My Little Medic

by CommanderX5

Ch19 - Impress Me

Anger, disappointment, regret. A mixture of emotions that Lightning Dust felt just several minutes ago were now replaced with curiosity as she flew towards the donut shop while feeling a pleasant breeze on her face and two tiny hooves holding the sides of her neck.

So my team screwed up and wasted all my efforts. Big deal. I will bounce back to the top in due time, Dust thought as she looked at her wing, no longer feeling the annoying pain.

Now near her destination, Lightning Dust slowed her descent with a few strong flaps of her wings before tucking them back in. She dropped several meters as her legs bent from the impact. Several weak jolts of pain followed as a reminder of bruises from the crash still present on her legs.

Feeling hooves pressing against her neck with greater force, she fixed her saddlebag and said, “I hope my landing wasn’t too harsh for you.”

“Not at all.” The voice of her passenger reached Dust’s ears as she felt Twilight’s steps on injured parts of her body. “Do those hurt?”

Does bruising hurt? What kind of stupid question is that? Lightning Dust turned her head to look at her back, noticing the little mare pointing at several minor bruises still present on the left side of her body. “That's what injuries do, duuuh,” she said in a mocking tone.

“Don’t worry, I have it covered,” Twilight responded as Dust felt pleasant waves of magic pulse through the darkening bruises in her side.

Lighting Dust looked away from the little mare who anchored herself against her saddlebag, and focused on a donut shop, somewhat visible on the other side of the street. “Those are just minor annoyances, you don’t need to bother with them.”

“It’s not a problem at all,” Twilight responded before focusing on another bruise as if fixing cracks in a dam.

“Suit yourself,” Lightning Dust responded before spreading her wings and flying above the street. Once on the other side, she walked towards her destination, ignoring the odd stares she was receiving from passing ponies.

She walked past building after building, finally stopping when she notices an assortment of donuts being displayed behind a glass door and counter. Lightning Dust was about to open the door, but a unicorn mare wearing some sort of white puffy coat beat her to it and immediately stopped, now busy staring at Dust’s side.

After a few seconds of staring back at the curious mare, Lightning Dust narrowed her eyes in hostility and said, “What? You don’t like what you see?”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” the unicorn responded before looking away from the little pony. She walked further away from the shop and rubbed her eyes.

Lightning Dust entered the shop and looked around for a free table, and after finding an empty one, she smiled and approached the shopkeeper, her attention focused on several donuts displayed behind the glass counter.

“Don’t you think that you were a bit too harsh on that lady?” Twilight asked.

Harsh? I was just rightfully defending my privacy, Lightning Dust thought before stopping in front of the counter as she looked at the little healer. “I just gave her a hint that I don’t like how she was staring at my flank. I would not call it harsh, but rather, straight to the point,” she responded.

Twilight climbed onto pegasus’s back and perched herself on it before responding. “But she was staring at me. To be fair, it wasn’t her fault. If I saw a tiny pony healing someone’s back, I would stare too.”

Lightning Dust frowned. “Whatever.” She approached the shopkeeper and snatched a few bits from her saddlebag before slamming her forehoof against the table. “Ten donuts, two glasses of lemonade with straws,” she said before retreating her hoof, leaving the payment on the counter… alongside a small crack on the glass. Upon noticing it, she thought, Great, just great.

The shopkeeper took the bits before pointing at the broken point, no doubt asking for small compensation, when suddenly little unicorn jumped towards it. “I’m sorry for him… her. Here I’ll fix it.” The stallion's eyes widened, his mouth opened but refusing to speak as the cracks on the glass slowly merged together. He rubbed his eyes, but the little mare didn’t disappear.

“I… will go pick up your order, sir… ma’am.”

Lightning Dust looked at Twilight curiously, who turned around and raised her foreleg and said, “Repairing spell, very useful for fixing objects.” With a swift jump, she landed on Dust’s shoulder and added, “Healing ponies isn’t the only thing I am good at.”

“Hmn… practical,” she responded before grabbing the food and drink with her wings and approaching an empty table. This mare seems quite reliable, maybe she didn't lie about working for the Wonderbolts after all. Let’s find out. Lightning Dust sat on a small cushion, while the little unicorn jumped from her shoulder and sat in the middle of the table, levitating the tray with donuts and drinks onto it.

