Sombra held out his chalice as the wine was poured to fill it. Sombra couldn't hide the menacingly sharp teeth as he flashed the serving girl a seedy smirk. She shuddered, but tried to hide the bile in the back of her throat. She had a beautiful body, with dark blue hair that looked like the night and pale skin, as though she bathed in the moon's light. Sombra felt that the black collar around her neck was fitting.
Sombra slurped down his wine as though he hasn't drank in years, giving a satisfying growl as he watched her flinch. "More." He barked the command as he extended his chalice again to be filled. As he watched the moon maiden pour, he smirked at the somber look written across her face. "Why such the sour face? You should be happy, my dear Luna. For what's about to come."
Sombra watched her body trouble and her hands for into fists. Fury engulfed her mind. Happy?! How could she be happy for what was about to happen?! What has happened?! Through grit teeth, she lowered her head and whimpered, "p-please forgive me, Master Sombra. I should be grateful."
Sombra took a hand and stroked her hair. Luna flinched as the tyrant ran his fingers through her mane. He slowly slid his hand until it was cupping her chin and forcing her to look back up at him. "You are forgiven." His gently grip turned firm as he clutched her face. "But best remember that I am the master of your fates now."
Then the horns played. Sombra smirked as Luna cringed. The spectacle had begun. Sombra turned and sat up in his chair from his balcony in the stadium. The crowd was cheering and roaring, eager for the show to finally start. The doors of the Colosseum. Two Gladiatrix walked across the hot sand. One had swirls of cerulean hair and a similar black collar around her neck. Her modest bust was wrapped in tattered yellow cloth with a thong to cover herself. Lemon Heart was her name and when she walked out with her twin swords, the crowd got excited to see her. She was no rookie, she had walked into this pit of blood and death several times and walked out everytime.
But what truly caught the crowd's attention was when her challenger walked out.
The woman who walked out was naked, her busty breasts hanging freely. Her skin as a deep tan, as though kissed by the sun itself, decorated in the harsh bites of whips. Her hair was shaved down to fuzz, but the pink and blue that decorated her head was like a beacon. A heavy, black color was locked around hers and Lemon Heart's neck. The both of them also shared a harsh mark burned onto their thighs, a circle with a pair of crossing chains.
The crowd was silent. Astonishment swept the Colosseum as they stared at what was once their beautiful Princess of the Sun. That was when Sombra stood up and announced to the crowd, "my subjects! Do not look at this woman as who she was! Look at her for who she is now: a slave. A warrior who lives to die in the Colosseum! Just look at her, she's no different!"
The crowd slowly, but surely, started to resume their chanting. 'Fight' echoed over and over again as Celestia looked solemnly at her opponent, who held her twin swords menacingly at her.
"I am so sorry..." She said it so softly nobody could hear. Celestia held up her sword and started to walk closer to the center of the stadium. She locked eyes with Lemon Heart as the two started to circle each other, like predators preparing to pounce.
Sombra smirked as he sat back down and held his chalice anxiously. He roared, "live to die, die to live!" When those words were uttered, the fight had begun.
Lemon Heart wasted no time rushing Celestia down, the former Princess taking a defensive stance with her sword. Lemon Heart swung with her dominant hand, her blade clashing with Celestia's sword before she followed up with a heavy swing from her opposite. The sun Princess blocked the incoming blade, but it looked clear that her guard was weak and could barely hold back her aggressor.
Lemon Heart didn't slow down. She moved like a blur, every swing coming down faster than the last one as Celestia did her best to counter and back away from her aggressor. Metal clang, sparks grew, and the crowd cheered. Sombra watched with excitement, looking as Celestia stepped further and further back away from Lemon Heart. Luna felt her heart sank as she watched her sister struggle to keep the swords off her flesh.
Celestia ducked and rolled away as Lemon Heart prepared to stab her chest. She panted, hissing as the hot sand bit at her skin. "Your time as a Princess has made you soft." Lemon Heart growled aggressively as she made a mad dash for Celestia. Her swords rained down on top of Celestia. The Sun Princess managed to guard, but that was when she felt a hard kick to her stomach. Luna gasped, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood as the Moon Princess felt tears flow freely down her face. She closed her eyes, not able to watch, but Sombra grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked.
"Watch." Sombra snarled at her, "I want you to see this."
The ex-Princess doubled over in pain, holding her gut as she wheezed weakly. Lemon Heart spat onto the ground as she held her sword next to her former Princess's neck. "Arch your back and show me your chest. Die with dignity."
Celestia looked up at Lemon Heart and told her defiantly, "I can't die here." Her eyes had a fire in them that many enemies had seen before they were destroyed by her hands. Lemon scowled at the former Princess, determine to show her just how wrong she was.
She lifted her free sword and prepared to bring it down to stab her through her head. Celestia moved quickly, grabbing at Lemon Heart's wrist that held the sword to her neck. She quickly tugged, causing Lemon Heart to lose her balance and fall forward, dropping both of her own swords into the sand. As she fell forward, Celestia raised her forehead and cracked Lemon Heart's nose.
