioning?” “Blazing Trail, sir, of the Feather Cloaks.” “Why am I not surprised? Master Blazing! We have a matter to discuss with you!” The Shadowbolt called out. “No need to shout,” the unicorn replied as he came trotting towards them. “I know the boy, I can take a wild stab at why he’s here. Hello, Whimper. It’s been a while.” He smiled down at the colt. “Yes, sir, it has.” “So, I take it then you’ve finally decided whether you want to join my school?” “Not yet, sir. Not quite. But I have been keeping up with my practice.” “He put up quite a show at the Manehattan Meet,” Luna said. “Did you, now? Then I should think my lessons have sunk in,” Blazing said. “They have, sir. But just in case, I’d like to see how strong your students are, compared to me. You know, make sure I’m doing the right thing, picking the path that’s right for me.” Whimper smiled nervously, his ears splayed back. “Oh, well now…” “What is he doing?” Apple Bloom asked. “What are they talking about?” Fleur munched down on her corn on a cob. “If I had to wager a guess, I’d say they’re negotiating the terms of Whimper’s challenge.” Moongazer nodded, her ears fixed on yonder conversation. “They are. Tell me, that boy, Whimper, was it? By any chance, is that…” “Oh, yes. That’s the one,” Fleur said with a chuckle. Moongazer shivered. “I see. And how, pray tell, do you know him?” “I know his mother, of course. And, ah, I ran into some, shall we say, practical difficulties this summer. That boy over there proved a marvellous solution to them,” Fleur replied. “Huh?” Sweetie Belle raised her eyebrow, looking over to Live Wire. Live Wire, however, just smiled enigmatically. “Just wait. You’ll see.” “How do you know know Whimper?” Scootaloo asked. “You’re his fighting buddy or something?” The colt nodded. “Something like that. I’m Live Wire, by the way, but fighting ponies call me Hammer. I’m from around here.” She cocked her head and, after thinking it over, flared her wings in surprise. “Yeah, I thought you looked familiar. Weren’t you the same kid that fried my tricycle back in kindergarten?” Live Wire looked around quickly and chuckled. “D’err, no! No, that was some other unicorn with lightning powers, definitely not me, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo took that as a ‘yes,’ but didn’t press the matter. After all, a pegasus vehicle should be lightning-proof in the first place, and water-proof, obviously. And crash-proof, preferably. Fool-proof, however, was a lost cause. “So how do you know Whimper? How did you meet?” “We met at the Manehattan Meet a few months ago, did a double team. Turns out we had a lot in common. I guess he met you at Flight Camp? You’re his flying buddy or something?” “He told you about that?” Scootaloo cringed. Live Wire shook his head. “Never said a word. He never mentioned you to me, either.” She sighed. “Guess he didn’t want those things to mix.” “But didn’t you say he was a Feather Cloak?” Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo shook her head. “Not exactly. Stuff happened this summer, and I wasn’t sure how to tell you. Whimper, he… he kind of got in trouble. That’s why I didn’t want to bring him over.” “What kind of trouble?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Umm… really bad trouble.” “He beat up a classmate, didn’t he?” Cheerilee asked. “And not for the first time, either. I’m surprised at you, Scootaloo. I didn’t think you, of all ponies, would want to consort with a bully of that calibre.” “What?” Scootaloo cringed. “No, no, you don’t understand.” “Yes, I do, Scootaloo. I’ve met that boy’s teachers. I know all about him. He disrupts class, tries to get out from under physical education lessons, and he’s violent to his peers. I’ve seen his file.” Live Wire looked up at the mare, then at Fleur. Fleur shook her head. “Best not to get involved, Hammer. This is Whimper’s problem, not yours.” “Well, okay, then, Whimper, I stand by my previous judgment,” Blazing Trail said. “I still think you’re better off joining my school than mucking about on your own. Talent like yours needs to be nurtured, your anger needs to be harnessed properly, and the only martial arts schools that’ll do that are ninja, so I still think you’re better off with us than any of the other schools. Unless the Ashen Blizzard is looking to take on another student.” “The Meet ends today, Blazing. You know I don’t teach outside of that.” “Thought as much. So, you want to test my observations against yours?” Whimper nodded. “Yes, sir. I heard you have a very powerful rookie now.” “Heheh, that I do. But I don’t think you’re quite ready to take her on just yet. She’d murder you.” Whimper’s ears twitched at the mention of the word ‘murder.’ “How about we proceed to the standard block test first, then?” Luna said. “We mustn’t let all this talk upset the schedule, after all. This is a masterless challenger, we must gauge his level first.” Blazing nodded, an impish smile on his face. “Oh, of course, wouldn’t do to make a mockery of the arts.” After a nod from Luna, a pair of Royal Guards brought forth a threesome of stone roof shingles stacked on some wooden planks, and placed them before the boy. Ash nodded towards him. “I’m sure you know the evaluation procedure if you’ve read up on the rules. Take a swing at those blocks, and we’ll see about who gets to fight you.” Whimper nodded and tapped the blocks to test their hardness. “Umm, okay. Wasn’t it supposed to be wooden planks to break, though?” “That’s in karate, this is a ninja tradition. Ninjas don’t mess around when it comes to demolition.” Blazing Trail said. “Go on. Punch as hard as you can.” Whimper walked up to the three blocks, raised his right arm, hooftip pointed straight down, and let it rip. The ‘thump’ that sounded through the air, along with the cracking sound, made a few ponies in the crowds wince. Whimper withdrew his hoof, and checked the top stone. Nothing. Not even a crack. Ash raised an eyebrow. “Oh, dear...” “Hmm. That’s disappointing,” Blazing said. “But I suppose it’s to be expected, considering your lack of proper instruction. Whimper will be fine for you.” “Really, Blazing-” Ash started. “No,” Luna interrupted. “This will be fine. I approve.” Ash had to suppress a snort then. “Really?” “Whole… heartedly,” the Princess replied, trying her best not to let her smile degenerate into the grin it so eagerly wanted to be. “Whimper?” Whimper asked. “August Whimper,” Blazing replied. “Nine-year-old musclehead, much like yourself. Does some modelling on the side, too. He’ll be a fine measure of your skill.” In the stands, Moongazer arched an eyebrow at the block Whimper had struck, as he moved to the center of the arena and the guards took the blocks away. “Fleur? Your apprentice, he’s been sparring with that boy, yes?” Fleur chuckled. “Since the Manehattan Meet, yes. Two or three months now, maybe four already, I forget.” “Did you teach him anything?” That nearly got the mare to choke on a kernel. “Doldrum Whimper? Heavens, no, I have my hooves full with my little Hammer here. Nonnonnonnon, Whimper is completely self-taught, I take no responsibility for him, whatsoever. Absolutely none.” “So he’s self-taught… in what, exactly?” “Oh, you know, this and that. A few books a connoisseuse sent his way, nothing special. He’s been to the panda shop in Canterlot, too. You know the one.” Moongazer’s jaw clenched. ”Fleur, I’m not kidding. Which books has that boy read? What can he do?” Fleur took another bite of corn. “Spoilers, darling.” Whimper and Whimper stood face to face. Both blue, both pegasi, both muscular for their age. “So you’re called Whimper too, huh?” August asked. “Yup. Doldrum Whimper. It means ‘Wind of Hope’, it’s an old name. I guess your name means-” “Summer Breeze, yes. Old name, too. Have you got a warrior title yet? Any belts besides the one you’re going for?” Whimper lifted up his left front hoof. “I have a patch under this bracer, but I don’t have a belt to put it on, or a title. Not officially, since I don’t have a master and all. You?” “They call me ‘The Mangler in the Mist,’” August replied. “Really? Why’s that?” “Wait ‘till they signal us and I’ll show you.” “Fighters ready?” Luna called out. “Okay. Do you, umm, do you wanna do a demo or a warm-up fight or are you fighting for real?” August growled. “Of course I’m fighting for real. Why wouldn’t I be?” “Umm, you know, it is a Warrior Meet, and your master kind of dared me to show my skills, so I thought maybe if we go a little slower we might-” “Begin!” August dashed towards Doldrum. He hit thin air. “I’m just saying you might want to slow down or maybe-” Swish-thump. A backhooved blow went over Doldrum’s head, the boy having dropped spread-eagle to the ground. He hopped back up on all fours with a flap of his wings once the blow was safely dodged. “Are you sure