Pegasus Densetsu

Chapters

Fluttershy
Rainbow Dash
Field Goal
Beginning of the Legend
Lightning Bolt
The Prize
Opprimerimus
Patience
A Sunny Day

Fluttershy

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 1: Fluttershy

Somewhere in the nebulous town of Cloudsdale, the daughter of a certain pegasus family was preparing for her first day of school. "Bag, pencils, paper, bird sanctuary membership card, lunch, styling gel," she murmured, going through her saddlebag. Nodding in satisfaction that she had gathered everything that was necessary, she slung the saddlebag over her back and called out (quietly), "Mom. Dad. I'm going now."

Not waiting for an answer, she stepped out into the bright new day in the clouds. "The sky is blue and beautiful again today," she sighed, contentment filling her soul, and finally put one hoof forward on the cloudy boulevard to begin her journey.

Here, in the magical land of Equestria, this filly was born with a serenely honest and simple heart. Such souls were not uncommon in this land, a land united by harmony as a national creed. She was not all that assertive, and had difficulty making friends — more difficult than most.

Fluttershy pranced energetically down the cobble-cloud road, humming tunelessly to herself. A bluejay swooped in to nuzzle the pegasus briefly in greeting before moving on to other business, but not before Fluttershy greeted him back, "Hello, little friend. I hope you enjoy today, as I hope I will." The bluejay chirped back in agreement before moving on. Fluttershy waved goodbye.

A few strides later, she came upon an old, greying pegasus, going by the name of Old Tock, carrying a heavy load of groceries on his back and in two saddlebags. Even for creatures born for draft as ponies are, it was too much to put on the back of such a distinguished senior.

Screwing her up her courage, Fluttershy trotted up to his side and spoke with sincerity, "Hello, sir. That looks a bit heavy. Please, let me help you."

The old pegasus sighed with relief as the sweet voice filled his ears. "Oh, thank you, my dear. These bags were getti—"

His words stopped dead as his eyes fell upon the filly, and his pupils shrunk to points within their irises. The only thing coming out of his mouth then on was an inarticulate gurgle of terror.

The eyes that regarded him were beady, pupils impossibly small in irises barely larger than they were. Her eyelids were almost stretched open, making her eyes seem slightly bulging. Dark rings marked the flesh around them, particularly their undersides. As if that wasn't horrific enough, the yellow filly's lips were pulled up in a taut sneer, and peeled back to reveal her slightly misaligned teeth up to her gums. Reduced nostrils made breathing through her nose a mite difficult, and as such Fluttershy had turned into a habitual mouth-breather, which did nothing good for her throat, and found her voice often taking on a rasp or gargle or some other horrific quality. Finally, her face was quite gaunt, as if she were made of wax and left out in the sun a bit too long. It was a face that belonged to a mass-murdering maniac and drug fiend, not the gentle, nature-loving little filly she was.

Old Tock had heard about such creatures in Equestria, that despite the national commitment to the principles of harmony, there were still those born with a heart of darkness. They were thankfully not common, but where they turned up, they inspired fear and oppression through violence and intimidation. This filly, no doubt, was one such creature. Who knows what kind of carnage she had caused other ponies, even at her young age with no cutie mark.

"Y-You can't fool me! I may be from the sticks, but I know trouble when I see it!" Old Tock shrieked behind him as he felt renewed vigor flow through his veins in a gallop. "You punk!" came a last insult from the old pony.

Fluttershy stared after the old pony as he half-ran, half-flew away from her, making best speed. Ah, it's happened again. And all I wanted to do was help out, thought the yellow filly with the horrible face. She let out a breath, rasping through her perpetual sneer. They all say they can see through me, but I have nothing to hide. I guess this world is full of suspicious ponies. A glance at a nearby clock tower revealed her lateness. "Oh my goodness! I have to hurry!"

—/—

"'Fluttershy'? Is she really that good a student? Transferring in this late is highly irregular," said Charlie Horse, one of the PE instructors at Cloudsdale Flight School. He was a robustly built brown-coated pegasus stallion with short-cut mane and tail, with a running pony cutie mark. A green whistle hung down from around his neck.

The old grey-coated stallion with a book cutie mark, Principal Cheerful Sign, chuckled. "Irregular as it is, this filly comes with the most glowing of recommendations from her previous school, Cumulopolis Academy. Her report card is magnificent. And she has a nice name, as well."

Charlie inspected the papers, spotting the blank spot where the transfer student's picture should be. "Too bad they couldn't send a picture of her."

"They must have been in a hurry. No matter. We'll get a look at her soon enough."

A knock came from the door.

"Ah, that must be her now," declared Cheerful, "Come on in!"

The door opened, and the pale yellow pegasus stepped in. Her pink hair was flopped over the right side of her face. "Please... forgive me... for being late," she wheezed, her throat slightly sore and voice raspy from her heavy breathing. She had to run harder than she was used to in making up for lost time, and ran out of breath what seemed like ages ago.

Cheerful and Charlie recoiled in horror, sending chairs clattering to the ground as they stumbled over them. Cheerful in particular whinnied in fright, before regaining a measure of wits in self-assured righteousness. "Who are you?!" he demanded, "Don't you know this is a principal's office, you troublemaker!"

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. "Um. I'm... I'm Fluttershy... I'm the student transferring in today," she stammered, tucking her head in slightly.

"DO NOT LIE TO ME!!" roared the principal. "Is that the face of someone with a gentle name and exemplary grades and character?! You are not Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy was confused. She had been often told that her face was quite distinctive and unmistakable. Had her previous school forgotten to attach a picture to her papers?

"See here! You might be lucky that they didn't send a photograph but that doesn't mean I believe you! Not for one second!" continued the principal.

Ah, of course they did. Those silly administrators, thought Fluttershy sadly.

"Now, now, Cheerful! She's done nothing wrong as yet. Do you have any identification, Fluttershy?"

Ah, good thing I was planning to drop by the bird sanctuary later today, Fluttershy thought, her grin widening. "I have this membership card from the bird sanctuary," she said, pulling the photo card out of her saddlebag.

Cheerful took her widening leer completely the wrong way. "HA! You were planning to sadistically butcher birds there, you sicko!" bellowed Cheerful, pointing a shaking, accusatory hoof at her.

"Principal Sign, calm yourself! Let's see that card." Charlie cradled the card on his outstretched hoof and examined it up close. Sure enough, it was a photo ID, and it showed Fluttershy having her current terrifying mug. "Well, if this pony isn't Fluttershy, then it is a very elaborate deception. Too elaborate for a filly."

"Charlie! Don't tell me that you believe this hooligan!" spewed Cheerful Sign. "I haven't lived fifty years without knowing that's the face of a villain!"

Charlie shook his head; there was no point arguing with Cheerful Sign at this point. "Come, Fluttershy. I'll show you to your class."

"Thank you, sir," said the strange pony quietly as she followed him out the door.

As soon as the door latched, Cheerful Sign collapsed to the floor. "What could have happened at Cumulopolis Academy to be that desperate to get rid of her?"

—/—

"I'm sorry about him. The principal is very quick to judge by appearances," said Charlie as they walked the cloud-constructed hallway of Cloudsdale Flight School.

Fluttershy looked at Charlie with the bravest face she could (which still looked terrifying). "Please don't worry. I'm used to it. It's always been this way," she said, sadness creeping into her voice. She turned away, continuing ahead, "I just want to get along with everypony, but everypony... keeps running away..." The both of them stopped, as the sounds of sobbing came from her bowed head.

I see. Her face must have been causing her grief her entire life. I see now she's actually a sweet pony. I'll do my best to support her from now on, thought Charlie Horse. "Fluttershy..." he began. Charlie reached out to rub her shoulder to comfort her, but jumped back before he was able to make contact. She's scary even when she's crying! he thought, recalling the brief glimpse of her tearstained face.

—/—

And so, introductions began for our angel-hearted, devil-faced friend.

"We have a new student joining our class today. This is Fluttershy. Everyone please treat her nicely," Charlie Horse said to his class.

Fluttershy's eyes were aglow with anticipation. Okay, I have to let them know I'm not a bad pony! Then she began to speak, her voice a bit tight with nervousness and hope, "I'm Fluttershy. My face may look like this, but underneath I'm shy and timid, and I love animals." Fluttershy widened her grin to what she hoped would radiate friendliness. "I hope we can all get along."

If she could hear the thoughts of the students, she would have known that her plan hadn't gone over so well.

She's scary!

She's not messin' around!

She must have supreme confidence in herself if she can tell everyone she's shy and timid.

What does she mean she 'loves animals'? As a meal?

That face. It's freaky.

You'd think that a pony like her would be embarrassed by the name 'Fluttershy' and make up a pseudonym. She must be doubly confident in herself.

'Get along' must be code for 'you will be obedient under pain of pain.'

I think I just wet myself!

Fluttershy sat herself at her desk, one in back next to the row of windows to the outside. She was almost giddy with anticipation. I think that went well! Wouldn't it be great if ponies could come introduce themselves so I can get to know them before class?

Her hope was in vain. Nopony dared move from their seat. She'll kill me if I move first! was the gist of every student in the room.

—/—

First period could not arrive soon enough for the ponies of Fluttershy's class, if only that it would be over sooner.

"Good morning, everypony! First period is Equestrian Literature!" shouted Cheeraloo as she burst into the classroom on a cloud of unbridled energy. Cheeraloo was a grape-purple pegasus pony with violet and white streaked mane and tail, and a cutie mark with a single laughing flower. "Let's have lots of fun today!" she concluded her greeting with completely useless energy.

Instead of the usual din of greetings and eager anticipation that usually greeted her, she was met with dead silence. This stilled her cheerful routine quite quickly. Huh? thought the perturbed extrovert, Normally, I'm a popular teacher because of my sunny personality. Oh well, I'll just bring them in with my Pony Relationship Special Talent, like always. "Oh, that's right! We're supposed to have a new transfer student today. I wonder where she is?" she asked.

The majority of the students in class were united in their silent admonishment of the teacher who was courting death.

Y... you ditz!
Leave it alone! Just leave it!
You're messing with forces beyond your ken!
You wanna die young, you dippy teacher?!

Cheeraloo, oblivious to the concerns of her students, took a glance at the seating chart. "Let's see, the back window seat..." she murmured, looking up toward said seat.

Upon seeing the frightful filly, Cheeraloo whinnied and reared back, pressing her back against the blackboard instinctively to get as far as possible from this frightful vision. Discordant thoughts raced through her head, W-Who is that?! Mr. Horse said she was supposed to be a model student, but she looks more like a model thug. B... but I will not falter! Even bad ponies fall sway to my sense of humor! She calmed herself, recovering a proper equine posture, and prepared to win the troublesome new student over. "So your name is Fluttershy. Such a gentle name. I'm Cheeraloo, from right here in Cloudsdale," she said, all friendly-like. "Where'd you flutter in from, Fluttershy?" Cheeraloo asked, turning her inquiry of the new student's origins into a joke — to which she laughed loudly, just to let everypony know it was funny.

It seemed her student's didn't think it was so funny, as dead silence answered her. Instead, their faces and thoughts were filled with fear:

You dummy!
You put your hoof right in the stinky stuff!
You're out of your gourd!

Cheeraloo let out a nervous laugh, realizing her joke fell completely flat. "Ah ha ha ha... I guess I was reaching way too far for that one," she laughed nervously and contritely.

They came to be aware of a gurgling jog of almost-laughter. With a growing knot of fear in her stomach, Cheeraloo came to the realization that it was coming from the new student. That almost-laugh also drew the attention of the other students.

Fluttershy's face was tensed up in what looked like a hideous scowl, stretched tighter than a skin on a tanning stretcher. Her leer was stretched tightest of all. "That was a very funny joke! You're a fun pony... Ms. Cheeraloo," she said through her horrifying laughter and that tight mouth, which doesn't do anything for making one's voice sound comforting or congenial.

Cheeraloo's pupils shrunk to pinpricks as the terror fully descended upon her. Letting out a scream, she flattened herself against the blackboard again. "I'm... I'm sorry!" she pleaded, "Please forgive me! I didn't mean anything by it! I just wanted to ease the tension!" She fell to all fours, kowtowing at the head of the class, begging in a pathetic, blubbering squeal, "Please! Don't kill me! I have a foal and a husband and—" She continued her breakdown, but this account will stop there.

Fluttershy was made uneasy by the teacher's fit and the horrified looks of the other students. But... I really did think it was funny! thought the puzzled devil-faced filly.

—/—

As the bell signaling the end of the school day rang, behind the school, three older pegasi were gathered in an impromptu meeting. All three were notorious pranksters, establishing their dominance not through violence, but through fun, games, and especially pranks. The first was a snow white pegasus with poofy yellow mane and tail and a trio of purple balloons as a cutie mark. "So, did you hear about the meanie mean pants that just transfered in from Cumulopolis Academy?" asked Surprise.

The pink-coated, blue haired pegasus with three blue lightning bolts for a cutie mark was none other than Firefly, the self-proclaimed hardest-core daredevil of the school. She was a part of this group because she had a penchant for pranks like Surprise. "Yeah. She silenced Mr. Horse's homeroom class and scared the whatnot out of Cheeraloo this morning, just from her evil eyes!" said the spunky filly, "She's MAD-scary!"

"Hushing a whole class with just a look isn't something to scoff at, but it's a meanie pants thing to do. For the peace of the school, we got to prank her to show her that laughter is superior to pouty-scary scowling face!" Surprise shot back. "No matter how scary she is, we gotta pay her a visit."

The red-coated filly was Firecracker. She was a filly with a short, straight black mane and a constellation of points that traced out a flower as a cutie mark, indicating she was a pony with a talent in pyrotechnics. It was a skill that proved useful in pranks, for loud noises had the tendency to surprise equines. "Yeah, with all three of us, the Trickster Queens, we'll definitely get her to lighten up," she agreed.

The white pegasus snorted with a grin, "Yeah, we'll definilutely turn that frown upside down!" She turned her head upside down in illustration, then all but dove into a pile of party favors, murmuring about her preparations.

Firefly eyed her colleague, "'Definilutely'? Is that even a word?"

"Like Surprise cares," Firecracker shrugged.

—/—

Nopony had moved since the sound of the end of day bell. Fluttershy waited politely for others to leave first, but with the advancing time, she had a growing suspicion what the problem was. Abruptly, she left her seat and walked out of the room.

"She left."

"Toilet, maybe?"

"She won't be back, right?"

A collective sigh whispered through the classroom, and the thick tension in the air faded.

"Man, I was petrified the whole day!" sighed Record Time, a brown on brown pegasus colt with an hourglass cutie mark.

"That was terrifying," moaned Cloud Kicker.

"It felt like she could explode at any moment," added Drizzle.

Several others laughed. "I'm just happy to be alive!" exclaimed Opal Water.

Just outside the door, Fluttershy was listening in on the conversation. Seems I was right. It was my fault everyone was so quiet, she thought sadly, Nuts. I tried so hard to introduce myself, too... Fluttershy sighed mentally. It's not that I feel bad about being feared and hated (though I actually do feel bad about that), more at the fact that the entire class was gloomy because of the dark cloud I bring everywhere.

A few feet away, three pegasi came upon room 1G. They saw a yellow pegasus filly facing away from them, lurking around the door.

"There's a filly I don't recognize in front of Mr. Horse's homeroom class," whispered Firefly.

"It must be the new pony," agreed Firecracker.

Surprise grinned in anticipation. "First impressions are important! Seize the initiative! This ambush will show her who's boss!" She put her hooves on the fully-loaded party cannon and wheeled it forward. "Quietly, quietly..." she whispered, licking her lips. Surprise stopped just short of Fluttershy, took up the lighted taper and brought it slowly down on the touchhole. True, firing a party-cannon from this range to throw whipped cream onto the new pony was a bit mean, but it would establish their dominance and hopefully break any spell of intimidation she had over the class.

Fluttershy thought she heard something transpiring behind her, so she turned around. Her eyes fell upon a white pegasus with poofy hair failing to bring a lighted taper down on a cannon's flashpan.

Surprise froze in surprise as soon as Fluttershy's face came into view. Behind her, Firefly and Firecracker also froze. Eyes wide with fear, pupils reflexively almost closing altogether, they stood frozen in position for a moment by the medusa's glare, before breaking out of the glare a moment later.

"HYAA!!!" screamed Firecracker, the first to regain her wits (such as they were) and run away from the danger.

"EEEE! RETREAT! RUN FOR IT! RUN AWAYYYY!" Surprise shrieked, dropping the taper and galloped away, pumping her wings as fast as she could to add speed.

"WAAAHHH!! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!!" wailed Firefly as she brought up the rear.

Fluttershy blinked in confusion. I wonder what that was all about, she thought earnestly. Her confusion overwhelming her, she absently stamped out the lighted taper before its flames could spread. She looked down to see the long barrel of a cast iron cannon just besides her. Is that a party-cannon? Those can be dangerous, plus it clutters the hallway. I'd better return it to them. With that, she started pushing it down the hall before her.

—/—

Back in their usual meeting spot, the three pranksters were having a heated discussion concerning the new pony. "Did you see her eyes?! She's WHACK! It looked like she'd take out everything in her path!" Firefly babbled, almost frantic with fright.

Surprise's teeth were chattering together. "M-M-Mother of Celestia, that face!"

"We'd have been turned to glue if we had stayed!" bemoaned Firecracker.

Firefly frowned, the sick feeling churning in her stomach. "I think it's even worse than that. If my intuition is right, she's a dope fiend!" she announced gravely. "That gaunt face and bags under the eyes. Classic case of heroin abuse."

"What? Heroin? The devil's brew of the poppy pod?" gasped Firecracker.

"Cripes! She's bad news!" Surprise shouted, wild-eyed and worried. "Let's not do anything to her for now, 'kay?"

"Agreed!" shouted Firecracker.

"Darn right!" Firefly squeaked, swallowing a great gulp of fear.

—/—

Fluttershy finally managed to push the party-cannon out of the school building. Wiping her brow from the exertion, she was rewarded with the sight of the beautiful warm colors of the sunset. "What a pretty sunset," she sighed, basking in the final light of the day. "It's too bad that I couldn't make any friends today, but seeing the beauty in the clouds and sky, especially during this time, gives me new hope." Her smile tightened in sincere optimism. "I'm certain there will come a day when everyone will understand me for who I am." Louder, she called out to the waiting sky, "Thank you, sky, the sun, the clouds, and the great earth. Thanks to all of you, I can live in happiness."

Around the corner, Firecracker was listening to this exchange. To her, it sounded bizarre. "What's she talking about? Wait! Is that our party-cannon?"

Fluttershy seemed to notice the cannon then, too. "I know! After I return this cannon, I can pay the campus flower bed a favor and say hello!" She started pushing the party-cannon before her, in search of various objectives.

Firecracker flew back to the meeting spot post-haste to report what she had seen.

—/—

"So she was talking to no one?" asked Firefly.

"That's right. Some junk about flowers and happiness," replied Firecracker.

Firefly bit her hoof nervously. "This is bad. I've heard about that demon brew, heroin. Her supply must be drying up. They sound like withdrawal symptoms," she explained, "Addicts in withdrawal are the most dangerous! They're WHACK and may be prone to lashing out at random strangers!"

Before this fact could fully sink in, Firecracker piped up with more bad news. "Oh, shoot! There's something else! She had our party-cannon with her!"

"What?!" Surprise yelped.

"She was murmuring something about returning the favor!"

*DUN DUN DUNNNN!*

Surprise gasped. "Oh road apples! She got a good look at us when we were about to prank her, didn't she?! She's coming for us!"

Firecracker looked around nervously. "When she does, then we run, right?"

Surprise took a few deep breaths, calming herself. Once she regained her mental position as the Empress of Pranks, she said with a smile, "Now, now. Maybe not. We just have to prank her, but hard! That'll do what we originally planned." Her smile was widening as her pep talk worked as well on herself as on her companions. "Firecracker, Firefly, and me, Surprise, are the Trickster Queens of Cloudsdale Flight School! Together, there's no prank we can't pull off! The three of us are the strongest punking team ever!"

Firefly smiled, feeling her confidence grow. "You're right, Surprise!"

Surprise now began to rub her hooves together, her grin wide and devious. "I'm actually excited! This is the first time thinking of pranking someone has made me feel so happy!" She threw her hooves out and bellowed, "I will never be afraid again!"

[RIP Tomoe Mami]

A chill cascaded down Surprise's spine as she felt as if she'd trodden on somepony's (?) grave, or tripped over a death flag. She looked up, down the small alleyway that formed the secluded corner of their meeting place. At the far end of the alley stood Fluttershy, standing over the party-cannon. Once again, the three were frozen in fear.

Fluttershy saw the trio who had brought the cannon. Oh! There they are! she thought, her leer spreading as her elation at finding this cannon's rightful owners grew, Now I can return this cannon. With that, she started pushing the cannon forward, pointed straight at them.

Surprise gasped in shock. "Wha—! Why is she here, now?!" Hooves clamped her head in dispair. "I'm not ready! I'm nowhere near ready!" she shrieked.

"We're deep in the cow flop now!" Firefly wailed.

Fluttershy knew that pushing an unwieldy object such as a cannon was not a task to be taken lightly, or fast. She carefully pushed the heavy iron cannon along, slowly advancing towards the trio. Things seemed to be going well for about two feet, the cannon's wheels squeaking along as she slowly and cautiously pushed the iron cannon closer to the trio.

Then bad luck struck. Fluttershy tripped over a stone cloud. Her trip caused her to stumble forward. With her balance lost, she kicked her back legs to keep herself and the cannon from crashing to the ground in front of her and sending her tumbling onto the hard cloud street. Unfortunately, she was unable to use her frantic kicking to right herself; the cannon's weight had her stubbornly pulled forward, which induced her to kick more to keep her from falling, which propelled the cannon faster, which pulled her more off balance. It was a vicious cycle, and the two picked up speed as they thundered down the alleyway.

Fluttershy let out an inarticulate screech of her helplessness, "KIEEEEEE!!!"

"WAAAHHH!! I DON' WANNA DIE!!" screamed Surprise, as she realized too late that the cannon was headed straight for her.

*KA-CRASH!*

Fluttershy found her nose smacking into the cannon's barrel, drawing blood in a nosebleed. "Owwie!" moaned the yellow pegasus whose face just became a little more scary, if that were possible. She examined her hooftiwork.

Oh my goodness!

Surprise's head was pinched between the party-cannon's muzzle and the cloudy retaining wall of the school, deep cracks running in rays originating from behind Surprise's head. The rest of Surprise hung limply by the neck below the muzzle, swaying in the wind. The other two pegasi were sprawled on both sides, just staring agape in shock at the carnage that had been wrought.

[Charlotte wins!]

What have I done?! I've done something horrible to a complete stranger! thought Fluttershy as she realized her error. They're going to be so very mad at me!

"WE SURRENDER!!" squealed the two other pegasi as they prostrated themselves before Fluttershy.

"Huh?"

"WE WILL NO LONGER PRANK OR OPPOSE YOU!!" Firefly shouted, still prostrating.

"Oh no! I should be the one apologizing," Fluttershy began.

"YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU LIKE WITH SURPRISE, BUT I BEG YOU TO SPARE US!!"

Oh dear, thought Fluttershy. It was just a mistake, but it doesn't seem that they're listening.

Fluttershy meekly rolled back the cannon from Surprise's face. Now free of the cannon's muzzle and the wall, Surprise flopped to the cloud surface with eyes all a-twisty and a wicked bruise around her face. "B'duh!" she groaned.

—/—

After getting poor Surprise to the nurse's office, Fluttershy decided she had had enough for one day. It was time for her original plan to visit the cute birdies at the sanctuary. But that thought reminded her that she had left her membership card with the principal. Oh my! I nearly forgot about that! thought the yellow pegasus, The ponies at the bird sanctuary know me, but it would be troublesome if I lost my membership card.

Meanwhile, in Cheerful Sign's office, the principal was regarding the membership card with the ugly mug of Fluttershy staring at him, mocking him even though it was only a picture. "What could have happened to her to change her so?" he mused while studying the photograph. "Maybe drugs?" His face screwed up and he shed a single stallionly tear. "Such a tragedy to befall her! But tragedy or no, she has turned into a different pony, rotten to the core. I must defend my school against her wickedness."

A knock at the door announced the arrival of a student. "Come," Cheerful said absently.

The door creaked open, and the unforgettable face of Fluttershy peeked through. "Excuse me, sir, but my ID," she began, walking towards the principal's desk.

Cheerful Sign choked and then leapt up to point an accusatory hoof at her once more. "You again! Are you going to make more trouble at my school?!" he demanded of her.

Fluttershy was a bit flustered at his behavior. "B-But it's mine," she protested, matter of factly. The ponies at the sanctuary trust me enough to give me that card. How can I simply leave it behind?

Fluttershy stepped forward, then leaned over to grasp her membership card in her mouth. She took a moment to return it to her saddlebag, then turned around, walking toward the door. Upon opening the door to leave, she turned to face Cheerful Sign. Widening her smile in misplaced friendliness, she said, "Thank you for taking care of it. It would be... troublesome if you had lost it." She slipped through the door, closing it behind her.

"She's the nightmare herself! Nightmare Moon herself has infiltrated my school!" whimpered Cheerful Sign, just after collapsing to the ground in fear. He then realized what words had escaped his lips and steeled himself. "NO! I will not just hand over this school to her! I must do something!" Cheerful flipped open his trusty contact book and started looking for somepony to rescue him from his impossible situation.

—/—

The teachers were overjoyed to hear that Surprise, Firefly and Firecracker were out of the pranking business for the foreseeable future, and Surprise was recovering nicely from being at the wrong end of a runaway party-cannon. None of this would be any comfort to Fluttershy, as the next day she found herself in the middle of the school rumor mill.

"Did you hear? Fluttershy's already taken out the Trickster Queens!"

"You're pulling my leg! No, two of them! Right?"

"She's crushing students from day one!"

"I knew she wasn't messing around."

"The former Queens don't dare make a move against her will."

"She's crazy-scary, dude!"

In her corner, Fluttershy was full of confusion. My image is shaping up to be quite... spectacular, and not in a good way, she thought, almost in despair. I wonder what I did wrong.

END CHAPTER 1.

If there is a hell, I'm definitely headed there — to a special place in it just for me, for inflicting a face like Seiichirō Kitano's onto poor Fluttershy. Probably filled with Flutterages screaming "LOVE ME!!" into my ears for all eternity.

Oh well. Next up: Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 2: Rainbow Dash

Celestia's sun set, and thereafter followed the moon to begin the night. Tales of long ago stated that the Princess Celestia had once a sister who shared this task of changing day to night, with Celestia in charge of the sun and daytime sky, and her sister ruling the moon and stars. Few remember this tale, but less than a lifetime remained before a prophesy would be fulfilled to bring that sister back in the form of Nightmare Moon. But that was still some years away.

"Star light, star bright.
First star I see tonight.
Wish I may, wish I might.
Have this wish I wish tonight."

Here, in the magical land of Equestria, a yellow-coated pegasus filly was born with a serenely honest and simple heart...

"Dear evening star, I wish for peace in Equestria and goodwill toward all beings."

...but her face was terrifying.

"It's been a week now, and I still don't have any friends in class. It seems to get quiet when I walk into the classroom, as always," sighed Fluttershy in exasperation, the dark bags under her eyes pronounced by her impeding need to sleep.

