Drocsid Part 4 Finale.
The tetherball sailed softly from my hoof passing over the line before it ran out of inertia and swung back.
"Ahahahahaha! What was that?" Discord chortled. "Was that the best you can do?"
"I don't understand," I said in disbelief. "I used the same amount of strength I always use..." My eyes widened as it dawned on me. I didn't have my powers. I always had to restrain myself at my recess to avoid hurting others around me. But without my powers, I was no different than any other earth pony."
"Since I'm a good sport, I'll let you take a mulligan on that last swing, just this one time. After that, I'm not holding anything back."
I looked at the ball with a new sense of uncertainty in my stomach. I had no experience as an average pony. Except briefly when I was trapped in my nightmares. But I'd been brainwashed half the time.
"Okay, you've got this," I whispered to myself. "Just hold nothing back and aim for his smug face." I raised the ball once more and with the strength to send it to the moon spiked it. It sailed from my hoof with a satisfying bop and sailed to Discord's side. The Draconequus intercepted it with a two-clawed spike that sent right back at me with astonishing speed. I jumped into the air and swiped my hoof at it. But it sailed past me wrapping it around the pole while I landed splayed out on my hooves.
"One-nil to me," Discord said as the scoreboard added a number beneath his name. I rose to my feet, ignoring the new aching sensation in my forearms.
Discord picked up the ball and reared back for a swing. studying the trajectory, I rose on my hind legs and crouched down. As soon as it left his talon, I jumped up on my hind legs and spiked it back at him. He let out a yawn of boredom and simply slapped it with his lion's paw. Quickly, I jumped up to intercept, only to miss once again as the scoreboard raised his score to two.
"Two to nothing, you sure you don't want to play tiddlywinks?"
"Game on," I answered. I wasn't about to give him a sense of satisfaction.
The next round I tried a different tactic, When he served the ball, I jumped into the air and soccer kicked it with my hind leg. The ball shot back with such speed that Discord had to duck to avoid being hit.
"Two to one now," I said with a smug grin as the scoreboard changed my zero to a one.
"So you've got some game after all?" He said with a devilish grin. "Good, I was worried this game was starting to get boring. Your serve."
I took the ball into my hoof and looked down at it. The stakes of the game began to sink in, I was not only playing for my life but the lives of my friends and everypony in Equestria as well. With my physical attributes still being unfamiliar to me, I would have to keep playing unpredictably in hopes of catching Discord off guard if I were to have any chance of winning.
I hefted the ball into the air, then pivoted on my hind legs to let out a kick that sent the ball straight into Discord's paw.
The Lord of Chaos winced as the rubber surface stung his paw dropping the ball in his side. The score was now tied.
"Oh, it's on," He hissed blowing on his paw.
The next few rounds were where things began to heat up. I managed to keep up with Discord's strikes long enough to score two more goals bringing the score up to four to two. However, I was beginning to feel the unfamiliar sensation of fatigue setting in. My coat was damp with sweat, my breathing coming in sharp raspy pants. My leg muscles ached as I raised the ball to serve once more.
Thwack! Discord easily intercepted my spike with a strong hand sending it back to me like a guided missile. I served it back only for it to be flying back in my direction. Back and forth, back and forth until my hoof missed by a mere millimeter.
"3 to 4, I'm back in the game." Discord grinned through his mismatched fangs. From the sweat stains on his jersey, it was clear the competition was getting to him too. Still, it was clear he held the athletic advantage.
Things continued downhill in the eighth round with Discord scoring another easy point to tie the game.
"Feeling the heat yet," Discord said as he took a satisfied sip from a water bottle.
"It's still...pant...not over...pant...yet..." I panted trying to sound more confident than I was. My leg muscles were aching and my damp mane clung to my net.
As I took my position, the weight on my shoulders grew heavier. Whoever scored this goal would have a clear path to win.
Discord raised the ball to spike once again. THWACK!
KER-POW! A sensation of stinging pain exploded across the front of my muzzle. My body was thrown backward as I landed face-first sideways on the hard unforgiving pavement. I felt a jolt of pain rush through my jaw into the nerves of my teeth, and the taste of copper running down my snout to my lips.
"Oooh, that looks like it hurt," Discord said with a wince. Pain shot up and down my muzzle as I tried to roll over to see what the damage was. "Not to worry, I have the cure." He snapped his claw, summoning forth a red toolbox with a white cross on it, and changed into a doctor's coat, stethoscope, and head mirror. "Let's see what the damage is." He gently lifted my head off the ground and turned my neck to face him. When I looked in the head mirror, I let out a scream of horror. Blood was pouring out my nostrils and down my snout which was slowly turning a reddish purple. I jerked my head out of Discord's grip and fell back to the ground, my eyes tearing up as I tried not to focus on the pain.
