I'd recommend switching "Formatting" from "Light" to "Dark" for best reading experience when different colored text shows up.
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Tick-tok, tick-tok...
Burst Lightning Round
Here, all the fights are settled without an analysis.
All fighters!
All action!
No research!
Lightning Round!
Start the clock and... go!
---Twilight Sparkle & Spike vs. Corrin & Jakob---
(Friendship is Magic vs. Fire Emblem Fates)
The camera pans over a forest area. Sunlight cannot pierce the heavy foliage of the canopy. It is difficult to see the set of hoof prints left behind by a traveler. She trots while carrying a small passenger. Eventually, the pair reaches a circular clearing. Here, the audience can see the lavender alicorn and the young dragon.
A bluish glow appears on the other side of the clearing. Two figures emerge and set foot out of the glow. One is in a unique armor, yet barefoot. The other figure is in an elegant outfit of a butler. The butler sighs and mutters something to the other person. Despite the clearing's available light, it is difficult to determine the armored individual's eyes or hairstyle.
Everyone in the area suddenly stands alert as they notice the individuals in the opposite party. The screen splits to show all four of their faces, save for the indistinguishable person.
Live and let die!
Fight!
"You have my support." Jakob pulls out a dagger and follows Corrin as she runs.
Corrin jumps into the air and spins her Yato around. As she comes in close, Twilight Sparkle yelps and hops out of the way. Corrin's blade hits the ground and kicks up dirt. Jakob throws his dagger at the surprised alicorn. Spike takes a deep breath and expels a huge green flame at the incoming dagger.
Somewhere far away, Celestia looks confused as a dagger falls to the floor right in front of her.
Meanwhile, Corrin runs in for another swing of her sword. Twilight teleports out of the way, appearing behind the attacker. The Nohrian princess makes a confused mutter, just in time for a blast of magic to hit her in the back. Jakob runs forth, with another dagger being held over his head in a swift strike against the pony.
Spike jumps off Twilight's back and onto Jakob's face. As the dragon slashes his claws against Jakob's exposed skin, the butler grunts in pain and attempts to pull him off. Corrin sheathes her Yato and pulls out a shiny, blue stone. The stone's light surrounds her, and her body grows and twists. Twilight holds up a wing to cover her eyes from the expanding light.
When the light fades away, Twilight chances a peek. She gasps and her eyes go wide at the sight. Where there was a human, there now stands a large dragon with long limbs, wings, and horns. It roars and magically conjures a small whirlpool of water around itself. The large dragon reaches out a claw and pulls Spike off of Jakob's face.
The butler takes a few short breaths and composes himself. "Sorry to be a bother."
Twilight channels a short burst of dark magic and shoots a green and purple beam. It hits the large dragon's wrist, eliciting pain and forcing her to drop the younger dragon. Corrin growls while clenching her wrist with her other front limb. She stomps the ground and spins around, lashing out her tail in the process. The alicorn flaps her wings and flies just an inch out of the tail's reach.
Thinking quickly, Twilight flies straight up while Spike holds onto her. After gaining some altitude, she lifts her head and channels a large amount of magic into her horn. A light surrounds Corrin as she shifts back into human form. She holds up her sword Yato defensively. At that moment, Twilight unleashes a beam straight down upon the clearing.
"Well... how irksome," Jakob comments.
As Corrin braces for the inevitable impact, Jakob jumps over. He shoves her into some of the surrounding foliage. The beam hits the ground, and the light from the magenta explosion reaches most of the clearing.
Corrin manages to sit up, when she thinks she sees Jakob vanish. "No!"
In the sky, Twilight breathes heavily. Her fatigue affects her flight pattern as she slowly descends lower. Spike looks at her in concern. His eye glances down idly, when it suddenly opens wider. A silver and blue claw jerks up and grabs the alicorn out of the low sky.
With her Dragon Fang skill, Corrin slams Twilight into the ground. She follows up by spin-slashing her sword while her head resembles the face and horns of her dragon self. The head changes back to normal when her free arm twists and contorts into some hybrid cross between her dragon's front claws. The "hand" unleashes a fast-traveling orb of water, which then smacks the dazed Twilight squarely in the chest.