"I probably should have wished for a friend, instead," she mused, briefly playing with the idea. She did not hold that thought for long, as she shook her head a moment later. "No, peace and goodwill are more important, and I should not waste such a self-centered wish on the first stars out.

"There are more stars out now, though. I'll use one of the smaller ones for my personal wish," she said aloud, pressing her hooves together once more. With a quiet, pleading voice, she made her wish for her own: "Please, little star, listen to my wish. Please let me make a friend in class." Up above, the star she had singled out twinkled brightly. "Ah, that star just twinkled!" she said excitedly. "Maybe it heard my wish. I feel like something good will happen tomorrow!"

—/—

Despite her feelings the previous night, that was last night. As the time grew nearer, the feeling of trepidation of her wish began to weigh heavily on the yellow pegasus's back, along with her saddlebags. Goodness, I'm depressed now. The instant I walk in, silence will choke the class, like always.

She was about to open the door, when a recognizable voice floated from behind it. "This is about the time Fluttershy comes," announced Record Time. "You know, for a bad pony, she sure doesn't skip class or show up late."

"I swear, my nerves are shot with her being here every hour of every day." That was Cloud Kicker.

There were murmurings of agreement, but after those agreements were over, another voice added its opinion. "But is Fluttershy really a bad pony?"

Fluttershy recognized that voice! It was Derpy Hooves, the grey filly with the eyes that sometimes had problems fixing on one target. While she was pretty defective herself, it was hard to be afraid of an innocent face with goggly eyes.

Derpy continued, and Fluttershy hung on her every word, "Everyone says she's evil or a thug because of her face, but she seems very ernest to me."

"The cloud are you talking about?" the pegasus colt called Record Time asked in confusion, "She's not nice."

"But she's never blown her stack or anything."

"That's because she was not in a bad mood," replied the brown pegasus colt. "I think you're just sympathizing because your eyes are all goofed up."

Fluttershy could almost imagine Derpy's face scrunch up with indignation at that. It made her giggle slightly. "Leave my eyes out of it! I just don't see Fluttershy as bad. I think she's really a nice pony."

Oh... that star really did hear my wish! A warm tingling was buzzing along her hooves.

"Nope. Bad pony," said Record Time, casually and without hesitation.

"100% pure and total evil. Absolutely and definitely," Cloud Kicker agreed.

When Derpy spoke again, there was a fire in her voice. "You're all horrible!" she said angrily, "Today, I'm going to say hello to Fluttershy! Just you watch!" With that, she grabbed the door handle and flung open the door in frustrated anger... to reveal Fluttershy standing just behind it.

Her face, glowing in all of its horribleness, was twitching alarmingly, as if she were in a nasty mood. In truth, it was because of the intense feeling of her possibly maybe acquiring a friend that caused this expression. But her eagerness seemed to have negated her chance, for it startled poor Derpy Hooves so much that she let out a scream of terror. She backed up and curled into a small fetal ball of whimpering, sobbing wretchedness as Record Time consoled her.

Fluttershy's wish to the star was in vain.

—/—

In the Trickster Queens' meeting place behind the school building, Firefly and Firecracker moped. "Man, we've been in a slump since that Fluttershy filly crushed Surprise," Firefly murmured.

"No kidding," Firecracker agreed. "That psycho means business. You saw how casually she took out Surprise. And that was for a rather harmless (if a bit mean) prank that we didn't even get a chance to pull off."

A moment of silence passed between them. "Well, it could be worse. Rainbow Dash coulda seen it and be lording it over us right now. That filly's way too big for her britches," Firefly said aloud.

"What does that expression even mean, anyway?"

Firecracker looked up at the sudden, unexpected voice. "Well, speak of the schmooze. Hi, Rainbow Dash," she said in greeting.

The cerulean pegasus pony, with her mane and tail naturally streaked with the colors of the rainbow and swaying in the breeze, grinned at the two, but especially at Firefly. "Heya, Cheap Knock-Off!" she said teasingly to the pink-coated pegasus.

Firefly bristled at the tease. "Stop calling me that, Spectrum Butt!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Is that the best you could come up with? Surprise could manage much better cut downs than that, not that they'd be very good." The mention of Surprise's name brought her in a clean segue to that pony, or more properly, her absence. "Where is Balloon Butt, anyway?" Dash asked, glancing about.

In answer, Firecracker pointed at the still-fractured wall. "Laid up. Met with the wrong end of a party cannon. She'll be back on her feet soon, though," she said, strongly implying that the crack in the wall had quite a lot to do with it. "Your suspension ended today, I take it."

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Yep. You know how it is. Ya pull off the second coolest stunt known to ponykind, and somepony's in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets himself hurt. Kind of a drag," said the rainbow-maned pony.

Firefly blinked. "Doncha feel sorry for the teacher?" she asked seriously.

Dash stiffened. "A bit," she admitted, "but it wasn't serious, so I really don't get why I was suspended over it. So, anything other than Surprise's losing argument with a cannon?"

Firecracker almost didn't say anything, but figured Dashie deserved a heads up. "Just one other thing, actually. A new student showed up and scared the fertilizer out of Cheeraloo." Firecracker shuddered involuntarily, recalling the cannon incident. "Her name's Fluttershy, and she's a right nasty one. They're calling her 'the Nightmare Filly!'"

"'The Nightmare Filly', huh?" said Rainbow Dash with a lopsided grin, "Sounds dangerous. And unstable, if Cheeraloo wasn't able to calm her."

Firefly jumped up, wild-eyed. "She is! First day here she crushed us!" the pink-coated senior said to the first year. "That filly's the top pony of the school now!"

A cocky grin spread across Rainbow Dash's face. "Top pony, huh? Not if I can help it." With that, Rainbow Dash turned around and walked cooly from the alleyway.

Firecracker turned to Firefly. "Wouldn't knowing which class she's in help?"

"Don't worry 'bout that. She's in class 1G, too."

—/—

The bell for the between-class break sounded, and as usual, class 1G —Fluttershy's class— was silent and still. This unnerved the yellow filly, who jumped out of her seat and left for the break. Just outside the door, Fluttershy listened for signs of life returning to the class, but heard nothing. Nuts. It's break time, but everypony's frozen to their seats, it seems. They got acclimated to that quicker than I hoped. She turned to trot down the hall. If this keeps going on, I'll never have any friends.

A few seconds after she had turned the corner, a new set of hooves stepped into the hallway and up to the classroom door. Rainbow Dash threw open the door with a small slam, drawing the attention of everypony in the class.

"Who's that?" Cloud Kicker asked.

"It's Rainbow Dash. She's in our class," Derpy answered.

Record Time blinked at the name. It didn't sound familiar at all. "Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

Sky Dream broke in. "You remember! The filly who pulled that stupid aerial stunt that hurt Mr. Windwright her first day and got suspended for it."

Record Time blinked again. "Oh, her," he said, finally recognizing the name.

A loud shriek of a chair-leg scraping against the floor announced that the filly in question had chosen a seat. A glance in her direction revealed that Rainbow Dash had chosen the seat on the last row, next to the window. Gasps of shock filled the room.

"She... She's sitting in Fluttershy's seat!"

"She doesn't know! She was on suspension when Fluttershy came!"

"Sheesh, somepony tell her before she gets butchered by that maniac!"

For her part, Rainbow Dash wasn't paying much attention to the content of the whispers surrounding her, and thus hadn't quite picked up on the fact that they were fearing for her safety. Oh, yeah! Bask in my awesomeness, suckers! For I'm always going to be 20% cooler than any of you are for pulling off the highly-illegal Glittering Starburst! she thought with not undeserved complacency. Realizing her thoughts, she walked them back a bit, Okay, Mr. Windright got hurt for my foalishness, but that still doesn't dismiss the fact that I performed the most spectacular stunt second only to the Sonic Rainboom! Her smugness returned. And I'll soon be the young mare who put the Nightmare Filly in her place!

Cloud Kicker stepped up to Rainbow Dash. "Excuse me, but that isn't your seat. You seriously should move," she whispered.

Rainbow Dash frowned. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"What's with the attitude?" asked the filly testily. "I'm only doing this for your safety! You could be hurt if you remain there!"

Now, that sounded strange to Rainbow Dash. While it was true she wasn't in her assigned seat, it usually caused only annoyance, not actual physical damage. "What's the big deal about sitting here?"

"That's the seat of the Nightmare Filly, Fluttershy!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes popped open in surprise. "What?" she squeaked. Did she say Fluttershy? She's in the same class as me?!

"We just don't want you to be turned into glue," came Cloud Kicker's quite offhand comment. Being 'turned into glue' was not the kind of expression that gets thrown around lightly in Equestria even as a jest, much less the serious implication that Cloud Kicker used it for.

Rainbow Dash looked around, seeing the faces of the students surrounding her. They were not staring at her in awe or admiration, but pity and sympathy. This was mega-weird for her: she was no hero(ine) here, just a foal sitting somewhere possibly only marginally less dangerous than under a fifteen tonne weight suspended from a burning cable.

Her frustration came out in a single burst. "No! Shut up! I'm not gonna run!" she insisted, then sat down huffily into Fluttershy's seat. "I may be a rebel, but I'll be tanned if I let some cheap punk run me out!"

Cloud Kicker looked like she were about to argue with her, but disengaged with a sigh. Whispers came from around the class.

"She doesn't understand."

"She's brave and foalish."

"This is gonna be a bloodbath."

Rainbow had to admit, that sort of talk made her more than a little nervous. Normal punk ponies don't incite normal, well-adjusted ponies to say that there was going to be ending of pony lives, even in jest or exaggeration. She, despite all of her delinquent behavior, wasn't one of the truly rotten apples in Equestria. Thankfully, those were few and far between.

The sound of hooffalls caused every pony to snap to attention.

Rainbow Dash whistled in admiration. Wow! She's got 'em well-trained.

The door opened, and the hooffalls came closer, then stopped just a few steps short of the desk Rainbow Dash occupied.

Seems the boss pony has arrived. Right, now to see what this Nightmare Filly looks like, the racing pony thought, and turned to face the mysterious young mare.

Rainbow Dash immediately wished she didn't, because the face staring back at her... well, she could now appreciate why ponies called Fluttershy the Nightmare Filly. Her face really looked like something out of somepony's nightmares. The way her brow was knitted together in a scowl above eyes made that face look like a bad taxidermy job as she glared at her, while her mouth remained a tight sneer.

Rainbow Dash's jaw flopped open, her pupils shrinking to points and her whole body breaking out in a nervous sweat. Her coat managed to become a touch paler blue, as well. Dear Sweet Celestia! She looks like she's on drugs!!

Meanwhile, Fluttershy's own mind was in turmoil. Oh, bother. This filly's in the wrong seat, she thought, staring at this strange newcomer. This is most inconvenient, but just telling her to move would be rude.

The two continued to stare at each other.

What am I going to do now? No matter what I say, it'll sound confrontational, thought Fluttershy, completely unaware that she was already being plenty confrontational.

Rainbow Dash steeled herself as she realized the stare contest had already begun. I'm not going to be stared down by some uppity filly with a bad face! Rainbow Dash will not lose this contest!

The stare 'contest' lasted a few more tense seconds.

How am I going to get out of this conundrum? Fluttershy thought worriedly.

Rainbow Dash started to shake at the demon face's unrelenting glare. My rep's on the line here! I can't afford to back down! thought the cerulean filly.

Maybe I should just let it go for now. It's just a seat, after all. With that, Fluttershy spoke at last, "Of course... you could stay there... if that's okay with you."

It should be noted that the stress of worry had made her voice tight and raspy.

Fluttershy's sudden hiss sent a flow of ice-cold water down Rainbow Dash's spine that broke her resolve cleanly over her own knee. Letting out a small cluck of frustration, she abandoned the seat and shuffled toward the door.

Fluttershy watched her leave, not moving from her spot besides her own desk. Ah. She left, she observed matter-of-factly. Even when I offered my seat to her, she abandoned it and walked out.

The thoughts of the students were of quite different.

Her glare is wicked!
Fluttershy— the filly who could kill in a glance.
She forced the filly who did the Glittering Starburst to abandon her seat.
What a freak.

I must have embarrassed her, calling attention to the fact that she was in the wrong seat all this time. It must have been super-awkward for her, Fluttershy reasoned, trying to understand what happened relative to her knowledge of interpony relationships, She might be self-conscious about it. I'd better apologize.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill was hard at work.

"This isn't over between those two."

"Yeah, she stared at Fluttershy way too long."

"Rainbow Dash just smacked a hornet's nest with a bat... if those hornets fired deadly bolts of steel out their abdomens."

Even though Fluttershy was vexed with only a small worry, rumors of the face-off between her and Rainbow Dash spread throughout the school.

—/—

Rainbow Dash moped at the top of the school building. She had lost the staredown contest utterly. But that face, it was horrifying. The more she thought about it, the more it was obvious to Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy had messed herself up but good with something illegal. Of all the true rotten apples in Equestria, she happened to sit on a truly putrid one.

Rainbow Dash knocked her head against the sturdy reinforced cloud column she'd been leaning against. "Cripes, I'm pathetic! I lost in a staring match to that yellow freakazoid!" she murmured. "Perhaps it's just as well. That filly is bad news."

"Hey, Spectrum Butt!" came the unexpected voice of Firefly.

Rainbow Dash turned around to face her senior and Firecracker. "Waddya want, Cheap Knock-Off?" she asked, annoyed at her interruption. She felt like stewing a bit more.

Firefly didn't even seem annoyed by that jab anymore. "I hear you had a little disagreement with Fluttershy," she pressed.

"What?! That only just happened!"

Firefly grinned. "Rumors spread faster than a rainboom, doncha know? Everyone in school knows about it," the pink filly pointed out. Her grin widened. "They say Fluttershy's gonna kill you!"

Rainbow Dash wasn't buying that. "Knock it off, Firefly! All I did was stare at her, and I was the one who broke it off!"

"She don't know that. She tried to kill Surprise, even though she didn't look into her eyes. That's why she's on leave," Firefly said casually, "Welp, hope she don't find you."

Rainbow Dash was truly disturbed by this news. Road apples! Not poor Surprise! All she does is silly pranks! No harm, no foul! she thought, her mind awhirl. That filly must be totally crackers! Sweet Celestia, I didn't count on this! What do I do?! Her thoughts now forced themselves out of her mouth. "A weapon! I haveta find a weapon to defend myself!" she said in a growing panic, "The kitchen! Plenty of things to fend off a madmare in there!" Realizing there wasn't a moment to lose, she galloped off to the school cafeteria to obtain a suitable means of defense.

—/—

Finding a large chef's knife in the kitchen, Rainbow Dash deemed it large enough to perhaps make the psycho-pony after her think twice about messing with her. She grabbed it up in her mouth and burst through the door and around a nearby corner. Whereupon she immediately proceeded to crash into another pony coming blindly around the corner in the opposite direction.

The knife flew out of her mouth as she grunted with the impact, making a loud clattering sound as it struck and rattled on the floor.

Rainbow Dash, nerves shot to hell long ago, snapped irritably at the other pony. "Hey! Watch where yer goin'!" A moment after these words left her mouth, too late to take them back, she realized who that other pony was.

It was Fluttershy, of course. "Ah... I found you," hissed the horrific pony.

"*gulp*" Dash swallowed reflexively out of fear. F-F-Fluttershy! Dangit! Instantly, she jumped and snatched up the knife that had fallen to the floor. "Sh... shtahy bahck, you mothehrbuhcker!" she slurred around the knife handle. The knife now had its blade pointed right, the same side as her upraised forehoof, both ready to strike.

Fluttershy stared at her for a long moment before a stream of tears came cascading down her cheeks. Rainbow Dash recoiled at this repulsive sight, wondering if the yellow pegasus filly was on the brink of a rampage. Meanwhile, these tears were from thoughts of a different sort rushing through Fluttershy's mind. Oh my goodness! She looks like she's going to slit her cannons! she realized in dread, This is worse than I feared! She's suicidal, and it's all my fault! The yellow pegasus threw herself at Rainbow Dash, eyes focused on grabbing the handle of the knife, all the while shouting a plea at Rainbow Dash to not take her own life.

Unfortunately, Fluttershy never had very good motor control of her mouth due to its tautness. As such, when she gets very stressed, she tends to become unintelligible. Here, for instance, as she lunged for the knife, she meant to scream, 'Rainbow Dash! Don't die!' Instead, all she managed was: "KIEEEEE!!! RIEBEEDAAIEEE! DANDAIIEEEEE!!!"

Yeah.

Unsurprisingly, Rainbow Dash completely misinterpreted Fluttershy's lunge and cry as proof positive that she was dealing with a psychopathic maniac and drug fiend in Fluttershy. She threw herself out of the way of the yellow pegasus's attack.

Oh no! I missed! thought Fluttershy with growing worry.

Isn't that maniac afraid of this big ol' knife?! Rainbow's mind reeled.

"KIEEEEE!!" screamed Fluttershy again, as she lunged again at the kitchen knife.

A scream gurgled in Dash's throat, her mouth occupied with a knife handle, and out of instinct, whipped her head wildly. A line burned across Fluttershy's face, from her right cheek, across her muzzle, over her left eye. Droplets of blood spilt from the fresh gash put in her face.

Rainbow Dash knew she was in big trouble now. She had thought the knife just as a means to keep Fluttershy at a distance, but now that she had drawn first blood, things had turned deadly serious. "GEFF AWAYF FRMM ME, YOU NUFF!" she screamed around the knife handle, meaning to say, 'Get away from me, you nut!' "GEFF AWAYF URR YULL GEFF MRRR!" 'Get away or you'll get more!'

Needless to say, Fluttershy understood none of this. What she did understand was Rainbow's posture was much different than before. She took the knife away from her cannons! As Fluttershy felt the blood burn down her face in oozing rivulets, her eyes steeled with determination. NOW!

Rainbow Dash froze, staring helplessly at the horrifying, bloodied visage of a demon-pony, her eyes burning with malice and that slasher leer stained with her own blood. Dash was scared nearly out of her mind.

Once more, Fluttershy lunged. Dash could only raise her hoof in sheer reflex, ragged screams blowing out of her nose unable to make it around her mouth. Meanwhile, Fluttershy let out a final scream of war (?) before clamping firmly onto the remainder of the knife handle, then wrenching her neck powerfully to send the tip of the blade into the wall with a firm and final thud.

Rainbow Dash gasped in fear and realization. The knife she had acquired was useless, as Fluttershy was still gripping it by the mouth. The bloodied filly reached up and placed her hoof on the butt of the handle, keeping force on it. Only then did she release the handle.

Fluttershy panted as she regained her breath and control over her speech and admired her hooftiwork. That was close. If things went a little different, that would have gone right through her cannon. She took a few more deep breaths. She had to be calm if she were to talk Rainbow Dash out of killing herself. "Don't be so quick to die. Life is a treasure." Her counseling wasn't as calm as she hoped, and there was a scary rasp to it.

Rainbow Dash knew then and there that there was no escape from this Fluttershy thug, and there was no reasoning with her. Her back knees gave out and her rump thumped to the floor as she stared at Fluttershy. At the back of her mind, she was thankful that she hadn't voided her bladder yet from the terrifying terror. Rainbow Dash knew exactly what she needed to do in order to save her hide. She could neither resist, nor run away, nor hide. Her only option was to submit.

Her cerulean head hit the floor with a thump, bowing to her as she would to royalty. "I'M SORRY!! I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN!! I OWE YOU MY LIFE!!" she pleaded, her voice a high squeal of fear.

Internally, Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief and joy. Thank goodness. Rainbow Dash is safe.

—/—

And so, Fluttershy earned her first friend at Cloudsdale Flight School that day.

"Outta the way! Make way for Fluttershy!" roared the cerulean pegasus as she stormed through the door just ahead of Fluttershy. She then turned to gesture at the seat. "After you, Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash was just a reckless flier before, but now she's gone full thug! thought various students in class. That Fluttershy... she's uncanny.

However, Fluttershy felt as if the distance between her and the other classmates had grown greatly.

END CHAPTER 2.

Field Goal

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 3: Field Goal

As the morning hours started with the rise of Celestia's sun, students from over Cloudsdale came by various routes. Some flew via the airways, being pegasi with the power of flight. Others came by way of the many streets and byways of Cloudsdale's municipal infrastructure. They all had one goal in mind, to attend the town's school for young pegasi, Cloudsdale Flight School.

Young Fluttershy was one to walk instead of fly to school, being both quite young and still getting used to her wings, and being clumsier and ganglier than most even in her own age group.

Some students chose to leave at the last possible second. Fluttershy was not one of these ponies, preferring her leisurely stroll and frequent stops to take in the scenery along the way. Such as the nature of Equestrian education: like the rest of the society, education proceeded at its own pace. This day, Fluttershy lay down by herself on the first row of a pair of benches under a gazebo, located in a nearby park, lost in her own little world. Behind her on the second row, a trio of big, tough forth years sat, taking up the space almost completely.

"Didja hear about the Queens? Some first year filly totally dominated the Empress and now the entire group's under that first year's hoof!" said one of them, name of Freeweights.

"Are you serious?" asked Mitts, incredulity clear in his voice.

"The richest part was that the first year had just transferred in that day!"

"Wow! That girl has some serious guts!"

Freeweights's face turned serious. "I hear she's hella dangerous. First, her face is scary. No eyebrows, sharp and insane eyes, and a hideous leer, just like something of the Nightmare!" Murmurs from his fellows prompted him to go on. "She's got a heart of darkness, to boot. She almost killed Surprise in dominating her that first day."

Gasps of disbelief were taken all around. "C'mon, she didn't really try to kill her, did she?" Bench Press laughed. "After all, the Queens are all about harmless pranks — more about counting coup than real force."

"No, no, you don't understand. They say she's a junkie. Heroin," Freeweights said in hushed tones.

"No foalin'? Heroin?!"

Freeweights had a mean grin on his face. "Ya gotta look out when she's high. Can't make any distinctions. Doesn't know friend from foe, good from bad. She'll really try to kill ya!"

The rest of the jocks had a thunderstruck look on their faces.

"I think it's just a bluff, though," laughed Freeweights, suddenly releasing the built-up tension.

Bench Press laughed with relief. "Yeah. Definitely a bluff. We're just students, yo!"

"This might be the perfect time to make our move, ya know," said Mitts, with a voice having designs on conspiracy. "Surprise is back, but still weak from her run-in with Fluttershy. It'll take a while for Fluttershy to consolidate her power base, so they're weak now. There's no better time for us to become the Kings of Cloudsdale Flight School."

Freeweights scratched his chin. "Ya might be right there, Mitts. I'll run it by Field Goal and Dumbbell before class."

It was about this time that another intruded upon their conversation. "Excuse me, young one, would you mind making room for an old mare like me to rest her bones?" asked a pure white and very aged pegasus mare.

"Eh? There's barely enough room for us," said Freeweights. Glancing at the front bench, he found only the small, yellow-coated filly sitting by her lonesome there. "Why not the front bench? Plenty of room there."

"Um..." the old nag mumbled nervously, "I... don't want to sit there, dearie."

"What?!" Freeweights growled.

"That's bird droppings, you old prune!" snapped Mitts, "If you don't wanna sit by a little filly, then stand!"

The old pegasus harumphed and stalked off, prompting Freeweights to snort, "The cloud's with these old folks anyway? They think that we'll respect that 'defer to your elders' junk if they abuse it?"

"H-hey, there's something strange going on! Look around!" said Bench Press nervously. They did so, and only then noticed that many ponies were sitting around on the 'grass', nervously giving them wide breadth, and with the yellow filly the only occupant of the forward bench, the others keeping a respectful distance from her. The jocks gave the lone filly a long, thoughtful stare. Then, giving each other a nod, they got up as a unit and gathered around the filly.

Here, in the magical land of Equestria, a yellow-coated pegasus filly named Fluttershy was born with the heart of an angel...

*JARRING CHORD*

...and the face of a demon.

All three jocks let out an involuntary shriek of fear, jumping back. Their thoughts fell into alignment at the sight of this filly, all thinking that they were looking at an incarnated demon.

"H-Hey! Don' start nuthin', punk! We're part of the Cloudsdale Flight School hoofball team, you know!" shouted Freeweights, although his voice betrayed a great nervousness.

Whispers of concern were traded amongst the onlookers.

"Those big jocks are in big danger!"

"That filly will murderize them!"

"Those colts are playing with fire!"

For her part, Fluttershy was not thinking anything violence-related at all. All she knew was that she had been brought out of her own little world when some big ponies suddenly started shouting at her for reasons she could not fathom. It was quite jarring. What are they talking about? I'm not starting anything. I'm just sitting here, minding my own business. Granted, she was a little bothered by the fact that they were obstructing her view, but felt it would be impolite to ask them to get out of the way, and the fact was, it was just a view.

Bench Press swallowed at the complete non-reaction. "She didn't even flinch when she heard we were on the team!"

"She's one tough cookie," Freeweights added, anxiety brewing in his stomach.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy's own thoughts continued on their merry way. Speaking of my own business, I think I may have dallied a bit too long here. If I don't hurry, I'll be late. Again! Fluttershy thought suddenly, realizing the time she had spent just admiring the view. Suddenly and without warning, she rose from her seat.

The three bigger, more athletic ponies jumped back a stride. "Y-You wanna fight?!" demanded Freeweights.

Fluttershy stepped purposefully towards them, as they happened to be between her and the school. What is he talking about? she thought, puzzled by their behavior. Aren't they going to go to school as well?

The jocks' thoughts were in disarray by this agressive-seeming approach. Wh... what's wrong with her?! Isn't she afraid of all three of us?! thought Freeweights. Then he thought of a frightening possibility. Oh cow pies! She's high, isn't she?! "W-We'll let you off easy this time!" he shouted, taking to the air along with the other jocks, "You haven't heard the last of us!"

Fluttershy blinked at the disappearing wing of pegasi, confused, but did not let that delay her prance towards the school. I'd wonder what that was all about, but I don't have time. ... Ooo! Billfold!

—/—

Cloudsdale Flight School was a campus of several school buildings carved from the very clouds of Equestria, as most pegasus buildings are. The campus had several buildings, the majority of which were auxiliary and small in comparison to the two main buildings dominating the place. The two main buildings held the classrooms, and the students segregated by year. The east building was for the lower years, and the west, the upper years.

The principal's office and the lower-year teachers' office were set out as an annex of the east building. Here, Principal Cheerful Sign watched his students file by his window as they made their way towards the entrances to both of the main buildings. Seeing their happy and energized faces filled his heart with hope and moved him to a monologue only he could hear, alone in his office. "Once more, my precious students come into my precious school. Such a bittersweet feeling, because I shall have to one day step down as principal," he mused to an empty office, "Polite, honest, upright. They're all wonderful younglings. Except for one." His face and thoughts turned dark at the thought of that one.

"She's coming!" came the shriek of one pack of students as they ran down the cloud-paved road.

A few moments later, that one little pony came into view: Fluttershy, her face as ghoulish as ever. Gah! Cheerful choked, and ducked behind a nearby wall for cover. His face twisted with anger as the thought of this student filled him with rage. It's Fluttershy! My school would be clean but for this blemish! Carefully, he inched closer to the window to keep macabre track of her progress towards his school. I feel as if three months are shaved off my life every time I look at her!

