> Pinkie's Sensei
>  by Dirty Bit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 1


He Comes...


It was afternoon in the town of Ponyville as everypony was busy with their own daily routines. While the town's citizens minded their own business, a certain pink pony hopped jovially around town with an envelope in her mouth. Her destination was none other than Ponyville Library.

At the library, Twilight enjoyed a day in her home she favored the most: Reshelving day. This time, she had her assistant Spike to help with a majority of the work, and she could not be more grateful with how careful he is with the books. After copious amounts of articulation and proper alphabetizing, Spike stood on a ladder as he was about to put away the last book needed to complete all the hard work he and his older sister had placed into their day, until...

*BANG*

The front door sprang open to reveal Pinkie Pie as she grabbed the note in her mouth and held it in her right hoof "He's coming! He's coming! He's COMING~!!" She yelled at a loud and cheery volume while she hopped in place. Spike yelped in surpise and frantically tried to balance himself as he toppled on the ladder. When he tipped and went to fall, he was luckily saved by Twilight as the two shared a sigh of relief. They did not want all that hard work to be for nothing with Pinkie Pie coming in.

Twilight gently set Spike on the floor before she turned to Pinkie with a raised eyebrow "Who's coming, Pinkie? Is it somepony we should know about?"

Pinkie gave a friendly scoff "Duh~! That's why I came to you!" She pressed her envelope into Twilight's face "You gotta read this note! Go on, read it! You love reading so much, so you gotta love this, too!!"

Twilight groaned a little as she took the envelope with her magic and pulled out the letter contained inside of it. Spike was curious as he waddled over and took a peek at what the letter had to say.

Dear Pinkie,

How's it going? It's been so long and stuff, and I really miss you! As I stayed at my finely-crafted dojo, I was thinking about all the times we have spent together as master and pupil training together! It almost brought tears (STALLIONY tears, mind you!) to my eyes to see you blossom with what I had to teach you back then!

That's why I figured that we could catch up on lost time together! I've decided to stop by at your quaint little town for a visit tomorrow and see what kind of beautiful mare you've grown up to be ever since I've graced you with both my presence and my skills! Who knows? Maybe you'll even have a chance at being as good as me!

See you soon,
Your Sensei

Twilight and Spike were both surprised at this letter and focused their gazes on the party mare. Pinkie Pie? A martial artist? The lavender bookworm already wanted to know more as she beamed at her energetic friend "Wow, Pinkie! I've never thought that you were an experienced fighter of sorts! What's your master like?"

Spike scratched his head "The better question is, what's his name? All there is in the letter is 'Your Sensei'!" He paused for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow at Pinkie "Is that his name?" he asked inquisitively.

Pinkie waved a hoof "Psssh! No, silly! I can't imagine MY master being named Your sensei! That'd be too funny!" She then poked a hoof at her chin "Well, unless he actually decides to take you under his wing with his cool fighting moves!" She reared up on her hindlegs and made a quick one-two with her forelegs "Then, by all means, call him your sensei!" The party mare then stood on all fours and gave an ecstatic grin "Oh, but I simply can't wait for him to come! There's so much to talk about! But not now! Right now, I'm just going around and telling everypony the news so they can give my sensei a proper welcome! I already told Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity! I just stopped by here to let you know before I head to Fluttershy's!"

Twilight spoke "Pinkie, it said in the letter that your master won't come until tomorrow! Why are you raising awareness now? Is he famous or something?"

Pinkie shrugged "Well, he hasn't really told me about fame, but I just want some help to prepare for a 'Master-Pupil Reunion party' tomorrow! I'll need all the help I can get so I can make it extra super-duper special!" She looked at the lavender bookworm with a sincere smile "It would really mean a lot to me, Twilight! My sensei is really the pony other than Granny Pie who helped me be the mare I am today!"

Spike crossed his arms as he looked up "Wow, that much, huh?" He then held his arms out as he flashed a childish smile "Say, if your master's really that good at fighting, do you think you could put in a good word for me if he's looking for any potential students?"

Pinkie patted Spike on the head with a giggle "Of course, Spike! My sensei's always looking for potential! Even in the teeniest-tiniest areas of Equestria! I'm sure he wouldn't mind somepony like you as a student!"

Twilight shook her head as she turned to the party mare with a curious smile "Well, about your master-"

"Sensei!"

The lavender bookworm sighed "Your sensei...has he served in the Royal Guard in his life? Or was he self taught in his own arts?"

Pinkie smiled "Oh, I'd love to talk more about him now, Twilight, but I gotta go! I'm burning daylight just by standing around here! Everypony in Ponyville's gotta know about this! See you soon!" She darted out of the door without a moment to lose.

Spike had a grin similar to Pinkie's after her visit "Now I can't wait to see Pinkie's sensei! Oh, I hope he does make me a student! Then I can use some awesome fighting moves to wow Rarity and sweep her off her hooves!"

Twilight giggled at her assistant's fantasies "I'm just as curious as you are, Spike, but I wouldn't set my expectations too high. Besides, don't you think that Rarity wouldn't like the aspect of having somepony who enjoys fighting as a coltfriend?"

Spike pointed a claw "It's not so much that, but looking good at it! Besides, it'll be a huge help if anypony decides to mess with her! Then I can make sure they don't go anywhere near her without going through me..." He gave a determined glare at a wall as he got into an amateur fighting stance while holding his book.

Twilight levitated the book out of Spike's claws and placed it in the last available shelf with a smile "Well, that takes care of that! Why don't you enjoy some time off? Perhaps see what Rarity wants?"

Spike perked up at the thought "Yeah! Pinkie already told her about her sensei! Maybe I can get her opinion if she saw me as a fighter!" The purple dragon bolted out of the door and made for Carousel Boutique.

Twilight was satisfied to know that for once, her many shelves did not choose to fall today after making the choice of reshelving the books.
_____

Pinkie skipped back to her home at Sugarcube Corner after she took care of telling Fluttershy about her sensei's arrival tomorrow. When she came back, she opened the door and saw her employers Mr. and Mrs. Cake as they tended to the small amount of customers inside. That did not stop Pinkie as she skipped along the floor and flashed the married couple a smile "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Business is going well, I take it?"

Mrs. Cake gave a small grin "Ah, Pinkie! Still in a good mood about your little visitor coming tomorrow?"

Pinkie nodded "Mhm! I already told all my friends, so I'm sure they'll help with the decorations! But just in case they're busy~..." She peered mischievously up the stairs with a grin. It caused the Cakes to glance nervously at the party mare.

Mr. Cake winced at Pinkie's expression "Erm, Pinkie...You're not thinking about the party cannon, are you? We don't wanna wake up the twins!"

Pinkie turned to Mr. Cake and smiled "Oh, I know how loud it can get! That's why I've modified it with a built-in silencer so I won't make so much noise!" Pinkie has lots of free time whenever there is no work to be done in and out of Sugarcube Corner. Sadly, she succeeded in making the Cakes more worried.

Mrs. Cake spoke "Pinkie, knowing your friends, I'm sure they'll help you with something this important! There's no need to go all out with the party cannon!"

Pinkie hummed in thought, but then nodded to the Cakes with a knowing smile "I guess you're right! And besides, my friends helping me with decorations will make it all the more special!! I just hope that everypony will like him!"

The party mare began to have flashbacks of all the times she had trained under the tutelage of her sensei as she trotted up the stairs and into her room. She remembered all of the hard work, effort, and dedication she put into every day of training with her master every time she had visited his dojo. Soon, she will meet him after a long period of absence, and they will have time to rekindle their old relationship as master and pupil. She trotted over and pulled up a picture of herself wearing a fighting ghi that was almost as pink as herself that held a black belt. She also had two gauntlets as she struck a fighting pose while standing on her hind legs. Pinkie gave a nostalgic smile as she stared at it, but now wasn't the time for memories. It was time to prepare...
_____

The next day, everypony in Ponyville set up odd decorations in preparation for the new visitor Pinkie was so excited about. Her friends could not help but check out what the party pony had thought out in terms of the theme.

There were paper lamps and streamers that held foreign symbols and were all colored pink. Twilight looked further and inspected the symbols and gasped in realization as she turned to Pinkie "Pinkie Pie, you mean to tell me that your sensei is from Hong Colt!? This is simply amazing!"

Rarity was now excited "So we get to meet a dazzling pony from the east!? Oh, how marvelous! I should get properly dressed for this moment! Excuse me, girls!" The fashionista bolted off towards her home for a quick makeover.

Applejack scratched her head as she held a skeptical look on her face "He ain't gonna be speakin' Equestrian when 'e's comin' here, is he?"

Pinkie nodded frantically "Oh, of course he does! He's pretty good at speaking Equestrian AND Neighponese! Sometimes he usually mixes the two languages up just for fun!" She gave a giggle "I like when he does it, too!"

Rainbow Dash raised an eybrow "Wait a minute...How does your sensei know Neighponese when he hails from Hong Colt?"

Twilight rubbed a hoof "An excellent question, unless he was born in Hong Colt and raised in Neighpon...But that doesn't explain how he's fluent in Equestrian!"

Pinkie waved a hoof "Oh, girls! My sensei travels a LOT in his time! Of course he knows so much after going so many places!"

Applejack gave a chuckle "Ah wouldn't be surprised if he was jus' as peppy as you are, sugarcube! Maybe he could help down at th' farm iffin' he feels up to it!"

Rainbow Dash scoffed "Unless he's some kind of old fart. Then that would mean he's just gonna be enjoying the scenery without giving us a demonstration!" She got into a fighting stance with a confident smirk "I wanna see if that guy can best me in a match with my karate!"

Pinkie shook her head with a frown "I dunno, Dashie...My sensei's pretty tough..."

Rainbow Dash laughed defiantly "We'll see about that! No offense to you, Pinks, but I don't think he can keep up with me!"

Fluttershy was happy to have kept quiet throughout the whole conversation, until she noticed a distant figure coming from a route leading to Ponyville "Look over there! Somepony's coming!"

Everypony present turned to the entrance as the figure drew closer. Rarity came back dressed in a fine red oriental kimono with her hair done up in a bun style with two chopsticks holding it up "I'm back~!" She noticed the staring crowd "I'm not late, am I!?" She joined the crowd as the pony came into better view.

From a distance, a beige pony was seen carrying a large bag on his back tied to a string he is holding in his teeth. His mane was brown and tied into a slim ponytail as his hair hung down, and his tail was in a similar fashion. He was wearing a pink ghi similar to the one Pinkie wore in her old picture, black belt and all, and on his flank was a foreign symbol similar to what was shown on Ponyville's decorations. His eyes shined with pride and they narrowed with determination as he reached the town entrance.

Needless to say, only a few ponies were impressed with his appearance. Rarity was not one of them.

The pony stopped in front of the crowd and spat the string out of his mouth as he let his bag drop. Then he reared onto his hind legs and struck a foreleg into the air "Alright! Finally made it! Hellooooo, Ponyville~!!" he gave a boastful grin as he stood.

Fluttershy blinked for a moment before finally registering the situation "Umm...is that supposed to be Pinkie's-"

The pink pony in question hopped from the crowd and gave a large gasp, which turned into the happiest squeal heard by any ears in range. She galloped towards the visitor and leaped into his forelegs "Sensei!! You're here!!!"

Pinkie's master returned the embrace of his pupil as he chuckled at her happiness "Pinkie, is that you? I almost didn't recognize you without your training gear! You've really grown since the last time I saw you!"

Pinkie looked at her sensei with the widest grin possible "It's so nice to see you again, Danny-sensei! It's been so long! We've got so much to talk about! I had everypony in Ponyville decorate for when you were coming, and now you're HERE! Now we can get the party started and I can show you around town!" Her babbling continued profusely.

Rarity winced at the newcomer "So this is Pinkie's sensei that she speaks so highly of? He looks rather off-put if you asked me..."

Twilight smiled "I don't know, Rarity... looks can be deceiving, you know. He seems like an okay pony if he really made a good impact on Pinkie's life!"

Applejack nodded "Yeah, maybe he's got some kinda hidden strength inside o' him. He IS a fightin' master, right?"

Pinkie turned to the curious crowd with her expression unchanged "Everypony, I'd like you to meet my sensei! This is super-talented Saikyo Master Dan Hibiki!!"

Dan held a hoof up and grinned again, only this time his teeth gave off a good shine when he showed them.


End of Chapter 1

> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 2


This is Saikyo


Twilight raised an eyebrow at Pinkie's introduction "Saikyo?? Is that the name of the art he's trained you in, Pinkie?"

Pinkie nodded with a joyful smile "Yes indeedy! Danny-sensei has taught me all I know about the style! He crafted it himself, too! And the best part is, he's willing to take in more students wanting to learn his moves!"

Dan stuck his snout in the air with pride as he smirked "Ah, yes! Pinkie was indeed one of the best students a master like me could ask for! Such a young little filly full of so much potential! The day I graced her with my presence was perhaps the best day of her life back then, but for me...it was Tuesday!"

Pinkie hopped in place "You remembered! That was so awesome when you tried to break one of our larger rocks to help us on the farm! You had me sold with how you got the job done!"

Spike was interested in the story "What happened when he did? Did it shatter into pieces?? Was there diamonds inside of it?" He flashed an eager grin as he wanted to hear the details.

Dan trotted up to the curious dragon with the same smirk on his face "Well, there wasn't diamonds inside of it, but I sure as hay bashed it to pieces! My hooves are like fire when it comes to striking something down with extreme force!"

Pinkie giggled "But the funny thing was, that was after his first attempt! The first time he hit the large rock, he gave a loud yell! There was tears in his eyes while he yelled, but then he just started pounding it into the ground furiously! He was so awesome!"

Dan coughed "The term you're looking for, Pinkie, is BATTLECRY! One part of being skilled in Saikyo is showing your passion by channeling it through your vocal chords!" Indeed, passion is key in Saikyo, but Dan showed next to none of it when he destroyed the defiant rock that day. In fact, it was pure rage after his hoof was sore from the first hit.

Rainbow Dash flew down and stopped in front of Dan with a skeptical glance "So you're Pinkie's master? I figured you'd be more...old. Aren't masters supposed to be older or something?"

Dan glared at the cyan pegasus "Hey! Some masters happen to be young and well-versed in their own style, thank you very much!"

Rainbow Dash scoffed, but then showed a confident grin "Well, would you mind showing me some of your style while we're here? I wanna see how strong you are so I know where Pinkie's coming from!" She points a hoof on herself "I happen to be a black belt in karate! Name's Rainbow Dash! I'm the fastest flier in Equestria!"

Rarity stepped forward and gave a curtsey "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hibiki. My name is Rarity! A friend of Pinkie's is a friend of mine!"

Dan was already swayed by how Rarity looked "Wow! I've seen many fine mares in my time, but you happen to show off your stuff without even trying!"

Rarity gave a flattered giggle "Why thank you, darling! I just happen to be a hoof in fashion if Pinkie hasn't informed you yet! Do stop by my boutique if you ever desire a suit!"

Pinkie hopped to Dan's side and wrapped a hoof over his shoulder "Oh, that's okay, Rarity! The only thing Danny-sensei needs is his ghi!" Pinkie turned to Dan "Why don't we get you to Sugarcube Corner so we can party? I got some amazing food for you there, and I'm sure everypony else can't wait to hear about your-" She turns to the crowd to see that a good majority of them went back into town, save for a few ponies, the element bearers, and Spike "...stories..." She was a little saddened, but she perked up again "Oh well! They know where to find you if they're looking for excitement!"

Rainbow Dash winced "Oh, Celestia, that sounded wrong..."

Applejack turned to the cyan pegasus with a stern look "Get yer mind outta th' gutter, Dash! This is one o' Pinkie's ol' friends we're meetin'!"

Pinkie trotted with Dan into town "C'mon, Danny-sensei! I gotta introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Cake! You'll love their kids, too! But they can be a real hoofful sometimes..." She continued her babbling as she trotted away with her master and her friends followed suit.
___

At Sugarcube Corner, Dan and the element bearers shared a laugh as they enjoyed sweets and traded stories at a table. Dan smiled at his student "Pinkie, I never knew your friends could be so interesting! It's nice to see you haven't really changed since we last saw each other!"

Pinkie grinned "And I have you to thank for it! I'm glad that you're here now, sensei! Maybe we can train together just like old times!"

Twilight spoke up "Mr. Hibiki, I'm actually curious about your style of fighting. I've never actually heard of this...Saikyo style martial arts before. Is it famous back at your hometown?"

Applejack smiled "An' ya said y'all were lookin' fer more students, right? Is there any chance maybe my li'l sister can learn a thing or two?"

Dan smirked "Well, my style's pretty well known back where I'm from, but it's not really that famous at the moment. That's why I spread my teachings wherever I go in the world! I've actually had two students before Pinkie, and I'll be happy to have more so long as they pay for lessons!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow "So Pinkie wasn't your first student? Have you had any luck finding others to learn from you?"

Dan crossed his forelegs "Not exactly, what with the usual crap that comes my way! Sometimes, it's hard to know where to look for potential!" He gave a boastful grin as he patted Pinkie on the back with a hoof "But, boy am I glad to see that somepony has respect for my style!"

Rarity tilted her head in curiousity "Can you explain what it's like back at Hong Colt? I've always wondered what it was like! I'll bet it's divine with their culture!"

The Saikyo master leaned back in his chair "Actually, it's pretty sucky nowadays...Normally, it's fine with how many ponies get by, but there isn't much else to do other than harvest crops, eat, and sleep! Sometimes I'm lucky enough to run into a fight or two, but it's pretty boring back at home."

Rainbow Dash shot a glance "Well, you still haven't really shown us your style yet! How about a little demonstration outside?? Let's see your so-called Saikyo style in action!"

Dan poked a hoof with his chin as he squinted his eyes at Rainbow Dash "Hm...I dunno if you'll qualify to fight against ME yet, buuuut..." He turned to his student with a confident smirk "Pinkie! Since you're my student, why don't you give your friend a sample of what I've taught you over the years in a little sparring match?? I wanna see how you've improved since we last saw each other!"

