“You’re sure about doing this, little dream?”

Golden Dream smiled softly at her father’s pet name for her, even as she was annoyed at the continued questioning from her family. She wasn’t surprised, really- she’d been shaken by the nape in front of her House, and a sizeable crowd. Despite the healing she had received, Golden’s neck still ached.

“I will be fine, father,” Golden replied softly, smiling back at him, “It’s almost over, anyway. Just the Duke, now.”

Aurem Wind did not look particularly eased with that, but have a slow nod. This close to each other, the patriarch of House Bolt was definitely the one who gave Golden Dream her looks, sans his bright blue eyes or large, Pegasopalan frame. Hesitating a moment, Aurem waved for his daughter to pause- they had been walking to the stadium, the rest of the family respectfully quiet and following along behind them.

“Let me be your squire in this fight, Golden.”

The duelist stared at him in surprise, wings fluffing up slightly, “Y-you, father?”

His somewhat silvered muzzle crinkled with a sardonic smile, eyes twinkling.

“I am not so old that I cannot handle your weapons and armor, little dream,” he teased, raising a hoof to keep her from spluttering out an apology, “It is up to you.”

Emotion tightened Golden’s throat as she bowed her head to him, “Of course you can, father. It’d be an honor.”

The stands were packed to capacity that day, the cacophony of pony voices roaring over the fighters and their teams below. Interestingly, there were many banners and signs lifted up by those in the audience, showing various icons such as unicorn horns, or pegasi feathers, or even their names spelled outright. Golden was not quite sure what to make of it all.

“So, you made it to the end!”

Golden Dream looked up at the amused, smooth baritone voice. White Knight was an intimidating figure: a tall, broad Canterlotian unicorn in full plate, shining in the noon-time sun. His head was already helmeted, but he had his visor raised to allow White to give a friendly grin. Golden nodded in acknowledgement, giving a smile in return. Civility should always be greeted in kind.

“Indeed I have, Duke Knight. Are you prepared?”

The stallion chuckled quietly, “I am. For our fight, and my future nuptials. I’m thinking honeymoon in Prance. Try to spare the face, hrm?”

Good natured banter instead of wild eyed yelling? Yes, please. He got a more genuine grin out of the mare than she had shown in the entire tournament; though perhaps a bit too toothy, judging from the way his eyes widened. Likely the first time he had seen a pegasus' sharp, somewhat serrated teeth up close.

“The Princess married a Captain of the Royal Guard, Duke, and Princess Cadence faced King Sombra in combat, by herself. I think they rather like scars.”

The pair chuckled again before saluting, the Duke turning to hurry back to his waiting female squires. Golden Dream turned back to her side- only to find Aurem Wind standing close, holding a weapon that had not been on her rack before. It was the same medium height as her halberd, but instead boasted a broad hammer head on one side, and a powerful spike on the other, balancing out the top pike point. The triple lightning bolt of their House was acid-etched onto the hammer, on both the striking side, and each side of the hammer itself. Memory struck Golden Dream like a sack of ingots.

“F-father, your hammer…”

Technically, the family’s hammer. The princes of the old Pegasus city-states to the north traditionally used hammers as their symbol of power, and every princely House had a family hammer. It was one of the few heirlooms the Bolts had been able to keep during their exile, albeit hidden from the Royal Guard. Golden Dream looked up at her father incredulously.

“I had it inspected last night, for the bout,” he said before she could speak, eyes firm, “Use this, and your arming sword-blades. I know his type, these Canterlotian unicorns. He’ll go with a longsword and some form of dagger. ...please, Golden.”

The younger pegasus sucked in a slow, deep breath before nodding, taking the hammer in her slightly trembling hooves. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the height of Pegasi smith-culture, made of orichalcum and steel, giving the metal a near red tint. The hammer head and the spike were all one piece, riveted to top-spike, which was in turn bolted into an oaken haft, enchanted to never rot. The balance was perfect…

“Plate-and-chain then?” she managed thickly, stretching out her wings so that they could be armored and bladed.

“That’s my girl. And the pike-helm.”

As good as her brothers were, Golden’s father was their trainer, and had his daughter kitted out in record time. The roar of the crowd redoubled as she stepped into place, rising onto her hind hooves and gripping the pole-hammer tightly. The matched weight of the unicorn-like head spire of her open helm and her armor kept the mare nicely balanced. Perfect.

Like father had predicted, the Duke was levitating two blades, the allowed maximum, as he took his place. Unicorns could not levitate past foreleg reach as well, to keep things fair. One was indeed a dagger, a triangular piercer designed to puncture armor and nearly a foot long, while its companion was a double-edged longsword; like most unicorn designed weapons, there was no handle, just a large, circular metal pommel. The Duke had lowered his Germane-style sallet helm, and grinned over at his opponent.

“Ponies of the Crystal Empire!” boomed Princess Cadence’s voice, the crowd’s cheering rising up with her, “This is the final bout of the Crystal Tournament! The winner today will be next presented as a royal of the Crystal Empire!”

