The moon shone down on the small clearing in the Everfree Forest, where rain from the wild stroms drenched the two ponies facing each other, swords held high.
"Your reign of terror is at an end, Melon Collie!" Cherry Bomb announced, brandishing the katana with her magic. "For too long have you kept the Treasures of Autumn for yourself. Today you learn to share!"
Completely lacking in honour, Melon Collie responded by flinging her blade towards her opponent, nearly slicing her in half. Cherry’s incredible reflexes were barely enough to allow her to dodge, and she only lost a few strands of her pink mane.
“Give up, Cherry!” Melon shouted, using her magic to recover her sword. “I don’t care how attractive you are, Autumn is my domain, and sharing is for losers.”
Cherry Bomb, who was in fact very pretty and wearing a very avant-garde dress, advanced forward, seeing that the fight had already begun. “Then I guess I’ll have to take it from you and then distribute it fairly, to each according to their need. Have at thee, ruffian!”
Metal struck metal with a loud clang, as Melon parried Cherry's slash and countered with one of her own, forcing Cherry Bomb to backflip backwards to avoid it.
"I am the chosen one!" Melon declared, lashing out again, the strength of her magic so great that Cherry felt the blow in her horn as she blocked it. "I am the Huggy Girl!"
"You're a hurt, scared filly who's lashing out because she doesn't know any better." Straining under the weight of Melon's attack, Cherry gritted her teeth, barely managing to push her blade to the side, where it wrapped around her entire body before returning to Melon. "And that's not your fault, but you have so many ponies who could love you, if you'd just let them in."
"None of those ponies matter." Fury radiating from her eyes, Melon redoubled her attack, flicking her blade out almost faster than the eye could see time and time again. "Not compared to keeping Autumn Glow safe. And I'll kill you right here if you endanger that."
"You can't." With practised ease, Cherry deflected every attack, weaving her own in when she could. "We studied under the same teacher. I know all your tricks."
"Oh, really?" Melon flicked her sword forward again, but just before Cherry was about to block as she had for the past minute, the green mare channeled magic into the metal, causing it to split into two, each half flying towards her from a different angle. "Guess you forgot that I was his favourite."
Cherry knocked the left half away, and piouretted to try and avoid the right half, but it still sliced a shallow cut into her foreleg, a singel drop of blood flowing down and watering the grass beneath her hooves. "You never let me forget it," she replied, steely determination in her voice. "And I'm sorry for that."
"Why are you sorry?" Melon snarled, lashing out with both blades again. And again, Cherry was only able to parry one of them, the other slicing an ugly gash against her barrel. "You're the one who lost."
"Because you deserved better."
As Melon's eyes widened in shock, Cherry bounded forwards. The green-coated mare didn't have enough time to retract her blades before the pink pony's katana was pressed right up against her throat.
"I never hated you, Melon," Cherry said, staring right into those beautiful aquamarine eyes so filled with rage. "Despite everything you did to me, I always wanted you to be happy."
"I'll never be happy, not while you still live," Melon snarled. "So do it, kill me now. At least I'll get to look at something pretty when I die."
"You're a beautiful, smart, driven mare, Melon." Cherry leaned in closer, captivated and captivating in turn. "And you deserve someone who can see all of that."
"You're the only one who ever saw that, even back then," Melon whispered. "But you only had eyes for someone else too."
"I'm here now, and I'm looking at you." Cherry and Melon were close enough to each other that Cherry was able to feel the heat coming off her body. "And I really want what I see."
Melon didn't say anything out loud, but the desire in her eyes spoke volumes.
"I'm going to kiss you know," Noriko said. "Is that okay?"
Melon gulped, and then nodded.
The kiss was deep, and passionate, and filled with a decade of repressed feelings, good and bad. And as their tongues explored each other's mouths, Cherry reflected on what could have been, all the paths not taken, whether by her own choice or (often) that of another. This could have been them so many years ago, but...
"I lost it." Maya said, her voice hoarse and tears streaming from her eyes. "Autumn's treasure."
Cherry smiled. "I know. But we can still get it back. Together." She dropped her sword, cutting through the final barrier between them. And then, she leaned in for another kiss.
"You smell nice," Melon commented after the second kiss, her voice soft and uncertain, so unlike her usual aloofness.
"You too," Cherry replied. "Watermelon shampoo?"
Melon nodded. And then, she frowned again. "What happens once we find Autumn again?"
"You still want the treasure all for yourself, huh?" Cherry asked, the sting of the cuts finally piercing through her mind and forcing her to sit down on the wet grass.
"I know you do too," Melon remarked, sitting next to her.
Cherry leaned against her side, taking comfort in the softness of her green fur. She looked up, and the moon was beautiful and full tonight, bathing them in its effervescent glow. "Yeah, but I'd be a selfish bitch to keep it to myself."
Melon let out a bitter laugh. "You always were a better pony than me. That's why our teacher liked me more, you know?"
Cherry sighed. "I know. But I won't compromise who I am for someone else." She looked down from the moon at Melon. "Even you."
"Of course you won't. For all the things I hate about you, I have to respect that," Melon looked at the injuries on Cherry's body. "Do we need to take you to a hospital or something?"
"Probably," Cherry said, starting to sound faint. "I think I'm getting a little light-headed from the blood loss."
"Right." Melon stood up, and pulled Cherry into a standing position with most of her weight resting on the green mare. "Let's get going then. We can get back to killing each other another time."
"And kissing?" Cherry teased, her cheeks pressing against the rain-soaked mane of her rival.
"Sure, why not." Melon shrugged. "Not like I have anything better to do while we search."
"I'll take it."
And so, two rivals entered a glade in the Everfree Forest, to determine the future of a season that might never be.
And two rivals left it, that future still uncertain.
But at least they got to kiss a couple times, and that's pretty cool.
