Rainbow Dash's Unstoppable Ego

by MagicS

True Pegasus IV

Rainbow Dash was kind of disappointed now that she stood in the middle of the coliseum. Compared to the stadium the Equestria Games were held in this place was actually kind of small. She even had plans to make a Buckball stadium about as big as this back home for the national championship, but she still needed to talk to Twilight about that. The circular arena for combat at the bottom of the coliseum was maybe at most one hundred feet wide. Although the domed top gave a lot of room to fly in so they probably just had height in mind more than anything. Just like any sports stadium back in Equestria there were stands all around the arena, and to Rainbow Dash’s pleasure it looked like every single one was filled up. This was exciting.

She had been brought to the coliseum immediately after the meeting in the council chamber ended but had been forced to sit around doing nothing in a dark room in the bowels of the coliseum while the arena was prepared and word was spread about the fight and the alarming significance behind it. It was obvious Commander Blizzard wanted as many of his pegasi to see this as possible. Well that was fine with Rainbow Dash, she felt the same way.

Inside the coliseum she had been released from her cuffs and unchained, instantly spreading her wings and flapping them to get any kinks out. This day had gone from bad to worse when it came to treating her wings. Having them tucked in against her sides was normal but having chains tightly wrapped around them so they couldn’t even budge was a little on the painful side. She spent the time waiting in that room stretching and moving around to get her blood pumping. She wanted to be ready for the fight, knowing that Blizzard would indeed be a tough opponent from their brief encounter earlier. Her head still even hurt a little.

Finally the moment arrived when everything was ready and Rainbow Dash was led by East and West to the arena. Where she now stood, still taking it all in. Blizzard wasn’t in here yet but there was a portcullis directly across from her identical to the one she came out of that she assumed he would emerge from in a moment. For now she stood alone while waves of muffled conversations rippled across the crowd. No one was cheering for her but they were tense and interested to see just what this pegasus from Equestria could do.

Or perhaps they all thought her the epitome of foolish for challenging Commander Blizzard.

Rainbow Dash looked up to the dome, she had no idea how much time had passed since she first met these pegasi back in the clouds but it was now late enough to be night. She saw nothing but darkened sky and clouds on the other side of the glass. It looked almost fitting for rain and lightning but there was no way a pegasus city would have any unscheduled or random weather.

“Wait… how’s it so bright in here?” She said to herself upon the realization that the coliseum was perfectly lit up despite the obvious lack of modern lighting it and the rest of the city would have. Her eyes poked around to see where the light was coming from and she saw numerous bright… clouds? Or something, all ensconced right under the dome in a ring. Well pegasi had no problem making rainbows, maybe these guys had come up with a way to make artificial sunlight after staying up here for so long.

Any other thoughts were interrupted as the iron gate and portcullis on the other side of the arena was raised and her opponent came walking out. The pegasi watching had no problems cheering for him. Although to Rainbow’s surprise it wasn’t as loud as she expected. They were all or mostly all cheering but it was easy for her to tell that some of it was pretty half-hearted. Compared to the kind of cheering Princess Celestia would get from her subjects at any sort of event this was almost laughable.

Maybe he’s not actually that popular? I guess just being the strongest doesn’t mean everyone has to like you. Rainbow Dash thought with a tilt of her head.

He didn’t have his armor or helmet on anymore. Clearly he wanted a fair fight and to face Rainbow Dash just as she was. She could see his Cutie Mark now, a trio of three snowflakes on his flank. Rainbow Dash looked up and around at the cheering crowd and then leveled her gaze back at her opponent.

“Sooo… what? Do we just start fighting? No ref or anything?” She asked.

“I have no idea what a ref is but you are correct. We may begin whenever you are ready. I already know how this will go so I’m allowing you to make the first move. The match begins whenever you feel you are ready,” he told her, not moving from his spot.

“The only one who should be that overconfident is me!” She pointed a hoof at him. “All the stuff I’ve done to save Equestria, you don’t even know how awesome I am!”

“I’m sure,” he grinned.

Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows knitted together in anger. “Okay, that’s it! I’m wiping that smile off of your face!” She looked back across the crowd and yelled so they could all hear her. “Hey all of you! I’m about to beat up your Commander and show you what a pegasus from Equestria can do. Pass the popcorn!”

The rainbow pony instantly blasted off from where she was standing straight towards Commander Blizzard. Most in attendance couldn’t follow or see her at all. It was nothing more than a puff of air and a rainbow trail to them.

But Rainbow Dash remembered that the Commander was fast enough to dodge one of her punches at close range. She had been too shocked by that to avoid his attack right after, but he wouldn’t be lucky enough to catch her off-guard again. Even if he could dodge some of her attacks there was no way she’d let him hit her again either. She narrowed her eyes in the brief split-second it took for her to cross the distance to him, he didn’t look tensed or ready to dodge her attacks and fight back. His body language said he was relaxed like he wasn’t taking the fight seriously at all.