The Princess paused, her words ringing out in the crisp, spring air.

“Fighters, are you ready?”

White Knight and Golden Dream raised their weapons at the same time, to the eager cries of their respective families and supporters in the stands.

“Then by the power of Eros, of Love Eternal…”

Golden felt her chest and limbs warm and tingle.

“Begin!”

Sunlight streamed harshly into Golden’s eyes, and he was upon her. The longsword flicked out to draw a block from the pegasus while the dagger streaked for her face. It was an excellent move, working on the natural tendency to flinch from something going for a pony’s face. Instead, she twisted into it, wing-blade singing up to bat the weapon away, then continue to slice over the steel of his armor.

A sonorous chant was rumbling out from his helmet- Celestian prayers in old High Unicorn. The sun was so intensely bright… She paled.

‘A cleric.’

“He’s a damn Celestian priest,” Cadence hissed, eyes widening as she stared down at the rapid twisting and striking of the fight.

Twilight’s head snapped up at that, horn glowing through a scanning spell, “Are you sure?”

Cadence replied with just a nod, mind whirling. Every alicorn had a spark of the divine, tapping into one of the divine essences that permeated the Equusian world. Other ponies could tap into it during prayers, meditations, and acts of devotion; to alicorns, it all came naturally.

Celestialism was an unfortunate name- Celestia herself was not a fan of the path the main church had taken the faith. A focus on kindness and generosity had morphed over the centuries into a religion of false charity and intensely rich church leaders; from small church-homes to immense grand cathedrals. Everything she had built since the Golden Age of Equestria had shifted since the banishment of her sister, and it was hardly the religion of old. But regardless, the prayers and rituals, if done properly and with belief, still had power.

“Should I stop the duel?” Shining asked quickly, eyes locked on the battle below.

Cadence closed her eyes, teeth grinding for a moment, “No. We can’t. It isn’t technically against the rules. We can’t do anything…”

The slap of the longsword blade left an intense ringing in Golden’s ears, and she quickly rolled away, trying to stifle her pants. She was leaving a small red trail with every step, blood seeping down into her plated horseshoes from half a dozen punctures throughout her armor. One was settled over the base of her left wing, and the limb was responding only sluggishly, and with little strength.

‘Damnit.’

Duke White Knight’s shoulders rose and fell with rapid breaths- he was older than her by two decades, and was still praying. But he could get his breath back, and wasn’t losing nearly as much blood. This was a proper duelist.

As he began to twist forward, Golden Dream launched forward an her hind legs, swinging the pole-hammer horizontally and with her head lowered. The longsword flicked forward to block, the dagger stabbing forward at full speed. Both foes hit at the same time. Armor crumpled as the hammer head slammed into his left flank, something snapping with a resounding crack; the stallion snorted loudly in pain. The dagger felt white-hot as it buried into Golden’s clavicle between plates, the rings of the chainmail splintering under the point of the blade, and she screamed into her clenched teeth. The momentum of her charge and swing sent her spiked head into his armored shoulder, but the steel turned the point, and the two ponies strained at each other.

The rock hard pommel slammed into her muzzle, sending Golden reeling back to the dirt, blood flying in a mist from a crushed nose. Blearily, she stared up at the unicorn- he had ripped back his visor that had become dented during the fight, his once handsome visage twisted in rage and pain.

“You-”

Crunch.

“Fucking-”

Punch.

“Cunt!”

The fourth strike sent her tumbling over her shoulders, hitting the firm ground with a spray of dust and spittle. The sun did not glint as his sword was raised for a powerful downward stab. The chant had stopped. Spitting and snorting out a mouthful of blood and teeth, Golden Dream kicked her back hooves and spun on her good wing and shoulder, swinging the hammer with everything she had.

The longsword shattered at the impact, steel shards flinging back to the stunned Duke’s face and shoulders, drawing blood and a curse. The hammer had left Golden’s grip and spun through the dirt, the reinforced haft taking out the unicorn’s legs and sending him to the dirt with a crash of metal.

‘Now!’

The dagger zipped in as she scrambled forward, slicing into the base of her remaining working wing; her blade clattered to the ground, but she clenched the limb to her side as hard as she could manage. It tugged and twisted, pain lancing through her body- but Golden had it tight. Dust obscured the pain as she leaped for the prone, grimacing unicorn, mouth opening wide…

Silence. It thundered in Golden’s ears as she pressed against the larger stallion. His carotid artery throbbed beneath her serrated teeth; she tightened her jaw just so as he squirmed and flexed beneath her. The moment seemed to last for an eternity…

“I… I yield.”

Violet magic pried her jaw opened just enough to slide them apart, and the two combatants were yanked several feet apart, as the crowd roared. The ground seemed to shake beneath the rapidly greying mare, almost as much as she was.

“Winner by yield: Baronet Golden Dream! Healers to the circle, NOW!”

‘I did it… my Prince, Princess, heh… I…’

And the ground raced up to meet her.

Woof. And the tourney is done! But the story is only just beginning!