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With unanswered questions in his mind and his pride on the line, Specter intends to beat his rival once and for all, and Nightshade is more than happy to oblige her hated adversary.[/i]\n\nIt just occurred to me that I never got around to posting the rest of this. I'll take care of that in the next few days.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Specter and Nightshade's rivalry comes to a head when the two Blackguard meet again in Ponyville. With unanswered questions in his mind and his pride on the line, Specter intends to beat his rival once and for all, and Nightshade is more than happy to oblige her hated adversary.

It just occurred to me that I never got around to posting the rest of this. I'll take care of that in the next few days.", "writing": "“Don’t even think about moving.”\n\nNightshade’s mind raced as she weighed her options. She couldn’t move due to the other pony’s position, and she felt her magic being suppressed by her assailants own magic. All she could do was bide her time and wait for her attacker to slip up and create an opening for her to attack. However, his current position left no vulnerable spots to exploit, and she correctly guessed that the other Blackguard was every bit as sharp as she was.\n\n“Well, it’s about time you came out in the open.” Nightshade said dryly. “I was starting to think you were too scared to face me after out last encounter.”\n\nSpecter managed to brush off the insult, instead maintaining his concentration on keeping the mare immobilized. His stance was flawless, one hoof stepping on her tail so she couldn’t use the same technique he had used to force her off of him during their last fight.\n\n“Who are you? I know you from somewhere.” he asked her.\n\nNightshade let out a small laugh. “I’m the pony who was kicking your ass over there by the train station, or do you need a reminder of that fight?” she insulted him.\n\nOne of Specter’s hooves fidgeted slightly but not enough for Nightshade to take advantage of. “Don’t make me silence you forever! Tell me who you are! How do you know me? And why did you call me brother?” he hissed angrily.\n\nNightshade felt the sharp blade pressing into her neck press down slightly harder, nicking her skin slightly and drawing a drop of blood. Hoping that the blade wasn’t poisoned, she decided to press her luck a little bit further. “Look, if you have some sick incest fantasy where your older sister beats you, don’t look to me to help you with that.”\n\nNightshade couldn’t see how red Specter’s face was becoming in anger as she finally crossed the line. Letting his emotions get the better of him for the first time that he could remember, Specter raised one of his forehooves to strike the mare under him, but doing so gave Nightshade the opportunity she had been waiting for. She knocked his other forehoof aside and rolled aside just as he thrust his dagger forward, the blade creating a two inch scratch across her coat. Nightshade ignored the insignificant pain it temporarily caused her and got to her hooves, her own dagger floating beside her as she prepared for Specter’s next attack.\n\nHaving calmed himself down from her insults, Specter was still annoyed that he had fallen for her obvious tricks. He had lost the element of surprise, his ace, and now he weighed his limited options. The desire for answers won in his mind, as well as the primal urge to beat his adversary and proclaim his dominance. He adopted an aggressive stance, readying himself for an all-out attack but Nightshade threw out one last challenge.\n\n“Too afraid to fight me with your bare hoofs?” she asked, commenting on the dagger Specter still possessed.\n\nSpecter knew that retaining his dagger was the best bet to beating this cocky mare, but once again his own pride got the best of him. He cast his dagger aside to the edge of the rooftop, making sure the tip was securely embedded in the wooden shingle. “I expect you to do the same.” he said, having disarmed himself.\n\nNightshade didn’t even nod in acknowledgement but did the same, tossing her own dagger next to Specter’s in the same manner. “I know I don’t need any weapons or tricks to beat you.” she challenged him.\n\nNo sooner did the words leave her mouth did Specter begin his attack. He charged straight at his foe, lowering his head to head butt her and maybe even stick her with his horn. Nightshade almost laughed at his brazen attack; even a newborn foal could manage to dodge his attack. She guessed that he was expecting her to step or teleport to one side, but that would still leave her vulnerable to a last minute swerve. Instead, Nightshade teleported herself behind Specter just as he lunged in the air to flank him and push him off the roof. Coupled with a magic suppression spell like the one he had cast on her while he was pinning her down, the fall from the building would most likely injure him enough to end the fight right there and then. Carrying out her plan, she cast the spell and teleported herself the short distance...\n\n... only to find Specter still somehow coming right for her.\n\n“What...?” Nightshade gasped before the two ponies went tumbling across the roof.