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                       Cloud Boxing                        
                   -by mistercokehold8-                    
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                     Cloud Boxing 101                      
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Cloud Boxing 101
Cloud Boxing; First invented by the Pegasi of the Equestrian Reneighssane, it originated as a sport contested on the ground so ponies of all walks of Equestria would be able to compete. Competitors would use their bare hooves to fight until one would be unable to continue, either by knock out or the official decided to call the fight off. The sport grew in popularity in the end of the Reneighssane Era; then in the beginning of Celestia's thousand year reign a variation of Cloud Boxing was born.
The rules were nearly identical to normal Cloud Boxing, except only Pegasi could partake in this version of the sport. Here, in specially made cloud arenas, the fighters would go until one competitor would be beaten so badly, they were unable to tell they were falling towards the ground. This version grew in infamy due to the injuries fighters would receive. It didn't take long before fighters were literally dropping dead. Due to the complains of how barbaric the sport had became, and to maintain the safety of the hard workers who cleared the sky, Celestia declared the sport of Cloud Boxing would be banned throughout all of Equestria. The regions beyond would take up similar laws.
However the sport Cloud Boxing didn't die out. The sport, despite how infamous it was, continued on in a modified version. Once more contested on the ground, competitors would climb up onto a platform the size of a standard Cloud Boxing Ring. Designed to match the rings of the special cloud arenas, the sport was now mildly safer than previous versions. The risks were still there, but it was enough for the sport to be, at less for Equestria, reinstated, however there was a catch. So no higher up's could be held responsible for whatever happened, Cloud Boxing was no longer considered an official sport. Organizers couldn't be held responsible if anything happened, city officials couldn't held responsible and Princess Celestia could not be held responsible in anyway.
Despite all the changes that made it legal, Cloud Boxing was still view as barbaric and still very dangerous. Only those who were willing to be looked down upon by outsiders to the sport were willing to continue on.  Even with all the changes, this was a sport were losing....often meant dire consequences.
"And that rookies is the history of Cloud Boxing." The instructor pony droned on to the small class he was teaching. "If you wanna be involved with the sport you must take in every ounce of it. Are there any questions?" He looked into the bleachers containing only a hooveful of potential fighters. "Any questions at all?" He repeated. Finally one cyan colored Pegasus raised her hoof.
"Can we get into the ring now?" Rainbow Dash asked impatiently. She didn't pay a good chunk of bits to sit in a lecture all day, she wanted to fight.
"All in good time Miss Dash. Now we'll cover the safety aspects of Cloud Boxing." The rainbow maned Pegasus groaned out loud. Her vision turned over to the training rings where various earth ponies, Pegasi and even Unicorns were sparing against each other.
"How much longer is this gonna take?" Rainbow asked.
"Miss Dash you know very well this is a five hour class-"
"Five hours?!"
"And that you agreed to sit through it if you wanna get anywhere close that ring." The instructor pointed a hoof over to the training competitors. "Cause believe me without knowing what you're getting into you wouldn't last two rounds against even the most novice of fighters."  Rainbow opened her mouth to counter the argument, before realizing she couldn't win. "Anypony else? No?" The instructor turned back to the black board, allowing Rainbow Dash to turn her attention back to the sparing boxers. She didnt want to be sitting here; she wanted to be in the ring. She could see herself standing opposite corner to her opponent, the crowd roaring as she would charge across the ring.
"These the young prospects?" The daydreaming Pegasus turned to the voice, finding another pegasi stallion talking with the instructor.
"Gusty Twirl! Oh it has been too long." The instructor embraced the black and brown color pegasus. "Feels only like yesterday you were sitting in this very class."
"Not much of a class." Rainbow muttered. This caught the attention of Gusty.
"Who do we have here?" He said, sizing Rainbow Dash up. "Wait! Don't tell me.....rainbow color mane....she's the new water pony!"
"Water pony?!" Rainbow Dash wasn't taking too kindly to the pegasi's words.
"I always get thirsty in between rounds so chop chop." Several of the fighters training in the background began laughing at the jokes, much to the expense of Rainbow Dash. "All jokes aside, you think you're gonna make it in that ring?"
"Keep cracking jokes about me and find out!" Rainbow said, actually standing as close to his nose as she could. The fighters stopped what they were doing, staring at the two pegasi's standing off. Gusty began to frown.
"Looks like we got a tough one here." He said without cracking a smile. "Here's some advice for you, and take it to heart: you get in that ring, and you're gonna get hurt." Rainbow wasn't backing down. "That's how its gonna be huh?"
"I'm not scared of you."
"OK that's quite enough you two." The instructor finally spoke up, trying to get the two pegasi's to cool off before somepony got hurt. "Gusty you know she hasnt had any proper training yet. I cannot condone her getting in that ring."
"You heard her. I think she's more than ready." Gusty said. "Congrats, little lady, you just won a few rounds with me." The pegasus turned towards the ring, pausing to glance at Rainbow Dash. "You know how the saying goes, Be Careful What You Wish For....."

