//------------------------------// // Episode 8: Dance of Steel // Story: Mobile Fighter G-Pony // by Raryn //------------------------------// “And what’s this‽” an announcer shouted into his mic as he watched the scene that played out before him. Two pony suits stood facing each other in an arena, one braced in front of a hole in the protective screen that surrounded the battle area to protect the spectators from harm, the other aimed a pair of back mounted laser cannons at the hole in the net. “It seems as if the tide of the battle has turned in favor of Neo-Stalliongrad’s Spike Pony. Neo-Manehatten’s Jewel Pony has stopped moving and is doing nothing!” The pilot of the jewel pony was livid as she held her suit in front of the hole in the net, protecting the innocent spectators. “Cold Iron!” Rarity shouted at the opposing suit; an angry looking pony suit which, unlike the Jewel with its appealing smooth white coat and rounded curves and edges, was a jagged and sharp deep red with spikes jutting out along each limb to ensure the maximum amount of damage was caused with each attack. “How dare you turn your guns deliberately towards the spectators!” “Oh, have I made the little miss angry?” Rarity’s opponent, Cold Iron, replied with a small chuckle. “Don’t patronize me! Is this how the representative of Neo-Stalliongrad acts? Like a cheat who would attack the innocent to ensure victory‽” “Of course not,” he replied flatly as his suits cannons began to charge up for an attack. “Well, as long as you don’t move and try to dodge the attack.” Rarity remained silent at that, but did not move her suit from the spot. “That’s a good little pony.” Cold Iron took careful aim at the Jewel Pony and fired both cannons. ~~~ “Ah!” Rarity screamed as she woke from her rest. “Miss Rarity,” her butler Raymond said from the front of the vehicle as he drove along through a light snow. A passing sign read: “New Stalliongrad, 10 miles.” “Is everything alright back there?” “Yes, Raymond, everything is fine,” she replied as she remembered where she was and what she was doing. “Just an unpleasant memory rearing its ugly head. Nothing to worry about.” “As you say, Miss.” Rarity turned her gaze to the landscape outside the window as it sped by. Everything was coated in a fresh layer of white fallen snow; everything quiet, and somehow a little foreboding. Watching the landscape fly by, she could not shake the feeling that the memory’s timing meant something more than just a passing nightmare. She hoped that the trip to Stalliongrad wouldn’t turn out to be a bad thing. Mobile Fighter G-Pony Episode 8 Dance of Steel “Here we are, Pinkie,” Twilight said as the city came into view. She stopped the core lander on top of a hill overlooking the city. “New Stalliongrad.” Tall ornate spires of black metal rose high into the sky from behind a massive wall that spread out for miles in each direction. “Why’s it called ‘New’ Stalliongrad again?” Pinkie asked. “What happened to old Stalliongrad?” Twilight looked at her friend and let out a long sigh. “One of these days, Pinkie, I’m gonna get you to read up on the history of Equestria. And when I do, I’ll make sure that you learn it.” She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts on how to begin the tale. “Back during the days of unrest in Equestria, ponies everywhere sought out asylum wherever they thought that they could reasonably find it. One of these places was to the North.” Twilight swept a hoof around, gesturing to the surrounding landscape. “Unfortunately, they were not prepared for the sheer force of the nature and weather of the northern lands and the first Stalliongrad fell. The ruins of the city are not that far from here actually.” “Well anyways, despite the failure of the first city, the ponies of Stalliongrad were undeterred and extremely stubborn. They managed to work out a magic similar to the one used at Las Pegasus; a weather manipulation magic. The wall of New Stalliongrad is enchanted with a sort of heating spell that can keep the city inside reasonably warm even during the worst blizzards so that the citizens don’t freeze to death nor have their crops fail.” “Wow, that’s so morbid,” Pinkie said as she opened the door to the core lander. “Let’s go and see the city then! Onwards!” She dove out into a snowbank before she pulled herself back in, shivering uncontrollably. “Pinkie, you are so random sometimes,” Twilight sighed as she helped her friend back into the warmth of the core lander. “If you’re going to play in the snow, at least put on a jacket.” “Thanks, Twilight.” Pinkie reached