Before the final duel, Celestia and Luna decided to talk about one particular pony, that pony being Sirius, who actually wasn't fully a pony. There was a duel for the third place going on, allowing the two princesses to converse.

"I wonder," Celestia said. "What will happen if Sirius loses?"

"It could either be disastrous or simply alright." Luna replied. "It all depends on how well he receives defeat. I know some ponies who wouldn't take it lightly... Sirius is completely unpredictable. His mind, his thoughts are unlike anything either of us has ever seen, sister."

"But if he wins, what will he do with the money and the invitation?" the solar alicorn mused. "Five thousand bits... It is quite a lot for a colt his age. Besides, he might be no colt at all, at least age-wise, especially considering his alien origins." she looked at the former human. He was sitting on a bench, preparing for battle. "If he is just as young as he looks, he might waste it. Too many times it happened to those who had none and then got all. I... I am unsure, I can't say anything about him."

"Neither of us can." Luna sighed. "He still refuses to talk about himself. What little I gathered is simply not enough. What I have gathered thus far is... random pieces of information that can't be connected well. I suppose his words are... generalizations. They aren't telling us anything specific about him. All I managed to find out, as I told you before, was that the world he came from is very harsh. It's no surprise he is proficient in the art of fencing. The hits he missed couldn't harm him in any way even if the spell wasn't here, but his own... Results could be gruesome."

"Does it mean he is... a soldier?" Celestia suggested.

"It could be but it doesn't seem so." the nightly princess shook her head. "He only gives respect to those he deems worthy, and he doesn't bow before anyone. I doubt he would bow even if his life depended on it. He doesn't respect authority, he doesn't fear it as if..." her frown deepened.

"He has nothing to lose?"

"Exactly." Luna nodded. "Remember, there were only four out of five shots in his... long-range weapon. The means of how he got in our world are mysterious, but there are some that are quite possible." she glanced at the former human. "He either killed and then found a sort of hidden portal, or he... committed suicide and appeared here by some unknown force. Or by his own desire? Sometimes, emotions can be too strong, enough to cause something far greater than one can imagine."

"Do you think it is right?" Celestia asked worriedly. "If he did such an act..." she sighed sadly. "Just what his world is? Equestria hasn't known any sorts of murder for centuries, almost for a thousand years. Is his world that unstable or dare I say... dangerous?" she looked down. "He is our subject now, and even if I don't know him personally, I want him to have a good life in our country."

"I hope so, too." Luna nodded. "It is obvious he went through many hardships in his own world. Let this one be something he would be able to call home. Do you remember those ancient beliefs? Some of them promised heaven after death to those who suffered. A place of eternal peace and happiness. Our world is peaceful, its inhabitants kind. After so many years, it became a gentle place for all."

"You wonder if our world is heaven, do you not?" Celestia asked. "As for me... I suppose it indeed is in comparison to where he came from. I hope he won't find a reason to kill himself here. It would sadden me knowing that even our country isn't considered worth living for..." her ears dropped as a sigh escaped her lips.

"Sister... There is hope for him." Luna assured her sister. "I sense a spark of hope in him indeed. What I did began to work. He is healing, albeit slowly, very slowly. Something is holding him back, but he struggles to find the light." her eyes spotted Iclyn. "It is one pony by the name of Iclyn. She is his roommate, and it seems something former between the two, just as I hoped."

"Indeed?" Celestia turned to her sister. "It is wonderful! Friendship can do many things to anyone." a smile appeared on her face. "That is why I sent Twilight to Ponyville. She's not as shy or socially-awkward now."

"It seems friendship does wonders to one's soul indeed." Luna nodded. "But is it enough to heal Sirius? He is deeply scarred by something he refuses to share. It could be a traumatic experience such as... war, torture, even rape." she gagged. "Even saying such words makes my stomach twist."

"I'm glad such things don't happen nowadays." Celestia said. "There is hope for Sirius, indeed. A victory in this tournament might fuel his spirit with positive energy."

