[Spike's point of view]
Sweat dripped from my exhausted body as I lay flat on my chest. I lifted my body off the mat I laid on, my arms almost completely extended. I let a few seconds pass and then allowed gravity to take control to pull my body back to earth, but not without resistance. Slow and steady, my body finally touched down and I allowed myself to breathe easy for a moment.
At my fifth set and fortieth repetitions, my muscles were at the point of convulsions. I rolled around and lay on my back, my eyes towards the ceiling of May's back porch. With my arms spread apart, my lungs in a struggle to pump air fast enough into my bloodstream and lactic acid coursing through my body; I was pretty much pooped.
It's been a week and a half since we entered the dimension of earth. Twilight and I have been fitting in quite well. At first the transition wasn't easy; without much knowledge on how this world worked, we would almost always find ourselves in sticky situations. But when all was said and done, I have to say it wasn't as bad as I first imagined it to be. We had one person to thank for that.
May has been a very invaluable ally and friend to us. From the very night that we met her, she was willing to provide us with shelter, clothing, and sustenance without as much as a show of hesitation or an aim for compensation. This kept on up until the second day of our stay.
This kind of relation would have stayed if it wasn't for our conscience.
The very next day, we called her to discuss conditions to make our accommodations in her home fair to everyone, if not for her. Twilight and I proposed that we would pay for our expenses and 'rent' the space we took up as soon as we could find jobs, including the days prior. And though May hesitated at first, she very much understood the underlying reason for our persistence on the matter and accepted our terms whole heartedly.
Twilight and I started job hunting soon after. But as soon as we did, we found that it wasn't that easy to get jobs on earth, especially if one lacked the proper paperwork for it.
After a day of unsuccessful job hunting, we just simply decided to prioritize Twilight first while I waited for more preferable and less demanding job openings. Thankfully, with a whole night spent on making a reasonable resume for Twilight and some help from May's personal connections, we successfully managed to get Twilight a part-time job at the city library as an assistant librarian. Something the both of us found advantageous to have access to.
As for our mission; Sunset Shimmer had yet to make her move.
I'm actually quite surprised at this, given her supposed mastery of the arcane – as per my mother's words. I would've imagined that she'd have complete control of the Element of Magic by now. Then again, I shouldn't be complaining. The more she waits, the more we have time to prepare.
For the whole week and half that we've been here, Twilight and I have been learning as much as we could about this playing field called Earth. We've learned about its history, its civilizations, and its people. We've expanded our vocabulary to accommodate social interactions, learned more about our human bodies, and we even created reasonably tight cover stories for ourselves. And although we've hardly been interacting with other humans beside May, I personally think we've got all our bases covered.
It was amazing what these humans have accomplished as the dominant species of this world; from their industries to their technologies, they have proven themselves masters at their craft. Though with the good, also comes the bad. These humans – from what their history tells – have certain tendencies for violence and deceit. From corrupt governments that would leave their people to rot; to atrocious wars that leave millions dead in its wake. As much as I admire their ingenuity, I couldn't help but feel a bit of disgust. Then again, who am I to judge when I'm a being born of the most selfish and war-like of all the species in Equestria?
Twilight always looked forward to our study sessions. And every time, she would always lose herself to her research. With every text she finds in this world, she would always read something new and intriguing, always be unable to help but be engrossed with their contents. She would even at times shove books and pamphlets into my face whenever she would find something of interest. It was just like bringing a child to a candy store. Though it can be annoying at times, I can never hate her for it. In fact I'm quite happy that she's found something to help her cope with the craziness of our situation.
As for myself… my interest lies with this human shell that I now call my own.
A few years back, I had a habit of daydreaming about a version of me as an aged dragon; a dragon that was tall and strong and that would go into battle and save damsels in distress and such childish fantasies. And though I've long stopped doing such imaginings, I never would've imagined myself in a body that was comparable to my daydreams. After crossing over, I was in disbelief as to why I was given a mature body; and when I saw it in front of a mirror, even more so. Whenever we'd have our study session, I would secretly try to research for possible reasons. But after a while, I simply stopped questioning it. Now I just decided to try to find out how far I can push this new form of mine. And every time I would, I would prove to myself that this body was the thing I always wanted but could never have... a body that could finally define the real me completely without the consequences bound by my biology.
With the lactic acid in my muscles dispersed and my breathing no longer ragged, I stood up from where I laid and reached for my shirt and towel that hanged on the porch railings.
I entered the house silently, hoping to not make too much noise. It was already late in the evening when I went out to do my exercises, so I expected the girls to be sound asleep. However, instead of an empty kitchen, what I found was a half-awake May that sat by the table with a cup of hot tea in her hands.
"Hey, you alright May?" I asked when I saw her despondent expression.
She turned to face me a few seconds after hearing my voice. "What? Oh… y-yes, I'm fine Daniel," she said as she turned to look back at her steamy cup.
From the way she answered, I instantly understood that there was something wrong, or at least something bothering her. So I took a seat in front of her and tried to get her to open up. "Are you sure? Because if you want to talk, I can listen."
She sighed. "I guess I'm just stressed. Med school... has been a hassle for these last few weeks; things just keep piling up. It's good that my job isn't as stressful. But still…"
"Then why don't you just take a break?"
"If only I could. Right now, I'm already behind as it is in class. I really need the extra credit," she replied, her eyes to her tea that got colder by the minute.
I should've just thought about my words before I said them. I never really did understand the concept these humans called college, simply because we don't have such a thing back in Equestria. Though I understand what college courses and credits are, everything else about it is just too complicated for me to completely understand.
"Sorry, I'm not really good with college stuff, so I don't really think I can help you there," I said with a sigh. "What did you take up anyway?"
Cup still in hand, she finally took a sip. "Well, I'm currently taking veterinary medicine."
"Oh, a vet!" I exclaimed. "Well, I don't know how hard it is to be one. But if you don't mind me asking, did you have any specific reason for taking it up?"
She pointed her eyes towards the ceiling, trying to think of an acceptable answer to my inquiry. Out of nowhere, her lips curled up into a small innocent smile. "I like animals," she said as she turned to face me. "I want to help them and keep them healthy… I want to see them strong and happy… I want to help pet keepers take care of their pets and have them enjoy their lives together. I…" She blushed when she saw me watching her speak with a smile upon my face. "I really like animals."
I couldn't help but smile really. The innocence and joy she showed as she told me her dream. It was simply unbelievable just how much May was comparable to Fluttershy.
"And you will, May. You will do all of that and more," I said as I gave her a comforting smile. "And listen, if you find yourself too stressed and you need help; don't forget that Tara and I are your friends. Besides, we owe you more than that."
The colors of May's face brightened. "Thank you Daniel. I feel much better now,"
"You're welcome," I replied. "Oh and if you want to feel even better, I think you better start drinking. You're not tea's turning lukewarm tea."
She just sat there for a few seconds, before she jolted up from her seat and scrambled to drink her beverage. I only gave a short but satisfying chuckle at that. I may be a good guy, but I still enjoy being a jackass every once in a while.
As she finished her drink, May stopped and called to me. "Oh, before I forget. Daniel, I haven't found a job opening you can apply for yet, but if you want to, I have a friend that needs some help with a moving job tomorrow. You can do that if you like… Bu-but I'm still gonna look around for a job for you!" she said in her usual shy tone.
"I'd love to. You can tell me the details on it first thing in the morning. Right now, if I'm gonna help with moving stuff; I'm gonna need to rest this body!" I answered as I started to lie on the sofa. "And you should too! Besides, don't you have classes tomorrow?"
"… Good night, Daniel," she said.
And before I allowed sleep to take me, I returned her sentiment as I smiled to myself. "Night May…"
The next morning, all three of us woke up bright and early. I went and cooked breakfast, while the two girls prepared for work or school. While I cooked, I remembered my conversation with May last night. And when I saw her vibrant attitude as she prepared herself for class, I was sure that at least our talk helped her get some perspective back for herself.
After we finished our individual preparations, we ate our breakfast together in peace. The food wasn't anything special; it was just chocolate pancakes with raspberry syrup and a cold pitcher of orange juice. Though from the way the girls ate, I could only guess that they found it very delicious; something that always makes me happy.
