//------------------------------// // The Prize // Story: Pegasus Densetsu // by Wyrm //------------------------------// Pegasus Densetsu MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro) Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi Chapter 6: The Prize Fluttershy came back to the land of the living, squinting as the harsh lights hurt her eyes. She suddenly sat up, finding herself in the school infirmary. She knew this place because she visited here yesterday, carrying Lightning Bolt. She had thought that the bone-white filly had fainted from lack of blood, rather than from the shock of her own sudden charge. (Fluttershy still did not know that this was the problem.) "Hello, Fluttershy," said Charlie Horse in greeting, "How are you feeling?" "A bit of a headache, but nothing more," Fluttershy replied, rubbing her head with her hoof. She felt the bandages around her head and the plasters over her temple. "Umm, where did these come from?" "The nurse was called away to tend to another patient and left your injury to me; I fixed you up myself," answered Charlie Horse. He nervously laughed, becoming a bit self-conscious about how well he did. "I can't say I did a good job, mind, but I think it will work." Fluttershy wordlessly stepped toward a wall mirror to examine her bandages. They wrapped about her head several times, and together with the plasters made it look like she'd had an anvil dropped on her head, and later stung by bees. Whether it was a good job or not depended on her injury, but she didn't feel nearly as bad as warranted by this job. Still, he did care enough to try. That has to count for something. "Thanks... for your effort. What happened to me?" she asked finally. "You fell through an eroded cloud and hit your head. I got some ponies on the hole and the surrounding cloud, so don't worry about that. Just worry about getting better," Charlie Horse said with a smile. "Actually, the nurse told me that you only got the mildest of concussions on your right temple, from when you almost fell through the cloud. That's why she felt safe leaving the job to me." The big pony chuckled quietly. "Bad luck, eh? You were just walking along and fell into a hole." Fluttershy's memories of the incident came back to her. "But I wasn't just walking along! I was trying to help somepony with a head injury, but she didn't want me to help her! She just kept hitting me!" said Fluttershy anxiously. "Oh, I hope she got help! Did you help her? Was she the one who needed the nurse?" the yellow filly finally asked. Charlie Horse shook his massive head. "No. You were the only one there," he said frankly. Internally, he marveled at the yellow filly's words. She's injured and she still thinks of other ponies first. Every time I talk to her, she confirms my initial impression of her: she's a good pony with a bad face, not a bad pony with a bad face. I wish Cheerful Sign would see her that way. The yellow filly mulled over Charlie's words. No pony else was there? But if she didn't get help, then she could... "KIEEE!!!" Fluttershy suddenly screamed, making her face look more horrific than ever. Spooked, Charlie Horse jumped out of his chair, and almost out of his skin. "Then she could still be somewhere, desperately hurt!" she said in a panic, "Her head was bleeding! Her mane was soaked in blood!" Charlie Horse quirked an eyebrow. Surely if a student was bleeding as bad as Fluttershy claimed, there would have been more signs of it about the place. Drops of blood near where he'd found Fluttershy, for instance. "I find that unlikely, but describe her, and maybe I can get somepony to find her." Fluttershy scowled a bit, which Charlie noted made her look very repulsive. She was thinking, remembering the pony's particulars. "Her eyes were light cyan, but she was wearing a lot of makeup to emphasize her whites. I would call her coat bluish white or bone white," she described. Charlie Horse own face tensed up in thought. Could it be? came his sudden thought. "Was her tail a light cerulean blue?" he hazarded. Fluttershy nodded vigorously. Charlie Horse grinned. "Then there's nothing to worry about. That's Lightning Bolt, a pony who just transfered in. She dyed her mane red for some reason." Fluttershy blinked as understanding dawned on her. So her mane really is that color, and wasn't