“Fluttershy pulls out a perfect counter to Sunset’s fire magic!” Vinyl shouted. “Trixie may have thrown me off in the first match, but I’m pretty certain Fluttershy could only use the traits of two animals! What a shock!”
“Indeed,” Tantabus commented. “She did not display this much mastery of her talent even during the WTF incident. As her teacher, this improvement is welcome…”
With the way Tantabus had left his sentence trailing, Vinyl leaned a little closer, trying to scrutinize his featureless head. “Something else you’d like to say?”
“A Talent is a Talent,” Tantabus answered. “Both fighters are about to demonstrate that.”
Sunset soared into the air. Even while she gasped for air, she realized Fluttershy’s attack was enough to knock her out of the ring. With a grunt, she shot a thread of magic out of her horn and latched it onto the ground. With a tug, she rocketed back down, but Fluttershy was flying up to meet her with leathery wings pushing her forward. Sunset gave a snort and yanked the string a second before Fluttershy collided with her. Zipping around Fluttershy, she used her leg to blast back at Fluttershy and slammed an elbow into her back. “Don’t think being a pegasus gives you sole control of the air!”
Sunset leaned into her attack and thrusted her crimson leg at the nape of Fluttershy’s neck. With a flap, Fluttershy swerved to the left, dodging the blow. Sunset canceled out the spell keeping her tethered to the ring and unleashed a torrent of flames at Fluttershy. The fire no longer burned her, but the force of the spell knocked her to the ground. Landing on her hooves, she glared up and blocked a downward strike from Sunset.
“My word,” said Rarity. “This fight is throwing all sorts of surprises at us. How is Sunset double-casting so easily now?”
Applejack was too absorbed in the match to raise an eyebrow at Rarity. “You fought with her, you tell us.”
“To be honest…” Rarity blushed. “Spells aren’t really my forte, so what Sunset’s doing is a bit beyond me.”
“This was all theory until Sunset proved it, but what she’s doing is essentially turning other parts of her body into a conduit for unicorn magic,” Twilight explained. “So, she can keep a spell going in a limb while her horn is free to cast other spells without the additional stress.”
“Why wouldn’t all unicorns be using this then?” asked Spike.
“Because horns are built for casting spells. They’re a dense and complex cluster of alicorn, nerves, and blood vessels.” Twilight watched Sunset swing around and turn her right hind leg crimson a second before it caught Fluttershy in the gut. The blow knocked the wind out of her and sent her flying across the ring. She used her wings to prevent a ring out but was forced onto the ground to catch her breath. Sunset pounced and struck with her hind leg again.
Twilight cast an enhancement spell on her vision and focused on Sunset’s forelegs. Both had black splotches on them. From afar, the audience could not see it, but Twilight noticed that Sunset’s muscles twitched. “Redirecting spells to flow through a limb that isn’t built with the proper biology must require incredible amounts of skill and precision. Her armor probably makes the process easier and decreases the backlash. Without it…”
Sunset stared Fluttershy down. Her last attack had launched Fluttershy across the ring again, but her scales severely cut into the strength of Sunset’s blows. Sunset snorted but kept her eyes on Fluttershy. She noticed her left pupil was dilated while the right was surrounded by engorged blood vessels. Her wings pressed tight against her sides and a feather sprouted out here and there on them before shifting back into a thin membrane. Her breathing was still labored even though Sunset had struck her shoulder in an attempt to hit her head. Sweat poured down her face. Taking all this into account, Sunset grinned.
“So, that’s why you didn’t use this from the start.” Sunset surged toward Fluttershy. “Or rather, you couldn’t!”
Dash hung on the railing.
~~~
Two Years Ago…
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy exclaimed when Dash opened the front door.
Dash rubbed her eyes. “Fluttershy? Something up? You know I like sleeping in on Saturdays.”
“I know.” Fluttershy bowed her head for a second and then raised it up again with a wide smile. “But I’m just so excited. You won’t believe what happened!”
