Grand Equestrian Tournament
Twilight's kempo
Twilight meditated in the dark levitating mere feet off the ground. "So Twilight," A voice called from the dark void. "you have finally mastered the air walker technique have you?" The voice called.
Twilight slowly opened her eyes and stood still floating in the air. "Yes Sifu and I am ready for the finale test."
The lights within the room came to life straining Twilights eyes. She focused her eyes on the figure that sat amidst the candles that blazed with dancing flames. Her master, a woman hailed as the princess of the Divine Alicorn Fist, raised her right index finger which began to glow as she channeled her Ki to the tip.
"Then show me how well you maneuver." Was the only warning Twilight received before a beam shot from her masters finger tip. Twilight moved quickly to dodge the attacks that just barely missed her.
The Uni-beam was a powerful attack that could send over a million volts into a pony and completely burn off skin; one hit and Twilight could find herself in the after life.
One beam got to close for comfort so Twilight cheated a little, teleporting in the split second before it hit. Her master searched around the room to find her student when she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder. "Sifu Calestia," She said in a sing song voice. "tag, you're it." She said with a smile. Her master let out a low chuckle. "Oh am I, look down." She informed her student; who looked down to see not only her masters finger pointed at her but also a hole burned through her Shirt. "But when did you…?" Calestia turn to her with a smile. "Your master will always be three steps ahead." She said blowing on her finger as if it were a gun.
Calestia rose and walked towards the doors beckoning Twilight to follow. Twilights eyes had to adjust to the sun light; She had been meditating in the dark for the last three weeks surviving only off her Ki. "Twilight you have mastered every technique of the Divine Alicorn Fist but can you put it together?"
Twilight thought for a moment then a smile came across her face as the words clicked in her head. "Of course I can Sifu." She gleefully said taking up a fighting stance. Calestia returned her smile, "Then attack from any angle you wish." Twilight rushed her at light speed to deliver a powerful straight punch to her masters chest but all she hit were Calestias robes.
"Where is she?" Twilight thought just before she felt her masters heel dig into the back of her head. The force of Calestias midair front flip kick sent her student flying into a wall. "I said attack not get attacked." Calestia taunted touching back down on the ground.
Twilight picked herself up out the rubble and dusted herself off. Calestia picked her sash up off the ground, she put it around her left shoulder wrapping it across her back and tying the ends together around her right shoulder. "Don't tell me you're out of the fight already." She remarked taking up a stance.
Twilight rushed her again and unleashed a barrage of punches and palm strikes at her masters face. Calestia responded by dodging and blocking each blow aimed at her. Calestia threw a body kick but Twilights own leg shot right up to block it, her training wasn't wasted.
"Time to take it up a notch." Calestia thought when she threw a palm strike of her own. Twilights dodge was opening enough for Calestia to drop down and sweep kick her legs from under her. Before she could hit the ground Twilight put her hands on the ground and sprung into a series of back flips to put distance between the two of them. Once on her feet Twilight focused her Ki and took aim.
"Uni-beam!" Twilight fired a perfect Uni-beam that her master effortlessly knocked away, allowing it to hit a near by tree. "Ha," Calestia put her hands on her hips. "you call that a Uni-beam?"
She rose up into the air gesturing for Twilight to join her who jumped in the air and quickly joined Calestia at her altitude. Twilight threw flawless round house kick flowed by a short burst of side kicks that Calestia blocked with her arms crossed over her face and chest.
Twilight did manage to connect with another round house; Calestia quickly trapped twilights leg under her arm. "Pay attention," She charged her Ki. "this is how it's done, Uni-beam!"
The powerful blast sent Twilight back down to the ground but she was back on her feet in a matter of seconds. "Oh Twilight." She heard Calestia call out in a sing song voice. She looked up to see Calestia putting her hands together to form a triangle, she about to preform their styles most powerful technique.
The Ki formed in the triangle, "Nova burst wave!" She screamed as a Ki blast so powerful it created a bright flash destroyed the ground she was aiming at leaving a smoking hole. The Nova burst wave, was an attack that combines the users Ki with solar energy to create a powerful blast.
"Think I might have over done it a bit." She thought hopping he student was still alive at the bottom of the hole. For a split second she felt her students Ki just before a powerful ax kick collided with the top of her skull. "Tag Sifu, you're it!" Twilight yelled driving her foot down and sending Calestia straight to the ground.
She managed to regain her composer just before impact mere feet from the ground, but Twilight had already teleported into place and was waiting with Ki charged. "Uni-beam!" She yelled finale hitting her master sending her to the dirt.