blood! I'm glad! she thought with relief, only to suddenly feel very guilty. Oh no! I've been so incredibly rude, thinking that her hair were her brains falling out! No wonder she hit me! I must apologize later. —/— The three Trickster Queens trooped down the hall with very worried expressions on their faces. "Cripes, how did you get her to believe there were as many as four ponies like Fluttershy galloping around this school, and she got the wrong one? Now you've got her doubting her own victory. I mean, it was obviously Fluttershy she beat," Firefly said aloud. Surprise glared at them, the wild, frightened glare of an animal facing certain doom. "Oh come on, you silly fillies! There's no way on Broadway that I'm going to believe that popcorn shrimp beat Fluttershy, the Nightmare Filly!" she shouted desperately. She was trying as hard as she could to deny the obvious, that Lightning Bolt beat Fluttershy, because it had two immediate and frightening consequences: that Lightning Bolt was ten pounds of violence in a three pound sack, stronger than even Fluttershy; and that Lightning Bolt was about to go after her next, almost the weakest fighter amongst their gang. Only Firefly and Firecracker were weaker. Maybe. This prank was starting to backfire badly. The only thing that saved her from the conclusion was the obvious ridiculousness of it all. Surprise made a show of screwing up her courage and continuing, "...At least no without seeing her myself. You'll see! When we next see her, she'll be unharmed!" "I'm still amazed that she even swallowed your lie..." Firecracker observed. "If she had any wits about her, she would have called my bluff," Surprise pointed out. "But first, we need to find Fluttershy." It seemed that just saying her name summoned the creature known as Fluttershy. At that moment, the door to the infirmary opened, and the yellow pegasus filly stepped out. Surprise and Fluttershy stared at each other for a long moment, a moment filled with Surprise staring in shock at Fluttershy's bandaged head, and Fluttershy with that unreadable expression on hers. That moment broken was by the voice of Charlie Horse as he followed Fluttershy out of the infirmary. "Are you sure that you're going to be all right?" he asked. Fluttershy nodded to the teacher. "I'm pretty familiar with my personal health, Mr. Horse. I'll be fine," she said in a quiet, calm voice. Charlie Horse nodded back, then took his leave of Fluttershy and friends. Firefly and Firecracker mirrored Surprise's thunderstruck expression. "She's wrapped up in bandages!" Firefly gasped. Firecracker voiced her disbelief and awe. "Oh sweet Celestia! The immortal Fluttershy... has lost!" "Fluttershy... what are... those wounds from?" Surprise asked in a halting, trembling voice. Fluttershy was a little thrown off by the concern she could read in Surprise's voice. "Oh, um..." she faltered. Oh dear, she must have learned about my little accident. "It's nothing... Really. I just... got a little hurt..." the yellow filly tried to assure her friend. Her speech is faltering, Firefly noted. It's true, isn't it? You really lost, Fluttershy! Firecracker almost weeped internally. Surprise finally gathered the strength to inquire further. "D... did you meet a bone-white, red-maned filly?" Fluttershy jerked visibly. "The new student? Yes. We... met," she said, almost quietly. "D-Don't tell me... you were brought low by that redhead?!" asked Surprise. Fluttershy considered this odd term. 'Brought low'? Well, I did kinda fall through the clouds. "Yeah, I guess I did," she said at last. "REALLY?!!" Surprise shrieked in disbelief, "That redheaded filly really beat you up?! Are you really going to leave it like that, Fluttershy?! Are you going to back down after getting hit like that?!" Ah. She really did hear about that, as well. "Of course I got beat up. I wouldn't think of striking back," the yellow filly said, thinking, It was I who was the rude one, making fun of her mane like that. "Well, I'm going back to class. Thanks for worrying about me." Firecracker parroted Fluttershy's last words. "'Of course I got beat up!' She's really resigned to her loss. Sheesh, that little filly must be a monster!" Surprise's eyes grew wet with tears, as she stood still in the center of the hall, staring down the hall long after she had lost sight