Maud stepped out of the infirmary and blinked at Pinkie’s friends. “Pinkie will be fine. She just needs a little rest… Fluttershy looks a little better too.”
Everyone let out a collective sigh.
“That’s good,” said Spike. “I gotta get ready now.”
When he ran off, Rarity called out, “Good luck!”
“You’ll do great!” said Twilight.
“I can’t wait to see my racing partner kick flank!” Pinkie cheered just as Spike went around a corner.
Everyone jumped back from Pinkie since she had somehow appeared in the middle of them. Her grin faded away when she hunched over and coughed into one of her bandaged legs. There were more wrappings around her chest and an ice bag attached to her mane pressed against her swollen left cheek and eye. There were bags under her uncovered eye. While she recovered from her coughing fit, Applejack patted her back.
“Easy, girl,” she said. “No need to push yourself.”
“I know,” Pinkie hacked. Taking a breath, she stood up straight and summoned a smile smaller than her usual grin. “Thanks a lot for everything out there, everypony. I’ll try to work harder in the future. Now, let’s go watch Spike get that win!”
Everypony nodded in agreement. As they made their way back to their seats they passed by a hallway that dead ended with some pipes. If they had looked in that direction, they may have noticed some blue feathers and fur sticking out from behind the pipes. Dash pressed into the shadows and remained silent.
~~~
Thunderlane grinned across the ring at Spike. “Sorry about this, but I’m under a bit of pressure to win here. Can’t have 1-A hogging the spotlight.”
“And I’m the only dragon here, so I’ve got a bit to live up to also,” said Spike.
“Well, guess you’ll just have to settle this with your hooves and claws.” Rockhoof brought his shovel down. “Begin!”
Spike fired a jet of flames straight at Thunderlane, but Thunderlane launched into the air. Spike cut off his flames, inhaled, and then fired blasts at Thunderlane. The fireballs zoomed inches from Thunderlane, yet quick flaps of his wings and a combination of dives and climbs kept him from getting singed.
He flew up higher. Spike loosed another fireball, but it decreased in size until it was just embers that dissipated around Thunderlane. Thunderlane called out, “So guess this is how far you can fire! Shame I’m not as skilled with long range attacks like Lightning!”
“Don’t just go revealing your hoof like that, idiot!” Trixie cursed and shook a leg at Thunderlane.
Starlight pulled her back. “Let him be. If Thunderlane wants to draw this out, it’ll provide more information in case he loses, and I have to face the dragon.”
“Get back down here and fight!” Spike shouted.
“Okay.” Thunderlane shrugged. “You asked for it.”
Thunderlane plunged down with a leg extended in front of him. As he built up speed, sparks popped around his hoof, then his leg, and then his whole body. Spike took a deep inhale while Thunderlane raced toward him. Feet apart, Spike let out a blast but the electricity arcing around Thunderlane cut through the flames and he nailed Spike with a hook.
The blow transferred a jolt into Spike as he tumbled across the ring with bolts zapping off him. He writhed for a second while the electricity worked through his body, grunted, and managed to get back onto his feet. He snorted out smoke and glared at Thunderlane.
“My hits can be quite energizing,” Thunderlane chuckled. He then zoomed at Spike. Sparks popped and crackled around him again.
Spike rolled out of the way. Thunderlane swooped up, spun around, and charged back at Spike. Spike ducked and shot a fist into Thunderlane’s gut. A shock went through Spike and Thunderlane crashed. Both were on their knees and left catching their breath.
“Darn,” Thunderlane hacked. “Should’ve guessed you’d have higher resistance than a pony. That shock would’ve paralyzed them before they could land a strong enough hit.”
Instead of getting onto his feet, Spike got on all fours. “That’s not all that’s different about me.”
Spike shot out another fireball. Like at the start of the match, Thunderlane shot up, but this time, the fireball trailed after him. Down below, Spike kept his mouth shut and smoke streamed out of his nostrils. Thunderlane flew to his previous height, but the fireball did not lose size. Before Thunderlane could flap his wings, the ball nailed him in the chest.
