//------------------------------// // Rainbow at Dusk // Story: My Little Academia: Friendship is Heroic! // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------// How? Twilight glimpsed a hoof appearing out of the maelstrom of blue around her. The aura around her horn flared brighter while the air around the hoof gained a shade of purple. The hoof flew forward unabated and struck Twilight in the chest. Her armor shuddered and bent under the force of the blow. How is she countering my displacement? Suddenly, the maelstrom ceased. Dash hovered above Twilight with a frown on her face. “Come on Twilight, is this the best you got? Was everypony else just fibbing to me?” “They… they weren’t,” Twilight huffed. “I can… send out a strong spell, but I need time to concentrate.” “Oh, you’re a slowpoke,” Dash chuckled. With a gleam in her eye, she landed in front of Twilight. “I get it. So, here’s the deal, I let you hit me, I take it head on, and if I’m still standing, you let me go, deal?” Twilight narrowed her eyes. Dash’s giddy grin and tingling wings told her Dash was genuine. Catching her breath, she answered, “Would a villain really let a hero go that easily?” “Fair point. Okay, I’ll take your best shot, deck you in the schnoz, and then be on my way.” Dash rooted herself to the ground. “Sound fair?” Once more, Twilight took a moment to think over Dash’s words. Dash was squirming in place, making Twilight wonder how she had managed to sit through the entrance exam. Focusing back on the present, she closed her eyes, breathed, and then looked directly at Dash with rainbow rimming her irises. “Okay, Rainbow Dash. You asked for it.” The outer world faded away. Twilight dove deep into her own stream of magic and searched out the rainbow seam of the Elements. Flecks of color swirled off her horn and flanks. She could feel the Elements reaching out and connecting with her own magic, drawing it into itself, but Twilight pulled back. Just a little she thought. Just enough to… Images of the Elements cleaving through Tantabus rushed back to Twilight. They combined with memories of yesterday—the way she had transfigured such a massive spell while barely using a smidgen of the Elements power. A chill struck her when she envisioned a beam, even if it was a fraction of the size of the one she had used on Tantabus, striking Rainbow Dash. She imagined only ash left behind. The rainbow aura dissipated, making Dash sharpen her eyes. Twilight fell to her knees and gasped for air. Cold sweat dripped down her muzzle. “Hey,” Dash snorted. “What gives? You were looking pretty cool for a second there.” “I… I’m sorry,” Twilight hacked. “I can’t do it… not yet at least.” Dash conked her head to the side. “What do you mean, ‘not yet?’ You trying to pull a fast one on me?” “No, no.” Twilight shook her head while keeping it bowed. “It’s… it’s a new spell I learned, and… and I don’t have a lot of control over it yet.” “So what?” Dash stomped a hoof. “Think I can’t take it? Come on, Twilight. You think I’d hold back on you?” “No. To be honest, you’re even more skilled than I thought,” Twilight sighed and gave a dry laugh. “Even shifting the air around isn’t stopping you. You’re something else, Rainbow Dash.” “Yeah, I know.” Dash grinned for moment but then furrowed her brow. “What’s this about the air though?” “Your speed,” Twilight answered. “A pegasus with the right timing can manipulate currents and composition in the atmosphere to negate friction, giving them a massive boost in agility. Heh, you’re a bit too fast even in that for me to catch though, Dash.” “I’m not doing that,” Dash replied in a cold flat tone. “Huh?” Twilight blinked. Dash’s lips were now pulled tight. “You’re saying you’ve been flying and attacking at that speed with just pure muscle? No magic?” “Damn straight,” Dash snorted. “I don’t need to manipulate the weather to kick flank.” Twilight shuddered. Her right hind leg inched backwards. “But I thought… with your talent…" “You thought what?” Dash snapped, stomping hard enough to send up dust. A slash of her wings cut through it. “I don’t like you making assumptions about me, Twilight. I don’t need weather and I don’t need you keeping me here any longer, especially if you’re just going to horse around!” “I could say the same t—” A hoof clobbered Twilight in the head. The blow came with enough force to blast her helmet off, sending up sparks as it scraped against her horn. “This is your warning, Twilight!” Dash roared. Twilight’s daze cleared just in time for her to recognize a hoof flying straight for her face. The barriers around the building’s exits dropped and a thick plane of aura went up in front of Twilight’s head. Even that cracked under the power of Dash’s attack. The block did nothing to stop Dash. She twisted around with her hind legs tucked. With a yelp, Twilight dispelled one barrier and summoned another. The kicks exploded into it, instantly cracking the violet shield. It held out for a second longer before shattering. When the hooves slammed into her, the wind flew out of Twilight. The blow lifted her off her hooves and sent her flying until a wall stopped her. Cement and plaster crumbled around her. Dash did not allow her time to slip down and instead rushed forward and held her up by the neck. Twilight’s head was spinning and her brain was desperate for air, which Dash barely allowed with her grip. Even in the haze though, Twilight registered the snarl on Dash’s