“Well, out with it,” Dash yawned.
“Okay, watch this.” Fluttershy took a breath. Her ears elongated, her tail curled into a ball, and her hind legs thickened. “I know you’ve seen this before, but yesterday I saved the cutest little snake that had gotten tangled up in some thorns. Then, this morning, something felt different and well…”
Taking another breath, Fluttershy returned to her regular form. Dash’s eyes widened when her neck lengthened, fangs poked out of her mouth, and her tail’s dock extended and gained scales. With a grin, she flicked out a long tongue at Dash. “I can usssse the traithhhhsss of two animathhh now! Hee-hee thorrry, ithhh sthiilll a lithle hard to talk like thithhh.”
“Awesome!” Dash exclaimed. She raced out and gave Fluttershy a hug. Fluttershy felt Dash’s scar pressing up against her, but hugged Dash back. “We’re set to get into CSGP now!”
“Great.” Fluttershy disengaged from Dash and stepped back. When the snake traits receded, she wobbled a little. “Ooops, little tired from practicing before I came he—”
Fluttershy crashed to the ground. Dash caught her before she hit the clouds and screamed, “Fluttershy! Fluttershy!”
She rocketed into the air with Fluttershy in her grasp and flew as fast as she could to the hospital.
~~~
Swirly bit his lip. “She didn’t mention gaining a third load.”
“Look at her go, though!” Bow cheered. “You’re kid’s really something!”
Blossom pressed her wings tight against her sides. “Fluttershy…”
Sunset dodged a full hoof to the face but Fluttershy’s claws slashed her cheek. She dove towards Fluttershy and uppercut her in the chest with a crimson leg. She flinched during the follow-through, so Fluttershy was not knocked back far. Sunset slammed down her leg to keep it from spasming and turned her left hind leg crimson. When the aura peeled back from her foreleg, smoke curled off it and multiple spots on it were black. Her hoof was cracked.
“Pretty good, Fluttershy,” Sunset huffed. “Not so much of a yellowbelly after all, but I will win.”
Fluttershy was also short on breath. More sweat spilled down her face and lathered her coat. Muscles contracted in her legs and veins poked out on her neck. With a snarl, she rushed at Sunset. The aura vanished around Sunset’s leg and flared up around her horn.
Fluttershy swiped at Sunset, but she ducked and elbowed Fluttershy in the side. Fluttershy spun to strike her, but Sunset jumped back. The glow around horn brightened. “You’re getting slower.”
Fluttershy lashed out. Her hot breath fell on Sunset, but her blows could not find their mark. Sunset slid away and put some distance between her and Fluttershy. Her horn was near blinding now. “You’ve shown guts though, so I’ll show you something special, too.”
Everyone felt the temperature rise a few degrees. Twilight and Spike stiffened. Up in her box, Celestia leaned forward. She immediately contacted Luna. Sister, what did you do?
What was necessary for the next generation of heroes. Across the colosseum, Tantabus kept his eyes on Sunset’s horn. Sunset knows how dangerous that magic is. I showed her in great detail all the ways it could go wrong. She will not use it lightly.
Fluttershy drilled through the air. She hooked right, but Sunset moved back. She hooked left, but Sunset bobbed out of the way. Fluttershy kept going. The ring’s edge was just a few feet behind Sunset now.
With a battle cry, Fluttershy jabbed at Sunset’s chest but at the last second changed her trajectory to target her horn. Sunset blocked with her blackened leg. Fluttershy dug her claws in and pushed Sunset within inches of the ring’s edge. With a grunt, she lifted her other foreleg to strike at Sunset, but Sunset swung her head down and aimed her horn at Fluttershy’s stomach. A tiny blinding orb burst out of her horn.
“Flare!” Sunset yelled.