Twilight prepared to rush her again but Calestia held up her hand, "Stop, I've had enough." She wheezed out struggling for breath. "Sifu are you alright?" Twilight asked running to help her master up. "Yes, the Nova wave took a lot out of me." She replied pushing Twilight aside to stand on her own. "Well done Twilight I think you're more than ready." Calestia said cracking her back and stretching out her arms. "Ready for what Sifu?" Twilight was prompted to ask.
Calestia once again told her student to follow her as she walked her through the empty temple grounds. Once upon a time these training grounds were full of life with legions of students eager to learn this powerful style. Where once skilled instructors schooled diligent pupils in the ancient ways only weeds and dust were present now.
She led Twilight into a chamber that hadn't been used in years. "This use to be the finale testing chamber." She used her Ki to illuminate the room by lighting the torches on the walls.
Lining the walls of the room wooden figures with chains attached to their arms and legs that went into the wall. "These are the wood men, use to be we threw you in and you had to fight your way through, but now they are unable to move." Calestia informed walking her farther through the room into another chamber with some sort of large pot in the center.
A fire magically lit under the pot and it seemed to heat very quickly. Before Twilight could ask what was going on Calestia showed her the inside of her forearms; on the right was a tiger eating the sun and on the left was a lion eating the moon. "Twilight my fateful student, you have earned the right to mark yourself as a master."
Twilight slowly walked up to the pot that had already turned red from the heat. She rolled up her sleeves and went into a horse stance; She took a breath in and grabbed the pot with her forearms. Her scream filled the room as the images were branded into her skin.
When she released the pot her hands shook as the marks glowed. Calestia watched with a large smile on her face, seeing her student finally reach this point filled her with pride. "Now that you're a master I have a task for you." She told Twilight who was trying to use he Ki to numb the pain.
"What would that be Sifu?" She asked wondering what more could her master ask of her. "Equestrian martial arts tournament." Calestia said walking back out into the training grounds.
The Grand Equestrian Tournament a gathering of the strongest fighters all around Equestria. The greatest show case of martial arts skill. Not since the 23rd tournament, which Calestia herself fought in and won, had their school and style been represented. The closet Twilight had ever been to the tournament was cheering on her brother in the Stallions division last month.
"You mean I finally get to fight for the honor of our school?" Twilight asked beaming up at her master who fought back the large smile pulling at the sides of her mouth. Calestia just had to give in, "Of course."
Her words caused Twilight to rejoice, but she was calmed down by Calestias hand on her shoulder. "I have ulterior motives for sending you to the tournament." Calestia said taking hold of Twilights left arm, holding it up so Twilight could see the lion brand.
"This mark use to represent my sister, Luna, who trained along side me and started up this school with me." She looked off into the distance reminiscing not of the days spent training with her sister but instead of the 23rd tournament.
How she in the final round defeated her sister and how her embittered sister walked away from the school, swearing revenge for her humiliation.
"My sister has been training a student who she has fighting in the tournament." Calestia placed both hands on her students shoulders. "If you want to defend the honor of our school defeat her student." Calestia turned out towards the empty training grounds and gestured out with her hand. "It is my dream to see this temple full of students once again, the attention you gain from wining the tournament will do just that." Twilight clenched her fist and showed her master the fiery look in her eyes. "With these fist I'll make your dream come true Sifu."
The next morning Twilight got dressed in the white and gold battle uniform her master had given her as a gift, and was prepared to head out into the city. "Hold on Twilight," Calestia stopped her just as she was about to leave the temple. "you haven't been to the city since you came here, you might need some companionship." She stepped aside to show a small dragon dressed in the same uniform as Twilight.
"Take Spike with you." Spike was eternally a baby and the only other being that trained here at the temple; he was also the only friend Twilight had ever had.
"Hello Twilight." He said as he floated up to Twilights shoulder. Twilight had been in such intensive training for the past month she hadn't had much time with him. "Hey Spike." She said nuzzling him as he situated himself on her shoulder.
The journey to the city was a long one but in time Twilight found herself walking into the city square. "Wow, Spike I don't remember the city being this big." Twilight mused not paying attention to her surroundings and plowing into a large blond mare on the street.
"Hey watch where you're going!" The mare yelled pushing Twilight off her. She pushed with enough force to put Twilight on the ground. Twilight was trained to keep her anger in check, but since her Sifu wasn't here She shot right back up.
"It was an accident so keep you're hands to yourself!" She felt the other mare's aura, she was gathering Ki. Twilight let out a short laugh before powering up just enough to give her a taste of what she had to offer.
"Nice aura," The other mare commented. "but can you back it up!" She asked taking up a stance that to Twilight seemed foreign. "Oh sister you're about to find out." Twilight shot back ready to take this girl down a peg but before they could come to blows a small filly stepped between them.
"Applejack you don't have time for this you still have to get signed up for the tournament." She said trying to push her away for this fight. "Alright, Alright," She surrendered to her little sister. "I've got some real fights to get to, but after the tournament we'll see if this is still what you want." She mused over her shoulder walking off.