Deciding to break the ice as quickly as possible, Lightning Dust asked, “So what’s the deal with your size? Why’d the princess shrink you? And finally, are you really working for the Wonderbolts?”

Twilight shook her head and suggested, ”If I’m going to tell you about myself, how about you do the same. We can exchange stories.”

Okay Lightning, if you want to someday talk to fans and journalists, you will need to impress them. Let’s practice, she thought. “Fair enough.”

The little unicorn took a deep breath and said hesitantly, “I know that… it may be difficult to believe. But I’m the student of the princess, and she… used a shrinking spell to protect me and others from my untamed power. As for your other question, Spitfire offered me job as a medic after I healed her wing… It’s a long story.”

Lightning nodded. “I agree, it is difficult to believe.” After supporting her head against her own forehoof, she asked offhandedly, “So, how did you manage to catch the eye of the all powerful ruler of Equestria?”

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. “Well… I kind of… hatched a dragon egg and turned the young drake into a grown up one, causing his head to burst out the roof, and...” she lowered her head and rubbed her forehooves against one another while her tiny cheeks blushed, “... I also turned my parents into plants; cacti to be precise…” she added hastily, “They were turned back to normal right after, so there was no harm done.”

“Okaaay…” Lightning responded. And here I thought I was showing off. This is getting good. She pointed at the little mare and said, “I must admit, when it comes to impressing others with your magic, you sure put it on a completely different level.” Twilight’s blush increased in strength as she curled up and covered her head with her forelegs. “Still, how did you manage to pull it off in the first place?”

Twilight took a few slow breaths before regaining her composure, slowly raising her muzzle proudly. “I come from a magically talented family from Canterlot, the house of Sparkle to be precise. It has produced many powerful mages and researchers in the past, and I have been trying to live up to their expectations.”

“So, long story short: talent, Lightning Dust thought while watching as the little mare approached the glass of lemonade and levitated over a straw. She said, “Same here. I come from a very talented pegasi family from Cloudsdale. My mom works as a bounty hunter, and trust me, no pegasus or gryphon can escape her if they have a bounty on their heads. As for my dad, he works as a Wonderbolt.”

“He does?” Twilight asked as she stood on her rear hooves and opened her mouth, now straining to reach her straw. Her mind racing to remember faces of all male Wonderbolts, wondering which one would be the lucky stallion.

“His name is Whirlwind,” Dust said. Twilight’s eyelids shrunk as she performed a spit take and lost her balance, falling onto her back as the cold liquid streamed from the straw onto her belly. “Since you work for the Wonderbolts, if what you said is indeed the truth,” Dust said as she gave the little unicorn a suspicious stare, who stood back to her hooves and shook her wet fur, “you should have met him.”

Twilight chuckled awkwardly as she looked at the pegasus with a sheepish smile. “Y-y-yes… I’ve met him,” she said as the memory of three bullying Wonderbolts flashed in her mind, which followed with another one, where the trio was hauled away by the princess for some sort of punishment. “He didn’t tell you… about me?”

Lightning Dust shook her head. “Nah, I moved away from home many years ago. I noticed my family in the crowd and hoped to talk with them after I displayed my talent and moves in front of everypony, but…” She sighed in frustration, “... I don’t feel like doing it right now.”

Twilight looked down at the table, her ears curled. “Are you ashamed to meet them after losing your team?”

Losing a bunch of losers who screwed up in the most important moment of my life, yeah, like I will be ashamed of that. With a shake of her head, she responded, “Don’t worry about it. My dad taught me how to create a tornado when I was young, so I thought, ‘how about my team and I make a large tornado and impress everypony’. At the end, he would tell his team with pride, ‘that’s my daughter’.” Lightning Dust took a quick bite of his donut and gulped before slamming her forehoof against the table. “Once I decide what to do next, I will visit my parents and talk with them. I’m sure they will understand.”

Twilight nodded silently, somewhat grateful that Whirlwind didn’t have a chance to complain about her to his son… daughter.

“Anyway... “ Dust lowered herself to Twilight and poked her. “What’s the deal with the princess shrinking you? I’m really curious now.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Yes, of course.” After asserting herself, she raised her forehoof and said, “During my entrance exam at the School for Gifted Unicorns, my magic… got out of control.” She lowered her forehoof and bit her lips. Memories of her unpleasant childhood assaulting her memory. Upon seeing that she had the pegasus’s full attention, she continued, “I had a power surge when I was just a filly. I possessed too much magic for my body to handle, and it started to tear me apart from the inside. If Princess Celestia didn’t drain it with the help of the shrinking spell, I would have died.”

