Author's Note

Sorry, I forgot to press Publish after finishing!

My bad...

Gladiators Ch. 8 The Greatest Gladiator to ever disappear

It’s been 1 week since Twilight and her new crew of friends arrived back to Canterlot, and boy was their welcome something from outside this world.

As soon as they set foot off the train the whole royal guard was there to escort them back to the castle… Celestia had even sent her private limousine to fetch them, this event caused a massive parade with everyone in the streets cheering at the girls and Big Mac, who had boarded the train in Appleoosa.

And it went something like this:

“I wasn’t expecting this,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Yeah, I think Princess Celestia is going overboard,” said Twilight

“Well, I’m not complaining,” said Rarity as she rolled the window down and saluted everyone on the street

“That’s cause you like all this,” said Rainbow Dash

“And you don’t?” asked Rarity

“Showing off is not our style,” said Rainbow Dash

“OUR style?” said Rarity

The moment this was said Rainbow Dash realized it and turned red

“Still thinking about your loverboy?” said Applejack in a teasing manner

“There hasn’t been a day I haven’t,” said Rainbow Dash as she got in her face

This reaction irritated Applejack a bit, but she decided to let it go

“Girls, please don’t fight,” said Fluttershy,”

“OH! I wonder if there is going to be a party at the castle?” said Pinkie

“Hopefully not, we should start training as soon as possible for the world cup,” said Twilight

“OH, COME ON!!!!” all of the girls said

“This is goin’ to be pandemonium,” said Big Mac as he looked at the girls argue as they arrived at the castle.

Once inside the Castle, Twilight was tackled into a strong Bear hug By Celestia, who didn’t let her go for a good 5 minutes.

After finishing the greeting and the paperwork for the world cup, Celestia invited… more like, pushed everyone into the royal dining room for a massive welcoming banquet.

It was at this moment that they were joined by Flash Sentry, Derpy Whooves, and Dr. Whooves they were meant to be the remaining members of the team… except that Dr. Whooves was still recovering from a bad accident and his involvement in the games as a Gladiator was still under the terms “Maybe” or “Hopefully” or “Possibly”

But in the case he wasn’t allowed to, he had volunteered to be the team’s doctor for the contests.

Before the banquet’s end, Celestia stood up and decided to give a few words to her new team.

“Thank you all for accepting this challenge, I know that from many of you this is a new feeling, a new adventure, a new… experience, but I want all of you to know that I will be forever proud of all of you… once again, thank you all and, CHEERS!!!! TO VICTORY!!!!” she said

“CHEERS!!” everyone said as they took a zip of their respective drinks.

BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY

Today is day 4 of the training regimen that Twilight had put together for her new team, and you have to believe it was brutal:

Run 10 Km none stop, then do 100 push-ups, 100 crunches, 100 sit-ups, and a 10-minute plank, and that was just the warm-up, then they all had to learn how to use, position themselves, and defend against every known move in the world of Gladiating, and finally finish with either swimming or weight lifting… and that was daily.

So far, the only ones that hadn’t complained were Big Mac and Rainbow Dash, Applejack did complain at the beginning, but was used to it now… even Twilight was complaining about her creation, but she was ready to go through with it.

Well, today was the same, except for the fact that Derpy was nowhere to be found, and this irritated Twilight… a lot

“WHERE IS SHE?!!!” she asked

“Maybe she just pulled a muscle… you know they say it is good to rest your body after working out,” said Sunset Shimmer

“I know, but our bodies are different, heck, even Fluttershy is here and she is still lifting weights,” Twilight said as they both turned to face Fluttershy how was outdoing Big Mac with the amount of weight she was lifting compared to his.

“I bet his Manliness is suffering right now,” said Sunset Shimmer

“I must say, darling, what if Derpy took the day off, you’ve been working us down to the bone,” said Rarity as she walked up to the girls, her body wrapped in many towels

“You girls don’t know Derpy, she is 5 times tougher than I am a little pain is nothing for her,” said Twilight

The doors to the training compound swung open at that exact second, and in walked Celestia and Discord, followed by Doctor Whooves and Derpy.