you want to fight me like this?” “Yes, I’m sure! Why aren’t you attacking?” “Umm, no real reason, it’s just that-” Woosh-thump. Doldrum Whimper slapped August’s striking hoof away like a tennis ball. Driven back, the Feather Cloak stumbled from the impact. “I was trying to tell you you’re moving too fast; your hind hooves are unsteady. You might be kind of a heavyweight like me, but your balance is a lot worse than mine. You need to be careful when you’re that muscley, you know; it can be a handicap if you don’t learn how to use it.” “Yeah, right. That was a lucky shot.” “Maybe. Or maybe you’re a little too eager to get a punch in to realise you’re off balance.” “I’ll show you off balance!” Doldrum Whimper didn’t even flinch when the colt lunged at him. He merely sidestepped it, got up close, then quickly elbowed him in the gut. “Oof!” August’s whole body bent forward with the shock, again leaving him standing on the heels of his hooves. The blow itself was remarkably light, though, more of a quick snap than a tense and heavy strike. Like Doldrum had said, heavy muscles could be a handicap. He can’t hit both hard and fast. It’s one or the other. Good to know. “See? You’re off balance. You need to stand deeper, especially when you’re heavier.” August growled and flung his arms up at his opponent, before bringing them down in a hammer blow. Doldrum Whimper caught them both, not even phased by the impact. In the stands, Moongazer squinted. “That stance...” Fleur smiled impishly, before nibbling her corn on her cob some more. “Hmm? What about it?” “I’ve seen that stance before, I think, but not on a pony. And the way he moves… that Whimper kid, what style does he favour? It doesn’t look like any fighting style I’ve seen.” “That’s because you’re only thinking of the unarmed styles. Whimper learned how to fight with weapons first, unarmed second, just like Live Wire did. Master at Arms training, you know. Now do you see?” “Yes,” Moongazer replied, examining the blows and blocks. August was punching normally, but Doldrum’s motions didn’t fit those of a boxer. They were, as Fleur had remarked, closer to a swordspony’s, letting the enemy’s arms rub over his for longer than most would. Doldrum used the length of his arms, not just the tips. Once she realised Doldrum was keeping his arms at odd angles, it dawned on her. “He usually wears blades on those bracers, doesn’t he?” “I’ve got you now,” August said. “You’re fast, kid, I’ll give you that.” “Kid? I’m a year older than you.” Whimper took another sidestep and let August continue on his momentum. Both colts squared off against each other again, one in a deep Bear Stance, the other with one hoof over his tail and another extended, bracer ready to take the blow. “Is that all you can do? Dodge and shove?” “Not really.” “Then why aren’t you fighting back?” “Oh, sorry. I thought we were just getting warmed up.” August rushed forward to unleash a flurry of punches, but found himself only able to throw one, after Doldrum landed a hard swipe on his chest that would have opened him up if those bracers had anything sharp on them. As it was, the fur on August’s torso should have been scratched hard enough by Doldrum’s hoof to draw some blood. It drove the Feather Cloak back, but it didn’t damage him. “Heheh. Nice try. But I’ve mastered the Silver Skin technique. I’m immune to cutting blows.” Doldrum Whimper tilted his head. He grumbled, almost like he was chiding himself for a mistake no one else caught. “I can see that. What else are you immune to?” “What?” “What else? I’m curious.” This came as a surprising question to the little ninja. It was a question he’d never considered, honestly. “Umm, nothing. Why would I need anything else?” “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. Umm, whatever you wanna do is fine.” August growled again and lowered his stance. This guy’s trying to break my concentration. But it’s easy enough to see what he can do: quick sidesteps to dodge, little slaps to unbalance the opponent, then he’ll probably go for a throw or a kick, throw his bulk into it. So all I gotta do is make sure I get close enough so he can’t wind it up. “Well? Do you want me to attack now, or would you like to test me some more?” Whimper looked to Blazing Trail. “I can keep this up for a while, if you want to show off to your master.” He folded his front hooves so the backs would touch, a gesture August didn’t