If both duelists involved would kindly let me know that they are ready, this duel can begin. If one of the dueling parties does not report in (ready or otherwise) before Wednesday [2/20/2013], they will forfeit the match. If neither report in, both will forfeit.

Whether you are ready or not, please make it known in an ((OOC)) post here in this thread.

This duel concluded [2/21/13] with SocraticBrony as the victor by Killing Blow.

727388((ready))

727511, 727395
((I am opening this duel. You may now fight one another. Please follow this link to see the list of judges.

You must conclude your duel, either by killing blow (judge's rule), forfeit, or voting decision. A vote will be held by default in the event that the duel is not completed by 12:00 a.m. [-5:00 GMT] on Saturday [2/23/2013].

Fight with honor!))

Today's match was a strange one, for the crowd seemed oddly silent. Gone were the frantic and eager cheers that had often filled the arena even before the contestants made their entrances. The reason for their quieter demeanor was immediately clear, however. Rather than in his viewing box, Aurus was in the center of the arena this day, smiling away as if nothing were wrong in the slightest. Standing next to him were Celestia and Luna, both of which seemed to be incredibly amused by the crowd's reaction.

Arrayed behind them were the vast number of mages who usually lined the walls of the ring to prevent the crowd from being injured, both unicorn and changeling alike. These creatures all talked amongst themselves in a manner similar to the crowd, curious and confused.

It was apparent that whatever was going on, it had yet to be announced publicly.

At last Aurus speaks up as the contestants draw nearer, his voice augmented so that all can hear, yet sounding only at normal volume no matter how close the duelists grew.

"It's that time again, my friends. Time for you to show the world what you can do. But this time it is a special occasion. The tournament's quarter-finals begin this day, and at this point there are none who can doubt your courage, tenacity, and strength," he said, smiling between the two fighters.

"But though none can doubt it, you will find it further tested. For now you face only those who have fought ferociously to prove themselves your equals in these Games. I regret to announce that this simple coliseum has grown too small for your magnificent duels. So today, you will fight in another place entirely. A place deep within the heart of T'rahk Enox," he said simply.

At this point, the changelings in the crowd suddenly exploded into chatter and some scattered cheering. Clearly wherever it was, they knew exactly the place Aurus spoke of. The rest of the crowd murmured their confusion, for if the contestants did not fight here, then where? And what sort of spectacle would it be then?

"Worry not," Aurus chuckled, raising a hoof. "You will still see the match here, as you have before. Our most skilled illusionists will display the match in its perfect entirety in this very arena. Those of you who have come to see the battles shall see them."

The crowd cheered happily for a brief moment before Aurus continued.

"But to you it will be another place entirely, removed from all of this. Their cheers will not reach you where we are going. It will simply be you and your opponent in the heart of my realm," he said quietly, and it was clear that only the contestants heard this, for his powerful voice did not echo with magic this time.

Portals of fire opened in the ground before the duelists, and Aurus smiled. "When you are ready, enter. We will be waiting for you. Fight with honor, friends, and enjoy the serenity of Cloud's Calling for a moment before you begin. Keep in mind that if you fall from its heights, your duel will be lost."

In a flash of midnight blue and golden magic from Celestia and Luna, the two princesses, Aurus, and the mages vanished.

Stepping through, you found yourself in a place you would never have expected.

Vealta Merkart finally enters the stadium, after a long period of self re-discovery. She wanders her way up to the center, not far from being under Aurus and the Equestrian Princesses' former seats.
Wow, I never realized that there were illusionists and mages protecting everyone here. I should have tried working for these games, instead of applying to participate. So, who is up. Some old earthpony vs a unicorn. Well, it should be simple as to who should win. That unicorn.
Wait, that old geezer bested a unicorn in the first round? Well then. This shall be interesting.

728662>>728541
As Crafter was lead out of the waiting room, he was shocked to see not only King Aurus, but both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna standing in the center of the field. He had to fight the urge to bow once he reached the royalty standing before him.

Returning the nod of acknowledgement, Crafter turned all his attention to Aurus as he spoke, making sure to keep his ego (or lack there of) in check. Once the fire portal appeared before him, the tinkerer blew one last kiss to his pregnant wife in the stands. After taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, Crafter walked into the portal. The awe inspiring sight of arching mountains, lush trees growing on long natural bridges.