“DERPY!!! There you are, we were worried about you… what’s wrong?” said Twilight as they all noticed that she was crying

“Don’t worry guys, these are happy tears,” she said

“I’m not following,” said Rainbow Dash as she walked up to the group

“You see I’m…” Derpy began

“Pregnant,” said Doctor Whooves

The moment he said this everyone erupted into cheers and went over to hug Derpy

“Congrats… who’s the father?” asked Fluttershy

“I am,” said Doctor Whooves

This answer made everyone cheer again, even Celestia was smiling, but then she said

“I know we are all happy, but this is a problem, Derpy can no longer compete, our squad is incomplete,” said Celestia

This realization hit everyone hard

“OH, DEAR! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!!!!” said Twilight entering panic mode

“Why don’t you just ask another member of the Royal Guard or the arena to join?” asked Rarity

“They are either representing another kingdom, are too tired, or injured to join,” said Discord

“Don’t you think we tried that already?” said Luna

“Makes sense… say, what position does Derpy play?” said Rainbow Dash

“Omnipresent,” said Derpy

“Fuck,” said Rainbow Dash

“Why? You have an Idea?” asked Celestia

“I did, but after I heard her position… it’s not going to work,” said Rainbow Dash

“Why not?” asked Pinkie Pie

“An omnipresent gladiator is a very rear position, as the name implies, they are expected to be present in every single part of the field, either taking attacking, defending, or supporting positions,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Wow, that sounds cool,” said Pinkie

“It may sound cool, but Omnipresent gladiators are supposed to be able to play in every single position, which implies that they have a grueling training regime,” said Fluttershy

“Worst than Twilight’s?” asked Pinkie

“For them, this is just warm-up,” said Big Mac

“Wow, they must be awesome,” said Pinkie

“Yes, but since it’s also a very hard position so almost no one plays in it,” said Discord

“Which means, it is really rare to find someone that can fit that position, and even more to find someone to do it for a reasonable price,” said Luna

“Luna, you’re concerned about a price tag!” said Celestia

“We may rule over one of the wealthiest kingdoms in Equestria, that doesn’t mean we have unlimited resources,” said Luna

“Don’t you know any other Omnipresent gladiator?” asked Sunset

“Unfortunately he is injured,” said DIscord as they all turned to see Whooves

“Sorry!” he said

“Nothing we can do about it,” said Flash

“SO, WAIT, there is nothing you can do?” asked Applejack

“It’s not so simple,” said Twilight

“Why, can you just get another winger and make them play like a bishop?” asked Applejack

“Wouldn’t be enough, the closest thing you can get to an omnipresent is a rogue, but no one plays that position anymore,” said Celestia

“Dash, ain’t you a Rogue?” asked Applejack

“I wish… oh if only Grim was here,” said Rainbow Dash

“Wait? Who’s Grim?” asked Discord

This made Rainbow Dash a bit angry

“If you have to know, Grim was-IS one of, if not THE greatest gladiator to ever live! He is the only Gladiator to have never lost a 1v1 match in his whole carrier, he broke more records than any other Gladiator ever, many of wish still stands today!” said Rainbow Dash getting in his face

“I see… touchy,” said Discord

“Agreed, I take it you were close,” said Celestia

“Yes, We were teammates in Parka for about 5 years,” said Rainbow Dash

The moment she said Big Mac’s head shot up

“Wait!” he said

“Something wrong bro?” asked Applejack

“No… Rainbow Dash, mind telling me how he looked, like, describing his attire or physical attributes?” said Big Mac

“Why?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Please,” He said

“Well, to be honest, I never saw him without his mask or armor, but I can tell you, he was as tall as you, muscular… a bit less than you Mac, and he had somewhat of a Canterlot accent,” said Rainbow Dash

The fact regarding his accent made Discord, Luna, and Celestia lift an eyebrow

“What about his armor?” asked Big Mac

“Well, as his name implies, it represented the Grim Reaper, a skull mask, a black hoodie, black-bone designed fingerless gloves, black pants, and black sneakers… OH! One time, I was able to see part of his face when he was putting his mask on…” said Rainbow Dash

“And?” they all asked

“I wasn’t able to see much, but I did make contact with his deep, piercing, green eyes… they were like to priceless jaded orbs… I could just stare at them for hours,” the second she said that she turned red and quickly turned to hide her face from her friends.

