Atlas Strongest Tournament

by Bico

Secret Techniques: Preliminaries

ATLAS STRONGEST TOURNAMENT
~BICO
PART 2: SECRET TECHNIQUES
ACT III: PRELIMINARIES

She buzzed through the forest as fast as her gossamer wings could carry her. Around her she could hear the buzzing of her companions as well. She was desperate to escape. She had to escape the horror that had terrorized her and her kind for these long decades. It had toyed with them, transforming their world into some kind of personal playground. It even transformed her friends—subjects, she had to remind herself—wiping their minds, turning them into foals, changing their personalities and the very natures of their relationships. And now those not in the thrall of that creature’s machinations were dead to the last mare; yet, she was told, she would live on, and on, and on.

She had to escape.

She had to rejoin her friends. In Hades, if nowhere else.

She had reached the dark cave before her wardens could even begin to look for her. An unhinged titter escaped her throat as she saw the boat on the river. She and her companions could cross the river and be safe. Safe in the world of the dead rather than the world of madness beyond the dark of the cave.

A too tall and too slender pony stood upon the deck, and extended its hoof to her. Yes, it required payment, didn’t it? That was fine. She had brought plenty of money. She tossed her entire bag of coins onto the boat. “For me and all my companions!” she said desperately. Her companions buzzed onto the boat and she tried to board as well, but the pony reared and pounded its oar on the ground before her, blocking her entry.

“What?” she asked. “Let me on! I paid you. It’s coming, don’t you understand? It knows I’m here!” She looked frightfully over her shoulder, tears brimming in her eyes. “I can feel him coming for us. Coming for me.”

“Immortal,” the pony said. “You do not belong.”

Her breathing began to quicken. She couldn’t be held up by this stubborn fool. They were all in this together. They had to get away before it found her.

A riotous laughter filled the cave, freezing her blood in her veins. “It’s already found you, my little pony.”

She reared and tried to knock the other pony down and force her way onto the boat, but the pony held firm. “Let me through, let me through! It will get you, too!”

“Oh, no,” the slimy voice oozed into her ears. “I wouldn’t do anything to harm my good friend Charon. We go way back, him and me. I’m just here for you and your little playmates.”

She began to break down, sobbing hysterically at the shore of the Styx. “Wh-wh-what do you want of us?”

“Want?” it said. “I just want to have fun. The question you should be asking is what do you want.”

“To die!” she screamed. “Just to bucking die!”

The voice ticked disapprovingly. She could see its shadowy form slithering at the corners of her eyes. “Oh, no… that’s not what you want at all. Don’t you remember what I told you before?”

She could no longer speak, her body was so racked with sobs. However, she could hear. She heard something booming from the depths of the cave.

To hide, it said. To disappear in the Darkness.

Yes, she thought. That’s what I want.

The Darkness is your friend, the voice boomed in her head. It will save you and your kind. Just let me in…

Yes, yes! she thought frantically. Take us! Hide us! Make it so nothing can ever find us if we wish them not to. She felt a cold shock through her body. She felt as if she were melting and feared for a moment that the horror was twisting her into some mutant shape as it was wont to do with the others. But, no, she began to feel imbued with power. Magical green flames began to burn around her and each of her companions. They screamed with agony, but she knew that they would be safe.

You enter your chrysalis of Darkness a princess, the voice boomed. But you will emerge a queen.

“So that’s your game, eh?” the voice said as the slithering form made its way to the exit of the cave. “Erebos, you spoil-sport. Sombra would be crushed… if he were still around. I’m going to have to tell your maddy on you… or would it be dommy?" Laughter echoed through the cave and slowly faded as black cocoons pulsed in the Darkness of the underworld.

---

Chrysalis woke with a start. Her heart was still pounding from the terror that had gripped her during the dream. Even after more than a millennium she was still having that nightmare. Or was it a memory? She couldn’t be entirely sure. She remembered nothing but small snatches from before she had emerged from her shell in the depths of Tartarus fully formed as the Queen of all Changelings.