of Fluttershy's retreating rump. The filly grit her teeth, shaking on her hooves as the tears streamed down. "Surprise, you're crying," Firecracker said in sympathy. Firefly shook her head. "I know how you feel. The mighty Fluttershy looks so frail — it makes me sad, too." Actually, Surprise was only lamenting her own mortality. I'm a dead duck! her thoughts whirled. Mommy, daddy, your daughter is about to meet her end this day! *twang* The other two Queens spooked as they heard what sounded like a piano wire snapping. "Alright, let's do this!!" Surprise roared a moment later, "If I win this battle, I'll be top pony again!" Firefly ignored the 'twang' in favor of the more immediate problem. "What are you talking about?" she asked sincerely. Firecracker, on the other hand, instantly picked up Surprise's meaning. "You gotta be kidding me!" the red filly exclaimed. "That pony beat up Fluttershy! You can't possibly win against her!" "You'll never know until we try!" Surprise announced, somewhat manically, and trotted off to arrange the battle. "That 'twang' sound... that was her mind snapping, wasn't it?" Firefly asked rhetorically. "We doomed. Completely doomed," agreed Firecracker. —/— First period came and went, but Fluttershy still had not appeared. Rainbow Dash, the yellow-coated filly's self-appointed second-in-command, thought upon this development, Huh, Fluttershy never showed up first period. But she never does that! Despite being a punk, she takes her studies serious! She dismissed the feeling of oddness that last thought caused. The rumor mill was hard at work at the moment. "Hey, did you hear?" Record Time asked. Seeing no takers, he continued, "They say Fluttershy got beat up bad. Lot's of ponies witnessed it." "By who?" asked Rainbow Dash suddenly. "It was that red-maned filly with the bone-white coat, the pony who just transferred in yesterday... WAH!!" Record Time screamed out loud when he realized that he had just answered Rainbow Dash, right-hoof tomcolt of the defeated Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash scoffed at this news. "The red-head? That's horse apples. Fluttershy would never lose to that moron," she said confidently. "Don't spread dirt like that around, or you'll get beat up by a filly with rainbow-hair." She let the implied threat hang, making Record Time a tad uncomfortable. At that moment, the door opened with a great clatter. On the other side stood Fluttershy. Everypony froze in instant fear, but then they realized something was odd about her: her head wrapped with bandages and plasters. She looked like she'd been in a fight, and on the losing end of it. The rumor-mongers gasped in shock. The rest of the class gasped in shock. Rainbow Dash gasped in shock. "F-fluttershy?" "Good morning, Rainbow Dash," said the bandaged Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash could only stammer out a befuddled question. "W-wh-wha-what happened...?" "Oh, nothing much." Fluttershy answered matter-of-factly, as if her injuries were of no consequence. "Fluttershy's been thwomped..." the students whispered, "The rumor was true..." That's inconceivable. Fluttershy couldn't have possibly been wrecked by that stupid twit. Dash narrowed her eyes in thought. True, she was already busted up when I fought her, but I can't believe she could have bested Fluttershy even in full form! The rainbow-maned filly came to a steadfast conclusion. This is an unrelated injury, surely, or somepony else must have done it. "I see you've changed your mane again," Fluttershy ventured, trying to fill the suddenly awkward silence, "I still think your regular style suits you better." Rainbow Dash let out a grunt of indignation. "You never like it whenever I try new styles for my mane," she groused. Fluttershy's face tightened, as if giving her a sneer. In truth she was trying to smile goodnaturedly, but it failed miserably. "That's because you look like you're trying to be somepony other than Rainbow Dash. The result just looks weird," she said. "With every respect, Fluttershy, I don't want to hear that from you." Again, her leer drew tight. "Heh. I suppose I must look a fright today." 