With breakfast done, I followed up on May's job offer and she immediately took some writing materials from her purse and jotted down the information I would need; locations, names and such. She also made a short letter of introduction that I would give to the owner as to let the talks go smoother. And with everyone ready and well fed, we locked the house and waved each other goodbye as we went our separate ways; May towards her college, Twilight towards the city library, and myself towards a place called 'The Lynge Gym'.
The map May drew for me was rather crude but was otherwise readable. My starting point was town square. From there, I was supposed to head south towards Diamond Street, just before Gambit Avenue. And once there, I would just try to look for the place in question on the left side of the street.
I didn't bother to take a cab because I wanted to see and navigate the area for myself. I also wasn't afraid of getting lost since the instructions on the map were just so straight forward that even I couldn't screw it up. Though I know enough about the town and its roads, I haven't really gone and explored it thoroughly. Something that I have to admit, felt quite pathetic on my part, given I had more than one week of free time to do so. Not to mention that having that kind of knowledge would help us in our mission to track down Sunset Shimmer.
It was still before nine in the morning so traffic wasn't a problem. And although I took my sweet time walking, taking in the lay of the land, it didn't take me long to reach Diamond Street.
I walked along the left side, trying to find the shop I was looking for. Sadly, I didn't find any shops with the name that May wrote down. But what I did find was a shop that had no signs. Or more precisely... has yet to be given one.
It was a large single story building with an interior painted in pastel cyan. The place was empty with nothing inside but a single white mono block chair that stood just next to the entrance. At first I was curious as to what kind of establishment it was, but when I considered its size and scale, I had my guesses.
As I continued to look into the establishment's functions, a voice from behind me spoke. "Uh… can I help you?"
I jumped instinctively and turned around and saw a tall man with brown hair and of middle aged appearance. A bit surprised by the unintentional scare, I tried to recompose myself in front of the man. "Oh... Ugh sorry. Um, yes actually. By any chance is this place the Lynge gym?"
The man looked at me with a questioning, analytic stare. "Yes, but we won't open until two days' time. Why?"
"Well… here sir." I took out May's letter and offered it to the man.
"What's this?" He muttered as he reached for the letter and then proceeded to read. His visage relaxed as he continued reading the letter, all the while looking at me from time to time in a discerning manner.
"So, you're one of May's friends huh. What's your name kid?" He asked, his raspy voice making me tenser than I would've wanted.
"It's Daniel, sir. Daniel Shields."
"Nice to meet you Daniel, the name's Brian Lynge." He handed me back the letter then extended his right hand for a handshake, something I clumsily returned. "Welcome to the team. You're a tad early so the stuff isn't here yet. But don't worry, it'll be here soon. We're just gonna have to wait a little while."
"OK sir… by any chance are you the owner, sir?"
"Nah, it's my cousin that's the one that owns the gym. I'm just a manager and instructor here," He said as he took the chair by the entrance and placed it in front of him, his arms and chin resting on top of the backrest.
I leaned on the wall and stared blankly at the street, seeing people walk around all seemingly at random. "So uh… What are we gonna move around? Are we moving in weights, stuff like that?"
"Yeah, a few. Though mostly we'll be setting up rings and other equipment. This gym isn't a body building gym, it's a training gym. We train people who want to learn different fighting styles… Boxing, Muay Thai, MMA, those kinds of stuff."
"A training gym, huh…" I thought out loud as I contemplated on the possible importance this place might play in our stay here. Learning combat techniques would prove very useful. Considering earth has no capacity for magic, having other means of self-defense – and offense if things come to worst – might just be essential.
A few minutes later, a truck arrived with the first batch of equipment. "Here's all the small gear, Brian; boxing gloves, MMA gloves, punching bag and scaffolding," The driver said as he opened the container. "Now get off your butt and help me empty the truck. I still need to make two more trips to get everything else. Di and the others should be done dismantling the first boxing ring by now,"
"Alright, alright, hold your horses," acknowledged Mr. Lynge as he signaled for me to follow. "Come on kid, that's our cue. Let's get the boxes inside,"
I followed his lead as we proceeded to take the equipment into the gym. Most of the items were lighter than I expected, making them easy to unload. Though from what the driver and Mr. Lynge discussed as we work, I could only guess that it'll only get heavier from here. In no time we were finished unloading the first batch of equipment and the truck left to fetch everything else. It didn't take long for it to return, and when it did we knew that the true work was about to begin and we had to work fast. Thankfully, other members of the gym arrived to help. The work was hard, but it wasn't impossible. Just as advertised, the first batch of items was a breeze. The second and third however… now those were the things that were the real pain to deal with.
As we worked, I couldn't help but be astounded at the strength my body was capable of. It helped a lot that I was able to do the work that be more or less impossible for just one person. I still couldn't believe how surreal it felt to notice it in action.
It was already late in the afternoon when we finished the transfer and assembly of the equipment. And as I rested my body, I couldn't help but be amazed at the number of people that helped with the move. What was - from my perspective - originally three people, became five, then eight, to what is now fourteen people.
As far as what I've heard, the management couldn't hire a moving firm to do the job for them since the new site itself already cost them a large sum of money. They would've had to do the move by themselves in a span of a few days. But it seemed that members of the gym had other plans. Everyone here devoted their time and effort into something they felt connected to. And with me as the only exception, they did so without the expectation of pay. And as I contemplated on this, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
'Humans really aren't that different from ponies… If only I could say the same for my kind,'
When everything was fully assembled and operational, some people who came chose to go home while others to choose to stay for a bit longer and have a go at the equipment. I got paid a fair amount for my work and I had to option to go home. But since I had nothing better to do back at the house – and I didn't have the keys in the first place, I chose to stay and waste a bit more of my time.
I sat on one of the benches we've set up inside the gym as I watched the others test out the equipment. I sat down not because I was still exhausted, but rather because I was mesmerized by the power these people exhibited as they did what their volition to train told them to. From every step they took, to every punches they threw, I watched them furtively.
Whenever I would hear a punch land, my muscles would instinctively clench instantly. Every movement they made was graceful, yet devastatingly powerful. I thought the reason was because I felt as though I was on the receiving end of those hits. And yet I knew there was something else, something more… primal.
As I continued to lose myself to the display, I did not notice one of the members sit beside me. "Dude, you OK?" He asked, snapping me out of my trance.
"Uh yeah, yeah, I'm good," I said as I turned to face the person.
The man had black hair and a cheery expression. He was of good height and fair build and was possibly in his mid thirties. He wore a navy blue cotton t-shirt and jogging pants that both had the gym's logo printed on them.
"You sure man? 'Coz you looked like you were just about to have a seizure or something," He asked again, a bit unconvinced.
Not wanting to pull down alarms, I recomposed myself as fast as I could before facing him again. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just… just a bit shaken I guess. I'm new to this gym thing," Though I wasn't technically lying; I knew for myself that my words were vaguer than what was really true.
"Alright, if you say so," The man replied, seemingly convinced. "Say, you're Daniel, right? The name's Alex," he said as he extended a hand for a handshake. Something I obliged to return. "I'm an instructor here. Thanks for helping out man,"
Though I was happy that someone was thankful of my help, I didn't feel quite deserving of it. "No problem man, but don't thank me. I kinda got paid to help. So... yeah,"
"Aren't we the humble type," He said smiling. "I heard the story from the boss. So, no need to apologize. We get it,"
And as he finished talking, another man moved in and stood next to him. The newcomer was tall and of skinny build; he had short blue hair with his bangs styled with a cowlick. And from what I could tell, he was a young man of apparent wealth. He wore an obviously expensive coat on top of what was just an ordinary blue t-shirt with dark jeans.
"Yeah. Besides, we needed all the help we could get," the newcomer said with a smile some people would consider a smug smirk.
Alex instantly turned to look at the man, his eyebrows furled and pupils glaring. "Says you!" he shouted with considerable volume. "You didn't even help! You literally just arrived a few minutes ago!"
