Daedalus' New World

Daedalus leaned against the wall and tapped his foot gently as he waited alone. The room he was in was a large, comfortable lounge room where fighters would rest before and after their duels, full of comfortable cushions and large couches to lay on, none of which he used. There were two doors, each on opposite ends of the room. One was the way he came in and the other went into the arena. Luna was in said arena, preparing the dueling arena and ensuring the enchantments were properly functioning. Apparently, the arena was something Discord created to allow ponies and anyone visiting the castle to test their mettle against anyone else. Death was impossible in the arena as the spellwork would take a detailed magical scan of the participants to understand their biology, what kinds of injuries they could take, and what would be a lethal or crippling blow. Under the affect of the powerful magic, minor and moderate wounds could still be received and would bleed without allowing the fighters to bleed out. Any crippling blows would result in the fighters being magically frozen, a red mark placed where the strike would have landed and the crippling injury magically mimicked. Lastly, any lethal blows would result in the duel ending and a victor declared. What counted as 'crippling' and 'lethal' varied race to race based on the biological scan taken at the start and ensured it was as close to a real fight as reasonably possible.

The night before, Celestia had explained to the ponies everything she had learned about him from his nature to his past after receiving his permission. By that point, he had already been escorted to a guest room in the castle that seemed more fit for nobility that a guest. Since then, he had yet to see the others and was unsure how they would react to finding out he was essentially a sapient virus. Though if he had any of them understood even slightly, he figured he could at least count on Twilight to want to learn more. He was just glad he didn't have to explain everything a second time, and if anyone had more questions they would have to ask him later. After waking up, he had skipped breakfast and instead took the time to familiarize himself will being the source of the hivemind, albeit unsuccessfully as he had nothing to connect to. After an hour of that, Starfall had collected him and brought him to the lounge he was now in.

For the duel itself, the rules were going to be simple. Neither he nor Luna could bring armor or weapons but once the duel began all bets were off. Every natural ability was authorized whether magical, physical, or mental, including creating weapons and armor. They would fight using everything they had without worrying about collateral or death and the battle would only end under one of three conditions. First, if either of them struck a lethal blow. Secondly, if either of them successfully landed four crippling blows on their opponent. Finally, if either of them yielded. Under the affects of the arena, being knocked unconscious wasn't possible, and a magical barrier prevented 'ring outs.'

At a first glance, it sounded one sided. In order to win, Luna had to cripple what couldn't be crippled or kill what couldn't be killed. Thanks to Blacklight, the only real way to defeat him was to injure him so badly and so often that he didn't have enough biomass to repair himself. While he was sure Luna could pull that off, the question was could she pull it off before he crippled or 'killed' her? Then he thought more about it and realized that he was being overconfident. The alicorn had magic and he didn't know what it was capable of or how powerful it was. As it stood, he knew it could hold him in place, push him back, and burn him. That could already be useful in a combat situation but was likely the tip of the iceberg on what actual magic could accomplish.

Then there was her flight. Until he actually saw the arena, he wouldn't be able to be sure how useful it would be for her. He knew that, like Twilight, she would be able to use it for quick changes in direction and acceleration in close combat, but whether or not she would be able to take flight and employ hit and run tactics like Rainbow had was an unknown. Either way, it was something he would have to watch out for just like her magic. Then there was the matter of her constitution. Alicorns were a mix of all three races' magic that was then amplified and the effects of the unicorn and pegasus were obvious. However, Twilight had said that Earth ponies were hearty and connected to plant life. Whether that would make her strength match his own or surpass it was something he would have to figure out in the heat of the moment. Fortunately, he knew Luna would be considering these things just as he was; they were both unknowns to each other and neither truly knew what to expect when they met in the arena.

Behind him, Daedalus heard the door to the room open and glanced over to see all his spectators enter as well as Princess Cadence, who he had been introduced to shortly after Luna challenged him. Seeing the confused, concerned, and wary looks on every face except Celestia's, he knew they had been told everything. Walking up to him, Celestia gave him a soft smile and gently tapped her muzzle to his shoulder. "They may not fully understand everything, but I made it clear that you were not a danger to anypony, and that you are what you are because it was forced upon you."

