//------------------------------// // Fight After Fight // Story: The Olden World // by Czar_Yoshi //------------------------------// Valey sidestepped a blow that shook the platform, her opponent wielding surprising strength for his size. He had an idea of how to use it, too, never getting stuck in a bad landing as he jumped and hopped around. It wasn't hard to notice the green glow of his magic surrounding his legs; the unicorn was using his aura to enhance his jumps and speed. Smart... She guessed it wasn't common to practice against an opponent who used tactics like that. Rather than taunting, she held her tongue, forgoing flashy backflips in favor of stepping out of the way so she could keep her eyes on him. This pony tried to mix up his fighting style. He clearly knew the dangers of being predictable... but he was still a one-trick pony, and she had dodged him for long enough to realize that trick's limits. No matter how he jumped and darted, she was expending far less energy, and he was growing tired first. At this rate, he would lose from attrition. He had to sneak something past her, and thanks to her cutie mark, Valey knew exactly when it was coming. Flash! With a pulse of energy, he dug his hooves into the stage and reversed momentum on a dodged counterattack far faster than should have been possible. Valey was halfway through a hoof swing meant to scare him away when he was already on his way back... and by the time he was able to look where he was going, she had converted her own momentum into a double-rear kick. With a nasty thwack to his jaw, the unicorn toppled backwards, hit by an attack that should have been far too risky for him to see coming. "Gotcha!" Valey was beneath him before he even landed, ready to juggle him with a flurry of blows and keep him airborne until he surrendered. "Nope, sorry!" Amber's voice chirped over the sound stone, Valey and Maple reclining in the Immortal Dream's observation room with the artifact sparkling in front of them. "Willow sends her best wishes, but she still isn't able to talk. I promise you'll see why in a week or two, though. This time I really promise!" Maple smiled faintly. "Amber, we've already gone over this, and if there are secrets you need to keep..." The stone went dim, and Maple sighed. "The last time she got like this was in the months leading up to my twenty-third birthday. She disappeared for long stretches of time each day, was extremely secretive, was cheerful every time someone confronted her about it... and it turned out she was spending that time making me a present. The girl built a small dock, all by herself, a mile or so south of Riverfall on the stream leading to the mountains... as a monument to our trip that way, that I could walk to whenever I missed the way things could have been. Not that we used it, of course. That wasn't long before I... You know. But still, it's exactly like she's being now. She knows she's suspicious and she has a surprise..." Her smile returned. "So don't worry about her, okay? I know Amber, and that's what's going on." "Cool..." Valey nodded. "That's cool. Bananas, I just wish I could figure her out too." Valey matched a punch from a huge boxing glove with a punch of her own, feeling her legs skid as her hooves failed to find sufficient purchase on the stage. Okay, not the way to do that! She ducked the next blow, a potbellied griffon with a spiky crest mercifully armoring his talons with padded, fingerless gloves. She could contest them without getting stabbed, at least. Whizz! Swish! She dodged two more in rapid succession. This griffon loved punches, and knew his way around them, but what else could he do? She knew better than to underestimate fighters for being old, but he wasn't giving her the feel of aged wisdom. Time to turn those strengths against him! Pop! Another jab shot forward, and Valey took it with her chest, grabbing on and hugging the big boxing glove with both forelegs. Served him right for copying her cutie mark. The griffon's muscle memory was too ingrained for him to react, and as he pulled the fist back, she shot along with it, curling her back upwards and bringing her hind legs up for a kick. With a smash, the griffon saw stars, and she relieved him of his glove, swapping it out as her hat and finishing him with a mighty boxing-gloved headbutt. "Yaaaaaaa!" "Look! Hey, look, Mom, it's her!" A bouncing, excitable pegasus colt knocked at a mare who was evidently his mother, finding himself dragged back by her aura. "She's the cool one who fought Uncle!" Valey blinked, folding her ears amid the crowd as she tried to exit the colosseum into Stormhoof proper. "Yeah...?" "Honey, please, it's not nice to draw attention to sarosians like that." His mother nipped him behind an ear, shooting an apologetic and slightly fearful look up at Valey. "Please, Ma'am, ignore us. We're not looking for trouble..." Valey frowned as they scuttled away. "Oh, come on! I don't bite..." She sighed, realizing she didn't even know which fighter the said uncle was. Whether she wanted the popularity or not, though, she was starting to be recognized. "Glory to Garsheeva! May her love, as deep as the Aldenfold, and her virtue, as pure as the moon, be revealed to the entire world!" Valey sized up her opponent as he uttered the familiar slogan she had come to associate with the Empire's most loyal guards and bureaucrats. He was a griffon of fine build and posture, and it wouldn't have been a stretch to guess he hailed from the guard as his background. A career fighter, likely chosen because he was the best in his platoon... She bowed her head for the saying, feeling this was someone she should show respect to. She was only a few battles in, and