Nex, Gladiator

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Prologue
Chapter 6

Chapter 1

15 Years Later...

"15. 27. 0."

The small sliver of light was snuffed out as the door shut. Dozens of pegasi, unicorns and earthen moved as three stood up and walked through their groups. The smallest grunted at the other two, who replied with nods as they grabbed rusted weapons from the floor. The unicorn of their group tossed a spear up to their leader, then handed a barbed club to the earthen on his right. There was a low whirring noise, then a resounding click of gears as a small gate opened. The three stepped onto it, and their leader knocked on one of its bars with his spear.

Immediately, the platform jolted, separating from the cold ground and slowly climbing up the chute. The small creature groaned in disgust as they rocked and swayed uneasily. He hated the lift. Years of standing on it weren't enough to get him accustomed to its awful voyage. The other two waited silently, staring at the metal ground without emotion. As light began to touch their faces, their smallest grunted in alert. The two took small knives from their sides and stabbed themselves, grunting in pain before it turned to growls and snarls.

Their veins bulged grotesquely, their eyes going bloodshot, and adrenaline poured into their systems. There were small cracks of bone as metal pushed out from skin, the unicorn clutching his head while the earthen fell to his hands and knees. The smaller creature kept his gaze forward, waiting for them to finish transforming.

Gong! Gong! Gong!

He grunted as his own body started to change. The cybernetics along his bones lit up, small shards of metal pushing out from his spine. He silently whimpered as a metal corkscrew pushed itself out from his forehead, then smoothed itself out before flashing once. Simultaneously, several nodes appeared on his body, running along his skeleton before receding into his skin.

Pegasi... pegasi!

He growled lowly and rose his spear, the lift gradually slowing before a final boom of gears clicked into place. The front of the lift slid outward, and the occupants leaped outside. They looked up into the glass dome above, looking to the masters of the pit they called home. Their attention shifted to another lift across from theirs. The gates opened, and a trio of ponies ran out. Two were pegasi, and one was an earthen.

Carnal and savage yells echoed through their ears as the groups charged one another. The pegasi took flight, while the two earthen began fighting one another brutally. The unicorn took aim at the pegasi, firing erratic bolts of magic to keep them moving. One flew past him and tackled the creature to the ground. They pushed away from one another, then swung their weapons into each other. The pegasi slashed his spear in half, cutting into his chest in the process. He cried out, but recovered in time to catch the blade and twist the metal.

They traded blows and scratches as their fight devolved, their modifications activating. The pegasus flared his wings, revealing the brittle bone replaced with metal alloys. The tips were now jagged and paper thin, which were useful as blades. He threw his body from side to side, his wings cutting the air in front of him. His adversary growled as he weaved around them, then rose a forearm to block a slash. Metal rakes pushed out from his forearm in a row, catching the sharp appendage between two before he pulled the pegasus toward him.

His right knuckles spewed blood as a set of pikes pushed out, just as he punched the man in the throat. He pushed the pikes deeper into the wound, before kicking him back and watching as he flailed and sputtered blood. His attention turned to his earthen companion, who screamed as his opponent ripped his arm from its socket, while the other pegasus scratched at his back. He let loose a frantic bellow as he sprinted over, his horn igniting in a blinding white aura. He planted his hands and feet in the ground before taking aim.

The pegasus noticed, and quickly flapped his wings to get airborne. His ally wasn't lucky enough to see, and he gasped as a powerful beam of mana pierced his chest and blew a hole into him. There was an eerie pause before he fell forward, slumped over the body of his opponent. Before he could readjust his aim, the creature was lifted from his feet. He growled as he kicked the pegasi's side, thrashing violently as he realized what he planned to do. Get as high as possible, then let go.

And he did just that. However, he was unprepared for the creature to grab his leg and quickly pull himself up. The pegasus couldn't support both of their weights, and so they plummeted to the ground. As they fell, the pegasus dug one of his wings into his side. He screamed in agony, but steeled himself and grabbed the base of it. The pegasus screamed as the metal covered bone was crushed, and slowly pulled to a sickening length. There was the sound of flesh ripping, then bone disconnecting, and ultimately a shriek that rattled the pit.

Their bodies landed in a bloody heap, the maimed gladiator writhing on the ground. The creature grunted as his dislocated shoulder strained, but jumped back as the pegasus savagely swung and lunged at him. With a guttural yell, he wove beneath a swing as a metallic spearhead pushed out from his elbow, and drove it into his chest. He pulled it higher, tearing through metal, bone and flesh until he went limp.

BANG!

The entire pit shook, and he looked up into the dome. The masters were rushing around frantically, some helping others off of the glass. Another explosion rocked the cavern, the lift screeching as it plummeted into its chute. The creature rushed to its threshold, looking down into the darkness and waiting. His brothers and sisters came to see the commotion, and it lifted its hand and pointed to the dome with a bellow. Roars began to echo from the chamber, along with shrieks and howls that were magnified by the cavern. Then, they started to climb.

2 Minutes Earlier…

"Get those prison cells ready! There must be dozens of ponies in there!" a thunderous voice ordered. "Captains, assemble your divisions near the front gate! Auxiliary units secure the southern exit!"

"General Iron Clad," a gentle yet firm voice spoke. The old man turned to see two beautiful mares donning ancient and daunting armor. The mare with a white coat and an ethereal mane with vibrant summer colors stepped down from the chariot and looked to the mountain. "Are you sure this is their hideout location?"

"Ma'am, I've had scouts eyeing this place for the past week," he grunted, securing his helmet's straps. "Stallions come in, crates the size of buildings following, and by morning they're gone. All of whom having the exact same tattoo on their palm. Now I'd like to debate this, but I've got a rescue operation to commence."

The younger, indigo mare stepped down and sternly said, "General, you aren't the only pony that wishes to apprehend these dogs!" She glared relentlessly at the man's head, but he walked off without so much as addressing her. "You and I should join them, you know."

"Times have changed, Luna," the elder alicorn sighed, unsure of what to say about her General's behavior. "It isn't normal to see either of us leading military raids or assaults. We should return to the castle. Iron Clad will have this done by night."

Princess Luna huffed softly as she took flight with her, watching the massive army surrounding the mountain. "It'd do us good to lead these sorts of things, Celestia," she murmured.

They flew off towards the border, leaving Iron Clad to his duties. After discovering that one of HIS stallions had been caught with a group so heinous, he wanted nothing more than to put their flanks on the wall. And take down an entire cult in the meantime. He was more than capable of turning up evidence with the 300 stallions waiting to break in.

"Sir!" a captain called. "We're set!"

"Good! Captain Armor!" he bellowed, catching the attention of the young Captain. "Lead Bravo and Charlie in! Alpha, wait until the breach!"

"Alright, you heard him!" Shining Armor yelled. "Set charges!"

Several guards dragged barrels of oil and dynamite to the large steel gate, then stuck the explosives to it until the entire gate was covered. Once they rejoined the lines, a unicorn squadron lit their horns. Shining Armor did the same, taking aim at the charges.

"Take aim!" The stallions waited for the signal, staring down their target. "3...2...1...fire!"

A wave of mana bolts struck together, causing a massive explosion that lifted the gate off its hinges. The stallions charged inside, filing down a long hall until they reached a smaller set of steel doors. Just like the first, they blew it open, then rushed inside what looked like a stadium interior. There was a booth flanked on both sides by double doors, and a commotion behind said doors.

"As soon as we get through those doors, they'll do whatever it takes to escape!" Shining told them. "Get them out of here as fast as you can! Clear out anypony you can't arrest!"

"Yes, sir!"

He drew his spear, then charged through the door. He looked out across an underground coliseum, with a glass dome in the center.

"Everypony get down! You're all under-"

Clang!

An arrow ricocheted off of a guard's helmet, and the stallions charged them. Dozens of unicorns fired at the guards as they made their way towards a back entrance while their bodyguards fought with the guards. Shining smacked away a metal baton and used the butt of his spear to knock the earth pony down. He deflected a sword aimed at his side and kicked his attacker down the aisles of seats. His ears perked as he heard thumping. Screams echoed from where the unicorns had fled, and soon they were running back in.

"They're climbing up the lift! Bring this place down!" one desperately cried. "Don't let them leave here!"

Before Shining could question it the glass dome shattered, and a large stallion flew into the air. He landed on the steps, then turned to him slowly. Shining grimaced at the sight of blades and other objects poking out of the stallion's skin, then gasped as he let loose an ear-piercing shriek. Dozens more followed, and equally mangled pegasi flew out from inside the pit. The exit was torn apart as even more started barreling in.

The large earth pony lunged at him as the others threw themselves into the fray, slaughtering their creators and tearing through the armor of the Solars. Shining grunted as the stallion wildly swung his massive arms and bent the spear in several places. He finally lunged with a spike littered fist, which tore into his chestplate and poked his skin. He moved away, trying to charge up a spell powerful enough to knock him unconscious. Before he could fire, a pegasus landed on his back, her feet modified with long, artificial talons. He gagged as her claws poked through his head, then tossed himself back to impale her on one of the pikes in his back.

"Captain!" Shining turned to one of his stallions, who was one of several cornered guards. The savage ponies attacking them fought amongst themselves as well, blood splattering as they sought to gut one another. "These things aren't going down! We can't, ngh, stop them!"

One of the ponies leaped into their midst, her arms replaced with rusted swords, and started impaling the stallions around her. A guard dug his spear into her back, prompting her to scream in agony. He gasped as she turned and swung her blades at him, cutting a gash into his stomach and chopping his arm off. More guards rushed in, knocking the mare over and impaling her until she stood still.

The others were like her as well. Relentless and berserk, devoid of rational thoughts that could save them. One by one, the guards put them out of their misery. Many guards fell, some were injured, and few escaped serious harm. Shining Armor couldn't understand why they wouldn't stop... not even the foals.

An hour of vigorous fighting winded down, the guards barely detaining a mare as she kicked and snarled. They wrapped chains around her body and cuffed her arms and legs, dragging her out the way they came. Shining sighed and removed his helmet, running a sore hand through his mane as he watched the stallions bag numerous bodies. The sight of foals among them stung his heart, and he made his way to the exit. The sounds of fighting reached him again, and he pulled his helmet on before rushing to find the source. An entire squad of earth ponies were trying to move in on... a creature.

It's body was bleeding from multiple wounds, some of which formed by rows of metal claws running along its arms. Poking out from its head was a metal horn, blood trickling out from the base. The earth ponies slowly moved in, moving away from its spear every time it swung.

"Unicorns!" Shining shouted. Three unicorn guards formed up in front of him, their horns charging up a blast spell. "Take aim!"

The creature looked at the four unicorns, which prompted the guards to do the same. "No! Don't!"

It shouted before lunging, and Shining waved his arm. "Fire!"

The earth ponies jumped out of the way, and four beams hurtled towards it. Instead of hitting it, the four beams came to an abrupt stop just a foot away from its body. The mana swirled into four nodes in its chest, and the horn on its head started to blink white. The flashing intensified rapidly, until a small orb appeared at the tip. Shining grabbed his men and jumped to the side, right before a surge of magic shot past him. The wall exploded into various chunks of rock, some vaporizing from the initial impact.

Shining pushed pieces of rock off of himself and stood, helping some of the other guards get out from under the rubble. He looked around for the creature, spotting it as it dragged itself toward the exit. He took a pair of cuffs from his waist and sluggishly restrained it, careful to not touch its wounds.

"All... dead..." it whispered. "...all... gone..."

"Round everypony up!" Shining shouted, giving the creature to two other guards. "Keep it away from the others. I'll be outside soon. We leave to Canterlot as soon as I get there."

He watched them take the creature away, then glanced over to where it'd been standing. A small unicorn colt hid beneath a rock, crawling away from him as he came near.

"It's alright. We're here," Shining softly said. The colt whimpered and pushed himself towards the wall. "Dive! Where's Corporal Dive?"

A mare pushed past the other stallions and saluted. "Sky Dive, sir!" she said.

"Can you get him out?" he asked, gesturing to the small colt.

She looked over, and nodded softly before taking off her helmet. "Just leave it to me, Cap. We don't need the big bad stallion to scare him," she softly told him. Shining Armor nodded before following after the other guards. "Hey, little guy. Come on. Let's get out of here."

She held out her hand, removing the gauntlet to reveal her rose coated hand. The small colt eased up at her warm tone, but only stared at her hand. "Is... Nete hurt?"

She smiled and tilted her head. "Who's that? Your friend?" Dive asked, shifting closer on her knees.

The colt kept still, looking at her wings. "Nete... Nete protects us... make us safe..." he whispered. "Are they hurting him?"

The colt kept referring to a him, but she didn't know what he meant. "Who's he?" she asked.

He pointed to the crater in the wall, then shuffled closer. "Nete... protects us. He hide me when you came," the colt said. "Is Nete safe?"

Nete... the name didn't sound correct. It didn't sound like an actual name. But if she wanted to comfort the colt, she would have to tell him what he wanted to hear. "He's safe... they just want him away from the bad stallions," she smiled, holding out her hand again. "Just like we want you away from the bad stallions."

For a minute, the boy kept still, but finally he took her hand. She helped him out from underneath the rubble, then scooped him up. He looked at her incredulously, and she gave him a warm smile before wrapping her wings around him.

"Let's go."

Chapter 2

Luna paced around the throne room, her sister sorting through a stack of requests and matters that needed her attention. It had been a day, and the army of Solars hadn't returned. It was beginning to spread like wildfire that they'd sent an army to the Griffon Empire, and the media was quick to assume this meant war. Hundreds of ponies were in a panic, some barging into the castle in crowds demanding answers. Celestia was quick to ease their fears with the scroll that contained the griffon emperor's signature and consent for the army to move through his country.

Now, only Luna remained concerned, and seeing her sister act so calm made her furious. She stamped up the steps and swatted the stack away, sending parchment everywhere. "How can you be so indifferent?!" she nearly shouted. "Your Guard is out there, when they should have returned by the previous night!"

Her sister looked up at her, and Luna gasped softly. Her mask of serenity and calm faded, revealing her weary expression. "I haven't slept all night, Luna," she softly retorted, her magic gathering the discarded papers into a pile. "I know what was expected, and I'm anxious just thinking of the possibilities. All I can do is wait. We'll find out, but we cannot let our fears influence our actions."

The lunar princess lowered her head, then looked off to the side. "I... am sorry," she whispered, sitting on her own throne. "I only wish I could have been present-"

The doors swung open, and a Solar ran in. "Princess!" he called. Both shot out of their seats and waited with eager ears. "General Iron has returned. He wishes to speak to you at once! He's at the southern gate."

Celestia noticed the rakes and rusted splotches on the guard's armor, which brought a new anxiety to her mind. She hurriedly flew into the hall, her sister trailing behind. They maneuvered sloppily through the castle until they reached the southern entrance. The doors opened before they reached them, and the alicorns gasped quietly. Dozens upon dozens of guards stumbled and limped inside, bearing some sort of painful injury. Some were missing a limb, or even part of one, and those who weren't... were in black bags.

"Princess," a hoarse voice called. Celestia looked over to the stairs, just as her top general came limping up. He adjusted his crutch under his arm, then nodded for the two guards helping him to go on ahead. "What a clusterf-"

"General," Celestia cut in, her voice raspy, "what happened?"

He exhaled slowly and leaned against the wall, scratching his grey beard. "Shining Armor led the charge, half an hour later I get a Corporal screaming for us to run in, and then... those things started wiping us out." He gripped his side gently, which was covered in bandages. "Half a division was gone, rest of us barely secured anypony from that place."

Luna stepped forward. "What things?" she questioned.

The general nodded towards the makeshift crate being hauled in, which was flanked by a dozen guards. There were shouts and growls coming from inside, and with every yell the prison rocked atop the small carriage. Another came in afterwards, this one unmoving and silent. The princesses glanced to Iron, who just gestured for them to follow. They walked through the halls until they reached a set of stairs, then descended into the depths of Canterlot Castle's dungeon.

It was now a prison for very dangerous criminals, but it hadn't been used in years. Iron had the princesses wait an hour before he was certain there wouldn't be any danger. When they went down into the old cavern, they waited with Iron as he motioned for the guards to move the crates towards the prisons. They started with the rumbling one. They moved it into the entrance, then two unicorns pulled the front of it off.

A mare leaped out of her prison, and as she turned to run the guards moved the crate out and stepped back as a squad of earth ponies shoved a wall of crystal into the front of it. She bashed at the crystal wall, yelling and screaming as she assaulted her prison. Celestia and Luna watched in horror, neither knowing what to say about what they were looking at.

The mare was a pegasus, but her wings weren't made of the fragile vertebrae that she was born with. Instead, metal replaced most of the structure, the ends of her wings sharpened to a point. Blood ran down her arms from the base of blades that stuck out from her forearms. Diamond-cut talons jutted out from her toes, which she used to scrape at the crystal and floor. Her eyes mindlessly jumped between everypony on the other side of the opaque barrier, and she'd grunt and shout randomly at whoever she looked at.

"There were dozens of others like her," Iron sighed, lowering his head. "Unicorns, earth ponies... fillies... and colts..." He wiped his hand over his face and rubbed his temple. "They wiped out most of the cultists, half our platoon... even each other. It's like... they weren't ponies anymore."

Celestia moved closer to the mare, who focused her gaze on her and started bashing against it. She stared at her subject as she tried attacking her without remorse, and her general silently gasped as he heard a droplet hit the cold ground.

"How could somepony... do this?" she whispered, putting her hand on the crystal. "They don't deserve this... why..."

Luna looked away from them, then to the other crate as it started to creak. Iron heard the noise as well and moved over to it. "Is there another one like her in here?" Luna questioned, fearful of what else they'd made.

"Stallions, in position," he called, moving away from it as the guards moved it towards a second prison.

Instead of just letting it loose into the prison, several earth guards moved slabs of mana-draining crystal into the room, pushing it against the walls and cementing it into the ceiling. The floor was done next, and the final piece rested beside the entrance. Iron nodded to the earth ponies on either side, and they stabbed their spears into the openings to break the front off. Once the wooden grate fell off, the stallions tilted it into the cell, and a form tumbled into the cell. They quickly moved the cart away and pushed the crystal into place.

Luna watched the prone form groggily get its hands under itself. She stared intently on its body, since it lacked any sort of vibrant color or fur. It's mane was much shorter than anypony she'd seen, and it was missing any modifications that the mare had. It was still drenched in blood, but didn't seem to notice. It stood on its feet after stumbling, then slowly turned to look at them. She quietly gasped when its face came into view. Unlike other ponies, its head was compressed and without a snout. She couldn't see any more, since its face was covered by an iron mask that concealed anything above its mouth.

"Sister..." Luna slowly said. Celestia noticed the baffled tone of her sister's voice, and came over to see. Her reaction was similar to Luna's, although she showed much more curiosity.

The creature scanned the two mares, neither able to make out who it was looking at. However, when it noticed movement behind the alabaster unicorn, it focused its eyes on her. Its sudden interest in her put Celestia off, especially since it bared sharpened teeth to her. Her wings shifted anxiously, the malice in its eyes skyrocketing into a fiery hatred. It let loose a bellow as a row of metal claws pushed out from under the skin on its forearm, and small pikes jutted out from its elbows. Without warning, it charged at the crystal. Iron pulled the princess back as it slammed into the crystal, shaking the cavern on impact. Guards formed up on the prison while others pushed against the crystal wall.

"It hates anypony with wings," Iron said. "I thought it was just pegasi, but I guess alicorns are a part of the list."

They jumped as a small crack ripped into the crystal, the creature focusing its attacks on the single spot. Before it could get worse, they pushed the crystal to the side and stuck a hose into the opening. Cold water pressurized before jetting into the creature and sending it tumbling backwards. It yelled and sputtered wildly, slipping on every attempt to stand back up. The guards quickly repaired the crystal by adding mana to it. A new layer formed on its surface, filling in the crack and hardening.

"Alright, cut it off!" Iron shouted. The water slowly lessened to a trickle, and the crystal slammed into place. "I don't know what it's capable of. Before it was blasting us with boulders of mana, but now it-"

"Iron," Celestia interrupted, warily watching the creature stagger to its feet, "how could it use mana without a horn?"

"What are you talking about? It's right..." Iron stared at its forehead, which was matted down with its damp hair. "...Princess, I promise you there was a horn there when we captured it."

Luna glanced back to it, its glare returned with an icy set of teal eyes. "What sort of creature is it?" she murmured.

It started banging on the glass again, slipping every so often and body slamming the crystal. "Did it show any sentience?" Celestia questioned, glancing back to the equally violent mare.

"No... just growls and animal sounds," Iron sighed, moving towards the staircase. "Princess... there's a third survivor. He's like them."

Luna stiffened slightly before stepping forward. "And why isn't it with these two?" she demanded to know.

With another gesture to a guard, several stallions left the dungeon while one helped him up the stairs. "Is it wise to leave it here?" Luna whispered to her sister.

They heard its bellow as it banged on its prison, which prompted Celestia to glance back. "We won't be gone for long. Hopefully it calms down by then," she sighed, cringing at the sound of another smash. "But... just to be safe."

Her horn ignited in a golden hue, and she recited old enchantments in her head. The creature looked to her, then stopped its thrashing and waited carefully. "Princess, no!"

Without warning, Iron's hand grabbed the celestial princess's horn, snuffing out the hue. The creature snorted angrily before banging on the wall and shouting. Celestia looked to her general with confusion, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"That thing... whatever they did to it makes it immune to magic," he told her, peering over to it. "It'll absorb any unicorn mana that comes near it... and use it."

He moved his hand away from her horn, then gestured for them to follow. "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us, General?" Luna asked, her tone less than pleased.

Iron thought quietly, then looked over his shoulder to the younger alicorn. "Don't piss him off. And if you do… be ready to deal with the consequences."

The lunar princess was ready to retort, but her sister placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. There was rarely any emotion she would see from Iron Clad. He was one of her oldest generals, also cold and easily angered. But she heard something in his voice she'd heard from him as a recruit and no time between then. For him to actually speak as he did meant he was bothered deeply. He'd been through much and didn't flinch, but now something was wrong.

They followed him into the guest halls and through the bedrooms. He limped over to a set of guards blocking a particular room, and they parted at the sight of their superiors. Iron's hand rested on the door, and he hesitated to open the door.

"They did this to them... to him... to that thing and the mare," he seethed. "How long did they do this... and why?" He fell to his knee, a guard rushing to help but backing away when he violently pulled his arm away. "What were those sick bastards thinking when they turned ponies into killing machines?! What demented bastard sees killing as sport?!"

He pulled his helmet off and viciously gripped his greying mane. Celestia walked over to him, kneeling and draping her wing over him. "Leave this to us," she told him gently. "Go rest, Iron. At your age you'll need it."

He shook his head with a bitter chuckle and stood back up. "Don't know if that's supposed to make me feel better or not..." He turned and walked past the princesses, stopping just a few feet away. "Remember what I said. Be ready to do whatever you have to."

She watched him limp down the hall before turning to the door. After a quick glance to her sister, who nodded for her to continue, Celestia opened the doors. The guest room was a comfortable size, with enough room for the queen sized bed and nightstands. Their regalia was muffled on the beige carpet as they stepped inside and closed the door. They scanned the room for anypony, but it seemed like the room was empty. Until, a small colt moved out from inside the closet to the right of the door.

Now the princesses understood Iron's agitation. Freshly dried blood covered his arms in streaks, while some stuck to the side of his head. His arms and legs were littered with scars, and his horn had small rods poking into his forehead around the base. He looked up at them with a dead expression, instead of the foalish wonder colts and fillies held when they looked to their princesses.

"Celestia... Luna," he said, pointing to them respectively.

The elder sibling smiled warmly at him and went closer, then crouched down to be eye level. "What's your name?" she asked, stealing glances at the scar on his bare shoulder.

"Why you want know?" he replied, looking at her ethereal mane. "You have pretty hair."

She smiled softly and kneeled, removing her pristine white gloves and extending her hand. "Thank you," she smiled, noticing his surprise at her gesture. "But your name is important, my little pony. To me, my sister, and to ponies who might be looking for you." She scooted closer and put a hand beside her mouth to pretend as though Luna wouldn't hear. "I can tell you silly names if you tell me yours."

The colt giggled and sat down, then reached into his ragged cloth pants. He pulled out an old piece of paper and looked over it. "Gold... Gli-mm-errr." He gave her the paper and crossed his legs as she read it. "Nete made lady write. She not like us."

Luna sat down a bit more formally than her sister and touched his hand. "What do you mean 'not like us'?" she asked softly, smiling with a bit of strain.

The boy lowered his head, playing with Luna's hand and messing with her nails. She felt awkward with him doing it so... suddenly. Celestia urged her sister to let him as he took a deep breath. "I taken there... mommy and daddy no see me... and I make it through forest," he said, rubbing Luna's hand on his cheek. "Friends... no make it... and Nete make sure I know how fight. He like me when he get to pit... that why he take care of us. We all grow up in pit. Then sun men come fight."

The Solar Guards. "And what happened to the others? Your friends and Nete?" Celestia asked.

The colt let go of Luna's hand, then looked at his blood stained arm. "They scared when sun men come... try running... but other master's fighters there. Sun men fight both, we fight both... Nete tried get all my friends away... but only I safe."

He stared at the ground for a minute, tears falling from his eyes as he silently thought. The princesses gasped as a small click resonated from his chest, and beneath the skin over his heart a cork turned and stopped the clicking. His crying quickly changed into sobs, and he slowly held himself as he did. Celestia wrapped her wings around him and pulled him close, muffling him into her shoulder. Luna looked to be on the verge of tears, while her sister had already let them fall.

"I want my mommy... and daddy," he whimpered, shutting his eyes. "I want this out of me!"

Celestia stroked his mane soothingly, wiping his tears before she spoke. "We'll find them, and we'll make sure you don't stay like this," she told him, nuzzling his head. "I promise."

The creature had spent all night and day attacking its prison. The mare had already calmed down, and now she only laid in her cell while it continued to pound on the crystal. Luna watched it throw itself wildly, screaming at her every so often before using the claws on its arms to scrape the crystal. It bashed its head repeatedly on the crystal, the iron not bending in the slightest. She waited for her sister to finish her duties for the day before they addressed their situation again.

To Luna, they couldn't reason with the animal she was watching. It was a waste of time to keep it inside, since it showed no sign of stopping its rampage. When it came to patience, she had little. If anything, the guards had just taken another creature from the sight and took it here.

"Luna." She turned as her sister walked down the steps and stood at her side, watching the creature continue to struggle. "I thought it would tire by the morning. We should give it some more time. It can't do that forever."

"I would be willing to place a wager on that, sister," Luna sighed, annoyed with the constant banging. "The mare is quiet now. Should we... release her?"

"Glimmer was calm after... that sound," she murmured, shivering at the memory of it. "She's been this way for a while, hasn't she?" Luna nodded. "We should try. No guards."

Celestia walked towards the mare's cell, gesturing to the guards to move the crystal wall. They lifted it out of the way, and Celestia slowly approached her. Luna raised a hand as the Solar guards tried to go with her sister, but kept herself wary as she watched. The solar princess crouched beside the magenta mare, then softly shook her arm. There wasn't a reaction at first, and she gradually shook harder. On her fourth try, the lady gasped and threw herself away from her.

"It's okay! It's okay," Celestia gently said, holding her hands up and stepping back. "You're fine now." The mare panted as she looked up to the alicorn, then cringed as she heard the creature bash on its prison. "Don't worry, he can't hurt anypony."

The mare looked no older than twenty, and even that was pushing it. "P... Princess Celestia?" she hoarsely managed to croak. "This... is Canterlot?"

Celestia smiled and nodded her head. "You weren't in your right mind, but now you're fine," she assured her, gesturing to the exit. "We should leave. Somepony must be worried about you."

For a moment, her eyes were blank, then she nodded and gritted her teeth. The talons jutting out from her feet clacked on the floor as she slowly moved towards the princess, wincing with each step. She snapped to attention when she felt a hand on her arm, which turned out to be Celestia. Together they walked out of the cell, then started on their way out. As they passed the only other occupied cell, the pounding stopped abruptly. The mare looked through the crystal wall, and her eyes widened at the sight of it. Luna waited for some sign or communication, and the creature finally stepped back as the mare started to run.

A number of guards gave chase, but golden and blue auras kept any stallion still. "Wait!" Celestia called to her. "It can't hurt you!"

"She's frantic," Luna said, flying up the steps. "We cannot scare her even more."

Reluctantly, Celestia slowed down, matching her sister's pace as they spotted her running down the hall. She stumbled not too far from the dungeon entrance, then collapsed onto her knees as they approached. Her whimpers and sobs reached them, and it became audible as they stood beside her.

"You're safe... you don't have to worry, anymore," Celestia smiled. "I don't think we've met."

Luna felt it was a poor way to break the ice, but it seemed to work. "L... Long St-Stride," she forced herself to reply.

It took her time to become coherent enough to talk, but the princesses were willing to wait. She was their only hope of finding out what had been happening, aside from the kidnappings and cult extremists. But both alicorns knew it wouldn't be a simple game of twenty questions. It all depended on whether or not she could compose herself enough to tell them.

After her weeping died down to sniffles, Stride wiped her eyes and looked to the princesses. "I-Is... there somewhere we could go?" she quietly asked.

Luna's horn ignited, and within seconds they were in one of the guest chambers. Stride shuddered at the sensation, then limped to the bed with Celestia's help. She pushed her lifeless mane out of her eyes and sniffled, tenderly pulling her feet onto the bed.

"We can have somepony take care of them," Luna said, hoping to comfort her. "And... remove what doesn't belong."

Stride nodded softly, grimacing in pain as a talon realigned itself with the others. The pain vanished as a soft gold aura lit up her foot, some of the skin healing as wounds closed. "It's all I can do, but we'll get professional help soon," Celestia smiled, sitting beside her. "I know this may be hard... but there are dozens of families that need answers... and your family will get one as well."

Stride took in the words, making no gesture or movement whatsoever. "I... I'll try." A blanket nestled itself around her body, and she pulled it close as she waited.

"What happened to you? How did they... change you?" The question was what they would have to go on for future reference, and Iron wanted to know.

She turned her head to the side and stared at the curtains. "I... I didn't have a family... I was in the orphanage in Manehatten," she explained, taking a shaky breath. "I was sixteen... almost allowed to leave for good... but some ponies stopped me on my way home from school."

Faces rushed through her vision, pulling her into the past and spitting her back to the present. "Did they take you somewhere?" Luna asked, a bit more stern than her sister. "Somewhere discreet?"

"No... they just... gave me to some stallions," she sniffled, wiping her eyes again. "They're the ones that... blindfolded me and... took me somewhere dark." Her body trembled and her eyes snapped shut. "That's... that's where they take you to do... this." She gestured to her taloned feet, then buried her face in her hands. "There wasn't any light... but I could everypony screaming... crying... begging."

Her tears had started up again, and she took deep breaths to keep focused. "How many were with you?" Celestia asked. "There must have been other ponies after."

She shook her head violently. "They were all quiet... only two colts and I left." Her hand ran along her arms soothingly, as if massaging pains that weren't actually there. "Then they put is in there... in the pit."

"Is that what you called the arena?" Luna questioned, her tone less cold than before. Stride nodded, shifting her eyes up to her. "And was the creature in the cell with you?"

Almost instantly, Stride seized up and broke. "He's the only reason I was alive until now," she told them, letting her eyes pour as she spoke. "He kept us all alive... but they wouldn't stop sending us out to fight... he taught me how to do it and now I can't get it out of my head!" she screamed, gasping for breaths with each hysterical sob. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry! They killed so many... and I didn't want to be next!"

This was it. The end of the line. One of Celestia's wings draped over her, and she looked to her sister with knowing eyes. Luna wanted to ignore it, but there wasn't any chance of that anymore. The creature had protected her, Glimmer, and whatever other ponies with them, presumably. It was intelligent. It had to speak Equestrian. But how would they coax it - no, him - into speaking to them?

Luna had no idea, and neither did her sister. "What is his name?" The mare glanced up at her, waiting for her to repeat herself. "Does he have a name?"

Stride nodded, and for the briefest of seconds,, her messy and broken state was replaced by a hard and proud mask. "His name... is Nex."

Author's Note

Hello hello! Another chapter for today. Hope you all are enjoying it so far! As always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Glimmer's family to be found. They were horrified at what had become of him, but they were relieved more than ever to have him back. Stride wasn't the same case. Without a family, and with clear signs of trauma, she would need medical and mental care before she could be released into society. She knew it was necessary, and she was willing to try therapy. On top of it all, however, they still didn't have a way to remove the implants inside both ponies. Scientists from all over Equestria had never seen such advanced technology, which made tampering with it highly dangerous. They would be able to remove the talons in Stride's feet and the rods in Glimmer's forehead, but that was their limit. Everything else needed examination and a number of surgeries before removing them became an option.

Celestia was willing to pay any price to see their lives returned to normal. No pony deserved what had happened to them. She wouldn't rest until they were past this dark point in their lives. They appreciated it wholeheartedly. However, the day before Glimmer left the castle, he told the princesses one thing.

"Don't hurt Nete... help Nete get better." Glimmer wasn't in his adrenaline filled state like he was when he was brought there. He spoke from his heart, and he wanted them to make sure Nex would get help like him.

It spoke volumes to the alicorns, but they couldn't ignore the fact that he'd been struggling for an entire week without rest. He hadn't eaten, and his body was slowly wearing down to the point where his arms were masked with bruises. The crystal had gotten impossibly thick, no longer worrying any of the guards of an escape. They'd tried feeding it, waiting for it to slow down and recuperate so they could toss the box of food inside. It would sniff at the hay and flowers inside, then toss them and the vegetables aside before continuing to hit the crystal.

It was starting to look pointless. There was no indication he was going to relent, and in the eyes of Luna it would be a waste of time to try. They would be better off sealing it away, or putting it in stone like Discord. Her sister, however, wasn't as cold as she was a millennia prior. Her abrasive and forward attitude was now a gentle and warming radiance. There wasn't any point in arguing, since Luna knew that Glimmer's words had struck a chord in Celestia.

If only she'd act reasonably.

"Princess."

It certainly won't attempt to communicate with us. What if they spoke through gestures or something of the like…

"Princess Luna."

That prison may very well break or suffocate him. It'd be best to-

"Luna!"

The lunar princess jolted upright in her seat, looking down the steps to see her frantic sister and a number of guards. "Wh-What is it? What's-"

"He's stopped." Luna recoiled at her words, momentarily confused until she realized what she meant.

"Has it... passed?" she cautiously asked.

She was relieved and at the same time disappointed when her sister shook her head. "He's asleep," she told her, a smile starting to form. "At least, that's what we believe."

She rose a brow, then turned to the guards behind her sister. "A moment, please." They knew what she meant when she said "please." The Solar guards nodded before leaving the room, the Lunar guards following. "What do you have in mind?"

"We could allow some of our doctors to tend to him. With such exhaustion it might sleep through it," she explained. "We could show it we mean no harm."

"And by placing bandages on it, we shall earn its trust?" Luna quipped, crossing her arms.

The faint light on Celestia's face faded as she looked her sister in the eye. "You haven't looked at it, have you?" Luna shook her head. "We're going down there."

A sigh blew out from Luna's lips as she followed after her sister, catching up when Celestia waited at the stairs. They found themselves in the dim and dreary prison beneath the castle, but there wasn't any sound. Luna was surprised, although she would have been much more shocked if she'd gone down herself. They made their way past the other cells and looked into the giant crystal. Before she could make a remark, she looked at him thoroughly.

Aside from bruising all over his arms and shoulders, blood trickled out from his arms and knuckles profusely. The crystal itself was stained with his blood, which changed the color horribly. His left shoulder looked collapsed, and he laid face down in a small puddle of his own blood, sweat and saliva (she could only guess). He made no movement at all, catching her attention quickly. The two stared at it for another few minutes, then sighed in relief as it took a deep and shuddering breath.

"He looks... dead," Luna slowly stated.

Celestia nodded her head softly. "The least we can do is aid him... he could die, at this rate," she told her sister.

As she signaled the guards to move the crystal wall, Luna put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "What if it attacks them? We couldn't do anything," she reminded her.

Celestia glanced back at Nex as he slept, unmoving for a moment before he took another weak breath. "Bind his arms and legs... chain them to the walls," she ordered.

In a short span of time, a number of guards had chained the creature's arms and legs to the walls. Several links held each limb, all pinned to different places in the wall. It was reminiscent of a web. Celestia hoped to see the chains removed once they were done, but Luna preferred the opposite. Several nurses and doctors came in, reluctantly, to start tending to his wounds. Bandages were everywhere as they fixed sprains and his broken arm, along with the cuts and gashes along his back.