Pinkie hopped from her chair and saluted Dan with a determined smile "You got it, Danny-sensei! One sample of Saikyo-style flank-kicking coming up!" She turned to Rainbow Dash with a smile "C'mon, Dashie, let's head somewhere safe so we can fight! I can't wait to get started!"

The cyan pegasus rose from her seat "Against you? Well, don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're my friend! But where should we go??"

Applejack smiled "Ah think Ah can help ya with that! My home's got plenty o' space fer a good scrap now an' then! Let's head on over there so y'all can get yer match goin'!"

Rainbow Dash nodded "Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the help, AJ!" She turned to Dan and Pinkie "Alright, let's get a move on! I wanna see how high Pinkie speaks of you when I'm fighting her! But I gotta make a quick stop to my place so I can grab my gear! I gotta dress in style, y'know!" Everypony trotted out and made their way to Sweet Apple Acres.

Later, the group advanced over to a clear and open field where there weren't much trees around. Dan and the element bearers took their seats on the sidelines while Rainbow and Pinkie prepared for their match.

Rainbow took her side on one end of the field while she wore her white karate ghi and bandana. Pinkie hopped to her side and stood as if there was no fight about to happen. The cyan pegasus raised an eyebrow "Uhhh, Pinkie? Aren't you forgetting something??"

Pinkie perked up and smiled "Oh, right!" Out of nowhere, she pulled out and tossed up her old Saikyo ghi and put it on in midair. When she landed, she curled into a ball and rolled four rotations further to Rainbow Dash. The party pony then emerged, stood on her hind legs, and struck a pose with her left foreleg resting on her right foreleg while she was flexing it "I hope you're ready for a beating, Dashie!"

Dan struck a hoof in the air with a grin "Thatta girl!"

Spike waddled towards a random gong with a stick and gave it a firm strike to signal the start of the match. The gong sounded and the purple dragon shook with the reverb and the impact of the stick.

Rainbow Dash got into a fighting stance on her hind legs while her wings gave her support. She smirked at Pinkie and waved a hoof towards herself. Pinkie saw this and nodded with a smile as she galloped over and leaped up in front of the cyan pegasus.

Karate is used in self-defense, and Rainbow Dash anticipated an offensive move from Pinkie, but instead she saw the party pony leap over her with her forelegs in the same position as her opening stance yelling "Wohoo~!!" She stared up at her with an incredulous expression. Was Pinkie for real?

Pinkie landed behind Rainbow Dash and noticed that she was caught off guard. With that, she quickly ran up and lifted her hind legs in the air and kicked Rainbow Dash in the face "One!" But she didn't stop there as she gave her another kick while moving forward in the air "Two!" Finally, she gave one more kick that sent the cyan pegasus flying back a short distance "Three!" When she landed, she taunted her opponent by doing the same pose with her forelegs "What's the matter??"

Rainbow Dash picked herself up and scoffed as she rubbed her cheek "Not bad, Pinkie, but not good enough! My turn!" She leaped up into the air and dove down with her left hind leg sticking forward for a kick.

Pinkie jumped back and dodged the kick while she giggled innocently. She then galloped forward and performed a small combo with her forelegs. She then lifted herself in an uppercut that connected superbly with Rainbow Dash's jaw "Koryuken!"

Rainbow Dash recovered on the ground and growled in irritation. With a loud yell (or battlecry...whatever...), she galloped forward and unleashed a fast flurry of jabs upon her opponent. Her hits were being blocked effortlessly by Pinkie, who stood on her hind legs with her face hidden by her forelegs crossed in a blocking position. Rainbow Dash then sent one last hit that collided with Pinkie's forelegs and caused her to skid back a few feet. The cyan pegasus caught her breath while her hooves steamed from the amount of friction she produced in her punches.

Everypony on the sidelines leaned in closely with widened eyes of anticipation while they stared at Pinkie, who stood motionless in her blocking position. Was the party pony alright?

The answer was yes when she revealed her face with a cheerful grin "Wow, that was amazing, Dashie! Now it's my turn!!" She galloped forward and readied her forelegs with a determined grin "Victory is mine!!" After last word, she unleashed her own flurry of hits that made up of both punches and kicks that were just as fast as Rainbow Dash's while she yelled with each hit.

Everypony on the sidelines, save for Dan, leaned in closer with widened eyes at this. The Saikyo master only crossed his forelegs with a knowing smirk on his face because he knew the move Pinkie was performing.

After the last hit from her flurry of attacks, Pinkie rose up with another Koryuken that once again connected with Rainbow Dash's jaw "Taaake thaaat!!!"

The cyan pegasus flew upward after the hit, but then she recovered in midair and glared down at Pinkie "Okay, there's no way I'm losing this fight! I think it's about time I put these babies of mine to work!" She flared her wings and bolted at Pinkie with her immense speed, then rammed into her chest with her head. After she rammed into the pink pony, she sped past her and turned to zip at her from another angle. When that hit connected, she repeated the process to where she attacked Pinkie from all angles. Rainbow Dash then sped away from her and prepared herself for one last strike.

The party pony shook herself and rubbed her head from taking so much damage, and then noticed that Rainbow Dash was about to strike. With that, she donned a cocky expression similar to her opponent as her left hoof began to light up.

Rainbow Dash didn't know why Pinkie looked that way, but she didn't care. She had a match to win. The cyan pegasus flared her wings and bolted for Pinkie head-on as her own eyes narrowed with determination.

Pinkie anticipated her opponent to come in range once her hoof was well-lit with energy and she raised it with a grin as she pushed it forward "Gadoken!!" A green fireball launched out of Pinkie's hoof and made contact with Rainbow Dash's face, and sent her flying back as she tumbled backward onto the ground. She then landed on her back, knocked out cold from the surprise attack caused by Pinkie.

Everypony but Dan dropped their jaws in disbelief. They just witnessed Pinkie tossing a ball of fire from her hoof at Rainbow Dash and emerging the victor of a sparring match gone wild. Pinkie only spun around once on her hind legs and held a foreleg up as she struck a pose "Yoyuse!"


End of Chapter 2

> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 3


Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth


When Rainbow Dash laid on the ground for a moment, she quickly recovered onto her feet, much to the surprise of Pinkie and the small crowd. She glared at Pinkie with eyes of steeled resolve "Alright! No more Ms. Nice Mare!" the cyan pegasus then sped towards her opponent as she unloaded a flurry of hoof jabs on Pinkie, each one connecting at her body in agile blurs "AAAAATAATATATTATATATATATATAATATA!" Rainbow Dash then reeled her right hoof back and delivered the final hit onto Pinkie's muzzle as she was sent flying back a small length before she tumbled and landed face first in the dirt. Rainbow Dash stood on her hindlegs while her forelegs steamed from the intense friction induced in her technique as she called it out "Hokuto Hyakuretsutsume!!" (Hundred Cracking Hoof of the North Star!!) She held a hoof forward while the rest of the crowd watched in awe.

Applejack was more than amazed "So awesome...Rainbow Dash is so awesome!"

Twilight Sparkle chimed in "Very awesome! I knew she was fast, but not THAT fast! I don't think anypony could top that particular technique at all!!"

Dan hung his head in defeat as his eyes flooded the ground with tears. This was a blow that the Saikyo Master himself couldn't recover from.

Rainbow Dash held her hooves in the air and gave a boastful grin "Yeah! That's right, everypony! This mare's unrivaled in style AND strength! I'm the greatest! I'm the champion! I'm the-"
_____

Fluttershy stared at Rainbow Dash while she muttered in her battered and unconscious state. She gave a small smile when she realized what was going on "Awww, she's having a dream~..." She carefully hoisted the injured pegasus onto her back and carried her towards the rest of the group, who surrounded Pinkie and Dan while they enjoyed their victory.

Pinkie beamed at her master and expected encouraging words out of him after her little performance "How was that, Danny-sensei? How'd I do? How'd I do!?"

Dan shot a boastful grin and patted his student on the head "You haven't disappointed me at all, Pinkie! You really have stuck to your training all these years! I'm proud to have you as a student and showing those that doubt Saikyo who's boss!" Pinkie trotted in place and gave a high-pitched giggle at her master's praise.

Twilight snapped out of her awestruck state and focused her attention to the two martial artists in utter shock and bemusement "I don't believe it! Since when can anypony be able to conjure a magic fireball out of their hooves with relative ease? How is that even possible?"

Pinkie smiled at Twilight and shook her head "Silly Twilight! I can't really say my name at this point when it was Danny-sensei who taught me all of this! He's been focusing on his own style for so long!"

Dan nodded with a smirk "You heard it from the pink mare herself! My style's the way to go if you're looking to be the best at resolving conflict or beating ponies senseless for kicks! And speaking of kicks, my Dankukyaku, as demonstrated by Pinkie, is my signature move in the art of Saikyo! It's always best to taunt after using it so your opponent knows that you mean business!"

Applejack chuckled "Well, Ah know where t' guide Applebloom iffin she's lookin' fer lessons on kickin' flank! Yer really somethin', Dan!"

Rarity tilted at Dan "Are you sure that you do not need any other suit rather than what you have on? Believe me, darling, Pinkie's exhibition under your tutelage was absolutely remarkable, but you should really liven up your image if she's to represent you!"

The Saikyo master waved a hoof "No thanks! The only other suit I have is a hula skirt, and that usually chaffs at my flanks while I'm fighting in it!" He then perked up "Oh, and I also have this neat Tengu mask! Maybe I should've brought it with me..."

The fashionista raised an eyebrow "You seem rather eccentric in your tastes, Mr. Hibiki." She then gave a warm smile "But who am I to judge! Your display of style through Pinkie is really something...I wonder what would happen if somepony protected me with those mo-"

Spike instantly zoomed up to Dan "I'd like to apply for lessons!!"

Pinkie giggled "Silly Spike! Why train when we got so much fun to do around Ponyville?"

Dan looked around with a smile "Yeah, I'd like to relax a little before I wanna train first!" He turned to his student "Pinkie? Feel like showing me around?"

The party pony gave a mock salute "You got it, Danny-sensei! Tour guide Pinkie is at your service!"

Fluttershy trotted up, Rainbow Dash still on her back "Umm, if it's alright with you, I'm going to take Rainbow Dash back to my cottage and take care of her. But I'll be sure to join you all soon!"

Pinkie nodded "No problemo, Fluttershy!" She turned to the others "Okay, everypony, let's go! We got a tour to do!" The group then made their way out of the proving grounds while Fluttershy took a separate path back to her cottage.
_____

The group, minus Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, trotted along Ponyville and enjoyed a good time (No, not like that, you pervs...) while Pinkie was giving her sensei a tour. She already explained the local hot spots and even showed him her fortune-telling tent.
Twilight was still baffled at how an earth pony was able to toss a fireball out of their hooves with relative ease. Maybe Dan was gifted? She decided to ask "Say, Mr. Hibiki...If your style is well-known where you come from, why is it that barely anypony wished to train under you?"

Dan went to speak, until he was interrupted "Oh, that's easy! There's plenty of ponies around the world that know moves other than what Danny-sensei knows himself! Some ponies actually imitate his style, but he hasn't really told me their names!" He also hasn't mentioned that those same ponies wiped the floor with him when he decided to confront them out of boredom. That poor stallion...

The Saikyo Master then spoke after her student's interruption "Yeah, it's not easy being a master of one of the best styles in Equestria! But you gotta learn to see past other ponies' jealousy once in a while!"

Rarity huffed "Well those ponies have absolutely no class to just take somepony else's style and claim it as their own through mimickry! It is unacceptable!"

Pinkie nodded "Oh, I agree! Nopony is better than my sensei! In fact, I'll bet some of them will recognize his super-duper-awesome-greatness if I introduce him!" She spotted a couple of ponies chatting and pointed towards them with an ecstatic smile "Maybe those ponies over there!" She signalled the others to follow her. When they reached the chatting ponies, Pinkie beamed at them "Hi there! Have you two met my super-awesome sensei?" She waved them over to Dan, who only smirked at them with enough pride to match that of the Great and Powerful Trixie.

One of the ponies, a stallion, rubbed his chin as he inspected the Saikyo master "No, can't say I have...He doesn't look familiar to me at all."

The other pony, a mare, perked up "Wait a minute, I think I know you!" Dan shot the mare his signature grin once she uttered those words "I know that charming grin anywhere!"

This was enough for Dan to relish his moment of glory in his mind 'Alright! I knew my Saikyo arts would reach around Equestria eventually! (NO!) Now these fine ponyfolk will know the name-'

"Robert Garcia!"

Dan's entire being froze when the mare blurted out the name "Your that one pony! Robert Garcia, right?"

The stallion perked up "Wait a minute! THAT'S Robert Garcia? I should've noticed by that manestyle! How stupid of me! But why isn't he wearing his trademark vest instead of that outfit? Is he trying out new things?"

Dan's grin twitched while the mare replied "I'm not sure, really! But I'm glad to see that he chose to come to Ponyville! I wonder why Pinkie chose to decorate with favors seen from Hong Colt...Robert is clearly from Veneighce!"

Pinkie was slightly offended "Hey! This isn't Robert Garcia! This is Saikyo Master Dan Hibiki!"

The mare raised an eyebrow "Really? I could've sworn it was him for a moment...Well, I never heard of you."

The stallion nodded in agreement "Yeah, we haven't really heard of this Saikyo stuff. But that stallion will be a shoe-in for the next Nightmare Night if he decides to go as Robert Garcia!" The couple walked away chatting and left the group behind.

Dan was still frozen in place, grin and all, while Twilight turned to Pinkie "Pinkie, I don't think that was the best idea to just assume anypony would instantly recognize Mr. Hibiki by showing him to them."

Pinkie sighed "Well, I suppose I was wrong there..." She then brightened up "But that doesn't mean that my sensei's still the greatest!!" The party pony looked back at Dan standing around with his inner shame "Just look at that grin! Nopony can top that!" Well, except for this one bison, but he doesn't count...

Dan shook himself out of his state and gave a warm smile at Pinkie's words "Thanks for the compliment, Pinkie! I'd expect no less from an enthusiastic student like you!"

Pinkie nodded "Well you know what they say! Don't look a gift horse..." She turned her face to the reader "...in the mouth!"

The rest of the group tried looking where Pinkie directed her face in awkward silence, but then Rarity broke the silence when she turned back to her friend "Pinkie, dear, we should talk about whatever it is you're doing. It really bugs the rest of us."

The party pony saw the opportune moment after she giggled at Rarity "Silly Rarity! I'm Pinkie Pie!"

Out of nowhere, some rock music played and almost everypony in town looked to see a blue minotaur with a group of goats carrying supplies. They made their way into town until they reached the square. The goats dropped their supplies and went through them with dense looks on their faces while the minotaur stood proud and supervised. When he noticed the gathering ponies, he turned to face them all as he spreaded his massive arms.

"Alright, everypony! Iron Will is back with an amazing idea!!"


End of Chapter 3

> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 4


Battle of the Century


In a time that would most certainly make physics want to get packing and leave Equestria, Iron Will stood on a newly-crafted fighting ring with his goat flunkees standing at his sides with their blank faces. Explanations are in order, but hey, it's Equestria. Let's go with magic.

Dan tilted his head "What's a minotaur doing in Ponyville all of the sudden?" He turned to Pinkie "Is he a friend of yours, Pinkie?"

Pinkie shook her head "No way! That's self-help guru Iron Will! He taught Fluttershy how to become a totally aggressive meanie-pants!" She looked ahead at him with a slight glare "I dunno why he chose to come back here, though! Doesn't he understand that no means no!?"

Dan scratched his head "Well, what's he doing here now?"

Iron Will turned to Dan and did a random pose as he pointed "Iron Will is getting to that, stringbean! Give him time to explain his awesome idea!"

The Saikyo Master was now burning with rage "STRINGBEAN!?!?" If there was fire behind him, it would possibly burn some of Pinkie's mane. Thankfully, he hasn't reached that level of power in his training yet...

Iron Will called out to the rest of the crowd "As he recalled when he first arrived in Ponyville, Iron Will has noticed a distinct lack of willing and able ponies that wished to seek his guidance in building up both confidence and strength!" He beated his chest for emphasis "So that is why Iron Will decided to see how strong each of you are by holding a tournament for his amusement!!"

The ponies only stared up at him with no applause.

Iron Will stared back, and after a brief moment, he added "Oh, and there's bits involved! Plenty of bits!" The ponies then instantly cheered, causing the minotaur to grin to himself. He then squinted his eyes and searched through the frienzied crowd from his fighting ring 'Where is she!?' Not wanting to stall, he cleared his throat "So anyways! Now that Iron Will has your undivided attention-" He noticed a brown earth pony with a bow tie and an hourglass cutie mark trot off with a bored expression on his face and glared as he called out "UNDIVIDED ATTENTION!!!" The earth pony stopped and looked at him in bemusement "He will be happy to inform you that it's not too late to register for entry into this tournament! All applicants move to that desk over there!" He points to a conventient desk being monitored by a goat with a visor and a pencil in his mouth "Anypony who doesn't enter in this fighting tournament..." He held up his fists aggresively "IS A CHUMP!"

Dan's rage subsided at the mention of money and he grinned to himself "Alright! That's for me right there! Looks like I picked a good time to come to this town after all!"

Pinkie gasped in amazement "You're gonna enter the tournament, Danny-sensei! Awesome! I wanna enter, too!"

Rarity, while tempted at the amount of money rewarded for fighting, could not possibly get her hooves dirty over some mere fights. Unless somepony were to touch one scale on Spike's cute little head, however... "Well it would be nice to see where Pinkie has obtained her skill! I'll be cheering for both of you if you actually wish to enter!"

Pinkie nodded with a smile "Thanks for the support, Rarity!" She turned to Twilight "Twilight, how about you? Doncha wanna win all that sweet moolah!?"

