Equestrian War Games

In the middle of the scorching Saddle Arabian desert, a large dome of transparent white crystal soared in to the sky. This was the War Dome, home of the Equestrian War Games. With a nearly indestructible frame and the capability of flight, it was the site of battles between Equis' finest warriors. And today was another day of competition. The magic viewing boxes were filled with the roars of blood-thirsty fan from across the world, collected here to view the deaths of the competitors for their own sick amusement. The crystal cameras zoomed through the sky, broadcasting the event all across Equis to those who could not attend. The arena was a tough dirt floor, covered with a light layer of sand. Rocky pillars rose out of the ground at random intervals, rising up to tremendous heights and each capable of allowing a full grown stallion to stand comfortably on them. On all four sides of the arena, each at a different cardinal point, lead to the waiting rooms, where the fighters prepared for battle. On the center of the arena, floating in the air was the announcer box, and private seats for Queen Flare. Multiple screens floated above the crowds, showing them shots of the gates that the fighters would enter from. A booming gong sounded across the battlefield, silencing the crowds. As they turned their attention to the screens in the sky, a light brown Pegasus with an oak brown mane in a checkered suit appeared, grinning madly.

"PONIES, GRYPHONS, ZEBRAS, HORSES, DIAMOND DOGS AND OTHER SPECIES ALIKE, PREPARE YOUR EYE-HOLES FOR A GLORIOUS BATTLE BETWEEN TODAY'S TWO COMBATENTS!" yelled the pony known simply as The Announcer. To the north of the arena, the metal gate slid into the ground, revealing a bright red unicorn mare with a jet-black mane. Floating in the air beside here was a silver scythe, with black leather wrapping around the handle. She wore various patches of a black metal across her body in random locations and a white blood-splattered scarf around her neck. Her cutie mark was a scythe swinging through the air, leaving a trail of blood in its wake.

"TO THE NORTH WE SEE BLOOD REDD, A LOVELY MARE WITH A PASSION FOR SEVERING HER OPPONENTS HEADS FROM THEIR TORSOS!" boomed The Announcer. To the south of the arena, the gate slid into the ground, revealing a light-gray Gryphon with dark gray trimmings at his paws, head, and at his tail. Over his left eye, he wore a white bandana emblazoned with a grey pony skull. Strapped underneath his wings were two steel short swords, held in tough leather sheathes. He also wore light white pieces of armor at his claws, paws, and torso, and was adorned with a white metal helm with a sapphire set in the forehead.

"AND TO THE SOUTH OF HER IS THE RETIRED SOLDIER AND SURVIVOR OF THE GRYPHON MASSACRE, HAWKEYE SONGBIRD!!" exclaimed The Announcer. The two fighters walked forwards until they stood atop a metal circle that then rose ever so slightly into the air. "ANY LAST WORDS YOU TWO!?" questioned The Announcer.

"...sigh*" was all that came from Blood's maw.

"AND HOW BOUT' YOU, HAWKY?!" The Announcer asked, directing the question the Gryphon.

"This is for my people, you damn pony scum!!" roared Hawkeye.

"WELL THAN, WITH THE BLESSINGS OF OUR QUEEN, LET THE GAMES COMMENCE!!!" responded The Announcer.

Leaping off the platforms, the two combatants charged across the arena, drawing their respective weapons. Hawkeye took off high into the air above Redd, and swooped down at her with a dual slashing motion. Redd raised her scythe up to block, and blasted Hawkeye back with a wave of magical essence. Spinning her scythe, she leaped from pillar to pillar, using her magic to throw her scythe at him as she ascended closer and closer to his hovering form. She suddenly leaped off a pillar and grasped her scythe between her hooves and slashed down at him from above. But suddenly, Hawkeye let out a blood-curling screech, sending Redd soaring into the air. He then made several slashing motions with his swords, each one sending out a wave of concentrated sound strong enough to cut diamond towards Redd.