The alicorn is sent flying into a tree trunk and she falls to the ground, groaning. Spike lands on the ground, and he grits his fangs in determination and fury. He exhales a huge burst of orange fire. Corrin lets out a final yelp, as the overwhelming heat sends her falling onto her back. Her sword plants itself right next to her.
Spike gasps and turns around. "Twilight!"
"Spike?" Twilight murmurs as she pulls herself to her hooves. She holds a hoof up to her chest and grunts with one eye open.
The bruised Jakob pulls himself along the ground with one arm. His exhausted eyes stare ahead.
"You've let yourself get quite filthy, Master Corrin."
Corrin lets out an strained chuckle, before she falls unconscious.
K.O.!
This Lightning Round's winner is... Team Twilight Sparkle!
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---Princess Luna & The Tantabus vs. Jackie Estacado & The Darkness---
(MLP:FiM vs. The Darkness)
What is a dream? Is it not the temporary reality for one to experience while a physical body takes refuge? And what is a world that is neither dark nor light? Or is it both bright as day and black as night? It doesn't matter, I suppose.
A pony of shady colors floats through this space, devoid of specific time. Similarly, a well-dressed man wanders around, muttering curse words under his breath. They halt in place and see each other as a potential threat. A light purple cloud dances out of the pony's chest piece. A couple of serpentine heads sprout out of the man's back and over his shoulders.
Let out your rage!
Begin!
Jackie Estacado pulls out a couple pistols and fires six shots from each. The Darkness hisses and growls as its essence seems to be tugged by these weapons. The Tantabus floats up and blocks the shots. It then surrounds Luna, drawing pained moans as it swirls around her, contorting her form. Eyes glow a piercing turquoise. Teeth sharpen into fangs as a maniacal laugh leaves her mouth. Nightmare Moon is the new challenger!
The newly altered alicorn fires a spiral of dark magic. It hits Jackie and he grunts as he slides back.
You are weak, Jackie.
"*Eff* off and heal me." Jackie spits to the side.
The Darkness's faces start eating the dark magic residue on Jackie's chest, practically breathing the black stuff in. He twirls his pistols and shoots some more Darkness bullets. Nightmare Moon and the Tantabus fly around in a zigzagging pattern. Missed shots bounce off the surrounding stalactites and stalagmites of charred rocks.
The Tantabus touches some of the rocks it passes. These stalactites grow into some unsteady golems that crawl after the enemy. Jackie steps back several paces while firing shots at the living rocks. The Darkness heads chip in by slashing golems that get too close. They also somehow find some fleshy tissue in the golems' chests and munch on that. Ew...
Nightmare Moon uses this distraction to fire a magic bolt at the ceiling. "Moon, shine down!"
Whether this is reality or a dream, the background picture shows a full moon. Its pale light shines into the rocky cave room. The dark serpent heads scream and hide.
Stay out of the light!
Jackie dives behind the shadow of a stalagmite and waits. He then pulls out a regular rifle and fires a few shots at some random lamp posts. The Darkness gathers a moment to breathe in some of the fresh shadows. One of its heads pulls out something from within itself that looks like a swirling vortex. It tosses this mini-vacuum up into the room.
The dark vacuum turns into a portable black hole. It sucks up a lot of the nearby rocks and debris. The Tantabus roars as it is also sucked into the black hole. Upon losing her dream partner, Nightmare Moon flashes and shrinks back down to default Luna. She flaps her wings hard to fight against the black hole's pull.
As soon as it appears, the black hole suddenly explodes. The blast releases all of its contents into random parts of the room. Jackie ducks to avoid getting hit. Luna isn't so lucky as she gets peppered by several pebbles at once. She doesn't even hear the flip of the man's pistol.
"Lights out, horse-face."
*Bang!*
The newly headless mare falls to the cave floor like a rag doll. The Tantabus forms into a semi-large alicorn shape and growls in intimidation. The Darkness is more than happy to chew up the cloud-like beast in its entirety. One of the heads even exhales a belch while using the other head as a napkin.
"Who were those two?"
Do you even care?
Jackie stows away his pistols. "No. I don't give a *ess*."
Kill out!
This Lightning Round's victory goes to... Jackie Estacado.
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Next time on Death Battle...
A rumbling noise sounds like a cross between a yell and a roar. Two blazing fires clash in the center of the screen.