Greetings. I am Vultarian01. Apologies for the delays, but I told you I got things that need to be done. Anyway, this chapter will be the longest one thus far, and I'd like to know what you think about it. It's more setup for them going to the Minor Circuit, which I feel is necessary, but if you're just interested in getting to the fight you skip about halfway down. I encourage you to read the whole thing, though. Danke.
Disclaimer: I do not own MLP:FIM or any of its respective characters. I also do not own Punch-Out! and any of Nintendo's licences either. Enjoy.
"No, I do NOT like this! I do not like this AT ALL!" Scootaloo yelled as she hyperventilated, clutching the side of her seat with the same amount of periling distress and desperation as a man hanging off the side of a sheer cliff, holding on for dear life.
But hey, that would be somewhat of an improvement. A cliff is at least connected to the ground. And at least there'd be a chance that she could survive. But no, Scootaloo was forty thousand feet in the air, far away from any kind of hospital or emergency rescue. And on top of that, she had to deal with the occasional bit of air turbulence, which made it feel like the whole thing was about to fall apart! Why couldn't they have just taken a bus? Or a ferry? Or why not even a bicycle? Scootaloo had to travel from Ponyville all the way to Cloudesdale by bike for Pete's sake! It's not like she couldn't do it again here?! You don't see cyclists crashing into the planet at terminal velocity, becoming random blotches of red paint to be scrapped off the face of the planet!
The worst part was that the plane took off only twenty minutes ago. This was going to be a long, arduous flight, wasn't it?
"Be quiet, Scootaloo," Iron Will said, sitting next to her, "It's difficult enough to enjoy my four bit can of ginger ale without you screaming in my ear." He took a sip of his canned drink with a dissatisfied frown.
Scootaloo smiled from ear to sarcastic ear. "Oh, I'm soooo sorry to disturb you. Let me just go ahead and ignore the fact that I'm in a GIANT METAL BIRD OF DEATH so you can enjoy your precious overpriced drinks!"
"Hey!" Iron Will snapped, "I wouldn't have had to buy this if you hadn't drunk all my fruit juice in the car earlier! And, well, if off-flight drinks were allowed on here."
A woman with a cart came up to their seats, dressed in her blue flight attendant uniform. She clasped her hands in front of her before addressing the two of them in a polite tone. "I'm sorry sir, but could you and your daughter please not be so disruptive? We don't want the other passengers to be bothered."
"Uh, I'm not his daughter," Scootaloo pointed out, trying her hardest not to even glimpse out the window. Seriously, of all the window side seats he picked it just had to be the one with no slideable curtain? This felt… pre-destined. Almost contrived even. Either way, Scootaloo was not going to leave this flight with any positive reviews. If she survived the experience, anyway.
"We're sorry, ma'am," Iron Will apologized cordially, "We'll try to act more appropriately."
"I think fear of a swift reunion with the dirt via sky fall is a pretty appropriateresponse." Scootaloo interjected, jutting her jaw out at Iron will, who in turn gave her a stern look.
After reassuring the flight attendant that they'll be on their best behavior, she carted away to attend to the other passengers. When she was out of earshot, Iron Will snorted at Scootaloo with a disapproving fold of his arms.
"You know, if you really were my daughter I'd have the right mind to ground you for this kind of behavior."
"Trust me, you have no idea how much I would LOVE to be grounded right now." Scootaloo shot back.
Iron Will pinched his brows, letting out a long and tired breath. "Okay, okay. If I can give you something to help you relax, will you please stop freaking out?"
At that moment, some turbulence hit again, and Scootaloo clutched onto her seat once more. After a few seconds, it calmed down, but left Scootaloo a little pale. She quickly complied with Iron Will, nodding her head vigorously. Iron Will reached into his pocket and took out a sleeping mask. But not just any sleeping mask, it was an Iron Will Sleeper Shield™. It was basically a sleeping mask with Iron Will's blood shot eyes over the cover. He says his steel gaze scares off any kinds of discomforting outside forces, while allowing you to relax and let his presence cover your eyes.
If that was the sales pitch he used for these things it was definitely the customers who were scared off by them. Even so, Scootaloo took them from her coach and put them on.
"Okay, now just sit back and relax," Iron Will instructed soothingly, "Just imagine we're in a car ride. We're just… cruising down the road…"
Scootaloo inhaled through her nose, and exhaled through her mouth.
"Feel better?" asked Iron Will.
"Yeah… I think so..." said Scootaloo, feeling a little more relaxed now.
