Chapter 1: New Beginnings
You are Anonymous. And you are getting your ass kicked.
That's not to say you aren't fighting back, but you're in a scrap with none other than Line Drive, Canterlot High School's lead batter, behind the school. He launches a wide roundhouse from your right. Ducking under it, you come back at him with a tight right hook to the jaw. It's the best hit you've landed so far in the fight, and it staggers him. Unfortunately, you're exhausted. You're not really particularly fit.
In fact, you're actually quite fat and not used to serious, extended exertion. Rather than following up that hook with a straight right, which would likely end the fight, you're forced to try and rest for a moment. It doesn't take Line long to gather himself, and the window of opportunity closes to you.
He charges in, adopting a typical street fighting pose, and throws a heavy uppercut. It connects with your lower jaw, but the hit was not aimed well and it slides across and away from your skin, leaving a shallow cut. It begins bleeding profusely, signalling your inability to really defend yourself.
Unsatisfied with the situation, you throw yourself at him. From a disadvantageous position, you ready a hard hook to his chest, bringing your fist behind you. Pouring the last of your strength into this final, spiteful punch, you launch it forward. As it connects with Line's rib cage, you are rewarded with a nasty sounding crack. He falls away from you, doubled over in pain but still on his feet.
You, however, are done.
Consciousness slips away from you as you fall back onto a wall and slump down, finally defeated.
Well, at least you got the satisfaction of breaking a rib.
You awaken in Canterlot General Hospital. You find yourself attached to an IV drip, EKG machine and a respirator. You must have taken a hell of a lot more damage than you realized! Every square inch of your being aches. Oddly enough, the physical pain does not bother you.
Instead, the agony of defeat is what is torturing you now. You were so close to pounding that asshole into the ground, but your pathetic body failed you. If you had any kind of meaningful endurance, you could have won. Your skill in fighting is meaningless without the body to properly back it up. Tears well in your eyes as this realization consumes you.
Well, maybe you got that dumb fuck sent here too. That'd be amusing to see. No, it wouldn't. Not really. You didn't really like hurting people. But you loved the thrill of a fight. Hypocritical, but true. It was a good fight, but only to a layman. The fact is, Line Drive is not a strong opponent. If you had just a little more stamina, you would have come out on top fairly easily. He swings wildly, telegraphing his every move. Every punch a roundhouse. Every step is predictable. And you still lost. Pathetic.
Tears begin to fall as you quietly choke back your sobs. That's what hurts the most. The fact that you are so weak, even a dumbass like Line Drive can beat you. Maybe if you take off the respirator, you'd suffocate and die. You want to die.
Or...maybe not.
Some part of you, deep inside, refuses to let you think this. This buried segment of your psyche screams out to you.. You can be strong. But you must try. You know this is true, but you find it difficult to stay motivated. If you really worked yourself to the bone, you could sculpt yourself into an entirely new being. Something worthy of a real fight.
You hear a knock on your hospital room door.
Quickly wiping the tears from your eyes, you respond weakly.
"Come in!"
You expect to see a nurse or doctor. Maybe even Line himself, coming to gloat. Instead, a girl with rainbow colored hair walks in. You've seen her around before...Rainbow Dash is her name. Wonder why. Suddenly, you realize she must be here to taunt you. You feel fear tug at your heart, pulling it down. While attempting to steel yourself, she speaks.
"So, Line Drive knocked you out."
"Yeah, I guess." you reply.
"Do you really believe that?"
"What? Why wouldn't I? He kicked my ass and I got KO'd. It's that simple."
She seems...upset by that. Her face hardens, eyes squinting slightly in anger.
"Bullshit! You passed out because your lungs couldn't keep up! I watched that fight, Anon. I saw how you moved. If you weren't so fat, you would have destroyed that pussy!"
Alright, that certainly isn't what you were expecting to hear.
"Yeah, I realize that." you meekly respond.
Another knock at the door.
"Get in here, Bulk!" Rainbow speaks before you can. And in walks the school's resident body builder, Bulk Biceps.
"Where is the dude- there you are bro!" he bellows.
What.
"Dude, that fight was KICK ASS! You almost wasted the guy!"
WHAT.
"WHAT." you choke out, shocked by it all.
Rainbow speaks up.
"Yeah man, that last punch you threw broke a rib and it tore his lung up! I've never seen someone hit so hard from such a short range."
