"I have to admit...it's kinda funny to see you like this," Rainbow Dash giggled.
Sagat said nothing to dignify her words with a response, but he assumed that he did look ridiculous. The seven foot, monster of a man was covered head to toe in bandages and casts, most of which had to be made rather quickly for some one of his stature. The only one that the nurses and doctors could find on such short notice were those designed for Zangief. Now that he was properly wrapped, Sagat spent the rest of his day sitting out in the garden.
"Using the tigers fire from your hooves to fly. I must admit it was a brilliant play," Sagat said. "Wouldn't work for me though. I am too heavy. Your lightweight gave you an advantage that I never could have predicted."
"Wish I could take all the credit for being so awesome, but that trick belongs to my little buddy here," Rainbow Dash said. She pulled Scootaloo into a one arm hugged, getting the foals eyes to light up. "And she also figured out that I could use my one wing to steer while in the air. Isn't she incredible?"
"Indeed. Perhaps I will train her now instead of you," Sagat replied.
"Heh, you're joking, right?" Rainbow asked. Sagat replied with a smile. "Sagat? Uh, master?"
"I can't believe that you would willingly give into that power," Fluttershy stated. "The Satsui no Hado. Such evil, vile power. I've seen what it does to good people."
"Do you truly think me so weak that I would give into its temptation for power?" Sagat spat. Fluttershy let out a squeak and hid behind Applejack. "I defeated that demon long ago. It was simply a tool for you to overcome your own weakness. Once it served its purpose, it was easy to dispose of."
"That's pretty impressive considering what it did to Ryu," Applejack pointed out.
"Ryu has always struggled with his demons. It is something he will have to deal with the rest of his life," Sagat replied. "We all have our own demons that we must overcome. Rainbow's is her arrogance. From the look of things, Fluttershy's is her cowardice."
"And Sagat's is how he can't move any of his limbs right now," Rainbow teased. Then a wicked idea came to her and she smirked up at Sagat, who gazed at her with a stone face.
"Do your worst."
"I bet that cast is really itchy right now," Rainbow said. Sagat's face didn't move. "I can't imagine how much putting on that cast, being forced to sit still and all of the bugs out here would make me itch. I mean, if it was me, I'd be itching like crazy."
"Rainbow Dash..." Applejack warned.
"I mean, the air is itchy enough as it is, but with casts on, oh it's bad. And trust me, I've ended up in my fair share of casts, so I know just how bad they can itch," Dash continued on. Then she peeked up at Sagat to see if there was any change.
"Is that all you have to say to me?" Sagat asked her. "You have wasted your breath and my time."
"Hmph, you're no fun."
"Where are the rest of your friends?" Sagat asked Applejack. "They were with you when I went into the hospital, but when I came out most of you had left."
"Rarity had to go back to work, Pinkie has a family to take care of and Twilight...if she passes her test on Friday she'll finally be allowed out of the asylum." Sagat raised an eyebrow at that. "Ah'm still here to support Rainbow Dash. While she seems like she's better, ah figured ah'd stick around to see if it sticks."
"Aw, you do care," Rainbow teased. Applejack rolled her eyes in response, but smiled back anyway.
"And I'm here because Discord had a meeting with the princesses. Considering it's been a few days now, I guess what he meant by meeting was annoying them for days on end," Fluttershy added on. Sagat turned his gaze towards her once more and she vanished behind AJ. "But don't worry, if anything comes up we'll all be here faster than you can cast a spell."
Hmm...and speaking of spells..."
A flash of green light went off in the garden and three beings appeared before the group. Two of them were pony looking creatures with black shells and holes in their legs, with one missing a leg and the other being much shorter than the former. And the third member was a fighter Sagat knew all too well.
"Faust, why did we have to come here? I hate it here," Chrysalis grumbled.
"Come on mom, you promised to stop using her name. If you don't she promised to continue to hide firecrackers around our home again," Insectum warned.
"I do not know why you hate it so, Chrysalis. It is lovely here! Almost as lovely as Mother Russia!" Zangief laughed. The three then turned their eyes to the other group and different reactions flashed across their faces. Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at Sagat, Insectum waved to her pony friends and Zangief laughed once more. "Sagat! How good to see you again! I can tell that you have been doing some serious fighting."
"If by fighting, you mean losing to Rainbow Dash, then yes, I have been fighting," Sagat replied. Zangief then turned his gaze towards Rainbow, who managed to meet his stare without flinching.
"Ah, has the sparrow regained some of her former glory?" Zangief asked.
"No, Zangief. I am beyond where I was when we first fought and definitely way past where our last fight happened," Rainbow Dash corrected him.
"Such fire! Truly you seem like your old self!" Zangief said with a laugh. Then he shifted his gaze over towards Sagat, looking at the injuries the fighter had received. Sagat nodded slightly to Zangief with a smile, getting Zangief to cross his arms and nod. "And you have his approval. I think I know why we have been called here."
"You have figured it out. Zangief...I challenge you!" Rainbow Dash declared. Both Fluttershy and Applejack gasped, Insectum and Chrysalis looked at Rainbow as if she was crazy, while both Sagat and Gief nodded their heads.
"I accept, little spa...rainbow tiger," Zangief replied. "Chrysalis will decide the when and where. If you would not mind."
Rainbow Dash nodded and followed Zangief over to where Chrysalis and Insectum were standing. Applejack followed after them as well, but before Fluttershy could follow a grunt from Sagat caught her attention.
"Fluttershy, was it?" he asked. "Can you do me a favor."
"Y-yes? What is it?" she asked. Then she noticed how Sagat was practically writhing in his chair. "Ah. Hang on, I've got a backscratcher with me somewhere."
"You sure about this Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked. "Ah mean, ah believe in ya more than anypony else, but...this is Zangief. Create tornados with spins, throw a dragon into orbit and beat Faust in a steel cage match. That Zangief."
"I can beat him. I know it," Rainbow Dash replied.
"Of course she can! She's Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cut in.
"Whether you can or not, I don't care. But there's a lot of good bits and press to be made with a rematch between the two of you," Chrysalis replied. Shen flicked her tongue between her smile and could already taste the money. "Oh, how much can I charge for the rematch of the century...?"
"No," Dash replied. Chrysalis looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "I'm not fighting in some large stadium or for money. I want it to be a basic fight...a street fight, if you will. Me and him. That's it."
"You don't want the spotlight? The fans screaming your name? The bits?" Chrysalis asked. Rainbow gave her a glare in response. Chrysalis smirked and let out a chuckle. "Maybe you are different. Alright then, where do you want the fight to take place?"
"Where it all began for me. The outskirts of Ponyville," Rainbow replied. "That is where I first came down here. That's where I hid away when I thought I had failed. It's the perfect place. Just you and me, Zangief. My friends too. I assume you'll also want to be there?"
"And miss out on Zangief kicking your flank again? Of course I'll be there," Chrysalis smirked.
"I guess I'll be there as well, since somepony has to be impartial," Insectum added on. "You all good with this, Zangief?"
"Of course I am," Zangief replied. "It has been so long since I truly got to fight you, Rainbow Dash. I hope you can be just as impressive as you were when we fought all those years ago."
"I'll be even better," Rainbow promised.
"Good!...you'll need to be," Zangief replied. "How about tomorrow? A fight like this should never be made to wait."
"Tomorrow it is," Rainbow Dash agreed. She then looked down at her hoof and let fire burn through it. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she would finally avenge her loss against Zangief. She would show that she was still as good, if not better, than she had always been. But most importantly...she would leave everything in the ring.
She would win.