The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Valey's Double Trouble

The sky was halfway between a thunderstorm and a crystalline day. The mountains might as well have belched, throwing down thick, smoky thunderheads, yet not enough of them to blot out the sun or form a proper storm. The clouds that existed grumbled, drifting around uselessly like black puffy bumper cars, occasionally sending down just enough rain to make someone quicken their step for a few seconds at a time.

"It's like the weather is teasing Garsheeva for getting busted up," Valey remarked from beneath a thick hood, trying her best to make it through the streets of Stormhoof without getting picked on by Everlaste. "Honestly, one of these days we're gonna have a proper storm. Been unusually nice weather for a while."

Shinespark walked beside her, humming faintly in agreement. "It's just that time of year. The seasons will probably turn soon. Summer's last good showing."

"Yep. Good thing we've got an anti-weather ship..."

Their walk led them to the Stormhoof Colosseum, where Valey's next fight was scheduled to begin. A week after she had tried to surrender to Senescey, time had stopped for no one, and it was time for her to decide again whether to throw in the towel or keep on going. "So what are you leaning towards?" Shinespark asked as they passed through the entrance.

"Honestly?" Valey shrugged. "After everything? Ponies don't want me to continue, they don't want me to stop, they just want me to be happy, all this stuff... We'll see about later, but today, I'm gonna let my opponent decide. Didn't look at who it is. If they're nice, I'll let them win for free, and if they're a jerk, I'll clean their clock and think again next week."

"Okay then." Shinespark slowed down, halting at the area only fighters were allowed beyond. "I'll be in our box, watching."

---

"And for her challenger..." Howe flourished his microphone dramatically, posturing next to Valey on the fighting platform. "We have..." His voice darkened ominously. "Pierre."

From the far tunnel stepped a lanky, aproned griffon with a balding crown, sharp mustache and sharper eyes. Two gigantic meat cleavers were tucked beneath his wings, and his tail flicked as he walked like a metronome. "Greetings," he announced in a voice that sounded like it had been refined through sheer force of will. "At long last we cross blades, Admiral Valey. I have been anticipating this day for week upon week without end. I know you, and by the end of this you will know me as well."

"Oh yeah?" Valey raised an eyebrow as Pierre entered the ring and Howe exited. So far, this dude seemed reasonable... but also like the type who might get mad if she threw the match. Maybe she could get away with it...? "I'm just a random batpony. You know me from somewhere?"

"Hoho." Pierre chuckled, withdrawing one of his cleavers as he advanced. "Months ago, you ran rampage through the kitchens were I was employed, earning the firing of my hot-tempered former boss! Blade form is an art not only for battle, and I practice it in all its nuances." He flung forward a talon, pointing a cleaver straight at her. "Isn't it fitting we should meet like this again?"

Valey blinked, then narrowed her eyes in realization. "Oh, you were...? Huh. Bananas, I guess I really do owe you a fight, then. You've been looking forward to this that much?" So much for offering someone friendly an easy victory. Maybe she could throw-

"AND I'M RANDORF!" a new voice bellowed from Pierre's tunnel, before a pegasus built like a gorilla hurtled into the arena, hurling himself into the air with a corkscrew triple flip and piledriving straight for Valey's head.

"Woah! Hey, watch it!" Valey vaulted to the side as he smashed into the platform, rippling with muscle, a pair of tight tights around his waist... only for Pierre to take a swipe at her as she dodged, forcing an emergency duck as she lashed out and repelled the flat of the blade with a hoof. "Hey, what gives!?"

Pierre grinned, winding up with his second blade for another swipe. "En garde."

Randorf straightened up, standing on his hind legs, and flexed. "EN GARDE!"

"Wait, two of you at once?" Valey flipped out of the way of the next strike, sliding to the edge of the arena and waving frantically at Howe. "Hey, is this cheating!?"

Howe blinked. "Is what cheating, my dudette?"

Valey's eyes bulged, her cutie mark telling her she had time for about one more reply. "You know, fighting two of them at once?"

"Didn't you read the rules for round three?" Howe called back. "You were spared with a Golden Regent!"

Valey groaned. No, she hadn't been briefed on the rules since round two by Wallace, and yes, she remembered them being complicated and dramatic... Served her right for not even looking who she was fighting. Without even watching, she flipped along the edge of the platform, landing in a corner with both enemies halfway through their advance. "Alright, then." Valey's eyes smoldered, and she grinned. "Guess I'm cleaning house with both of you."

Randorf beat his chest, still standing on his hind legs. Pierre flourished a meat cleaver, preparing to lunge across the arena to strike at her... Knives were scary. Time to get rid of those first.

"Raaaugh!" Valey launched herself at Randorf, hoping Pierre would extend to protect his buff ally. The griffon took the bait, sending a blade to chop at her outstretching limb, and Valey turned her assault into a bicycle kick, delaying perfectly to hammer the flat of the blade instead. That still left her with the pegasus himself, and another meat cleaver spinning around towards her back... Dodging in any direction would be too obvious.

