//------------------------------// // Chapter Four; Arena of Elysium // Story: I'll Bring You Home // by Kodeake //------------------------------// I’ll Bring You Home Chapter Four; Arena of Elysium A mare landed on her hooves in a grassy field, skidding to a stop. She blinked, blinded by an intense light for a moment. She held up a hoof, blocking out and squinting to see. Slowly her eyes adjusted to a large, empty clearing. Grass surrounded her, and endless blue sky stretched on above her. In the center of the clearing was a large, circular building of stone pillars and arches with an open roof. She breathed deeply of the warm air, the lingering scent of grass on the air. She’d not smelled grass in so very long. She paused, lowering her hoof and blinking the spots from her eyes. Where… was she? The grassy field was bordered on all sides by a deep chasm, beyond which she could see more grassy fields. The mare looked behind her and say a wooden suspension bridge stretching across the chasm, fading into a cloud of fog that seemed to just engulf the bridge. Beyond the fog was yet another grassy field. “Hello?” She called. Or, rather, tried to call. Becoming aware of a large metallic thing clenched in her jaw. Curious, she spat it out into her hoof, examining a purple six pointed star. Twilight. Something within the mare jolted at the sight. A name came to mind, but that was all. A name… What was her name? Who… was she? Her mind started whirling at a million miles an hour, searching for something - anything. But there was nothing. She couldn’t remember anything, about who she was or where she was. All she could remember was that name; Twilight. And… something else. Twilight… needed her? She needed Twilight? This Twilight pony was important, she knew. “My, it’s been a long time since someone has crossed the Lethe. Longer, still, since they’ve been able to resist becoming a shade. You’re rather interesting,” a deep, masculine voice said. The mare jumped, snapping her head around. Next to the bridge sat a large patio chair, atop which laid a fairly nondescript gryphon. A brown coat and white feathers tipped with a dark blue hue. Despite his words he seemed wholly uninterested as he reclined on his back, staring at the sky through a pair of tinted lenses. The mare quirked her head. “Where am I?” The gryphon examined a talon. “Welcome to Elysium. Or, rather, the entrance to Elysium.” “Where’s that?” “Ah-ah,” the gryphon tsked, shaking his claw back and forth. “That’s not how this works; you asked your question, now I get to ask mine. Who are you?” “I…” she trailed off, frowning as she stared down at her cyan hooves. As though looking for a clue she looked back at her cutie mark, a colourful lightning bolt. Was her name Bolt? No, that wasn’t right. Her brow creased. It was on the tip of her tongue, she was sure of it! The gryphon grew impatient. “Well, let’s try something a little easier then. Tell me what you do remember. There must be something still in there, if you’re not a shade.” “Twilight,” the mare answered without hesitation, surprising herself. “There’s… somepony I need to find. Twilight is her name.” “Ahh, I see.” Finally the gryphon stood from his chair, languidly stretching as he stepped up to the pegasus mare. He was taller than her by at least two heads. He sniffed, his eyes growing wide. “You’re alive, as well. Well now, you certainly are a fascinating creature.” The pegasus took a step back from his imposing stature. “Can you help me find her?” He laughed, shaking his head. “You don’t even remember who you are yet, and you’re already wanting to look for this Twilight of yours? Well, I suppose to carry you across the Lethe this mare would have to be quite special. I assure you; if she is here, you need not be in a rush. Now, try again; what is your name?” She looked again to her cutie mark, noticing it on the clasps of her saddle bags. A lightning bolt. A rainbow lightning bolt. She gasped. “Rainbow…” her tongue rolled over the name slowly, and it stuck, bringing with it; “Dash. Rainbow Dash.” “Very good. You can ask me one, if you wish.” He seemed to be enjoying this little game of questions. Rainbow squinted at her saddlebags, then to the pendant around her neck. “Where is Elysium? I’m from Equestria.” The gryphon frowned almost imperceptibly. “You know, usually you’re supposed to ask my name after giving yours; it’s the polite thing to do.” When the mare didn’t alter her question any, he sighed. “Fine. Elysium is… well, it’s eternal paradise for those who were worthy in life. You’re in the realm of the dead, little mare.” “The… dead?” Rainbow Dash echoed, once again taking stock of her surroundings. It seemed pretty normal to her. She gasped. “A-am I…?” He laughed again. “No, somehow you journeyed here alive. Honestly it’s quite impressive. However, that was two questions, so I get to ask two now, too. Who are you?” Rainbow gave him an odd look. “I told you; I’m Rainbow Dash.” “No, little mare; I know your name. I want to know who you are. What were you in the land of the living? What was your job? Your dream? Where did you live? Who is Rainbow Dash?” She took a moment to ponder his question. Slowly, more memories came back, seamingly being dragged back from the abyss with her name acting as an anchor. “I… I was a Wonderbolt. I lived in Ponyville with my friends, and I-” Rainbow paused, her jaw hung open as memories rushed back to her. “I’m the Element of Loyalty.” The gryphon grinned at her. “And why did you come to the land of the dead?” “Twilight,” she said, and suddenly everything