“Why are you askin’ all this bro? Know anything?” asked Applejack

“I think… say Rainbow Dash… he’s tail… was it long and scally?” asked Big Mac

“Well yes, we all knew he wasn’t Equestrian, but because of his accent, we put it off, we thought he was using magic to disguise it or look more intimidating,” said Rainbow Dash

“Then it was him,” said Big Mac

The second he said Rainbow Dash tackled him to the ground positioning herself on top sitting in his chest

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN “iT WAS HIM?!” DID YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH HIM? WHEN? WERE? WAS HE OK?!!!” she said before Fluttershy pulled her off allowing Big Mac to stand up

“It was a while ago, but yes, only that back then he represented himself as “Muerte” instead of Grim,” said Big Mac

“Wait so you did?” said Rainbow Dash as she was still being held back by Fluttershy

“Yes, in Marexas, it happened about 2 years ago…” said Big Mac

2 YEARS AGO

(“It was the annual Marexas Gladiator exhibition match party, Gladiators from all around the world came to Marexas to fight each other in a friendly 1v1 fight for the delight of the fans, but that year there was something different… everyone seemed to be… overjoyed… and I was about to learn why,” said Big Mac)

“What is all this racket for?” asked Big Mac as he got close to Troubleshoes and Caramel

“Apparently, someone is looking for a challenge,” said Caramel

“Why is that making everyone so excited?” asked Big Mac

“Well, this challenger is a former S-Division,” said Troubleshoes

“Wait… for real?” said Big Mac

“Yeah… and rumor has it, he is Grim…” said Caramel

“Grim?” said Big Mac

“Yup,” said Caramel

“THE Grim?” asked Big Mac

“Yup, and he is looking for a challenger,” said Troubleshoes

“You already said that,” said Big Mac

“Oh… well, he just defeated Bullhorn,” said Caramel

“Really? How bad was it?” asked Big Mac

“Bad… Dude held back, but I think he did mayor damage,” said Caramel

“That bad?” asked Big Mac

“Yeah… anyway, wanna fight him?” asked Troubleshoes

“Come on guys… Bullhorn is strong, even I have trouble beating him,” said Mac

“Yeah, but think of it this way, he lasted about 33 seconds in the ring, if you can last longer, then you will officially become the toughest male Gladiator in Marexas,” said Caramel

Big Mac looked at his friends and then at the ring not far away and said

“Ok… but if I die, you stay away from my funeral,”

“No promises,” said Caramel

“Just think of Sugar Belle and you’ll get the strength to fight,” said Troubleshoes as he patted him in the back

“How the hell can you give me love advice when you don’t even have a girlfriend?” said Big mac

“Mac, the coach doesn’t play the field, he just makes sure the players achieve victory,” said Troubleshoes.

“Anyway… good luck,” they said as they shoved Mac forward into everyone’s sight

“A FINALLY, WE HAVE A NEW CHALLENGER, EVERYONE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR BIG MACINTOSH ONE OF OUR VERY OWN GLADIATORS,” said the announcer

Big Mac was then showered with the light coming from the reflectors above

“No turning back now,” he said as he walked into the arena

Once he got up, he looked at his rival across the arena and immediately knew… it was going to hurt.

“Nice to make your acquaintance,” said the challenger

“You’re Grim ain’t ya?” said Big Mac

“No… just call me “La Muerte”, are you ready?” asked La Muerte

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” said Big Mac

“You know the challenge Mac, you must last at least a minute against La Muerte to win the challenge, are you up for it?” said the announcer

“I wouldn’t be up here if it weren’t the case,” said Mac

“That’s a good answer,” said La Muerte

“Gentleman… ARE YOU READY?!!!!” said the announcer

Big Mac nodded as they both got into a fighting stance

“FIGHT!!!” said the announcer
Then, just as Big Mac was about to charge, he lifted his gaze and noticed something that made him freeze like a statue.

Earlier, he was unable to make out any particular features of his opponent due to the light, but now, he had a clear view of a few of them, first, his claws that were emanating a green aura; second, his tail, the purple scales shined in the light making him realize that he’s opponent was far bigger than he thought, and lastly, and probably most terrifying of all, Big Mac was able to see through the thin black fabric that covered the eye sockets in the mask and notice his deep, piercing green eyes.

Milliseconds later Big Mac blinked and his world went dark...

“The last thing I remember was seeing his eyes and blinking when I came around again, I was laying at the other side of the stadium with paramedics checking to see if I was alive,” said Big Mac

“Was that the time you came back home all beat up and almost gave Sugar Belle a heart attack?” said Applejack

“Yes… he is terrifying,” said Big Mac

“That’s what makes him so awesome,” whispered Rainbow Dash, who turned red when she realized she was heard by everyone.

