Sun Slayer's radiance

Snow slowly fell from the sky as a chilling breeze blew over the winter mountain scape. It had been a total of three months since the mares began, and they all were making outstanding progress.

“AH!”

Rainbow dash flew back and landed in a sizable snow pile. Standing before her was an angry grizzly bear ready to kill the irritating pegasus instantly. The bear reeled its claw back and swiped at Rainbow. But before it could hit her, Rainbow rolled out of the way and quickly got back on her hooves, wooden sword in her mouth. With a roar, the angry bear pounced at Rainbow with great speed.

Rainbow raised her sword to guard just in time as the bear's maw clamped onto the practice weapon. Unfortunately, the snow, combined with the bear's weight, had sent the prismatic pegasus to the ground with a quiet crunch from the snow. Rainbow dash grunted and tried to push the apex predator away, but not even her weight training made her that strong. The bear's muzzle was inches away from her strained face, its hot breath filling her nose with a terrible stench.

Suddenly, the bear pulled away from Rainbow and stood tall. The sudden motion caught her off-guard, and she didn’t register the several hundred-pound beast falling towards her. Time seemed to slow down for Rainbow, the face pace crunching of snow sound from the side. In a single moment, two orange hooves collided with the falling bear’s face, making an audible cracking sound and launching it backward into a tree. Rainbow looked up to see Applejack breathing heavily, looking down at her with a scowl.

“Gosh darn it, RD. What ah tell ya bout’ wanderin’ off like that?” The farm mare asked quizzically. Before Rainbow dash could answer, the bear got back up and charged the two with a roar of pain and anger.

While Rainbow looked almost terrified, Applejack just rolled her eyes. Out from the tree line, a wooden sword surrounded in a purple aura shot from the trees, hitting the bear in the middle of the side. Its legs gave out as it fell to the floor, gagging and groaning from the pain when Twilight walked out from behind the trees.

“Thank goodness Fluttershy isn’t here, or maybe it would have been better because you wouldn’t be in this mess.” She scolded Rainbow dash and, oddly enough, the bear as well.

Rainbow dash quietly growled and got to her hooves again. “Hey! I got a little lost, ok.” She argued, throwing her hoof up in the air. “Besides, I didn’t know there were bears out here. I’d like to see you not get mauled by that thing.” She pointed at the bear, who weakly got up from the snowy ground with a fire still left in its eyes.

“Darling, you simply have to listen to poor Twilight's lectures once in a while.” The mare’s and bear looked back at the elegant voice of Rarity as she lay on a tree branch covered by a clean cloth behind the bear. “They may be…boring, sometimes-” Twilight glared at the fashionista from afar. “-but they are good advice for situations like these.”

Without a word, Rarity rolled off the branch. The bear expected the potential snack to land on the ground, but after a few seconds, it looked back up to see she had vanished completely. Several dozen spikes of pain shot in the bear's backside, causing it to give up and run away with its tail between its legs, yelping like an injured dog.

Rarity sighed in pity as her light blue magic dissipated from a bunch of big pebbles; she then walked away from Applejack. The farm mare flinched slightly, not expecting her friend to be beside her.

A hiss of pain escaped Rainbow's mouth as she held her right wing. She then looked up to see Rarity crouching down and touching Rainbow's hoof, which was holding the injured wing. “Let me see it, dear.” She cooed softly. Rainbow grumbled and looked away as she removed her hoof. It wasn’t terribly hurt, just some redness and swelling, not surprising since the appendage hasn’t completely healed yet. “You know not to use your wing for at least another month, right?” She said with worry.

Rainbow sighed and scowled in minor annoyance at her friend's concern. “I fell on my back on accident, ok?” She pulled away from her and started walking away. “I’m fine, so don’t worry about me.”

The three remaining friends looked at each other for a moment before silently following Rainbow back home.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yoriichi tapped his chin with a hoof. A small wooden and metal box in front of him rang out terrible screeching and static sounds that stabbed at his eardrums. Pinkie pie had labeled this device a “Radio” that supposedly played songs and pony voices that told of the news. He was skeptical at first, but that was completely thrown out the window and replaced with held-back irritation. No matter how many times he turned a nob, moved the metal stick, or lightly bashed the top of it, the static noise wouldn’t stop.

Thankfully his suffering was interrupted by the glass sliding door opening up, and the mares entered the warm building. Rainbow dash rushed through the main room and opened the door to the bedding area, quickly entering and slamming it behind her. Yoriichi looked at the remaining mares with his usually stoic face.