“Ohhh…” Lightning Dust said. When she was a filly? “What age are we talking about?”

“Eight… “ Twilight responded, catching the pegasus off guard. “It has been twelve years since the princess shrunk me and took me under her wing as-” The little levitated over a small fragment of a donut and was about to eat it, when suddenly she was grabbed between Dust’s hooves. Levitated fragment fell on the table. “Hey! You said you would squeeze me between your hooves only if I will fail to heal your wing.”

“Are you serious?” Dust asked, causing Twilight to blink. “Hatching a dragons and turning ponies into cacti, all of this in age of eight?” Noticing a nod, she said, “I find your story very difficult to believe, can you prove it?”

Twilight tilted her head to the side. “Well… it depends. What kind of proof will convince you?”

“Does the shrinking spell made you weaker, or does your size not affect your strength and power?” Dust asked.

Twilight grit her teeth and struggled to free her forelegs, but Dust’s hold proved too tight. “If I was at my full strength… I would free myself from your hold… with ease.” Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she continued her efforts before sighing in defeat. “My strength, endurance and raw power are doubled thanks to effect of protection spell the princess placed upon me, but at my current size, I am fifty times weaker.”

She has a point, Dust thought as she examined Twilight’s face. I can recognize fake efforts from a mile away, and she isn’t faking. She carefully placed Twilight on the table and released her, as the little mare immediately massaged her forehoof. “Sorry about that.” Much to Twilight’s surprise, Lightning Dust supported her arm against the table. “Beat me in a hoof wrestle with your magic.”

A few ponies sitting in nearby tables now stared at the pegasus who just challenged a miniature unicorn to a hoof wrestle.

Twilight looked around at the starting ponies and next at the pegasus’s foreleg. “I don’t think this is a good idea…”

"What are you, chicken? Or maybe a mouse?” Dust said before adding squeaking noises.

“Ponies are watching,” Twilight responded as she pointed at the closest table.

Lightning Dust added more squeaky noises before saying, “You told me that you were a powerful unicorn. Are you going to prove it, or hide in a mousehole?”

Twilight sighed before pointing at the pegasus. “Fine, but I warned you. Whatever happens from now on is your fault alone.”

“Fine, fine, whatever,” Dust responded before reasserting her foreleg impatiently. “Just start it already.” She watched as the little unicorn approached her foreleg, stopping in it’s shadow before taking a fighting stance. Teeth grit, a large aura formed around her horn. “Ready,” Dust said as the lavender aura grew in size. “Set,” she continued as the upper part of her foreleg was surrounded by Twilight’s magic, while many ponies looked and murmured to each other. A few stared with worry. “Go!”

Dust’s foreleg advanced against the little unicorn, but was stopped midway by a powerful force that pressed against it, causing it to tremble. She bit her lips and slowly increased the use of her strength, gradually gaining ground, centimeter at a time. Her attention shifted from her foreleg towards the little mare. With her sharp sight, she could see Twilight’s furrowed forehead slowly producing sweat, right above closed eyes and gritted teeth, while the aura around the tiny horn grew to the size of the caster.

She’s better than I thought. Is this really possible? Could every word she spoke really be nothing but truth? Drop of sweat slid down Dust’s muzzle as she grit her teeth and pressed with all her strength. Let’s make sure. With a slow breath and tired voice, she spoke, “Is… that all you got?” Her foreleg was trembling as it descended towards Twilight, now mere centimeters above her lowered head.

Lightning Dust could see how legs of the little mare trembled and bent as if pressed by a huge weight. That’s odd. My hoof hasn’t touched her yet. Why is her body struggling so much? I will need to ask later. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Is this the best a student of the princess can do?”

Overwatch walked next to the street as her hooves stepped upon the pavement nervously, her eyes scanning the area, one building at a time. Finding an energetic pegasus and a miniature unicorn in this large cake called Manehattan will take forever, she thought before stopping a bypassing pony with a hoof. “Excuse me, ma’am.”

“Yes?”

