Guard Tiara: The Grand Guard Games

The pale purple tinted earth mare stepped forward. Her eyes narrowed as a predatory grin spread across her face. Tilting her head to one side, there was an audible crack from her neck.

"Oh, I am looking forward to this," she purred out. "And this time, there is no drill sergeant to save your sorry flank."

Diamond Tiara tensed, resisting the urge to rub at her muzzle.

"I guess you'll just have to lose some other way," Diamond Tiara blurted out. This got a chuckle from Aura.

"You think you can beat me?" Aura asked. "Really?" Her eyes narrowed further as she walked toward Diamond. "And what makes you think that? I have been working and training with one of the best mercenary corps in Equestria. What have you been doing?"

That gave Diamond Tiara a moment of pause. After the fiasco in The Everfree Forest, things had been rather quiet for her. She had been on light duty until her flank had healed enough to remove the stitches, and then it had been pretty routine: report to command, do some patrolling, and the occasional combat training and practice. She had been slacking on that last part actually.

And now she was regretting it all the more. It was doubtful -- although not impossible -- that Aura would be able to kill her here and now with all these other beings around, but Diamond Tiara could still get hurt pretty badly. Aura could potentially dislocate a joint, or break a bone. She might even break Diamond's back before someone interfered.

Diamond Tiara would have to try and out-think Aura.

Focus, she told herself. Break her down and look at each piece. Find weaknesses. You used to be good at that.

"Do both of you know the rules?" the announcer asked.

"Yes," Diamond said.

Aura nodded.

"The match will be decided when one of the fighters is unable or unwilling to continue. Ready? Begin!"

Aura made the first move. At the signal, she darted forward, charging toward Diamond Tiara. Turning, Aura slammed her shoulder into Diamond's chest, knocking her off balance and sending her backwards. Trying to take advantage, Aura spun, kicking out with a back leg as she aimed for Diamond Tiara's knee.

There was a burst of pain as the blade of Aura's hoof struck the joint. The impact caused the leg to bend, dropping Diamond forward. This time, she was ready and went with it. Turning with the impact, she brought her other foreleg up under Aura's hind one, dropping her weight down onto the limb. Diamond Tiara then threw herself to one side, twisting the leg and pulling Aura.

A yelp escaped from Aura as she was thrown onto her side. Coughing and gasping, she tried to pull herself back out. Her free leg kicked out behind her, missing Diamond Tiara's head by nearly a foot. With a grunt, she tried again. Her hoof slammed into Diamond Tiara's with a satisfying crunch.

The impact to her nose sent an explosion of pain through Diamond's skull, causing white to flash before her eyes. Hot blood poured from her nostrils, running down her face, and she was pretty sure that some of her teeth had been knocked loose in their sockets by the blow as well. The impact also snapped her head back, straining the muscles from skull to shoulders. She doubted that she could take another blow like that again Still, she had managed to keep her grip on Aura's leg. When another kick came for her head, Diamond Tiara turned hard and slammed her entire weight down on Aura's leg.

There was an ear-piercing shriek as the ankle popped out of joint.

Grinning, Diamond Tiara let go, pulling away from the other mare and standing back up. Her eyes narrowed as she waited, hoping that Aura would give up after having her ankle dislocated.

Instead, Aura stood back up. Supporting her weight on her three good legs, she turned to face Diamond Tiara again. It should not have been a surprise really. Aura had been planning on a guard before getting kicked out, she was an earth pony, and Diamond Tiara knew from personal experience that she could be insanely driven (and very likely was flat out insane). So an injury that was not completely crippling was probably not going to stop Aura. But at least it would not be a complete waste. The injury would at least hobble Aura and limit her movement, which would also restrict her attack options. It would at least give Diamond Tiara a little more time to react.

Before Diamond Tiara could start thinking of a way to capitalize on the new advantage, Aura was moving at her again. Expecting a charge like before, Diamond darted to the side, trying to keep from getting body checked again.

There was a sudden flare in her own leg, a throb pulsing through it from where the changeling's fang had been embedded. The dull ache that she had been able to ignore was now replaced by a fresh burning one. Diamond Tiara could swear that she felt blood pouring from the wound again. She would have to check later.

The sound of hooves approaching her from behind reached her ears. Before she could stop herself, she kicked out with both legs, like she would one of the trees and Sweet Apple Acres.

Her kick hit nothing.

Something slammed into Diamond Tiara's stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. With all of her weight already balanced on her front, the momentum of the impact sent her forward, having her face slam into the cold tile floor. Something else happened, but Diamond could not entirely be sure what. All she could tell is that the floor did not look right for some reason.

Another blow hit Diamond Tiara in the side of her barrel, knocking her onto her side and sending her sliding across the floor.

Shifting, she tried to get back up. As she did, she realized what the problem was: everything was blurry. For some reason, her eyes were not focusing properly.

Diamond Tiara tried to push herself up, only to get knocked down again.

"Pathetic!" Aura huffed out from somewhere to Diamond Tiara's right. "I really thought that you would be at least some challenge to me."

Gritting her teeth, Diamond Tiara rolled toward the sound and kicked with her good back leg. There was a dull thump as her hoof hit something, followed by a yelp. Diamond's best guess was that she managed to hit Aura square in the chest. Dropping the leg, she turned it into a sweep to knock Aura's legs out from under her. At the same time, she drove her injured leg upwards.

There was a flair of pain as she managed to hit something, followed shortly by a loud cracking sound.

That would hopefully give her a moment to catch her breath. She moved to get back up, turning to look at where she believed Aura was. As she blinked, the other mare slowly gave into focus.

With a scream of rage, Aura charged at her.

Returning with a bellow of her own, Diamond Tiara charged back.

The two of them ran at each other, at full speed.

A sudden thought came to Diamond Tiara: she had no idea what she was doing.

Aura lifted her head and slammed it down against Diamond's.

Everything went black.