"Okay, good-AWE, I dropped my drink-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
After a couple hours of flying and constant resuscitations, the intercom turned on to inform them that they were nearing their destination of Manehattan soon. Had Scootaloo built up the courage to look outside her window, she would've seen that the clouds that were once there had since departed to reveal the sprawling island city. From what was being described to her as she was breathing into a paper bag, the cityscape was vastly large and densely packed with its abundance of buildings and strangely built skyscrapers, including the Crystaller Building. The pilot also informed them that they were about to pass the Statue of Liberty which was one of the largest national landmarks in Equestria as well as being one of Manehattan's tourist attractions. It was a light blue-ish green woman with a book in one hand while raising a torch with the other. She also was depicted riding on a horse of the same color standing tall on its hooves. It must've been quite a feat to build something that large in the middle of a massive river. Scootaloo would've loved to see it, too, but she thought it best to appreciate it from ground level. You know, to really get a scale of how big it was.
They made it to the landing strip, and Iron Will had to hold Scootaloo's hand as well as clasp her mouth shut to keep her from shouting any more. Relieved, but just as equally embarrassed, she and Iron Will exited the plane and entered the Manehattan airport. It took some looking around, but after getting their luggage they managed to hail a cab after half an hour. Turned out you had to hold your arm up like the Statue of Liberty for them to come. A neat trick that Scootaloo kept in mind because as they went further into Manehattan, she had a feeling it was experience she'd need. Apparently the streets in Manehattan worked like a grid, so it was relatively easy to find your way around. The hard part came in when all the traffic started building up. The cab driver said that it was usually like this, especially downtown. Good for them, he happened to know shortcuts to various places around the city. And so it wasn't too long till they got to their cheap motel they'd be staying at and checked in, after paying the cabbie his fair, of course.
After they got settled, they didn't immediately go sightseeing or anything. They had a mission, and Scootaloo knew that the first place they were going to go was the Minor Circuit Headquarters. Hailing another cab, they made their way closer near the middle of Manehattan.
"So, Coach. I heard that they changed the building location for the Minor Circuit recently," said Scootaloo, watching the crowded streets filled with people passing by, "Where is it now?"
"It's not too much farther from here," he answered.
The taxi dropped them off at the end of the street where the Minor Circuit Headquarters building was. The two walked around a corner further down the street. This led them to a large parking lot, which had quite a few rows of cars parked inside. Looking past them, Scootaloo laid eyes on the new HQ building. It was a rather small building in comparison to some of the other larger buildings, and not just the skyscrapers. Although, it was certainly no dwarf since it was a boxing stadium. It was a wide, sandy brown square building with a light bronze dome cover in the middle of the roof. The dome had the logo of the WVBA along with its acronym in big letters placed around the front.
"What do you think?" her coach asked.
Scootaloo stroked her chin and tilted her head from side to side, looking at the strangely unembellished building. "It's pretty simple-looking."
"And simplicity is the ultimate sophistication," said Iron Will, gesturing towards the building, "But Iron Will would reserve judgment until going inside."
Scootaloo shrugged. "If you say so."
They walked all the way to one of the building's double doors and entered through them. As they entered, Scootaloo's eyes widened in surprise. The inside was way larger than what she had assumed. It had large columns to support the high ceiling and wide hallways that had stone plaques and statues of famous boxers spaced widely away from each other, but still taking up the middle line. In between each space, a grayish-silver circle with an upside-down star covered by two boxing gloves, all surrounded by a ring was painted on the stadium flooring. It was the Minor Circuit insignia, indicated by "Minor Circuit" being written in the ring with "Minor" on top and "Circuit" on bottom.
Scootaloo scanned her surroundings even further, noting several stairways and escalators leading up to the second floor which was visible because of the interior balconies put there, similar to how malls with several floors made them visible to each other that way. Though this building only had two floors as far as Scootaloo could tell. Up there was where the people who came to watch the fights would go to pour into their seats. She could see some vendors up there selling some boxing merch along with a few giving out bottles of water. Other than them, there were people walking to and fro on the floor they were on, going to where they needed to while marveling at the interior of the stadium.
Needless to say Scootaloo had eaten her words with an extra side of I told you so. The place looked really cool.
"Let's go over to one of the receptionists," her coach said, "They will no doubt be enthralled by the presence of Iron Will, so remember to be patient with them."
Iron Will walked off, not realizing that Scootaloo wasn't following. She was preoccupied with looking at a statue that peaked her interest. It was bronze in color, and was molded into the shape of chief Thunderhoof. He was one of the best boxers in the WVBA back when it was founded, and made his mark as "The Storm Bringer". Despite his size, he was lightning fast, and the majority of his fights only lasted the first half of round one. He was the first to do this one hundred times in a row, and no one has broken that record since.
"Maybe I could?" Scootaloo pondered. She didn't know if she could, but if there's anything her favorite boxer and idol has taught her is records are meant to be broken.
"Oof!"
Scootaloo was knocked out of her thoughts quite abruptly as someone bumped into her shoulder, nearly knocking her to the floor. She immediately whipped her head around to see who it was. She was a very tall woman, towering over a foot taller than her. She was wearing a thick, epaulet embellished brown jacket with a high collar. She also had on some tight-fitting blue jeans and some dark brown boots. Scootaloo couldn't see her face as, to her surprise, the woman kept on walking past. But she could at tell she had white hair along with slightly off white skin. Scootaloo wasn't sure why she was ignoring her, but she immediately apologized without thinking. "Sorry!"