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                    Welcome to the Yard                    
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Welcome to the Yard
“Rainbow Dash I insist that you don’t do this!” The instructor pony was doing everything under his power to convince the cyan colored pegasus to not go through with this. “Gusty is a fully trained fighter and you haven’t even made it halfway through the class!”
“Don’t worry about me. I can handle this guy no problem.” Rainbow Dash assured. Gusty was either nice enough, or cocky enough, to pull down the middle rope to let Rainbow into the ring.
“Fillies first.” The boxers training from earlier now circled the ring. They never turned down a chance to see a fight. Despite the instructor attempting to pull her off the ring apron, Rainbow Dash glared at Gusty before going through the middle rope. The more experience pegasus let the rope go, trotting over to his corner. Rainbow stood in hers, not taking her eyes off Gusty. ‘This can’t be that hard can it? Just gotta punch him in the face a lot.’ The instructor had little to no power to stop this anymore.
“Alright then, you two will go three rounds. The winner will be the one who can knock their opponent out first. And per Cloud Boxing rules, should one of you fall out of the ring, the gentlecolts around the ring have full permission to put you back in. Does anyone object?” He had hoped someone would object to this impromptu fight.
“Ring. The. Bell.” Gusty said to the instructor. The concerned pegasus went out the ring, doing as he was told. “This won’t take long anyway.” The boxers around the ring began slamming their hooves on the ringside, egging the two competitors inside the ring on. Rainbow began pacing in her corner, yet to her surprise Gusty stopped in the middle of the ring. “I’ll be nice here, and give you a free shot.” He turned his head and pointed a hoof to his cheek. “Go on. Take your best shot.” The boxers around the ring laughed at the idea. Rainbow Dash could only smirk.
“If you say so.” The cyan pegasus walked forward, and took Gusty completely off guard by landing multiple punches right to the head. The boxer stumbled back into his corner, shaking the cobwebs loose as Rainbow charged forward. Her inexperience finally faced her as she walked right into a hard uppercut, knocking her off her hooves and rolling to the floor. She wouldn’t be able to regain her thoughts as the boxers surrounding the ring lifted her up, promptly rolling her back inside the ring. Then they began counting as Rainbow Dash struggled to climb back up to her hooves.
“1!”
“2!”
“3!”
“4!”
“5!”
“6!” Rainbow was finally able to pull herself back up to her hooves, shaking as she struggled to clear herself.
“You got back up? I give you credit….” Gusty spun the cyan pegasus around, landing a flurry of hook shots to Rainbow’s face. “You got some guts. Same you don’t have brains.” He then let Rainbow fall to the mat.
‘Come on Dash, shake it off…’ Rainbow thought to herself weakly. As the others counted in the background, she was able to pull herself up at the count of eight. Gusty began throwing jabs into Rainbow Dash’s ribs, making it harder for the female pegasus to remain standing. The male pegasus began laughing, turning to the boxers.
“I’m getting winded here boys.” He turned around, only for a cyan hoof to punch him squarely in the face. Gusty spun on his hooves before falling on his face. Rainbow was able to pull herself up, smirking as she began to count.
“1!”
“2!”
“3!”
“4!” Gusty shook his head as he pulled himself up. Rainbow charged forward, unable to land her next punch as the male pegasus bobbed out of the way. Gusty was able to land his next punch, knocking Rainbow into her corner. The male pegasus had seen enough.
“Nighty night.” Rainbow looked up as a brown hoof came down, followed by her world exploding into darkness.
“……Dash?” Someone’s voice echoed off.
“Rainbow Dash?” A bright light finally brought the cyan pony’s vision into focus. “Can you hear us?” After several moments her vision began to clear. It was then she finally noticed several ponies staring down at her.
“What’s two plus two?” The instructor asked, his voice sounding very off, possibly the results of the fight the cyan pony had just endured. She had to think about the question for a few moments.
“November?” Few of the boxers around her chuckled.
“She’ll be fine.” The instructor noted. “All she needs is a good days rest.” After struggling for a few moments Rainbow was finally able to sit up. Gusty was calmly lying on the top rope like it was a cozy bed.
“Good morning sleeping beauty. Your official record is a big 0-1.” He said with a laugh. Rainbow could only hold her head in pain; she had never been this embarrassed before. “Hey consider yourself lucky! Most ponies don’t get knocked out in their first match.”
“That is quite enough!” The instructor finally had to put his hoof down. “You knew very well she wasn’t prepared for this fight.” Gusty only shrugged.
“She wanted to fight, she got a fight. Not my fault she wasn’t ready for it.” The male pegasus trotted forward, crouching down to Dash’s eye level. “A word of advice: this…all this….” He motioned to the ring around them. “…is MY yard. When you come into my yard, you get hurt. So next time…” He began patting the cyan pegasus’s head. “…think for a moment before deciding something your gonna regret." Rainbow shoved the hoof away before slowly getting back onto her hooves. Not making eye contact with Gusty, she carefully climbed out of the ring and began limping her way to the door, holding her head as she did. She didnt want anyone to see the tears running down her cheeks.