If there were any truth to it, another three months were just then robbed from Cheerful Sign, for Fluttershy had stopped to stare at the principal's window because she saw movement out the corner of her eye. Cheerful returned violently to his hidden position, lamenting his lost lifespan, while Fluttershy puzzled over what she had seen, or thought she had seen.

Meanwhile, as Fluttershy was deciding whether or not she had really seen something, a trio of figures were moving amongst the trees. "There she is. Let's go," came the clandestine voice from one of the shadows. The figures moved out of the surrounding trees, looping around to surround Fluttershy from all sides. The figures resolved themselves as Surprise, Firecracker, and Firefly.

"Oh, Surprise. Firefly. Firecracker," said Fluttershy in greeting, "Hello."

The three Tricksters saluted her, shouting very loudly, "GOOD MORNING, MS. FLUTTERSHY!"

"Huh?" blurted Fluttershy in confusion. True, she didn't mind being greeted every day by the trio (duo until Surprise got out of the hospital), but they did so a bit too loudly. Also, there was the other thing.

"ALLOW US TO CARRY YOUR BAGS!" they offered, just as loudly.

Yeah, that other thing. It made Fluttershy feel extremely awkward for this group that she did such wrong to to carry her saddlebags every day. Still, they offered, and she felt bad about turning them down. "I-if you don't mind..." she said timidly, lifting the saddlebags off her back.

"WE DON'T!" answered the trio immediately, taking them from Fluttershy and shouldering the burden together.

Fluttershy's smile widened in genuine gratefulness. It's so nice of those three to help me after what I did to their friend. Such sweet, forgiving, and generous ponies.

Meanwhile, the three Tricksters were soaked in a cold sweat. We're glue if we ruin her mood! thought Surprise.

Whispers hissed around her, beyond Fluttershy's ears.

"See? She got to the Trickster Queens!"

"You don't want to mess with her."

"The Filly of Death and Destruction: Fluttershy."

Meanwhile, in the office of Principal Cheerful Sign, said principal was coming to similar conclusions as he watched the four wander out of sight. "I see! The Trickster Queens have already come under her control! Does your evil know no end, you spawn of the Nightmare? You turned mere pranksters into your private army of thugs!"

—/—

Furniture in pegasi-built buildings were, if not made of clouds themselves, enchanted such that they would not go through the otherwise insubstantial cloud floors and walls, particularly the floors. Not only would the pegasus lose his furniture, but it would mean that he'd be responsible for whatever injury or destruction that furniture would cause on its way down.

Personal effects such as wallets and pens are similarly enchanted as a matter of course, should they come into a pegasus's possession. Not all items are done so, but every pegasus knows to look for the UL (Underwing's Laboratory) seal on any personal item they think about purchasing.

As the school bell rang, signaling the end of first period, Fluttershy contemplated the billfold she had found this morning (marked with the UL seal, it would be safely supported by any cloud construction). She had found it by happenstance as she glanced just the right way at the right time. The young pegasus had an uncontrollable urge to collect it, so she did. It was, after all, an uncontrollable urge.

But now the billfold was here, in front of her, seeming to taunt her by its very presence. Now that she had it, what now?

Fluttershy knew that there was only one answer. She needed to find some way to return it. She opened the billfold, to see that the pockets had hold the various cards that were part of the paraphernalia of a pegasus flight student's daily life. Within it, she found a card. 'Field Goal'. This must belong to him. Aha! He goes to this school. She thought about that fact. "I must pay Field Goal a visit, then, to return this," she murmured. She got up and left the classroom.

As she departed, whispers buzzed after her:

"Did you see that? She had a billfold!"

"So, she has a billfold? What's the big deal?"

"No! She uses a small green purse to keep her money and a blue card book for her cards and stuff! I saw them!"

"So the billfold is not hers?"

"She stole it, then!"

"I knew she was a bad pony!"

A pause.

"Do you know what she was talking about?"

"Something about paying Field Goal a visit."

"Isn't he the forth year captain of the school varsity hoofball team?"

"Wow, somepony's gonna die!"

—/—

Meanwhile, another drama ran its course. Field Goal, a big grey colt —almost a stallion— threw what could only be called a punch. His forehoof, having smacked into the side of Freeweights's face, lowered to the ground as Freeweights crumpled to the ground, dazed. "You pathetic nuggets of filth," he growled, glaring at the three smaller colts on his team, which was also his gang. "Was all that training to turn you into tough stallions and warriors a waste, like you are? You ran away from a filly who was approaching you with nothing more than a bad face. We, the senior varsity hoofball team, aren't going to take back the title of rulers of Cloudsdale Flight School with such pussy-willow members." He ground his hoof into the nebulous pavement for emphasis. "I guess I have to smash you down and start building you up all over again."

The three colts shuddered, their eyes wide and teary —puppy dog eyes— as if they would shield them from Field Goal's wrath. However, something did save them from a thrashing, that of the voice of Dumbbell, Field Goal's vice-captain and second in command of their gang. "Don't blame them. I heard that the lower years have a nasty piece of work just transfer in who terrorizes the east building, becoming the top pony of the school right out from under both the Trickster Queens and us," said the brown-coated pegasus colt. He was a bit smaller than Field Goal, with light brown mane and a dumbbells for a cutie mark.

"We couldn't take the Trickster Queens because of their wiles. We'd never get a straight fight out of them, only mercilessly pranked. Such a battle would only make us look like bumbling foals," came the dangerous rumble of Field Goal's voice as he reminded himself why they didn't simply physically dominate the Trickster Queens.

"But Fluttershy, the new filly who dominated the Queens, is of our kind: a pony who cements her power through intimidation and strength," Dumbbell picked up Field Goal's point. "We are at last on even keel with the top pony of the school. We're now able to beat them in the language we both understand: hoofticuffs." A sick grin spread across his face. "In addition, we get to be heroes — the ones who defeated the demon Fluttershy and her little spawnlings."

"I don't care about being a hero. All I care about is being respected," rumbled Field Goal dangerously.

"Of course," replied Dumbbell.

And that day, the varsity hoofball team, otherwise known as Field Goal's goons, declared war on Fluttershy and company.

—/—

At that moment, the first move in the war was taking place, albeit unwittingly. Fluttershy stood at the fountain that served as the common neutral ground between the two buildings. She was about to leave her own sphere of influence and enter the territory of Field Goal.

Not that she had any idea that either even existed.

"It's a big campus, and a big building. Even I can see that," mused Fluttershy, taking in the west building, which housed the upper years' students. "I'm way out of my element here. I don't even know where to begin! Goodness, I don't even know where the faculty offices are!"

Panic started to well up within her as she wandered the grounds. If she couldn't find anypony to help her, there was no way she could return the billfold.

"Hey, you're a first year. Your building is back there."

Fluttershy froze at the sudden voice behind her. A glance back revealed a brown-coated pegasus with a dumbbell for a cutie mark. Perhaps he could help her. "Do you..." she began, turning to face the stranger, "...know a pony named Field Goal?"

Dumbbell was treated to a slow turn and reveal of the pegasus filly's evil face, and he reacted by almost jumping out of his hide. "W-W-Who the cloud are you?!" he yelped with a bit of a stammer, almost choking on his shock, "W-What d-do you want with Captain F-Field Goal?!" He carefully stepped back, creeped out by the sneering visage of Fluttershy.

"I'm... Fluttershy, first year," Fluttershy said carefully, her head a little bowed in shyness. However, her bulging, beady eyes ringed with dark flesh made it appear as if she was glaring hungrily at who she was looking at.

Dumbbell almost swallowed his tongue in fright. Fluttershy?!This is the monster who crushed the Empress and took over as top pony of the school, all on the first day she transferred in?! his fearful thoughts raced. Holy Celestia's sand nuggets! It's only been two weeks or so! What is she thinking, coming into enemy territory so soon?!

Fluttershy blinked in puzzlement. The other pony seemed confused and disoriented to her. I... I wonder if he heard me the first time. Better repeat it, she thought. "Um... please could you tell me where Field Goal might be... if that's okay with you?" the yellow pegasus said, slightly insistant.

Dumbbell chose to distract himself from his fear with anger. "Grrr... Are you a parrot that can only repeat 'Field Goal' over and over?! He ain't the only tough here amongst the upper years!" he boasted. "I'm Dumbbell, Field Goal's co-captain and second in command. I'll take you. C'mon!"

Fluttershy blinked. A happy thought danced through her head, relieved as she was that something was finally turning out right for once. Oh! He'll take me to see Field Goal! He must be one of his friends! Fluttershy started walking towards him, as if nothing was wrong. (For, in her mind, there was indeed nothing wrong.)

She expected him to turn around and lead her to Field Goal. However, her casual approach surprised the hoofball player and young tough, reacting immediately by jumping back. Fluttershy paused, puzzled.

She wasn't the only one. For his part, Dumbbell was also trying to solve the enigma that was Fluttershy. The hay?! She's trying to close the distance without any kind of stance. What the cloud is she thinking?! he thought, disoriented by Fluttershy's completely unconcerned and careless approach. The only ponies who'd do something like that are idiots and...

Mental swallow here.

...super experienced fighters!

That's a really peculiar way of walking! thought the yellow filly curiously. Anyway, there's no time to lose. I'll just let him take me there. She took more oblivious steps forward.

Again, Dumbbell spooked and jumped back in reflex from the advancing danger he perceived.

My goodness, that really does look weird. I guess there really are all types of ponies in this world, marveled Fluttershy silently, Is that the result of hoofball training? I think I'll pass on that — it might make me look strange.

Yeah.

Dumbbell bounded back again as Fluttershy took a few more fearless steps toward him. What's she doing?! She's raising the heckles on my back! he thought in alarm. This is pathetic! If Field Goal saw me like this, I'd be "retrained" for sure! I'm his right hoof, for Celestia's sake!

Meanwhile, Fluttershy couldn't help but chuckle to herself. That way of walking is kind of funny, actually.

Dumbbell took the sudden tightening in her leer as a sign of an impeding attack. He suddenly stopped and threw out a hoof at Fluttershy, connecting with her cheek and sending her reeling back from the impact, but not to the ground. The two stood there, shuddering with the relieved tension. Fluttershy's mouth was bloodied from the impact.

A relieved smile formed on Dumbbell's lips, realizing how easily he had thrown a punch at her and how easily it connected. Ah, so she is just a foal! he thought, realizing that there was nothing behind her but a face. I'll teach you to scare me like this, you buckin' fake! He stepped forward to begin his next attack, one that would wheel him around and kick the filly right in her ugly face. He would not get that chance.

Fluttershy twisted her head around, an absolutely livid look twisting her face, staring hotly right at Dumbbell. She ground her teeth together menacingly. The jock found his body involuntarily frozen, going rigid at the glare Fluttershy was giving him. It seemed almost mystical in nature, as if she were a unicorn casting a paralysis spell on him.

Fluttershy was indeed angry. However, her anger was directed completely inward. Fluttershy, you inconsiderate foal! Of course he smacked me! Laughing at another pony's gait is the worst. Possible. Thing! I'm so disappointed in you, Fluttershy! she mentally chastised herself. "Hit me as much as you want! Try to make it hurt!" she growled at Dumbbell. "Um, if that's okay with you."

HOLY MOTHER OF CELESTIA! SHE AIN'T NO PONY! SHE'S A THING OF THE NIGHTMARE! came Dumbbell's silent scream of complete terror. GETTING A "REFRESHER COURSE" FROM FIELD GOAL IS TOTALLY BETTER THAN THIS! His feet started doing some sort of reverse gallop, to much the same effect as one — moving backwards quite quickly.

Fluttershy was startled by the sudden celerity he was moving, especially after she had almost demanded that he'd smack her around as punishment for thinking ill thoughts about his gait. Not to be outdone, she reared up and started kicking her back legs clumsily, propelling her forward in an almost bipedal run, forelegs outstretched above her. "KIEEEEE!!!" she screeched. (Though she had meant to say, 'Wait!')

Looking at his new gait, Fluttershy thought, Wow! He even runs weird! (Umm...) I'm surprised he can move so quick like that! Whatever works, I guess!

"WAHHH!! SHE'S FOLLOWING ME!!" wailed Dumbbell, and backpedaled faster. Unfortunately, there is a certain danger to moving backwards, especially while looking in the backward direction: not seeing obstacles and other pitfalls that may be behind you. One such pitfall caught Dumbbell, tripping up his back hoof and causing him to pitch backward and onto his back and head, making a loud crack as he hit the hard cloud rim about the lot. "URGH!" he groaned with pain.

"Oh dear," murmured Fluttershy as she fell back on all fours. She stepped over by his side and reached out with a hoof. Oh my! This is all my fault! I'd better examine him for injuries! It's the least I can do!

"DUMBBELL!" came a sudden, enraged shout. Fluttershy froze with the exclamation, wings clenching tightly to her sides in her startlement. She looked over to the source of the shout, to find it to be a big grey almost-stallion standing a bit aways, glaring at her.

The two faced each other. Field Goal felt unease with this yellow-coated, pink-haired filly with the face that could petrify a cockatrice where it stood. However, he was a pony of fortitude, and did not flinch with his nervousness.

Dumbbell regained enough of his wits to shouted a warning to Field Goal, "Captain! It's her! It's the first year filly who beat up the Empress!"

But that was an accident!

"So, it's you!" growled Field Goal. "You want a piece of the varsity hoofball team now?!"

Dumbbell sat jerkily up, somewhat relieved now that attention had been taken off him. Or so he thought.

Why would I want a piece of the hoofball team? Sounds vaguely naughty! thought Fluttershy, confused about the meaning Field Goal was getting at. But that's for later. I must first help out this pony who hit his head by my carelessness! She turned toward Dumbbell and extended a comforting, yet menacing, hoof towards him. Dumbbell dodged the deadly hoof, letting out squeals of fear. "No! Stop moving!" Fluttershy pleaded, but his movements to avoid her hoof interrupted her words, "Your head... Head trauma... Must take care of it..."

SWEET CELESTIA! SHE'S TRYING TO SMASH MY HEAD IN! SHE'S SERIOUSLY TRYING TO KILL ME! Dumbbell's thoughts screamed into his panicked mind, causing him to scream out loud, "LEMME ALONE!! GET AWAY!!"

Field Goal was filled with rage. "That motherbucker! She keeps going after Dumbbell!" He let out a roar of challenge and tensed up for action, but a voice interrupted him.

"FIELD GOAL!" bellowed Kendo Blade, a large, blue stallion with a bushy grey moustache, unshorn fetlocks and a kendo sword for a cutie mark. His roar caused Fluttershy to squeak and curl up into a ball. "What are you doing, you thug! Class has already started!" Field Goal murmured dark things under his breath as Kendo Blade continued his harangue, "I know you weren't harassing a first year filly right in front of me! You're on thin ice as it is, mister! You're dangerously close to getting expelled!"

Field Goal ground his teeth as Kendo Blade shoved his face right up against his own. "Go back to class, and take Dumbbell with you!" he said sternly. "You don't want to get suspended, do you?"

Field Goal clucked in frustration and moved away, easily caving into the larger and more experienced stallion. As he walked by Fluttershy's curled form, he hissed, "I will pay you back for this. Don't forget." He moved to Dumbbell, offering a hoof up, which the downed pony accepted.

Wait! 'Field Goal'? That was the name in the wallet! Fluttershy jumped to her feet, head jerking toward the two departing colts. C... Could that have been the one who owns the billfold?!

She was about to give chase, when a strong voice interrupted her. "Stop, first year!" said Kendo Blade sternly. Fluttershy froze, face still turned away from Kendo Blade. The blue teacher continued, "Field Goal is a nasty piece of work. You best stay away from him. Now get back to class."

Her head still bowed, Fluttershy muttered, "yessir!" before she turned and galloped towards the east campus, her flowing hair wrapping around her to obscure her face from the teacher. Looks like I'll have to wait 'till later to return the billfold, she thought morosely.

And thus, Kendo Blade was spared her horrifying visage that would have changed the character of his words towards Fluttershy completely.

You wily b*yay*! Playing the innocent little filly to the teachers to keep yourself out of trouble! thought the irate Field Goal darkly, having watched the entire thing. I'll make sure you suffer!

—/—

Firefly nearly bit the end off of her candy cigarette at the news. "Fluttershy infiltrated the west building and took out Field Goal's number 2?! No foalin'?!" she said in numb shock.

"No foalin'!" Surprise said emphatically. "I overheard Field Goal as I was trying to make a cloud rain chocolate milk! Didn't see me, as I was behind a cloud at the time, but —dude— was Goalie cursing up a storm, talkin' about Fluttershy's feminine wiles getting her out of trouble!"

Firefly raised an eyebrow at the poofy-maned pegasus. "What were you doing trying to make a cloud rain cho... wait, scratch that! I don't wanna know," Firefly canceled her own question, not wanting to get into Surprise's... surprisiness. When did I start creating Surprise-isms? "And Fluttershy doesn't have any 'feminine wiles.'"

"Well, she does, actually. But it's kind of spoiled by her face," Firecracker said thoughtfully.

"Cracky, that's mean!" Surprise rebuked.

"Don't call me 'Cracky,' Balloon Butt!" snapped Firecracker hotly. Calming herself slightly, she returned to contemplating the situation over her candy cig. "Ya still have to explain that 'feminine wiles' stuff."

"Kendo Blade never saw her face. All he saw was a defenseless widdle filly getting picked on by two big an' mean colts," Surprise enthused.

"Heh, no wonder Kendo Blade didn't go monkey over her looks," Firecracker said, snickering.

Firefly contemplated this and smiled. "Fluttershy is really awesome, moving to confront the hoofball team, nee group of thugs, so soon after coming, took out their second, and didn't even get punished for it!"

"I see, so Fluttershy took down the hoofball team's second. That's pretty awesome!"

Firecracker turned to greet the just-arrived filly. "Hi, Rainbow." The red filly raised her own eyebrow at Rainbow Dash's new look. "I see you're taking easily to this thug business."

Rainbow Dash had greased back her rainbow-colored forelock with a liberal dose of styling gel, forming a swept-back look that only had tufts of hair stick up in the back, like a cardinal. "Somethin' like that. How do I look? Cool, eh?" she asked, posing for the three.

The three stared at her for five point three two four seconds (repeating). Then Firefly snickered, her face scrunched up trying to contain their laughter. Firecracker simply smirked. Surprise didn't bother containing anything, but burst out into a fit of giggles. "Hee hee! You look kinda silly, actually!" she guffawed.

Firefly managed to swallow her laughter, but couldn't keep the waver out of her voice, "She's right, Spectrum Butt. Your usual messy forelock is way more your style. You look like a bird like that."

Rainbow Dash frowned at her annoyance at the three. "Ah, nuts to you!" she snapped, "Your flanks are Fluttershy's, ya know. I expect ya t' act like it!"

Surprise openly laughed at her. "Silly Dashie! We're not thugs! We're pranksters!"

"Pfft. Try to pretend all you want, but Fluttershy's gonna beat some sense inta ya. She spared your life because you swore allegiance to her. She's already sent you to the hospital for trying to prank her. Do you really want to give her an excuse to smack you around again?" Dash paused in her lecture. There were already several places where Surprise would have interrupted her with her inanities, but the poofy-maned pegasus was strangely silent. "Surprise?"

Surprise was obviously not listening to her, not with the way she was staring over Rainbow Dash's shoulder with a wide-eyed stare, her body shivering slightly with fear. Before Dash could ask what was wrong, the white pegasus managed to, with great difficulty, lift a hoof up to point at something looming behind Rainbow Dash. The looming had a definite menacing quality to it. Rainbow Dash turned silently to face a large grey colt, nearly fully grown, towering over her.

The disparage between the two was quite obvious. Rainbow Dash was a first year, and younger than her peers in terms of days lived. The stallion standing over her was a forth year built powerfully with cords of muscles rippling beneath his skin. His physique would probably have aroused Rainbow Dash if it weren't for the aura of menace he was extruding from his very pores.

"You are the number two under Fluttershy," he said. It was not a question. Definitely not a question.

"Yes," Rainbow Dash almost squeaked as she desperately hid her nervousness.

"An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth," stated the massive colt coldly. His massive right hoof smacked across the filly's face, sending her reeling away. Rainbow Dash checked herself, managing to remain upright, and stumbled back a few feet away.

"Ow! You son of a... woah!" Rainbow's curse was interrupted by another sweeping right hook, which she managed to avoid. She also managed to avoid a bloodied mouth somehow from the first strike. She went in for a side-kick with her rear leg, but she didn't expect Field Goal to be so fleet on his feet. Instead, he pivoted around to smack her in the face, this time drawing blood. "D-Durnit!"

Surprise peaked around the corner she and the three Queens were hiding behind. "Oh no, Dashie's in big trouble! Field Goal is trained in some kind of combat arts — I can see it in his movements!" she hissed. "They say he's never lost at hoofticuffs, and he is as strong as a manticore!"

"B-But don't we have Fluttershy?!" Firefly stammered, "If she were here—"

"Even were we to have Fluttershy here, I don't know what would happen. We may be in some real trouble this time," Surprise said solemnly.

"I have a better question: shouldn't we be helping her?" asked Firecracker.

"With what?! Pranks and tricks?! Those only work if you're willing to run if (and usually when) things go pear-shaped!" Surprise hissed back. "If Dashie doesn't take that chance and run, the distraction is wasted, and Dashie isn't that kind of pony!"

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash's fight wasn't going too well. She reared up to overcome her height disadvantage to try to punch him in the face with one of her hard hooves, but Field Goal moved so fast as to defy physics. She tried to hit him with a twisting kick —spinning around and striking as the hindquarters passed— but Field Goal dodged.

"Darn it! Connect!" Rainbow Dash roared and thrust out with all her strength in a hoof-punch at Field Goal's face. Field Goal replied with his own thrust at Rainbow Dash's head, and he had the reach advantage. His hoof connected with her head long before her hoof got close to his. It was a solid hit at that, twisting the filly's head around.

Rainbow Dash's body tensed with the impact, but then go limp. She collapsed to the cloudy pavement, finally knocked out. "A second for a second," intoned the large colt as he walked away from the bloodied Rainbow Dash. He stopped at the end of the alley, then turned around, glaring at Surprise.

"Hey. Surprise," he growled, "Tell your boss. Come to Hurricane Park tomorrow morning. I don't care how many ponies you bring. If you run away, I'll make sure you can never walk or fly outside again. BE THERE!"

Surprise mewled in fear.

—/—

The varsity hoofball team had thus informed Fluttershy's gang of the state of affairs. The conflict between the partitioned school seemed to be intensifying. In the midst of this turmoil, one pegasus pony, Fluttershy —blissfully unaware of the entire sordid situation— decided to make a side trip to the west campus the next day to return Field Goal's billfold.

She was, however, cognizant of one thing. Hmmm... I might forget it. I'd better make something to keep it on my pony. With that thought in mind, Fluttershy produced a sewing kit and a few scraps of cloth from her saddlebags and got to work.

END CHAPTER 3.

A teacher-pony who doesn't get the full Kitano/Fluttershy treatment? Preposterous!

Beginning of the Legend

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 4: Beginning of the Legend

In the home of Fluttershy's family, the only daughter of the household prepared for another day at school. She crossed off various items from a mental checklist as they were done. Her school supplies and personal effects were put into her saddlebags. She had eaten and groomed herself as best as she could. She slung a specially-made pouch across her back, so that a certain small item could be tucked under her left wing. Throwing her saddlebags over her back she shifted around experimentally, and gave a satisfied nod to herself that her new item did not interfere with her movement, nor felt uncomfortable.

"Okay," she said in satisfaction. She was ready to go. She trotted down the steps of her home, calling back, "I'm off, mom!"

"Oh, you're leaving early!" came the answer from a surprised mare.

"Yes, just a bit," answered Fluttershy. She stepped out of her house's yard and onto the street. She pranced in place for a few seconds, stretching out her limbs. "Ahhh... what a nice morning today is. Waking up a little earlier makes the morning seem totally different." Fluttershy stopped, musing to herself, "I'd better get going. I have a billfold to return."

The yellow pegasus didn't get very far before encountering the three Trickster Queens. "Are you going to see Field Goal, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy blinked. What? How does she know about that? Did I tell her and don't remember?

Not hearing a denial, Surprise continued. "He isn't at school. That fellow said he'd be waiting at Hurricane Park."

Fluttershy's eyes widened with realization. Oh, I get it! Surprise and Field Goal must be friends, and Field Goal had told her about his lost billfold, she thought, feeling better about the situation. "Then just I'll go to Hurricane Park," she said, and trotted on.

"Wait! You're actually going?!" shouted Surprise, "Don't you know how serious this is? You shouldn't go!"

Fluttershy glanced back. She was puzzled by Surprise's concern. Shouldn't lost property be returned? Then 'realization' hit. I see. She must be worried about being late for class, like last time. She's such a pal! Her perpetual leer tightened. "If Field Goal is waiting for me, I must go."

Surprise actually reared back in shock, as if struck smartly in the crown by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick, or had a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. (Similar effect.) She trembled in the intense emotion welling up within her, finally letting it out several seconds later in a squeal of anguish, crying tears of true feeling. Her squeal surprised her two fellow regnants of rowdiness.

Firefly looked at Surprise strangely. It was a familiar sensation. "What is it, Surprise?"

"Can't you understand our leader's feelings, you knuckleheads?!" sobbed Surprise as she wiped away the tears still streaming from her eyes.

Firefly raised an eyebrow. Another one of Surprise's made-up words? "What's a 'knuckle' and what has it got to do with heads? Though I must say, 'knucklehead' doesn't sound very complementary to me," she asked.

Surprise started gesticulating wildly at a bewildered Fluttershy. "It wasn't! Look here, you stoopidy stoopid pants! Fluttershy thinks that the mean hoofball team might be out to noggle us, so she's jumping into a fight she knows she might lose with an extra-large size 'splat'!"

Firefly and Firecracker gasped in shock, as they realized the logic in Surprise's words. Fluttershy, for her part, was very puzzled. However, she didn't look puzzled, but rather, as she always looked, with that horrific face and sick leer. This was a fact that the two picked up on quickly.

Firefly murmured, "She's got the same face she always does, where you can't tell what she's thinking."

Firecracker picked up the thought. "If she's been thinking of us this entire time..."

The realization hit the two at the same time. All three Queens let out a roar of heartfelt sadness and joy: "WAAAHHHHHHHGHHH!!!"

"We have such a wonderful happy-fun boss!" sobbed Surprise, as the three shared a three-way hug. "We're the happiest delinquents in the entire world!"

Fluttershy would have worn a questioning look, but that wasn't within her face's specifications.

"Please take us along, Fluttershy!!" wailed the three, sobbing profusely.

"But I can just as easily do this myself," the yellow filly said.

"NO! You must take us along!!" Surprise insisted. "We're comrades-in-arms! We must stick together like tree sap and face the perilous peril together!"

What's so perilous about returning a billfold? thought Fluttershy with confusion. Oh, she must mean that metaphorically! They must be offering me moral support... after all, my previous attempts didn't really go very well!

It was about this time that Rainbow Dash made her appearance, a grim look plastered on her face, as well as plasters covering her wounds. She sauntered up to the group, clucking dismissively. "Psht. No matter how many of you foals she brings along, you're only going to get in the way," she said evenly, "Give up and go to school."

