Days have passed since Sol’s first transformation as Masked Rider Cross-Z. Surprisingly, there had yet to be another attack initiated by Faust in that time. The team didn’t know why they stayed quiet at time intervals like this, but they appreciated it.
For instance, it gave Micro the reprieve he needed to initiate his own plan to track down Pandora’s Box using their Panel. It had been a slow process due to trying to properly analyze the Panel itself.
Fortunately, Flash had been there to help out. During the week, his injuries had healed considerably. Granted, he wasn’t at one-hundred percent yet. But he was almost fully recovered from the brutal backlash of KeyDragon.
The bespectacled teen sat at the computer inputting a range of commands into several strings of code. Flash stood and watched his friend at work.
Meanwhile, off to the corner of the room, Sandalwood and Sol were also hard at work…training.
The eco-teen wore a pair of training pads and protective gear consisting of a helmet, forearm guards, a chest pad, and shin guards while Sol had his gloves on. Sandalwood stood his ground as Sol punched fast and hard into the training pads.
They were training to prepare for Sol’s big match in two days as his first debut in the pro leagues. The fighter decided to train one last time before resting for his match to keep himself on his toes.
Sandalwood had offered to be the one to practice his punches and kicks on….hence the large amount of protective gear. But even with the gear on, he grunted as he felt the power of each hit. His arms were shaking and felt numb from repeatedly enduring the punches. The rest of his body ached from being the receiving end on his kicks as well.
And based on the fire in Sol’s eyes, he decided it was time to end the session. He struck hard and fast, his arms moved in a blur as they repeatedly punched the training pads, pushing Sandalwood back bit by bit. He then followed up with a series of spin kicks that made the green haired teen raise his arms to block and receive them. The fighter ended it with a jumping axe kick that, if Sandalwood hadn’t properly blocked it, would’ve struck him directly on the shoulder, possible cracking bone.
Even so, the teen crumpled into a heap on the ground. “….ow.”
“Whew…what a rush!” Sol panted as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “Thanks a lot for helping me in my training routine, Sandalwood.”
“No prob…!” He groaned as he flipped onto his back, pulling the gear off of him. He wondered if this was it felt for Sol’s opponents in the ring. At least nothing was broken.
“So are you guys done with the tracking thing?” Sol asked as he took a swig of water from his bottle.
“Almost…but we still need some more time.” Micro answered.
“We hoped we’d finish before your match…but it looks like we’re gonna have to finish it afterwards.” Flash added.
“What’s the hold up?”
“It took us this long trying to analyze and store the energy signature from the Panel, which we inputted into the computer’s database as a reference. After this, we’ll need to scan the entire city to find a matching signal emanating from Pandora’s Box, which will disclose its location to us.”
“And after that, we’ll go after Faust and get the Box and our stuff back?”
“Correct. But let us deal with this. You have a match to prep for.” Flash answered.
Next day…
“One more day! One more day! Only one more day!” Rainbow Dash chanted in excitement.
“We get it, Rainbow Dash. You’re excited for Sol Burner’s fight. You made that abundantly clear last week.” Rarity commented dryly.
Seated at a table in Sugar Cube Corner were the Rainbooms after school. With them were Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who slurped on milkshakes with disappointment on their faces.
“I’m surprised she managed to last this long.” Sunset said idly. Ever since Sol gave them their tickets, their athletic friend had pretty much been bouncing off the walls ever since. Even Fluttershy didn’t think she’d last this long without burning out.
“But still, this is so exciting!” Pinkie Pie squealed. “We’ll be watching our friend debut in the pro leagues!”
“You’re all so lucky…” Scootaloo whined. Sweetie Belle was just as disappointed. “You all got tickets while we’re stuck at home.”
“Sorry, y’all.” Applejack apologized. “But MMA fights are just too brutal for youngin’s like yerself.”
“Then how come Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon get to go?!” The scooter girl pouted.
It had been something the rich girl and her friend had been bragging about for the past week. How they got good seats to watch the fight.
“It’s because her dad’s the organizer.” Twilight answered. “She probably got special permission to have two seats reserved. I’m surprised she wanted to go in the first place.”
“I’m surprised those two girls are fans of professional fighting.” Sunset added. It was definitely a surprising fact to learn about the two rich girls. But everyone had their own interests.
“Still, if they get to go, then why can’t we?!” Sweetie Belle whined.
“It’s because seats are sold out, Darling.” Rarity told her sister as Silver came over and handed the Rainbooms their orders. “Even if some were available, the tickets are just so expensive and I don’t think mom and dad would let you stay out past curfew.”
“This is so unfair!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Why couldn’t Sol have gotten us tickets, too?!”
“He probably forgot, or wasn’t able to get enough seats. Remember, he asked Filthy Rich for these tickets for free. It was probably the best he could do given how the organizers still need to turn out a profit for the match.” The bespectacled girl answered.
“You’re right on that.” Silver agreed as he joined the conversation. “Nothing in this world is free. While your friend may have gotten free tickets from a favor, the guys in charge still need to make money.”
“Yeah, but still…”
“Sorry, girls.” Sunset apologized. “We’ll let Sol know the next time he decides to invite us to one of his matches. We’ll be sure that he includes you as well.”
“If he does, he better offer Applebloom, too.” Scootaloo said as she slurped her milkshake. The two members of the Canterlot Movie Club missed their third member. Granted, she was likely safer in Manehattan than Canterlot at the moment, but it didn’t make things any better.
“Don’t worry, squirt.” Rainbow Dash ruffled her hair. “We’ll go together next time.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “We’ll make sure Sol invites all of us! That way, we can watch him fight and win since he’ll have all his friends supporting him! And after than we’ll throw a huge victory party filled with snacks, cake, food, games and – is that Sol walking out of a flower shop?”
All heads turned to the restaurant’s windows. Across the street was Sol burner walking out of the flower shop with a bundle of flowers consisting of pink and white carnations. The girls wondered why their fighter friend was carrying such flowers.
“That’s weird. Why did he buy flowers?” Rainbow Dash wondered.
“I’m more concerned why he brought those carnations.” Rarity said. The rest looked at her in questioning. “All flowers have meaning. In the language of flowers, they represent the terms of gratitude and remembrance.”
“Gratitude and remembrance? Why those?”
“Maybe they’re for a friend?” Fluttershy offered.
“Or maybe he’s on a date?” Pinkie Pie suggested.
“No, if he were on a date, then he would’ve gotten red roses, which mean passionate love, darling.” Rarity told her jubilant friend.
“Would he though?” Twilight wondered. “I don’t mean to demean Sol Burner, but he doesn’t seem like the type to know details like that.”
“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Rainbow Dash said as she stood up. “Let’s see what he’s up to.” Before the other girls could question or stop her, she already dashed out of the building in a rainbow blur.
“Darn it, Rainbow! Ya can’t go invading other’s privacy like that!” Applejack yelled as she followed her friend.
“Wait for us!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she, Rarity, and Fluttershy followed.
“Wait, guys!” Growling, Sunset and Twilight left money for their orders before heading out as well.
“….Did they just leave us?” Sweetie Belle wondered.
“Guess they did, little miss.” Silver said bluntly as he scooped up their payment. “Well, at least they didn’t dine and dash.”
“Still though…why do you think he’s carrying flowers like that?”
“Who can say?” He shrugged. “People have all sorts of reasons that it’s hard to tell.”
