A/N: This is a quick-ish, One-Shot I did because I felt like it. This happens during Delnid's time as a squire but this happens a few years into his training so yeah...on with the story.
Delnid looked over the tattered poster that hung from the notice board near the entrance to the fair, his look of apprehension quickly replaced with one of delight, he had made it into the tournament. As he went through the names, he noticed a few plants he knew, Arvendale, Leotholdus and Alduin. He was soon swarmed by the various other plants that wanted to enter the tournament, many of them were disappointed when they found out they hadn't made it in. As Delnid turned and walked toward a stall selling various paraphernalia, a few pods rested themselves on his shoulder, as well as a familiar voice speaking out.
"Hey, good luck in the tournament, I cherish the opportunity to cross blades." Delnid looked back at the Ice Pea and thanked them.
"Thanks, Leotholdus. Good luck to you as well." Just as Delnid began to continue his journey to the stall, a Peashooter walked over to Delnid and Leotholdus and spoke.
"You're both gonna need more than luck to beat me. You know, this season seems like the easiest one I've seen in a while." Leotholdus shoved the obtrusive Peashooter as he said angrily.
"Why don't you just shut your mouth. Who do you think you are anyway?" The Peashooter only laughed at Delnid's friend as he said sarcastically.
"Who do I think I am? Uh, a zombie?" The Peashooter chuckled before he said seriously. "I'm just pulling your roots. The names Archilus, I'm the current champion while you my friend, are going to be nothing but in a world of pain when you face me." Leotholdus turned from the Peashooter and disappeared into the crowd. Delnid on the other pod shook his head and simply went over to the stall he was originally heading over to. At the stall he purchased a few spices for Kryptic, the sunflower had asked him to find them for her. After paying the stall owner over fifty florins for the various spices, Delnid placed the small glass flasks in his bag and he set off towards the arena.
Delnid stepped into the small crowd of various Peashooters who were fighting to see the poster that detailed who was fighting who. Delnid was able to push himself to the front of the group and dreaded the thought of fighting his friend, he was to face Arvendale. He soon found the Rock Pea, a look of mixed emotions on their tan coloured face. Delnid grabbed the enchanted pendant that hung around his neck and he thought.
"Do not worry friend, I will hold back if you wish." Arvendale frowned and thought.
"Do not hold back for me. Fight your hardest, you deserve a chance to go through." Delnid smiled at his rocky friend and thanked them in his head. Delnid released the pendant and smiled to himself, Kryptic's skill with magic really was improving. Before Delnid could seek out his other friends that were in the tournament, a bell rung out and the first two fighters were permitted entrance to the arena. The other fighters stopped talking and quickly flooded the small set of benches set aside for the fighters to watch their other competitors. Delnid and Arvendale walked over to the set of bleachers that had been allocated for them and they took a seat beside their Plasma Pea friend, Alduin. They looked around for the familiar, icy face of Leotholdus, until they were shocked by his appearance in the arena, a look of determination and anger in his icy blue eyes. Across the arena from him stood the Peashooter that had been antagonizing them earlier, the current tournament champion, Archilus, a smirk on his face. Both plants took up differing battle stances, Leotholdus took a defensive stance while Archilus took up a stance that was very similar to Delnid's own opening stance, one that signified an aggressive approach to battle. After a few seconds of intense glaring, the bell was struck once, and both plants leapt straight into battle. Leotholdus kept his ice blue tower shield up as he advanced towards Archilus, his sword, Aetherius was unsheathed in his free pod by his side. Archilus on the other pod was charging full speed at the defensive Ice Pea, his sword, Tempest, he held over his head, blade forward, ready to strike. As the two plants entered striking range, Leotholdus thrust his shield forward in an attempt to knock the aggressive Peashooter back. Archilus predicted that his opponent would attempt to shield bash him so he spun around the right side of the shield and quickly struck with his sword. After a few good jabs into Leotholdus' side, he pulled out and prepared to repeat what he had just done. Leotholdus was stunned by the rapid strikes, his blood began to fall onto the sands of the arena in droplets. Leotholdus raised his sword to parry any strikes at his right side while he used his shield to cover his center and left side. Archilus noticed the Ice Peas change of posture so he came up with a plan to end the duel before it dragged on any longer than it had to. Archilus charged straight at Leotholdus' center, straight at the tower shield. Leotholdus frowned and struck for ward with his shield, only to look up and find the Peashooter leaping over him, twirling mid-air and landing right behind him. Archilus smiled and he struck Leotholdus through the chest, the Ice Pea collapsed and the bell was struck.