Oh fuck, you seriously almost killed him. So why do you feel so proud about it? You hate hurting people.
Bulk speaks again. "What even started the fight? I didn't get to it until a little before hit hit you with that upper."
Rainbow chimes in on this one, again cutting you short before you could reply.
"Line was being an asshole again and threatening him over his weight."
"Woah man, that's not cool. What a dick." Bulk seems to be displeased with that. In fact, why are the both of them being so...nice, for lack of a better word.
"Well, yeah, but let me change the topic for a moment. Why are either of you here? I don't really know you guys that well. Why visit me?"
"We're here because we want you to start working out and training with us! If you were in better shape, you would have wiped the floor with Line Drive's ugly mug!" Rainbow says, intensity flaring in her eyes.
"Yeah man! I'm gonna help you with strength training, while Rainbow will work with you on cardio! We're gonna make you stronger, faster, better! YEAAAH!" Bulk replies, his voice growing louder with every word.
"Wha-....why? What's so special about me? Don't you guys have way more popular friends and shit to worry about?"
Rainbow and Bulk almost seem hurt by your questioning. "We don't care about that! When I watched you fight, I saw someone capable of some incredible stuff! You're a genuine hard puncher in disguise!" Rainbow says, barely containing her excitement.
"Rainbow, are you into boxing?" you inquire.
"Well, yeah! MMA mostly, but there is just something special about boxing that I love!" Rainbow says, and Bulk follows.
"YEAH! I LOVE BOXING!" You and Rainbow both cringe at his very, very loud outburst. "Oh! Sorry! Anyway, boxing is great! And Rainbow is right! You throw some serious punches! If we train you up, you'll be delivering some monster blows!"
Pride and excitement well up in you. "Do you really mean that?"
"Of course we do!" Rainbow replies, beaming at you. It's almost like she's more excited than you are.
"Well, when do we start?"
"Not for a couple of weeks, sadly. The doc says you had a bunch of blood in your lungs and it's making it hard for you to breathe. You gotta stay here for a week so you don't die in your sleep, and after THAT week is over you are supposed to take another week off to rest."
Okay, so you and Line almost died. Cool beans. But...this is so exciting. You're going to have people who care to help you along and make you better. Images flood your mind. You stand in a ring, body sculpted to perfection, a huge musculature shaping your frame. Fist raised in triumph after defeating a champion opponent. Bulk and Rainbow by your side.
Two weeks. Two weeks have passed since you awoke in the hospital. Now, after hours, you stand at the doors to the school's training gym. With no small amount of trepidation, you open the door and enter. The bright lights catch you slightly off guard, and you squint while your eyes adjust. Inside, Bulk and Rainbow stand side by side, arms crossed, waiting for you. They smirk as you close the door behind you.
"Well Anon, are you ready to get started?" Rainbow says eagerly.
"Yeah. I haven't been this excited for something in a while."
"Well you better get ready to suffer! The road to physical perfection is one paved with torture and agony! You will cry! You will vomit! You will beg for death! But in the end, you will be STRONG! YEAAAH!" Bulk replies, channeling everyone's favorite drill sergeant.
And the first day of your training begins. It, as expected, was difficult, but neither Rainbow or Bulk derided you for falling short. Instead, they pushed you to try again. And again, and again, until you met the goal for the exercise. Push ups, curls, leg lifts, squats, dumbbell curls, jogging. Basic stuff, but fundamental. It was an awful lot for your fat-laden frame, but you survived the day.
Weak, sweaty, and exhausted, you decide to take a shower. Bulk decides to join you, having worked himself up in an impressive sweat with his excitement. You can't help but find it amusing and inspiring. He's genuinely thrilled to be training you. While in the shower, you strike up a bit of conversation.
"So, Bulk, you said you liked boxing, obviously. Who's you're favorite fighter?"
"Oh man! That's a tough one! There are so many great boxers in the history of the sport! But if I had to choose, I think I would settle on Jack Dempsey."
"Wow, Dempsey? As in Dempsey Roll Dempsey?"
"Yeah! That guy had fire in him!"
"No doubt."
"He had kind of a weird name though. Like, what kind of nonsense is 'Jack Dempsey'? He should have had a normal name, like ours."
"I dunno man, I think it adds character!" Bulk replies.