was already up against opponents who meant business. "Hmm." He cordially returned her bow. "Alright. Pleasantries done?" She cracked her wings. This griffon likely had a lot of tricks under his belt, and moved with an air of experience. The longer she let the battle go on, the more likely she was to misread danger and be caught off-guard, so her best bet was to end things fast. Wham! A streak of green trailed behind her as she flew a hoof into his space, letting it be caught by a talon. Her momentum uninterrupted, she twisted off him, forcing him to make a split-second decision between a counterstrike and defending against a follow-up. He took the latter, snapping out a wing and wrapping it around her other foreleg before it could hit the back of her head. For anyone else, it would have been a bad position, but Valey had a critical advantage he couldn't see: more time to think through fast situations. She rolled with the wing, flipping her hindquarters through the air and forcing an emergency dodge to avoid being mounted, the griffon releasing her first hoof so he didn't trip. That was all she needed. His other wing came in to pick up the slack, and as her free hoof baited it, the rest of her body coiled around beneath, slamming her rear legs up toward his belly. The griffon made a last attempt to dodge, but Valey clung on and threw him out of balance, grappling and restraining him as he tripped. "Ugh... You're fast..." he breathed through her headlock. "Take your win with dignity, please..." It was a request she had no problem granting. "How did you know about this place!?" Senescey's jaw dropped, and she regarded Valey with a look of awe. "Eh. I've got a good contact." Valey shrugged, grinned, and stepped into a dark tavern, the sarosian staffing the bar giving them a won't-ask-questions look. "I take it it's a good one?" Senescey nodded, Gerardo and Slipstream not far behind them. "It's not easy to find, either..." As they sat down and ordered food, the yellow-maned pony looked around, eventually watching Valey. "Thanks for inviting me," she said. "I really do appreciate just... after what we talked about..." "Being friends?" Valey shrugged. "Yeah, I talked it over with some other friends and the general agreement seems to be that you're cool. So don't worry. I just... y'know... have totally been there too, and it stinks." "Well, like I said, thanks." Senescey beamed, then turned to Gerardo and Slipstream. "And thanks to you, too, since you haven't really met me before." "Ah ah!" Gerardo waggled a talon at her. "A growing network of friends and acquaintances is quite a nice thing, indeed. Please, it's my pleasure." He bowed, still wearing his vaguely tuxedo-like uniform. "Besides, a little bird told me you had troubles of your own to take your mind off of, and if there's one thing I know how to do well, it's treat an audience. Care to be regaled by the legendary saga of Ironridge?" Valey nodded along contentedly as Gerardo began. They'd discussed beforehoof what could be said and what to omit, and all in all decided it would be a great way to spend an afternoon. "Bluuurrrrrgh!" An angry pegasus struggled to get up, then fell silent, Valey standing on him after flipping him through the air in a final slam. The crowd roared its approval as Howe counted and declared him out, and Valey stepped off, allowing the defeated stallion to be carried away by officials. "Hooo-whee!" Howe swaggered with his rapier microphone, extending a wing and giving Valey a feathery thumbs-up. "My friend, I believe noble congratulations are in order: out of all the challengers who entered, there are now fewer than one hundred and fifty remaining! Counting Regents that have been used to expel competitors, you are now in competition for a grand total of eighty-seven slots... Are you in the top half of all Regent-bearers who remain!? I'll tell you one thing: you haven't lost a battle yet! Not even had a close shave! I think a round of congratulations are in order! Let's hear it for Admiral Valey, the terror and savior of Ironridge!" The crowd's approval intensified, Neon Nova's loudspeaker-powered voice cutting through the din. "Of course, the tournament mainstays have been duking it out too, you know! Sorted from who's best to who's worst based on their performances kicking the challengers out the door! So these last few battles will be the toughest... Bring your A-game, one and all! We're kicking the heat up a notch for an exciiiting finish!" Valey nodded along, not overly concerned. Whoever she fought, she'd fight... and like Howe said, she hadn't come even close to losing, and needed two consecutive losses to get out. Holding her head high, she trotted from the arena, relishing the cool darkness of the tunnels once again. Clangggggg! A wooden sword trembled in Valey's grip, but didn't slip, captured in a vicelike gem that blocked it from hitting Starlight's face. The filly grunted under the pressure of holding her strength back, but Valey relented, fell back, and Starlight dropped the shield... and Valey immediately came at her again, swinging from the least-predictable angle. Flash! Starlight's horn restored the shield, its notch and angle just good enough to catch the blade again. Starlight grinned, holding it there with her protected hoof, horn glowing. "I'm getting stronger!" "Yeah you are!" Valey congratulated, grinning back. "Now-" In a surprise move, copying what she had seen Puddles do, Starlight dropped, channeling her horn's energy into the ground. A crystalline streak flowed its way along the sandy floor like fast-moving rainwater, congregating below Valey before the spell focused its power, freezing and binding her hooves to the ground. Starlight