The lavender bookworm looked over at the cheering crowd "I'm not exactly sure...The money could be used to buy more books or perhaps donated to Ponyville Elementary for more books." Books and books and books...Thus is the mind of our local adorkable librarian Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack smirked "I'm definitely enterin' that tournament! That money'll do jus' fine fer th' farm!" She turned to Pinkie and Dan "Looks like it's gonna be us three! Too bad Rainbow ain't here to enter with th' rest o' us..."
_____

Meanwhile, at Fluttershy's cottage (I'll bet you read that in the Superfriends announcer's voice), the timid mare was enjoying a nice cup of tea while she watched Rainbow Dash sleep on the couch "I wonder how Mr. Hibiki is enjoying himself in Ponyville..." There was a faint sound of applause that was heard outside of her home, and her ears perked up to it as she turned to the door "What's going on out there?" She ignored the cyan pegasus for a moment as she trotted out the front door and looked over her porch to see many ponies gathered at town square "Oh my...Whatever it is it must be big." Part of her wanted to come, but she couldn't leave Rainbow Dash unattended "Oh well..." She trotted back into the cottage and shut the door.
_____

Ponies lined up for registration and each one present eagerly signed their names on the paper and prepared themselves for opponent placement. Dan, Pinkie, and Applejack already took care of their signatures and awaited the tournament standings with the rest of the fighters.

Iron Will went over all of those who signed and for some odd reason grunted in disapproval 'Ponyfeathers! She didn't sign up at all! She can't be hiding from me...is she?' He snapped his fingers as a goat approached him wearing a ballot box for a hat. You ever wonder why they have to make those stupid faces? Well, I don't blame you. Anyways, the minotaur spoke "Alright, now that tournament registration is closed, we will now start the match ups! First up is...Pinkie Pie? What the hay kind of name is Pinkie Pie?"

The party pony in question eagerly bounded towards Iron Will "That's my name, silly! What do I do now?"

Iron Will pointed to the goat with the ballot box "Pick a number from that box and that will be where you will stand in the tournament standings! Oh, Iron Will can't stand redunant terms!" He snorted in disapproval.

Pinkie giggled "Well, Pinkie can't wait to get started!" She hopped to the ballot box and sported an eager grin "Come to mamma!" The party pony dug her hoof into the ballot box and shifted it left and right before she finally picked up a ball. She read the number and smiled "Look, Danny-sensei! I'm number 1!"

For the first time since he arrived in Ponyville, Dan Hibiki felt jealous and donned a forced smile "Very good, Pinkie! Way to show those hoof-picking skills!"

His student giggled as she hopped away while two goats managed a lined chart. One of the goats held a marker in its mouth and drew a picture of Pinkie Pie under the first line in record time. Seriously, are they smart or dumb? This is going to be an issue for those wishing to look into it...

Iron Will then looked at the sign-up sheet "Next up is...Applejack! Weird...When can cereal fight?" Since Cocoa Puffs.

Applejack trotted up and dug in her hoof into the ballot box and pried out a ball. She read the number "Number 7! Heh, lucky me!" The cowpony smiled to herself and took her place back with the crowd while the goat with the marker drew an immaculate portrait of Applejack under the seventh tournament line.

Iron Will then looked at the sign-up sheet "Next is...Dan Hi-...Hehbecky? Heebeekee?"

Dan gritted his teeth "Hibiki! Dan Hibiki! Saikyo Master extraordinaire!"

Iron Will was unamused "Never heard of you...Pick your number so we can move things along!"

The Saikyo Master grumbled to himself as he trotted over, but then held a face of determination as he dug his hoof in and fished out another ball. He then read the number "Number 13!" The goat drew a crude picture of Dan under the thirteenth line and noticed how it paled in comparison to the last two "Oh come on!!!"

Tournament placement lasted for about a half hour, and it was a good time, considering there had been an amount of 42 combatants participating in Iron Will's tournament. The minotaur stomped to himself and growled "This doesn't make any sense! Iron Will was sure this would work! He-" He forgot that he turned his back on his combatants and the audience while he vented and quickly turned to face them as he regained his composure and cleared his throat "Well, now that we've set up who will be pummeling who into dust, we can finally begin the first round of this tournament!"

A pony in the audience called out "How long is this going to last??" Looks like some ponies have better things to do than watching many fighters pummel each other into submission.

Iron Will replied "That will be determined with how strong these fighters are!" He turned to the fighters "Iron Will hopes for your sake that you do not disappoint him with any slip-ups!" He turned to Dan "That goes double for you, stringbean!"

Dan growled and pointed a hoof "You don't know who you're messing with, pal!"

Iron Will deadpanned "Iron Will begs to differ..." He held his hands up "To place the rules of battle in a nutshell, anypony fighting will be eliminated either through ring-outs or knockouts!"

Applejack called out "What about th' pegasi? They have the advantage in th' air for Celestia's sake!"

Iron Will simply responds "Knockout! First battle is Pinkie Pie verses Roid Rage!"

The pegasus in question rose up and held up a hoof "YEEEEEEEAAAH!!" His face was plastered with aggressive determination, hardened experience, and yes, steroids. Why do you think they call him that? Why do you think his wings are so small? Why did you bother answering these pointless questions when a fight's about to start?

Pinkie and Roid Rage stood on both ends of the fighting ring, Pinkie still in her Saikyo ghi as she stared down her opponent. The party pony grinned with a sense of hotblooded courage while Roid Rage simple bore his teeth like he does after yelling his signature catchphrase.

Iron Will pulled out a gong and stick from behind him while he held a stoic expression "Begin!" He struck the gong with his stick.

Steam poured from Roid Rage's nostrils as he whinnied and charged at Pinkie "YEEEEEEEAAAAH!"

Pinkie simply stood her ground while the monstrous pegasus closed the distance between them. When he got close, the party pony moved out of the way while Roid Rage zipped past her and flew off the stage "NOOOOOOOOOOOO-" He crashed into a deserted cart that sold cabbages. Whoever ran that cart will not be happy when he returns...

Iron Will was dumbfounded, but then he proclaimed the victor "Pinkie Pie wins by ring out!"

Pinkie hopped up and down "Wohoo! I didn't have to lift anything! This is gonna be so easy!" She already felt more invigorated that she would spread the teachings of Saikyo through beating up other ponies in a tournament for her sensei.

After the next two matches flew by with an inadequate display of skills, namely slap fights, Iron Will called the next two "Applejack and Blossomforth!"

Applejack chuckled "Heh, So Ah get a pegasus like Pinkie? This oughta be fun!" She trotted to the ring and noticed her opponent.

She was not familiar with most ponies like Pinkie, but she noticed how the white pegasus held a manestyle similar to Twilight's only it's pink. What she also noticed was just how flexible she was while she performed her pre-fight stretching. Applejack was almost tranced until she shook herself "Why do ya hafta stretch yerself like that so much? Are ya a three time Twister champion or somethin'?"

Blossomforth glared at Applejack and huffed "Why does everypony keep dissing what I do?" She got on her feet and pointed "I made it perfectly clear to Rainbow Dash just a week ago that what I'm doing is an ancient practice called Yoga!"

Applejack raised an eyebrow "Yoga? What in tarnation is that?"

The pegasus smirked as she assumed a defensive stance "I'll be showing you while you fall at my hooves!"

Applejack chuckled "Ah think the horseshoe's gonna be on th' other foot there, missy! Let's dance!" She stood her ground and awaited the start of her match.

Iron Will held out his gong and stick "Begin!" He struck the gong with his stick.

Applejack pawed at the ground and then charged at Blossomforth with fire in her eyes "Yer in fer a world o' hurt! Let's see yer stretchin' help ya this time!"

Blossomforth simply gave a smug smile as she simply sidestepped the cowpony and grabbed her side with her forelegs "It's called..." The pegasus lifted her opponent "Yo...GA!" She then tossed Applejack back to where she began her charge with minimal effort.

Applejack got up and glared "Lucky shot! Here Ah go again!" She then galloped towards Blossomforth and quickly turned herself to a bucking position. When she skidded in front of the pegasus, she quickly brought out her hindlegs for a good old-fashioned applebuck.

Sadly, her hooves hit the air. When she turned, she noticed Blossomforth in an Ustrasana pose as the cowpony's legs went through the gap between the pegasus' back and forelegs. Blossomforth flashed a smug gaze at Applejack as she stuck out her tongue.

Applejack growled as she brought back her hindlegs and quickly turned to swipe with her left foreleg. Once again, her hoof connected with the air when she noticed Blossomforth quickly go into a Salabhasana pose. The cowpony growled in irritation "Why doncha stop posin' and start fightin!?"

Blossomforth rose to her feet "Very well!" She flew back and then shot her right foreleg forward. To everypony's surprise, her foreleg stretched as if it were taffy being pulled in a machine. It connected with Applejack's muzzle and quickly retracted while the cowpony bounded back and found herself at the tip of the ring the moment she recovered.

Applejack shook herself and stared in shock and bemusement "What in tarnation!? How'd ya do that?"

Blossomforth donned a predatious smile "Years of practice!" She took another shot with her right foreleg while it extended like rubber.

Applejack was ready as she sidestepped the elongated hoof and quickly charged in before it retracted. She then reeled her own hoof back and brought it towards Blossomforth's face with unrelenting force.

The pegasus flew back after the delivered hit along with her retracted hoof and her expression of pain was slowly replaced with a shady smile. While one of her hindlegs was raised in mock imbalance, she swung it as it stretched like her forelegs. This time, it connected with Applejack's stomach as she skidded back from the hit. She coughed until she found her breath "Now that's jus' plum unfair!"

Blossomforth drew back her stretched hindleg and stretched herself in an Urdhva Danurasana pose as she stuck out her tongue again "What's the matter? Can't handle my style?" The question was pointless with the amount of drooling stallions in the audience. Even Dan was enraptured with the display of Yoga.

Applejack glared as she stared down her opponent. She couldn't lose this now. This was for the money, for her farm, and for her family. The cowpony then galloped forward with her spirits reinvigorated.

However, Blossomforth anticipated this as she jumped into the air and hovered while she bent back her hindlegs to where they were clasped behind her head while she held her forelegs together "Come with me, friend..." She then stretched out her forelegs as she grabbed Applejack by the shoulders and propelled herself in the air while she kept her grip. Then she yanked herself downward at an amazing speed.

Applejack looked up "What th-" Both her's and the stretchy pegasus' heads met, and she brought herself upward and performed the same gesture two more times.

When Blossomforth brought herself up for the fourth time, her forelegs twisted and she readied herself for the finisher "Yoga..." She then brought herself down as her head clashed with Applejack's while spinning at a remarkable speed "Shangri-La!!" When she finished, she leaped off of the cowpony as she fell down on the ring unconscious.

Pinkie gasped with an expression of sheer worry "Oh no! Applejack! She's been stretched into submission!"

Dan turned to Pinkie "I think the term you're looking for is headbutted, Pinkie."

Pinkie turned to Dan with her expression unchanged "That too!"

Iron Will brought up the hand he held his gongstick with "Blossomforth wins by knockout!" Well, so much for Applejack getting money...

The next two rounds flew by quickly as well. What was wierd was that one of them happened to be not a combat battle but a rap battle. It was epic, though. Iron Will then called up "Next up is Stringbean-"

"Dan Hibiki!!"

Iron Will continued "-versus Mr. Waddle!" Both Iron Will and Dan looked around to see where the pony in question was at. They then heard the sound of a withering moan as a decrepid earth pony wearing glasses and a bow tie trotted up. The minotaur and Dan looked at each other and then winced at the old pony that showed himself. Iron Will reluctantly pointed "Are you-"

The old pony looked around "Did somepony call my name?" Yep, it's him alright.

Iron Will facepalmed and pointed "Onto the ring, you two! Let's go!" 

Dan and Mr. Waddle made their way onto the ring and stood at each side. The Saikyo master was slightly reluctant until he remembered battling a crazed assassin with the same age some point in his life. He then stood his ground while Mr. Waddle stood obliviously with his limbs shaking from his old age.

Iron Will held up his gong and stick as he called out "Begin!" He then struck the gong as the battle began.

Dan gritted his teeth and waited for the old pony to make his move, but all Mr. Waddle did was stand idly by with a scared look on his face. The Saikyo master then lowered his guard and began to feel pity for the old pony as he trotted up to him "Hey, you think it would be a good idea to throw the fight? I mean, sure the reward's tempting and all, but I don't think you're cut out for this sort of actio-"

Mr. Waddle's face was quickly replaced with a hardened glare as he quickly jumped and struck Dan's muzzle with his left hindleg. The Saikyo master yelped after the hit and rolled back towards his side. He then got up and rubbed his nose before he glared back at the old man who once feigned weakness "Oh, it is ON!"

Rarity could not help but glare at Dan for some reason.

Dan then galloped forward and then performed his famous Dankukyaku on Mr. Waddle, but he blocked each blow with relative ease. Mr. Waddle then gave a rolling hook that connected with Dan's right jaw as he flew back again.

Pinkie was punching the air with her forehooves as she called otu to her sensei "C'mon, Danny-sensei! Show that meaniepants who's boss!"

Dan got up as he rubbed his jaw from the latest hit, but then he grinned his shiny teeth once again. It was time to make this battle quick and painless for the Saikyo master's elderly opponent. He then performed the signature pose of flexing his right foreleg while his left one rested over the bicep "Ikuzo ora!"

Pinkie clopped her hooves together "Oh! He's gonna do one of his special moves! And he's speaking Neighponese finally!!"

Twilight was now curious as she watched "What's it gonna be, Pinkie?"

Pinkie turned to Twilight "He's gonna perform a combo where he combines two of his greatest moves to beat his enemies with a stick! Only that stick's gonna be his fists!" She then looked down "But then again, I know plenty of people who fight using a stick, but they have buttons at the side!"

Twilight ignored her friend's rambling and focused solely on the techniques Dan was about to perform

Dan rolled once and posed again "Ora ora!" He did it again "Doushita doushita?" And again "Namen jya nezo!" and again "Torosugi daze!" and once more "Yahoo!" He then hopped over the more-than-confused Mr. Waddle and landed on his hind legs as he held a hoof up "Chou Yoyuse!" He grinned at everypony. Everypony was dumbfounded and went to ask what in the hay just happened until Dan quickly spread his forelegs with determination in his eyes "Saikyo Ryuu Ougi!" He then crossed his forelegs and dashed towards Mr. Waddle. When he was close, Dan brought out his right forehoof and struck the old pony clear in the jaw "Let's go!" He then performed what appeared to be a more advanced version of the combo Pinkie demonstrated on Rainbow Dash. He finished with an uppercut that connected with Mr. Waddle's stomach and lifted him up.

K.O!!!!!

Everypony but Dan wondered where that ominous yell came from, but they then turned to hear Mr. Waddle yell in defeated pain before he flew out of the ring and landed on his back. When Dan touched the ground with his hindlegs, he held up a hoof and grinned his teeth as they shined. Sadly, nopony applauded at his victory, and were more focused on the voice that appeared out of nowhere.

Dan trotted to the edge of the ring where Mr. Waddle fell and pointed a hoof at the old pony as he glared down at him "Don't you even THINK about suing me for damages, gramps!"

Iron Will gave an exasperated sigh "Stringbean wins by ringout! Whoop-de-doo..." He then looked away as he brooded to himself 'This isn't working! But Iron Will will know that she'll come around eventually! He jsut knows it!' Who the hay is he talking about?


End of Chapter 4

> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 5


Who Will Come Out On Top?


Fluttershy just finished feeding her animals while she watched Rainbow Dash recover from her match with Pinkie. She kept hearing sounds of thuds, screams, and applause and wondered if she made the mistake of missing out on something possibly phenomenal. The timid mare was already content with the company of her animals, but she inwardly cried at how badly Angel had to treat her and the other animals. Perhaps she spoiled him too much?

Rainbow Dash laid on the couch and murmured as she stirred from her minor coma "Huh? Wha-?" Her eyes shot open as she brought herself up and darted her head around "Where am I? Where's Pinkie? Did I win?"

Fluttershy turned to hear the sound of her childhood friend wake up and smiled as she trotted to her "Good afternoon, Rainbow Dash. I'm glad to see that you're awake and healthy-"

The cyan pegasus interrupted her "Nevermind that, Fluttershy! How did I do against Pinkie when we fought our match??"

Fluttershy shifted her eyes and wondered how to explain to Rainbow Dash without beating around the bush "Um...You were amazing..."

Rainbow Dash held her hooves in the air "Yes! I knew I would win! I must've passed out after I collided with Pinkie!"

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash "Y-You didn't let me finish..." The cyan pegasus looked at Fluttershy in confusion as she continued "You were amazing, but...Pinkie came out on top by hitting you with some kind of magical fireball. I think it was called a Gadoken??"

Rainbow Dash paused until she finally pictured the vivid memory and drooped her ears as she hung her head in shame "I lost..." She then glared as she held her forelegs up. If she had fists, they would be balled up in frustration "No way! I can't let Pinkie outclass me like this! I wanna rematch!" Rainbow Dash looked up at Fluttershy with a determined glare "Where did they go?"

Fluttershy looked away "Um...After Pinkie knocked you out, she wanted to give Mr. Hibiki a tour of Ponyville. B-But I don't know why you would want a rematch like this, Rainbow Dash. It was only a friendly sparring match, right?"

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth "It WAS a match! And NOW it's gonna be a rematch courtesy of Yours truly! C'mon, we're going to find the others and setttle things!" She flared her wings, swooped Fluttershy off of her feet and flew out of an open window and made her way for Ponyville.
_____

The tournament was brutal. Like listening to metal brutal. Pinkie came out on top of many of the enemies and managed to earn herself a place in the quarter finals. Her newest opponent was the most bizarre pony she had ever seen.

It was a pony covered in a brown leather trenchcoat and fedora, with both his forelegs and hindlegs covered in boots. His face was covered by some kind of metallic mask with two eerie yellow eyes poking out of it with a neutral expression. Worst of all he was silent most of the time.

Pinkie poked her chin, but then smiled "So you're name's Q? Are you a mischief maker~?" The pony remained silent and stared forward. Pinkie craned her head back with an expression on confusion before she perked up "So are you an earth pony, a pegasus, or a unicorn?" She was only met with more silence and the party pony grunted "Are you ignoring me? It's not nice to ignore somepony when they're speaking to you! Who do you think you are!?"