fell back into place, and once more Rainbow Dash was Rainbow Dash. “My friend, Twilight, she died. I’m here to bring her back.” He laughed. Hard. Rainbow just watched as he doubled over, cackling madly. He barely managed to calm himself enough to say; “Truly, you are a remarkable mare, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty. To not only enter the land of the dead in search of your fallen friend, but to retain yourself across the Lethe… most would consider you standing before me impossible.” “I’ve done a lot of impossible things,” she growled, taking a suspicious step away from the gryphon. “Who are you? And why did I forget everything?” He regained his composure, clearing his throat gruffly. “You forgot yourself because you crossed the Lethe; one of the rivers bordering the underworld, separating it from the Elysian Fields. The river is where most souls go when they die; those who were neither exceptional enough to reach Elysium or evil enough to be locked in Tartarus are christened in its waters. Their mortal memories are lost, so that they may be reborn back into the realm of the living. When you crossed the Lethe it tried to do the same to you. It washed your soul of your life, but your devotion to this Twilight of yours brought you back. “As for who I am,” he paused, bowing low to the ground. “My name is Cronus, and I am the guardian of the Elysian Fields. I’m the one you seek.” Rainbow quirked an eyebrow. “How’s that?” Cronus motioned to the colosseum sat in the middle of the field with a grand, sweeping gesture. “If you’re looking for your friend in Elysium, I’ll be the one who decides if you’re worthy or not to enter the fields. This is the Elysian Coliseum.” “You said I was already in Elysium.” Rainbow argued. “I said you were at the entrance to Elysium,” Cronus corrected, walking towards the coliseum and motioning with a wing for the mare to follow. “I’ll admit; I’m quite impressed with you already, so I have no problems in giving you a fair trial. However, I must still test your worth if you wish to enter Elysium proper.” Rainbow Dash hesitated, watching him cautiously. “Am I just supposed to trust you?” Cronus looked back over his shoulder, giving the mare a shrug. “I suppose that’s up to you, isn’t it? If you wish to enter Elysium, you must prove yourself worthy in the arena. If you want to stand around debating whether you can trust me, well, I won’t stop you. I’ve grown rather bored of the trials, anyway.” Glancing around, Rainbow took stock of where she was. This certainly wasn’t the same underworld she’d been traveling through up until now. It was bright and sunny, lush green grass beneath her hooves. She could feel a gentle wind rolling through her mane, and if she focused she could hear the gentle babbling of water from the chasm she’d crossed. If the Elysian Fields were supposed to be paradise, this sure seemed to fit the bill. She was snapped out of her reverie as she realized the gryphon had gone on without her, already nearing the large stadium in the center of the field. Deciding it best to at least see what he was talking about, Rainbow moved to catch up, only to stop dead in her tracks as she noticed the black shape beneath her hooves. Her shadow. Heart suddenly beating a mile a minute, Rainbow backed away from it, only for it to follow her. Her wings sprang open and just as she was about to launch herself into the relative safety of the sky she felt a claw settle over her back.   “Easy,” Cronus said calmly, suddenly appearing beside her. He motioned to his own shadow, which mimicked his action. “They’re normal shadows, not the shades you likely experienced wandering the underworld.” Rainbow took a long, slow breath. “Right… okay… I knew that.” The gryphon chuckled, shaking his head. “Sure you did. Come on; if you want to find this Twilight of yours you’re not out of the woods yet. The coming trial will not be easy.” Keeping one eye on her shadow, the pegasus complied. Ahead the colosseum loomed over her, polished stone pillars holding up arches that reached at least four stories up. It reminded her of the one back in Cloudsdale, but this one felt different. It looked similar, but it had an intimidating aura about it that made her remember that she was still technically in the underworld. Cronus seemed to notice the crease forming on her forehead. “If you’d like to take some time to prepare yourself, you can-” “No,” Rainbow said, firmly. “Twi’s waiting for me. I’ve taken long enough to get here as it is.” The gryphon smirked at her. “Curious little mare indeed,” he muttered to himself as they passed through one of the central arches into a short stone passageway. Some tunnels lead off on either side, their destinations hidden around the curve of the building, but ahead was exactly like the stadium in Cloudsdale; an open arena. Rainbow couldn’t help but marvel up at the structure as she came out once more into the light of the sun, seats all around them forming a bowl right up to the top of the walls. “Welcome to the Arena of Elysium,” Cronus announced, throwing out his talons and wings in a grand gesture. “Here your worth shall be tested in trial by combat, as is the ancient tradition.” Rainbow noticed a weapon rack next to the entrance she’d come through. “Great,” she said, walking over to it and inspecting the various weaponry she found there. “Let’s get this show on the road.” “Not so fast, little mare.” He snapped his claw, and suddenly Rainbow was in front of him in the center of the arena. “There are a few things we must discuss. Namely, the