As the next day came, Sirius woke up ready to duel. The events of the previous night were pushed into the depth of his mind, leaving a bad aftertaste but nothing more. He couldn't afford thinking about anything but the tournament. He needed to win, to gain victory, it was all that mattered. He could deal with his inner self later at a more convenient time. For now, all he had to do was fight.

First in the morning, the whole club had a hearty breakfast. It was more important for Sirius since he needed as much energy as possible, and thus he received more food than everyone else.

"You're doing great, son." Pride Fight said, a smile on his face. "You've not lost even once in the qualifying rounds. I bet you'll show them all the time of day when you get to duel those who passed along with you. I have faith in you, young stallion."

"Thank you, sir." Sirius replied with a nod. "Is there anything that could help me?"

"Well, I would advise you to use your magic when you're fighting unicorns." the old stallion said. "However, it is a bad taste to use it when fighting other pony tribes. Duels are expected to be more or less fair, but it doesn't mean you can't use all you can to gain the upper hoof.

"There are also a few ponies I've seen fighting, and I can tell a bit about them." he continued. "First one is Blueblood Senior. He might look slightly, dare I say fat, but he is rather quick and agile. He might be an arrogant brainless prick, forgive my language, but his skills are pretty high due to him being tutored personally.

"He uses a smallsword and a parrying dagger. He always tries to get the first hit, and if he can't — he parries. His dagger is designed in a special way, allowing it to catch blades easily. He also has enough magical strength to successfully block a swing even from a longsword. I'd advise to use your second weapon, it would help you to stand equally. Yes, your shortsword isn't designed to catch blades, but it's still useful for parrying."

Pride Fight stopped to drink a mug of coffee before continuing.

"So..." he said. "There is another noble, but I've not seen him in action. Fancy Pants is as noble as nobles get, in a non-sarcastic way. He is rather friendly and respectful towards those of lower class. All I know about his fighting style is that he uses a halberd. It's long, its reach is great, but the speed is its main weakness. Also, try to get all close and personal — the halberd is of barely any use in close combat. Though, he might be carrying a second weapon in case such a situation happens.

"And last is Rainbow Dash, a rather famous pegasus among these parts. She is a part of six ponies who call themselves the Elements of Harmony. She boasts on being the fastest flier there is, and thus her attacks are fast and unpredictable. She is a rather small pony, but it isn't a negative side of her fighting style — she is very agile, hitting her would be a challenge. Coming from Ponyville, she is the best fighter this village has to offer. You must be careful if you face her. And I suppose that's all."

"I'll note it." Sirius nodded, taking a sip of apple juice. Somehow, he was certain he was going to meet all three on the field of battle.

He was looking forward to it.

Finally, he and the other ponies were assembled in the arena and stood before the princesses. From about a hundred, the number narrowed down to about thirty ponies. Many hadn't passed indeed.

"Today, we all shall bear witness to the duels of our mighty knights! These thirty-two stallions and mares passed the qualifying rounds. Many of them — but not all — would be suitable for the very Royal Guard of Their Majesties!" the announcer spoke, immediately gaining all attention. "Here they are, cheer for our brave knights!"

Then, the names were said. Sirius noticed how both nobles and the rainbow-maned pegasus passed successfully. The latter was looking especially prideful as her friends from the lowest balcony applauded when her name was called. Other ponies were proudly showing their chests, standing upright.

"And finally, Sirius of Golden Sun Fencing Club!" the announcer spoke. "Currently, he is the youngest contestant to pass the qualifying rounds, at the age of twelve, no less! Cheer for this young and brave stallion! He shows that the skill matters more than age, and that anypony can be a fair knight!"

The crowd erupted in cheering, and Sirius felt pride and a bit of arrogance. He didn't doubt he would pass. He would be genuinely surprised if he didn't.

All princesses were looking at Sirius with surprised faces. Even Luna who knew of his skill was surprised he made it this far. It also worried her — was he just as young when he was in his old body? If so, how harsh had his world been to him? Was it that bad of a place where even children had to fight for survival? It truly horrified Luna and brought her sadness. The worst of it all, Sirius refused to trust her and let her help him. She didn't even know if his therapy was working — there were no reported accidents, but it didn't seem like he had changed in a positive way either. He looked the same but with the mask of determination painted on his face.

