Author's Note

So it just occurred to me that Chapters 3 and 4 (this one) are probably the most boring ones of them all.

Chapter 1 and 2 were good, after all they introduced some characters and provided some sensual moments. They were the 'Intro' chapters. And yet, Chapters 3 and 4, though packing their own introduction of characters and some action, aren't sensual at all due to Kila's existence.

Luckily, since these are the only 'Bridge' Chapters, expect everything onwards to be filled with fun.

I actually finished chapter 4 today and when Shadowpony300 found out they requested me to post it today. So here we are.

And it's clear that most of you want to see the Long version, so guess you'll be having that soon.

Hope you enjoy the chapter, see ya in the next one.

Pambana

Chapter 4:

The blue pegasus didn’t have to wait very long for his dreadful duel with Kali. Within the hour the news had spread like wildfire, mostly because the zebra warrior herself had passed through the streets announcing the challenge as loudly as she could. By noon preparations for the fight had begun, and by sunset, the place was packed with bystanders while Midnight and Kali prepared themselves in their respective rooms.

“I just wished that there had been enough time to talk with Zuri, or heck even Tisha for that matter.” Midnight thought to himself as he looked at a nearby clock. The young pegasus let out a sigh as he realized he had just minutes before being called to the challenge. Regret filled his mind, knowing how much of a pickle not only he was in, but the entire international community as well. The soldier knew that many if not all the other Equestrian diplomats would be in the stadium, not to entertain themselves, but to report everything that was going on to Celestia.

Midnight easily knew why Kali pushed things for today. Through a pegasi mail pony, any message could be sent in less than a day, and Celestia would surely intervene when she realized he was in danger. The fact that she would intervene especially for him caused Midnight to worry about what would happen next if he lost.

Due to his parent’s friendship and sacrifice, Celestia ended up adopting him and began treating him like a son, just like she treated Twilight as her daughter. Of course, every single pony in Equestria was her beloved subject and loved by her like a mother, but he was among the few who had her special attention. She was there for all of his achievements just like she had been for Twilight. And just like any mother, they would do anything to make sure their children were safe, and if that wasn’t possible, make sure whoever was responsible was held accountable.

Just with that thought alone, Midnight didn’t want to think about how Celestia would react should Kali destroy him as she promised.

“Another reason why I should win I guess. I don’t want this fight to be the reason a war breaks out a decade down the line. Does she hate me that much to not realize the gravity of her actions and the consequences they’ll bring? I guess not.” Midnight thought to himself, just when he heard somebody knocking on the door. To his surprise, it was none other than Zuri!

“Zuri!? What- What are you doing here?! I thought you said you weren’t allowed in here?!” The blue pegasus exclaimed, shocked that she had arrived. The mare simply let out a sigh as she looked down towards the ground.

“Sorry that my sister got you into this mess. She can be… problematic most of the time. And yeah, I’m not allowed here, but since I’m your guide… She wanted me to lead you. Don’t know why she asked for me, but well… Here I am…” Zuri stated. Midnight simply sighed knowing why Kila wanted Zuri to be the one to guide him.

“Maybe I can knock some sense into her?” The blue pegasus said, letting a light laugh as he tried to make a joke about the situation. The zebra guide let out a laugh of her own as she understood the pun, but it slowly died down after a few seconds.

“Just… be safe in there ok?” Zuri said as they walked through the door and towards his destination. He simply nodded as he saw an orange glow up ahead.

“Got it. See ya Zuri.” The blue pegasus said, placing on a soft smile before walking towards the light. The moment the stallion entered the area, the light suddenly flared, causing him to shield his eyes with his arm. As the flare began to dim, Midnight noticed that it was a tall tiki torch and that a bunch of others were in a circular formation on the edge of the arena. The second thing he noticed was that he was in a pit, with the audience above him by a good few feet.

“Huh, I thought you would’ve run away by now to escape your fate Midnight.” A familiar voice called out. The blue pegasus looked ahead to see two yellow eyes glowing where the torches’ light wasn’t strong enough to shine. Her silhouette moved forwards, letting Midnight see the leather clothing that covered her body and the smile she had on her face.

“Well, you didn’t give me much of an option. How can I accept a challenge only to flee in fear of defeat?” The blue pegasus asked. The zebra warrior let out a laugh which unsettled Midnight and caused him to tense up.

