Selene is fiercely beating a punching bag while Midnight Allure is napping on a nearby bench. Rein is in her uniform, now complete with a hat bearing the same insignia as her arm patch. She is sharpening a set of throwing knives. On another bench is Aries, lifting a rather large pair of weights with ease.

"You seem agitated this morning, Selene." Aries comments.

Selene ignores her and continues assaulting the punching bag with greater force.

"It must be to do with Amore. She wasn't able to sleep much last night after the news got out about her severe injury." Rein adds, flipping a knife in her hand.

Selene performs a spin kick that makes the punching bag fly off its stand and land against the wall, spilling its contents all over the floor. Grabbing a towel from the nearby rack she growls before leaving the room and slamming the door.

"That would be a yes... She doesn't want to admit it given what has happened, but she still cares greatly for Amore. It hurts her to see her in that state, despite how she left our academy." Midnight Allure opens her eyes and sighs deeply.

Aries drops the lifting bar behind her making the floor crack hard upon impact. She sits up and uses a towel to wipe what little sweat was on her face.

"Those two always had trouble expressing things with words... I guess it's what made them such an inspiring couple to watch. They let their actions do the talking. You and Selene are a good couple too, but in a different way to how she and Amore was." Aries stands up and stretches.

"I know... I try my best for her since I was the one who confessed. I don't plan to dwell on it; Amore is too stubborn to die." Midnight Allure states.

"Speaking of stubborn mares... Has anyone seen Lime Beat and Sour Canary?" Rein asks, looking around.

"I vaguely remember some disturbance in the canteen this morning to do with them two and the sisters from Amore's team." Aries states as she begins some form of squat thrusts.

"Freuden..." Rein rolls her eyes and lays her knives in a black case.

"-Repent, you motherfuckers!" Scarlet Orange and Aqua Streak end their chant, standing on the right side of the cafeteria.

Opposite the twin sisters are a pair of mares who wear Crystal Prep uniforms and smug grins. The left mare has a light blue coat, mid green, slightly rough mane and tail with light green highlights and light green eyes. She wields a pair of dual modified pistols with engravings on the outer sides of their slides. 'Luce and Ombra', likely the names of the pistols are among the engravings. The right mare has a mid tone yellow coat, dark pink mane, and tail with indigo highlights, her mane is up in a ponytail. Her purple eyes are mischievous but confident. She wields a steel scythe in her right hand attached to a chain whose handle is in her left hand.

"My name is Lime Beat-" The left mare begins introductions.

"-and I'm Sour Canary." The right mare finishes.

The pair pushes away from each other as they begin to fight with Scarlet Orange and Aqua Streak. Sour Canary closes in on Aqua Streak and attempts to wound her using the scythe from a distance. Every time it gets deflected off Aqua Streak's katanas, Sour Canary makes it fly back towards her with a flick of her chain. Eventually, Aqua Streak closes the gap and engages Sour Canary in close combat. The pair trade blows repeatedly, finding middle ground is as far as they can push each other. The clashing of chain and sickle on katana echoed throughout the cafeteria, but most of the audience had their eyes fixed on Lime Beat and Scarlet Orange who were just as equally matched. The two girls remained at a regular distance as they traded bullet for bullet. During the course of their close combat encounters, they dodged and deflected bullets like a haze of movements and sways that moved in time with one another. Several magazines later and Scarlet Orange is getting frustrated.

"How many magazines are you hiding up your skirt?!" Scarlet Orange asks, dropping down to side swipe Lime Beat who backflips away.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Lime Beat states as she reloads mid-air.

Upon landing the two resume their ballad of bullets, neither mare letting up. On the other side of the cafeteria, Aqua Streak was able to get in close to Sour Canary putting her on the defensive.

"All this over some desert?~" Sour Canary teases.

"I will skull fuck you for that!" Aqua Streak states, putting more force into her attacks.

"Such a delightful mouth~ I will hold you to that!" Sour Canary states with a sly grin.

"ENOUGH!" The suddenly bellowed voice makes the four mares stop instantly.

From the entrance of the cafeteria, Princess Luna can be seen walking towards them. The four share an even more grave expression between them.

"I chose to step away from my meeting for a moment and I see this sight... I do hope this was a friendly bout, though I have to question the motive." Princess Luna folds her arms.

"Pudding..." Aqua Streak admits.

Princess Luna raises an eyebrow before sighing deeply.

"Sometimes I wonder if this academy ever changes. While not the principle anymore, I am still Princess of the Night. I'd get moving before Flutterbat gets here; no doubt she heard me." Princess Luna smiles a little as the four scamper off and finds herself indulging a memory before leaving herself.

"Where am I?" Amore asks herself, looking around at the vast black emptiness she stands in.

"Where do you believe you are?" A cold monotone voice asks.

"I remember fighting a mare... Iluzie, my twin sister apparently." Amore sighs.

"What about after?" The voice asks.

"Getting stabbed! That's it! I was stabbed with my own damn sword... So, am I dead?" Amore asks, looking behind her to suddenly see a hooded pony in her face.