“I know it may sounds like a weird question, but have you seen a green pegasus with a little purple unicorn passing by?” Overwatch asked as she sat and raised her foreheads. “The unicorn is…” she moved her forelegs close to each other, ”... about that size.” She shook her head, “And no, it wasn’t a plushie or a hat.”

The unicorn mare blinked in confusion before nodding hesitantly. “I did…”

Overwatch’s ears shot upward and her smile grew, now staring at the bypasser as if she was a ray of hope. “That’s great. I would be very grateful for pointing in the direction they went.”

“That way,” she responded while pointing towards nearby shop.

With a nod, Overwatch said, “Thank you very much.” She immediately turned towards the pointed direction and walked at an increasing pace. Donut shop? I hope that Lightning Dust didn’t just pick up a few donuts and fly away, because that would– Her thought progress was cut off by the noise of a breaking window as a green pegasus was thrown towards the street, and Overwatch quickly noticed a lavender aura pulling the pegasus’ foreleg. A weak familiar call, “I’m sorry, I’ll fix it!” followed. Nevermind, Twilight is definitely here.

“Time for some spying,” she said to herself before looking around, her attention now focused on a Clothing Store. “But first, a change of appearance is in order.” She fixed her scarf and thought, I wonder do sunglasses will fit my style.

“Excuse me, milady,” said a yellow earth pony in a grey suit as he half bowed and took off his grey hat with black stripes. “My deepest apologies for wasting your precious time, but I would really appreciate if you would–”

“Point out the direction of where a green pegasus with miniature unicorn went,” she finished before pointing at a building in faraway distance. “They went to a donut shop.” She fixed her puffy coat and looked between the earth pony and another unicorn, both wearing similar clothes. She asked, “Is she some sort of celebrity? You gentlestallions are the third party that’s asked about her.”

“Third party, heh,” the white unicorn murmured while rubbing his chin. “Would it be a too much trouble to ask, who else was interested in their whereabouts?”

“Not problem at all,” the mare responded. “The first one was a royal guard in a scarf, while the others were three pegasi, two stallions and one mare if I recall correctly.”

“Interesting,” the unicorn commented as his attention shifted towards the donut shop.

The earth pony half-bowed again and said, “Thank you milady, you were very helpful. Now, if you will excuse us, we must be on our way.” With a cheerful smile, he added, “Have a pleasant day.”

“Mutually,” the mare responded before walking away.

“You know that you don’t have to do this,” Lightning Dust started as she carefully pulled out tiny fragments of glass from between her feathers while her little companion was busy putting them together. “You said that whatever happens during our hoof versus magic wrestle was going to be my responsibility. I could pay for the window out of my own pocket.”

“I… know…” Twilight responded between quick breaths as she struggled to keep flown of her magic. “But I can fix it… here and now.”

Lightning Dust approached the little unicorn and looked at the disappearing cracks between the merging fragments, and next at the barely standing pony on the windowsill. She lowered her head to the little mare and whispered, “I must admit, after your impressive display of power, I have no doubts about your story.”

With the last bit of effort, Twilight finished her work and fell flat against the windowsill.

“Are you okay, you look worn out?” Lightning asked as she gently picked up Twilight and placed on her hoof, which she was now holding at eye level. “I suppose hoof wrestling pushed you a bit too hard. Sorry about that.”

Twilight shook her forehoof dismissively. “It’s fine. Ever since I defeated my fear of my own magic… I pushed myself to my limits many times during my training sessions, but my stamina can hardly keep up with my raw power.” She wiped sweat from her forehead and looked down at hoof she was sitting on. “Just give me a moment to catch my breath.”

“Pushing your limits, why?” Dust asked curiously as the little unicorn looked her in the eyes. “You have incredible talent and outstanding power for your age. Shouldn’t you focus on finding a way to use and display your skills rather than improve them?”

Twilight stomped on Dust’s forehoof and shot her a disappointed glare. “Talent alone isn’t worth much if you don’t nurture it!” She took a deep breath and stood up on her rear hooves as she pointed at the pegasus accusingly. “I had so much power that I couldn’t control it. I had to stay at miniature size so that I wouldn’t hurt anypony, should I surge again. Being small also helped the princess drain my magic to keep me safe.”