I must remember to ask Aurus about getting the coordinates to this place... I could get so much writing done here.

His attention was drawn to the sight of the elder earth pony bowing in respect. Crafter returned the bow instantly and sincerely, he knew better than to let his progress go to his head. "I wish you luck friend, may the best pony win."

Knowing that the crowed could still see him, Crafter opted to continue the theatrical, drawn out deployment of his armor. ((G1 transformers sound effect, too lazy to look for it)). Once the ice blue power armor had completely encased his body, various plates of metal twitching in excitement, Crafter allowed himself a small smirk. "Let the battle begin."

((I often play defensively, you can go first ))

Snowfall took her seat in the stands, eagerly watching as Crafter and Virgil took their first steps on the battlefield. She liked Crafter, she really did, but Virgil was something else entirely. There weren't many earth ponies in the Royal Guard, and there was a reason for that. Simply speaking, earth ponies were outclassed by unicorns and pegasi. Every advantage an earth pony had could be matched or exceeded by either of the other two pony breeds with a little training, while their gifts remained forever out of reach.

Some would consider it unfair, but to her it was just another challenge to overcome. Likewise, she greatly respected other earth ponies that had done just that. Virgil had stepped into an arena that should have been dominated by unicorns and changelings, and with nothing more than skill and a quick mind overcome them all. Unless Crafter could match him in wits, he would just be another casualty like all the others who challenged Virgil before him.

729189 ((approved by Man Gell))
[Vitals – health: 98% Stamina: 100% mana: 100%]

Reaction: The old stallion moved fast, too fast for Crafter to get a lock on him. When the steel pole impacted his side, Crafter nearly lost his balance. He was thankful that his armor was made of a similar material, so the impact was not as damaging as it could have been, but it still hurt.

Action: Crafter checked the humidity and temperature of the air, looking at the readings on his heads up display. Plenty of humidity… perfect. Taking aim with his cannon, changing the firing mode to ‘low energy beam’ mode, Crafter let loose a torrent of icicles towards Virgil.

729286((approved by Doorknobs))
[Vitals – health: 98% Stamina: 100% mana: 100% battery: 74%]

Reaction/action: Damn. Crafter mentally cursed as Virgil managed to dodge the hail of icicles. When he earth pony jumped into the air, staff splitting into two separate weapons, the tinkerer instinctively stomped a hoof on the ground, summoning an ice pillar directly in Virgil’s path.

729585((approved by Medicshy and Kapuchu))
[Vitals – health: 96% Stamina: 98% mana: 100% battery: 69%]

Reaction: “BUCK!” Crafter cried as his makeshift barricade was broken apart effortlessly. He knew the blade’s trajectory, and with so little space separating the two of them, he had to act fast if he wanted to keep the batteries intact. Finding no other alternative; Crafter poured power into the leg motors, just as he had done in round 2, and jumped back.

Action: He did not escape without scathing however. Virgil’s sword had managed to cut deep into the plated armor, just barely making contact with his fur. The jump landed him (ungracefully) a good few yards away from Virgil’s mark, leaving the precious power supply safe from harm. After frantically getting back on his hooves, Crafter switched firing modes to the default ‘sub-arctic mist’ setting and began charging the cannon for his attack.

((last post before class ))

730448((night))

731001((Approved by Kapuchu))
[Vitals – health: 96% Stamina: 96% mana: 100% battery: 49%]

Reaction: As Virgil repositioned himself, Crafter spared a quick glance behind him, taking note of the edge of the cliff. That’s when Virgil lunged towards him. Wait. Crafter thought. Last time he did that, he feinted the other direction. Which means… Compensating for the predicted movement, the tinkerer poured a small amount of energy into the leg motors again, jumping a good 5 feet to the left, away from the feint attack.

Action: Once he landed, Crafter fired the cannon, the expanding cone of sub-polar mist racing forward. As the cannon was fired, a little warning light blinked on inside the helmet, informing Crafter that he had dropped below 50% battery life.

