//------------------------------// // Powerlust part 3 // Story: Never Alone // by SoloBrony //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash advanced on me with several quick jabs, and I did my best to swat them aside with my lead hand as I danced back. I hopped sideways, trying to throw off her straight-line momentum, but she caught my arm and I felt the pressure she was exerting. My combat instincts screamed at me to get free before a takedown could occur. I leapt backwards, rotating my body to pull my arm – and her with it – back towards me, and I tucked in my legs so I would land lower than I started. Rainbow lurched forward from the sudden change in momentum. "W-whoa!" I popped her across the face on sheer instinct, feeding her a left hook of soft glove, and then tucked in even further, breaking her hold on me and rolling onto my back, ready to buck her with both legs. She landed on my feet, and I gently shoved her off of me. Dash staggered back, a look of surprise and amusement on her face. "Dang, Cozy! I've never seen anyone get out of that takedown once I had the arm!" I grinned and bounced up to my feet, feeling a surge of pride and energy run over me. "Well, having some real fighting experience helps. Even though my body is way different, I still remember the feeling, y'know? The mindset. And when someone is bearing down on you like that, the key is to be more vicious and aggressive, to surprise them and interrupt their plan with violence-of-action before you can get encircled!" Sunset paused in her practice on the punching bag to lean against it and laugh. "Cozy, are you quoting The Art of War?" I huffed at her. "Paraphrasing! And it's a good book!" Rainbow Dash facepalmed and laughed. "Wow, I did not know an abstract book like that could result in you being so tough in the ring! I'm going to have to give it a look. And I have to admit, when I heard you had real combat experience, I was kinda nervous to spar with you rather than just training – I figured you would have trouble pulling your hits, but you actually did really well. My jaw doesn't even hurt." I folded my arms and smirked. "Well, a good fighter needs control most of all, and a hero can't just go around knocking ponies' heads off their shoulders. I had a lot more strength than I needed to deal with most monsters, so restraint was always really important!" Dash leaned down on her thighs and shook her head with a wild grin. "Kid, I can't believe you. You look young, but you sound like any old-school fighter I've ever heard." I shrugged, stretching out and resuming my stance. "I'm a veteran. Take it to the bank. Besides, I'm not that much shorter than you!" Dash snickered. "I noticed, trust me. I actually thought you were older than you are when Sunset first introduced us." I grinned and stretched out a fist. "Less yapping, more fighting!" She scoffed and tapped her fist against mine. We both carefully moved to circle, taking the measure of each other for a moment. She's quick on her feet, but she blocks with her legs when I kick at her midsection. So... I jumped towards her with a kick, causing her eyes to shoot wide and her arms and knee to combine into a solid block. I swept my leg under this barrier, flopping forward onto my hands and resuming an equine stance as I snapped my head around and aimed a quick heel kick at ankle she still had on the ground. Rainbow went over with a yelp, but she rolled backwards into a handspring. I was on her before she had even gotten her head up, but she still swatted aside my hits, and started backpedaling and parrying as I pressed the attack. Whoa, how'd she do that? Wait, she can predict my punches just from watching my hips? That's some crazy combat sense! I realized I wouldn't be able to break through her defenses, and considered withdrawing, but then I realized she was only defending so I would slow down. Her eyes were watching my forearms and wrists carefully. You want my arm, Dash? Here you go! I threw a slow backhand, and she grabbed it as I predicted. I snapped my whole body backwards like I was trying to throw a heavy object backward over my head, causing her to stagger forward, and I let her land on my elbow. There was an audible 'POP!' and she staggered off. "Owww! Dang!" She rubbed her jaw and smirked up at me, shaking her head. "We need to get you some elbow padding, that stung pretty bad even with you staying still. You're on fire today, jeez! I really thought I had you after I got out of that sweep!" I grinned, my breathing heavy from excitement rather than fatigue. She wasn't wrong; it really felt like a fire was on inside of me! "I guess I'm just really excited to get back to fighting! I forgot how much I enjoyed all of this!" Sunset strode over, an eyebrow quirked as she grinned. "Reminds you of better times?" I laughed. "No, it's just fun! What could be better than this?" Her brows shot up in surprise, and her smile broadened. "You're sure in high spirits, lately." I shrugged. "No reason not to be! Hey, I'm whooping up on the school's karate champion, I should feel awesome!" Rainbow belted out