Author's Note

Well it took a while but I finally managed to get this chapter out to you guys I'm sorry for the delay in the story I'm currently working on other stories that I have been working on for a while and have been trying to update them.

This chapter will contain violent moments and even very graphic scenes so for any of my viewers who are incredibly sensitive be warned that this is what will be ahead.

I also like to take the time to thank all of you for your comment likes and bookmarking of the story, it means a lot to me and helps me push past most of my writer's block. And even some of your guys's ideas help me get past the hurdle that is writer's block. And as always I want give my usual thanks to my editor Codex92 for his amazing work and taking the time to put up with me.

Another thing I want to mention is that I now have a Twitter account in which any of you could message me for either questions or to drop your ideas for future chapters or just to talk in general. You can find me @Thesaiyanbrony.

Lastly I want to thank you guys again for all your support and all the things you guys do for this chapter so as always leave a like comment after you finish the chapter. Help me help you help me help you

Escape part 2

Fifteen minutes. That was how much time I had left until my big match. I was currently sitting on the bed trying to collect my thoughts on how I was going to face up against the hydra. Despite the upcoming battle, I was surprisingly calm. My partner on the other hand…

"A bucking hydra!!! Of all the monsters in Equestria to bring out, a hydra is bad to be the final fight of the season!!!" Glenda shouted as she paced around the room. She's done this for well over an hour and has practically created a groove in the ground. Due to my opponent being something we hadn't even considered a factor, our plan of escape was now on the line, as well as our freedom.

From what Glenda as told me, three-headed hydras are rare because their biology is vastly different from those with more heads. For starters, if you cut their heads off, they don't grow two more in its place, which is another key difference. According to Glenda, the fewer the heads a hydra has, the smarter it is since it's not trying to manage more heads, and that the middle head is usually the alpha. Another key difference is that no three-headed hydras are exactly alike, each one having a unique ability. An example was that one hydra could breathe fire, while another could breathe ice. So it's a mystery until you face one, and that can sometimes end with your life.

"This is bad! This is very bad! Our plan is hitched on you stalling the fight long enough for our plan to work, but with something as ferocious and dangerous as a hydra, you'll be lucky to last two minutes!!" Glenda screamed as she continues to pace back and forth, her speed increasing each time she turned. "And how in bucking Tarterus are you so calm right now?!"

I was currently sitting on the bed with my eyes closed, breathing in and out as calmly as possible. She thinks that I'm relaxed when, in reality, I'm just as terrified as she is. My heart is practically racing from the battle to come. I was afraid, worried, and somehow, excited. But as of this moment, I was focusing on the fight ahead, planning my moves, and remembering all that I learned here. While I do despise this place to hell and back, I did pick up on battle skills and flying in tight spaces, which could give me the upper hand against the much larger beast.

I wished that I could tell her all this, but once again, my lack of speaking prevents me from doing such, so all I could do was walk up to her and gently nuzzle my forehead against her own.

I could hear her sigh as she wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzle into me. "I'm sorry, Noir. I know you're trying your best to stay calm, and me panicking isn't making any this better. I'm just scared that we might fail and I’ll end up losing you and be alone again." She looked up to me with tears slowly welling up in her eyes. I did the only thing I could do; I leaned in and gave her cheeks a few licks, causing her to laugh a bit and cheer up. "Eww, gross Noir!! You know I hate it when you do that." She pushed away, still chuckling as she wiped her face. "You're right. I don't have time to cry or worry. I need to be ready and focused for when it's time for our escape."

After giving her a reassuring nod, the door to our chamber opened up, three armored guards walking in with some rope and chains. I could also see a large cage that was sitting on top of a wagon waiting outside the door . As per usual, I had to play the role of savage beast and crouched down growling at them, causing them to step back. "Tell the dragon to enter the cage. We have orders from Steel Horn that requires it for a special entrance."

While I was still growling at the guards, I felt something snap at my side. When I turned my head, I saw Glenda had the whip in her talons and watched as she swung it to hit my head. "Into the cage with you, vile beast! We don't have all day!"

Making sure that my head was turned away from the guards, I gave her a wink and started to walk toward the cage. As I passed the guards, who were trying their best not to shake with fear as I got near them, I found it irresistible not to have a little fun. When one of the guards accidentally stepped forward, something I could tell he didn't want to do, I quickly crouched down and arched my back, snarling at them and made the one stallion faint while the other two held onto each other. Another snap of Glenda’s whip told me that I was having too much fun and needed to hurry up and get into the cage. Begrudgingly, I walked into the cage and waited for one of the guards to grow a pair and get close to me to shut the door to my cage.

It took a minute or two before one of them finally nutted up and ran over to quickly slam my cage door shut. After that, they wheeled me off down the hall and toward the waiting area.