You’ll regret that. Dash thought as she brought up a hoof to strike him square in the chest. He wouldn’t expect that, and it would be impossible for him to dodge or block that now with her right there and going for a big and easy target.

Her light blue hoof impacted his broad blue chest at max speed.

And Rainbow Dash’s hoof crumpled.

The large stallion didn’t even budge as she bounced off of him like she had just flown straight into a stone wall. Her hoof screamed in pain as she slid across the clouds that made up the grounds of the arena. Rainbow Dash stopped and stood up, not putting any weight on her injured hoof as she looked back and forth between the Commander and her hoof. Her appendage was red and bruised from striking him but it at least didn’t feel broken.

“Ow… okay, maybe that was a bad idea,” Rainbow Dash winced. “Hitting him was like hitting a boulder.”

“Do you see that you can’t beat me already? One attack should’ve been enough for you to realize that. I wasn’t just letting you start things, I wanted you to hit me first so you could experience that. I’m invincible to a weak mare from Equestria like you,” the Commander flaunted his strength and puffed out his chest. Clearly still showing off for all of his pegasi in attendance.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah right. And stop badmouthing ponies from Equestria! I’ll beat you! I’ll pummel every inch of your body until I make you give up even if my hooves are nothing but bruises afterwards!”

“Then try it. You wanted to wipe my smile off my face didn’t you? Why don’t you try hitting there this time. I won’t defend myself again,” his smile widened for her. “I told you I was the strongest in the Empire and that was no empty boast. Go on and make your futile attacks.”

Rainbow Dash flew back towards him with renewed vigor, going straight to his big face at first… before cutting upwards at the last second and flying right above his back. With a twist she stamped her hindlegs down onto his back as hard as she could and used it as a springboard to jump off and land right behind him.

But his knees didn’t even buckle from her attack. It was like she was jumping on an immovable object.

Blizzard glanced over his shoulder at her and raised a single silent eyebrow.

“Grr!” Rainbow Dash grit her teeth and darted back to him, flying around the large stallion in a fast circle, trying to make him dizzy.

He didn’t seem to care at all about following her movements though. Instead he just stood still and kept looking ahead, not bothering with whatever Rainbow Dash was doing at all. Fed up with his attitude she started jabbing out with lightning quick strikes as she flew around him. Dozens of them that no ordinary pegasus would’ve been able to see or react to. She tightened up her circle and got closer as she did so, hitting every single spot on his body. His wings, his legs, his neck, his flank, his underbelly, she was raining a storm down on him that should’ve reduced him to a helpless mess.

Except every strike was like trying to shatter a diamond with her bare hooves. Somehow it was like when she had fought Archibald, only worse. This guy was tougher than that yak, Rainbow Dash realized with worry. Her attacks didn’t faze him at all. It’s like she was a mosquito or a fly and all of her buzzing was just that, buzzing. She landed one final punch to his face and then stopped her barrage to leap away from the pegasus and float in the air above of and in front of him.

Rainbow Dash glared down at the Commander, her wings flapping by her sides and all four of her hooves now throbbing with a bit of pain. She was flying above the walls of the arena and level with the stands but had plenty more room to fly up if she so chose.

“Was one of your parents a rock or something?” She said to Blizzard.

His smile left his face but it was completely of his own accord. “You know I already expected nothing from a pegasus mare that had lived in Equestria her whole life but you’ve somehow given me even less than that. A pity. But I suppose this is a good thing since all here can witness your weakness and my superiority.”

“You haven’t won yet!” Rainbow shouted and dove low.

She came in from the front again like she was going in for another direct attack on his face or chest, but when she got close she came to a screeching halt and blasted Commander Blizzard with a powerful gust of wind from her wings. The wind made his mane and tail blow about and even ruffled the feathers of the pegasi in the stands behind him. It didn’t hurt Blizzard but he still reflexively closed his eyes and turned his face away for a moment. That was still all Rainbow Dash was looking for. She closed the gap again in the instant his eyes closed and pummeled his face with a barrage of hooves. Potentially hurting herself didn’t matter anymore. She had to hurt this guy, had to make him flinch, had to prove that she could win.

The Equestrian pegasus jumped away from his face when she was done and landed back on the ground. Breathing a little more ragged and with some sweat running down her forehead.

“I guess you’re finally done?” Blizzard asked her, lifting up a hoof and tidying his mane. He looked absolutely none the worse for wear. “Will you be giving up and admitting my superiority or will I have to knock you out again for the second time today?”

Dash angrily scoffed at him and flung her now slightly sweaty mane back. “I’d like to see you try! So what if you’re a big hulking rock? I could fly circles around you, you’ll never be able to do anything to me either so long as I’m paying attention. Why don’t you try going on offense now if you’re so great? I’ll tire you out way quicker than you’d ever tire me, you jerk!”

Commander Blizzard did not smirk, or raise an eyebrow, or laugh. He didn’t get angry or let himself be provoked. All the pegasus did was spread his massive wings wide and lift himself off the ground.

“We’ll see.”