"Sniff, sniff sniff,"
"Oh, come on," Discord snapped. "There's no crying in pro tetherball." I ignored him as I lay there clutching my broken snout in agony, tears streaming down my eyes. I could feel the mucus inside mixing with the blood. The congestion only added to the pain. Never in my life had I felt physical pain before, I didn't know how else to process this information, I could lay down trembling like a leaf as the contents of my nose poured onto the pavement.
"Yes, maybe I did spike it a little too hard." Discord awkwardly ran his paw through his mane. "Alright fine, but this won't be covered by your insurance." *Snap*
Instantly I felt the cartilage in my snout snap together, and the aching in my jaw faded. I lifted my head and ran a hoof across my snout. Just mucus, the bleeding had stopped. I looked up at Discord. The Draconequus wore an impatient scowl on his face. "Yeah, yeah you're welcome. Now can we get back to the game? I've got a trophy photo to take after the game and I don't want to be late."
I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked up at him, then over at the purplish bloodstain on the asphalt. A fierce rage rose from deep within me. A rage had seen manifest on the playground many times before, but never felt myself. Once the tears started blowing, it meant hooves would start kicking and the teeth would start biting. My chest panted in and out as if struggling to hold back my heart from kicking its way out. I rose to my hooves, my nostrils flaring as I stared daggers at Discord.
"Play ball." This was it, I needed this point to tie the game. After that, well I dunno, we never took tetherball this seriously on the playground. I just knew a tie wasn't a win for Discord.
"Don't worry, I won't hit so hard this time." Discord sneered as took the ball in his claw and served it. My adrenaline surged as it came toward me. Without thinking, I let out a cry, jumped up, and spiked it back. Discord in shock quickly rushed to serve it back, to which I jumped up and served it back again. Back and forth back and forth, back and forth, with every service I let out a warcry unleashing my fury on the ball. The draconequus stared back at me with cold anger, the front and pits of his jersey were stained with sweat. He couldn't believe I was putting up such a defense after falling so hard. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth until finally I swiped and missed. I fell sprawled out on my hooves, utterly exhausted. An unseen buzzer signaled time, as the scoreboard flipped one last time, revealing the final score to be 6-4.
Discord stared down at me, his serpentine body panting heavily from the exertion. "That...is...game!" He said as he summoned a towel and a bottle of water. He gulped it down and proceeded to wipe the back of his neck with the towel.
"Well kid, I gotta give it to you, you gave me one heck of a game! But there can only be one winner and that is me. Tell you what, since you were such a good competitor, I won't turn you to stone."
"I was completely exhausted. "Pant pant pant, y-you...w-won't? Pant pant pant pant."
His muzzle flashed his wicked grin at me. "No instead, I'm going to make you the figure on my tetherball trophy. With a snap of his claws, the cabinet appeared behind him. "You're going to look great in the center of my trophy cabinet." True to his word, The middle spot on the center shelf was vacant with a sign that read Reserved for Apple Comet.
"And don't worry about your little friends. I promise I'll keep them busy as my minions." With a snap of his claw, he summoned them around me. "Now, any last words?"
I struggled to raise my neck off the ground, gazing into the blank featureless of my friends. He had won, despite my best efforts, without my powers I was no match for him. Even with them, Discord could simply bend reality or banish me to an alternate dimension. I was a fool for thinking I could take him on all by myself. Suddenly I heard a voice ring out.
"Get away from him you monster!" Twilight shouted as her friends surrounded him.
Discord rolled his eyes in annoyance as he turned to face them. "Oh, this again!" His boredom soon faded as a bright light engulfed them. "Uh, oh," He turned to my hypnotized friends. "Get them!" "Before they could, six beams of color shot upward and merged to form a rainbow.
"No no no, not again! Not Again!" Discord turned tail but before he could run away, the rainbow homed in on him and turned him back to stone. In an instant, all traces of Chaosville vanished and the sun shone through the dark clouds. A familiar feeling of warmth entered my body as I slowly stood up. My athletic wear was gone replaced by my saddlebags. I saw my suit matrix lying in the grass in front of me and picked it up.
"Ugh...what happened?" Apple Bloom moaned rubbing her head. Ms. Cheerilee and my other classmates all stood up dazed and confused.