The pony slowly looked down and murmured something in a metallic tone. Everypony else tried to wonder what he was saying until Pinkie responded with a tilted head "You're an abomination? If you feel bad about ignoring me, I forgive you! But hey! We got a fight to fight! So let's fight!" She held up her hooves and jabbed the air a few times.

Q then slowly walked forward as if he were possessed by a spirit. When he got close, Pinkie Pie performed a couple of jabs and a kick to his chest. Sadly, her attack did not phase Q in the slightest. The strange pony slowly brought back a hoof and punched Pinkie in the face as she flew backward. Some of the ponies gasped at the incredible strength Q displayed.

Pinkie hopped back up and growled like an agitated puppy as she galloped forward "Here I come!" She then ducked under Q and brought her hoof in an uppercut "Koryuke-" When her hoof connected with Q's chin, she paused before she drew her hoof back and yelled in pain "Owowowowowowowowow! Owie owie owie!!" She blew on her hoof frantically to try and ease the pain.

Twilight facehoofed "He's wearing a metal mask! Did she think that would work?"

Applejack, who had woken up from her massive beating from before looked at the fight and responded with a bored tone "Yer guess is as good as mine..."

Q merely stood stalk still while Pinkie continued to mend her hoof, and then trotted over as he launched a hoof that connected with her face. Instead of flying back, however, she was stunned for a moment. During that time, Q then rose on his hindlegs as he clasped his forelegs and raised them in the air. He then brought his pair of gloved forelegs down on Pinkie's head, and the party pony somehow got launched into the air. The audience looked up and wondered where she was going to land.

In the front row, two stallions were eating their own oat dog with bored expressions on their faces. One was an acne-ridden pony wearing glasses and having a robot cutie mark while the other was a blank flank zebracorn in a fedora. The zebracorn finished his oat dog, and when they heard a yell raising in volume, the two stallions looked up and saw Pinkie fly down like a meteor. She then landed on the pony with glasses with a sickening thud. The stallion moaned while he held out the hoof that contained his oat dog. The zebracorn looked at the oat dog, and then took it as he ate it with the same bored expression.

Iron Will called out "Q wins by ring out! This is getting exciting everypony! We're nearing the completion of the tournament!" Little did they know that the minotaur was lying through his teeth about the excitement 'Iron Will is beginning to lose his patience! Why isn't she here!?' Whoever the minotaur was expecting must be very important.

Twilight and Dan gasped at the display of Q's strength. Dan was slightly nervous with how the strange pony easily handled his student. But he couldn't back down now. This was for the sake of spreading the teachings of Saikyo and showing how much of a stallion he can be. Oh, and the money. The tempting and highly amountful money.

Pinkie got up from the stallion she landed on and gave an apologetic grin "Sorry, mister! Maybe we can still be friends?" She was happy when she seen the crushed stallion flash a weak smile. The party pony trotted to her friends as if she hadn't been inflicted with the pain she was met with "Well, so much for that! But at least I'll see my sensei in more action!"

Twilight was confused with how Pinkie managed to seem so undeterred after the fight "Pinkie? Are you feeling okay after Q hurt you so much?"

Pinkie smiled and waved a hoof "Just another one of Danny-sensei's awesome tricks he passed onto me! I can take plenty of beatings and come back stronger! Too bad I got knocked out of the ring, though..."

Twilight was dumbfounded "But that's just preposterous!"

Pinkie smiled ear-to-ear "Well, Twilight. I'm just...saiyan..." She expected laughter, but it only came in the form of crickets chirping. Since when where there crickets during the day?

Twilight sighed at Pinkie's random attitude and dismissed it as she turned to Dan with a smile "Well, at least you'll demonstrate more of your moves in the ring, Mr. Hibiki! Maybe I can take more notes!"

Dan felt invigorated by Twilight's praise and gave another boastful grin "Well, I won't disappoint you all! I'll be sure to make that minotaur's jaw hit the floor once I'm through with this thing!"

Pinkie clopped her hooves together and cheered for the Saikyo master "Yay, Danny-sensei!" Dan stood proud while the party pony resounded her cheer once more.

Rarity looked at the six fighters still standing and winced "The competition seems more fierce with the remaining combatants in tow! Are you sure you can handle this, Mr. Hibiki?"

Dan scoffed and puffed out his chest "If there's anything I learned when I mastered my style is that you should be ready to fight back when things get out of hoof!" With that saying, the Saikyo Master washed away his nervousness and felt ready to take on the world. If only he had that kind of power though.

More of the matches flew by and Iron Will called out the next match "Dan and Donut Joe!" The Saikyo Master trotted up to the ring with his opponent, who happened to be the esteemed owner of a Donut Shop in Canterlot. Aside from his shop attire, he wore a necklace with a small compartment dangling from it.

Twilight noticed Donut Joe and looked around "Wait a minute. I never noticed Donut Joe in Ponyville at all! How did he get here?"

Donut Joe turned and called out to Twilight "I came to get more sprinkles for my donuts, but when I heard about a money giving away a sick amount of bits, I just couldn't resist!!" He grasped at the small compartment on his neck with a confident smile "Now all I gotta do is win this thing and not only will I get more customers, I'll get me some extra cash on the side! It's a win-win! All those times training at the trainyard in Canterlot are finally paying off!!"

Pinkie nodded to herself "Seems legit!"

Dan tilted his head "Hey, before we begin fighting and stuff, what's with the necklace? You seem pretty trustworthy of that thing!"

Donut Joe grinned "Oh, this old thing? This is small case on my necklace contains my secret stash of lucky jimmies! And they brought me enough luck to get through this tournament!"

Dan nodded in comprehension "Heh, I know a pony named Jimmy. I wonder if he's around..."

Iron Will held out his gong and stick and yelled "Begin!" He struck the gong with his stick to signal the start of the match.

Both competitors rushed at each other and fought vigorously without a word. Many of Donut Joe's hits shown that he was a professional kickboxer. Dan took most of the hits but landed some of his own. He flew back a short distance after Joe scored a good jab, but Dan recovered and proceeded to taunt Joe by smacking his flank "That didn't hurt!"

Somehow, Dan succeeded in provoking Donut Joe to gallop over and continue his onslaught. The Saikyo master only proceeded to jump over and perform an aerial taunt over Joe "Woohoo~!!!" Dan succeeded in getting Joe more infuriated, and the donut shop owner tried to land more hits on him, but to no avail. Some of Dan's dodging motions involved running about in a cowardly, but comical fashion. He managed to breeze past each shot that was sent his way.

Twilight tilted her head "Is this a part of Dan's strategy? It doesn't look all that effective. He looks like he could crumble if Donut Joe gets the next hit on him."

Pinkie gasped and glared at Twilight "Don't you DARE talk bad about my sensei! He can beat him! All he's doing is lulling him into a false sense of security!"

Applejack deadpanned to Pinkie "By runnin' 'round like a scared rabbit and tickin' off Joe?"

Pinkie beamed at Applejack "Exactly!!" Both Twilight and Applejack facehoofed.

Spike (Who somehow had the least amount of screentime) was just as confused as the others "I kinda considered Dan Hibiki to be more...stalliony with his fighting style. All he's doing is just running and taunting whenever he gets the chance! He's barely hitting him at all!"

Pinkie smiled "Just you wait, Spike! My sensei's been through worse times before and he managed to..." She turned to the reader with a wide smile "Come out on top!"

Spike and the other ponies tried looking where Pinkie directed her gaze, and the purple dragon looked at Pinkie with an annoyed expression "Why do you do that?"

When Dan had Donut Joe on the ropes with his constant dodging and taunting, he knew his opponent was open as ever. He quickly galloped over and he landed his signature uppercut "Koryuken!!"

Donut Joe flew up into the air and his necklace slipped off of his head in midair. When he landed he looked to see his compartment full of his lucky jimmies and his eyes widened "No..." They landed at his side and he scrambled to get up. For some odd reason, everything went slow motion as he galloped towards the falling compartment "Noooooooo~!!!"

Pinkie smiled "Hey~! This makes my voice sound silly~!" How did she-? Screw it, back to Joe.

The donut shop owner tried to grasp his sacred compartment, but it slipped under his hooves and connected horribly with the fighting ring. His compartment broke apart and his jimmes scattered to and fro. Some of them managed to fly out of the ring only to land onto Lickety Split's ice cream cone, making the foal very happy as he licked his treat.

Donut Joe looked around with widened eyes to see his jimmies out of their compartment "My jimmies..." he whispered as his face slowly contorted into that of unbridled fury (Read it! It's awesome!) as he gazed down "Rustled..." He whispered again, but with more ire in his tone. Donut Joe turned to Dan and pointed a foreleg "YOU RUSTLED MY JIMMIES! NOW I'LL RUSTLE YOURS!!"

Dan blinked, confused to Donut Joe's rage and his strange comment "I don't get it..." Donut Joe then galloped over and landed a sick uppercut with his right foreleg that sent the Saikyo master flying in the air screaming and flailing. Everypony on the sidelines gasped at the surprise blow and gazed up at Dan descending from his flight, only to have his jaw land on Donut Joe's left foreleg. Donut Joe, with Dan in his grasp, slammed the Saikyo Master onto the floor of the ring and then brought him up to give another punch into his face and let him drop on the floor. Donut Joe hyperventilated, but then took a deep breath as his anger subsided "No tears...Only dreams now..." He uttered in a calm tone.

Pinkie gasped and called out "Sensei!! You have to believe in yourself! Or believe in me who believes in you!! Or something like that, I don't know! Just please, for the love of Celestia, don't lose this match! I have faith in you! What would your father think!?"

Twilight turned to Pinkie "Father? How will his father help?"

Dan laid motionless, and the words from his star pupil echoed in his mind as his eyes were shut. When word of his father reached his ears, he thought 'Father...Father...Father...' His eyes then shot open as he quickly bounded on all fours and threw his head to the air as he shouted to the heavens with tears in his eyes "FAAAATHEEEEEERRRRRRR~!!"

Donut Joe noticed this and wondered what was going on, but he didn't expect to receive a quick and powerful hoof to the face. The Saikyo master performed the same combo he used on Mr. Waddle, only this one was more fiery and with passion 'All for you, Father! I won't let you down!!' He ended with another uppercut

K.O!!!!

Once again, everypony around the fighting ring tried to pinpoint where the ominous yell came from after it resounded. Meanwhile, Donut Joe gave a defeated yell in pain that strangely echoed while he flew into the air and out of the ring. Dan even held a foreleg up as he grinned his shiny teeth.

Pinkie jumped up and down in joy "Wheee! You did it again, Danny-sensei!! Way to go!!!"

Twilight and Spike stared in awe as the lavender bookworm spoke up "Wow...I guess his father really does help him fight after all. Maybe he was skilled in Saikyo as well?" Maybe...Maybe not...dun dun duuuuun~...

Iron Will was now surprised and almost amused at Dan's display of fighting spirit and passion for his family 'Maybe Iron Will is not giving the stringbean enough credit! No matter! He won't be a bother once she decides to show up!' Why won't he tell us who he's talking about? This is getting annoying for the readers!
_____

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash breezed into town and noticed a large crowd gathered around a fighting ring in town square. The cyan pegasus was now as curious as a monkey "Hey! Isn't that Dan down there?" She noticed that he sent a familiar unicorn flying with an uppercut "Whoa..." Rainbow Dash then noticed Pinkie cheering on the sidelines and she quickly glared "There she is!! C'mon, Fluttershy!!" She dashed into the crowd with Fluttershy following after her.

Iron Will spoke up "Stringbean-" He stopped himself when he noticed the glare he was receiving from the Saikyo master and grunted "Dan Hibiki wins by ringout...again...with the same trick somehow. Nopony likes a one-trick pony!"

"Up yours!"

Iron Will steamed from his nostrils at Dan's remark, but then his expression changed when he caught something canary-colored in the corner of his eyes 'Was that...??' He then shook his head as he then spoke up "We're one match close to the semi-finals!! This is gonna be a battle of epic proportions, folks! So epic that the very meaning does not need to be used to categorize this moment!"

Rarity sighed "Does he really have to milk a performance like that? Did he act like this when he first arrive in Ponyville?" Her answer came in the form of shrugs from her friends.

Rainbow Dash sprung out of the crowd with Fluttershy and pointed at hoof at Pinkie as she hovered "Pinkie!!" She glared as she bared her teeth.

Pinkie noticed the angered pegasus and grinned as she waved "Hiya, Dashie! You here to see my sensei win the tournament??"

Rainbow Dash landed next to her "Not on your life!! I demand a rematch!! You! Me! Right here! Right now!"

Fluttershy looked around and cringed "In front of all of these ponies? Rainbow Dash, couldn't you two fight at a more secluded area?"

Iron Will noticed the sudden occurence in the crowd and he gasped with a shock expression at the sight of Fluttershy cringing.


End of Chapter 5

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 6


Wait...what?


Iron Will kept his jaw dropped long enough before he finally pointed into the crowd "YOU!!!" Everypony in the crowd directed their attention to where the minotaur was looking. Oddly enough, all eyes were on Fluttershy. His face of shock turned into an ecstatic grin "You've finally arrived, Fluttershy!! Iron Will was expecting you!!!" Sure, this is an early title drop, but, wait...what?

Fluttershy stared up at Iron Will in shock and confusion "Wh-What!? Iron Will?"

Rainbow Dash turned to where Fluttershy was looking and tilted her head "So that's Iron Will? The same guy that made Fluttershy more assertive?" She looked away sheepishly 'He did a real good job when I followed her around that one day...' Yes, it was hard for Rainbow Dash to maintain so many disguises in one day, especially when they involved hiding her wings. But hey, she had to dress in style.

Iron Will spread his arms as he called out "You're late to this particular event!! Iron Will had all of this planned out with the exception of everypony wanting money!!"

Dan perked up "Wait a minute...So this whole tournament's a sham!? There's no money!?"

Iron Will shook his head "No way, stringbean! There's money involved! But it was meant for an alternative reward for this occasion!! It is time Iron Will came clean..." He made a fist and covered his mouth as he cleared his throat. Everypony leaned their heads forward in curiousity at this. When he finished, he called out once more with the most bizarre announcement "Fluttershy!! Ever since you stood up Iron Will when he has taught you superbly well in the ways of assertiveness, he couldn't stop thinking about you!! You clouded his thoughts day in and day out, and there was nothing he can do to block out each tantalizing image!! Accept Iron Will's affection for you, Fluttershy!! he only wishes the best!!" The crowd gave a heartfelt 'Awwwww~' at the end of his speech.

Fluttershy was now more shocked than usual. However, she was not swayed by Iron Will's speech...in fact, she was pretty scared of him now. She figured standing up to him that one day would be no major feat if she summoned courage, but she never expected this to happen. The timid mare would kindly acknowledge Iron Will's feelings, but this was too much for her to handle. She did not like it. It was not right to be chased longingly by a minotaur who was also her old teacher.

Pinkie gave a heartfelt 'Awwwww~!' at the speech, but her friends reacted differently. Twilight, Spike, Rarity, and Applejack all shared bemused glances while Rainbow Dash and Dan visibly grimaced with disgust at the thought of a pony/minotaur hybrid baby.

Fluttershy shifted her eyes left and right as she backed away "Um...I-I-Is there anyway to drop this subject? P-Please!?" She began to sweat as she pleadingly looked up at Iron Will.

The minotaur held out a hand "No!! Iron Will has done that for too long and no longer will he deny them!! He couldn't bear to see you gone forever in the back of his mind!! So come, Fluttershy! Come and accept Iron Will's affection..." He then grinned "...through combat!!"

Everypony gasped, and Dan perked up "Hold it!! We're in a middle of a tournament here!! Couldn't this wait!? Why would you even wanna fight Fluttershy anyway!?" The Saikyo master really wanted that money and the precious fame that went with it.

Iron Will grunted "Where I come from, fighting is one of many ways to channel one's affection, in fact the most desirable and approachable!! Fluttershy has proven herself to be most strong and willing, while at the same time graceful and demure!! There is nothing more than what a minotaur like me would ask for!"

Twilight held up a hoof "But what about the tournament? You can't just botch up an organized chain of fights and disperse it when it's close to ending!!"

Fluttershy heard Twilight and figured it would be best to take advantage of her knowledge as she spoke up "Oh! Yes! That would be most improper to cancel out such an AMAZING tournament set up by you, Iron Will! Can't I see who would win in this before I begin to channel my affection through fighting? Pretty Please?" She batted her eyelashes unprofessionally in attempt to change the minotaur's mind.

And change it did. Iron Will stood still before he gave an excited grin after the 'compliment' he earned from Fluttershy "Never has Iron Will heard such amazing words from a soothing voice! Very well! The tournament is back on!" The crowd cheered and awaited the next match.

Pinkie smiled and clopped her forehooves together "Yay! I get to see the next match!"

Rainbow Dash jerked her head to Pinkie in a glare "Not so fast!! We're doing a rematch and you're not walking away from this!!"

Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash with a stern look "Rainbow, can't it wait!? We're trying to see how far Mr. Hibiki can go!"

Rainbow Dash scoffed "Is he fighting next?" Twilight pondered and she shook her head "Then forget about it!! I'm getting my rematch from Pinkie whether she likes it or not!!"

Pinkie Pie nodded with a smile "Alright!"

Spike raised an eyebrow "You honestly don't see a problem with having a rematch with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie?"

Pinkie Pie kept her smile "Well, Danny-sensei isn't fighting yet! And maybe I can kill some time before he fights whoever wins in the next match! Besides, the author really loves skipping fights a lot, and that's just plain unfair!" Um...Errrrr...

Spike paused, and did not say another word as he went to find his own gong. It wouldn't help to question the ethics of the precocious pink party pony pulling pranks and putting down physics pitifully. Hehehe...Alliteration.

Rainbow Dash gave a confident smile "That's more like it! Now let's get started!"

Applejack shot Rainbow Dash a look "Can't ya take it somewhere else? We're tryin' t' watch a match here!! Jus' head on back t' my farm and y'all can have yer little scuffle there!!"

Rainbow Dash sighed "Fine, AJ! I really hope you would come with us, cuz you're definitely missing out on some good old-fashioned flank-kicking!!"

