It was getting late when I woke up in what seemed to be a bed with a white sheet. I remembered now, Light had knocked me out and I had to be taken to the infirmary, yes, that must be it. The right hand he gave me was impressive, and even though I could feel a little out of it, I wondered if I could ever pull off such impressive knockouts.
In any case, I'm sure of two things:
1) I beat Rainbow Dash and that makes this one of the best days ever at the academy.
2) I really like boxing now and I plan to put my heart and soul into it tomorrow.
"You're finally up." said a voice that made me turn my head towards the front door.
It was Spitfire coming towards me, I don't know if she waited for me to get up, but she wanted to talk to me, judging by the look in her eyes. Now that I think about it, I slept through most of the day to watch the sun slowly disappear from the sky.
"Do you think you can go home after that?" she said, alluding to the right that I could still feel.
"Oh don't worry Captain, I can still walk and fly, no problem." I said as I straightened up.
I smiled at her to make her understand the message, but she was making a face I had never seen before: a mixture of pensive and doubtful, almost disappointed with herself.
I raised an eyebrow at this expression before she replied by sitting on the bed next to me.
"Listen Thunderlane, I know I haven't always been very lenient with you!" She began. "I pushed you to the limit because I saw your potential, and so far I've been right to do so," she said before looking me in the eye. "But now I'm worried."
Worried... about her? Worried?
I misunderstood her statement, actually remembering I'd never seen her in that kind of state. I felt I should have said something but she cut me off before I could speak.
"For the first time, I had the feeling that you were in danger! Even at the training camp in the snowy mountains or the one with the roaring storms, I hadn't felt anything like that with you or the others," she said before putting her hand on my shoulder. "I want you to know that I won't force you to continue, and if you have the slightest hesitation during the tournament, I'll throw the towel away." she told me as seriously as she had never been.
It's astonishing to see her act like that, she's usually so closed with emotions, from what I've seen in more than a year anyway. She was finally showing me that she was a captain who not only knew how to give orders, but also how to care about her comrades. Dare I speak of friendship? After all, even though he still has the borderline of the professional category, we've been rubbing shoulders and talking to each other for a year now.
It didn't take me very long to think about what to say, and I gave him a motivated look back to answer him.
"Know one thing, Spitfire, today's matches made me realize I love boxing and I'll never stop trying my best to make it to the end this time!"
With a sudden burst of courage, I decided to get out of bed, quickly noticing that my body was responding perfectly to my requests for movement. I never stopped looking like him before continuing.
"I want to represent wonderbolts at the Equestria boxing championships, that's the one you signed me up for, isn't it?" Did I ask, before I went on. "Tell me everything I need to know about this tournament so that my goal is clear." I said, clenching my fists in front of her face, a clear sign of motivation that she was asking us herself.
Judging by her growing smile and the fact that she was standing up in turn, I deduce that my answer satisfied her more than enough.
"This is the biggest boxing tournament ever created, all species can participate, stallions as mares, eagles as minotaurs, dragons as any other creature. It brings together the best boxers from all the top sports clubs in the world, and for the first time ever, Wonderbolts will participate!" She said with a seldom-heard enthusiasm.
"I'LL DO MY BEST AS CAPTAIN!" Suddenly shouted with excitement before standing up straight as usual.
"I don't doubt it, but for that you need a good night's rest, so go home!" She said before she greeted me proudly. "I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU A CHAMPION, REST!" Did she announce before she let me go.
So without looking to see if Soarin or Rainbow Dash were there, I set off for Cloudstale by air. Strangely enough, the pain in my wings was beginning to diminish by force, either it's habitual or I'm too happy to pay any attention to it.
I am going to represent the wonderbolts in a new competition, and I will be the first one since the wonderbolts exist. I don't intend to disappoint them and would proudly wear our team colors.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
I finally saw a light on from the window of our apartment, where I live with Rumble. We had to take the first available home because of the death of our parents just over a year ago. I remember we decided to pray on the day one year after their death. I don't believe too much in superstitious or religious things, but you never know, and then the silence in the room was good at that time.
