I sat in my cell to sleep that night. Now that the first round was over, our doors were unlocked and we were free to do as we wanted. Lyra apparently was a mare of her word, which was relaxing because it meant she would keep her promise of letting us go if we won her tournament; or at least we could hope.

I figured I would reserve my energy for the fights because it would ensure I would be in top form while my opponents were poorly rested. Being that I was smaller than most of the ponies here, and lacked actual combat experience, I needed to get every edge I could on them. Tangerine may have been able to rely on her intimidating size, but I would need to rely on superior speed and strategy.

With my eyes closed I began to think about what I would do once I got out of this place. It certainly was going to set me back a few days.

"Hey, Torch." Tangerine called.

I peaked an eye open. "Hm?"

She walked into the room and sat down on the floor near the wall opposite to me. "That was a hell of a fight today. Not a scratch on you."

I re-closed my eye and shrugged. "He was a moron."

Tangerine laughed. "You're pretty confident for such a young mare. I mean you're up against some hardened killers here, and if I recall you're just a little girl from SkyVale. What makes you so confident?"

I shrugged, unsure of how to answer.

"Alright, fair enough but I have another question..." She leaned in.

I opened my eyes and sat up a bit. "What is it?"

"Why'd you leave?" She grew a serious expression. "I mean it was paradise there. I heard many stories of ponies wasting away to get into the locked city. You were sheltered there and yet you chose to leave."

Adjusting on my bed, I yawned as I brought myself into a proper sitting position. Once I was comfortable I looked to her. "Some things are more important than being safe. Equestria needs heroes right now, I intend to answer that call."

She laughed. "So that's it? Childish notions of being a hero?"

I shook my head. "No... This great land must rebuild."

She sighed. "Another believer of that garbage then, huh?"

I tilted my head. "Do you not wish to fix this world?"

She frowned and shook her head as she grew a more somber expression. "I don't believe in that nonsense. The world is fucked up, and the world we knew is long gone. Yet some things never change..."

"Like what?" I closed my eyes and laid back down.

She leaned forward again. "Like the strong overpowering the weak. Ever after Equestria has fallen, that remains true. The strong will always topple over the weak. If you're not strong enough to defend what you have, then you won't be able to keep it for very long. Strength is necessary to keep an empire going, and Equestria just wasn't strong enough..." She sounded like she had explained this before.

Not even opening an eye, I just yawned. "You're free to think of it that way." I responded.

She seemed a bit annoyed by my attitude. "And what makes you so sure that you can fix this world? What makes you so confident that your way will change anything?" She growled

My response was simple, quiet and plain. "I have help."

"So you think that because a couple of ponies agree with you, that will change anything?" She seemed to hate this subject quite a bit.

"Not just some ponies, probably the best pony for the job..." I could see my brother's face as I said those words. I knew he was still out there, and I was going to find him. This was all just a minor setback to me.

"Sounds like those old war stories I heard about that Rainbow Dash. Valiant warrior, quite a powerhouse... But when Equestria needed her the most, she vanished." Tangerine stood up.

"What's your point?" I yawned, growing tired of this conversation.

She stepped towards the cell door and stopped for a moment with her answer. "It means that even the greatest of heroes have their limits. They can do a lot of great things, but they can't do the impossible."

I grinned as I pulled my sheet over my body. "I'm not convinced it's impossible yet."

"Wait a while then. You'll soon realize it." She remarked before exiting.

The next round of this tournament had arrived, and I was ready to meet the challenge. I had survived the first round, but that only meant that my opponent next round would be harder. Since Lyra randomized the order of the fighters every round, there was no way to even study which pony my opponent could be. They could be any of the thugs I saw win the other day.

I had spent my time prior to my second fight exploring the facility. After much wandering and a bit of lock picking I came across Lyra's quarters. It was fairly well hidden, but I hoped there was something there that could assist me in my fight. Perhaps some plans written down, or maybe a profile of all the combatants that I could study. Cheating wasn't something I normally did, but right now playing by the rules didn't seem important to me. I was more concerned about getting out of this place.

Lyra's room was needless to say very odd. The girl kept a lot of instruments scattered across the walls, along with other random items. A skeleton actually sat in a chair that she had placed a top hat upon. There were also several paintings of cannibals devouring ponies hung around her walls. This must have been what Lyra defined as "cozy".