You hear the doors to the men's shower room open. You and Bulk look over from your stalls to see who is entering. Much to the surprise of you both, it's Rainbow Dash, wearing nought but a towel, she is blushing hard and keeping her gaze to the floor.
"The girl's shower is busted, so I'm coming in here. I don't want either of you perverts looking at me, okay?! I gotta clean off this musk."
You keep the straightest face you can. Bulk is staring at the wall of his shower stall, eyes fixated to it like a war-scarred veteran.
Once Rainbow enters a stall, she removes her towel and cranks the water on. Thanks to the design of the stall, you could barely see her chest past the dividing wall. That would be the case had she not taken the stall directly to the right of you. You're really trying not to stare. She's working so hard for your sake and it would be wrong....to.......
Maybe one peek?
No! No. We have to be respectful here. No honorable warrior would behave in such a way! Okay, well you aren't a warrior but a boxer. Actually, you aren't really a boxer yet either. You're just a boxing enthusiast. But still! Be respectful. Wow, her breasts aren't terribly large, C-cup at best, but boy are they perky and firm.
With cute, hard ni- CEASE AND DESIST.
You snap your gaze forward, much like Bulk. But a realization brings you back to reality. You're all just showering as colleagues. Acting this way just makes everything really awkward. Maybe...get back to conversation? Hey, yeah! Maybe that'll help ease things out!
"So, Rainbow, Bulk and I were discussing who our favorite fighters are. Do you have favorite?"
As you speak, you look her way, making sure to lock onto her eyes. She does have pretty eyes. A beautiful shade of magenta. You use this to your advantage, focusing on the color of her eyes to keep your gaze away from more...intimate locales. She looks back at you, at first, she seemed almost offended, probably by the fact you were looking at her despite her earlier objections. But, she quickly levels out and is able to earnestly reply.
"Mohammad Ali, of course! No contest!"
Bulk finally snaps out of his earlier thousand-yard stares and looks to her as he replies. "What? No way! He's a great fighter but he's just so overrated! That's like saying your favorite fighter is Mike Tyson! You'd only say it because it's what first comes to mind!"
You never realized this before, but Bulk's appearance of a simpleton is just a ruse, he seems like a pretty intelligent guy. Shame on you for being so judgemental. Rainbow is taken aback by Bulk's retort.
"Just because he is a popular choice doesn't mean he can't be my favorite! He's great and that's that!" She replies.
"What about you Anon? Who is your favorite fighter?" Rainbow asks you, seemingly eager to shift focus away from herself.
"Me? No contest, Ippo Makunouchi. The best Featherweight fighter Japan ever saw."
Bulk laughs in earnest in response to your decision. "Wow! Now THAT'S an interesting choice." He doesn't seem to be mocking you for your love of the admittedly adorable Japanese boxer.
"Watching him climb up into the world circuit was something else!" Bulk continues.
"I lost my shit any time he wound up a Dempsey Roll. It was like watching a jet engine spool up, getting faster and faster and delivering more and more power." You reply, caught up in the enthusiasm. You glance to Rainbow and see she is confused.
"Ippo Maku..Making...whatever! I never heard of him!"
"I'm not really surprised. Despite his world success he, as a media figure, never really took off outside of Japan. But believe me when I say he was one of the best boxers the world had ever seen. He fought some seriously scary dudes."
Bulk chimes in. "Yeah! His punches were so hard they would kill anyone but hardened fighters! So he went up against the best of the best!"
"That's cool, I guess. He must be pretty strong." Rainbow replies from behind the divider. You can't see what she's doing but you suppose she's washing her legs or something. The shower returns to relative silence but for the sounds of the running water. But, the tension in the air has broken, and you all seem comfortable.
You turn your water off, and step out of the shower, toweling your hair off. Rainbow is heard chuckling under the sounds of your towel. "Wow man, your dick is gonna look HUGE once all that fat comes off!" She says, choking back laughter the whole time.
It's your turn to blush now, your eyes widening. Rainbow fully breaks down into uproarious laughter. Bulk steps in to cover you.
"See something you like, Rainbow?"
Her laughter stops abruptly as both you and Bulk erupt into laughter of your own. A few minutes later, you're all dressed and heading to the parking lot. You've got a warm smile on your face, thoroughly exhausted, but having enjoyed the time. The three of you reach your car first. You got yourself a nice little Japanese fastback coupe, thanks to a loaded uncle who left everyone in the family some dough.