rules. First-” Cronus motioned to a painted white ring in the dirt, running along the circumference of the stadium. “To win is to either kill your opponent, make them surrender, or force them out of the ring. “You have free reign over any weapon of your choice,” he nodded to the weapon rack, “If it’s not there, I can provide it.” Again he snapped his claw, and Rainbow Dash felt her saddlebags disappear from her back. A moment of panic was cut short as she saw them reappear next to the rack, the pendant from around her neck sitting on top. “Nothing is permitted inside the ring except you and your weapon. Anything already within the ring is fair game. “Finally, you are to offer something of equal value as tribute.” Rainbow tilted her head. “What?” Cronus’s smile made her skin crawl. “If you win, you gain the right to live in eternal paradise. You must offer something of equal value to be lost if you fail.” “That’s ridiculous! I don’t have anything like that!” “Most offer their soul in exchange for a chance at Elysium. You are welcome to do the same; if you win, you’re free to come and go from the fields as you see fit. If you lose, your soul will be sentenced to eternal damnation in the depths of Tartarus. Eternal paradise, or eternal punishment. An equal wager, yes? Unless you have something else to offer you believe to be of equal value?” Rainbow’s voice caught in her throat. How could she agree to those terms? What if she lost? She’d…  “That’s fine by me,” she said before she could think about it, much to Cronus’s evident pleasure. It didn’t matter what the risk was; she wasn’t going to lose. “Very well.” He snapped his claw and was gone. His voice came from somewhere high up in the spectator seats. “You have five minutes to select a weapon and prepare yourself for your trial.” A large hourglass appeared in the center of the ring, at least four times as tall as she was, its sand already flowing. Running over to the weapon rack, Rainbow examined the offered weapons. Swords, spears, shields, all of various styles. If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t have the faintest clue what to do with any of it. Usually if she got into a fight her hooves alone were enough to take care of it, and Equestria hadn’t had much need for weapons in a very long time. However, she doubted highly she’d make it through a combat trial without a proper weapon. Her first instinct of a simple sword was debated for a time, until she caught sight of something strange laying at the edge of the rack. It was a long, thin blade attached to a leather band. She’d seen pictures of them before, and Daring Do had used one once, but wing blades had long faded into history. From what she remembered, they were specially designed for the fastest fliers; lightweight and maneuverable. Rainbow grinned, picking them up. “An excellent choice,” Cronus said as she slipped the leather band over her wing, sliding it along until it was pressed against her back. The blade extended along the leading edge of her wing, protruding a few inches. Her other wing got the same, and she stepped back into the ring, watching the sand slowly drain. Taking a moment to experiment with the blades and how they moved. Mounted from near the base of her wings, they followed her movements but limited her flexibility. Nodding to herself, she took a moment to close her eyes and breath deeply. In her mind’s eye she visualized Twilight watching from the stands, cheering her on. Rainbow opened her eyes in time to see the last of the sand fall. Cronus snapped his talon. In place of the hourglass before her was the armour clad skeleton of a pony. Its bones clicked together as it shuffled towards her slowly, the armour seeming to be the only thing holding it together. The metal looked as ancient as the bones it protected, visibly rusting and dented. She had to stop herself from scoffing as she crouched low, strafing to the side as it approached. Was that it? “Round one has begun. Subdue or ring out your opponent by any means necessary.” “Round one? How many- whoa!” Rainbow was forced to jump to the side as the skeleton lunged at her, a sword she hadn’t noticed before clutched in its jaw. Its bones rattled as it whirled around and went for another strike that was dodged just the same as Rainbow jumped back. She flicked her wing, holding it level and feeling her blade follow the motion. Just as the skeleton made for another swipe she charge forward, ducking under the sword and slamming her wing into it, hitting the chestplate just below its exposed neck and glancing off. Cursing under her breath, Rainbow didn’t notice in time as her enemy recovered from the missed blow and swung. She tried to dodge, but the blade managed to catch her flank before she could fully get out of reach. Rainbow yelped, a small gash weeping blood down her hind leg. Glancing back and seeing it wasn’t deep or serious, Rainbow jumped into the air. “Let’s see how you like this one.” She flew nearly straight up before looping and coming down, the skeleton staring up at her with its blade ready. Grinning, Rainbow rolled so she was on her back - and on the other side from the swing of its sword - and felt her blade hit its mark. The bones were hard, but her blade was sharp and with minimal resistance is sliced clean through the vertebrae holding the skull to the body. She heard the thunk of the helmet hiding the dirt, and turned to watch as the remaining bones fell apart into a pile of armour. “Round one goes to Rainbow Dash,” Cronus announced, and she heard the snap of his talon as