The man only waved his hands slowly up and down in a defensive gesture. "Dude, calm down. I was late because I was with my dad. Besides, don't you call fixing paperwork for the building helping?" replied the man with a rather playful smile.
Alex on the other hand, was quite unconvinced by the man's reasoning. He massaged the bridge of his nose as he tried to relieve some of his annoyance. "Sigh… Dude, if you're just here to pull bullshit, just go home,"
The young man didn't look as offended as I would've imagined from Alex's words. Instead, he simply raised both hands towards the level of his head as if in surrender and then turned around and walked away towards the gym's door.t Before he could walk out of earshot, he raised one hand in a goodbye and said "Whatever dude," all while he faced the door.
The guy didn't look like he was a member of the gym. I concluded because his build didn't quite leaded itself for me to think so. From the way Alex's cheery mood was soured by the man and his expectation for him to help with the gym, I could only guess as to what kind of relationship – or lack thereof – the two shared.
Wondering who that person truly was, I tapped on Alex's shoulder and asked. "Who was that?"
"That guy?!" He exclaimed as he pointed at the direction the man vanished to. "That was just Flash. And if you understood anything about our 'talk', I'd guess you caught that the guy's the son of the owner."
I looked towards the direction he pointed to and saw no trace of the man. "Well... can you tell me why you were hostile to him? I mean, as far as what I've seen, he seems like a chill guy."
"The guy just has a talent for ticking people off. And trust me when I say you don't want to get into anything that concerns him," He said, his mug still showing his obvious annoyed. "Anyway, you look like you're not jittering anymore. How about you join us and do some training. You know, have a go at it. Besides, you look like someone who'd enjoy the rush,"
I was caught off guard by the offer. Though I would really like to say yes, I wasn't sure if I should. "I'd like to. But I don't think I can pay for it. I need the money as it is,"
He then looked at me, right eyebrow raised while the other dropped as if I said something wrong. "Pay? What? No, no man, it's fine," He exclaimed. "You help us get this place ready for reopening, so you don't have to worry. And the gym isn't technically in business yet, so there's that. And if you're still not convinced, we also have a 'first day is free' policy. So… yeah, what do you say man? You in?"
I really did want to try it out. The exercises I've been doing these last four nights were a watered down version of what the gym could offer me; a way to measure what this human body of mine can really do. I was mesmerized by this human body from the first time I understood it was mine. Though it's far from the first time I've ever had this kind of strength, it was the first time I've had full control over it.
Having no real reason to say no, I gave him the answer he wanted. "If it's really OK then… yeah, I'll bite,"
He smiled at me when he heard my answer. "Cool..." He said as he walked towards the boxing ring. "Anyway, before I let you hit anything I think we should start with some warm-ups and basics since you're new to all of this," He pulled out a box from under the ring then tossed me a gray athletic shirt with a small logo of the gym printed in front of it. "You better change into that. Believe me, you're gonna sweat a lot!"
I wasn't quite sure at first about what he was getting at. When I looked at the shirt I was wearing and the other people that were busy training, I understood what he meant and I proceeded to change. As I was changing, Alex let out a loud 'whoa' out of nowhere and in surprise I jolted myself out of the shirt.
"DUDE! I thought you said you didn't do gym before?!" he said with an unbelieving tone.
"WHAT? NO! This is the first gym I've ever been to," I said with volume, my heart a bit pumped by the unexpected scare.
Alex just stood there, mouth agape at my statement. Once he snapped out of it he pointed a finger towards me… more specifically, my body. "With a body like that… You're telling me you didn't do gym…? Whatever secret training you did man, I wanna know,"
Thinking on my feet, I tried to think of a believable excuse for my build – that didn't have anything to do with magic - while I put on the athletic shirt. Luckily, as he pointed out my current physical build, an image of a certain orange mare resurfaced from my memory. "If you really want to know, I grew up on a farm. Life is hard in one, but like hell, do you get fit fast,"
"Dang… Well, I guess we could skip much of the warm-ups then," he said with his still unbelieving tone.
I followed Alex towards the more open space of the gym where he had me do some squats and a few minutes of stationary jogging. At first I questioned the exercise, but when I started to feel my blood pump faster and my body heat rise; I stopped thinking of my grievances and just went with the program I was put in, thinking that at least I could skip my nightly workouts tonight. After the warm-ups, he had me rest for a few minutes to get rid of the lactic acid still flowing through my muscles. And as I rested, he took my hands and wrapped bandages around each one of them tightly. When he was done, I took my hand back and I examined his work, squeezing, bending, stretching. "It feels kind of tight,"
"Well, it needs to be. You'll be punching something comparable to solid earth. Unless of course you just want to break every bone in your hands and rip the very skin off, then go ahead and loosen the binding," He said as he stood up with a sarcastic tone and smile. He then threw me a set of gloves that looked like a pair of fingerless mittens. "Now come on, I think you're pretty much rested enough. I saw you lift things that would usually need two people. Now let's see if you can translate all that muscle power into some real damage,"
He then led me towards the punching bag area. There, four bags hanged from their scaffolds, two of which were already 'in-use'. Alex then pointed towards one of the free bags and asked, "You know how to use a punching bag, don't you?"
I've never really thrown a punch before, well not a decent one. Now that I was stood there, I don't think I'll be backing down soon. "This'll be the first time I'll be using one… But I've watched you people beat this thing more than enough. So I think I'll be fine,"
I faced the bag with my fists primed and ready to fire. Even as I stood there just needing to throw a punch, I still found myself hesitant for some odd reason. Even when I tried to convince myself that I was gonna hit something inanimate, I still found hesitation in myself. I guess I've been restricting myself for so long that I've become too benign even for the most insignificant kinds of violence… but then again, that wasn't quite true.
I know for a fact that I'm capable of aggressive behavior. I remembered the first time we met May, that time at the alley. Back then, I was so confident enough in my new body that I challenged that drunk into a fight, without a second thought to the relative combat experience between myself and my opponent. I didn't even bother to think if the guy was just pretending to be drunk. What would've happened then…? 'That was just stupid and cocky,' . And in that very instant, I unwittingly imagined a human face on the bag… my own.
In a fit of anger at my reflected mistake, I bombarded the bag with mindless punches in an attempt to get rid of rage that I might have kept inside. The bag barely moved to my punches, hardly sent flying beyond a few centimeters from its resting state. Even without looking at the surrounding people, I could tell that their eyes were on me, trying to guess the reason for my nonsensical barrage. I didn't really care though, for my mind was crowded by other more important questions.
I understood that if I was to do my duty, if I was to fulfill my promise, I would need to master this new body. I would need to know its strengths and its limits. And once those limits have been found, another question would arise... Could I go further? For if I couldn't find respect for boundaries of this form, I might as well have never had it.
Having exhausted my anger, I switched my stance to something more reasonable; something more akin to a stance that would bring results. One foot forward, one foot back with heels not completely to the ground; knees slightly bent; head low with one shoulder pointed towards the target; arms closed in tight with fists at eye level. It was the first time I've ever taken such a pose before but I could definitely tell there was power to it. Specific muscles in my body tightened, compressing energy like a spring just waiting to return to its relaxed state.
As I stood there, I tried to recall the images of how those people before me moved, how they efficiently converted their strength into raw force. I remembered them using their legs; stepping forward, pushing their weight into their fists, even going as far as to rotate to gain more momentum. I understood the physics behind them but it still amazed me how simple it all seemed. And with the process burnt into my mind, I threw hesitation out the window and allowed my punch to fly.
I felt force make its way from my foot to my torso like lightning as every muscle in my body tugged on each other, trying to keep themselves from tearing. At the same time, my right arm extended in a straight line at high speed while my upper body twisted in the same direction as I forced all my weight into my fist. And when it finally landed on my target, a loud bang echoed within the gym.
Unlike before, the bag was sent flying from the single punch, about two feet from its resting position. Chains rattled as energy forced itself to flow into them. And as the bag began to reverse its momentum, I twisted my body again in the opposite direction and threw a left punch with almost the same power as before. The punch landed and the same loud bang echoed again as all momentum gathered by the falling thing was cancelled out and was forced back into the air again.
