//------------------------------// // Build 09 // Story: Gundam Build Fighters: EGs // by PoisonClaw //------------------------------// Apples and Turtles, Applejack Vs. Sugarcoat! Twilight started listlessly at the remains of her Star Nexus laid out before her. After her fight against Starlight Glimmer, a short intermission had been called to allow everyone to take a break and stretch their legs before the tournament continued. For Twilight, it gave her a chance to retreat to the club room in order to survey the damage to her Gunpla, and so far it wasn’t looking good. Despite having only been at Damage Level B, the damage to the Star Nexus Gundam was still extensive, covered nearly head to toe in dark scorch marks that made it look like it had been freshly pulled from a fire. If that wasn’t enough, the left arm had been severed completely at the shoulder, and both knees had been totaled to the point the Gunpla could no longer support its own weight without flopping over. Around her were her friends, each of them with growing looks of concern on their face. They all wanted to say something, anything to possibly comfort Twilight after the brutal destruction of her beloved Star Nexus, but none of them had yet to work up the courage to do so. Several minutes passed before Applejack finally broke the oppressive silence hanging overhead. “So… y’all can fix it, can’t ya, Twi?” Sighing, Twilight picked up the Star Nexus’s left arm and turned it over in her hand. “I could try, but it won’t be easy. Even if I had all my tools, it could still take days worth of work to reverse this much damage. Had we been fighting at Damage Level A like Cinch originally wanted, I doubt there would be anything left to fix.” With another defeated sigh, Twilight set the piece back down as she placed her hands in her lap. “That Starlight Glimmer… her fighting ability is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I should have known that I didn’t stand a chance of winning from the start…” “It doesn’t matter how much talent she might have,” Rarity said with a frown, her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the wall, “That’s still no excuse for treating her opponent so harshly. Why I’m sorely tempted to go and give that girl a piece of my min—” Light knocking against the club room door drew everyone’s attention. Crossing the room, Applejack peeked outside to see who it was, only to scowl when she did. “What do ya want, Lemon Zest?” Applejack muttered, prompting Lemon Zest to flinch back slightly from the ire in her voice. “I… I came to see if Twilight was alright…” Lemon Zest stuttered, shrinking under the death glare Applejack was giving her. “She seemed pretty upset after what happened…” “She’s fine, no thanks to you and yer Shadowbolt buddies. Knew it was too good to be true to think you Crystal Preppers had turned over a new leaf—” “Applejack! That’s enough!” Fluttershy harshly reprimanded as she shoved Applejack aside and offered Lemon Zest a friendly smile. “Sorry about that. Why don’t you come in and say hello?” Though strangely apprehensive, Lemon Zest did her best to ignore Applejack’s gaze as she stepped into the Club Room. The moment she noticed Twilight looking her way, the bombastic girl seemed to freeze like a deer in headlights, slowly rubbing the back of her neck. “Uh… hey, Twilight. Long time no see, huh?” “It… it has been,” Twilight replied, gripping her skirt tightly from a mix of uncertainty and growing apprehension. “I mean… we never really hung out or anything when I was at Crystal Prep, but it is… nice to see you too?” “Yeah… same…” Lemon Zest said before the pair fell silent, the previous awkward tension returning in full force as neither girl knew what to say next. After a moment, Lemon Zest squeezed her eyes shut with a grunt before reaching up and slapping her cheeks, followed by a quick shake of her head to compose herself. “Look! I’m really sorry about what happened to your Gunpla! What Starlight did was crossing the line, and I know how you must feel after seeing your Gunpla destroyed like that. After all…” Reaching into her pocket, Lemon Zest withdrew a small plastic bag filled with seemingly random pieces of plastic and held it up for Twilight to see. “You’re not Starlight’s first victim.” Twilight’s eyes widened at the bag in Lemon Zest’s hand. “Is… is that…?” “Yep, this is all that’s left of my Gunpla, Susanowo. Be glad that you were only fighting at Damage Level B, I, unfortunately, wasn’t so lucky, since Starlight made extra sure there wasn’t enough left for me to put it back together.” “Well, perhaps you should do a better job of controlling your teammate then,” Rarity rudely remarked. “She’s not my teammate!” Lemon Zest said with a scowl. “In fact, she’s not even a Crystal Prep student!” Silence filled the room as everyone took a moment to process Lemon Zest’s words. “What do you mean she’s not a Crystal Prep student?” Sunset finally asked. Lemon Zest scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Cinch called her in from somewhere as ‘insurance for our victory’.” Making sure to add in the air quotes with her fingers, Lemon Zest continued by saying, “Despite her skill, Starlight doesn’t seem to care a flying feather about Gunpla. All she seems to care about is proving she’s better than everyone and utterly destroying their Gunpla in the process.” “That snake!” Applejack growled, driving her fist into the palm of her other hand. “Knew that seedy Cinch couldn’t be trusted not to pull somethin’! We should go to Principal Celestia right away and—” “And what?” Lemon Zest interjected, shaking her head. “Get her disqualified? Sorry to be the party pooper here, but it won’t work. Not only will both of them deny it, but, knowing Cinch like I do, she’s already seen fit to fill out all the proper paperwork counting Starlight Glimmer among the students. On paper anyway, she’s ‘technically’ still a Crystal Prep student, no matter how much the rest of us don’t like her. And trust me when I say we reeeally don’t like her.” “Then what are we supposed to do?” Applejack asked. Like it was the most obvious answer in the world, Lemon Zest simply said, “You fight and you win. Prove that you’re better than her and her way of thinking by winning the right to fight her. Course, that’s easier said than done given the rest of us aren’t just gonna roll over so you can settle a grudge...” Static from the PA system filled the air as Principal Celestia’s voice echoed through the halls. “Attention students. We will be resuming the next round of the tournament in five minutes. Again, the tournament will resume in five minutes, so would all participants please report to the gymnasium...” “Well, that’s my cue to leave.” Lemon Zest made it several steps towards the door before she suddenly stopped. “Oh, by the way, I got a glance at the roster while we were waiting, so, as I favor to Twilight, I’ll let you all in on two things.” Turning back around, she pointed a finger at Applejack. “One, you’ll be facing off against Sugarcoat in the next bout. Sugarcoat’s been really looking forward to showing off her new Gunpla too, so you better not disappoint.” Applejack grinned. “Don’t worry none, if y’all really intend to give it yer all, then I don’t plan on makin’ it easy for her either.” “Good. And two…” Turning her attention towards Sunset, Lemon Zest’s eyes hardened as a frown crossed her face. “Watch yourself, Sunset.” Though taken aback by the sudden change in Lemon Zest’s demeanor, Sunset didn’t let it show on her face, meeting Lemon Zest’s hardened stare with her own as she calmly replied, “Is that supposed to be a threat?” “A warning, actually. Starlight wasn’t the only help Cinch called in, and she’ll be your opponent pretty soon. From what I can gather, she’s got a bit of a bone to pick with you to boot, so I’d watch your back if you don’t want your Gunpla to end up like mine or Twilight’s.” With that, Lemon Zest walked out of the Club Room and closed the door behind her, leaving the others to remark on her words. “Now who do you think she was talking about?” Rainbow Dash asked as she glanced at Sunset. “Anyone we know?” “Maybe, hard to say…” Sighing, Sunset leaned against the wall as she ran a hand through her hair. “I’m not proud of all the people I hurt in the past, and there are more than a few who I never got the chance to apologize to. They could be anyone for all I know.” “Well, frettin’ ‘bout it ain’t gonna help us none,” Applejack said, flashing Sunset a warm smile that helped put the former bully at ease. “Best we can do is get back out there and show those Crystal Preppers we’re not the kind of folks to back down from a challenge! Now, who’s with me?” Six arms shot into the air beside Applejack’s, followed by cheering that filled the small club room. *** Meanwhile, Starlight Glimmer sat alone in a small room granted to Crystal Prep for the duration of the tournament, wiping away what little damage her Gunpla had received from her bout with Twilight Sparkle. “For someone who used to be one of the top students at Crystal Prep, I was expecting much more of a challenge, but I guess that’s what I get for being hopeful…” With a sigh, she picked up her Equalize Gundam and turned it over in her hand, a downtrodden look in her eyes. “Isn’t there anyone who can finally offer me a worthy fight, or am I doomed to be surrounded by children who treat this like a simple game?” Starlight’s musings were interrupted by the door to the room opening to allow a figure to step inside. Starlight didn’t turn around to greet them, a scowl working its way across her face. “What do you want, Cinch?” “That’s Principal Cinch. Don’t forget it.” Cinch harshly reprimanded, her arms crossed over her chest as she walked around the table Starlight was seated at. “I simply wished to congratulate you on your victory, as well as for putting that traitorous Twilight Sparkle in her place.” Cinch clenched her fist, grinning