Twilight deadpanned "You mean the tournament we've been watching for the past couple of hours?"

Rainbow Dash glared "I didn't know about it, okay!? And this is personal!!"

Rarity sighed "Rainbow, dear, you're taking this too far! You can't win them all, you know! Even the best of the best had their losses at some point!" She turned to Dan with a smile "Isn't that right, Mr. Hibiki?"

Dan nodded "Sure is! Even my dad knows when a battle can't be won, but that doesn't mean he can't go out like a stallion!!" Anypony wanna see THIS stallion's win/loss count? Anypony? No? Story? Okay...

Pinkie smiled "Okay, Danny-sensei! You wait here and don't start without me, okay? I'll be riiight back!"

Dan rustled Pinkie's already-wild mane and grinned "You do what you gotta do, Pinkie! And remember-"

The two Saikyo fighters spoke simultaneously "Always taunt during a match!"

Pinkie pulled out a notebook as she beamed "I came up with several of them ever since I trained on my own! I save the best ones for when I feel great!" That notebook is the tiniest snippet of what she came up with. She keeps 3 encyclopedia sets worth of them in her closet. Along with other things...

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes "I hope you brought a fork, Pinkie! Cuz' you're about to eat those words!!"

Pinkie pulled a fork out from behind her back with her free hoof "Like this? But how can I eat words? I can't make words appear so I can eat them!" There's somepony who can, but only when they speak of a certain advancement or ascension in rank.

Rainbow Dash growled "Well I hope you're dressed up for a night on the town!" She narrowed her eyes again "Cuz' I'm about to take you out on a ballroom blitz!"

Pinkie looked confused "But I'm not wearing a dress! I'm wearing a ghi, see?" She presented herself on her hindlegs "And besides, we're fighting, not dancing! Well, then again, fighting is derived from dancing! Or was it the other way around? There is this one fighting style that mixes the two! Capoeira, was it? Yeah! And I saw this large zebra mare fight me with it once, too! Man, she really filled my heads with beats!!"

Rainbow Dash facehoofed with an annoyed growl. Clearly she forgot how easy it was for Pinkie to come back from a threat or witty remark, especially when she doesn't mean to "Let's just go to AJ's so we can do this thing..."

Pinkie beamed with a chipper smile "Okie Dokie Loki! Let's go!" She waved to her teacher "Be back soon, Danny-sensei!"

Dan waved back "Try not to get hot-blooded back there! We all know how you get in that phase!" Wanna hear a funny tale pertaining to that phase? One day, she was baking for her master, but it was a gundam. She baked a gundam! Sounds weird, doesn't it? Imagine how weird it was seeing it! SHE BAKED A GUNDAM! Do you even know what a gundam is? Cuz everypony else sure doesn't!
_____

In a small stretch of time and space, we find our two mares and dragon at the same field where their match took place. Rainbow Dash was in her gear, as was Pinkie. The only gear Spike wore was his 'I don't give a flying feather about this match' face while he held his gongstick.

Rainbow Dash glared "You ready for this, Pinkie? Cuz you're in for a world of hurt!!"

Pinkie tilted her head obliviously "But I don't see you with a bow and a set of glowing arrows..."

Rainbow Dash stared blankly before she shot Spike a dirty look "Just ring the gong so we can do this already..." She muttered bitterly. It's like she just couldn't win today.

Spike shrugged before he did as he was told. Like before, he felt himself vibrate severely. It's funny and at the same time sad to see this, or in your case, envision this.

Rainbow Dash stood her ground and waited for Pinkie to come in. When the time was right, she would have a special surprise for her opponent.

Pinkie ran towards Rainbow Dash in the same comical fashion as Dan had demonstrated against Donut Joe. When she was close, she performed a taunt "You're fired! You butt!" For some odd reason, it provoked Rainbow Dash into swinging at Pinkie, and the party pony simply dodged by moving away. Pinkie then ran in front of Rainbow Dash again to repeat the process "There's punch and cookies at the door!" Another unsuccessful swing from Rainbow Dash. Pinkie did it one more time with another funny quip "Whoa! I'm sweating here!"....She so stole that one...

Rainbow Dash was fuming after all three taunts and her cyan coat slowly became red as she felt more aggressive "You're mine, Pinkie!!" She began firing hits on the party pony as she blocked each one sans effort. That's pronounced sans effor...like four. The now-red pegasus did not relent in her onslaught despite her punches being blocked.

Pinkie only smiled while she blocked "Good thinking, Dashie! Sometimes, chip damage is the way to go!" She kept skidding backwards while her opponent continued to attack in blind rage "Not to stray off-topic, but with how red you are, Dashie, you make me think of this one stallion who loved oil so much! But he grabbed instead of punched wildly like you were doing! He looked like he was enjoying it, too! I was beginning to think he was coming onto me, but then he told me he had a beautiful wife and children! And then I thought 'Why not lay off the oil when you grab me then, mister?', but all he said was you can never have enough oil!"

While Pinkie continued to ramble on about oil and grappling, Rainbow's red began to fade, though her anger was still showing 'I WON'T let her stand me up like this!!! I need to win this fight!! This is the battle of the century!' Kinda late for that one...Anyways! Rainbow finally had enough and stopped her flurry of punches, only to grab Pinkie with her forelegs and choke her for a brief moment. She set Pinkie down, and she was stunned long enough for Rainbow Dash to use her surpise. She got into a pumped stance as she yelled "Here we go!!" She then punched Pinkie near her nether region and was satisfied to see the party pony's face grimace in pain. But she didn't stop there. She gave three quick and powerful jabs to her chest and finally delivered an astounding uppercet that sent Pinkie flying. While she was up there, Rainbow Dash kept her hoof up with a look of anger and focus "Seichusen Godanzuki!!"

Spike watched Pinkie fall on the ground with widened eyes "Holy Guacamole!" Were the only words that came out of his mouth. When can that dragon say something else?"

Rainbow Dash stood on her hindlegs with her forelegs crossed as she smiled arrogantly "Yep! Just gonna stand here and keep being awesome!!"

Her arrogance left like Flim and Flam after their cider fiasco when she saw Pinkie get up and give a slight cough "Ouch! I think you hit me where the sun don't shine, Dashie! But I'm not a colt!" She then shook herself and stood on her hindlegs "At times like this I just wanna go crazy! But Danny-sensei said to not get hot-blooded..." She pondered before she grinned deviously "But he didn't make me Pinkie Promise, so~..." She got into a pumped stance of her own.

Rainbow Dash tilted her head "So what?"

Pinkie's grin grew wider "Anime Power-up time!!"

Oh sh*yay*t...

Pinkie yelled fiercely as the ground around her began to shake and winds began to blow from all around her. Soon, she found herself covered in a glowing yellow aura while she yelled.

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes, but then shielded them when she felt some small debris pelt them. She managed to get a small peek at what was happening "Pinkie!? What's going on!?" Oh, she'll tell you...

Pinkie wore a grin that was similar to a hero's as well as a crazed berserker's as she spoke "Hold onto your hooves!!" Her forehooves lit up as she raised them "I am just about to be BRILLIANT!!!" She was then engulfed in a large pillar of light.
_____

At the town square, the large pillar of light could be seen, but the crowd chose to ignore it and paid attention to the fight.

Twilight wanted to be the black sheep and ask what was going on with the light "Why is-"

Dan only facehoofed "Pinkie, for the love of Celestia..." He muttered to himself. Twilight jerked her head to face him with a look of shock and bemusement. Sadly, everypony else didn't seem to care at all. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nada. Bumpkus.

Twilight looked irritated "But doesn't anypony see what's going on back the-"

"Keep it down! I'm trying to watch the fight!" A stallion from the crowd yelled in an annoyed tone. It would seem that some ponies were enraptured in Iron Will's tournament.

Applejack turned to Twilight "Ah wouldn't sweat it none, sugarcube. It's probably some kinda solar spell Celestia's been workin' on!"

Twilight stuttered "Even if that were logical, this sudden light doesn't make sense!" She paused before she blurted again "How would you even come up with that theory!?"

Applejack shrugged "Hung out with ya so much, maybe Ah got some kind o' intellect goin' on...Either that or some outside force might've found it's way int' my head..." Former. Definitely the former.

Twilight watched the light vanish and she groaned in annoyance and defeat. She hung her head and drooped her ears as she wore an angered expression "Nevermind..." She muttered.
_____

When the light vanished, the field around the two mares was ravaged from its pristine green state and replaced with barren soil. Rainbow Dash laid on her back in a large crater, her karate ghi tattered to the brim. It is best to say that some serious manure hit the fan while the light was still active, but Pinkie's display of moves could not be viewed for three reasons: 1. It was too bright 2. They are forbidden moves and can only be seen by either those willing to learn or those who seek immense pain 3. Viewer discretion is advised.

Spike popped his head out of a brush from a tree he somehow landed in while the fight took place. He then hopped out and scurried to see Rainbow Dash lay down while Pinkie stood with the same invigorated grin on her face, instantly scaring Spike "Uhh...Pinkie?"

Pinkie instantly dropped her insane look and turned to Spike with a regular smile "Yeah, Spike?" She asked in her regular happy tone. So regular. No randomness here. No siree bob...

Spike stared for a moment before he spoke "Wait...What?" Oh, for the love of-


End of Chapter 6

> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 7


Spoiler Alert!


Pinkie and Spike examined Rainbow Dash in her crater and the pink pony hummed to herself in thought "I think I may have went a little overboard..."

Spike twitched an eye at Pinkie before he flashed a grin that reeked of sarcasm and possible insanity "You don't say!!"

Pinkie turned to Spike and frowned "That meme's getting old, Spike! Save it for ponies who don't know about it!" This caused the purple dragon to drop his strange grin and stare at Pinkie in confusion while she looked back at Rainbow Dash "We should probably get her out of here and back to Fluttershy's so she can heal again! Maybe she can spare a few moments without Iron Will to help Dashie out!"

Spike looked around "Why don't we have Big Macintosh do it? We're around Sweet Apple Acres, right?" He looked over to the farmhouse nearby and winced "I'm surprised nopony showed up when you went crazy on Rainbow Dash!"

Pinkie giggled with a cute snort "Oh, Spike! Everypony knows I'm not crazy! That's just crazy talk!" Talk about crazy.
_____

Iron Will crossed his arms as he watched his well-planned tournament nearly draw to a close. With how this was all going for him, he could not help but turn to the one that 'complimented' on his handiwork. The minotaur winked at the yellow pegasus in his sights, and she instinctively hid behind Twilight when it happened. He chuckled to himself 'Sometimes Iron Will loves it when that pony gets so shy! It is really an endearing quality!' Yep. That's Fluttershy for you. Iron Will raised his arms and smiled "Okay, folks! It's time for the semi-finals! The next combatants are Q and-" Don't wanna spoil anything now...

Twilight sighed and turned back to Fluttershy "Can't you just go up to him and refuse his offer of affection instead of hiding from him, Fluttershy? I mean, he's your old teacher! Don't you realize how strange it is to have your teacher pine for you!?" Twilight would think otherwise if a certain solar princess harbored such feelings for her.

Fluttershy shook his head "B-But I don't want to hurt his feelings!" She peered over to see Iron Will wave and give another wink, causing the timid mare to move back and hide with a wince "And I don't want to accept his affection either..." She whispered in fear.

Dan stood with the other mares and raised an eyebrow "I'm surprised he's even after you while he orchestrated this whole thing! I mean, granted your timid nature would drive almost any stallion crazy with affection, but I never thought it'd attract a minotaur!"

Rarity frowned "I simply cannot see one of my friends be swept away by a minotaur who taught her how to be so cruel in the past! For all we know, it would end up being one of those quick-ending relationships!" Nothing some tape and rope wouldn't fix.

Applejack narrowed her eyes "This'll be a tough act to follow iffin' we're gonna stop this from happenin'! What if we band together an' make 'im leave Fluttershy alone?"

Dan waved a hoof with a boastful smile "I'll gladly lend a hoof after I win me those bits! I'm gonna need them if I'm gonna spread my teachings of Saikyo to everypony around Equestria!"

Applejack chuckled "Knowin' that we have a martial arts master on our side, he's sure t' get th' message! Thank ya kindly fer yer help, Dan!" She looked over at the fighting ring and smiled "Ah think we can save this conversation another time! There's a good fight goin' on between Q an'-"
_____

Big Macintosh was trotting with Pinkie and Spike back towards town square with an unconscious and bruised Rainbow Dash on his back. Pinkie hopped along the ground as usual, and turned to Big Mac while she hopped "Thanks for getting Dashie out for us, Mac Attack!"

The red stallion nodded with his laidback expression "Eeyup..."

Spike scratched his head with a claw "I wonder how Dan's doing in the tournament...You think he's holding out okay?"

Pinkie shot a look at Spike "Duh! Danny-sensei's one of the greatest fighters in Equestria! He'll win that cash prize easy peesy lemon squeezy!" She then smiled "I wonder if Fluttershy wants to accept Iron Will's affection through combat yet! It'll be super-duper romantically awesome to see her duke it out with that minoutaur!"

Spike retched at the thought "I don't wanna imagine that! It'd probably be like some kind of extreme wrestling match!"

To Pinkie's and Spike's surprise, Big Macintosh snickered after Spike's exaggerated thought.

Pinkie shook her head "We can worry about what it looks like later! I don't wanna miss Danny-sensei's next match! It may be the semi-finals, but I'm sure it'll be a doozy!"

Spike smiled "With what he gifted you with back there, I'll bet you're right! Let's pick up the pace so we can tell Fluttershy about Rainbow Dash and see what Dan has to offer!" The purple dragon balled his claws into fists in anticipation and hope of becoming the Saikyo master's next student. He REALLY wanted to impress Rarity with some fighting moves and possibly protect her from other stallions as well.

Big Mac nodded again as he chewed on his wheat straw while carrying Rainbow Dash "Eeyup." Anypony else thinking of 'King of the Hill'?
_____

The victor (Who shall not be named at the moment) stepped off the ring and Iron Will stood tall as he raised his hand "Okay! It's now Stri-"

"Dan bucking Hibiki! Is it that hard!?"

"...Stringbean versus Cloudchaser!" Looks like it is hard to say a three-letter word followed by a foreign family name. Dan and the aforementioned competitor made their way onto the ring.

Dan got a good look at the light purple pegasus in front of him, wild mane cut and all. She looked back at the Saikyo master with her narrowed magenta eyes as she stood with her wings unfurled. He tilted his head "So, I watched you fighting earlier, and you sort of know yoga yourself?"

Cloudchaser nodded "Yup. Me and Blossomforth hang sometimes. Her style's pretty unique! It's a shame she lost, though. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna lose neither!" She smiled at Dan "C'mon, Stringbean! Put 'em up!"

Dan twitched an eye "My name...is..."

Iron Will banged the gong "Begin!"

"DAAAAAAAN!!!" Dan quickly threw himself into the skiff without hesitation nor second thought.

Cloudchaser only jumped into the air, easily avoiding Dan's charge and watched to see if he would be stupid enough to fall out of the ring. Sadly, she noticed Dan quickly stop himself the moment he glanced at the edge in surprise and turn to look up at her. The pegasus laughed "And here I thought you were stupid! I guess you being a martial arts master was no mistake!"

Dan sneered as he pointed a hoof up to Cloudchaser "Watch it, sister! Don't be taunting your opponents!!" He placed his outstretched hoof onto his chest "That's my job!"

Cloudchaser rolled her eyes before she reeled back her right forehoof and brought it down towards Dan. It stretched much like Blossomforth's during her match with Applejack. The Saikyo master easily avoided it, but found himself near the edge of the ring on his hindlegs. She saw her chance and drew back her right forehoof in order to launch her left one at Dan.

Dan saw this in horror 'Crap! I can't lose now!!' He decided to brave the situation in front of him and he latched onto the elongated foreleg as he swung along the ring like some kind of pony with an ape complex, even yelling like one. What made things all the stranger was that a group of monkeys in the audience that chattered in cheer at the sight.

Cloudchaser was irritated and began swinging her hoof around "Hey! Let go, will you!?"

Dan screamed a little as he kept himself latched on "Maybe if you didn't swing around so much in the air!"

Cloudchaser groaned and tried to swing harder in hopes of shaking Dan off of her hoof and sending him flying. She grew more livid to see that he wasn't letting go anytime soon "Alright, Stringbean! How about a little Slam Dance!?"

Dan growled "My name is-GAH!" The Saikyo master found himself slammed onto the center of the ring horribly. Cloudchaser didn't stop there as she brought her hoof up and continued slamming it down along with Dan towards different parts of the ring. The wild-maned pegasus was pleased to see Dan slink off of her hoof and lay on the ring while her hoof retracted. Dan hopped onto hisfeet and shook off his pain as he smirked "Nice move! But I'm still standing! What now!?"

Cloudchaser smiled as she descended onto the ring and stared down Dan "Why don't you come over and find out?"

Dan narrowed his eyes "You're not gonna jump again, are you?"

Cloudchaser shook her head "I'm not a one-trick pony, dude! Come on! You wanna fight nor not?"

Dan nodded as he pawed at the ground, and then galloped towards the wild-maned pegasus with light in his eyes "You shouldn't have let yourself be open for attack!!"

Little did he know, Dan was running into a trap. While Dan drew closer and came up for a hit, Cloudchaser grinned as her mane and tail began to move strangely. When the Saikyo master closed the distance, Cloudchaser spontaneously discharged a field of electricity around her body, shocking her opponent horribly.

Twilight widened her eyes "Wait a minute! She didn't use that move in her last fight! What's going on!?"

Dan flew back mildly covered in burn spots and landed at the opposite end of the ring. He staggered to get up as he coughed "No way! You can use electricity, too!?"

Cloudchaser raised an eyebrow "Too? Who else do you know that can do it?"

Dan smiled "My friend Jimmy! I'll bet you learned from him, didn't you!! If you're one of his friends, then that gets you a discount at my dojo!" He forgot about the fight to consider his opponent a student...Dan Hibiki, why?

