Ponyville's First Warrior Meet

by Wise Cracker

First published 6th of December, 2016

The Cutie Mark Crusaders become apprentice ninjas when a grandmaster visits Ponyville! But why won't Scootaloo invite her martial artist friend over, too? And who is the mysterious Hammer, the Boy In Alicorn Armour?

(Cover art relevant to chapter 19.)

It's been a few months since Scootaloo learned to fly at Flight Camp, and she still hasn't brought her flying buddy over for some strange reason. But an opportunity presents itself: the Warrior Meet, a gathering of martial artists from all over Equestria and a chance to get lessons from the best. Surely that's enough reason for the little martial artist to finally come to Ponyville?

But a lot has changed since Flight Camp, and Scootaloo is reluctant to admit just what. As if that wasn't enough, the girls have to contend with an armoured alicorn prince and a ninja school hiding an even greater threat... one closer to home.

It's a whirlwind journey of self-discovery, complete with action, drama, comedy, and, of course, flashbacks interrupting the action, drama, and comedy! Also weekly updates! Expect a chapter every Saturday, and exclamation marks in the chapter titles, like any good manga.

Prologue: Royal Visit! The Bullhead's New Path!

Doldrum Whimper moaned as his stomach turned. He was shaking all over and his breath came in ragged. “I-I don’t fuh-feel so good.”

“It’s alright, Whimper. Three tries of the Spear Test will do that to you,” Princess Luna conjured up a bucket just in case the boy lost his dinner.

The blue pegasus colt leaned over the bucket, heaving and burping but never really letting go. Beads of sweat rolled down his brow. “I can’t see. I didn’t think it’d be like this. Rainbow Dash didn’t tell me it’d be like this.”

“No, I imagine she wouldn’t.” The Princess looked around the residence carved out of a tree. It was a common design she remembered from before her imprisonment, one she was told even persisted for Ponyville library, despite it being a new town and all. Bogsdown was quite old, though. While she didn’t remember the little hills being quite the way they were, Luna felt oddly at home here.

Although, if she had to be perfectly frank, that might have been due to the company. Doldrum Whimper had quite the reputation among the Canterlot elite, at least those involved in martial arts. Having felled a demon who waylaid his friend, he was clearly not a boy to be trifled with. Judging from appearances, though, Luna was right to intervene here. With a toned physique that resembled that of a weightlifter, or at least a workhorse, the young colt clearly had a great strength, inner and outer. But the one encounter that had given him his niche of fame had left marks that needed to be dealt with properly.

As he lay there, face in the bucket, Luna wondered what had finally convinced the boy to seek her help. She’d offered it freely right after the incident, of course, and Shining Armour assured her the message had arrived. Still he’d waited for months to reply. Perhaps it was his sense of pride, or fear.

He pulled himself together, flapping his wings to try and get some sensation back into them. He looked dizzy, which wasn’t at all surprising. He still looked scared, though, and that was surprising. Normally the process should be giving him some relief by now.

“Feel better?” the alicorn asked.

“A little,” he replied meekly, his voice a hushed whisper. It reminded her of Fluttershy, actually, and the lessons in soft speaking Luna had so eagerly taken to heart. “So what happens now?”

“Now? Now that your body is recovering from the shock, we have some time to talk before your parents return from the hospital. I have some questions that I’d like answered, and I know you must have some queries as well. So, before we go any further, I need to know what Rainbow Dash told you at Flight Camp. She explained your current condition, did she not?”

Whimper nodded. “Uhuh. She said my body’s starting to think, that I’m going to get this energy flowing through me. She said I’d change inside, that I'd start to glow or something.”

The Princess of the Night weighed that response in her mind. “That is... true, in a sense. It’s the simple explanation, I suppose. What you have is known by many names, and it’s more common than you think. A primal fear response can shut down the rational mind, and the body thinks instead, for a short time. Sometimes the body decides it would be better to keep on doing the thinking, and certain parts of the brain become more active while others are pushed to the background. That is what you were coping with: a conflict between mind and body. One Self battling the other for control.”

“And that’s why I kept blacking out. Why I started doing things without knowing it. And when I got angry-”

Luna sighed as the boy shyly covered up the embarrassing revelation he was about to make. “When you got angry, your body would go into overdrive and you would go mad with rage, I know and I am sorry. One of the side effects of the body and mind becoming more aligned is an increase in physical strength, but it can come with mood swings, rather violent ones in your case. I was only informed of the shock you’d suffered. Had I known your condition was getting worse, I’d have come here without your request.”

“Thanks,” Whimper answered with a nervous smile. “But I feel a lot better about it now, really. It feels like I know you, if you don’t mind me saying so, Your Majesty. Like we’ve met before, or something.”

Luna afforded herself a small grin at that. “We have met before, Whimper, technically. Do you remember the nights right after you felled Kludde? That voice ringing in your head, the shine of his blade and those tusks haunting your dreams?”

“Yeah, I do. But the dreams never went the way it actually happened, I don’t know why. There was always something else fighting him instead of me. I just thought that maybe I remembered it wrong,” the colt narrated, before looking up at the mare. “That was you?"

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make those nightmares go away. I tried, truly I did, but the wounds you suffered ran deeper than I could treat. It takes time. Your mind, body and spirit will start to balance themselves out again soon. You should be feeling some of it by now.”

Despite still being a shaky all over, he smiled and nodded. His breath slowed down, a good sign.

“Uhuh. My head feels clearer. It’s quiet again.” He smiled, and his ears twitched. “I can’t remember last time I had quiet like that.”

“Heightened sensitivity, I presume?”

He nodded. “Like every time I’m in a crowd, all the voices go right into my head. I can feel how other ponies are feeling.”

“Hmm, sounds familiar enough. Rising empathy does tend to cause a lot of white noise in the mind, especially in boys and stallions. But how do you feel right now, this very moment, physically? Any aches, any lights flashing in your eyes?” Luna asked, keeping her voice light so as not to disturb his shaken composure.

“Just this rumbling underneath my stomach, and my chest is a little tight,” the boy said, rubbing that muscular chest with a hoof.

Princess Luna took a deep breath, then shed the silver shoes on her front and hind hooves. All at once, the lights in the house flickered, and the air took on a different atmosphere. She moved a step closer and pointed a hoof at the boy.

“Alright, then. Doldrum Whimper, if you are feeling up to it, I would like to inspect you for any internal injuries. You’ve had several bursts going through your body with an energy it is not accustomed to. Normally it goes up the spine and into your head, energising nerves and glands along the way. In your case, with that much stress behind it, it may have gotten stuck. I cannot tell how far your body has gone by your mental state, or how much your body’s state is affecting your mind. I need to make certain both are in order before you proceed any further. If you have any injuries impeding your energy flow, the scarring can lead to a grave illness that no mere doctor can treat and a madness that no one can understand.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“I do not say this lightly, child. This is a very ancient and, in some countries, a forbidden technique. If I touch you now, if I do this properly, I can take control of your body. I can enter your mind and do as I please. I could rewrite everything that you think you are. All your secrets will be laid bare, and if you try to fight or break contact there is a chance a piece of me gets left behind that shouldn’t be there. While that wouldn't hurt, it would be quite unsettling, to say the least. You’ll be giving up any control to me, at least for a time. Does thou trust me with this?" Luna asked, slipping back into her old mannerisms for just a second.

The colt braced himself and closed his eyes. “Rainbow Dash already showed me how it feels. I can handle it.”

“Good,” Luna solemnly replied as she walked behind him placed a bare hoof on the boy's back. “Let’s see what we can find, shall we?”

Whimper tried his best to relax as he felt himself being watched, only on the inside. The princess kept her eyes closed as the little ball of perception fluttered around in his body, like a pearl, or a tiny moon.

“No scar tissue in your hind legs, good. Firm, strong muscles, not too stiff, that's a plus. Your whole musculature feels smoother than than I'd expect, no nicks or cuts. If I had to guess, that’s the Chuck Boulders method of training, is it not?”

“You know Chuck Boulders? I thought that was from before, you know.”

“It was, actually, but I have been catching up on the stories I’ve missed, and his was a fascinating one. Yes, you did well, from the looks of it. Your legs shouldn’t give you any trouble any time soon if you continue like this. No signs of any nutrient deficits, either. Healthy diet, good boy.”

He felt her rooting around through his memories, mostly from meals he’d had over the years. “My mom’s a dietetic nurse. It’s her job to get the right food for athletes or sick ponies who need to recover from something.”

“Ah, of course, Passiflora. Another interesting story. Right, let me just move along here.” Luna’s magical gaze carefully started at the base of his spine and settled on his stomach. “No need to linger on the bottom two rungs, those won’t give you any trouble at your age. Your belly area looks fine, as well, very toned but not too rigid yet. Perhaps a little more stretching, though: you’re not quite as flexible there as you are in your legs. You will need to be when you start glowing more strongly.”

“Okay. So I just need to stretch more and that’ll help. I was supposed to ask for some training advice, I think?”

“A good idea, yes, but you do not need a Princess to show you all of the exercises. Believe me, they are numerous, and not all of them are fit for everypony. You’ll find a lot of clues in old legends to help you progress, meditations and exercises you might not realise are written down. Once you know the effects of breathing exercises and meditation on your body, you’ll learn to read between the lines. A lot of symbols will start making sense. Chuck Boulders knew a few secrets of his own, actually, you should look into his writings again. In the meantime...” Luna trailed off as her eye reached his lungs, making the boy itch on his back.

“O-ow, that part’s tender.” Whimper’s whole body clenched.

Luna drew in a sharp breath through her teeth. “I can see that. That must be that birth defect I've heard so much about. And it's quite a severe case, too.”

“Y-yes, Ma’am. I can fly okay, but only if I don’t flap my wings too fast.”

“Nothing to be ashamed of. That’s how a lot of great flyers do it. And you built your strength despite your handicap. You didn’t give up. Most would have, especially at such a young age," the Princess offered.

“My friend got me into it, that’s all.”

“But your friend did not work to become as big as you are, now, did she?”

Whimper didn’t answer to that question. He blushed while that ethereal eye made its way towards his heart.

“Oh. I think I’ve found the clogging. There’s a very large knot here, Whimper. Your energy’s running quite well, it's still circulating and functional, but…”

“But?”

Luna opened her eyes, but didn’t break contact or withdraw her magic.

“That is a lot of anger you are holding, Whimper. I can feel it burning, even when it’s buried so deep. It narrows your flow, constricts around you. I’m surprised you don’t feel it now, pounding in your head. So much anger in such a little heart. Who put that there, I wonder?”

The boy shrugged. “I don’t know. I get teased because I'm slow, is all. Sports are really important in our school, and I can’t keep up in gym class. So ponies laugh at me. And the ones that don’t, feel sorry for me. I don’t wanna be treated like I’m sick, but I don’t wanna be forced to do something I know I can’t do and I can’t help. I never know what to do, I’m stuck. So I get angry when someone pushes me. I know it’s wrong, that I should turn the other cheek, but-“

“An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, but turning the other cheek leaves your whole face red,” Luna interrupted. “I understand completely. It’s alright to be angry, anger is as much a part of you as love is. It lets you fight the things you need to fight. You can use anger without being a bully, Whimper. And you do not need to push it down and let it burn the way it burns now. It’s only going to get worse if you let it stay like this.”

A single tear ran down the colt’s face. Luna could feel him tensing up for a moment, but he didn’t hold it long enough to cause her any real concern.

“I know. Rainbow Dash told me about all that. It’s just that, well, you weren’t around for a long time, right? We were always taught that princess Celestia is the one who protects good ponies. And good ponies are the ones who rely on friendship. I don’t feel friendship with the ponies that pick on me. I tried being nice and it doesn't work, it only makes me feel weaker. But I feel strong when I’m angry, I can stand up for myself and for my friend if I don't hold back. And when I got into a berserker rage, I beat a monster, a real monster.”

Luna blinked, confused. “Now how would a boy your age even know what a 'berserker rage' is?”

“Twilight Sparkle taught me at Flight Camp, too.”

“Ah. Yes, I suppose that’d do it,” came her snarky reply.

“I guess it just feels different, even if I know it’s right. Like I am good, but not good like everypony else.”

“Like you are not one of Princess Celestia’s little ponies, perhaps?” Princess Luna asked.

The boy nodded with a wince, no doubt realising the topic might be painful for the mare, all things considered.

“I think can relate to that. You have a different outlook on things, you don’t feel the same way as other ponies do. Perhaps it’s true: perhaps you aren’t one of Celestia’s little ponies.”

Whimper sighed at that suggestion.

“But you are most certainly one of my little ponies.”

The boy looked up. Slowly, carefully, Luna withdrew her hoof and her magic eye from his body, content at the little inspection. “My sister guards the light: things that are out in the open, the good inside and the masks ponies wear to fit in. I guard the shadow: my task is to guide those ponies who encounter fear and anger, emotions we try to hide. It is my duty to help ponies like you, and rest assured, what I have seen from you tonight gives me no real cause for concern.”

“Except the other changes that’ll happen, right?” he dared.

Luna rose up and looked down at the little pegasus. “Rainbow Dash told you about that, too, I take it?”

Whimper nodded. “She said my true self would come out. The part of me that’s in the shadow now, that’s gonna take over. The part that’s angry and uncivilised is going to be all there is soon. Even if I get it under control, I won’t be me anymore, will I? I’ll be the thing that fought that demon, for the rest of my life. I’m gonna turn into a bully, even if I don’t want to.”

“You’re half right. You will still be yourself, mind you. What you are now, at the surface, and what you are deep down, will mingle and form something new altogether. Your personality and body will become more in tune with each other, and that will change your perceptions, much as they have already. If your anger leads you to become a bully, then your abilities will suit those of a bully. Your defect might clear up as your energy rises, actually,” Luna offered.

“But Rainbow Dash said she couldn’t be sure it would. Will it?”

“You’re not thinking about this the right way yet, Whimper. You haven’t gotten the flashes of inspiration or insight that normally comes from your condition, only the reflexes. These things can't just be put in words. Believe me, I have had a great deal of time to contemplate it. You’ll understand what I mean in time. Suffice to say it is a complicated matter.”

“So it could happen? I could become as fast as any other pony?”

“Certainly. If you feel that strongly about it, I could cure your breathing defect right now, actually,” she said, smiling.

He cringed. “What?”

“I could put my hoof on you and flood your body with my energy and my magic. I could mend any imbalance in your magic and your body and complete your mental, physical and spiritual development right this instant. It wouldn’t hurt that much, either. As long as I flush out your soul properly, you wouldn’t be able to struggle hard enough to cause yourself any pain. All your inner conflicts, all your fears, everything that holds you back from your true potential would be washed away in the blink of an eye. Just one little touch, and your lungs would be cured, your body would be stronger, and you’d wake up in the morning with a horn,” Luna explained, smiling menacingly.

“B-beg your pardon, princess Luna?”

“If I offered, here and now, to turn you into an alicorn – a perfect prince, even – would you accept it?”

Whimper shook his head, lost for words.

“Of course you would. I told you I’d see all your secrets. I’ve seen that righteous anger that burns in your heart. You’re a young stallion of principle, fiercely protective of what he holds dear. You’d jump at the chance at becoming an alicorn. Even if it doesn’t stop the bullying, you’d at least have the power to do something about it.”

“I guess that’s true. So, are you going to, Your Highness? Turn me, I mean?”

She chuckled and started to put her shoes back on. “Of course not, that would be silly. That sort of transformation would leave too much of me in you and hardly anything remaining of yourself. You would act, talk and think in the same terms I do. It would mend everything, true, but it would do you no good. I will, however, give you this, just in case.”

Slowly, carefully, Luna extended her only unshod hoof towards Whimper’s chest. He didn’t see any glow, but he felt a coolness flow from her hoof to his heart. Once it was done, the Princess smiled. “There. Now you have a tiny piece of my magic in you. In time, it will meld with your own self, and it will help balance you out along the way.”

Whimper rubbed his chest, before clenching his eyes shut. “So, this isn’t going to turn me into an alicorn?”

Luna chuckled again, putting on her last shoe. “Not on its own, no. I couldn’t turn you simply to heal you; it would be unethical, and my sister would never let me hear the end of it. No, if I intervened on that level, there wouldn't be much of you at all for a few years, and by the time you manage to reach a high enough level of power you'd beg me to take back what I'd given you. I wouldn't be much of a guardian if I did that, now, would I?"

The colt chuckled at the thought. “No, I guess not.” Luna grinned as she swore she spotted an image twinkling in his eyes, namely that of him prancing around with an oversized crown on his head.

“Though between you and me, Doldrum Whimper, you may get a strange craving for croissants every now and again.” She winked at him. “Do not worry about it too much, though. It will not invade on your psyche, and it will return to me once you are properly healed. It won’t get you through all of your trials, but it will help prepare you for the worst ones. The burning in your heart, that clogging, you will have to mend on your own, or learn to adjust so it stops hurting. Some ponies do prefer to draw their power from that sort of thing.”

“So there’s no way I’m suddenly going to turn into an alicorn, right?”

Luna rolled her eyes. "Not because of anything I did, no, but I can’t be certain if you will not manage on your own. All things considered, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. But what I mean to say is: any changes that will happen, anything that shall be mended, that all needs to come naturally. That anger you are holding onto is yours to let go or to wield, or to be driven by. The choice is yours, and, as much as I would prefer one over the others, there are pros and cons to any of those options. So I leave that choice to you in good faith. If I were to force it, I wouldn't be doing you any good. Happiness is a very different thing for ponies like us, you see. It’s something that leads us down our paths, but it's not what we need to strive for. Do you understand that?”

“I think I do. Maybe,” the boy replied, pondering it.

“Good. Now, just because I shan’t force you into royalty, doesn’t mean I shall neglect your future. You have a very specific problem, and it is my sworn duty to find a suitable solution to it. So I'll tell you what: I shall have my personal physician write you a doctor’s note, and you’ll not have to take gym class again, ever,” the alicorn calmly declared.

“Really? Thank you, Your Highness. Isn’t that kind of unfair to the rest of my class, though? I mean, my problem was never enough of a reason to make an exception.”

“It is not your pain that concerns me, Doldrum Whimper. Your body is going to go through some more changes from now on, and some will be decidedly more drastic than others. Your strength will increase dramatically, I can attest to that. You’ll also find yourself going blind every once in a while again, especially the first few weeks. Never when you really can't afford to, though, rest assured. It's just not something you want to have to explain. It will also be safer for you to stay away from situations where you might get angry, given your heightened sensitivity. Regardless of how you handle it, that anger will come back to the forefront, with a vengeance. It’s best if you decide on how to deal with it carefully, with minimal risk of damage.”

“Oh. Makes sense.”

“However,” she said sternly with a hoof held up to emphasise her point, “you will not get this exemption without a compensation. You've already proven you are a competent fighter, and you clearly have the discipline to follow a regimen of physical exercise on your own, so I shall expect you to study martial arts more seriously now. Given your condition, it is the best way of learning control and developing your strength.”

He winced. “But, umm, I can’t really join any class here, Your Highness. They always run to warm up.”

“Perhaps, but some masters might make an exception. Besides, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try it on your own, even if you cannot attend a class with your handicap. It is also ideal for both your anger and bully problems, and it’ll help you learn natural movement, a crucial skill when your energy is rising. Furthermore, I shall expect you to attend any meetings or martial arts demonstrations that you can, to prove that you are making an effort. And when you feel ready, we can work something out regarding that medal the Royal Guard is hanging on to.”

“Eheh, yeah… not really sure how I should handle that,” Whimper nervously said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Give it time, and things will become clear. I shall send you some books that will let you get started on the basic movements and meditations. They use quite a lot of symbols, but I’m sure you can make sense of them,” Luna offered. “And there’s a shop in Canterlot you may want to visit sometime, but it’s not easy to find. I’ll make sure you have a map. Choose what suits you best, whether you decide to follow a master or not. Who knows, you might find an individual who understands you. There are a lot of strange ponies in those circles, after all. They’re not all like the teachers you’ve encountered so far. But your choice of martial arts school is your decision, not mine. Just pick one, that is all I ask.”

“I will. Thank you, Princess Luna,” Whimper replied with a bow, “for everything.”

“And thank you for your act of courage, Whimper. That demon you felled was a pest, and we are all glad to be rid of it.”

“Umm, Princess Luna?”

“Yes?”

“About that Kludde thing? Why me? How come I beat that thing when the Royal Guard couldn’t?”

“You didn’t know? Kludde is a coward; it flees when injured. When it takes a shock, like losing its balance, the spell it uses to incapacitate prey is broken and must be recast. The mist it uses to cover its escape does not dissipate as easily, though. We’ve sent many Royal Guards to ambush it, but it always got away because of that blasted curse.”

“So how come I did? Does that mean I’m stronger than the Royal Guard? Am I a monster now, too?”

Luna recoiled at the very idea. “No, silly child, no. Wherever did you get such a ridiculous notion?”

Whimper looked away and let his head hang.

“Right. Still not the most confident of boys, I see. To answer your question: you defeated it because you were the first warrior that demon did not flee from once engaged in combat. Normally it would have run away and disappeared after the first blow you landed, but I suppose you hurt its pride in the process. You made it angry.”

He grumbled, confused. “I won because I made it angry? That’s all?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Kludde underestimated you, Whimper, and that is something to be proud of. It knew to run from highly trained guards, from martial arts masters, even from royalty. It did not know it should have run from you, and I think it’s safe to say it's sorely regretting that mistake, assuming it can even survive in Tartarus.”

Whimper looked at the ground again, his lips curled in the tiniest of pouts. It didn’t take Luna much guessing to tell what he was thinking.

“Don't think too much on the sense and meaning of it, you won't find anything you want from that. It happened because it happened. If you are truly concerned with something as trivial as destiny, try to bring your focus back to your own life, back to the days you have, those are what truly counts. A young colt like yourself doesn't need to burden himself with such heavy subjects. As you are now, you can move on. As you will be, you can find happiness. Whatever your destiny is, however grand or mundane, you are already on its path and it will find you regardless. Your heart will speak louder now, all you need do is listen to it,” Luna said with a warm smile.

Much to Luna’s joy, Whimper’s pout turned into a small, but hopeful smile. For the first time that night, his face looked like that of a normal, happy little boy. “I think I can handle that.”

“I know you can. I look forward to hearing of your progress, Doldrum Whimper,” she said, before turning to the front door and opening it with her magic. The colt followed her for a moment, noting a mischievous grin on her face.

“Oh, and one more thing. Congratulations... on getting your cutie mark.”

Whimper locked eyes with her for moment, then gulped. He looked down at his flank. She followed his gaze and let out a hearty laugh that was somewhere between jolly and intimidating.

“Yes, I’m quite sure I’ll be hearing from you in the future.”

Author's Notes:

And so it begins. More of a setting up prologue, this. Give a little backstory for the boy in case you haven't read the first story. Kind of like the Nine Tails incident that gets mentioned at the start of the series and supposedly is really important, but then fizzles out and gets completely ignored as a plot point for a long-donkey time, besides explaining why the main character is both an idiot and super strong.

My character's not an idiot, but he is pretty strong.

For those who missed the announcements, or for those who are new: this story is kind of a spoof of Naruto, or at least what I remember from Naruto, it's been a while. So expect lots of silliness, action, and, naturally, exclamation marks in the chapter titles.

If you like Naruto, you'll probably like this. If you hate Naruto, you're probably gonna love this. If you don't know anything about Naruto or anime in general, that's perfectly fine, the story is written to be accessible, and I'll be using my Author's Notes to provide additional background for things that would otherwise keep coming up in the comments.

Since this is a major lead-up to what happens later on the story, I'll wait for any major stuff on chi and such. Suffice to say this story deals with concepts like chi and such.

One of the problems I didn't catch until way into the fic is that this chapter has remained pretty much unchanged for several years. I've gone over the other ones so often, I totally forgot to edit this one quite a few times. So on a technical level, this one's probably the weakest. Much like my first stories were. If I was an artsy type with a tendency to make excuses, I'd claim it was intentional. As it is, let's just call it a mixed bag, shall we?

Next up, what you've all been waiting for. The stallion, the legend.

It's been three and a half years, but the day has finally arrived:

Brace Yourself, Ponyville! Hurricane Incoming!

Hurricane Incoming! Enter the Shadowbolt!

“We could always try to get a pirating cutie mark.” Apple Bloom said, setting down the long list of things they’d tried and looking around the battered room. The Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse had been through a rough spot the past few weeks, after Scootaloo had learned to fly. Fresh out of Flight Camp, Scootaloo had insisted on making twisters to help harvest the apples from the nearby trees, trying her hoof at irrigation and, when that didn’t work out, she’d gotten another flying lesson from Rainbow Dash.

Basically, the clubhouse had taken a beating.

“Pirating? Don’t we need a boat to do that? And maybe an ocean?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m not so sure,” Sweetie Belle replied. “I heard Button Mash got his cutie mark in pirating, and he didn’t even leave his house to do it.”

The two girls looked up from the list to stare at her.

“What?”

“I don’t think it was that sorta piracy, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom said. “Anyway, if pirating doesn’t work, we could always try martial arts. Didn’t your friend Wimpy get his cutie mark doing that?”

There was that name again: Wimpy. Scootaloo’s mysterious friend from Flight Camp. A pegasus colt with, allegedly, super strength and Fluttershy’s demeanour. How much of the stories were true and how much of them were Scootaloo exaggerating things again, Apple Bloom could only guess.

Scootaloo growled. “How many times do I have to tell you? His name’s not Wimpy!”

“Apple Bloom?” A voice called out from below. “You wanna go get the supplies now?”

Apple Bloom ran down the ramp of their clubhouse. “Yeah, thanks, Rumble. Anypony else comin’ to help?”

Rumble nodded. “I got about half of our class to show. I did tell them there’d be cider, though.”

“No problem, I’ve got my own stash just for such an occasion.”

“You want us to come along?” Sweetie Belle asked, poking her head out the window.

“Nah, I got it. I’ll scrounge up whatever old stuff we can use and get it on the cart. If half the class is helpin’ out, you’d better stay here and maybe make some room.”

Sweetie Belle saluted as Apple Bloom left. “Got it.”

Scootaloo grumbled and stared out of the window, looking on as Apple Bloom and Rumble pulled their carts towards town.

“What’s the matter?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Don’t you like redecorating? We’re putting old stuff to good use, and the clubhouse does need a little TLC. We might even get our cutie marks for it.”

Scootaloo glared at the little unicorn. “We didn’t get it the first five times we had to redecorate… or rebuild.”

“You never know.” Sweetie smiled, then pouted. “Come on, what’s wrong? You know Apple Bloom was only kidding.”

Scootaloo grumbled some more and shoved a chest towards the back. “It’s nothing, Sweetie Belle.”

Sweetie frowned. “It’s Wimpy, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. It’s Doldrum Whimper. It’s a traditional name.”

Sweetie shrugged and wriggled her arms together in a begging motion she’d seen her sister do once or twice. “It might be easier to remember if you brought him along for once.”

The pegasus girl groaned and looked around for anything else that might need moving. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not? Come on, Scootaloo, he’s your flying buddy. You and Rumble keep talking about him like he’s super strong and awesome, but he never shows. Flight Camp was in the summer, and it’s already halfway the fall now. You and Rumble have been over to his place plenty of times, you know how far it is. Why won’t you bring him over if he lives close by, not to mention if school’s out for a whole week? Wimpy’s your friend, right?”

A nervous shiver went through Scootaloo’s body. Something in her stomach knotted and churned, loudly enough for Sweetie Belle to hear.

“Right?”

Scootaloo tried and failed to hide her nervousness with a smile. “Yeah, right. Whimper’s my friend.”

“So why not let him come here?”

“I don’t know. I’m just… Flight Camp was kinda different.”

“Like kissing a boy in the cafeteria different?” Sweetie squeed.

“I told you: it looked like a good plan at the time. And it did get the older girls off his back, so it worked.”

“But?” Sweetie Belle nudged her friend in the sides, right above the wing. That was the ‘I know you’re hiding something’ region, as opposed to the shoulders, which in the ancient art of pony reflexology – taught only by oral tradition, and only to annoying little siblings at that – were known as the ‘please stop that right now, you’re embarrassing me’ regions. Rarity was fond of that particular one.

“But things are different in Whimper’s hometown, and he’s different. He doesn’t act the same way there like he did in Flight Camp, and neither do I. I don’t think he’d act the same here, either. I wouldn’t want you to start off on the wrong hoof with him.”

“Oh, how bad could it be?”

“I don’t know, and I really wanna be sure before I bring him anywhere near here.”

---

Derpy Hooves was doing her rounds through Ponyville, checking the last letter to be delivered. Since Rainbow Dash hadn’t responded at the door and the letter was marked ‘urgent’, there she was looking for the rainbow-maned mare.

“Um, has anyone seen Rainbow Dash?” she asked the ponies passing her by.

“I think she went up to Sweet Apple Acres,” Golden Harvest answered.

A shiver ran up the mailmare’s spine.

Derpy perked her ears towards a building behind her. She turned slowly, leaving Golden Harvest confused.

“Are you okay, Derpy?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Derpy lied, turning back to her friend. “Thanks for the info.”

With a curt flap of the wings, the mailmare was off. She stole a glance towards the ground, before manoeuvring towards a cloud to shield herself from sight.

“Okay, Derpy, keep it together. It’s just that time of the year again,” she told herself, closing her eyes and concentrating on the air around her fur. There was something following her, she was sure of it. She couldn’t tell how long, but it had given itself away when she’d asked about Rainbow Dash.

There was nothing behind her, though. Nothing was following her now, she didn’t feel watched. But she knew she was, she’d felt it very clearly just then. Derpy sighed and held the letter in her hoof, looking out towards Sweet Apple Acres.

“Definitely that time of the year again.”

---

Rainbow Dash let off a sigh of relief when the last basket of apples was harvested, as did her friends.

“Thanks for the help, y’all,” Applejack said, “I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing, dear,” Rarity offered, setting down her own basket on the ground, “we were glad to help.”

Twilight was about to add something, but the arrival of a grey mailmare distracted her.

“Urgent message for Rainbow Dash.” Derpy handed the letter over.

Rainbow Dash shivered for a reason she couldn’t immediately place. After opening the envelope and reading the message, her eyes went wide for just a second, before narrowing to dots. She gulped, and her whole body shook with a terror none of the other ponies had ever seen in her. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "Derpy, did he follow you here?”

Derpy bit her lip and looked around the orchards. She shook her head, clearly in doubt. “He might have. I don’t know for sure, though. I tried to lay low, but I just couldn’t tell.”

“What’s the matter, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s okay, I’m fine. But you’d better get out of here, Derpy. This is going to get ugly.”

“Alright. But are you going to be okay? It’s been a while, after all. He might hurt you,” the blonde mare inquired.

Twilight narrowed her eyes at the exchange. “Rainbow, you’re starting to scare us.”

Rainbow let out a deep and weary sigh. “It was gonna happen sooner or later. They did put up the signs two weeks ago.”

“Yup. The rest is probably going to start coming in, too. Good luck, anyway,” Derpy Hooves said. And with that, she was off, leaving Rainbow to stare at the letter. Pinkie Pie leaned over to check what it said.

“What is goin’ on, Rainbow Dash? What’s so important about that letter? Is it the Wonderbolts?” Applejack asked.

“No. It’s worse,” she replied.

“What does the letter say, darling?” Rarity asked.

Pinkie Pie shrugged, reading aloud the only two words used to convey its message.

“Hurricane incoming.”

---

The figure lurked in the treeline, waiting for Derpy to depart. He hadn’t counted on the rest of the Elements of Harmony to be there, but it wasn’t a big surprise. He could handle the Elements. It was Derpy he didn’t want to have to deal with.

Oh, Dashie, of all the towns you could’ve lived in, you had to live in one with a pony like that as the mailmare.

He didn’t move as he felt the grey mare’s senses expand to him. She was good, he had to give her that much. She didn’t spot him, though. No pony ever did. Rainbow Dash didn’t even bother following suit. She just stared at the letter and seemed to resign herself to her fate.

Gettin’ sloppy, Rainbow Dash.

The stallion kept his grin suppressed when the mailmare finally departed. A little more time, make sure she was well and proper gone and then…

Showtime.

---

“Hurricane incoming? What does that mean?” Twilight asked.

“Well, um… you remember Whimper from Flight Camp?” Rainbow asked.

“That was the larger boy you spoke of, yes? The one with a talent for fighting?” Rarity tried.

“Sort of, yeah. It’s not really a talent he had, more of a condition. Not thinking with his head, thinking with his body, umm, it made his reflexes like really fast, but he couldn’t control himself all the time. And he was not large, Rarity; he was… kinda ripped. You need to have been there to know.”

“And what does Whimper have to do with this guy?” Twilight asked.

“I gave the kid some advice because I kinda knew his condition, but he had it bad, real bad. And so do I.”

Twilight didn’t look surprised, but the others did. Applejack was, of course, the first to speak up about it. “What are you sayin’, Rainbow? You’ve got a condition now?”

Rainbow chuckled. “Yeah, sort of, but it’s not a big deal, really.”

“A’course it’s a big deal. Are you taking pills for it?”

“No, there aren’t any pills for it, most doctors don’t even know it-Look, what I’ve got is under control, but my point is that Whimper wasn’t, and he wasn’t the worst, either. What I’m trying to say is: there’s one other guy I know who has what Whimper has, in the final stages of it. He’s the one who gave it to me. He’s the reason I am the way I am. Imagine me, squared. That’s the guy Derpy was talking about. That’s who’s coming.”

Thunder sounded in the distance. Clouds converged on the apple orchard, a vast darkness swirling and congealing above the six friends. The clouds themselves began to roar.

“I am the terror that flaps through the night! I am the strand of hair that’s still greasy right after you showered!” a deep, male voice called out. Rarity gasped and quickly checked her own mane, just in case.

“I am-squelch“ The sound of a rotten apple hitting a pony in the face cut off the threat.

“Interrupting!” Rainbow Dash yelled at the cloud after that direct hit. “You can’t just show up out of nowhere! I am trying to explain something here!”

A peal of thunder went through the cloud, accompanied by more of that booming voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once. “Mind your manners, Rainbow Dash.”

“Rainbow, who is that, seriously? Who’s in that cloud?” Twilight asked.

“I just told you. The guy who made me the way I am. It’s not anypony you know. Just somepony I know. Aaand he’s here to fight me.”

“What?!” the other Elements of Harmony exclaimed, obviously confused.

Fluttershy started shaking. Rainbow Dash put a comforting hoof on her shoulder, that immediately calmed her down.

Up above, the silhouette of a pegasus stallion descended from its dark concealing cloud. His mane and tail were an obsidian black, with little flecks of black falling off like ash. His wings, ears, and the tip of his muzzle were air superiority blue, the most intimidating shade of blue known to ponydom. But the rest of him was covered. His eyes were hidden behind a yellow visor, his body was covered by a uniform that was purple over his midsection and black over his face and hooves, with yellow streaks of lightning in between.

The costume rang a few alarm bells in the minds of Rainbow Dash’s friends. Twilight suddenly recalled a little something the pegasus had mentioned at Flight Camp. “Wait, is that the Ashen Blizzard? But he’s-“

“A Shadowbolt, like those guys I saw when we went looking for Nightmare Moon. Not a lot of ponies know they exist, but they’re real, and they’re pretty exclusive. There’s only one right now, as far as anypony knows. And yeah, that is him; the strongest warrior in Equestria. The great shadow to the light of all the Wonderbolts,” Rainbow Dash explained as she slowly took off. “It’s a long story.”

“Rainbow Dash!” the stallion boomed, right on cue. He spoke with a slight Southern Pioneer drawl, too. “I challenge you to a fight, by the ancient rules of combat. One on one, my skills against yours. Do you accept?”

“I-I don’t know, Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie Pie started, “this guy doesn’t look like he’s just playing around.”

“He’s not. Don’t worry, I know what to do. Just let me do this alone, okay? Whatever you do, don’t step in. If you do, you become a target. I can’t fight to protect both me and you. And nothing you do is going to work on this guy, so don’t try it. Do you promise to let this go?”

Reluctantly, Applejack nodded. Then Fluttershy, though she had to suppress a tear at the imposing spectacle in the sky. Pinkie Pie followed, then a grimacing Rarity.

Twilight was the last one to agree. “If this guy’s anything like little Whimper, that means he can dodge spells, right? Even instantaneous ones?”

“Kinda. He can turn that reflex on and off, and it takes a lot of effort to keep up, but you don’t wanna risk it. Don’t get involved, Twilight, it’s my fight,” Rainbow Dash assured.

“But he is stronger than you, isn't he? He could kill you.”

“He won’t. Just promise you won’t step in.”

Twilight shivered. “I promise, if you promise to be careful. I don’t like this, Rainbow. You can feel the anger and hate in the air, it’s getting cold down here, physically cold. It’ll be worse up close.”

“Don’t worry,” Rainbow Dash said as she flew up to the Shadowbolt’s height, “I’ve been waiting a long time to do this.”

“Well?” the stallion asked, grinning wickedly.

“I accept,” Rainbow Dash replied. “Same rules as before, last one standing wins.”

“There’s a good girl.”

---

Apple Bloom, Rumble, and the kids they'd recruited pulled their laden carts along the street, carrying all the things they got from the clearance. Ponies in Ponyville were always getting rid of old stuff, or giving it away to be recycled, or trading it at the annual fair. With the Cutie Mark Crusader Clubhouse being used by other hobby groups and fanclubs, there was no shortage of ponies wanting to help out and donate fresh materials.

And with Apple Bloom and her friends being minor celebrities in town, there was no shortage in help hauling the cargo from town to the orchard, either.

Apple Bloom stopped when she saw the signs on Town Hall. “Hey, guys, wait up.”

Slowly, the lumbering caravan of foals ground to a halt.

“What’s the matter, Apple Bloom?” Rumble asked.

“Have y’all seen this?” she asked, walking towards the poster on City Hall.

“Oh, that? Yeah, they put those up two weeks ago.”

Apple Bloom stopped to stare at it. It was a poster showing a tough, rugged unicorn stallion in mid-kick, dressed in white canvas pajamas.

“The Equestrian Warrior Society is pleased to present Ponyville’s first Warrior Meet: a week of martial arts, physical conditioning, and spiritual enlightenment,” Apple Bloom narrated. “That Wimpy kid from Flight Camp is into martial arts, right?”

“Umm… sort of, I guess?” Rumble replied.

“Who’s Wimpy?” Featherweight asked.

“A friend of Scootaloo’s and Rumble’s. He’s supposedly this crazy strong kid, but they never bring him along, so we can’t really check,” Apple Bloom joked.

Rumble rolled his eyes. “That’s just because he’s from Bogsdown. You have to go over Froggy Bottom Bog to get there.”

“So? Scootaloo and you do that all the time,” Apple Bloom argued.

“Sure, but that’s Scootaloo and me. We do lots of dangerous stuff. My mom doesn’t let me fly over there without anypony with me, and neither does Whimper’s. We don’t get in trouble, but Whimper would. Bogsdown has different rules about that sort of thing.”

“Whimper? There’s pony named ‘Whimper’? Seriously?” One colt asked.

Rumble groaned. “Yes, Featherweight, there’s a pony named Doldrum Whimper.”

“Just checking.”

“All grandmasters from the Warrior Society available for free trial lessons, lectures on meditation, posture, and strategy, ooh, and there’s even a challenger’s circle at the end!” Apple Bloom jumped up.

“What does that mean?” Dinky Do asked.

Apple Bloom didn’t stop jumping. “I don’t know, but it sure sounds excitin’!”

“What are you planning to do?” Rumble asked, going back to his cart. “Take lessons with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?”

Apple Bloom got back to her cart and led the way back to Sweet Apple Acres, albeit slowly. “Sure. Were you gonna try the same thing?”

“Actually, yes. I’ve got a book by one of the grandmasters, I’ve been practising. I’d like to see what that grandmaster has to say about that.” Rumble blushed just a little.

“Sounds like a great idea. What about everypony else? You plannin’ to take any lessons?”

Dinky Do grunted as she helped push the moving cart. “I don’t know if I wanna spend a holiday fighting. Maybe a lecture or two, if it’s interesting, or if Mommy wants to go see one. She’s pretty big on that kind of stuff.”

Apple Bloom shook her head. Something rattled in it, but it wasn’t anything important, so she didn’t contemplate the matter. And the rattling didn’t make what she’d just heard sound any different. “Really? Derpy’s a martial artist?”

Rumble nodded. “Yup. She’s pretty good, too. So is Rainbow Dash.”

“And… do you think Whimper might show up here for the Meet?”

Rumble went silent.

“What’s the big deal with this kid, anyway?” she asked.

Rumble, trying and failing to be discrete, looked away. “Nothing, really. He might show up. You’d like him, probably. He does do that kind of stuff, and he’s got some kind of deal going on about skipping gym class if he just goes to the martial arts meets.”

That got Apple Bloom thinking. “Maybe after the lessons, we could challenge him, then.”

Rumble chuckled nervously as that fight played out in his mind. “Eheh, yeah, right… maybe, if you don’t mind getting your head handed to you.”

Author's Notes:

'Air superiority blue' is a shade of blue that was used in Flight Camp's story. I needed a good colour, so I looked up shades of blue and there it was, on Wikipedia, in all its glory. How can you look at that colour's name and not use it for a pegasus pony? I still don't understand how ASB pegasi haven't supplanted black and red alicorns as the dominant fandom species.

Quite a lot of time has passed since Flight Camp, it seems, but how long since Whimper got his cutie mark? Eh, let's say Whimper was pretty quick to ask Princess Luna, it's certainly implied he was. So it's been a few months, and Scootaloo doesn't want him in Ponyville.

For those of you who saw the Shadowbolt's scenes when the arrival and fight were still one and the same, please don't spoil the outcome. For those of you who already know who that armoured kid in the cover art is... well, I suppose if you insist, I can't exactly put a plug in it, now, can I? Just try to act a little shocked when the mask comes off, maybe?

I used to worry about the name 'Doldrum Whimper.' It was the closest thing I could think of to a pony name that would lend itself to the insult 'wimp' or 'Wimpy'. It doesn't help that in Flanders, there's a boy's name that pops up as a fad every few years that's actually really close to Whimper's name, so it sounds awkward to my ears, at least. Plus, people made fun of it. Which I guess was par for the course, since he's a bully victim. But still... such a source of doubt, should I change the name or keep it? Is there any excuse to make his name something else?

Then the show gave me Cheese Sandwich, and I stopped worrying.

Showdown in the Ponyville Skies! Rainbow Dash versus the Shadowbolt!

The two pegasi squared off in the skies, one’s gaze focused intently on her opponent, the other’s hidden behind a visor. The air itself was cold and dark, the Shadowbolt keeping his ominous thundercloud behind him.

“Alright, then, let’s get danger-“ the Shadowbolt started, before disappearing just as Rainbow Dash lunged. “You know, it’s really rude to interrupt a guy in the middle of a catchphrase, Dashie.”

Another flash, another rainbow trail, and this time she made contact, her right hoof extended in a hook that the Shadowbolt blocked. “You know, it’s rude to keep talking in the middle of a fight, Ash,” she retorted.

She disengaged with a flap, he flew up into his concealing cloud. Taking a deep breath in and steadying the urge to shiver, she followed him.

She twisted around to kick the Shadowbolt in the gut just as he swooped past her, but ended up kicking air and dropping her guard long enough to get three punches to her chest before she could retaliate. The Ashen Blizzard disappeared again right after that. No blinking, no sounds, he just went transparent and vanished. Before she could turn and extend her senses, something struck her back like a whiplash. She twisted and turned, frantically searching for her opponent in that thick cloud of his.

This isn’t going to work, I can’t hold out like this. I can’t lose, not today.

Down below, Rainbow Dash’s friends gasped as the sky erupted with thunderclaps. Lightning went one way, a rainbow trail went the other, and every so often they’d see a glimpse of their friend locked in arms with the Shadowbolt. She had to keep looking up and down behind her, as the Shadowbolt blended in with the cloud as if he were not just concealed, but invisible.

“Whom is she fighting against?” Rarity asked.

“The Ashen Blizzard,” Twilight explained. “Rainbow Dash mentioned him when we were at Flight Camp. She said he was the strongest warrior in Equestria, that his real name was a secret. I guess she knows him personally.”

“Why are they fighting?” Fluttershy asked, covering her head with her hooves while the air above them was littered with black and rainbow-coloured streaks.

They saw the Shadowbolt duck into his cloud again, then a rainbow trail started cutting into it, shrinking the camouflage and eventually getting another shot in at the stallion inside. The two traded blows, each punching and kicking at a pace that the naked eye could barely follow up close, let alone from afar.

With one fell clap of her wings, Rainbow Dash blew up what remained of the cloud, sending a great wind over the orchard. The sky cleared, and only their friend and the Shadowbolt remained contrasted against the clear blue. Rarity quickly brushed her mane back into place, except for one errant lock that sprang up despite her best efforts.

The Shadowbolt smiled. “My, my, Rainbow, you have gotten better. Time was you spent hours peckin’ away to get me out in the open.”

“Stop messing around,” she replied. “You’re holding back, I can tell. You didn’t even punch me for real, you’re just playing at it.”

The Ashen Blizzard chuckled and shrugged. “Maybe I am, Dashie, maybe I am. But what are you gonna do about it? You know you can’t land a decent punch or a kick, not with both of us up in the air. You got no grip like this, and neither do I. So you’re gonna need one of your old tricks to put a dent in me.”

Rainbow put up her arms and turned her hind quarters to a fighting stance, making a minimal target of her abdomen like a pro.

Her opponent grinned. “That’s better, show me what you got. What’ll it be this time? That Filly Flash? Your old Buccaneer Blaze? Your Falling Leaf Kick?” He opened his arms wide, then drew an X over his chest. “Come on. Hit me with your best shot.”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and hid the confident smirk that remark elicited.

You’re gonna regret saying that.

Rainbow disappeared in another multi-coloured flash. She flew circles around the Shadowbolt, fast enough to be invisible. With a little bit of steering, she made the circles go above and below him, going in a random pattern that left the stallion trapped in a sphere of colours.

“Really now, Dashie, you know I don’t need eyes to track you. If you’re gonna do your fancy shmancy Falling Leaf Kick, I already know you’re plannin’ to hit me from behind, anyway. So what’s keepin’ ya?”

No response came but the howling in the air of a pegasus going at extreme speeds. Down below, the gang of friends couldn’t believe the spectacle of colours unfolding, or guess what would happen next.

The Ashen Blizzard waited patiently.

Let’s see… she’s going to kick me in three, two, one...

No.

All around, the winds crushed him, keeping his arms and wings pinned to his sides.

“N-no way,” he stammered. “How?”

She whizzed past him, sending him hurtling down along with the pocket of air she’d trapped him in.

Rainbow smiled all the way. “You got careless. You can only dodge magic when you’re looking out for it. You thought I couldn’t do it. I told you I’d do it one day, and I’ve had a lot of time to practise.”

He barely had time to think of a response before the ground rushed up to meet him.

Rainbow Dash pulled up.

Her opponent didn’t.

What followed was an explosion of grass and dirt, leaving a crater in the orchard that looked like the remains of an asteroid impact. Rainbow stood at its edge, the Shadowbolt lay in its centre. She heaved her head up and down, panting, he didn’t move at all.

“I did it. I did it!” She jumped up and pointed a hoof at her felled foe. “You didn’t think I could do it, but I did it! I finally did it, haha! Who’s laughin’ now, tough guy?”

Twilight came running over to check the damage with her friends close behind. “What did you do to him?”

Rainbow sighed with sheer glee at her triumph. “He dropped his guard. He wasn’t keeping a close enough eye on what I was doing, so I made a little wind cage to hold him steady while I rammed him into the ground.”

“He doesn’t look so good, Dashie,” Pinkie Pie said.

“He’ll be fine, he’s had worse.”

“I don’t believe this, Rainbow. I can understand a little roughhousing, but you hurt the guy, you seriously hurt the guy,” Applejack said, before sliding down into the crater.

Rainbow shrugged and started walking away. “Chillax, AJ. He knew the risk when he challenged me. And he had it coming.”

Fluttershy descended along with Applejack, checking the prone stallion’s condition. “I-I don’t think he’s breathing, Rainbow Dash.”

“Trust me, he’s fine.”

“Rainbow, I’m surprised at you,” Twilight said. “I thought you were just going to tell him off or incapacitate him, not brutally murder him.”

Rainbow Dash kept her back to her friends. “Really, guys, it’s fine. He’ll be back on his hooves in no t-“ She was cut short by a dark figure jumping up from behind her.

Fluttershy and Applejack didn’t even have time to gasp. Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie froze in the instant it took the Shadowbolt to close the gap. Before they even knew what was happening, he had his left arm around her neck and the right on the top of her head.

---

Derpy trotted through the streets of Ponyville, looking for something to calm herself down. She briefly considered a little trip to Sugarcube Corner, but she feared not even muffins would help in this situation. The dark clouds over Sweet Apple Acres confirmed her suspicion.

Maybe if she had a friend over to share the muffins with, that’d help. She smiled to herself. She turned towards Sugarcube Corner and, upon entering, got to a table for two, ordered a plate of muffins and put one of them outside with a note on it.

The note read: “I see you. I see everything.”

A few passers-by gave the set-up an odd look, but Derpy merely went inside and relaxed with her own little treat. She’d hardly taken a bite before a resigned grunt greeted her from the entrance.

Mister and Missus Cake regarded the stranger in their store. Derpy didn’t so much as bat an eyelid.

“How did you know?” the stranger asked.

“We put up signs,” Derpy replied petulantly.

“No, I mean how’d you know I’d be here? We never said we would attend.”

“Your master gave you away,” Derpy replied.

“Remind me to hurt him for that,” the new arrival started, before joining Derpy with the muffin she’d placed on the windowsill.

Derpy looked at the now dispersed clouds in the distance. “You might have to draw a ticket and get in line for that, actually.”

---

Twilight’s mind reeled.

Spell, now. Cast a spell. Cast a spell, Twilight, before he kills your friend. No, no, no, don’t just stand there like a stunned rabbit, do something!

He’s got his arm around her throat. He’s going to kill her. He’s going to choke her. He’s going to snap her neck, he’s going to… give her a noogie?

Rainbow laughed as the stallion playfully ruffled her mane with his free hoof. “Ah, knock it off, would ya?”

The other ponies could only stare in awe as they circled around.

“What just happened?” Rarity asked.

“I guess they’re friends?” Fluttershy tried.

The pair of pegasi broke their bizarre equivalent of a hug, and the stallion’s face got stuck on ‘goofy smile.’ “Fancy that, Rainbow, you’ve been holdin’ out on me. That was a perfect Wind Cage, when did you learn to do that?”

“A couple of months ago. Princess Luna gave me some pointers back at the royal wedding, and I’ve been practising ever since.”

The Shadowbolt chuckled. “Remind me to properly thank her for that.”

“Hey, I’m a big shot now, remember? And what are you doing here, anyway?”

He almost looked hurt at the mere mention of such a question. “Oh, can’t a guy drop in on his favourite future Wonderbolt now?”

“Excuse me, but what is happening here?” Twilight interrupted.

Rainbow smiled embarrassedly and put a hoof to her face. “Oh, right. Sorry, I meant to tell you guys, but, um-“

“You never told your friends about me?” the Shadowbolt asked. “Why, I am shocked and appalled, Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Would you believe it never came up? And take off that stupid disguise, it looks weird on you.”

Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was physically shaking with anticipation. “Come on, Rainbow Dash, who is this guy and how do you know him?”

“It is not a disguise, Rainbow Dash: it is a glamour, and you know it.” The stallion ran a hoof through his hair and flicked his tail, shaking off the black flecks that perpetually spawned from the hairs. He took off his visor and folded the top part of his costume so his face was finally showing.

Five jaws dropped, and for a very specific reason.

The reason wasn’t that this pony, who could summon thunderclouds and survive a drop from atmospheric heights, had the (very familiar) smug smile of a speedster who knew he was the best.

The reason also wasn’t that the guy had a blue streak in his mane that matched his fur coat. Nor was it that he had a green streak in his tail. The yellow, red, and purple streaks also had nothing to do with their shock.

It was the fact that he had all these streaks combined, in the same place as their friend, that stunned them.

A rainbow mane. The Ashen Blizzard, the most powerful warrior in Equestria, the Shadowbolt, had a rainbow mane.

“Everypony, meet Hurricane Hue, also known as the Ashen Blizzard. He’s the Combat Choreographer for the Canterlot Cultural Centre, the founder of the Nine Dragons style of ninja fighting, personal sparring partner for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, head of the Equestrian Warrior Society, and, well... “ She wrapped an arm around his neck to hug him close. ”My dad.”

“Howdie,” the living legend greeted.

They all stared. Pinkie Pie had already fallen over, rigid like a mannequin.

Applejack was the first to break the reverie. “Okay, am I the only one who’s not surprised by this?”

Author's Notes:

Remember Applejack's snarky response, it'll come back later. Well, in about twenty weeks, I guess. Actually, don't remember it, it'll make the 'See? See? Told ya!' vibe stronger.

Some notes on inspirations: the dark cloud technique Ash uses is based on Zabuza's Hidden Mist technique, which lets him become invisible, sort of. The Wind Cage isn't directly based on anything, but I guess you could argue the Water Prison Jutsu is close.

Hurricane Hue was named after and inspired by Hugh, the father for Taz, the Tasmanian Devil, in Taz-Mania. He speaks with a slight Southern drawl and generally gets some hilarious deliveries. It's not a perfect copy, but it helps if you read his lines in that voice. Plus, you know, Tasmanian devil, hurricane? Like that whirlwind they make in the cartoons?

I'm going to say this up front: I have taken a handful of lessons in bujinkan, which is sort of ninja fighting. I have also read Path Notes of an American Ninja Master. I don't claim authenticity or expertise, nor do I claim any of my sources have those. I leave that up to the reader to decide. Some elements of ninja lore will be based on what I perceive as 'legit' ninja, and a lot of it will be deliberate aberration. Please don't think that what characters preach in a story is supposed to be 'real' ninja; it's still ponies. So when, in future chapters, I say 'this is based on that idea and that idea,' take it with a grain of salt.

Anyway, next chapter: the answer to the questions that matter. What is the Warrior Meet, why are they having one in Ponyville and... is that kid wearing alicorn armour? Yup. Next time, we get the arrival of the enigmatic Hammer, as well as his teacher: Master Lee. Dundunduuun!

As for the stranger Derpy invited in? Suffice to say I had to make some changes to that one, stupid Season...

A Warrior Meet? In Ponyville?

The carriage came rumbling into Ponyville along the town's main street.

“Merci beaucoup, Monsieur,” a mare said as she exited.

While the town of Ponyville was used to strange dealings and strange ponies, this new arrival still managed to catch the eyes of those around her. Pearly white coat, a long pink mane and tail, both adorned with a white stripe, she was a sight to behold. Her long horn and slender build made her look like one of Celestia’s relatives, or at the very least a supermodel. Which was just as well, because she really was a supermodel, among other things.

But the eyes on her quickly moved elsewhere, for her companion was an even stranger sight altogether. While she paid the fare to the pony pulling the carriage, the boy she was with hopped out and used his magic to collect his things. He, or at least ponies assumed it was a he, was fully covered, horn to hooves, in a most outlandish armour. He had plates, tubular bracers, on his arms and legs, as well as a chest guard in Royal Guard style, metal shoulder pads, and he wore a mask-like helmet with a triple horn design: two on the sides pointed back, one pointed forward. Underneath the metal, he wore what looked like normal black fabric underneath with red stitches throughout, no doubt some foreign design that inspired terror into whatever it was ponies had to worry about in other countries. The black fabric looked standard, at least until one inspected it more closely and realised that the cloth was another form of armour. Judging by how that swelled, he was likely wearing padding underneath. He must have been swelteringly hot on a sunny day like this, but if he was, nothing was showing in his steady, confident gait. On his back, he had a plain backpack that looked like it was what he usually carried his schoolbooks in, but unlike most schoolbags, the reputation of Equestrian public schools notwithstanding, this one had weapons sticking out, mostly the ends of sticks and wooden swords. It looked packed, but he had the good sense to keep it steady on his back using his metal-covered wings.

As the carriage took off again, Fleur de Lis looked around and adjusted her saddlebags. The ponies of Ponyville quickly cast their glances elsewhere and went about their daily business. Fleur couldn’t blame them for staring just a moment.

After all, it’s not every day one sees a small child with both a horn and wings, certainly not one in full Eastern Unicorn armour.

“Nothing like a little shopping spree to calm the mind. Now then, things should be getting started soon,” Fleur de Lis said. “What was it you said again? Sugarcube Corner?”

The boy in the alicorn armour nodded.

Fleur looked around. “Ah, right, there, the one with the cupcake roof, of course.” With that, she trotted towards the establishment with her young companion in tow.

After poking her head in, it didn’t take long to find the ponies she was looking for. “There we are. Hello, darlings.”

Derpy looked up and giggled. “Heya, Fleur. What’s up?”

“Oh, you know, the usual, dear.” Fleur sat down at their table, the boy followed suit. “Looking pretty, acting tough, acting pretty, looking tough. Comme d’hab.”

“And who’s this? I didn’t know you had students,” Derpy said.

“Normally I don’t, but, as they say, can’t let perfectly good talent go to waste, can you?” Fleur smiled at the boy as he set his bag down.

The armoured colt didn’t say a word. He sat in perfect and polite silence, showing off his chest plate in the process.

“Hello? Is there a little boy under there or did you just animate the costume, Fleur?” Derpy joked. She tried to tap his helmet, but he inched his head away just enough to let her know he was, indeed, not a hollow costume.

“Umm, hello.”

“Oh, where are my manners?” Fleur chuckled. “Derpy Hooves, this is Hammer. Not his real name, obviously, but he performed at the last meet in Manehattan and the nickname stuck. Hammer, you know Derpy Hooves, also known as the Iron Maiden, right?”

“I’ve seen her around, yes,” the boy replied.

Fleur smiled and nodded. “She’s not in any official school, but she is recognised by the Warrior Society as a black belt of second degree.”

“Uhuh. You’re strong, but you’re not allowed to teach,” the boy concluded.

“Yup and nope. I never got into it that much, but I still do it for fun. And the demos are a good way to make new friends.”

“Indeed. She is self-taught, and you might not know this, but she is infamous for striking with her hips. You don’t want to get on her bad side,” Fleur said. “Which is her backside.”

“Can I get you anything?” Missus Cake asked.

“Ah, I’ll have the teacake plate, thank you,” Fleur replied. “He will have the chocolate-dipped lemon slices.”

The boy nodded eagerly, furling and unfurling his armoured wings against the suit. It was late to be having breakfast, but tea and a snack would surely hit the spot.

“I’ll have a strawberry milkshake and two large cupcakes, please. One banana, one pineapple,” Derpy’s friend, who clearly had skipped breakfast, said.

“Right away.” Missus Cake turned and left with her note in hoof.

Fleur smiled and gestured to Derpy’s companion. “And this mare, you should know as well. This is the personal student of the Ashen Blizzard, and his designated successor. She’s one of only four ponies who are allowed to administer the Spear Test, and within the Nine Dragons style of combat, she’s ranked as a fifth degree black belt. So she is allowed to teach, technically, but, as you know, the Nine Dragons style is mostly self-taught.”

The boy nodded again. This one was a bright white unicorn with a long, flowing red mane that had a light purple streak in it, same as her tail. Her cutie mark was a crescent moon that seemed to smile at the world, with three stars beneath it. Her tail had a blue bow tie on it, and the way she sipped her tea and kept looking around as if she was ill at ease might have fooled anyone into thinking she was a timid little thing, a dime a dozen in the high-pressure environment of magical academia.

Her eyes gave her away, though. Deep, penetrating, purple eyes with the focus of a grandmaster behind them.

The mare smiled at Fleur. “It’s good to see you again, Fleur.”

Fleur smiled right back. “You too, Moongazer. How’s the family?”

“Oh, you know, half my kin is grieving over a pony buried in her books, the other half is waiting for me to get buried. The usual. Interesting student you have there, by the way. You say he was at the Manehattan Meet?”

Hammer shuffled nervously in his seat. “Umm, yes, I was.”

“Shame I missed that, then. Fleur has kept you away from prying eyes since, I presume?”

“Umm, a little.”

“I only ask because, well, a boy like you, I would have heard of.” She gestured to his triple-horn design helmet and his wings. “But I can’t say that I have. You’ve improved since then, I hope?”

The boy nodded.

“Out of sight from potential rivals?”

The boy gulped, and nodded again.

“I’m sure there’s a good reason for it, then. Whatever the case, you, my dear boy, are in for a real treat if you’ve never dealt with the Nine Dragon school before. I have to ask, why are you in armour now, though, especially on such a hot day?” She tilted her head. “You’re not fully covered in metal, but I can see you are covered completely in padding, aside from your face. Eastern Unicorn style cloth armour, too, if I’m not mistaken?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Layered fibre, classical style; not that thick, but very effective.”

Moongazer smirked. “Do you put that on yourself, or does she need to assist you?”

“I put it on myself, Ma’am,” he said.

That almost got a chuckle out her. “Hmm, quite the prodigy if you can manage that at your age. Why, though? Fleur is a Master at Arms, they fight without armour.”

“He insisted,” Fleur replied. “He’s just a little self-conscious, is all. Plus, it’s good to train with weighted clothing. Get used to high temperatures and all that, learn how to cast refreshment spells.”

Moongazer nodded. “Ah, of course. So I guess you’ll be making the rounds this week then, eh, Hammer?”

Hammer sat quietly. Fleur nudged him.

“Umm, yes, Ma’am. You know, Master at Arms duties, saying ‘hi’ to all the other masters. I’m not even a real Duellist yet, but, you know, starting early and all. And the heat doesn’t bother me because of my magic, not any more. I can circulate it through my suit just fine.”

The mare nodded. “I should hope so. It’s good practice, then.”

Derpy smiled. “Any schools you think you wanna challenge?”

“Umm, just one, actually, now that you mention it.” He looked to Moongazer then. “Yours.”

---

Rarity furrowed her brow at the sight of Rainbow Dash and her father. “So you’re telling me your father is one of the highest ranked warriors in Equestria?”

“Oh, no, no, darlin’, ya got it wrong,” Hue replied. “I’m not one of the highest ranked warriors, I am the highest ranked ninja and warrior.”

“I see. And what does that entail again, exactly?”

Rainbow sighed. “Well, he’s the guy the Princesses fight for practice, for one thing. He’s also the guy who heads out of Equestria to talk to the dragons if anything’s happening.”

“Because you’re so diplomatic, I take it?” Rarity asked.

“No, because the dragons are scared of him,” Rainbow replied.

Twilight squinted, confused. “Your dad’s a ninja grandmaster?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yup.”

“You’re the daughter of a ninja grandmaster?”

Again, Rainbow nodded. “Yup.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Rainbow, but aren’t you supposed to be stealthy, then?”

Rainbow Dash jumped up. “Oh, that reminds me, is Uncle Blaze with you?”

“Nah, he’s still training the recruits for the Equestria Games, you know how he gets. And to answer your question, Twilight Sparkle, I never forced my little girl to be like me. She liked the high-flyin’ lifestyle more than she likes ninja fightin’. Not that she can’t have that cake and eat it, mind you.” He gave her another noogie, prompting the mare to elbow him in the ribcage. “She doesn’t do it often, but she can be as stealthy as any ninja if she really wants to be. She’s got her belts and everything.”

“Goodness, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, “I never pegged you for a ninja.”

“Clearly you don’t grasp the basic concept of ninja,” Hue replied.

“Wait, are you in the military, then?” Twilight Sparkle asked. “If you’re a sparring partner for the Princesses, where does that leave you with the Royal Guard?”

“Oh, I’m on good terms with most of’em, but the Warrior Society isn’t strictly tied to the Royal Guard, not when it comes to makin’ decisions. We’re more about teaching defence to civilians; responsibility, safe conduct, gym stuff, that sort of thing. A lot of talent we pick up on ends up in the Royal Guard, and a lot of talent that decides the Royal Guard ain’t for them ends up joining our society on top of their day jobs. But we’re not the military, strictly speaking.”

“Except you, dad,” Dash corrected. “You’re totally military. Just not officially.”

“Wouldn’t be much of a ninja if it was.”

Pinkie Pie tried to wrap her head around it. “So, wait, if your dad is some big shot ninja, what’s your mom like, then?”

“Her mother is scary,” said the stallion whose dragon name loosely translated into ‘Deceptively Small Thing Not Worth Antagonising.’

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity asked.

“My dear Snow Chaser is what most ponies would refer to as a ‘child of the flowers’.”

The girls shared a quizzical glance with each other.

“What I mean by that is: she is a, err, firm proponent of the ways of peace and harmony.”

Twilight squinted. “Huh?”

“My mom’s a hippie,” Rainbow Dash said.

Hue cleared his throat. “That’s the, ah, more common way of putting it, yes.”

“I see. And does she fight for a living, too, then?” Rarity asked.

“No, actually she’s a tutor at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She specialises in teachin’ noobies to control magic bursts. More of a counsellor, I suppose.”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I think I may have met her, then. When I went to school in Canterlot, I had a few lessons from a Snow Chaser.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What about?”

“Umm, how to handle troubled children, how to use your voice. I got my certificate from her, but I’ve never used it.”

“Yeah, that was probably her,” Hue said. “Now that she’s getting closer to retirement, she’s started doing lectures, too. So you’re a social worker, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked away and blushed. “Umm, certified child counselor, yes. But I’m the wildlife manager for Ponyville, officially. I mostly deal with small animals.”

“I can see where those skillsets would overlap, then,” Hue replied with a grin.

“Really?” Twilight asked. “Huh. And her name’s Snow Chaser? I think she may have taught me a few times, when I was little.”

Rainbow Dash pondered that for a moment. “Wait, were you the little girl that flooded the dorm rooms, or the one that animated the army of zombie brooms?”

Twilight froze and quickly looked for a different topic, not wanting anyone to know that those two children were, in fact, one and the same. “Never mind that. Does your mom know you and your dad fight like this?” Twilight asked with a nervous smile. To be fair, this was a topic she was quite familiar with, seeing as part of her family was in the Royal Guard. Her father and brother used to love playing the old ‘beam-o-war’ game, until the third restraining order, that is.

Hurricane Hue scoffed. “Know? My dear Twilight Sparkle, in my house we follow the rules of Avadhuta.”

“Haveahoota?” Applejack asked.

Twilight shook her head. “It’s a peace philosophy that’s not strictly peaceful. They believe the best way of changing something wrong is by setting a good, but shocking example, usually something bizarre. It’s also notorious for encouraging leaps of logic.”

“You know your stuff, Miss Twilight. I take it you know the common name of our belief, then, too?”

“I was told it’s more of a nickname, but, yes. Crazy Zen.”

“The craziest,” Rainbow remarked.

“So fighting like that is normal in your home?” Applejack asked.

“Only when it’s been a while. After all, I taught this little firecracker how to stand up for herself, gotta be sure she ain’t forgettin’.” Hue gave Rainbow a pat on the neck. “My wife doesn’t enjoy fighting, but she’s good at it. And after that little run-in with a manticore, while she was expecting little Rainbow here, no less, she tries to avoid any potentially traumatic events.”

“Oh,” Fluttershy said. “Oh, goodness, I can imagine. Manticore attacks can be scary. Especially when you’re carrying a baby.”

“Tell me about it,” Hue replied. “That poor manticore needed five months of physical therapy once Snow Chaser was done with it.”

Silence fell over the herd of mares.

“She crushed one of its claws in between her leg and her belly,” Rainbow Dash explained. “So yeah, I’ve always been pretty close to danger, even before I was born.”

“Ninja babies are lethal when they’re in the womb,” Hue said.

“Eheh,” Applejack said. “So y’all are fine with your own daughter gettin’ so violent against her own kin?”

“Fine with it?” Hue replied. “I’d be worried if she didn’t. She’s been tryin’ to kill me since the day she was born! Little facehugger would have gotten me on her first try if the doctors hadn’t pried her off my face.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “We don’t fight that hard all the time, you guys. My dad’s a stunt pony; he’s tough. Just like I am. I know what he can take, and he knows what I can’t take.”

Rarity let that sink in. In her experience, theatre ponies did tend to display their prowess at every opportunity, even when it wasn’t called for. Stunt ponies, doubly so. “I suppose that explains that, but, ah, what brings you to Ponyville, then, Mister Hurricane?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, please, call me Ash. Only my wife calls me ‘Mister Hurricane.’” He smirked.

Rainbow winced. “Eww, dad. But what are you doing here, anyway? You’re not just trying to find an excuse to check up on me, are you?”

“Fear not, my colourful carpet-muncher, your dear dad is here strictly for business.”

Rarity’s ears twitched ever so slightly and in an ever so polite fashion. “Carpet-muncher, darling?”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “You spill cider on the rug one time…”

“It’s just the Warrior Meet, Dashie. But I’m sure you guessed that much already,” Hue said.

Rainbow Dash nodded. “Yeah, I thought so. But didn’t you have one in Manehattan a few months ago?”

“We did, but the Feather Cloaks couldn’t make it because of a competition in griphon lands, and I couldn’t make it because some silly ponies followed the dragon migration and caused a ruckus with some of their youngins. The old scalies needed a talkin’ to, and apparently somepony at the Meet asked if they could be tested by me, and they missed me, as most ponies tend to do. They were sorely disappointed, I heard.”

Rainbow nearly did a double take. “Really? Somepony wants to measure up against the Nine Dragon style? After what happened last time? Who?”

“Some kid, is what I heard. And then you’ve got the Feather Cloaks…” Hue made a sound somewhere in between a groan and a growl.

“Still doing their old routine?”

Hue sighed. “I tell ya, Rainbow, somepony’s gonna get hurt doin’ that. Too cocky for their own good. Oh, and that’s not even mentioning the new record holder: one of their rookies took the Spear Test a couple months ago, can you believe that? Nine years old, tiny little thing, three swings.”

Rainbow Dash winced. “Really? Anypony I know?”

“Maybe. I didn’t ask for details, I just swung the dang spear. I think you might, though; it’s a kid from around these parts, if I recall correctly.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were busy unloading the new supplies for their clubhouse, with the help of their friendly classmates.

“Wait, let me help you with that chest, Rumble.” Apple Bloom went over to the colt and helped him place the trunk where it needed to be. “I still don’t get why you won’t invite your friend over, Scootaloo. I mean, if that Wimpy kid is as strong as you said he was…”

Scootaloo groaned as she hovered near the windows to clean them. “I already told you, his name’s not Wimpy.”

Rumble nodded. “She’s right. His name is Doldrum Whimper. And he is pretty strong.” He groaned as he helped the carry the trunk and gently put it down.

“Then why not invite him over for this Warrior Meet thingie? You did say he likes martial arts, after all. It’d be perfect!” Apple Bloom said.

Rumble looked away, and so did Scootaloo.

“Is there somethin’ y’all ain’t telling us?”

“It’s nothing,” Scootaloo lied. “I just don’t think a Warrior Meet would be a good time for it, that’s all.”

“Is it because he has a funny name?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Rumble rolled his eyes and walked out before the argument could break loose.

Scootaloo growled. “Doldrum Whimper is not a funny name! It’s an old name, and it’s tradition. It means ‘Wind of Hope’.”

“Uhuh. And a whimper is also a sound animals make they’re scared or give up. Plus, Doldrum’s not a word anyhow,” Apple Bloom argued. “You say you’re in the Doldrums, not a Doldrum.”

“Why are you making such a big deal about Doldrum Whimper’s name?” Scootaloo asked. “It is not that weird.”

Sweetie Belle looked beside her and took hold of a pile of cloth to store for future theatre productions. “Thanks, Featherweight. Yes, Scootaloo, ‘Doldrum Whimper’ is a weird name. It’s a really weird name and I don’t understand why anypony would name their son that.”

Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. “Exactly.”

“So, what, you think Whimper’s parents made a mistake calling him that?”

Apple Bloom snickered. “Sure am. Pony names aren’t supposed to be stuff you can be made fun of for. They should be normal names, names that demand respect. Nopony in the Apple family has weird names.”

“Where do you want the lamp?” a filly asked.

“Oh, I’ll get that. Thanks, Dinky Do,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Uhuh,” Scootaloo said. “So if I did bring Whimper over, the first thing you’d do is make fun of his name?”

“Umm, I wouldn’t make fun of it, no, but I’d certainly remark on it. It is a remarkable name, after all. And it’s not like we get a lot of hilarious names like that in Ponyville, either,” Apple Bloom said.

“Where do you want this lampshade?”

“Right there on the lamp there is fine, Lickety Split,” Apple Bloom replied. “And you can tell Featherweight and Pipsqueak to just leave the rest on the cart. We can take it from here.”

Scootaloo shot a glare at Apple Bloom that almost nailed her to the floor.

“What?”

“Nothing, Apple Bloom. Nothing at all.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “So you’re not plannin’ to bring him along for this fighting thing, then?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, okay? Whimper’s kinda… well, different, when it comes to martial arts. Especially now.”

“Well, I think it’s a great idea,” Sweetie Belle said. “At the very least, we should find a teacher to teach us some moves. We might even get a cutie mark in it.”

Apple Bloom looked towards Scootaloo. “What do you think?”

Scootaloo sighed and looked out of the window. “I think if you don’t go get the cider you promised, we’re gonna have an angry mob on our hooves.”

Author's Notes:

I debated leaving out the manticore incident, but I wanted Rainbow's mom to at least get a hint of character in this. There was also another part of plot introduced in this chapter that only came up very, very late, when rewriting the ending. Part of the reason it took so long to publish this story: if I hadn't waited, I'd have had the ending come up out of nowhere. Feel free to guess what it is.

The 'ninjas are lethal in the womb' is actually based on an anecdote from Path Notes of an American Ninja Master. Nine Dragons Style, the name of it, is based off of the School Handed Down by Nine Demons, might be translating it wrong. The Feather Cloaks, the name of that, is inspired by the legends of the moonfolk, who need their cloak of feathers to ascend to heaven. Analogous to European selkies, who need their seal skin to transform and go into the water. Or that other European thingamabob involving animal skins, you know the one.

The titles 'Master at Arms,' 'Duellist,' and coming up 'Fencer,' are taken from Battle for Wesnoth, where that's the progression of a certain unit. It was nice and simple, and the lore lended itself to adaptation easily enough.

So yeah, first appearance of Hammer. Took me ages to figure out how to draw him, still need to fix his profile picture. He'll get more background later on, don't worry. Also the first appearance of Moongazer, because thanks very much, new characterisation of Moondancer.

I'm afraid Rainbow Dash and Twilight will not be in this story much, though. The focus shifts to others for this one.

Where Do We Go Now? Searching For a Master!

Noon had come and gone. The clubhouse had been redecorated (thought most ponies would have used the term ‘repaired’, ‘rebuilt’, or even just ‘built,’) the rest of class had had their fair reward for the help, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had filled up their bellies to fuel their next grand quest of life-altering importance.

“Okay, so which one of these guys is gonna show us how to fight?” Apple Bloom asked.

Ponyville Park had been turned into a meeting ground for martial arts ponies, all of them with their own stands, their own canvas pajama uniforms, and their own fancy names for complicated, graceful, and intricate movements that all had the same noble and civilised purpose: beating the snot out of the other guy.

“Hey, look, there’s a demo starting!” Scootaloo pointed to a set of bleachers that ponies were flocking towards. The girls followed her lead and took a seat to see what the Warrior Meet had to offer.

Truth be told, the demo did not help.

First the karate crew came on. A bunch of ponies did a rigid set of punches, snap kicks, and swipes, all done with an ‘Ayaah!’ cry that made it sound like they pulled a muscle every time they attacked the air in front of them. Given their facial expressions, it was hard to tell whether they actually did pull any muscles.

“Well, what do you think?” Scootaloo asked.

“They look strong, but a little too uptight,” Apple Bloom replied. “Besides, I’ve tried karate already and it didn’t work out for me.”

“Yeah, I think we’d be pretty bad at that sort of thing,” Sweetie Belle concurred.

Next came what looked like some sort of native dancers, led by a zebra. They spent most of their time spinning around and jumping and kicking, and beating themselves on the chest like a gorilla.

“Which one’s this?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I think it’s called Kappaweirdal or something,” Scootaloo replied.

“It’s pretty,” Sweetie Belle said.

Apple Bloom grunted. “Yeah, but they ain’t even hittin’ each other. They’re just dancing around, and I’m pretty sure if you tried that in a real fight you’d just end up falling over.”

The other classes weren’t much better. The buckboxers all seemed to follow an unwritten rule to not grab a pony’s leg even when it was right in reach and up so high it left its owner open to a groin attack. They looked like capable fighters, but all the ponies only fought with opponents who were their own size.

Then came the Royal Guard, who demonstrated their forms with the spear and the halberd. Again, it looked impressive, but it wasn’t anything the girls might use, unless their families let them carry weapons around, which wasn’t likely, especially with the restraining order against them carrying something as harmless as a camera.

One by one, all the martial arts masters showed off their skills to the crowds. One by one, each got a round of applause. And one by one, each made the girls’ hearts sink deeper.

“What kinda martial art does your friend do, Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked once the last of the demonstrations was done.

“Umm, Whimper does something a little… different.”

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Well, what kind of different?”

“He teaches himself. Well, mostly.”

“And what does he teach himself?” Apple Bloom asked.

The little Pegasus pony gulped. Her wings clenched to her sides. “He, umm, he does... ninja fighting?”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “Ninja fighting? You mean like those guys in the comic books, with the masks and the funny getups?”

Scootaloo winced embarrassedly. “Eheh, he doesn’t wear a mask, but he does have a funny getup.”

“Uhuh. And what kinda fightin’ is ninja fightin’, exactly?”

Scootaloo shrugged, then shivered. “It’s pretty intense. You don’t wanna get on the bad side of a ninja, trust me. They learn to get angry on command. Like, crazy, scary angry.”

“Sounds great, let’s do that!” Apple Bloom said, hopping off her seat.

“Wait, what?”

“Well, we gotta find a master to teach us how to fight, and you did say your friend’s really good at it. If we wanna challenge Wimpy, we gotta find a ninja master.”

Scootaloo nervously rubbed the back of her head. “Heheh, yeah, he’s really good at getting angry. Wait, what do you mean you wanna challenge Whimper?”

“Then it’s settled. Cutie Mark Crusaders, we’re gonna find us a ninja master.” Apple Bloom took off, and Sweetie Belle followed, leaving Scootaloo behind.

Scootaloo cringed. “You’re kidding about challenging him, right? Right?”

---

Rumble had spotted the crowds at the park, of course, but that wasn’t where he needed to be. Rumble’s tastes in martial arts were more specific, to the point that he already knew which school he’d ask. The problem at hoof was locating the teacher in said school.

A ninja pony worth their oats wouldn’t be found so easily, after all.

“Hey, Rumble!” a voice called out to him.

Rumble turned. He’d checked out Sugarcube Corner on a whim, but given that it was past lunchtime already, he should’ve known that was futile. He didn’t let that bother him, though. “Hey, Spike. What’s up?”

“Aren’t you going to the park for the martial arts stuff?”

“No, they don’t have what I want there.”

The dragon furrowed his brow. “Really? How come?”

“Umm, did Twilight mention anything about a ninja master coming to town, by any chance?”

Spike’s earflaps perked, which Rumble took as a yes. “She might have, but why do you ask?”

“It’s a ninja grandmaster I’m looking for.”

Spike looked at him intently. “You want a ninja grandmaster? Really? You can just go and do that?”

Rumble nodded. “Yup. The Warrior Meet is a very old tradition: any teacher that shows has to accept a request for lessons, if the student is deemed worthy. I got a book written by a ninja grandmaster, I’ve been practising since Flight Camp, I wanna see if I’m worthy. What about you? You wanted to check out something at the park?”

“Err… I was thinking of maybe asking some ponies if they can teach dragons. I mean, not that these big guys need any more fine tuning.” Spike flexed his biceps to show off, then realised the girls and mares passing by didn’t particularly notice, and let go. “I just kinda want a little brushing up.”

“You like martial arts? Really?” Now it was Rumble’s turn to be surprised.

“Sure. I used to spar with Shining Armour, before he made Captain. But I never got any official lessons, and between you and me -” He leaned in to whisper in Rumble’s right ear “- I’m kinda worried what might happen if I ever have to fight for real. That thing with the changelings was pretty scary.”

Rumble backed away, thinking. “Oh, right, I forgot. I guess you would want to learn how to fight. I mean, firebreath must be pretty neat, but it’s pretty dangerous, too, huh?”

“Yeah, I don’t usually use it to hurt anyone. But I might have to, eventually. I don’t want to, but if I have to, you know...”

The grey colt nodded. “You can tag along with me, if you like. Ninjas do a lot of breathing exercises, and a lot of meditating to get stuff like that under control.”

“Err, are you sure ninja fighting would help?”

“The school is called Nine Dragons Style.”

“Count me in!”

“Okay, now we just need to find the ninja master.”

“Excuse me, boys,” a mare behind them said. “I couldn’t help but overhear you talking about ninjas. Are you looking for someone?”

Spike looked up. His jaw nearly dropped right to the ground.

“Moongazer?”

---

Hurricane Hue stretched out his arms and legs with a satisfied sigh. The day was splendid and the new crop of stunt ponies at the Canterlot Opera were starting to take to his training methods. The next performance would make jaws drop, he was sure of it.

He always did have a soft spot for passionate students.

The sound of a door opening and closing snapped him out of his reverie, followed by sobbing. Getting up from his seat, he found his little girl was home. And she was crying.

Rainbow Dash had never been an easy child to handle. She was rebellious, stubborn, cocky, all the things her father hated but secretly knew he had been himself not too long ago. As for the girl’s mother, Hue had learned the hard way that Rainbow had gotten her sense of perseverance and loyalty not from him, but from Snow Chaser. This, unfortunately, meant that Rainbow got herself into trouble, a lot.

And then her cutie mark had come, shortly after an accident that had really been Hue’s fault. She’d somehow managed to fly down to Ghastly Gorge, where Hue trained the abilities his Warrior’s Heart could give him. Hue did the route on a weekly basis back then. Rainbow Dash had gotten far enough to be covered in thorns. Most ponies would have called her making it to the hospital a mystery, Hue called it a miracle. He still didn’t know who’d brought her there.

Of course she’d recovered, but Hue could tell she was different since then. She’d always been a little different, growing up with a father who was highly charged, who could affect ponies’ moods with his own, and who had a weird stare that could frighten lesser creatures into submission. He had a glow to him, and while his wife had accepted and grown into the same kind of glow, Rainbow Dash had had it forced upon her.

Her tall tale of the Sonic Rainboom had only confirmed his fears: she was fully unlocked, the energies in her body would affect her mind before she was ready. It gave her incredible speed, stamina, and strength, even more than she’d already had, but at the cost of her thinking mind.

Hue had seen it happen before his eyes. Rainbow’s grades slipped, she didn’t sleep as well as she used to, and she was antsy. She’d always been quick to anger, but nowadays a pony couldn’t so much as look at her without her taking it as a challenge. It was all his fault, Hue knew, simply for being around her and caring for her. He wasn’t sure if she’d hallucinated that Rainboom she’d claimed to make or if it was, as the Flight Camp counsellors had insisted, an accident involving a crash into a rainbow and a thundercloud, but to him it didn’t matter. Something had changed, and the only thought on Hurricane Hue’s mind as he went to comfort her was a plea to the stars and the heavens that just once, his daughter wouldn’t be in trouble because of him.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know, daddy.” Rainbow shed her school bag and dropped it on the cloud floor. “We were at this market, and Miss Mayflower was explaining how they grow apples on the ground, and I saw a pony selling cider.”

“And?”

“And so I said I wanted to buy some cider. I don’t know why, but it smelled so good. We kept moving, but I couldn’t get the smell out of my nose. I could even taste the stuff from that far away.”

Hue’s heart sank. Enhanced senses, greater sensitivity, the body’s desire for food clouding the mind’s rational thinking, chalk up another one to Warrior’s Heart.

“Missus Mayflower said no. But I really wanted it, so I asked again. I had my own bits with me and everything, it wouldn’t have taken long. But I couldn’t. So I stopped asking. But then Thunderlane asked, and then Blue Belle, the whole class suddenly wanted cider.”

Her mood spilling over to others, that sure sounded familiar. Hue had to be careful about that, too: bigger crowds got him swept up in emotion, but the smaller ones got swept up with him. Made a nightmare out of spectating sports matches. “I see. And then they stampeded the cider stand, and you got blamed for it?”

Rainbow Dash let her head hang in shame. “Uhuh. I got a note from the principal.” She fetched the note out of her backpack. “She said I was a instigator.”

Hue read the note and sighed. Another mark on her permanent record. Why it was that ponies forgave transgressions in adults yet kept a permanent record for children who didn’t know any better was beyond him.

She pouted. “I didn’t mean to, daddy. I didn’t even get any cider, I swear. I don’t wanna be a instigator.”

“I know you don’t, Dashie.” He picked up the little filly and hugged her tight. “I know. It ain’t your fault. You’re just special, and that takes some gettin’ used to, for you and for ponies around ya. Daddy’ll find something. You’ve got a great talent, we just need to figure out how to tone it down.”

She clenched her arms around his neck. “I’m scared, daddy. What if I never get to be normal again?”

He shivered at the thought, but rubbed her back so she wouldn’t notice. “Aww, fear not, my chromatic little courser. Normal’s overrated, anyhow. I ain’t normal, and I dare say I don’t know anypony I’d call normal. You’ll be fine, you just need time and practice.”

“Really?”

“Really. Why, if you could smell cider from far away, can you tell what mom’s making right now?”

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and sniffed. She never ceased to amaze him: even without coded directions from old texts, she knew how to project her senses already, in a set direction. That trick, even in the Royal Guard, was rare outside the higher levels. “It’s something melon-y.”

“Very good. See?” He chuckled. “You’ll get the hang of it eventually. And while you’re doing that, let’s just pretend I’m very angry at you and you promise not to do it again, like last time.”

She nodded and smiled. “Okay. But, umm, dad?”

“Yeah, Dashie?”

“I think I just went blind.”

Hue waved a hoof in front of Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Her pupils did not respond in the slightest. He groaned. “That’s the third time this month. Come on, you.”

He picked her up and put her on his back, before striding towards the kitchen.

Then the clouds parted and he fell through the floor.

“Whoooaaa!”

---

The Ashen Blizzard shook his head and adjusted his visor. It had been a long time since someone had bucked him out of a tree, but then his wife didn’t know about all his hiding spots nowadays. Apparently he should have prepared for Applejack’s agrarian sense of decorum.

“This is a ninja grandmaster?” Apple Bloom asked, before exchanging a glance with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Hurricane Hue nimbly jumped up to land on his hooves and dusted himself off. “Indeed I am, little filly. I am the Ashen Blizzard, the strongest warrior and mightiest ninja in Equestria. You can call me Ash.” He held out a hoof for the girls to shake.

“Wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?” Applejack asked as the girls formally shook that hoof.

“Not really, darlin’, I was just about to reach spiritual enlightenment. So, what can I do in for ya?”

Applejack nodded to the three girls. “My sister and her friends would like some lessons, if that’s alright.”

“Oh, that’s perfectly alright, you don’t need to ask me for permission. You can go right ahead and get any teacher you like.” He smiled coyly.

The mare furrowed her brow. “You don’t teach yourself?”

“I used to, but most of my pupils found my teaching methods to be not to their liking. And to be perfectly honest, I prefer the self-taught ones, anyhow. Ninja fighting isn’t like the other schools, though you wouldn’t know with most of them nowadays.” He stifled a growl.

“But you do teach ninja fighting, right?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“That all depends,” Ash replied, staring from behind those intimidating shades. “What do you need lessons for?”

“Umm, to learn to stand up against a bully?”

Even with the mask they saw his eyebrows shift. “Little girl, what’s your name?”

“Sweetie Belle, sir.”

“And you?”

“Apple Bloom, I’m Applejack’s sister.”

He turned to Scootaloo. He grumbled to himself and leaned in closer to the pegasus girl. “And you? Are you Scootaloo, by any chance?”

She chuckled nervously. “Uh, yes, sir, that’s me. How do you know my name?”

Ash smirked. “Rainbow Dash is one of my students.”

“You taught Rainbow Dash how to fly?!” Scootaloo’s heart nearly burst out of her chest with sheer excitement.

“No, I taught her how to fight. She learned to fly from Rainbow Blitz, one of the junior instructors at the Wonderbolts Academy. She’s told me a few things about you, Scootaloo. Are you really as nimble as she says?”

“She sure is,” Sweetie Belle said, grabbing her friend closer. “But we’d all like to get a little more nimble and, you know, stronger and all. So, can you teach us, please?”

Ash chuckled. “Alright then, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, I’ll tell you what the deal is. The ninja style of teaching is different from other schools’ teachings, and my style is different from the other schools of ninja. I’ll give you this lesson for free: every ninja teaching has two sides: open and closed.” He curled his right front hoof up and down to illustrate. “The open form is what you can see on the surface, usually something physical. It’s a punch, a kick, a block, and just that. The closed form is more akin to magic, and involves learning to focus, how to breathe properly, even how you need to feel. A punch thrown when angry is very different from one thrown when calm. Every school of ninja has ways of summoning such emotions on command. The Nine Dragons Style is unique in that it doesn’t merely summon degrees of one emotion, but it switches in between the whole range.”

“Okay. But… does that mean you’ll teach us or not?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Oh, fear not, my astute little Apple, I ain’t decided against it yet. My point is: most schools of fightin’ don’t bother with teaching the inner forms of their moves at all, and the other schools of ninja don’t bother teaching it ‘till you’re at least a black belt. If you take lessons in Nine Dragons Style, you’ve got a leg up on the other fighters. And, not to toot my own horn, but if you learn from me, you’ll have two legs up.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Apple Boom jumped excitedly.

“We ain’t waitin’ for anything. I am waiting to hear the real reason you want to learn. I can tell when you’re lying, you know.”

“Is that really a problem, Mister Ash? It’s kind of personal.” Sweetie Belle said.

“If you want somepony else to teach you, fine. But if you want it from me, you need to be honest. A real ninja is a master liar, but he can’t do that if his heart ain’t pure and true. You lie to me right now and I try teaching you, you’re gonna hurt yourself in more ways than one. So, the real reason you want to learn how to fight, please?”

Scootaloo groaned. “Well, we kinda want to earn our cutie marks. We’ve tried lots of different things, but nothing works. We figured maybe learning ninja fighting might be best.”

“Why not try the other schools, then?”

“They didn’t seem all that useful,” Apple Bloom remarked. “And not a lot of fun, either.”

Ash grinned. “I see. So you are, in fact, not hoping to brag about being ninjas or beating up some bully in your class, by any chance?”

“No, sir,” Apple Bloom said. “We don’t really know enough to brag about anything.”

“We just want to learn, just in case,” Sweetie Belle said.

He considered that answer carefully. “Just that? There’s no other reason, no other reason at all?”

Apple Bloom buckled under the stallion’s gaze.”Well, there might one other little thing.”

“And that is?”

Sweetie Belle took over and grabbed Scootaloo tightly. “One of Scootaloo’s friends is a martial artist, and we really want to meet him, but she doesn’t want to bring him over, so we thought maybe if we learned how to fight we’d already have something in common.”

Ash’s ears twitched. “You don’t say?”

Scootaloo groaned. “Whimper again? Can’t you just let it go?”

“What? What better way to meet your friend from Flight Camp than by challengin’ him to a fight, right? You wanted a good excuse, this is the best one we’ve had since summer ended,” Apple Bloom said. “I mean, come on, it’s almost like you’re embarrassed about us.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Seriously? Please tell me there’s some code of honour against this?”

Ash pondered it for a moment. “I’m afraid not. If you just want to socialise with martial artists, technically that’s what the Warrior Meet is for. How good is your friend?”

Scootaloo shivered. “Really good. He does ninja fighting, too. He’s scary good.”

Ash saw the tremble go through the girl. There was more than mere nerves in that, but what exactly, he couldn’t say. “I see. But you are all just trying to better yourselves, maybe make some new friends, right? No petty grudges, no bullying, no tryin’ to one-up anyone? Including each other?”

“No, sir.” Apple Bloom said. The girls all shook their heads.

Scootaloo broke away from Sweetie’s grasp. “And I am not going to bring Whimper to Ponyville, okay?”

“Actually, if he’s a martial artist, and highly skilled, he’ll probably show up for the challenger’s circle on Sunday anyway,” Ash said. Again, he saw the tremble go through the girl. He could almost taste the fear in her at that, it was uncanny. “But okay, then, that’s a better reason than most youngins have given me. If that’s the case, I’m going to have to find my-”

“Oh, Ash!”

“And speak of the devil. Girls, this is the Crescent Death. Crescent Death, this is Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Applejack, and Scootaloo here is one of Rainbow Dash’s little friends. These three are prospective students.”

The white mare chuckled. “Are they? That’s a coincidence, I found two more of them right here.”

“Hello, sir. Are you the Ashen Blizzard?” Rumble asked.

“That I am. And who do I have the honour of meeting?” Ash extended a hoof for the colt to shake.

“Rumble, sir.” He shook it carefully, doing his best to keep his breathing calm.

Ash nodded as he shook that hoof, slowly. “Rumble… you strike me as a colt with a little bit of experience, am I right?”

“I read your book, sir.”

“Ah, good.” Ash looked to Crescent Death’s left. “And you must be Spike the Dragon.” Again, he offered a hoof to shake, which Spike took gingerly.

“Yes, sir. Did Rainbow Dash tell you about me?”

“Didn’t need to, my boy: my day job is in the theatre, and you have quite the reputation in Canterlot. Not to mention what my successor’s told me about you.”

Spike blushed and fidgeted. “Eheh, yeah…”

Applejack squinted at the oddly named mare. “Crescent… Death?”

She smiled. “Call me Moongazer. These two boys have requested lessons in Nine Dragons Style, Ash. Think you can accommodate them?”