into the back seat of the core lander and pulled out a bright blue jacket which she put on. “Where would I be without you?” “Probably throwing a party somewhere with a group of inanimate objects or something.” The two of them laughed at the absurdity of Twilight’s statement as the core lander sped off towards New Stalliongrad. ~~~ After parking the core lander in a safe place, Pinkie and Twilight quickly made their way the snow-covered grounds surrounding the city and passed through one of the wall gates into New Stalliongrad. As it was with Las Pegasus, once they passed beyond the city wall, the weather became more pleasant, though it was still just cold enough to warrant the wearing of a jacket. “So what’s first on the agenda, Pinkie?” “Huh? Oh uh… I dunno?” “You mean you decided to come here for no reason?” “Yeah pretty much. Just wanted to come here because I hadn’t been here before. Now I can tell ponies that I’ve been here.” Twilight sighed at Pinkie’s reasoning. “If you have nothing planned, then would you like to come with me? Stalliongrad has a plethora of historical sites as well as many museums and libraries.” “Sure, why not,” Pinkie said as they started down one of the cities roads. As Pinkie hopped along merrily, she did not see the very large earth pony that stepped out from a side street in front of her. The two collided and Pinkie bounced backwards and fell to the ground with a thud while the earth pony didn’t even move. As Pinkie pulled herself back to her hooves, she took a look at who she had bumped into. Standing before her was a large earth pony stallion, fully the size of Applejack’s brother, Big Macintosh, if not even larger. His coat was a dull gray color, similar to the color of iron. His mane and tail were of a lighter gray color and cropped close to his body. He wore a light blue jacket that covered his chest and forelegs and left his flank uncovered, revealing a cutie mark of an anvil and hammer. The stallion glared at Pinkie with cold, hard eyes. “Watch where you are going little pony,” he said as he stepped around her and continued on his way. “Well that was rude,” Pinkie said once the stallion was out of sight. “I wonder what his deal was.” “You know, that stallion seemed kinda familiar,” Twilight said to her friend. “But I can’t quite seem to place my hoof on why.” “His name is Cold Iron,” a familiar voice sounded behind them. “He's the tournament representative for Neo-Stalliongrad.” Pinkie and Twilight spun around to see who had spoken to them. Standing there was a familiar prim and proper unicorn mare bundled up in a fancy looking white coat, her purple mane and tail professionally curled and styled. “Hello there you two,” Rarity said as Pinkie rushed to her and pulled her into a big hug. “Rarity! I'm so glad to see you again.” “As am I,” Twilight said as she moved closer to the pair. “How have you and your sister been?” “Oh we've been just splendid, Twilight. I've been working on fixing the damage that was done to our relationship, and Sweetie has also been a great help with it as well.” “So where is Sweetie Belle?” Pinkie asked as she still held Rarity in a hug. “She's currently staying with a friend and his family. She's enjoying the company of fillies and colts her own age.” “I see. So why're you here?” “Yes, it seems a bit strange that we keep bumping into friends in such random places.” “Oh that,” Rarity said as she managed to extract herself from Pinkie's embrace. “I'm here for various reasons. Some my own, some from the higher ups of the colony. How about we find a place to sit and catch up? I know this darling little cafe not too far from here.” “Sure!” “Sounds wonderful.” “Ok then, just follow me. “...so then, Sweetie tries to animate the mannequin, thinking it'll be easier to have it put the clothes on itself, and it just bursts into flames.” The three friends burst out in laughter at Rarity's story. They were sitting in the little cafe that Rarity had mentioned and led them too. She had even ordered some drinks and snacks for the three of them, regardless of how expensive they had been. “Oh, I do so love my sister, but I don't think she has the whole magic thing down yet, and I blame myself for that. I should have started teaching her how to use it years ago. But enough about that, how about we talk about why you two are here in Stalliongrad?” “Well, we're on vacation,” Twilight said as she sipped from the fancy coffee that Rarity had ordered for her. “You're taking a vacation during the middle of the tournament?” “Yep,” Pinkie replied. “I kinda had a teensy weensy, little