Seeing the plasters, Fluttershy went bananas. (She was yellow, after all.) "KIEEE!! What happened to your face, Rainbow Dash?!" she shrieked, dashing towards Dash in a panic.

Firefly grinned. "Heh. We should leave the jokes up to your face, Spectrum Butt!"

"Drop dead, Cheap Knock-Off, or I'll knock your head clean off your neck," Rainbow Dash growled, stamping her hoof belligerently.

Fluttershy was totally focused on Rainbow Dash's health. The only words that she heard out of Rainbow Dash was 'Drop dead,' which didn't ease her concerns one bit. "ARE YOU OKAY, RAINBOW DASH?! ARE YOU OKAY?!" she screamed with concern.

Likewise, Rainbow Dash and Firefly were focused on each other, and paid no mind to Fluttershy's screams of concern. "Yer cruisin' for a bruisin', Spectrum Butt!" snarled Firefly shoving her face into Dash's.

The rainbow-maned filly reciprocated the agression. "Bring it, Cheap Knock-Off!"

Surprise tried to pry them apart. "Knock it off, you silly willy ponies! We're allies!" she pleaded.

How could this happen?! I just take my eyes off Rainbow Dash and she tries to commit suicide again! Fluttershy's eyes filled with tears as the realization hit her fully. Oh... Fluttershy, you foal! Depression is a chronic problem! Of course she would try again! Of course it wouldn't be over with just a few words! I'll have to give her serious counseling after I return the billfold!

—/—

As they entered Hurricane Park, Fluttershy stole several furtive glances at Rainbow Dash. Dash, however, noticed that this was happening.

"What?" came her response.

To this, Fluttershy replied, "You look kinda weird with that forelock style, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash's eye twitched, then hoofed her face. "Ugh. Fine. I'll change it back after this," she said in resignation. The Trickster Queens bit back snickers.

Hurricane Park was a pegasus park. As such, it was made of clouds sculpted and conditioned to look like an earthbound park. Cloudy 'grass' covered the firmer cloud 'dirt'. Cloud 'trees' stood around the cloud clearing. Standing in this clearing was the entire senior varsity hoofball team. They were not dressed as hoofball players about to practice scrimmage, but as the thugs they actually were. Some even brought bats, clubs and other blunt things from other sports, and some of those not so equipped had good old fashioned pointéd sticks.

It was onto this group that Fluttershy and her gang entered. Many of the colts reacted quite negatively to Fluttershy's ghoulish face and slasher smile.

"Is that the top pony?"

"Wow! Just... wow! She's like..."

"She's definitely WHACK dude! Just like they say!"

Meanwhile, Fluttershy marveled at the crowd gathered around Field Goal. That's quite a crowd of ponies! Field Goal must get lonely easily!

Surprise grit her teeth looking at the crowd. That's a lot of ponies, and they're all colts, and it doesn't look like a bunch of jokes and tricks will win them over! I'm getting seriously serious second thoughts about coming!

"If you're scared, you'd better run along." The cerulean pegasus smirked. "Three stooges," she added mockingly.

Surprise swallowed as she handily disposed of that idea. No way! If we go home now, Fluttershy will turn us into superglue for sure for abandoning them! She'll also be steaming mad! Screwing up her bravado, she stammered out, "H-How can we be scared of that many guys, even biggy big-big, meanie pants guys?! We don't need help, nor hemp! Us three Queens will be all that is necessary to take them all on, or maybe even two or one! But definitely three are all that are needed!"

Firefly facehoofed. Surprise was making less sense than usual, and what sense she was making made no sense at all. "Surprise, did you take stupid pills this morning?" the pink filly groaned.

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Heh-heh. That sounds fun!" she chuckled. She had either drawn Surprise into her trap, or capitalizing on Surprise's false bravado. "I'll take care of their second in command: Dumbbell. You go ahead and handle the rest of the guys.

"Fluttershy," the cerulean pegasus said to their unwitting leader, "The three stooges and I will handle the underlings."

"Don't call us that! We're the Trickster Queens!"

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow Dash turned back to Fluttershy. "Anyways, I can't do everything myself. Please settle things with Field Goal."

Fluttershy wasn't really listening. "Huh? O-Of course I will. I'm the only one who has what he wants."

Rainbow Dash nodded significantly, a significance totally missed by Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was terminally confused about what the big deal was. After all, she was only returning a billfold. Nevertheless, Rainbow Dash turned to the three Queens and barked out, "Alright, three stooges! C'mon!"

"What?! Since when were you the boss of the Queens, Dashie!"

Two ponies, Cleats and Spikes glanced at each other, commenting on the spectacle.

"Hahaha! Look, they actually want to fight!" Cleats said with much contempt.

"What can they do with only five ponies?"

Just then, Rainbow Dash bolted at the throng, specifically at Spikes. Within a few beats, she had closed the distance and smashed her hoof into his chin, pitching the poor fellow over and onto his back.

Needless to say, the other colts did not react kindly to this at all.

"Oh, you really did it now, b*yay*!"

"Don't mess with the varsity hoofball team!"

"We'll mess you up!"

"Oh cloud, I can't believe that knucklehead! Now we gotta fight!" shouted Surprise in frustration. She pointed a hoof at the crowd and proclaimed as she started running, "Let's rumbly bumbly tumbly!"

Chaos reigned at that point, with the two outmatched groups of fighters turned into a roiling mass of violence and noise. Fluttershy stood shocked at the bedlam taking place just yards away from her, confused and worried sick. Oh my goodness! I don't know how things got all pear-shaped, but I have to stop it! Somebody might be hurt! However, before she could dive into the fray (in the interests of stopping it, of course), Field Goal calmly interposed himself between her and the violence.

"Now, what is rightfully ours, stolen from us, shall now be returned," he snarled.

Fluttershy blinked, her mental transmission shifting out of trying to stop the battle to what she came here for. "'Return'? Oh, you mean the billfold!" she said, dropping her saddlebags to the ground and rummaging around in it.

Field Goal narrowed his eyes. What was this filly up to?

As she searched, Fluttershy became more and more panicked. The billfold was nowhere to be found in her saddlebags. A horrific thought occurred to her. Oh no! I forgot to put it in my bag! She sheepishly turned to Field Goal. "I'm sorry! I forgot it!"

Field Goal sent a fist into her cheek as a reply, sending her sprawling away. "Stand up, you b*yay*! I'm not taking any apologies now!" he roared.

Fluttershy was shaken, but still conscious. She struggled to rise. Of course he shouldn't. I was a bad pony for forgetting his precious billfold, so of course he's mad, she thought in her own shame, That billfold probably contains all he can call his own in this world.

As Fluttershy stood wobbly to her hooves, Field Goal sent another powerful blow into her cheek. And another, and another.

As for the rest of Fluttershy's 'gang'...

Surprise screeched, "TRIANGLE MANEUVER: ALPHA~~~~~~~~!"

The attack was misleading in name. For one thing, it didn't look like a triangle. Instead, it consisted of the three pegasi somehow ending up behind a confused Long Pass, then simply trampling over him at full gallop. Unless Surprise was somehow screaming about a degenerate triangle, the name was very dishonest. Perhaps purposely so, but to Firefly and Firecracker, it was just as likely that Surprise was just being random.

"FALL BACK!" shouted Surprise. She and her two wing-fillies jumped back, leaving Long Pass a crumpled heap on the ground, out of the fight.

The rest of the crowd stared at the carnage done to Long Pass, mentally stunned. It seemed the Trickster Queens had more than tricks up their sleeves (neglecting the fact that they never wore them.) A grape-colored colt called Sportsdrink broke the mental stunning first, and started advancing while growling, "Mo-motherbuckers! I'LL TEACH—"

Surprise saw this and immediately roared, "OPERATION: DA NUTZ!"

*POW!* "*squeak!!*"

"FALL BACK!"

Another flurry of movement, this time a much different attack, though with comparable result. Sportsdrink went down with a wimper. And as before, Surprise and her two wing-fillies jumped back, leaving Sportsdrink a crumpled heap on the ground, forehooves over his nethers.

This last result made the colts even more reluctant to attack. Bad enough that the three Queens were wily enough to take any of them out should they break from the mob, the last victim made them cringe. We dare not move an inch! They'll get us if we do! And I certainly won't risk the family jewels!

Rainbow Dash grinned as she spared a glance back at the three Queens. "Heh, so they can fight after all!" she remarked. She did not dwell on them, however, because a flash of motion caught her attention. It was Dumbbell.

Dash was a quick filly, and she immediately stepped between him and his boss. "Oh, no you don't! You're not interfering with this fight. Bosses only!" she declared.

"Out of the way, small fry!" warned Dumbbell.

"So says the small fry!" countered Rainbow Dash.

Dumbbell did not continue the banter, instead striking out with a hoof. Rainbow Dash easily ducked beneath it, stepped forward, and smacked him in the face with her own hoof. Dumbbell stumbled away in surprise. In some ways, her smaller size was an advantage, especially with her ability to put more of her weight into the hoof slams. The result was Dumbbell with a bloodied lip, and a rising blood pressure.

The brown colt reached under his wing, pulling out a knife. With a roar around the knife's handle, he slashed at Dash, who shielded herself with her canon. A line of red opened up on the cannon's flesh. "Outta the wahy!" growled Dumbbell with a mouthful of knife, "Ih'll stahb you ihf you dohn't, b*yay*!"

Rainbow Dash examined the wound dispassionately for a moment, curiously watching the drops of blood roll down her cannon and around her fetlocks. She sighed. "You dummy. You shouldn't be carryin' that thing around," she said, curling her head under her wing. She grasped onto something with her mouth, and drew out the large, sharp kitchen knife she had 'borrowed' from the school kitchens. "Ih cahn't leht you have any advahntahges, cahn Ih?" she slurred around the handle. "Nohnoh, don't look aht me lihke thaht — you brought iht out fihrst."

Dumbbell's eyes widened. He didn't expect a first year to get her hooves on a dangerous weapon! Further, she had already demonstrated how easy it was for her to get inside his defenses. Dumbbell actually stepped back. The tables had done a full 360 degree turn, with him still at a disadvantage.

At that point, Field Goal smacked Fluttershy again, sending her to the ground. Field Goal stood over her, fired up but puzzled. What's going on here? She hasn't attacked at all! Why? Is she plotting something?

Fluttershy pulled herself to her hooves yet again, her nose and mouth bloodied, and shook her head free of the fuzz. Wow! His stomps hurt, but it was my fault that I don't have his billfold after all... thought the yellow filly. She was deeply ashamed of herself, forgetting this colt's rightful property.

However, she spotted altercation between Dash and Dumbbell. Her eyes snapped into sharp focus on Rainbow Dash's bleeding cannon. Fluttershy could not contain herself. She let out an unearthly howl, "KIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

The howl was so loud and unexpected, that Field Goal actually jumped back in shock. W-What's up now?! he thought, disoriented and confused. Is she finally going to fight?

NO! I KEPT MY EYES OFF HER TOO LONG!! SHE'S GONNA TRY TO KILL HERSELF AGAIN! HER CANNON'S ALREADY BLEEDING!!

WHAT THE—? Field Goal thought, What's happening to her face?! Indeed, a red, raised line formed across Fluttershy's muzzle. It was the still-fresh scar she received from Rainbow Dash a few weeks ago. Normally invisible, the scar appeared when she was stressed, like now with her seriously fearing what Rainbow Dash would do to herself. Field Goal contemplated this scar for only a brief second. A scar? A knife scar on her face?! What is she?!

Fluttershy's alarm was cresting. I MUST DO SOMETHING! "RANBADAAAHHHHH!!!" she screamed, in an miserable failure to call Rainbow Dash's name, her legs moving her forward almost automatically.

Field Goal braced himself, then thrust a firm hoof forward. It connected solidly with the side of Fluttershy's face. The sound of the hoof hitting the yellow pegasus's face caught the attention of everyone there. In particular, Rainbow Dash and Dumbbell. Field Goal was quite pleased with this latest strike. It was a perfect counter that sent the freakish filly reeling.

That... really hurt... thought Fluttershy through her pain. I'm... losing... con...

"FLUTTERSHYYYY!!!"

The scream brought Fluttershy back to the present. Her mind focused on Rainbow Dash, who was galloping towards them. The focus tightened on the wound that had been opened on Dash's right cannon, drops of blood flying every which way, and soaking her cerulean fur down to her hoof. Oh no! So much blood! Rainbow Dash, you must not commit suicide! Life is a precious thing! This life you have received it from your parents is the only one you have! Adrenalin coursed through her, allowing her to plant her limbs and balance herself through sheer willpower. I cannot take my eyes off you anymore. I'll just have to watch over you from now on.

"IT'S OVER!" roared Field Goal, throwing another hoof, his wings outstretched in triumph.

It was indeed, but not for Fluttershy.

The yellow filly, through instinct, threw her forehooves out, catching Field Goal in the chest. All of her muscles tensed, resulting in a powerful thrust right into the top of his ribcage. "DONGENAWAAEEEE!!!!!" 'Don't get in the way!' came Fluttershy's inarticulate scream, "RANBODAAAGONADIIEEEEEEE!!!" 'Rainbow Dash's going to die!'

The thrust pitched Field Goal right off his hooves, sending him flying back in a slow tumble. His wings, extended, wrenched down with the sudden movement of his central mass. He fell back, his torso leading the way with his whiplashed neck, wings and legs trailing behind. He landed heavily on his back, his neck whipping back to slam his head into the clouded 'ground', where the simulated solidity of the cloudy park conspired with the velocity of his head to give him a concussion. His limbs sprawled out every which way.

The sound of the impact brought everyone to a standstill. Field Goal, the leader of the hoofball team, was down.

"F-Field Goallll!" Dumbbell shouted as he ran up to his leader. He knelt to check on him. The other hoofball members gathered around their fallen leader.

"Wow! He's totally KOed!" commented Laces.

"Never thought I'd see the day..." swore Gridiron.

"Dumbbell, w-what should we..."

Dumbbell shed stallionly tears of bitterness. "Our respective bosses fought, and ours lost. If it were chess, we would have been checkmated," sobbed Dumbbell, "The varsity hoofball team... has lost this fight."

The four filly fighters erupted into cheering while Fluttershy stood confused at the sudden jubilation and the abrupt ceasing of hostilities. Fluttershy ignored that oddity; there was much more important matters to attend to. "Rainbow Dash, life is a very pre—" she began.

However, her lecture was interrupted by Rainbow Dash hugging her about the middle. "You kicked flank, Fluttershy!" she shouted in a cheer.

As Rainbow Dash hugged Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus felt a queer pressure on the inside of her left wing. "Umm... something's under my wing..." she murmured, stretching it out to see what was under it, to find a cloth pouch she had stitched together yesterday afternoon. She stuck her muzzle into it, and grasped hold of what was in it.

A blue billfold. The blue billfold that belonged to Field Goal.

Oh, I had it in here the whole time. In fact... I specifically put it there to be safe and I wouldn't forget it. What an silly pony I am! thought Fluttershy in joy. Her mission had not failed after all. She stepped over to where Field Goal lay sprawled out on the ground, unconscious, and laid the billfold on his belly. Even though I was helping Rainbow Dash, what I did to you was inexcusable. I'm truly sorry. The yellow pegasus opened her mouth, saying in a ragged voice, "The next time we meet, I shall pay you back for this slight."

Dumbbell's jaw dropped open in shock at the declaration, his mind completely blank. Mitts, Bench Press, and Freeweights broke out in cold sweats as a sick feeling settled into all of their stomachs.

S-She still wants to fight?
Wasn't knocking Field Goal out enough for her?
What a total b*yay*!

Fluttershy turned around, walking away as if she wasn't going to get attacked in retribution, pausing only to recover her saddlebags. "Okay, let's get to school."

"Yes, ma'am!" saluted Rainbow Dash as she and the rest of the yellow filly's followers... well, followed.

An act motivated by kindness, to return to Field Goal his wayward billfold. Through this act, Fluttershy (unwittingly) cemented her power over the school and thus awarded a new name, the Cloudsdale School Guardian.

—/—

Cheerful Sign mused aloud, "We've never had trouble with thugs here at Cloudsdale before, (untrue) but now that filly from the deepest nightmare is recruiting the most vulnerable of my students to full delinquency."

Charlie Horse, who had been in the office at the time the principal started his mumbling, looked at him strangely. "Sir, what are you—?"

"I'm talking about Ms. Rainbow Dash and the three former Trickster Queens. They've both thrown their allegiance behind her," mumbled Cheerful Sign darkly, "Pranking is only one step removed from full thuggery, and Ms. Dash had just come off of suspension when she returned.

"This is serious! As much as it galls me, I'll need some outside help!"

Cheerful Sign picked up a pen in his teeth and began to write a letter to the Equestrian school board. Charlie Horse shook his head and quietly let himself out.

—/—

While this happened, Fluttershy was earnestly explaing the wonder of life to Rainbow Dash. "Darkness is part of life, Rainbow Dash. But though the night may be dark, it always turns to day, and the sun will climb into the sky," Fluttershy lectured to the curelean pony, "So no matter how hard things get, hang in there!"

"uh huh... uh huh..." Rainbow Dash nodded at all the appropriate places as if she was actually listening, but in truth she was utterly confused what this lecture was about, and why it was taking place on a bed in the school infirmary.

END CHAPTER 4.

You might be wondering why I use 'turned into glue' as a pony euphemism for being slaughtered. That's because it's in the past, and as such 'turned into cupcakes' isn't in vogue, or even invented yet.

That, and it's getting a touch overused.

Lightning Bolt

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 5: Lightning Bolt

"What a hick town, Cloudsdale," a bone-white filly with red-dyed hair sneered as she stared out at the expanse of Cloudsdale from an overlooking embankment. "I could be in Canterlot or Manehatten, but no. My parents think that being in a dinky little town like this will 'build my character.'" She stomped her foot in frustration. "Nuts to that! I'll become a delinquent of the first class! Every pony will tremble upon hearing my name, and once my parents find out, we'll be out of here faster than you can say 'Sonic Rainboom!'"

Yeah. That's her entire plan: become a bad pony to make parents worry and move to a better environment.

Silly pony.

The pony looked down and saw that a trio of colts were hidden amongst the tufts of clouds amongst the embankment. They were using them as cover to hide their smoking habit. "Hmmm... Might as well start trouble now," said the filly. With a loud *hawwwk*-ing noise, she spat a gooey lugie at them. It landed right on a colt we shall now label Punk #1.

The punk looked up, and spied the bone-white filly above them on the embankment. With a jerk of his head, the three of them made their way up the embankment to confront the cheeky filly.

"Hey, you. Yeah, you," said Punk #1 to the bone-white filly. "You're the one who hocked a lugie on me. What are you going to do about it?"

The second punk, named now uncreatively Punk #2, snarked at the filly. "Look at that stupid red dye job! Looks like your brains are falling out. Then again, if you spit on us, your brains will be falling out soon."

Punk #1 snorted. "Ain't seen you around here. New girl, huh?"

"Hiding in the grass to smoke? Pathetic. Beyond pathetic. You might as well be a worm," snorted the red-haired, bone-white pegasus filly.

"What trash you talkin'?" growled Punk #1.

The bone-white filly turned to sneer at them. Her heavy make-up accentuated the glare she leveled at them. She had cosmetically altered her eyebrows so that only the innermost part of them were visible, making her brow seem perpetually knitted in anger. Heavy eyeliner emphasized the whites of her eyes, making them appear bigger. "Besides, smoking is bad for you. You should give it up," she chided the three as if to young foals, stepping forward without a hint of fear.

The consistently-named Punk #3 stiffened. "You wanna fight?!" he growled.

"There are three of us here, you b*yay*! You think you can win?!" roared Punk #1. He tried to put on a false bravado, but it seemed that this filly was glaring straight through it.

The bone-white filly sneered. "One. Three. Thirteen. It don't matter to me. I'll take you all on at once, so quit shouting and come at me." She grinned with the hunger of a fight.

Punk #1's nerves broke at that point, and he ran away in fear. The rest, also on edge, broke formation and ran, whimpering in fear.

The bone-white filly blew out a contemptuous breath. "Pfft. Losers." She grinned in satisfaction of her first encounter with the local toughs. "Well, that first attempt went rather well. This red mane dye job and emo-punk makeup scared them off. Heh heh! Not that if they tried anything would I have been a pushover. Good thing daddy insisted on all those self-defense classes for his 'pwechious widdle girl.' Being a little scrapper is tough if you can't fight.

"If this is all Cloudsdale has to offer, I'll be able to conquer the entire town, not just the school," she mused openly, "But first things first: the school. Won't take three days, I bet!"

The filly stopped as a thought occurred to her. She stood there on the embankment, glancing around and blinking in loss of position. "Where was it again?" she asked to no one, apprehensive now that she realized she was lost. "I don't know where the school is! I gotta ask directions!" She glanced around, confusion in her eyes, until she spotted a mountain of a grey colt with a hoofball goal-post cutie mark, and a smaller, but still solidly built brown colt with a single dumbbell cutie mark.

The bone-white filly called to them. "Hey! Hey, you over there!" The two paused, then slowly turned to face the uppity filly. "Yeah, you. You know where Cloudsdale Flight School is? Tell me."

"What?" the brown-coated colt with the dumbbell mark said, glaring at the bone-white filly. They were, of course, Field Goal and Dumbbell, heads of the Cloudsdale varsity hoofball team cum gang of thugs. "What's with you? That's no way to ask a question. You know who we are?"

The bone-white filly sneered. They were punk-looking fellows. "I don't. Just came today. Can't bluff an ignorant newcomer, eh?" she chuckled. The bone-white filly launched straight to a trash-talking boasting, "But everyone in this town is going to know and dread my face soon enough, along with the name — Cloudsdale Flight School's Red Mad Dog, Lightning Bolt!"

The two colts stared at her for a long moment, not looking the least bit impressed. Eventually, the bigger of the two, Field Goal, spoke up. "A transfer student? Never been to Cloudsdale?"

"Heh," chuckled Lightning Bolt, "First time I've ever been in such a backwater town."

"Poor sucker, coming here," Field Goal and Dumbbell said in perfect unison.

"Huh?" blurted Lightning Bolt. She was expecting contempt, or skepticism, or even anger at a sudden rival, but not outright pity.

"First year, eh? Well, it'd be the same if you were an upper-year, too," said Field Goal, walking calmly away.

"Good luck, kid. Seriously," Dumbbell said casually, following.

"Buh?! Hey! Wait a darn minute!" Lightning Bolt called back, a little steamed at their casual dismissal and equally casual pity. They continued walking, as if she hadn't said a word. Lightning Bolt gritted her teeth in anger. If I'm going to be a feared and respected delinquent (thus get daddy to leave here for the big city), I can't take that kind of guff! "I said wait, you big clumsy oaf!!" roared Lightning Bolt, dashing up to buck the large colt in the rump. "Don't ignore me like that, you bastard! Just because you're an upper-year doesn't mean cow pies to me!"

Dumbbell sighed as he and Field Goal glanced back at this uppity filly. The filly smirked, chuckling. "You mad, aincha! If ya wanna do somethin' 'bout it, then bring it, b*yay*! I got the skills to back me up! Wanna see?"

What followed could only be called a curb-stomp. Field Goal unloaded a straight hoof-thrust into the filly's temple, sending her reeling. "Y-You bastard..." she growled, before taking Field Goal's other hoof in the jaw. "Y-You..." This time a buck to the flank. This was followed by more hoof-punches as Lightning Bolt got up again and again for more punishment.

"You buck— ... GUH! ... ARGHH!!"

And all just after we learned the bone-white filly's name, too.

At the end of a few minutes, Lightning Bolt was left a crumpled heap on the ground. "B'duh! Holy crimson nuggets! That guy's crazy tough! I guess he's the strongest pony in town. No wonder he put on such mighty airs," she said with a fired-up smile, rising unsteadily to her feet and wiping away the blood. "Powerful ponies are always drawn to each other. It's destiny. The time will come when I'll settle the score with him. But first, I need to conquer my grade level. And some band-aids."

—/—

Plasters in place, Lightning Bolt managed to find her way to Cloudsdale Flight School. She spied the sign directing her to the east building, being a first year. As she stood amongst the flow of first and second year students, Lightning Bolt snorted. "This school is LAAAAME! A lame school that takes its lame town's lame name!" she declared, feeling absolutely no need to consult a thesaurus. Directing her attention to the students, she snorted in contempt again at what she saw. "The students are also lame! Buncha straight arrowed goodie four shoes! The delinquency quotient of these students is shockingly low. Surely there's a couple here, right?" she groused.

"Who are you?" came a surprising voice, "I haven't seen you around before."

Lightning Bolt turned to face a large filly whose coat was a shade softer white than her own coat and poofy and wild blonde mane and tail, flanked by a pink filly with a blue mane and a red-coated filly with a black mane on either side, both a bit smaller than her. However, they were all undoubtedly second-years. "Did you just blow in here without realizing where you were or something?" asked the snow white filly.

Lightning Bolt grit her teeth. Who is this filly? She acts pretty big for her size — actually, she's pretty big anyway. Big enough to be a third-year, though she can only be a second-year at most, here around the east campus. And she has a confident air to her. Hmm... she contemplated.

The snow white filly cracked a slight smile. "Forgive me. I'm Surprise, the Empress of this school," Surprise calmly introduced herself. "And these are my fellow Queens, Firefly and Firecracker." The two henchponies nodded in turn. Surprise scrutinized Lightning Bolt for a moment, and shook her head with contempt. "Is that a dye job, or did you just stick your head in cranberry juice, girl? It's pathetic, makes you look like some sort of second-rate punk."

Lightning Bolt blinked at the information. Empress?! Ah, that explains some things! She's the head of the school — the strong call the strong! she thought with a smile. She stepped back, planting her feet in a fighting stance. "Say what you want about the hair, but you might want to see the true power of this redhead, first," she said, in a clear confrontational tone, "I must warn you, I've studied many forms of martial arts, not just brawling." This was an exaggeration — it was only some self-defense training. "I've never lost a fight in the old country!" True, as she never got into a fight to lose before. All of her battle experience was in sparring.

She thrust her hoof in a hooking action at Surprise's stoic face. "TAKE MY KILLER RIGHT HOOK!" she screamed.

In response, Surprise calmly held up her own in a gesture to please stop that nonsense. "Hold on there, girl. Don't be hasty." Lightning Bolt froze, surprised by Surprise's clear and calm refusal. Seeing her stop, Surprise explained, "I see that you've already been in a recent scrap. I make it a point not to harm normal ponies and the injured." She turned to leave, calling back as her henchponies followed, "If you want a fight, come back when you're all better. I will gladly be your opponent then."

Lightning Bolt watched them walk away, then smiled in satisfaction. "Heh. She's definitely the big cheese of this school. A formidable pony. I look forward to our inevitable clash." Lightning Bolt felt slightly giddy at the prospect. "First the chief of the town, now the head thug of the school. Those are some big ponies for such a lame town. They didn't even blink at my appearance."