As soon as the bell was rung, a large number of the audience cheered and Archilus bowed for the crowd before he waltzed out of the arena. Delnid sighed and frowned as his unconscious friend was carted out of the arena by a couple of Metal Petals. Once the crowd quietened down, a crier called out.
"Archilus has defeated Leotholdus. Leotholdus has been eliminated from the tournament. The next fighters are..." Delnid stopped listening to the crier and watched as a Fire Pea and a Commando Pea got up and headed down towards the arena. Delnid watched with a mix of interest and dread as he watched squire after squire spill blood onto the sands of the arena. As time went by, a Commando Pea, a Toxic Pea, a Law Pea and Delnid's Plasma Pea friend, Alduin, all made it through. As Alduin walked out of the arena, rather haphazardly since it had been a very close duel for Alduin, the crier called out.
"Alduin has defeated Leopold. Leopold has been eliminated. The next fighters are Delnid and Arvendale." Delnid and his Rock Pea friend both stood and walked to opposite ends of the arena.
Delnid raised his sword, Oblivion, the obsidian blade glinted slightly from the sunlight, and his heater shield as he took up an aggressive battle stance. Arvendale on the other hand only raised his sword, Silverlight , the blade seemed to emanate light, while he kept his shield holstered on his back. Once the bell was rung, Delnid and Arvendale charged each other, Delnid's dark blade clashing with Arvendale's light one. After a few seconds of pushing, the two plants pushed off each other and charged again. This time Delnid caught Silverlight on his shield while he thrust Oblivion into Arvendale's rocky stem, too low for the blow to defeat Arvendale right there. Delnid withdrew his sword from his friend, a look of anguish on both plants faces. Arvendale pulled Silverlight back and jabbed at Delnid's stem, the Peashooter wasn't able to block the strike and only managed to deflect the blade, up into his own face. The cold silver blade slit a large part of Delnid's face and he to, began to bleed. Delnid and Arvendale retreated from each other before charging again. This time, Delnid's aim was true as he thrust Oblivion straight through Arvendale's chest. The Rock Pea looked down to see the obsidian blade impaled through his chest. Delnid felt something cool in his chest and looked down, Silverlight's silver blade was impaled through his chest as well. Both plants looked up at each other and pulled their swords out of the other. Neither plant did anything for a few seconds, until Arvendale collapsed and fell back onto the sands, a pool of darkened sand began to form around where his chest was. Delnid felt like he was going to collapse as well, but he managed to hold onto reality. After a few seconds of silence, the bell was struck and the crowd cheered. Delnid hobbled out of the arena and the crier soon called out.
"Delnid has defeated Arvendale. Arvendale has been eliminated. The next fighters are..." Delnid tuned out and found the world spinning , spinning and then, black.
Delnid awoke in a medical tent near the arena, the other defeated and injured fighters also filled the tent. Delnid hopped off the hammock he lay in and asked one of the Sunflowers, who was walking past the hammock he was lying in, and asked.
"What happened?" The Sunflower tutted before she spoke.
"You bled out. But don't worry, you're still in the tournament. I would head back up to the bleachers, you'll be fighting soon. Good luck." Delnid thanked the Sunflower who went off to do whatever it was she was doing, and found himself back on the bleachers with Alduin, a look of concern on his face. Delnid looked at the worried Plasma Pea and asked.
"What's the matter, Alduin?" The Plasma Pea was shocked out of his thoughts and said apprehensively to his peashooting friend.
"Well uh...I can't believe this...but I'm to fight you." Delnid frowned and he placed his pods to his head as he tried to comprehend what he had just been told. After a few seconds, Delnid looked up at his Plasma Pea friend and said sadly.
"Why? I've already seriously injured Arvendale...I don't want to seriously injury you." Alduin frowned as he spoke.