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(Arena 3rd person)

As the crowd of spectators moved to take their seats, one of the workers that manned the sound system turned on the microphone inside the main spectator box. "Mares and gentlecolts!!! Welcome the finale fight of the season!!!" Steal Horn announced over the intercom, getting all the spectators in the audience to cheer and stomp their feet. "Today is unfortunately the last day of the season for this year!" Once more, the crowd’s cheers almost vibrated in the air around them as they screamed at the top of their lungs. "And now, it is time to reveal our combatants for this afternoon battle! But first, a little bit of intro music!" He turned around, pulling out a case of records and filed through them before pulling out one labeled "King". Setting it on the record player, he lowered the needle to play the appropriate song.

As the music played, the crowd started to stomp and clap to the rhythm of the song. Soon, the gates to the far left opened with smoke hissing out. When the gate fully opened, armored ponies in rows of two trotted out, carrying black banners with a green reptile in the center. As they moved forward, they stomped the poles of the ground in synch with the ground stomps and claps. As they moved, four earth ponies wheeled out a large cage holding the reigning champion, Nightmare. The crowd roared with cheers as they watched the dragon enter the ring with all the armored ponies twirling around the banners. Once the cage was in the center of the arena, the ponies quickly filed out as the door to the dragon’s cage opened, allowing it to jump out and unleash a mighty roar while flaring its wings, getting the crowd to cheer back in response to its battle cry.

"And now, for our champion's opponent!!!" Steel Horn shouted. "From the darkest depths of the Everfree Forest comes the most fearsome of creatures, whose very presence commands both fear and respect!!"

The ground beneath the stadium rumbles as the center slowly begins to open, causing the dragon to jump back a great distance. As the floor opened completely, a set of monstrous roars could be heard coming from the pit, followed by a torrent of flames, which made those in the audience who were closer to ground level to shield their eyes from the sudden brightness and intensity of the flames’ heat. The demonic roars began to grow louder as the sound of heavy gears clanking and chains rattling filled the stadium. The blast of flames became increasingly frequent between the roars of what sounded serpentine hisses. "Presenting the most feared monster know to ponies: The hydra!!!"

The crowd went dead silent as they saw the first head of the creature slither out from the hole, followed by another, and then a third. As the heads slithered around the stadium, taking in their surroundings, snarling and slamming their heads into the invisible barrier that was currently protecting the cowering audience, the rest of its large reptile-like body was lifted up until its entire form stood in the center of the arena.

As the beast’s heads scanned the arena, the middle head caught a glimpse of the black dragon. It let out an ear-piercing screech, which prompted the other two heads to snap their attention at the small dragon. The hydra's body slowly adjusted itself as it turned to face its fellow occupant in the arena, all while its heads remained in the same place as they glared and hissed at the dragon, who had taken up a defensive stance. The hydra stood easily twenty feet taller than the ebony dragon, with each neck being nearly as long as they slowly circled their heads around, getting a better look at the dragon who was moving in a circle around the multi-headed creature.

Without warning, the middle head unleashed a blaze of scorching flames at the small dragon, forcing it to flaps it wings with tremendous force, sending it back. The moment its feet touched back on the ground, one of the hydra's heads quickly launched forward. With a flick of its tail and using the momentum of its jump, the dragon managed to perform a backflip, moving it out of harm's way. When it landed once more, it quickly fired a plasma blast in the direction of the middle head, only to be quickly blocked by the right head, the force of the blast easily severing the head. The severed head fell to the ground with a tremendous thud, blood gushing out from the flailing neck as it spewed blood all across the arena floor. The crowd had gone deathly silent as they watched the scene before them. Even Noir was left utterly baffled; not by the fact he managed to cut a head off, but that one head blocked the blast for the other. To what purpose would it have done such a thing when the end result is the same?

He didn’t think further on this as the stumpy neck started to gurgle and slosh around before, in less than a second, a new head had emerged, but only a single head. This threw not only all the creatures in the audience for a loop, but also Noir.

In his previous life, Noir, or Johann back in his world, knew a good deal about cryptozoology, a study that focused on creatures of fiction and lore. One of which was that when you cut off a hydra's head, two more would grow back in its place. And yet, here and now, only one head grew back, with little to no change in its characteristics aside from its scales being slightly shinier, similar to when a snake sheds its skin.

The newly reformed head flexed its neck, bending and twisting before directing its attention back at the dragon once more. All three heads took in a large breath of air before unleashing a torrent of flames upon the dragon, who hasn't had enough time to react as he was engulfed in the flames. The crowd gasped in shock as they watched the former champion quickly set ablaze by the three headed monstrosity. Once the hydra had expelled all the air in its lungs, the flames sputtered to embers from its mouths. The ground in which the dragon stood was burning, the fire dancing across the scorched earth. But in a single heartbeat, the flames parted ways as a single plasma blast shot forth, landing squarely on the left head, exploding upon impact and sending chunks of its brain matter to splatter against the invisible barrier, causing those who saw it up close to squeal in terror.

As the recently beheaded appendage grew back as rapidly as the one from before, the fires parted ways once more as the dragon within took flight, seeming completely unharmed by the hydra's flames. The dragon was even surprised himself as he circles around the three-headed beast, looking for an opening to attack.