bit of a mental breakdown caused by various things. I managed to convince the colony heads that it would be in both our best interests to let me have some time to relax.” “This had something to do with your sisters, didn't it?” “Yes.” Rarity leaned over to Pinkie and wrapped her legs around her friend. “I'm sure you'll find them soon, Pinkie.” “Thanks, Rarity.” Pinkie gave her a big smile and hugged her back. “I realize that now and I won't let my hope in finding them leave again.” “So, seeing as we've said why we're here,” Twilight began, trying to steer the conversation to a new direction. “How about you tell us why you're here, Rarity?” “Oh right. I did say I'd say something about that.” Rarity pulled away from Pinkie and levitated her cup of coffee to take a drink from it. “Well, the main reason I'm here has to do with the disappearance of several shipments worth of jewels and gemstones that were sent to Stalliongrad by my families company. All the records point to them arriving on time here, but they never made it to the sellers. So I decided to come and investigate this issue, on my own if need be.” “Why on your own?” Twilight asked. “I'm going to first try to see if I can work with the heads of the city and the police before I try it alone. But you know how those can be.” “Uh huh.” Twilight nodded in agreement, she knew just how they could be. “They do have a tendency to take an exorbitantly large amount of time.” “So what's the other reason you're here?” Pinkie asked as she took a drink from the mug of hot chocolate she had gotten. “You said that there were personal reasons and colony reasons.” “Oh right. The colony wants me to defeat Stalliongrad's pilot so we don't have to deal with him later. I'm actually looking forward to that less than having to deal with the bureaucracy needed to launch the investigation on the jewel thefts.” “Why's that?” Rarity paused for a moment to contemplate on what to say. “Me and Cold Iron, we know each other. And have for some years now.” “Oh, you're not keen on fighting a friend at the orders of your colony then?” “Cold Iron is most definitely not a pony whom I'd call a friend.” Rarity practically spat this statement out. “No, he's probably one of my biggest rivals.” She paused again and sighed. “I guess I should probably tell you two about it so you understand.” “I've always been one who strived for the best. Everything I did, I threw myself headlong into it; whether it was academics, etiquette, sports, martial skills, or business. When I was younger, when I was rather more rebellious at that, I grew tired of learning how to be a proper upper class Manehatten pony and turned to sports to spurn my parents and teachers. I spent hours upon hours training myself to be the best I could. And I truly believed that I was. I'm not sure if either of you know this, but at each of the four solstices of the year, a large competition is held. A contest on sports that welcomes ponies and others from both the colonies and the mainland here. It was at one of these, the first one I attended, that I met Cold Iron.” “He stuck out there just as much as you can imagine an extremely large earth pony could. He was the best Stalliongrad had to offer. He had natural talent, and the size and strength to back it up. Nopony else stood a chance against him, but that didn't stop me from trying. It was a test of natural talent verses sheer single-minded determination and training. That first competition, everypony was crushed in every event by Cold Iron save one, the last contest, the dash. Here, with nothing to lose, I ran faster than I ever had before and upset Cold Iron's winning streak. As I rose the trophy over my head, he declared to me that he would never again lose to anypony else, ever. So began our relationship.” Pinkie and Twilight listened intently, caught up in Rarity's story. “Well, the next competition, I managed to win a few more trophies from Cold Iron’s grasp. Unfortunately, this caused him to become even more hostile and a bit obsessed. He saw me as a threat to his very being and took my wins against him as a major affront to his supposed glory and reputation. Eventually, from what I heard, he suffered some kind of breakdown and after that he vanished from any pony’s knowledge.” “Then, just half a year ago, after years of being gone, he resurfaced as the pilot prospective for Neo-Stalliongrad during an event being held that placed pilots from all over against each other, kind of a mini tournament in preparation for the actual one. This occurred right after I had finished with training after