Meanwhile, Surprise had a pale look that was almost invisible on her snow-white face. "What a weirdo," she said in a quiet, condescending tone. Her two companions looked at her like she'd grown a second head. Actually, growing a second head might not elicit as much surprise as the snow-white filly was getting at the moment, as familiar as the two were with their empress. "I know how hypocritical and hippopotamus that sounds, but she is, 'specially with that wacky dye job. Something about her is just... off. Best not mess with her." Again, her two companions stared at her. "What?"

Firecracker and Firefly remained silent, but they shared a common thought, You're the last pony we would want to hear that from.

We now return to Lightning Bolt, already in progress.

"Well, I lost to the strongest of colts... not feeling too swell," mused the bone-white filly. "Need to blow off some steam... by beating the nutmeg out of somepony, of course."

Lightning Bolt spotted a cerulean-coated filly with a rainbow-colored mane done up in a spiky do walk towards her. The cloud's with that do? It's crazier than mine! It took a few moments, but realization struck her. She smiled a cruel, blood thirsty smile. Oh, I get it! This is the one the boss filly was talking trash about: a pony trying to intimidate with a weird do, with no skill at all. Looks like a pushover, too! Too bad, chump! You're my stress relief!

Lightning Bolt stepped out in front of Rainbow Dash, declaring, "Look at that ridiculous mane! Have you no shame?"

"Look who's talking," Rainbow Dash said offhandedly, passing her by without even pausing to regard her. Lightning Bolt could not have been more brushed off if Rainbow Dash had used an actual brush.

"Buh? What?" Lightning Bolt sputtered. What was with this filly? Didn't she recognize a threat when she heard one? "Hey, wait! Wait, dang it!" the starker of the two ponies bellowed, stepping out in front of Dash to block her path. "If you want to keep walking down this path, you'll have to defeat me, first!" she roared in challenge.

Rainbow Dash raised a curious eyebrow. "Who do you think you are, an enemy character in a fighting mane-ga?" she asked, almost mockingly, but mostly with genuine confusion. What is with this filly? Did she escape from an insane asylum or something?

"What's a 'mane-ga'?" asked Lightning Bolt, but then shook off the unusual word choice. "Wait! Shut up! Thugs like you with stupid hair are nothing but eyesores! Have you looked at yourself in a mirror?!" bellowed Lightning Bolt, the volume of her shouts growing with her frustration.

Again, an eyebrow went up. "What about you? You look like you opened a walnut with your face. Want me to guide you to the nurse's office?"

"None of your business!" screeched the bone-white filly with the bruised and battered face. Horse hockey! She's winning the battle of words here! I guess poser punks have the quickest tongues! "A-Anyway! Of all the ways to dye a pony's hair, rainbow colors have gotta be the dumbest, you show-off, phony punk with a smart mouth!"

Rainbow Dash stood still for a moment, pondering. Then a smile of realization graced her mouth. "Ohhhh! I get it! You want to fight!" the cerulean filly said in understanding, laughing in embarrassment at her own thick-headedness. "Sorry, I didn't notice. I'm kinda new to this punk thing myself — before I fell in with the current leader, the worst I'd ever done was a banned aerial stunt. Again, sorry for the bother." The sincere apology over, Rainbow Dash stared at her evenly. "So, shall we? Is here fine, or would you rather go to a different spot?" she asked.

The bone-white filly stared at the cerulean one, confused, before letting out a snort of contempt. "At least you're honest about your lack of skill in fighting; if only it could be as good as your skill in speaking! Come on, right now. I warn you, though, I've learned many kinds of—"

*SOCK!*

"Argh!" grunted Lightning Bolt as she staggered back from Rainbow Dash's fast and powerful right cross. She didn't even wait for me to finish boasting! Steeling herself, the bone-white filly charged her, growling in anger, "Why you—"

*POW!* "Urgh... Do-yahhh!!"

Well, I think you can guess what happens next.

"GAH!! ... GUH!! ... GEH! ... UGH!"

—/—

Lightning Bolt was —for the second time— laid out on the ground, beaten silly. She slowly and painfully staggered to her hooves. "I... Impossible!" she murmured in disbelief, "I was beaten up by the girl the Empress dissed! She wasn't afraid of my terrible face one bit. What the cloud is going on with this school?!" She took a moment to spit out a mixture of phlegm and blood from her mouth. "It's like I walked into the Everfree forest, where even the smallest fry can be incredibly hazardous to a pony's health!" The bone-white filly contemplated the thought of being the bottom of the local food chain, but soundly rejected it. "No, that can't be! I've just been having bad luck today. Yeah, that's the ticket..."

She stood erect and faced the school gates. "Next... the next pony," she panted. "I'm gonna use my true power on The next pony to walk through those gates! I don't care who it is, I'll beat the ever-living snot outta him, or her."

She waited for quite a while, because the grounds were suddenly abandoned. Furthermore, there was an ill and chilly wind blowing through the clouded architecture. "Dang, just when I decide to kick the next pony's flank, nopony shows up. It's like this place has it in for me." (Cough.) "Students should still be arriving..." She shivered as the cold wind cut through her coat. "...and it's kinda nippy all of a sudden. What's going on?"

She did not wait long after that when a figure resolved itself from the suddenly misty surroundings, like the very clouds themselves were shuddering in fear in what approached. Lightning Bolt didn't take the hint, and smiled at the approaching figure. "Finally, a sucker! And fortunately for me, it's just one pony! One unlucky pony! That's the price for making me wait! Prepare to..."

Her words were brought up short, as the naturally beady and ringed eyes, absent eyebrows, and permanent leer of Fluttershy emerged from the fog.

Lightning Bolt's pupils shrunk to points. "Wh-What the cloud! What a terrifying face! Is she even a pony?!" she squealed.

Meanwhile, jarred out of her thoughtful revere by the other's sudden exclamation but catching none of its content, Fluttershy seemed to see Lightning Bolt for the first time. And that first time was not a pleasant one for her. It was a filly, bone-white as if in medical shock, and her mane seemingly soaked in her own blood, adding to the hamburgered face she had already, and she could not help but to let out a scream in fright. "KIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Oh my goodness! She's bleeding! Her head is all bloody!

Lightning Bolt gasped at the sudden shriek, jumping back. "Y... you wanna fight?!" she stuttered, crouching down in a shaky fighting stance, "I know several kinds of—"

Fluttershy reared up, kicking her back legs in a frenzy, as she rushed Lightning Bolt with forelegs raised above her head. As she charged, she shrieked, "KIEEEEEEAKAYYYY!!!!! WAHAPAYAAIEEEE!!!" 'Are you okaaay?! What happened to you?!'

Lightning Bolt's brain threw down its arms and waved the little white flag of surrender. The bone-white filly's eyes rolled up, and she slumped to the ground, fainting dead away.

"H... hang in there! Someone help!" screamed Fluttershy in concern and fear.

Lightning Bolt Battle Report: 0 Wins, 3 Losses.

—/—

"Hey, Surprise. Didja hear about Lightning Bolt?"

"Who?"

Firecracker turned to look at Surprise. "She's the bone-white filly who dyed her mane red. Anyway, I heard she picked a fight with Fluttershy and got the tar beaten out of her so bad, she got sent to the nurse's office."

Surprise burst out laughing. "WAHAHAHA! Serves her right! That's what you get for fighting the most powerful pony at Cloudsdale your first day!" The three shared a hearty laugh, but it soon became awkward. "I remember when that used to be me," Surprise said, suddenly depressed at her lost status.

"Sorry," Firecracker said in condolence.

Their walk to school continued, only to find that the bone-white filly was waiting for them at the school gates, her face bandaged from the previous fights, and wearing a scowl that could kill cockatrices. She leaned casually against the stone pillar.

"Nuts. That bone-white, red-maned first year again!" Surprise clucked. "She still gives me the willies. Ignore her, okay?"

That is what they tried, but Lightning Bolt would not let them. "Hey, chief."

Surprise swallowed. "What?" she asked, managing to keep the nervousness from her voice.

The bone-white filly spoke again. "There's no need to ignore me just because I got plastered by your cronies. Then again, I suppose it's no wonder you can't even meet me in the eye, given that I was worked over by your lessers. I understand completely."

Surprise, Firefly, and Firecracker looked left, then right, trying to find the pony Lighting Bolt was talking about. A nagging feeling occurred to Surprise, that Lighting Bolt was —in fact— talking to her. "Me?" she asked, pointing a hoof at herself.

Why is she behaving so modestly? Why does she have such a laid-back attitude? thought Lightning Bolt with confusion before continuing, "You know, this town really surprised me. I got thwomped by the first hulking piece of meat I met, got wasted by that rainbow-maned filly you dissed, and then... there was some demonic looking yellow-coated filly who let out this horrific scream and ran right at me — freakiest gait I've ever seen! Who is that sucker?"

Firefly shouted, "The cloud are you talking about?!"

Firecracker added, "That demon-looking filly is the Gua—"

*GONG!* "OW! Son of a b*yay*!"

Surprise silenced the both of them by putting her forehooves on their heads and slamming them together. "What's the big idea, Surprise! That hurt!" Firefly shouted, but Surprise ignored her. Instead, she whispered to the both of them as she stepped past them.

"Follow my lead, you two."

Her lead. The two knew what that meant: she was about to play a prank!

Surprise stepped up to the red-maned filly and growled down at her, "She is the number two of Cloudsdale Flight School. The right-hoof filly of Surprise, the fabled Guardian of Cloudsdale."

Firefly and Firecracker experienced total jaw suspension failure at that declaration. We're so dead!

Lightning Bolt stared up in awe of Surprise for a moment, before it became a smirk of satisfaction. "Heh. You're certainly full of surprises, Surprise. If you can really order that demon filly around, then you are indeed the Empress you claim." She pawed the dirt in challenge. "And that makes me wish to cross hooves with you more than ever. I know I'm going to lose, but I can't help but want to see how good I actually am."

Surprise didn't get much past 'I know I'm going to lose,' because the alarm klaxons started blaring loudly in her mind's ear. She... she knows she's gonna lose? Doesn't she care how hurt she's gonna get? The snow-white filly shook off the feeling. She must be misunderstanding Lightning Bolt. Right? "Um, er... You foal!" she suddenly exclaimed, "How can you even think of fighting me, when you cannot even best my good fillies?!"

"B-But your promise—"

"That was before you proved yourself so weak by getting the snot beat out of you by my underlings!" Surprise countered Lightning Bolt's protest. "You tipped your hand, filly. Too bad, too sad."

That last point brought Lightning Bolt short. She paused to think, then came to her conclusion. "Yeah, that makes sense. Fighting me would be a waste of your time. I couldn't even beat the weakest of you," she murmured, more to herself than to anypony else. "Okay, I just have to work up through your ranks, one by one. First is that rainbow-maned filly, right? And who's after that?"

"Uh. That would be the number two."

"What? Already?!" Lightning Bolt shouted in surprise, "Don't tell me that's all the ponies you have!"

Surprise blew air through her pursed lips, making a razzing sound. "Pfft. Don't let our small numbers fool you. I'll have you know, with only the five of us, we clobbered the entirety of the varsity hoofball team — and that's just a front for a gang controlled by Field Goal!"

Lightning Bolt's eyes widened in respect and awe. So the hoofball team here was actually a gang of thugs under an assumed cover. And Surprise's gang had beaten them. "Wow!" she said breathily. Dang, that's awesome! I denfinitely want to be a part of this gang! "Well, at least your conditions are easy to understand. Short story, if I beat them, I can fight you, right?"

"You got it." Surprise stepped away to continue on her way, then paused in a sudden thought. "Oh, and another thing." Surprise was suddenly several hands taller than Lightning Bolt, glaring down at her with fire in her eyes. "No harassing or harming the normal students unless and until you depose me! This is the absolute law of the Empress Surprise! You will remember it!" she roared in warning.

"Um... okay... normal students... off limits."

The effect dissipated as Surprise smiled at her warmly. "As long as you understand. This is my duty as the Guardian of Cloudsdale. Forgive me for shouting." She turned around to leave. "In any case, good luck."

After the three had put some distance between themselves and Lightning Bolt, murmured to their leader, "Surprise, are you sure you should have said all that? If Fluttershy hears any of that, she'll turn you into glue!"

Surprise didn't look the least bit worried. "I just couldn't resist this prank, and what's done is done." Sticking out her tongue impishly, she continued, "Besides, it's not like she'll be able to beat Fluttershy, even if by some crazy fluke she manages to take down Rainbow Dash."

"How is this a prank? All that will happen is that she'll get hurt! Not to mention the rendering of your flesh and bones."

Surprise grinned greatly. "Cuz she's a stubborn stubby-toughy pants! She's like one of those punchy clowns: ya knock 'er down, she jumps right back up for more punishment. She'll throw herself at Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy, get beaten down, and keep coming back for more," she snickered, "If she's not smart enough to quit while she's behind, then there's nothing we can do."

Firecracker frowned. "You're still sore about losing your position of dominance to Fluttershy, aren't you?" she asked in a sort of non-questioning way.

Surprise twitched as a metaphorical arrow slammed right into the proverbial bullseye. "That was not the sound of you hitting right on target," she denied loudly.

She is, thought Firecracker, her question difinitively answered.

Firefly broke in. "And the warning against harming students?"

"She's a thug. Unless she has that rule holding her back, she might try to pick fights with other students."

—/—

Lightning Bolt mused on Surprise's grave words for a few minutes. Surprise sure did cut an imposing figure when she wanted. "Boy, that was a shocker! I thought she was a real laid back pony, but she was pretty darn serious about protecting her students. That's a strong guardian spirit," she said in respecting awe of her last encounter with the Empress of Cloudsdale. "As I thought, she is a big pony. Knew it the moment I laid eyes on her.

"So, first up is that rainbow-maned punk. Yesterday, I was wounded, and she enraged me with her wily taunting. But now I know her tricks and am in fighting form."

Lightning Bolt shivered involuntarily as the cold wind blew over her, cutting through her fur. "Woo! It got cold all of a sudden," she remarked. She refocused herself on the path, and choked at the sight. "urk!"

Like a ghost, Fluttershy emerged from the cloud bank, stepping calmly toward the bone-white filly. Celestia's bald spot! I knew it! Surprise's numero dos! Her face is scary as ever, too! I could almost faint again. Lightning Bolt mentally brushed those kind of thoughts away. A-anyways, first things first: namely the rainbow-chick. You're for later, #2!

Fluttershy stopped suddenly, freezing in the middle of the path, glaring at her. Inside, the yellow filly's thoughts churned. H-her hair is all red! No! It can't be! thought Fluttershy with growing alarm. Again, she reared up and rushed at Lightning Bolt, screaming like a banshee: "KIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

WAHHHH! What the— Lightning Bolt almost lost it right then and there. She's coming after me again!

I already took her to the nurse's yesterday! So why is her head bleeding again?! We have to stop the bleeding! thought Fluttershy in a panic. She's so pale! You need blood, you poor pony, or you'll faint again!!

Holy grit nuggets! The exact same thing is happening again! This pony's totally cracker jacks! thought Lightning Bolt as Fluttershy approached. I have no choice! I have to go out of order! As Fluttershy was almost upon her, Lightning Bolt ducked down and pitched Fluttershy over her body, slamming the yellow filly onto her back. "Ha! Check out that body toss! It delivers a strong blow to the back and knocks the wind out of the opp... huh?"

Fluttershy was up again, hardly fazed by the supposed stun-inducing toss. The horror-faced filly thrust a hoof at the bone-white filly's face, a thrust she barely dodged. "W... What the...?! She's invincible!" she gasped in fright, the full reason why Fluttershy was so feared seeming to dawn on her.

Meanwhile, similar confusion was rippling through Fluttershy's mind. Why does she resist so much?! Does she hate the hospital?! she thought, desperate to apply pressure to the wounds on the bone-white filly's head and staunch the bleeding. As more attempts to render first aid followed —which looked to Lightning Bolt like serious attempts to knock her brains out for real— Fluttershy indulged in some internal musing, I guess everyone does... hate the hospital, that is. But if we don't do something, you'll bleed out and die!

Why is she using all these thrusts aimed at my face?! Is she aiming for my eyes?! You crazy pile of feathering nuts! Lightning Bolt thought. Seeing the danger in this, she jumped far back, putting some distance between she and the crazy yellow filly. Fluttershy just stared at her intensely, focused on her eyes. This is WHACK! I'm scared... She's so ferocious... borderline insane!

"What's going on?"

"It's a fight!"

"Hey, it's Fluttershy!"

Don't know... how much time... she has... must take her to... the nurse's office...

Settle down, Bolt. Be calm and watch her movements. You were disoriented at first, but she's moving directly. There's no trick here... read her timing, and bring in a counter.

"KIEEEE!!!!"

Lightning Bolt saw her chance. Weaving around Fluttershy's thrust, she responded with her own. A loud crack echoed through the courtyard for everyone to hear. Fluttershy staggered back.

Yes! Got one in!

No, you must not struggle! You'll die of blood loss!

I can do this! One big rush!

This time, Lightning Bolt laid into Fluttershy. Blow upon blow rained down on the yellow filly, each one making a satisfying cracking sound as they impacted her head. All of her force went into those hoof thrusts, trying to force Fluttershy back, hurt her, and knock her down.

"Woah! Fluttershy's getting creamed! What's going on?"

"Is that other filly that tough?"

More and more blows came in, one after another, each one striking. The sound of hoof hitting face was heard by the gathered students, witnessing a sight to behold — Fluttershy taking a flurry of punches. But after a while, the gathered ponies started to notice something odd.

"Hey... She's not going down..."

Lightning Bolt was also beginning to realize this, as she was getting a bit winded from her punches, her forelegs beginning to get sore, but realizing that Fluttershy didn't look all that hurt. She tried her best strike, the strongest of her blows, but to no avail. Fluttershy only staggered back, off balance, then lifted her head as if nothing had happened, seeming to sneer at him while she glared at her with intense eyes.

Lightning Bolt felt a chill down her spine. What the hay!! She's not going down! I could have knocked out a manticore with some of those punches, and she's coming back for more! She was getting desperate now! She threw all her weight into one last punch, actually managing to drive Fluttershy back a couple of feet, but to no avail. Fluttershy just remained on her hooves, and lifted her head, glaring and leering at Lightning Bolt.

Again, Lightning Bolt's brain started waving the little white flag of surrender. She screamed, "AIYEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

The clouds of a pegasus settlement should not form a fog. If they do, it means that something has gone wrong with the process that keeps the cloud's cohesion. A foggy cloud is a cloud that's rapidly eroding. Civil engineers are called at that point to keep the cloud safe for pegasi to use, reinforcing and rebuilding the cloud bank. Today, however, they were pressed with other matters, and as a result, some places in the cloud were weak, like the place where Fluttershy was currently standing. The cloud bank gave way, and Fluttershy's left side dropped through the hole opening under her. Fluttershy had only time to look surprised when her trunk jammed inside the hole, stopping her from falling to her demise, but also snapping her head solidly against the firm cloudy ground, putting her out like a light.

Buzzing amongst the gathered ponies was quiet and subdued, not believing what they had seen. Lightning Bolt was also not quite believing what she was seeing, but after a while, it sunk into her. She had won. She slowly began chuckling, then burst out into a full blown laughter. "I did it! I beat the #2! You see that?! That's the power of Lightning Bolt!" She addressed the unconscious pony, "True, you're tough... tough as nails. I can see why you're number two, but the difference between us is clear! I was born to be a true martial artist!" Her smiled slipped a bit, becoming a respectful regard for a fellow fighter. "Forgive me, Number Two. This is the fate of a thug."

"Um... she's out, you know. Can't hear you," a student braved.

Lightning Bolt blushed a bit, laughing it off. "Ah, a fighting pony can afford a bit of melodrama, right?! Anyway, time for the showdown with the Empress!" She trotted off, laughing all the way.

Meanwhile, the crowd was abuzz with discussion.

"S-She lost..."

"Fluttershy... lost."

"I can't believe the immortal Fluttershy lost!"

"Yeah, holy crud-nuggets..."

A pause.

"...Something doesn't seem right, though..."

A few minutes later, Charlie Horse happened upon the concussed Fluttershy, nestled in the hole her body made when it fell through. No one had dared touch her since her breaking through. "Fluttershy? Oh dear, you fell through an eroded cloud!" observed the PE teacher. Gathering his stricken student from the ground and draping her over his back, he took her to the nurse's office.

—/—

Firecracker chewed thoughtfully on her candy cigarette for a bit, wondering something to herself. Finally, she let it be known what was on her mind. "So why are we skipping? You know we're not bad students, right? Just a bit o' trouble," she pointed out.

"Oh, tosh!" Surprise said with a chuckle, sucking on her candy cig. "I'm too happy thinking about the twisted morass I just sent that red-maned kid into! Then I'll prepare a special after-curbstomp prank for her." She rubbed her hooves together, giggling madly.

Firecracker rolled her eyes. "Sad, isn't it?" she said in a sardonic droll, "Losing your spot as the dominant pony has driven you to this."

"Oh, hush. We were always all about the pranks, and some of them were pretty mean. You remember the first prank we attempted on Fluttershy, right?" pointed out Surprise, tapping out her candy cig. The tip of it crumbled like ash, causing Firefly and Firecracker to blink, their eyes shuttling between Surprise's candy(?) cig and the ash pile, confusion plain on their faces.

"Huh? Did that candy cig just... is that a candy cig...?" sputtered Firefly.

"Ah, Lightning Bolt!" Surprise said suddenly, jumping onto all fours. "What's up? Did you beat the rainbow-maned filly yet?"

Lightning Bolt exuded confidence out of her pores. "I was looking around because I figured you don't go to any classes. Looks like I was right," she said dangerously.

Surprise smiled. "Hmmm? You sure have a lot of free time. Go to class, girl."

"You promised. You promised that we'd have a tumble to see who's this school's real number one."

Surprise did not look amused at Lightning Bolt's declaration. "What?" she said evenly. She scowled severely. "Don't you understand? You have to beat my number two if you want to fight me."

"I know that. That's why I'm here," Lightning Bolt boasted. "I've already beaten your number two, and now you're going to take me on, as promised!"

Surprise's candy cigarette dropped from her mouth, which had dropped open with surprise and not a little fear. Other than that, the snow-white filly might as well be made out of stone.

Firecracker leveled a flat look at Surprise. "What now, genius?" she asked quietly.

END CHAPTER 5.

I decided that the thug index of Fluttershy's group wasn't quite high enough to begin the parents arc, so I introduced Lightning Bolt to the group. I hope this works.

Oh, and Surprise's large size is not just because she's a Kuroda expy. I'll reveal the reason for her large size in the parent's arc, which is the very next one.

The Prize

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 6: The Prize

Fluttershy came back to the land of the living, squinting as the harsh lights hurt her eyes. She suddenly sat up, finding herself in the school infirmary. She knew this place because she visited here yesterday, carrying Lightning Bolt. She had thought that the bone-white filly had fainted from lack of blood, rather than from the shock of her own sudden charge. (Fluttershy still did not know that this was the problem.)

"Hello, Fluttershy," said Charlie Horse in greeting, "How are you feeling?"

"A bit of a headache, but nothing more," Fluttershy replied, rubbing her head with her hoof. She felt the bandages around her head and the plasters over her temple. "Umm, where did these come from?"

"The nurse was called away to tend to another patient and left your injury to me; I fixed you up myself," answered Charlie Horse. He nervously laughed, becoming a bit self-conscious about how well he did. "I can't say I did a good job, mind, but I think it will work."

Fluttershy wordlessly stepped toward a wall mirror to examine her bandages. They wrapped about her head several times, and together with the plasters made it look like she'd had an anvil dropped on her head, and later stung by bees. Whether it was a good job or not depended on her injury, but she didn't feel nearly as bad as warranted by this job. Still, he did care enough to try. That has to count for something. "Thanks... for your effort. What happened to me?" she asked finally.

"You fell through an eroded cloud and hit your head. I got some ponies on the hole and the surrounding cloud, so don't worry about that. Just worry about getting better," Charlie Horse said with a smile. "Actually, the nurse told me that you only got the mildest of concussions on your right temple, from when you almost fell through the cloud. That's why she felt safe leaving the job to me." The big pony chuckled quietly. "Bad luck, eh? You were just walking along and fell into a hole."

Fluttershy's memories of the incident came back to her. "But I wasn't just walking along! I was trying to help somepony with a head injury, but she didn't want me to help her! She just kept hitting me!" said Fluttershy anxiously. "Oh, I hope she got help! Did you help her? Was she the one who needed the nurse?" the yellow filly finally asked.

Charlie Horse shook his massive head. "No. You were the only one there," he said frankly. Internally, he marveled at the yellow filly's words. She's injured and she still thinks of other ponies first. Every time I talk to her, she confirms my initial impression of her: she's a good pony with a bad face, not a bad pony with a bad face. I wish Cheerful Sign would see her that way.

The yellow filly mulled over Charlie's words. No pony else was there? But if she didn't get help, then she could... "KIEEE!!!" Fluttershy suddenly screamed, making her face look more horrific than ever. Spooked, Charlie Horse jumped out of his chair, and almost out of his skin. "Then she could still be somewhere, desperately hurt!" she said in a panic, "Her head was bleeding! Her mane was soaked in blood!"

Charlie Horse quirked an eyebrow. Surely if a student was bleeding as bad as Fluttershy claimed, there would have been more signs of it about the place. Drops of blood near where he'd found Fluttershy, for instance. "I find that unlikely, but describe her, and maybe I can get somepony to find her."

Fluttershy scowled a bit, which Charlie noted made her look very repulsive. She was thinking, remembering the pony's particulars. "Her eyes were light cyan, but she was wearing a lot of makeup to emphasize her whites. I would call her coat bluish white or bone white," she described.

Charlie Horse own face tensed up in thought. Could it be? came his sudden thought. "Was her tail a light cerulean blue?" he hazarded. Fluttershy nodded vigorously. Charlie Horse grinned. "Then there's nothing to worry about. That's Lightning Bolt, a pony who just transfered in. She dyed her mane red for some reason."

Fluttershy blinked as understanding dawned on her. So her mane really is that color, and wasn't blood! I'm glad! she thought with relief, only to suddenly feel very guilty. Oh no! I've been so incredibly rude, thinking that her hair were her brains falling out! No wonder she hit me! I must apologize later.

—/—

The three Trickster Queens trooped down the hall with very worried expressions on their faces. "Cripes, how did you get her to believe there were as many as four ponies like Fluttershy galloping around this school, and she got the wrong one? Now you've got her doubting her own victory. I mean, it was obviously Fluttershy she beat," Firefly said aloud.

Surprise glared at them, the wild, frightened glare of an animal facing certain doom. "Oh come on, you silly fillies! There's no way on Broadway that I'm going to believe that popcorn shrimp beat Fluttershy, the Nightmare Filly!" she shouted desperately. She was trying as hard as she could to deny the obvious, that Lightning Bolt beat Fluttershy, because it had two immediate and frightening consequences: that Lightning Bolt was ten pounds of violence in a three pound sack, stronger than even Fluttershy; and that Lightning Bolt was about to go after her next, almost the weakest fighter amongst their gang. Only Firefly and Firecracker were weaker. Maybe. This prank was starting to backfire badly. The only thing that saved her from the conclusion was the obvious ridiculousness of it all. Surprise made a show of screwing up her courage and continuing, "...At least no without seeing her myself. You'll see! When we next see her, she'll be unharmed!"

"I'm still amazed that she even swallowed your lie..." Firecracker observed.