Both sisters watched intently, waiting for any sudden movement. When the doctors had finished, they hurried out of the prison and waited for the guards to close it. However, Celestia remained inside with her sister, who silently urged her to follow the others. If her eyes were her voice, they were boisterous. Luna shook her head and stepped to the side, waving for the guards to enter. They warily moved to flank the celestial mare, then stared at Nex with their hands on their spears.

"Luna." Her ears perked up at her name, and she waited for her sister to speak. "He's asleep, yes?"

"I can feel a dream, so yes." She waited for Celestia to speak again, but she was met with silence. Nex let out a choked gasp, startling everypony and prompting the guards to draw their spears.

When he relaxed and slumped over again, they returned to slightly less anxious positions. Celestia looked to Luna, then gestured with her eyes to Nex. At first, Luna wondered why she was doing so, but when he snored again, she knew exactly what she meant.

"No," was her only answer.

"You'll be in the dreamscape, Luna," Celestia insisted. "You know he can't hurt you."

"Not physically, but the pain in there is as real as it is when you're conscious," she retorted, snorting in agitation. "What could I do there aside from yelling at a feral... thing?"

"Find out what they did." Luna winced at her sister's words. They were no longer steady and even. There was a growing desperation in it, and her face expressed it too well. "What did they do to him that made him different than the others? We're supposed to help our subjects, Luna. But would we not help a griffon? A minotaur?" She wiped her sleeve over her eye, then put a hand to her head. "I promised I would help him and so did you, whether you meant it or not. This could be our first and only step, but you won't have any faith."

She was on the verge of losing her slowly failing cool. Her words weren't lost on Luna, thankfully, and she silently conceded. "Should I break something in there, you won't touch a single morsel from the bakery," Luna stated coldly, stepping over to Nex. "Guards, hold the chains."

Each link was held firmly in place by the squadron of guards, and Luna removed her onyx gloves before moving them to his head. "Try not to frighten him," Celestia warned. "This might be our only chance."

"I know, sister," she replied, her horn flickering to life.

Luna's horn bursted into life, a dark blue aura shimmering around her eyes and hands. Everypony around her began to fade, then the prison, then Nex. She was alone in the dark, not a sound in any direction.

It's a bit empty for a dreamscape.

She looked around, barely able to see her own hands in front of her face. Her horn illuminated with a spell, giving her a small area to see. Guiding the light around, she spotted a silhouette in the distance. Cautiously, Luna approached the figure until the light shone on its back. Ragged cloth covered tannish skin, blood running down his body with red splotches staining his attire. Luna stepped around to his side, readying for a fight. Instead, she could only see him staring into the darkness, silently and endlessly. His mask was still present, which surprised her.

She brightened her light and stepped closer. "You must be Nex," she formally greeted. "Is that your name? Nex?"

He made no attempt to speak. It was almost as if he didn't hear her. She tried looking to where he was, but still nothing. There was never somepony with a dream hidden inside their dream. She needed to see what he was seeing, and only then would she be able to do anything.

Her hands moved to his head, then stiffly guided his gaze to her. She looked into his small eyes, which had become black and misty. Her horn lit up again, and touched his forehead. All at once, images poured into her head. Screams and wails echoed through her mind, the sounds of flesh tearing and grinding prompting small jerks and disgusted feelings in her stomach. She frantically let go of him, then realized they were no longer in darkness. Where he had been staring was now memory after memory playing endlessly. Dreams were perverse and unholy creations of his memories, each worse than the last.

And yet, only one stood out from the rest. He was kicking and screaming, his words incoherent among the commotion of everything around the memory. Ponies watched in disgust as he pleaded, his vision blurry from tears. There was no pony that would help. Luna recognized the buildings, and even some of the ponies. He'd been in Canterlot... when he was taken...

"I taken there... mommy and daddy no see me..."

Glimmer had been taken as a colt. He'd been missing two years, and Stride had said there were children. Nex... had been brought there as a child.

He'd been kidnapped.

"Hate... ponies..."

She gasped softly at the sound of his deep, raspy voice.

"Ponies... no good... ponies... dark...."

"You can't blame this on all the ponies of Equestria," Luna snarled, no longer fearing how close she was. "These nobles aren't what ponies are like at all. You can't-"

"HATE... ALL... PONIES!"

Luna yelped as her magic was sapped, and she was knocked out from his mind and onto the floor. Celestia quickly grabbed her and pulled her to her feet, the guards restraining Nex as he roared in renewed rage. His body's nodes pushed out from under his bandages, then blinked rapidly as he screamed.

"Get out of there!" Celestia shouted. The guards dropped the chains and sprinted out of the prison, sealing it shut as the chains around his legs began to break.

Luna shook her head and looked to him, watching as he gripped his head in pain. Slowly, a screw swirled out from the center of his forehead, stopping at an unusual length for most unicorns, then clicked as its surface turned smooth. The tip flashed a blinding white, before blinking and humming as it gathered powerful alicorn magic.

"Princess, we should-"

"We're fine here," Luna grunted, standing on her own. "Even that isn't powerful enough to break the wall."

Nex dug his fingers into the crystal floor, clenching his teeth as he got low and aimed his horn. "No... hurt... me... ANY... MORE!"

There was a surge of mana before a sphere of white hurtled at the crystal prison. The moment it made contact, it was absorbed into the crystal. Everypony relaxed and looked to him, staring in mixtures of shock and disgust.

"What did they do..." Celestia approached his prison and put her hand on the crystal. "What did they do to you?"

Nex yelled as he yanked at his chains, thrashing wildly and yelling at the top of his lungs. "YOU... ALL... MONSTERS!"

Author's Note

Hey guys! I've got another one for you all! I'm really liking how it's come out so far, so I'll be going with this for a while. Hope you all enjoyed today's chapter! Remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 4

"He's calm again," Luna sighed, sitting down on the couch across from her sister. "They aren't sure whether or not it's from exhaustion. I doubt that, however." A servant set a kettle and tea set on the table between the sisters, then nodded before leaving.

Celestia rubbed her eyes before reaching for her cup and sipping the fresh tea. "Are the doctors working on him?" she asked, setting the cup down slowly.

"Of course. They're working to seal the wound on his head." Both went silent, thinking back to the week prior. Celestia stared at her cup, as if it would yield to her gaze and tell her all she wanted to know. "It's... awful to think what else they could have done."

Her sister didn't reply, only gazing at her drink before moving it to her lips again. She rested it in her hands, following it with her eyes as she lost herself in thought. It wasn't the first time she'd done this after what happened. Often times it would be during her duties, or during her meals. She hardly ever slept, and Luna wondered if her sister was becoming too attached to this creature. A thousand years ago she would not have hesitated to either kill him or send him off to die. It would have been much simpler, and much more effective.

But now, she looked as vulnerable as a foal. It wasn't hard to see that she was deeply contemplating their problem, but it was becoming too complicated. Luna was past helping him. Nearly a month of his detainment and he still didn't show any signs of coherent thought. They were trying, but without him doing so as well they were just beating a dead manticore.

"What happened in his dream?" Celestia asked suddenly. Her voice lacked any emotion, but her sleep deprived eyes showed just how much she cared. "Luna... what did you see?"

The lunar princess kept silent, looking into her own cup as she waited.

"Luna..."

Still no answer.

"This could be our only hope. Please, what did you see?" There wasn't a sisterly warmth in her voice. Just the tone of a beggar asking for spare bits.

It was strange to see her sister reduced to such a state. Even if their duties as princesses were stressful, nothing seemed to come close to what they were dealing with. Luna exhaled as the last of her steaming tea was swallowed, and she gently placed the cup back on its saucer.

"His... dreamscape was... barely even there," she said in a low tone. "Most ponies have their dreams consuming their entire thoughts. Even nightmares use the entire dreamscape to scare its host... but his didn't."

Celestia only had a vague sense of how dreams and nightmares worked in a pony's mind while they slept. "What was it like?"

"It was... dark... empty... and quiet," she murmured, "much too quiet for any normal dream."

Celestia leaned in, sitting on the edge of the couch as she waited for more. "Did you see him? Or his dream?" she continued, eager to hear more.

Luna thought back to what she had seen, as brief as it had been. "He doesn't dream like a normal pony..." Her eyes closed as she fought off the familiar feeling of despair and hatred. "It's as if he's managed to repress it all... but still allow himself to look back on it all."

"He wants to forget," Celestia murmured, laying back in her seat and removing her crown. "Could you see anything significant? His parents? A home?"

Luna shook her head. "He was like Stride. An orphan..." Her voice barely allowed her to speak. His muffled cries echoed among the sounds of what could only be described as war. "...He won't let us help him, sister... and personally, I see no reason as to why he should."

Celestia's hand slammed on the table, her alicorn strength threatening to shatter the reinforced glass. Luna looked unfazed by her sister's aggression, and she stared into her eyes without any sort of emotion. It took another moment of silence before she removed her hand from the table and set it on her lap. Cracks ran across the table, resonating from where her fist had hit.

"You know this isn't a thousand years in the past," Celestia slowly said, staring at her sister. "This isn't a dark age with knights and monsters. We haven't been to war since the Griffon War, which was over a century ago."

She stood up and made her way to the door, stopping just as her magic opened the great doors. "Please... just reach out to him when he sleeps..." she softly said.

There was no reply, and she sighed as she exited. Luna glanced to the window, her horn igniting as she moved towards it. The evening sunset slowly faded to the darkness of night, signaling the end of the day. She heard the door open slightly, then shut as it set itself in place. A set of heavily armored steps echoed throughout the room until it was right behind her.

"Yes, General?"

"You don't seem troubled, my lady," the gruff bat-guard snorted, staring at the moon outside. "I do not mean that it should linger in your mind, but you seem to be ignoring the matter at hand."

Luna sighed and shook her head. "I appreciate your concern, Lancer, but I'd appreciate you keeping the stallions in line rather than pry on mares' business," she told him. The old stallion chuckled lowly before coughing into his fist.

"Always the wit with you, Lady Luna," he chortled, stroking his prickly beard. "Very well then. I only meant to tell you we've discovered something... interesting about the creature."

"And what is that?" There was a distinct sound of chewing, and she rose a brow before turning. The stallion charged with leading the Lunar Guard was eating a chicken leg in front of her, swallowing before giving her a coy smile.

"It has a craving for blood," he said, taking another bite of the roasted meat. "At least, cooked meat. Seems it doesn't like to eat its greens."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but let her lips tug into a grin. "Has it been eating?" He nodded his head, then headed towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Perhaps the barracks. There hasn't been anything of significance lately," he stated, opening the door just enough for himself. "As for you, my princess, I suggest you roam the dreamscape... and... perhaps appease your sister's pleas. It's awful to see kin begging one another."

Luna was left alone to herself as her general left. She stared at her moon for a while, contemplating how big it had seemed a thousand years ago. Her horn ignited again, the constellations moving and creating newer ones for ponies to enjoy. When she was done there, she teleported herself into her tower and sat on her bed, removing her onyx heels. For the first time since her alicorn abilities returned her to normal, and allowed access to the dreams of her subjects, she was anxious.

The words of her most trusted advisor and friend, along with her sister, gnawed at her. She would undoubtedly come across his subconscious sooner or later, since he was close by, and it would only spur her to enter. At the same time, she wondered what else his mind had made. Dreams were beautiful. Nightmares even more so, as they put a pony in a vulnerable position to show that they are just like every other pony. What he had conjured was... vague. Nothing seemed like a normal dream. Everything revolved around fighting... his foalnapping... but nothing as imaginative as others.

He won't speak to us... he calls us monsters... how ironic... and sad.

She looked to her reflection in the mirror across from her bed, pushing a stray strand of her night-like hair behind her ear. Her horn lit up, illuminating the dark room with an indigo glare.

Everything slowly began to fade, until Luna felt light. Her eyes opened up, and she found herself standing in a hall of various doors. Every door represented each individual dream, which she passed as she searched around. Her wings fluttered as she flew past dream after dream, slowing once she spotted it. Instead of a unique panel, there was a grey and decaying door. Her hand cradled the doorknob as she felt the dark whispers of nightmares. After finalizing her decision, she turned the knob completely.

It bursted into a hazy smog of black, surrounding her and flooding the air as she entered the dreamscape. Her horn shone through the dark as she searched, blindly flying through the mist. The silence bothered her, but knowing his current state put her at ease. She spotted a form just beneath her, and she halted her flight before gliding down. As she approached, she noticed how much smaller he looked now. When her light revealed him, she realized he was laying on his side. His back was to her, but she could see distorted images around him.

They dispersed when she stepped closer, looming over him. He made no movement other than breathing. His body was covered in rags and blood, most of which she assumed wasn't his.

"Nex." He kept silent, prompting Luna to step closer. "If you can speak, it would benefit us both."

No answer. He twitched briefly, then grunted as his body strained. Luna's aura moved into her hand as she went to see his nightmare, but the moment she took a step he jumped up and readied himself. There was hatred in his eyes. They'd done nothing but try to help him, and still his rage and malice obscured everything they were doing.

"We want to help you," she told him, biting back her aggravation. "My sister wishes to undo everything they've done to you... but we require your cooperation."

He looked to her, his feet spreading into a stable position. Luna recognized the stance he was in, and she huffed before cutting off her magic.

"You'll either die in your prison, or learn that we want to help," she sneered, turning away from him. "Whatever should happen first will be fine."

Her steps receded as she went to exit the dream, but before she could teleported herself, she heard a mumble. It escalated, then turned to grunts before everything was silent again.

"No... can... help..." His voice faded, just as his dreamscape began to deteriorate. "Alone now... all... gone..."

Luna found herself back in the trail of dreams. She looked across the expanse of thoughts and images, then sighed as she went to look over them.

We can't help one who doesn't want help.

One month later…

He laid in the same spot for nearly thirty days. Luna tried night after night, hoping Nex would say something. But he said nothing. Celestia still went down to see him, but she had the same results her sister had. There were days neither sister bothered bringing him up, and others where Celestia would spend all night with him. His back was all he ever showed, and he would barely eat the meat in his cell.

When there wasn't time to see how he was, she would tap on the glass. The first time she tried it, he glanced over his shoulder, then turned back over. She would always come back to do it, and she wouldn't leave until she got a sign. His first sign included a sudden hit to the crystal. The next was an annoyed grunt, which was barely audible behind the barrier. His current sign, which she was somewhat grateful for, was knocking on the crystal where she had. After that, he would go back to ignoring her.

The guards had mostly forgotten about the creature under the castle, save for the small squadron of earthen stallions that guarded him. Most didn't know why the solar princess would descend into the prison. Or why she looked more distraught coming out than going in.

Her patience was running thin. Nex needed help, but didn't want them near him. She was done waiting, and she was sure Luna was as well. Her only problem was how she would go about it. Violence would sever his miniscule trust in them, and anything even slightly aggressive would frighten him into attacking. She needed to do something when he was asleep. Her magic would be absorbed if he woke up, and she wasn't sure taking a blast of her own mana was something she could withstand.

So she waited. The day passed as usual, but she didn't check on Nex. When night fell, she gave her sister the usual "Goodnight," but waited in the prison. Her guards said nothing as she paced near the stairs, keeping herself awake with blasts of wakening spells. As usual, her sister went to her chambers the moment midnight hit, to travel through the dreams of their subjects. When she glanced into the crystal prison, Nex seemed to be asleep.

She turned to her guards and gestured to the door. "Leave us." It was a very rare thing to hear her order anything.

All four guards kept still, looking to each other questioningly. "Ma'am, General Iron and Lancer have ordered us not to-"

"I understand what they've ordered," she cut in, "but I only need a moment. I am ordering you to wait outside until I call you all. Is that clear?"

The guard closest to the door went to say something, but the one across stepped forward. "How long will you be, ma'am?" he asked.

"Not long," she replied. "Now, please leave."

The commanding officer sighed quietly, then nodded for the others to follow. The guards slowly climbed up the steps, the last closing the door. When she was sure they were alone, she pulled away her crown, setting it on a hook before removing her gloves. She moved to the side of the crystal and grabbed hold, then pushed it as hard as she could.

Each of her guards were just for show. She could easily overpower any earth stallion with her alicorn strength. As such, she was able to easily move the crystal enough for her to walk in. Her magic removed her golden slippers as she cautiously moved over to him, carefully setting her feet to not make noise. When she was right next to him, she lowered onto her knees and shifted over to his front.

His arm was wrapped around himself, his right hanging above him from the short length of the chain. She quietly undid them and set his hands down. Both were scarred in nearly every place, and it trailed down to his wrist, where his rags concealed what was left. She wouldn't risk her luck any more than she was, so she moved to his face. The mask didn't seem to be hooked or tied, and it dug into his skin.

No... they... they couldn't have…

She put it aside in her mind, then put her hands to the sides of his head.

Luna will be furious... and in all honesty, I can't believe it's come to this. But I must do what I can to relieve his pain.

Her horn ignited.

Hopefully Luna doesn't get here too soon.

Her eyes flashed white, before everything around her vanished. Screams and yells blasted into her head, faces and corpses whizzing through her mind. Shadows of men loomed over, observing her every movement. From their dark forms, monsters appeared and charged. Red and black covered her in seconds, bodies upon bodies piling. Smaller monstrosities looked up from the cavern, standing behind her like her guards.

Stallions in coats stood over her as she was laid on a steel table, her arms and legs strapped down. Languages of old came from their lips as they laughed. Screams of a child rang out, pleas and incoherent ramblings fitting between every cry of pain. Trees began sprouting from the ground, small fillies and colts running around in panic. A manticore the size of a tree chased them, cornering them between itself and a pack of timberwolves.

She was drawn further back, another memory playing out before her. A pair of guards struggled to keep him still, though they couldn't keep him quiet. Celestia watched the stallions calmly walking as he thrashed, yelling to the ponies they passed. All she saw in their faces was disgust. Fear...

...and hatred.

He screamed for help, begging for somepony to stop them. He'd done nothing wrong, but they were too relieved of his riddance to ask. She could see he realized this, and his tears flowed as he was taken. His sadness and questioning was replaced by anger and his own disdain. He clenched his teeth to keep from crying, and shut his eyes in surrender.

"Why... why everypony hate me... why?"

Why... the one question he wanted an answer to. She could feel it in his mind. With all her wisdom and experience, she didn't have an answer. Her subjects had failed everything she'd meant to teach them, but even she knew the crowds of Canterlot weren't reliable.

He'd met the wrong ponies in his life... he didn't know what compassion was.

Lunar Tower

Luna sat beside him as he laid silently, his heavy breaths the only sound in his dreamscape. She glanced over to his memories, unable to completely decipher each to see for herself. If he would remember more than what she was watching, she would see more. All he remembered now, was fighting in the pits. She watched him tear apart other feral ponies, who were modified like him.

As she looked to more images, she gasped as they began to rearrange. More and more memories began to appear around them, swirling into place beside one another and surrounding him. Each clouded memory slowly cleared, revealing their secrets. She looked away, knowing he wouldn't want her to see everything. Her magic covered the twister of his past as she searched through his mind. Another source of mana emanated from a deeper part of his subconscious. She recognized it, and once she saw the golden aura, she was pulled out of his mind.

"For Faust's sake, sister!" she exclaimed.

Her horn flashed, teleporting her into the prison. She ran into the hall, then rushed into the crystal cell, but slowed as she got closer. Celestia was on her knees with Nex, his hands grasping her wrists as he pulled them away from his head. His eyes were irritated, but no tears fell. Anger and sadness clashed in his eyes, but he did nothing but whimper and growl.

"Why... why ponies hate me?" he asked, his hands loosening their grip. "I... do... nothing..." He brought his hands away, then looked to them as he grunted angrily. "I monster... that why... that why?!"

He looked to Celestia for answers. For the first time in weeks, Luna could see emotion. No longer feral growls and roars. He was finally speaking to them.

Her sister moved her hands closer to him. Nex cringed and looked to where her hands were going. He looked poised to defend himself, but closed his eyes and lowered his arms. Gentle fingers touched his jaw, lifting it up to hers. He opened his eyes, baring his teeth as he looked into her eyes. He kept his glare strong, gradually faltering as her gaze didn't change.

"You're not a monster," she smiled, her warm expression breaking his cold stare. "We don't know what you are... but I know the difference between a monster and a child." He glanced to Luna, ignoring her neutral eyes and turning back to the solar alicorn. "Nex... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything they've done to you."

He stayed quiet, watching as she cried silently and smiled. "You... no hurt me," he grunted. "Why sorry?"

"Because my subjects failed you, and I am responsible," she told him. He tilted his head, following a tear as it fell. "Please... we want to help you... Glimmer wants us to help you." His head perked up, which Luna took note of.

"Glimmer... alive?" he asked, his hoarse voice cracking. She smiled and gave a reassuring nod. He looked away, then quickly turned back to her. "...he... home?"

"His parents are grateful to have him," she laughed, rubbing her eye. "But... we need your help, Nex. We... need to know some things."

His mask hid his dead expression, but he kept looking to her. "Glimmer and Stride were... helpful, but we need more information," Luna said, taking a step closer. "Glimmer was too young, Stride was too new... but you know about what they do... yes?"

Celestia quivered as echoes of screams resounded in her head, which died off quickly. "I... I little... when they take me," he murmured. "I... I know..."

Celestia placed her hand over his, giving him a firm squeeze. "Please... it could help us save others before they're taken," she pleaded. "That's all we need."

Nex exhaled deeply, rubbing his sore forearm and examining his bandages. He pulled some of it loose, until the rest fell off. Where awful gashes had been, scarred flesh replaced it, as though it had never been pierced. Luna quietly gasped, then looked to Nex as he sat back and held himself.

"I... I try..."

Author's Note

Hey guys! I'm happy you're all still enjoying this story. I've been so nervous to post it but I'm so glad you all like it! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 5

A chunk of rock fell from the side of the mountain, landing not too far from where a group of stallions was walking. "They didn't need to destroy the place," an aqua colored pegasus sighed. "All the time we spent... and not one of the angels survived."

An older earthen kicked a rock, forming a crack on it. His bronze hand ran over the slivers of holes in it, and he sighed. "I left for a single day, and then this happens," he huffed, crossing his arms. "He won't be pleased when he finds that his western pit was destroyed."

"You two cannot be serious," another pegasus groaned, his grey wings flapping as he looked for a way in. "The old stallion has four of these in every corner of the country. He's even started another in griffon territory."

Other earth ponies began pulling rocks and moving slabs of granite and quartz. "Be careful! It'll come down on top of us if we aren't careful!" The voice came from a unicorn, his teal horn glowing as he pushed aside smaller chunks. "What's so important that he wants us digging up a broken mountain?"

The earthen shrugged. "How much do you think each of his angels is worth?" the blue pegasus questioned. "Let's just say he could build a town and PAY ponies to live there for a good century. And that's for every one of them."

The two mercenaries looked to him with wide eyes. "Guess we're getting paid a good amount," the earthen mumbled. "But we're wasting our time. Those Royal Guards are thorough... wish they were lazy like the cops in Manehatten."

The other pegasus landed and watched the stallions opening the cave. "Flip! You guys in yet?" he shouted to the unicorn.

Bit Flip examined the rubble for another second before turning. "Nothing yet, Spot!" he called back, using his magic to blast a boulder apart. "Dense! Get over there and help!"

Dense Fist sighed and made his way over. "Just because I'm an earth pony doesn't mean I'm a heavy lifter," he grunted, pulling away another large rock.

"Doesn't look that way to me," the blue pegasus quipped. "And why wouldn't you be with your name?"

He smirked and showed his shoulder, revealing a cutie mark of an iron fist cracking a skull. "You can break heads and not lift," he chuckled.

The others shook their heads and moved over to the nearly-cleared rubble. "So, why are you here, Mr..."

"Storm Glide," the blue pegasus answered, looking at scorch marks. "Your employer sent me to supervise you and... collect information."

Dense pushed a rock away and turned to him. "What sort of information?" he asked. "If there's some dark secret that'll kill us all then-"

"The information regards one of his angels... a very unique angel," he said, looking over to an earthen that fell into a hole. "Alright, get in there and search for what you can."

Dense and Dull Spot went over to Flip, then entered the cavern. The air was heavy with a lingering stench, and barely any light made it into the large hall. The group moved further in, stepping over the threshold of a door that looked like it'd been blasted open. Some of the other ponies gagged and groaned in disgust, but the mercenaries examined the sight closely. Pools of blood splashed beneath their feet as they moved into the seats of the coliseum. Their boots knocked into some limbs as they moved to the glass dome, peering into the pit below.

"Looks like they missed them," Flip sighed. "Spot, go with Storm in there."

They glided down through the massive hole, landing beside the pile of bodies. "Celestia... what are they?" Spot murmured.

Storm seemed to disregard their gory "enhancements" and looked over their wounds, moving them around as if examining something in a shop. "Hmm... these two must have been fighting... the pegasus won... and this earthen was killed by a unicorn."

He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up at Spot. "Might wanna rethink that," he said.

Storm followed where he was looking, his eyes resting on the sight of a dead unicorn. He walked over to him and started prodding, pushing his head up to reveal a slashed throat. His horn had been cut in half, but scorch marks trailed up the wall across from him. The rocks hadn't been cracked, and none of the other two opposing gladiators had any signs of magical damage.

"He wasn't strong enough to break a rock..." Storm went to the pegasus without a wing, then to the pegasus with a large gash in its jaw. "Hmm... the pegasus are much more injured than the earthen... and his blood trails outside."

"Whose blood?" Spot questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"Not to mention the news about a colt and mare being rescued," Storm mumbled, wiping his bloodied hands on his handkerchief. "Hmm... so it wasn't a total loss."

Spot rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Alright, what in Tartarus are you talking about?" he sternly asked. "There's nothing here, so what's going on?"

A brief minute later, Storm exhaled and looked to him. "If we weren't so lucky, we'd be dead stallions in 24 hours," he calmly sighed, flapping his wings to take flight. "To answer your question, our benefactor had an extremely valuable Angel in this pit. He was worth twice as much as Canterlot, and worth the entirety of Canterlot Castle. He's alive, and I'm willing to wager a certain pair of monarchs know where we would find him."

Spot followed him out of the pit, then shook his head. "So... are we done here?" he asked.

He ducked under a pound of dynamite being thrown over him, glaring at Storm as he lit a match. He tossed the match on the ground, which ignited a trail of powder that flowed through the stands.

"Yes, we are." Spot anxiously walked with Storm, ready to take off the moment he heard anything louder than a mouse.

Once everypony was outside, an enormous number of explosions shook the ground, just as smoke and dust shot out from the mouth of the cave. Rocks tumbled and boulders crashed as the mountain began to collapse, forcing the group to get farther away. Storm watched nonchalantly, while the hired help stared in disbelief.

"We might require your services for a bit longer than we contracted. But don't fret, we can compensate what we owe," he smiled.

Flip had seen those types of smiles. This wasn't happiness or relief. It was a smile that foreshadowed what was to come. Whether it was good or bad, he knew there were only two types of ponies that could pull of that sort of expression. And Storm certainly wasn't panicking.

It was the smile of a psychopath.

Canterlot Castle

It'd been nearly a week since Celestia had looked into his memories. A week that she had spent in constant reminder of that fact, as Luna hadn't let up about the invasion of privacy. As a dreamwalker, she had been allowed to see memories alongside dreams, and she knew that only certain ponies were allowed to hear of such things. Memories were sacred, more than any conjured dream could be. And it was insulting to know she did it while she was in his head.

However, even she had to admit that it had been worth trespassing. Nex no longer thrashed in his cell, or skipped eating. He seemed calm now, but he still wasn't improving beyond that. Whenever Celestia visited, he would be fine with her presence, but he didn't speak much. As for Luna, he returned her cold attitude and said little to nothing. He still spent his dream time looking over his past, especially his youth.

But now they knew everything. He'd explained what had happened to him and countless others as children. It had put their minds to ease, but disgusted and disheartened them much more. To think that so many foals had been murdered... just to find the few that could adapt, and survive horrible experimentation. Then put into an arena to slaughter one another. That's what the mountain had been. A place of death and murder, all to survive and hope they wouldn't die the next fight.

Most that had been foalnapped were orphans, but there were few that belonged to a family. When the toll had come in, it was the hardest six letters both princesses had to write. "Your colt/filly was modified gruesomely then brutally killed by others like him/her." It wouldn't bring any mother or father peace. They would have to know their foal suffered long before they were killed, and that others had lost their minds and turned into killing machines. All for sport.

Luna remembered the times of gladiators. The times she and her sister put prisoners against their legions for entertainment. She remembered those times, and she wasn't proud of them. But to mutilate foals and have them fight... it was unheard of.

"We'll have to search for them... this is just a small part of something much bigger," Luna said to her sister. "I can have the Lunar Guard search Equestria by night. It would keep the matter away from the media's eyes."

Her sister nodded softly, adjusting herself in her seat on the couch. "Luna... we still have to help him," she said in a low voice. Luna softly sighed and rubbed her temple.

"I know that," she replied in a low tone. "The question I believe we both need an answer to... is: how?"

Both had spent varying amounts of time on coming up with a solution. He still held an instant distrust in ponies, and he was only slightly comfortable with their own presence. Not to mention his hatred towards pegasi. Hiring a therapist was too risky, and that was if he decided to talk. He needed to be kept close to somepony who could stop an outburst without the help of a platoon of guards. They could do so... but he wouldn't get better if they babysat him. He needed to learn that there was good in ponies other than them.

Canterlot was no place for that... not entirely, at least. Most of the nobles would demand for something to be done, and that's if they didn't cause him to lash out first. Manehatten, Apploosa, and Fiilydelphia were much too far, ruling them out immediately. Ponyville was close... just a short train ride away... maybe even a chariot. On top of that, there were six ponies and a dragon who had helped Equestria four times over.

"Luna." Her sister perked her ears, looking up and waiting for her to speak. "I think... I might have a way."

"Are you going to say it?" she asked. Celestia rolled her eyes at her tone and sat up.

"Nex trusts nopony aside from us. He thinks everypony is cruel and he hates them," she said, standing up with a small glint in her eyes. "We need to show him that ponies aren't all that way. He needs ponies that will help him day and night."

"You mean us?" Luna questioned, resting her head on her knuckles. "Sister, we've-"

"Not just us... he needs more than us." She looked at a stained glass depiction of the fall of Nightmare Moon. Luna glanced at it, then turned to her sister with a suspicious gaze. "He needs friends."

A moment of silence ensued, both princesses staring back at one another with mixed thoughts. Luna broke her gaze away and closed her eyes, setting her crown on the cushion beside her. "We cannot control him," she began, casting a glance towards the door. "If he should lose his calm there could be untold consequences. They aren't as prepared as the castle is for him."

"I know, Luna, but if he can keep himself under control, or my student or the Elements-"

"And what if he can't?" Luna interjected, standing up to assert herself. 'He's barely refrained from attacking us, and he still threatens any pegasi. That is all aside from the fact that he is immune to magic AND has the ability to siphon it."

Celestia looked unmoved by her sister's argument. She closed her eyes in thought, moving away from the couches and to one of the windows. Luna waited in her original seat, watching her sister stare through the glass depiction of Discord's fall. The light bathed through it in a beautiful spectrum of color, painting Celestia's milk white dress. She turned around hesitantly before returning to her seat across from her younger sister, then cleared her throat.

"He's like you, Luna." The words put her off, like she thought it would, but Luna refrained from retorting. "You felt alone when you returned... remember?"

Celestia knew her sister remembered. It was nearly a week before her body returned to its normal state, when Luna was still learning about what had happened during her absence. "A thousand years away from Equestria is different than spending a life in a pit," she weakly shot back.

"Luna, no pony was there to torture you, or hurt you, or damage you... not after I wronged you," Celestia whispered, pushing her voice past the lump in her throat. "You had me to help you because I am your sister. Twilight helped you even more when you visited on Nightmare Night. Who does Nex have? Us?"

"We've done our best to help but he refuses to let us!" Luna suddenly exclaimed, pointing her finger as she seethed. "Don't compare myself to him."

"What if you refused my help?" Celestia questioned. "Do you think I would have given up? Leave you to suffer alone? Why should we do that to him?" She moved Luna's trembling hand, holding it with both of her own. "Would you have done that to me?"

The room was silent again, neither princess moving. Celestia waited for a response, but Luna didn't offer one. The door to the chamber slowly creaked open, an anxious Solar poking his head in.

"Princess Celestia," he called, clearing his throat before walking towards them. He held out a scroll, prompting both princesses to look at it.

"Thank you," she said softly, taking the parchment from him. He bowed respectfully before hurrying out.

"I'm going to my chambers," Luna told her, walking to the door.

"Luna." The lunar princess stopped at the door, peering over her shoulder. "We can help him... I know that Twilight and her friends can show him the truth."

Luna opened the door and stepped outside, but turned back to her sister with a softer expression. "You'd better ask Twilight Sparkle what she thinks before you 'dump him on her'" she said.

Ponyville

"Give it back!" Twilight shouted, chasing a laughing Rainbow over the fields outside of the town.

Rainbow swerved and looped to avoid her purple friend as she flipped through the novel she'd been reading. "What's the big deal, I just wanna see it!" she laughed, holding the book up as she ducked under Twilight.

"You could've asked!" Twilight called, teleporting herself closer.

"Can I see it?" Twilight smacked her palm against her face, causing Rainbow to burst into more giggles. "Ohoho, what's this?!"

Pinkie giggled from below as she skipped along, Applejack and Fluttershy following behind. "Least she's gettin' the hang of her wings," the farm girl chuckled, putting her orange hands into the pockets of her vest. "How long has she kept from crashing?"

"Fifteen minutes! It's her new record!" Pinkie announced, a stopwatch in each hand. "What kinda book is Twilight reading, anyway? I bet it's about something super-duper awesome! Or super-duper interesting! Or super-duper-interestingly-amazing!"

"Ah'm sure it's somethin'. Even Dash's reading it," she smiled, waiting for their rainbow headed friend to crash. "Looks like Twilight's catching up."

They cringed as Twilight tackled Rainbow into a tree, the leaves and branches rustling before Rainbow fell out on her head. The alicorn princess yelped as she pulled her skirt free from the branches and fell on top of Rainbow. She shook her head and groaned before grabbing her book. Applejack offered a hand, pulling her to her feet.

"You can move when ya need to," Applejack smirked, brushing off some of the twigs in her mane. "Come on, Dashie. Up and at 'em."

Rainbow clutched her head and groaned in pain. "Jeez, Twi, you could've asked," she groaned, rubbing the growing bump.

Twilight huffed and teleported the book back to the library. "Oh, haha," she mockingly said. "Cherilee recommended it to me, so I'd better not hear about it from anypony else."

Rainbow laughed and wiggled her eyebrows. "I can't promise that, Twi," she snickered, smiling mischievously.

"Twilight!" The girls turned to the town as Spike came running, holding a scroll in his claw. He panted heavily as he reached them, falling to his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. "Princess... message... important."

"Calm down, Spike," Twilight said, putting a hand on his back. He slowly started to catch his breath, panting less and less until he was fine. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, but the princess wanted me to make sure I brought this to you right away," he panted, handing her the scroll.

"Think it's bad?" Rainbow asked, looking from over Twilight's shoulder.

"Ah hope it ain't another Sombra fiasco," Applejack said, shivering quietly.

"Don't be so negative, girls! Maybe there's a shortage of cotton candy in Canterlot, and the princess needs us to find a secret fountain that makes a super secret ingredient that-"

"You're hungry, aren't you, Pinkie?" Rainbow asked.

"Yup!" she giggled. "Y'know what we should get?"

"Can everypony be quiet?!" Twilight exclaimed, breaking the seal. "The princess might need us to help Equestria so we need to... focus..."

The girls leaned in to see the parchment, which was mostly blank except for one line.

"’Twilight, get on the last train to Canterlot. Bring everypony with you. Leave Spike.'" Pinkie read.

"Aww, really?" the young drake groaned. "I want to help!"

"I'm sure the princess has her reasons," Fluttershy croaked, coughing softly and clearing her throat.

Applejack crossed her arms and sighed. "Sounds shady. Sure that ain't some fake seal?" she asked, pulling her stetson back.

"There isn't anypony with this kind of seal. And I can feel some of her magic on it," Twilight said, rolling the paper back up. "But... this isn't like her to leave me in the dark."

"What about that letter she sent before we went to the Crystal Empire?" Spike questioned. "She said it was a test, but nothing else."

"Let's just go!" Rainbow said, heading back to the town. "Come on, there's nothing we can't handle, right? I bet the princess just wants us to clean up some chump that thinks he can take over Equestria."