being named the pilot for Neo-Manehatten. I saw this as a way to get in some actual combat experience. But as luck would have it, I wound up facing Cold Iron in the first round.” “We fought and were, for the most part, evenly matched. The strength of the Neo-Stalliongrad Spike Pony was offset by the agility and finesse of my own Jewel Pony. Then, he broke through the protective net around the ring that protected the spectators and deliberately turned his guns on the. Needless to say, I was put into a position where no matter what I did, I would lose. So I did what was right, I protected the innocent at my own expense. But what I didn’t understand was his motive for doing that. I mean, I knew that he didn’t particularly like me, but that was extreme even for that.” “So the reason you’re not looking forward to fighting him is that you’re afraid he’ll try to pull something like that again?” Twilight asked. “Yes, that’s right.” Then, a bell rang out across the city, telling the start of a new hour of the day. Rarity quickly pulled an ornate golden pocket watch from a pocket of her coat and stood suddenly. “I am terribly sorry to cut our time short, but I must be leaving. There is an important meeting that I need to attend. It was nice seeing you two. We’ve got to do this again at some point.” With that, Rarity sped off into the city as Pinkie and Twilight watched. “Twilight.” “Yes, Pinkie?” “You think we should help her?” “You can’t fight Cold Iron for her.” “Aw…” “But don’t worry, I have an idea.” Twilight leaned in closer to Pinkie and began to whisper something into her ear. “It goes something like this…” Night came early to the city of New Stalliongrad. Most ponies sought out the solace and safety of their warm homes as the sun set, ye there were still some that braved the night's chill. Rarity stood in the shadows of an alley, clad from horn to hoof in black as she watched a short, shabby looking earth pony dressed in layers of worn clothing pace about the circle of light given by a light post. At the meeting she had attended earlier, she had met with the heads of the city and the local police force on the subject of the jewel thefts. She had been informed that there was a great chance that the missing jewels had been swept up into the illegal market and that for an official investigation to be conducted, it would take several weeks to complete. Since then, she had been out and about stalking the streets for a sign of that market; and she finally believed that she had found a promising lead. Eventually, the pony she was watching was approached by another, more sharply dressed earth pony stallion who was gazing around constantly, as if he was afraid that he had been followed. The two of them spoke quickly and quietly and a bag was passed from the well-dressed pony to the one in rags. He looked into the bag and nodded before he stashed it in his clothes before pulling out another bag. This one he tossed to the well-dressed pony who quickly pocketed it. He gazed around again before slowly backing away from the shabby looking pony. Rarity followed the well dress one as he backed off, there was something about him that looked familiar to her, but it was something that she couldn't quite place. She quickly turned her attention back to the other as he began to move away, melding into the surrounding shadows of the street as if he had been born in them. She quickly followed as swiftly as she could while staying hidden. More than once, she had to hide herself completely as the pony she was following turned, as if he knew that there was someone there. Soon, after several times of hiding, she lost track of him entirely as he darted down an alleyway. “Confound it all,” she mumbled as she looked down the alley her quarry had vanished and saw that it branched off into several other paths. There was nothing, no sign at all of the pony she followed. As she moved down the alley, something caught her eye as she passed by an entrance to one of the side alleys, a faint glint of light. She stopped and turned her gaze to it; there, lying a few feet in, was a perfectly cut azure sapphire. Believing this to be some kind of trap, she reached out with her magic and grabbed the gem. Nothing happened. She breathed a sigh of relief as she floated the gem towards her right before a weighted rope net fell onto her from above. “I knew it!” a voice sounded from above. “I just knew that I was bein' followed.” Rarity craned her neck about and caught sight of who she had been following up on a balcony above. “The boss'll wanna meet ya, I'm sure. Boys, bring