'A fright' is the way you normally look, a few of the students dared to think. "Breaking news, everypony! The Empress and the new kid are going to have a fight on the roof!" a colt by the name of Gilded Cage shouted as he burst into the room, "That red-head's the one who beat up Fluttershy! This going to be a battle to see who's top pony of the school now!" "Um..." Cloud Kicker hummed, pointing a hoof at the pony in question. "AHHH! FLUTTERSHY!" Fluttershy had an intense look on her face. Her brow was knitted together. She did not look happy. Rainbow Dash wasn't about to stand any rumors about her boss, herself. She growled in defense of her superior, "There's no way Fluttershy would lose to that weak-flank pony, so you'd better knock it off or she'll snap—" As if triggered by that word, Fluttershy snapped to her hooves, her chair clattering out of the way by her violent motion. Gasps and screeches were heard from fillies and colts as they guarded themselves against the Nightmare Filly's onslaught of ultimate violence. However, the only thing that happened was that Fluttershy bolted out of the room in a great rush, and a speed that Rainbow Dash considered respectable. Thoughts were whirling through Fluttershy's head, This is bad! Surprise must have heard that Lightning Bolt beat me up, and went to get revenge for me! The yellow filly screamed in frustration, "KIEEEEEEE!!" Don't do it, Surprise! It was my fault! She proceeded to tear through the school screaming her head off, causing ponies to jump out of the way, hoping that the Nightmare Filly wasn't screaming about them. —/— Lightning Bolt and the three Queens were not the only ponies hanging around the rooftop. Besides the two sides facing each other across the rooftop, about the edge rubberneckers were gathered to watch the show that would determine the school's top delinquent. Lightning Bolt spared a moment to glance about their gathered audience. "This school certainly has a lot of time on its hands, but this will make a goodly amount of witnesses to our battle," she remarked dryly. "Let's begin. It's only a matter of time before the teachers stop this," she added, itching to start some action. In contrast, the other side was not itching to start anything. If it was all the same, they would prefer not to fight this day or any other day. "So what now, Empress?" asked Firecracker. Surprise nodded to Lightning Bolt and asked, "How tough do ya think she is? Sirloin or brisket?" Firecracker blinked at her quizzically. "What? What are those?" she asked, before she could bring herself to a stop because of the obvious nonsensicalness of it. "Never mind. I'd say she's pretty tough, cause she beat down Fluttershy. If Fluttershy's a pony weapon, then Lightning Bolt must be the ultimate pony weapon. We're pretty bucked." "A-Are you trying to scare me before the fight? Because it's not working!" Surprise said in defiance. Firecracker looked poignantly at Surprise's knees, wobbling as they were like plucked bow strings. "Not working. Right," she said drolly. "But it's better than receiving a painful awakening." Firecracker looked up, and swallowed a bit. "You'd better have a plan for beating her, 'cuz here she comes." Surprise swallowed a great deal. "I got nuthin'!" she admitted. Firefly shook her head shamefully. It's hopeless! Surprise is just not a fighter and never was! It was always pranks and not hoofticuffs that made us top of the school! We're the Trickster Queens, not the Fighter Queens! Lightning Bolt approached, a smarmy and menacing look on her face. She was in fighting form. I've finally come this far. Now, Empress Surprise, show me the power of this school's number one warrior! she thought. Her hoof suddenly flew up, catching Surprise right in the kisser. Time seemed to slow, as Surprise's head snapped back in reaction. Her forehooves peeled off the cloudy rooftop. As her body went vertical, her hind hooves left the ground and she sailed in a perfect arc to land at the hooves of Firecracker and Firefly. Surprise's eyes were squeezed shut from the blow. She lay there for several seconds, unmoving. Seeing their unmoving empress, Firecracker mournfully said, "This is it... the rule of Lightning Bolt begins now..." Surprise's eyes suddenly popped open, and the filly rolled up onto her haunches, a confused look on her face. "That... didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would," she said, slowly, as she rubbed her jaw. She suddenly shouted, "Bless you, papa!" and snapped to her