She continued with a lowered head and depressed tone as she sat and embraced herself. “Day after day, I was a little filly living in a giant world, fighting against my fears and training my magic so that my body would adapt to it. I was enduring magical surges almost every day as it strengthened my body.”

Lightning Dust was speechless and her mouth agape. Memories of how her father taught her to fly flashed in her mind. Being too talented for her own good. My training regimens are nothing compared to what she had to endure. Is this what makes her so strong?

Many eating ponies did their best to mind their own business, something they practiced for years in such a big and busy city, but despite their best efforts, one couldn’t do anything else but stare and listen to the story from their seats.

“I had to work hard. It was the only way I could survive, and not just because of the magic that was inside me. I had to be strong to withstand dangers of living in a big world. At one point I even decided to train my physical strength, agility and endurance like an athlete, should my magic fail me,” she finished.

“Your life wasn’t a walk in the park,” Dust responded as she carefully raised Twilight’s head with a hoof, “but why are you still small? You seem to have full control over your power.”

Twilight rubbed her foreleg as weak blush grew across her cheeks. “Well… after I passed my final exam, the princess wanted to turn me back to my normal size.”

Dust and the group of ponies now listened with full attention, curiosity clearly at their limits.

“But I asked if I could stay small so I could train and challenge myself…” Twilight said before chuckling nervously. “And so I have ever since.”

Lightning Dust returned to her seat and placed Twilight on the table as she now towered over the little mare and asked, “And why in Celestia’s name would you want to stay at this size?” She observed the features of the unicorn, who raised her muzzle proudly.

“Because returning to my normal size would make everything too easy. I got used to adventuring and pushing my limits every single day, that the very idea of everything not being bigger, heavier and more dangerous than me was difficult to grasp.”

Lightning Dust’s eye twitched as something in her broke. Each word that reached her ears made her feel smaller and smaller, now feeling like a mere filly in front of a proud giant. I can’t deny it any longer… compared to her, I’m a weakling. I am totally out of her league. She closed her eyes and curled her head slightly. Keep it cool, Dust. Don’t show any weakness. You must win her respect. Don’t be like those useless pegasi from your team. You need to prove your worth. Show her that you mean business.

After taking a deep breath, Lightning Dust opened her eyes and said with the most confident voice she could, “So long story short. You feel as if the world you live in is made of cardboard and filled with weaklings.”

Twilight’s eyes opened widely as she responded hesitantly, “I… I never thought about it like that…” She remembered her attempts to save Green Apple from the hungry worms, which resulted in hurting him instead. During her whole life, she had endured trial after trial that made her strong and tough, something that common ponies didn’t have to go through. “Still… even if I’m tougher than others because of my lifestyle. I wouldn’t call others weaklings,” she said while wondering how many ponies would endure being stomped by a giant hoof.

“You’re just saying that out of pity,” Lightning Dust pointed out before biting off half of a donut. After swallowing it alongside a quick sip of lemonade, she wiped her mouth and said, “Anyway, just today I tried to impress or even surpass the Wonderbolts and make my dad proud, only to screw up and find out that a tiny size mare two years younger than me already works for them. Now I’m kind of curious what you did to get a spot in the Wonderbolts’ team?”

“I was appointed by the princess to study a pegasus’s magic form the Wonderbolts and––”

“Woah woah woah, hold on a second,” Dust cut her off. “You studied pegasus magic?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, do you?”

Lightning Dust blushed and looked to the side. “Well... my dad taught me many times…” She looked back with closed eyes while rubbing back of her neck, “But I was always the ace in practice, not in theory.”

Twilight massaged her forehead, causing the pegasus’s ears to drop. Great job, Dust. You just made a fool of yourself. As princess’s student, Twilight must be an egghead, and now she thinks that you know less about your own magic than she does. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“Anywaaay, as I was saying,” Twilight continued. “During my studies, Spitfire once took me on a trip to the frozen north. We ended up ambushed and nearly captured by two griffins and two unicorn foalnappers.”

“Yes?” Dust said, her ear exposed.

“Spitfire’s wing got hit pretty badly and she couldn't fly. After we hid in a cave, I used my magic to heal her wing. That was where I learned that my size works to my advantage when performing difficult magical surgery.”

“What about the bad guys?” Dust asked.

“Well… I kind of passed out from the exhaustion. When I woke up, Spitfire already had them tied up and unconscious.”