"Thank you, Celestia." Daedalus said honestly. Turning toward the others, he raised his eyebrow at the look Rainbow gave him. "Something wrong?"

"When you were fighting me, were you going easy on me?" She questioned with a mix of curiosity and annoyance on her face, apparently upset that he hadn't been taking her seriously. Her frown deepened slightly when he shrugged.

"Somewhat. You really were faster than me and I couldn't catch you. But when I hit you, if I had really been trying, I likely would have taken your head off." That revelation was met with wide eyes all around and a little shiver from Rainbow.

"Strong or not, I still think you're crazy dueling Princess Luna." Captain Armor said, shaking his head in exasperation.

The Evolved gave a small shrug. "I mean, she challenged me and it's not like either of us can die. From what I understand, the whole point of the arena is to fight people you wouldn't normal challenge."

Before Captain Armor could say anything more on the topic, the far door opened and out stepped Luna. She smiled widely, seeing her opponent and spectators already waiting. "Are you ready, friend Daedalus?"

Pushing himself off of the wall, he nodded to Luna with a competitive smirk. Returning the smile happily, she gestured for them to follow with a wing. Stepping into the next room, Daedalus was unprepared for the scale of it. The arena itself was easily two hundred feet by two hundred feet, built in a crevice of the mountain and exposed to the sky. The sand floor was encased in a shimmering wall of orange magic that extended forty feet up before turning sharply, enclosing the arena in a magical box. Where the magic met the sand, lines of dark brown runes that seemed to constantly change shape were inscribed into the magic wall. Finally, set back ten feet from the left and right edges of the arena were bleachers where spectators could sit and watch, and the far end held a raised platform with two thrones for the diarchs to watch.

Seeing the height of the arena, Daedalus hummed to himself as he knew that Luna's flight would definitely be something he had to prepare for. With an approving nod, he turned to Celestia as she cleared her throat. "Okay, everypony. The rules of the duel are simple. You may not bring any weapons or armor in but once inside all natural abilities are authorized. Any injury that is deemed minor or moderate by the runes will be allowed to remain as is, however bleeding out will not be possible. Any injury deemed crippling will freeze the combatants, place a red line where the injury would be, and simulate all effects said injury would have caused. In the event a lethal blow is dealt, the duel will end immediately via teleporting the two combatants to opposite ends of the arena. Once the duel ends, all injuries gained during its course will be healed though physical and magical exhaustion will remain. To win, you must deal four crippling blows, one lethal blow, or force your opponent to yield. Once you enter the arena, you will be unable to exit the arena until it has been determined whether you win or lose. In extreme circumstances, I am capable of ending the duel prematurely. Are there any questions?"

"How far under the sand does the barrier extend, if at all?" Daedalus asked, looking to Celestia.

"Fifteen hooves." At Daedalus' raised eyebrows, Celestia measured it out for him with her wings. Taking a moment to compare, he nodded as he realized that was about five feet. With that, underground tendrils and spikes were still fair game. "Any others?"

"For clarification and records' sake, what's the reward for the winner?" Twilight asked, jotting down notes as she clearly prepared to record everything she saw in the fight between the demigoddess and immortal virus.

"The winner shall receive a boon from the loser. Provided that the request is legal, physically possible, and considered acceptable by any impartial Princesses of Equestria, the boon must be carried out. Do both combatants agree to this?" Hearing the agreement from both Luna and Daedalus, she continued. "Normally there would be assigned seating, however being that there are so few of us, just sit wherever. Twilight, Cadence, the two of you will be impartial judges as Luna is my sister and I am unable to judge whether the boon is fair no matter who wins."

After everypony had moved to their seats, Celestia smiled at her sister and who she hoped would become a dear friend. "Daedalus, Luna, I wish the two of you the best of luck in your duel. May the best fighter win. When you are ready, enter the arena. You will be scanned and then teleported to opposite sides of the arena."

