//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Competition // Story: N’Zoth’s Chosen // by Dracthul //------------------------------// Tinnidas woke up early, finding the sun just barely peeking over the horizon. He could somehow tell that it was going to be a good day, and that energy made him throw off his covers and sit up on his bed. He ran a hand through his hair, attempting to shape it back to normal. He stood up, walking over to the bathroom and tidying up some. Walking back into the main part of his room, he looked in the mirror at his freshly cleaned face. He then looked at the robe he was wearing. The silky blue robe he was given for his stay was incredibly comfortable, much to his delight. He removed it from his body, tossed it onto the bed, and put on the undergarments for his armor. He then started putting his armor on, finishing with his gauntlets. He reached below his bed, gripping his sword and putting it in the sheath on his back. He looked in the mirror once more, finding his appearance worthy of a warrior. He decided to leave his satchel, seeing how he would not need any of the items during his performance. He headed for the door, locking it as he went through. He found himself in the same hallway as the day before, this time with Twilight’s absence. Wasting no time, he made his way down the hall and to the stairs, where he went down and out to the outside world. He started the walk to the stadium where The Games were being held as he tried to mentally prepare himself. Maybe he had been a bit foolhardy jumping into a competition with some of Equestria’s best competitors, but he was a warrior after all. More than that, he was an Azerothian, coming from a place that had far more danger than the world he was currently stuck in. He could handle a few ponies. The distinct sound of cheering ponies hit his ears as he got closer to the arena—something he was getting accustomed to. The guards recognized him as he approached, clearing the way for him. He went past them, giving a respectful nod as he did. He traveled down the same hall as he had the day before, this time watching for any ponies hiding in the shadows. Fortunately, there were none. He reached the top of the stairs he went up, crossing over to a set of stairs that went down to the field. He went down them, spotting Shining Armor at the bottom. Coming up to the captain, he tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. “What can I do for you, Tinnidas?” “I’m going to be competing in fencing. Can you point me in the direction of where to go for the event?” “Of course…” the stallion returned with hesitation. “Just go over there.” He pointed a hoof at a small archway where other ponies waited. “Thank you,” Tinnidas said, starting towards the archway. He stopped as he heard the captain’s voice again. “Are you sure you want to compete in fencing?” “Don’t worry,” the man confidently said, “I’ll be fine.” He continued forward, crossing the field and making his way over to the other contestants. A brown-colored mare with a blonde mane came up to him, holding a clipboard. “How may I help you?” she asked in a somewhat condescending tone that Tinnidas ignored. “I’m here to compete in fencing,” he explained, the mare looking at her clipboard. “I don’t see anything for—Wait, I see you.” She flipped the papers on her clipboard back to the front. “It seems Princess Cadance put you in here last moment.” “That she did,” he joked with a forced laugh. She did not seem amused, only adding to the awkwardness. “Nevertheless, the show must go on.” She turned around. “Those are your competitors. In a few minutes, the matchups will be announced, and then you will go to the center of the field and stand on the designated X’s. Shining Armor will then explain the rules. Once the trumpet blows, you can begin fencing.” “Sounds easy enough.” The mare huffed, trotting away. Tinnidas decided to follow her, going over to the other ponies getting ready for the event. They were all unicorns, which meant he would have to face off against magical swords. That also meant he could get attacked at almost any angle if he was not careful. Just as his doubts started to stir, trumpets drew his attention. Shining Armor stood at the center of the field, looking around at the stadium. “Opening this day of the Equestria Games will be fencing. The first matchup will be Maneatour of Manehattan against Ironfist of Canterlot!” Tinnidas looked to his left and right, seeing the two unicorns making their way toward Shining Armor. Maneatour looked about as bulky as Ironfist, but his coat was a pure white, contrasting Ironfist’s grey coat. They both wore armor that covered almost the entirety of their bodies. They lacked helmets, however. “As you know, only hits to the body will count. Any hit to the face will count as a disqualification. The first to get the point wins the round. There are five rounds, and the pony to get three points first wins the matchup. The winners will face other winners until the champion is revealed.” Shining Armor told the two stallions, “Best of luck.” He then signaled the guards to blow the trumpet that started the match. Tinnidas watched intently as the two stallions went in circles in opposite directions. They both seemed to be