The orb exploded against Fluttershy. Scales ripped off and fur caught aflame. The wind flew out of Fluttershy as the spell lifted her off the ground. Those in the front rows felt like they had stepped into the oven. Most turned their heads away due to the light spilling out of the spell. Twinkle grinned, Shadowbolt smirked, and Celestia bit her lip.
It only lasted a few seconds, but when the orb dissipated, Fluttershy crumpled to the ground. Smoke rose off her and scales flaked off her body. Holes were seared through her wings. Sunset admired the results of her spell for a moment and then went to her knees. Over half her horn was black and her vision swam. “Could… have used a little more real-world practice.”
She looked over at Fluttershy and managed to grin. “Heh, been wanting something that could take out a dragon. So, thanks for the test ru—”
Sunset froze. The crowd all felt a chill. Vinyl shivered. “Geez, the temperature is going all over the place in this fight.”
“That’s not the temperature.” Tantabus watched Fluttershy struggle to her hooves on quivering legs. “That’s Fluttershy’s trump card.”
Despite her injuries, Fluttershy glared straight at Sunset. Sunset seized up and tried to look away, but Fluttershy’s stare penetrated her and locked her in place. Fluttershy lumbered closer.
“Dash,” she rasped. “Have to… help Rainbow… Dash.”
“D-damn!” Sunset cursed.
“Her stare is apparently an offshoot of her ability to tame and bond with animals,” Tantabus explained. “It paralyzes those caught in her gaze and its effects on magic are devastating. With the state she’s in, she may not be able to maintain it for long.”
“Get her!” Pinkie cheered.
“Knock her out!” Applejack yelled.
“Go!” Twilight and Spike screamed at the same time.
Fluttershy could see the participants’ section right behind Sunset. Dash stood pressed against the railing, her lips twitching and her body rigid. Fluttershy limped ahead and got within striking distance of Sunset. She raised up a hoof.
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy hacked, sending a bit of blood onto the ring. “I’m go—”
She fell. With a thud, the colosseum went silent. Sunset blinked, clenched her jaw, and flung Fluttershy’s limp body out of the ring with a spell.
“Winner, Sunset Shimmer,” said Tantabus.
“What a close one!” said Vinyl while staff rushed out to get Fluttershy on a stretcher. Staff also galloped over to Sunset, but she brushed them off and limped away to the infirmary. “It’s only the first round, but we’ve seen some incredible moves so far!”
“I’m pleased the participants have recognized the importance of these fights.”
“Still, intensity isn’t everything. Too much and you might even turn off some potential opportunities.”
“Be that as it may, I think those interested in the participants will appreciate their seriousness more than ‘intensity.’”
Down in the seats, Fluttershy’s friends got up. All of them rushed to the corridors, but Twilight looked back at Dash. Dash remained in place, but Twilight saw that the railing under her hooves was dented. Twilight opened her mouth, but then shut it and galloped off to join the others.
Dash stared out at the ring. “You idiot.”
Twilight caught up with the rest of her friends and they arrived at the infirmary. A sign above the door glowed Do Not Disturb. Just as Twilight looked up at it, Fluttershy’s parents arrived and bowed their heads to them.
“Oh, you must be Fluttershy’s friends,” Blossom huffed.
“Thank you for coming over,” Swirly coughed. Both he and Blossom paused to catch their breaths.
Blossom then turned to Swirly. “What should we say when we get in?”
“I… I’m sure they’re used to seeing Talent overuse.”
For the next few minutes, everyone remained silent and waited. While the sign remained lit, Vinyl’s voice echoed down the hall, “Alright! We’ve cleaned up the worst of the debris, so it’s just about time for the next match!”
“I…” Rarity glanced at the door and bit her lip. “I should get going.”
“Good luck,” said Applejack.
“We’ll be up there in a jiffy to cheer you on!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“Please tell Fluttershy she was wonderful for me.” Rarity rushed off while the others continued to wait.