“Along with these three?” Ash raised a hoof to his chin, then walked off towards the tree he’d been napping in. “I’ll consider it, on one condition.”

“I thought the point of a Warrior Meet was to get lessons?” Applejack asked. “You’re just gonna refuse them like that?”

“A grandmaster has the right to refuse, yes, if he deems the students unworthy. Rumble, I’m just going to go on a hunch here and say you know what to expect from Nine Dragons Style, yes?”

“Open and closed forms right away, lots of weird stuff, couple of dangerous lessons?” The boy squeed with excitement, if ever so silently.

“Close enough. So, Spike, your reason for wanting lessons?”

Spike nervously rubbed the back of his head. “Well… it’s kind of a funny story, really. I’m the only dragon in town, and I’ve been in a fight once or twice, but I’ve never really won one. I mean, I did learn some stuff from Captain Shining Armour.”

“Obviously,” Ash added.

“But I don’t actually know what to do, for real. Plus, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I can breathe fire. That’s pretty good in a fight, right?”

Ash nodded. “A decent ranged attack can be useful, yes. I’d even hazard a guess thinkin’ that means you don’t need any lessons in the first place.”

Spike idly kicked the ground. “Yeah, see, that’s the thing: I don’t really know how to use that in a fight. I’m sure I might need to sometime, but I’d really rather not hurt anypony, or anyone. Rumble said you’ve got a lot of breathing exercises in your style.”

“We do. There’s a reason it’s called Nine Dragons.”

“See, that right there, I think I could use some of that. If you happen to know some way I could just do something in a real fight, something that’s not totally useless, that’d be great. I don’t wanna end up risking anypony’s life next time the Elements of Harmony need to be used.” He chuckled. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t wanna, you know, burn down the kingdom.”

Ash nodded in approval. “Right, that all sounds very reasonable. I accept your request, all five of you.”

“Really?” Scootaloo’s wings fanned out with excitement.

“On one condition: y’all gotta take a little test of mine.”

“What kind of test?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Moongazer winced. “Ash, no, you’re not seriously suggesting that, are you? They’re neophytes, for crying out loud. You can’t.”

He laughed a laugh that was the laugh of pure evil. “Oh, yes, I can. My class, my rules. Come on, youngins. Let’s see how you handle the ole’ Ninja Gem Hunt.”

Author's Notes:

I swear, I hadn't planned on the release schedule to coincide with the holidays the way it does.

The flashback to Rainbow's childhood is something alluded to in the first story: her Warrior's Heart was fanned by her father's presence, and fully triggered by the traumatic experience of nearly dying in Ghastly Gorge. The blindness is inspired by several anecdotes regarding kundalini syndrome.

Rumble, as you may know, I've always kind of written similarly: modelled after Aqualad from Teen Titans. The cool, but not popular, kid. The swimming team guy. Not the swimming team dude; the guy. He takes it seriously. Everyone likes him, but he's not very social. You get the idea.

Spike, then, was added sort of as an afterthought, or rather as a means of alleviating the pressure on Rumble for some of the expositioning that's coming. Because, let's not forget, this is an anime spoof; expositioning is mandatory.

The story's structure also ended up resembling that of a manga, each part being five chapters on average. First part is the warm-up, getting to know everyone. Next week, just before the new year starts, you'll see the last chapter for that part, as the Ninja Gem Hunt weeds out the worthy students from the unworthy. After that, it's training mixed with (obviously) flashbacks, and then the actual Warrior Meet. It's still all in one piece, mind you, just very clear transitions from one 'issue' to the next. At the time of writing, I'm still tweaking the fight scenes, or rather the dialogue interrupting the fight scenes. I'm developing a lot more respect for manga writers now, as well as wondering if I can get away with repeating myself as often as they do. I think I'll try, just to see how people respond to it.

The Ashen Blizzard's Test! Ninja Gem Hunt!

The Shadowbolt led the way towards the forest closest to Ponyville. At least, the closest forest without monsters.

“So this is White Tail Woods, is it?” He flew up to scan the size of the area. “Yup, this’ll do nicely. Right, then, unless anypony else shows up for lessons-”

Right on cue, an anypony else showed up. A white anypony else, with a horn and a loud voice, as well as an incomparable sense of fashion, despite being naked at the moment. “Sweetie Belle! I’ve been looking all over for you! Oh, you’ve met dear Mister Hur-”

“Ashen Blizzard, yes, Miss Rarity, she has,” Ash interrupted. “Ah, and there’s Rainbow Dash, too.”

Rainbow Dash landed right next to Applejack. “Sorry I’m late, guys, had to clear some fog on the main road.” She nodded towards the five kids. “They ask you for lessons?”

“Yup. I don’t suppose you know if anypony else might show up?”

“No one who knows what they’d be getting into, no.” Rainbow looked to the forest before her. “Oh, great, you’re doing this again, aren’t you?”

“Yes, we are. Youngins, listen up, ‘coz Master Ash is only gonna explain this once.” The Shadowbolt curled his wings to reach into a chest pocket and fetched five gems, which he held up for all to see. “What we’re gonna do right now is a little test to see who among you has what it takes to be a genuine, bona fide ninja. And we’re gonna do this using these ninja gems here.”

Rarity quirked an eyebrow. “Ninja gems? How are they different from regular gems, then?”

“They are carried and used by ninja, so we put the word ‘ninja’ in front of them,” Moongazer explained.

“Ah. Like what space ponies like to do?”

“They stole that gimmick from us,” Moongazer replied coldly. “Our revenge will be swift.”

“Quite right,” Ash said. “The rules of the Ninja Gem Hunt are simple: y’all run into the forest, and I chase you. If I catch you, I incapacitate you, by whatever means I find appropriate. I could tie you up, make you pass out, or paralyse you.”

“Don’t forget the tree sap,” Rainbow Dash said. “There’s plenty of trees that are ripe for glue harvesting. If you get knocked into one of those, it’s game over.”

“Really, now? Oh, I gotta try that one.” Ash chuckled.

“And where do the gems come in?” Spike asked.

“The game is simple: if you have a gem, you are in the clear. I will not attack you, I will not take the gem, you may exit the forest. If you manage to leave the forest with your gem, you win. If I find you without one, well… then it’s all a matter of how much of a fight you can put up before I decide to knock you out.”

“Excuse me, but that sounds like child abuse,” Applejack said.

Ash shrugged. “If it does, your little sister is more than welcome to give up right here and now. If you want to learn from me, you have to be able to operate under the threat of real violence.”

“But you’re a full grown stallion, for pity’s sake!”

Rarity nodded. “I’m afraid I must agree with Applejack there. Sweetie Belle is too young and too fragile to be chased by someone of your intimidating stature. Can’t your colleague do it?”

“Crescent Death? No, not as such. Unless it’s her the kids want lessons from, of course. If that’s the case, then I can go right back to my little ninja nap.”

Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow Dash, pondering. “Did you used to do this with Ash when he taught you?”

“All the time,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I started doing this when I was… about two years younger than you, I think. It’s scary, but it’s fun, so I’m not gonna stop you.”

“And what does Thunderlane think about this? Where’s Twilight?” Applejack asked.

“Twilight said I could pick anyone I wanted for a teacher,” Spike replied.

“And Thunderlane told me to practise on my own,” Rumble added.

Rarity let out a yelp as one lock of hair sprung up. She quickly rubbed it down. “What in Equestria was that?”

“Hair actin’ up?”

“I’m not sure, Applejack.” She squinted as she pressed the hairs back into proper form. “That lock doesn’t usually give me any trouble.”

Ash shivered and looked out at the distance, into Ponyville. He glanced at Moongazer, who’d apparently felt the same presence, but she merely responded with a knowing grin, and neither said anything on the matter.

“Right, then, whosoever wishes to take this test and be proven worthy or unworthy of ninja training, please step forward,” Ash said.

As one, the Cutie Mark Crusaders took a step forward, followed by the baby dragon – a baby only by dragon standards – and the local loner jock.

Ash held up the gems. “Okay, five contestants, five gems. Now I just gotta hide’em and…”

The stallion tensed up his wings, and next thing anyone knew a whistling sound could be heard. The kids turned around just in time to see the gems hurtling through the air and landing scattered over White Tail Woods. “Time to bolt, kids. You won’t know when I’ve started until you see me.”

They didn’t need to be told twice. The two pegasi flew off into the forest, the Earth pony and unicorn galloped, and the dragon ran in an awkward, almost waddling fashion.

Ash smirked as they fanned out. “Well, well, that’s interesting.”

Applejack frowned. “What is?”

Moondancer smiled. “They’re all heading in different directions, trying to get a different gem, each.”

Rarity and Applejack exchanged a puzzled glance. Rarity felt that one rebellious lock of hair acting up again, so she stroked it down, even resorting to magic to keep it in place. “And what, pray tell, is so interesting about that?”

“It means, among other things, that they’re givin’ up strength in numbers. Rookie mistake.”

---

Sweetie Belle ran as fast as she could. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were nowhere to be seen, and Rumble and Spike were off somewhere, too. She was alone, looking for a gem.

She stopped and turned around. She couldn’t tell how long she’d been running.

How’s anyone supposed to find any gems in a forest this big?

A rustling in the bushes caught her attention.

“Ready or not, here I come…”

She bolted. Even if the Ashen Blizzard wasn’t going to hurt her, he scared her, right to her core.

“Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide…”

Sweetie Belle panted. She’d bolted too far, she could see the rocky outcroppings of the Falling Leaves trail.

Think, Sweetie Belle, think.

Her head hurt, her horn throbbed.

Her horn.

Rarity had tried to teach her the gem hunting spell before, as a way to give the girl some hobby they both liked, but it hadn’t ended too well. Where Sweetie Belle was more than content to get dirty, Rarity needed someone to do the digging for her, and carefully, lest her perfect coat be besmirched. Still, the magic lessons had stuck, if only because sensory magic was a lot easier than trying to grab things with magic.

Sweetie Belle focused. Even with her eyes closed, she could see the light flooding out of her horn and into her eyes.

Barumpbarumpbarump. The sound of heavy galloping hooves drew closer. The air went colder, and a sense of dread snuck up on her.

She ran again, just to stay ahead of the galloping. The stallion was playing with her, she knew, merely trying to scare her, but he was good at it. Still, she forced herself to concentrate on the spell.

A left turn here, a duck to the right there, she had to keep her concentration on her task.

With a dull thump, the Shadowbolt dropped out of the sky. “Time’s up, Sweetie Belle.”

“Please don’t!” She curled up into a ball, her magic already lashing out at random.

“Ah, well done, little filly.” He tousled her hair.

“What?”

Sweetie Belle opened her eyes. There was a gem, glowing in response to her detection spell, right in front of her hooves.

“You got the gem. You are hereby excused from the rest of the trials.”

With a mere woosh, he vanished.

Sweetie Belle put a hoof to her chest. Her heart pounded, her lungs burned. How long had she been running?

And if Ash scared her that much just by standing there, what was he going to do to her friends?”

---

Apple Bloom was the fastest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, at least without wheels or wings, and until Sweetie Belle learned how to teleport. But she was the fastest now, and that’s all that mattered. She was smack dab in the middle of White Tail Woods when she heard the Shadowbolt approaching her.

She didn’t have a gem, and she didn’t see how she was going to find one. So she did the only thing she could do: stand up on her hind hooves and brace herself.

She heard him coming towards her. The swooshing sound of his wings, along with the cold and the terror of his killer intent, grew with every breath she took.

“Hayah!” She leaped toward the shadow as it approached her.

Apple Bloom barely had time to flail around as she found herself jump kicking a black rag. “What the?”

Ash appeared behind her, chuckling. “Ninja decoy. You sure you wanna try and take me head-on, little girl?” He spread his wings to add even more to his already imposing stature.

“I ain’t afraid of you,” Apple Bloom lied as she kicked off the decoy rag. “You’re just playin’ around.”

“If you say so. Go on, then. Hit me with your best shot.” He stood up on his hind hooves and beckoned her forward.

Again, Apple Bloom jumped to kick at the guy.

It felt like landing on the ground, only not. She had her hind right hoof on his left front hoof, while he kept the other on his back. Her whole body shook with the impact, then dropped unceremoniously as he withdrew his guard.

“Wrong answer. Try again.”

She jumped up and rose to her hind hooves again, then swung her right leg at his thigh. Again, he blocked it without so much as a wince. “Still doin’ it wrong, little filly. You sure you’re a real Apple? I thought your family was supposed to be strong.”

Grandmaster or no, this was too much for the girl. “Ayah!”

She tried a snap kick to his groin, he stepped to the side. She did a spinning kick to his face, he blocked. She tried to jump and do a hammer blow on his face, and that’s when Ash decided he’d had enough fun. With one flap of the wings, he sent out a gust of wind that flung her into a tree.

Apple Bloom got the wind knocked out of her, but she wasn’t unconscious. In fact, she was conscious enough to register the wet stickiness on her back. “Oh, you did not just…” She wriggled and squirmed against the bark she was now glued to, even as he approached her.

“Sorry, Apple Bloom. You do not have a gem, and I have caught you. You lose.”

“Get back here, I ain’t done yet!” She called out as he turned his back on her.

“Oh, yes, yes you are. If I were a real enemy, there’d be nothing stopping me from taking you away, or knocking you senseless, or even choking you. You lost to a superior opponent. Now, if’n you’ll excuse me, there’s four more kids I need to test.”

With that, he was off. Apple Bloom gritted her teeth. Her legs hurt from all the kicking, and the running. And it was all for nothing. She couldn’t land a kick, she couldn’t even touch the guy.

In a real fight, she was toast.

---

Scootaloo hovered over the ground, wings buzzing as she ducked and weaved between the trees. The gem she was after had landed close by, she was sure of it.

She landed in a clearing, one with plenty of trees around. Perfect to dart in and out and remain unseen.

“Hey there, squirt. Lookin’ for this?” Ash had beaten her to it. He held up one gem in his right wing.

Scootaloo took a step back, then scanned the area for any escape paths. She had plenty of options to hide, but would any of those work against a grandmaster?

“You know, Rainbow Dash told me you try to be like her all the time. Did she ever tell you what she used to do on her ninja tests?” Ash smirked.

“No, sir.” Scootaloo took another step back as Ash approached her. “She doesn’t really talk to me that much.”

“Ah, the old ‘let them find their own path’ schtick, I see. Well, she, err, she didn’t bother tryin’ to get a gem. Never had the patience for it. That girl, when she was your age, always went for the direct approach, even if it meant attacking a ninja master. So, that begs the question, what are you gonna do, now that you’re in the same spot she was?”

Scootaloo crouched on all fours, tensing up for a leap. “Guess I have to do the same thing she did.”

Even beneath his visor, it was obvious Ash raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that, little girl?”

Without a word, the filly vanished in a blur. Ash yanked his wing back and clutched the gem to his chest as something wooshed mere millimetres away from his suit before disappearing into the bushes. He chuckled. “Ohohoho, super speed, niiiiice. That’s wu ju speed you’re goin’ at, Wonderbolt speed, very nice. Not too common at your age, either. Well, not in places like Ponyville, at least. Now, Bogsdown, that town’s got a good amount speedsters your age. Crazy folk, swamp ponies. Brutal lot, too. Make the best waffles, though, for some bizarre reason. Anyway, you weren’t countin’ on me bein’ surprised by that kind of speed, I hope?”

Scootaloo didn’t answer. The only sound around was the sound of buzzing wings and rustling shrubbery.

Ash grinned and turned around. “It appears you have me at a tactical disadvantage, Scootaloo. You have the capacity of outrunning me, at least for a little while. But still, you gotta get a gem sooner or later. I got a gem, right here in my wing, but you’re gonna have to come get it if you want it. So what’s it gonna be, kiddo? You wanna hide or do you wanna try your luck?”

An orange blur came rushing towards him again. He ducked beneath it and let it bolt harmlessly into the woods. Another rush came from the side, then another from behind.

The last one was a last-ditch effort to land a hit on him. She went straight for his chest, but ended up hitting thin air and whizzing past him.

Snap!

She hung perfectly still in the air for a split second. Then she went down with an unceremonial ‘thud’. “What the…”

“Ninja rope jutsu,” Ash said. “You’re fast, but not on the short range.”

Scootaloo didn’t even realise what had happened until she felt a hard yank on her right hind hoof. She was launched into the air, then something tight wrapped around her legs and wings before she smacked into the forest floor again.

Ash walked over and gave her a gentle nudge on the muzzle. “Chin up, kid. You really are talented, and you do have some of Rainbow’s speed, I’ll give you that.” He leaned in closer and sighed. “But really, just some of her speed doesn’t cut it in a fight. Better luck next time.”

“Wait, give me another chance, I can do this.” Scootaloo wriggled and squirmed against the rope, to no avail.

“You don’t get second chances in a real fight, Scootaloo. You either win or lose, and combat can have higher stakes than you know. I’ll be back for ya, don’t worry. And try not to squirm too hard; you’ll chafe.” Ash waved as he took off to find his next potential student.

---

Spike had always been deceptively good at running long distances. While the baby dragon didn’t have the largest stride, or the fastest legs, he was, as Twilight had once put it, ‘indefatigable’. He sniffed the air, looking for the gem that would secure his place as a ninja student.

He found it, alright, in the middle of a clearing. It was a wide open space with dark loamy soil and rocks strewn around, possibly the site of some magic duel in antiquity that had left the land scarred for centuries. The gem lay in the dead center of the clearing, gleaming temptingly at him.

And right beside it stood the Shadowbolt.

“Master Dragon,” the stallion said, “I hope you don’t mind me takin’ the liberty of moving our duelling grounds somewhere with a slightly higher fire safety?”

Spike would have tried to hide, but this guy was a ninja grandmaster, and probably capable of tracking him. The little dragon decided to play along for now and walked into the open area. “Why would you do that?”

“Oh, no real reason. It’s just that I’ve gone up against plenty of dragons in my time, it’s kind of boring, to tell you the truth. A dragon raised by ponies, though, that’s new, should be interesting.”

Spike stopped. “You want me to use my fire breath.”

Ash chuckled and drew a line in the dirt. “I want to see you use your abilities to the fullest. You’re not like the other kids, after all; you’re a dragon. You’ve got tougher skin, sharp claws, and a ranged attack even unicorns would dream of.” Ash picked up the gem in his right wing and let it catch the light just so, enough for it to shine in the dragon’s eyes. “Go on, attack me. I assure you, you won’t harm me in any way. I’ve taken fire breath from bigger dragons than you.”

“Wait a second. You mean to tell me you know dragons?” Spike asked.

“You mean to tell me you don’t? Oh, that seems like a grievous oversight on Celestia’s part. Do you really know nothing about where you come from? Did our fair Princess at least tell you what your race of dragon is called?”

Spike growled as the light from the gem kept hitting his eyes. “What are you trying to do here? Get me angry?”

“Depends.” Ash cocked his head coyly. “Is it working?”

Spike snarled, then launched himself at the Shadowbolt. The stallion sidestepped the lunge, then slapped the boy in the back of the head before flying off to land a good ten paces away. “You missed. Come on, try a little harder.”

Spike’s growl turned into a snarl. “What do you know about dragons? What do you know about my kind?”

“Attack me, properly, and I might tell you. Fight like a ninja. Fight like a dragon.”

Spike didn’t even realise he went down to all fours, but he rushed in like a dog nonetheless. Ash didn’t sidestep or avoid him this time. He batted away a swipe of Spike’s claw, jumped over the little dragon’s sweeping tail, then blew him back with a gale from his right wing.

Spike groaned and rubbed his head. His back scales had practically turned him into a plow, judging by the mark on the ground.

“Gettin’ tired yet?” Ash called out from a safe distance.

“Not even getting started!” Spike rushed in headlong again.

“Hayah! Hayah! Hayah!” The dragon was unleashed. He swiped, he punched, he kicked, he spun his tail, he even tried to use the arrowhead to stab, but Ash was too fast. Every blow Spike tried to land met with that lightning fast left hoof. Every time Spike got up close and personal, close enough to make a grab for the wing that carried the gem, Ash flew up and created a gap between them, forcing the dragon to run.

“Come on, Spike,” Ash said. “Don’t tell me Twilight Sparkle and Celestia have kept you dumb all these years?”

“They didn’t,” Spike said, not even panting after his attempted onslaught. “I’m not dumb. You keep flying back to make me run. You want me to tire out. Well, I’ve got news for you: you may be some big shot ninja grandmaster, but I’m a dragon. I don’t run out of breath that easily.”

“Oh, you don’t need to remind me, Spike. Like I said, I’ve had enough dealings with your kind to know how long you can fight. But still, you are only a baby dragon. Are ya sure you can keep this up? Your breath may be strong enough for endurance, but your muscles ain’t. You’re starting to shake, boy.”

Spike clenched his admittedly shaking fists and growled again. “You’re not even trying to knock me out, and you don’t want me to get exhausted, not really. You’re just making excuses for me to use my fire.”

“So what if I am? Are ya chicken?”

“What kind of crazy pony are you?! I could start a forest fire! I could burn down White Tail Woods and hurt my friends! Of course I’m chicken, that’s why I want to learn from you in the first place! But if you just want me to show off and act like I’m better than ponies, no thanks. I’m keeping my fire to myself, and you can keep your lessons.”

“Suit yourself.”

Pain.

That’s all Spike noticed: pain.

A blunt jab in the gut, followed by three sharp cuts along his shoulders and ribcage. As he went down, he wondered just how this guy managed to cut at all with nothing but his hooves covered in spandex.

“You tried, Spike, and were this a real fight, you would be dying with honour right about now. Not that dying with honour leaves you any less dead than dying without it, but… you know… meditate on it.”

Spike whimpered and curled up into a little ball of agony.

“Or just lie there and wait for the blinding pain to pass. Whatever works for you.”

---

Rumble sighed in relief when he got the gem. The clearing wasn’t too big, but it was close to the finish line of the Running of the Leaves. Close to home. Ash had chucked this one nearly clear over the forest. Looking around, he carefully trotted over to the thing. No obvious traps, no ambushes being launched.

“Congratulations,” a voice said.

Rumble clasped the thing in his hooves. “This is too easy. You let me have this.”

“Did I?” Ash strode towards the boy.

“You’ve been following me for at least five minutes. You said you’d attack me, so why didn’t you?”

“Maybe I wanted you to pass just like that.”

Rumble growled. “No, you wouldn’t. You know I’ve read your book. You were checking if I could sense you, weren’t you?”

“Maybe. At any rate, you did sense my presence when I pursued you. That’s good enough for me. Come on, let’s go pick up the rest. I left a few of’em a little battered.” Ash turned his back on the boy, walking towards the treeline.

“No.”

Ash stopped. “Come again?”

Rumble tossed the gem away. “I don’t want any special treatment just because I’m more advanced. If you fought the others, you fight me.”

Ash didn’t turn back. “Really? That… that sounds like a challenge, little boy, and not one you ought to make. Are you absolutely sure you want to measure yourself against me, against an adult? And the strongest one there is, at that?”

Rumble lowered his body so he’d be ready to pounce. “I’m sure.”

“As you wish.”

---

“So, where are my accommodations, Hammer?” Fleur asked.

“Right down here.” The boy in the alicorn armour led the way down the street, then stopped as a shiver ran up his spine.

“What’s the matter?”

He looked out towards White Tail Woods. “I’m not sure.”

Fleur looked the same way. “Ah, yes, that would be him. The Ashen Blizzard is here. Do you want to go say hello now, or wait until you challenge him?”

“I think I’d rather wait. I’m getting the weirdest sense of déjà vu.”

---

Ash furrowed his brow and sniffed the air, as if something had shifted in the weather ahead of schedule. “There it is again. Strange…”

Rumble’s ears perked. “What?”

Ash chuckled. “Oh, nothin’. This old theatre pony’s got a bad habit of foreshadowing, is all. Now, where were we? Oh, right, you were planning to prove yourself by fighting me, right? Go ahead, I promise I’ll go easy on you.”

Rumble braced himself. “I’m a little stronger than the others. I’m not gonna go easy on you.”

Ash smiled and rose to stand on his hind hooves. One hoof slid over the ground to leave him in a deep stance, and his front hooves went up: one arm stretched out, the other bent to leave the hoof resting on the other arm’s shoulder. His elbows were up high, and his whole body seemed to take on a lightness.

Phoenix Stance. He’s just gonna block and dodge, then.

Like a bolt out of a crossbow, Rumble went off.

---

“Spike? Spike, wake up.”

“Oh… my stomach…” Spike groaned and doubled over from pain. He clutched his sore gut with his claws and rubbed it to try and soothe the agony, but it didn’t do much.

“You really had us worried there.”

“Apple Bloom? What are you doing here?” Spike sat up. Or rather, he didn’t, but something pulled him up. Something soft, that then started rubbing his belly along with his claws, and which did a far better job at it than he had.

“Sweetie Belle got us out of the stuff Ash caught us in,” Scootaloo said.

“So you all lost, too?”

“Sweetie Belle got her gem,” Apple Bloom said. “She used magic.”

Sweetie Belle sniffed loud enough for Spike to hear she was almost crying. “I didn’t mean to cheat, okay? It just happened.”

“Yeah, well, we can’t do anything about it now. Let’s just hope Rumble’s had more luck.”

---

The world was white. The world was pain.

“Now, then, Rumble, let me be the first to commend you on your posture. You got your hind hooves in perfect position, and your front hooves were always up where they needed to be. Perfect Bear Posture, really, and good technique, too. Good punchin’, good hoofwork, good sense of rhythm in offense and defense.”

“Oww…”

“However, you need to seriously work on your energy skills, boy. I gave you plenty of chances to strike at any pressure point you liked, which really is what that posture is for, and yet you didn’t so much as tickle any of’em. And, if you don’t mind my sayin’ so, you’re kind of a glass cannon when it comes to pressure points and nerves.”

Rumble felt a tear run down his cheek. “What did you…”

“Oh, that? That’s just a little ninja torture trick, it’s not lethal. If I can hit any nerve point on your body, I can paralyse you with pain, but it’s not the most reliable of techniques. Didn’t think that would work on a tough kid like you, come to think of it. Then again, maybe I overdid it. Ninjas usually dodge that, anyway, but I’m guessin’ you read that already. So, now that you’ve thrown away your gem and willingly let me incapacitate you, do you want to go find the rest?”

“Can’t… move…”

Ash tapped him on the back of the head. Just like that, the pain was gone, like popping a balloon.

“Huh, fancy that. There they are already.”

The girls winced when they saw the colt lying there. Rumble got back on his hooves with a painful groan.

Ash cocked his head towards the entrance of the forest. “Come on, then, youngins, let’s get back.”

The slow trek of shame back to where they’d started was wordless. The girls were too shaken to say anything, Spike was still reeling because of what Ash had said, and Rumble had taken a blow to his pride.

Applejack rushed over to Apple Bloom, checking the girl’s hair. “You landed in the sap again, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

Rarity winced, before that one lock of hair sprung up again. She quickly pressed it down. “What is with this… Sweetie Belle, are you hurt at all?”

“No, Rarity, I got the gem. I managed to use that spell you showed me.”

Rarity smiled. “Oh, well, that’s convenient.”

“Yeah, sure is,” Applejack remarked with an edge in her voice.

Rainbow Dash inspected Scootaloo and the boys. “Let’s see… Scootaloo got the rope?”

Ash nodded solemnly.

“And you tried to talk Spike into hurting you?”

Again, the Shadowbolt nodded.

“And Rumble?”

“I threw away my gem,” Rumble admitted. “He was going easy on me.”

Ash chuckled. “Heheh. Right then, some feedback. I asked you to find a gem before I caught you. As you can see, Sweetie Belle here has a gem. You passed the test.”

“Thank you, sir, but I don’t think I really deserve it,” Sweetie said.

“No, you misunderstand me, child: you all passed my test.”

Aside from Ash, Rainbow Dash, and Moongazer, everyone’s jaws dropped.

“What? I thought you said only the ones with a gem would pass,” Apple Bloom said.

“No, I said we were gonna do a little test to see who among you had what it takes to be a ninja. I had a hunch y’all might qualify, but you can’t be too careful nowadays.”

The children all sat flabbergasted.

“Rumble, you’re the most experienced one of the bunch. You’ve got the outer forms down, but not the inner forms, not the right ones, at least. You have a little, and a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Your posture was good, your movements were good, and I suspect you might even know one or two of the internal techniques, but your heart just ain’t in it, not yet, and that’s makin’ you a lot weaker than you ought to be. Besides that, you’re foolhardy and you decided to take on a challenge you knew you’d lose, for no good reason.”

Rumble looked away in shame.

“Spike, you’ve got a very long breath, and great stamina on your lungs. That’s good. However, you don’t have the same luxury with your muscles, so you don’t release power at the right rhythm. You also have no control over your dragon side, your anger, all you do is bottle it up. You’re too darn scared of what you are to actually use it.”

“But that’s exactly why I wanted to try this: to learn,” Spike objected.

“You can try to learn not to be scared all you want, Spike, but at the end of the day you are the one who has to actually do it,” Ash retorted. “You can’t teach a pony how to dive if they’re afraid of the water. They have to get over that fear first. You can help, but it’s still on them to get over it. Just like it is on you.”

To that, Spike had no real answer.

“As for you three: Scootaloo, you’re fast, but you’re oblivious to your surroundings. Apple Bloom, you’re strong, but you lack stability, and Sweetie Belle…”

Sweetie Belle perked up.

“Sweetie Belle, you managed to cast the correct spell while in a state of total panic. That takes strength of heart.”

“It’s still cheating,” Sweetie said.

“Is it? Do y’all think so?” Ash asked the kids, and their sisters.

Applejack frowned. “Of course it’s cheatin’. None of the other kids can use spells, it’s not fair to them.”

Ash nodded. “Right. Tell me, Applejack, you were in Canterlot when the changelings attacked, no? You fought them?”

“Sure did. Nailed a good lot of’em, too.”

“Uhuh. Big, strong farm girl like you, I’ll bet you dropped’em like flies, right?”

“Eeyup,” Applejack smiled proudly.

“That doesn’t sound very fair to the changelings.”

Applejack shook her head, but that didn’t make the statement any more sensible. “Excuse me?”

“You are, by nature, strong, because you’re an Earth pony. What you are born with, pegasi and unicorns must work hard to develop. So, if you think it’s unfair for a unicorn to use magic, I’d say it’s unfair for you to use your Earth pony strength in a fight against changelings.”

“But that’s totally different! Earth ponies can’t use spells, no matter hard they practise!”

“Oh, really? I know plenty of Earth ponies who use what you call ‘not magic’ to train animals to fight for them. Maybe you don’t know, but if you ask a soldier from any other country what in Equestria scares him most, he’ll never say it’s the ponies. If he’s had any inkling of military info on us, he’ll say he’s scared of the pets you Earth ponies keep. From the griphon lands to the dragon lands all the way to the Panda Isles, there is no war cry as terrifying, no growl as intimidating, no whispered or hissed spell that inspires as unadulterated a terror as the sound of an Earth pony yelling ‘Release the hounds.’ Anyhow, even if that weren’t the case, you’re still arguing that little Sweetie Belle is a cheater, just because she used something she was born with. Whereas, when Apple Bloom or Scootaloo use what they are born with, they’re playing fairly. Sounds a mite hypocritical, don’t it?”

It was only now Applejack realised that Ash, or Hue, must have heard about the time Applejack forced Rainbow Dash to do the Running of the Leaves with a rope tying her wings down, as well as cutting off her breath.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time.

“Let me tell you a little something about what I teach. Shinobi, or ninja, are a tiny blip on our history. Back in their day, secrecy was everything, and as a result no one really knows how they did things, even the Princesses have their doubts. The postures are universal, but the motions differ, and so do the inner teachings. My school, the Nine Dragons Style, is based on what I managed to learn from my own experience, as well as what the Royal Library could tell me. I’ll get to the specifics later, but for now you just need to know this, kids: ninja is a way of life, not death.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“What he means is: in a real fight, ninja do not do fair, because real fights aren’t fair. For a ninja, a real ninja, you have to accept that opponents will be stronger than you, carrying weapons, using magic, and outnumbering you,” Moongazer explained. “Or, in your case: bullies are going to be bigger and stronger than you. That is why they are able to bully you in the first place. To overcome odds like that, you need every tool at your disposal.”

“So I passed, even though I cheated?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“No, you passed, period,” Ash replied. “And anyone who claims you cheated doesn’t know what sort of unfair things they can do themselves.”

“But what about us, then?” Apple Bloom asked. “We lost.”

“Yes, you all lost to a superior opponent, which is the whole point of an opponent being superior. None of you were ever going to beat me. But you all showed potential, and that counts for something. You also showed something else, something I’m rather curious about, actually. Y’all could have given up right before the test, but you didn’t. Why?”

“Because ninja fighting sounded like something we wanted to do,” Apple Bloom replied.

“None of you surrendered. Some of you cowered or whimpered, but none of you up and quit the game when it got tough. You could have surrendered when I showed my face and you didn’t have a gem. You could have spared yourself the pain and the embarrassment, but you didn’t. Why?”

“It wouldn’t have felt right,” Spike said.

Ash nodded. “Uhuh. Last question, then. Why did y’all fan out?”

The kids had no answer to that.

“Tell me, the five of you, how close friends are you?”

“Oh, everypony knows the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Spike said. “And Rumble’s kind of around sometimes, but… yeah, those three are close, the two of us just mind our own business.”

“So you three don’t really know these boys that well?” Ash pointed from the girls to the boys.

“Not that well. We know them a little, obviously,” Sweetie Belle said. “And we don’t hate them.”

“See, that’s interesting to me,” Ash said with a chuckle. “I threw five gems into the forest. Y’all went five different directions, without even talkin’ to each other about it. And only one of you went to the one closest by. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

“No?” Sweetie Belle said. “Just made sense, I guess.”

“What are you getting at?” Applejack asked.

“Every time I train little kids, the same thing happens: a unicorn uses a spell to find the gem, or some pony with a strong nose searches one. And if nopony finds a gem, they all turn on each other to distract me or to increase their odds. Even Rainbow Dash used to do that from time to time. You didn’t.”

Silence fell.

“Not a single one of you even considered trying to take out a competitor first, even when the opportunity presented itself.” He nodded towards Sweetie Belle. “Any one of y’all could have tried to force or cajole Sweetie Belle into finding another gem after you lost yours, but none of you did. Any one of you could have tried taking Sweetie’s gem, or fighting each other over it. I never specified that wasn’t allowed. But even if you just didn’t realise the rules allowed for that kind thing, any one of you could have decided to keep chasing for more gems after you got out of my trap. None of you did. Y’all have good hearts, and when you’re learning how to use force and how to deal with violence, a good heart goes a long way. So meet up at the dojo at nine tomorrow mornin’, ‘coz the Ashen Blizzard’s gonna make genuine, bona fide ninjas outta you.”

Rarity stifled a laugh. “I’ll go lock up the cutlery, then.”

Author's Notes:

I'm taking the interpretation of ninja being an answer to the Japanese samurai culture that focuses on death here, that's why the 'way of life, not death' explanation is there. Again, taken from Path Notes of an American Ninja Master.

Obviously, this whole test was inspired by the bells test from Naruto. But it'll later be revealed Spike actually reads Neighruto a little too much, so he would have figured it out if it was rote copy. Why does he prefer testing the kids first? Wait until you see what the Feather Cloaks are like. Remember the 'open vs closed' schtick. There's a kind of ninja you don't see very often, at least not as a ninja. But there are two approaches to infiltration. You know the obvious one. The Feather Cloaks are the other one. Meditate on it.

And no, the kids don't know Ash is Rainbow's father. They won't find out, either.

So here ends part 1, if this were a manga you'd have reached the back cover now. Or, the front cover, if you take into account it being backwards. It'd be the back, but it'd be oriented as if it's the front.

Last note: the postures are all named after Udyr from League of Legends. I needed something easily recognisable, something light that can be taught to kids. The background to the stances, however, will be a reference to the elemental styles of Avatar. But we'll get to that next week.

Next part: ninja training, and flashbacks during ninja training, involving poor Whimper.

Get the Basics! Ninja Posture Training!

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were positively shaking when they got to the dojo. It was nine in the morning, and with school being out they had the whole week of ninja training to look forward to.

“So what do you think we’ll learn first? Ninja Throwing Stars? The Ninja Touch of Death?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Ooh, ooh, or maybe the Ninja Mega Kick!” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“Or the Ninja Giant Fireball Jutsu!” Spike added.

Rumble furrowed his brow. “You’ve been reading too much Neighruto.”

“Ninja training isn’t that showy, you guys,” Scootaloo said. “We’re probably not even gonna punch ‘till tonight.”

“Really? Why not?” Apple Bloom asked.

Rumble held up a hoof as he recited what he’d learned from his book. “Ninja training is both internal and external, remember? A ninja always moves with the breath, and in natural motion only.”

“What does that mean?” Spike asked.

“It means, little dragon, that we’re not gonna start hittin’ and kickin’ each other before y’all know what you’re doin’,” Ash said as he strode in, backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked around the dojo and nodded in approval as Moongazer came in behind him and dropped off her gear. “Yes, this’ll do nicely.”

“Where are your guardians?” Moongazer asked.

“You mean my sister? She’s working right now,” Sweetie Belle said. “It’s only a school holiday, it’s not for everypony.”

”Ah, of course. Right then, Ash, looks like we have the room to ourselves. Do you want to start or shall I?”

“I’ll kick it off, thanks. Okay, kids, pop quiz what’s the first thing a ninja’s gotta learn?”

“Breathing?” Sweetie Belle guessed.

“Good answer, thanks, Rumble.” Ash winked at the boy, though the effect was somewhat lost with the visor. “Yes, breathing. Ninja fighting involves a lot of split second decisions, conditioning to respond under stress, even a couple of tricks close to magic. So to do that, first you gotta learn how to breathe properly and clear your mind.”

The Ashen Blizzard sat down and crossed his legs, putting his front hooves on his knees. “Now, to start, sit upright. Make your spine as straight as it possibly can, don’t tense.”

One by one, the kids all fidgeted to sit straight.

“Now, focus on your breath. Put one hoof on your chest, one on your belly. The one on your chest can’t move, the one on your belly has to move. Breathe in… and out. In… and out.”

“How long do we have to do this?” Apple Bloom asked.

“As long as it takes, Apple Bloom. While breathing in, curl up your tongue so it touches the back of your teeth. Then, put the tip of your right hoof here.” Ash pressed into a spot on his left arm.

“Spike, since you have opposable digits, it’ll be a little different for you,” Moongazer said. “You’ll want to curl your right hand into a fist around your left index finger and keep the tip of your thumbnail on the tip of the index.”

Spike fiddled a bit, but he managed it.

“Now, with that, breathe in… and out… in… and out…” Ash said. “Try to clear your mind, and close your eyes.”

“Ow,” Apple Bloom said, not breaking the posture. “This kinda hurts.”

“Me too”, Sweetie Belle said. “Is it supposed to hurt?”

Ash chuckled. “Without opening your eyes, put your right hoof on the spot that’s throbbing.”

One by one, they all complied.

“Now open your eyes and look around.”

To their surprise, they all found they were touching the same spot: the middle of their forehead, or the tip of the horn, in Sweetie Belle’s case.

“This is how you open the third eye, isn’t it?” Rumble said.

“Again, good answer. To properly learn how to move like a ninja, you need to get a good sense of your own body, as well as your surroundings. To do that, we’re gonna kickstart some of that pony magic you might have felt from time to time. But, I have to warn you: you need to learn how to be silent, both physically and mentally. Y’all are still movin’ about and talkin’, and that’s fine while you’re warming up, but we’re gonna be doing serious meditation, with a timer and some background noise.” Ash gestured to Moongazer, who set up a CD player behind the kids. “The exercise here is to find stillness.”

“And if we get really stiff or our legs fall asleep?” Spike asked.

“Then you open your eyes and stretch out a little, and get back into position as soon as you feel better. Now, we’ll start with a simple ten-minute track to get you in the right headspace. If you can’t silence your inner dialogue, try saying ‘OHMM’, like they do in the movies. It usually helps silence the Monkey Mind.”

Like a choir of infernal baboons, the kids all chanted “OOOHHMMM!” except for Sweetie Belle, who was always ahead of fashion trends, and chanted “AAAHNNN!”

The ninja master groaned. “Chant it… in your heads, kids.”

---

Hammer was busy doing his stretches while Fleur sipped her tea and read the newspaper. “So, you are quite sure you wish to try to get your belt zis early?”

The boy took a deep breath before going into a forward split. “I’m sure.”

“You do realise the Ashen Blizzard will defeat you, yes? Quite soundly, most likely?”

“I know.” Hammer sighed. “That’s not the point.”

“No, of course it’s not. With your raw power, they’ll call you a prodigy when you are fifteen, and normal when you are in your twenties. You want to be called a genius, now that you’re ten.” Fleur chuckled.

“It’s not that. Well, maybe it is, sort of. I mean, it’s just…”

“Hmm?”

“I wanna do this right. I wanna be a Master at Arms, like you. And the sooner, the better.”

She looked up from her newspaper and to look him in the eyes. “Patience is a virtue, you know that.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t make haste a vice.”

“Non,” Fleur remarked. “Merely an error.”

Hammer was lost in thought for a moment, sitting there with his legs spread as far as they could go. “Hey, Fleur, I’ve been meaning to ask, how many other kids like me are there?”

She cast a glance at him then, careful not to stare too much. He couldn’t stand stares while he was out of his armour, poor thing. “Like you, how?”

Hammer got out of the split and stood up, carefully, before going back into the pose with his other leg forward. “Like, dangerous kids. The kind even grownups have to be careful with?”

Fleur set her tea down and patted the chair next to her. After doing his count to ten, because he was serious about his training, he gently stopped his stretching and hopped on.

“Did you have that nightmare again?” She asked.

“No. Not like before. Just… curious, is all.”

Fleur nodded. While he did look imposing in his armour, her student had always looked ill at ease with nothing covering him. It wasn’t normal for a pony to feel anxious about the air on their fur. But then, she did not have a normal boy in her tutelage. His parents had warned her. Still, his condition hadn’t deteriorated while he was being taught by her, that was a plus. He didn’t go out naked all the time, but he could do it now if he had to, at least. He could go around exposed if she asked him to. If she insisted and nagged him about it, that is. “Alright, I suppose you should know. There aren’t that many children with abilities like yours, no. But that’s partly because there aren’t a lot of ponies with your kind of abilities, either. And the ones that do, they either get it very early in life or after a long and arduous training, or both. You, my dear boy, should consider it as both. So do not think yourself a freak; you’re not.”

“But, the Royal Guards that are gonna be there, they’re stronger than me, right? And so’s the Ashen Blizzard?”

Fleur sighed. “Oh, sweet little boy, it’s not that simple. A Royal Guard can be strong as an ox, fast as a hawk, and big as a mountain. But if he is bitten by a tiny snake with enough venom, if it is not venom he is immune to, his life is in just as much danger as any normal pony’s would be.”

“So… am I… stronger than them?”

“Non, non, don’t get ahead of yourself on that. You are no greater threat than anything else the Royal Guard is called upon to deal with. But, of course, that includes some rather dangerous things, indeed. Being stronger in combat has very little to do with your age, little Hammer, and everything to do with what you can do in combat. And based on that, I’d say a single Royal Guard, if he doesn’t realise what he’s dealing with, would have a hard time with you. A whole squad, if you’re careful, would have trouble containing a boy like you. But that is only if they misjudge you, which they likely wouldn’t, if you challenge them. And most ponies in the Royal Guard itself are hard for a Royal Guard to contain, so that’s not saying much.”

“Right, okay.”

“Why do you ask?”

He blushed and looked away. “My mom and dad wanted to know if there were any more kids like, you know…”

“Ah. No, not that I’m aware of. The warrior path used to be more commonplace for young boys and girls, but those were more barbaric times. Now it is only by choosing. And as for the others who choose your path, we’ll be making acquaintance with those soon. That’ll be fun. Plus, the Royal Guards will be pleased to see a fine young future Master like yourself.”

Hammer chuckled. His mane fell in front of his eyes with his head down like that. “I’ll have to make it to Duellist first.”

“That, I know you can do easily.” She reached out to stroke his mane out of his face.

He gasped and recoiled, almost falling out of the chair.

Fleur withdrew her hoof quickly. “Oh, I’m sorry, I just forgot-”

The boy’s breathing quickened, his heart pounded in his chest, she could see it.

“Relax. Take a deep breath, in, hold, one, two, three… and out, two three,” Fleur cooed. “Are you okay? Are you grounded and rooted?”

He shivered, then nodded quickly. “Y-yeah, sorry. I should get back to stretching.”

Fleur nodded along. “Be careful when you do your cat stretches; you don’t want to pull a muscle, not now.”

“I know, I’ll be careful.”

He went back up to his room, Fleur went back to reading the newspaper. She sighed. At his age, her pupil should have been looking forward to playing with the other children. He should at least run and swim when he could.

She shook her head, lost in thought. Nothing was really stopping him from going out and just talking to the other children in town.

Nothing except his horned and winged armour.

---

Ash rubbed his forehead with a hoof. His ears were ringing with the chorus of little children trying to attain mental silence and neglecting the practical matter of actual silence in the process. Even Rainbow Dash was never this loud. “Okay, youngins, I think that’s enough for now.”

“What? But we haven’t even gotten to punching yet!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.

“It’s time for lunch, and y’all haven’t mastered basic meditation techniques, so go get somethin’ to eat, meet back here in… oh, let’s say an hour.”

Reluctantly, the children left.

“Well, at least they actually listen when you tell them to sit down and mind their breaths,” Moongazer started.

“Sure. Now they just need to learn how to be quiet.”

“Give it another few hours.”

---

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with Spike and Rumble, got themselves a seat at Sugarcube Corner. After ordering lunch, they found themselves debating a matter most urgent and pressing.

“I say we call ourselves the Nine Dragon Brigade,” Apple Bloom suggested.

“I say we just call ourselves the Ninja Squad,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Can’t we just call ourselves, you know, by our name?” Rumble asked.

“That’d take too long,” Apple Bloom said. “Us girls already call ourselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and that’s what everypony calls us.”

“So why do we need another name?” Spike asked.

“Because it’s easier,” Apple Bloom said. “If you two are gonna be apprentice ninjas with us, we gotta have a name that suits us and you.”

“I still don’t get why.”

As if heeding the summons, Pinkie Pie came with their sweet buns and chocolate milk. “Here you go, Cutie Mark Crusaders, and Spike, and Rumble.”

“Oh,” Spike said. “Like that. What about Ninja Dragons?”

“We’re not dragons,” Scootaloo said,” or ninjas. Not yet.”

“Sure, get technical.”

“What’s going on?” Pinkie asked as she set down their orders.

“We’re tryin’ to think of a good name for our group, now that we’re all learning ninja fighting,” Apple Bloom said.

A few seats down, a filly’s ears were sent atingle.

Pinkie gasped with delight. “Ooh, you’re learning ninja stuff from that Ashen Blizzard guy? Neat! Can I come up with names, too?”

“Sure.” Rumble shrugged. “What about The Ninja Crusaders, then?”

“Err…” Apple Bloom shook her head carefully. “I don’t think ninjas and crusaders really mix. That’s like saying we’re Viking firefighters.”

“The Ninja Stars?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“That’s kinda disrespectful,” Scootaloo said. “You don’t really get to be a star at ninja.”

“Oh. How do you know? Did Wimpy tell you about that?”

The filly in the back tensed.

“He might have mentioned it once or twice,” Rumble said.

“What about… Big Blazers?” Spike asked.

“That sounds like something you wear,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Why not just call yourselves the Ponyville Junior Ninjas?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Because…” Apple Bloom thought it over. “Huh.”

“That’s pretty good. We all agree?” Sweetie asked.

Rumble and Spike nodded. So did Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Then it’s settled.” Apple Bloom said. “For this week only, the five of us shall be the Ponyville Junior Ninjas.”

Diamond Tiara shook her head just as Silver Spoon arrived.

“Hey, Diamond. You ready?”

“Huh? Oh, umm, sure, Silver Spoon, let’s go.”

Silver Spoon saw the look of resentment in her friend’s eyes. “Were those blank flanks at it again?”

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. “Oh, you are not gonna believe what they’re doing this time.”

---

Ash was pleasantly surprised to see the kids sitting still, their breath slowed down and eyes closed, as well as their mouths. They didn’t even say ‘Ohm’ this time, or blink when Ash turned on a radio playing some white noise.

The kids just sat and breathed. The only motion in any of them was their bellies moving in and out, and Rumble’s right ear twitching. Reflex action, Ash figured, probably had a few sentries in his ancestry.

The Shadowbolt took a deep breath and let it out loudly enough for the newly minted Ponyville Junior Ninjas to hear. “And that’s done. How are we feelin’, youngins?”

“Stiff,” Spike said, stretching out with a creaking sound coming from his joints.

“Pretty good, actually,” Apple Bloom said. “Nice and quiet like. Is this how ninjas get their superpowers?”

“You might say that, sort of. Meditation is a key skill for any serious martial artist, especially when you go up against folk who can read your moves. Time to stretch, follow my lead.” Ash led them through the standard cat stretch, then an arm stretch where he bent one arm up behind his head and the other below. He was flexible enough for his cannons to touch, the kids only managed their hooftips. Then the hind legs, a careful attempted forward split, an even more careful sideways split, and then Ash loosened his neck with some gentle rotations. “Okay, now that we’re all warmed up, we can get to the serious ninja business.”

“Ninja Kick?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Ninja Punch?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Ninja Giant Fireball Jutsu?”

All eyes fell on Spike then.

“Seriously, Spike, cut back on the Neighruto,” Rumble remarked.

“Right,” Ash said, rolling his eyes. “Your next important lesson is ninja standing.”

“I beg your pardon?” Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow.

“You heard me. Ninja standing. Stand up on your hind hooves like so and let your arms hang limp. Shake’em a little.” Ash stood up stock straight and shook his arms, like flicking off water. The little ninjas all followed suit.

“Now, Moongazer, if you please?”

Moongazer walked behind them and gently gave Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle a nudge to straighten their backs. “You need to make sure you get this part right. It’s important to get a proper internal sense of balance, especially for us ponies.” She stopped when she reached Scootaloo. “Oh, you already got it, Scootaloo, good. Rumble, that’s fine, Spike… well, I suppose with your tail it’s a little different.”

“Good,” Ash said. “Now, like before, deep breath in… clear your mind… deep breath out.”

“This kinda hurts.” Apple Bloom rubbed her belly.

“Ah, ah.” Ash held up a hoof. “No talking. Focus on your breath. It’s an awkward posture at first, but you get used to it. Pretend you’ve got a book on your head. In fact, if you’d please?“ He gestured to Moongazer.

One by one, the fillies and colt all got a book placed on their head. Spike was exempt, due to the protrusions on his head.

“Keep your balance and breathe slowly, gently. This is the neutral posture. Then, on the count of nine, we’re gonna go into a deep posture.” Ash timed it to the slow and steady rhythm of his own breath. “One, out, two, and out, three, out, four, out, five, out, six, out, seven, out, eight, out, and now nine, and shift your right hind hoof back, bend the legs a little. Don’t raise your arms just yet.”

Again, Ash had them hold the posture for nine breaths’ worth of time, before switching sides to let the left leg go back.

“Okay, that’s the deepest you’re gonna go. Most of the time you wanna just be standin’ stable, but the deep postures are good for training, so keep that in mind if you’ve got any spare time and you wanna build up some static strength.” Ash went back to a regular stance and motioned for the kids to do the same.

“The next thing you gotta learn is the arm positions. There’s four basic stances I’ll teach you: Turtle, Tiger, Bear, Phoenix. Nice and simple, easy to teach, easy to learn, low skill floor, high skill ceiling. Each has its own way to block and punch, each has its own optimal range, and each has its own optimal attitude.”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “Attitude?”

Ash nodded. “Attitude. Every martial art has its own specific Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, or Air. These Elements come with a philosophy, a way of approaching life. The attitude you normally have in life determines what sort of movement comes natural to you. Natural movement is key: the fastest way to learn how to fight properly is to go with what comes natural to you. You don’t want to be wasting time with things you have to over-think. Luckily for you, ninja martial arts are special in that they teach all Elements. Since you’re takin’ a crash course, you’re only gonna learn one element each. So, just to be clear: starting from now, y’all are gonna be doin’ things a little different from each other. Now, Rumble, you’ve done some practice, right?”

The boy nodded.

“Good. And Scootaloo, I take it that friend of yours has shown you some moves, too?”

“Umm, a couple, I guess. Me and Rumble hang out with him sometimes.”

“Did he ever demonstrate the four postures?”

Scootaloo shivered ever so slightly. “He did it once or twice, but he never explained it all that much, I guess.”

Ash saw the girl tense up, but he didn’t press the issue. “Fair enough. First position: Turtle Stance. This one’s fairly deep, good for rooting yourself on the ground. You keep your arms close, crossed, and up.” Ash held his arms in the proper posture. “A punch from this posture is a dull blow; a good jab, or a hammer blow. You get into this for close quarter combat, for good defense, and on offense mostly you wanna wind up a little, get a good concussive blow on the bones. Follow my lead, youngins. Nine blows, hiya!”

On cue, the kids took the position and jabbed the air. “Hiya!”

Apple Bloom got into the rhythm of it pretty quickly. Her guarding arm didn’t get tired at all, her jabbing one went at the same speed as Ash’s.

“And flip positions,” Ash said. “Nine more, hiyah!”

Apple Bloom was enjoying herself now. She felt an odd circle form around her, like she had her own little box where nothing could touch her.

“Next up: Bear Stance. Hind hooves further apart, front hooves curled up slightly. You keep one arm down by your side, one at chest height. And then you whip-chop, nice and loose.” Ash brought one of his front hooves to ear height, then flicked it down fast enough for a ‘swish’ to go through the air. “This one’s got less muscle behind it and more gravity. This is the sorta style you wanna use to hit softer spots, break defenses, nudge attacks aside. It’s got very little tension to it. Nine punches again, hiyah!”

Apple Bloom moved awkwardly now. Just flicking her arm up and down? That had to be wrong somehow. She looked to her right to see her fellow students, and she pondered on how to do it. She was slower now, lagging behind. Scootaloo and Rumble took to it like fish to water, though.

Maybe that was what Ash meant with ‘natural movement.’

“Now Tiger stance. Elbows low, hooves high. Punches come in pairs, one-two! One-two! You swipe quickly, and pressure the other guy. This is a very offensive stance, one that’s good for takin’ care of opponents quickly. If you can’t dazzle them with skill, riddle them with punches.”

This was just a hopeless endeavour for Apple Bloom. Moongazer came over to correct her elbow positioning, and then had to do the same for the other kids, except Spike, who was breathing in time with his swiping punches and who looked like he zoned out for a second.

“Lastly, Phoenix Stance. One arm high and behind you, the other one low, belly height. Punches from this posture are more like shoves than blows.” Even Ash moved slowly for this one, using both arms to push away an imaginary opponent. “This is a posture used primarily for controlling the opponent. You go into this to dictate the flow of a fight, either you keep your guard up while you dodge and move forward, or you shove to create distance so you can wind up a finisher. Nine blows, go!”

Apple Bloom was pretty sure she’d seen this move on Dragonsphere X, or some other series with hokey monsters. Didn’t make it any easier to perform, though.

“Okay, that takes care of the basics. Now, Rumble and Scootaloo, you’re the most experienced of the bunch, right?”

“Wait, what? No, we’re not!” Rumble said.

“Sure you are. You know somepony who does this already, meaning you have more experience than the others, seeing as they do not. So come on.” Ash got out of the Phoenix Stance and took a seat on the far edge of the mats, motioning for the other four kids to do the same. “You and Scootaloo do a sparring match. Show me what you got.”

Rumble shrugged and went into a Bear Stance in the middle of the floor, holding his left arm pointing straight ahead and his right bent so his hoof was at hip height, by his side. Scootaloo assumed her own posture, which was identical to his.

“I don’t suppose you read my book too, Scootaloo?” Ash asked.

Scootaloo shook her head, sighing. “No, sir.”

“Pity. Begin!”

Rumble took a step back, holding his arms up in the same posture for defense. Scootaloo bit her lip, tensed up, then struck.

The other apprentice ninjas didn’t know what to make of their style at first. Both Scootaloo and Rumble always struck with what looked like a whipping slap; a careful motion to get into position, then a snap from the arm like cracking a whip, then slowly backing away, all in a steady rhythm you could dance to. Scootaloo was an even match for Rumble, slapping away his blows just as easily as he slapped away hers.

It looked like they were mimicking bears, alright. Slow and steady, clumsy blows with the weight and tension clearly in the tips of their hooves.

“So you do both know Water style already, that’s nice. Your aim’s off, though. Unless one of you is holdin’ back.”

Scootaloo gritted her teeth. “Come on, Rumble, don’t hold back. I know you can do better than this.”

“It’s just a warming up, Scootaloo.”

“No, it ain’t,” Ash said. “It’s a demo. If you know the proper technique, demonstrate it, Rumble. Or would you rather I show it?”

Rumble took the hint. When Scootaloo went for his head again, he snapped an uppercut right at her elbow, then took a step forward to put his full body weight behind his next move.

Apple Bloom had heard about ponies who could move like snakes. She’d never figured anyone in her class would be like that. Where before they’d moved like a bear chopping the water for fish, now Rumble’s hooves moved like the head of a cobra, striking with deadly precision. One bite went to Scootaloo’s neck, another to her right shoulder, and the third went low to just below the ribs. The third one was the one that ended the sparring match, shoving her back and leaving her reeling.

Moongazer winced in sympathy. “Are you alright, Scootaloo?”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Rumble asked.

Scootaloo chuckled and rubbed the sore spots. “A little, but that’s okay. I’ve had worse.”

“Well done, Rumble. I see you’re a moderately attentive reader, at least,” Ash remarked.

“Wow, that was over pretty quickly,” Spike said.

“It should be,” Ash replied. “Real combat is decided quickly, and split second decisions can make all the difference between life or death. When it counts, you have to be decisive. Of course, that also means knowing when to use force and knowing when to resort to violence, and knowing the difference between the two. Now, youngins, pop quiz: what can you tell me about Rumble and Scootaloo’s style of fighting?”

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof. “It’s called Water Style?”

Ash rolled his eyes. “Sure, but what is Water Style? Is it fast, slow, forceful, do you think you’d be able to do it if you had to? Is it rigid, fluid?”

Spike pondered it. “Umm, it looks like it comes in waves. They’re both slow on revving up, but the hitting is really fast. They do move kinda like bears, but faster.”

“Good answer. What else?”

Apple Bloom raised her hoof. “Neither of’em aimed for the hard parts. They kept slapping for each other’s neck and belly, but not the head.”

“Very good answer, and my main point for today. Again, every element has its own attributes: a different way to breathe, a different rhythm of fighting, a different attitude in combat, a different way of seeing the world, and a different preference in targets. If you want to learn how to get in tune with your element, you need to know the attitude first. Rumble and Scootaloo are both water types: laidback, going with the flow, trouble admitting any hidden depths. Stop me if I’m wrong, kids.”

Apple Bloom snickered. Ash was right on the money so far.

“Anyway, from what I can tell, our two pegasi are obvious Water types, Apple Bloom, you’re an Earth type.”

“That’s hardly a surprise,” said Earth type replied.

“Our dragon is a textbook example of a Fire type.”

“Phew.” Spike wiped his brow. “I was hoping I’d end up with that.”

“And Sweetie Belle’s an Air type.”

Sweetie Belle blinked in confusion. “Umm, okay? What does that mean, exactly?”

“We’ll get to that later. For now, we’re going to stick with the four basic postures of ninja fighting: Turtle Stance, Bear Stance, Tiger Stance, Phoenix Stance. Earth, Water, Fire, Air. Remember, every stance has its own strengths and weaknesses for attack and defense, and depending on what your type is, you’ll be going into that stance on autopilot. Or trying to, at least. You do need to know proper technique for it to work right, obviously.”

“So we’re just gonna be standing around today?” Spike asked.

“Standing meditation is a good way to build strength, external and internal. It’s also good to let your energy flow more fluidly, and practise deep breathing,” Moongazer said. “But we will be getting to some basic punches and strikes and blocks. Every stance has its own approach, and every Element has its own rhythm. Repeat that in your head until it sinks in; it’s important. The stances themselves are neutral, but the Element you use while in the stance determines how fast or how powerful the blow is, while the depth of your stance determines balance, and speed. You don’t want to spread your legs out too far in a fight. That goes for you boys and the girls. You’ll want to combine the internal and external parts of it together. And you get the best results if your attitude matches the stance, but that’s getting into harder concepts like Harmony and such.”

“Exactly. For now, just try and go into Turtle Stance like this.” Ash said, setting the example with his legs spread past shoulder width. “And hold. This will help you build up strength. Clear your mind, breathe evenly, and try not to soil the dojo when the cramps come in.”

The students all winced as they got into position. “Cramps?”

Author's Notes:

Not that much about this chapter, aside from repeating that the postures are taken from Udyr, from League of Legends. The four elements thing is indeed part of Oriental philosophy, but I'm taking some pretty obvious artistic liberties with it, so don't mistake this fiction for fact. Standing meditation, however, is a thing that is done, and it is something I used to do, even, intending to get back into it at some point.

The flashbacks as to what's happened with Whimper in the past few months will start popping up soon. I really hope those turned out okay, because I've spent so much time on it, I can't even tell.

As for Hammer? Well, the boy has a lot on his mind, for obvious reasons.

Next chapter: Apple Bloom squares off with Hammer.

The One Sting! Apple Bloom Meets Hammer!

Apple Bloom sighed when she went into White Tail Woods after the second day of martial arts class. True to his word, Ash had given the kids their first introduction to proper punching with intent behind it.

And boy, did proper punching hurt. The cramps that lingered from the first day of training didn’t help matters in that regard.

---

“Okay, deep breath in, steady yourself, and punch!” Ash called out.

Again, Rumble hit Apple Bloom with the flat of his hoof, knocking her back just a smidgen.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Rumble asked as Apple Bloom took her position.

“Nah, just a little bruise, I’ve had worse. Hiyah!” She punched with the same technique as he had, knocking the boy back with a dull blow.

“Okay, time out, youngins.” Ash clapped his hooves.

The stallion took centre stage while his students sat back down.

“Y’all have got the idea of the technique down, now you need to work on proper execution. Earth style is firm, steady. When you punch, you step forward and put your whole body weight behind it.”

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do with regular punching, too?”

Ash nodded reluctantly. “Well, yes.”

“So how is Earth style punching any different from regular punching?”

Ash gestured for Moongazer to come over and demonstrate. The two stood face to face, before going into Turtle Stance. Their hind hooves were quite far apart, though, farther than the kids had seen so far, possibly to exaggerate the motions.

“The difference,” Moongazer explained,”is that when you throw a regular punch, you’re only doing just that: punching.” She struck, slowly and carefully, at Ash’s neck. “When you do any movement in any elemental style, your speed and targets change. Earth style targets the bones, specifically.”

The kids winced when they heard the dull thud of hoof hitting bone. Ash was unfazed by the blow to his collarbone.

“Then there’s the rhythm of the punches. Regular, neutral punching is in line with your breath: you line it up as you breathe in, you let go as you breathe out. In neutral, that’s supposed to be at your regular breathing rhythm. Needless to say, neutral is for practice only. Earth style forces you to slow down even more: breathe in slow, breathe out slow.”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “So… Earth style’s even slower than regular punchin’? Isn’t that, I don’t know, kinda useless?”

“That is where the principle of tension comes in,” Moongazer explained. “When you throw a normal punch, neutral, you do so with no tension. There’s no intent behind it, there’s only the mechanical motions. In elemental style, you tense up your muscles at the right time to get maximal effect. Earth style depends on hard impact, so tensing up at the right moment is crucial. That goes doubly for you, Apple Bloom, since you’re an Earth type. This sort of movement will come more natural to you.”

Ash nodded and tapped the side of his neck again. Moongazer took a deep breath, took a step a forward, and hit him straight on the bone, hard enough to make him stagger back.

“The tension is what makes or breaks an Earth type technique,” he said. “Apple Bloom, for you to use this kind of thing, you’ll want to practise tensing up your entire body. The rest of you, you’ll only need to master tension in your arms. That’ll be hard enough for ya.”

Apple Bloom shook her head, confused. “Wait, what?”

---

She rubbed her shoulder to try and get the throbbing to die down. She’d partnered with Rumble, who, turned out, packed a real wallop. She’d hit him back, as the exercise demanded, of course, but that did nothing to stop the bruising on her end.

"Don’t worry about it, youngin. Every element has its own strength, and Rumble’s just more in tune with his, which means he’s good at hitting soft spots and bruising. You’re an Earth type, so you’re gonna end up aiming for the hard parts, like bones, most of the time. Just don’t do it too harshly."

Apple Bloom shook her head to clear it. She was in White Tail Woods for a reason, but what was it again?

"You gotta stand more stable, Apple Bloom, and mind your posture. Your natural style isn’t gonna be half as strong if you’re not standing stable."

She plopped her rump down in front of a clearing that had some beehives in it.

“Okay, class dismissed. You’re doin’ fine, all, you’ve got the basics down. Apple Bloom, before you go, a word.”

She sighed as she watched the bees.

“Listen, you’re an enthusiastic little girl, I get that. From what Rainbow Dash told me, you’ve got a real knack for leadership, good sense of planning, all good Earth stuff. But you gotta stop flailing around like you’re doing.”

“But I’m doin’ it just like you tell me! Just like everypony else is.”

“That’s because we’re doin’ it one step at a time. Earth is the most physical of the Elements, and it’s what you are naturally gonna be best at. Tomorrow we’ll cover Water, so Rumble and Scootaloo will have to up their game to progress. They don’t need to mind this stuff as much. You do. You’re holdin’ yourself back right now, Apple Bloom, and that’s a darn shame. If you wanna get stronger, if you want to earn your cutie mark, you gotta stand proud and solid.”

“So how do I do that, then, if I still have to move to punch?”

Ash looked away. “Hmm… try finding some bees, and meditate on that.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“This is an Earth pony town, isn’t it? A little farm gal like you must know where there’s beehives to be found.”

“Well, sure, I reckon there’s some in White Tail Woods, but how does that help me?”

“Find a beehive and just look at it. Meditate on it. It’ll come to you.”

So there she was, at a safe distance from the bees, watching.

Apple Bloom groaned. What was so special about bees that she could learn from them, anyhow? All they did was buzz around and sit on flowers, make honey out of pollen, build stuff… it wasn’t at all like what ponies did, was it?

She let her mind wander as she watched the hive bustling with activity. This was silly; bees were nothing like ponies, and they certainly didn’t fight like ponies. Why, a bee could only sting once before it died, what was the point of that?

Unless the one sting was the point.

Bees put everything they had into defending their hive, their family, their home. A bee attack was a one shot deal: their one shot had to count. Ash had said attitude was everything for a ninja. Maybe she had to put some more weight behind her punches. Maybe her way of punching was best if she did it like she only got one shot.

“You’re doing it wrong, you know.”

Apple Bloom turned and gasped. Behind her stood an alicorn colt, dressed in a costume that was a mix of armour and clothing, concealing his whole body. A green mask with dark eyes obscured the parts of his face the helmet left exposed, a three-pronged extension on that helmet covered his horn for good measure, and there were loose plates dangling from the sides to go down all the way to his jawline. His jawline itself was covered by a simple silver plate, possibly cloth made to look like metal. His lower arms and legs were packing thick metal bracers with some kind of brownish black cloth underneath, that was riddled with red stitches. His chest was covered by a metal plate, and the black cloth looked like it was a one-piece full-body suit from where she was sitting, with some padding underneath, no doubt. Where the plates left him uncovered, he was covered by the black stuff. Even his wings had their own armour pockets with hinges and everything, and his tail was tucked in a metal sheath so she couldn’t even tell what colour his coat was.

“Excuse me?”

The boy tilted his head. “You’re trying to meditate, aren’t you? Wall staring?” His voice was calm, deep enough to be a boy, definitely. Not as intimidating as the armour was, either.

“I ain’t starin’ at no wall.”

“No, but, umm.” He sat down next to her. “You looked like you were trying to meditate. Were you?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, then. If you want to meditate in nature, you have sit upright, like this.” He jutted his chest forward a bit, straightening his spine. “And tuck in your chin, then put your tongue behind your front teeth. It’s a trick for letting your magic run better.”

“Oh. I take it you’d know, huh?” She nudged an armoured wing. He recoiled, the wing clenched to his body. “Sorry. Is that a soft spot?”

“Just assume the position,” he replied coldly. “And breathe. If you have to, use the hoof seal for your third eye.”

Apple Bloom did as she was told. Watching the bees, letting their buzzing ring in her mind, she felt the lesson Ash had tried to impart.

Her fighting skills were sub-par because she wasted her strength. She was always strong when she was focused, and had momentum. When she did things with a purpose, she was successful, and happy.

The happiness really stuck with her. Something tickled in her tailbone, and almost made her giggle, but she held it back.

“Guess you’re an Earth type of fighter, huh?”

She carefully let her attention wander back to the present. “That’s what they told me. Are you a ninja, too? I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m not a ninja, no, but I know some of it. And you can call me Hammer.”

“Apple Bloom. Pleased to meetcha.” She extended a hoof. He looked away awkwardly, rather than shaking it.

The girl withdrew her hoof, unshaken as it was. “O… kay. Thanks for the advice, at least. Are you here for the Warrior Meet?”

“Yup. I’m a Fencer.”

“Oh, so you’ve got, like, a pointy sword to practise with?”

“Umm, it’s more of a title, actually. It used to be about pointy swords and daggers, but then it got some other styles, and the word just stuck anyway. I’m an apprentice Master at Arms, technically. They’re like referees for martial artists, and for nobility,” he explained.

“Right. Nobility, obviously.” She let her eyes wander over his body, and noted his wings, his whole suit, even, clench tighter to him. Then she looked at his horn, or rather the triple-tip changeling horn that covered it and spread out over the sides of his helmet. “Why are you wearin’ that armour?”

“No real reason. Why are you trying to meditate on bees? Did you read it in a book?”

“No, my ninja teacher told me to.”

Hammer chortled. “You don’t have a ninja teacher.”

“Do too.”

“Do not. You’re too nice to be a ninja.”

“What are you talkin’ about?”

He fell quiet for a moment. “You’re not getting lessons from Blazing Trail?”

“No, my teacher’s the Ashen Blizzard. Started just the other day.”

He nodded. “Oh, sorry. My mistake. I thought you were a Feather Cloak.”

“What’s a Feather Cloak?”

“A ninja, and a really nasty one, too. Different school from Nine Dragons. Very different.” He got up with a sigh. “Anyway, if you’re taking lessons from the Ashen Blizzard, I’ll leave you alone.”

This set off a few alarm bells in her head. “Wait, what? That almost sounds like you wanted to challenge me.”

“I was going to, and if you were a Feather Cloak, I might have. But Nine Dragons Style is kind of different; you can’t fight with that unless you’ve had all the basics. And if you started this week, I’m guessing that’s not the case.”

“Hang on, Mister Prissy Prince, I can take ya.”

Even with his back turned, Apple Bloom could tell he was smirking. “No, no you can’t.”

Apple Bloom grumbled. “Okay, prove it.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. If you’re supposed to some arbiter type of pony, doesn’t that mean you gotta fight, too? Or at least know how to break up a fight?”

Hammer rubbed the back of his head, looking at the ground. “Umm, technically, yes, if I want to rank up to Duellist I have to fight students from recognised schools. Under supervision. The Ashen Blizzard has to give the okay before I get on the circuit.”

“Alright, then.” Apple Bloom did a cat stretch and some push-ups to warm up. She didn’t even feel the bruises from her morning class anymore. “You think you can take me, prove it.”

Hammer shrugged and sighed, turning to face her. “Umm, okay, but can we agree on some rules first?”

“Fine.”

“Rule number one: no breaking bones. I don’t want to waste time having to heal up, and it kinda drains power, too.”

“Sounds fair. Rule number two: no armour.”

“The armour stays,” he replied coldly. “I fight with my armour on.”

“What, you can’t beat a little girl without your fancy suit on?”

He sniffed, then shivered. He turned his back on the girl again. “Good day, Apple Bloom. Sorry to disturb you, I’ll just keep walking.”

“Hey, wait up.” She went after him and put her hoof on his shoulder.

Next thing she knew he was on his hind legs, and so was she, with her arms up as if to surrender. He’d jumped so fast, she wasn’t sure if he’d moved or teleported. She could hear his breath through the mask.

“Don’t… ever... touch me like that.”

She made a point to move and breathe very slowly, so as not to antagonise him further. “Whoa, I’m sorry. What is with that costume thing? Is it magical?”

“That’s personal, and I’m not taking it off for a little scuffle, it’s not worth it.”

Something was off here, she could feel it. There was a change in the air, something oddly familiar, but she couldn’t quite put a hoof on what it was. “Is it… hidin’ a scar, by any chance?”

Hammer shook his head, then nodded. “Something like that. It’s a long story.”

“Oh. Well, if you’ve got tender skin, that’s not a problem. I can be careful when we fight.”

The boy grunted. “It’s not a scar, exactly. And you don’t have to be careful, it’s my responsibility. I just don’t like taking it off, is all.”

“So… do you wanna practise or not?”

Hammer got on his hind hooves and took an inviting stance, one arm extended and the other resting on his hip. “Fine by me. If you like Earth style, I’ve got enough padding to block the harder hits. And I won’t use my horn, so you don’t have to get distracted worrying about my magic.”

“Or your wings. If you’re not using your horn, you can’t use your wings, either.”

The boy in the alicorn armour nodded. “Of course.” He made a ‘come hither’ gesture with his hoof. “Ready when you are.”

Apple Bloom struck, swinging her whole body around to hit him with the flat of her right front hoof.

The blow landed on one of the arm bracers, but didn’t seem to faze the boy. “You’re off balance.”

Apple Bloom did a firm jab at his arm then. Again, he barely moved. She, however, felt the impact go through her hoof and into her shoulder. “Ow!”

“See? You are unsteady, and for an Earth type that’s a major handicap.”

The girl bared her teeth. “I am not unsteady. Hiyah!” She jumped up and swung her right leg him. Again, with that dull thud, he caught the blow on his bracer. His arm didn’t even budge from the impact, it just hung there near his head.

“Yes, yes you are. You’ve got no sense of grounding.”

“Oh, and you do? Fancy Fencer or Master At Arms technique?”

“Grounding is very important to me, yes, same as you.” He took the inviting position again. “Try again, and this time try to picture roots growing from your hind hooves. Sink a little lower before you punch, and let the impact disperse into the ground.”

Apple Bloom growled, but did as she was told. She felt something tug at her hooves, and her body felt heavier for some reason. Everything from the waist down felt like it weighed a ton.

Then she punched. The blow came with a louder thud this time, and Hammer bent his arm back slightly. “See? That’s better. Still not right, but better.”

“What do you mean, not right? I did it like you said.”

“Yes, but your intent isn’t right. If you want to achieve harmony, put everything you’ve got behind the punch, you have to put your mind and heart into it. You have to know the right attitude before you strike. Put weight behind it. Punch, like it counts. Like it matters. Pretend I’m a threat and you cannot afford to let me stand.”

She took a step back and closed her eyes. She tried to picture a bee stinging, putting everything behind one blow, one desperate blow that would decide if everything she cared about would live or die. She kept herself grounded and stable, and breathed in.

When she breathed out, she drove him back at last. The simple jab was enough to knock him off his hooves, making the boy in alicorn armour take a step back to steady himself.

“There you go, now you’ve got it. Now you can start fighting.”

Apple Bloom glared at him, fury burning in her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘start?’ We’ve been fightin’, ain’t we?”

“Umm, no? I’ve just been waiting for you to punch right. That was a proper punch, so now we can start. Go on.”

“Hiyah!” She swung at him with all her might, with her body grounded and with her mind set. Her blow was powerful, it was mighty.

Now all she had to do was figure out how she’d work around him dodging her mighty blows. He sidestepped it, keeping one arm up.

She jabbed at him again. He stepped left. She jabbed again, he went right.

Apple Bloom growled and unleashed a flurry of punches, all jabs and all hard-hitters, or at least they would have been if any of them had actually managed to hit. “Why are you dodging like that?”

“Because you can hit me pretty hard, and I don’t want to get any dents in my armour before Sunday.”

“I thought you said we were gonna do a practice fight?”

“We are.”

“But you ain’t done anything yet! Come on, why are you holding back? Is it ‘coz I’m a girl?”

“Umm, no? It’s because you’re new to fighting. I don’t want you to get discouraged.”

“Well, fine, I won’t. Now do somethin’ already!”

“Okay.”

Something slid over the ground, slapped her in the gut, then got behind her and pulled her down. It was only when she was looking at the sky that she realised it was her opponent. He had his hoof on her throat, just the sharp edge of it, and his arm was bent.

“This move is called ‘The Final Nail.’ If I mash down now, I could hurt you, badly. You don’t seem like a bad pony, so I don’t wanna do that. Do you give up?”

She gulped and nodded, as much as she could from that precarious position. “I-I give up.”

“You’re supposed to pat the ground then. Three taps, that’s a surrender.”

Apple Bloom slowly, carefully, tapped the ground loud enough for him to hear, three times.

He got his hoof off her throat and helped her up. Even with the mask, she could have sworn he was smiling. “See? No harm, no foul. Are you hurt?”

“No, I can manage, thanks. How do you move so fast?” she asked.

“A Fencer’s speciality is dodging. Our philosophy states that while armour reduces damage, a blow that doesn’t land causes no damage at all. We use ninja techniques to speed up our reflexes. You haven’t learned Fire style yet, have you?”

“Uh uh. That’ll be the day after tomorrow, probably.”

“Well, you’ll see what I mean then. Try to meditate some more, it’ll help.” He turned back towards Ponyville. “See you around, Apple Bloom. Maybe we’ll fight again on Sunday.”

Apple Bloom rubbed her sore throat. “Yeah, bye, Hammer.”

She sat down and tried to think about what had just happened. She’d figured out how to fight in a natural way, with harmony, that was something. And she’d made a new friend, or a rival, she wasn’t sure.

“Huh. That was weird,” a stallion’s voice remarked.

Apple Bloom looked up to see Ash sitting in a tree. Strange how that Shadowbolt costume didn’t stick out enough for her to notice sooner. “How long have you been sitting there?”

“Long enough. You did well, Apple Bloom, I’m impressed.”

“Doesn’t feel that impressive.”

“You managed to learn in an afternoon what some ponies can’t learn in a lifetime. That counts for something.”

The girl’s ears perked. “I don’t suppose… you were gonna show me anyway? Assumin’ that Hammer kid wasn’t around, what would you have done?”

“You are one clever little girl, you know that? Heh, yeah, I would have. Of course I would; I have a reputation to uphold. Some lessons are easier to learn one on one, without spectators. But you’ve got the basics of your element down now, that’s really all you need to focus on.”

“So I’m not gonna get that Fire style he was talkin’ about?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that you’re not likely to need it to fight the way you normally fight. Stay grounded, hit hard, knock back the other guy, block properly, that’s the Earth style. Plenty of martial arts that use that, you can browse whatever moves you like. But you don’t want to go after the super fancy speedy ones. Wu ju speed, like what Scootaloo has, it’d be a waste of energy for you.”

Apple Bloom nodded and looked at the path Hammer had walked away on. “And him?”

“Him? Oh, that intrepid individual there’s a dedicated fighter, a pony who’s takin’ classes on weekdays, probably has a tutor and everything. Moongazer keeps track of that crowd, not me.”

“But if we fight on Sunday, am I gonna be able to beat him in a fight?”

Ash hrmmed. “Fencers are aristocrats, Apple Bloom. They’re stronger, more disciplined, more rigid, and that one’s packin’ layered armour for… some reason.” Ash looked on at the path. Something was definitely off about that Hammer kid. There was something in the air around him, like a smell, an alarming smell at that. He couldn’t place it, though. That was going to drive him nuts now.

“Right. Lost cause, then.”

The remark snapped him out of his reverie. “Oh, no. Quite the contrary; ninja martial arts were made exactly to beat fighters like him. If you work hard, and if you can catch him off guard, you can take him.”

Apple Bloom grinned.

“Then I think I’m gonna enjoy beatin’ up a little alicorn prince.”

Author's Notes:

Little bit of a quicker note today because I had to upload it quicker. Stuff happened, so I'm a little distracted.

"The armour stays." is a sort-of reference to a Teen Titans episode, where Robin has to discard all his fancy equipment to be judged by a martial arts teacher. He gets rid of everything: his belt, birdarangs, but then the camera pans up and he just flat-out says 'The mask stays,' and that's it. No objections, no questions, the mask stays, period. Very cool scene from a very cool show.

And Hammer refuses to fight without his armour on. Even goes so far as to walk off when called out on it. Same sort of determination.

You may be noticing a lack of One Punch Man references in this story. The reason is I only watched OPM after I'd finished the first draft of this story. Remember, this thing's been in the making for three-odd years. Besides that, Saitama and Whimper are too close in concept for me to want to mix them. Saitama got his superpowers through intense training, combined with some kind of rule in his world that intense good or evil manifests physically. Whimper didn't get superpowers, in comparison to other ponies, just outstanding physique, and part of how he got it (spoiler alert) was with mental imagery techniques. They're both subject to different rules, like Superman and Goku are, which is why I wouldn't mix the two. Again, in reality this is a point of debate, so feel free to look it up yourself if you're interested, take either side with a grain of salt.

The 'master hiding in the bushes' thing is pretty common, to the point I'm not sure I can call it a deliberate reference, but if I have to pick one... Piccolo getting Gohan back when he ran away.

Hammer's character... I wanted him to be nice but firm. Not sure if I had any real example to build it off of, at least for kids. His appearance and this whole scene, obviously, is a nod to Haku from Naruto. It's a recurring thing in that series for masks to fall off of the villain, revealing somebody's long lost and/or evil twin or the guy who should have died twenty years ago yet only got mentioned in a side story ages before his unmasking. It's one of those things you hate to love or love to hate. Seemed fitting to have a character pull that in a Naruto spoof.

Next week, the big worrywort of this story: the flashbacks to Whimper.

Clear Vision! The Secret Sight of the Water Style!

Day three of ninja training saw Apple Bloom getting into the stretching exercises with renewed vigour, and she was minding her breath and attitude a lot more now, too. The kids had learned the physical ways of Earth style combat, so now it was time to move up on the ladder.

“Okay, today we cover a little more on the mental side of things. Rumble, Scootaloo, centre of the mats, please.”

The two pegasi squared off against each other.

“You two are gonna demonstrate how you fight again. Don’t try to do anythin’ fancy yet, just do what comes natural. Rumble, I know you’re a little more advanced, but try not to hurt the girl, okay?”

“Okay.”

They both went into a deep Bear stance, legs spread with the hind hoof pointing out at an angle, while the front one was aimed squarely at the other pony. Their arms were both up: one halfway extended with the frog of the hoof pointing at their opponent, the other bent at hip height and with the hoof pointing to the ground.

“Begin!”

Apple Bloom’s ears perked. Where yesterday the fighting floor had been filled with dull thuds and hard slaps, now it sounded more like clapping. Rumble whipped his hooves at Scootaloo, always aiming for the neck, or the gut, or some muscle, never the head or the bones. His body snapped and dashed this way and that, but he couldn’t quite find a real weak spot in Scootaloo’s defenses. Scoots ducked and dodged and snapped her hooves at him every chance she got, even though he managed to pressure her.

They’d gotten better since their first demo fight, probably because now they had the technique for proper punching down.

“Now, class, this is how Water style works. When you strike, be it from Bear Stance or any other, you hit the target like a wave, which means you keep going for just a little while, cuttin’ instead of slammin’, like Earth style would. It’s a little bit of a slower rhythm than Fire style, and it’s softer than Earth style, but it does come with one major advantage,” Ash explained.

Rumble and Scootaloo didn’t hear. They were too busy exchanging blows, blocking and ducking where they could.

“Ow!”

Apple Bloom jumped when Scootaloo doubled over in pain.

“Oh, sorry,” Rumble said. “I didn’t mean to.”

Moongazer rolled her eyes and came up to Scootaloo with an ointment floating beside her. “It’s alright, Rumble. You are learning to fight, after all, you’re bound to end up hurt or hurting someone else.”

Ash nodded towards Scootaloo, who sighed in relief when the ointment went on her fur. “Class, why did it take that long for Scootaloo to notice the punches?”

Spike raised a claw. “Umm, Rumble was holding back first?”

“Valid guess, but wrong,” Ash replied. “Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle pondered it for a moment. “Scootaloo didn’t block that last blow?”

“She didn’t block all of them before, but those didn’t hurt as much. Apple Bloom?”

The lesson of the day before came to her. “He wasn’t aimin’ for a soft spot. He just hit one by accident.”

Ash nodded sagely. If he’d had a beard, he’d have swished a hoof through it. “Exactly. That’s another one of the differences between the elemental styles: Earth uses concussive blows, which means it favours a pony who can tense up right at the last second and hit heavy. Water style uses fluid blows, that push and shove the opponent back, rather than knocking them back. The point of contact lasts longer. As a result, pressure points are more important for Water style than for Earth style.”

“What’s a pressure point?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It’s a spot that’s connected to some nerves, and usually to your magic,” Moongazer explained. “Rub them with the right attitude, put your magic and intent into it, and you can perform a healing. Whack them with a hard pressure, and you can paralyse the nerves for a second. They’re the entry points and exits for magical energy, among other things. They’re the weak spots, even for tougher ponies.”

“So why doesn’t Earth style aim for them?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Excellent question, and the answer is mostly one of practicality. When you land a concussive blow on a nerve point, it doesn’t do that much compared to when you don’t hit it. In Earth style, you hit hard with the flat of your hooves, or the side of your arm, or the side of your legs. You use big, hard surfaces. Water Styles use the edge of the hooves, or sharper, smaller surfaces. It’s a better tool to target those points.”

Scootaloo got up with a groan.

Ash smiled. “Now then, kids, we’re going to practise basic Water style blows, and make sure y’all are familiar with the major nerve endings.”

“Err, when you say ‘familiar’, do you mean…” Spike asked.

“Oh, y’all are gonna be hittin’ them, alright. And even if you do it gently, you’re still gonna feel it. Or… well, I suppose you won’t be feelin’ it.”

“Hey, Scootaloo, are you…” Rumble started.

“I’m fine,” she snapped. “You just caught me off guard.”

Apple Bloom paired up with the girl as Rumble did the same with Sweetie Belle, leaving Spike to spar with Moongazer.

“Is there somethin’ goin’ on between you and Rumble?” Apple Bloom asked.

“No, why would there be?”

“Well, you seem a mite angry at him, and he’s the only one here who knows your friend Wimpy, so…”

The blow came in hard and fast. Apple Bloom barely had time to yelp when she felt a blade dig into her neck fur and drove her back. When she regained her balance, she rubbed the sore spot.

“You missed, Scootaloo,” Ash said. “You’ll want to be aiming for the muscle; that numbs the chest so the return blow is softened. And don’t do this when you’re angry: let go, flow into it, it’ll come natural to ya. Only add anger to it once you get the technique down.”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and bit her lip.

“Are ya sure you’re fine?”

“I’m sure.”

---

“Ugh, you do that every day?” Scootaloo asked. Her whole body ached from trying to do one of Whimper’s workout routines. The crunches, the punches, the front kicks, the flutter kicks – she hadn’t even known those existed – it was gruelling.

“I can’t feel my toes,” Rumble said.

“You don’t have any toes,” Scootaloo retorted.

“See? I’m so tired I can’t even remember all my body-parts.”

“Well, I did warn you,” Peachy Pie replied. “Whimper’s been doing it for a while now, and he usually does a whole month’s worth. You should have started with day one of the program.”

Whimper shrugged, not really replying. He’d kept quiet a lot since Flight Camp. Peachy Pie didn’t seem to notice.

“Okay, fine, big guy. What do you usually do after a workout?” Scootaloo asked.

Rumble groaned and started stretching. “We could go flying.”

“I don’t have my balloon with me, sorry.” Peachy Pie chuckled nervously.

Again, Whimper didn’t reply.

“Ooh, we could get a post-workout milkshake,” Peachy suggested.

“That sounds great. What do you think, Whimper?” Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow at the muscular boy.

“Umm, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. This time of day the milkshake stand is in the park.”

And that was another thing he’d done a lot the past two weeks: not doing things. Scootaloo didn’t know what to make of it, really. Whimper had been fine at Flight Camp, a little timid but not above raising his voice when something upset him, a little more than Fluttershy did, even. He had a bite to him then, which was part of the reason she liked him. Now he wouldn’t even grumble if one of the girls poked him. He was scared of something, but it couldn’t be his anger issues.

Rainbow Dash had fixed him. So why was he looking broken again?

“What’s wrong with the park?” Rumble asked.

“Nothing,” Whimper quickly replied. “It’s just that the local team will be there. You know, Zephyr and Skyron and, umm, everypony else on the team.”

“Come on, Whimper,” Peachy Pie poked him for the umpteenth time that day. “It’s a public park, after all.”

“But Coach Buster is gonna be there.”

“So let him be there,” Scootaloo insisted. “They can’t kick us out of a public park, can they? Besides, we haven’t been to Bogsdown park yet.”

“Exactly. It’s just a milkshake,” Peachy Pie said. “We won’t get in trouble over that.”

The boy sighed. “I guess you’re right. We could try the park.” His stomach growled. “I am pretty hungry now.”

Scootaloo nearly recoiled when she heard him sigh. It sounded so empty, so heartless, like the life had been sucked out of him. Peachy Pie was his friend, she knew that much, but from what she’d been told, the rest of his class was most definitely not.

“Told ya. Can’t let a big lug like you get a hunger pang, after all.”

Something was wrong here. Peachy Pie was the kind of pony who could motivate her friends, sure, and Whimper was the type who needed a poke in the rump before he did anything, something Scootaloo herself could attest to. But she’d never thought he was like this on his home turf. Aside from the workout they’d just done, or tried, in her case, he just sat there and waited for someone else to suggest something.

It was almost like he’d given up on voicing his own ideas.

Was Flight Camp really the first time he’d tried making friends on his own?

She pushed that thought aside. A hearty milkshake would cheer him up, no doubt.

---

“Ground control to Major Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said. “Do you copy?”

“Huh?”

“You looked like you zoned out there for a little bit. I didn’t hit you too hard, did I?”

“You hit me?”

Scootaloo only now noticed Ash standing in the middle of the room, in a deeper form of Bear Stance, and showing another form for punching in Water style, one that moved slowly and steadily before whipping around for the strike.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no,' then. Hiyah!” Apple Bloom lunged for another blow to the neck, mimicking what Ash was doing.

Scootaloo ducked and sidestepped, so she could slap Apple Bloom’s arm away. It left the Earth pony wide open for a counter-attack to the lower ribs.

“Ow!” Apple Bloom jumped back. “Okay, that’s definitely a soft spot. Gotta remember that one.”

“Indeed it is, the lower ribs are a good spot to aim for if you wanna create some distance. But mind your blocking, girls; there’s nerve points on the arms you wanna learn to target,” Ash said.

“Really? Where?”

“A little below the elbow, on the inside of the arm. It’s hard to pinpoint just like that, but you’ll know it when you hit it.”

“Huh.” Apple Bloom got into the deep posture again and waited for the attack. When she slapped the punch away, she saw the agony in her friend’s face.

Scootaloo bit her lip and nursed that arm like it was broken. “Ow! That… that really hurt.”

“And that would be the nerve point,” Ash noted with his usual calm. “Scootaloo, if you please, return the favour.”

Apple Bloom gulped. She struck at the pegasus, then felt a sharp pain leap into her elbow, followed by an electric tingling that went right down into her hooftip. “O-ow, okay, that smarts.”

“Now you know why I insist on demonstrating the effects before I demonstrate the execution.” Ash looked around. All his students were still striking, but every once in a while they stopped to rub sore spots and tingling nerves, or to shake their limbs in a futile attempt to get the strength back in them. “Okay, everypo-err, everyone got the basic idea of nerve points?”

A few muttered acknowledgements sounded, along with some expressions of pain.

“Good. Now, like I said, this technique is most important for Water style fighters, so Scootaloo and Rumble, y’all are gonna have to master this if you wanna do anything in a real fight. Water focuses entirely on pressure points, when blocking or defending. The rest of you, you don’t need this, per se, but it’s still a useful skill to have. Apple Bloom, for you it’s gonna be mostly about creatin’ distance so you can wind up a stronger blow, and Spike, you’re gonna want to focus on debilitating strikes that slow down the other guy, so you can combo more effectively.”

“Err… combo what?”

“We’ll get to that when we cover Fire tomorrow.”

“What about Wind?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What am I supposed to do with those soft spots?”

“Avoid lettin’ the other guy land a hit on’em,” Ash replied. “But that’s for Thursday. Right now we’re gonna cover a little bit of ninja magic. Moongazer?”

Moongazer nodded and went out in the back.

“Ninja magic?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Ninja magic. Now that you know how much damage you can do with it, you’re gonna learn how to see pressure points in other ponies, so you can target them more effectively. Rumble, Scootaloo, that means you’re gonna be fully trained once you master this, just like Apple Bloom’s fully trained right now.”

Apple Bloom grumbled to herself. She certainly didn’t feel fully trained yet, especially considering her encounter with that alicorn kid.

“Now, to start with, let’s look at the ocean.”

Moondancer returned with what looked like a slide show sheet and set it up so the kids could look at it. The picture was blue, a deep ocean blue.

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “I don’t get it.”

“Your eyes aren’t the only thing you see with,” Moongazer explained. “Or rather, not the only thing involved in the process of seeing. The mind filters out a few things that you don’t normally need to catch. To see pressure points, you need to become more sensitive to different shades of colour, mostly red and orange. The ninja mind trick to do this is to stare at something a deep blue for a long time.”