"Come on Spike," She straighten her sash. "now I'm the upmost of eager."
After getting signed up for the tournament Twilight was led into a large open room full of women all of which looked strong and powerful. Twilight could feel the auras coming off them, only a few of them actually had the Ki to stand a chance against her.
All the fighters were instructed to gather around the small ring in the room and an stallion with a microphone stepped into the center.
"Good evening fighters and welcome to the preliminary round of the mare's division of the 75th Grand Equestrian Tournament, who's ready for a fight?" A loud roar came from the crowd and the collective Ki of the all the fighters could be felt.
"Ok then lets get to it," He read the card in his hand. "and the first fight of the day is Twilight Sparkle of the Alicorn fist school and Berry Punch master of the drunken fist."
Twilight wasn't expecting to be the first fight but was ready all the same as she stepped up on the raised arena. At the other end of the ring was a mare with raspberry pink hair carrying two large wine pots. "Are both fighters ready?" The announcer asked. "One minute." Berry said she placed one pot on the ground and with her bare hands tore the top off the other pot.
Twilight could only watch as she brought the wine pot to her mouth and drunk it all down with out stopping to take a breath. Berry wiped her mouth and with one finger completely smashed the pot.
"Is she allowed to do this?" Twilight asked. "Fighting drunk is completely legal." The announcer informed her as Berry was already downing the other pot and smash it with one punch.
"Now I'm ready." Berry said as she staggered about the ring. "Alright then Begin!" A bell rang and Twilight went into a forward stance. Berry swayed from side to side and put her hands up; instead of making a fist she held her hands like she were holding cups. Twilight had never encountered this style before, her Sifu told her she would see many styles unusual to her, but she rushed forward non the least.
Her punch didn't even connect as Berry spun around avoiding a blow to the face and delivering a strike to the back of Twilight's head. Berry tripped over her own feet but managed to hook her leg around Twilight's and grab her shirt taking her to the ground with her. She dug her foot into Twilight's chest and rolled on her back throwing Twilight across the ring.
Twilight landed an inch away from the edge, "She almost got me with an out of bounds." She thought popping back up to her feet. Twilight closed the gap and throw a round house kick. Berry leaned back causing twilight's kick to miss by a mile and she tried to come back with a front kick, which Berry knocked away with a sudden wrist strike.
Twilight was getting frustrated, she managed to sweep kick Berry's legs from under her but Berry sprung back up the moment she touched the ground. Berry used a rapid punch attack that forced the air from Twilight's chest.
Berry took advantage of the opening and locked her fingers on Twilight's Adams apple ( yes women have one.) and began to choke her. Twilight grabbed berry's arm, "I was waiting for you to try and grab me." She slammed her foot down on her knee, kicking out her joint; she turned into her and threw her over her shoulder.
Before Berry could get back up Twilight was already standing over her ready to strike when Berry cried out, "I give, I can't go on like this." She tapped the ring, apparently the dislocated leg sobered her up.
"And the winner is," The announcer held up Twilight's arm as Berry was helped out of the ring. "Twilight Sparkle, she'll move on to the next round."
Twilight stuck around to watch a few of the fights, scope out the competition. She saw a few fighters that made her a little wary but the one who caught her eye was the mare from earlier, Applejack. When she saw Twilight standing in the crowd her eyes lit up.
Applejack made such short work of her opponent anyone who blinked missed most of it. When they held up her arm to announce her winner she gave Twilight a wink.
After the last fight they announced the first match for tomorrow morning. The Announcer was handed a card, "And the first match is Twilight Sparkle vs. Applejack."
Twilight was so giddy about getting a shot at that uppity bitch she could barely sleep; the next morning couldn't come quick enough. When the time finally rolled around Twilight stepped into the arena with a smile on her face.
Instead of fighting in the same place the preliminary round was held they fought in a new arena. This new ring was bigger and outside with a patch of grass and a wall between the fighters and the crowd. "Good morning everyone and welcome to the first match of the day!"
The crowd was electric; since the tournament open to the public the crowd was filled with spectators waiting for the first fight. "Let's get started, over here we have Twilight Sparkle master of the Alicorn fist and her opponent Applejack the tireuse!" The two met halfway in the center, "Are both fighters ready?"
Both girls took up there stances. "You ready for this?" Twilight asked. "I hope you brought a body bag." Applejack replied. "Fight!" The bell rang and the two rushed each other for what promised to be a whirl wind fight.
Author's Note
1) Yes women do have an Adams apple, it's just so small it's next to non- existent
2) A tireuse is someone who practices savate, French kick boxing
3) I know I put a lot of emphases on Ki but bare with me; that cool?