devilishly at the memory of Twilight reduced to tears after having her Gunpla torn apart. “The nerve of her, absconding to Canterlot High with all our secrets and thinking she wouldn’t face retribution for it…” “I couldn’t care less about your history with that girl,” Starlight replied, having not once glanced up from her Gunpla to even look at Cinch. “You hired me to win, and that’s what I did, plain and simple.” “That you did, and I expect you to continue to win. You remember our little deal, correct? You stomp Canterlot High’s little club into the ground, and, in return, I’ll use my extensive connections to guarantee you entry into any college you want.” “I haven't forgotten…” Starlight replied, finally looking up at Cinch with venomous intent in her eyes. “The bigger question is whether you’d forgotten our little agreement. I will win and you will carry through with your side of the bargain.” “Don’t worry, I’m a woman of my word. Now…” Cinch scoffed as she glanced out the window. “If only that friend of yours would show up already...” “She’s not my friend,” Starlight was quick to reply. “I barely even know her. All I know is her goals aligned with mine, so I let her tag along and supplied her with a suitable Gunpla for this tournament. If she’s late and gets disqualified, it’s her own fault. Now, if there’s nothing else, then get lost already so I can prepare for the next round.” Cinch scowled at Starlight’s attitude but did as she asked and slinked out of the room. As Cinch closed the door behind her, she clenched her fists and stormed off, muttering, “Such a crude degenerate. To think this is the level I must stoop down to in order to return Crystal Prep to its rightful glory…” *** “Time for the next match!” Fluttershy announced, spurring the crowd of students into an uproar of cheers as they eagerly awaited the next bout. “For this match, would Applejack from Canterlot High and Sugarcoat from Crystal Prep please step forward?” As the two fighters stepped up to opposite sides of the projector, Applejack smirked at her opponent. “Hope yer up and ready for a brawl, cause I intend to win this fight.” Sugarcoat adjusted her glasses slightly, visible undeterred by Applejack’s boast. “Victory seems highly unlikely for you. I have much more experience in both building and fighting Gunpla after all.” “Won’t know until I try!” Applejack countered as the pair docked their GP Bases. [Beginning Plavsky Particle Dispersal…] In a familiar shower of blue particles, the image of a metropolitan city appeared, filled with taller and taller skyscrapers that seemed to be in competition with one another to reach the sky. [Field 05: City. Please Set Your Gunpla.] Applejack had added a few upgrades to her Gundam Astaroth for the tournament, such as a large shield to its right shoulder and a much larger buster knuckle to the left arm. As she set it onto her GP Base, she looked over at her opponent’s machine, raising an eyebrow at what she saw. “Is… is that a…” Sugarcoat’s Gunpla looked like an oversized turtle, covered in large and bulbous blue armor across its body. The torso had even been painted shades of brown and yellow to even more resemble a turtle shell, a pair of cannons perched atop its shoulders, and a massive hammer clutched in its hand. Applejack couldn’t get over how silly it looked, and yet she also couldn’t shake the strangest feeling that she had seen it somewhere before… Applejack wasn’t the only one surprised by the large Gunpla, as Rainbow Dash shot out of her seat with slowly widening eyes. “No way! It can’t be!” [Battle Start!] “Applejack, Gundam Astaroth RG…” “Sugarcoat, Blastoise Gundam…” “Launching!” “Huh…” Indigo Zap muttered from the sidelines. “I wouldn’t have taken Sugarcoat for a Pokemon fan…” “Of course!” Lemon Zest said, startling the indigo haired girl as she popped up from behind her. “Who do you think I play against all the time at lunch?” “Lemon Zest! I told you to stop sneaking up on me like that!” “Sorry!” Back on the battlefield, both combatants set down on opposite ends of a main street. Like something straight out a western film, neither Gunpla made a move to strike, staring down their opponent from across the way. In their respective cockpits, Applejack licked her lips, her fingers tapping against the controllers in anticipation while Sugarcoat stared straight ahead, an icy look in her eyes. In the span of a single breath, both Gunpla made their move. The twin cannons on the Blastoise Gundam’s shoulders lit up as twin beams of blue plasma streaked through the sky. Raising its left fist, the beams refracted off the Gundam Astaroth RG’s buster knuckle as it pushed forward, stray beams striking the streets below and setting the suburb alight. Crushing a car beneath its foot, the mismatched Gunpla reached up with its right hand and grabbed the hilt of the sword on its back, unsheathing the large blade that unfolded until it was larger than the Gunpla wielding it. Gripping the