“Oh Midnight… Ya know, I’m kind of happy you stayed. It shows me that you have at least some honor and pride in you. But it’ll be because of that pride that I’ll be able to beat you up right now.” Kali said as she walked over to a nearby rack and grabbed two large poles. She threw one at Midnight, letting the stallion catch it. “Obviously, I’m not going to leave you defenseless. This pole is made from one of the hardest trees in the jungle. It’s dull enough to not cut, but it deals as much damage as a sword. We’ll be fighting with these for tonight.” The mare said, giving him another grin. The stallion looked up towards the crowd and sure enough, he could spot some of the diplomats that arrived with him on the ship, looking at the entire thing in horror, not believing that this was actually happening. He simply let out a sigh as he looked down towards her again.

“What would happen if one of us wins?” Midnight asked, causing her to giggle again.

“Well, usually the winner of the duel can place their terms that the loser has to accept. Beating you up in this fight is the only thing I wanted, so I won’t be stating my wishes. You could place your terms if you win… but I honestly doubt that’ll happen.” The mare stated, her eyes glowing once more. The blue pegasus simply spun his new weapon in his hand, making sure to get a feel of its length and width before placing it back in a neutral position.

“Don’t bet on it.” Midnight said as he placed a foot back and the other forwards, entering into a defensive posture. He could hear some drums being hit in the background as he felt the countdown begin. The mare soon positioned herself in her fighting position, her pole up in the air as she held it like a sword. The drums continued to increase in crescendo until everything went silent for a few seconds. Knowing that the next hit would announce the battle, the blue pegasus took in a deep breath before preparing for the first clash.

The moment the final beat was struck, the mare let out a loud war cry as she charged towards Midnight, her voice nearly causing him to lose his balance already. Swinging the staff down, the mare attempted to disarm him in one hit but by standing his ground the blue pegasus just barely was able to keep his grip on his pole, which vibrated upon being struck. The mare however continued on the attack, spinning her pole in the other direction to strike underneath the pole. Moving his staff down and holding his ground the attack was once again canceled by his block.

“I honestly thought that those two attacks alone would defeat you. But it seems that I’ll be able to have some fun here.” Kali said with a grin as she thrust the weapon forward like a spear. Turning himself sideways Midnight was able to dodge it, moving his staff parallel to the attack in case she twisted it, which she did, causing her attack to fail once more.

“Then you’ve severely underestimated me.” Midnight said with a frown, trying to not let fear control him with how many close calls he had with just these first few attacks. The mare simply laughed as she attacked once again, the ground forming a trail under his feet as she began to push him back.

“Perhaps in that area, but the fact is that you seem to not have much skill in using a pole. I’ll just need to find a weak spot in your formation… LIKE THIS!” Kali yelled as she thrust her pole forward, this time striking him in the chest. The stallion winced under the pain but was able to block her subsequent attack with another block from his staff.

“Same with you.” Midnight stated as slid under her next thrust. Unfortunately, he ended up sliding too far and ended up going under her legs, much to his chagrin as he saw smoke coming out of her ears.

“What did I say… ABOUT LOOKING ME UNDER MY-”

“And you left yourself open.” The blue pegasus said as he swung at her legs, the attack connecting and causing her to trip, much to his surprise. Unfortunately, before she landed face down onto the ground, Kali managed to flip herself using her hands, landing on her feet and Midnight could only sweat as he saw nothing but rage on her face.

“You… You…” The mare gritted her teeth, her yellow eyes glowing like a true predator. “I’LL MAKE SURE YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT!” Kila yelled as she dropped her weapon before grabbing one of the tiki torches, causing the crowd to gasp.

“And I think she just broke a rule there… Can somebody just stop her?” The blue pegasus asked nervously as she began to twirl her new weapon around her hands. As guards began to drop into the pit to put a stop to her, her eyes glowed with an intense fire in them as she glared at them, immediately causing them to back away as fear entered their minds. Midnight simply gulped as anybody who tried to detain her was pushed back by her gaze. After making sure there was nobody else to stop her, the mare’s eyes dimmed a bit as she looked at Midnight, and even without her eyes glowing, the blue pegasus felt a chill crawling up his back as she approached him.

“Now where was I…? Oh yeah! I was about to destroy you!” Kali yelled as she rushed forwards with the tiki torch, the flames just barely missing him as he dropped to the floor.

“What’s your deal Kali!? This is going way overboard!” The blue pegasus yelled in fear as she stabbed the ground next to him. The mare simply laughed before growling at him.

“Oh you know why…” The zebra warrior stated as she held her weapon up her head. “You know why!” Kali yelled as she swung at him, the stallion yelping as she hit him like a baseball bat, causing him to be sent flying. Luckily the flames weren’t able to touch him and he was able to land on his feet, but the blow still hurt no matter what.

“I think I’ll be doing what any other sane person would be doing here and just leave.” The blue pegasus said as he extended his wings, preparing to fly away. The mare however was having none of this as she began to rush forwards.

