Part 2 of training

In about a week, Twilight had ran all the way across Snake way, she was surprised though to find herself at the end, but saw nothing upon her arrival. She looked around puzzled.

“Okay, I think this is the end of Snake way but where now?” All she could see were the pink sky and yellow clouds, but as she continued her search, she finally saw up above her, some sort of green ball in the atmosphere. When she looked closer she saw the small wooden hut and realised it was a miniature planet.

Came to the conclusion that was probably where she was meant to go next, Twilight braced herself and sprung up towards it. However gravity bore down at her again and immediately flattened her back onto the road; the impact caused cracks in its structures. Once she was no longer stunned she got up again.

“Come on, Twilight, you can do this.”

Bracing herself a little more this time, without over doing it. She sprang up towards the planet once more, but when the gravity started to bear down at her, she ignited from her hooves two beams of energy. She could feel her body being pressured by two forces at once, but she was getting closer.

“Just… need to… reach that planet’s… atmosphere.” Twilight felt relief when she felt her body no longer being brought down by the gravity. “Yes!” But then felt her body now being pulled towards the planet’s gravity. “Should’ve probably thought this through.” She then slammed flat down into the ground. “Ouch, this… planet’s… gravity-.”

Getting herself up onto all four legs, Twilight wasn’t able to get them all straight and was barely able to lift her head. “Wow, if this… Zecora’s able to live under this gravity… she must be really… strong.” She began to chute towards the hut, intent to reach her. But each step she made was so heavy. With persistence though she continued onward, but it only got her so far that she dropped back onto the ground.

Suddenly she heard footsteps and turned to see this monkey that looked at her befuddled.

“Wow, ar-are you, Zecora?” questioned Twilight. The monkey gave no verbal response and just cocked its head instead. Instantly, Twilight found herself being disrespectful. She used her strength to slowly lift up her two front hooves pressed together and bowed her head. “Apologies, I meant no disrespect. I’ve came here to hope you take me into train with you, because-.”

The monkey turned away and raised up its two palms and moved in a dance like motion. Unsure what this was, Twilight thought to followed. She raised herself into a similar fashion and began to stamp after the monkey. The gravity still crushed down on her, but Twilight figured this dance was to help her get use to it.

“Ouch, just how long do I have to keep doing this?” she asked.

“You tell me, strange one, who I do not know if she thinks if she is a pony or a monkey, that follows my pet,” said this rhythmic voice.

Twilight dropped hard back onto the ground, but had her head on its side and look up at a very confused zebra with bangles around her. Staring at each other silently for a moment, Twilight eventually said. “I take it you’re Zecora?”

“Indeed, I am and who might you be, one who confuses me?”

“I’m Twilight and I came to seek your training.”

“Was that why you followed my pet, Bubbles, in such an odd fashion?”

“Your pet? Um, well no. Actually, I thought he- or she was you.”

The zebra gave a small chuckle. “I will try to not take that as insult, strange one, who calls herself as Twilight. But why have you travelled across the long road Snake way, to train with the one and only, me?”

“Well you see, there’s these two unicorns that are on the way to my home and they intent to cause great harm, which I can’t let happen, so I’ve came here to train with you?”

“Unicorns you say, but aren’t you one, the fact you have a horn?”

“Uh yes, it’s all very hard to explain, but just leave it that I don’t want to destroy, but they do.”

“That is enough, to understand, for I can tell that you seem like a pony, who does not want to harm and I’d be happy to train you. But if you speak of the two unicorns that I think you are, then we’ll have to work hard, for you to defeat them.”

“Just tell me what to do.”

“Very well, first you must catch my pet, Bubbles.”

“Bubbles? I don’t think I can? I’ve already assessed him and he seems perfectly accustomed to the gravity here and he is a monkey.”

“It is the best means of getting accustomed to my gravity.”

“Sorry, but I don’t have time. I only have two weeks before the two unicorns arrive to my home.”

“Then be work hard to surpass the training, you must, for there are no shortcuts in this here course.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously. Now, Bubbles, go now and do not make it easy, for the strange one here.”

“If I really have to, then fine.”

Twilight pushed herself to slowly go after the monkey.

Although relying on logic too much, so far, this one has much potential Zecora thought to herself as she watched Twilight go after her pet.