recognise but made Moongazer tilt her head curiously. “Yeah, you know what? I do want to show off to my master.” August leaped right back into the fray with a flap of his wings. One straight jab missed Doldrum’s head by a hair, but he got what he wanted: close quarter contact. He stepped back just enough to give himself some room, and prepared for a real fight where he had the advantage over this uppity noobie. And he would have pulled it off, had he not suddenly found himself falling back and skidding over the ground. Once the friction burn on his fur eased off, he felt the stabbing pain of the blow he’d been dealt. His left hip was aching, bruised and battered. He winced when he stood up. That had felt like a hit with a metal club, but it hadn’t come from those bracers. He’d dodged those. “A hip blow? Seriously? You tried to knock me away with a hip blow?” Doldrum Whimper blinked, before going from his exaggerated hip-sway stance to his neutral one. He idly wondered if Miss Derpy was watching, and if she approved. He’d enjoyed that private lesson at Flight Camp. “Well, it worked, didn’t it? You may have mastered Silver Skin, but you still bruise.” “Rumble?” Scootaloo asked as she trotted towards the prone colt. “Wow. You don’t look so good.” Rumble groaned and tried to get up, shaking all over. “Yeah, Silver Spoon got me.” Fluttershy took the mask off now that he was in the clear. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” “You took on Silver Spoon on your own?” Rumble looked towards the arena. “I was trying to stall her. I figured you might bring him in.” “I didn’t. He wanted to show up.” “Hold on here, you two, what is the deal with you and that kid? And why did you keep it to yourself, too, Rumble?” Apple Bloom asked. Scootaloo let her head hang in shame. “Stuff happened.” Rumble barely managed to sit up straight, prompting Fluttershy to quickly support his back. “Careful, Rumble. You don’t want to move too much.” “I promised Scootaloo I wouldn’t tell. And I promised him, too. Look, the truth is: Whimper got in trouble, and we can’t tell whose fault it really was,” Rumble admitted. “No, it’s not. It’s easy to tell: it was my fault,” Scootaloo said. “See what I mean? I was there too, Scootaloo, and so was Peachy Pie. We were all there when it happened, but Whimper’s the one who got blamed for it. Scootaloo blamed herself, she wouldn’t even come back to Bogsdown after it happened.” “Whimper said he didn’t want to see me anymore.” Rumble growled in frustration. “No, he didn’t; he said it’d be best if you stayed away for a little while, so he could think on his own. A lot of stuff was happening at the same time, you know that. He was being pressured, he couldn’t sleep because of… you know, the stuff he had to worry about at home, and he had to think. So he did. He didn’t want you to never come back. You know he’s not mad at you. He never was.” “That doesn’t make it okay.” “Wait, what trouble are we talkin’ about again?” Apple Bloom asked. “Because Cheerilee said-” “A fight,” Scootaloo said. “He hurt some kids a couple of times. One time he got a warning, the next… I let it get out of control.” Rumble hissed. “That’s not true, Scootaloo. Blazing Trail set him up, he knew Whimper would snap.” “You can’t prove that.” “So… wait, this whole time, you wouldn’t bring your friend over because you got him in trouble?” Apple Bloom asked. “He was on probation for a while. That’s when the Feather Cloaks got to him,” Rumble said. “Then when he got in real trouble, the Feather Cloaks said they could make the trouble go away, if he joined them.” Scootaloo nodded. “He’s not here for me, girls, not really. I was just bluffing to Diamond Tiara back there. I wanted her to know how it feels. But I didn’t bring him. He’s here for them.” “But why not bring him over? We would have helped,” Sweetie Belle said. Rumble sighed. “You don’t really understand the whole story here. Whimper’s… different.” Fluttershy furrowed her brow and cast her glance towards the arena. “Wait, is that the boy the Weather Patrol ponies were talking about? The one from Flight Camp?” Rumble nodded with a wince. “Yup. That’s him.” “But they said he looked like me. And acted like me. And sounded like me. They thought I might be related to him.” “Yup. Lots of ponies thought that.” Scootaloo grimaced at the thought. Again, Fluttershy looked the boy over. Thick, bulging shoulders, hard pecs, rolling biceps. “I don’t get it.” “I don’t get it, either,” Apple Bloom said. “What could be so different about him that you wouldn’t want us to meet him? I mean, sure, he’s obviously a good fighter, but… why worry?” Scootaloo bit her lip. Rumble looked away. “What are you not tellin’ us?” Apple Bloom asked. “Rumble knows it better than me,” Scootaloo said. Rumble sighed. “Don’t blame it on me; you’re the one who wanted to wait.” “But why?