With a powerful flap he flew towards Rainbow Dash, who had to react quickly to fly into the air. The Commander chased her as she climbed higher to the domed ceiling of the coliseum. He had a decent speed but not Wonderbolt level and definitely not “fastest Wonderbolt of all time” level. She decided that if he was going to put on a show then so would she and she began doing all sorts of aerial acrobats and maneuver that had been drilled into her by Spitfire ever since she first started training camp. Rainbow Dash led him on a chase through the air without even coming close to resorting to her full speed, trying to shake and confuse him and make the Commander eat her tail wind. The pegasi watching from the stands were wowed by her ability, none of them could make such sharp and quick movements in the sky.

Unfortunately though, Commander Blizzard was able to keep up with her. His movements weren’t as sharp thanks to his bigger body and he didn’t have her speed but he still stayed right on her tail the entire time and didn’t look tired out or troubled by any of the maneuvers Dash was putting him through. She did a double loop into a long corkscrew and followed that up with a nosedive straight to the ground whereupon at the last possible second she changed direction and skimmed along the clouds… and then looked over her shoulder to see the Commander replicate it without issue.

“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash threw up her hooves in frustration.

He didn’t look like he was getting tired either.

“Are you done with your little tricks and childish loops?” Blizzard called out to her as they both flew above the stands, with him hot on her tail.

“Hey! Those routines and stuff take a long time to master if you’re performing them with a bunch of other ponies right beside you. You have to be really careful!”

“As expected of a pitiful pegasus from Equestria. More preoccupied with games and flying around like a silly fairy.”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Yeah… well… as expected of some big dumb flying rock! You’re way too slow to catch me!”

“Oh really?” Blizzard narrowed his eyes. “I think you’re misunderstanding things if you think this is as fast as I can fly. I merely wanted to see what you could do. But I suppose this match has gone on long enough, my pegasi can clearly see that you can do nothing to me. It’s time to finish things and have you start your new life learning to be a true pegasus.”

With a single powerful flap of his wings, Blizzard created a whirlwind behind him as he shot towards Rainbow Dash. The furious gust blew across all of the gathered pegasi in the stands and instantly changed the air currents inside the coliseum. Rainbow Dash felt herself wobble as she was buffeted by the wind, it was incredible how he was able to emit that much power so easily. His natural strength coupled with an affinity for the inborn weather-manipulating magic of a pegasus allowed for some impressive feats. Rainbow Dash had to grit her teeth and get back on form, less the powerful wind carry her away. She could do the same kind of thing and clear clouds like a pro but she wasn’t used to having this kind of thing happen in an enclosed area. With Blizzard’s strength and power over the air currents he had full control over anything flying in here.

And all of that was second to the fact that he was now flying at a speed that matched her own.

“Woah!” Rainbow Dash yelled as he went zooming past her, barely dodging the scythe-like wing he stuck out trying to hit her with on the way by.

Blizzard made a sharp turn, much sharper than she expected him to be able to, and came back, jabbing at her with his hooves while she did her best to dodge his attacks. Knowing how strong he was it would only take one hit to knock her senseless. Even a glancing blow would do serious damage.

The two of them went through their aerial dogfighting like that, Rainbow Dash occasionally scoring a hit on Blizard’s longer limbs as he tried to hit her, for all the good that did. Blizzard methodically hounded her through the sky. His face unwavering stone as he focused entirely on hitting his opponent. A far cry from Rainbow Dash’s mounting frustration and anger. It was how calm he was, how sure of himself, that bothered her most of all. And the nagging thought in the back of her head that he was right. That she couldn’t beat him.

It was causing her to lose focus.

Blizzard lashed out with his right wing. It was a move Rainbow Dash wasn’t expecting as she was focused entirely on his hooves and she was barely able to duck under it. But that left her open to a punch. Blizzard’s left forehoof came down on her head like a meteor, there was no way to completely avoid it so Dash flapped her wings to push herself backwards. The edge of his hoof just barely grazed her cheek and chin but it was enough to send her spinning out of control down to the arena floor.

Rainbow Dash hit the clouds with a hard thump and bounced off them once, coming to a stop like a filly’s doll thrown on the floor. The Commander came to a landing a few short feet away. Surprisingly he didn’t gloat but merely looked on with disdain at the pegasus from Equestria. There was a decent amount of cheering from the audience as they saw their Commander victorious after being entertained by the good fight. Knowing she had been defeated was the last thought that went through Rainbow Dash’s mind as she lost consciousness.

Comments

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Great chapter!

What will Rainbow Dash’s training going to be like?

What will it take to defeat Blizzard?

Is she going to perform a Sonic Rainbow at some point in this arc?

[Dashie04]

I wonder what his deal is. There’s something about Blizzard that seems off.

[redmar]

Blizzard might be strong but he seems unnatural to be so strong and fast at the same time.

[Maud of Sterner Stuff]

After bragging to everyone and then being outdone and defeated that easily, I can only imagine how humiliated Rainbow must feel.