Not even half of a second after she voiced her apology…
"Watch where you're standing, runt!"
The woman's sudden retort was so abrupt it nearly caused Scootaloo to jump in place. Her voice was noticeably raspy, and the inflections behind it made the woman sound like she had a bad temper. But despite sounding so angry, she calmly walked on as if nothing had happened. A couple people passed by the scene, but wisely decided not to get involved. Scootaloo would call out to her, but that sudden threat made her voice retreat back into her throat. It was too late to say anything back since the woman was well out of earshot at this point, but it didn't stop Scootaloo from shooting her a glare.
"Jerk…" Scootaloo mumbled under her breath.
"SCOOTALOO!"
The booming voice echoed throughout the hallway, making more people than Scootaloo turn to the receptionist desk. Iron Will was standing there tapping his foot. Scootaloo slapped her palm against the side of her head, remembering what she was supposed to be doing. Feeling stupid, she quickly joined back up with him at the desk.
"My bad, I got distracted," Scootaloo said upon arrival.
"Stick to the program Scootaloo," said Iron Will, "Get out your letter so this lovely lady can see some proof of entry." Iron Will said, leaning on the desk with one arm and giving the receptionist a wink. She smiled, but Scootaloo could tell that she was less than "enthralled" by this. Scootaloo quickly took the envelope out, wanting to spare the poor woman from this subjugation as quickly as possible.
"Excuse me."
As the receptionist was typing on her computer, another woman came walking out of the narrow hallway behind the two receptionist desks. It was the first time Scootaloo actually noticed that hallway, oddly enough. Must be where all the business stuff goes on. That's what she could guess, at least, considering that the woman in question was wearing a sort of dark blue two-piece suit over a light blue tube top along with slightly darker tight knee-length skirt and golden heels. Wasn't exactly your standard business attire, but it did give her a presence of being professional. Scootaloo guessed her to be in about her late twenties as she didn't have any noticeable aging marks or blemishes on her perfectly, outwardly moisturized pink skin. Her hair was multi-colored with some soft yellows, pinks, and purples. It pretty long, starting from her sideswept bangs and slicking down to her hips with separate large curls at the end.
The pink woman gave the receptionist a nod before walking up to the two wearing an inviting smile, "Hey, you guys. Welcome to Minor Circuit HQ," she looked down at Scootaloo, "So, you're Scootaloo."
Scootaloo's eyes widened, a little taken by surprise. "Yeah, but how did you know my name?"
She smiled question. "Well it is my job to know these kinds of things, you know? My name is Mi Amore Cadenza. But I prefer Cadance to my surname. I'm the head of the Sanctioning Committee for the Minor Circuit Women's Division? It's really nice to meet you."
Cadance, huh? It was a nice name. Certainly took less oxygen intake to say it as well. But now that they knew each other's names, it was Scootaloo's time to make a very good first impression. Cadance is a woman who obviously holds a very prominent position here. Being in charge of the Sanctioning Committee, a group of people whose job is to run their respective circuits while exercising the standard WVBA policies, is a big role to play in this business. So, no screw-ups.
Scootaloo offered her hand out to Cadance, trying to play it cool. "Nice to meet ya, Cay-Cay."
Cadance turned her head slightly, giving the shorter girl a weird look.
The moment those words left Scootaloo's mouth, she immediately regretted them. Cay-Cay?! REALLY?!
Shockingly enough, however, Cadance snickered at this even as she shook Scootaloo's hand. "Never heard that one before. And before you apologize, it's fine. Iron Will told me how bad you were at being formal."
Scootaloo glanced up at her coach, giving him a questioning eyebrow. He merely smirked. "Oh yeah? What else did he tell you?"
Cadance waved her hand. "Now don't go thinking like that, Scootaloo. Don't forget that he was the one who gave us his personal recommendation. And being a long-time ex-title holder gives your word a lot of weight around here."
Scootaloo held her head down. "Yeah…"
Cadance smiled, sensing the small girl's understandable embarrassment. "When we talked he was going on and on about how impressive and skilled you were in a ring, even going as far as to call you a prodigy."
Scootaloo rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly with a light blush. Iron Will really knew how to make her feel flattered. "Really? Well, I dunno about prodigy…"
"Don't sell yourself short," Cadance insisted, "If you're good enough that Iron Will would bestow upon you the power of the Star Punch, within the relatively short amount of time you've been under his tutelage, you must be pretty talented."
That was when Iron Will, who had been letting things play out quietly so far, jumped in and wrapped his arm around Scootaloo's shoulder. "You bet your pink hindquarters she's worth talking about! You're looking at the future World Circuit Champion right here!"
Cadance raised her eyebrows at this. "Oh, ambitious I see."
Scootaloo smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? You either go big or go home."