*

Sat comfortable on top of a rock and munching quite happily on some apples, Spike had gotten use to the great outdoors. He felt stronger and had learnt to forage food. But as he munched his way through, a drop of slimy liquid fell on his head. He looked up interested and saw above him it was the bigger dragon who growled.

“Oh you’re back again,” said Spike. The dragon’s eyes leered at him sharper. “So uh, where are the gems that I asked for?” The bigger dragon roared, the force of it threw Spike’s fruit back, but the baby dragon himself was unmoved. “Oh, you want to go again, huh? Fine by me.”

The bigger dragon tried to bite him, but Spike jumped over its jaws and stamped onto its forehead, and smashed its head through the rock that Spike had sat on. The baby dragon then ran up to his shoulder and used his strength to pull the bigger dragon’s arm behind it and wind on it.

Unable to take the pressure, the big dragon started to use it’s free arm to slap against the ground.

“You quit?”

The big dragon desperately nodded and Spike then got off him to let it get back up. Its head was now down and tapped its index fingers together like a child.

“So? Are you going to get the gems I asked for?”

The big dragon sniffled and pulled from behind it a red flared gem rock and presented it to Spike. The baby dragon stared at it with big eyes and pried the gem with glee at how enormous it was. He shook his head and responded to the dragon. “This’ll do. But don’t look so glum, now we’re even and I like hope we can be friends now.” The bigger dragon showed a smile on his face. “Now, um, is it alright if I can be alone, uh, just that I like to eat alone sometimes, you know?” The bigger dragon respectively walked away from, Spike.

Now to himself, Spike begun to grin and stroke the gem with popped out eyes.

“Impressive,” said Rainbow Dash up in the air.

Spike hissed at Rainbow Dash and hid the gem away from her. But he then shook his head. “Oh, um, hey Rainbow Dash.”

The pegasus looked quizzed at the dragon. “I’ll just ignore that.”

“Ignore what? And, um, what are you doing here?”

“Came to tell you that your weeks up and if you’ve done well. I’d give you a B in general. Right now however I’m disappointed that thus far we haven’t unlocked your potential, but I’m amazed at how strong you’ve gotten in just a week. Now though I’ve come to ask you. Are you ready to continue your training to fight the unicorns or are you just going to bail out?”

The dragon placed his chest out and arms straight. “I’m ready, I want to fight the unicorns and save everyone, especially, Twilight.”

“Good, I’ll let you resume, whatever you were doing and then we’ll get down to business.”

*

“Get back here!” yelled Twilight.

She was able to now run across the plane, in just two days. She was still behind the monkey a good bit, but her determination kept her going, she needed to do this so that she could get stronger and help stop the evil unicorns.

Starting to edge behind the monkey again, Twilight sprinted, going for it, however Bubbles sprinted for it as well. Refused to accept this, Twilight lunged at him, but simply missed and slammed onto the ground from the weight of gravity.

“I hope your stomachs are empty, for dinner is ready!” shouted Zecora emerging from the hut.

“Alright,” said Twilight. She wanted to continue her training, but she was unable to argue when Bubble raced to dinner.

They ate soap inside Zecora’s home. Her food was often odd. Twilight swore there were experimental ingredients everytime, like odd fruit, weird seasoning and just strange soap in general. Nonetheless, she felt it helped her strength boosted by the substances and didn’t taste all that bad.

“Um, Zecora, can I ask you something?”

“What do you wish to know, strange one?”

“What do you know of the unicorns? I’d like to know more about my race?”

“There is not much to tell, other than unicorns are a race gifted with magical born abilities. The fact that they had magic, made them think they had as much right as any pony and felt it should be known. They went to lands, so as they could invade and make ponies admit to their superiority and make them give tribute. This had gone on for a very long time, until almost nearly all the unicorns were gathered to one place and in that one place, catastrophe happened, all at once, the unicorn’s home was destroyed by a mysterious hazard. No one knows what it was, for no one survived to tell the tale.”

“Wow.”

“Yes, but what amazes me, is that you are nothing like the unicorns that once existed. Unicorns all have big prides that can only be sated by those who they make bow down to them. You are nothing like.”

“Well, I think it’s to do with how I was accidently dropped and hit my head at a young age. I was supposedly a very rebellious child before then.”

“A blow on the head can indeed do a lot of things to one’s self.”

“Well that’s me finished dinner! Come on Bubbles! Let’s go out and go again!”

The monkey gave a groan and finished its soup and walked back outside with Twilight.