“Did something happen?” He asked, still fidgeting with the radio with no luck.

“Eh, Rainbow dash had ah run-in with a wild critter, nothin’ to be worried about.” She sighed, “But somethin’ else is botherin’ her. It’s best to let the mare cool down before we talk.” Applejack took off her hat, placed it on the same table the radio was on, and sat on the couch beside Yoriichi.

Rarity and Twilight pulled out a single chair from the table and took a seat at it. “It can’t be about our exercises,” Twilight said as she used her magic to put hers and Rainbow dash's wooden sword by a lit fireplace. “I mean, she is about as strong as you, Applejack. So it’s got to be something else.”

“I have to agree with Twilight. I’m just hoping it isn’t anything too serious.” Rarity said with concern.

The room fell silent as the mares looked about the room with somber expressions until a joyful party pony popped her head from the kitchen walkway with a grin. She had noticed the fallen mood in the room's occupancy and bounced inside with a tray of freshly baked muffins and hot chocolate. That somehow was perfectly balanced on her back and mane. “Why’s everypony so gloomy; it's almost Heart’s Warming Eve!” She announced with glee.

“Yeah, and I’m not spendin’ that time with ma family.”

“Or with sweetie bell.”

“Spike is probably worried back in Canterlot.”

Pinkie pie’s joyful mood had been dampened slightly at her friend's responses, but her grin became a smile as she placed the trays and mugs onto the table. “I know it sucks. The cakes and twins are probably missing me as well. But hey-” Pinkie sat on the floor, grabbing a muffin and taking a bite out of it. “At least we got each other.” She said with some crumbs flying from her mouth.

The room's tension lifted as the other mares smiled a little at Pinkie's words. Yoriichi, however, frowned as he continued to mess with the radio. That was until the party pony appeared behind him and smacked the top with a heavy blow, somehow ridding the room of the noise and replacing it with a soothing song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXDs-V_Lgxk

“Thank you,” Yoriichi said. “But, what is this, hearts warming eve you all speak of?” He asked, taking a mug from the table and taking a sip.

Everyone flinched as Pinkie let out a dramatic gasp with her hoofs squishing her cheeks together. Before she went on one of her long-winded tangents, Applejack shoved an orange hoof into her muzzle.
“It ain’t complicated. Every year, everypony bands together and brings in the snow, put the critters into hibernation, and put up decorations. Then on Heart’s Warming Eve families and friends get together and celebrate until the next day, when they open the gifts they got for each other. Ah’m surprised ya haven’t heard about it” Applejack chuckled, removing her saliva-covered hoof from Pinkies mouth.

Yoriichi shook his head after finishing off his mug. “No, I haven’t. Where I came from, winter was something we had to prepare for, and brave out it got rough. I can’t say we ever celebrated a harsh, famine-ridden winter.” He grimaced slightly at memories of having to walk miles to just get enough food for himself and his wife to eat. As if on instinct, a feeling of alarm rushed through his brain, telling him to move out of the way. Unfortunately, a speeding blur of pink latched onto him, that being a sobbing Pinkie.

“Oh, you poor, poor thing. It must be so boring not celebrating in the winter. All cold and sad with no cake!” Pinkie sobbed as she stroked the stoic stallion's mane in a caring manner. “Don’t worry. Aunty Pinkie is here to fix that. She’ll make you feel all better!” Yoriichi tried to tug her off, but the weight training made the party mare's already strong grip even tighter.

The others couldn’t help but giggle and laugh at the scene, with Twilight almost dropping her mug in her fit of laughter. But, as Yoriichi tried to pry the party mare off himself and her friends laughing, Applejack couldn’t help but look back at the bedding area with a concerned frown.

When she got up, everyone looked at her. “Where are you going?” Rarity asked politely.

“Ah’m gonna check up on Rainbow. The mare startin’ to worry me sick.” Applejack explained before rushing off into the bedding area, leaving the rest with worried glances.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of distant chatter filled the dark room of the bedding area but was quickly muffled again by the sound of a closing door. Rainbow quietly growled and pulled the sheets of her bed further over her head. Hoofsteps slowly approached Rainbow's bed and stopped when a sudden weight sat on the edge of the bed.

“Are ya awake, sugarcube?” Applejack’s voice softly asked. Rainbow didn’t speak, only responding with a mild grunt and unpleasant shifting. The farm mare sighed as the covers over Rainbow’s head were thrown off, exposing the multi-colored pegasus.