“Forget that.” Scootaloo said. “How are we gonna get into the stadium to watch the fight now?”
“You’re still hung up on that?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Of course! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! We can’t NOT go!”
“But we don’t have tickets! What are we gonna do? Sneak in?”
Scotaloo opened her mouth to retort, but realization dawned on her as a planned started to form. Upon realizing what she said, a mischievous grin started to appear on the pale skinned girl’s face as well. The lone waiter looked back and forth between the two in bemusement. “Well….that’s one idea…”
Sol Burner walked through the streets of Canterlot, blissfully unaware of the girls stalking him from around the corner.
“Rainbow!” Sunset hissed. “Why are you following him?! This is an invasion of privacy!”
“C’mon!” The athlete replied. “You said you’ve wanted to get to know him better for weeks now! Now’s your chance!”
“This is not what I meant!”
“Quick! He’s getting away!” Pinkie pointed out. The girls quietly rushed after him, carefully maintaining distance away while hiding from view. This continued for several blocks. The girls had no idea just where Sol was heading to.
“How much longer is he going to walk?” Rarity complained. “I feel like I’ve worn through the soles of my shoes!”
“Where is he even going? All of the local hangouts are several blocks in the other direction!” Rainbow wondered.
“Um…girls?” Fluttershy grabbed her friends’ attention. Their eyes craned over to the direction she pointed. Eyes grew wide open as jaws dropped.
Sol Burner walked through the metal arch that read: Canterlot Cemetery.
“….Hey, dad.” Sol spoke softly. His eyes were focused on the tomb stone at his feet. Compared to the surrounding graves, it looked new, as if freshly constructed. Which was sensible as it was fabricated mere months ago. Etched onto its smooth surface were the following words:
Knuckle Blaze.
The MMA League’s Fierce Inferno.
Friend. Husband. Father.
The young teen swallowed the lump in his throat. No matter how many times he visited, the sight was never easier.
“Fierce…Inferno?” A young Sol Burner questioned as he read the plaque with his father’s name on it.
“Yep. That’s my nickname in the ring.” Knuckle Blaze nodded jovially as he crouched down next to his son.
“Why do they call you that?”
“Well, it’s because when I fight, I hit hard and fast. My opponent barely has any time to react.”
“But why Inferno?” The boy questioned. “Are you on fire every time you fight?”
“Not in the literal sense, no.” The man chuckled. “It’s because of my skin and hair color. When I move quickly, to the crowd, it looks like a raging flame is going around the arena. By the time I stop, the friction from my footwork even makes streaks on the ground when I get serious.”
“Whoa…” Sol said in amazement. “Will…will I be as good as you someday?”
“No.” Knuckle said. His response deflated his son’s enthusiasm until he ruffled his hair and picked him up. “You’ll be even better than me. I may have been the Fierce Inferno. But I know you’ll be more than a simple flame. It’s like your mother always said: You’re a little Dragon. You’ll be a Dragon that will soar higher than I ever could.”
“Really?” The youth questioned with starry eyes.
“Of course.” Knuckle grinned widely in confidence. “You’re my son, my pride and joy!”
XXXXX
“…It’s been a while. Sorry that I hadn’t visited recently. Believe it or not, the City’s been pretty crazy, lately. Monsters are running in the streets. Robots kidnapping people. And some secret organization named Faust experimenting on people and the cause of it all. Who would’ve thought home would change this much, huh?”
He gave a slight chuckle, even when the smile failed to reach his eyes. “Things…haven’t been the same since…you know. Had to leave town for a bit. But I came back, because there’s something I need to do here.” He clenched the Dragon Fullbottle in his pocket tightly. “I don’t know if you’re proud or not with what I’ve decided to do, but I’m doing it no matter what. I have friends counting on me. And like mom always said; I need to take responsibility for my actions. She’s doing well too. Hasn’t changed much…but I hope she gets better soon.”
Sol crouched down and traced the engraved letters with his fingers. “Did you know? Mr. Rich organized a match for me. It’ll be my debut in the Pro Leagues if I win. No…it’s not a matter of if…but when. That’s what you always told me. If I resolve myself and try my hardest, there is no way I can lose…” His eyes grew misty with each word spoken. Remembering what his father told him before every match made his heart clench. Each time it happened was a fond memory…
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ticket to his fighting match. He set it down before the grave, placing it beneath the bundle of flowers to prevent it from being swept away by the breeze. “Here. It’s a front row seat to my match tomorrow…I hope you can make it. I know it’s last minute but…It’s been a crazy week. I already gave one to mom. I hope the both of you can make it. I’d feel better if you were there to support me, like you always have…”
At this point, he could no longer keep a lid on his emotions. Tears spilled down his cheeks as a sob escaped his throat. “…Dad…I miss you…I miss you so much…” He pressed his head against the cool stone surface, hands gripped the slab tightly, hands and shoulders trembling. “I just…I just want you back…you shouldn’t have…have died...What am I…what am I gonna tell mom when she wakes up? I just want us all back together again….a family!”
Sol Burner continued to sit there, crying his heart out. Despite releasing all the pent up emotions during his first visit, this one brought forth a new surge of sorrow. Sol had gotten his big break in the fighting scene…and neither of his parents was able to support him. His mother could not due to her current condition. His father could not because his life was taken too soon.
Unbeknownst to the fighter, he was not the only one crying. Several feet away, hidden behind a mausoleum, seven girls stood with watery eyes, desperately trying not to sob and give themselves away. Against their better judgment, they followed Sol into the cemetery, compelled by sheer curiosity, and overheard his talk with his father. To see him so distraught like this…it stabbed them right in the feels. None of them realized Sol had been keeping this locked up in his heart.
“….ya see?” Applejack choked out, the scene bringing up painful memories. Particularly ones about her parents. “….this is why we shoulda left him alone…”
Rarity dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, wiping her running mascara and tears. It was one thing to watch sad movies, but watching a friend pour his heart and soul out in anguish like this? Rarity felt her own heart breaking.
Rainbow Dash tried her best to maintain a strong façade….but failed. Sorrow and guilt wrenched her heart. She could only nod in agreement to Applejack’s words. She really shouldn’t have tried to spy on her friend…not like this.
Pinkie Pie chewed her bottom lip in a desperate attempt to keep from openly bawling. She was torn between her pinkie promise not to cause a disturbance, and breaking it to go over to Sol and make him smile. Going against her nature like this hurt her.
Fluttershy sobbed quietly, sympathizing with Sol Burner. She could not imagine what he must be going through at the moment.
Twilight’s eyes were filled with unshed tears; the scene in front of her brought up troubling thoughts. Everyone died eventually, some even sooner. Would the same thing happen to her parents? Her brother? Spike? The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to cry. She couldn’t imagine life without them.
Sunset Shimmer tried to maintain her composure, yet could not prevent tears from spilling down her face. Watching Sol Burner like this reminded her own circumstances with her parents. She lost them at a young age, barely able to remember their faces. It was Princess Celestia who gave her a home afterward, becoming a second mother to her. Her heart panged in longing and regret. Even now, she still hadn’t returned to Equestria to properly make amends to the Princess.
The more she stared at Sol Burner, the more she is reminded of that day when she ran into him on the street. She noticed how he tended to hide things from others with a strong façade. But in reality, he was a kid desperately trying not to break under the weight of losing his father. She had no idea about the situation about his mother. But based on the conversation she overheard….it did not sound good. And Sol simply had to live with it for the rest of his life.