face. “I’m only telling you this once,” Dash growled. She bashed Twilight across the face. Pressure exploded against her left eye and her vision went dark out of it. “Don’t ever think I need weather manipulation to be awesome, you got that?” Twilight could only hack and gasp for breath. “Good.” Dash buried her hoof in Twilight’s abdomen, knocking the wind out of her again. Two sharp cracks echoed through the air. She let Twilight drop and crumple to the floor. With her vision fading, Twilight managed to raise her trembling head. The glare Dash gave her etched itself in her mind right beside Sunset’s and Tantabus’s. “All I need are my wings,” Dash declared. A gust went up when she spread her wings. “My partner will handle the rest.” With that, she left Twilight on the floor and sped off into the air. Everyone watching was rendered silent by Dash’s onslaught. Sunset clenched her jaw. Pinkie inched away, shook, and muttered something to herself. Maud stared at Pinkie, blinked, and then looked back at the screen. Fluttershy was crying and slowly shuffling towards Celestia. Spike raced past her. “Princess, it’s over. Twilight needs help now!” Celestia inhaled deeply. “Spike, I cannot do that. We must wait until the flag is captured or the time limit runs out.” “Horseshit!” Spike cursed, causing gasps to go up. Tears rimmed his eyes. “You know this match is over! So just help her! Please!” “Do you not have faith in Twilight?” Celestia asked, tone still measured in the face of Spike’s outburst. “That’s not… I just…” The tension fled from Spike. His back slackened and he went to his knees. “Just promise she’ll be okay.” “I would never let a student of mine suffer needlessly,” Celestia declared. Her eyes then went back to the screen. Twilight lay prone on the ground, shallow gasps the only sign of life from her. Twilight, just hold on. Everyone else’s attention went back to the screens as well. Everyone except for Rarity. She lingered on Spike wiping away tears and collecting himself. A tremor ran up her leg and she bit her lip. ~~~ “You’re looking a little slower now, Applejack.” Lyra kept pace with Applejack, while the world blurred around them. Applejack sent out her right hoof to strike at Lyra’s face, but Lyra’s eyes caught the incoming attack and she blocked it with a leg. Something about the way Lyra’s eyes had shifted forward and her muzzle had shrunk down was disquieting to Applejack. Her own eyes remained where a pony’s should, but they were also able to track Lyra’s high-speed movements and caught sight of a knee racing straight up to her face. Pushing off the ground, she flipped back, ignoring the pain radiating out of her left shoulder. Both she and Lyra squared up to charge at each other again: Applejack on four hooves, and Lyra on two things that were not quite hooves but not quite the appendages she had transformed her front legs into either. Now, her front legs where normal again, but her hind legs had their knees facing forwards. The transfiguration allowed her to stay bipedal longer than a pony normally could. Applejack was thankful Lyra’s costume concealed any other changes Lyra’s body had undergone. Watching her front legs shift back to normal a few minutes ago had unsettled her stomach. Even now, she tried to avoid looking at Lyra’s hind legs too long. “And I don’t know how you’re looking, Lyra,” Applejack replied. “But it ain’t looking right.” “Hey!” Lyra recoiled. “I know I’m still getting the hang of it, but I at least expected a little respect for my work so far. It took a lot of research to get the limbs right, especially the arms!” Applejack kept her guard up, but allowed her head to tilt a few degrees to the side. “What are you going on about?” “My imitation of the legendary warrior!” Lyra whined. “I worked super hard just to make it to this point!” “Legendary warrior?” Applejack asked. “Gah!” Lyra groaned. “I should have known. The information on her is lacking enough in Canterlot, so I guess it can’t be helped if a small town like Ponyville hasn’t heard of her.” “Her, who?” “The legendary warrior!” Lyra stomped her hind leg. Her head hung low and she held out a hoof, shaking it at Applejack. “Forget it, I’ll tell you about it once I’ve taken that flag!” She burst forward. Applejack leapt aside and let her hind legs fly. Lyra blocked with her foreleg, but the blow still forced her back and left imprints on her leg. With a shake of her leg, she rushed forward again, this time jumping off the ground. Her transfigured left hind leg curled up and then exploded outwards, straight at Applejack’s head. With no time to dodge, Applejack shot up her front legs and blocked. Sparks shot off from her hind hooves as they scraped against the ground. Applejack’s body quivered, but she held strong. Then, Lyra lunged forward. Applejack spied that her right hind leg was back to normal, while her right foreleg had changed back into the rough approximation of an arm. It stretched out, racing for the flag holstered on Applejack’s hip. Applejack stopped resisting and let the blow pick her up off the ground. It sent her tumbling, but from her perspective, the world was just slowly turning around her. Spying Lyra rushing at her, she clasped her lasso while still spinning through the air and whipped it at one of Lyra’s legs. The loop caught and she pulled with all her speed and might. Lyra’s leg flew forward while the rest of her crashed backwards. She flailed out her limbs