//------------------------------// // Preparation for A Showdown // Story: Rainbow Dash's Unstoppable Ego // by MagicS //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash deigned to not be dragged off by the nurses along with Graham. That could happen later. For now she wanted to watch the rest of the fights. More specifically she wanted to watch Sia’Lorna’s fight. So it was a blessing and a curse that they were right next to each other in the bracket, she didn’t have to wait at all. When she made it back to the competitor’s area she gave a brief nod to Sia’Lorna as she walked past and then took a seat to watch. Sia’Lorna stepped into the ring with a buck who was twice her size and looked like he could pretty much just fall on top of her and win the fight that way. And yet, he was the one who looked wary about facing her. While ignoring the pain from her injuries, Rainbow Dash watched as the referee spoke to the two of them and went over the same thing he did with her and Graham. After that he gave the signal to Tiza’Nogt that the match could begin. Rainbow Dash was practically tipping over because of how much she was leaning towards the ring in anticipation. She wanted to see what Sia’Lorna could do and how fast this match would go once the trumpet was blown. The high-pitched sound of the trumpet rang out and the fight began with Sia’Lorna’s opponent instantly thrusting a hoof forward and attempting to strike her in the face. It was a straightforward jab that had good speed behind it, Rainbow Dash wanted to see exactly how Sia’Lorna handled this kind of attack. The Reindeer doe leaned away from it. Leaned just every so slightly to the side so that his hoof sailed past her face and struck nothing but empty air. It was the smallest possible movement she used to completely dodge his attack. When the buck drew his hoof back he threw the other one forward towards her chest. Sia’Lorna deftly took a single step back and avoided that one too, but the buck wasn’t letting up so easily, he kept attacking with punch after punch in a lightning flurry of blows, trying to hit her just once. Rainbow Dash knew there was nothing wrong with his punches either, they were all pretty fast and aimed well, but he just couldn’t hit her. Sia’Lorna’s dodging was effortless, she danced around every attempt to hit her with the softest of movements. It was totally different from how Rainbow Dash wildly fought. Sia’Lorna expended the least amount of energy possible when it came to dodging her opponent’s blows, a slight moving of the head, a small lean in one direction, a tiny jump backwards, she managed to make it look like she was just playing around with her opponent even as he resorted to more and more types of attacks to try and hit her. A sweeping kick aimed at Sia’Lorna’s legs were jumped over followed by a thrust of his antlers that she stepped back from. When the buck pulled back, Rainbow Dash noticed he was panting despite Sia’Lorna not hitting him once. He was just tiring himself out. That wasn’t the end of it though, he took a step back to take a deep breath before immediately lunging at her again. He feinted with his right hoof and then shot out a very quick left punch at her to try and take her off-guard. But Sia’Lorna was too quick and aware for that. And she was done with simply dodging. She ducked under the left punch he tried to land on her and went in close, bringing up her right hoof and striking him quickly across the chin with it. The hit disoriented him and he stumbled backwards, letting Sia’Lorna land a quick chop on his throat. When he automatically lowered his head after that chop she brought up an elbow and clocked him in the back of the skull with it. Her opponent collapsed in a heap, unconscious. Three surgically precise strikes from her were all it took and she hadn’t taken a single hit herself. Rainbow Dash smiled and shook with excitement, the two of them were definitely gonna have a good fight. While the referee declared Sia’Lorna the winner and the crowd cheered, the victorious doe looked over to the competitor’s area and locked eyes with Rainbow Dash. There would be no more talking between the two of them until their match. Until then they would be getting ready to fight each other. “She’s really quick and good at dodging so it’s gonna be different from the other fights I’ve had so far. But she’s definitely not used to fighting or dodging attacks from someone as fast as me. So I still think I’ve got the advantage,” Rainbow Dash said as she did a set of one-hoofed push-ups in the outdoor workout area. “I’ve watched Sia’Lorna win multiple tournaments and I do believe she’ll be your toughest opponent,” Ark’Nogt said as he watched her. “Yeah, and just the way we fight is different too. I’m like a hammer and she’s like a needle. Without being able to fly it’ll be really tough trying to outmaneuver her. And she attacks really fast and precise too, nothing’s wasted, so I can’t be as careless as I was in my last fight,” Rainbow said. “I’ll admit you took more hits from the griffon than I was expecting you to,” Ark’Nogt nodded. “Heh, not the cleanest fight,” Rainbow Dash chuckled and stopped her push-ups, standing back up and stretching her back. “Glad you and your wife watched the fight though.” “She enjoyed it just as much as I did, it was a great day,” Ark’Nogt smiled at her. “Then she’ll enjoy the next round even better. I can tell already that mine and Sia’Lorna’s fight is gonna be one for the ages,” Rainbow Dash cracked her neck and rotated her right front leg. “I need to work on my speed and reflexes even more now though. I’m totally taking her down.” “Are you sure you shouldn’t just rest? I know the nurses gave you a clean bill of health after the checkup but-” Rainbow Dash silenced him with a hoof. “I’m fine. This is how I get ready for a big fight. Not resting or sitting around and waiting.” “I understand. And you certainly know your body’s limits better than I do.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Sure do. I know you’re probably just concerned and all but you haven’t seen half of what I can do. And I told you I’ve been through way worse.” She sighed as she looked up at the sky. “I really wish I could fly though, then you’d get to see the most awesome thing in your life.” “Since your biggest advantage is still gone and Sia’Lorna gets to fight like normal do you have any real strategy for beating her?” “Not really.” “Win then, I’m guessing?” “That’s right. I’m gonna come at her and give her the most awesome genuine fight she’s ever had. It’ll be something the whole crowd will love. And just because my opponent is strong doesn’t mean I have to change the way I fight. Sia’Lorna is gonna get her fight against Rainbow Dash at her most Rainbow Dashiest!” “My wife and I will be cheering loudly for you then. Sia’Lorna is a good friend as well, but she’s already won tournaments before, it would be more exciting if you won.” “Thanks, that means a lot to me actually. I love having all those Reindeer cheering but most of them don’t really know me or anything. It feels different when it’s a real friend cheering for you, you know?” “I don’t actually but I understand how strongly you feel about it.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “Pff, yeah. Either way it’s still cool.” Ark’Nogt looked around the workout area, he noticed that a lot of the usuals here were watching him and Rainbow Dash. They had probably been in the audience yesterday. “Are you just going to stay here doing push-ups and lifting weights?” “No way, I’m gonna go running. That’s the best way for me to exercise—er, for this fight at least. Cause normally I’d fly.” “I see. If you would care to return to your room when it gets dark I can have food and tea ready for you?” She flashed him a smile. “That’d be awesome, dude.” Rainbow Dash started stretching her legs and jumped up and down a few times to make sure she was ready. “Okay, I’ll see you later tonight.” With a speedy departure she ran off and left him in the dust. There was so much to run through here, she decided to go in the exact opposite direction of where she had ran to previously. Instead of the big rocks she was going towards the castles and the densest populated area of Nogt. Maybe it wouldn’t be very appreciated to have a pegasus running through a bunch of busy streets but Rainbow figured the Reindeer were polite and easygoing enough to not say anything. Either way running through there would give her way more to look at and a bunch of streets to run down and through. She could essentially come up with her own track. Rainbow Dash soon made it to the more developed areas and ran and ran through them until her heart was pounding in her chest and pleading with her to stop. Her legs were on fire but Rainbow Dash ignored it all as she pushed herself to greater heights. She worked on her reflexes and reaction time by intentionally almost running into things and Reindeer and then just barely pivoting out of the way at the last moment. She could do that kind of thing while flying in her sleep but doing it on her legs was a little different. At full speed she wanted to be able to do that same kind of effortless dodging as Sia’Lorna. Where it was more like she was dancing around than running or fighting. She ran even harder to get all the way across the city back to its outskirts until she had left the miraculously polished roads and made it closer to the edge and the World Drain below. The huge and beautiful castles overlooked much of this area, Rainbow Dash wondered if there was anyone up in those towers watching her. Just some Reindeer idly looking outside only to see some random colorful pony running around for seemingly no reason. Rainbow Dash came to a stop at the edge of the plateau and looked off it into that massive whirlpool that threateningly spun about beneath it. What a crazy sight. She accidentally dislodged a small pebble from the plateau and watched and watched into it fell out of sight and then into oblivion. “Yeesh, I wouldn’t want to be this close to this thing if I didn’t have wings,” Rainbow said and flapped her favorite limbs for good measure. She then looked at the both of them, she had been using them moderately well in her fights so far but she bet she could be using them better too. Theses were her wings after all and even if she couldn’t fly with them they should still be her greatest weapon, shouldn’t they? She threw a few experimental wing punches and grinned. “I’ll use you more against Sia’Lorna, she won’t be able to dodge everything at once.” With a confident grin she stepped away from the edge of the plateau and back towards the city. She still had more running to do. When she got back after dark, Ark’Nogt was indeed waiting for her with food and tea. The two of them entered her room and relaxed together. Rainbow Dash was happy to get something she knew was so good and revitalizing for her right before she went to sleep the night before her big fight with Sia’Lorna. Along with the tea he had brought oats and an apple. It was almost perfect for her. “Thanks for all this, I needed it.” “I only hope it allows you to fight at your absolute best tomorrow.” “It will,” she chomped down some more apple and grinned at him. “And I guess I don’t really have anyone else to compare to, but I’d say there’s no way you aren’t the best Embracer in Nogt.” He smiled. “It makes me happy for you to say so.” “Yep, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy things here half as much if it weren’t for you. And now I’ll pay you back by winning tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash told him. The two then finished their meal together and before long Rainbow Dash was getting ready to sleep. Her mind was full of excitement and anticipation for tomorrow, she had trouble falling asleep at first, but eventually she managed to get some much needed rest.