>The announcer hopped off of the ring, giving the two of you room to battle.
>Here it was. The moment you'd been waiting for.
>You popped your knuckles and took a battle stance.
>Stonewall did as well, his arms raised and ready to strike and block.
>The two of you circled one another like dogs, waiting for the other to charge or strike.
>You stared each other down as you moved, trying to find an opening or weakness.
>The crowd hushed down to murmurs as they awaited the first strike.
>The silence was tense, and you felt it fit the current moment well.
>Then, suddenly, Stonewall broke into a sprint and rushed towards you.
>When he was within range, he brought his arm back and thrust his fist towards you.
>You rolled out of the way, barely dodging his attack.
>As he tried to slow to a stop, you took advantage and kicked him in the back, trying to knock him over the edge of the ring.
>The force of your kick caused him to fall over, but he put his arms forward and performed a handstand as he hit the ground, barely teetering over the ring's edge.
>The crowd ooo'd at his ability.
>He flipped back to a rightside-up position, and turned around to face you.
>He stretched his back, which made an audible pop as he did so.
>"Not bad," he complimented before coming at you for another hit.
>You grabbed his fist in one of your palms, but you weren't fast enough to counter his other fist, which hit you square in the stomach, causing you to cough loudly.
>You clenched your abdomen, with Stonewall following up his punch with a headbutt, sending you to the ground.
>As you lie on the ground, he raised one of his hooved legs to stomp on you, but you were able to roll out of the way.
>Once you were still, you kicked one of your legs out to hit his hoof, causing him to trip and fall.
>You got up on your feet and tried stomping at him as well.
>He rolled backwards to dodge, and stood up once again.
>The both of you charged forward, fists clenched and one arm held back for a mighty strike.
>The two of you launched your arms forwards, and your fist was met with his.
>You reeled back for another hit, as did he, but only met each other's fists yet again.
>The crowd cheered while your battle raged on.
>This continued for a solid minute or so, fist clashed against fist, and you were starting to wonder if this was a good tactic anymore.
>Before you could stop, though, Stonewall leaped backwards, then charged again, this time with one arm pointed outwards.
>You dodged his tackle, but he came around and tried again, not slowing down whatsoever.
>You moved to the side to dodge again, though this time you noticed he was running even faster.
>Thinking quickly, you dropped to your back, and when he came close enough, you kicked your legs out.
>Your feet made contact with his stomach, and using the momentum he had built up, you threw your legs backwards
>Your feet planted on his body, Stonewall moved with your legs as you slammed him into the ground behind you.
>Your attack successful, you stood back up and turned around to view the damage.
>Stonewall, while groggy, was able to bring himself to stand again.
>You leaped at him with your fist pointed towards him, but he was able to grab you out of the air by your shirt.
>You struggled in his grip, but it was in vain as he brought you high into the air, then slammed you into the ground.
>The air was knocked out of your lungs as your body hit the tile arena.
>While you writhed in pain, you noticed that Stonewall had not released his grip on you.
>Bringing you back up, he spun once with you in hand, before throwing you to the far side of the ring.
>You flew through the air, then landed on your arm, the limb crushed by the impact.
>You attempted to get back up, but the searing pain in your arm greatly hindered you.
>Stonewall walked over to you slowly, allowing you to find the strength to get up.
>You held your injured arm with your healthy one, and before continuing the fight, moved your damaged limb around before hearing a loud crack, which temporarily eased the pain.
>The minotaur smiled confidently as he strode over to you.
>"You've been a formidable opponent, bodyguard. Most who stand against me in battle would be lying on the ground unconscious by now."
>You grinned back at him.
"I'm not 'most' though, now am I?"
>He shook his head.
>"True," he said,  "but now, you join their ranks!"
>His fist flew in from what appeared to be nowhere, and hit you right in your jaw.
>The force of his punch knocked you over to the side hard, your body once again hitting the tile.
>You lie on the ground, your vision ebbing away as you stared up at Stonewall.
>Things looked grim for you.
>The minotaur stood over you triumphantly, his arms crossed.
>Time seemed to slow as a referee rushed over to you, and checked to see if you were still awake.
>When he saw you were still conscious, he stood tall, and shouted, "One!"
