I can't tell how long I've been a gladiator. It's all blurred together. Cipherus has given up on trying to kill me the easy way. He sends me out there every day hoping I'll slip up in a one on one fight with a soldier that wouldn't follow orders or somepony desperate for survival. I kill them all. I don't have a choice. I've been lucky not to face the blue pegasus, whom I've come to know as Soarin, in battle. He's about the closest thing I have to a friend in the prison.

I sat in the yard with Soarin sitting opposite me. He hadn't touched his bowl of stew today. For the past few, I suppose weeks, he hasn't said a word to me unless it involved an impromptu strategy in the arena. He just glares at me with his light blue eyes. I take a spoon full of my stew before I say anything.

"What?" I say with my mouth full. "You've done nothing but stare at me since the first time in the arena. Whatever your problem with me is, just spill it."

"Why have you been helping me survive out there? You're one of them."

"So are the ones I fight against. But they don't obey him as his troops do."

"Did you ever follow his orders?"

"To some degree yes. I hated every minute I had to. One time in late summer we caught wind of a rogue group of demigods back home that we were suppose to quell in the north east. The senate told us to be as diplomatic as possible because they had civilians with them. Parents and mortal siblings. Cipherus had just become Praetor of New Rome and personally lead the party to the north. When we got there he had me follow him in as a second diplomat."

"How'd that go?"

"Once we got face to face with the leader, he put a sword in his chest and ran. When we got outside their base, he told everyone that we were going to invade and kill everyone there."

"Did you go through with it?" Soarin seemed to be getting interested now.

"Again, to a degree. Anyone that came to fight me I forced to surrender. All the civilians I found I told to run. It got to a point where Cipherus killed the soldiers that surrendered, so I told them to run. He later convinced them that everything was my doing and had them attack New Rome."

"Do you regret anything from that day?"

"Regret is like a carving in a tree. It never gets bigger as the tree grows; it only gets darker. Regret is only as big as when it happens, we grow with it and it just becomes a part of us. I regret a lot in my life. It'll take some time but it'll eventually become a part of me I'm not even aware of."

"Is that what you really think?"

"It is." I take another spoon full of my stew. "What about you? You fight well. Were you in the military?"

"I was. I was a member of the Wonder Bolts."

"I heard about them. There's a poster for them under the arena. Aren't they just a flight demonstration squadron?"

"We weren't just that. We were Equestria's elite Air Force squadron."

"If there was any major problem that needed air support, we'd be the first on scene. Anywhere in Equestria, at any time."

"Sounds like a twenty-four hour gig. You fight well for someone that spends all of their time in the air."

"Whatever. You were the leader in Ponyville?"

"I was."

"Is it true that you ran from Cipherus?"

"Even the greatest soldiers have fear. I wasn't ready to for him. I knew that with him there his troops would have fought harder than ever. They hated me enough as it was. With Cipherus commanding them directly there was no way I was letting more troops die in a losing battle. So I called for a retreat and an evacuation of Ponyville."

"I heard most of them didn't make it." Soarin said grimly.

"You know anyone there?"

"I met Rainbow Dash once. But that's about it. Some of my friends were in your regiment though."

"Four Centuries of troops and one of them were killed in action."

"General." the cook called.

I stood up and walked to the bared window where the cook stood, a dark skinned human who also fought in the amphitheater on occasion, was waiting for me.

"I already got my rations Donavan." I tell him.

"I'm not handing out your rations. Someone wants to see you in private Jackson. The guards'll escort you out."

I turn around and see two pony soldiers coming toward us. "It would seem so." I slide him my pack. "No matter what don't let this fall into Cipherus' hands if I don't come back."

"Yes General." Donavan replied taking my pack behind the kitchen bars.

"Come with us General." the one on the right said.

I don't question this as I follow the two guards through the halls underneath the castle. The halls changed between being lit by torches and florescent lights. I don't get why they did this but I don't care that much to question it. After what seemed like fifteen minutes of walking, the two guards shoved me into a small room and left me there. The stone walls absorbed all sound inside and two torches on either side of the door.

In the corner of the room, a figure shorter than me stood. His head was shaved and he seemed famished through his brown, burlap toga. The face was familiar but I couldn't quite put a name to it. I think it started with an M.

"It's been a while General." the man said a bit timidly. Now I remember him. Marcus Stulte. The soldier that told me about Cipherus.

