Pegasus Densetsu

by Wyrm

Beginning of the Legend

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 4: Beginning of the Legend

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In the home of Fluttershy's family, the only daughter of the household prepared for another day at school. She crossed off various items from a mental checklist as they were done. Her school supplies and personal effects were put into her saddlebags. She had eaten and groomed herself as best as she could. She slung a specially-made pouch across her back, so that a certain small item could be tucked under her left wing. Throwing her saddlebags over her back she shifted around experimentally, and gave a satisfied nod to herself that her new item did not interfere with her movement, nor felt uncomfortable.

"Okay," she said in satisfaction. She was ready to go. She trotted down the steps of her home, calling back, "I'm off, mom!"

"Oh, you're leaving early!" came the answer from a surprised mare.

"Yes, just a bit," answered Fluttershy. She stepped out of her house's yard and onto the street. She pranced in place for a few seconds, stretching out her limbs. "Ahhh... what a nice morning today is. Waking up a little earlier makes the morning seem totally different." Fluttershy stopped, musing to herself, "I'd better get going. I have a billfold to return."

The yellow pegasus didn't get very far before encountering the three Trickster Queens. "Are you going to see Field Goal, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy blinked. What? How does she know about that? Did I tell her and don't remember?

Not hearing a denial, Surprise continued. "He isn't at school. That fellow said he'd be waiting at Hurricane Park."

Fluttershy's eyes widened with realization. Oh, I get it! Surprise and Field Goal must be friends, and Field Goal had told her about his lost billfold, she thought, feeling better about the situation. "Then just I'll go to Hurricane Park," she said, and trotted on.

"Wait! You're actually going?!" shouted Surprise, "Don't you know how serious this is? You shouldn't go!"

Fluttershy glanced back. She was puzzled by Surprise's concern. Shouldn't lost property be returned? Then 'realization' hit. I see. She must be worried about being late for class, like last time. She's such a pal! Her perpetual leer tightened. "If Field Goal is waiting for me, I must go."

Surprise actually reared back in shock, as if struck smartly in the crown by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick, or had a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. (Similar effect.) She trembled in the intense emotion welling up within her, finally letting it out several seconds later in a squeal of anguish, crying tears of true feeling. Her squeal surprised her two fellow regnants of rowdiness.

Firefly looked at Surprise strangely. It was a familiar sensation. "What is it, Surprise?"

"Can't you understand our leader's feelings, you knuckleheads?!" sobbed Surprise as she wiped away the tears still streaming from her eyes.

Firefly raised an eyebrow. Another one of Surprise's made-up words? "What's a 'knuckle' and what has it got to do with heads? Though I must say, 'knucklehead' doesn't sound very complementary to me," she asked.

Surprise started gesticulating wildly at a bewildered Fluttershy. "It wasn't! Look here, you stoopidy stoopid pants! Fluttershy thinks that the mean hoofball team might be out to noggle us, so she's jumping into a fight she knows she might lose with an extra-large size 'splat'!"

Firefly and Firecracker gasped in shock, as they realized the logic in Surprise's words. Fluttershy, for her part, was very puzzled. However, she didn't look puzzled, but rather, as she always looked, with that horrific face and sick leer. This was a fact that the two picked up on quickly.

Firefly murmured, "She's got the same face she always does, where you can't tell what she's thinking."

Firecracker picked up the thought. "If she's been thinking of us this entire time..."

The realization hit the two at the same time. All three Queens let out a roar of heartfelt sadness and joy: "WAAAHHHHHHHGHHH!!!"

"We have such a wonderful happy-fun boss!" sobbed Surprise, as the three shared a three-way hug. "We're the happiest delinquents in the entire world!"

Fluttershy would have worn a questioning look, but that wasn't within her face's specifications.

"Please take us along, Fluttershy!!" wailed the three, sobbing profusely.

"But I can just as easily do this myself," the yellow filly said.

"NO! You must take us along!!" Surprise insisted. "We're comrades-in-arms! We must stick together like tree sap and face the perilous peril together!"

What's so perilous about returning a billfold? thought Fluttershy with confusion. Oh, she must mean that metaphorically! They must be offering me moral support... after all, my previous attempts didn't really go very well!

It was about this time that Rainbow Dash made her appearance, a grim look plastered on her face, as well as plasters covering her wounds. She sauntered up to the group, clucking dismissively. "Psht. No matter how many of you foals she brings along, you're only going to get in the way," she said evenly, "Give up and go to school."