>You assumed he was to count to ten, as was usual for fights like this.
>"Two!"
>You had eight seconds to get up.
>You wanted to, but you couldn't find it in you to do it.
>"Three!"
>"Your arms shook as you tried to push yourself up, but you fell back down."
>"Four!"
>Stonewall humphed.
>"Know that you were an honorable opponent, bodyguard. You stand out among the rest."
>"Five!"
>This was it.
>You had five seconds, and you weren't getting up soon.
>"Six!"
>...
>...
>"Seven!"
>...
>"...Anonymous."
>You blinked.
>Was that a voice you heard?
>"Anonymous. Please..."
>Was that...?
>You blinked again, and saw Star Gazer's face.
>He looked desperate.
>"Please, you have to get up."
>"Eight!"
>"Please, Anonymous."
>His voice melded with someone else's.
>Miracle Crop?
>You wondered if you were hit too hard by Stonewall.
>"Get up, Anonymous! Get up!"
>And Moses.
>"Sir, I implore you to stand up, please!"
>Polo.
>This had to be your mind's way to motivate you to fight.
>"Nine!"
>"...Anonymous."
>...Celestia?
>Her visage formed in your sight.
>"Anonymous, I believe in you," the Celestia vision told you in her serene, calm voice. "I'm confident you'll do the right thing..."
>Her words from earlier.
>Yes, the right thing.
>You would do that right thing.
>And that was to get up.
>You found the strength to stand once more, hopping back up to your feet at the last moment, as the referee was just about to call the final number.
>The sun shined brighter as you faced Stonewall yet again, the expression on his face one of shock.
>"Impossible!"
>You didn't give him time to react, lashing out with your fists at him.
>You hit him twice on his face, before he grabbed one of your arms and held you in the air again.
>Not again.
>You kicked him directly in the snout, causing him to drop you and reel back in pain.
>You followed up by tackling him, your shoulder making contact with his chest, knocking him over.
>You jumped off of him, waiting for the minotaur to rise again.
>He did so, and enraged, his fists flew at you at a brisk pace.
>You were able to dodge every attack, and then grabbed both of his arms.
>You kicked down his knees, causing him to fall forward, his arms still within your grip.
>Using all the strength in your body, you slowly but surely lifted him into the air, then behind you, his body dangling on your back.
>He tried hitting you, but your resolve was enough to numb any pain for the time being.
>You shifted your legs, then brought your arms forward in one swift motion, your opponent flying through the air for one moment, then hitting the ground the next.
>He landed on the tile with a loud, resounding "whump!"
>You let go of him.
>He lie there for a moment, before rolling on his stomach.
>He wasn't done yet.
>He pushed against the ground with his arms, standing back up.
>However, he was stunned as he stood, not able to stay still.
>That was when you noticed that he was dangerously close to the edge of the ring.
>This was your chance.
>You lifted your leg, and bent your knee tightly.
>You released, your leg hitting his chest.
>It was a magnificent hit, sending the minotaur flying off the ring.
>Time slowed as you watched him soar, the sight of such a large creature being sent into the air being rare.
>He hit the grass with a loud thud, and lie there.
>The crowd was dead silent, then went into a full-blast cheer as you stood, victorious.
>The announcer scurried back up onto the arena and held your non-injured arm with his hoof.
>"Fillies and gentlecolts, our winner, Anonymous!"
>You looked up to face the crowd.
>Their happy expressions and loud cheering was enough incentive for you to stand straight up and lift you other arm.
>You soaked in the crowd's approval, feeling all of your pain wash away.
>Though the crowd's praise was good, there was one pony in the crowd you needed to see.
>You looked up at the royals' seats.
>Luna was applauding you heavily.
>Celestia was as well.
>When she noticed your gaze, she stopped, and smiled down at you.
>To you, it spoke louder than all the other ponies' cheers combined.
>The announcer began to speak again.
>"Now that the final match is over, we will hold our closing ceremony in thirty minutes! Don't be late!"
>With one last round of applause, the crowd rose from their seats and shuffled out, prepping themselves for the ceremony.
>Celestia and Luna stood up, the beautiful, solar pony nodding at you, before she and her sister leave as well.