"Indeed." The pony replies, before snapping their fingers.

The whole area around them becomes a frozen wasteland with nothing for miles, but snow and ice with chilling winds that Amore cannot feel.

"You are kidding me right?! I can't be dead! That'd be so lame..." Amore folds her arms and sighs.

"It would, indeed... If you were truly dead." The hooded figure snaps their fingers again.

The area around them changes to a sitting room in a castle. The chilling landscape still outside. In front of them are a soft rug, warm fireplace, two chairs and a table between them. Amore looks around in surprise before coming back to the pony who has taken off their cloak.

"Princess Luna?! What is this all about?!" Amore asks, looking very annoyed.

"I haven't seen you in a while, so I thought I'd play with you a little bit." Princess Luna smiles, before sitting down.

"That was a dirty prank..." Amore sits down in the opposite chair. "So, where exactly are we?"

"Your subconscious. To be more precise, you are asleep in some form of coma." Princess Luna spawns a tray of tea and biscuits for them on the table.

"So... I can't wake up?" Amore asks.

"You can." Princess Luna replies.

"Then why am I still asleep?" Amore asks, with a confused expression.

"Your healing abilities are well within the range needed for such fatal wounds. It is 'you' who is preventing yourself from waking up. Thus, we are here." Princess Luna states.

"What the heck does that mean?" Amore rubs her forehead.

"What is time?" Princess Luna sips some tea.

"Time is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to compare the duration of events or the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change of quantities in material reality or in the conscious experience." Amore answers, while looking at a phone in her hand.

"Did you just?" Princess Luna raises an eyebrow.

"What? I read it on the internet once. If this is my mind, surely searching through information that I have seen before isn't much of a surprise." Amore replies innocently.

"I've never seen somepony 'Google' something while within their own subconscious... You are an odd mare Amore, but yes, That is exactly what time is. So, if two mares had the exact same conversation at two different points in time... Is the result the same or is the conversation even possible?" Princess Luna asks.

"Surely if they had that conversation they wouldn't need to have it again, right?" Amore asks, putting her phone away.

"True. So, would they?" Princess Luna sips her tea.

"Well... No, it'd be stupid to tell somepony something they already know." Amore answers bluntly.

"I thought the same thing once. Either way, the answer to 'your' question lies in here." Princess Luna states as she points at Amore's heart.

The mare in question looks down confused before looking up again to find Princess Luna gone. Sighing deeply Amore stands up and stretches.

"Guess I better look around..." Amore muses before leaving the room she is in.

Princess Luna sits on the chandelier and sips her tea before smiling.

"Such innocent raw potential. Let us hope you find what it is you seek before the end." Princess Luna states.

The arena is in full swing with the crowd eagerly cheering and the commentators announcing the next line up. Amore's team is standing by the monitor in the main waiting lobby outside their rooms. Veronica looks around before stopping on Scarlet Orange, who was walking over.

"Where have you been? You and Aqua are to take this next match... Where is she?" Veronica asks, looking unamused.

"To put it bluntly, my sister is in our room sulking into her favourite pillow." Scarlet Orange sighs deeply.

"Seriously? How can she sulk at a time like this?" Tranquil Wind asks, rubbing her forehead.

"It's Aqua Streak, that's how..." Scarlet Orange replies bluntly.

"Shit... We could send Tranquil Wind out..." Veronica ponders their next move.

Moonlit Dusk closes her grimoire and stands up to stretch before starting to walk out towards the arena. She is wearing a white t-shirt, open blue hoodie, jeans and trainers. A great contrast to her lab coat attire from before. As she strolls out onto the arena floor the crowd hushes as the opposite team turns her way.

"It seems that Bloody Love has selected their fighters to participate in this match." Silver Vase observes.

"It would appear they have sent Moonlit Dusk out to face the 28 Pegasus Ronin from Crystal Prep's kendo club." Sandstone mike adds.

Moonlit Dusk stops a little way from the 28 various coloured male and female Pegasi. She puts her hands in the pockets of her hoodie and smiles.

"I don't care how many of you there are... My name is Moonlit Dusk, descendent of the Undead Pirate Princess Lula Bloodmoon. Unfortunately for you, I'm not in such a good mood..." Moonlit Dusk states.

The opposite team all look at each other in disbelief of their opponents words. The leader chuckles and steps forwards. He has a dull red coat, lightning yellow mane and tail with hazel eyes.

"My name is Red Streak, I lead the 28 Pegasus Ronin. You won't find us so easy to face given there is only one of you." Red Streak states preparing his katana.

A creepy smile sneaks across Moonlit Dusk's muzzle as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. The commentators ring the bell to start the match, making the 28 Pegasi draw their katanas.

"It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming. On days like this, ponies like you... Should be burning in hell." Moonlit Dusk opens her eyes, the left eye now glowing.

