Team Frappe, first years at Beacon Academy, are a band of huntresses who want to look out for each other in the next few years to come.
The four members of Team FRRP (Frappe) each have their own uniqueness to them. Fluttershy Créme, Rarity Alabast, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie: four friends on their way to show all their friendship at the Vytal festival not too far away.
I’m a leader, but a friend first. I’m always willing to help a friend in need. One is always more demanding than the other.
My name is Fluttershy Créme. I’m a student at Beacon Academy and leader of Team Frappe. My friends are the other members. To them, I must be a bother. I’m not exactly the best fighter in Remnant. Any of my friends would make a better leader than me.
“You can be better!” yelled Pinkie. “You just gotta follow my strict training regiment. First, party excessively. Second-”
“No, Pinkie,” interrupted Rarity. “She needn’t get stronger physically. What she needs is to build her confidence. She’s down in the dumps, I must say. I do hope you break out of your slump soon, Fluttershy.”
“Can we just stop talking about this and get something to eat already?” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “I’m freaking hungry.” I kept quiet. I didn’t want to pick any side.
“For once, I think I may agree with you Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity. “I’m quite famished.”
“Yeah, I could eat an ox!” said Pinkie. “Let’s go.”
“Um, I’ll catch up with you girls later,” I whispered timidly. Everybody stopped and looked at me, which I disliked. “I-I just have to use the little girl’s room. I’ll be back soon.” I turned and left my friends company, heading for the bathroom that was further down the hallway. As soon as I’d gotten in, I’d moved straight to the mirrors.
I looked at my face. Blue, sparkling eyes, long flowing light pink hair. Then I had two antennae. Sometimes, I felt like taking a big pair of scissors and snipping them off. I mocked the action with my hands before sighing in sadness. There is no way I’d do something like that.
“Is somebody there?” I said, my ears picking up a sudden shuffling. Something about me was telling me that I was in danger. As if on cue, soft music started to play. “W-who’s there, really? T-this isn’t funny…”
“I’m having fun, Fluttershy,” said a voice. It was too familiar to me. “Can’t we both have fun? You’re so cute Fluttershy. No one but me understands you, anyway. Can’t we both have fun?”
“No…” I shuddered, my entire body recoiling from the voice. “Y-you’re gone. You d-died…” Then it happened. So fast, I could barely see it. His face plastered my vision, my entire body recoiled and shook dangerously. I screamed because I didn’t know what else to do. What else could I do?
I feel over on my knees and puked, letting all my worry and fear come crashing onto the bathroom floor. At that time, I couldn’t have felt better.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” said a voice. “What happened? Are you sick?”
“I…” I said, looking at the vomit. “No, I’m f-fine. Really.”
“Do you want me to get the nurse?” I had never heard this girl’s voice before. It sounded… wrong somehow. “I’ll go get the nurse. She’ll know what to do!” I glanced up to see a figure leaving the scene, her teal-ish long hair flowing behind her. Despite having thrown up on the floor, my suspicion of the girl was bringing something equally as bad.
I stood uneasily and leaned heavily on the sink. Turning on the faucet, I washed the residue from my mouth and clothes before stumbling to the exit. Whoever the girl was, she was right. I did feel sick. His face would make anyone sick…
“I… have to get back to the girls…” I said. “I’ll feel better once I see them. Won’t I?”
The memories forced their way back into my mind. All those wounds from years past re-opened. The torture I felt at his hands, his mercy. I told myself I’d never fall to that ever again. I’d never be weaker than him ever again.
“Fluttershy?” asked a voice, cutting through my delusions. “I came because the rest of us got worried. You don’t look so good.” I met Rainbow Dash’s eyes.
“Oh, no, I’m fine…” I lied. “Maybe if I just lay down, I’d feel better. N-not that anything is wrong with me.”
“Fluttershy, you’re paler than Rarity when her dresses are ripped,” she said. “What’s got you so spooked?”
“I remembered, Rainbow Dash…” I said. “One little reminder, and look what it does.” She was silent, her face resembling pity. “I… I can’t be called a leader, or a huntress. I’m too weak to even-”
“Keep talking like that, and I’m gonna have to shake you back into reality,” said Rainbow Dash harshly. It surprised me, but I knew that she was the only one who would act like this. “Look, we’re all terrified of something, but you don’t see it holding me back."
"But-"
"Buts are for sitting," she interrupted. "Getting your mind off of it is the quickest way to get over it." She helped me stand straight, putting my arm behind her neck.
"Thank you, Rainbow Dash," I said. "I don't know how to repay you for how kind you are to me."
"I don't need to be repaid," she said. "As long as you're my leader, I'll be fine."
We slowly made our way to our room. The one Rainbow Dash and I were sharing. It's standard size with two beds, a window, and two desks. We limped towards my bed before she put me down.
"There," she said. "Lay down until you feel better. I'll see you then."
"Thank you again, Rainbow," I whispered. "I promise to be strong... for you and me."
"Thanks, Shy.” She closed the door behind herself leaving a stagnant silence. I knew that if I was left alone, I'd have nightmares. Nevertheless, I closed my eyes and faced them.
I couldn't be strong without them.
All those years ago… I was a cursed child. A child born from a Faunus and human. I was a taboo. My mother and father loved me with all her heart, regardless of what her own family and friends said about her.
Before me, they had a son. He was already 5 when I was born. Once he heard of what horrible things my other family members said about me, he started to pick up the act. He hurt me, both physically and mentally. Pulling on my antennae, calling me all different types of names.
But then something changed in him. He started to touch me… I didn’t like it at all, but he wouldn’t stop! Every time I was alone in my room, I feared that he would come in and do something bad to me.
My dad soon caught on. One day, when he was pressing me to… do bad things, my dad came in and stopped him. They both yelled at each other before they started fighting. That’s when my dad lost his eye and… my brother his life.
There was a loud crash in my room, taking me by surprise. I opened my eyes with just enough time to see something important.
A small cluster of teal hair.
I jumped out of bed, throwing aside all the covers and ran to my door. When I reached the door, the person was nowhere to be seen. I’d start to piece things together.
“Hey, Shy!” said a voice, loud and distinct. “Shy! Shy! Over here!” I turned to my friend Pinkie jumping up and down. I smiled and walked towards her.
“Hello Pinkie Pie,” I said. “What is it?”
“You just have to see my new moves!” she yelled. “It’s just amazing and you have to see it and-”
“Okay,” I said. “What is it?”
“Okay, for it to work, you need to look very closely,” she said pointing at the window to her left. She slightly touched the glass, injecting her own aura into it. It began to warp to her will, slowly becoming a small ball of glass. She clutched the ball and covered it with her hands. “Okay, here comes the best part.” She closed her eyes and took a heavy breath. She slowly unraveled her hands, the ball becoming a small moving bird.
“Oh, wow!” I said excitedly. Pinkie had never done something like this with her semblance. “C-can I touch him?”
“Sure you can!” She pushed the bird up into the air where it landed on my own. “Dash said you were feeling down, so I thought that I’d come cheer you up.” I smiled at the bird and it seemed to smile back.
“Thank you,” I said. “Nobody’s ever given me a glass bird before.”
“Of course not, silly,” she said. “Are you feeling better now?”
“Very,” I said. “But… I’m not ready to go back yet. There is someone I need to find.”
“Someone?” she asked. “Well, I know everyone here. Just tell me what they look like!”
“I only know that they have long teal hair. Sorry, I can’t give you more.”
“Uh-huh… uh-huh…” she said as if she wasn’t listening. “Ah!”
“What! Do you know them?”
“No!” she yelled. “That’s the problem! There is a friend out there and I don’t know about it!?” She ran down the hallway at a speed I didn’t know was possible. Her antics always made me chuckle.
“Oh right,” I said to myself. “I have to find that girl. Um… if I was her, where would I be?” I thought for a while longer before realizing I had no idea. I sighed and looked at the bird in my hands. “At least you’re still here.”
I made my way to the outside campus where nobody was to be seen. It was a Saturday, after all. My team was busy finishing off a mission, so we had no time to make any weekend plans. They probably all left to go into the city now that we were done.
I still had a reason to be here. Thanks to the Headmistress’ kindness, I was able to keep all my animals on campus as long as they didn’t disturb the other students. I walked around the school until I was alone in the back of the school. In the vast open space, there was a cliff. One leading directly into the Emerald Forest. Just before that, there was a small area where I kept all of my animals. I am known for being an expert at training them, so I knew that none of them would behave badly.
The small glass bird twitched and moved about in my hand, just like a real one. I put it to my face and smiled at it.