My blood started to race as I began a second barrage of blows against the hanging sandbag. Unlike the first, these punches were stronger… sharper… more destructive.
Hit after hit came without relent; the bag hardly given quarter. Each successive blow enhanced the physics of its predecessor, while at the same time increased the heat of my already burning blood. Evolution fueled not by rage, but by determination and a razor-like will.
In my fervor, I lost track of my punches. Yet even then, it was very evident that they were many, more than anyone would dare to count. And though I was far from completely exhausted, if there was anything my upbringing has taught me, it was when to show restraint. I caught the bag mid swing while I took a moment to breathe; I then turned away from it, my lungs still burnt from fatigue. "Well… that felt… good," I said panting. There, widened eyes directed themselves at me as I looked back at them, one by one in confusion. "…what?"
"Dude, I'm seriously beginning to doubt your "Never been to a gym" excuse," said Alex as he walked towards me. "I mean seriously, have you heard your punches?! I know you threw some very stupid looking punches in the beginning – no offense. But damn did your blows get sharp and crisp fast!" he exclaimed, arms extended far apart in an attempt to exaggerate his sentence.
"How about a sparring session then?" said a voice from the other end of the gym. There, a female started to walk towards us. She was a tall woman of a relatively youthful cast – probably in her late twenties – with a lean athletic build that was undoubtedly sculpted by hard training. She had brown hair styled with a braided ponytail with much of her bangs parted to one side and a tattoo of colored bars on her left cheek. She wore a gray sports bra and a pair jogging pants both with the gym logo printed on the articles of clothing.
When she reached us, she extended a hand and introduced herself. "Name's Diana, nice to meet ya!"
"Daniel. Pleasure's mine," I said as I reached for her hand.
Her hand was definitely that of a fighter; with lean but well-defined muscles racing along her arms and a strong grip to boot. I could only imagine the type of regimen she restricts herself to.
As I continued to admire her magnificent build, I was interrupted by a rather loud objection from Alex. "Spar? You can't be serious, Di!"
"I am actually," She said with finality as she let go of my hand. "I wanna see if those punches I heard we're really worth the decibels they made. Besides, you said you wanted to know if this guy really is a newbie, so a spar would be a win-win."
I kind of understood what Diana was getting at, but from how Alex's face looked like, it seemed he had a thing or two to say against it. "Yeah, I agree that a spar is the best option. But a spar against you is just killing it. I mean, most people in this gym wouldn't like to spar against you. You're a pro for goodness sake!"
A spark of curiosity wormed its way through me when I heard Alex's last sentence and I found myself asking, "pro?"
"Yeah, I'm a licensed professional MMA fighter," she answered in a proud tone and a happy smile. Her smile then turned into a small but very noticeably smug one as she brushed her fingernails on her top. "And we'll, not to brag or anything but I'm also the regional MMA champion."
Alex only looked at her with half lidded eyes of disapproval as he gave his rebuttal. "All the more reason to say no."
I was happy that someone would offer to spar with me just because they heard me punch, let alone by a regional champion. Although learning about that fact makes me a bit scared. "I'm glad you think my punches are good and all, but with the credentials you just talked about, I don't think I can win."
Diana only looked at me puzzled by my reasoning. "Well you don't have to win. Sparring isn't about winning, it's about gauging one's abilities. For damage, you'll be wearing some safety gear, so you shouldn't worry too much. Besides from the look of you, I can guess you're about one or two weight classes above me. That means you should have the advantage in the raw power department," she explained in an attempt to persuade me. "So what do you say?"
With the negatives all but alleviated by her statement, her offer just became more enticing than when I first heard it. I still had my doubts, but even they were fast lapsing into insignificance. Unable to really decide, I turned to Alex who seemed to still question the idea. "What do you think?"
"If you ask me, I'd rather just spar with someone else. Not because I think it's a waste of time, but because I'm kind of afraid of her. And now that I think about it, I shouldn't have said that coz now I just stroked her ego," he said as he glanced Diana's smug face to which he shook his head slowly with a sarcastic smile. "But hey, what do I know. This is your decision man. I'm just asking you to be cautious."
After hearing his opinion, I took a bit of time to think about it and consider the pros and cons of it all. And in that time, there was only one idea that kept me convinced; if I did accept the offer to spar, I would finally have a concrete way of truly assessing this human body.
"How do we do this?"
Diana smiled as she heard my acceptance. "Boxing rules and ring, three rounds with two minute-rounds."
For a second time I turned to look at Alex and asked for his council. He only nodded at me and then turned to her to give an answer. "Those seem fair,"
"Great!" She answered, "Teach him some basics. I'm just gonna get some gear for him."
And just as agreed upon, Alex did teach me a bit about the rules and about the intricacies of what I was getting into; from the names and types of punches, to how I should put up my guard and how to lessen damage. And although it was apparent that he still disagreed with my decision, he still respected it by doing his end of a bargain to the best of his abilities. And once Diana returned with the headgear and other items, I immediately put them on and readied myself for the fight.
I was still a bit scared, there was no denying that. I also had to admit that for some reason I was more excited than I should have been. I climbed the step into the ring with my blood racing with both anticipation and fear. And before I could enter the ring, Alex gave me my first tip of the match. "Keep your guard up this whole round. If you really do learn just by watching, then just keep yourself standing and watch how she moves."
As I stood there, waiting to hear the bell ring, I felt my gut twist and turn with the myriad of emotions that waged war against each other inside of me. I understood that this was nothing more than a spar with almost nothing on the line. Even then I could hardly calm myself. Back in Equestria, I would be most of the time driven out of the fray due to my diminutive form. Ponies would always tell me to run and keep myself safe. Yet now I find myself in a fight out of my own decision without anyone to force me otherwise.
'This whole thing really is weird.'
Ding! I heard the bell ring and I turned to face at Diana; my face hidden behind my arms as per Alex's instructions. There on the other side of the corner, she stood her ground – or rather… hopped. She was jumping in small hops back and forth as she advanced the center of the ring; her movements, light and rhythmic.
I couldn't really understand why she had to move like that. To me it looked quite silly. Then again, maybe my thoughts and views were a manifestation of my inexperience; what looked like a waste of energy to me was maybe something efficient to her.
We both made our way towards the center of the ring, our eyes squarely locked to each other as our footsteps guided us to our chosen location. And once were stood at the center and inches from each other, I found myself itching to throw the first blow.
I knew that I should stick to the plan; that I should just defend and keep the potential damage to a minimum while I observe how a true fighter moves.t Even with that knowledge it took me considerable effort to keep myself in check while I waited for the real thing to start. Luckily, it seemed that I didn't have to wait long.
After a few seconds of getting in striking distance, I saw Diana's left began to extend and reach. Almost instantaneously, the muscles in my arms began to tighten and harden in anticipation for the strike. When it made contact, the punch hardly had any power to it to the point where it was literally just a tap.
I relaxed my arms and opened a small gap in between my arms so I could see in front of me. Instead of an image of Diana, all I saw was red. The same red as her gloves.
In an instant, I was forced back a step while my guard was swung open. I tried to stop the momentum and regain my guard. Before I could, I felt another swift punch that made contact with nothing less than my face.
Again I was forced back a few steps. My nose and cheeks stung like hell. Yet from the way those punches were thrown... I could only guess that it's just gonna get more painful from here.
From outside the ring, I heard Alex shout at me. "What are you doing dude?! You can't let yourself get nailed by her jabs! Keep your guard up!"
As his words reached me, I snapped myself out of my momentary lapse and lifted my arms from their rest. As soon as I had my defenses up, Diana charged in and peppered me with lefts and a few rights thrown in between.
Even from behind my guard, I could feel the destructiveness of her punches. Each blow felt like it went through and penetrated even when my defenses held firm, my arms taking much of the damage. They were fast as well; each combination would hit with force and speed with very little delay in between even when two punches came from the same arm.
The first round went on like that; with me in a desperate bid to keep her at bay as I waited for the round to end. And when the bell did ring, I walked towards my corner and was finally allowed to lower my guard and breathe. As I turned to look back at Diana' corner, my jaw dropped at what I saw... or rather, what I didn't see.