With Noir’s advantage of being able to fly within tight space and faster speed, he was easily able to circle around behind the lumbering hydra and fired off another blast aimed directly at the center head. However, much like the last time, the right head moved in, taking the blow once more and being blown apart. Unlike before, the hydra’s remaining heads didn't intend to wait for the third to regrow as its tail swung around, smacking the dragon out of the air and into the walls.

By the time Noir could get back onto his feet, the third head had regrown similar to before with its scales glistening. The hydra quickly charged forward, heads low to the ground ready to attack the dragon. In response, Noir fired multiple shots of plasma at the charging beast. And once again, the right head intercepted the blast, but unlike before, its scales withstood the attack without being blown apart. One of the heads dashed forward and began to coil around the dragon’s body like a snake, tossing the dragon across the stadium and smashing him into the wall.

"Looks like our champion has just discovered this hydra's special abilities!!!!" Steel Horn shouted as the crowd watched the battle unfold. "When this hydra's head is severed, the portion that regrows comes back with thicker, stronger scales, and it seems that the right head has grown scales strong enough to withstand Nightmare's attack!!!" All those in the stands started to roar with cheers and chants as they watched what was to be the most epic battle yet.

Noir slowly rose back to his legs shakily as the previous collision with the stone wall left a large amount of damage on his body. He glanced back at the hydra as it slowly stalked its way toward him. 'Glenda, please hurry. I don't know how long I can keep this up.'

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(Meanwhile Glenda Pov)

I was nervously pacing around the room as I felt the ground rumble beneath my talons. It has been five minutes since they took Noir to the arena and I can easily hear the battle from down here through the thick walls. The roars of the hydra were loud enough to travel down the halls of the lower levels. "Where is he?! That old pervert should've been here by no-"

As if on cue, the lock on the door clicked, and in walked a rather elderly goat. "Sorry to keep you waiting, pretty bird, but I was watching the fight. It looks like your dragon is in over his head." The goat cackled a bit, resulting him in a coughing fit.

This perverted leach is Capra. Once when I was here for my first month, there was a night when I managed to escape my cell and far out of the arena, but I was spotted while taking off, and since I wasn't that great at flying, they easily caught me and brought me back.
And for the last eight years, this perverted goat has tried to have his way with me any time he had to clip my flight feathers, not even caring if I wasn’t of proper age, the sick bastard. But now, this will be both mine and Noir’s tickets out of here. Over the last three years before I met Noir, I had been timing the growth of my feathers and clipping them myself before he could, throwing off the time when the are fully grown until this day.

"So, cute stuff, you ready for me to get my hooves on you and pick those pretty feathers? Maybe have some fun while we are at it?" He asked while wiggling his brow and chuckling. Any other time, I would have gagged and threatened to end him, but this time, I'm gonna use his perverted mind against him.

"You know what? I would love that, handsome." I found mild amusement when I saw his jaw drop. "I've never noticed it before, but now that I'm older and more mature, I think I’m starting to find you incredibly attractive." I added a bit to the charm by fluttering my eyelashes.

Much to both my disgust and joy, he was fumbling over himself as he tried to process what has just happened. Eventually, he stood up with smug smirk as she stepped aside. "Well then, let’s not dilly dally. The sooner we pluck those feathers, the sooner we can get to the real fun."

As I walked past him, I leaned in close to his ear and whispered in a lustful tone. "I'm looking forward to it, handsome." I watched as he shivered in arousal as we left.

In the arena there is a special room to treat some of the ponies, goats, and other griffins here. It's also where this old goat works when removing my flight feathers. As we walked down the corridors, I took note of the amount of guards walking around, and much to my delight, I see that this part of the plan is working.

Eventually, we make it into the room where there is a large metal table in the center. As per usual, I would need to climb onto it and stretch out my wings. This time, I decided to assume a more seductive position as I layed on my side with half lidded eyes, focused on Capra, who was easily losing his nerves under my seductive gaze. I was fortunate to have practiced my new skills of seduction on Noir, who didn't know that most of those times, I was flirting with him to improve this skill.

After a good three minutes of having to watch this bumbling pervert fondle my wings as he clipped my feathers, we finally finished up. And as predicted, he walked over to me with his usual creepy gaze. "So, my little sexy kitty bird, are you ready to finally be a real griffin?"

The urge to vomit everything in my stomach was incredibly overwhelming, but I had to choke it all back as I got off the table and walked over to him, making sure to get close to him. "But of course, stud. But first, I need to remove this vest for the fun to begin." I moved my talons back to unclip the knot that held my vest up and quickly catch it with my arm as I held it to my chest. "Before we begin, there’s something I've wanted to tell you, but never had the right moment to say it."

"And what would that be?" He asked with a wide grin, completely enthralled by my charm.