In the crowds, a cloaked figure furrowed its brow. “What’s a hatchling doing with magic only a few of the Elders have?”
Thunderlane spiraled down with smoke trailing from his chest. He managed to spread his wings and halted his fall. He zoomed away, making sure to keep a good distance from Spike. A few pats at his chest beat out the singed fur and remaining embers. “Sheesh, we really need to get more books on dragons.”
“Not that that would help,” muttered the cloaked figure.
“I’m just getting started!” Spike yelled. After a deep inhale, he spewed out four licks of flame, each about the size of a grapefruit. Clenching his jaw, Spike sent the licks after Thunderlane. Will-o’-the-wisp!
“Oh.” Thunderbolt paled and bolted upwards. Two of the wisps tailed him while the other two broke to his left and right.
“We’ve got another pyromantic fight on our hooves!” said Vinyl. Thunderlane flew nearby, sending a gust of wind into the announcer’s box. This time, Vinyl managed to remain seated. One of the wisps trailing him arced under him but he swerved up before it could hit him. He divebombed to the right to avoid a blow from another wisp.
“Go, Spikey!” Pinkie cheered. Thunderlane zipped past the participants’ section and blew everypony’s mane back. He curved around the ring and tried to get at Spike, but two of the wisps zoomed over to Spike, cutting Thunderlane off. He snorted and fled towards the sky.
“I didn’t realize dragons could manipulate fire like that,” Rarity said while straightening out her mane. “It would be quite interesting to add that to a show.”
“I haven’t read about it either.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “Dragon fire has some similarities to spells, but nothing like this.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you train with Spike over the summer or something like that?”
“I did, that’s why this is surprising to me too.”
Up above, the wisps continued their pursuit. Thunderlane shuffled his attention between where he was flying, the wisps, and Spike. When he looked down at Spike, he noticed Spike had not moved and, like with the earlier homing attack, smoke curled out of his nostrils. A glance at the wisps showed they were getting smaller.
“Ah-ha!” he shouted. He plunged into a cloud and the wisps stopped. A second later, he burst through it shrouded in static. He raced at Spike. “Clever move but you have to see where I am, and you can only do it while you hold your breath! You’re mine!”
Spike grinned and opened his mouth just enough to let one last wisp out. It crashed into the tiles in front of him and consumed them in a blaze. In his race to get down to Spike, Thunderlane had failed to notice the wisps tailing him. They converged into a great flame at the same time Spike torched the tiles near him.
When the flames in the ring died down, a chunk of the tiles was missing. Thunderlane felt the air churn above him and spun, but the missing chunk of the ring still crashed down on his left wing. Feathers scattered in all directions, and his wing flopped to Thunderlane’s side, sending him into a nosedive. Focusing through the pain flaring up across his back, he managed to flap his right wing a few times, slowing his decent and guiding him to land in the ring. He fell hard on his right side, and one of his ankles twisted, but he managed to stay conscious.
“Ouch!” said Vinyl. “First time seeing the ring weaponized like that. Is that even legal?”
“If you had checked the rule book, you’d see that it is,” Tantabus sighed. “It’s rare, but it gives whoever utilizes the ring a good element of surprise.”
“And with a dragon participating for the first time in the Festival we’ve been getting a bunch of surprises from Spike!”
Spike heard Vinyl’s comments but kept his focus on Thunderlane. A bit of blood dripped from his injured wing and his twisted ankle throbbed. Spike huffed, “Yield.”
“And have Starlight chew me out? No thanks!” Thunderlane shot back.
“Fine! I’ll ring you out then!” Spike charged, but after just a few steps, bolts crackled around him. Electricity jolted through him, forcing him to cry out and sent him to his knees.
“Glad I had a back-up plan.” Thunderlane struggled onto his good legs. “I wasn’t just dodging your fire. I was charging up the air for my ace in the hole. I’m the only one that can move in this space without getting zapped. Welcome to the Thunderdome!”