Cloudchaser stood with a bemused expression before she narrowed her eyes "Why the hay would I be one of your students!? Who'd wanna learn from you anyways!?"
_____

Pinkie drew close to the tournament with her pace while Spike and Big Macintosh followed shortly after "C'mon! C'mon! Not too much far now! I think Danny-sensei's gonna start another match!"

Spike caught up and began pushing through the crowd with the others "Hopefully we didn't miss much! I wanna see what else he's capable of!"

When they reached their friends, Pinkie gasped as she noticed the current state of her sensei "Danny-sensei!? What happened?"

Dan ignored the libel being spewed by Cloudchaser and turned to see Pinkie with a smile "Nothing major, Pinkie! I see you're still in one piece, too!" He looked back at Cloudchaser with narrowed eyes "Now you'll get the chance to see me put this mare in her place!"

Cloudchaser rolled her eyes in sarcasm "Ohh~! I'm so scared~! You wanna know what else is scary?" She then smiled as she stretched both of her forelegs behind her. Her hooves began to crackle with surprising levels of electricity as the wild-maned pegasus donned a grin "Electric Snake!!" She threw her forehooves forward and launched a large stream of electricity towards Dan.

It could be the considered the most threatening move to witness (Aside from Pinkie's little episode with Dashie), and all seemed lost for the Saikyo master in hopes of being victorious.

Well...that was until he jumped over it.

Cloudchaser's jaw dropped as she stared at Dan's feat "What!? But-"

Dan smiled "You didn't think you'd be the only one that can jump over things, did you?" It honestly wasn't all that impressive...

Cloudchaser bared her teeth and growled "I'm not gonna lose to a stallion like you!!"

Dan stood his ground and glared at Cloudchaser "Looks like we're at an impasse then, missy! Let's see what else you've got!" He awaited her next move as he held out a hoof and motioned for Cloudchaser to come over while bearing a taunting smile 'Just gotta time it right...' The wild-maned pegasus growled as she reeled back her right foreleg, causing Dan's smile to widen 'Yeah, that's it...' His own right hoof began to glow a familiar green 'A little further...' When she launched her elongated hoof, Dan acted quickly and tossed his own hoof as he launched a green fireball while his entire body glowed yellow for a short moment "Gadooooukeeeen!!" The strength of Dan's Gadoken was enough to knock back and stun Cloudchaser while her hoof retracted. When he noticed she was near the edge of the ring, he galloped over with a grin as he prepared for another move. He reached Cloudchaser and gave a quick and strong uppercut "Koryuken!!"

Cloudchaser was then knocked back and found herself knocked off the ring and onto the ground. Seriously, did she forget her wings or something?

Her sister, Flitter, watched on the sidelines in worry "Sis! No!!" She lamented her loss as she trotted over and picked up Cloudchaser. Both pegasi gave a small glare at Dan before she trotted off in shame.

Iron Will groaned and facepalmed "Once again, Stringbean manages to live and see another day!" He remarked with displeasure.

Dan gave a boastful grin as he stood on his hindlegs and raised his forelegs up "This is getting intense! Next stop, the finals!!"

Pinkie hopped up and down in cheer "Wee!! Way to go, Danny-sensei! You're almost there!!!"

Applejack smiled "Looks like Dan's got this thing in th' bag..." She winced "Hopefully he can hold his own in th' next fight..."

Rarity held the same expression "I know! Even I never thought a pony would get this far and come up against Mr. Hibiki like this! I just hope he'll do fine in the final bout..."

Iron Will grunted "Okay, everypony! In an effort to save time, we're gonna get the next match going right now!!"

Twilight looked at Iron Will "Wait! Shouldn't the competitors rest first so that there's no unfair advantage during the fight?"

Fluttershy remembered Iron Will wanting to get his own match on before she spoke up "U-Um, yes!! Why don't you let them rest and you could..." She looked down "You could..." She then smiled when an idea sprang in her head "Do some push-ups! It'd give yourself time to prepare yourself for whoever's willing to fight you!!" She flashed another adorable grin in an effort to coerce Iron Will's decision.

Once again, it worked. Iron Will examined one of his biceps as he flexed "Well, Iron Will HAS been packing away those delicious hash browns back at Manehattan..." He then nodded "Iron Will will let the competitors rest while he gets his exercise!!" Iron Will then dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups as a fast rate.

Dan hopped off the ring and flashed a grin "This is gonna be great!! That money's as good as mine!!"

Pinkie smiled as she hugged Dan "It's so good to see you fight so well, Danny-sensei!!" She then perked up "Oh! Which reminds me!" Pinkie turned to Fluttershy "Fluttershy, can you help Dashie out again? She lost again and she can't wake up!"

Spike looked at Pinkie "Only because somepony couldn't help herself in a fight..." He muttered.

Dan nodded "Yeah, which reminds me!" He casted Pinkie a stern look "What did I tell you about going all hot-blooded back there! We're both aware our style's strong, but that's just overkill!!"

Pinkie plopped down and bowed frantically to Dan "I'm so very very super-duper sorry, Danny-sensei! It won't happen again! I Pinkie promise!" For good measure, she even did the chant and gestures to seal the deal.

Fluttershy inspected Rainbow Dash and winced "Oh my...She looks worse than before! I should probably get going..." She then looked over to see Iron Will doing his push-ups and cringed "But I don't want him to follow me back there..."

Twilight sighed "She's right! It won't help at all with how love-crazed Iron Will is! No doubt he'd travel to the ends of Equestria just to be at her side!"

Dan craned his head back "Why couldn't she just say no to him!? I mean, we already know that his reasons for doing this thing was just to get closer to her and possibly-"

Iron Will was high in his push-ups "Sixty-nine! Seventy! Seventy-"

Rarity huffed "One too many times has that preposterous minotuar had laid a horrible impact on our dear friend! It just won't do for him to try and play Casanova with Fluttershy!"

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash's body with worry "Well, we can't just leave Rainbow Dash like this! We'll need to find a first-aid kit on the double!"

Pinkie grinned as she held a first-aid kit out of nowhere. The group watched in astonishment before Twilight broke the silence dryly "Let me guess...You had first-aid kits stashed around Ponyville in case of first-aid emergency?" The party pony nodded frantically.

Big Macintosh gently set Rainbow Dash on the ground at Fluttershy's feet while she graciously took the first-aid kit and began to perform the much-needed medical attention on the cyan pegasus' body.

Applejack sighed as she shook her head "That's jus' like Dash, gettin' int' trouble she shouldn't even deal with...Ah mean, why bother goin' fer a rematch if Pinkie's jus' gonna win again!?"

Pinkie smiled "That's how Dashie thinks, silly! We all know how competetive she gets now and then! And besides, she wasn't gonna take no for an answer, and I had fun with our match like the last one!"

Dan turned to Pinkie "Did you taunt like I told you to?"

Pinkie nodded with a smile "Yeppers!"

Dan gave a proud smile "Good work, Pinkie!"

Spike sighed "Talk about beating a dead horse..." Admit it, you imagined a rimshot after his remark.
_____

A small amount of time passed, and Iron Will easily tackled one-hundred and eighty push-ups. The minotaur rose with his confidence and smiled "Alright, everypony! Without further adieu, the finals will now take place!!" He stretched out his hand and grinned "Competitors, move forward!!"

And there they stood. The finalists of what would be considered one of the craziest tournaments in Equestrian history. Dan Hibiki, the master of all things Saikyo shall now come face-to-face with his opponent known as-


End of Chapter 7

> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chapter 8


Sheesh, this chapter is looooooo-


Here it was in front of renowned (In his mind) Saikyo master Dan Hibiki. It was the moment of truth, the cream of the crop, the ultimate showdown of ultimate destiny. It was time...for the final match. But there was one particular thing that set him off with utter bemusement at his foe. It wasn't strength, it wasn't speed, nor was it cunning and skill. It was....

...Those eyes...

Those eyes that are almost black and soulless like the void, like a never-ending torrent of pain and suffering if one took first glance. Not even Fluttershy's Stare probably wouldn't compare to such fear-inducing eyes. But it wasn't just the quality. It was the placement. Dan figured they would just stare at him with their catastrophic effect, but all they were doing is looking at other things while the pony holding them stood still with an innocent smile.

Dan stared before he facehoofed "This doesn't make any sense at all!! How can somepony like you be considered a strong warrior!?"

The wall-eyed pegasus in front of Dan only replied with "Because I have a reason to fight..." She spoke in a serious tone.

Pinkie tilted her head "Derpy having a reason to fight? If it's for muffins, I can always lower the price at-"

Derpy glared at Pinkie "NO! The money is not for muffins, no matter how amazingly succulent they are! The money..." She looked determined "Is for my little girl and her education..." Derpy whispered with passion.

A violet unicorn filly waved in the audience with a wide grin "Hi, mommy!!"

Derpy waved back with the same grin "Hello over there, muffin~!!"

Dan blinked 'Wow...Tartarus hath no fury like a mare scorned...especially if said mare's a mother!' He then shook himself out of thought as he stood his ground "Well, even if your reason is good enough, I'm sorry to say that that large load of bits is as good as mine!"

Derpy smiled "I wouldn't be too sure, Mr. Hibiki! I'm skilled in Derp Fu!" She put on an amateur fighting stance as she reared onto her hindlegs.

Twilight sighed "Hard to believe she used that same style on her last opponent, but I'm sure Dan may come out on top again, right Applejack?"

Applejack shook her head "She's lyin' 'bout her style...If Ah were Dan right now, I'd be keen on my hooves when fightin' this battle!"

Twilight stared at Applejack before she directed her attention to the fight with confused and curious eyes. What could one little cross-eyed mare be hiding to have acheived so high of a position in a fighting tournament?

Iron Will held out his gong as he stared up ahead "This is it!! The final match! Stringbean versus Derpy Hooves!!" He banged his gong "Begin!!"

Dan sighed "Sorry, lady! Mother or not, I'm gonna have to end this! I'll make it quick and painless for you!" He took his stance with narrowed eyes.

Derpy chuckled "Funny thing, Mr. Hibiki! I was gonna say the same thing to you! Everypony last time wasn't much of a challenge before I faced you, and since this is the final round, I can't really hold back! So..." She stood for a moment, and a giant wave of amber-colored energy was suddenly exerted from her as the ground quaked furiously.

The audience were being pushed back at the sheer display of power, and Dan was caught off-guard by Derpy's display "What the hay!?"

Derpy stood with her innocent face, but it swiftly vanished as her eyes narrowed to slits and glowed a threatening red, her muzzle placed in a scowl. The mailmare spoke in a tone that anypony could easily distinguish as demonic "I shall teach you the meaning of pain!!" She rushed forward and launched a swift uppercut that connected with Dan's lower jaw, launching the Saikyo master into the air. From there, she darted into the sky and divebombed towards her opponent "Death's embrace awaits!!" Another hoof collided with Dan's face as he was slammed back onto the ring.

Such dark lines from a so-called innocent mare, striking fear in the hearts of the audience, yet all little Dinky could say was "Yay Mommy!!"

Derpy picked up Dan by his ponytail (Seriously, we need to work out some of these terms here...) and continuously punched him in the face while standing on her hind legs.

Twilight was slackjawed "Unbelievable! Dan's receiving such a pounding from this fight!!"

Applejack beared the same reaction "Ah'll say! He's really screwed th' pooch on this'un!!"

Rarity held a hoof to her mouth "Oh my! Derpy's really driving it hard out there!!"
_____

In the Everfree Forest, a certain sea serpent with a mismatched moustache felt like eating a pony for some strange reason while he was busy watering his underwater plants.
_____

Derpy finished bombarding Dan with enough hoof sandwiches to feed a family of manticores and stood him up properly as she took a stance of her own. Out of nowhere, 4 strange symbols appeared around Derpy as she yelled "Die one thousand deaths!!" If the symbols weren't strange enough, everything around the ring went black, save for several flickering lights timed with the sound of several hooves being thrown and the pained cry of an unfortunate stallion.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights!?" Pinkie asked in an annoyed tone.
"Somepony please do something! I don't like the dark!!" Fluttershy said in her usually scared tone.
"Is Celestia playing a joke again or something?" Spike asked in an unamused tone.
"Nnnope." No comment.

When enough hooves were thrown, the darkness instantaneously lifted as Derpy stood over a battered Dan while her back was faced to the audience. A large red symbol was on the mailmare's back "Korosu...Messatsu!!" She then went back on all fours and quickly went back to her adorable smile opposite to her earlier disturbing state "Did I win?" She asked innocently.

Pinkie called out with vigor "You can do it, Danny-sensei!! You can't quit now when there's so much bits to be won from this!!" She was relieved when she noticed Dan moan while his legs twitched.

Fluttershy winced at Dan's condition "Um...Pinkie? I don't think he has it in him anymore..."

Iron Will groaned and held out his arms in exasperation "For Pete's sake, Stringbean, throw in the towel! We might not have seen what she's done, but you're too messed up to go on!! Iron Will has a fight of his own to get to!"

Fluttershy perked up before she called out to Dan "Go Dan!! Get up!! Please get up! Do it for me!!" She looked over to see a confused Iron Will and flinched "I-I mean...I wanna see more of this fight so I can feel invigorated?" She flashed an awkward grin.

Rarity called out as well "You can do it, Mr. Hibiki! We have faith in you!!"

Spike chimed in "If Pinkie can go crazy, then I'm sure you can, too!! C'mon, Dan!!" He then started to chant the Saikyo master's name. Soon, small bits of the crowd followed, and the chanting started to grow in volume with more people. Derpy looked around and decided to join absentmindedly. The cool kids are doing it, why not Derpy Hooves?

The more they chanted, the more Dan slowly rose until he finally reached his feet "Hey, Derpy..." Derpy ceased her cheering to see Dan take a stumbling fighting stance on his hindlegs as he leered through his blackened eyes "I didn't hear no bell..."

Iron Will was instantly infuriated as he directed his stick like a pointer to his gong "It is a GONG! Iron Will doesn't use a shoddy bell!! Get it right, Stringbean!!"

Dan scoffed "Whatever...I didn't hear no gong..." He then took his stance and slowly motioned a hoof over to himself, beckoning Derpy to come over in a taunt while he carried a smug grin under his swelled cheeks.

Derpy saw this and steamed from her nostrils "So you haven't learned your lesson, huh? Looks like I'll need to lay the hurt down on you again!!" She galloped forward and prepared for another flurry of strikes.

Dan, however, anticipated this as he slowly guided his forelegs in circle as he took a deep breath. While his hooves moved, they began to glow green.

Pinkei gasped "He's gonna do it!!"

Twilight turned to Pinkie "He's gonna do what?" She looked at the ring intently "Is this another one of Dan's amazing techniques?"

Dan hummed to himself as more energy gathered into his hooves. When Derpy was close enough, he unleashed his greatest technique as he launched an enormous green fireball at Derpy's face"Haoh...Gadooooke-AAaaaaAAAaaaugh!!!" When the fireball subsided, Dan was flung back by it's amazing force as he tumbled backwards, sometimes landing on his neck, and stopped at the edge. Good thing he was still alive with his Saikyo neck of steel preventing him from taking severe damage.

Twilight gasped "That was incredible!!" She then winced "Though the execution could use some work..."

Pinkie glared at Twilight "Hey! My sensei's always effective when executing his moves! Can you see anypony doing what he just did!?"

Twilight was taken aback at Pinkie lashing out at her, but a part of her didn't mind it 'I can see a unicorn doing what he did without falling back like that...'

When he found his footing, Dan looked to see Derpy laying at the opposite edge of the ring and trotted over to her side. The mailmare was scorched from the blast as she laid on her back, her eyes shut. While the Saikyo master looked over her body, her eyes shot open and narrowed into a glare shortly after. Dan jumped back when she woke up and Derpy hopped up as she steamed from her nostrils "Clever trick, Dan Hibiki, but it won't work again!! Here I come!!!"

Derpy flew into the air and kept a keen eye on the stallion below her. She then began to spin with her left hindleg stuck forward, gradually increasing in speed and intensity. Soon, the mailmare was swirling in her own created whirlwind as she sped down at Dan. The Saikyo master yelped and jumped out of the way as she smashed into the ring like a powerful meteor. Rocks flew as she collided with the ring, but Derpy took flight again while she continued spinning. She then flew back down at Dan from a different angle and collided with the ring while he dodged her next strike.

Dinky cheered more "Yeah, Mommy! Let it rip!!"

Applejack was slackjawed while she watched the process repeat itself several times "Land sakes!! Derpy'll turn th' entire ring int' a rock collection 'fore she finally gets Dan!!"

Spike winced "Derpy's like a rabid top out there! You think he'll manage to win this thing!?"

Pinkie looked ahead with a serious expression in silence 'C'mon, Danny-sensei! I know you can do this! You taught me almost everything you knew about Saikyo!! Nopony's better at it than you!!!' Yep. Life well-spent.

Dan was almost out of breath after dodging so much from Derpy, and felt that his number was up when he was at the last spot that wasn't demolished by Derpy's cyclonic onslaught. He looked up to see the spinning mare idle in the air before zipping at him, and he braced for impact as he shut his eyes 'Okay! No more running! I gotta take this thing like the stallion I was born as!!' While he accepted his fate, he audibly gulped as he stood still in a cold sweat.

Derpy was spinning when she approached Dan, but her pace slowed up as she neared the Saikyo master, landing in front of him without any harsh collision. When they were face-to-face, Derpy moaned as her eyes continued moving clockwise as she stumbled around "Diiizzzy~..." Dan opened his eyes and stared blankly at this while the mailmare was near the edge "Veeeery dizzyy~..." She frowned before she held a goofy smile, her eyes lidding slowly "Sleeeeeepyyyy~..." Derpy then closed her eyes and leaned off the edge as she fell onto the ground off of the ring.

Dinky instantly frowned and galloped towards the unconscious mailmare "Mommy, no!! Please be okay!!" Dinky sobbed a little, and sniffled. Then her eyes glowed red as she bared her teeth and whispered in a demonic tone "Mark my words, Dan Hibiki...I shall destroy you and rape your corpse someday..." She then proceeded to pull Derpy out of the ring by her tail with her mouth while grunting with each tug.