her along.” Several burly earth pony stallions appeared out of the shadows of the alleys and approached Rarity. Her horn flared for a moment before one of the stallions clocked her over the head hard enough to knock her out. When Rarity came too, she found herself tied up and with a black bag over her head. She could hear a pair of voices not to far off. “Hey look,” one of the voices said. “I think our guest is wakin' up.” “Yeah, you're right,” the other voice piped in. “I'll go get the boss.” There was the sound of hoof moving quickly along a hard surface that told Rarity that the speaker had run off. When she was sure that there was only one other pony in the room with her, she addressed him. “Untie me at once, you ruffian!” she shouted angrily, her cry somewhat muffled by the bag. “And take this bag from my head as well!” “Oh, no can do little pony,” the voice sneered. “Well, at least not until the boss arrives that is.” The voice laughed then, loud and raucously, as if to mock Rarity. She ground her teeth and tried to funnel magic into her horn to pull the bag from her head and show the pony who was mocking her what she was made of. She was shocked to find that the bag didn't move and the laughing pony wasn't being tossed across the room. She tried again, and as before nothing happened. “Oh, and don't think that you can use any of your fancy schmancy magic to free yourself either. We got a crystal seal infused with ponium on your horn. Thing'll suck up any magic you put into it.” The voice once again burst out into loud laughter before it was suddenly cut off with what could only be described as a squeak. “What's with all the laughter here‽” a familiar voice shouted angrily. “B-Boss! I was just telling our guest that it would be useless to try and escape and―” There was a loud thud that cut off the voice swiftly followed by another further off. “You, remove that bag. I want to see who this is.” The bag was swiftly removed from Rarity's head and she was struck blind for a moment as her eyes began to adjust to the light of where she was. She shook her head and gazed around. She was in a dingy room with a single naked light hanging from the ceiling and one door against the wall she faced. There were also three stallions in the room, two earth ponies and one unicorn; the unicorn was currently slumped against one of the walls. The other two stood looking at her. One was the pony that she had trailed and had captured her, but the other surprised her. “Cold Iron‽” she blurted out. “Ah, I see that you have once again inserted yourself where you don't belong, little miss,” the huge stallion sneered as he raised a still jacketed leg to Rarity's head and brushed away a few strands of loose hair. “You're quicker than I thought you'd be.” “What are you talking about? I demand you untie me at once!” “Oh no can do. You see, I can't be having my little operation becoming public knowledge yet. You see, it'd be bad for those we deal with.” “You won't get away with this!” “Says the little pony tied up with her magic sealed. I don't think you quite understand what's going on here. You see, there are those in the upper class and the government that don't like your business. That's where I come in. I steal from you and sell to them.” “This is no way for a pony suit pilot to act.” “What do you know‽” Cold Iron backhoofed the subordinate who was still standing next to him, sending the poor stallion flying out into the hallway. “Do you have any idea what you've done to my life‽ I used to be a celebrity! I had everything; then it all came crashing down because of you! I became a nobody, wandering the streets of New Stalliongrad like the bums that live here. Then she showed up. Gave me something that she said would put me back on top and look where I am now. I own this city!” “You steal the jewels and use them to buy power through the government,” Rarity said. “I knew I recognized that stallion from earlier. You even managed to get the Prime Minister into your pocket.” “Why else would you have been invited here?” “What do you mean?” “What do you think I mean. I invited you here.” Cold Iron moved his face close to her's. “Better to take you out early on so you don't get into stride. Plus, if I beat you, it'll cement my status of being better than you.” “I never realized that you were so petty,” Rarity said slowly and calmly. “Petty!” Cold Iron reared back onto his hind legs and slammed his front hooves into the ground, cracking it. The force of the strike reverberated up along his legs, tearing through his jacket and revealing what was hidden