There was hardly a bead of sweat on Diana. She didn't even sit down and instead she stood by her corner while she talked with people from outside of the ring. Though I went into this knowing she was a professional fighter, it was just at awe at how seemingly big the gap between the two of us was. Not only were her punches explosive in power, she stamina is high enough to not make her break a sweat even after throwing a considerable number of them.
For a few seconds I wondered how she could've possibly attained such power, such speed and stamina. All the while, asking myself if it was possible for me to reach such a level. And as if it was, how long would it take. 'If only I could take this body back to Equestria.'
"Dude, You alright?" Alex said, snapping his fingers a few times at my face.
"Ye-yeah,"
His eyes squinted as he looked at me, but let the thought go as he turned his sights on Diana for a second then back towards me. "So… what do you think?" He said as he handed me a towel.
I contemplated on my answer as I dried myself with the cloth. "I think you were right, I am in over my head. She may be female but the power she packs is something that should never be underestimated. I still couldn't even believe she baited me into weakening my guard."
he raised an eyebrow at that. "I don't think she baited you to do anything." He said without any hint of doubt. "The first 'punch' you thought was gonna hit was just her measuring her range. It was more on you weakening your defenses. That being said, I do think she has every ability to break your guard if she wanted to. So what's the plan now? Do you want me to throw in the towel and end all of this?"
"No." I answered swiftly, my stare sharp and my tone definitive. I accepted this spar so I could measure what this human body can do. And all I've learned currently is just how strong she is.
"Well, it's not like I didn't see that coming. Alright, now here's my second question. What do you plan to do this round? You really can't just keep your guard up until the bell rings," he asked.
He was right; there was no way I'd survive another round against Diana simply by defending. I know that first hand. "No, I can't," I said, turning towards my opponent. "That's why I'm gonna lower my arms every once and a while to try and return a few whenever can,"
"You can't be serious?!" Alex exclaimed loudly. His calm and controlled demeanor all but shattered. "She'll destroy you before you could even land a hit!"
I chuckle at his sudden exclamation. Yet even while I found them funny, I understood just how true his words were. Then again, so were mine. "If that's the case, then I wanna see how much I can take before I go down,"
The bell rang and I took my mouthpiece from Alex and put it on. Before I could move away from my corner, I felt a tug on my shirt. There, Alex looked at me with an expression of disbelief and said, "Has anyone told you that you're insane?"
I couldn't help but laugh and almost spit out my mouthpiece. "Does it help if I say I have the instincts of a dragon?"
With the second round bell already rung, Diana and I once again made our way towards the center of the ring. And unlike before, this time there was a difference. And it seemed like she knew it too. For the very moment I stepped within her range, she wasted no time and started the fight with a right jab directed towards my guard.
One after the other, Diana would release punches that chipped away at my defenses. And just like before, her blows were flawless. Their power, enough to cut even air with just the most basic of techniques. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before my arms would give way and open me up to her strikes. Unlike the first round, this time I wanted to see what I could really do against her.
With a single swift step to the side, I moved out of Diana's attack range and ended her barrage. The move unquestionably caught her off guard. She was caught off guard even more when she saw my stance change. I opened my guard and relaxed my muscles. My arms were spread apart and my fists clenched and ready to return the favor of the first round.
Diana only stood at the center, baffled at whether I was serious at what my stance indicated. As a single second ticked by, a small smile manifested itself on her lips as an acknowledgement to my request. And not to be outdone, she shifted fighting stances as well. She lowered her arms; her primary arm held farther from her center of mass, while the other stayed close to her head, just below her lips. And with her shoulders lowered and her back straight, she signaled me to start.
Her new pose looked less stiff when compared to before, more flexible and willing to flow, something that made me fear her even more. For I know that she had just loosened her shackles - if not removed them completely. And judging from the competitive smile still plastered on her face, I could tell that she had no plans to disappoint.
Seconds ticked on and I felt the pressure mount, making it hard to breathe. Not wanting to let it overwhelm me anymore than it already has, I took the only option I had... move in towards the kill zone. I knew in myself that this wasn't going to be easy, afraid that maybe I made the wrong decision. I already know just how painful and scary her punches are back in the first round. Considering that she now planned to hold nothing back, I have every reason to be afraid. Yet Even with such hesitation and fear, something kept pushing me forward. With each step, I felt my blood rush inside my veins, my body heat rise in anticipation, my muscles tighten at the need to equal her power.
'It seemed like this body was more determined to test itself than I was'
With Diana well within my range and my fists long since primed, I unleashed a single trial jab at her. Unsurprisingly, she dodged the punch with hardly any effort.
Unhindered by the initial failure, I kept throwing jabs at her in the hope of landing at least one. Just as the first, she dodged each one with ease, literally dancing around the ring while I tried to hopelessly catch her.
It slowly became infuriating on my part that I couldn't land even a single blow on her considering the numerous amount of punches I threw her way. She was simply too hard to hit with her hopping around. I could only guess that this was the very reason for all that shenanigans earlier on. And as my frustration mounted, I unwittingly snapped and for a single moment lost control.
I gathered all the momentum I could get in a split second and placed all of my weight into a single right punch. There was no intricate thought put on the blow, only that 'I hit Diana'. And it seemed that I finally had that chance. Because unlike before, she didn't step out of the punch's trajectory. I didn't know whether my move caught her off-guard or if she simply didn't have enough time to react. In that single moment, I thought that I might have finally caught her. Yet before my fist could make contact, my face felt pressure and pain I have never felt.
In an instant all the momentum I had in throwing that heavy right straight was snuffed out and instead I found myself staggering backwards, trying with all my might to not fall down. And the moment I found my balance, I immediately turned to look at Diana due to the surprise of not knowing what happened.
She stood exactly where she was when I was throwing the punch. Her right arm fully extended while her head was ducked to one side. Her changed pose confused me even more than I already was. As the seconds ticked by, I began to place the things together. Yet knowing what happened only served to incapacitate me even more.
Luckily it seemed I wasn't the only who was surprised at how things went, for Diana also stood motionless. Eyes wide for some unknown reason. I didn't know why she was like that, but I knew to be thankful that she was. For if she was to snap out of her thought before I did, I would have been an open target.
I didn't have to wait long however, because the moment my mind regained its attention, I saw a small grin emerge from her visage. And before an additional moment could tick by, she charged at me like a predator, her weapon primed for the kill.
I instinctively swung to one side, barely evading the attack. Without fail, a second punch was thrown. And just like the first, I barely had time to dodge but did so anyways with surprising speed. This was the first time I could really test the reactiveness of this body, I couldn't give myself time to enjoy such achievements. All my attention was focused on trying to evade each blow she planned to land on my face.
The fear I felt when I saw Diana change stances during the first few seconds of this round was not misjudged. For the power difference of this Diana and the one I fought in the first round is staggering. Because if her punches in the first round was able to make the surrounding air whistle, this time she was making it roar.
Again and again, I would hardly dodge her terrifying blows. Only hoping that I could be able to avoid the inevitable next. Even in my heart pumping situation, I couldn't help but wonder at something. Was this power the same thing that hit me just a moment ago? If so, how was I able to stay standing, let alone have enough consciousness to evade her assault.
in my imaginings however, I unwittingly allowed my attention to waver, and Diana -being the professional fighter that she was – saw it and took advantage.
She landed a blow to my midsection and instantly all the air in my lungs was forced out. The pain was unbearable and I wasn't able to help but pull my arms towards the damaged area.
'Is this what her power is capable of?!'
I must have looked pathetic after that punch, for she must have thought I was primed for the take down. She stepped in and crouched her body low and pulled her right arm back. And before I could even bow my head to look at her, her arm snapped forward for the kill.
Frozen I must have looked as she dragged her fist through the air simply to deliver it to my face. And she wasn't wrong.
I was grasped by fear as I saw that was coming towards me. My thinking was at a halt while my body outright refused to listen and move away. With all my options exhausted, and my knowledge and fear of Diana's power, I closed my eyes and simply gave into the incoming blow. It seemed though, that there was something else in me that thought otherwise.