Thunderlane
Talent- Static Shock: Using pegasus magic, he can manipulate the air around him to build up an electrical charge. Once he has built up a sufficient amount of power, he can use it to strengthen his attacks and act as a defensive cloak. He can also charge up the air for a short period of time for wider range moves.
Thunderlane limped toward Spike. Spike tried to raise a claw, but a jolt raced up his arm. Thunderlane got closer. Pinned, Spike grimaced and his pupils shrank.
“I think I’ll take your idea and ring you out!” Thunderlane shouted.
“Only if this idea doesn’t work!” Spike breathed in deep. His mouth got zapped from the large inhale, but he managed to get down enough air to unleash a massive torrent of flames. Thunderlane tried to turn and get away, but instead of directly attacking him, Spike sent the flames upward and then arced them down in a fiery fountain. A scorching dome sealed him and Spike in, and the temperature skyrocketed.
Thunderlane hacked and went to his knees. His lips dried, and he choked out, “Sh-shoot.”
Just as the top of the flaming dome that had enclosed Spike and Thunderlane faded away, Spike got up without any electricity zapping him. After a few gasps of air, he huffed, “It takes special conditions just for lightning to form… and that only lasts an instant. If you tweak the air, your ‘Thunderdome’ falls apart.”
“D-didn’t expect a dragon to know that much about… pegasi and weather,” Thunderlane hacked. He flopped onto his side and struggled to catch his breath. “Y-yield. S-sorry, Starlight.”
“Thunderlane yields!” Rockhoof declared.
“Winner, Spike!” said Tantabus.
Spike blinked while the crowd cheered. In a hushed tone, he asked himself, “How did I know that?”
“How did he know that?” Twilight wondered.
“Cause he’s one smart dragon!” Derpy exclaimed.
“Yepperoni!” Pinkie cheered.
“And what a marvelous finish!” said Rarity.
“Hmmm.” Twilight furrowed her brow. We never trained in manipulating weather like that. I mean, I would have done something like that, but I’ve spent years studying all the ways magic works.
Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by a chill going down her spine. Everypony else felt it and Derpy shivered. Trixie, Coco, and Wallflower sank into their seats. Suri, having just returned from the infirmary, ducked back into the corridors and fled in the opposite direction of the green room. Starlight got up. “Seems I’ll have show everypony else that Class 1-B is not going to lie down in Class 1-A’s shadow.”
“Huh. That hatchling is something else.” The cloaked figure grinned, showing off fangs for a second and then grimaced. “Ugh, now my report to Lady Ember is gonna be even longer, unless…”
The figure’s eyes narrowed on Spike.
~~~
After a quick recovery thanks to Redheart, Spike made his way back to the participants’ section. Rounding a corner, he was met with the cloaked figure standing in his path. He tensed up. The way the figure stood and its scent—that of gems and smoke—triggered his instincts. He readied his claws.
“Hey-hey,” the figure called out, her voice revealing her as female. “No need to get territorial. I’m here cause our lady requested it and you’ve got quite the skills for a hatchling. I don’t recall any Elders taking on a student. Then again, some of them are pretty reclusive. Oh, maybe your parents then?”
“Um…” Spike blinked and relaxed a little. “I didn’t get most of that. And how’d you get back here anyway? I thought only parents and officials could do that.”
“Heh, ponies know so little about us I managed to get in with a little quick thinking.” The cloaked figure raised up an arm and the sleeve fell down, revealing claws and orange scales covering her arm. She pulled back her hood to show off her snout, slitted eyes, horns, and purple spines. “Who knows, maybe we are related somehow. I’m Smolder of Clan Magma and servant to our Lady Ember.”
“You’re a dragon!” Spike gasped.
“No, duh.”
Spike took up a stance again. “Well, what do you want? My past experiences with dragons haven’t exactly been the best.”
