"I said were not sparring." Anon said frustratingly, crossing his arms and giving Starlight a small scowl.
"It’s not sparring per say. More like exercise with conflict. It's simple, we both start at opposites ends of the sand pit and you have to try and reach me while I attempt to stop you. It's either this or we wait for Twilight and we both know she is going to lecture you for most of it. Twilight is theory, I'm practical." Starlight stated with confidence.
Anon tapped the side of his arm in thought before letting out a long sigh. He began walking to one end of the sand pit.
"I know how this is going to end Starlight. Battered and bruised." Anon stated, his voice becoming louder to cover the long distance.
After a few minutes, they were both standing at either end. "Ready?" Starlight yelled, having to squint slightly to see Anon clearly.
"No... But whatever." Anon shouted back, less loud but more easily heard.
"Ready, GO!" Starlight shouted as she charged her horn.
Anon immediately created a few magic threads, attaching them to small rocks scattered about. He extended the threads and started swinging the thread over his head in a circling motion. Before he was able to launch them, Starlight had launched a small bolt of magic at him, the tall biped was able to sidestep it although it disrupted the flow of motion. He took a few moments to gather the momentum up again before launching them as hard as he could. The rope dissipated in mid-air, leaving the small rocks to sail through the sky.
Anon began running to Starlight as soon as he threw the rocks, he heard and saw the rocks bounce of a dome of magic that surrounded Starlight for a few seconds before 2 magical darts shot at him simultaneously. Anon kept running and created a sheet of magic that extended from his wrist. While both shots whizzed towards him, he noticed one was slightly slower. Blocking the first shot, the magical sheet shattered, obscuring his vision as the second one pinged him in the chest.
The pain was similar to a paintball but there was a wave of electricity that surged through him, stiffening his joints to cause him to tumble.
Looking up he saw her charging her horn again. "Don't create the object then give it properties later. Create the object WITH the properties. Imagine a shield again but actually picture it with how and why it works. Its curved, sturdy and heavy." Starlight shouted while smiling, before shooting another two shots at him. Like before one was slower.
Standing up, Anon held his forearm out as he pictured how the shield would look, feel, and act. Why it worked and how it was used. This time, instead of the magic coming from a singular point, he could feel a large blob emerge from his arm, ripping through the dress shirt as it folded and stretched before hardening. Anon could see and feel how well it worked. As he was admiring his work he heard the whizzing sound getting closer. Anon held up the shield just in time for the magical buckler to ricochet one of the bolts to the side before the second one got swatted downwards into the sand.
Starlight couldn't help but smile, she felt proud.
Anon pushed the buckler off him, letting it drop and dissipate on the sand before facing his side towards Starlight. Leaning away from her and stretching his furthermost arm, his hand making a grabbing motion. Starlight could see how his hand filled with green magic, filling his grip as it extended from both sides of his grip, creating a long cylinder. The end facing Starlight shaped into a blunted point.
Anon quickly shifted forward before launching the magical javelin at Starlight, leaving a thread connecting him to the javelin to spool out as it sailed through the air. The lilac unicorn trotted a few metres to the side as the javelin impacted the sand, impeding the head. Starlight shot a small beam of magic at the thread that connected Anon to his weapon, severing the connection as the javelin dissipated.
Starlight turned to Anon with a grin, her horn charging once more. Anon knew that he would have to go on the defensive and get closer if he wanted a chance to win, and with that an idea popped into his head.
Anon held out his right arm, attempting to create a shield again. This time it seemed to form a large rectangular shape with a small dome in the middle. Anon had to use both hands to support the weight of the shield before he let it dropped down, smacking into the sand the shield created a small dust cloud.
Still holding the shield, Anon dropped to one knee panting heavily as he felt light headed. "Ok, mana pools are a thing." Anon said to no one in particular. After a minute, the human rose to his feet, his head barely poking out above. Lifting the shield, he started to march forward. Lowering the shield every time Starlight fired at him. With each barrage, Anon got closer which led to more and different attacks. three darts, then four, a beam, darts then a beam, beam then darts, five darts.
Anon was three quarters of the way to Starlight, if he made a mad dash towards her without getting shot, he could reach her in a single sprint. Not wanting to risk it he simply kept trudging forward and braced against her attacks.
Eventually Anon got close enough that Starlight started to circle around him attempting to find an opening, only to meet the shield face which simply followed her every move. Shooting the edges of the shield trying to knock it to the side, Anon was able to recover before Starlight could get a hit in. Shooting next to him in an attempt to throw him off or create a sand cloud didn't work either. Her last circle round, Anon waited till Starlight was at the end of the pit again before suddenly charging towards her.
In a panic, the unicorn shot a quick succession of darts towards him, each pinging off the shield before Anon threw it at her and rushing her as well. Opting for defence, Starlight quickly created a domed shield which encompassed her down to the sand. The shield collided with the magical dome, creating a loud ringing echo inside the dome as Anon approached after and punched the dome with hardened magic surrounded his knuckles.
Again and again, his fists slammed into Starlight's barrier, each one rippling the dome upon impact, Starlight looked up from his fists and latched onto his face, her ears splayed back as her eyes became pin pricks.
Animalistic grunts, forced their way through his gritted teeth, his canines showing. The worst part was his eyes. A green shimmer seemed to cover them, gone was the compassion and care she saw before. Replaced was instinct and drive.
Punching the dome over and over, the noise almost became a rhythm as Starlight closed her eyes in concentration.
After a few minutes of constant punching and grunts, it stopped. Starlight slowly looked up to see Anon's eyes dart around the magical dome with an analytical gaze as he panted and huffed, his dress shirt drenched in sweat. Now in almost complete silence Starlight noticed her own breath become deeper, closing her eyes again she began to steady her breathing only to be interrupted as two soft thuds echoed in the dome.
Looking up, Starlight saw Anons palms placed onto the dome, a sly grin carved into his face. A greenish glow caught her attention which came from the palms pressed against her magic. The glow formed into threads as they spread around the dome, covering random angles, going under and over one another before a net like structure surrounded her. Anons grip tightened on the dome as the threads became darkened, their transparency became solid.
Starlight saw the threads become taught as they pressed against the dome, the dome cried against the pressure as it began to buckle and crack. Starlight's horn flared brighter and brighter, trying to combat the immense tension before a series of loud cracks followed by a deafening shatter filled her ears, glancing up the unicorn saw Anon's hand reach for her before he gripped her horn. Starlight recoiled and screamed as a large magical pulse grew from her horn which caused Anons hand to flair in its own magic causing it to also create a magical pulse before a deafening boom threw them across the pit.
Starlight felt a sharp pain in her hind leg as she landed, a sudden pressure filled around her as her consciousness faded.
Starlight finished, her ears splayed back as her gaze never left the floor.
Twilight sighed which caused Starlight to look at her. "You had so many opportunities to stop it. Why didn't you grip him in a telekinetic grab." Twilight asked in a confused tone as she pointed a hoof towards the mare in question.
"I had fail safes throughout the entire match! That is until he threw the shield which kinda startled me." Starlight paused for a moment. "As soon as I saw his eyes I couldn't think straight, my body kept shoving me in the fight or flight response." Her eyes met the ground again.
During their talk, a few nurses had done some checks before giving Starlight some painkillers.
"I'm going to check up on Anon, do you want to come with or would you rather stay here for a bit and rest?" Twilight asked as she made her way to the door. Starlight simply got down and followed behind Twilight with a nervous smile.