Twilight looked a bit concerned, but Applejack patted her shoulder. "Don't worry so much. Long as we're together, there ain't nothin' we can't do," she nodded.

Twilight smiled, then gave her own nod. "Alright, girls. Let's get ready to... where's Pinkie?

Fluttershy gave her a small note. "Went to go pack! I'm so excited!!!! Rarity's coming too so I'm gonna tell her! Oh! I need this paper back! It's my emergency 'We're all going on an adventure and we need to pack but Rarity isn't here and somepony who isn't talking is sick' note! Be right back!"

"Hm... alright, let's go!"

Author's Note

Here we are again with another update! Just wanted to let you guys know, I have the chapters written out but I'm editing them from their original versions to clean up any mistakes. So you can expect at least a chapter a day for the next week or so. Anyway! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 7

"What... was that?" Rainbow sighed, sitting back against the wall. The others were acting similarly, unable to process what they witnessed. "There were spikes in its hands! What the Tartarus!"

"His," Celestia corrected, closing the door behind her. "They were implanted... along with other things."

Applejack nervously asked, "What do ya mean by 'other things'?" The princess could see fear in their eyes, the same as her guards and the doctors.

"Princess, I know you want us to help, but we don't know how to help i-him," Twilight told her teacher. "We don't even know what he is! And he barely speaks Equish."

"Which is why I need you all to help." She took off her crown, surprising the others in the room, and set it on the dresser, looking into her reflection and gathering her thoughts. "He has good in him... it's perverse, and tainted, and repressed... but it's there." Her hands were shaking as she recalled his memories. "Nex did what he needed to... and he pays for it every day... I've seen it. He's scared of us."

"Uh, I really doubt that," Rainbow remarked, standing up and sitting beside Pinkie. "He punched through a wall. A crystal wall, Princess."

"That's impossible for an earth pony," Twilight pointed out. "What if he gets out of hand? Or what if he goes berserk or decides to eat somepony?!"

To each of their surprise, Celestia laughed. It was gentle, and a bit amused, but she didn't mean badly by it. "He hasn't tried eating anypony yet, so I'm confident he only eats what we import from the griffons," she chuckled. Her smile faded again, and she leaned against the dresser. "I don't know if he'll control himself... but I'm sure he'll try as long as somepony familiar is with him. And since I must stay here, as well as Luna, we need ponies we can trust."

"But what do we do?" Twilight asked, trying to think of anyone other than themselves. "He needs a therapist, a psychoanalysis -- something to help him!"

"That's why we need you. He's... hardened. He doesn't want to feel, or to know what's happened to him. That... that pit was his home... and he still wants to think he'll go back there." His memories surfaced in her mind, her eyes flickering as she repressed it. Twilight went to ask, but her former teacher put a hand up and blinked, the glow dissipating. "He needs someone to pull him out of the dark... to show there's more to the world than being holed up."

Rainbow scratched her head and nervously laughed. "Isn't that what you're doing?" she asked, avoiding the disbelieving eyes of her friends.

"Yes, but only because Luna isn't entirely convinced... and I don't blame her," Celestia laughed, pushing her hair behind her ear. "He is very dangerous, yes... but he's very fragile. He wasn't nurtured like you all... he doesn't know what it's like to have family... or friends."

That struck a chord for the young princess in the room. She looked to her friends, each unsure but equally conflicted. "Have you found his family?" Twilight asked. She'd seen Glimmer, and if it were her making assumptions then he had been part of it. "You found Glimmer's parents. What about him? He had to come from somewhere, right?"

Her ex-mentor shook her head. "We're not sure where he came from. His memories are only vivid to when he was taken to the orphanage," she sighed, recalling the place of his terror. "And... after that he was taken by... whoever they may be."

The door opened again, and Luna stepped inside, gently closing the door behind her. "The doctors are placing a cast on his hand. He won't be doing that anytime soon," she said, rubbing her temples. "The crystal won't be closing after his outburst."

Fluttershy moved behind her friends and hid her face in her turtleneck. "I-I... I'm sorry," she sniffled, clearing her throat. "It was an accident."

Luna relaxed her expression and sighed. "Do not be, Fluttershy. We cannot control your illness." She looked to her sister, then to the girls. "Have you reached an answer?"

Before Rainbow could speak, Applejack slapped a hand over her mouth and nodded to Twilight. The newest alicorn weighed her options, fiddling with her fingers as she thought. "Don't worry about us, dear," Rarity told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We're behind whatever you think is best."

"Yeah... but he needs a friend," Pinkie reminded them, less playful than usual. "I don't wanna think about not being somepony's friend. It's scary."

Applejack yelped when she felt Rainbow's tongue slobbering on her palm, and the rainbow haired mare moved over to Twilight. "If we're doing this then I'm watching him 24/7. If he goes crazy I wanna knock him on his flank before somepony gets hurt."

Applejack wiped her hand on her friend's shirt and nodded. "Ah wanna know if he does anything violent. And Ah'd better not see one scratch on anypony 'cause of him," she warned, pointing at her chidingly.

Twilight turned to Fluttershy, the only one who hadn't spoken. The weight of all eyes in the room on her, Fluttershy receded to her bed and closed her eyes. "W-Well... if you girls are okay th-then... then I am t-t-a-a-aCHOO!" She covered her mouth and fell back, landing on her bed. Rainbow snickered as she helped her up, pushing her hair apart. "...too."

Twilight smiled, her mentor doing so but brighter. "Well... I guess everypony's up for it," she sheepishly giggled. "Okay, Princess. We'll do it."

Luna’s expression was unchanged, but her sister smiled brighter than ever and hugged her former student. "Thank you, Twilight. I know you can help him better than someone and a couch."

Luna turned and left, sighing to herself.

We can only hope.

The Next Morning…

Nex grunted as he heard footsteps, his ears ringing after being in silence for so long. His stomach rumbled viciously, but he rolled onto his stomach, hissing as he felt his broken hand skim the cold ground. A pair of guards passed his cell, who he growled to, just as several earthen moved to the crystal wall. He stood up and moved to the back of his prison, readying his good arm as they positioned themselves by the entrance. His stance eased up, slightly, when the solar princess came into view.

The guards strained as they dragged the wall of crystal back, just enough for two people to walk through. Celestia stepped inside, Nex sitting down as she knelt. He looked up at her, wondering why she was so cheerful. She was in a prison with him, something turned into a killing machine. What was there to be happy about? Was she crazy?

"Nex," she said. He grunted lowly to express his acknowledgement. "Come... you're leaving."

His head slowly fell, his breaths growing deeper and deeper, then sprang back up as he realized she was serious. She took his hand in hers, her coat soft to the touch. He stared at her, questioning every little movement she made to get him to stand. The tugging on his arm was gentle, slowly guiding him off the floor and onto his feet. His eyes jumped between the guards and her, especially when they reached the opening to his cell. Celestia rose her brows as he stopped, nearly causing her to fall from his abrupt stop. She laughed softly, gesturing to the hall as he looked to her.

"You don't have to stay here anymore," she assured him, putting her other hand over their hands. "Come, Nex."

His eyes glinted in the dull light, and his head turned as he gazed at some of the Solars. They seemed on edge, but none were armed. He grunted softly, following along as they entered the hall. He stared at every guard they passed, coiling his legs with every step he took. He bumped into her shoulder, grunting in surprise, but saying nothing as she smiled down at him. They kept going, reaching the steps that led up to the castle halls. Luna was waiting upstairs, the mares in charge of Nex anxious as they too waited for the princess. They heard the solar alicorn's heels get louder and louder, before she walked through the threshold. Behind her, holding her hand like a child, Nex walked into the hall, his eyes shooting downward as his bare feet touched the carpet.

They watched him slowly plant his other foot on it, his attention still on the red rug. He moved his hand from Celestia's to run his fingers over it, marveling at the silk touch. Fluttershy held in a sneeze, but Nex still looked up at her, squinting his eyes as he looked to the others. They were still unsure of him, that much was obvious, but the purple unicorn did her best to look friendly. He couldn't say the same about the blue pegasus and orange earthen.

"Nex." He looked to the darker alicorn, her gaze firm but her posture relaxed. "We know what you have survived, and we understand your disdain towards us... but we wish to make amends."

He felt the broken shackles on his wrists come loose, Celestia slipping them off and holding his good hand. "They're going to help you, Nex. You're going to learn about what ponies are really like," she said. He huffed softly and looked away, but she lifted his head and gave him a more stern look. "Please, Nex. I promise they will do everything they can to show you how wonderful life can be... I promise."

She moved away from him, then gestured to the girls. Twilight took the initiative and stepped forward, smiling as genuine as ever. "Don't worry. You're coming to Ponyville with us," Twilight informed him. "It's not far from here, and we'll all be around town."

He kept silent, Twilight's confidence chipping away as he continued staring like she hadn't said a word. "You'll be living with her, Nex," Luna explained, moving closer to him. "No harm will come to her, correct?"

He glared briefly before nodding his head. He turned back to Twilight, then grunted lowly. She glanced up to her fellow princesses, the elder laughing nervously. "He agrees," Celestia clarified, nudging Nex forward. "Let's go. You have a train to catch." He growled and jerked himself away, glaring at her harshly. "Oh! I'm sorry. I meant you all are taking the train. Together, Nex."

He grunted again, moving to the girls. They grew nervous as he lumbered over to them, hunched over as if he'd never stood correctly. He scanned over them all, then grunted to Twilight. She jumped in surprise, holding in a yelp as she calmed herself. "Come on. The exit's this way."

"We're gonna have so much fun when we get to Ponyville!" Pinkie cried, causing Nex to cringe. "You'll love it! We'll show you around town, take you to Sugarcube Corner, Rarity can make you clothes, and best of all: throw a party!"

Pinkie skipped along with Fluttershy, followed by Twilight and Rarity. Nex started walking, eyeing Applejack and Rainbow as they moved to his sides. "We're keepin' a close eye on you," the farm girl whispered, glaring at him threateningly.

"If you hurt anypony," she cracked her knuckle and sneered at him, "we throw you back here. Got it?"

His growl escalated, ignoring Applejack and seething at the blue stuntwoman. Dash's fiery gaze was the only answer to his guttural remark. He snorted and kept walking, glancing back to the princesses. Celestia nodded with a look of encouragement, while her sister merely acknowledged his focus on them.

Luna touched Twilight's shoulder, prompting the unicorn to turn. "Take this." The purple mare looked down into her palm, raising a brow as she took the collared leash.

"Um... Princess?"

"The collar has a sedative-like secretion, and the leash can release it," she whispered. "Have Nex wear it, and if the need arises you must use it."

Twilight nodded slowly, anxious about deceiving what looked and acted like an animal. "Well... if you say so."

Nex looked forward when he heard the chime of magic, just as the doors to the castle opened for them. The mares kept walking, but stopped when Nex rose his arm to shield his eyes. Celestia's magic overwhelmed the guards', and the doors quickly shut.

Nex rubbed his eyes and growled in annoyance, his vision blurry as he stumbled back. "Are you alright?" Celestia asked, steadying him before he could fall.

He shook his head and looked up. A colored ray of light shone into the castle through the stained glass, which Nex stared at. He reached a hand up, the light touching his skin and sending a bit of warmth through his body. Fluttershy couldn't help but smile as he waved his hand under the colored lights, as fascinated as a small colt. Nex turned to the door, then to Celestia. She looked to him as well, waiting for him to say or do something. He gestured to the door with a nod, and she lit her horn to open it before he grunted loudly. It took her a moment, but she nodded and released her magic grip on it.

Slowly, Nex placed his hand on the door, and strained as he forced it to open. It happened gradually, and he hissed as the light of the outside blinded him again. They followed him outside, watching him slowly move his arm away from his eyes. His eyes clenched shut, slowly adjusting to the intense sunlight. He squinted, his blurry vision soon clearing, but the intensity still burning. Nex exhaled softly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to his new surroundings. Once the stinging vanished, he opened his eyes.

Blue... an ocean of blue with tufts of white hung above, a bright ball of light off in the distance. He saw a blooming town, tiny movements of an entire city just down the hill. He looked to his right, where the landscape opened up for him to see. A grassy plains was near the base of the mountain, and a forest hung just a bit farther out. He breathed slowly, staring at the land for what felt like an eternity.

"What... that?"

Twilight's, and the others', ears perked towards him. "What?" Twilight asked, moving closer.

Nex rose his good hand, pointing directly at the sun, but unable to look at it. "What... that?"

Celestia moved to his side. "It's called the sun, Nex," she answered, her voice weak but full of care. "It gives everypony light in the day."

The man looked to her. "Sun... day?"

A tear worked its way down Celestia's cheek as she nodded. "I move the sun to tell everypony it's time to wake," she explained with a trembling voice. "To tell them it's morning."

Celestia placed her hands on Nex's shoulders, looking out into the land with him. "It's a new day."

Author's Note

Hey everyone! Another chapter here for you guys! I'm so happy you're all liking this story and are continuing it as I go! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 8

The train rumbled across the tracks, blowing its whistle as it left Canterlot and started towards Ponyville. Inside, the entire train had been reserved for six ponies and one... creature. The girls sat across from one another, anxiously glancing to their new "responsibility" as he stared out the window. Instead of sitting down, he held on for dear life, crushing the metal poles his fingers clung to. His unconscious display of strength had frightened even Applejack, but she and Rainbow masked their shock. Though Twilight was still unsure about him, she could see something... innocent. Ever since they left the castle, he stared at the sky endlessly. He paid no mind to the weird looks passing ponies had given, or to Twilight putting a leash around his neck.

Speaking of which, Twilight glanced at the tether in her hand. She was, personally, nowhere near comfortable around this creature, but for her to use the leash, he had to be close. She sat beside him in the train, glancing at him from time to time. The train rocked suddenly, and he snapped out of his awe and lowered himself, the steel pole groaning as he clenched harder. The girls looked in his direction, watching him keep his head low and remain still.

"It's okay," Twilight cautiously said, holding her hand out to him. "It's just the tracks. We won't be flipping over anytime soon." He didn't seem fazed by her attempts to ease him, and she looked up to Fluttershy. The meek pegasus shook her head, sniffling hard to get the snot out of her nose. "Um... have you been on a train before?"

He nodded quickly, another loud clacking of the train causing him to break the pole in half. Panicking, he grabbed a seat and held on, burying his masked face into his arm. Pinkie couldn't help but giggle, which Rarity hushed.

"It's better if you sit down," Pinkie told him, patting one of the seats. He peered out from his arm, silently watching for a minute before digging back into his arm as another rumble rocked the train.

They looked at him without a clear picture of what he was. Sure, they'd seen him roaring and thrashing, but now he looked... afraid. Over something fillies and colts weren't even scared of, on top of that. Fluttershy scooted away from him regardless, blowing her nose into a tissue and sighing as she breathed. Rainbow retained her hardened glare, ready to spring in case he did something fishy. Or violent. Applejack, on the other hand, laid back with her stetson over her face to relax. She could see he was scared, and she was sure he'd be there until the train stopped.

If Pinkie weren't there, of course.

"Come on, it's just a bit of bumps!" she laughed, standing up as their car rattled along the tracks. "See? It's fun!"

He refused to look up at her, the seat cracking as his fingers dug into it. Pinkie frowned, unhappy to see him so frightened. An idea popped into her head, and she slid into the seat beside Twilight. Her studious friend gave a questioning look, but Pinkie winked and reached down to his exposed armpit. The already wide smile grew bigger and bigger as she moved closer, snickering when her hand was just under his arm. With another wink to her friend, she started vigorously tickling, waiting for a response but got none. Nervously chuckling, she tickled again, and again, then poked his sides, then his neck, and even his belly.

"Aw, come on, aren't you ticklish?" Pinkie groaned, laying down beneath him.

He opened his eyes, surprised to see her and wondering what she was talking about. Pinkie poked at his armpit again, Nex watching her do so. "Don't you feel that?" she asked. "Everypony's ticklish!"

He looked at her for another minute, lifting his head onto her arm. "No..."

Twilight sat up, as did Rarity and Fluttershy. "What... what do you mean? You're not ticklish?" Pinkie anxiously laughed, still tickling for a reaction.

He kept silent, then sat back when he was sure the train wouldn't rumble. Nex examined his nail, checking to make sure it was grown out enough. Then, in front of their eyes, he slashed a small cut into his forearm. They cringed, but he didn't so much as flinch. He let a small tear of blood dribble out, then licked the wound.

"I... no feel... no can... only big hurt." It took them all a moment to understand, and Rarity covered her mouth in exasperation.

Pinkie's mane deflated, and she sat up. "...h...how? Everypony... everypony feels... why can't you?" she questioned, still disbelieving.

The train rocked again, and he held on again. "Pain bad... Master want win....." Nex gritted his teeth angrily, then growled lowly. "Master... fix me... never feel... always win."

It was extremely terrifying to think of what had to be done for him to not be able to feel anything. It was unbelievable for any of them. Pinkie sat next to him, dripping tears as he cowered from their ride. Her hand reached to his arm, and she touched him. Rainbow had expected him to do something, but he kept still. She eased her mind when she remembered he couldn't feel. He didn't know she was touching him. He didn't know she was sorry for him. He didn't know that she wanted to be there for him.

It made Pinkie even sadder. So she hugged him. She squeezed him, hoping somewhere he could feel her. Nex felt weight on him, and he wriggled away when he saw her pink mane. He now covered his head with his arms, waiting for the trip to end. Pinkie sniffled before moving back to her seat, wiping her eyes and gently whimpering. Fluttershy sat closer and hugged her, and Pinkie buried her face into her shoulder. Applejack looked away, pushing her stetson up and sighing.

"I'm gonna go check where we are," Rainbow said, moving to the exit to the car. "I'll be right back."

Twilight and Rarity nodded, and she was gone. "It's awful... but she doesn't want to believe anything until he makes her," Rarity sighed, carefully wiping her eyes, careful not to smudge her mascara. "What are we going to do?"

The question plaguing Twilight's mind. "I... I'm not sure," she admitted, turning to Nex. "I honestly don't know what to do."

The rest of the ride went on in silence, with occasional grunts from Nex each time the train made noise. As the sun touched the horizon, the train pulled into Ponyville, letting off a wail of steam to signal its stop. Nex exhaled and let go of his seat, looking up to Twilight as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When she saw him looking up at her, she gasped. She wished this whole thing had been a weird, dark dream. But when the feel of the leash registered, she knew it wasn't. The others all stood up, Nex and Twilight following. He growled as Fluttershy moved past him, prompting her to rush out of the train.

"Nex," Twilight scolded. He grunted and looked forward, waiting for her to walk again. "Fluttershy isn't going to hurt you. She doesn't want to. Okay? And where we're going, there are plenty of pegasi!"

He shouted at her, snarling and baring his teeth. It frightened her, but she held her ground.

"And stop doing that!" she yelled, pointing her finger reprimandingly. "You can't scare everypony because you don't get your way! The princess wants us to help you, but I won't let you hurt somepony! Okay?"

He glared at her, standing erect as his anger made itself known. Twilight could see he was easily taller than her, and probably about as big as her mentor. If not, he was larger. Showing fear meant giving him leverage, so she glared back at him with an unmoving stance. His eyes bored into her with malice, but after a few seconds he huffed to the side.

"...keep pegasus away," Nex snarled, slouching back down. "Weak one no come near."

It was all she would get from him, so she sighed and nodded. "Her name is Fluttershy. Fluttershy won't come near you," Twilight vowed. "Now come on."

He dragged himself behind her, looking up at the sky again. Twilight urged him forward with her leash, and he absentmindedly followed. "So, what? We just go home?" Rainbow asked, looking back to Nex. "We're not letting you sleep with that thing around without somepony as backup."

"Rainbow's right. Somepony has to be around if something were to happen," Rarity added, quickly holding a hand up. "Somepony that can take part in restraining him."

"It's fine, girls," Twilight assured them, stopping as they reached the road to her home. "I can take care of him. We'll see you in the morning."

Rarity quickly grabbed Twilight's shoulder before she could leave. "Bring him around the Boutique, dear. He needs a proper outfit if he wants to look civil." Nex tilted his head again, unsure of what she was saying. "And come early! Celestia knows what the town will think."

"We'll have to bring 'im outside sooner or later," Applejack shrugged, fixing her hat. "Better if ponies here don't just see some weird thing walkin' around."

"But let's get him his clothes first," Twilight nervously laughed. "Let's just hope it's not another Zecora fiasco."

The girls all agreed, and Twilight led Nex to the library. Rainbow turned to leave for her home, but quickly scanned around when she didn't hear a certain loudmouth. "Huh... where'd Pinkie go?"

Nex examined the giant tree with curiosity. His idea of a house was something made of stone. Wood, even. Her home was a giant plant. He could see windows, a balcony, and a platform upstairs. Twilight took out her key and unlocked the door, leading him inside.

"Alright, there should be another bed in my closet," she said to him. She closed and locked the door behind them. "You can sleep in the guest room, oka-"

Nex grunted, pointing to the leash. "Sleep close."

"I don't have to watch you while you sleep, y'know," she told him. "Just sleep in there. It could be your room." He shook his head. "Why not?"

He lowered his head, keeping it down as she waited. "I... sleep with others... in pit," he muttered. "Need... body near. No touch... need know you there."

He's afraid of the dark.

Twilight sighed, but decided it was best to have him within earshot. "Alright. There's a bed upstairs with mine," she told him. "Just sleep there for now... and tomorrow we should probably get you cleaned up."

He nodded, then followed her upstairs into her room. Just like downstairs, the walls were lined with books, but there was a small staircase that led up to a small platform in the wall. Twilight kicked off her shoes and led him to his bed, gesturing for him to get comfortable. He looked at her, then back to the bed.

"Sleep here...?"

"Well, of course," she smiled, moving the blanket for him. "Just get in."

He turned back to the bed. Twilight could see he wasn't fully convinced that it was this easy. It could have been his anxiety about his new home, also. She smiled as he climbed into the bed, careful with his bandaged hand, and laid on his back.

"There. Are you comfortable?" Nex shifted a bit, smelling his pillow and rubbing his head around strangely. After finishing his little movements, he nodded to her. "Okay. Goodnight."

She headed over to her own bed, then tossed herself onto it. Normally she'd change into something light, but her day had not gone too swimmingly. With Spike away to help the mail service in Manehatten, she didn't even have full meals. Nex was another mouth to feed... and a bloody mouth, at that. And aside from just being too tired, she didn't want him watching her change. The bathroom was much too far for her weary mind.

So, she curled up into her covers, got comfy, and closed her eyes. Though she would like nothing more than to fall asleep, her mind was thinking otherwise. She had questions that needed answers, like how he survived experimentation and what made him immune to magic. What other implants did they give him? What sort of technology allowed his small transformations? The pit, the gladiators... the foals... and... his fear of ponies...

...and why pegasi?

"Nex?" she called. He grunted. "I know you're afraid of us... or hate us... but why pegasi above all?"

The bed creaked as he sat up, and Twilight did the same out of caution. His mask faced her, gleaming from the light of the moon, but she couldn't read his expression. He looked at his broken hand, cradling it by the wrist.

"Pegasi kill in pit... get away... let fighter bleed... Hard fight in air," he growled, thinking back to the day of his release. "Kill ponies... ponies I know... but they almost kill me."

It sounded like they were the biggest threat in the arena. "I thought the earth ponies would be a bigger threat."

"Earth ponies strong... but unicorn kill them. Earth ponies hard kill close... unicorn kill far." The earth ponies seemed to be outmatched by a unicorn, but he didn't show disdain towards her. Then again, he was immune to magic, meaning her spells couldn't hurt or affect him.

"So... you aren't scared of me?" He nodded his head. "Because magic can't touch you, right?"

He paused. Nex laid back on the bed and exhaled. "No... you weak... like white unicorn... no scared of weak... easy kill."

Author's Note

Hey everyone! I'm updating a bit early because I'm too eager to wait. :twilightblush: :pinkiehappy: Hope you're all enjoying the story! Remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 9

“Hmm… Now what does she think they will gain from bringing him there?” A woman sat in a dimly lit study, reading over the reports of the scavengers. Or, as her brother liked to call them, the hired help. “This technology is beyond anything they’ve ever seen. And considering they haven’t a clue on reverse-engineering those compounds, what could they gain?”

Across from her, a low, throaty chuckle pierced the silence. “Gain?” a raspy voice asked. “The princesses don't seek any gain," the man snickered, planting his cane on the floor to assist him. "They believe they can help the damned thing."

"And why couldn't they?" the mare rebutted teasingly, setting the papers down beside her. "Look here. It was him, a small colt, and a young mare. Lovely thing, a bit scrawny for my brother's arena."

The older stallion hobbled over to her, snatching her papers and reading over them with his right eye. "...the colt hasn't been in combat long enough to turn him," he growled, examining the young adult of a mare. "I believe your brother intended her to mate with his prized 'champion.' Still, he was rash to assume her mind would be lost so quickly."

The mare stood up, taking several books from the oak table between the two sofas and shelving them in their appropriate places. "And yet my brother is confident he cannot be brought back," she laughed, buttoning her lab coat. "It's no longer sane, I'll give him that, and every pony or creature he'll meet will be a potential opponent. In a world of fearful citizens, it won't be long before his presence is announced."

"And announce he will, Study," he said confidently. "The moment he has the chance to spill blood will be the opportunity to show what he is. What he was destined for!"

Deep Study shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You speak like that pit has produced heroes." She turned back to the dying light of the fireplace to the right of where she had sat. Above it, the banner of a long forgotten class of nobles displayed its meek blue and bold yellow. At the center of the strip, a black symbol contrasted from the rest, though it was in a language assumed dead.

"It created me." She rose a brow and gave him a sarcastic smile, to which he replied with a toothy smirk, revealing several sharpened, rotting teeth. "I survived your father's trials. It taught me the value of life; that you must fight and overcome."

"And yet, Scythe, you can barely walk without your cane. Not to mention you're as blind as a bat here," she said as she tapped her left eye, to which he snarled.

"Sacrifices of survival. I didn't lose an arm, and I've yet to be buried," Keen Scythe growled, limping over to her. "That pit will be that animal's rite of passage. Whether or not he wants to, he will survive, and I will make sure of that."

Study snickered lowly, motioning for him to follow. "Oh, I don't doubt that," she said, signaling a servant to open the door. "And neither will my dear sibling. It costed a fortune, one we are barely recovering from, but my brother managed to make the ultimate killer. It can counter any race's strengths, and even use some against them. I'm sure he'll stay alive until we can extract him."

"If his modifications don't kill him first," Scythe muttered. "As soon as we have him back, you are to start a project to help his muscle tissue. All the gore his body withstands will weaken him. I'm sure your brother understands." Study nodded, exiting the room. Scythe reached a hand up to his left eye, running his finger over the deep crevice of a scar that had blinded him.

With another servant at her side, Study made her way to her lab. There, she was met by several other chemists, neurologists and biologists. They handed her information, and she coordinated them to have their experiments ready for testing. She walked over to the glass panel across from the entrance and smiled maniacally. Below her, dozens of fillies and colts growled and shouted at each other ferociously, a few carcasses littering the floor. She was excited to know so many had made it back alive, which meant more fighters for their pits. They were so young, so innocent, and she would make them believe they wouldn't have that taken. Foals were so foolishly stupid.

"Miss Study." She turned as a stallion in a lab coat walked over with a sheet of papers, which he handed to her. "There are 50 survivors. The most we've ever had. Are we really going to risk half the batch?"

"My brother only had one abomination strong enough to withstand these experiments," Study announced, enough for the anxious scientists to hear. "It's been nearly a decade since one survived, so until we can make another, half the batch will always be necessary. If we create another, you'll all see much more bits for it."

"But what about the other specimen?" a mare called, her eyes analyzing a slew of information about the foals below.

A smirk grew on Study's lips. "It's still a work in progress," she replied. "Though I wish I had the opportunity to work on it. When it's completely upgraded, it'll be much better than its predecessor."

"I hope so." Study glanced back, beaming as she walked over to her brother and hugged him. "There seems to be more than usual down there. Are you excited?"

"I'm tingling," Study remarked sarcastically. "So, how goes it with 02?

The stallion before her, roughly her height, straightened his greyish-green mane with a ruby hand. "It's much more resilient, and a tad more intelligent than my old champion," he lightly chuckled, looking over the fillies and colts. "They're so beautiful before we ascend them."

"Then they're godly," Study said. "What brings you down here?"

He glanced back at her and grinned. "I'm sure you've heard about the situation so far," he said, waiting for her to nod. "I'm debating on whether or not to send somepony to fetch him. Gods know what he might do if he escapes."

His sister shot him a questioning smile. "You're concerned?"

"Considering I've spent nearly half of my wealth creating him, yes, I'm concerned," he shot back, a small bit of annoyance spilling into his voice. "It will take them time, but I'm sure a regime of Solar guards can wipe him out."

"He's in the custody of the princesses. I'm sure they can keep him well for us,” Study sighed. "And if not you'll know when you read the paper."

She heard his footsteps fading as he walked to the door. "In any case, I'd like to have my eyes and ears around, should something of importance happen," he called, the sound of the metal door opening. "I'll leave you to it, sister."

"You'll have your next batch soon, brother!" Study chimed. The door shut, and she turned to her lab attendants. "Alright. Bring in the Angels."

Ponyville

The sun was inching its way over the horizon, streaks of violets and magenta fading into deep blues. Slinking through the streets, Twilight anxiously looked every which way, sure that everypony was still asleep. She tugged on the leash, Nex grunting as he followed close. There was the sound of somepony running, and Twilight pushed him into an alley. The earth pony, who she recognized as Lotus's sister Aloe, jogged down the street, wearing a tank top and tight shorts. She let out a breath of relief, motioning for Nex to follow. He looked in the direction of the jogging mare, growling lowly before Twilight tugged him forward. They hurried down a dirt path, and up to Rarity's Boutique.

Nex squinted his eyes as the morning sun rose, a rooster off in the distance startling him as it cried out to signal morning. After quickly calming him, Twilight knocked on the door to her friend's shop. When there was no answer, she knocked harder, her impatience rising as the sun crept higher and higher above the valleys.

"Just a minute!" Rarity's voice called, annoyance in her tone.

Twilight sighed with relief, turning to Nex to get him ready. He stared off into the distance, watching the bright oranges and reds disappear as the sky turned blue. She'd woken up to see him staring out her window, as if waiting for something.

The door clicked as Rarity opened the door. "Who in Celestia's-" her eyes widened as she looked at the two. "Oh, Twilight! Come in, both of you!"

"Alright, come on, Nex," Twilight said, walking into Rarity's Boutique. She yelped as the leash stretched to its limit, causing her to fall back. Getting back up, she looked over to Nex, who was still staring into the sky. "Nex, get in here! Before somepony sees you!"

He grunted at her, and she groaned before grabbing his arm and pulling. It wasn't even enough to budge him. She struggled to move him inside, though he kept staring. Staring and staring and even still, he stared off into the distance.

"What are you looking at?" Twilight finally asked, panting by the door. Nex lowered his head and glanced over his shoulder. Twilight felt a chill run down her spine, unable to tell his emotions because of his mask.

"Blue... no know sky blue," he said to her. "It... it look... it look... I want look at it."

He didn't know how to describe the sky. It was the same sight every sunny day, a big blue sky and a bright sun to lighten up the day. "You mean it looks nice?" she asked softly.

He looked to her, then to the sky. "Nice... it... it look... nice." Nex turned back to the sky. "Sky look nice."

"Twilight, get inside!" Rarity called from inside. "We should get him out of sight!"

Nex turned and followed Twilight, who closed the door before leading him further inside. He looked all around at the decorative shop, staring down pegasus mannequins and sizing up other models. Rarity waved the two over from the other side of the room as she doodled on her sketchpad. Just as Twilight looked over her shoulder, she turned and lit her horn, bringing several measuring tapes over to them. Nex growled lowly, but Twilight gave him a stern glare to ease him off.

"I just want to measure you, Nex," Rarity assured him, nervously smiling as she approached. "If you're going to stay with us, you don't want to look like a mess, right?"

Nex relaxed, watching her carefully as she moved the yellow measuring tapes to his limbs and body. She took measurements of his neck, shoulders, arms, legs, waist, then grabbed one from the floor and went behind him.

"Nex, could you straighten your back? I need to make sure I get a proper measurement," she hesitantly told him. He slowly straightened his back, looming over Rarity and making her conscious of her own height. "Um... thank you."

She quickly measured his back, getting onto her toes to reach his head. The sight of his blood-stained clothes, and especially the stench, made her cringe. "Nex, this is Rarity," Twilight told him, gesturing to the seamstress. "She's my friend. And she's not going to hurt you, okay?"

He nodded softly. "White unicorn," he said.

"Rarity, dear," she reminded him, pulling away with several varying tapes. "I can whip something up by the next few hours. In the meantime, Nex, take a shower and... throw away those rags. Ponies aren't casual about blood on clothing."

He looked at his "shirt" before looking to Twilight. "Shou-wer?" Nex repeated. "What... shou-wer?"

Both mares turned to him, Rarity's expression a mixture of horror and curious concern. "You've never bathed? You know, got clean?" Twilight asked, mimicking the act of cleaning her arms.

He curiously watched, slowly shaking his head. "Master... clean me when sleeping," Nex recalled, looking at his good hand. "Say get infe... in-fe-jon if no clean... but no clean a lot."

Rarity motioned with her finger for Twilight to come over. "I doubt he'll know how to work the shower upstairs," she whispered into her ear. "Just show him how to turn it on and off and come downstairs. And keep quiet. Sweetie Belle is still asleep."

"Got it. Nex." He raised his head and grunted. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

She quietly led him up the stairs and past Sweetie's bedroom, taking him into Rarity's bathroom and slowly closing the door. Nex sniffed the bottles of perfume and shampoo, yelling in surprise when he sprayed himself with a small bottle.

"Shhh!" Twilight put a hand over his mouth, her ear turned to the door to listen for the filly down the hall. "We have to be quiet! Relax!" she whispered.

He nodded, and she snatched the perfume from him and went to the shower. Nex watched her turn two knobs, then water started running from a faucet into a tub. Twilight turned on the shower, and the gushing water stopped, then cascaded in droplets from a smaller, angled faucet high on the wall. Nex jumped when it started, knocking into the shampoos and dropping some.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Twilight said, grabbing his arm and putting a hand on his chest. "Look. It's just water."

She guided his hand over to the shower, holding his hand out towards the falling water. He recoiled as he realized what she was doing, but she held his hand firmly. Before he could jerk his hand, there was a warmth on his hand. Twilight smiled as he moved his hand inside the stream, before moving back and staring.

"...water."

"Yeah, it's water," Twilight softly laughed. "This is a shower. We clean ourselves here."

She held up a bar of soap. "Just get yourself wet and rub this over yourself, okay? Then just wait until it washes off," Twilight instructed. She gave him the bar of soap and pointed to the shower. "Make sure you take off your clothes. And just wear one of these towels."

Twilight unlatched the chain from his neck and smiled before walking out, closing the door behind her. Nex looked to the running water, then to the bar of soap in his hand. He put it on the sink counter and started to strip, carefully unwrapping his bandaged hand. Clenching his teeth, he unfurled his bruised fingers and looked at them, watching a bone crack as it realigned itself with a small whir. Another bone did the same, and his pinky straightened itself out with his knuckles. He flexed them again, wincing less but still feeling the bruises. He rewrapped his hand before tearing off his shirt and moving to the shower. Before he did, he jerked his head to the right and jumped back, bumping into the wall.

There was another figure on the wall. He growled and moved with his left hand curled into a fist. Once he was close enough, he noticed the figure was naked, and in the same stance he was. Nex cautiously opened his palm, the figure doing the same. He looked closer, then realized what - no - who he was looking at.

He scanned over his own body in the mirror, or what he believed was his body. There was hardly any skin untouched by the Pit, and any that was stuck out. Then he looked at his own face. No, his face was masked. He gazed into his own cold eyes, unable to remember what his face looked like.

Clank!

He stared...

...and stared...

...then touched his own face.

He couldn't feel it, but he knew what he was touching as he watched himself in the mirror. Then and there, he started growing conscious. They weren't scarred. They weren't tainted and marred with grotesque wounds. He didn't know how to describe them. Any of them. But he wasn't like them. No one could see his body. Especially his face.

No one.

Author's Note

Here we are, ladies and gents! It's gonna be a less action for now, but we'll make it worth the wait for ya'll. Hope you guys are sticking with me, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 10

"Is Nex done up there?" Rarity hummed, finishing the stitches on a new set of pants. "With this he'll be less cave-worthy."

