Aurea Durae

The Beginning

Once upon a time, in a land whose inhabitants were far from the standard human, was a journey of cruelty, violence and freedom. Of a terrible place in which two mares found those similar to them and bonded in the midst of combat. This is a story of hope, of fighting for honor and freedom.

"Names and hometowns of origin, please," said the grim stallion at the gate counter. "Oceania, Atlantis City, and Evergreen Park, Loindon." "Desired role in the ring?" "Pair fighters, please." The stallion nodded at the two mares and gestured them in, past the heavy metal gate closing off the circular building. The purple earth mare rested her head on the blue unicorn's shoulder. "Oceania," said the purple mare, stroking Oceania's coat, "are you sure about this, sweetie?" Oceania turned her head towards her marefriend and reassured her, "It's gonna be okay, Park. It's just some friendly spars with other ponies." The grim stallion made the mares sit down as he took out a brush and a can of white paint, gesturing Oceania to come closer to him as he sat down on a stool. "Atlantis City, huh? Didn't know four-leggeds could live there. You a hybrid?" said the stallion as he began to paint a mark on Oceania's cheeks. "Yes-and hey, what's this mark for?" "The white mark is given to every fighter on the ring. Everyone's is different-like a code."

Once both mares has finished getting marked, they were shown to their rooms. For a fight-for-money area, the rooms weren't bad. At all. Immediately after the pair settled down, a knock on the door echoed through the room. Park walked over to the door and "HELLO Y'ALL NEW MOTHERBUCKERS!!!" rang in their ears accompanied by a loud noise of a blue pegacorn crashing on Park's bed. A cyan earth mare stood in the doorway shaking her head as Park helped drag the pegacorn mare off her bed. "Excuse me, I'm Summer Sea, and I TRIED to tell her not to annoy you guys," the cyan mare spoke up, "but Moony insisted that we enter a stranger couple's room. Just to ship them and bring them...potatoes?" The pegacorn's blue eyes lit up as she pulled out a sack of potatoes from behind her back. "MUST BE FRIENDS BY THROW POTAT!!" 'Moony' screamed out as she threw a potato (or ten) at Oceania. "Oh my Celestia, Moonlight, control yourself!" Summer Sea quickly dragged her marefriend off the bed and confiscated the potato sack. "Apologies, my marefriend has.." Summer sighed, "no self control whatsoever." "No, no, it's okay! Me and Oceania..um..don't mind. My name is Evergreen Park, and me and my marefriend got our bags done. Show us around, would you?" Upon hearing this, Moonlight sprang up and took both Park and Oceania's hoof. "Would be pleased to, ladies."

"Ah, and this is a good friend's room! Knock ahead!" said Moon, pointing to the door. Oceania knocked on the door, and the door was slammed open. "Ay, get in! Name's Night Flash. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The mares walked into the room and noticed Night's messy mane. "Night, why is your mane so.....messy?" said Moonlight. "I don't have a comb." Summer walked over to the cupboard and opened it. "Well, you have : combs, brushes, hi Flask!" the gray stallion, Flask, who was hiding inside the cupboard, exchanged surprised looks with the newcomers, "shampoo and hair conditioner." Oceania and Park looked at each other and nodded, as they thought "This ring is wild already."

"So, tell me more about yourselves, starting from you, Park!" Park nodded and began speaking up, "My name is Evergreen Park, born in Equestria, raised in Loindon. I'm an earthbender." "I'm Oceania, Atlantis City. Hybrid. Waterbender." Night clapped and spoke up herself, "Night Flash, y'all! 100% Equestrian, and I'm one with electricity! Flask here is my extremely hot assassin coltfriend." The grey-white electrokinetic glanced over at Summer and Moon. "Hey, introduce yourselves to the newcomers, too." Summer gestured the alicorn next to her to go first. "Moonlight! I'm an energy mage. My marefriend here, Summer Sea, is a healer with some freaky thermokinetic shizzle!" Oceania nodded and shook hooves with Moonlight.

"Oceania, sweetie?" "Yes, Park? It's late, sleep." The purple mare shook her head hesitantly, "I'm just nervous. About our first fight. Who will we be fighting? What'll happen to them? Will we always fight in pairs?" Oceania stroked her marefriend's mane and reassured her with a hug. "I don't know, Oni. I'm not sure everyone here is nice-Oceania?" Park looked over to her marefriend and saw that she was already fast asleep in the filled bathtub. Park sighed and walked over to her bed, lay down, and was soon lost in slumber.