studying one another, neither wanting to make a move. After a pregnant moment, Maneatour made the first move. He sprinted forward, slashing to hit his foe. His attack was blocked, but he quickly whipped his sword, connecting with Ironfist’s leg. “One point to Maneatour!” Shining Armor shouted. Ironfist shook his head, getting back to his stance. The trumpet blew once again, and he rushed forward. He took a heavy downward swing towards his opponent, but Maneatour dodged with great speed, leaving an opening. Striking fast, Maneatour clipped Ironfist on the chest. “Two points for Maneatour! One more to win!” Ironfist roared, stomping over to his position. He swung his blade around, feeling anger going through him. He eagerly waited for the trumpet to blow, spurring into action as it did. He sprinted forward, the same as before, watching as his opponent got ready to block. He then rolled on the ground, going beside the vulnerable Maneatour. With a slash of his blade, Ironfist made sparks off of Maneatour’s back leg. “One point to Ironfist!” Ironfist went back to his spot, grinning. The trumpet blew again, and he let his opponent come to him. Maneatour approached, swinging his sword around in the air before preparing to strike. Ironfist moved his sword, deciding not to block but to strike first. His risk paid off as his sword hit Maneatour first. “Two points for Ironfist! One more to win!” Ironfist ground his hooves into the dirt, letting his anger take hold again. The trumpet blew once more, and the two stallions charged at each other. Almost like they were jousting, they lined up their swords with each other as they prepared to clash. Maneatour slid on the ground—a costly mistake. Ironfist reacted quicker than Maneatour thought possible, finishing the round with a hit to the chest. “And Ironfist wins the match!” Shining Armor yelled. Part of the crowd cheered for their representative from Canterlot. Tinnidas scratched his beard, studying his competitors. He kept an eye on Ironfist, but his main focus was on Steadfast of Cloudsdale. He tore through his opponents with ease, and the way he fought was worrying to Tinnidas. “The next matchup will be Long Sword of Las Pegasus against Tinnidas of Ponyville!” Tinnidas walked towards his spot, hearing the crowd cheer for him. It was something he never expected to hear, yet he heard it now. He glanced up to where the princesses were, seeing Twilight cheering for him. He also saw Cadance waving at him with a smile. He turned back to Shining Armor, stopping on the X. Tinnidas took a steady breath as he waited for the trumpet. He looked at Long Sword, seeing an older stallion who lacked the agility needed for fencing. Confidence flooded through the man as he heard the trumpet, spurring him into action. He shortened the distance between his foe but still kept his distance. Long Sword went in for the first blow, but Tinnidas leaned back to dodge it easily. He then rolled out the way of another thrust, taking the opportunity to strike his enemy. “One point to Tinnidas!” He went back to his post, holding his sword in front of him. When the signal came, he slowly walked forward, keeping up his guard. When Long Sword swung, he was ready. He blocked the blow, blocking the other that came shortly after. He attempted a strike, but it was deflected—letting Long Sword thrust into his chest plate. He staggered back, catching himself from falling over. “One point to Long Sword!” Tinnidas decide to grip his sword with both hands, switching up his traditional style. Long Sword looked startled, which Tinnidas liked. The trumpet blew and he ran towards his enemy. He reared his sword, delivering a crushing blow that Long Sword was barely able to stop from hitting him. Tinnidas quickly switched to one hand, landing a swift slash. “Two points for Tinnidas! One more to win!” Tinnidas gave eyes of steel to his opponent, sending worry throughout the stallion. He knew he had gotten into his head, already having won half the battle. He swung his sword with a flick of his wrist, getting ready. The trumpet sounded and Tinnidas slowly approached, bold enough to have his sword at his side. Long Sword slowly went forward, meeting Tinnidas. He struck out at the man, but Tinnidas simply leaned back, the blade going over his chest. Tinnidas then thrust his sword into Long Sword, claiming victory. “Tinnidas wins the match!” Shining Armor yelled, nodding to Tinnidas. He returned the nod, walking back to the other contestants. “That concludes the first round of matchups. We now move on to the second round.” Tinnidas watched Ironfist win again, and then he was up for the second time. He faced an easy opponent, one he defeated in three quick rounds. He got to relax as the others fought it out until the competition progressed. “We are now entering the semifinals. The first matchup will be Tinnidas of Ponyville against Black Hammer of Trottingham!” Tinnidas sighed in relief, glad to be facing the easier of the three stallions. That also meant Ironfist and Steadfast would be going against each other. Black Hammer put up a fight, but he was ultimately no match for Tinnidas. Returning to the sidelines, Tinnidas watched intently as Ironfist and Steadfast stared each other down, neither flinching under