After seeing their friend like this, the girls realized that they can’t let him suffer alone like this. They’ll help him move on, one step at a time. Maybe they can even get Flash and the others to help, to remind them that he’s not alone.
With a silent exchange of nods, the girls quietly left the cemetery, leaving the martial artist alone with his father.
It wasn’t until an hour later that Sol Burner left the grave site as well, sharing everything that happened the past few months with Knuckle Blaze.
Later that night, a lone figure walked up to the grave of the deceased Fierce Inferno. Their eyes were locked onto the bundle of flowers and ticket. They rested their hand on the tombstone before reaching down and plucked the ticket from where it sat. They pocketed the item and left the area.
Today was the day. All members of the crowd were antsy in their seats, waiting for the show to begin. The Rainbooms took their seats a few rows away from the actual arena, giving them a good view of the fight without getting too close to the action. Upon arrival, they were surprised to see so many familiar faces.
Their friends, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon were situated a row behind them. Lyra was a girl with an aqua complexion and gold eyes. Her two-toned hair fell down to her neck and was white and aqua. She wore a pair of shorts and a T-shirt with Sol Burner on it. No doubt to support the martial artist. Her best Friend, Bon Bon sat right next to her. Her hair was long and curly, colored pink and dark blue, adorned with a green headband. She had a pale skin tone and blue eyes. She wore the same wardrobe as Lyra, equally supporting Sol Burner.
Bulk Biceps was further in the back, wearing a hat, t-shirt, and foam finger to support his friend and fellow boxing club member.
The girls were even more surprised to see Octavia Melody seated as well. The girl had an ashen complexion similar to Sol Burner. Her charcoal hair was long and fell down to her mid back. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, a stark contrast to her white shirt, sweater vest, and pink skirt ensemble she usually wore to school. Given that she also wore a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses, the classical music player must not want to be noticed, yet Pinkie Pie recognized her with ease. For the sake of her dignity, they didn’t say anything, much to the cello player’s relief.
On the opposite end of the stands were some students from Crystal Prep. Particularly, the Shadowbolt 5. Indigo Zap was antsy in her seat waiting for the match to start. Lemon Zest was rocking out to the beat on her headphones as usual. Sour Sweet was waiting in anticipation for the fight. Sugar Coat and Sunny Flare seemed reluctant to be here, likely being dragged by their friends.
“It’s crazy to see so many people we know here.” Sunset commented, not expecting so many MMA fans from her fellow classmates.
“I know! It’s Super-ific!” The party planner cheered.
“And I think I see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon further down.” Rarity pointed out. In the front row sat two girls younger than them. One had pink skin and white and purple hair tied up with a tiara on her head. She wore a white skirt, black leggings, and a yellow jacket over a MMA T-Shirt. The girl next to her had a gray complexion and silver hair tied in a braid. Her brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses. She wore a pink skirt, black leggings, and a MMA shirt as well. Both had ecstatic grins on their faces.
“….guess they weren’t lyin’ ‘bout bein’ fans.” Applejack said.
“What’s not to be a fan of? MMA fights are awesome!” Rainbow argued.
“But maybe a tad violent…” Fluttershy said softly.
Earlier…
“Man…where is he?” Flash wondered. He and Sandalwood stood at the main entrance. They agreed as a team to wish Sol Burner luck before his match. But Micro seemed to be running late, something unusual for him.
“He said something a family issue. He should be here soon.” The green haired teen told him. About a minute later, they heard the sound of rapid footsteps.
“I’m here!” Micro called out as he ran up to them, panting tiredly. “Sorry I’m late!”
“Where were you, man?” The musician asked. “We still need to meet with Sol before his match. It starts in like half an hour.”
“I know, I’m sorry. My parents and I were requested by the police to come in and talk to…‘Gizmo’, and see if we could get him to remember something.”
“How did that go?”
“As well as you might expect from someone who isn’t even my brother in the first place…” The intellectual sighed sadly. “I’m just…frustrated about this whole thing. I know it’s not my brother, but no one else knows that. And I can’t even tell anyone because of how crazy everything is right now! My parents acknowledge that body double as Gizmo, and I can’t say anything to them!”
“Dude…” Sandalwood placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I know things are insane right now. But you can’t let it stress you out. We’ll get to the bottom of this…don’t worry.”
Gradually, Micro calmed down. “…alright…I got it….thanks, Sandal.”
“No problem, bro. Now, let’s get going. We still need to wish Sol luck, right?”
“Right.” The three went inside the stadium and walked to the backstage area. Thankfully, Sol got them special access to his room in case anything Faust related happened and they needed to meet in secret. Security was notified and allowed the three in once they showed their passes. As they entered the room, they found Sol Burner sitting in a chair in front of a television screen. His attention was focused on the fighter moving on screen. His movements were so fast that he appeared to have been a blur. Or rather…an Inferno.
The aspiring fighter watched his father, Knuckle Blaze overwhelm his opponent in the recording.
“…Sol?” Flash was the one who snapped him out of it.
“Wh-huh? Oh…hey, guys.” Sol greeted before turning back to the screen.
“What is all this?” Micro asked as they all stepped inside.
“Just…watching one of my dad’s old matches. This was where he defeated some guy trying to take his title. Dad won, of course.”
On the recorded match, Knuckle Blaze’s opponent got his second wind and rushed in for a counter attack to turn the match around. However, the Fierce Inferno ducked below the right handed swing and rammed his own fist into the man’s solar plexus. As the fighter was winded, Knuckle followed up by delivering two, swift strikes to his opponent’s knees, destabilizing his footing. He then jumped up and rammed his knee into the man’s chest. As soon as he landed on his feet, he back flipped and slammed his foot into the man’s chin like an uppercut. Knuckle landed nimbly as his opponent was thrown back and knocked out cold.
“Whoa…” Sandalwood gaped in awe at the display. “What just happened?”
“That was my dad’s signature combo. The Burning Assault.”
“Burning Assault?”
“Yeah. Not quite sure why he named it that, but you gotta admit it was pretty awesome to see…” The young fighter’s eyes held a sense of nostalgia, seeing his dad in action again. “…Kinda wish I can do that…”
“Well…why don’t you?” Sandalwood wondered. “I mean, couldn’t you try it out yourself?”
“I could, but my dad….he was a completely different level. I mean, look at him move!” He rewound the video to demonstrate Knuckle’s fancy footwork that left him a blur. “I mean, I practiced a lot to try and do it, but couldn’t get it down right. Not once. I could only wish I had the amount of skill he does…”
“I’m sure you do.” An elderly voice proclaimed from behind the trio. Flash and the others turned around to see an elderly man with an impressive, snow white beard and supported himself with a walking cane. “You’re every bit as skilled as your father once was, bless his soul.”
“Uh…who are you?” Flash asked the question on everyone’s minds.
“Ah, forgive me. I haven’t introduced myself.” The man bowed his head toward Sol Burner. “My name is Tirek. Chairman of Tirek heavy Industries. I…am an old friend of your father’s, as well as a sponsor.”
“You…knew my dad?” Sol stood up from his seat. Micro’s eyes widened as he recognized the man’s name. Tirek Heavy Industries was the country’s leading corporation in industrial progress and engineering. It was stationed in this very city, and leagues larger than Darkshroud Industries. But why was the Chairman here of all places?