“You’re going to have a nice home here,” I said. “I promise.”
“You can’t promise anything,” it said back, startling me. “How can you when you’re so weak?”
“I am not weak!” I said back to it. “A-And I know you’re messing with me. Stop i-it.”
“Messing around? Who?” it asked. “I’m just stating facts. You’re weak, Fluttershy. No amount of training can make you strong.”
“I… I can be strong too!” I yelled confidently. The sound of glass shattering reached my ears and my hand started to hurt. I looked down at my hand and found it cut and bloody. “N-no…”
“Well, looks like you broke through it,” said a voice. The same voice that was in the bathroom. “I’ve gotta hand it to you. For a weak girl, you’ve got your moments.” I turned to see who was talking and met with her eyes.
Her hair was the same color: teal. Her eyes were piercing teal as well. When looking into her eyes, I sensed something akin to intense hate. The same as my brother.
“You… you made me crush him…” Something rare was happening. I’d never felt so … hotheaded in my life. Even though I know it was wrong, I wanted no more than to hurt this girl. “Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything, Fluttershy,” she said. with an evil smirk. “You did it all yourself. Why I’d say your entire situation is your own fault.”
“Stop… playing around,” I said. “What are you trying to accomplish by constantly tormenting me?”
“Frankly, I want to break you, Fluttershy,” she said seriously. “Your team has the potential of becoming something very dangerous in the future. You jeopardize our chances of winning in the Vytal Festival tournament.”
“The Vytal Festival?” I asked. “You made me kill my friend so that you could win in a tournament?”
“Truly, the reasoning does not matter,” she said. Reaching behind her back, she drew one shortsword before another. “The thing that does matter is your state of mind. Teammates in comas can’t fight with their teammates.” I dropped my bloody hand to my side, using my other hand to pull my weapon off of my belt. I grabbed the handle of my tonfa named Nior and brought it across my face.
“I don’t want to fight you,” I said meeting eyes with her. “We don’t need to do this…”
The girl licked her lips and bounded forwards. She was above me, her swords coming down on me. I put the tonfa up to defend myself, the swords bouncing off with a loud clank. Without missing a beat, she landed and transferred into a sweep kick. I jumped back to gain some distance, but she wouldn’t let me get too far.
“You’re a fast one, I’ll give you that,” she said. She sheathed one of her swords and pulled a revolver from behind her large brown boots. “I’ve heard you’re great at dodging bullets. Let’s see how that works for ya!”
I barely had the time to dodge this bullet, much to the girls amusement. I had to use my tonfa for the second one. Seeing a chance to escape, I put all my power into my back foot and dashed forward. Almost instantly, I was behind her.
“What in the-” I flipped the long side outwards before jabbing it into her back. I flipped it back, and clicked the small button on top of the vertical handle, activating the electrical pulse. As she turned around to counter, I jabbed the short end into her jaw, making her stumble backward. To finish the fight, I flipped the long part out and down onto her head, bringing her crashing to the floor. She dropped her pistol and sword to the ground.
“I’m sorry... “ I said. “I-I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was just…”
“To think, I got beat by you of all people,” she said weakly. “My… maybe we’re not cut out for this tournament.”
“N-No! I’m sure all you need to do is train harder. I’m sure you’ll be stronger than me one day,” I said. “I-I’ll go get help! The nurse should still be-”
“I despise you, Fluttershy,” she said with a chuckle. “Your caring demeanor makes me sick. You should be talking down to me, but you have nothing but kind words to say.”
“I-”
“Just go,” she said painfully rolling over. “Get out of my sight.” I slowly backed away. Her eyes were still looking directly into mine. Her own hatred radiating more. I turned away and took off.
“I…” I said, near tears. “I just wanted to help.”
That day, I showed great power, but at what cost? I never wanted to hurt that girl, but she attacked me, forcing me to defend myself and take action. What if all power was like this? Was it worth becoming powerful if all it would do was bring despair to others?
Then I remembered. Rainbow wanted me to be strong for her. All of them did. I had to be strong for them.
It may be hard to be me, but I’d gladly face the hardships for my friends.
There are only a few things a lady regards higher than her own personal hygiene. Two of these things was peace and quiet.
Fluttershy understood this, but Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were oblivious to this concept. Who wouldn’t want to sit in a comfortable chair, a nice drink in hand, in a room to contemplate the very miracle of life?
Admittedly, it is quite boring.
Nevertheless, I sat in my room, half clean, half messy. My eyes were comfortably closed as to not drive myself insane from the very sight of disorganization. Honestly, I swear that my comments fly right over Pinkie’s head.
I twirled the hilt of my weapons that lay crossed and upright on the ground next to me. I absentmindedly continued until I could take it no longer.
“I need to do something,” I said. “Productivity is a sign of life.” I rose from the fluffy chair and onto my feet. I stretched out my tall, slender body and let out a small yawn. The sun, barely risen, had seeped into my eyes, bringing my attention to the outside.
Beacon Academy: the place I’d called home for a while now. Its grand campus and colorful people attracted me right away. As of late, I was thinking about going out and seeing the sights of Vale myself. Despite my refined tastes, the allure of the city called, and I intended to answer.
Quickly, I picked up the long sewing needles and strapped them to my sides. Having already been clothed in a white blouse and a pair of tight black leggings up to my thighs under a small skirt. After doing a quick check in the mirror, confirming that I looked fabulous, I proceeded out of my dorm room and into the hallway.
“Sup, Rares?” said a voice I’d easily recognized. I turned to the voice and found myself speaking to our one and only Rainbow Dash. She looked as if she’d just risen from bed, her hair an uncombed mess, and her clothes rumpled. “What are you doing up so early?”
“Please, Rainbow,” I said slowly. “Please go fix your clothes. Just, a little ironing will be fine.”
“Nah, you’re good,” she said scratching the area around her chin. “So, why are you up?”
“I was thinking of going out to Vale and enjoying myself,” I said overlooking her choice of attire. “Taking in the sights, one might say.”
“But you’re from Atlas, right?” she asked. “Haven’t you had enough of the big city?”
“I guess being born in the city, I’m destined to return to it.” I took a moment to remember all the things I’d done back home in Atlas. Back when I’d been part of an actual family.
I remember despising it.
“Okay then,” she said with a yawn. “I’ll see you later, right?” With a nod, I quickly scuttled past her and made my way to the courtyard. After taking a deep breath of fresh air, I made my way into the city.
Compared to Atlas, Vale seemed like a quaint town. I enjoyed it, however, because of the people here. Everyone in Atlas was quite rude and stuck up. It was much better to see a more comforting array of people.
This was much better, in fact. I was getting a bit peckish exploring the town, though. I thought maybe one of these cafes could sate my appetite. A small shop caught my ever curious eye. I smiled and gleefully made my way inside.
The inside resonated a strong aroma of coffee. I looked around, finding no other patrons in the establishment. My eyes finally rested on the small woman behind the counter in the back of the shop. Her eyes met with mine, a small smile painting her face as they did.
“Good morning, ma’am,” she said. She wore a kind of classy uniform with a clean white shirt under a brown sleeveless vest. Her face was covered with a pair of glasses and freckles. “So, can I do anything for you?”
“You can tell me where you got that outfit,” I said looking her up and down. “I must say, you have a spectacular taste in fashion.”
“Oh, this old thing?” she said with a blush. “It’s just standard issue.”
“Then it must be you,” I said. “I expect you’d look great in anything I make.”
“I suppose that’s why you carry around those needles then?” she asked looking at my hip where my long needles lie. “Are you a Huntress?”
“Yes, however, I pride great fashion over most.” I leaned on the glass and brought myself closer to her, studying her face. “I suppose I should order something lest I become a bother. A frappe would be nice.”
“Y-yes,” she backed up and turned to prepare the drink. As I sat there, waiting for the exceptional barista, the door swung open, the small creaking breaking through the silence of the cafe.
“God don’t make no junk,” said a strong accent. A familiar voice that made my stomach lurch in surprise. “Y’all just a little down after the flight, is all.”
“Yeah, Belle,” said another, less recognizable voice. “You’re a little young, which means you don’t have as much experience as, say, I do.”
“Really, all you need is some time to learn,” said a third voice. I was starting to feel anger beyond the point of just a messy room. “It took me forever to get my scooter skills down. Give yourself a couple of years and you’ll be just as good as anyone.”
“Thank you all, really.” There. The voice that I hated to no end. She sounded like a copy of my own self, yet we could not be more different. “I’m glad that I…”
The cafe fell silent except for the quiet sound of heels clicking on the tiles of the floor. The barista placed the coffee on the glass surface before meeting eyes with the other people in the store.