Iron Will was instantly dumbfounded while his massive arms holding his gong and his stick were slumped 'Iron Will cannot believe what he's seeing...The stringbean actually won something in his life! This is seriously crazy!!' Finding his voice, Iron Will hesitantly spoke "E-Er...Stringbean-erm..." He lightly hit his gong "Stringbean wins..." Iron Will muttered in defeat with a bitter expression on his face.

The audience cheered at this, and Pinkie instantly galloped over and tackled her sensei into the ring "Sensei, you did it!! You won the money!!"

Twilight scratched her head "But that doesn't make any sense...The odds were totally against him, yet he managed to win out of a stroke of dumb luck..."

Applejack shrugged with a smile "Well, Pinkie did learn from him, didn't she? Ah think he might've had this in th' bag from th' get-go!" The others then gathered towards the Saikyo master as Pinkie lifted him onto his feet.

Dan grinned, though his cheeks were puffed with bruises "Looks like Saikyo wins this day! Now all I gotta do is round up and count that money and see if some of it doesn't pay for a hospital bill!"

Pinkie shook her head "No need, Danny-sensei! I got just the thing for you!" She pulled out a rainbow-colored cupcake "This'll get you back on your feet in a giffy! Eat up!"

Dan took the cupcake and eyed it "Well, I AM pretty hungry after that match..." He popped the cupcake in his mouth and chewed it up before swallowing it "Not bad, Pinkie! Your cooking's always number one in my bo-" Suddenly, parts of his body, face included, swelled up before deflating to show that he looked good as new, save for his clothing. Even his face looked as if it hadn't been mangled by his many opponents "Hey! I feel great!!" He grinned at Pinkie and tussled her mane "Thanks for the help, my faithful student!!"

Twilight watched dumbfounded "Are you kidding me!? A cupcake healed Dan instantaneously, yet we had to waste a first-aid kit on Rainbow Dash!?" She pointed at the resting cyan pegasus with her wounds wrapped up.

Pinkie nodded "Yeppers! That was a special extra prize for my sensei if he won the battle!! I had it planned because I knew when my sensei comes to different places, plenty of fights happen!!" She hugged Dan "And he tends to win them, too!" Well, some of them...He picked on a kid once in the street and passed it off as a street fight. What was worse was that the same kid kicked his flank mercilessly soon after...

Dan smirked "Well done, Pinkie! Always prepared for anything with a rewarding experience!" He then turned to Iron Will "Speaking of reward..." The Saikyo master grinned as he pointed at the minotaur "Where's that prize money, big guy? Does it come in a check?"

Iron Will snorted "Iron Will said there would be bits involved..." His eyes narrowed "He didn't say it was gonna be for you!!!"

The entire audience gasped, and Dan was outraged "The flank are you talking about!?!?"

Iron Will tossed away his gong and stick as he cleared his throat "Iron Will proposed this tournament solely for the purpose of proposing to Fluttershy through combat!! Seeing that she wasn't around, Iron Will chose to have you ponies do the fighting before she arrived here!! Now that she's here, not only can we do battle, I can offer her the money I stashed as  proposal gift!!"

Rarity stared before she spoke "Couldn't you just buy a ring and say 'Will you marry me' like everypony else!? This is madness!"

Iron Will turned to Rarity "Madness?" He walked up to her and leaned his head down in her face before he bellowed furiously "THIS! IS! LOVE!!!" Rarity's mane breezed back from the intensity of Iron Will's voice.

Dan bumped Rarity aside and got in his face "Love nothing! I won that tournament fair and square! I deserve that reward you're keeping from me, bub!!"

Iron Will snorted "You're wasting your breath, stringbean! You coming out on top from the rest of these ponies is reward enough! Now if you'll excuse me!" He easily pushed aside Dan and looked over at Fluttershy, who desperately tried hiding behind Big Macintosh "Iron Will has a date with destiny! Oh, and a fight, too!!" He walked over to her with a smile.

Dan growled and zipped in front of him again "Oh no you don't! One way or another, I'm getting that prize money!! Even if it means fighting YOU for it!!" The audience gasped.

Iron Will casted an unamused stare at Dan "Iron Will doesn't swing that way..."

Dan stammered before he spoke "Not like that!!! I'm talking an actual fight!! With actual stakes!! If you win, feel free to do whatever you want with Fluttershy!!" He pointed at Fluttershy as she whimpered sadly. The Saikyo master rested a hoof on his chest with a look of confidence "But if I win, you're gonna give me the money AND leave Fluttershy alone!! You got that?"

Iron Will rubbed his chin "A tempting offer, and it could be easily met with gusto..." He then crossed his arms and looked away with his eyes closed "But Iron Will cannot! He has standards against fighting other ponies half his size or lower! He could feel severe guilt from crushing you like a crispy wafer!"

Dan stared up at Iron Will "Your mother's a cow..." He spoke dryly.

Iron Will's eyes shot open, and he instantly glared at Dan as he clenched his fists from his insult "Iron Will no longer feels guilty for having to grind you to a pulp! He gladly accepts your challenge with the pleasure of knocking you around!!"

Dan smirked boastfully "That's more like it! We got ourselves a fight!!"

Twilight frowned "While I admire his bravery for taking him on, I think Dan might be calling down loads of thunder from this challenge..."

Pinkie grinned "Are you kidding? He's fighting to help our friend AND get loads of cash! It's a win-win!!"

Twilight turned to Pinkie as she pointed at Iron Will "Pinkie, he's enormous!! Dan could get clobbered by him!!"

Pinkie scoffed at Twilight "Says you! Just you wait, Doubty McDoubterson! Danny-sensei will come through in the end, and Fluttershy won't have to give birth to any ponytaurs...Minoponies...whatever!!"

Fluttershy was worried, but she had faith in Dan herself, especially since he was his only chance of avoiding a loveless marriage with her old teacher. She watched as Dan and Iron Will got in their own fighting stances and prepared themselves for another epic showdown 'I believe in you, Dan Hibiki...Please win this battle...Pretty please...'

The two combatants stood, and then Dan ran forward, hooves blazing (Not literally, of course...) "Here I come!!"

Iron Will steamed from his nostrils as he pawed at the dirt with one of his legs, his horns pointed forward. He then bellowed like an ox as he charged at Dan himself.

Dan was running, but then he skidded to a halt with widened eyes and narrowly dodged Iron Will's charge before he got too close. He then glared at the minotaur "So he wants to play that way, huh!?" He tore off his worn pink shirt and held it out like a matador with his forehooves. Dan grinned when he noticed Iron Will had missed and shook his shirt "Come on!!"

Iron Will saw what Dan was doing and his scowl worsened as he prepared for another charge. The minotaur then bellowed and charged again, only to pass under Dan's shirt while the Saikyo master dodged and yelled "Olé!!"

Iron Will turned and snorted as he charged again. Instead of going under the shirt, however, he approached Dan and caught him in a bear hug, crushing him in his grip and causing the Saikyo master to gurgle and writhe in pain. He then held him by the collar of his shirt with one hand and shouted "Headbutt of love!"

Dan stared despite his pain "I thought you said you don't swing that wa-AGH!" He felt his head meet the thick exterior of Iron Will's very hard, and the minotaur continued headbutting Dan while he grunted in pain each time.

In the crowd, there was a tan-coated blond pony wearing a preacher's outfit and an mp3 player that nodded rhythmically with a smile every time Dan got headbutted.

Refusing to take more beatings, Dan finally went on the offensive once more and tossed a Gadoken at Iron Will's face, landing his first hit as the minotaur dropped him and rubbed his face. Dan then galloped forward and landed a Koryuken under his chin, lucky to launch Iron Will a couple of feet into the air and knocking him back.

Pinkie cheered him on from the sidelines "Woohoo!! Go, Danny-sensei!! You can do it!! Kick his flank for Fluttershy!! Oh, and the money, too!"

Rainbow Dash stirred from her unconsciousness and rubbed her eyes with a tired moan. When she noticed the fight, she instantly perked up "Huh? Why's Dan fighting Iron Will!?"

Pinkie noticed Rainbow Dash was awake and grinned at her "Isn't this great, Dashie? Danny-sensei's fighting Iron Will so he won't try and propose to her by fighting her! He's even gonna get money from this!!"

Rainbow Dash stared, then winced "You think he has this fight?"

Pinkie shook her head "Nopey-dopey! I KNOW he has this fight! Nopony's as tough as my sensei!!" Yeah, supposedly avoiding certain death disguised as a wall-eyed mare getting dizzy counts as being tough. We'll give him that for now.

Meanwhile, Dan launched his signature Dankukyaku on Iron Will only to have all three of his hits being blocked. He then hopped away and taunted in midair by resting his left foreleg on his flexing right foreleg "Wohoo!!"

Iron Will was instantly provoked and held out his hands, ready to grab "Alright, Stringbean! Iron Will's about to teach you how to count in Germane!!"

Dan scoffed "If that's supposed to be a taunt, then you've got a long way to go, pal!!" He then galloped and readied himself for another Dankukyaku. 

However, Iron Will anticipated this and snatched Dan into another hold when he got close. He then hoisted the Saikyo master over his shoulders and jumped into the air with a spin "Eins!" When he landed, Dan felt the minotaur's shoulder frame dig into his body, causing him to yell in pain. Iron Will then jumped again with another spin "Zwei!" Dan yelled again when the minotaur landed. Iron Will jumped again, but this time he went higher as he spun "Drei!!" In the air, he did a graceful flip, set himself in a belly-flop position with Dan under his chest, and dropped to the ground, slamming the Saikyo master with his massive weight "Ende!!!" The entire audience hissed as if they felt that one.

Pinkie gasped "Oh no! Danny-sensei!!"

Rainbow Dash winced "Errrgh...I heard of squashing somepony in a fight, but this is ridiculous!!"

Iron Will lifted himself to reveal Dan laying on the ground in a comically flat fashion. The Saikyo master instantly inflated himself and spat blood when he got on his feet "I think you broke a rib there..."

Iron Will scowled "Iron Will's not stopping there, chump!" He then picked up Dan by his head and tossed him into the air and jumped up as well, grabbing his opponent midair. From there, he flipped backwards rapidly as he yelled "Megaton!!" Iron Will then dropped Dan on the ground, then slammed him into the ground once more with his chest "Press!!!" He got up to reveal a bruised Dan on the ground, only he wasn't flat as a pancake this time.

Pinkie was worried "Danny-sensei, are you okay!?"

Dan moaned "I think I peed a little..."

Iron Will snorted "You're in no condition to go on in this fight, Stringbean! Iron Will believes he has made his point when somepony like you shouldn't come between a man and his soon-to-be wife!!"

Fluttershy was sweating bullets and imagined a horrid scenario involvign her doing housework while caring for several crying children at the same time. For the sake of this story, the children mentioned will not have their features described in detail. Who would want to imagine a child mixed between a pegasus and a minotaur?

Dan growled as he slowly picked himself up "Must...not...lose..." He was on his knees as he caught his breath "Must...help...Fluttershy..." The Saikyo Master was back on all fours as he turned to Iron Will with a worn glare "Must...win...bits..."

Iron Will scowled "You don't know when to quit, do you!? Iron Will's gonna have to put you down!!"

Dan spat some more blood as he smirked "Not if I do it first...and I know the perfect way, too..." He squinted his eyes 'I hope you're watching this, Father...'

Iron Will ran at Dan, ready to inflict more pain as he gradually closed the distance between them. When he was close, Dan readied a foreleg as he reeled it back "Saikyo..." He uttered as he waited for Iron Will to get closer. When the minotaur went to grab him, he was stopped in his tracks with widened eyes as Dan's hoof made contact "Nether Strike!!!" He yelled with mustered energy.

Iron Will squeaked in pain and drew himself away from the Saikyo master as he held his crushed pride and fell over on his side. Hehe, it rhymed...

Everypony else watched in surprise to see that Dan had indeed won the battle, seeing as how Iron Will spoke in a high-pitched voice "You win..." He writhed in pain, and the audience cheered for the Saikyo master as he stood proud, though severely damaged from his fight.

Dan reared onto his hindlegs and held up a foreleg with a grin as tears streamed down his face "I did it, Father! I did it!!!"

Pinkie and Fluttershy hugged each other while they jumped for joy at Dan's victory. Twilight and the others, however, stood slackjawed at what just happened "He...He cheated!!" Twilight blurted out incredulously.


-ooooooooooooooooooooong!

> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Final Chapter


Master vs. Pupil: A Stunning (I think) Conclusion!!


After Dan Hibiki's close victory, Iron Will kept his promise and left Ponyville feeling lovelorn and shamed as he carried his crushed pride (Figuratively speaking, of course.). In his wake was the promised bundle bearing copious amounts of bits for Dan to spend at his leisure. Pinkie was so overjoyed for her master's victory that she decided to do the very thing that was encrusted into her brain since the Sonic Rainboom: Throw a party.

While she, Fluttershy, and the crowd were happy with Dan winning the tournament, Twilight and the others felt that they had the wrong idea about Dan being strong despite his display of techniques. Twilight leered at the cheering Saikyo Master sitting at a table with Pinkie hugging him while he grasped a mug of cream soda in one foreleg and his large sack of cash in another "I can't believe this! All this time, we thought he would be a respected martial arts master, but his latest action was by far one of the worst!!"

Rarity huffed "I agree, darling! What Mr. Hibiki has done was inexcusable!!"

Applejack frowned "Ah changed my mind 'bout havin' that stallion teach my sister t' fight! Ain't no way she should be taught how t' fight by a cheater!"

Rainbow Dash nodded "Yeah! That was totally not cool!!" Says Ms. Naughty Hoof...

Fluttershy flinched "N-Now girls, I know you all must seem pretty sore about what Dan had done, and I understand completely, but we shouldn't chastise him for it, right?" She defended the Saikyo master meagerly, wanting them to know she was happy to have dodged a large and horned bullet that was aimed for her flank.

Rainbow Dash glared at Dan and Pinkie conversing "What I don't get is why Pinkie still chooses to respect him! I mean, she saw it, too, didn't she?" She paused, and then turned to a set of confused faces "Didn't she?"

Rarity frowned "Well don't look at me! I paid more attention to the fight then I have with Pinkie!"

Applejack looked down in defeat "That battle was pretty darn close. Ah couldn't take my eyes off it!"

Twilight turned to Pinkie "Maybe we should ask her for ourselves. But right now, she seems too clingy to wanna talk to us at the moment..." She was slightly conflicted with how she noticed the look of utter joy on Pinkie's face as she hung out with her sensei.

Rarity drooped her ears "Not to mention Pinkie would probably think we would be badmouthing her sensei if we ever decided to talk with her..."

Fluttershy shifted her eyes "Um...I'm just gonna go have some more punch, if anypony doesn't mind..." She shimmied away from her friends to make herself scarce for the sake of her 'thirst'. With how she's even saying the word 'shimmy' as she went, one would think she was an expert in the art of fight-dancing...

Twilight sighed "It can't be helped now! I'll let him have this moment, but I'm going to get to the bottom of things later! Make no mistake!" And thus, an investigation was had! Until the next day, of course...
_____

The next day, Twilight rose from her bed and prepared for her day as a private investigator. She had a small breakfast including toast and a glass of orange juice before gathering a notepad and trotting to the front door and looking back at a tired Spike going down the stairs "Spike, I'm going out right now! Can you take care of the library while I'm gone?"

The purple dragon rubbed his eyes and nodded "Good luck, Twilight." He muttered tiredly before he waddled into the kitchen.

The bookworm-turned-detective then made her way out with the sole purpose of gathering intel on the so-called Saikyo Master. She made her way to Sugarcube Corner, considering it to be the most plausible spot to search with how Dan and Pinkie are under the same roof. She trotted inside and noticed Pinkie working at a counter. Pinkie saw Twilight come in and waved in her sporadic fashion "Hiya, Twilight! What'll it be today?"

Twilight shook her head "I don't need anything right now, Pinkie. Have you seen Dan anywhere? Is he upstairs by any chance?"

Pinkie blinked "Funny you should say that! He was so happy with winning all those bits yesterday, he woke up early and looked around Ponyville to see where he could get some neato wares before investing it all into his dojo! Danny-sensei really knows how to get his priorities straight, you know?" She spoke with an innocent smile.

Twilight held a calculating glance "Do tell..." She wondered where a stallion like Dan would begin in Ponyville to look for a good deal with so much money.

Pinkie frowned "But I did tell you! Are you having trouble hearing ever since you woke up?"

Twilight grunted and shook her head "No, Pinkie. I just wanted to find Dan and have an...interview with him." It wasn't a total lie. She was gathering notes, and that's what part of an interview includes.

Pinkie smiled "Well that's nice of you to do that for my sensei, Twilight! You can find him in the Market Square if you look hard enough!"

Twilight nodded in gratitude "Thanks. I'll go look for him right now!" She said as she turned and made her way out with narrowed eyes of determination 'Time to get to the bottom of things. Prepare to be exposed, Dan Hibiki!'

Pinkie watched Twilight leave with slight confusion "Is it just me, or is Twilight trying to get more than an interview out of Danny-sensei?" She said to herself "I hope she isn't one of those mares that goes after famous ponies for their bodies! What do they call ponies like those again?" Watch Venture Bros. 'The Silent Partner' for the answer!
_____

Twilight reached the Market Square and squinted her eyes as she tried to distinguish Dan in the crowd of ponies buying things. She managed to find him standing in front of Colgate's toothpaste stand attached to a cart containing his large bag of bits. Twilight only wondered why Ponyville's resident dentist had to open up a small stand to sell some of her wares, especially when most of Ponyville were annoyed with her obsession over dental hygiene. She trotted up to Dan after he purchased a tube of toothpaste and stashed it in his cart "Hello, Mr. Hibiki." She said in a leveled tone.

Dan noticed Twilight and smiled "Oh, hey there, Twilight! You come to get some toothpaste as well? Can't leave home without it!" Colgate beamed at the Saikyo Master's words.

Twilight rolled her eyes before looking back at Dan "It's good to know that you respect dental hygiene, but I'm just here to talk is all..."

