Sunday sunlight woke both Link and Twilight in their respective hotel beds. Navi had been up for at least an hour prior. Link got out of bed first and went through his morning routine of stretches while Twilight decided to focus on magic regeneration. The two had spent the whole night - at least 12 hours worth all thanks to Link's ability to stop time - training Twilight in preparation for her duel with Steel Saber. Seemed Twilight was ready to take her seriously.

"You should probably do some stretching too, you know," Link advised. "Steel Saber will not be going easy on you. And it's not every day you get to fight a Unique. They're Uniques for a reason."

"I know," she replied, looking over at him. "But after last night, I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Magic's pretty full, though breakfast should top me off. Care to join me?"

Link tilted his head at her. "I'm surprised you even asked."

"I just want to make sure you're fed too. According to that boo I read, you're still growing." Her thoughts drifted to her friend in the team before it split. "I should bring some real food to Corona, too."

Link waved his hand. "Bad idea. Outside food and drink aren't allowed in medic tents. "

"Then we'll just have to see how she's doing, then we can go eat. Fair?" Link nodded. Navi flew over to his shoulder and sat with a smile as he and Twilight headed out.

The two met with Corona as desired. It turned out that she was feeling good enough to walk, ensuring her attendance to the match between Saber and Twilight. Afterward, they met up with their friends sans Corona who decided to visit with Cloud who was still bedridden. Both Link and Twilight joined Ruby for breakfast. Navi flew over to Ruby's mane to relax. All four of them ventured to the tournament board where Emmy and Epona waited.

"There you guys are," Emmy announced. "All my good friends are here. Well, and Ruby too, but I can't control that."

Ruby scowled and turned away, biting her tongue. Link looked toward Epona and raised an eyebrow. "Now Emmy,' she replied, "we talked about this. You gotta start being nice to her, or I'm gonna start being not so nice to you."

Emmy immediately backtracked her statement. "You're right, I'm sorry," she admitted, albeit half-sarcastically. "How'd you sleep, Twilight? Ready to get going?"

"I slept well. I daresay Steel Saber will be hard-pressed to triumph over me." Twilight arched her back and puffed up her shoulders in an attempt to look confident.

"Excellent. 'Twill be a spectacle for the ages, truly." Emmy smiled and nudged Epona. "Come on, we should find seats before they all get taken."

Everpony retreated to the stands and found seats in the third row up. Not exactly optimal, as it placed everypony at near eye-level with the risen stage. Seemed everypony and their brother wanted to see the clash of two skilled combatants from a top-down view.

Seeing how eager everyone was for the match to get underway, Twilight shrunk a little in her neat between Link and Ruby. "Alright. So I am a little nervous. She's a well-renowned soldier in Her Highness' Royal Guard, and a Unique to boot. I'm just me..."

"Yeah," Link agreed, "you're just you." Twilight frowned, grumbled and hung her head. "You're only the star pupil of Princess Celestia, with a cutie mark that makes you a specialist in the use of magic. Being you must be a let-down." Link made the end sound sarcastic. Then, he added a bit more seriously, "Look, Twilight. I know you want to win. You might even be capable, four times out of ten." She chuckled. "Maybe closer to six, given the arena layout, but since it's likely gonna be flat, it's a solid 4. And if you think that's bad, you'd be wrong. I can't even beat her consistently. I think my record was barely in my favor at 4 wins to 3 losses."

"Is that including the fight when you gave her that scar?" Twilight asked.

Link shook his head. "No. It doesn't count that one. That victory wasn't mine."

Ruby interrupted. "Well, if you still won. I'd call it a victory. Wish I could have seen it. Two Royal Guards clashing for their lives. Now that sounds like an entertaining fight."

Even Emmy agreed. "Oh, for once we agree. Royal Guards are no joke. Especially the ones in Canterlot. They probably have access to specialized training rooms you can't get in a facility off-site."

"Is that how she got so strong this quick?" Navi asked. "When he fought her in the castle that one time, she didn't have any access to that sprint technique, and she certainly couldn't move her swords that fast. They really must have drilled some hard experience into her in that short amount of time. Losing to you in that way must have really struck a nerve."

"Just wish I could remember it..." Link admitted, folding his arms. He then looked over at Twilight and patted her on the back. "So what if she had special training? So did you. From all of us. You're just as much of an even match against her as I am, and that says something."

"Oh, remember to watch her movements carefully. She'll show a weakness eventually. Whether it's a step before a swing, a pause between attacks, she has to have something. Everypony does. Even Link, believe it or not." Emmy giggled and looked over at Link.

"I do?"

"Sure," she replied. "Can't tell you what it is, though. That part's a secret."

Link folded his arms again. "Now that's just not fair." His gaze returned to the stage. The stadium lights turned dark in preparation for the announcer's entrance. "Here we go. Ready or not."

Twilight sighed, then looked up at the battle stage. "Yeah. I can do this."

"Llllllllladies and Gentlestallions!" the announcer drew out, making his entrance in a showy flash of magic. "Fillies and colts of all ages! Welcome yourselves to the Semifinal Round!" Hundreds of cheers came from the stands. He hushed them with a wave of his hoof. "Now I know it's been a long weekend. Y'all are probably homesick. Some of you even came late to the show. Who can blame you, really? We've got lives outside of fun and games. So I'll try not to take up much more of your valuable time with idle chatter." A great many had a laugh at that.

"Our first match of the day pits The Dual-Wielding Demon's ferocity against The Prodigal Daughter's natural talent! Would both fighters please, take the stage."

Everypony started cheering as Twilight got up from her seat. "Go get her, sister," Ruby motivated.

Twilight made her way walking down to the stage below. That's right. Save your energy, Link commended in thought.

Saber entered from the opposite side of the field in a steady trot. The fight stage was still grounded as to make it easier for the two to board. Just as the two set their hooves on it, it began rising into the air. Then the announcer continued, "The Dual-Wielding Demon has yet to show us her full potential. If anypony stands a chance at that, let it be The Prodigal Daughter. A monumental clash of magic against might the likes of which has not been seen in about a year!"

The two approached the announcer, stopping a few feet between he and their respective opponent. They looked over each other, sizing up how they held themselves and compared it against what they remembered.

"Steel Saber, known so far as the Dual-Wielding Demon, have you any words for your opponent?" He transferred his megaphonic spell over to her.

Saber looked at Twilight's purple eyes. "Twilight Sparkle. I do not believe you merit the use of any more than the one sword. But, as such a fight would be boring, I pray to Celestia you prove me wrong." She stabbed her right sword in the stage. Many Oohs and Ahhs emanated from the stands.

The announcer then took back his spell. "Twilight Sparkle, who has come to be called The Prodigal Daughter, do you have anything to say?" Again, he extended his spell over.

Twilight was silent for a few seconds. Then, she smiled. "Good luck." She stuck out her hoof. Saber looked down at it confusedly, then up at Twilight, who was still smiling. In a surprising turn, Saber shook her head and shifted to a more familiar stance. Twilight lowered her hoof hesitantly, then got into a position of her own.

"Semifinal Round Match One..." the announcer said, raising a hoof in the air between the two. His eyes darted to one side before he dropped his hoof between them. "Hold!"

Saber had taken a step forward, half-drawing her wooden weapon and Twilight started casting a spell. She withdrew it and looked at the announcer. "What is it?" she asked, annoyed.