“Anyway… after the celebration was over, we talked a bit…” said Big Mac

“And it was at this point he told you he was Grim?” asked Rainbow Dash

“No… he never said he was… but he did tell me that he was heading back home after this celebrations and retire for good,” said Big Mac

“Home?! He never came back to Mareami!” said Rainbow Dash

“That’s because that wasn’t the place he called home,” said Big Mac

“SO, for him, Home was?” asked Flash

“Portezuelo, Mexicolt,” said Big Mac

“Are you sure?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Positive, saw him board the train myself,” said Big Mac

“So, all this time he’s been living down in Mexicolt, in a town a few hours away by plane… AND HE DIDN’T EVEN COME BACK TO SEE ME!!!” said Rainbow Dash

“Anyway, that was the last time I saw him,” said Big Mac

“So that’s where we must go!” said Twilight

“I don’t recommend that,” said Flash

“Why!” said Rainbow Dash

“Portezuelo is a very dangerous town, nothing there but criminals,” said Flash

“That sounded racist,” said Pinkie

“Believe me when I tell you, that was not my intention, but it is true, the town is owned by many Cartels who are always fighting for control, and all those who live there are involved with the cartels,” said Flash

“Really? But don’t they have a Gladiator arena?” asked Sunset

“Yes they do, but the Gladiators that fight there, are mostly henchmen or women for the cartels or street gangs,” said Flash

“So, if a big group of people goes there it will raise suspicions,” said Discord

“That’s what I mean,” said Flash

“Then I’ll go,” said Rainbow Dash

“That’s a bad idea,” said Flash

“And why is that?” asked Rainbow Dash

“First off, you are as calm as a ticking time bomb, you tend to get into fights, and most importantly… you don’t speak Spanish,” said Flash

Rainbow Dash, turned red and looked down sheepishly

“Then who can go?” asked Celestia, but seconds later, they all turned to see Twilight

“Oh no, I am not going down there, at least not alone,” she said

“But you must, you’re the only one here who can speak Spanish… apart of Whooves, but unlike you, he can’t fight right now… you are this team’s only hope again, Twilight,” said Flash

“But we don’t even know what he looks like, or more importantly if he still lives there,” said Twilight

“I’m pretty sure he does, he said somethin’ bout peacekeeping down there,” said Big Mac

“Plus, with the semi-physical description you’ve heard, I doubt it’ll be too hard to find him, I mean, I know a lot of Gladiators from Mexicolt, and many of them aren’t taller than me… but I doubt that any of them have scaly tails…” said Flash

“Or a lizardman like physic,” said Big Mac

“Well that’s more than helpful,” said Twilight

“If I'm not mistaken, the peace corps are settled in a town not too far from Portezuelo, I believe it’s… Marepic, go there and talk to the corps leader, they might be able to help you find him,” said Flash

“If you say so,” said Twilight

“Twilight, please be careful, this is even more dangerous than anything you’ve ever been against,” said Celestia

“Just look for him for a week, if you don’t find him, then come back and we’ll think of something else, understood,” said Luna

“Yes,” said Twilight

“Then go rest, I’ve already bought you a plane ticket to Marepic, it departs tomorrow at 8 AM,” said Discord

“Thank you,” said Twilight as she turned to face her friends.

THE NEXT MORNING IN MAREPIC, MEXICOLT

“...Please keep us posted on what happens ok,” said Rarity over the phone

“I will,” said Twilight

“Good Luck, Twily, we’ll be waiting for you,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Thanks, girls… Oh, got to go, I see my ride,” said Twilight as she hangs up the phone and walked over to a group of soldiers holding a sign with her name

“Hi, Are you Twilight Sparkle?” said one of them

“That’s me,” said Twilight

“I am Captain Rammer, these are Sargent Tulip and Captain Blizzard, welcome to Mexicolt,” said Rammer

“Thanks, so you guys are going to take me to Portezuelo?” asked Twilight

“No, we’ll get you to the base there Commander Xolo, will tell you what to do,” said Blizzard

“Commander Xolo? Who is that?” asked Twilight

“He is the leader of the Mexicoltian Peace corps, he’ll tell you how to enter the city,” said Tulip

“Understood, thanks,” said Twilight

“If you’re so kind as to follow us, please,” said Rammer as they escorted Twilight to a Hummer waiting outside.

