The prior night was silent. Not even the normal prisoners were silent. It was like everything down here knew what was going down tomorrow. I keep looking at the band brace my mother made me years ago, waiting for it to vanish like everything else I love. A small thought crosses my mind as I sit here. I reach into my pack and take the photo strip out of my log. With the pictures in my left hand, I loosen the straps on my band brace and slip the photos under the thick leather.

Just as I readjust my straps, the door to my cell opens and the usual earth pony stand with a new decrepit shield. Not wanting to set off anything yet, I take the shield and go to my usual door. I was told I'd be in a one on one fight to the death. No matter what Cipherus said, the other would die. This shield was held together by a few planks of wood rather than iron ends. This thing's not going to hold up to much of anything. The Mouth of Tartarus lay in a small pouch on the outside of my pack for a quick pull. I'd need it today.

The crowd, the mob, above me stomp their feet anxiously awaiting my entrance. Their cheer made a mighty roar like a powerful beast. That's all Cipherus' operation here was, a monstrosity that was civilization. The earth pony opens the door and the filter that held back the powerful bass of their cheer vanished. The roar of the crowd rattled my ribs and the air in my lungs as I step out into the gray morning light.

I stand alone for a moment before the announcer starts his shpeel. "On this day, Cesar brings you a match that will dwarf all that come before it. The only two undefeated gladiators we have had these three months. The great General Anderson," the crowd went wild but I remained still. "and his opponent, a member of Canterlot's former air corp., Soarin of Vanhoover!"

I'm lost for words as the door opposite me open revealing Soarin in full golden armor. His expression, angry and hateful. I walk forward and meet him in the center of the arena. His eyes fixed on mine.

"Do as I say and we can both get out of here alive." I tell him putting my right arm across my chest in salute.

"We who are about to die, salute you." Soarin said loud enough for the crowd to hear.

"Are you in?"

Soarin and I stood face to face for a moment. Neither of us moved. Without warning, Soarin pulled a dagger from under his left wing and lunged at me. I barely had enough time to put up my shield and deflect him. The crowd cheered in approval as I drew my sword.

"What are you doing!?" I shout at him.

"What I should have done the second I met you." Soarin said spreading his wings and taking off into a hover.

"We can get out of there Soarin. You can see your family again."

"My family's dead. Shot out of the sky by your people."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Wonder Bolts. We were flying patrol when your people attacked. I watch everypony I cared about get skewered. Now I'm going to finally get to kill one of the people responsible."

"I didn't have anything to do with that. I'm here to help you Soarin!" I tell him not getting out of my fighting stance.

"What have you done besides cause trouble around here? Cipherus is right, you deserve no mercy."

"That silver toughed… Whatever he said is a lie Soarin. We can still get out of here."

"The only way you're getting out of here is by the dung of a manticore!" Soarin shouted swooping down on me with the dagger in his teeth.

I roll out of the way of his attack and put my shield up again. "This is your last chance Soarin; either you help me get us out of here, or you die."

"The only one dying today is you!" Soarin flew up ten feet and started to dash towards me.

"So be it."

Just as he gets close to me, I swing the damaged shield towards him just as he gets close. The old wooden shield shatters in a shower of splintery debris. I drop the wooden poll that's left and stand ready to face another attack. Soarin slowly stands with his right wing hanging loosely at his side. Filled with anger he charges me on foot. With a strong push of his hindlegs, he launched himself at me. Without hesitation, I swing my gladius at him. The tip of my blade grazes his left front leg.

Even though he's on his hoofs he's still pretty quick. He stops just behind me and tries putting his dagger in the back of my spine. I swing low this time, slashing his lightly protected underside and throwing him over my shoulder. His blood spilled onto the floor and he stumbled back holding his stomach with his left foreleg. The noise of the crowd comes back to me as I start to step away. They cheer in admiration and chant for the kill.

"Live or die Soarin?" I ask.

"Give 'em what they want! Show them that Cipherus is right. You're a merciless killer!"

"Wrong answer." I say walking towards the edge of the arena.

"Praetorians! Kill him! Soarin's the victor!"

"Is this what you all wanted!? A world ruled by a lying tyrant!?" I sheath my sword and pull The Mouth of Tartarus.

