Salvation | Rebirth

Wild continued his observations of possible opponents. The majority of them he didn't expect to prove troublesome, but a few did stick out. First of all, somewhat surprisingly for him, was Rainbow Dash. Her first opponent went down in barely ten seconds. She was quick on her hooves, using her maneuverability to her full advantage. She zipped around the fighting ring with ease, which allowed her to finish the first qualifying round quickly. For all her undoubtedly boastful attitude, she was skillful. Despite her unnecessary taunting before the round and even during it, she performed well. He was looking forward to bringing her down a peg or two, but he had to admit it would prove to be more difficult than he initially expected.

The second pony to be worried about was an earth pony stallion by the name of Golden Ring. He was big and pudgy, but to say he was weak would be very wrong. He wore a long-sleeved gambeson with thin metal armor on his limbs, a cap that covered his head without lessening his field of vision, and a quartet of hoof spikes. Of course, the said spikes were one of the tournament weapons, thus they wouldn't hurt anyone. Wild noticed that his selection of weapons wasn't one he'd expect: the previously mentioned hoof spikes, an oversized sai - a dagger-like weapon with U-shaped guard used to trap blades - and, of all things, a weighed net with a length of rope attached to it.

When Golden Ring was announced to go into the fighting ring, Wild watched closely. The fight began, and Golden Ring quickly closed in. He deflected the blows from his opponent's blade and tackled them to the ground, wrenching the weapon from them, and then quickly ending the fight with a stab of his sai.

Wild was wary now - he didn't especially like being grabbed or touched, and this pony seemed far too happy with exactly that. The young unicorn was able to control the urge to run away or fight back violently during his sparring with others, and he hoped he wouldn't lose control there either.

Another pony who would certainly prove to be troublesome was a pegasus stallion. He was nearly as tall as Princess Celestia, was twice as wide, packed with muscle. His wings, seeming small for his size, were also quite muscular and didn't inhibit his movement at all. His style was aggressive while also providing showmanship, each his strike accompanied by a loud battlecry. He had a somewhat funny name of Bulk Biceps, but no one would laugh about it in his face, this much was certain. He was big, he was fast, and he struck hard. His first qualifying round left his opponent in a need of the nurse, which thankfully returned them to the fight, albeit somewhat dazed. All in all, Bulk Biceps was a powerhouse, dressed in no armor at all, wielding a positively huge greatsword. Next to him, Wild looked positively anorexic. As the duels continued, he thought deeply about the possible strategy against the huge stallion - while he didn't show much in the ways of technique, his brute force compensated for it so far.

Soon, the first qualifying round ended, and a break was announced so that everyone could rest up for a bit. Wild remained sitting in place while others mingled and talked, closing his eyes. He remembered his first tournament.

A lanky boy with a shock of black hair, beginnings of a beard, and bright gray eyes was preparing for his first proper duel. He was just fourteen, the youngest member of a local swordsmanship club, having been training for just a few months. First, he secured joint protection - pads on his elbows and knees. Then was the neck protection and a plastic breastplate, as well as a cup to protect his crotch. Finally, he put on a gambeson, one his mother made for him. After he put on his gloves, his trainer helped secure a fencing helmet on his head.

"Good luck," his trainer, a slim man in his 50s placed a hand on his shoulder, and the boy looked at him with a smile, "You've been doing well, show them what you got."

"I will," was his short answer, a look of determination on his face. He never slacked during training, ignoring bruises, tiredness, and fatigue. Day after day, he went to the club to train, adhering to the teachings of his trainer religiously. He was ready to either lose or win.

He went into the fighting ring, exchanged a handshake with his opponent, and took a stance. One foot in front of the other, the back foot turned at an angle, the front foot aimed at the opponent. His body was turned sideways, his right hand high with the sabre in an aggressive position, his left hand behind his back. His gray eyes narrowed as he watched his opponent, his heart beating harder in anticipation as he felt a wave of feelings wash over him. He wanted to strike, he wanted to hit, he wanted to be in the fighting ring until the end of time. Behind his helmet, mostly unseen, there was a positively predatory grin.

"Begin!"

The boy struck first, going on the offensive immediately. His blade swished and swung in front of him faster than one could blink, the sound of plastic against plastic reverberating in the hall as others watched, small splinters flying everywhere from the strong hits. Soon, with a successful feint, the boy emerged victorious. A smile unlike any other was plastered on his face, and his trainer shook his hand and congratulated him.

"You did well," he said, "All that training pays off, doesn't it?"

The boy simply nodded, but all he wanted was to return to the fighting ring. His heart was beating fast, his fingers were twitching, and he wanted nothing more than to stand against others until he could stand no more. Alas, he had to return to the seat and wait for his turn.

Wild opened his eyes, steely gray. It was so long ago now, the sensation of his first real duel, but he still remembered it, how good it felt to be fighting and to win. Since then, he always longed for it to repeat again, and his wish came true this day. It felt different now, of course - he was in a different body, and his opponents were no longer human either. Yet the thrill of the battle was still the same, the excitement was still there.

If only he didn't have to carry the rest. That one memory was one of the few he treasured, those he was unwilling to forget. He pushed those thoughts down immediately, focusing on his surroundings and the present situation. It was not the right time to think of the past.