Smolder put her hands on her hips. “What’s a hatchling got to complain about? You’ve got at least another century until your molt.” Smolder then smacked a fist into her palm. “Oh! You must be talking about the rogues that caused trouble. Don’t worry about them, Lady Ember used them as her personal training bag and they’re currently serving as the lord’s toothpicks.”
“Okay.” Spike squinted one eye at Smolder. “That’s kind good to hear. I guess? Still, what do you want with me?”
“You didn’t think the first dragon to get into CSGP wouldn’t attract our lord’s attention? He’s very busy though doing lordy things, so he’s given the responsibility of watching you to our lady and she’s given the responsibility of reporting on you in this Festival to me,” Smolder answered. “So, I’ll ask again: who taught you that pyromancy?”
“I learned it myself!” Spike beamed. “Took a bit of work, especially with the lack of books, and nearly blew myself up a few times, but I managed it!”
His smile faded when he noticed Smolder peering at him with razor thin pupils. He shuddered before she relented and allowed her pupils to widen. “Huh, well with that confidence, you’re not lying, but a dragon learning that level of magic on his own is unheard of. Every dragon either learns from his parents or, if they’re lucky, an Elder.”
“Well, I don’t know what these ‘Elders’ are, and I never got to meet my parents…” Spike scratched his head. “… I think.”
“Wait…” Smolder held up a claw. “Are you telling me you’re a feral?”
“A what?”
“A dragon that managed to hatch alone and somehow survive the birth years.” Smolder advanced over to Spike and strode around him while bending down to get a better look at him. “I’ve heard stories, but they’re so rare and prone to falling to greed that I’ve never seen one.”
A chill went up Spike’s spine at the mention of greed.
“No.” Smolder backed away and shook her head. “You can’t be a feral. Forget the pyromancy, how would you have a name? Know how to speak? A feral has none of that.”
“I…” Spike gulped. “I don’t know. Things from when I was younger are… hazy.”
Smolder bent close to Spike again. “How old are you anyway?”
“Uh, fourteen.”
“Fourteen?” Smolder yelped. “You should still be teething on quartz!”
Spike flinched back at Smolder’s cry. “I should be?”
“Gah,” Smolder groaned and put a claw to her forehead to massage her brow. “This is going to be such a pain. I was hoping talking to you directly would help, but this is getting to be a real pain in my scales.”
Smolder then snapped her claws and grabbed Spike by the shoulder. “That’s it!”
“Wh-what’s it?” Spike asked.
“Getting by in the first round probably isn’t enough, but if you do well out there, I can use that as proof for Lady Ember to take you on those one of those internship things!”
“Huh, hadn’t really been thinking about those.” Spike had had his eyes on doing well to stand beside Twilight and his friends, but a major draw of the Festival was getting scouted for a potential internship that took place soon after the Festival. “Wouldn’t it be a little biased for the only dragon hero to hire the only dragon student?”
“Not if he does well enough,” Smolder suggested. “Plus, Lady Ember would never take on a hatchling unless he could really prove himself in battle. So, go for it out there and I won’t have to write too much of a report!”
“Wait, what?”
Smolder let go of Spike and darted off while waving goodbye. “Good luck, I’ll be rooting for you!”
Spike stood in the hall. After a moment, he blinked. “What just happened?”
~~~
“Welcome back, Spikey!” Pinkie cheered and then had to pause to cough into her hoof.
“Told you to take it easy,” said Applejack.
“Great job out there, Spike.” Twilight got up to give him a hug. “How did you know changing the air would disrupt Thunderlane’s Talent?”
“About that…” Spike disengaged from Twilight and scratched his spines. “I’m not really sure… and I don’t think most dragons know about that either.”
Twilight tilted her head. “How come?”
“Well, I just met another dragon that works for Lady Ember…” Spike blushed. “… and I kinda sorta got an internship offer if I do well enough today.”
Rarity’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful, Spike! She’s a top ranked hero!”
“Plus, she could probably tell you a lot more about dragon stuff,” said Twilight.
“There was a lot Smolder mentioned that I didn’t know about,” Spike murmured.
