• Published 2nd Feb 2017
  • 5,079 Views, 888 Comments

Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful - David Silver



Prickle didn't ask to become so strong, but it just happened. Now, as a growing foal, she's mightier than many grown stallions. What's an earth-filly to do? She tries her best to move forward and not draw attention to her supernatural strength.

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52 - That is Enough

Fleur addressed the crowd with an uneasy smile. "While we get another machine from storage, a review of the event shows no hint of malfeasance." Her eyes fell to Tiny Titan. "That is... a worrying amount of strength, Titan. How do you even walk down the street without breaking the world?"

Prickle sank as her heart pounded in her ears. It was just about the definition of the worst-case scenario. Even among super ponies, she was a freak. Her mouth worked without words as she struggled, trying to find any that would do just to discard them as she found them and rush for another.

"Have no fear, the contest will proceed," spoke Fleur. She was oblivious to Prickle's torment. "Now... I'm not sure we can administer the last test properly. It was meant to be a double test, of restraint and endurance." She thrust a hoof out at the dumbbell that had started things out. "You were to lift that at the setting you left it and hold it for as long as you could, but you never hit your limit, just the limit of the stage... How do we properly measure your endurance?"

Immovable called out from across the crowd, "She's obviously the strongest! Come on!"

Prickle rose unsteadily to her hooves and approached the dumbbell. "Well... What if I held it out instead of up?" She reached for the dumbbell, balancing it on the end of her hoof and holding it out. "Is it on?"

Fleur's horn glowed as she checked. "Very... much so, which is exactly the problem. I'm afraid, dear, you are a step beyond us. Head into the back and we'll let the next competitor get their chance."

With a heavy heart, Prickle let the dumbbell fall to the ground where it smashed into the concrete with a loud crunch. Her head hung and she fled away from all those eyes. She emerged into the waiting room, tears stinging at her eyes.

Rolling Thunder snorted at her appearance. "What, didn't do so well? It's alright, you're just a filly."

Big Momma rolled her eyes as she approached Prickle. "Ignore him. What's wrong, little one. You can talk to Big Momma about your problems."

Prickle looked up at the huge amazon of a mare. She was built of muscles. She was big, powerful, maternal. She was... weaker than Prickle. Prickle trailed a hoof on the floor, trying to figure out a way to express herself, the fact that she was a freak among freaks. The tears refused to stop.

"Poor thing..." Big Momma picked up the quivering Prickle from the floor and held her close, arms wrapped tightly and rocking Prickle back and forth slowly. "You go ahead and cry. Everyone needs one of those once in awhile. Go ahead..."

"Fulcrum Shift!" came Bulk's holler. The named pony rose up smoothly and bowed to the others before moving up towards the stage.

Small was seated beside Big Momma, her eyes on Prickle. "So, what happened? It sounded like the crowd was pretty stoked from here. Did you get hurt?"

Prickle was unleashing her tears onto Momma's outfit, providing no good answers to the query.

Small wasn't having it. She bounced up onto Momma, scaling her like a flea before she gave Prickle a sudden bop on the head with a hoof. "Hey, Titan! You're bigger than that and I know it."

Prickle blinked at the sudden hit, focusing on Small Packages. "O-oh, sorry, really. I..." She wiped a foreleg over her eyes. "Sorry..."

"Yeah yeah, forgiven, now what happ--" Her words were cut off as teeth closed on the nape of her neck. Big Momma had caught her and set her back on the ground. "Hey! C'mon, she needed it."

Big gently pat Prickle with a hoof. "What she needs is some space and love. You don't have to say anything at all, Titan, not until you want to."

Prickle's mouth turned in a little smile as she decided that Momma was a good pony for sure. "Thank you, really. I'm just being... immature." She sat up on Momma's arm. "I'm... alright now." She wasn't, not really, but she felt in control enough to start talking instead of making a mess any more than she already had.

Small waved her hooves wildly from the floor. "So what happened! Stop keeping us in suspense."

Prickle considered telling, but it seemed unfair to do before they had a chance to perform without knowing she, freak that she was, had stomped the competition flat. "I did alright..." she said tepidly. "I'm... just not used to so many ponies watching me."

A muted, if excited, cheer came from the front.

Rolling lifted an ear at it. "Sounds like Fulcrum is wowing them with the strange way he works. He carries planks with him wherever he goes, had to get permission to use them in the contest. He can make wood move things you wouldn't think possible. Sounds like a poor excuse for real strength in the end. What if you don't have time to play with sticks?"

Big Momma gave him a scowl. "Do you not have a nice thing to say about anyone?"

"Hey hey, just calling it like I see it." He pulled the mare beside him that had yet to identify herself closer. "I prefer my muscles be on the inside, not in some tools I have to dig out and set up before doing something."

Small raised a hoof. "At least this one thing I can agree with. I like the power being in me." The hoof went out to point at Rolling. "And it's ready to show how small you are in all the ways that count."

The mare beside Rolling tittered at the implication, which got Rolling's cheeks to redden. "You wouldn't even know about that... We'll let the judges decide who's the best in the end, then I will take home the trophy."