Ash nodded. “This is a meditation technique that’s kind of like Eastern Unicorn wall staring. You look at the same colour for long enough so it fills your whole vision, your mind tries compensate and make it look normal. Then when you remove the colour, the complementary colour becomes more pronounced.”

“Comple-whatnow?” Spike asked.

“The opposite colour. Like green and red.”

“Very good, Sweetie Belle. Now, just relax and meditate on the colour blue, and by the time you’re done, your limbs should feel a bit better and you can practise hitting each other again.”

Scootaloo sighed and looked into the blue. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering.

---

Scootaloo, Peachy Pie, Rumble, and Whimper all sat in the shade of Bogsdown park, sipping their milkshakes. It was a larger park than Ponyville’s, but then Bogsdown was a larger city, with the houses built more along the lines of Manehattan architecture, just not as densely as the big metropolis.

Some kids were playing a ball game, Scootaloo presumed it was Bad Apple, the same game Whimper’s bullies played. Kids were tossing balls back and forth, trying not to get hit. Some were on pick-up duty, some on striking duty, some held the things to deflect other projectiles. It looked like a fun game in and of itself, but not something Scootaloo would like to play; too messy and crowded.

She hmmed after another sip of that cold, soothing fruit shake. “Wow, you were right, Peachy Pie, these are really good.”

Rumble nodded. “There’s more fruit in this, isn’t there? More than usual.”

Peachy Pie nodded emphatically. “Uhuh. Mister Frosty uses fresh fruit most of the time, but the bananas are always a little too ripe, so you can really taste that in the mix. It’s a Bogsdown thing; we’re really big on healthy stuff around here.”

Whimper nodded without a word.

For the briefest moment, Scootaloo thought the old Whimper from Flight Camp was sitting there again. He was enjoying himself, at peace with everything, just sipping a good, refreshing milkshake.

That’s when she learned exactly what it was that had made him so highly strung.

A faint whooshing sound came from the kids playing Bad Apple, and next thing anyone knew Whimper had slammed one of his front hooves into a ball that had nearly hit Peachy Pie in the face. The thing went flying across the sky.

“What’s the big idea?” One of the kids, a dark grey unicorn colt with the same three-spike manedo half the boys of Equestria sported, came trotting over towards them. His cutie mark looked like a helmet, but what sport, Scootaloo couldn’t tell.

“You almost hit my friend,” Whimper replied.

“Whimper, what are you doing?” A pegasus stallion joined them. “You just shot our ball out of the park.”

Scootaloo and Rumble took a long, hard look at the coach. A yellow pegasus, just a shade darker than Fluttershy, with a dark red mane and tail, both with a beige stripe running through it, he looked kind of like one of the pegasi on the sidelines of a Wonderbolts derby, but the whistle was a dead giveaway he was a teacher.

What really stood out, though, was the guy’s musculature. Compared to Whimper, he didn’t have any. He looked about as ripped as Big Macintosh, which wasn’t very. Doldrum Whimper, on the other hoof, looked like a sculptor’s model, with most of his muscles sticking out just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to hinder his movements. It struck Scootaloo as odd, that Whimper would have a gym teacher who was less muscular than he was.

Whimper’s ears flattened against his head. “It was going to hit us, what was I supposed to do?”

Coach Buster leaned in and took a step forward, clearly trying to intimidate the boy for some reason. “You’re not even supposed to be here, you know we use this place for practice.”

“Umm, but it’s a public park, Coach Buster,” Peachy Pie remarked. “It’s open.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Peachy Pie. What do you have to say for yourself, Wimpy?”

Scootaloo’s right eye twitched when she heard the grownup call him that. Rumble furrowed his brow in confusion.

To his credit, even though Whimper wasn’t anywhere near Buster’s size, he didn’t back down.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go get our ball back,” Buster nodded towards the edge of the park. “And be quick about it.”

Whimper didn’t say a word. He didn’t snort, he didn’t grumble, he hardly even breathed. He simply strode on past the colt and the stallion and flew off to where he thought the ball had landed.

“As for you three,” Buster said once Whimper was out of earshot, “you should know better than to get Wimpy in trouble. You know he’s got no spine in him.”

Scootaloo’s mind reeled. Part of her wanted to tell this guy off, but the look on his face made her think twice. She didn’t want him to punish Whimper for something she said, and Rumble followed suit, judging by his silence. Buster finally backed down once he’d made his point.

“Now clear off, all of you. Park’s closed.”

Peachy Pie rolled her eyes and got up, picking up what was left of Whimper’s milkshake.

The unicorn colt with the coach smirked. Then he screamed in pain from a blunt blow to the face.

The ball had hit him so hard that it actually stuck to his face for a second before falling down. His face was reddened by the impact, and his eyes filled with tears.

“What the… Wimpy, what the hay do you think you’re doing?” Coach Buster yelled, even as the cocky colt next to him rubbed his hurt face.

“Come on,” Whimper said coldly, taking his milkshake. “We’re leaving.”

Scootaloo didn’t like the look of the unicorn with Buster. He looked like he was in pain, and part of his face was starting to swell up. She could swear she caught a tinge of red flowing out of his nose, too.

She rushed after Whimper and Peachy before anyone saw.

Rumble was last to leave. “Whimper, I think you just hurt that kid.”

Whimper gulped and blinked. He rubbed his head like he’d had a pang of brain freeze. “What?”

“That kid back there, you hit him in the head pretty hard.” Scootaloo nodded back towards him.

“No, I didn’t. I’d never hurt anyone.”

“You just did, Whimper. We saw you,” Peachie Pie said. “We all saw you do it.”

The boy stopped and turned. The vaguest hint of a pout appeared on his lips. “Oh. Well, I’ll apologise next time I see him, then.”

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes in confusion. She let Whimper walk ahead of them before whispering to Peachy Pie. “Has he been getting that a lot lately?”

Peachy nodded. “Ever since he got back from Flight Camp. You weren’t around for the other times, but it’s been getting worse.”

“Really?” Rumble asked. “I thought he’d be more popular after what he did at Flight Camp.”

“Yeah, I heard. He was doing okay for a couple days, but then the other kids and the coaches started picking on us again, and now he’s worse off than before. He never blacked out like this.”

“They pick on him and you? Why? I mean, I know Whimper’s got it rough, but you look pretty normal,” Rumble said.

The filly shrugged and finished her shake, neatly tossing it backwards in a trash can. “We usually hang out a lot, and our families are close friends, so if anypony picks on one of us they end up getting the other one, too. He’s the only pony in our school who’s not on any team, and I’m the only pony in our school who’s on a roller derby team.”

Scootaloo tried to wrap her head around that, but couldn’t quite manage it. “Seriously? Every pony in your school is on a team? Every single one? Even the girls?”

“Sure, I thought you knew. This is the sports capital of Equestria. You’re a nobody if you can’t do sports, and Wimpy, well…”

The boy ahead of them stopped. He finished his drink and walked back past them to toss the cup in the trash. “What was that?”

“I was just saying everypony in school does sports. Even in the summer.”

Whimper nodded reluctantly. “Oh, right. Umm, yes, sports are a pretty big thing around here.”

“So why aren’t you doing anything?” Scootaloo asked.

Whimper winced. “I can’t, remember? There aren’t any clubs for strong colts and, honestly, I don’t think I’d like it even if I did join. Everypony’s too competitive around here.”

“Even me,” Peachy joked. “You should see us on the derby track: Whimper can really take a beating.”

“I need the practice.” Whimper shrugged. “And it’s better if you practise tackles with somepony who can take it, right?”

“Right.”

“Sooo…” Scootaloo started. “You just get picked on because you don’t do sports? But you’re strong as an ox, you do lots of sports. I mean, technically you did that before Flight Camp, you do even more now.”

Whimper rolled his eyes at that. “Yes, but not in a club, or in competition. That’s what matters around here: what you can win. I don’t win trophies for any club, or for my school. I don’t contribute, so… I’m not important.”

“Sounds like a horrible place to go to school,” Rumble noted.

Peachy Pie shrugged again. “It’s tradition, and it works: most ponies from here end up in Canterlot or Manehattan. A lot of bigshot Royal Guards trained here, the rules and schools are a little different, too. In this town, accomplishment matters. You get more respect depending on what you join. Roller derby’s pretty low on the ladder, but it’s better than nothing. And it’s fun.”

“Uhuh. And Bad Apple’s pretty big, then?” Scootaloo asked.

Peachy nodded. “Yup. Swimming and running are a little lower, fencing is almost as high as Bad Apple, then you’ve got hoofball for the older kids, of course, and the dance squads pretty much own the streets around the concert hall, but the highest is just plain martial arts, like karate and stuff. The martial arts schools compete like crazy, and they bend the rules when they can. If you’re a martial artist around here, in one of the big schools, you can get away with anything.”

Scootaloo looked back to the playing field again. “But, umm, Whimper’s a martial artist, isn’t he?”

Whimper sighed. “Yes, but I’m still not in a club.”

Scootaloo took the hint and nudged him. “Not yet, you mean. Maybe you just need to find one you like.”

The boy gave her a weak smile. “Yeah, maybe.”

---

“Scootaloo?”

“What, Rumble?”

“Meditation’s over. You wanna pair up with me or someone else?”

Scootaloo let off a private grunt. “I think I’d rather fight Sweetie Belle right now.”

“If you say so.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle paired up. The unicorn winced at the boy as she squared off with her friend. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, okay?” Scootaloo said, slapping at a spot near Sweetie’s left shoulder. She got blocked, but it still hit Sweetie in the arm.

“It sounds like something’s wrong. Did Rumble do something?”

“He just got a lucky shot, that’s all.”

“Oh. So you’re embarrassed he’s better at this than you.”

“He is not better at this than me,” Scootaloo said bluntly, before lunging again.

“Sure he is,” Ash said. “Look at him.”

And look they did. Rumble was swift, limber, and on point as he faced Spike.

Ash snickered. “Rumble, take him out. Spike, brace yourself.”

The dragon gulped.

“Wait, you want me to what?” Rumble asked.

“You know how to do a basic takedown?”

“Umm, yes?”

“Can you see any bright spots on Spike?”

Rumble chuckled nervously. “Umm… a couple.”

“Good. Aim for those and take Spike down. Paralyse him. Show the girls how it’s done.”

“But I’m not that good at it,” Rumble replied.

“Then I’ll show them how it’s done after you show them how it’s not done. Come on. You wanted to know if you were up to learning ninja fighting. I say you are. So do it.”

Sweetie Belle noticed Scootaloo and Rumble both starting to sweat. Apple Bloom noticed it, too, but whether Ash did was anyone’s guess.

“Spike, I’ll try not to hurt you too much,” Rumble said.

“I’m a dragon, remember? Thick scales.”

Rumble shrugged, then struck.

The colt moved unlike anything Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle had ever seen. His legs practically skidded over the ground, front one closing the distance with the other seamlessly following for balance. His arms had the same lightness to them, gliding as he took aim.

The first strike was like the cut of a sword, going for the side of Spike’s neck and grazing past it. Rumble’s eyes looked off, too, like he had a killer intent behind them. It was almost like he wasn’t even watching Spike at all.

The dragon was knocked back, left side of his body clumsily thrown off. He couldn’t keep his arms up to guard. And that left his front wide open for the follow-up: a shove in the front of his ribcage, with the front edge of a hoof moving down across his chest like a cleaver. Rumble put a hind leg in position to trip him up as he went, but he hardly needed to. Spike went down.

“Huh. That was a lot less painful than it looked.” Spike shrugged and rubbed his chest scales.

“I am really sorry. Are you sure you’re okay?” Rumble extended a hoof to help Spike up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Your aim’s really good.”

Ash nodded. “Yes. Good form, Rumble. Looks like you’ll be leaning more towards the cutting styles, we can work with that. But try to put some force into it. A blow like that should leave your opponent unable to move. But you got the sight down, that’s something. Spike, relax your eyes like he did, try to look through your opponent. Picture a blue background, like before. Then keep practisin’.”

Spike squinted, then started punching with the same rhythm and force as Rumble had. “Okay, I think I’m getting the hang of it now.”

Ash looked to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Well? Apple Bloom’s sparring with Moongazer, what are you waiting for?”

“Sorry, sir.” Scootaloo took a deep breath and got back to it.

Ash regarded the two pegasi for a moment.

Strange...

Scootaloo slapped back and forth as hard as she could, but Sweetie Belle hardly seemed to notice, aside from having to wriggle her limbs after the blows. Scootaloo had the projection down, but she wasn’t hitting any critical points.

Ash sighed.

Rumble, however, was the exact opposite. His body moved fluidly and with proper relaxation, his eyes were out of focus as they should be for the exercise, and he put his heart into every cleaving punch he threw. At least, he looked like he did. In reality, it was all outer form and no energy behind it, no magic moving. All technical, no soul.

The boy was off, somehow. Letting his own sight go out of focus, Ash examined the auras of his students. Apple Bloom’s was a vibrant green all over, not too big a halo over her head but she was new at this, so that was to be expected. Sweetie Belle had a more pinkish red, while Spike was a deep red all over.

The pegasi, though, were mixed. Rumble’s aura ran a light greenish blue over his body, but it turned more yellow-ish around his head. Likewise, Scootaloo had a very perturbed-looking drab green aura, but her head’s corona was light blue. The aura of the body didn’t match that of the head, it was clear as day.

Somethin’s got’em spooked. Can’t have’em muck around in that kinda state.

Author's Notes:

Been a little feverish past few days, so this one may not be edited up to the usual standards. Kinda rushed uploading it.

Still, it should be kind of obvious how this is turning out, no?

Polar Opposites! You Need To Be...

“Rumble, Scootaloo? A word, please.”

The two pegasus foals stopped as the rest went off for lunch, with Moongazer stealthily herding the group away.

“What’s the matter?” Rumble asked as he sat down.

“You picked up on the aura sight pretty quickly, Rumble. Did you learn that from my book or did someone explain that to ya before?”

The boy rubbed the back of his head, eyes planted firmly on the floor. “Umm, sort of, I guess. Explained, I mean.”

“And you, Scootaloo, seem completely unable to do it. Which is weird, because you’ve got a Water type personality; you’re supposed to be good at it.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, sir. I’ll try harder after lunch.” Scootaloo’s stomach let off an insistent groan.

“Uhuh. You know, you can tell a lot about a pony by their aura. If they don’t know how to hide their intent, you can tell when they’re lying, when they’re scared, you can even tell their personality without talkin’ to them. For example, you, Rumble, have the aura of someone who doesn’t think very highly of himself.”

“Seriously?” Scootaloo said. “You’re kidding, right? Rumble’s one of the best athletes in Ponyville, next to me. He even got in on tornado practice when it was Ponyville’s turn, he learned to fly before I did. He’s got nothing to be ashamed about.”

Ash raised an eyebrow at that.

“Right?” Scootaloo nudged the boy.

Rumble shrugged. “Well, I might be one of the best in Ponyville, but that doesn’t mean that much.”

Ash’s ears perked. “Do tell.”

“It’s nothing, sir, it’s just that… well, our friend who does martial arts? He’s from, err, he’s from Bogsdown,” Rumble said.

The grandmaster’s body tensed. “Oh. You’ve been around them parts, huh? Scary place for a country pony. All the kids there are in clubs, in competition. Folk in that town, they’re a whole ‘nother breed of nasty. They can be pretty brutal. When they’re not on friendly terms with you, of course.”

“I’ve noticed,” Scootaloo said.

“And this friend, he knows how to see auras, and he tried to teach you both, I presume?”

They both nodded.

“I couldn’t really get the hang of it. I still can’t.” Scootaloo shrugged.

“That’s not so bad, Scootaloo. At least you can punch okay. Me, I can’t put any real power behind it for some reason,” Rumble remarked.

Ash tilted his head. “You two are an odd couple, you know that?”

“We are not a couple!” Scootaloo shouted, before remembering who she was talking to. “Umm, Grandmaster Ash, sir.”

“We’re just, umm, friends. We hang out, but that’s it,” Rumble stammered.

“See, there it is again.” The Shadowbolt gestured back and forth between the two. “Y’all are polar opposites, but you’re both unbalanced.”

“What? But I have great balance,” Scootaloo said.

“It’s true; she can stand on one front hoof and do a spin,” Rumble added.

“Sure, physically your balance is good, both of you. But mentally, your cranium isn’t hearin’ what your cardiac pump is tryin’ to cultivate. Your heart just ain’t in it, and you’re gonna keep failing at what you’re doing if you don’t fix it.”

“And how do we fix it?” Rumble asked.

“Rumble, be honest with yourself: do you think you’re strong and fast?”

The boy shrugged. “Not that strong or fast, no.”

“Scootaloo, do you think you’re awesome?”

“Yeah, I think I am pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.” She smiled sheepishly.

The Shadowbolt smiled. “So really, you’re good as is, Scootaloo, you just need to work harder.”

“Exactly.”

“Rumble?”

The boy shrugged. “I think I’m doing it wrong. There’s gotta be something I’m missing. Maybe I just need to stretch more?”

“Well, there’s your problem,” Ash said.

“What is?”

“Water types like you thrive on being fluid, on changing. You achieve harmony by going with the flow. Your heart, mind, and body are supposed to be in tune with each other to be able to move with the right speed and force, with that distinct relaxed focus. But Rumble, you’re so convinced there’s something wrong with you that you never acknowledge what you’re doing right. You have a fine technique, but you keep makin’ life hard on yourself and sabotaging everything you do. You don’t overthink it, so your technique is fine, but you’re full of doubt, which creates a block. You never enter a state of proper flow.”

The boy’s ears drooped. “Oh. I guess that explains it.”

“Right there, see? You’re not even denying it. Back in the forest, when I tested you, you could’ve gotten off easy. I could tell you were fit enough to train, that you had some of the basics already. But you had to go and prove that you were ready. Come to think of it, I’m startin’ to wonder if you really wanted to prove it to me, or if you wanted to prove it to yourself. Seems kind of excessive, you know, from where little old me is sitting. Despite all your skills, despite what anypony might say about you… you just can’t accept the idea that you’re pretty good, by any standard. That’s why you couldn’t stun Spike earlier: your heart just ain’t in it.”

“Well, my brother’s a lot better than me.”

Ash’s ears twitched again. “What, Thunderlane? Big black guy, greenish white mohawk?”

“How do you know him?”

“He tried datin’ my daughter with a crooked back.”

This made Rumble grimace in thought. “Your daughter has a crooked back?”

“No, Thunderlane did. So I straightened it for him. Then he couldn’t walk for three weeks. Like I’m supposed to know he has other pre-existing conditions just ‘coz I’m a grandmaster. Anyhow, humility is a good trait to have, Rumble, it really is. But you gotta stand tall and proud when you fight. That’s true for Earth style and it’s true for Water style. You gotta be the wave that tips over the ship, not just a little splash. Try meditating on the things you’re proud of, picture yourself as a leader, as an alpha. But a kind one, mind you, brutes don’t get very far in this school.”

Rumble and Scootaloo shivered as they exchanged a glance.

Ash caught it, of course. “Might I inquire as to why that thought scares you so much?”

Scootaloo sighed. “Umm, that friend of ours, umm, he’s err…”

Silence hung in the air. The Ashen Blizzard felt his heart sink when the reality of it all finally dawned on him. “Oh. Oh, now I see. Y’all have had a run-in with the Feather Cloaks, ain’t ya?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh, goodness gracious me, no wonder you don’t take pride in what you do. But look, youngins, the Feather Cloaks are different from what I teach, radically different. They base their teachings on only one state of mind: that of an angry, overconfident blowhard whose idea of stealth is marchin’ in like he owns the place and hoping no one questions him. You’re not gonna lose yourself if you just take a little pride in your accomplishments. You have to face who you are for this to work, and that means accepting the bad and the good.”

“Yeah, like me.” Scootaloo squeed.

Ash rolled his eyes. “Now, I wouldn’t go that far. You, Scootaloo, are so convinced that you’re awesome and perfect that it doesn’t occur to you that you might need to try a different approach. You’re not opening yourself up to something new, just sticking with the old and hoping it’ll be enough.”

“And how do I get around that?”

“Practise with a friend, practise with Rumble. Seeing auras requires relaxed concentration, you can’t force it. You have to clear your mind and let your eyes go out of focus a bit. But most importantly, you have to let it happen. If you want it too badly, it won’t work.”

“Okay, I think I can manage that.”

“Good. Now run along and get your lunch, we’ll cover it again in the afternoon.”

The two trotted off.

“Maybe we should tell Apple Bloom and the others the truth,” Rumble whispered once their master was out of earshot.

“What? No!”

“Why not? They’re gonna find out sooner or later. And they’re gonna be angry at you for keeping it a secret.”

“I know. I just want to wait for the right time, okay?”

---

Rumble and Whimper exchanged blows, one careful not to hit too hard, the other never getting enough power behind his strikes to have to worry. Rumble was a pushover like that.

“So… that’s how it is now,” Whimper said, dodging another slow and deliberate strike for practice. He was shaking like a leaf, and his voice cracked from time to time. His mind wasn’t in the practice. “I have to take martial arts classes, in a club. I don’t get a say in it.”

“But they can’t do that,” Rumble argued. “They can’t force you to join a club, they don’t have the right to. Who is this guy, anyway?”

“Master Blazing Trail. I think he’s friends with Coach Buster.”

“It sure sounded like he was,” Peachy said. “It’s a pretty rotten thing to do, if you ask me.”

Scootaloo quirked an eyebrow. “And did he make you sign up?”

“Not yet,” Whimper replied. “But Coach Buster told me to at least try it. He said it might help me grow a spine. And if I refuse, I’ll get in trouble when school starts again. He said I’d have to go see a psychiatrist if I didn’t, take pills to stay calm.”

“That jerk, he can’t do that,” Scootaloo said.

“I think he could,” Peachy replied. “Jocks get away with everything around here, remember?”

“But a gym teacher can’t get you put on pills just because you hit some kid once,” Rumble argued. “That’s crazy. That’s gotta be a bluff, there’s no way.”

“So what did you do?” Scootaloo asked. “Did you like the lesson, at least?”

Whimper clenched his jaw.

---

The Feather Cloak dojo was a bastion of the finer martial arts. Ornate paintings on the doors, clean tatamis, and the smell of incense to drive away that stench of pony perspiration and tears.

Master Blazing Trail stood tall before the boy, a white unicorn stallion with a golden horn, something that was apparently a mark of distinction in unicorn circles. Like a true master, his body had decent muscle tone, but he wasn’t ripped. His mane and tail were both well-kept and cut at functional length, as well as shined to show off his colouration: burgundy with crimson streaks through it, something that would let him pass as an aristocrat if he ever felt like crashing a Canterlot party. His cutie mark might have posed an obstacle to such plans, though, as it was a ninja star, shining and sparkling like it had been freshly polished. Nothing a costume couldn’t cover up.

His eyes were his best feature, though. Deep, dark red like his hair, with an intensity behind them that made it feel like every little move, every little twitch, would be noted and registered.

“So, you’re the kid Buster’s been complaining about, huh?” Master Blazing said.

Whimper cringed. “Yes, sir.”

The stallion appraised the boy, circling around him like a predator. “I was expecting you to be smaller. You’re pretty buff for a wimp.”

Whimper rubbed his wings to his sides nervously. “I bulked up a while back, sir.”

“I can see that. But is it just for show or is it functional strength?”

“Functional, sir.” Whimper shivered when the stallion came closer.

“Ever try any competition, then?”

“The Applecross Games, sir. Just once.”

Blazing Trail snickered. “Very funny. The Applecross is for adults. Even with your build, you couldn’t do any of the events.”

“Umm, no, sir, but there’s no age limit, just a strength limit. And I was strong enough to enter, so…”

Blazing raised his eyebrows. “You’re not joking? Well, then, colour me impressed. What method did you use to, ah, bulk up, if I might ask? Any particular program?”

“Chuck Boulders, sir.”

“Ah, that one. That’s a classic. Tough to reach such extremes with, though, I should imagine.”

“A little. And, umm, the Great Wolf Fang. I mixed it up a little.”

Blazing hummed to himself. “Good thinking. It takes hard work to build a physique like yours, especially at your age. I take it you eat well? You ever see a dietician?”

“My mom is Passiflora, sir.”

The grandmaster nodded. “Hrm, and your father?”

“Summer Breeze, sir. Captain Summer Breeze, of Bogsdown Weather Patrol.”

Blazing whistled. “Well, well, a colt of fine pedigree, then. That’s good.” He fell silent for a moment and smiled, pensive. “That’s very good. So, my boy, have you done any martial arts before?”

“A-a little. I just practise at home, or with my friends. Mostly stuff from books. The Major Fair Weather Method, and some Royal Guard stuff.”

“Books don’t teach you everything about combat, boy. I heard you pack a mean wallop.”

“It was an accident, sir. I didn’t mean to hit that boy.”

Blazing tilted his head in surprise. “‘That boy,’ is it, now? The one Buster’s so upset about? You don’t even know his name?”

Whimper shook his head. “No, sir. I’m not on his team. I’m not on anyone’s team. And he’s not in my class, so I don’t know him. I’m really sorry.”

The unicorn shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, don’t be. Buster exaggerates, if you ask me. He wants you to behave. I, however, am only interested in your skills. Your strength is obviously good, but how’s your speed? And your, ah, stamina?”

“Not so good, not really.” Whimper took a step back.

“Oh? Do I detect a little wheeze in your lungs?”

Whimper cleared his throat and backed away more. “It only happens when I go fast for too long, or when I’m nervous.”

Blazing slapped him in the chest, knocking Whimper back. He held a hoof up as a cue to get the boy to look him in the eyes. “Stop backing off, Whimper. First lesson of the Feather Cloak School: stand proud. Never back down in front of an opponent, face them head-on. I will be your opponent, so stand.”

Whimper shakily got to his hooves. “U-umm, aren’t we supposed to practise the basics first?”

“These are the basics.” Blazing shoved him back again. “Stand firm, Wimpy.”

Whimper clenched his jaw and buckled, but he stayed on all fours. “Please don’t call me that.”

“Why not? It’s what you are, isn’t it? It’s why you’re here, to stop being a spineless little wimp who’ll let anyone walk all over him. It’s why Buster can force you to come here. You want it to stop, make it stop. Stand firm.” Blazing Trail knocked Whimper with a backhooved blow, but found his attack blocked this time.

Whimper snorted, his breathing came in loud as he trembled with anger. “Don’t, sir. I don’t do well when I’m angry.”

The stallion smirked and squinted his eyes. A training dummy was dragged over the floor to rest in front of the boy. “That’s not what I heard. The way I hear it, you’re a real champ when you’re angry. You’re not even scared of downright attacking a classmate when you’re angry.”

Whimper huffed and looked away. “Those are accidents. I can’t always control my temper, and since I bulked up, that’s a little dangerous.”

Blazing let out a hearty laugh. “Not to you, it’s not, not anymore. Someone provokes you, you attack them. Action, reaction, it’s a simple law of physics, no questions asked. I’m surprised you didn’t come my way sooner; your type usually does. Do you even realise the strength you wield when you assert yourself? No worries about consequences, no cares about how much those jerks will whine to the teachers. It takes real power to use that sort of aggression. Why would you want to be a spineless little coward all the time, huh? Let that anger out.”

Whimper shook his head. “I’m not a bully.”

Blazing leaned in to whisper. “Let’s not kid ourselves, of course you are. Look at you: you’re all muscle. Didn’t it hurt to build that up?”

Whimper gulped. “Sometimes.”

“You earned your strength.”

“Yes.”

“Then you have earned... the right... to stand up for yourself, have you not?”

“Yes, sir.”

He backed away. “And yet you still let everyone push you around. Buster was right, sending you to me. His motivations are deplorable at best, but his judgement is sound, at least. This will be good for you, I promise, and Buster’s not going to bother you if you just pay attention to these lessons. You have too much potential to squander. If you just learn to hold your head up high, speak up for yourself, you wouldn’t have to take anything from anyone, ever again. You wouldn’t have to snap, because no one would dare push you that far. Look at that training dummy.” He pointed to the thing in front of Whimper. “Pretend for just a second that it’s a kid who’s been picking on you.”

Whimper closed his eyes. “I’d rather not.”

Again, Blazing slapped him, in the sides this time. “Quit pushing yourself down, boy! You’re better than they are, and it’s about time you started acting like it. You could be a fighter, a real warrior, a legend, if you just accepted who you are. Quit acting like a victim. What if that dummy took your lunch, what would you do then?”

Whimper shook his head, but he couldn’t stop the memories flooding his mind. Coach Buster had given this guy everything he needed to get under the boy’s skin.

“What if he threw your lunch to the ground, huh? What if he made fun of you after you had another wheezing fit?”

“That doesn’t make it okay,” Whimper argued.

“And what if he picked on one of your friends, then? What do you do when a bully goes after Peachy Pie?”

Whimper shook with rage. “I destroy them.”

“And that Wonderbolt recruit’s little brother? Rumble, was it?”

“Yes.”

“What if someone picks on him?”

“I stop it.”

“That’s what I thought. And what about the other one? What’s her name?”

Whimper gulped, staring at the dummy. “Scootaloo.”

“What if somepony decided to hurt her? Would you just let that happen? What kind of a friend lets a friend get hurt?”

Blackness. A woosh, a bang, a scrape, another bang. That’s all the boy caught. By the time Whimper had landed from his jump kick, he realised what he’d done, and residual sensations of muscle tension told him how much he’d moved. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to… this is why I can’t get angry: it’s dangerous.”

Blazing grinned and nodded. “Yes, you certainly are. Oh, I think this style will suit you just fine, Doldrum Whimper.”

“I don’t.”

“But look at what you can do.” Blazing nodded towards the dummy as his magic propped it back upright. “You have so much potential, but you lack confidence, and that’s poisoning you. You are better than the ponies who pick on you.”

“I-I don’t…”

Blazing sighed at the boy, though his smile never faded. “Look, I get it, Whimper, truly I do. This arrangement is as awkward for me as it is for you, and I wish we could have met under better circumstances. But this is how things are now, and we can make the most of it. It doesn’t have to be awkward. Buster only wants you to take three lessons with me. He probably thinks you’ll be cowed into submission. I think you’re better than that. I think you’re worth proper instruction. Let Buster get his say in, I’ll tell him you have perfect control over your aggression and he just needs to stop provoking you. Your principal will stop seeing you as a burden and start seeing you for the asset you are. I can speak for you, and with your talent, I’ll do so gladly. But I can’t do any of that if you do not provide me with proof that you are worth the effort. I know you are, you just need to start showing it. So say it, Whimper. It helps, really. You are too caught in your role as a victim to be anything else. If you can just say it to yourself, you’ll feel so much better, I promise. Confidence is the most important quality for a Feather Cloak ninja.”

“Okay, I’m better.”

The stallion held his head high and pushed out his chest, then motioned for Whimper to do the same. “You are a strong disciple of the Feather Cloak School.”

Whimper winced. “But I haven’t signed up. I just don’t want Coach Buster to get me in trouble.”

“He won’t. Just say it.”

“But I don’t want to sign up, please.”

“I know, I understand. That’s not what I’m trying to do here. I’m trying to get some confidence into that little head of yours. You’re going to have to get that in there sometime. It’s a mantra. You know what a mantra is, don’t you? You’ve had the, err… mandatory therapy sessions in school? They still do that for cases like you, right?” he asked carefully.

“Yes, sir. It didn’t help all that much.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think it may have prepared you better than you think. So say it, regardless, see how it feels. I won’t force you to sign up, but if you are to complete these lessons, as Buster requested, you will need to at least play along. So say it: I am a strong disciple of the Feather Cloak School.”

Whimper sighed and took the pose, just like his master. “I am a strong disciple of the Feather Cloak School.”

“I’m better than the ponies in my class.”

Whimper gulped as the training dummy was moved towards him again. A vague glow of magic behind it told him this time the thing would be held back properly. “I am better than the ponies in my class.”

“I can beat anyone who talks down to me.”

Whimper growled. “I can beat anyone who talks down to me.”

Blazing knocked the top of the dummy and nodded towards it. “Anyone.”

Whimper took a deep breath and got on his hind hooves. “Anyone.”

He struck.

---

Rumble sat there, wide-eyed. “Wow. Seriously? That’s how they boost your confidence?”

Whimper nodded, still staring at the ground. “Seriously.”

“That sounds pretty intense,” Scootaloo said.

“Uhuh. Turns out the ninja schools use the same technique as rune pages and all that other hypnotherapy I got: stuff you’re supposed to picture when you’re relaxed, or not really awake. It’s supposed to teach you how to put your emotions into the moves. Feather Cloak ninjas teach you to be confident,” Whimper said.

“And a bully,” Peachy Pie remarked.

“And did it work? Did you feel more confident? Do you feel better now?” Scootaloo asked.

Whimper smiled absently. “Uhuh. I feel a lot better, like I could do anything. It’s pretty neat. But it’s scary, too.”

“So do you want to join that school, then?” Rumble asked.

“I don’t know. It’s so weird, but it feels nice. Maybe I should, I mean, Buster made me take the classes, but Blazing understands what it’s like.” He almost looked sad then. “I’ve never had a teacher who really understood me that way. I kinda like it. I mean, even Rainbow Dash never taught me this sort of stuff. I haven’t signed up officially yet, but if I did, it’d solve a lot of problems. And who knows, I might make some more friends.” His smile was wide, but his eyes looked misty. “It’d be nice to make friends with a real martial arts pony, someone who can show me what the books are talking about. I don’t think I’m going to find any friends like that just hanging out around the parks. What do you think, Peachy Pie?”

Peachy Pie scoffed. “Are you kidding? I think it’s a horrible idea. They’re just gonna try to make you angry all the time, and make you fight kids smaller than you in some contest. They wanna milk you for trophies, and you know it.”

“Well, I think it’s a great idea,” Scootaloo said.

“Really?” Whimper asked.

“Sure. You do still have kind of an issue letting ponies walk all over you, and you do need to work on controlling your anger. Blazing’s right: if ponies stop pushing you, if you can put your hoof down when you have to, you wouldn’t have to snap at them and get out of control. So what if they want you to win some trophies? That’s what all the other kids around here do, right? You can’t keep holding all of this back, Wimpie.” She walked up and playfully slapped him on those big, muscular shoulders of his.

For a second, something clicked in Whimper’s brain. The hint of sadness, and his doubts, crept away, it seemed. He wiped his eyes and chuckled. “Maybe. But what if it’s not the right school for me? I mean, I wouldn’t want to get tied down to something I don’t like. I’d go nuts.”

“Well, what did the teacher say? What did Buster say?”

“He said I have to take at least three lessons for introduction. That’s enough so they won’t mention it to the officials. I won’t get kicked out of school if I just take those three lessons. So… I guess maybe I can go to the second and third class, at least. The next one’s in three days. That’ll be with other kids there.”

Scootaloo smiled. “There you go, you can make some more friends there. Just show up and learn how to stick up for yourself. That’s all you have to do. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Rumble and Peachy Pie exchanged a worried glance.

---

Things were much the same after lunch. Rumble couldn’t put his heart into his strikes, which made them feeble, while Scootaloo couldn’t aim hers, which made them random and ineffective.

Apple Bloom had gotten the hang of it easily enough, and she had no trouble giving Rumble a few knocks on the soft spots. It was an awkward thing to do for her, though, like she wasn’t built for that style of combat, which fit what Ash had said.

Sweetie Belle had an easier time sparring with Moongazer, even though she didn’t feel like she was doing much. Moongazer assured her that the girl’s technique was good, just not in harmony. Sweetie Belle, much like Apple Bloom, was simply out of her element.

Spike, finally, got to spar with Scootaloo, and he made full use of his claws as he went. He was jumpy, though, and Ash had to tell him to slow down several times, as the style he was practising relied on swiftness, not quickness. There was a difference, apparently.

When they’d gone another half hour of poses and proper striking techniques and mental images, Ash sighed and called the kids to stop.

“Okay, Rumble, Scootaloo, front and center, please.”

The two pegasi faced each other again. Neither one was looking forward to this.

“Rumble, let’s start with you. What are you doing wrong, you think?”

Rumble rolled his eyes. “I haven’t got the right attitude, sir. I need to stand firm and proud while I’m punching, and I’m too scattered.”

“Okay, so you do understand the problem. Next question: do you know what a paladin is?”

“Err… you mean the history one or the fantasy one?”

Ash chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes. Either one, explain it to the class.”

Rumble turned, somewhat awkwardly. “Umm, a paladin is-”

“Look at the others, Rumble. Don’t turn away your eyes. Look behind them if you have to,” Ash said. “Stand up a little straighter, too, and take a quick breath if you need to steady yourself. Remember, attitude matters for a ninja. Act natural.”

Rumble did, and went ahead with his explanation. “A paladin is like a holy knight. It’s basically a wizard, only instead of using his own magic, he uses magic from something else, usually the sun. They’re what you play in games when you want a character that can use magic, but isn’t a unicorn. They all wear golden armour, and their helmets have white tufts of hair on them for some reason. They’re usually really strict about codes of honour, too.”

“Good answer,” Ash said. “Now, the paladins in the fantasy games are based on actual knights from back in the olden days. They really did have their codes of honour and a kind of magic that any pony can use. They were also very close to royalty. That’s where they got their name: Paladino Hill, where Canterlot Palace is. And the hill was named after the ponies who lived there: paladinos, all golden coats and white manes. That’s where the funny armour comes from. But, Rumble, in the fantasy games, that you know of, what kind of magic do paladins usually use?”

Rumble scratched his head, thinking. “Well, I think it’s mostly Holy Strike kinda stuff. They put burning energy into a sword, and then they’ve got different ways to hit. I don’t think unicorns do that nowadays, though.”

Ash nodded. “Not a lot, but a few, still. What else? Just that?”

“Well, that and Lay on Hooves. Healing touch, I guess. Why is that important?”

“If you can’t see that yet, you’re not gonna see it with me explainin’ it. Girls, Rumble’s gonna need a volunteer for this. Anypony up for it?”

Apple Bloom didn’t need that long to figure it out. She raised her hoof right when the bit dropped. “I’m game.”

Ash smiled. “Good. Sit in front of Rumble, please, with your back to him. Rumble, how’s your massaging skills?”

Rumble quirked an eyebrow. “Umm…”

Apple Bloom got her mane out of the way, so her back was completely bared for the boy. “You can just put your hooves on my shoulders and knead a little, if you like.”

“I don’t understand,” Rumble said.

Ash nodded towards Apple Bloom. “Right now, you have trouble putting your energy into your blows. You can’t put the proper aggression into it. For a Water Style fighter like you, that’s a serious handicap. And since just practisin’ ain’t getting you up to speed fast enough, you need to practise putting a different kind of emotion into a touch. So, Rumble, if you please, use your skill in clear sight to spot any nerve points that need attention, and heal little Apple Bloom there.”

“Umm, okay.” Rumble sat down and awkwardly started kneading at the girl’s shoulders.

“Ow, hey, not so rough, fella.”

“Try to clear your mind, Rumble,” Moongazer said. “If you really have that much trouble picturing a personal victory, picture affection. Think about a time you hugged someone you cared about, and put that sensation into your hooves. Then push it past your hooves and into the nerve points.”

“Umm, okay, I’ll try.”

Apple Bloom smirked to herself. There she was, with the coolest boy in school, getting a massage from him. She’d never admit it to his face, but she rather liked Rumble. In fact, if he didn’t hang out with Scootaloo as much as he did, she’d have invited him over to the farm a few times, maybe even make him an honorary Cutie Mark Crusader, like a Cutie Mark Paladin or something.

Her thoughts wandered as the boy stroked and kneaded.

Then, like a switch, her whole body went limp. “Whoa.”

“There you go, Rumble, now you’re getting it.”

Rumble chuckled nervously. “For real? That’s good?”

“Yuh-yeah, keep goin’.” She felt a warmth flow into her shoulders, turning her arms to jelly.

“Good, Rumble,” Ash said. “That’s how it’s done. Now, we ain’t gonna have time today to let you rehearse, but what you’re doin’ right now is no different from what you need to do in a fight: use your sight, find the nerve points, and use your intent like a needle. Or, the way you usually move, more like a knife, I guess. If you really can’t use anger for it, try to be neutral and numb the points.”

“Like this?” Rumble pushed the tip of his hoof on Apple Bloom’s left shoulder.

“Yow!” An electric jolt went through her right arm, numbing it from elbow to hooftip.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” He quickly tried to rub the feeling back into it.

Apple Bloom wriggled that arm once she could feel through it again. “That’s okay, but, err… you owe me another backrub for that, Rumble.”

Ash rolled his eyes. “That’s one problem area covered. Now, Scootaloo, your turn.”

Scootaloo groaned. “I have to learn this mushy massaging stuff, too?”

“If you want to progress past your current skill level, yes. In fact, if it wasn’t for you two having trouble, you’d only learn healing as an advanced skill, not in this beginner’s course. But if you want to stay stuck not being able to target pressure points…”

That’s all the encouragement she needed. “I’ll do it, I’ll do it! Who’s gonna volunteer?”

Scootaloo looked to Rumble, who looked away politely but awkwardly. Apple Bloom pretended to rub at a soreness in her now fine and very relaxed left shoulder to fake a pain. Sweetie Belle gulped in fear.

Spike grunted. “You can practise on me. You can’t hurt me through dragon skin, anyways.”

The dragon plopped his rump down in front of Scootaloo, who promptly went to work.

Moongazer rolled her eyes. “Now, Scootaloo, you have the projection skills down already, but your aim is off, so whatever you do-”

“Yow!” Spike jumped up. “What was that?”

“I thought you said I couldn’t hurt you through dragon skin?”

“That’s a common misconception, actually,” Ash remarked. “Energy punches and paladin magic are some of the few things that do work on dragons.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“What Moongazer was trying to say, Scootaloo, is: whatever you do, don’t think angry thoughts while you’re projectin’. You can’t do that much damage in combat yet, but when you’re tryin’ to heal, the target isn’t moving, and they will get that scattered energy in them, regardless,” Ash explained. “It’s not diluted like it is in combat, so be careful what you put into your touch. You gotta try to get a relaxed concentration. Feel it out.”

Scootaloo groaned and started kneading at Spike’s shoulders again. “Anything?”

“Nothing,” Spike said.

“Okay, Scootaloo, since you’re not one for mushy stuff, try thinking of a time when you ate something you liked. That’s a happy thought, and something you can hold onto easy enough.”

Scootaloo closed her eyes and did just that: picture a warm, sweet apple pie.

“Okay, now it’s warm,” Spike said.

“Is it working?”

“No, it’s only my scales you’re warming up.”

“Feel it out, Scootaloo. Concentrate on your hooves, not your eyes. Look for the spots on Spike that are hurt. After today’s practice, there oughtta be a couple,” the Shadowbolt said.

She let her hooves trail over Spike’s surprisingly soft back, circling around a spot near his ribs. “Like here?”

“Ow,” Spike said. “Yeah, that’s warming up now. That’s… that feels a lot better, actually.”

“Is this right, then? That sort of mushy stuff?” Scootaloo asked.

Ash nodded. “Sort of, but try to get the vision now. Relax your hooves, feel the blue go into it, and feel it out.”

Scootaloo sighed and squinted.

“Don’t try harder, Scootaloo,” Ash said. “Relax into it. Tell me what you feel.”

“Umm, there’s red around him, mostly. Lots of little dots, I guess?”

“Yes, and where are the injured points?”

“Right… here?”

Spike tensed when she prodded him on the neck, then went a little mellow. “Yeah, that’s the spot.”

“Good job, Scootaloo. Now take your hooves off him.”

“What?”

“Try to use only your eyes next. Keep the good feeling, keep in mind that you have to push past the surface, but don’t rely on your hooves to feel it out. A real fighter ain’t gonna give you that time. And while I’d love to show you the secret Nine Dragons ninja technique that lets you see with your hooves, we ain’t got time to get you up to that level.”

Scootaloo sighed. “Umm, Spike, just a heads-up: I might miss by a little.”

Author's Notes:

I realise writing fantasy can be a drag because some words were named after historical places or events that didn't happen in your setting. That's why there's no such thing as a Goblin Gatlin Gunner: there was never a goblin named Gatlin. That's also why initially, I had 'palomins' instead of 'paladins'. See, paladins are named after a Roman hill. A Roman hill that doesn't exist in pony land, I can only assume. Palomino is a coat colour, put them on a hill, boom, instant new word for paladin. Imagine my surprise when I realised I'd put in more effort to do some basic history-building than actual professional show writers when the ponies started playing board games. I'm still not sure how to feel about that.

Likewise, obviously I wanted to write a villain coach, and a villain martial artist instructor. One who would get under Whimper's skin, who would taunt him, driving him mad with every little whispered insult, who would put on a charade for his parents so nothing was ever fixed, until finally the boy snapped and turned to the Dark Side out of despair, making him turn on his friends and family, forcing him to become a monster like his tormentors just to make the pain and worry stop, just to finally mete out some justice against the ones who'd wronged him.

But pretty early on in that thought process, I thought 'Psh, that's kid's stuff. Watch this!'

You think a clearly evil instructor belongs here? Try one who is actually right and successful. Try a ninja teacher who can use kindness, who genuinely appreciates a kid like Whimper for the talent he has. Try a teacher who can take a kid with anger issues, take full advantage of said kid, milk him for trophies, have him obey every single command, and make them feel good about it. Now that, my friends, that is a character who can do some real damage to your child heroes. I like to think I outdid myself on the Feather Cloaks. Wait 'till you see Starfall before you judge me on that.

The Rumble and massage thing... well, I do like to toss in references to my older works from time to time. It was a coincidence, but a nice one.

Loosen Up! The Water Style Revealed!

Scootaloo groaned as the Ponyville Junior Ninjas exited the dojo. “Well, guess I’m not cut out to be a healer, either.”

Spike waddled beside them and cracked his back. “I’ll say. Did you have to push that hard?”

Ash flew out towards the park, Moongazer waited for a moment. She smiled down at the little filly. “It’s just a minor setback, really. Remember, you are kind of taking a crash course in something that usually takes a lifetime to learn. You’re not even learning full kamae and kata, for crying out loud.”

Scootaloo looked up at the grandmaster flying off. “But I am supposed to be getting it by now, though, right? With Ash and all?”

“Most students of your type do. Although, you’re not the first problem pupil he’s had to deal with.” Moongazer looked up and smiled at the pony who came flying in after another Weather Patrol shift.

“Hey, Moongazer.”

“Hello, Rainbow Dash. Are you doing anything tomorrow morning? I’ve been dying to catch up.”

“Just the usual Weather Patrol cleanup duty. I’d love to catch up, actually. It’s been way too long.”

Spike furrowed his brow. “You two know each other?”

“You might say that,” Moongazer joked. “We were sparring partners back in Canterlot, when we were little. Before Ash made grandmaster, that is, and long before he made me his successor.”

“Yeah, me and Moongazer, we, err… we go back a while.” Rainbow Dash walked up to the kids and looked down at Scootaloo, who kept her head low. “Having trouble, Scootaloo?”

“Uhuh.” She nodded.

“Think you can go for a little flight?”

“Sure, if Rumble’s good to go.”

“I think I’ll sit this one out,” Rumble said.

“Suit yourself. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see ya tomorrow,” Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo revved up her wings and took off.

“I’ll have a talk with her,” Rainbow Dash said, letting the girl take a good lead. “It’ll be fine.”

“I hope so,” Moongazer replied. “Ash seems reluctant to be more direct with her. I’d hate to see her lag behind, especially if we’re doing Fire tomorrow.”

“I’ll work it out. See ya.”

Rumble sighed and walked off. His ears twitched when he heard Moongazer’s voice. “Say, Rumble, do you have plans for this afternoon?”

“Uh, no. Why?”

“Ash gave little Apple Bloom a private lesson the other day. I’m sure he’ll do the same for Scootaloo soon enough, if the need arises. What say you we advance your studies in private?”

Rumble gulped.

---

Rainbow and Scootaloo set down on a cloud high above Ponyville. Rainbow took a deep breath and spread out her wings to catch a breeze, Scootaloo mimicked her. Rainbow Dash smiled, Scootaloo didn’t.

“Okay, talk to me. What’s the matter, kid?”

“It’s nothing. We’re just learning to see these pressure points, and I can’t see them yet.”

“Uhuh. And did Ash say why you can’t see them?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “He said it was because I’m doing it wrong, and that working harder isn’t gonna cut it.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Heheh, yeah, he would say that. He likes to let his students try to work things out on their own. It’s better in the long run.”

“Well, it’s not working. I can’t do this Water style stuff, and I can’t heal, either. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

“Uhuh. How’s Whimper been?” Rainbow asked out of the blue.

“What?”

“How’s Whimper been? You’ve been over to his place every couple of days past summer, haven’t you? I’m surprised he hasn’t come around yet.”

“Yeah. Umm, well, he’s... fine, I guess. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Think maybe you should ask him for help? Bring him over? You’re never gonna get a better chance to let him meet your friends, and he might know some more advanced stuff by now.”

“Nah, I’ve got it. I can work it out on my own.”

Rainbow Dash pointed a hoof at the girl. “See that right there? That’s your problem.”

“What? That I don’t ask Whimper for help?”

“That you don’t ask anyone for help. You’re cutting yourself off too much, you’re too uptight. And that’s not like you. What’s going on?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “It’s nothing. It’s a long story.”

“If it’s a long story, then it’s not nothing.”

Scootaloo sighed. “It’s Whimper. He, umm, he kind of got in trouble over the summer. He hurt some pony while they were playing in the park. While we were at the park. His gym teacher made him take martial arts classes to deal with his anger issues, or something.”

“In the summer? They can’t do that.”

“In Bogsdown, I guess they can. And Whimper, he…”

“He… what?”

“I told him it was a good idea. I just wanted him to toughen up again. He wasn’t acting like he did at Flight Camp anymore.”

“So? Neither are you.”

Scootaloo’s ears perked.

“What? Ponies act differently when they’re in a new place. You did some pretty crazy stuff when you were up there.”

Scootaloo scrunched her nose. “I already told you: that kiss was fake. And that was just for all those older girls. They were looking at him funny.”

Rainbow chuckled. “Yeah, they do that when they see a cute boy, even if he’s a year or two younger.”

“Exactly. And besides, I always do cool stuff, crazy or not, that’s totally different. And that doesn’t have anything to do with now. Now, I just wanted Whimper to be like his old self again. Only the school they sent him to wasn’t exactly a nice one.”

“He hurt you, didn’t he?”

Scootaloo didn’t answer that.

“Okay, then, don’t tell me. I can take a wild guess. He got it into his head that you didn’t respect him, he challenged you to a fight, and he hit a sore spot. You cried, and he beat himself up over it, but now you’re scared of learning how to fight like he does, and that he’ll snap at your friends if you ever bring him over.”

Scootaloo groaned. “You’re wrong.”

“Am I?”

Scootaloo nodded. “It didn’t happen like that. He didn’t challenge me, but umm, I did get in a fight, with him, sort of.”

“Uhuh. And he used that pressure point stuff on you?”

She shook her head. “He doesn’t do that stuff to other ponies, not usually. He’s got a whole different style. But he’s shown me what that’s like, yes. It’s pretty scary.”

“It can be. But I know how to do that too. It’s like healing magic, it’s a good skill to learn. It’s not just about fighting, not like that. I’m sure Whimper feels bad about it.”

“I know. It’s just that, when you touch somepony like that, even when you’re trying to heal them, it’s like they’re naked. Well, you know, even more naked than usual.”

“That’s kinda the point, squirt. If you want to help somepony like that, you need to be able to see the problem. And if you want to hurt someone like that, it helps if you can see their weak spots. And the funny thing is, sometimes just seeing how vulnerable they really are makes you change your mind about it.”

Scootaloo pouted. “Have you ever fought anyone like that? Hitting their soft spots, trying to put your magic in them?”

“Lots of times. Ash doesn’t do regular classes, but me and Moongazer got our introductions pretty early. It’s something you usually practise on your own, or with a friend. And you are gonna need it if you want to learn Fire style tomorrow.”

“Why? If I’m a Water type or whatever, why do I need to learn any other styles?”

“Because for one thing, you know better than to stop trying to learn new things. And just because you’ve seen how scary some of those things can be, doesn’t mean you should ignore them. Second, Nine Dragons Style kind of expects you to use parts of all four of its Elements.”

“How’s that supposed to work?”

Rainbow sighed and pondered, something she didn’t do often. Her mother always said ponies who think too much get long faces. “Well… to get the moves down, just the mechanics of it, you have to start neutral. To get the hang of tensing up at the right time, you learn Earth style. To learn to target pressure points and hit them with your heart in it, you learn Water. And Fire lets you see in slow-motion, that’s really good if you’re a speedster.”

“Oh, okay. So… what do I do?”

“Relax, kid. Go with the flow, like you’re used to, like you’re supposed to. Don’t get caught up overthinking things or worrying all the time; ponies like you and me don’t do well like that. It just makes you freeze up.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good. And if you really can’t get the hang of it, ask Whimper. I’m sure if he hurt you, he feels bad about it.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, Rainbow Dash. And I’d rather not ask him about this sort of thing.”

“Then you’re gonna have to learn to relax your eyes. Unless you wanna give up.”

Scootaloo winced. “I don’t know, should I give up? I mean, I am probably gonna get hurt.”

“You tell me, kid. I didn’t twist your arm at Flight Camp for nothing. I did that to warn you, but you still need to decide for yourself. Do you think you’re doing something that’s not safe?”

Scootaloo took a moment to collect her thoughts, then shook her head. She’d never know it, but Rainbow Dash was proud of her in that moment, for simply stepping back and evaluating the situation. Scootaloo could be pretty smart like that, when she had to be. “No. I’m careful, so is Ash, so is everypony. Spike hasn’t even spit fire yet. I don’t wanna give up.”

“Good. So how are you gonna get over this eye thing?”

Scootaloo thought it over. “It’s supposed to be a trick, right? Seeing more blue?”

“You see blue first, then afterwards you see orange and red more, yeah. It’s a mental trick. It’s easier to do when you’re relaxed.”

“How did you do it? How do you do Water style?”

“I don’t. I’m a Fire type. We’re more about speed and keepin’ on burning. I learned how to do that stuff on the move. But what you‘re trying to do, you need to stand still for that.”

“That doesn’t help at all. What if I wore glasses with blue shades? Wouldn’t that help?”

“It might, and some fighters do that, but it’s kind of a cheat, and it’s not reliable. You wanna be able to do it in your head.”

“How?”

“Well, if you don’t want to ask Whimper to show you, maybe you should ask somepony else. Rumble would be a good help.”

“I don’t wanna ask him, either.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’s, you know…”

Rainbow Dash snickered. “A boy, right, sorry, I see what the problem is now. It’s just awkward asking boys for help.”

“Just a little, yeah.” Scootaloo blushed and curled up into a tiny ball of embarrassment.

“How about Apple Bloom, then? Is she having trouble with it?”

“Not that I noticed, but she doesn’t need to use it. She doesn’t need to be good at it.”

“Exactly. But if she can still do it, then she can show you, without Ash or Moongazer or anypony watching you. I think maybe you’re just putting too much pressure on yourself. You know, like stage fright.”

“I do not have stage fright. I just… I wanna do it right when I do it in front of a crowd, that’s all.”

“You mean like your singing?”

“Yeah, like that. I’m a great singer.”

“Sure, if you mean you can clear a room in under ten seconds. But, look, my point is: go and ask Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle for help. There’s no shame in getting somepony else to teach you. Just try it.”

“Okay, I will. Thanks, Rainbow Dash.”

“No problem.”

“Oh, Scootaloo? Just one more thing.”

“What?”

“Not that it’s any of my business or anything, but just out of curiosity: the thing with you and Whimper, it’s nothing big, right? Just a little argument between friends?”

“Exactly, it’s nothing, we’re cool. He already said he was sorry.”

Rainbow felt the retort well up in her, but she swallowed it down. No sense in pushing it. After all, Scootaloo wasn’t even related to her. Rainbow was a teacher, and a role model, nothing more. This was too personal. “Right, of course he did.”

With that, the filly was off, flying on her own strength. Rainbow still felt little pangs of pride at the sight.

You really are more like me than you know.

---

Moongazer led Rumble to a quiet spot out of Ponyville’s borders. “Alright, then, let’s see what you can do.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I mean, I haven’t really gotten that much better at it.”

“No, but you have a tendency of holding back, and on top of that you’ve been training with ponies of a lower level. If you wish to proceed, a greater challenge should help.”

Rumble snorted and nodded, before rising up on his hind legs. “Okay. But I don’t know how it’ll end up, okay?”

Moongazer smiled. “You’ll be fine, Rumble. Now, attack.”

Rumble pounced, wings lowered to cut the air with an audible ‘swish.’ His straight jab hit thin air as Moongazer sidestepped it. “Good attack, good speed. Slightly off target, though.”

Rumble grumbled and struck again, this time quick enough to land, though still not fast enough to bypass the mare’s defense. She caught the second jab on her right cannon. “Better, that one. Mind your range, and now try to speed up.”

The colt did just that, his breath speeding up so he could wind up his blows at a quicker pace. One jab was slapped aside, another was blocked by both arms, a third didn’t even connect because Moongazer tilted her head to the side. “Okay, and now for proper technique. Strike at the pressure points, and quickly. I’ll be counter-attacking now.”

Rumble gritted his teeth and let his eyes go out of focus. His blows came in hard and fast, like before, but not to the point that he’d pressure his opponent. Moongazer waited patiently for the boy to drop his guard, then struck.

One blow to the shoulder to drive him back, with her whole body weight behind it. A harsh lesson, but he’d get the message.

That is, he would have, if he didn’t roll along with the punch.

Like punching a leaf, Moongazer felt his whole body lift up off the ground and fly off, the impact scattering harmlessly.

Moongazer furrowed her brow. “That’s an odd move you have there. You didn’t do that in class.”

Rumble blushed. “It’s not something I show off to my classmates.”

She smiled knowingly, gently. “Of course not. Show it off to me now, then.” She raised her hooves to motion him forward. “Please.”

He shrugged and lunged again. Moongazer blocked and dodged what she could, but it was his defense that really caught her attention. Every time she landed a blow on him, his body would simply bend into the impact, or he’d turn around his axis to break the blow.

No, Moongazer corrected herself, not breaking. Rumble didn’t break any blows.

He weathered them.

After a few exchanges of blows, Moongazer stopped, motioning for Rumble to do the same. “Quite an impressive skill you have there, Rumble. Not many ponies can take a blow like that.”

Rumble shrugged again. “It’s nothing, really.”

“And there’s that excess humility again. You really mustn’t sabotage yourself like that. Are you a competitive flyer, per chance?”

“Not competitively, no, but I do like to fly. And my big brother is on the Wonderbolts reserves.”

Moongazer almost slapped herself. “Right, of course, Thunderlane. You’re Thunderlane’s little brother. I completely forgot.”

“Why do you ask?”

“How good are you at riding winds, gliding? And I mean honestly. If there’s a strong breeze, do you-”

He smiled. “Oh, I like riding those. It’s fun. I can just hang there and relax.”

She smiled impishly. “Hmm. That’s good. That’s very good. We can work with that.”

“Work, how?”

“Some of the softer martial arts revolve around bending into the attacks of the opponent, moving the body in more of a circular motion than straight jabs. You’ve been having trouble finding harmony, putting real power into your motions. Perhaps it’s because for you, harmony isn’t in straight lines of motion, but staying in place and riding the waves and winds. You do tend to claw more than you stab.”

“Sooo… what do I do now?”

“Try swinging your arms like a scythe now. Don’t try to stab at my pressure points, try to swipe at them like you were trying to slice the flame of a candle. And put your magic into it. Really try to attack me.”

Rumble gulped. “A-are you sure?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Because that’s gonna hurt.”

“Really, Rumble, you’re only a novice. You can’t do that much damage to me. Go on, simple cut at the shoulder. Go.”

Moongazer smiled as he lined up the swipe. Then a shiver went down her spine once the blow came in. Before it managed to land, she withdrew her exposed right shoulder, stumbling back.

She felt it, still. The burn of a paper cut going across the surface of her skin, the numbing sensation going down her arm, along with that familiar agony of her very soul being cut.

And that was just a glancing blow. He hadn’t even made full contact. His hoof wasn’t just injecting; it was covered already, coated.

She bit down on the pain. “That was not a novice technique, Rumble. That was a fairly advanced one. And not one bit like the restrained ones you’ve been dealing in class. How do you even know how to do that? The Feather Cloaks are the only ones who teach that to children.”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

The mare winced and straightened up. “Don’t be. Not for the blow, at least; I can recover from that, and I know what to watch out for. But I am curious as to how you mastered that technique. That’s not in anything Ash has made public; that’s a scroll technique. You need to know which books still contain that knowledge, as well as what stores still carry the books in the first place. And even if you find those, you’d have to meditate on it. Either that, or you had another master.”

Rumble gulped and looked at the ground, guiltily.

“Rumble, you are not in any trouble, I assure you. But I need to know: where did you learn how to do that?”

He sighed. “From my friend in Bogsdown.”

“This must be some friend you keep referring to, then, if he taught you that. That technique requires mental imagery to work, visualisation in motion. If you consort with an adult who knows that-”

“He’s not an adult. He’s my age. Like I said, we’re friends. We met at Flight Camp.”

“I see.” She rubbed her shoulder to make the pain go away. “But then the question remains: where did he get that knowledge? Presumably, if he was at Flight Camp, he’s not a unicorn, correct?”

“No, not exactly.”

“Then how did he know?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, it matters: if he got it from another master, then that master is responsible for the consequences. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing, and if it is abused by some pony who wasn’t ready, then the master who taught that pony has to be held accountable for their mistake in teaching. So, I ask again: where did he get it?”

Rumble sighed.

---

“Wow, the weather ponies really pulled out all the stops, huh?” Rumble said, floating up to look out the window.

Outside, the sky was dark with thunderclouds blocking out the Sun. Even indoors, it was getting black as night.

Whimper trotted over to switch the light on. “Umm, yeah. My dad said it’s gonna be a doozy.”

“We don’t usually get big storms in Ponyville.”

“We get them all the time here,” Whimper replied. “With all the sports events and concerts, you don’t get a lot of time to make it rain, so when they do, they, err…” He cocked her head towards the dark sky, before hopping down. “You know. Sorry about that. I forgot there was a storm scheduled for today. So, what do you wanna do?”

“Umm-” Rumble started.

“Whimper?” A dark blue pegasus stallion, one who was wet and currently had a few stray leaves in his mane, poked his head through the bedroom door. “Hey, guys. I’m gonna be washing up for a bit. Anyone need to use the bathroom?”

The colts shook their heads.

“Just checkin’. You’re Rumble, right? Thunderlane’s little brother?”

“You know my brother?”

“My dad’s one of the weather patrol squad leaders here,” Whimper said. “Well, Captain, actually.”

“Name’s Summer Breeze. I’ve heard a lot about you, Rumble. Where are the girls? Peachy Pie, and what’s her name?”

“You mean Scootaloo? She’s home sick, sir. Feather flu,” Rumble replied.

“Ah. That’s been going around, I suppose. So she’s not coming over?”

“No, sir,” Rumble replied.

“And Peachy Pie?”

Whimper shrugged. “Her family’s visiting her aunt in Ponyville today. Kind of a surprise visit, she won’t be coming, either.”

“Oh, good. Well, not good that she’s not showing, but good that she won’t be out in this weather. I’m afraid you’re gonna be stuck here for at least three hours, Rumble, five if you want to wait for things to warm up again.”

“That’s okay,” Rumble replied. “I don’t mind.”

Summer chuckled. “Well, I’ll leave you two be, then. We’ve got plenty of stuff in the fridge, so dinner won’t be a problem. Do your parents know you’re here, Rumble?”

Rumble nodded. “Yes, sir. I told them I’d be out all day, maybe until after dinner. If they want to come find me, they know where to look.”

“Good lad. Whimper, don’t forget: there’s snacks in the fridge, too, if you get peckish. But don’t touch your mother’s buns: those are medicinal, you don’t know what she put in them.”

“I know, dad.”

“Good.”

The muscled colt rolled his eyes once his dad left.

Rumble squinted, thinking. “That was your dad?”

“Yes.”

“Umm, no offense, but he’s not…”

“Not what?” Whimper asked, tilting his head. He had an odd air about him like that, little things in his body language that made him seem more like a puppy than a pony. “Oh, you mean he’s not as bulky as me? Umm, that doesn’t run in my family, if that’s what you were thinking. He’s more of a racer than a lifter.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking of. Sorry.”

“It’s okay; lots of ponies wonder about it. So, what do we do?” Whimper asked. “You wanna try a board game?”

A loud ‘boom’ interrupted the proceedings, followed by the telltale sound of droplets pattering on the windows. Another long shower for the jock capital of the land.

“Battle for the Western Plains?” Rumble asked. “Sure.”

“You know it?”

“I’ve seen it, but I don’t have any of the sets.”

“You can use one of mine, if you like,” Whimper said. “It’s a pretty fun game, you can play it for hours. Well, if you get lost in it, I guess.”

“Lost in it?” Rumble asked.

Whimper set up the board and let Rumble pick out a commander and some minions. “Hmm? It’s nothing, just silly stuff.”

Rumble looked around the room as Whimper set up the board. He spotted some books on the night stand. One title in particular caught his eye. “Mental Imagery for Magic? Isn’t that more of a unicorn thing?”

Whimper looked up. “Huh? Umm, yes, but I’ve been reading up on it. Back when I got the diagnose for, you know, my breathing problem, my counsellor taught me how unicorns do magic. He said relaxing might help. And it does help for working with clouds.”

“Huh.” Rumble sat down and set up his pieces. “So what do you do, then? If you don’t mind me asking?”

“Just fun,” Whimper said, fielding his own pieces. “Practising imagining tastes, feeling, making my hooves colder or warmer. I’ve been experimenting with some martial arts magic, too.”

Rumble blinked. “Like, kung fu stuff? Like in the movies?”

“Not exactly, but I guess the movies are based on it.”

“Cool. Can you teach me?”

He winced.

“What?” Rumble asked. “Is that a touchy subject?”

“Umm, kind of. I mean, it’s really kind of silly. It’s imagination, and that’s it.”

“So? If it works for unicorns, and it works for you, why not?”

“It’s sort of complicated.”

“Complicated, how? It’s just imagining, right? Every pony can imagine.”

Whimper shrugged. “You’d have to learn how to imagine things more real, learn how to picture a taste, or a feeling. Some of the books on the older martials arts are pretty weird, so I’m not even sure if that’s what you’re supposed to do. Lately I’ve been trying to picture being under water, so my sense of balance is a little different.”

“So… how do you practise that, then?”

“Why do you want to?”

“So I’d be better at managing clouds, of course,” Rumble said with a smile. “There aren’t a lot of ponies I can ask about pegasus magic, and the one pony I can, she’d probably just give me some books with a lot of words that don’t say much. So, how did you learn?”

“I learned for therapy first. Relaxation, that’s what they taught me to start. When you get some kinds of problems, you’re assigned a hypnotherapist for a few sessions. You’re not hypnotised to fix the problem, but they teach you how to hypnotise yourself. So if you really want to learn, you’d have to start with self-hypnosis.”

“That doesn’t sound too hard, if it’s like meditating,” Rumble said. “I’ve done that. Kinda makes you stiff, though.”

Whimper looked down at the board and shook his head, before making the first move. “It’s not exactly meditating. Meditating is clearing your head and thinking of nothing. Hypnosis is filling your head with something.”

---

Rumble pouted. “Yeah, he is some friend. Knows a lot of stuff, and he doesn’t keep it to himself. Doesn’t mind sharing, you know?”

Moongazer grumbled. “If that’s the case, I should hope he hasn’t shared anything too dangerous since. Alright then, if your friend already taught you advanced mental imagery, at least I know what to expect. We can work with this, Rumble, give you a proper technique to rely on.”

“What kind of technique?”

“This friend of yours, he mentioned the first test for depth of trance?”

“Being able to warm up your hooves, yeah.”

“You know how to do that?”

“Sure, that’s pretty easy.”

“Perfect. I’ll teach you the combat application for that, you can measure up to better fighters with that sort of move. It’s a bit of a cheat, like poison, or the Feather Cloak’s Mercurial Hoof. A boy like you, it’ll serve you well.”

He gulped. “I’m not gonna hospitalise anypony, am I?”

“That all depends on how you decide to use it. Pay attention, and you’ll be fine.”

---

“Are you following me?”

“Gah!” Apple Bloom fell out of the tree she’d been hiding in. Once she dusted herself off, she huffed with all the indignation of a princess. “No. I was trackin’ you, to practise my ninja skills. Besides, can you blame me if I was? There’s not a lot of alicorns in this town, Hammer.”

The boy in alicorn armour grunted from beneath his mask. “No, I guess not.”

“Plus, I learned a new trick today. I’m up for a rematch if you don’t mind.”

“You mean you learned the Water technique?”

“Yup.”

“You can see pressure points now?”

“Yup.”

“And you can hit more accurately now?”

“Eeyup.”

“Can you see inside a pony just by touching them?”

“Eee-err… no. Just little lights around a pony. Why, can you do that?”

He laughed. “No. That’s a secret, high-level Nine Dragons technique. Different from what you’ve learned. But you never know, if you have the talent for it...”

“I see. I’m flattered, but no, I ain’t got any super special techniques just yet. But I’d still like to practise against you, if that’s okay.”

“No offence, but isn’t there somepony else you can ask to spar with?”

“My friends, but they’re as new to it as I am.” Apple Bloom strode up to him. “Come on, whaddaya say?”

He slowly backed away. “Fine, but we don’t do it in the street; you’ll get hurt like that. We’ll go to the park. Friendly fight only, no rough stuff.”

“Fine by me.” She trotted beside him and looked him over. She still couldn’t see any part of his fur, or his mane and tail. She couldn’t detect the tell-tale aura of magic around him, but now that she had special vision to practise she could see some of the little sparkles of light under his armour, and under his skin.

The sparkles were random, though, and clearly present around his metal-plated wings as well as his horn, so she could only assume that meant he really was an alicorn. “So, uhh… why do you wear that armour again?”

Hammer gulped. “No real reason. I just like to stay covered up, that’s all.”

“But why? Are you really that embarrassed about… what, a scar, a zit?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

They reached the park. Apple Bloom grumbled. “Why not?”

Hammer tilted his head and checked the girl’s flanks. “You’re a blank flank, that’s why.”

“You got a problem with blank flanks?”

Hammer turned around to face the new arrival.

“I said: you got a problem with blank flanks?” Scootaloo repeated as she landed. She recoiled when she noticed the kid she was talking to was in full armour. Full alicorn armour at that. “Whoa. Are those real?”

“Are what real?” Hammer asked, his voice taking a distinct edge.

“Umm, those and that.” Scootaloo pointed to his wings and horn.

“No, they’re fake, what do you think?” He flared his wings in reply and picked up some stray branches with his magic to clean the area, to prevent any awkward falls. “And to answer your question: no, I don’t have a problem with blank flanks. It’s blank flanks that have a problem with me.”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “Really? How come?”

He sighed and let his head hang for a second. “Because a lot of stuff can go wrong when you get your cutie mark, that’s why. And if you don’t have yours yet, it’s kinda hard to explain how. Or even what.”

Scootaloo squinted at the boy. “You sound familiar. Have we met before?”

Hammer quickly shook his head. “Umm, no?”

The pegasus scrunched her nose, trying to check the odd smell that hung around him. It was familiar, slightly alarming, even, but she couldn’t quite place it. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. I think I’d remember you, Scootaloo,” Hammer said.

“Oh, right, I forgot,” Apple Bloom said. “Scootaloo, this is Hammer. Hammer, Scootaloo.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Scootaloo extended a hoof for him to shake.

He did not take it. Instead, he turned to Apple Bloom. “You still want that rematch?”

“Umm, hang on. Scootaloo, why are you here? I thought you were gonna head back home after your talk with Rainbow Dash? We ain’t crusadin’ or nothin’.”

“No, but err, I kinda need help to see those spots you were talking about, and I didn’t feel like asking Rumble or Spike after what happened at the dojo. So, you think you can show me how?”

“Basic pressure point vision? Sure, that’s easy enough to show,” Hammer said. “Take a seat, and I’ll make your friend’s insides light up like a Hearts and Hooves tree.” He moved to stand on his hind legs, arms up in a fighting posture.

Apple Bloom followed suit. “Hang on, how are you so sure I ain’t gonna do that to you?”

“Umm, I’ve kind of got a knack for hitting soft spots. Scootaloo, you’re gonna want to try looking through us, not at us.”

“Through you?” The girl narrowed her eyes.

“Uhuh. It’s sort of a trick. You have to use your night vision in the day, don’t squint,” Hammer explained.

“Night vision?”

Hammer sighed. “Open your eyes and look at our shoulders. There should be flashes of light when we start striking. You’ll know it when you see it.”

Scootaloo set her rump down. “Are you sure we haven’t met?”

Even behind that mask, the girls could have sworn he gulped. “Positive.”

“Ready when you are,” Apple Bloom said.

“If you have taken a more advanced class, I’m not gonna go as easy as I did last time.”

Apple Bloom smiled. “Oh, you don’t have to.”

“Suit yourself. You can go first.”

Scootaloo sat and looked. She tried to let her eyes adjust to whatever it was they were supposed to adjust to, but she didn’t get it. She sighed, and part of her resigned herself to never figuring this out.

Apple Bloom went into Turtle Stance, Hammer looked like he was in a form of Bear Stance, but not as deep. Apple Bloom tried to strike a heavy hammer blow towards the boy’s collarbone, but he slapped it away and jabbed into that soft spot near the elbow, numbing her arm.

“Ow!”

“Oh, sorry. Too rough?”

“Nah, just rough enough. Keep goin’.”

“Okay.”

Hammer’s counter-attack was something else, though. He punched fluidly, like Water style, but he never stopped moving forward. He always had one arm going forward, one going back as he struck, whereas Ash had taught them that Water style was in with the whole body, out with the whole body.

He had Apple Bloom on the proverbial ropes, driving her back with one blow to her muscles after the other.

“Hey, that looks kinda neat. What style is that, Hammer?”

“It’s not a style of ninja.” Hammer’s reply gave Apple Bloom the opening she needed to start striking at him again. It didn’t seem to bother him that much, even when she landed a blow on that alicorn armour. “It’s a unicorn martial art, more like kung fu.”

That got Scootaloo thinking. “Maybe we should have taken kung fu classes first, then.”

“Trust me, you don’t want that,” Hammer said as he dodged a blow, then blocked one on his shoulder plates. “Kung fu’s not something you learn in a week, there’s no way for a crash course in that to work. It’s all about conditioning your body first. You don’t start fighting until you’re already kinda ripped.”

Scootaloo’s ears twitched. “And, are you ripped under there?”

“Umm, no. You wouldn’t call me ripped, I don’t think.” Hammer sped up his blocks and blows, not even winded. “Like I said, it’s a unicorn martial art. You learn the magic first, then the martial arts to use it.”

“And what kinda magic would that be, exactly?” Apple Bloom asked.

Hammer took a deep breath and growled. “The kind you don’t show off against somepony who doesn’t know to defend against it.”

“Sheesh, sorry I asked.”

“Are you getting the sight thing down, at least?” Hammer asked Scootaloo.

“Hey, don’t get distracted there, Mister Alicorn, I’m still here to hit y-” Apple Bloom’s taunt was interrupted by a sharp pain in her chest.

Scootaloo gasped. Her friend stood frozen for a moment, one arm extended to slap her opponent in the chest, mouth open and eyes rolling.

Scootaloo saw the lights now. Like stars in the night sky, she could see all the little spots over Apple Bloom’s body, just for a second, lit up as the boy in alicorn armour used some kind of death touch to incapacitate her.

“Whoa.”

Hammer withdrew his hoof and rubbed Apple Bloom’s chest, letting her fall over gently and lean on him. “Sorry about that. It’s a reflex. You really shouldn’t touch me like that, not when I’m distracted.”

Apple Bloom started shivering all over. She blinked quickly to get the lights in her eyes to go away. “M-m-muh-my mistake. What was that? Was that unicorn magic?”

Hammer carefully laid her down, back first. “Yes. That’s the sort of magic you won’t see on a lot of other ponies. Don’t worry, it’s not that hard to defend against, once you know what it is.”

Scootaloo ran over to her friend. “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing too bad, and nothing permanent. She’ll just feel heavy for a minute or so, that’s all. I’m sorry, it was an accident.”

“No, I get that, but how did you make those lights appear?”

Hammer sighed. “That’s magic. Look, try staring at my hoof.” He held up his right hoof, covered in fabric and metal.

“Okay.”

“Now relax, try to see the blue again, like it’s nighttime. And with your eyes on my hoof, look at my head.”

“But your hoof is in the way.”

“Look at it anyway. Relax, don’t try to force it.”

Slowly, Scootaloo started to see the vague pinkish white shimmer around the boy’s face. “Hey, you’re right. It’s kinda halo-y. And pink.”

“Good, now look down at your own hooves, same way.”

For a moment, Scootaloo could see the swirls of her aura, faintly outlined in ocean blue against the green grass and the dark armour. “It still fades.”

“It’s supposed to. If you had that kind of sight all the time, you’d go crazy after about a week. But that’s how you switch it on. You know, when you need to.”

“Thanks. I wonder why Ash didn’t explain it that way.”

Hammer shrugged. “The Ashen Blizzard has kind of a reputation for-”

“For letting you work out things on your own, I heard. Still, thanks.” Scootaloo tried to pat him on the shoulder, but he blocked it in a reflex.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Apple Bloom asked, slowly turning around to lie on her belly. “You’re wearin’ full body armour, for cryin’ out loud. Nopony’s gonna hurt you.”

“Sorry. I can’t help it.”

Scootaloo regarded the boy for a moment, trying to spot any signs in his aura. She didn’t have a lot of experience in the matter, though, so what little she could tell could have meant anything.

“Well, thanks anyway. It’ll come in handy at the challenger’s circle on Sunday.”

“Psh, seriously? You’re going to the challenger’s circle on Sunday?”

The girls and boy turned to see two fillies standing there, both with a look of disdain on their face.

“Do you, like, even know what happens at a challenger’s circle?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Do you?” Scootaloo retorted.

“It’s, like, where different schools match up and let their students fight each other. It’s where you can get challenged, by any pony,” Silver Spoon said.

“Why are you here?” Hammer asked. He looked to Silver’s flanks, then slowly started moving so he’d be in between her and the other two girls.

“Oh, relax. I’m Diamond Tiara, this is Silver Spoon, and we’re in the same class as them,” Diamond Tiara said. “Regular class, not martial arts.”

“Be that as it may, I’m sensing a lot of hostility coming from you. What are you doing here?” Hammer took his position, ready to block or attack if need be.

“Do I know you? You sound familiar,” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Yeah, now that you mention it, you do sound kind of familiar. I didn’t think there were any alicorns from around here,” Silver Spoon said.

His wings flared, and his magic picked up a leaf in mid-fall, before he tossed it into a nearby pond with a curt nod of the head. “I don’t get out much, so you wouldn’t know me. But you might say I’m from around here, yes, and, err, not to toot my own horn, but I do have a reputation to uphold. So I’ll ask again: why are you here?”

“Oh, just girl stuff. And a friendly warning: don’t go to the challenger’s circle on Sunday. There’s gonna be some really nasty ponies there who’ll just tear you apart,” Diamond Tiara said.

Apple Bloom slowly got to her hooves. “How would you know?”

“Oh, we, like, totally know some ponies in those circles. Real big shots, too,” Silver Spoon replied.

“The Feather Cloaks, by any chance?” Hammer asked.

Silver Spoon snickered. “Oh, you’ve heard of us?”

The boy’s whole demeanour changed at that. His body lowered into a pouncing position, metal-covered horn ready to impale whatever target might present itself first. “Leave.”

“What?” Silver Spoon backed off.

“Leave now, leave quietly. You don’t wanna make a scene here.”

Diamond Tiara huffed. “Fine. Come on, Silver Spoon, the karate kids’ll be at the playground.”

Silver Spoon stood and glared at the boy in the alicorn armour.

“Come on, Silver Spoon!”

Silver Spoon grumbled and shifted her glare to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “You’re not gonna have somepony to hide behind all the time, you know.” With a huff and a most regal and dramatic raising of the muzzle, Silver Spoon trotted to her friend and went off to intimidate some other kids.

Scootaloo shivered. “What was that all about?”

“Feather Cloak tactics. She’s trying to intimidate you before the challenger’s circle. It’s probably her first time fighting, too,” Hammer explained.

“Diamond Tiara fights?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Not her; Silver Spoon. Her dad’s a Demon Hunter, he’s gone up against water devils. Probably taught her a few tricks, too.”

“So, Silver Spoon is one of them? She’s a Feather Cloak ninja, and her dad knows demon fighting moves?” Scootaloo asked. Something tightened in the pit of her stomach.

Hammer nodded. Apple Bloom saw the apprehension in her friend’s eyes.

“What’s the matter, Scootaloo?”

“N-nothing,” Scootaloo stammered. “I’m sure she was just bluffing. We’re just gonna have some fun with this martial arts thing, right?”

Author's Notes:

Hmm... two mentions of a secret Nine Dragon Technique already. I wonder if that's going to come back at all...

Seriously, though, more Naruto-esque stuff in this one, mostly filler. Whimper showing Rumble the internal techniques (along with more explanation why Whimper knows of them), Rumble learning how to do something new, something even Whimper doesn't use, incidentally, and Hammer...

Hammer is such a fun one to write. Secret identities and all, especially his little 'blink and you miss it' slip-up this chapter. I don't think I need to explain what sort of techniques he uses here, do I? You've got plenty of mentions of pressure points and such already. As for why he's so touchy about his armour... spoilers, darlings.

Which reminds me, I've been thinking of changing the cover art to make it easier to read. Would Apple Bloom butting heads with Hammer in armour be good, you think? Should it be changed at all?

The thing about kung fu is one of those things I mentioned before about facts and fiction in martial arts: kung fu being more about body conditioning first is kind of factual. The legends involving people punching into wells a thousand times a day to learn how to project chi, or crumpling and uncrumpling paper to get iron grip, that's typical of kung fu stories, specifically. The gimmicks you see in Naruto and such, that's got kung fu or wuxia novels as its roots. Not an expert on it, though, so get a second opinion if you're curious.

The Dying Embers Technique! Enter Fire Style!

“Spike? Time for your Element.”

Spike squeed as Moongazer and Ash squared off for the first demonstration of the day. The kids had gotten the routine by now: standard motions and sparring first, meditation next, motions with intent ‘till lunch, then full-on sparring ‘till the afternoon and anyone who wasn’t up to speed would get a private session.

Spike tensed up. What would his style be like?

Moongazer’s limbs snapped like a coiled snake. Her arms snapped and slapped faster than the naked eye, aiming a flurry of hoof strikes to Ash’s chest and head. Ash, meanwhile, didn’t so much block the barrage as he did counter-attack to interrupt it. The two bounced hooves off of each other even as they bounced on the floor, keeping their hind hooves in motion.

“Now, Fire style is all about the speed. You hit fast, unbalance the opponent, and if you land a soft blow you use the shock to land a harder one. Rinse and repeat until the other guy falls down,” Ash explained, then nodded for Moongazer to stop.

She bowed curtly to her master, before turning to the kids. “There’s not as much to the technical side of it as there is to Earth or Water. It’s just straight jabs, like so. Hiyah!”

The Ponyville Junior Ninjas recoiled at the sudden kiai.

“Take a note of Moongazer’s arm position here. One arm’s stretched out to strike, but not fully. It’s too easy to get hurt if you stretch it all the way. While punching with one arm, the other withdraws. That fans the fires of your breath, and keeps the power going. That’s why you start in Tiger Stance: one arm ready, the other held back. You wanna always have a little bit of tension ready when you fight Fire style,” Ash explained.

“Isn’t this like karate?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yes, karate is a very Fire-oriented martial art. Just like Tai Chi is a Water-oriented martial art and wrestling is an Earth one. Most martial arts only fall into one Element, remember that. This is the jab you’ll want to practise for the other styles as well, just, you know, at a different pace.”

Apple Bloom’s ears perked at that. “So the other punches we learned, we’re not really gonna use?”

Moongazer chuckled as she came out of the position. “Not exactly. Earth and Water don’t have a strict punching technique like Fire does. For those two, any sort of punch you throw in a particular way will suffice. But this style, you need this specific technique to be effective.”

“So that’s all? Just one punch for Fire?” Spike asked.

“Well, yes,” Ash replied. “Any other punches you need, you can borrow from the other styles. That’s why they’re taught in the order they are. Now, we’re not gonna start with sparring for this. On your hooves, or hind hooves, or feet, and we’re gonna punch the air. Spike, remember you want to twist your fist as you throw the punch. Gives it a little more pep.”

“Got it. Hiyah!”

---

“Hiyah!” Silver Spoon struck at her opponent, a dull blow that she followed through into a shove and press, with enough killer intent behind it to numb the colt’s muscles.

The colt fell down and rubbed his sore shoulder, wincing. She glared him down, like any superior Feather Cloak would. She didn’t even know his name. He was a nobody, he had to be if she could beat him.

“That’s enough, Silver Spoon,” Master Blazing Trail said. He nodded towards his assistants, who picked up the boy and escorted him to the medical corner, where he got some salve on his bruises.

He wasn’t alone, either: that was the third kid she’d beaten up that day.

“Feeling okay, Silver Spoon?”

She panted and nodded, sweat dripping into her canvas pajamas. “Yeah.”

“Keep your head up high,” Blazing said. “Next round, who’s up?”

No volunteers came.

“Alright, then, if we’ve run out of white belt volunteers, let’s try a green belt.”

She felt her blood, and her courage, sink into her hooves. “What? But I can’t beat a green belt!”

“Not with that attitude, you can’t. Your glasses.” He extended his hoof for Silver to put her glasses in.

Her next opponent was a teenaged colt, just old enough to have gotten his first growth spurt and tower over her. She gulped.

“Now, you noobies: as Silver Spoon has demonstrated, the Feather Cloak style depends on attitude behind the motions. You must always keep your head high and never let your opponent feel your weakness. So no gulping, Silver Spoon. Growl at your opponent.”

Silver Spoon growled, though it came out sounding like a purr. The big kid in front of her just chuckled. The green pegasus didn’t so much as scrunch his wings at the sound.

Blazing groaned. “Come on, you were doing it right before. Don’t tell me you still can’t stand up for yourself?”

“W-well, I…”

“Grow a spine, girl!” he snapped. “Now growl like you mean it.”

Silver bared her teeth at the boy and growled again, still sounding like a kitten.

Blazing sighed. “Well, that’s hopeless. Get it over with, then.”

Silver barely had time to eep when she felt the boy’s hoof strike her dead-on in the neck, above the right side of her collarbone. The magic in the touch wasn’t far behind, sending a tingle down her chest and right arm. Her punching arm went numb as she backed away. She tried to shake it off like she’d been taught, but this one was stronger than the kids she usually beat up. The magic lingered more.

Master Blazing was treating her to something special today. “Well? Are you just gonna take that?”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Use the techniques you’ve learned. Mercurial Hoof, pressure point targeting, that fancy Demon Hunter fighting your father expects you to know.”

Silver chuckled nervously. “But I’ve never tried Mercurial Hoof on a live pony before. What if I hurt him?”

“Then you’ll know how big an opponent you can take, and he’ll know to respect you. If not, he can do to you what you did to them.” He nodded to the bruised kids in the back. “That is our way. If you can’t stand up to somepony bigger, you might as well have quit before you joined.”

Diamond Tiara winced as she watched Silver Spoon got back into striking position.

“Good,” Blazing said. “Now repeat after me: I am a strong Feather Cloak ninja.”

Silver Spoon closed her eyes. “I am a strong Feather Cloak ninja.”

“I am better than other ponies.”

“I am better than other ponies.”

“I can take on anyone.”

“I can take on anyone.” Silver Spoon’s eyes opened, and her teeth were bared again.

“Anyone.”

She lunged.

---

Scootaloo rather liked sparring in Fire style, even with her supposed aptitude towards Water. The quick jabs were easy enough to learn, and Spike was really taking to it, too. After a few minutes of sparring, she noticed the major difference between him and her: when she used the quick jabs, she still kept her distance, and she still had the reflex of letting her magic flow out steadily with the blows. When Spike did it, he let out quick puffs of breath, and he was never more than one arm’s length away from his opponent, whereas Scootaloo always stepped into or out of the punches.

One thing that started to bother her after a while, though, was Spike’s breath. Or rather, the tiny gouts of flame that came with it. Where her breathing was steady, Spike sounded like he was psyching himself up all the time.

“Okay, good,” Ash said. “Everypony’s got the hang of the outer forms now, time for the meditation.”

Scootaloo and Spike both let off a sigh of relief. They sat down at the back wall, legs crossed as per usual.

“Moongazer, if you please?” Ash said.

Moongazer nodded and straightened her back before speaking. “Fire style, as you’ve noticed, depends on speed. To do it in harmony, your breath needs to be synchronised with the quick punches, and your mind needs to be able to go from relaxed to intense focus with the same speed. That’s what Spike will be mastering now.”

Spike squeed a little.

“The rest of you will only need to master the sight technique. Fire style meditation uses a mental image to slow down the perception of time. If done right, you can start to see things in slow motion. Your reflexes improve, it becomes easier to find an opening in the opponent’s defenses, as well as reacting to attacks. However, you need to keep in mind that like the Water style, this requires a relaxed concentration. It takes extended and dedicated practice to be able to see in slow motion and see pressure points at the same time, at least consciously. That’s more practice than you’ll get before Sunday. So instead, you’ll have to try and switch it up depending on the situation.”

Apple Bloom raised a hoof. “How do you know which one to use, then?”

Ash shrugged. “Depends on the opponent. If they’re trying to do critical damage like Water style, you wanna make sure you see their energy so you can block your own pressure points. If they’re more physical, like, say, you, then you need the speed more. But there is some overlap in the skills, mind you. Now, if there are no more questions, close your eyes and we’ll begin.”

---

Apple Bloom was a fire, grand and imposing. She was everywhere, burning down a forest. Her breath was an inferno, her hooves crackling and warm. Everything rushed past her, the wind pushing her embers forth for miles. Up above, the moon went through the night sky like a bullet. Everything rushed through her, with her, blazing across the landscape. Everything was red, hot, and her.

Then she felt herself shrinking. Her breath was starting to withdraw from the edges of the forest, the warmth that was her being contracted slowly and steadily.

Another breath, and the flames of her being withdrew again. The trees that she’d consumed mere seconds ago were as large as she was now. The winds that had rushed past before were growing still.

Another breath, and she was only burning one tiny bush now. The darkened forest rose up like a monument, and the flames that were her were growing steadily more still. Up above, the moon was dead centre of the sky, and completely still.

She wasn’t sure how many breaths it was that she was so small, but eventually even the bush she was burning couldn’t hold her anymore. She felt herself falling and shrinking, even going down to the size of a grain of sand. Everything was colossal now, even the tiny leaves she’d been burning mere seconds ago.

The world around her stopped moving. She was a tiny speck of an ember in the woods, and even the dust would take years to settle.

“Now open your eyes.”

At Ash’s command, the kids opened their eyes.

“How are we feeling?” He asked.

“Whoa,” Scootaloo said. “Really woozy, but good.”

“Excellent. Everyone got the image okay?”

Spike stared at his claws, numb.

“Spike? You okay?” Moongazer asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just… feel kinda weird in my stomach.”

Moongazer nodded. “That’s normal. Fire types have their body consciousness centred in their belly. Plus, your actual fire is in there, so that exercise is bound to have some effect on it.”

Spike nodded, slightly out of it.

“Okay.” Ash got up and stretched out. “Back to sparring. First we’ll do pure Fire style, then after lunch y’all are gonna be sparring for real, with all the skills you’ve learned so far.”

Sweetie Belle pouted. “But I haven’t learned my Element yet.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t need it that much for this kind of thing.”

---

Silver Spoon panted. She was so tired, she was barely aware of where she was. The room was spinning, and something in her stomach had become unsettled.

Then she heard the voice of her master. “Well done, Silver Spoon. You’ve earned the right to the challenger’s circle.”

Only then did she realise she had her right arm stretched out and firmly planted in the other kid’s belly. A vague sense of energy was flowing through her and into him, a sliver of mercury charged with bile and hate.

She withdrew. “Was that it?”

The kid doubled over in pain.

“Yes, that was it. That’s Poison Water style, the Mercurial Hoof. One of the legendary Iron Saddle techniques. You’ve mastered it, like a good apprentice ninja.”

“I don’t think I’d call that mastering it. I can barely see the lights.”

Blazing didn’t care. “Most ponies don’t learn to see anything at all, it’s good enough. Since you’ve gotten this far, I’ll teach you the Seven Deadly Blows next. That’ll make sure you do well against any challengers this Sunday.”

Silver Spoon bit her lip as the boy got up and walked off, head hanging. “Umm, Master Blazing?”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure I’m ready for the challenger’s circle?”

“With the Seven Deadly Blows, you will be. You’ll be the talk of the town after Sunday, the toughest kid in this town. Of course, you’ll have to start going back to Bogsdown after that, if you want to keep up with the classes.”

Silver smiled shyly. “That won’t be a problem. I’ve been doing it, like, for long enough now.”

“Then why are you so anxious?”

“Umm, well…”

Blazing gave her a light tap on the shoulder. “Speak plainly, Silver Spoon. Do not let your resolve waver, ever.”

“There’s, like, these other kids in town.”

“Other fighters?”

She nodded. “Uhuh. And they’re gonna be at the circle too.”

“So? Let them be. You can defeat them.”

“But you don’t understand. These girls, they always get all the attention. Nothing me and my friend ever do gets anypony to look at us. We always get in trouble because of them. How does a Feather Cloak deal with ponies they can’t beat?”

Blazing sighed and sat down. “The same way we face all adversity: head high, chest forward, eyes fixed on the target. Are these girls bullying you?”