the other’s gaze. The trumpet blew, and they both went at each other. Their swords hit together as they did the same attack, Steadfast pushing his weapon forward. Ironfist was forced onto his back legs, which became a weakness when Steadfast pulled his sword away and hit Ironfist on the neck. “One point to Steadfast!” Tinnidas hoped Ironfist would win, leaving the easier of the two ponies left for him to face, but he suspected Steadfast would win. The second round began, Ironfist holding back as Steadfast came forward. Ironfist quickly lunged out for a quick strike, Steadfast jumping back to avoid it. Steadfast then circled his foe before closing in. With a speedy attack, he barely managed to clip Ironfist before his foe could completely dodge. “Two points for Steadfast! One more to win!” Ironfist tried to funnel his rage into his horn, commanding his sword to move with him. Both stallions stepped forward to poke at each other, Ironfist having slightly longer reach to hit Steadfast first. “One point to Ironfist!” “It’s been a good match,” Steadfast boldly said, his voice deep, “but it must end.” The trumpet blew, Steadfast closing the distance a little. Ironfist came forward, preparing his strike. Steadfast raised his sword like he was getting ready to counterstrike, but he threw his sword like a spear, ramming it into Ironfist’s chest and causing his foe to trip. Ironfist slid across the ground, stopping directly at Steadfast’s hooves. “Steadfast wins the match! That concludes the semifinals. We now enter the final matchup: Steadfast of Cloudsdale against Tinnidas of Ponyville!” The stadium roared, two sides clashing over which side had more support. Tinnidas could barely hear them at all due to his focus on Steadfast. He noticed Steadfast was adapting to each opponent’s style by taking some of their best traits and using them against them. It seemed to be a deadly tactic; one Tinnidas hoped to overcome through pure experience and skill. He went to his spot, closing his eyes as he breathed. His muscles relaxed as he gripped his sword with both hands. The trumpet blew, and Tinnidas went forward. He reared his sword up, quickly approaching Steadfast. Instead of bringing his weapon down, he curved it to the left, knocking Steadfast’s shoulder. “One point to Tinnidas!” Tinnidas returned to the proper position, using only one hand for his sword to throw off his opponent. He waited for the trumpet to blow, slowly going forward when it did. He let Steadfast come to him, putting up his guard. For a moment, it seemed neither would move, but Steadfast eventually budged. He rushed Tinnidas, initiating a strike that the man was able to stop. He tried another, but that was dodged by him as well. Tinnidas swung, getting parried. He recovered quick enough to slash Steadfast before the stallion could react. “Two points for Tinnidas! One more to win!” Steadfast growled, spinning his sword around with his magical grip. He drove his hooves into the ground. He had watched Tinnidas fight, and now he knew how he fought. The remaining rounds would come solely down to skill. The trumpet blasted, both contestants rushing at each other. Tinnidas prepared to strike, Steadfast doing so as well. As they both swung, their swords hit, bouncing off one another. Steadfast spun his blade, sliding it across Tinnidas’s chest. “One point to Steadfast!” Tinnidas could tell Steadfast fought differently than the other two rounds. He was trying to use some of his moves against him. Tinnidas went back into position, rushing forward when the trumpet blew. He then made Steadfast jump back by thrusting with his sword. He intentionally kept his distance from the stallion, waiting for him to make a move. Tinnidas went for a counter strike when he did, but Steadfast knocked his sword instead. The stallion then drove his blade into Tinnidas’s stomach. “Two points for Steadfast! The next point decides the match!” Tinnidas walked away, clutching his stomach. The last blow he had taken had knocked the wind from his body, leaving him to cough as he forced air back in. However, if he were to beat Steadfast, he would need to focus. He walked over to the X on the ground where he was supposed to stand, closing his eyes as he got into his stance. He took a deep, slow breath as he tried to relax his body. He then focused on his senses, listening to the idle noise of the stadium and the breeze in the air. He could smell that crisp air all around him as he felt the ground beneath his boots. He waited for what felt like an hour for the trumpet to blow, every second going by at an excruciating pace. When the trumpet finally did sound, he did not move. He kept his eyes closed as Steadfast charged toward him. He knew the stallion was cocky and ill-tempered and that he would therefore lose focus over time. He would use that to his advantage. Tinnidas opened his eyes as he heard his opponent’s hooves get close. He saw Steadfast raising his sword high. He answered with a simple block with his sword as he sidestepped. While he could have struck at Steadfast, he likely would have been parried—and therefore vulnerable. Steadfast grounded himself again as Tinnidas walked around him. Steadfast lunged out with his blade, Tinnidas easily moving out the way. Tinnidas