\n\nSpecter had indeed planned on Nightshade dodging his attack, and he had correctly guessed that she would try to throw him off the roof, so he cast a teleportation spell himself just as he was about to connect with her during the initial attack, turning himself around and catching her completely by surprise.\n\nBoth ponies fought ferociously as they struggled for the upper hoof. Both of them were maintaining their magic suppression spells on the other, and neither of them dared to try to create any distance between the other due to not wanting to offer any openings for attack. Instead, the two ponies bit, punched, and kicked at the other from extremely close quarters, not realizing that they were in fact rolling back towards the edge of the roof that they had just tried to avoid falling off of.\n\nSpecter finally realized their predicament as he found his head suddenly lacking anything underneath it. Nightshade realized their positioning a split second later but she simply ignored the danger, hoping that Specter would give in first. However, Specter also knew that in their current struggle, he and Nightshade were stuck in a stalemate, and only one idea came to mind on how to determine who was the better fighter in their current situation.\n\n“Hope you don’t mind heights.” he snickered. Before Nightshade could act, Specter wrapped all four legs tightly around her and rolled off the edge of the building, taking her with him for the three story fall to the ground.\n\nNightshade tried casting a teleportation spell to take her back to the rooftop but found that Specter was maintaining his magic suppression spell over her. [i]‘You crazy fucking...’[/i] Nightshade thought as she quickly cast the same spell to prevent him from slipping away at the last second.\n\nAs both ponies fell they briefly struggled against each other, trying to make the other bear the majority of the impact when they would finally reach the hard earth. Their struggles ceased as they were seconds from impact, and in one last ditch effort both unicorns released the other from their grip and switched to casting one last magical attack. Both ponies managed to release their attack the split second before they hit the ground, and both attacks hit their marks with deadly accuracy. The impact of their bodies hitting the ground knocked the breath out of both ponies, and the magic blasts knocked them apart a few yards before their bodies came to a rest.\n\nNightshade was in considerable pain, but then again so was Specter. Both ponies felt like they had a few cracked or broken ribs from the fall and each’s chest poured out blood from where the other had struck them with their magic blasts, but the wounds were superficial, nothing they couldn’t have fixed later on. They both knew that their opponent was still deadly and dangerous, and despite the shooting pains they both felt running through their legs both unicorns managed to struggle back to their hooves. Nightshade felt one hoof buckle slightly, but despite that leg possibly being broken she continued to slowly make her way over to her enemy, as was Specter. Both ponies abstained from using any of their depleted magic, not wanting to take any unnecessary risks when they weren’t sure how much magic the other still held in reserve, but before they could close within five yards of each other both ponies found themselves suddenly frozen in place.\n\n“Hey!” Nightshade exclaimed. At first she thought that Specter had cast the spell, but once she saw that he too was immobilized she began to recognize the color of the aura surrounding her body.\n\n“That’s enough!” Twilight shouted out. Her horn was brightly lit as she kept her bodyguard frozen while three Royal Guards next to her kept their magic focused on Specter. The stallion assassin cursed under his breath at being caught so easily, but Nightshade was more than willing to express her displeasure about having her battle interrupted.\n\n“Princess, let me go! I can finish him!” she said desperately.\n\n“I said, that’s enough!” Twilight said, refusing to let go. “Guards, take that pony to the solitary ward and make sure he is under strict watch at all times.”\n\nThe guards nodded, one of them placing a magic suppression ring around Specter’s horn before carefully dragging him into the hospital. Nightshade grimaced as she watched her foe being taken away, but she absolutely balked as she then felt Twilight place another suppression ring around her own horn.\n\n“Hey! What’s this for?!” Nightshade exclaimed.\n\n“I’m not taking any chances while you two are under the same roof.” she said. “Not after that display you both put on out here. Now are you going to agree to cooperate and not cause any problems while we get you taken care of or do I have to have the guards restrain you as well?”\n\nNightshade reluctantly nodded. “Fine.”\n\nTwilight sighed with relief as she was finally able to disperse her spell. “Come on, let’s go get you fixed up.” she said, helping Nightshade into the hospital. “And remember, behave yourself. The doctor already looks like he’s going to have a meltdown with everything else going on.”", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "“Don’t even think about moving.”