a laugh. "True enough, but you wouldn't stand a chance if I used my geode!" I squared off my stance, a competitive blaze overtaking me. "Yeah? Bring it!" I'll probably get whooped, but there's no telling until I see it! Rainbow's brows shot up in surprise, but she headed over to the bench and grabbed her geode anyway. "Alright, if you say so. I'll try to take it easy on you, but I really don't think you'll find a way to beat that kind of speed." We squared off, tapped gloves, and began circling. I barely saw a blur and felt an impact before I was on the ground. I concentrated, and realized she had run past me and simply shoved me over. Dash leaned over to look at me with a frown. "You okay? I figured this was a bad idea, but—" I lifted a hand, grin spreading further. "Let's go again." She quirked an eyebrow. "Okay...?" We tapped gloves, and this time I sprang backwards, getting some distance. She blurred in at me, but I predicted that and almost caught her with a clothesline. She slid under it, but I was already spinning to match her new direction, predicting that, too. And now, based on how she moves, she'll—! I went down into a crouching guard, letting my body drop as fast as possible, and jutted legs out. Like I'd thought, Rainbow went for a shoulder-tackle, and her ankles slammed into my legs, sending her flying over me. I whipped around and saw her catch herself in a running handstand, and took off after her. Good grief, a trip that bad and she still didn't go down?! I could hardly believe it, but she outran me on her hands and flipped back onto her feet. I had launched into a jumpkick, trying to close the distance as fast as possible, but I was back on the mat before I could even see how she had countered me. She pinned me there, holding my leg up, and we were both panting. Rainbow shook her head with a befuddled grin on her face. "Whoa. You really have fought supervillains, huh? That was—" I felt a strange mix of frustration and excitement explode in me. "Again! Let's go again! I'll get you this time!" Dash just laughed and hauled me to my feet. "If you say so! You're on!" Get ahead of her! She's going to be more cautious this time, trying to avoid leg traps and sweeps, and she's going to avoid big linear motions, so what's that mean?! Think! Think, Quillon, think! I blinked as I realized how I'd addressed myself, but bit it down. That wasn't important right now. Focus! There's a pattern to her movements with her hands and her legs! Every time she attacks with her hands, she braces in profile and strikes from the ground, while she tends to parry on the move. That's why her mobile attacks are so predictable and vulnerable! They're untrained! I breathed heavily as we returned to the center of the mat, mind racing. That means she's going to try to use her footspeed to get close, and then try to attack quickly from a stationary position. If I could strike that stationary position as she's coming to a stop, she'll be mid-transition between defense and offense; she'll be open! But I'm not fast enough! I grit my teeth as we tapped gloves and started circling. I tossed a quick jab at Dash, and she leapt back reflexively and swatted it aside. And here she comes on my right... As predicted, Dash sped around on my right with her unnatural speed. I threw a kick where I knew she would stop, but she saw it coming and barely managed to avoid it, weaving around it and using my extended leg to drag me to the floor. She smirked at me. "Sorry, kid, but I don't think you can overcome that speed gap." I slammed a fist into the mat. "Let's keep going!" She recoiled slightly. "Are you sure you're okay to—" I took a deep breath. "Yes. I'm okay, I'm just fired up! I want to keep trying until I get it!" She grinned and nodded. "Okay, as long as it's all in good fun!" I opened my mouth to respond, but snapped it shut. This isn't just all in good fun for me. I need to be stronger, or the next big fight I get in could be my last. I need be careful not to hurt Dash's feelings, though. She's trying to help me, here, and we both want to have fun. I nodded and took another deep breath, which just seemed to fan the furnace inside of me. "I might get a little overzealous, but I'm having a great time. No hard feelings, right?" I extended a hand, and Dash gripped my forearm, surprising me. I returned the grip, and she nodded. "Right, no hard feelings. I'll be really impressed if you find a way to beat me at this speed." There's got to be a way. If I was just a little faster... We tapped gloves, and started circling again. I'd already read her movement patterns, so I just focused everything I had on the fight. And then she attacked, I struggled to fend her off, and I went down. And I got back up. And I went down again, and I got back up, over and over again. After a half-dozen times, both of us were panting hard. Rainbow smiled, sweat visible on her face. "Okay, I think I can go one more round, but after that, I'm going to need to take a break. You really force me to go all-out!" I grit my teeth. One more try. We tapped gloves, and I felt a surge of