"If she had any wits about her, she would have called my bluff," Surprise pointed out. "But first, we need to find Fluttershy."

It seemed that just saying her name summoned the creature known as Fluttershy. At that moment, the door to the infirmary opened, and the yellow pegasus filly stepped out. Surprise and Fluttershy stared at each other for a long moment, a moment filled with Surprise staring in shock at Fluttershy's bandaged head, and Fluttershy with that unreadable expression on hers.

That moment broken was by the voice of Charlie Horse as he followed Fluttershy out of the infirmary. "Are you sure that you're going to be all right?" he asked.

Fluttershy nodded to the teacher. "I'm pretty familiar with my personal health, Mr. Horse. I'll be fine," she said in a quiet, calm voice. Charlie Horse nodded back, then took his leave of Fluttershy and friends.

Firefly and Firecracker mirrored Surprise's thunderstruck expression. "She's wrapped up in bandages!" Firefly gasped.

Firecracker voiced her disbelief and awe. "Oh sweet Celestia! The immortal Fluttershy... has lost!"

"Fluttershy... what are... those wounds from?" Surprise asked in a halting, trembling voice.

Fluttershy was a little thrown off by the concern she could read in Surprise's voice. "Oh, um..." she faltered. Oh dear, she must have learned about my little accident. "It's nothing... Really. I just... got a little hurt..." the yellow filly tried to assure her friend.

Her speech is faltering, Firefly noted.

It's true, isn't it? You really lost, Fluttershy! Firecracker almost weeped internally.

Surprise finally gathered the strength to inquire further. "D... did you meet a bone-white, red-maned filly?"

Fluttershy jerked visibly. "The new student? Yes. We... met," she said, almost quietly.

"D-Don't tell me... you were brought low by that redhead?!" asked Surprise.

Fluttershy considered this odd term. 'Brought low'? Well, I did kinda fall through the clouds. "Yeah, I guess I did," she said at last.

"REALLY?!!" Surprise shrieked in disbelief, "That redheaded filly really beat you up?! Are you really going to leave it like that, Fluttershy?! Are you going to back down after getting hit like that?!"

Ah. She really did hear about that, as well. "Of course I got beat up. I wouldn't think of striking back," the yellow filly said, thinking, It was I who was the rude one, making fun of her mane like that. "Well, I'm going back to class. Thanks for worrying about me."

Firecracker parroted Fluttershy's last words. "'Of course I got beat up!' She's really resigned to her loss. Sheesh, that little filly must be a monster!"

Surprise's eyes grew wet with tears, as she stood still in the center of the hall, staring down the hall long after she had lost sight of Fluttershy's retreating rump. The filly grit her teeth, shaking on her hooves as the tears streamed down.

"Surprise, you're crying," Firecracker said in sympathy.

Firefly shook her head. "I know how you feel. The mighty Fluttershy looks so frail — it makes me sad, too."

Actually, Surprise was only lamenting her own mortality. I'm a dead duck! her thoughts whirled. Mommy, daddy, your daughter is about to meet her end this day!

*twang*

The other two Queens spooked as they heard what sounded like a piano wire snapping. "Alright, let's do this!!" Surprise roared a moment later, "If I win this battle, I'll be top pony again!"

Firefly ignored the 'twang' in favor of the more immediate problem. "What are you talking about?" she asked sincerely.

Firecracker, on the other hand, instantly picked up Surprise's meaning. "You gotta be kidding me!" the red filly exclaimed. "That pony beat up Fluttershy! You can't possibly win against her!"

"You'll never know until we try!" Surprise announced, somewhat manically, and trotted off to arrange the battle.

"That 'twang' sound... that was her mind snapping, wasn't it?" Firefly asked rhetorically.

"We doomed. Completely doomed," agreed Firecracker.

—/—

First period came and went, but Fluttershy still had not appeared. Rainbow Dash, the yellow-coated filly's self-appointed second-in-command, thought upon this development, Huh, Fluttershy never showed up first period. But she never does that! Despite being a punk, she takes her studies serious! She dismissed the feeling of oddness that last thought caused.

The rumor mill was hard at work at the moment. "Hey, did you hear?" Record Time asked. Seeing no takers, he continued, "They say Fluttershy got beat up bad. Lot's of ponies witnessed it."

"By who?" asked Rainbow Dash suddenly.

"It was that red-maned filly with the bone-white coat, the pony who just transferred in yesterday... WAH!!" Record Time screamed out loud when he realized that he had just answered Rainbow Dash, right-hoof tomcolt of the defeated Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash scoffed at this news. "The red-head? That's horse apples. Fluttershy would never lose to that moron," she said confidently. "Don't spread dirt like that around, or you'll get beat up by a filly with rainbow-hair." She let the implied threat hang, making Record Time a tad uncomfortable.

At that moment, the door opened with a great clatter. On the other side stood Fluttershy. Everypony froze in instant fear, but then they realized something was odd about her: her head wrapped with bandages and plasters. She looked like she'd been in a fight, and on the losing end of it.

The rumor-mongers gasped in shock.

The rest of the class gasped in shock.

Rainbow Dash gasped in shock. "F-fluttershy?"

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," said the bandaged Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash could only stammer out a befuddled question. "W-wh-wha-what happened...?"

"Oh, nothing much." Fluttershy answered matter-of-factly, as if her injuries were of no consequence.

"Fluttershy's been thwomped..." the students whispered, "The rumor was true..."

That's inconceivable. Fluttershy couldn't have possibly been wrecked by that stupid twit. Dash narrowed her eyes in thought. True, she was already busted up when I fought her, but I can't believe she could have bested Fluttershy even in full form! The rainbow-maned filly came to a steadfast conclusion. This is an unrelated injury, surely, or somepony else must have done it.

"I see you've changed your mane again," Fluttershy ventured, trying to fill the suddenly awkward silence, "I still think your regular style suits you better."

Rainbow Dash let out a grunt of indignation. "You never like it whenever I try new styles for my mane," she groused.

Fluttershy's face tightened, as if giving her a sneer. In truth she was trying to smile goodnaturedly, but it failed miserably. "That's because you look like you're trying to be somepony other than Rainbow Dash. The result just looks weird," she said.

"With every respect, Fluttershy, I don't want to hear that from you."

Again, her leer drew tight. "Heh. I suppose I must look a fright today."

'A fright' is the way you normally look, a few of the students dared to think.

"Breaking news, everypony! The Empress and the new kid are going to have a fight on the roof!" a colt by the name of Gilded Cage shouted as he burst into the room, "That red-head's the one who beat up Fluttershy! This going to be a battle to see who's top pony of the school now!"

"Um..." Cloud Kicker hummed, pointing a hoof at the pony in question.

"AHHH! FLUTTERSHY!"

Fluttershy had an intense look on her face. Her brow was knitted together. She did not look happy.

Rainbow Dash wasn't about to stand any rumors about her boss, herself. She growled in defense of her superior, "There's no way Fluttershy would lose to that weak-flank pony, so you'd better knock it off or she'll snap—"

As if triggered by that word, Fluttershy snapped to her hooves, her chair clattering out of the way by her violent motion. Gasps and screeches were heard from fillies and colts as they guarded themselves against the Nightmare Filly's onslaught of ultimate violence. However, the only thing that happened was that Fluttershy bolted out of the room in a great rush, and a speed that Rainbow Dash considered respectable.

Thoughts were whirling through Fluttershy's head, This is bad! Surprise must have heard that Lightning Bolt beat me up, and went to get revenge for me! The yellow filly screamed in frustration, "KIEEEEEEE!!" Don't do it, Surprise! It was my fault!

She proceeded to tear through the school screaming her head off, causing ponies to jump out of the way, hoping that the Nightmare Filly wasn't screaming about them.

—/—

Lightning Bolt and the three Queens were not the only ponies hanging around the rooftop. Besides the two sides facing each other across the rooftop, about the edge rubberneckers were gathered to watch the show that would determine the school's top delinquent.

Lightning Bolt spared a moment to glance about their gathered audience. "This school certainly has a lot of time on its hands, but this will make a goodly amount of witnesses to our battle," she remarked dryly. "Let's begin. It's only a matter of time before the teachers stop this," she added, itching to start some action.

In contrast, the other side was not itching to start anything. If it was all the same, they would prefer not to fight this day or any other day. "So what now, Empress?" asked Firecracker.

Surprise nodded to Lightning Bolt and asked, "How tough do ya think she is? Sirloin or brisket?"

Firecracker blinked at her quizzically. "What? What are those?" she asked, before she could bring herself to a stop because of the obvious nonsensicalness of it. "Never mind. I'd say she's pretty tough, cause she beat down Fluttershy. If Fluttershy's a pony weapon, then Lightning Bolt must be the ultimate pony weapon. We're pretty bucked."

"A-Are you trying to scare me before the fight? Because it's not working!" Surprise said in defiance.

Firecracker looked poignantly at Surprise's knees, wobbling as they were like plucked bow strings. "Not working. Right," she said drolly. "But it's better than receiving a painful awakening." Firecracker looked up, and swallowed a bit. "You'd better have a plan for beating her, 'cuz here she comes."

Surprise swallowed a great deal. "I got nuthin'!" she admitted.

Firefly shook her head shamefully. It's hopeless! Surprise is just not a fighter and never was! It was always pranks and not hoofticuffs that made us top of the school! We're the Trickster Queens, not the Fighter Queens!

Lightning Bolt approached, a smarmy and menacing look on her face. She was in fighting form. I've finally come this far. Now, Empress Surprise, show me the power of this school's number one warrior! she thought.

Her hoof suddenly flew up, catching Surprise right in the kisser. Time seemed to slow, as Surprise's head snapped back in reaction. Her forehooves peeled off the cloudy rooftop. As her body went vertical, her hind hooves left the ground and she sailed in a perfect arc to land at the hooves of Firecracker and Firefly. Surprise's eyes were squeezed shut from the blow.

She lay there for several seconds, unmoving.

Seeing their unmoving empress, Firecracker mournfully said, "This is it... the rule of Lightning Bolt begins now..."

Surprise's eyes suddenly popped open, and the filly rolled up onto her haunches, a confused look on her face. "That... didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would," she said, slowly, as she rubbed her jaw. She suddenly shouted, "Bless you, papa!" and snapped to her hooves, a defiant look on her face.

Firefly looked at Surprise, parrotting, "'Papa'?"

Firecracker closed her mouth with a click whence it had been hanging open. "I don't believe it! Surprise actually managed to weather the hit!" she said in marvel.

"Alright, Lightning Bolt... bring it, if you can!" Surprise said, snorting out a cloudy puff of pony-breath from her nose and pawing the school roof cloud bank.

Firecracker stepped closer to Surprise, and tried to call out to her empress's reason. "Surprise, what are you saying?! You've no chance against her!"

Surprise smiled. "No. Taking that hit, I know that I can take her down."

Lightning Bolt pawed the rooftop confidently. "So how did you like that punch? How does the power of the Empress compare to that?" she asked in a loud, daring voice.

Surprise's smile tightened. "Hmph. Don't think you're so hot because you took down my numero dos. Prepare for the difference in power."

Firefly and Firecracker looked at Surprise, their eyes wide as saucers. "Oh sweet Celestia..." Firecracker muttered in numb horror.

"That punch must have knocked out whatever sense she still had left!" Firefly added, voicing their simultaneous thought.

"CHEEEEEESECAAAYYKE!!" Surprise roared in challenge, bolting forward at a full gallop. As she neared Lightning Bolt, she twisted about, bringing her right forehoof up and slamming down upon her opponent.

Lightning Bolt evaluated the strike detachedly. I see. A downward punch from her advanced height and full steam ahead gallop. Simple to deal with. I'll just block it and follow with a counter—

"HAH!"

Lightning Bolt gasped with pain as her cannon was knocked back by Surprise's powerful blow. It stung as the bone-white filly stumbled back a couple of steps, as if trying to keep that part of her foreleg attached to the rest of her. She flexed it experimentally; it was stiff as anything she'd felt before, and lances of pain shot up and down her struck leg. Holy sand nuggets! What brutal power! Of course she would be strong, with that height! Buck, I'm one leg down and the fight's barely started!

"HENSHIN! CYCLONE-JOHKAHHH!!"

"Buh?" blurted Lightning Bolt, confused and startled by Surprise's nonsense phrase. She had barely time to block with her other foreleg as Surprise reared up and flicked her forehooves, left then right, at her. "OW!" exclaimed the bone-white filly as she came down on two aching cannons.

Lightning Bolt scrabbled back to avoid any hits as Surprise pressed forward, running forward on two back hooves as she snapped her forehooves rapidly at the retreating filly, all the while screaming an attack cry.

"AH-TATATATATATATATATATATATATA! AH-TATATATATATATATATATATATATA! WATAWWWWW!!!"

At the last outcry, Lightning Bolt's could almost feel her brain rattle in its skull as a strong punch, powered by a sudden flexing of Surprise's spine, landed squarely on Lightning Bolt's cheekbone. The bone-white filly almost bounced off of the cloud-based roof.

The students gasped and gaped at the unfolding drama:

"Holy cow! Surprise is strong!"

"But wasn't she just a trickster before?"

"She's a part of Fluttershy's gang! Of course she's going to be strong besides!"

Firecracker narrowed her eyes as understanding finally began dawning on her. "I see," she said in an almost reverent whisper. "Surprise may be a trickster at heart, but there's no denying that she's got a large body. Her strength is nothing to scoff at. She's always ran from a fight and preferred tricks, not only because it is her nature, but because she's had to hold her own against that massive colt, Field Goal," she said, in an almost detached analytical voice, "Come to think of it, Surprise pegged Field Goal as having trained in some kind of combat art." The red-coated filly turned to the pink-coated one. "Firefly, just what do we know about Surprise's father?"

"Nothing. I've never been to her house," Firefly answered with a helpless shrug, "But whoever he is, he's taught her to be awesome!"

By this time, Lightning Bolt was bowed on one knee, gasping and shaking the fog from her head. That was a crazy-awesome combo! She has me completely on the ropes here! She's definitely the Empress! The bone white filly chuckled, then burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha! THIS is the fight I've been itching for!" she exclaimed in joy. "It doesn't matter who beats who. If I beat you, I win. If you beat me, I win. In fact, the more you can hurt me, the better!" To have the royal snot beaten out of me my second day ought to convince daddy to move post-haste, all to protect her precious daughter!

It took a moment for the snow-white filly to get it, but when she got it, Surprise felt as if somepony poured a cup of ice-cold water down her back. She had her suspicions about the white filly, but her words just confirmed them. It all came out in a single scream of terror:

"FIREFLY! FIRECRACKER! THIS PONY'S WEIRD!!"

Lightning Bolt tilted her head to the right, and uttered a confused, "Buh?"

The two fillies tilted their heads to the right, letting out a coordinated utterance of their confuddlement, "Huh?"

Surprise pointed a shaking hoof at Lightning Bolt. "I SEE IT IN HER EYES!! SHE WANTS ME TO BEAT HER UP BECAUSE THAT'S HOW SHE GETS HER JOLLIES!!" she screeched.

The bone-white filly worked her mouth uselessly for a moment. "What in blazes are you talking about?!" she shouted, then regained her hooves and started approaching Surprise. The larger white filly squeaked in fear, turned tail and ran away with everything she was worth, the bone-white filly in confused pursuit. "C'mon and beat me up!" shouted Lightning Bolt.

"Get away from me!" Surprise screamed back, "I'm not gonna be your sado-lesbian lover! Forget it!"

The students were sent abuzz again:

"Lightning Bolt is some sort of mazzo freak?"

"That would explain why she was able to beat up Fluttershy — she simply outlasted the Nightmare Filly."

Drat! The last thing I need is for that to get back to daddy! I need to turn this back into an ordinary thug fight! With that in mind, the bone-white filly demanded, "Come back here and give me the fight I crave!" She then lengthened her stride and stretched out her neck to grab a mouthful of Surprise's poofy tail.

*chawmp*

Surprise grimaced in fear as she felt a mouth clamp down on her tail. She stretched out both forehooves planting them firmly on the ground. Her forehooves thus planted, her momentum caused her hindquarters to lift completely off the ground. She curled her whole body inward, including those back legs, coiled up tight like a spring, before snapping out with a powerful buck.

Her hindhooves cracked solidly into Lightning Bolt's left cheek, causing her to release her grip on Surprise's tail and went flying backward onto her back.

Lightning Bolt shook her head free of the fog once more and bounced to her hooves, this time a little unsteady. The two ponies glared at each other hotly.

It was at this point their fight was interrupted.

Fluttershy, head still swathed with bandages, kicked open the door to the roof. "SARIIIZZZ!! YAMASNTRIBAAAHHHH!!!" she screamed. 'Surprise!! You mustn't strike back!!' This caused all motion to stop and all attention to focus on her. Students commented on her roughed-up appearance, but Fluttershy's concerns lie elsewhere. Oh, good! It hasn't turned into a fight yet!

The bone-white filly grinned at the sorry sight of Fluttershy in bandages. "Heh! Well, if it isn't #2! Those bandages make you look pitiful!" she dismissed the crazy pony, "But your turn is already over. As you can see, I'm currently in battle for the head of the school. Stay out of it."

Firefly whistled with astonishment. "Wow, she's treating Fluttershy like some no-name thug. Something's gonna go down."

Fluttershy started walking toward the two, completely unconcerned at Lightning Bolt's belligerent words.

"Woah, there she goes!" cried one onlooking student.

"It's the grudge match!" shouted another.

Oh dear. Surprise really does leap to conclusions so quickly, even going so far to fight this filly to avenge me, thought the completely oblivious Fluttershy.

"So, you wanna fight!" Lightning Bolt growled. "You think you can take me in that condition?"

"So she is going to fight!" Firefly murmured in relief and joy.

"That's the spirit, Fluttershy! I knew you wouldn't just take that lying down!" cheered Firecracker.

Rainbow Dash poked her head out as she stepped onto the school roof. What's going on? I was just following Fluttershy to see what she would do, thought the rainbow-maned filly.

"We're saved," sighed Firefly.

"Fluttershy will wrap this up," added Firecracker.

Surprise would be hearing none of it. Instead, she rushed Lightning Bolt's unprotected flank. Now's my chance! Her attention is on Fluttershy! If I knock out Lightning Bolt cleanly with a single hit, she'll be knocked out immediately and deprive her of the suffering she craves! thought the snow-white filly as she prepared to knock out the bone-white filly.

Fluttershy noticed Surprise's stealthy approach and obvious, misguided attempt at revenge. "NAAASAPAIZZ!! ESALLMIFAYAAAA!!!" she pleaded incoherently. 'No, Surprise! It's all my fault!'

Fluttershy bolted ahead like a locomotive. She screamed like a banshee as she approached. Lightning Bolt snorted as she saw this straightforward attack. "Talk about a sore loser. I can see exactly what you're going to do!"

If I leave this to Fluttershy, I might be connected forever to this pervert filly as her domina. I gotta make it crystal clear that I'm off-limits! Surprise thought as she lunged at Lightning Bolt. One clean hit while she's distracted, and even this pony will fall!

The distracted Lightning Bolt almost laughed as she threw her hoof straight at Fluttershy's forehead. "Those direct movements are your weak point! It's so easy to counter!"

Fluttershy did not hear nor see that. She saw that Surprise was already unwinding a punch at the unsuspecting Lightning Bolt's face. Oh no! I won't make it in time! Faster... I must go faster! Already her legs were tightening as her pace changed.

Because of this, Fluttershy seemed to vanish before Lightning Bolt's thrown hoof, appearing instead inside her punch. The bone-white filly was confused by this sudden reversal. Fluttershy had changed her tactics.

Oh no! I won't make it! I can't get get in between them in time! But for Surprise's sake, I can't let her hit this girl! Fluttershy's entire body uncoiled at that moment. Her hind hooves dug into the roof. Her forehooves went to Lightning Bolt's chest. The bone-white filly had barely time to register the fact before her head felt like it had been whipped sharply forward by an unbeatable force.

She sailed into the air, doubled over. Dazed by the snap of her head as it followed the rest of her body, she was quite helpless to check the arc she was making through the air. Further than Field Goal she flew several yards back to land heavily on the firm school roof, splayed out and dazed on her back.

A moment passed in silence before the Cloudsdale rumor machine churned forth more material.

"She... flew. Without her wings, she flew..."

"What was that?!"

"That was inequine!"

"Holy!"

"Fluttershy..." Surprise began haltingly, hardly believing what had just happened before her eyes.

Fluttershy sighed, gently admonishing the snow-white filly with the poofy blonde mane. "You're such a bothersome friend, Surprise. I told you that you didn't have to do this."

"But... your bandages."

Oh, this is what was causing her to unnecessarily worry! Fluttershy reached up and unceremoniously pulled all of her bandages and plasters off her face, revealing an unblemished coat. Like she'd never been hit in the first place. Students and thugs alike gasped in shock. "You don't have to be worried if I get knocked around a little bit, Surprise. I'm used to being hit," she said, almost offhanded and like it was absolutely no cause for concern. "There's no reason for you to lay hooves on her."

Surprise broke out in a cold sweat as she realized what a monster Fluttershy was. She then sneezed.

"Im... possible... I hit her... so many times..." Lightning Bolt groaned as her brain finally waved the little white flag yet again.

Murmurs from the gathered ordinary students were thrown about.

"She's immortal!"

"Fluttershy's the invincible pony!"

"No matter how she's beaten, she comes back from hell!"

"The legendary Fluttershy is indestructible after all."

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was relieved. Good! Nobody was hurt in this fight! Case closed, I guess.

What the hay was that all about?! Rainbow Dash gaped in befuddlement, I don't get what just happened!!

Lightning Bolt was left, ignored, as she twitched on the school roof.

—/—

"Hey, boss, ya hear? Some new filly named Lightning Bolt temporarily beat Fluttershy, but then the Nightmare Filly barged in on her fight with Surprise and clobbered her."

Field Goal let out a snort at Dumbbell's news. "Hmph. As expected of that crazy filly."

END CHAPTER 6.

I have a feeling that Surprise practices Sexy Commando.

Opprimerimus

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 7: Opprimerimus

"A cold?" asked Fluttershy.

"Yeah. Even the Queens get the sniffles every once in a while," replied Firecracker. "But today is the third day Surprise has been down." The red filly frowned. "It's weird. Usually she's chock-full of stupid energy, and she bounces back so fast you'd think she's made of rubber, but this cold has really wrecked her. I'm afraid that she'll probably be out a good week."

"A week... that's a long time," murmured Fluttershy. "Wow, a week's pretty bad."

"You need to get over that sort of thing quickly, I guess," Firecracker concurred, "Still, one week is really long. She'll miss out on classes."

"Yeah... a whole week's worth..." murmured Fluttershy, her voice tinged with sadness. "I wonder if she'll be held back."

"Don't worry about that. Her attendance is actually pretty good."

"Oh, that's good," Fluttershy said with relief. "Still, she must be bored, poor thing."

"Why don't we visit then?" she suggested suddenly.

"What?" Fluttershy murmured with a blink of her beady eyes. "I can't just show up at her door unannounced!" she protested, "What if I interrupted something important?!"

"I think she'll be happy. It's not like she has anything important we could be interrupting."

"I suppose. But what if we cause her more problems?"

The red-coated pony pouted playfully. "Then you don't want to go?"

"I didn't say that."

"Relax, I was kidding," Firecracker said, her face snapping into a grin. "Well, it would be trouble if more than a few ponies visit."

A pink-coated filly with blue hair stepped into the conversation. "What are you two doing?" Firefly asked.

"We're just going to visit Surprise," Firecracker told her fellow Queen.

"Well, don't let Rainbow Dash hear about that, or she'll want to tag along," Firefly said seriously.

"So what's this I hear about visiting Surprise?"

Too late. "Speak of the Rainbow, here she is," Firefly said, turning to the voice, which she knew had come from the cerulean pegasus. She stared at Rainbow Dash for a few moments, taking in her dress. "So, Spectrum Butt, it's a jacket this week, I see. I hope to Celestia that ain't real leather." A slight disapproval had snuck into her voice.

The cocky pegasus grinned. "Nah. You can't get that for love nor money, so I had to go with vinyl. Fortunately, this was a bargain down at the thrift shop," she said to Firefly with a flippant, cheerful tone.

"Delinquency on a budget. Classy."

Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry at her. The rainbow-maned filly then turned to her boss. "So anyway, about this house visit..." she prompted.

"Surprise has caught a cold. Firecracker and I were going to visit her to cheer her up," summarized the yellow pegasus.

"Awesome! Mind if I tag along?" Rainbow Dash said in exuberance. "We can discuss stuff on making ourselves even more delinquent!"

"I'm coming along," added Firefly.

"Don't copy me, Cheap Knock-Off."

"Buck you! I'm Surprise's friend, too!"

The two fillies pressed their furrowed brows together and growled confrontationally.

To round out the current cast, a certain bone-white filly intruded into the conversation. "Hay! 'Sup?" Lightning Bolt said casually.

Fluttershy addressed the newest addition to Team Fluttershy, a team the yellow filly was wholly unaware of. "Oh, Lightning Bolt. Surprise caught a cold, and we're just going to pay a visit to cheer her up."

Lightning Bolt blinked with sudden insight. I was wondering why I hadn't seen the big cheese around these past days. Even the empress can come down with the sniffles, I guess, she wondered internally, Makes sense. At the end of the day, she is a pony, after all. "I'll tag along," she announced, "It's probably my fault she got sick anyway. What, with fighting her." Empress Surprise inspires much loyalty in her ranks. True loyalty! I'm glad to be part of this tight-knit gang!

Firecracker, on the other hand, looked on with horror at the growing fiasco taking shape before her eyes. What in... how did this happen?! I only invited Fluttershy because she was showing such concern for Surprise, and was expecting Firefly to join because we Queens are all such close friends, all because I thought it would make Surprise happy! No way would she be happy with Rainbow Dash and Lightning Bolt tagging along!

"Onwards!" bellowed Rainbow Dash, and the herd marched on toward Surprise's home.

—/—

—Palaestra Opprimerimi—

Firecracker blinked several times as she stared at the sign. "Pala-what-what-what?"

Rainbow Dash nodded at the sign, saying, "It's latin for 'Opprimerimus's Gymnasium.' And before you ask, I saw the footnote in the directory." She gave every pony in the group a sharp glare.

Surprise's house was quite large by pegasus standards. Not only had it a house for living in, but it also had a cloudy structure attached to it, taking up a large portion of the cloud the premises rested upon. A gate opened wide, overseeing the yard and structures within, bearing the latin-bearing sign.

"A gymnasium? I didn't know her house had an attached gymnasium," Firefly remarked.

"That's because we've never been to her house before. I only know it because I know her father's name," Firecracker answered. "C'mon, time's a-wasting, and the sooner we get this fiasco over with, the better."

"'Fiasco'?" Fluttershy parroted. What does straw-jacketed bottle have to do with this situation? Are we going to drink? That's very naughty! she thought, resolving herself to keep a careful watch on her friends.

—/—

*ding dong*

Startled, Surprise spat out the thermometer she was holding under her tongue. It clattered to the cloudy floor, but did not break. It did not fall through, either, given that it was enchanted not to go through cloud bank. "Oh, shoot!" she cursed, picking up the glass rod and placing it on the desk. She cursed again as she realized that its liquid had been shaken back down into the bulb. "Dang it. That's that wasted," she sighed.

