Oponi

Lights Out

Waka slammed into yet another wall, courtesy of a buck to the side. He wasn't sure why Shining had even bothered with the spear, those hooves seemed good-enough for knocking him around. Luckily for him, fighting with Ammy had prepared him for much more abuse than this. "So you're sure you aren't still mad?" He asked as he picked himself up off the ground, slowly becoming more filthy.

Shining Armor trotted to his spot near the wall. "Nope, we're good. I just don't want to lose a fight I started in the first place."

"Well that's... a way to look at it. I want to know one more thing though."

"What's that?" He asked as he reached Waka again.

Waka leaped off the ground, pressing the tooth of his shoe against the wall before leaping behind Shining Armor. He picked-up his dagger and drew another from his kimono. He tossed them at Shining Armor's neck.

One banged against the plate on his neck semi-painfully, the other managed to whack his horn, chipping it. "AAHHHH DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN!" Yelled Shining Armor as he rubbed a hoof on his head.

A sympathetic hiss/gasp could be heard from the unicorn audience members.

"So... I'm guessing that they... are sensitive?"

"I'm gonna shove this splinter of my horn in your eye when I get my hooves on you!" He hissed as he held his eyes shut in pain.

"That sounds unpleasant, I decline. Now stop being such a baby." He ran at him again, Pillow Talk once-more drawn in his hand.

Shining shot his small shard of horn at Waka, actually piercing his thigh. His purple pants began to dye with a tirckle of red as he kept running. He managed to land a broad swing on Shining's chest, rending a decent swathe in the armor. Strangely, not a drop of blood was visible on Shining Armor's chest. "That was close, that was right toward the heart."

"Pillow Talk won't cut flesh, at least not pony flesh."

"...And that's why you use two swords for no adequate reason?"

"Bingo, baby." He swung the blade of light several more times, cutting more openings in the armor. By the time he had been successfully driven-back with the once-more reclaimed spear, Shining was missing armor on two of his legs, most of his left midsection, and his helmet.

"That's well and good, but it won't help much if your beaten to a pulp before you can land a hit with that sword. I think I know the best way to fix that, in fact." He shot the spear forward, Waka tried to dodge but wasn't anticipating the spear to home-in on his left hand.

His sword shattered into a dozen pieces, completely useless.

"Oh my." Remarked Celestia from her seat. "It's hard to tell if they actually want to patch things up or just kill each other."

"RrrrRrr." Mumbled Ammy absentmindedly. She was no bloodhound, but she smelled something in the air, something that was familiar.

So familiar.

"I hope you realize that if I win, you will be paying for both my armor and my bills on fixing my horn."

"Perfect, I can just use my share of the money for this show. Similarly, I expect a repaired sword, although your people would probably have to invent it's kind before you fix it, maybe start a research project out of your pocket? It probably wouldn't take too long, I'm sure."

They continued to wail on each other, Waka reduced to using his hand guard for blocking and parrying. The spear finally snapped in half after it's long period of usage. Shining had tried launching the spear head into Waka but collided with Pillow Talk, which quickly destroyed the sharpened steel on contact. They were down to a lightly armored stallion and a man with a sword that couldn't cut skin.

Ammy was now completely invested in the scent. It was... something rather distinct. It smelled... bitter... pungent.

Waka was now trying to maintain his balance, now sitting comically on Shining Armor's back, trying to grapple. They continued thrashing around, their reduced experience in unarmed combat clearly showing. Although he had almost no armor left, Waka still couldn't find a good place to hit Shining that was actually open-enough for him to get some wind-up.

"Aroooooooo!" Howled Amaterasu from her position by Celestia.

Waka had immediately jumped from Shining Armor's back, hurrying toward the balcony. Shining had tried to hit him, not realizing that Amaterasu was calling the fight off, but was stopped by a sudden painful burst in one of his knees, courtesy of an ink-bullet fired by Amaterasu from her perch.

"What is it?" Asked Waka, Ammy rarely chose to specifically make a show of herself.

"Rooooo!"

"Like the Emperor? What is like the Emperor?"

"Rawrrrrr!"

Waka blanched. "Where! We need to deal with this right now. You may come if you want, princess, although I will have to ask you to keep some distance."

"That's quite alright."

Ammy began running out of the stadium, back towards town with Waka following close behind and Celestia flying overhead.

"What happened?" Shouted Shining Armor after them. "What is like what?"

He was met with silence.

"... Who is going to pay for me to fix my horn!?"

Ammy didn't stop running, her mind only focusing on the scent, she had finally remebered it's origin. It smelled like rot and death.

It smelled like Blight.