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What’s the big deal?” “He got suspended, okay?!” Scootaloo blurted out. “I got him in trouble, and he got suspended because of it. He hasn’t been to school since summer ended, because of me. That’s why I didn’t bring him over. I didn’t want to end up getting him in even more trouble, not here. I didn’t want to risk it. And, besides, we’ve been going to school like nothing happened. I didn’t wanna bring him here just to remind him of what I’d done.” Apple Bloom had to pick up her jaw, hearing that. “Oh, Scootaloo...” “It was my fault. Whimper attacked because those kids shoved me, and I shoved them first. I only met him in the summer, and by the time summer was over I’d… He got punished because of me. And I couldn’t do anything to make it right. I didn’t want that to happen again. And I didn’t want to bring him over until it was okay again. I still don’t know if he’s gonna be allowed to go back to school or not.” “Wait, I’m confused. So what happens if he wins? What happens if he beats this kid, or Silver Spoon?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I don’t know. The Feather Cloaks will have to let him get his belt, I guess,” Rumble shrugged, and instantly regretted it. He fell forward on his belly again, and Fluttershy wasted no time giving his bruised fur more dabbings of healing ointment. “But what about being suspended? He has to go back to school at some point, doesn’t he?” Scootaloo shrugged. “I don’t know, Sweetie Belle. Last I heard, he was blacklisted. As long as he doesn’t join the Feather Cloaks, nopony wants to risk getting him in their class, at least not in Bogsdown. I didn’t go back there until today. Rumble has.” “I have no idea about that, either,” Rumble said. “He doesn’t like to talk about that.” The bit finally dropped in Apple Bloom’s head. “Wait, blacklisted?” She slapped herself. “That’s why Miss Cheerilee knows about him.” August lowered his body, getting ready to pounce. Doldrum stood, arms hanging loosely, waiting. “Aren’t you going to try and defend yourself?” August asked. “Yes.” “Then why aren’t you putting your guard up?” “My guard is up.” Apple Bloom rushed back to the stands, her friends in tow. She didn’t want to miss this, and the view from the medic’s post wasn’t as good, not with how the boys were moving about. She squinted, thinking. “Shouldn’t Doldrum be wearing weapons?” “You noticed, too, huh? You’ve got a good eye,” Live Wire said. “He usually wears claws when he fights like this.” Spike came limping towards them. “Claws? You mean like, what, Ogres and Obliettes kind of weapons?” “Something along those lines, yes,” Fleur said. “He prefers a style where he can keep his muscles relaxed. That’s why his guard is lower. That’s why he doesn’t cross his arms: he doesn’t want to block the blades on either arm, keep his options open.” “But he’s fighting unarmed. That doesn’t help.” “Every style has its advantages and disadvantages, Sweetie Belle, you know that,” Moongazer said. “If Whimper’s used to fighting with bear claws, he’ll keep himself close.” “Not bear claws,” Live Wire said. “The other one.” Moongazer furrowed her brow. “Eagle talons? He can fight with eagle talons? But… which style does he use, then?” August pounced. This time, there was no dodging, no shoving. Only pain. The little exchanges between the two hadn’t given August enough of a read on his opponent. This kid was more muscular than him, but the speed difference was minor at best. Doldrum’s first blow was a hammer strike that went straight for the neck. The padding on the bullhead’s arm softened the blow, thankfully, but even so, the hard tension in those muscles made it hurt. With the pounce swatted away, Doldrum withdrew that same arm and whipped it up and down, hitting his opponent in the shoulder like a sledgehammer. This time, Doldrum hit him with flesh. And for some strange reason, that hurt a lot more than the bracer had. August groaned and