//------------------------------//
// No Quitting Yet 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Valey strolled through the poorly-lit recesses of Stormhoof Colosseum, the light of the arena gate forming a bright rectangle ahead. She hadn't checked the schedule since her fight last week, and was basing this purely off memory. But if she was wrong and missed her fight, no biggie. After all, she was only here to formally surrender.

She hadn't talked with her friends, either. Harshwater's crazy restaurant idea had somehow proved even more successful than it first appeared, and the energy of finding ways to make more flights, increasing their customer throughput and doing better spread among her friends like infectious fire. Forget escaping Ironridge, saving the world or leading happy lives, it was the kind of goal normal ponies set. It was something they could actually do, and she wasn't about to detract from that. She wasn't even about to talk about detracting from it. For her, the tournament ended here, and everything that came with it would be sealed in the past.

Sunlight broke over her beret-covered mane, the tuxedoed guard at the entrance nodding her along. Valey stepped across, climbed the short few steps to the platform for the last time... and blinked at the yellow-maned batpony waiting meekly for her. "Senescey?"

"Oh... hi," Senescey breathed, clearly apprehensive.

Valey squinted. "Wait, my opponent is you?"

Senescey blinked, startled out of her nervousness. "...You didn't even look at who you're fighting?"

"Uhh... I mean, no?" Valey folded her ears. "Look, it doesn't matter. This is actually great, because-"

"No... wait." Senescey held out a hoof and took a breath, interrupting her. "I know it's the worst etiquette to ask this, but I have to. You... still have your Golden Regent, right?"

Valey popped the shimmering card out from her hat. "Sure do. What's it to you?"

"I know I can't beat you," Senescey admitted. "I nearly got eliminated last round. If you didn't see me, I used a trick that won't work twice. I'm at my limit in this tournament and know I can't reach the end, but it's never been about winning. We knew I never stood a chance, but my sisters just need me to stay in as long as possible. Even one more week will make a difference, so if you-"

Valey sat down and spread her hooves. "I surrender."

Senescey screwed up her face. "What...?"

"Yep. No need for me to spare you." Valey twirled her card, getting up and pacing back towards the stairs. "I'm done with this tournament. It's not helping, me being here, so I'm done. Was gonna say that whether I was up against you or anyone else... but I sure am glad I get to do it for my friends."

"Wait, what...?" Senescey's ears fell as Valey stepped off the platform. "You can't! Everyone is rooting for you to-!"

"Sure I can." Valey waved a hoof. "Watch me."

With a light puff of dust, she stepped onto the floor, and the match was over before it had begun.

Senescey watched her with a trembling lip. "Hey! Get back here! That's not the attitude I expect from the mare I watched preparing to break into Stormhoof Keep!"

Valey's ears turned back. "What did you say?"

Senescey hesitated... and pulled out a golden flourish of her own. "Spare!"

"Can you do that?" Valey suddenly whipped her head around and blinked. "Bananas, I'm surrendering. I don't wanna be spared. Save that for someone who needs it?"

"I read the rules," Senescey sighed, "and yes, I can. You can also just surrender again in a week's time. But I'll be mad at myself if I let you walk out on a chance to make this much of an impact on the world, and everyone else will be mad at me too. Spare. And you're coming with me afterward to talk about it."





Valey failed to change Senescey's mind. The entire hour after the fight was filled with shadow sneaking, murmurs of disappointed spectators who remembered Valey's earlier fights growing fainter as they slipped away from the colosseum. After a long series of back passages, swimming under eaves and ducking down below bridges, they finally reached the alley where the sisters made their home, Senescey ushering Valey inside.

"Huh. Been a while since I've been here," Valey remarked, nodding at the paintings in the foyer, finally able to talk again now that stealth wasn't a concern. "So really though, like... are you sure you wanted to use that thing on me? I'm serious, I'll probably just surrender again next week. I got a talking-to from some of my friends, and me fighting in this just isn't... Ow, hey!"

Senescey grabbed her ear, dragging her into the living room and dumping her down in front of Felicity's recliner, where the elder sister lay on her back with a wet rag on her forehead, looking half-dead. "She's trying to walk out on the tournament," Senescey declared.

"Yes, I believe something of the like came up in our last conversation," Felicity breathed up at the ceiling.

Before Senescey could protest, Valey pushed her aside, standing over Felicity in concern. "Yo, are you alright?"

Felicity's eyes wandered to her, and she smiled. "Just a spell, darling. Had a taxing yet productive day on the job, as it were. I could get up now, except I'm rather enjoying this at this point."

"Oh. Cool." Valey sat back, relieved.

"You talked about her quitting?" Meanwhile, Senescey's ears fell in disbelief. "But... what about everything? She could get a wish. She has a real shot at this!"

"Well, I'm flattered you care so much for her sake," Felicity hummed. "So what's it to us, hmm?"

Senescey winced and didn't answer. "I had to spare her with my Regent."

"...Am I missing something?" Valey tilted her head.

Felicity dragged herself into a sitting position. "Defeat drags poorly along all of our senses, darling," she explained. "As I recall, you've been rather intense about being in this tournament for the sake of your friends in the past, so an about face on your own resolve might be slightly painful. But it's perfectly alright." She gave a reassuring smile. "The three of us are just somewhat... more invested in your situation than your average mare."

Valey slowly nodded. "You're still thinking about all that stuff with what you're going to do with your own lives if working for the Night Mother doesn't pan out? The whole thing we talked about in Mistvale, how I felt the same about my own work for Herman?"

"You mean are we still thinking we might abandon all our work here towards getting our bodies fixed to join up with your friends and live life come what will?" Felicity rose from her chair, patting both Valey and Senescey on the head. "Well, it occasionally crosses our minds. But let's save talk of the future for the future itself. Come, can I get you anything to drink?"

"Uh, sure." Valey followed along, throwing a glance at Senescey. "Though I gotta admit, I am curious what being in the tournament only one more week will get you..."