“I don’t think so!” Kali yelled as she jumped high into the air, ready to strike him from above. The stallion simply gulped as he realized how close she was to him and soon changed plans as he pulled his wings as far back as he could.

“Just stop it!” Midnight cried out as he flapped his wings as strong as he could, the power he had accumulated creating a powerful shockwave, causing the mare to be pushed back and all the lights in the area to be turned off. The blue pegasus instantly regretted his action now that he wasn’t able to see anything, and worst of all, he wasn’t able to see where she was.

“I just screwed myself over, didn’t I?” The stallion nervously thought to himself when he suddenly heard a whistle of air nearby. Immediately Midnight dropped onto the floor, letting out a grunt as he felt somebody trip on top of his body, their weapon clattering onto the ground.

“Ow! Why the fuck did you turn off the lights!? I can’t see a thing!” Kali yelled, her glowing eyes swirling around in the darkness. Of course, the blue pegasus immediately knew that was a huge lie, since why else would she have nearly struck him if she couldn’t see. Otherwise, he would’ve been hearing her swinging her weapon until she was lucky to find him.

“I don’t need somebody to repeat something so obvious Kali!” Midnight taunted, realizing that if he could make her mad, she would drop her guard down considerably and allow him to pin her down, just like how he had tripped her before. Also hearing her yell would probably be the only clue that could help him figure out where she was. Immediately she let out a growl before charging at him, her footsteps becoming close before suddenly going silent, meaning she had leaped into the air.

“SHUT UP!” Kali yelled, her eyes glowing above her and showing the silhouette of her staff. Shifting his body at an angle, the blue pegasus caught her off guard as he flew up towards her and grabbed her staff. With her grip still on the weapon, the blue pegasus twirled her around in the air before throwing her away, her body making a sound as it collided with a nearby wall.

“Ouch… that gotta hurt. You ok?” Midnight asked flew towards her, only to feel something whoosh by his head as she began to yell again.

“I DON’T NEED YOUR PITY! I’M PERFECTLY FINE!” The zebra warrior yelled in the darkness as she began to hurl everything near her. Since she could see in the dark and he could only detect sounds, the blue pegasus realized that it wouldn’t take long for one of her attacks to hit him.

“Given how you’re acting, I don’t think you are!” The blue pegasus yelled, actually worried about her mental state, when he suddenly yelled in pain as something clipped him in the wing, causing him to fall onto the ground. Immediately he heard her rush towards him before feeling her kick him on the side, causing him to roll over.

“Well if I ain’t fine, I’m gonna be when I finish you!” Kali yelled as he grabbed him. Midnight couldn’t tell whether it was an expression or if she really wanted to finish him, but as he found himself colliding with a rack, it felt like she wanted the latter. Grabbing one of the staffs from the rack, the blue pegasus positioned it in front of him just in time to block the mare who punched the pole. Immediately she recoiled in pain while Midnight got himself up.

“OW! DAMN YOU-!”

The blue pegasus simply jumped on her as he placed the pole across her neck, pinning her down on the ground. The mare began to struggle as placed himself on top of her, preventing her from getting up.

“Ugh! Let. Me. Go!” Kali yelled as she began to find it difficult to breathe. The stallion however didn’t budge, instead applying more pressure on her neck.

“I’ll let you go on one condition: Yield.” The blue pegasus stated, causing her to become shocked as she realized what that meant.

“WHAT!?” The zebra mare yelled before struggling harder, her legs trying to kick him. The stallion hissed as he felt his legs take the bulk of her attacks but he continued to pin her down. At that very same moment, lights began to appear as people began to illuminate the area with torches.

“If you’re afraid that I’m going to punish you in the terms, I won’t! In fact, I’ll make sure you don’t get punished for your brash actions. Just yield, please!” Midnight yelled, watching as the mare began to consider the deal before frowning.

“A-Actually… I-I think it’ll be y-you who’ll be yielding to me…” The mare said, her breaths becoming ragged as she was having difficulties breathing. The blue pegasus looked at her in confusion as she smiled and was about to ask her why when a sudden wave of pain went through his body. His body froze and began to lose its balance as his mind went blank, his eyes losing their focus while his legs began to shake.

His mind barely registered the soft thud of his body falling onto the ground, nor the sound of Kali lifting herself or the subsequent kicks and blows he received. The only thing he could hear was a static sound that blew into his ear as he spasmed onto the ground. Slowly his mind began to reboot, trying to force itself through the pain, and almost as if he resurfaced from water Midnight let out a gasp for air as he regained his senses.

Immediately the soldier spun himself with his leg extended, tripping Kali back onto the ground. He looked at her and noticed her expression of shock and confusion as she looked back at him.