Seeing the plasters, Fluttershy went bananas. (She was yellow, after all.) "KIEEE!! What happened to your face, Rainbow Dash?!" she shrieked, dashing towards Dash in a panic.

Firefly grinned. "Heh. We should leave the jokes up to your face, Spectrum Butt!"

"Drop dead, Cheap Knock-Off, or I'll knock your head clean off your neck," Rainbow Dash growled, stamping her hoof belligerently.

Fluttershy was totally focused on Rainbow Dash's health. The only words that she heard out of Rainbow Dash was 'Drop dead,' which didn't ease her concerns one bit. "ARE YOU OKAY, RAINBOW DASH?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" she screamed with concern.

Likewise, Rainbow Dash and Firefly were focused on each other, and paid no mind to Fluttershy's screams of concern. "Yer cruisin' for a bruisin', Spectrum Butt!" snarled Firefly shoving her face into Dash's.

The rainbow-maned filly reciprocated the agression. "Bring it, Cheap Knock-Off!"

Surprise tried to pry them apart. "Knock it off, you silly willy ponies! We're allies!" she pleaded.

How could this happen?! I just take my eyes off Rainbow Dash and she tries to commit suicide again! Fluttershy's eyes filled with tears as the realization hit her fully. Oh... Fluttershy, you foal! Depression is a chronic problem! Of course she would try again! Of course it wouldn't be over with just a few words! I'll have to give her serious counseling after I return the billfold!

—/—

As they entered Hurricane Park, Fluttershy stole several furtive glances at Rainbow Dash. Dash, however, noticed that this was happening.

"What?" came her response.

To this, Fluttershy replied, "You look kinda weird with that forelock style, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash's eye twitched, then hoofed her face. "Ugh. Fine. I'll change it back after this," she said in resignation. The Trickster Queens bit back snickers.

Hurricane Park was a pegasus park. As such, it was made of clouds sculpted and conditioned to look like an earthbound park. Cloudy 'grass' covered the firmer cloud 'dirt'. Cloud 'trees' stood around the cloud clearing. Standing in this clearing was the entire senior varsity hoofball team. They were not dressed as hoofball players about to practice scrimmage, but as the thugs they actually were. Some even brought bats, clubs and other blunt things from other sports, and some of those not so equipped had good old fashioned pointéd sticks.

It was onto this group that Fluttershy and her gang entered. Many of the colts reacted quite negatively to Fluttershy's ghoulish face and slasher smile.

"Is that the top pony?"

"Wow! Just... wow! She's like..."

"She's definitely WHACK dude! Just like they say!"

Meanwhile, Fluttershy marveled at the crowd gathered around Field Goal. That's quite a crowd of ponies! Field Goal must get lonely easily!

Surprise grit her teeth looking at the crowd. That's a lot of ponies, and they're all colts, and it doesn't look like a bunch of jokes and tricks will win them over! I'm getting seriously serious second thoughts about coming!

"If you're scared, you'd better run along." The cerulean pegasus smirked. "Three stooges," she added mockingly.

Surprise swallowed as she handily disposed of that idea. No way! If we go home now, Fluttershy will turn us into superglue for sure for abandoning them! She'll also be steaming mad! Screwing up her bravado, she stammered out, "H-How can we be scared of that many guys, even biggy big-big, meanie pants guys?! We don't need help, nor hemp! Us three Queens will be all that is necessary to take them all on, or maybe even two or one! But definitely three are all that are needed!"

Firefly facehoofed. Surprise was making less sense than usual, and what sense she was making made no sense at all. "Surprise, did you take stupid pills this morning?" the pink filly groaned.

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Heh-heh. That sounds fun!" she chuckled. She had either drawn Surprise into her trap, or capitalizing on Surprise's false bravado. "I'll take care of their second in command: Dumbbell. You go ahead and handle the rest of the guys.

"Fluttershy," the cerulean pegasus said to their unwitting leader, "The three stooges and I will handle the underlings."

"Don't call us that! We're the Trickster Queens!"

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow Dash turned back to Fluttershy. "Anyways, I can't do everything myself. Please settle things with Field Goal."

Fluttershy wasn't really listening. "Huh? O-Of course I will. I'm the only one who has what he wants."

Rainbow Dash nodded significantly, a significance totally missed by Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was terminally confused about what the big deal was. After all, she was only returning a billfold. Nevertheless, Rainbow Dash turned to the three Queens and barked out, "Alright, three stooges! C'mon!"

"What?! Since when were you the boss of the Queens, Dashie!"

Two ponies, Cleats and Spikes glanced at each other, commenting on the spectacle.