"You don't suppose we should help him, right?" Luna glanced at her sister.

"No, I believe he can do everything by himself."

Sirius was ready for the final duel. He was anticipating it. He was looking forward to it. Everything in his mind and body was prepared for it He must win, there was no going back or giving up. He had signed up for this for one sole reason — to win. If he gave up, would anything matter at all? He doubted it.

Only one contestant was left aside from himself — Fancy Pants. The noble stallion fought fiercely and was almost at the top with only a colt of age twelve in his way.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts!" the announcer spoke. "It is time for the final duel, the final confrontation between the last two contestants! They fought fiercely and with honor, making their way to the top. But there is only one place, only one pony will win the tournament!

"Finally, Sirius of Golden Sun Fencing Club versus..." the announcer paused, allowing Sirius to salute at his opponent. "Fancy Pants of House Aegis!"

The crowd applauded, some began chanting the names of the contestants, and soon ponies were divided into those who were for Sirius and those who supported Fancy Pants. But as soon as the two started moving, everything went silent. The orchestra wasn't playing any song. Instead, a drum beat appeared paired with very low string bass accompanying it. It was simple, enough to be playing in the background but not strong enough to divert the attention from the dueling ponies.

"Sirius." Fancy Pants called suddenly, stopping. "It is a pleasure to finally duel with you. May I have one single request?"

Sirius stopped as well and nodded.

"I would like this battle to last one round." the noble stallion continued after receiving confirmation.

Sirius stopped to think. On one hand, he would be in danger of losing — one hit to the head and it would be over. On the other, he could very well do the same to his opponent. Besides, neither would tire out by the second or third round, meaning that both of them could use everything they could in the first round without the fear of those tricks becoming predictable or useless later.

"I agree." Sirius finally nodded, earning a round of applause from the audience.

"Let us duel, then." his opponent nodded, and then lowered the visor of his helmet.

"What an honorable duel, ladies and gentlecolts!" the announcer spoke. "One fateful round... A colt or a noble? We shall soon see."

Both contestants were approaching each-other carefully and slowly. Sirius studied the movement of his opponent. The steps were heavy, but it was all a trap into believing that Fancy Pants wasn't as agile. While he indeed wore full plate armor, it barely restricted his movements at all. Truth be told, the plate armor isn't as heavy as it looks. Sirius knew that it could be lighter than a today's soldier's equipment. With the weight distributed evenly on the body, the armor felt lighter than a backpack of the same weight would. Sirius had don plate armor on one occasion, and it was indeed way lighter than many people thought it was.

And thus, the former human knew that he couldn't count on his opponent's armor in terms of restricting its owner in movement, both in speed and agility. However, there was a visor on the helmet that slightly obstructed the view. It would be of not much advantage to Sirius, however. He was certain Fancy Pants was used to it.

Suddenly, the noble stallion charged, extending his halberd forward. Sirius was taken by surprise but managed to dodge nevertheless. The reach of the halbert was huge, leaving no room for Sirius to attack. He wouldn't try to break it either — for once, the pole was reinforced with steel, making it much sturdier. Besides, cutting the wooden pole in half would be impossible either way — it was rather thick and probably made of good wood. Overall, breaking his opponent's weapon was out of the question — it was simply impossible.

Fancy Pants attempted to swipe at Sirius. However, his weapon didn't gain enough momentum to crash through the block the colt made with his shortsword. Sirius went closer to his opponent and swung his sword, successfully earning a hit. However, he didn't expect one thing — Fancy Pants used his halberd as a hook, swiping the colt off his hooves. Sirius was almost hit as the halberd came again, but he managed to evade it by using magic to propel himself to the side and onto his hooves.

Indeed, his opponent was full of tricks and used his weapon well. Sirius must be just as tricky and swift of mind to beat him.