then went for a quick slash, Steadfast barely able to catch the blow in time. He rapidly delivered another strike, just missing Steadfast. He had to roll on the ground to avoid the blow the stallion came back with. He rose to his feet, already having to put up his sword to stop another strike. “Give in already!” Steadfast yelled, trying—and failing—to hit Tinnidas. He put out another cleave. “You cannot win!” “And what—” Tinnidas caught Steadfast’s blade with his own. “—makes you think that?” “You are merely a hulking brute, not a skilled fighter,” Steadfast returned with venom as he pushed his sword forward. “But that’s where you’re wrong.” Tinnidas twisted his weapon, sending both of their swords down and to the left. He then kicked Steadfast’s leg with his boot, forcing the stallion onto one knee. Steadfast made a desperate attempt at a strike, aiming directly toward Tinnidas’s leg. Tinnidas expected it, catching the blade with his sword and then flicking his wrist, sending Steadfast’s sword flying through the air. It then stabbed into the dirt, bending back and forth. Tinnidas looked down at his opponent, who was trying to get to his hooves. Not giving him a chance for recovery, he pulled his sword back one final time before bringing it down upon Steadfast’s shoulder, creating a huge spark as he did. “And Tinnidas is the fencing champion of this Equestria Games!” Shining Armor announced, the spectators screaming wildly. Tinnidas looked around at all the ponies in the crowd who were cheering for him. They were all celebrating his victory. He turned his head, seeing Twilight’s friends jumping up and down with joy for him. He saw Twilight utterly roaring, which made him chuckle. After a moment of taking in the admiration from the ponies, he looked back to the field. His eyes went downward, finding Steadfast still on the ground. He slowly walked over to the stallion, putting out a hand to help him up. Steadfast grabbed the hand with his hoof, pulling himself onto all four hooves. Tinnidas let go of his competitor’s hoof, turning around to look back at Twilight, who was still cheering. He also saw Cadance clapping her hooves together for him, to which he gave her a bow. Raising back to his full height, he saw her eyes widen as her face turned to one of fear. He raised an eyebrow, just as he heard hoofsteps behind him. He turned his head, seeing a sword coming for his neck. He threw up an arm, his hand impacting with the blade as it went through the leather protecting his palm and sliced into his hand. The blade managed to hit his armor in one of the few places he lacked both plating and magical protection, blood splattering onto his face as he stumbled backward. He tried to find his footing, seeing Steadfast quickly approaching. Adrenaline pumped through him as he sprung into action. With his good hand, he reached over his head and pulled out his sword, taking a few steps back and pointing it at Steadfast. “Don’t make me hurt you,” Tinnidas warned. His words meant nothing to Steadfast, who only continued toward him. Tinnidas’s eyes flashed with yellow as his body acted upon its muscle memory. The runes along his sword turned dark green as he lifted his sword high. Taking one final glance at Steadfast, who was not relenting in his charge, Tinnidas brought his sword down upon the ground, unleashing the energy within the runes. The ground quaked as a crack went out from the end of the blade toward Steadfast. The land around the stallion tore apart as chunks of dirt erupted into the air. He was hammered by the earth and rock, getting knocked over and partially buried. The stadium was dead silent, all eyes looking down at Tinnidas with a mix of emotions. He looked up at the crowd, seeing the ponies firsthand. He could tell that they were all shocked, but he could not tell what they were thinking. He looked back at the devastation he had caused, seeing Steadfast’s head poking out from the dirt as he tried to move. His attention was drawn to the series of hoofsteps that were rapidly coming toward him. He saw a group of guards led by Shining Armor marching toward him. He carefully put his sword away as the guards came up to him. “Please come with us to the castle,” Shining Armor said, his guards moving apart to let the man through. “Of course,” Tinnidas replied, walking out of the stadium with the guards. They escorted him outside, leading him down the road to the crystal castle where he was temporarily residing. He feared, however, that he would be staying there a lot longer than expected. Tinnidas soon found himself being taken down a hallway that ended with a giant ornate pair of doors. Two guards opened said doors, revealing the throne room inside the castle. A carpet went from the entrance to the top of the small set of steps that led to the throne. Made of crystals, the throne had a beautiful and eye-catching design. His eyes were drawn, however, to the cotton-candy-colored alicorn sitting on it. The guards left the throne room, closing and locking the doors behind them. After hearing the sound of the doors locking, Cadance stood up. She walked down from her throne, slowly coming up to Tinnidas. “Are you alright?” she asked, her voice soft and calm. “I think so. The guards patched up my hand