Getting Tough

by Manaphy

Welcome to the Gym

Misty Fly, Amethyst Star, and Bulk Biceps froze for a moment and their eyes became fixed on Iron Will, a mass of pure muscle and testosterone. The tips of Iron Will's horns were as sharp as a pin. His nose looked like it could topple a stack of books just by sneezing. Despite this, his rock-like muscles were less impressive when compared to the stallion made out of what looked like nothing but muscle, Bulk Biceps.

Iron Will cracked his knuckles and looked down at the three ponies before him. "You three must be here for Iron Will's Assertiveness Program!" he shouted jubilantly.

"We are," said Misty meekly. She turned to the two ponies beside her and noticed Amethyst's face turning gray. Bulk Biceps, however, had his eyes shimmering as they gazed at Iron Will's six-pack. "Is that correct, everypony?"

"Y-yes," Amethyst stuttered. She looked over to Misty for a moment and then turned her eyes towards Iron Will. "I just imagined that you'd be smaller. That's all."

"This size didn't come from just nature, kid!" Iron Will replied with a smirk. His eyebrows bopped up and down like pogo sticks. "It came from non-stop assertiveness and weightlifting. But mainly assertiveness." Iron Will struck a pose, his form looked like the stance of an archer. "If you can become assertive, you'll almost be as strong as Iron Will!"

"Excuse me," said Bulk as he extended a hoof forwards. "But it's because you're a centaur, right?"

Iron Will stood up straight and followed up with a hearty laugh. The three ponies looked at each other with blank expressions and shrugs before turning their attention back to Iron Will. "Silly stallion, I'm a minotaur, and no minotaur is miniature!"

The three ponies remained still and silent with emotionless expressions. Iron Will let out a few false chuckles before clearing his throat and flexing his arms for a moment.

Misty then slightly tilted her head. "What are we going to do here?" she asked. "I'm curious as to what exercises we will do."

"Only the best exercises that make you assertive!" Iron Will's eyes sparkled and with a majestic leap, he landed next to a red door and opened it wide, a hallway that extended to the horizon appearing on the other side. "Come now, let's start with our first exercise! Just follow Iron Will!"

Misty allowed Bulk and Amethyst to enter through the door before her. When she entered through the open door, she couldn't help but think about who this Iron Will was. Nothing he had said so far made any sense to her, and she wondered if this was some elaborate prank staged by the Royal Guard. Was she the fool in all of this?

Misty shook her head. Amethyst Star and Bulk Biceps were new faces to her and neither seemed to be the type that would be affiliated with the Royal Guard as far as she knew. All she could do was follow Iron Will down the hallway for the time being, unsure of where she'd end up or what she would do. Such uncertainties caused her chest to tighten ever so slightly.

Iron Will stopped at the fifth door to his left. He stretched his muscles and stepped back, but instead of opening the door, he lowered his shoulder and barged through.

Slam!

Misty flinched slightly and upon regaining her composure, she followed everyone into the room. Misty raised an eyebrow the moment she stepped inside as she surveyed the objects around her. A collection of various items, which included tables, weights, bowling balls, megaphones, and even a few carnival games, all rested off to the side as though they were recently recovered from a junkyard. The items looked slightly gray, seemingly yearning to be used once again. Aside from that, the only other things that defined the room were a table with three wine glasses on it and the wooden floor below with a sheen so bright that Misty could see her own reflection if she looked down.

Misty stared at her reflection, but something was amiss. Instead of seeing her cream colored face, she saw a slightly different image. It was still her face, but she had a pair of flight goggles on her head and a tight, blue uniform over most of her body. Misty shuddered, then rubbed her eyes, and when she stared back at the reflection, it was the image she was expecting to see. Feeling a tense urge rush through her body, she looked up at the ceiling and noticed a bright light hanging above the room. Was that what caused her to see what she did?

No. That couldn't possibly be it. What she saw in her reflection was too detailed to be a mere trick of the eye, but what was that uniform over her supposed to represent? Misty recognized seeing something like it before, but the words she tried to formulate were only on the tip of her tongue and refused to come forward.

"Are you gonna stand there or are you gonna stand in front of that table?" Iron Will asked.

