Chapter 1

A long time ago, three hundred years after Luna had been banished to the moon, Celestia announced a contest. The contest would be in force of arms, no magic allowed. The winner would be named the strongest pony of Equestria.

Ponies came in from all over Equestria to compete, but the largest group of contestants came right from the palace in Canterlot: the royal guard. Among them was brave Sir Gallophad, who had fought a manticore single-hoofedly, and Sir Whinny, who had garnered fame for his bravery during the border conflicts. But the strongest among them, everypony agreed, was the pegasus known as Lord Rohan Lockheart. Born to nobility, he had been trained in martial arts since he was a foal. Many ponies favored him to win the title.

There were also ponies coming in to Canterlot who were not part of the guard but were thought to be serious contenders. The unicorn named Red Bird from the Whitetail Woods, for example, was undefeated with the bow, and the pegasus named Scarlet Bonnet was lightning quick. All in all, it was sure to be an exciting event. Hundreds of ponies came to Canterlot merely to watch what was sure to be history in the making.

And so the day of the contest came. The day began with princess Celestia personally coming out to the field where the trials would be held, to raise the sun as a dramatic signal for the tournament to begin. Throughout the day, the fields outside Canterlot were host to races, trials of strength and endurance, displays of skill and matches in combat.

The match between the quick Scarlet and the hardy Whinny has become legendary. She used her speed to good effect, and though Whinny swung his hammer at her time and again, it never hit. On the other hoof, though Scarlet’s attacks were swift and accurate, they were also light and failed to bring Whinny down. After a long and arduous strive, Scarlet had to yield to Whinny’s greater endurance. Whinny was chosen as one of the four final contenders to perform in the final round the next day.

Stories are also told of the archery competition. It is said, and I believe it is true, that during the final showdown between Gallophad and Red Bird they shot arrows at each other, which collided midway between them. Gallant Gallophad conceded the match, not because he had lost in any test of accuracy, but because he recognized that Red Bird’s skills were greater than his own. And it is also said that when Gallophad conceded, he and Red Bird met at the center of the range and bumped hooves to an explosion of applause, each acknowledging the other’s skill. Red Bird thus became the second pony to enter the final round.

Lord Lockheart, as had been expected, defeated almost all his opponents with little effort. Not only had years of practice and study made his sword-skills incomparable, but thanks to the wealth of his family he could afford the best weapons and armor, against which no pony stood any chance. He became the third pony to enter the final round.

But the fourth pony to qualify for the final round came as a complete surprise. His name was Wandering Soul, and nopony had ever heard of him before. He was an orphin who wandered across Equestria. You see: martial arts were not just his special talent, but his greatest love in life. He sought out masters of martial arts, trained under them, challenged them, fought them. During the entire contest, he had used no weapon but defeated his opponents bare-hoofedly. Where at first he had been laughed at, now he was applauded as he defeated his final opponent with a double hind-leg buck. Thus, he became the fourth pony to enter the final round.

The second day of the contest came, and though it had seemed impossible, tension was even greater today than it had been yesterday. Red Bird faced Wandering Soul, who now used a solid oak staff as his weapon. Red Bird’s arrows were lightning quick and assaulted Wandering Soul from impossible angles, yet he managed to deflect them all. He was about to deliver a crushing blow to Red Bird’s head, but stopped his staff at the last moment. Red Bird, recognizing his defeat, yielded the match.

Sir Whinny fought long and hard against Lord Lockheart, but in the end was outmatched, both in skills with a blade and the quality of his equipment. After a short match, he found himself on his back with Lockheart’s blade over his head. He acknowledged Lockheart the stronger warrior.

Thus the final match was between Lord Lockheart’s sword against Wandering Soul’s staff. The duel lasted for hours. Those who witnessed it and had the experience to notice such things said that Wandering Soul’s skills were slightly above those of Lord Lockheart. There were even one or two opportunities where he might have won, but his staff failed to overcome the defenses granted by Lockheart’s thick armor. In the end, with a mighty swing did Lord Lockheart cleave Wandering Soul’s staff and drive him to his knees. So it became that before the gathered audience, Celestia herself declared Lord Lockheart the strongest pony in all of Equestria.