hooves, a defiant look on her face. Firefly looked at Surprise, parrotting, "'Papa'?" Firecracker closed her mouth with a click whence it had been hanging open. "I don't believe it! Surprise actually managed to weather the hit!" she said in marvel. "Alright, Lightning Bolt... bring it, if you can!" Surprise said, snorting out a cloudy puff of pony-breath from her nose and pawing the school roof cloud bank. Firecracker stepped closer to Surprise, and tried to call out to her empress's reason. "Surprise, what are you saying?! You've no chance against her!" Surprise smiled. "No. Taking that hit, I know that I can take her down." Lightning Bolt pawed the rooftop confidently. "So how did you like that punch? How does the power of the Empress compare to that?" she asked in a loud, daring voice. Surprise's smile tightened. "Hmph. Don't think you're so hot because you took down my numero dos. Prepare for the difference in power." Firefly and Firecracker looked at Surprise, their eyes wide as saucers. "Oh sweet Celestia..." Firecracker muttered in numb horror. "That punch must have knocked out whatever sense she still had left!" Firefly added, voicing their simultaneous thought. "CHEEEEEESECAAAYYKE!!" Surprise roared in challenge, bolting forward at a full gallop. As she neared Lightning Bolt, she twisted about, bringing her right forehoof up and slamming down upon her opponent. Lightning Bolt evaluated the strike detachedly. I see. A downward punch from her advanced height and full steam ahead gallop. Simple to deal with. I'll just block it and follow with a counter— "HAH!" Lightning Bolt gasped with pain as her cannon was knocked back by Surprise's powerful blow. It stung as the bone-white filly stumbled back a couple of steps, as if trying to keep that part of her foreleg attached to the rest of her. She flexed it experimentally; it was stiff as anything she'd felt before, and lances of pain shot up and down her struck leg. Holy sand nuggets! What brutal power! Of course she would be strong, with that height! Buck, I'm one leg down and the fight's barely started! "HENSHIN! CYCLONE-JOHKAHHH!!" "Buh?" blurted Lightning Bolt, confused and startled by Surprise's nonsense phrase. She had barely time to block with her other foreleg as Surprise reared up and flicked her forehooves, left then right, at her. "OW!" exclaimed the bone-white filly as she came down on two aching cannons. Lightning Bolt scrabbled back to avoid any hits as Surprise pressed forward, running forward on two back hooves as she snapped her forehooves rapidly at the retreating filly, all the while screaming an attack cry. "AH-TATATATATATATATATATATATATA! AH-TATATATATATATATATATATATATA! WATAWWWWW!!!" At the last outcry, Lightning Bolt's could almost feel her brain rattle in its skull as a strong punch, powered by a sudden flexing of Surprise's spine, landed squarely on Lightning Bolt's cheekbone. The bone-white filly almost bounced off of the cloud-based roof. The students gasped and gaped at the unfolding drama: "Holy cow! Surprise is strong!" "But wasn't she just a trickster before?" "She's a part of Fluttershy's gang! Of course she's going to be strong besides!" Firecracker narrowed her eyes as understanding finally began dawning on her. "I see," she said in an almost reverent whisper. "Surprise may be a trickster at heart, but there's no denying that she's got a large body. Her strength is nothing to scoff at. She's always ran from a fight and preferred tricks, not only because it is her nature, but because she's had to hold her own against that massive colt, Field Goal," she said, in an almost detached analytical voice, "Come to think of it, Surprise pegged Field Goal as having trained in some kind of combat art." The red-coated filly turned to the pink-coated one. "Firefly, just what do we know about Surprise's father?" "Nothing. I've never been to her house," Firefly answered with a helpless shrug, "But whoever he is, he's taught her to be awesome!" By this time, Lightning Bolt was bowed on one knee, gasping and shaking the fog from her head. That was a crazy-awesome combo! She has me completely on the ropes here! She's definitely the Empress! The bone white filly chuckled, then burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha! THIS is the fight I've been itching for!" she exclaimed in joy. "It doesn't