Why was he fighting in the first place? What did this tournament mean to him? Why did he want to win so much? Of course, there was an invitation and a great monetary prize, and also a secret award for a secret nomination. But he wasn't going to go that far... was he?

It was something personal for him, clearly. It was apparent that he cared less for anything physical than for what was inside him. Was he trying to prove something? Was he expressing a statement to Luna or other princesses?

The nightly princess didn't know. She was afraid she would scare him off if she asked directly. No, she had to observe and think. Sirius had a hard shell, and she wasn't sure he would let her crack it open.

Luna only had one hope — she hoped someone in the school provided comfort and compassion. A colt, but better a filly. Could he develop affection towards ponies? Luna sure hoped so — it would greatly help him adjust to the new world and take off the invisible weight he bore inside himself.

However, she had no way of controlling or influencing it. All she had to do was hope, all she could do was hope.

Hope that he would be cured.

After a couple of ponies fought, it was Sirius' time to show his best. Unsurprisingly for him, he found himself paired with Rainbow Dash. She bore a cocky smirk as she looked him in the eyes. She was crouching slightly, ready to take off, which didn't go unnoticed by Sirius.

"Up for a challenge, are ya?" she taunted him, her voice carried across the arena, letting other ponies hear her teasing words.

"If you prove to be one." Sirius taunted back. Words didn't hurt him or agitate him in the slightest, but he figured it would impact the pegasus in one way are another.

"Of course I am!" Rainbow Dash replied. "Have you never heard of the fastest flier in the whole Equestria?"

"I hope your words match your skill." the former human retaliated, starting to walk forward, his longsword in a defensive position. He expected a strike to come soon. Adrenaline was pumped through his veins, its thumps resonating inside his head. He was ready for action.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash took off like a spring on release, launching into the sky. She started circling around the arena, slowly turning into a blur. She wasn't using any style, it seemed, which was actually challenging for Sirius. Until now, he faced the opponents who went for an attack sooner than later. It seemed not to be the case with the boastful pegasus mare.

Suddenly, she seemed to stop completely. Sirius failed to recognize her going directly for him. The two collided, and he was sent flying across the arena. He hit the ground hard but barely felt any pain as the crowd gasped. The spell was working, he was unhurt.

Quickly, Rainbow Dash flied to him and attempted to strike. In his strange state of slight confusion and disorientation, Sirius barely managed to block the incoming hit. He jumped to his hooves and cleared his head with a slight shake. The pegasus attempted to flee, but Sirius was too close to her and managed to grab her tail with his teeth. He spun around and sent her crashing into the wooden wall nearby.

That move was not graceful at all, brutal even, but effective. It would most likely leave a few broken bones if the spell on the arena wasn't working.

Rainbow Dash stood up and attempted to fly off, only to discover that a piece of armor was dented and shifted, preventing her from taking off.

"You're good." she admitted to Sirius and then unsheathed her sword. She had no way of fleeing, she could only fight.

By that time, no points were taken. No weapons were connected with the body of either contestant.

Sirius advanced towards his opponent. With her main advantage over him gone, he would have a much easier time dealing with her on the ground.

However, Rainbow Dash struck first, attempting a stab with her spear which was still attached to her side. Unfortunately for her, Sirius parried the hit, somehow breaking the spear in half.

"Aw man, that's just not fair!" the pegasus complained before attempting to swing her sword at him. She failed yet again as he easily parried the hit. He didn't strike, however — he waited for a perfect time to disarm her.

Rainbow Dash didn't give up and close to go for a stab. However, her sword was much too short and her neck not flexible enough, and she ended up in an awkward position. Sirius used it to his advantage and delivered a hard blow to her sword, making her open her mouth and drop her blade. She was left armed with only her hoofguard-claws.

She had no way of using it as Sirius pointed his blade at her, mere millimeters before her head. He looked victoriously at her but kept in mind that she could use something to her advantage.