Checking her desk I shuffled a bunch of papers aside and looked for anything of value. Nothing. Could she have just chosen us all at random without the slightest clue as to what any of us were capable of? Was I ready to submit to the idea that she literally just did all of this to have a game, and not any kind of higher purpose? I mean the evidence certainly pointed to her being insane enough.

Finally I sat down in the chair with a sigh. Looking back to the desk I noticed an old photo album just resting there. Curiously, I levitated it to myself and cracked it open.

I was looking at an old photograph of a younger Lyra giving a noogie to another young mare with a cream colored coat, and interesting purple and pink curly mane.

There were many of the two of them together. Perhaps the whole album was just pictures of these two.

The door closed and I turned quickly to see who was there. I felt the blood leave my face as I saw Lyra Heartstrings herself standing there. Her expression looked quite neutral. I remained silent.

The mare looked down to the album in my hooves and smiled as she stepped closer. "She was beautiful wasn't she?" She commented.

I looked back to the photographs. "Who is she?"

"The most gorgeous girl in the world." Lyra commented as she pulled up a chair next to me. She didn't seem to mind that I intruded in her room in the slightest.

"She is a very nice looking girl." I smiled, trying to comfort her.

Lyra reached over and turned a page and pointed to another picture. "Oh man, I was so nervous then. She probably had the nicest dress I've ever seen, and I felt like my tux was nothing in comparison..."

I glanced over the picture clearly seeing it was a wedding of some kind. Lyra taking a more masculine role with a tuxedo. It was obvious who this pony was to her.

"What was her name?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the photo.

"Bon Bon." She answered as her hoof strokes the photo.

I set the book down and looked over to the somber Lyra. "What happened to her?"

Her expression remained a smile, despite the contents of her story. Perhaps all the pain had just been drained out of her at this point. "Well, we both lived out here in the ruins for a while. We kept to this place right here where nopony would bother us."

I leaned back in my chair. "So what happened?"

She sighed. "Well, the ruins aren't a very peaceful place. Eventually we were out scavenging, and a group of savages surrounded us. Bon Bon suggested we split into two directions to get back home. It'd be harder for them to follow both of us." She closed the photo album. "Sure enough, they all bolted after her and let me go. I was in better shape, so she was the easier catch... I lost her that day..."

I remained silent, just looking at her. She stood up and stretched, still not an ounce of sadness on her breath. "And since there's no getting her back, all I have to do now is toy with would-be wasteland idiots. It brings me amusement."

I grinned. "And that amusement fills the void?"

She shook her head. "Oh no, Miss Fires. Nothing can fill that void, this is merely a form of entertainment."

She trotted behind my chair and placed her hooves upon my shoulders. "While I do enjoy the company, I am going to have to ask you to stay out of my private quarters from now on. Next time if I catch you in here, I'll kill you. I hope we understand each other." She grinned as I saw her face in the mirror in front of us.

I nodded in response.

"I'm looking forward to your next fight. I'd hate to see such a pretty thing like you ripped apart, so try not to die on me?" She grinned.

"That will not be an issue." I stood up and headed for the door.

"What makes you so determined?" She called out.

I paused only a foot from the door. "Let's just say I understand how you feel about Bon Bon, because I too have some pony important that I fight for."

She nodded. "This is by far the most interesting tournament I have held. Better than last week's for sure."

Last week? She was holding these every week?

"How often do you hold these tournaments?" I questioned.

"Hmmm..." She leaned back in thought. "Well this is about the two hundredth one... So around 4 years since I started I'd wager."

Two hundred tournaments? That was a new one almost every week. If she had the same amount of combatants every time that meant she had killed thousands in these competitions.

"You're pretty small for a pony who thinks she's going to win..." Lyra changed the subject.

I grinned as I placed a hoof on the doorframe. "Dynamite can come in any sized box."

"Then I look forward to watching you explode." She winked.

"Don't tempt me." I replied.

Round two was here at long last. I had skipped out of observing other fights in favor of more training. I was going to win today, and while my opponent was sure to rely on brute force, I would use speed and agility to overcome. Superior tactics was sure to grant me the victory.

Entering the arena, I looked around as the crowd was filled with all the other combatants, ready to scope out what I could do. I tried to look for which one was missing, but that would become apparent to me in a moment anyways.