Surprise stepped out of her room, still wearing her pink pajamas. "I wonder who that could be at the door," she murmured, her hooves clacking against the hard cloudy floor. "I'd like to pretend no one is home, but I shouldn't do that in case it's a bill collector."

A frown graced her lips as she opened the door. "If it's a salespony, I'll just dump a bucket of green slime on him."

"Hello."

Surprise smiled at the welcome sight of the red-coated filly. "Oh, hey, Firecracker," Surprise said happily, "Did you come to visit me? Thank you so much! I was bored out of my skull... come on in!"

"I didn't come by myself," said Firecracker.

"Hello, Surprise."

Surprise's heart almost lept clear out of her throat as the scary yellow filly came into view. "F-Fluttershy!" she squeaked. Was that nice-nice stuff all a ruse?! Was she just waiting until I was at my weakest before finishing me off??!

"I heard you had a cold and that put you out for three days. I'm sorry. I know this was sudden, but I'd like to pay my regards... if it's alright with you, that is..." The last part was mumbled.

Surprise calmed at Fluttershy's words. Of course, she was just worried about one of her inferiors. Well, she did call me a friend, even if qualified with 'bothersome', Surprise mused to herself. She felt... deeply moved. Putting a wide grin on her face, Surprise said as she stepped aside, "No, I don't mind. I was really bored, anyway. Come in."

"But if we all come in, it might cause some problems," came Fluttershy's worried words.

Surprise laughed it off. "Oh, don't be a silly filly. It won't be any trouble at... 'all'?" It was both a completion of her statement, and a questioning of a single word that Fluttershy had said.

"Hey-ho!" Firefly chirped.

"Greetings!" Rainbow Dash stated.

"So this is the Empress's house," Lightning Bolt wondered aloud.

"GYAH!! What?! What what what what?" Surprise had the sudden urge to cluck like a chicken, but shook it off. "What's going on here?! Why are all of you here?" she all but screeched.

"I apologize for the large group, but we were all worried about you, Surprise," Fluttershy announced.

"Huh?!" gasped Surprise.

"I'm sorry, Surprise! I only invited Fluttershy! The rest just tagged along!"

Surprise stared at the assembled group for a minute before letting out an exasperated breath. "Good grief," she murmured, under her breath. Perking up, she said, "It's okay. You can all come in. Thanks for taking the trouble coming here."

"So, we gonna see the Empress's room? Bet it's bad-flank."

"We won't all fit in my room," Surprise said, cutting off Lightning Bolt from her suggestion, adding in her mind, And I certainly don't want you in there, freaky pony! "I'll take you to the gymnasium."

—/—

Lightning Bolt grinned, surveying the wide open space of the attached gymnasium. "Sweet! This is a pretty big gym! I might start taking lessons!" she said, thuggish juices starting to flow.

"Shut your trap, Bolt!" Rainbow Dash gently chastised.

The snow-white filly ignored the two most thuggish of their group. "Sorry for the uncomfortable spot to lie down, Fluttershy," Surprise apologized.

"Oh, don't worry! I'm totally fine. Your gym is nice and clean," Fluttershy complemented.

Firecracker gave a worried glance at Surprise. "Is it okay for you to be walking around so much?" she asked.

Surprise laughed off the concern. "It's not so bad during the day; it's night when I really get it," she said, rubbing her nose with a snort. "I don't have much to do during the day. That's why I'm so glad you all came." The snow-white filly turned to Rainbow Dash, leveling a disapproving look at her. "Oh, nice leather, Rainbow."

"Don't look so impressed. It's just vinyl," Rainbow Dash said, deflecting the implied scorn. "So where's Captain Opprimerimus of the Forth Royal Honor Guard?"

"He's at the store, I think..." Surprise answered automatically, before the full weight of the words registered in her mind. "Wait, how did you know he's a captain in the Royal Guard?!" she asked, the meaning catching up to her.

The cerulean pony grinned. "I had a hunch, so I did some digging and found out that —lo and behold— he's a captain in the Royal Guard. And that he's on reserve status this year, meaning that he spends lots of time at home," she said smugly, "Your family has had members in the Royal Guard for generations, like your big sister, Compotatio, who started as a private this year. That's how you knew Field Goal was a fighter, you were able to command your squad of Queens so effectively, and how you were able to hold your own with Lightning Bolt four days ago. Some of your family 'trade' has rubbed off on ya."

Surprise frowned with a blush on her cheeks. A blush that wasn't from her sickness. "What are you, an egghead?" she groused.

Rainbow Dash reciprocated the frown, protesting, "I'm not an egghead!"

Surprise sighed. "Sorry... and you're right, I do know some of the basics, but I don't find it my calling. That's why I got a balloon cutie mark instead of one like a shield or sword or somethin'..."

Lightning Bolt threw a sidelong smile at her, a smile that made Surprise almost jump out of her hide reflexively. "You do well enough kicking flank, though. I knew strong ponies attracted each other," said the bone-white filly in renewed awe. "Though that makes me curious what your special tallent actually is. Lemme take a look at your flank, again!"

Surprise scooted away, gathering up the hem of her pajama bottoms. "No way! I'm not letting you into my pants!" shouted the snow-white filly, blushing fiercer.

"It's not like she ain't gonna see it anyway when you return to school, Surprise," Rainbow Dash pointed out. Surprise stuck out her tongue.

After a few moments, the group relaxed again, returning to more comfortable topics. Surprise supposed things were going very well, until...

"Oy, Surprise! Where are you, my cute little daughter?"

At the sound of this voice, Surprise tensed up in sudden anxiety. The moment passed, and Surprise nervously gathered herself off the floor, flashing a weak grin at her guests. "Um, just relax here for a bit." With that, she silently slipped out of the gymnasium door.

"That must have been the captain," remarked Rainbow Dash.

—/—

A white stallion with blond mane cropped short, and tail docked close met Surprise in the hall. He was a mountain of a pony, easily larger than Field Goal. His blue eyes scrutinized his daughter, coming out of their attached gymnasium. "What were you doing in there? Don't you have a cold?" Opprimerimus, Surprise's father, asked with subtle chastisement.

Surprise's smile was wide and fake. "Um... just some... friends visiting me..." she squeaked through a tight voice.

Opprimerimus raised an eyebrow, smiling a wide, great smile. "A home visit, eh?" he remarked, "How nice of them. Well, I simply must pop my head in and—"

"AH! NO, IT'S OKAY! DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!" shrieked Surprise.

If Opprimerimus noticed his daughter's tone and the suddenness of her outburst, he didn't say anything. "Oh, don't be a silly-willy filly, Surprise! Any friend visiting you when you're sick is a good friend, and I should definitely greet your dear friends and thank them for their concern."

"Um... but..." Surprise waffled.

"What are you so afraid of?" laughed Opprimerimus as he opened the door to the gymnasium, "It's not like they're a bunch of thugs!"

Cue bunch of thugs.

"Hey, that's the captain! How ya doin'?" Rainbow Dash said cheerfully.

Lightning Bolt, seeing the physique of Opprimerimus, let out an admiring whistle. "Wow, I can see where you get your large size from, Empress Surprise!"

"Nice ta meecha, Mr. Surprise's Father," said Firefly cheekily.

A stiff smile on her face, Surprise's dragged her gaze towards her father. The enormous guard pony's mouth had dropped open from shock, a stunned look on his face. "Papa?" Slowly, Opprimerimus pulled the door closed with a firm clack.

"What, Optimus? Where are those words of welcome?" asked Lighting Bolt.

"That's a pretty rude way to treat your guests!" remarked Rainbow Dash.

"Is he a barbarian or something?" asked Firefly rhetorically.

Opprimerimus stared at the closed door for five seconds in silence, quietly warring over the surprise he felt at the sight of the thuggish ponies on the other side. (Surprise knew it was five seconds; she counted.) Finally, his mouth began to work again.

"What... was that?" the off-duty captain sputtered, "SURPRISE! Since when were you making friends with hooligans like that?! And one of them called you 'Empress'! Are you the head of your own girl gang?!!"

Surprise backed up a couple of steps, a nervous smile on her face. "S... settle down, papa! It's not like I'm good friends with all of them..." she said palliatively. Her father was not happy, she could well tell.

"I saw one of them wearing a leather jacket! Another has dyed her hair blood red! They're ruffians! They're evil!" the captain growled.

At this, Surprise frowned. Nobody badmouthed her friends! (That's her job!) Not even her papa. "Hey, don't judge them by their hair! And that jacket's vinyl!" she barked back in defense, "They're not that bad!"

"What about them calling you 'Empress', young lady!?!"

"Trickster Empress!" corrected Surprise. "You know full well that playing joyful pranks is my special tallent! My position is one of jokes and fun, not violence!"

Surprise stepped towards the gym entrance again. "Anyways, they're here for my sake, so keep that negativolutely to yourself!"

Opprimerimus could only growl in impotent rage. Surprise could only seethe in impotent frustration. Why do I have to stand up for those idiots, Dash and Bolt? Especially that pervert, Bolt? thought the snow-white filly.

A faux cheerful smile pasted on her face, she opened the door again. "Sorry for the wait. Papa would like to say hello to all of you," she said in false happiness. Firecracker's shoulders slumped in embarrassment and mortification. This was going to be a disaster.

"Optimal II: Return of the Ultima!" Lightning Bolt quipped. Surprise was almost certain she was mispronouncing her papa's name on purpose.

"So, Opprimerimus knows his manners after all! Good guy!" Rainbow Dash nodded.

Opprimerimus tensed his jaw tighter. I want to slaughter those twits all! he thought. Still, he had to make an attempt to sound friendly to Surprise's friends. "Th-thank you for being such good friends... of Surprise..." he said hauntingly, "And thank you... for coming to our home..."

"Optimus is kind of stuttery," remarked Bolt.

"Hey, Oppy! Say something funny!" Dash shouted.

Opprimerimus's blood pressure soared.

"Um... sorry for the bother."

The captain's blood pressure dropped so fast he thought he might faint. He looked sidelong at Firecracker, a red-coated and black-maned filly who was wearing a pleasant smile and looking somewhat contrite.

Opprimerimus smiled back. "Oh. You must be Firecracker. Surprise has told me a lot about you. Thank you for being such a good friend," he said, good cheer returned.

Firecracker blushed. "It's nothing. I know there are a lot of us here to visit, and I'm sorry that we're causing so much trouble."

Opprimerimus laughed. "No. No, that's fine. Please keep my little darling company." In his head, Opprimerimus's thoughts were happy and cheerful again. This is more like it. This is how this kind of conversation should go. The captain cast a sidelong glance at the other ponies. Compared to her, those rogues... By Celestia's mane, they haven't shown me a smidgen of respect!

"Pardon me..."

Opprimerimus turned, prepared to find another insolent filly, but found instead something beyond his worst nightmares.

"I apologize for this sudden visit. Fluttershy, at your service."

You should know the drill by now.

Surprise gasped as she saw the familiar shrinkage of one's pupils in her father's eyes. Crabapples! Papa's gonna get killed if he messes with Fluttershy! thought the sick, pajama'ed, snow-white pony. She immediately started to defend Fluttershy, bullshitting at full tilt, "Don't worry your eensy-weensy head about her face, papa! She may look scary, but she's a good—"

Surprise broke off her whitewash as an object flew at the two. It was Opprimerimus's sharpened wing. The captain roared in anger as Surprise and Fluttershy scattered to avoid the berserk pony guard.

Meanwhile, the other four ponies watched the carnage unfold. "Oh, dear. Looks like he's gone bonkers at the sight of Fluttershy," remarked Firefly, rather dispassionately.

Firecracker snapped out of her shock as she snapped at Firefly, "You shut up! This is no time for that!"

"Papa! Calm down!" Surprise said, in as best a calming voice as she could manage considering that she was in close proximity with a ten-pound bag of violence that was Fluttershy, and Surprise's own hulking brute of a father.

Her words were for naught. Opprimerimus let out another roar and he pivoted about and bucked powerfully at Fluttershy. Surprise managed to tackle her friend out of immediate harm. "THAT'S ENOUGH!! Red dyed hair and a leather jacket are one thing, but fraternizing with the spawn of the Nightmare is quite another!!" the guard bellowed in rage.

"Buh?!" blurted Surprise.

What in the world?! What's going on?! thought Fluttershy, staring in wide-eyed bewilderment at her friend's father.

Opprimerimus continued to use his royal martial arts on this creature he knew to be utter evil. Surprise gritted her teeth, pushing Fluttershy out of harm's way as limbs of all types were thrown at the yellow pony. "GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER, YOU DEMON!!" roared the white royal guard pony, his limbs a fury of righteous anger. "YOU JUST STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER, YOU HEAR?!!"

Meanwhile, Fluttershy tried to wrap her head around what was going on. What? Who's a demon? Is this cloud house haunted? she thought in a fog of confusion. Surprise, you are a brave pony to endure such hardships!

"Aha! Numero Dos vs. the Royal Guardspony. Should be an interesting fight!" remarked Lightning Bolt from the sidelines.

Firecracker was still frozen by fear, yet livid with outrage at this point, "Don't just watch, you ninnies! Somepony stop him!"

Surprise was actually getting angry at her father. Fluttershy had called her a friend, something that was no doubt difficult for the pony who was ten pounds of violence in a one pound bag to admit. When that happened, it was the first time Surprise could be near Fluttershy without feeling fear. Not only was Opprimerimus flirting death himself tangling Fluttershy, but endangering that precious friendship.

"That's..." growled Surprise, "...enough!"

The snow-white unwound a powerful back-kick right into Opprimerimus's muzzle, sending the large stallion onto his back and into unconsciousness.

"Sweet!" Lightning Bolt cheered, excited seeing the hoofticuffs. "A reverse back-kick right to the kisser! Empress Surprise kicks ass!"

"Looked like a rolling sobat to me," Rainbow Dash commented. She took a moment to scratch her chin thoughtfully. "Funny, you'd think that a Royal Guard would be able to hold his own against his own relatively untrained daughter. Maybe he was really unsettled by Fluttershy's face."

Surprise was shocked at herself. She had actually laid out her own father, and was sick to her stomach. She felt weak. Her legs, which had felt like rubber ever since executing her last attack, finally gave out as she fainted. "Surprise! Are you okay?!" pleaded Fluttershy, catching her before she hit the hardwood floor.

"Pulling off those kinds of moves when you're sick is bound to buck anyone up," Lightning Bolt mused.

"So the father/daughter match ends with a tie," added Rainbow Dash.

For her part, Firecracker shuddered in shock and dispair. Tears danced around the corners of her eyes. "Ah... ah... Waahhhh!!! I'm so sorry, Surprise! I'm sorry I brought all these horrible ponies with me!" she bawled.

"Waddya mean 'horrible ponies,' Cracky?" asked Firefly innocently.

Fluttershy was still trying to revive Surprise. "Surprise! Surprise!"

—/—

The next day...

"Man, what an awful farce that was yesterday," remarked Rainbow Dash.

"Totally," agreed Firefly. "Fluttershy threw us all out of Surprise's home after she fainted."

"Yeah, she was all like 'Kiyeee! Kiyeee!' I figured it was time to scoot at that point," replied the rainbow filly. "I wonder how Surprise is doing now."

Firefly was standing shock-still with an unreadable look on her face, but it didn't look too pleased.

Noting the queer prickling on her crest, Rainbow Dash asked wryly and rhetorically, "She's right behind me, isn't she?"

Firefly wordlessly nodded. Rainbow Dash dared turn to regard their leader.

Fluttershy's face drooped alarmingly. Her eyes sagged in their sockets, with their rings more pronounced than usual. Instead of her usual perpetual sneer, her mouth was drawn down in a frown. She looked miserable. Still scary, but miserable. "What wonderful weather we're having. I feel like today will be a perfect day for doing anything. What a nice morning." Fluttershy said those words in a flat monotone, devoid of any joy that the words should have carried.

Without a further word, she shuffled past the two.

"What was that all about?" blurted Firefly with confusion. "I'm surprised we're still alive!"

Firecracker stepped up, following Fluttershy, and addressed the two ponies angrily. "Surprise's cold turned for the worse because of what happened yesterday. She'll be out a couple of more days. Fluttershy feels pretty bad about it."

Firefly cast her eyes down, ashamed. "I guess we were partially at fault for that."

Firecracker remained frowning, but left without saying anything. She only thought, You're wholly at fault for that!

Somewhere in the nebulous town of Cloudsdale, a certain yellow pegasus filly was completely bummed out, after her disastrous meeting with one of her friends' parents.

END CHAPTER 7.

Well, that's the first part of the parents' arc down. Next up, Fluttershy's dad. If you've read the original Angel Densetsu, you'll have a good guess to how he'll turn out.

Patience

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 8: Patience

"I should have thought of this ages ago!" Fluttershy mused happily to herself as she stretched. Shifting her weight from limb to limb, alternately bending and stretching them this way and that, was all in an effort to limber them up for the coming task. She had on a grey hoodie and leg warmers to protect her from the morning chill. "A daily trotting regimen to improve my cardio health will keep me from being winded so often and reduce stress. Plus it'll improve my complexion along with it, my immune system, and give me more chance to see the neighborhood. There's no way this could possibly go wrong!"

In the distance, a googly-eyed filly kicked a raincloud, causing it to spit a bolt of lightning and a clap of thunder. "Oops! Sorry!" Derpy Hooves called out, a bit carboned by the blowback.

Paying the sudden report no mind, Fluttershy started off down the nimbus street in a slow trot. Her wings extended, flapping but not catching air as another set of muscles to work, as was the norm for pegasus trotting for exercise, known to the pegasi as a 'ground-trot.' The idea was to get the blood moving and to work the muscles, but not actually fly.

"The crisp morning air tastes delicious!" Fluttershy sighed aloud. She paced a few more steps before wondering aloud, "I wonder if I could gather some trotting partners. Won't that be fun?"

It was only a few minutes before she came upon another pony in full sweats and hoodie ahead of her, flapping his wings in that particular way that was the ground-trot. He was quite old. Not yet elderly, but his cream-colored mane was definitely thinning and greying.

Fluttershy's sneer tightened, thinking, It's a fellow trotter. Trotter etiquette says that it is appropriate to greet him, even if we're strangers. Quickening her pace to settle alongside him, she greeted through her slightly raspy voice, "Hello there. Nice morning."

The sepia Cloudsdale ground-trotter known as Winged Hoof heard the slightly raspy voice besides him. He had been a regular ground-trotter for nearly twenty of his years, and dared to say that he was pretty good at it. However, he was always lonely on his trots. The young ponies didn't seem to be into it. But the voice besides him sounded young, and like a filly too. Good. It heartened him that the younger generation was taking their cardiovascular health seriously, even if the filly was probably only doing it to keep herself shapely.

Finally, he turned to speak to the filly, "Likewise, a good morning to you! This is just perfect trotting weather..." Winged Hoof finished turning his head, finally getting a good look at Fluttershy.

There was a sudden manifestation of fear and loathing in Cloudsdale, or at least fear, visiting this particular old pony.

Winged Hoof flew like the wind, not quite flying, but galloping at fill tilt with wings helping propel him, spurred on by a sudden rush of adrenalin.

Fluttershy looked on in awe. "Wow. He's fast. That pony must do this every day!" she said out loud and with genuine admiration. "I better make sure to keep up."

—/—

Winged Hoof was propelled by fear and terror. What in Tartarus! What in the name of the Sun Goddess! his addled mind screamed as he kept up his ferocious wing-assisted gallop, What kind of hooligan trots?! This is an activity for normal ponies!

Eventually, he slowed down, the fear evaporating and his previous activity catching up to him. "That pace was a bit fast, but at least I left that demonic cretin in the dust!" he said with annoyed confidence.

Ah, if only. You underestimate the stubbornness of Fluttershy the Pegasus.

The sound of galloping hooves on the clouded street made him turn to its source. The old pony let out a whinny of fear as he saw the she-demon galloping after him, a grimly determined look on her sneering face.

Fluttershy panted hard as her tongue wagged about haphazardly about her mouth (which didn't do anything to make her look approachable, as you can imagine... quite the opposite). Still, she was elated with herself. Look, fellow trotter! I caught up to you! Doesn't that make me a great trotter, too? she thought, too short of breath to give it proper voice.

With another shriek of fear, Winged Hoof bolted away from her. A determined grimace on his face, he resolved, Don't mess with me, you sneering piece of punk wood! I've been ground-trotting for twenty years! You can't best me!

Fluttershy marveled again at the fleeing pony. "Oh my goodness! I've never seen someone run at such incredible speed outside a panicked flight!" she murmured, mouth agape. A grim determination set into her features, she murmured with resolve, "Can't be a slacker now, Fluttershy! Show him what you're made of!"

And thus the chase was on. Limbs stretching into a full gallop, and wings pumping to add distance during the airborne phase of their gaits, Winged Hoof lead Fluttershy in a merry chase through the byways and avenues of Cloudsdale. Neither Fluttershy nor Winged Hoof were tracking where they were going or how long they were running. Some distance and time later, maybe a few thousand hooves, maybe miles, or perhaps even a complete circuit around the cloud-bound city, Winged Hoof still heard the inexorable, unstoppable pounding of hoof-falls behind him.

Th-This is impossible! This she-demon... is keeping up with me! She has in-equine endurance! he thought, not realizing that he was the one keeping pace for the both of them (and as such, he had comparable levels of endurance).

Behind him, Fluttershy was barely keeping up. Between pants, she shouted ahead, "My goodness! With such a... crazy pace like this... trotting must be a harsh exercise!"

Despite the burning in his muscles Winged Hoof felt a shiver run up his spine at Fluttershy's words. She's taunting me! Playing with me! he thought in ever escalating panic, manifesting in another increase in speed. Th... this is it! This is all I got left! he thought in desperation. What would he do if this she-demon could perpetually keep up with him, wearing him down, and then catching him when he finally tired?

No, don't go faster! I can't keep up with you! thought the frightening filly. Her back leg, already burning with exertion, began to tense and spasm in protest of the extended gallop...

Winged Hoof finally hit the wall. Not literally, of course. That implied either recklessness or complete inattention towards where he was going (though there was both of that in spades). No, we're talking about the sudden onset of fatigue that comes with burning through once's reserves quicker than they could be replenished. Winged Hoof's knees buckled, and he collapsed in both exhaustion and despair. "I'm done for!" he lamented aloud, tears spilling from his eyes, "I've been trotting for twenty years, dang it, and I still get caught by a demon! Caught by a..."

He trailed off, realizing that he was still not in the demon's clutches. He looked back wearily.

A few lengths away, fluttershy lay with legs sprawled in all directions on the hard cloudy road. She groaned in pain, as her left hind leg was aching in protest. Oh goodness me! I'm about to get a leg cramp. I can't even stand! she lamented to herself.

Winged Hoof stepped over, eyes wide in surprise at what he was looking at. "W... what just happened?" he asked aloud.

Fluttershy lifted her face from the cloudy cumulophalt. "E-excuse me..." she stammered, "Could you help?"

Winged Hoof's face brightened, a gleeful smile stretching across his face. "Oh, I see now! I've won!" he shouted triumphantly. "WAHAHAHA!! Take that, you horrid scoundrel! He who trots every morning always wins the day!" Winged Hoof lectured the fallen she-demon. He turned to continue his morning trot, laughing all the way, "Hopefully, this has taught you to mend your wicked ways! WAHAHAHAHA!!"

"ummm.... please..." Fluttershy started, then sighed, "He must have been in such an awful hurry." The tired filly let herself slump back to the road. "I can't stand up on my own... ow, my leg... It's so early the street is all but abandoned. I'll just wait here."

Minutes later, she was snoozing like a young foal. A fugly foal, but a foal nevertheless.

—/—

A honey-yellow pegasus with flaming red hair tucked her legs in as she dove towards the massive cloudy foundation of Cloudsdale. Spitfire buzzed the nimbal villas that made up the town, weaving through some closely-spaced cloudy columns that came with them. She arced up to hover over her impromptu obstacle course, contemplating her performance. "Too long. The Wonderbolts would never allow a slacker like you in their ranks with such a poor time," she rebuked herself. "Get it together, Spitfire. It's been your dream to get into the Wonderbolts and bring honor to this town, and you almost succeeded last season."

Her pep-talk ended when she spotted a prone pony below her. "An unconscious mare. Maybe had too much hard cider last night?" she mused as she alighted on the cloud before the fallen filly. "Wait. She's too young, and she has on trotting clothes. Oh dear! What if she had developed some kind of heart condition while trotting?"

She knelt down before Fluttershy, shouting, "Hey, you! Are you okay? Hang in there!"

Fluttershy stirred from an uncomfortable rest. Wh... what? I... I guess I fell asleep. She groggily lifted herself up.

Spitfire smiled. "Oh! You're awa—"

*JARRING CHORD!*

"—WAAAAAAAAAGH!!" shrieked Spitfire as her hoof shot out to punch Fluttershy in the muzzle. The downed filly had just enough time to look bewildered and her nose to start spurting blood before she dropped again, unconscious.

Spitfire stood, no longer interested in helping this horrific creature. "Whew! That was a close one! If my reflexes were a little slower, she woulda got me!" the victorious Wonderbolt-wannabe murmured, and took off for more training.

—/—

The ghostly-white form of Sylph quietly opened the door to their living room. "Dear... Fluttershy hasn't come back from her trot yet. It's been an hour already," she said, in a very subdued tone.

Patience, a massive, golden-yellow stallion with a severe and cruel countenance, rumbled in thought, "One hour, huh? That is odd."

These were, as you might have guessed, Fluttershy's parents.

"I told her to take it easy starting out. After all, she isn't used to ground-trotting, but you know her..." Sylph said, her tone still quiet, yet exasperated. "I'm really worried."

Patience stood, shrugging on a coat to complete his office attire. "I'll go check around for her," he said, moving towards the hallway.

"Thank you, Patience," Sylph all but whispered. "Be sure to wear your sunglasses. The morning sun is bright."

"Yes, good idea."

—/—

In the meantime, Fluttershy had accumulated a crowd. The air buzzed with gossip as they regarded the supine steed.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Cloud Kicker aloud.

"Looks like she passed out while trotting," said a nearby colt.

The filly regarded the downed pony a while longer. "H... hey. Doesn't she look like Fluttershy?"

"Huh?" sputtered her colt companion.

"Hahahaha! Don't be silly! Fluttershy would never go trotting," added another colt.

"But look at her coat and hair. It's Fluttershy's coloration. And how many ponies with her coloration have no cutie mark yet?"

The colt regarded the fallen Fluttershy. "No way," he swore. He bent down to examine the fallen filly, but dared not touch her, lest he come back with some parts missing. "It does look like her, doesn't it?" he said cautiously, "But we're talking about Fluttershy! She wouldn't be lying passed out in the middle of some road."

Cloud Kicker laughed at that. "It would be the most warped irony if she were to actually have heart failure while out exercising."

"What if Fluttershy got into a fight with the mafia, and got stabbed and was bleeding all over the road. That would make sense!" ventured Yakkity Sax, a saxophone playing band-pegasus. Chuckles floated from the gathered crowd at the dark humor.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy stirred from her place on the cloud bank. Sure is noisy up there. Won't somepony help me? Lifting her head with great effort, she managed to pull her head up and reach out in a strangled and weak plea for help, "S... somepony..."