LATER THAT DAY

“...So this is the girl with the death wish?! Seems awfully young… oh well, kids nowadays, death this death that…” said Xolo

“Commander Xolo, with all due respect, I don’t have a death wish, I am on a mission to…” said Twilight

“To go and find some old retired gladiator in a town of sin… listen, mija, that town is nothing but bad news, it’s been for years, I don’t even think you’d be able to find the person you’re looking for, you don’t even know if they’re alive,” said Xolo

“That’s true... but I have to at least try,” said Twilight

“No mames, all this for an old gladiator, what is he you father or something?” asked Xolo

“No, I’ve never met him in person, but he’s the only answer to our predicament,” said Twilight

“Por el amor de Dios, there is no way I can talk you out of it?” asked Xolo

“Not a chance,” said Twilight with a determined smile as she locked eyes with Xolo

Xolo started laughing “You know, you remind me of my daughter, Xochiquetzal, or Xochi for short,” he said

“Oh, and what happened to her?” asked Twilight

“She lives in Manehattan, she is a Part-time gladiator and model with her husband, what was his name?... Eh, Necalli! ¿Cuál era el nombre del tarado de mi yerno?!” said Xolo

“Bolt!” said Necalli

“That,” said Xolo

“Oh, I’ll keep my eyes open next time I go to Manehattan,” said Twilight

“Going back to the topic at hand… what is your plan?” asked Xolo

“Go in, look around for a week, and get out, with or without him,” said Twilight

“Sounds straightforward,” said Xolo

“It’s because it is,” said Twilight

“Except for these,” said Xolo as he places a few files on the table before them

“What is this?” asked Twilight

“Those are all of the risks you might face in the streets of Portezuelo, on the North side, you have the Manealoa Cartel and on the South side you have the Jaliscolt Cartel, both of them are currently fighting for dominance over the city… then you have the “Unidos” a group of defectors of each cartel who banded together to destroy the larger cartels and claim the land as their own… and finally, him…” said Xolo as he dropped a picture on top of all of the files

“Who is this?” asked Twilight as she took the picture

“This, Malnacido, is “La Sombra”, no one knows what or who he is, the only thing you can be sure of, is that if you run into him, you can start pray to God to pardon your sins,” said Xolo

“Is he really that bad?” asked Twilight

“You bet,” said Xolo as he dropped more files in front of her

“What are these?” asked Twilight

“May 5, 2 years ago, Manealoa cartel convoy ambushed, 20 gunmen in the convoy, no survivors, the cameras on the trucks all showed one assailant… May 7, 2 years ago, Jaliscolt cartel ranch attacked, 100 people inside, not including prisoners, all of which were freed, yet no member of the cartel inside the ranch survived, the security cameras all show one assailant, the same assailant as the previous attack… February 10th, 6 months ago, Both cartels had agreed on meeting to sign a truce, it turned into a full on bloodbath, especially when he appeared, 2 members, 1 of each cartel were “Allowed” to live by him as he disappeared into the night… and yesterday…” Xolo continued as he plopped a picture of a mutilated man onto the table, “the body of “El Poncho'' was found in the middle of the city with a sign painted in blood that said, “This is your last warning, free the innocent or you’re next,”... everyone in the city is terrified of him, everyday, we have at least 150 deserters who come to us asking for protection, or to put them in jail and throw the keys away, of course, we try to help them,” said Xolo

“That does sound terrifying,” said Twilight

“You know nothing, senorita,” said a man as he walked into the command center

“Who are you?” asked Twilight

“My name is Quecoh, I was one of the cartel members that he let live,” he said

“So you actually saw him?” said Twilight

“Yes… and I’ve got to say, I’ve never been more terrified in my life,” said Quecoh

“Yes, he was tall, maybe around 2 meters, maybe taller, other than that, he is extremely quiet, I mean, no one heard him coming, I didn’t even hear him breathe!!” said Quecoh

“So then, how did you know he wanted you to run?” asked Twilight

“I will never forget that moment...he towered over me, his claws covered in blood, and… his dead, green eyes staring into my soul… then he just moved his head in a way to say “run” and I said “Hora de correr a la verga!” and I ran for it, and I didn’t stop until I reached this outpost,” he said

“So this “La Sombra” what is his goal?” asked Twilight

“To be completely honest, mija, no one knows, he just appeared one day and the killing spree began,” said Xolo

“But he only attacks Cartel members,” said Twilight

“We know, but, his actions are making the cartels act recklessly, putting many innocent lives in danger,” said Xolo

“How come?” asked Twilight

“Over the last couple of months the cartels have been moving east, heading for Mexicolt City, they go through every city, town, or village they find and cause fear, many national guard soldiers have been sent to counter their advancements resulting in massive bloodbaths and gunfights, but they always retreat in the end,” said Rammer

“And he is the one causing this?” asked Twilight

“Esos malnacidos, they’re like… like… cucarachas… always running around infesting area after area… mierda, me gustaría matar a cada uno de ellos!” said Xolo

“Relax Xolo, that’s not our mission… yet, anywho, back to the proposition at hand, can you or can you not get her into the city?” said Rammer

