The Muay Tiger

by Onomonopia

Always Believed

The cottage was exactly the same as Rainbow had left it. Covered in nature, all sorts of critters running around the place and the sounds of the brook babbling softly to soothe the soul. Rainbow wasn't surprised that Fluttershy never left the place. With it as peaceful as this, who would want to?

She had just reached the tiny bridge over the brook before a very angry bunny crossed her path, crossing his arms and staring up at Rainbow. "Hey Angel, still alive, huh?" Rainbow asked. Angel narrowed his eyes in response. "Okay, I know it's been a long time, but I'd really like to see Fluttershy. Is she home?"

Angel narrowed his eyes once more.

"Look, I know I was a jerk to her, okay? I know that she spent all that time trying to help me and I just threw it in her face. I'm here to apologize for all of that, alright?" Dash said. Angel didn't move. "What do you want me to say? That I was a total self absorbed jerk who got so concerned with herself that she forgot all about her friends who tried to help her, including the mare who has been helping me ever since I was little? That Fluttershy is the only reason that I ever bothered to try anything, including martial arts, at all? That I'm the biggest idiot in Equestria? Is that what you want to hear? Will that be enough?"

"No, but it's a good start."

Rainbow Dash whipped around to find Fluttershy standing behind her with a basket of bird seed in hoof. "Hello Rainbow Dash. I heard that you were back in town."

"Fluttershy...hey," Dash said. For a moment the two stared at each other, before Rainbow let out a sigh and lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You did so much to try to help me and I...I..."

"It's alright. I heard what you said to Angel. And I forgive you."

"Forgive me?" Rainbow asked, snapping her head up to Fluttershy. "How can you just forgive me? I've been such a jerk after I lost my wing...I've been such a jerk long before then. How can-"

Rainbow didn't get to finish. Fluttershy set her basket down walked over to Rainbow and pulled her into a soft hug. "Just the fact that you're alright is enough for me. After you went missing I feared for the worse. But to see you back, the old you back, is all I need."

Dash tried to say something, got it caught in her throat and settled for pulling Fluttershy into a hug with tears streaming down her eyes. "Thanks Shy. Thanks."

"Anything for my best friend," Fluttershy replied. The two separated and Fluttershy spent a second looking over Rainbow. "You're back to your old physique again. So how has training with that monster of a man been?"

"Sagat? Ah he kicks my flank, insults my ego and then tells me to stop whining so much. So he's been telling me everything I need to hear honestly," Rainbow chuckled. Fluttershy smiled as well. "I'm...glad he showed up. If he hadn't, I'd still be back home nursing my missing wing...but worse of all, still nursing my ego and desire for vengeance."

"Really? He did that?" Fluttershy asked. "So you no longer want to tear off one of Ryu's legs and beat Zangief so badly that he'll erase himself from the record books, nullifying every victory he ever had against you?"

"...is that what I sounded like?"

"Yep."

"Oof."

"Yep," Fluttershy agreed. "But you know Rainbow, you're friends aren't the only ones who have missed you."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a certain orange filly, well, she's not really a filly anymore, who I bet would like to see you."

"Oh no. Scootaloo. I can't imagine what my attitude has been like for her," Rainbow sighed. "Do you think she'll ever be able to forgive me?"

"Only one way to find out."

Rainbow smirked at Fluttershy's response before pulling her into another hug. Fluttershy patted her on the back, looked with pain at where her friends wing used to be, before Rainbow broke away and took off towards the town again. "Thanks again Fluttershy. For everything."

"Always," Shy replied. Fluttershy watched her go, but once she was out of sight a pigeon came fluttering down and landed on Shy's head. "Oh hello there mister bird. What brings you here?"

The pigeon cooed once and dropped a letter at Fluttershy's hooves before taking off once more. Fluttershy looked down at the letter and picked it up, wondering who could have sent it to her...or why the stamp was the image of a tiger.

====qcf+P====

Rainbow found Scootaloo in the same place she always was. The CMC treehouse out on the edge of town. The only difference was that the treehouse had gotten a makeover since she had last seen it and the CMC all had cutie marks now. She wondered if they still brewed trouble every day of the week or if they had come to their senses now that they had their marks? She bet the former.

The three were out in front of the tree house, talking to a group of much younger foals that all were lacking their marks. Rainbow stayed off to the side for a moment and listened in, a sad smirk crossing her face. They were teaching them the importance of cutie marks, but also how a cutie mark didn't define a pony. How, even with a mark, everypony still had the ability to choose who they wanted to be and what they wanted to do. How everypony could change. Once again, it seemed like she was the last one to get the message.

