//------------------------------//
// Hoofington 
// Story: Equestrian Combat Club 
// by Flames173 
//------------------------------//

	After one hell of a long walk, Trixie, Lyra, and Muschi arrived at Hoofington. The city was bustling with life. No pony payed attention to the trio who were obviously out of place. Muschi stopped them shortly before entering the city.
"What is it this time Muschi?" All previous stops along the way were pointless reassuring letters from her father.
Muschi sniffed around a bit then started digging. Trixie joined him. She found a small sack of bits and a small note.

Trixie, I see you have made it to Hoofington. Well, you're almost there! Good luck. Here is some money for food, or water, or, condoms if you meet a stallion who doesn't have any, or whatever you girls want these days.

Trixie giggled. "Oh daddy." she said, crumpling the note then throwing it in the trash. She tied the sack to the sheath and continued on her way to town.
"What did it say?" Lyra asked.
"It just said here's some money."
"Come on, what did it say?"
"Nothing."
"I know it said something, so what was it?"
"Dad made a joke."
"Oh." Lyra waited a few seconds for Trixie to say the joke. "So, you're not going to tell me the joke?"
"Nah, it isn't exactly something I'm comfortable saying."
"Ok fine. Well, what are we going to do now?"
"Well, I'm kind of hungry. Maybe go buy some food? Lucky Muschi here gets fish snacks whenever he finds a note, and he has found a lot, so he should be good."
"So, how much money do we have?"
"I don't know, let me check." Trixie reached over to her side to open the little bag, when a pony dashed by and ripped it off the leather strap. "HEY!"
The pony hid it in his shirt and kept running. Trixie pulled out her staff, prepared to throw it if she had to. Something was different this time though. An emerald orb was floating in the center of the crook.
"What the hell?" Trixie shook the staff. Nothing happened. She looked at the fleeing stallion. She stuck out her staff and focused on her target. A green lightning bolt shot from it and hit the stallion. He fell to the ground as if he blacked out. Lyra, who had been chasing him the whole time, tackled his unconscious body and grabbed the money. She brought the satchel back and tied it to the sheath as Trixie sheathed her staff.
"That was totally wicked!" A young green stallion said.
"All right, looks like we have a decent amount of money. How about we get a pizza?" Trixie said, looking through the pouch of money.
"Sure." Lyra said.
The two unicorns went to the restaurant and ordered a pizza. They ate it happily.
"So, I suppose we get you signed up for the Tourney of Champions now?" Lyra asked.
The ponies near her stared.
"Did she just say-"
"Yeah, she did-"
"The Tournament of Champions?"
"That girl is dead."
"She's hot."
The ponies around them continued to talk.
"Yes, let's do it." The unicorns stood up. Trixie left some bits on the table and they left to the tournament arena.


***


"You, you want to get a wildcard spot?" The stallion asked.
"Yes. Now give me one." Trixie demanded.
"You don't understand. You sign up, and we pick names, the two names we pick get the wildcard spots."
"Look, you don't get it. My village was burnt down, so I couldn't get here in time to be in the ECC. I need to join. Me and Lyra here are the only survivors. If I don't get in, my village will have died for nothing. Ponyville is gone dude. GONE! I'm the only one who can repair it! I have to win this tourney. I will purge the world."
"Miss, I can't just give you a slot. I can enter your name multiple times though. I'll enter you three times ok?"
"Follow me." Trixie said, gesturing to the stallion and going to a conveniently placed room with a bed. It was originally used so rich people could sleep if they got tired during the Tournament, but now it was just there. The two ponies came out of the room half an hour later.
"Wow. That, was-"
"Wicked?" A feeble stallion asked.
"Where is he coming from?" Lyra asked.
"Anyways, Trixie, I'll give you a wildcard spot. You know, after I straighten my mane and tail, and put my armor back on."
"What did you do? Ooooh, did you and him-" Lyra began.
"NO. I beat him up!" Trixie said, fixing her mane.
"Oh. Well, so the Tourney doesn't start for a few more days. I guess we could train." Lyra said
"Sure."
They waited until the ECC were done training in the arena and it was opened to the public. A handful of ponies were beating up dummies or fighting each other.
"How am I going to train?" Trixie asked.
"Epic Rocky training montage?" Lyra suggested.
"Sure."
Trixie punched a punching bag repeatedly until it broke off the chain. Then she went to a meat locker and beat up defenseless, dead creatures. Lyra would occasionally send a new carcass down towards Trixie. Trixie stopped them and beat them up. Eventually they moved on to running up and down stairs over and over. After a bit, Trixie ran up a hill.
"DRAAAAGOOOOOOOO!" she shouted from the hilltop.
"Who's Drago?" Lyra asked.
"I have no clue. Wait, shouldn't we actually train in combat, not running and punching dead stuff?"
"Yeah, that would be best."
"Crap, first round starts in ten minutes. No time to do that."
"Shit, are you serious?"
Trixie sprinted down the hill to the arena. Lyra followed with Muschi right behind.