quickly got back up on his hind hooves. He shook his head and tried to numb the hurt area. “W-what was that?” Doldrum smiled. “Sorry, just some warming up taps. I thought you’d be tougher, my mistake.” “That was not a warm-up, you-” He gasped and rubbed his chest. “Haaa… what did you do?” “The Feather Cloaks like pressure points, right? I found a point and I put some pressure on it. You know, to show that I can learn that on my own. That particular one will hurt for a while. But it’s fine; your skin isn’t damaged, right?” August grumbled. “You’re gonna regret doing that.” Doldrum tilted his head. “I already said I was sorry. Do you want me to knock you out of the arena or to just knock you out?” “You think you can beat me?” “Yes. Just like you think you can beat me. But I’m asking you: do you prefer getting knocked out or getting knocked out of the ring?” “I’m not gonna lose to a poser like you!” “Knockout it is, then.” August came in for a long swooping blow with his whole body weight behind it. Doldrum took it on his arm bracer, then kicked the kid in the gut just as the follow-up blow was about to land. “Oof!” Doldrum wasn’t done yet. He took one step and leaned forward to position himself for a sideways slap. August flew up to dodge it and create some distance. Doldrum smiled at him. “You’re pretty fast, too.” August panted. “Don’t patronise me.” “I’m not. I’m trying to compliment you. But, umm, while you are standing still, are you sure you can keep going? Your muscles are looking kinda tired.” August lowered his body again and closed his eyes. “I’ll show you tired.” “Uh oh,” Moongazer said. “That kid’s going berserk.” Rarity winced. “Again?” Cheerilee chuckled nervously. “It’s not as bad as it sounds, right?” Fleur, for her part, smirked as she chewed on her corn. “Depends on your perspective.” Doldrum Whimper furrowed his brow, confused. “What are you doing?” “You wanted to know what Feather Cloaks teach? Here’s what you missed out on: Silver Wolf Skin jutsu! One Wolf Pack Attack!” August vanished in a blur of superspeed, circling around his opponent fast enough to create a wall of blue. Whimper smiled in understanding. “Ooh, ‘Mangler in the Mist,’ now I get it. Because you blur like that. That’s kind of neat.” Thump! The first blow landed on that arm padding. Doldrum Whimper swiped at the boy, but he hit nothing. August afforded himself a triumphant smile. He’s too slow for this. He can’t dodge me as long as I come at him at this speed. He can’t hit me. He can’t deal with an alpha strike. The second blow didn’t so much hit as it did graze. Doldrum let his right arm hang limply as August’s blow glanced off it, giving him plenty of contact time. This next one will end it. The next strike, however, was Doldrum’s. In the split second August’s body trailed along that bracer, Doldrum turned and drove his left front hoof into the boy’s exposed thigh. The momentum carried August along, sending him spinning and tumbling roughly over the stone floor. “Was that it?” Doldrum asked. August jumped up, unscathed. “Silver Skin, remember? I didn’t even feel that.” “Really? Huh.” Again, August’s body blurred. A straight jab landed dead on... on scissored bracers. He… he blocked it? “What the… but you’re slower than me!” Doldrum kicked him in the gut, knocking him off balance. That was all the opening he needed. Winding up the punch, he drove his right hoof into the boy’s neck, then slashed at August’s chest with a left. Finally, he pressed both arms against the Feather Cloak’s chest in a scissor pose, and opened up. “Gah!” August fell back, panting for air. “H-how?” “You’re only half right,” Doldrum said. “You are faster than me, for as long as you’re dashing around me, and that’s a pretty long time. But the thing about rushes and lunges like that is: I only need to be faster than you when the blow is about to land. And if I turn out to be faster, only for a second, that’s a lot of energy you just wasted. That One Wolf Pack Attack is better for a diversion and an escape than it is for a take-down. But I guess you haven’t used it enough to realise that. It’s okay, you figure stuff like that out on the fly.” August growled. His body shook with rage. “Fine. You want to see a take-down? Try this one on for size: Silver Wolf Skin, Crushing Jaws!” Doldrum held his arms up in that scissor pose, ready to block. When the attack came, the Feather Cloak left a trail of dust