Turning to Luna, Daedalus held out his hand with a smile. She grasped his hand with her hoof, shaking as she returned his smile with an excited grin. "It is going to be fun seeing what you can do. I hope this is the start of a long friendship, friend Daedalus."

"Maybe a friendly rivalry too, after I easily win." Daedalus winked, only making Luna smile wider. Celestia quickly moved to her seat as Luna and Daedalus entered the arena. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Daedalus felt himself be frozen in place similar to what Rarity had done to him before, yet far stronger and encasing his entire body. Soon after, he was surprised as a tingling feeling permeated his body as the magical scan interacted with every individual viral cell. Feeling something binding itself to him, he chose to assume that it was the magic that would protect him and Luna, and not an attempt to sabotage the duel. A moment later, the sensation faded entirely as he was released. With a flash of light and a soft crack, Luna was teleported to the other side of the sandy arena.

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"Three!" As Celestia counted down, Daedalus tensed. Every viral 'muscle' was primed, ready for combat. His biomass reserves, while not full, were more than sufficient to regenerate his body a dozen times before his density and weight began approaching that of a normal human.

"Hundred bits that Luna wipes the floor with him." He heard Shining whisper to his sister. A second later, he heard the reply from Twilight.

"A hundred that he almost beats her." A clop of hooves together, then jingling bits as they passed their bets to Cadence.

"Two!" Daedalus wouldn't start off strong and he knew she wouldn't either. She was too excited at the prospect of fighting him for her to try to end it with the opening attack, and he would return that kindness. It would be a battle of tests. Strike against strike until one believed they had the upper hand, and then the fight would begin for real. His shapeshifting would remain in reserve, a hidden trump card.

"One!" Luna exploded into action. Her wings flapped once, hard enough to launch her a hundred feet toward him before his eyes could catch up. A second later, he adjusted. A second more and he reacted. Dropping to the floor, he rolled underneath her charge as he brought his foot up to kick her underbelly. A well aimed blast of magic shoved his foot back into the ground with a resounding thud that kicked up sand and he was back on his feet a moment later. Luna veered upward, then dived down toward him with her intent clear as she prepared to deliver a brutal double kick to his head. With a quick hop, Daedalus sailed upward half way to the roof of the arena, easily clearing Luna as he nearly struck her on the way down. Her agility was too much in the air, though, and she rolled out from under him before his heel could impact her spine.

A blast of magic staggered him followed closely by a crack of displaced air. Reacting purely on instinct, Daedalus caught Luna's hoof as she attempted to shatter his nose. Instead, he gave her a vicious kick to the side as he let go of her leg. What should have broken ribs only seemed to knock the wind out of her as she was launched several feet back, recovering in mid air and taking flight again. This time, she lanced out with several beams of magic that he darted around without much difficulty. Turning toward the offensive, Daedalus leaped toward Luna with ease, crossing the fifty feet in a single bound and catching her off guard. The surprise gave him no advantage though as she ducked underneath his hit and as he passed over her, he received two hoof-shaped indentations in his back as she struck him. Landing on the ground facing her, he allowed the biomass to flow over area and repair it where no one could see it.

Smirking at the shocked look on her face at the fact he seemed no worse for wear after the blow, he held out one hand and gestured for her to attack. The first test done, she landed on the ground as her horn crackled with power. What appeared to be a hard light construct formed around her, plating her body in armor that was both incredibly flexible and unnaturally resilient. More magic formed into the shape of a large axe and the second test began. Charging at him, Daedalus was relieved to find her slightly slower on the ground than in the air. He could manage her on the ground. She swung her axe at his head and he ducked. He threw a punch at her neck and she leaped back with the aid of her wings. A blast of magic nearly pierced his bicep only to be dodged at the last second. As she learned that he was more nimble than she anticipated, the speed of her blows increased. Her axe, which previously swung with an ease that would be exceptional for a mortal now began to blur. The air whistled as it was displaced faster than it could move with every swing. The first major blow was landed by Luna.