Lyra's voice roared over her megaphone. "Once again, the little flower from SkyVale enters the arena! Originally thought to be the underdog, she returns to this arena after an amazing fight with Smasher, where she didn't even get a scratch on her!" The crowd started chattering as not many had actually seen that fight. "So let's make things interesting..." Lyra smirked.

The gates began to open for my opponent. I readied my stance.

"Introducing... Fang Tooth the invincible!" Lyra yelled.

A fierce looking stallion jumped out of the gate covered in some kind of body armor. His mane was tattered and destroyed, matching his grey lifeless coat. His most prominent feature however were his teeth, which appropriately named were fangs. I took note of his wings; they resembled those of a bat. This creature was a noctril; I had heard of them before. Supposedly ponies from the north whom came to Equestria pledging loyalty to Princess Luna many centuries ago, though they often remained unseen by most. Creatures of isolation.

"Pretty arrogant giving yourself a title like 'The Invincible' don't you think?" I levitated a needle as I spoke.

He grinned as he readied himself.

I supposed he wasn't much of a talker.

"Ready... Fight!" Lyra screamed.

The moment Lyra called out the command, Fang tossed something onto the ground, and all the lights began to flicker. Within the next few seconds, they all went dark, and we were all sitting in pitch black.

Quickly I casted a light spell to emit some light from my horn. Fang was nowhere to be seen.

Clever, he would keep this fight in the dark so all my magic would be focused on seeing what was going on. No doubt that those strange eyes of his allowed him to see in the dark too.

I felt wind whiz by me as I just narrowly escaped an attack of his.

"So, you understand tactics win a fight and not just strength?" I asked.

No response, as expected.

With my magic focused on keeping around me illuminated, that meant combat was going to be close quarters. A disadvantage to me, as it was clear he had a bit of size over me. However his mistake was assuming that I could not defend myself in close combat.

"What a turn of events!" Lyra spoke out. "It looks like Fang is using the old technique of darkness. Will it be enough to take down little Torch though?" She was clearly enjoying this all too much.

I grinned as I already thought of a plan. I turned out my light and closed my eyes. No doubt he could see me standing and thought I was a sitting duck.

My ears kept me on alert. I listened for the direction he was coming from, and once I heard him bolt forward, I opened my eyes and allowed a wall of fire to rise in front of myself which halted him, only burning his hoof. He grunted and held the burned hoof.

"It looks like Torch is getting creative on how she illuminates the battlefield, clever girl." Lyra called out.

I got a good look at his face. He was a murderer, there wasn't a bit of regret in his eyes, I could already tell he could kill and feel nothing at all. To him, this was just another regular challenge. It was a typical day on his part.

With the fire lighting my way and my magic free again, I levitated a few more pins and quickly knotted a few pieces of cloth to them, and added a little bit of alcohol (courtesy of Tangerine) as Fang darted back into the darkness to prepare for another attack. Once I heard him coming, I quickly got on the other side of the wall of fire and hurled the pins through it.

They caught fire, and two of them were direct hits, getting him in the shoulders. However their goal was not to immobilize him, but to put a homing beacon on him. With the flaming needles attached to him, I bolted towards him with another needle in hoof.

The light from the fire on him, made it so when he went into the darkness again, he was still visible to me. He didn't catch onto this fast enough as I had already caught up to him and dived towards him.

Taking him by surprise I drove a needle into his neck with my hoof. He struggled but carefully I levitated another one. I hovered in over his head for a moment and positioned it to his ear.

"Sorry." I said as I drove the needle into his ear. He gasped for a moment but fell still.

The needle pierced his brain, no doubt and ended him quickly.

I stood up over the corpse and tapped it with my hoof to make sure he wasn't going to get back up.

No response. He was dead.

With the flick of my horn, I light up the arena by lighting a bunch of old torches surrounding it.

Lyra grinned and leaned in with excitement. "What a turn of events! The SkyVale mistress conquers again. What a very pleasing performance too."

I turned away and slowly made my way out of the arena, not interested in seeing anymore fights. With Fang Tooth dead, that meant I was in the final eight, along with a one in eight chance of being in the battle royale round. It wouldn't make a slight bit of difference though, because I was going to win.