"And aside from not having fur or a snout, I think it'll make him look less intimidating," Twilight weakly laughed. Rarity harrumphed and shook her head.

"As long as he wears that mask he'll always seem intimidating," she stated, pulling the needle through its last stitch. "Alright. It isn't my best work but at the very least presentable."

Twilight stood up and headed for the stairs. "I'll go get him before Sweetie walks in on him." She hurried to the top and quietly ran down the hall, grabbing the bathroom knob and pulling. Halfway open, the door slammed itself back towards her, knocking her down and slamming shut. "Nex! Ah, that stings... I hope I don't bleed."

"White unicorn ready?" Nex's voice questioned.

"Yes, Nex," she groaned, grabbing the handle and pushing again. The door didn't budge, and Twilight tried her best to force it open. "That means we go downstairs, Nex!"

She waited for him to respond, a grunt or something primal, but there wasn't any sound. The sound of a heavy footstep startled her, and the door cracked open just enough to show his eye, the rest of his face masked. "Bring clothes... no go out."

"What do you mean? Just come downstairs, stallions always leave their shirts off," Twilight insisted, pushing the door only to have it shut again. "Nex, what's the matter? You can tell me."

He was silent again, his ragged breathing the only indication he was there. "No... no want ponies see body," Nex grunted. Twilight's hand moved away from the door, frowning as she waited for him to keep speaking. "No... let ponies see... what I turn to."

Twilight wanted to say something, but there wasn't anything to say at all. He had been in a pit, fighting for years. He was still alive, but she doubted he always came out untouched. For him to hide his own body, something she believed he wasn't mindful of... she was curious and slightly worried. Releasing the knob, she stepped back and wondered what to do.

"I'll bring up the clothes. I won't look, okay?" Twilight asked, Nex mulling it over.

"Go." Twilight headed back the way she came, her quick steps attracting Rarity's attention.

"Is he coming?" she asked, standing from her fainting couch.

Twilight shook her head and slung his clothes over her arm. "He wants to change upstairs," she explained. "He doesn't want us to see him without a shirt."

Rarity giggled. "Who would have thought him to be modest?" she snickered. Twilight tried playing along, half-heartedly laughing with her as she went up the stairs.

When she reached the bathroom, she heard several linking sounds. Like locks. "Nex? What are you doing in there?" The sounds ceased, and the door cracked open.

His masked face peered into the opening, eyeing the clothes curiously. "Leave there. I take." She kneeled down and set the clothes on the floor, trying to steal a glance at the mirror. Sadly, his back was covered with one of Rarity's towels. "Go. I wait."

"Don't take too long." Nex waited until he couldn't hear anything, then opened the door.

He made sure the towels were secure before peeking out into the hall. It was empty. Wrapping another towel around his good arm, he reached out and snatched the clothes up, then shut the door behind him. He dropped the towels over his body and held up the black shirt the white mare had made. Recalling his old rags, he looked for a way to get his arms into the small holes. He looked under and found a big hole, then pulled it over him. His good arm struggled to find an exit, and his bandaged hand was caught on the hem, forcing him to struggle. Grunting in annoyance, he wriggled his arms around, until his left hand felt the sleeve. He shot his arm out, then felt around for the big hole. When he found it, he reached in and grabbed his head, guiding himself out. Nex gasped as he freed his head, slowly working his other hand and arm out of the other sleeve socket.

There was a small grey piece of cloth that looked like his old pants, if that was what they were called. There was a big opening, and two smaller ones underneath. He stuck his legs into the two openings, struggling to fit them properly. Ripping them off, he examined them again, then tried putting his legs in the larger opening. His feet caught themselves, but he managed to slip them out and pulled the briefs up. A small, pained grunt escaped his throat, and he pulled them slightly down and struggled to restrain his coughs. With much more caution, he slipped his dark grey pants on, noticing they were a bit loose and open. There was a little set of teeth near his crotch, and he grabbed the small metal piece connected to the base. His zipper closed up, leaving him with the white blazer. He slid into it more easily, glancing at the buttons and small holes on the edges of the middle.

His mask clicked as he set it in place, pulling it to make sure its position was locked. Hesitantly, he opened the door, glancing down both hallways. The voices of the women downstairs reached him, guiding him back to the stairs. He started down the steps, a few creaks of the wooden steps causing the girls to turn to him. Rarity's eyes lit up in delight, while Twilight's smile was a bit forced.

"You look wonderful, Nex!" Rarity squealed, adjusting his collar. "It would be better if you took this off." She went to touch the mask, but he reached a hand up and grabbed her wrist.

Rarity froze in fear as he growled, his teeth baring again. "No... touch." Twilight's hand trembled as she gripped the leash, ready to inject the sedative. Thankfully, Nex's hand let go, and he moved away.

Rarity rubbed her wrist, glad to see it hadn't been bruised. "W-Well, thanks for making him the clothes," Twilight said, tugging on his leash to get him to follow. "We should get going. Spike should be coming home later."

Rarity nodded, her ears perking up. "Oh, wait, before you go take these." She rushed over to one of her benches and sifted around underneath. "One of my clients... had ordered - where are they? Hmm, ahah!" She crawled out from under and held up a pair of shoes. "They might be a bit big, but I'm sure they'll do for now."

"Oh yeah. We wouldn't want him walking around barefoot," Twilight said. Nex sat down by the door while Rarity slipped them on.

Like she thought, there was some space in front of his toes. "It isn't too big," Twilight sighed. "He'll get used to them. I hope."

Nex looked at the shoes on his feet, their eloquent design new to him. His arm strained as he remembered where he'd seen shoes like them. The masters had worn them. He slipped out of his thoughts and back to reality, listening to them as they set up some sort of appointment.

"Monday it is," Twilight chimed, hugging Rarity. "Thank you."

"It's no problem, Twilight," her friend chimed. "And remember: be careful."

She glanced to Nex as he moved his toes inside of his shoes and sighed, turning back with a smile. "Don't worry. We're here to help him, after all," Twilight reminded her. "We shouldn't act too scared of him."

"I doubt any of us are acting, dear," Rarity sighed. "Even Applejack seems a bit frightened."

"Right," Twilight nervously laughed. "I'll get him up to speed on what he missed and get him acting like any other person. Well, I'll try."

"Alright. Get going now. Best to get the shock out of the town while you're there," Rarity sighed, opening the door for them. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Twilight smiled, nudging Nex along. He grunted as natural light hit his eyes again, which he adjusted to quickly. Twilight looked around anxiously, glad to know not many ponies were out yet.

However, the merchants and vendors were already in the market. The sun was in the sky, which meant people were getting up for the day and heading out. There were already a few other people walking around, some noticing the strange creature behind her. Nex wasn't oblivious to their stares either, prompting him to examine everypony he saw. He tensed when he saw shadows of pegasi on the ground, which Twilight felt.

"Calm down, Nex," Twilight whispered, smiling nervously to passing ponies. "No pony wants to hurt you." He stared down a pair of dumbstruck colts, a low growl escaping him out of instinct. "Nex, please. You don't want ponies to be afraid of you, right?"

She could see some mares whispering amongst one another, one giggling and pointing to Nex. Following her gesture, she silently gasped as she realized they were pointing to his leash. A bit of embarrassment rushed to her cheeks as she remembered reading about certain... kinks. It didn't do well for them since he moved closer to her, sniffing and continuing to growl to himself.

It's fine... it's fine... just have to act normal. This is just temporary, and then we can sort this all out.

They were the center of attention as they passed through the market district. Vendors and buyers quieted down to look over to the spectacle. Twilight thanked the lack of media in the town, hating to imagine what would occur with nosy, personal-space-invading cameramen. That said, there wasn't much space as they moved through the slowly gathering crowds. Nex panickedly looked around, feeling their eyes on him and the fear of the unknown seeping from their faces. Twilight yanked on his leash to keep him moving, praying she didn't have to sedate him.

They made it through the sea of people and rushed back to the library. Twilight opened the door and pushed him inside, slamming the door behind them and groaning as she slid to the floor. Nex unhooked the leash from his neck, raising his arms to examine the strange clothing. He tried to take off the sleeved shirt but pulled it back on when he saw his arm. He kicked off his shoes and rubbed his feet, glancing over to Twilight as she sat on the floor. She clutched her head desperately, breathing softly as she stared at the ground.

"Celestia wants me to help... but how?" she asked herself. Nex tilted his head,
hunching back over and creeping towards her. Twilight gasped as he dropped several books from the shelf beside her. "Nex, be careful! Some of these books are older than either of us."

She gathered them in her aura, sorting them into their rightful shelves. There was one book unaccounted for, and she looked around until she found Nex sitting on the floor with it in his hands. He flipped through it, fascinated with the pages themselves instead of the writing. "What this?" he grumbled, dangling it by the cover.

With a small laugh she adjusted his hold on it, keeping it upright in front of him. "It's a book. Ponies read and make these about lots of things," she explained, gesturing to the writing. "See? This one is... 'A Guide to Live and Love,' by Heart Struck."

She held her smile as he stared at the cover, unable to gauge any emotion. "What... this?" he hesitantly asked. Twilight weakly laughed, scooting to sit beside him and pointed to the writing on the cover.

"This is her name, and this is the title. See?" He stared blankly, then rose a furless finger to the title.

"Ti...tle," he uttered. "What... ti-tle say?"

For a moment, Twilight wondered if he'd been paying attention. She banished the thought when she remembered who, or what, she was dealing with. "Nex... can you read?" Twilight questioned.

He grunted, murmuring to himself before he sighed. "What... ree-eed, mean?"

She just stared at him for a moment, unable to grasp the concept of what he was saying. "Reading is when you open a book and... well, read the words," she explained.

He tilted his head again, gurgling softly as he ran her words through his head. "How... how you re-eed?" Twilight tried to speak, but stopped and thought to herself.

"Come here," she said, gesturing to the coffee table. Nex followed, watching her horn ignite and several pieces of paper float over. An inkwell and quill followed, then nestled on the paper. "I think reading can make it a bit easier for me to teach you, so we'll start there. Just write the alphabet for me."

He looked to her, down to the table, then back to Twilight. "Wr...write?" She sighed, then sat him down on the couch, surprising him.

"Like this," she said, scribbling down the first letter of the alphabet. "There. That's writing. Now write the next letter."

She gave him the quill and scooted away to watch. He stared down at the paper, examining the neat letter she'd written. Twilight waited patiently, glancing to him as he stared.

"Nex... are you okay?"

"..."

He growled and lifted a fist, ready to smash the table, but restrained himself and lowered his arm. "I... no know... how... wr...write." He set the quill down, glaring at his wrist as he covered it with his sleeve.

She noticed the little adjustment, but focused on what he said. "Well... then I guess we can start there," Twilight smiled, doing her best to stay positive. She floated over a book, meant for foals but appropriate for him. He rose a brow beneath his mask, looking over the bright and colorful pictures. "Open it."

Nex paused before taking the cover between his fingers and turning it over. He gasped as a pop-up "A" sprang from the page, along with a large apple on the right page.

"That's the letter A.”

Author's Note

Pretty early for an update, but I might as well while I'm celebrating! Hope you guys see this soon, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 11

One week later…

"What letter is this?" Twilight asked.

Nex muttered to himself, reciting letters in his mind and silently recalling the song. "K-K?" he hesitantly said.

Twilight smiled, nodding her head and flipping the page. "Great! You remembered the alphabet!" He stared at her, waiting to move on. She nervously laughed as she teleported a quill and ink onto the book. "Okay, now let's see if you remember how to read."

She wrote down a sentence, which Nex examined thoroughly. He groaned to himself, his head hurting from the amount of words and the effort it took to remember. "'H-ow... are... yo-ou?'" he drawled, looking closer to see if he was right. "How... are... you."

"Do you know what that means?" she asked, leaning down to see his eyes. He shook his head, then sat upright. "It's wanting to know how someone feels. Like if they're sad, or angry, or happy."

He tilted his head, his fingers anxiously scratching each other. "What... sad?" Nex questioned.

"Well... sad is... when you... um... huh." She rested her head in her palm, thinking for some time. "Well... when you're sad, it's like when you get hurt. Does it feel nice?" Nex shook his head. "Exactly. But it hurts in here," she said as she gestured to her heart. Nex stared at her chest, then looked at his own and touched the spot over his heart.

"Hurt... here?" he asked. Twilight nodded, and he looked back down, feeling his heart beat. "You die if hurt here."

Her smile dropped into a deadpan. "No, Nex I'm using a metaph... hmm... I don't mean someone hurt me with something," Twilight began, "I mean someone said or did something that hurt me. But I don't get hurt on my body, okay?"

He lowered his head and grunted. "I... think..." Twilight glanced at the clock, glad to know it was time for bed. Nex rose his head and watched her reshelve all of the large books she had been looking at. "What big books for?"

If his senses hadn't improved in the pit, he wouldn't have heard her gasp. "Oh... um, these are just for ponies to learn more things," she assured him, sweat forming on her forehead. "We should go to bed!"

He grunted as she pulled him towards the stairs, causing him to stumble as he went up. She rushed him into the room and went to her bed, giving him a quick, finicky smile before diving under the covers and going silent. Nex rose a brow beneath his mask, then looked down at his arms. He stripped the long-sleeved shirt off, revealing his arms for a second before they were hidden by his blanket. The moonlight cut through the curtains, drawing his attention from his bed. He glanced over to Twilight, making sure she was asleep, or at the very least unaware. Slowly, he creeped out of his bed and crawled over to the window, moving it aside to see what the light was. He took a sharp breath of awe, staring up at the dazzling bright light in the sky. It wasn't the sun. There were still stars out to support his thought. It shone brightly, giving him his own shadow and illuminating the dark a bit.

"...nice..... light.... look nice," he whispered to himself. He pushed the curtain aside so his bed was bathing in the light, and he climbed back in, facing the window. "Light nice...... light..... nice...."

His deep, even breaths reached Twilight, who was frowning at what she had just watched and heard. To her disappointment, the full moon didn't light up his arm like she'd hoped. She remembered trying to see his body, but he waited until she fell asleep before going to bed himself. There wasn't a shred of doubt telling her that she could try now, even though he was asleep. She waited a little longer, then got out of bed and quietly made her way back into the library. The books she put away were teleported back onto the table, opening to where they had last been open. Trotin language made each book a cipher for a normal pony. To Twilight, it was just a matter of running translations in her head to read.

"Hmm... I know I saw it in here somewhere," she murmured, flipping through the pages quickly. "I just have to keep looking..."

She spent hours looking through meanings and phrases from the ancient pony civilization, but nothing turned up. After closing another dead end, she reflected on Nex's background. He was traumatized, he'd been kidnapped, he didn't know what he was, he was modified, he was used as a gladiator, he was illiterate... he killed in the arena...

"It was popular back then... but gladiator fights were outlawed," Twilight muttered, flipping through a new book. She skipped through the chapters and sections until she reached the subject of death as entertainment.

The text described death, "heroic" fights from criminals and peasants who had been forced to fight for their lives. It didn't take long before she found the word she'd been looking for. Another book opened from her magic, and she scanned the index before tearing through the pages into the glossary.

"Death... slaughter... murder..." Her eyes zeroed in on the set of words beside the name she'd been looking for. "'To put to death... to destroy... a violent... bloody... death.'" Her hands shook as she read over his name and its endless meanings.

Nex had been a gladiator for years... which begged an answer to a question Twilight dreaded to ask.

How many ponies has he killed?

"Nex." His eyes remained on the past, a form shifting through the darkness and standing behind him. "I've left you to adjust. I'm here to see your progression."

Luna waited for him to do something. Instead, he sat up and continued to stare endlessly, his back completely to her. She sighed, expecting a reaction like the one he'd given. A cloud formed from the smog around them, allowing her to sit as she waited for his dream to end.

"Trotin is an old language," she softly told him. "My sister and I barely understood it as young alicorns. But I remember enough to know your name. What was it... murderer? Killer? Slayer?"

His growl escalated into a feral shout, but he didn't turn from his spot. The memories grew faded and dull, to the point where some were flickering in and out of existence.

"Did your master give it to you? Or did you?" Luna asked, her voice eerily calm. "I doubt you understand enough Equish to come up with an average name. Considering what you've been through, it fits. You killed. How many did you kill? 100? 1000? You had at least ten years. I'm sure you killed-"

The cloud dissipated as Nex landed, smashing into the invisible ground with his fists. He let loose a feral roar, spreading his arms and searching wildly for the lunar princess. Her heel clacked on the ground just a few feet away, prompting Nex to hurtle himself towards the sound. His fists broke through smog, dispersing her into smoke. She reappeared by his faded memories, waiting for him to strike again.

"What were you in there? A guardian? A murderer? A monster?!" He screamed again, lunging at her as she flew up. "We try to help, but you insist on staying a monster!"

He leaped up, swinging at the air before falling back down. Structures began to form, allowing him to climb up to her and launch himself. She dispersed again, watching him hit the ground and roll onto his feet.

At this rate his dream will lock me in... and this won't be as unreal as it is.

She could feel his emotion turning the dream into an erratic mess, his memories flickering as they flooded his mind, then died out as his anger blinded him. He lunged again, growling at his inability to touch her. The feelings of hate and loathing left a chill on Luna's spine, but she needed to keep it up. No matter how hurt she could get.

"That's it, isn't it? You wanted to kill!" Luna declared, landing at last. He sprinted towards her, a fire in his eyes. "You wanted to murder them! You're a monster! An animal! Isn't that right?!"

"NOOOOOOO!" Luna gasped as his fist collided with her cheek, sending her sailing away before skidding along the ground.

She recovered quickly, just in time to catch his arms before he could bring them down. Her alicorn strength pushed his arms up, lifting him from the ground. He shot his legs out, kicking her back and scrambling to his feet. Her horn lit up, then died out before he came swinging at her head. To his surprise, she dodged and wove around his erratic attacks, then jabbed him several times in his chest. The wind was knocked out of him, but he managed to spin and knock his arm into her. His wild swipe set her off balance, giving him time to adjust himself and spin his fist around to hit the same cheek. She fell back a couple feet, sitting up and waiting for him to rush her.

Nex panted on his hands and knees as she struggled to stand while Luna rubbed her cheek, cringing as she realized he'd bruised her. The taste of silver in her mouth didn't help, but she felt something warm running down her cheek. There was a cut, and after dabbing it with a finger she saw her own silver blood and droplets of red. She looked over to him, seeing red dripping from his raised fist, and a dim sheen coming from just above his knuckle. The mods in his arms had activated, which meant she would have a nasty scratch when she left the dreamscape. He didn't move towards her. He just struggled to catch his breath while his pikes retreated under his skin.

"I... no... bad." His broken hand slammed into the ground. "I... no... bad... I no... like kill... I FIGHT FOR PIT! FOALS.... my... my pit...."

He growled and snarled, slamming his fist into the ground. "You didn't like to kill?" Nex growled again, shaking his head as he clawed at his scalp. "You wanted to save those ponies... yes?"

"...they weak... I strong... keep... keep safe..." He looked up at her, clenching his teeth.

Luna used a spell to cover her cheek, anxious to get back to her normal body to cover the wound. She held the rag she conjured to her cheek and moved over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Then let us help you... you don't deserve this suffering." An echo rang in her mind, causing her to take a deep breath. "If you won't open your life to us... then you can at least promise to try. Try to let us help you. My sister wishes to see you as a normal citizen. She believes you can be helped."

He raised his head, his eyes hidden by the smog. "Why?" Luna did nothing except wait for him to speak again. "Why ponies help?"

She looked off to the side, then sighed as she pulled the cloth away. He was alert from the blood spilling out of the wound, raising his head and standing. "Because we care... you aren't an animal," Luna said, grinning just slightly. "I once went mad because nopony was there... do not let that happen to you. Especially with such wonderful ponies."

She began to fade, as well as the smog.

"Sleep well... gladiator."

He vanished from her sight, then the feeling of reality returned, bringing enormous pain with it. She rushed to the bathroom, holding the wound as it wept a good amount of silver. Her stomach felt sore, and her cheek would surely swell once she tended to it. Warm water splashed on her face, stinging the gash in her cheek. She hissed in pain as she conjured a spell to close the wound. Once the bleeding stopped, she bandaged it and groaned, trudging herself to her bed and carefully laying down.

"Guard," Luna called. The door opened immediately, a Lunar guard stepping inside saluting. "Tell my sister I have something important to discuss."

"Yes, Princess." He closed the door behind him before rushing to find the solar diarch. Luna drifted in and out of sleep, mainly because of the blood loss, but lasted out until her sister entered. "Sister, promise Us you won't react without my explanation."

Celestia rose a brow, adjusting her nightgown. "Alright... what is it?" she said in a tired voice. Luna thought about covering it up now, but decided it would be best to keep her sister involved. She sat up and moved the cloth from her face, prompting her sister's eyes to widen in exasperation.

"I pushed Nex too far," she quickly cut in, embarrassed at the thought of explaining how she got hurt in her own realm. "He cut off his mind from the dreamscape... we fought, but I believe I made some progress."

Celestia lifted the bandage, examining the wound carefully. "You should have warned me," she scolded softly. "Did you break something of his?"

Luna shook her head with a small laugh. "The dreamscape can only affect dreamwalkers, not the dreamer," she explained. Her sister shook her head and smoothed the bandage out over her cut. "You're not going into the courts with a bruise the size of your fist."

"Which is why I need you to take over for the next few nights," Luna cheekily smiled. "I can handle the paperwork from here, but you must take my place in the throne room."

"You owe me for this," Celestia sighed, rubbing her weary eyes. "I'm going back to bed. Goodnight, Lulu." She dragged herself to the door, opening it halfway but stopping with one foot out the door. "Luna... thank you."

Her sister gave a slight grin and nodded her head. "I know."

Ponyville

"Where... we?" Nex grunted, eyeing the cottage sitting on the small hill. He followed Twilight over the small bridge, growling at the small animals watching him curiously. They scattered in fear, and he huffed to the side.

"Remember when we tried taking you to the vet?" Twilight asked. He didn't respond, and she groaned softly. "The lady who wanted to check you?" He nodded. "Well, she doesn't know what you are - well nopony does - but we need to make sure you're healthy."

"I no hurt," he told her, looking over his body. "No fight."

"I mean we have to make sure you aren't sick with something, or allergic to anything around here," she explained. "Even though you only eat... meat, you're gonna have to eat vegetables until your food makes it here from the Griffon Empire."

He shook his head, almost like a child. "No eat."

"Alright, just try to be calm." Twilight knocked on the door a few times, a yelp coming from inside.

"Who is it?" a small voice called. Nex heard the congestion, cringing at a sudden sneeze.

"It's Twilight, Fluttershy." The door opened slowly, and an under-the-weather looking Fluttershy sniffled before rubbing her eyes and looking at them.

"Goodmorning, Twilight. Goodmorning, Nex." Her eyes shot open, and she realized he was glaring her down. The door slammed in Twilight's face, causing her to shout as her snout was hit. "I'm sick and don't want anypony to get sick so GO AWAY!”

"Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted, clutching her face. "That hurts! Ow... Fluttershy, I've had my shot already. I'm not getting sick from a few sneezes. We need you to see if Nex is healthy."

The shutters in the window next to the door opened slightly before snapping closed. "He's fine, now go!" she pleaded.

Twilight tried forcing the door open, but Fluttershy held it closed. While she was concerned that her friend didn't remember her door could lock, she used her magic to pull Fluttershy away from the door. "We're supposed to help him, remember?" Twilight reminded her. "He's not going to hurt you! We just need a checkup, I promise."

Fluttershy was paralyzed at the sight of him stepping into her home, her animals smart enough to scurry and flutter away from him. His eyes bored holes into her soul, every bit of her afraid of what he could do. Twilight tugged on Nex's collar, glaring back at him to the point they were in each other's face. To her surprise, Nex stood back and crouched, grumbling to himself as he diverted his gaze.

"Just a quick checkup, okay? He won't do anything," she pleaded, then moved to her ear. "He doesn't like it when somepony's scared of him. He gets... sad. He doesn't want ponies to be scared of him."

Fluttershy glanced to Nex, just as he angrily shooed one of her birds away, then back to Twilight. "Y-Y-You have to stay... here," she gulped, softly coughing into her sleeve. She gasped when Nex's stomach growled, prompting him to grumble. "And you stay with me until you leave!" she whispered desperately.

Twilight smiled and released her friend, gently nudging Nex to stand up. "Alright. Nex, Fluttershy just wants to help, okay?"

Nex turned to the cowering pegasus, his eyes centered on her large wings. She could reach speeds quickly, even if the muscle was lacking like the blue one. Knowing she was sick made him less tense, but he would never underestimate a pegasus.

"No touch with wings," he snarled, earning him a harsh nudge to his side.

He moved closer to Fluttershy, internally smirking at his height advantage. She was the smallest of the six, making her weaker in his mind. She pushed her sleeves up to her elbows and sniffled again, shaking visibly as she stepped closer, also noticing the height difference. Twilight made sure she was close to them, still concerned about his attitude towards pegasi.

"M-Maybe y-you should... sit," she whimpered. Nex turned to Twilight, who guided him to the floor so Fluttershy could reach his head.

Her small hands moved to his face, eliciting a small growl. In turn, Fluttershy recoiled immediately, and Twilight groaned. "Nex, stop it. This is just to make sure you're okay," she scolded. "Just trust her, okay? Or try."

Nex glared at her again, his scrutinizing gaze vanishing as he closed his eyes. Fluttershy swallowed hard, moving to his face and taking his pulse. It took her time to find it, since he didn't have a muzzle like them. She traced his jawline, feeling a similarity to an ape she'd had the pleasure of nursing. The thought of him as another animal made her slightly less afraid, until she looked in his mouth. His teeth were fine, but ALL of them were sharpened to a finite point. Some had metal attached to fill in the gaps from shaving them down, which resulted in a mouth full of razors.

"W-What does he eat?" she squeaked, sneezing into her elbow.

Twilight rubbed her arm and sighed. "What do you think?" The blood drained out of the animal lover's face, but she kept herself calm before freaking him out.

Nex exhaled slowly, his arm tensed and ready to spring. Fluttershy moved her head to his chest, listening for a heartbeat. A muffled thumping rang in her ear, steadily beating without changing its rhythm. She moved her hand to his shoulders, causing him to twitch noticeably, but he kept still. Fluttershy traced his broad frame and compared it to how a stallion was. He wasn't overly wide like Big Macintosh, who was a large pony overall, but he was a bit over average. Unlike ponies with his frame, however, his body wasn't bulging muscle. His arms weren't thick, but they were firm.

There were signs of starvation, especially since his wrists were basically skin and bone, and his arm shook as he clenched it. She felt concerned about him, especially when she felt a small bump on his back through the fabric. She ignored it and knocked on his knee, unsure of what else to check. He didn't respond, and she tried again with his other leg. Nothing. Fluttershy kept trying to find the nerves, but stopped when she remembered they were all numb. She moved behind him again, eyeing a discoloration that looked to continue down his back.

Her finger touched it, tracing down inside his shirt. Nex's back arched, and his hand shot around to grab her wrist, frightening both mares in the room. "What's wrong?!" Twilight asked, pulling his arm away from Fluttershy. "Nex, she's just making sure you're not hurt!"

"No.... touch.... hurts," he growled, turning to the side to look her in the eye. "No touch body.... only clothes." She nodded quickly, shaking even more than before.

The last thing she needed to do was check his eyes. Twilight explained it to him before Fluttershy turned on a small flashlight. He squinted, and Twilight reminded him to keep his eyes open. Fluttershy watched his pupil slowly dilate, then return to normal size. She held the light a little longer as she got a better look at him. His eyes weren't big like another pony, and they weren't colorful or vibrant like one. His were a dull grey, his left iris discolored near the upper portion.

"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy shook and caught a gasp before it could escape, then turned to her friend.

"H-His... I-I think he's a little... blind." Nex muttered softly, tilting his head and squinting at her. She recognized the gesture as one of question, since her animals made similar indications. "I-It means... you can't see well."

He gruffly harrumphed, turning away and growling. "Hmm. Okay, what's next?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy fiddled with her wing, snapping to attention when Nex directed his growling to her. "U-Um, maybe you should take him to get... glasses?"

"That's it? What about checking his health or his blood pressure?" Fluttershy shook her head sadly.

"I don't have to do that for my animals," she told her. "And... I don't know, he looks fine. He's like a gorilla, but I still don't know how he's supposed to be." Nex scratched his head with his shoulder, gurgling as he finally got one of his itches. "He acts like an animal," she whispered with a bit of amusement.

"Well we have to help him act like a normal pony," Twilight replied, covering her mouth so Nex couldn't hear them. "Alright, I'm gonna take him back to the library. Hopefully I can figure something out."

Nex laid himself out on the floor, exhaling as he adjusted himself on the carpet. Some of the newborn squirrels scampered over to him, cautiously approaching. He couldn't feel them, so their little paws didn't bother him as they climbed onto his back. They nestled themselves along his spine, drawing the attention of the other animals. He noticed the gathering of woodland creatures, wondering how some tasted while ignoring others. Fluttershy giggled as an otter clung to his leg, and a robin perched itself on his head. Twilight was silently relieved to know he couldn't feel them on him. Fluttershy carefully plucked the squirrels and the robin from their resting places and nodded to the young otter.

Nex turned and glared down at Fluttershy, but relaxed when he saw her hands full of small animals. He looked up to Twilight, waiting for her to say something. She took his hint and moved to the door.

"Alright, we should get going. Spike should be coming home today, and Celestia knows how he'll react to him." She hugged Fluttershy and waved as she walked out the door, but Nex stood there and watched her for another minute.

Fluttershy looked away in fear, closing her eyes until she heard his footsteps heading away. She opened her eyes, watching them go. Her mind wandered to what she felt on his back. It wasn't small, and the bump was just one of the few she managed to touch. And his eye...

...what happened to him in that awful place?

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Last night was a very special night for me, as I graduated and all (hence the update from 2 in the morning :rainbowlaugh: ) Anyway! Hope you all liked the chapter, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 12

"'...be back soon... more help...'" Twilight sighed as she set the letter on the table. "Well, looks like we have another week before we have a homemade meal." Her stomach growled at the thought of takeout, and she blushed lightly as she stood up and headed for the door.

She redirected to the stairs and quickly climbed them, heading up to Nex by the window. He watched the streets from between the curtains, nibbling on a bone, which looked extremely creepy. "Nex." He grunted softly. "I'm gonna go buy some food, so I'll be right back."

He stepped away from the window, crushing the bone between his teeth before reaching down to his plate of meat. Nex grabbed a hunk of roasted meat and held it out to her. She nervously smiled and waved her hands, internally gagging at the sight of it.

"Ponies don't eat meat, Nex, remember?" she laughed, backing to the stairs. "Don't worry, I'll be back in a little while. Just stay inside, okay?" He nodded slowly, bringing the steak to his face and ripping into it with his teeth.

She grimaced at the sound of it, hurrying downstairs before she got any greener. The bell for the door chimed, and she sped up to see who it was. A grey stallion warily glanced around the library, obviously looking for her. "Hello," Twilight greeted, catching his attention. "Are you looking for a book?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he nodded, his tone matching a noble's. "I've looked through most libraries and bookstores for Griffon and Dragon history texts. Would you happen to have any?"

"They should be over here," she said, walking over to a far shelf and pulling the books off with her magic. "Let's see... I have these on Griffons... and some old anatomy and behavioral analysis tomes on dragons." She laid the seven books out on a counter, waiting for him to read over their titles. "Not many ponies look up these things. Are you a scholar?"

"No no, I'm well past that part of my life," he chuckled, revealing his more mature voice. "It's been on a to-do list of mine. A hobby I've developed out of curiosity."

She could understand that, and she even had some knowledge worth passing on. "Well there's a library in Canterlot just by the castle. There should be a few tomes that are better than these," Twilight laughed, gesturing to the books.

He finished flipping through one of the tomes and nodded as he gathered those pertaining to griffons. "I don't need extensive knowledge on them," he assured her, smiling as he reshelved the rest. "But more detail on dragons would be excellent, considering we know little of them. I'll need these."

A piece of parchment appeared in a flash on the counter, along with a quill. Twilight wrote down the names of each book and had him sign the bottom. "Alright, just remember to come back if you still need those books," Twilight smiled, putting the scroll away with others like it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw half of a bone, licked clean and scratched in several places.

"Celestia's sun, what is that smell?" the stallion questioned, laughing softly. "I can't say I admire your cooking, princess."

Nex's dinner. She was relieved to know that since it was so rare to have a carnivorous visitor around Equestria, ponies weren't familiar with the smell of seasoned and seared flesh. She laughed awkwardly and walked with him to the door, flicking the bone off to the side before he could notice.

"I guess I must have burned something," she lied, opening the door for him. "I still need to take some classes before I can cook without worrying about burning my house down." He laughed as he stepped outside, nodding to her softly.

"Good luck with that, princess. And thank you," he said as he walked. "I'll warn the local chefs!"

Twilight feigned her smile as he walked down the road and turned, then started out for the local diner. As the stallion walked further into town, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. He unfurled it, examining the small bone he managed to snap off. There were marks on it, and pieces of roasted meat and fat. The smell was revolting, but he had smelled it before.

"Why does the princess of friendship have prepared meat in her home?" he asked himself. Pony teeth weren't sharp enough to even leave the marks he was looking at, and her assistant was away, as he'd heard. "So the young mare is hiding something... but what?"

He turned into a bar, which wasn't as full as it was during the night. It was better that way. Less people to see what he was up to. Actually, what they were up to. He nodded to the bartender, heading into an office beside the restrooms and locking the door behind him. He settled the books onto the desk across from the door, then sat down in a chair facing said desk. The swivel chair turned slowly, a charcoal coated stallion with a golden mane eyeing the pile of tomes. His horn lit up in a grey aura, moving the pile to him and opening them all. His eyes skipped through their contents before setting them all down again.

"We need more... firsthand accounts, mythology, journals," the stallion sighed. "We can have you visit a griffon city, but you'll need to leave the day you take your sources."

"In and out, yes?" The older stallion nodded and teleported the books onto another rack. "What does he have to say about this?"

A wicked grin grew on his face. "He isn't entirely fond of finding these creatures... but as long as only his faction holds them, he can produce endless champions for his pit," the stallion said, holding a bit in his hand. "With the information we obtain, he'll pay whatever price we set if we can in fact find them. Though I doubt he actually has them."

"What exactly did he look for?" the young stallion asked.

"Some old pony's tale. Around Discord's rule," he chuckled, glancing to his statue of said being. "They say his chaos put an imbalance in the fabric of space and time itself. Brought new life into our universe."

"You don't believe that, do you, Keen?" Keen Wit was silent as he fully turned to his associate, giving an honest shrug.

"There are things out there that make even the exploration division uncomfortable, Sly Hoof," he smiled, leaning back to look at the manticore skull on his wall. "I wouldn't be surprised if a deity of disorder and displacement managed to send a creature through dimensions or universes."

"And we're looking through history books for a creature that is running around now?" Sly asked, sarcasm in his tone.

Keen's expression hardened a bit, but he kept his voice level. "For all we know, there could be more than just what he has," he elaborated, gesturing to the skeleton of a cockatrice. "Nopony believed the cockatrice was alive until Brave Heart ventured into the Everfree and returned with stone hands and a dead animal. I want to know if they exist past this country's borders, and I want to know where."

Sly shrugged and stood from his seat. "For gain or for science?" he questioned.

Keen Wit held doctorates in almost any scientific field, most of which he earned at the same time. Apart from being well-known in both the criminal and scientific world, he was familiar with griffon royalty, minotaur politicians, and even Saddle Arabian princes. He had contacts, he was in the loop of information. And if there was one thing he couldn't stand above anything else...

...it was being out of that loop.

"Why not both?"

The Next Day

Nex glanced around nervously, growling low enough so that nopony but Twilight heard him. They still hadn't had an incident, thankfully, but she didn't feel like jinxing herself. Today she wanted Nex to get acquainted with somepony else, considering he'd only met Rarity and Fluttershy. Teaching him had also kept her away from her friends, which she planned to change today. So, she kept up a bright smile as they made their way to Sugarcube Corner. Nex eyed the gingerbread-esque house, cringing at the sound of a small bell. A mare and her colt talked energetically as they passed, Nex moving to Twilight's side opposite the two. She shrugged off any particular reasons and opened the door. Nex gasped when he heard the bell.

"It's just a bell," Twilight told him, keeping her smile up to keep him calm.

He tilted his head, looking up to the small golden... thing. "Bell?" he repeated.