"Hahaha! Look, they actually want to fight!" Cleats said with much contempt.

"What can they do with only five ponies?"

Just then, Rainbow Dash bolted at the throng, specifically at Spikes. Within a few beats, she had closed the distance and smashed her hoof into his chin, pitching the poor fellow over and onto his back.

Needless to say, the other colts did not react kindly to this at all.

"Oh, you really did it now, b*yay*!"

"Don't mess with the varsity hoofball team!"

"We'll mess you up!"

"Oh cloud, I can't believe that knucklehead! Now we gotta fight!" shouted Surprise in frustration. She pointed a hoof at the crowd and proclaimed as she started running, "Let's rumbly bumbly tumbly!"

Chaos reigned at that point, with the two outmatched groups of fighters turned into a roiling mass of violence and noise. Fluttershy stood shocked at the bedlam taking place just yards away from her, confused and worried sick. Oh my goodness! I don't know how things got all pear-shaped, but I have to stop it! Somebody might be hurt! However, before she could dive into the fray (in the interests of stopping it, of course), Field Goal calmly interposed himself between her and the violence.

"Now, what is rightfully ours, stolen from us, shall now be returned," he snarled.

Fluttershy blinked, her mental transmission shifting out of trying to stop the battle to what she came here for. "'Return'? Oh, you mean the billfold!" she said, dropping her saddlebags to the ground and rummaging around in it.

Field Goal narrowed his eyes. What was this filly up to?

As she searched, Fluttershy became more and more panicked. The billfold was nowhere to be found in her saddlebags. A horrific thought occurred to her. Oh no! I forgot to put it in my bag! She sheepishly turned to Field Goal. "I'm sorry! I forgot it!"

Field Goal sent a fist into her cheek as a reply, sending her sprawling away. "Stand up, you b*yay*! I'm not taking any apologies now!" he roared.

Fluttershy was shaken, but still conscious. She struggled to rise. Of course he shouldn't. I was a bad pony for forgetting his precious billfold, so of course he's mad, she thought in her own shame, That billfold probably contains all he can call his own in this world.

As Fluttershy stood wobbly to her hooves, Field Goal sent another powerful blow into her cheek. And another, and another.

As for the rest of Fluttershy's 'gang'...

Surprise screeched, "TRIANGLE MANEUVER: ALPHA~~~~~~~~!"

The attack was misleading in name. For one thing, it didn't look like a triangle. Instead, it consisted of the three pegasi somehow ending up behind a confused Long Pass, then simply trampling over him at full gallop. Unless Surprise was somehow screaming about a degenerate triangle, the name was very dishonest. Perhaps purposely so, but to Firefly and Firecracker, it was just as likely that Surprise was just being random.

"FALL BACK!" shouted Surprise. She and her two wing-fillies jumped back, leaving Long Pass a crumpled heap on the ground, out of the fight.

The rest of the crowd stared at the carnage done to Long Pass, mentally stunned. It seemed the Trickster Queens had more than tricks up their sleeves (neglecting the fact that they never wore them.) A grape-colored colt called Sportsdrink broke the mental stunning first, and started advancing while growling, "Mo-motherbuckers! I'LL TEACH—"

Surprise saw this and immediately roared, "OPERATION: DA NUTZ!"

*POW!* "*squeak!!*"

"FALL BACK!"

Another flurry of movement, this time a much different attack, though with comparable result. Sportsdrink went down with a wimper. And as before, Surprise and her two wing-fillies jumped back, leaving Sportsdrink a crumpled heap on the ground, forehooves over his nethers.

This last result made the colts even more reluctant to attack. Bad enough that the three Queens were wily enough to take any of them out should they break from the mob, the last victim made them cringe. We dare not move an inch! They'll get us if we do! And I certainly won't risk the family jewels!

Rainbow Dash grinned as she spared a glance back at the three Queens. "Heh, so they can fight after all!" she remarked. She did not dwell on them, however, because a flash of motion caught her attention. It was Dumbbell.

Dash was a quick filly, and she immediately stepped between him and his boss. "Oh, no you don't! You're not interfering with this fight. Bosses only!" she declared.

"Out of the way, small fry!" warned Dumbbell.

"So says the small fry!" countered Rainbow Dash.

Dumbbell did not continue the banter, instead striking out with a hoof. Rainbow Dash easily ducked beneath it, stepped forward, and smacked him in the face with her own hoof. Dumbbell stumbled away in surprise. In some ways, her smaller size was an advantage, especially with her ability to put more of her weight into the hoof slams. The result was Dumbbell with a bloodied lip, and a rising blood pressure.