It's got some modifications to it, namely a small aftermarket spoiler, a wrap job, cold air intakes, coilover suspension and lightweight racing wheels and tires. A few decals are placed around the vehicle, bearing the logos of the manufacturers of the parts.
The parts, though, you bought with cash earned by working at home as a freelance software debugger. Took you fucking forever. Rainbow wolf-whistles at the sight of your ride.
"Wow Anon, that's a pretty cool car. Is it as fast as it looks?"
Chuckling a little at her candor, you reply. "That depends on what you expect a fast car to look like. How do you know it's not just some shitty ricer?" Rainbow stops, unsure if you just called your own car a 'shitty ricer'.
"Well, I think it's pretty fast. The stock motor produced 180 horsepower, which made it decently quick on it's own all things considered. A bit of tuning and a custom intake push it to 208, if the last dyno run is to be believed. That, combined with the lowered suspension and lighter wheels give it a zero-to-sixty time of 6.6 seconds, and a top speed of 144 miles-per-hour."
"It's certainly not the fastest out there, but I do need to drive the thing every day. If I tried to give it even more power I'd just shorten the life of the motor. What I'm focusing on right now is improving the power-to-weight ratio by getting rid of unnecessary weight, like the back seats. I made it so I can put them back in whenever I want, because it DID have a lot of room back there considering it's a coupe."
Rainbow smiles at the flurry of words you delivered. "You really love that car, don't you?"
"Pride and joy."
"It's a really cool car man! Maybe you can take us for a ride some day?" Bulk says, eagerness entering his voice.
"Hell yeah man, just ask whenever."
"I really want to right now but it's getting late, so I'll have to get a ride tomorrow! I'm gonna go to my car now, I'll catch you dudes later!" Bulk finishes.
"Later Bulk!" Rainbow calls out.
"See ya, man!"
"He's right, it is getting late. I'll head out too. I'll see you tomorrow!"
Rainbow's voice almost seems to quiver by the end of the sentence. Before you have time to really process it, she cutely smiles at you and lightly jabs your shoulder before running off. It's almost 6 o'clock now. Time to head home yourself. Getting in your car, you close the door and insert your key into the ignition. Instead of starting the car you sit and contemplate the events of the day.
Doubt begins to eat at your mind. What if you become a burden to them? What if you already are and this is the last you'll ever see either of them? No. That's not the case, is it? Cranking the car, you eventually decide that they might actually genuinely like you, as strange as that seems to you. In a good mood, you slowly cruise home, taking in the sights of the city as it slowly approaches dusk.
The next morning, as you pull into the parking lot, you decide to have a little fun. On the approach, you drop it to 1st gear, and as the revs approach the top of the range and your car the incoming corner, you pull your handbrake and swing the car around the corner, tail end stepping out of line. An uncommon thing for a front-wheel-drive car, but entirely possible if you're going fast enough.
Your engine bounces off the rev limiter just before you upshift and speed towards your preferred section. Parking, you kill the motor and get out, only to be greeted with Rainbow's beaming face.
"That. Was. Awesome!"
A small blush forms on your face. It was sick as hell.
"Well, yeah...but don't get any ideas. That shit ain't easy to do and I don't want you blaming me for a bent wheel or something." Really, you just didn't want her to get hurt.
"Hey! I know that!" She pauses for a moment, looking down and away. "I just needed more practice was all..." she mumbles.
You smile and picture her trying, and failing, to execute a handbrake turn. Cute.
"Anyway, what's up Rainbow?"
"Oh! Right! I wanted you to meet my friends. I told the girls about you last night and they want to see you!"
Oh fuck. Don't panic. You're going to have to socialize. There's no way out of it without ramifications. Grin and bear it.
...
Maybe it won't be so bad. After all, Rainbow likes you, maybe her friends will too?
"Alright, where to?"
"They're waiting in the cafeteria now. Come on!"
Dragging you by the hand, she pulls you toward the school until you're right beside her, where she releases your han-
wait was she just holding your hand
lewd
Shaking the saucy thoughts from your head, you fall into step beside her. You enter the cafeteria, and are taken to a table towards the front. Rainbow calls out, and your attention is drawn to a table with six girls seated around it. They all seem...weirdly distinct in comparison to some of the other students around.