I motioned with my talon for him to come close, which he did without hesitation. Once he was merely an inch away, I leaned into his ear, and said what I've always wanted to say to him since the day we met. "Burn in Tartarus, you filthy old goat." Before he had a chance to register what I had said, I quickly pulled out the tip of the spear from my hidden pouch within my vest and slit his throat. I watched as he grabbed his now bleeding neck as it gushed out blood. His eyes stared at me for a few seconds before rolling back into his head, falling to the ground while drenched in his own blood.

After searching his body for anything useful, I made my way out of the room to look around for what we need to get out of here. Just as I was on my way out, there were few guards around. This was thanks to both the match going on, since it was the final match of the season with some watching the fight, while the rest were busy loading up the surviving creatures from this season into cages to be shipped off to who knows where.

I was careful not to get ahead of myself as I snuck my way around. There were two crucial things I needed to achieve in order for me and Noir to escape. When I turned the corner of one hall, I had to quickly pull back as I saw a guard heading my way. Taking out the makeshift dagger, I waited for the stallion to pass me and quickly jumped onto his back, moving one of my talons to cover his muzzle before stabbing him in the neck with the blade. His muffled screams died down as the blood trickled down his chest and the last breath came out through his nostrils. Once I was certain he was completely dead, I dragged his body over to a nearby haystack they kept for most of the monsters’ bedding. I quickly searched him and found a set of keys that probably unlocked the cages. I tossed his body into the haystack and covered him up, kicked the dirt around where his blood was spilled, then continued down the halls.

Eventually, I had entered the main holding area where all the creatures were kept for transport. Luckily for me, there were only two unicorns in charge as they loaded up the beasts, who were placed unconscious for shipping.

I ducked down low as I stalked my way toward the first unicorn stallion, reading some kind of list that was probably the manifest of all the creatures, while the second was busy loading a cage that held a sleeping manticore. I got behind the stallion with the paper, grabbed him, and pulled him back, delivering three stabs to his head. Dropping his body, I sprinted over to the last stallion. He had turned just as I had pulled the blade up, but he was too late to stop me as I brought the dagger down through the eye of his helmet and into his skull.

I watched as his body fall to the ground with a clank as he drew his last dying breath. The handle of the blade had been covered in his blood, making it troublesome to hold onto, so I had to toss it aside and look for another weapon later. The saddest thing about all this was I felt no sympathy for him and the others I killed. Both me and Noir had agreed that in order for us to escape, we needed to do whatever it takes, even killing the guards. The likes of whom I cared little for as they made my life here a living nightmare.

With the deed done, I made my way over to the cages and proceeded to unlock each one of them as quietly as possible, leaving the doors open. With the first phase of our plan down, it was time to take care of the second. I had spent the last four years getting the layout of this building when I tried to escape, and there was always one area that I never explored. It was always the direction that Steel Horn would often come and go from, but was highly guarded. I prayed to whatever deity that was listening as I made my over to the unexplored area.

As I rounded the corner, I was overjoyed to see that none of the usual guards were standing there. Without wasting time, I quickly made my way down the hall and noticed that this particular area was a bit fancier, with red carpet that lined the floor and doors made of the finest wood. While walking, I saw a set of stairs leading up, which I am willing to bet is what leads to the main viewing booth that Steel Horn watches all the matches from. And just beyond those stairs was a door that reads, in big bold red letters:

Authorized Personnel Only!!

'This has to be it. There's no other place it could be.' Pulling out the keys that I got earlier, I tried each one on the lock on the door to see if any of them was the one I needed. Key after key, each one wasn't the right one, and I was soon down to one last key. 'Oh please, oh please!! Be the right one!!' I close my eyes, inserted the key, and gave it a twist. My heart was overjoyed as I heard the click, unlocking the door.

Opening the door, I was now in a room with what looked like a pedestal with a glowing stone on top. The stone itself was almost egg shaped with some weird marking across it that was giving off a red glow. "A rune stone?" These types of stones are incredibly rare, even forbidden in most parts of Equestria. They were said to have incredibly powerful magic in them, some that could rival one hundred unicorns.

Looking at the stone, the red glow was traveling down from the pedestal and into the ground. I followed the red lines of light until they moved toward one wall with a window that was in the direction of the…...arena. "This is what's making the barrier!" Now it made sense how Steel Horn could make such an incredibly strong barrier when there were fewer than ten unicorns here, minus the two I killed. "If I destroy this, then nothing will be keeping anything from flying out." I tried to pull the rune out from the pedestal, but it wasn't budging at all, like it was glued onto the thing.

After a few more failed attempts, I pulled back to think of some other way to break this stupid thing. While I was thinking, I could feel the ground shake again and hear the crowd chanting, followed by the roars of the hydra. "If I don't hurry, Noir may not last long." In frustration, I scratched the rune, trying to think of a way to break it. To my surprise, my talons left a small scratch in the stone. Not a deep one to stop the magic, but a scratch, nonetheless . And then it hit me; if I can't pull the rune off the pedestal to break it, then I'll just break it while it's on the pedestal!!