underneath. At the sight, Rarity gasped loudly. “What have you done to yourself‽” “Terrifying to look at, isn't it?” Cold Iron chuckled as he pulled the rest of his jacket off, showing that all along both forelegs and his chest were scales, akin to those of a dragon's, of a dark gray color. “This is what I was given. And with this power, I am unstoppable!” He threw back his head and fell into a fit of hysterical laughter. Rarity stared at him with a look of mixed horror and sympathy. “I've already had your suit acquired for the fight. It helps that I have some of those who work the hangers in my pocket too. Relax while you can, little miss.” He turned and walked out of the room, still laughing hysterically. “And you're sure that Miss Rarity is in some kind of trouble?” Raymond asked again of Twilight and Pinkie. The two mares had arrived at Rarity's residence in Stalliongrad soon after she had stepped out for, as she had put it, a night on the town with some friends. Yet here were her friends, or at least two of them. “For the last time, yes, Raymond,” Pinkie said, exasperated. “We heard her talking about the whole issue with the jewel thefts and about how she'd investigate it on her own if the council couldn't do anything about it quickly,” Twilight explained. “So I've been keeping track of her magical signature since we parted earlier. It vanished not too long ago and there's also been talk about the Manehatten pony suit vanishing too. This could mean that either she's been captured and her horn's been sealed or...” she left her statement unfinished, not even wanting to think such things. “Where did it vanish?” Raymond asked coolly. “It was over in the industrial district, somewhere near the steel mill I believe.” “I thank you for your assistance, Miss Twilight.” Raymond gave her a formal bow. “If you could go and verify the status of the Neo-Manehatten pony suit and then alert the proper authorities of this, I shall go to rescue Miss Rarity.” The tone of his voice left no room for questions. Twilight and Pinkie looked at the butler and nodded before they headed off. Raymond shut the door quickly and made his way to a nondescript bookcase. He pulled free a book which caused part of the wall beside the bookcase to recede and slide to one side, revealing a staircase. “Miss Rarity, don't worry,” he said as he started down the stairs. “I promised your parents that I would protect you and your sister. This is the second time that I've let one of you get ponynapped.” He reached the bottom of the stairs as lights began to turn on revealing a pony suit. “I will rescue you.” Sometime after Cold Iron had left, a group of burly earth pony stallions appeared at Rarity's room, telling her that it was time for the fight. They untied her, but once again placed a black bag over her head and lead her somewhere. When they finally removed the bag, she found herself in what looked like a waiting room. There was a door on the far wall, opposite from the one she had been brought through. “Your suit is out in the arena already,” one of the large stallions said as the rest of the group began to file out of the room. “And don't try to escape, this room is guarded.” He left then and closed the door behind him, leaving Rarity alone. Her horn was still sealed, and even if it wasn't, she didn't think that she'd be able to take on all those who had brought her here. She sighed and did the only thing that she could, she turned towards the far door and entered into the arena. She once again found herself in an arena similar to the one where she had been defeated by Cold Iron all that time ago. From the hard sand and dirt floor to the protective netting to the vast amount of spectators eagerly awaiting the fight to start, everything was familiar. “There she is folks!” a voice echoed across the arena as a spotlight shown down on her and on her pony suit not too far from her. “Today's challenger! We have a special treat for you today for the challenger is none other than the Jewel Pony of Neo-Manehatten and its pilot, Miss Rarity!” A loud chorus of cheers and boos rose from the spectators at her introduction. As they went on, the boos slowly began to outweigh the cheers. “And I'm sure that everypony here knows the reigning champ!” The cheers rose to a deafening level. “That's right folks! The 'Stalliongrad Giant', the 'Northern Destroyer', the great 'Steel Wall' himself, I give you, Cold Iron and his Spike Pony!” Lights rained down on the other side of the arena, revealing Cold Iron, once again with his chest and forelimbs covered, standing next to his suit. The