Eh, just chalk it up to you being crazy. You are offered a seat next to Rainbow Dash. Sitting down, you decide to take the initiative here. "Hey there. Name's Anon."
"This is the guy I was telling you about! The one who obliterated Line Drive's ribs!" The girls have varied reactions to this. The one with the stetson speaks first.
"Ah heard you both went down. What happened with you?"
Before you can answer.....again... "He took a lot of damage in the fight, and once Line went down and didn't have anyone to fight anymore, he passed out!" Rainbow cuts in.
Alright, that's not what happened at all, but...wait no, that's KIND OF what happened. It's not the whole story but it seems like Rainbow's trying to make you look good. Don't cock it up.
"What a lowlife. Beatin' on an innocent guy like Anon. Hun, when you busted his ribs up I heard the noise in the parking lot. He got what was coming to him. Oh lord, how rude of me. Name's Applejack! or AJ, fer short." She extends her hand to you, and you take it and shake i-fucking christ her grip is strong. Alright, you wanna play it that way? You keep a mostly straight face, smiling slightly in response to the gesture.
"Nice to meet you." She seems pleased by the strength of your grip. She's not one for weakness, it seems.
ha ha if only she knew
"Well, all things considered you seem well! My name is Rarity, it is a pleasure to meet you." The purple haired, frankly gorgeous girl speaks up next.
"Likewise!" you eagerly reply. She also offers her hand to shake, and using your autist power, you determine that she may be on the gentle side. You are sure to grip as lightly as possible as you shake her hand.
Your world suddenly becomes pink. "Wowie! You were all like 'woosh' and 'boosh' and he was all 'CRACK' and 'AHHHHHH' and he was being such a big meanie but you beat him up and then you just fell over and hi my name's Pinkie Pie!"
nani?
"Uhh...hi!" You recover slowly, but do your best to greet her kindly.
She responds with a wall of words so tremendous it completely escapes the realm of human understanding. The best you could make out were words generally referring to confectioneries and parties. Everything else is a fluffy pink blur. Rather than shaking hands, she lifts you in your entirety and shakes YOU like one would shake a baby. After being set down, your brain stops.
It is entirely unable to process the information it has been presented. You come to the conclusion you are faced with an eldritch god with an affinity for pink and, you assume, amphetamines. Shaking off the abject horror, you turn to face the next girl as she greets you.
...
As she greets you.
AS SHE GREETS YOU.
Okay, this girl with the lighter pink hair and the white shirt and seriously huge tiddies
okay
Holy shit
Them's some tits.
HET.
Focus on the task at hand. The girl is hiding behind her hair, so you'll just let her go for the time being. As you turn, you are greeted by a much nerdier looking girl with purple, straight hair. She rolls her eyes before speaking to you.
"Sorry, that's Fluttershy. She's a little on the shy side."
....maybe Jack Dempsey's name isn't so weird after all.
"Anyway, I'm Twilight Sparkle. Rainbow's told us a fair bit about you, it's great to finally meet you!" You find yourself blushing slightly. Again. After exchanging some pleasantries with Twilight, you come to the final girl in the lineup. You recognize her. The single most beautiful girl in school. The demon. The outcast.
Sunset Shimmer.
Your heart drops in anticipation. But she greets you with a warm smile. You decide to pretend like you don't really know her.
"Hi, I'm Anon. And you're..."
"Sunset Shimmer. It's really great to meet you, Anon! Say, I'm afraid I have to ask a favor of you."
"Yeah? Shoot."
Unusual...where is she going with this?
"When you next see Line Drive..." Her face hardens tremendously in a way that deeply frightens you. "Make sure he doesn't get back up." She whispers to you with deadly intent, before turning back into her previously cheerful self.
Holy shit, you think your heart stopped for a second there. That was one of the scariest things you've ever had happen to you. So why...do you feel kind of happy about that?
And mildly aroused?
Some time passes as you and the girls talk. Before you know it, the starting bell rings and you all go off to your respective 1st period classes. What do you know, you find yourself walking to class with Butterquiet. You didn't realize you had a class with her... no real surprise now in hindsight. But god damn is she cute.
Absolutely adorable
"did you have to hit him so hard"
She emits a series of nearly inaudible vocalizations.
Oh, they were words...you think.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."