“This definitely calls for round one victory muffins!” Derpy popped up and produced several bags floating in bubbles and gave them out to Rarity, Applejack, Maud, and Spike. She then turned and wagged one of the bags at Sunset. “I’ve got one for you, too!”
“I’ll save it for when I win!” Sunset shot back.
“Ha-ha!” Derpy turned and smiled at Twilight. “Guess you both have your eyes on the prize. Rainbow Dash too… I wonder where she is?”
“I’m sure she’s just getting ready for the next round,” Rarity suggested with a well-practiced grin. She then leaned toward Derpy. “Derpy, dear, what about you? Shouldn’t you have a victory muffin as well?”
“Aw, thanks for the support, Rarity!” Derpy’s grin widened. “I wanted to give these out before my match in case I get banged up a little. Gotta make sure you all have time to let your stomachs settle.”
“Whoa!” Spike pulled out his muffin and found it studded with sapphires. He looked up at Derpy. “How’d you know to make this?”
“Yours was the easiest!” Derpy chuckled. “I had to guess a little with everypony else’s!”
“Thanks, Derpy.” Spike bit a chunk out of the muffin and grinned. “Iffs reaffy good!”
“Darn, I was thinking of using sapphires in case Spike won for a victory cupcake,” Pinkie pouted for a second but then grinned. “I’ll have to think of something even tastier.”
“This is just my opinion, but perhaps rubies,” Rarity suggested.
Spike’s pupils grew a little. “Oh, that reminds me, Rarity, since you’re going up against Sunset, I might have something that helps out.”
“Really?” Rarity grinned.
“Yeah, I was saving it as a treat for myself, but I think you’ll need it more than I do.”
“Well, why don’t we discuss this more after the match?” Rarity turned toward Derpy. “You ought to be on your way but thank you again for the muffins.”
“Right!” Derpy gave the group a salute and flew off.
~~~
Derpy kept one of her eyes aimed straight at Starlight. Starlight wore a stern expression that held Derpy’s attention but did not chill her like earlier.
“Begin!” Rockhoof shouted.
Derpy flared out her wings. “Okay! I think I’ll star—”
A blast of aura from Starlight knocked Derpy’s head back and then her neck went limp. She lifted her head back up and stood stiff as a board. Both of her eyes focused on Starlight but were only half open. Starlight took a smooth exhale. “I need to put my class back in good standing, so what say we have a nice demonstration?”
Starlight’s horn flashed. Derpy spread out her wings and flew straight at Starlight. Pulling back a leg, she summoned a bubble onto her hoof and hooked at Starlight’s head. With a duck, Starlight dodged and sidestepped around Derpy.
Derpy twisted her head toward Starlight and pursued her. Lifting her wings, she summoned a volley of bubbles and launched them at Starlight. Starlight summoned a shield and swatted half the bubbles away before they burst in a shower of sparks. The other half she wrapped in aura. Contained, the bubbles went off without harming her. With her bubbles gone, Derpy rushed at Starlight and struck at her with a combination of punches and bucks.
“Looks like Derpy is giving it her all, but Starlight is ready to counter her every move!” Vinyl commented.
“We should really revise the rules,” said Tantabus.
“Huh?” Vinyl turned toward him. “This is actually pretty tame compared to some of the other matches we’ve had so far. What’s up?”
“In my opinion, Starlight has already won, but until Ms. Hooves is knocked out, ringed out, or yields, the match will continue. That said, I am most impressed with Ms. Glimmer’s spell proficiency.”
Vinyl put a hoof over her mike. “Could you, uh, fill me in?”
Tantabus sighed and covered his mike as well before giving an explanation to Vinyl.
Down in the participant’s section, Sunset snorted, “Tch, braggart.”
Taking Sunset’s reaction and the announcers’ commentary into account, Twilight lit up her horn. Aura flowed around her eyes for a second and then vanished. She lost a bit of color. “Oh no.”
“Can somepony tell me what’s going on?” ask Spike.