I point it in the direction of the crowd in front of me and they scattered. I pull myself over the lip of the arena and start the long climb to the top. To my right, I hear a ballista being released. I quickly tap my band brace. The shield springs up instantly and I put it up towards the sound. I don’t see it, but I feel it hit the shield and snap in half as it slams into the eagle. Thank Vulcan my mother was the best at what she did. This thing was indestructible.

I hear another ballista launch behind me. I swing my shield around and deflect bolt. With the ballista reloading, I start hopping six stairs per bound. I keep running at full speed as Cipherus shouts for guards to stop me. The ballista might be able to hit a speeding pegasus, but they sure as hell couldn't hit a rogue demigod. The bolts passed just over my head. The ballistae were up there to hit pegasi attackers and gladiators in the arena. Now being neither of which, I run up to the top with my adrenaline pumping hard through my veins and The Mouth of Tartarus still clutched in my hands.

I raise the magical lighter and flip open its head. The bright blue flames shot up over the rim and into the open air. I held it up for a full minute and let all of its magical fuel. I shut the warm Zippo and slid it back into my pack. I look to Cipherus as his Praetorians started to close in on me. Just as the first one came to me, a white pegasus in golden armor, wielding a spear in his hoofs (somehow), landed a solid kick into the closest Praetorian. The one on the pegasus' left raised her pila to try and kill him. I bring my shield around and knock the pila away, at the same time, drawing my sword and burying its umber tip into the center of his stomach.

Behind me, my winged savior was busy fighting off seven Praetorians with his spear. He was quick and accurate with his jabs. He rammed the spear into two Praetorians. And I started fending off the other five. Slowly but surely, the pegasus and I prod the Praetorians further and further. About a quarter of the way down, I hear the ballista on my right launch. I put my shield up and prepare for impact, until I hear one of Praetorians shout in agony. I put the shield down and watch as a second ballista bolt slam full speed into the Praetorian on my left. The four foot long arrow sticking out of the plates in his chest. He fell back and another ballista shot landed on the closest Praetorian to me. They were no longer interested in me or the pegasus. They were trying to block the ballistae bolts with their shields.

Once five bolts and five Praetorians were dead, I looked to the rim of the amphitheater and saw Marcus and Donavan were standing next to the two ballistae at the top. They smile and wave to me as I hear the rumble of an explosion outside the amphitheater. I now look to the pegasus that saved me and see a familiar glare looking back at me.

"Phalanx." I say to him.

"General. I'd say it's a relief but I'm not sure what to feel right now." Phalanx replied.

I glance to the other side of the amphitheater and see the VIP box where Cipherus stood with his hand maiden. Her face was covered by a cloth and wore a very revealing dress that showed off her curves. Cipherus stood in his a new set of white armor with golden inlays and a golden wreath on his head.

"How much weight can you carry when you're flying?"

Phalanx follows my gaze and sees Cipherus standing about to run. He looked to his hand maiden and spoke to her. She turned and ran out of the VIP box, leaving Cipherus alone. "Let's find out."

Phalanx furrowed his wings and put his forelegs under my arms. My body lifts a few feet off of the steps of the amphitheater. Cipherus takes a few cautious steps back as I start to fly towards him, carried by Phalanx.

"Throw me in!" I shout.

Phalanx doesn’t questioning me as he does a full back flip twenty feet from the window of the VIP box. At the bottom apex, I feel his hoofs slip out from under my body and I start to move forward and up rapidly. I watch as the VIP box comes closer as Cipherus bolts from the box. I land hard and roll into a small wooden table with a bowl of fruits and a bottle of wine on top of it. I stand in time to see Cipherus run down a flight of stairs. I tap the bottom of my band brace to fold my shield before I give chase.

Every corner I turn in the amphitheater Cipherus is around the next. My adrenaline is still pumping as I follow. I hear outside the walls a massive battle going on as we get closer and closer to the outside; one stair case and corner at a time. Shouting, swords clashing and granada's going off. Cipherus just continues to run with all of his might as I continue my chase. I gulp gallons of air as my muscles try to keep up with my iron will. Cipherus is slower in his armor but was able to get out of the amphitheater with me right on his heels.