“Indeed.” He nodded. “I knew the fiery young lad for years….it was actually around the time he came across a strange, celestial object known as Pandora’s Box.”
That piece of information alerted the teens. He was involved as well?
“In fact….I remember it like it was yesterday…” He stroked his beard. “After all….he saved my life.”
Tirek had been in the middle of his late night stroll. It had been a small pleasure of his to unwind from the stress of his job. Usually, it was harmless endeavor as he had one or two guards stationed with him. But he gave his subordinates the night off in celebration of the momentous discovery of Pandora’s Box.
But he should’ve remained cautious. As he passed by an alleyway, three figures jumped out and surrounded him. Each one was garbed in dark clothing and armed with knives. The leader had a handgun.
The elderly man was startled by the sudden appearance and held his arms up. “M-May I help you…?”
“Hand over all your money old man!” The one with the gun demanded. “Or else things will get ugly.”
“Yeah…for you!” The leader didn’t have time to react as a foot snapped out and struck him across the face. The other two were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of another man. They tried to rush him and stab him, but with unbelievable precision and strength, he grabbed their wrists and snapped them under his grip. As the thugs screamed in pain, the man grabbed their heads and slammed them into each other, knocking them out cold. Tirek’s savior then turned to him. “Are you alright, mister?” He stepped out into the light, revealing himself to be Knuckle Blaze.
Tirek approached him, soon recognizing his savior. “Thank you. Thank you so much, young man…”
“No problem. You’re lucky I was heading back home from the café. Just glad I was here in time.”
“Pardon my asking, but you wouldn’t happen to be Knuckle Blaze, the rookie MMA fighter, are you?”
“Yeah, that’s me. How can I help you?”
“My name is Tirek, Chairman of Tirek Heavy Industries.”
“You mean that massive engineering and innovation firm?” The fighter asked in amazement.
“A few days after that, I decided to become one of his sponsors as a way to thank him for his bravery. I’ve sponsored him all the way until his retirement. But I kept in touch with him, especially when you decided to follow in his footsteps, young man.” Tirek informed Sol. “When I first learned of your upcoming match to debut in the professional scene, I couldn’t help but buy myself a ticket and see if you have what it takes to surpass your father.”
“Th-that’s…” Sol was at a loss for words. An old friend of his father’s, who was the head of the largest engineering firm in the country, had come to see him?
“Oh, I don’t mean right now. You still need much more experience.” He then took a glance to his watch, noting the time. “Well, I only dropped by to wish you luck. I really should get back to my seat.” He turned around to leave, but stopped pulled out a card to give Sol. “Before I forget, if you ever are in need for a manager or sponsor, feel free to contact me. I believe I can point you to the right direction.”
“Uh…yeah. Sure…Thank you.” Sol nodded as he took the card, surprised by this sudden turn of events. With a polite wave, Tirek left the room; a pair of suited men that previously stood by the door tailed him.
The four teens stood in silence as they processed what just happened. Sandalwood was the one to break it. “Well…that happened…”
The martial artist simply stared at the business card in hand, eyes filled with befuddlement.
“…I’m still not so sure about this, girls…” Spike repeated worriedly. He along with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had sneaked inside the stadium. Surprisingly, there weren’t too many security guards around the back entrance, allowing them to slip inside once the door opened.
“Relax, Spike. We got in, didn’t we?”
“But if we get caught, we’ll all be in huge trouble.” He pointed out.
“That is IF we get caught. And I think we’re pretty good. No one’s noticed us, yet.” Scootaloo reasoned.
“Come on! Let’s go and watch the match! It might be starting any minute now!” Sweetie Belle suggested. The trio trekked through the halls, trying to find the arena. Spike just hoped none of their friends saw them. He really didn’t want to deal with the aftermath of this little stunt.
As the three searched for the fighting arena for Sol Burner’s match, none of them noticed another figure enter through the open door with a ticket in his hand.
“Well….let the show begin.”
After the strange meeting with Chairman of Tirek Heavy Industries, Flash and the others wished their friend best of luck before they took their seats.
“There you guys are!” Rainbow Dash said. “Where were you? The match is about to start!”
“Sorry, we got held up at the entrance.” Flash answered, hiding what happened from their friends. “We also went to wish Sol luck before heading back here.”
“Speaking of which, we probably should’ve gotten some snacks before coming here.” Sandalwood though idly.
“No need!” Pinkie Pie popped up between their seats and reached into her hair. She pulled out three buckets of popcorn and soda bottles for her friends. “Got you boys covered!”
“Thanks Pinkie.” Micro said as he munched on a handful of popcorn, noting the unusual cotton candy flavor.
“Prepared as always.” The musician would’ve asked how she managed to carry all of this in her hair, but he stopped questioning his friend’s antics a long time ago.
“No problem! Now eat your corn! It’s starting!” She slinked back to her own seat as the lights dimmed. Hiding in the shadows, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike peered over a row of seats to watch. Further up near the rafters, a shadowed figure gazed the arena below. Up above, in the VIP section, Tirek sat in his seat with his palms on the head of his cane. The man was flanked by both of his bodyguards while he watched with keen interest.
The referee walked up to the center of the ring as the announcer spoke from the announcement box. “Ladies and gentlemen….welcome to tonight’s MMA fight!” The crowd cheered as the show started. “I’m your host, Mad Mikes. And with me is the person responsible for organizing this entire match, Filthy Rich.” The business man was revealed to be seated next to Mad as a special guest. Given his role in making this event possible, he was given a role for special commentary. “And tonight, will feature a very special match. It is the debut of one aspiring fighter in the Professional League and will determine if he has what it takes to rise to the top!”
The crowd roared in cheers once more as a profile of one of the fighters appeared on the overhanging screens. “First off! Let us introduce our fighters! First, we have the man who’s as tough as iron, weighing in at 250 lbs and well known for overpowering his opponents. Let us give you, the Minotaur, Iron Will!!!”
From one path leading to the arena was a large man with rippling muscles, towering over most people. He wore a pair of black shorts and heavy boxing gloves. His skin tone was grayish blue and his hair was cut short into a buzz cut. He also had a beard trimmed short. As if to reinforce how strong he is, he flexed his muscles and beat his chest like a gorilla before heading into the ring.
Members of the audience, particularly those familiar with the veteran MMA fighter, cheered loudly.
“And next, allow us to introduce our challenger! He may weigh in substantially less with 160 lbs, but don’t let his size fool you! He may not be a pro, but he’s no stranger to the ring! He had fallen into hiatus for months, but now he’s back to claim his chance to go pro! Ladies and gentleman! I give you…the son of the Fierce Inferno himself, Sol Burner!”
Before he even appeared, those who knew Sol cheered even louder to show their support. The young fighter stepped into the room, clad in a pair of red shorts and gloves with wrappings around his wrist. His lithe, yet muscular physique was shown, causing quite a few of the female members of the audience, particularly those around his age, to blush and/or wolf whistle. His face was serious as he stepped into the ring. All the while, Vinyl Scratch, a.k.a., DJ-PON3, played an intense soundtrack that suited him.
(For your musical pleasure, please play Through the Fire and Flames by DragonForce.)
Soon both fighters stood face to face in the arena.
“So here we are. Before we begin, let us hear words from our special guest. So Mr. Rich, what do you think about tonight’s fight?”
