Hajime no Thunderlane

by Omegafr

Rise up!

Thunderlane sat down as soon as the bell rang, while Randy stared at him for several seconds before finally going into his corner as well. His coach, Theor, seemed baffled by what had just happened, and even began to rebuke the dragon for his poor performance in that round. But Randy didn't listen to him, he kept his eyes closed, he seemed to be thinking about several things at once.

"HHAA!! YOU LISTEN TO ME !!!" Threw the little purple dragon at him.

Still no reaction from him, the red dragon was thinking, thinking about his family. A loving father and mother, an expressive older sister and two twin little brothers playing in the meadow a few steps away from their home, a poor run-down house.

In this painting he was beginning to see himself there too, a colossal red dragon next to the other members of his species. They had gathered to take the only picture in the frame above their fireplace, all smiling despite their visible problems in life. Little food was brought into the house, only the mother had a part-time job in a bar, the father's lung problems prevented him from putting in much effort.

When it was Randy's turn to look for work, he took it as a miracle that Theor approached him. A rich and powerful man who controlled most of the sports facilities in the Dragon Empire. The dragon's slender, dry body caught his eye irreparably, and a contract to participate in various boxing tournaments was soon signed. Who would have thought that when he returned home, his parents' reaction would be so negative.

They had hated the idea, for the simple reason that they didn't want their son to risk his life for money. They had suggested he find something else, but the remuneration and rewards for victory were too tempting for the red dragon. Saving his family from misery was all he cared about, no matter whether he had to take a beating or give up for it.

So he had no choice but to go far away with Theor as his coach and the one who would save his family. All he had to do was be strong and win. And that's what he did during a long year, all the dragon boxing tournaments were systematically won by Randy, who no longer saw his family, living at the rhythm of training and travels while sending them all his monetary earnings. Theor paid him everything, he didn't need it.

And at the end of that year, he was entered in this tournament, the most prestigious in the world of boxing. He was winning fight after fight here too, as if he was predestined to be the greatest boxer of all time. But with all this, even though he was doing all this to help them, he had forgotten his family. By dint of keeping in mind the few opponents who gave him a hard time in matches, he gradually forgot the image of the faces of his parents, sister and twin brothers.

He was beginning to regret this choice, clenching his fists tightly.

Sorry Thunderlane, sorry for the handshake, sorry for my mockery, sorry for everything... I don't mean a word of it, it was Theor who forced me to say all this, only for a handful of tickets.

I can see what you're capable of, and that you're not really here by choice, you'd like to fly again with your comrades, but you can't anymore. You're stuck here on dry land... With me. I feel so alone all of a sudden, I wanted to be the savior of my family, but I didn't think I'd get so caught up in the thought of giving them all the money I was making.

I don't want them to see me, I don't want them to find out what I've become. And at the same time, I would so much like to tell them how much I miss them, he finally thought, taking his usual empty look in his eyes, as if he had fainted.

"YOU MUST WIN, REMEMBER WHO YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR!" He tried to remind his coach by shaking his head as hard as he could.

On the other side of the ring, Spitfire felt relieved to see Thunderlane back to normal, even though he was bleeding from his forehead and mouth. He drank a lot of water and a new tooth guard was placed in his jaw. Spitfire concluded that Thunderlane had already recovered quite well from the severe blows he had taken.

"You really scared us all, you know, the whole round I was just holding my breath," Spitfire said with a smile.

"Yeah, sorry, I got stupidly fooled by his strategy!" he commented.

"That's right, be more careful now, especially since you saw he wasn't as tough as you thought."

"That's right." he said, followed by a laugh. "Seems like hitting a wall for a week helped me a lot."

"Stop joking around and go ahead, Randy doesn't even answer his coach anymore, he must be stunned." she said, turning her head.

And indeed, the dragon hadn't moved during his entire break, as if he had fallen asleep. Some of the ponies were hoping he would sit still, the first round was too much to watch and many were on the verge of a heart attack.

When the referee finally asked the coaches to leave, Theor was furious to see that as soon as he stepped out of the ring, his boxer got up straight away, proof that he was conscious. Seeing no need to shout at him again, he was content to hope that he had listened to his instructions.

"Ready?!"

The two fighters got back into place, arms outstretched at the front of their chests and gloves over their mouths. They seemed almost fresh again, even though the first round had taken its toll on their bodies, their minds, and those of the spectators in the stadium and on television.

"BOX!!!!"

If you're stuck with me here Thunderlane, you might as well make this fight memorable, thought Randy.

I wonder why he looks so sad, did it really affect him so much to get hit? the stallion wondered as he...