"Right. It does this." She reached up and pushed it, a chime ringing several times until the bell came to a stop.

Nex's head lifted at the high-note, reaching up and poking it. It chimed again, and again when he repeated his action. Twilight laughed awkwardly as he kept poking and flicking it until she gently nudged him inside. The eyes of all the fillies, colts and adults were on the two as they walked to the counter. Mrs. Cake looked at his daunting mask with visible discomfort, but she smiled down to Twilight, a bit forcefully.

"Hello, Twilight," Mrs. Cake said, keeping her tone cheery despite the giant creature behind her. "Is this somepony new?"

She nodded softly, gesturing to her leashed companion. "Mrs. Cake, this is Nex. Nex, this is Mrs. Cake." The baker looked up at him with as genuine a smile as she could. He, in turn, nodded slightly. "Is Pinkie here?"

"Not right now," Mrs. Cake sighed. "She's been busy with something and no pony knows what. I'm getting worried about her. Gone all afternoon and comes back near morning. She has bags under her eyes and she still won't relax."

While Pinkie was known to take time in setting up special events, she never really devoted herself to the bone. It sounded... too Pinkie. "Has she said where she's been?" Twilight asked.

Mrs. Cake shook her head. "We've been wondering, but she's been so tired we didn't want to pry," she admitted, glancing up to the clock by the door. "She should be here in a few hours. Care to wait for her? It'd be better if somepony close brought her to her senses before she hurts herself."

"I'll see what she's up to. I hope it isn't that serious." She looked to the side, noticing Nex wasn't with her. Glancing down at her hand, she panicked as she realized the leash had slipped from her hand. "Mrs. Cake, could I get a baker's dozen of coconut frosting covered cupcakes? I-I need them for a... party!"

Mrs. Cake gladly smiled as she headed towards the back. "No problem. Just wait here." As soon as she went into the kitchen, Twilight dashed to the exit.

She stuck her head outside, searching the streets for signs of him. There was a loud clang behind her, and she rushed behind the counter, heading upstairs and into the first room on the right. It was Pinkie's room, which was decorated with Pinkie's things. Twilight closed the door and went into Pumpkin and Pound's room, taking a quick peek and being as quiet as she could, since the two were sound asleep. There was another loud banging down the hall, and she rushed to the next set of doors. She could hear what sounded like... chewing.

"Nex?" The noise stopped, then the door to her right opened. "...so... you like those?"

A muffin was stuffed into his mouth, the paper still wrapped around the bottom. He bit down on the top, dropping it with a couple dozen other half eaten muffins. Twilight pulled him out, kicking the other muffins back in and dragging him downstairs. "If you wanted muffins, you could've asked me," she said, anxiety building as she imagined Mrs. Cake finding all of the unfinished treats.

"What.... muff-in?" Twilight took the one he was still holding and held it up for him to see. He looked from the muffin to Twilight, unfazed by her upset glare. "Muffin... nice."

He tried biting it, but Twilight jerked her arm away. "Nex, you can't have this," she told him. "If Mrs. Cake finds out-!"

"Finds out what?" Twilight's voice caught as she turned to look at Mr. Cake. "Twilight, what're you and SWEET CELESTIA!" Nex saw the fear. It's all he ever saw from them. He was ready to make the fear in his eyes evolve into terror. His fist clenched as he readied to fight. But... it vanished... like it had never been there. "Who's yer friend?"

Twilight weakly laughed and hid the leash behind her back. "This is Nex! He's new in town so I'm just showing him around and he got lost but I found him so now we should get going!" She hurried past him with Nex in tow, who kept staring at Mr. Cake.

"Hope you enjoy Ponyville!" Mr. Cake chimed, heading upstairs to check on his foals. "Didn't know Twilight liked big stallions... or whatever he is."

She rushed them to the exit, pushing Nex from behind as he haphazardly stumbled. "Twilight, your cupcakes!" Mrs. Cake called. Twilight teleported the bits onto the counter and the box above her as she and Nex hurried out. "That girl's always bringing something through town."

Twilight eased up when they were on the path to the library. Nex wasn't being stubborn, so it made getting back home easier. When they reached the library, he stood by the door while she walked to a couch. She groaned and set the box of sweets down on the floor, while Nex stared off into space.

"You can't wander off, Nex," she told him, rubbing her head with her fingers. "Somepony might frighten you... well, maybe the other way around. But if you get into trouble, you won't have anypony seeing you like a normal pony." Her words were lost on him, and she could tell. "Nex. Nex? Nex!"

He grunted in surprise and looked down at her.

"What's wrong... is something bothering you?" He tilted his head, sitting down in front of her to wait for an explanation. "Is something not okay?"

He nodded slowly, thinking to Sugarcube Corner. "Mr.... Cake?" She nodded. "He... I see afraid... but... it go away... he no afraid... only for little." He traced the contours of his mask, which she recognized as a habitual thing. "Why... why he no afraid?"

The question honestly hadn't come up in her mind. Mr. Cake had been to so many different nations with Mrs. Cake to show off their amazing pastries and baked goods that he'd seen nearly every type of creature. Except changelings. But he wasn't slightly disturbed by Nex himself, only by his size. Now that she thought a bit more, Twilight could see a comparison between Nex and a minotaur. They were both huge, and very aggressive. But that wasn't enough to explain all of his differences, like the lack of hooves, and his furless body. Not to mention he was missing any bull like characteristics.

Nex sniffed the box, opening it sloppily and grunting in delight. He stuffed a cupcake in his mouth whole, then another, and another until only three were left. He stumbled around, a sickening feeling climbing up his stomach and into his throat. Twilight heard him gag, almost like an animal, and stood up when he collapsed to help him stand.

"How many did you eat?!" Twilight shouted, glancing down to the box. "Up up up! Come on! Nex, you're not throwing up down here!"

She tried lifting him, but be weighed more than anything she'd ever lifted. He fell onto the stairs, but she kept pulling him, forcing him to crawl or else risking a hit to the head. She practically dragged him into the bathroom as he grunted and choked. Her fingers struggled to unhook his leash, and she placed him over the toilet.

He hurled up varying colors of vomit, from bright reds to murky browns to muddled greys. It took an hour of dry heaving, gagging and spitting to empty his stomach and finish. Twilight waited outside after a bit, unable to stand the stench of his regurgitated desserts and stomach acid. The water in the sink began to run, then his heavy breathing replaced it. The door opened and Nex walked out in a daze, leaning against the wall for support.

"Feel better?" Twilight weakly giggled, carefully guiding him to bed. Nex burped a sickly belch, then groaned as the taste washed over his tongue. She helped lay him down, opting to leave the blankets off so he wouldn't suffocate.

"Twi...light." Her ears perked up and she looked down at him, unsure if she heard right. "Muffins... no nice."

A smile formed on her face as she looked down at him, and she laughed softly before heading to bed. "Next time only one. Only Pinkie can have so many sweets," she giggled.

And speaking of Pinkie, what is she up to?

Author's Note

Hello, one and all! I'm happy to upload yet another chapter for this tale. I'm running out of them so soon you'll see a slight delay between them :twilightsheepish: Nevertheless! I'll have a couple more before then. But anyway, hope you all enjoyed today's chapter, and as always, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 13

Nex grunted as he rolled out of bed, tasting the chemicals in his mouth that cleaned the bile and bacteria. He spat it out on his sheets, then grumbled as his stomach churned.

Hungry.

He looked over to Twilight, snorting when he saw she was still asleep. She always brought him his food in the morning. Since he still didn't know much about the house/library, he would have to wait for her to wake up. Or he could wake her up like he did the other day. She was extremely grumpy, to the point where he was tempted to hit her for being so annoyed. But the collar was for something other than keeping him near. He didn't know what, but she held onto it for dear life whenever he tried to intimidate her. She was brave for standing up to him, but she was still afraid.

His stomach gurgled again, and he gripped it as he quietly crawled to the steps. If she wouldn't wake up to feed him, he would have to find the food. He sniffed constantly while going down the stairs, trying to smell the lovely stench of cooked flesh. He only caught faint whiffs of the meal he had last night, but other than that there was nothing but a strange, flowery smell and the scent of a tree. The first place he would have to search was the "kitchen." That's where the food was kept and made. He cautiously ventured inside, sniffing again but unable to catch a trail.

"Where food," he growled, opening cabinets and drawers.

The "fridge" was where food was kept so it wouldn't go bad, so he rushed over and nearly tore it open. A loud grunt of disgust left him when he saw vegetables nearly everywhere. He slammed it shut and rubbed his nose, shivering at the memory of what broccoli tasted like. The pain in his stomach was growing, and he got even more angry as he rummaged through the room and couldn't find his next meal. He needed meat, something to feed him. A fruit, even. They weren't that bad. He rose his head suddenly, knocking over the table from searching under it.

There were two places he had seen fruits. The market was one, but he didn't want to have ponies around him while he ate. They weren't ponies he knew, and Twilight told him he wasn't supposed to be far from her while they were around others. But... there was a forest of apples he'd seen just down the road from the town. He was sure the town went picking for them, but no pony was really out at this time. This he'd learned when he fell out the window as he watched the sunrise two days before.

He listened out for any sign of Twilight, keeping still and holding his breath. Once a number of minutes passed, his stomach rumbled again, and he made his decision. He hurried to the door and opened it, being sure he didn't slam it as he bolted on all fours. However, Nex stumbled to a halt when he realized he didn't exactly know which way the forest was. He turned to look at the tree, then ran over and started climbing. He leaped up into its branches and poked his head out from the top, scanning the surrounding fields for the apple forest. Sure enough, just south of the town was the orchard. He hurried down from the tree and dashed off again, slobbering as he sprinted as fast as he could.

Apple Family Apple Orchard

Applejack rubbed her tired eyes as she washed her face, readying for another day of apple bucking. Big Mac had already headed up to the west fields, and today she would be working on the north. The orchards weren't very far apart from one another, but getting to the northern field was a walk. She dried herself off with a towel and shut off the running water before heading downstairs. Her grandmare was still resting in her bedroom, but she would be up by sunrise. Along with a certain eager filly.

"Hope she doesn't go overboard," Applejack chuckled to herself. She walked passed dozens of apple-stripped trees as she went further up. When she reached the trees ripe with apples ready to be picked, she went to work.

While she was setting the buckets to collect the fruit, a soft crunching sound echoed from not far off. She listened out for a minute, listening to rustling trees and what sounded like an animal running around. There weren't any large animals around Ponyville that would lurk through her family's orchards; the Everfree animals were too far to venture here. Still, she didn't dare leave out any animals from that twisted forest. She creeped over to a tree trunk and peeked around, spotting nothing of interest. As she took a step forward, there was a mushy sound under her foot that she recognized. Sure enough, there was a pile of apples that had been stripped of the edibles. Even the cores were shredded or chopped up.

But something was wrong. Some of the apples had literally been torn apart, the seeds spread around as if somepony had spit them out. She examined one of her mauled harvest and saw sharp imprints on them. One had been completely sliced in half... as if by a timberwolf.

The sounds of rustling alerted her, and she glared up as a figure darted through the woods. "Hey! Come back here!" Applejack yelled, running after whoever it was. "These apples ain't for no pony to eat unless ah'm selling! Get your flank back here!"

No matter how fast she ran, the perpetrator ran faster, moving around as if they had memorized the orchard layout. She was running out of breath, but she couldn't let the thief get away with eating her family's business. There was a loud grunt, what sounded like a branch snapping, then said branch came flying at her from afar. She ducked under it, holding down her stetson as it sailed over her.

"When Ah catch you yer done!" she shouted, tripping over another branch beneath her. "Rattle...snakes."

As she stood back up she heard a loud crash, followed by what sounded like her brother going, "What the hay?!"

"Don't let 'em get away!" Applejack called, heaving heavily while she ran to catch up. She made it to her brother, who had run over to meet her and keep her from getting closer. "And just what are ya doing?"

"Keepin' you back from that thing," her brother retorted, turning back to the mess of wood. Applejack squinted as she examined the wreck, then gasped when she saw the wheel.

"The wagon's broken now?!" she hollered, pushing his arm away as she stomped over to the pile. She pulled her sleeves up as she angrily glared at the form moving under what was once a wagon, but her brother once again held her back, using both hands to pull her away. "Mac, I can take care o' mahself. We're gonna teach 'em what happens when ya steal from this orchard."

“Grr... rah!”

Chunks of the wagon were tossed off to the side, smashing against the trees and skidding along the ground. Applejack's glare lightened up in a moment of remembrance, but hardened much more sternly afterwards. Big Mac anxiously watched the strange animal, noting it was clothed. But the front of its head wasn't like anything he'd seen, or the fleshy hands and small ears. It's body wasn't covered in fur, but it wasn't shaved off. And given that it was on all fours, he couldn't tell if it wanted to argue or fight.

"Go get Princess Twilight," Mac ordered. "Ah'll keep 'im here."

"First off, we don't need 'er now," she replied, keeping her voice low for what she would say next. "And secondly, the girls and Ah know about that thing."

Mac peered down at her, but jerked his head over to whatever it was as it pulled a few splinters out of its hand. "And you didn't think t' tell us?"

"We can argue this later, but right now, Ah want him back with Twilight." Big Mac nodded softly, slowly moving his way around the small grove.

The creature let out a guttural snarl, not unlike a timberwolf, and quickly shifted its gaze between the two. "Nex," Applejack called. He didn't respond to her, his panicked glances slowing as he focused on Big Mac, who was trying to get on the opposite side of his sister. "Listen, ya stole our harvest, damaged mah tree, and broke our wagon. We're gonna take ya back to Twilight's house so ya don't get into no more trouble."

He wasn't listening. Mac came to this conclusion as the creature turned its full attention on him. It saw how big he was, considering he was a good two feet taller than the average stallion, and therefore he was a threat. Reason and talking weren't adding up in its mind while something big tried getting behind him to keep him between two people. It growled louder, lifting itself up and standing at its full height. Applejack had seen this sort of thing with one of Fluttershy's bears. Nex was trying to scare Mac into backing off, but it was obvious he wasn't. Her brother was stubborn, and right now being stubborn would keep Nex in check. That, and the fact that the two were practically the same height.

"Nex, listen here" she told him, keeping her voice even, "somepony’s gonna get hurt if ya don't come with us t' Twilight's."

"What's goin' on down there?" The three looked around, Nex doing so in a terrified manner, until Applejack glanced up and saw her rainbow friend. "What's he doing over here?"

Nex recognized the voice, and he shouted when he spotted her above, back towards an exit. Applejack hurried to cut him off, which caused him to move back and roar at her. Rainbow landed across from them, encasing Nex in a giant triangle. He was almost completely cut off. Just like in the pit.

Two earthen... a flyer... what was the fourth?

He growled at each of them, doing his best to keep sight of them all. "Where's Twilight?" Rainbow called, raising her arms as Nex came closer. He tried moving between her and Big Mac but they closed in, sending him reeling back with a shaky shout.

"Ah don't know, but we ain't got time to get her!" Applejack answered, rushing to keep him from running off between her and Rainbow. "Don't let 'im leave! We gotta get him back to the library."

"And how do we do that?" Rainbow questioned, glaring back into his feral eyes.

Nex was panting now, feeling himself short of breath and hazy. His vision was splitting... the flyer was... she wasn't colorful now... she was turned... and the earthen... they changed in front of him... snarls echoing in his head... the last one... the last one haunted him... but what was it?

"...rt him!" Twilight panted for air by a tree, leaning against it in her pajama skirt. "How... did you... find... him... hoo!" She wiped her face of sweat and took a deep breath. "Nex, why are you out here? What's going on?!'

"He stole mah apples, threw branches at me, then broke mah wagon!"

"Eeyup." Twilight looked over at Nex, ready to reprimand him.

But his movements caught her eye. He was breathing harshly, panickedly growling and jumping his gaze to see everyone and to make sure they weren't advancing. He was afraid. She looked at where they all stood. Nex was at the center of a square, his exits all blocked off by at least two ponies. He couldn't escape, and he was well aware of this. There was an old saying about an animal backed into a corner.

It would fight for its life.

"Everypony stand back!" Twilight commanded, backing away from Nex. "Get away from him!"

Nex clenched his teeth as he remembered this same situation. Four against one. His master told him it was a test. He would die or fight again. Only useful Angels were supposed to be alive. That day he left the pit and almost didn't return. But he made sure they would never be useful again. And now, four ponies surrounded him. His mind mixed past and present, fueling his heart to pump adrenaline. After enough flowed through his body he would be able to change and protect himself. He would be able to tear apart the daunting earthen.

"He's ready to spring, and you want us to leave?!" Rainbow asked, keeping an eye on Nex.

"He ate a whole tree of apples!" Applejack told Twilight. "Then he tore off branches and broke our only wagon!"

"It's just two trees! You have a whole orchard!" Twilight argued, gesturing around them. "And I can chip in to buy a new one! Just get back before somepony gets hurt."

"There's three of us," Rainbow said, raising her arms as Nex grunted at her.

"Rainbow, stop it!" Twilight scolded, watching Nex pace as he stared at Rainbow's wings. "You don't get it, you're all scaring him!"

"Then talk to him before he gets outta hand!" Applejack replied. "Don't let him run away, Mac." Her brother took a step closer, and Nex slammed his fist into the ground and shouted threateningly.

"Nex, listen to me, just calm down," Twilight softly said. "They're not doing anything, and they won't if you come with me."

"All... afraid..." Nex grunted, his heavy breathing visible. "...no change... never... change... never!"

Twilight took a slow step forward, holding out an open hand and smiling as comforting a smile she could. "Nex, you just spooked them. We'll go back and-"

"NO!" he bellowed, driving his knuckles into a piece of wood. It shattered under his fist, digging jagged edges into his hand. "Want monster... I be monster..."

He readied to let loose his roar and change. His target would be the red one, then the orange one, then he would take his time with the blue one. Twilight was weak. Her magic was useless. She was just a bystander. He opened his mouth to signal his attack...

...but grunted when something stuffed itself inside.

"Whoa-nelly, I got here in time!" Pinkie chortled, looking down at Nex from on his back. "Sugar gets ponies super-duper excited! But when they're already excited it makes them relax, and you’re extra-massively excited! So I made this since Mrs. Cake told me you took a lot of sweets! But you took a lot, so you probably had a tummy ache, and since you already ate so much, I'm only giving you this! Feeling better?"

Nex just looked up at her... everything quiet as he stared at the pink pony's eyes with his smaller pair. His stuffed mouth watered with the subtle sweet taste of the muffin in his mouth, which tasted weird but good, and he realized he needed a little more food to fill him up. He lowered to the ground and sat cross-legged as he bit into the treat and held it to his mouth, slowly eating so he wouldn't repeat the night before. Twilight stared at him in shock, but the others seemed more confused than anything.

"Um... so... is everything okay now?" Rainbow questioned, feeling the need to break the ice.

Applejack sighed and shook her head, muttering swears to herself before she went around Nex and Pinkie to meet with Twilight, her brother, and Rainbow. "A whole tree's worth fifty bits! And that wagon ain't cheap, either!"

"And how much would it cost to pay for the hospital bill for all three of you?!" Twilight quietly hissed, pointing a finger to the gladiator. "How about if he kills somepony?! Remember? This wouldn't be the first time!"

"Hold on, what are ya'll-"

"Shh!" Twilight hushed, raising her head to look at Nex. He slowly ate his muffin while Pinkie watched him, rambling on about something. "Okay, short version: He was a gladiator since he was little, Celestia and Luna freed him, they want us to help him act normal. His collar has a sedative in it, so we can calm him down if he really gets crazy."

"And what's he doing out without you?" Rainbow asked, stretching her wing out. "I thought you were supposed to be with him everywhere?"

Twilight sighed, gesturing to her attire. "I was asleep." She thought to herself for a moment, wondering why he woke up so early. "Hmm... he was pretty sick last night from eating a lot of cupcakes and muffins. Maybe he felt really hungry and had to find food. He was eating apples."

"And threw branches at me," Applejack reminded her.

Twilight rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, and that," she said. "Look, I'll pay for the apples and help with the wagon too. Sound fair?"

Applejack went to speak, but Mac held up a hand for her to stop. "Why did he come out here? Don't ya have food in the library?"

She rubbed her arm and awkwardly laughed. "Yeah... he just doesn't like any of it. Princess Celestia had the griffons deliver a whole crate of... meat." They all shivered at the thought of it. "He only likes that so I keep it in the basement so he doesn't raid it one day. He usually waits... but he probably couldn't find it. He must be okay with fruits."

"And when there's an orchard right down the road it isn't exactly hard to find them,” Rainbow added, crossing her arms behind her head. "You should keep some of his food out for him to find if he wakes up before you."

"Or at least wake up earlier," Applejack huffed, rubbing her temple.

"I'm sorry. I know now, okay?" Applejack looked up to her and sighed.

"Listen, ferget all that payment stuff. Just fifty bits less this year, nothin' extreme," she assured her. "Ah need a new wagon, though. We pay 50/50. Alright?"

Her friend smiled and gave her a short hug as thanks. "No problem, AJ."

Nex sniffed closer and closer to Pinkie, who giggled and shook her head. "Uh uh, no moooore," she sang, pointing to his bulging pockets. "Eat those. You don't wanna feel all icky and down later!"

He tilted his head, causing Pinkie to giggle again. She sprang up and held a hand out, waiting for him to take it. His eyes looked from the hand to its owner's eyes, uncertainty in his own. Pinkie mistook his unsure response as a questioning one.

"You gotta hold my hand so you can stand up!" she explained, shaking her hand around for him to focus on it. "Look, take your hand," she grabbed his good hand and placed it in hers, then squeezed tightly, "and I pull you u-WHA!"

Pinkie pulled as hard as she could, but she couldn't budge him, and ended up falling forward, landing next to him. "I-cky?" Nex repeated.

Author's Note

Kinda late for this update, but it's here! I'm hoping to start setting sail for this ship, but for now I'll keep it to myself :scootangel: :raritywink: Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 14

Nex sat at a table with Pinkie while Twilight watched with Rainbow. "He's calm now, at least," Twilight sighed, smelling her coffee. "You guys need to relax with him. He's not completely used to so many ponies. And surrounding him doesn't really help."

Rainbow chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. "Sorry?" Twilight shook her head, looking to Nex as a pegasus mare walked to the counter. His eyes scanned her discreetly, his senses on alert. "Wow, he really doesn't like pegasi."

"It's not funny, Rainbow," Twilight reminded her, giving her a look of disbelief. "He could really hurt somepony! Especially you and Fluttershy!"

"Hey, I'm tougher than I look, remember?" she declared, raising her arm and flexing. "And if he touches her wrong I've got a knuckle sandwich waiting for him."

"And he has a sharper one waiting for you," Twilight retorted. "Just... do me a favor and try to avoid him if you can't be friendly. I don't need him freaking out."

"Alright, whatever," Rainbow said, glancing up at the clock near the door. "Oh, ponyfeathers, I gotta go!"

"Don't forget, Rainbow!" Twilight called after her. Rainbow rose a thumbs up and bolted out of the store. The unicorn mare sighed as she stood up and went over to sit with Nex and Pinkie. "What are you two talking about?"

"Party," Nex grunted, resting his chin on the table. "What streamer?"

"Well streamers are these long and short pieces of paper that are ANY color you want!' Pinkie giggled, pulling out a roll of pink streamer. "See? We hang this around with balloons and decorations and confetti and cake and juice and-"

"That's very interesting, but we have to go," Twilight said, grabbing Nex's leash. "C'mon, we still need to help you learn to read."

Nex grunted as he resisted, yanking his neck back and nodding to Pinkie. "Learn about party. Want know."

"Don't worry, I can show you later if you want!" Pinkie smiled, standing up and tugging on his leash. He curiously stood up and waited for either of them to act. "I can show him later, right, Twilight?" she asked a bit loudly, smiling expectantly.

It took a moment for her to catch on, but her mouth went into an "o" shape and she nodded reluctantly. "Yeah... we'll come back later, okay, Nex?"

He glanced to Pinkie, then back to Twilight and nodded. "Okay."

"Bye! - er, see ya later!" Pinkie waved, smiling as they left the shop. "Hm... what flavor would he like?"

"Nex, don't run off like that," Twilight softly reprimanded, "You could've gotten hurt." He grunted in response, slouching over as they made their way back to the library. "Why didn't you wake me up? I would've gotten your food."

He grumbled as he gnawed on the leash, then huffed lowly. "No want to bother," he told her. "You not nice... no want to get mad."

She looked at him with a bit of confusion. He didn't wake her up... because she would be grumpy? It was normal to be grumpy when woken up, but he didn't do it so he wouldn't act out. While the notion frightened and flattered her, it was a small sign of progress. She smiled softly at him, to which he tilted his head.

"You happy?" Nex asked.

"A little... wait, we didn't talk about being happy," she said, thinking back to his lessons.

He nodded back the way they came. "Pink-e teach me," he said. "She happy a lot. Always smile."

"And she taught you what smiling is?" Nex nodded his head, and Twilight rolled her eyes gently. "Well, I think she can explain that a lot better than I could."

They reached the library and went in. She let him roam around while she fixed the kitchen from his escapade for food. "Twilight."

"Yes, Nex?"

"What 'parents'?"

She looked up at him from the ground, anxious to answer his question. "Why... why do you want to know?" He tilted his head, squinting behind the mask.

"Pinkie call cupcake lady and other person parents," he recalled, moving over to watch her pick up his mess. "What that?"

Twilight could see where this would lead, but she couldn't stop him from learning. It would be a good way to progress with knowing him. "Well... parents are two ponies, a mom and a dad." As she suspected he tilted his head again, sitting like a colt in the middle of the kitchen. "A mom is the mare that raised you. And a dad raises you, too, because they made you."

His head realigned and he scooted closer. "They... make me?" Twilight could see thoughts churning in his mind, just by how interested he was getting.

"Well... sometimes. Lots of ponies have parents that didn't make them," she quickly said. This was the perfect opportunity to learn a little about him. "Did you ever have parents?"

He froze up at the question, remaining silent as his head lowered and his eyes wandered. She sat close to him while he thought. It was like he had just shut down, but she had faith he was still digging through his own mind.

"Parents... mom and dad... no one?" She thought about what he was trying to say, then realized after a couple seconds his meaning.

"That's a parent. It could be your mom or your dad." He was sent back into thought, but it looked like he wanted to voice that. "Did... you have a mom? Or a dad?"

Nothing came from his lips. Nothing but an exhale and his tongue to wet his mouth. "Mom... she raise me..." he quietly uttered. She smiled and put a hand on his lap, silently urging him on. "...she try keep me safe... from pit... before change."

Somepony had tried to comfort him before they experimented on him. "What did she look like? Was she a prisoner?" He stared at her without talking until she got the meaning. "Did they make her stay there?"

"Yes... she keep us quiet so masters no get mad," he explained, rubbing his cheek gently. "She tell us... we survive... we have to be strong... we no die in there."

Why... What person can do this to little boys and girls? How can anypony be so cruel?!

She gasped as his finger wiped a tear from her cheek, and he examined it before looking back up to her. "You... sad... when cry?" he hesitantly asked.

She sniffled and wiped her tears before nodding. "Yes... you're right," she laughed, standing up from the floor. "Just wait for me to clean everything up. We'll start the lesson after I eat."

Nex watched her sort everything he had displaced, then glanced down at the overturned table. He went over and flipped it onto its legs. "I help clean."

Manehatten

"He isn't in Canterlot after all," Storm sighed, taking a sip of his gin. "That complicates things a bit."

Bit, Dense, and Spot sat on couches in the room while they waited for Storm. "Any idea where he could be?" Dense asked, playing with his knife. "If he ran at the first chance he might be in Canterlot. Or maybe the mountain?"

"It'd be impossible to find him if he made it farther than the base of the mountain," Bit said. "There's too much land for us to cover. Tartarus, he might have gone into the Everfree for all we know."

Storm set his glass down and ran a hand through his mane. "You might be close, Bit," he chuckled, reading over several reports at once. "The Angel we're looking for was seen in Canterlot... with the Elements of Harmony." The group of hired mercenaries sat up as they listened intently. "They boarded a train, but our eyes haven't been able to reach the town because of a certain mare that loves to announce the arrival of newcomers."

Spot's wings shifted as he scratched his chin. "Wouldn't we have gotten some headline about a freak or whatever?" he questioned.

"Not if she doesn't know it's there," Bit answered, flipping his book closed. "Or... she does know and understands that we're looking for him."

"Or she doesn't want to alert the populace." He stood up from his desk and moved to the door, turning to the men. "She must know enough people in the town need to become comfortable with him before he is announced. I might have a way to confirm his residence, so you all wait here while I sort this out."

The stallions waved him off as he closed the door and walked down the hall. He reached a set of doors and stepped in, smiling as he walked to the desk inside. "We've found him, yes? Or do you need a mare's touch to do it?" Storm chuckled as he sat in front of her.

"Considering he revered you as a guardian, it won't be hard to lure him out," he reminded her. Study sat on her desk as she nodded, looking over a few of the reports he had looked at. "Perhaps if you can put up a facade for the two alicorn sisters, they could bring Nex and from there you can decide how you want to track him."

"Hmm... so I must play the escaped damsel," she laughed, removing her glasses and whipping her hair behind her back. "The boy will not want to leave me."

"Not unless you need help as the others did." A grin crept onto Study's face as she thought it over. "You say you were needed to keep his modifications working, examine him, then request help. If they haven't already offered it."

She shrugged and sat back in her chair. "I can do it within the next month. I have a fresh batch of Angels that need to be ascended before I can focus on my brother's champion." Storm nodded and stood, shaking her hand before heading to the door.

"Try not to let anything slip, and do keep in character," he sarcastically pleaded. She shook her head as he stepped out, then opened a picture of the champion she had cared for above any other being. "I do hope they haven't been able to change you. Your master still needs his champion. And you'll have a partner if you manage to please him."

She glanced at the anatomy of another Angel, who had many more implants than the boy she cherished.

"Your little brother is a big boy, my sweet."

Ponyville, 8 PM

Nex stared at the clock as it ticked, wondering why the big hand was on the twelve, the little hand on the eight, and the red hand was still going. He was dressed in something more casual than what Rarity had made him, thanks to a quick stop at the clothing store Twilight made. She made sure to get something that would cover his arms and body so he wouldn’t lose it. He looked a bit more normal than usual, minus his mask that made looking at him impossible. Twilight was still writing a letter when she heard an alarm go off.

"Oh, shoot, we're gonna be late," she whispered, signing the letter at last. With a quick transportation spell, the parchment was off to Canterlot. "Nex! Ready to go?"

"Yes," his gruff voice called.

She hurried down to meet him, dressed in a magenta shirt and regular jeans. Nex hadn't seen her look so... plain. "C'mon." Nex waited for her to grab his leash as she locked the door behind them, but she started walking without it. He grunted to catch her attention, holding up the tether to remind her. She walked over, but instead of taking the collar she reached up to his neck and undid it. "I don't want you to feel like you need this, so let's keep it off for tonight. But you can't act angry. Promise?"

Nex stared at her for a good minute before slowly tilting his head. "What... promise?"

"A promise is when you say you mean you'll do something. I want you to promise me you'll try to be nice to everypony. That means you have to be nice or else you break the promise, which is bad." She teleported the leash inside, then looked up to him. "So... do you promise to be nice?"

He rubbed his neck where the collar had been, and slowly started nodding his head. "I... promise." She gave a small smile and gestured for him to follow.

The streets weren't as lively as most cities were, so they had a leisure stroll to Sugarcube Corner, aside from a few people pointing at and whispering about Nex. He didn't mind, thankfully, and Twilight chalked it up to him keeping his promise. The candy shop came into view not too long after, and they went inside. Nex looked around for any sign of people, but it was pretty much barren.

"I'm sorry, but we're - oh, Twilight," Mr. Cake smiled, nodding warmly at Nex. "Pinkie's just upstairs. I'm sure she'll be down in second."

"Alright, we'll just wait here," she said. He winked knowingly and made his way back to the kitchen. "Nex, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

He nodded and watched her make her way upstairs, then sat down at a booth and laid his head on the table. Meanwhile, Twilight went to Pinkie's room and stepped in, her eyes opening a bit wider when she saw the rest of the girls with her.

"Oh, you're here!" Pinkie squealed, hugging her tightly. "Now we're ready!"

"For what, exactly?" Rainbow asked, playing with the streamers Pinkie had given her.

"This is Nex's party! I didn't wanna scare him when he got here because he was all jumpy and scared of Rainbow and Fluttershy, and he didn't like you or Applejack, but now that we all know him he might not be so jumpy and we can have fun!" She reached into her mane and pulled out a bag of confetti. She emptied its contents into her miniature party cannon, then took two long strips of streamer and cut it up before stuffing it in as well.

"That's why ya wanted Granny’s baking, huh?" Applejack chuckled. "So how are we gonna do this without scarin' him?"

"Well! I'm gonna go down and decorate with him!" Pinkie announced, lugging her cannon to the door. "When this goes off, Fluttershy and Rainbow have to put up the banner, AJ and Twilight are gonna put out the sweets, and then Rarity is gonna help me fix the decorations!"

"You're going to set up the decorations that are for him with him?" Rarity questioned, just as confused as the others.

Pinkie nodded cheerily. "Yeah! He's never had a party, and he doesn't know what it's like, so we're gonna show him!"

She hummed happily as she dragged the cannon out into the hall, yelping when it tumbled down the stairs with her. "I'm okay!"

Applejack shook her head and sat on Pinkie's bed. "Pinkie sure is a special pony," she smiled.

"Yup... and pretty brave, too," Rainbow admitted. "If anyone's gonna keep Nex from tearing this place down, it's her."

"I'm trying, too, Rainbow," Twilight reminded her. Her blue friend chuckled and shrugged playfully. "But you're right... at least Pinkie can keep him entertained."

Author's Note

Hey everyone! Another chapter for you! I know I'm cutting it short, but today's important. So as always, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 15

Nex lifted his head from the table as Pinkie skipped over to him, her hands behind her back. He eyed her cautiously until she pulled out two rolls of streamer. "Here!" She gave him a blue roll. "Nex, I'm gonna teach you how to set up a party!"

He stared curiously at her, then down to the streamer. "What do with this?" he asked, pulling a piece off and examining it.

"That's the fun part!" she giggled. He watched her aim up at the beams above them, then threw the roll between some. "See? It's easy!"

She cut the piece off and threw it up again, decorating the shop with long pink strips of streamer. Nex looked down to his roll again, then aimed up at the beam. He launched it as hard as he could, causing it to wildly bounce above until it ran out. The roll was flung at him, and he grunted softly when it hit his head. Before he could growl, another pair of streamers were planted in his hands. Pinkie smiled and tossed several rolls around, jumping to catch some and cut wherever she could.

This time, Nex threw his streamers a bit softer, spreading green and yellow throughout the shop. "Whew! This takes forever!" Pinkie laughed, rushing over to the stairs. Nex stopped to watch her lug a large cannon off the stairs. "This is my party cannon! For emergency parties... and when I get a little tired."

She appeared behind him, to his fright, and put earmuffs over his small ears. In another second, she was behind her cannon and lit the fuse. He waited in confusion as the light petered out, then the cannon fired. A muffled ring rattled him as confetti and streamers shot out, finishing their decorations off with some balloons. Nex saw Pinkie giggling and talking at the speed of light, but still couldn't hear her. She waited for him to say something, but he just stared at her. Realizing her goof, she smiled with a bit of embarrassment before pulling off his muffs.

"When we're done with how the party looks, we have to make sure nopony's tummy gets empty! Because what's a party without food!" She licked her lips and skipped over to the stairs.

Rainbow and Fluttershy came down with a long piece of paper, which Nex ignored as he lowly growled at the two. Pinkie pulled him over as Twilight and Applejack carried down sweets and punch. The party mare tossed a couple of trays to Nex, who barely reacted as he caught the first with his mouth and the others with his hands and arms. Twilight expected him to do something violent, but he stumbled over to a booth and set the items down carefully. Rarity gave her a small gesture to relax while her magic assorted the messy decorations of their guest.

"Alrighty, there's a cake in the kitchen," Applejack said, heading behind the counter. "Ya'll remembered the music, right?"

"Oh, oh! I did!" Pinkie called, reaching under a table. She pulled out a ridiculously large stereo and a turntable, then set them onto the counter. "Nex, this is the most important part of a party!"

He turned from the table, a muffin stuffed into his mouth. "Foo hoh eh-howhan? (Food no important?)" he asked through his mouthful.

"Yeah, but this is what a party's all about!" Pinkie exclaimed, plugging in the turntable and playing a track. Vibrant and cheerful music started to play, startling him with its sudden intensity. He fumbled as Pinkie pulled him around and laughed joyfully. "Dancing makes the party!" she shouted over the music.

