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They walked into the ring of cactus on Monopoly Mountain, careful not to get snagged on the spines.
Grian's breath was shaking, and his heart was pounding. Could he really do this? He had so much pressure on him, he had to win. He looked at Scar, his love, his partner, his entire world, and now his enemy. He felt tears fill his eyes, and his chest tightened to an almost unbearable degree.
Scar looked lifeless, having too much emotion to show. He ran his scarred hand through his messy hair. He sighed, and as he closed his eyes Grian could see a tear roll down his cheek.
Nether of them felt they had enough strength to do this, but they had to. An overwhelming feeling of nausea took over Grian, his head spinning.
They stepped into opposite sides of the ring, trying to prepare themselves. This was the hardest moment in both of their entire lives. They hadn't thought they would be the only two left, but now they were. The hot, blood-soaked sun made the battlefield sweltering.
"Ready?" Scar said, choking back tears. He stood sturdier, but he had trouble not fully collapsing onto the warm sand.
"Never," Grian replied shakily, his voice barely even making a sound as it left his mouth.
Scar smiled, and Grian realized he would never see that beautiful smile again. He shook his wings a little, to try and stave away the tears stinging his throat.
"Three," It was really happening. In a short few minutes, one of them would be dead.
"Two," Grian clenched his fists hard, trying not to think about anything.
"One," Scar scraped his shoe across the hard sandstone, preparing to defend.
"Go!"