“Hey!” She shouted, “What was that for!?”

Applejacks glaring face made her voice die out. It wasn’t a hateful or annoyed glare; it was one of frustration and worry. “Ah know somethin’ is botherin’ ya, RD. You can tell me, y’know?” She said, glare softening. Rainbow dash looked away from Applejack with a pout.

“Nothings wrong.” She said as her hoof reached for the covers in Applejack's hooves, “Now let me go back to sleep, I’m-” When her hooves got close, Applejack threw them out of RD’s reach, making her angrier.

“Ya can’t lie to the element of honesty. And you were a terrible liar to begin with, so tell me now, or I’ll get pinkie to ramble the answer outta ya.” Applejack threatened.

Rainbow dash grimaced, remembering the last time she sicked the party pony onto her for not admitting to stealing the last of the cider.

Not seeing a way out, Rainbow sighed in frustration and hugged herself, looking away from Applejack. “I’m…worried, I guess?” The confused look from the farm mare let Rainbow continue, “It’s just…you girls have been making progress better than I’ve ever made since we got here. Like the bear, for example! You kicked it in the face, Twilight gut-checked it, and Rarity, the fashion designer, scared the big thing away! Meanwhile, I can barely able to keep myself alive. I just lock up when I’m facing something like that. And if these demons that Yoriichi is describing, then I’m toast.”

“No matter how hard I train, I just can catch up to you. Even Rarity is almost as physically strong as me. I don’t want you, or girls, to get hurt or die because I can’t pull my own weight.”

An awkward tension filled the room as Rainbow lowered her head in shame. Tears threatened to escape her eyes as she tried her best not to cry. Suddenly, Applejack's laughter caused Rainbow to look at her with offense in her eyes.

“What? is my self-pity funny to you?” She spat out in a tired voice.

Applejack shook her head while still laughing. She then managed to get herself under control and wiped a tear from her eye. “N-No Rainbow. I’m laughing because of the ridiculous things you’re sayin’.” She bumped the pegasus's shoulder with a hoof, “You ain’t weak or nothin’ Rainbow. You are just overworkin’ yourself.” She said with a smirk.

“More like no working hard enough.” Rainbow muttered.

“Oh, horseapples, you’re practically breakin’ yourself down. Don’t think ah know you go out in that freezing weather when the sun hasn’t even risin’ yet. Heck, ya even skip out on meals just so you can get in extra training!” Applejack's smirk then faded, replaced by a soft smile. “Your body needs rest. Heh, I remember the first day I worked on the farm, I learned that fact the hard way.”

“But you know what Yoriichi said what Celestia told him; there could be a war coming! And if I don’t put in my all, a lot of ponies are gonna get hurt.” Rainbow argued with a panicked expression.

Applejack placed a hoof on Rainbow dashes, the darkness of the room hiding the prismatic pegasus’s blush. “Well, you ain’t gonna be fightin’ in any wars if you aren’t able to stand. Now you are going to get some rest and not train for a day or two, and ah’m not takin’ no for an answer.” She said in a tone that left no room for argument.

She wanted to argue with the farm mare. But between her exhaustion and wanting to be left alone, Rainbow dash decided to simply nod her head. Satisfied, Applejack smiled and gave her friend a supportive hug, which stayed like that for a good minute or so. The farm mare then let go and started to walk towards the door. Rainbow felt a rising beat in her heart that made her outstretch her hoof.

“Wait!” Applejack looked back at the rainbow dash with a raised eyebrow. “I, uh, I…” No matter how hard she tried, Rainbow couldn’t vocalize what she wanted to say.”Nevermind…” She sighed in defeat.

With a shrug, Applejack left the dark room as her muffled voice joined the others. Rainbow stretched out her hoof to the door again with a sad frown.

“I’m worried about you the most.”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night, when all the animals and creatures are deep into their slumber, Rainbow dash swung at a test dummy with a wooden sword.

Over and over again, the wooden weapon smacked and bashed the dummy until it had splintered at the edge. Rainbow’s bite on the handle made splinters into the wood that stabbed the inside of her mouth, blood running down the sides of her lips. She grunted as each hit connected, each backed by a force of self-loathing and anger.

For the past three months, she had been making a fool of herself since the beginning. Applejack was right when she said that Rainbow had been destroying her body. Her stomach roared in hunger but was overshadowed by Rainbow's own muffled roars. How can she be like the others? They had made staggering progress while Rainbow had been dragging her hooves through the mud. All this negative thinking made the prismatic mare think she wasn’t worth it.