Twilight watched Pinkie pull him around, not a clue in the world of what he could be thinking. But he was trying to go along with it, and he looked like he was enjoying it. "So... what now?" Rainbow asked, hovering beside them.

For once, Twilight had an answer she didn't normally use. "Just have fun," she shrugged, heading to the bowl of punch and serving herself a cup. "It's a party, right?"

Rainbow smirked a bit before dragging Applejack to where Pinkie and Nex were, the farm girl slowly getting into the groove of things as she casted wary glances over to their guest of honor. "At least some of us are relaxing," Rarity told the purple mare. "It's better than her larger parties, at least."

Fluttershy ate a muffin beside them as she bobbed her head to the uplifting music. "I think it's so kind of Pinkie to have a private party," she said, repeating it into their ears because of the music. "I hope Nex likes it."

Nex's feet tripped and stumbled over each other as he tried following Pinkie's steps. As he looked up to her, he stopped suddenly and stared at the banner the pegasi had put up. Pinkie bumped into him and fell with a giggle before jumping back up. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

He pointed to the banner, trying his best to read what it said. "Wel...comb... toe... Pon-i-ville..." Pinkie giggled and patted his head.

"No, silly! It says, 'Welcome to Ponyville!'" He looked at the banner for another minute and turned to her.

"What... 'welcome' mean?"

Several Hours Later…

"Nex, come on." The gladiator groaned as he pulled himself off of the booth seat, his jaw opening in a yawn. "Everypony left."

"Ponies... home?" he groaned, cracking his neck.

Twilight nodded, holding his arm as she helped him stand. "Yes, they're home. And they're probably asleep." He nodded and looked around, noticing the lack of a mess. "The girls and I cleaned up when you fell asleep. Pinkie just went upstairs to sleep. We should get going, too." She covered her mouth in a yawn, rubbing her weary eyes.

"You tired." They walked outside and made their way to her home, the two groggily stumbling every now and then. "Twilight."

"Yes?"

She looked up at him, though he kept his gaze forward. "...party... nice."

A sigh left her, then a giggle broke the silence. "Yeah... especially Pinkie's parties."

"She have more parties soon?" he asked, almost like a colt.

She wondered at how foreign he was to the concepts of their social culture. It made him so inexperienced to the point where a child new more than him. But... in a way he was just that. A child. He was learning to read and write, and she was tasked with her friends to teach him about what Equestria was like. He was so fascinated with everything he was learning, and they still had so much to show him. And she would be there. They all would. He needed this... Celestia, he needed ponies to help him... to catch him up with everything he'd missed growing up.

"You crying again." Twilight let out a choked laugh as she wiped her cheeks, then her irritated eyes.

"Yeah... I know," she sniffled. "I'm not sad... I'm just thinking about things I shouldn't."

Nex tilted his head. "Thinking?"

Another laugh made its way out of her as they reached the library. A dumbfounded Nex followed her up to their room and laid in his bed, drifting off rather quickly. Twilight waited for him to sleep, watching his back rise and fall with every deep breath. She snuggled into her bed, too tired to change.

If it's the last thing I do... I'm gonna help you, Nex... we all will... you deserve that much.

Author's Note

Hello everyone! The next chapter is the end of these once a day updates, since it's all I have written so far :twilightblush: I'll have more for you guys soon! As always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 16

"Why we come back?" Nex grunted, sniffing the delectable apples in the trees. "Apple pony no like me."

"That's not true," Twilight assured him, explaining what "true" meant. "You just got off on the wrong foot." He tilted his head again. "You could have met her better."

He lifted his head when he heard a sharp crack. Twilight looked towards the house ahead of them, then to the barn. She spotted Big Mac chopping wood at the side of the red building, worrying if the two would try anything rash. Unfortunately, the red stallion happened to look over while taking a breather. Nex also looked over and saw him, which prompted him to growl lowly while Big Mac glared.

"It's okay, Nex," Twilight whispered, putting on a smile to calm the red stallion. "Just be nice and nothing will happen." His growl quieted down, and he hunched back over and walked with her.

Big Mac rose his brow as the two made their way to the Apple residence. He dug the axe into the tree stump he was cutting wood on and headed over. Ever since their encounter, he didn't like the hairless creature. Well, he didn't like to know that it was around town. Or on his family's property. Somepony, or something, wearing a mask had something to hide. And he didn't like strangers keeping secrets. Especially when they were just about ready to brawl.

Twilight knocked on the door and waited for Applejack. The lock unlatched and the door creaked open. Nex rose a brow at the sight of the old green mare squinting to see them, but she smiled in a way that confused him. "Oh, Princess! What brings ya by?" she asked, glancing up at the behemoth. "And who's yer friend?"

"Granny Smith, this is Nex," she hesitantly said. "Nex, this is Applejack's grandmare." He nodded softly. "Sorry, he doesn't really talk much around new ponies."

The elderly mare waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, ah know the feelin'" she mused. "Come on in, Ah'm sure Applejack'll be back any second."

"Where'd she go?" Twilight asked, guiding Nex into the kitchen.

"Oh, somethin' about varmints in the east fields," she snapped, slowly sitting in her rocking chair. "Now ah told her t' bring her brother, but she just don't listen about danger. Thinks she's all big and-" she ranted before falling asleep in her chair. Nex let out something like a cough, then rose his brow at the old mare.

"She weird," he concluded quietly.

"Well... I guess we can find Applejack now." She made Nex creep out with her before heading off to find the orange mare. "Nex, please be nice or be quiet. Applejack has to know that you're a good... guy."

He snorted, then hunched over again. "No care what she think... no care no pony think." Twilight sighed softly and touched his arm, gaining a questioning glare.

"Nex, some things should matter, even if it's from somepony you don't like," she softly rebutted. "We want to help you, and even though she isn't going about it correctly, Applejack does know one thing. You still have to change... but they have to understand it's not gonna happen fast."

He stared silently as he mulled over her words, then turned forward and grunted. "...I try... nice." Twilight smiled and give him a small smile, just before a loud howl sounded.

Nex locked up immediately, his eyes darting between the trees as he searched for anything moving. Another howl, farther off, replied to the first, and Nex realized they were just finding one another. "...they're in the Everfree. They won't come all the way out here!" Twilight quickly said.

He pulled her hand away from his shoulder and exhaled. "I know... just get scared," Nex told her.

"Don't know why they're all riled up," came a country girl's voice. Applejack dropped down from a tree and closed the telescope she'd been using. "Thought it'd be some Timberwolves, but somethin' bigger passed by." She gestured to the claw marks on the trees, some oozing sap. "Ruined some o' the best macintosh apple trees we had! Gonna wrangle the fella when ah catch him."

Nex ran his fingers across the marks, sniffing and tasting for anything familiar. There was one thing that tasted similar, but he shook his head and went to the other trees. The marks were too deep for a Timberwolf, but finite enough to not be a manticore. In fact... it didn't even seem like a natural cut.

"See something?" Twilight asked, examining the gouges in the tree. "It must have been a manticore... but why would it be out here?"

"No manticore." The mares glanced at him curiously. "...manticore no make cuts like this... no animal... no know."

Applejack shrugged. "Maybe it was a bear. Maybe even Fluttershy's bear." She looked over to Twilight. "So what brings ya all the way out here?"

The studious mare straightened up and tugged Nex closer. "We want to make it up to you after yesterday's... gathering," she said, murmuring out the last bit. "Nex can help you with the apples if you want. And I'll be around to take care of him."

She lifted her stetson up and examined the abnormal biped. He didn't have a huge build like Big Mac, but even she couldn't deny that he had a work-pony's build, at the very least. With a sigh, she waved for them to follow and groaned, "Alright. You keep him from taking more apples and make sure he don't try breaking anything else."

"Of course," she nodded. "Nex, you're gonna help Applejack work today." A small growl began growing, but it stopped when she hardened her expression. "You weren't nice yesterday, so now you have to make up for it."

His snarl died down slowly, and Twilight knew why when he tilted his head. "Make... up?"

"You have to earn her forgiveness," she explained. "You have to help her before she says it's okay. Okay?"

He huffed softly, but nodded reluctantly. "What Nex do?"

Applejack bucked a tree, causing a loud crack to ring out. Nex was startled but clenched his body instead of leaping in fright. He saw the apples in the tree fall into buckets surrounding its trunk, until they were all filled over. She took a pair and lifted them up, followed by Big Mac.

"Come on, now. Grab some and haul 'em down to the barn," she ordered, lugging the buckets without much struggle.

Twilight led him over to the baskets of apples and grabbed the smaller ones. "Take apples... where?" Nex questioned.

"Grab those last two and we'll show you," she said. He lifted the two buckets of apples and followed her through the orchard. "Applejack makes money selling these apples, and it doesn’t help when someone or something eats them. It’s not easy, Nex.”

He looked down the path to the bright red barn near the hill. “Apple pony… no happy.”

“That means she’s upset,” Twilight told him. “It’s not nice when you make someone upset, Nex. That’s why we’re helping her.”

She watched him lower his head and breathe slowly. It was funny to watch, because it was his way of showing that he was thinking. “Help… help when up-set… and they no upset?” Twilight nodded softly and gave him a reassuring smile. “Apple pony no like me… I help… she like me?”

“W-Well… it’s a good start to her liking you,” Twilight said, giving him the best smile she could muster. It faltered a bit as he stared her down, but he ultimately grunted and looked forward. “C’mon, Nex, even you don’t trust them. No one’s gonna like you all of a sudden.”

He growled lowly, earning him a slight nudge. “I help… go home later.”

It was becoming a bad habit of his. He didn’t like going around when there were people awake. She was starting to think he just didn’t want to go outside. “Alright, we’ll head back after lunch. Okay?”

“Okay.” They reached the barn, then dropped off the buckets before following the siblings back into the orchards.

Neither felt easy with his presence, and Mac felt especially wary when he saw the collar around his neck. Applejack paid it no mind, kicking the apples out of the trees for her helpers to haul off before her. Nex kept sniffing some of them, tossing bad ones to the sides as he walked. It would help make sure they didn’t have to sort through them later to find the bruised or smushed apples. Even if he was a creature made to fight, he worked pretty hard. Considering his size, he worked almost as hard as her brother, and nearly hauled as much as him, too. She still kept her guard up, as did Mac, but she could ease her work a bit with him trying his hardest.

And then Twilight was too tired to keep up with him. She didn’t leave him alone to work, but she couldn’t carry the buckets herself any more. Her magic had initially scared Nex until he saw her carrying the bushels to the barn. She picked up on his more stiff movements when he was near her, leading her to believe he wasn’t as unafraid of unicorns as he’d led on. If that was true, which she prayed she was wrong about, she would have to get him used to unicorns using their magic without him attacking. The fact that it was her using magic must have also kept him easy instead of alert. It was strange to see him so aware, as if he was going to be ambushed at any second.

It wasn’t long before the afternoon rolled around. Applejack groaned as she stretched out her arms, Twilight and Big Mac bringing in the next few buckets. “Alright, Applejack. I think I’m gonna take Nex home now,” Twilight yawned. “He’s getting hungry. And I still need to teach him to read some more.”

Her friend shook her head with a laugh. “This must be a dream come true for you, Twilight,” Applejack laughed, taking her stetson off. “Teaching someone like this and all.”

“It’s to help him,” she said with a small laugh. “And besides, he gets really into it when we get past an hour.” Nex came in and dropped off a bucket, then started heading off. “Nex! We’re leaving now.”

He kept walking, as if he didn’t hear her. “Nex!” Applejack called. She had the same result as the alicorn, the two looking to each other awkwardly. “Is his hearing okay?”

“Yes… well… he hasn’t shown any signs of hearing loss.” Twilight started after him, running to catch up before she lost him in the fields. She caught up and grabbed his arm, but he still ignored her. “Nex, come on! You said you wanted to go ho- WHOA!”

She tripped and fell on her face, groaning as she got back onto her feet. Nex had jumped at the sound of her shout, and he came over to help her up. “You no walk right?” he huffed, setting down the basket.

“Nex, I was calling you,” Twilight groaned, wiping the grass off her skirt.

He blankly stared at her and snorted. “You no call.” She furrowed a brow and looked at him closely, trying to see any sort of sign he was lying.

“Nex, I called you. And Applejack.” He shook his head again, then scratched his neck as he waited.

We both called him and he couldn't hear us… maybe this has to do with the rest of him?

He grunted to get her attention. “Alright… we're heading home now. Just put those baskets back in the barn.” She grabbed one and started back with him, the apple siblings waiting as they chatted.

The room got quiet as Nex placed the empty basket by the fuller ones, his eyes jumping back and forth between what he was doing and who he needed to watch. Twilight tugged nervously on his leash to keep him moving, even as he growled low enough for only her to hear. She nervously laughed in an attempt to ease him, and as she did something in his spine began to move, cutting the laugh short. Big Mac noticed and straightened out, which Nex recognized subconsciously. Before any more could go on, the barn door opened and everypony, and Nex, glanced back. Applejack nearly jumped to her feet when Applebloom walked in carrying a bucket.

“Applejack, Granny said ah-!” Applebloom gawked at the behemoth in front of her, it's mask boring holes into her.

Twilight's hand clutched the leash firmly as Nex froze up, the crawling under his skin continuing. With his back turned to the Apples, they could see the machinery activating under his skin.

“W-Who’re you?” she shakily asked, looking to her siblings as they started towards them.

Nex blocked out the sounds of the coming ponies as he stared down at the little girl. She barely passed his waist, and she looked so… innocent. He remembered others like her… what they were before they were thrown into the Pit. So many faces like hers; afraid of what they would become… or what would become of them. The reinforced metals making their way to cover his bones stopped as his blood pressure leveled, and he kneeled down to see her. She was afraid… but he could see the young curiosity in her eyes as well. Not unlike those of his Pit.

“I… Nex.” Twilight's grip loosened, and her mouth opened slightly. “Who… you?”

Applebloom saw the leaves in his hair, prompting her to guess he had been helping. If her brother and sister let him help on the farm, they must have trusted him. “I-I’m Applebloom, mister.” Her fear faded as she gave an awkward smile, then glanced to her sister. “Granny said ah could, uh, help with the orchard,” she nervously laughed, holding up the bucket.

Big Mac glanced to Applejack before getting up and grabbing a basket. “Alright. Come on, now.”

Applebloom lit up as she rushed out of the barn with her brother behind her. “See ya, Mr. Nex!” Applebloom called, waving to him as she left with Mac.

Applejack grimaced as the movement under his skin reversed direction, and he started breathing more evenly. “Nex… are you okay?” Twilight asked. He hadn't stopped staring at the door, but nodded in acknowledgement. “You… you don't usually talk to someone you don't know.” He grunted, then turned to Applejack. She stared him down for a minute before he turned and started out, tugging for Twilight to follow. “Um…we'll see you soon, AJ.”

They rushed out of the barn and down the path to Ponyville. She looked to him as he kept in front of her, ignoring passing eyes as he made his way back to the library. The way he froze up when Applebloom walked in was awfully similar to when he saw Fluttershy's wings. Twilight didn't want to risk any sort of attack on her friend's little sister, which would probably cross out any sort of chance for Nex to integrate into society. His body had been readying him for something… and she shivered at the thought.

But… he opened up… for the first time he'd been in Ponyville he responded to someone without hesitation. It was Applebloom, sure, but for him to open up so willingly… so quickly… it had to be something about her. She was young… or was it her appearance? Maybe somepony he knew looked like her? If he could lower his guard for her… maybe she could help with more personal inquiries she had. Assuming Nex didn't draw a line somewhere along the way.

“Nex.” He glanced back and grunted. “At the barn your body was doing something. What was that?”

He slowed down to walk beside her, glancing back and forth between passing people. “Apple ponies earth… strong ponies. Make bone harder. Let me fight.” Her eyes trailed down the side of his head to a cut in his hair. It was a precise trail… a testament to what had been done to him.

“You… you weren't gonna fight them… right?” He kept silent as they reached the library and went in. Before he could head up the steps, he felt the collar unlatch from his neck. Turning to her, Nex watched as she sat down and rubbed her head.

He crouched down near the upper floor to keep hidden. She'd never done this before. It was strange to see her sitting around aimlessly. Usually she had her head in a book, or she would be making his lessons for the day. His ears perked as she let out a weak laugh and sighed.

“I'm trying, princess. I really am. He just doesn't trust anyone… and he probably hates us.” Twilight brushed her hair back and rested her head on the couch. “At least he's learning… it's one thing I can do right.”

Nex crawled his way up the steps and creeped to his room. He looked to all the books surrounding his bed and Twilight's. His gaze found itself looking to a doll beside her pillow. He peered over to the door and listened out for Twilight, waiting for a few seconds to make sure she wasn't coming. The little doll was horribly made, and it looked like something his old rags could make. Twilight wasn't a filly. She was a young mare… so why did she have a toy? He examined it thoroughly before he saw letters on one of its feet. There weren't many, but he struggled to remember how they were pronounced.

“‘To… my… Twi-lie. M-Mom-my.’” He kept examining it, then froze as a purple hand gently guided the doll away from him.

“‘To my Twily. Mommy.’” His gaze fell slowly, blankly aimed to the bed. “This is my Smarty Pants doll. My mom gave it to me when I was a filly… it was for my birthday.” She smiled as she held the little doll, then placed it on her bedside. Nex stood up and moved past her to his bed. “We can start the next lesson, if you want to.”

“Want alone… no read.” He laid on his side with his back to her. She sighed again and headed for the door.

“I'll be downstairs,” she softly told him. He snorted loudly, and she left.

He thought back to the little girl from the barn. She was the other Apple sibling… but she didn't have the same thoughts and actions as an adult. Certainly nothing like her brother and sister. It was what made teaching the younglings so easy… how their fear of the pain made them open to anything that could help them. The little Apple… Applebloom, would never be in that predicament. She looked so normal… so free and untainted. So many had been that way… and they all had to put that aside to survive.

He had watched them become monsters… like him.

Author's Note

This is a bit late for today, but I'm updating anyway! Just a reminder, this is the last chapter I'll have for this day to day update spree, so expect a couple of lulls between chapters. Anyway! Hope you guys enjoyed the chap, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 17

Celestia read over the scroll her student had sent, smiling softly as she read about Nex's progress. He'd learned the alphabet, how to count to ten, and hadn't bursted out in anger… yet. She was certain he'd control himself, or at the very least her student and her friends could keep him calm. Day court was just about over, and after a day of dealing with nobility, Celestia was ready for a warm bath before bed. Her horn chimed as the sun inched its way past the horizon, vanishing in just a few minutes. She sat up and stretched before moving down the steps. Her guards moved to the golden doors to open for her, but before they reached them they bursted open.

“Princess!” A pair of guards rushed in, both saluting before their monarch. “We've been sent by General Iron. He requests your presence in the medical wing!”

“They've found another of the experiments,” the other said. Celestia's eyes widened, and any weariness vanished as she spread her wings and shot past them with a flap of her wings.

Another? Stars, let it be alright. Does Luna know?

She slowed as she entered the medicinal sector of her castle. The halls were much more clear and plain, with more traditional hospital rooms rather than the guest rooms in the other wings. A mare in a nurse's outfit waved for her to follow, prompting her to rush to catch up to her. They were taken to one of the more secure rooms, guards lining the hall in a wall and along the corridor.

“Your highness!” A green unicorn stallion met them just outside the room they'd been led to, dressed as any doctor. “I'm sorry, but she's in poor condition.”

“How so? What's wrong with her?” Celestia questioned, casting a spell on the wall to make it transparent.

“We've found several narcotics in her system, and she has bruising all over her body,” he explained, looking over a chart. “She has a concussion and multiple lacerations from what look like ropes. Princess, she'll be under for a few days while we detox her.”

Celestia sighed as she examined the poor mare. She looked no older than Cadence. As her eyes roamed the mare's features, she found one thing to be grateful for. “Doctor, have you found any implants in her like the others?”

He shook his head, a small smile of his own relief easing hee. “Thankfully we haven't found anything. Her body hasn't been modified.”

A question popped into her head as she recalled the guard's words. “The guards told me she was another experiment. But you say she hasn't been implanted,” she told the doctor.

“Oh, right. She was awake before she arrived here. She was rambling about a pit. About… fighting and the children,” he hesitantly informed her. “From what Long Stride had spoken about, I thought there was a connection.”

She nodded and looked at the pink mare for a few seconds, then let her spell fade. “Alright. Keep me and my sister updated with her well-being. I'll explain the situation to her.” The doctor nodded his head and gestured for the nurse to follow him inside.

Celestia sighed as she turned and headed back out of the medical wing. It had been nearly three weeks since anything significant had happened, but this was a reminder that her work with Nex was much greater. Another survivor meant another pit, which would mean she might remember where it was. The guard was still scrambling all over Equestria in search, day and night. It wasn't enough… they needed to find these pits before any more children could be taken.

It wasn't long before Celestia found herself climbing the steps to her sister's room. She could feel her sister's magic reaching out somewhere, which was strange since it wasn't midnight yet. As she reached the top, she felt a sudden shift in her sister's magic. It wasn't alarming… just abnormal. When she entered the room, Luna sat on her bed with her eyes closed and her horn alight. She was obviously in the dreamscape… but with who?

“And what else has she taught you?” Luna questioned, sitting across from Nex in his mind.

“Can count. One… to… ten,” he grumbled, trying to keep his pronunciation accurate. “Twi-light say fast learn.”

“You're a fast learner,” she corrected. He nodded and looked at his fingers, silently counting. “And you have kept peaceful with the town, yes?”

He lifted his head and tilted it. “P-Peace...full?”

“You haven't hurt anypony. You're not fighting, yes?” Luna reiterated. She heard him growl, but it died down as he murmured to himself.

“...pr-ah-miss… nice… to Twi-light,” he snorted, scratching his messy hair. “...but keep pegasus away.”

Luna shook her head and sighed. “Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.” He snarled softly, to which she gave him a stern look. “They don't wish you harm, Nex.”

Slowly, memories began to flow around them, and his voice faded from her as he receded back into his mind. “Pegasus… afraid… ponies… afraid.” He lowered himself to the ground, laying with his back to her. “Always… be… afraid”

His memories began to play out for him, secluding him in his past. She sighed as she stood and turned to the door, exiting his dream before she returned to the physical world. Her magic ceased and she inhaled deeply, then let it out before opening her eyes. To her surprise, Celestia sat beside her.

“What were you doing?” Celestia questioned softly.

Luna stood from the bed and looked outside as she placed her regalia back on. “I've made regular visits to Nex's dreams, and normally I attempt to gather information,” she huffed, cracking her stiff neck. “Tonight he seemed… less tense… as if he didn't hold us in contempt.”

“What had him that way?” Celestia asked, standing up as a smile grew.

“He's learning, and counting is something that excites him, as miniscule as it is.” She set her tiara on her head and stretched her arms. “It's progress. He still encloses himself in those memories… but he at least speaks.”

She softly gasped as she felt her sister hug her from behind, holding her tightly. Luna put her hand on her sister's and sighed, resting her head against her. “Thank you, Luna… thank you.”

She smiled vaguely and held her sister's hand tighter. “If you are so desperate to help this creature… then I will do what I can… however stubborn he might be.” Celestia chuckled lightly before moving away and wiping her eyes. “He won't make progress until he no longer represses those memories, sister. It will take time before he can begin treatment.”

Celestia nodded her head with a smile. “Do your best, sister. I don't expect a miracle within a few days.”

Luna returned the gesture and fixed her mane. “Why are you here? I never sent for you. Has something happened?” she questioned, noticing the solemness of her sister's expression.

“They found another survivor,” the elder alicorn told her. “She's in critical condition, but she's being taken care of. She was there. In the pits.”

The lunar diararch slowly processed what she was being told. “Did she say anything? Or has she been unconscious this entire time?” Luna asked, standing up and stepping into her onyx slippers.

“She'd been rambling before they sedated her. She knows about the pits and the fighting,” she said, watching her sister prepare for Night Court. “She doesn't have implants.”

Luna turned to her sister in shock. “Then… she isn't a gladiator?” Celestia shool her head. “Which means… she could help us find them.”

“I'm not sure yet, but once she is awake she'll need time to move past it,” Celestia sighed, heading to the door. “Luna… they didn't try to transform adults. She has drugs in her system but they restrained her.”

The lunar princess met her sister at the door and opened it. “She may have implants we haven't seen, then.” Celestia shook her head.

“She must have done something. Maybe a traitor of sorts. We'll know more in some time,” she told her sister. Luna nodded as they descended down the stairs.

“Keep me up to date with her condition. I will post guards throughout the night to keep watch,” Luna declared, summoning a quill and scroll to write out the order.

“I'll have my guards watch her through the day, of course.” Her throat went dry as she came to the next subject this new survivor brought. “We need to bring Nex back.”

Luna’s quill stopped moving for just a second, then kept scribbling. “He needs some time to grow away from the Pit. We cannot impede on his progress,” she said in a low voice.

“She might know about him, Luna. She could help us with his transition into society,” Celestia argued calmly. She sighed and rubbed her temple, knowing she was pushing for too much at once. “If she knows anything about him, we'll speak about bringing him. Alright?”

Her younger sister nodded softly, a smiling making itself present. “Alright. I should be going to the throne. Rest, sister. The last thing right now should be more worry. We will figure something out.” Luna gave her sister a hug as they reached the bottom of the tower, and they went their separate ways.

“He'll be fine… I'm sure he will,” Celestia whispered to herself.

Ponyville

Twilight yawned softly as she lifted her head from her pillow. The early morning rays kept her eyes squinted as she got up. Glancing over to Nex’s bed, she saw him twitching slightly. She made her way to his side and looked closer, her eyes widening as she saw the machinery in his back moving under the shirt.

“Nex! Nex, wake up!” she shook his body urgently, but he only grunted in response. “Nex, please, get up! You're okay! Nex!”

His pikes shot out from his forearm and he shoved her away, jumping up and roaring at her viciously. The adrenaline in his system faded as he glared down at her, his teeth bared as he loomed over the fallen woman. Nex’s eyes focused on her arm, where her bare skin wept some red. He lowered his arms slowly, his breathing evening out as he traced the three slash marks on her. The metal retreated back under his skin, and the implants in his back flattened out.

He looked to her eyes… seeing the fear that churned within them. There were so many like her. With the same fear just from looking at him. He didn't mean it. He didn't want her to be scared.

“Nex, relax,” Twilight softly told him, raising a hand to him as she stood up. “You're not in danger. We're safe, okay?”

Nex didn't stop staring at her arm, prompting her to take a look. As she realized she'd been scratched, she heard him leap from the bed and to the stairs.

“Nex, stop!”

He tumbled down the steps and rolled into a sprint, bursting through the door and bolting into the street. He looked around wildly, looking for a direction to take. He started towards Fluttershy's cottage, while Twilight caught up at the door. She sighed loudly and rushed back in to tend to her scratches. There wasn't much blood, and the cuts only stung, thankfully.

“I have to get the girls’ help,” she muttered, wrapping her forearm in bandages.

Nex hurried to the small river near the pegasi’s house, leaping over the small body of water and booking it towards the forest ahead. He pushed through the thick bushes and branches, a low branch nicking his leg. The small obstacle didn't stop him from going, and soon he was on all fours. Trills and shrieks echoed around him, like when he'd gone to other pits. He wasn't welcome in the little homes of the ponies. He belonged out with the wild, where he killed to survive. A small trunk caused him to break off a number of splinters in his hand, one going deep enough to pierce all the way through. He bellowed out in agony As he tumbled, scratching himself against the bushes and branches.

There was a small hill for him to roll down, with enough rocks to bruise him well before he halted against a log. Nex grunted as he looked at his hand, blood mingling with the dew and dirt he'd collected on his body. He grunted and tore out a splinter, then shrieked in pain as he realized how deep it'd been. Deciding against pulling out more, he slowly got onto his feet and cradled the damaged limb carefully. There weren't any familiar paths or markings, and he couldn't climb up the way he came. Snorting angrily, Nex limped on forward, smelling a subtle moisture in the air. He hurried a bit to a small opening in the woods, breaking into a small clearing.

Before him was a calmer sight than the forest held. A pristine blue lake laid smack in the middle of the clearing. He saw motion across the water, then bared his teeth when he recognized the forms. Timberwolves. The alpha of their pack looked over to the bipedal creature, snarling in return to what looked like a display of size. Nex moved closer to the water, his growls getting louder. The alpha yapped and adjusted the attention of its pack to him. Soon more snarls and growls joined its own, and Nex felt his blood pumping once again. The pikes shot out at once, and he let loose a menacing roar of hatred.

His warning didn't fall on deaf ears. Whatever this creature was, it wasn't going to back down, and it was as ferocious as it looked. The alpha’s snarls died down, and it made its way back into the forest. The rest followed lead, still barking and growling at him the whole while. Nex snarled until they vanished behind bushes and forest, then grunted as he trudged himself over to the water. The sprint had left him exhausted, and his mouth was drier than ever. He reached down and started downing as much water as he could.

When he finally felt hydrated, he pulled away and wiped his mouth. As the water returned to its calm stillness, Nex stared into his reflection. The mask concealed who he was. But it also hid him. Ponies looked at what he was looking at now. They were afraid of him because he looked like he could hurt them. A part of him deep down wanted to lash out in anger. They left him when he needed them most. He was forsaken. He could've been saved from this… this existence. What was he? Why weren't there any like him? Why did they hate him?

The same questions he'd asked for so long. His teeth bared as he shouted and slapped the water. He nestled himself just a ways from the edge of the lake, resting his head on the soft earth. Too many questions… too much thinking. There was a small click in him, and he went to sleep.

There were never berries when she needed them. Whenever she was strolling through the Everfree there were berries everywhere, and now it was as if they'd all been eaten by a swarm of parasprites. Madam Zecora huffed as she moved branches aside, eyeing them for any signs or the fruit she sought.

“Never a problem for me, until I'm as busy as a bee,” she muttered to herself.

She heard rustling to her side, and she turned to see what it was. Living twigs and branches passed stationary trees, moving with their tails between their legs. One glanced in her direction, but disregarded her as it kept up with its pack. Timberwolves were often a problem, but to see one so docile was a sight she never thought to see. They had just come from the lake nearby. The roar must have belonged to a manticore… as strange as it sounded.

Zecora had heard manticore roars before. She could vividly remember the sounds of the beasts. What she heard was no manticore. Curiosity and caution clashed within her mind, but eventually she found another reason to support her curiosity. The lake ahead flourished with fruits and berries of all kinds, which meant she would have to venture there at some point. She adjusted the basket on her arm as she started towards the lake. It wasn’t long before she gazed upon the calm crystal waters. The whole clearing was a pleasant contrast to the eerie forest, but one thing stuck out most.

A body rested near the water's edge. It was clothed, but she couldn't tell if it was even a pony. It lacked a tail, vibrant color, and it's mane was rather short. From what she could see on its neck, it looked like it didn't even have fur. Tan skin bordered the black mane on top of its head. She inched closer, waiting for it to breathe to see if it was alive. There were cuts along its clothing, and in some places she could see open tears in its skin. No bite marks, though. If she had to assume, this… thing scared them away.

“A bit small to scare a pack,” she chuckled to herself. “However, I insist you go back.” She knelt down beside him, then gasped as she looked to its face.

There wasn't a snout or skin, or anything remotely like a face. A metallic and cold mask hid anything living behind it, leaving only its jaw and ears visible. A quick examination led her to where the metal dug into his skin. There didn't seem to be any locks or even a way to remove it.

“What have you turned into?” she gasped quietly. “Who has done this to you?”

Zecora set down her basket and reached to his neck, looking for any signs of fever or sickness. Before she could register what happened, she found herself gasping for air and dangling painfully. She looked down to the creature as its cold “face” glared her down, the small sockets revealing angry eyes. Its grip was tight, and any attempt to speak was drowned out. And in the same amount of time it took to get lifted up, she fell to the ground. Zecora gasped for breath as she lifted herself onto her arms, looking up to him.

Just a minute ago he'd been ready to suffocate her, and now he stood still. Like a child waiting to be scolded. Every so often he lifted a hand, as if ready to say something, but never acted and recalled his appendage. She watched him from her prone position, waiting for another violent action. But nothing happened. He crouched down in front of her, watching her closely.

“I… sorry.” Her ears perked up at the realization he could speak. Zecora could tell it was difficult for him, but he was sentient.

“It was a mistake, I'm sure,” she hesitantly replied, noticing his collar. “Why do you sleep on the forest floor?”

He snorted softly, then sat back and looked at his arm. Her attention snapped to the blood stains and holes in the sleeve, which he held gingerly. “...stay… here,” he muttered, clenching his fist. “No hurt… no afraid.”

She didn't understand his ramblings, but she didn't make any sudden moves. As she waited for anything else he had to say, she made out scars along his neck. They were too neat and precise to be injuries… more like a surgery. He grunted quietly, but she noticed at once. There was a particularly large rake along his side, which he prodded with a finger while growling in pain.

“You are injured,” she said softly, carefully getting to her feet. She held out a hand to him, one he recoiled from. “Come. I will make your safety ensured.”

He eyed her for a time, looking to her hand then back to her before repeating the motion. Eventually, with a push from his aching side, he cautiously took the zebra’s hand before standing up. Zecora was sure she didn't help him at all, since he weighed almost as much as a boulder.

“My hut lies within the woods,” she told him. “Once you are better, I will have all sorts of goods.”

She could see his animalistic behavior change into that of a boy lost in the woods. He held her hand limply as she guided him back into the brush. Every little sound of the Everfree startled him, forcing his grip tighter on her as they walked. Zecora could imagine one of the Crusaders being behind her instead of the gargantuan creature she was now leading to her hut. They found the path she always used to travel around the forest, and made their way back. He never stopped looking to their sides as animals called out. His animalistic nature returned when he heard a manticore in the distance. Zecora could hear his growls and huffing.

“Would it be safe to assume you have a name?” she asked, turning to him as they walked. He nodded slowly, but never said anything. “Perhaps if you say yours, I shall do the same.”

He tilted his head to the side, adorably she could add. “W-What… yours?”

She gave him a warm smile and said, “Zecora.”

He kept silent, glancing to the ground and away from her. “I… Nex.”

“Nex, you say,” she chuckled softly. “A strange name, but in an interesting way.”

His eyes focused on her in a squint. “Why talk like… that?”

Zecora was certain he wasn’t from around Equestria, what with his struggle on speaking. “It is native, where I am from,” she explained, guiding him off the path. “Perhaps when you are well, we will have somepony you know come.”

His grip on her hand loosened, but he kept moving as they approached her home. She led him inside, letting go of his hand as he wandered around her small hut. He crawled over to her masks and artifacts from her homeland. Zecora went into a back room and looked for her medical supplies. With a few bandages and oils, she came back for him but observed him for a second. He was staring down a ceremonial spear near the exit, completely lost of any other thought. Even the sounds of her feet were deafened by his concentration.

“It was from a dear friend,” Zecora told him. He didn't look back, even as she settled beside him. “He was a brave stallion… though warriors such as him meet their end.”

She opened a small pot and dipped her hand inside, pooling the herbal secretion in her palm before touching the small gash. The moment her hand made contact, he let out a thundering roar of anguish and pinned her to the ground. Zecora yet again found herself staring down a beast that had to defend itself. She could hear his growls and snarls, his eyes glaring her down relentlessly. His hand crushed her wrist in its solid grasp, his eyes darting to the hand now smeared with red.

This time, there was no backpedal. He didn't get off her as the seconds ticked by. He needed to defend himself from the pain… but this wasn't what she'd seen until now. Slowly, her other hand made its way out from under him and towards him. A loud snarl warned her to cease her actions, but after a quick stutter she kept reaching up. He bared his sharpened teeth, the metals shining in the light of the fire. With one final effort, he bellowed in her face, punching the ground beside her. It left an astonishing hole, one she'd never thought she'd see, but even then she was unmoved.

His body seized up at her touch. He panted softly as she held the side of his head, offering him a sympathetic smile. Emotions clashed in his dark eyes, his breathing becoming erratic. His grip eased up on her, and he took the hand she'd placed on him and pulled it away. After staring her down for another minute, he moved away and helped her sit up.

They kept quiet, but Zecora watched him. Not out of fear, but to see what he would decide to do next. He prodded his now relieved cut curiously, smelling the oil on his hand and in the pot.

“What… that?” he questioned in a low tone.

Zecora smiled as she sealed the pot and set it aside. “A simple mix. It helps break apart splinters from woods and sticks,” she explained. He gave her a small nod, then turned to the fire.