Four of the Ronin charge forth past Red Streak and slash at Moonlit Dusk from different angles. Sliding past each failed attempt, the mare keeps smiling and uses one hand to swipe across the four Ronin. A large, long spectral bone is spawned from nowhere and smacks the Ronin down. Getting back up they charge again but get the same result as each one is knocked out by the bone. Chuckling, Moonlit Dusk flips the bone using her magic and tilts her head at Red Streak.

"Not bad... However, we are still twenty-four strong. Again!" Red Streak demands as four more Ronin step forward.

Moonlit Dusk holds her arms out, hands spread as two large spectral dragon skulls rise up either side of her. They open their mouths and fire two concentrated beams of energy at the four Ronin, putting them down easily. Raising her hand up, the two skulls begin to spin and take their place at the edge of the arena. Two more skulls rise up to cover the edges the previous two cannot.

"Now you're twenty... Still no much stronger than the last two times. I'm not in the mood to drag this out so, I'm going to make this quick." Moonlit Dusk lowers her hand, before bringing it up suddenly.

A horde of crooked and straight spectral bones spring forth from the arena ground, skewering the remaining nineteen Ronin. The four dragon skulls open fire on the trapped Ronin making sure to finish them off before the bones disappear back into the ground. Red Streak charges at Moonlit Dusk but finds himself being hit by an unknown force. After several hard hits, Moonlit Dusk floats a bone in front of her and chuckles.

"You lose." Moonlit Dusk states as she sends the bone through Red Streak, finishing him and his team.

Moonlit Dusk puts her hands in her pockets as she begins to walk away. The skulls and bones vanish slowly and the crowd remains silent until Moonlit Dusk leaves the arena. As soon as she disappears from view, the crowd enters into a cheering frenzy.

Moonlit Dusk cuddles her bottle of cherry flavoured vodka as she and the rest of team 'Bloody Love' are sitting at a corner table in Valentine's bar. Aqua Streak sighs deeply and frowns.

"Sorry I wasn't there..." Aqua Streak states, hanging her head.

"While we won this time, I don't suspect us to be so fortunate in the future... Granted, without Amore, this is a little more difficult than I would have expected." Veronica states in reply.

"I thought you were used to supervising a team during your time in the Order's Hooviet Union Division?" Scarlet Orange comments.

"I am, yes... However, this situation is very different for me. You all are not a simple group of Hooviet supernatural hunters I can order around, you're... My friends and stuff..." Veronica states, before blushing slightly as she looks at Derpy who gives her a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"I can't argue with that, but we need to formulate a plan if we want to win... Both us and Selene's team made it through..." Tranquil Wind informs them.

"The finals of the Supernatural Games have always been a one on one elimination battle. That is according to my mother, at least." Silver Stitch states, sipping her cocktail.

Veronica takes a heavy swallow of her vodka before taking a moment to speak.

"That might work in our favour if we can manage to win enough battles that Selene won't be included... If we can't then we will lose. We have five, they have six and Amore is..." Veronica slumps down in her chair at mentioning Amore.

"She will make it... She has to, it's Amore for Celestia's sake." Aqua Streak states with confidence.

"You make it sound like she is untouchable." Tranquil Wind comments.

"No... Aqua is right." The group turns to Veronica. "I think if anypony here knows what that mare is capable of, it's Aqua and Scarlet. I mean just look at her team." Veronica holds out her arms to emphasize the group. "At one point we three stood on the opposite sides of the playing field. I'm a former Hooviet Union Order member, Aqua and Scarlet are former Order members... Now we are on the same team as a Werewolf/Pixie hybrid and a Necromancer. We are her chess pieces, brought together for different reasons." Veronica states drinking more vodka.

"While I'd like to reason that this speech comes from the amount of vodka she has consumed... I'm afraid she is not wrong, darlings." Silver Stitch begins, as she finishes her cocktail. "I can admit my being here is purely down to curiosity. Amore is an interesting individual, even when it comes to this academy."

"I'm here because she asked for my help, but I can confess she has a compelling presence." Tranquil Wind states.

"Scarlet and I are here because we're friends with Amore, even after what we tried to do..." Aqua Streak hangs her head again, but is comforted by a smile from Scarlet Orange.

"Even after we fought, me trying to kill her and tracking her down to this academy... She wanted to help me and asked for me to be enrolled here. I don't and can't understand how she thinks or works, but..." Veronica struggles to find the words to finish her statement.

"That's what makes Amore who she is. What makes her so loved. You're all here because you love Amore in whatever sense of the word for whatever reason you may have. She, in turn, picked all of you for her team because she trusts in your abilities." Derpy smiles.

The group look at each other and find it very difficult to argue with such an honest view.

"I guess this means we need to uphold her faith?" Moonlit Dusk asks meekly from behind her bottle.

"Yeah, that's what it means." Tranquil Wind assures Moonlit Dusk, placing her hand on the mare's shoulder gently.

Author's Note

Been a while... Sorry. Life has been busy and my proofreader, who got his wi-fi back has been delayed too. But I hope to be somewhat back on track for the most part, however, I am not sure how often chapters will be out but they will be out at some point. I hope you guys continue to enjoy the fic regardless and help support it.