*DING DING DING DING*

The bell rang, announcing that the second round could begin, and that the two boxers could once again release all their power within the authorized perimeter. And they began this round in the quietest possible rhythm, approaching their opponent cautiously.

Is he going to try his technique again later? Thunderlane wondered.

Is he still angry or can I approach him without fear? Randy wondered on his side.

The tension was at its peak, it could be measured by the silence that emanated from the stadium, both in the ring and in front of the various spectators, in the stands or in front of their TV. Everyone was holding their breath once again, wondering how the boxers could still just stand and show no sign of weakness after the violence of the first three minutes.

Now!

I'm going in!

At the same time, the opponents accelerated and threw a hard right into each other's heads. The two touched each other at close range, recreating the beats of two cannonballs hitting the enemy castle wall at the same time. The shock made the fans on either side vibrate again, they vibrated with excitement.

"GO THUNDERLANE!!!! TAKE HIM DOWN AGAIN!"

"YOU'RE THE BEST RANDY, PUT IT DOWN!"

Both sides once again shouted their cheers for their favorite as the ring was the battleground for another long-awaited confrontation. The beginning of this round was marked by the unquestionable equality of the two opponents.

Randy had his size and thick skin, Thunderlane had his impressive strength and speed. Giving each other another blow simultaneously, the fight continued...

Round two!

Zero knockouts, 48 hits.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Round 3!

Zero knockouts, 53 hits.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Round 4!

Zero knockouts, 65 hits.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Round 5!

Zero knockouts, 77 hits.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Round 6!

Zero knockouts, 90 hits.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"And we've come to the seventh round of this final a lot tighter than expected," commented the pony. "Who was expecting you to win the title?" He suddenly asked his scribbled colleague.

"Uh, it's really impossible to tell them apart right now, they both have an equal chance of winning this match for me."

"I'm thinking the same thing!" He says, lying.

Well, he's a pony, he's obviously for Thunderlane, but he's not allowed to say.

"Thunderlane will win, I'm sure of it!" Said Lightning Dust in his seat, staring at the announcers, judging them not to make a choice.

"GO THUNDERLANE!!" Shouts out Rainbow Dash first.

"YOU'LL BE THE CHAMPION!!!" Continued Light.

"YOU CAN'T LOSE WHEN YOU COME BACK UP!!!" Continued Drew.

"YOU GO, BIG BROTHER!!!" Suddenly a distant voice was heard lower than the others.

The black stallion, identifying who it belonged to, backed away from his opponent to take a look, to see Flitter and Cloudchaser carrying his little brother Rumble at arm's length. And he smiled, he looked at him and shouted to encourage him, it was so beautiful for his elder brother that a tear unconsciously fell on his cheek when he saw this divine image, followed by an emotional smile.

"RANDY!!! STRIVE YOU!!!"

THAT VOICE!!! The dragon said to himself before turning his head as well, opening his eyes and opening his mouth behind his gloves. It was them... his family, she was there, father, mother, older sister and twin little brothers, they were all there... the son's reaction was similar to that of the stallion, a tear on his cheek smiling at his loved ones whom they hadn't seen for so long.

It's decided, after this fight, I'm coming back with you! Thought the dragon before turning to Thunderlane. The two looked at each other with a serious smile, almost overly generous, as if they were happy to fight.

Now they were.

I have to make them proud, all of them," they all said at the same time, before rushing at each other with great joy, smiling at their opponent even if he wasn't meant to be. The strikes hit their targets again and again, the upper part of their bodies began to be marked everywhere, from the head to the abs, through the ribs and arms.

But they didn't care, standing up and hitting their opponent was all that mattered, we'll see the state of the body later. And speaking of standing, the boxers' legs finally started shaking after six long rounds, showing that they were not invincible. This caused Thunderlane to lose their speed advantage.

And the next blow was fatal. It directly damaged the stallion's jaw, knocking and spanking him directly and dropping his arms limply. As for the dragon, the blow to his stomach forced him to bring his gloves over his wound, which could have been a perfect opportunity for the stallion to deliver the coup de grâce.

Except that Thunderlane was starting to fall, his legs could no longer carry him and his muscle mass. He was starting to stagger and inevitably ended up being carried by gravity.

The eyes of his supporters turned to disaster when they saw this horror picture, their champion could not just lose after so much effort, he could go on, they were convinced.

Thunderlane's first thought was the advice Spitfire had given him at the start of the game: "Even if you're exhausted, hit him with all your might and take advantage of the opportunities!" And she gave him that advice.

He's exhausted now and surely never been so close to death itself. It's when he sees himself falling before he reacts: it's now or never!