The girl gulped and looked at the ground. “Like, it’s kinda hard to tell.”

“Do they call you names?”

Silver Spoon shook her head. “Not me, no, but they did Diamond Tiara.” She nodded towards her friend, who was talking to some of the other kids. Diamond didn’t hear her, thankfully.

Blazing nodded and lowered his voice. “And do they do this frequently?”

“Just once. But it kinda soured everything up afterward.”

“Okay. So they only had to bully you once, and now you’re living in fear of them, is that it?”

“Well…”

“When was this, exactly? Before you joined my class?”

She shook her head. “Little while after. At my friend’s cuteceñeara.”

Blazing whistled, impressed. “That is a harsh sense of timing.”

“Yeah. They kinda forced us out of our own party, out of Diamond’s party. It was supposed to be her big day, and they totally drove her off. We spent most of the afternoon away from everypony else.”

“Goodness, that sounds awful. And no one has punished them for this?”

“No. All of our class liked it. We hid upstairs once they told us off. Not one of our so-called friends came up to talk to us after that. Even the grownups wouldn’t stand up for us.”

“I see. And now these bullies will be at the challenger’s circle, on your big day.”

“Yes, sir.”

Blazing Trail patted the girl on the back. “But you are stronger than they are. You have a lot of potential, you just need to stop bringing yourself down.”

“Really?”

“Really. Look behind you.”

Silver Spoon turned towards the crowd of kids she’d beaten up.

“I get students like you, like them, all the time. You have so much potential, but you let other ponies walk all over you. You suppress your drive to make things right, you convince yourself that you’re beneath other ponies, so you end up sabotaging yourself. The world is a worse place because ponies like you don’t speak up for what’s right, because they can’t speak up for themselves.”

“So the only reason I’m stronger is because I’m cockier than they are?”

“No, you are stronger because, for one thing, you are stronger. You’re trained in the arts more fully. But more importantly, you use your power to the fullest. And if you want to be able to beat those bullies, you can’t afford to let them sap your strength. Believe me, top rookies like you often have to get over that kind of bump in the road.”

Silver Spoon squinted as she put her glasses back on. “Am I really the top rookie?”

Blazing looked towards the other kids, who all nodded. “Best white belt I have, top rookie.”

“So who’s second best, then?”

“Beg your pardon?”

“I never really talked to the other kids here before,” Silver whispered.

“That’s natural; fighters tend to form little cliques in class.”

“Okay, so who’s second best, who’s closest to me? Who can I measure up to?”

“Oh, you mean like that. My second finest isn’t here right now. He’s, ah, working through some issues at the moment, quite like yours. He’ll probably show up later on, once he has his priorities straight.” Blazing almost let out the growl that had built up, but like a true master ninja he kept it in. “But you’re top rookie, you don’t need to concern yourself with second best, just keep improving. You’re going to have to pull out all the stops at the circle if you want to make a name for yourself.”

Silver growled with anticipation. “Pull out all the stops, huh? I can do that. But that still doesn’t answer what I’m supposed to do about the bullies.”

The stallion sighed wistfully. “Well, now, tradition dictates that warriors fight with honour, and through official challenges.”

“Oh.”

Then he smirked. “But of course, this is a school of ninja, and ninja have never been constrained by rules or honour before. Wouldn’t make sense to start now.”

“So what you’re saying is-”

“Go get some lunch, Silver Spoon. The rest of you, too, dismissed. Rookies, we’ll cover more of the basic sparring and attitude adjustment. I’ll demonstrate the Mercurial Hoof for you and the green belts then.”

Silver Spoon turned and headed for the changing rooms.

“And if, for any reason, your bullies should happen to have a change of heart before Sunday, well, that’d make it a bit easier to leave a lasting impression during the circle, wouldn’t it? You know, hypothetically speaking.”

Silver smirked. “Sure. Hypothetically…”

Author's Notes:

Mostly filler, this one. The mental imagery is, again, based on legit...ish sources.

And Silver Spoon is learning a new technique, while Master Blazing is giving her good, helpful advice about her bullying problem. This can only end well.

The mental techniques of Fire and Water style are inspired by Byakugan and Sharingan, in case that wasn't forehead-smackingly obvious yet.

One of the issues early on in writing this was figuring out what to do with Spike. It was too good an opportunity for him to get some character, so I couldn't leave him out of the story. On the other hoof, if he's in the story, he has to fight. So he needs an opponent. And his own chapter, fighting. And his own fighting scene.

Yeah, I do expand on his background later, but it was a balance exercise to give him just enough background to not overpower anyone else. The whole 'what do you know about dragons' thing is coming up shortly, and that in and of itself was tricky to fit in, too. One of the downsides of writing scene-based: sometimes you really want to put something in, and you can't figure out how to make it fit.

A New Threat Rises! The Power of the Feather Cloaks!

Sugarcube Corner had acquired a different smell the past few days. Where before, the aromas of sweet buns and hot cakes dominated the place, with the Warrior Meet in town it now smelled as sweaty as the dojos and parks that the ponies trained in. The place was close to the recreational centres of Ponyville, after all, and most ponies preferred not to have to make a long trek home for lunch, especially if it was in between sessions of beating up other ponies.

Nothing the occasional spritz of lavender spray couldn’t conceal.

The Ponyville Junior Ninjas took full advantage of the new ‘Warrior Specials’ the Cakes had put on offer, all taking some heavy protein buns and sugary milkshakes to stock up on energy.

“So, Scootaloo, does your friend Wimpy know about the Challenger’s Circle yet?”

Scootaloo groaned at that. “How many times do I have to tell you? His name’s not Wimpy.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Are ya gonna bring him over or not?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because, well, it’d be weird, okay? I just don’t think now’s the right time for it, especially not with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon around, not to mention that alicorn kid.”

Sweetie Belle was lost in thought with all this talk about old friends meeting new ones. Her ears perked. “What alicorn kid?”

“Some colt runnin’ around in alicorn armour,” Apple Bloom replied. “He’s pretty nice, actually. He said something was wrong with his cutie mark, but maybe he just got it in an accident. I think he might be coverin’ up scars or somethin’.”

The little unicorn winced. “Scars? Oh, my. And what about Diamond Tiara? She’s not going to be there this Sunday, is she?”

“No, not Diamond, but Silver Spoon is,” Apple Bloom said.

“What for?” Rumble asked. “Silver Spoon’s not a martial artist.”

“Actually, turns out she is,” Apple Bloom replied. “Her daddy’s some sorta demon huntin’ pony, if you can believe it.”

Spike nearly choked on his milkshake, hearing that. “Wait. Silver Spoon is related to a Demon Hunter? You didn’t catch his name, did you?”

“Umm, no? Why?”

“Because if it is who I think it is, we might wanna not go for the challenger’s circle on Sunday.” He thought it over for a second. “Or go to school on Monday. Or Tuesday. Or any day of the week. Good thing I don’t go to school, now that I think about it.”

“What are you talking about?” Rumble asked.

“I’m just saying, back in Canterlot, I hung out with a couple of Royal Guards, and they were pretty strong. But the Demon Hunters, they’re in a totally different league. They’re, like grandmasters at that Water Style thing. They make it so you see their energy, it’s all silvery, or quicksilvery stuff. If they touch you with that, it’s like… magic poison. They’ve got a real Touch of Death combo and everything.”

“So? What does that have to do with Silver Spoon?” Rumble asked.

“So, the guy who teaches the other Royal Guards how to do that Touch of Death thingie is called Silver Bullet.”

Scootaloo shivered. “That’s her dad. That’s what Hammer said. So… Silver Spoon… she actually knows how to do that Touch of Death thingie? The stuff me and Rumble are learning, only worse?”

Spike shrugged. “I think so. I’ve seen them do it, it’s not pretty. That kinda magic is dangerous, and you don’t have to be a unicorn to do it. They can hit your stomach, or your lungs or even your heart just by brushing past you, and since you can’t train your internal organs to take a hit from that… well, I wouldn’t wanna get on their bad side.”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “You’re sure it’s that dangerous?”

“Positive. Demon Hunters are scary, and Silver Bullet even fought a water devil a couple of times.”

“What does it matter?” Scootaloo asked. “Let Silver Spoon go to the circle, if she really wants to fight some other kids. It’s nothing serious, why should we care?”

Sweetie Belle winced. “Umm, there is one thing you might be forgetting, Scootaloo.”

“What?”

“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon both have a good reason to be mad at us. We did kinda end up chasing them out of their own party.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Yeah, there is that.”

“What are you talking about?” Scootaloo asked. “They’re the ones picking on us, not the other way around.”

“No, but when we stood up for ourselves at Diamond’s cuteceñeara, they just left the party. And it was still, technically, their party, their big day,” Apple Bloom said. “I don’t think we ever apologised for that, like proper.”

“But we don’t have anything to apologise for.”

“Come on, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle said. “Two wrongs don’t make a right. When we get our cutie marks and we throw a cuteceñeara, we wouldn’t wanna be embarrassed then. Maybe we should just apologise. I wouldn’t want to fight Silver Spoon for real if she has a grudge against us.”

“Me neither,” Apple Bloom said. “We’re doin’ this for fun, and that alicorn kid’s got enough of a grudge against her school as it is, I think. We shouldn’t get involved in that.”

“Feather Cloaks,” Scootaloo said.

“What?” Apple Bloom looked at her pegasus friend.

“Her school. She said it’s called the Feather Cloaks. And they don’t do apologies.”

“How would you know?”

---

Like clockwork, Scootaloo and Rumble showed up a week later, after Whimper’s second class as a Feather Cloak. Something had changed about him, like the air around his fur was colder, somehow. Rumble felt the hairs on his neck stand on end as the buff colt pranced up to them. Peachy Pie didn’t seem to take much notice.

“Hey, Whimper. What’s up?” Scootaloo greeted.

“Oh, you know, the usual.” He smiled brightly, much more so than he ever did at Flight Camp. He was positively glowing today.

“What’s the plan for today?”

“Whimper’s learned a new move,” Peachy Pie said.

“From the Feather Cloaks?” Scootaloo asked.

Whimper nodded, with a smirk that was decidedly uncharacteristic for him. Almost creepy, even. “Sort of. Something they teach, something I’ve been trying on my own, it’s kind of a mix. It’s really easy, but you have to know the trick for it.”

“Well, what is it?” Rumble asked.

“An eye trick. It lets you see the little points where you can hit a pony, but on the inside. You can run your magic into them, but you have to aim it just right.”

Rumble furrowed his brow. “You mean like healing magic? I’ve heard of that.”

“Well, yeah, you could use it to heal if you wanted to, but turns out the Feather Cloaks use that, too, for something way cooler.”

“And that cool thing is…”

“Mercurial Hoof, The Ninja Death Touch.” He smirked at his friends. “Even the other Feather Cloaks don’t know how to do this yet. Master Blazing said I was a natural, said I should show it off. Wanna go try it? The park’s clear today.”

“Won’t Coach Buster be there again?” Peachy asked.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s okay. Coach Buster’s not gonna bother us this time.” Whimper patted her on the back with a wing.

Scootaloo’s heart skipped a beat. This was great: her friend had finally found his confidence. He was talking, on his own, speaking his mind. No more worrying about that thing with the water devil, no more letting ponies walk all over him, she could bring him over to Ponyville if he was like this.

He nodded towards the park in the distance. “Come on, we’ll find a spot and I’ll show you the trick for it.”

---

“Hello? Ground control to Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom waved a hoof in front of the girl’s face.

“Huh, what?”

“How do you know what a Feather Cloak is like?”

Scootaloo bit her lip and looked to Rumble. Rumble shrugged.

Scootaloo sighed. “Well, Whimper kinda got into that school, too.”

“Uhuh. And is that why you went so quiet all of a sudden?”

“It’s nothing. Just having a flashback,” Scootaloo replied.

“Was it plot-relevant?” Apple Bloom asked.

“What?”

“Consarnit, Scootaloo, you know what I mean! Do you think it might help us get a cutie mark?”

“Err… no? Maybe, I don’t know.”

“Well, if your friend’s in the same school as Silver Spoon, that’s good, right?” Sweetie Belle said. “He’d probably know her, too, and that’d make it easier to make friends with her and Diamond Tiara.”

“I don’t know, Sweetie Belle,” Rumble said. “Feather Cloaks are kinda, you know, different. They’re a branch of ninja, like Nine Dragons.”

“So?”

“So, they don’t have the same rules other schools do. They train to be brutal. They use their own Death Touch thingie, too, and they practise getting mad to do it.” Rumble shivered.

“All the more reason why we should apologise for what happened at the cuteceñeara,” Apple Bloom said. “It doesn’t feel right otherwise. We can’t go fightin’ a classmate if they’re angry at us, like really angry. One of us might do somethin’ they’ll regret.”

Scootaloo groaned. “You’re wrong.”

“Why? Why don’t you want to apologise?”

“Because we didn’t do anything wrong, that’s why. They picked on us, they still pick on us, and now we’re supposed to apologise? How is that fair?”

Sweetie Belle sighed. “It’s either gonna be us or them who apologise. And I don’t think anything can make them apologise first.”

Scootaloo groaned again.

“What do you think, Rumble? You know Wimpy just as well as Scootaloo, you’ve seen other Feather Cloaks, right?”

Rumble fidgeted in his seat. “Yeah, kinda, I guess?”

“Well, what do you think we should do?”

Rumble pouted and turned to Scootaloo. He took his time to think it through. “I think you definitely don’t want to get on the bad side of a Feather Cloak, unless you think you can beat them. They’ve got a lot of dirty tricks. Even at the basics, they can make it so the air around them feels like it burns, like acid. That Death Touch, Mercurial Hoof, isn’t something you wanna mess with. If Silver Spoon decides to challenge any of us and she’s still mad about what you did, if she is just a Feather Cloak, she could cause some serious damage. And if her dad is such a big shot and she knows even more than the regular ones...” He shuddered.

“Then it’s settled. We’re gonna go over to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and we’re gonna apologise. We start from a clean slate, so there’s no grief when we do the challenger’s circle on Sunday. Cutie Mark Crusaders, y’all agree?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Agreed.”

Scootaloo looked away and pouted. “Agreed, I guess.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Scootaloo? You look kinda out of it,” the little Earth pony said.

“Sure I’m sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

---

Scootaloo grunted as she tried to do the Death Touch, poking and prodding Whimper’s hard abs with no real result. “How are you supposed to see what to aim for?”

Whimper chuckled at the harmless pokes. “Like I said, you have to relax your eyes. It’s like seeing in the dark.”

“But you can’t see in the dark, Whimper, ‘coz it’s dark,” Scootaloo remarked.

“Well, I can. Maybe you’re just not doing it right. It’s like this.” Whimper playfully stroked a hoof along her side.

A gentle stroke from him was enough. She felt the cold bit of acidic magic liquid slip in through her skin, causing a cold that wrapped itself around a part of her gut and squeezed. “Ow! That hurt!”

“Psh, I didn’t even hit you that hard. Come on, don’t be such a wuss. Try me again.”

Rumble’s ears perked. His body tensed at the sight of Scootaloo wincing in pain. “Hey, can I try, too?”

Whimper smiled. “Sure, once Scootaloo’s done. Come on, try again.”

Scootaloo took a pose like she’d seen Whimper go in, and half-heartedly slapped him in the belly again.

Whimper snickered. “Not like that, silly. Like this.”

Scootaloo’s mouth hung open once she realised she’d been hit again. The back of his hoof rested on her belly, and there was a pulsing in her muscles that just felt wrong all over.

He barely touched her. She didn’t even feel the contact at first, but then it was like he’d reached into her body and crossed a few wires, or switched some things off. She froze. It was agony, pure and unfiltered agony. Something was bleeding inside, but she didn’t feel faint. Her stomach throbbed, something she didn’t even think was possible. “O-okay, I can’t do that anymore.”

Rumble walked up to her. “Scootaloo, are you okay?”

Peachy Pie got up as well. “I think you were a little too rough, Whimper.”

Whimper groaned. “Come on, I barely touched her.”

Scootaloo winced and found the cold, numbing sensation spreading, paralysing her right arm. “Wuh-Whimper? Do you think maybe you could undo what you just did?”

“What for? You’re fine.”

Peachy Pie crouched down next to Scootaloo before looking up at him. “I don’t think she’s fine, Whimper.”

“Oh, walk it off, chickenwing.”

Scootaloo’s heart sank. She barely had the presence of mind to look up at him through the pain. “W-what did you call me?”

“You heard me. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? You wanted me to be tough, you wanted me to speak up and do what I wanna do. Well, I did, and now you’re complaining? Make up your mind already.”

“C-come on, Whimper, I’m just a little hurt, okay? You got me.”

Whimper growled. “Yeah, I got you. Maybe you hadn’t noticed, but I can get you pretty easily. And yet every time I’m with you, I’m the one following you instead of the other way around. You’re weaker than me, and you tell me I’m not confident enough, that I’m not strong enough. I don’t have to take that from you. Why do I even hang out with you?”

“You don’t want us to keep coming over?” Rumble asked.

He pouted and looked the boy in the eyes. “That’s not what I meant, Rumble. You and Peachy Pie are my friends.”

When Whimper turned to look at her, Scootaloo felt her stomach clench. His eyes, his golden eyes, were burning with power, making the cold agony in her body intensify. It’s what she imagined Fluttershy’s Stare was like.

“But you, Scootaloo? What are you supposed to be?”

Scootaloo’s eyes started to water as she barely managed to stand up. “Is this you talking, Whimper, or is it that Feather Cloak teacher?”

“Don’t try to change the subject, Scootaloo.”

“But… is it?”

Whimper kept up his pout and huffed. “A couple of Feather Cloaks gave me some stuff to think about, about you, I mean. Doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

Peachy Pie gave the boy a firm poke in his belly. “Snap out of it, Whimper, this isn’t like you. Come on, you’re not seriously saying you don’t want Scootaloo around, are you?”

Even without the benefit of whatever eye trick he’d tried to teach her, Scootaloo saw the change in the air around him. “W-well… it’s just that she’s getting me in trouble all the time and she made me look like a fool at Flight Camp and…”

“That’s no excuse,” Peachy said. “You know she doesn’t mean it like that.”

Whimper gulped and looked at Scootaloo again.

“What did they say to you, exactly?” she asked.

---

Whimper sighed as he entered the Feather Cloak dojo the second time. He felt so naked, having to look up at all the other kids in their canvas pajamas.

“What’s the matter, kid?” one of the students asked.

“Nothing,” Whimper replied, taking his place amongst the teenagers and looking up at them. “Just, umm, it’s kinda weird being the youngest here and all.”

“Oh, that,” Blazing Trail said as he passed the class by. “We have a buddy system for kids your age, in case they have bully troubles. We like to keep the youngest ones separated from each other at first, makes it easier to build their self esteem and attitude. Speaking of which, have you been practising this past week, Whimper?”

Whimper nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Blazing Trail nodded towards the centre of the ring and got out the training dummy again with his magic. “Show me.”

Whimper took a deep breath to steady himself and walked up to the thing, then got on his hind hooves and struck a defensive pose. With barely a second thought, he jabbed the dummy in the chest with his left hoof. The thing wobbled and shook with the dull ‘thud’, but didn’t break or go flying like last time.

“Not bad,” Blazing said. “Keep going.”

The boy struck again, in exactly the same place, with exactly the same force behind it.

“Hmm?” Blazing’s ears perked.

Whimper kept on punching, same exact area, same force. The motion was almost mechanical, programmed into him.

“Okay, you’ve obviously got the outer form down. Now get angry and punch for real.”

Whimper snorted and took a step forward, then punched with his right, his whole body weight behind it. The training dummy was driven back, but not into a wall like before.

“Okay, class, before we start warming up, who can tell me what Whimper is doing wrong?”

The eyes of the older kids bored into him. He could feel their judgement already: pity, mostly. And yet, he caught hints of familiarity, too. Some of the older girls, two unicorns and an Earth pony, were feeling downright protective of him, like they would a pet, at least that’s how he felt it. It wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation to the boy, but after that little incident at Flight Camp he had to wonder how much of his experience was in his head and how much was based on reality.

“He’s too meek, sir,” One of the girls said.

Again that remark.

“Told you, Whimper,” Blazing said. “You’ve gotta stand proud. Let no one break your composure, be firm, unyielding. You’ll be joining a regular class with us today, so watch what the others are doing and follow their lead. Now, everyone: three laps around the dojo.”

Whimper’s ears fell flat. “Umm, sir? But my breathing problem…”

“Won’t be a problem as long as you can manage a confident and strong attitude. You did just fine last week, you can do this again. Focus on success and failure will be impossible. This isn’t your usual class, Whimper. Ponies here will not laugh or try to break your composure, like Buster likes to do. Isn’t that right, class?”

Whimper looked back, and felt a wave of pride wash over him from the rest of class. Here and there, twinges of that familiarity came up again. Maybe two or three out of the dozen teenagers had conditions as bad as him. Maybe even half of them did.

None of them shared his other condition, though, he could tell that much. Even Blazing Trail hadn’t shown any of the signs Whimper had learned to look for, or noticed them in the boy, for that matter.

“No, sir,” they all called.

“Good. So now, Whimper, you are going to run, slowly at first so your body can harmonise with your newfound power, and then fast, like us.”

---

Warming up went by in a blur for Whimper. His heart was pounding, his chest ached, and his lungs wheezed, but he was still going.

He wasn’t crippled anymore. He could breathe. He wasn’t used to running, sure, but he could do it now. He was light-headed with excitement when he was asked to spar with one of the girls, so much so he barely registered her name, or her surprise when he let off one hard thud after the other, keeping the girl on her guard. Light green with dark purple eyes and what looked like shooting stars for a cutie mark, she didn’t seem like the fighting type. If anything, the way her ocean green mane was so neatly cut suggested she was more into Canterlot high society than Bogsdown brawling clubs.

“Whoa, tough guy, slow down there for a second, we’re only warming up.”

“Huh?” Whimper shook his head and stopped. “Sorry, I think I kinda zoned out from running.”

“That’s normal for your condition,” Blazing remarked. “How are you feeling?”

“Strong, fast,” Whimper said, sighing happily. He had a smirk on his face that he didn’t remember creeping up there. It was this place, or the crowd. Princess Luna had warned him he’d be more sensitive to crowds. Now there he was, in the middle of a herd of martial artists whose strength came from radiating confidence and superiority.

To his surprise and horror, he wasn’t sure if he liked it or if he was picking up on how much they liked it.

“Good. Hold on to that feeling while you do the basic motions,” the grandmaster said. “Do the routine another ten times, and Starfall?”

The unicorn girl’s ears perked. “Yes, sir?”

“Don’t go easy on him. He probably won’t, either.”

“Wait, what? No, go easy, I don’t know how to do this.”

“Don’t talk like that, Whimper,” Blazing said, slapping him on the shoulders. “Keep your guard up, and stand firm. You’re a strong Feather Cloak ninja.”

“But I still haven’t decided yet.”

“Just say it anyway. It’ll help you maintain your strength.”

Whimper coughed, and the wheeze was starting to catch up to him. He gritted his teeth. “I am a strong Feather Cloak ninja.”

“Good. Now go.”

---

Whimper rubbed his throbbing head when he came to his senses. His muscles quivered from tensing up and channeling anger like he had to, but that was nothing compared to his sparring partner. Starfall was wincing, and rubbing her arms. She wobbled on her hooves. “Wow, you pack a mean wallop for such a little guy, you know that?”

He looked around. How long had he been out? Had anypony even noticed? He was still in the Feather Cloak dojo. He’d been sparring, no problems, no one had gotten hurt this time. That was new. Usually when he woke up like this, someone was crying, and someone else was yelling. Here, it was like nothing had happened. Class was slowing down with their katas, Blazing Trail just went over to each pair and inspected them for any flaws. He couldn’t remember if Blazing had said anything to him, if there had been any remarks.

He felt at ease, letting go and just fighting, just hurting someone.

“I’m really sorry, I don’t know my own strength,” Whimper coughed again.

Starfall smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t be. You’re good at this, I just need to try harder. You’re almost as strong as our number one rookie, you know. Stand tall, it helps. Eagle’s Grasp, right?”

Whimper nodded.

“Well, you’ll fit right in here, then. A couple of members in our Manehattan branch have the same thing.” She leaned in to look him in the eyes, before letting her hoof trail lower. “You really can get over it, you know. Just focus. Don’t let the bad feelings in. You’ll be fine, I promise.”

Again, he nodded, smiling when he felt the unicorn girl’s comforting touch on his back. Just reaching out inside himself, finding that confidence, that strength, it felt so good to just let himself stop worrying, stop thinking, to let himself slip…

“Okay, class, now on to the main event: hitting auras. Starfall, if you’d please explain the concept to the new boy?”

Whimper snapped out of his reverie. He still felt his confidence, but he was aware now. Again, a new experience. “What?”

Starfall rolled her eyes. “Basically, every living thing’s got this glow to them. It’s like part of your body, except it’s only the part made up of light or energy. If you can damage it, you can hurt ponies just by touching them. Like, internal organ damage, really nasty stuff.”

Whimper thought it over. “So we’re going to learn Death Touch now?”

Blazing cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, actually. The purpose is to channel dominance throughout your whole body, like before, but instead of just relying on your glamour to intimidate the opponent, you concentrate it into a more effective form, into a killer intent, and push it through your opponent. The effect is like punching a flame: hit it hard enough and the flame goes out.”

Whimper gulped and lowered his voice to a whisper. “That sounds dangerous.”

“It is,” Starfall replied. “But unless you know what points to hit, it’s really hard to do good damage with it. You need to focus it enough so it feels like liquid, otherwise it can’t move. Then you have to make that into a pinprick to really hurt someone. If you don’t, you have to brute-force it to get the same effect. We just picture flames around our hooves, or acid; it’s more blunt, but it works. You can afford to miss by a little, you just need to burn more power for it.”

Blazing nodded. “Exactly. So first, we’re going to practise putting the right attitude in our striking hooves. Then assume the position and strike. Hiyah!”

“Hiyah!” the class shouted.

“Yah?” Whimper tried to copy the motion.

“Harder, Whimper, and louder. Get angry again, that’s how this works. Hiyah!”

“Hiyah!”

Whimper shivered. His head fogged over again. He hoped he wasn’t going to zone out, or even lose consciousness. He was close, though, and getting closer with every punch. Still, he had to follow along with the class, or Coach Buster would get him in trouble.

“Hiyah!”

“Angrier, Whimper. Think back to all the times you got put down, think back to the times you wanted to fight back, but you couldn’t. Think about Buster, if that helps. Now strike! Hiyah!”

He struck harder. “Hiyah!”

Something bubbled in his belly. A cold hate that swirled and churned, looking for a way out.

It was power, and with a simple force of will he guided it along with his breath, letting it wrap around his hooves. He pulled back along with the rest of class.

“Hiyah!”

The cold erupted from his strike. Something snapped in the boy, and the bubbling in his gut sent gouts of light up his spine and into his skull. He went blind as the light flooded his eyes, then he woke up somewhere else. He was back in the dark again, facing off against a monster. Something had its claws around his neck, and the skin of his back burned with the devil’s curse while those powerful muscles he’d worked so hard to get were cruelly crushed down with the same magic. Agony washed over his body, his lungs were on fire.

And yet, somehow he got past it. All that outrage, that sense of despair, it came with an uncanny clarity. It gave his anger focus.

He hung there, held by his throat, yet at peace.

He wasn’t sure how long he blacked out, but evidently it wasn’t long enough for anyone to notice. If any light had come out of his eyes, he was the only one to notice.

“Hiyah!”

Blazing stopped and got back on all fours. The dozen other students followed suit, all staring at Whimper.

The boy was still in his defensive pose, still trying to hold on his confident self. He looked down at the end of his extended arm.

His hoof was glowing, like a unicorn’s horn. He could feel the power, his influence, a cold coating on his hooves. There was something else, though, a more solid shape just beyond the surface.

“Well, class, now you know it’s not a trick when I make my own aura visible. Quite a rare skill, Whimper, certainly for your age. But considering your cutie mark and being a pegasus and all, not that big a surprise, I guess.”

Whimper’s ears flattened against his head as he wiggled his hoof to put out what looked like a flame. “Umm, is this a good thing then, or a bad thing?”

“Very good,” Blazing said. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You just said it’s dangerous. I can hurt ponies with it.”

Blazing chuckled. “Exactly. That’s the whole point of our school: to put power in the right hooves.”

“But aren’t other ponies going to be scared of me, then?”

“Sure, probably,” Starfall said. “But that’s a good thing. If they’re scared of you, they know to respect you.”

He frowned. “But what if I don’t want them to be scared?”

“Well, class, that’s a fair question Whimper’s got there. What do we do if we don’t want ponies to be scared of us?”

One pegasus colt raised a hoof. “We show them the technique, sir.”

“Exactly.”

Whimper tried to weigh that in his head. It did not compute. “What?”

Blazing shrugged. “The technique only works if you are confident, strong. You said you’ve been reading up on martial arts, so you must know ninja techniques come in two shapes: open and closed. Visible and hidden. External and internal. There’s no danger in showing off how it’s done, since even if you manage to teach somepony else how to do it, they won’t have your strength of mind. As long as you remain in control, as long as you and no one else assumes the role of an alpha, you can demonstrate your power without any competition or danger. What’s important is that you remain in charge, that you assert dominance.”

“Even to my friends?”

“Especially to your friends,” Blazing replied. “You can’t concede any power, to anyone. You sabotage yourself if you do, more than any bully would.”

“But…” Whimper backed away and bit his lip.

“Class, I think we’ve got a hard case here,” Blazing said. “We’re gonna have to get you out of that meek little shell, Whimper. You’re holding yourself back, still. In the meantime, six more strikes on the left, nine on the right. Hiyah!” Blazing wrapped his hoof in the blue shine of pegasus magic. It looked like his hoof was covered in a flame.

On closer inspection, though, it wasn’t quite a flame, but feathers.

That’s where they got the name. When their magic became strong enough to be visible, it would look like a feather: hard center to stab with, lots of little hairs that fell off as the magic dropped in strength.

That couldn’t be too hard for him, if he was already this advanced.

As one, the class moved, with Whimper the only one whose magic was showing.

“Don’t worry, Whimper, we get kids like you all the time. We know how to fix you right up.” Starfall smiled down at him as they practised.

“Really?”

Starfall’s smile only grew. She had a look in her eyes that made his chest all fluttery inside. “Really really. Trust me, by the time class is over, you’ll be a strong little alpha male, just like you’re supposed to be.”

---

Whimper was panting after all the drills, but the wheeze in his lungs was hardly noticeable now. It hurt, but it didn’t cripple him. If anything, he felt giddy.

“Still got a little bit of tension in ya, huh?” Starfall joked.

“A little.” Whimper tried to slow his breath down.

“Don’t get too comfy, Whimper. Time for the final burst.” Blazing smirked.

“Burst? Of what?”

“Just a little training exercise we like to do to help build self-esteem and that good, strong attitude: circle fighting. This is how you become a real alpha. You’re up first,” Blazing replied, gesturing to the centre of the dojo.

Whimper looked around and took his place. Everyone else in the class surrounded him and took a low stance, one arm extended and the other ready to strike. A cold shiver went through him. Their eyes almost glowed with contempt now, or hate. “What’s going on?”

“The goal is simple: you will be attacked from all sides, for real. You’re going to get bullied, and beaten up. You will be surrounded by pure aggression, and if you continue to remain meek, you will be knocked down. You’re going to have to get angry, and strike back at those who strike you.”

“Isn’t that a little extreme?”

“Guard up, Wimpie.” One of the teen colts kicked him in the back, sending him to the floor.

He reeled from the impact, rubbing the sore spot on his back. “H-hey, what…”

“Get up,” Starfall said sternly, gesturing as she stood inches away from him. “Time to start fighting for real.”

Whimper got back on his hind hooves, shakily. He moved into a defensive posture and scanned around. “Why are you doing this?”

“So you’d know what to do when you have to.” Just like that, Starfall snapped at him with the back of a hoof, a curt slap in the face.

“Come on, you little runt, fight back.” Another colt, another kick, this time a knee to his thighs.

“You’re getting roughed up in there, Whimper,” Blazing said. “You’re gonna need a doctor at this rate.”

“Stop it,” Whimper said, gritting his teeth.

“Or what?” Starfall said. “What are you gonna do? You’re still too meek. You know exactly what you’re supposed to do and you’re not doing it. Look at you, you’ve got all that hard muscle and you can’t even fight back.”

“She’s got a point there, Whimper. You did the class, they’re all nicely waiting their turn instead of mobbing you, you should be able to put up a fight now. So what’s keeping you?” Blazing asked.

“I…” Another dull thud, this one to his stomach, made him double over in pain.

His breath wasn’t cut off, though. Not yet.

Blazing didn’t know what he was dealing with.

He could fake it, maybe, the boy thought. If he pretended his breath was cut off, maybe they’d stop and he could go home. He wasn’t even supposed to be in this class, Coach Buster had made him. And Buster had no right to, not really.

Whimper could just stay down. It wouldn’t make things worse for him.

Blazing sighed. “It’s a real shame, you know, but if you’re too weak for it, you might as well just stay down. I’m sure if it ever gets to the point where you need to stick up for yourself, something will come around to save you, or your friends. Pity to waste that sort of talent, but, well, it happens. It’s your choice. I’m not going to make you get up. But they’re not going to stop knocking you down, either. Life isn’t going to stop knocking you down.”

Whimper felt the contempt flow through him. His heart throbbed, his lungs burned. That coldness in his stomach bubbled up again.

It wasn’t like his meditations, not this time. His little evening ritual of focusing his breath, forming that bright pearl of energy and letting it move through him, warming his insides, it was nothing like this. This wasn’t some namby-pamby visualisation exercise found in leaflets handed out by hippies at the annual Trader’s Market, or some ancient formula based on a nursery rhyme written by pudgy pandas who spent their days gazing at walls or their own bellies.

This was raw power. He couldn’t find his centre, not like this.

His consciousness fogged over. Something burned in his lower belly, and it made its way up his back into his neck. He tried to do like he’d been practising, to form the shape of a pearl, a moon, anything, but he couldn’t control it anymore. His concentration was shot. His body was struggling to take over. His eyes were on fire.

Again.

“What are you thinking, pony boy? I am a demon, I prey on civilisation itself. And you think you can fight me?”

He was there again, hanging in the grip of a water devil. Claws dug into his neck, a curse burned his lungs and dragged his limbs down. The thing was feeding off his life passing before his eyes. Little flecks of memory, disappointment spiced with impotent rage, and seasoned with the occasional sprinkling of joy.

His friend was down. He was defending her with his life. Someone who cheered him up and got him into new things. Not even that close a friend, not in the grand scheme of things. Just a friendly pony who helped him get through the day.

It was just a necklace he was trying to get back. He didn’t have to do this.

But he didn’t have a lot of friends to begin with. And if he didn’t do this, he might lose her.

He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he didn’t try, even if it meant he might die in the attempt.

“Well?” Blazing asked. “Are you going to keep holding back?”

Things were so confusing now. Something rushed up from the tip of his tail up his spine and into his skull, giving him a wave of vertigo. Looking down at where the ground was supposed to be, there was just an abyss. He didn’t even see the other ponies, or the dojo. He was gone. The floor underneath him had gone soft. He was on the high dive a Flight Camp. Third level, dangerously high to dive, even with the trick he knew.

He tried to make the hallucination stop, but he only managed to do it halfway. He was with his dad, one of the few times he’d felt pride. He could smell his dad’s deodorant, it felt so real. Summer Breeze had spent the whole afternoon teaching his son how to do a Peregrine Dive: a landing that made for a perfect pounce, as well as the fastest and safest way to intercept a falling pony and catch them on your back. Well, safest for the other pony, if you knew your way around pegasus magic. The pegasus doing it risked shattering every bone in their legs if they didn’t have the proper training.

Whimper was everywhere, his very self scattered. Something in his mind, possibly his soul, was mocking him.

You don’t know what’s real; I do. You don’t have any power; I do. You’re never gonna be happy if this keeps up. But I will.

Shut up.

Please. You can’t shut me up; I’m you, you dumb runt. The only way you can beat me is by becoming me. It’s the only way you’ll ever beat anyone.

You’re wrong.

No, you are.

You don’t own me.

I own your breath, your heart, your body, everything that’s real about you. If one of us has to go, it’s you.

Fine.

What?

Fine. You own this body? Then start taking better care of your things.

“Finish it,” Blazing said.

No more Mister Nice Guy.

Whimper’s arm rose slowly and calmly, at least from his perspective. From that of his opponent, he was moving fast as a snake.

And like a snake, he had a venomous bite to him.

Whimper struck the colt in the gut, and let out a great flame of his magic, his aura, to eat its way through the pressure point and into the kidneys. It wasn’t that hard for him, not after the cloudbusting practice at Flight Camp and his own solitary attempts at learning martial arts. Just the next logical step in his development, nothing more.

Another kid went for him. Whimper sidestepped and elbowed him in the ribs. That flame, that aura, it hung over him and moved with him. He could feel it empowering him, covering him. He could have made his enemy scream, but he didn’t feel like it. He didn’t like ponies screaming; too much noise. Better they suffer in silence, leave him in peace.

They kept on coming, and they drove him farther and farther. Two at a time, he pummelled their ribs. Three at a time, he kicked one when his arms were occupied in blocking, then slammed the two at his sides back.

He spun, he kicked, he shoved. Every move he made he was less aware of his body and more aware of the air around him. Like during the striking practice, he felt the energy around his hooves, only now it was all over. It hung over him like a cloak.

With every move the cloak became harder, the energy more concentrated. Eventually he was stabbing with every strike, and crippling his assailants.

When no more attacks came, Doldrum Whimper finally realised what he’d done, what he’d learned.

He closed his eyes. The lesson had sunk in at last.

“I am a strong ninja of the Feather Cloak school.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t get ahead of myself, but yes, you’ve now mastered our central technique: you have developed your aura to the point you can use it in battle, and in record time, too. I have to admit, you certainly exceeded my every expectation, Whimper. You might even be able to handle the Seven Deadly Blows,” Blazing said. “How do you feel?”

The boy looked down at himself. He wasn’t glowing blue like before, which struck him as odd, because he was sure he was supposed to. Even more odd, though, was the smile on his face. He was flustered, and exhaustion was catching up to him, but the adrenalin more than made up for it.

He felt happy.

He’d just beaten up twelve kids bigger than him, he’d snapped and possibly seriously injured ponies who might have been friends with him some day, and he was happy about it.

“I feel great. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Okay, Starfall, you’re next.”

Whimper looked at the girl as she got up, wobbly on her hooves but still determined to keep going. Part of him felt he ought to feel sorry for her, but he didn’t. She’d attacked him, she’d wanted to test his strength. She got what she deserved.

The rest got up, and he chuckled to himself. They weren’t even hurt. He’d done his worst, and no one cried. No one was down.

No worries, no consequences.

Whimper joined the others in the circle and reached out to his new sense of power, then pummeled the girl, just like a real Feather Cloak.

---

“You punch pretty well for someone your age,” Starfall started as they left the dojo.

“Thanks.” Whimper smiled broadly. “Are you sure you’re okay? You got pretty bruised up back there.”

“So did you. That’s the point: that’s how you learn to toughen up and stand up for yourself. You can’t learn your way out of the bad place if you don’t walk in and explore it sometimes.”

Whimper looked around. The town of Bogsdown was quiet now, with the sun setting. “You don’t have to walk me home, you know.”

The green unicorn smiled. “I know. But Master Blazing did say you have bully problems, and we do have that buddy system. I wouldn’t mind becoming your buddy if you signed up, tough little guy like you. Besides, you looked like you could do with a talk. If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

Whimper still felt at ease with everything, even his bruises barely registered. “Sure, what do you wanna know?”

“How come you’re so, you know, buff? What did you do for that?”

“Oh, mostly workout programs from back in the old days. Chuck Boulders, Great Wolf Fang, that sorta thing.”

“Oh, like, just tensing up really hard and then trying to punch?”

“Uhuh, that kind of stuff. My dad says I’m too young to lift weights, but I do help out my aunt on her farm sometimes, that helped.”

The unicorn girl nodded. “That explains a lot. Dynamic tension and isometrics are kind of a fad in martial arts, ever since Spruce Lee introduced it. It pops up every now and again. I didn’t think you could get buff with that, though, unless you really, really overdid it.” She winced at the thought.

“Eheh, yeah, I kind of, sort of... did. My mom’s a dietetic nurse, so she helped me out a lot on the protein side of things.” He chuckled nervously.

She stopped for a second. “Wait. You’re not Passiflora’s son, are you?”

“Yup. Why?”

She skipped along to catch up to him. “Wow. You’ve got big horseshoes to fill, then. And I assume you did that because of your breathing problem?”

“Sort of. It’s complicated.”

“Of course, never mind that. What about girls, then?”

“What about girls?”

“Any problems with those?”

The boy raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I have a problem with girls?”

“Well, you hesitated a couple of times when you tried to hit me and the other girls in the class, and you tried to talk to me like I was a friend when we were in the circle, even though you don’t really know me. That’s kind of a giveaway.” She looked at the ground then. “Plus, if you have a low self-esteem, it’s easy to be taken advantage of, especially for boys like you. Since you obviously don’t have any friends among the other boys here, that just leaves girls to worry about. So, do you?”

“No. I get along with girls just fine.” Whimper resumed the pace.

“That’s good, ‘coz you are kinda cute, you know. In a couple of years, if you stay that buff, you’re gonna be breaking hearts.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Mostly with older girls, though, I don’t know why. I keep getting looks, it’s weird.”

“Hmm? What kind of looks?”

“No offense, but a couple of girls your age, back at Flight Camp, I think they wanted to collar me or something.”

“Oh, that. Well, you would look good in a collar.”

“Excuse me?”

She gestured to her neck. “You know, a horse collar. Big thing around your neck, makes your chest look even bigger than it already is. It’s not traditional around here, but the fashion’s been blowing over from Mustangia for a few months now. It’s nothing to worry about, us girls just like to pretty everything up, that’s all. And a collar is a lot easier to get on a boy than a sailor’s outfit.”

Whimper shuddered.

Starfall chuckled. “Hit a nerve there?”

“Nah. Not like I know any girls who’d do that.”

“No? You do have friends, at least, right?”

“Uhuh. Peachy Pie, I’ve hung out with her for a long time. And Scootaloo and Rumble, I met at Flight Camp. But they’re from Ponyville.”

“Flight Camp? This year’s Flight Camp? Then you haven’t known them for long.”

“No. But they’re nice. They’re friends.”

“Uhuh. Do your friends respect you?”

“Sure they do. Master Blazing asked the same thing last week. Peachy Pie and me keep each other company, and we stick up for each other. She makes me laugh, and she finds good stuff for us to do.”

“And you?”

“I keep her out of trouble,” he replied coldly.

Starfall nodded. “And, err, is she your closest friend, then? If you don’t know the other two that well.”

“Umm, I don’t think there’s anyone I’m closer to than the others, if that’s what you mean. Why do you ask?”

“Just to make sure. Sometimes ponies you think are your friends aren’t really friends. Sometimes they just want to take advantage of you. Especially if you have a good talent.” She looked at his flank then, at his cutie mark. “With talent like yours, you need to be very careful with what ponies you consort with. Sometimes, your real enemies aren’t who you think. Sometimes, it’s the ponies you think care about you that are dragging you down.”

“How?”

“By making you second-guess yourself, making fun of you. Not letting you speak up, pressuring you into doing embarrassing stuff, then bringing it up as a joke any time they want to shame you into following their lead. Making you sing when you don’t want to, or dance, or wrestle, just for their entertainment.”

Whimper pouted at the thought.

“It’s different for every pony, but the principle is the same, and the solution is the same, too. If you’re the alpha, they have to follow. They have to respect you. If they don’t, well, that’s a problem, and it can limit your growth, or worse.”

That got the boy thinking. “How can you tell which ponies are your friends, then?”

“Do what Master Blazing said: see what happens when they’re faced with your strength.”

“You mean hurt them.”

Starfall shook her head. “No, of course not; we’re not monsters. You shouldn’t hurt ponies for no reason, not if you can help it. But show them that you can hurt them. Be firm, even with ponies you care about. There’s no point in toughening up if you become weak around the ones you care for.”

Whimper furrowed his brow. His house was already in view. “Really?”

“Of course. Our power comes from confidence, that’s doubly true for a pegasus pony, and doubly true again for a pony with your breathing problem. I’ve seen it in other boys; they think their friends are looking out for them, but really they’re just there so they can be suppressed. They never achieve their full potential, because their so-called friends keep them down, tell them what to do. They laugh with their friends, but their friends laugh at them. They never get to show their real selves. And eventually...”

Whimper cringed. “Eventually...”

“Eventually, those friends get them in trouble, by making them do the wrong thing. They get blackmailed, basically, that’s the only word for it. They want their friends to be happy, and because of that, they not only not deal with their obvious weakness, but they let it get exploited. The only way to stop that is to remind ponies of the consequences of taking you for granted. Tell me, have your friends ever seen you just be proud and confident? Do they know what you can do, what kind of talent you have?”

Whimper thought that over as he headed to the front door. He could already smell the pasta his mother had made just for him. Extra bit of pesto, too, for the oil. A boy his age needed the fatty acids for his hormonal balance, his mother always insisted.

“You know… I don’t think Scootaloo has. Peachy Pie knows, and Rumble’s always nice to me, but he started off picking on me at Flight Camp. He said he was sorry. And he’s been asking about pegasus magic and martial arts stuff, too.”

“Oh? That’s good. That’s what you need: ponies who respect you. So that only leaves Scootaloo. Assuming you’re right about the other two.”

“They’re coming around tomorrow, I might as well give them a little demonstration.”

Starfall smiled. “Good, you should show them the real you. Be firm. Then they’ll know they can’t take advantage of you, and you’ll know who your real friends are.”

A green pegasus mare opened the door. “Oh, hi, there. Who’s your friend, Whimper?”

“This is Starfall, from the dojo. Starfall, this is Passiflora.”

“Heard a lot about you, Ma’am,” Starfall said.

“Well, I’m sure most of it isn’t true. Thank you for walking my son home.”

“No problem. See you on Friday, Whimper.” Starfall turned and walked away.

“See you around, Starfall.”

“And don’t forget what I said. Give it a shot tomorrow.”

Whimper grinned. “Think I will.”

---

He shook his head, trying to find the right words. His mind kept wandering for some reason, and he didn’t like that one bit. “W-well, they said I should start putting my hoof down, punishing the ones that don’t respect me. They said I should show you what I can do, let you know what happens if you ever disrespect me again. They said that my breathing problem, the anger issues, my… my weakness, it’s not the bullies that are really keeping me down. It’s ponies who keep treating me like I’m weak, the ones that keep me from speaking up and just try to get me to tag along. Ponies who don’t respect my strength and pretend to be my friend to keep me down.”

“You mean ponies like me?” Peachy Pie asked.

“You never make me do anything I don’t want to, Peachy, and when I’m doing something boring, you walk away and leave, you don’t drag me along. You never force me to do anything. You know what I can do, I know you respect me. Same as you, Rumble. You respect me, both of you. But you, Scootaloo, you… they said I should remind ponies like you what I can do, so maybe you’d respect me.”

“So… do they respect you?” Scootaloo asked.

He bit his lip. “Yeah. Turns out I’m good at being a Feather Cloak. Really good. I’ve already mastered their strongest technique. Their signature move, I can do already. Stuff their green belts can’t even do yet, I can do. And I’m not even signed up yet.”

“Really?”

Whimper snorted and pushed a hoof into Scootaloo’s shoulder. Yet, even with the blunt surface of his hoof pushing into her, she felt a needle pressing in instead, like the pin of a feather. For the briefest moment, she could see the swirl of feathers enveloping him. “Really.”

She gulped and tried her best not to cry even as he withdrew his hoof. “Well, I get the message, thanks. I won’t try to get you to tag along for anything from now on. You do whatever you wanna do without me, if that makes you feel any better. Do you still need to punish me?”

Whimper sighed and shook his head. He almost started crying when he leaned down and rubbed Scootaloo’s sore chest and arm. “Umm, no. I don’t want you to stop hanging out with me, I just…” He winced in pain and rubbed his head, like a pang of migraine had caught up with him. When it cleared, he was right back to his old self, same look in his eyes as the first day of Flight Camp. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s okay. You’ve just been under a lot of stress lately, what with, you know…” She wriggled her arm to get the feeling back in it. His touch was different now; warm and caring, healing, even. She felt her strength return at the gentle massage, or rather, she felt his strength flow into her.

“Yeah.” Whimper looked down at the ground.

Scootaloo got back up again. “How’s it been?”

Whimper shrugged. “Couple of nights I couldn’t sleep, no biggie. Hey, Rumble, you wanna try that trick now?”

“Sure.”

Scootaloo caught her breath.

Peachy Pie winced once the boys were sparring out of earshot. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m really sorry, he’s been overdoing it lately.”

“I’m fine,” Scootaloo lied. “He’s just putting his hoof down, nothing wrong with that, right?”

“He tried to hurt you. I think those ninja ponies are really getting under his skin.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry about it, Peachy Pie. This is just like Flight Camp: he’s gotta toughen up a bit. It’ll be fine.”

Author's Notes:

Flashbacks delaying the tense fight scenes? Check. Typical Wise Cracker 'older female talking to younger male' scene? Check, with the added twist of moral ambiguity.

Whimper's ordeal, again, is inspired by reports of something called 'kundalini syndrome'. One of the things that supposedly happens is a sense of ascension, in the religious sense. That's why the hallucination isn't in italics: it doesn't appear in the mind, it looks and feels completely real. On-screen, there wouldn't be any effects to distinguish it from reality, because the character suffering it sees zero distinction between it and reality. It's in the part of the brain that controls that sort of thing. The subconscious appears as its own entity. As for what it's supposed to do once it appears, that's a plot-relevant spoiler. Some hints have been dropped, but there's a caveat for kids.

Starfall was fun to write, even more than Blazing Trail. It seemed interesting to have an implied bully victim be paired with Whimper, especially one that appears to genuinely take a shine to him. In Flight Camp, all he really had were adults whose job it was to look after him. Here, it's a budding friendship, or it looks like one, at least. I think I might save her for the reindeer thing, come to think of it. I almost forgot to give her a coat colour. I'll probably forget which it is by the time she shows up again.

The circle fighting wasn't initially meant to come across as a cultish thing, but in retrospect I'm glad it turned out that way.

Whimper turning on Scootaloo was set in stone pretty early on, but believe it or not, the way he got pushed into it was subject to heavy editing, even last-minute. The reference to him not sleeping well lately is something that was set up in Flight Camp, it's a lead-up to a scene that I never got around to writing. Maybe I'll do it as a bonus chapter once this is all finished.

Cutie Mark Crusader Apologists, Yay!

Rumble and Spike walked alongside the three girls, lost in thought. The Ponyville Junior Ninjas caught Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara eating at Daisy’s, presumably their class had ended later.

“Be careful what you say, okay?” Rumble said. “You don’t wanna make it worse.”

“I know,” Scootaloo replied.

“We’ll wait right here,” Spike said.

“Thanks,” Apple Bloom replied.

With all the speed of a snail on lettuce, the girls marched up to the table where the rich kids were eating. Apple Bloom flashed them her best smile, which despite her efforts looked rigid with nerves. “Hey there, girls. Umm, would you mind if we had a little talk?”

“What is it, blank flanks? Can’t you see we’re trying to eat?” Diamond Tiara started.

Silver Spoon chewed angrily on her sandwich. The sandwich suffered the abuse in silence, for such was the fate of its noble kin: to sacrifice themselves in peace.

“Well, yeah, but it’s kind of urgent,” Apple Bloom said.

“So, spit it out,” Diamond replied.

Scootaloo bit her lip and forced herself to look them in the eyes. “I wanna apologise.”

Diamond and Silver both quirked an eyebrow. Silver kept on eating, though.

“Apologise? For what?”

“We want to apologise for what happened at your cuteceñeara,” Sweetie Belle said. “All of us do.”

“It was my fault,” Scootaloo said, again cutting the other two off. “I’m the one who got in your faces, I’m the one who started saying mean things, I’m the one who started this whole mess and it was wrong. So: I’m sorry for what I did back then. And we’re all sorry for everything that’s happened afterwards.”

Diamond stared them all down. “All three of you?”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded. Silver Spoon took another bite of her meal, uninterested in replying to them.

“Why apologise now?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Because we’re learning how to fight now and we don’t wanna get in trouble,” Sweetie Belle said. “We’re gonna be at the challenger’s circle this Sunday, we might end up fighting one of you, and we don’t wanna do that if there’s bad blood between us. We’re doing this for fun, to maybe get our cutie marks. We don’t want it to make things worse than they already are.”

“Uhuh. So, what, you don’t want to get hurt, is that it?”

“It’s fighting, Diamond Tiara,” Apple Bloom remarked. “We’re bound to get bruised up a little. But the three of us ain’t gonna take out our grudges on you.”

“What about that alicorn kid?” Diamond Tiara asked.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “He’s nice to us, I don’t know why he wouldn’t be to you. But he doesn’t speak for us.”

“We just want things to be okay again,” Scootaloo said, sniffling a little. “After the holiday’s over, we’re still gonna be in the same class. So… can we just start over, please? We did kinda make a mess of things, but we can’t start doing it right if we can’t start over again. So, please accept our apology?”

“You’re not gonna try and upstage us at the circle?” Diamond asked.

“We’re gonna try our best, sure, but we’re gonna keep it civil. That’s what the circle is for, right? Just a friendly fight, and a fair one,” Apple Bloom replied.

Diamond nodded. “Okay, sounds good. What do you think, Silver Spoon?”

Silver finally spoke, smiling brightly. “Well, like, that sounds great. I’m sure we can do that. But, umm, I’m pretty good at what I do. You’re not gonna beat me.”

“We’ve only been practising for a week, so pretty much anypony in a club’s going to beat us,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “We just wanna try and see what we can do.”

“Good. And don’t worry about that alicorn kid: he’s a Fencer, he’s supposed to act all tough and stuff. We can handle him.”

“Umm, okay, then,” Apple Bloom said just as a bell sounded in the distance. “We gotta go get to class now. See you around.”

“Bye, girls,” Silver Spoon said as they turned to leave.

“Later,” Diamond added.

Once they were out of earshot, Diamond Tiara chuckled. “Wow. What do you make of that?”

“I think maybe we scared them. Did you see the look on Scootaloo’s face? Oh my gosh, she almost cried and everything!”

“I know. So what are you gonna do?”

Silver Spoon glared at the five ninja apprentices as they headed to their dojo. “Sweetie Belle’s the soft one, she’ll go down first. Scootaloo’s second, and that’ll be the end of it.”

“Really? What about Apple Bloom?”

“Apple Bloom’s just, like, the brains of the outfit. Sweetie Belle’s the one who’ll buckle first, the one the other two are supposed to protect and stuff. Scootaloo’s the alpha, the one that doesn’t do any thinking but gets stuff done. You take one of those two out, Apple Bloom’s got nothing.”

Diamond grinned and sipped her drink. “Sounds like a plan.”

---

“Alright, class, pair up. We’ll do switching up of the vision techniques: one fights Water style with aura sight, the other high-speed sight for Fire style. Remember: Bear Stance if you’re doing Water, Tiger stance for Fire. Eekay!”

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof as she paired up with Moongazer. “Umm, isn’t it going to be too hard to keep up with Fire style if you’re doing Water?”

“You gotta get some speed in you regardless of your style, Sweetie Belle. Plus, you know the basic strikes and blocks, you should at least know how to defend against it by now. If not, I’ll be sure to demonstrate for ya again. Now, begin!”

Scootaloo paired up with Spike. “You wanna start in Fire?” She struck the usual deep Bear pose: whole body aimed forward, knees bent deep, one hoof way open and the other at thigh height. Like she’d practised before, she kept her elbows low for quick, almost clumsy-looking slaps.

“Probably best.” Spike took a more aggressive Tiger stance: arms crossed, bunched up tightly, breathing quick and claws at the ready.

Scootaloo tried to relax and see the dragon’s aura, like she had yesterday. Oddly, it came more natural this time, like some kind of blockage had been cleared.

She saw some of the lights in his body flare up and dodged left just as Spike let out a quick jab, before he spun around to hit her with his tail. She blocked the low blow with her right arm, then glided over the ground to give him a dull blow to his right shoulder. Spike’s eyes widened at the blow, and he broke the posture to rub at the sore spot.

She understood the need for special sight now, too: where any blow could be struck with energy behind it, the difference between concentrating it through the needle points and just tossing it through the skin was like jabbing with a knitting needle and chucking a bucket of water.

That’s how Whimper had hurt her: a dull blow, a bucket. Strange how he’d supposedly gotten the vision down on his own, but not the pinpoint projecting technique. Not to harm her, at least. His healing touch was pinpoint, though. Did that mean anything?

“You okay, Spike?”

“Ow, yeah, I’m fine. I’m gonna go a little faster now, though.”

“Oka-whoa!” Scootaloo barely had time to gasp as Spike let it rip. His claws whizzed through the air, fists nipping this way and that, putting the girl on the defensive. She ducked left and right, slapping away those arms when she could, but Spike was on point and at this speed she couldn’t line up a counter-attack.

He looked like he was in a trance, even, huffing and puffing in the rhythm of his blows.

Ash chuckled. “Come on, Scootaloo, he’s got you on the ropes, and he’s not even using his claws yet.”

Scootaloo put up her hooves to fend off any blows to her face. Of course, that left her arms getting bruised up. On the plus side, that Water aura vision let her see where the blows would be coming from. “How are you supposed to fight this?”

“Ease up, Spike,” Ash said.

Spike let his attack slow, then stop.

“Think for a second, Scootaloo. How is Spike fighting?”

“Fast. Really fast.”

“Faster than you, you think?” Ash asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Up close, I guess so. But he’s seeing things in slow-mo, right? So he’s always gonna be faster than me if he does that and if I don’t.”

“Spike, how are you feeling?”

“Good,” Spike bounced up and down on his heels, then punched the air with a left and right in quick succession. “I think I’m getting the hang of this.”

“No soreness?”

“Well, yeah, a little. Why?”

“Scootaloo, you remember what I said about your Element and moving in harmony?”

Scootaloo nodded.

“Good. Go again, both of you. Scootaloo, remember what I said, and try to use it.”

The girl groaned and instantly put her arms up to block another flurry of punches.

Spike was downright fiendish at this stuff. His punches never let up, the rhythm was too fast to get any counter in between.

Dundundundundun...

Scootaloo gritted her teeth and tried to back away, tried to swat at those fists before they hit, but it was no use.

Donk. Donk.

He drove her back, despite the attempted counter. What was Ash trying to prove here? Scootaloo was a Water type, he’d said. Water types like her were in harmony if they could move with the flow, if they could adapt, if they could be free.

So what was Spike’s harmony, then?

Dundundundundun...

It had to have to something to do with burning, she could tell that much.

Burning. Keeping busy. She didn’t know him that well, but what little she did know fit the description. Spike was always busy doing stuff, the couple of times he’d caused trouble were times he wasn’t able to be useful.

He was strong when he was moving. The punches were all fast.

And with hardly any footwork behind them.

Scootaloo felt, more than saw, that next punch coming in. She took a tiny step forward and ducked underneath it, then snapped at the nerve point near his elbow. She didn’t have the presence of mind to put any magic behind it. She didn’t need to: fancy stuff like that was too slow, and a blow to a nerve point was stunning enough.

Spike flinched and backed away. Scootaloo took another step forward and struck at his left shoulder again, this time able to wind it up enough to put some magic into it.

Spike went down after a second follow-up blow to his right shoulder, wincing in pain. “Ow. You got me.”

Ash nodded. “Well done, Scootaloo. Spike, a word of advice: Fire types like you are strong when they are in motion. The upside is you can outpace a slower fighter, stop them from concentrating on a blow, or on magic. The downside is that you tend to move too fast to put magic into your own attacks, and end up burning out as a result. So, both of you, go again, and this time, Spike, get into the habit of comboing: one, two, three, back, one, two, three, back. Then do one, two, back, and one, back. I know it’s tempting to keep stringing punches together, but you’ll do more harm to yourself than to your opponent.”

Spike nodded. “Got it.”

“As for you, Scootaloo…”

Scootaloo bit her lip.

“Good progress. I can see why Rainbow Dash likes ya so much.”

And on that day, Scootaloo’s heart grew chicken wings of its own, and proceeded to flutter about as much as the rest of her did.

---

“So, they tried to apologise, did they?” Blazing asked.

Silver Spoon hissed through her teeth. “Yeah, they did.”

Blazing Trail nodded. “Try again, slowly.”

“One.” Silver Spoon hit the training dummy roughly where its gut would be.

“Two, three.” Blazing tapped the ground in time with the girl’s blows to the thing’s chest area, each one aimed at the lungs.

“Four.” A slower, heavier blow to the centre of the ribcage.

“Fivesixseven!” Three blows finished the combo, forming a triangle over the abdominal area.

Blazing snorted quietly. “You seem agitated, Silver. Out for blood. I take it the apology didn’t go over very well, then?”

She slammed the dummy again, hard enough for the other white belts to stop their practice.

“No. Those bullies know I can hurt them now, and then they try to weasel out of it, it’s not right! They still wanna go to the circle on Sunday, they still want to upstage me, and they expect me to go easy on them? Of course I’m agitated!”

“Good. So what are you going to do? Class? Pay attention for a moment.”

Silver panted and growled. “I’m gonna make them pay. I’m gonna make sure they don’t show at the circle. They’re not even gonna dare. I’m gonna teach them to respect me, the hard way.”

Blazing nodded and gestured towards the rest of class. “Class, remember what Silver said here. No room for objections, no doubts, no self-sabotaging. This is how you become a strong Feather Cloak ninja. This is how you can become an alpha and take charge of your own life.”

Silver Spoon smiled proudly, then looked at the dummy’s head.

“Go on,” Blazing said. “You know you want to.”

Silver Spoon leaped and wrapped an arm around the thing’s neck, dragging it down before squeezing. One arm curved just so her muscles would press into the throat, the other neatly behind it to form a perfect triangle.

She choked the thing, pretending it was Sweetie Belle, with that annoying squeaky singing voice.

Blazing nodded in approval. “This is how you deal with bullies.”

---

“Well done, everyone,” Ash said as they walked out. “Tomorrow we do Air style. That involves keeping your elbows up, so if any of y’all are stiff in the shoulders, put something warm on’em while you sleep tonight.”

Moongazer looked back at the dojo as the kids filed out. “Spike? Aren’t you coming?”

“Aren’t you going to give me any more tips?” Spike asked.

“Do you need any?” Ash replied in kind. “You have the rhythm down, you can use your fists already, and to be perfectly honest with you I don’t think you need tutoring on how to work your claws into it.”

Spike flexed his fists then, thinking. He did have a few ideas he could work with now, but that wasn’t the issue. “I don’t know; you’re the teacher. And back in the forest, you said you know about dragons. So, aren’t you going to tell me?”

Ash sighed. “Do you want to take this, Moongazer, or shall I?”

Moongazer smiled and nodded. “I’ll take care of this. I know him better.”

“Alrighty then. See you tomorrow, Spike.” Ash saluted the dragon, then turned and left.

Moongazer strode over to Spike and sat down. “Okay, what’s the matter?”

“You know about dragons, too?”

“I’ve run into my fair share, as Ash’s successor. You don’t?”

“You never mentioned it back in Canterlot. I didn’t even know you were a ninja.”

She chuckled. “I don’t think you grasp the basic concept of ‘ninja,’ Spike, if you think you should have known I was one.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Fine, I get that. But why did you never tell me anything about dragons? I’ve gotten in trouble, you know.”

She nodded, pondering. “I know, I heard. But I was away then, on official business. Back in Canterlot, I was still doing research on, well, lots of boring things, so I didn’t think to ask about what you knew. I assumed Twilight Sparkle told you everything.”

Spike grumbled. “She didn’t. She didn’t know anything about me, either. You never talked to her about that?”

“Of course not; your guardian had her nose in books the whole time. If it wasn’t for Shining Armour getting her into athletics, I think she might have turned into a pillow.”

“She did, actually.”

“Really?”

“Transformation spells, long story. But look, you’re here now, so what can you tell me? What do you know about dragons?”

Moongazer let her head hang back a bit as she thought. “Well… for starters, there are different kinds of dragon. Some of them have leaders, some don’t, and the lines can blur in some cases, depending on their age and their magic. The different kinds and races don’t all have names. I mean, ponies don’t have names for all the kinds, but dragons do tell them apart.”

“And my kind is…”

“It’s called a Zwelbast, that much I know. It’s a very rarely seen breed, very secretive even by dragon standards. They don’t typically migrate, or hang out with other dragons that much. They’re mostly unknown within dragon ranks, and the ones who do know your kind don’t think very highly of you. At least not the wild ones.”

“Oh.” Spike let his head hang. His shoulders slumped, and he was pretty sure the blood was draining from his head.

“What we do know is this: a female will only lay an egg based on a very specific biorhythm. Every Zwelbast egg is laid on a Friday the thirteenth. Why, I don’t know, and I don’t think even they know. But you were born on a Friday, no question about that.”

“Friday the thirteenth? Really?”

“Really. A Zwelbast egg is spotted, and coloured to stand out from its surroundings, not to blend in. See, your kind of dragon is kind of like a cuckoo; they lay their eggs someplace where other creatures will find it and take care of it. They don’t raise their own young, they leave that to creatures with, umm, more of a disposition towards caring.”

Spike grumbled. “So, what, dragons like me are too cruel to look after their own kids?”

“No, dragons like you are smart enough to know that a baby dragon in the wild has very little chance of surviving, even if the mother takes care of it. Most dragons, of any species, lay their eggs in pony country or anyplace where there’s civilisation, expecting their young to steal a hoard from wherever they were born. It’s too dangerous to lay a dragon egg anywhere else. Your kind is unique in that they don’t come out of the egg stealing.”

He cleared his throat and tried his best not to get angry, or to cry. He wasn’t sure which one he’d fail at first. “Hang on, just to make sure I heard you right: my mom left me? Just like that?”

“She left you in the best care that she could find. You have to understand, dragons are a very old breed. The concept of love is something they had to learn, as a species, and it’s dragons like you that help set a good example. Dragons used to be a lot more savage, and they made a lot of enemies. As big as they are, as big as you can get, you’re not invincible. It’s only because they’ve started acting more civil that they haven’t been wiped out yet. I mean, aside from what the zebras did to them, of course.” Moongazer’s look hardened. “There aren’t any zebras in this town, are there?”

Spike would have voiced his shock, but he didn’t want to get dragged into a debate about racism. He did make a mental note to take anything Zecora said about dragons with a grain of salt from now on, though. ”Umm, no? No zebras living in Ponyville.”

“Good. They hate dragons, always have, murderously so. Even their history books can’t be trusted. Don’t think you’re a monster, Spike; you’re not.”

“Really? But I get bigger from greed.”

“No, you get bigger from pride, which happens to be related to the size of your hoard. There’s a few dragons who’ve made their home in their hatching lands, they don’t go nuts.”

“Where?”

“Oh, far from Equestria. I think the closest one is four days away, if you fly. But you’d have to fly pretty high and pretty fast, and over territories that you don’t want to stop in, believe me.”

Spike shook his head. “And… those dragons, the good ones, what are they like? Have you ever met any?”

“One, in panda lands. Nice guy, hard to tell how old he was, not much point in asking. Dragon age is weird like that.”

“But what did he do? How did he fit in?”

“The way I hear it, the dragons living in their hatching country usually get a job that involves making their hoard a part of society. They get respected for that, especially by the races that still live in, you know, the wilds. Buffalo and deer and such, they usually stick up for the likes of you, even if others might not. You’ll want to remember that if you ever get lost: pretty much anything with split hooves will be friendly to dragons, by default. And dragons like you end up as ambassadors, once you get past a certain age. Different perspectives and all.”

“But… a hoard? They make a hoard anyway? How does that work? And why would nopony tell me?”

“If I had to guess, Princess Celestia probably wanted to nudge you in the right direction without forcing you to be one thing or the other. She wanted you to choose freely. That’s why she didn’t tell you anything, but she still gave you a good example to follow.”

“I don’t get it.”

She rolled her eyes and patted him on the back. “I’m sure this isn’t as exciting a prospect as you might like, but… librarians, Spike. Dragons like you, if they decide to stay where they were hatched, tend to become librarians. Make a hoard of books, something they’re proud of, something to protect and something very, very valuable. But, as a librarian, you also don’t forget to share. It’s not the same as living in the wilds, but it lets them follow their instincts, to some degree.”

He frowned, then thought, then sighed in relief. “Oh. Well, that doesn’t sound too bad, I guess. I can be a librarian.”

“Exactly. So, does that make you feel any better?”

“A little, but there’s one thing I still don’t understand.”

“What’s that?”

“When I got my growth spurt, and when I went on the migration, Twilight tried looking up anything about dragons. She didn’t find anything. If there are dragons like me out there, why doesn’t anypony else know about them?”

Moongazer sighed. “Well, there are books about dragons, but they’re all faerie tales, or unreliable for research. As for the dragon librarians? I guess it hasn’t occurred to any of them to write a book about their own life. They are, after all, still new to the basic concepts of civilisation. Maybe some dragon should start, huh?” She gave him a playful nudge.

Spike chuckled and scratched his chin, pondering. “Yeah, that’s not a bad idea, actually.”

---

“You’re going to have to tell them sooner or later, Scootaloo,” Rumble said as he flew next to Scootaloo.

Scootaloo went down towards Vinyl’s Scratch’s house, her weekday home. “Later is good. Later is better.”

“Come on, Scootaloo, what’s gotten into you? Are you really that scared to tell them the truth?”

She sighed. “Of course I am. Wouldn’t you be?”

“Maybe. But I’d still do it. At the very least, you owe your friends some explanation.”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“Try the truth,” Rumble argued.

“But I don’t know what the truth is. I don’t know why everything went wrong.”

---

Whimper wasn’t sure he’d heard the grandmaster right.

It had happened so fast. Three laps around the dojo, some stretching, push-ups, squats, crunches. Then the first kata.

And then the question. In front of everypony. In front of his peers. In front of Starfall.

“So, Whimper, what do you say?” Blazing asked. “Do you want to sign up with us, make it official?”

Whimper looked left, then right. Everypony around him already had their canvas pajamas on. Blazing brought an outfit forth in his magic, one with Whimper’s name on it.

“I thought we were only doing a warming up?” the boy asked.

“We were,” Blazing replied. “But you’ve gone past the warming up now. If you want to proceed with our lessons, just say the word and we’ll register you, you’ll get your own outfit, and you’ll be on the circuit within a week. Your answer?”

The boy shivered and took a deep breath, before letting it out. For once, he spoke plainly and loudly. “No.”

“Why not?”

He bit his lip. “Because it’s not right for me, sir. It doesn’t feel right.”

“But we’re all friends here, we would welcome you.”

His wings clenched against his sides again. “No, you wouldn’t. You’d just take every chance you get to try and stab me in the back. I don’t know anypony here. You put me with older ponies first, bigger ones.”

“That is how you learn, boy.”

“I’m sorry, but the answer is no.”

“Well, that’s gratitude for you.”

The boy huffed. “Gratitude for what, sir? I was forced to come here. I didn’t get a choice. Now I do, and I choose not to join.”

Blazing shook his head, disappointed. The costume he had ready for the boy floated away. “Because you don't like the techniques? Because you're too shy?"

“Because I don’t want to turn on my friends.”

To that, Blazing had a simple answer. “If you have to turn on them, they weren’t your friends in the first place.”

There it was: the big one. “And why should you get to decide who my friends are, Master Blazing? Why don’t I get to learn what they’re like and decide for myself? You’re telling me everypony here is my friend, but you don’t know that. All you know is that anypony I can beat up will be nice to me, because they’re scared and nopony would step in to stop me. That’s not friendship, sir. That’s not what I want. That’s what I get in school already, only the other way around.”

The unicorn growled under his breath. “Whimper, don’t do this. You’re making a mistake.”

“I thought you said I had a choice?”

“You do. Of course you do. We’re not monsters here.”

He gulped. “Then my answer is final. Thank you for the lessons, it was, umm, interesting. But it’s not for me. I appreciate the effort, but I do not want any more of what you’re offering.” He turned his back on the grandmaster to leave. “You don’t have to waste your time with me anymore.”

“You really think you’re making the right choice here, Whimper? You really want to stay this weak?”

Whimper’s ears twitched. That word again, it drilled into him. “Weak? You call me weak?”

“You can learn to be strong here,” Blazing argued.

He looked down at his arms, and his abs, and his chest. He smiled. “If I’m so weak, then how did I get like this?”

Blazing sighed.

“I trained, on my own, to get stronger, to get bigger. You weren’t there for that. Coach Buster never cared. With all due respect, I don’t think you have the right to call me weak, sir.”

“You seem pretty sure of yourself.”

Whimper shook his head. “I’m not. That’s the whole point: I don’t have what it takes to be a Feather Cloak. I don’t have the hard heart, or the brutality. And I don’t want it, either. I’m better off on my own. I don’t want to stay here, in this class. You just don’t get it. I don’t want you, or Starfall, or anypony else to get a say in what my friends should be like, or what I should be like. I… I don’t want to feel like somepony else, like I have to pretend just to fit in. And I already have trouble making friends, I don’t want it to get even harder.”

“But think of what we’re offering,” Starfall pleaded. The whole class stared at him now.

“You’re not listening to me. I have thought about it. It’s exactly what you’re offering that’s the problem.”

“So you’re going to leave, then, just like that?” Blazing asked.

“Coach Buster said I had to attend three classes. This is the third class. You just said I’d have to join if I wanted to continue. I am not joining. So class is over for me. Isn’t it?”

The unicorn closed his eyes and thought, before nodding and shooting a red glare at Whimper. “Okay. Tell you what, the offer to join will stand. You obviously have some thinking to do, and you are quite young to be making such important decisions. I suppose you can’t really be expected to make the right call in this situation.”

Whimper didn’t look at him. He could feel those eyes boring into his back as it was.

“However, you may want to re-assess your progress. You’d be a lot stronger as a Feather Cloak.”

“I doubt that.”

“Care to find out?”

Whimper heard the other kids starting to walk around him, surround him. “Please don’t make me fight. You don’t know what’ll happen.”

Even with his back turned, the boy could feel Blazing’s smile. “Oh, I can take a wild guess. We’re ninjas, remember? Gathering information on the enemy is our bread and butter. Stand down, class, this one is beyond your level.”

The kids backed off, like a flock of vultures moving off of a corpse.

“I was referring to other schools, actually,” Blazing Trail explained. “There’s a Warrior Meet in Manehattan in about three weeks. Lots of fighters there, lots of young fighters. If you really think you’re stronger without my tutelage, then by all means go there and measure up. You wish to make some friends. Who are we to deny you that? You want to find like-minded ponies, by all means try and mingle, see what happens. If you want to start hanging out with that crowd without the benefit of our experience, go right ahead. I’m sure a pony like you will be very popular, and treated well.”

That remark cut into the boy.

“Of course, if you should find that even at an event where fighters meet, you are still sitting alone in a corner all day with no one to talk to… or if you should tire of being beaten into the ground by properly educated fighters...”

Finally, he looked back.

“Because make no mistake, Whimper, a real warrior, an educated one, would destroy you. The path you’re heading down leads to failure, the likes of which even you have not experienced. You’re going to find yourself beaten, and alone, and doubting. If you think that should be remedied, then you’re more than welcome to come back at any time. Sound fair?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you for your time. I’ll be out of your hair now, if that’s okay.”

“Have a good night.”

With that, he was gone.

Blazing nodded to his class, who promptly resumed their sparring, second kata this time, the one with the nerve blows.

“Starfall?”

“Yes, master?”

“I want that boy on our roster. He clearly doesn’t know what’s best for him. If you could, oh, I don’t know, take care of that, I could teach you the Seven Deadly Blows.”

“Really?”

“He has the aptitude for it, and he has the clarity to transmit it. With him as a sparring partner, you should have no trouble acquiring the necessary skills. But it needs to be him. He has too much potential to let it go to waste. You understand, don’t you?”

“Of course. Leave it to me.”

Author's Notes:

This one came out weird. The initial idea was to have the talk with Spike overlap with Starfall's conversation with Whimper, so you'd have the contrast between my bread-and-butter boy-mare talk and the more sinister one. But that dragged out the chapter, so it was moved.

Then the actual leaving of the Feather Cloaks. At first, this wasn't even in the story, it would just be alluded to. But then that would raise questions about why Whimper changes his mind, or just what leverage the Feather Cloaks can bring to bear on him. Said leverage is simple: there's no one for him to talk to about the martial arts, no one who can speak for him when he gets into trouble. He is alone. With them, he'd be top dog. But he'd be in an environment where someone else decides who his friends are and how he should act. I also needed to refer to the Manehattan Meet again, because, well, umm, ask River Song, she'll tell you.

Finally, Spike's conversation. I've been saying for years now that this incarnation of Spike bears striking resemblance to the titular character of 'The Dragon Who Wasn't, Or Was He?' which is the English title of 'Als Je Begrijpt Wat Ik Bedoel.' It features a dragon hatched from a beach ball-sized egg (green with spots) who ends up in the foster care of a Lord, and who grows when he's stealing. So that whole conversation is both me trying to put a big obscure reference up (something I did more in my early career, hence doing it in this sequel) as well as just giving Spike some closure. No real reason, just doing what any decent pony ought to do with a child like him: give him answers, explain why they haven't come earlier, let him know he isn't hated. If it hadn't been for that movie, I would have just made something up, so it is functional, still.

I'll try to get the new cover art of Apple Bloom butting heads with Hammer by the time their big fight rolls around. Tried to take part in Tyandaga's contest, couldn't get my entry done fast enough, sadly... I really need to work on the art side of things. And write more. And get a job

The Final Element! Sweetie Belle's Air Style!

Sweetie Belle let out an impatient huff as she plopped her rump down on the training mats that Thursday. Finally, today they’d be learning Air.

Today she’d find out what sort of fighting style matched her.

Ash strode in with a grin on his face. “Alright, youngins. Today we learn the fine art of not fighting.”

Sweetie’s right eye twitched. “What?! I waited four whole days to learn my Element, and we’re gonna not fight?”

Moongazer chuckled and took over from the stallion. “What Ash means to say is: today we’ll be teaching you Air style, which is more centred around dodging than it is around punching or kicking.”

“So… everypony gets to do awesome moves, except me?”

Ash and Moongazer faced off on their hind hooves and bowed to each other.

“It’s a little more complicated than that, Sweetie Belle. Air style, to do it properly, requires you master the other three Elements first, that’s why we put this last. You need to get the awareness of your own body, that’s Earth.” Ash threw a punch towards Moongazer’s head. She sidestepped the slower blow easily.

“You need the awareness of the opponent’s body, that’s Water.” Moongazer slid one hoof over the floor and stepped forward with the other, closing the distance in a smooth motion that looked like a Water style lunge, but lighter.

Ash circled around the mare, keeping his front hooves up but farther away than an Earth block. “Lastly, you need to mind your breath, and have good sense of timing, as well as proper reflexes. That’s Fire.”

The two stood still for a moment. Ash nodded to Moongazer to wrap up the explanation.

“You need to be light on your hooves for this style to be effective. Circular motion and spirals are what you want to focus on. Your mind must be able to jump from one option to the next, attack or defense. There are no punches or kicks in this style, only pushes and slaps, at least if you want to do it purely. You’re new at this, so you can resort to a few quick jabs every now and then.”

Sweetie Belle’s mouth was agape. Apple Bloom was already thinking of how she might beat up Hammer with this style added to her repertoire.

“Your main Element is Air, Sweetie Belle. One of the ways you can tell is that you have a natural reflex to try and evade conflict. In combat, that means you’re more likely to dodge on instinct than to counter-attack, like Spike would, or push it aside, like Rumble and Scootaloo, or to block it, as Apple Bloom would. Your main offense will be pushing and shoving, hardly any impact at all.”

“Umm, no offense, but can’t I pick a different style, then?”

“This isn’t something you pick, Sweetie Belle,” Moongazer said. “This is a natural style of fighting that fits your personality. It’s what your body is going to try to do naturally, and if you try to do something else, you’ll have to think about it, which can cost you precious time. Air fighters don’t do a lot of damage, usually, but they do specialise in one area that can take down an opponent really easily.”

“What’s that?”

Spike gulped, already dreading the answer. “It’s chokes, isn’t it?”

The two adults stayed in their stances. Moongazer nodded. “Chokes, yes, and one or two joint locks. The way they move lets them get behind an opponent more easily. Sweetie Belle, you’re going to learn how to unbalance an opponent without using dull blows. That causes them less pain, but also makes it harder for them to realise what’s happening once you control their movement. The rest of you, the Air style is all about positioning. After today, you’ll have learned all four Elements. For most of you, today’s lesson will revolve around hoofwork and getting proper range. That’ll help put more power behind your strikes and keep you safe.”

“And I’m… gonna have to practise choking?”

“It’s a simple enough technique,” Ash said. “You get behind the other pony, put one arm around their neck, so your muscles bulge into their throat. Then you put your other arm behind them, and push. That’s a triangle strangle. Most of the time, you can’t do this in the heat of combat, but some ponies like it as a finisher. So you’re gonna learn how to do it and how to protect against it. In a real fight, this can kill an opponent. You do this too rough, and you’re taking a life. That’s another reason why we prefer to teach the other techniques first. This one is more dangerous in concept. Don’t abuse it.”

Sweetie Belle gulped. “I won’t, I promise.”

---

Silver Spoon was on edge. Her opponent was half a head bigger than her, and more advanced.

“Okay, Silver Spoon, Starfall, go.”

“Hiyah!” Silver went straight for the kill, lunging towards the unicorn with a powerful jab.

Starfall sidestepped it and slapped at Silver’s arm, letting off a hiss of magic through her hoof.

Stupid, stupid…

Silver winced and backed up, hooves up for defense.

“Easy on the positioning, Silver. Remember, slide, glide.”

Starfall wasted no time applying more pressure. Silver Spoon squinted to try and see the girl’s pressure points. A slight glimmer in her opponent’s right hoof warned of an incoming attack, so she ducked and struck with the same contact magic behind it.

Starfall backed away and chuckled. “One for one. Not bad.”

“Keep your guard up, Starfall,” Blazing said.

Silver Spoon growled and jumped before Starfall could react.

“Mercurial Hoof: Seven Deadly Blows!”

“Wait, what-”

“One!” Silver hit the girl in the stomach, pouring her anger and pure hate into the blow.

“Two! Three!” A right and a left to the lungs numbed Starfall’s arms. Something slipped inside her through Silver’s blows, she felt. Something cold and wet.

“Four!” A dull blow to the chest followed, and again that cold wetness seeped in.

“N-no, don’t…”

“Good, Silver, good, finish it.”

Starfall gasped. She couldn’t breathe.

“Five! Six! Seven!”

The last three blows hit her like a precision blade in the stomach. Starfall went down in a pile of agony, barely able to twitch. She panted for breath, but her lungs wouldn’t work. She wanted to crawl towards the medic, but her muscles had seized up.

Silver Spoon panted. “How was that?”

“Perfect, Silver Spoon, just perfect.” Blazing applauded quietly. “Good poise, good aim, perfect harmony. Starfall, get up.”

“Cuh-can’t… move…”

Blazing Trail rolled his eyes. “Well, we’ll consider that a good sign, then.” He nodded towards some of his other green belts to carry the groaning unicorn girl away.

Silver Spoon didn’t care. She had to prove herself, assert her dominance.

“Now, then, class, who wants to take on Silver Spoon next?” Blazing asked.

All of them backed away. All, except one blue pegasus colt who looked a bit on the muscled side, possibly a junior swimming trunks model from the looks of it. “I’ll take her, if she promises not to do that again.”

Silver Spoon arched an eyebrow at the kid. If he was willing to spar with her, maybe this was that second best rookie she’d heard about. “Okay. I’m kinda, like, spent after that anyway.”

“Ah, ah,” Blazing said, holding a hoof up. “Never admit to a weakness. If anyone asks, you can keep that murdering technique up all day.”

“Got it.”

Blazing nodded in approval. “Okay, you practise regular fisticuffs with Whimper for a bit, I’m going to go inspect the rest.”

Silver Spoon squared off against the colt, upright and eyes glaring with power.

The rest of the white belts feared her, she could tell. They stole glances at her, quick little peeks just to see if she’d notice, and notice she did.

They were all the same here: weaklings looking for strength.

And she’d found it, by embracing the simple fact that respect isn’t earned, it’s given. It’s given by the fearful, to bargain for safety.

None of these kids would have to pay her much respect. But the ones she shared a classroom with? The ones Miss Cheerilee always protected and never punished? They’d have to start paying a steep price for their safety.

“Hiyah!” The colt struck, and her reverie was broken.

At least she could work out some of that aggression here.

And it really helped to pretend she was beating up on those wannabe ninja Crusaders.

---

Once the lesson was over, Sweetie Belle walked home with a weary sigh.

“You guys wanna do anything else today?” Scootaloo asked as they headed out.

“Not me. I’m plum tuckered out again,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Me too. Dodging’s a lot more exhausting than it looks,” Rumble said, before cracking his shoulder joints.

Sweetie Belle pouted “Yeah, I don’t really feel like anything else today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Spike quirked an eyebrow at the girl. “I’ll walk you home. See you tomorrow!” He waved at the others, careful to waddle quickly enough to be out of earshot.

“You don’t have to, Spike. I’m going home, not to Rarity’s.”

“I know. But you look kinda down,” Spike said. “Mind if I ask why?”

Sweetie Belle huffed and puffed her chest out. “It’s not fair. Why does everypony else get some super special fighting technique and I only get dodging?”

“Umm, because Ash said so?”

“Besides that. Why don’t I get to learn how to fight like you did?”

“You did, Sweetie Belle, we did that yesterday.”

“But I stink at that!” The girl’s voice cracked again, making her squeak like a stuffed toy.

“So?”

“So, I want to fight like you, and I can’t. And the fighting that I can do is useless.”

Spiked looked away and scratched the back of his head, his usual habit of trying to think of the right thing to say. “Are you sure that’s a problem?”

“What do you mean?”

“Not that it’s any of my business, but the way I figure it, that Shadowbolt is teaching us whatever Element fits our personality, because that’s what we don’t have to think about. We’re learning how to fight with what comes natural, right?”

“Right.”

He shrugged. “So, does fighting come natural to you?”

“No. That’s the whole point.”

“Exactly. The point is that you’re just not the type to attack anypony. You’re the type to stop a fight.”

Again, Sweetie Belle huffed. “And how am I supposed to do that? All I learned today was dodging and choking. Neither one is gonna help me.”

“No, but all the other stuff will. And what you learned today might help you stop a fight before it starts. None of us got that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Someone tries to hit you, any one of us start hurting them back. You don’t. You can dodge, and stay out of the fight. You can talk a pony down.”

“I don’t think that’s ever going to work against someone who really wants to fight, Spike.”

“You never know. If I could trade with you, I would.”

This came as a surprise to the little filly. “Really?”

“Yeah, sure. Out of all of us, you’re the only Junior Ninja whose first instinct is gonna be to not fight. That’s not so bad, if you think about it.”

While she still had a pout on her face, it was at least a smiling pout now. “Maybe. It still feels like I’m behind, though. You’ve all got these awesome punching moves and kicking and special sight and stuff.”

“Don’t forget the firebreath.” He snickered.

“Yeah, that too.”

“Maybe you should ask Ash about it, then, we’ll be doing nothing but practising tomorrow. We did all get extra lessons out of the dojo.”

“Maybe, but I doubt I’m up for that right now. Thanks for walking me home, Spike. I think I need a warm bath.”

She grumbled all the way to the front door, before a thought occurred to her.

Maybe I should ask Silver Spoon for some tips.

---

Scootaloo went home, to her Aunt Vinyl’s place. She didn’t fly today. She didn’t feel like flying.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked. “You’ve been out of it the past couple of days.”

“I’m fine,” Scootaloo lied. “Just got a lot to think about, is all.”

“A lot, like what?”

“Like...”

What really happened to Whimper in that class?

What did they do to my friend?

And why did I want them to?

"Nothing, Apple Bloom. It's nothing."

Author's Notes:

Really short one, this time. The whole Whimper saga with the Feather Cloaks was initially written separately to make it easier to keep track of, and this is where it shows. Still, there are a few minor details shown here that are kind of important. Like Silver Spoon already mastering the Seven Deadly Blows, and Starfall apparently falling out of favour somewhat.

The thing with Sweetie Belle's fighting style is also yet another nod to Naruto: we get so many awesome characters, with great gimmicks, who either only fight off-screen or not at all. Told, not shown. And yes, some of the elements are taken from the same sources as Airbending in Avatar. That was based on actual martial arts, I forget the name.

And Scootaloo's guilt? Well... it's coming, soon-ish.

It's All My Fault! Sweetie Belle Falls!

Sweetie Belle had woken up with renewed vigour the next morning. She kept her elbows up high, minded her positioning, she slowly got the hang of waving her arms around like wings while Scootaloo practised her pressure point attacks.

“Good Phoenix Stance, Sweetie Belle,” Ash said. “Up, down, dodge, push. Hooftip, cannon, duck, elbow, good. Now go faster, you gotta get that combo down like a routine.”

“Like a dance?” Sweetie asked.

“Exactly. Like a dance. Don’t even think about it while you’re doing it. That goes for you too, Scootaloo. Start stringin’ it all together, one smooth motion. The less you have to think about it, the faster you can do it.”

Scootaloo nodded and sped up, flicking her hooves at her opponent’s shoulders with enough force to make a whiplash sound, though how much of that was from any magic she was putting into it and how much was pure speed was anyone’s guess.

Sweetie Belle felt it, though, the little flecks of cold liquid playing over her fur, the sting of contact magic. If she let a hit land in the wrong spot, Scootaloo could really cause some damage.

Not that she was worried, of course: it was a friendly sparring match, and neither of the girls was trying to hurt the other.

Sweetie Belle ducked under a slap, then slapped away another.

Right there!

Almost like she was gliding over the floor, her right hind hoof moved forward to put her into position. The rest of her body followed with a mere afterthought. She put her front hooves against Scootaloo’s belly and breathed in.

When she breathed out, her arms were stretched, Scootaloo was gone. And lying on the floor at a safe distance.

“Nice one, Sweetie Belle. But I was going easy on you,” Scootaloo brushed off her defeat and winked.

Ash’s ears perked at that. Scootaloo hadn’t quite gotten over her nerves yet. Whatever had happened with her and the Feather Cloaks was still bothering her, most likely.

“Okay,” Sweetie Belle said with a shrug. “Then don’t go easy on me this time.”

Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “I won’t.”

“Do you mean that, Scootaloo?” Ash asked.

“What?”

“Are you really not going to go easy on your friend?”

“Well, maybe a little. I don’t wanna hurt her.”

Ash nodded. “Sweetie Belle, good technique, you’ve got the basics of dodging and distancing down. But now, make sure you finish the job, too.”

“Umm, how?”

“You know how. Once the enemy is floored or you see an opening, basic chokehold. Don’t press into her neck, though: only put your elbow on her collarbone. You’re gonna want to do this more than once.”

Scootaloo gulped. “Okay, a little more intense this time. Ready?”

Sweetie Belle took the Phoenix stance again, arms wide and high, and nodded.

She barely had time to gasp before a bullet shot out towards her shoulder. Even with her practice in slow-motion vision, it was hard to track Scootaloo’s lunge. She managed it, though, barely. She sidestepped the blow, then moved into Tiger Stance, bunched up and hooves close for quick jabs. A dull blow to Scootaloo’s gut shocked the girl enough for Sweetie Belle to move behind her.

A kick to the right leg, and Scootaloo went down. Then it was just a matter of hugging her with one arm before Scootaloo hurriedly tapped in surrender.

“Okay, okay! You got me! Don’t squeeze, don’t squeeze!”

Sweetie Belle let go. “Umm, I wasn’t going to, Scootaloo. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” Scootaloo said, shaking her head. “It’s nothing.” She stood on all fours to catch her breath.

“It doesn’t look like nothing to me,” Ash remarked. “That was sloppy, Scootaloo. You should have seen that coming. You need to be more mindful of what’s going to happen next.”

“I know, sir, I know. I’ll try to work on it.”

Sweetie Belle squinted in confusion. She waited for Ash to turn his back.

“Spike, how many times do I have to tell you? No Giant Fireball Jutsu indoors!” He yelled.

That was a good enough distraction as any. Sweetie Belle tapped her friend on the shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Umm, you sound like you’re going to cry. Are you?”

Scootaloo psh-ed at the very thought. “No. Come on, let’s keep going.”

“You’re not upset because I beat you, are you?”

“No, I’m not, and I’ll prove it. I’ll beat you right here and now.”

---

Fleur took a long, slow sip of her tea. “So, how have you been, darling?”

“Oh, busy as always,” Rarity replied. “I only finished Hoity Toity’s last order yesterday.” She nodded towards the mannequin behind them. Carousel Boutique was usually littered with them, but Rarity had remembered to clean up before inviting her old friend over.

Fleur de Lis hummed and nodded. It was beautiful ensemble Rarity had put together: a rainbow-patterned dress that fell back on the flank, along with a golden laurel leaf. Not something she was used to seeing, but it was a traditional fashion among pegasi, she knew.

“What about you? Do you really have an apprentice now? And one in full alicorn armour, no less?”

“Oh, Hammer? Yes, I got him this summer. Lovely boy, really, but so insecure sometimes, especially about his armour. Just getting him to take it off is like pulling teeth, even for his mother.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Fleur sighed and sipped her tea again. “Dear Hammer is rather… self-conscious, I suppose. His parents tried signing him up for a club or a class after a few, ah, incidents, but he’s still panicky at the moment. He startles too easily, and that’s not even mentioning what he can do in a match. Singular tutoring works better in such cases, and I happen to know his mother, in a professional sense, so...”

