Circumstantial Evidence

by Mad Hatter

The Duel: Part Two

The crowd clopped it's applause on the ring for five full minutes, until Luna silenced them with an upraised hoof.

”As per the ancient rules set forth, the combatants will now decide upon specific rules of the engagement.”

Blue Beet sneered at Sun Showers. “No flying”

Sun sneered back. “Agreed.” To Blue and the crowd's surprise. “I pick the music, which Blaze Fire will handle. No one. You, or anypony else, messes with it.”

Blue was slightly taken aback by the unusual request. “Erm... Agreed.” The crowd murmured confusion at this seemingly one-sided tradeoff. Luna remained stoic outwardly. Hmm, she is taking a tactical stance for this battle. We are curious as to it's purpose.

”Are there any additional rules you wish to consider?”

In tandem; without breaking eye contact, they replied. “No, your highness.”

Luna's horn glowed as a searing beam traced its way around the ring, causing many in the front of the crowd to jump back. A vivid blue border faintly glowed, creating an official ring for the match. Slight reflections of the light shows that it was a shield roughly triple the height of Luna. A few crowd ponies tentatively tapped at the force field, and all realized it's purpose as protection both for the crowd and to prevent interference.

”The rules have been agreed upon and the barrier is in place. Combatants...” As she flew towards the top of the force field, leveling her wing-beats to maintain her position. “Allez lutte!”

Both contestants knew that, despite it being in an ancient dialect of Equus, it was the call to begin.

Without breaking her view away, Sun shouted “Blaze! Black Festival and bucking crank it!”. The call stifled the reaction time needed for Blue Beet's surprising first assault. She lunged to the side, but still took a half-hoof's scrape across the muzzle. He pressed on, each blow being sufficiently deflected. He had more earth pony in him than her, and more potential strength. Sun, however, actually worked and knew how to use it. As the record scratch became the intro, the music flooded the ring. A heavy drum followed by a deep, grinding riff. As she started hearing the music, it became like the ultimate workout. A nasty gleam reflected off her eyes as she began to go on the offensive.

I AM IRON MARE

The base and volume could be felt at their hooves. Blocking a blow with her right hoof, the left sent a cross that left Blue with a surprised expression and a busted lip.

Has she lost her mind
Can she see or is she blind
Can she trot at all
Or if she moves will she fall

Luna was largely unfamiliar with this particular style of music, but she surmised its purpose quickly. She's losing herself to the raw energy oh this piece. Reminds us of Neightoven's frenzied playing. All those broken instruments of quality. It nearly caused a riot that night. Meanwhile Blue was on the defensive now, successfully blocking most blows, but wincing at each strike.

She was turned to steel
In the great magical field
Where she traveled time
Future's lost for pony kind

Blue recovered from the shock and need to be on the defensive. He started flailing wildly. This proved mostly fruitless, as the indirect strikes were often countered.

Now the time is here
for iron mare to spread fear
Vengeance from the grave
Killed ponies she could've save

The future bruises piled up as the song went on. Blue was growing furious and attempted to think of a way to win as he backed off, creating space between the two.

Horseshoes of lead
fills her victims full of dread
Galloping fast as they can
Iron mare lives again

As the outro lingers Sun revved up her wings similar to Scootaloo's method of propulsion. The burst of speed cleared the distance and ended with a massive uppercut. Blue flew backwards, slamming into the shield around the viewers and falling to the ground. Sun's wings snapped shut after the blow, and she skidded to a stop after hitting the ground.

“H-Hold on! No flying, you broke the rules!” He declared through a half-smile, half-grimace of pain. Both stalled as Luna lowered her position, though still flying over both their heads. Luna paused a moment, thinking on it as the pair breathed heavily, attempting to recover as much energy as possible during the brief lull. A minute later, Luna declared her judgment. ”The rule agreed upon specifically stated flight. Her wings were used for propulsion, but it was not by their use that she left the ground. Therefore, we shall allow it.” Luna regained her former higher position as Sun smirked and Blue glared daggers. Not wanting to waste another opportunity, Sun charged again while screaming “Blaze, Reanimate!” Blaze pulled an album sleeve of a dreadlocked pony and placed it on the record player. Sounds similar to a mare in estrus emerged, shortly followed by the vicious riffs of the music.

Yeah I am the astro-creep
A tartarus-styled war equestria's freak
Yeah I am the trotting dead
a nightmare in the box shadow in your head

Sun connected with a headbutt that drove Blue back into the magical wall, using her forehooves to push herself back as he slid to the ground.

More pony than pony
More pony than pony
More pony than pony
More pony than pony
More pony than pony
More pony than pony

It finally clicked to Blue that Sun wasn't going to play around. If he wanted to walk away from this, he needed to be at least as dirty. He kept his distance, waiting for the next charge.

But not victimize
Read the motherbucker psycoholic lines yeah
into a magic war
I tear your soul apart then I eat it some more yeah

He didn't have to wait long. Sun blazed her path, only for Blue to rush forward and slide himself under her hooves. And upward thrust of his rear hooves sent her flying into the wall.

Yeah I am the ripper man
A locomotion mind love equestrian style yeah
I am the nexus one
I want your life bucker I ain't done yet

Blue took the opportunity to pounce on her, keeping his rear hooves anchoring her front as he began to rain down punches. Blaze looked on, unable as any other pony to change the direction the fight had gone. Sun looked at him for a moment and resumed struggling. Blaze notice the lack of music and grabbed the next album on the top of the small pile.

Alright
we are scanning the scene in the city tonight
we are looking for you to start up a fight
there is an evil feeling in our brains
but it is nothing now you know it drives us insane

Sun finally shot her rear hooves up far enough to unseat Blue, escaping to the middle of the ring for the next assault. She readied to launch herself again, being mindful of what happened last time. Blue kept a low stance only to jump before contact. He bucked hard as she passed by. A sickening *crack* echoed through the air, as loudly as the music. Sun stumbled and slid in the dirt. Glancing to the side, she saw bone protruding from the first joint.

Galloping
On our way hiding
Ponies pay dying
One thousand deaths
Galloping
On our way hiding
Ponies pay dying
One thousand deaths

Matters of honor or justice were gone. Sun was blinded with rage as the sounds of the crowd and the music faded. She charged again, juking to the left, and using her remaining wing to propel a massive hook, completely unaware of the primal scream that accompanied it. A resounding crack noted that Blue's jaw was shattered. The small cracks formed in Sun's hoof weren't felt.

Searching seek and destroy
Searching seek and destroy
Searching seek and destroy

She slammed both forehooves into his chest, knocking all remaining breath out of him. She reared up and repeated the two-hooved crush, lost to rage and adrenaline of the fight. Tried to bucking ruin me!

Searching

Everything I went through!

*THUD*

Seek and

I'll

*CRUNCH*

DESTROY

You!

*SQUELCH*

A smaller shield separated the pair. Luna descended to ground level as Sun beat on the barrier.

”It is done. This match is concluded!”

Sun slowed down and shortly stopped to look up at the princess, followed by her own bloodied hooves, and the unmoving form of Blue Beet. There was no doubt about the idea of saving him. He was dead.

Author's Note:

Hopefully this is as epic as the wait demands. I did ponify all the lyrics at first, but putting them all here broke the flow with too much music. The songs are (Of course): Black Sabbath "Iron Man", Metallica "Seek and Destroy", and White Zombie "More Human Than Human".