“Starlight has Derpy under her thrall,” Twilight explained with a quiver in her voice. “It normally takes advanced spells just to infiltrate somepony’s mind, let alone give them complex commands like this. Even then, there’s still the risk of somepony throwing off the spell the longer it lasts, but despite all of that, Derpy is showing no resistance at all.”
“So that’s why she was making me space out and eat my own words,” Applejack gasped. “What a dirty Talent!”
“Now, Applejack, no need to be rude,” said Rarity. “There’s no such thing as a ‘dirty’ Talent. What matters is the way you use it.”
“Well, the way Starlight is using it is downright dirty!” Applejack shot back. “If she can make Derpy do whatever she wants, why not just ring her out?”
“Because she wants this as an example to us and to internship scouters.” Twilight shuddered and glanced at Spike. A pit formed in his stomach. “She’ll probably do this to her other opponents too.”
Starlight Glimmer
Talent-Plaything of the Mind: Starlight knows how to get into her opponent’s head. She excels in a variety of spells designed to whittle away and control her opponent’s mind. She can do the same to her allies, putting them on a sort of auto-pilot or giving them more direct orders. It’s quite useful if her allies are injured or she just wants them to follow her plan. It gets harder to control more allies and opponents.
Starlight grinned while dodging another blow. Derpy drove a bubble into the ring. When it burst, the tiles under it cracked. “Let’s show them a little more utility.”
Pivoting, Starlight uppercut a hoof into Derpy’s right side. Two sharp cracks rang through the air, but Derpy just let out a small gasp. Her lips returned to a neutral line and her eyes remained half-open. She sliced at Starlight with a wing and continued her pursuit even as the area Starlight had struck discolored and swelled.
“That was a pretty solid hit from Starlight, but Derpy keeps going.” Vinyl lacked the excitement she had exuberated before in her commentary. “Guess it’s a battle of stamina now?”
“It seems that way.” Tantabus kept his eyes on the ring.
Another hoof nailed Derpy in the gut. Starlight leaned into the attack, swung Derpy around, and slammed her into the ground. Her head banged against the ring. Derpy laid there for a second before tears welled up and she cried out.
“Oh no, can’t have this over quite yet.” Starlight blasted Derpy with a spell and she shut her mouth. A few tears still spilled down her face. “Hmm, can’t get a perfect hold anymore. Well, let’s say we show them what you’ve got?”
Derpy said nothing. Starlight allowed her to get up, and she flew up above the center of the ring. Starlight’s horn brightened and Derpy produced a bubble on her left foreleg that crackled. There was a pause and then Derpy produced another bubble on her right foreleg with innards that swirled around.
“Yes, that seems to be the gist of it,” said Starlight. “A good Talent for a pegasus to have… and quite showy when it needs to be.”
Bubbles flew off Derpy in all directions until they encircled her. With a flash of her horn, Starlight commanded Derpy to send them flying back at her. At the last second, Starlight grinned and relinquished control. A look a pure dread filled Derpy’s face before she was consumed in a maelstrom.
“Derpy!” her friends called out.
She plummeted out of the haze from the attack with a large amount of her fur and mane either burnt or torn off by her own bubbles. Smacking into the ring, she did not get up. Starlight strode over and looked down at her. “I think that’s a start to regaining our reputation.”
“Ms. Hooves is unable to battle!” Tantabus declared. “Winner, Starlight Glimmer!”
“That’s my girl!” Firelight cheered.
“Well, somepony needs to put on a show if my little Trixie is out,” said Jack Pot.
Trixie leaned back in her seat and grinned. “That’s our president for you.”
Rarity furrowed her brow. “That was completely uncalled for.”
“That was scary.” Pinkie shuddered.
Maud blinked. “I’m glad she’s a hero.”
Twilight switched between watching Starlight stride out of the ring without a scratch and glancing down at Spike.
Spike balled up his claws. They crunched against the muffin bag Derpy had given him. He could still taste the sapphires. “Unforgivable.”