Fighting the bad guys, healing a teammate. What a way to get into the Wonderbolts, Dust thought as she immediately closed her mouth. She really means business. I wish I could be at least half as cool.

“Well, that’s the end of my story, now may I ask you a question or two?” Twilight asked as Lightning Dust nodded in agreement. “Why did you form a flying team in the first place?”

“Simple. I needed a team to display my skills in public.”

“You formed a team and became their captain just so you can show off in front of a crowd?” Twilight asked as piece of puzzle formed together in her mind. “You just used them for your own gain?”

“Used those poor fliers? They should be thanking me for the spotlight they got thanks to me in the first place,” Dust responded as she stretched her wings and pointed at the healed one. “I’ve got talent, they don’t. Only the best of the best can reach high in the end.”

Twilight turned her back to the pegasus and responded, “That’s very selfish of you.” She shot Dust an angered glare, “You are a terrible captain if you don’t think about your team. If you wanted to display your talent, you could always join other teams or apply for the Wonderbolts.”

Lightning Dust waved her hoof in dismissing gesture. “Join a weak team and take orders from pegasi who will slow me down, no way. I deserve better than that.”

Twilight jumped from the table and walked away, ignoring several stares from the silent, but confused, customers.

Lightning Dust facehooved. Now she thinks I’m a terrible leader. Way to leave a good impression on your better. She immediately followed, one slow step for every five that Twilight took.

With rising curiosity, Twilight looked up and asked, “What about the Wonderbolts then? If you want to fly with skilled fliers, you should apply to join them first.”

“Well, at first I was afraid that it would take forever,” Dust answered before biting her lip.

Twilight frowned. “So you got impatient and formed a team to get popular instead of working hard to join the elites?”

Lightning Dust lowered her head and said with calmer tone, “This was plan A, and now I see that it was a stupid idea. I won’t get anywhere by teaming up with losers. Plan B was to impress the Wonderbolts so they could take me seriously. I’m actually considering joining the Wonderbolts right now. I will work hard, I promise.”

Twilight slowed down and opened her mouth as if ready to explain flaws in Dust's plan, when suddenly a whisper captured their attention. “Hey you, over here.”

Lightning Dust stopped and turned towards the source of the voice, quickly noticing two caped pegasi in the shadows of a dark alley. “Yes?” she asked, her foreleg raised above the ground.

“There’s something we want to discuss with you.”

“Then come over and talk with me, eye to eye,” Dust responded.

“Oh, we would do just that, but what we want to talk with you about is best kept away from the ears of the public.”

Are they really expecting me to fall for that? Do they think I’m that stupid? she thought.

“Of course if you’re afraid of the dark, you can always go crying back to momma. You can even tell her how you screwed up a tornado in front of thousands of ponies.”

Screw it. Trap or not, those pegasi are asking for a beating, Dust thought as she walked towards the alley, when suddenly she felt something hold her hind leg. She looked back, quickly noticing it captured in lavender aura. “What is it, Twilight?”

“I have a bad feeling about this, don’t let them provoke you,” she advised.

“Why not?” Dust asked before rubbing her chest proudly. This is it, a chance to show her my skills. “Trap or not, it’s no biggy for me. Just watch.” With a bit more force, she pulled her foreleg, breaking free of the magical hold of the tiny pony.

Lightning Dust followed the two caped figures into the dark alley with Twilight quietly following right behind her. “So, how much deeper into this alley are we going before we can get to the part where we talk and I beat you up?” Dust asked.

Both figures stopped and turned around before swiftly removing their capes and spreading their wings, now glaring back at Lightning Dust with anger. One more descended from the roof and landed between them. “Do you remember us?” asked the mare with sea-blue mane and yellow fur.

“Sorry,” Lightning Dust responded while tilting her head to the side. “Your faces don’t ring any bells.” She smiled in satisfaction at the sight of steam coming from their noses.

“You humiliated us!” the bronze stallion shouted and stomped. “First you said how we aren’t even worthy to participate in front of Cloudsdale. After the show, you talked trash to our captain and embarrassed her in front of the crowd, challenged her to a race, and flew circles around her.”

Dust half closed her eyes. Lily, Flap and Jolt, now I remember. She raised forehoof to her face and chuckled, which did nothing but further anger the pegasi. She looked to the side and said, “And I take it that you guys want an apology?”