"It seems I really misjudged you..." Rainbow Dash said, looking at Sirius. "I admit that this round is yours, but don't expect me to go easy on ya again!"

"Victory in the first round goes to Sirius!" the announcer declared. "Rainbow Dash admitted her defeat! But will it be as easy for the young stallion in the next round? We'll soon see!"

Before the next round started, Rainbow Dash fixed the dent armor piece, as well as gotten herself another spear and strapped it to her side. She was ready.

The second round started. The pegasus decided to change her tactic and flew high in the air, out of Sirius' any possible reach. She was preparing a move she had learned from her former griffin friend.

Sirius prepared for the inevitable strike. The drums were rhythmically beating just as his heart was, the music fueling him with power. He was glad the orchestra was there to add some background noise that helped him concentrate on the battle. He was filled with anticipation and energy.

Rainbow Dash dived from above, attempting a hit with her claws. Sirius dodged to the side and swung his sword, but didn't hit anything due to the high speed of the pegasus. She almost immediately dived again, but this time Sirius managed to parry. She landed behind him and attempted to stab him with her spear, but the colt jumped to the side while turning around, evading the hit completely.

Sirius went for a thrust, but barely touched her leg as she jumped away, but the hit was counted. She had only two points left while he still had all three.

She attempted a sudden but stupid move — fly overhead him and land behind. Unfortunately for her, Sirius raised his sword just in time to score another hit. However, his helmet was scraped by her claw. Gladly, it didn't count as a hit, otherwise he would have lost that round.

Rainbow Dash landed awkwardly, giving her opponent time to strike. And he did, and scored the third hit, gaining victory. While the pegasus was fast, he was faster, and not having to bother with kinetic energy her wings generated was a great advantage he had over his opponent.

"The victory in the second round and in the duel overall goes to Sirius!" the announcer declared. "Congratulations, young stallion!"

Rainbow Dash stood up and dusted herself off.

"Yeah, you're pretty good." she admitted, a smile on her face. "Maybe we could hang out sometime? I wouldn't mind learning some moves from you."

"Maybe. Until then, Rainbow Dash." Sirius nodded, and then went to his club members. He needed to drink some water, and besides, he wasn't going to partake in a duel anytime soon. There were plenty of other ponies that fought, and he was but one of them.

Soon, he took place near his club members. All of them were greeting him with smiles and encouraging words, making something inside the former human turn, making a small smile appear on his own place. They were proud of him, he was accepted by them, and he proved himself a worthy warrior.

Then, he observed the other contestants. There were different ponies, and most of them fought with almost the same style. There were variations of course, but most of them could be connected quite easily. Some were gracious and beautiful, almost like a dance, and others were swift and accurate, efficiency being their main goal.

The turn of Fancy Pants came. He was dressed in silver plate armor, which was decorated with some deeper silver ornaments, but it was barely noticeable. It bore more practical function than aesthetic. The noble stallion used his halberd proficiently, keeping his opponents at a reasonable distance. His style was mostly offensive-focused as he tried to push his opponent back, not giving them time to retaliate.

As expected, the noble stallion won, suffering no defeat in either of two rounds he fought.

There were other, less interesting knights that fought after Fancy Pants, but they were of no interest to Sirius. All of them were more or less the same, and the former human was sure he could easily defeat them. He could see that they didn't have even nearly as much experience as he had, but they were still quite well-trained despite their apparent slowness. For Sirius, they were especially slow.

"Next duel! Blueblood Senior against Sirius!" the announcer declared, prompting the two ponies to enter the arena. The noble stallion walked with his head held high as he approached his place. Sirius walked calmly, his thoughts collected and hidden, his whole entity focused on achieving victory in this duel.

"I devote this battle to my noble house!" Blueblood spoke aloud, pulling out his smallsword and parrying dagger.

"Does his opponent wish to devote the battle to anything?" the announcer asked.

"I will devote my victory." Sirius said, looking at his opponent challengingly. His blades were yet sheathed.

"Such a pony as you shall never gain victory over somepony like me!" the noble stallion snorted.

