Awesome As I Must Be
“Dammit!” Dash scooped up as many flags as she could carry and rushed back towards her starting point. The city blurred around her. Her legs burned, but she kept running until she reached the green square.
The flags spilled off her and cluttered onto the colored pavement. She glared up at the sky. “Come on! One of these has to be real!”
Silence.
“Dammit!” She spun around and rushed back towards the building again. Sweat slicked her mane and dripped down her muzzle. Her breaths came out faster.
She rocketed down the stairs and grabbed more flags. Again, she raced back. This time, the world around her had more definition to it; the rough shapes of buildings and lampposts could be made out in the rush to the starting point.
Dash deposited the flags, but once more nothing happened. She gulped down air now. Sweat poured down her face and coated her body. Her legs stung, but the fire racing through them was dwarfed by the blaze overtaking Dash’s eyes.
“Dammit!”
This time, she did not run straight back to the building, but instead veered left, right, and back to Applejack and Lyra. Lyra had hobbled over to Applejack and had her horn pressed close to Applejack’s head.
Applejack’s eyes were glazed over, but her limbs squirmed around. Something about the sight quelled a small bit of the fire in Dash’s eyes, but did not stop her from charging over to them.
“Dash!” Lyra yelped, pulling back from Applejack. “This is bad! They’ve transmu—”
“I know!” Dash growled. Ignoring the daze Applejack was in, she clasped her and raised her up. “Tell me where the damn flag is!”
“Muga-blah… fritters,” Applejack groaned.
Dash let her fall and turned her glare on Lyra. “The buck did you do to her?”
“I was trying to get information from her!” Lyra protested. She slumped to her haunches. “It’s useless though. She let Twilight take care of everything.”
“Dammit!” Dash stomped a hoof hard enough to crack the pavement. She spun and took off.
“Dash, wait! I can still…” Lyra started to call out but Dash was already long gone. She smacked the ground with her uninjured hoof.
“Dammit! Dammit!” Dash repeated, curses coming out as huffs. Each inhale bit at her throat now. Every yard she covered brought more ache and flame to her body, but especially her legs. They burned so deep while she felt parts of her outer muscles going numb.
Rainbow Dash, came a voice at the back of her head. Even in her mind, it was still as clear as the last time she had truly heard it. What should have come off as oily and smooth dripped with sleaze. C’mon, Dash. That twerp’s little spell is nothing. It’s meant to bind regular pegasi… but not you.
Dash came to a halt just a she reached the basement. “Shut up.”
Oh, you know I’m right, the voice snickered. Show her, Rainbow Dash. Show her how awesome you are.
“No!” Dash screamed. She did not pick up any flags this time. Her hooves rained down on them. Bucks flew out and smashed the ones on the walls, leaving the concrete cracked and chipping. She snarled and gnashed at the flags on the ceiling, snapping them apart with her teeth. Her head bashed against the walls, the floor, and the ceiling until crimson stained her mane.
She screamed and whinnied in a blind rage until every flag was reduced back to rubble. Red frothed up from her bloodied gums. Her limbs were numb and her hooves were cracked. Her breath came out in rasps.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spied one flag remaining amidst the rubble. It even hurt for Dash to grin, but she managed to and shuffled over to the flag. “Ha… ha… it’s ov—”
The world tilted to the right. Sparks popped in front of her vision as everything spun. The ground smashed into her left side and then her head. Even with her consciousness fading, Dash flailed her leg out, trying to at least break the flag. Her hoof brushed against it, but then it all went dark and Dash went limp.
~~~
“Vell…” Photo paused. “It’s not going to be a draw, but still…”
“A win is a win,” said Celestia. Her eyes scanned over the screens, taking in Dash and Applejack both knocked out. She lingered on Twilight for a moment before noting how Lyra, while still conscious, was hobbled and limping.
Her attention then shifted to the rest of the class. “Keep this in mind. Victory comes in many forms as does loss. I’ll have more to say at the end of this exercise, but this has been a most illustrative match. I advise the remaining teams to consider what the ‘villains’ did right and what the ‘heroes’ did wrong to get to this point.”
“Yeah!” Bulk proclaimed.
Bulk’s shout sounded like it was yards away to Fluttershy. Her eyes had and still remained locked on the screen showing Dash. Tears spilled down her face. “Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry.”
~~~
Twilight opened her eyes and groaned. Her gut and ribs was still sore and her horn ached a bit.
Redheart sighed. “Well, it seems every time we meet, you’re in a little better shape.”
Twilight offered a meek smile. “Silver lining?”
Redheart shook her head. “I have to tend to the others. I’m getting worried your recklessness is contagious. Feel free to get up when you want, just take it easy for the rest of the day. You can probably catch the end of the third match.”
“I…I’ll help her.” Fluttershy peeked her head into the quartered off bed Twilight had awoken on. Under Redheart’s stare, she inched back, leaving half the cotton partition resting over her face. She sniffled and bowed her head. “P-please.”
