//------------------------------//
// Rainbow Dash 
// Story: "I'm Catbug!" 
// by Thought Prism 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight and Catbug raced outside to investigate the disturbance they had just heard. Upon exiting the castle, the two glanced around for anything amiss, Twilight more urgently so. Soon, they noticed one very colorful pegasus sitting at the base of the outer wall.

At first, Twilight stifled a gasp as she saw the protrusion on Rainbow Dash's forehead. But, after closer inspection, it was merely a cartoonishly large bump, rather than the horn she had initially feared.

She rolled her eyes. "Rainbow Dash, you just crashed into my house again, didn't you?"

The mare in question stood up with an uncharacteristic slowness, nursing her injury with a forehoof. "Yeah," she replied with only a hint of remorse. "I was practicing this new--"

"That's terrible! Are you ok?" interrupted Catbug, who was now tearing up and clinging to Rainbow's other front leg.

For an instant, as she processed the new being before her, her pupils dilated. "I'm cool, little dude." After pushing him off and turning back to Twilight, she continued. "So, I'm working on this new trick called Volt Tackle, where I barrel right through a storm cloud and pick up a wicked charge. Turns out it's kinda hard to see where you're going when you're on lightning," she added sheepishly.

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm pretty sure that expression only applies to fire and probation, Dash."

"Eh, close enough," she said with a shrug. Then, she craned her neck around to check on where she had hit. "Whew, it doesn't look cracked. I don't have to fix anything this time!"

Twilight smiled. "Except for that trick of yours, that is."

"I just need some more practice is all. Once it's ready, the Wonderbolts will definitely put me on the team!"

After twilight's reply nod, they both just stood there for a few seconds, fidgeting. 

No longer able to contain her emotions, Rainbow immediately dove for Catbug, squeezing him tightly. "Ohmygosh, you're like the cuteness version of me! I'm the one-and-only Rainbow Dash, who are you, squirt?"

Catbug was about to reply, but was cut off. "This little tyke is Catbug, Fluttershy found him this morning," informed Twilight. "He's from another dimension, and likely exceeds Professor Peachy Keen Eye's postulated maximum for cuteness!"

"I'm still cute! Yay!" he exclaimed.

This prompted a delighted squeal from Rainbow Dash. "That's so cool! What's it like outside Equestria? Super awesome, I bet."

Catbug nodded exactly seven times. "I'm a Bravest Warrior! We go on adventures all over the place!"

Her eyes widened. "Woah! You can fight too? I know, we should totally go spar right now!" 

Catbug pressed his paws together and rocked back and forth. "I dunno, Beth always says that I--"

But alas, Catbug didn't get to finish before Rainbow plopped him down onto her back and rocketed off into the distance.


* * * 


As the pair landed at the dojo, Catbug took a few seconds to stop screaming joyfully, as well as lower his arms. Rainbow pulled the door open to the familiar wooded structure and practically galloped inside. She placed Catbug on the floor and rushed off into a side room, returning wearing a white gi and jet-black belt.

"You know, I've been looking for a disciple to pass my sick skills onto for a while," Rainbow Dash stated.  "Applebloom didn't really pick up the moves very well, but you seem prepared, Catbug."

"Umm, actually, I don't do much fighting," he replied reluctantly.

Dash leaped into the air. "Huh?! I've never heard of a warrior who couldn't fight! Isn't that, like, the definition?"

"My friends say that I'm best at moral support. It's like cheering, only less work!"

She cracked a smile. "Well, yeah, that's a given for you, but doesn't it ever bug you that they don't let you pull their weight? No pun intended."

Catbug shook his head. "Not really. This one time the other day, they let me lead a mission, but when I got back, they all looked disappointed for some reason."

Raising an eyebrow, she asked "Why? What did you do?"

"That's exactly what I said!" he noted, downtrodden. "I thought I did a great job helping everybody. I got a guy his ice cream, put this other's guy's turtles into a giant pie crust, got a--"

Before Catbug could finish, Rainbow's eyes widened in shock. "YOU BAKED TURTLES INTO A PIE? THAT'S TERRIBLE!" she grabbed Catbug in her hooves and began shaking him roughly. "PLEASE TELL ME YOU DIDN'T EAT IT. PLEASE TELL ME YOU DIDN'T EAT IT!"

Catbug looked both dizzy and surprised. "What? No! They were hungry, and couldn't climb into the pan all by themselves!"

She let go, breathing a sigh of relief. "Then why didn't your friends like what you did? It sounds like you were being a nice guy."

"They said I was supposed to do something with these weird science sticks they gave me, but I didn't know how they worked."

"Ugh, they wanted to make you do egghead stuff? That's boring. If I teach you to fight, you won't get roped in to that sort of chore anymore! Sounds good, right?"

"O-Kay!"



	

[Cue Training Montage Music]

Rainbow dash turned to Catbug. "Ok, now watch this. Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!" She launched herself into a flying spin kick. Colliding the blow with a wooden pony cutout, it fell to splinters. "Now you try."

With a high-pitched 'Yaaah' Catbug followed suit. Except his kick looked more like a headbutt, and the wood didn't even look scratched.

Rainbow facehoofed.





"Ok, let's try this," Dash said, handing Catbug a pair of blue foam gloves shaped like minotaur hands. After she slipped red ones over her hooves, she made a 'come hither' gesture.

Catbug managed a few steps, but the gloves were heavy, and he tripped and fell, letting out an 'oof'.





"Now for wing-ups! Let's go!" she shouted as she dropped into her workout.

Catbug, lying on his back, strained to open his shell even once. When he finally did, they caused him to roll over his face. He plopped onto his stomach, giggling.





Catbug stood patiently outside, waiting for Rainbow Dash to return. When she did, she was high above him, pushing a swollen, black cloud.

She spun around and bucked the cloud. "Time for some heavy downpour endurance training!"

But before the deluge of water could pelt him, he hissed adorably and leapt out of the way.





"Come on, Catbug, push it! I know you can hit harder than that!" encouraged Rainbow.

They were inside Bon-Bon's candy warehouse/basement, both whaling on large slabs of taffy hanging from the ceiling on chains. Catbug hovered in the air wearing a stern expression, his blows barely fazing the colossal confectionary. Rainbow's, meanwhile, was covered in many deep, hoof-shaped dents. 

It was then that a very angry Bon-Bon elected to enter, stomping loudly. "OH HAY NO! NOT AGAIN!"

Overwhelming dread crept its way onto Dash's face, eyes shifting frantically between Catbug and Bon-Bon. "Crudbaskets! Gogogogogo!"

[End Music]





The two figures knelt low to the ground, panting heavily. "I think we finally lost her," stated the pegasus. "Maybe this wasn't my best idea."

Catbug shook his head. "Are you kidding? That was really fun, Rainbow Dash!"

Rising to her full height, she laughed heartily. "Yeah it was! But still, I feel bad about the whole thing. How about I take you someplace slightly less fun to meet one of my other friends to make it up to you?"

"Sure!"