“Well, Mad Mikes, from an objective standpoint, I can tell that this will be quite the interesting show. The young rookie making his debut against a veteran. Will he shine brightly and prevail? Or will he lose and try again some other time?”
“Indeed. But how about your personal opinion?”
“I’m wishing the young lad the best of luck! After all, this show is all him. I just gave him the opportunity to make it here. I owe it to his father, my former charge.”
“I see. So do you think the young man has what it takes to hold up to the Fierce Inferno’s legacy?”
“No. I don’t think so.” He said bluntly, causing several audience members to recoil. Then Filthy cracked a grin filled with confidence. “I KNOW so. Knuckle had full faith his son would surpass him. And I never had a chance to doubt him in all the years I know him.” The crowd cheered at Filthy’s words, yet the students from Canterlot High sat with disbelief. They knew the business man from when he tried to buy out Camp Everfree and turn it into a spa resort. They never thought he would be this supportive of anyone. Granted, he was likely making money from this venture, but according to Applejack, his words were genuine.
“Understood! Well, there you have it folks! Now, are the fighters ready?!”
Back in the ring, Sol and Iron stared at each other, the latter speaking first. “So…you’re Knuckle’s kid. You don’t look like much.”
“Well, I ain’t here for appearances….I’m here to win.”
“Hah! You sure got his spunk….but don’t think Iron Will will make this easy for you.”
“I’d be insulted if you did.” The two fighters touched gloves as the referee stood back.
“Now without further ado…Let’s get ready to rumbleeeeeee!”
The fans cheered as it finally began. Iron Will started off with a heavy swing that came in fast. His arm was a blur as the massive limb neared Sol. However…the youth was faster. The fighter nimbly ducked beneath the blow and countered with a swift liver punch. Iron Will backpedaled from the unexpectedly strong hit. But he recovered quickly to try and backhand the smaller fighter. Yet like before, Sol easily side-stepped around it before kicking off and twisted his body in the air. His leg shot out and smashed into the veteran’s shoulder.
The two fighters separated as the crowd went wild at the initial display.
“Amazing! Sol Burner not only dodged Iron’s first two attacks, but retaliated swiftly! Look out, folks! There’s more to this rookie than meets the eye!”
It was a sentiment shared by the Rainbooms and Team Build. Since when was Sol that fast? As the blue haired fighter flipped back over, Iron Will lunged at him to try and grapple him. But Sol nimbly maneuvered out of the way of his attack and jumped over the Minotaur. He swung his leg down and rammed the heel of his foot into Iron Will’s cheek. The blow sent him staggering. Sol capitalized on this opportunity to deliver a swift series of punches and strikes to the legs, stomach, shoulders, and face.
Iron tanked a few hits before his finally got his bearings and blocked the next attack to his face. He pushed parried Sol’s blow with his arm, leaving him open for a brief second. Iron shuffled in fast and delivered a heavy body punch to Sol’s midsection. Air was forced from his lungs as he scrambled back and fell against the mesh net wall.
“Unbelievable folks!” Mad Mikes commented. “After Sol Burner’s mad rush, Iron Will recovered and sent the rookie staggering with one well-placed hit! Looks like the fight is far from over!”
Sol quickly regained his second wind and dove to the side to avoid the veteran fighter from tackling him. The man crashed head first into the mesh and bounced off. He wondered just what the guy was made out of as he took several blows to the face and kicks to the head and still seems coherent. He needed a way to take him down. His thoughts were cut off as the Minotaur charged at him again. He tried to duck under the outstretched arms.
But as he did so, Iron smirked and slammed his knee into the lowered fighter. Sol crashed onto the limb and was left surprised by the sudden stop in momentum as Iron followed up by lifting him and throwing him across the ring. His body impacted the mesh net before he bounced back on the floor.
“Sol!” His friends cried out over the roar of the crowd. Was he okay? Those last attacks looked like they hurt. The ashen skinned fighter pushed himself up and shook it off. Surprisingly, the attacks did not hurt as much as they should have. He chalked it up to whatever freaky changes his body is going through. Even so, the fight wasn’t over.
“So, looks like you still got fight left in ya.” Iron Will snorted. “Iron Will can respect that. But Iron Will doesn’t think you’ll make it far in the pros like that. Try again some other time.”
“Sorry…but I plan to win and rise up, here and now.” Sol roared.
The match continued with the fierce exchange of blows. Iron Will would try to overwhelm Sol with brute force. But Sol would nimbly evade most of the blows before swiftly counter-attacking. There had been a rare moment when he stumbled, allowing Iron Will to strike during the opening. But surprisingly, Sol followed with the momentum and rolled before countering with a swift drop kick that left a resounding smack against the Minotaur’s shoulder. The force behind the attack pushed the veteran back across the wing, amazing the crowd once more.
The seconds passed into minutes. Eventually, three rounds had passed. Both fighters barely showed any signs of fatigue. Their faces dripped with sweat as they squared off once more. With a sudden burst of speed, Sol kicked off the ground towards Iron Will. The veteran reacted quickly to try and catch the youth off guard. But this time, Sol was ready.
He weaved around the knee strike as he crouched down with his fists up. Once Iron Will loomed over him, Sol jumped up as hard as he could and rammed his fist under Iron’s chin, delivering a devastating uppercut that knocked him senseless. The crowd went wild at the sudden move and execution. But the youth did not stop as he spun around and delivered an axe kick to the shoulder for good measure.
The force of the blow knocked Iron Will to the side, leaving him unconscious and down. The fighter landed on his feet and panted heavily. He wiped sweat from his bow as he stood tall, the referee crouched down to check on Iron Will.
The ten count then started at the ref’s behest. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as the numbers passed, yet Iron Will did no stir. Once the count reached ten, Iron Will was still unconscious. Mad mike broke the silence.
“Unbelievable! Here we have it folks! Young Sol Burner just defeated Iron Will! With his victory, he now takes his first step towards the professional fighting scene!” The crowd erupted into cheers. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon squealed loudly at the amazing fight. Bulk yelled a loud ‘YEAH!’ at the top of his lungs. Even Octavia cheered in exhilaration from the intense yet short match.
From his seat, Tirek clapped as well from the impressive match.
The Rainbooms and Team build cheered equally as loud. Pinkie Pie Even brought air horns and party blowers in celebration. In addition to that, she threw confetti everywhere. The referee walked over and raised Sol’s arm high into the air upon victory.
The blue haired fighter stood still as the event processed in his mind. He….he did it. He won….he won! A smile broke out on his face as he stared at two, empty, front row seats. He hoped his parents saw it.
Up above, hidden by the shadows in the upper seats, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike cheered for their friend’s victory. “He did it! He did it!” Sweetie clapped.
“I know! That was awesome!” Scootaloo agreed.
“You can say that again!” Spike yipped in agreement.
However, none of the audience members noticed one figure standing off to the side. His form was shadowed and wore a heavy trench coat. With two, red, armored covered hands, the figure clapped slowly. “Bravo~! Simply amazing!” Blood Stalk cheered before he reached into his jacket. “What a stupendous prelude. However….”
He pulled out the Steam Rifle and inserted the Rocket Fullbottle into the firearm.
“ROCKET!”
“…let us begin the main event.” He pulled the trigger.
“STEAM ATTACK!”
While the audience members cheered, none of them noticed the projectile until it was too late. The rocket filled with Nebula Gas zoomed through the air and impacted dead center in the ring, right next to Iron Will. Sol and the referee were thrown off their feet and smacked against the mesh net while the crowd fell silent at the spontaneous act of terror. The Rainbooms and Team Build were more stunned than anyone else, as they had recognized the attack.
