A Long Hot Day

by Short Blade - The Oak

A Conversation Without Words

At this point Silverstar had quite enough. Flipping his spear in hoof he landed the staff portion just under the tip right on Turnip's head. A clashing of metals could be heard as the blow was stopped by something hard just under the pegasus cloak.

Coming to a full stop Tulip turned obviously ready to continue the fight. Turnip glanced back ever so quickly as he braced himself against Silverstar. Tulip, apparently getting some sort of message from the look, noticeably relaxed and plopped down in a sitting position. There she remained staring blankly at the impending confrontation.

The stretcher finally reached Ruffback, and as the battle began they carried the near dead bandit away to jail. Albeit with a little difficulty due to the villains size.

Silverstar and the pegasus in the meantime kept pushing back on each other in their clash. He stared down at the smaller pony trying to get a feel for the others strength, only to realize the other was attempting to do the same. This sent a chill down the sheriff's spine as the apparent experience of the smaller pony began to reveal itself.

There was something wrong with this whole situation and Silverstar simply didn't understand. Nothing these two did made any sense. It was like they were causing chaos and destruction simply for the joy of it. And what of Princess Luna? Did she really have no control over her ponies?

As Turnip looked up he could see the sheriff's facial expression betraying his thoughts. The confusion, the frustration at seeing him and Tulip just doing what they pleased. A sight that made Turnip smile.

Upon seeing this twisted pony smile. Silverstar's rage finally boiled over. His eyes widened as he let his spear slip from the clash and plunged it forward. Wings unfurling, Turnip shot back as he nimbly dodged the spears tip. In the same moment he flexed his hoof and the short blade slid out from under the cloak.

The next few moments were the most amazing that any pony had ever seen. Here stood their sheriff, a pony who time and time again only used his hoofs and wits to solve whatever trouble came to their small town. After all what pony in their right mind would want to see a real war?

It was that sort of bloodless compassion that he was known for. Now here he was, in a life and death duel with a powerful opponent. It was like he had transformed himself into an entirely different pony. One that none of them knew.

As the fight dragged on a couple of ponies watching could see the tactics each were employing. Silverstar was relying on predicting the smaller, faster, pony's movements. Then countering them expertly with his golden spear. His natural earth pony grit making him look like a stone mountain.

Turnip on the other hand was relying mostly on speed and precision. His wings occasionally giving him extra bursts of speed. Both ponies seemed evenly matched. Until Silverstar hopped back flipping his spear around his hoof, apparently leaving his front exposed. Taking the advantage, Turnip leaped forward ready to make the killing blow.

Now caught in his trap. Silverstar's spear finished flipping and as he held the top of the shaft with his foreleg, he kicked the base with his hind leg. Silverstar's other two legs, which were keeping him amazingly well balanced, sprang him forward in the same moment as the spear. All of this was done in a single, well executed motion. To those observing he had instantaneously gone from a standing position to a full charge with spear extended. A sight many free beings of the world considered to be the most dangerous place to be on the receiving end of.

It was a difficult maneuver Silverstar accomplished. In fact he was one of the few ponies in Equestria who could pull it off so... seamlessly.

Every pony there held their breath as the pair were about to crash into each other. Had it been any other pony in the world, then that pony probably would have found himself impaled on a spear, but not Turnip. Still smiling he flung his wings out and dug his free hooves into the ground to stop his momentum, then with all his might he flapped his wings and leapt backward. The tip of the spear drawing the slightest amount of blood from Turnip's chest.

For the briefest of moments Silverstar was close enough to Turnip to see his eyes through the dark goggles. He realized in that moment that he wasn't dealing with a pony. No, he was dealing with a beast. But there was a difference. The other, Tulip, was completely wild and feral. This one was precise, knew exactly what he was doing... and enjoyed it.

As Silverstar's own momentum exhausted itself he stood firm. He flipped the spear around his neck and it came to a rest on his other front hoof in an assaulting manner. Silverstar could see the skin around his opponent's goggled eyes pull back. He could tell the pony's eyes were growing wider with delight.

Turnip's smile stretched his face to it's limit. He cocked his head with a look of admiration. Then shot his other fore hoof out to the side and extended the blade attached.

Silverstar's nostrils flared and he grit his teeth. He stomped his rear hoof as his facial expression almost roared, "NOW the fight can begin!"

Turnip's body hunched forward as his backward momentum slowed. His wings flexed and every pony could see the rippling muscles around the base of his wings. Which seemed so out of place on such a small pony. Yet, with a great force behind it, the wings flapped. He briefly slithered up and down like a snake, then shot forward with blurring speed.

Silverstar's hooves set the rest of his body in an oddly similar motion. Except in his case they sharply trotted left to right immediately giving his body extra momentum. When it finally came time he put his head down and launched himself forward already at full gallop. His spear ready to cut down the pegasus.

While it was never a long fight. To the ponies who were watching, it seemed to last an eternity. One filled with charges and retreats, with sidesteps and thrusts, and the ever present clanging of steel on steel. No pony dared take their eyes off the battle as they waited in breathless anticipation for a victor to emerge.

Only Tulip, still sitting in the same spot, merely yawned as if bored.

But before the fight could reach it's climax the ground shook underneath. Immediately Turnip leaped back. Both blades retracting before he skidded to a stop. He stared at the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. Silverstar likewise put a little distance between himself and Turnip, his own chest burning with exhaustion. And more then a little confused at the sudden halt in the fight.

Both cloaked ponies stared down at the rumbling earth. When it stopped they exchanged knowing looks then shot into the air. They made for a large rock that was protruding up through the ground next to the towns local tavern. There they abruptly came to a stop. As she landed, Tulip hugged the bolder and pressed her ear against it. Turnip simply sat down, watching patiently.

Silverstar though, not so patient at the sudden, and completely unnecessary end of their duel. He stomped forward.

"Hey, you low down son of a snake! Get back here!" he shouted.

No one in town made a move, nor did any pony understand what was happening here now. As Sheriff Silverstar reached his adversary he pointed his spear down, placing the tip right on Turnip's shoulder.

"We ain't finished, me and you!" He stated in a deep country draw which made the anger in his eyes all the more menacing.

In one quick action, Turnip jutted his left hoof out aiming it inches from Silverstar's eye. As he did, his cloak ruffled and fell down his leg. The sheriff flinched slightly at the speed of the movement but held firm.

As the cloak fell, it revealed the strange contraption that lay underneath. It covered the lower length of the leg from the base of the knee to the ankle, just above the hoof. Silverstar saw how the ingenious design could be employed by any pony. Since it allowed the wearer complete freedom of movement, yet provided both protection and a weapon. But that isn't what made Sheriff Silverstar, former member of an elite squad of guardsman, blood freeze in his veins.

For there, stamped on the front guard of the contraption was THE PERSONAL SEAL OF PRINCESS LUNA HERSELF!