>You hop off of the ring and walk over to Stonewall, who is being helped by a couple assistants.
>He has regained his senses, and looks at you without emotion as you approach him.
>You stand above the sitting minotaur.
>You extend your hand.
>His eyes dart to it, then you, then back to your hand.
>He smiles, and takes your hand in his, letting you help him up.
>He looks down at you.
>"Bodygu-, I mean, ...Anonymous," he corrects, "you were an honorable opponent. Congratulations on being the first to defeat me."
>The two of you shake hands.
"You were no pushover yourself, Stonewall," you tell him.
>He laughed loudly and heartily.
 
>You and Stonewall walked back into the locker room, beaten, but confident.
>Moses, Crop, and Polo rush up to the two of you.
>While they all simulataneously spoke, you got the message that they were asking for the identity of the winner.
>You held up your hand to silence them.
"You're looking at him."
>Moses looks to Stonewall.
>"Is this true?" he asked the former 'champion'.
>He merely nodded his head.
>Polo let out a celebratory cheer.
>"Congratulations sir! I knew you had it in you from the start!"
>"Hun, you've got skill! No offense, but I wasn't sure you'd pull it off!"
"Thank you, but I don't think you're giving my opponent here enough credit," you say as you motion to Stonewall. "He was great out there."
>Stonewall knelt down in front of Polo.
>"And ra-, er, ...Polomarco. I...apologize for the intimidation."
>Polo lifted an eyebrow.
>"I'm curious, but what's with the change of heart?"
>Stonewall looked at him regretfully.
>"Your master has bested me, and proven his honor. I am to respect him and his colleagues."
>"Erm, I'm not sure 'master' is the right word for it..."
>"Would you like me to respect you or not?"
>Polo's face went white for a moment, and he nodded quickly.
>Stonewall grinned.
>"Merely joking."
>While Stonewall got a good laugh out of that, Polo nervously laughed with him, a bead of sweat trickling down his face.
>While they talked, Cerulean stayed put in his spot.
>Surprisingly though, he nodded at you as you passed him.
>Gravel was busy dusting off his hooves, his expression the same as always.
>Star sat on one of the benches, sulking and thinking to himself.
>You knew what you had to do.
>You walked over to the bench and sat next to him.
"Hey Star, you doing any better?"
>He blinked slowly.
>"Yeah, I'm fine."
"That's good, Star. Did you hear the news?"
>"That you won?" he asked. He looked up at you, and forced a smile. "That's great, Anonymous. Good for you."
>His smile wavered, and he looked back down.
"You remember what the prize was, right?"
>He looked up at you, confused.
>"One thousand bits and kisses from the princesses. How could I forget?"
>He shuffled uncomfortably.
>"You must be one happy guy, Anonymous."
"I am, Star. And I can make you happy, too."
>His ears twitch and he lifts his head quickly.
>"What?"
"It's one thousand bits, Star. Think about it. Do you think someone like me really needs a thousand bits?"
>His eyes light up.
>"A-are you saying...?"
>You nod.
"I'm going to give you, Crop, and Moses part of my prize money. You've all been good to me, and you deserve it."
>"I...I..."
>A smile creeps on his face as tears begin to roll down his cheeks.
>He grabs you and pulls you into a hug, sniffling.
>"Thank you, Anonymous."
>You hugged him back.
"It's the least I can do, Star."
 
>You had spoken to Moses and Crop about your money sharing plan, and they were all for it.
>It was agreed that you would give Star four hundred, while you, Crop and Moses got two hundred.
>Now the time had come for the closing ceremony.
>"Oh, don't want to forget ol' birdbrain, now do we?" Moses had said ten minutes prior.
>In those ten minutes, you retrieved Lark, woke him up, and threatened that if he didn't play it cool, you would hurt him more than Crop or Moses.
>He fearfully agreed to stay quiet.
>You and the other contestants were led out to the field by an assistant, where a stage was set up.
>Because Polo wasn't a contestant, he was escorted out and taken to the bleachers, though he got a front-row seat.
>The princesses sat in front of the stage, smiling.
>You all stood on the stage, proud to have competed.
>Well, most of you did, anyways.
>The announcer pony from before came onto the stage with you and the other contestants.