The brown colt reached under his wing, pulling out a knife. With a roar around the knife's handle, he slashed at Dash, who shielded herself with her canon. A line of red opened up on the cannon's flesh. "Outta the wahy!" growled Dumbbell with a mouthful of knife, "Ih'll stahb you ihf you dohn't, b*yay*!"

Rainbow Dash examined the wound dispassionately for a moment, curiously watching the drops of blood roll down her cannon and around her fetlocks. She sighed. "You dummy. You shouldn't be carryin' that thing around," she said, curling her head under her wing. She grasped onto something with her mouth, and drew out the large, sharp kitchen knife she had 'borrowed' from the school kitchens. "Ih cahn't leht you have any advahntahges, cahn Ih?" she slurred around the handle. "Nohnoh, don't look aht me lihke thaht — you brought iht out fihrst."

Dumbbell's eyes widened. He didn't expect a first year to get her hooves on a dangerous weapon! Further, she had already demonstrated how easy it was for her to get inside his defenses. Dumbbell actually stepped back. The tables had done a full 360 degree turn, with him still at a disadvantage.

At that point, Field Goal smacked Fluttershy again, sending her to the ground. Field Goal stood over her, fired up but puzzled. What's going on here? She hasn't attacked at all! Why? Is she plotting something?

Fluttershy pulled herself to her hooves yet again, her nose and mouth bloodied, and shook her head free of the fuzz. Wow! His stomps hurt, but it was my fault that I don't have his billfold after all... thought the yellow filly. She was deeply ashamed of herself, forgetting this colt's rightful property.

However, she spotted altercation between Dash and Dumbbell. Her eyes snapped into sharp focus on Rainbow Dash's bleeding cannon. Fluttershy could not contain herself. She let out an unearthly howl, "KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

The howl was so loud and unexpected, that Field Goal actually jumped back in shock. W-What's up now?! he thought, disoriented and confused. Is she finally going to fight?

NO! I KEPT MY EYES OFF HER TOO LONG!! SHE'S GONNA TRY TO KILL HERSELF AGAIN! HER CANNON'S ALREADY BLEEDING!!

WHAT THE—? Field Goal thought, What's happening to her face?! Indeed, a red, raised line formed across Fluttershy's muzzle. It was the still-fresh scar she received from Rainbow Dash a few weeks ago. Normally invisible, the scar appeared when she was stressed, like now with her seriously fearing what Rainbow Dash would do to herself. Field Goal contemplated this scar for only a brief second. A scar? A knife scar on her face?! What is she?!

Fluttershy's alarm was cresting. I MUST DO SOMETHING! "RANBADAAAHHHHH!!!" she screamed, in an miserable failure to call Rainbow Dash's name, her legs moving her forward almost automatically.

Field Goal braced himself, then thrust a firm hoof forward. It connected solidly with the side of Fluttershy's face. The sound of the hoof hitting the yellow pegasus's face caught the attention of everyone there. In particular, Rainbow Dash and Dumbbell. Field Goal was quite pleased with this latest strike. It was a perfect counter that sent the freakish filly reeling.

That... really hurt... thought Fluttershy through her pain. I'm... losing... con...

"FLUTTERSHYYYY!!!"

The scream brought Fluttershy back to the present. Her mind focused on Rainbow Dash, who was galloping towards them. The focus tightened on the wound that had been opened on Dash's right cannon, drops of blood flying every which way, and soaking her cerulean fur down to her hoof. Oh no! So much blood! Rainbow Dash, you must not commit suicide! Life is a precious thing! This life you have received it from your parents is the only one you have! Adrenalin coursed through her, allowing her to plant her limbs and balance herself through sheer willpower. I cannot take my eyes off you anymore. I'll just have to watch over you from now on.

"IT'S OVER!" roared Field Goal, throwing another hoof, his wings outstretched in triumph.

It was indeed, but not for Fluttershy.

The yellow filly, through instinct, threw her forehooves out, catching Field Goal in the chest. All of her muscles tensed, resulting in a powerful thrust right into the top of his ribcage. "DONGENAWAAEEEE!!!!!" 'Don't get in the way!' came Fluttershy's inarticulate scream, "RANBODAAAGONADIIEEEEEEE!!!" 'Rainbow Dash's going to die!'