The tension was in the air as everything was still and silent. Even the orchestra was waiting for either two to make a move. Many ponies wanted Sirius to win, while only some desired the victory of Blueblood. The young and arrogant prince needed to be taught a lesson he wouldn't forget.

Sirius remembered he needed to be artistic for the fight. He pulled out both his blades and assumed a seemingly relaxed stance with his blades in front of him, forming an angled equation sign, the longer weapon pointing at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle while the shortsword was pointing at the same angle towards the ground.

Slowly, the orchestra started to play a song, one very familiar to Sirius. He was surprised quite a lot when he heard it playing. It was relaxing, but quite sad. It began with a soft, prayer-like female choir.

https://youtu.be/CKN_DIS5Fm0

The audience was struck by the beauty of the music, even the princesses were stunned. Everything but the soft sound of beautiful choir and soon the enchanting strings was silent.

Sirius stood in his place, waiting for his opponent to start the duel. There was no time limit, he could stand there and wait the whole day.

Slowly and cautiously, Blueblood started moving forward. He hadn't seen his opponent being so calm and collected before. The noble stallion already began to doubt the outcome of the battle. Was he going to win if his opponent bore such an unusual fighting stance? He hadn't seen it before.

When about a dozen meters were all the two warriors were separated by, Sirius began to walk towards his opponent. He moved calmly, almost in a relaxing manner. Blueblood stopped, unsure of what to do as his young adversary approached.

Suddenly, Sirius leaped into the air, using his magic to propel himself forward, and made an overhead slash. Blueblood's eyes widened as the hit came his way. He barely managed to turn his head away, letting his body be struck instead. He was knocked off balance and almost fell.

Sirius, however, waited patiently. He was controlling the fight, and he knew that the audience liked what they were seeing.

With a grunt, the noble stallion stood up. He raised his smallsword and swung it, but Sirius easily dodged it and retaliated by attempting a stab, thrusting his shortsword swiftly forward. Blueblood managed to parry the incoming hit with the dagger, but the colt quickly retracted his weapon and blocked the hit his opponent sent after a parry.

The song was still calm but bore some power in itself, carrying across the arena.

Sirius used his longsword for the next attack, making a slash. The blade collided with Blueblood's smallsword as he was not ready to use his parrying dagger.

The fight went on without any hits counted for another ten seconds before Sirius managed to achieve a stab with his shortsword, taking a point from Blueblood. However, there were still four left. While Sirius hadn't been hit even once, he still needed to be cautious.

He performed a combination of slashes using his longsword. He moved fast and countered the parries by using his shorter blades to ensure Blueblood couldn't use an opening. This way, Sirius managed to get another two hits without much problem.

Blueblood was already panting, and sweat got in his eyes, blinding him for a moment. That moment was successfully used by Sirius as he ended the round with a strike to the stallion's helmet, taking all remaining points away.

The song calmed down, leaving only soft choir.

"The victory in the first round goes to Sirius of Golden Sun Fencing Club!" the announcer declared, his voice seemingly out of place.

Everyone prepared for the second round. Blueblood was pretty furious — how dare a commoner defeat him? A colt, no less! It was so shameful for the noble stallion. He needed to teach that colt a lesson. He would hold himself no longer!

As the two stood opposite of each other, Blueblood glared at the colt from under his ornate helmet. Sirius' expression was calm, but fire was in his eyes. He was sure of his victory. He could see how emotions affected his opponent — it made him lose focus and concentration. He might fight ferociously, but Sirius doubted it would do him any good.

Besides, he had a small surprise coming Blueblood's way.

The round started. Sirius, once again, stood in his place, expecting his opponent to make the first move. He did — the noble stallion was marching towards the colt with determination clearly shown on his white-furred face as he closed in.

Then, Sirius did something completely unexpected: he used his magic to transport energy from one sword to another, making his longsword burn with fire while his shortsword glowed in the pale-blue light as it cooled down significantly.