in his wake. The two clashed, and before anyone knew what had happened, August was at the other end of the arena, and Doldrum’s arms were open. The Feather Cloak gasped. “W-what...” Doldrum Whimper sighed and went back on all fours. “Funny thing about numbing yourself to pain: you don’t realise what kind of damage you’re taking. That’s your other mistake. That Silver Wolf Skin technique shoots you up with adrenalin. It’s supposed to be a last resort. Because umm, you know, eventually the adrenalin dies down. And when it does...” August stumbled. He coughed. “You shouldn’t have tried to rush me down like that, not without being able to track my movements. You may move faster than me, but your reflexes can’t keep up. That’s why you couldn’t beat me. That’s why that last scissor blow landed... on your heart.” The Feather Cloak fell. “And with your adrenalin rush dying down, with the shots I got at your muscles, you’re not gonna be able to stand up anytime soon. But good try. I’m sure you’ll master those techniques with time.” Doldrum Whimper smiled, calmly, gently. “You know, eventually.” “So that’s one way to fight with eagle talons, Apple Bloom,” Fleur explained. “Most martial arts prefer to start unarmed and work their way up to weapons, but some like a top-down approach. It instils a different sort of discipline, you see; encourages the student not to fight at random if they’re not prepared and armed.” Apple Bloom chuckled nervously. “Eheh, I can see that. But umm, eagle talons, that’s, like, on those bracers, right? Blades?” “Oh, yes. He mostly wears bokken, that’s wood, for the weight, but he’s been favouring the plastic ones recently. And, obviously, the weapon variants are metal, harder than the padding he’s wearing now.” “That’s not my point,” Apple Bloom said. “Hmm?” “I think what she means is: if that boy had been wearing his weapons, the way he struck, the way he cut, August Whimper would be cut to ribbons right now,” Cheerilee remarked. Fleur shrugged. “Well… he is being tested. Wouldn’t be much of a test if he didn’t put his all into it. What do you think, Moongazer?” Moongazer glared at the bullhead colt. “I think he’s holding back. I can’t tell what school he’s studied from any of that, his attacks are too generic. He could have studied Royal Guard style, Southern Islander, Northern Highlander, there’s nothing to distinguish him. He could be imitating any number of specialities, and that’s not normal for a masterless student, certainly not one looking to get acknowledged. You don’t get a belt for that kind of display, but… he must be studying something, to be able to dispatch that kid so easily. His outer form is a bog standard weapon form, sure, but what’s his inner form?” Again, Fleur shrugged, before chewing on her corn some more. “Fleur, please,” Moongazer insisted. “What does that boy know? What techniques has he mastered?” “Spoilers, darling.” “If he gets matched up against an opponent who’s out of his league...” Fleur finally relented. “I suppose, if you must know, the only techniques he’s really mastered is the weapon one you saw just now: Eagle Talon fighting. He hasn’t had the time to do any other moving forms.” “But what school? What inner forms? Does he not have any? Has he not been studying any school?” “Yes and no. Yes, he does have some inner forms, obviously, and he has studied some schools, but no, the physical side of his skills and inner techniques are not linked. At least, not all of them. He has bits and pieces of several different ones, and he’s managed to get, oh, let’s say, two up to combat application, but they are both very distinct. You wouldn’t know what to look for unless he told you. So he’s just like any other independent fighter in that regard: relying not on formal training, but on individual synergies. I’m sure a ninja such as yourself can appreciate that kind of approach.” Moongazer grumbled. Still Fleur wouldn’t spill the beans. She had a point, though: mixing and matching different internal and external styles, armed and unarmed, were second nature to ninja. So was gathering intelligence, and assessing the worth of new schools of thought, not to mention secrecy thereabouts. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see, then?” Live Wire shivered in anticipation. “Yes, Ma’am. That kid wasn’t good enough to show off against. They’re gonna need something a little closer to my level for that.”