The Muay Tiger

by Onomonopia

Friends

Ponyville was unlike any other place that Sagat had been to. The air was rich and soft to the touch, bringing a sense of calm with it. The sun shown with a strong but calming light, seeming to alleviate his stress. The animals were friendly and came right up to him, no fear in their eyes. And the sounds of talk and laughter echoed across the area. It was a place of peace and harmony. A place not fit for a warrior.

"It's been too long," Rainbow Dash said wistfully. "It's been nearly half a year since I was last here."

"If I recall, your home wasn't too far from here," Sagat said.

"Yeah. You kidnapped me from it."

"Would have come with me if I hadn't?"

"Fair. Come with me, I'll show you around." Rainbow led Sagat through the streets, pointing out different locations to the tiger. "Over there is Sugarcube Corners. Pinkie used to work there, until she moved to the big city to be with her husband. And that's where Rarity used to work until she moved to Canterlot to expand her brand. And that's the crystal castle that Twilight used to lead from until she went mad."

"She was driven mad? What did that to her?"

"She tried to figure out how Zangief worked."

"Poor fool."

"And up there is Cloudsdale!" Sagat lifted his eye to the sky to see a city made entirely of clouds floating past. He raised an eyebrow. "Man, I remember that place. Filled with only the fastest pegasi...and Fluttershy. I had some of the best days of my life up there. Wish I could go back."

"Why can't you?" Sagat asked. Rainbow flapped her one wing. "Ah, right."

"But yeah, Ponyville hasn't changed much, has it?" Dash asked herself. The ponies all waved to her as they walked, some even stopping to talk with her. Sagat got some looks and some of the ponies who were wearing W.W.P. shirts asked if he was a fighter in the tournaments, but aside from a nod Sagat didn't answer. "We really need to work on your pony skills."

"As if you are one to talk, Ms. Win at any cost."

"I just lost my pony skills. You never had them in the first place," Dash snarked back. "Nice to meet you. Knee to the face. How are you doing? Knee to the face. Can I ask you a question? Knee to the face. If my pony skills are bad, yours are-"

"TIGER KNEE!"

Rainbow spun to the side, just in time to avoid a knee to the back of the head. She hopped onto her hind hooves and blocked the follow up kick, before throwing out a tiger shot in retaliation. Sagat hopped back to avoid getting hit, leaving the two facing off in the middle of Ponyville. A crowd formed around them and started chanting for them to fight.

Sagat stepped in close and threw another kick, but Dash ducked under it and closed the distance. She blocked an elbow strike before catching Sagat in the gut with a hoof, staggering him slightly. He brought an arm back for an uppercut, which Dash read and slightly backed off. Sagat then switched to a knee strike and flung himself towards Dash, but with a smirk the rainbow mare cocked a hoof back.

"TIGER UPPERCUT!"

Her blow caught Sagat right in the center of the chest and sent him tumbling backwards, where he came to a stop flat on his back. He started to get up, only to be stopped when Rainbow landed on his chest and aimed her rainbow fueled hooves at him. "You're getting slow, old man," she teased.

"Or perhaps you are starting to regain what you have lost," Sagat replied. Dash stepped off and allowed him to get back up, before a commotion in the crowd ended their fight.

"What in tarnation's is going on here? Ah thought everypony knew that there is no fighting in Ponyville!" an all too familiar voice called out as an orange mare pushed herself to the front of the crowd. "Now ah don't care who ya are or what reality yer from, but we won't be having any...Rainbow Dash?"

"Hey Applejack. I'm back," Rainbow replied meekly.

Applejack slowly walked up to Rainbow, looking as if this was the first time she had seen her in a long time. Applejack then brought back a hoof to deck Rainbow, getting Rainbow to flinch. But after a moment Applejack put her hoof down and pulled Dash into a bone crunching hug instead.

"Yer back. Ah've been so worried about ya," Applejack shakily said. "Ya have been missing fer months. And before that ya were locked up inside yer home...and then before that..."

"Yeah, I've...I've been a real piece of crap for a few years now, haven't I?" Rainbow said with a chuckle. Sagat flashed a look to the crowd and they dispersed immediately, giving the two some privacy. "But I'm...different now. I've had my eyes opened...and watered. Amazing what a couple blows to the head will do."

"Uh-huh," AJ replied, before casting a glance up at Sagat, who didn't flinch under her gaze. "And ah take it ya are the one who kidnapped Rainbow without leaving so much as a note to what ya were doing?"