The orchestra picked up the theme, and an epic song started playing.

https://youtu.be/MgDojyuOylQ

The crowd was struck with awe, feeling the energy and power flowing through the song. The princesses of Equestria were shocked as well — they knew the Royal Orchestra had a talent of playing according to the event's mood, but they've not heard anything like what was playing at the moment before. The powerful choir, thumping drum beats, staccato strings, and brass, everything played in a complete symbiosis, without a single hitch, and all for a duel like this.

Feeling the immense rush of adrenaline, Sirius charged forward and swung his longsword, bringing fire upon his opponent. Blueblood barely managed to block the hit, and then jumped to the side. The colt didn't stop, sending a strike after strike with both his swords, and yet didn't forget about the defense, using his shorter one for blocking and parrying.

The noble stallion was forced into defense completely and utterly, barely managing to block the incoming hits with both his weapons. He had to unleash a wave of magic to push Sirius away.

The colt's hooves dug into the ground, forcing him to stop. He still walked calmly, but there was great power behind his seemingly soft steps, accompanied by the orange glow of his longsword and the bluish glow from his shortsword.

Blueblood tried to attack, but almost immediately found himself trying to defend himself against a fighter who didn't know what stamina was. The stallion was growing tired pretty quickly — it was the longest fight he had ever had, and he was losing. First, his leg was hit, then his body, then his leg again. He expected nothing like that from a young colt such as Sirius. There was power, speed, aggression, and skill. Blueblood was sure he was one of the most skilled ponies there were in fencing, but he was quickly proven false as Sirius swung again and again, never stopping.

The fatigue grew within Blueblood as his magic broke under Sirius' strikes, forcing him to lower his defense. A few hits came his way, leaving him with nothing but one hit point while he had yet to deliver even one onto his opponent.

Suddenly, Sirius used both his swords and hit Blueblood's weapons as hard as he could, sending them flying through the arena. Defenseless, the noble stallion was at his mercy.

"I-impossible!" Blueblood managed to say as he stared at the tip of Sirius' longsword with fear in his eyes.

Sirius just chuckled lightly, delivering the final blow via a thrust with his shortsword, making his opponent fall to the ground due to the sheer amount of force the colt sent through the blade.

"I devote this victory to my friend." Sirius spoke aloud as the orchestra silenced. "Without them, I would not be standing there." it was true. He would most likely found himself dead if not for the company Iclyn provided him in his time of deepest depression. There was still a long way to go, but the start was set. "I will not name them, but they knew who they are." with that being said, Sirius began to walk to his club members. He extinguished the flames and thawed the formed ice on his other blade, returning them to their usual states. He knew it wasn't the victory, but he was sure he already won the Artistic nomination.

There were battles ahead, but Sirius had no doubts he would win them.

Author's Notes:

The chapter was growing too big, so I decided to split the second day of the tournament in two parts.

I actually wanted to create a song for the duel with Rainbow Dash. It would be an orchestral vision of something you would be able to recognize, something along the lines of the famous Rainbow Factory by Glaze/Wooden Toaster. However, I ultimately decided against doing it because it didn't really fit.

Just to clarify, the events of Rainbow Factory fanfic didn't happen in any of my fics. I don't like unneeded cruelty and violence in MLP, especially of such proportions. If there is violence, there needs to be a meaning. I know what happened in the fic, but I haven't actually read it. Why has Celestia never visited the Rainbow Factory? Why is killing needed to make something like rainbows when there was no need to do so before?

It's quite sad to me how people will go to any length to incorporate brutal violence into MLP. While my own fanfic might feature something brutal, at least there will be a valid reason for something so extreme.

I guess I just really don't want to see these ponies we all know so much and love get hurt.

With my little rant out of the way, I want to present a drawing of Sirius I did specifically for the second round of his duel with Blueblood. Some things are a bit wonky, including the shortsword. I modeled the longsword after my own, actually, and that is why it looks better.

There is also a couple of things wrong with shapes here and there, and I especially have problems with trying to show volume and shadows. I will improve, I swear.

I've recently got a graphic tablet, meaning that I would be able to draw much better. This picture was drawn on a computer using only my mouse as a tool.
Here

I redrew the picture: