Rainbow Dash paced at the train station, glancing at the clock with impatience. Twilight tried not to reward the pegasus’ tantrum with any sort of attention. She returned her attention to her third morning crossword puzzle. Spike shifted on the balls of his feet, while Bulk lifted two dumbbells.
Dash groaned, “What’s taking so long?”
“I’m sure the train is on its way.” Fluttershy glanced at the empty tracks. “Maybe, there’s been a delay?”
“Lightning Star should be here any second,” Dash grumbled. “I’m tired of waiting.”
Twilight glanced at Dash and mumbled, “A watched pot never boils.”
“Why?” Bulk asked Twilight between his reps. “Does it get stage fright?”
“It’s just an expression,” Twilight explained.
“An expression? You mean like what you do with your face?”
“No, that’s a facial expression. I meant expression like a piece of advice.”
“Just a piece?” Bulk frowned. “Why can’t we get the rest of the advice?”
Twilight stared at Bulk, uncertain if he was pulling her hoof or was genuinely confused. Sadly, his unassuming expression gave no answers.
“I’ll explain it later.” Twilight tapped a definition on her crossword puzzle. “I need an nine letter word for ‘The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.’”
“Try petrichor,” Bulk suggested.
To Twilight’s surprise, the word fit. She struggled to figure out the word for the past ten minutes, but he found it in a single second. She took another look at Bulk, who kept lifting his dumbbells. Now, she had no idea whether he was pulling her hoof or truly didn’t understand expressions. "How does some pony who can’t understand “a watched pot never boils” possibly know a word that I’ve never heard of?"Twilight wondered.
A train horn in the distance interrupted her pondering, and she spot The Friendship Express puffing smoke into the air.
“Finally!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I can’t wait to meet Lightning Star in person. I hear he’s a total party animal.”
Twilight shuddered, “I hope not. Pinkie Pie’s all the party this town can take.”
“Lighten up.” Dash waved a hoof. “I’m sure he’ll be fun.”
The train pulled into the station with a wheeze. Spike tapped his fingers together, hoping he and Lightning Star would get along, even though they would become competitors.
A unicorn carrying a heavy suitcase and an arrow case disembarked from the train. He was a white furred stallion with a yellow mane lined with black stripes. His mane had a medium length, but kept an air of tidiness. Although he had some bangs covering the top of his forehead, they did not cover his sky-blue eyes. His cutie mark was a bow and arrow made entirely of lightning.
The second their eyes met, the stallion stiffened. His body quivered with excitement, but the unicorn maintained his professionalism. He dragged his suitcase with him and approached Spike.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Spike.” Spike had to admit he liked the sound of “Mr. Spike.” The stallion cleared his throat, “I’m Lightning Star, employee of Silver Shine's Archery Range.” He turned to Twilight, “Princess Celestia told me you wanted an archery teacher for Mr. Spike, Princess Twilight.”
“Yes.” Twilight said. “And please there’s no need for formalities. We’re all friends here.”
“If you insist,” he nodded.
“You’re probably tired from your trip. If you’d like to rest in my castle, I have a room ready,” Twilight offered.
“Thanks, but I’d like to start as soon as possible,” Lightning Star smiled. “If you could show me to the training field, we can start straightaway.”
“Sure,” Rainbow Dash nodded. “And afterwards, Pinkie Pie would love to throw you a welcome party.”
“Oh no, not for me.” Lightning Star shook his head politely. “Parties don’t agree with me.”
A frown spread across Dash’s face, extinguishing her party-anticipating grin. As Lightning Star hoisted his bow’s case onto his back, he noticed Twilight’s crossword puzzle.
“You like crossword puzzles?”
“Yes.” Twilight nodded. “I don’t get to do them much but they can be quite fun.”
“I do them all the time with my little sister.” Lighting Star grinned. “She’s a real wordsmith.”
“You have a sister?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, her name’s Thunder Star.” He looked a little sad. “She really wanted to come and meet Spike, but there were complications. Anyways, I’ll stop babbling. Let’s go train.”
“But the train’s right here.” Bulk pointed to the train.
“Good one.” Lightning Star let out a little chuckle, which Bulk did not return.
Bulk sighed. “One of these days, I’m going to figure out why ponies laugh at everything I say.”
Bulk swapped his dumbbells into a single hoof, picking up Lightning Star’s suitcase in his free hoof, and headed to Twilight’s castle. Twilight smiled as Fluttershy guided Lightning Star to the training field. She already liked the stallion. He seemed hardworking, polite, and intelligent. Better still, Twilight could tell Spike liked Lightning Star too. He hung back and talked eagerly with the archer. She and Rainbow Dash lagged behind a moment.
“He’s not at all what I expected,” Chuckled Twilight.
“Yeah,” Sighed Dash. “He’s so…”
“Smart.”