"That it has Marcus. Why'd you ask for me and why do you look like this?"

"Cipherus was disappointed that I didn't kill you when I had the chance so he made me go without food for two weeks and made me one of his personal slaves."

I groan in annoyance. "This is outrageous. Why hasn't Celestia come back for her city and people? You know as well as I do that sitting around and waiting for something only gives us time to find holes in the defenses we've made."

"That's what I want to talk to you about. You see, I was sent here to make you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"Gladiators wouldn't have heard about it, but outside these walls there is a rebellion causing havoc for Canterlot. Attacking patrols, taking out armories across the city and even having people and ponies on the inside of Cipherus' operation. But one thing is in our way. You. With you still in chains it makes Cipherus' troops feel like they can crush any rebellion."

"Get to the point."

"Our leader wants you to join us. We have connections with Shining Armor's battalion, your battalion."

"What'd you want me to do?"

"Preparations have been made to raid the castle but only during a match. That's when the troops that are here and not fighting out in Equestria are unarmed. If we can cause enough confusion in a match then Celestia's troops'll have a window to come in and help retake the city. You know Cipherus better than our leader. We need you to make sure he's concentrated on something other than an invasion."

"Your leader wants me to put my neck on the chopping block so that Celestia's forces can invade?"

"Yes."

"Who's your leader?"

"They made me swear on the Styx not to tell you. They said it was dangerous for you to know. They have a reputation with Cipherus and they can't risk blowing it under any circumstances."

I curse under my breath. "Do you have a way out of the city?"

"Yes. I'm the one that goes to Ponyville and gets apples for the castle."

"Then the next time you go you tell the troops to sneak into Canterlot. If your resistance is as good as you say they are then they'll help them get in unnoticed. Once they're in, tell them to wait for the flames of Tartarus to come over the rim of the amphitheater. That's when they should attack. While they take back the city I'll get Cipherus. Do you understand that?"

"Yes! We can have them ready by tomorrow." Marcus said suddenly happy.

"And tell your leader that when this is over I want a word with them."

"When this is over they'll be more than happy to see you in person. Thank you General! Thank you!" Marcus threw his arms around me with a big smile on his face.

"Okay, let me go now. I can't miss curfew unless I like being whipped."

"Oh, yes General. Thank you again."

"Not a problem. Uh, are those guards in on it?"

"They are. Don't worry."

"Alright. Strength and Honor."

"Strength and Honor, General. Oh our leader wanted you to have this." Marcus reached behind him and pulled a brown leather band brace with an eagle, like the one on my chest plate only in gold, on the front. "Cipherus took it from your barracks during the Battle of New Rome as a prize."

"Is this what I think it is?" I ask sliding the brace on my arm and strapping it tightly to my left forearm.

"Tap the eagle and find out."

I bring my two fingers from my right hand over the eagle and touch its breast. The eagle flashes and a massive piece of iron juts out from the sides and then expands vertically into a full Roman shield on top of my forearm with the sound of metal on metal joints and gears leading the way. The golden eagle's tail reaches the bottom of the shield, the head almost to the top and the wings from edge to edge. The shield pivots down putting the handle of the shield into my palm and having two pieces of iron holding the black shield with its golden eagle to my arm for added blocking support. The shield didn't feel heavy in my hands at all; like my sword it was balanced perfectly to help it move more naturally in my hands during battle.

"This is the gift I got from my mother when I joined the legion. My shield."

"Our leader thought you'd want it in battle. Good luck General."

"Tell them I said thank you as well." I say tapping the underside of the band brace. The shield shrank back the same way it expanded with the sound of metal sliding on metal. "I'll do what I can."

"Good. Guards, return him to his cell."

With that, I was lead on another fifteen minute walk back to the commons area just in time to be locked back up.

Author's Note

Me: The plot thickens.
Nexus: Hardly. All you did was give the story more longevity.
Me: It's the second half Lunar; it'll get there. Do you really hate Jack that much?
Nexus: He's getting normal, I'll give you that, but he's far from being redeemed to me.
Me: Well that's the plan. If he just suddenly turned normal then it would leave a gap as to what made him that way. I need to develop him. If I recall, you weren't all that developed when I wrote you.
Nexus: But I'm a good character and another side of you. So what's your point?
Me: Let's save this until after the royal conference. I still have to give you a speech to read.
Nexus: You make me look like an idiot, a bad character is going to be the least of your worries.