"Is everypony okay?" Twilight and the others hurriedly galloped over to check on them.
"Uhh...I don't know, " Ms. Cheerilee groaned holding her head. "What are we doing back in Ponyville?"
"And why do I have show tunes stuck in my head?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity levitated her little sister into her embrace. "Thank Celestia you're okay."
"Alright, class let's do a quick headcount and make sure we got everybody." Ms. Cheerilee said. Everypony lined up as Ms. Cheerilee began counting heads.
"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8...where's Scootaloo?" Everyone turned around to see the orange filly lying on the ground.
"Scoot are you alright?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Mmph...I feel funny?" She groaned.
"Funny how?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Kinda...tingly all over."
Apple Bloom and Sweetie's eyes fell on the pegasus's flank.
"Scootaloo!" The unicorn exclaimed. "You got your cutie mark!"
"Huh...what?" Scootaloo looked tiredly over to her flank. A golden lightning bolt inside a ring. "Her tired eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, my gosh!" She exclaimed jumping to her hooves. "My Cutie Mark!" That got the entire class talking back and forth.
"What do think it means?" Sweetie Belle asked me.
I felt a knot in my stomach remembering how I had not been fast enough to save her in time. "Well, it's a lightning bolt, which is an electrostatic discharge formed when two regions either in the atmosphere or the ground temporarily neutralize themselves causing an instantaneous release of energy."
"Gee thanks for the lesson nerd," Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes in annoyance before looking back at Scootaloo. "Congratulations on getting your cutie mark Scootaloo."
"Really?" Scootaloo's eyes lit up with excitement. "Thanks, Diamond."
"You're welcome, now that you're one of us, you won't have to hang out with those loser blank flanks anymore."
Scootaloo's expression soured. "What did you just say?"
Diamond looked at her somewhat confused. "Chill out, I'm just saying that now that you've got your cutie mark, you don't need to be a part of that stupid club."
Scootaloo scowled at the heiress, and for a second I could see electricity building inside her. "Thanks but no thanks, I wouldn't join you on a bet." With a huff, she turned and flicked her tail at her.
"Fine, be with your loser friends, see if I care...hmph."
"Alright Diamond Tiara that's enough," Ms. Cheerilee said. "We're all a little on edge right now. Why don't you children go to recess, while the adults talk?"
The class whooped and cheered as they took off running for the playground.
"Phew, thank goodness for extracurricular activity. Now Twilight would you explain what's been going on?
Twilight looked at the fallen form of Discord. The Draconequus had been turned to stone mid-run and was frozen in frantic flight. His face had been chiseled into an expression of terror. "It's a long story, Ms.Cheerilee." She said.
"Well, I've got time, why don't we head inside and you can tell me all about it over a cup of coffee."
"Eh, why not?"
"You gonna be alright Apple Comet?" Applejack asked me with some concern.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," I answered. "I'll find a spot under a tree to read."
"Sounds a plan pardner," Applejack smiled as she followed her friends inside.
"Thanks for sticking with us Scoots," Apple Bloom said.
"Ah no problem," Scootaloo dismissed with a wave of her hoof. "I wasn't about to ditch my best friends to hang out with those two stuck-ups." They joined together in a group hug.
"So what do we do next?" Sweetie asked.
"I dunno, wanna play tag?" Apple Bloom suggested
"Sure," Scootaloo said with a grin as she reached out to touch Apple Bloom's muzzle. "Tag your it."
ZOOOOOOM!
The three of us just stood there in awe as Scootaloo disappeared in an orange and purple blur, leaving behind a brief trail of sparks. The sound of thunder caused the rest of the class to look up at the sky.
"I think we found out what her cutie mark is for." Apple Bloom said in a stunned hush.
"Apple Bloom, take Sweetie Belle back to the orchard. "I'll meet you there once I find Scootaloo." I galloped around the side of the school and through the trees until I was certain I was behind sufficient cover. Then I dug my costume matrix out of my saddlebags. "As if today wasn't already long enough."
Once airborne, I picked up Scootaloo's trail by following her aura. She was traveling so fast that she wasn't leaving behind hoofprints. But her aura had left of streak pegasi magic combined with residual electrons and ions. While I wasn't a weather expert, I had spent enough time studying innate magic to realize that the explosion had bonded the energy within the lightning to Scootaloo's magic. The energy allowed her to vibrate her body at superequine speeds like me. The question was, was this beneficial or potentially harmful to her?