The announcer turned and muttered at length into his headset. Everypony in the crowd idled in chatter. "Is this an event?" Saber asked, retrieving her second sword, feeling like there was going to be a change of venue.

After a minute or so, the announcer turned and faced the two. Using his inside voice, he simply asked, "Could I have the two of you stand just over there?" Saber complied and walked over to Twilight's side. "There. Perfect." The stage lowered as a growing sound of disappointment emanated from the stands. He reapplied his spell and inquired, "Would the competitors of Semifinal Round Match Two take the stage?"

Prismarine and her would-be opponent entered the same side of the arena, looking just as confused as Saber and Twilight. They walked n the lowered arena and approached the announcer as he explained, "By vote of the tournament committee, the Semifinal round will be a doubles match. The winning team will split and compete in a finals match of one-on-one, the winner of which will take first place!

"The team composition is as follows: Twilight Sparkle and Steel Saber are Team Red. Prismarine and Swift River are Team Blue," the announcer finished. Both team's members changed the color of their vests to reflect their team.

Prismarine glanced over at her teammate, who stood in acceptance of the change, then looked back at the two with a sigh. Twilight and Saber shared a look followed by a smile. They turned to their opponents. Saber took out her sword and stabbed the ground.

"Even with this change, The Demon has resolved to use just one of her weapons." The arena once again rose into the air. "Red Team!" Twilight and Saber stood at the ready. "Blue Team!" Prismarine stood motionless while Swift got into an upright stance. "Semifinal Match..." As the stage came to a stop, as the lights focused on the whole of the stage, as a quiet hush fell over the stands... the announcer shouted, "Begin!"

The moment the announcer disappeared, Twilight made her sword and shield just in time to block a punch incoming from Swift. Saber drew her sword from its holster in a flash of magic and was parried by one of Prismarine's own shields. It appeared as a forward dome, protecting her from the attack. Twilight's shield showed signs of wear already.

Swift's punch came out in the blink of an eye. In that moment, Twilight brought her sword around, getting blocked by an enhanced foreleg. I thought I wouldn't have to take one of these types on... Twilight thought. Oh well. No sense lamenting now. Quick to react, Swift pushed the sword aside and spun, getting low into a leg sweep. Twilight raised her forelegs to evade and counter with an ice spell, freezing the hoof of the leg that swept. Without so much as a fraction's hesitation, Swift pushed into the air and turned around, bringing the iced-over hoof across Twilight's muzzle.

Twilight had put her shield between the attack and her face, little good though it did. Her kick broke through the shield and collided with enough power to knock Twilight off her hooves. She stopped her roll and looked forward, seeing that her opponent's attention shifted to Saber.

Swift River broke the ice around her hoof and gave it a roll for good measure. With a confident nod, she turned to Saber. You're next she thought. She went in for a single punch from what she thought was a blindside. Just before she made contact, she disappeared, reappearing in front of, and facing away from, Twilight, who had stood up. Swift whiffed her punch and stumbled forward, unguarded. She received a hefty hit from Twilight's sword in her ribs and went down holding her side. "You and me, huh?" Swift got to her hooves. "Fine. I'll make sure you don't get up again."

Twilight reformed her shield. Swift bolted straight at her, throwing out a straight right when she stepped close enough. With all that preparation on Twilight's part and all that force on Swift's, the shield barely cracked at all. Then came a left cross with near perfect rotation. Swift pulled her right foreleg back and everything. Twilight redirected the punch to her left with her sword. Her punch angled down, Swift landed her forehoof solidly, used her other one to shift a little and bring about her hindlegs carried by the momentum. Rotating her sword around, she blocked the kick. Its force was so great she had to add her hoof to the strength of the block. Even with all that, she slid back a fair ways.

Her opponent righted herself and threw a blast at her. Instinctively, Twilight batted it up and away. She barely noticed Swift close the gap between herself and Twilight. Swift Stood in a rather close stance and threw a huge right hook, breaking through Twilight's shield and connecting with her jaw.

Just before the punch had landed, Twilight had cast a special kind of barrier that coated her body in a light blue translucent glow.

Twilight's head was knocked to the right and straight into a left hook, blasting her head the other way. Back and forth, left and right at least a dozen times by Swift's continuous alternating hooks. On her final right hook, Swift powered her punch from her stance and collided with such force it knocked Twilight clean off her hooves toward the edge of the stage. Twilight rolled and rolled, then came to a stop with her foreleg covering most of her head and facing away.

Her glow faded, her sword disappeared. Her opponent walked over with some heavy breathing. "You done yet?" she asked. Twilight had teleported away. Swift sighed looked at the empty spot on the ground. "It took longer than I-"

Swift's words were cut short as Twilight's hoof - protected by her shield - came down over her head. In surprise, she went down with just one kick, Swift's head getting forced into the stage itself.

Twilight got her balance as she landed and readied herself for more, just in case. "Do me a favor, don't get up."

Then... Swift shifted. She grumbled and struggled to her hooves. A line of blood began to trickle down her forelock. Swift stood upright and readied herself. "I can do this all day..." she managed to utter. Twilight raised a shield large enough to cover her forward self.

That special barrier has a cooldown. I can't use it right away... Twilight thought. Her shield became the victim of an onslaught of sidekicks, from a single hindleg. They came so fast, Twilight could only track them for a second or so. Each one added one or more cracks to her great shield. On her final strike, Swift turned and spinning side kicked with the opposite leg. Twilight's shield shattered on impact. She had brought her sword up to stop the momentum, but it broke as well, letting the kick connect with Twilight directly.

Twilight tumbled toward the center of the stage. Swift dashed after her with surprising speed. Her sword remade, Twilight swung horizontally. Easily enough, Swift ducked under it and kicked Twilight high into the air. Reeling from the impact, she didn't think to teleport, even as she saw Swift hover in the air overhead. With another kick, Twilight was sent hurtling toward the ground. She bounced up once and still Swift kept pace, delivering a few side kicks to the unguarded Twilight's ribs. The third of which shot Twilight further toward the middle.

That was her opportunity. Twilight had regained some sense of pattern recognition. Thus far, Swift has been chasing her down, overpowering her through sheer skill of martial arts. Why would now be any different? Twilight twisted and slid to a stop on all fours and summoned her sword to her side, just out of sight from Swift, who was still landing from the three kicks she landed. Once her hindlegs touched the ground, Swift took off, faster than before, hoof raised to the right.

Predicting her velocity and timing it accordingly, Twilight swung her sword.

It broke over Swift's horn, sending the further half flying off stage to disappear. Before she even hit the ground, she fell unconscious, teleporting off stage leaving Twilight to fall to the ground herself in pain. Twilight grabbed her side. "Now that... was a good fight..." She wanted to heal herself, but her lack of magic level refused her wishes. Instead, she looked over to see how Saber was doing.

Just as soon as the announcer disappeared, Saber quick drew her sword and simultaneously coated it in magic. It clashed against Prismarine's just-as-quickly-conjured shield. It was such a shield that all manner of momentum from Saber's swing was nullified and the force was applied to the shield as a whole, minimizing wear. Barriers, huh? I should have known.