When the door opened, everyone held their breath and kept it in when Sunset stepped out. Her legs and horn were bandaged, but she still wore a defiant glare, especially when she focused on Twilight. Her expression softened a bit when her attention shifted to Fluttershy’s parents. “You her folks?”
“Y-yes,” Blossom gulped.
“She put up a good fight.” Sunset turned and marched past Fluttershy’s friends without another word.
The sign remained on for a little while longer. When it finally faded, everyone rushed in. Fluttershy lay on a bed with Nurse Redheart standing by her. Bandages covered her abdomen, tail, and legs. An ice bag rested on her head. Scales still dotted her body, and her wings were still leathery. Her eyes were shut, and tiny breaths escaped her mouth. With each breath some scales receded while others flared up across her body.
Blossom rushed to her side and whimpered, “My little girl.”
Swirly drew close to Redheart and dared to ask, “How… how is she?”
“I took care of the worst of the burns and the blunt damage,” Redheart answered. She glanced at Fluttershy’s wings and scales. “She has a fever though and some of her Talent is acting on its own and causing minor convulsions. Has this happened before?”
“When she first obtained a second load.” Swirly reached out and placed a hoof on top of Fluttershy’s. It was warm to his touch. “She ran a fever for a few days and couldn’t get out of bed because her body was constantly shifting, but she wasn’t injured like this last time.”
“I see.” Redheart put a hoof on Swirly’s shoulder. “I’ll keep watch over her, but you are free to stay here.” Turning her attention to Fluttershy’s friends, she said, “You’re welcome to stay as well, though I imagine it would be more prudent to watch the matches.”
“Well, as long as Fluttershy will be okay,” said Spike.
“She’ll pull through.” Pinkie grinned. “You saw what a tough cookie she is!”
“Hope this isn’t too rough on her.” Applejack took off her hat and bowed her head toward Fluttershy’s parents. “You got a mighty fine daughter.”
“Thank you,” Blossom sniffled.
Twilight inhaled and stepped closer to the bed. “Fluttershy, you gave it your all out there. Don’t worry, I will too.”
With that, the group left Fluttershy to be with her parents and Redheart. Applejack led the group back to the seats with Twilight in the rear. When they passed an intersection, a leg reached out and jerked Twilight aside. She found herself facing the full brunt of Sunset’s glare.
“Did you give her any ideas?” she growled.
Twilight did not look away and tightened her jaw. “No. Fluttershy refused. That was all her.”
“That right?” Sunset shoved Twilight away. “Good, ‘cause I’d have made both of you regret it. Get by on your own damn skills.”
Sunset turned to walk away, but Twilight spoke up. “You know, the reason Fluttershy was able to fight so hard was because she was fighting for somepony else’s sake.”
“Tch, whatever,” Sunset snorted.
“Sunset, wait!” When Sunset glared at her, Twilight gulped but held her ground. “That spell, where did you learn it?”
“Oh?” A sharp grin spread across Sunset’s face. “Wouldn’t you like to know? Sorry, but that information is for winners only.”
With a snicker, Sunset trotted away. When she was a good distance from Twilight, she heard Luna’s voice. Well done, Sunset Shimmer. I am quite proud of your handling of flare magic, though I would be careful with the boasting.
Sorry, you know how Twilight can get to me. Bet she’s trying to figure out my spell and countermeasures right now. Sunset’s grin vanished, and she furrowed her brow.
You do not appear as pleased as I imagined.
Sunset grimaced. I hit Fluttershy with my strongest spell and she still got up.
Regardless, you won.
I was inches from losing though. Sunset stomped. I have to be a hero that doesn’t lose. Like you and Princess Celestia.
Remember what Tantabus taught you, Luna cautioned. Loss is inevitable. Close calls are a part of life, especially for heroes. What matters today is for you to do your best and show Equestria what lies ahead for the next generation of heroes.
Sunset took a breath and closed her eyes. When she exhaled, she flared them open. “Right.”