She and her changelings had slunk there for at least a century before deigning to emerge into the world of the living. Even then, they had taken care to disguise themselves as ponies or dragons or other native creatures. They knew they were not truly of that world, but had been born in Darkness. Anypony that saw them in their true forms would surely know that they didn’t belong.

She turned to see her daughter, the one who would be queen, sleeping peacefully next to her. It had been a long time since she had tried to raise another queen. She hadn’t even known it could be done at first, but through chance had discovered that if she gorged herself on enough love, she could feed one of her offspring a runoff that had been deemed Royal Love, which would cause her to develop differently from the common drones. She had yet to produce a viable Queen in her millennium of life, but she hoped that this time she would succeed. Then she could finally put the fate of her kind in somechangeling else’s hooves.

Chrysalis rose unsteadily and nuzzled her daughter, sending as much of her Royal Love into the young changeling as possible. “Aurelia,” she whispered gently. “It is time to rise. We still have a lot of work to do if you’re going to be ready for you mission.”

---

---

“Well, kid, you’ve exceeded my expectations,” Rainbow Dash said to her young student.

“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said. “I couldn’t have done it without you and Master Spark, though.”

Rainbow smiled warmly at Scootaloo as she stood buzzing with excitement in the tournament stadium's lobby. “Just remember what this competition is about. It’s not just winning, Scoot. It’s about the challenge. It’s about self-discovery. And, most of all, it’s about having a good time.”

Scootaloo nodded enthusiastically. “Alright. But first we have to pass the preliminaries.”

As Rainbow Dash scanned the premises, she indulged in a cocky smirk. “Don’t worry about it, Squirt. I doubt you’ll even break a sweat.” She began to trot toward the stadium and motioned for Scootaloo to follow. “C’mon, let’s get signed in. I don’t want to waste any time finding out what blocks we’ll be in.”

---

“Shiny!” Twilight cheered as she enveloped her older brother in a tight embrace.

“Hey, Twily!” Shining Armor said, returning the hug. “I’ve missed you, Sis. How’ve you been?”

“Oh, it’s been crazy,” she said, rolling her eyes. “There’s been a lot of drama with this… fighting tournament… thing.”

Shining laughed. “Yeah, I’ll bet. I’ve been working over time getting ready for it as well, and I know I’ve been a little touchier than usual.”

Twilight's face fell. “Oh, so you’re here for the tournament as well?”

“Well, yeah,” Shining Armor said. He looked around at the bustling stadium in which the tournament would be held. “I didn’t come to the preliminaries for the spectating.”

Twilight scowled. “And you just conveniently forgot to tell your own sister?”

He cleared his throat apprehensively. “It’s… it’s not that I forgot… exactly… so much as… failed to mention due to cognitive flatulence?”

“Shining,” Twilight said. “Are you forgetting who you’re talking to? Don’t try to cover yourself with big words with me, okay?”

“It works with Cadence…” he said defensively.

“I know, Shining,” Twilight said with a laugh. “I was using that trick on her way before you caught onto it. She thought it was some kind of illness and would bring me soup… anyway, that doesn’t excuse the fact that you didn’t even mention that was the reason you were coming.”

“Sorry, Sis,” Shining Armor said. “I couldn’t really send a note ahead of time in case it was intercepted. Opsec and all that, you know?”

“Sure,” Twilight said incredulously.

“Hey, where’s Spikey?” he asked. “I’ll bet that dragon’s twice the size he was when I last saw him.”

“He’s probably with Rarity right now,” Twilight said. When she noticed her brother’s suggestively cocked brow she said, “Not like that. Actually, that’s part of the drama. He’s been hanging out a lot with these two longma who are distant relatives of Rarity’s, and Rarity hates the filly longma but she seems to really like Spike, and Rarity’s basically been torture to be around on the rare occasions she’s not training to kick the stuffing out of the filly at the tournament.”

“Wow,” Shining Armor said. “So Spike’s got Rarity—the gorgeous mare who owns the boutique—jealous over him? I have to say, the little guy has impressed me.”