“...hurt… and smell.”

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Yes, I know, a long pause, but I peeter out when Writer's Block strikes :twilightblush: Regardless, I just wanted to update this to let you all know I'm still here and ready to keep going. School starts for me soon, so I'll have a lot more on my plate and less time for writing. HOWEVER! I won't abandon this story or any of you :rainbowkiss: Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and as always, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 18

“He’s beautiful.”

The creature binded at every joint and limb could only glare with its bloodshot eyes, a magnetic muzzle keeping its jaw shut. Its body was marred in scars, some methodically placed while others looked more brutal. Parts of it’s skin had been replaced with plates of different alloys. But worst of all was the center of its chest. The cavity had been carved out, and in its place was a chamber. Wires under the skin pulsed with the light radiating from inside the implant.

“Nothing can defeat him,” snickered Keen Scythe, slapping the Angel’s leg with his cane. The metallic constraints groaned as a growl reverberated throughout the room. “Still a bit feisty, I must say. We’re working on that, however.”

Scythe hobbled closer, tapping its neck to get the clinking of more metal beneath the skin. He stepped back afterwards and pulled out a remote with several buttons. “You’ve modified him again, I see. And what does this button do?” asked the younger stallion, taking the remote.

Another snicker left Scythe as he made eye contact with the monstrosity. “See for yourself.”

The binds unlatched, and the beast slammed its arms on the ground before rushing at the two, screaming out wildly. The stallion pressed the blue button at the bottom of the remote, and his Angel immediately seized up and began convulsing. Within the next few seconds, the creature stopped its spasms and tried to get back on its feet. Another press of the button yielded a more powerful reaction, the light in its chest flickering as electricity coursed through its body. It cried out in agony, thrashing wildly as it tried to claw at its own body. The episode ended once the shocks died down, and it did nothing but lay in its mess.

Scythe walked over to the prone gladiator and tapped his head. It looked up to him and growled, but saw the remote in his hand and remained quiet. “Good boy,” he croaked, tapping its head softly. “The shocks avoid vital systems, and the core has been fitted with resistors. The only thing that hurts is the neural chain you’ve given him, but it can withstand thousands more volts.”

The stallion kicked the champion in the back. “Up.” It sluggishly moved to its hands and knees before looking up to its master. He placed the remote against his cheek, fear welling up in the experiment’s eyes. “You’ve been misbehaving. Your brother never did any of this, so why are you?”

It offered no response, nor any sort of understanding of what it was told. “We’ll need to run tests on its other systems, but we’re certain the voltage isn’t enough to damage anything,” Scythe repeated, gesturing to two large bodyguards near the door. The two burly stallions dragged the Angel to the chains and refitted them. “If you’d like, we could-”

“I haven’t seen him perform in months. I came to see a show, and you’re delaying my next victory,” he cut in suddenly, maintaining the unusual grin. “Disable it if you can. I don’t want him feeling pressure for this one.”

“And why is that?” Scythe grumbled as he went to the beast’s neck and turned off the implant.

His employer smiled devilishly. “They doubt his power, so I’ve scheduled a massacre,” he chuckled, giving his champion a nod.. “Master Wick’s finest four are to fall to my greatest masterpiece.”

A rumble was no new site. Scythe remembered the onslaught Nex had gone through multiple times, but for him it had been by the skin of his teeth. Their newest prize would no doubt pass, but in half the time of his predecessor. Scythe turned to the two guards and pointed outside. “Get the transport crew ready.”

They nodded, and Scythe waited for them to leave before turning and glaring at the experiment. They held their hateful eyes in an ugly lock, both carrying promises of gruesome death. With a small sneer, Scythe left as a group of armored ponies entered with slabs of wood and stone. It grunted as one of them gave him a sedative, his arms and legs loosening up as they moved him onto the mobile prison. A slab of stone was chained to either arm, his legs locked by the wooden pillory behind him. His chains were then interlocked with each limb, leading to an iron collar around his neck.

He was dragged to a platform above a glass dome, where they then left him. Surrounding him was another coliseum, with shady figures in expensive suits watching from the darkness. A spotlight cascaded down on him, and the platform began to lower. The sedative was nearly out of his system now, allowing him to see where he was. He knew the smell of rotting flesh and blood in the air, and with the rattling of glass above him confirmed his suspicions. He waited for the floor to stop moving, looking for his master among the faces.

Watching above the rest of their colleagues, his owner sat in a luxurious chair with a stallion roughly his age. They watched as the experiment settled at the bottom of the pit, a lift across from him opening. “You know, it’s a shame what became of your last champion,” he smugly chuckled. “I’d be willing to halve our bet, should you have any second thoughts.”

He shook his head with a dismissive wave. “A deal is a deal, Master Wick,” he confidently replied. “But please, enjoy the show.”

Wick’s smile wavered, but he kept up the facade as they turned to the pit. The door to the lift opened, and out came four Angels. Two were pegasi, one was a unicorn, and the last and biggest was an earthen. They roared in unison as they threw themselves off the lift and charged to the chained champion. Above, his owner pressed a button on his chair and sat back. The chains unlatched from their foundations, loosening the strain on his body. He let loose a gurgling roar as he tore his arms out of his binds and grabbed the chains connected to the slabs of stone. As the first pegasi reached him, his legs shattered their wooden prison, and he smashed the block down onto him.

The other experiments came to a halt as they watched the enormous monster move to his first kill. The pegasi’s head and back were splattered beneath the stone that crushed him, and the monster reached down to take the roots of its wings in its hands. With a small grunt and strain on its arms, it tore the vertebrae from the fallen gladiator’s back and held them up. They could see no expression on the cold mask it wore, but its eyes held no remorse. It reared back and let loose a mighty roar to shake the very pit it stood in. It threw down the appendages and pounded its chest with a fist as it roared to its opponents.

“One down, already,” his master mused, ignoring the utter perplexity on his rival’s face. “You’ll be back to Canterlot in no time.”

The earthen slammed its fists down and bellowed as it charged forward, metal claws piercing out from its torso. The champion rushed to him, dragging the boulder behind him. He planted his foot in front and swung his arm around, the boulder following quickly. It grunted when the earthen dodged it and tackled him down. Its pikes dug into his skin, but he didn’t react whatsoever. He headbutted the earthen to daze it, then wrapped the chains around its neck and pinning its head to the ground with his foot.

He pulled at the chains with all his might, the gladiator beneath him flailing wildly as it choked. He let loose a roar as its body went limp and its arms fell to the side. The small victory was short lived, as he was kicked in the head and thrown back, the chains snapping as he was tossed away from the earthen. It rolled on its side and stood up to shriek at the pegasus that attacked him, who was currently soaring straight at him. He swung his arm to smack it down, but the pegasus avoided him and swooped low to knock him down. It circled back immediately and grabbed his leg before taking off towards the dome above.

The champion roared as flesh tore and blood sprayed from his back. The pegasus readied to drop him, but as it reached its zenith in the pit it felt several pikes shoot through its legs. It looked in horror at the two metallic wings behind the monster, blood soaking the frame and the “feathers.” He pulled his fists away from the pegasus’s leg and slashed its wing clean off, eliciting a shattering scream of agony. Before the pegasus could fall to its death, he dug his other fist into the base of its remaining wing, then took hold of its body. Without breaking their speed it rammed the pegasus straight into the glass dome, a sickening snap resounded throughout the arena. He pulled the smashed body from the glass and dangled it by its attached wing, its neck twisted to the side and back at an unnatural angle.

He dropped it and roared out wildly in victory, landing and beating the body of the first crushed pegasus. A blast of magic shot out at him, but he turned into its path with his chest out. The bundle of mana hung in the air just above his torso, then slowly hummed as small nodes pushed out from his skin. The remaining unicorn, having watched the slaughter of its companions, weakly conjured another blast, aiming it at the goliath’s face. The same effect, only now the pulsing hum began to pick up in pace. Bolt after bolt rested in the air around it, until the unicorn was finally drained of magic. The champion now stood just inches from the hopeless gladiator, the hum having morphed into a steady and eerie tone.

Grabbing the unicorn’s head, the champion pulled him up and forced his prey to face him. With a growing growl, its mouth and eyes glowed a blinding white as it let out a demonic roar. Amplified amounts of mana funneled out from its mouth and right into the unicorn’s face. Its body went limp immediately, but the champion didn’t stop until every ounce of mana had been expelled. The pit was now silent, devoid of life but one lost soul. It held up the young unicorn up for the crowd to see, letting loose one last primal shout.

The unicorn’s face was seared to the bone, as if someone held its face into a fire. In its final act of dominance, he smashed the carcass face first into the ground, splattering what remained and shattering any bone left. Above the arena, Master Wick could only sit in silence.

“A good effort, I must say.”

Wick slowly turned his head to his colleague, genuinely horrified.

“What… have you created.”

Wick ran his hands through his hair and breathed heavily.

“It isn’t… it’s a demon…”

“Well I wouldn’t be so dramatic,” his competitor chuckled, pouring himself another glass of wine. “Now, about our little bet.”

Master Wick stood up slowly and moved to the glass. He looked into the pit of his fallen champions, watching as the beast was sedated and detained. Without another word, he turned around and briskly made his way to to the exit. His hand grabbed the handle, but he didn’t turn it just yet.

“You’ve made it… you’ve actually made it… Master Qin,” he breathlessly quivered.

Qin smirked as he took another sip of his wine. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” he quietly chuckled. “Our future. Our destiny.”

Everfree Forest

“Neeeeex!” Rainbow looked out to the dark forest, unable to see anything through the thick canopy. She sighed and glided down to where Twilight and Applejack were waiting, shaking her head to Twilight.

Twilight exhaled softly and rubbed her temple. “Where could he be?” she groaned. Applejack put a hand on her shoulder, offering her a reassuring smile.

“Ah’m sure he’s fine, Twi,” Applejack said. “He’s been through worse than some creepy trees.”

She didn’t see any change to Twilight’s demeanor. She gave Rainbow a quick glance, but their pegasus friend only shrugged awkwardly. “C’mon, he’s tough, Twi.”

“It’s not that I’m worried about him getting hurt,” Twilight snapped, moving back on the path they’d been walking on. “He gets scared of so many things when we’re home. I don’t want him… I don’t want to find him like he used to be.” Rainbow looked away and rubbed her arm, recalling his savage behavior.

Applejack remembered his wild nature clearly. One doesn’t forget when a fist goes through solid crystal. “We’ll be right here, Twi. We’ll find ‘im,” she assured her, hugging her close.

Twilight gingerly ran her fingers along the bandages she put on her forearm. They weren’t deep at all, barely scrapes. Seeing Nex hold so much remorse… like he was something that was disposable. She was struggling to help him learn on top of getting back into society, but now she had to find a way for him to stop acting like an animal and not be on eggshells. It was all too much for her to bear. At this rate, and even she knew it, she was getting nowhere with rehabilitating him. She wanted to help… but she just didn’t know how. Maybe she couldn’t.

She gasped when Applejack’s thumb wiped away a tear on her cheek. “Got a lot goin’ on in there, don’t ya?” she softly laughed. “It’s about Nex, ain’t it?”

Wiping the tears from her face, Twilight nodded. “There’s too much he’s missed and too much to get out of him,” she sighed, rubbing her eyes. “I have so much to teach him and I’ve barely gotten into actually helping him act.”

Rainbow hovered next to them, listening out for anything in the bushes. “Well… why not leave him with Pinkie for a bit?” Rainbow suggested. “He’s pretty relaxed when she’s with us.”

“But I’d still have to teach him,” Twilight reminded her. “And besides, Pinkie can get busy with the bakery.”

Applejack lowered her head in thought, playing with the rim of her stetson as they walked. “Now, ah know this might sound a bit crazy. But it might be time for Nex to start staying with us,” Applejack said. As expected, both Twilight and Rainbow looked to her with exasperated expressions. “Twi, ya look like ya just marathoned Appleloosa’s last 3 rodeos today. Ya can’t be babysitting every hour o’ the day.”

“But there are so many things that scare him and what if-”

“Excuses, excuses, Twi,” Applejack cut in, smirking now. “Ah’m sure Pinkie and Rares can handle ‘im. Me and Rainbow aren’t scared of him getting all out of balance, and I’m sure she won’t try to tussle with him.” She shot Rainbow a stern look, to which she responded to with an eye roll.

Twilight looked up to her country gal, and could see the stubborn nature she held with pride. Her surprised expression turned to a grateful smile as she nodded. “Thank you. Now we just have to find Nex… and see if he’d be okay with it,” she said hesitantly.

“Guys, wait!” Rainbow quietly hushed. They stopped walking and waited, Rainbow gesturing for them to come closer.

They crept off the path and into the trees, listening quietly to the sound of movement. Something big was running through the forest, but they couldn’t make out what it was. A loud roar echoed further away from them, but it rattled them nonetheless. They could all tell it wasn’t Nex… but they didn’t know if that was better than what the roar actually came from. Rainbow flew up slowly and tried to look around for what they’d heard. She spotted rustling and birds flying away as something moved around an area not too far from them.

“I don’t think it’s Nex,” she called to them. “I think we should leave. Now.”

There was another roar, this one coming from the opposite direction. Rainbow looked over to the other side of the forest, waiting for the same indications behind her. They never came, but she did hear it getting louder behind her. When she turned back, a path of rustling trees was all too quickly approaching, her eyes widening as she looked down. It was headed straight for them. She dove down faster than she ever had, nearly going supersonic as she raced the oncoming creature. She reached the trees, and by then she could hear it grunting. Twilight and Applejack were staring in fearful curiosity, just before being yanked out of their shoes.

Trees and brush broke apart as a large manticore leapt out from the forest, right where they’d been standing. On the other side of the path, another form broke free from the treeline. Nex roared as he launched himself at the manticore, a spear cocked in his right hand. The two slammed into one another before hitting the ground. Nex wrestled with the beast as they writhed around wildly, using the spear to hold back its jaws while his other hand shoved the scorpion tail away from him. It’s maw came closer and closer, its teeth nicking his hair more and more. Nex pushed upwards and reached for its front leg. With his teeth.

The beast let loose a loud grunt of pain before lifting itself up, bringing Nex with its tail and leg. Nex tried letting go, but its large limb smacked him into a tree. It roared at him as he sluggishly got onto his arm, twitching when he tried moving his other shoulder. The manticore raked the ground with its razor sharp claws, readying to charge and finish the kill. Nex cried out as he moved his bad arm to his chest, slapping a pike into his chest. He took a deep breath as it pounced, then let loose a scream they’d never heard before.

His voice was altered. It was booming like the Canterlot Voice, but sounded like he belonged in Tartarus. The manticore landed and backpedaled as he stood up, throwing his arms and the spear around like mad. He slammed his fists into the trees, taking out chunks of bark and spreading the blood on his hands. He lunged at the manticore, roaring at it without any hesitation and bashing the ground with his fists. Its growl died out until finally it was reduced to hesitant groans. Nex didn't stop his screaming until the manticore turned and disappeared into the forest. He lifted his head and cried out in victory, then fell forward.

“Nex!” Twilight shouted, running to him. The trio rushed to get him onto his back as they checked to make sure he was okay. “Nex, wake up! Nex? Nex?!”

He grunted in annoyance as he rolled onto his side, his fingers digging into the wound he’d made. Applejack covered her mouth and gagged before looking away. Nex growled in anger, pushing his finger down to the knuckle before a mechanical click resounded. He opened his mouth and groaned, the alteration ebbing until his raspy and weak voice returned. Twilight heaved as she watched the blood gurgling out of his wound, unsure of how to help something so serious.

Rainbow turned to where Nex had come from when she heard rustling. “Zecora?” she said aloud.

The zebra pushed the brush aside as she rushed over to Nex, moving his hand as she applied pressure to the wound. “You have an awful knack for getting hurt,” she muttered, tearing off a piece of cloth. “I cannot keep ripping your shirt.”

“We have to get him to the hospital,” Twilight said, gesturing for Rainbow to help her. Zecora held her hand up.

“He will be fine in my hut,” she said calmly. Before they could retort, Nex growled as his implants came to life. A burning sizzle caused him to writhe and push her hand away. They waited for the searing to subside, watching him breathe deeply as the machinery went to work. “He was not just treated like a mutt.”

Nex let out a weak groan when the noise finally ended. Twilight reached for his wound and spread the hole in his shirt. They stared in shock at the cauterized gash, but Nex weakly growled and pulled his shirt away as he tried getting himself up. “Easy, Nex,” Applejack said softly, getting under his arm. “A little help?”

Rainbow carefully moved his other arm around her shoulders, easing Nex into a standing position. “Lead the way,” she grunted. “Jeez, I thought you were a toothpick.” He snarled weakly before limping with them to Twilight and Zecora. “Where to?”

Zecora beckoned them back into the forest, grabbing the spear from the ground and looking to the blood soaked tip. “I’m sorry about this,” Twilight softly muttered, glancing back to Nex. “Did he hurt you?”

“He made an attempt,” Zecora confirmed, lightly chuckling. “But I convinced him to relent.”

She shook her head softly, sighing again. “So I’m guessing he ran into you?”

“In a sense,” replied Zecora. “But I am questioning what might have led to today’s events.”

“It’s… a long story… and pretty complicated.” Zecora waited patiently for her to continue. “So one day we got a letter from Princess Celestia.”

It wasn’t long before they reached her home, and by then she’d been given most of Nex’s story and why he showed up. It was quite a background for him, but she now understood his actions and behavior. She’d never seen even the craziest of ponies would go up against a manticore. She opened the door as Rainbow and Applejack trudged their way in with Nex. They set him down on the rugs as Zecora went into the back again. Twilight sat with Nex as he gathered his breath. He still avoided making eye contact with her, even when she touched the hand covering his wound. She begged for him to let her help him, that he would let her see what he hid above all else.

“...no… mean… to… hurt.”

Their ears perked up, as did Twilight’s expression. “It’s okay, Nex,” she told him. “You didn’t mean to. I know.”

He still wouldn’t look at her. Applejack and Rainbow awkwardly glanced at each other, still unsure of what to do. “Hate… me.” His hand balled up into a fist, straining his arm as his voice shook. “Still… hate… me…”

“No pony hates you,” she quickly assured him. “Nex, no pony-”

“They… hate me,” he growled, clenching his teeth. “You… hate… me.”

The two jumped when they heard a loud slam beside them. Nex jumped up and faced the amethyst eyed pegasus, facing her stern glare. “That’s it!” she announced, her snout in his face. “She’s doing everything she can to help you act normal and now you’re saying she hates you?!” Nex growled, but went silent when she pointed her finger in his face. “And we don’t hate you either! I mean, yeah we get worried about you going crazy, but that doesn’t mean we have to hate you!”

He met her undeterred focus with his own glaring eyes, but she wouldn’t back down. Twilight could only watch in fear, gratitude, and disbelief. “You… try fight me,” he snarled, baring his sharpened teeth.

“Ah’m sorry.”

Now all three of them turned to Applejack as she took her stetson off and moved toward them.

“Ah… ah got scared… and ah shoulda known better,” she began, rubbing her arm. “We don’t hate ya, Nex… on mah honesty, ah swear none of us ever hated you.”

Twilight glanced back up to Nex, unable to gauge a sense of his emotions. “Listen… I know we got off on the wrong foot… but don’t take it out on Twi,” Rainbow said, crossing her arms as she sighed. “She’d never quit on you… but you gotta give her a chance, Nex.”

“Ya saved us, didn’t ya?” Applejack softly laughed. He tilted his head, his eyes squinting. “Now… if you can do that then there ain’t no excuse for me to keep actin’ like ah have.” She held out her hand to him.

He only stared at her outstretched hand, glancing from it to her face. Twilight waited for him to do something, but he just waited. “Ahem.”

The group now looked to Zecora, who nodded to Twilight knowingly. “O-Oh. Nex.” He turned his head to her. “You’re supposed to shake it… remember?”

He stared at Applejack’s hand closely, his head standing erect after a few seconds. She smiled as he slowly moved his hand to her friend, hesitating ever so slightly. He paused as his hand hovered just near her, looking down at his own hand. Applejack rolled her eyes with a grin and took his hand suddenly, shaking it firmly. His limp hand stiffened as she looked him in the eye and gave a sincere smile. Twilight’s own happiness inflated when Rainbow did the same, after Applejack gave her a stiff nudge. Nex was much more apprehensive, but took her hand and shook it as firmly as she did.

“Thanks… for saving us… and all,” she said. Nex nodded and released her hand, then looked down to Twilight.

“You… no hate Nex?” She sniffled as she shook her head with a laugh. “You… trust Ne-... me?”

With another small chuckle she stood up and gave him a hug. She felt his body lock up, his arms splayed to the sides to not touch her. “This is a hug, Nex,” she told him. “You’re supposed to do the same.”

With a quiet grunt, she felt his arms wrap around her gently. After a moment, he pulled her closer and lowered his head. “Hug… warm…” Zecora chuckled softly as she set her urns near her cauldron.

She pulled away from him, then watched him examine himself. He glanced up at her, then to Rainbow. “I’m good,” she laughed, holding her hands up.

Nex glanced back down at his body. There was no doubt to them he was analyzing the gesture still. “I think he should stay with Pinkie, first,” Twilight announced, earning a chuckle from the rest.

Chapter 19

Nex watched as Pinkie Pie zoomed back and forth from the counter to a table then back again every other second. He waited in one of the booths closest to the register, as Sugarcube Corner was filled with customers today. Every few minutes he would notice a new pony or two at the counter giving him glances. Pinkie had told him to not pay attention to that, but he was still trying to understand what attention was. He huffed softly as the bell at the entrance rang wildly, and three sets of feet dashed to the register.

“Pinkieeeeee!” a white unicorn filly called. Nex turned his head and peered over to the little group.

“Present!” Pinkie giggled, zipping behind the counter. “What’s up?”

Nex squinted at the little pegasus filly’s wings. They were smaller than most her age. “We wanted to get cupcakes for Fluttershy! And… we kinda… tried making them.” The third filly stepped forward, and Nex lifted his head a bit as he remembered her face.

Applebloom opened the box she was holding and held it up to Pinkie. The pink mare slightly grimaced at the sight of the cupcakes, but smiled forcefully as she took their concoction. “I think we can… work together to make them!” she assured them, taking the box with her behind the counter. “Nex! We’ve got an order for Fluttershy!”

He kept silent as the girls looked over to him and he moved his gaze to them. The orange one looked at him with curiosity, and of course he spotted the fear in the unicorn filly’s eyes. But he lifted his head as Applebloom smiled to him and walked over. “Yer from the farm!” she said, holding out her hand. “Ah didn’t know ya knew Pinkie, too.”

Pinkie popped up next to Nex and hugged his neck. “Yup! Rarity and Dashie and Twi and Fluttershy all know him!” she giggled, slipping under the table and sitting opposite him. “Soooo. You wanna help us bake?” Nex stared at her, an awkward silence ensuing. “Do you uh… know what baking is?”

Nex shook his head. “What bake?”

“You don’t know what baking is?” Scootaloo questioned, chuckling softly. “Aren’t you supposed to be a grown up?”

“Yeah, but Nex isn’t from around here,” Pinkie told them, standing up and tugging on his arm. “There’s a lot of stuff the girls and I are teaching him about Equestria!”

Immediately, all three girls’ eyes lit up; twinkling almost. “We can help!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “I’m Sweetie Belle!”

“And I’m Scootaloo!” the young pegasus announced.

Pinkie waited for Nex to reply, while he turned to her and waited. “Come on, introduce yourself!” she whispered, tugging him again.

The fillies stood back as he gave in to Pinkie’s pulling and got to his feet. Their necks craned back as he rose into his slouch, looming over them. “I… Nex,” he gurgled.

“Nex?” Scootaloo repeated, scratching her head. “What kinda name is-oof!” Applebloom moved her elbow away from her friend’s ribs and smiled sweetly up to him.

“Pleased to meet ya… again,” Applebloom laughed. “Come on, we gotta start baking!”

Pinkie picked up Scootaloo and ran with them to the kitchen, cheering all the way. She plopped the little daredevil down next to the oven with her friends, just as Nex entered the kitchen. “AAAAlrighty, everypony! We have cupcakes for Fluttershy that need baking like NO PONY’s business!” Pinkie shouted. “Well, it’s our pony business, but YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!”

The fillies giggled as they gathered the ingredients for the job. “What kinda cupcakes are we making?” Sweetie Belle asked, carrying bowls and whisks over to her. “Is there gonna be chocolate?”

Shaking her head, Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled out an apron. “Not this time, Sweetie.” After tying the straps behind her back, she went into the apron pocket and pulled out a small jar. “We’ve got a special order for Fluttershy! These aren’t cupcakes for ponies. It’s for her little animal friends!”

The girls all groaned in disappointment. “So we ain’t even getting a taste?” Applebloom questioned.

Pinkie giggled and set the jar down next to the flour Scootaloo brought over. “Weeeeell, if you girls help me get these cupcakes ready super-duper early, we can make some for us!” The three Crusaders smiled and rushed to grab a bowl and bags of flour.

Nex stood on the other side of the room, watching the girls crack eggs and pour flour wildly. The younger fillies struggled to keep the flour, and ingredients, in their bowls as they hurriedly mashed everything together. Within minutes the kitchen was getting more and more covered in cake mix as the fillies laughed and played in the middle of baking. Pinkie pulled another apron out from one of the cabinets and slipped it onto Nex, earning a surprised grunt from him. She tied the strings tight and pushed him to a mixing station.

“Welcome to Pinkie Pie’s Baking Class for Beginners!” Pinkie announced, holding out a whisk and measuring cup. “I’ve always wanted to say that!” He stared at her utensils, glancing over to the girls as they each sloppily mashed their batter.

“Make… cup-cake.” Pinkie nodded her head rapidly. He slowly moved his hands to the strange tools and examined them. “What I do?”

Pinkie slid another set of utensils and a bowl over beside him. “So the first step is the most important.” She rose her arms out in front of her, and rolled up her sleeves. “Don’t wanna get messier than we have to!”

He looked at her arms, then to his. She could see him getting stuck in his own thoughts, then remembered his little habit.

“But, I guess it won’t matter anyway,” Pinkie hastily said, pulling her sleeves back down. “We’re gonna get TONS messy!” She reached for her measuring cup and the bag of flour between them. “So the REAL first step, is in the recipe!” She pulled a book out from behind his ear, prompting him to look behind himself questioningly.

Setting the booklet down in front of them, she flipped pages until she found the one she needed. Nex leaned in as he read the title of the page. Unlike Twilight’s big books with lots of big words, this one had a list and a few sentences. Pinkie pointed to the first bulleted sentence.

“Two and a half cups of flour,” she told him, scooping up the required amount in her measuring cup. She watched Nex do the same and look back at her. “Now we’re gonna need some eggs.” She grabbed a carton from Scootaloo’s side and offered him the first picks. “We only need two.”

He took one in each hand and looked at them curiously. Pinkie giggled as he sniffed and licked them, then took her own and waved her hand to get his attention.

“Okay, so now we gotta crack them to get the goopy stuff inside!” He tilted his head as she tapped the two eggs on the edge of the bowl, then cracked them open and dropped the yolks in.

Nex tapped the egg like she did, then held it over the bowl. When nothing came out, he brought it closer to look at the cracks. He crushed the two eggs under his fingers, the yolk and whites spraying out on his hands and into the bowl. Pinkie giggled and brought him a trash bin to clean up the eggshells. “We no use hard egg?”

She shook her head firmly. “Nope! That’s just to keep the yummy insides safe,” Pinkie explained, wrapping napkins around his hands. “Okay now the sugar for the sweet sweetness!”

He glanced to the fillies as they started talking louder and louder amongst each other. Pinkie noticed and looked as well, but didn’t see anything unordinary. “Why… little ponies no need s-weet?”

Her hands turned his face back to her smile. “Because we’re gonna surprise them!” Pinkie noticed him staring intently into her eyes, almost like he was mesmerized. She slowly put the jar of sugar into view and handed him a spoon. “Hey. We can’t surprise them if we don’t have the cupcakes ready!” she whispered.

Nex blinked and focused on the jar of sugar. He took it from her slowly, examining it from different angles. As if she’d just handed him treasure in a bottle. Her giggles got progressively louder as he reached a hand in and grabbed the sugar in his fingers. He sniffed his sugar-coated hand, some powder causing him to sneeze. Pinkie couldn’t resist her snickers and snorts, finding Nex absolutely adorable as he stuck his finger in his mouth. She saw him ponder the taste, but stopped him from getting more.

“We won’t have enough for the surprise, silly!” she laughed quietly, peering over to the fillies. “Okay. Let’s hurry it up!” She poured sugar into their batter and zoomed to the fridge and back, pouring milk in before zooming back to put it away. “Now! We’re gonna mix ‘em all up! So you wanna stir gentlyyy.”

He mimicked her circular motion, lazily pushing the ingredients together. Nex made a small grunt when he saw the various different ingredients mixing. Pinkie noticed his sudden interest, giggling as he started to slow down.

“And theeeen, we GO CRAZY!” she yelled her baker’s cry as she started to whisk her batter wildly, covering herself and the nearby area with uncooked cupcake batter.

Nex jumped, tossing his bowl up into the air. He caught his whisk, the bowl… and was properly splashed with the batter he’d made. Pinkie and the Crusaders all stopped and looked over to him. Without skipping a beat, all four started cracking up, going over to help. The girls got napkins and the mop while Pinkie tried to find Nex in the mess of batter. “Helloooooo,” she chimed.

There was a small growl, and Nex clenched his fists. Their laughing… it reminded him of…

“Are you okay?” Pinkie asked, worriedly poking his cheek and wiping some raw batter for herself. “Mm, you’re a natural!” She took a towel from Sweetie and wiped Nex’s face. “Peek a boo!”

“No… laugh…” he growled, glaring into her eye.

To his surprise, she only cocked a brow. “Why not? That was hilarious!” she giggled, wiping the batter to the side of his face.

His growl went silent as he let her clean him of his batter. “No… like laugh… at me,” he grunted, wiping some of the batter from his ear.

Pinkie’s eyes widened, and her smile went soft as she giggled to herself. “We’re not laughing at you to be mean, Nex,” she told him, poking his nose. “If it was me under all that mess I’d laugh too!” He grabbed her hand firmly but gently as she tried cleaning around his mask.

“...why?” he grumbled, struggling to make sense of her words. “Laugh… at you… bee-cause hate.”

Pinkie gasped and shook her head quickly. “No, Nex!” she said, pulling out glasses with an oversized nose from her hair. She slipped it on with a giddy laugh and snickered. “Laugh because funny! Even when happen to you! Funny when it you. Funny when it me!” she said, mimicking his speech.

While he didn’t know where she got the glasses from, he ignored it and pondered her words. “I… I try… to un-derrr-stand,” he gurgled, looking down at his body. “No… laugh… before.”

With another loud gasp, all the color drained out of her as she fainted onto the floor. Nex looked down at her curiously, jumping when she popped back up and almost yelled, “WWWWHAT?! You haven’t laughed before?! It’s amazing! It’s like a million little tickles in your heart and a million fuzzy feelings in your face!” she pushed his cheeks apart to make a fake smile. “I’m gonna tell Twilight that you’ve got to come to Pinkie’s Laugh School as soon as pony possible!”

He growled slightly, and she retracted her hands from his face. He murmured to himself before taking off his apron. “I go clean,” he huffed, heading out of the kitchen.

Watching him go bothered her. She sighed softly as she picked up his apron and set it on the table, turning to the Crusaders. They all zipped their heads back to cleaning, each of them whistling horribly. “Alright girls, let's get these itty bitty cakes ready for Fluttershy,” she said, puffing her chest up with a determined smile. “Pinkie’s got work to do!”

What Pinkie had “forgotten” to mention was that she was going to work while the three fillies were sent to Fluttershy’s with Nex. They walked in front of him, since he didn’t know the way to their meek pegasus friend’s house. They would whisper amongst each other and peer back at him. Luckily for them, he never said anything or caught their peeks. Their conversation had been about him since they’d left Sugarcube Corner.

“Why didn’t you tell us about him?!” Scootaloo whispered to Applebloom. “We could’ve had so many plans to get our Cutie Marks by last night!”

“Ah fergot!” Applebloom whispered back with a hiss. “Ah thought he was just passin’ through with Twilight the other day. He was scary!”

Sweetie glanced back, examining his mask as Nex watched a pair of pegasi across the street. “The mask is pretty scary,” she shivered, holding her arms close to herself. “Is he ugly? Or maybe he has burns? Scars? I don’t even wanna think about it.”

“I do!” Scootaloo said, smirking as she looked back at him. “I bet he’s got a nasty scar under there. Like those gladiators from the movies about old ponies!” She adjusted the box of cupcakes before they could fall.

“But I’ve seen ponies with bad scars. And they don’t wear masks,” Sweetie reminded her, holding her chin in thought. “Maybe he’s undercover! And the mask keeps his identity a secret!”

Applebloom shushed Sweetie, the unicorn filly laughing nervously. “Why don’t we just ask him?” she proposed, her friends looking at one another with uncertainty. “We’re not gonna find out otherwise. And besides! The more we know, the more we can try to get our Cutie Marks.”

The girls nodded in agreement, then slowed their pace to keep him between them. They gestured for one another to ask, none willing to do so. Applebloom held up her hands, signing to them the dreaded phrase. Vote. They may have been close friends, but no filly was safe when it came time to vote someone under the wagon. Fingers pointed in different directions, and in the end, Sweetie Belle groaned as the majority ruled she be offered as tribute. She looked up at Nex, who had been watching them. With his icy gaze upon them, Sweetie gulped as she gave her best smile.

“U-Um, Mr. Nex?” she squeaked, rubbing her hands together anxiously. He replied with a grunt, prompting Sweetie to speak. “W-We were um, wondering… why you wear that… mask?”

His pace slowed slightly as he stared down at the white unicorn filly. He glanced to the path as he saw Fluttershy’s house coming into view on the outskirts of town. Turning back them, Nex grunted and gestured to their destination. “Talk… after,” he managed to say, gently moving his hand to Sweetie Belle’s shoulder.

She recoiled slightly, and he moved his hand away. “I-I’m sorry,” Sweetie immediately said. Nex nodded to her, then looked ahead as they walked. The other two Crusaders gave small victory pumps and giggled to themselves. Sweetie still peeked up at him even as they crossed the tiny bridge to Fluttershy’s.

Nex halted in his tracks. Scootaloo noticed first and rose a brow. “Uh, aren’t you coming?” she asked, gesturing to the cottage. “It’s right there.”

He shook his head, looking up at the windows to see if she was watching. “I wait… here,” he told them, nodding to Applebloom. “Go… and come… back.”

They looked between themselves and decided not to question it. “Alrighty,” Applebloom slowly mumbled. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“He’s weird,” Scootaloo said, earning a light punch to the shoulder from Applebloom. “Oww!”

The youngest Apple rolled her eyes as they knocked on Fluttershy’s door. “Ya could’ve said it when we weren’t in front of him,” she said through her teeth.

They looked up at Fluttershy as she opened the door for them. “Hello, girls. Are these the cupcakes Pinkie told me about?” she asked softly, smiling as she opened the box and looked at the animal treats.

“Yup! We made em extra special!” Sweetie proudly said, gesturing to Nex. “Mr. Nex helped us too!”

All of the color drained from Fluttershy’s face as she looked behind the fillies and to him. His eyes were already honed in on her, his slight snarl extremely visible to her. With a weak whimper she shot back inside, slamming the door and setting several locks into place. Scootaloo had looked between Nex and Fluttershy as they stared at one another. So had Applebloom, and they turned to each other.

“Weird,” Scootaloo repeated. Applebloom sighed as they made their way back over. “Alright, we gave her the cupcakes. Now tell us about the mask!”

Nex grumbled to himself, touching the edges of his mask before kneeling down. It was only now that they could see just how much larger he was compared to them. He looked between them quietly, drawing their attention in further. “Talk in safe… p-lace,” he gurgled.

“Talk in safe place?” Sweetie repeated, scratching her head. “I mean, Ponyville’s pretty safe. Y’know, aside from all the stuff our sisters bring into-”

“Ahem!” Scootaloo coughed, glaring at her. “Not helping.”

Applebloom snapped her fingers, smiling at him. “Ah think he means somewhere private,” she explained, a sparkle in her eye. “Girls, I think it’s time we head to the clubhouse for a Cutie Mark Crusader secret!”

They giddily squealed as they grabbed his hands and pulled him back into town. Nex grunted as he fumbled to keep up with them, surprised at their strength. “You’re gonna love our clubhouse!” Sweetie excitedly laughed. “We worked really hard on it!”