Rarity yelped when that errant lock of hair sprang up again. “Argh, what is with this mane of mine?” She quickly rubbed it down.

“Been working too hard, darling?” Fleur asked with a chuckle.

“Well, that too, but it never gets this bad. That lock has been acting up all week, ever since Ash showed up.”

Fleur chuckled. “Ah, yes, the Ashen Blizzard. He has that effect on ponies.”

“You know him, too, then? In a professional sense?”

“We’ve met, and talked, in official capacity. I know his successor better, she and I move in the same circles. But Ash himself moves in entirely different spheres of influence. I’ll have to introduce Hammer to him soon.” She shuddered at the thought.

“Hmm? Is that a problem?”

“Oh, no, not a problem, merely a concern. It’s just that Hammer is, how you say...”

“Boyishly impatient?”

“To say the least. He already wants to challenge the Ashen Blizzard in combat.”

Rarity nearly choked on her tea at that. After seeing how he fought Rainbow Dash – his own daughter – she could hardly bear to think how he’d treat an uppity challenger, and such a young one at that. And an alicorn to boot, he’d mop the floor with the poor boy just for sport. “And can he?”

“Warrior Meets are open to all. He has the right to challenge any school as a Fencer, to get their appraisal of him for ranking up to Duellist. But any grandmaster has the right to shift the challenge to a student, that’s the rule.”

“Oh, my. Fencers, Duellists? Pardon me, darling, but you’re going over my head at the moment.”

“Mes excuses, I forgot. Most of the ponies I’ve talked to the past few days were martial artists, and Hammer was there for most of them. It’s not that complicated, really: a Fencer is a martial artist who swears allegiance to the crown, not to any school. They have a very strict code of conduct.”

“Like etiquette school, then, for warriors?”

“Yes. They, we, are a remnant of the old days of duelling. Once Princess Celestia started imposing one single set of rules on all schools, she needed arbiters. Fencers are the students; they learn the basics of their craft. They learn to wield at least two weapons, two styles of unarmed combat, the basic rules of engagement, and one peacetime occupation, usually one of the aristocracy’s old hobbies. Little Hammer’s an actor, or he used to be, before he started covering up. Not a bad dancer, either, if you can get him into a ballroom without him wearing three coats of padding. Who knows, he might perform again soon, if he gets over this ghastly skittishness. You’d like him, I promise.”

Rarity smiled knowingly. “I’m sure. Why does he cover up, though, do you know?”

At that, Fleur chuckled. “Oh, yes, I know full well why. It’s personal, that, private. Suffice to say my apprentice doesn’t like ponies seeing him for what he is. Anyway, a Fencer can join the higher ranks of Duellists if they can prove they’re able to do their duty. They need to be able to stop a fight that’s going too far, step in and defuse an altercation, so the way to test that ability is, you know…”

“By letting them prove their worth in a sanctioned match.”

Fleur nodded. “Exactly. Unarmed combat. The rank of Master at Arms, my rank, is attained by measuring against an armed opponent, among other things.”

“Goodness. You never struck me as the warrior type, Fleur.”

“Non. I never struck you, indeed. I do not, ah, strike any of my friends as a warrior, if you catch my drift.”

---

Sweetie Belle smiled as she took the Phoenix Stance. Scootaloo growled under her breath, going into Bear Stance with a firm look in her eyes. Frustration built up under her skin and bled out into her mind. She could focus properly now, to see the vague pressure points she had to target.

“Ready when you are,” Sweetie Belle said.

Without further warning, Scootaloo struck. Her right arm whipped out from thigh height to slam at Sweetie’s neck, but the unicorn barely managed to sidestep it.

Sweetie Belle’s hind hooves glided over the floor, her whole body smoothly moving for the counterattack. Another shove and she’d be able to unbalance Scoots again, knock her down.

A stabbing pain in her arm stopped that plan cold. Scootaloo had already raised her guard up and adjusted her footing, and now she had the edge of a hoof pressed firmly into Sweetie’s elbow.

Sweetie Belle gasped. The shock that went through her body was almost enough to not notice the watery sensation flowing over and into her arm. It was like ice, cooling her blood. The anger behind it tasted metallic, almost.

Scootaloo wasn’t done yet. Another whiplash of her hooves, this time a one-two blow on Sweetie’s shoulders, drove the unicorn back.

Sweetie Belle tried to move, tried to adjust her sights to see the blows coming, but her eyes were beginning to water from the sheer pain. Her breath quickened, her heart pounded, and something deep inside her begged her to turn tail and run.

A firm shove from Scootaloo’s shoulder cut that train of thought off. Sweetie Belle went down, her arms throbbing and even twitching from the abuse.

“O-ow,” she barely managed to squeak out.

Ash moved over to stand next to the pair. “Good technique, Scootaloo. You do that punch and tackle on somepony who wants to hurt you, they’ll change their mind right quick. Not a bad sort of energy behind it, either. Kinda reminds me of what the Feather Cloaks teach their youngins. I take it you did not demystify and assimilate the proper instructions on your own?”

Scootaloo stood on all fours now. She panted and gasped for breath. That anger, that hate, that will to kill, it was still there.

“I-I…”

“Scootaloo? What’s the matter?”

---

Seeing Whimper brought a smile to her face every time. She couldn’t think of why, exactly, since she’d only known him for a brief time, but that big blue lug had just grown on her. Scootaloo flew towards him and his friend, with Rumble in tow, and landed in Bogsdown Park.

“So how’d it go? Did you sign up? Did you make the cut?” Scootaloo asked. “Umm, was there a cut to make?”

Whimper winced and looked away. He kept his head low again, like before. The confidence he’d built up the past few days had run out, apparently. “Umm, no. I didn’t. There wasn’t, but I didn’t sign up. I’m done. No more classes.”

“Why not?” Rumble asked. “I thought Blazing Trail wanted you on his team?”

“Umm, he did, but things got a little awkward. I only had to take three classes from him, after all. I did what Coach Buster told me to, I went to the third class, so it’s done. No more having to be a Feather Cloak.”

“This isn’t about what you showed us last time, is it?”

The boy gulped. Peachy Pie stepped in, ever on guard. “It kind of is, actually. Turns out Blazing Trail had some ideas Whimper didn’t agree with. And you can’t really take lessons from someone you disagree with that badly.”

“Really? What’s the problem?” Scootaloo asked.

Whimper bit his lip and sighed. Then, to everyone’s surprise, he smiled. “I don’t wanna talk about it. What do you guys wanna do today? We can’t go to the park, but there’s a skating rink downtown.”

“I didn’t bring my gear,” Scootaloo said.

“We could watch, maybe see some new tricks,” Whimper suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Rumble replied. “And hey, I’ve been looking up what you said, do you know any books about that special touch thing?”

“Oh, yeah, there’s, umm…”

As the boys walked off, caught up in their own conversation, Scootaloo prodded Peachy Pie with a wing. “Is he okay?”

“I think so,” Peachy replied. “He was really down after what he did to you.”

“Ugh, figures. Too chicken to stand up for himself. Can’t you talk him into joining that class? It’d be good for him.”

Peachy winced. “I don’t know, Scootaloo. Whimper doesn’t listen to me, not like he does to you. And I think Blazing Trail might have crossed a line somewhere.”

Scootaloo furrowed her brow. “I wonder what happened.”

“Scootaloo? You okay?”

Scootaloo shook her head to clear it. “Huh? Yeah, I’m fine. Is Sweetie Belle okay?”

“Owie… I don’t think I can keep going after that.”

“No matter, we’ve been at it all day. Time to wrap up, youngins. Everyone up front and we’ll do the cooldown exercises. Good work. Scootaloo, you too. You’re gettin’ better.”

“Thanks,” Scootaloo said. “Am I ready for tomorrow now?”

“Close enough, sure. Y’all are good enough to compete, but I’ll still make sure you don’t end up with any opponents outta your league.”

“Good.”

Ash squinted. What has got that girl so rattled, I wonder? What did those Feather Cloaks do to her, or her friend?

---

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo took off towards their home, Rumble flew off with a wave, and Spike walked by Sweetie Belle. “You want me to walk you home?”

“No, I’m okay, Spike. Just a little bruised up. I’m heading over to Rarity’s first anyway. She said one of her friends wanted to meet me.”

“Oh, okay. See you tomorrow!” Spike waddled back to the other girls.

Sweetie Belle winced as she walked. Her arms wouldn’t bend properly, her legs were shaky, and something in her head was pounding into her horn.

Was that really Water Style, was that what Scootaloo’s friend had taught her?

Was that the sort of thing he already knew? Wimpy must have been a really scary boy, then.

No wonder she didn’t want to bring him over. Sweetie Belle could relate to that.

I wonder how he is now?

Would I know him if I saw him?

She sighed and stopped her pondering. Her body ached, and that was something she could do without. Sweetie tried to reach out inside her, to find the icy magic that Scootaloo had left in her and maybe thaw it out. It wouldn’t work, though, she didn’t have the concentration for it. Maybe Rarity knew how to undo this sort of injury, or her friend might. Ash would probably tutor her today, after yesterday’s little break.

“Hey, blank flank.”

Sweetie Belle gasped and looked up. “Umm, hi, Silver Spoon. Diamond Tiara. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, we just wanted to see how far you’d gotten in your martial arts training,” Diamond said.

“Umm, we’re actually done today. We’ll be at the Meet tomorrow if you want to have a friendly match.”

Silver Spoon smirked and slowly strode towards the girl. “Why not now?”

“What?”

“Why not have a friendly fight, you and me, right now?”

“Umm…”

---

The scream that echoed through Ponyville sent chills down Scootaloo’s spine.

“Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom barely had time to turn before Scootaloo was up in the air and rushing towards the source of the sound.

When the flying filly got there, Sweetie Belle was down and unconscious, with Silver Spoon standing over her.

“Too easy,” Silver said.

“What did you do?!” Scootaloo dove and landed right next to her prone friend.

“Just a little practice, that’s all. Why, you want some, too?”

Scootaloo growled. “What is the matter with you? You hurt her, you seriously hurt her!”

“So what?” Diamond got right in Scootaloo’s face. “You think you never hurt us? You think it’s okay for you to get away with everything? Well, guess what? Now Silver Spoon’s gonna beat up you and all your friends, and there’s nothing you can do about it. We did Sweetie Belle a favour: she lost where nopony could see it.”

Silver Spoon chuckled and took off her glasses.

Scootaloo took a step back when she saw it. Behind glasses it was hard to tell, but it was clear now.

Those eyes.

That intense look of a killer.

Weird how familiar that sort of thing can get.

“So, what do you wanna do now? Your friend didn’t put up much of a fight,” Silver taunted, nailing her to the ground with that look.

Scootaloo backed away another step.

“I think she’s scared, Silver Spoon,” Diamond Tiara taunted.

“Don’t,” Scootaloo said. “Don’t do this. Please don’t do this.”

“Or what? What are you gonna do, huh? Cry like a little baby?” Diamond kept stepping forward, Silver Spoon didn’t budge.

Scootaloo stopped. Her throat ached, and tears welled up in her eyes. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”

Silver squinted, almost reading her mind. “Oh, I think I get it. Maybe she’s thinking of getting her friend. What’s his name, Windy? Wimpy?”

Scootaloo shivered. “Don’t joke about that. I mean it.”

“Come on, Silver Spoon, you can take her,” Diamond said. “We don’t have to wait.”

“No, we don’t.” Silver Spoon cracked her shoulders and got into position.

Bear Stance.

She really is a Water Style fighter. So that Mercurial Hoof Spike was talking about-

“C’est fini!”

The power in the mare’s voice was enough to break even Silver Spoon’s concentration. “Huh?”

“That is quite enough, young lady,” Fleur said as she came trotting towards them.

Rarity ran over to Sweetie Belle. “What did you do to her?”

“Mercurial Hoof: the Seven Deadly Blows. Don’t worry, I only used four. And a little extra on her throat, just to get some peace and quiet,” Silver Spoon replied. “She’ll be out cold for a bit, and coughing for about a week. I wouldn’t let her sing for at least a month, though.” She smirked evilly at that.

Rarity bared her teeth. “You little… you monster! Why would you do such a thing? What did she do to deserve this?”

Silver Spoon put her glasses back on, then looked Rarity right in the eyes. “Begging your pardon, Miss Rarity, but you don’t see what your little sister does in school, and you don’t know what she did at our cuteceñeara. She’s had this coming for a long time.”

“Be that as it may,” Fleur stepped towards the girls. “You have no right to assault the girl.”

“And who are you?”

Fleur snorted ever so gently. “In Canterlot, I am known as Fleur de Lis. In fighting circles, I am known as Lee, Master at Arms. Et vous?”

Silver cocked her head and smirked. “Silver Spoon, Feather Cloak genin and daughter to Silver Bullet. And if you’re really a Master at Arms, you should know that means I had every right to fight her; she’s in a ninja school and so am I. Only a ninja can sneak up on another ninja.”

Rarity checked Sweetie Belle’s throat and heart. “She needs a doctor, now.”

Fleur put a hoof on Scootaloo’s back, letting some calming energy flow in. “Let’s go.”

“But… they…” Scootaloo looked back and forth, torn between her friend and payback.

“They will get what they deserve,” Fleur said. “But not now. Your friend will be fine, she just needs some rest, that is all. And you need to calm down.”

“Sweetie Belle?!” Apple Bloom called out, finally caught up with Spike waddling behind her.

Rarity already had her sister on her back and started a careful trot towards the nearest medical attention.

Fleur, meanwhile, stared down at Silver Spoon.

“Are you threatening me, Ma’am? If you wanna fight me, you’re more than welcome to. But, umm, I think you’re only allowed to do that to test me, and I’m only gonna get tested by other ninjas.”

“No matter,” Fleur said. “You will see.”

Silver Spoon scoffed. “What, you think Scootaloo’s gonna beat me? Or Apple Bloom? They’re noobies. I have Demon Hunter magic, I know the Seven Deadly Blows.”

Fleur let out a quiet concession of a mutter. “Hrmm. Advanced techniques, to be sure. And I must concur, there aren’t many little monsters like you running about.”

Silver Spoon smirked proudly at that.

“But you are still not the only monster in this region.” She closed her eyes and shuddered. ”There are... others, ma petite, and they do not take disrespect such as yours lightly. So I warn you: do not do this again. As strong as I’m sure you are, you do not want to attract any attention.”

As much as they wanted to think it was a bluff, the way Fleur said it sounded oddly genuine, enough to drive Diamond and Silver a step back.

“There’s nopony stronger than Silver, not in Ponyville,” Diamond gloated.

“Oh, there is one, I assure you. Have you met my apprentice, Hammer? I’m sure you’ve seen him around, covered head to hoof in triple-layered armour. He’s hard to miss. Armour-plated wings?” She smirked. “Steel-coated horn?”

Silver Spoon nodded. “We’ve met. He didn’t look all that strong, to be honest.”

“I imagine he wouldn’t, to a filly with, and pardonnez-moi for pointing this out, your school’s notoriously limited powers of perception. Though I’m sure your father has attempted to remedy that weakness.” She pointed to the girl’s glasses. “My apprentice has to hold back most of the time, you see. He has a hard time finding sparring partners who can last long enough to test him. But, seeing as you’re so advanced, I’ll be sure to send him your way, Silver Spoon. I look forward to seeing you in real combat.”

“It’s a date,” Diamond Tiara replied. “And hey, if you still wanna try to fight Silver Spoon, you’re more than welcome to, chickenwing.”

Something snapped in Scootaloo then. “You…”

“Walk away, little girl.” Fleur nudged Scootaloo to turn. “There’s nothing more to be gained here.”

Scootaloo’s tears had been welling up, but she’d managed to hide them until she had her back to the pair.

She let it out after what seemed like an eternity.

It’s all my fault.

Again.

Author's Notes:

It's pretty obvious Silver Spoon is modelled after Neji Hyuga by now, right? So having a master Lee involved kind of adds more depth. It's a play on how the toys spell her name, sort of.

Other than that, I think it's all pretty obvious. The Fencer progression from Battle for Wesnoth, I brought up before, right?

Yup, absolutely nothing that needs clarifying here. Just a little longer and the Warrior Meet can begin. And I can spoil that Apple Bloom takes on Hammer, which is what I'm hoping to get the new cover art for by the time it rolls around.

Calm Before the Storm! Scootaloo's Painful Decision!

Sweetie Belle groaned, then whimpered. “W-what happened?”

“Mercurial Hoof, ma petite,” Fleur answered. “A very painful, very dangerous martial arts technique, based on one of the Iron Saddle techniques. A variant that is fed by cold hate, and if I had to guess, combined with a Demon Hunter attack designed to silence spellcasters. I’m Fleur de Lis, by the way, your sister’s friend. She’s gone over to the dojo to explain what happened.”

Sweetie Belle tried to wriggle under the sheets. She was in Carousel Boutique, she realised, in the room Rarity had set up for her for those nights their parents were away. “W-where’s-”

“We’re here,” Scootaloo said, hopping up on the bed with Apple Bloom in tow. “We’re fine. Silver Spoon didn’t beat us up.”

Apple Bloom huffed. “Why did she attack you? Did she say anything, was she mad at you?”

“I think she’s always been a little mad, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Well, we can’t let this slide. Silver Spoon attacked you, she hurt you. After we tried to apologise and everythin’. That just ain’t couth.”

“I’m afraid it is by the rules of your school, though,” Fleur de Lis said. “Ninja schools are meant to train their apprentices in the arts of ambush. As foul as it was, Silver Spoon’s attack against you fell within the rules of the Warrior Meet. There’s no glory in it for her, but she won’t be penalised for it.”

“My throat really hurts.” Sweetie sat up a bit.

The girls winced when they saw her body.

“What?”

Four blows, four marks, all clear bruises that showed under her coat, like stains of ink.

Fleur sighed. “It seems Silver Spoon wasn’t bluffing. You are fortunate she only struck you four times like that. Seven would have landed you in the hospital. Here, drink this, it’ll soothe the pain.”

Sweetie Belle carefully sipped the tea Fleur gave her. “Thank you, Miss Fleur.”

“De rien. I did notice a slight twitch in Silver’s left wrist, by the way. Did you sneak in a little retaliation there?”

Sweetie Belle blushed. “Just a little one. She’s too fast for me.”

“Faster than the naked eye?” Fleur asked.

“Yup.”

The mare pursed her lips as she thought aloud. “Hmm, wu ju speed. The Highlander technique, no doubt; letting the emotional state of an alpha boost your striking speed. It’s a more common skill in pegasi than it is in Earth ponies. Blazing Trail must really like her, if he taught her all that. Or her father did.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll square this out,” Apple Bloom said.

“What?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, we gotta. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara decided to attack Sweetie Belle. They’re gonna come after us next if we don’t do somethin’.”

Scootaloo shivered. “W-what do you want to do?”

“Same thing we were plannin’ to do: fight at the Warrior Meet. We gotta stand up to Silver Spoon, or she’ll be walkin’ all over us for the rest of our lives.”

“Are you implying you wish to exact vengeance for your friend?” Fleur asked.

“Not just us, Miss Fleur. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon have always been a little snooty, and they get up to trouble, but they’ve never been this bad. They’ve never been worse than, than…”

“Than us?” Scootaloo asked.

Apple Bloom sighed. “Yeah. They’ve never been any worse than us. And if we let’em keep acting like this, sooner or later they’re gonna start treatin’ the rest of our class the same way. And I ain’t taking that. I’m sorry, I’m all for turning the other cheek, but at some point your whole face just goes red and then you can’t sit by anymore. You gotta draw the line somewhere, and I say we draw it right here.”

Fleur nodded. “Well said.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“Well said, Apple Bloom. It’s one thing to want revenge for an injustice, but wanting to protect your classmates is another. And I did hear about that Gabby Gums story, too.”

“Yeah, not exactly our finest hour,” Scootaloo noted.

“But then what is your plan? Challenge the Feather Cloaks at the Warrior Meet?”

“Can we?”

Fleur nodded pensively. “You can. But a challenge for retribution stands from one school to the other. It’s always possible Silver Spoon’s master shifts the challenge to a different student. It’s always possible the Ashen Blizzard has you take a challenge from somepony else first.”

Apple Bloom felt a tremor go through her. The memory of Hammer’s strange contact magic was still fresh in her mind. “Somepony else, like that alicorn kid?”

“You’ve met my apprentice.” Fleur smiled brightly. “He speaks quite highly of you, you know. He’s from around these parts, too.”

Apple Bloom let her head rest on her front hooves. “Right, I forgot about Hammer. He’s gonna want to fight me too, ain’t he?”

“I suspect he would. It will depend, though. He may change his mind if he hears about this little incident. But I can’t force him; I don’t have that kind of control over him. I can’t guarantee he won’t challenge you.”

“Okay, then. If I can’t do it, you’re gonna have to, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo’s wings and mane almost jumped up at the very thought. “What? Me? Why me?”

“Silver Spoon uses the same style you do: it’s Water style.”

“Yeah, it did kinda feel the same,” Sweetie Belle said, still occasionally sipping the tea. “You might have a better chance than me.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No.”

“No, what?”

“No, I can’t. I can’t fight Silver Spoon, not when she’s like this.”

“Why not? Don’t you wanna fix this?”

“I…”

---

Whimper smiled peacefully as he lay with his friends, watching the other kids skate around. His breath was slow now, but deep.

“So what happened?” Scootaloo asked.

Whimper gulped. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“But I thought things were going better now?”

“Scootaloo, leave him alone.” Rumble nudged her. “You know you shouldn’t push things.”

“But come on, I thought you wanted to get better at fighting? Haven’t you been practising?”

“Yes,” Whimper replied. “I have. I’ve been doing my special exercises for a few weeks now, too.” He winced and rubbed his belly. “You know, on the side. Master Blazing doesn’t know about that. I don’t think he’d approve.”

“So why wouldn’t you join the Feather Cloaks?”

Whimper bit his lip. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to talk about that, either.”

“But, did they call you names or something?”

“It’s nothing, Scootaloo. Hey, look, that kid can do a triple spin on one hoof, on a skateboard!” Peachy Pie nodded towards one of the teens.

Scootaloo didn’t notice. “Well?”

Whimper snorted. “I just didn’t like the lessons, that’s all. And I don’t want to go back there. Feather Cloaks are scary.”

“Sure. You want ponies to keep picking on you, then? You want to be the runt again?”

“No. But I don’t want to be a Feather Cloak, either.”

“Why not? Why are you so scared? Did you just forget all about Flight Camp?”

“Scootaloo, will you give him a break already?” Rumble asked. “He’s obviously shaken up. Don’t push him when he’s down.”

“No. You know what? No. Maybe somepony should push you. You’re too soft, and you know it. And now you finally find a teacher who’s showing you how to toughen up, and you don’t want it. I thought you learned to stand up for yourself at Flight Camp.”

“I did,” Whimper argued, as much as he could with a voice that seemed stuck on whisper mode. “But I didn’t forget everything that happened before Flight Camp, before I met you. It’s not that easy. Besides, I’m still trying out different fighting styles. I just don’t want to get tied down.”

Scootaloo grumbled. “I’m bored. Isn’t there something else we can do?”

“What’s gotten into you lately, Scootaloo?” Rumble asked. “You’re so antsy all of a sudden.”

“I am not antsy, I just don’t like sitting around all the time. Can’t we go and do something?”

“I could go get my frisbee. We can throw that around,” Peachy Pie said. “What do you think, Whimper?”

Whimper took in a deep breath through his nose and breathed it out slowly through his mouth, almost sighing. “Sure.” His ears twitched like something in his head was bouncing around out of control. One of the veins on his right shoulder, just below the fur coat, throbbed with frustration.

His face looked so calm, though.

Scootaloo took that as a win. They could have fun and not let Whimper be such an emu downer. If she could just get him to open up again, like he did at Flight Camp, it’d be fine again. It’d be fun again.

Not like the way he was at the start of Flight Camp.

That got her an idea. She’d first gotten Whimper to come out of his shell by tricking him into joining a cloudwrestling competition on day one. He’d gotten pretty far, and made enough of an impression to make sure everyone there knew his name. That was when Scootaloo had realised that maybe he had some backbone to him, maybe he wasn’t such a pushover.

She could still gently nudge him towards things, but at least he spoke up when he didn’t like something. At least he talked. Now, it was like none of it had even happened, like he’d lost what little backbone he’d developed.

Something was different about him now, and it had been since they’d gotten back home from camp. His eyes were all wrong, his ears didn’t move the same way anymore, and his skin twitched in odd places, more like an animal’s than a pony’s. It was like someone else was wearing his skin now.

Like he wasn’t the same boy she’d made friends with.

She had to fix that, and fast.

---

“I can’t,” Scootaloo said.

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t fight Silver Spoon. I’d only end up making things worse.”

“Scootaloo, you don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. This whole mess is my fault. I started this. And I don’t know how to fix it.” She sobbed. “I’m sorry, Apple Bloom, but I can’t, I just can’t.”

With that, Scootaloo walked away.

Fleur sighed. “I need to be going, as well. Keep your throat warm, Sweetie Belle. Drink enough tea, eat some honey, it’ll soothe the pain. Keep your voice down, and don’t try to use any magic for at least five days; you’ll short circuit yourself. I’ll be sure to let my apprentice know about what happened.”

---

Hammer plopped his rump down on the floor when he got back. “I’m home!”

Fleur looked up from the newspaper she’d barely started reading. His timing, as always, was impeccable. “How was your run, petit?”

“Exhausting,” Hammer replied, taking off the arm guards of his armour. He still had cloth on underneath, but it was one step in the right direction of cooling him.

“Well, it is quite warm outside, even for an autumn day. Still, do you feel better now, at least? Did anypony stare at you?”

“Not at me, just at my armour.”

Fleur’s nose curled. “You are sweaty, mon garçon.”

“I know, my ventilation spell isn’t perfect yet. I’ll go wash up later.”

Fleur got up, before marching over to him. “Non, you are going to wash up now. Take off your armour, please, and I’ll put the fabrics in the washer.”

Hammer winced. “A-are you sure?”

“You’re going to have to get used to it sooner or later, Hammer. Take it off, please.”

“O-okay.” He reached in with his magic and tugged at the cord that tied everything together. He only had to undo a few knots, but they were fiddly, nevertheless. The red thread that ran through the dark cloth covering his body withdrew like a snake, and dropped the hard plates that had been attached through it. Arm guards, leg guards, wing guards, chest plate, helmet, mask. It was a ritual for him now, a source of comfort. That is, it was a source of comfort putting it on, not taking it off.

Finally, the thread withdrew from the central seam around his chest, allowing him to step out of the bodysuit and shed the padding underneath. Just a regular little pony underneath all that, that’s what everyone kept telling him.

That’s the lie that refused to take hold in his mind.

“All of it, Hammer.”

He gritted his teeth. He had one piece of armour left, the most important one. It always came down to that: the one piece he couldn’t shed. Just that one little thing. “Can’t I keep this on until I’m in the bath, please? Just the last piece?”

Fleur rolled her eyes. “I suppose just one shan’t hurt. ‘Ave you considered your challenge for tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’m gonna challenge the Nine Dragons, definitely. Maybe I’ll get to fight Apple Bloom again. She’s fun, and pretty nice.”

The white mare smiled. “Still going through with your plan, then, very well. Yes, Apple Bloom would be a fine opponent, I suppose. She does appear to have taken the Blizzard’s lessons to heart. But she’s not an experienced warrior, as you know.”

“Does that make a difference?”

“It depends. If you display your skills properly, it might be enough. But, if you wish to measure your skills against a more worthy opponent…”

Hammer stopped. His ears twitched. “I thought you said there weren’t any more sparring partners for me? Not for real. Not here.”

“It appears I was wrong. The Feather Cloaks have a new rookie. Silver Spoon, her name is, the daughter of Silver Bullet.”

“Family ties don’t make a warrior,” Hammer joked. “Look at me.”

“Non, but they do make for easy access to high-level techniques. Techniques such as the Seven Deadly Blows.”

He froze. “Whoa. That grey girl knows the Mercurial Hoof already?”

“She does. And she attacked one of the Blizzard’s students today. Not your Apple Bloom, mind you, but one of her classmates. If you really wanted to, you could challenge Silver Spoon, see how you fare against the Feather Cloak top rookie. ‘Twould certainly bolster your reputation. What do you think?”

Hammer bit his lip and forced himself to breathe slowly.

Fleur smiled at that. He’d come so far in such a short time, and with so few opponents that matched his age and level.

“I think maybe it’s best if I decide once I’m cleaned up.”

“Very well. I’ll be down here, I’ll leave the metal plating for you to clean, the rest I shall take care of.” She almost patted him on the back, but she withdrew her hoof halfway. “Ah, sorry. You go wash up, then.”

---

It happened so fast.

Scootaloo grumbled and looked away, because Whimper was moping so much. Then those three kids showed up.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” A white unicorn colt with a blue mane and tail, done up to look like Shining Armour, had approached her.

“What?”

“Are you a Feather Cloak?”

Opportunity knocked on her door at last. What else was there to do? “No, but my friend is.”

Whimper came up behind her. “What’s going on?”

The unicorn kid cocked his head towards Whimper. “You’re the new Feather Cloak rookie?”

Whimper’s ears fell back against his head. “No. Master Blazing asked, but I turned him down.”

“Why?” a second kid asked, a green pegasus with a dark green mane, white highlights running through both.

“I didn’t feel like joining. I didn’t want to take the classes in the first place.”

“So it’s true what they say. You only look strong.” The third one was an Earth pony, mostly burgundy, but blonde on his head and tail.

All three had the same short and neat manecut, mostly the same style of tail, but the Earth pony’s tail was thicker and tied up in a bunch, like Applejack’s was.

These kids were in a club. The same club.

Rumble and Peachy Pie came right behind the boy, Peachy’s errand for her frisbee forgotten.

“If that’s what you want to believe, fine.” Whimper turned to leave.

“Hey, you don’t have to take that from them!” Scootaloo called out.

“Let it go, Scootaloo,” Whimper said. “It’s not worth it.” He looked at the three boys who’d approached him. “I do not want to be a Feather Cloak. Why, that’s personal. If you three want to join, that’s fine. It’s just not the right school for me.”

“I don’t think you understand what we’re saying,” the pegasus started. “We want to see how strong you are. There’s been some rumours going around town about a kid on steroids.”

Whimper’s ears went straight up. His jaw clenched. “I… never… took steroids.”

The unicorn scoffed. “That’s not what we heard. We heard you took pills to look tough, but you only got the looks. You can’t fight, not for real. All you can do is show off. You’re a disgrace to sports ponies everywhere.”

Whimper let his head hang. “Then I guess I’ll just have to wait for the Royal Guard to arrest me, right? Since steroids are illegal and all. My mom will be pretty sad, but I guess that’s what happens.”

Scootaloo growled. “Come on, Whimper, don’t let them get away with that. Show them what you’re made of.”

The Earth pony chuckled. “Yeah, show us, Wimpy. Or do you want your girlfriend to do the fighting for you?”

Whimper kept his back to them. His arms and legs quivered, his breath came in deeper, like he was bracing himself. “I don’t want to fight you.”

Scootaloo’s chest ached at the sound of his voice. He sounded so broken, and there was nothing she could do to cheer him up. He was beating himself up, sabotaging himself, for no reason. That Master Blazing guy was right. “But, Whimper, you’re good at it. Your cutie mark-”

“Please don’t. I don’t care if I’m good at it. This isn’t Flight Camp. I can’t fight. All I’d do is get in trouble.”

The Earth pony kid on the left snorted. “Looks like it’s not just a rumour, then. Okay, chickenwing, we’ll leave you and Wimpy alone. Wouldn’t want to hurt anypony.”

Scootaloo snorted. If you want something done right…

She shoved the first kid. The unicorn stumbled back, then punched her right in the nose.

She fell on her back, on the soft grass. She hardly felt it. It wasn’t even a real punch, more like a slap.

He wasn’t trying to hurt me. He didn’t even make me bleed.

What followed was chaos. A blue, growling blur swished over her and spread its wings to guard her. She could swear she saw a bit of foam trailing from his mouth.

The unicorn tried to punch again, but Whimper sidestepped it and snap-kicked him in the knee, before driving the tip of one front hoof into the kid’s gut and delivering a hammer blow to the head with his other one.

The Earth pony kicked at his head, and connected, but with the hard end of a hoof. Whimper jabbed at the colt’s inner thigh once, twice, thrice, wrecking that leg before tossing him into the third kid.

Number three, the pegasus, was the smart one, waiting to go into a combat pose before making any sudden moves. He feinted left, Whimper punched straight ahead into the kid’s nose. With a flap of the wings, the kid backed up, but Whimper wouldn’t relent. Another blow to the face, this time just below the left eye, and finally the kid thought to raise his hooves for defense. Whimper didn’t bother trying to bypass it. He raised both his arms and thrust straight ahead. Those guarding hooves, that pitiful defence, connected with the kid’s face, and that was it.

Three down, just like that.

“What is going on here?” A stallion called out as he came running towards them. “Whimper? What did you do this time? You are in big trouble, Mister.”

“Whimper?” Scootaloo got up and walked up to him. His head was down, his eyes were closed. When he opened them to look at her, all she saw was pain, anguish, but most of all, betrayal.

She’d started the fight. She wanted this to happen.

“Look what you made me do. Why, Scootaloo?”

“I-I… I thought you’d...”

“You thought I’d what? Be better off? Be more confident? Be more violent? You wanted me to beat up anypony who talks down to me? You thought it’d be better if I was a Feather Cloak? Well, you got your wish.” He shook his head as more ponies came towards them. “Are you happy now?”

They all flocked around the three felled boys and around Whimper. They didn’t even see Scootaloo, or hear Rumble’s protests. Peachy Pie didn’t bother objecting, no doubt she’d seen this sort of thing happen once too often.

“Go,” Whimper said. “Leave. I need time to think.”

“Whimper, I-”

“I said: leave. Please leave? I really need you to not be here for a little while, okay? I need to think,” he said in between sobs. “I… I need to think. I thought the Feather Cloaks were wrong. I thought I knew who my friends were. But you keep proving them right, and I can’t decide on what to do if ponies keep trying to fill my head with ideas I don’t want. I can’t…” He reached up to his forehead and clenched his jaw in agony, like something was trying to burst out. “I don’t know what’s in my head anymore. I don’t know what’s mine and what’s been put there. There’s too much talking, and I can’t hear...”

“I didn’t mean to.”

That remark got him some clarity. He bared his teeth at her. “Yes, you did. You did this on purpose, I’m the one who didn’t mean to. So please… just go? I don’t want to see you in Bogsdown ever again.”

“I’m sorry.”

---

She’d been replaying that scene in her head for months since. It haunted her every time her friends brought up his name, every time she almost hurt a friend in martial arts practice, and now it haunted her in her sleep.

That’s not really how it happened. Rumble and Peachy Pie tried to explain it, some of the grownups listened. Nopony knew who those kids were, that was suspicious enough. He didn’t hit them that hard; they made a lot of noise about it.

And Whimper never said he never wanted to see me again. He just needed time to think. He didn’t get angry at me. He was too tired for that.

He wanted to know if they were right about him.

Because they were right about me.

I did this.

I wanted him to fight, to be confident, to be a bully.

I took my friend’s life and ruined it.

I just wanted him to feel better.

Scootaloo got out of bed with a groan. Her eyes burned, but they were dry. She hadn’t cried in the night.

She hugged her legs and clenched her whole body tight.

“I can’t do this. I’ve ruined everything.”

She gulped and looked at her alarm clock. Five thirty in the morning, too early to start the day.

She tried to get back to sleep, but found herself tossing and turning.

Her tail twitched, her wings bunched up.

“I can’t be here today. I just can’t.”

Author's Notes:

One more preparatory chapter, then the Meet begins in earnest. There is a line of dialogue I've been looking forward to using for years, and it's finally going to arrive. I'd say I hope you're as hyped as I am, but that would be impossible. You'll know it when you read it.

So... yeah, another mostly obvious chapter. Scootaloo's been guilt-tripping over starting a fight Whimper finished. It gets spelled out what the big drama is with her versus Silver Spoon and Diamond, but it's already heavily implied here.

The actual dialogue in that scene is stuff that was actually said mixed with stuff Scootaloo imagined. So how bad things really are, you can't judge quite yet, but it should convey the weight of the guilt she's been dealing with, at least.

If this were a manga or an anime, this would be a good place to end a volume. This ends the subplot of what happened to Scootaloo's friend, ties it into the present danger, and sets up the Meet. It's also the end of the lessons, sort of. Okay, so it's not a perfect match.

Scootaloo Flees! A Shaky Start to the Meet!

The Ponyville Junior Ninjas came together that Sunday morning, eight o’clock sharp, in front of Ponyville Library. All except one.

“Where’s Scootaloo?” Spike asked as he and Twilight exited.

“I don’t know,” Apple Bloom said. “She said she didn’t wanna fight, but she was gonna show, at least.”

Sweetie Belle winced. “You don’t suppose Silver Spoon…”

“We’d better go check.”

The kids galloped towards her house, or waddled, or limped at a relatively fast pace. By the time they got there, there was a white unicorn with a spikey blue mane and tail, both with a light blue streak down the middle, looking out at the sky.

“Miss Vinyl?” Apple Bloom asked. “Where’s Scootaloo?”

Vinyl Scratch shook her head. “You just missed her; she left about a minute ago. Something’s got her pretty rattled. I don’t suppose you’d know what it is?”

“Umm, I got into a fight with Silver Spoon,” Sweetie Belle said, her voice still raspy. “And she beat me up pretty badly. I think Scootaloo might be feeling upset about it. But it wasn’t her fault.”

Vinyl sighed and nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. Scootaloo doesn’t worry a lot, but she does it real good when she gets around to it. Probably guilt-tripping again, I guess.”

“What do you mean, guilt-tripping?” Spike asked.

Vinyl nodded to the pegasus colt in their midst. “Ask Rumble over there. He was with her when it happened.”

Rumble lowered his ears and backed away. “W-well, I…”

Apple Bloom squinted, suspicious. “Rumble, what do you know? What is going on? Is this about that Wimpy kid?”

“His name is not Wimpy,” Rumble said.

Vinyl slowly stepped out of the doorway and sat down. “If you’re not gonna tell’em, kid, I will. I don’t know what she made you promise, but I’m not sworn to secrecy.”

Rumble sighed. “I guess I can’t really help it if you tell.”

The unicorn nodded. “A couple of weeks after she got back from Flight Camp, Scootaloo came home all shaken up. She’d gone to see her friend in Bogsdown again, with him.” She gestured to Rumble.

“Shaken up?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Shivering, wings buzzing, she couldn’t fly straight for some reason. I asked her why, and she said that Whimper didn’t want her to come over again.”

Sweetie Belle furrowed her brow. “But I thought they were friends?”

“Me too. So, naturally, I asked her what happened, exactly, and, umm, the way I understand it, the kid had been having some anger issues, and one of the local martial arts teachers wanted to recruit him. Only, the martial arts he was teaching required the kid to get angry at his opponents, to be cruel. And Whimper didn’t agree with that. Can’t say I’m surprised; he seemed like a nice enough boy to me.”

“So why did he want Scootaloo to stay away, then?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Beats me. Scootaloo never told me.”

“He attacked some kids,” Rumble said.

Vinyl raised an eyebrow.

“We were at the park, and some kids came over to us. They started saying some stuff about him and… things got a little... out of control.”

“I don’t get it,” Sweetie Belle said.

“The martial arts school trying to recruit him was the Feather Cloak school, the one Silver Spoon is in. And the excuse they had to make him attend those classes was that he’d hurt a classmate. His coach from school kinda blackmailed him into it,” Rumble explained.

“But they can’t do that; that’s awful,” Apple Bloom said.

Rumble winced. “Not here, no, but that’s how they do things in Bogsdown. It’s the athletic capital of Equestria: you don’t just sign up to a school, you sign up to a sports club. The rules are different there. Schools can exchange students like sports teams do. I guess his coach wanted him to be more valuable to trade away.”

“I still don’t understand why Whimper would want Scootaloo gone, then,” Sweetie Belle said.

Rumble let out a heavy sigh. “Because after that, the second time he lashed out, they said he had to join the Feather Cloaks. They assigned one of their green belts to keep an eye on him, make sure he wouldn’t, you know, fall in with the wrong crowd. The Feather Cloaks got it into his head that he had to be strong, not get pushed around by anyone, not take orders from anyone. And, well, you know Scootaloo.”

“Oh. She didn’t take that very well, huh?”

Rumble nodded. “You might say that. Whimper didn’t agree with the Feather Cloaks on everything, but he was pretty good at what they do, and they turned out to be right about a couple things. So, you know, he kind of… got confused, I guess. Whimper said he needed time to think, he’d come over here to tell her everything was okay again. Only, he never did. That green belt girl stuck around, even when I tried to hang out with him. She never told me to leave, but it was pretty obvious she wanted to.”

“And Scootaloo just left it at that?” Apple Bloom asked. “That don’t sound like her at all.”

The boy shrugged. “Maybe she’s snuck out of town a couple times to see him again, but I wouldn’t know. He never talked about it; he couldn’t, not with another Feather Cloak watching him all the time. He made me promise not to tell when I went back there.”

Apple Bloom pondered that. “Wait. Miss Vinyl, did Scootaloo say where she was goin’?”

“Nope. Probably just some quiet spot to think. Or Bogsdown, maybe, wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t pry into my little niece’s life as long as she doesn’t hurt herself. My guess is, she got scared, seeing those Feather Cloaks around here.”

A shiver ran down Apple Bloom’s spine. “Hang on, so is that Whimper kid here, in Ponyville? With them? Is that why Scootaloo ran off?”

Vinyl shook her head, thinking. “There’s a lot of stuff going on with that ninja school, is how I heard it. She might be scared of seeing him now, if he did join that school. What do you think, Rumble?”

Rumble grumbled. “I can’t say, I’m sorry.”

“Why not?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Because Whimper’s the only reason I know how to fight. He’s the one who showed me how to move, how to breathe properly, how to meditate. He kept showing me stuff even after he got in trouble, even after the Feather Cloaks started bullying him about the ponies he hangs out with. He’s crazy good at fighting. He never told me to stay away, even when he should have. He’s my friend, and I promised I wouldn’t tell on him. So I can’t. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.”

“Well, can you say if she’s scared of him, at least?” Sweetie Belle asked.

He bit his lip and thought long and hard, before nodding. “Yeah. I think she is. To tell you the truth, so am I, sometimes. And if you ever met him, as nice as he is, you’d be scared too. You’d be terrified.”

“I doubt that,” Apple Bloom said. “Takes more than just a regular pegasus pony to scare me.”

Rumble looked away. “Yeah, sure, regular pegasus pony… Funny you should mention that.”

“That answers that, then,” Vinyl said. “I’m sure Scootaloo’ll be back soon. Just give her some breathing room, let her find a quiet spot to think, she’ll be fine.”

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to go to the Warrior Meet without her. Thanks, Miss Vinyl.”

“No problem. You be careful when you fight, okay? There are some mean little monsters in town right now.”

Apple Bloom snorted confidently. “There always have been. But now we’re gonna show’em we’re not scared of any of ‘em.”

Scootaloo kept the tears at bay, but just barely.

“Thanks again, Thunderlane,” she said as they crossed the border of Froggy Bottom Bog. No hydras out today, that was a plus.

“Don’t mention it, all in a day’s work. But, umm, why do you need to be here?”

“I need to talk to somepony,” Scootaloo replied.

The undergrowth made way to reveal a road, then a sterile-looking outpost building, then some houses. Before long, they were flying over parks and courts, all taken by jocks of various stripe: hoofball, dodgeball, then the other kind of hoofball, and the third kind of hoofball nopony really cared about, and then the martial artists taking up the nicest parts of the parks. Apparently the kids of Bogsdown hadn’t gotten the memo that today was a holiday. That’s just how things were in this town.

“We’re here. You need me to come along?”

Scootaloo sighed, but managed to smile anyway. “No, I can handle it from here. I know some ponies on the Weather Patrol here, I can make it back.”

“Okay. See you around, then!”

“See you. And thanks again.” She gathered up all her courage and flew down to ground level.

Bogsdown. The athletic capital of Equestria. The town where every pony was a competitor.

Home town of the only pony she felt truly safe around.

She walked up to her target and knocked on the door.

“Oh, hey, Scootaloo. What’s up?”

She caught her breath, before forcing out a smile. “Hi, Peachy Pie. Can I come in?”

“So Scootaloo won’t be joinin’ us, then?” Ash asked.

“No, sir. We think this whole business with Silver Spoon, and whatever happened with her friend, it might be a little too much for her,” Sweetie Belle said, before coughing.

The Shadowbolt nodded. “She’s gotta fight her own battles, I suppose. So, which ones of y’all are gonna be making an entrance into the arena today?”

“I am,” Apple Bloom said. “I’m not gonna let Silver Spoon walk all over me.”

“Me neither,” Rumble agreed. “I’ve been practising that magic thing, like you said. Plus, Whimper taught me a few tricks. I think I can take her.”

Moongazer chuckled. “You just might, actually. But you’ll have to catch her off guard. A fighter that can do that kind of damage to a pony, you don’t get a lot of room for error.”

“I won’t be fighting,” Sweetie Belle said meekly. “My throat really hurts.”

“Try not to talk too much, Sweetie Belle. Silver Spoon may not be very accurate, but the way she can discharge her energy, she doesn’t need to be. Let your voice rest,” Moongazer said.

“Well, I am fighting,” Spike said.

The ponies all stopped to turn and look at the little dragon.

He shrugged. “What? I wanna see how I measure up. Twilight’s brother used to show off his moves, I want to see what I can do.”

“You do realise that means the Feather Cloaks might challenge you, right? I know at least one of their rookies trains in dragonslayer techniques,” Ash said. “Dragons have a reputation, and some ponies might want to build theirs by fighting one. They’ll be gunnin’ for you.”

Spike grimaced, but didn’t relent. “I’m not scared of any sleds! Besides, I’ll probably run into that sooner or later, might as well prepare.”

Ash rolled his eyes as they resumed their trek, ignoring Spike’s misunderstanding. “Doesn’t your guardian have something to say about that? She’s not going to try and use magic to help you win, is she? She seemed like the type.”

“My guardian? You mean Twilight?” He chuckled. “Yeah, she would do that. But she got asked to do a demo on shield magic. I’m not sure if she can even make it to my fight. She told me to be careful, and that’s it.”

“Wait,” Sweetie Belle said. “There’s demos while you fight?”

Moongazer nodded. “Yes. And speaking of which, now might be a good time to learn some of the ground rules. You’re going into a challenger’s circle, one meant specifically for children. There are several of those around town today for the different weight classes, along with a few demonstrations. Since the challenges for recognition are all for foals today, Ash will be presiding over that.”

“When we get to the Meet, the other head of the Equestrian Warrior Society will be sitting next to me,” Ash continued. “If y’all want to fight, you’ll be sitting close to either me or Moongazer. If your fights are over, or if you don’t want to fight, just join the crowds. Are the other Elements of Harmony coming?”

“My sister is gonna watch somethin’ on how to fight predators, actually,” Apple Bloom replied. “And then she’s taking Winona to a defence dog training.”

“Really? Applejack isn’t gonna watch you fight?” Spike asked.

“Big Mac convinced her to stay away. I wouldn’t want her to make a scene.”

“Good thinking.”

“But Rarity’s gonna be there, and Pinkie Pie’s gonna be up in her balloon, I think, taping the whole thing. I don’t know about Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy, though.”

“Rainbow Dash had a previous engagement at the dam,” Ash said. “Weather Patrol business. As for Fluttershy, she’ll be the medic for your fights.”

This was a slightly more difficult piece of info for Apple Bloom to process. “But Fluttershy’s not a doctor. Or a nurse.”

“We needed those for the other demos.”

Still, the girl felt something was off. “But Fluttershy only takes care of small animals.”

“So do you object to being labelled ‘small,’ or do you mean to say you’re not an animal?”

“Point taken.”

The plaza came into view. Crowds were gathering around the ring already, and the seats of the two heads of Equestria’s Warrior Society stood open and waiting.

---

Hammer liked to meditate before putting on his armour. It was a good way to ground himself, to become rooted in the moment.

With a touch of magic, he put on the first piece: a chest piece, like the ones the Royal Guards wore. Then came the inner layer of fabric, a less comfy sensation, but a necessary one, nonetheless. He stepped into the costume with his arms and back first, then wriggled his legs through and tied the whole thing down like a corset. It covered him fairly tightly, head to hooves, leaving only his face open, but it wasn’t enough.

More rope.

With another steady breath, cords around him sprung to life and coiled around his arms and legs, carrying thick metal bracers along and weaving through the padded fabric. He tightened them around his limbs and neck, then made a firm knot under his outer chest plate. Another wriggle, and his wing protection was in place, adding more plates to his sides.

He chanced a look in the mirror. He almost looked normal, once he got his tail covered in metal flaps. Black cloth padding under shiny metal, he almost looked fine.

Almost.

The heat started to build, and with a whisper, the rope covering him started to cool. Standard circulation magic, and with his practice he could move naturally with his armour now.

Wizard armour, like that of the Eastern Unicorns of old: plates and guards woven into a costume, not clumsily buckled or riveted like a grunt’s. No one would know him like this. No one would recognise him.

Last came the helmet and mask. His head disappeared under it, then some coverings for his muzzle completed it. What looked back at him was a walking enigma, no hint of the shape of his muzzle, eyes occluded.

He was a warrior now, a soldier who could blitz through any opponent.

Unseen, unknown.

No name, no pain.

“No name, no pain. No name, no pain,” he repeated to himself until the mantra sunk in. His fur lightened under the padding, becoming numb to all but the friction of the rope harness that bound the pieces together. He became isolated, cut off from the world. All the better to focus on his task. He felt the magic course through the threads, making them resistant to foreign influences.

Perfect.

“Are you ready, Hammer?” Fleur asked, knocking on the door.

“Ready.”

She came in and smiled. “You look lovely, and your armour is as keen as always. I’m sure everypony will be impressed.”

“Thank you.”

She raised her hoof in clear view of him, and he nodded.

The hoof came down to pat him on the back, then went down lower to pull him into a hug.

“Try to fight at least once without your coverings today, alright? Just once, if you have to, take it off, if only as a sign of respect. You can’t keep this on forever.”

He shivered, then tensed up. He didn’t want his composure to break, but he was slipping. “I will. Take it off, I mean. But not right away, please? I don’t think I can do it just like that.” He gulped and took a deep breath to steady himself.

Fleur pulled away and stroked along the plated surface of his wings, then his armoured horn. “Wait and see. If the Ashen Blizzard wants to fight you unarmoured, you know what to do.”

He gulped. “Do you really think I’m ready?”

“I know you are. You are a capable fighter, and an honourable one at that. When you feel up to it, step out into the light, and stop hiding.”

“But what if I don’t feel up to it? What if I can’t?”

“That is a question I cannot answer. If that happens, it will be between you and your fears. One will have to bow before the other, simple as that. Now, come on, we mustn’t be late.”

---

The Warrior Meet’s challenger’s circle was everything the kids had been expecting. Especially Spike, who still hadn’t cut back on his Neighruto consumption and as such had been expecting exactly this.

In the central square, a rounded rectangular platform had been raised up from the ground, presumably using unicorn magic to either teleport the stone or pull it up from the ground. The crowd building around it was the predictable mess of Ponyvillians who wanted to mark ‘kids beating the snot out of each other’ off of their Ponyville Strange Sights Bingo, mixed in with a gaggle of Royal Guards at the end closest to City Hall, as well as the actual warriors.

And in between the civilians and the warriors, there were two seats. One was currently occupied by the only Shadowbolt in Equestria – almost prompting Daisy from the flower shop to yell ‘Bingo’ -- the other was empty.

The Ponyville Junior Ninjas, at least the ones who would be fighting, stood patiently behind their master.

“Now where is that silly pony? You’d think the head of the Warrior Society would be punctual,” Ash started.

“Who is the second head, anyhow?” Apple Bloom asked.

At that moment, there came a blood-curdling cry, the likes of which struck terror into the hearts of nightmares, monsters, and croissant bakers everywhere.

“Citizens of Ponyville! Your Princess of the Night hath arrived!”

Ash slapped himself as the alicorn landed. “Princess Luna, always a pleasure.”

“Master Ashen Blizzard, good to see you,” Luna greeted. “And hello to your apprentices. Spike, I didn’t know you were studying the finer arts of combat.”

The little dragon waved meekly. “Hi, Princess Luna. Yeah, I’m, uh, I’m learning.”

“Good. Now, what is it you were saying about punctuality, Ash?”

“Would you mind tellin’ me why we’re even here? We had a Meet in Manehattan in the summer. If anypony wanted to be tested, they could’ve just waited for the next one,” Ash said.

“Oh, don’t be such a buzzkill,” Luna joked. “The Warrior Meet is a sacred tradition, we must do our duties.”

“And this wouldn’t have anything to do with the foreign delegates arriving in Canterlot today?”

Luna humph-ed as innocently as she could. “Now whyever would that matter?”

“Well, you do have a bit of a reputation for skippin’ out on meetings, Your Highness. Some ponies might think you’re bigoted.”

At that, Luna scoffed and held her head high in typical Canterlot ‘I can’t see where I’m going, and may run into a wall, but at least I don’t have to look at you’ fashion. “D’oh, really, I am not bigoted; I am annoyed. And some individuals, I find more annoying than others.”

Ash grunted. “Which ones are you avoiding this time?”

She waited, for a moment. In high society, this was known as the ‘Royal Second.’ Much like the ‘Academic Quarter,’ its name didn’t refer to the actual length of time that passed through it, so much as it did refer to when it was appropriate to be annoyed by it. “The Asstralians.”

Ash flicked his ears, but that response still sounded silly, so it wasn’t his fault, at least. “Really? Those didgery-do-nothin’ donkeys are why we have to do this whole circus? What’s wrong with them?”

“Forgive me if I don’t trust anything that asks me to breed at the end of every sentence. Then there’s the Germanes and their exasperating flatulence problem. I wouldn’t mind it so much if they at least owned up to it.”

There, at least, the Ashen Blizzard had to concede the point. “Yeah, Germanes do have a bad habit about misrepresenting their gas emissions.”

“Now, then, is everypony in place?”

“I believe so.”

Luna squinted, somewhat confused. “There aren’t that many young ones out today, are there? Most of the masters are-ah, of course, the Feather Cloaks are participating. Silly me.”

“They are. Do you wish to begin, or shall I?”

The princess smiled evilly. Or rather, reformed evilly, which was kind of like an evil smile but would pass the national censors much more easily. “Oh, let me. Unless you want to give your students some time to prepare, mentally?”

“Give me a sec.” He turned to the kids. “Youngins, after Princess Luna makes the announcement, you’re gonna have to step up up to that platform and officially stand as a challenger. If any of you want to back down, last chance.”

None of them did.

“Good. Now, just one more thing you gotta know. You’ll be fighting under the eyes of the Royal Guard, and the Princess. Try not to make too much of a scene, if you don’t have to. Most of the ponies here on official business have seen all the drama, but the locals might be new to it. Keep that in mind. Oh, and one more thing, very important, might save your life.” He leaned in to whisper.

As one, the little ninjas leaned in closer to hear.

“Keep your aural channels closed while Her Royal Highness makes her declarations.”

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Cover your ears while Luna’s talking. You’re close by and, err, I think she gets a tiny bit carried away sometimes.”

---

In… and out…

In… and out…

My body is heavy and relaxed. My Inner Pearl is clear and pure. My Jade Gates are guarded.

I am calm, and centered.

I am in trouble.

Everything I do is wrong.

I can’t meditate like this.

Whimper sighed in the shade of a tree in the park, his usual meditation technique failing spectacularly. He couldn’t even be bothered to enjoy the nice summer day. He leaned back and looked up, and tried to stop thinking altogether. For once, he was sad to find that even that didn’t take. Nothing felt right anymore. Not his mind, not his body, even his soul, if he even had one left at this point. It wouldn’t have surprised him if he didn’t.

Starfall didn’t say a word when she approached him. She sat down next to him and sighed, looking down at him with sympathy in her eyes.

“Hey, Starfall,” he said.

“Hey. I heard about what happened yesterday. That fight.”

Whimper buried his head in his hooves. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know. Scootaloo did it.”

“Uhuh.”

“She threw the first punch?”

“Yes.”

Starfall nodded. “And… did you do anything to stop her?”

He let out a breath with a hiss. “I told her not to. I told her to let it go. It’s me they wanted to fight, not her. They wanted to get me upset. The stuff they said, it was...” he gulped and shivered. “But it was my choice. I didn’t want to fight.”

“So Scootaloo chose for you.”

“Yes.”

“She wouldn’t listen.”

He closed his eyes, pouted, and nodded.

Starfall shook her head. “I told you. I warned you this would happen. You wouldn’t listen to me. You see what happens?”

He sobbed, his ears already down and his wings clenched against his sides.

It hurt her to see him like this, it really did. All that talent, all that raw strength, not to mention his cutie mark, and all it took was one careless girl to make him shrivel. “So… Coach Buster told me he’s thinking of getting you suspended before the school year starts. Disciplinary action, protecting the teams and all. Doesn’t sound fair to me.”

“It’s not,” Whimper moaned. “But there’s nothing I can do.”

“You could still sign up with the Feather Cloaks. Master Blazing would vouch for you. Coach Buster wouldn’t bother you anymore. And I’d make sure you don’t get into trouble with any girls.” She leaned in to nuzzle his head. “Doesn’t that sound nice? No more grownups yelling at you, no more girls telling you what to do, how to act. You could be yourself; a real alpha. All you need to do is sign up, and you’d be where you belong. That wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it?”

His head rose up from his hooves. A tiny smile formed on his face. “No, it wouldn’t.”

“So? What do you say? We could go to the dojo right now, Master Blazing’s still got that costume ready for you.”

Whimper shivered. “I guess… but I can’t sign up now.”

“Why not?”

Finally, he rose up and looked her in the eyes. “I told Master Blazing I’d decide after the Warrior Meet in Manehattan. If I go back on that now, I’d be breaking my word. I’d be acting weak.”

“You can’t afford to wait that long, Whimper. You’re going to keep getting into more trouble the longer you wait.”

“But-”

“Hey, Whimper!”

The boy looked to his right. “Oh, Rumble. Sorry, I didn’t think you’d show up.”

“Well, you said we’d go to that panda shop in Canterlot today, right?” Rumble looked at the teenaged unicorn. “Hi. You must be Starfall.”

Starfall gritted her teeth, as stealthily as a ninja filly could. “I am. And you’re Thunderlane’s little brother, huh?”

“Yup, that’s me.” Rumble smiled widely.

“Better keep working hard if you ever want to catch up to him, then.” She winked.

Whimper turned back to Starfall. “Umm, I kind of promised I’d go, so...”

“It’s okay,” Starfall said. “You don’t have to do it right now. I mean, you do agree it’s for the best, right?”

He bit his lip. “I need to think about it. And I’d rather think about it on my own, if that’s okay with you. I really need to decide this for myself.”

“Of course. You just come back when you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.”

Rumble and Whimper both took off towards Canterlot.

Of course Starfall knew he was lying; if he’d agreed to meet Rumble there, there was no way he’d forgotten. Still, he saw the light now. He knew where he belonged, and that’s all that mattered.

She could wait for him to sign up.

And after that, he’d be real alpha worthy of the Feather Cloak name in no time at all.

Author's Notes:

Next week, the fighting starts. Apple Bloom versus Hammer. The culmination of years of planning, of tweaking, of editing and rewriting. Get hyped, and don't read that chapter in public, or on a device that's easily thrown. You have been warned.

For this chapter, I added the Germane and Asstralian thing for the sake of adding a bit more humour, mostly to frame Princess Luna's character in this story. One is a pun, the other is a reference to current events and less current events, you might say. Totally didn't add fart jokes just because Naruto has those. Lucky coincidence, but not intended.

As for Starfall talking to Whimper, that was expanded on kind of late in editing, so I'm not sure how to feel about it. It's hard to explain when you've felt the experience of either magic practice or meditation, or any kind of trancework, and then you hit a hard point in your life. On the highs, it feels like everything is right, like what you see and what you want are one and the same. I'll blog about it in more detail if anyone's interested, or PM it. On the lows... well, loss of control over anything and everything, including your own senses. I can't speak from experience too much there, but I imagine it's like the whole world is gaslighting you. You think you did or heard something, but everyone tells you you didn't do that, or you heard wrong. That's the vibe I was going for.

I hadn't thought of the whole waiting thing until pretty late, too. It's something the Feather Cloaks use being used against them: he said he'd do it like that, Master Blazing told him to do it like that, so he has to, or he'd be admitting weakness.

What happened at the Manehattan Meet? Well, let's just say that around the time I got to this part, I'd been watching Iwatobi Swim Club. A similar thing happens in that series, with a great athlete leaving for Asstralia Australia to train with the best, only to find... well, spoilers.

The Pride of the Apple Family Versus The Mysterious Alicorn Colt! My Name Is...

Princess Luna raised a hoof and called out. “Welcome to the Ponyville Warrior Meet! In accordance with the rules set forth by the Equestrian Warrior Society, I hereby declare this challenger’s circle to be open! We shall commence with the new students. Let any who challenge step forward now.”

All at once, kids in the crowd took one confident step forward closer to the platform. Apple Bloom stepped first, followed by Spike and Rumble. Silver Spoon did the same, along with one conspicuously muscular-looking blue pegasus colt. Hammer, the kid in alicorn armour, completed the set.

“No other challengers?” Princess Luna asked.

“I’m guessin’ the rest are a little intimidated,” Ash replied, gesturing to the Feather Cloaks.

“Their loss.” Luna snickered mischievously. “Very well, then, Master Lee, you may commence the proceedings. Who challenges on your behalf?”

Fleur stepped forward. “My student answers to the name ‘Hammer,’ Your Highness. He is here for evaluation as a Fencer, hoping to promote to Duellist.”

Luna smiled at the boy. “I see. Well, then, Hammer, the floor is yours. You may issue your challenge.”

Hammer took a deep breath, audible even through his helmet. He shot a glare at the Ashen Blizzard from behind his visor. “I challenge the Nine Dragons School.”

A gasp went through the crowd.

Ash chuckled. “I thought you might.”

“Oh, dear, not this again.” Luna said. “Really, Ash, you’re not going to make another mess, are you?”

“Fear not, my perceptive princess, I’m prepared this time. I choose Apple Bloom to take your challenge.”

Apple Bloom’s ears twitched. “Wait, what?”

Ash lowered his voice. “You heard me, little girl. You knew this might happen, you accepted the terms. Now get out there and show that boy what you got.”

“But… Silver Spoon…”

“Is a grudge match I’m not lettin’ you fight in, not when you’re like this. You wanted to prove you’ve got what it takes to be a ninja. Take that boy’s challenge, beat him up nice and proper, and prove it.”

Apple Bloom grumbled and stepped out onto the stage. Hammer did the same.

“You knew I was gonna challenge Silver Spoon,” Apple Bloom said once they were face to face. Or rather, face to mask.

“Yeah, I did. I heard about what she did to your friend.”

“Then why wouldn’t you let me fight her?”

“Because a fighter like that would hurt you. I won’t. If you can beat me, soundly, then you can take on Silver Spoon, too. No hard feelings. But I kinda doubt that, no offence.”

Apple Bloom got on her hind hooves. “I’m gonna make you regret that, princey.”

Hammer chuckled and rose up, showing off the wave pattern of the plate on his chest. “Oh, I don’t know. I think this could be fun.”

Luna raised a hoof in the air, then brought it down with a firm swipe. “Begin!”

Apple Bloom let her eyes unfocus to see the alicorn boy’s aura. Nothing stood out in particular, aside from the peculiar way his armour seemed to be wrapped in his magic. Seeing no other way to kick off the event, she went with a roundhouse kick to his head.

“Haiyah!”

That heavy hind hoof with her whole body weight behind it landed harmlessly against Hammer’s metal-covered right arm. “Too easy.”

Apple Bloom backed off with a quick hop and jumped back into close range, holding her hooves up high to deliver some quick jabs to the unprotected sides of Hammer’s torso. He blocked and sidestepped her, though she did manage to get him on the defensive.

That is, until he struck at her.

Hammer had a mean wallop to him, and the hammer blow – she might have figured he favoured that type of attack – with a left to her neck left her reeling. She felt her left arm go numb, and as odd as it was, it felt like she’d pulled a muscle in her chest. No magic, though. He didn’t use the metal of his bracer to strike, either, it was only soft fabric that made contact. It still hurt.

She stumbled back and rubbed the sore spot. That was going to leave a bruise in the morning. Although, on closer inspection, it almost felt like it wouldn’t. Apple Bloom had had her fair share of accidents around the farm, and that blow didn’t have the stinging afterglow of a bruise. “Are you holdin’ back against me?”

“Maybe,” Hammer replied.

“Well, don’t. I ain’t gonna hold back against you.” With that, she was off again, pummelling and pounding where she could.

Hammer was on point, though, dodging what he had to and taking what blows did land safely on his armour. “Maybe you should, if you wanna beat Silver Spoon.”

Apple Bloom growled and stepped back. “What would you know about Silver Spoon?”

“I know she attacked a friend of yours,” Hammer whispered. “I know that’s upsetting, but it happens. And you shouldn’t be wasting your energy like this.”

“I ain’t wastin’ nothin’. You go down first, Silver Spoon’s next.”

“If you can’t beat me, you have no chance against her.”

---

In the crowds, Rarity was overlooking the proceedings with her little sister by her side. She sniffed the air and perked her ears when a familiar face showed itself. “Ah, Fleur, hello.”

Rarity smiled warmly and nodded in greeting. “Rarity, I thought I spotted you. Quite the show, isn’t it?”

Rarity nodded. “Hmm, quite. Shouldn’t you be with the other masters though, advising your apprentice?”

Fleur chuckled and cast a glance to the two ponies exchanging blows. “Not today, non. Hammer works better without distractions.”

Sweetie Belle whistled, impressed at the boy’s moves as he ducked and weaved like a real boxer, only ever snapping out a jab when Apple Bloom let her guard down, which ended up leaving the Earth pony taking quite a few hits to her exposed belly. “So that’s the alicorn kid, huh?”

Fleur nodded. “Hammer likes his armour, yes. Sad state of affairs, but that’s how it is.”

Rarity was about to comment, but her hair sprung up again. “Argh, what is it with this mane of mine?”

“Rarity?” Another voice came from behind.

“Oh, Cheerilee! Over here.” Rarity waved to the pink Earth pony to come closer.

Cheerilee wormed her way through the crowds to find her friend, with most of her class in tow. “There you are. Goodness, Apple Bloom really knows how to lay a beatdown, doesn’t she?”

“Quite,” Fleur said. “The girl has a good sense of rhythm. Shame she’s wasting her strength so, though.”

“What do you mean?” Cheerilee asked.

Apple Bloom let out a bellowing war cry as she whipped her arms at the boy, who took it all in stride. He ducked under a sweeping blow, took another on his arm bracers, stepped back to let another hit thin air. He didn’t even bother slapping the girl in retaliation, she was obviously tiring herself out.

In the stands, Fleur shook her head. “Hammer tells me Apple Bloom is an Earth type of fighter. Her natural disposition is towards close quarter combat, good use of footing. The Ashen Blizzard is a very competent teacher, when he does get around to teaching at all, but even keeping that in mind she obviously has a lot of strength and stamina.”

“She does,” Rarity remarked. “Farm girl and all. Always trying to uphold her family name, too.”

“My point exactly,” Fleur remarked. “Apple Bloom has sparred with Hammer a few times, according to him she’s a quick learner in the ninja style. By now, she should be a good match for him, but she’s going about this all wrong. She’s too unstable, too much jumping and hopping. She’s flailing angrily, ignoring natural movement. You can’t hope to beat an opponent like him that way.”

Cheerilee’s ears perked. “And exactly what kind of an opponent is that, then?”

“Pardon?”

“What kind of monster is that?” Snips asked. “Is that a real alicorn?”

The kids behind Cheerilee all stared at Fleur, anxious for her response.

---

Hammer blocked another blow, but this time he snapped out a jab towards Apple Bloom’s belly. He hit her dead-on in the gut, then mashed the edge of a hoof into her lower ribs. She tried to hit him again, but he slapped the blow away before it could connect with his helmet. They both exchanged blows now, but Hammer was faster, and it didn’t take long for that to become painfully obvious to the crowds.

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth and stumbled back. To her surprise, Hammer didn’t press the attack. He just stood there, one arm extended and the other behind his back, almost inviting her.

He was taunting her.

---

“I’ve seen that boy around town the past few days. So have the local children. He’s always in full armour, padded up and plated over. Why?” Cheerilee asked.

Fleur chuckled nervously. “Oh, that? Hammer has, ah, how you say, he is struggling with a, well, an acute case of gymnophobia.”

Sweetie Belle stared on as the fight continued. “He doesn’t look like he’s scared of the gym.”

Rarity chuckled. “No, Sweetie Belle, it means he has an aversion to nakedness. It means he doesn’t like seeing other ponies in their bare coats, or he’s scared of being naked himself.”

“The latter, in his case,” Fleur said. “I’ve been trying to get him past it, but progress on that front is slow at best. Baby steps so far, baby steps. And hopefully one giant leap today.”

---

Apple Bloom panted and growled as she got back into a fighting posture. “Stop stalling! I know you can do better than this.”

“So can you,” Hammer replied. “Stop flailing around and fight for real.”

“What?”

Hammer grumbled under his helmet. “You’re not fighting like you’re supposed to. You’re jumping around, punching and kicking at random. You’re embarrassing the Ashen Blizzard, for crying out loud. You need to stay grounded if you want to fight me, do it like you did before. So, do you want to catch your breath, or should I finish you quickly?”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Can we call a time out?”

Hammer nodded and raised a hoof. “Time out, please?”

“You get one minute,” Ash replied.

Hammer turned his back on Apple Bloom and went to get a drink.

Apple Bloom did the same once his back was turned, walking towards Sweetie Belle and Rarity.

“Try not to let him get under your skin, Apple Bloom.” Fleur said. “My apprentice is a very smooth talker when he wants to be.”

“Are you giving tips to the competition?” Rarity asked.

“Hammer is trying to showcase his abilities as a prospective Duellist. I want my apprentice to be challenged properly, as any master would. Can’t do that with a handicapped opponent, least of all one who isn’t fighting properly.”

Rarity shrugged. “Very well, then. Apple Bloom, that armour of his is a classical style. Don’t aim to batter it; aim to pull it, then bite it.”

“What?” Fleur asked.

“Grab for his arms and chest. Pull the bracers loose first, shake them if you need to; it’ll loosen the rope. That’ll make it easier to untie the plating.”

“You want me to rip his clothes off?” Apple Bloom asked. “Won’t he get mad?”

“Don’t worry about it, Apple Bloom; I’ve made costumes like that for the local Renaissance clubs. The metal is attached to a pattern underneath; those red threads come off all the time. You won’t be breaking anything valuable and you’ll be much better off fighting him like that. Trust me, that type of plating is only meant for blade weapons, it’s the padding underneath you want to target.”

Fleur shook her head. “Excuse me, Rarity, but I rather doubt you can get that off him quite so easily.”

Rarity smirked. “He’s wearing rope woven into his armour. That’s the weak spot.”

Fleur froze. Her jaw clenched.

“Rope?” Apple Bloom asked.

“He’s wearing Eastern Unicorn armour, not regular knight’s armour. You can tell by the lack of plating on his body: the Eastern regions never had a lot of iron, so they had to make do. That’s not an Equestrian design; it’s layered. And it’s held together by rope threads.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Wizards from that region used to wear rope under their armour; it helped them channel their energies through it. It also made it easier to shed weight if they had to flee, or if they were injured and needed to go in and out of combat quickly. There should be a pattern of strands and knots woven into the padding, into his costume, those red threads are what’s keeping it attached. Right along the front of his chest, there should be a central knot that ties the costume and plates together. That’s the emergency first-aid knot. Cut that, or loosen it, and the whole thing starts falling apart, leaving him in a long-sleeved shirt.”

“But won’t he just tie it back up with his magic?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I should expect so, but he’ll be distracted; the spell to tie it together is an animation spell, one that takes a lot of concentration. It cannot be done in the heat of battle. You’re a tough little girl, you only need to land one sound blow to his skin, don’t you?”

The girl weighed that in her mind. “Yeah, I guess I would… I can’t do any fancy magic stuff, but I can bruise him enough to take him down. All I need is to hit a soft spot hard enough to make’im buckle.”

“Rarity, I don’t think you understand what you’re dealing with here,” Fleur warned. “You’re better off just beating on the armour, Apple Bloom. Really. Concussive blows to unbalance him, much more effective and safer.”

Apple Bloom scrunched her nose and pouted. “I’ve tried that, and it didn’t work. So I think I’ll try Rarity’s way now. Thanks!”

Fleur bit her lip.

“No objections, I hope, Fleur?”

“You just told a little girl to strip the clothes off a boy who has a fear of nakedness.”

“Well, you did say you wanted him properly challenged, darling.”

---

Apple Bloom breathed more slowly now, and she moved carefully as she went into Turtle Stance. “Okay, coolin’ down’s over.”

“Good,” Hammer said. “Let’s go.”

Apple Bloom bent her knees slightly, moving carefully, deliberately, to line up a hammer blow to the boy’s neck. “Hayah!”

Hammer ducked and blocked it with a chuckle. “There you go, that’s better-wuh-wait, what are you doing?”

Apple Bloom grinned and quickly grabbed for his arm. “Makin’ this fight even.”

She took a firm hold of that arm bracer and started squeezing and twisting every way she could. Hammer wasted no time in correcting and retaliating, but a few shakes was all it took. By the time he managed to kick her off, a light glancing shove, the creaking and ripping on his arm gave away the proverbial chink in his armour.

“That bracer ain’t looking so tight anymore, Hammer,” Apple Bloom joked.

“I’ve still got cloth armour underneath,” Hammer replied.

“Not for long, ya don’t.”

---

Sproing!

Rarity grumbled as her mane sprung up again. “Honestly, what is it with this lock?”

Cheerilee let out a quick laugh. “Having mane problems, Rarity?”

“Yes, I’ve been having it all week now. Ever since we got the announcement for this Meet.”

Fleur winced as she saw her apprentice struggle to keep another piece of armour on tight.

Cheerilee took note of it, and the distress of her class at the sight of it. “They’re only playing, aren’t they? Apple Bloom’s not going to hurt your boy?”

“Well, of course they’re going to get hurt; they are fighting. But they won’t be hurt badly. It’s a friendly fight, they both know what they’re doing, so I don’t expect Apple Bloom to cause any real damage.” Fleur replied. “Not physically, I should think. But he’s getting anxious, she’s got him on the ropes. That’s not good.”

Rarity chuckled. “Get the strap on his abdomen, Apple Bloom! The belly! He’s trying to tighten it on the belly! Don’t let him lace it back up!”

Cheerilee ignored the sudden outburst. “So, fighting like this, it doesn’t usually result in any, as you say, real damage, then?”

Fleur raised an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

As if on cue, Apple Bloom went from beating and shaking at that armour to grabbing for Hammer’s neck and biting it.

Sweetie Belle cringed. “Eww. Apple Bloom’s a vampire now?”

Fleur shrugged. “No, but the techniques are similar.”

Hammer struggled awkwardly with the girl so close to him. He gave her some brisk elbows to her gut, but it didn’t shake her.

When she curled her neck back, she had a red rope thread in her teeth. Gnashing down, she bit it in two before finally letting go.

Hammer stumbled and turned, lowering his head and aiming his horn at her. “Stop it. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

Apple Bloom chuckled. “Sure I do: I’m winning. You told me to fight for real. Now you do it, too.”

Hammer’s horn glowed through the metal, and the rope mended itself, albeit slowly. His costume was loosened, and when he got back on his hind hooves, the bracers on arms and shoulders shook, and the one on his chest sagged. They weren’t skin-tight anymore, and that unnerved him. “This isn’t funny, Apple Bloom.”

“I ain’t here to have fun.” She growled. “Not anymore.”

“What is the matter with you? What’s gotten into you?’

Apple Bloom bared her teeth. “Silver Spoon hurt my friend. She’s gonna pay, and you’re in my way. So either you beat me or I beat you, and her.”

Hammer shook his head, adjusting the padding. “You’re not thinking straight.”

---

Cheerilee winced at the sight and turned to Fleur again, stepping forward enough so the kids wouldn’t hear. “I’m a schoolteacher. I teach Apple Bloom, and her friends. In fact, out of all the Ponyville children fighting today, the only one who’s not in my class is Spike.”

Fleur nodded and smiled. “Hmm, now I see. You are that mare.”

“Yes, I am. I think after today, I may need to be prepared to handle this sort of aggression in the classroom, if you catch my drift.” Cheerilee stole a glance towards Sweetie Belle and her class, but they were all too busy watching Apple Bloom fight to notice.

“It depends on the fighters, really,” Fleur said. “If they are both trained in the arts, as these two are, and they have no real quarrel with each other, then no, no real damage done. If neither knows what they are doing, no more damage than an accident, which can be significant. If only one knows what they’re doing and they do have a real grudge… well, you cannot do any damage if you do not want to cause damage. So no permanent damage, non, not with children. Just a lot of pain and trauma, possibly. Nothing for life.”

“I see. And how do you handle children with, ah…”

“Hmm? With?”

“With a noted ability to fight and a severe anger management issue?” Cheerilee nodded to across the arena again, to Silver Spoon.

“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t even planning on getting an apprentice, least of all one with anger issues. I don’t think I’m qualified to handle that, honestly,” Fleur replied. “My apprentice’s issues aren’t rooted in anger. I have seen it, though, and from what I can tell, a kind and upset heart responds best to understanding. What to do about an angry heart, though, I cannot say.” She stared across the arena towards where Silver Spoon was sitting, following Cheerilee’s gaze. “It’s an awful waste, and one that, I imagine, requires a certain harshness to mend.”

“Harshness? You’d treat violence with violence, then?”

“Oh, non, not at all. Exceptional talent for fighting is a very alienating thing to have. Better such children be reminded of their responsibilities than to suppress their natural talents. Even if the reminder must be a rough one.”

Cheerilee muttered something under her breath.

“Is there a problem, Cheerilee?” Rarity asked.

“Not yet, no. There may be, though. I’m really not, ah, ‘qualified’ to say.”

---

Apple Bloom pounded at Hammer’s armour, ripping at the few plates he had and even getting the rope underneath to loosen. The boy was forced back as blow after blow landed cleanly. With his armour falling apart, revealing the fabric covering the padding, he couldn’t dodge properly, which Apple Bloom took full advantage of.

“Come on, Hammer. Ain’t you got any more tricks up your sleeve? Or am I gonna have to tear those sleeves off first?”

“Careful what you wish for, Apple Bloom,” Hammer threatened. “You might get it.”

---

Fleur sighed. “Hammer’s getting sloppy. He’s going to lose it at this rate.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be fine, darling. He can fight without armour, can’t he?” Rarity asked.

“He can, if he has to. That’s not what worries me.”

Boing. “Argh, what is it with this mane?” Rarity frantically pushed that rebellious lock down again.

Sweetie Belle sniffed the air. “Does anypony else smell that?”

“Smell what, darling?” Rarity asked.

“Smells like rain.”

Rarity sniffed the air as well, and looked up to check. “Hmm? No, I don’t smell any rain, and there aren’t any clouds about, either. Some deodorant, though, and liberally applied at that.”

---

Apple Bloom threw another punch, but found it hitting a wall that hadn’t been there two seconds ago.

Hammer had his arm up to guard. He’d moved so fast, she barely had time to register it.

“You have super speed?” She asked.

“You wanted to know what I can do? Fine.”

---

Fleur rolled her eyes. “That scent would be Hammer’s, I think. He masks his scent along with his coat.”

“Does he, now?” Rarity curled her nose. “Odd choice of perfume, then. As I recall, that’s an adult fragrance.”

“He says he likes it. No idea where he got it from.”

Boing!

---

Apple Bloom found herself evenly matched now, with Hammer snapping out jab upon jab even as she jabbed on her own. The two children’s hooves clashed, both driven back by the impact.

“That’s better,” Hammer said, not even phased by the impact on his striking hoof. “Much better. Is this your best?”

“Not even close.”

“Better bring it fast, then. I’m not gonna let you beat me up over a grudge.”

---

Rarity positively roared in frustration now. “What is with this accursed lock? Why won’t it stay down?”

“Goodness, that is a pesky lock,” Cheerilee said. “It’s been a while since you’ve had it that bad.”

“I know, darling, I don’t know what it is. Last time my mane was this unruly was after I-” Rarity’s mouth froze in mid-gasp. “Oh, no.”

Master Lee hadn’t called out to Hammer the whole time. Her concerned look turned to the slightest bit of a grin. “Last time this happened was when you… what, Rarity?”

Rarity stared at her old friend. “You didn’t.”

That tiny grin turned to a mischievous smirk, then a chuckle that sent chills down Rarity’s spine. “Ohohohoh, dear me, I believe I did. And what a coincidence, that the stars would align for such an occasion. Really, had I known, I’d have told you. Then again, I suppose that would constitute ceding a tactical advantage. Hammer is quite fond of his warrior nickname. Perhaps now you understand why. It hides his true nature.”

Rarity finally collected her thoughts enough to shout. “Apple Bloom! Stop peeling away his armour!”

---

“What?!” The girl called back. Looking down at the ground, she had felt more than a little pride at having almost shed the boy’s arm bracers and belly shield. The once tight costume was loosened, and his chest was close to getting exposed, if the threads on his shoulders were anything to go by. Still, he was at least as fast as she was, and while she got some good hits in, they didn’t do any damage. “But I can barely fight him as it is!”

Hammer turned towards the crowd. “Rarity? You’re friends with Rarity?”

“You know Rarity?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Wait… was Sweetie Belle the one Silver Spoon attacked?” Anger bled into his voice as he realised what was going on. “That’s why you have a grudge against her? Silver Spoon attacked Sweetie Belle?”

Apple Bloom squinted at the boy in the battered armour. “Who are you?”

---

Back in the crowds, Rarity was shaking her head. “How is this even possible? It couldn’t be.”

Cheerilee took a step back. “No. It couldn’t.”

“What are you talking about? Why can’t Apple Bloom take off his armour? She’s winning.” Sweetie Belle pointed a hoof towards the boy who was now trying to concentrate long enough to get his arm bracers tightened again.

Fleur shook her head. “Your sister has met my apprentice before, it seems. He does tend to leave a, shall we say, lasting impression on ponies. Even at his young age.”

“What’s going on here?” Sweetie Belle turned to her sister.

“It’s him. It’s really him,” Rarity said. “But I thought he’d moved away.”

“He had,” Fleur replied. “He has since moved back. It’s his parents’ house I’m staying in, in fact.”

---

Apple Bloom resumed trying to hit through the armour instead of peeling it off. Hammer’s speed had kicked up, though, and with his front hooves lashing out this way and that, she couldn’t land anything hard enough against that dark padded cloth armour. He still shook the padding and tried to pull the straps tighter with his teeth, which left him clumsily trying to dodge any counter attacks.

“Who are you?” Apple Bloom asked again. “And what’s the deal with your armour?”

“It’s just something I like to wear, that’s all. And if you’re quite done trying to batter me, I’ll make this a quick defeat for you.”

“You can’t beat me just like that,” Apple Bloom retorted. “If you’re some kinda bully from Sweetie Belle’s past, I got just as much of a bone to pick with you as I do Silver.”

“I am not a bully!” He shouted.

Then, much to Apple Bloom’s surprise, he shifted into a whole ‘nother gear altogether.

Without any warning, no tell-tale shifts of his hooves, none of the tells she’d learned to look for in class, he punched her dead on in the chest, making her gasp for air. She stumbled back and tried to get her guard up again, but he saw it coming and he got the drop on her. In one smooth move, just like she’d gotten a bite out of his armour, he took the opening to get behind her and trip her, before pinning her down to the ground, legs on her legs and metal-covered wings pressing down on her arms, leaving his arms free to push down on her. “I’m a fighter. That’s what I’m good at. Now the fight’s over. You fought well, you got some shots in, you almost got my armour off, now you can surrender.”

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth and squirmed under the armoured alicorn. “I ain’t surrendering to you.”

“Please surrender? You can’t take much more of this.”

“You’re hurtin’ me!”

“No, you’re hurting yourself. Please surrender? The challenge still stands. If you don’t surrender, I have to render you unconscious. That means choking you.” He pressed the tip of a hoof into her throat, gently.

She kicked and flailed, but nothing made him dislodge that hoof on her throat, cutting off her air. “Grrr…”

“Please? I don’t wanna hurt you any more than I need to.”

“Why not? You just said you’re a fighter, just Silver Spoon.”

“Yeah, I am. And I’m good at it. So I do it responsibly. I know you’re mad, but this isn’t right. This was supposed to be fun.”

Apple Bloom would have gasped if the pressure on her throat had let her.

What am I doin’? What am I turnin’ into?

“Feeling powerless sucks. Trust me, I know. Not being in control of your own life, it’s one of the scariest things that can happen to a pony. That’s why they try to get power. It’s okay to enjoy getting some power when you haven’t had any for so long, but you still need to be responsible with it. I know you’re angry, but you did well against me.”

“You went easy on me. You made a fool outta me.”

“I went easy because it’s not worth hurting you. It’s a lot harder to take someone down without hurting them than it is to knock them into the hospital. I can do both, but I’d rather only do one. So, please surrender?”

“Why? Why do you care?”

“Because I’m looking to be a Master at Arms one day, and Masters at Arms are fair. They have to be. I have to be.”

“You could’ve beaten me whenever you wanted. You’re faster than me.”

“You could have hurt me whenever you wanted. You’re stronger than me.”

Apple Bloom growled and squirmed again. The weight of Hammer’s arms and wings on her body still held her down.

“It’s true, isn’t it? A fit Earth pony like you? With that kind of strength? You could have snapped my arm off if I wasn’t careful.”

“So what?”

“So, neither of us wanted to hurt each other. You’re just mad because you can’t get even. But trust me, I know Silver Spoon’s type. She’s not like me. She would have hurt you just for the fun of it. I don’t have fun hurting ponies. So please, I’m asking you nicely, don’t make me do it any more than I have to?”

“Urgh, fine. I give up.”

---

Fleur smiled. “Seems Apple Bloom was not up to the challenge after all. Pity.”

“How?” Rarity asked. “How did you come across him?”

“How do you even know him?” Fleur asked. “I was under the impression my student was a recluse.”

“He was, that’s precisely how I met him.”

Realisation dawned on Fleur’s face. “Well, today is just full of surprises. I didn’t think you were the type, Rarity.”

“I’m not. My mother insisted.”

Sweetie Belle furrowed her brow as Apple Bloom hopped off the platform, rubbing her sore shoulders. There wasn’t going to be a round two for her now, against Silver Spoon or anyone else.

“Do you need any medical attention?” Fluttershy came flying over with a medkit.

“No, I’m good, thanks.” Apple Bloom wriggled her neck left and right, producing an eerie creaking sound. “Why wasn’t I supposed to get his armour off, then? Who is that kid?”

Before Rarity could reply, the Ashen Blizzard called out. “Alright then, young Hammer! You’ve managed to take out one of my apprentices, and you did so with honour. Still, I ain’t quite convinced you’re up to Duellist level just yet.”

Apple Bloom’s ears perked. “Wait, what?”

Fleur shrugged. “Hammer did not display his full potential. You were right: he held back against you. He usually does. A shame, really.” She breathed a sigh of weariness and frustration. “He has such trouble finding proper sparring partners.”

“Gee, I can’t imagine why,” Rarity remarked snidely.

“I don’t follow,” Apple Bloom said.

“Just wait,” Fleur replied.

“So,” the Ashen Blizzard continued, rising up from his seat. “I will take on your challenge, young master Hammer.”

The little alicorn colt stood tall as the stallion made his way to the arena.

“On one condition,” Ash said. “You fight me without any padding on you. We fight the old-fashioned way. You can keep the rope on, if you want to use a weapon, anything you like is fine, but no padding. You fight me, you fight bare.”

Apple Bloom let out a snort. “Now why is he allowed to fight that boy without padding, and I ain’t?”

Rarity shook her head, still reeling. “You don’t understand, darling. You don’t know whom you’re dealing with.”

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle tilted her head, confused.

“Look around,” Cheerilee said. “Look at the crowds. All those mares, at least the ones our age, are backing up. See the fear in their eyes?”

Sweetie Belle did just that, and she had to admit, a wave of terror had swept through the crowds, some of them, at least. Pinkie Pie was huddled up in her balloon, Cheerilee’s jaw had clenched, Cloud Chaser and Flitter were shaking. All around, the mares of Ponyville, at least the ones who’d lived there for a while, were stricken by a pure and abject fear.

She looked back at her class. Snips, Snails, Dinky Do, none of the kids knew what to make of it. Even Derpy, flying up above, looked at least apprehensive at the boy.

Rarity shook her head. “It’s been five years since anyone’s seen him. Five years, and they all remember him. Hard to forget a night with a child like that. He was only in kindergarten then. To think he’s been getting even stronger...”

“Who is he?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“A scared little boy who’d rather cover himself up than show his true strength,” Fleur replied.

On the platform, Hammer was wriggling and stretching in his armour, psyching himself up.

“So, your answer?” Ash asked.

“I accept your terms,” Hammer said after much deliberation. “No more padding. No more armour.”

Apple Bloom looked on, still confused. Untying the central knot and undoing the straps, Hammer shed his back and belly shield, then his wing armour.

Or rather, his wings. His completely metal wings.

His fake wings.

Then off came the thick black padding of the cloth armour, and the vest that had held it.

When he took his helmet off, all that was left of his getup was a chest guard like those the Royal Guards wore, with a crystal in the middle.

“He still wears those things?” Rarity asked. “All that to cover up?”

Fleur nodded. “Like I said, getting him to show himself is like pulling teeth sometimes.”

Sweetie Belle frowned. “Why? What’s so special about a unicorn colt?”

“You mean you don’t recognise him, darling? I should think you would. His face has changed a lot over the years, but… look at his cutie mark. Doesn’t that ring any bells?”

Sweetie craned her neck to look over the platform and gasped as she saw him turn to face his opponent. His face, or at least his browline, had gone flat early, making him look like Big Macintosh despite his small stature, something she vaguely recognised from years before. But then she saw his flanks, and that memory of him was as fresh as if she’d seen it yesterday. The cutie mark on them was a black triangle with yellow outlines, showing two horizontal lines being touched by what looked like a pony’s hoof. The lines had thinner, more squiggly lines coming out of it, or rather, towards it.

A hazard sign, the kind usually adorning electrified security fences.

“No. No way.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Apple Bloom was still out of the loop. “Can somepony just explain to me why I couldn’t fight him while he was armoured up? How is it fair that he wore protection and I didn’t?”

Rarity chuckled nervously. “That armour wasn’t protecting him, Apple Bloom; it was protecting you.”

Hammer, now revealed as a coffee-brown unicorn colt with a short, neatly cut tail and a greyish white mane that looked like the frazzled tip of a painting brush, stood confidently in front of his opponent.

“All of it,” Ash said. “No coverin’ up now.”

Reluctantly, the boy took off his chest guard, a golden design with a citrine crystal in the center.

“Now, then, ready for your real test, young sir Hammer?”

“I’m ready. Just one more thing, sir,” the boy replied. “If I’m fighting out of my armour, I’ll be doing so without my alias. No hiding behind fake skin, no hiding behind a fake name.”

“Sounds mighty big of ya, kid. Whom do I have the honour of squaring off against, then?”

The colt took a deep breath and closed his eyes, bracing himself for judgment.

All eyes fell upon him. Now was his time.

At long last, he was back.

Back home, for all to see.

“My name… is Live Wire.”

A hushed silence fell over the crowd.

Apple Bloom looked left, then right. Sweetie Belle was aghast, so were Rarity and Cheerilee. Fleur shook her head and rolled her eyes, as if to say ‘drama queen.’ And about half the mares in the Ponyville square were quaking in fear at the mere mention of that name.

Apple Bloom grumbled. “Okay, am I supposed to know who that is? ‘Coz I don’t.”

Author's Notes:

I... cannot begin to understate how big of a moment this is. So I won't. Suffice to say, this has been years in the making, a lot of thought went into it, a lot of revision. More explanation will follow, but for now, let me just say thank you to everyone who's been following so far. I hope you have been enjoying it as I have.

One of the major trappings of building an audience is appealing to your older, original audience who was there when you 'sucked' while still appealing to those who like you now that you 'don't suck.' My approach is simple: make the new product accessible to everyone, new and old, but add in some stuff that only the older viewers will understand or know without making it required to know the older stuff.

And yes, Apple Bloom's response is supposed to mimick Applejack's response to learning who Ash was, as well as making her sort of a proxy for (part of) the audience.

Remember when I said that this fic doesn't repeat elements I've used before, it gave birth to them? Yeah, the whole 'hiding your species thing as an alicorn' in Rainbow Dash Discovers came to be precisely because of this story.

The Heavens Tremble! Hammer VS The Ashen Blizzard!

The crowds went silent as the colt and stallion squared off.

Well, mostly silent.

“I don’t get it,” Apple Bloom said. “How do y’all know that kid?”

Rarity winced. “Every mare in Ponyville knows him. The ones who’ve lived here long enough, that is. He’s a local legend; the boy who drove all his foalsitters away.”

“Huh?”

Sweetie Belle nodded with a pout. “His name is Waiwai. We used to go to kindergarten together, and we were in the same junior drama club. We were pretty close. But everything changed when he got his cutie mark. He started pranking everypony.”

“He was not pranking ponies, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said. “He couldn’t help himself.”

Sweetie nodded with a sigh. “No, I know. But that’s what everypony thought. He let them think that.”

Apple Bloom was still shaking her head. “I still don’t understand what the big deal is.”

Fleur smirked. “Give it a moment.”

