//------------------------------// // Rarity vs. Gallade // Story: MLP VS... Pokemon // by FrostyDawn //------------------------------// The attic Rarity crawled out of was no different from the rest of the house. Dusty. Dark. Abandoned. "Oh my. Who in their right mind would leave such a marvelous house? Well, it could use a touch up..." Rarity said to herself. The house was more like a mansion, with elegant banisters on the stair case that towered three stories and curtains that draped over the tall windows. A giant glass chandelier hung from the main foyer, with the bolts rusted, but still surprisingly holding the whole thing up. A large rug was spread over the tiled floor, with an intricate pattern. Did this house belong to royalty? But the whole house seemed... dead. Every bit of the house was either cluttered with cobwebs or dusty beyond recognition. Not a single peep was heard, except for Rarity's own hoofsteps as she casually stepped down the stairs. Rarity approached the giant door, and tried to jiggle the doorknob with her magic. Locked. "Rrrgh! Why does every exit around here have to be locked?" Rarity growled. "Well, I can't let you just wander out without a fight, couldn't I?" Discord chuckled. Rarity let out a frustrated sigh. "Discord, you're not even being subtle. Let's just get this over with." She said, turning her head back to the grand staircase. Another creature walked itself out of the shadows of the second floor. A tall, skinny creature that stood on two legs. It's forearms were slightly flat, and it's elbows were sharpened into points. The creature had a red triangular plate on its chest and back, like it had been thrust through its chest. The creature's head possessed a grey ridge, like it was wearing a helm of some sorts. It leaped down the stairs, glaring at Rarity with its red eyes. The unicorn flinched as the pointed elbows extended into giant sword-like blades. But it did nothing more. It stood in a fighting position, but simply paused. "What's it doing? Why isn't it attacking me?" Rarity asked. "You see, Gallades are a rather courteous species. They allow their opponent to make the first move. I guess you can call it 'Ladies first'." Discord explained. But the idea had Rarity rather curious. This thing... this Gallade truly was waiting for Rarity for strike. Despite what may follow afterwards, it seemed like a selfless gesture. Almost as selfless as Rarity herself. "Well? Go on." Discord said, snapping Rarity back out of her trance. Discord was right. No matter how long it took, Rarity had to get out. Even if it included killing such a being she saw herself in. Rarity let out a small burst of magic, hitting the Gallade square in the chest. Now the battle had begun. The Gallade's blade arms glowed a blazing purple, and as it tore through the air, a crescent shaped surge of energy rushed toward Rarity, hitting her just as hard. The force slammed Rarity against the door, before she fell to the floor. It felt like a sword had made a slice at her side, but not even a single scratch appeared Rarity winced as she rolled on the floor before another crescent struck where she stood a short while before. As Rarity stumbled to her hooves, she fired more and more bursts of magic, which arced in the air to hit the Gallade. When the Gallade shrugged it off, it rushed toward Rarity, who flinched. The first thing the unicorn felt was a ramming blow to her stomach. Rarity's eyes shot wide open, and she was able to see the Gallade kneeing her in the stomach. Rarity jolted up into the air, allowing the Gallade to spin and use its other leg to kick Rarity at the side, sending her bouncing against the floor. Rarity found herself groaning in pain, her vision blurry and her ribs stinging. She winced as she coughed, and tried to get to her hooves, only to collapse. She could barely stand the weight of supporting her own body, she succumbed to exhaustion in a matter of seconds. She felt something wet drip down the edge of her mouth. Panicked, she saw a crimson drop hit the floor. Blood. She looked up, and the Gallade slowly stepped toward her. Its bladed arms retracted, and a serious glare was cast on its face. It grasped Rarity by the throat, who grunted in pain. It held her up in the air, lifting her off her hooves. At this angle, Rarity had a clear view of the ceiling. As the moonlight cast shadows off the chandelier, it also made the dangling crystals glimmer in the dreary house. Rarity felt the shine give her a bit of hope, like a twinkling star beckoning her home. Rarity finally worked up the energy to move, and fired a glimmering light at the chandelier with her horn. Curious, the Gallade looked up to the chandelier, where the energy landed, and a violent surge of light and heat filled the foyer. The energy had been refracted through the chandelier's crystals, and illuminated the area with a bright white glow. The Gallade was blinded by the flash, and dropped Rarity to shield its eyes. With her last ounce of strength, she crawled away from the Gallade, and looked up to fire another surge of magic. Instead of exploding into a bright flash, the magic struck the chandelier's chain, which snapped. Time seemed to have paused for a moment, before Rarity looked away during a deafening crash. As Rarity turned back, she felt conflicting emotions. Success, then shock, then horror. The Gallade was right underneath the chandelier when it landed, and had its legs pinned under the pile of crystal and metal. Its torso, arms and head were free, but it was clear the Gallade was not getting back up. Rarity slowly stepped over to the fallen creature. She looked over the Gallade, feeling a small wave of regret and compassion. To Rarity's surprise, the Gallade's eyes shot open. Rarity flinched and pulled back, expecting it to lash at her with its sharp arms. But it simply looked down its legs, and became of aware of its defeat. But Rarity felt her heart break as a thought returned to her. The Gallade was still alive. She had to kill it, or never see her beloved friends again. Rarity stepped closer, and lowered her horn. "I'm so sorry." She whispered. As a magical glow formed on her horn, she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I have to do this." The Gallade merely nodded, and closed its eyes. Rarity did the same and let the magic release. As the shock of the energy sounded, she opened her eyes. The Gallade was completely lifeless on the floor, and all went quiet. The sound of slow clapping in Rarity's mind broke the silence. "Marvelous job! Way to kick 'em when they're down!" Discord chuckled sarcastically. "Stop..." Rarity whimpered, tears rolling from her eyes. "I can't do this any longer." "Oh, but you must. It is my command. Do you regret sealing me away in stone? Do you regret me plotting revenge and forcing you to kill these creatures?" Rarity collapsed onto the floor, putting her hooves over her eyes. "Yes! I do! I regret everything! I regret everything I've ever done!" She wailed. There was a loud CRACK in Rarity's mind. She sat up, and looked around. "What was that?" She asked. "Muahahaha... perfect. One down, five to go." Discord said, and faded once more to silence. The locked door slowly creaked open, but Rarity continued to sulk on the floor.