“I’ll be with you in a second,” she said. “That will be 7 Lien.” I calmly reached for my pouch, unclipping it from my hip. I popped it open and removed two cards from it, placing them both on the table.
“Keep the change,” I said, turning to meet the others in the shop. “I’ve got someplace I need to be.”
“You…” she said, with an ever growing stare of hatred. “Why are you here?”
“I don’t know what you mean, sister dearest,” I scoffed. “I live here. I needn’t a reason to be here.”My sister Sweetie Belle, the very bane of my existence.
“You ‘needn’t’ a reason to be so jealous either,” she snapped back.
“The little one has a mouth on her, does she now?”
“You’d know if you hadn’t left, Rarity.”
“Uh, if Ah may interject,” said the one to her left. “What is all this hubbub between you an’ the missus?”
“You don’t know, Applebloom?” said the one to her right. “That’s Rarity. You know, the one she’s got beef with.”
“Beef? With me?” I said innocently. “What possible reason would you have to hate me?”
“You know exactly what you did,” she said with venom. “I can’t believe you can say something like that.”
“Say, how’s your dad doing? Is he still sleeping around with all the women in Remnant?”
The pain came quickly across my cheek, the flared pain enough to jerk my head to the left. As I turned my head back, I found her hand had crossed my face. All the pain in the world couldn’t compare to the hatred I felt for this girl. I retorted with a harder slap than hers, making her body stumble to the side.
Quickly, she grabbed a small black pole in her hand. I reached for the needles at my side. In a matter of seconds, the tip of my needle was aimed at her neck. Similarly, I saw a small blade withdrawn from a mic stand. The top with the mic was in her left hand while the metal split into two, a short blade jutting out of a long handle.
“P-please take this outside!” exclaimed the barista who was cowering behind the counter. “My manager gets angry at me whenever I let Huntsmen and Huntresses fight in here.” My eyes met with hers and we both sheathed our weapons.
“I haven’t the time for this anyway,” I grabbed the cup from the counter and moved past the three others at the door. Once outside, I decided that retreating to my room and getting my mind off this meeting was the best course of action.
“So you’re just going to run, huh?!” Her words were starting to rattle me. “Run like you ran from Atlas, is that it?!”
“If anyone ran, it’d be that scum you call a father!” I retorted. “If your mother hadn’t been knocked up…” I felt tears running down my face. I stopped to wipe them away. “He… he left us all alone just so he could have you!”
“It’s not my fault Father liked me better!” she yelled back. I dropped my cup in a fit of shock and unsheathed my weapons once more, activating my semblance as well to aid me in the fight. She followed suit. “Can you blame me for our father’s actions?”
“Don’t you dare call that man my father.” I lifted the blades of my weapons until the tips were pointing straight upwards, revealing the gun that made up the hilt. I aimed one carefully before pulling the trigger, sending a nail gun shot into her leg. Although it was protected by Aura, she still buckled down. Using her weapon to get back up, she looked at me with the same eyes. Ones of hate.
I continued to shoot, each one hitting its target. No matter how she dodged, my Semblance would pick it up and adjust accordingly. Soon, she was reduced to an aching pile on the ground, weapon still forcibly clutched in hand.
“Would you like to continue?” I asked mockingly. “I’ve got better things to do than play with-” I shot an arrow out of the air. The one named Applebloom had her weapon aimed at me, another arrow primed to shoot. “-children.”
“Stay out of this, Applebloom,” she said gradually coming to her feet. “This is my fight,” she whispered something into her microphone, before pointing the tip at me. “I can handle myself.”
“Hmph,” I pointed my gun at her, but then stopped. My head was hit with a wave of dizziness and nausea. I couldn’t stay on my feet, let alone attack. I saw her running towards me, mic stand in hand. I was able to block her upwards strike but fell prey to a forward jab. She twirled it around and smacked the bottom to my face before whispering in her mic once more. This time, she jabbed the mic into my stomach, causing my entire field of vision to go black.
“Let’s see how you aim with no eyes!” She said. All I could do was smile.
“Idiot.” right swing, followed by a forward jab, then upwards strike. They were as plain to “see” as her odds of winning this fight. The first strike was blocked, allowing me to counter with a swipe across her face, stomach, and legs in a Z motion. A few seconds later, my vision returned to normal.
“I thought you couldn’t see…” she said backing away from me. She unsheathed her sword. “How could you see my attacks?”
“The more you know about your opponent, the more leverage you have over them.” I changed my clip, although I was sure I wouldn't need it. “If I keep you guessing, you’ll never be able to defeat me.” She whispered into her microphone, tapped her blade and wrapped it in a lime green aura.
“I will defeat you,” she said. “I’ll defeat you so that you can respect me.”
“From what I’ve witnessed, I don’t think you have a single chance.” I focused on her sword and how she held it. I studied and learned it. “In fact, I feel I’ve already gotten a read on your power.”
“N-no way…” I prided myself on a few things as a lady. My poker face was definitely one of them. I knew her power had something to do with the brain. It shut down things like sight and invoked things like nausea. She charged at me, and I got into my stance.
I threw the needle in my left hand up high, creating a blind spot. As her face changed from anger to joy, my face followed suit. I had caught her in the simplest of traps. As her blade got closer to my stomach, I parried her with my right needle and smiled.
“From winner to loser, I have only one thing to say.” The world seemed to slow down as I pulled on the string attached to the needle. “Catch you next Tuesday.” I pulled it from the top left of my back where the coil lay to the right side of my slipper. Bringing the needle hurtling down to the pavement.
Right into Sweetie Belle’s face.
Following along with the hilt, Sweetie Belle’s face hit the pavement with such ferocity, it cracked. She was sent rolling a few feet to the side until her body lay limp to my right.
“Sweetie Belle!” yelled her teammates. They all ran to her aid, ignoring me. I took a deep breath, flipped my swords towards myself and sheathed them. I left the scene as soon as possible, heading back towards the dorm rooms.
Yes, I consider myself a lady. However, every rose must have a few thorns. I was prideful in my ways. I won this fight. and it felt good to finally win.
Whenever I have off, you can find me doing one of two things. Sleeping, or fighting.
Whenever I have class, you can find me doing one of two things. Sleeping or fighting. Really, I’m as simple as can be.
My room was one of the many glorious spots I loved to stay in. It was perfect for sleeping since Fluttershy never caused any uproar. The only thing I had to work with was her animals.
Being a Huntress is hard work, and since I’m not a fan of hard work, I barely do it. Luna never gets off my back about how I’ll never be as great as my classmates, or something like that. Why do you need to know how many weak spots a Grimm has if you could just punch it?
I laughed every time a student thought to challenge me. “See if you can beat the legendary Rainbow Dash!” they’d say. I ain’t into fighting any girls, but if some guy wants to scrap… heh. Good luck.
“Rainbow Dash?” said Fluttershy cutting into my sleep. “Um… I don’t want to interrupt you, but our Grimm Studies class is about to start and I didn’t want you to miss it.” Living with Fluttershy gave me more benefits than just sleeping comfortably. She’d also wake me up and get me breakfast, if she’s feeling nicer than normal. Sometimes, I even found her regular shyness kinda cute.
“Thanks Shy, but I’m probably not gonna go,” I said. “I mean, it’s not like the class is important or anything, right?”
“Well... it is a class,” she said quietly like she always does. “And this is technically a school.”
“Yeah, it’s not important,” I said laying back down. “Tell me if there’s homework or something. I don’t think I’ll do it, but still.”
“Okay…” she said quickly leaving the dorm. I sighed when she left, slowly slipping back into unconsciousness.
Or I would if my Scroll didn’t start beeping.
Pulling it out of my pocket, I could look at the ID of the person calling me. I frowned when I saw the name. I thought about not answering the call, but the more it beeped on the more I felt I had to. Finally, I just pressed the button.
“What do you want, Dio?” I asked.
“You know exactly why I’m calling,” said Dio. His voice was always low and gravely, but not intimidating to me. “I got somethin’ in 20. You there?”
“Dio, I swear if you call me with something dumb like this again, I’ll punch your face in,” I answered. “I said what I said, okay? Bye.”
“Hold up, Rainbow,” he said quickly. “Ray’s gonna be there. I hear he’s calling you out.”
“Why should I care about what he does?” I asked. “I’m already over the whole thing. Just leave me alone.”
“When’d ya turn into such a pansy?” He asked, pissing me off. “The Dash I knew would come down here and kick some ass.”