Neo-Stalliongrad pony suit, the Spike Pony was just as intimidating as she remembered it to be. It was larger and bulkier than the standard pony suit model and colored a deep dark red. All along its body and legs stood jagged spikes and sharp edges. She remembered just what those could do to a suit; they could tear right through the armor with a heavy strike. But there was something different about it, a feeling of menace, like the suit now wanted to do harm, to cause as much damage as it possibly could, to kill. Cold Iron swiftly made his way across the expanse of the arena to come face to face with her. “I see you didn't try to escape,” he said as a smug smile crossed his face. In response, Rarity raised a hoof and struck him across the face. “I wasn't given a choice.” “Oh! Will you look at that! It seems that the sparks are already flying between the fighters!” “It will taste so sweet when I defeat you again,” Cold Iron said as he burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. He motioned with a hoof, a quick slashing motion across his throat, before he turned and made his way back to his suit. “You won't defeat me again,” Rarity said softly as she turned towards her suit. The lights in the arena dimmed as each pilot started up their pony suit, the excitement from the crowd heavy in the air. “Let's get ready to rumble!” At the announcer’s cry, the lights of the arena flared back to brightness as the two suits went into motion, each speeding off around the arena's edge. Rarity believed that if she could only keep herself out of the Spike Pony's melee range, she had a good chance of pulling off a win. The Spike Pony suddenly changed its course and turned its path towards the Jewel Pony's course, darting straight across the arena. As it closed in, Rarity held her suit to its path until, suddenly, it turned towards the arena wall and used it as a platform to leap over the Spike Pony as it barreled past and into the wall. The Jewel Pony landed away as a cloud of dust and sand covered where the Spike Pony had hit. “And the Spike Pony slams right into the wall!” The announcer shouts. “What kind of effect will this have on the match?” A pair of spikes soared out of the dust and forced the Jewel Pony to dive to the side to dodge them. Rarity jumped further away from the cloud as the Spike Pony emerged, unscathed by the collision with the wall save for two broken points where spikes had been on its side. As she watched, the spikes slowly regrew and her fears were proven true. The suit was different; and infinitely more dangerous than the last time she'd fought it. “And to answer that question, no effect at all!” “What's the matter, little Miss?” Cold Iron sneered. “You're not scared are you?” Rarity didn't bother with a response as she sped off across the arena, leaving, in her wake, small indentations in the ground. The Spike Pony began to follow as the first of the gem mines rose out to explode against it, but just like with the wall, these did little more than to slow it down as the resulting dust cloud crossed the arena in pursuit of the Jewel Pony. More spikes flew out of the cloud, forcing Rarity to dodge more and more as they soared closer and closer to hitting their mark. Rarity began to drive her suit around the edge of the arena again when the Spike Pony burst out of the dust cloud and gave chase, quickly gaining on her even as she continued to lay down mines. “And the Jewel Pony continues its barrage of explosive attacks, yet the Spike Pony continues to barrel through the attacks like a steamroller!” Then, the Spike Pony once again changed its trajectory and dove back into the dust. Rarity slowed down her run as she tried to pick out the Spike Pony within the cloud. The Spike Pony exploded from the dust and landed right in front of the Jewel Pony and punched out a hoof. The Jewel Pony raised a leg of its own to block the attack and was rewarded with a chunk of the leg being sliced away. “And the fight has finally moved into the area of expertise for the Spike Pony. How will the Jewel Pony's pilot react to this development?” Rarity silently cursed at the announcer and the spectators as the cheers grew to an even louder level then they had been as they began to wear on her concentration. She dodged the attacks by scant inches, yet the spikes still scoured the armor of her suit, and when she drove her counter attacks, those same spikes managed to cause her suit more damage than she could deal. She leapt into the air, and with all four legs at once, fired down at the Spike Pony, forcing it back and allowing