I burst into the early morning light of Canterlot as The Second Battle of Canterlot raged around us. Ponies impaled humans and enemy ponies with their spear and slashed them with daggers. Bolts of magic fly across the battle field with arrows from mouth cross bows from unicorns and earth ponies. Pegasi were the lead fighters for some reason. I don't take my focus off of Cipherus as he continues to flee from me away from the sun. Smoke rises from the streets as ahead as I chase Cipherus through.

On the other side of the smoke column, a long street lead towards the edge of Canterlot. On all sides of the street, rubble, overturned cable cars and carriages blocked either side of the road. The battle had already passed through here and left its mark. Cipherus and I were going to leave our own marks before the sun reached its peak.

I charge feeling the end of this coming closer. The rubble under my boots crackling as I move faster. Cipher keeps running looking for an escape until he reached the railing at the end of Canterlot. I catch up with him quickly as he keeps looking over the edge as if he were looking for something.

"I thou-I thought you were the next Cesar?" I ask out of breath. As I start moving closer, I see he's unarmed. He always thought daggers and knifes were women's weapons so I knew for a fact he didn't have either of those. "I suppose you're taking after Cesar, Commodus." I say remembering the stories of his cowardly actions in battle.

"This-this isn't over Jackson."

"I think it is. You've nowhere to go and I have a sword."

"Do you really think that killing me will end this? You don't think that I have a successor already lined up?"

"You're death will be the force that breaks apart your regime." 'Though Nemesis’ curse can end your life, it will only be so by her knife.' I think to myself. "You will die by my hand Cipherus. This ends here.

"Like it ended for Anna? I saw her run. That was your order wasn't it? It isn't like her to run."

"You keep her out of this." I say only five feet away from him with my sword leveled towards him.

"I heard she had a thing for you. It's a shame you'll never see her again.

"Quiet." I feel my rage building inside as the tip of my blade presses against his throat.

"Then again, she's a daughter of Venus. She's probably into another son of Mars by now."

"Shut up!" I shout in rage as I open my shield.

I don't want to block anything. I hammer the bottom edge of it into the golden wreath on Cipherus' head. The bald maniac stumbles back and falls over the edge of Canterlot. I move the edge to see him hit the face of the mountain. Only to see him holding his head in a chariot just below the rim of the city.

"Sorry brother." Cipherus taunted as the chariot rose just out of my reach. "But this is far from over. You've only delayed the inevitable. We'll meet again Jackson; and next time will be the last."

The hand maiden stands next to him with the reigns in her hands, waiting for the order to head off. She looks at me a small jolt shoots up my spine. I don't know why, but her eyes just stopped me cold for a moment, calmed me. She snapped the reigns and the pegasi in front of them started to fly with their backs to the wind.

"Coward!" I shout after them. "Face me you fucking coward!"

I only see Cipherus wave at me as he flies away higher than Canterlot. If I weren't already having an adrenaline rush, I wouldn't hear something running up behind me. I turn and level my sword at whoever is trying to sneak up on me. Donavan stops just short of having his head skewered on the end of my sword.

"Ho there General! I got news from the troops." Donavan says pushing the tip of my gladius to the side.

"What is it Donavan?" I ask angrily.

"Cipherus' troops are surrendering. Canterlot is ours."

"Is that all?"

"No. Marcus told me that the leader of the resistance left you something in the highest tower."

"Did they now?" I ask tapping the underside of my band brace and let my shield fold back up.

I sheath my sword and start making my way to the castle. The walk back to the main street is much longer then the run I had just finished. I enter Main Street with Donavan behind me just as a large golden chariot carrying Princess Celestia and Phalanx lands. The ponies whoop and holler with victory as the chariot comes to a stop in front of me. Celestia, like her guards wore golden armor but didn't wear a helmet. Her mane, normally long and flowing, was now cut short and tied back except a tuff that covered her forehead. For some reason it had also turned a pale pink now that it was shorter.

Out of what little respect I had left, I knelt and crossed my sword arm over my chest.

"Rise, General." She said over the roar of the crowd.

"Your people welcome you home after a glorious victory." I say getting to my feet.

"They would not be shouting if it weren't for you. Come." she said motioning me towards the chariot.

With great hesitation, I step up onto the chariot before it starts to move again towards the castle.

"You did well today General. Thank you for-"

"Don't thank me your highness. Shining Armor's soldiers and the rebellion did all of the work. I just signaled the attack."