As soon as Fancy Pants swung his halberd, Sirius blocked the incoming hit by placing his shortsword in its way. For more stabilization, he grabbed its sharp end. The energy of the blow was absorbed into the sword, knocking it slightly. Sirius managed to hold it, and then struck his opponent by the left front leg, denting a piece of armor. Quickly, Sirius dashed behind his opponent before he could retaliate. To his surprise, Fancy bucked him, sending him flying across the arena. It was certain he used magic to amplify the force.

Sirius stood up. His chest armor was slightly dented, but it didn't cause anything either than a cosmetic inconvenience. Nothing that couldn't be fixed after the duel.

To his horror, Sirius found out he dropped his sword near his adversary. Unfortunately, it left him completely defenseless.

Fancy Pants charged at Sirius, swinging the halberd in a wide area, preventing him from dodging left or right. There was only one option — jump over. With the assistance of magic, Sirius managed to achieve enough height to evade being hit. Then, he pushed himself forward to his blades. After successfully grabbing then, he turned around. He faced his opponent, who was swinging the halberd once again. Sirius parried the hit, sending his own back at the opponent. The noble stallion parried it, and then pushed the colt away using the pole of the halberd.

Sirius didn't give up and tried to stay close, effectively making such a long weapon almost useless. He managed to score four hits before he was forced to go back as his opponent angled his halberd in a special way, allowing it to get the colt.

Sirius parried the hit and dodged backward. He needed to plan his moves. The head-on approach, while working, can be easily countered. The former human needed a backup plan.

Suddenly, Fancy Pants quickly moved forward, cutting Sirius' line of thoughts and almost getting the colt. As he relentlessly assaulted his opponent, Sirius was forced into defense. The hits were coming too fast and the noble stallion seemed unrelenting in force. It was clear he wanted to win.

However, it was much more important for Sirius to win. Fancy Pants had reputation, influence, respect, and of course, wealth. The former human had none of them. He couldn't care less about anything but the money. With money, power always came. If he could gain power, even a small amount of it, he wouldn't need to care about anything else. On a whim, ponies would do his bidding. If he wanted them to do him a favor, they would. Why? Because he had money. If you have money, you have everything. Sirius had seen too many times how rich people got away with practically everything. Would he miss a chance to be in their places? No.

Sirius didn't care for anyone but himself. Maybe with the exception of Iclyn. If he had a second chance to live, he would make sure it was the best time he had ever had. It is said that money can't buy you happiness. Sirius, however, didn't think so. Of course, you can't buy loyal friends or true love, but was he searching for either? He wouldn't admit it that he did. But better be drowning in gold than in dirt, would it not?

Maybe he could even do something for the world. It seemed to be worth his effort. Maybe he wouldn't just use the money all for himself. He wasn't greedy, after all. He just wanted to make sure his life wouldn't be ruined as easily again. He needed to be able to do anything to those that would try to hurt him. Legal or not, anything could work, and money would get him to it.

Slowly but steadily, Sirius turned the course of battle. He received quite a few hits — seven, to be exact. With fifteen initial points, he had eight more. His opponent had a bit more — nine, in fact.

Sirius turned the tide and went into offensive. He needed to win. He must win. If he failed, where would he go? Who would accept such a defeat? If not for them, he must do it for himself. To prove his worth, to prove that he was strong and always would be.

Grunting heavily, Sirius pushed forward, his blades moved in a blur. Swiftly, he used his shortsword as a pick, hooking his opponent's weapon. The former human then landed two hits. Fancy Pants struggled to retaliate but was pushed by Sirius' unrelenting force. As fragile as his skinny body seemed to be, there was strength and determination behind it. Sirius couldn't lose, he just couldn't. He mustn't.

He stepped on the halberd, digging it into the ground. Using his longsword as a pick, he struck his opponent's helmet.

Victory.

"Sirius of Golden Sun! Victory!" the announcer declared, and all ponies erupted in yelling. Some were cheering, some were disappointed.

Sirius breathed heavily and took off his helmet. It was hot inside his armor. He won! He couldn't believe it, but he did it!