the skeleton’s remains dissolved into dust. Rainbow snorted, pawing at the ground. “Gimme a challenge,” she boasted, grinning up at the empty spectator seats and seeing the purple mare she wished was watching. The gryphon’s laughter echoed around the coliseum. “Be careful what you wish for, little mare -” there was another snap “-round two has begun.” From the dust of the skeleton rose not one or two but three more. They all wore much heavier looking armour, lacking the visible wear from the previous one. Two had swords, while the third wielded a long, slender spear. The one with the spear glanced at each of the others, motioning with its hoof. They obeyed, splitting up and taking positions, one either of Rainbow’s flanks. “Now that’s just not fair,” Rainbow muttered under her breath, keeping a careful eye on all three opponents. Legs coiled, ready to launch at a moment’s notice. However, none of the skeletons moved. Unlike the last one, they stood their ground and waited, watching her as she watched them. When it became clear she had to make the first move, Rainbow did what she always did; she charged forward, wings spread wide and ready. The spearman readied its spear, crouching down. However, before she got within range for it to strike, Rainbow jumped into the air, soaring over the skeleton’s head with the aid of her wings and skidding to a stop behind it. She turned on a dime and charge again, wing angled low and aimed for the legs. But the skeleton was faster. It turned and threw its spear, catching Rainbow off guard and forcing her to jump to the left to avoid it, where another of the skeletons had appeared, sword already raised. She just barely managed to move her wing up so her blade blocked the blow. Thinking fast, her other wing came around and slashed at the skeleton’s hind legs as she held it up. A clean hit sent one leg crumbling into dust, but she was too slow to react to the spear wielder coming up behind her. His thrust glanced her hind leg, and she crumpled. The sword she had been holding up came down on her shoulder, and she shrieked as it tore open her skin. Panting, Rainbow caught sight of all three skeletons readying for another strike. This time, none of them would miss. “I’m not gonna let you stop me here,” she growled, ignoring the pain and tackling the sword wielder in front of her. It was caught off balance without its leg, and was toppled back out of the ring, where it dissolved into dust. Without looking back she jumped into the air, dodging another lunge from the spearman. She held a hoof to the wound in her shoulder, blood running down her leg. “Come on, is that all you’ve got? I’ve gotten worse from crashing!” She taunted. The skeletons seemed to ignore it as they tracked her, one sheathing its sword. It reached behind it and from its back pulled a crossbow, a bolt already loaded. Rainbow easily dodged the shot, but the close call made it clear she didn’t have long before it hits its mark. She ran through options in her head, dodging another bolt that nearly clipped her wing. Ringing them out seemed like the easiest way to win, but after that worked on one of them the other two stayed nearer to the center of the circle. In her current state, there was no way she could take both of them head on. At least, not without some more serious injuries, and this was only the second round. She had no idea how long this trial was. “What would Twilight do?” Rainbow asked aloud, yelping as another shot grazed her wing, taking a few feathers with it. She shook her head. “Zap ‘em with her magic, probably. Too bad I don’t have a horn…” trailing off, her pensive frown slowly turned into a smile. She didn’t have a horn, but what she did have might work just as well. Rainbow flicked her feathers, testing the air, and grinned. A powerful beat of her wings later and she was rapidly circling the coliseum, just barely staying inside the ring. Her signature rainbow trail followed her, and she couldn’t help but feel like she was flying faster than she usually could. The next few crossbow shots missed entirely, the unpredictable winds blowing the bolts far off course. Channeling just a bit of her magic into her hooves, Rainbow reached back into the depths of her memories for the old stories of how pegasi used to make clouds before the weather machines were invented. The wind currents she kicked up drew in the moisture from the surrounding air, and her magic helped to condense it in the center, a cloud slowly forming then growing bigger. By time she was done she had a cloud about the same size as a pony. It wasn’t much, but it would do. “Thanks for wearing metal, guys!” Rainbow called, cockily blowing on a hoof before giving the cloud a swift punch. It rumbled angrily and a bright bolt of lightning arced down, attracted to the skeleton’s armour. There was an earth-shattering boom, and when the light dimed all that remained were two scorch marks in the dirt. Even Rainbow Dash looked surprised at the power of the lightning. “Whoa… it’s not usually that strong.” “Round two goes to goes to Rainbow Dash.” Cronus’s grin was audible in his voice. Whether from her doing well or just the entertainment value was anyone’s guess. “You’ve earned a ten minute rest.” Rainbow landed, panting slightly as she heard a snap. Before her appeared the same large hourglass from before, at its base were rolls of bandages and two ceramic pots. “Dress your wounds and prepare for the next round.” Distracted, Rainbow limped her way over to the offered supplies. Her wing blades were thrown to the ground without much