On the stage, Fulcrum was muttering to himself softly as he moved his hooves, calculating the distances and trajectories involved before he snapped down a hoof on a bit of wood. The wood snapped up, lifting and hurling a metal crate. It soared between the swinging pendulums and came down to rest right on the center of the target. The crowd cheered as he walked towards the next part of the obstacle course.

"You had a rough start with the lifts, but you're acing the course, Fulcrum." Fleur followed alongside him. "You're well on the way for winning this part of the competition."

"That would be logical." Fulcrum lifted the egg that was to be the next weight. "This course is all about the strength of intelligence, which so many other strong heroes neglect. It's about careful application of strength in just... the right way." He let the egg start to roll off his hoof and it began to run the course without him. The deadly traps kept striking just inches from the egg, knocking it in a new direction, and it kept rolling. "When you make the right move, it can be the last move." It came to a slow stop on the end target, unharmed for the journey.

The crowd cheered at the mighty cerebral strength of Fulcrum. He was in his element.


Prickle hopped down to the ground lightly, recovered enough to be embarrassed at being held by the caring maternal hero. "T-thank you." She dipped her head at Big Momma. "You're a real hero."

Big Momma's cheeks darkened and she began to giggle in deep tones. "Oh, I love it when people say that for something besides being a mountain of muscle. You're very welcome, Tiny Titan. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, mine is available."

Small nudged her peer in size. "So, was it stage fright? I mean, it's cool if it was. You're new in the super hero gig, right?"

"Yeah..." Titan tilted her head at Small. "I... put on this... I put on the mask so people aren't... staring at me... Me me... you know? I... It's..."

Small set a hoof on Titan's shoulder. "It's cool. We all have our reasons to put on our mask." She moved the hoof to her own masked face. "I put mine on to strike fear in my enemies and protect my friends.

Prickle couldn't help the smallest giggle from escaping. Small Packages was not an imposing form, even to her, and she imagined to larger ponies the effect would be smaller still.

Small gave Titan's closest shoulder a light biff. "Hey! Don't laugh. C'mon... I thought we were friends."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Prickle held up her hooves. "I'm still a little shook up. I didn't mean anything bad, I swear." She almost said good luck, but it died in her throat. She crushed it... She smooshed the entire thing under her freakish strength. Small had no chance of winning.

"Hey, you alright?" Small was watching Prickle start to break down again. "It's alright, I'm not really mad, promise."


Immovable glanced to the right when she felt a nudge. "Yeah?"

"Was that your partner?" asked a pony done up in a full robe that covered their every feature. That would have been far more suspicious, had it not been a very popular fashion choice for incognito sorts, which the convention had in plenty.

"The last one? Yeah. Tiny Titan's awesome, isn't she?!"

"She is," agreed the soft feminine voice. "Can you deliver this to her?" A card floated down in front of Immovable. "It is very important."

Immovable snatched up the card, but there was nothing on it. "Are you sure you..." She looked up and there was no pony there to ask questions of. "Huh..." She pocketed the card with a shrug.


Fulcrum trotted back into the waiting room, panting a little, but looking pleased. "A fair performance in the first act, but a smashing route in the second and a fair showing in the third and fourth."

Prickle felt a smile coming on. She hadn't smashed the second one. At least one other hero wouldn't be crushed under her absurd strength.

"Rolling Thunder," came Bulk's call.

The named hero bounced to his hooves, his mare accessory flopping over at his sudden departure. "Time to show everypony what's the true meaning of strength!" He strode out as if he owned the world.

Prickle watched him go, a frown returning. If there was one pony she was quite fine crushing the hopes of, at least she'd get to see his stupid face crumble into dismay at the end.

Fulcrum sat in the same spot he had before he had risen before. "Tiny Titan, if you are willing to share, how did your performance go? I am curious to know how many lifts you managed. Please indulge me."

Prickle felt the heat rising in her. "I... wasn't really counting." That much was truth.

"Hrm, I imagine they'll post the counts at the end of the competition... How did you do in the second act?"

Prickle's tension ebbed a little as she smiled at the brainy pony. "I lost points here and there. I'm not used to that kind of thing, but it was good practice... How did you do?"

"Oh, my best one." He flashed a big grin. "I do hope to take the prize home for that one if nothing else."

Big Momma suddenly reached for the two and hugged them all together. "It is so nice seeing you two talk about this like friends instead of bitter rivals! Where is, there she is." She reached out a hoof for Small, but Small nimbly dodged out of the way of the grasping amazon. "Aw, come closer. We good-hearted ponies need to stick together."

Small stuck out her tongue. "I'll stick together from over here. Seriously though, good job, Fulcrum. Sounds like you had a blast. I can't wait for my turn!" She clopped her forehooves together. "I'm gonna break some records, I bet!"

Prickle felt ice flow through her. She doubted Small would be breaking any records, not any she left behind.

Author's Note:

Tears are shed, feelings are felt, and mysterious missives are given. Welcome to being a superhero!

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