Wing Flap on the mare’s right side nodded. “That would be a good start.”

Jolt stood up on his rear hooves and slammed his forehooves against each other, “Yea. If you apologize, we may go easy on you.” He smirked. “If you bow to us and beg, I may let it slide.”

Lily poked Jolt and said with nervous tone, “Aren’t you going too far with it?”

Jolt shook his head. “Absolutely not. He humiliated us, turned into laughing stocks. Only a hoof to hoof combat between two stallions and him begging for mercy can restore our honour.”

“But this isn’t even fair,” the mare responded before pointing at Dust’s wing. “He is still hurt from what happened in today’s show. Beating him wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Excuse me!” Twilight shouted, but was clearly ignored. She galloped towards the hooded ponies, but Dust’s foreleg blocked her path and slowly pushed back.

“No need, Twilight. I got it covered,” Dust said before approaching the pegasi. “I’m sorry…” the moment Lily sighed and Flap smiled light, she added, “that you are such a bunch of sore losers.”

“That’s it!” Jolt shouted before spreading his wings and dashing towards her.

“Wait, stop!” Twilight shouted before charging her horn.

Lightning Dust smirked before jumping to the side to avoid the hit and countered with swift kick against Jolt’s side. Now standing on one forehoof. “You’re too slow for me,” she said before spreading her wings as she circled around her opponent, who rolled on one foreleg before losing his balance.

Dust noticed lavender aura surrounding her and Jolt. She thinks I’m no match for them. I will prove her wrong. With the strength of her wings and pure force, she broke free from the levitation field and tackled Jolt, now pressing him against a wall with her forehooves holding his forelegs. “Also, my wing is as good as new thanks to the help of a very powerful unicorn,” she added while spreading her wing in front of Jolt’s face.

“Stop you two!” Twilight shouted, but before she could separate the fighting pegasi, Lightning Dust flew upward and rolled before throwing Jolt towards his teammates.

Noticing that he was captured in mid air, Dust landed and raised her head proudly. “I suggest you leave, unless you want to remember this as a day when a mare kicked your flanks in a three to one fight.”

“Mare?” Lily said with a shocked voice.

“He’s not a stallion?” Flap asked as he released his comrade.

“Ouch,” Jolt yelped in pain as he now stood back up to his hooves before shaking the dust from his fur.

“Stop it this instant!” Twilight shouted again, this time with magically enhanced voice as she captured the attention of the group.

Dust looked down at the little mare and said, “Don’t bother, Twilight. There’s no point in wasting your magic on such weak opponents.” Much to her surprise, an aura of magic formed around her flapping wings and tied them together as she was slowly placed back on the ground. “What are you doing, I had them where I wanted.”

Suddenly, the little unicorn teleported on Dust’s muzzle as she stood on her rear hooves and shot her disapproving glare. “This fight would’ve been avoided if you weren’t so mean. Ponies have feelings, and you keep hurting them!” she lectured.

Why is she so upset? It is better to tell somepony straight in the face that she’s a bad flier than leave them with fake hope, Dust thought as she wanted to respond, but decided to keep silent.

Twilight turned around and pointed at the confused group, “And you! Don’t you have anything better to do than settle scores in this manner?

Both stallions rubbed their eyes in disbelief while Lily closed their mouths and pointed towards the sky. “I think… we should leave.”

“A-agreed,” both stallions said hesitantly before turning around and flying away.

Lightning Dust observed the leaving pegasi despite the little obstacle slightly blocking her view as she resisted the urge to shout ‘cowards’. Twilight’s words still circling in her mind. Suddenly, her ear perked upward as it detected the noise of a pin bouncing off a trashcan.

She immediately flew upward, but something grabbed her legs and slammed against the ground, causing Twilight to fall from her muzzle and roll on the ground towards a nearby newspaper. With a bit of effort, Dust tried to stand when the weight of a pony pressed against her while her wings were clamped together. She felt cold metal keeping them immobile.

“Get off me you coward and fight like a stallion!” she yelled, when suddenly her mouth was blocked by some sort of wet material. Her eyelids became heavy and her thoughts turned into a mess as the world swirled in front of her eyes. Twilight peeking at her from underneath a newspaper was the last thing she saw before her vision turned dark.