Recovering from her sudden flight, Redd teleported out of the way, reappearing behind Hawkeye. However Hawkeye was ready, stabbing his blade through her chest from under his arm. But surprised to feel no resistance as his blade entered her body, he turned around to see a magic copy fading out of existence. He was then hit from behind with a blast of raw magic force, sending him smashing through several of the rocky pillars. Picking himself up, Hawkeye exclaimed "you'll pay for that you bucking whore!!" "...sigh*" was Redd's response. He then span in a tornado like motion, sending a wave of sonic slashes around him, slicing down multiple pillars, making them crash around him. Redd charged at him, keeping her scythe close to her being and began to spin it in front of herself. A shield of red magic formed around the spinning weapon, becoming a magic battering ram. Hawkeye stood his ground until the final second, when he leaped out of the way of the speeding pony. He let out a screech, sending a blast of sound towards Redd, only for her to deflect it with her scythe and rip a gorge into the ground. Redd spun around and blocked Hawkeye's blades from lopping off her head, and pushed him back with another wave of magic. She teleported away, and repapered on a stone pillar; and so did another Red, and another until there were twenty Redds in all.

The clones, each wielding an ethereal scythe, flew down towards Hawkeye with their weapons spinning close to their bodies. Hawkeye stood their surprised for a moment, then slowly reached up to his bandana and removed it. Yanking it off, he let it flutter to the ground and stood there with his left eye closed. Suddenly it flew open, releasing and icy blue glow and Hawkeye vanished without a trace; no flash, no sound, no anything. The clones were then all slashed in half before popping out of existence, leaving the true Redd alone on a pillar, startled by Hawkeye's sudden disappearance. Hawkeye, without so little as a whoosh, appeared behind her and quickly slashed his sword through Redd's right hind leg. Redd let out a scream of pain and collapsed down onto the pillar, while Hawkeye disappeared and reappeared on a different pillar.

"I bet right now you little pony mind can't comprehend what just happened. Whelp, you see, my Demon Eye allows me to view the world in a different way than most creatures; it allows me to see the world at an incredibly slow pace, which in turn-" Hawkeye was cut off as a blast of magic slammed into his face . He screamed and slipped of the pillar, collapsing to the floor below. Redd rose up into the air, with a look of pure rage across her face.

"...die" she whispered "... just DIE!!!" She swung her hooves apart, and thousands of red ethereal blades formed in the sky, of all shapes and sizes. Swinging her hooves in a crossing motion, the blades began to hurl towards Hawkeye. "DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!"

A cocky grin appeared on Hawkeye's beak but vanished when one of the quicker blades nicked his shoulder as he tried to dodge; Redd was countering his Demon Eye spell! But as soon he realized this he began to fly towards Redd, and with an extreme display of acrobatics, avoided each of the blades, though by inches. He threw one of his swords at Redd, but she simply moved her head to the side and the projectile flew right by her. Hawkeye took his remaining sword in his paws and slashed at Redd as he came incredibly close to her. But with a flash, her scythe appeared in her mouth and blocked Hawkeye's sword and the two fighters became locked in a battle of strength. *SHANK* with that sudden noise Redd froze in the air and slowly looked down. Piercing through her stomach was Hawkeye's other sword, glistening with blood.

"Right now I bet you’re trying to understand what just happened." Hawkeye sneered "Ya see, ma blades and gauntlets are magically connected, allowing me to recall ma blades to me at any moment. And now... you’re finished ya damn whore." Hawkeye let go of Redd and watched as her corpse fell unceremoniously to the ground. As the crowd began to cheer and applaud, Hawkeye slowly floated over to his bandana and wrapped it back in its place over his left eye.

"AND THATS THAT FOLKS" shouted The Announcer happily "WASN'T THAT FIGHT JUST SPLENDID MY QUEEN?" The camera changed from The Announcer to a view of Queen Flare, who gazed off screen towards The Announcer with a look of disdain. The camera panned back to The Announcer, who had a terrified grin on his face "he-he-he um never mind... ANYWAY TODAY'S CHAMPION IS THE SWORDSGRYPHON, HAWKEYE SONGBIRD!! HAWKEY, YOU GO AND REST YOUR WEARY BONES!! YOU HAVE MOST CERTAINTLY EARNED IT!!" Hawkeye exited out of the arena through the south gate, which slammed shut behind hum with a resounding boom. "WELL MY LITTLE PONIES, STAY TUNED FOR OUT NEXT EXCITING MATCH!! THIS IS THE ANNOUNCER OF THE EQUESTRIAN WAR GAMES SAYING, HAIL THE QUEEN OF THE SUN!!"