concentrated, holding both it and the shield at the same time, and looked up for approval, a trickle of sweat making its way into her brow. Valey whistled. "Good stuff." She stretched a wing, flicking the sweat away and then extinguishing Starlight's horn. "Not a lot of regular mooks who will see that coming." "Are we done for the day?" Starlight panted, taking a moment to drink from a bucket of water and then sticking her horn in it for good measure. "Yup!" Valey patted her on the back, proudly shaking herself off. "And maybe for the next few days, too. I gotta think of what to work on next now that you've pretty much got that down." Starlight glowed with praise, following her mentor up and out of the training room. The gleam of talons sliced the air, Valey ducking through the furious offense of a griffon who wanted nothing more than to carve her face. Talons weren't fair! But this wasn't about to be the battle that ended her perfect streak of never taking an unintentional hit. This griffon had blind spots, and it was up to her to exploit them. She pumped her wings, flapping in a speedy circle around the perimeter of the ring. Her enemy quickly read her speed, targeting a slash for exactly where she would be... so Valey hit the ground and rolled, then jumped again, watching as her foe reacted quickly, yet not quickly enough. Talons stabbed low, right where she would have landed, but Valey jumped over them, landing on the griffon's back. Only her beak could get her there, and Valey was well aware of that, a hoof ready and waiting to intercept the murderous peck-weapon. Whud! The griffon twisted her neck to attack, and Valey twisted it further, catching her with a right hook straight from where she wasn't looking. This was a foe who was too dangerous to grapple, so she used the distraction to stomp with all four hooves at once, pounding her back into the ground. The griffon gasped, buckled and fell, Valey preventing her from rolling mid-trip so her talons remained pointed in a useless direction. "Raaaugh!" The griffon struggled, so Valey punched her head again, peppering her with blows until she couldn't take it anymore. With a final burst of strength, her adversary slipped away, but by then they were limping, moving stiffly and barely ready to manage an assault. Valey slipped straight through the flailing of claws, delivering a final face kick that toppled her opponent once and for all. "Behold, the challenger stands victorious," Howe intoned, the griffon being taken away. "Three cheers for Admiral Valey!" Maple stood with Starlight in a well-lit street, stores with windows open to display all sorts of warm-weather garments. "You want to buy this?" Starlight questioned, pointing a hoof at the dresses. "Well... I think it would be nice," Maple murmured in self-defense. "Besides, wouldn't you like to feel pretty? I bet we could make you look good too, and we're looking good for money ever since Gazelle showed up again and asked if we needed a stipend." Starlight stared, imagining herself with a bow in her mane. Maybe for Maple... Only for Maple. But she would do it. "Well, okay," she relented, feeling well-rested after several days' break from sparring with Valey. "If you really-" "Excuse me..." A nearby griffon cleared his throat, dressed in Stormhoof guard armor but looking like he was off-duty. "Are you talking to us?" Maple instantly shrank an inch, and Starlight took a step closer. The guard smiled and waved, nodding at Starlight. "At ease, there. Just thought I recognized you! You're the filly who's always training with that one up-and-comer who's getting talked about in the castle, right? Admiral Valey?" "Yeah..." Starlight eyed him warily, trying not to look outwardly suspicious. "Woah! Easy there." The guard chuckled, turning to leave. "Just wanted to say keep it up! You guys are fun to watch, sometimes." As he disappeared into the crowd, Maple shuddered, and Starlight nudged her. "Are you okay? I know you don't like guards..." "No, he was fine." Maple shook her head. "I just guess Wallace was right about us becoming more visible because of the tournament. He was friendly, but people know we're connected to Valey, now..." "Feeling good," Valey muttered to herself, stepping out of the shadows and towards the fighting ring. She had been waiting for this match for half an hour, but it had been suddenly delayed, her opponent missing due to a sudden case of food poisoning likely attributed to the foe he had been meant to face before. The tournament organizers had spent the time trying to find someone else for her to face, and she still wasn't briefed on the results. "Alright. Time to pound another bad guy." "Ha-ha," Howe ominously greeted as she hopped up the steps to the empty ring. "Admiral Valey approaches! The second round is well into its heat now, fearless challenger! Two or three rounds may be all that remain..." He raised a red-and-black eyebrow. "Have you come to bring what it takes!?" "Yeah, I'm good." Valey adjusted her hat. "Is, uhhh... I was supposed to get out here, right? Where's the dude I'm fighting?" Howe fidgeted, somehow managing to make even the act of fidgeting grandiose. "Oh, he's on his way." Suddenly, a gigantic shadow eclipsed Valey, before moving to the opposite corner of the ring. With a storm of feathers, a presence appeared, the force of its landing nearly knocking her off her hooves. "Being on my way is a thing of the past, young Howe," a voice boomed, and an enormous wing stretched out of the ring to pat Howe on the head, deforming even his massively-gelled mane. "Because I am here!" A white smile twinkled, a mustache cracked, and Valey found herself looking face to face at Wallace Whitewing. "Are you ready?"