He gathered all the strength he had left in his right fist, and before overtaking his opponent, he sent another mach 1 speed cannonball directly into Randy's jaw, who had let his guard down far too long and hadn't retreated far enough. He received the shot in the middle of his mouth, and being also at the end of his strength, he couldn't hold on any longer.

The momentum of the blow caused Thunderlane to fall to the ground much faster than expected, making the belly landing even less pleasant and more painful, but he didn't even have the strength to moan anymore. As for Randy, his body rocked backwards after this last blow, he finally let go of his stomach and lay on the ground next to the stallion in a double crash that made the ground vibrate.

The shaking of the ring continued for several more seconds before he realized the incredible scene that had just occurred.

"It's... a..."

"DOUBLE DOWN!!! A SIMULTANEOUS DOWN OF THE TWO BOXERS, I HAVE NEVER SEE THIS !!!" screamed the scribble in her microphone with her wings suddenly spread, ready to faint in the face of this new show of strength.

The spectators were still stunned by such a scene, quickly followed by the referee's awareness.

“1...”

"GET UP!!!!" All the people in the stands, supporters of pegasus or the dragon, shouted in unison, creating a most disturbing echo.

The referee began his count for the two boxers, watching them carefully as he counted in each of his hands, each one for one of them.

“...2...”

He continued counting while neither of the two opponents had moved, they seemed unconscious from the sight of the bleachers.

“...3...”

"...GET UP THUNDERLANE!!" Shouted the group of Rainbow Dash, Light, Drew and Lightning Dust.

Suddenly, all four ponies got up from their seats and cheered their friend with all their might. Soon, the others followed, and within a second, all the wonderbolt fans were on their feet, cheering louder and louder for their champion.

Without even seeing what was happening on the other side of the bleachers, the dragons had the same reaction, destroying their voices to give strength to their champion. The stadium was shaking so much that the noise must have spread outside the stadium, giving the impression of an earthquake to the people of Manehattan.

“...4...”

"...WHAT ARE YOU DOING RANDY, GET UP RIGHT NOW!!" Shouts the draconian coach as he jumps from his frustration spot.

Randy seemed to hear him as he opened his eyes, and a bright glow emanated, showing he was still capable of surpassing himself. As for Thunderlane, he also began to see something waving in front of him, a yellow shadow with a red mane that he recognized. It was Spitfire.

"YOU DID ALL THIS FOR THIS THUNDERLANE MOMENT, SO YOU GET UP NOW!!" She ordered him.

She shouted so loudly that it brought back the hearing of the pegasus on the march, hearing all the shouting around him. He could not move his head, however, to see the spectators cheering him on, which he knew to be everyone anyway. He stretched out something else that put him on the edge of his seat.

“...5...”

He suddenly turned his head to see the minotaur above him counting down. He didn't see if Randy was still on the ground like he was, but he didn't care, he had to get up. Imagining his friends screaming for death to see him standing again, he moved his arms to stick his fists on the ground.

Looking directly at the ground, he could feel the drops of sweat from his head go through his face, up to his nose, before seeing them fall against the flat surface of the ring. He also felt all the pressure that his arms supported, feeling them warming up every second, begging him to stop this effort. Finally, the lights above him and the enclosed space of the stadium crushed him under the heat, he would have done anything for a glass of water that wasn't made of his own sweat.

“...6...”

He still found the strength to continue his superhuman effort, if he was there, it was to get up.

He used his arms as supports to raise his chest with pain in his forearms. Seeing their champion in motion, the ponies began to scream even louder.

"THUNDERLANE!! THUNDERLANE!! THUNDERLANE !! THUNDERLANE!!"

The fans no longer shouted each to their corners, they had united under one slogan to shout again and again in unison. They even began to clap their feet on the ground every time they called out to him, violently shaking the whole stadium.

"RANDY! RANDY!! RANDY!! RANDY!!!"

The cheers for the dragon were similar, with his fans clawing their clawed feet on the ground in the same manner. It was to the one who would make the most noise that the two sides engaged in another duel, while in the ring, the position was advanced.

“...7...”

Thunderlane managed to put his foot on the flat surface at the same time as Randy. The two boxers looked at each other to see the other's advance without dwelling on it any further. Always with their gloves on the ground to hold them down, the hardest part was to place both feet with only their legs to keep them stable.

“...8...”

At the same moment the referee counted a new number, both boxers started moaning, slamming their second foot on the ground, wanting to anchor it deep into the ground so they wouldn't fall down.