"Can't argue with that logic," said Cadance, eyes widening all of the sudden, "OH! Lookie me, I'm probably wasting your time with all this small talk. Ha ha~! Have you been registered yet?"
Iron Will smiled knowingly, putting up his hand. "It's quite alright, Mrs. Cadenza. But as for whether Scootaloo's registered or not…"
"A-Actually," the receptionist stammered, interrupting their conversation, "I registered her not too long ago."
"Sweet!" said Scootaloo, pumping her fists.
The receptionist nodded, looking over the registration on her computer. "Scootaloo will be registered as fourth in rank for the Minor Circuit Women's Division."
"So when do I get to fight, huh?!" Scootaloo asked excitedly, trying to peek over the laptop from the front desk, "Get me the soonest spot on the card you got!"
"You'll get to fight soon enough, Scootaloo." Iron Will said with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He's right," said Cadance, "Since you're now registered, one of our bookers will be notified. They'll find you a match if there's one available, but in the meantime you have to be patient. This could take a while."
The three of them waited on one of the nearby indoor benches, making some more small talk. Half an hour had passed since then, and Scootaloo tried keeping her mind within focus of the conversation. However, she still caught herself looking over with the receptionist lady, expecting for her to notify them to usually no dice. Meanwhile, Iron Will and Cadance seemed to be getting along, even after she flashed her wedding ring when he tried to put the "moves" on her. Scootaloo wondered if Cadance's husband worked in the same business. It wouldn't be surprising if they even met through their careers if that's the case. A lot of people find their significant other's in the workplace. Not that Scootaloo could see herself getting a boyfriend that way, but she could totally see Cadance doing that. It would make for one heck of a movie if Scootaloo was into romance.
After waiting a little while longer, the receptionist called them back up.
"Finally!" Scootaloo exclaimed, but maybe a little louder than what was appropriate. The three walked back up to the desk.
"How refreshingly fast," Cadance commented.
"Your bout has been booked for tomorrow night; the earliest opening that you've requested," She said, "Your opponent will also be notified."
"Sounds good," said Scootaloo, "Can't wait to meet her. And beat her, naturally."
Cadance put her hand over her mouth and giggled lightly. "I don't doubt it. But remember not to get a big head."
"Yep," nodded Scootaloo, "Don't take time to boast, or your butt'll be toast.
Iron Will slicked his hair back proudly. "Iron Will taught her that one."
"Good advice. Now I actually have to get going, you guys," Cadance said with a sad smile, "I have to go check in with some of the security staff. We've been having some theft troubles lately. Somehow, someone has been taking all the carrot sticks we've been putting on display as a part of the Healthy Eating Promotional Program we've been pushing recently."
Sootaloo's face twisted in disgust, not knowing how anyone in their sane mind would willingly steal carrots. Scootaloo didn't mind veggies too much, but whoever he or she was that stole them, they were doing these guys a favor.
"It was very nice meeting you, Scootaloo," said Cadance, holding out her hand for another handshake, "Good luck tomorrow. I'll tune in for it if I have the time."
"Thanks," Scootaloo chirped, shaking the woman's hand, "You won't be disappointed."
After Iron Will also gave Cadance a polite handshake, Cadence quickly went off with her heels clicking against the floor. Since their business was done, Scootaloo and Iron Will began to vacate the premises.
"I'm glad we got to talk to her," Scootaloo told Iron Will as they walked out of the building, "Cadance is pretty cool."
"Yes, she's undoubtedly a woman of impeccable character," Iron Will mused, "Any man is lucky to have someone like her in their life."
Scootaloo smiled crookedly, elbowing Iron Will's rib. "You'll get one eventually, stud."
Iron Will snorted and smiled amusingly. "Maybe. Anyway, it's time we go properly settle into our motel. Look, I know I've been working you hard for the last few days, so we're going to take it easy for the rest of today. But we gotta get prepared for the fight in the morning, so don't think about vegging out on me then, got it?"
Scootaloo nodded in agreement with her coach. She got lucky that her fight was setup this quickly, but she needed to relax a little bit before then. All the plane panic and jet lag was beginning to become noticeable once the high of going to and registering into the Minor Circuit died down. A boxer is always ready and eager for a challenge, but everyone needs some downtime to unwind. And right now, all the excitement was leaving Scootaloo mentally subdued, wanting only to submit to the soft cushions and neatly tucked in blankets of her motel bed.
*The Next Day*
Boxer Stats: Scootaloo
Rank: Minor #4
Fight Record: 0-0 (0 KO)
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 106 lbs
Age: 17
Birthplace: Ponyville, Equestria
Signature Move: The Star Punch
Yesterday ended quicker than expected for Scootaloo. Most of it she didn't even remember because she ended up sleeping in for most of the afternoon and night. It was kind of a shame. She wanted to at least look around Manehattan a little bit before her scheduled bout, but the fatigue hit her harder than she had anticipated. This didn't bother her coach, at least. He knew she needed her rest. Now she was well rested and prepared to take on her opponent.