As soon as the door was open, I barely put a foot inside that my little brother jumped on me with his arms wide open, taking me in a warm embrace.
"BIG BROTHER, I WAITED A LONG TIME FOR YOU, I WAS AFRAID YOU WOULDN'T COME BACK! JUST LIKE MOM AND DAD!" He nodded in a tone that surprised me.
He's still affected, and he's afraid for his big brother, he's afraid that besides being an orphan, he's also afraid of being alone. I wasted no time to give him a hug and calm him down about the situation.
"Don't worry Rumble, I'll never abandon you, death itself will not separate us, I promise you!" Whispered in his attentive ear as he shed his first and only tear on my chest.
I wiped away his tear with my finger as he looked into my eyes. I gave him my biggest smile and it worked, as he too began to show me a happy face.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting, I was talking to my captain and didn't see the time go by!" I said.
Sleep certainly makes time go by at a speed, I feel my body which hasn't worked today.
"O-Okay, come on, I've made dinner." he said, pulling me inside.
My little brother is really adorable, when I think that I'm doing all this for him, I don't regret my choice at all. He's always been a fan of wonderbolts like all the Pegasus of his age, except for me. He even pushed me to try my luck at the academy, and I did well to follow my heart which told me to accept. I just wanted to please him, show him that I was a cool big brother, and in the end I ended up being a celebrity and enjoying it.
But unlike most foals his age, he was able to show great maturity, often more so than I did. He already had the keys to the house and was making his way from here to his school on his own by now. He was often my assistant while I cooked and helped me with small tasks, but I could hardly believe that he could already know how to cook something.
It was while eating with him that I wondered about the question that had been titillating me since the beginning of this training. When should I talk to him about it?
On the one hand, I tell myself that he would understand the situation and my choice, but on the other hand, he will surely think that I am putting myself in unnecessary danger and will beg me to stop before I leave "like mom and dad".
"What's the matter, big brother, you're not eating, it's not good?" He asked hesitantly, almost as if he was going to apologize for the quality of the food.
By the way, it was very good.
"No, that's not it!" I said annoyed, which he noticed.
I already knew it was too late, that he was bound to...
"Well, what is it then?"
...ask me what was wrong. I sighed as I looked at my plate... ...and saw that it made my little brother tremble, afraid for me again. When it's time to go, as they say.
"Okay, I didn't necessarily want to tell you now, but I will." I started looking him in the eye.
He was curled up in his chair, his knees against his chest and his arms wrapped around him like a knot. It was adorable again, but that wasn't the point. I gave him the same look that I had when I had to confess to him the death of our parents and finally threw myself at him.
"Listen, Rumble, what I'm about to tell you is important and deserves your full attention!"
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"...and I'm going to play in this tournament, because it's not only my job, it's my goal!"
I had finished my speech that my little brother hadn't moved from his place. He was still in the same position, the same look in his eyes, probably processing everything I had said to him. I was still wondering how he would react, whether it was reasonable or purely exaggerated.
It was absolutely not the best time to tell him everything, still having the tragic memory of last year fresh in his mind, but I had to. I couldn't hide it from him forever anyway. I swallowed it while I waited for his reaction.
We looked into each other's eyes for long seconds, before we saw that something was growing in his pupils.
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE!!" He screamed as he leapt with his wings over the table to my chest again.
He wrapped his arms around me, not wanting to let go, and rightly so. I understood his reaction, but he had to understand mine.
"Listen to Rumble, I..."
"I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO, I LOVE YOU BIG BROTHER, I'D NEVER LET YOU GO LIKE MOM AND DAD!"
"IT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM!" I'm saying this a little too loud.
Rumble stopped strictly at the sound of my screams, remembering I could be direct when I had to be. He hung on to me as I took a breath and continued wrapping one arm around him.
"I'm not going to leave Rumble! Yes, boxing is a combat sport that can be dangerous, but the vast majority of professionals retire with their bodies without serious or disabling injuries."