Her axe came down in an overhead chop and he darted to the left to dodge, only to be tugged back as magic wrapped around his arm and pulled it out. A shick followed by a meaty thud heralded the loss of his arm. Luna gave a shocked cry as his arm fell and more than one scream sounded out as they believed the magic had failed to protect him and he just lost his arm. Yet the truth was revealed as there was no blood and no visible bone, only black flesh. Writhing tendrils burst from the stump of his shoulder, flowing outward to his severed arm, consuming it and reforming as he wasted no biomass. Seconds later, his arm was fully reformed as he smirked. It was time for the third test and for him to reveal what he was.

Understanding dawned on Luna that losing an arm wasn't a crippling blow to him just before he charged forward, a burst of speed that surprised her as his right arm dissolved into a mass of viral tendrils. When it reformed, he was close enough to strike, the wickedly gleaming blade falling right on the joint where her wing met her body. A pulse of golden magic filled the arena as they both froze, Luna's wide eyes locked onto the blade that now extended from his elbow to past his knees. A red line painted itself on her fur, a strike that would have perfectly separated her wing from her body. With this, Daedalus knew that she was strong but not so strong that he couldn't pierce her flesh. Another crack of air filled the arena and he found himself starting at the beginning again with Luna two hundred feet in front of him. Looking closely, Daedalus saw a band of orange magic wrapped around her barrel holding her 'severed' wing in place while allowing her other to remain free. A black number one appeared inscribed into the roof of the arena, signaling his crippling strike that disabled her wing and ensured she could no longer fly this match.

"Resume!" Celestia called out to resume the duel.

The start was slower this time, neither combatant charging forward as they slowly closed the distance. Once they were merely twenty feet away, Luna raised her voice and spoke to him. "Well done on landing the first point, though I must ask; how much injury is your body able to resist?" Her horn brightened as she gathered more power to it, a pure blue sword of energy joining the axe.

"You'll just have to find out." Daedalus teased with a small smirk, darting toward her again. Feinting with his blade, her axe quickly moved to intercept the weapon only to be caught off guard by a quick punch to her chest. Her armor took the brunt of the force with ease, only causing her to slide back a few feet instead of launched back. A second later, a concentrated beam of energy much stronger than what Twilight used pierced his stomach, his close proximity not giving him time to dodge.

Daedalus gave a pained cry as nonexistent nerves flared, sending a bolt of agony through his being. He leaped back fifty feet from Luna and attempted to heal the wound only for his breath to hitch, worry on his face. Though the wound was healing, it was doing so incredibly slowly as viral cells destroyed other cells that were 'tainted' by lingering magic, slowing his recovery. Giving Luna a wary look, he started to circle to the right and kept his distance from her as he tried to allow the wound to heal. Magic is a weakness to Evolved like I thought. Somehow, it still hurts. I don't know if that means it attacks some ethereal part of me that can still feel pain or if it's actually causing significant damage to me. I can't get struck again, not until I can investigate my weakness.

"Sorry." Daedalus apologized, making Luna pause in confusion. A second later, both Luna and Daedalus were frozen in place by golden light. As the magic performed its duty, the Lunar Diarch felt a mark paint itself on her barrel and glanced down, seeing a razor sharp black spike sticking out of the ground and nearly into her chest. Looking up and giving Daedalus a dirty look at the trick, he only smiled apologetically and shrugged. A second later, they were back at their starting points and Luna found it much harder to breathe than before and she assumed he had 'pierced' one of her lungs. On the roof of the arena, the one changed to two.

"Continue!"

This time, Daedalus burst into action. Half a dozen undulating viral tendrils erupted from his back in a messy spray, each moving independently as he attacked with them. Luna was able to keep up with the attack of seven weapons well, using kinetic blasts and her two weapons to block and slash where she needed. Yet she was not perfect and his blades could cut through her magical armor with ease. Small cuts began to adorn her legs, sides, wings, and muzzle as faintly glowing silver blood began to trickle from her cuts. Snorting angrily, she began to force Daedalus back as each tendril she cut in twain was immediately reabsorbed into Daedalus and repaired, always keeping six against her. His own arm blade occasionally prodded her defense and during one such moment, she took the opportunity to act. Taking advantage of the fact that her horn was always glowing as she levitated her weapons, she charged up a quick flash of blinding light and detonated it in his face, staggering him for a moment. Her axe came down on his arm again, removing the offending blade as each tendril was gripped in a telekinetic aura and ripped from his body, incinerated a moment later to assure he couldn't reabsorb them. A second pulse of magic hit him square in the chest, launching him backwards eighty feet before she imbued her weapons with her magic and darted forward with greater speed.