It was now night time in Manehattan. Iron Will, herself, and many others gathered here at the Minor Circuit for fight night, and Scootaloo was about to go on next. Currently in her changing room, she strapped on her boxing gloves on one of the benches. Once fully garbed in her boxing gear, she left to walk out and down another corridor before entering a long, dark hallway leading to where her match would be. Iron Will waited near the front of the hallway for her. As soon as they met up, Iron Will wasted no time psyching Scootaloo up. As to be expected from him.
"Alright, bruiser, you're up next! You READY?!"
Scootaloo stood up and closed her eyes, taking in a sharp breath through her nose. She tried pushing whatever fears she had out of her mind. Now was not the time to fear. Now was the time to fight. Her eyes shot open, fierce and determined. "Yeah!"
"Are you ready to ROCK?!"
"Yeah!"
"Are you ready to ROLL?!"
"Yeah!"
"Are you ready to beat your opponent from pole to pole, overpowered by your unconquerable SOUL?!"
"Yea- wait, whu- uh, I mean, YEAH!"
"Then let's DO IT!"
"I'M READY!"
"WHOOOOO!" they both shouted in unison.
Now Scootaloo that her coach had pumped her up, she felt unstoppable. They walked out of the locker rooms and headed down the dark hallway, the cheers of everyone waiting echoing through it. Scootaloo squinted at the end, already able to see all the attendants ready to greet her.
"Show time…" Scootaloo muttered, already grinning from ear to ear in anticipation.
It was the day of Scootaloo's first match in the WVBA, and everyone caught wind of it rather quickly overnight. Fans of the WVBA have been sharing this news over social media, enthusiastic as to how the new girl would fare against the circuits. Despite the Women's Division of the WVBA being relatively new, the older fans were still just as invested; making it grow in popularity comparable to the original all-male roster of boxers it has always had. It spoke volumes of the fan base's investment in wanting more inclusivity and new talent for their favorite boxing organization. But what also spoke volumes, in the very literal sense, were all the people cheering their heads off right now.
Scootaloo exited the long hallway, coming out to a maelstrom of approval that nearly overwhelmed Scootaloo at first. The turnout was bigger than she had expected. Scootaloo guessed a thousand or so, but to her it looked like hundreds of thousands of people huddled together creating a small ocean of flashing cameras, waving signs, and hands in the air. One's perception of everything around them is not the same as what is actually there, clearly, but Scootaloo didn't care. She's just happy to see such a numerous amount of people pool together just to watch her box.
Scootaloo walked through the crowd of people, patting her shoulders and giving her fist bumps that she gladly returned. Once she and Iron Will made it to the ring, Scootaloo took the small staircase up to the ring apron and bent over, going underneath the rope to enter the ring.
Iron Will, also being her cornerman for her match, handed her a stool to sit on. Scootaloo gestured to him thankfully before plopping down. The ring they were in was of a pretty standard size, albeit a little smaller and with some glossy-looking white ropes. The canvas was a brownish-bronze color, with the Minor Circuit symbol painted in the middle, but with the slight difference of also being colored bronze. Her eyes became wary as her eyes slowly rose from the middle of the ring to the far opposite corner, ready to study her opponent. But upon seeing her, Scootaloo raised her eyebrow questioningly.
From what the booker had told Scootaloo, her name was Fluttershy; a name that Scootaloo found progressively more fitting as she studied her. She was a petite, opal-eyed, pale yellow-skinned girl with long pink hair on the paler side as well. It was let down, parted at the top of her head as they seemed to flow beautifully down to her hips, most of them ending in upward curls. A noticeable part of her hair was held back a bit by a butterfly-shaped hairclip. She was wearing a pure white tank top tucked into her light green boxing trunks that reached to the top of her knees. The waistband of the trunks had a pale yellow band on it, and both sides had trios of simple-looking teal butterflies with pale pink wings on them. She crossed one of the feet of her pale pink, calf-length boots behind the other one, rubbing it against the back in show of uncertainty. This was further emphasized by her similarly colored boxing gloves, which she rubbed together in a way similar to fidgeting with her fingers. This wasn't exactly the kind of body language a strong fighter would, nor should be communicating to their opponent. Is she trying to psyche herself out? If she is, she better not even think about quitting. Once you're in a WVBA ring and the bout begins, there's no throwing in the towel. Surrender is literally not an option.
Scootaloo and Fluttershy locked eyes, but only for a brief moment before Fluttershy broke it almost immediately, looking from side to side in what Scootaloo could describe as seeing a shaken animal having seen a vicious predator. It was pretty odd. And it appeared that Iron Will shared that opinion.
"So much for what I said about facing a cocky punk fight one," said Iron Will, "Looks like you got this one covered."
Scootaloo smiled, beating her gloves together, "I'll try not to make it too quick."