“Get your head outta the clouds,” I said. “Look, I’m done with the business and with you. Tell Ray to go shove his ego up his ass.” I clicked the end call button and laid the Scroll onto the floor next to my bed.
I put my arm over my eyes and sat there for a few minutes. Ray Calderon: the first person to ever beat the mighty Rainbow Dash was calling her out again. I clenched my fists in anger. He’d given me no choice. I’d lost before, but if I didn’t show up now, I’d definitely be known as a huge coward.
Slowly, but surely, I sat up. I reached for the weapons tied to my bedpost and untied them. I slipped the leather gloves onto my hands and clanked the metal atop each hand. I checked to see that the small SMGs were still attached to the bottom of the leather on the bottom and got out of bed, picking the Scroll up with me.
I couldn't believe I was going back.
The door looked the same from the last time I stormed out of the place. Blue, chipped paint gave way to an unsuspicious rusted door leading into an apparently abandoned facility. From out here, you couldn’t hear anything. No one would be the wiser. I pushed the door open and hid from the sunlight.
Still, I couldn’t hear a thing. I walked forward down the narrow hallway until I came to another door. A seemingly drunk man was laying his head on the wall, looking up at the low ceiling. A bottle of vodka was barely hanging from his fingertips. Anyone would ask him if he’s okay, or just ignore him. If you wanted in fight club, you knew what to do.
“Get on the streets, ya drunkie,” I said. The man’s head slowly rolled forwards, his brown eyes meeting my magenta ones. “Where’s Dio?”
“Booth,” he said taking another swig. “Match’s goin’ on right now.”
“Thanks,” I said walking past him. The next door was the last one, the one that I remember getting sent flying through back then. I slowly pushed it open.
Now I could hear things. People yelling out bets, cursing and spitting at losers, and the loud pain-in-the-ass that was Dio Brandy, founder of the club and personal “friend” of mine who set up and announced the matches.
The arena itself was just a large, square room with high ceilings, lots of empty space, and a small arena in the middle of it all. I looked around, seeing no familiar faces, which was good. I found Dio up high in his booth opposite the door all the way on the other side.
I walked through the rest of the crowd, completely ready to push anyone out of the way that was drunk or too rowdy. I finally made it across to the other side where there was a staircase going up. I slowly climbed the staircase until I reached the small booth overlooking the entire arena. Up there with me stood a short, pudgy guy dressed in a suit. I always hated the thing because it made him think he was a real business man. This time, he wore black.
“Rainbow, glad ya could make it,” he said, much to my annoyance. “I trust the Huntress life is treating ya well?”
“I didn’t come here for the small talk, Dio,” I said. “Where’s Ray?” He pointed behind him towards the ring. In the middle, there was a tall, muscular person wearing a yellow t-shirt and black sweatpants. He was using his left arm to hold back some Huntsman and using his right to tote his weapon. It was a massive pipe covered in blood and slightly bent. As he held the guy back, I could see that, through his moppy black hair, he was smiling.
The bastard was enjoying this.
“I’m gonna kill him,” I said, my anger seeping through. Although he didn’t seem like it, Dio was strong enough to keep me back. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Did you forget what happened the last time you let your anger overcome you?” he said, bringing the image of my last match against Ray to my mind. I bit the bottom of my lip and backed down.
“Okay, okay. I’m gonna bash his face in next match.” The huntsman couldn’t land a single on the guy. His sword was easily blocked by Ray’s pipe and any other attack bounced off of his body. Ray looked down at him before raising his pipe above the Huntsman’s head. He watched in enjoyment as the metal cleaved through the Huntsman’s Aura and maybe even cracked his skull. When the huntsman fell, the crowd screamed in mixed voices about the matches conclusion.
“Get down there if you want next,” said Dio. “Someone else is bound to take your spot if you don’t hurry.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” I said pushing through the door and entering the crowd. It took no time at all for me to pull myself through so I could get my match. I jumped into the ring next, the people around it heading for the betting table.
“It’s you,” said Ray in confusion. “Didn’t think you’d actually be back or show your face.”
“You’re the one who called me out here,” I replied. “I’m not gonna back out of this, Ray.”
“That’s good,” he said, smiling. “Do me a favor and make it painful.” Dio’s voice cut through our conversation.
“Alright everybody,” said Dio. “You’ve got a few minutes for betting left. Make it good.”
“I don’t have the time to wait a few minutes,” he said. gripping his pipe. “Let’s make his quick.”
“Quick is my middle name.” I launched forwards, pulled back a punch and hit Ray’s chest as hard as I could. The impact sent pain through my own hand, but I followed up with another punch. They were quick and could probably knock out a boartusk in a matter of seconds, but to Ray, they were bites from a flea. I backed up and loaded my SMGs with explosive dust rounds, and fired bullet after bullet into his body. “Why aren’t you taking any damage!?”
“Hey!” said Dio over the mic. “The match hasn’t started yet!”
“Heh,” he said, basically walking through my rounds. “Still as pitiful as before. Now, you’ve got less spunk.” I clipped the SMGs back and lunged towards him. I swung my right leg into his neck, making it snap to the left. As he turned back, I saw his smile grow a little.
“Damn. What’s this guy made of, titanium?”
“Might as well be,” he said. “Got an Aura thicker than a tree trunk. You ain’t punchin through this.”
“Watch me.” Again, I went off. Punch after punch, I started to lose strength. Nothing was working! The frustration took a hold of me, pushing me to punch harder and harder. Still, nothing happened. Had I been paying attention, I would’ve been able to dodge his downward strike completely. It clipped my shoulder as I escaped. It felt as if I didn’t have my arm.
“Quick on your feet, but that’s not enough.” He slowly started walking towards me. “Now stand still like a good girl.”
“Screw you, asshole,” I said, dodging his strike. “Eventually, you’re Aura’s gonna run out. When that happens, I’m gonna beat your face in!”
“You ever heard that the weakest dog barks the loudest?” he said, mockingly. “Well, you’re a good example.” I dodged another strike, this one harder to evade. I was getting closer to the edge of the ring.
“Shut up,” I said as I nearly feel of the ring. “You’re the only one who keeps talking.”
“But it’s obvious-” His swing smacked me in the stomach, Causing me to lurch sideways. “ I have-” He swept my legs with a pipe, making me fall, my Aura shattering. “ The advantage.” He grabbed my legs as I scurried away.
“Let go!” I said kicking away. He lifted me into the air from my leg, leaving me to wriggle in the air. “Let me go so I can bash your face in!”
“I thought so,” he said grabbing his pipe tight. “Once a loser, always a loser, huh Dashie?” He swung his pipe into my chest, knocking all the wind out of me. My strength disappeared. He swung again, hitting me in the back this time. The crowd was loving my torture and Ray loved it even more. He kept swinging until I was nothing more than a sore bag of pity. He dropped me to the floor, my body and head going numb. The crowd’s shouts and screams were melted together, everything going blurry.
“No… way...” I thought, looking at Ray. “I can’t lose now. I just… can’t.” I pushed myself off the ground and steadily onto my feet. My muscles ached and my head was dizzy. Ray looked at me with the same look he gave me at the beginning of the match.
“You going on?” He took the pipe in both hands. “I guess I should learn to kill my prey.”
“That’s not gonna happen,” I said, getting into a shaky stance. “I refuse to lose to you.” My Aura started coming back very quickly. I watched while a rainbow colored circle surrounded me, healing me and bringing back my strength. I’d never seen this before, but it was hella awesome.
“Nice lights,” said Ray with a sneer. “What, you gonna blind me?” I felt light. So light, I could move at anywhere in an instant.
Turns out, I wasn’t too far off.
In what seemed like a single step, I appeared behind Ray. Before he could even think to turn, I threw what seemed like 5 punches. I felt as if I was the only one who could see what I was doing. I zipped in front of him and launched 3 more punches.
After that, it was fun. I moved around him, throwing blows quicker than I ever had. In the middle of my assault, a loud crashing sound rang through the air.
“Wait!” I said. “His Aura! I can end it!” I backed up, ran forwards, pulled my fist back as far as I could, and thrust it right into Ray’s face, bringing it down to the concrete floor, an explosion of rainbow light came from my fist, lighting up the entire arena.
For a few seconds, not even I knew what happened. After I could see, Ray’s broken pipe was enough to make me smile. For the first time since I’d been fighting, all those years ago, the arena was silent. No one could believe I’d won. Not even I could believe I won. I looked at my fist, closed it tightly, and punched into the sky.
“Rainbow Dash is the best fighter in here!” I yelled. “And don’t you ever forget that, got it!?”
For the record, I didn’t mean to break the whack-a-mole.