to catch herself, but she wound up landing on her right arm. Whatever had replaced her ankle let out a sharp crack. At the same time, Applejack landed on her left shoulder, sending an electrifying jolt up her leg and into her torso. Both she and Lyra cried out as they hit the street. Lyra’s horn flashed and her arm and left leg glowed. A series of pops and cracks filled the air. Lyra sucked in air through clenched teeth as the digits of her arms shrank down and molded back into hard keratin. Even though her leg was a leg once more, its joint remained swollen and discolored. Applejack’s vision wavered. Her shoulder was on fire and her stomach was churning. Through the pain, she watched Lyra’s limbs revert to normal and noticed her horn was no longer aglow. A glance to the side revealed that the ring of enchantments that had surrounded them was no longer making the streets glisten green. Clenching her jaw, she rolled to the right and pushed up with three of her legs. She fell, but managed to catch herself by bracing with her knees, avoiding a full crash. Again, she pushed against the ground with all her might. Lyra was also struggling to get back to her hooves, both of them keeping weight off of their injured legs. Some of their classmates could not stand to watch the sight. After the brutality Dash had unleashed on Twilight, seeing Applejack and Lyra duke it out to this level of injury was too much. None of them had realized up to this point how long ten minutes could be. “Ze are really throwing it all on ze line, eh?” said Photo. “And for that, they have my respect. A hero must be willing to push past their limits to achieve their goals. These students are just starting their journey, but they know they have to give it their all in this line of work.” Celestia turned to face the class, eyes lingering on those that had shied away from the screens. “Recall my assignment to you. Watch and learn, my little ponies. Like Tantabus before me, I tell you now that being a hero is more than just fun costumes and helping out those in need. It takes a strong will and a bold spirit to carry on the fight. Through night, through day, and ever onwards!” Reaffirmed by Celestia’s words, the students turned their attention back to the screen. Applejack was back up. Her legs shook, but she could move. Slowly, she was limping away. Behind her, Lyra tried to light up her horn, but every time it got to more than a glimmer, her ankle throbbed, robbing her of her concentration. Applejack’s ears perked up. Something rippled through the air. Her head craned back and she caught sight of blue and rainbow hurtling towards her. “Oh sh—” Dash rammed her off the ground. Applejack, robbed of air, went careening into a lamppost. It bent from the impact and toppled over, pinning her under it. With a flap, Dash landed and snorted. She marched up to Applejack. “It’s over,” she growled. “N-not yet,” Applejack wheezed. Her uninjured hooves pushed, but the lamppost refused to budge. Dash did not reply. Instead, she snorted again, bent low, easily avoiding Applejack flailing about to keep her away, and clasped the flag. Just when her hooves made contact with it, a blast of violet aura shot out of the flag and into Dash’s wings. She cried out and fell to her hooves, aura crackling around her. The flag fell out of her grasp and clattered to the ground. With a sharp crack, it shattered apart into bits of rubble. Dash could only stare at what had been the flag. With eyes aflame, she glared at Applejack. “You’d rather have us draw than win!?” Applejack let out a cracked and strained laugh. “You… you think Twilight or I would… would be satisfied with that? That…” Applejack flexed a trembling hoof at the rubble. “Was just a decoy Twilight whipped up.” “Dammit!” Dash sprung off the ground, but then crashed back down. She grunted and tried to unfurl her wings, but they remained glued to her sides. “What the hay is this?” “Our insurance,” Applejack coughed. “Twilight noticed you’re faster in the air than me, but grounded, I could pull ahead. She… she cooked up one nasty spell so that if a pegasus touched the flag, she’d be grounded for the next five minutes. Heh, looks like time isn’t on your side.” “You…” Dash snarled and raised up a hoof. Aura surrounded it before she could strike Applejack. “Forget her!” Lyra shouted. “Dash, you’re still fast with just your legs! Find the real flag!” “Rah!” Dash stomped and snorted, shook her head, then took off back towards the building. She ran as fast as she could, ignoring the growing ache in her back and legs. By the time she made it back to the building, her breathing had quickened. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead. “Where is it?” Dash snarled when she stormed into the building. Silence answered her. Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Dash clenched her jaw and rushed downstairs. Her gut dropped. There were flags everywhere. They littered the ground, they plastered the walls, and they dangled from the ceiling. One of Dash’s eyes twitched. A vein on her forehead throbbed. Her booming shout of “Noooooo!” echoed through the city. Twilight heard Dash scream from close by. Curled up in a nearby building, horn still smoking from her teleportation spell, she reached into her dented armor and pulled out the real flag. Her lips curled into a smile. “Sorry, Rainbow Dash,” she hacked. “The villains… win.” Her head went slack and the world went black.