“Just don’t encourage him,” Twilight warned. “I’m even more shocked than you. I mean, I never thought he had a chance, but then there was the incident on Spike’s third birthday, and a little while after that when we went to the beach… I thought maybe Rarity was feeling something… maternalish, but now I’m not so sure. It’s… kind of freaking me out.”

Shining patted his sister soothingly on her withers. “Now, now, Sis. Just keep calm. We don’t want to have any more of your ‘freak out’ episodes.”

“I know,” Twilight said with a sigh. “I’ve had way too many of those episodes as it is. It’s alright, though. Whatever happens, they’re both old enough now to deal with the consequences. I hope.”

The two siblings were interrupted when Twilight found herself thrown backward by the force of some unnaturally powerful gale, accompanying a voice which boomed, “Salutations, Twilight Sparkle, We have anticipated our meeting with great relish!”

---

---

“P-P-P-Princess Luna…” Twilight stammered. “So… you’re here, too?”

“She’s officiating the tournament,” Shining Armor said.

“I… I see you’re still using the Royal Canterlot Voice,” Twilight said.

Luna sheepishly covered her mouth. “I… I am sorry. It slips out when I get excited.”

“Which is apparently only when you’re around,” Shining said with a smirk.

A tall, dark unicorn with a black mane with a single shock of silver hair stood solemnly by the princess. His pure black eyes fixed piercingly on the blue maned stallion. “Shining,” he said with a distinct Kerry accent. “It’s been a long time, old friend.”

“Argent Javelin,” the captain said cordially. “I haven’t seen you since we were both in officer training together. How’s it been going?”

“Quite well,” Argent said. “I’ve been pressed into Her Majesty’s service. That is, Princess Luna’s.”

Twilight flushed bright red when she saw the dark stallion. “A-A-A-Ar…” she was saying.

“And Twilight Sparkle, personal protégé of the Princess of the Sun and Princess of Magic,” Argent said. “You have grown since I last saw you." He eyed the wings she was now displaying at full breadth. "Grown quite well, I might add.” He flashed a dashing grin, which was made somewhat more dangerous by the sharp fangs that protruded from the sides of his mouth.

Shining scowled as he watched the librarian swoon into unconsciousness. “Argent, turn it down.”

Argent gave his old friend a libidinous look. “I don’t know what you mean, I’m sure.”

“Right,” Shining replied.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said, nudging her small friend with her hoof. “I would ask that you arise. It is no fun when you are asleep. At least, not with other ponies around.”

“Mmnuh?” Twilight groaned. “Oh… Luna. Hi.” She gave the princess a very silly grin. “I just dreamed I saw the most gorgeous stallion.”

“Yes,” Luna said. “He’s still here. I did not choose him for his beauty, but it was a nice bonus, I daresay.”

“Oh!” Twilight exclaimed, leaping to her hooves. “Argent! Yes, hi. So… you are here… why?”

“Tournament,” Argent said. “And I’m Princess Luna’s bodyguard, apparently. As much as a simple unicorn like myself can guard a body like that…”

“Oh, you,” Luna said coyly.

“I am looking forward to seeing my old friend in the ring,” Argent said with a menacing grin at Shining. “It’s been awhile since we’ve pit the unstoppable force against the immovable object.”

Shining began to get misty eyed. “Oh, yeah… that’ll bring back memories.”

“Er, yeah,” Twilight was finally shaking off the oily charm of her brother’s old battle buddy, and affixed her gaze firmly on Princess Luna. “So, Princess, are there many ponies competing?”

Luna nodded. “Over one hundred competitors have signed up. Thirty of them are Ponyvillians. The preliminary matches will determine who will be one of the sixteen competitors in the tournament actual.”

“Wow,” Twilight said. “And the real tournament starts tomorrow. The competitors are all going to be pretty worn out after the preliminaries.”

“Most likely,” Luna said. “But not so much that they cannot fight. There will be sixteen blocks of eight fighters who will compete based on the point system. Each contestant will compete against each other contestant in their block and their total points will be ranked. If a tie in points occurs, the three judges will determine who they believe will have the best chance of winning the tournament.”

