Salvation | Rebirth

The cheers from the Royal Orphanage side of the arena were overwhelming as Twilight Sparkle frowned - she didn't expect Rainbow Dash to lose, much less lose two rounds in a row, seemingly incapable of even making Wild sweat and struggle for victory. Her pegasus friend was scowling as she went to Nurse Redheart so that the latter could take a look at the already forming bruise at the side of her face as well as her general condition. Twilight was no longer sure she would stand on the equal level to Wild, especially now that it was clear he could fight harder and dirtier if he wanted. It appeared he was holding back in the previous rounds, which raised a worrying questions - how many more tricks did he have up his metaphorical sleeve? Just how much more fiercely could he fight should he need to? And, of course, all that raised a question - when did he have time to become so good when he was so young? However, no matter what the answers were, Twilight knew her brother's lessons would come in very handy soon...

Princess Luna was considering what she learned from the last duel. Looking deeper into it, she could see that the hit placement of Wild's magical hands was slightly odd - the slap connected a bit behind the cheek, making its impact overall weaker even if still effective. Of course, it could be just a slip of concentration, but she had a hunch that it wasn't it. When he threw dirt into Rainbow Dash's eyes, he was limited in effectiveness because he threw it in front of her face where her muzzle would take the brunt of it, not anywhere to the side so that one eye could've gotten more dirt. Missing these details in a duel wasn't something she thought Wild would do. Perhaps he was used to fighting someone different, someone with a physiology not like a pony. It would support her assumption that he was from a different world, but she feared she was becoming too biased, searching for confirmation instead of seeing the facts for what they were. Either way, the best she could do is take note of it and, perhaps, try to speak to him about it directly after the tournament or some other day.

"And we have reached the final two duels!" Steadfast Protector announced to the cheers from both sides. Ponies were stomping their hooves on the ground like thunder, and it took a few seconds for it to subside, "Before we proceed with the duel for the first place in this tournament, we have the third place to decide. Rainbow Dash versus Precision!"

"You beat her up pretty good, I think I have a chance now," Precision said to Wild who, to her surprise, responded with a small smile, a huff of breath resembling a chuckle, and a nod.

Precision was, of course, disappointed that it wasn't her who would be fighting for the first place, but she knew without a doubt that Wild was better than her and deserved to win. She would just have to be better next time. She walked into the arena with her head held high, ready for the duel to commence. Rainbow Dash stood opposite her, her expression no longer carefree. While the bruise was dealt with, the impact of her loss still clearly weighed on her. Precision knew this was the perfect angle to exploit.

"Begin!"

Rainbow Dash burst into motion, rocketing straight towards Precision at full tilt. The unicorn stepped to the side and swung her sword, but the pegasus did a sharp turn, blocked the sword with her spear, and struck. Precision barely dodged, the tip of the spear going through where her head previously was. She took the chance and grabbed the spear, which Rainbow Dash immediately let go, opting to go with her sword instead. Even as she unsheathed the sword, she lurched, unbalancing her opponent, then struck. Precision was a hair too slow to block, and the swing went straight to her neck.

"Rainbow Dash wins the first round with ferocity and speed!"

"I am not going to the fourth place," she said to Precision, a predatory grin on her face.

"The best you can get is the third place anyway," the young mare taunted, "I heard your boasting. Reality really slapped you in the face, huh?"

"Hmpf," Rainbow Dash snorted and then went away. Precision considered that maybe she should do what Wild did, although she didn't know how he could make his magic appear without casting some sort of spell or holding something. However, only telekinesis was allowed in the tournament, and he wasn't disqualified for what he did, meaning that he did, in fact, use telekinesis and nothing else. She decided to speak to him before the second round, maybe she could learn this quickly enough.

"Hey Wild, how'd you do that thing with your magic to make it punch and stuff?" she asked, then drank some water helpfully provided by the tournament organizers.

Wild frowned, and she could practically see gears turning in his head, and then a pair of magical hands appeared out of thin air.

It? he signed with his hooves.

"Yeah, that. How do you do it?"

He considered it for a moment, one of the hands going to scratch his chin in what seemed like a motion he did often enough for it to be automatic. After a few moments, he shrugged, his hands both going palm-up.

I do it. Don't know why- how. his face was carefully neutral as he gestured, When I want, it- they are.

"Fair 'nuff. I just wanted to see if I could learn to do that real quick to do some stuff to Rainbow Dash over there."

Wild shrugged again, then drank some water of his own. Soon afterwards, the second round was announced, making Precision return to the arena.

"Begin!"

Rainbow Dash immediately flew up and then towards her opponent. Precision considered something for a moment, waited for the right time, then swung to block the spear strike while at the same time throwing a knife right at the unprotected top part of the neck. Rainbow Dash couldn't react in time and was struck.

"Precision was quick, allowing no time for her opponent to react, and won the second round!"

"The fourth place is waiting for you," Precision taunted.