weapon with both hands, the Gundam Astaroth RG lunged forward, a battle cry coming from Applejack’s lips as her blade sliced through a row of buildings like they were made of cardboard. Raising its massive hammer, the Blastoise Gundam took the blow head-on, slamming its hammer down onto the oversized blade and stopping it in place. Sparks flew as the two machines tried to overpower the other, the Blastoise Gundam’s feet digging into the pavement as it was gradually pushed back. “You’re strong, I’ll say that much,” Sugarcoat admitted, bracing herself as best she could to keep from being overwhelmed. “But brute strength alone won’t be enough to win!” Pushing back, the cannon over her Gunpla’s right shoulder tilted slightly as it aimed for the Astaroth’s head, firing off a quick shot. The Astaroth avoided the shot by tilting its head slightly at the right moment, the beam streaking past its shoulder to collide with the eighteenth floor of an office building behind them, blowing out the whole floor and causing the building to sway against its foundation. “Pretty cheap shot, if’n ya asked me. I was told y’all had more than that!” Gripping her weapon tightly, Applejack jerked her sword upward, sending the Blastoise Gundam’s hammer sailing through the air to crash down in another part of the city. Reeling back her left arm, she then clocked the Blastoise Gundam right in the chest, sending the rotund Gunpla stumbling back several feet to crash through a parking garage. A noticeable dent was left behind in the Gunpla’s chest armor as it picked itself up. Sugarcoat had but a moment to react before the Astaroth came lunging at her, sword raised to bisect her Gunpla like a piece of lumber. Moving with speed unbefitting its large nature, the Blastoise Gundam crossed its arms over its head and intercepted the deadly weapon, the Gunpla’s heavy armor doing much to diminish the force of the strike. Activating thrusters in its back and leg, the Blastoise Gundam lunged forward and bodychecked the opposing Gunpla, sending it crashing backwards onto the streets below. With its opponent disoriented, the Blastoise Gundam leveled its cannons at the prone Gunpla, the barrels glowing with blue light as it launched a volley of crackling plasma. “Shoot!” Revving her thrusters for all they were worth, Applejack sent her Gunpla skidding backwards down the street on its back, tearing up the pavement at it narrowly avoided being taken out by the Blastoise Gundam’s cannons. Managing to right itself during this backwards retreat, the Astaroth slammed a hand into the ground to halt its momentum, digging large craters in the already destroyed streets as buildings burned around them. Sweat dripped down Applejack’s forehead as she panted for breath. “That was too close… Reckon I better pick up the pace if’n I want to win!” Switching her sword into her left hand, Applejack drew the rifle attached to the Gunpla’s side, aiming it at the Blastoise Gundam as she fired off a quick volley of metal slugs at the oversized machine. Despite its armor, the Blastoise Gundam was steadily being pushed back by the heavy onslaught of gunfire. Revving its leg thrusters, the Gunpla swerved around the ruined remains of what few buildings remained standing, using them as quick cover as its cannons sent another blast of beam fire hurtling towards the Astaroth. Leaping behind a still standing skyscraper, the Astaroth hunkered down as it waited for an opening to arise. The second the Blastoise Gundam came out of cover, the Astaroth fired off a shot, scoring a hit directly at the Gunpla’s head and managing to take out one of its eyes. Sugarcoat grunted as her video feed on her left side was filled with static. “That does it, no more playing around!” With a flick of her wrist, a surge of power coursed through her Gunpla, the cannons on its back glowing with a blinding radiance as a huge amount of energy was channeled into it that dwarf any of its previous shots. “HYPER BEAM!” A massive beam of pure plasma streaked out of the Blastoise Gundam’s cannons, vaporizing any and everything in its path. Faced with the sheer size of the attack, Applejack knew dodging it would be out of the question, so that left her but one option: Take it head-on. Holding her sword out in front of her like a shield, Applejack braced herself as the pillar of plasma slammed into the Astaroth, forcing it back several feet before the suit was eclipsed completely by the attack. As the attack hit home, a massive explosion rocked the city, sending out a shockwave that shattered windows for miles, picked up and tossed around cars and trucks like they weighed next to nothing and blew up a cloud of acrid black smoke that likely could have been seen from space. As the smoke cloud filled the air, crackles of energy shot up the Blastoise Gundam’s left cannon before it exploding, driving the Gunpla to its knees from the force of the explosion. Warning beacons blared all around Sugarcoat as the system