My blood went alive and my body instantly regained its movement. Every muscle in my right arm tensed and I felt my fist fly towards Diana's direction.
I didn't see exactly what happened because my eyes were still closed during all this. My fist moved through the air, but I didn't feel anything stop it, only graze it. I could only guess that I missed. And with that thought, I could only wait for Diana's blow to land. And yet, nothing came.
I opened my eyes to see Diana a few steps away from me. I couldn't understand why she was a few feet away when just a few moments ago she was just inches from me, ready to finish it. As far as I know, I didn't move. Yet as I looked at her I saw an expression on her face I never thought I'd see.
I stepped forward and threw a trial jab at her and just as expected she dodged it. Unlike before though, she did not step aside. Instead, she stepped back.
In a surprising turn of events, the momentum and control of the fight had turned to my favor as I pushed Diana around with a flurry of jabs. I knew for certain that I was in control and not being baited into something because unlike earlier, there was something different about how Diana avoided my punches. Her movement was forced... afraid.
I wasn't exactly sure what happened but it seemed that the punch did something. Though I couldn't really understand what since I never felt it connect. All that I knew was that I simply needed to take advantage of it.
With a combination of jabs, I was able to drive her into a corner. And once there, I threw everything I could; from wide swung hooks to heavily weighted straights, each hit earning a grunt from her battered form. And with each grunt, my blood would pump faster and faster, just like with the punching bag. This time however, I had hardly any control. All I could think about was winning… just keep punching and win… win.
And in my combat trance, Diana ducked to the left in an almost instant maneuver, her movements fast and decisive, leaving me with no time to react. At first I thought she was just trying to find a way out of the corner, my body only tensed up when I felt the top of her head touch my chest.
In that split second I felt a blow connect, my internal organs sloshed all over the place, my breathing and my mind spontaneously stopping. I couldn't understand how she was able to deliver such a powerful blow from the corner of the ring with hardly any room to gain momentum, but it was more than enough that it stopped my barrage entirely and forced my knees to buckle.
A second punch was thrown and all the air in my lungs was forced out, the pain doubling. Luckily, the second punch had the upside of restarting my breathing and breaking me from my trance, but even then, the pain was so excruciating that my mind started to faint.
Instinctively, I took a step back in an attempt to keep myself awake and standing. Yet before I could look at Diana and retaliate, she threw a third that I should have seen coming.
I didn't understand how the third blow happened; I didn't even see what kind of punch it was. All I knew was that I was now face down on the canvas, scrambling to alleviate the throbbing, maddening pain that now assaulted me. My right ear rang in agony as if a dagger had been driven through it, my mind spun as it reeled from a pain unimaginable, while my body didn't fare any better due to the two blows I received to my midsection. Even in my dizziness and failing consciousness, I was still able to tell that the people that watched the spar turned deathmatch started to come to my aid.
I was rested on my back in an attempt to reduce and treat the pain I felt. Though even before they touched my body again, the pain started to vanish. Not vanish completely but enough for me to at least keep myself conscious.
I heard muffled shouting which at first sounded gibberish to me with my hearing made useless by the pain and all. Thankfully, just like everything else that hurt, my hearing did start to slowly recover until finally I was able to make out what they were saying.
"DAMN IT DI! WHY WOULD YOU GO ALL OUT! THIS WHOLE THING WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A SPARRING MATCH!" shouted Alex, his words filled with fury and volume enough to rattle my already pained eardrum.
"Stop yelling at me, Alex! You saw what happened, I got cornered and the guy got cocky! I just put him in his place. Besides, he's wearing headgear." Diana rebutted as I felt fleeting footsteps thanks to the canvas.
"PUT HIM IN HIS PLACE?! YOU USED YOUR KILL SHOT ON HIM!" He shouted again as I felt his fingers on my pulse. "I knew he shouldn't have sparred with you!" he added under his breath. "HEY! WHERE'S THAT FIRST AID KIT I ASKED FOR?!"
The loud noises only proved to make my throbbing ear hurt more than it already did. I waved my hand at him as I started to sit up from where I laid. "Could you keep it down? My head is throbbing as it is… ugh..."
"Dude, you alright?" He said as he saw me rise.
Though I still felt sore and hurting, the pain was no longer as debilitating as before; something I'm more surprised with than thankful for. "Yeah… a bit sore here and there, but otherwise I don't think she broke anything," I answered as I removed my headgear and mouthpiece and rubbed my right temple.
He looked at me in worry as he saw my attempts to relieve my dizziness. "You shouldn't be moving too much, man. Headgear or not, you took one hell of a blow to the noggin."
"Ah man! You can say that again!" I exclaimed. And as I continued to rub my temple, a question reared itself in the back of my mind. "Say, what did she hit me with anyway? All I remember was getting hit in the body twice and then suddenly I was down on the mat… as if I blacked out or something."
"You blacked out huh?" He said with a snicker. "That doesn't surprise me. You got hit by Diana's signature haymaker; The Sonic Rainboom."
I instantly turned to him as he spoke those last three words, my face contorted into surprise and disbelief. "Sonic… Rainboom…?"
"I know right?" Alex said without turning to face me. "I mean come on, who the hell names a right hook 'The Sonic Rainboom'?! Then again, with the power of the thing, I won't be saying that to her face anytime soon."
Thoughts raced through my mind as I considered the meaning of this revelation. Among all of them, one idea stood out from the rest… 'I think I just found Rainbow Dash,'
"But do you know why she calls it that?" Alex asked, snapping me out of my thoughts . "You said that you blacked-out when you got hit by it. But did you see colors before you blacked out? If you did, that's one reason. Another is that the Sonic Rainboom has this signature sound when it makes contact. And the more damage it does the more crisp the sound. I wish you could've heard it yourself. But then again, you shouldn't really be able to when you're the one on the receiving end."
"Yeah," I agreed. "I guess it was pathetic of me to black out."
"Hey man, you should be proud. Headgear or not, you got off easy! Especially if you consider the one you got hit with was one of the best sounding sonic rainbooms I've ever heard!" he exclaimed with eyes wide open. "I'd reckon that if anyone else from the gym was hit by the same one that got you, they'd be out cold for half a day! And that's with headgear! Without one… let's just say you'd be riding one hell of a pain train,"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Alex turned to me with a small smirk the moment he heard my question. "Another signature of the sonic rainboom is that if you're hit without your headgear, you have a huge chance of getting an eardrum ruptured," He explained. "To be quite frank, I'm not even sure how you're conscious. I could even bet that if Di saw you were awake; talking like you're doing now, she might just want to punch you again!"
I simply couldn't believe what he was implying. He was right to say that among everyone here, I should've been the one who know just how powerful that punch of hers was. And yet, I'm not really sure if the sonic rainboom he's depicting and the sonic rainboom I got hit with was the same thing. I'm not discrediting her power in any way; rather I think the difference had more to do with me than with her.
And as I thought about the punch's power, I noticed something that should have noticed earlier. "Where's Diana?"
"She walked away when you were still out cold. She's probably inside Brian's office getting her own injuries taken care off," said Alex. "And probably getting an earful from her dad while she's at it," He continued with a small chuckle at the end.
In an instant I turned to look at him with a questioning expression. "Dad?"
"Oh right," He said as he slapped his palm to his forehead with an audible pop. "Diana isn't just the gym's prized fighter and occasional headache, she's also Brian's daughter. Her full name is Rachelle Diana Lynge."
Through it was definitely a surprise to hear that Diana was related to Mr. Lynge, the more I thought about it the less strange the idea became given the resemblance. And I would've chuckled at the idea if not for a sudden change atmosphere that I felt from Alex.
"It never really mattered to me whether you were really a newbie at this or not, I was simply curious. But after what I've seen and what you've done, I can't really see you as anything less than a beginner. Now if you're still gonna stick to your old statement then I wanna know something. How were you able to threaten Di enough to make her use the sonic rainboom?"