"Did you have to hit him so hard?" Fluttershy says, now with surprising clarity. You take a moment to ponder the question.
No, wait, the other thing.
"Really, I should have hit him harder."
Fluttershy recoils in near-horror at your hasty response.
"Uh, what I mean to say is, he started the fight. He had been antagonizing me for weeks, and once I finally got sick of his shit and called him out, he swung at me. Really, it was my fault for getting hit." Fluttershy suddenly looks concerned, not with you but FOR you. "That goddamned neanderthal ass-backwards knuckle-dragging dipshit COCKSUCKER throws some of the slowest, widest punches I've ever seen. If I wasn't so caught up in my 'heroic defiance' I would have seen that weak-ass punch coming."
Ah, there's the horror. On in full force this time.
"Anon! Please! Watch your language! You'll get us both in trouble!"
Oh yeah, ha ha. You will. "Oh man, sorry. I kinda got ahead of myself there." you gently reply.
"He must have really upset you to have you acting like this. I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"But still, you could have killed him. You know he's still in the hospital?" Internally, you laugh uproariously as his misfortune. Outwardly, however...
"Oh man, I really didn't mean to do that much damage. I just threw a punch out of desperation is all."
"I know. Just... be careful when you're training with Rainbow, okay? She really doesn't know how to meter herself."
Heh. Running the meter.
"Right. Thanks Fluttershy."
Your day passes normally. Almost normally, that is. You notice a few guys from the baseball team giving you the stink eye, whereas by contrast the guys from the football team seem to cast critical, almost analytical gazes your way. Some of the girls you pass the the halls still regard you as they always have... But you swear you got a wink and some batted eyelashes at some point.
Life isn't going to be easy now, is it? It wasn't before, but something tells you that you've got another fight just around the corner to worry about. When this monologue was playing in your head, you did not intend this literally. Someone just tried to sucker punch you, acting purely on instinct you manage to duck beneath the blow.
You find yourself face to face with none other than....actually you have no idea who this guy is. Pretty standard looking douchecanoe to you. You also realize you're outside, again. You must have passed out of one of the building side exits while you were providing exposition. To yourself. Wasting no time, you drop your backback to the ground and raise your fists for a fight.
"Line Drive was my friend! You tried to kill him you fucking fat asshole! I'm gonna make you pay!" While he's rambling on about how you killed his father or some shit, you take the opportunity to analyze every square inch of his stance.
Feet too far apart.
Legs not pointed in the right direction.
His knees are locked but his head is crouched.
His fists are balled up way too tightly.
His hips are rotated for a southpaw style...
But the rest of his body isn't.
And most importantly of all...
He has no guard. Smirking, you imagine this should be over quickly. He comes charging at you, fist raised above and behind his head. Okay you know what? You're going to hurt this stupid fuck for making a mockery of the fight. You easily sidestep his wild, uncoordinated charge and deliver a sharp left jab to his exposed cheek. He seems stunned by the blow, and you could probably follow up with a straight here. But, you want to send him to join his buddy in the hospital. Even if just for a concussion.
He starts swinging wildly at you, with an occasionally impressive upper or hook mixed in with all the formless long roundhouses. Backstepping this insipid barrage, you take stock of the surroundings. A small crowd has gathered here.
The teachers won't be far behind. Dammit! You really wanted to wail on this guy, but you need to end it quick. Waiting for a moment in his attack to falter, you step in and deliver a one-two. A sharp left jab to his right cheek and a hard straight to the nose. He nearly fell over after just that. But his arms are low, near the pockets of his jeans.
His chin is wide open. Time to launch a crowd pleaser. You pull your right fist to your hip, and swing it behind you, your body and stance lowering all the while. You're in a deep crouch by the time you're ready to let the punch fly.
Finally, channeling your strength from your legs, you begin to push away from the earth beneath you and send your fist skyward. Your whole body is twisting and tensed as you launch the single hardest uppercut you've ever thrown. You can feel the air rush around you as a high pressure area builds in front of you, and a low pressure one behind you. You grit your teeth for the impact, before opening your mouth in a bonafide war cry.
There is a glint of realization in his eye as he comes to understand the gravity of his situation, and the fact he can do nothing to change it. And finally....