“And it’s where we have Ponyville’s Rainbow Dash fanclub meetings!” Scootaloo added, pulling him as she ran faster. “Come on, we gotta show you!”

Author's Note

Yes, I’m alive. Yes, this story is alive, as well. Updates? We’ll have to see. I’ve been bogged down by college and real life. And I’ve only just gotten back the will to write. I’ll start the next chapter as soon as possible. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about this story! As always, like, fav, comment and have an awesome day or night. Peaces.

Prologue

Canterlot Castle. Solar Barracks

"Geez... 500,000 bits... for a kid!" a guard silently exclaimed, running his hands through his dull green mane. "We could buy a mansion after we go 50/50. Think about it!"

The guard he was referring to, a brown pegasus with a caramel mane, anxiously rubbed his fingers together. "But... we're stealing a kid," he reminded him, uneasy with the mere thought of it. "Foalnapping, which is at least 10 years, and what happens if inmates find out? We'll be dead before an execution can be arranged for breaking our oath!"

"Which is why we don't get caught!" the beige stallion told him. "We need somepony inconspicuous. Somepony that won't draw attention... hmm... the orphanage!"

"Celestia, Buckle, is it really worth that much to you?!" he quickly whispered. "You'd ruin a kid's life who's already got nothing?!"

Buckle shook his head. "These kids aren't gonna be leaving that inn any time soon. We're in Canterlot! Canterlot, Split! Kids run away from that place all the time," he coldly remarked. "The guys over in downtown had to arrest a couple of them for stealing!"

"But we're Solar Guards!" Split Second cried, visibly seething. "How can you talk like that and not feel disgusted?!"

Loose Buckle sighed and walked over to his friend. "Split, with the bits you get you could pay for the surgery your Pa needs, right?" he asked. Split glared up at him, then softened his expression as the words rang in his head. "No pony gets hurt. No pony finds out."

Split moved away, sitting on his bunk as he lowered his head. His job as a Solar Guard wasn't exactly the best paying job, and just a month before his father had been diagnosed with severe wing failure. They were running out of money to keep him in a hospital bed, and soon they'd have to check him out. If that happened... Split didn't even want to think about that. The whopping 250k would make anypony jump at the offer, but it was at the cost of his moral value.

"No pony knows these kids... right?" Split questioned, refusing to look his dearest friend in the eye.

If he had, he would have seen the biggest smile Buckle had ever made. "They're orphans. I even had a chat with the lady that runs it. Some kids leave and never come back," he grimly chuckled. "Piece of cake. The kid just happened to run away. If things get bad, we just keep up the standard guard behavior. No pony asks us what we're doing, anyway."

Split felt a chill make his feathers stand up. It was frightening to know that he was being honest and right. Who would think that a Solar Guard, one of Celestia's guards, would be doing anything remotely out of his jurisdiction? The filly or colt could kick and scream all they wanted, but no pony would stop them.

"Did you pick one, or do I need to be there to pick?" Split asked, deciding to put aside his shame for later.

Eerily enough, Buckle's smile grew. "Oh, don't worry. I picked the one thing no pony will ever miss," he assured Split. "We'll talk it out later, but we gotta get the brat by tomorrow night. Then we take him to the dealer and - badaboom! - we get rich, and you help your dad."

There was a knock on the door, just before Captain Iron Head marched in. "What are you two colts doing?" he barked, the two scrambling for their armor. "You're both two minutes late to your posts! Now getting goin' before you're on toilet duty for a month!"

Buckle marched beside Split, and the two looked to one another. The former smiled and nodded his head. "This is gonna work out, S. I can feel it."

The next day's dusk....

"Okay, children, dinner time," a sweet voice rang out. Sixteen rambunctious fillies and colts of varying ages rushed into the crowded kitchen, pushing at each other for a seat. "Settle down, everypony, there isn't much so be careful."

"Do we have to feed him?" a filly scoffed. "He doesn't even like this stuff."

"There'd be more if we weren't still serving it," an older colt grumbled, taking a bowl of lumpy vegetable soup.

"Who's turn is it to bring it up to him, anyway?" another colt questioned.

A number of ponies quickly stated, "Not me!" before all eyes moved to a unicorn teen sitting closest to the door. "Fine," he groaned, swiping the bowl up and trudging himself to the stairs.

The loose floorboards creaked and groaned as he made his way up to the attic, the light of the candles downstairs dimming to black as he reached the small hall to its room. He pounded on the door three times before a frail voice asked, "Who is it?"

"Me, you booger," the colt sneered, rattling the doorknob. "Isle made soup. Open up so I can give you it."

On the other side of the door, the boy cringed as he remembered the voice vividly. His spindly fingers hesitated near the knob, and he retracted them quickly before gulping down the lump in his throat.

"Leave on floor!" he called, putting an ear to the door.

There was a low grunt, just before the door smacked into his face and knocked him down. He recoiled as he felt a hand grab his ragged shirt, tearing it even further as he was lifted up. "When I say open the door, you open the door, weirdo."

The colt dropped him, then poured the lukewarm meal on him. He tossed the bowl to the side before spitting and turning to leave.

"You're lucky Isle took you in, you little freak. Next time you listen or I make sure you never eat again," he practically growled. "Stupid monkey."

The boy sniffled as the door slammed shut. He wiped the clumpy dinner off of him, then wiped his eyes on his shirt. The smell would surely add another smell to his bed, and any stains would be permanent until Isle washed their laundry. He left the mess of food on the floor as he climbed into his bed and covered himself with the smallest blanket in the house.

He never understood why no pony liked him. No... he didn't understand why they hated him. They all had wonderful traits: a horn, wings, or strength and a connection to nature. He was plain. They were furry and colored uniquely. He was tannish with a bit of black fur on his head. Aside from that, they talked and walked like him. So what made him so distant?

He curled up in his bed and cried. He'd spent the night that same way for far too many times to remember. It was all he could do. They would glare at him if he stepped foot on the staircase, but laughed and cackled as they mocked and bullied him. His shudders rocked the bed, while his tears dried as he drifted off into a painful sleep.

There was a clang against his window, then the sound of creaking wood. His snores blocked out the sound of his window's rusted hinges. Golden greaves gently glided across the floor boards, a form moving over to his bed. The boy grunted as he was picked up and slouched over something sturdy.

"Careful. We don't need it making a scene."

"Just keep the ladder still."

Buckle stepped off the last rung, and Split folded it back up and placed it next to the building's shed. They looked down each street as they made their way down the market districts. Although the city was supposed to be bustling as usual, with the performance of the up and coming Sapphire Shores the city was mostly clear. There were still some ponies around, and they looked to the small creature Buckle was carrying with disgust and interest, but no one said anything.

"Where did this thing come from, anyway?" Split whispered, trying to retain the stoic gaze of the Guard.

Buckle, as usual, shrugged and grinned. "Beats me. But they said a kid, so this thing should be a good trade."

One of the shopkeepers stared at the creature while he closed down his shop. As he pulled down the metal gate, he obliviously let it slip and cringed at the sound of metal on concrete. Buckle and Split jumped, and they panicked when they heard small gasp afterwards.

"W-Wha- Let go!" it yelled, thrashing violently. "Let go! Isle! Somepony!"

His thrashing forced Buckle to grip him tighter, and Split's expression bordered between fear and terror. "Get him quiet!" he urgently whispered.

With a sharp jerk, Buckle secured the boy and sneered, "Nopony cares about this freak. Look."

Split glanced around, noticing some couples and civilians watching them. But none of them looked even remotely disturbed by the scene. In fact, some looked relieved to see Buckle handling the thing so firmly.

The boy, on the other hand, continued to scream and shout at anypony they passed. He hollered at the nearest person, managing to frighten them but nothing more. He resorted to kicking the guard with his legs, bruising himself against the golden plate of armor. Wiggling his way out wouldn't work either, since the guard had an iron grip around his shoulders to keep him still.

"Please! Somepony!" he cried. "Please! Please! I do nothing!"

He met their eyes. They all had beautiful eyes, even the men. But in those wonderful colors, he saw hatred. Malice. Fear. He'd never met them. He never did anything to frighten them until now. And yet they had forsaken him. Something welled up in his chest, and his face scrunched up into a snarl.

"ANYPONY!" he sobbed. "WHY NO HELP?! PLEASE! I NO BAD!"

But they just left him. The closer they got to their destination, the less and less he tried. His screams and yells deteriorated to silent sobs and sniffles. Never had he felt so alone. So outcasted...

...so hated.

And although he didn't know what it was, Split couldn't help but feel sympathy for it. The remorseful side of his mind nagged at him to stop this. If he said anything, Buckle would have no choice but to release him. But they'd reached the point of no return. Should it go to somepony willing to listen, they would be indicted and put to death for something as awful as what they were doing.

Either he lived, or he died. And death scared him far more than an enemy.

"Finally," Buckle groaned, rubbing his temple. "Thought it would never pipe down."

It sniffled again, looking down to the floor as his clothes got more and more damp. "What I do?" he whispered, sobbing once again. "Why... why everypony hate me... why?"

Before Split could speak, Buckle made a sudden turn into an alley. He hurried to catch up, but bumped into his partner when he made another abrupt stop. Rubbing his nose, he peered past him and saw a silhouette gradually moving out from the dark. A smile graced Buckle's lips as a grey coated stallion with a dull blue mane made himself visible. His right hand held a briefcase, and his left held a small sack.

"Is it a colt or a filly?" Split felt a coldness in his hands when he heard the stallion’s mechanical voice.

Grunting softly, Buckle pulled the creature off from his shoulder and stood him in front of the dealer. When they'd first arranged the meeting, he hadn't seen the stallion show any sort of emotion. But once the creature was out in the open, his eyes widened and his mouth opened gradually.

"Pretty sure it's a colt," he chuckled, pushing it over to him. "Feisty little guy, but he calmed down."

"And no pony saw you?" he asked, stepping towards the furless animal.

"Well... some ponies did," Split stammered, glancing to Buckle with an anxious frown.

"No pony wants this thing around, anyhow," Buckle stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Folks looked glad to see him with us."

It didn't quite settle his mind, but the dealer was sure a creature like him wouldn't be a concern in the prejudice society of Canterlot. He came closer to his item and started to feel his arms, then legs, and a number of other procedures. The boy didn't dare move without his consent, and he only spoke when asked to. Split could see how giddy the stallion was, even though his face shared their usual stoic glares. When he looked into the boy's mouth, he rose a brow before reaching into the sack and grabbing a blindfold.

"He's a bit malnourished, but other than that he's an interesting specimen," he concluded, wrapping the cloth over his eyes. "I thought you'd be bringing us a normal child. Now that it's clear, I'd like to adjust our offer."

"What do you mean by 'adjust'?" Buckle snorted, glaring at him threateningly.

He merely chuckled at Buckle's reaction before waving a hand. "We are, how you say, mindful of our bargains. We pay for an item that is worth a certain amount of money, and our sellers offer us that," he smiled, finishing a knot on the rope around the boy's arms. "Not only is this a new species, but a fascinating one at that. It's a child, which makes it much more valuable, and it's nameless."

"Get to the point," Buckle grunted.

"My point, is that you've given us a once in a lifetime opportunity," he nodded, handing over the briefcase. "The most I can say, is that you'll be seeing much more than this. My master will be very excited, and he'll want for repay you in full."

It was music to Buckle's ears. He took the case with gusto and shook his hand. "We're looking forward to it," he laughed, glancing to Split cheerily.

The two parties returned down the paths they came, vanishing from the area within the hour. The boy whimpered as he was thrown into a cart and grabbed my numerous hands.

"What is your name?" the dealer asked, nodding to the driver.

"...no... no have..."

Yet another smile made its way across the dealer's face as he let out a content sigh. "Mr. Buckle has certainly graced us with this," he chuckled, followed by two other voices doing the same.

It was now that he heard two smaller, lighter voices. One was whispering prayers while the other cried and occasionally whimpered. "We get through this... we need be strong," he whispered, his vision obscured by the sack over his head.

"I want my mommy," a filly's voice sniffled. "I want my blankie."

"I'm not a bad colt," the other foal cried. "I want my daddy."

He reached behind himself and touched their hands, grasping them firmly. "Names?"

The colt snorted harshly, then murmured, "Steel Kick."

"Rose Bowl," the filly weakly replied. "What... what about you?"

He sighed softly before swallowing the lump in his throat. "I don't know." The other two were silent, and they stayed that way for the rest of the ride.

3 days later...

The ear-piercing shriek of the train woke him up, along with the dozens with him. They weren't tossing or shaking like they'd been over the past few days, and it worried them greatly. Sacks stilled covered heads, and their blindness to what was happening made it even worse. They flinched at a loud bang resounded in their car, and waited anxiously as the bolt unlocked and the door was opened.

"Everypony outside," a soothing voice told them.

Nothing could seem comparable to her angelic voice, and it dissuaded any apprehension from earlier. They carefully walked down a set ramp, then gasped as the cool grass and earth beneath their feet tickled them. Other people could be heard talking a strange language, and they circled around the children. One by one, the fillies and colts were allowed to see, until all that was left was the boy. He grunted as it tugged at his jaw, then slipped over his head. There really were dozens of children that had been brought with him. He couldn't count high enough to get an actual estimate of their numbers, but he counted to ten five times.

Surrounding them were nothing but vast forests and clear skies, the sun coming down from its zenith. Six men, each wearing professional suits, stood in front of them and observed their batch quietly. They pointed and talked in their tongue, chuckling darkly at some remarks while insistently arguing with others. It was almost like they weren't even there. Some of the others glanced around, slowly losing their patience and cool as they waited there.

"Why are we here?!" a filly screeched, finding enough tears to express her frustration.

The men looked down at her, annoyed and amused all at once. "To survive."

That was his answer. Short... sweet... to the point...

...and the only thing they needed to hear to start running. Nearly fifty children bolted in whatever direction they thought best. Some stuck together, others tried running alone, but they it mattered little. If they were strong, they would survive. Any bit of weakness would be their demise.

"Release them." The men boarded the train, but one walked over to the last two cars and pulled the levers to open their doors.

A sleeping manticore rested in one, and a pack of timberwolves laid in the other. He banged on the walls to wake the pack up, their growls serving to wake the manticore. The monsters jumped out from their respective cars and snarled at the unicorn. His horn flashed, then their snarls died away.

"You will head north." The manticore roared ferociously before taking off in its designated direction. "Your pack will head south. Don't attack any until you reach border of the forest and turn back."

The alpha of them nodded, then howled to its pack. The wolves followed their leader as he sprinted into the thicket, right behind the little unicorns, pegasi and earthen. He closed the car doors and stepped into the same passenger car the others had. They nodded to one another, then pulled a lever beside the door. The whistle pierced the air, steam hissed from the sides, and it set off.

"How many does the boss think are coming back?" one of the men questioned, smiling in amusement.

"Only four or so," another sighed, resting his head back. "Although, I do hope the little thing survives. I'd appreciate learning more about what it is."

Author's Note

Hey guys! So, to all of you waiting on the other stories, I'm sorry but Writer's Block has hit me and I realized something that I will share in time.

For all newcomers to my story: WELCOME! I've worked for months on this idea, and I'm still ironing out the details, but I hope you all stick around for what's to come! So, don't forget to like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!

Chapter 6

"Princess," a lunar guard called, bowing to his princess, "they've arrived."

Luna sat up on her throne and nodded. "Thank you. Take them to the guest beds and have somepony notify my sister," she ordered.

"And the family?" he asked, still bowing.

She rose a brow, standing from her seat and moving closer. "Family?"

The Lunar guard looked up from his position. "The small colt and his parents. They're here. Do we give them a guest room as well?" he questioned, curious about her confusion.

Before she could answer, the door to the throne room slowly moved open, the door surrounded by a golden aura. "Have them taken to the ambassador's stay. It's much bigger for them," Celestia said, her golden shoes clacking against the marble floor.

The bat-guard turned to his princess, and she nodded slowly. He bowed to both princesses and flew out of the room, leaving Luna to freely glare at Celestia. "You're acting too quickly, sister," she huffed. "Why is Glimmer back?"

"Luna, we need somepony to make sure he controls himself," she argued, pacing around restlessly. "He was their guardian inside that pit, which means he isn't aggressive to them. Especially since he taught them."

Luna shook her head and sighed. "Alright, alright. Hopefully the Elements won't provoke him. I would rather not let the colt endanger himself," she said, moving towards the stairs. "When will you take them to him?"

Her sister seemed all too eager to answer, her wings twitching upon hearing the question. "Just after dawn. You're going to be there, aren't you?" she rapidly questioned.

"Celestia, you must relax," Luna told her. She hadn't seen her sister so anxious in a long time, which was before her banishment. "Worrying won't give us answers."

"Luna, I'm putting a colt with implants, my student and her friends, me and you in the same room as Nex," Celestia rambled, her words practically spilling out. "Not to mention I don't know how he's going to react or how Glimmer being present will affect him or-"

Her eyes widened as she felt her mouth close and her body freeze. Luna made her way over with a faint grin, then released her hold on her sister. "You're not alone to worry, sister," she smiled, looking up at her older sibling. "I share your concerns, but please, do not bludgeon yourself with your thoughts. I'm sure we'll both come up with something if anything should go awry."

Slowly but surely, a smile worked its way onto the elder alicorn's lips. She hugged her sister gently, then separated and headed to the door. "Alright... I'm going to bed. Be there when we all wake," Celestia said, smiling to her sister. "Gooodnight."

"Have a wonderful dream." The door shut behind the solar princess, leaving Luna to herself. Or so she wanted her sister to believe. "General."

"Yes, my lady?" General Lancer answered, stepping out from the shadow of a pillar.

"Keep your best stallions awake into the morning," she ordered, moving to him. "My sister's stallions will be apprehensive, but I would like to know there are enough guards to restrain him."

Lancer sighed and bowed his head. "Yes, Princess," he said, pulling off his helmet. His dull blue mane fell, a scar running just under his ear and burning a line of skin through his mane. "My lady... wouldn't it be best to trust your sister?"

Luna's expression was a mixture of surprise and annoyance. "I don't recall asking you about that," she quietly told him.

There was a reason Steel Lancer was chosen to be general. Even now he lived up to everything she'd heard of, even though he was a bit too true to his nature. He wasn't afraid to question his superiors.

"Your sister will go to Tartarus and back to help the creature the Solar Guard captured. Its dangerous, and I myself do not see merit in tending to it,” he said, smirking as she glanced to him questioningly. “However, you aren’t like me. You are like your sister in many ways, and she is like you in just as many. If I were you, and the Princess was my brother, I would undoubtedly oppose all this… but I’d know he was right.”

Luna didn’t respond, walking towards the throne and looking up to the sun and moon symbols.

“It’s very frustrating, isn’t it?” he chuckled, moving towards the exit. “Younger siblings always act as though they have something to prove… especially when we feel as though we are just a shadow.” He smiled as Luna stopped, her back to him. “Stand by her… you’re a gift to her.”

The door opened and closed, and Luna exhaled slowly as the words sank in. She went to the throne beside her sister's and sat down, waving to the Lunar by the door. "Night court is in session."

The next morning…

"Twiliiiiight!" Pinkie chirped, opening the blinds to the room. Five unanimous groans resounded as sunlight poured in. "Come on! The princesses wanna see us, remember?!"

Rainbow pulled her pillow over her head, rolling onto her back. "Pinkie, cover the window," she shouted, her pillow muffling her voice.

"C'mon, Dash," Applejack laughed, standing and stretching her arms. "Can't be late, now. Up and... at 'em!"

She whipped Rainbow's bed up, sending her pegasus friend over into Twilight's bed, startling both as they were knocked off. "Applejack!" Rainbow shouted, untangling herself from Twilight's sheets. "Quit moving so much!"

"I'm sorry for wanting to breathe!" Twilight replied, firing up her horn to teleport herself on her bed. "Applejack, you don't have to make me and Dash a knot to wake us up!"

"Aw, come on, Twi. It worked, didn't it?" she grinned, gesturing to Rainbow.

Said mare angrily glared at her before adjusting her tank top and reaching for a pillow. "Girls!" Rarity announced, using her magic to sit Rainbow and Applejack down. "The Princess wants to see us bright and early and you're all still arguing!"

"Oh, come on," Rainbow groaned, tossing herself back onto the bed. "It's barely morning. She probably meant by ten or something."

Twilight sighed and went over to the mirror, brushing her frazzled hair into place. "Still, we should get ready. Whatever she wants to tell us must be mportant," she told them, nodding at her reflection.

"She didn't even come talk to us," Fluttershy added, clearing her throat. "U-Unless she was... sleeping." She covered her mouth with her arm and sneezed, her wings flaring.

"Whatever it is, we have to be ready!" Pinkie chimed, already in her outfit for the day. "Let's get to it, girls!"

Rarity went to shower while the rest changed. Once she was out, it was only a matter of waiting for her to finish the little things. Fluttershy looked out the window, noting the amount of guards near the castle. She moved away from the window and sat on her bed, holding her wing.

"There's... a lot of guards outside." Applejack and Twilight came over to the window, looking out to see the platoon-sized squadron patrolling the area. "Is it really dangerous?"

Twilight didn't have an answer, which was was bothered her. She liked to have answers so she could give them. "It must have to do with what Princess Celestia has to say," Twilight guessed, moving away from them. "I didn't think she'd have something important enough to have the Solar Guard waiting."

"Looks like a lot more than just them," Applejack stated, gesturing across the castle grounds.

The lunar princess and a multitude of her own guard, bat ponies, flanked her on either side. They spotted some moving in the shade, their movements hasty. Just as they spotted her, there was a knock on their door. Pinkie went to open it and smiled brightly at their visitor.

"Princess!" she beamed, opening the door for her to enter. "We're so glad you're here, we're getting so worried because you have so many soldiers outside, and we don't know why we're here, and Fluttershy's sick, and Luna's-"

"Pinkie," the Elements said. She giggled nervously and zipped her lips, jumping onto her bed as the princess entered.

"It's great seeing you, Princess," Twilight said, hugging her mentor. She looked up to her, then softly gasped as she saw the weariness in her teacher's eyes. "Princess, what's wrong?!"

Celestia smiled and pulled away, glancing to the bathroom door as Rarity rushed in. "My word, you look exhausted!" she exclaimed.

The princess waved off their concerns and gestured for them to follow her. The six followed with anxious minds, looking to one another for a clue as to what was going on. "I want to thank you all for coming so quickly," Celestia said, wiping her eyes softly. "Things have been chaotic, lately."

"What's going on?" Twilight asked, rushing up with her friends. "You look awful... um... sorry."

"It's fine, Twilight. It's just been a busy schedule for some time," she told them, motioning for the guards in the hall to join them. The girls glanced back as a squad began to march behind and around them. "And much more stressful than I'd imagined."

They stopped at an intersection, the guards forming up beside the door opposite from them. Celestia turned to them, her smile fading. "I have an assignment for you all... but I need you all to know what you're in for if you agree," she said. The guards bowed, and soon bat guards began to form up with them, bowing as well.

Princess Luna walked over to her sister, her guard waiting to stand. "Hello, everypony."

"Princess Luna," Twilight smiled, going over to hug her. Luna returned the gesture half-heartedly, glancing to her sister.

She nodded softly, then turned to them again. "You've all been through so much together, as friends and family," Celestia said, turning to her sister. "But this is unlike what you've been through before."

"There isn't a villain, nor an enemy of Equestria," Luna assured them. "But do not think for a minute that this won't be dangerous." She could feel the disapproving glance of her sister, but she felt she needed to warn them.

"Whatever it might be, I'm sure we can do it," Twilight said, her friends nodding together.

"We'll get it done together, like always," Applejack firmly stated, standing next to the purple unicorn. "Right, girls?"

"You bet!" Pinkie chirped.

"Count on it!"

"Absolutely," Rarity nodded. Fluttershy sneezed again, but nodded just the same.

The princesses glanced to each other, then Celestia turned to the guards by the door. With a nod, they moved to open the door, several locks slamming as they moved out of place. The door creaked open, a dim light revealing a set of stairs. The two princesses entered, Luna gesturing for them to follow. Twilight looked back to the others, who all shrugged and followed after. The marble walls of the castle disappeared, replaced with jagged walls and an uneven ceiling. The steps were shorter than modern ones, and the crude torch handles with cobwebs hinted toward the ancient feel of it.

"I-Is... this a d-d-dungeon?" Fluttershy squeaked, sneezing into her sweater sleeve.

"It is, though we haven't used it in some hundred years," Luna answered, peering up at a set of chains in the ceiling.

Twilight was fascinated to see another part of the castle, but shocked to know there WAS actually a dungeon. She'd thought it was too unlike the princess to have one. But the princess wasn't the same as she was so long ago.

"Why are we going down here, anyway?" Rainbow asked, shivering at the sight of spiders in the webs.

They reached the bottom, a guard opening the old iron door. "There's... something I want you to see before we talk about what I'm asking of you all," Celestia explained, quickly losing her calm as they walked passed more and more cells.

Luna could see the small twitches of her sister's wings, and she walked with her hands entwined to keep from doing so as well. The girls were surprised by the number of prison-like cells, unable to think of a full dungeon. They could see marks in the walls that were fresh, compared to the other damages. Dried blood covered some of the dents and missing chunks in the walls. They hurried to catch up with the princesses, then rounded a corner and stopped. The solar princess stood beside a wall of crystal, which Twilight recognized as a mana-inhibitor. Celestia waited for a moment, unsure if continuing would be wise. She looked to her sister, who looked away and sighed.

"Girls... I want you to meet Nex." She gestured into the prison, and the girls walked over to look inside.

They searched the cell, seeing no pony within the crystal prison. "Wait... what's that?" Applejack pointed to a prone form on the ground near the crystal.

The girls all looked to it, noticing cloth and a ragged mane... but no fur. "What... is that Nex?"

Celestia nodded softly. "Rainbow, Fluttershy." The girls looked to her. "He's wary of pegasi, so please try to keep your wings concealed. Just for now."

Fluttershy pushed her wings together while Rainbow pressed hers against her back. "So... what now?" Rainbow asked.

Celestia moved to the crystal, kneeling down slowly and removing her glove.

*Knock Knock Knock*

They all looked to Nex, but he laid there, his back to them.

*Knock Knock Knock*

Still no response, and the girls awkwardly looked at Luna.

*Knock..... knock.... knock....*

They waited. Celestia had done it like she normally did, but he wouldn't respond. He'd done this before, but not as often. She sighed and lowered her head, pressing her palm to the wall.

*knock......knock*

They all gasped as his fleshy hand moved away from the crystal, the bandages visible. Celestia smiled as she adjusted herself and knocked again, prompting him to knock without turning. She was annoying him, but he'd be curious if she kept at it. So she did, and he knocked once and hard, expressing his annoyance. Celestia did it again, and he pushed himself onto an elbow then got on his knees. He turned around, then recoiled at the sight of the six women. The girls were shocked to see him as well, Fluttershy moving behind Applejack as they looked to him.

"It's alright. Nex... this is my student, Twilight Sparkle," Celestia softly said, gesturing for Twilight to come closer.

Her student hesitantly moved to the crystal, a weak smile and wave being all she could do. She couldn't see past the mask covering the top half of his face, but she could feel his gaze boring down on her. He quietly moved closer, metal links clacking as he moved. The closer he got, the more they could see. He was furless, with small hairs running along his lanky arms. Scars littered them, some covered by dried blood.

"W-What is he?" Fluttershy quivered, her wings jittering behind her. "Why... why is his face l-like that?"

Nex could hear them, even the weak one. He went to where he had been lying and tossed a number of bones to the wall, grabbing their attention as he licked the end of one. "Are... are those... bones?" Twilight gasped, watching him pick a small chunk of meat off the exposed marrow.

"He dislikes most vegetables, and he favors flesh... when cooked," Luna told them. "The guards aren't comfortable with cleaning out his cell."

"He... doesn't trust ponies." Celestia gave him a sad smile as he glared at her, so she assumed. "And... I wouldn't blame him."

The girls turned to him again, his presence putting some off. "That's silly. We're all nice ponies. He doesn't have to worry!" Pinkie smiled, pressing her face to the crystal. Nex flinched visibly, his arms tensing as he tried restraining himself.

"Pinkie," Luna reprimanded, much more harsh than her tone was. The party mare eased up and stepped back. "He... was 'tough' to work with."

She let her sister speak as she moved towards the cell. "Nex... was taken as a colt," Celestia began, unsure of what was alright to say. "He... he was put through torture... horrible experiments..." She touched the crystal again, unfazed by his presence directly on the other side of the wall. "Whoever took him... they did it to others... turned them into monsters... had them kill one another."

Nex growled menacingly, his fists clenched as she went on. She looked to him, glaring with such authority it was difficult for him to try and assert himself. He slumped back down, sitting with his back to them. Luna stepped over and had her sister stop before she remembered too much.

"We found their... one of their hideouts," she sighed. "Shining Armor led a platoon inside. The members of the ring fought back... and then Nex and the others were freed."

"My brother?!" Twilight quickly asked. "Is he alright?! Was he hurt or-or-"

"The Captain wasn't harmed... not like the others, at the very least." She glanced to one of the guards present. "But... not even he could withstand what he saw... colts and fillies mindlessly trying to slaughter those in their path."

She ignored Nex's grunt, but it made the rest jump a bit. "So... where are the others, then?" Rarity asked, seeing no other cells like his. "Shouldn't they be in prisons like this?"

They gasped when Nex slammed his fist on the crystal, his teeth bared at them. "There were only three survivors," Luna whispered. "Including him."

There was silence, a very chilling quiet that thickened the air in the dungeon. Celestia stood upright, walking over to Twilight and putting her hands on her shoulders. "Twilight, he is no monster," she practically pleaded. "He's different, but he still has a heart. He's survived without anypony for far too long, and I want to fix that."

She looked inside the prison, his back to them once again. He waited to hear them; for the purple one's voice to refuse or express disgust. They were ponies, just like all the others. She would rather see him die than become her problem. He glanced to them, eyeing the weak one as she sniffled and shivered. She was sick. She wouldn't be a challenge, even if she was an earth pony... though she was a bit thin. The orange and pink ones were taller, but the blue one was a bit lean as well. Too thin for an earth pony.

"Ah...AH... choo!" He glanced to the weak one, her wings flaring as she-

...

Wings.

...

Pegasus.

...

Pegasus... pegasus!

"PEGASUS!" Nex roared, pulling on his chains as hard as he could.

The princesses saw Fluttershy's wings spread open, and Celestia ran over to the crystal while a number of guards flanked her. "Nex, they're not here to hurt you!" she assured him. His chains held, but the wall began to crack as he pulled harder and harder. "They're here to help you! Nex!

He roared and yelled as he thrashed, his arms refusing to move far enough to strike anything. Fluttershy cowered behind her friends, while Applejack and Rainbow waited for anything dangerous to happen. Twilight yelped as Luna pushed her aside, then bumped into a small pony. Nex continued to roar and shout at them, watching as the dark blue woman pushed ahead, two more ponies following. He was ready to fight, to make her wish she'd never kept him holed up. She would prove that she didn't care. None of them did.

His roar died out immediately. His eyes widened beneath his mask as Glimmer approached the crystal with Luna. Two ponies, a blue unicorn stallion and a rose colored pegasus, tried to come with him, but the princess had them stay back. Nex growled angrily at the pegasus woman, but turned back to the colt as he knocked on the wall.

"Hi, Nete." His small voice wasn't monotone. It had... it was his own voice. Not what the pit had developed. "It's okay. Princess wants to help."

Nex glanced up to the two ponies, both extremely uncomfortable with Glimmer near him. He grunted softly, sitting down to be eye level with the colt. He looked back and smiled up to the mare, who forced herself to do the same.

"Nete... this is Mommy, and that's Daddy," Glimmer explained. "They find me when princesses look for them. They're family... like you my family."

He put his small palm on the crystal, and Nex leaned his head against the spot. "You... free... no more hurt," he murmured. They were surprised to hear him speak so warmly, only knowing the sound of his hoarse and vicious cries. "Leave... no remember me."

Glimmer's smiled faded, and he bared his teeth before slamming his fist into the crystal. "Nete! They wanna fix what they did!" he shouted, sniffling before wiping his nose. "Please... I want you to get better."

Nex looked away, growling lowly before standing and roaring at them. "GET OUT!" he bellowed. "NO PEGASUS! NO PONIES!"

Glimmer bashed his fist on the crystal again, quietly crying as he moved away. His mother's wings engulfed him, her arms wrapping around him and hugging him close. Nex turned to Celestia, bearing down with his icy gaze. He grunted aggressively, then glanced over to the girls. Rainbow had let her wings spread, which Nex could see, and returned his stare with a resilient glare.

"Nete!" They turned as Glimmer broke away from his mother and reached into his shirt.

He yanked a piece of string from his neck, holding something sleek and black in his grip. Nex recognized it all too well. Everyone else was shocked and fearful that he had such a sharp object. There was a fire in Glimmer's eyes, one that Nex had made sure the others had as well. The blade was a key. The only thing that could change him and others like him into the monsters from the pit. And Glimmer was readying to do just that. His mother screamed as he lifted it, plunging it towards his heart as his father's horn lit up. Rarity and Twilight did the same, but the princesses extinguished their auras quickly. A guard did the same to Glimmer's father, another rushing to stop the boy. They wouldn't make it in time. The key was just above his chest, and it wasn't about to stop.

A booming, shattering sound resounded in the hall, silencing everyone immediately. Glimmer opened his eyes, believing one of the guards had managed to reach him. He gasped as he looked at the fleshy, bloody hand crushing his wrist, then looked up at his protector. The girls stared in horror. Small pikes poked out from his knuckles, blood trickling out from the wounds they'd made. His arm jutted out from the massive crystal, holding Glimmer's wrist just an inch from his chest. Nex grunted as he felt his shattered fist crying in pain.

He grunted to get the boy's attention, his mask barely showing his smile. "No do that... you free." His grip loosened on Glimmer's arm, but he clung to Nex's arm and sobbed.

"They different, Nete," he whispered, dropping the key. "Please... we free..." He rested his head on Nex's implanted armament, blood touching his cheek. "...you free, too."

His mother slowly kneeled beside him, then held Nex's hand. She stared back, a gentle defiance meeting Nex's hatred. "Please... you're in good hands," she told him. Nex shifted, unfamiliar with such genuine concern. "It's the least you can do for him... we wouldn't have him without you."

He kept his eyes on Glimmer, something nudging him to speak. Instead, he opened his hand, biting back the urge to yell, and moved to wipe the blood and tears from his cheeks. Glimmer looked up and sniffled, nuzzling the palm on his face.

"I... let ponies... help," he grunted. Glimmer's eyes widened, Nex smiling at the relief on his eyes. "But," he said, grabbing the boy's attention, "...you no leave with key... you go home... and no remember Nete."

"Why not?" Glimmer asked, confused beyond his small mind’s comprehension. "You save me... keep us alive in pit!"

"Pit gone... but I part of pit... no forget... but you forget me... you forget pit, too," he smiled, stroking his cheek. The pikes pulled back under his skin, and Nex pulled his arm back into the cell. "You free... you grow up smart... and no remember bad men."

Glimmer choked on his words, crying in his mother's arms. He didn't want to forget the one who saved him from horrors. He wanted to see Nex get better, to become normal and get everything out of his body. They would never remember the pit, and go on in their lives happy and free of their past. They would forget what they turned him into. He couldn't know this, but he believed if he didn't accept then Nex wouldn't get help.

So, he nodded. "Okay," he whispered, moving away from the crystal. "Okay."

Nex smiled, then caressed his broken hand as he sat down. "Go home, Glimmer... this goodbye."

The boy nodded, holding back his urge to sob. He was too matured for that, and Nex always taught them to never show weakness. Glimmer let his mother guide him to the side, and his father picked him up and let him weep into his shoulder. They walked past the Elements, but Glimmer pulled himself up and collected himself enough to speak.

"Fix Nete!" he yelled at them. "Please... Nete need help!"

Nex closed his eyes as their footsteps went silent. He looked down on his lap, where his good hand clutched something tightly to himself. Glimmer's key shined in the torchlight, and he stuffed it into his rags. Noticing the dead noise, he peered up to the women and guards standing outside. They were sharing stares between him and the hole he'd made. The guards were even out of their hardened expressions and legitimately astonished at his outburst. He snorted to catch their attention, holding up his bleeding and broken hand.

"Broke.”

Author's Note

Now that our ladies have all had a "proper" welcoming to our human, it's time for the story to go on! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and as always, remember to like, fav, comment, and have am awesome day or night! Peaces!