“It’s Twilight’s choice, not mine.” Redheart turned and opened the partition, causing Fluttershy to give a tiny yelp. Redheart shook her head and moved on.
Fluttershy inched forward, shaking with each step. By the time she was by Twilight’s side, her facial fur was matted with tears. She reached out and clasped Twilight’s leg. “I’m s-so sorry.”
Twilight gave a grunt as she pushed off the bed and wrapped a leg around Fluttershy. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. I was ready to get a little beat up.”
“No, no it’s not.” With a shake of her head, Fluttershy spilled tears onto the ground. “You… you mentioned the weather, didn’t you?”
Twilight shuddered recalling the way Dash had snapped at her. “How did you know?”
“I’ve known Rainbow Dash a long time,” Fluttershy whimpered. “Even before she got her scars. Please, just… just promise me you won’t bring it up to her ever again.”
“Well, I do—”
“Promise me!” Fluttershy shouted. She pulled out of Twilight’s grasp and hiccupped. “I’m sorry Twilight, but please, you can’t bring it up to her anymore.”
“I…” Twilight paused and thought out her next words. “I understand, Fluttershy. It’s still a little concerning though. Pegasi, and ponies in general, aren’t meant to get by purely on physical strength. We need magic to take off some of the strain and recover.”
“I know that too,” Fluttershy sniffled, keeping her head bowed and avoiding Twilight’s stare. “Please, just leave it alone, Twilight. I’ll never ask anything else of you.”
“Okay, Fluttershy, okay.” Once again, Twilight reached out, this time bringing Fluttershy into a full hug. “Come on, I want to make it there before the next match starts.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy wiped her face. “That’s right, Spike was looking a little sad this morning.”
“Yeah, it’s…” Twilight disengaged from Fluttershy and scratched the back of her head. “Well, I guess it’s a bit like whatever the deal is with Dash. I’ve tried to make things better, but I think Pinkie’s advice might be good for now and I should just back off.”
Inhaling deeply, Twilight raised up a hoof. “Spike is still my partner though, so I want to be there to help him in any way I can.”
Fluttershy nodded and helped Twilight off the bed. They made their way out of the infirmary and into the hall. For a bit, they walked in silence, Twilight taking gentle steps to avoid upsetting her ribs and Fluttershy doing the same out of habit.
“You know,” Fluttershy said, glancing out a nearby window, “I came here to help out Rainbow Dash like that too. She’s a good pony, but ever since her accident, there’s been this side to her—a side the really scares me. I’d… I’d hoped being in school would help, but recently, things have just been getting to her.”
Seeing Fluttershy on the verge of tears again, Twilight spoke up. “It’s only the second day, Fluttershy, and whatever Dash is dealing with, I’m sure she’s glad to have a friend like you by her side.”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy sniffled.
“Besides...” Twilight smiled. “I think you’d make a great hero. You did win your match after all. Oh!” Twilight eyes widened and she pressed up close to Fluttershy. “My match! Did we win?”
Fluttershy nodded.
In a move that reminded Fluttershy of Dash, Twilight pumped a leg. “Yes! The plan worked!”
The excitement sent a shock through her chest. With a cough, she bent over and clutched her side. Fluttershy rushed to her, but Twilight unclenched her leg from her ribs and coughed, “I’m good. Just got a little overexcited. Guess our win came with a few bumps along the way.”
“I’m just glad you’ll all be okay,” said Fluttershy. Ahead of her were a pair of doors that led back to the practice area. “Thank goodness for Nurse Redheart.”
“Yeah, she can be scary, but she does a good job getting us back in fighting shape.”
They both giggled a little at that and then opened the doors. Stepping back outside, they were instantly greeted by Pinkie rushing up to them.
“Ohmigosh! Welcome back!” she exclaimed while jumping up and down. “That was a super-duper amazing match. Oh! But, this match was also extra dee duper spectacular.” Pinkie raised up onto her hind legs and puffed out her chest. “Bulk was all like, ‘Yeah!’”
She swerved left and smoothed back her mane. “Then Lotus Blossom was like, ‘Villain! Prepare to taste defeat!’”
“Oh!” Pinkie continued while getting back on all four hooves. “I totally get why Lotus Blossom and Aloe make great partners now! They’re crazy as a team, but fighting each other was even more crazy!”
“And…” Pinkie said with a deep inhale. She crouched and slunk around Twilight and Fluttershy. “You should have seen Bonbon! I’ve never seen a pony climb like that before! It was super cool!”
“So, who won?” Twilight asked.
“It wa—”
“Hey!” Sunset barked. With her trademark glare, she marched over to Pinkie and snorted at her. “Don’t bother explaining to her things she missed. It’s her own fault for failing against that airhead.”