Her nose, still dripping, had bled into her mouth and across her chest, making her hoodie dark with blood. The fluffy white clouds under her were smeared with blood. She had not cooled down properly after her exertion, and her muscles were stiffening in the cold. Her plea was soft and pitiful, and the only sign of strength in her body was holding up a hoof for help.

The gathered ponies saw this, and screamed in fright. "Fluttershy is near death! She really got stabbed by the mafia!" squealed a colt. Shouts of horror filled the street.

"Eh?" Fluttershy murmured, puzzled by the loud screaming and shouting and general din raised by the gathered students. Absently she wiped at the hot, wet sensation about her mouth, and her hoof came away with blood. "Oh dear..." I got a nosebleed when I was socked by that pony. Lots of blood, too. No wonder they're alarmed.

"Someone call an ambulance! Hurry!"

Oh no! This will be a complete catastrophe if an ambulance shows up! "W... wait," she croaked. The surrounding students froze, then slowly looked back at her as Fluttershy slowly and deliberately found her hooves. "No need for... an ambulance," she gurgled, the blood in her mouth foaming a bit from her breath and making her voice sound awful.

Record Time swallowed. "But... look how much blood there is!" he said in alarm and horror.

"You're going to die!" Cloud Kicker said, her voice tight with horror.

Fluttershy almost snorted in laughter at the notion, if her nose wasn't fully of blood. Die? What silliness! The only thing I can do is show them all I'm perfectly fine, she thought, And the only way I can do that is by standing up on my own four hooves and walk normally! Resolve steeling her nerves and giving her strength, Fluttershy drew herself up stiffly, getting all of her limbs in order under her, and finally standing on her own above the smear of her own lifeblood. It took a lot out of her; her joints and muscles were protesting from the strenuous exertion, combined with improper cool-down stretches. They all made promises that tomorrow Fluttershy's body would be one big, nasty ball of the purest essence of ache.

"Sh-she stood up!"

"She's standing!"

"How can she stand after being stabbed?!"

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was in a bad way. Her legs were twitching in official protest of their treatment. My legs are screaming at me, but this should reassure them. The bloodied filly let out a small squeak as her legs began to buckle beneath her. She was growing unstable, and furthermore, every one of her classmates knew it. Oh my, but this is bad! They'll start screaming again if I fall! I cannot allow that!

Her forehoof shot out and made a firm clop against the retaining wall at the street's edge. She was grateful to finally able to steady herself. With a small nod of satisfaction, Fluttershy addressed the gathered ponies. "See? I'm fine," she wheezed, "I don't need an ambulance."

It's her fighting spirit!

She's standing through her sheer willpower, nothing else!

She probably knows she has only a short time to live.

The Nightmare Filly will not take being humiliated by dying in an ambulance.

I don't want to ask anyone for help, so I'll walk home by myself, Fluttershy thought, determined. She was confident that she had assured everypony that she was perfectly fine as she turned around and slogged down the street, hoof to the wall, panting all the way.

"Where's Fluttershy going?" whispered Cloud Kicker.

"That's obvious. There's only one thing for her to do now!" Record Time hissed back, his voice full of awe and —perversely— pride for his fellow student. "She's going back, to avenge herself against the mafia thug who stabbed her!"

"Wha—?" Cloud Kicker gasped. "Don't talk nonsense, Record!"

Record Time ignored her protest. "It's obvious Fluttershy would never let things end like that. Even if she should die, she'll drag that mafia plothole back to Tartarus with her."

The fillies and colts looked back Fluttershy, watching her with a sense of shared awe and pride that Record Time felt and expressed. Even if she was a bad pony, they could not fault Fluttershy for her guts and warped sense of justice.

Meanwhile, in complete obliviousness to the Grim Fate that her classmates were projecting onto her, Fluttershy was beginning to regret not asking for help. Whew, this is tough! she thought, straining to keep herself from faceplanting to the road, I wonder if I'll be able to get back by myself.

Fluttershy didn't get any further. Perking at the vision resolving before her, she slowed to a stop. Her fellow students also perked, seeing the figure materialize out of the wavy morning air.

He was a large pony. His golden-yellow coat seemed to shine as the rays of the morning sun caught in each tiny hair. The coat he wore was stark black, like a businesspony. A shirt with a hanging necktie covered his breast. Even though they were shielded behind a pair of sunglasses, severe eyes stared from behind them to burn holes everywhere this statuesque stallion stared. Everything about this fellow screamed, 'Menace!'

The students gasped.

"A mafia soldier!"
"Tough looking fella, he is!"
"Is he the one who...?"

Daddy! Fluttershy thought, acknowledging the visage of her father.

Fluttershy! Patience likewise recognized his daughter.

Fluttershy suddenly screamed an started galloping full steam towards him, screaming, "KIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" 'Daddyyyyyy!'

Likewise, Patience bolted forward towards his daughter, roaring, "GOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!!" 'Fluttershyyyyyy!'

(Yes, every person and every pony reading this, Fluttershy's stress-related aphasia is something she shares with her father.)

Fluttershy, a collection of randomly flailing legs, and Patience, a massive mountain of pony meat, demolished the distance between them as their hooves slammed the cobblecloud pavement of Cloudsdale civil engineering.

"KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"
"GOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The gathered students exploded in a flurry of gossip.

"AHHHHH!!!"
"Fillies and gentlecolts, it's officially ON!"
"Fluttershy's Final Fight begins now!"

Thank goodness! Now I'll be able to make it home!
Why are you so bloody, my cute little girl?! Are you okay, Fluttershy?!

The two finally closed the gap to a mere pony length, when simultaneous disaster struck the both of them.

Ack! My legs! thought Fluttershy as her muscles finally threw up the little black flag of disqualification, and she stumbled forward as they seized up.

My sunglasses! thought Patience as an anomalous jerk of the head sent his shades slipping off his head. How clumsy of me! he thought, reaching forward to catch them before they slammed against the pavement, which while not as hard as asphalt, isn't exactly soft either.

Their heads came together, and a solid, and final-sounding crack echoed down the road. With one last yelp of pain, the two collapsed to the cloud embankment, not moving.

For a long moment, nopony moved. They just stared at the destruction that had just been wrought in front of them. Fluttershy was no more, and her adversary and murderer had been dragged back to Tartarus with her.

"She did it," gasped Record Time, "She really did it!"

"Fluttershy beat the mafia soldier!" another colt added.

"Even up against a mafia boss, bleeding from the chest, she kept on living her destined path," Cloud Kicker morosely stated, already overstating the legend of Fluttershy.

"What an amazing filly," said Yakkity Sax.

"It was a short, but vibrant life! She had lived as few ponies hath dared to dream!" Verdant Prose ad-libed on the spot as Derpy Hooves sorrowfully wiped away tears of sadness.

—/—

And thus, Fluttershy was about to be enshrined into legend as the filly who dragged a massive mafia boss back to Tartarus with her upon her death...

I thought she was dead! thought Cloud Kicker, seeing Fluttershy guilelessly step through the classroom door.

She's come back dancing from the depths of Tartarus! thought Yakkity Sax, Does that mean she punched out Cerberus?

A demon! thought Derpy, amazed at the complete lack of dead attributes to an oblivious Fluttershy.

...but when Fluttershy showed up at school that afternoon looking perfectly whole and healthy, the students felt a newfound fear towards the invincible filly who could be stabbed with a knife and live.

I am a bad panda for letting you go without an update for such a long time. I truly and sincerely apologize, and realize that there is another special place in hell for me when I die for delaying so long: Twilight Sparkle will be jabbing me with a cattle prod for all eternity, making me learn about the Paleopony Period.

She's going to have to work out an arrangement with the Flutterages, though.

A Sunny Day

Pegasus Densetsu

MLP:FiM by Lauren Faust (Hasbro)
Angel Densetsu by Norihiro Yagi

Chapter 9: A Sunny Day

"That was a good prank we pulled on the dyed hair job," murmured Surprise as she idly munched on the end of her candy cigarette, "but I want more!"

Firefly idly noted that Surprise's candy cig was behaving like a candy cig this time. Still, she kept a sharp eye on it, just in case Surprise was performing a trick. Then she'd catch her in the act. "What are you talking about? You almost got your tail whipped, 'cuz it seriously backfired on you!" noted the pink pegasus.

Surprise munched the rest of her cig down, leaving Firefly in the dark about whether or not she had switched out her candy cig for a real cigarette last time. Or even this time. "Hey, I was holdin' my own with Lightning Bolt after a bit," she snapped.

"Is that what you youngin's call 'Running away and screaming your head off like a scared little filly from the big bad Lightning Bolt' these days?" Firecracker quipped, affecting that of an old granny's manner of speech for effect.

"Hey! I'm a year older than you, so don't be calling me a 'youngin''!" the yellow filly said testily.

"No, you're not!"

Surprise ignored Firecracker. "The only reason I ran is because that girl's weird, 'kay? Like in 'I get off by having big ponies beat me up!' weird."

"Whatever you say, Surprise," came the red filly's dismissive reply.

"That's right!" shouted Surprise, seemingly totally oblivious to the sarcasm in the filly's dismissal. "I'm actually tougher than I give myself credit for. I can hold my own against the scarlet haired filly, and she had managed to knock down Fluttershy. That means it's possible for me to defeat Fluttershy in her own language!"

A beat passed as the Three Queens regarded each other. Then, Firefly turned to Firecracker and acted like Surprise had turned invisible. "So anyway, yesterday this stallion was all like—"

"Hey! Don't ignore me, you Ignory Doodle Donkeys!" barked Surprise.

Firefly stared at Surprise like she had grown three heads, a foot, and a butt on one of her faces. Because it would not have surprised her at all if Surprise had grown only one head. "Where did that even come from?"

Surprise snorted in satisfaction. "It'll make sense in about five years," she said cagily, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Firefly rolled her eyes. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if they rolled right out of her head. "*Pfft.* Whatever. Look, whatever plan is baking in your head, stop it. You'll never beat Fluttershy."

"Silly filly! If I stopped baking my plan now, it'll really be half-baked!"

"I walked into that one, didn't I?" Firefly groaned. "But what does this have to do with Fluttershy?"

"Don't you get it, my fine fillies? Lightning Bolt beat Fluttershy once! In the end, she's a pony just like everypony else!" A breeze began to tug at Surprise's wild mane, making it sway majestically as her face was set in a super serious look. "And I, too, was able to fight Boltie on common ground. The guardspony's blood within me screams out for me to overcome the obstacle that is Fluttershy!"

Firefly's gaze slid from Surprise gracefully windswept mane to the source of the wind, a hoof-fan being beaten vigorously in Surprise's forehoof.

"Stop this nonsense, Surprise. You're just going to get pounded!" cautioned Firefly.

"Oh, don't worry your silly filly heads! I gotta plan that ensures 2000% success!"

"Surprise, don't do this. You've only barely finished convalescing from your illness."

—/—

Fluttershy grimaced as she walked to school.

She wasn't in a foul mood, as it happened. No, the reason for her grimace was that there was a cloud construction going on above her, which had certain effects on the local brightness.

"Okay! Time to place that cloud!" came a forepony's call. Pegasi constructors swooped in, maneuvering a firm-cloud to its final resting place, obscuring the sun. As soon as the sun was somewhat obscured, Fluttershy's grimace disappeared like mist in the sun. The sudden brightness on the young pegasus's face did not last long, however, for the grimace returned as she moved out from under the new cloud cover and back into the full sunlight.

Oh, bother. My eyes are quite sensitive to sunlight, and this time of the year is the worst! thought the inconvenienced pegasus. Ah, I think my face is beginning to cramp! But I won't let this keep me from school.

As Fluttershy passed under cloud banks and out again, her face muscles tensed and relaxed all the way to school. The rapid cycling of her expressions created a larger dead zone of ponies about her, fearing that a drug-induced frenzy was imminent from this little pony.

—/—

Rainbow Dash sat in a relaxed pose at her desk, musing over some recent events. Well, that Lightning Bolt filly has calmed down after getting shown up by Fluttershy, so I guess it's all good. She was gratified that there would be no dissension in the ranks from the new filly.

Her musings were interrupted by Surprise and her two fellow Queens, suddenly opening the door. Surprise blinked as she got a look at Rainbow Dash's mane. "And today's do is a high-top fade!"

Indeed, Rainbow Dash somehow managed to arrange her mane such that it rose above her head in a perfect cylinder for about three inches before becoming perfectly flat.

Rainbow snorted. "Oh, can it, Balloon-Butt."

Surprise looked about the room, but not finding who she was looking for. "Hmph, she's not here yet. Just when I was puffed up to do this," she misspoke with conviction.

"What are you babbling about? What do you want with Fluttershy?"

"None of your business," shouted Surprise. The two stared at each other for a moment, then spoke again. "Except that it is, maybe." From under her left wing, Surprise produced an envelope. "Here, giff thif to Fluttershy," she said (reasonably intelligibly) around the envelope, then plopped it on Rainbow Dash's desk.

The letter was titled 'Letter of Challenge.'

Rainbow stared at Surprise in disbelief. "Wha...?" she sputtered. "Hey, Surprise."

"Thanks, 'Nid." With that, Surprise left the classroom.

"Wait! Surprise! Are you serious about this?" shouted Rainbow Dash, actually standing. She knew immediately that it was futile, because that was just they way Surprise was. But she shouted anyway, just for the principle of the thing. "What the cloud? She really wants to do this?" Rainbow murmured as she sat back down.

A while later, Fluttershy entered the room, without fanfare, with her usual expression. This was because, inside the school building, she was shielded from the sun and all of its glaring consequences.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Good morning, Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy amicably.

Dashie hoofed over the envelope. "Um... Surprise wanted me to give you this."

Fluttershy ripped open the envelope and took a moment to read the contained challenge. "Where's 'behind the Z building?'" she asked.

"We don't have a Z building. I think she means the D building where she normally hangs out, behind the Home Ec. classrooms." Rainbow Dash scratched her chin in thought. "Come to think of it, she did seem kind of aphasic today." She shrugged it off. "Anyway, what's in the note?"

"She says she wants to settle something, so I should come around behind the Z (probably D) building during lunch."

"You gonna go?"

Fluttershy looked significantly at Rainbow. "I can't just ignore her. She wrote me such a polite letter."

Rainbow Dash's mind was trying to analyze the situation. Fluttershy may be honor-bound to always accept a fight, but what is Surprise thinking? Did she discover some gumption during that fight with Lightning Bolt, or did that double dip in her illness give her some brain damage? Possible, I'm not sure her slips of the tongue were from brain damage or just the usual Surprise-isms.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, thought, I wonder what matter needs settling?

Oh, well. It's just Surprise, for Celestia's sake. Fluttershy won't go berserk on her or anything, Rainbow Dash thought, offhandedly and unconcerned.

She glanced over to Fluttershy, whereupon her breath caught.

Fluttershy's face was crinkled in a deep and ugly scowl, backlit by the intense sun out the window. It was a face that one did not find on any pony in anything approaching a good humor. Fluttershy was clearly completely pissed off to Rainbow Dash's eyes.

I... I was wrong! Fluttershy shows no mercy to any who challenge her, even flakes like Surprise! She's going to crush Surprise like a bucking bug!

Fluttershy, for her part, was in severe discomfort. Goodness, my seat is right in the full sunlight. I must remember to get a seat away from the window next semester, she thought. Her face suddenly spasmed in pain. Bluster and bother, there goes my face cramp. This is so uncomfortable. It sure is tough for me.

Fluttershy's face is so intense, it's twitching! Scary! This determination about even such an easy fight is the true secret to her terrifying power! Nobody can stop her! Nice knowing you, Surprise. Have fun in the afterlife.

—/—

"It's lunchtime. High noon," Firefly murmured grimly. "Perfect time for somepony to get her entrails fed to her by some psycho, like from some Apploosian movie."

Firecracker slowly turned to Firefly, a disbelieving look on her face. "What kind of Apploosians do you watch?!" she asked. "Wait. Better question: do I want to know?"

"Prolly not. Anyway, Surprise. Are you sure you don't wanna be hitting the cobblestones right now? Fluttershy's not going to take kindly to your challenge."

Surprise snorted. "You'd normally be trying to persuade me from my destiny, Firefly. What gives?"

"At least use words correctly, you silly pony!" Firefly groused. "Look, I've already tried my darndest to try to keep you from doing this crazy stunt, and I'm tired of it. It seems like physical pain is the only way you'll learn."

"Take my loofah," Surprise said without any warning.

"What? You mean your hoof?" Firefly asked, glancing at the offered hoof. "That ain't no paw, you idiot!"

"Just press your own loofah to mine, silly pony!"

Firefly was even more confused. "Um, okay..." she murmured, and pressed her hoof against Surprise's.

As soon as the two ponies had their hooves pressed together, Surprise yanked hers back and out. What confused Firefly was that her own hoof seemed to be stuck fast to Surprise's. She didn't have time to ruminate on that, as she was yanked up by her shoulder. Surprise pivoted about, putting her withers underneath Firefly's barrel, then yanked powerfully on the still captured hoof to send Firefly tumbling over Surprise and onto the hard cloud bank. Firefly let out a yelp of pain as she flopped onto her back.

Firecracker gasped at what she had seen. It was truly amazing. Surprise's large bulk moved like a ninja mule. "Woah! That was crazy, Surprise! What was that?!"

By this time, Surprise had released Firefly's hoof and held it up proudly. "Heh, it was a groove I learned from my father, who was pot to him by earth ponies," she said messily. "By focusing magic into my loofah, I can make it slightly ticky, and I can use it like it were a dragon's saw!"

Firecracker frowned. "Surprise. Focus! Stop randomly substituting similar-sounding words everywhere."

Surprise had the good manners to blink in confusion. "... Right." She mentally gathered her focus. "Anyway, my dad taught me that move, when I told him I wanted to use some moves against Fluttershy. He was very eager to teach me!"

Firefly finally recovered from the toss Surprise had just demonstrated on her. One hoof rubbing the back of her head, she managed to groan out, "I bet." She spent a second shaking the dizziness out of her noggin. "Okay, so you can knock her down. But what do you do after?"

Surprise let out a dismissive puff of air. "Foo! Who cares what happens after?" she asked. "After I knock her down, I'll be running for the thunderheads!" Her voice was very proud, as if she had executed the military gambit of the century.

Firefly raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that because Fluttershy's weird? 'Cuz that's the excuse you shipped with Lightning Bolt."

"Heh. I don't need to beat down Fluttershy! I just need to knock her down once for my plan."

"So far, your plan is (a) knock Fluttershy down, and then (b) running away. Is there anything more to it?"

"It's a... it's a..." Surprise struggled for words.

Firefly narrowed her eyes. "A what?" she prompted.

"A GRAIL!"

Firefly blinked. "What?"

Surprise smacked her forehead. "No! Wait! It's a secret! That's what it is! A secret!" she insisted, trying to affect a small, secretive smile on her face, with her eyes squinted up shut. Firefly felt she should smack that look right off Surprise's face, she hated it so much.

"Never mind that. This isn't gonna work, you idiot. Fluttershy's not some newbie little punk pony; she's a combat machine!" Firecracker insisted, a last-ditch effort to head off this foalishness.

Surprise snorted with barely constrained laughter. "Oh, foo! She's not gonna be serious with me! I'm just widdle ol' Surprise! It's that unpreparedness I'm counting on!" She paused. "After that, I'm vamoosing! You better get outta here, too."

This is so dumb-flank! thought Firecracker.

We are so gonna die! added Firefly.

"Oh," Surprise said, catching the form of a filly out the corner of her eye. A form that was approaching them. "Look, it's Fluttershy! Watch me capitalize on her—"

*SLASHER CHORD*

Fluttershy's face was twisted in a hideous, glaring leer. She looked ready to end somepony's life rather messily.

The jaws of the three Trickster Queens dropped open as they looked upon this murderous visage.

"W... What the... She's all super-duper-looper-serious and stuff! How could this happen?" That last part was delivered in a Stalliongrad accent, for some strange reason. Surprise spun around to whisper at her two subordinates in terror. "She's fighting me, for Celestia's sake! Why is she so crazy?!"

"Don't look at me!" Firefly replied, with equal quietness and trepidation.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy was quietly suffering. Did she have to call me out at lunch when the sun's at it's brightest? I can barely keep my eyes open!

Surprise turned about to face the music and Fluttershy. "Hey, Fluttershy! What's with the creepy face?" she asked, hiding all but a bit of her nervousness. "I wasn't being serious in the letter!"

Fluttershy was genuinely puzzled. "Um... you said you wanted to 'settle' something."

"It was a joke! I joke, I tells ya!" Surprise insisted. "A funny little joke the Trickster Empress plays!"

"...Joke?" came Fluttershy's sincerely quizzical reply.

Surprise swallowed, sensing the danger increase. "Uh... actually, though I asked you here to see me, something just came up I must deal with," she stammered. "So that 'settling' stuff is a joke... more a game!"

"...Game?"

"Er... I mean, not really a game. A sporting jest from your loving follower, eh?"

"...Jest?"

"Not a jest... um..."

Firecracker actually grimaced in frustration. Dang it, Surprise! When you're in one, stop digging!

This grows worse with every turn. You'd better appreciate this, Surprise! thought Firefly. She stepped between Surprise and Fluttershy and addressed the nominative 'guardian.' "Fluttershy! Do you think the friendliness of the Guardian's group should be important?" she monologued. "We live in abandoned lots with nothing but violence and brawling, so wouldn't it be a good thing for us to laugh and tell each other jokes to find our common cloud?!"

Fluttershy glared at the both of them. The three Queens stared back, expectantly and with much nervousness.

—/—

"Alright, Snowflake, move that cloud section over there," said a hardhatted construction pony as he pointed toward an empty section of cloud.

A beefy white pegasus with itty-bitty wings roared, "YEAH!" Gritting his teeth, Snowflake gathered up a huge section in his forehooves and moved toward the indicated slot with it, his itty-bitty wings buzzing furiously.

—/—

Fluttershy's face relaxed. Seemingly, it was because she had processed Firecracker's words, but it was really because the construction pony Snowflake had laid down the cloud above them, shielding her sensitive eyes from the sun. "Um... okay. I think it's good to be friends," she murmured softly.

"Then you undercanned, Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy blinked at the unusual word. "What? Um. Yeah," she said, deciding that 'undercanned' was actualy 'understand.'

"Yes! Fluttershy understood our joke!" Surprise shouted jubilantly and she, Firefly and Firecracker shared a cheer of joy. "Let's stay good friends from now on, Fluttershy!" the Trickster Empress proclaimed, extending a hoof in friendship.

"Yes, that seems... nice." Their two hooves touched each other.

Here we glow! thought Surprise, preparing the toss.

—/—

"What are you foals doing! We can't have that section there! We need to do the prep work before we can even think about laying down that cloud," the forepony roared as he approached the two. "Snowflake! Get that section out of here!"

Snowflake only let a moment of confusion cross his face before pumping a hoof. "YEAH!"

—/—

Fluttershy's face twitched into its scowl again as Snowflake above removed that section of cloud. The transformation from calm-looking Fluttershy to demon Fluttershy was abrupt, filling Surprise with fear. The fear displaced the wicked intent within her, and she shook as she 'held' Fluttershy's hoof.

Surprise finally braved to ask, "W... what's wrong, Fluttershy?"

"Hmm?" Fluttershy murmured.

—/—

"Now, look here! Girder said that this section was ready to be put in place, and so it goes in that spot," complained the construction pony. "Snowflake! Get that section back in place."

Snowflake twisted around... and kept twisting, the inertia of the cloud section keeping him moving. He righted himself and belted out, "YEAH!" before moving the section into place.

—/—

Fluttershy's face untensed again as the sun was covered up by working pegasi above. "Oh, um..." she stammered. Fluttershy supposed that her face did look kind of strange when the sun was blaring in her eyes. "Nothing. Pay it no mind," she said at last.

C-Could she feel my wicked intent? thought Surprise in alarm. No, that's impossible! This is my chance! Here we go again! She applied more hoof magic and tensed to throw.

—/—

"Hey, I already had to take down one section because of your bumbling! Get that section off now, Snowflake!"

Snowflake blinked. He looked at the construction pony that ordered him, and saw his stern look. A longer moment of confusion crossed his face as his brain reset to lifting the cloud up and carrying it away. "Uh, YEAH!"

—/—

The sunshine shone in Fluttershy's face once more, making her face tense up horribly again on reflex.

Surprise saw this and nearly jumped out of her own skin. She can read my mind! She can feel my wicked heart! Fluttershy is righteously a mind-reading demon with Cousin Pinkie's uncanny sense of the future! Surprise thought in a frantic fury.

Nothing happened for several minutes. Fluttershy scowled at Surprise, her face tense and twitching, and Surprise stared back in fear at Fluttershy, her whole body quivering with fear.

Nuts! I can't do it... I can't afford any mistakes here! All I can do is break off slowly.

—/—

"I'll have you know that those were perfectly good sections you ripped up! My cloudscupting is fine! Snowflake, put it back!"

"Y-YEAH!"

—/—

Fluttershy's face relaxed once more as the shade fell over her face. Surprise saw this and decided this was her time to act.

Surprise performed the toss. Fluttershy found herself pulled up by her hoof that seemed stuck to Surprise's, then herself on her friend's withers, then tumbling over her friend's bulk to land heavily on her back.

"C'mon, scatter!" shouted Surprise, and she plowed right in between both of her lesser Queens. The two others shouted in protest, for the three were immediately caught in a tangle of limbs and bodies, landing onto the clouded ground with a heavy thud.

With moans of pain, the three slowly untangled themselves. Surprise, recovering first, was furious. "You simpering simperers! I told you to run once I knocked her down!"

"But, you just crashed into us," Firecracker protested.

Their argument got no further, as a feeling of coldness washed over the three. Fluttershy was standing once more and was approaching the three.

Surprise swallowed. "Um... Flu.. Fluttershy?"

—/—

The forepony and the construction pony were both glaring at each other, trying to butt each other's heads into submission.

"RIP IT UP!" roared the forepony, "RIPITUP-RIPITUP-RIPITUP!"

"KEEP IT!" countered the construction pony, "KEEPIT-KEEPIT-KEEPIT!!"

Snowflake's eyes flamed as something inside him snapped. "YEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!!" he roared, as the chunky pegasus flipped the cloud bank over in a tantruming fit.

—/—

Fluttershy's face tensed as once again Celestia's sun blazed from above unshaded, the cloud bank shredded as a certain beefy white pegasus went berserk above her. "Ha ha ha, very funny," she hissed horribly through her queerly tensed face. "That was another game, wasn't it?"

The blood drained from all three faces. They had messed up big time. The three immediately prostrated themselves in front of Fluttershy, bowing low as if in front of one of Canterlot's princesses (at this time, only two were known). "We're so sorry! It was just a wicked impulse!" screamed Surprise.

Fluttershy was thoroughly confused. Surprise was a strange one, so she assumed that if she didn't find some game of hers fun or funny, it was because she didn't understand it. It wasn't Surprise fault she didn't get the joke. "Wait... Surprise..." she weakly tried to calm the filly down.

"Please forgive us! We'll never do it again! Don't kill us!"

Author's Note

Ah, writer's sloth, my old friend!