Rainbow Dash simply snorted and went away, her ego even more bruised than before. Precision chuckled and then went to get some more water before the third and final round of her duel. It wasn't long before she was back in the arena.

"Begin!"

Taking a page from Wild's book, she launched herself forward even as Rainbow Dash did the same. They met, both striking, both blocking, and the dance commenced. Precision no longer had enough time to spare her concentration to throw a knife which would surely end the round in her duel, focusing the entirety of herself on blocking and striking, attempting to get closer. Grabbing her sword by the handle and then the blade, she managed to slide past the spear tip only to be met with a powerful front kick, which made her stumble backwards as she lost focus just for a moment. The flat side of the spear smacked against her head afterwards, disorienting her, but she managed to block what would've been the finishing strike. Shaking off the last of the dizziness, she went straight back to exchanging blows with Rainbow Dash.

It continued for a while with neither willing to back down, but neither gaining the advantage they needed to finish the duel decisively. However, Precision used half-swording once more, getting past Rainbow Dash's guard, and then swung and struck her right on the muzzle with the pommel of her sword. The pegasus ducked, rushed forward, getting under Precision, then used her powerful legs to straighten and thus flip the unicorn. The spear angled awkwardly away from her opponent, Rainbow Dash grabbed her sword even as a knife sailed through the air millimeters away from her face. Rainbow Dash then felt a powerful kick right on her chest, which made her stumble, drop her sword, and then it was over when Precision struck again, ending the fight.

"Precision wins the third round and the duel overall with her unyielding spirit! She takes the third place in this tournament!"

"Buy me dinner first before laying me on my back like that!" Precision chuckled as she stood up.

"What? I didn't do it for that! And you're too young!"

"Relax, I'm fucking with you in a different sense," the unicorn laughed, then went with Rainbow Dash to Nurse Redheart. Her body ached a bit, and Rainbow Dash was grimacing at something.

"Alright, let's see..." Redheart said as she looked over them, then waved some tool over them, "Nothing much wrong with you, Precision, but you, Rainbow Dash, have a cracked rib. Once adrenaline fully wears off, you're going to feel it, so sit down," she then turned away and called for a unicorn assistant, "Alright, she's going to take your gambeson off, and I will spread the healing paste. You will sit right here, no walking for at least ten minutes, and no more fighting today."

"Whoops, sorry," Precision said with a grin.

"Ugh," Rainbow Dash pouted but did as told. In all honesty, the sting of defeat hurt way more than her rib, but there was nothing she could do about either - however, she swore she would one day beat Wild. It definitely stung that he was younger than her yet managed to gain the upper hand, and then Precision made a fool out of her. One day, she would defeat both of them in a row and have little trouble doing so, she swore.

"And finally, we have come to the duel for the first place!" the announcement came, and the two clubs hollered and cheered and stomped, and then they chanted.

"Wild! Wild! Wild! Wild! Go, Wild, go!"

"Twilight! Sparkle! Twilight! Sparkle! Outshine him!"

On the opposite ends of the arena, Wild and Twilight Sparkle stood. Wild was calm, composed, and ready - his saber was parallel to the ground at his eye level, aimed at his opponent, and a determined expression was on his face. Twilight Sparkle had her shield to the right of her and the sword to the left, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Begin!"

Silence fell as the audience waited for the two contestants to show what they're capable of. However, nothing happened at first, and then it was not a burst of sudden movement but measured steps as Wild and Twilight Sparkle circled the arena, assessing each other. Wild adjusted his stance, holding his sabre horizontally but tipped to the ground with the cutting edge up.

Wild was ready. The heartbeat was all he could hear, urging him on, urging to strike and to strive for victory. He would not lose, he could not lose. For a reason he couldn't explain, it felt like it was the end of something, a pivotal point. It simply felt like it, and he could do nothing about it.

The circle closed, the two opponents coming closer together.

Twilight Sparkle was ready. She didn't know if she would win, but she would give it her best, just as her brother taught her. She may not have spent years training to be a Royal Guard, but she knew enough and practiced enough, and being in the finals of this tournament was clear proof of it. She wondered how Wild would fare against her brother, but it was just a fleeting thought.

Wild struck first, A feint at the legs, then striking high, rotating his blade to get a swift stab to the face, but Twilight saw it coming and intercepted it with her shield just in time, striking out from behind in a sweeping cut. Wild stepped back and blocked, then a magical hand materialized in the air, going for the shield. She yanked, breaking Wild's hold, but it was enough for him to strike again and, in the very small moment of pulling back, he went past her defense - ducking just enough under a swing from her sword - and struck her in the neck. Even the gambeson she wore wouldn't have stopped this strike from being deadly were it made with a real weapon.

"A precise strike in a moment of opportunity is all it takes for Wild to come out on top in the first round!"

One round out of three won. He was so close to victory. Just one more round in his favor and he would win the entire tournament. The first in many months, in what felt like forever, and now he was back in his element. There was him, his weapon, and an opponent. Nothing else mattered.