“Twilight didn’t fail!” Pinkie pouted. “She actually tricked Dashy super good.” She smiled, but her lips shook. “It, uh, was actually a little scary seeing Dash like that.”
“Tch.” Sunset turned her glare on Twilight. “You’re both idiots in my view for holding back. If you have the power, use it, and spare us from having to watch the two of you horse around like foals.”
“Sunset, it’s no—”
“Shut up,” Sunset spat. “You may have won the match, but in real life you’d be screwed. You’d better hope your ‘partner’ actually takes this seriously. Unlike you and airhead, I don’t hold back.”
Sunset turned to march off but came face-to-face with Maud. She blinked in the face of Sunset’s glare. “Just so you know, I won’t hold back either.”
“Heh,” Sunset snickered, “that makes at least one pony in your family then.”
Maud’s eyes sharpened. “Do not insult Pinkie.”
“Oooh, finally got your expression to shift a little.” Sunset trotted closer and gave Maud a pat on the shoulder. Maud batted it away with enough force to scratch Sunset’s armor. Sunset’s horn glowed and a facial cover extended out from the sides of the helm. “I’d like to see what else you’ve got in our match.”
Sunset left them with her snickering blowing into the wind. Pinkie, instead of hopping or skipping, walked over to Maud.
“It’s okay, Maud. Sunset is just a bit of a hardflank is all.”
“I’ve dealt with harder things,” Maud replied. “I should get ready.”
Just as she walked off, Spike approached, having waited for Sunset to move away. Maud passed by him on the way, and bent down. “Looks like things will work out for you.”
“Huh?” Spike asked, but Maud was already walking away. “Hey, what are you… ah, forget it.” Spike waved a claw through the air and then scampered over to Twilight. Before Twilight could say anything, Spike pulled her into a hug. “Don’t do something like that again.”
Twilight reached out and stroked Spike’s spines. “Hopefully next time I’ll have my partner. Although, Applejack did a great job keeping up her end of the plan.”
Spike chuckled. “Yeah, I knew you were good as soon as I saw you transmuting all that rubble.” His downcast look then returned. “I even asked Celestia to call the match after Dash messed you up.”
“Well, a match is a match, Spike,” Twilight sighed. “Lyra still might have been able to discern where the real flag was if she and Dash had worked together a little more.”
“I’ll say.” Lyra limped out into the field. Her leg was no longer broken, but she still walked gingerly on it. “Then again, I had my hands full dealing with Applejack.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “‘Hands?’”
“Eh, I’ll tell you about them later.” Lyra turned to face Spike. “You’d better hurry, Spike. Princess Celestia’s looking this way.”
Everyone looked up to confirm that Celestia was indeed staring at them with the same smile she had worn the entire exercise. Twilight felt a slight tickle in the back of her mind.
Excellent job, Twilight, Celestia commended. I’ll say more later, but that was a fine display of wit in the face of Rainbow Dash’s brawn.
Thank you, Princess. Twilight blushed and bowed her head.
“Hey, where’d all that bravado from earlier go?” Pinkie giggled.
“Alright.” Spike took a deep breath and straightened his back. “Time to get this over with.”
“You’ll do great, Spike,” said Twilight. “I’m rooting for you and Maud one hundred and ten percent.”
“I know, Twilight. I know.” Spike gave her one last squeeze and then walked off to join Maud.
“You know,” said Pinkie, “isn’t it kinda weird for a hero to root for the villains to win?”
“No matter what Spike is, he’s my partner, and he will be great hero,” Twilight declared without any hesitation. Yet, in her head, she voiced a desire to herself. I just hope Rarity can see that.
I guess you could say combining Todoroki's issues with Dash's pride and temperament led to some explosive results
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.... meh. This chapter was okay.
A pegasi who doesn't use weather magic? Something deep is going on here. Really wonder what Rarity's background is.
Rainbow has a really easy to reach trigger button... no offense to her or anything, but Weather Magic and Pegasus is hand in hand. Flutters expecting no one to mention it to spare her is a little... much.
A bit of an obscure reference here, but gold star for those who get it.
"Friend, you just started something you don't wanna finish."
I look forward to any "puny god" reference when/if Sunset gets her just desserts.
She's also a huge jerk.
Great chapter and Dash as Todoroki is turning out quite scary by comparison to the show. Proving to everyone and yourself you dont need your magic is a lot more destructive than proving to just your father you dont need it.
Definitely a good call to have Dash channel Todoroki. I'm sure her development in the future will be stellar.
8771000 Sunset: Enough! You are all of you, beneath me! I am a god you dull creature, and I will not be bullied by--"
WHAM-WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM-WHAM!
Maud: Puny god.
Sunset: whimper intensifies
8771193
Something to that effect.
Any guesses about the other reference?
8771193
sincerely. hope that happens
Same
This hero and villain thing is wayyyy to black and white… what makes a person bad or evil?