“Wait… what!? H-How?! Every stallion I face never gets up after I kick them where it hurts the most!” The zebra warrior stated in surprise. The stallion winced as he felt the pain trying to seep into his mind, but somehow he managed to push it away.

“Well, I’m not like most stallions, Kali.” Midnight said as he walked forwards towards her, the mare backing away even though he knew he had a weak footing. “You’re not the only one with ‘honor’ ya know? I entered military school at the age of 13 and strived to be the best I can be to keep my father’s name alive. Not only am I versatile in every single weapon and have a fast strategic mind, but I also took a class I invented: Neurotoxin Training. With that, I gained significant resistance against poisons and pain. I’m suppressing the pain you gave me as we speak.” The stallion said, wincing as the pain struck him again, but not as hard as it should’ve been. Midnight simply crouched down, picked up a fallen staff, before holding it in his hands as he approached Kali, who had a look of despair on her face as she had no idea what to do against him.

“W-Well… SUPPRESS THIS!” The zebra mare yelled as she aimed to kick him in the groin again, only for her attack to be nullified by Midnight’s quick hand. Kali simply yelped as he pulled her towards her and placed her onto the ground. Though his mind had a lot on its plate, the pegasus was aware that the lights were back on and that the crowd was watching everything unfold. Letting out a smile, the stallion placed the staff over her neck, pinning her onto the ground once more.

“Just yield Kali. You’ve been defeated, just accept that, please. It’ll be easier for the both of us, and you know it.” The blue pegasus said with a soft smile. After struggling and trying to break out of his hold, the zebra mare’s despair only grew until she eventually submitted to it.

“I…

… I yield.”

The stallion let out a sigh of relief as he heard her say this. Slowly pulling away and making sure she didn’t trick him, Midnight placed himself a good distance away from her in case she changed her mind and charged at him, but to his genuine surprise, the mare seemed to be calming herself down.

The mare was about to say something when suddenly a new squadron of guards appeared around her and quickly detained her, her hands tied by a piece of rope. The King, who had also been struck by her glare, now walked towards her, silent rage on his face.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Sahel said with a grave voice, causing Kali to look down in disgrace. “I’ll make sure that you’ll be punished severely for this. Consider your rank removed and a sentence that the court will decide on.” The Zebrican leader said with grim determination. The mare simply resigned to her fate as she sighed.

“As you wish my King,” Kali said. The guards were about to take her away when they heard Midnight call out to them.

“Wait! Don’t take her away! I have something to say!” The blue pegasus yelled as he slowly walked towards him, his entire body still shaking from the blow. It was then when the King remembered why the two had been in the pit in the first place and what it meant for the two now that the fight was over.

"Oh, of course, I nearly forgot. Since you won Midnight, you can put any extra terms on Kali. It can be anything and any number of things. And don’t worry, if she doesn’t want to comply, we’ll enforce it.” King Sahel said. Midnight simply nodded before looking at the now ex warrior.

“Alright, I guess if everybody’s ok with it, here are my terms. My first term is that she is not allowed to hurt me unless I allow it, an example would be a sparring match. My second term is that she needs to heal me because right now everything is hurting…” Midnight said, wincing as another small shock of pain traveled up his spine. “And finally… the final term I have is that as long as she lives, she will be pardoned of every incident up to today’s.” The blue pegasus said, causing everybody to stare at him with owl-eyes.

“Wait… how does that make any sense?!” The King exclaimed with confusion while Kali looked at Midnight in shock before bowing towards him in gratitude.

“I… I honestly thought you were lying when you said you were willing to forgive me… I’m eternally grateful…” The mare said, and Midnight swore that he saw tears dripping down from her eyes. Meanwhile, the King was still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened.

“Just… why? Why are you being so kind to her?” Sahel asked, causing Midnight to chuckle.

“Well let me give you three reasons. First of all, is that I feel she’s been misguided. She wanted to fight me for a reason, one that I believe she made clear what it was. Sure she did a lot of harm, but I’m willing to give her the chance to improve herself. Second of all is that I wouldn’t want to see her sisters suffer when they hear that she’s been imprisoned. And if you want to know what the third one is, I recommend you Twilight’s Friendship Journal. Trust me there are like a ton of people who’ve done worse things than what Kali did and still had happy endings afterward.” The blue pegasus said, laughing a bit before suddenly stopping as he felt something in his stomach, which everybody noticed as he clutched it.

“What’s wrong Midnight?” The King asked as he saw the blue pegasus trying to gasp for air. Midnight simply looked up with a weak expression while letting out a nervous laugh.

“Hey can somebody give me a paper bag cause I think I’m about to-”

And then Midnight promptly began to throw up.