Misty looked up and saw Iron Will's scowling face directly above her. She shrugged slightly and her cheeks blushed. "Sorry," she said innocently. "I just thought I saw something." Misty trotted over to the table and stood in between Amethyst and Bulk, both of whom were attentively staring at the wine glass before them. Misty took a deep breath and quickly did the same.

"Iron Will knows what you're thinking," said Iron Will as he paced in front of the trio. "See, this exercise is to test how tough you can get. Toughness is important if you're going to be assertive like Iron Will, so I want you to shatter that wine glass in front of you using only your voice. Can you do that?"

"Excuse me," Amethyst said, looking up to Iron Will's face. "I don't know how this is supposed to make us feel more assertive."

Iron Will sighed and stared blankly into Amethyst's eyes. "Do you want to be assertive or not?" Amethyst froze for a moment, her lips tightly shut, before looking back down at the wine glass before her. "Good! Now then, let's do this one at a time. You there." Iron Will pointed his index finger at Misty Fly. "Break that glass!"

Misty shuddered and her head swiveled from left to right. She noticed that everyone had their eyes positioned to her. Taking a deep breath and whispering motivations to herself, Misty shot out a yell. However, the yell that came out was not like that of a ferocious lion, but of a playful cub. Upon finishing, she looked up at Iron Will, his face grimacing.

Iron Will's face told her everything she needed to know. Misty's cheeks blushed and she winced ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," Misty whispered. "I need more practice."

"Don't apologize when you can criticize!" Iron Will shouted to the ceiling before doing another pose. His words echoed in the room, repeating over and over as though the room itself was trying to make Misty remember this. Misty let out a sigh and looked over to Amethyst, who was biting her lip and visibly shivering.

"Now then," said Iron Will, now pointing to Amethyst. "You're up next!"

Amethyst paused for a moment and looked over to Misty and Bulk. Turning her attention back to the wine glass, she cleared her throat and shouted at the glass. Her roar was louder than Misty's, but it still felt like it came from a cub and not a lion.

Iron Will groaned and mumbled something to himself. Misty couldn't pick up what he was saying, but her ears noticed his deep tone, so whatever it was couldn't possibly be good. Misty looked at Amethyst, whose eyes were pointed at the table and her shoulders sagged.

"Don't fail me now, big pony!" Iron Will commanded.

Bulk Biceps snorted and steam erupted from his nostrils. Clenching his teeth with audible crunches, Bulk then took in a deep breath and upon exhaling, he let out a powerful roar. Misty and Amethyst simultaneously covered their ears, as Iron Will stood still with his jaw dropped. Suddenly, the ever familiar crack of broken glass echoed in the room.

Not only did Bulk's wine glass shatter, but all three of them did. The cascade of shards fell onto the table and glistened under the light, which in turn caused Iron Will's eyes to shimmer and a wide smile to run across his face.

"That was brilliant," said Iron Will, clapping his hands rapidly. He then tightened his arm muscles for a little bit and his eyes stared at their bulky form. "That was almost as good as Iron Will's."

"Thank you," Bulk replied with a smile and a nod.

Iron Will ceased flexing for the time being and turned his attention to Misty Fly and Amethyst Star. "I have a long way to go to fix you two up, but this big stallion here should be easy."

Amethyst tilted her head slightly. "What makes you say that?"

"How does Iron Will know? It's because Iron Will knows who can steal the show!" Iron Will jabbed the air and struck another pose. This pose was simply his jabbing motion, but figuratively frozen in time. He then straightened himself out and walked to the door. "Let me show you something in this gym. It's not another exercise, but when you see what these ponies can do, you'll wish you were as assertive as they are."

Iron Will departed the room and the three ponies followed him. Misty trotted close to Amethyst , both of whom were frowning slightly and staring at the floor below. Amethyst's emotions were palpable to Misty and mentally called out to her. Formulating something to say to Amethyst that might cheer her up just a little, Misty prepared to open her mouth, but was cut off by the clicking of an opening door.

"Welcome to the gym's dojo," said Iron Will as he extended his arms out as though he was giving a tour.

The three ponies trotted inside and Misty's nostrils relaxed upon taking in the serene, rose-lie scent. Such an aroma seemed ill-fitting in a gym, but she didn't mind this oddity at all. It was certainly an improvement to the dusty nature of the room she came from. The dojo itself also looked nicer and cleaner, as mats, planks, blocks, punching bags, and a wide array of other supplies were either neatly put off to the side or organized around the room. On the mats laid out on the floor were a number of ponies performing delicate poses or striking objects with their hooves. Some of their strikes were graceful while others struck with ferocity.