thought. One ceramic pot had clean water, which she took a few large drinks from before using it to wash her open cuts. The only one still bleeding was the gash on her shoulder. It was wide, but thankfully not too deep. “There’s a salve in the other pot. Apply it to any open wounds.” Rainbow jumped, forced out of her thoughts in time to see Cronus approach from the edge of the ring. She took off the lid to see a thick green paste. “So is this how you treat everyone or am I special?” The gryphon chuckled. “I said I found you interesting, not that I liked you. The trial is in four parts, everyone gets a break in the middle.” “Ow... “ Rainbow winced, slathering the salve over her shoulder and unrolling a bandage. With the aid of her wings she started wrapping it around her torso, covering as much of her injury as she could. Cronus watched idly from a short distance away, still wearing his sunglasses. “I have to admit,” he said, watching the mare move to her less serious cuts. “That thundercloud was a stroke of brilliance. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a pegasus think to use their weather magic in combat.” “Yeah, well, I wasn’t sure how well it’d work,” Rainbow admitted, finishing with her impromptu first aid and turning to face him. “Honestly I usually don’t get lightning that powerful. I figured it’d just stun ‘em or something.” Nodding slowly, the gryphon scratched at his chin. “Ah, so you weren't aware. I think that makes it all the better that you went for it anyway.” Rainbow quirked an eyebrow. “Aware of what?” “Your magic - everyone’s magic - is more powerful here,” he paused a moment, “well, maybe not stronger. You just have easier access to it.” “Huh?” Rainbow asked dumbly, and she got the impression he rolled his eyes behind his tinted lenses. “Honestly,” he started, snapping his talons and making the remaining supplies vanish, “I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.” Thinking back to when she’d first entered the Underworld, Rainbow frowned. “If anything, when I first got here I felt… sluggish. I feel great now, but it was like this place was sapping my energy before.” “It was. The Underworld and Elysium are not the same. Do you know what the magic plain is?” He received a shake of her head. He sighed. “Back to basics, then. The world is made up of several plains, all stacked up next to each other. Think of it like-” “A stack of pancakes?” Rainbow offered, suddenly noticing she was hungry. “Hey, you got-” Cronus snapped his fingers and Rainbow Dash found a bowl of fruit at her hooves. “As I was saying-” he cleared his throat “-think of it like a stack of - ugh - pancakes. Each pancake is a different plain. The one at the bottom, the one upon which all other plains exist, is the plain of magic. This is the wellspring from which all forms of magic in the world come. That plain is the reason anything exists.” “Uh-huh. Lotta magic, got it. What does that have to do with mine being stronger?” Rainbow asked through a mouthful of fruit. Sighing again, the gryphon shook his head. “Fine. Basically, Elysium is closer to the magic plain than the Underworld. The closer you get the easier it is to call upon the magic that lingers there. Since you’re closer to the magic plain than you’re used to, you were able to channel much more energy than normal. The Underworld is farther from the plain than most others; the only two further are Tartarus and the Abyss. Those plains don’t have enough magic in them to sustain them normally, so they try and suck it out of anything that enters them from another plain.” “Huh…” Rainbow smacked her lips, putting down an empty bowl. “Cool. So I can do more powerful weather stuff and my flying’s better. Got it.” She glanced back at the hourglass, ignoring the glare the gryphon shot at her. “Where’s Equestria in this pancake stack then?” Cronus’s glare grew deeper at her chosen analogy. “Your mortal realm is situated in the center of it all; where there is perfect balance between the magic of creation and the void of existence. Now, as much as I enjoyed our little chat, I believe it’s time you readied yourself.” He nodded to the last few grains in the top of the hourglass. “I assure you the next two rounds will not be as forgiving as the first.” With a snap of his claw he was gone and Rainbow Dash scrambled to her hooves, hastily fastened her blades to her wings. To her surprise the pain from her injuries was practically gone, and the bleeding from her shoulder had stopped entirely. Carefully swinging her hoof around, testing it, she found it to be mostly functional, with only a small decrease in her range of motion. “Just what was in that stuff?” The time to wonder was cut short as, with another snap of a claw, the hourglass vanished. “Round three has begun,” Cronus announced. For a moment there was nothing. Rainbow looked around the ring, confused. Suddenly an intense rumbling shook the coliseum, the ground shaking as though there were an earthquake. She could just barely make out Cronus’s voice above the roar; “Some special rules for this round; you must destroy your opponent. There is no ring out condition. You have as much space as you want, but in exchange there is a time limit; you have twenty minutes or the match is considered a forfeit. Good luck, little mare.” Rainbow Dash was forced to take wing as the ground began splitting open beneath her hooves, large crevices criss crossing the ring. From the depths of the earth came large, black boulders, floating under their own power and gather in the center of the stadium. Before her eyes a large, bipedal golem formed from the rocks. It was nearly as tall as the colosseum itself, its broad shoulders holding arms that dangled down into the dirt. All at once the rumbling stopped as the final few rocks floated into place on its body, and its eyes lit up a deep red. It jerked to life as if it was electrocuted, jaw falling open and emitting a roar that shook the ground like aftershocks. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The rock golem wasted no time in taking a swipe at her. It was large and clumsy but surprisingly fast, forcing Rainbow to stay on her toes as she dodged the swing. However, she wasn’t ready for the rush of air currents that followed, blowing her off course and right into the thing’s second swing with the other arm, hitting her square in the back and knocking the wind from her lungs as Rainbow was sent flying upwards. She spun in the air, vision swimming from the blow and struggling to breath. A moment of weightlessness passed and then she was falling. Finally Rainbow righted herself, wings catching the air just as the golem tried to grab her, visibly growing confused when it caught nothing. That only seemed to make it angry as it roared again, taking a boulder from its chest and hurling it at the pegasus flying above its head like a fly. Rainbow dodged the rock easily, swooping around and landing a solid kick to the back of the golem’s head. It did little but send a jolt of pain racing up her leg, and Rainbow was forced to dodge again when the same boulder that had been thrown at her came flying back like a boomerang, melding once more into its body. “How am I supposed to kill this thing?” She asked aloud, focusing for now on dodging its attacks while struggling to think of a plan. She doubted another lightning strike would work; it was made of rocks, for one thing. “Whoa!” Another large chuck of earth went flying past her. She took her chance while the golem’s arm was still extended and banked around, taking a swipe with her wing blade. There was a flash of sparks, and when they cleared a visible chunk had been taken out of the rock. But looking at the thing as a whole, she’d hardly scratched it. “Well that’s not gonna work…” Rainbow cursed under her breath. Her weapons were useless, her lightning was useless. What more did she have? Make a tornado? The golem looked much too heavy for that, and she’d likely be smacked out of the air before the winds got strong enough to even effect the thing. Her options were rapidly approaching zero. The golem roared again, louder this time, and Rainbow was forced to cover her ears from the intense volume. In that one moment she slowed, and that was all her opponent needed. With a speed that should have been impossible at its size the golem snatched her out of the air in its hand. The grip alone squeezed her painfully tight, but then it wound up and threw her into the ground like a hoofball in the end zone. Rainbow’s ears rung from the impact, her vision blurred and a wet warmth ran down her head. She groaned, trying and failing to push herself to her hooves. The ground shook as the golem approached, and she managed to roll over onto her back in time to see the sky disappear behind a large foot made of rock. Somewhere in the haze clouding her mind she knew what was about to happen. Something told her she wouldn’t survive. She knew she had to. With every last bit of strength she could muster, Rainbow rolled herself out of the way just in time as the golem brought its foot down where she’d been just moments ago. The earth cracked and a crater formed where it stomped. “Ten minutes,” Cronus announced, just barely audible over the ringing in her ears. Rainbow groaned, shaking her head in an attempt to clear the fuzz. She noticed the blood dripping down into the dirt. The golem didn’t give her time to recover. It kicked, its foot slamming into her chest and once more sending her tumbling end over end into the air. Rainbow coughed, sharp pain lancing through her chest everytime she inhaled and a coppery taste filling her mouth. She caught herself in the air, hovering on shaking wings and wiping the blood from her lips. “Alright,” she wheezed, flying up higher despite her entire body protesting. “You wanna play that way? Fine. We’ll play that way.” When the colosseum was a white speck far below and the enraged roars of the monster were nothing more than a faint rumbling, Rainbow stopped. She looked to her wings, noticing the bent and dented wing blades. They were removed in short order, sent falling back down to the ground as she lined herself up with the center of the arena. “C’mon, Dash. Twi’s waiting for you, can’t be dying here.” With a firm nod to herself the descent began. Wings flapping, chest burning, head spinning, Rainbow dove. In almost no time at all she felt that all-too familiar feeling of the air fighting her. A visible cone forming around her outstretched hooves, crackling with energy. Instead of pushing past the barrier she held her speed steady, waiting for the perfect moment. The ground grew closer rapidly, but still she waiting. The golem could be seen, ready to throw another boulder. It wouldn’t get the chance. With a ear-splitting bang! Rainbow shattered the sound barrier, pulling up and rocketing forward at speeds she’d once found difficult to achieve. Some part of her knew she’d never been able to go this fast before. With her fore hooves Rainbow Dash slammed into the golem’s chest, dead center. Her momentum stopped for just a second, a sharp pain running up her legs, and a moment of