to stop the bleeding.” He went down on one knee, moving his head up a little to look at her. “I want to apologize for what happened. It’s just Steadfast attacked me, a-and then I reacted, and…” He sighed, collecting his thoughts. “I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. For that, I am sorry.” “You shouldn’t be the one apologizing,” Cadance responded calmly. “What?” Tinnidas asked, confused. “B-but I damaged the stadium and almost seriously injured a pony. Why shouldn’t I be apologizing?” “You weren’t the one who started the fight,” she explained. “Steadfast attacked you from behind after the match was over. You simply defended yourself. While you did damage the field, it can be cleaned up. You also stopped Steadfast without hurting him—hurting him too badly, at least.” “You’re really not upset?” Tinnidas asked, shocked by how the princess reacted to his show of violence and destruction. “Of course not. You are a guest here and are supposed to be safe so long as you are in my empire, but you were attacked and injured under my watch, and for that, I apologize.” “Thank… thank you, Cadance,” he said, dumbstruck by her kindness. “How did you even do that?” she asked. “I hardly ever see magic that strong that isn’t a spell.” “While I don’t completely remember, I suspect that most of the equipment I arrived here with is enchanted,” he began. “My armor has some kind of protective barrier, and my sword has a few abilities.” He pulled out his sword, putting one hand on the blade and the other on the handle as he presented it to her. “The runes that run along the blade hold the magic, if I remember correctly. I’ve been able to shoot fire from it and break the ground like you saw, but I have no idea what else it can do.” “How long is it going to take to repair the stadium?” he asked her, walking over to one of the nearby windows that overlooked The Empire. “Only a few hours,” she answered, coming over to him. “Everything should be back to normal tomorrow.” “Only a few hours?” He kept looking out, watching the massive crowd of ponies from the stadium spill into the streets. “You can rest up for the rest of the day, and The Games can continue as normal tomorrow morning.” Tinnidas slowly nodded, turning away from the window and walking towards the doors. He grabbed one of the handles, turning it and cracking the door open. He turned his head around. “Once again, I’m sorry about my outburst.” “It’s alright,” she replied, returning to her throne. “Really.” Tinnidas went into the hall, closing the door behind him. He went through the castle, going to his room and lying down in the soft, cozy bed that awaited him. When Tinnidas got up for what was the second complete day of the Equestria Games, but actually his fourth day in the Crystal Empire, he was met with a stinging sensation in his hand. After throwing off his covers, he looked at the bandage on his hand, finding it stained slightly yellow. “Guess I’ll have to get this attended to some time,” he said to himself as he stretched his fingers out, feeling a stiffness in them. He then got up, making himself presentable for the day. As he did, his thoughts returned to the Princess of the Crystal Empire. Despite all of his expectations, she seemed to enjoy his company. He found her quite the interesting pony; he just hoped she was not tricking him. However, the more he thought, the more he realized that he was already at her mercy. If she had wished, she could have locked him away, using his outburst at The Games as an excuse—but she did not. He was kept within his thoughts as he left his room and started down the hall. Like the past two mornings, he headed outside to the stadium, entering through a special area for what he presumed to be important guests. He then climbed the stairs that led to the princesses, spotting the pink princess he had been spending time with. He joined her a few minutes before The Games were set to start, exchanging formalities with her before it was time for the events to start. They then both watched the games that took place, Tinnidas interested in the aerial relay most of all. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been training hard for the event, and he wanted to support them in the race. So, he cheered for Fluttershy as she hit hooves with Rainbow Dash. He then watched Rainbow Dash bolt forward at incredible speeds, making up the time they were behind. He watched as she caught up to the mare in front, both of them speeding toward the finish line. Rainbow Dash came in a close second, Tinnidas clapping and whistling nonetheless. He then sat back in his seat, waiting for the medalists to take their positions on the podium that was already set up. Cloudsdale managed to place first, Ponyville being second, but they had been very close in medals throughout The Games thus far. Shining Armor trotted in front of the podium, saying, “Congratulations to all our medalists!” He then stopped and turned around, announcing, “And now, the anthem of—” “And I shall do the honor of singing!” Spike shouted to the stadium, everyone clapping for him. Shining Armor went up to him, whispering something to him. After waving to the crowd, Spike continued. “Well, I know all the words to our anthem, and will sing them for you