"Zangief asked for me to train Rainbow. And I have done that," Sagat replied. "He did not ask me to keep any of you in the loop. If you are upset Rainbow has been gone for so long, blame her weakness. If she was stronger, she would have made it back to you much sooner."

"Why you..." AJ snarled, but Rainbow shook her head.

"No, he's right. I've been weak, stupid...and very, very arrogant. I came to apologize for all of that," Rainbow said. "To all of my friends, but I wanted to start with you. Mostly because you are the only one who I knew still lived here."

"Hmph, well aren't I just special?" Applejack snarked, but there was joy in her eyes. "Are ya going to apologize to the rest of our friends as well?"

"If they're still where I still think they are. Twilight still in white?"

"She nearly broke out the other week. Celestia has Starlight guarding her."

"Starlight's on our side now?"

"She is after Zangief spun so hard he collapsed space time on top of her to stop her time traveling scheme," AJ replied with a shrug. "She nearly broke like Twilight."

"I'm sorry, Zangief did what now?" Sagat asked. Dash and AJ both smirked up at Sagat before Rainbow sighed.

"Fluttershy still in her cottage?" Applejack nodded in response. "Alright. I need to go see her. After all, she...never gave up on me, even after everything I said. Would you two mind waiting here?"

Sagat and Applejack both watched as Dash walked off. It wasn't until she was far out of ear shot that Applejack looked up at Sagat and narrowed her eyes. "What did ya do to her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ah mean she's...almost the same Dash ah remember," Applejack replied. "Cocky and flashy, yeah, but the anger, the disgust, the drive to be better than everypony else...it's all gone...it's almost like ah got her back. How did ya manage to pull her out of that hole she was in?"

"I retrained her body, brought back the strength she had lost. I taught her new skills, one that would allow her to go even further beyond where she had first been. But as for who helped her to see the light, it was the same man who helped me to do the same," Sagat said. "I am a warrior. I can teach to fight, to defend, to improve...but I am still learning when it comes to strengthening hearts. For a while, I feared that I might make her worse. But thanks to my friends, I was able to help her to dig herself out of that hole."

"Don't sound so ashamed," AJ replied. "We all need help with stuff. Ah'm the strongest pony around, but ah need help with forms, transportation and things like that. We work together when we come across something we can't do on our own. Even if we're a mighty warrior who likes to throw fights against our students."

"There is some wisdom in your words...except for that last part," Sagat revealed. AJ raised an eyebrow in response. "I did not throw the fight. I never throw fights against warriors who I seek to battle. As hard as it is for me to admit, Rainbow Dash...is my superior now."

"Come again? But, she beat you so...easily."

"It is the sad truth. She wasn't lying when she said I am getting up there in years," Sagat smirked. "I am getting older. But she has skill, power, dedication, but above all, raw talent. It reminds me of another warrior who I once fought who had all of that."

"Ryu?"

"No. Akuma." AJ felt her soul go cold at that name. "Dash has everything he does, including the desire to prove she is the best above all else. Luckily for us, Dan managed to disperse of her ego...but the danger is still there."

"So what are ya going to do about, old man?" AJ asked with a smirk. "Ah mean, yer her teacher. Isn't it yer job to guide her down the right path?"

Sagat lowered his head and stared at his hand for a moment, before clenching it with a dark smile on his face.

"You are right. I must make sure that she does not fall to that path ever again. It is time, then..."

"For her final test."

Comments

[badninja]

This is going to be interesting. I wonder if we will see a tournament and more of the cast of Street Fighter show up and “train” Rainbow Dash?

[Venerable Ro]

"And ah take it ya are the one who kidnapped Rainbow without leaving so much as a note to what ya were doing?"

"Zangief asked for me to train Rainbow. And I have done that,"

Called it. Least they figured out that she didn't just walk off a cliff...

"You are right. I must make sure that she does not fall to that path ever again. It is time, then..."

"For her final test."

Sure, since you've been so rife with good ideas up 'till now... Think he'll ask Ryu to just show up without so much as a by-your-leave, or will it be Zangief again?

[everydaygamer]

I like that this is a universe where Twilight went insane and everyone is just kind of OK with it.

[FTR2017]

Question ... didn't Ryu rip both of Dash's wings in the prequel with him as the protagonist? Why is there mention of 'her one wing' then?

I'll admit though that it's been a while since I last read that part of the prequels. Anyone remembers what I speak of?

[Onomonopia]

10576516
Just one wing

[Grahf]

10576462
I think it would be interesting if Bison showed up with Sombra either in this or another sequel

[FTR2017]

10576525
Ah, I see.

Thank you for the correction! :)