Knights of Harmony, Episode I: Rise of the Elements

by bahatumay

Chapter 9

Twilight walked around her students, calling out instructions. “Low block! Low parry! High strike! Step back, parry midsection! Overhead strike! High block! Shoulder guard!” Twilight stopped in front, a little smile playing at her lips. “Good!” she said proudly. “I can see you’ve all been practicing.”

Rainbow deactivated her lightsaber and flipped the handle around her hand. “You know it,” she grinned.

“I forget how advanced you are,” Twilight said humbly. “You’ve improved so much in just three days.” She met each of their eyes. “And I think we’re ready for actual sparring.”

Rainbow visibly brightened. “Sweet!” She thrust her hand in the air. “I call firsties!”

Twilight chuckled as she retrieved a few items from a storage locker. “Very well.” She tossed her a red wristband. “Put this on. If we’re sparring, we’re going to do it right.”

---

Underneath Twilight’s ship, there was an empty area, cleared to the bare dirt of all debris. Twilight finished drawing a wide circle with her lightsaber, marking the boundary of the ring. “Good,” she said, self-satisfied. She walked back to the center, and drew two lines in the center, approximately one pace apart. “Rainbow Dash, you’re on the right. Rarity, on the left. Spike will referee.”

“What, you don’t want to be in here with us?” Rainbow asked jokingly, twisting the red cord around her wrist.

“More like draconian scales are naturally resistant to lightsabers,” Twilight answered, “so he’s been a center referee ever since he learned the rules.”

Spike buffed his claws against his chest. He wore similar wristbands, one on each side. He stepped forward to the center between both contestants. He held both arms up, and then brought them down in a semblance of the two bowing to each other.

“Salute.” Twilight demonstrated by flicking her lightsaber up in front of her face, then down.

Rarity repeated the action. Rainbow saluted by bringing her hand up to her face and extending two fingers before curling them around and bringing them down, in what was clearly supposed to be a salute but looked eerily familiar to a rude hand gesture in some systems. Rarity recognized it; she scowled, and her hand tightened around her lightsaber. The briefest of smirks crossed Rainbow’s face.

Spike held one hand between them, and then, with a sharp hiss that was more of a piercing whistle, scampered back out of the way; a clear signal to start.

Rainbow Dash circled, and Rarity followed suit. Rainbow bounced rapidly, as if looking for any opening; Rarity walked with her head held high.

“Don’t cross your feet,” Twilight warned. “Shuffle. Always shuffle!”

Rarity shuffled. Rainbow feinted, and Rarity spun out of the way.

Twilight grimaced. That had been far too slow, and she’d let her lightsaber hang. A skilled fighter would have taken advantage of that. Twilight would have slashed at the ribs, likely slicing her in half as she turned around. Sunset Shimmer would have darted in front and passed the lightsabers under her own arms, running the lightsaber through her opponent’s chest without even turning around. But then again, that was Sunset Shimmer, and no one was quite as good as she.

Rainbow jumped forward, jabbing, and Rarity instinctively tried blocking it by bringing her lightsaber hilt down. Twilight cringed because even if she had managed to get there in time, Rainbow’s lightsaber would have passed right through the handle and hit her anyway. As it was, Rarity yipped in pain and stumbled back. Her recoil was too strong; she ended up tripping over her rear foot and hitting the ground hard right on her hindquarters.

Twilight winced as Spike separated the two. Maybe it was a good thing they’d started this so early.

Spike dipped his head gallantly and helped Rarity up. Rarity gave him a wink.

Twilight rolled her eyes.

---

Applejack ignited her lightsaber and grinned.

Fluttershy ignited hers and leaned back.

Twilight bit her lower lip. That was off-balance, even for a nautolan. Not a good way to start a match.

It didn’t get any better when Spike whistled to actually start that match. Applejack shuffled forward, lightsaber held in front of her—and Fluttershy stepped back.

Twilight pursed her lips. She knew where this was going, even before Fluttershy crossed up.

Sure enough, as Applejack kept advancing, Fluttershy kept retreating; and Applejack only got one good swing in before Fluttershy left the circle completely (with an accompanying squeak). Spike whistled and held up two fingers for the penalty points, and Twilight put her head in her hands.

---

Pinkie Pie smirked and ignited one pinksaber. Rarity followed suit. At the whistle, Pinkie Pie started by flicking her lightsaber up. Rarity’s eyes followed. She flicked it over to the other side. Rarity’s eyes followed.

Then she skipped forward and slashed almost off-handedly, slashing under her arm. Rarity blocked it, clumsily and with one hand up by her face; but block it she did.

Twilight bit her lower lip. That might have worked, if Pinkie were to then continue spinning the other way around and kicking out with her hind leg. But if Rarity were faster, she would have pushed back and bisected Pinkie before she had a chance to fully spin.

Neither of these things happened, of course. They merely separated and sized each other up again, walking in a small circle. It was stiff and awkward, but at least they were moving.

Pinkie spun her lightsaber around her hand, making it hum vibrantly. It was a bright pink circular blur, and Twilight was fairly impressed at her dexterity.

Rarity, however, remained focused. Knowing that she could not get through the pink blur, she elected instead to go for the weakest link—Pinkie’s hand. She attempted a jab right in the center; and, to the surprise of many, actually hit. Pinkie pulled her hand away as if she had been burned (which she had), and her lightsaber twirled away out of her grasp. It clattered on the ground, and Rarity pulled back slightly.

“Keep going!” Twilight urged. “A real fight doesn’t stop there! Pinkie, think fast!”

Rarity swung. Pinkie sidestepped, moving faster than she looked able to. She ducked under the second swing, and, still crouched, stretched out her hand. Her pinksaber rattled, and much more quickly than Twilight had expected, shot back towards her hand.

Rarity brought her lightsaber down, wisely going for Pinkie’s outstretched hand. Pinkie pulled it back just in time, and paused just long enough to look up at Rarity and stick her tongue out…

And thus losing her concentration.

Propelled by its momentum, her lightsaber handle kept flying and slammed right into a very sensitive part of Pinkie’s anatomy.

“Ooh! Owie…” Pinkie collapsed onto her knees, hands clamped protectively between her legs, and her lightsaber handle rolled almost cheekily away.

Twilight exhaled and rested her face in her hand. “We have a lot of work to do.”

Spike looked over his shoulder from his comforting position at Pinkie’s side and hissed an agreement.

Comments

[badninja]

Poor Twilight, all of her apprentices are going to test her. Hopefully they can start showing some improvement. Also great to see this story back!

[Marauder15]

Nice to have you back