Author's Note: This chapter was editted by Cyber5555 and Subtle Rampage. This is my first time posting a chapter I primarily wrote on paper. I hope this chapter is okay.
[At the Tournament Arena. Bass's P.O.V.]
The four of us were there again awaiting to see who our respective opponents would be.
That diamond pony Rampage was once more standing in his corner. The griffon was a few feet away from him, resting in the corner opposite of Rampage's. I really should try and learn his name. Adven was sitting down on a bench with his eyes closed.
I had a different strategy than the others to psyche myself up. That strategy was to pace nervously.
"Relax Bass. Don't let your nervousness get the better of you," Adven said attempting to calm me down.
"I'm not nervous. But if I was it defintely wouldn't be because I could fight a griffon with sharp talons, a highly skilled swordspony, or a diamond manipulator pony!" I yelled hysterically.
Adven was about to respond when the announcer chimed in," Would the remaining competitors please enter the arena?"
The griffon and Rampage walked past us. Rampage gave us a dirty look as he past us. Adven and I exchanged a quick look, "What did you do to him?" we ask one another simultaneously.
"I don't know," we both answered at the same time. We stared at one another for a second. Then we both broke into laughter.
"We better catch up with them. We don't want to keep the crowd waitng," Adven suggested rising from his bench.
"I suppose you're right. Good luck in your match," I said offering a brohoof.
"See you in the finals," Adven said gleefully accepting my brohoof.
We went to see who we would be facing in our next round.
As we arrived the announcer explained his way of deciding the next round opponents. Please not Rampage! Anypony but Rampage!
"Alright contestants prepare to find out who you'll be fighting next round!" the announcer yelled closing his eyes. He proceeded to spin three times and point randomly with his hooves.
"Wha?" I mutter out of surprise.
"There you have it folks. Rampage and Bass will meet in the next round. Would you two please exit the stage so the first semimatch may begin?" he asked rhetorically.
Rampage and I headed back into the waiting area. I looked back at Adven. Someponys get all the luck.
[Adven's P.O.V. Play this! ]
The announcer introduced us to the crowd again and left the ring again so we could begin.
We ran towards one another. A loud clang rung throughout the arena as talons met steel.
We were equal, both attempting to force our way through the other.
"Surprised?!" my opponent yelled smugly.
"Yeah," I admitted nonchalantly," You're the first griffin whose talons didn't break under the stress of my blade."
I lightened up on the pressure I had on my sword. Before Rift could take advantage however I backed away and counterattacked.
"Argh!" he yelled in pain holding his face. "You tricked me!" he accused striking wildly at me.
For each hit he missed I scored two of my own each time cutting him more and more. This went on for seemingly forever.
"How can you still be standing?" I panted frustrated. Rift chuckled as he did I saw darkness similiar to the one that engulfed my master appear where Rift's injuries were.
"You see I have a secret," he gloated walking up closer and closer to me. In shock I could not make my body move.
"You've lost this match!" he continued cutting my right front and back hooves in one viscious swipe. I collapsed in pain.
"I'll take this then," Rift said gleefully as he took my sword from me. "A swordspony who can't keep his own sword doesn't deserve it."
Despite the dire of my situation I felt myself smile.
"What are you smiling for?! You lost! Accept it!" my opponent screamed angrily. He kicked me while I was down.
"You're just like everypony else who sees me with a sword," I said with a laugh. With a grunt I picked myself up and I saw his face. His face was contorted in angry frustration but I noticed something else.
He is afraid now. Good. Now is my chance. I charged straight at him. I landed behind him.
"Nothing happened. I knew you were just full of it!" he gloated until he noticed two cuts above his eyes. The blood from the scars seeped into his eyes blinding him enough for me to retrieve my sword and cut his neck.
"Argh!" he coughed grasping onto his neck.
"I know that won't finish you. Heal yourself so you can save yourself the pain," I stated coldly.
With that said darkness came over his neck effectively healing it. Without another word Rift took to the air.
I followed him up there. Rift circled back around and slashed my wings. He didn't stop there and went for my stomach.
With a quick flap of my wings I avoided the attack. Rift scratched at my front hooves. This must've been his plan. He meant to miss the first attack.
His attack did as he wanted I dropped my sword. Rift was closer to my sword. It was only a matter of time until Rift grabbed my sword.
Only one chance. I tucked in my wings and felt myself plummet towards the floor.
Our eyes met as I passed him up. Okay. I got it now. Wait. Why did I stop descending?! I felt my backhooves being caught by something.
Rift with an evil grin flew straight at the ground. Only at the last second to bring me down hard on the floor.
Before I could catch a breath I felt myself being lifted again. "We are approxiamately one hundred feet above the ring. Not so funny now. You're going to die for laughing at me!" Rift said evilly dropping my body.
Damn it! There is no way I can win! Even if I use my wings Rift will just recover from anything I throw at him. There has to be something I can do. Wait. It is crazy but maybe it will work.
I opened up my wings stopping at a good thirty feet above the ring.
"How dare you survive!" Rift said charging at me with incredible speed.
Got to time this just right...Now! I dodged Rift before he could make his mark. I grabbed onto his neck from behind. I postioned myself to be the opposite of how he was. My head met his tail and his head met mine.
"What are you doing?!" he demanded bitterly.
"Wouldn't you like to know," I said chuckling.
"Okay this should do it," with that said I once again tucked my wings.
"Idiot my wings are enough to keep us airborne," my opponent pointed out the obvious.
I closed my eyes and felt myself connect to the rest of the world. When that happened I attacked Rift's wings. I cut just deep enough to cause them to become immobile.
We plummeted towards the ground. As we did that I yelled,"Piledriver!"
We landed in the center of the ring. Rift's head taking the greatest amount of force. A gigantic crater formed in the ring.
"Well that was simply amazing!" the announcer yelled surprised.
He then proceeded to count. As he did that I stumbled to the edge of the ring to get my sword back. As the announcer reached ten I turned around to find my opponent sinking into a hole like my master.
"Hey!" I said stumbling towards the hole. Unfortunately by the time I reached it the hole had vanished.
"Damn it! Not again," I grumbled frustrated.