//------------------------------// // A Path Her Own // Story: The Muay Tiger // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// With one last sigh, Rainbow finished packing her things into a small bag. She hadn't brought much. Some personal items, a few photos from better times...and the small flag that Scootaloo had given her. But she forced herself to smile. This wasn't the end of her story. It was the beginning of the next chapter. And like with all good stories, things needed to change. And so did she. With one last look at her old home, which she was really glad that she didn't have to clean up anymore, she turned and headed off...only to stop dead when she saw Scootaloo, Applejack and all of her friends standing behind her. "You guys teleport behind me or something? Didn't hear you coming." "Are you sure about this?" Applejack asked. "Leaving behind everything and everypony you've ever known..." "It's not like I'm leaving forever. It's just...I need to do this," Rainbow Dash said. "For a long time, I was the faster flier in Equestria. Then I was it's best fighter. Then I was scowling stumpy. But now...who am I? I've learned a new fighting style, I've learned lessons I never thought I would learn and I've even learned how to accept defeat gracefully. So who does that make me? That's what I need to figure out." "Are you sure that you don't want some company? Maybe one of us to come with you?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash shook her head and ruffled Scootaloo's mane. "Sorry, lil' sis, but this is a journey that I have to figure out for myself. But you know, that's not a bad thing," Rainbow Dash replied. "And I think it's about time I travel the entire world. For too long I've been focused on only Equestria and the Changeling Empire, while there are so many other lands and beings out there to meet. Beings to learn from...and challenge." "So you're going to travel the world, looking for fights and the meaning of yourself in the heart of battle? That sounds an awful lot like Ryu," Twilight pointed out. Her friends all looked at her with worried eyes before they looked back to Rainbow Dash, who stared at Twilight for a moment before she smirked and nodded her head. "I guess it does. Who knew that I had so much in common with that wandering hobo?" Dash asked. Then she looked at all of her friends and smiled once more. "I know that this isn't what you want to hear. I know that you'd rather make up for lost time and try to get us all back to being friends like we used to be. And I want that too, I really do. But first...I need to do this. To settle the last demon that still burns inside of me." Her friends all shared the same concerned look with one another and she knew that they were still worried about her. Then Scootaloo stepped forward and held out a hoof to Rainbow Dash. "Then I won't say goodbye. I will just say until we meet again," she said. Rainbow smiled at the foal and shook her hoof. "I'm just glad to have you back...to have the mare I admire so much back. So take your time figuring out who you are. Because I already know." "Oh yeah? Then who am I?" "Easy. You're Rainbow Dash." Rainbow smirked at that answer and nodded. "You're wiser than I thought, Scootaloo," Rainbow said. "Take care of yourself. All of you. And...thanks. For always having my back, even when I don't deserve it." "What are friends for?" Applejack asked. Rainbow waved to them one last time before she started to head out. She walked away from her home, past the town of Ponyville, over the hills on the outside of town, before coming to a stop as she crossed another figure, one that she wasn't sure if she was going to see again or not. "Master," she greeted with a bow. "Tiger," Sagat replied with a nod. "I am surprised to still see you here. I thought for sure that once you were done training me that you would head back to your own world. After all, don't you have your own foes to vanquish and all that?" Rainbow asked. "I considered going back to my own world. But then I realized that I still had more work to do here," Sagat revealed. "After all, just because you managed to overcome yourself this time does not mean that you will not slip again. Then there is the matter of who will look after your ego if I am not here. And without a skilled enough sparring partner, your skills will diminish once again." "That's an awful lot of words to simply say that you just want to stick around because you'll miss me," Rainbow said with a wink. Sagat rolled his eye at the mare before a thin smile crossed his face. "Perhaps I would miss you. After all, I have learned as much from you in the time that I have been here as you have learned from me," he said. "Oh really? Like what?" "I have learned how to use powerful attacks to keep one mobile. I have learned that by channeling the right amount of flame one can fly through the air. And I have also learned that even the worst of us can learn to simply love what we do instead of being consumed by the desire to be the best at it," Sagat replied. "The worst of us? That's an awful lot of smack talk coming from the bronze medal." "Bronze medal?" "Yeah. You beat Ryu, I beat you and Zangief beat me. That puts me at silver and you at bronze," Rainbow Dash replied. "Yet Ryu beat us both, so shouldn't he be-" "Ah, details," Rainbow cut him off. She then let out a chuckle and stared at the sky, which was turning pink as the sun started to set. "I'm actually excited again. Excited to be training, traveling and fighting once more. I can't remember the last time I was excited for all of that. Even when I was at my peak, all I cared about was winning. Everything else was just extra. But now, I'm excited to...live." "Hmph, that's quite the mature outlook to have. I does not suit the mare I know. Perhaps I kicked you in the head one too many times." "Well I've been meaning to pay you back for some of those, so if you want to go again..." Dash teased. She took up her fighting stance, but Sagat held up a hand and shook his head. "There would be no point. As I am now, I cannot defeat you. But perhaps after traveling this land and learning some new things...after all, I taught you the secret of my home land. Perhaps it is time you returned the favor." "You want to learn about the different Equis fighting styles? Sure. Traveling's always more fun with a friend. So where do you want to head first? The plains that house the zebras? The mountains that shelter the griffons. The yaks? Please don't say the yaks." Sagat bent over and picked up a few strands of grass that he then tossed into the air. The wind took hold of them and blew them in a direction to the east. "We shall go wherever the land wants us to go." "I can agree with that." The two turned and walked off, following the wind on their path. Rainbow didn't know where it was going to lead, but for the first time in a long time, she was alright with that. Because for the first time, she finally felt like herself. And because now she knew it wasn't about being constantly better than everypony else. It was about constantly surpassing herself. One day she knew she would defeat Zangief. But until that day came, she would enjoy the journey. "So, any chance that I can handle Ryu the way I am now?" "Not a chance. But maybe one day..." Sagat muttered. He then looked towards the horizon, towards the future, and a smile crossed his face. "Yes, one day perhaps you will be able to defeat him. Provided you give your all." "Well you don't need to worry about that. I always-" "OPEN!" CRACK! "FAUST FREAKING DAMMIT!"