I looked at him a tentative expression as I tried to understand what answer he wanted for his question. I never really needed to think about it, for the answer I wanted to give was something that already disturbed my psyche the moment I woke from Diana's haymaker. And when I was ready, I gave him my answer without any hints of joking or sarcasm.
"Something in me didn't want to lose."
Inside the Gym's office, a father and his daughter argued as the sound of running water masked their conversation. One of them was in front of a lavatory; her hands and arms in between the flow of the water. The other was sat down on his table.
"WHY DID YOU USE THE SONIC RAINBOOM ON THE KID!? YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO USE IT UNLESS YOU HAVE A FIGHT TO TRAIN FOR!" shouted Brian from across the room, his glaring eyes aimed at nothing but his daughter.
The target of his assault didn't answer, not even flinch; something that only served to infuriate her father even more. "ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME RACHELLE?! YOU CAN'T JUST USE THAT PUNCH JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE PISSES YOU OFF!"
Finally, her daughter showed signs of attention as she turned to look at her father's fuming expression, though her own face was that of indifference and disregard. And after just a few seconds, she simply turned back to the lavatory as if there was nothing to discuss.
Brian reached his boiling point after seeing his daughter's apparent disregard for the topic, and was about to give her a second serving if it wasn't for her finally 'contributing' to the conversation.
"Hire the kid, pops." She said in a stern, commanding tone. A tone that surprised her father out of his temper.
"Why am I hearing that as anything other than a bailout plan?" Brian asked.
Diana turned her head to look at her father's questioning expression. "Because it's not." She then turned around and held her still wet arms by her face in full view of her father. They were full of bruises, some looked much worse than others. "You said that I shouldn't use the Sonic Rainboom randomly. In my defense and… and regret admitting, if I didn't use it when I did, the guy would have done more than just break my guard." She finished.
Brian could only look at his daughter's arms in awe as he wondered how someone was able to that much damage to his daughter.
She then turned towards the lavatory once more, but before she opened the faucet she gave her father a final convincing. "Hire him dad. The kid has raw power, and I wanna see what he can really do with it."
After a bit of rest and first aid, Mr. Lynge came to me and personally apologized about the damage I sustained from my spar. I offered that it was my fault for accepting the challenge even after being warned about our skill gap. We had a bit of laugh at my quip. He stopped and then gave me news I was more than happy to receive.
I went on my way home with Alex accompanying me. I objected his offer to walk me home at first, saying I was OK and that I didn't want to be a bother. But he insisted, saying that a concussion was still a real possibility and he was afraid that I might black-out at random somewhere.
It was fairly peaceful around town as we walked home, though that's to be expected since it was already dark when we left the gym. On the way, I asked Alex if we could take a detour to the city library. At first he asked me why I wanted to go there, to which I only answered that I wanted to check on someone. We made our way to the library, and I thanks to Alex's knowledge of the area, we made it record time.
"Well, it's closed," He said as we stood there, our eyes towards the library's closed double doors. "What did you want to check out anyway?"
"I have a friend who works here. I just wanted to check if she got home alright,"
"'She?' Well if that's the case, let's get you home then. We can't leave this girl of yours waiting any longer than she already has," He said as he snickered.
"It's nothing like that, man. She's just a friend," I replied, understanding very well where he was going. "And besides, she's my roommate. So when I do get home, you're the one who's gonna need you to explain my bandages to her," I rebutted with a snicker of my own.
He readied himself for his rebuttal, but instead of speaking, he went silent. For few moments he stood there trying to think of is reply. But in the end, he couldn't find one and instead said, "Well played..."
With our trip to the library done, we continued on our way. And within a few minutes, we reached home.
The house was fully lit. So I could only guess that someone was already home. I knocked on the door and sure enough, Twilight was inside to open it.
"Hey Twi..." I greeted. "Well um... I'm home."
Twilight stood there speechless, her eyes directed towards me. And I pretty much knew why.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU SPIKE?! Why are you all heavily bandaged like that?! Did you get into an accident?!" She instantly asked in an almost hysterical fashion.
She kept on her barrage of worried question to the point that all I could really do was wave my arms in surrender and try to calm her down. "I'm OK Twi, really." I answered, with a calm voice and a warm smile.
"Are you sure? But why are you all bandaged like that?!" She asked again; her composure thankfully calming down.
"I'll explain everything later. Right now, can't we just go in first? Besides, I have a visitor," I said, and then moved aside to give her a view of Alex.
He did a small wave and a rather awkward smile. "Uh, good evening…?"
The three of us entered the house and I led Alex to the living room sofa while Twilight prepared some tea. May wasn't home yet and Twilight said that she'd be late due to some extra work that she needed.
When the tea was ready and all of us seated, I began to explain with absolute sensitivity to Twilight the reasons for my banged up appearance, all the while turning to Alex to vouch for my words. As I explained things to her, I tried to make sure the incident sounded like it was my fault. As for the concussion tidbit of the story, I made sure I omitted that, and thankfully so did Alex.
No matter how hard I tried to make the whole thing sound trivial, I wasn't able to keep her from getting angry… and by Celestia was she furious. She even threatened to go to the gym tomorrow and talk to Diana about, and I quote, 'ripping her a new one...'
'Yeah... Good luck with that!'
She was so furious about the matter that it took the convincing powers of both Alex and I to even calm her down enough for her to breathe. Eventually, she did calm down and we decided to change the topic to more casual things - as to not ignite Twilight's hair in fiery anger. I didn't have any topics in mind to redirect the conversation besides the usual 'How was your day?' routine. Luckily, Alex had my back and he brought up how May was affiliated with the Lynges and how she knew about the move.
Apparently, May was once a member of the gym a few years back, but had to quit due to college responsibilities. At first I had trouble believing this due to my own experience with May's ability to defend herself. This didn't shock Alex however, saying that May was never really into the combat side of the training and instead was more into the fitness side of it. Though he believed that she's fairly capable of protecting herself if worse came to worse.
As we talked, Alex glimpsed the living room clock and stood up from the sofa. "Think I need to go guys, it's getting late; the Mrs. could be worried sick. It was a pleasure to meet you both and thanks for the hospitality."
"You're married?!" I asked, honestly surprised.
"Yeah, and I have a one-year-old baby girl too!" He answered with a smile of a proud father.
Twilight and I accompanied Alex to the door and I opened it for him. "Thanks again for everything Alex. You take care of yourself," I thanked as I shook his hand and waved goodbye.
Alex waved back as he walked off the front porch, "No problem man. I should be the one saying take care; you're the one who's banged up! Anyway, take care of yourself. Get a checkup or something," And as he was walking away, he turned around and shouted, "Oh and see you in three days!"
As Twilight and I went inside, she turned to me with furrowed brows of confusion. "What did he mean by three days?"
"Oh right! Sir Brian, the manager of the gym, offered me a job as an assistant bookkeeper. I'm supposed to start in a few days. Isn't that great?!" I said in a rather giddy fashion. "I wasn't really sure if they gave me the job because of good will and my work ethic, or if they just didn't want me to sue. I think it's the last one. But I don't really care. I'm just happy I found a job."
And in my celebration, I did not notice Twilight's silence and tentative stare that was directed specifically towards me. "Spike… I don't think you should go back there."
"WHAT? Why?" I replied in a bit of a surprised shout. "Is it because of my injuries? Because if it is, I'll promise that it'll never happen again. I'll just be a book keeper there. I'm gonna be training, yes. But when I do, I know how to be careful, Twilight. I'm not a baby."
"But that's the thing Spike! No matter how strong, how mature your human body looks like; you're just a baby dragon! You shouldn't be doing such dangerous things!"
My teeth gritted at her words. I've always thought that I've gotten used to hearing such sentiments, but it seems I was wrong. "Is that all you see me as, Twilight? Am I really just a child to you?" I asked; my tone emotionless, but my face saying the opposite.
Twilight stood there silent, her eyes wide from hesitant for one reason or another. "Aren't you?!"
I let out a sigh as I felt her words and attitude pierced my heart. "You once asked me why I was given this body, why I was an adult and not a child. I told you I did not know… I lied. Yes Twilight, I am a child, but only by the standards of your species, not mine," I looked her in the eyes "Back in Equestria I was a child, not because I was one, but because it was my choice to stay and be called as one."