"And drove Cipherus out of Canterlot. That is worthy of praise."

"That's all I did. He lives to fight another day. His troops are still scattered all over Equestria. This war is far from over."

"I understand. You know, Princess Twilight was very concerned about you."

"Was she?"

"The moment she heard you were alive, she demanded her brother help free you." I let out a chuckle imagining Twilight shouting at her older brother. "Your time here seems to have changed you."

"I've been through worse than this Princess. If anything this is mild compared to other fights I've been in."

"You carry yourself differently. You've come to care about this land."

"I have. It's a lot like Rome. Just, peaceful, orderly. I won't let Cipherus take Equestria Princess. I won't let him destroy another civilization."

"That's what I want to hear." Celestia smiled as we crossed the bridge into the castle grounds.

"Where's Princess Luna?"

"Still in the south I'm afraid. She refuses to let the troops their take another inch of Equestrian territory."

"With all due respect Princess. I request a transfer to the south."

"You can do that after you and Shining Armor have retaken Ponyville." she said stepping out of the chariot as it came to a stop.

"What?" I say following her towards the castle gates.

"Shining Armor has been trying to liberate Ponyville for quite some time now. He was only able to spare one hundred troops for the battle. He could use your help. Once Ponyville is liberated, you can work your way south to Luna."

"Yes Princess. Before I forget, what's in the highest tower?"

Celestia looked back at me and smiled. Not the kind you're thinking of, the kind that meant where else would that be you moron? "My bed chambers. Why?"

"The leader of the resistance said they left me something there."

"Then that is our first stop. Phalanx, secure the rest of the castle."

"Yes Princess."

And I thought the amphitheater had a lot of steps. Celestia was lucky. She could fly after she got tired, but I had to walk. That sucked. I counted over five thousand. Five! Thousand! The builders of this place were fucking racists. Only a pegasus could get up these stairs! Out of breath and with a massive stitch in my side, I finally reach the top of the tower with Celestia ahead of me.

"Well it's going to take some time, but I should be able to get this fixed." Celestia said looking over her room.

The large room was filled with weapons, maps and gold, stolen most likely. At one end was a moderate sized fireplace and the other was a massive circular bed. On a table in the center of the room, a few objects were underneath a white blanket. A note lay on the largest of the objects in the center. I slowly walk into the room, past Celestia and towards the table. Celestia moved towards her bed and levitated the sheets from it. I on the other hand take the note from the sheet over the objects.

Dear Jack,

I know your sacrifice. I know what you've been through and I want to let you know that you're not suffering alone. I can only thank you with what is under this sheet. Do not think that with this victory this war is over. Cipherus knows more than you think Jack. Don't forget Sun Zu: Always assume your enemy knows as much or even more then you. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll defeat him. But for the sake of the Gods, don't think he won't go out without a fight.

Strength & Honor: A friend.

I fold the letter and slide it into my front jean pocket. With the note tucked away, I pull the sheet away and find my armor laying neatly across the table. I let out a yawn as I picked up the right arm guard.

"That didn't sound good. How long has it been since you slept?" Celestia asked concerned.

"Don't know. How long have I been MIA?" I ask yawning again.

"One month, three weeks."

"And there's your answer."

"You haven't slept?"

"More than a minute a night? No."

"There's a guest room just beneath us. I insist you use it."

"And I insist that I get back to- *yawn* work." I reply putting on the right arm guard.

"If your brother is as smart as you say he is, he'll be taking some time to recover. I think Canterlot can hold long enough for you to recharge."

I sigh before I speak. "Fine. I'll go take an hour. Any longer then that get someone to come wake me up."

"Of cores General." Celestia says with a small giggle. "Sleep tight."

"Please don't say that to me."

Author's Note

Nexus: By Celestia's beard! This is the longest chapter I've ever seen! What were you thinking!?
Me: I was thinking that- Celesita's beard?
Nexus: It's a saying. Why what'd you normally hear?
Me: By Neptune's over sized beard.
Nexus: Ah. Well what were you thinking Roman?
Me: I knew it'd be along one before it even started. So calm down. There's only one that I think'll be that long is the last one.
Nexus: Well it's still pretty bad.
Me: You say that about everything you're not a side character in.