showed one crippled system after another, all of which were being swiftly ignored by Sugarcoat as she kept her focus on the billowing wall of smoke. Until she heard the system declare a winner, Sugarcoat couldn’t let herself relax. “Nothing could have survived that, I’m sure of it…” And yet, as the smoke began to dissipate, Sugarcoat’s eyes widened in disbelief as a lurching figure slowly became visible through the smoke. “It… it can’t be!” Stepping out from the smoke was none other than the Gundam Astaroth RG, though not unscathed. The blade of its sword had been melted into molten slag from the sheer heat of the blast, the few feet of blade still left dragging behind it as the Gunpla continued clutching it tightly in its left arm, its entire right arm completely blown off at the shoulder and with only small chunks of armor managing to remain clinging to the Gunpla’s frame, making it resemble a shambling skeleton. And yet, the Gunpla still remained functioning, stalking towards the Blastoise Gundam as its sword slipped from its grip finally and clattered uselessly to the ground. Even still, the Astaroth refused to give up, going from a shambling walk into a determined run as it barreled towards the Sugarcoat. “Move!” Sugarcoat pleaded, fighting with the controls to get her Gunpla to do something–Anything!–and only getting error messages in return, having short circuited several main systems with that last attack. Sugarcoat could do nothing but stand there as the Astaroth pulled its left fist back and lunged at her. As the Astaroth came down, its left leg finally gave out, snapping like a twig and sending the Astaroth collapsing into a heap before the Blastoise Gundam, but not before its final attack struck, slamming through the rotund Gunpla’s armor like it was paper and burying its fist knuckle deep in the Gunpla’s chest. Neither Gunpla made a move after that, even as rain clouds filled the skies overhead and unleashed a downpour of rain onto the ruined remains of the city. Yet the Blastoise Gundam remained functioning, its one remaining eye still alight. [Battle Ended! Winner, Blastoise Gundam!] Silence filled the room for a moment as the audience took in outcome of the battle. Then, loud clapping began to spread throughout the crowd in celebration of not just the winner, but both fighters. “Well shoot…” Applejack remarked as the holograms faded away, tilting her Stetson back slightly. “Looks like I lost. Guessin’ you were right about…” Applejack trailed off upon noticing Sugarcoat holding her damaged Blastoise Gundam in her hand while looking at it with a thoughtful look in her eyes. “Uh… hey, are ya alright? I’m sorry if I hurt your Gunpla, sometimes I just don’t know my own stre—” “No, it’s not that,” Sugarcoat interjected, suddenly not looking very pleased with her win as she hung her head. “I… I may have unfairly underestimated you. Had that last attack connected at full strength, the outcome might have been far different. I can’t help but feel you are far more deserving of victory than me for looking down on my opponent like I did. I—” Sugarcoat stopped rambling as she felt a hand touch her shoulder, glancing up to find Applejack smiling down at her. “Hey now, you won, simple as that. No need to overthink could’a beens and what not, just focus on the now, I always say. Besides…” Stepping back, Applejack held her hand out to Sugarcoat. “This just means I gotta up my game for next time, eh?” Sugarcoat looked at Applejack’s outstretched hand with initial uncertainty, before reaching down and shaking it, a smile slowly working its way across Sugarcoat’s face. “Indeed. Next time will be a quite different fight.” “I’ll hold you to that!” Applejack replied with a grin before the pair broke out into a fit of chuckles. From the sidelines, Principal Celestia smiled at the scene before her. Despite the pretense behind this whole tournament, she was glad that budding friendships had been able to still form between the rivaling schools. Now if only the same could be said about their principal… Celestia grimly thought, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the woman in question, who seemed completely disinterested with the way the students were interacting, only that another victory for Crystal Prep had been claimed. Cinch… when will you learn that there are more important things than simply winning? What’s the point of being the best if you have no one to congratulate and cheer you on afterwards? *** Outside the school, a city bus pulled up to the curb to allow a single young woman to step off before driving off again. The woman glanced up at the school, a deep-seated scowl etched across her face. “To think I’d ever be coming back to this place…” Spitting onto the ground in disgust, she began a slow walk towards the school, her hands clenched into tight fists. “Mark my words, Sunset Shimmer, you will rue the day you made an enemy of me…” Next Time: The Fury of a Demon! Flash Sentry Vs. Fleur!