She waited until the group called it for the day and the foals all took off, chasing butterflies and stuff. The CMC started cleaning up their area, which told Dash it was finally time to face the music. So she walked out into the clearing and was immediately spotted by the three. Scootaloo's eyes went wide while both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle glared at her. But before either of them could say anything, Scootaloo looked at them and shook her head. The pair raised an eyebrow at her before they turned and headed for their treehouse, giving Rainbow one last glare.

That left Rainbow alone with Scootaloo, with neither one knowing how to start.

"Hey Rainbow," Scootaloo finally greeted.

"Hey kid," was all Dash could say in reply.

"Been a while."

"Yeah it has."

Silence for a few more minutes.

"Well, it's nice to see you again," Scootaloo said as she started to leave. "But we've got another class this afternoon and we need to get ready. I hope that-"

"I'm sorry." Scootaloo turned around to find Rainbow's head bent nearly to the ground. "I'm so sorry for letting you down all these years. It's bad enough to let down my friends...but to let down you...I've been a horrible mentor, a worse role model and the worst big sister you could ask for. I got so wrapped up in myself...there is no excuse. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I don't want or expect you to forgive me. I just wanted to let you know. I am so sorry."

Scootaloo looked down at Rainbow, who didn't dare to look at Scootaloo's expression. Then a smile crossed Scootaloo's face. "So how do you throw those tiger shots? Is it some kind of rainbow effect or are you throwing your punches hard enough to ignite the air?"

Rainbow Dash slowly raised her head to look up at Scootaloo. "And how about the new teacher of yours? Is he a friend of Zangief's? Because I never thought I would see a man bigger than Zangief, yet here we are. Is he the one who taught you all of those cool moves? Or did you come up with them on your own?"

"You...you know about all that?" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo smiled before she pulled out a folder that was with her teaching folders. She opened it up and showed it to Rainbow, who had to use all of her might to keep back the tears. Inside were newspaper articles about all of the fights Rainbow had participated in, her victories and how she seemed to be back on the rise to the top. "You...you still follow me?"

"Of course. I'll always be your biggest fan...and your sister," Scootaloo replied. "I knew you'd be back to yourself one day. Yeah it might take a while, but you're Rainbow Dash. You always come out on top. So that's why I never stopped believing in you. Because you may stumble, but you'll never let me down. Ever."

That broke Dash. She pulled the filly into a hug with tears streaming down her face, while Scootaloo did the same. "I'm so sorry for being such a jerk. I promise that I'll do better. I'll make you proud."

"The fact that you're here shows me that you already have," Scootaloo replied. "But now can we talk about your fighting style. Because I've been reading and watching it and I think it could use some improvements."

"Improvements? Alright, what do you have in mind?"

"Well why don't you try throwing your tiger shot with one hoof, so you can leave the other open for the uppercut?" Scootaloo suggested. "Yeah you might lose some power, but that's a way you can cover both your front and air space."

"That's not a bad idea."

"And how about using your one wing for some aerial mobility? You might not be able to fly anymore, but you can still use it for adjustments, right?"

"Never thought of that..."

"And have you come up with a finishing move yet?"

"Finishing move?"

"Sure. Gief has the Siberian Blizzard. Ryu had his Shinku Hadouken. What have you got?"

"I...I don't have a finishing move, I guess."

"Well then," Scootaloo began as she pulled out a list. "I've got a few ideas in mind...if you'd like to hear them?"

"Scootaloo...I'm all ears, lil' sis." She sat down next to Scootaloo, who pulled out a sheet of doodles with all sorts of cool moves and attacks on them. Scootaloo started to talk, before she smiled up at Dash.

"I guess we're the same now, huh?" Scootaloo asked. Rainbow Dash looked at her in confusion and she flapped her tiny wings in response. "Two pegasi who can't fly."

Dash took a moment before she smiled, flapping her lone wing in response. "And what's wrong with that? You showed me that a pegasi doesn't need to fly to be awesome. Because you're the most awesome pegasi I know."

"You really mean that? Then can you teach me how to shoot fire?"

"When you're older."

Comments

[badninja]

Well that went well. She made amends with her oldest friend and her little sister. Now she needs to reconnect with Pinkie and Rarity. Unfortunately I think someone else is going to need to help Twilight out because unfortunately she just couldn’t handle Zangief.