'Just hold out a little longer, Noir. I'll get us out of here in no time.' I ran out of the room to find a blunt object to use to break the rune, all the while hoping my friend is okay.

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(Toothless POV)

I crashed into the circular wall for the umpteenth time, my body falling down into the dirt. 'I am not okay!!'

For what felt like half an hour, this three-headed bastard has been kicking my ass up and down the battlefield!! At first, it wasn't so bad when I found out that my scales were flame resistant, but after realizing that this thing's heads come back with stronger scales the more you blow them apart was a pain. That’s unfortunate because my plasma blasts are my only means of defense since it has me outmatched and, technically, outnumbered. My speed and maneuverability does me little against an opening with multiple heads, having slight to no blind spots.

And what's more, my body is starting to ache and harder to move. Most of my battles were never this hard and long, combined with an opponent who’s probably as intelligent as myself, that is a recipe for pain with a hint of possible death. I needed something that could turn the tides back in my favor. Anything at all.

Without warning, the tail of the beast slammed into my side, sending me flying until I had hit the invisible barrier again. The moment I landed on the ground, the hydra unleashed another roar of flames, which prompted me to quickly shield myself with my wings. But the moment the flames ceased, I was once again at the receiving end of the beast’s tail, sending me soaring across the arena and slamming back into the wall. 'This shit is getting really old!!'

The crowd around us was eating it all up as they cheered and chanted while watching me get my scaly tail knocked around. It's a miracle that I'm not dead yet. I'm kind of grateful that this body is so durable, otherwise this fight would have been over ages ago. 'Glenda, what the hell is taking you so long!?!'

The hydra let out a menacing roar as it stomped its massive feet, stalking its way toward me, no doubt ready to end this fight. As I watched the hydra make its way closer, its heads lowered to the ground with hissing mouths opened wide. I noticed something particularly odd; when either the left or right head slithered a bit further than the middle, it would snap at them, getting them to move back. And like a bolt of lightning, it hit me; the middle head is the one in charge! It all makes sense now. Before, when I had aimed my first attack on it, the right head defended the middle head intentionally, and the same thing happened when I had circled around behind it.

But that doesn't help much considering that if I were to use my plasma blast on it, the other heads while just…...take the hit. 'That's it!!'

Before I could test my theory, I needed to get some distance. Crouching down, I waited until the hydra got close enough to within striking distance. When two of the three heads snapped their heads forward, I took off and flew straight up until I was only barely within an inch from the barrier. As I reached the peak of the maximum height, I unleashed a small barrage of plasma blast, as weak as I could make them. As predicted, both the left and right heads moved to quickly cover the middle, which was exactly what I needed. Diving down, I glanced at the left head's neck and confirmed what Steel Horn had said earlier about the hydra's scales. Only the parts that had regrown were made stronger, but anything below that was the same as when the fight had started. Taking this opportunity, I fired a full blast plasma breath at the base of the neck. Upon impact, the shot went clean through, snapping the left head off and falling to the ground. Without a second thought I fired three more shots in the exact same spot.

Before I could see the end result, the hydra twirled its body around to swing its tail at me. Thankfully, I had seen it coming and ducked down low, narrowly dodging it. The two heads hissed at me as they moved closer, but then suddenly stopped. They both turned their attention to where they had expected the left head to finally grow back, but had a startled expression when they saw it hadn't wasn’t. Instead, they saw a singed stump that looked like something was trying to push out.

And just like that, the tides had turned, for I had discovered its weakness. Panicking, the middle head tried to move in to tear away the burnt flesh to free the other, but before that head could get that close, I fired off another shot, smacking him straight in the cheek. What was more surprising was that, unlike my previous attacks on the other two heads, this time the impact causes the entire body stagger back. 'So it's not just the head in charge, it's the main head of the whole body.'

Not wanting to waste my opportunity, I fired at the right head’s neck, easily severing it and, like the one before, I shot three consecutive shots at the base where it had broken off, cauterizing it shut. Finally, fully recovered, the middle head could see that now it was the only head that remained of the three, and almost seemed terrified. I watched as it darted its head to try and remove the skin again, but I wasn't gonna give it a chance. I fired another lower blast, knocking it back again, and I wasn't planning on stopping. Blast after blast, I fired one after another, knock it back as I advanced forward. 'How do you like me now, you bastard!?'

"Amazing!! In a turn of events, Nightmare has turned the tables against his opponent!! That's our champion for you! He's not only dangerous, but as sharp as a whip!!" The audience was screaming in delight and disapproval as some were losing their bets.

I didn't give a damn who was winning or losing their bets. All I was focused on was owning this bastard. With each blast, I sent the hydra back, forcing its body to follow along until he was up against the invisible barrier. Now every time my shots connected with its head, it smacked repeatedly into the barrier. Hard. I continued this for a good while until his head finally stopped moving and fell forward onto the ground.