matter who beats who. If I beat you, I win. If you beat me, I win. In fact, the more you can hurt me, the better!" To have the royal snot beaten out of me my second day ought to convince daddy to move post-haste, all to protect her precious daughter! It took a moment for the snow-white filly to get it, but when she got it, Surprise felt as if somepony poured a cup of ice-cold water down her back. She had her suspicions about the white filly, but her words just confirmed them. It all came out in a single scream of terror: "FIREFLY! FIRECRACKER! THIS PONY'S WEIRD!!" Lightning Bolt tilted her head to the right, and uttered a confused, "Buh?" The two fillies tilted their heads to the right, letting out a coordinated utterance of their confuddlement, "Huh?" Surprise pointed a shaking hoof at Lightning Bolt. "I SEE IT IN HER EYES!! SHE WANTS ME TO BEAT HER UP BECAUSE THAT'S HOW SHE GETS HER JOLLIES!!" she screeched. The bone-white filly worked her mouth uselessly for a moment. "What in blazes are you talking about?!" she shouted, then regained her hooves and started approaching Surprise. The larger white filly squeaked in fear, turned tail and ran away with everything she was worth, the bone-white filly in confused pursuit. "C'mon and beat me up!" shouted Lightning Bolt. "Get away from me!" Surprise screamed back, "I'm not gonna be your sado-lesbian lover! Forget it!" The students were sent abuzz again: "Lightning Bolt is some sort of mazzo freak?" "That would explain why she was able to beat up Fluttershy — she simply outlasted the Nightmare Filly." Drat! The last thing I need is for that to get back to daddy! I need to turn this back into an ordinary thug fight! With that in mind, the bone-white filly demanded, "Come back here and give me the fight I crave!" She then lengthened her stride and stretched out her neck to grab a mouthful of Surprise's poofy tail. *chawmp* Surprise grimaced in fear as she felt a mouth clamp down on her tail. She stretched out both forehooves planting them firmly on the ground. Her forehooves thus planted, her momentum caused her hindquarters to lift completely off the ground. She curled her whole body inward, including those back legs, coiled up tight like a spring, before snapping out with a powerful buck. Her hindhooves cracked solidly into Lightning Bolt's left cheek, causing her to release her grip on Surprise's tail and went flying backward onto her back. Lightning Bolt shook her head free of the fog once more and bounced to her hooves, this time a little unsteady. The two ponies glared at each other hotly. It was at this point their fight was interrupted. Fluttershy, head still swathed with bandages, kicked open the door to the roof. "SARIIIZZZ!! YAMASNTRIBAAAHHHH!!!" she screamed. 'Surprise!! You mustn't strike back!!' This caused all motion to stop and all attention to focus on her. Students commented on her roughed-up appearance, but Fluttershy's concerns lie elsewhere. Oh, good! It hasn't turned into a fight yet! The bone-white filly grinned at the sorry sight of Fluttershy in bandages. "Heh! Well, if it isn't #2! Those bandages make you look pitiful!" she dismissed the crazy pony, "But your turn is already over. As you can see, I'm currently in battle for the head of the school. Stay out of it." Firefly whistled with astonishment. "Wow, she's treating Fluttershy like some no-name thug. Something's gonna go down." Fluttershy started walking toward the two, completely unconcerned at Lightning Bolt's belligerent words. "Woah, there she goes!" cried one onlooking student. "It's the grudge match!" shouted another. Oh dear. Surprise really does leap to conclusions so quickly, even going so far to fight this filly to avenge me, thought the completely oblivious Fluttershy. "So, you wanna fight!" Lightning Bolt growled. "You think you can take me in that condition?" "So she is going to fight!" Firefly murmured in relief and joy. "That's the spirit, Fluttershy! I knew you wouldn't just take that lying down!" cheered Firecracker. Rainbow Dash poked her head out as she stepped onto the school roof. What's going on? I was just following Fluttershy to see what she would do, thought the rainbow-maned filly. "We're saved," sighed Firefly. "Fluttershy will wrap this up," added Firecracker. Surprise would be hearing none of it. Instead, she rushed Lightning Bolt's unprotected flank. Now's my chance! Her attention is on Fluttershy! If I knock out Lightning Bolt cleanly with a single hit, she'll be knocked out immediately and deprive her of the suffering she craves! thought the snow-white filly as she prepared to knock out the bone-white filly. Fluttershy noticed Surprise's stealthy approach and obvious, misguided attempt at revenge. "NAAASAPAIZZ!! ESALLMIFAYAAAA!!!" she pleaded incoherently. 