I couldn’t resist! Whenever hammers are involved, I have to bring out the big guns. It’s part of me!
Anyways, I had to end up paying for it. Problem is, I had no Lien. How did I pay for it, you ask?
“I don’t think they know what you’re talking about, darling,” said a voice behind me. Rarity was drinking her usually afternoon tea and sitting in on my recording. “Slow down and explain yourself.”
“Oh yeah,” I said with a smile. “Okay, let me start at the beginning. Writer! Could you please put one of those bar things for me?”
Thanks! So, I was going to the fair because everyone else had their own personal things they wanted to do. Of course, whenever I’m lonely, I automatically think “Hey, a fair would be great!” Who wouldn’t? Anyways, a fair just so happened to be passing in Vale for a few days, and I thought it was the greatest.
I went to the fair with high spirits. Not many people know this, but I am a fair expert. I’ve got the whole thing down to a math!
“Don’t you mean down to a science?” interjected Rarity.
I know what I said! Anyway, there are a few things you need to be aware of. The number one thing is your sugar level. Do not, I repeat DO NOT let your cotton candy Lien run out. When that goes, you go.
“I don’t think that’s really critical to a good fair-”
Another thing to keep track of is your ticket count. Some rides don’t require tickets, but most do. One of the ones you can play for a few Lien a go is the Whack-a-Mole machine. They’re usually in the arcade area.
“Finally, you get to the interesting part,” commented Rarity. “What happened with that Whack-a-Mole machine?”
“Come one, come all!” he said. That was the hook. People always turn your way if you say that. “Test your speed with a hammer on my Whack-a-mole machine!”
“I’m fast with a hammer!” I said, a mouthful of cotton candy. “Let me play! Let me play!”
“Uh, sure!” said the man manning the station (see what I did there?). “5 Lein, please.” I placed the card onto the machine and took the hammer on the side.
“Only one?” I asked. “I like two myself, but that’s just me.” I took all my candy in my right hand and used the small hammer in my left.
“I can’t help but notice you keep calling it a ‘small hammer’,” said Rarity. “Don’t you use a mallet in a Whack-a-Mole?”
Oh, right. I took the mallet in one hand and started playing the game. Almost as soon as the game started, the first mole popped up. I brought the hammer down, but narrowly missed the head, the score not going up.
“Wha?” I asked myself. “I should’ve been able to hit that. My sugar level isn’t down is it?” Mole after mole, I couldn’t hit them. My 30 second counter was coming down to the last ten seconds.
“Heheheh,” snickered the machine. “You’re too slow!”
“You’ll see!” I lifted the mallet high and slammed it down onto one of the spots. The force was enough to make the ground around the machine rumble and crack. I didn’t see this, of course. If I did, I wouldn’t have kept swinging and screaming “Bam, bam bam, BAM BAM BAM BAM!”
“I’m a little scared to ask you where your mind was at the time,” said Rarity. “The machine wasn’t broken yet?”
Well, no. It wasn’t until the machine said it’s last words to me that it was broken beyond all recognition. In the middle of my rampage, it whispered a few, quiet words.
“-Too… slow…” I then brought my full force onto the machine, a bunch of dust kicking up where the machine used to be.
“Pinkie Pie, you do realize you allowed yourself to be intimidated by a machine. You do know this, right?”
The silence that followed my scene lasted for a while. The owner was making noises of incredibility! Incredible disbelief, that is.
“How?” He asked. “How could you, no, did you do this?"
“Ahahah,” I said. “I’m sorry. I kinda got a little out of hand there.”
“You think?” he said looking at the ground. “Well, my machine is completely totaled. I want a refund.”
“A… a refund?” I grinned. “Aren’t I supposed to be the one asking for a refund?”
“All I know is that if I don’t have 800 Lien in my hand by the end of the day, your going to be in big trouble,” he said. “Don’t think about running either. Your quite easy to describe.
“He’s right you know,” said Rarity. “Anyone could see your puffy pink hair from a mile away and tell it’s you.”
You’re right. I couldn’t run away. Also, I’m surprised you didn’t comment on his wrong “you’re”.
“His what?”
Anywho, I was in trouble. A lot. I had to come up with a plan, or else I could end up in jail, or worse! I could be banned from eating sweets for a whole month!
“Hey guys,” said Rainbow Dash as she entered our room. “What’re you doing with the camera, Pinkie?”
“She’s cataloging her day,” answered Rarity. “It’s quite the strange tale. I suggest you listen in.”
Okay, Rainbow Dash. You’ll have to read up if you want to find out what happened. As for Rarity, my plan was simple. All I had to do was get some Lien. The fair is also a perfect place to make money, you know? All you have to do is have a really good idea and a price. I know good ideas.
“No doubt, Pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash. “What, did you set up shop or something?”
Rainbow Dash! How did you know I set up a shop?
“Wait, you actually-”
Of course, most games offered tickets. I wasn’t technically supposed to set up my own booth, and couldn’t redeem the tickets for actual Lien. Taking all of this into account, I got the perfect plan.
I’d set up an arm wrestling booth.
“That seems… unfair,” said Rarity. “I don’t know exactly, but aren’t you able to lift a ton?”
I was planning on trying a ton this weekend! Thanks for the reminder, Rarity!
“Oh, well, you’re quite welcome, although I’m not sure my reminder will be especially good for your health.”
“She’ll be fine,” said Rainbow Dash sipping on a juice box. “She’s a tough girl.”
Anyway, I got myself a good table and stools, made myself a sign and gathered a crowd using my award winning business tactic.
“I am the strongest in the world!” I yelled to the entire fair through my megaphone. “I’m the strongest Huntress ever! Don’t think so?! Beat me in an arm wrestling contest, and get a Lien prize!”
“Few questions,” said Rainbow Dash. “First, how did you get a table, stools, and a megaphone? Second, I’m pretty sure you’re not the strongest Huntress that ever lived. You’re only a freshman, remember?”
“That’s the thing, Rainbow Dash,” said Rarity. “I may not understand Pinkie’s ability to come up with that stuff, but her strategy actually makes sense.”
“I don’t get it,” said Rainbow Dash. “Who’s gonna believe some random girl on the side of the road screaming she’s the best there ever was, is, and will be?”
“You’ll see.”
People came to my table like I was baking cupcakes! Huntsmen, Huntresses. I think I even saw Luna there.
“30 Lien says I’m taking that prize home,” said Huntsmen. “10 Lien’s all I got, but if I win, I can get a new battle skirt,” said Huntresses. No matter who they were, none of them could beat me. Before I knew it, I had already 520 Lien! I think that’s when people started thinking that the game was rigged.
And if there was anyone who could sniff that out, it’d be my best frenemy Trixie!
“‘Frenemy’?” asked Rarity. “You call that walking punching bag full of pride a friend?”
Of course not! I call her my frenemy. She’s not good enough to become my rival yet, so I call her my frenemy.
“I don’t think you notice it at times, but you’re being savage Pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the pink one,” said someone in the crowd during one of my matches. I recognized the voice, but I couldn’t quite make it out. So, instead of paying attention to the match, I looked up. “What is your name again? Pizza Pie?”
“No, silly!” I said, keeping the person’s arm in the middle of the table. “That’s my third cousin twice removed!”
“Trixie see you’re running a… what is this?” she asked.
“It’s an arm wrestling stand!” I said, slowly pushing my opponent's hand down. “Do you want to try?”
“Does Trixie? Why would she do such a brutish thing?”
“Well, I thought that since you’ve never beaten me in combat, you could try to beat me at something else.” Trixie looked pretty angry when I said that.
“What are you insinuating?” she said. “Trixie could beat you with both hands behind her back!”
“Great!” I touched my opponent's hand onto the end of the table. “Are you ready?”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie is always ready,” she said. “How much Lien have you collected so far?”
“I think it’s something around 600-”
“Trixie will raise you 300!” she said, placing 300 Lien on the table. “I will be taking home a hearty prize of 900 Lien once this is over.”
“How dumb is that child?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Pretty dumb.” answered Rarity.
“Thanks!” I said. “If you win, maybe you can buy a trainer to help you with your fighting!” Trixie sat and slammed her elbow onto the table.
“Enough chit chat!” she said. “Face me, now!”
We both placed our elbows on the table and locked fingers. I looked into her eyes as she stared back into mine. I put my other hand into the air and flicked it downwards, signaling the beginning of the match.
For the record, I didn’t mean to slam Trixie into the table.
“Jesus, Pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash with a snicker. “You think you could hit her harder?”
I haven’t even gotten to that part yet!
“Really?” asked Rarity. “Why didn’t you take it easy?”
