Pony Kombat

After the ceremony for Twilight Sparkle had ended, Celestia and Big Mac were talking on a balcony. It was around twilight, and the sun had just set.

“I do not understand why my amulet is further damaged,” Celestia said. “‘She must win!’ If not Twilight Sparkle, then who?”

“You got me,” Big Mac said while smoking a cigarette. “I’m not sure anypony could do what she did. Beat Sunset Shimmer like a chump.” As if on cue, Sunset Shimmer walked up to Celestia and Big Mac. Celestia noticed, but didn’t turn to her.

“Here to congratulate us on our victory, sorceress?” Celestia mocked. Big Mac turned, surprised.

“What!?” he said. “Sunset Shimmer?” Big Mac didn’t understand how and why Sunset Shimmer was back in Equestria. He threw away his cigarette

“You have been revitalized, I see,” Celestia said. “I didn’t realize your master was in the habit of rewarding failure.”

“The Empress has an offer, Celestia,” Sunset Shimmer said. “A new tournament.” Celestia scoffed.

“I do not see any reason to participate in any plan of yours,” she said.

“The Empress proposes a single tournament, to replace the current system of ten,” Sunset Shimmer explained. “It will be held in Tartarus. If Equestria does not win, Tartarus will absorb it. But if Equestria wins, Nightmare Moon will abandon her claim to it. Forever.” Celestia gave the matter a quick and easy thought.

“Give your Empress my regards,” she said, refusing to participate. Sunset Shimmer smiled evilly. She used her magic to open up a massive portal to Tartarus. Changeling warriors stormed the academy grounds. In fury, Celestia attacked Sunset Shimmer. As they fought, Big Mac jumped off the balcony to fight off the attackers. He punched one in the face, head-butted another, and kneed another still in the face. He stomped on the warrior’s face. But Big Mac was soon overpowered and ganged up on. He took some hard hits before being flung onto the ground. A Changeling warrior stomped on his face and everything went black.

~~~

“… I now know what we must do,” Celestia said as Big Mac came to. He groaned.

“Anypony get the number of that guy that…?” Big Mac asked. He felt something wrong. “Wait,” he asked “Where’s Cadence?”

“Sunset Shimmer has taken her,” Celestia said.

“We gotta find her!” Big Mac said.

“We must follow them!” Babs Seed agreed. Celestia held up her hoof to stop Babs Seed.

“Sunset Shimmer has made it clear that Equestria will be under constant threat unless I agree to a new tournament,” Celestia said. She suddenly had a vision. It showed Twilight Sparkle standing over the defeated Nightmare Moon, who had a hole in her chest.

“Another vision?” Big Mac asked.

“Yes,” Celestia replied. “I saw Twilight Sparkle win the proposed tournament. I believe we must attend.” She turned to Twilight Sparkle. “But my earlier vision of your victory over Sunset Shimmer was not the solution I sought,” Celestia said. “Therefore, this premonition must show an event I need to change. Perhaps ‘She must win!’ refers to another.” Twilight Sparkle understood.

“Hear me, Elder Gods!” Celestia called. “I accept the terms proposed by Nightmare Moon!” A column of bright light surrounded the fighters. The Elder Gods had heard Celestia’s call. When the light had subsided, Celestia spoke.

“We go to Tartarus,” she announced.

~~~

In Nightmare Moon’s throne room in Tartarus, Scarlet was giving Nightmare Moon an amulet, whatever the reason. Nightmare Moon looked at it for a moment, then gave it back to Scarlet. Celestia, Shining Armor, and Big Mac walked into the throne room, but no pony noticed.

“I assume that’s the big mare herself,” Big Mac said, looking at Nightmare Moon.

“The tall black mare with the battle helmet on her head?” Shining Armor asked. “And why aren’t the Kung Fu Twins here helping us?”

“I sent Twilight Sparkle and Babs Seed to free their Unicorn masters,” Celestia said. “I expected Cadence to be here with Sunset Shimmer.”

“She better not have a scratch on her!” Big Mac fumed. He stormed toward Sunset Shimmer.

“Wait!” Celestia cried. “This is a tournament!” Sunset Shimmer saw Big Mac.

“Ah,” she said. “Equestria delegation has arrived. And we have a volunteer for first combat.”

“What?” Big Mac asked.

“The tournament will begin!” Nightmare Moon announced. The audience of Changeling cheered.

“Big Macintosh,” Sunset Shimmer said. “You will face Zecora!” The Changeling audience cheered. Zecora walked into her position.

“Damn you’re ugly!” Big Mac said. Zecora did not find this amusing.

“My blades will find your heart!” she snarled, and the fight began. Big Mac started with a quick and powerful blow that knocked Zecora onto her back. Big Mac pounded the ground, creating a shockwave that caused Zecora to fly into the air. Big Mac grabbed her, but Zecora opened up her blades and caught Big Mac by surprise. After some quick and fast combos from both Kombatants, Big Mac grabbed Zecora and slammed her onto the ground so hard, she didn’t get up.

“You shouldn’t be running with those,” Big Mac said. He then walked up to Sunset Shimmer. “Where’s Cadence?” he demanded. Sunset Shimmer smirked.

“Tell me, Major Macintosh,” she said. “Do you and she do anything other than rescue one another?” Big Mac did not like Sunset Shimmer’s mouth. “Your next opponent will be…” Sunset Shimmer was interrupted by Spike. “What is it?!” she growled. Spike whispered something that only Sunset Shimmer could hear. Apparently it was good news, because Sunset Shimmer was pleased.

“Excellent,” she said. She turned to the audience. “It seems I have oppressing matters to attend to. With the Empress’s permission, we will reconvene later.” Nightmare Moon allowed this. Sunset Shimmer bowed and walked off with Spike. The audience and Nightmare Moon left as well.