“Boring.”
Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash. “What do you mean boring? He’s getting straight to work like he should.”
“Ponies told me he was a fun, crazy athlete, not…” Dash gestured to the stallion, “That.”
“Well, some ponies have different ideas of fun.” Twilight headed off of the station platform, down the stairs. “Now come on. Let’s see how he teaches.”
“Yeah, sure.” Dash followed with a scowl. “I’ll bet he gives an hour long lecture on the proper standing position for archers.”
“You think?” Twilight beamed, “Maybe I should get some paper to take notes.”
“If he does, I swear,” Rainbow Dash decided not to finish that sentence. She had a feeling a lecture was imminent.
After setting up his bow next to Spike’s, Lightning Star asked Spike to show him his archery technique. Spike nocked an arrow, pulled back the string, took careful aim, and fired. The arrow hit the red rim of the target.
“Good,” Lightning Star nodded. “I notice you placed the arrow on the right side of the bow, rather than the left.”
“Is that bad?” Spike asked with concern. “That’s just how Shining taught me.”
“Not at all. In fact, it’s perfect.” Lightning Star nocked an arrow on the left side of his bow. “If you place the arrow on the left, you’ll need several adjustments before you can actually shoot.” He swapped the arrow to the right side. “Shining Armor was trying to teach you how to aim and fire in a single motion.”
Lightning Star drew the bow and fired within a fraction of a fraction of a second, hitting the target’s center. Spike whistled. Rainbow Dash looked on with intrigue, trying to ignore Twilight’s note taking as she recorded Lightning’s every word.
“A lot of movies today show archers as long distance fighters who stand still and fire.” Rainbow Dash’s lecture senses began to tingle.
“The truth is centuries ago, archers had to learn how to shoot under a lot of different circumstances. Master archers could shoot up close, from afar, and on the move. In times of war, archers carried multiple arrows in one levitation spell or with the same hoof they shot with.”
Lightning Star drew five arrows from the quiver, firing all five within two and a half seconds, nailing the center of the target. Spike’s jaw dropped. He thought he was a decent archer, but Lightning Star’s speed and accuracy far outclassed him.
Lightning Star noticed Spike’s awed expression. “Bad news is that reaching this level takes a lot of practice. I can only do this because I’ve spent years practicing and studying ancient archery.”
“But we don’t have years.” Spike facepalmed.
“No,” Lightning Star admitted. “But the good news is you already have plenty important parts of the form down thanks to Shining Armor. You just need to learn to draw and shoot in one motion. Though more bad news: that’s the hard part.”
Spike frowned; he couldn’t imagine himself reaching Lightning Star’s speed.
“Hey, no frowning,” Lightning ordered. “You can do this. I wouldn’t teach you if I didn’t think you could learn it.”
Spike nodded, “Thanks.”
Lightning Star spent all week training Spike. They only ever took breaks for meals, the bathroom, or five-minute breathers. By the end of the third week, Spike still felt inadequate. But little did he know, he reached a record speed that would make professional archers envious. Lightning Star still outpaced him, but the skill gap between them had shortened, even if Spike couldn’t see it.
Rarity and Sweetie Belle came to watch Spike and Lightning Star train on the second week. Sweetie Belle was so impressed she invited her friends to come watch with her. Applebloom and Scootaloo became regular observers. They managed to contain their excitement and not interfere in Spike’s training. Other ponies started watching him too. Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps took breaks from their morning routines to admire Spike and Lightning Star’s skills for a few hours. Applebloom brought Applejack and Big Mac to the field, and they too became avid watchers. Starlight and Twilight were seldom far from the training field. Their constant support helped Spike push on. Next to Rarity, Starlight, and Twilight, Pinkie Pie visited most often. She always brought sports drinks and snacks for the archers.
At first, Spike felt self-conscious and nervous about having an audience. He told this to Rainbow Dash, though she reminded him that all of Equestria would watch him at the Games, so he should try to get used to an audience. Spike asked her how to cope with an audience.
She said, “Just find your perfect state of mind. You know, where everything else goes away.”
Spike had a vague notion of what she meant. “So don’t think?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, “Don’t think.”
He scratched the back of his head. “But how am I supposed to not think when I’m thinking about not thinking?”
Dash sighed, “You and Twilight always have to make things so complicated! Just pay attention to the archery, not the audience.”
If Spike liked Lightning Star before they started training, he now admired him. The stallion had a way of explaining techniques in a clear, concise manner. He never reprimanded Spike or got frustrated. If Spike’s grip was wrong or his aim was off, Lightning Star simply corrected him and moved on. Lightning Star even complimented Spike when he performed well, though never to the point of being excessive or overindulgent. His compliments were brief, to the point, and meaningful. Spike earned every word of praise through hard work. Most surprising of all to Spike was the power he felt in Lightning Star’s eyes. His blue eyes were almost hypnotic, filling Spike with a strange, peaceful calm. He paid less attention to the ponies watching him as they faded to the edge of his consciousness. There was only him, Lightning Star, and their bows.
