#dumbbelldash

Commission Info Here!   Ko-Fi   Derpibooru DeviantArt

Short Story Under the Cut!

Ghajini’s tail twitched irritably as he silently watched the still waters. Every time he reacted to a tug on the line had resulted in an empty hook. Dejected, the griffon baited the hook and recast for the third time in about 20 minutes.

“What's going on with these fish? They’re not biting like they used to.”

There came another tug, he waited patiently until the fish stopped swimming and began to reel it in. The line went taut and the rod bent to a low angle as he began to pull. “Damnit, this is a big one!”

Just keep it steady. He thought to himself, determined not to let this fish get away. Ghajini felt his paws dig into the muddy dirt. “Seriously what the heck is this...a shark?” He grunted under the strain, letting off a string of curses of what he’d do if his rod broke. Suddenly the pressure on the line vanished, the line snapped, and Ghajini flew backwards into the bushes.

“Oh for the love of -!”

And he cursed.

“Hey Gaz you great griffon warrior! How many fish you got?”  The griffon struggled to pull himself out of the bush and looked back down into the river.  There he saw a head peeking out of the water, watching him like an imp.

“What the hell are you doing in there, Hightide? Get out before you scare away all the fish!”

Hightide laughed as he paddled around lazily. “Seeing what you’ve done so far, I don’t think me being here really matters that much.”

Ghajini growled. “Whatever you floating pile of seaweed, I’d like to see you do better.” Hightide stopped laughing and stared at the griffon. Before the silence drew out too long he shrugged and went back into the murky depths of the river. Ghajini could do nothing but sit on the shore waiting.  “Where did he go. Did he swim down river?” Before he could start to worry the still water rippled, then a massive fish broke the surface and clocked Ghajini in the face. “Ow!” it was heavy enough to knock him over. The next thing he knew Hightide was standing next to him sopping wet with a goofy yet prideful smile on his face.

“So what do you think? Is this better?”

After the shock subsided, Ghajini groaned.

“I mean look at it! It’s almost as big as I am. Might need your help bringing it back home.” Ghajini wiggled free from under the fish’s weight, his face awash with confusion. “How the...what did you...how did you do this?” Hightide merely shrugged. “Dunno. You’re a great griffon warrior right?” Hightide puffed out his chest.  “How don’t you know how to fish?” He dodged the griffon’s half hearted swipe.

“Oh yeah, I forgot cats hate water!”

Scene from a fanfiction I’m trying to write. Yay.

It was at some point during the practice matches when Rainbow Dash realized how much pain her wings were in. It had been a good two hours and a heavy throb like a broken tooth ached all the way along her humerous bone down to her primaries.

“You guys, timeout.” Rainbow Dash called and some of the activity lessened on the cloudisseum, though most continued without any pause while she floated to a platform, rubbing her left shoulder  with a pained look. Above her April Showers caught the cloud ball and looked down at Dash.

“Want us to wait for you?” she asked. Rainbow Dash palmed her shoulder then shook her head. “Nah, it’s good, I’m just going to rest my shoulder for a little bit.  Rainbow Dash went towards the benches and sat down with a heavy sigh. Only a moment later Dash felt the twinge of pain return, darting in and out of her sensory awareness like small yet intense pen needles. Just as she was about to head for the locker room to grab some muscle cream, Dumbbell landed in the stand next to her.

“Need some help with that?” he asked, referencing her shoulder.  Dash shrugged. “Sure, you got something to rub on this?”

“Just these miracle workers.”  Dash felt his fingers press into the tenderness of her trapezius muscle.

“Oooh...ung...mm!” She clamped a hand over her mouth, but the sensation was indescribable. The pain was just...leaving! Sliding away like hot oils down her neck, and out  through the tips of her wings. “Where did you learn how to do this?” She breathed sharply and scowled when Dumbbell chuckled behind her.

“Just something I picked up from a masseuse who used to live up here a while ago, I think he lives in Ponyville now.”  

“Ah, okay.” Rainbow Dash couldn't allot enough brain cells to completing her sentence as Dumbbell’s applications cut through her shoulder and wing pain like soft butter.

“Looks like Shine did a real number on you. I don’t remember her playing this hard since flight school.”  

 In the cloudisseum, Rainbow Shine deflected a cloud ball with a gust of wind powerful enough that the twirling cloud mass shot back to the other side, and  straight through the opposite goal post before anypony could stop it.

“She must have practiced a whole lot.” Dash mused. Dumbbell sat next to her when he finished her quick massage. A few minutes passed by as they watched the other players passing and maneuvering deftly through the air.

“Yeah, we can barely get her to lift a finger in the cloud factory but out here she works like a dog,” he said. “Damn near every day since the last time you two had a 1 v 1 in the flight school arena.”  There was a pause, Rainbow felt her ear twitch in annoyance when an awkward beat of silence ran between them. Dumbbell continued. “Do you remember that day?”

Rainbow Dash’s ears fell and a phantom pain ghosted across her back. “I remember,” she tugged absent-mindedly at a feather.  “You got me kicked out of school.”

“That was the day after.” Dumbbell corrected. “After you broke Rainbow Shine’s wing.”

 Rainbow Dash’s back arched.  “That was a long time ago, why bother bringing it up now?”

The stallion rolled his eyes. “I know you’re practically blind, deaf, and dense, but you can’t tell me that you haven’t picked up on the very un friendshippy way Shine’s been around you since you've been here,”  He couldn't help but smile. “She makes us look like the best of pals.”

 In fact RainbowShine’s wing was broken once...but-

“What happened back then isn’t important. It’s in the past.” she growled.  

“And I’m pretty sure Shine was trying to break my wings. What I did was in self defense.”  When Dumbbell’s grim expression failed to change she added. 

“She was trying to kill me.”

“Oh yeah?” Dumbbell smirked, his eyes narrowing. “Pretty sure four years ago I was the one trying to kill you.”

“As if you had a chance.” Rainbow Dash muttered. In the span of that exchange, the awkward mood soured into something deep and regrettable, something Rainbow Dash couldn't sound the depths of.  She averted her eyes not wanting to face Dumbbell’s accusing gaze, that and she wouldn't admit that she could not face it.

“What’s bothering Shine is bothering me,” Dumbbell’s tone hardened.  “It’s bothering all of us. But she won’t tell us the truth. So I figured I might as well get the truth out of you.”

“None of that was my fault.” she whispered.  Behind her Dumbbell snorted.