"What do ponies do in a dojo?" asked Bulk Biceps, who wandered around the room with a wide open smile and shimmering eyes.

"This is where ponies go to practice all different kinds of martial arts," said Misty. "Ponies practice martial arts for a variety of reasons. It can be for learning a type of combat or for spiritual development." She looked at some of the objects spread out across the room and a faint smile adorned her face. "I practiced martial arts a lot when I was a filly. It was fun. I still practice those techniques today."

"That's really interesting," Amethyst said with a slight smile. "I'd like to know more!"

"That's for another time," said Iron Will. "For now, Iron Will wants you to take a look at this gym's most fierce black belt." Iron Will pointed to a white unicorn with a curly, purple mane staring down a wooden plank. "Take a look at the pony I'm pointing to and tell me what you see."

The unicorn took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes. Her body froze in place as though time had stopped around her. Opening her eyes and glaring at the plank, the unicorn galloped forwards and leaped into the air. She extended her foreleg and bellowed a battle cry into the air as gravity pushed her back down.

Crack!

The unicorn split the plank in two. Misty, Amethyst, and Bulk simultaneously gasped and took a few steps back. Misty's eyes widened and her mouth hung agape. She immediately made a mental note to never get in the way of that unicorn, though she doubted that they would cross paths again. Her body relaxed somewhat, realizing that there probably wouldn't be a situation where that unicorn's hoof would end up heading directly for her face. After all, what were the odds of that happening?

"Impressed?" asked Iron Will. He turned around and stared at the visages of his students, their expressions the same as they were before. "Iron Will takes it as a yes."

"W-who is that mare?" asked Bulk, his teeth chattering wildly and their constant clicking irritating to the ears.

"I don't know, but Iron Will does know that she's usually here around this time so that she can practice. Another martial artist once told me that she's a fashionista. Can you believe that? Because Iron Will doesn't."

"Maybe," said Amethyst with shrugged shoulders. "Anyway, is this the kind of thing you're looking for?"

"You bet!" Iron Will nodded and flexed his arms. He grinned like an idiot for each flex, but when he noticed that all three of his students had their eyes pointed elsewhere, he let out a quiet sigh and stood upright. "That's the attitude we're looking for."

Misty gulped and her throat then tightened. If that's what Iron Will is looking for, she had no idea how she would leave this course with his approval. It was just against her nature, and it didn't require much thinking to realize that the odds were against her. She took a deep breath and muttered more words of encouragement. Her throat loosened and she straightened herself out, hoping that luck would continue to ride with her.

"That's enough for today," said Iron Will. "Tomorrow, I want you to meet Iron Will at Cafe Canterlot. It is there where the real lessons will begin. All of this was only the appetizer to my meal of success!" Iron Will struck one final pose, his arms stretching as high as they possibly could. "You better show up, because this stuff isn't free."

The ponies trotted to the exit. Misty felt neither cheerful nor melancholic as she left the gym and stepped back onto the main streets of Canterlot. The sun was setting, lighting the sky a beautiful, fiery orange. While the towering buildings of the city blocked some of the sky, Misty's eyes still sparkled and gazed at the beautiful colors around her.

Shifting her focus to the roads ahead, Misty knew the way back to her apartment, and if the quiet atmosphere and the seldom amount of ponies ahead of her told her anything, it was that this particular journey was set to be much smoother than the one trying to get to the gym. It wasn't much, but some good news brightened her mood and caused her to smile slightly. Misty took a single step forwards and the moment her hoof made contact with the road beneath her, a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Misty Fly, do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?"

Misty turned around and noticed Amethyst Star behind her. Like her, Amethyst had a slight smile on her face and a relaxed posture. Misty cleared her throat and her own smile widened. "Not at all. What's on your mind?"

"I just wanted to get to know you a little better," said Amethyst. "First things first, do you live in Canterlot?"

Misty shook her head. "Actually, I'm from Cloudsdale. I'm staying at the Hotel Travertine for the time being."

"I pass that whenever I go out to do something. Let's trot together while we chat."