In the arena, Ash smiled at the boy. “Well, then. Your move, kid. Show me whatcha got.”

Apple Bloom barely had time to gasp when Hammer showed everyone exactly what he had.

He gritted his teeth, and all around the light seemed to drain around him, darkening the air around his body. He raised his head, swinging his horn like a magic wand.

When he brought it down, the very skies quaked.

Thunder and lightning, the likes of which Apple Bloom had only seen from the safe confines of her farm home, erupted from his fur and surged around his horn to lash out at the Ashen Blizzard.

The stallion chuckled as the sparks and arcs of lightning danced over the floor, driving him back.

Apple Bloom picked her jaw up. “Whoa. He knows lightning spells?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, darling,” Rarity said. “I’m sure Master Lee here has had the opportunity to study his abilities more closely.”

Fleur closed her eyes and smiled. “Ouais. Hammer, or Live Wire, as you know him, is quite the rarity, no pun intended. He has a very peculiar condition, linked to his cutie mark.”

---

Ash chuckled. “Nice technique. Good voltage, too. But you can’t rely on just that against somepony like me.”

Live Wire snorted and lowered his head, ears perked and letting off a vague buzz. “I know, sir. Close quarter combat is what I’m trained in.”

“Royal Guard style, I take it, mixed in with some ninjutsu? I’m guessing… rope techniques, to match your magic? I saw you whippin’ your arms at Apple Bloom there.”

The boy smirked. “Something like that.”

Ash smirked right back. “Confident little fella, ain’t you?”

“I know my skills, sir. I know my strengths, and my limits. I know how to handle both.”

“Show me.” With that, the Ashen Blizzard charged at him.

To his credit, Live Wire wasn’t bowled over by the high-speed lunge that sent a stallion careening towards him. He sidestepped the initial rush, then held his hooves up to block the backhooved blow that would have smacked him in the snout otherwise.

He took a step back, but he didn’t buckle.

Ash turned smoothly and went into a low Bear Stance. “Fast reflexes, but then I suppose your talent would help with that.”

Live Wire smiled. “You’re holding back.”

“Are you saying I shouldn’t?”

“I’m saying I want to test my limits, sir.”

“Suit yourself.” Ash tapped his right hind hoof on the ground, once, then twice. “Don’t come cryin’ to me when you get knocked right out of the ring.”

“I won’t be.” With a gesture, he conjured up more lightning, this time a pair of whips that circled around him for defense.

---

Apple Bloom had a better grasp now of what Ash meant with ‘natural movement’. Both of them were clearly of a high level, higher than her, at least, but the way they moved was radically different. Live Wire’s motions were those of a dancer, a performer: he swung his arms in wide arcs, made big sweeps with his legs, carefully adjusted his footing. Every punch and swish of the hooves was careful, but swift.

Strange how she hadn’t noticed that while he was fighting her.

Ash, on the other hoof, was brutal by default. Every step he took was a curt stomp, every punch came with a snap to it, even his dodging was all brief motions, erratic, hard to predict. One moment he’d have his hooves up to guard, the next his arm would be stretched for a straight jab, and there was nothing in between. Even stranger, though, was that his speed didn’t match his rhythm: where Spike’s Fire Style relied on quick successive blows, Ash left a good amount of time between every move. Then again, that only made him more unpredictable.

Live Wire was putting up a good fight, though, at least good enough to make a show of it. How much of that was Live Wire’s skill, and how much was the Ashen Blizzard holding back, she couldn’t tell. “Exactly what condition are we talkin’ about here?” Apple Bloom asked as the lightning at least managed to keep the Ashen Blizzard at bay, though with the intricate motions of dodging and kicking, he managed to put the little walking battery on the defensive.

“When he first got his cutie mark, he developed an electrical charge under his skin. Every time he was touched, it would discharge. His parents thought it was just a phase, and they were out of the house a lot because of their jobs, so they didn’t think much of it. Then the first of his foalsitters resigned,” Fleur explained.

“He shocked her? So what? Just don’t touch him and you’re fine.”

“Again, more complicated than that, darling,” Rarity said. “You have to understand, this was four or five years ago. A boy that young needs proper affection and encouragement. But when such a boy is in your care, if you have to constantly be on guard not to touch him, it can be quite stressful. The slightest little touch, a pat on the head, a kiss goodnight, even so much as brushing past his shoulder while you’re reaching for something across the table, it could shock you as badly as an electric fence. It may sound easy, but having to put with that from a small child can be maddening.”

“C’est vrai,” Fleur concurred. “After the first incident, his parents took him to see a doctor, as you would. The doctor made the obvious diagnosis that Waiwai was simply running a current because of a spell he’d cast. Lightning shields are a common tactic in the Royal Guard, very effective boobytrap, relatively easy to learn for ponies with the talent. Not that unusual to see in children, even. Since that sort of spell remains in place without conscious action, requiring a timely recharge, it was only a matter of time before the shield would simply die out and run its course. They put him in a rubber suit in the meantime and got him some other sitters. There were only two problems. The first was that the insulation suit kept his head free, so there was still the risk of being shocked. His new sitters typically didn’t last long, and from what I gather, he did try his best to avoid accidents, but that took its toll on his composure.”

“You gathered correct,” Rarity said. “By the time I went to look after him, he was as timid as a beaten dog. That suit they got him was an ill fit, it wasn’t designed for ponies like him, or for that condition. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that thing was, or how embarrassing.”

---

Live Wire struggled to keep up with the Shadowbolt. He ducked under a snap kick, swatted another away with his lightning whip, then sidestepped a jab that came in fast enough to blur.

He froze. He saw the next blow coming, but he was too slow. The last one landed, dead on his snout.

“Ah!” He backed up a step, then two. He rubbed his nose and winced.

Ash shook his head. That smile from before had faded, to be replaced with a disappointed scowl. “Just like I thought. Your technique is centred on awareness of your skin. It makes you more sensitive, tender. You’re a glass cannon, you got nothin’ hard to back up your firepower.”

This, much to Ash’s surprise, got a growl out of the boy. “I… am not… a glass cannon. I am an apprentice Fencer, I can fight melee just fine. And I will not shame my teacher.”

Ash cocked his head. “Prove it.”

Then, just like that, Live Wire vanished.

“Nande-” Ash had his front hoof up just in time to block the swipe to his gut. He held the striking hoof fast in both his front hooves. “That was a pretty quick lunge. How’d you learn how to move like that?”

“Good role models.” Live Wire slapped his hind hoof free and stepped forward to knee the stallion in the thighs, only to be blocked.

“Not bad, not bad,” Ash said as he let Live Wire punch and kick to his heart’s content with lightning trailing only from his limbs now, though the boy never hit anything but air or a block. Ash wasn’t so much as tingling, as every time he blocked something he made sure to hit Live Wire’s arms down low, at the nerve points. Still the boy persisted. “You wouldn’t do too bad on the circuit with moves like that.”

Live Wire growled as he broke away from the melee. “Stop holding back!”

Ash chuckled. “You first.”

---

Apple Bloom looked on, awestruck. “And the second problem?”

Fleur shrugged, ignoring the violent crackling in the arena. “The spell never wore off. Several months passed, and his lightning shield was still up. But then he had the good fortune of getting one foalsitter who was curious about his condition and who asked around in Canterlot. Turns out it wasn’t a spell that gave him his shield.”

“What?”

“Elemental magic doesn’t come purely from a unicorn’s horn, Apple Bloom. Parts of it come from the internal organs. Lightning energy in particular is generated in the heart. What you’re looking at right now isn’t a wizard pony casting spells; he’s only flexing what he was born with. He can toss a lightning bolt as easily as you can toss a ball,” Rarity said.

“How do you-oh, that was you?” Fleur asked.

Rarity nodded with a smile. “Yes. I got him a bracer for his chest, one with a crystal, to balance out the magic that had gone haywire, make his heart come in tune with his horn, that’s how they did it in the old days. That’s what I was told, at least.” She shook her head, thinking. “He was fine when I left him, though, his other foalsitters came back. Last I heard he was going to school in Canterlot. Why would he still need his armour?”

Fleur shrugged. “He doesn’t. Not all the time, not really. But like I said, he has acquired an acute case of gymnophobia.”

Apple Bloom gasped when it dawned on her. “His cutie mark. He covers up his cutie mark. It’s a hazard sign.”

Fleur nodded. “Exactly. That mark is a sign of danger, a warning not to come near him. His armour, as odd as it may seem, makes him look normal enough to socialise. Without it, I suppose he feels like he’s tricking ponies into liking him. But once he dons it, he looks and feels imposing by default. It’s normal for ponies to shy away from someone in a suit like that, he doesn’t have to feel bad about it. Plus, he can’t hurt them by accident when he’s covered up. It’s not rubber padding, but the rope harness helps him channel his energies into something more harmless.”

“And what do his parents have to say about that?” Rarity asked.

“They do not mind, actually. The Blizzards are very supportive of their son, in all matters. And, for all his little problems, Live Wire appreciates the value of a silver lining. His armour weighs him down, slows his movements, forces him to acclimate to heat.”

---

Live Wire took a deep breath to calm himself down. “Okay. This is where things get rough.”

Ash smiled in sympathy. “I know. I’ll try not to hurt you too much.”

Live Wire’s body blurred now, just like that of the Shadowbolt. Even with his showy swipes, his blows made a high-pitched whizzing sound followed by a dull ‘thud’ as he traded blows with Ash, both aiming for the soft spots on their opponent, both going at speeds the naked eye could barely follow.

Both going at Wonderbolt speed.

Ash brusquely slapped another blow away and pressed his hooves against Live Wire’s, putting his body weight against the boy and holding him in place. “You are exceptionally fast for a unicorn, you know,” Ash said. “I was under the impression your kind didn’t get this sorta speed until they were older.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, sir, I’m a bit of an early bloomer,” Live Wire managed to say under gritted teeth.

“Oh, yeah, the snout. I wouldn’t worry about that, kid; pony genetics are just weird.”

With another deep breath and a surge of adrenalin, Live Wire pushed up and away to break free, resuming his quick jabs and dancing sidesteps while Ash did the same, never missing a beat.

---

Apple Bloom squinted as she tried to follow the boy’s movements. “How is he doing that?”

“He has trained himself to dodge while weighed down,” Fleur explained. “He’s quite a capable fighter for his age now. Still difficult to test him, though. Not many ponies last long enough for him to resort to this.”

---

Ash had found the proverbial chink in Live Wire’s armour, or rather the boy’s speed limit. He clipped Live Wire’s skull with a quick swipe, then delivered a wallbreaker punch to the boy’s guarding hooves while he was distracted, sending him stumbling backward.

Live Wire still didn’t break.

“You’re gettin’ roughed up, kid. You sure you want to keep going?”

Panting for breath, Live Wire shook his head. “I can keep going, sir. Just a little longer.”

Ash broke his fighting stance and held up a hoof. “While I have you on the cooldown, one question: I couldn’t help but notice that when I had you in a deadlock there, you didn’t try to shock me.”

Live Wire’s ears perked.

The Shadowbolt looked down at the ground, pondering aloud. “Now, I have to wonder: a boy like you knows that, of all the times to try and shock your opponent, the best time is when they’re close by and you can get the drop on them. So why would you neglect that opportunity?”

Live Wire shrugged. “I was shutting off energy openings, so you couldn’t drain me, sir.”

Ash smirked. “Did your master tell you I can do that? Funny, I don’t recall her ever learning about that little trick.”

---

Cheerilee winced. “This is ridiculous. He’s fighting a grandmaster.”

Fleur snorted. “Hardly. Ash is playing with him at this point. Waiwai is an advanced fighter for his age, he’s mastered some of the secrets to super speed, secrets that normally only come natural to pegasi. But as fast as he is, the Ashen Blizzard could fly circles around him.”

---

Live Wire went back on the offensive, pummeling Ash’ arms as hard as he could. He only barely managed to sidestep the jab to his gut that broke him out of it and grazed his fur. He stepped back, and the next jab connected with his stomach, knocking the air clean out of him. With the shock numbing him, a backhooved blow to his cheek sent him flying to land on the hard floor of the arena. His moans and groans contrasted with the sound of him dragging himself back to all fours.

And right when he got back up, Ash slammed his body into him and put an arm around his neck. Or he would have, if Live Wire hadn’t managed to thunderbolt him off before that arm had locked.

Ash flew up and shook off the electric aftershock, chuckling all the way. “Hoowee! You got a lot more fight in you than I figured, little boy. I’m impressed, truly I am.”

---

“I’d hardly call that playing,” Cheerilee remarked.

“Oh, it’s only a spot of exercise. My apprentice needs to let it all out every now and then.”

“That’s not my point. He’s taking all that from an adult, and he’s still standing. If it was me up there, I’d be in the emergency ward by now.”

“That’s simple body conditioning against injuries, every pony with any physical fitness has that to some degree. Magic tends to… compact, once you get to a certain level. And the Ashen Blizzard wouldn’t just beat you up.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about; it’s the child! How is he that strong and that fast if he’s that young?”

Fleur smiled. “That’s less of a matter of age than it is a matter of ceilings. Every pony learning a skill grows along a curve, until they plateau. They always hit a ceiling, some obstacle or limit that needs to be bypassed. In combat skills, where success can depend on any number of factors and attacks can require a wide range of skills, this is doubly true. Some ponies hit a higher ceiling when they are older, some hit it when they are younger. And then you get situations like these, where children need to be measured against adults to get a proper challenge. It’s not as rare as you might think; they do keep growing, but at a slower pace than initially. It’s… a quicker trip up the learning curve, is all.”

“But he’s… he could take on any adult in this town, with that speed and strength. Twilight Sparkle wouldn’t be able to fight him.” Cheerilee’s stomach groaned when she realised the implications. Strange how she’d lived so close to the Everfree Forest for so long, only to learn true terror might be found not stalking the darkness of the wild, but sitting in the front row of class, taking notes on Neighpoleon’s conquests.

The fact that a similar sentiment was shared by bully victims all over Equestria was completely lost on her.

“Cheerilee, with all due respect, but I think you gravely underestimate what a pony can do when they set their sights on the warrior path. Little Apple Bloom here is strong enough to snap a pony’s arms clean off if she gets a good grip. That’s the first thing you’re warned against, even, at least when fighting Earth ponies. What do you think makes Live Wire any different?”

Cheerilee stared in awe as Live Wire still struggled. Even with his limbs showing signs of fatigue, he tossed out bolt after bolt, swiping and whipping this way and that while Ash danced around it at a leisurely pace.

The Shadowbolt could dodge all that. If Cheerilee got caught by even one of those attacks, she’d be fried. “It’s monstrous.”

“Yes, Silver Spoon really isn’t the only monster in this town, as I told her.” Fleur looked Cheerilee in the eyes then.

Cheerilee, for her part, felt her heart sink at the very thought of it. “H-how do you control a child like that?”

“Who, Hammer? He’s quite easy to keep in line, really: simple rewards, praise when it’s earned, ambitions to dangle in front of his nose, and timely reminders when he is at fault.”

“But how do you keep him from turning into a bully?”

“Hmm? Well, when a child gains a certain amount of power, they will want to exercise it; it’s in their nature. The only way you can get them to stop exercising it is by finding the, ah, how do I put this, other big fish in the pond.”

Cheerilee gasped in disbelief. “Other big fish? You mean throw him in with more monsters?”

“Of course. Find an opponent of equal measure. Someone who can fight them on their terms, someone who understands the burdens that come with that kind of power. As I understand it, your Silver Spoon is currently lacking that sort of counterweight, non?”

---

“You’re slowing down there, kid,” Ash said. “Don’t tell me you’re spent?”

Live Wire coughed, before licking his lips. “Not even close.” His horn glowed, and the bruises on his body started healing. Little snaps and cracks went through his body, and limbs that looked weak and battered now looked perfectly serviceable.

Ash smiled knowingly. “You’ve got a healing spell, too. Figures. Your master should be proud, smart kid like you.”

---

Cheerilee’s jaw dropped. “He’s got a second wind?”

Fleur shrugged again. “His talent lends itself to certain forms of first aid, and besides that, he had the aptitude to learn body reconstruction spells. He can’t do it more than once, though. Takes days to recharge.”

“How? How do you deal with that? What do you do if he ever gets out of line? You just get an adult to beat him up, twice?”

“Oh, non, non, that would not work. Well, if they’re careful, they can knock him out, obviously, but it wouldn’t change any attitude problems in the long run. For that, the opponent must be an equal. Against an unfairly advantaged opponent, against the Ashen Blizzard, here, after all he’s displayed, defeat means nothing to a boy like him. Even monsters, of any size, have hearts that can be pierced, or upset, or lonely. Non, you can’t get that high a level in solitary warriors, anyway. Fighters like him, like Silver Spoon, you always put them in sets of two or three, or they never grow to their full potential. Complementary abilities, usually, but equal in worth. Much like you and your friends, Apple Bloom.”

“Yes, speaking of which, Apple Bloom, I do hope you weren’t planning on fighting anyone like you did Hammer,” Cheerilee started.

Apple Bloom smiled nervously. “I wouldn’t, Miss Cheerilee. I got a little carried away, is all, it won’t happen again. We don’t have a nurse close enough for that. And besides, school hours ain’t the time to be beatin’ each others heads in.”

“Yeah, Scootaloo can barely stay awake as it is,” Sweetie Belle joked.

“Not helping, Sweetie Belle.”

“Now that you mention it, where is Scootaloo?” Rarity asked.

Cheerilee furrowed her brow, thinking. “So your Hammer does have an equal, then?”

Fleur chuckled. “Obviously he cannot do sparring matches on the regular circuit, not yet. That’s why he’s being evaluated now. I mean, there are defences against his technique, but they usually aren’t taught early. So everyone I pit him against only wants to fight once.”

“So he is a solitary one, then?”

The unicorn snorted. “I suppose that all depends on your perspective.”

“How’s that?”

“If you had a pet chimera, and you got them a manticore to keep it company, what would you call that? Two monsters who are equals? Or would it have to be a second pet manticore to count?”

---

Ash and Live wire circled around each other, both in a deep stance.

“You’re not bad, kid, I’ll give you that much. Most your age would have taken a dive by now.”

Live Wire smiled. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot.”

“I don’t say that lightly. But, given that you are doin’ this to be accepted as a Duellist, I have to ask: why are you still holding back?”

“Why are you? I’ve heard the stories, sir. If you really wanted to, you could’ve tossed me out the ring in ten seconds, flat.”

“I ain’t here to toss ya, kid; I’m here to measure you. And by my measure, you’re not showin’ everything just yet.”

The boy stopped circling. “What do you mean?”

Ash smiled impishly. “I mean a smart boy like you wouldn’t challenge me if he doesn’t know he can win. Winning, in your case, involves me conceding a modicum of perspiration as a response to this exertion. Now, you’re good enough to be a warmup, but I ain’t sweatin’ yet. And that don’t make a lick of sense. A smart boy like you doesn’t stop at Wonderbolt speed, a smart boy like you’s got an ace up his sleeve.”

“Maybe.”

Ash chanced a glance back at Fleur. “Oh, you wanna be coy about it, then? Alright. How about this: you show me your strongest technique, or you go out the ring right here and now.”

“W-what?”

“You heard me. I wanna see your ace, kid. It’s not often talent like yours shows up in a town like this. Ponies don’t get to see it that often.”

Live Wire chuckled. “Actually, sir, I’m a local. So they will be seeing it pretty often.”

“All the better to demo it now. Come on. Let me see what you’ve really got. Unless you want to see what a grandmaster’s strike can really do to a colt’s body.”

Live Wire’s body tensed up. “You want to see it? Look up.”

The shift in air pressure and humidity registered first in Ash’s brain, making him jump back in a reflex. Then the flash of light, then the sound of thunder.

Nande… he wasn’t channeling any lightning then, where did…

He looked up to see a dark cloud forming above the arena, little sparks still flying off it as it expanded. Then he saw the light spread through the colt’s body and out around the ring.

The Lightning Ring Technique. He knows the Lightning Ring Technique. The ultimate lightning spell.

Ash dodged a bolt that came out of thin air and jumped, before getting clipped in his right shoulder by a second one.

This kid’s something else. He knew I couldn’t sense his magic if it didn’t come directly from him.

A third bolt whizzed harmlessly past his visor.

He was gunnin’ for me. He knows my abilities. He knows my limits.

How? How did he know this would work? Fleur doesn’t have that kind of intel on me.

A fourth bolt was sidestepped, the fifth was evaded with a flap of the wing, leaving him safely off the ground.

Five bolts. That’s the maximum.

Ash looked down and realised his mistake. Live Wire had one last projectile left.

Himself.

With lightning crackling over him, the boy had launched himself with one final burst of legs and magic.

Ash hung there, his enhanced senses letting him see the attack in slow motion. He could feel his body taking over, clouding his mind. Warrior’s Heart, the perfect harmony of mind and body.

He brought both hooves together on Live Wire’s horn and flipped him backwards, before flying down and mashing a hoof on his neck.

The boy was slammed with his back into the stone, but Ash knew that wouldn’t faze him. This kid was tough, a lot tougher than a unicorn had any business being. With his hoof planted firmly on Live Wire’s neck, Ash pondered just how such a boy could have gotten this far.

“You okay, kid?”

Live Wire grunted and tried to puch that hoof off him. “I’m fine, just… get off!”

Ash chuckled and obliged. “Hoo! Nothin’ like a little lightning to get the juices flowing. Come on, kid, round three.” He clapped his hooves and got back into a deep pose.

Live Wire coughed and shook his head. “No. I give up, sir. That was my last move.”

“What? Oh, come on. You were doin’ so well. You almost got a shot in at me,” he started jumping around like a petulant child, trying to goad the kid into another round.

“I doubt that. I’m nowhere near as fast as you, not really.”

Ash stopped. The childish tone of his voice made way for the sagely one of a master. “Don’t sell yourself so short, kid. You’re closer than you think.”

“Be that as it may, I’m done.” Live Wire plopped his rump down. “I give up.”

“Why? I ain’t done testing you yet.”

He tapped his chest and whispered, making sure none of the other fighters, especially the Feather Cloaks, would hear. “My power comes from my heart, sir.”

Ash leaned in closer so he could hear. “What was that?”

“My power, it’s from my heart. I’m empty. If I keep going, I’m tapping into my reserves. And I don’t want to end up hurting myself just for a test.”

Ash tilted his head, curious. He whispered back at the boy. “So you don’t care about your result, then, is that it? This whole thing was just a game to you? And here I thought you were following a calling.”

“I am following a calling. My talent, it’s pretty big. I do want to use it, and I want to use it right. But I don’t want it that badly. It’s not worth risking a heart attack over, sir. I want your approval, really. It means a lot to me, hearing that I’m doing something right. I want that more than anything.”

Ash nodded knowingly.

“Thing is, as much as I want it, I can’t risk dying over it. My parents would kill me.”

That got a hearty and sincere laugh out of the Shadowbolt. “Good answer. My approval, you have. Master Lee! You’ve got a fine apprentice here. Good speed, good sense of balance, good dosing of his power…“ He lowered his voice so only the boy could hear and patted him on the back. “Good sense of priorities. Keep that up. For now, I’ll reserve judgement whether you should be duelling other ponies just yet. I’ll discuss it with Princess Luna, we’ll compare notes. In the meantime, I guess I win.”

“I kind of thought you would, sir.”

“Don’t sweat it.” He looked around the arena, checking the reactions. “I think the other kids are just as scared of you as they are of me.”

---

“He’s givin’ up?” Apple Bloom asked. “Just like that?”

“Yes,” Fleur replied. “Just like that. I figured he would, eventually. The Ashen Blizzard does not take his tests lightly.”

“But why?”

“Because he’s only trying to show his strength, Apple Bloom. It’s not worth getting injured over,” Rarity replied.

“So, did he get what he wanted, then? Ash said he’d tell him later.”

Fleur smiled as the stallion went back to sit with Princess Luna. “I suspect he will be deliberating on the matter of Waiwai’s stamina, as well as his major weak points. Thinking of good feedback, no doubt. And I will be sure to mention my apprentice mastered a high-level spell behind my back, without my approval.”

Live Wire picked up his things and hopped off the edge of the arena. He smiled and let his black-tipped ears fall back against his head when the girls greeted him with awkward silence. “Umm, hi, Sweetie Belle. It’s been a while, huh?”

Sweetie Belle’s body moved forward hesitantly, almost tilting forward for a split second. “A-are you…”

“I’m spent,” Live Wire said. “I don’t think I even singed his suit.”

Sweetie Belle needed no further encouragement and rushed forward to hug the boy, now that he was momentarily de-volted. “Good to see you again, Waiwai.”

He wrapped his arms around her and lay his head on her shoulder, smiling. “You too.”

Sweetie’s throat croaked. “I really missed having you around, you know.”

“Same here. But, umm, things got kind of complicated and then back in Canterlot… I figured I’d bump into you again eventually, so… here I am.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head to get a closer look at him. This Live Wire kid really did have a very strange snout for a colt: already flattened on the brow and broad in the muzzle, like an adult stallion. Like her brother, when she really thought about it, except his legs were still as short as hers. His nose gave him away, though; he didn’t have the big nostrils to give a proper stallion snort with just yet.

He was an early bloomer, in more ways than one.

He winced at Apple Bloom when Sweetie broke the hug. “I’m really sorry I didn’t say anything, Apple Bloom. I didn’t know you were friends with Sweetie Belle, too.”

“Never mind that, you had me thinkin’ you were an alicorn prince or somethin’.”

Fleur nodded. “A common deception.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it, Apple Bloom,” Rarity said. “If you’re a warrior, and you don’t want your opponent to know what you can do, what’s the first thing you cover up?”

“Your cutie mark, obviously.”

“Right. And how do you hide your abilities?”

“Umm, you don’t. You show them off while you fight.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Yes, but you want the element of surprise.”

“So?”

“So, how does a unicorn hide their horn? How does a pegasus hide their wings?”

“They can’t. Unless… oooh.”

“Unless they wear both a fake horn and fake wings,” Live Wire said. “Then you just have to bluff, and maybe use some tricks, and nopony can tell what race you really are. Or what you can do.”

“Huh. That is kinda clever, I guess. So… you’re Sweetie Belle’s old friend, huh?”

“Yeah, we go way back. Again, sorry.” He looked up at Rarity. “Hi, Rarity.”

Rarity gave him a nod in greeting. “Hello to you too, young sir. I see you’ve made quite a name for yourself since last we met?”

He blushed and idly dug a hoof in the ground. “Umm, yes, Ma’am.”

“And the covering up? Really dear, you’ve no reason to.”

“I have plenty of reasons.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. “What do your teachers have to say about you fighting the way you do?”

“Huh? Oh, I never fight in school, Miss. And I try to keep my distance in the playgrounds, so I don’t get any accidents. Swimming lessons are still kinda tricky, though.” He grimaced at the thought.

“But you can control your electricity now, can’t you?” Rarity asked. “That crystal I gave you?”

“I still have it. Just, you know, I’m a little bigger now, so it’s tight around the chest.”

“Yes, and tight clothing isn’t something you have the fondest memories of, I know.”

“Not that kind of tight, no. But it did help, with the balancing and everything, and I got some other crystals, too, it’s fine. But, thing is, that’s not the only issue. My electric magic is part of me, like a tail or an ear. I can’t switch it off completely.”

“Not yet, you mean,” Fleur said. “Give it a few more years, it will come.”

“Thanks. But, yeah, in the meantime I don’t wanna hurt anypony.”

“Why not?” Cheerilee asked. “You’re good at it.”

At that, the boy recoiled. Rarity would have said something, but Fleur’s hint of a smirk and subtle shaking of the head stopped her.

“Umm, maybe I am, but so are the Royal Guard. And the Royal Guard don’t hurt ponies when they don’t need to. I have my magic, so I’m going to use it. And I don’t like being called a bully, Miss.”

“Cheerilee,” Fleur said. “That is Miss Cheerilee.”

“Oh.” He winced. “Umm, wow.”

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow. “What is goin’ on here?”

“Nothing you need to worry about, Apple Bloom,” Cheerilee replied.

---

“Okay, fighters: next challenge!” Ash called out. “Master Blazing, I’m told you have a rookie wanting to prove himself?”

Blazing nodded as the muscular, blue pegasus colt stepped forward. “That I do. A very eager one, at that.”

“Okay, kid, the floor is yours.”

The colt huffed. “I challenge the dragon!”

Ash tilted his head at that. “Beg yer pardon?”

“I’ve been learning the ways of the Dragonslayer, sir. I want to measure them against your student, in a challenge for recognition.”

Ash looked back. “Spike, I don’t know about this.”

“You said I might run into a dragonslayer. He’s only a little one.”

“Yes, he is. And in case you hadn’t noticed, you’re only a little dragon. Are you sure you want to accept this challenge?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“He’s a Feather Cloak. They’re not like the other schools here. I’d be fine with it if the Tai Chi club had a dragonslayer, or the karate schools. Feather Cloaks are ninja, and brutal by default. He’s not gonna go easy on you.”

Spike nodded. “Okay. Then I won’t go easy on him.”

Ash nodded. “It’s a personal challenge to you, you have to answer him.”

“I accept!” Spike called out as he walked onto the stage to face the colt. “My name is Spike. Who’s challenging me?”

The kid grinned as he lowered his stance, still on all fours. “They call me the Mangler. But seeing as you don’t have a warrior alias, you can call me by my real name: Whimper.”

Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Whimper?”

Author's Notes:

So, umm... yeah, pretty straightforward again, I think most of the references are pretty clear.

The Lightning Ring technique, described as 'the ultimate lightning spell' was modelled after Kennen's ult from League of Legends. The idea is that the Ashen Blizzard can sense intent and danger, but a wizard can make that threat come from outside himself. It's the same loophole Rainbow Dash exploited.

Live Wire was only ever a B-list OC. I'll probably be repurposing him in my reindeer novel, both as himself in reindeer form (as a background character) and a female counterpart as a main character. In pony fics, I do want to use him more elsewhere. If any of my OC's ever got adopted into canon, I'd wager this one is closest, especially with the developments of recent seasons. He's an interesting sort of character that fits the setting, more than a character like Whimper does, in hindsight.

There's some ambiguity in Cheerilee and Fleur's conversation. That relates to some last-minute changes to the plot, but the end result still makes sense overall.

Incidentally, do you have any idea how much self-restraint I had to exercise to keep this hidden for so long? Especially when people started talking about a 'shocking' twist? For crying out loud! Also, yes, when Live Wire was talking about needing to be properly grounded to fight him... not a coincidence.

That's everything that needs explaining, right? Right. Stay tuned for next week, when Spike... well, you can probably guess how this fight is going to end up already if you've seen Naruto and/or Dragonball, but at least try to act surprised, okay?

Also no, there will be no dragonballs involved. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Fear the Silver-Skinned Dragonslayer! Spike Versus Whimper!

Apple Bloom’s ears twitched when she heard the name of the boy Spike would be fighting. “Whimper? Did he just say Whimper?”

“He did,” Sweetie Belle replied. “I heard it, too.”

“So that’s Scootaloo’s friend? And Spike’s gonna fight him?”

“You know that guy?” Live Wire asked.

Sweetie Belle winced. “Umm, we don’t know him, exactly, but we’ve heard a lot about him. Scootaloo went to Flight Camp with him, apparently they were friends, but something happened. Now she’s scared of even being in the same town as him.”

Live Wire grumbled. “Can’t say I blame her. That Whimper’s ruthless.”

“You know him too, then?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Of course. I’ve seen him fight. He uses the same technique as Silver Spoon, but his focus is different. Iron Saddle jutsu, entry level one. That’s the one they teach white belts first. Silver Spoon’s technique is entry level two.”

Spike took a low stance and breathed in deep. Behind him, Ash raised a hoof. “Ready?”

“This should be interesting,” Fleur said. “That Whimper is one of the better rookies in Blazing’s class. If Spike has progressed as quickly as Apple Bloom, it should be an even match.”

“Begin!”

The two boys held up their guards, circling around each other slowly, each gauging the other’s motions.

“What do you mean, ‘progressed as quickly as Apple Bloom’? I went down like a sack a’ potatoes,” the little Earth pony started.

“As I explained to your friend earlier, the Ashen Blizzard doesn’t teach often, but he is good at it. Do not underestimate your own skills, ma petite, you don’t know what to measure them against. My Live Wire here is an exceptional fighter, certainly a few levels higher than you. The fact that he had trouble taking you down painlessly is a testament to your own progress.”

“Really? You’re a bigshot?” Apple Bloom asked.

His ears fell back against his head. “Eheh, not yet, but last Warrior Meet I kinda put on a show. That’s where I got the name ‘Hammer,’ too. My talent kind of makes it easy for me to do damage, so I try to get my level up as high as I can.”

“Quite successfully, I might add,” Fleur said. “But that does not mean you are of a low level yourself, Apple Bloom. And neither, I should hope, is Spike.”

“So what does that Whimper kid usually do?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“That one?” Live Wire replied. “That one’s just like any Feather Cloak: he gets under your skin any chance he gets.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard by now they, too, have a bit of a reputation,” Fleur said.

“Yeah. Why, though?”

“It’s in their nature. Certain abilities are only unlocked by summoning certain emotions, and the Feather Cloaks tend to use anger more than anything else.”

“Like Mercurial Hoof?”

“It’s a long story,” Live Wire replied. “But yes, that Whimper uses part of the same practice. Part of the same legend.”

---

Spike’s pose was uncannily similar to Whimper’s once the colt got on his hind hooves: fists held close, elbows half up, a more closed form of Tiger Stance for quick jabs and swipes, obviously. The pegasus was different in his footwork, though, bouncing up and down while Spike moved in more of a sliding motion.

Whimper dealt the first blow: a small jump and a flap of the wings and he was on his target, jabbing and putting Spike on the defensive.

Spike ducked under the first strike to the head, then sidestepped the follow-up and swung his arrowhead tail in the way of the third.

Whimper hit the sharp tip dead on, but it didn’t seem to phase the boy.

Spike took the opening. He’d prepared for this. His reflexes were fast enough to keep up with his opponent, his stamina meant he could outlast this kid.

And his Dragon Code meant he had to take him down fast, with minimal damage.

“Haiyah!”

He took a swipe at the kid’s torso, slashing the fur from the right shoulder to the belly.

Whimper stumbled back two steps.

Spike smiled. A scratch like that wouldn’t cause too much damage, but it would hurt. It would keep him distracted.

He raised a fist to his earfin and wound up a finisher, going into a run to put his whole body behind it.

Tap.

“What the...”

Whimper smirked as he blocked that speedy punch with a hoof. Spike looked down.

No scratch.

His dragon claws hadn’t pierced the skin. It hadn’t done anything.

“How?”

---

“What happened?” Apple Bloom said as Spike was driven back by a quick succession of blows, some landing on his shoulders, some taken by his blocking arms. “Spike got a clean shot on him. Those claws can’t be that dull, why didn’t he draw blood?”

“Like I said, that Whimper is a fully trained white belt in the Feather Cloak School. He uses Iron Saddle, the entry level,” Live Wire said.

“So?”

“So, the entry level is Silver Skin. The basic variant of that makes you resistant to blades, including dragon claws.”

Apple Bloom needed to think about that for a moment. Sweetie Belle was a little less subtle. “Oh, come on! How is that even possible?”

Fleur furrowed her brow, thinking. “How do I explain this? There are certain meditation techniques, close to self-hypnosis, that supposedly allow a pony’s magic to take on… different functions. One such technique is the Iron Saddle series of meditations. It’s part of a long list of traditions, developed by the pandas and passed down by the Eastern Unicorn Bowl-Bearers. If you believe in that sort of thing. The Wonderbolts use a less esoteric version of it, more physical than magical, and, really, most ponies develop it to some degree naturally.”

“So is it legit or isn’t it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Hmm, depends on whom you ask. There are legends, but that’s about all there is. Some say guided imagery can tap into a pony’s magic, some say it’s just an old mare’s tale. It’s hard to tell which is which, even if you can find the proper scrolls. A lot of the material is coded, and requires a certain frame of mind to read, a frame of mind that, again according to legend, can only be achieved via oral transmission or… previous experiences. What is known and what is written down are very simple things: postures, instructions to tense certain muscles and breathe in a certain way. They’re mostly taught in yoga classes now, but without proper guidance, it never amounts to much more than basic exercise. It requires a form of harmony to be effective, if it can be made effective at all. There are many legends surrounding its results, not all of them are based on truth. And the ones who would know the difference are quite tight-lipped about the whole thing.” Fleur stole a glance towards Princess Luna and the Ashen Blizzard. “The means to acquire Silver Skin is not in the series itself, but it is a preparatory exercise, a kind the Feather Cloaks teach, along with their Mercurial Hoof. It’s not actual legendary Iron Saddle, but as you can see, it’s potent enough on its own.”

---

In the ring, Whimper was panting, but smiling as he bounced up and down after a quick flurry of punches. “Heheh. What’s the matter? I thought a dragon would put up more of a fight.”

Spike grumbled as he rubbed his sore arms. He was hurting, but that wasn’t unusual. “So you can’t get scratched, huh?”

“Nope. My skin is packed with magic. You can’t pierce it that easily.”

Spike looked down at the blue colt’s muscular arms. They were packed, alright, but they were bruised, too.

So his skin is hard, but he can still get bruised. He’s got a lot of hard muscle, too. Guess I don’t have any choice, I’m gonna have to fight for real now.

Whimper came at him with a raised arm, another wide and wound-up blow incoming. Spike went right into it and slammed his fist into the kid’s frog.

Whimper recoiled. Spike didn’t.

Spike chuckled. “You wanna know how a dragon fights? Well, here’s a tip for ya: I don’t just have scales and claws, I have hands. I don’t fight with hooves.” He smiled confidently at his opponent. “I can fight with fists.”

Whimper growled and shook that aching hoof. “Cute. Okay, warm-up’s over.”

---

Apple Bloom winced. “I don’t like this. Spike’s only a baby dragon, but he’s still a dragon. He might hurt that kid.”

“They’re testing each other. Or they were,” Fleur replied. “And believe me, the danger comes from both sides. That boy has an unhealthy fascination with monsters.”

“So he can beat Spike, then? With that Mercurial Hoof thing? Dragon scales don’t block that.”

“Possibly. But Mercurial Hoof isn’t the most reliable of techniques, least of all to a pony like Whimper, who isn’t trained in it. It’s the stuff of legends.”

“But I got beaten up with Mercurial Hoof. So it is a real thing, right? Not just an old mare’s tale?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Fleur pondered it for a moment. “Yes and no. Yes, a lot of the supposed feats of the old masters seem extraordinary by modern standards, and the means used to gain their skills outlandish. But no, it’s not all bunk and hokum, there is some merit to some of the legends. There are techniques of mental imagery that have been shown to work, and those are recorded and spread for therapeutic use, mostly for paediatrics. They’re called rune pages, after the original works. You wouldn’t know of them unless you’ve had hypnotic therapy. The, ah, fancy name helps children believe in their magic. Magic feather principle, so to speak.”

“Kinda like those meditations we had to do, then,” Apple Bloom said. “That’s what Ash meant when he said he taught the inner and outer stuff: he knows what you’re supposed to imagine for it to work.”

Fleur nodded. “That is part of why it is so hard to teach under normal conditions. Not every pony reacts the same way to the same imagery, and not every pony can even imagine with enough clarity. I’m told it’s easier for children, but I wouldn’t know.”

“Wait, I’m confused. Does that mean Spike’s fighting somepony who’s a fake? Is Silver Spoon a fake?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Silver Spoon and that Whimper have mastered a section of the legends that’s not mere legend. The Silver Skin technique is the most common of the bunch: energy and magic are built up underneath the skin, tightening it and protecting against certain forms of attack,” Live Wire explained. “In hypnotic therapy, the equivalent is called glove anaesthesia: you picture cold, to numb your skin. That helps you dull any pain on the surface.”

“Like Spike’s dragon skin, then?”

Live Wire nodded. “Something like that. Silver Skin technique allows you to dull the sensations of pain, particularly those of a scratch or burn, even friction burn. It also packs energy under the skin, magic, to provide a mild protection from bladed weapons, especially along the arms. Still, it doesn’t accomplish much besides opening the gates for Mercurial Hoof. Well, that and the second part of Silver Skin.”

---

“Warm-up’s over? Seriously?” Spike chuckled. “And ponies say I read too much Neighruto.”

Whimper hissed and lunged, swiping his arms like a scythe. Spike punched the blows away, but he was hitting hard limbs, whereas Whimper got a few shots in at his gut.

It was like fighting a wild animal. Whimper didn’t stay on his hind legs all the time; he let his body drop to wind up his blows and get more traction for hard shoves.

Spike was driven back by the hoofblows, and even with his skill in slowing down his sense of time he couldn’t keep up with this speed.

Why isn’t this kid slowing down?

Spike slapped and slashed at those arms as they continued their barrage, to no avail.

Shouldn’t his muscles be getting tired by now?

“Oof!” Spike got the wind knocked out of him. That was another blow to his gut, but Whimper didn’t press the attack afterwards. Spike coughed and gagged, and he felt something cold creeping into his stomach. He tasted something metallic in his saliva, too.

He held a hand up to his mouth to check.

Blood? The dragon stumbled back, his head swam. “W-what did you do?”

Whimper rubbed along the edge of his right arm. “A little pegasus specialty: contact magic. I’m sure you’ve heard of our school’s signature technique by now. It’s perfect for dealing with wild animals and monsters, makes your thick hide pretty useless.”

Spike groaned. “Attacking the insides, huh?”

“Exactly.” Whimper grinned, then ran up to kick Spike in the teeth.

How or when the dragon had punched him in the face, Whimper couldn’t tell. All he knew was that one moment, he was ready to seal the deal, the next moment, he was reeling back and his nose hurt.

Spike swallowed the blood along with the pain. “Don’t underestimate me, kid. I can get you just as good as you can get me.”

“Yeah? Is that what the Ashen Blizzard taught you?”

Spike barely had time to wince when another blow came to his gut. He felt something pass through his skin again, like a vague flame that tickled at his stomach.

“This is what my master taught me.”

Spike grabbed that hoof still in his stomach. “Good. I was hoping you’d stand still.”

“Huh?”

Spike dug the claws of his left hand into the kid’s hoof, and before Whimper could retaliate, the dragon delivered a mighty blow to the neck that sent the pegasus skidding over the ground. He couldn’t press his attack, though, not with the tingling in his stomach intensifying, that creeping cold started to make its way up to his lungs and chilling his veins.

Whimper chuckled as he got up. “Nice one. You pack a pretty good punch for a white belt.”

“How are you not knocked out?”

The colt scoffed. “You don’t know about Feather Cloak initiations? We harden noobies right from the start. I fight green belts for practice. I toughen up against opponents who are bigger than me. They beat me up a lot worse than anything you can do.”

Spike doubled over in pain. “Ah!”

“And there’s why I’m standing here today. Dragonslayer Jutsu: Inner Flame Extinction. I’ll be a green belt after I beat you, you know. You should feel honoured.”

Spike gritted his teeth. Those shots to his stomach had magic behind them. All this kid’s blows had magic behind them. But he delivered it with speed, strength. Whimper didn’t move like Scootaloo or Rumble. He was still physical first, magical second.

Which meant the magic was weak. The pain he was feeling now wasn’t damage, it was a distraction. The actual damage was still in the physical blows, meaning all he had to do to get the cold out of his system was to keep fighting.

---

“Oh, I get it. Whimper’s attacking Spike’s internal organs, like Scootaloo and Rumble do. And since you can’t protect your internal organs from an attack like that, it’s impossible to defend against,” Sweetie Belle said.

Live Wire arched an eyebrow. “Who told you that?”

“Spike did. He knows about that sort of thing.”

Fleur chuckled. “Of course he does. Yes, the Feather Cloaks do pride themselves on that Mercurial Hoof technique. It’s one of their signature moves, the key to their more advanced katas.”

---

Okay, Spike. You can do this. This isn’t some monster or another dragon.

He’s just a pony trying to bully you.

Just breathe.

You can take him if you breathe.

Just…

Breathe!

The gout of flame that Spike sent out was more of a forceful one than a hot one, but it was enough to drive the pegasus back.

“What the… your magic should be blocked! You took a shot to your gut!”

Spike wiped his snout and jutted out his chest, pointing a thumb to himself. “You think you’re tough because you fight green belts? You don’t know who I am, do you? I’m Twilight Sparkle’s number one assistant. I’ve been hit with books, spells, I’ve even done a belly dive one hundred feet straight into a lava pool. I’ve gone up against dragons bigger than me, bigger than you.” He conveniently forgot to mention he got a lot of running done during those confrontations. Ninja Style: Omit Embarrassing Details Jutsu and all that. “And if that was your best shot-” He got into a low pose. “-you’re not up to fighting dragons just yet, even a baby one like me.”

---

Fleur smiled. “It seems Spike has found the chink in Whimper’s armour.”

“What do you mean? They’re both roughed up,” Apple Bloom remarked.

“Yes, but Spike still has his composure. If I know the Ashen Blizzard’s approach, he’ll have taught you the sight techniques for your elements, non? Does Spike know the speed vision?”

“He does,” Sweetie Belle said. “We all do. But what does that matter? Whimper’s skin is too thick to penetrate.”

“Regular blows still work, right?” Apple Bloom said.

“You’ll see,” Fleur replied. “Silver Skin only protects the outside, it doesn’t provide any internal protection. Spike is matching Whimper blow for blow. He’s a lot more clever than he appears, that little dragon. The longer this fight goes, the more the advantage shifts to Spike. And I think he knows it.”

“Seems like that whole Iron Saddle business is a bit of a useless gimmick, then,” Apple Bloom noted.

“Don’t discount it just yet. A lot of seemingly innocuous abilities can evolve into devastating combat techniques in the right hooves.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Like what your friend suffered, for instance. The technique to put cold hatred into one’s hooves is almost identical to the shielding of Silver Skin. Mercurial Hoof is the advanced version of it, after all.”

“Yeah, I got that, but besides that, what else is there? I mean, it only protects your skin. Can’t it protect all of you?”

“It could, in theory. But that’s the part that’s an old mare’s tale,” Live Wire said.

“How’s that?”

“Most ponies don’t think the actual Iron Saddle techniques are real, or if they do, they think they’re not worth learning.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. “Do you know them?”

Live Wire shrugged. “I know the techniques, and all the postures, but I don’t practise them. I mean, yoga’s nice for flexibility, but I can’t do the whole thing.”

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated.”

Sweetie Belle winced. “Is it your magic?”

Live Wire sighed. “Not exactly. Remember, to be able to do it at all, you need to be able to feel a certain way on command, you have to practise imagination. The first problem is that it’s next to impossible to know whether the feeling you get at all is the right one. You just know when you’re doing it right, or you’re supposed to know. The second problem is that, umm, you need to feel something on command. Getting angry or psyched up on command is one thing, but the other ones… you’d have to be a really good actor to be able to do that. One of the downsides to any internal technique is that it’s always linked to the breath. If you do it a lot, it can affect your attitude, your mood. For most ponies, it’s just not worth it, especially if you only get a toughness that would develop naturally anyway.”

---

Spike let his eyes go out of focus to better track the speedy kid. He saw Whimper wind up to go into super speed again, but this time he was ready.

He stepped forward and let out a rough jab to the colt’s shoulder. A left hook met with an under arm nerve blow, and a kick was swatted away with his tail.

He realised too late he was still open to an attack. Whimper had a clear shot at Spike’s gut again, and he took it with full force.

“Oof!”

Even the Ashen Blizzard winced in sympathy at that one.

Spike curled up in pain. “G-gaaa… why do you keep aiming for my stomach?”

“It’s an easy mark. Plus, it’s nice and soft, so I don’t have to risk chipping a nail,” Whimper taunted. “Had enough?”

“Not even close.”

---

“So that kid over there-” Apple Bloom asked.

“Can get angry and hateful on command,” Live Wire replied. “That’s how the Feather Cloaks learn that technique. It’s hard to tell if any other way works, too.”

“What about yours? Isn’t your lightning like that, too?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Mine’s elemental. It’s neutral; it doesn’t have any emotions attached to it, just simple mental images, tops. But, since it’s connected to my heart, it does have the same weaknesses. If I’m feeling scared or nervous, it can act on its own.”

“But do you have any accidents, still?” Rarity asked.

“Sometimes. I just try to stay out of trouble, stay focused so it doesn’t go wrong. I like my powers now: I could do a lot of good with them. But it’s still dangerous.”

“And how does your class handle that?” Cheerilee asked.

“My class?”

“You go to school, don’t you? In Canterlot? How do the other students manage being around you?”

The boy gulped. “Umm, they don’t. I manage it. I have to. It’s my magic, so it’s my responsibility.”

That, it seemed, was enough to get a smile of approval from Cheerilee.

---

This is wrong. He’s just trying to get his belt.

But he’s gonna hurt me, or himself, if this keeps up.

Spike panted and wheezed as he traded blows with the muscled pegasus.

“What’s the matter? Getting a little winded?” Whimper taunted.

Spike let out another gout of flame, a smaller one this time. “I’m holding up just fine. You’re not looking so hot yourself. Why did you even want to fight me? I don’t know you, you don’t know me.”

Whimper was indeed not looking well. His eyes were wet with the beginning of tears, and his breath came in ragged hisses. Still, the pegasus kept up his barrage. “I wanted to know if it was true,” Whimper said as he pummeled the air Spike had occupied a split second ago.

“If what was true?” Spike backed up and lowered his stance.

“If you can beat a dragon, you become invincible.”

“Seriously? That’s why you’re doing this? You read waaay too much Neighruto.”

“Actually, I read more classic stuff. And that’s not the exact legend.” Whimper lowered his voice to whisper. “They say that if you get a dragon’s blood on you, you become invincible. That’s why I wanted to fight you.”

Spike gulped.

“You can’t do anything to hurt me, but I’m gonna make you bleed, dragon. Even if I have to do it from the inside out.”

---

“So what if you can feel stuff on command? Are the best actors, like, super strong?”

“No. There’s more. According to legend, the Iron Saddle techniques require you to go into yourself, shift your awareness to your internal organs, muscles, bones. That’s the biggest reason no one does that: it’s next to impossible. Silver Skin and Mercurial Hoof technique, the warm-up meditations, are more common, because it’s easy to feel out your skin or the surface of your hooves. You already feel with those. But the other ones, the legendary ones, you’d have to be able to see inside yourself, and feel with bodyparts that don’t have nerves to feel with, if you catch my drift.”

“Oh. Well, that’s a shame. Makin’ your whole body all impervious-like sounds like a really neat thing to try.”

Fleur smiled. “I’m sure it would suit your style well, but it’s not for everypony. A lot can go wrong, there’s hardly any feedback mechanisms, and even if you get it right there are... side effects.”

“Such as?” Cheerilee asked.

Fleur arched an eyebrow.

“Purely out of professional interest, of course.” She cast a brief glance at Live Wire.

“Training through mental imagery, conjuring a semi-permanent change in the aura, it puts magical pressure on the entire body, and adds another level of attention to the breath and heart rate. When done right, even if it is just the basic Silver Skin technique, it can raise or lower sensitivity as part of the post-hypnotic suggestion. This can make practitioners either callous and careless or hyper-sensitive to the point of irritability, as you can no doubt see in the arena. One of the better known applications is astral shapeshifting, the Wolf Skin technique.” She sighed and nodded to the arena. “Which should be demonstrated live in just a few seconds.”

---

Whimper closed his eyes and growled. Spike shivered when he felt a wave of cold hatred wash over his scales. “W-what the...”

When the pegasus looked up again, there was madness in his green eyes. “Silver Skin, level two: Silver Wolf Rush!”

Whimper vanished for a split second into super speed, barely giving Spike the time to get his guard up before getting swatted.

A whistling sound came from his left, and Spike relaxed his eyes.

Breathe.

Slow it down.

You can do this.

You’ve seen Scootaloo move faster than this.

“Haiyah!” Spike slashed at the boy right before he could strike, but the claws didn’t penetrate. Even his eye sockets were impenetrable.

That’s why.

That’s why he didn’t slow down.

He’s numbed himself to the pain.

He doesn’t realise how much damage he’s taken.

Spike ducked and blocked more shots, but another hard blow landed on his gut.

He could taste it clearly this time. He knew what the kid was trying to do, what he was after.

Dragon blood.

He knows he can’t cut dragon scales. He wants me to cough up blood.

He’s crazy.

Whimper stood still and growled, lowering his whole body like a predator would, his eyes narrowed, his teeth bared. “Come on, just a little more. You don’t want me to try and cut you, do you?”

---

“Ulfserkers, or berserkers,” Cheerilee said. “Is that why they’re called Feather Cloaks? Because they picture a cloak of feathers around them?”

“Yes, that is their one and true foundation. The image of a quill is simple and universal enough to hold in the mind, to form into a weapon. Having them cover your back, over the pressure points, supposedly allows for self-healing, but that level of detail is reserved for grandmaster techniques. The points you need to target for that to work are the size of a needle’s tip. Most students only get as far as the combat application, and the rage. What you’re seeing now is a very old and very dangerous technique. They numb themselves to pain and fill their hearts with rage, then unleash themselves on the enemy. In this day and age, it’s a final resort. Or at least it would be, if it wasn’t being taught to hair-trigger bullies who read far too much Neighruto. Blazing Trail must have a lot of confidence in Whimper if he taught him how to do that. The aggression problems alone are enough to make any other master think twice.”

“Oh, my. Does that happen with all of them? That aggression, I mean?” Cheerilee asked.

“All of the Feather Cloaks? Usually, regardless of the techniques they master; it’s in the nature of their teachings. They grow out of it during adolescence, most of the time. It’s a cultural thing, really. A lot of younger Feather Cloaks are bully victims who turn their frustrations into force. Can’t say I approve, but you can’t argue with results, quoi?”

“I didn’t know you were interested in martial arts, Cheerilee,” Rarity said.

“I have a, err… minor interest in it, yes, just as a spectator. So, purely hypothetical, if you put a child like that Whimper in a classroom, what happens if anyone picks on him?”

Rarity grimaced. “Yes, and while we’re on the subject, Fleur, is Spike going to be okay? I know he’s a dragon and all, but I’m starting to think that might not be much of advantage here.”

---

“Nopony will ever pick on me again if I beat a dragon,” Whimper hissed.

Whimper moved and hit faster than even Spike could keep track of now. The little dragon had gotten used to hooves treading over his body, hard nails meeting hard scales. He’d even taken the scorn of other dragons for granted.

This was different.

There was an anger behind this pain, a purpose.

This Whimper kid wanted him to suffer.

And while he was getting slapped around by a pony moving like a wolf, his own scratches and punches hardly doing any damage, he did know this: his Dragon Code demanded he deny this bully the satisfaction.

---

“With that boy? Immediate retaliation. The Feather Cloaks draw power from confidence. They teach their members to be pure alphas, always; the technique they use to enhance their speed relies on it. They don’t cause trouble or start fights, though, if that’s what you’re wondering. As long as no one challenges their supposed superiority, that is. If they do, well…” Fleur nodded towards Sweetie Belle, who was still croaking from her throat every now and then.

“I see.”

“They’re no different from any other child, really, just a little angrier and better equipped to vent it. They don’t turn on adults, as a rule.”

“It’s not the adults that concern me. Look at what he’s doing to Spike! If Whimper was in my class, he could...”

Fleur shrugged. “Fair point. The best way to handle a situation with a child like that is by talking them down. At least, that’s what I have been told. I’ve never trained one of his ilk myself, obviously.”

Apple Bloom winced at the motions of Whimper and Spike. “I don’t think Spike can take much more of this.” The dragon was practically obscured by a blue blur, occasionally being jerked this way and that as more hoofblows raked across his already battered body.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Fleur said.

Rarity gasped. “What? Is Spike alright?”

“Non. He’s taken too many blows to his nerves. His skin is hardened, but his muscles can’t take that kind of punishment much longer. That Whimper kid is a loose cannon, but he hits so hard it doesn’t necessarily matter.”

---

Spike coughed and spluttered, but he swallowed the blood that came up.

“Come on, it’s for science,” Whimper taunted. “I just want to hear you, you know, whimper. What does a dragon look like when he’s cornered? What do you do?”

Spike bit through the pain. Bruises on his arms, belly, nothing on his legs, that was good. His nerves were shot, though, and his ears rang with the sound of that insane pegasus clopping and flapping every which way. With all the punching and blocking, along with that freaky touch magic he’d been loaded with, he wasn’t going to win with any punches now. But, it occurred to him, neither would Whimper. He’d gotten that kid just as good. So why was Whimper still standing, and Spike shaking?

Was he just numb to pain, or was he really immune to any damage?

“Is this what a Feather Cloak can do?” he asked.

“No,” Whimper replied,”this is.”

It came as a light touch to his belly, a caress, almost. But then the caress turned into a twist and a shove, and his whole world went white. Just like it had when the Ashen Blizzard had used this technique. He couldn’t even scream. He bit down on the blood when it came back up, still, he wouldn’t give in.

---

Apple Bloom almost jumped up. “What? Why’s Spike groanin’ so much? He barely touched him. Wasn’t even a slap.”

“That’s it,” Sweetie Belle said. “That’s Mercurial Hoof. That’s what Silver Spoon did to me.”

“But… that’s a lot lighter than anythin’ we’ve been doing.”

“Mercurial Hoof doesn’t cause that much damage under the skin; it targets the nerves and organs,” Live Wire explained. “Because of that, the most critical blows aren’t hard hits, but carefully positioned pushes and jabs. It’s mostly a Water Style sort of motion. Energy doesn’t travel well through tense muscles. A loose touch and a twist is all it takes. That guy has trouble doing it in combat, that’s why he wears you down first.”

“But Scootaloo’s a Water type, and she never moved like that,” Apple Bloom objected.

“Actually, she did. Once or twice,” Sweetie said. “So did Rumble. Hurt a lot, too.” She winced and rubbed her still sore throat.

“Then I guess Scootaloo either wasn’t very good at it, or you blocked her often enough, or she just didn’t want to hurt you. Getting your nerve points hit isn’t like getting bruised. It’s a lot scarier to have your arm go limp when you know you still have to punch with it,” Live Wire said. “It doesn’t just hurt you; it makes you feel powerless. And then you get desperate. And then… you start making mistakes.”

---

“Give up,” Whimper said. “If you’re not gonna give me what I want, don’t make this any longer than it has to be.”

“No.” Spike forced himself to stand upright. “I can still fight.”

“If you don’t give up, I have to chuck you out of the ring or make you lose consciousness.”

The dragon panted for air, but his eyes still shone with defiance. “Pick one.”

Whimper picked the first option and threw his whole body at Spike.

Just like Spike had predicted.

With all his might, Spike clutched at that blue fur and tried to grapple him.

The colt was, to say the least, not impressed. “You’re kidding, right? You’re like, half body fat. I’m all muscle. You think you can grapple me?”

Spike grinned. “I can’t pierce your skin, but I can still keep a grip on it. And you might be muscled, but you’re just as beaten as I am.” He swatted his tail at the kid’s hind hooves to unbalance him and push him towards the edge.

Whimper opened his wings and gave firm flap to get them both off the ground. “You idiot. You don’t have traction in the air. You don’t even have wings.”

Spike held on even as Whimper went higher. Then he grinned. “No, but I’ve still got this!”

“What?”

“Giant Fireball Jutsu!”

Spike threw his head back and let rip. The fireball that erupted from his mouth pushed them both down before the pegasus could react, prompting the ponies below to scatter. Right at the last second, Spike managed to twist his body so Whimper would land with his back first.

Once the dust settled, Spike rolled off and chuckled.

Ash and Luna exchanged some words, then shrugged.

“Double ring out,” Ash said.

“Alright,” Spike said with a groan. “We’ll call it a draw.”

“No!” Whimper jumped upright. “You cheated! I had you! I had you dead to rights!”

“Now, now, Whimper.”

The boy froze.

“Spike put up a good fight. You let him get the drop on you,” Master Blazing said. “It doesn’t matter in the long run. Everyone could plainly see you’re the stronger fighter. After all, Spike is in dire need of some medical attention. You are fine. Right?”

Whimper snorted. “Right. Go get patched up, dragon. I’m gonna take a breather and then get a rematch, if there’s anypony left in this town with some guts.”

Spike shook his head as the kid walked off and Fluttershy flew closer, bandages at the ready. “Jeez, and that’s supposed to be Scootaloo’s friend? No wonder she ran off.”

---

Ash and Luna muttered something to each other, then called out. “Okay, seeing as Whimper is still able and willing to fight, we’ll hold our decision in deliberation. In the meantime, next challenger?”

Blazing Trail raised his hoof. “I have one more.”

“I accept!” Rumble called out before anyone else could.

Silver Spoon grinned as she took the stage. “I challenge for recognition.”

Rumble growled at her. “I accept, for retribution.”

Author's Notes:

I think this is probably the most Naruto-esque fight so far, with all the dialogue interrupting the actual fight. I'm quite proud of it.

And yes, Giant Fireball Jutsu is both from Naruto, and it's a sort-of reference to the Kamehameha blast-off trick in earlier issues of Dragonball.

Whimper's motivation was taken from... I wish I could remember the name of the story, because I only know fragments of it. It was presented to me in grade school (like, one year past kindergarten) and it was about a dragon who couldn't breathe fire, only flowers. A troll or gnome living in the same valley as the dragons had given the boy's mother a potion, because the gnome was dying. Turns out he was trying to save the dragons: the flowers would become fruit trees. Anyway, years later I found one of my dad's old Spirou magazines and there was another page of the story: a human, an ugly, weak, foul-tempered kid wandered into the dragons' valley while the dragons were hibernating. They hibernate to refuel their fire. The flower dragon, now a pre-teen (I think?), was the only one awake. And the human gets to the biggest dragon he can find, kills it, and bathes in its blood to become immortal/invincible. The biggest dragon, of course, is the flower dragon's father. I honestly think that story imprinted on me somehow, got me into the whole 'magical boy' genre and indirectly inspired a lot of my work, but I cannot for the life of me remember any of the names. So if anyone knows what story this is, please let me know.

And yes, I know the concept was ripped from Ring der Nibellungen. That's beside the point.

Next week: Rumble Versus Silver Spoon, the Seven Deadly Blows.

I liked writing Live Wire as another 'knowing' character, as well as someone who can acknowledge, even at his early age, that he's the one who needs to adjust, not everyone around him.

Seven Deadly Blows! Rumble Versus Silver Spoon!

Rumble started walking towards the arena, but stopped when Ash nudged him.

“Be careful,” Ash said. “Don’t let the grudge get to your head. Keep your cool.”

Rumble nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good. That’s all anyone can ask.”

As he walked onto the stage, Rumble felt his heart pounding. A few deep breaths to concentrate, and his hooves were already filling with magic. If his opponent noticed his preparation, she didn’t care. Silver Spoon just grinned at him.

“What’s the matter? Nervous?” She started wiggling her arms to warm up.

Again he nodded, trotting in place to get the blood flowing. No doubt Silver Spoon was getting her magic ready, too.

“Got anything to say before we start?” She stretched her arms out wide, then tilted her body side to side from the waist, loosening up her limber spine. “You know, in case you don’t get the chance?”

“A couple of things. You hurt Sweetie Belle, and you scared off Scootaloo. Why?” Rumble rotated his neck to loosen it up before the fight.

Silver stopped her stretching and started glaring, tossing her glasses towards her master, who caught them without a second thought. “Because they had it coming. They chased me and Diamond out of our own party.”

“And them apologising for it wasn’t enough?” Rumble got back on all fours, wiggling his wings and arms.

“No, it’s not enough,” Silver hissed. “Every single time we try to do anything, we get upstaged, or punished, or talked down. And what do they get? They never get punished, they never have to answer for anything.”

Rumble arched an eyebrow. “Really? Getting sick because of a potion, almost getting chased out of town over a gossip column your friend ran, that’s not punishment?”

“It never stopped them,” Silver Spoon retorted. “No grownup ever told them off, not for real. Everypony in class was okay with them hogging the spotlight at Diamond’s cuteceñeara. So I’m setting it right. Why do you care? You’re not even friends with them. You’re a blank flank and they never let you into their club.”

She cast a glance towards the edge of the arena, where the other blank flanks were. A big platform like this, they were too far away to hear if he kept his voice down.

Perfect for goading the enemy without fear of retaliation from the spectators.

“No, they didn’t. They didn’t need to. I never asked. I don’t have to be a Cutie Mark Crusader to hang out with Scootaloo, or anyone. I know who my friends are. And you hurt them.”

“So, what, you wanna beat me up because of what I did?”

He snorted. “Depends. What are you gonna do when school starts again?”

“Set the record straight, of course.”

Rumble shook his head. “So you’re gonna bully everyone else, too. I can’t let you do that, Silver Spoon.”

“Oh, and I guess you’re gonna try and stop me, then?”

Slowly, calmly, he got on his hind hooves and went into Bear Stance, his legs a little wider than usual so he could strike lower. “You can’t just bully ponies into doing what you want.”

Silver followed suit. “Watch me. But just so we’re clear: I wouldn’t bully you. You’re a cool kid, like me and Diamond Tiara. We’d get along fine, even if you are only a blank flank.”

“Oh, I know I’m a cool kid. But I’m nothing like you. You don’t know what I’m like.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to fall like the rest,” Silver whispered.

Princess Luna raised a hoof and brought it down. “Begin!”

---

Rumble and Silver Spoon stood in the same low Bear Stance, but once they moved, the difference became clear.

Rumble moved with precision, with measured strikes and dodges. His was a calculated style. Silver Spoon was more graceful than him, keeping her arms looser and her slaps lighter.

They both got plenty of contact with each other, and the arena was soon filled with the sounds of hard claps and slaps as one punch was slapped away, the next sidestepped, another pushed down.

Their techniques were the same, on the outside. Neither threw a hard punch, neither tensed up, both stayed relaxed as they tested each other’s defenses. The only difference was that when Silver Spoon struck, there was a change in the air around her hoof, a vague shimmer of liquid.

Rumble took a step back just as Silver Spoon did.

“You’re not bad, you know. You’re pretty quick,” she said.

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t mean that as a compliment, Rumble. I’m just saying it’s a waste. And kind of a shame you have to lose to me.”

---

“So what can Rumble do?” Live Wire asked as the fight broke loose.

“He’s learned Water Style,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Yeah, I can see that, but what kind of Water Style?”

“Huh?”

“Does he know moves from Tai Chi, panda techniques, kung fu? He’s a pegasus, so he probably knows contact magic already, but what kind of attack does he use?”

“It’s ice.”

The ponies all turned their heads towards the new arrival.

“Moongazer,” Fleur greeted.

Moongazer nodded in greeting. “Master Lee. And young… Live Wire, was it?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Good show. Good fight, both of you. You did well, Apple Bloom, especially considering your adversary.”

“Is Spike alright?” Rarity asked. “I’d hate to think he’s hurt.”

“He’s fine,” Moongazer replied. “He got the fight he wanted, he got to measure up. That Whimper kid got cocky. I’m sure Spike will come around once he’s ready. Probably looking to get bandaged up some more to score maximum sympathy points.”

Rarity nodded. “I suppose he would. And now it all falls on Rumble, no?”

Fleur hmm-ed and turned her attention back to the fight going on. “Last fighter representing the Nine Dragons.”

“Yes,” Moongazer replied. “A very capable fighter, too. Surprisingly so, for his age. Strongest rookie we’ve got.”

“You said he can use ice?” Apple Boom asked. “He never did that in class.”

“Not physical ice, but icy energy. The same way Silver Spoon can make her internal energy become metallic and poisonous, Rumble can make it cold and numbing. It’s a good technique for an athlete: if they get injured and they don’t have an ice pack handy, it does alleviate some pain. And if they can project it, well… you get the idea.”

“So you have two fighters now that specialise in pressure points,” Fleur noted.

Apple Bloom squinted and let her eyes go out of focus. “Wow. It’s like they’re splashing each other.”

“Yes, it’s quite the spectacle. I wonder, though…” Fleur narrowed her eyes.

“What?” Moongazer asked.

“Rumble knows the mental imagery for an icy touch? I wasn’t aware you teach that sort of thing.”

“We don’t; he already knew it. A friend of his taught him.”

Fleur smiled. “Of course. Still, it’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Look at the two of them. Those kinds of blows, that energy, that technique. Do you not notice anything out of place?”

Moongazer squinted. “Wait, that can’t be right.”

Live Wire tilted his head. “That’s odd.”

“What is? Is Rumble doing something wrong?”

“No, but…”

“But?”

“Most Water Styles target pressure points to some degree, but an icy touch is more effective against the muscles and nerves, it doesn’t strictly rely on pressure points. It doesn’t target the organs, either, only the nerve system. Rumble should be wearing her down.”

“So?”

“So, if Silver Spoon is taking blows like that on her arms, why aren’t her punches slowing down?”

---

Whimper grumbled as Rumble fought Silver. Every blow that landed, he could just barely make out the flicker of a disturbed aura on her.

Rumble had her on the ropes.

“Is she going to be okay?” he asked.

Blazing Trail looked down at his charge, the second strongest rookie of their class. “Of course she will. Why wouldn’t she be?”

“That kid knows our techniques, sir. He fights like one of us.”

Blazing Trail smiled. “No, he doesn’t. He knows the outer form, but not the inner form.”

“But he’s using energy. He does have the inner form.”

“There is more than one page in our book, Whimper. That Rumble kid knows how to use his energy, yes. His stance is fine, his concentration is exceptionally clear for his age, and his targeting is remarkably accurate. But all he’s using is a mental image of ice.”

Whimper tilted his head, confused.

“There’s no substance behind it. He has the forms, but not the heart. His energy is elemental, neutral. And it’s not even strong enough to manifest physically. At best, he can make his body cold. Whereas Silver Spoon…”

Whimper turned back to the fight. He smirked. “Of course. Silver Spoon’s energy is different. At best, she can make her insides poison.”

Blazing nodded. “And the poison will take.”

---

Rumble struggled to keep his mind clear, to keep his magic focused. He knew what to do, what he had to do if this was to end in any good way. He concentrated all his attention into the tips of his striking hooves, forcing out an icy cold with every gentle tap and slap that landed. He kept pressing into her, but he never got enough time to do the twist and push to really drill in some damage to her nerve points.

Silver Spoon stumbled back as she tried to retaliate. Hers was a fluid style, like his, but unlike her, he was one-pointed in his awareness. Her strikes were were random, flailing, his were careful and calculated.

They traded blows for what seemed an eternity, until Rumble found what he was looking for.

An opening. Just one clean shot at her belly was all he needed.

Thump.

He froze.

One of Silver Spoon’s hooves was on his chest, the other had the tip pressing into a nerve point on his striking arm, and he could taste metal.

She didn’t even feel cold. She wasn’t numb. She twisted her hoof to make him suffer and dug into his fur, before giving him a back-hooved slap in his face that drove him back. “It’s a shame, really. You could have been a cool kid, like me.”

---

Rumble gagged and coughed. Something stung in his chest, making his lungs water up. His eyes burned, and even as he backed away from Silver Spoon’s jabbing hoof he could feel the throbbing where she’d hit him. “H-how?”

Silver Spoon pouted in mock sympathy. “Aww, what’s the matter? Rumbly-wumbly sad he wost?”

Rumble grimaced, forcing himself to stay on his hind legs. “I hit you dead on. I got you in the chest. How did you block that? How are you not numb?”

She chuckled. “You really haven’t figured it out?”

The boy shook his head.

“It’s simple, really. My style is like yours: I take everything that’s strong, awesome, everything that’s me, and I put that into a punch, into you. The only difference is that you’re just a loser, and I’m not.”

“Don’t play coy with me.” He raised his arms back up, ignoring the stabbing pain in his chest. “Your arms should be paralysed by now, energy or no energy.”

Silver Spoon, likewise, took a Bear Stance again. “You want more? Fine. But it’s only gonna get worse now.”

Rumble winced. “I don’t think you can do any worse than this, Silver Spoon.”

“Try me. I’ve mastered the Seven Deadly Blows. I can flood your magic with poison.”

Rumble’s eyes widened.

Flood me?

So that’s how.

---

“How is he still standing after a blow like that?” Fleur asked. “Did you teach him any safeguards?”

“We didn’t have the time,” Moongazer replied. “He’s standing on pure willpower now. How did Silver Spoon not take any damage? Can she really do the Seven Deadly Blows?”

“Yup,” Sweetie Belle said. “That’s what she did to me. Well, four of them, I guess.”

“I see. Then Rumble knew he was going to lose.”

“What? What do you mean? How does knowin’ that Seven Blow thingie make a difference?” Apple Bloom asked.

“The Seven Deadly Blows are a kata used in the Feather Cloak School: you strike seven critical points in succession and flood the enemy with your own toxic energy,” Moongazer explained.

“So?”

“So, it’s a technique that strikes directly at the vital points of the body.”

“Just like any Water Style,” Apple Bloom said. “Rumble can do that, too, so can Scootaloo.”

“It’s complicated. You wouldn’t understand,” Live Wire said, shaking his head.

Fleur rolled her eyes. “You are familiar with the techniques of most Water Styles, yes?”

“Yes,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Then you are also aware that Healing Touch and Death Touch techniques are, in essence, one and the same?”

“Yeah; one’s bad, the other’s good. But for both of’em, it’s just putting a piece of yourself into somepony el-” Apple Bloom’s jaw hung slack. “Oh, that’s how she did it.”

“Now you’re catching on.”

“What?” Rarity asked. “I don’t follow.”

“Silver Spoon didn’t need to block that last attack,” Moongazer said. “She landed a hit on Rumble’s arm, and she blocked his energy. If she’s mastered the Seven Deadly Blows, then that means she’s perfected her magic, she can concentrate it harder than a mere apprentice can, a full level harder than Rumble can. Her energy is metallic, poison. His is cold, numbing. He tried to chill her, she managed to clog him. He can’t use his technique at all now, can he?”

“Exactly. She set him up, waiting for the opening,” Fleur said. “He was aiming for her muscles. She was aiming for his lungs.”

Apple Bloom still didn’t get it. “But then how did she manage to stop Rumble from numbing her arms? He got a couple hits in, dead on. Didn’t that do anything?”

“That is the complicated part,” Moongazer said. “There’s only one technique that can nullify an internal attack like that. When foreign energy enters the body, it can be flushed out with a sudden burst of energy. Bleed it out of the affected area, and you’re effectively healed, same as any poison. That’s why she moved the way she did: she was shaking it off, pretending to attack in a weakened state. She must have been draining all the power from her arms to stop the damage.”

“Two,” Live Wire remarked.

“Pardon?”

“Two ways to nullify that kind of attack. Umm, Ma’am.”

Moongazer had to think for a second before realising, then chuckled. “Well, yes, but there’s only one practical technique; flushing it out. And that’s a lot harder to do against somepony who’s skilled in that kind of magic and make it stick.”

“Wouldn’t Rumble have noticed her flushing it, then?” Apple Bloom asked. “We can all see auras now. Even if she did it while attacking, he would have noticed, wouldn’t he?”

“I was wondering about that, too,” Live Wire said. “The Feather Cloaks don’t usually get any expanded senses; they’re too tense for that. They wouldn’t know how to see the damage, let alone hide a healing. But Silver Spoon’s father is a Demon Hunter, remember? There’s more than one way to disappear. That’s the problem with the softer martial arts: if there’s not enough physical damage to back it up, you risk getting outdone.”

Apple Bloom sighed. “He wasn’t trying to hurt her badly enough. He didn’t bruise her.”

“No. And that’s going to cost him.”

“Is he going to get hurt now, too?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Hard to say,” the boy replied. “If Silver Spoon wants to make an example out of him, she’ll drag out the fight. And if she wants to show off her skills, she’ll use the Seven Deadly Blows on him. I hope the referees step in before that.”

---

“Oof!” Rumble took a sickening blow to his gut and doubled over in pain.

“It’s over,” Silver Spoon said. “You can’t win.”

“Yes… I… can!”

“Stay down!” Silver Spoon shouted as Rumble got back on his hooves. He shook, his face contorted in agony, even his wings quivered, but he didn’t back down. He got his right arm up and gestured for her to come closer, despite the turmoil in his gut and the wet tingling in his lungs.

“Not ‘til you apologise!” he hissed.

“Apologise for what? For getting even with Sweetie Belle? For getting some justice, finally?”

Rumble managed to raise his head up with sheer force of will. “For turning into a bully, for assaulting a classmate, and for terrorising my friends. All they ever did, all we ever did, was try to get better, try to have some fun, maybe get our cutie marks. And you had to go and turn it into a vendetta.”

The crowd around the arena started growing, kids and adults alike coming over to see the spectacle. The other demos must have concluded by now. Still, they wouldn’t hear what she had to say, not after the damage she’d done to him.

Silver Spoon shook her head and chuckled. “You’re through.”

“No, I’m not. I’m still standing.”

“Barely,” she retorted. “What are you gonna do, bite me?”

“If I have to. Somepony’s gotta get some sense back in you.”

“You honestly think a loser like you can take on a pony like me?”

He sighed. “You don’t know what you’ve done. Don’t do this, just apologise. You have no idea what’s gonna happen.”

“And neither do you. Do you have any idea who I am? I’m the top rookie of the Feather Cloaks. My daddy is Silver Bullet. And I deserve respect.”

Rumble scowled. “Respect for what? For your daddy? My brother is Thunderlane, a future Wonderbolt. Does that mean you want my autograph?”

Silver Spoon looked at the boy’s hooves, his arms, then his chest. His breathing was irregular, his muscles barely able to hold him up. He was standing on borrowed time.

She turned her gaze to Blazing Trail, who nodded.

---

In the stands, Moongazer and Fleur winced.

“Uh oh,” Live Wire said.

“What?” Apple Bloom asked. “What’s she gonna do? Seven Deadly Blows?”

“Not yet,” he replied. “Not before she can torture him with another ninja technique.”

“Curse you, Blazing Trail,” Fleur said. “You’d let a child be subjected to that? You’ve created a monster.”

“Oh, no. What is it this time?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“The single most terrifying weapon in any ninja’s arsenal. The forbidden technique, the one thing a ninja is sworn never to use against an opponent unless there is absolutely no other option,” Moongazer explained. “A technique that’s illegal in Caneighda and Denmare.”

Sweetie Belle cringed. “What kind of technique? Ninja Chest Buster? Ninja Skull Crusher? Ninja Poison Powder?”

Live Wire shook his head morosely and let out a sigh of defeat. “Ninja Dramatic Monologue.”

---

“Do you have any idea what it’s like, having to pretend to be nice to ponies who only want to suck up to you because you’re rich? Do you know how many times we’ve had to sit there and smile while other ponies got all the attention, when we deserved it?”

Rumble groaned. A bead of sweat rolled over his face as another shot of stabbing pain washed over his body from the gut up.

“Me and Diamond Tiara, we’re the only ones who are honest. Every single pony in our class is just a sheep, and you know it. The second anyone gets any sort of fame, or money, they’ll swarm and try to get their piece of the action. Just wait: once Sweetie Belle’s sister makes it, that little blank flank is gonna be the most popular girl in school for a week, tops. And once she stops being famous, nopony will give a flying feather about her.”

“Shut up,” Rumble managed to say between grinding his teeth.

“Why? You know I’m right. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. Diamond Tiara had to work the presses after she got sacked as editor-in-chief for the Foal Free Press, and what did Featherweight get? What happened to the colt who invaded other ponies’ privacy, and took pictures of them when they thought they were safe? What happened to the kid who did the actual crime? He got promoted. How is that fair?”

“Shut up…” Rumble hissed again.

“And Scootaloo? You honestly want to defend Scootaloo? Seriously? A pegasus pony who was too stupid to figure out how to fly on her own, and that pony wanted a future Wonderbolt to adopt her as a big sister? The nerve! That’s like me expecting to get adopted by Princess Celestia! For no reason! You think me and Diamond are bad? Scootaloo is worse than we ever we-”

“Shut up!”

Silver barely had time to dodge the lunge. As his hoof grazed her shoulder, she felt Rumble’s cold touch against her fur. A tiny sliver made its way through, but she quickly healed it up, putting the soft frog of a hoof on what might have been a numbed patch. She had to shake her arm to make sure she could still move it. “What the…”

Something nagged at the back of her head that this was wrong. If she’d had the time and clarity to think about it, she might have realised Rumble shouldn’t have been able to use his magic at all with all the magic she’d poured into him.

He stumbled, but didn’t fall. He kept his guard up and fixed her with a glare. “Enough, Silver Spoon. Yeah, everypony in our class can be a jerk sometimes, heck, I can be a jerk, too. I was a jerk at Flight Camp. And Scootaloo? You don’t know the half of what Scootaloo’s done. But you know what the difference is? We don’t enjoy being jerks. We apologise, and we try to make things right. You don’t. You enjoy this. You don’t care about how they act, not really. You don’t want things to be right, or fair. You just want an excuse to do whatever you want, and to make other ponies do whatever you want.”

“Rumble, stay down,” Silver Spoon threatened. “You took two hits from my special technique already. You can’t take another, and you can’t heal it up, either. Not like I can.”

He winced and doubled over again as something reached into his gut and squeezed. “I know. I never got around to learning that part. But I am not staying down.”

“You’re gonna have to. Surrender, now, or I’m going to have to make an example out of you.”

Again, Rumble bit down the pain and stood, one hoof raised in defiance. “No. No threats, no ranting, no monologuing. I am not listening to you. You’re a bully, and that’s all you are. Stop pretending that you’re doing this for justice or revenge, or because your feelings are hurt. You just want to whine, and I am not putting up with that. You wanna make an example out of me? You’ll only be making one of yourself. You beat me down, you lose.”

She snorted. “How does that work?”

“No matter what you do, you can’t get me to surrender. You can’t force me.” He smiled. “You can hurt me, threaten me, beat me down, but you can’t force me. And you know why? Because you don’t have anything left. I have no reason anymore, at all, to listen to a word you say. You can’t try to reason with me anymore. You can’t pretend I should surrender because it’s better for me. You can’t even pretend to care about how hurt I might be. You have to scare me into surrendering. You can only get me to do what you want by scaring me. All you ever had was fear. You know what they call ponies that have to scare others into doing what they want? Terrorists.”

“You’re so full of yourself, you know that?”

“Sticks and stones, Silver Spoon. Scoff all you want, but I’m not gonna back down.”

She growled and lowered her stance. “You’d better, if you know what’s good for you.”

“I don’t negotiate with terrorists. That is the international standard, after all.”

---

“What are they saying to each other?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Nothing good,” Moongazer replied.

“You can hear that from that far?”

“Ninja master, Apple Bloom: I can read lips. This fight is going to be over pretty soon. Better get the medic ready.”

---

“Fine. Have it your way.” Silver Spoon lowered one arm, then raised the other behind her. “Here’s what I think about you ‘winning’: Mercurial Hoof, Seven Deadly Blows.”

Rumble took a deep breath in and smiled. “Do you worst.”

She lunged. “One!”

The first blow went straight into his gut. He could swear he tasted blood in his mouth.

“Two! Three!”

Two blows to the sides of his upper abdomen drove him back further.

“Four!”

One to his chest to straighten him up again.

“Five! Six! Seven!”

A triangle of pressure and agony formed on his belly. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t scream. The cold metal poison flowed into his veins and squeezed around his organs. Every fibre in his body cried out, and the cry was ‘Get away.’

His legs buckled, and he went down.

Silver Spoon snorted. “You should feel honoured, Rumble. Not a lot of ponies get to see this done for real. You’re not getting up.”

“W-watch… me...” Rumble bit down and forced himself back on all fours. He shook, he quivered, but he rose, having to use his wings for balance.

She snarled. “Stay down! You’re only making it worse for yourself.”

He smiled and shook his head. “N-no. You don’t get a say in what I do.” With a ragged grunt, he managed to look her in the eyes. “You... are not... my friend.”

Silver Spoon flinched, and for a second she thought she’d been hit with some kind of delayed Death Touch, before she realised it was a dull ache in her heart.

Rumble wasn’t very popular, but she’d never picked on him before, even with his blank flank. He was a strong flyer, an athlete, a little jock. She respected him, and so did Diamond Tiara, so did any girl in Ponyville. Writing a Hearts and Hooves letter to Rumble was something every girl in class did, not because they all had a crush on him – the numbers on that were still left up to debate – but because it felt wrong not to. Even though he didn’t hang out with their class often, everypony liked Rumble, what’s not to like?

He was always friendly, always willing to help, never caused trouble, just minded his own business. For all the drama that befell Ponyville, Rumble had always been a force of stability in school, and a force for good. Everypony in class, girl or boy, knew that if they asked Rumble for something, they’d get a friendly and helpful response. It didn’t matter who asked, he would always treat you kindly and fairly.

Rumble was a nice boy to have around, even if you didn’t need him. It was just comforting to know he was there if you did.

And now, she realised, she’d cut herself off from that.

She could almost see him angrily tearing up her letter next Hearts and Hooves, and it almost made her cry.

Almost.

How strange that an alpha like her should feel pain from being denied by a lower pony like him.

Rumble saw it, and his smile only grew for it. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. You can’t make me give up. You’re gonna have to knock me out.”

She bared her teeth at him. “What, you think I won’t?”

“No. I don’t think you want to. Not really. I don’t know what those Feather Cloaks have told you, and they’ve obviously done a good job making you stronger, but at least part of you has to know that what you’re doing is wrong. If you just apologise, you can make it okay again. I wouldn’t stay mad. Why should you?”

Her body trembled. “Because that’s how it works.”

“Then I guess you just have to accept it: you’re going to have to get used to scaring ponies into doing what you want. You can’t make me give up.”

“Watch me!”

She ran and landed on his back with a mighty leap, before wrapping an arm around his neck and pressing. The other arm went behind his neck to form a neat and perfect triangle. Standard strangulation, a ninja classic.

Rumble buckled under the weight, and he pushed back with all his strength, but the damage was done. He couldn’t struggle, then he couldn’t breathe.

He tried to shake her off, but the throbbing in his head and the painful pressure on his throat wouldn’t relent. He couldn’t swallow, his flailing arms went heavy, his chest and belly burned.

In his last thoughts, he cursed himself for failing.

I’m sorry, Scootaloo.

I tried.

---

He went limp, and she dropped him. The medics would take care of him. She turned her back on him and walked away, the clear victor.

“Silver Spoon wins by knockout!” Ash called out. “Medic, get the asphyxiation kit ready, please?”

He’d be fine, Silver Spoon knew. She hadn’t kept him in the lock for that long, barely enough to make him pass out. And they had magic around to make sure he didn’t suffer brain damage, anyway. No permanent damage done. She wasn’t sure if she considered that a good thing or not. “Dumb loser, trying to steal my thunder.”

As if Discord had been listening in on her, the Universe decided to torture her a little.

“Oh my gosh! Rumble! Hey, you got your cutie mark!” she heard someone call out.

Silver Spoon’s blood boiled.

He what?!

On my big day?

After all that?

That no good-

“Well done, Silver Spoon,” Blazing Trail said. “You dominated that little fool.”

Silver Spoon looked back as Rumble was carted away.

“Are you injured?” Blazing asked. “He got a couple of shots in on your muscles. He was pretty skilled for a rookie. He might have had a chance against some of the other schools.”

Silver sighed, angrily, because she was standing near the Feather Cloak master and Feather Cloaks did everything angrily. “No, Master Blazing. I’m fine. He wasn’t aiming to do any real damage with that icy touch. It’s weird. It’s almost like...”

“Like… what? Like he was holding back?”

“No,” Silver Spoon lied. “I beat him, fair and square. Guess even the Ashen Blizzard can’t do that much in a week.”

Still, it haunted her.

Why wouldn’t he quit? He must have known he was beaten once I hit his lungs. But he kept going.

Why would he do that?

What was he trying to do?

Author's Notes:

So, most of the fight was inspired by Hinata's curbstomping by Neji, obviously, with the major difference being that Rumble could have nailed his Neji expy if he'd wanted to. The 'International standard' thing, I got from something called Full Metal Panic (Fumofu, maybe?). A friend of mine showed me some of the early episodes, I never finished the whole thing.

As for the 'Dramatic Monologue' line: it doesn't have the suffix 'jutsu' because the ponies saying it are serious practitioners, so they wouldn't be reading Neighruto enough to make that line. Other than that... the goal was always to write something that Naruto lovers would like, and Naruto haters would love. If you've seen a handful of Naruto episodes, or One Piece, for that matter, you should know exactly what this is supposed to be.

So... Rumble got his cutie mark. What happens next? The Nine Dragons have no more students to fight, Live Wire has exhausted himself. Only one left who can fight is Scootaloo, if she comes back in time.

What is next for our intrepid heroes? Find out next time on Dragonba-d'err *ahem* next Saturday. Let's just leave it at that.

Payback! Round Two For Whimper Of The Feather Cloaks!

Rumble groaned when he came to. He rubbed his sore neck and blinked. Even his hooves looked greyer than usual.

“Wow, you got banged up even worse than me.”

The sound made his ears perk up. “Spike? W-what happened? Is it over?” He tried to get up, but his limbs wouldn’t quite cooperate. “A-ah… ow.”

“It is for you,” the Ashen Blizzard said. “You’re gonna wanna stay still for a little bit, make sure your brain isn’t damaged.”

The colt sighed as Fluttershy put a breathing mask on him. He took a deep gulp of the medicinal mist inside and nodded. “Okay.”

“Fear not, Rumble, you did well. In fact, you may have noticed a little something there.” Princess Luna said, pointing to his flanks.

Even with Fluttershy applying bandages and cream on him, Rumble saw it: his cutie mark. The lines were crude, thick and old-fashioned, but the symbol was easily recognised. “An iceberg?”

“A hyozan,” Ash said. “Very old, very powerful mark. A symbol of hidden depths, and perseverance. You got it because you wouldn’t give up.”

Rumble smiled.

“Terrible thing for a ninja to have, that kind of stubbornness. You should have surrendered when you had the chance, or taken advantage of the surprise.”

Rumble clenched his jaw. “W-what do you mean?”

“You heard me. Silver Spoon’s technique should have paralysed you. It didn’t. You didn’t bleed out her poison, and you can’t block that kind of attack. I didn’t teach you that, and neither did Moongazer. So where did you figure out how to counteract it?”

“There’s a shop in Canterlot, sells books about martial arts. That’s where I got your book, too. I got that countering technique from, umm, the Book of Balance?”

Ash whistled, impressed. “I see. In that case, well done. Not a lot of ponies can make sense of the ramblings of the ancients. But you still held back. You could have gotten that girl, with your skill. You were an even match.”

Rumble looked away and winced as Fluttershy carefully stroked down some fur and applied more cream to his chest. That was definitely a friction burn.

“You weren’t trying to beat her down, were you?” Luna asked. “You wanted to reason with her.”

Rumble pouted and nodded, taking another big gulp of treated air through the mask. “I didn’t want to make it worse. I just wanted her to stop and think about what she was doing.”

Luna smiled. “A noble endeavour, to be sure. You’ve taken the ninja lessons to heart, I see; preferring a way of life to one of death. But against a pony who is motivated and driven to see you fall, reason alone does not suffice.”

Ash nodded, thinking. “I’ve only got one more remark for you, then, Rumble.”

“What’s that?”

“Next time, wait ‘till the opponent can’t move before you start pontificatin’. You’d be surprised how open-minded ponies get when they’re pinned down.”

---

Apple Bloom huffed. “Well, that’s it, then. Silver Spoon won. We ain’t got anypony left.”

Sweetie Belle nodded in resignation. “She’s gonna be insufferable in school now.”

Cheerilee rolled her eyes as the rest of class risked coming closer. “It won’t be that bad, Sweetie Belle. We don’t tolerate bullying here.”

“But that doesn’t mean it’ll stop.”

Cheerilee turned to face the source of the voice. “Featherweight, please. You can always just tell me if anything happens, you know that.”

“But what are you going to do after we tell you, Miss Cheerilee?” Another child asked.

“Let her know it’s wrong, and punish her if I have to. Same as always, Dinky Do.”

“Sorry, but… I don’t think that’s gonna help,” Snails said as he saw Rumble wince in the medical ward. Ash and Luna had gotten back to their seats by now. “If Silver Spoon beats somepony up and then you punish her, they’re still gonna be beaten up.”

Fleur took a moment to regard the herd of children crowding around, then cast her glance to Live Wire. “Quite the conundrum you are facing, Cheerilee. Can’t say I envy you.”

“It’ll be alright, really. Nopony is going to get beaten up.”

“Hi, blank flanks!”

Cheerilee groaned. Rarity followed suit. “Really, darling? Now?”

“What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” Apple Bloom asked the pink filly.

“Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you with all the progress you made in your lessons. You’ve really gotten good at this fighting thing.”

“If you are looking to critique our teaching methods, little lady…” Moongazer glared at the girl.

“Oh, no, Ma’am, I’m serious. Really, you were great, Apple Bloom. I can’t wait to see you practise some more.”

“Practise?”

“Against Silver Spoon.” Diamond Tiara cocked her head towards the Feather Cloaks. “You girls are going to want to practise some more, right?”

“I don’t think so, Diamond Tiara,” Sweetie Belle rasped. “Not against Silver Spoon. She’s too brutal.”

“Aww, but how are you ever gonna get your cutie marks if you don’t try?”

“Diamond, that’s quite enough,” Cheerilee said.

“But Miss Cheerilee, you always tell us to help other ponies out. Silver Spoon needs to practise, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are the only other ninja ponies in town, right? You don’t know anypony else who can fight, do you?”

Cheerilee let out a quiet and, most of all, nervous chuckle at that. “Well, now that you mention it…”

“I’m just trying to be nice. It’s not my fault they’re chicken.”

“Who are you calling ‘chicken’?!”

Fleur rolled her eyes. “My word, if this drama keeps up I’m going to fetch myself some popcorn.”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, along with the rest of their class, were surprised to see Scootaloo flying towards them. They were even more surprised when Scootaloo, lips still quivering and eyes still red from crying, went right up to Diamond Tiara and growled.