“Wow,” Twilight said. “That’s pretty incredible. It’s too bad each block is being done simultaneously. I wish I could watch them all!”

Luna laughed. “Well, if we didn’t do it simultaneously, the preliminaries could take days. I just find the block with the most incompetent fighter and enjoy myself there.”

“That’s not very nice,” Twilight said, though the grin on her face told the princess that she thought otherwise.

“Hey, fillies and colts!” a jovial voice called to them. Twilight nearly jumped out of her hide when a pink puff popped into her face. “How d’you like the decorations?”

“Oh, Pinkie,” Twilight wheezed, trying to calm her heart, which seemed to be suffering from minor palpitations. “Uh… yeah, they’re great. Did you plan everything for the whole tournament?”

“Nah,” Pinkie said. “I did a lot of it, but this was way too big for even this party pony. I had some help from an outside contractor, and let me tell you she was a real surprise…”

“That’s great, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “Everything looks… great.”

“Oh, guess who’s competing in the tournament!” Pinkie said, gesturing to two mares garbed in martial arts clothing.

Twilight stared. “Berry Punch? Ditzy Doo?”

“Heya, Twiligh… Shparkle,” Berry said with a hiccup.

“Hi, Twilight!” Ditzy said. “Oh, but you can call me Derpy Hooves, if you want.”

“Oh,” Twilight said, knitting her brow in confusion. “I… know where the ‘Derpy’ comes from, but why ‘Hooves’?”

“Oh, I got married,” Derpy said cheerfully.

“Got married?” Twilight asked. “That’s great news. To whom?”

“Time Turner,” Derpy replied.

“…” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “But… if his name is ‘Time Turner,’ why did you change your name to ‘Hooves’?”

“Duh,” Derpy said, rolling her eyes in opposite directions. “Because how else would anypony know we were married?”

Twilight shook her head. “O-okay…”

“Oh, this is our daughter,” Derpy gestured toward a filly unicorn with similar coloring. “Dinky Hooves.”

“Hi,” Dinky said. She seemed to be very nearly an adult.

“Wait a minute,” Twilight said. “When did you and Time get married?”

“Last week,” Derpy said, but then she screwed up her eyes in confusion. “Or was it one hundred years from now?”

“So how can you two have a daughter this age?” Twilight asked. “I’m sure I’ve seen this filly before, too. I thought she was Golden Harvest’s daughter? Or… was it that stallion with the scroll cutie mark?”

“Nope,” Derpy said.

“I’m from the future,” Dinky said cheerfully. “Aunt Harvest and Uncle Script were just my guardians until I could make sure Mom and Dad would conceive me.”

“Same here!” another unicorn said. Twilight vaguely remembered this unicorn as Amethyst Star, who had been full grown even when Twilight had moved to Ponyville. “I’m her little sister, but when Dad is my dad, he wears a bow tie because they’re cool, and when Dinky’s dad is her dad, he likes wearing glasses to make himself look smarter.”

“Wha… but you’re older than…” Twilight began to get dizzy. “In fact… aren’t you the same age as Derpy…?”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha,” Luna said, pushing the lavender unicorn away from the ponies who were causing her so much stress. “Methinks thou hast just been ‘trolled,’ Twilight Sparkle.”

“The preliminaries are about to begin, so we’d better get to our blocks,” Shining Armor said. He and his dark friend trotted toward the holding area.

Twilight stopped when she saw a familiar purple dragon standing in line for the holding area, as well. “Spike? Spike! What are you doing?”

“Oh, hey Twilight,” Spike said blushingly. “I… um… I guess I didn’t tell you, but… I joined the tournament, too.”

Twilight gasped and her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “You what?”

---

---

To be continued…

Author's Note:

Revised and illustrations added 2013/02/17.

Comments

[nemryn]

“Duh,” Derpy said, rolling her eyes in opposite directions. “Because how else would anypony know we were married?”

Seems legit!