“I can get her into the city, getting out is the problem,” said Xolo

“Why?” asked Twilight

“The cartel is always near the town border trying to see who comes in or out, of course, they do a lousy job and ignore the people coming in, for a few hours at least, but by then, you should’ve been able to find a place to lay low for a while… but when it comes to coming out, they are always ready to kill the “Traidores” that leave the city,” said Xolo

“Wait, I have to find a place to lay low?!” asked Twilight

“Not exactly, you only have to find a scout and they will guide you to the safe haven,” said Xolo

“How will I know where to look?” asked Twilight

“They must always were a blue hoodie, and black pants, and you see someone like that just say “Blanca paloma vuela libre” and they will say “Por el cielo azul por siempre” and that’s it,” said Xolo

“Right, thanks… when do we leave?” asked Twilight

“Immediately, just the thought of you being inside that town longer than needed is giving me anxiety,” said Xolo as he got up and headed for the personnel carriers

Twilight got up and followed Xolo only for Quecoh to grab her arm

“Senorita, Please be careful, just remembering that “Calaca” mask and his eyes… be very careful,” he said

“I will, thanks… cuidate mucho,” said Twilight as she walked over to the truck.

“Que Dios la cuide,” said Quecoh

AROUND 6 PM THAT EVENING

“This is a close as we can take you, just continue walking down this forest trail and you will be safely inside the city,” said Xolo

“Thanks, should I take the same trail out?” asked Twilight

“Yes… also, I hope you know how to fight, you might have to at some point,” said Xolo

“I do, thanks, take care,” said Twilight

“You, mija, we’ll be back at the end of the week, if anything happens use the “Bendicion” that we gave you, and we will come for you, ok?” said Xolo

“Yes, see you in a couple of days,” said Twilight

“Ve con Dios, mija,” said Xolo as he left in the truck.

Twilight turned and saw the trail before her

“Well… he better be worth it,” she said as she entered the trail

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Twilight had been walking nonstop through the trail, doing her best to keep her composure and bravery.

“Couldn't he have left me closer to the gate?... I know it’s riskier but at least I don’t have to be walking around in the dark, surrounded by bats, snakes, insects and… and… WHAT WAS THAT!!!” said Twilight as she heard a branch break nearby and she ducked beneath a fallen tree

“Apurate guey, no vaya ser que ya paso,” said a masked man as he and another figure began walking up the trail

“I… I estas seguro que se metio por aqui?” said the other one

“Guey, no me digas que le tienes miedo a la oscuridad?” said the masked man

“A-a-a la oscuridad no, pero no quiero toparme con la sombra,” said the other one

“Si seras idiota, que estaria haciendo hasta aca fuera?” said the masked one

“Bueno si pero, mejor prevenir que lamentar,” said the other man

“Eso digo, no dijo el patrón que si se metia o salía otra persona, que no volveríamos a ver la luz del día,” said the masked one as they passed by the fallen tree trunk where Twilight was hiding.

As soon as they were further away, Twilight did her best to move quietly towards the end of the trail, but to her luck, she stepped on a dry branch, snapping it and getting the men’s attention.

Instinctively, Twilight sprinted away towards the end of the trail

“¡¡¡ALTO AHÍ!!!!!!!!” they said as they began to chase after her

Twilight however, decided to double time it, praying to God that all the speed training that she had with Rainbow Dash helped somehow, and it seemed to work.

Twilight flew past the unsecured gates of the city, just as the 2 men started to shoot at her, but the bullets hit the edge of the corner where Twilight turned into to get away.

“Ya la cagamos verdad?” said the one of them

“Aún no, vamos a buscarla, y dile a los otros que nos vengan a ayudar,” said the man wearing the mask as they continued to run after Twilight.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Huff… Huff… Huff, that was close, but at least it looks like I lost them, now I just have to find the scout and I’ll be safe… AAAAAH!!” said Twilight as her phone rang

Twilight quickly grabbed it and muted it while answering the phone

“Rainbow Dash! What do you want?!” she asked

“Twilight, are you in Portezuelo right now?” asked Rainbow Dash

“No, I’m in Acapulcolt, sunbathing, of course I am,” said Twilight

“Ok, sorry to interrupt but I have to tell you something,” said Rainbow Dash

“Dash, I am well aware of your desperation to see him again but…” said Twilight

“Then shut up and let me talk… a few moments ago, we finished training, and the funniest thing happened, Big Mac was not looking where he was going cause he was on the phone with Sugar Belle, and he bonked his head with the door frame…” said Rainbow Dash

“Yes, that is funny, what about it?” asked Twilight

“Grim used to be the same, except that when it happened he usually said “Gosh darn it!” or “Mother-dang it!” said Rainbow Dash

“I still don’t know with that piece of information,” said Twilight

“It never failed Twilight, it happened all the time, and one of those expressions, and as you say, “Old habits die hard” this may help you find him,” said Rainbow Dash

“I’ll keep it in mind, now, if you don't mind, I’ll go back to running for my life,” said Twilight

“Right, good luck,” said Rainbow Dash as she hung up the phone.