'Did I knock it out?' Carefully, I walked over to the unconscious hydra. I couldn't see its body moving, nor could I hear it breathing. 'Maybe all those blows to the head was too muc-' Without warning, the head lunged forward like a cobra snapping at its prey, jaws wide and fangs bared. With no where else to go, I was left with one option and advanced forward, quickly shoving my legs on its lower jaw while my arms held up the upper jaw.

I could feel it raising its head off the ground and swinging it from side to side, trying to throw me off and deal the final blow. I was stuck staring down it's esophagus as it flailed its head around, making it extremely difficult for me to stay put. When it realized that shaking me off wasn't going to work, I noticed it extending its neck upward so that it was completely straight. I hadn't any clue why until I could see a small light glowing from deep within its throat. It was about to unleash fire at me. At a distance, it wouldn't hurt, but at point blank range, it would have more force and do quite a bit of damage despite my heat resistant scales. It was in this moment everything felt like it was moving in slow motion, no doubt my brain trying to buy me time to think of something to react. In a moment of clarity, the scene of Toothless’ fight against the Red Death flashed in my mind.

Taking my biggest inhale that I could, I built up the fire in my gut before blasting it straight down the hydra's throat, causing an explosion at the base of its neck where the gas was about to be ignited. The explosion destroyed the neck, causing the body part to fall off its body. I pushed off and used my wings to glide down, watching the beast’s head fall to the ground.

As my feet touched the ground, I saw the middle stump was moving around, about to pop out a new head. I quickly fired four consecutive plasma shots at the base, burning it closed. For a moment, the legs flailed around as it slowly suffocated to death. Within minutes, the legs and tail creased to move and slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Everything in the entire arena was completely silent. Not a sound could be heard except for the rhythmic pounding in my chest as my heart’s threatening to burst. The silence didn't last long as the sound of a single set of hooves started to slowly clap, picking up in speed, and soon accompanied by more hooves until the entire arena was in an uproar of cheers and applause.

"THE WINNER: NIGHTMARE!!!" Steel Horn's voice boomed over the speakers as the crowds cheered, but I was far from happy because Glenda hadn't sh-. Before I could finish my thought, there was a bright flash above and a low humming noise. In the next instance, the once invisible barrier became visible and started to crack like broken glass. "What in Tartarus? Who's messing with the rune stone?!!" I could hear a panicked tone coming from the minotaur as the barrier shattered, falling to the ground in shards before disappearing as it hit the ground. The moment the barrier was gone, I could a cool breeze flowing into the arena, allowing me to smell fresh air for the first time since I got here. "What do you mean all the beasts are loose!?" Everyone in the entire stadium went dead silent. "What!?...The microphone is on…...Uh oh."

"We’re all gonna die!!!" One stallion shouted, which was quickly followed by the other spectators to scream and frantically stampeded toward the nearest doors, pushing and shoving each other out of the way as they tried to escape.

Without a doubt in my mind, I already knew who was behind this. Glenda. I turned my attention to the main vendor booth that the Minotaur was watching from, but noticed that he wasn't there. And Glenda hasn't come out yet like we planned. 'Something must've happened, or she needs help.' Summoning whatever strength had left, I fired one more plasma blast at one of the gates, busting it open and quickly running in.

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(Glenda POV)

It took me what felt like forever, but I finally managed to destroy that stupid rune stone. And for the icing on the cake, all the creatures started waking up after they smelled the blood from the two stallions. Now they were roaming around, and some were actually clever enough to bust down the doors that led to the main hall, where I could hear the sound of the snobby rich flankholes screaming in terror. All that was left was to find Noir, get out through air, and we are finally home free.

I had to carefully and quietly make my way to the arena as I saw one of the manticores gorging itself on the unicorn stallion body, easily tearing through his armor like wet paper. I almost felt bad…that manticore is gonna have an upset stomach later.

As I made my way to the arena, I had to duck and hide as a small group a timberwolves ran past me, chasing down an earth pony stallion. Once they were gone, I sprinted in the direction of the arena where Noir should be waiting. I couldn't hear anymore of the hydra's roar, making me wonder if he had actually won. Just as I was about to reach down to the corridor that lead to battlefield, a muscular arm grabbed me by the throat, picking me up and tossing me into a nearby wall. "You little bitch!!" I knew that voice and looked up in horror as Steel Horn was holding his battle ax, stomping over to me. "You broke my rune stone and set free my cargo, didn't you!?!?!?" He raised his ax up and was about to bring it down on me, but I was quick enough to roll out of the way and get back on my feet, backing away slowly. "I knew you were trouble the moment you tried to escape all those years ago, which was why I had your damn feathers clipped!! But this is the last straw!!'

He jumped forward, swinging his ax horizontally, leaving me no other option but to duck down. Big mistake as he quickly kicked me, sending me falling onto my back. Before I could get back up, he jumped on top of me, grabbing my throat as he pinned me down with his free hand while he raised his ax with the other. "This is where we bid farewell. Maybe I can use your corpse to lure back some of the creatures you set free."