her a moment’s respite. “Is that all you've got, little Miss?” Cold Iron voice practically dripped with enjoyment. “I'd have thought you'd provide better entertainment for me.” “Shut up!” Rarity shouted back as the gem mines that she had set while dodging the attacks of the Spike Pony rose around it and detonated, sending it flying across the arena. “And in a startling turn of events, the Jewel Pony has dealt a major blow to the Spike Pony. Sending it reeling to the ground halfway across the arena. What will Cold Iron do now‽” As the Spike Pony lay on the ground, Cold Iron's voice could be heard as his laugh grew louder and louder. Its back opened to reveal a pair of large laser cannons. A moment later, the pair of cannons fired towards the Jewel Pony, but instead of hitting it, the shots passed by it and struck a generator for the protective net. Suddenly, there was a hole in it, right behind Rarity. “Again, Cold Iron!” Rarity shouted. “Again you try to use the spectators as hostages!” “Anything to win,” his response came. “Now don't move.” The Spike Pony made it back to its hooves as the cannons began to pulse with energy. “And what’s this‽” the announcer shouted into his mic as the scene played out. “It seems as if the tide of the battle has turned in favor of the Spike Pony. The Jewel Pony has stopped moving and is doing nothing!” “Not this time!” The Jewel Pony surged forwards, trying to reach the Spike Pony before it could fire. Yet, before it could strike, the Spike Pony swatted the Jewel Pony away with a mighty swing of its foreleg. The cannons fired, Rarity hadn't managed to prevent the attack from happening and she watched in horror as the shots flashed towards the spectators. Then, there was a pony suit there at the hole, a pure black suit fitted with markings that gave it the appearance of a suit. “Leave this to me, Miss Rarity!” the voice of her butler Raymond sounded as the suits fore hooves began to glow, producing a field of energy that covered the gap in the net. The cannon shot of the Spike Pony slammed into the field and dissipated harmlessly. Rarity took the opportunity that Raymond's sudden arrival had granted her and leapt into the air over the Spike Pony. “This ends now, Cold Iron!” The bottoms of all four of the Jewel Pony's hooves opened in preparation for the attack. “TAKE THIS! JEWEL STORM!” Gem mines rained down on the Spike Pony, tearing through its head and limbs as they detonated on impact, ending the fight with a bang. The cheers from the crowd rose even louder as Rarity and the Jewel Pony stood over the fallen Spike Pony. “And what an upset we have! Cold Iron and the Spike Pony have been defeated in the most explosive ending to a match that this announcer has ever seen before! I give you the victor! Rarity and the Jewel Pony of Neo-Manehatten!” Following the fight, the police arrived and shut down the underground pony suit fighting arena, much to the disdain of the spectators in the stands. Cold Iron was arrested and carted off to a holding cell to await his trial and conviction on the charges of illegal trading and ponynapping. Pinkie and Twilight arrived with the police and had immediately rushed to Rarity's side as she exited her suit. “Rarity!” Pinkie shouted as she pulled the battle weary unicorn into a hug. “You're safe!” “Yes I am, Pinkie,” she responded. “And Raymond's told me that it's because of you two that he and the police both arrived.” “Yes,” Twilight said. “I, um... kept a track on you since we parted earlier after you said that you might take the investigation of the jewel thefts on yourself. And when your magic signature vanished, I just knew something was wrong. Raymond was the one who told us to go to the police though.” “I thank you for that Twilight. I still need to get in touch with the council again about the issue. It seems that there's still a lot to do about this, but I think for now, rest is best. Raymond, can we go?” “As you wish, Miss Rarity,” her butler said as he led her towards the exit. “There's a vehicle awaiting us to return you back to your residence.” “We'll see you later, Rarity.” Pinkie and Twilight waved as their friend left under the protective hoof and watch of her butler. “So, Pinkie, what's next for the agenda?” Twilight said as she turned to her pink friend. “How about a nice drive? I mean, the city is nice and all, but it's too cramped and crowded.” “You got it, Pinkie. Any place in particular you want to go?” “Nope. Let's let the core lander take us somewhere.” The two friends turned towards the exit of the arena and left for the city limits.