A blonde, female referee with your standard ref attire came into the ring. It was at that time Scootaloo realized the referee's eyes were going in two different directions. It was weird and distracting, but for the sake of the match, she ignored it.
The referee beckoned for the two of them to meet. Scootaloo got up from her stool, ready to fight.
Boxer Stats: Fluttershy
Rank: Minor #3
Fight Record: 0-8 (0 KO)
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 114 lbs.
Age: 24
Birthplace: Cloudesdale, Equestria
Signature Move: None
Rendition of Punch-Out! Theme: Soft forest theme, accompanied with fluttering flutes and tambourines
*Pre-fight Slideshow*
Scene 1: Fluttershy on her knees in a park, happily brushing a bunny while a few other animals huddled around her.
Scene 2: A trio of punks laughing and mocking her with Fluttershy crying and holding her bunny, a rainbow-haired girl angrily storming onto the scene.
Scene 3: The rainbow-haired girl wrapping an arm around a bewildered Fluttershy's neck, giving her advice while the three punks lay in a beaten pile behind them.
Scene 4: The rainbow-haired girl dragging a vigorously resisting Fluttershy into a WVBA boxing gym.
*End Slideshow*
Above the ring, the massive four-sided Jumbotron came to life with "ROUND 1" being displayed on each side.
Fluttershy got up from her stool and took a step forward to ring center, raising her fists with a nervous expression on her face (A/N: Fluttershy would be looking at the camera). "Umm… p-put up your dukes?" she gulped and quivered as she made her way to the center of the ring.
*Ding!*
The referee approached the two of them and threw her hand down. "Fight!"
Fluttershy's Stamina: 100% of Max
Scootaloo's Stamina: 100% of Max
Round Time: 3:00
Starting Heart Count: 30
Scootaloo waited for a second to see if Fluttershy would do something. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Scootaloo quickly got impatient and jabbed Fluttershy twice in the head. "Hah~! Ah~!" Scootaloo went for a third jab, but Fluttershy quickly blocked it with a brief, quiet gasp. Scootaloo tried some hooks, making two of them land. "Oof! Oof!" The third one was also blocked, followed by another gasp as well. It was as if ever punch thrown frightened her. She did give off that impression, though, so nothing surprising there.
"Hey, I got an idea." Scootaloo thought.
Scootaloo started alternating between a two jabs to Fluttershy's head and a hooks to her midsection. She managed to land a total of seven punches before the next one was blocked.
Fluttershy's Stamina: 68.1% of Max
Round Time Left: 2: 31
Fluttershy's knees knocked together as she trembled for a second before appearing from above her gloves. "Please be gentle…"
At that moment, Scootaloo saw a flash of yellow on Fluttershy. Scootaloo wasted no time and jabbed Fluttershy for a star.
'Thanks for the star, Fluttershy,' Scootaloo thought with a smirk, 'How kind of you.'
Star Count: 1
Fluttershy bent her right arm while pulling it back slightly, looking to make her first offensive move in the match. She threw her right jab, closing her eyes and flinching as she did. "EH!" However, Scootaloo easily dodged the jab. Fluttershy opened her eyes in horror, realizing she had missed. "Oh dear." Scootaloo laid into her with five jabs to her head, birds flying around her head during the stun. "Hah~! Ah~! Hah~! Ah~! EEEeee~!"
The fifth punch knocked her out of the stun, making her recoil to the side briefly before she returned to ring center.
Scootaloo tried to do that paired head-and-body blow combo again, thinking it would work out the same way. She got a jab in, but soon after Fluttershy blocked the second jab. Scootaloo then attempted this with hooks, only to have the second hook blocked. Scootaloo wondered why it didn't work this time. Guess it was a onetime thing.
Fluttershy now tried for a left jab, flinching as she threw this one too. "Please…" It was sent at pretty much the same speed as her right jab, so Scootaloo dodged it rather easily as well. "No, wait!" Five more punches to Fluttershy's head ensued. "Please..." Again, Fluttershy threw her weak left jab, but Scootaloo dodged that one too. "No, wait!" Fluttershy begged once more, but Scootaloo did not heed her pleas. She instead jabbed her four times in the head, keeping her in the stun before lowering herself and pulling her star power into her right fist. Scootaloo struck the side of Fluttershy's head with the Star Punch and depleting all of her stamina. "AAAaaauuhhhhh…~!"
Fluttershy's Stamina: 0% of Max
The punch spun Fluttershy away from Scootaloo and she quickly fell face-down onto the mat awkwardly with a tired groan, her right arm underneath her belly and her left arm above her head.
Fluttershy Knockdowns: 1
Round Time Stop: 2: 11
The crowd cheered as Scootaloo got her first knockdown on Fluttershy. She was making headway. Scootaloo kept her fists up as the referee looked over at Fluttershy before starting to count her out. If her count reached ten, Scootaloo would win by Knockout.
"1! 2! 3!"