She wasn’t a swords mare.

She wasn’t a true Wonderbolt.

She wasn’t a great role model for Scootaloo.

And she was certainly not a good friend either.

With a final roar of pure rage that echoed in the night sky, Rainbow swung the wooden blade at the dummy’s neck. In the blink of an eye, the head of the dummy flew off the body. Simultaneously, Rainbow Dash's weapon broke under the tension and split in half, sending shards of wood into the dirt and her face.

Rainbow didn’t register the shard nearly hitting her eyes; she just stood there with a piece of wood in her mouth and the silent wind blowing. Her breath was heavy, and the edges of her vision started to darken, but she shook her head and spat out the broken piece of wood.

“What Applejack says is true.”

Rainbow dash yelped and jumped in surprise at the familiar voice. When she calmed down, she turned around and glared at Yoriichi, who was leaning against a tree.

“Y-You jerk! Don’t sneak up on a mare like that!” Rainbow shrieked with a heavy blush.

Yoriichi leaned away from the tree and walked up to Rainbow while looking at the aftermath behind her with a curious gaze. He then stopped just before her and held out a new wooden sword. “Hold it.” He said simply. The prismatic mare looked confused for a moment. But grabbed the practice weapon with her mouth. She was even more confused when Yoriichi pulled out a large cloth from under his Haori and tied it around his face, blindfolding himself.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow’s muffled voice asked.

“Do you think you have a good reaction time? At least compared to the others?” Yoriichi asked as bent his head down, and picked up the broken handle of Rainbow’s previous wooden sword.

Rainbow was quiet for a moment before answering. “I think so. I mean-” She then closed her eyes, smirked, and put a hoof to her chest,”-when you are the best flier in Equestria, you got to have a-” Her voice cut out when a feeling of danger made Rainbow dash to shoot open her eyes. Luckily she nearly dodged Yoriichis swing, and she used her wings to hover herself back. “What was that for?! You nearly took off my head!” She shouted.

Instead of answering, Yoriichi smiled at her. “You aren’t as worthless as you think.” he cooed.

“What?” A bewildered Rainbow dash said.

“I put almost my entire force behind that swing that you just dodged Rainbow dash. Not once has any mortal or demon been able to avoid my strikes. But you, there is great potential inside of you, don’t let your doubt cloud that. Everyone has their worth, some not as much as others, but still, they can grow that potential and soar to great heights.” Yoriichi then let go of his wooden sword, letting it drop to the ground, a little smirk across his lips. “And as a gift, I’ll give you a head start on the next lesson.”

Rainbow was speechless. How can one process that they just impressed one of the strongest ponies in existence? He had to be lying, there must have been at least ONE pony that dodged him-

Right?

Picking her hanging jaw up and getting into a defensive stance, she smirked as well. “And here I thought you were some freak combination of Fluttershy and Rarity, with a little mix of maud; what happened to treat everyone equally?” She remarked.

Yoriichi chuckled as he whipped out a reheated muffin from under his Haori. “I just think you needed a little…confidence booster, as Applejack put it.” Rainbow snatched the baked good from Yoriichi and practically swallowed it whole with very little chewing. “Now, let us discuss this over a proper meal and some rest, shall we?”

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four bruised mares watched with gabbed mouths as Rainbow dash almost effortlessly dodged
Most of Yoriichi’s attacks. There were a few grazes and nicks occasionally, but the prismatic mare was avoiding the attacks.

With a blindfold, no less.

For the last few hours, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack were subjected to brutal sparing matches with Yoriichi, also wearing a blindfold. Of the three, Rarity had been doing the best at dodging due to her lightweight body and surprising flexibility. But even that wasn’t enough, and now she had a hoof-sized lump in the middle of her forehead.

“Stop.” Yoriichi commanded. The two stopped sparring immediately and took off their blindfolds. “I commend you, Rainbow dash. The tips I taught you last night are working in your favor.” He said with a smile.

A cold gust of wind blew past the four silent bruised mares.

“WHAT!?!” They screamed in unison.

Rainbow turned to her friends with a sheepish smile. “Oh, we haven’t told you yet.” She chuckled. Rainbow then went on to explain the events of the previous night, shocking and surprising her friends with how she nearly dodged a full-force strike. When Rainbow dash finished her story, the other mares stared slack-jawed, which made a cocky smirk form on Rainbow's muzzle.

“And that leads up until now, any questions?”