After the contest was over, Lord Lockheart decided to retire to his family’s estate, while Wandering Soul again took up travelling. He regretted little, nor did he much care that he had lost the title of strongest pony. His only aim in entering the contest had been what it had always been: to fight against other ponies and further practice his skills. And fighting against Lord Lockheart had taught him much.

Some weeks later, a pony came to Lockheart’s mansion to challenge him for the title of strongest pony. But Lord Lockheart deemed the challenger beneath him, and refused. Not long after another pony came to challenge him, and then another. Lockheart refused them all and had them sent home. Then he called for craftsponies to come to his mansion. He ordered a great wall erected around his home, going even so far as to place a metal grate across the top so that not even pegasi might enter. It took months of work, but at last the bulwark was completed and no challenger ever placed a hoof inside.

Some years passed by, and the title of strongest pony remained in the hooves of Lord Lockheart. Then one day it came to pass that grave danger threatened Equestria. A Giant descended from the frozen north, and in great strides made his way toward Canterlot. Impervious to magic, this creature could threaten even Celestia herself. A battalion of warrior pegasi flew out from Cloudsdale, but the giant batted them aside like butterflies. The royal guard rode out against the Giant and fought with it across the northern plains, but were ultimately defeated.

Then ponies from the royal court hastened to Lockheart’s stronghold, as the mansion had come to be known. There they besieged Lockheart to fight the Giant: as the strongest pony in Equestria, he was their last hope. Lockheart agreed, put on his best armor, took up his sword, and galloped to the north to intercept the Giant.

Just north of Canterlot, he encountered the creature, and fought it within sight of the city walls. His armor protected him from the Giant’s heavy blows, and his sword inflicted many wounds. Yet the Giant did not fall nor weakened, and when twilight fell over the battleground, Lockheart was brought to his knees. Another mighty blow from the Giant’s fist picked him up and launched him a good 100 yards. Lockheart tried to open his wings to break his fall, but the armor prevented him. He impacted the ground, and lost consciousness.

Now the ponies who had watched from walls of Canterlot panicked, and ran through the streets yelling “Run for your lives.” The Giant made it to the foot of the mountain upon which Canterlot is built. But before it could climb up, it found another pony in its way.

It was Wandering Soul, who had rushed to Canterlot when news of the Giant first reached him. He carried a new staff in the crook of his arm. With it, he had fought dozens of masters throughout Equestria in the years since the competition. His already great skills had been polished even further, and he brought all those skills to bear on his fight with the Giant.

The battle lasted well into the night, until Wandering Soul was fighting in the dark, relying on touch and sound as much as vision to evade the Giant’s hits. Few could discern the fight from the Canterlot walls, but the final strike was delivered just as moonlight flooded the mountainside so that all could see.

The Giant’s blows had grown slow with fatigue. Wandering Soul dodged what would otherwise have been a crushing fist, which now bored into the mountain instead. While the Giant tried to pull its hand free, Wandering Soul leaped upon the Giant’s arm and galloped onto it’s shoulder. There he used his staff to deliver on the Giant’s head a blow so mighty, it’s sound rolled over the city of Canterlot like thunder. Without uttering another sound, the Giant folded up and crashed into the side of the Canterlot mountain.

Thus Wandering Soul was victorious in the end. The next day he was carried into Canterlot and greeted as a hero. Celestia herself praised him and declared a holiday would be held that day and every year after to celebrate Wandering Soul’s accomplishments.

Lord Lockheart was thanked graciously for his service, and kept the title of strongest pony of Equestria. For the rest of his days, Lord Lockheart would be remembered. But after his death, the title of strongest pony fell into disuse, and has not been revived since. On the other hoof, the holiday celebrating Wandering Soul’s defeat of the Giant lasted for centuries.

And so, my little pony, from this tale we learn the following: the pony who locks his heart away, however strong he may be, will never change, but the pony who does not fear defeat and strives to always better himself may become the strongest pony of all.

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