>"Fillies and gentlecolts, let's give a good round of applause to our competitors for putting on such a great show!"
>The cheering was loud, as usual, and you and your fellow competitors provided your own greetings to the crowd.
>Star stood next to you, bashfully waving.
>Stonewall's arms were crossed as he nodded at the crowd.
>Crop blew kisses to the crowd.
>Moses thrust his arms into the air with a grin on his face.
>Gravel only sat there.
>Cerulean turned to the side and looked away.
>Lark waved, though his expression showed something other than pride.
>"And now, let's give our champion his rewards! Your Majesties, if you would please."
>The royal sisters got up from their spots and walked up the stage.
>They walked all the way across the stage until they reached you, and faced you.
>The announcer gave Celestia the microphone via telekinetic grip.
>"For winning Ponyville's first Endurance Competition, rising to the top, and proving your skills of ultimate endurance, I reward you, Anonymous, one thousand bits, and a kiss from my sister and I!"
>She gave the microphone back to the announcer, and Luna brought out a sack with her magic, which floated over to you.
>You took the sack out of the air, which felt heavy with coins.
>But that wasn't what you were waiting for.
>You set the bag down.
>You looked at Celestia.
>She closed her eyes and leaned forward, her lips waiting.
>You fully obliged the sun princess as you leaned forward yourself, wrapping your arms around her neck.
>Your lips met, and it was true bliss.
>She was as soft as you could imagine, and the scent of her perfumes was tantalizing.
>Your tongues danced in each others' mouths, and you felt like there was nothing left in the world but you and her.
>You held your kiss for what seemed an eternity, hoping it would never end.
>You rubbed up and down her neck, savoring her touch.
>She gave your cheek a small stroke, then broke the kiss.
>"Anonymous," she told you, "I never thought you'd be such a great kisser."
>She smiled, and blushed a little.
>You only smiled back at her as the crowd cheered.
>Luna came up to you, but before she could give you a kiss, you thought of something.
>Surely, if the money was yours to do with as you wished, weren't the kisses the same way?
>You leaned forward and whispered into Luna's ear.
>She was intrigued by your words and nodded, then giggled.
>She leaned forward and waited for your kiss.
>You leaned forward as well, but then stepped back as she went for Star's lips.
>The batpony was caught by surprise, his wings flared, and his eyes wide open.
>When Luna broke the kiss, his expression remained, the wide-eyed, thousand yard stare.
>Then he fainted.
>You kind of expected that.
 
>After the ceremony finished, you and your competitors, some now friends, parted ways.
>Star had wished you luck on your travels, and gave you his mailing address so that you could keep in touch.
>Crop told you that you wouldn't need letters to see him again, since he and his family's farm would be famous soon.
>Moses told you that he would immediately take the bits you gave him and exchange them for gems. He also said that he would remember you and Polo's scents, so that he could find you again and thank you with a special gem.
newall was eager to get back to training for another contest being held in Manehattan, and invited you to come watch him, or maybe participate again so that you could have a rematch. You told him you'd be sure to catch him there.
>Cerulean was disappointed that he wasn't able to live up to his challenge, but said that he would make up a story to the other dragons he hung out with.
>Gravel, stoic as ever, said goodbye and went home. To his house in Ponyville. Not a very dramatic farewell.
>Lark avoided you the entire time.
>Now that you had said your goodbyes, you and Polo went back to the inn you fancied and ate before packing up.
"So, where to next, Polo?" you asked, a mouth full of food.
>"Well sir," he started, "we could go west to the Unicorn Range and Smokey Mountains, or North to Canterlot."
>Canterlot.
>That meant you might see Celestia again.
"North, Polo. Let's go to Canterlot."
>"Ah, going to more civilization? I thought you were more of a wilderness type of fellow."
"Trust me Polo," you said, taking another bite of food, "I love the journey through the wilderness as much as you'd expect, but personally..."
>You gazed ahead with a silly grin.
I think I love Celestia more."
>Your pegasus friend chuckled to himself.
>"I suppose your winnings could book us a couple nights in some of their hotels up there. Consider it marked as our next destination."
>Your heart skipped a beat as you celebrated on the inside.
>Your destination may as well have been the sun.