Screams were heard inside the cloud of gas as a humanoid form crackled with energy inside. The figure then stood to its full height and let out a bellowing roar that dispersed the mist.
Like its predecessors, this Smash was covered in gray armor. However, its upper body seemed to resemble a mass of mismatched gears. Its arms were covered in what seemed to be a mix of rotary and turbine blades. Its head resembled a broken clock face with broken gears protruding from the side. This was the Rotor Smash, and it was enraged.
A sudden scream cut through the stunned silence. It triggered a chain reaction as the audience was sent into a wave of panic. People shot out of their seats and scrambled for the exits. The fleeing civilians ended up clogging up the exits due to their mad rush to leave. Upon seeing how dire the situation had become, the Rainbooms and Team Build decided to take action. The teens corralled the people through the exits and moved to evacuate them. Up in the VIP section, Tirek was escorted out of the building by his two bodyguards. But in their panic, he had left his cane propped up against his chair, the handle facing the arena below.
As they masses fled, the Rotor Smash approached the referee, who scrambled away from the creature. He pressed himself up against the mesh wall, unable to back away any further. The man trembled and shielded himself with his arms as the Smash raised its arm to bash in his brains.
“Hey!”
That is until Sol Burner leapt onto the Smash’s shoulders and pulled him away from the ref, allowing him to get out of the ring and flee with everyone else. “Your fight’s with me!”
The Smash roared as it pounded its fists together and swung at the teen. Sol ducked beneath the attack and used its extended arm as a bar to swing himself at the Smash and deliver a heel kick to its face. The blow struck, but it did not budge. Sol Burner dropped and backed away. His breathing was heavy. It was no surprise given that he had fought several consecutive rounds. His body was tired and running on pure adrenaline at the moment.
He tensed as the Rotor Smash’s arms started to spin. The left arm gears spun clockwise while the other arm spun counterclockwise. The fighter noticed the air around him shift. The teenagers that were closer to the arena noticed this as well, causing them to divert their attention to the ring.
Currents of air gathered around the Smash’s arms, soon creating a vortex of wind. The vacuum between his arms created a powerful maelstrom. Sol panicked at the sight, wondering how gears could do something like that?! His thoughts were cut short as the vortex of air slammed into him and flung him across the room. He crashed into the wall as a section of the ceiling broke off and buried him in rubble.
“SOL!” His friends cried out in panic. However, the impact caused the building to tremble, allowing the overhead lights and debris to break loose. Rarity reacted quickly and formed her shields to protect the still fleeing people.
“Everyone! Out now!” Her cry snapped the people out of their stupor as they returned to evacuating.
“But what about Sol?!” Rainbow questioned. “He could be hurt!”
“We can’t stay here, though!” Twilight reasoned.
As the girls argued, Flash snuck off to the corner, hidden by Micro’s and Sandal’s bodies as he activated Crozz. The little dragon chirped as Flash handed him Sol’s watch. “Get this to Sol, quickly!” Crozz nodded as he scooped up the device and flew through the shadows, hidden from the distracted civilians.
“Girls!” Flash then yelled out, grabbing their attention. “This isn’t the time to fight! I know you’re worried about Sol, I am too! But worrying won’t get us anywhere if we get concussed or end up dead! We gotta leave now!”
“He’s right!” Micro added as he pointed out the debris. “That windstorm shook the foundation! It’s too dangerous to stay here!”
“And am I the only one wondering how that Smash’s arms can make a freaking cyclone?!” Sandalwood earnestly wondered aloud.
“They’re right!” Sunset added. “As much as I don’t want to, we’re useless in this situation. We need to call for help and hope the Masked Riders come to stop the Smash!” Some of the Rainbooms, mostly Rainbow, wanted to argue, but understood the reasoning.
“Fine!” With that, no more words were exchanged as everyone filed out of the room. Meanwhile, the Smash continued to thrash about. It ripped mesh wall right out of its foundation and hurled it off to the side. Crozz flew through the rubble pile that buried his master and wiggled through the gaps.
As this was all happening, Spike and the girls were hiding under the bleachers on the ground floor. They'd jumped down when the crowd started to evacuate, but had to hide under the seats to avoid the crowd from stampeding over them. They also realized that if they were seen they'd be in big trouble.
But now they were trapped. The exit was to their far left. The Smash was very close, and there was no one left to help them out. Everyone had been vacated to their knowledge. They hadn’t been able to see anything since then.
“Wh-what are gonna do?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“I-I don’t know.” The tomboy shook her head.
“See? This is why this was a bad idea!” Spike whispered harshly.
“How were we supposed to know a Smash would show up?!”
“Uh…guys?” Sweetie Belle nudged them.
“You just had to convince us to sneak in!”
“It’s not like you didn’t want to go either!”
“Guys?”
“If you hadn’t been so insistent, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”
“Like I said, how was I supposed to know things would turn out like this?!”
“GUYS!”
“WHAT?!” Both the dog and tomboy snapped over to Sweetie Belle, who was pointing in front of them. They noticed the armored pair of feet through the gap. In the next moment, the seats that covered them were ripped from the floor and thrown away. The Rotor Smash towered over them, its gear/turbine arms spinning slowly.
“….oh.”
The Smash roared as it raised its arms. The two girls and dog huddled together in fear, awaiting their tragic end.
However, the armored limbs were stopped short by an intercepting blade. The Smash turned its head, only to get punched across the face. The blade then swung and slashed the monster across the chest before being kicked away.
Masked Rider Cross-Z stood between the kids and dog and the Smash, sword held high. “Step away from the girls and their cute, fluffy, adorable purple dog!” He then looked down to the three youths. “And you three get out of here before spinny arms tries to go after you again!”
“Y-yes sir!” The trio scrambled back up and rushed towards the nearest exit, leaving the two alone. The Smash hoisted itself up and growled at the Rider. Its arms spun slowly as it smacked them together. With a roar, it charged at the armored man with a spinning fist. Cross-Z sidestepped around the swing and countered with a powerful, upward swing to its shoulder. As he moved passed, he pulled the pommel of the Beat Crozzer.
“HIT PARADE!”
“SMASH HIT!”
Flames lit across the blade as it cut into the Smash’s back. It stumbled with an agonized groan before it spun around. As it did, the turbines on its forearms spun in tandem. As a result, a series of air currents enveloped the spinning limb. Cross-Z swung his weapon again, but the Smash was prepared this time. It used its wind-encased arm as a shield to parry the blade.
The Rider stumbled from the initial deflection, but soon righted himself and swung again. To his dismay, he experienced another parry with the other arm. Thinking that more power was needed, he pulled the pommel twice.
“HIT PARADE!”
“HIT PARADE!”
“MILLION HIT!”
The delivered a downward swing as red, yellow, and green energy enveloped the blade. The Rotor Smash thrust its arms forward to meet the weapon head on. A billowing gust of wind clashed against intense, bar-like energy. The two were evenly matched. Cross-Z struggled to dredge up more strength to power through his exhausted state and defeat the enemy. But the Smash refused to give in either.
The rotors on its arms spun even faster than before. The air currents sped up and intensified as a result. The Rider found himself being pushed back against the growing gale. With one final push, the Smash blew the Beat Crozzer out of the Dragon’s hands to a random location. He didn’t have time to be surprised as the gust blew him back into the wall.