Randorf's forehooves arced from above in a mighty linked blow, and Valey leapt to the side, flying straight into Pierre's face. "No chopping!" she yelled... only to be met with a very pointy griffon beak its owner clearly knew how to use. Her cutie mark warned her of another blow from Randorf aimed straight at her spine, a second away as she batted at Pierre and tried to keep his pecking head out of her eyes. These two weren't slouches and weren't giving her any space...

With a powerful kick, Valey launched both of her rear hooves together to counter Randorf's blow. The force of the assault jolted her painfully, but all their momentum and more was transferred to her, and what had been a grappling match with Pierre bowled the griffon over. Valey quickly rolled, preventing him from chopping her as he flipped over, and recovered first, stomping hard on a talon.

Pierre yelped in pain, trying to roll over and cover himself with the second cleaver, but Valey was able to wrench the first one from his weakened grasp. Sidestepping the swing, she reared up, turned around, and met Randorf's immediate charge, holding the cleaver by the blade and thrusting its pole like a spear, viciously slamming straight between his legs.

Randorf sidestepped, knowing that move well. "NOT SO EASY," he started to laugh... but Valey inverted the blade at the last second, catching his dancing leg like a scythe and flinging herself past him, out of the reach of Pierre's counterattack. Randorf's momentum from the dodge was against him, and Valey lifted hard, using the handle of the cleaver like a lever to pull his leg out from beneath him and send him toppling to the side.

"You're clever, aren't you," Pierre huffed, getting to his legs.

Randorf capsized, but was no worse at being a quadruped than a biped. He landed on four hooves, already lashing out with the targeted leg in a mighty kick... but Valey was in the air, judging Pierre couldn't stop her in time and bringing the flat of the cleaver down like a frying pan on the buff pegasus's head. CLANNNNNGG!

Valey still had time. Clunnngg! She whacked again, straddling his shoulders and spinning the cleaver about to keep as much momentum as possible. Pierre was upright; he lunged for her, but she brought the knife around in an arc, carving a sideways figure eight in the air that caught his attempt to parry and threw him off balance, ending in another bringing blow to Randorf's skull. Clonnnng!

"Ooog..." Randorf wheezed. Hoping he had had enough, but not able to risk more, Valey was forced to turn her attention to Pierre. She kicked off Randorf's back, planting a hoof on his head for good measure, vaulting and assaulting Pierre from the air with a double-overhead chop. Pierre raised a talon to catch the incoming handle, refusing to block with his blade, and instead targeted a strike at Valey's side.

"Hah! Nope!" Valey angled her strike at the last second, pummeling Pierre's cleaver awkwardly with the tip of hers. It was far more effort than the relief it earned her, but she was back on the ground, position reset to neutral with the stunned Randorf at her back. He would be waking up again...

Pierre grinned. "You know your way around one of these too, I see."

"Nah." Valey shrugged, then tossed him the stolen cleaver. "It's all just stuff to hit people with. Bringing a weapon is cheating, anyway."

Pierre caught the returned blade, blinking in surprise at the gesture... blinking for a millisecond too long. Valey punched him in the face.

"Nyahaa!" Valey caught both of the cleavers in midair as Pierre was flung backwards, hitting the ground and toppling out of the ring. She spun to Randorf, who had just gotten up enough to flex. Valey eyed him evenly, spinning the cleavers on her wings. "Okay, buddy, you wanna do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"BRING IT!"

Valey brought it, sliding in on her rear to bait a low blow. Even with his ringing head, Randorf saw through it, clapping his mighty hooves high... so Valey kept on sliding, taking advantage of him rearing up. He might have evaded her shot last time, but now he was dazed and she had two cleavers, and there was nothing Randorf could do to spare himself.

With a crash and a groan, he hit the ground, and Valey rose behind him, tossing a cleaver and catching it. "That it?" She looked over her shoulder, and got a whimpered assent in reply. "Yeah, that's it. Here, Pancake." Valey tossed Howe the cleavers, stepping down and out of the arena. "These are way cooler than that rapier. Good game, you two. See ya..."

Comments

[Mini-Joe]

RANDORF!!! made me lol

[Person of Stone]

Is Pierre also Moriarty from Castle Climb?

I remember being pretty excited to hear Guy Who Fry entered the Tournament a couple hundred chapters ago. I didn't expect him to beat Valey or anything, but I was totally rooting for him to make it to round 3 at least!!

So it was pretty cool to see this chapter, but I double checked and I couldn't find any Pierre or griffon chef or kitchens Valey's trifled with before this chapter except kind of the one in Stormhoof Keep? I mean, she just kinda walked through it rather than went on a rampage, but Moriarty seemed pretty angry regardless.

EDIT: I've had this question for a few days, and I can't believe that only now, right after I post a comment, do I realize Pierre could've been Worthington instead. That makes a lot more sense in retrospect