The Zebra looked at the table and saw the dozens of messy used bowls scattered all over the table.

“I guess I’ll be the one, to clean dinner again,” she said with displeasure.

*

Back on Fluttershy’s place, it had been a week and four days since training had started. All of them were outside, Rarity and Pinkie Pie sparred with one another, while Applejack practiced her bucks and Big Macintosh sparred with Angel. Snip made some effort to do some push ups, but would shortly go back to get some grub afterwards.

Fluttershy thought to herself, the progress all five of these ponies have been amazing, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough. They’re still no match for the two unicorns, even with Rainbow Dash at their side. Our only hope is for Twilight to have become strong enough and get here in time. Oh, Twilight, we’re all counting on you more than ever.

*

“You better dodge this one!” yelled Rainbow Dash and tried to swipe Spike with one of her front legs. The baby dragon managed to barely get his head down. “Good, that means we don’t need to do five extra minutes of training, but.” The Pegasus punched Spike with her other hoof and knocked him back. “That there means an extra five minutes of training for not dodging that one.”

“Ouch, I thought you weren’t good at time? How are you getting all this down?” questioned Spike, back up to his feet with so many bruises.

“Beats me,” said Rainbow Dash, with her rear hooves facing him. “I was hoping you were time keeping.” She bucked him and hurdled him into the river.

The baby dragon was pulled across by the heavy stream; he desperately clawed out at the edges. “Help! Please! I-I still can’t swim!” He caught Rainbow Dash’s leg and was pulled out from the water, but saw a disgruntled leer at him. “Um, thanks, Rainbow Dash?”

“Start learning to swim!” She threw Spike onto the edge and he bounced back into the river. “And don’t rely on the enemy to solve your problems!” She soon began to slowly trot after Spike.

*

Later that night, Rainbow Dash left Spike to do some more training on her own. The baby dragon was cosy up again under the full the night sky, that he had adapted to and cuddled up with his large gem. He made little snickers and caressed it. It didn’t change the fact that he was badly bruised, swollen and hurt nearly everywhere.

“So beautiful, so delectable, so delicious and oh so mine. I bet that Pegasus wants you all for herself. don’t worry well she’s not getting you. Nobodies getting you- what’s that? Oh no, I wouldn’t let that- shut up your crazy!” sneered Spike, his eyes got wider, his muscles tense and his claws sharper. “Don’t think that! No bodies going to take you! I swear it! Stop getting all hysterical on me!” Spike started to grow bigger and huger at an accelerating rate. “No bodies going to hurt you, because I’ll smash them all if I have to! Do you really need me to prove it- Fine! I’ll smash everything that dares to even look at you!” He was already five times his size and gave out a monstrous roar.

*

Middle of solo training to improve the Sonic Rain Boom, Rainbow Dash twirled, dashed and zigzagged through the air. She would cleave through mountains, leave a trail of flames across the ground and burst through the clouds.

She paused however as she heard a roar echo across the valley. “What the?  I’ve never heard a roar like that?... It came Spike’s direction as well.” About to fly over, it came over instead. It petrified Rainbow Dash. Over the large mountain with its bulged muscle arms, it leered with vicious eyes intent on violence. It slithered with purple and green scales; it stood up to reveal itself as an enormous dragon and roared into the sky.

“I’ve never seen a dragon like that of any kind! Where the heck did it come from!”

The dragon opened up its maw and breathed fire that swept over mountains and incinerated trees in a near instant. It then clobbered the mountain it stood on with all four limbs and levelled it unthought out.

“Wait! Green and purple scales, yellow eyes and in the same direction! Could it be Spike?” asked Rainbow Dash to herself.

It stomped out from the rubble and swept its clawed fingers at the trees, scything them like weeds.

“Whatever the case, I have to stop it before it destroys everything.”

She rammed straight at the dragon but she bounced off his solid chest. She rolled into the air and  was unintentionally elbowed by Spike and smacked into a hill. The impact cause the area itself to shake and crack.

“Okay- that thing’s really strong and I might not be able to stop him.” She pulled herself out and flew over the dragon and hectically scan her eyes across it. “Alright, if that’s really Spike, I’ve got to figure out what made him so big.” She traced her mind back to when Dawnshade complained at how dragons were only meant to grow bigger when their greed got the better of them. She looked back down at Spike and saw the gem he received from the other dragon and how he got so obsessed with it. “That’s it!”