I was completely helpless as I watched him pull his arm back, ready to bring down his ax. Because his hand was gripping my throat, I wasn't able to breathe or call for help. Steel Horn's hand started to move down, his ax ready to end my life. In this very moment, I only had but one regret. That I never told Noir- "RRRRAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!"

The ear piercing roar filled the hall, and the next thing I knew, Steel Horn's ax was blasted apart and his body was knocked away by a black tail. With the Minotaur's hand off my throat, I was able to take a big gulp of air and coughed as I inhaled too fast. "Shit!!" When I heard Steel curse, I turned onto my belly and saw that Noir was slowly creeping his way toward the minotaur, who was on his flank trying to back away until he found himself pressed against a wall. "Easy!! Easy boy!!" He spoke out as he was cornered by Noir, who was snarling and growling with his teeth bared. "Hey, hey, don't forget what I've done for you and your friend there. I bought you from that low life scum, Venandi, remember that!?" I couldn't believe it. He was actually begging for his life by saying he did us a favor? "If it wasn't for me, you and your friend would have died! I fed you, made you famous!!" And to my surprise, he raised his hand out like I would do when me and Noir were in the ring together. "W-we’re on the same side, you and me. T-Tell you what, I'll make you and your little friend there my partners. We could make so much money, and live the good life from now on." And to my horror, Noir stopped growling and wasn't showing his fangs, letting out a low purr. Steel Horn started to move his hand closer to Noir’s snout. "I'm on your side."

And for a moment Noir just stood there, not moving away or growling. Was he actually going to accept? In my heart, I was afraid that Steel Horn had actually gotten to him. But faster than I could blink, Noir opened his jaw and snapped them down on the Minotaur's hand and arm. "Aaaaahhhhh!!" He screamed as Noir dug his teeth deeper into his arm, jerking his head side to side until the arm ripped off, causing blood to gush out of Steel Horn's bicep. Noir tilted his head back, and in one fluid motion, gulped down the severed arm. I was nearly about to puke as I watch him lick his lips, then turned his attention back on the cowering minotaur, who was screaming in agony as blood poured out where his arm once was.

"Noir, stop!!!" He halted his advancement and turned to look back at me with his slitted eyes. "He's not worth killing. We don't have time to waste on him." He turned back and looked at him as he tried to crawl away, whimpering like a frightened foal. "Please, Noir, forget him, and let's get out of here while we still can." I know this isn't him. He wasn't this savage. He had a sense of understanding. When he turned back to me with his eyes back to normal, I felt my fears fade away. He made his way over to me and helped me back onto my feet. "Let’s get the Tartarus out of here." As me and Noir made our way to the field, I could hear Steel Horn screaming something, but paid it no mind as we were literally on the verge of freedom.

As we finally got out into the arena, we both stopped dead in our tracks at what we saw waiting for us. Eating a few pony corpses from the spectator stands, if their torn and shredded clothes on the ground was anything to go by, were the small group of Timberwolves, two manticores, and one yeti. They must have heard the screams from the ponies in the stands and came in here, and with the barrier down, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet for them, and yet oddly enough none of them went after the hydra's body or severed heads.Our presence hadn't gone unnoticed as one of the manticores roared at us, prompting the other predators’ attention. All of them turned away from their kills and started to move toward us.

I was about ready to hop on Noir's back and tell him to fly us out of here, but instead, he stepped forward and flared out his wings, unleashing a roar louder than I've heard him make. He continued roaring at the approaching predators, who didn't seem affected by his display of dominance. I was about to tell him to forget it when I noticed something going on with his back, more specifically his spikes. Before I could say anything, he moved his wings down, snapping me out of my thoughts. When I looked to see why he stopped, I was left bewildered as all the predators had stopped advancing and were now bowing down to Noir. My beak hung open as I watched all the creatures, who would have been tearing into us, submit to Noir. He gave a few more roars, but these weren't as menacing nor as loud as the one from before. I wasn't sure if he had just given them orders, but they started to disperse, the yeti and the timberwolves running out through one of the gates while the two manticores took flight and left now that the barrier was gone.

I didn't have a second to give what just happened any thought as Noir ducked his head underneath me, pushing me onto his back and took off faster than I was used to. I had to be careful as I tried not to dig my talons into his scales, gripping onto him for dear life. "I should have grabbed a saddle!!!"

As he climbed higher and higher into the air, I was squeezing myself onto him, eyes tightly closed. When I felt his body level out and the wind brushing against my face, I dared to open my eyes, and for the first time in who knows how long, all my troubles faded into oblivion as I stared at what must have been the most beautiful thing I've seen my whole life. We were gliding practically over the clouds, which made it look like a sea of white fluff. The cool breeze on my feathers and the warm sunlight, combined with the blue stratosphere, it was a beautiful sight to behold. I was so happy and entranced by it all that I failed to notice the vest I was wearing came undone and fell off, nor did I care since I didn't need it anymore.

