Metal Fire

SaberStar was starting to hate his prison. After the fight he'd had, not many Changelings opened the cell. Only three times a day. Once for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They did what looked like what rolling their eyes every time they came in and saw him hugging Rainbow and she leaning into him. The food (surprisingly) was fresh bread and ripe apples. One day, the Changelings yelled, "Get up! Get up! their royal Majesties wish to speak with you." the two shot up and followed as told. When they got there, the Doctor, Derpy, Adamant, and Twilight were already there. Applejack and Rainbow weren't though. Saber was next to Adamant and Vinyl.

"Are you okay?" he whispered. Adamant gave a tiny shake of the head. Everypony was bowing. Even Twilight.

"He is trying to tell you that is rude to talk while in my court." Saber bowed, reluctantly. What seemed like an hour later, he heard a commotion in the hall they had come through. Applejack and Vinyl were fighting against their guards. Saber was pleased to see many bruises and hoofprints all over the guards.

"How can you treat us like this?" Vinyl yelled, "You're monsters!" Chrysalis and Switch sighed.

"What gave it away? Was it the insect wings?" Switch asked. Twilight straightened. She glared at the evil king and queen.

"What do you want with us?"

"Battle contestants of course! What else?" Chrysalis replied.

"I'm the best fighter out of all of us!" Saber said, "But you've only put me in once."

"You are a loose cannon. You are reckless and dangerous." Switch replied, sharp as a blade. "After you killed that god of chaos, I don't trust you. And especially not after you did this." he pointed to the bandage on Chrysalis's neck. Saber remembered the fight. It hadn't been easy.

"Reckless and dangerous? Have you met me? I fight for home, I fight for those I care about." Saber said. Almost everypony noticed Saber glance at Rainbow. "When I fought you, Queen Chrysalis, I fought you because you hurt my friends." Twilight winced, remembering her injured shoulder. All eight ponies stood up. Saber put his wing around Rainbow and flipped his other wing to blade mode. "We fight to protect those we love and care for." His eyes turned steel-gray. Determination. He was determined to keep his friends safe and make sure they escaped. Chrysalis had had enough of this.

"Back to your cells! All of you!" she interrupted. "Now!" and they did.

The ponies were locked inside their cells once again to their dismay. They all waited for an hour. Finally, Adamant's voice came from the wall.

"Saber, what happened back there?" Saber was silent for a while before answering.

"You know why." He said in a low, hard voice. Rainbow sat down with him, but he didn't react. The only thing he did was wrap a wing around Rainbow. She kissed him. They grays disappeared. He turned back to normal, but his eyes remained steely gray. Saber's eyes turned black and he fell asleep. Rainbow leaned into him and did the same. Once again, the Changelings woke them up the next morning.

"New battle today!" they said, "More exciting than your pitiful performance yesterday." addressing Saber. He snatched up the screwdriver as soon as they came. Him and Vinyl followed the guards where his six other friends were there. They led Saber, Vinyl, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Adamant, and the Doctor. They pushed Derpy towards the Arena.

"No!" the Doctor protested, "Let me go instead! Don't hurt her! Derpy!" the two struggled against their bonds.

"Hey!" Saber cried, "That wasn't pitiful yesterday 'cause I don't fight other ponies to the death for fun. Put me up against one of yours, I'll give you a good fight!" they contemplated this, and one said,

"I will talk to His and Her Majesties. But for now, this Pegasus!" and they shoved Derpy into the Arena.

"No!" the Doctor yelled. He managed to buck his guard and ran to Derpy. The Doctor stood in front of her and kicked her guard. The Changelings did the rolling eye thing they always did and grabbed the Doctor. Saber took his wings off Rainbow, spread them and set them ablaze. The Changelings stepped away, fear evident in their eyes.

"There, that's better," Saber said, as if nothing had happened, "Let someone with good fighting experience have a match." The Changelings ran towards the thrones where the king and queen sat. The Changeling was stammering in its  language, rapid fire. Saber turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, yesterday I could understand the Changelings but that Archer guy couldn't. Do you know what happened?"

"Something that the Tardis does. It's telepathic and it gets in your head, makes you understand almost every language." he explained. The Changeling came back looking terrified.

"Y-y-you get your wish, crazy pony. You fight one of us." it said. It let him onto the Arena, careful not to get near him. The sun was beating down on his back when he walked out into the Arena. A huge Changeling in full battle armor stepped out into the Arena in front of Saber. This thing must've been eight feet, almost three times the size of a teenager. Saber's armor formed around him. He stepped forward. The Changeling announcer did his normal introduction and the battle began