anger, competition, and determination run through me. I need to be just a little faster! Just a little! I willed my aching legs to put out more speed, to just keep up with this crazy girl for a second. I adjusted my stance, imagining the exact way she would attack, visualizing it. Sunset's voice called out in surprise. "Uh, girls?" Dash came in at me, and I felt almost like time had slowed down. A sense of deja vu came over me as her blurring form matched my mental image perfectly, and I relaxed my body, waiting for the exact moment she came into range. Then I beat her to the punch, just barely slipping past her fist to sink a shot on her face. It was a light hit, and she just took a surprised step back, but I knew her hips would be locked for the tiniest fraction of a second, and I feinted a second punch. With her superspeed, her overreaction was exaggerated; she threw both hands to cover the second hit, also going for a counter attack, but I had dropped my head under that position, going for a shot at her gut. It was a perfectly-executed attack, but her insane speed made it pointless; my fist hit her raised knee, and I saw I was now wide open to a counter. Damnit! Faster! FASTER! My mind snapped back to the Flying Hydra Punch, the combat magic I had studied to get stronger, faster. I tried to concentrate my magic, but without a horn, it felt more like my whole body was going haywire instead. I had already imagined her counterpunch. I saw it coming, and I twisted my body away from it, my hands too low to guard with. Instead, I swatted her fist aside with my wing – far faster than my hands, in any case – and jumped up, letting my wing spring wide open directly into her face. Rainbow staggered back and fell to her rump, and I just jumped and fistpumped into the air. "Hah! Yes! I got you! Just once, I got you!" Rainbow stared at me in bafflement. "Uhh... Cozy? When did you get wings?" I cocked my head. "Uh, I'm a pega... uhhh..." I looked over at the wing I had hit her in the face with. It took me a second to fully comprehend that I shouldn't have that, and I laid my ears back and smiled sheepishly. "Umm, they're new? Eheheh, sorry...?" Sunset walked up to me, her eyes wide with excitement. "Cozy, you ponied up! I didn't even know you could do that!" She looked my wings over with excitement, and I twitched my tail in irritation. Then I realized I had a tail and whipped my head around to look at it. "Whoa, what the heck? What is all of this? Why do I have a tail, wings, and..." I felt my ears. They were definitely pony ears. "And these?" Sunset laid a hand on my shoulder, and the contact quelled my rising concerns immediately. "It's okay! All of us have done it, I just didn't expect it here and now! Whenever one of us uses our special talents or we get really excited from stuff like putting on a rock show with our friends, we, well," she gestured at my wings, "we take on our pony forms! I'm really happy for you!" I let the shock wash out of me, twitching my wings. "It is pretty cool. So, does this happen to all humans, or...?" Rainbow walked up with a grin and chuckled. "Not even close! It's just our group of friends – y'know, because all of us have so much exposure to Equestrian magic." "Huh..." I took that in as I examined the black crystal seam in my wing. There was a cascade of subdued rainbow colors shimmering through it whenever the light hit it. "Well, I guess I do have an awful lot of magic to tap into..." Sunset caught my eye and smiled. "Cozy? I don't think you have anything to worry about, okay?" I took a second to think that over, and I smiled back at her. "Got it. So, should we go another round now that I have my wings, or...?" Rainbow held up a hand and huffed. "Jeez, Cozy, you just don't quit! Look, we need to hit the showers and get you home before it gets too late, and I need a rest anyway. We can give it another shot some other day, okay?" I nodded, and we headed to the lockers to get our clothes and head to the showers. Sunset caught my attention shortly just as I was closing my locker up. "So, Cozy, I saw you land that hit on Dash just before you ponied up. Like I said, it's usually our special talents that bring the transformation out, so... I guess I was curious what was going through your head?" I stopped and thought back, cupping my chin. "I guess I was trying to predict her? Like, as pinpoint and precise as possible, imagining the exact way she'd move and strategizing to beat her speed." Sunset seemed pretty impressed by that, leaning back and folding her arms. "Wow. I guess you really are a strategist at heart, even in a fistfight." I grinned. "Don't you forget it. This timeline might not have seen what Quillon can do, but I'll show you guys eventually." The rest of our time in the gym and the trip back home went uneventfully, until I got home. I opened the door to find Mom standing on top of the couch, swaying unevenly and trying to play a violin, poorly. I gawped. "Uhh... Mom?" I nearly jumped out of my skin when another Mom walked in from the kitchen, with a distinctly unamused expression. "Cozy." I looked at