I felt that if I held back, she wouldn’t accept it. After the match, I collected the card and fist bumped my success. I started to head to the Whack-a-Mole machine when Trixie started getting up.
“What?!” said Trixie slowly getting to her feet. “I-I wasn’t ready!”
“Sorry, Trixie,” I said waving goodbye. “I’ll see you back at school then!”
I skipped towards the man who I owed money to. I nearly made it but stopped to bat a card out of the air. I already knew that Trixie wasn’t happy with me, but a large smile plastered my face anyways.
“Do not walk away from me!” she said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie demands satisfaction!”
“If you say so,” I said putting the Lien card in my pocket. “I’m sorry, in advance!”
“You will be sorry!” I smacked another card out of the air, reached down to my hip and withdrew my weapons.
Ironically, they were mallets. They’re about the length of my forearm and are made of pure silver. They’re only about 60 pounds, so I can tote them with ease.
“Wait, why silver?” asked Rarity.
Cause what if I come across a vampire?
“Don’t you mean werewolf?”
No silly. Vampires!
“I… I give up, Pinkie.”
I clenched the curved handle and ran towards Trixie.
“W-wait!” I stopped just short of the head crashing into her stomach.
“Hm?” I said. “Are you ready this time?”
“Ha!” she flicked a card at my face, cutting into my Aura. She jumped back and flicked another card into her hand. “Amature.”
“Pinkie, did you really fall for that?” said Rarity. “Come on, now.”
Hold up, it gets better. Once I realized she played a trick on me, I smiled bigger than before! Right then, I considered her a rival. So there was no need to hold back, right?
“Pinkie, I don’t think you know what holding back is,” said Rainbow. “Sometimes, you just don’t try as hard, but I definitely wouldn’t call it holding back.”
So, in celebration of her becoming my rival, I hit her in the chin with my mallet.
“Your logical procession is an anomaly,” said Rarity. “Celebrations normally don’t involve any direct pain.”
Have you ever been to one of my birthday parties? I’ll have to invite you one day.
“I’m quite alright”
Anyway, when I hit her, she was launched into the air. I flipped the handle, breaking it in half. The head twisted to become straight with the handle. The bottom has a huge hole in it, the large grenades inside ready to be fired. I aimed, and shot, the blast casting a shadow over everything under it.
“You shot a live grenade… at Trixie… in the middle of a fair?” asked Rarity. “She’s still alive?”
Of course! My rival wouldn’t die so easily!
“Changing ‘rival’ to ‘plaything’ wouldn’t yield much of a difference, now that I think about it,” said Rarity. “How can you take her seriously?”
I take everything seriously!
“No, Pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash. “No, you do not.”
Anyway, Trixie wasn’t giving up. By now, more than a few stalls were packing their bags, ready to go home. If I didn’t hurry, the stall owner would go to the police! I’d be in a lot of trouble then. I placed one of my mallets in its place on my belt.
“What’s this?” said Trixie as she panted and heaved. “Not taking this fight seriously? Your pride will be your downfall.”
“Sorry in advance, Trix!” I changed the ground around her feet to mud, then wrapped the mud around her ankles, hardening it once again. She looked at her feet in disbelief.
“You think that dirt will stop The Great and-”
For the record, I didn’t mean to break Trixie’s ribs… again. Heheh.
“You’ve broken a lot of things,” said Rainbow Dash.
“So is her nature, apparently,” continued Rarity, with a sip of tea.
Well, Trixie was flying for a while. She hit the dirt eventually, apparently fracturing a few bones. I couldn’t stay to see what happened to her because the sun was already coming down. I turned and bolted toward the Whack-a-Mole.
“It’s about time you got here,” said the man, eagerly waiting in a chair. “I wasn’t able to get any money today, so I hope you’ve got the-” I showed the man the card and he raised his eyebrow.
“Here you are, friend!” I said. He reluctantly took the cards. “Well, it’s getting pretty late. I have to get home before I get in more trouble. Bye!” I skipped away and got back here before 9 last night.
“That’s why?” asked Rarity. “What a peculiar tale. I assume this is the end?”
Well… not exactly.
“What do you mean, ‘not exactly’?” asked Rainbow. “Didn’t you pay off your debt?”
Yes, but I may have gone overboard with Trixie. Take a look at this.
“What is it? A letter?” asked Rarity.
“Read it out loud.” The door opened and our final teammate walked in. Fluttershy surveyed the room and gave a quiet hello to everyone.
“Ms. Pinkamena Diane Pie,” started Rarity. “We regret to inform you have been charged with the following: Damage to property, assault, disorderly conduct, disruption of peace, and theft. The person who has issued such claims is one Trixie Nala Lulamoon. a court date has been scheduled for you.”
“Pinkie…” said Rainbow Dash. “How could you screw up so hard?”
“Pinkie is going to jail?!” asked a frightened Fluttershy. “B-but, we need you!”
Don’t worry! I’m amazing at working a crowd! Have I ever told you about how I escaped 3 murder charges?
“That never happened,” said Rainbow. “Plus, the camera’s still running.”
Oh. Hehe. Well, That was my day. Have a good one, readers!
“That reminds me,” said Rarity. “Who, exactly, are you telling this story-”
“I assume I’ve made your job clear enough?” asked Luna. “If so, deal with it as soon as possible. We would rather you stay home, in fact. My Sister and I would be foolish to spare one of our teams so close to the Vytal Tournament.”
“It’s o-okay, Professor,” said Fluttershy nervously. “We will try our hardest.”
“Nevertheless, thank you. Beacon wishes you the best of luck, Team Frappe.” The Scroll conversation ended as Fluttershy shifted uneasily in her seat.
“Chill, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash. “We’ve been on missions before. No need to be so jumpy.”
“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash,” apologized Fluttershy. “It’s just… I’ve never been far from Vale before. I’m scared of what’s out there.”
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy!” said Pinkie as energetically as always. “We’ve got your back!”
“Honestly,” commented Rarity. “This mission will be far from our toughest as candidates for the Vytal Tournament.”
“I’m still hyped about that,” said Rainbow Dash. “We’re only first years, but we’re cool enough to get into the tourney on our first try.”
“Yes, it is quite ‘cool’,” said Rarity with a smile. “Fluttershy?”
“Yes?”
“We’ll be landing soon, I believe,” she said. “You should debrief us and give orders.”
“It’s not like Fluttershy can make her own decisions, or anything…” said Rainbow Dash sarcastically. It warranted a scoff from Rarity.
“Oh, o-of course,” she said, clearing her throat. “We have to find a Huntress, reported missing a few days ago. Celestia says she’s probably still alive, because of the odd signals coming from this spot here.” She pulled up a map on her Scroll. “She also went missing somewhere around here.”
“Excellent, Fluttershy,” said Rarity. “And what is her name?”
“Uh… I think it’s Lilith Crimson.”
“Okay then,” said Rainbow Dash, punching her palm. “Let’s go kick some ass!”
“Silly Dashie,” said Pinkie. “We’re on a rescue mission, remember?”
“Let’s go save some ass then kick some ass!” she revised.
As Rarity had suspected, the Bullhead they were riding in came to slow stop. Underneath the Bullhead was the vast expanses of space between Vale and Vacuo, two kingdoms of Remnant. A forest carpeted the entire area, leaving only a few patches of open space.
“We should break up into two teams,” suggested Rarity. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”
“Okay, Commander Rarity,” said Rainbow. “Come on Pinkie. You’re rolling with me.”
“Are we rocking, too?” asked Pinkie, jumping to the forest below.
“We should depart as well,” said Rarity, placing a hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “We wouldn’t want to fall behind.”
“I see.” Fluttershy took her weapons, Blanc, and Noir, into her hands. “Team Frappe, move out!”
This forest was unlike the Emerald Forest. Normally, the unknown was a scary thing. The very fact of ignorance could make a Huntsman shake in their boots.
They weren’t too focused on ignorance, though. They just had fun hitting Creatures of Grimm. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, in the midst of battle, came to realize their love for being Huntresses.
“Hey, Pinkie,” said Rainbow, finishing off a Boarbatusk. “You see any kind of people around here?”
“Nope,” she said, firing a grenade into the chest of a Beowolf. “Too busy thinking about cupcakes.”
“You’re always thinking about sweets, Pinkie Pie.” A Beowolf howled throughout the forest, attracting all different types of Grimm. Rainbow Dash sighed in boredom. “Hey, speaking of sweet. Wanna see my new move?”
“Oooh,” said Pinkie interestedly. She jumped on the floor, crossed legged, and grabbed a bag of popcorn from seemingly nowhere. Rainbow Dash turned away from her and took a deep breath.