"I don't want to seriously hurt you either, but I mean...If we don't...Neither of us will get through." Delnid sighed before he spoke with a tone filled with self-loathing.
"I suppose. Why did we think it was a good idea for all four of us to enter?" Alduin let out a forced laugh before he replied to Delnid's rhetorical question.
"Because, we only expected one of us to get in, not all four of us. Now then, if I told you, that you could vanquish me. Would that make you feel better?" Delnid nodded weakly as he spoke.
"I guess...Look, you have my permission to vanquish me then." Alduin smiled and said.
"If I can get that far." The bell was rung just as Alduin finished speaking and the crier called out.
"Archilus has defeated Alcinus. Alcinus has been eliminated. The last two fighters of this stage are Delnid and Alduin." Both plants stood up apprehensively before walking to opposite sides of the arena.
When in position, Delnid drew Oblivion and raised the obsidian sword to around his chest height, blade forward and ready to strike. Alduin raised his scythe, Adjudicator, and prepared for his friends charge. Once the bell was rung, Delnid sprung forward and approached his friend. Once Delnid was close enough, Alduin swept Adjudicator in front of himself in an arc. Delnid saw this coming and leapt back to try and avoid the blade of the scythe. Delnid was a fraction too slow and the blade clipped his stem, his blood began to ooze onto the sand. Delnid ignored the cut and charged again. Once again, Alduin swept Adjudicator in front of himself. Delnid was prepared for it this time and jumped over the blade. Just as Delnid brought Oblivion down in an overhead attack on his friend, Alduin managed to use the snath of his scythe to block Delnid's strike. Alduin then used the snath to knock his friend onto their back. With Delnid on the ground and open, Alduin swung Adjudicator over his head and down, the blade sliced straight into Delnid's stem, Alduin had missed his chest by a few centimeters. Alduin withdrew the blade and struck again. Delnid rolled out of the way of the blade and knocked the Plasma Pea over using his shield. Before Alduin could get up, Delnid quickly vanquished him with Oblivion. Delnid withdrew the blade after a few anguished seconds and the bell was rung. Delnid walked out of the Arena to the sound of cheers, the crier called out.
"Delnid has defeated Alduin. Alduin has been eliminated. This means Delnid will face Archilus in the finals." Delnid stopped just before he was completely out of the arena, he was going to regret beating Alduin.
Once Delnid was in the medical tent, a Sunflower quickly healed his wounds and back to full health. Once that was done with, Delnid found Arvendale and grabbed the pendant around his neck as he thought.
"Arvendale, are you hurt?" The Rock Pea shook his head and thought.
"No. I can tell that you made it through." Delnid asked the Rock Pea with his thoughts.
"How did you know?" Arvendale smiled deviously before thinking.
"They only just brought Alduin in. Congratulate him for me when he's conscious, alright?" Delnid nodded and released the pendant, his thoughts were his own again. Just as Delnid approached his unconscious, Plasma Pea friend, he was approached by Archilus who spoke.
"So, you're the last whelp I have to turn into a bloody pile. I'm going to enjoy this." Delnid ignored the current tournament champion and stood beside the hammock his friend lay in. After a few minutes, Alduin sat up and gave his Peashooter friend a weak smile. Delnid smiled back, but before the two plants could converse, Delnid was being told he had to head to the arena. As Delnid walked out of the tent, he managed to hear a few plants say a few things like, 'good luck', and 'knock that ungrateful whelp off his thrown'. Delnid smiled slightly as he stepped through the open gate and into the arena.
Across from Delnid stood Archilus, a smirk on his smug, Peashooter face. Delnid raised Oblivion up to his chest, blade forward, and he waited for the bell to ring. Archilus raised his rapier, Tempest, and waited for the bell as well. After a few, tense moments, the bell rung and time seemed to slow for the two plants. Delnid would strike, it would be blocked, Archilus would strike and that would be either blocked or dodged. For over ten minutes, the two Peashooters went at each other, neither plant seemed to be able to land a hit. The longer it went, the faster both Peashooters struck out, soon, their weapons were mere blurs as did themselves. As soon as it was nearly impossible to follow the two plants, a cry of pain pierced the air, someone had finally been hit...
A/N: What happened? Who was hit? I'll leave that up to you, the reader, to decide. ;)