Misty and Amethyst lined up next to each other and trotted along the road, their hooves clicking against the stone roads in synchronization as though they were part of a marching band. The pair trotted forwards, passing by the once busy road of Canterlot that Misty had to take earlier.

"Anyway, what's it like at Cloudsdale?" asked Amethyst, still trotting along at a leisurely pace.

"Cloudsdale is a wonderful city," Misty Fly said, her trotting pace the same as Amethyst's. "No matter where you are, the views are spectacular. It's the perfect spot to enjoy the sights of nature."

"I wish I could visit Cloudsdale, but it's in the sky."

"It is possible, as I have seen a lavender unicorn trotting about on some of the streets. She claimed that she was a student of Princess Celestia's. I can't imagine what it would be like to be Celestia's prized pupil."

Amethyst's eyes widened and her pupils dilated. "That sounds amazing. I'd love to become a student at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Sadly, I'm not old enough to apply. I have to wait about another year, but I'm afraid I might not get in anyway."

"I think you'll get in Celestia's school." Misty smiled and nodded at Amethyst reassuringly. "I promise."

"Thanks." Amethyst paused for a moment and stared blankly at Misty, their eyes gazing at each other. Amethyst then blinked a few times and cleared her throat. "I just remembered, what was that thing back at the gym?"

Misty tilted her head slightly. "Huh?"

"You know, the thing where you were staring into the floor."

"Oh yeah." Misty looked down at the road beneath her and sighed. Her attention then turned back to Amethyst. "There was something weird about my reflection."

Amethyst tilted her head slightly. "What would that be?"

"Instead of seeing my face as it is supposed to look like, I saw my face with a blue uniform and flying goggles on it. I still can't figure out why."

Amethyst giggled ever so slightly. The noise was just audible enough for Misty's ears to hear it, which prompted her to raise an eyebrow and tilt her head slightly. "You've heard of the Wonderbolts, right?" asked Amethyst.

"Wait a second." A sudden thought sparked inside of Misty's mind. However, there was something strange about it. While she could make sense of the reflection she saw, she couldn't make sense of it at the same time. No matter how hard her brain tried to find a valid conclusion, something else popped in her mind that drove her away from it. Misty's eyes shot up for a brief moment, which prompted Amethyst to raise her eyebrows in response.

"I never even planned on being a Wonderbolt," said Misty. "I just don't see myself joining such an organization. Also, if the news reports are to be believed, the current captain is a bit cranky and considering giving his position to somepony named Spitfire, who is less than a year older than I am. It doesn't sound like the most fun place to be."

"Come on, Misty Fly," said Amethyst. Amethyst patted Misty on the back in a soothing, gentle manner. Misty could feel the tension inside of her loosen with each pat. "You don't know what it will be like until you gave it a try."

"I guess you're right." Misty smiled and nodded. "I still struggle to see myself actually deciding to become a Wonderbolt."

The two arrived at Hotel Travertine. The towering apartment complex was constructed in a type of limestone, hence the name, and eight stories of balconies extended out of all four sides of the square building. A large fountain adorned the front courtyard of the apartment's outside entrance. Despite its unassuming shape, there was something about it, something that words couldn't quite describe, that drew the attention of the eye.

"This is Hotel Travertine," said Amethyst as a matter of fact. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Amethyst Star."

"Goodbye, Misty Fly."

As Amethyst slowly trotted away from Misty and the apartment complex, the two waved and looked at each other one more time. After a few seconds or so, the two went their separate ways. Misty looked up to the evening sky as question after question raced through her mind. Did she really want to become a Wonderbolt and simply doesn't realize it yet? Could she find a way to pass Iron Will's course and get into the Royal Guard?

Misty deduced the answers to her questions as maybe and yes respectively. She felt her spirits figuratively cool off. It was a soothing, tension releasing feeling that her mind missed all day. Misty trotted towards Hotel Travertine and planned to relax for the rest of the day, hoping that luck would return to her tomorrow.

Comments

[pokefreak13]

Will read once it's finished.

[ZeroChill]

You have definitely improved in your writing style since our previous encounters. Can't wait to see how Iron Will whips those under him into shape.

[Manaphy]

4857149 Thank you!

[redmar]

Amethyst's statement about wanting to apply for the Shool for Gifted unicorns is a bit ironic since we see her there as a filly in a flashback in Amending Fences.