You connect. For a moment, it seems like nothing happens. But suddenly, the impact sends a shockwave down your arm as the punch lands on his chin with a crack. Ouch, his teeth knocked together. Air rushes around you as an explosive noise is unleashed from the force of the impact, his chin going up and lifting off of his feet. Your punch was powerful enough to
send him flying.
Granted, his balance was already way off and was probably going to fall over anyway, but damn if you didn't take advantage and make it look good. You recover your stance as he falls limply to the ground, entirely unconscious.
K.O. Motherfucker.
The crowd is stunned. You're a little stunned, actually. Now that you can stop and think about it.... Where did THAT come from?
That was, in no uncertain terms, a savage hit. He is NOT waking up anytime soon. For a brief moment, you fear he's dead. Thankfully, you do eventually see him breathing. Your eyes flick up to the crowd, scanning it for other potential
hostiles.
"I better not find this online."
You confidently sound off. Satisfied with your work, you slowly walk forward, heading in the direction of the parking lot. Sunset emerges from the crowd as you do.
The look in her eyes is one of shock and disbelief.
"That was... Incredible."
Not wanting to lose the cool, stoic image you've briefly found yourself with, you don't stop walking but instead motion for her to join you. A few minutes later, you're in the parking lot with the other girls, all excitedly chatting about your win. Rarity was there to catch that one, but she was behind you in the crowd so you didn't wind up walking towards her.
Rainbow heard there was a fight going on and rushed to come see, figuring it was you, but found an opportunity to buy you some time by keeping some teachers busy. Bulk is currently in the weight room, but Rainbow has sent him a text detailing your first real victory. He's on his way now.
Fluttershy is her usual worried self, but you notice her blushing slightly as she listens to the story of the short fight. It only lasted about 50 seconds. That's all it took. One rookie mistake by your opponent and you punished him for it. You really shouldn't make a habit of beating up school kids, you think. Who knows? You might wind up a boxer after all.
You're still riding the high of the fight when Sunset pulls you aside. "Do you think this is going to be a common thing for you now?" She asks, concern evident in her tone.
"Maybe for a while. But I knock one or two more dudes on their asses and even your average ape will get it in their heads that I know how to fight."
"Where did you learn all this stuff, anyway?"
"I just like boxing. I learned a lot just by watching professionals fight. Not merely spectating but truly watching what they did. Plus, I do...um.. Practice, in my free time." You are afraid that it will come off as immature and weird, but Shimmer's expression brightens to vivid color.
"You're pretty kickass, you know that? Even if you're a bit of a nerd." She says, no small amount of piss being taken, yet it still comes off as at least partly genuine.
Maybe more than partly, judging by this smile she's giving you. Wow. She really is beautiful. A worrying twinge in your crotchal region warns you of impending doom, so you decide to refocus yourself.
"Thanks, Sunset. I sometimes want to go pro someday."
"Come here for a second." She grabs your arms and begins posing you like a doll. After a period of embarrassing manipulation, she's finished. "There. Yeah, I can see it."
"I can see a pro fighter in there." She states matter-of-factly. You're in an exaggerated orthodox pose, sometimes seen in promotional photos of professional boxers. A small, but undeniably goofy smile on your face. The other girls look over, smiles all around. They each sound an acknowledgement with Sunset.
"That's a boxer alright!" from AJ.
"Indeed! A real gentleman brawler." from Rarity.
"yay" from Fluttershy.
"Heck yeah!" from Rainbow.
"Let's throw a victory party!" from Ponk.
"He'll take the ring by storm!" from Twilight.
And, seen charging in from the distance, is Bulk's say. "YEEEEAAAH! A REAL K.O. MACHINE!"
Pride wells in your chest, along with some embarrassment from all this attention. Sunset leaves you a quick peck on the cheek, before she pulls away as fast as she came, flashing you a quick wink. You've got more than pride, welling up now. A tear threatens to form in your eye. Before that can happen, Bulk arrives, and takes your hand up in his own in a solid handshake held eye level.
The girls invite you out to join them for a dinner at a local grill. Bulk too, because he's kind of a sweetheart and they'd never leave him out. And so, with a few scars and a new, wonderful memory you follow them into town, a convoy of cars celebrating an impromptu victory.
You used to wonder how much worse your life could get. You then found strength in your idols. Now, you will soon begin the climb upwards, to hopefully one day enter their elite pantheon of heroes and champions.
You are Anon.
And you have just won your first fight.