"Begin!"

This time, there was no circling, no waiting in anticipation - Wild charged and struck, weaving around Twilight without stopping his rain of attacks, expertly dodging and blocking as he tried to find an opening while wearing his opponent down. Twilight attempted to bash him with the shield, but he stopped it with his magic. Then, unexpectedly, his own blade was stopped by her - a hand the color of her magical aura wrapped around the blade. Wild faltered, his eyes wide as he stared at the clearly defined five fingers. His heart skipped a beat.

Was she... like him?

It was then when Twilight stabbed him right in the chest, and he was too slow to react, still stunned.

"I can do this too," Twilight said smugly as Steadfast Protector announced her win in the second round. Wild didn't hear the announcement, simply stumbling back dumbly.

She could form a hand too. Was she like him? Was she not a pony before? Was she once... a human?

Everything was distant then even as he automatically grabbed a glass of water and downed it. The sounds were muffled, colors blurred. His body felt wrong, every movement unnatural, stiff, awkward.

Did she know? Did she know who he was? Was she like him? Did she know? Was she a human before?

Those thoughts swirled endlessly in his head, spinning and spinning and spinning...

"Wild?"

The voice broke him out of the downward spiral and he shook his head to get rid of those thoughts. He turned to the person who spoke to him, and it was Precision.

"You alright?" she asked, looking at him weirdly.

For a moment, he considered what to say - or, well, sign - but in the end just gave a snort, a shake of his head that could be taken either way, and he went back to the arena as soon as the third and final round was announced.

What Twilight Sparkle could do, what she was and who she wasn't, none of it mattered in this tournament. He found find out later. For now, he told himself that she wasn't human and couldn't possibly be human, and focused on finishing the fight.

"Begin!"

Wild spared no more thought to what he saw and what it might mean. He concentrated, adjusting the grip on his sabre, now ready. Even if she was a human, he was stronger, and he would show her that.

They clashed, and Wild mercilessly struck time and time again, feinting and halfswording while dodging the incoming attacks and parries. He would not lose. He would not lose. She had hands? He was better at using them. With a swift slap on both sides of her helmet, he disoriented her enough to wrench her shield away from her, throwing it as far as he could. She recovered enough to defend herself with her sword, and her own magical hand struck out, aiming at his muzzle. He brought his own up to block it, a forearm of magic forming, and his own side hook struck her in response, swiftly and with power behind the punch. She recoiled, and he pushed, using his magical hands nearly as much as his sabre.

Twilight Sparkle was good, no denying that, but she buckled under his onslaught. She barely had a moment to regret wearing a helmet - each strike at it resonated like a gong inside her skull, and Wild was simply too fast and unpredictable, and she wasn't too familiar with hand to hand combat to properly defend herself. Her defense was cracking under pressure, and she could do nothing about it.

The end was swift - her sword was knocked aside, and his sabre struck her neck under the helmet and above the gambeson protection. It was over.

"What a stunning display of ferociousness!" Steadfast Protector announced, and the Royal Orphanage side roared and stomped as they cheered for their champion, "Wild defeats Twilight Sparkle in the third round, wins the fight, and takes the first place in today's Ponyville Annual Swordsmanship Tournament!"

The end of the tournament went by Wild fast. He received a golden medal with the number of the place he took, and he took away a golden cup with the tournament's emblem on it, which was by itself the flag of Ponyville - an apple tree surrounded by a horseshoe, a wing, and a horn - with two crossed swords in front of it. Engraved was the date of the tournament and Wild's own name.

And then there was a feast. Wild was granted a seat next to Twilight Sparkle and Precision, who took the second and third place respectively. On his other side were the trainers: Swift Strike of Royal Orphanage Martial Arts Club and Steadfast Protector of Ponyville Sunrise Club. Wild had to admit he was very hungry after everything was over and done, and so he ate with gusto.

"You've done extremely well, Wild," Swift Strike told him, "You've never neglected your training and came out on top with almost clear record."

Almost.

Wild was disappointed in himself at being so shocked at Twilight Sparkle using magical hands like he did. However, when he looked back at it, she definitely wasn't nearly as good as him, and his focus in previous life was never hand to hand combat unless street fights counted. He didn't know karate or krav maga or anything else, he simply knew how to hit hard, to hit well, and to protect his own body. Twilight Sparkle knew some simple tricks, that was all. Though, he did have to wonder where she learned them. Maybe he would have to look into it. But, for now, he simply enjoyed the food and basked in his victory. Next time, he promised to himself, he would be entirely undefeated.

Princess Luna didn't miss what happened. Even now, she was sitting aside, invisible, watching Wild. She noticed before how he used his magical hands to eat, and he used cutlery - whenever it was provided - in a way that only someone born with hands was familiar with. She didn't see it before, but now that she paid attention...

There was not a single doubt in her mind that he wasn't born a pony.