Blood spilled from her face as Lemon Heart recoiled, holding her face as she tried to recover her senses. Celestia jumped atop of her opponent, pinning her to the sand as she savagely slugged her. Fists flew down, each blow making Lemon twist her neck as every heavy blow landed hard. Blood spewed from her mouth, Celestia knocked out one of Lemon Heart's teeth as she tried to defend herself and keep Celestia from beating her, but she couldn't stop the Princess's assault. Her face was colored with blood and bruises as the crowd cheered her on, turning on Lemon Heart and rooting for the Sun Princess.
Celestia was panting when she finally stopped. Lemon Heart was breathing weakly her face swollen and bloody as she pathetically whimpered. "M-m-mercy..."
Celestia's eyes slowly looked up to the balcony, where Sombra sat with Luna right next to her. Sombra's face was a mix of amusement and rage. She couldn't hear him, but he knew he was chuckling through his painfully grit teeth. Luna looked sick and horrified. She looked ready to vomit from the display Celestia showed.
But both Princesses knew there was no other way.
"You know there's only one way for mercy." Celestia reached over and grabbed one of the swords in the sand. It was Lemon's, but she didn't notice nor did she care. She heard the crowd chant for her to finish Lemon off as Celestia raised her sword up into the air.
"Th-thank you, Princess Celestia..."
Celestia swallowed the lump in her throat as she stabbed the sword through Lemon Heart's chest. She grit her teeth and did her best not to scream. She gave a dry cry as she lied there, dead and in the bloody sand. Lemon Heart was dead.
Celestia stood up as she was bathed in the cheers of the crowd. It was bittersweet. She was use to the applauds and admiration of her people, but she never wanted it like this.
Never like this.
She looked up to Sombra, who regained his composure and released Luna. He gave his own clap for Celestia. To the onlookers in the crowd, it looked like a applaud of endearment.
But Celestia knew it was condescending.
One Week Prior...
"Get to steppin', bitch!"
Celestia dragged her feet across the cold stone floor of the dungeon and the marble floors of what was once her castle. She was disgusted with the perversions of the decor. This was once her home, the shining beacon for her people. A symbol for all of Equestria.
But now it was a fortress for their newest tyrant.
When she was walked into the throne room, the Soldier struck at her knees, forcing her to kneel to the man who sat in her throne. She glared into the eyes of Sombra as he sat in content, an evil smirk looking over the former Princess of the land.
"Celestia." Sombra smirked as he looked at her. Stripped, covered in bruises and scars from battle, and the fresh bloody marks of the dungeon. "I do think that that your proper place is collared and at my feet. It's why it's such a shame you've yet to understand this fact." He stood from his throne and walked over to the kneeling Princess.
"What can I say? I'm stubborn." The Sun Princess was smacked across the face, loud enough for it to echo across the throne room. Even as the red mark of Sombra's back hand painted her face, she didn't yield or give him the satisfaction of his pain.
"Your tone is appalling. Did you lose your manners along with your throne?"
Celestia was defiantly silent. It drew Sombra mad as he scowled. He tried to compose himself as he snorted, "actually, Celestia, I must admit that your continued efforts to defy me has given me a bit of clarity." Sombra turned to the window, "you know what my favorite hobby is, Celestia? Going to the Gladiatrix Pit."
Celestia felt disgusted. "You send the woman of my kingdom to death in that hell hole." Celestia could already tell what Sombra's intentions were. "I will not fight for your sick amusement. If you want me to die, take your sword and finish me off."
Sombra gave another laugh, "there you go again with your defiant nature. Stubborn, strong. Perfect for a warrior." He smirked at her, "I wonder if your sister will fair any better."
Celestia's eyes widened as Sombra snapped his fingers. More guards walked into the throne room. Celestia was turned and made to watch her sister be walked in. Her body was covered in faded bruises and her mouth was gagged. She looked no worse than she did-in fact, she looked much better physically. Celestia looked into the eyes of her trembling sister. They looked hallow, broken. She grit her teeth as she felt furious.
"Your sister broke much too quickly for my taste." His hand cupped Luna's face as he smirked, "but I didn't mind. I prefer it when my play things don't fight back." Luna looked ready to break into another mess of tears as Celestia tried to jump up and rush at the tyrant, but her soldier escort held her sword to her neck to keep her still. "I know your life means nothing to you, but I'm sure that the life of your sister is a different matter." Sombra grabbed his own sword and held it to Luna's throat getting a panicked squeal from the pale woman.
"Why?! What's the point of all this?!" Celestia screamed at the tyrant, "you can ship me to that hellhole at any time!"
Sombra smirked at her as he told her, "that's not enough for me. If you were anybody else, Celestia, I'd have you sent to the Colosseum to die. Or sacrifice you at the alter of the Chaos God. But no, you'r different, Celestia. You're the only person I see as a true enemy. And as my enemy, I want to see you truly broken."
"You're a fucking psychopath!"
She watched Sombra push the sword closer to Luna, the blade tickling at her throat. Celestia felt her heart stop for just a second as she looked at the fear in her sister's eyes. Celestia lowered her head as she grit her teeth.
Sombra chuckled, "that's better." He moved his sword away from Luna as he ordered his soldier, "take her to the Colosseum. Tell the manager that this is a special gift from her King."
"Yes, Lord Sombra!"