panic raced through her mind. Was it not enough? Then she heard a cracking sound, then the shockwave of her Rainboom caught up to her and with a mighty explosion of pebbles and dust she smashed through the golem’s body. It collapsed in a pile of inanimate rubble. Rainbow Dash was forced to pull up sharply to avoid crashing into the stone seats of the coliseum. A rainbow trail arched over the stadium as she bled off speed then descended slowly back to the ground. Landing in the center of the arena, Rainbow all but collapsed onto her back, panting heavily despite the sharp pain in her chest with every breath. “Round three goes to Rainbow Dash.” Another snap. “Round four has begun.” Groaning, Rainbow lifted her head just enough to see the pile of rock disappear, replaced by… nothing. She glanced around the arena, and saw nothing. She was confused, but her aching body wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her head rolled back into the dirt, and Rainbow stared up at the cerulean sky high above. Vaguely aware of the black tinge invading from the edge of her vision but unable to do anything about it, Rainbow struggled to catch her breath. “Pathetic. Stand up and face your opponent. You’re a pegasus, aren’t you?” Rainbow blinked, sitting upright and again looking around. Still, she didn’t see anything. Until she looked up, and her jaw nearly dropped. A pegasus hovered above her, dark blue, almost purple wings flapping steadily as the mare regarded her. She was clad in armour similar in age to the skeletons from before but easily identifiable as pegasus armour. Her mane was similar to Rainbow’s, with every colour of the rainbow, but instead of bright and vibrant the colours were dark and endlessly deep, cut short and crisp. The first thing Rainbow Dash noticed, however, was how accurate those sculptures in Cloudsdale were. “C-commander Hurricane?” Hurricane landed with a flourish, daintily inspecting a hoof. “Well, at least you know your history. Now act like it; stand and fight before I end this myself.” Unable to do much else, Rainbow Dash scrambled to her hooves, mouth agape. “H-how… the Commander Hurricane? You’re, like, one of my heroes!” “Your final trial,” Cronus’s voice explained. “Earn your spot in Elysium from a resident of the fields. Commander Hurricane Gale will be your judge. Prove to her you are worthy. Special rules for the final round are to be decided by the judge.” Hurricane looked Rainbow Dash up and down, raising an eyebrow. “Tell me, what right do you think you have to claim a spot in eternal paradise?” “W-what?” Rainbow tried to shake herself from her stunned stupor. Commander Hurricane was right in front of her! Rolling her eyes, Hurricane shook her head. “Doesn’t matter; I’ll decide if you’re worthy. Is Palé still a thing?” she asked, already shedding her armour. “Huh?” Rainbow had to force herself to pay attention and stop herself from gushing over meeting Commander Hurricane. “Uhhh… that’s the traditional style of wrestling, right? It’s still around, though I’m not too familiar with it. But-” “Very well, I’ll give you a quick rundown of the rules; no punching or kicking, first to three points wins or you can force your opponent to submit. It’s a point if both your wings are touching the ground. A ring-out is also a point. Pretty basic, sound good?” Rainbow nodded dumbly. Hurricane threw the last of her armour out of the ring. “Excellent, then your final trial shall be in the form of Palé. We begin on my signal. Before we fight, it’s tradition to exchange names. I am Commander Hurricane Gale. Who is my challenger?” “R-Rainbow Dash, I’m-” “I wish you luck, Rainbow Dash. You’ll need it. Ready? Go!” “Wait what-oof!” Rainbow was cut off as Hurricane tackled her, ducking low and driving her shoulder into Rainbow’s ribs. An expert flick later and Rainbow found herself on her back, pinned by her wings to the ground. “One point to me,” Hurricane grinned, backing off and allowing Rainbow to stand again. “Did you really make it through three rounds in this arena? I find it hard to believe.” Rainbow growled, spitting out a glob of blood and crouching low as her will to fight sparked back to life, adrenalin numbing her pain. There was only one more obstacle between her and seeing Twilight again. It didn’t matter what - or who - it was. “We’ll see about that.” She charged forward. Hurricane dodged to the side with a roll of her eyes, but was caught off guard when Rainbow’s wing sprung open and wrapped around her hoof, pulling it out from under her as Rainbow headbutted into her side. Hurricane hit the ground, one wing spread to the sky to show that it wasn’t on the ground. Rainbow tried to pounce on it and pin it, but Hurricane rolled with it and before she knew what happened Rainbow was once more pinned beneath the more experienced fighter. “Two points to me,” Hurricane jeered. “You may was well give up now.” “I can’t do that,” Rainbow muttered as she was let up again, a wave of lightheadedness throwing her off balance as she stood. She held a hoof to her head, trying to steady herself, and it came away soaked in red. Hurricane’s smile faded slightly. “You’re in no state to keep up the fight; just surrender.” “Not a chance,” she said defiantly, ignoring the way her vision blurred slightly and once more adopting a fighting chance. “I’ve got too much riding on this to give up.” “Why are you so desperate to get into Elysium, anyway? You weren’t judged worthy when you died, what makes you think you can brute force your way in?” “I never died,” Rainbow answered, charging forward again. This time with a flap of her wings she tackled Hurricane from above and they both tumbled to the ground, their wings outstretched and kept off the ground. Rainbow landed on top of Hurricane’s back, pinning one wing to the ground. “And I’m not here to get into Elysium.” As she went to pin the other wing Hurricane managed to slip free, grabbing Rainbow by the neck and rolling until she was on top. Rainbow’s wings stayed extended upwards even as she lay on her back.  