The thrust pitched Field Goal right off his hooves, sending him flying back in a slow tumble. His wings, extended, wrenched down with the sudden movement of his central mass. He fell back, his torso leading the way with his whiplashed neck, wings and legs trailing behind. He landed heavily on his back, his neck whipping back to slam his head into the clouded 'ground', where the simulated solidity of the cloudy park conspired with the velocity of his head to give him a concussion. His limbs sprawled out every which way.

The sound of the impact brought everyone to a standstill. Field Goal, the leader of the hoofball team, was down.

"F-Field Goallll!" Dumbbell shouted as he ran up to his leader. He knelt to check on him. The other hoofball members gathered around their fallen leader.

"Wow! He's totally KOed!" commented Laces.

"Never thought I'd see the day..." swore Gridiron.

"Dumbbell, w-what should we..."

Dumbbell shed stallionly tears of bitterness. "Our respective bosses fought, and ours lost. If it were chess, we would have been checkmated," sobbed Dumbbell, "The varsity hoofball team... has lost this fight."

The four filly fighters erupted into cheering while Fluttershy stood confused at the sudden jubilation and the abrupt ceasing of hostilities. Fluttershy ignored that oddity; there was much more important matters to attend to. "Rainbow Dash, life is a very pre—" she began.

However, her lecture was interrupted by Rainbow Dash hugging her about the middle. "You kicked flank, Fluttershy!" she shouted in a cheer.

As Rainbow Dash hugged Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus felt a queer pressure on the inside of her left wing. "Umm... something's under my wing..." she murmured, stretching it out to see what was under it, to find a cloth pouch she had stitched together yesterday afternoon. She stuck her muzzle into it, and grasped hold of what was in it.

A blue billfold. The blue billfold that belonged to Field Goal.

Oh, I had it in here the whole time. In fact... I specifically put it there to be safe and I wouldn't forget it. What an silly pony I am! thought Fluttershy in joy. Her mission had not failed after all. She stepped over to where Field Goal lay sprawled out on the ground, unconscious, and laid the billfold on his belly. Even though I was helping Rainbow Dash, what I did to you was inexcusable. I'm truly sorry. The yellow pegasus opened her mouth, saying in a ragged voice, "The next time we meet, I shall pay you back for this slight."

Dumbbell's jaw dropped open in shock at the declaration, his mind completely blank. Mitts, Bench Press, and Freeweights broke out in cold sweats as a sick feeling settled into all of their stomachs.

S-She still wants to fight?
Wasn't knocking Field Goal out enough for her?
What a total b*yay*!

Fluttershy turned around, walking away as if she wasn't going to get attacked in retribution, pausing only to recover her saddlebags. "Okay, let's get to school."

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted Rainbow Dash as she and the rest of the yellow filly's followers... well, followed.

An act motivated by kindness, to return to Field Goal his wayward billfold. Through this act, Fluttershy (unwittingly) cemented her power over the school and thus awarded a new name, the Cloudsdale School Guardian.

—/—

Cheerful Sign mused aloud, "We've never had trouble with thugs here at Cloudsdale before, (untrue) but now that filly from the deepest nightmare is recruiting the most vulnerable of my students to full delinquency."

Charlie Horse, who had been in the office at the time the principal started his mumbling, looked at him strangely. "Sir, what are you—?"

"I'm talking about Ms. Rainbow Dash and the three former Trickster Queens. They've both thrown their allegiance behind her," mumbled Cheerful Sign darkly, "Pranking is only one step removed from full thuggery, and Ms. Dash had just come off of suspension when she returned.

"This is serious! As much as it galls me, I'll need some outside help!"

Cheerful Sign picked up a pen in his teeth and began to write a letter to the Equestrian school board. Charlie Horse shook his head and quietly let himself out.

—/—

While this happened, Fluttershy was earnestly explaing the wonder of life to Rainbow Dash. "Darkness is part of life, Rainbow Dash. But though the night may be dark, it always turns to day, and the sun will climb into the sky," Fluttershy lectured to the curelean pony, "So no matter how hard things get, hang in there!"

"uh huh... uh huh..." Rainbow Dash nodded at all the appropriate places as if she was actually listening, but in truth she was utterly confused what this lecture was about, and why it was taking place on a bed in the school infirmary.

END CHAPTER 4.

---

You might be wondering why I use 'turned into glue' as a pony euphemism for being slaughtered. That's because it's in the past, and as such 'turned into cupcakes' isn't in vogue, or even invented yet.

That, and it's getting a touch overused.

Comments

[Hilltopper]

I'm just seeing Nightmare Moon's inner Woona scared witless by Fluttershy now.... Thanks.