Nightshade’s mind raced as she weighed her options. She couldn’t move due to the other pony’s position, and she felt her magic being suppressed by her assailants own magic. All she could do was bide her time and wait for her attacker to slip up and create an opening for her to attack. However, his current position left no vulnerable spots to exploit, and she correctly guessed that the other Blackguard was every bit as sharp as she was.

“Well, it’s about time you came out in the open.” Nightshade said dryly. “I was starting to think you were too scared to face me after out last encounter.”

Specter managed to brush off the insult, instead maintaining his concentration on keeping the mare immobilized. His stance was flawless, one hoof stepping on her tail so she couldn’t use the same technique he had used to force her off of him during their last fight.

“Who are you? I know you from somewhere.” he asked her.

Nightshade let out a small laugh. “I’m the pony who was kicking your ass over there by the train station, or do you need a reminder of that fight?” she insulted him.

One of Specter’s hooves fidgeted slightly but not enough for Nightshade to take advantage of. “Don’t make me silence you forever! Tell me who you are! How do you know me? And why did you call me brother?” he hissed angrily.

Nightshade felt the sharp blade pressing into her neck press down slightly harder, nicking her skin slightly and drawing a drop of blood. Hoping that the blade wasn’t poisoned, she decided to press her luck a little bit further. “Look, if you have some sick incest fantasy where your older sister beats you, don’t look to me to help you with that.”

Nightshade couldn’t see how red Specter’s face was becoming in anger as she finally crossed the line. Letting his emotions get the better of him for the first time that he could remember, Specter raised one of his forehooves to strike the mare under him, but doing so gave Nightshade the opportunity she had been waiting for. She knocked his other forehoof aside and rolled aside just as he thrust his dagger forward, the blade creating a two inch scratch across her coat. Nightshade ignored the insignificant pain it temporarily caused her and got to her hooves, her own dagger floating beside her as she prepared for Specter’s next attack.

Having calmed himself down from her insults, Specter was still annoyed that he had fallen for her obvious tricks. He had lost the element of surprise, his ace, and now he weighed his limited options. The desire for answers won in his mind, as well as the primal urge to beat his adversary and proclaim his dominance. He adopted an aggressive stance, readying himself for an all-out attack but Nightshade threw out one last challenge.

“Too afraid to fight me with your bare hoofs?” she asked, commenting on the dagger Specter still possessed.

Specter knew that retaining his dagger was the best bet to beating this cocky mare, but once again his own pride got the best of him. He cast his dagger aside to the edge of the rooftop, making sure the tip was securely embedded in the wooden shingle. “I expect you to do the same.” he said, having disarmed himself.

Nightshade didn’t even nod in acknowledgement but did the same, tossing her own dagger next to Specter’s in the same manner. “I know I don’t need any weapons or tricks to beat you.” she challenged him.

No sooner did the words leave her mouth did Specter begin his attack. He charged straight at his foe, lowering his head to head butt her and maybe even stick her with his horn. Nightshade almost laughed at his brazen attack; even a newborn foal could manage to dodge his attack. She guessed that he was expecting her to step or teleport to one side, but that would still leave her vulnerable to a last minute swerve. Instead, Nightshade teleported herself behind Specter just as he lunged in the air to flank him and push him off the roof. Coupled with a magic suppression spell like the one he had cast on her while he was pinning her down, the fall from the building would most likely injure him enough to end the fight right there and then. Carrying out her plan, she cast the spell and teleported herself the short distance...

... only to find Specter still somehow coming right for her.

“What...?” Nightshade gasped before the two ponies went tumbling across the roof.

Specter had indeed planned on Nightshade dodging his attack, and he had correctly guessed that she would try to throw him off the roof, so he cast a teleportation spell himself just as he was about to connect with her during the initial attack, turning himself around and catching her completely by surprise.