He wasn’t the only one enjoying Lightning Star’s company. Twilight grew to respect his knowledge and love of history. Lightning Star wasn’t just an athlete; he was a history buff. He recreated ancient archery techniques by studying old scrolls and Twilight was fascinated by his historical research. When Spike went to sleep, the two of them would stay up for an hour discussing ancient history and the evolution of archery. Rarity, similarly, appreciated his polite conduct befitting a gentlecolt. Although Dash wished he was more fun, she was at least glad he wasn’t a snobbish jerk. Still, she wondered why anypony would call him a party animal. Who even told her that?
Lightning Star was kind enough to stay an extra month longer than he originally planned to train Spike. However by the third month, he had to return home. On their last week of training, Pinkie Pie approached Lightning Star when he was alone and asked if she could throw a farewell party. Lightning Star politely declined.
“I don’t feel comfortable in a crowd,” he explained.
Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “Then why are you in the Equestria Games where everyone can look at you?”
Lightning Star flinched. “Well, that’s different.”
“I’ve been going through partying records of the Crystal Empire,” Pinkie said. “I found a photo a decade ago with this stallion. Ponies called him ‘Party Fever.’ I read some of his shenanigans.” Pinkie Pie whistled. “He was wild, crazy, and that’s coming from me. I don’t call ponies wild or crazy. Cause I am crazy. Funny thing is he looked exactly like you.”
Sweat ran down Lightning’s forehead. “There are plenty of stallions who look like me.”
Pinkie Pie pulled out a photograph from her mane of the party and pointed to a white stallion, “But not many have the same cutie mark.”
Lightning Star brought his voice down, “Listen, that’s a part of my life I’m trying to leave behind, okay?”
“So it was you!”
“Yes,” he admitted with shame. “Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not proud of the person I was back then.”
“My lips are sealed, and that’s a Pinkie Promise.” She lifted her hoof and recited her Pinkie Promise oath. “I just have one question. Why’d you stop being Party Fever?”
Lightning Star sighed.
“You know I’ll figure out eventually,” Pinkie said. “Everything we do and say is written online for people to read.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” Pinkie said, “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”
“I stopped being Party Fever because my sister needed me.” Lightning Star sank into a bench on the field and looked past Pinkie Pie into the phantoms of another life. “I didn’t do my job raising her because I was a stupid, selfish jerk who would rather party his cares away than actually do something with his life. One night, I wasn’t there when she needed me. And she got hurt, hurt in a way no apology will ever fix.
“They told me to clean up my act or she might not make it. I may be selfish, but I loved my sister enough to appear as a different stallion for her sake. No more partying. No more using archery as a cheap party gag. I started teaching archery, making actual money for her treatments. Along the way, someone recognized my talent and got me a place on the Crystal Empire’s team. They whipped me into shape, taught me how to save money, function in the real world, and actually be a half-decent person.”
Lightning Star’s eyes welled up with tears. His throat constricted with sharp pains. Pinkie Pie handed him a handkerchief to blow his nose. He cleared his nose and composed himself.
“I won’t be that party-holic, spoiled brat ever again. That’s not the stallion my sister needs. I have to be a mature adult who stays on the right side of the law and looks after the only family I have left.”
“I understand,” Pinkie pat his shoulder with a teary smile on her face. “I’m sorry for pushing you to a party. I think I understand why you agreed to help Spike. You want to share your gift with others.”
He nodded, “I’ve got to do some actual good in the world.”
Pinkie Pie sat down next to him on the bench.
“Everypony really appreciates all you’ve been doing for Spike,” she said. “Rainbow Dash said you’ve brought him farther in two and a half months than she could have in two and a half years. And trust me, Dash hates admitting that anyone can do a better job at anything.”
“I can imagine,” he chuckled while fighting down tears. “She seems like a proud mare. Though I know she’d stand with her friends through anything.”
“Boy, you should see some of the things we’ve been through,” Pinkie murmured. She sighed, “Come the Games, Spike’s going to need her. He’s going to need everyone.” A thought crossed her mind; a delightful thought that caused her to grin from ear to ear. “Oh my gosh, Lightning Star! I’ve got the bestest idea ever!”
Lightning Star recoiled in frank surprise at her sudden mood change. “Okay?”
“I know what you could do that would really help Spike,” Pinkie Pie declared with triumph. “Listen.”
She leaned into his ear and whispered. Lightning Star frowned at first, but then his eyes opened wide, intrigued by the pink pony’s proposal. A similar grin spread across his face. The two departed, ready to enact their plans.