her, looked back at the other-Mom, and then back. I instinctively drew myself into a fighting stance. "O-okay, whichever one of you is a changeling, I'm just going to give you one warning! I'm—" Mom cut me off with a wave of her hoof and an eyeroll. "No, sweetie, neither of us is a changeling. This," she gestured at the drunken mare on the couch, who waved at us cheerily, "is Vice-Principal Luna, my counterpart from the human world." I took a second to process that. "Oooh, she was the one on the couch this morning!" Mom nodded, fixing me with a stern glare. "Indeed she was. The very same couch that had a mysterious bottle of moonshine next to it. In addition, I found another capped mug of buttered rum in your room." I facehoofed. "Oh, no! I meant to put that in the freezer!" She scoffed in consternation. "I took care of that, but I demand you tell me where this alcohol has come from this instant!" I started. "Oh, right! I was asleep when Sunny brought me back, so I never got a chance to tell you about that. Sorry, it completely slipped my mind." Mom just stared at me like I'd grown an extra head. For a moment I wondered if I had ponied up again, or something. "Sweetie. You do realize that you should not be going out and purchasing alcohol, unsupervised, correct? And who is this 'Sunny' – do you mean to say your cousin has been supplying you with alcohol from the human world?!" I groaned. "No, no, it's way more complicated than that. Look, you know how I came over from another timeline? The reason I dropped out of the timelines Discord could track on the way was that I ended up in a sort of... pocket-dimension bar-thingy, run by another version of Sunset Shimmer. She helped me keep it together when I thought I was losing everything by coming back." Mom just stared at me for a few moments, and then sighed and rubbed her head. "That is far too absurd a story to be a lie, isn't it?" I buzzed my wings irritably. "Hey, look, I just decided to blame it all on Discord. And besides, you said I could have two buttered rums on special occasions! I didn't break the rules!" Mom looked confused, but then her eyes shot open in realization. "Ah, yes, the other me did say that to you, didn't she...? But it is still unacceptable for you to run off to this bar whenever you—" She paused, looking at me, and then she sighed and trotted up to me. My body seized up reflexively, expecting some kind of punishment, but she just sat down next to me and pressed in close. "I believe I understand what occurred, now. You went to speak to this 'Sunny' because you were upset last night, didn't you?" I pressed back into her, my body shaking from the wave of relief I felt at having avoided a fight. "Y-yeah, I thought it would be better than freaking you out even more. And she really helped! Both Sunsets are... really great friends." Mom smiled at me, while the other Luna belted out an off-tune song and tried to get the violin to cooperate. "I am glad you have such supportive ponies in your life, Cozy." I decided not to correct her on the species as she continued, "It does ease my concerns to know you have others you can turn to when I am unavailable. You do understand why I was so worried when I saw you had alcohol lying about the house, right?" I scoffed, smirking at her. "Duh. Little fillies shouldn't go around drinking randomly; that's not that complicated. You don't need to worry, I'm fully aware of how risky alcohol can be for someone my age, and I'm not going to go getting addicted or something. It's not like I wanted to drink without supervision, or whatever; Sunny's a responsible adult, and I didn't even go there to drink anyway, really. I didn't even have any." Mom wrapped a wing over me and drew me in close, and I reveled in the warmth coming from under the cover. She snickered. "You are a very independent child, Cozy. It can be difficult for me to know where to draw the line or put my hoof down with you, but I am here to support you. I do appreciate the trust you showed in me by revealing the existence of this other friend of yours." I giggled nervously. "W-well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wonder how you'd take it, but Sunny felt it was important for me to tell you, too. The moonshine was her idea." Mom glared at the carousing mare on the couch, who had now taken to making little lights dance out of her horn and giggling at them. "I doubt this was what she intended for it." I snickered. "Yeah, probably not." Mom looked at me. "So where were you today? I was growing quite worried when you did not arrive before the sun set." I started. "Oh, sorry! I did write you a note, didn't you get it? I left it in the kitchen!" Mom stared at me flatly, and then turned her gaze to the mare on the couch, her voice rising in volume considerably. "Luna, what did you do with the note in the kitchen?!" The other Luna whipped around in surprise, and spent several seconds staring at Mom in confusion before she looked down at the table. Where there was a glass of glowing moonshine. On a familiar piece of paper. Mom and I groaned and facehoofed simultaneously.