"It was quite an interesting fight." Fancy Pants said, raising the visor of his helmet. "You fight well, young stallion." he bowed in respect. "You deserve this victory."

"Thank you." Sirius bowed. "You fought well, too."

He did it. He finally did it. Five thousand bits, his! Respect, his! He proved to be strong!

A small smile graced his lips. It was one of the best days of his whole life.

While the celebration would happen on the next day, the actual awarding happened as the sun disappeared below the horizon. The duels took a bit longer than expected, but it was worth it for Sirius. While he was slightly tired, it was a very small price to pay for what he had experienced. The rush of adrenaline was certainly worth it.

Three ponies were standing tall and proud in the center of the arena. The first of them was Sirius — he stood in the middle of a small white podium. Next, was Fancy Pants. And then, there was Midnight Hour — she managed to get the third place.

The ceremony of rewarding was performed by the two princesses themselves.

"The third place goes to Midnight Hour of Night Guard." Luna spoke, her voice easily carried across the arena. She was holding a simple and yet ornate silvery tiara. She smiled at one of her best guards. "A weapon will be forged according to your desires, and the addition of one thousand bits will be given to you as well."

Midnight Hour bowed, accepting the reward as the tiara was placed on her head.

"The second place goes to Fancy Pants of House Aegis." Celestia spoke. She was carrying a crown similar to Midnight's tiara but golden and slightly thicker and more masculine in a sense. "He fought bravely and honorably. And thus, he receives a helmet of his own design and two and a half thousand bits as his well-deserved reward."

"Finally, the first place. The winner, the victor of the tournament — Sirius of Golden Sun." Luna said, holding a crown in her magical grasp. It was silvery in color and had golden ornaments. Said ornaments were much more detailed than both previous ones. The crown also featured an oval red ruby in the center. Sirius was certain it was worth another thousand bits if not more. "He fought from start to finish, and he deserves to be rewarded for winning his every duel. Praise this young stallion, for he defeated many skillful opponents on his way up!"

A round of applause sounded before Celestia spoke.

"We have decided to award him with another prize, the prize for being the most artistic in the duels." she said. "And thus, he receives an invitation to a very important and beautiful event — the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and captain Shining Armor!"

Sirius bowed, receiving his crown along with the invitation and the check for five thousand bits. A small smile was on his face — he was truly happy to win. He might even visit the wedding if he had the chance.

"There is one questions before we all go to sleep in waiting for the next day." Luna said. "Is Sirius willing to fight in the secret nomination?

Everything went silent as everyone looked at the colt.

He already won much, but he was ready to fight more. The longer the duels last, the better. He was ready for whatever they would throw at him.

"Yes, I am ready." he spoke loud and proud. He intended to go through the whole tournament.

"It will come tomorrow, then." Luna said, nodding. "Prepare for it as it will be much harder to win, young stallion. There will be no going back."

"I'm not going back." Sirius stated firmly, eliciting another round of applause and yells in his name.

He was determined to win everything. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to try. He was losing nothing by taking part in the last challenge.

He was looking forward to it.

Author's Notes:

So, Sirius won the main part of the tournament. Will he have as much success during the third day? We will see.

As usual, completed deep in the night. Feel free to point out any mistakes. It seems like my sleeping schedule won't change in the slightest.

Also, what do you think five thousand bits allow Sirius to buy? I'd like to hear what you think about it.

P.S. Yes, actual tournaments last a whole day. I was at one that started at twelve in the morning and kept going past nine in the evening, and it was a rather small one — forty people at most.

P.P.S. The full plate armor is actually rather light, its weight reaching up to thirty kilograms and more, which isn't that much if it's distributed evenly over your body. Shoulders, arms, legs, even hips support the weight, making it much more bearable. You can also roll, jump, even parkour and swim in such armor, although you must be trained just like a real knight. Actual heavy armor that restrict your movements is the one used during the tournaments. It was as safe as it could possibly get for a knight. After all, no one needed to die during a tournament.