She backed off and examined the shield. Saber jumped up and swung down on it, this time cutting through it with a release of magic. Prismarine's eyes widened as she stepped out of its path. Quick to follow up, Saber swung horizontally at her head, hoping to end it there. It was ducked under, but the mirage sword that followed whapped her in the face. Prismarine fell to her side and rolled, getting up to her hooves like nothing happened. A red line was very clearly seen along her face. She raised another shield and tried to make sense of what just happened to her. I ... I dodged that... right?

Saber examined her peripherals and noticed Swift's punch. Don't react. Twilight's got this. When it got too close for comfort, Saber twirled her sword around and went to redirect the punch's momentum, swinging and missing due to Twilight's last second teleport. Keep her focused on yourself, eh? One finalist will be difficult enough.

In her distraction, Saber was shield bashed and sent into a tumble. She stopped her self quickly and got to her hooves. Prismarine adopted a grin. So... That's what it is... On close inspection of her sword, she took notice of a shimmery mirage that very closely followed in the path of the wooden sword. She altered the path of the mirage to get me in the face after she swung.

Saber tilted her head ever so slightly. She knows... No sense hiding it for much longer. She dashed forward and struck with her wooden weapon, clashing against the dome barrier from before. Then, she split the mirage from her sword, creating one of pure magic and one that was only coated. Saber threw both at her opponent, one after the other. Both swords barely missed their mark as Prismarine ducked below them.

The blades turned midair and circled around, angling themselves up to arc downward toward her once more. Deciding not to block, Prismarine charged her hoof and waved at the incoming weapons, emitting a wave that blew both of them off course. With her back turned to Saber, she didn't see a third sword coming toward her. It struck her cleanly on the top of her head. Both of the other two swords came back to Saber by her will. She collapsed them into one sword and held it out in front of her. Prismarine turned just in time to see Saber dash forward, ready to strike again.

Just as Saber swung down, Prismarine put up a barrier that slid the sword to the side and lodged it into the stage. She waved her hoof and blasted Saber with a modest amount of water that disappeared after it hit. Prismarine waved up at her opponent and shot another stream up from the stage, punting Saber high into the air. Then, she wound up and gave a solid punch to Saber's underbelly, unleashing a torrent of water from her hoof sending Saber clear across the stage. All that water seemed to disappear after Prismarine finished waving her hoof. Like she was conjuring it from thin air.

That's a new one... Saber thought as she retracted her first sword. She cut through several water blasts, finding that deflecting them back to their thrower was impossible. She fought her way up to closer range, but the sheer amount of water blasts kept her at bay. I'm not gonna play your game she thought, trying to come up with a plan. Through all of the water blasts - which on their own had enough force to keep Saber in place - Saber saw a purple blast of magic strike Prismarine in the side hard enough to get her off balance for just a moment.

Saber put her sword at the side and rolled to the right. On her hooves in a heartbeat, she dashed forward and swung down hard at Prismarine's new shield. Then, the instant it connected, Saber released a wave of energy at point plank range, cutting through the barrier and pushing Prismarine right off the edge, crashing to the ground.

The announcer appeared on stage. "What a show, what a show! Team Red is the winner by way of knock and ring out!" The stands lit up and everypony cheered. "Can we get a cart on the stage please?"

Saber had sheathed both wooden weapons and made her way to Twilight's side, seeing how she's doing. "I'm alright," Twilight insisted. "I may not be able to walk right now, but I'm still awake."

"Well, awake isn't enough sport, let alone a fair match." Saber shook her head. "No. They'll take care of you." The cart came along and mounted Twilight upon it.

"Ma'am. You're going to need to leave us be while we get her situated," the aid requested.

"To Tartarus with that! Twilight?"

Twilight looked over and smiled. "She can come along. It's alright." The medics nodded to each other then to Saber, who followed insistently.

The announcer applied his spell once Saber had gone. "Ladies and Gentlestallions... What a match that was, huh?" His somber tone quieted the uproarious stands. "One of the finalists - Twilight Sparkle - has sustained extensive damage to her person and will be-" His voice was cut off by the voice coming through his headset. A moment of quiet followed from him while chatter rose from the stands. Then, he spoke softly. "I've just been informed that the committee has begun discussions on the topic of how to approach the final match. I will relay to you their decision with a five minute reminder. Until then... Please, enjoy the festival."

Link shot out of his seat and stormed off past Epona and Emmy, knocking over several beverages along the way. "Link!" Epona called.

"Stay with Emmy!" he called behind him. In minutes, he arrived at the medic tent where the competitors received treatment. A few others were also there. Cloud had been released, and Corona was also discharged. Swift River, Twilight's last opponent, was in a bed nearby with her horn and upper head wrapped in a bandage. When he got there, Twilight was getting her body examined by a pair of nurses. "How is she?"

"We are not authorized to disclose that information," a doctor said, reading an ever-updating clipboard of Twilight's injuries. "Unless you bear some relation to the patient?" He glanced up from his notes and peered over his glasses at him.

"Yeah," Link replied, folding his arms, "I do. I'm her brother." The nurses looked skeptical at each other, then back at him. "What?"

"Um... By blood?" one asked.

"Might as well. We grew up side by side for 13 years. That's my whole life, by the way." The nurses stepped aside. "Thank you." Link approached Twilight's bedside. "So again, how is she?"

The doctor set down his clipboard after it stopped getting active updates. "Seems her scans are complete. Mr. Sparkle, I won't beat any bush. Her condition is serious."

"Specify," Link replied, looking over at him. "What exactly is wrong?"

"To start with, she's concussed. Mild head trauma. A few cracked ribs and one broken one. She knew to not move at least, so it hasn't punctured anything. Needless to say, her treatment will take longer than the tournament will allow. She will not be able to compete."

Link shook his head. "Okay, so how do you plan on treating her?"

"We aren't the best at what we do, but we're certainly no pushovers. We'll do what we can to mend the bones and set her concussion on its way. She should be up and moving tomorrow at best." He looked down at Twilight. "At worst... well..."

Link was largely speechless. It took him a minute to process before asking, "How do you plan on treating her?"

"We will use a combination of medicines and magic. Even with what we can do, she may come out with a lasting injury." Link took the doctor by the coat. "Hey, what the-"

"You're not gonna stand there and tell me that with 'all you can do' you can't heal her. Isn't that your job?!" Link shouted.

The doctor merely adjusted his rims. "Remove your appendages from my coat, please," he requested calmly. Link slowly let go. "In order to increase her chances of a full recovery, we must take our time to do it right. Surely you understand?"

Twilight woke up rather quickly, getting the attention of one of the nurses on standby. "She's awake."

Link looked over at Twilight and knelt by the bed. "Hey sis. How are you feeling?"

"Like I broke some bones and got my head kicked in."

Under his breath, Link mentioned, "Well, you're not far off..." Then, much louder, "Doctor says it's gonna take some time before you're fully healed up."

"But my match..."

"Is not important. Not more than your health. Saber will be declared winner by default and you will take second. That's just how it's gotta be for you."

The doctor looked at her as well. "Ms. Sparkle. I, all of us in fact, urge you to get some more rest. We will begin treatment in the next few hours. We just need to run some tests."

"Then get to it. I have to get back out there."

"You can't even walk, much less compete," he replied. Then the doctor sighed. "Best thing you can do right now Ms. Sparkle is get some sleep."

Twilight closed her eyes. "Yeah. Fine. I'll see you in a few hours."

Confused, the doctor went about his business. Link was shuffled out of the tent by the pair of nurses as a rather important-looking individual entered the tent. Outside, Link found Saber pacing back and forth.

She saw him and looked concerned. Link held up his hands. "She's getting sleep. She'll be fine... tomorrow." Saber lowered her head. "Hey, she's gonna be fine. Doctor will do what he can."

"But she won't have her match with me..."

"Is the match between you two so important that you'd worry about it more than her own health?" Link sighed. "Even I know when enough's enough. She won't fight you. You're already the winner and you really don't have to prove it to anypony." Link walked by her, who didn't even turn to follow him. "You were the winner the moment you signed up." He departed, leaving Saber with her thoughts.

Link took his time walking back to his seat in the stands. He opted to take the long way, to think. Through the festival, he saw ponies playing, throwing darts, shooting targets with water guns, tossing a ball into hoops and other such attractions. Before he knew it, hours had passed, and all he'd done was walk the grounds. Link heard the announcer give a 5 minute warning. "Here we go..." he mused. Quickly, Link returned to his seat. Once there, he remained quiet.

"Ladies and Gentlestallions!" the announcer addressed in a somewhat cheery mood. It earned more than a few awkward looks from everypony else. "The committee has been apprised of the situation involving our fallen combatant. Twilight Sparkle - through divine intervention or stubborn will to go on - has made a complete and miraculous recovery!" Link leaned forward in great disbelief. "That's right folks! The Prodigal Daughter returns! We have ourselves a mare who refuses to give in! Let's hear it for the Prodigy!"

The stands erupted in cheers for Twilight.

"The announcer raised a hoof and silenced the crowd. "As is customary, both combatants will be granted adequate time to restore their magic to ample levels. The final match has been decided to be held at 6 pm tonight. Don't be late; this is a match you really don't want to miss!"

With nothing more to discuss, the announcer disappeared from the stage. Twilight came waltzing up to the group. "Hey there everypony."

Link was the first to ask, "How are you moving so soon?"

Ruby added, "Yeah, your wounds looked severe."

Twilight raised a hoof. "Come on, really? I know healing magic. All I had to do was help out." She found her seat with ease and looked down at the stage. "I'm just glad he's giving us until 6. Magic's pretty low, to be honest. I'll try to conserve as much as I can."

Link looked cautiously at her. "You sure you're fit for combat?"

In affirmation, she patted her ribs and head. "Yeah. No pain at all. Thanks for your worry, though. It means a lot." She glanced over at him and saw Emmy had a scowl over her face aimed at - no, beyond - Twilight. "You alright?"

Emmy didn't change her expression. "Yeah. I'm alright. I just don't see why we have to be sitting next to her."

Ruby got up and peered down at Emmy. "I know you're not talking about me." She wore an angry expression as well. Navi fell out of her mane and hovered near Twilight, shrugging her shoulders before looking down at the stage. "You're lucky there's a few people between us, or I'd smack that look right off your muzzle."

"I've had enough of you," Emmy replied forcefully. She also stood up, but was held back by Epona. "Stepping around everypony like you're hot stuff."

"You better take that back."

"Girls!" Link shouted. He got up and put his arms out to his sides to stop them. "I'm gonna ask you two to knock it off. Neither of you are gonna like it if I have to tell you to."

They answered in unison, "She started it!" The two growled at each other.

Navi pointed. "I hate to interrupt, but it looks like we have a visitor..."

Down on the stage stood a familiar black figure. "Ladies and Gentlestallions!" he announced. "If I could have your attention please!" Link looked around and saw that everypony else, other than those within the group he was in, didn't seem to notice. Not even Twilight reacted, much to his surprise. "It appears we have an unscheduled match. If I could have the Inferno join me on stage."

"Don't you even think about it," Emmy threatened.

"Or what? You gonna stop me?" Ruby turned and faced her. "Like you could." She hopped down and ran toward the stage. Toward him, directly.

"Excellent. Now would my student also join me? It appears as though the Inferno wishes to do me harm."

"He's right. If I don't do anything... I mean, he'll be fine of course, but I have to do something." Emmy waited until Ruby was close enough to swing. "Here we go. Don't try and stop me." She disappeared and reappeared, delivering a solid kick to Ruby's muzzle. Emmy landed and looked behind her. "Hey, Master. Haven't seen you in a while." Slowly, she redirected her attention forward. "You need to back off."

"You need to not get in my way. I knew you were not to be trusted. The others will see I was right this whole time."

Emmy shook her head. "He's not bad! He's been helping! That's all!"

Link hopped down the 20 feet to the ground below, rolled and took off in a dash for the stage. He even drew his weapons from his pouch. Without pause, he tried to run onto the stage. He only stopped short due to his collision with a barrier that barred his entry. Link pounded on the wall, rippling the barrier. "I can't get in!" Link looked back at Twilight, who hadn't moved.

Epona looked over at Twilight and waved her hoof in front of her face. "Uhh. Twilight? You alright?"

"Yeah," she replied, glancing over. "I'm fine. Why are they out there fighting?"

Epona had a revelation. She can't see him... "Because, they got excited and wanted to duke it out. But apparently, Link wants to stop them. And he can't do it alone. You should go help him."

Twilight got up and started walking. "Alright. But I do have to save magic." She headed the long way to the stage.

Link drew his sword and coated it in his magic. With many swings, he was able to cut a hole through the barrier just big enough to slip inside before it closed behind him. With not even a look back, he marched on, stopping between the two.

"What are you doing?!" Ruby shouted. "That mare over there has been helping the enemy!"

Link looked over toward Emmy and saw she took up a defensive position in front of the dark figure. Emmy nodded in admittance. "And she's gonna try and kill him. I can't let her do that." He saw both of their eyes had been blackened over. Link paid attention to the figure, who merely shrugged.

"Don't give me that. You knew this would happen. It's probably exactly what you wanted; to make puppets out of my friends."

"Boy, what I wanted to do was help you." He sighed. "But, it seems you do not want my help, as you have all three stones in your possession. And the Ocarina of Time, too, I bet."

Link's eyes widened. "And how do you know about that?"

"Your princesses haven't told you everything. I won't say what, only that when you learn it, you will know who I am." The stallion pointed at Link. "Behind you."

Ruby brushed Link aside and went in for an attack, throwing her hooves out in front of her, firing a fire wave at both Emmy and the stallion.

Emmy stood ready and put her back hoof on her master, teleporting the two away to another section of stage. "Master, please. I can't fight her and keep you safe at the same time."

"You're an inspiration, child. But please, do be careful." He disappeared before Twilight even got to the edge of the stage.

Finally there, Twilight stopped and looked in. "Emmy's got this handled. Hold on..." She narrowed her eyes and found Emmy's and Ruby's to be blackened. "Of course it'd be him..." She stepped through the barrier, not even knowing it was there, and walked over to Link. "And you're not going to stop them?"

"I can't. Emmy's too fast, and if I even touch Ruby she'll burn me. With my barrier, I might be able to pin Ruby down, but even if I can, I can't reverse his affect on her." Link looked on as Ruby tried her hardest to hit Emmy. She kept whiffing, but she was relentless with her fire and aggression.

"Leave that part to me." I should be able to dispel his influence over them like I did with myself. Twilight watched Link charge on, sword and shield put away.

Link ran straight at the two fighting each other. His eyes could barely track Emmy as she teleported the few feet around Ruby, narrowly escaping Ruby's blazing fury. As he got closer, he could feel the fire's intensity as it flew from Ruby's hooves. One of the stray waves hurtled toward him. He slid under it and stood, resuming his chase.

Ruby saw him and scoffed. "He is helping you!" She caught Emmy by the foreleg and reached around, punching Emmy square in the face with a flaming hoof. Emmy went sliding away, burnt cheek and all. She stayed down for a while.

Link stepped real close to Ruby and threw a punch. His own fist was surrounded in fire. With a yell, he connected with Ruby's foreleg as she blocked. Her own limb was protected with fire. Link's attack was brushed away, releasing a ball of fire that zipped by Ruby's head. She brought her other hoof up and barely missed his chest. He redirected the attack with his free hand and got a hold on her attacking limb, protecting his hand with a hastily-made barrier. Link pulled her foreleg over his head and delivered a sharp right roundhouse straight to her side then another to her hind leg.

Ruby fell down from the injuries and rolled to stand up, limbs shaking. "You hit really hard, you know?" She clapped once and enveloped the area around her in fire.

Carefully - and with a little damage to his tunic - Link got to the flame barrier's outer edge. He put his hands together, coated them in fire and chopped down at the wall, erupting a hole in the flames. He dashed through the hole and front-flipped, swinging his leg overhead. Ruby stepped back and watched his boot connect with the ground, cracking the stage below. With a quick maneuver, Link pushed off his back leg and thrust kicked, pushing her further back, dispelling the flame wall. He lowered his leg and spun around a fireball thrown at him, then deflected a few more punches before punching her in the muzzle, toppling her once more.

Then, he got over her and applied a thick barrier over her. "Twilight now!" He glanced over and saw she had just finished healing Emmy, who looked square at him and vanished.

Link felt a hoof punch him in the face. "If you're not going to kill her, then stay out of my way." Emmy raised her hoof high and started bringing it down upon Link's barrier. He waved his hand and swiped a wave of fire at her, to shoo her away. "You're going to fight me now?"

"What choice do I have?! You're not yourself!" He got to his feet after the swift kick and looked at her. "If I can get her to stop trying to fight you, will you then leave her be?"

"Nope. She already threatened me and him." Emmy had flown over his attack. She readied herself to plummet on his barrier once more. "Don't stop me!" Again, Link threw a fireball at Emmy, who disappeared before it hit. She reappeared in front of him and grabbed his arm. "You really shouldn't have done that." Emmy teleported with him high into the air. "Enjoy the-"

"I get it," he replied. "I've finally caught you." He turned his arm around in a way that allowed him to grab on with his hand. Empowered, he held firmly, even as she let go. With his weight bearing on her, she started to descend to the stage. Link reached up and grabbed her with his other hand and held firmly, wrapping a barrier all around her. "You're coming down with me!"

Emmy stopped flapping altogether. The two fell several dozen feet to the stage below. He felt the full force of Emmy landing squarely on top of him, almost forcing him to let go. Link did not, and instead gripped tighter and quickly pinned her to the ground with both of his hands. He looked around and saw Twilight had taken care of Ruby's condition. Both of them walked over to Emmy, who couldn't teleport without staying pinned by Link and who couldn't get away. Twilight stood between Emmy and Ruby and readied her spell. "Hold her steady, Link."

"Just hurry up, yeah?" he complained. "She's stronger than she looks." Twilight dipped her head down and dispelled the blackness in Emmy's eyes. Link got up and stumbled back. He sighed and sat down. "Alright, what was that all about?"

Ruby shrugged. "I dunno. But I'm hungry. Anypony else? My treat?"

The barrier to the stage came down and several security members surrounded the four of them. "Uhh. Hey guys. Wanna join us?" Emmy asked.

"You four are under arrest!" one of the guards shouted. He started advancing toward the group before Link stepped forward himself. "Who are you?"

Link stood up and dusted himself off before addressing the stallion. "Link. Corporal in Her Highness' Royal Guard. We received word that an attack would be made at this event. So I accepted the mission." He turned his back to the guard and gestured to both Emmy and Ruby. "These two were under a spell by a very powerful enemy. Thanks to the efforts of this competitor here, they are free from said spell. Your assistance will not be required." Link turned to the guard. "We'll see ourselves out."

The guard looked at him, then spoke into his headset. After a minute of debate, the four were allowed to leave.

Link sat between Twilight and Epona on one side of the table, while Ruby sat with Emmy on the other. Navi sat on the table directly. Free from the hold the alicorn had over them at last, Ruby and Emmy got along with no trouble at all.

"You don't remember any of it? Not the fight, not the alicorn being there at all?" Epona asked, tilting her head. Both of the two shook their heads in reply. "Very strange... Okay what do you remember?"

Emmy answered first. "Well, I did what Link told me to. I went into the woods to talk with Zecora, she pointed me toward the village Ruby likely went to, and I made my way there. I got hit in the head with a rock, Ruby lost her mind, Twilight patched me up, Link came back, we-"

"Anything a bit more recent?"

"Uhh... The fights, mostly. Twilight kicked major rear out there. Even your rival did, despite her fourth opponent being a no-show."

"Yeah," Link started, looking at Ruby. "What happened? She was your roommate, right?"

"That's right," Ruby agreed. "She never said anything about not showing up. Maybe she just... didn't want to fight anymore? Going against the Demon, I wouldn't be surprised."

"So, Steel Saber had no opponent. We agree on that. Her opponent no-showed." Emmy tapped her chin. "There were only 63 fighters this year. One team had three members due to Saber's inclusion, and she's still set to fight the final match."

Navi inputted, "While you are on the topic of remembering things... I should tell you all that I don't remember much either..." The others looked down at her. "I went into the portal, then... nothing much after that."

"So the alicorn took over your mind, not mine. Either that was his intent, or he was aiming for me and missed."

Twilight looked close at Navi, then cast the spell to lift the hold he'd have over her, if he had any left. "There. That should be all of us. Still... Why you?"

Link answered, "We'd all know if I went mind controlled, but Navi? I'd be the only one who'd know. He made it so you weren't around as much as usual, opting to stay with Ruby to... To watch the fights."

"What would be the point of that?" Navi asked.

"To gather intelligence," Twilight replied. "I bet he's keeping tabs on who's got enough power to oppose him."

"Now that we're all all right, do I still have to..." Epona gestured toward Emmy.

Link shook his head. "Oh, no. You don't."

Epona sighed in relief. "That's good."

"What happened?" Emmy asked, looking confused.

"I had Epona be your... cuddle-buddy. To try and distract you from wanting to fight Ruby. It didn't work, but not because she didn't try. Thank you again, for that." Epona nodded.

"We didn't... do anything.. did we?" Emmy asked cautiously.

"Heavens no! All we did was cuddle. That's it. Promise."

Expecting a disappointing sigh, everypony was surprised to see Emmy lean back and sigh in relief with a smile. "That's good. No offense, you're cute as a button and all, but you're just not my type."

"Oh, but I am?" Ruby asked jokingly. She even chuckled a little.

"Actually... No." Emmy donned a serious expression as she looked to her side at Ruby. "You're hot, make no mistake. But I think it's fair for all of you to know I'm 100% straight." Everypony else sat in stunned surprise. "What?"

Link was the first to respond. "You're faking it? Then why do it at all?"

"Because it's fun~." Emmy let out a giggle. "Can't deny that. Growing up literally a stone's throw away from everypony else means everypony knows who you are. Not much room for romantic advancement. Especially since... well..."

Link interjected. "Especially when that society is run by fillies and colts, right?"

Emmy looked at him in shock. "How-" She took a moment to process. "Wait... Do you have it?" Link took out the green stone from the woods. "The Guardian-"

"-is dead," he finished bluntly. "Cursed by the alicorn in the woods. He claimed to have been trying to get the stone to give to me as an offering, but I don't trust that for a second."

Slowly, Emmy covered her face in her forelegs. Ruby started patting her on the back. "I'm sorry..."

"The first thing I'm gonna do is kill him. I promise." Link vowed with clenched fists. "I'll draw the sword and end him for what he's done. With the Sword of Masters, how hard could it be?"

Everypony was quiet after that. Epona had her chance. "What about us? He's wronged everypony here. He took over Navi, forced Ruby and Emmy to fight, and from what I remember, he made Twilight go to the castle and he made me confront my parents. You don't think we all want revenge?"

"I know you do. You all do. Which is why, at the very least, you're all gonna be there when I draw the sword." He looked around the table at everypony. Emmy had sat up again, Ruby and Twilight nodded in agreement and Epona smiled. His gaze stopped on Twilight. "But before all that, Twilight, you have a match to fight."

Twilight nodded again. "I will do my best." Everypony finished their food. On the way back to their seats, Twilight was found by a member of staff and taken away toward a tent.

In their seats near the middle, Ruby sat with Emmy, then Epona next to Link. Epona asked, "Why'd they take Twilight away?"

Emmy replied, "Right. I keep forgetting none of you've been here before. Twilight's a finalist. She gets a special vest custom-made to look however she wants, as well as a piece of music to intro her to the stage. Saber will have all that too."

"And that's it?" Link folded his arms. "It's more than an hour before the match is set to start. It couldn't take that long to pick out some vest and music."

"It's more than just a vest and music," Emmy argued. "The vest you want... It's like a piece of your personality. You can make it to be goofy, colorful, bland, shiny, whatever you want. And the music is to help you motivate you to do your best in the coming bout."

"Just clothes and sound to me," Link admitted. "Music? Empowering? Hah. Not unless you play it on a musical instrument like I do."

Emmy tilted her head. "I'm serious though. The intro song is meant to get you involved, motivated, ready for what will undoubtedly be the toughest fight of your life." She waited for it to sink in.

"It's all music to me," Link admitted.

"Sweet Celestia, you're stubborn," Ruby noted. Everypony else turned to look at her with a grin. "What?"

The announcer took the stage close to 6. There was much debate about whether the final match would actually happen or not. In anticipation, Saber had taken the time to rest, making sure her magic was at a high enough level to combat her final challenger. Twilight had restored her magic level as well through meditation. She and Saber were nowhere to be found; the others assumed they were at their respective sides, ready to enter the field.

"Ladies and Gentlestallions! The Championship match has at long last arrived!" He waited for the cheering to stop. "It's been... a long weekend. Joys... Sorrows... Some humor here and there." A few chuckles came from the fans. "Please! Welcome to the arena, our very own: Spellcaster Orchestraaaaa!" A collective of ponies - all different types - shuffled in patterns to one side of the arena. When they came to a stop, they gave a bow. "These fine folk have been with us for many years. Thank you once again for providing your art." The ponies started setting up their instruments.

"She's come far, fighting all on her own with just a single sword. There are none among us who's withstood her talents for very long. Ladies and Gentlestallions, welcome to the fight: The Dual-Wielding Demon!"

A song began to play full of heavy beats and reverberating chords in deep tones, reminiscent of rock and roll. Saber stepped onto the field sporting a vest that befitted her occupation as a Royal Guard. Shiny metallic-looking fabric outfitted with extra pieces to look like pauldrons and a chest plate. The pattern itself was more scale mail than solid chunks that latched together. She made her entrance through an explosion of silver and sparkling gold. Her movement to the stage was swift, setting hoof upon it in less than a minute's time. Steel Saber drew her swords and flourished them as she approached the center of the stage, sheathing them when she got there. The music came to an end with her sheathing.

The stadium erupted in cheers for Steel Saber.

After about half a minute, the crowd's cheering calmed in anticipation of the opponent's introduction. "A mare who has faced adversity at the risk of her very health and overcame such trials. She stands unwavered against the masses with her mastery over the arcane. Ladies and Gentlestallions, welcome to the fight: The Prodigal Daughter!"

That time, the opposite end of the field exploded in various shades of purple while a musical composition of strings and winds played a joyous melody. Twilight stepped through the color wearing a golden tunic to match Link's own. It had a turned down collar and strung-up chest. Link. I carry you into battle with me. Give me the courage to fight on she thought. She trotted toward the stage, not displaying any of her abilities. When she stepped on stage, she paused, taking a breath. Her whole body became engulfed in a purple magic field. It swirled about her as she walked forward calmly. Twilight came to her resting position, breathing in once more, taking in her magic. On the exhale, she relaxed.

The stadium rooted for Twilight Sparkle.

Cautious not to get between the two mares, the announcer looked between the two. In silence and unbroken eye contact, the mares stood a few feet apart. "It seems there are no words between these two this time. Ladies and Gentlestallions, I can feel the tension in the air as these two eagerly await my command. Without further delay, let the Championship Match... Begin!" He was very quick to disappear.

Both Twilight and Saber Struck with their one sword each, clashing so hard it echoed through the stands. The two shared a few more clashes at increasing speed before Twilight was pushed back. She fired a blast at Saber, who bounced it back twice as fast. In response, Twilight deflected it even faster. Saber evaded the shot entirely. It curved up and came down on Saber.

At the same time, Twilight threw her sword spinning toward Saber. With two attacks closing in on her, Saber flipped to the side dodging the downward magic blast. She caught the sword mid-air with her own magic and threw it straight at Twilight - no spin at all - before landing. She then boosted herself, sword at her side, toward Twilight. Twilight had turned to the side to catch her sword on its return and turned the rest of the way around. Facing Saber - and with the added momentum of her turn - she swung upward, clashing heavily against the incoming attack.

Saber's sword escaped her grip and flew to the sky. In perfect rotation, Twilight circled her sword around her other side and dug deep for the strength she'd need. With a yell, she brought it up again, this time connecting with her chest, flinging her up and above the stage. Twilight teleported above her and swung down. Saber had pulled in her flung blade in time to block. The collision sent Saber plummeting to the stage below. She hit the ground so hard it started to crack.

Twilight stayed airborne, firing a salvo of two dozen blasts at her opponent below. The recoil of which kept her in the air. Every single shot was deflected every which way as Saber got to her hooves. Her sword was swiftly and efficiently moving to intercept the blasts. When she got to her hooves, she looked around at the stage, seeing so many holes. Twilight teleported again to right beside her opponent. Another yell came from Twilight as she took a stance and thrust her sword at Saber's horn. With impeccable precision Saber raised her sword vertical and blocked with the flat of her blade. Electric sparks flew from the point of contact. Saber turned her weapon to the narrow side and redirected Twilight's stab, allowing the former to swing downward. Twilight raised her shield and blocked the initial swing.

Saber stood wider and pulled back her sword. She swung again with greater force, and again and again, increasing in attack speed the longer she stood there. With no room to counter, Twilight's shield took the full beating, getting pushed back in the process. After a score and a half attacks, her shield shattered. On the following swing, Saber fired a wave of energy at her.

It exploded against the barrier of the arena. Twilight had teleported away, further behind Saber. The latter raised her sword vertical at her side and blocked a swing she felt coming. But Twilight was halfway across the stage. Saber looked at the sword and saw it looked broken in places. Before she could investigate further, the weapon segmented and wrapped around her multiple times.

Twilight yanked with a yell, pulling Saber in an arc overhead. Just before Saber crashed into the ground, she sharpened the sword's magic output and cut through the weak joints of the chain. She stumbled to the edge, stopping a few feet before flying off. "Okay," She said, flipping her mane to fix it. "Twilight Sparkle. You wanted a fight?" Twilight stopped her advance and reformed both her sword and shield. "You've earned it." Saber drew her second sword and coated it in her magic. The stadium cheered for both sides. She assumed a more serious stance. "Get ready!"

In a singular burst of speed, Saber closed the gap between herself and Twilight. The two attacked, blocked and parried each other as they danced swiftly about the stage. Against both of Saber's swords, Twilight found herself losing ground sooner than she expected. On a particularly strong pair of swings, Saber cut through both sword and shield. Her follow-up came too fast for Twilight to raise a reformed barrier to block. Instead, she summoned her body barrier, ready to take everything Saber was about to do.

Saber unleashed several attacks in quick succession, rocking Twilight's body every which way with increasing speed. On the last attack, she swung down with both, releasing an X-shaped energy wave that flung Twilight across the stage near the center. Twilight was able to duck under it after a time and slide, barely able to see the blade beams break against the walls of the stadium. Her shield disappeared, but she remained.

Cautious, Saber stepped closer, swords ready and breathing heavy from the assault. She saw Twilight had not teleported away, giving cause to believe she was still awake. At her side, Saber raised her weapons high and brought them crashing down on her fallen opponent.

Twilight summoned her shield just in time to block the attack, reinforced with her sword. Saber was pressing heavy, yet against her strength, Twilight was standing up. "I'm not beaten yet!" she struggled to stand, pushing against Saber's weight. Fully standing, she grinned and reformed her shield to be a second sword. In one move, she pushed Saber away from her and took up a stance she had seen her opponent use before. "Once more!"

Saber slid a few good feet away, then watched as Twilight took up a stance meant for dual-wielders. "You can dual-wield?!" she exclaimed. "When? How?"

"All of last night!" she answered, jumping forward. Twilight and Saber entered their dance once more. Both fighters' attacks came swiftly, blocking the other's swings with such ease. Their speed increased, going fast enough to whip up winds around the stage.

Twilight found herself getting short of breath. During their clashes, she found her opportunity in the form of a block. Twilight swung at Saber's side, which was blocked. She turned that sword into a chain that wrapped around both Saber and the weapon she blocked with. At the same time, Twilight pulled up all 24 shots that were still in the stage. Saber looked around for the second she was able before all those shots converged on her.

Saber cut free as she did before. She sharpened the magic around her second sword and cut through as many as she could. But she could not get them all, getting hit by just a few. Twilight reformed her sword before Saber fired several blade beams in quick succession; a total of four were released toward her. No way was Twilight about to challenge their strength, so she just dodged, raising her swords in time to block Saber's dash attack, getting pushed back anyway and getting off-balance. Saber took advantage and stepped in, swinging at Twilight with increased power. Thankfully, she had dulled her magic once more. Her attacks landed on several parts of her opponent's body: a few to the chest and a couple to each shoulder.

Twilight regained her footing, but found herself extremely short of breath. While she continued to defend herself, she found that Saber hadn't lost any stamina. Twilight was slowing down. Noticing that, Saber swept Twilight's forelegs out with one swing, turned and brought her other sword down on her falling form. The result broke the stage where Twilight landed.

Beaten, Twilight dispelled her magic and stayed laying down, breathing heavily and shaking as well.

Everypony in the stands stood up in silence to see what might happen next.

Saber held her swords at her sides and wiped some sweat from her brow. Then, Twilight stirred. "No, don't do that," Saber advised.

Through her ragged breath, Twilight struggled to sit upright. She, too, was covered in sweat. "As I expected," she managed, "you're way stronger than me." Twilight took a moment to regulate her breathing. "I can't beat you, but not because I didn't try."

"You're done?" Saber asked, readying herself anyway.

"Yeah... You have something I can't get in just a week. Experience. I lost to your experience." Twilight struggled to stand.

Saber offered a hoof to help her. Twilight took it. "You know, I was wrong about you. I once told your brother that your heart wasn't in it. That you couldn't win because you weren't going to try. Well, Prodigal Daughter, I'd say you gave it your best with what you had."

Twilight smiled and turned to the side. "I forfeit."

She disappeared. Calmly, the ponies in the stands started clapping and cheering at the display of sportsmanship between the contenders.

The announcer appeared and raised Saber's hoof. "The winner and your Champion for this event is Steel Saber, The Dual-Wielding Demon!"

Half an hour later, Link and the others, as well as Steel Saber, were huddled around Twilight's bed. Her injuries being less severe than before, she was admitted to a public bed. "Well, I guess I lost, huh?"

"Yeah, but we knew that going in," Link admitted. Emmy punched him in the arm. "What? Well, we did. Twilight and I both knew how this would end."

Twilight nodded. "Soon as you joined, we knew. You're a Royal Guard. A Unique as well. Civilians? Against you? Please. That's an easy one."

Saber looked away. "Yeah, well..."

Ruby looked at Saber. "You had some real fancy moves out there, Ma'am."

Surprised by the formality, Saber waved her hoof. "I'm just Saber here." She looked at Twilight. "Sorry for the last attack. Had to put you down somehow."

"It's fine, really. I'm already mending." Twilight looked over at Saber. "How are you?"

"I'm alright." A few moments pass in silence. "Like I said, you fought much harder than I could have anticipated, Twilight Sparkle. Had I not given it as much as was deserved, I would have lost." She thought a moment. "This reminds me of when Link and I last fought. Tried as he might, he still ended up in your position now."

"Yeah, but I gave you a scar for your troubles." Link pointed. "A reminder not to stand in my way."

Emmy hovered over and looked at the scar in question. "Wow, that's a seriously cool scar! Perfectly horizontal and everything!" She narrowed her eyes at Saber and smiled. "Any other scars you wanna show us?"

"No," Saber replied, pushing Emmy's face away from her own. "I don't have any, for starters. And even if I did, I wouldn't talk about them in public."

"You're no fun~." Emmy retreated to her spot beside Ruby.

Link sighed. "Ignore her. She's bored."

Twilight looked at her friends. "Shouldn't you all be getting to closing ceremonies?"

Emmy shook her head. "The announcer guy said he'd wait for your quick recovery."

"Yeah, I want you to be there when they announce my reward." Saber smiled and looked at Twilight, who tilted her head. Then Saber looked around and saw that everypony was confused except for Emmy. "Wait, seriously? Does nopony know anything around here? Winner gets a prize. Last year was a tour of Canterlot Library. This year is a selected spell to be taught by Princess Celestia herself. Twilight, you wouldn't have benefitted from this, since all the spells on the list are ones you already know."

Everypony chuckled at the situation. "I didn't sign up for the reward. I didn't even know there was going to be one," Twilight admitted. The chuckling stopped. "I signed up... To see where I stood. But, if you ask me, this tournament was geared toward fighters with a narrower skill-set rather than general ability to cast spells. It was right up your alley."

Ruby stretched and yawned. "Well, I'd love to stay, but I gotta clear out the hotel room or Starlight's gonna be even more depressed."

"Right. What happened to her?" Link asked.

"Oh? She dropped out. Said she had nothing to prove and decided to forfeit." Ruby shrugged. "I felt bad for her, being out of her element, but what can you do?" She started for the door flaps. "Oh, and if I recall, I'll be expecting visitors, so if I could get a ride home with one of you, that'd be swell."

Twilight muttered, "So, that was her name..."

"I'll meet up with you later then. Epona?" Emmy asked.

"I'll wait for Link," she clarified.

"And I'm staying for Twilight," Link agreed. "So is Navi." She nodded.

Twilight nodded as well. "Guess we'll see you at closing ceremonies."

Polaris entered the tent with a bit of heavy breathing. "Steel Saber, Ma'am!"

Saber sighed. "I'm just Saber right now, but what is it?"

"It's the Princess, Ma'am. She's looking for you." Polaris straightened and addressed the group. "Greetings, and apologies for the intrusion." Saber waved a hoof dismissively. Polaris exited the tent and stood vigil just outside.

"Right... Sorry folks, that's my cue." Saber turned to the door flaps. "Get some rest when you get home, Twilight Sparkle. You've earned it. Oh, and thank you for the match. It was... fun." She exited the tent and walked with Polaris.

Ruby and Emmy were quick to follow. Epona left as well, though only at Link's request. He watched them leave one after another until it was just him, her and Navi. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I tried."

"I'm not worried about it," Twilight admitted, chuckling. "You said so yourself, 'Even with all this training, there's still a good chance you'll lose'."

"Still... I feel like I could have done more... I feel like I failed." He sat down on the bed and rested his forehead on his hands.

"Hey now..." Twilight put a hoof on his back. "You did your best. Besides, we both know I'm not a fighter. Every move I made was magical. She's been training for years. To use physical weapons. And I've had a week, give or take a few hours here and there. Sure didn't help she's used to wearing armor. She was practically weightless here by comparison." Link shrugged. "Now go on. Save me a seat."

Link stood and wandered out, passing by one of the other combatants on her way in. Twilight recognized her as Prismarine. Who she didn't recognize was the pony that followed after. "I urge you. Please reconsider your actions," she insisted.

"I'm already here," Prismarine stated. "We've been given permission to converse with the stone- and sky-walkers while we're here, and there are facts I would like this particular one to know." She walked by Twilight's bed and looked down at her. "Hello again, Twilight Sparkle."

"Prismarine," she replied casually.

"Even so," her attendant continued, "I know what you are about to do and I do not approve."

"As my mentor or my friend?" Prismarine asked. Her attendant sighed and turned away. "Please excuse her. She's... very rules-y."

"Forgiven, though I assure you that's not a word." Twilight smiled.

"Indeed not," she agreed. "How are you feeling?"

Twilight sighed and leaned back. "I've been better. Should be healed up any minute now. Magic's still going through and fixing me. You?"

"I am well, despite her insistence that I do not be here for longer than necessary." Prismarine sat on the floor and looked over the bed. "She's just upset with me that I want to talk to you."

"Why would she be upset with you? I'd like to think we're friends." Twilight looked over at the other mare, who had er back turned. "You can come sit too, if you want." The mare shook her head. "Well, alright."

"Ordinarily, I suspected she'd be upset because I eventually lost. But that was not the case. Reason being that a true spellcaster knows when she is beaten. My forfeiture was executed with intellect and grace. No shame has been brought to myself or the family name."

"Prismarine, no!" her attendant insisted. "You must not!"

"I will. She's my friend, and she has a right to know."

"Why would your name be shamed? ... Who are you?" Twilight asked further.

Prismarine smiled. "So... You already know I come from the water, right?" Twilight nodded. "Well, I live there."

"I knew it! The others didn't believe me."

"I live there with my people. The sea-walkers. I'm actually in line to be their Queen. Well, second-in-line, but we don't talk about her," Prismarine agreed. Even her attendant nodded.

Twilight tilted her head in confusion, then nodded in understanding. "So that would make you a princess, yes?" She looked around for a set of wings. "But you're just a unicorn."

"Such ignorance..." the attendant noted. "Royalty is not a form, it is a position."

Prismarine nodded. "True, we're not the alicorns like the stone- and sky-walkers have, but our royalty is no less important. Instead of appointing a ruler, or rulers, we are born into the line of royalty. My father is the King of my people, and when I come of age the second time, I will inherit the throne and the waters as my own."

Twilight nodded in better understanding. Then, she asked, "So what were you doing out at the ocean when we first met?"

"Training. I felt some magic on the shore and found you there asleep. With your friends incoming, I had to wake you up somehow. So I tossed a rock to get your attention. I'd say it worked."

"You were the one who threw the rocks?" Prismarine nodded. "Thank you for that then." Another nod. "So my friends and I are going to closing ceremonies. Care to sit with us?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I bent the rules by even coming in here. I have to go home as soon as possible. I hope we meet again someday, Twilight Sparkle." Prismarine waved goodbye as she and her attendant left. The latter shot a glare at Twilight as she exited the tent.

Twilight got out of bed and made herself ready to walk. She got to the stands where Link, Navi and Epona were waiting. The announcer was given the all-clear to start the closing ceremony. Saber was invited to the stage where she was met with the princess. Her reward was announced and fireworks went off into the darkening sky. Link, Twilight and Navi went to their room and collected their belongings. Then, near the front door, they teleported themselves home to the library.

Emmy was making some dinner for her friends, and entertaining a few more who had come to visit. Seemed like Twilight's friends wanted to hear all about it. Twilight walked in and got a big surprise from just about everypony. Link called it a night and went upstairs to his room, falling asleep quickly.

Twilight stayed awake and - with the help of Emmy and Epona - regaled their friends with the tales of what transpired in each of the matches. Aj and Rainbow really got into the combat parts. Rarity asked what kind of vests they were. Pinkie just wanted to know what kind of games were there. And Fluttershy was just happy that Twilight made it home safe. Emmy relaxed afterward on the couch next to Dash. Twilight took a letter about how important it is to never lose hope, even when you're losing. While not a letter about friendship, it was still a lesson learned. After her friends had either gone home or fell asleep, Twilight went upstairs for a good night's rest of her own.

Elsewhere... Saber returned to the princess' side along with Polaris. They were praised for their success. Steel Saber chose a spell carefully from the list provided. Training was set to begin the following day.

Ruby returned to her castle and started cleaning up the place; sweeping, dusting and organizing her projects. She was expecting company after all.

The alicorn in the woods had already sown the seeds for his true objective. All he had to do... was wait.

"I should be able to dispel his influence over them like I did with myself."

Explained waaaay later. Probably can guess.
---
Done! Huzzah! Tournament is over!

Next up: Sword of Masters! yay~