“What was that all about?” Big Mac asked. “I think we should follow them.” Just then, Celestia had another vision. It showed Cadence chained up in Nightmare Moon’s coliseum.

“You ok?” Big Mac asked. Celestia looked distressed.

“Cadence,” she said. “She is to be executed. Our hours are compromised here in Tartarus. But I will be able to transport us near enough to her.” At that, she, Shining Armor, and Big Mac left the throne room.

~~~

Celestia had transported the group to what seemed to be some kind of foundry. Shining Armor wasn’t impressed.

“Maybe you could try for even nearer next time,” he said. “Where are we?”

“I will inform you the instant I know,” Celestia said. Big Mac was messing around with his wrist-com. He sighed.

“Wish this damn tracking device worked in here,” he muttered.

“This is just like my movie ‘Time Smashers’” Shining Armor said. “We were going around and…”

“Give it a rest, will ya?” Big Mac interrupted. “You’re making my ears hurt.” Shining Armor stopped for a moment.

“So what’s the deal with you and Cadence anyway?” he asked. “She’s smoke’n hot.”

“It’s not like that,” Big Mac said. “I’m her C.O.”

“A honey like that under my command...” Shining Armor started.

“You’ll want to stop talking now,” Big Mac warned. Shining Armor stopped, but started right back up.

“But if it’s not like that,” he said. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I…”

“That’s it!” Big Mac yelled. “Time somepony shut you the hell up!” He and Shining Armor began to fight. The two fighters traded blows. But thanks to Big Mac’s more high tech equipment and rage, he had no problem taking down the cocky movie star.

“How you like that, Mr. A-Miz?” Big Mac taunted.

“Enough!” Celestia said. “Big Macintosh, you will restrain yourself.”

“Yeah,” Big Mac said. “But he…” Celestia stopped him.

“Somepony approaches,” she said.

“Good,” Big Mac said. “Maybe somepony else needs their ass whupped.” Rarity entered the room. “Looking for something?” Big Mac asked.

“The armory is restricted,” Rarity said. “You will leave now.”

“You’re going to have to ask nicer than that,” Big Mac said. He and Rarity began to fight. After trading quick and efficient hits, Big Mac grabbed Rarity, threw her into the air, and did a back breaker with his knee on her side, causing her intestines to crack. Somehow. Big Mac then did the same maneuver, but this time with his back, on Pinkie’s back. The match was over.

“Wrong place, wrong time, lady!” Big Mac said. Shining Armor walked up to Big Mac.

“Feel better?” he asked. Big Mac felt the need to apologize.

“Uh, listen Shining Armor,” he said. “I…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shining Armor said. He looked down at the defeated Rarity. “At least we know where we are now, thanks to her,” he said.

“Yes,” Celestia agreed. “And where we must go.” She walked off.

“Listen to me,” Big Mac told Shining Armor. Shining Armor tried to say something, but Big Mac cut him off.

“Come on, Shining Armor.” He said. Shining Armor followed Big Mac and Celestia.

In the acid pools of Tartarus, a group of Changeling warriors were playing some sort of game with diamond-shaped dice. Chrysalis was there, along with Cadence, who was hoisted up by ropes above the acid.

“What is it with you Changeling and underground ses-pools?” she asked.

“If you had not dishonored yourself by attempting escape,” Chrysalis said. “We would not be here in the sewer.” Big Mac, Celestia, and Shining Armor ran into the room.

“Cadence!” Shining Armor cried out. Everypony in the room looked at the intruders.

“Guards!” Chrysalis cried. “Stop them!” The Changeling warriors got up.

“So much for the surprise attack,” Big Mac said. Suddenly, a door slammed down behind the Equestria fighters. Big Mac ran up to one of the Changeling guards, who was swinging a spiked, double sided club. Big Mac avoided the swings, grabbed the club out of the guard’s hooves, and knocked him into the acid with it. As the guard landed into the acid, he sizzled like bacon as his flesh and muscle dissolved into a bloody mess. He jumped over the other guards, leaving them to Celestia and Shining Armor.

“She is the Empress’s property, stallion” Chrysalis said.

“She’s no pony’s ‘property’!” Big Mac denied. He and Chrysalis fought fiercely. Big Mac’s extra tech equipment and armor helped him match Chrysalis’s magic abilities. With a couple hard punches and kicks, Big Mac put Chrysalis down. Flawless Victory.

“I guess magic don’t make a difference,” Big Mac taunted. He walked up to Cadence to help her down.

“You sure have a way with mares,” Cadence said.

“You know me,” Big Mac said as he pulled Cadence onto the narrow platform. “I’m a class act.” He used his knife to cut the ropes binding Cadence.

“Thanks,” Cadence said. “What took you so long?”

“He was busy hitting me in the face,” Shining Armor said. Cadence chuckled. A faint beeping was heard. It was Cadence’s wrist-com.

“That’s weird,” she said. “I’ve got two sets of readings. Heavy tech signals, both of them.”

“Technology,” Celestia wondered. “Then they cannot be of Tartarus. We need to confront the source of each signal. We might discover the one of whose victory I must ensure.”

“Wait,” Shining Armor said. “What about us? What are we, chop liver?” Celestia gave him a look. “What?” Shining Armor asked.

“Perhaps you are right, Shining Armor,” Celestia said. “You will stay close to me.”

“Great!” Shining Armor said. “I…”

“Close as a shadow,” Celestia interrupted. “And twice as silent.” Shining Armor didn’t like this quote.

“Cadence, you’re with me,” Big Mac said. “I’m keeping my eye on you.” He turned to Celestia. “Celestia,” he said. “Looks like you’ll need to teleport yourself about 30 clicks that way.” A mission to find a technological source had begun. What will the Kombatants find out about these heavy tech signals?