He took a moment to catch his breath. He tried to find his weapon, but was unable to locate it. Cross-Z did not have any time to search further. The Smash charged straight at him with raised fists. It swung and punched a hole in the wall where his head used to be. The Rider rolled off to the side and popped up on his feet. He cracked his knuckles and his neck to loosen them up.
“Well….guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way!” With a yell, he ran at the Smash with raised fists. But as he got in close, the Smash spun its arms again and created another gust of wind that battered against his body. It provided the necessary opening for the Rotor Smash to counter attack. Fortunately, the Rider reacted in time and ducked underneath the massive limb. But while he dodged the metal arm, he was still buffeted by the winds. Given their current strength, the damage was negligible. But the previous attacks he experienced made him wary of what the Smash was capable of. Once he was close enough, he punched the Smash in the chest with a blue, flaming fist. It dealt some damage, but the enemy was still on the rampage.
The fight went on for several more minutes. Most of the time, Cross-Z had to keep his distance from the spinning arms to avoid getting ground. Otherwise, he had to deal with the rotating air currents. Whenever the Smash spun its arms, which was frequently, the Rider learned some key aspects of its fighting style. The turbine blades on its forearms spun fast enough to generate air currents to act as a layer of defense. It was enough to deflect most of his attacks, but the currents were centered on its arms only, limiting the area of coverage.
However, he had to be cautious of when the turbines picked up even greater speed. Those were the instances where the Rotor Smash could use the air as a weapon in the form of twisters or concussive air blasts. The latter he learned when it rapidly spun its arms and immediately stopped, firing off said blast that tore through a set of bleachers in an attempt to hit him. Good news was that it seemed it couldn’t make those attacks consecutively. It needed to build up speed, and that was precisely the opening he needed.
He dodged another air blast and immediately rushed in with his fists ablaze. He needed to end this battle quickly.
However, just as he got within range, the Smash’s arms instantly spun rapidly. The limbs whipped up raging air currents that were even stronger than the initial gust that blew him into the wall. The miniature typhoon swept him off his feet and blew him into the ceiling. The tiles cracked as his armored body was driven into the surface. He gasped from the impact before gravity kicked in and sent him crashing on a ruined set of bleachers.
In the shadows, Stalk leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as he watched the fight.
Cross-Z pulled himself up, the damage readout blaring DANGER right in his face. He raised his head to look at the Smash, who was beating his chest like a gorilla, roaring in victory. The Dragon dropped his helmeted head on the ground, adrenaline leaving as resignation finally kicked in.
“I…I can’t do this….it’s too strong…” He panted. Now that the adrenaline flushed out of his system, his previous exhaustion caught up and hit him like a truck. He could barely move his body as his limbs felt like lead.
Stalk, upon listening to his words, hung his head in disappointment.
“What…what would….dad do…?” His vision started to blur a bit. “Just what….what can I do now?”
A young Sol Burner repeatedly struck the punching bag in a swift series of punches and kicks. He then performed a jumping knee strike. After landing, he tried to back flip for a follow up kick. But his foot missed the target, and the unexpected sensation of hitting air threw off his landing, letting him fall flat on his face.
“You okay kiddo?” Knuckle Blaze asked as he helped his son up.
“Peachy…” He grunted as he shook his head. “It’s no use…I’m never gonna get this.”
“Hey, that’s quitter talk, mister.”
“But it’s true!” Sol argued. “I’ve tried this dozens of times, but I still can’t get that technique right!
“Son…” Knuckle placed his hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye. “I know things can get hard. We spend time and effort to accomplish great things, knowing that they are hard. All that time and effort will be wasted….but that’s only if you give up. You think I gave up during any of my matches?”
“But you always win…”
“That’s because I never gave up. I would always to push myself further and go beyond. Sol, if you throw in the towel, despite all the hard work you invested into something, you definitely will lose. But you will never truly lose as long as you can find the strength to get back up and try again. Even if you can’t get it right the next try, if you try again, you can learn and do better. Even if you fail, you will learn and improve and be better than you were before. Does that make sense?”
“…I don’t know.” He admitted cluelessly.
Knuckle laughed as he ruffled his son’s hair. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll understand someday.”
“…Dad…” A stray tear dropped from Sol’s eye as the memory flashed into his mind. How could he have forgotten? It was the one rule his father pounded into his head. To never give up. So why was he throwing the towel here now?!
The surge of determination brought forth a surge of adrenaline. With his second wind, Sol pulled himself up and glared at the Rotor Smash. Stalk continued to watch with silent interest. With newfound determination, Cross-Z charged at the Smash.
The mutant rotated the turbines on its arms once more and met his charge. It swung at the Rider’s head in an attempt to blow him away. But the armored fighter ducked below the limb in time and past the enemy’s guard. He threw a flame infused punch into the Smash’s chest, briefly stunning it. Cross-Z refused to let up as muscle memory guided him. He delivered two blazing punches to the Smash’s knees, destabilizing its stance. Afterward he jumped up for a flame infused knee strike to the chest once more.
Sol landed on his feet. It was time to finish this…with a little help. He turned the crank of his Driver. The blue Dragon wreathed in orange flames appeared and coiled around the Rider’s form. Power and flames gathered on his dominant foot.
“READY? GO!”
“DRAGONIC FINISH!”
Unlike Cross-Z’s first Dragonic Finish, he rushed up to the Smash and back flipped once he got in close enough. The dragon followed his flame covered foot as it slammed itself into the Rotor Smash as the force of the kick sent it flying into the air. It crashed into the ceiling, but the Dragon did not stop as it rammed through the roof and through the Smash, inflicting even more damage.
Meanwhile…
Outside, the mass of people were trying to make sense of what just happened during the end of the fight. Many were unable to remain quiet as they swarmed the security guards that kept them out of the stadium for safety precautions, and the organizers of the event such as Filthy Rich.
After the Rainbooms and Team Build safely evacuated everyone, they regrouped and finally voiced their concerns. “I can’t believe we just left Sol in there like that!” Rainbow Dash yelled angrily.
…or in Rainbow’s case, outrage.
“Believe me; I hate this as much as you do.” Flash retorted. “But there was nothing we could’ve done!”
“Yeah we could! We have magic! At the very least, Twilight could’ve lifted the rubble off of him! He could be crushed like a pancake right now!”
“But wasn’t Twilight helping Rarity to stop any rubble from falling on everybody?” Micro reminded.
“Besides, our concern was getting all the civilians outside and away from Danger.” Twilight added. “I feel guilty leaving him like that too, but we weren’t in the position to fight!”
“Oh…I hope Sol made it out safely…” Fluttershy said worriedly.
“Hey, guys!” Sandalwood grabbed their attention. “I think someone’s coming out of the stadium!” All heads turned to the blocked entrance to see…two familiar girls and a dog?!
“SCOOTS?!/SCOOTALOO?!” Rainbow and Flash yelled respectively.
“SWEETIE BELLE?!” Rarity shrieked.
“SPIKE?!”
The teens couldn’t believe what they were seeing. What were they doing here?!
Their yells drew the attention of the three as they ran over to the group of teens.
“Flash!” Scootaloo tackled her brother in a hug while Sweetie Belle did the same with her sister. Spike ran up to Twilight and jumped into her arms, hugging the life out of her.