Fluttershy moaned weakly, pushing herself up to her feet and rubbing her head before returning to her fighting stance in front of Scootaloo. Her pink hair was partly ruffled with a few stray strands coming out of it. And along with that her left cheek swelled, leaving a light red spot on it. The referee stopped her count and continued the fight, much to Scootaloo's annoyance.
"Come on, come!" The referee said, throwing down her hand again, "Fight!"
Fluttershy's Stamina: 100% of Max
Scootaloo's Stamina: 100% of Max
Heart Count: 25
Fluttershy went for her right jab. "EH!" Scootaloo decided to block it this time, which didn't make Fluttershy feel any safer. "Oh dear." Scootaloo assaulted her with five punches to the head. Scootaloo knocked her knees together, hiding behind her gloves again for a second. Scootaloo tried for two jabs, but Fluttershy blocked them both. She then returned to her standard distance, still looking very unimposing to Scootaloo.
'Yeah, we overprepared for this…" Scootaloo thought.
That might change soon, however, as Fluttershy was now doing something new. She reached her right arm back, sliding her right leg to the side slightly. Despite her shy demeanor throughout the match so far, Fluttershy looked like she was going to put much more serious effort into this next punch. "I'm…" Scootaloo raised her eyebrow, wondering how much impact this next punch would have. Despite what any more rational person would do, she didn't dodge. She was just too darn curious.
Fluttershy steeled herself, sliding her right foot back and slightly reaching her right arm to her side. "I'm…" She took a moment to steel herself before unleashing her most powerful, most devastating right hook. "Sorry!" That word hung in the air, echoing through the ears of her sorry victim. The hook had hit, nay, struck Scootaloo's cheekbone like the divine strike of thunder reaching the ground, the loud crash blemishing the land and sending a sharp, remorselessly loud crack through the sky; its presence demanding to be acknowledged by the ilk that walks the sinful soils of the world…
Scootaloo's Stamina: 89.5% of Max
Heart Count: 19
Scootaloo returned to the center and blinked. 'Huh. That… somewhat hurt.'
Fluttershy extended her right arm out and back again, tightening her glove. "I'm…" Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut again as she tried to hit Scootaloo with her delayed right hook once more. However, unlike last time, Scootaloo easily ducked underneath it. Fluttershy opened her eyes as she missed, looking at Scootaloo like a deer caught in headlights. "Sorry?" Scootaloo hit Fluttershy's head with five punches. Upon returning, she started knocking her knees together and hiding behind her gloves again. This time Scootaloo didn't go for any punches, opting just to wait. A few seconds later, Fluttershy lowered her glove to poke out her head to the side. "Time out?" she offered with a nervous smile. Scootaloo saw that yellow flash, however, and jabbed Fluttershy for a star.
Star Count: 1
'I better save my stars for now,' thought Scootaloo. Not that there was any danger of losing them judging by how pathetic Fluttershy's fighting style was.
Because of this, Scootaloo felt more comfortable experimenting. She tried Fluttershy in the head with a jab, following by another hook to her midsection. She also threw a third punch that got blocked. At least she knew that those two landed.
Fluttershy attempted to throw her right jab at Scootaloo. "EH!" Scootaloo ducked under this one. "Oh dear." Scootaloo punched Fluttershy five times. Fluttershy struck out her left jab next. "Here!" Scootaloo dodged it. "No, wait!" Fluttershy got hit by five more jabs. Next, Scootaloo bet that Fluttershy would try that hook again. And she was right.
"I'm…" The animal-loving boxer was about to unleash her hook, but with excellent timing, Scootaloo hit Fluttershy with a left jab as she threw it. And for countering the hook, Scootaloo earned herself another star.
Star Count: 2
"Eh!" Fluttershy tried her right jab again, but Scootaloo dodged it. "Oh dear." Five punches followed Fluttershy's face. Fluttershy did her knee-knocking taunt again, but Scootaloo remembered to wait patiently. Sure enough, Fluttershy peeked out from behind her gloves. "Time out?" Scootaloo jabbed her for yet another star.
Star Count: 3
'Yes! I got three stars now!' Scootaloo thought.
Scootaloo hit her in the head and midsection again. Fluttershy put her left glove up and tried hitting Scootaloo with a jab. "Here!" Same result as before: Fluttershy hitting nothing. "Mercy!" Scootaloo only had to land three punches this time for the rest of Fluttershy's stamina to be depleted. The girl spun around and landed face-down the same way she did last knockdown.
Fluttershy's Stamina: 0% of Max
Fluttershy Knockdowns: 2
Round Time Stop: 1:05
The ref began the count again.
"1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6!"
Fluttershy groggily got back up and resumed her position, now sporting a black eye.
Fluttershy's Stamina: 75% of Max
Scootaloo's Stamina: 89.5% of Max
Heart Count: 18
"Come on, come on! Fight!"