I raised my head so I wouldn't catch his eye as I went on, paying no attention and his head coming up towards me.
"My captain told me she would be proud to accompany me on this journey, she and all my friends, wonderbolts or not." but then I said my first tear was forming.
Rumble was silent again, simply looking at me, starting to cry and listening to my voice going into something more and more broken.
"I can't fly like I used to... I can't do what I used to like... I love it so much but I can't..."
I felt the embrace tighten a little more as I started to lower my head towards him.
"But all along, the reason I was doing all this was to make you proud, Rumble, proud of your big brother whom you admire so much."
I'd finally reached his eyes with mine, and a tear would fall from both of our eyes at the same time, before I finished.
"There's only one thing that matters to me, Rumble!" I took a deep breath before I said, "Will you be proud of me?"
Rumble kept in touch with me for several seconds, but I knew he understood my question. It was the first time I'd ever given myself over to him like that, even after our parents died, I'd made myself seem less emotionally affected.
Only a more concentrated embrace around my neck gave me the answer, he whispered to me between his repeated cries.
"I'll always be proud of you, big brother!"
That was all I needed to hear, I let all the water out of my body drain through my eyes as I wrapped my second arm around him as well to keep him as close to me as possible. We didn't say anything more for long minutes, just trying to take more regular breaths and dry our tears.
When I was finished, I focused on him again, and still heard sobs. I stroked his dark mane to reassure him.
"Come on Rumble, let's finish your delicious meal, have a nice shower and go to bed!" I said as I began to smile.
"Big brother, y-you're the best big brother in the world!" He said.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
The next morning I went to the wonderbolt academy again after preparing Rumble for school, and the usual little teasing between brothers.
I arrived with an unparalleled determination, no one in all of Equestria could be more motivated than me to train now.
"Hey Thunderlane!" interrupted me in a voice I recognize very well.
"Hey Soarin." I said as I turned around.
"Uh... Spitfire tells me you're all right, that's great!" He said as he saw that I was at my best.
"Yeah, don't worry about me, I couldn't be in better shape than I am right now!" I confirmed it by wanting to show my muscles not very visible, at least for the moment.
"Ah, our new star is here." said a voice that belonged to Spitfire as it approached from behind Soarin. "Come on, come on, hurry up!" She said, spanking me as she waved me into the gym.
I nodded and followed her with Soarin behind me. We entered the training room which was unrecognizable. The locations of the devices had changed to leave a space in the right-hand corner of the room, right next to the bay window. And in that corner was what made me smile even more than Pinkie pie herself.
Four punching bags were set up next to a boxing ring with the wonderbolt symbol in the center. I could also see a bag full of light blue boxing gloves waiting for me to pull out a pair. This badge was also on all the bags and even on a package that Spitfire gave me.
"Here, it's yours!" She said, presenting it to me with both hands.
"Wow, how did you arrange all this in such a short time, Captain?" Soarin asked as I took the Spitfire bid in my hands.
"I would remind you that we are the wonderbolts, the fastest pegasus in Equestria." she said, looking proudly at the new gym.
What was in that package was a boxing outfit, a beautiful light blue shorts with a gold stripe on each side, the same colors as the classic outfits. Except this one was for me. I was even entitled to a pair of sneakers in the same colors, all just for me.
I felt like I was going to cry again, but with pure joy this time. I would be so strong with the package in my hands that I would tear it up without realizing it. Eventually I sniffed to stop more tears from flowing, which Soarin noticed.
"Hey Thunderlane, are you all right?" He asked me as he got closer.
I didn't answer right away, wiping my face with an arm before raising my head towards my captain and my buddy. Spitfire had its arms folded, smiling and waiting for my answer.
"Yes Soarin... just moved!" I said.
"THUNDERLANE, COME HERE AND LET ME GET MY REVENGE!" Called out a mare's voice, obviously still frustrated by yesterday's defeat, already in the ring.
"Sure, Rainbow Dash, here I come!" I said before I stepped forward, determined to accept any challenge she and any wonderbolt would throw at me.