“Just what in tarnation were ya three doin’ here?!” Applejack questioned. “How’d ya even get in?! We didn’t see y’all when we entered the building!”
“And why weren’t you with us when we evacuated everyone?!” Rarity scolded. “None of us even knew you were in there!”
“She’s right!” Twilight agreed. “You could’ve gotten hurt by that Smash…or worse!”
“We know, we know! And we’re sorry!” Sweetie Bell apologized profusely. She and the others knew that. If it hadn’t been for the Masked Rider, they would’ve been paste right now.
“How did you even get out?” Sunset asked. “We never saw any of you when we cleared out the room.”
Spike was the one that explained everything. How they hid beneath the bleachers to hide from the Smash while they waited for the crowd to thin out before they could leave too. They stopped after they felt the room shake and were soon discovered by the Smash. They then explained that Cross-Z saved them from the Smash, allowing them to escape. However, they had to admit about their bypass of security and sneaking inside the stadium to watch the fight due to the surprising lack of entrance security.
Suffice to say, the teens were not impressed by their reckless actions.
“Scootaloo…after we get out of this…you and I are gonna have a long talk with mom.” Flash scolded.
“That’s right!” Twilight agreed. “How could you three be so reckless? And I thought you were the responsible one out of the three of you, Spike!”
“We’ll discuss this later, darling.” Rarity admonished her sheepish sister before wrapping her arms around her. “But for now, we’re just relieved you’re all safe and well.” The other two pairs shared her sentiment as they hugged one another.
Finally, the police and paramedics have finally arrived. Lieutenant Shining Armor was in the middle of scrambling a squad to enter the building until a blue, eastern dragon covered in orange flames burst through the stadium roof and roared into the sky before dissipating.
“…Welp, I think Cross-Z just won.” Pinkie Pie stated. After the dragon's appearance, the building shook even more as more pieces of the ceiling caved in. "...that's so not good..."
Micro took the opportunity to step back and make a quick warning text.
Cross-Z panted as the Rotor Smash crashed right in front of him in a motionless heap. Around him pieces of concrete and broken metal rained down. The adrenaline finally faded as he pulled out an Empty Bottle and extracted the essence. The Rotor Smash reverted back to an unconscious Iron Will. Rather than disappointment, Stalk was filled with even more interest than before. Sol Burner is already growing at an impressive pace. With a slight chuckle, he made his silent exit from the room.
Once the battle was finally over, Sol received a notification text from Micro on his HUD.
[Nice job with the Smash. But I suggest you hide now. The police are here and entering the building as we speak. And keep Crozz out of sight. Pretend to be unconscious and clueless if you can.]
Sighing, he made his way over to the pile of rubble that once covered him and cancelled the transformation. Crozz popped out from its hiding spot and picked up the driver, watch, and Fullbottles he had on hand. “Gotta…hide…” He then…buried himself under the pile of rubble that he previously broke out from.
Later...
“Alright one…two…three!” The rescue workers grunted as they lifted the massive slab of concrete from the pile.
“We found him!” One of the workers called out. “We need a medic!” Two more people rushed to the scene as they tended to the unconscious form of Sol Burner. Slowly, the teenage fighter stirred awake, blinking away at the blinding lights near his face. “He’s awake!”
From his peripheral vision, the teenager noticed a lot of people inside the stadium. Some of them had taped off areas. Others were clearing away the rubble. He even saw Iron Will get carried off on a stretcher.
Sol grunted as he tried to move, but the exhaustion from the previous two fights has caught up to him and he could barely lift himself. “Easy there.” The medic said. “You need to rest, kid.”
He complied. He didn’t have the energy to argue. At least he didn’t have to act like he was passed out as he just about did once he covered himself in rubble.
But now…the stressful night was finally over…
Later...
“Here is your cane, sir.” A suited bodyguard told Tirek as he handed over the walking stick.
“Ah…much obliged.” The frail elder smiled. The man then opened up a secret compartment in the handle, revealing well-concealed camera. He removed the item and handed it off to another of his workers. They hooked it up to a monitor to replay the recorded footage. “Now…let us see what you’ve seen, shall we?”
A few days had passed since the Rotor Smash’s attack at Canterlot Stadium. Since then, Sol had been placed in Canterlot Hospital to recover from his injuries. To the doctors and nurses’ surprise, he was spared from grievous injuries that one would expect from being buried under rubble after getting hit full force by a monster. Not a single broken bone. All he truly suffered from were some scrapes, bruises, and fatigue.
After some careful monitoring and rest, he was discharged and free to go. As he made his way to the lobby, he saw his friends crowded at the front desk. Some of them had been carrying flowers and Get Well Soon cards. Pinkie Pie was carrying a cake that had the same message written in icing.
“Sol Burner!” They cried as they took notice of his arrival and crowded around him. “What are you doing up and about?” Micro asked.
“Just got discharged. I’m free to go.” He grinned.
“Are you doing okay, though?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” Fluttershy asked in concern.
“Welcome back!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she balanced the cake on her head and picked him up in a bone crushing hug.”
“You had us all worried, darling.” Rarity voiced.
“Sorry about that…” Sol grunted as he wriggled around in Pinkie’s grasp. “I’m doing better though.”
“I’m surprised how you healed so fast.” Sunset stated.
“Surprisingly, I didn’t have broken bones. I just needed some rest after getting patched up, which was crazy since I was punched by a tornado.” He mused as the party planner set him down and gave him his cake.
“Well, we’re glad you’re doing fine. We just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing.” Twilight added.
“Thanks you guys…” Sol smiled gratefully. “That really means a lot.”
“No problem, dude.” Sandalwood smiled as he patted him on the back. “That’s what friends are for.”
“So, since you’re here, wanna grab a bite to eat?” Flash asked. “I’m sure the hospital food wasn’t too exciting. Believe me.”
“Sure. As long as meat’s involved. I could use the protein.”
Meanwhile…
At a disclosed location, Tirek had been holed up in an important meeting. Sitting across from him was none other than Blood Stalk.
“So…what do you think, Mr. Tirek?” The snake questioned.
“I must say. He has far surpassed my initial impression of him.” The old man said as he rewound the footage on the monitor.
The screen showed Cross-Z standing victoriously over the defeated Rotor Smash. Afterwards, it showed the Masked Rider canceling his transformation, revealing the exhausted form of Sol Burner.
“Indeed. Sol Burner is just exceeding all expectations we have of him.” Stalk chuckled with a clap. “I just can’t wait to see how far he’ll go!”
Lunch had been a rather...hectic affair. Given Sol's victory in his debut match, he had been swarmed by fans who wanted to talk with or get an autograph from him. It had been amusing...until the size of the mob increase and threatened to trample over all of them. Eventually, the crowd dwindled and dispersed, letting the teens have their meal in peace.
After eating, the Rainbooms split off from Team Build as they made their way to their respective homes. Meanwhile the four boys regrouped back at the laboratory. Micro had explained on the way that they finally have a lock on Pandora’s Box.
“So we know where our Fullbottles went?” Sol asked as the bespectacled teen pulled up the readings on the monitor.
“Yes. We got the location just before we went to visit you at the Hospital. Originally, we planned on waiting until you got better, but your sudden discharge works perfectly.”
“With you on board, we’re now ready to take back what’s ours.” Sandalwood added.
“It’s time to bring the attack on Faust.” Flash finished.
To be Continued…