The trail ended funnily enough at the foot of Foal Mountain. Scootaloo was trotting around in circles, calling out in every direction. "Hello? Anypony here? I'm lost! Somepony! Anypony! Help!" I decided now was as good a time as any to make my introduction known.
WHOOSH!
"Hey, that's the red comet! And it's writing something."
Scootaloo wait there, I'm coming down!
CRACK! I landed a distance away from her. "Scootaloo's eyes lit up with surprise as soon as she recognized me.
"Apple Comet!" ZOOOM! In her excitement, she raced over to me. "You're the Red Comet?"
"I realize I have a lot of explaining to do," I said. "Take my hoof, I'll explain along the way."
She looked at my hoof, then after a moment of hesitance, she smiled and accepted.
We flew back to Sweet Apple Acres. At first, Scootaloo was anxious, but after some reassurance, she began to relax and open up. Her small wings fluttered rapidly in the wind like a hummingbird's.
"This is incredible!" She exclaimed with excitement as she spread her legs in an X-shape. A single tear flew from her eye into the breeze.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine she sniffled. "It's just, I've never really been flying before." She turned away with a sad look on her face. My gaze fell back to her small underdeveloped wings. Their weak muscles struggled futilely to keep her aloft.
"Hey, it's okay, believe me, I know it feels to not fit in," I said comfortingly. "I go through it every day. Just know you don't have to do it alone. You've got me. you've got Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and your aunts."
"I...I guess so." She turned her head back toward me.
"Close your eyes, take a breath, and exhale." She did so. "Now hold on tight." I went into a steep dive. Scootaloo let out a surprised yelp.
"Do you trust me?" I asked her. She looked away from uncertain, then looked back. "I...trust you."
"Then close your eyes and trust me." She took another breath and closed her eyes. I pulled up and climbed completing the maneuver with an aileron roll.
"So you're an alien from another planet?" Scootaloo shouted as we drew closer to Sweet Apple Acres. "And your parents sent you here in a spaceship!"
"Pretty much. "I answered.
"So that was you who fought that Ursa Major? And that Dragon?"
"I was also the one who called Diamond Tiara a big fat flank."
Scootaloo laughed so hard she almost lost her grip on my hoof. "Hahahahahahaha! Oh man, I forgot all about that. That was the best sleepover ever! Even if you did spend all that time in the bathroom." She jabbed my side with one of her wings.
"Well, we're almost there," I said as we passed over the fields of trees.
"Hey I can see Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo exclaimed with excitement as we neared the old barn. The two other Cutie Mark Crusaders were standing by the entrance.
"Let's make an entrance shall we?" I suggested.
"Let's" Scootloo nodded in agreement.
CRASH!
"EEEEEEK!" Sweetie Belle let out an ear-piercing scream as dove behind a nearby stack of hay bales.
"Da-da-da-da!" Scootaloo stood on her hind legs like a gymnast after dismounting. "Hey, girls!"
"Pah!" Sweetie Belle poked her head out spitting out some hay that had gotten in her mouth. "Scootaloo!" She galloped over to greet her friend.
"Apple Comet," Apple Bloom ran over and the four of us joined us in a group hug.
"What are you wearing?" Sweetie asked looking at my costume.
"I'll explain inside, come on," I said. I walked over to the bolt and undid it. Then pulled the barn door open.
"What does the barn have to do with that costume?" Sweetie as I led them into the barn.
"I promised you, girls, an explanation and I will deliver," I said closing the barn door behind me. I walked to the hay lining on the floor and unearthed the secret trap door.
"How long has this been here?" Scootaloo asked.
"A couple of months," I answered raising it. I dove down the hole firing up my coma emerging moments later with a sleek arrow-shaped craft.
"Whoa!" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle gasped simultaneously.
"This is how I got here." At my touch, the hatch silently slid open revealing the inside. Scootaloo zoomed over her grayish-purple eyes going over every detail.
"This is awesome!" She exclaimed as she jumped inside and sat down. "How do you fly it?"
"Warning unauthorized lifeform detected. Identify yourself."
"It talks?" Sweetie gasped.
"Voice not identified."
"It's okay Kerax they're with me."
"A'h young master Kom-El, may I ask why you've brought others with you today?"
"There have been some unexpected developments lately," I said turning to the confused unicorn. "Sweetie Belle," I said slowly and concisely. "I am an alien from the planet Kolton. That Spaceship brought me to Equus when I was a foal. And I'm also the Red Comet.
"Sweetie Belle promptly fainted.