now, loud and proud, to the enjoyment of all!” As the stadium cheered for Spike, Tinnidas turned to Cadance with a confused look. “I didn’t know Spike was going to be singing.” “Neither did I,” she replied, just as confused as him. “I didn’t even know he could sing,” Tinnidas said, shifting in his seat. “Nonetheless, I am interested to see.” “And now… um…” Shining Armor continued with a pause after a spotlight fell on him, “the Cloudsdale anthem, as sung by Spike!” Tinnidas saw the two speak to each for a moment as they waited for the music to kick in. Spike then cleared his throat, the sound of brass instruments coming on a couple of seconds later. “Oh, we’re the Wonderbolts and we’re super fast, and we’re from Cloudsdale which-is-a-part-of-Equestria,” Spike shouted and slurred in what could only be described as a mockery to singing, ending with a nervous laugh. “That we like best and we’re proud and we’re fast and we like it because it really has nice trees.” Tinnidas recoiled from the harsh noise coming from the dragon, as well as the terrible timing. For a moment, he wondered if Equestria’s music was very, very different from the music back on Azeroth, but he glanced over to Cadance, seeing her cringing as well. “Yeah, we love the town because it’s so cool and, and we like to fly really fast and everything like that,” Spike continued, his face redder than he could have ever imagined. As he looked around the crowd, he saw ponies appalled and in shock, only adding to his embarrassment. “I kinda wish this was over ‘cause it is… n’t… yet. Over… now.” He heard the chorus starting again, sweat pouring down him as he tried to recite what he had said earlier. “Oh, we’re the Wonderbolts and we’re super fast and we’re cloud—from Cloudsdale. We like it there ‘cause it’s really nice and the trees are cool and I hope this is over now.” He heard the song continue, his heart only wrenching further. “And… it keeps going on, la la la. And we really love the town. So I wish that this song… was over now. Over… now.” The song reached its dramatic climax, Spike ending with, “Over… now…” Tinnidas looked down at the dragon with his mouth agape and face stuck in a state of cringing. The only sound that could be heard was that of a baby crying; otherwise, there was utter silence in the stadium. He watched Spike slowly walk away from the center of the stadium and go towards one of the exits. The dragon disappeared, the medalists on the field returning to the rest of their team after seeing him go. “Well, that was awkward,” Tinnidas said to himself. The Games continued with a certain awkwardness in the air that no one wanted to talk about, but everyone knew what the awkwardness was from. Tinnidas tried his best to forget Spike’s “performance,” but it was near impossible. While he was not angered like some ponies from Cloudsdale were, he could tell just how embarrassing the situation was—especially for Spike. From what he knew of the dragon, he was somewhat shy, and he feared that the shame would only make him more so. However, the show had to go on, and The Games did just that. The next event started after only a few minutes, everything continuing as planned. “So…” Tinnidas started to Cadance, “what did you think of Spike’s singing?” “What did you think of it?” she asked, perfectly deflecting his question in an innocent-sounding voice. “It was… an interesting take on the anthem,” he responded, not really knowing how to word his thoughts nicely. “T-then again, I’ve never actually heard the anthem, so I don’t know how to gauge the singing.” “I’m just messing with you,” Cadance snickered. “His performance was absolutely, well… bad, I hate to say.” “I’m going to have to agree with you on that,” he said, pointing at her as he did. He instantly cringed from the pain that went through his hand as his wound reopened. He grabbed his hand as blood started to soak into his bandage. Cadance quickly got up from her seat, coming over to look at his palm. She magically pulled off the bandage—much to his discomfort. “Did you ever get this treated?” she asked, seeing the blood and pus coming from his cut. “I was going to soon… I just haven’t gotten around to it yet,” he admitted. “You stallions,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Never want to go to the doctor.” “Sorry,” he simply said back, watching as she closed her eyes and started a spell. Blue light went up her horn, a tiny stream going towards his hand. The energy from her magic seeped into his palm, closing his wound in a matter of seconds as his skin regrew and sewed itself back together. Her eyes opened, her horn returning to normal. Moving his hand around and flexing his fingers, he saw just how effective her healing had been. He felt no pain in his hand at all. “Thank you,” he said out of gratitude. “Make sure to get your injuries checked out first next time,” she humbly replied, returning to her seat. The two watched the rest of the day’s activities, returning to their rooms afterward. The next day was much more normal, but all unicorns had to let a disabling spell be put on them to prevent them from using their magic to help someone cheat. After that, there were no more disruptions to The Games. The day after that was just as normal—until the final event.