731626((approved by Helrumyc))
[Vitals – health: 96% Stamina: 96% mana: 85% battery: 49%]

Reaction: Well played. Crafter thought as Virgil’s staff transformed into a shield, allowing him to continue his advance. Time froze for the tinkerer once the elder stallion reached him, shield swinging upwards towards the cannon and sword swinging inward towards his neck. He didn’t want a repeat of round 1, thinking quickly, Crafter pointed the cannon upward and crouched down. He was hoping to throw off Virgil’s balance. As he lowered his head, Crafter calculated their distance from the ledge.

Action: Once he had dropped down, Crafter lit his horn, preparing a minor telekinetic blast that would hopefully push Virgil over the edge. “Do svidanʹya, drug.” He said in Russian, casting the burst-style spell.

[translation: Goodbye, friend.]

732254((approved by Dracmatais, Medicshy, Razorbeam))
Vitals – health: 91% Stamina: 96% mana: 85% battery: 49%

Reaction/action: Panic started to ease its way into Crafter’s mind as Virgil was only pushed back a few inches, pressing his advantage. From his angle, there was little to be done in the way of dodging, so the tinkerer would have to improvise. Using the targeting motors of the cannon, Crafter positioned the large weapon in the sword’s path. He had no doubt that it was thick enough to absorb the impact of the blade, but would leave the cannon temporarily disabled until he could get some breathing room for a field repair.

732732((approved by Dracmatais and Kapuchu))
[Vitals – health: 91% Stamina: 96% mana: 85% battery: 24%]

Reaction/action: This was getting out of hoof, Crafter needed to put some distance between him and Virgil, and fast. Stomping his hoof, he summoned an ice pillar directly in front of him at an angle which would intercept the blade and attempt to push Virgil off of him.

733182((approved by Man Gell))
[Vitals – health: 88% Stamina: 94% mana: 85% battery: 24%]

Reaction/action: Crafter yelped as he was pulled forward, and grunted as his own pillar was used against him, launching them both into the air. “Otstanʹ ot menya!” He shouted, too stressed for common Equestrian. While he was shouting, he swung his cannon like a club, hoping to dislodge his clingy attacker before the blade struck.

[Translation: "Get off of me!"]

733622
((Ruling a deathblow.))

Aurus, who was observing the duel from another platform amidst the clouds, sighed as the two combatants landed, and Virgil's blade slid to Crafter's jaw and under it, the visions of the young tinker's death flashing through his mind briefly before the present returned. The events that would come beyond that were so simple, yet too devastating to be allowed. A twitch of his ear and the deepening of his scowl only confirmed this further.

"Stay your blade, Virgil," He called out calmly, certain that the seasoned warrior and his dear friend would listen. He had no desire to kill Crafter anymore than Aurus had one to see him die.

734049>>734043
"Not so bad yourself." Crafter panted, powering down the suit, the various plates folding back into the small box on his back. "Good luck in the semi-finals."

734043>>734063
"Most advanced piece of Cryo-Tech you'll find anywhere." Crafter said proudly. Having said his piece, he waited for Aurus to make the call."

734068, 734063

"It's decided then," Aurus called pleasantly, rising up from a portal of fire in the ground to join the two on the central platform. He was smiling all the while until at last he stepped out of the ring of green flames and they faded. "Well fought, both of you. Particularly you, Virgil. You're one step closer to the finals, if that's to be your destination, he said politely.

"Unfortunately, Crafter, your journey through the games ends here... But it's not such a terrible place to end," he said with a warm smile, looking out over the vast expanse of clouds and pillars of stone, with trees and rivers visible far below through the haze, as if looking through smoked glass. "Cloud's Calling is open to the both of you. Stay as long as you desire... I will take you back to Vemn Enox when you are ready," he said quietly, his tone fond as he gazed upon the sacred place.

734117
Crafter sighed, but couldn't find it within himself to be upset, or even disappointed. He had played a large role in the fight for global peace. "I think I would enjoy the view more if my wife were here." He said honestly. "Do you think I could get the coordinates to come here later? I just know she'll want to see it for herself."

734134
"Unfortunately this place is a secret of my kind. That you are standing here at all is fortunate. Still, I would gladly bring you here myself again one day," he said warmly, to compensate for the fact that he could not share the actual location with him.

734193
"I might take you up on that sometime." Crafter said with a chuckle. Taking one last look around, seeing the breath taking sights without fighting for his life. After another content sigh, he nodded. "Alright, I'm ready. I think Ditzy is ready to thank you over and over for sparing me."