“She is devoted, but I don’t think it’s going to help me find him… hey, that guy is wearing the colors that Xolo mentioned, I’ll go talk to him,” said Twilight as she walked up to the man walking down the street.

Twilight immediately noticed that he was really tall, especially for Mexicoltian standards, he was also really skinny, yet well built, and that for whatever reason, he was hiding his body with the hoodie.

“Um, disculpa...“Blanca paloma vuela libre” said Twilight

The man stopped and turned his head to look at Twilight and then, with a deep voice, he told Twilight

“Yo no le diría eso a cualquiera, si fuera tu… yo mantendré mi boca callada, pero ten cuidado señorita, aquí hay gente a la que no le gusta eso,” said the man as he walked away

For some reason, Twilight felt a shiver crawl down her spine, the energy coming from that stranger was… intimidatingly… homicidal.

However, 2 things caught her attention, 1, despite answering in Spanish, the stranger had an accent, like if he wasn’t from the area, and 2… he promised to keep his mouth shut, despite Twilight being told that they would shoot her on the spot.

“Maybe he’s new in town… Wait, there’s another one!” said Twilight as she walked over to him

“Disculpa… “Blanca paloma vuela libre” said Twilight

“Por el cielo azul por siempre” said the man

“Al fin te encuentro,” said Twilight

“I take it you come to flee?” said the man

“More like to seek refuge for a few days, I am looking for someone,” said Twilight

“Right, well, follow me but quickly,” said the man

“Right,” said Twilight as she followed the man down the street.

At first Twilight didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings until something hit her brain

“Wait a minute… why does he know english… I didn’t say anything to him in English… Second, why are the streets getting lonelier and lonelier?... and why does he have a gun in his hand?” said Twilight

“We’re almost there,” said the man

“Wait a minute! How did you know I spoke english?” said Twilight

“Your accent, I can tell you’re not from Mexicolt,” said the man

“Why are the streets getting lonelier?” asked Twilight

“Because, it is safer than to have the hideout in the middle of town,” said The man

“And why do you have a gun in your hands?” asked Twilight getting her magic staff ready

“That is to make you disappear,” he said as he turned and pointed the gun at her

“I knew there was something wrong about all this,” said Twilight

“Yes, well, your luck ran out, bitch… y ustedes qué esperan? Agarrenla!” said the man as many more appeared out of the darkness.

“Buena patrón, agarró a la espía,” said one of them who Twilight recognized from earlier

“Lo se, pero la próxima vez, yo mismo los pondré bajo tierra, entienden!” said the man with the gun

The rest of the men began to surround Twilight, but she was not going to have it, so she took out her staff and began chanting spells to attack the man.

“NO SE AGUITEN!!!” said the man with the gun as they all jumped to evade Twilight’s wild fire-magic

Twilight continued to shoot spell after spell, but in her desperation, she forgot that she didn’t have unlimited mana, and she was running out of it, so her spells were becoming weaker.

“YA ME HARTO A LA VERGA!” said the man with the gun as he pointed the gun at Twilight, only for her to aim a spell at him causing him to drop the gun and fly into the wall.

Twilight continued shooting, not realizing one of the men had flanked her and was now charging towards her.

“I have to get away, my mana is running out and… UFF!!!” said Twilight as she was hit in the back of her head and fell to the floor, losing consciousness.

“¡YA ESTUVO A LA VERGA!” said the man as he kicked Twilight in her back

“Ahora que hacemos con ella?” asked one of them

“Por qué no le damos una “Usada” y luego la matamos?” said one of them eyeing Twilight up and down

“Con tal de que nadie la vuelva a ver…” said the man that brought Twilight all the way there

“Ustedes no aprenden verdad?” came a deep demonic voice

This made all of the men look around hysterically

“Es el!” screamed on of them as he pointed to the roof a nearby building

“N-no te tengo miedo!, No sabes quien es mi padre?!” said the man that led Twilight to the ambush

“Claro que sí, yo lo maté… y ahora, a ti también,” said La Sombra as he got up and summoned flames to his arms, hands, and claws.