She slapped her mouth shut. But had heard Spike and breathed fire at her. Able to dodge it, Rainbow Dash went on the retreat and was pursued.

“Oh come on! Just because it has long legs, shouldn’t mean it’s got to be this fast!”

She moved before Spike swatted her and zoomed around a mountain. The beast crashed through the terrain and breathed fire again. Pulling over the flames, she clasped her hooves together aimed at Spike and screamed. A powerful beam of energy flowed out and struck into Spike’s eyes and caused the dragon to reel back holding its eyes in pain.

“Perfect!”

She continued to fly off and started fly up and down, side to side and spin in circles all across the air. She then ignited into a rainbow-coloured blast that now rocketed onwards to Spike. The dragon could see again and was stunned. It allowed Rainbow Dash to crash right into the gem and in one mighty impact, shattered it to pieces in Spike’s hand.

Continuing to fly through, Rainbow Dash echoed to herself, alright, that’ll either work or make Spike even more mad.

Spike wailed out a frustrated roar, but began to shrink. In no time he was back to his old self and keeled.

Rainbow Dash thought to herself, okay, not what I had in mind, but that works to.

She dropped back down to the ground and murmured to herself. “Sometimes, I think you’re more trouble than you’re worth.

*

After four days of doing this, Twilight was now able to race across the planet in less than a minute. She still had the problem with her chase with Bubbles, but gave the monkey a run for his money.

Thought with a bit of strategy, Twilight had allowed Bubbles to disappear over to the other side and hastily rushed the opposite way and as logic dictated; Twilight appeared right in front of Bubbles and lunged at him. The monkey was able to quickly reverse however and get away.

“Darn!”

Twilight tried it again and went to the other side where Bubbles and her, met face to face again, but the monkey had narrowly ducked under her lunge and continued on.

After a while, he looked around to see where Twilight was now, but was amazed when he couldn’t see her. Anxious, the monkey crept on forward looking around. He heard a psst and looked up and saw Twilight in the tree.

The monkey tried to rush forward, but Twilight had pounced on and pinned him. With a scream of victory, Twilight grabbed Bubbles with both hooves and raised him above her head and cried. “Yes! Yes! I’ve caught him! I’ve caught the monkey! I caught the monkey!”

In awe, Zecora couldn’t believe her eyes. It had only taken Twilight four days to catch Bubbles, something she had never once witnessed. But with an charmed smile, she walked forward.

“You have done good, strange one, now that you have caught my pet, it’s time we moved onto your next training.”

“Yes! Just tell me Zecora! What’s the next part of my training, tell me!”

“As you wish.” Zecora wailed at the two, it was so loud that it was like storm. Tt was likely thanks to the gravity that the two were able to hold steady as the skin of their faces were being ridiculously pulled back. When she finished, the three waited were silent for a moment.

“Like to explain why you just did that other than to perhaps give us a new look?” asked Twilight and referred to her mane and Bubble’s fur incredibly messed up.

“Give it a moment.”

Something then travelled from behind Twilight and Bubbles. It so fast that if caused a similar effect to Zecora’s wail.

“Welcome, Gummy.”

Twilight and Bubbles looked at the ground and stood there was a weird eye small alligator that seemed oblivious.

“Gummy?” asked Twilight.

“An alligator, with amazing speed. Your next task will be to use your magic and hit him with this hammer.”

A puff of smoke popped out in front of Zecora and unveiled a huge hammer that dropped to the ground. It’s weight caused the entire planet to quake. It also caused Twilight and Gummy to look nervously with sweat on their faces.

“You’re kidding?” asked Twilight.

“I do not joke. A unicorns magic is a great asset. To teach you to use it effectively and further your training, you must use your magic to levitate the heavy hammer and hit Gummy with it.”

“There are a lot of problems with what I’m hearing. For one, if I hit Gummy, with a hammer that big, won’t it- well.”

“Do not worry, Gummy can take a hammer to the noggin and trust me when your magic will be useful, when the time comes.”

Twilight sighed. She concentrated. Her horn glowed and shortly so did the hammer. With more and more effort, Twilight eventually levitated the hammer, but it took a lot of strain.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“Alright, go Gummy, go and whatever you do, don’t let Twilight hit you with th-.”

The alligator dashed. Twilight started off like she with Bubbles, moving in a slow chute action after Gummy.