Fluttershy prepared for her hook. "I'm…" Fluttershy flinched, swinging her arm only for Scootaloo to duck underneath it. "Doomed." Scootaloo couldn't agree more, punching Fluttershy five more times. Fluttershy hit her face behind her gloves, shaking in her boots.
'Time to send her packing,' Scootaloo thought as she charged her Star Punch, clenching her entire arm as she focused the power of all three stars into her fists. It severely stressed her arm doing this, but with how much she has practiced with it, it didn't strain her nearly as much in the past. But even so, the payoff was always worth it.
Fluttershy peeked from behind her gloves, only to go bug-eyed at the sight of Scootaloo about to hit her with a Star Punch. All the animal-lover could do in response was hold her gloves to her chest, close her eyes tight and scream, "I SURRENDER!"
Whatever Fluttershy hoped to accomplish with that futile act never came to be as the powerful uppercut struck her, the force so powerful that it sent out bolts of blue star energy. The Three Star Punch was an absolutely devastating move, as Scootaloo knew all too well. It took an absolutely massive ton of health from her opponents, and most of the time they fall to its devastating impact.
Fluttershy was no exception. Scootaloo's skull-shaking signature move depleted all of her stamina in an instant.
Fluttershy's Stamina: 0% of Max
The camera slowed down as it zoomed in on Fluttershy's face, Scootaloo's fist connecting with her cheek and snapping her head away. Everything then went back to normal speed, showing Fluttershy's entire body getting knocked off the ground and falling prone down on the canvas to a sliding stop. Fluttershy's jaw slacked as she laid there unconscious.
Since Fluttershy got knocked down three times in one round, the referee got in and delivered her official decision.
"TKO!"
*Cue Fluttershy's victory theme variant*
Scootaloo grinned. "Yea-HEAH!" She threw couple of quick jabs before performing a spinning uppercut at the end. "Whoo!"
*After the Match/Cue Fluttershy's after-match theme*
"Superb performance, Scootaloo! That fool never knew what hit her!" Iron Will told Scootaloo, clasping his hands together into a side flex pose, "This is just the beginning, though, so be ready for the next challenge!"
Victory by TKO! Finish Time: 0: 54.73 in Round 1
Fight Record: 1-0 (0 KO)
New Rank: Minor #3
Unused Quotes
Round Intermissions
Fluttershy crossed her arms close her stomach, gripping her elbows as she rocked back and forth. "Oohhh… I can't believe Rainbow Dash actually talked me into doing this…"
"I wish I had Angel Bunny and the rest of my animal friends with me. I hope the poor critters aren't getting restless back at the shelter…"
New Round Begin
Fluttershy got up from her stool and took a step forward, raising her fists with a slightly more courageous face, "Hey, you! Let's…" before it quickly faltered, "get this over with…"
Scootaloo Knockdown by Fluttershy
Scootaloo looked down at Scootaloo, still worried. "Please don't hate me!" She continued to watch nervously as the referee counted Scootaloo out.
"Can you stay down? I mean, if you want…"
Scootaloo Getting Back Up
Fluttershy gulped as Scootaloo returned. "Oh no..."
Fluttershy Victory
Fluttershy panted heavily, looking exhausted as she retracted her arm from her last punch. "I-I won?!" Then she looked around, hearing everyone cheer, which made a happy smile grow on her face. "I won! Yay, yay, yay, yay, YAY!" She jumped up and down in jubilee, but a sudden spotlight shined on her. Fluttershy let out a scared "EEEP!" before running away with her face in her gloves, whimpering loudly.
Iron Will Tips
"Animal lover or no, there are times when you gotta be a man instead of a mouse. Or in this case, maybe a woman instead of a wombat? Either way, knock her out!"
"Block to rock, tuck and duck, and dodge from side to side! They can't hit you, whoever said they could lied!"
"Fluttershy hesitates before she goes for her right hook, Scootaloo. Duck it and then give her a REAL reason to be sorry!"
"You can't do much while she's turtling behind those gloves. Maybe a Star Punch will help her come out of her shell."
"It's your time now, Scootaloo! Let's show these folks that you got the skills to pay the bills! … Seriously, the power bill at my gym is about overdue."
"This fool's going to get herself KO'd quick if she keeps her body as stiff as a tree. So knock on wood and ensure that she does! Hahaha!"
Iron Will unique after-match Defeat
"Don't get too worked up about it, kiddo, we're just getting started! C'mon, rematch, REMATCH!"
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I don't think most of the others will be as long as this one? Maybe? At least the ones where Scootaloo doesn't go to another Circuit. I hope the size wasn't an impairment on your enjoyment, still. But please leave me a review if you can. I like to know how you guys are feeling about this. Furthermore, I'm glad I managed to get this done in time. Even though I didn't make a due date, so there's really no "in time" for me.
By the way, what do you think of Fluttershy? If she isn't your cup of tea, there will be more boxers with sparkling personalities for you to enjoy, so don't feel too bad.
Until next Chapter. Arevoir.