They achieved a new feat by raising their bust to a respectable height while their legs did everything they could to hold them in place. The cheering came to an end when all they had to do was raise their arms at chest level to be able to continue the game.

“...9...”

As they looked into each other's eyes again, Thunderlane and Randy raised their arms to that expected level after some difficulty, going slowly. The achievement made both sides scream with joy for their champions, but also with disgust for their opponent.

The two boxers maintained eye contact until the referee first checked the state of the pegasus. With a new onset of bleeding in his forehead, creating a trail of blood from his cheek to his neck, the referee seemed reluctant to let it continue.

Until he heard a noise coming from behind him, forcing him to turn around in a hurry. The sound was that of the dragon boxer's knees and forearms being pulled back to the ground, spanking his uneven, audible gasp.

So the referee turned to the dragon on the ground and leaned over to ask him:

"Can you continue?"

Randy had to take a slightly less jerky breath to answer, but he knew what he meant as soon as he was brought to the ground by his body. Between breaths, he could say.

"No... I can't anymore... and, I don't want to anymore..." he replied before he slammed his forehead to the ground in a crushing sign of defeat.

To this statement, the minotaur raised his arms in the air, spanking a sign to ring the bell at the end of the match and then raise the arm of the great winner. The sound resounded in everyone's head like the end, the one everyone had been waiting for, but which was only pleasant to hear for half the occupants. And it was this part of the audience that was heard again.

"IT'S FINISHED, YES, AND THE BIG WINNER AND NEW WORLD BOXING CHAMPION IS A PEGASUS." exclaimed the pony, standing on his desk and shouting loudly his joy.

"45 YEARS AFTER THE CREATION OF THIS TOURNAMENT, THE FIRST PEGASUS TO ENTER IS NONE OTHER THAN THE INCREDIBLE, THE MAGNIFICENT, THE MIGHTY THUNDERLANE!" Then she screamed into her own microphone, no longer hiding her joyous madness, accompanying her partner across the table and hugging her madly.

"YES!!!! THUNDERLANE!! THUNDERLANE!!" The ponies exclaim, regaining their feet in the face of this feat.

Without waiting another second, Rainbow Dash, Light and Lightning Dust took to the air to join their friend at full speed.

Thunderlane began to fall, realizing that he was no longer required to stand, but was quickly caught by the three Pegasus, not wanting to see him on the ground again. They congratulated him for the exceptional match he had played and that he fully deserved his victory while the black stallion was fainting in the apples.

On the other side of the ring, Randy was gnawed by his defeat which he didn't want to believe in, but had to accept the reality that his body would not be able to fight for a long time. He loved boxing... although he had no choice but to start, he loved to fight, but this match made him realize how empty he had been since that first day.

He needed to see his family again, he needed to come back with them, whether as a loser or a coward, but he had to.

"RANDY!"

The dragon boxer was called by that same blend of voices, of worried parents, a moving sister and admiring twins. It was them, a few feet away from him, glued to the ring.

"RANDY!!! COME HOME WITH US!!!" They begged him.

They wanted to see him again, even in the face of defeat in the role he'd assumed of his own choosing, it made no difference. He was a member of the family and there was no point in hiding it, he wanted to come back...

"My... my family..." he said, starting to cry on the ground as they all climbed into the ring to give him a hug, something they hadn't done for so long.

The reunion scene moved the audience and was televised showing the humanity of the remaining boxers. This fight was the work of many more factors than just the supposed power of the participants, and the world had proof of this right here.

"BIG BROTHER!!!"

And at the same time, Flitter brought little Rumble into the ring to hug his big brother, despite apparent injuries, Thunderlane didn't let go of him after he arrived. He dropped his knees to the ground and began to shed his first tear of triumph. He wore a radiant smile, always with a view to representing the perfect stallion for his little brother.

"I... I did it..." he said before hugging Rumble even tighter... "I DID IT!!!!"

And a perfect man doesn't hesitate to show his emotions, and that's what the boxers were doing now that the match was over. In a final spasm of good sportsmanship, Randy and Thunderlane both approached, helped by his father for one and Rainbow Dash for the other.

The match will end on his words.

"Thunderlane, I'm sorry for what I did before the match, I didn't believe myself, you're a great opponent and I hope you keep boxing!" He said.

"Thank you for the encouragement but I intend to rest now," he said with a joyful smile. "Good luck to you too for the future."

The boxers squeezed each other's gloves, not like their first time, it was a sign of respect now.

The audience applauded the exchange before they began to worship the champion again. Even the dragons, moved by the acceptance of Randy's defeat, took his side. They were cheered as they left the stadium the same way they had entered, just as triumphantly as an hour before.