“Hi, Scootaloo? What’s up?” Diamond said with an edge in her voice. “You wanna try your luck against Silver Spoon? Apple Bloom got knocked out early.”

Scootaloo snorted. “No. I’m not here for Silver Spoon. I’m here for you.”

Diamond shook her head. “Umm, I’m not competing, Scootaloo, you can’t challenge me.”

“That’s not what I meant. I’ve got something to say to you.”

The pink filly scoffed. “What?”

“You’re using Silver Spoon to get what you want. That’s low, even for you. You know that’s wrong, you can’t seriously think it’s not.”

“Psh, as if. Silver Spoon doesn’t have to listen to me.”

“She doesn’t have to, but she still listens. She’s just trying to be a good friend. Ponies like her just want to help, they wanna feel appreciated more than anything in the world, and you abused that, just like you abuse every other weakness you see in ponies. You got it into her head that she has to fight for you, that she has to hurt everypony that so much as looks at you wrong. You’re going to ruin your best friend’s life: everypony’s gonna be scared of her, scared to even talk to her, because you put her up to this. And as if that’s not bad enough, you scared me out of town.”

Diamond smirked. “Hey, it’s a Warrior Meet, you knew you were gonna end up fighting. It’s not my fault you can’t handle the competition.”

“No, you’re right about that. You didn’t know. You made me think that I was just as bad as you, that I deserved it.”

This got a look of confusion out of the girl. “Err, I don’t get it. What are you talking about, blank flank?”

“You almost made me forget that my friends can forgive. But you know what the worst part of it is?”

“What?” Diamond asked with a snide grin.

“You almost made me forget that two can play that game.”

---

“So… why are you here?”

Scootaloo let out a deep sigh, forcing herself to look the boy in the eyes. Like clockwork, Peachy Pie was there with him. He probably didn’t want to go out much after what Scootaloo had done, after the trouble she’d gotten him in. She mustered up all her strength and made sure to talk slowly, so she didn’t make any more mistakes. “I wanted to apologise, Whimper. I don’t know what happened. I wanted you to feel better, or at least that’s what I kept telling myself. I like showing off what I can do, and I wanted to make you show off, too, even though you don’t like it the way I do. I wanted you to act like somepony else, and I didn’t care about how that made you feel. And that was wrong. That was horrible, and I’m sorry. You didn’t have to apologise to me for snapping when you did, I should have said I was sorry, too.”

Whimper tilted his head, confused. It still made Scootaloo shiver. His eyes were so different now, like there wasn’t a pony behind them but a puppy. He even still had that whispery voice like Fluttershy did. “Okay, but I kind of got that you were sorry, Scootaloo. You never acted like you weren’t, Rumble’s been over plenty of times since then. So why apologise now?”

“Because I’ve been learning how to fight now, for real. The Ashen Blizzard came to town, me and my friends signed up for lessons. I got a taste of my own medicine, like you gave Rumble.”

“I didn’t give him a taste of any medicine. He asked for some tips on weather control, so I showed him how to cool and heat up his hooves. That’s what friends do. I would have shown you too if you’d asked.”

“I know, thank you. Anyway, the point is: those two girls who pick on me and my friends, one of them turned out to be a Feather Cloak. She hurt Sweetie Belle. That’s why I’m here now. Silver Spoon attacked my friend because she was trying to stick up for her friend. Diamond Tiara, the girl who’s the ringleader in our class, she put Silver Spoon up to it. Just like I tried to put you up to it. I just couldn’t…” She choked on her words.

Peachy Pie aww-ed in sympathy. “You couldn’t take thinking you were like that, too.”

Scootaloo nodded. “Exactly. Silver Spoon’s gone nuts, I don’t know what to do. I don’t wanna make things worse, not again. I figured if maybe I could just stay here, it would be better. So, is it okay if I hang with you, Whimper? Just for today?”

Whimper thought that over for a second. “Why is the Ashen Blizzard in Ponyville?”

“Warrior Meet,” Scootaloo replied.

“But they had one in Manehattan just a few weeks ago. Isn’t it too soon for another?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Does it matter?”

Whimper looked to Peachy Pie, pondering. “So are your friends in the Meet, too?”

“Yeah. I hope they’re not getting hurt, but I can’t be sure. And I can’t help them if they are. I’d just get in the way, or make Silver Spoon even madder.”

Whimper nodded. “Okay. You can stay with me for today.”

Relief washed over her. She finally managed to smile. Everything was alright again, just like that. He had a weird way of doing that. “Thanks, Whimper, you’re the best.”

“I’ll stick close enough for you to feel safe. I just need to go get some things, okay?”

Whimper went up the stairs and into his room. “Mom? Where are my arm guards?”

Passiflora, a green pegasus mare, came out of the kitchen, wiping off her apron. With the door open, the house smelled of herbs and bread. “The white ones? They’re in the wash, sweetie.”

“No, the black ones, with the rope and padding. The heavy ones.”

“Did you try the chest behind your books?”

A rumbling and thudding noise answered her.

“Got’em!”

Passiflora smiled at Scootaloo as she sat down. “Quite the warrior, my little boy, but he doesn’t have the best sense of weapons inventory.”

Scootaloo smiled nervously. “Heheh, sorry to barge in like this, Miss.”

“Oh, don’t be. I finally get to see the filly that got Whimper out of his shell,” Flora whispered.

“But Peachy Pie-”

“I just tag along with him, or the other way around,” Peachy Pie said. “I told you, he doesn’t talk that much, or listen, not like he does with you.”

Passiflora nodded, before getting a good look at Scootaloo’s wings. “I think you struck a nerve with him, honestly. Flight trouble, was it?”

Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I kept falling when I tried back at Flight Camp. Whimper caught me every single time.”

“Hmm.” Flora smiled knowingly. “He got that from his father. Took Whimper weeks to master that trick, now it’s a reflex he can’t seem to stop. Only one in his class who can do it, too.”

“I heard.”

“Okay, I’m ready. Uh, mom?” Whimper called out from above.

The mare waved away any questions the boy might have, albeit sluggishly. “I know, honey, I know. You’ll be going out today. It’s okay, you’ve been cooped up with your baby brother long enough. I can handle myself now, you can go.”

Scootaloo perked her ears. “You’re going out? Going out where?”

“To Ponyville,” Whimper replied.

“Wait, but… the Feather Cloaks are there.”

“I know. That’s why I’m going.”

Her blood froze. “No, you don’t have to go beat up Silver Spoon just because she scared me.”

“I’m not.” The colt slowly, quietly, strode down the stairs as he adjusted the bracers on his arms and legs. “Master Blazing told me to try his style and my own style. It’s been more than two months since the last Warrior Meet, since I started fighting in my own style for real, so I should go get evaluated, in front of everypony else. Besides, I’m sure Silver Spoon didn’t mean it. Maybe she just needs a… a hard to hard, you know.”

“You mean a heart to heart.”

“No. No, I don’t.”

---

Diamond tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were as confused as Diamond Tiara then, until they looked at the stands where Luna and Ash were sitting. A new pony had arrived; a blue pegasus colt with a spikey mane, a bit like Star Hunter’s. He was dressed in a black canvas shirt and bracers on his arms and legs; black padded tubes that protected his cannons, in the same style of armour that Live Wire had been wearing.

Another Eastern Unicorn armour, only not a complete one this time. No metal on it. Nothing protecting the rest of his body, either.

One thing that stood out about the boy was his body language: his ears were turned back and he kept his head down ever so slightly when he spoke to the referees, or rather, while Luna talked with Ash. The boy himself didn’t do much talking yet, and the way he stood, looking around so furtively, dragging his hooves the way he did, was near identical to the gestures Apple Bloom had learned to recognise Fluttershy by.

Why he would be so shy, Apple Bloom could only guess, because the other thing that stood out about him was that even with the canvas shirt, he clearly had a very buff and hard pectoral area, and the bracers on his arms and legs did nothing to hide the tree-trunk thickness of his muscles. Where Spike’s opponent had a chiselled physique, this new arrival looked like he hadn’t been chiselled out of stone as much as he’d been poured out of metal.

Luna gestured to the boy with a wing, and he took off his vest, casually sliding the arm padding through the wide but short sleeves. Like Apple Bloom suspected, he was ripped like a classical statue model. His muscles weren’t swollen to the extreme, like Bulk Biceps’s, but there was a definite bulge underneath his fur, and clear hints of the valleys that would mark the hard musculature of an adult.

He looked like a workhorse, or a little strong stallion, same build as the circus performers her brother liked to imitate. Squinting her eyes, Apple Bloom spotted an oddity in his aura, too; a vague glimmer on his forehead.

“Oh, my, you don’t see that very often. What do you suppose they’re feeding that one?” Rarity asked.

Fleur chuckled. “That one? They’re feeding him plenty. This day just keeps getting better and better.”

“Who is that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“My friend,” came the reply in stereo.

“You know him?” Scootaloo asked.

“Wait. You know him, too?” Live Wire asked in kind.

Fleur, for her part, used her magic to hand a coin to a passing vendor, got herself a corn on a cob, and proceeded to enjoy the show as it unfolded. This day was turning out to be more fun than a whole season of ‘Hays of Our Lives.’

The bit in Apple Bloom’s mind finally dropped. “Wait, you mean that other kid wasn’t…” she managed to stammer.

Diamond furrowed her brow. “What is going on here?”

Scootaloo turned away from Live Wire for the moment and focused back on the pink filly in front of her. “Diamond Tiara, you’ve heard of my friend from Flight Camp, right? That’s Doldrum Whimper, also known as the Mangler from the Marshlands.”

---

“Well, alright then,” Ash said. “If’n you really want to compete in the Meet, that’s fine. You did arrive within the allotted time, and you’ve obviously got the shape for it. There is, however, another matter to square: what school are you with, officially?”

Whimper looked away. “Well, I’ve read up a little on the Nine Dragons Style, and a few others, but officially, umm, I guess none, sir.”

“None?”

“He is an independent student, Ash, and unranked, much like you were at one point. He has no master,” Luna explained.

Ash nodded. “I see. But what are you challenging for, then? For honour, for authority?”

That question prompted the boy to rise up and take a deep breath to steady himself. “For evaluation, sir. My skills have been questioned by a master, my choice of school disputed. I’d like the matter to be judged, in view of the other masters. I’m here for a neutral belt, and recognition from the master that questioned me. Basically, I want to see if what I’ve been doing is as good as what he’s been teaching. If that’s okay with you, that is.”

“You’ve read up on the rules of the Meet, I see.” Ash cast a grave look towards the Princess. “Okay, fair enough. Which master did the questioning?”

“Blazing Trail, sir, of the Feather Cloaks.”

“Why am I not surprised? Master Blazing! We have a matter to discuss with you!” The Shadowbolt called out.

“No need to shout,” the unicorn replied as he came trotting towards them. “I know the boy, I can take a wild stab at why he’s here. Hello, Whimper. It’s been a while.” He smiled down at the colt.

“Yes, sir, it has.”

“So, I take it then you’ve finally decided whether you want to join my school?”

“Not yet, sir. Not quite. But I have been keeping up with my practice.”

“He put up quite a show at the Manehattan Meet,” Luna said.

“Did you, now? Then I should think my lessons have sunk in,” Blazing said.

“They have, sir. But just in case, I’d like to see how strong your students are, compared to me. You know, make sure I’m doing the right thing, picking the path that’s right for me.” Whimper smiled nervously, his ears splayed back.

“Oh, well now…”

---

“What is he doing?” Apple Bloom asked. “What are they talking about?”

Fleur munched down on her corn on a cob. “If I had to wager a guess, I’d say they’re negotiating the terms of Whimper’s challenge.”

Moongazer nodded, her ears fixed on yonder conversation. “They are. Tell me, that boy, Whimper, was it? By any chance, is that…”

“Oh, yes. That’s the one,” Fleur said with a chuckle.

Moongazer shivered. “I see. And how, pray tell, do you know him?”

“I know his mother, of course. And, ah, I ran into some, shall we say, practical difficulties this summer. That boy over there proved a marvellous solution to them,” Fleur replied.

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle raised her eyebrow, looking over to Live Wire.

Live Wire, however, just smiled enigmatically. “Just wait. You’ll see.”

“How do you know know Whimper?” Scootaloo asked. “You’re his fighting buddy or something?”

The colt nodded. “Something like that. I’m Live Wire, by the way, but fighting ponies call me Hammer. I’m from around here.”

She cocked her head and, after thinking it over, flared her wings in surprise. “Yeah, I thought you looked familiar. Weren’t you the same kid that fried my tricycle back in kindergarten?”

Live Wire looked around quickly and chuckled. “D’err, no! No, that was some other unicorn with lightning powers, definitely not me, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo took that as a ‘yes,’ but didn’t press the matter. After all, a pegasus vehicle should be lightning-proof in the first place, and water-proof, obviously. And crash-proof, preferably. Fool-proof, however, was a lost cause. “So how do you know Whimper? How did you meet?”

“We met at the Manehattan Meet a few months ago, did a double team. Turns out we had a lot in common. I guess he met you at Flight Camp? You’re his flying buddy or something?”

“He told you about that?” Scootaloo cringed.

Live Wire shook his head. “Never said a word. He never mentioned you to me, either.”

She sighed. “Guess he didn’t want those things to mix.”

“But didn’t you say he was a Feather Cloak?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo shook her head. “Not exactly. Stuff happened this summer, and I wasn’t sure how to tell you. Whimper, he… he kind of got in trouble. That’s why I didn’t want to bring him over.”

“What kind of trouble?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Umm… really bad trouble.”

“He beat up a classmate, didn’t he?” Cheerilee asked. “And not for the first time, either. I’m surprised at you, Scootaloo. I didn’t think you, of all ponies, would want to consort with a bully of that calibre.”

“What?” Scootaloo cringed. “No, no, you don’t understand.”

“Yes, I do, Scootaloo. I’ve met that boy’s teachers. I know all about him. He disrupts class, tries to get out from under physical education lessons, and he’s violent to his peers. I’ve seen his file.”

Live Wire looked up at the mare, then at Fleur.

Fleur shook her head. “Best not to get involved, Hammer. This is Whimper’s problem, not yours.”

---

“Well, okay, then, Whimper, I stand by my previous judgment,” Blazing Trail said. “I still think you’re better off joining my school than mucking about on your own. Talent like yours needs to be nurtured, your anger needs to be harnessed properly, and the only martial arts schools that’ll do that are ninja, so I still think you’re better off with us than any of the other schools. Unless the Ashen Blizzard is looking to take on another student.”

“The Meet ends today, Blazing. You know I don’t teach outside of that.”

“Thought as much. So, you want to test my observations against yours?”

Whimper nodded. “Yes, sir. I heard you have a very powerful rookie now.”

“Heheh, that I do. But I don’t think you’re quite ready to take her on just yet. She’d murder you.”

Whimper’s ears twitched at the mention of the word ‘murder.’

“How about we proceed to the standard block test first, then?” Luna said. “We mustn’t let all this talk upset the schedule, after all. This is a masterless challenger, we must gauge his level first.”

Blazing nodded, an impish smile on his face. “Oh, of course, wouldn’t do to make a mockery of the arts.”

After a nod from Luna, a pair of Royal Guards brought forth a threesome of stone roof shingles stacked on some wooden planks, and placed them before the boy.

Ash nodded towards him. “I’m sure you know the evaluation procedure if you’ve read up on the rules. Take a swing at those blocks, and we’ll see about who gets to fight you.”

Whimper nodded and tapped the blocks to test their hardness. “Umm, okay. Wasn’t it supposed to be wooden planks to break, though?”

“That’s in karate, this is a ninja tradition. Ninjas don’t mess around when it comes to demolition.” Blazing Trail said. “Go on. Punch as hard as you can.”

Whimper walked up to the three blocks, raised his right arm, hooftip pointed straight down, and let it rip.

The ‘thump’ that sounded through the air, along with the cracking sound, made a few ponies in the crowds wince.

Whimper withdrew his hoof, and checked the top stone.

Nothing. Not even a crack.

Ash raised an eyebrow. “Oh, dear...”

“Hmm. That’s disappointing,” Blazing said. “But I suppose it’s to be expected, considering your lack of proper instruction. Whimper will be fine for you.”

“Really, Blazing-” Ash started.

“No,” Luna interrupted. “This will be fine. I approve.”

Ash had to suppress a snort then. “Really?”

“Whole… heartedly,” the Princess replied, trying her best not to let her smile degenerate into the grin it so eagerly wanted to be.

“Whimper?” Whimper asked.

“August Whimper,” Blazing replied. “Nine-year-old musclehead, much like yourself. Does some modelling on the side, too. He’ll be a fine measure of your skill.”

In the stands, Moongazer arched an eyebrow at the block Whimper had struck, as he moved to the center of the arena and the guards took the blocks away.

“Fleur? Your apprentice, he’s been sparring with that boy, yes?”

Fleur chuckled. “Since the Manehattan Meet, yes. Two or three months now, maybe four already, I forget.”

“Did you teach him anything?”

That nearly got the mare to choke on a kernel. “Doldrum Whimper? Heavens, no, I have my hooves full with my little Hammer here. Nonnonnonnon, Whimper is completely self-taught, I take no responsibility for him, whatsoever. Absolutely none.”

“So he’s self-taught… in what, exactly?”

“Oh, you know, this and that. A few books a connoisseuse sent his way, nothing special. He’s been to the panda shop in Canterlot, too. You know the one.”

Moongazer’s jaw clenched. ”Fleur, I’m not kidding. Which books has that boy read? What can he do?”

Fleur took another bite of corn. “Spoilers, darling.”

---

Whimper and Whimper stood face to face. Both blue, both pegasi, both muscular for their age.

“So you’re called Whimper too, huh?” August asked.

“Yup. Doldrum Whimper. It means ‘Wind of Hope’, it’s an old name. I guess your name means-”

“Summer Breeze, yes. Old name, too. Have you got a warrior title yet? Any belts besides the one you’re going for?”

Whimper lifted up his left front hoof. “I have a patch under this bracer, but I don’t have a belt to put it on, or a title. Not officially, since I don’t have a master and all. You?”

“They call me ‘The Mangler in the Mist,’” August replied.

“Really? Why’s that?”

“Wait ‘till they signal us and I’ll show you.”

“Fighters ready?” Luna called out.

“Okay. Do you, umm, do you wanna do a demo or a warm-up fight or are you fighting for real?”

August growled. “Of course I’m fighting for real. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Umm, you know, it is a Warrior Meet, and your master kind of dared me to show my skills, so I thought maybe if we go a little slower we might-”

“Begin!”

August dashed towards Doldrum.

He hit thin air.

“I’m just saying you might want to slow down or maybe-”

Swish-thump.

A backhooved blow went over Doldrum’s head, the boy having dropped spread-eagle to the ground. He hopped back up on all fours with a flap of his wings once the blow was safely dodged. “Are you sure you want to fight me like this?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Why aren’t you attacking?”

“Umm, no real reason, it’s just that-”

Woosh-thump.

Doldrum Whimper slapped August’s striking hoof away like a tennis ball. Driven back, the Feather Cloak stumbled from the impact.

“I was trying to tell you you’re moving too fast; your hind hooves are unsteady. You might be kind of a heavyweight like me, but your balance is a lot worse than mine. You need to be careful when you’re that muscley, you know; it can be a handicap if you don’t learn how to use it.”

“Yeah, right. That was a lucky shot.”

“Maybe. Or maybe you’re a little too eager to get a punch in to realise you’re off balance.”

“I’ll show you off balance!”

Doldrum Whimper didn’t even flinch when the colt lunged at him. He merely sidestepped it, got up close, then quickly elbowed him in the gut.

“Oof!” August’s whole body bent forward with the shock, again leaving him standing on the heels of his hooves. The blow itself was remarkably light, though, more of a quick snap than a tense and heavy strike. Like Doldrum had said, heavy muscles could be a handicap.

He can’t hit both hard and fast. It’s one or the other.

Good to know.

“See? You’re off balance. You need to stand deeper, especially when you’re heavier.”

August growled and flung his arms up at his opponent, before bringing them down in a hammer blow. Doldrum Whimper caught them both, not even phased by the impact.

---

In the stands, Moongazer squinted. “That stance...”

Fleur smiled impishly, before nibbling her corn on her cob some more. “Hmm? What about it?”

“I’ve seen that stance before, I think, but not on a pony. And the way he moves… that Whimper kid, what style does he favour? It doesn’t look like any fighting style I’ve seen.”

“That’s because you’re only thinking of the unarmed styles. Whimper learned how to fight with weapons first, unarmed second, just like Live Wire did. Master at Arms training, you know. Now do you see?”

“Yes,” Moongazer replied, examining the blows and blocks. August was punching normally, but Doldrum’s motions didn’t fit those of a boxer. They were, as Fleur had remarked, closer to a swordspony’s, letting the enemy’s arms rub over his for longer than most would. Doldrum used the length of his arms, not just the tips.

Once she realised Doldrum was keeping his arms at odd angles, it dawned on her. “He usually wears blades on those bracers, doesn’t he?”

---

“I’ve got you now,” August said. “You’re fast, kid, I’ll give you that.”

“Kid? I’m a year older than you.” Whimper took another sidestep and let August continue on his momentum.

Both colts squared off against each other again, one in a deep Bear Stance, the other with one hoof over his tail and another extended, bracer ready to take the blow.

“Is that all you can do? Dodge and shove?”

“Not really.”

“Then why aren’t you fighting back?”

“Oh, sorry. I thought we were just getting warmed up.”

August rushed forward to unleash a flurry of punches, but found himself only able to throw one, after Doldrum landed a hard swipe on his chest that would have opened him up if those bracers had anything sharp on them. As it was, the fur on August’s torso should have been scratched hard enough by Doldrum’s hoof to draw some blood.

It drove the Feather Cloak back, but it didn’t damage him. “Heheh. Nice try. But I’ve mastered the Silver Skin technique. I’m immune to cutting blows.”

Doldrum Whimper tilted his head. He grumbled, almost like he was chiding himself for a mistake no one else caught. “I can see that. What else are you immune to?”

“What?”

“What else? I’m curious.”

This came as a surprising question to the little ninja. It was a question he’d never considered, honestly. “Umm, nothing. Why would I need anything else?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. Umm, whatever you wanna do is fine.”

August growled again and lowered his stance.

This guy’s trying to break my concentration. But it’s easy enough to see what he can do: quick sidesteps to dodge, little slaps to unbalance the opponent, then he’ll probably go for a throw or a kick, throw his bulk into it. So all I gotta do is make sure I get close enough so he can’t wind it up.

“Well? Do you want me to attack now, or would you like to test me some more?” Whimper looked to Blazing Trail. “I can keep this up for a while, if you want to show off to your master.” He folded his front hooves so the backs would touch, a gesture August didn’t recognise but made Moongazer tilt her head curiously.

“Yeah, you know what? I do want to show off to my master.” August leaped right back into the fray with a flap of his wings. One straight jab missed Doldrum’s head by a hair, but he got what he wanted: close quarter contact. He stepped back just enough to give himself some room, and prepared for a real fight where he had the advantage over this uppity noobie.

And he would have pulled it off, had he not suddenly found himself falling back and skidding over the ground. Once the friction burn on his fur eased off, he felt the stabbing pain of the blow he’d been dealt. His left hip was aching, bruised and battered.

He winced when he stood up. That had felt like a hit with a metal club, but it hadn’t come from those bracers. He’d dodged those. “A hip blow? Seriously? You tried to knock me away with a hip blow?”

Doldrum Whimper blinked, before going from his exaggerated hip-sway stance to his neutral one. He idly wondered if Miss Derpy was watching, and if she approved. He’d enjoyed that private lesson at Flight Camp. “Well, it worked, didn’t it? You may have mastered Silver Skin, but you still bruise.”

---

“Rumble?” Scootaloo asked as she trotted towards the prone colt. “Wow. You don’t look so good.”

Rumble groaned and tried to get up, shaking all over. “Yeah, Silver Spoon got me.” Fluttershy took the mask off now that he was in the clear. “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

“You took on Silver Spoon on your own?”

Rumble looked towards the arena. “I was trying to stall her. I figured you might bring him in.”

“I didn’t. He wanted to show up.”

“Hold on here, you two, what is the deal with you and that kid? And why did you keep it to yourself, too, Rumble?” Apple Bloom asked.

Scootaloo let her head hang in shame. “Stuff happened.”

Rumble barely managed to sit up straight, prompting Fluttershy to quickly support his back. “Careful, Rumble. You don’t want to move too much.”

“I promised Scootaloo I wouldn’t tell. And I promised him, too. Look, the truth is: Whimper got in trouble, and we can’t tell whose fault it really was,” Rumble admitted.

“No, it’s not. It’s easy to tell: it was my fault,” Scootaloo said.

“See what I mean? I was there too, Scootaloo, and so was Peachy Pie. We were all there when it happened, but Whimper’s the one who got blamed for it. Scootaloo blamed herself, she wouldn’t even come back to Bogsdown after it happened.”

“Whimper said he didn’t want to see me anymore.”

Rumble growled in frustration. “No, he didn’t; he said it’d be best if you stayed away for a little while, so he could think on his own. A lot of stuff was happening at the same time, you know that. He was being pressured, he couldn’t sleep because of… you know, the stuff he had to worry about at home, and he had to think. So he did. He didn’t want you to never come back. You know he’s not mad at you. He never was.”

“That doesn’t make it okay.”

“Wait, what trouble are we talkin’ about again?” Apple Bloom asked. “Because Cheerilee said-”

“A fight,” Scootaloo said. “He hurt some kids a couple of times. One time he got a warning, the next… I let it get out of control.”

Rumble hissed. “That’s not true, Scootaloo. Blazing Trail set him up, he knew Whimper would snap.”

“You can’t prove that.”

“So… wait, this whole time, you wouldn’t bring your friend over because you got him in trouble?” Apple Bloom asked.

“He was on probation for a while. That’s when the Feather Cloaks got to him,” Rumble said. “Then when he got in real trouble, the Feather Cloaks said they could make the trouble go away, if he joined them.”

Scootaloo nodded. “He’s not here for me, girls, not really. I was just bluffing to Diamond Tiara back there. I wanted her to know how it feels. But I didn’t bring him. He’s here for them.”

“But why not bring him over? We would have helped,” Sweetie Belle said.

Rumble sighed. “You don’t really understand the whole story here. Whimper’s… different.”

Fluttershy furrowed her brow and cast her glance towards the arena. “Wait, is that the boy the Weather Patrol ponies were talking about? The one from Flight Camp?”

Rumble nodded with a wince. “Yup. That’s him.”

“But they said he looked like me. And acted like me. And sounded like me. They thought I might be related to him.”

“Yup. Lots of ponies thought that.” Scootaloo grimaced at the thought.

Again, Fluttershy looked the boy over. Thick, bulging shoulders, hard pecs, rolling biceps. “I don’t get it.”

“I don’t get it, either,” Apple Bloom said. “What could be so different about him that you wouldn’t want us to meet him? I mean, sure, he’s obviously a good fighter, but… why worry?”

Scootaloo bit her lip.

Rumble looked away.

“What are you not tellin’ us?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Rumble knows it better than me,” Scootaloo said.

Rumble sighed. “Don’t blame it on me; you’re the one who wanted to wait.”

“But why?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What’s the big deal?”

“He got suspended, okay?!” Scootaloo blurted out. “I got him in trouble, and he got suspended because of it. He hasn’t been to school since summer ended, because of me. That’s why I didn’t bring him over. I didn’t want to end up getting him in even more trouble, not here. I didn’t want to risk it. And, besides, we’ve been going to school like nothing happened. I didn’t wanna bring him here just to remind him of what I’d done.”

Apple Bloom had to pick up her jaw, hearing that. “Oh, Scootaloo...”

“It was my fault. Whimper attacked because those kids shoved me, and I shoved them first. I only met him in the summer, and by the time summer was over I’d… He got punished because of me. And I couldn’t do anything to make it right. I didn’t want that to happen again. And I didn’t want to bring him over until it was okay again. I still don’t know if he’s gonna be allowed to go back to school or not.”

“Wait, I’m confused. So what happens if he wins? What happens if he beats this kid, or Silver Spoon?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I don’t know. The Feather Cloaks will have to let him get his belt, I guess,” Rumble shrugged, and instantly regretted it. He fell forward on his belly again, and Fluttershy wasted no time giving his bruised fur more dabbings of healing ointment.

“But what about being suspended? He has to go back to school at some point, doesn’t he?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I don’t know, Sweetie Belle. Last I heard, he was blacklisted. As long as he doesn’t join the Feather Cloaks, nopony wants to risk getting him in their class, at least not in Bogsdown. I didn’t go back there until today. Rumble has.”

“I have no idea about that, either,” Rumble said. “He doesn’t like to talk about that.”

The bit finally dropped in Apple Bloom’s head. “Wait, blacklisted?” She slapped herself. “That’s why Miss Cheerilee knows about him.”

---

August lowered his body, getting ready to pounce. Doldrum stood, arms hanging loosely, waiting.

“Aren’t you going to try and defend yourself?” August asked.

“Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you putting your guard up?”

“My guard is up.”

---

Apple Bloom rushed back to the stands, her friends in tow. She didn’t want to miss this, and the view from the medic’s post wasn’t as good, not with how the boys were moving about. She squinted, thinking. “Shouldn’t Doldrum be wearing weapons?”

“You noticed, too, huh? You’ve got a good eye,” Live Wire said. “He usually wears claws when he fights like this.”

Spike came limping towards them. “Claws? You mean like, what, Ogres and Obliettes kind of weapons?”

“Something along those lines, yes,” Fleur said. “He prefers a style where he can keep his muscles relaxed. That’s why his guard is lower. That’s why he doesn’t cross his arms: he doesn’t want to block the blades on either arm, keep his options open.”

“But he’s fighting unarmed. That doesn’t help.”

“Every style has its advantages and disadvantages, Sweetie Belle, you know that,” Moongazer said. “If Whimper’s used to fighting with bear claws, he’ll keep himself close.”

“Not bear claws,” Live Wire said. “The other one.”

Moongazer furrowed her brow. “Eagle talons? He can fight with eagle talons? But… which style does he use, then?”

---

August pounced. This time, there was no dodging, no shoving. Only pain.

The little exchanges between the two hadn’t given August enough of a read on his opponent. This kid was more muscular than him, but the speed difference was minor at best.

Doldrum’s first blow was a hammer strike that went straight for the neck. The padding on the bullhead’s arm softened the blow, thankfully, but even so, the hard tension in those muscles made it hurt.

With the pounce swatted away, Doldrum withdrew that same arm and whipped it up and down, hitting his opponent in the shoulder like a sledgehammer. This time, Doldrum hit him with flesh. And for some strange reason, that hurt a lot more than the bracer had.

August groaned and quickly got back up on his hind hooves. He shook his head and tried to numb the hurt area. “W-what was that?”

Doldrum smiled. “Sorry, just some warming up taps. I thought you’d be tougher, my mistake.”

“That was not a warm-up, you-” He gasped and rubbed his chest. “Haaa… what did you do?”

“The Feather Cloaks like pressure points, right? I found a point and I put some pressure on it. You know, to show that I can learn that on my own. That particular one will hurt for a while. But it’s fine; your skin isn’t damaged, right?”

August grumbled. “You’re gonna regret doing that.”

Doldrum tilted his head. “I already said I was sorry. Do you want me to knock you out of the arena or to just knock you out?”

“You think you can beat me?”

“Yes. Just like you think you can beat me. But I’m asking you: do you prefer getting knocked out or getting knocked out of the ring?”

“I’m not gonna lose to a poser like you!”

“Knockout it is, then.”

August came in for a long swooping blow with his whole body weight behind it. Doldrum took it on his arm bracer, then kicked the kid in the gut just as the follow-up blow was about to land.

“Oof!”

Doldrum wasn’t done yet. He took one step and leaned forward to position himself for a sideways slap. August flew up to dodge it and create some distance.

Doldrum smiled at him. “You’re pretty fast, too.”

August panted. “Don’t patronise me.”

“I’m not. I’m trying to compliment you. But, umm, while you are standing still, are you sure you can keep going? Your muscles are looking kinda tired.”

August lowered his body again and closed his eyes. “I’ll show you tired.”

---

“Uh oh,” Moongazer said. “That kid’s going berserk.”

Rarity winced. “Again?”

Cheerilee chuckled nervously. “It’s not as bad as it sounds, right?”

Fleur, for her part, smirked as she chewed on her corn. “Depends on your perspective.”

---

Doldrum Whimper furrowed his brow, confused. “What are you doing?”

“You wanted to know what Feather Cloaks teach? Here’s what you missed out on: Silver Wolf Skin jutsu! One Wolf Pack Attack!”

August vanished in a blur of superspeed, circling around his opponent fast enough to create a wall of blue.

Whimper smiled in understanding. “Ooh, ‘Mangler in the Mist,’ now I get it. Because you blur like that. That’s kind of neat.”

Thump!

The first blow landed on that arm padding. Doldrum Whimper swiped at the boy, but he hit nothing.

August afforded himself a triumphant smile.

He’s too slow for this. He can’t dodge me as long as I come at him at this speed.

He can’t hit me.

He can’t deal with an alpha strike.

The second blow didn’t so much hit as it did graze. Doldrum let his right arm hang limply as August’s blow glanced off it, giving him plenty of contact time.

This next one will end it.

The next strike, however, was Doldrum’s. In the split second August’s body trailed along that bracer, Doldrum turned and drove his left front hoof into the boy’s exposed thigh. The momentum carried August along, sending him spinning and tumbling roughly over the stone floor.

“Was that it?” Doldrum asked.

August jumped up, unscathed. “Silver Skin, remember? I didn’t even feel that.”

“Really? Huh.”

Again, August’s body blurred. A straight jab landed dead on... on scissored bracers.

He… he blocked it? “What the… but you’re slower than me!”

Doldrum kicked him in the gut, knocking him off balance. That was all the opening he needed. Winding up the punch, he drove his right hoof into the boy’s neck, then slashed at August’s chest with a left.

Finally, he pressed both arms against the Feather Cloak’s chest in a scissor pose, and opened up.

“Gah!” August fell back, panting for air. “H-how?”

“You’re only half right,” Doldrum said. “You are faster than me, for as long as you’re dashing around me, and that’s a pretty long time. But the thing about rushes and lunges like that is: I only need to be faster than you when the blow is about to land. And if I turn out to be faster, only for a second, that’s a lot of energy you just wasted. That One Wolf Pack Attack is better for a diversion and an escape than it is for a take-down. But I guess you haven’t used it enough to realise that. It’s okay, you figure stuff like that out on the fly.”

August growled. His body shook with rage. “Fine. You want to see a take-down? Try this one on for size: Silver Wolf Skin, Crushing Jaws!”

Doldrum held his arms up in that scissor pose, ready to block.

When the attack came, the Feather Cloak left a trail of dust in his wake.

The two clashed, and before anyone knew what had happened, August was at the other end of the arena, and Doldrum’s arms were open.

The Feather Cloak gasped. “W-what...”

Doldrum Whimper sighed and went back on all fours. “Funny thing about numbing yourself to pain: you don’t realise what kind of damage you’re taking. That’s your other mistake. That Silver Wolf Skin technique shoots you up with adrenalin. It’s supposed to be a last resort. Because umm, you know, eventually the adrenalin dies down. And when it does...”

August stumbled. He coughed.

“You shouldn’t have tried to rush me down like that, not without being able to track my movements. You may move faster than me, but your reflexes can’t keep up. That’s why you couldn’t beat me. That’s why that last scissor blow landed... on your heart.”

The Feather Cloak fell.

“And with your adrenalin rush dying down, with the shots I got at your muscles, you’re not gonna be able to stand up anytime soon. But good try. I’m sure you’ll master those techniques with time.” Doldrum Whimper smiled, calmly, gently. “You know, eventually.”

---

“So that’s one way to fight with eagle talons, Apple Bloom,” Fleur explained. “Most martial arts prefer to start unarmed and work their way up to weapons, but some like a top-down approach. It instils a different sort of discipline, you see; encourages the student not to fight at random if they’re not prepared and armed.”

Apple Bloom chuckled nervously. “Eheh, I can see that. But umm, eagle talons, that’s, like, on those bracers, right? Blades?”

“Oh, yes. He mostly wears bokken, that’s wood, for the weight, but he’s been favouring the plastic ones recently. And, obviously, the weapon variants are metal, harder than the padding he’s wearing now.”

“That’s not my point,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hmm?”

“I think what she means is: if that boy had been wearing his weapons, the way he struck, the way he cut, August Whimper would be cut to ribbons right now,” Cheerilee remarked.

Fleur shrugged. “Well… he is being tested. Wouldn’t be much of a test if he didn’t put his all into it. What do you think, Moongazer?”

Moongazer glared at the bullhead colt. “I think he’s holding back. I can’t tell what school he’s studied from any of that, his attacks are too generic. He could have studied Royal Guard style, Southern Islander, Northern Highlander, there’s nothing to distinguish him. He could be imitating any number of specialities, and that’s not normal for a masterless student, certainly not one looking to get acknowledged. You don’t get a belt for that kind of display, but… he must be studying something, to be able to dispatch that kid so easily. His outer form is a bog standard weapon form, sure, but what’s his inner form?”

Again, Fleur shrugged, before chewing on her corn some more.

“Fleur, please,” Moongazer insisted. “What does that boy know? What techniques has he mastered?”

“Spoilers, darling.”

“If he gets matched up against an opponent who’s out of his league...”

Fleur finally relented. “I suppose, if you must know, the only techniques he’s really mastered is the weapon one you saw just now: Eagle Talon fighting. He hasn’t had the time to do any other moving forms.”

“But what school? What inner forms? Does he not have any? Has he not been studying any school?”

“Yes and no. Yes, he does have some inner forms, obviously, and he has studied some schools, but no, the physical side of his skills and inner techniques are not linked. At least, not all of them. He has bits and pieces of several different ones, and he’s managed to get, oh, let’s say, two up to combat application, but they are both very distinct. You wouldn’t know what to look for unless he told you. So he’s just like any other independent fighter in that regard: relying not on formal training, but on individual synergies. I’m sure a ninja such as yourself can appreciate that kind of approach.”

Moongazer grumbled. Still Fleur wouldn’t spill the beans. She had a point, though: mixing and matching different internal and external styles, armed and unarmed, were second nature to ninja. So was gathering intelligence, and assessing the worth of new schools of thought, not to mention secrecy thereabouts. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see, then?”

Live Wire shivered in anticipation. “Yes, Ma’am. That kid wasn’t good enough to show off against. They’re gonna need something a little closer to my level for that.”

Author's Notes:

Sooo... hooves up if you saw this coming?

Initially, while Flight Camp was being written, I had the idea of Scootaloo being friends with another kid named Whimper, who at one point turned on her, cut her hair and her feathers for a sadistical bit of 'fun'. In the aftermath, she moved to Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash would get her to see Rarity, who happened to be studying hair growth spells at the time. Which is how Scoots met Sweetie Belle initially, and why her hair is so messy. You can still find traces of that plotline in the original Flight Camp, even: when Scootaloo has a nightmare and Rainbow somehow knows it was about Whimper choking her? Originally, she was referring to that other Whimper. As it stands, it was a good guess, based on pegasus primal fears. Main reason I scrapped it is because I couldn't find room to properly characterise the second Whimper on one hand, and because having her be so anxious about the name 'Whimper' because of another kid named that was too complicated. A simple guilt complex works better, I feel.

Live Wire and Doldrum Whimper... they're both so cliché 'my style' that I'm still wondering why it took so long to just throw them together. They're a perfect match: both have a natural inclination towards fighting, both were given major skills along with major responsibilities by outside circumstances, one of them can't tell when he's a danger to others and the other has an innate sense for danger. So yeah, this is one of those things I'm using in original fiction, too. Just, you know, with different species and one of the two different gender... sort of. Haven't worked out the details on that yet. There will be two Live Wire-ish characters in that, most likely, but the main one will be a girl and the actual Live Wire is a background character. So far. But I digress.

Again, the whole 'alpha strike' thing is a reference to League of Legends. Master Yi, one of the champions, has a lunge ability that makes him invisible and invincible, called 'Alpha Strike.' His ultimate is a berserker/ move and attack speed raising ability called 'Highlander.'

And finally, why does Fleur grab a corn on a cob when she does? Look up 'Star Wars corn on a cob' and you'll get the idea.

Why Can't We Be Friends? Starfall Steps In!

With August Whimper being carted off, Doldrum Whimper turned towards the Ashen Blizzard and the rest of the masters. "Umm, how was that?"

"Not bad," Ash said. "But sloppy."

"I concur," Luna said. "That fight was hardly a challenge. We saw no display of your supposed skills, or any techniques that set you apart from the rest. Certainly not enough to merit a belt."

The colt almost pouted. "But I fought him, and won."

"Yes, but anypony can throw a normal punch, or strike a pose. You're asking to be acknowledged as a serious warrior, as an equal to actual students. That display? We could toss you into any school and the result would be the same. This doesn't tell us anything," one of the masters, the karate instructor, from the looks of it, explained.

The boy sighed. "So what do I do now? I thought that August kid would be a good match?"

"He is, or he should have been," Blazing Trail said. "But he underestimated you, and he misused his technique. You fight like one of us, you know: brutal, confident. That's the problem. If you were in our school, you'd outrank August already. Perhaps a challenger of a superior level is in order? Say, a green belt?"

The boy gulped. "Y-you mean somepony who's already bigger and stronger than me? Isn't that a little unfair?"

"Not for a demonstration fight, it's not," Luna said. "Which student did you have in mind, Master Blazing?"

"I was thinking maybe his old buddy, Starfall."

Whimper shivered as the unicorn girl walked up to the stage.

"Starfall here was assigned to him during his trial period, when he just started,” Blazing explained. “She kept her eye on him while he was going through some, ah, tough times, and she's sparred with him."

Luna's ears perked. "Did she, now? Very well, I approve. Let her test his skills."

Starfall walked closer to the little boy as Blazing Trail departed. "It's been a while. Why so glum?"

He turned his back on the grandmasters and walked into the fighting ground again, lowering his voice to a whisper. "You told me to hurt Scootaloo."

"So she'd respect your strength, yes. You had to. She was holding you back, you must have realised that?"

He took a deep breath and let it out, still shivering with what looked like restrained anger. "You told me she wasn't my friend."

Starfall shrugged. "I still don't think she is, I'm sorry. I know that's hard to accept, but it's still true. Boys like you can't afford to have girls like that bossing them around. It's not good for you."

"And you hung over me for half the summer, you kept stalking me even after I said I needed to think."

At that, she winced. "I just wanted to make sure you'd make the right choice. Come on, you're acting like I'm some kind of villain. We're friends, aren't we? And this is just going to be a friendly fight. It’s just a test."

He snorted ever so gently. "Sure. Just a test."

"And who knows? Maybe once we're done and you sign up, Scootaloo will stop getting you into trouble, huh? I'm sure she'd listen to you if she got a good look at what you can do. You're gonna have to put your hoof down if she's learned how to fight, too. I'd hate to see you get beaten up because you're too scared to fight back. But just so we're clear: I am going to beat you up now. You need to be shown the right way, and if you're not gonna listen to reason... no hard feelings, okay?"

Whimper nodded. "No hard feelings."

"Begin!"

---

Blazing Trail smirked as the pair squared off against each other.

"Wait, so is that Scootaloo's friend? Shouldn't I be fighting him?" Silver Spoon asked.

"It is, and you shouldn't. Starfall will deal with him."

"But she's bigger than him. And a green belt."

"Exactly why she's fighting him. She's sparred with him before, she knows his moves. She won't get blindsided by him, like August was. He's asking to be tested, that's not the same as a proper fight. He goes in with you, at your level, you'd stomp him into the ground and he still wouldn't be properly tested. Starfall knows how to prolong the fight, she knows the higher-level techniques that'll force him to acknowledge his weakness. And besides that... she knows what buttons to push on that boy."

"But what if she loses?"

"She won't. This fight is decided already."

---

"Okay," Starfall said. "How about we start with something simple. Taijutsu; physical combat. Simple open techniques."

She went into the same Bear Stance Rumble and Silver Spoon favoured, while Whimper took a wider stance, open arms almost welcoming her.

He's totally open to an attack. His chest is undefended.

She jabbed at that chest and, true to form, the boy swatted her attack aside, sliding his footing forward with the same grace she did.

Starfall grumbled under her breath.

He’d blocked the blow up high so he wouldn't get hit by any energy.

Guess I'll just have to turn it up a notch, then.

Her hooves hissed with magic when she struck next, aiming a hammer blow to his neck.

He twisted his arms just in time to do that scissor block again, but the magic still washed over him.

The two stood, deadlocked.

"Not bad, not bad. You're still pretty quick."

"Thanks."

She pushed down, he pushed back, both of their bodies shook.

"But I'm still quicker," she said, before jumping back and pressing her attack. "Comet Strike Jutsu!"

Whimper kept his eyes on her striking hooves as they were covered in a silvery magic that trailed behind like a comet's tail. He ducked under a swipe for his head, swatted away the elbow of the follow-up, then, with an opening in plain sight, he struck.

"Haiyah!"

Starfall gasped when she felt the cold biting into her fur. Even back-pedalling as quick as she did, his hoof brushed past her, and that was enough to remind her why Master Blazing was so insistent on him joining.

He almost had her. Rubbing the hairs of her fur, at least the parts he'd managed to hit, she chuckled. All he had was cold, just like Rumble. He didn't have the poison the Feather Cloaks put into their techniques.

He was still too meek. After all that, he was nothing more than a little boy who was too scared to realise his potential. "Nice one."

Whimper grumbled. "No, it wasn't. It didn't go through fast enough."

Starfall smiled. "Not so easy, fighting against somepony who knows what they're doing, huh? It's a shame, really; even the white belts in our class can land a punch or two. You know, when we're warming up. You desperately need some better teaching."

With that, she dashed at him to close the gap and pummelled his arm guards. Or she would have, if he hadn't been pummelling back. The arena filled with the rhythm of their blows, a quick cadence of contact, hoof on padding and hoof on bone.

Eventually, Whimper forced her arms wide with that scissor blow that would have opened up her chest if he'd had blades on, but she managed to correct it and mash down on his arms before he could take advantage of the opening this time, leaving them in a deadlock again.

"See? You should be faster by now. You're barely keeping up."

"Huh? Um, no I'm not, I'm just waiting for an opening."

"Cute. But you can't beat me at speed. I'm fast enough to stop bu-aaah!" She stumbled back as a stabbing pain shot up through her right leg. "S-son of a..."

He flexed that musclebound hoof as he withdrew it from the shin kick he'd delivered. "I'm supposed to demonstrate my techniques, aren't I? That was a special unbalancing technique, good against opponents who are bigger than me. You're looking down at my face, and at my front hooves. You don't keep track of my hind hooves."

She groaned, then chuckled. "I'd forgotten how much of a wallop you pack in that little body. I've missed you, you know."

He smiled. "I'm sure you did."

Starfall rose up and curled her hooves again, closing her eyes and dulling the pain. "Seriously, though. This is supposed to be a demo fight. Act like it."

The colt let his back hind hooves slide over the floor to get into position. "Okay."

Her hooves hissed and sparked as she aimed for his softer spots: his belly, his thighs, his shoulders. She snap-jabbed like a snake, always with that same comet trail behind her. She had him on the defensive, he was too pressured to retaliate. She kept her body close to his to make sure he couldn't wind up a proper punch.

Thump!

Which made it all the more surprising when she felt a cold pressure in her lungs.

She gasped.

His left arm bracer was blocking her right arm, his right arm was extended, stabbing dead centre into her chest. He twisted the tip of that hoof and pushed, and more cold agony flowed into her.

She stumbled back, clutching her chest. "What was that?"

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were fighting for real now?"

"We are." Starfall rubbed her chest to warm it back up and cleanse it of the foreign energies. If this kept up, she might lose face. "But if you're gonna be this rough with me, then I'm not gonna hold back. You understand that, right?"

"I thought you said you were gonna beat me up? Why are you taking your time like this? All you're doing is giving me more openings."

She bit her lip. "Fine. I didn't want to do this before I could have a proper talk with you, but seeing as you're not going to listen, here goes: Feather Cloak Open Style, Spring Tide Kata!"

Whimper's ears twitched when Starfall finally took the kiddy gloves off. She moved like a mare possessed, flailing her arms about in a scythe-like motion, trying to hook him with the edges. He could hear her magic sizzling at the tips.

He sidestepped a wide arc of a sweep, then flapped over a roundhouse kick.

"Gotcha."

While Starfall tried to jab him in mid-air, he went into a sideways airborne roll to dodge it.

"You're slippery, I'll give you that. But you can't win a fight with dodging alone."

Whimper furrowed his brow. "I thought you were trying to test me? Aren't I supposed to dodge your moves?"

"No, you're supposed to demonstrate superiority; you have to counter it. You have to beat me and my technique." She raised her front hooves, both glowing with that cold, silvery magic. "You can't dodge me forever. Sooner or later I'll land a hit, and then you're through. So either you break through this technique or admit defeat here and now."

"Are you really that strong?"

She scowled. "Tss. I'm the strongest green belt in our school. The only pony who can beat me is Silver Spoon, and that's only because she's got some extra tutoring going on."

"So that right there is what Master Blazing would have taught me if I'd stayed?" He pointed to her hooves. "That glowing hooves thing is what he's offering?"

"No, not to you. You're special. If you'd stayed, you'd have learned the Seven Deadly Blows by now." She sighed wistfully. "We could have learned together. But you just wouldn't listen to reason."

---

Whimper was taking a walk in the park, hoping to get his mind off things, when Starfall showed up again.

“Hey, Whimper. What’s going on?”

He sighed. “The usual.”

She nodded towards a nearby vendor. “You wanna go get a milkshake? My treat.”

“No, thank you.” He turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” The girl trotted beside him, sticking close by.

“Home.”

“But you just got here.”

He let out a weak snort of annoyance. “I know. And now I’m going home again. Is that a problem?”

“Not with me, it’s not. So, are you ready to join us yet?”

He gritted his teeth. “No, I haven’t decided. I need to time to think.”

“Well, if you still need to talk about it, you know you can always ask me. And if anypony’s bugging you, just let me know and I’ll get them to stop. Nopony’s gonna mess with my favourite ninja, not while I’m around,” she tousled his mane.

He grimaced, embarrassed. “I know. But, umm, what if you’re not around?”

“Don’t be silly, little guy. I’m looking out for you, and I’m a ninja, remember? I’m always around.”

---

She got the drop on him at last, dashing forward without warning and delivering a nasty hook. He blocked her blow directly on his bracers, making him buckle.The hissing intensified. "See what I mean? Even if you block this kind of attack, the magic still washes over you. You can't keep this up for long."

That's when he found out why she favoured hooks in the first place: it got her close enough to pull him in for a kick.

She pulled, and just as she was going to kick him, he took off and flew straight over her leg, letting his right arm trail over her fur. He didn't even have to suck in his taut belly to avoid that attack. When he landed, he was close enough to press his right hip against her.

She barely had time to remember she was in trouble. "No."

A quick snap and a thrust of his hip, and he got some distance between them again.

"Guh..." Starfall didn't waste any time pressing her attack. She dashed at him while his arms were down.

For a split second, she thought she had him. Her hooftip went past his guard, his arm was bent too far to put any strength behind it. Judging from his pitiful result at the block test, he wouldn't be able to punch her in retaliation. And he didn't.

What he did do was ram the side of his arm into hers, making a neat circular motion to throw her aim off. "W-what the... my arm, you..."

It left her wide open for a counter-attack.

Thunk!

Pink shards flew away from the girl, scattering and dissipating as suddenly as they’d appeared.

Whimper shook his jabbing hoof once Starfall retreated. "Nice shield."

"Whoa!" She stumbled back, her arm numbed and her horn throbbing. He'd only needed one strike to break through that pink wall and shatter it. Granted, she'd put it up in a hurry, but that didn't make the prospect of getting that kind of force right in her face any more agreeable. If she hadn't managed to shield herself, a blow like that to her head would have put her at a severe disadvantage. He could have hurt her. "What kind of fighting is that?"

"You mean you don't recognise it? You should." He flexed his arms with a distinct creaking sound, showing off the musculature he'd worked so hard to attain. "This is Eagle Talon Style."

Starfall scowled. "Eagle Talon's not a style; it's a weapon. And it doesn't explain how you did this. You never landed a clean hit on me." She closed her eyes and focused on the cold creeping into her muscles. "So how are you using contact magic?"

Whimper tilted his head. "Same thing as the eagle talons, really. You wanted to know why I didn't fight back earlier. I was just checking your style. It's kind of neat, coating your hooves in magic like that. Like a burning spear, right? Or a dagger coated in poison? Or, I guess for you it'd be a quill, with poison on the tip. See, umm, not that I’m criticising you or anything, but I couldn't help but notice you only ever strike with the tips of your hooves. That magic you have, it never goes up your arms."

The teen filly grumbled.

"It's because you're a unicorn, isn't it? You're used to casting magic through your horn. Letting it run through your body doesn't come as natural as it does to a pegasus or an Earth pony. You really should have started practising that by now."

"Doesn't make a difference."

"It makes a huge difference." He raised his arms up to demonstrate. "Your magic is limited, and you've been fighting like mine is, too, but it's not."

She winced as her healing technique failed to make the pain in her hip subside. Her arm, her hip, her lungs, all of it, it still had that trace of cold. But he hadn't struck her. She'd blocked his counterattacks as well as he had hers.

Unless... "No."

"Yes. You can only put your magic into one part of your body. I can put it in any part of my body. You treat your arms like spears, or sickles, or hooks. I treat my arms like swords. An elbow blow from you, or a hip blow, doesn't do any real damage. It's like getting hit with a feather: it only hurts from the tip. It only hurts on one side. But me? I can hit you with anything and it'll hurt."

---

"That's better," Moongazer said. "You can read his movements a lot better now. Yes, you were right, Apple Bloom: he does move like he's got his eagle talons still on."

"I know, right? Ain't that a mistake or somethin'?"

"Not really," Fleur replied, very quietly so none of the Feather Cloaks would hear. "He is training with a future Master at Arms, remember? Live Wire practises an armed style, so must Whimper. A lot of styles mix the armed and unarmed forms. Whimper learned how to wield his arms like blades when he practised his punching technique."

"I get that, but he's unarmed now. Doesn't that leave him with a handicap?"

"Against another unarmed opponent? Not necessarily," Live Wire explained. "You pick up habits that you wouldn't if you only train in unarmed style, makes it harder to predict your next move, forces the opponent to second-guess which areas you’ll be targeting next. Look at Starfall: she's rattling her brain right now, thinking how she can beat that."

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow and looked at Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle followed suit. "Yeah, come to think of it, why would he tell her that in the first place?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "Why are you looking at me like that? I don't know what he's planning."

---

Starfall chuckled. "Eagle talons then, huh? Okay, funny choice of weapon. Don't see those too often, outside of comic books. You learn that all on your own?"

"Uhuh. I had a lot of spare time once I got suspended. It's a little weird to do it without the blades, but I like it." Whimper smiled again, like he was just enjoying a sunny day.

"Right, that's your basic outer form, then. How do you deal with the advanced techniques? Especially when you're unarmed?"

"What advanced techniques?"

"The higher-level combo attacks from other schools."

He shrugged. "Umm, I don't know? I haven't really gone up against a lot of combo fighting. Rumble doesn't know any combos."

Starfall had to suppress a smirk then. "You and Rumble? That's where he got his skills? He learned from you?"

"Uhuh."

"Okay, I'll show you something a little more fun, then. Try countering this."

"But you haven't beaten my hoof-to-hoof yet. My Eagle Talon Style beat your comet thingie."

She snorted. "No, it didn't. Those little Water Style pressure point attacks were just the basics. A real fighter threads moves like that into a tapestry of pain, makes it impossible for the opponent to react. Once this is set in motion, I'm not gonna stop until you're down."

Whimper pouted and took a step back.

She pouted right back at the boy. "You really are making this harder than it should be, you know. You belong in the Feather Cloak school. We can bring out your potential."

Whimper bit his lip. "You're really that sure I belong there?"

"Of course. You're bound to end up up as one of us eventually."

"Then why are you trying so hard to make me if I’d end up with you anyway?"

She lowered her elbows and extended her right arm, letting her left drop to form a perfect deep Bear Stance, frogs of her hooves pointed at him. "Because you're still weak. And you shouldn't be."

Whimper, likewise, tensed up. "So what's this going to be? Seven Deadly Blows?"

"No, can't do that one; I'm not brutal enough for that... yet. Besides, that kata is for ambushes, quick take-downs on an unsuspecting opponent. But I'm guessing you figured that out already."

"I don't fall for that kind of thing."

"That’s what you think. But it doesn’t matter. You'll fall to this. Feather Cloak Hidden Technique: Star Shower!"

Whimper's ears twitched, then the girl was gone.

"Oof!" He winced as she finally landed a kick to his gut that sent him skidding over the stone floor, before he bounced back up. By the time he landed, she was already gone again.

He looked around furtively, his breathing quickened. "Teleportation?"

A blink, and she was on him, using the edge of a hoof to carve into his back. "Gotcha. Let's see how you deal with a dose of Mercurial Hoof."

He cried out in pain and staggered forward, then swung his arm back, hitting nothingness.

She rematerialised at the far corner of the arena. "You were right about unicorns and pegasi, you know. Casting magic all over my body doesn't come natural. But it doesn't have to. It's a real shame, too. With your talent, if you'd been born a unicorn, you might have figured out how to counter this."

Whimper growled.

"But unfortunately, you're not only a pegasus, you're a pegasus who doesn't know his own strength. I'm sorry, Whimper, but I'm gonna have to make this painful for you. You're not gonna learn otherwise."

---

"He's keeping up rather well," Moongazer said. "I'd have thought that kind of attack would be too much for him, considering."

"Considering... what, the fact that he has had no formal training?" Fleur asked.

"Well, yes. No offence to you or your apprentice, but if he hasn't studied under a master, he won't be able to keep up. I'm surprised he's still standing, honestly, with that Mercurial Hoof landing so soundly." She winced as more blows landed on the boy's body.

Apple Bloom squinted. "So... he's gonna lose?"

"Eventually, most likely. Without proper instructions, a boy like that will only ever master the outer forms. Internal techniques require oral transmission, and a higher-level technique like what she’s using requires an internal technique to counter. This isn’t a fair fight. He's good, I'll grant him that. His speed and balance are well above rookie level, and his stances are near-perfect. You can tell he practises those. But it takes more than just punching and kicking to measure up against a ninja."

Live Wire's ears twitched. "Begging your pardon, Miss Moongazer, but he's not done yet."

"Ow" The cry came out of the arena. "G-gah..."

Moongazer gasped. "What? How did he..."

---

Whimper had his guard up after slapping away that last attack. "Oh, did I hit a nerve point? I'm sorry."

Starfall was rubbing her striking arm now, wincing in pain. "L-lucky shot."

Whimper tilted his head and smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want to hurt a friend."

She teleported behind him, and got an elbow in her gut for her trouble, one that sent a chill down her spine. She teleported to the side, a slap in the nose. She teleported right above him, he'd jumped backwards before she'd rematerialised and almost delivered an arcing blow to her ribs. Her lungs froze as he managed to jab and twist just right to inject more cold magic into her system.

This one was different.

This one stabbed deep, and lingered.

She coughed and spluttered, and she was sure she tasted blood. He was frostburning her organs, from the feel of it. But that wasn't what worried her; what worried her was that he could hit her at all. The only other pony who could do that was Silver Spoon, and that was with Demon Hunter training from her father. But Whimper didn't have that luxury. All he had was some random Wonderbolt wannabe who sparred with him. Whimper taught Rumble, no one taught Whimper. He shouldn't have been able to do any of this.

Was her technique flawed somehow? No, she'd executed it perfectly. She got the initial blows in on him, she hit him with Mercurial Hoof, same way she hit her fellow students. They fell before her, why didn't he?

What am I doing wrong?

Did he figure out the rhythm? No way. But he must have.

She squinted, thinking.

And how is he still standing? Most ponies would be down for the count by now. Even Silver Spoon can't stand up to that kind of punishment.

Whimper looked up, still flashing those puppy dog eyes of his. "Well? Was that it?"

She dashed back. "H-how did you manage to block that?"

"I didn't. You hit me a couple of times, remember? You didn't hit me very hard, but you still hit me. I mean, you haven't tried hitting for real yet, have you?"

She growled under her breath.

This is bad. He's gonna run me out of stamina at this rate.

I can't lose. Not to some kid.

She closed her eyes to concentrate. "You really are something, you know."

"I know. You should surrender."

"What?"

He winced. "Please surrender? I'm stronger than you. You're not gonna beat me. You'll embarrass yourself in front of your Master if you keep this up."

"Heheh. Nice try, but we Feather Cloaks never fall. We're alphas, through and through. Our confidence is our shield, and our strength."

"Didn't help August. Or me."

As much as she tried to ignore it, Starfall felt a pang in her chest then. Little Whimper, so buff and strong, he sounded so meek. It would have been so nice to have him as an unofficial little brother, to show him off to the other martial arts girls, to stand next to him when he accepted his medals, to introduce him to the right crowd, to the kind of girls who would appreciate his presence. Just a few changes, and he could be so popular, so wanted, so valuable. If only he listened. "Is there really nothing I can say to make you join? I promise it'd be better for you."

Whimper shook his head. "I know that's what you want to think, but you're wrong. Your school is pretty good, it's great, even, but it's not right for me. I wouldn't fit in. You keep asking me to join, to be a real alpha, to be a big shot, but you never mention the fact that I'd have to change in the first place. If I became one of you, I wouldn't be me anymore. And...” He breathed a heavy and tired sigh. “I know that’s what a lot of ponies want, but I don’t. I don’t expect you to understand, but I'm tired of not feeling like myself, like there’s somepony else making decisions for me, speaking with my voice, and leaving me in the dark, alone. It’s a horrible feeling, and I don’t want it anymore, and I definitely don’t want it all the time."

"But you would be yourself: your true self. You're a winner, it's in your nature. You have no idea how much fun you could have, going to tournaments all around the world, winning trophies. Your teachers would respect you. Nopony would ever tell you what to do anymore."

Whimper closed his eyes and, to his credit, gave the girl a fair chance. He thought it through, like he had so often. "Nopony, including you?"

The girl gritted her teeth. "Okay, I see how it is. This next attack will end it. I'll try to make it painless, but no promises."

"Okay. But before you do, could I just ask one more thing?"

"What?"

"You're my friend, right? That's what you keep saying."

Starfall smiled at him, sympathy shining in her eyes. "Yes. I am. I only want what’s best for you."

"And Scootaloo doesn't?"

"I keep telling you; she disrespects you. She's not like that Rumble kid or Peachy Pie. She's holding you back, and she's going to get you into trouble. She's not your friend, I'm sorry."

He blinked, pondering. "If Scootaloo wasn't really my friend, why did she stay away?"

"Huh?"

"After I got in trouble the second time, I told Scootaloo I needed time alone to think. I told you I needed time alone to think, too. I told your master I wouldn't be a Feather Cloak until after I'd thought about it, alone. I told you, calmly, politely, I needed to think, and I didn't want you to try and confuse me. I wasn't part of your school. My baby brother was on the way, and I wanted to deal with that on my own. I told you I needed time alone. All I asked for was a few days, a few weeks at most. And you decided not to give me that. You kept an eye on me all the way up to the Manehattan Meet. I couldn't go two days without you trying to get me to join. Everypony I talked to said they were curious about me hanging out with you. You were always around. Until the Meet."

"So? I was looking out for you. And I figured after you got a look at some real fighters, your pride would be hurt. You never went out into Bogsdown after that."

"No. I went… someplace else after that. But that's not what I mean. You decided to stick around, even after I told you not to. Scootaloo decided to give me time alone, just like I asked. I wanted her to give me peace and quiet, and that's exactly what she did. If she wasn't my friend, if she didn't respect me, why would she do that, when you didn't?"

Starfall's smile cracked. "Well, guess you have to learn gratitude, too."

That finally got him to bare his teeth. "What should I be grateful for? For being punished for standing up for myself? For being forced to join a club that tells me who my friends should be?"

"For being recognised as what you are: a great talent. But if you want it to go to waste..."

"Does that mean we're not friends anymore?"

"See if you can dodge this, then we'll talk."

"What's this one called?" he asked.

"Feather Cloak Hidden Technique: Constellation Destruction!"

Starfall's horn glowed along with her hooves this time, and three balls of energy started circling around her.

Whimper growled.

She lunged. A quick jab met with his bracer again, and the spheres around her homed in on the boy. He stepped forward just as the first one was about to hit, making it brush over his back instead of detonating into his sides.

She gasped. "What the..."

As she withdrew her jabbing left arm, his guarding arm followed. It stuck to her even as she prepared to to do a hammer blow to his jaw. Before she could complete her strike, he nailed her in the shoulder. The strength seeped out of her arm, but the spheres were still circling around her. The second one was headed straight for his hips.

He spun around and pressed his back against her belly, elbowing her in the gut and letting that low sphere continue harmlessly on its way.

She felt the air get knocked out of her, she practically tasted the blueberry muffins she’d had for lunch be catapulted back up. "No way..."

With the last bit of mental presence, she tried to kick him in his exposed hind quarters, to get him at the proper range. He was faster than her, though, and even as the third orb was about to smack him in the face, he completed his turn and pushed his front hooves against her throat in that same scissoring posture.

It finally dawned on her. As the last orb was about to strike, she realised her mistake.

He was touching her. He was maintaining contact.

She saw it all: his motions, his choice of weapon, and the school he’d studied. But most frighteningly, the legendary technique passed down from that school, lost in old myth and modern, badly written, fantasy novels.

His technique, what he'd practised all this time, his trump card, required a lasting physical contact.

"T-this is..."

He mashed down on her throat, spreading his arms with enough force to knock her down, but aiming high enough at her jaw not to break any vitals. "Sorry, Starfall. I don't want you spoiling my surprise."

She went down and passed out, all three orbs staying at their constant radius and fading as she fell.

Silence fell over the arena.

"The winner by knockout: Doldrum Whimper," Ash said.

The blue colt sighed as he idly remembered to fold his wings back down to his sides. Silly things kept popping up.

I'm really sorry, Starfall, but you were wrong. You weren't looking out for me. You don't know me. You only know what you want me to be. You never even asked why I didn't want to join.

You never bothered to ask what other styles I liked, what other things I practised. All you knew was my workout schedule, and you didn't even connect the dots to that.

It never even occurred to you I might still be learning after the Meet.

Did you forget, or did you just not care?

He let his head hang for a second, before picking himself up and letting Starfall be picked up by the medic team.

If you'd been my friend from the start, then you'd have known exactly what I can do. I wouldn't have stood a chance. You made me think you were my friend. I would have told you if you were. All you had to do was ask.

---

Apple Bloom's jaw hung slack. "He beat a green belt. Somepony bigger than him. He just... he knocked her out, cleanly. Cut off her breath an' everything." She gulped and rubbed her throat, feeling a sympathetic ache at the sight. "He would have cut her head off if he'd been wearing blades."

Moongazer nodded as Starfall was removed from the arena. "Yes. He caught her off guard when he bypassed her attacks. He must have seen her do them before, learned the pattern behind her techniques. And those spheres... it doesn't take long to see they stay at a constant radius to her body, they're easy to evade once you figure that out, provided she can't push him into the attack in time. The Feather Cloaks use pretty rigid routines, you see: there are individual differences between fighters, but the rhythm is hard to deviate from once internalised. Most ponies are knocked out by that kind of thing, so they never develop the counter to it. Clearly, he has."

Fleur smirked. "Yes. That must have been it," she lied.

Silly ponies. He won because he exploited her weakness. She was so dead set on preserving her own social image, on executing her own techniques flawlessly, she never considered analysing his movements, like he did hers. He read her like an open book, she didn't even read the cover of him. She couldn't accept the idea of losing, so she didn't realise her techniques were useless.

She almost saw it, though. She almost called it out... his trump card. Well, one of the two, at least. She didn’t even detect the other one.

I wonder if Silver Spoon will notice.

"Where's Cheerilee off to?" Rarity asked.

"Hmm?"

A quick look around, and Fleur saw: the teacher was off checking on her hurt student, Rumble. Rumble was busy wincing and flapping his hooves and wings this way and that, obviously trying to show that Silver Spoon had not, in fact, hurt him that badly. Typical warrior things, boy or girl.

Times like this Fleur wished she had the ninja sense of hearing down, so she could eavesdrop on that conversation. She wondered if Rumble was being interrogated about Silver Spoon, or about his own fighting prowess.

Then again, judging by how Cheerilee's ears were twitching towards Ash and Luna, perhaps she was asking Rumble about Whimper.

A random thought occurred to her, then: the medical section was close to the seats of the heads of the Meet, presumably to make it easier to give feedback to fallen fighters. Would Cheerilee hear their conversation?

---

"Well, I think we can all agree Whimper here fights like one of us," Blazing said. "You all saw it; he used contact magic, death touch variants. That was a watered-down Feather Cloak technique. He needs proper guidance from us."

"Umm, no I don't," Whimper argued. "I don't fight like that at all. I don't go berserk, and I don't go blinking around."

"He's got a point there," Ash said. "If anything, that technique is closer to Nine Dragons than it is to Feather Cloaks."

"Yes," Whimper concurred. "I read your book too, Master Ash, sir. That’s where I learned my Eagle Talon from."

"All the more reason to put him in our school," Master Blazing said. "You can't have a loose cannon like him be associated with your school if you're not responsible for him."

"True, true, but then he's not asking to be recognised as part of my school, he's asking to be recognised as masterless. And personally, after that display, I'd rather let the boy decide for himself. He's obviously got a good enough skillset to merit a grey belt as an independent fighter."

"I'm afraid I must protest," Luna said. "Skill, the boy clearly has. Strength, I do not question. Neither, I should hope, does Master Blazing, or I should have to refer him to an optometrist. The question remains: where will the boy thrive and grow best? Is Doldrum Whimper better off as a member of the Feather Cloak school or as an independent fighter, studying on his own? Especially considering the matter of his schooling?"

"What matter might that be?" Ash asked. "Has he been getting tutored by anyone?"

"She means my regular school, sir. I'm suspended," Whimper said. "Because I got into a fight. A couple of fights. Master Blazing offered to take me in as a student after the first one, make the trouble go away. But the problem is, I'm not sure if that would really help. The Feather Cloaks are all about confidence, but they rely on intimidation to stop a fight from happening in the first place. And, well, look at me, sir." He shrugged those big, broad shoulders of his. "Anypony who decides they want to fight someone like me isn't going to fall for intimidation."

Ash nodded. "Master Blazing, your retort?"

"He bottles up his anger too much, that's why I offered. His coach sent him my way after a minor incident, I gave the boy the usual three lesson intro to help manage his anger, he didn't feel like joining. Which was a shame, because he made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Then a, err, slightly bigger incident occurred, and his school decided to take drastic measures. I'm more than willing to counsel him for his anger problems, and make sure he stays out of trouble, not to mention keep up his practice to the level he should. He doesn't have any discipline, no one to teach him how to use force correctly. He's going to keep getting into fights if he doesn't join."

"Is that a threat?" Whimper asked.

"That's a warning," Blazing replied. "You haven't been to school in months, your parents can’t help that, your teachers refuse to help, somepony needs to start looking out for you. And besides the fights on your permanent record, no teacher is going to want to take in a student who has to catch up on nearly a whole trimester if they don’t think you’re worth it. It's too much work, and you're refusing to be a part of your community by holding back."

Ash held up a hoof. "Okay, you've both made your point. Now, the school thing is outside of our jurisdiction, so that's between you and your local legislations, boy. However, the matter of Blazing Trail's judgement regarding your development is well within our jurisdiction. If you want me, Blazing, and the other masters to make a sound judgment about that, you're going to have to display the techniques you've learned on your own. If you want to be an independent fighter, then you need to demonstrate mastery: properly executed techniques, well defined skills, and clearly different moves from any school's, not the simple punches you’ve been throwing. Seeing as Master Blazing has a stake in this, how about someone less partial? Any volunteers?!"

The little karate ponies all took a step back, then the tai chi ones, then the buckboxing ones, all along the line they stepped back.

"No official challengers, not with us present," the Feather Cloak master said.

"Okay, then. Why not compare me to Silver Spoon? You said I'd be top rookie if I joined you. Isn't she top rookie now?" Whimper asked.

Blazing chuckled. "Well, yes, but like I said, I don't think you're quite up to her level. She's been training with us since before we got word of you. And you haven't seen her moves yet, like you did with Starfall. She's already mastered techniques we only started teaching our green belts a few days ago. You're not going to get the drop on her."

"But does she know the techniques you were trying to teach me?"

"Forget trying, you would have mastered them. In record time, too, probably."

"And has she?"

"Well... yes. I suppose, technically, she has."

Ash shrugged. "So, Master Blazing? That's two down now."

The unicorn sighed. "Can you please reconsider? You fight like one of us, Whimper. Surely you realise that?"

Whimper shook his head, still pouting ever so slightly, still keeping his voice in that odd half-whisper. "No, sir, I don't think I do. Your other students aren't like me. Whatever it is you think they're like, I'm not that."

"See, this is my point, Ash. He keeps bringing himself down, sabotaging himself. And yet he's perfectly capable. He lets ponies walk all over him, then he snaps when things get too much. That's why his coach sent him my way, that's I offered. I don't see why he keeps turning down my offer."

Ash nodded. "As much as I hate to say it, Master Blazing makes a good case, at least in that one regard. He does indeed have a good track record when it comes to confidence issues."

"Then I'd like to see proof of his claims, sir."

"Oh?" Blazing raised an eyebrow.

"You told me you could teach me how to be great. You taught both of my opponents. And, umm, they both lost."

"It's a fight for evaluation, Whimper; they were trying to show off first, win second. That's what you are supposed to do as well," Luna explained.

"I get that, but still: they showed off their techniques, and they failed. I showed off mine-"

"Very simple and unrefined ones-" Blazing interrupted.

"But I still won. If that's not enough to show the difference, then there's only one other way: compare me to somepony who's the same as me. No matter what you think about me needing more confidence, you said I'd be top rookie by now, so the only pony you can compare me to is the top rookie right now. Umm, you know, that’s the way I see it, at least."

Luna spoke up at last. "At the bare minimum, the techniques he would have been taught in the meantime should be brought to bear against him. If what you say is true, Blazing, then what he has been doing so far will not suffice. He will have no choice but to counter Silver Spoon's techniques with the same techniques you managed to teach him. In that case, it will be Feather Cloak style against Feather Cloak style. If, however, the boy is assessing his own progress correctly, then he will have his own defences against your style, and the two will be clearly distinguishable from each other."

"Assuming whatever techniques he's learned can counter Silver Spoon's in the first place," Blazing said.

"Of course."

"Alright. If you insist, have it your way. Fight Silver Spoon, if you think you can, with whatever it is you think you've mastered. She is indeed our top rookie, and she's a lot like you. If that's what it'll take to make you see, then so be it."

Blazing turned his back and nodded to Silver Spoon to enter the arena.

"His lungs are weak," Blazing whispered once she was next to him. "Make him run, force him to move fast for long stretches, run him out of air with a combo, he'll collapse."

"You want me to choke him?" Silver Spoon asked.

"I want you to break him," he replied. "By any means necessary. And I do mean any means. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

Blazing smiled as he let his apprentice face off against the bullhead, to have the Feather Cloak style be compared to the challenger’s.

Well, Feather Cloak with a smattering of Royal Guard Demon Hunter.

Good thing they forgot about the girl's heritage.

Author's Notes:

Most of Starfall's moves were inspired by League of Legends, again. The Constellation destruction thing was directly inspired by Diana's W, and initially I'd figured I'd make that one of Moondancer's signature moves, but then seasons happened and I figured it was better used elsewhere. It acts more like Aurelion Sol's passive now. Fiora's old ultimate looks like the teleport spamming thing, but that's a coincidence.

One of the issues in this chapter is that the audience already knows what Whimper's been doing since the Manehattan Meet, but his opponents do not. They have no reason to even think it at this point.

Capitalisation of the word 'style' was and remains an iffy point, and I probably should have been paying attention to it sooner. It's capitalised when it's referring to a school, like the name of a technique. It's not capitalised when the name of the school is intended as more of an adjective. One is a strict list of techniques, the other is a general way of doing things.

As for the two trump cards... one, you can probably tell already, the other... you need to have been paying really close attention since the start of the story to guess, but it's been foreshadowed to some degree. And yes, it is a Naruto-esque thing, like, clean lift from the series with a minor tweak.

Starfall herself... she's a weird character. Someone who is struggling to be top dog (female dog, no less) in a brutal martial arts class, and who treats ponies beneath her like a trophy, or a tool. Standard ninja/spy stuff in that regard. I suppose one could argue she's sort of like Spoiled Rich, but younger and a warrior. I can't recall if I wrote her in before or after I saw Spoiled's first appearance, though, so... if it is linked, it wasn't intentional.

A lot of Whimper's story was inspired by that of John the Fearless, and a result some snippets of dialogue are direct copies of dialogue from the movie. One such is "Is that a threat? -No; a warning."

Lastly, how is it Whimper can get suspended from school for that long when it's been established ponies in high places are looking out for him? (Luna here, Soarin in the previous story, any number of Royal Guards in the loop.) There is still one angle that allows for it, and it gets spelled out later on. I was aware that it's an issue by the time I got to the ending, and a good explanation presented itself shortly after.

Who's Top Rookie Now?! Whimper Versus Silver Spoon!

Silver Spoon glowered at the colt as they stood face to face. “So, you’re Scootaloo’s friend, huh?”

Doldrum Whimper smiled back at her. “Yes. And you’re the Feather Cloak School’s top rookie.”

Her mouth cracked the tiniest smile at that. “You must be pretty good, if you could beat August and Starfall.”

“Thank you. You must be pretty good, too, if it takes that much arguing to get to face you.”

“You just wanted to fight me, didn’t you? You wanted to fight me from the start.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“Why?”

The muscled colt rose up on his hind hooves and settled into a low stance. “To test my abilities. I want to see what you can do. Master Blazing must have taught you well.”

She suppressed a smirk at that, rising up in her own Bear Stance. If you don’t wanna admit it’s a grudge match, fine. Master Blazing isn’t the only one teaching me.

---

Ash grumbled as the two kids squared off. “Why did you insist on him beating those other two kids first?”

“To see how he would handle himself,” Luna replied. “I’m trying to keep track of his progress, and that’s not always easy.”

“Uhuh. And his suspension from school? You knew about that?”

She sighed. “Word reached me of that, yes, but it’s out of my hooves. I’ve already extended my power as far as I could with him. Any more and ponies would take notice. And if they take notice, they take issue.”

“Why, though? I mean, sure, he’s a strong fighter, and I can assume he came your way after some problems, but why go through all that effort?”

“Do you recall that water devil the Royal Guard tracked from Rainbow Falls to Froggy Bottom Bog? Last seen about a year and a half ago, heading towards Ponyville?”

“Kludde? O’course. Gave me a run for my money, the coward, couldn’t finish him off. Last I heard, he waylaid some kids and one of’em...”

Luna smiled knowingly.

Ash barely managed to pick up his jaw. “No.”

“Yes.”

“Wasn’t that one older? A teenager, at least?”

Luna shook her head and pointed discreetly at the muscular colt. “Hmm, no, no, that’s… that’s the one, right there.”

“That’s him? That overstuffed half-pint is the kid who...”

“The very same. I think some of the Royal Guards recognise him now, too, if the nervous shuffling is any indication. He has the same condition as you, you know, same as your daughter.”

“In such a young body, too. Now it makes sense. You tried to heal him.”

“Among other things, yes. I also recommended he study martial arts. I’m the one who pointed him to that shop in Canterlot, after sending him some material of my own.”

“So what can he do?”

Luna shrugged and chuckled. “It’s funny, you know; I’m not even sure. Last Warrior Meet in Manehattan, he fought alongside that Live Wire boy over there. They complemented each other quite nicely for a first time fighting, but his technique was still… rugged, unrefined. He was still too scattered in his efforts then. Still reeling from the stress of his suspension, I imagine, but that’s been a few months now, and he’s had nothing to do but practise all day for such a long time. I can only assume Master Lee has been taking full advantage of the opportunity. As for what he’s been learning in the meantime? Well, I believe I can formulate an informed speculation at his choice of training, I’m sure you have, too.” She nodded to the blocks they’d used to test him.

“Yeah. Well, we’ll see if he’s got any real mastery in him. Begin!”

Ash’s ears twitched towards those blocks. The kid hadn’t even put a scratch on the top one.

But the centre one had a clean crack in it, right down the middle.

---

Silver Spoon thought long and hard before choosing her first attack.

Let’s see… he’s got weak lungs, and he waited the last two fights, so he’ll wait for me to make the first move.

He’s got big muscles. Strong muscles. Heavy muscles. If I can target those, mess up his tendons, he won’t be able to move. Then I just have to choke him. Easy peasy. Just like beating August.

She shifted her lead hind hoof and braced herself to lunge. Her whole body tensed. She dashed towards him, concentrated her magic into her right hoof and-

“Haiyah!”

“Whoa!” Silver Spoon’s heart skipped a beat as she jumped back. Her right arm was already out, about to strike when that attack had come out of nowhere.

Whimper stood there, left arm extended. His off arm. He didn’t even bother trying to hit her with a right.

Silver’s body shook. “W-what was that?”

Nothing had shifted in his expression. He still looked calm, collected. Silver was sure she saw him get angry, though, she’d even felt it. But Whimper looked relaxed now, it was uncanny. “I attacked. We’re fighting, aren’t we?”

“You didn’t move,” she whispered.

“Sure I moved.”

“No, you didn’t. One second, your arm is down, the next it’s out, there was nothing in between. You didn’t move.”

He cocked his head, curious. “I thought you were the top rookie? You couldn’t see through that attack? You can’t track that speed? It’s a pretty standard pegasus speed, you know. I mean, they call it ‘Wonderbolt Speed,’ but it’s not that rare. Not for higher-level fighters like you, I mean.”

She growled and realised the mistake. Her father had taught her how to sense danger, how to react to the threat of an attack. It was that skill that had made her top rookie, that made her so fast.

But this? This was different. Every instinct she had had screamed at her to move, so move, she did.

It took her a second to realise, but that heavy left arm of his wasn’t even straight. He’d pointed it next to her head, not at it.

That was a bluff. She’d reacted to a bluff. “Tss. Nice feint.”

“Thank you.”

He’s still too meek. He’s not gonna hurt me.

But I can hurt him.

She dashed towards him again and let rip. Her hooves lashed out like snakes, snapping at Whimper’s shoulders and neck, always taking just that split second to line up and seek out their target.

Whimper’s hooves, though, didn’t need to move like snakes. All he did was flick around his lower arm like a fencer’s rapier to keep the tips of her blows at bay.

Come on… just a little… faster… There!

She found an opening.

So did he.

What the…

She felt his arm on her belly. He wasn’t punching, or pushing, or twisting, just a little touch to remind her he was faster than her.

Silver Spoon, however, mashed her hoof straight into his belly. Right side, just below the bottom rib, a flat blow to unbalance him before she pushed her magic into him.

Thump! “Ow! H-haa… that hurt...”

Confusion ran through the crowd as it was Silver Spoon who recoiled in pain, not the boy she’d struck.

She shook her hoof and winced. “Geez, what are you made of?”

He chuckled. “Sorry. I guess you didn’t realise, huh? Starfall didn’t notice, either.”

“What are you doing, Silver Spoon?!” Master Blazing called out. “He didn’t hit your hoof!”

“No, but… it’s his body, sir. It’s like trying to hit an… an...”

Whimper cocked his head the other way, still looking as calm and innocent as a puppy. “An anvil?”

It finally dawned on her.

An anvil.

Hammer… and Anvil.

He didn’t just train with Rumble, he trained with that electric unicorn kid.

If he can keep up with a pony of that level, no wonder he took out August and Starfall.

“Cute. You trained with that Live Wire kid, didn’t you?”

“Yup.”

“And I guess that little trick just now was you using Silver Skin?”

Whimper straightened up and wriggled his shoulders to warm up again. “Why would you think that? Silver Skin is, you know, skin deep. It only protects from cuts.”

“Not if you manage to tighten your skin, too. Like, oh, I dunno, with a lot of muscle underneath. You turned yourself rigid just before I punched, that’s why you couldn’t hit me back.”

He smiled. “I knew you were different.”

“What?”

“That August kid, Starfall, they didn’t look at me like you do. They only cared about their own techniques. But you’re trying to analyse me. You’re trying to read me. Does that mean you respect me?”

“Don’t get cocky.” She braced herself. “Just because you got some lessons as a Feather Cloak doesn’t mean you can take me.”

“Maybe not, but I didn’t learn Silver Skin from Master Blazing. We never got around to that. Not that it matters; little slaps like that don’t hurt me.”

No. You’ve definitely got Silver Skin, like me. But besides that, you’ve got hard muscle underneath, like August. Physical punches need to be delivered precisely.

I can’t hit you with the flat frogs of my hooves, and the edges won’t cut you.

The sharp tips should still hurt, though. If I push and twist, you’d feel that.

“So, what are you gonna try now?” he asked.

And you’re still unprotected against magic.

Starfall didn’t land a critical hit on you, that’s why you didn’t buckle. She couldn’t keep up the pressure long enough. And you stalled the grandmasters to buy time to recover.

“Hiyah!” She jumped and turned in mid-air to wind up a kick. He blocked it on that bracer again, as expected, but it got him backing up, and that’s all the room she needed.

Silver went back into a steady flow of punches, this time striking with the tips of her hooves to do more damage. Whimper blocked one low blow, sidestepped the second, but she had her eye out for her target on the third.

His right shoulder. One sound hit with Mercurial Hoof and he’d be powerless.

The blow landed with a hard ‘thump.’ She heard the hiss of her magic as it connected. Whimper winced, but didn’t back down.

“Not bad,” he said. “Was that it?”

“You didn’t notice?” she asked.

“Notice what?”

“This!” Another wind-up and she slammed her arm into him, aiming for the side of his neck.

Thunk!

He blocked it. He blocked a high-speed swipe. With a paralysed arm.

“You mean your attack? Yes, I did notice.”

She pushed down on his bracer, but he didn’t budge. His arm was fine. He could still block with it. It didn’t even slow him down.

Silver tried to kick him, only to get kicked back herself. “Oof!” She stumbled backwards, she didn’t have the presence of mind to grab his hind hoof when he’d kicked her.

He must be flushing out my magic. He knows how to do that, too?

Okay, I can deal with that. I just have to wear him down, get him to tire out, then overload him with a combo.

She went at him again, going into a slower, more powerful rhythm this time, carefully slapping this way and that to probe his defences.

To his credit, for such a muscular boy, he had no trouble keeping up with her. He pushed down her hoof as it went for his chest, then sideways, he tilted his head just in time to dodge a jab for his nose, he stepped back at the exact same moment she stepped forward to drill her hoof into his lower ribs.

And all the while, he took every opportunity to slap her right back. A quick poke at her nose, a slap across the belly, a shove on her thigh, she was getting roughed up and she didn’t like it one bit.

This Whimper kid was her equal, simple as that. This wasn’t like fighting Rumble, who kept up with some effort, this kid was on her level.

He was on Live Wire’s level.

Still, while she wasn’t sure if she could beat Live Wire, at least this kid didn’t have any lightning shooting out of him.

He’s only a training dummy to that other kid.

I am a strong disciple of the Feather Cloak school.

I can take a training dummy.

---

A gulp came from behind Rarity and Fleur. Cheerilee’s class was shaking in their proverbial horseshoes.

Live Wire turned to face them. “Is something wrong?”

As one, the herd of kids took a step back.

“You’ll have to pardon my class,” Cheerilee said as she came back from checking on Rumble. “It’s not every day they meet a pony that can electrocute them where they stand.” She looked past the boy and at Rumble and Spike, still in the medic ward. Apple Bloom and her friends rushed past her towards the hurt boys, no doubt wanting to avoid any more questions about Scootaloo’s choice of friends. No matter, she could give that girl a good talking to any time.

Live Wire made a face that was somewhere in between a painful wince and an embarrassed smile. “Eheh, yeah, I try not to. It’s not that dangerous to be around me, not anymore. Just as long as you don’t touch me and I don’t get too startled. Or too excited. Or too bored. Or too sleepy. Or too awake.”

Fleur rolled her eyes and continued munching happily on her corn. “Yes, yes, we’re still working on fine-tuning that.”

“With him, I take it?” Moongazer nodded her head towards the two fighters on the platform.

“Of course. Doldrum Whimper is the finest sparring partner I could ask for,” Fleur said. “His skills are a perfect match for Live Wire’s.”

“And what, pray tell, would those skills be, exactly?” Rarity asked. “He’s fighting Silver Spoon on equal footing.”

Fleur narrowed her eyes as she watched him finally moving at his regular pace. “Yes, he’s quite fast on the short range, and unpredictable, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Hard to follow his motions, sometimes, even for me, the way he throws his whole body around all at once. Like I keep telling you, it’s so hard to find a good sparring partner for Live Wire. That Whimper boy is fast enough to dodge my apprentice’s attacks, most of the time.”

“So that wasn’t a fluke against Starfall, then? You mean to tell me that boy can dodge lightning?” Cheerilee asked. “He has super speed?”

“Well, magical lightning travels more slowly than regular, but yes, he has super speed, in a manner of speaking.”

This was a hard pill to swallow for Cheerilee. “The blue one? With the tree trunks for arms? That one has super speed?”

“Yup. And they’re not so much tree trunks as they are anvils,” Live Wire remarked. “That’s part of where he got his nickname: The Anvil.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” Live Wire replied with a chuckle. “That’s his warrior alias, like how they call me Hammer. But he doesn’t use it that much, so not a lot of ponies know it.”

“Oh, my. He’s got Silver Spoon on the ropes, from the looks of it,” Rarity said.

“Indeed,” Fleur concurred. “But he’s taking too many risks. He hasn’t retaliated yet.”

“I beg your pardon? He’s been knocking her just as much as she’s hit him,” Cheerilee said. “Even more, I should think. She can’t land a decent punch.”

“Oh, she doesn’t need to, with her techniques,” Live Wire remarked. “He’s just slapping for now, and she’s trying to wear down his defences. Trust me, Whimper’s good when he’s wearing his talons, but his trump card is something else. I don’t think he’s gonna want to use it before Silver Spoon tries hers. In a fight like this, it all depends on who breaks through first. They can fight to fatigue, or they can burst their opponent down. And Whimper’s not one to burst too quickly.”

Fleur grumbled and cast her glance towards the medical ward. Scootaloo and Rumble looked worried, and she couldn’t blame them. “He’s putting on a show for Master Blazing. That could mean trouble. He got those other two when they made that mistake.”

“Your friend had better be careful,” Diamond Tiara said. “If Silver Spoon hits him with her Seven Deadly Blows, the fight’s over.”

Live Wire snorted, almost chortling. “Well, you’re right about that.”

---

The two were an even match, exchanging blocks and blows, stepping back and forth as they tried to get a clean shot in.

Silver Spoon groaned as she pushed aside another heavy blow. “G-give up. You can’t keep this up forever.”

Whimper smiled and slapped away her counter-attack. “Neither can you.”

“Okay. If you’re not gonna surrender, then you leave me with no choice: Seven Deadly Blows!”

“What?”

It was a simple trick to increase her speed for a few seconds. A mere adrenalin rush combined with some mental imagery, and even Whimper couldn’t keep track of her striking arm. He hadn’t been able to track August that well, and that was with a rush. This close, only a few paces’ worth, he was toast.

Though, to be fair, he did manage to look down before the blow landed.

“One!”

She hit him with full power this time, not like the demo against Rumble. This kid, she couldn’t afford to hold back against. His belly fur rippled with the impact. The air around her sizzled with cold hate.

“Two! Three!”

The blows on his chest set him upright, but his footing remained stable.

She couldn’t knock him back. All that strength behind her attack, full power, and he wasn’t standing back. She had to take a step back herself to make room.

“Four!”

Her right arm hurt, hitting that hard skin of his. Her muscles ached, but she pressed on, flooding his body with poisonous metallic magic.

“Five six seven!”

The final three blows were enough to make him buckle at the knees and fall forward.

He didn’t scream, or cry. He just went down.

Silver Spoon panted for air when she was done. She could see why Master Blazing wanted this kid on their team now. A talent like that, he would bring home a lot of trophies. But he was still no match for her. She’d gotten him. She’d burst him down.

---

“Err, Blazing?”

The unicorn turned to face the pegasus Royal Guard who’d spoken up. “Yes?”

“You tried getting that kid on your team?”

“Yes. I’ve taught him a few things, helped him out, he didn’t feel like joining. He made a mistake, and I intend to correct him on that. Why?”

The unicorn smiled, but the tension on his face betrayed how much force it took to keep that up. “Err, eheh, just, umm… you might wanna leave that kid alone. He’s got a reputation.”

“I know, and I shall put it to excellent use. He’ll make a fine Feather Cloak,” Blazing insisted.

The guard shook his head. “No, he won’t. He’s too violent, even for your school. You can’t control a kid like that. You don’t know what he’s done.”

“I know he’s attacked his classmates, and he skips out on classes.” Blazing squinted. “And why would a Royal Guard even care about that?”

Said Guard gulped. “Because if you get that kid in your class, you’re gonna get a lot of injuries. I’m telling you, let him go. It’s better that way. You don’t know what else he’s done. Everyone else agrees, I’m just here to warn you: he’s not worth the risk. No kid is worth that kind of risk. If you don’t wanna listen, that’s fine, but it’s on you, then. That kid is dangerous.” He turned and walked away.

“Risk, huh? Please. What did he do, rip a guy’s head off?” Blazing asked as the guy’s back was turned.

That remark made the Guard’s jaw lock. “Well, now that you mention it...”

Blazing didn’t hear. A Feather Cloak must be focused on the battle, after all.