Both ponies fought ferociously as they struggled for the upper hoof. Both of them were maintaining their magic suppression spells on the other, and neither of them dared to try to create any distance between the other due to not wanting to offer any openings for attack. Instead, the two ponies bit, punched, and kicked at the other from extremely close quarters, not realizing that they were in fact rolling back towards the edge of the roof that they had just tried to avoid falling off of.

Specter finally realized their predicament as he found his head suddenly lacking anything underneath it. Nightshade realized their positioning a split second later but she simply ignored the danger, hoping that Specter would give in first. However, Specter also knew that in their current struggle, he and Nightshade were stuck in a stalemate, and only one idea came to mind on how to determine who was the better fighter in their current situation.

“Hope you don’t mind heights.” he snickered. Before Nightshade could act, Specter wrapped all four legs tightly around her and rolled off the edge of the building, taking her with him for the three story fall to the ground.

Nightshade tried casting a teleportation spell to take her back to the rooftop but found that Specter was maintaining his magic suppression spell over her. ‘You crazy fucking...’ Nightshade thought as she quickly cast the same spell to prevent him from slipping away at the last second.

As both ponies fell they briefly struggled against each other, trying to make the other bear the majority of the impact when they would finally reach the hard earth. Their struggles ceased as they were seconds from impact, and in one last ditch effort both unicorns released the other from their grip and switched to casting one last magical attack. Both ponies managed to release their attack the split second before they hit the ground, and both attacks hit their marks with deadly accuracy. The impact of their bodies hitting the ground knocked the breath out of both ponies, and the magic blasts knocked them apart a few yards before their bodies came to a rest.

Nightshade was in considerable pain, but then again so was Specter. Both ponies felt like they had a few cracked or broken ribs from the fall and each’s chest poured out blood from where the other had struck them with their magic blasts, but the wounds were superficial, nothing they couldn’t have fixed later on. They both knew that their opponent was still deadly and dangerous, and despite the shooting pains they both felt running through their legs both unicorns managed to struggle back to their hooves. Nightshade felt one hoof buckle slightly, but despite that leg possibly being broken she continued to slowly make her way over to her enemy, as was Specter. Both ponies abstained from using any of their depleted magic, not wanting to take any unnecessary risks when they weren’t sure how much magic the other still held in reserve, but before they could close within five yards of each other both ponies found themselves suddenly frozen in place.

“Hey!” Nightshade exclaimed. At first she thought that Specter had cast the spell, but once she saw that he too was immobilized she began to recognize the color of the aura surrounding her body.

“That’s enough!” Twilight shouted out. Her horn was brightly lit as she kept her bodyguard frozen while three Royal Guards next to her kept their magic focused on Specter. The stallion assassin cursed under his breath at being caught so easily, but Nightshade was more than willing to express her displeasure about having her battle interrupted.

“Princess, let me go! I can finish him!” she said desperately.

“I said, that’s enough!” Twilight said, refusing to let go. “Guards, take that pony to the solitary ward and make sure he is under strict watch at all times.”

The guards nodded, one of them placing a magic suppression ring around Specter’s horn before carefully dragging him into the hospital. Nightshade grimaced as she watched her foe being taken away, but she absolutely balked as she then felt Twilight place another suppression ring around her own horn.

“Hey! What’s this for?!” Nightshade exclaimed.

“I’m not taking any chances while you two are under the same roof.” she said. “Not after that display you both put on out here. Now are you going to agree to cooperate and not cause any problems while we get you taken care of or do I have to have the guards restrain you as well?”

Nightshade reluctantly nodded. “Fine.”

Twilight sighed with relief as she was finally able to disperse her spell. “Come on, let’s go get you fixed up.” she said, helping Nightshade into the hospital. “And remember, behave yourself. The doctor already looks like he’s going to have a meltdown with everything else going on.”", "pools_count": 3, "title": "36. \"Strife, Part 1\"", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/png", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "5", "name": "Strong Violence", "description": "Strong violence, blood, serious injury or death", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "212" }