'No, Surprise! It's all my fault!' Fluttershy bolted ahead like a locomotive. She screamed like a banshee as she approached. Lightning Bolt snorted as she saw this straightforward attack. "Talk about a sore loser. I can see exactly what you're going to do!" If I leave this to Fluttershy, I might be connected forever to this pervert filly as her domina. I gotta make it crystal clear that I'm off-limits! Surprise thought as she lunged at Lightning Bolt. One clean hit while she's distracted, and even this pony will fall! The distracted Lightning Bolt almost laughed as she threw her hoof straight at Fluttershy's forehead. "Those direct movements are your weak point! It's so easy to counter!" Fluttershy did not hear nor see that. She saw that Surprise was already unwinding a punch at the unsuspecting Lightning Bolt's face. Oh no! I won't make it in time! Faster... I must go faster! Already her legs were tightening as her pace changed. Because of this, Fluttershy seemed to vanish before Lightning Bolt's thrown hoof, appearing instead inside her punch. The bone-white filly was confused by this sudden reversal. Fluttershy had changed her tactics. Oh no! I won't make it! I can't get get in between them in time! But for Surprise's sake, I can't let her hit this girl! Fluttershy's entire body uncoiled at that moment. Her hind hooves dug into the roof. Her forehooves went to Lightning Bolt's chest. The bone-white filly had barely time to register the fact before her head felt like it had been whipped sharply forward by an unbeatable force. She sailed into the air, doubled over. Dazed by the snap of her head as it followed the rest of her body, she was quite helpless to check the arc she was making through the air. Further than Field Goal she flew several yards back to land heavily on the firm school roof, splayed out and dazed on her back. A moment passed in silence before the Cloudsdale rumor machine churned forth more material. "She... flew. Without her wings, she flew..." "What was that?!" "That was inequine!" "Holy!" "Fluttershy..." Surprise began haltingly, hardly believing what had just happened before her eyes. Fluttershy sighed, gently admonishing the snow-white filly with the poofy blonde mane. "You're such a bothersome friend, Surprise. I told you that you didn't have to do this." "But... your bandages." Oh, this is what was causing her to unnecessarily worry! Fluttershy reached up and unceremoniously pulled all of her bandages and plasters off her face, revealing an unblemished coat. Like she'd never been hit in the first place. Students and thugs alike gasped in shock. "You don't have to be worried if I get knocked around a little bit, Surprise. I'm used to being hit," she said, almost offhanded and like it was absolutely no cause for concern. "There's no reason for you to lay hooves on her." Surprise broke out in a cold sweat as she realized what a monster Fluttershy was. She then sneezed. "Im... possible... I hit her... so many times..." Lightning Bolt groaned as her brain finally waved the little white flag yet again. Murmurs from the gathered ordinary students were thrown about. "She's immortal!" "Fluttershy's the invincible pony!" "No matter how she's beaten, she comes back from hell!" "The legendary Fluttershy is indestructible after all." Meanwhile, Fluttershy was relieved. Good! Nobody was hurt in this fight! Case closed, I guess. What the hay was that all about?! Rainbow Dash gaped in befuddlement, I don't get what just happened!! Lightning Bolt was left, ignored, as she twitched on the school roof. —/— "Hey, boss, ya hear? Some new filly named Lightning Bolt temporarily beat Fluttershy, but then the Nightmare Filly barged in on her fight with Surprise and clobbered her." Field Goal let out a snort at Dumbbell's news. "Hmph. As expected of that crazy filly." END CHAPTER 6. I have a feeling that Surprise practices Sexy Commando.