---

Whimper was down. She’d done it. Her arms trembled, both from the muscle tension she’d forced through them and from the magic she’d injected, something pulsed in her head, and she was pretty sure her heart wasn’t beating normally. But that was to be expected, after pushing her body past its limits like that.

She turned her back on his prone form and walked away to let the medic ponies take care of him. “Geez… he almost got me.”

“Behind you!”

By the time Master Blazing’s cry reached her ears, the cold stabbing pain in her back registered. It felt like a sting, only with a very large and very cold stinger behind it. She felt herself be pushed forward and hit the ground face-first.

When she got up, Whimper was up again, like nothing had happened.

“Ow!” she cried out, rubbing over her itching back. It wasn’t a hard blow, probably wouldn’t even bruise, but she still didn’t appreciate it. “What was that? Don’t you have any honour?”

“Don’t you?” Whimper asked. “You train in ninja martial arts. So do I. Honour only matters when you live.”

She got back on her hooves, shakily. “Wait… how are you still standing?”

“You like to call out your attacks, don’t you?”

“Wha…”

“Seven Deadly Blows? That’s a Mercurial Hoof thing, right? I know that trick, too. It’s pretty neat. But it’s only a warm-up.”

Silver Spoon felt the blood drain from her face. “But… but you should be in agony right now. I hit your internal organs; you can’t train to protect those.”

Whimper let his head hang and laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

When he looked up again, that smile of his had turned downright creepy. “You read too much Neighruto.”

“I don’t understand.”

Whimper rose up on his hind hooves and took a deep stance. Shadow Stance; one arm up, one down and behind his back, leaving a hoof at tail height.

“Didn’t your master tell you? I’m a hard case. I like looking into the weirder martial arts. And in the one I practise, learning to protect your internal organs is the first thing you learn.”

“No way.”

“Yes, sorry. Most ponies don’t bother with it, but it’s fun for me. And no one taught me. I learned on my own, and I’m here to measure up. So far, I think I’m doing pretty well. What do you think?” He tensed his arms, making the veins under his fur throb. Silver Spoon could almost see the ghostly form of arm blades sticking out of his bracers.

He was flexing. He was trying to intimidate her.

“I think you’re bluffing.”

“Only one way to find out.”

---

Diamond Tiara was aghast when Whimper got back up. “How did he take that?”

“Take what?” Live Wire asked.

“Silver Spoon hit him dead-on! He should be out cold.”

“You really don’t know much about martial arts, do you?”

---

Whimper dropped his guard to let his arms fall to his sides and took a deep breath.

Silver shivered. This is bad. My combo didn’t work. Why didn’t it work? What kind of pony is this?

A slight pang of familiarity rang through her brain then.

That stance… that’s not a regular ninja stance, not with his arms bent like that.

“Eagle Talon Style: Sinking Island Strikes.”

He closed the gap in the blink of an eye and punched into her lower belly, before turning the motion into an uppercut slice that ran up the surface of her torso, then pushed her chin up and back so she couldn’t see.

How? How did he counter that attack?

Stumbling back, she barely saw him go back into his scissoring pose and open up, pressing into her neck and cutting down at her chest fur with the edges of his hooves. He made a full circle and brought down his arms on her shoulders, forcing her down and making something crack in her arms.

Lastly, Whimper put the edges of his hooves together. He swooped up, smacking her on the nose, then down on the right side of her neck, like a sword cut.

Silence fell.

Whimper backed up, Silver stumbled upright. “Tch… di… T-that’s it?”

“Do you want to surrender now?”

She was in agony. Every nerve ending in her body screamed at her to make it stop. “No. What kind of fighting is that, anyway? Why aren’t you out cold?”

“Umm, maybe you didn’t hear: my style of fighting is called Eagle Talon, it’s usually with blades sticking out of these things here, adds a nice weight to the workout. And I’m not out cold because you didn’t really hit me that hard.”

“Liar. Eagle Talon’s just a physical style, it doesn’t have any internal jutsu. You don’t have any internal jutsu; you can’t if you don’t have a master. You’re cheating somehow. There’s no way a pony like you can take the Seven Deadly Blows. That’s why they’re called deadly.”

Whimper pouted, then tilted his head again like a curious puppy would. “If the Seven Deadly Blows are so deadly, why do you need seven of them?”

Silver Spoon’s cheeks reddened with rage. “I don’t have to take that from you. I’m the top rookie in the Feather Cloak School, my daddy is Silver Bullet.”

Whimper smiled for the briefest moment. “Oh, I know. Where is he?”

“What?”

“Where is your dad? Is he here to watch you? I mean, this is a Warrior Meet, right? Showing off those fancy moves? Pretty big day. My parents aren’t that much into fighting, but I’m sure a Royal Guard would want to see this sort of thing. So, which one of the Guards is he?”

She growled. “None of them. He’s not here.”

“I’m sorry.”

His words hurt almost as much as his combo did. “I don’t have to take that from you.”

“You said that already. Is your dad the one who taught you how to react to an attack? Or the threat of one?”

Silver Spoon felt herself backing up, in a reflex. “Yes.”

“It takes a special kind of sensitivity to get that. I’m sure that’s why you’re so good at Mercurial Hoof, too, huh?”

“Did Scootaloo tell you that?”

He shook his head. “She didn’t need to. I know Silver Bullet, I’ve heard of him. Come to think of it, he might know me. And I know the techniques. I know what the Royal Guard can do. I know what to expect from you.”

“That doesn’t make a difference. I’m still way better than you.”

“What do you mean?”

“What?”

“Do you mean you’re a better pony than me, do you mean you’re more important, or do you mean you’re a better fighter?”

Silver Spoon shook her head to clear it. “Stop trying to get in my head. You don’t know whom you’re dealing with.”

“No. But I can take a guess. And I’m pretty sure your master didn’t tell you anything about me, aside from maybe my lung problem. Besides that, as strong as you are, your energy skills are coarse, umm, diluted. So I still have the advantage.” He took a deep breath and folded his front hooves, before pressing them together. If he’d been wearing his blades, they’d have locked. “But it’s okay. Your friends couldn’t figure me out, but I’m sure you could, with your background. Do you know what this is? You should. It’s what your master would be teaching, if he knew anything besides the warm-up.”

Of course. Those attacks, he always stopped in specific stances. Arms out, arms up, arms folded, arms wide… I know this.

Extending her senses, she felt his energies swirl and condense inside of him.

He wasn’t just packing muscle under his skin; he was packing magic.

That’s why her attack didn’t work; his internal organs were already coated. He was armoured inside and out, he didn’t have to flush out her magic. Only now did the bit drop in Silver Spoon’s mind. “That’s no normal martial art. That was an Iron Saddle form? You know Iron Saddle?!” She called out loud enough for the crowds to hear.

---

“What’s Iron Saddle?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“It’s a conditioning technique, or a whole bunch, actually, usually reserved for Wonderbolts and stunt ponies,” Live Wire explained. “There are two basic ways to use energy and intent in combat: healing and harming. Both require technical skill in projection and a mastery of your emotions. But then there’s the middle ground, used for training: packing.”

Diamond raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”

“Using a regimen of, err, unorthodox training methods, an Iron Saddle user compacts their energy in their body. The result is different kinds of hardness in the body. Silver Skin, what the Feather Cloaks can do, is one of the techniques,” Live Wire explained. “They only know the two basic skills. The actual Iron Saddle positions are the advanced form of that.”

“But I know that August guy. He never used any other techniques like that,” Diamond said.

“He wouldn’t. Like I said, projection requires a technical skill, too, and packing’s no different. Packing energy requires a strength most ponies don’t have: static strength. You have to be able to stand perfectly still and breathe into your body.”

Fleur nodded. “Iron Saddle made its way into several different schools, but most of them only studied it as a curiosity: blood washing, marrow cleaning, that sort of thing. The techniques themselves are legion, and the intended uses just as diverse. The ones related to hardening muscles are Chineighse in origin, and are usually summarised to eighteen postures: nine sitting, nine standing: Pan’Do Palm and Pan’Do Fist. Well, technically it’s over twenty, I suppose, but there are eighteen that are specific to that discipline, each focusing on different muscle groups. Most of them don’t have much of a combat application, and their effects tend to come naturally for advanced warriors anyway, so, like I was explaining earlier, most martial artists don’t bother with them. Most don’t even believe it works; they think the hardness in the body is a side effect, not something you can train. Regardless, with it coming naturally, there’s no point in even trying to develop it, for most. For him, though…”

“So it’s just that? Postures?” Cheerilee asked. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Iron Saddle is purely postures, yes,” Fleur replied. “If that. It’s an internal technique, advanced meditation and breathing. It’s closer to yoga and tai chi than anything else.”

“What about attacks?” Cheerilee asked. “Is he going to strike her again? With… Iron Saddle?”

Fleur shook her head. “Oh, no, no. The Nine Stances of the Pan’Do Fist is purely a conditioning technique, not a martial art. That kata he performed just now was an Eagle Talon form, it has nothing at all to do with his skill in Iron Saddle,” Fleur lied. “But of course, it can be used in combat with a few alterations. That’s why he likes his arm blades: it lets him get used to using the length of his arms as a weapon, rather than just the striking points. It’s easier to incorporate Iron Saddle into a style like that. Look closely now, you’ll not easily find another pony who fights like this. It’s not something most ponies even believe in, and the ones that do, don’t use it for martial arts.”

Then again, he does have that... other technique in his inventory to combine it with.

---

Okay, Silver Spoon, think, think. If he’s using Iron Saddle, and his only physical moves are Eagle Talon, that probably means he doesn’t have any fancy moves; he wouldn’t have had time to learn. That’s why he didn’t do anything special with Starfall and August. All he’s got is regular strikes, and he’s used to arm blades, so expect him to swipe and stab.

So what kind of fighter is this? He’s not a regular ninja, or you’d know. The Pan’Do Fist is too generic to tell anything. But Eagle Talon, that narrows it down. Which school did he study? What book did he read?

She concentrated, and she practically saw the uniforms of the ninja schools overlap on him as she went over the options.

Black Calves of the Smoky Mountains? No, he’d be headbutting more. Wave Walkers of Tengu Lake? His head’s moving too much for that. What did he call that combo? Island Sinking? There’s no ninja school that sunk islands. Unless...

It finally clicked when she remembered that scissor pose of his.

Island Turtles. He targets all the points that aren’t covered by turtle shell armour. That’s what he is, that’s what he studied: the turtle killer style of ninja. That’s what this kid is.

A Shredder. He’s an armour-shredding ninja. An anti-tank tank, trained to weaken high-value targets so others can attack freely. An assassin that looks like a common grunt, right until they rip through the back lines.

“So you’re a Shredder, huh?”

Whimper went quiet for a good five seconds, before he smiled at her. It wasn’t even a mocking smile, or a cocky one. It was warm, welcoming, even thankful. “You really are good. Not a lot of ponies know about that.”

“I’m not like normal ponies. You must have read about those from Grandmaster Ash’s book.”

“I did. I like a lot of the ninja stories, but Shredders… they just appealed to me more, you know?”

“No, I don’t. What’s so special about them?”

“Can’t you guess?”

She grumbled. She should have known. “Shredders never run. They walk through the battlefield, out of sight.”

“Exactly. I liked that idea. Plus, I wanted to learn about pressure points anyway. So I read up on that style, copied what I could. Now, here I am. I guess now you know what to watch out for, too, huh?”

Silver Spoon nodded.

The Shredders didn’t act like regular ninja. They acted more like the Feather Cloak style; intimidation before stealth. Two things to watch for against one of those: the blow that breaks the armour and the blow that bypasses it. His scissor move would rip through armour in a big fight, but then there’s the soft spots he can target, weaknesses in armour.

Lower ribs, neck, under the arms, inner thighs. If I can block those off, he can’t do any real damage to me.

“Yup. The Iron Saddle thing is a nice decoy, actually. You almost had me worried. But I know what style you’re using now. I know what moves to expect. You can’t surprise me anymore.”

The tiniest of shy smirks appeared on his face. “Okay. If you’ve figured out what to do, do it.”

She looked at his belly then. His taut, muscular belly, swelling and compressing slowly. For some odd reason, despite the pain washing over her body, it relaxed her.

No wonder Scootaloo likes him.

Ugh! Get your head together, Silver Spoon! You can’t beat him in a long fight. Shredders are trained to take attackers head-on, split up crowds, stop rushes. His muscles aren’t gonna tire before yours, and he’s messing with your head. And even if he’s not wearing armour, you can’t break through his defences, not after the last tries.

Whimper tilted his head. “Well?”

Silver Spoon growled. A traditional Shredder would be wearing armour, with hidden knives at the ready to complement the arm blades. As brutal as their style was, it was still a tanky style, one that lacked pure speed. Theirs was a slower, more calculated way of fighting: they favoured situations where the pressure came towards them, to cut through enemy lines and stop advances. They didn’t rush forward or dash headlong into combat; they marched with the rest of the army until they could blend into the chaos and either find their mark or wade through the back lines with carnage in their wake. The best way to deal with one, aside from getting a Shredder of your own, was to immobilise them from all sides, find the chink in their armour.

There’s only one way to finish it quick: do a feint, get behind him, choke him.

He couldn’t block my last attack. I can still get the drop on him when I move at Deadly Blows speed.

Her joints creaked at the very thought. Her body wouldn’t take much more punishment like that, especially after the beating Whimper had given it.

I can’t lose.

As soon as she thought of it, she moved.

She feinted left.

Whimper didn’t react.

“Huh?” Regardless, she went into superspeed again and blurred her movements to go right and get behind him.

Swish.

With a quick tug, she got out a hidden piece of string from her mane and wrapped it tightly around his neck. She planted a hind hoof on his back, and pulled.

He pulled back, fighting her grip.

“Grrr… w-what? How did you-”

Whimper’s tail was up, caught in between the string and his neck. He’d managed to block her attack, and he pulled on his tail to relieve the pressure. But he didn’t pull hard enough to stop it.

He saw it coming. Could he have blocked me from doing this?

What is this kid?

“That was a dirty move, Silver Spoon. I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

Silver Spoon growled as she pulled the string tighter around his neck. “Come on, just a little more… you can’t keep this up forever, Whimper. Even you can’t do this; there’s no way your triceps can hold up against my legs.”

Whimper laughed, heartily and sincerely, even with the pressure mounting. His breath was coming in more raggedly now.

Silver Spoon rubbed the string side to side to get the tail hairs to flatten, increase the pressure. “What’s so funny?”

He coughed. “Nothing. It’s just something my counsellor used to say.”

“Huh?”

“A while back, before I bulked up, I had to see a counsellor, or a therapist, depends on how you look at it. He taught me how to relax, how to make clear pictures in my head. It’s helped me a lot with all this other stuff. It’s funny, because I’m really good at it. So good, he said that, if I’d been born a little different, I’d have gotten into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. That’s why I have such a weird cutie mark.”

Silver Spoon had wondered about that. His cutie mark was some kind of blend between a whirlpool and an ancient magic symbol, but she couldn’t place it. It was three ink swirls orbiting a black circle, probably some kind of symbol of introspection or some such, or a makeshift ninja star. Her daddy would know what it meant.

“Then, when I started trying to get stronger and buff, well, you can imagine what the Earth ponies had to say about that.” His voice croaked as he spoke.

“Don’t try to stall me. That fancy Iron Saddle conditioning works with your breath. Shredders can’t block a choke. Rope jutsu are your weakness.”

“You know my style well.”

“I learned from the best,” Silver boasted. “I’ve got you dead to rights. If you can’t breathe properly, you can’t focus. You can harden your body as much as you want, but eventually you’re gonna fall.”

“Then I guess I shouldn’t try just elbowing you in the gut, huh?” He tried to gulp, but the pressure on his neck cut him off. “If you get flung back and don’t let go, that would hurt my throat even more. And a real choke would have thinner cord, or a sharper one, so I’ll pretend I can’t risk it at all.”

“Give up.”

“No. I wanna keep going. I want to show you, and your master.”

“There’s nothing more to show. Your Eagle Talon doesn’t have blocks against chokes, and even with your Iron Saddle on the side, Iron Saddle doesn’t have any attacks. I’ve read all the books on it, I know it doesn’t.”

“For most fighters, no, since Iron Saddle is only a conditioning technique. Nine seats, nine stances, nine muscle groups. Usually. But you only know the stuff martial artists wrote down. Training your internal organs, liver, lungs, kidneys, I didn’t get any of that from a martial arts book.”

“What?”

“I got it from an exercise book, actually. Conditioning for Stunt Ponies, by Hurricane Hue. Kind of a bigshot in Canterlot theatre, but only in the stuntpony crowd. You wouldn’t know him.”

Her arms shook with tension and rage. He was getting on her nerves with his incessant expositioning, and to make it worse, she couldn’t tell if he was doing it on purpose or if he was just this annoying by default. “Stop stalling. You’re done. You don’t have a counter to this and you know it.” She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip.

“Yes, I do. I’m trying to tell you: you’re forgetting one other technique. A very important technique for stunt ponies, but not one everypony uses. It’s a stance, a defence, and if you haven’t noticed it yet, you’re gonna want to let go really soon. I’m surprised you fell for it, honestly. But I guess your daddy wouldn’t have told you. I’m sure you’ve seen it, though.”

Silver Spoon’s blood boiled. He really did know who her father was. “What are you talking about?” She squeezed the boy’s neck again. He pulled right back, using his tail to fight her grip. As much as he wanted to stop herself, she went over the list of Iron Saddle techniques she knew he could use, but none of them would help here. Brass Belly? Treetrunk Thighs? Axe Arms? Bear Traps? Lead Chest?

“I’m smiling because you forgot. I’m smiling because this is the first time it’s come up. You get to be the first pony I try this on. I hope it doesn’t hurt too much. Do you like the Wonderbolts? Ever see one of their shows?”

Silver Spoon felt a bead of cold sweat roll down her back, right as she felt the pressure mounting on her belly. That moment of trepidation, when she realised her mistake, she realised she was about to die. “Oh no.”

“I wasn’t born an Earth pony, or a unicorn. But I wasn’t born wrong, either. I was born a pegasus. And you forgot about Iron Saddle’s tenth seat and stance.”

Silver Spoon braced herself, but the feeling of metal digging into her flesh was too much for the girl.

Her life flashed before her eyes in the mere seconds he took to announce her demise.

“Pan’Do Fist, Stance Ten: Steel Wings!”

SHING! With a mighty flap, his wings spread back, and his attacker let go.

Silver Spoon barely had time to register the pain all over the front of her body.

Cut me. He actually went and cut me. He would have torn open my chest if it hadn’t been for my Silver Skin.

She got a rough encounter with the hard stone of the arena, back first. While she rubbed her chest to check for any bleeding, Whimper turned and rose to his hind hooves slowly, calmly, rubbing his neck.

His taut belly swelled and shrunk as he breathed in deep and discarded that ninja string. He raised his front hooves up to chest height, elbows hanging limply.

“Guess you want to play rough now? Okay, now we’re both roughed up.”

---

“Oh, now she’s done it,” Live Wire said.

“Done what?” Rarity asked.

“She tried to choke him. Never, ever, try to choke him.”

“I think he’s done playing around now,” Fleur said. “Pay close attention to this, Rarity, this next trick is a great conversation piece.”

“What trick?” Moongazer asked. “What did you teach him?”

“I keep telling you, I don’t teach that boy anything. He learns on his own. And to answer your earlier question, Cheerilee: Iron Saddle itself does not have any substantial attacks, no moving katas. What it does, the actual practice, is bring power and tension into different groups of muscles and organs, sequentially. That, along with the difficulties in replicating results, is why most ponies don’t bother. Power like that is an adjunct to practice, but ponies like Whimper make it into a practice itself. His motions, he got from a book. He has no teacher. So you should realise, what he’s about to do… he didn’t learn from me.”

---

Apple Bloom tensed when she saw Silver Spoon be forced to let go. “Did he just… did he just try to cut her open?”

“I don’t think he would’ve gone very deep,” Scootaloo replied. “It’s just a scratch. Scary, though.” She shuddered.

“Has he done that to you?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No. But things get out of hoof with him pretty easily. That’s part of why I didn’t bring him over. I wanted you to like him.”

“Like him?! He’s every bit as bad as Silver Spoon, he might even be worse.”

“Not worse; stronger,” Rumble replied. “He’s got her now. Silver Spoon’s burned out, so he can pretty much beat her down if he wants.”

“And how would that be different from what he’s been doing?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Just watch. He’s the one who taught me how to do contact magic. He can do a lot scarier than me.”

“Scarier, how?”

Rumble lowered his voice to a whisper. “You can’t fight him as long as he’s touching you.”

“Huh? So he’s got another Death Touch?”

“That, too. But he’s got another ace up his sleeve. Something even the Feather Cloaks don’t know about.”

---

Silver Spoon felt something cold and heavy land on her left shoulder. It was his arm.

“What are you doing?”

“Showing off my technique. You’re spent. You’ll be slow enough to demonstrate it now. Starfall went too fast for that.”

“I am not spent!” She swung a punch at him, despite the pain in her muscles.

A harsh nudge threw her back before her arm moved an inch.

“Huh?” She slapped his arm off her, he replaced it on the other side.

She tried to kick him, he kicked her before her hoof left the ground. She jabbed him, he slapped her arm away before she could take aim. She tried to step back, he’d already taken a step forward. And all the while, he kept touching her.

He wasn’t grappling her, or pushing her, just touching her, always touching her.

“You’re not going to give up, are you?” he asked.

“Never. I am a strong disciple of the Feather Cloaks,” she managed to say. “I’ll never surrender to a runt like you.”

“Isn’t that kind of the problem?”

“What?”

---

Blazing Trail grumbled as he studied Whimper’s motions. Always that little extra tug, bending along to follow the arm of the opponent while it was retreating, always that gentle touch on her shoulder, or keeping his hind hoof touching hers. He was sticking to her, reading her even as he jabbed so mercilessly into her flesh.

So that’s how he beat Starfall. That’s what she was trying to say. “No question now. Silver Spoon! Don’t let him maintain contact!”

“What?!” Silver Spoon called out.

“He’s using Blind Bullfrog Technique! He can read your moves as long as he’s touching you!”

---

“What’s Blind Bullfrog?” Silver Spoon asked.

“You don’t know about this technique?”

“No.”

“I’ll show you, then.” With that, he delivered a gentle nudge to her shoulders, jabbing an icy cold into her arms. “You were saying something about Eagle Talon being too simple? This is one of the higher level techniques of the armed style, a secret anti-ninja ninja technique that takes a special kind of training to master. Think of it as the long-lost secret of the Shredders. It’s kind of like your Death Touch, or a Healing Touch. Only, you know, not. I’ve never measured it against anypony outside of a sparring match. I wonder how well it works on you.”

Silver Spoon’s lungs ached, and trying to move her right arm made her left leg twitch. Her body was being overloaded, poisoned somehow. But worst of all was the boy’s touch. Every instinct she had screamed at her to get away, get him to stop touching her, but nothing she did helped.

She tried to turn, he’d already stepped forward to block it. She tried to kick him in the belly again, his off hoof was already down to push it aside.

And through it all, he kept one hoof on her. On her shoulder, on her chest, on her head, she couldn’t shake him. He was everywhere.

“Stop… touching me.”

“Make me.”

“Slow down and I will.”

“I am slowing down, this is just to show off. You know you can’t predict my moves. But I can, umm, how do they say it, read you like an open book.”

“Don’t talk to me like that. I’m stronger than you, and faster.”

“Okay. Prove it.”

“Rrrhaaaa!” She flailed her arms out and shoved him back. Whether he was genuinely caught off guard or if he’d let her get some distance, she didn’t know, and she didn’t care. She was just glad to be away from him.

Now all she had to do was punch him until he was unconscious. And she had to do it without passing out. And somehow getting through his Iron Saddle defences. Without taking a hit in the process. At least the cold creeping up on her numbed some of the pain.

I am an alpha pony. I can do anything.

Whimper blinked and nodded. “Wow. That was pretty impressive.”

“Told you I was the best.”

“Top rookie, I know. And your dad is Silver Bullet. You’ve been going on about that for a while now. I mean, I don’t mean to disrespect you, but I’d be careful with the bragging, especially now that you’re worn out. Ponies usually want you to prove stuff like that.”

She groaned and winced. “So what? You think you can just waltz in here and hijack my big day? You think you can do what Scootaloo did to me?”

He shook his head and smiled. “No. If I really wanted to, I could have finished it a while ago. I’m just trying to do you a favour. Like your Master is trying to do me a favour.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, for one thing, I know how you feel. I used to be like you: torn up.”

“I am not torn up.”

“Sure you are,” he explained. “On one hoof, you want everyone to acknowledge you, to tell you how great you are. That’s the part that’s trying to fight. That’s the part that won’t give up. But on the other, there’s the part that’s scared and lonely. The part that just wants to curl up somewhere warm and hide with a friend. The part that doesn’t want ponies to think you’re a monster, but to pity you. That’s the part you’re trying to bury. But you can’t. No matter how you look at it, you’re trying to fight a part of yourself.”

“You really are full of it. I guess that’s where Rumble got it.”

“Am I?”

Silver Spoon growled and wiped her eyes, but not for any tears. “Come on. I broke your technique once. I won’t fall for it again.”

“Are you sure? You’ve tried to go through four adrenalin rushes now.”

Four? It was only three. Wasn’t it?

She panted and coughed. “Of course I’m sure. Do you have any idea who I am? I’m the youngest pony to ever take the Spear Test. Do you even know what that means?”

“Uhuh. It means you’re really fast. But even that, I still wouldn’t brag about.”

“Why not?”

He fell silent. His gaze hardened. “Do you know who I am?”

“You’re Scootaloo’s friend from Flight Camp, so what?”

With a face that was somewhere in between a cocky smirk and a nervous smile, he reached in between his left arm guard and his cannon. Once he got what he wanted, he pulled it up for all to see.

An alicorn patch, one of a black figure with a white moon cutie mark and a white one with a black moon mark circling around each other. Thread by thread, a woven proof of mastery.

The filly staggered back at the sight of it. “No way. That’s a fake.”

“It’s not.”

Silver Spoon shivered. Her resolve, hardened and burning, had sunk into the tips of her hooves. “Wha… who are you?”

Whimper shrugged. “I’m the youngest pony to ever pass the Spear Test.”

---

Ash grumbled at Princess Luna. “You went behind my back.”

“He had the aptitude for it, Ash. And his condition was worsening by the day. I had no choice. And it did fix his acute problems.”

“Did you at least use the modern standards this time?”

“What modern standards?”

Ash groaned and pressed a hoof to his forehead. “Oh, for the love of… we don’t use live blades for the Spear Test anymore, Your Highness! We haven’t done so in fifty years.”

“Huh. Well, today is proving very educational. I approve.”

---

“It’s over, Silver Spoon. You’re finished. You can surrender now, there’s no shame in it.” Whimper put his patch away.

She trembled with rage. “You… you took away my big day. The one time I could beat those blank flanks at something, and you took it away.”

“Is... that a ‘no’ on the surrendering?”

She screamed and galloped for him, only to freeze in mid-punch.

“G-guh...”

She collapsed into a coughing fit, tears flowing down her face. The pain that had been numbed by the cold magic came back with a vengeance, and circled around her lungs.

She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs were on fire, blackness crept into the edges of her vision. The air she so desperately needed was right there in front of her, but no matter how hard she tried to gulp for it, it wouldn’t pass through. She could feel claws digging into the soft flesh behind her ribcage, squeezing to cut off her futile attempts at breathing. “What did you do to me?”

“What you tried to do to me: I hit a nerve point. One attached to the lungs. It wasn’t a surface blow, either, so… sorry.”

“B-but the point for the lungs is...”

“On the back. Pretty small, too. There are three, actually, so I could take my pick.” He tilted his head and gave her a gentle nudge to put her on her back. “You might say I have some experience with those targets. An attack through the skin’s surface would have been too obvious. Starfall didn’t even notice hers bouncing off me. You Feather Cloaks are all about the big targets, attacking or defending. You’d have looked out for that kind of crude attack. But a precision strike? One on a tiny pressure point? You didn’t even feel it with all that adrenalin rushing through you.”

It dawned on her. When I hit him with the Seven Deadly Blows. He got me in the back. That’s where those points are. “But… all that time...”

As if on cue, she heard a cracking from where the judges were sitting. The middle block finally crumbled.

H-he… he cracked the middle stone. That’s an armour-piercing blow. That’s second or third level in his style. If he hits me in the chest with that, he could strike my heart, he could…

He could have killed me.

He could have killed me even if I’d worn armour.

She realised why he’d asked her about the Seven Deadly Blows then.

Why would he be interested in the Seven Deadly Blows? He only needed one.

Whimper gestured to the cracking stone. “Pretty cool, huh? It’s a delayed Death Touch. Gives you some time to talk, to let the opponent surrender. And if they refuse, or if they turn on you after you think they’ve given up, well… at least they can’t go after anyone else.”

Silver Spoon shuddered. The pain in her lungs, those claws that weren’t there, tightened like a vice.

He planned this. He knew I was going to try this.

He could have blocked that attack.

He’s got a lung problem, he can’t dash behind me to hit me, he had to wait for me to turn my back on him.

He knew.

He knew everything I was going to do.

He smiled at her. “Don’t worry; it’s not permanent. I know how much this hurts, you don’t deserve that kind of pain for life. But it’ll last for a while, longer than this fight will. You’ve lost now. Do you want to give up?”

“Never.”

“I thought you might say that. Go on, then.”

“What?”

Whimper took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes, thinking out loud. “Your master keeps saying any pain, any damage you’ve suffered, is something you can get past if you just will it hard enough. That’s what he said I should do to get over my weakness. You still think you can beat me. Your master says your weakness can be overcome. So I want to see you do it.”

“You’re just making fun of me.”

“Yes. I’m making fun of you,” he said matter-of-factly. “Pretend I’m making fun of you, if you think that’ll help. I want to know if he’s right.”

She bit through the pain and got up while he backed away to give her space, then she swung straight at his chin with all her might.

---

Apple Bloom winced. “What is she doing? I thought she was down for the count?”

“Feather Cloaks are all about adrenalin,” Rumble explained. “She’s got one last rush left. After that…”

“Geez. It’s like she’s dying or something.”

“No,” Scootaloo said. “She’s not dying. There wouldn’t be any point.”

---

Whimper dodged the punch effortlessly, giving her a rough clap on the chest. She still flung that same arm at him with the last ounce of strength she had left. He swatted it away so she’d fall like a ragdoll.

He leaned over her as she wheezed, desperate for air and power. Still, he had that damnable smile on his face. “Had enough?”

Silver Spoon panted, her whole body burning with pain. That last rush had destroyed what little strength she had left. The itch on her back was driving her mad, her right arm, her striking arm, felt like it was broken, her legs were deflated somehow. And that agony in her chest wouldn’t relent.

The reality of it finally sunk in.

I can’t beat him. He’s stronger than me.

There’s nothing I can do.

I lost.

He’s gonna hurt me, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

She couldn’t even cringe when the boy leaned in close to whisper in her ear. “Do you surrender now?”

She tried to croak out a response, but nothing came out. Her throat had locked up, too.

I can’t give up. I can’t surrender. He’s just gonna choke me, to get even for Rumble.

To get even for Scootaloo.

What have I done?

He’s gonna go after Diamond Tiara next.

I won’t be able to stop him.

I’m so sorry, Diamond Tiara.

I tried.

“She gives up.”

What?

“She gave up, everyone,” Whimper said to the crowds. “She just told me.”

Ash shrugged. “Victory to Doldrum Whimper, then. Master Blazing, any other contestants you’d want to throw at him? Any remarks or observations regarding his performance?”

“No,” came the reply. “No, I think I will turn over the matter of judgement to the Association, Master Ash.”

Ash snorted. Sure. Make somepony else responsible for him. After that, can’t say I blame you.

Silver Spoon felt something lift her up. Something cold, that warmed up as it moved her around.

“You did really well, you know. Your techniques are amazing, and you know a lot, too.”

“W-wuhre...” she stammered as she felt her body be moved. The warmth flowed into her throat and let her voice return, slowly.

“I’m giving you what you wanted,” he whispered as he carried her. “This is your big day, remember?”

The warm thing underneath her gave way, and her body slid unto a soft thing instead.

“There. Now you can relax, and enjoy the attention,” he whispered again, before backing away.

Fluttershy needed no further cue to get to work. “Oh my gosh, what did he do to you? Umm, does this hurt?” She picked up the girl’s right arm and stretched it.

“Ow!” She yelped. “H-haa...”

Fluttershy put an ear to the girl’s chest. “Looks like he got your lungs pretty hard. Oh, you two… you’re injured too, little boy.”

“Whimper, Miss. My name is Whimper,” he rasped, rubbing his sore throat. “I’m fine, I think. I’ve been choked before. I don’t suppose you have a eucalyptus drop?”

“Here,” Fluttershy gave him something to suck. “Is that better?”

He smiled and nodded, before clearing his throat. “Lots. Thank you.”

Silver Spoon stared at him. How was he so calm about all this? Why wasn’t he angry?

Whimper noticed the eyes on him. His ears twitched, and Silver Spoon averted her eyes, clenching them shut to hide the pain of getting balmed and bandaged up in front of everypony.

Whimper turned around to face the other pairs of eyes on him. Rumble, on the makeshift hospital bed next to Silver’s, didn’t look at him; he was too busy wincing in sympathy at the treatment Silver was getting.

Scootaloo and her friends, however, had their eyes firmly on the muscled pegasus colt.

It had finally happened: he’d made a first impression on Scootaloo’s friends.

Not exactly how he’d pictured it in his head.

“Umm… hi?”

Author's Notes:

Trying to find a good name for Whimper's gimmick was hard. At one point, it was going to be the X-Blade style, after the Man With the Iron Fists thing. But Shredder made more sense. Island turtles are a thing in mythology, they'd fit as a symbol for taking down bigger, stronger opponents. Also, the reference to 'The Book That Made a Winner out of Whimper?' Yeah, that was intentional from the start. I'd settled on Hurricane Hue's name, and his profession, at that point already. Hadn't planned on bringing it up here, but still...

Iron Saddle is, obviously, inspired by Iron Shirt, which is Chinese. It has shown up as a gimmick in places, sort of, Brass Body from The Man With the Iron Fists had something similar, but his actual fighting style didn't match. Man of Tai Chi, however, does show at least one opponent dedicated to the practice. It's the one who starts off with thanking the mirror for the opportunity for this fight. On that note, the way it's beaten is exactly what Silver Spoon's original plan is: the muscles and body are hard, but the tendons are still a valid target. There are ways to beat it, but you'd have to know what they are.

One of the major issues coming out of Flight Camp was how to make Whimper feel more balanced, and less overpowered. That's why the martial arts theme was an obvious choice here: give him more characters to compare to, make his 'special'-ness fit in with that of the others.

As for Blind Bullfrog? It's 'Blind' because it's inspired by 'amma', which is a Japanese (I think) male masseur who is blind. Zatoichi, an iconic blind swordsman, is the best known example. It's 'Bullfrog' because frogs stick to surfaces. The net result is, as I promised, a variant of Sharingan that doesn't feel too out of place in pony canon.

One thing I always hated about Neji Hyuuga: if he wasn't talking too much about samurai things (instead of ninja things), then he was comitting to overkill. His uncle killed a 'kage with one shot to the heart. Your entire martial art is essentially the Death Touch. Why in the Nine Spheres of Dante would you need more than fifty shots at someone? At that point, you're better off just pulling a knife on them! And even if you do need that many, why the bales is that the case when there is no conditioning technique to defend against it? There's an actual martial discipline in real life that's supposed to counter it, for crying out loud!

And finally... there were so many badass lines I wanted to give Whimper. I really got tempted to make him cocky. But that's not his character. He loses his temper for a little bit, and he gets cruel with Silver at times, but he's not a jock and he's not a jerk. So I had to get a little creative there. I hope it worked.

Yeah, that one line was inspired by Corran Horn's quip against whatshisface fighting for Ithor. You know the one. Couldn't resist.

Masters In Accord! Our Judgement Is...

Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “Err, girls, this is Doldrum Whimper, my friend from Flight Camp. Doldrum Whimper, this is Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, that’s Spike on the bed back there, and… well, you’ve already met Silver Spoon, I guess.”

Whimper’s ears fell flat against his head. His whole body tensed, his head lowering and his right arm going up just a tad in a reflex, as if to prepare his defenses. “Umm, yes. Nice to meet you, girls. Scootaloo’s told me all about you.”

“Uhuh,” Apple Bloom replied. “She told us a lot about you, too.”

“Really?”

“She forgot to mention you could do that to a pony, though,” Apple Bloom pointed to Silver Spoon, who was about halfway done with the check-up from Fluttershy. The look on the girl’s face was not pretty.

His whole body shrunk in a nervous cringe at that. “Umm, right, I guess she wouldn’t. I don’t usually do that, though. Fighting, I mean, not for real, not to hurt anypony. Most of the time I just practise. You know, meditating, shadow boxing.”

Scootaloo looked left, then right, and noticed she was standing in the middle of her friends. She sighed. “I guess I should explain. I didn’t bring him over because-”

“You were afraid we’d be scared of him. Or we’d say something wrong and hurt his feelings. Or he’d snap,” Apple Bloom interrupted. “Right?”

Scootaloo nodded in resignation. “Right. That, too.”

“That was quite a show you put on there, little boy. Well, ‘little’...”

Whimper looked up at the cherise mare who was approaching him. “Thank you, Miss.” Then he looked behind the mare, and saw the other children. Not one of them looked anything but scared.

Silver Spoon’s ears perked when she noticed.

They were scared of Whimper. They felt sorry for her.

He did that on purpose.

“Is she going to be okay?” Cheerilee asked.

“She’ll be fine,” Whimper said. “I didn’t hit her organs, or tear any muscles.”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

“Sorry.”

Fluttershy shook her head, confused. “Umm, Silver Spoon will be okay, yes. She’s bruised up, and her muscles will be sore for a few days, maybe a week and a half, but she’ll be fine.” She gave the girl another eucalyptus sweet to suck on. “Be careful you don’t swallow this, okay? You wouldn’t want to choke on it.”

“Geez, what did you do to her?” Snips asked, staying safely in the back.

Whimper perked up. “I targeted her joints and some pressure points. That’s what you do in a fight. She agreed to fight me, she showed me her technique, I showed her mine. Mine won.”

“And that’s your friend?” Apple Bloom started. “You were right; he is scary.”

“Hey, leave him alone!”

Scootaloo shook her head. She had the weirdest sense of déjà vu then.

Live Wire came trotting past the class of kids and their teacher. “Why are you all ganging up on him like that?”

“Oh, we’re not. We’re all just a bit curious about him. I mean, look at what he did to Silver Spoon,” Cheerilee argued.

“Look at what she did to Rumble and Sweetie Belle,” Live Wire retorted.

“Ahe-hem.” Ash cleared his throat, loudly. “Is there a problem here, ladies and gentlecolts?”

Cheerilee shivered. “N-no, Master Ash. No problem.”

“Then if you’d be so kind as to move the crowd away from the medical ward? We have other matters to attend to, like deliberation of the results.”

“Of course, sir, I’ll be right out.” Whimper gave Fluttershy a gentle tap on the shoulder. “Umm, could you maybe put some tiger balm on Silver Spoon’s back? I hit a soft spot there, it’s gonna start hurting in a couple of minutes. And she’ll be coughing. A lot.”

“Oh, of course. Are you sure you don’t need any attention? Your throat doesn’t look that good.” She gently pushed his chin up to check the fur. His skin was red underneath. He shivered. Something crawled up Fluttershy’s back and told her to let go of his neck right then and there, or something very unpleasant was going to happen, so she quickly withdrew, if slightly confused. Usually she only got that kind of goosebumps when dealing with injured wolves or bears.

He smiled and nodded, before backing away. “I’ll be around later, thank you. You know, in case anypony changes their mind about challenging me. Wouldn’t want to make you patch me up twice.”

“Okay.” While Fluttershy started tending to Silver Spoon and the rest of the ponies cleared off, Spike waddling behind, Whimper leaned in to whisper.

“Hey, about that fight,” he said.

Silver Spoon smiled meekly. “You don’t have to apologise. You beat me, fair and square. I’m just a loser.”

“No, you’re not. You fought well. Not a lot of ponies can get the drop on me like that.”

“Don’t lie.” She winced when Fluttershy found that tender spot Whimper had mentioned. “You could track every move I made, even at super speed.”

He rolled his eyes. “You could track mine, and adapt, first time you fought me. Not a lot of ponies can do that.”

“Whimper?” Scootaloo called out.

“Be right there,” he replied. “Anyway, what I wanted to ask: when does your dad get home?”

“What?”

“Your dad? Silver Bullet? When’s the next time you see him?”

Her jaw hung slack for a second, before she remembered to answer him. “Tonight. He’s not on a mission right now, just training Royal Guards. Why?”

The blue colt looked left and right, to make sure nopony else was listening. Fluttershy had her back turned to them, restocking on bandages and balm. He kept his voice down, just in case. “When he asks you about your injuries, tell him you fought a kid who was super strong and super fast. Tell him the truth: you got beaten, but you got me, too. And don’t tell him my name right away.”

She shook her head, confused. “Why not?”

He leaned in closer so Fluttershy wouldn’t hear as she went back to work on the girl. “Tell him you landed some really hard shots on me first. Tell him all your killer moves landed, that we were even, tell him you almost had me. Almost. Then tell him my name. But not before. Okay?”

She flinched.

“I promise, it’ll make sense when you do. And you’ll feel a lot better. It’s Doldrum Whimper. He’ll ask where from. Say I was from Bogsdown. Actually, he might know my parents. I’m Summer Breeze’s son, if he asks, Summer Breeze and Passiflora.”

Passiflora. That name rang a bell: that was a dietician, of sorts. That would explain how he got so bulky.

Whimper smiled. “Remember those two names, especially Summer Breeze. My dad’s name should tell him enough, he’ll know who it is. Think you can do that?”

“Okay, but I don’t get it.”

“You will.” With that, he was off. “Don’t worry, you will.”

When Whimper got to Rarity and Fleur, Diamond Tiara had already ducked for cover.

“Well, young sir Whimper, what do you think of the Feather Cloaks now?” Fleur asked.

He looked back at Silver Spoon and rolled his shoulders, groaning. “They’re tough. Really tough. But I still wouldn’t want to be one. I don’t think I can handle their pace for very long.”

“I’d rather you not try any of their moves on me, either,” Live Wire said. “It’s hard enough trying to dodge you as it is.”

“Are you not injured?” Rarity asked. “She was quite harsh on your throat.”

Whimper rubbed his throat and winced, but smiled anyway. “I’m okay, thank you. I can wait for a little while, Silver Spoon needs to be finished first.”

Cheerilee’s left eye twitched. “Excuse me, but I was wondering: what do your teachers have to say about you being so violent?”

“Umm…”

“He’s not violent, Miss Cheerilee, honest!” Scootaloo jumped in between the boys and her teacher. “Look, whatever you heard about him, it’s not true. It’s my fault he got into that fight-”

“Scootaloo,” Whimper interrupted, calmly but forcefully. “You’re doing it again.”

Scootaloo bit her lip. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just let me talk, please?”

She sighed. “Fine.”

Whimper faced the mare and the kids behind her and sat down. “Umm, you were saying?”

“You were expelled from your school, yes?” Cheerilee asked.

“I’m only suspended, Miss. For now. I have been since before the summer. Blacklisted, and, umm, pending administrative punishment? I think that’s what they said.”

“Sounds right to me. Mind if I ask why? I’ve heard some conflicting stories on that.”

“Umm, well, I got in trouble, and I ended up hurting some other kids. I got into a fight. My teachers thought it would be best if I joined a martial arts school, to help me cope with my aggression, make some friends, learn how to handle myself. That’s kind of how things are done back home: you join a team, you win for the team, and the team looks out for you. The team is responsible for you. I wasn’t on any team, and I didn’t want to join any. Something bad happened, and no one was responsible, except me. So I was suspended, until further notice. School started, I wasn’t allowed to come back until they figured out what to do with me. They still haven’t figured out what to do with me. So, umm, you know, I’ve been looking for other schools. My parents have, I mean. Even a few out of Bogsdown.”

Apple Bloom nudged Scootaloo and whispered. “Hang on a rock-pickin’ minute here. You mean to tell me this whole time he was lookin’ to go to school in Ponyville? And you didn’t tell us?”

“Rumble knows more about it than me. I was hoping to surprise you,” Scootaloo replied. “And I was really hoping he’d get in before something like this happened.”

Cheerilee nodded towards Scootaloo. “So why would Scootaloo insist it was her fault, if you’re the one who did the fighting?”

“Because during the incident that got me suspended, the second fight? The kids there, they shoved her first, Miss, not me. I walked away. Scootaloo doesn’t take well to being called names, so she stood up to them. Then they tried to knock her down.” He gulped, and the look in his eyes hardened for just a second. “I do not take well to that.”

“I see. So am I to believe you are suspended simply for standing up for a friend?”

He shrugged. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say that can really change anyone’s mind about it, if that’s what you mean. I can’t make you believe me. Most grownups I’ve talked to don’t. But yes, as far as I can tell, that’s the reason I’m suspended. Well, that and me refusing to join the Feather Cloaks. They’d have been fine with me beating those kids up if I’d joined.”

This did not sit well with Cheerilee. “They what?”

“They said it was either joining them or getting suspended. Those were the rules. That’s why I challenged them today: I wanted to see if they were right, if I’d be stronger with them or on my own. I’m pretty sure I’m stronger on my own, but I guess the other masters will be the judge of that.”

“B-but why…”

The boy smiled innocently. “They must have really thought that the Feather Cloaks could help me with my, umm, issues. Master Blazing thinks he could help, and my coach thought I’d win plenty of trophies that way. My P.E. teacher, Coach Buster, he’s the one who got me in touch with Master Blazing, you might know him.”

Cheerilee nodded. “I’ve spoken to him once or twice, on the inter-school competitions. He has quite the reputation.”

“Well, he’s the one who suggested that as a solution. The Feather Cloaks gave me three lessons after the first incident, and asked if I wanted to join for real afterwards. I didn’t. Then the other fight happened, my teachers and the principal gave me the choice. Me refusing to join, to them, I guess means it’s like refusing to get help. I’m sure they were only trying to do what’s best.”

Knowing the reputation of Bogsdown’s schools, she doubted that, but it was always possible. “But where do you stand now? You’re not in any school, then? Martial arts or otherwise? Not even with Fleur?”

“Uh-uh.” He shook his head. “I take responsibility for what I do, I don’t have any master or a team to do that for me, not like the other kids in my town. Master Lee just lets me practise with Live Wire.”

“Though I do vouch for him on some occasions, seeing as he is my apprentice’s sparring partner. I consider him a very valuable asset,” Fleur explained, moving to stand next to him like a master would with a student. “But he’s not my student, and I can’t represent his interests as such, not officially.”

Cheerilee’s mind wandered to what Fleur had kept saying. It’s so hard to find a good sparring partner for my apprentice. This boy was a pegasus, one who’d conditioned himself to be able to take harsh blows and to feel out his opponent. Going off what she’d seen, he’d be a fair match for a unicorn with lightning powers.

More than that, he was a good preparation for Live Wire’s fight against Ash.

No wonder Fleur kept quiet about Whimper: knowing about him would mean knowing what Live Wire was accustomed to.

Not that that would help most adversaries, but any advantage was better than none when going up against a kid who could fry you at twenty paces.

“Then what have you been doing the past few months?”

“Just working out, reading, playing with my brother.” He shrugged. “None of the tutors in town want to risk being alone in the same room with me, since I’m so violent. I’m blacklisted in Bogsdown, so if I want to change schools, I’ll probably have to find some sports team or coach to vouch for me. And besides that, even if I do find another school, I’m still going to be punished for fighting. That’s not in Master Lee’s authority.”

“I see. Well, I certainly hope that works out for you, Whimper.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

“Cheerilee. My name is Cheerilee.”

His ears drooped. “Oh, oops. You’re the schoolteacher here. Of course. That’s why they’re all...” He looked at the kids behind her again.

Cheerilee nodded knowingly.

Scootaloo pressed a hoof to her forehead. “And that’s the other reason I didn’t bring him over.”

“It’s okay,” Whimper said. “It wouldn’t have made a difference if Miss Cheerilee already knows about me from my teachers. Especially Coach Buster.”

Cheerilee forced out a nervous smile. “And I do. I heard you sabotage your own team, refuse to play with others, even disrespect your elders. It’s not just Buster who says that; they all say the same thing.”

He bit his lip.

“Were they right, or were they lying?”

He forced himself to look at her. “I don’t wanna say my teachers lie about me, I’m just not sure if they’re right or wrong. Master Lee and Live Wire don’t think I’m violent, but my teachers obviously do. Ponies keep telling me I’m either too weak to stand up for myself, or they tell me I’m a brute and bully. It’s… it’s really confusing, Miss. Some grownups say I’m a good boy.” He looked at Fleur then. ”But not a lot. I don’t think I could even tell the difference myself, not anymore.”

“What about your classmates?” Cheerilee asked.

“My teachers don’t think they’re violent, but I think they’re worse.”

“Beg your pardon?” Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow. “There’s worse than you in Bogsdown?”

Whimper chuckled softly at Apple Bloom, before turning to Cheerilee. “Umm, did they tell you about the other kids in my class?”

“What others?”

“My, umm, victims? You know, the ones my teachers claim I sabotage. The ones who are in teams to be responsible for them, and who win trophies for our school. Did they tell you about those kids, what they do to me?”

Cheerilee thought long and hard about that. “No, they did not, actually. Do you think it would have made a difference?”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Like I said, I’m sure my teachers wouldn’t lie about me. They just want what’s best for me.”

“So you do sabotage your team, then.”

He shook his head. “I already told you: I’m not on a team, Miss. Nopony would want me.”

She looked him over, up and down. “Because of your violent tendencies?”

“Umm, no. They make fun of me. And I’m bad at pretty much every sport there is.”

“I find that hard to believe, with a build like yours.”

“Cheerilee, please.” Fleur rolled her eyes and leaned closer to Cheerilee, motioning for her to come closer. Fleur whispered something in her ear.

When she was done, Cheerilee found herself staring at the boy. “Really?”

Fleur nodded.

“Goodness. Well, you certainly don’t look it.”

“Umm, thank you?”

“But what’s wrong with the Feather Cloaks, then? They obviously want you.”

He looked back at the masters who were still in a discussion. “No, they don’t. They want the pony they think I am. But that’s not the kind of pony I want to be. Their style is strong, really strong, but it only works for some ponies. I’m not that kind of pony.”

“Could have fooled me.” Cheerilee looked over to Silver Spoon, who was currently having her joints stretched, much to the girl’s discomfort.

Whimper pouted. “Umm, Feather Cloaks rely on being confident all the time. Their strength comes from never being wrong. But that’s the problem: I can be wrong. And if ponies are scared to tell me I’m wrong, I might do the wrong thing. They wanted to decide who my friends are. I’d rather decide that for myself, and listen to ponies I decide I can trust. That’s all.”

Cheerilee nodded.

His ears flicked, and he turned his head towards the medical ward. “Could you excuse me? I think Miss Fluttershy is done with Silver Spoon.”

Fleur looked over as well. Fluttershy was waving their way. “And no one looks to be making a move towards challenging you, so you’d better get patched up, too.”

Cheerilee let him go.

“You’re not gonna let him into our class, are you? He’ll break every bone in our bodies!” Diamond cried out.

Whimper’s wings unfurled, and he turned back. “Oh, before I forget.”

Diamond cringed. Should have kept a low profile.

He trotted over to her, calmly, casually. “You’re Diamond Tiara, right?”

“Yes?” The filly cowered behind Cheerilee.

“And you pick on Scootaloo and her friends?”

She gulped. “Well, I wouldn’t say I pick on her, exactly...”

“Oh, it’s okay, I don’t really care.”

“Wait, what?”

“As long as it doesn’t get out of control, that sort of thing is between you and them, I’m not going to get involved.”

Diamond stared at him for a second, looking for any telltale signs of an incoming attack, or a lie. To the best of her abilities, she couldn’t find any. “You’re… not mad at me?”

“No. Scootaloo can be a little bit rough, but that’s her problem, and she can deal with the consequences. She makes up for her mistakes. So if she’s done something wrong to you, that’s none of my business. She let me figure things out on my own, it wouldn’t be fair if I stepped in, not to me, or you.”

Scootaloo’s wings flared up just a tad at hearing that from him.

“But, umm, if you don’t mind me saying so, you really shouldn’t let your friend get into fights over your own grudges. Fighter ponies like us don’t always know what kind of trouble we can get into, and we don’t know what damage we’ve done until after the fight is over. So… could you maybe, if it’s not too much to ask, not use Silver Spoon as your attack dog anymore?”

“S-sure?”

“Good. Oh, and don’t worry: I don’t fight ponies just like that. I wouldn’t beat you up for no reason.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t give me a reason, please?”

---

“My, that’s certainly an… interesting friend you have there,” Cheerilee said as Whimper took his turn on the medic’s table.

Scootaloo pouted. “He’s not that bad, Miss Cheerilee, honest! He wouldn’t cause any trouble in Ponyville.”

Cheerilee sighed.

“I think what Cheerilee is trying to say, darling, is that she doesn’t actually have the power you think she has,” Fleur remarked.

“Exactly. It’s out of my hooves. Nothing I say, or see, would affect his chances of coming here, Scootaloo. Teachers don’t just decide which ponies they teach or kick out.”

“Didn’t stop his teachers,” Scootaloo remarked with a grumble.

“That’s because they didn’t kick him out,” Live Wire explained. “Not exactly. They just suspended him. You can get suspended for a good reason and as long as they can’t work out what to do next, you’re still technically in their school, just not allowed to go to classes.”

“But that ain’t fair,” Apple Bloom argued. “They can’t just deny you schooling.”

“They can if you’re special needs and they’re not sure they can accommodate you. I mean...” He chuckled nervously. “You’d be surprised how many kinds of special needs there are for ponies, and all the paperwork that goes with it. It takes time to figure out, sometimes.”

Sweetie Belle winced in sympathy. After the trouble he’d had in Ponyville, she could imagine what sort of hoops Live Wire had to jump through in Canterlot. Or rather, what precautions his teachers had to make. Just the idea of him in swimming lessons was a logistical nightmare. “I guess that makes sense. If they’re worried he’ll keep getting into fights, they might need to think about keeping somepony around to calm him down. Maybe they’re just looking for a good counsellor.”

Scootaloo pouted. “Maybe.”

“I’m sure it’s being taken care of,” Fleur said. “Student transfers require a lot of paperwork, especially from a town like Bogsdown, where they muddle up schooling and sponsorship contracts, and doubly so when you consider special needs. But it still gets done. Eventually, the ink dries. Really, Scootaloo, you shouldn’t worry so. He’s fine, I’m sure something will come up soon enough.”

---

Ash and Luna exchanged a glance, then looked at Blazing Trail and two of the other masters: an old white unicorn with a grey beard and a mane that used to be blue, but now looked greyish blue, and one brown bulky bruiser of an Earth pony.

“So we are in accord, then?”

They all nodded.

“We’ve reached an agreement on two of today’s fighters!” Ash called out. “Whimper, Live Wire, if you’d be so kind as to step up?”

Live Wire clambered over the edge of the arena and trotted towards the masters, Whimper flew up to land next to him.

“Okay, Live Wire first: you asked to be acknowledged as a Duellist?”

The unicorn colt nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Princess Luna?”

Luna nodded and smiled. “We approve of your promotion, your official seal will be delivered by mail. Congratulations, you are now officially a Duellist, with all the rights and responsibilities attendant thereunto.”

The boy’s mouth hung open. “Umm, t-thank you.”

Whimper patted him on the back. “Good job.”

“Now, there were two remarks,” Ash said. “Master Blazing Trail has requested your presence at one of his white belt lessons, at your earliest convenience. He’s asking if you’d be willing to help out in, ah, what was it again?”

“Pain management,” Blazing replied.

“Pain management, yes. Basically, he just want you to spar with some kids while you’re running a current.”

Live Wire shook his head curtly. “But that’ll shock them.”

“Yes,” Ash said.

“Won’t that hurt?”

“Hence the term ‘pain management,’” Blazing replied.

The boy chuckled nervously. “Err… okay, I’ll be sure to stop by when I can.”

Ash nodded. “He has Master Lee’s contact information, we can make the official arrangements later. Then, Doldrum Whimper.”

Whimper gulped.

“You requested to be evaluated and acknowledged as an independent fighter, with the judgement of Master Blazing taken into consideration. After what we’ve seen today, it is our judgement that… no.”

His body tensed.

“Master Blazing’s judgement was, in fact, not correct and is hereby officially overturned. The Feather Cloak school is to henceforth treat you as an independent fighter, and not as a prospective student. Now, given your age, I don’t expect you to know the whole thing, but here’s the short list: there is to be no claiming you are better off under that school, no challenging you with the express purpose of shaming you into joining, regardless of the outcome of the match, and especially, and this is the big one, no claiming you have defects or weaknesses that only that school can fix. If you find any of these tactics being employed against you, Whimper, by Blazing Trail or anyone else, the matter will be presented to us.”

“Though you are still free to join a school of your own choosing,” Luna said. “And there will likely be some promoting done towards you. But as a recognised independent fighter, ‘no’ means ‘no.’”

The blue bullhead breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re good enough to earn a grey belt with a green patch, so expect that in the mail soon. It’ll go nicely with that alicorn patch you’ve got there.”

“Green patch?” Live Wire joked. “What, no black belt?”

“He’s only got one kata and it’s too stiff. He’ll get a green patch and he’ll like it. Now, that said, we do have two other masters who wanted a say on the matter,” Ash pointed to the unicorn and the Earth pony. “Master River here requested your presence at a brick-breaking demonstration.”

“I would very much like to hear how you acquired that skill and precision at such a young age.” The old unicorn pointed to the three blocks, the middle of which had now been reduced to pieces. “My younger students can’t wrap their heads around the mechanics; they think it’s purely an age thing.”

Whimper smiled. “I’d be happy to explain what I know, Master River.”

“Good. Will I be seeing you in the park next Friday, by the way? We’ll be doing the yang style then.”

“I look forward to it.”

Ash smiled. “And Master Brick was hoping for a guest lecture. Also for his younger students.”

“Mostly on that Iron Saddle thing,” Brick said. “They already know the stances, but, well, the other practices aren’t that easy to pin down, or to motivate students into. Breathing techniques, mental imagery, just Silver Skin will be fine.”

Whimper furrowed his brow. “Umm, I’ll have to write some things down for that, but okay.”

“Good,” Ash said. “Then, to the both of you, I suppose there’s only one thing left to say: thank you for your efforts. We welcome you into our ranks.”

---

“Well, that was an interesting day,” Cheerilee said to herself as she got home. Watching the kids fighting, the little drama with Scootaloo and that colt friend of hers…

She snickered. Perhaps Scootaloo simply had a crush on the boy? That would explain that zeal in showing him in a good light. Or perhaps it really was guilt at getting him removed from his school.

She’d have to talk to her about that, then. Not like Scootaloo could help it; a child like that, in a town full of jocks, he was bound to get into trouble sooner or later.

At least it wasn’t anything Cheerilee had to deal with, thankfully.

“Hey, Cheerilee.”

She looked up at the mailmare who was doing a late run. “Hello, Derpy.”

“This just came in for you, from Canterlot.”

Cheerilee smiled. Always on duty, that Derpy. The envelope looked official, and thick, and it came from Canterlot, three things that could spell disaster for any teacher. She opened it up and read the notes inside. “Oh, it’s a message from the Hall of Records.” She flipped through some of the pages. Her heart sank. “Oh, no. Form 187. The final form.”

“Final form of what?”

“Special needs student transfer.”

Author's Notes:

Well, one more chapter to go. The aftermath of it all was the hardest part to write, partly because of the last-minute changes to all the names and stuff, partly because of the issues in characterising Whimper. I figured I'd keep the 'don't give me a reason' line once it's clear he can't really change anything.

I wanted to portray Whimper's attitude as genuinely confused by now, because of all the contradicting messages he's been getting. Yes, ponies in high places have spoken for him and stood up for him. No, not all of them do, and his situation still has serious problems because of it.

There was a scene at concept level where Whimper is seen getting suspended, with his father and Master Blazing there. It was going to add some more character to Summer Breeze, but I felt it was too confrontational, and unnecessary, as well as probably not a smart move for a dad to say 'okay, suspend him, then,' when having to choose between that and forcing his kid to join a school said might end up joining on his own later. Things might change, perspectives do shift. The Feather Cloaks, for all their vices, are still a pretty strong school.

Reference-wise, not a lot of them here. Master River was inspired by the martial arts master in One Punch Man, named Silver Fang. In this story, it's a tai chi master, one Whimper is at least familiar with. It might come across as confusing, but it's meant to imply he's been at least broadening his horizons once Starfall stopped bugging him. It's also implying Master River, unlike Blazing, didn't want to push the boy into his class and just let him be, like you would a normal kid. Bogsdown is the kind of place where tai chi in the park is normal, I can't not have that be acknowledged in this story; it's too obvious. Master Brick, then, is inspired by one of the heroes in Kingdom Rush, I forget his name. The appearance is similar, the theme is not.

As for form 187? It's a reference to the infamous "This isn't even my final form!" line from... Dragonball, I think, but probably a lot of others. And why 187? It's a term from Magic: the Gathering. A creature with a creature destruction effect when it comes into play is said to be a 187 creature. It's a creature with a lethal Dynamic Entry.

Peace Descends! Welcome The New Student!

Miss Cheerilee came in with a smile that Monday morning.

Silver Spoon dragged herself into class, still bruised and battered, wearing bandages on where Whimper had hit her neck. Rumble practically pranced in, wearing his bruises and chafed fur with the pride of any boy who’d survived combat.

The foals all got seated, and only a few of them noticed there was an extra chair in today. Where it had come from, whom it was for, no one knew.

Cheerilee’s smile only grew when she got around to clarifying the matter. “Good morning, everypony. Now, before we get started on today’s lessons, I’d like you all to welcome a new student.”

Scootaloo’s ears perked.

“I’m sure most of you saw him at the Warrior Meet this weekend, and while he may be a little bit intimidating, I expect you all to treat him with kindness and respect, and make him feel welcome. He’s not here to hurt you, he doesn’t have any grudges against anyone, and he most certainly did not get kicked out of his last school because of a temper problem. Regardless of what you may hear, he transferred because it was better for him.”

Scootaloo gasped. “I don’t believe it. It really worked out. He’s here.”

“Everypony, say hi to Live Wire.”

Scootaloo’s ears drooped. “Oh. Him.”

He looked quite different out of his armour, but the coffee brown unicorn colt with the white mane and tail still kept his cutie mark covered with his regular day clothes: a grey shirt and shorts. All in all, Scootaloo couldn’t blame him. If she ended up with an ugly – or, horror of horrors, uncool – cutie mark, she’d probably consider the same thing.

The colt stepped in to stand in front of Cheerilee. At a respectable and, most importantly, safe distance, that is. “Err, hi, everypony. My name’s Live Wire. I’m ten years old, and, err… I have a talent for electrical stuff. Actually, scratch that: I have a talent for electrical magic. Umm, I know a few of you from kindergarten, but that’s been a few years, so I guess most of you don’t remember me.”

Sweetie Belle smiled.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is: don’t touch me.”

A vague “Huh?” went through the class.

Cheerilee chuckled nervously. “What he means is: Live Wire’s magic is still growing, and it has a tendency to build up under his fur.”

He nodded and smiled, nervous though he was. A crackle went through his mane and tail, just loud enough to be heard but not powerful enough to be seen flashing. “Yes, thank you. B-but don’t worry, it’s not that I can’t control it. I can totally control it. Just not all the time. I’m still growing, and some days it’s easier to control than others, and I don’t know what exactly makes it harder or easier to control. And before you ask, no, nopony else does, either. I can’t say that much about it, and if I knew who to ask, I’d have asked them myself by now.”

Sweetie Belle winced in sympathy. She remembered that problem all too well.

“Anyway, as long as you don’t touch me, I won’t shock you or anything. But I’ll try not to get too close in the first place. That’s why I’m saying it now: I’m not keeping my distance because I don’t like you. I probably do like you,” he said with a flourish. “But I kinda need to keep my distance for you to be safe. I mean, it’s either that or wearing rubber, and… trust me, you don’t want that any more than I do. Not that I wouldn’t do it if I had to, it’s just that the squeaking gets pretty distracting after a while.” He looked at his clothes then. “I usually cover up, but it’s not insulated. I just prefer not being, umm, exposed, you know. At least for now.”

Cheerilee rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Live Wire. Go on, get seated and we can start today’s lessons.”

Scootaloo moped as Live Wire took his seat. He moved carefully so as not to bump into anyone.

While he was getting settled in, Scootaloo turned to the girl next to her. “Hey, Silver Spoon, I forgot to ask: what did Whimper say to you after the fight?”

Silver’s heart skipped a beat at the thought.

Don’t tell him my name right away.

---

Silver Spoon lay on the couch, idly rubbing her sore arm with the other sore arm. It didn’t help much, but at least it distracted her from the pain in her neck. She winced when she heard the front door open and close.

“I’m home!” Silver Bullet called out.

The shiny grey stallion smiled when he saw his daughter, then frowned in disappointment when he saw her injuries and bandages. “Met your match at the Meet, I see?”

Silver sat upright. Something cracked, and she wasn’t sure if it was the couch or her joints. “Yes, sir.”

“Did you at least win against anyone?” Silver Bullet had already turned his back on her, too busy taking off his armour to bother noticing her cringe.

She gulped. “I-I won against Rumble?”

He sighed. “Okay, so you beat up a boy who’s training to be a Wonderbolt one day, not a warrior, and who’s only been taking lessons for a week. That’s something, I suppose.”

“And the kid who beat me, I didn’t lose to him right away. I put up a good fight.”

He snorted. “Sure you did.”

“No, really,” she protested. “I did everything right. I did the Seven Deadly Blows on him, I choked him, I fought him with everything I had. We were even, but he still won.”

“Uhuh.”

Silver Spoon winced again. “And he said he knew you.”

The stallion’s ears flicked towards her. “Another Royal Guard child, then?” He turned to look her in the eyes. “Whose was it? Burning Saddle’s son? Master Yee Hao? I heard she was putting her son on the circuit, too.”

“W-well, he said his dad’s name was Summer Breeze.”

Bullet scoffed. “There’s plenty of Summer Breezes in Equestria, Silver Spoon, and none of them are grandmasters.” He shook his head, disappointment written all over his face. “You got beaten by a fateless nobody.”

That remark sent daggers into her heart. Or maybe Whimper had used another delayed Death Touch on her, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she wanted to see what the boy meant. “Summer Breeze from Bogsdown?”

“Bogsdown?” Silver Bullet rubbed his chin, thinking. “Oh, that one. Yes, that Summer Breeze is very capable, not someone you’d want to challenge lightly. Certainly someone to lend an ear to when he speaks. That’s Passiflora’s husband, isn’t it?”

“Yup, that’s the one.”

“Thought so. Very capable at his job, but then you’d have to be, working that shift. Still, that’s only a Weather Patrol captain, he’s not a Royal Guard.”

“He, umm, he said his name was Whimper. The boy, I mean.”

Silver Bullet froze, and then so did she.

The terror that washed over her father’s face and locked his body was something she’d never forget. He stared at her in disbelief. “I beg your pardon?”

“Doldrum Whimper, from Bogsdown, the son of Summer Breeze. That’s the kid who beat me. I’m telling you, it was close, I got him as good as he got me. But he still beat me.”

“Y-you… you fought...” Silver Bullet shivered. “You fought… him?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

He stayed still for a second, in a way she’d only seen him do when he was staring down a predator. “And this Whimper, that wouldn’t be a, err, pegasus colt, golden eyes, fairly muscular, by any chance?”

Again, she nodded. “Blue fur, dark blue mane and tail. Really hard muscles. Like, rock hard, he knows Iron Saddle and everything, Shredder style of fighting, too. I tried, daddy, I really tried. I almost got him, he even admitted it. Does that count for anything?”

Before she even knew it, he was on her, hugging and clutching her tight. “Oh, sweetie, you went up against that, that... No wonder you’re beaten up. Did he break anything, did he go for your throat?”

She gasped for air. Silver Bullet did not do hugs. Silver Bullet was not a weakling. To have him hug her like that was a rare thing indeed, especially when she wasn’t hospitalised. The few times she could recall a hug from her father, it was always tainted with the smell of disinfectant and the memory of either doing something incredibly stupid or being very worried about her own health. But she was fine now. She wasn’t in any danger, and yet her father was embracing her, almost like he wanted to protect her. What from, or rather why, she could only guess.

He knew. That Whimper kid knew. He… wanted me to get a hug.

He was right. I couldn’t read his attacks.

But he read me like an open book.

And daddy’s scared of him?

Who was that kid?

“N-no, I went for his. I tried to choke him, but it didn’t work. He got a little mad after that.”

Silver Bullet squeezed her so tight she thought she’d pop. “You did well, then. Very well.”

“What?”

He backed away enough to let her see the sincerity in his eyes. “I’m proud of you, Silver Spoon. To go up against a monster like that and still be able to walk away, that takes real strength.” He smiled. “I knew you had it in you.”

She felt like crying when her father stroked her mane away from her eyes. He didn’t do that very often, but it was an affection she craved almost as much as his approval. She returned the favour, stroking his spikey mane out of his blue eyes. That was their ritual: keeping the hair out of each other’s eyes, so they could see the enemy.

Of course, Silver Bullet had an easier time keeping his mane out of his eyes than his daughter did, since, unlike his daughter, he had a horn to park it on.

---

The bell rang for first recess. Live Wire’s first classes had passed without any incident, aside from one very foolish fly that had decided to land on the wrong pony. Live Wire was quickly seated close to a window, to make sure the smell of burning insect didn’t fill the room.

Cheerilee motioned to Scootaloo before the girl went out. “Scootaloo? Could I have a word with you?”

“Huh? Sure. What’s the matter?”

Cheerilee looked at the floor for a moment. She had to be delicate about this, but some amount of force was required. She couldn’t afford to look too meek about the situation. “About your friend, Doldrum Whimper.”

The girl flinched. “I don’t suppose it would help if I said it wasn’t his fault again?”

Cheerilee looked up and kept her voice as calm as she could. “No, no, it wouldn’t make a difference. In case you missed it the first time, I don’t actually have a say in that sort of thing, you see. I got his request for transferral along with Live Wire’s. Whimper will start attending class here next week.”

“He’s coming to school? Here?”

Cheerilee nodded. “Yes, and he’s lost quite a lot of time, so I’ll be busy getting him up to speed.”

Her wings flared up, then clenched to her sides. “That’s great! Why do I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

Cheerilee bit her lip. “Scootaloo, I’m going to need you to try and behave while he’s in class. Bogsdown has a different culture in its schools. He doesn’t know how things are done here, he’ll look to you to check what is normal. So please, try to set a good example and don’t get him into trouble.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

“I mean it. No dragging him into fights. Even if it’s a fight you think he needs to start.”

Scootaloo sighed. “I won’t, I promise.”

Cheerilee chuckled. They do make an odd couple, those two.

“No distracting him from class, either. I don’t want to see any note-passing to him, no jumping at the window when he’s alone with me for remedial studies. He’s not going to have it easy here, you need to realise that.”

“Okay. I won’t get in his way.”

“And...” Cheerilee sighed. “No pressuring him with regards to the counselling, or his punishment.”

“Wait, what?”

“According to his transfer file, he requires regular counselling. That’s why they couldn’t keep him in Bogsdown; the authorities in Canterlot had to settle on how to treat him.”

“So what did they settle on?”

Cheerilee winced. “I’m honestly not sure. The paper just said that a course of therapy had been settled on. Apparently that took a while, something about forms being signed, sealed, delivered, submitted to public inquiry and then being burned and buried for some reason. Anyway, whatever it is he needs to get, apparently there are Ponyville ponies who are qualified to deliver it. He’s probably already here for the first week, and for evaluation. And, possibly, receiving his punishment. It’s hard to tell therapy from punishment when it comes to little ponies, sometimes. The point I’m trying to make is: that’s a personal matter. I’m going to need you to respect his space when he’s here.”

“But I’m his friend. Can’t I talk to him, hang out with him?”

“Oh, you can, of course, but you can’t pressure him. If you do, and something happens, I’m responsible. Do you understand that? If he gets into a fight here, if he hurts someone in class, and I think you know he can, I’m the one who has to explain it to the parents. So I’m asking you, please, don’t take any chances.”

Scootaloo nodded with a reluctant pout. “Okay. I won’t, I promise.”

“Alright, then. Just one more thing, Scootaloo.”

“What?”

“Stop blaming yourself. You’ve owned up to what you did, you took responsibility. That’s all anyone can ask.”

“Okay. Umm, just out of curiosity, though, are you sure it’s okay to have Whimper around? After what he did to Silver Spoon?”

Cheerilee smiled. “Don’t be silly. Rumble and Silver Spoon are still welcome here, and they both fought each other. And Live Wire is aiming to make it his profession one day. It wouldn’t be fair to exclude him without excluding the others. Besides…” she looked wistfully out the window. “It’s not the first time I have to deal with a nice pony who happens to be good at fighting.”

At that point, Scootaloo dashed out, because that was a flashback she did not want to get involved in.

---

“So your friend’s comin’ to town anyway, huh?” Apple Bloom said as the rest of class enjoyed their recess. “That’s great news.”

“Err, yeah, great.” Scootaloo made a point of staring at the ground.

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing, just that… Miss Cheerilee said he’s getting special counselling here, too. Ponies still treat him like he’s sick for some reason.”

Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara came walking by. “What’s the matter?” Silver asked.

“Whimper’s coming to school here next week, but he’s still forced to go through counselling,” Apple Bloom replied.

“Oh,” Silver said. “Well, like, that’s okay. It could be a lot worse, I guess.” She nudged Diamond Tiara.

Diamond grumbled. “Umm, girls? Me and Silver Spoon have something to say.”

“If you’re gonna apologise, Diamond-” Apple Bloom started.

“No! I am not apologising. Silver Spoon can do what she wants, but I have to uphold the Rich family name.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you’re upholding their name alright.”

“What Diamond Tiara is trying to say is: we’re calling a truce,” Silver Spoon said.

“A whatnow?”

“A truce. A ceasefire,” Diamond Tiara said. “Like a ‘stop arguing time’ thing, sort of.”

“Is something wrong?” Rumble asked as he floated up behind them.

“No, Rumble, you should hear this, too,” Silver Spoon replied. “We’re not going to be picking on you anymore, not for real.”

“Of course, we’ll still call you blank flanks since you’re, you know, blank flanks without any special talents,” Diamond Tiara added.

Silver Spoon sighed. “But we’re not going to try and get even for the times you got us in trouble. No more back and forth, just, like, a clean slate from now on. We’re not gonna start any trouble, and we don’t want you to start any trouble, either. Except maybe you, Rumble. I think I still owe you one. If you want to settle the score, it’s fine.”

Rumble shrugged. “That’s okay, Silver Spoon, I’m not gonna hold a grudge. A truce sounds fine to me.”

“Me too,” Apple Bloom said.

“Me three,” Scootaloo said. Sweetie Belle just nodded to spare her voice.

“Good. Oh, and, umm, if you run into Whimper, would you tell him I said ‘thanks,’ please? Not for getting beaten up, obviously, but like, he’ll know what for.” Silver Spoon rubbed the bandage on her neck.

“Will do,” Scootaloo said. “If I run into him.”

The bell sounded. The truce was official, the recess was over.

Peace had descended over the playground of Ponyville Elementary. How long it would last, none of the warriors knew.

Apple Bloom had other things on her mind, though.

“Hey, Live Wire, I don’t suppose you’d know where Whimper is right now?”

He stopped halfway to the doorway. He’d already taken off his shirt, which Apple Bloom took as a good sign. He still wore his shorts, though, covering up his cutie mark. Sweetie Belle hadn’t said anything about it, so Apple Bloom didn’t push the subject. He’d get through that on his own, she decided. Typical boy stuff. “At home, I guess, unless he’s already started counselling.”

“Doesn’t sound too likely.”

“He probably is. Miss Cheerilee said he might be here already, for the first week and for, umm, evolution?” Scootaloo tried.

“Evaluation,” Live Wire corrected.

“Gesundheit,” Scootaloo replied.

“So he’s in Ponyville already?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Huh. I wonder who they got to take care of him?”

---

“Fluttershy, are you sure this is a good idea?” Applejack asked, looking up at an apple tree that was currently being shaken by a conspicuously buff-looking pegasus colt who, as far as Applejack knew, really should have been in school right about now.

“Umm, no, but the official said I had to, and the letter from Canterlot said you had to.” Fluttershy was really regretting taking that summer course one time. But how could she refuse? She was already working for the Equestrian government, technically, and the Equestrian government pays extra when you get your certificates. The fact that a certificate in magical child care came with the possibility of getting drafted had never really bothered her, mostly because of the odds of it ever coming up were so slim.

Then again, so were the odds of her becoming a national hero, a fashion model, or having a conversation with a full-grown dragon without getting eaten in the process, and look how that turned out.

Perhaps she should have taken a summer course in probability studies, she realised.

Applejack sighed. “Look, I’m all for doin’ the right thing here, but I’m pretty sure gettin’ free labour out of a little boy who ought to be in school ain’t exactly right. I’m feeling guilty just lookin’ at him. It’s like every apple he’s getting is… dirty somehow.”

“Is this okay?” Doldrum Whimper called out as he carefully shook the branches of the apple tree he was in, yielding some ripe, red apples.

“Yeah, that’s fine, I’ll tell you when to stop!” Applejack shouted, before whispering. “There’s gotta be some law against this.”

“Umm, that’s what I thought, but apparently there isn’t. There are a few laws for it, actually. A lot of Equestrian farms are taking in troubled children now, for therapy. I guess someone in Canterlot thinks that’ll help.”

Applejack groaned. “Ugh, probably Uncle Apple ‘Shine again, he’s always pullin’ stuff like this. You’d think having a relative in politics would be a good thing.”

“So, is this okay with you?”

The farmer had to clench her teeth together hard to stop from shouting. “No, this ain’t okay with me. It ain’t okay by a long shot. I don’t even know why my farm’s eligible. And if I wasn’t obliged to do it, I wouldn’t do it. But if I am obliged, I guess I’ll make the most of it. That’s good, little boy, you can come down now!”

Doldrum Whimper gulped and carefully, slowly, flew down to land in front of the mares.

Applejack let out a low growl and leaned in closer for effect. “Okay, so you got yourself into so much trouble you got suspended from school, huh? And now somepony decided you need anger management therapy? Or administrative punishment, whatever they wanna call it?”

“Y-yes, Ma’am,” he said with a shiver.

Applejack glared at him. “And what, pray tell, did you do to get into that much trouble?”

“He, umm, he got into a few fights over the summer,” Fluttershy said.

“I wasn’t asking you, Fluttershy, I wanna hear it from… what was your name again, youngin?”

“Whimper. Doldrum Whimper, Ma’am.”

“Wow. There’s a name you don’t hear much nowadays. Okay, spill the beans. Why did you get suspended?”

He idly kicked the ground and avoided looking directly at Applejack. “It’s like Miss Fluttershy said. Me and my friends were relaxing in the park one day, a ball nearly hit my friend, I knocked it out of the way. Some pony insulted me and my friends, so I threw the ball at him, pretty hard. Then they told me I had to join a class, where everypony fights. I didn’t like that, so I refused. And after that, some other kids started pushing my friends around, and I lost my temper.”

“So it wasn’t your fault, then, is that what you’re saying?”

Whimper shrugged, and now he did look her in the eyes. “I did the fighting, Ma’am. I did the hurting. I can’t really blame anypony else for that.”

Applejack pouted. “Could you excuse us for a second?”

She took Fluttershy a dozen paces away so he wouldn’t hear. Just like she asked, he sat there, calmly, quietly, like he did everything, as far as Applejack could tell.

“Fluttershy, what are you hoping to accomplish here?”

Fluttershy’s wings flared up in defence. “I’m just doing what I was told to do, Applejack. The ponies in Canterlot want him to go here.”

“What for?”

“I think it was something about farm life being good to build character and discipline.”

Applejack’s face went into ‘annoyed’ mode. “Really? Somepony thinks that thing over there needs more character and discipline? Look at him: he’s more ripped than Big Mac was at his age, and he ain’t even an Earth pony. What am I supposed to do? Yell at him so he’ll behave?”

As much as she hated to, Fluttershy nodded. “Umm, yes. I think that’s exactly what they were expecting. And after that, they expect you to evaluate him: write down if you think there were any problems, if you think he’ll misbehave when he goes back to class.”

Applejack groaned. “I don’t think he’d misbehave now. I don’t get it. You’re sure this kid is that big a cretin that he’d need to do farmwork to straighten him out?”

“Maybe not, but he did hurt a few kids at the Warrior Meet the other day.”

“Wait, what?”

“Umm, the Warrior Meet? He was there yesterday. He took out three children from a ninja school, including Silver Spoon.”

Applejack tilted her head, confused. “That kid beat up Silver Spoon?”

“Yes.”

“But I thought Silver Spoon was some super special fighter that could beat anypony?”

“She is. Or at least, she was, until she tried to beat him. He overpowered her, brutally. He looks nice and friendly, Applejack, but, umm…” Fluttershy leaned in to whisper even more quietly than usual. “He’s dangerous.”

She thought long and hard then. “This ain’t the same kid Rainbow was talking about, is it? Scootaloo’s friend?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Well, why didn’t you say so? Obviously there’s been some misunderstanding.”

“I’m not so sure about that, Applejack. He has a record. According to his file, he’s not a very nice pony. And he didn’t fight very nicely yesterday, either.”

“But he is friends with Scootaloo, isn’t he?”

The pegasus shrugged. “I guess. But I don’t know if he is a good pony or not. He can act like one, but when he fought, he was scary. He fought an older pony, and won. He beat a teenaged unicorn, who already knew attack spells.”

“That doesn’t say anything about his character,” Applejack argued.

“I know. But it does say something about what might happen if you let your guard down.”

Applejack sighed. “I guess you got a point there. Okay, if it’ll get him back into class, I’ll do it. But it still ain’t right. Now how long do I gotta keep him busy?”

“From morning ‘till evening,” Fluttershy said. “School hours. For a week. After that, you fill out the form, he’ll be going to school in Ponyville.”

“Figures,” she said with a snort. “And what am I supposed to do with him? What am I allowed to do?”

“Pretty much everything Apple Bloom would do if she wasn’t going to go to school.”

“Okay.” Applejack walked back towards him. “Whimper! I’ve made up my mind, and you can do your community service, therapy, new-fangled whatchamacallit here. I’ve only got one rule: whatever I say, goes. I tell you to jump, you ask how high. I tell you to run, you ask how fast. Got that?”

He shivered in fear. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Fluttershy winced and nudged Applejack. “Actually, he umm...” She leaned in to whisper.

Applejack was startled when Fluttershy withdrew, and stared at him for a second. The shame on his face was enough to tell her Fluttershy wasn’t lying. “Oh. Well, I guess runnin’s out, then. Doesn’t matter, anyhow. I need to go harvest the west section of the orchard today, and daylight’s burnin’, so let’s go. Fluttershy, thanks for the, err, ‘delivery,’ I guess.”

“Thank you, Miss Fluttershy,” Whimper said.

“You’re welcome. If you need me for anything, just ask.”

“Will do,” Applejack replied as she trotted off. Fluttershy departed and Whimper flew up a bit to catch up. Ever the savvy consumer, she decided to check what core she had in the apple. “So, I take it you’re into fitness and stuff?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Applecross Games, that sort of thing?”

“Uhuh.”

“Ever do any farm work?”

“Lots of times. My aunt Blossom has a cherry orchard.”

Applejack froze. “Then why in tarnation couldn’t they send you there?”

“Because she’s related, I guess?”

Applejack resumed the pace and looked him over. “You’re not really that bad, are ya? I mean, this whole thing with you getting kicked out of school, it ain’t warranted, is it?”

“If it was, I wouldn’t really be able to tell, I think.”

“Fair enough. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just supposed to make sure you don’t get out of line, so don’t expect me to go easy on you.”

“I won’t.”

“But… as long as you don’t give me a reason, I ain’t gonna make you do anything too hard. Apple Bloom can do some pretty heavy lifting, and you look like a fine little workhorse, but I ain’t takin’ any chances. I’m sure your mom wouldn’t appreciate it.”

“I’ll try not to give you a reason, then, Ma’am.”

“Good.” Applejack set down her basket. “You put your basket over there, fly up the tree, and start shakin’, nice and gentle like.”

“You don’t want me to buck the tree?”

“You’re strong enough to buck a tree?” She chuckled. “Maybe a soft little cherry tree, but these are hardy apple trees. No, you stick to shaking. I’m sure you’re strong, but you wouldn’t wanna hurt yourself showing off.”

“Okay.”

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Applejack. I don’t have a rank, and I ain’t a teacher, so you don’t have to call me Ma’am.”

---

Once school was out, the girls headed to the clubhouse. With the Warrior Meet over and their flanks lacking any ninja stars, black belts, or sumo diapers, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had a vital matter to discuss.

“So how are we going to get our cutie marks next?” Scootaloo asked.

“We still haven’t tried pirating,” Apple Bloom replied. “We’re gonna need a parrot, a hook, some eyepatches, and a ship.”

“Fluttershy probably has a spare parrot,” Scootaloo said.

“My big sister might have some eyepatches from her stage costumes,” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“Then all we need is a hook and a ship. I’m sure Applejack will have a hook lying around somewhere.”

“Do you think she’ll let us use it?”

“Sure. It’s not like we can hurt ourselves with that sort of thing, right? We just came out of a Warrior Meet: we’ve proven we’re rough warriors with honour and a sense of responsibility,” Apple Bloom argued.

“Except we did ninja fighting, which doesn’t involve a lot of honour or responsibility,” Scootaloo remarked.

“Oh, hush. That’s all the more reason we should try the switch. Come on, girls, let’s go!”

---

“Piracy?” Applejack asked. “Y’all wanna be pirates now?”

“Well, yeah. Why not? We did ninjas, next up is pirates.”

“I don’t know, Apple Bloom. I’m all for you gals tryin’ new things, but I draw the line at piracy. Ponies and pirating do not mix.”

“But we gotta do something!” Scootaloo exclaimed, flying up at Applejack.

The mare grumbled. That little filly had developed a habit of flying up into anypony’s face over the summer. It reminded her of Rainbow Dash in that regard. It was definitely just her and not a pegasus thing, since she’d seen Rumble and Thunderlane around town, and Rumble always stayed on the ground, even when he was arguing. Ditto Featherweight, and both those boys were capable flyers.

“Look, all I’m sayin’ is that pirating ain’t something you wanna do lightly, and it’s not something you get a talent in anyways. Pirating is against the law, by definition.”

“Oh, come on,” Apple Bloom said. “It’s not like we’ve got any law enforcement around Ponyville anyways. Half the time I’m not even sure we have laws.”

“Oh, we’ve got’em alright.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “No pirating, and that’s final. I’m not letting you get into trouble again. Besides, even if you found a parrot and a hook, where would you get a ship?”

“Oh, hi, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo gasped as she looked up. “Whimper?”

“Well, I guess that’s one ship you can try,” Applejack muttered under her breath.

Whimper flew down to greet the girls. “Umm, hi.”

Apple Bloom froze. “Applejack, what’s he doin’ here?”

“Fluttershy dropped him off this morning. Apparently somepony in Canterlot decided he needed to be rehabilitated or something, and somepony around here signed up the Apple farm as a community service centre or whatever Canterlot ponies call it.”

“Huh. I wonder how that happened,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Probably when Big Mac hurt his back and Granny Smith tried to do the paperwork for him,” Apple Bloom joked. “She almost got Spike registered as an endangered species, too. We were this close to gettin’ turned into a dragon sanctuary.” She gestured with a hoof to her eye to mark just how close.

Applejack grunted. “Anyway, he’s just helpin’ out for a week, and after that I gotta sign a paper and after that he’s going back to school where he belongs.”

“That’s great!” Scootaloo jumped up again and started buzzing around with joy. “Hey, do you wanna hang out with us today? We’re gonna try and get our cutie marks again.”

The boy’s ears fell back against his head. “Umm, sure? If your friends don’t mind having me around, that is.”

Scootaloo stopped and hung in mid-air. “Well, girls?”

Apple Bloom pouted and pondered for a second. “I don’t see why not. But you gotta promise you won’t beat anypony up. Unless we say so. Then you can beat ’em into a pulp.”

He chuckled. “I won’t.”

“What do you think, Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie Belle gave them all a curt wave. “Of course he can hang out with us. We’re gonna let Waiwai into our club, too, right?”

Apple Bloom tapped her chin, thinking. “Yeah, we never did get around to expanding. I’m sure having ponies around who already have their cutie marks would be fine. Rumble would probably like having some support when he starts competin’. But that still doesn’t answer the question: what are we gonna do today?”

“Ooh! Ooh! If we can’t be pirates, what about pilots?”

“My restraining order is still valid for another two weeks, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said. “What about pepper farmers?”

Sweetie Belle coughed. “I’d rather wait until my throat feels better before I try eating anything hot, Apple Bloom. Why not potion makers?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “My restraining order for that doesn’t run out until next year.”

Apple Bloom quirked an eyebrow. “Really? Mine expired last week, how did that happen?”

“I don’t know. I think it had something to do with using pegasus feathers for everything.”

“That sounds so unfair,” Apple Bloom said.

“Tell me about it.”

“What do you think, Whimper?”

The boy blinked at Apple Bloom. “What?”

“What do you think we should do?” she asked. “You know, if you’re gonna be joining us and all, you should get a say in what we do, right?”

“Umm...” He looked away, and thought long and hard.

Scootaloo jumped around him, bombarding him with suggestions. “Ooh! Ooh! Pencil drawing, peacock herding, pickle pickling?”

Whimper grumbled. “Scootaloo, you’re doing it again.”

“Yeah, quit your fidgetin’ and let him think. Yeesh, no wonder he doesn’t talk much.”

Applejack had to suppress a snicker. With all the experience Apple Bloom had gotten in dealing with Big Mac, chances were she wasn’t going to let him go without getting at least one suggestion out of him.

“Have you tried prospecting yet?”

“Prospecting?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yes. You know, digging for gold, silver.” He hesitated. “Manganite?”

“That’s a great idea,” Apple Bloom said. “Sweetie Belle can use her sister’s spell to go looking for gems, we can get Spike to help with the digging if he’s up for it, so you wouldn’t be the only boy around.”

“That would be nice,” Whimper said.

“And you and Scootaloo can keep a lookout.”

Whimper smiled. Then the girls were gone, and he found himself taking off to catch up.

“Hey, kiddo,” Applejack said, stopping him.

“Huh? Oh, is it okay for me to leave?”

“Yeah, yeah, day’s over. But, umm, just a little warning: don’t let the girls walk all over you. They’re nice, but they ain’t used to boys yet. Except Apple Bloom.”

“It’s okay. I know Scootaloo.”

“My point exactly. Don’t be afraid to raise your voice if you have to.”

“I won’t. Umm, what if something happens?”

“What do you mean?”

“What if we run into something while we’re digging?”

“Oh, don’t you fret about that,” Applejack said. “There’s nothing out there in the hills.”

“Really?”

“Really. Trust me, kid, this is Ponyville.”

That made his ears fall back again. “Umm, but Scootaloo said-”

“Scootaloo exaggerates. She’s a nice girl, but she hypes stuff up, almost as much as she hypes herself up. It’s fine. Really, this ain’t like your hometown. Ponies aren’t going to go after you here. You have nothing to worry about. You can relax now,” Applejack said. “Seriously.”

His wings flared up again and his smile came back. “Okay. I’ll try to relax.”

“Good. And have fun with the girls.”

“Will do. Thank you!”

Applejack chuckled as he flew off after the girls.

Then she rolled her eyes.

Poor kid. Oh well, at least he’s got the girls looking out for him. He’ll be much better off here.

A couple of weeks in Ponyville, and he’ll loosen up.

Not like anything ever happens around here.

The End.

Author's Notes:

Remarks on this chapter: a lot of it was decided fairly late. At one point, it was going to end on Scootaloo running out and Cheerilee's flashback. That was too short, obviously, and not as funny. Cheerilee's talking with Fleur was originally going to be about her knowing Whimper and Live Wire were transferring, but that seemed too far-fetched, and again, not at all entertaining. So I settled on an implied reference to the comic books, which, in case you don't know, reveal Cheerilee has a twin sister, who happens to be a wrestler.

"Quit your fidgetin'" is also a reference that seemed obvious in hindsight. Turns out there was another story involving a blue warrior character with contradicting personality issues and an orange flying comic relief/friend character. Dust and Fidget are a fantastic example of a buddy duo, and I highly encourage you look into some of the clips and outtakes if you are unfamiliar with them.

The story started with the Mane Six in the orchard, it ends in the orchard. Whimper still gets punished for his actions; just because he's supposed to be the good guy, doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants. But his situation improves in the long term: he's not a tortured Jesus character, at some point someone will take notice and start treating him as he should be. As for his issues, I'm leaving the resolution of that implied. The whole Warrior's Heart thing is supposed to be a lifelong struggle, it wouldn't make sense to have it come to an end so abruptly.

Anyway, that concludes this story. It's been, what, three years in the making? Four? Probably the longest thing I've started and finished, and on top of that, I've updated it weekly. I have not kept my readers in suspense or waiting needlessly. That alone gives me some sense of pride and accomplishment.

I guess the only thing left to say is: thank you for your time, hope you enjoyed it. And a special shoutout to FanOfMostEverything, your comments were a good gauge of whether I was doing it right. Since things were set in stone from the moment I published, it was good to see what was anticipated and what was not.