She grabbed Hurricane’s hooves in her own to prevent a pin. “What do you mean you aren’t dead?” Hurricane grunted, trying to wrestle her hooves free. “Of course you are; you’re in the Underworld!” Rainbow wrapped her wings around Hurricane’s barrel and trapped the other mare’s wings there, rolling them so she was on top and using her wings to push Hurricane’s into the dirt. “That’s one for me,” Rainbow grinned, backing away. Hurricane leapt to her hooves. “What do you mean you aren’t dead?” she demanded, keeping her distance. Shrugging her shoulder, Rainbow said, “I’m not dead; I came here to bring somepony back.” “What?” “My friend died,” Rainbow answered simply. “I’m here to bring her back to life.” Hurricane seemed at a genuine loss for words, her mouth hanging open as she stared at the living pegasus in the land of the dead. She didn’t have time to react as Rainbow tackled her and pinned her without hesitation. “That’s two for me.” Standing up, Hurricane shook her head. “I admit; I misjudged you. I won’t make that mistake again.” She charged, but Rainbow was ready for it. Meeting her tackle head-on, Rainbow forced them both onto their hind hooves, each trying to throw to the other off balance as their hooves locked. “I can’t lose here,” Rainbow muttered through clenched teeth. “Not when I’m this close.” Hurricane scoffed. “You can’t beat me.” “Watch me.” Rainbow jumped back with a powerful flap of her wings, and in the split second Hurricane was off balanced she dove forward, landing on top of Hurricane. However, both of Hurricane’s wings remained off the ground, and Rainbow realised too late her flared wings as Hurricane reached up and grabbed them for leverage. They rolled, and once again Rainbow Dash found herself pinned. One wing in the dirt, the other held just inches above it in Hurricane’s hoof. “You can’t beat me,” Hurricane repeated, emphasizing her point by pushing Rainbow’s remaining wing a little closer to the ground. “Any last words?” Staring at the space between her wing and the dirt, Rainbow Dash’s mind raced for a way out. When she came up empty, and she looked up at the stadium, she saw Twilight sitting there. That same look in the alicorn’s eye as when she smiled up at her on that final day. “No…” Every last ounce of strength Rainbow could muster came out with that utterance of denial, and she pressed her hooves into Hurricane’s chest. “No,” she said again, lifting the mare and freeing her wings. “I can’t lose.” But Hurricane was stronger, grabbing Rainbow’s hooves and pinning them above the mare’s head. “You’re going to.” “I can’t!” Rainbow practically screamed, thrashing with as much force as she could muster. It wasn’t enough, and she stayed pinned. Hurricane shook her head. “Why is this friend so important to you, anyway?” Rainbow didn’t answer her, continuing to try and break free. The adrenalin was fading, and her wounds were catching up to her. “You’re throwing your life away for nothing, you know,” Hurricane shook her head at the display. “You’re no good to anypony - living or dead - if you die.” “I don’t care!” Rainbow shouted, collapsing as the last of her strength left her in the blood soaking into the dirt. Her vision was growing faded and her hooves were numb. “I have to get her back! I have to bring Twilight back!” “Why?” Hurricane demanded, slamming Rainbow’s hooves into the ground. “It’s just one mare. Why is she so important?” “She’s my friend!” “She’s dead!” “I can bring her back!” Hurricane growled, using one hoof to keep Rainbow’s hooves pinned and using the other to pin a wing. “Why would you?” “Because I love her!” Rainbow’s cry shook the stadium, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Her shoulders shook as she struggled not to openly sob. “Because I love her, and I couldn’t do anything but sit there and watch her die. “Because it’s my fault she had to sacrifice herself. If I hadn’t fallen for that trap, if I’d gotten out, if I’d just been there with her…” Rainbow trailed off, again weakly struggling to free herself despite the pain and exhaustion wracking her body from the previous trials. “It’s my fault she died. I have to bring her back.” Hurricane seemed to pause, regarding the pinned mare curiously as bitter tears joined the blood saturating the ground. She nodded her head solemnly, releasing Rainbow’s hooves. “All for love, is it?” Hurricane sighed as two blue wings touched to the ground. “That’s three.” Rainbow Dash’s jaw hung open as she stared at the blue wing tips touching the dirt. Hurricane  pressed her feathers into the ground a second before folding her wings and stepping away. “That’s three points. The winner is Rainbow Dash.” Cronus appeared before the mares, a grin stretched across his beak. “Round four goes to Rainbow Dash. Congratulations; you are hereby deemed worthy of the Elysian Fields. Eternal paradise is yours.” “W-what?” Rainbow tried to stand but found her limbs unresponsive. She’d… won? Despite her confusion, relief washed over her, and as her adrenalin drained the blood loss and injuries caught up to her and her vision faded to black.