She squinted at me and leaned in. "What… do you mean?"
I really didn't want to explain the topic of my true maturity to her in such conditions, but it seemed I had no choice. I sat both of us down on the sofa and relaxed myself down.
"Do you remember the time that I hoarded, Twilight?" I asked her, my head slumping. "I do, each and every day. It was the first time I've ever personally encountered something that had to do with my heritage… something that reminded me what I truly am."
I snickered as I recollected on the events in question, I then sighed as I lifted my head to face Twilight. "Dragons aren't anything like ponies, Twilight. We hatch from our eggs, mature at an accelerated rate, live for millions of years, only to live lives devoted to irrelevant treasures. And when we do try to go against our nature, we are punished for it. Our bodies stay young but vulnerable. To grow, we are given only two options; either we try to survive to see centuries pass, or we surrender to instinct and let our twisted nature take hold."
I heard a gasp from Twilight as she looked at me with widened eyes, her hands covering her mouth. "S-spike, why didn't you tell me?"
"If only I could," I answered as I flashed for her a fake smile. "In the aftermath of my rampage, I went around Ponyville looking for anything I could do to help, anything that could at least help me feel like I've regained my keep… But it seemed nobody wanted it. Everywhere I went I was cast out, some more violently than others. I kept it a secret because I was afraid that if my real maturity was to be known that everypony would try to cast me out... exile me away. And if my secret 'was' to be uncovered, I don't think I'm too far off."
I paused and gave off a short chuckle before I continued. "No matter how benign ponies are, when it's their lives and their loved-ones that are threatened, they would have every reason to stand against the danger. And I could never be angry at them if they did."
It felt surreal to reminiscence on those days. Sure it was and currently is the worst day of my life. Looking back at it now puts a bit of perspective into the decisions I've made in my life up to now.
"People say that everyone has their demons. But I think only a handful have come across demons inside them that could destroy everything that they stand up for. All while making them watch as they did so. It just makes you feel like you're a prisoner in your own body,"
To tell the truth I've never truly hated my situation. I didn't hate it because I thought that I had no other option; that I could only accept it. So I did. Although now that I've tasted something different, tasted freedom, I guess I've started to grow nothing but contempt for it.
"I am finally free Twilight. In this human body, I can do things I could've only imagine if I was in my infant form. Twilight, I am..." I was stopped mid sentence, my eyes widening when I turned to Twilight.
Her face was drenched with tears while her lips quivered with emotion I did not understand.
"...Twilight?" I thought out loud as I placed a hand on her shoulder.
In-between her sniffling, I heard her answer. "I'm... sorry."
Confused by her words, I asked. "What are you apologizing for Twilight?"
She didn't answer instantly, simply looked down on the floor and continued to snivel and tear up.
It pained me to see her like this. Yet it pained me more to be unable to help her. I gently shook her shoulder and asked her again. "Come on Twilight, tell me what's wrong."
She finally looked me in the eyes, her scleras bloodshot from her crying. "I'm so sorry Spike. I didn't know how much pain you've been through."
I smiled at her sentiment. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Twilight. It's nobody's fault." I placed my hand on top of her head. But to my surprise, she grabbed it from her head and squeezed it with surprising strength.
"Don't you see Spike?! I'm the reason why you've been suffering! I'm the reason why you have to go through such pains!" She argued with volume enough to shake me. "All this time, I've been treating you like a pony, not considering the harm it would do to you. Please forgive me Spike. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
I should have seen this coming. 'Blast it.'
Once again, I placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry about. If there's anyone to blame, It's me for not being able to keep my instincts in check."
"But Spike, I stopped you from becoming what you are. I kept you from being what you needed to be. All so that I could raise you and please the princess," she reasoned, heaving in between her statement due to her crying.
I moved my hand to her cheek and wiped away a tear from her face. I then gave her an honest smiled as I looked her in the eyes. "Twilight, my life with you have been the best days of my life. And that should say something. With you and our friends, I learned things that hardly any dragon knows. I've felt enjoyment and fulfillment that no amount of treasures could ever make me feel. You shouldn't be sorry," I said, honesty in my words. "What I need to be, Twilight, is exactly what I turned out to be. Because you raised me the way you thought right, I gained something no other dragon can claim to have... Freedom. Freedom to oppose my instincts and choose for myself what is right from wrong."
She simply sat there, immobile to the point that even her sniffling vanished. I knew that telling her this might just overwhelm her. Then again, she simply needed to know.
"It's true that I am a prisoner of my dragon body because of that freedom you've given me. But know that without it, I would just be another dragon driven by instinct, ignorant to the beauty of the world. And because of that freedom, I'm able to decide and tell you that when we are finished with this business with earth... I will come back home to Equestria wholeheartedly. With or without this body," I stated with finality and a smile on my face. "I would very much like to bring this body back to Equestria if I could, don't get me wrong. But even if I couldn't, I would still go back. Because you made me a promise to not send me away. And what kind of best friend would I be if I was the one to make you break that promise?"
She looked at me, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, he beautiful pupils reflecting back the image of my soft smile. Bit by bit she understood that the person she was talking to was the real me. Her eyes began to water once more and her lips moved without words and she then charged at me for an embrace. And as she buried her face into my chest, I heard her say three words that still pierced my heart and made me release a tear of my own. "I'm so sorry..."
"... Silly girl..."
We sat there for a few minutes as I tried to console her out of her crying. It felt kind of strange that it wasn't I who was in tears. Yet somehow, it made sense. I've long since made peace with my situation and choices that I'm no longer bothered by them. As for Twilight, this is the first time she's truly heard about this and it's understandable that she feels guilt, even when Celestia knows she's the last person I'd ever blame. All I could really do now was to show her that I had no regrets.
After she finally calmed down, I went and prepared dinner. And with the both us unable to wait for May for much longer, we ate in silence with very little in way of conversation. Usually, I would try to find a way get her out of her slump. This time I understood that it wasn't an option. Only time would help her get over it all. I didn't bother to tell her about the link between Diana and Rainbow Dash, or at least not yet. Doing so would only overload her more than she already was.
May arrived soon after Twilight and I finished dinner. I asked if she wanted to eat, but she declined saying she was too tired and would just rather sleep.
And with that call made, all of us made our way to our respective beds as we readied ourselves for sleep. As my mind started to drift into unconsciousness, I was ripped from it all by three fast knocks that echoed from the front door.
I could only look at the door with furrowed brows after rising from the sofa. I turned to look at the living room clock and saw the short hand pointing past 11.
I waited for a second batch of knocks to come but after a minute or two, I was convinced they wouldn't come.
Curiosity caught the best of me and I found myself walking silently towards the door. Once there, I peeked through the door's peep-hole but saw no one there. I looked through the front windows next and indeed there was no one there.
I could've easily let the occurrence be and went back to the sofa, but something in the back of my mind was pushing me, telling this wasn't an accident.
Carefully, I undid the door's locks and bolts and slowly opened it with the intent of making little sound as possible. A creak or two was made as I slipped through and saw that there was indeed no one there. I stepped out of the front porch and surveyed the surroundings but again found nothing. Whoever they were, they were gone.
I began to walk towards the house and hoped that I could finally get some sleep. As I was walking towards the door, I noticed there was something on the door mat. It was a long brown envelope with a thickness that implied anything but emptiness.
It bothered me a bit that I didn't notice it when I went out. What bothered me more was why there was an envelope left outside. I hastened my pace and leaned down to grab it.
The envelope wasn't in any way heavy. And from the way it flatly bulged, it was readily apparent that its contents were paper.
My right hand hovered over the unsealed flap of the envelope as I questioned the idea of opening it. Eventually I got over that and found myself opening the envelope and pulling out its contents; my body immediately froze after that.
Birth Certificates, Passports, Social Security cards… all of them with the names Daniel Shields and Tara Sparks. And inside there was a conspicuous note written in black bold marker. "KEEP HIDDEN!"
And in my frozen state, one thought was able to make itself real in the form of my words without my control.
"W-who… sent these…?"