Daedalus hit the ground on his back and used the momentum to kick himself up and flip onto his feet. Coming to his stop and repairing his eyes, he saw Luna was only a few feet in front of him with her axe coming at his chest from the side as her sword moved to impale his stomach. Playing dirty again, Daedalus stood his ground and allowed both weapons to strike him as the axe embedded itself halfway into his chest and the sword fully sank into his stomach. Two massive spikes of pain shot through him from the now magically-imbued weapons and caught him off guard as he grunted in pain. Then he recovered, a newly formed claw viciously swinging toward her front left leg. Again, golden light froze both of them as three red stripes appeared on her leg, signaling it as severed. Again, the two of them reappeared at their starting points as the golden band expanded to hold her leg folded against her barrel. The two changed to three on the roof and Daedalus allowed himself a smirk as he realized he had this in the bag.

"Match point, Daedalus. Continue!"

Daedalus darted forward again as soon as Celestia spoke, aiming to end the duel with a clean victory. Yet even as he darted toward the injured alicorn, dread filled his being as every cell in his body screamed for him to fucking run. As he closed the distance, he could see Luna's eyes had turned bright white, glowing with power as the miasma congregating around her horn grew layer upon layer. When she spoke, her voice was amplified with magic and sounded two toned. "I must confess, Daedalus, that you have done remarkably well. You are powerful and had you been a few centuries older, or perhaps with magic of your own, you would have won this duel. As it stands, I must end this now as I desire my boon from you."

A sense of hopelessness filled him as the viral cells fell silent, giving up their cries to flee or hide. Instead, every instinct screamed dodge. He did. Daedalus leaped up and to the side, sailing easily fifty feet away from where he had been when the miasma around Luna's horn was unleashed. The blindingly bright cerulean beam blazed through the space he had been just a second ago before rapidly sweeping into him, striking the right half of his torso. Pain the likes of which he hadn't felt since his infection shot through every inch of his mind as his connection to the cells in the afflicted part of his body was lost, the flesh there not torn out but completely erased. Landing on the ground hard, Daedalus cried out in agony as his body throbbed in pain, everything from the center of his chest to his right arm completely gone. Attempting to heal the injury, a spark of panic shot through him as the virus refused, the newly formed cells dissolving just as fast as they could be created, though the injury was not spreading. Before he could think further, he felt the cold blade of a hard light axe rest against his neck and he opened his eyes. Luna, looking worst for wear with sweat pouring off her body and silver ichor staining her coat, stared down at him with hard resolve. "Yield, Daedalus, or lose the other half of your body."

After a moment of silence, Daedalus let his head fall to the sand below his body. "I yield."

All Daedalus was aware of was a flash of golden light, the crack of teleportation, and a warming sensation filling every cell of his body as it was rapidly repaired, the disruptive magic completely removed in an instant. The next thing he knew, he was back in the lounge room sitting on one of the large cushions with his back against the wall. Luna rested next to him, sprawled out on her side and looking far better as every trace of blood was gone. Though she was panting heavily and her head drooped from exhaustion both magical and physical, it did nothing to stop her from meeting his gaze and giving him a satisfied smirk. Her divine essence- for it could be considered nothing else- shot a spike of desire and longing through him and he almost reached out to her. "You've done well, friend, but I have claimed victory. We'll discuss my boon later. Fair?"

Nodding his assent, he let his head fall against the wall behind him. "Fair." All he wanted to do was rest and figure out how the hell she suppressed the virus like Division did.

Rest he would not get as a moment later, the door to the room was shoved open as everypony rushed in, clamoring in excitement and amazement. Letting out a loud groan, he and Luna soon broke out into soft laughter.