Dan nodded "I don't mind. We can walk and talk since I got some stuff to get before the rest of my loot goes toward my dojo!" He said as he trotted with his bag of bits. Twilight followed with a hidden leer at the Saikyo Master, waiting for the opportune moment to expose him for the fraud he is. When they reached the next vendor selling bottled juice, he paid for a couple of bottles as he spoke "So what's on your mind? You wanna talk about the match the other day?" He spoke with a smug grin.

Twilight nodded "Yes, actually! I have to say that your demonstration of fighting is very different from what I've usually seen in my life!"

Dan chuckled "Well, that's my Saikyo style for you! I have to live up to my father's image if I'm gonna spread the teachings to anypony willing to learn how to kick some major flank!" They trotted towards another stand after he stashed away the bottled juice in his cart.

Twilight frowned "While I'm happy for your victory back there, I have to ask...this technique of yours, your Nether Strike? Is that a new one?"

Dan turned to Twilight and blinked "How'd you know? It was a line of techniques that I've been crafting recently before I came to Ponyville! Some of them are hidden moves that work well in a pinch! I've yet to teach them to Pinkie since she's my best student barring my two other friends!" It's sad knowing only one of them follows the teachings of Saikyo as adamantly as Pinkie.

Twilight arched an eyebrow 'A-HA! So he DID cheat!' "
"Really now? And would you consider your winning technique as an acceptable move in your fight the other day?"

Dan sighed as he looked down with slight despondancy "In all honesty, I feel bad for myself..." Twilight smiled to herself, happy to hear those words "I probably should've taken it easier on the big guy knowing he would go down like that."

Twilight widened her eyes "What!? What in Equestria are you talking about!? Didn't you see the size of Iron Will? Or even the moves he demonstrated!? He was THIS close to-" She stared at Dan, who held a surprised expression as she caught herself in her venting "I-I mean, so you say...I suppose you might have taken it a bit too far in showing Iron Will up that time." She finished in a calm tone.

Dan looked up in thought as he held a hoof to his chin "You know, with how well he fought the other day, I probably should've made him one of my students! He could probably catch up to Pinkie if I pay attention to him enough!"

Twilight stared dumbfounded at his words 'He claims he has students other than Pinkie, but who would honestly want to learn from this stallion!?' She then forced a grin "Um, I'm sure you wouldn't want Iron Will as a student, considering he has a job of his own and tends to speak in third person! You can't have that in your dojo, right?"

Dan looked down in thought before he nodded "You might be onto something there. My dojo's for fighters only, not performers! You're pretty smart for a mare, Twilight Snapple!"

Twilight looked miffed "Sparkle..." She corrected.

The two trotted off "Hehe, sorry about that! Say, you're Pinkie's friend, right? If you like, I can get you a discount if you ever want to learn how to fight Saikyo style!"

Twilight forced another smile "Err, no thanks, Dan. I'm more of a thinker, not a fighter..." Sure, let's forget the changeling invasion just this once for his sake. He's probably never heard of it...

Dan smirked "My offer still stands if you're in need of some good moves! Talk to your little dragon friend if you have to! He seems pretty set on becoming another one of my students!"

Twilight frowned 'You would think that, wouldn't you?' "I'll be sure to let him know. Thanks for the talk, Dan, but I should probably get going now. I have to sort things out for myself." Smooth.

Dan nodded "See you later then! I'll be back at Pinkie's place soon if you ever feel like talking again!"

Twilight trotted away and made her way back to Sugarcube Corner 'Now to break the news on Pinkie and hope she can at least take it without getting too cross about it all...' She looked saddened to have to tell one of her friends the ugly truth. Beauty is one thing, but ugly is to the bone.
_____

When Twilight reached Sugarcube Corner again, she noticed Pinkie out in the yard training in her Saikyo ghi with fire in her eyes. Twilight felt worse seeing her like this 'I can't believe I'm doing this to her...I don't want to break Pinkie's heart so soon, but she has to know one way or another...' She trotted over to the training party mare and cleared her throat "Hi, Pinkie."

Pinkie ceased her training and smiled at Twilight "Hi, Twilight! You wanna train with me today? I think I'm close to mastering Danny-sensei's legendary taunt! It's very important to taunt when learning Saikyo style!"

Twilight heaved a sigh "Pinkie, I need to tell you something that you probably wouldn't like to hear..." She said in a morose tone.

Pinkie frowned "Is somepony in Ponyville having a bad day?" She then smiled with narrowed eyes "If so, then leave it to me to see them smiling again!"

Twilight shook her head "No, this really isn't about anypony in Ponyville, but more about Dan..."

Pinkie blinked "Danny-sensei? Is something wrong with him?"

Twilight stared at Pinkie before she spoke "He cheated yesterday, Pinkie..."

Pinkie craned her head back "What?"

Twilight nodded "It's sad but true. Dan Hibiki, your sensei, cheated yesterday when fighting against Iron Will! His finishing move was not what you think at all!"

Pinkie frowned "Are you saying...my sensei isn't strong?"

Twilight shook her head again "No I'm not. In fact, I'd say he has plenty of endurance to have made it as far as he had before the final match. But ask yourself this: Would an experienced teacher honestly want to hit somepony below the belt in a fight in order to win?"

Pinkie looked down in thought "Well, Rainbow Dash sorta did the same thing with me once, but she's a black belt!" She faced Twilight with a smile "So probably yes!"

Twilight stared "Probably yes? Pinkie, don't you think that maybe your teacher might be a-" She caught herself as she stared at Pinkie "a-..." She paused for a moment, and then sighed "Nevermind. It can't be helped if you wouldn't believe me."

Pinkie smiled "But Twilight, I can believe anything you say to me! You're my friend! You can tell me what's on your mind!"

Twilight stared at Pinkie with a frown "Do you think Dan's a fraud?"

Pinkie gasped "What in the name of Celestia made you ask that question!?" She said in a surprised tone.

Twilight frowned "I'm sorry, Pinkie, but I cannot consider Dan a good fighter if he would use dirty tactics to win in a fight. You're better than him when it comes to fighting! His last move he used on Iron Will isn't even a legitimate technique!"

Pinkie huffed "I'm surprised at you, Twilight! To think that Danny-sensei's a fraud! He's a whole different class of fighter with his moves! He's even his own tier, and told me so himself!!"

Twilight pointed a hoof "THAT'S the kind of talk you'd expect from a fraud! Pinkie, I think he might not even be the sensei you respected before we met!"

Pinkie glowered at Twilight "I think you've said enough, Twilight...I want to go train now..." She said in a tone completely alien to her former chipper tone.

Twilight took the hint with Pinkie's agitated glare and sighed "I'm sorry, Pinkie. Hopefully you can think about what I've told you while I give you your space..." She said as she trotted away, feeling downtrodden to have said so much to her friend like this.

Pinkie scoffed and went back to her training with anger in her mind 'Who does Twilight think she is!? Talking so bad about Danny-sensei that way! That's just so mean of her to do that! It's like when I told her how mean Gilda was when Rainbow Dash wasn't around!' While she trained, she stopped instantly with widened eyes of realization as she slowly looked sad as she dropped to her hooves "Oh no...What if that kind of scenario is happening right now? What if Twilight IS right?" She whimpered to herself.

Now she was caught in a stand-still. Could Twilight be right about what she had said about THE Dan Hibiki being some kind of fraud? Some con-artist acting like he's the toughest stallion alive? What would Pinkie do if this were all true? Would she abandon the art of Saikyo and move on realizing most of her life was wasted? What would her friends think of her after realizing that she was being trained by a-

"I can hear you, you know!" Pinkie looked up angrily.

Hehehe...Sorry...

With a deep breath, she sat down and waited for her sensei to return to seek the answers for herself.
_____

Later, Dan came back with a small pile of commodities bought from the market square with more than enough bits to spare in his bag. He noticed a slumping mass of pink sitting next to Sugarcube Corner and trotted over "Pinkie? What's the matter? You're usually training dutifully at this hour! Anything getting you down lately?"

Pinkie sighed as she looked up at Dan as he detached himself from his cart "Danny-sensei, have you ever been labeled as a fraud in your time? Even when you say that other ponies tend to copy your style?"

Dan hummed "I never thought I'd get into a deep conversation with one of my students. Well, Pinkie, I've always heard that kind of talk wherever I go anytime I'm looking for a good fight." He held up a hoof as he turned to the sky with a fierce gaze "But I don't let that bother me at all! If the world chooses to fight me, then it's only best that I fight back no matter what! We as practitioners of Saikyo need to know when to put our hoof down anytime somepony decides to give us trouble!"

Pinkie frowned "But what if you don't have any strength left to fight?"

Dan turned to Pinkie "Then I try to improvise and utilize my mind to find more strength! When it comes to fighting, it's not just the body, but the mind! That's why I think your friend Twilight could be another good student! Too bad she turned down my first offer, though...I'm sure her little dragon would be willing to oblige!" He grinned to himself.

Pinkie got a good look at Dan and sighed as she lifted herself up "Danny-sensei...I want to do it now..."

Dan flinched "P-Pinkie, we're not even in a relationship! And that kind of thing between a master and his pupil shouldn't even be considered!!"

Pinkie shook her head "No no no no!! I want to do IT now..."

Dan stared at Pinkie before he got the message. With a knowing nod, he cast a neutral stare on the party pony "I understand...Where do you want to settle this, Pinkie? You called it, you pick where to go..." He said in a serious tone.

Pinkie held a neutral stare of her own "Town square, next to the fountain, where everypony can watch..." Soooo, like that one buffalo who likes birds?

Dan nodded "Very well. Gear yourself up, my pupil, cuz this is going to be a memorable day depending on what happens..." He said as he grabbed one of his bottled juices and trotted inside Sugarcube Corner as he took a swig.

Pinkie stood and squinted her eyes "I'll do it without you telling me, Danny-sensei..." She uttered to herself with conviction.
_____

Around the afternoon, many ponies gathered and murmured at the current happening. It turns out something terrible is going down right in the middle of town. But is it anarchy? Not so much that, but two ponies dressed in pink.

Twilight and her friends made their way through the crowd and noticed Dan and Pinkie staring each other down "What's going on?"

Rainbow Dash hovered in the air as she watched with intrigue "Believe it or not, Pinkie just challenged Dan to a fight! I wanna see how this goes down!"

Spike winced "This can't be good...If he's anything like when Pinkie fought Rainbow Dash the other day, then I'd say that Ponyville's in need of some remodeling..."

Rainbow Dash swooped down and got in Spike's face "The hay is THAT supposed to mean!?"

Applejack waved a hoof "Simmer down, y'all! They're gettin' ready!" She said as the others paid attention to the two earth ponies in their ghis.

Dan took a deep breath "So it's come down to this, hasn't it, Pinkie?" He asked as he regarded his student with his gaze.

Pinkie nodded "I wanna know if my training under you has meant anything with all the time we spent together in the past! Danny-sensei, I want you to accept my challenge!"

Dan stared "Looks like the time has finally come then...It's good to know you're showing courage with this, Pinkie!"

Pinkie gave a thin smile "It's like you said: This is something we fighters must do! I want to see my training pay off! So..." She got in her stance "Ready to go?"

Dan stared, and strangely, tears began streaming from his eyes as he sobbed lightly, catching everypony but Pinkie off-guard. He wiped his eyes as he weeped and took a stance of his own "I'll make it quick and painless for ya, kid!"

Pinkie narrowed her eyes "Stalliony tears...You really do respect me, don't you, Danny-sensei?" With this kind of tension, some epic music is needed for an epic fight.

Dan nodded to Pinkie, and he rushed forward with conviction in his eyes "PINKIE!!!!"

Pinkie did the same "DANNY-SENSEI!!!" And with that, they outstretched their own hooves and somehow connected with each other's jaws at the same time. The two Saikyo fighters then drew back as their hooves flew like dragons during their migration. From Dankukyakus to Koryukens, Pinkie Pie and Dan Hibiki were each giving it their all. The music's helping a lot, too, isn't it? It's so epic!!

Rarity was slackjawed "Gracious! They're like monsters out there!!" She blurted incredulously.

Spike turned to Rarity "You haven't seen nothing yet!!"

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs as she watched "I'll be the judge of that!"

Applejack watched "Do any o' y'all know who might win this? Aside from that li'l cheap shot th' other day, Dan's not messin' 'round right now!"

Twilight watched the match diligently herself "I think I have an idea who will..." She said as she watched her pink friend pull out all the stops on her sensei.

While Pinkie was fighting, she performed a Koryuken as Dan jumped away from it and taunted in midair "Wohoo~!!"

The party pony scoffed 'Horseapples! His taunts are too good! C'mon, Pinkie! You started this match! Now you have to end it!' She crossed her forelegs "Special!!!" She rushed in and launched a good jab at Dan's cheek "Let's go!" She then performed her Shisso Buraikken as if living up to her sensei's expectations, even ending it with a proper uppercut and a grin afterwards.

Dan recovered from this and grunted "You learned well, but it's not enough!" He then prepared his forelegs "Watch carefully, Pinkie!" He said as his forehooves began to glow green "Haooooh GADOKE-AAAaaaaAAAaaaugh!" He launched another large fireball, but like last time, he was blown back from its amazing force.

Pinkie was lucky to block the whole thing "That was close! But I can't stop now! All I have to do is focus-" Before she could focus, she a hindleg courtesy of Dan reach her face, shattering her own field of concentration. Literally! There were ethereal blue shards in front of her for a short time! Pinkie recovered "Shoot! Shouldn't have focused that time! I forgot Dankukyakus are that good for that kind of thing!"

Dan then launched a Gadoken, easily hitting Pinkie in the face. But he didn't stop there. He launched a quick jab before launching another Gadoken that connected with the party pony, then dashed in for a Koryuken. He then jumped back while Pinkie landed on the ground "That combo took months to master!" He said to himself.

Fluttershy gasped "Oh no! This could be too much, even for Pinkie! Shouldn't we do something about this?"

Twilight frowned "I'm not sure...If what Rainbow said was true, then we should respect Pinkie's decision. I don't think she would want us to interrupt her match..." She watched as the party pony recovered and stepped back into the fray.

The fight raged on for a whopping five minutes before Dan and Pinkie were both battered and bruised as they took deep breaths and stared each other down. Without another word, they dashed in, and Dan knew what he had to do 'Sorry, Pinkie, but you forced my hoof! This is my last resort!' Cut your life into pieces, why don't you?

Twilight noticed Dan prepping his hoof and gasped "Pinkie, stop!! It's what he wants!!" She bit her lower lip when her warning fell on deaf ears. Pinkie rushed in with her narrowed eyes, but looked as if she had no attack prepared.

The entire crowd leaned their heads in to see what would happen. This was the battle of the century! Who would come out on top? Dan reeled back his hoof "Saikyo..." He then shot it forward with the last of his strength "Nether Strike!!!"

He expected it to land, but his hoof met with two others as Pinkie glared "Block!" She then sidestepped and stretched out a hoof of her own "Counter Nether Strike!!!"

"K.O!!!"

Everypony in the audience looked around and wondered who in the hay was making that sound. Luckily, they did not notice Dan making an O-face with bulging eyes as he yelled "OYAJI~!!" In a high-pitched scream. He then dropped down and fell face first into the ground after Pinkie hopped away.

The audience saw this and gasped in surprise at Pinkie's triumph while the party pony took a deep breath "Pinkie wins..." She whispered to herself.
_____

Later, at one of Ponyville's exits, most of the town stood with the Elements of Harmony and Spike standing at the front while Dan faced them all while his bag was next to him. Pinkie trotted up and the two shared a small hug "You did good today, Pinkie! The first of my students to ever surpass me!"

Pinkie smiled while she hugged Dan "You taught me so much back then! I still respect you, Danny-sensei, even if you can be a bit of a Rarity's cat once in a while..." She looked at her sensei.

Dan smirked "Well, in any case, you've convinced me that I should get back to my training and hone my skills before I can show everypony I meet that Saikyo is the way to go in their lives! Cuz if I won't, who will? Our match back there has reminded me that our style is a forced to be reckoned with, and with the proper training-"

Pinkie stared "Umm, sensei, you should probably get going..." She said, slightly urging the Saikyo Master to leave.

Dan stared before he chuckled "You're right! I still have to teach Saikyo to the rest of Equestria, after all! Thanks for the good times, Pinkie, and the rest of you, Ponyville!" Some of the crowd gave unenthusiastic murmurs that passed off as a halfhearted 'You're welcome'. He then grabbed the rope of his bag and slung it over his back as he trotted off into the sunset with his determined eyes.

Twilight watched and smiled "You know...for a fraud, he doesn't know when to quit! I suppose despite his dirty trick, he isn't that bad of a stallion after all."

Pinkie nodded "Yeppers! He even reminded me that I need to train, too!" She turned and gave a hidden leer at the wall-eyed pegasus standing in the crowd, smiling innocently to herself as she waved off Dan.

Fluttershy smiled softly, then perked up "Wait a minute...He's carrying his traveling bag!"

Applejack turned to Fluttershy "Of course he is! He is a travelin' pony after all!"

Fluttershy shook her head "No, I mean, he still won the tournament against Iron Will. If that's his traveling bag...where's his money bag?" The Elements of Harmony traded glances before they decided to shrug it off and trot back to their daily routines.

Pinkie trotted back, and she looked to see a cart containing a large bag of bits. She gasped 'Danny-sensei's money! Did he-...Did he leave it just for me?' She trotted over and examined the cart "No card? Oh well..." She hugged the money, a single tear rolling down her cheek "Thank you so much, Danny-sensei. This'll help with Mr. and Ms. Cake for when they want to take a vacation!" She said to herself gratefully.
_____

Meanwhile, on the vast plains, Dan was already far away from Ponyville with his pace. While he was traveling, he froze in his tracks, and even let the rope in his mouth slip out as his bag dropped to the ground. While he was frozen, Dan thought for a moment before realizing he made a grave mistake before leaving Ponyville. He dropped to the ground as comical tears streamed down his face, then turned to the heavens as he yelled

"MY FIGHT MONEEEEEEEEEEEY~!!!!!"


The End