The world slowed down, and Rainbow’s body enveloped in light. She stepped towards the Beowolf and put a fist into its gut. Before it could dissipate, she turned to a Boarbatusk that was just emerging from the forest and brought a knee to its snout. She felt like she could take all the Grimm in the forest.
Then, the world sped back up.
“Wow, Dashie!” said Pinkie in awe. “That was amazing!”
“It’s supposed to go for longer than that, though,” said Rainbow in disappointment. She had no idea that Grimm were still advancing and, had Pinkie not been there, her lack of attention may have killed her.
Pinkie hurled her hammer at an Ursa that was about to claw into Rainbow Dash’s back. The hammer bounced off of the Ursa’s mask, causing it to recoil backwards. Pinkie ran up, grabbed the handle, and changed it to make the head sharp, like a pickaxe, and stabbed it into the Ursa’s stomach. Rainbow Dash pulled her fist back and hit the Ursa in the chin, knocking it off of its feet. Finally, Pinkie brought the head of the hammer onto the Ursa’s face, making it fall into black dust.
“Victory!” yelled Pinkie Pie, raising her hand for a high five. Rainbow Dash graciously accepted.
“Yeah,” she said with a smile. Another roar echoed throughout the forest, bringing a groan to Rainbow’s lips. “I should’ve stayed in bed today.”
“Scared, Fluttershy?”
“Well… a little..”
“I figure. Does a forest feel more comforting than a cafeteria?”
“...Somewhat.” Fluttershy concentrated. “There are three Grimm up ahead.”
"So... if a tree falls in the forest, and there is nobody around to hear it..."
"It would make a sound, yes," said Fluttershy. "Besides, I could probably pick it up anyways."
“I still can’t get over the usefulness of your antennae,” complimented Rarity. “How do Grimm smell, anyway?”
“Different from humans and Faunus,” she said. “We should go around-” An explosion rang out in the forest, much to the silent disapproval of Rarity.
“I shouldn’t have let those two go together,” said Rarity. “They’re not going to get any work done that way.”
“M-Maybe they’re doing it their own way,” said Fluttershy, maneuvering around the cluster of Grimm. Rarity caught up quickly. “I just hope they’ll be okay…”
“Sorry, Fluttershy,” apologized Rarity. “I should really let you make your own decisions. You are the leader, after all.”
“Oh, no,” said Fluttershy. “I’m very grateful for your directions. I don’t know what to do sometimes, and you’re always so helpful.”
“Not at all, darling,” she said. “Now, where were we?”
“I…” Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment. “I didn’t expect them to move...”
“Nevermind it,” said Rarity, readying her already drawn needle-swords. “I’ll deal with these three.”
“But I can help,” said Fluttershy, stepping up to Rarity with her weapons. “I am a Huntress too.”
“I can assume that you are fired up, then?” she asked.
“Y-yes,” she answered. The Ursa charged towards the two Huntresses, but the Huntresses were both smiling. Neither of them felt anything but excitement.
Rarity took the lead, striking the first of the Ursa and quickly after spun on her heel and sliced upwards on the second Ursa just behind it. Fluttershy, moving swiftly, was able to dodge the first two strikes from the third Ursa. Flipping out the long side of Noir, the left baton, she jabbed it into its stomach, following up with an electrified punch from Blanc, the right tonfa.
Rarity would have no trouble repelling the two Ursa. In a fight against Rarity, time was not your friend. As the Ursa’s continued to flail their arms, Rarity’s Sphere was getting bigger. This sphere was her Semblance. As Rarity concentrated, she could establish a “sphere” where she could dodge anything, block anything, and find exactly where to strike. It took an amazing amount of concentration, though. Something only Rarity could pull off.
Soon, when both of the Ursa were covered in her influence, she was able to locate the best place to cut. With a flick of the wrist, deep gashes appeared over the chests of the Ursa, dropping them both to the ground.
Fluttershy wasn’t having too much of a problem with her match either. Fluttershy was purely on offensive, jabs, smacks and kicks in rapid succession. Fluttershy dashed behind the Ursa, and brought the short end of the tonfa into the Ursa’s back, bringing it to the ground. She jumped into the air and slammed down with a lot of force, electricity surging through the Ursa, smashing it into black specks of light. Rarity clapped in celebration of Fluttershy’s win.
“Well done, Fluttershy,” said Rarity. “Well done indeed.”
“T-thank you…” responded Fluttershy. “Pinkie’s been practicing with me…”
“I never noticed it until now, but your weapons.” Rarity ran her finger down the side of Fluttershy’s tonfa. “They are very well made, no?”
“Uhm... “ said Fluttershy. “I don’t know…”
“You’ve named them, right?”
“This one is named Noir,” said Fluttershy, bringing up the one clad in white. “The other one is Blanc. Rainbow Dash said I should change them to their opposite colors.”
“Maybe I should name my own weapons,” sid Rarity, lifting her weapons. “Something to give them more personality.”
“Well… you like to make dresses, so maybe you should name them after something like that.” Fluttershy suggested. “I-I mean, only if you want to…”
“I see,” she said, thinking it over. After a few seconds, she smiled. “Silk.” She raised one needle. “And Satin.” She raised the other.
“Wow,” said Fluttershy. “Those are great names.”
“Thank you, darling,” said Rarity. “We should get going. Lilith is still out here somewhere.”
“She must be so scared…” Rarity walked forward, but stopped and turned. She extended her hand forward.
“After you, leader.”
“Ugh. I’m bored,” said Pinkie, practically dragging herself across the forest. “Aren’t there any more Grimm to fight?”
“Not that I know of, Pinkie Pie,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Have you seen Lilith yet?”
“If I saw Lilith don’t you think you would’ve seen-”
“What’s that?” asked Pinkie, gleefully skipping towards a tree. There seemed to be some kind of scratches in the bark. “I think it says, ‘left’. What does that mean?”
“I think we should go left,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Or maybe we should go right!”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well,” started Pinkie. “If it was left by Lilith, then maybe she wanted to confuse the Grimm!”
“Grimm can’t read, Pinkie,” said Rainbow Dash. “Or… maybe they can… I dunno. Cheerilee's class is dumb.”
“C-Cheerilee?” asked a voice. “Miss Cheerilee?” Rainbow Dash jumped back and looked into the trees. A woman was cowering above her.
“Who the hell are you?” asked Rainbow Dash. “If you say anything other than Lilith-”
“Y-yes!” she stuttered. “My name is Lilith Crimson. Who are you two?”
“My name is Pinkie Pie,” said Pinkie loudly. “We’re here to save you!”
“Save… me?”
“Yeah,” answered Rainbow Dash. “You know, from the forest?”
“You’re here to bring me back to Beacon!?” she asked excitedly. “R-really?”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow Dash. “We found you, so I should call in the Bullhead.”
“Thank you!’ she said, overjoyed. “W-wait. Is my team okay?”
“Yeah they are,” said Pinkie reassuringly. “They came to Celestia telling her to come help you!”
“So… they do care,” she said. Her voice changed from that of relief to one of ominous sadness. She quickly changed back, though. “Uh, nevermind! Let me get my things.” She jumped down from the tree and started walking to the right.
“Ha,” said Pinkie Pie. “Told you it was to the right.”
“You two stay here,” she said. “I’ll… be right back.”
“You betcha!” Pinkie yelled. “We won’t even move an inch.”
Lilith disappeared into the forest, leaving the two alone. Pinkie entered a mode of pure stillness. Rainbow Dash sat near a tree and waited.
“Should we have let her go by herself?” asked Rainbow Dash. “She didn’t look like she had any weapons. Pinkie didn’t respond, much to Rainbow Dash’s annoyance. “Pinkie, I think you can move an inch.”
“But what if Lilith was expecting me to be in this exact spot?” she asked. “Then, she wouldn’t know where I went, and be thrown into a fit of panic!”
“You’re being more extreme than normal, now.” Rainbow Dash shuffled a bit. “Seriously, Pinkie. Something is just… throwing me off, you know? About Lilith.”
“What about Lilith?” asked Pinkie Pie, still reluctant to move from her spot. “Is it her hair?”
“No…” Rainbow sighed. “Maybe I’m being paranoid, but this whole situation just seems weird. Lilith’s team just left her out here to die?”
“Seems like that,” answered Pinkie. “You wouldn’t leave me out here, right Dashie?”
“Sure I wouldn’t, Pinkie Pie,” she said. “Why would her team either? Then, they just up and ask for help getting her back…”
“You’re thinking about everything too much, Dashie,” said Pinkie. “I’m sure Lilith has a perfectly valid explanation. We’ll ask her when she gets back.”
