//------------------------------// // Everyone Is Here // Story: The Olden World // by Czar_Yoshi //------------------------------// "So, how's this place look?" Valey asked, pacing in a circle around a red stone room built into the inside of the aqueduct wall, a balcony and a slightly lowered floor looking out over the arena where the last round of the tournament was about to take place. "Cushier than our Stormhoof seating, or no?" "It seems nice enough," Maple replied, walking up to the railing. Rather than a bowl like was featured in Stormhoof, this battleground was a broad, flat plane that extended all the way to a short wall separating it from some mobile bleachers and the Grandbell orchards beyond. More rooms like theirs ringed the rest of the aqueduct, stacked up and down for several floors. This arena definitely catered to a richer crowd than before. "There's no platform in the middle," Starlight observed, joining Maple at the edge. "It's just a flat field." Valey grinned out at the battleground. "Yep. No being polite and staying in close quarters here. All that space, and it only ends when someone is finished." She nudged Maple with her shoulder. "So how you feeling, Ironflanks? Confident enough in your one day of training to get out there and win this thing for me?" "What!?" Maple took a step back. "I hope you're joking." Amber giggled, plopping herself down in a seat behind Maple. "Oh, she is. Valey knows her cheer squad when she sees it." "Yeah, this is my fight." Valey rolled her shoulders. "Honestly? I had a little talk with Wallace the other day. He thinks I'm missing a whole lot of conviction in whatever I'm fighting for, and that's required to win. And I told him I don't care. If I lose, none of you guys are on the line, we already bagged all the Writs of Harmonic Sanction the Empire has to offer so it's not like I'd miss out on an important wish... He thinks I need something to fight for, but the one and only reason I'm doing this is because I want to. And it actually feels really, really good." "Feeling optimistic about your chances?" Gerardo joined Amber in a nearby chair. Valey slapped her cutie mark with a wing, giving it an annoyed look. "Well... maybe? My butt's been bothering me all day, actually kinda bad. Kind of telling when your cutie mark reads danger hours before the actual event, when it's usually a few seconds. But I'm gonna give it what I got, and if I lose, I lose." "You'll do great," Amber promised with a reassuring grin. "Just think of us, do your usual thing, and don't forget your hat." "Got it right here." Valey patted her head with a wink. "And a banana peel, too. Gotta roll with my weapon of choice." "Well, I'm glad you're feeling confident?" Maple took a breath. "Starlight was feeling nervous this morning, I know. We spent a while practicing that crystal pocketing again this morning just in case." Starlight frowned. "I wasn't feeling nervous! Just like today was a big day. We did practice, though." "Hey, good for you!" Valey patted both of them with her wings. "Got it charged up right now?" Maple shook her head. "Well, you know what you should do?" Valey hopped up on the row of seats, balancing her hooves on the back rims of the chairs like a tightrope. "Store one up, ready and waiting, and then when you come down there for my victory celebration, blow everyone's minds with an earth pony using unicorn magic. Or don't. I dunno, I'd feel like showing off." "We will," Maple promised. "Speaking of showing off." Shinespark stepped closer, holding out a glowing sound stone in her aura. "Call for you from the ship." Valey grabbed it, flipped it and caught it with a wing, the Immortal Dream drifting lazily with a new ruby comet in the distance. "Yo, what's up?" "Valey," Nyala's voice sounded over the stone. "I just wanted to tell you that even if Harshwater wants me to rest and I can't really get out of bed, I'm still watching from a distance. And everyone else here is too! Slipstream, Grenada and Harshwater all say hi, and the fillies would too if they weren't messing around somewhere, I'm sure." Valey grinned into the stone. "Ain't gonna let you down. And tell Jamjars and Starlight's lookalike they better be listening if nothing else!" "Felicity is also here," Harshwater's voice cut in. "Just so you know. She showed up just before we took off, said something about you inviting her, and has been cleaning, doing chores and making herself useful ever since. I'm keeping an eye on her just in case, but she's not my mare to deal with. You know how I feel about batponies." "Really?" Valey rubbed a hoof down her face. "Meh, I guess I did tell her she could drop by after the tournament, didn't I...? Oh well. I guess just let her be, and we'll all talk with her when we get back." "We shall be prepared for that," Grenada added. Slipstream's voice cleared its throat, joining the conversation. "I've been looking over my old air traffic charts and maps from Ironridge. The sky looks completely different now than it did then, but I'm still preparing myself as best as I can for our flight west! Since once the tournament is over, we won't have any reason to stay around the Empire." "Much appreciated," Gerardo replied. "We'll leave you to your fighting," Nyala finished. "Good luck." Valey pushed back her mane, tossing the sound stone to Shinespark again. "Well, I've got everyone's support. Guess I should get ready to get down there?" Suddenly, a squeaking sounded at their door, and a wheelchair-bound Gazelle rolled in, Gwendolyn padding several paces behind. Valey's eyes immediately widened. "What are you doing here?" "Nothing nefarious! Just wanted to wish you well." Gazelle innocently crossed his heart as the others shared Valey's reaction. "After everything, you're still my favorite to win this, after all." Valey raised an eyebrow. "I am?" Gazelle showed his teeth. "Old hard feelings aside, why yes, you are. I even came with a little incentivizing offer to go with my good wishes." He winked at Lyn. "You see, if you're aiming for the top, the way the bracket is structured, there is a stallion who calls himself Yulio you just might run into in the grand finals. I think his wish is dumb and would rather not see it come true, so if it's you and you alone who ends his game, let's say I'll owe you big-time. Always good to have a sphinx in your debt, isn't it? Anyway, good luck, and try not to make all the interesting fighters retire from embarrassment after you kick their tails." He lazily rolled away, Starlight and Lyn sharing a look before the sphinx filly followed him. "Uhh... thanks?" Valey said after him. She shrugged once he was gone. "Well, I guess I'm someone's favorite? Anyone know what this Yulio's deal is?" "Watch out for his sword," Starlight urged. "He has a sword that's worse than a normal one. Whatever you do, don't let it cut you, and if you can steal it, don't let him have it back." "Noted." Valey wandered back to the railing. "Good on you for keeping tabs on the competition, by the way, kiddo. That's a lesson I haven't really gotten to yet. If you research who the biggest threats are before you fight them, they'll have that much less that can take you by surprise. Now, they should be starting any minute now..." A speaker system blared far below, two stallions visible down at the center of the arena. "Welcome, welcome, one and all, to the endangered and ultimately saved very final round of the war of one thousand heroes!" Valey slapped a hoof across her eyes. "Someone didn't hire someone else to announce and referee when we were putting together all the logistics for this tournament!?" Amber innocently shrugged. "Aww bananas. Well, I guess if a fight gets too rowdy and accidentally knocks some dudes hard enough that someone's sent flying and those two get sandbagged by the body, it'll toootally be an accident..." Valey rolled her eyes. Howe's voice joined his brother's on the field below. "The tale of this event's survival is legendary! Nine hundred and eighty five calendar years of painstaking history were about to be marred by fate and fell fortune, when..." Valey tuned him out, plugging her ears with the tips of her wings. "Yeah, nope, sorry. You know what I'm doing? Getting to my place to fight. Wish me luck, and watch me thump some heads."