The break was over, and the second qualifying round was announced. He resumed watching his possible opponents. However, the first duel was proven to be disappointing - it didn't happen. Bulk Biceps's second opponent yielded outright, deciding not to fight if it saved them from harm. Wild now hoped he wouldn't be the first to fight the large pegasus after the qualifying rounds even if he could, in theory, defeat him. He needed more preparation, he needed to see more of him before he could form any kind of approach. He supposed it did prove Swift Strike's point - ponies wouldn't be ready to fight all the time, they needed to learn how to fight with little preparations. Once Wild had to stifle a yawn, he had to recognize he wasn't physically at his best either - he needed more rest after the previous night, and he would likely hit the hay as soon as the club returned.

"Wild of Royal Orphanage Martial Arts Club versus Excellence of Ponyville Sunrise Club!"

Broken out of his musings, the young unicorn grabbed his sabre and went into the fighting ring. His opponent was a unicorn filly at least a year younger than him. It didn't take much to see she was anxious and nervous as her eyes never looked into his and her body seemed to tremble ever so slightly. She wore a gambeson with a quilted cap and wielded a sword and a shield. Wild eyed her with apparent disinterest, taking a relaxed-looking stance in front of her.

"Begin!"

Wild was looking at her, waiting for her to make the first step. He already had a plan for how to deal with her swiftly and efficiently, but he was in no rush. His body swayed from side to side lazily, his head slightly cocked, and his sabre pointing at the ground and forward. Excellence's stance was rigid, her shield covering her front efficiently, and her blade was further out than the shield.

She quickly took a few steps forward and attempted a thrust, which the young stallion batted aside without shifting his gaze. He quickly closed the distance, grabbed on the edge of her shield, and yanked hard to the side. She stumbled as she was exposed, trying to bring her blade in time to block Wild's next strike. However, he was faster, and his thrust was true - she was stabbed right in the heart, ending the duel.

"Wild wins! Quick yet thoughtful, he uses his magical strength to reduce Excellence's defenses and strike her before she could recover," Steadfast Protector commented, beaming a smile Wild's way.

Excellence hung her head in shame, her ears folded against her head as she trudged out of the fighting ring, dragging her weapon. A pair of older ponies was waiting for her, clear looks of disapproval on their faces. As soon as she left the ring, she was berated by them rather loudly, calling her a disappointment and a waste of talent. Tears welled up in her eyes as she silently accepted the verbal assault even as the ponies around her looked on uncomfortably. Wild could understand what they were saying and thus was sending a glare their way from nearby.

"What are you looking at?" the stallion of the pair snarled at him, "What, you think she doesn't deserve this? She's a failure! We've spent so much money on her stick-playing and yet she fails the first tournament she's in!"

Wild's glare intensifies, his hooves itching to give the stallion a few bruises. The young unicorn didn't really like children, but he never found any abuse acceptable, verbal or physical. Excellence was crying quietly, fueling his anger, and so he stood up and made his way to the pair, fire in his eyes.

"What appears to be the problem?"

Wild almost jumped in place, surprise on his face. Right behind Excellence and what looked like her parents, Princess Luna materialized out of thin air. Was she always there, looking after the club?

"Y-your majesty..." the previously-angry stallion was cowering, bowing to her, "N-nothing at all, excuse me..."

"This is not what I heard," she replied in a harsh tone, "Walk with me."

Obediently, the three ponies followed her away from the tournament, the tension in the air fading away. Wild snorted, giving a stink-eye to the pair of what he already considered worthless parents, and returned to his place. His face smoothed out, adopting a neutral expression once more. He took his seat and now nothing displayed he ever expressed emotions. He continued watching the tournament, ignoring everything else but ponies he could be fighting against soon.

"Looked like that Wild fella was ready to tear them a new behind," Applejack commented, "To be honest, so was Ah."

Wild's ears twitched as he heard those words. His eyes glanced at the six mares sitting not too far away from him. Silently, he was glad they shared the sentiment - it felt good to know abuse of this sort wasn't accepted here.

"Count me in, too," Rainbow Dash furrowed her brows, "I'd kick their butts to the moon and back, that's for sure!"

Of course, she couldn't help but paint herself in a good light. Wild's bored expression washed over her as well. He didn't know her, but he still didn't like what she said. Perhaps it was unfair of him, but he found braggarts and arrogant people to be unable to face any actual challenges. Besides, to him, her voice was annoying, grating on his nerves bit by bit. He itched to give her a piece of his mind... but it could wait until the fight. There and then, she would be humiliated, and he would show her just how far her arrogance carried her.

Soon, the ruckus died down and the tournament continued as if nothing had happened. Wild tuned out the whispers and the chatter around him, focusing on the duels once more.

Soon, both Precision and Swingblade fought again. The young mare defeated her opponent swiftly with a fast stab without exposing herself to a strike, and the pegasus used his reach advantage to defeat his own opponent. It was, all in all, not very interesting to look at. Wild knew their fighting styles and thus was already aware of possible tricks to defeat them. Of course, it helped that they regularly fought in the club itself.

The second qualifying round ended, and everyone who achieved two victories were told they didn't need to participate in the third round. Wild, while eager to fight, recognized that it would be better to have some rest for when the tournament kicked in earnest. Thus he closed his eyes, falling into a half-asleep state soon, aware just enough for the surroundings to register and for him to be ready to get up at a moment's notice if needed.

What he didn't notice was a pair of sky-blue eyes surveying him and all the other fighters.