When I looked down, I couldn't help but start laughing as I saw him hanging his tongue out, letting it flop in the air as his feet looked like they were paddling through water. Carefully, I leaned down to give his cheek a light pat. "Hey, bud, I know you're loving it up here and all, but we need to move back below the clouds if we’re going to find out where to go." He gave a low grunt, but nodded in agreement before slowly tilted his wings down, making us descend.

I had to close my eyes as the cloud vapors obscured my vision for a moment. Once we were below the clouds, I scanned the area around us. "There!!" I screamed, pointing ahead. Beyond a set of mountains, I was able to see the shambles of what remained of Griffonstone. Though it's not the most elegant place in Equestria, it was better than nothing. "Noir, do you see that, over beyond the mountains? That's Griffonstone! That's where we need to go!"

He looked back to give me nod, but I noticed his eyes began to trail elsewhere. Without warning, he turned his head forward and started to flap his wings harder and faster, picking up speed. "NOIR, WHAT’S THE RUSH!?" When I turned back to see what startled him, I quickly took notice of three armored pegasi flying after us. They had to be from the arena, and they were chasing after us to bring us back. Each of them held a spear as they picked up their own pace to try and match Noir. At the rate we were going, they catch up to us in no time. I was sure that Noir could handle them no problem, but with me on his back, it was a whole other story, and with my feathers still clipped, I wasn't any use. There was one thing I could do, but I wasn't sure if my partner was up for something like this. "Noir, listen, we're not gonna outfly them for long, especially in the condition your body is after that fight. But I have an idea on how we can escape, but you're gonna have to trust me, okay?"

He looked back at me for a moment, staring into my eyes before giving me a nod. I look around the mountain’s base until I spotted what I was looking for. "There! See that cave entrance!?" I pointed to a large cave opening that was at the base of the mountain. "That cave is actually a series of tunnels that we can take to get to Griffonstone! It’ll be tricky to navigate, but it's either that or being caught."

Without any hesitation, Noir tucked in his wings and started to dive down, picking up incredible speed. It was almost impossible for me to hold on as I had to squeeze my own wings close to my body so they didn’t accidentally spread out. Looking back, I could see that we had put a good amount of distance between us and the pegasi, but we weren't in the clear yet.

Once we had gotten low enough, Noir extended his wings to slow down our speed. But as he did, I could sense that something was wrong, and before long, it hit me. "Noir, quickly shut your wings again!!" But it was too late as a strong updraft blew from the mountain, throwing off his balance and causing us to spiral out of control in a nosedive.

Everything was spinning rapidly and I ended up losing my grip on Noir. Without my flight feathers, there was no hope of my surviving the fall. I was gonna die after finally escaping that horrible place. But just as I was about to accept my fate for the second time today, I felt something wrap around my body and my vision went completely dark.

Now all I could do was listen as the sound of wind whistling filled my ears. It went on for a good while before I felt an incredibly powerful impact, followed by a roar of pain. After the impact, it felt like I was rolling, then came to a stop after a few seconds. The darkness parted as whatever was wrapped around me let go. When I got up, I saw that they were Noir's wings, and he cushioned my fall while taking the hard landing. "Noir!!" I rushed over to his head and saw that his eyes were barely staying open. "Hey, come on now, bud! Don't you dare pass out on me now!!” Frantically, I looked around, hoping to figure out our bearings. And to my joy, not three feet away, I saw the entrance to the cave. "Noir, look! The cave! It’s right there! If we hurry, we can make it!!

My words must have sparked his consciousness as he raised his head to stare at the entrance. Slowly, he tried to get up, but when he tried to use one of his wings to push up, he jolted and let out a pained roar. When I took a look to see what was wrong, I saw that his wings were bent in an awkward position. His wings were broken. I turned my attention back to the skies, trying to search out the pegasi, spotting them quickly approaching us. They would be on us within a couple minutes. "Come on, bud, we need to get out of here now!!

He was able to slowly get up, but due to the crash, his body wobbled a bit. Helping him move, I started to push us in the direction of the cave. He gave off a few pained grunts, but he was doing his best to move as fast as possible as he limped forward. Eventually, we just made it inside, but the sound of wings beating could be heard from outside. Sure enough, when I turned around, I could see the stallions landing a good six feet away from the entrance and they began to charge us on foot.

I was panicking as I tried to think of something, anything to stop them. While I was frantically looking around, I glanced at the top of the cave's entrance. It was a gambit, but it was either that or go back to the arena. "Noir, I need you to fire one of your plasma blasts at the top of the cave entrance!" He gave me a rather confused stare, looked down further in the cave, then back to me, shaking his head. "Look, we don't have time to argue! Trust me, I know what I'm doing! These caves have other exits that we can get out of, but if you don't hurry, they'll catch us again!"

The pegasi were just about to reach the entrance. Noir lifted his head and took a deep breath, then fired a powerful blast at the ceiling above the entrance. The blast knocked down quite a bit of the ceiling, several large boulders covering up the entrance and submerging us in complete darkness.