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Prompt #246: Dukes up. Two ponies get into a fight.

“Well, it seems that we have reached a stopping point, Twilight Sparkle,” said Trixie pompously. Her arrogant tone was especially confusing, seeing as she had just been tricked into taking off the Alicorn Amulet.

“What do you mean?” Twilight turned around and saw Trixie pulling on a pair of baby-blue boxing gloves. “And what in Equestria are those for?”

“Why, the tiebreaker, of course! The Great and Powerful Trixie has never lost a boxing match!”

“Ummmm... what?”

Rarity sauntered up to Twilight. “Come on, dear. Let’s get your gloves on.”

Twilight just sat down on the dusty ground outside of the Town Hall. “I have no idea of what in Tartarus is going on.”

Trixie grinned and pulled the strings on her gloves, then stood up on her hind legs and experimentally punched the air a few times. “Such language, Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight shook her head and smoothed her mane. “Why are you wearing boxing gloves, Trixie?”

“Trixie has already answered that, Twilight! Trixie has challenged you to a Unicorn Boxing match!”

Trixie’s habit of speaking in third person was very frustrating.

Twilight turned to Rarity, who had produced a pair of indigo gloves with Twilight’s cutie mark sewn to the front, over the knuckles. “Do you have any idea what she’s talking about?”

Rarity looked closely at Twilight, then exclaimed, “Well, really!” She turned to Trixie. “She really doesn’t know about Unicorn Boxing!”

Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “And what, exactly, would Unicorn Boxing happen to be?”

“Well, darling, I knew you were ignorant of social norms, but everypony knows about Unicorn Boxing!”

“Ancient unicorn tradition,” confirmed Trixie haughtily.

Twilight put her head under her forehooves, but Rarity lifted them and started stuffing the oversized gloves on them. “What if I don’t want to box?”

“Oh, denying a Unicorn Boxing challenge means either permanent banishment, permanent servitude, or death. It would be Trixie’s choice.”

Rarity lifted Twilight up. “And no magic, darling. The Game is meant to decide superiority based on strength, not magic.”

“Hooves up, Twilight Sparkle! Right hook! Left hook!” Trixie swiped at the air. Upon seeing that Twilight made no move to rise to a standing position, Rarity lifted her magically.

“I know you can do it, Twilight! I myself am an amature Unicorn Boxer. I believe in you!”

Both contestants walked to the center of a dirt ring in the middle of the road. “Three. Two. One. GO.” Rarity was waving a flag that she had apparently summoned from nowhere.

Twilight turned to face Trixie and was immediately downed by a flying left hoof.