"Well, that went better than what A'h expected." Apple Bloom said.
After reviving Sweetie Belle I explained my secret in-depth to them. How my parents sent me here before Kolton exploded. How my powers worked, and why I kept my true identity secret. They sat and listened quietly. Which given their usual antics was quite a remarkable accomplishment. "So now you know the truth about me. I have to ask, what will you do with it?"
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sat in front of the spaceship. Their minds were figuratively blown by what I had told and shown them. "What do you want us to do?" Scootaloo tepidly asked.
"I'd prefer if you kept it a secret between us as friends," I answered.
"So we can't tell anypony?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"No you can't," said Apple Bloom. "Girls you need to understand how important this is. Outside of me, Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith nopony else knew about Apple Comet's secret. Now can A'h trust you as fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders?"
She held out her forehoof in front of her. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other. Then they each placed their hoof on top of hers.
"Deal," They both said. I placed my forehoof on top.
"Welcome to my secret keeper's club," I said.
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I forgot Scootaloo because an expy of the Flash. So are we getting a formation of Young Justice or the Teen Titans?
11186784
It is pretty hard to tell, admittedly. Though, if (and this is a pretty big if) the Crusaders and maybe Spike DO all become super-heroes along with Comet, this would be one of the very few universes with the Teen Titans analogue actually pre-dating the Justice League analogue. Then again, it might be a hybrid of the Teen Titans and the Legion of Super-Heroes (present day origins rather than coming from the future, but they would be younger heroes inspired by the Superman analogue when he was younger himself). And, if they DID all become super-heroes themselves, that would mean several of Comet's Justice Stable teammates would almost as experienced as him, which would help quite a bit in training the new blood.
Comet: Superman
Scootaloo: The Flash (most likely the Wally West version)
Sweetie Belle: Black Canary (if she gains a more controlled version of her former sonic blast power permanently and had some training in detective work and martial arts from Rarity)
Spike: Green Lantern (possibly - if he gets the ring during the mess with Sombra and the return of the Crystal Empire)
Apple Bloom: Well, this one is harder to tell, because, with her skills with potions, there are far too many possibilities.
VERY good job on the action, exchanges, characterizations, general adventure wrap-up and future chapter set-up in all the right places.
Definitely enjoyed Comet struggling to hold his own against Discord without his powers in tetherball and actually managing to keep him distracted long enough for Twilight and her friends to pull off the rescue. And Scootaloo experimenting with her new super-speed and getting in trouble because she wasn't used to actually flying yet was great too, especially since she has found out about Comet's secret. Definitely enjoyed Scootaloo shooting Diamond down that epically when "invited" to hang with her and Silver now that she finally has her mark. The end scene with Comet and Bloom revealing the full truth to Scootaloo and Sweetie was great as well.
VERY certainly looking forward to more of this.
11186793
Personally if both DC and Marvel would be open Apple Bloom would make a great Master of the Mystical Arts. That or Zatanna.
At last discord has been defeated. And scootaloo has become the flash
11186910
Well, according to one of the author's blogs, one of Trixie's apprentices would be in the role of Zatanna. Though I COULD see Apple Bloom's skill with potion leading her to devise a potion that increases her strength, speed, agility, durability, stamina and senses 1000fold for four hours that could be taken once every six hours. Nowhere near as powerful as her brother, of course, but still pretty respectable. Kind of like Hourman, but with the powers lasting longer.
Or I could see Apple Bloom getting very badly injured in one of Comet's tougher battles and end up becoming a powerful cyborg thanks to Koltronian technology. So, well, Cyborg with a direct Kryptonian connection.
But there are still other possibilities. I would say Doctor Fate, but Starlight Glimmer would probably be a better fit for that one after she reforms.
I will be honest, this arc was a bit of a slog to read through and I'm glad it's over. Looking forward to what happens next.
Scootaloo is The Flash. Nice touch.
I don't know what the Flash's origin story is, so I don't know how accurate this was to his origin story. But I'll assume there's at least some parallel. And if not, it's the MLP universe, so there's nothing wrong with taking some creative liberties.
11186793
If you take the comics into consideration, the CMCs actually do get experience as detectives. The comic series is the Ponyville Mysteries series.
And as strange as it sounds, I could see Apple Bloom being an analog for Batman. She's good at building stuff, she's an Earth Pony, so she has the strength, Apple Bloom does have experience in the Martial Arts (despite this story choosing to skip over that episode), and her parents are dead. So yeah, she's at least a good candidate.