“Yeah, maybe,” said Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash felt a small prick on her shoulder. It went away after she scratched it, but came back soon after. It slowly escalated into a burning pain.
“Dashie?” asked Pinkie. “You’re fidgeting a lot.”
“Yeah, my arm is hurting for some reason.” She tried to get up but fell back to the ground. She didn’t feel especially weak. She tried again but was faced with the same result. “Jeez, what is up with me?”
Pinkie extended her hand, which Rainbow Dash graciously took. With an iron grip, she grabbed hold of her hand, stopping her from escape. Pinkie had no way to evade the small blade coming out of Rainbow’s palm, cutting into her own. Her struggling was suddenly stopped and she fell to the ground, hair un-poofing and becoming flat and straight. Lilith’s hand gripped Rainbow’s shoulder gently as she leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
“I think you should take a rest. Sleep…”
“Something seems off…” said Rarity quietly. “I haven’t heard any ‘bangs’ or ‘booms’ in a while.”
“They’ve probably stopped fighting,” said Fluttershy, above Rarity in the trees.
“I wonder if they’ve found Lilith yet,” she continued. “I guess that if they had, Pinkie would shout really loud.”
“Most likely…” said Fluttershy.
“Am I boring you, by any chance?”
“N-no,” said Fluttershy reluctantly. “I don’t have any problem with a bit of conversation…”
“I can smell a human,” she reported. “It’s still pretty faint, though. It must be pretty far away-” A shrill shriek rang out through the forest, putting both Rarity and Fluttershy on guard.
“And that?” asked Rarity.
“I-It didn’t sound like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie…” said Fluttershy. “I don’t think it was too far away from here.”
“That might be Lilith,” said Rarity rushing deeper into the forest. “Come one, Fluttershy! We must act with haste!”
“O-okay!” Fluttershy ran after her, quickly catching up with her on the ground. Once they entered a clearing, a woman with crimson hair stood with a small dagger in her hand, surrounded by two Beowolves. Fluttershy and Rarity were prepared to fight, but Rainbow Dash and Pinkie descended from the trees, taking the two Grimm out with one shot each.
“Ah, you two,” said Rarity, sheathing her weapons. “I was wondering when you’d-”
“Are you okay?” said Rainbow Dash turning to the unknown girl.
“I don’t know what we’d do if we’d lost you,” said Pinkie. Her hair was down, which was unusual for her. “Oh. Hello, Fluttershy. Rarity.”
“Hello…” said Rarity. “What happened to your hair?”
“Explain,” she said plainly.
“It’s… flat…” said Fluttershy quietly. “You normally keep it big…”
“That is irrelevant,” said Pinkie. “We’ve found Lilith, so shouldn’t we call in the Bullhead?”
“This is Lilith?” asked Rarity skeptically.
“We met her a few minutes ago,” said Rainbow Dash, suddenly speaking up. She was acting just like Pinkie. “Again, shouldn’t we call in a Bullhead?”
I-I guess…” Fluttershy flipped open her Scroll and entered a conversation with the Headmistress, Celestia. Once the call opened, a voice played through the speakers.
“Hello, Professor Celestia speaking,” said Celestia.
“U-Uhm…” said Fluttershy into the mic. “This is Team Frappe. We’ve… found Lilith here and would like to request a Bullhead to come pick us up.”
“Will do, Fluttershy,” she said. “A Bullhead will come to pick you up soon.”
“Thank you, Professor.” The scroll conversation ended and Fluttershy put her scroll away. Once she turned around, Pinkie stood directly in front of her, Rainbow Dash in front of Rarity.
Pinkie grasped Fluttershy’s hand and flung her over her shoulder. Crashing to the ground hard, Fluttershy gasped as all the air was taken from her. Rarity was put into a similar position by Rainbow Dash. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash both planted knees into their respective prey, keeping them immobile.
“What is the meaning of this?!” Rarity roared. “Let me go this instant!”
“Sorry that I had to be so rough with you two,” said Lilith, the crimson haired Huntress. “I just couldn’t have you guys catching on to me. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that I take good care of your bodies.” She motioned towards Rarity, making Rainbow Dash draw a dagger from her palm. She plunged this dagger into Rarity’s shoulder, causing her to slump to the ground.
“Rarity!” yelled Fluttershy. “R-Rarity?”
“Your friends are all under my control now,” said Lilith. “Sovereignty is a beautiful dagger, no?” Fluttershy started to cry. She couldn’t think of anything else to do. Reduced, once again to a weak and helpless Huntress, she cursed her own lack of power.
It may be hard to be me, but I’d gladly face the hardships for my friends.
My... Friends…
A hearty boom echoed throughout the forest, taking everyone by surprise. Lilith looked around as if she was expecting an attack, and Pinkie straightened up, giving me some leeway.
“I’m sorry, Pinkie Pie.” Fluttershy wriggled free of Pinkie’s grasp and pushed herself backwards. Now free, everyone’s attention turned to her. “I promise you all! I will bring you back, even if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Mind your words, girl,” said Lilith with a smirk. “Pinkie, cut her.” Pinkie made her way to Fluttershy, a small dagger appearing out of her hand, swiping and stabbing with it. Although she was strong, she had no experience with daggers. With a simple parry, Fluttershy was able to get the upper hand and knock Pinkie back.
“I’ve been waiting,” said Fluttershy confidently. “Today, right now, I will show you why I’m called a leader!”
“Ha. Talking like you’re important!’ said Lilith. “If a leader is so important, why did my team discard me, huh?!”
“What are you... talking about?”
“‘We’re running away from Grimm’? We could’ve stood against them! They didn’t have to leave me...”
“You’re team?” asked Fluttershy. “T-They’re the ones who asked us to come and get you!”
“They don’t care about me!” she yelled. “That’s why I’ll use you and your friends to show them just what I think about their ‘kindness’!”
“Just let me and my friends go!” yelled Fluttershy. “I… I want to live with my friends so we can help you live with yours!” Lilith began laughing maniacally, bringing Sovereignty to her face.
“Let’s see whose wishes prevail, my dear!” She flicked her dagger forwards, leading the three Huntresses towards Fluttershy. In response, Fluttershy placed Noir and Blanc together and flipped it to make a longer stick. At the very end, a small hole was present, allowing Fluttershy to blow into it.
The sound was high. High enough to make Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie stop in their tracks. Once she was done, the forest shook as a flock of different birds burst into the clearing, impairing everyone’s sight and movement. Except Fluttershy.
Moving quickly, she broke the tonfa apart and ran towards Lilith. Just before it connected, Pinkie jumped in front of it, taking the hit for her.
“They can’t protect you forever, Lilith!” said Fluttershy, going for another jab. This time, Rarity took the hit. “They’re my friends and I won’t let you take them away from me!” Another blow was blocked by Rainbow Dash. With all of the Huntresses out of the way, Lilith had nothing to protect her but her dagger. Fluttershy pulled her fist back and brought her full power onto Lilith’s hand, shattering the dagger and sending Lilith backwards.
It was the most thrilling thing Fluttershy ever experienced.
Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all fell to the ground while Lilith stumbled backwards, her shattered knife still in her hands.
“M-my knife…” said Lilith, falling to her knees. “You couldn’t have… my knife…”
“My friends give me my strength,” said Fluttershy. “You gave up on your friends. They want you to come back, so…” The Bullhead pulled above, blocking the sun. In the shade of the Bullhead, Fluttershy extended her hand with a smile. “Will you?”
“Damn you,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “Damn you to hell…”
Fluttershy gave her a hug, making her break down into genuine tears.
“It’s okay,” said Fluttershy. “It’s okay.”
It takes a certain strength to befriend an enemy. A strength only Fluttershy possesses. A leader’s intuition that grows with time was blooming inside of her. It would take ahold and make her into a great leader, no doubt.
Rarity, the older of two sisters: both with misguided hate towards the other. This hate will soon spark a conflict that neither will have any control over, either of the sisters realizing their impending downfall.
Rainbow Dash, a brash and arrogant braggart. Surely her path, however short, can only be one of the grandiose exploits. The question, however, is not what her fall will be, rather what will she do at the fall of others before her?
Finally, Pinkie Pie. A psychopathic party animal with almost no sense of danger. It's good that she’s so strong-willed. She, like everyone else, has something to live down. Somewhere out there, a different path lied. The very existence of it made her grin with delight.
Team Frappe: a team of four Huntresses- No. A team of four friends heading to the Vytal Festival, ready to take the world by storm.