“DISPAREN, MATENLO A LA VERGA,” said the leader

And with that everyone opened fire at La Sombra, but none of their shots seemed to do any damage.

Then La Sombra got down on all 4s and leapt off the roof, bullets flying around him non-stop.

As he got closer to the group of men, he pulled his left arm back as if he was going to punch his target, only to lunge it forward and pierce the chest of one of the men as he landed on top of him, killing him instantly

“Matenlo, MATENLO!!” screamed the leader as they kept firing at him, but the bullets bounced right off him.

La Sombra then lunged at the remaining men.

One by one, they all fell to the ground dead, until it was only the leader left.

“Alejate de mi!” said the leader as he back away from him

La Sombra turned to face him

“¡No te me acerques!” Said the leader as La Sombra began to walk towards him

During this whole time, Twilight had been in and out of consciousness, trying to have a good look at her hero, or her murderer.

At that exact time the Leader lifted his gun and aimed it at a Sombra’s head

“NO TE ACERQUES!!!!!” said the leader as he got ready to pull the trigger.

La Sombra however, took one more step, and in a swift move, chopped the leader’s arm completely off.

“ARGHH!!!” he screamed as La Sombra grabbed him by the neck and began to choke him “Piedad, por favor, piedad,” said the leader

“Cuantas personas te dijeron lo mismo, y las ignoraste?” said La Sombra

The Leader remained quiet

“Crees que mereces piedad?” said La Sombra

“Dinero!... tengo dinero, mucho dinero, tómalo todo!” said the Leader

“El dinero no compra una vida,” said La Sombra as he broke the leaders neck killing him.

La Sombra then turned to look at Twilight, and when he saw the condition she was in, he quickly scooped her up and took her away.

The last thing Twilight saw before passing out was La Sombra’s deep, piercing, green eyes, looking at her.

THE NEXT MORNING

Twilight awoke to the sound of birds singing and the warm sun hitting her face.

“W… where am I?” she said

She got up and looked around the room, it was a very plain room if you asked her, white walls, a blueish ceiling, and white curtains on the only window in the room.

“The last thing I remembered was… the fight, and La Sombra looking into my eyes… OH NO! DID HE KILL ME?! AM I IN HEAVEN!!!!... Although, he had really beautiful eyes… WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!!!” thought Twilight

Just then she heard the door knob rattle a bit, which caused her to turn her head towards the door and see who the visitor was.

When the door opens, a tall figure.

Twilight was mesmerized by this person, not only did he look elegant, but Twilight also realized he wasn’t even an Equestrian, but a Reptilian of sorts.

He had deep purple scales covering all of his body and green scales from the top of his skull to the back of his tail

She could also tell that he had a lot of muscle, despite the fact that he wasn’t bulky at all, but most importantly, were his deep, green eyes that lit up when he saw her sitting down.

“Oh good, your awake,” he said as he walked over to her “Sorry, I didn’t know what you liked so I made some pancakes with both chocolate and Maple syrup, but if you don’t like them I can go make you something else,” he said in a deep, dead, yet polite voice.

“Thanks, that’s perfect… how did you know I spoke english Mr.?” said Twilight

“Spike, my name is Spike, and to answer your question, I saw your phone and saw that you had a few messages in english,” said Spike

“Oh… where am I?” she asked while she gulped down the Pancakes

“You are in my clinic,” said Spike

“Oh… WAIT, CLINIC!!!” said Twilight

“Well, yes, when I found you you were unconscious and in a very bad shape, so I took you in and here we are,” said Spike

“Wow, thanks for everything…” said Twilight, until she noticed something.

When she looked back down she noticed that she was no longer wearing her Gladiator Gear, but a hospital robe.

This realization made Twilight look up at Spike with a red face

“Nothing happened, but I had to remove your gear to assess the severity of your injuries, I even took the liberty of washing them and hanging them in the closet outside, trust me,” said Spike

“Thanks… so, what type of doctor are you?” asked Twilight

“Originally, a surgeon with experience in General, Orthopedic, and Cardiac types of interventions, now… I’m a ripperdoc,” said Spike

“And what do you do?” asked Twilight

“Legally, I work specifically with Gladiators, such as yourself, illegally, I am tasked with modifying gladiators' bodies and abilities… luckily, I am yet to do that,” said Spike

“Why haven’t you?” asked Twilight

“Cause it’s cheating… and, because I don’t like either of the 2 cartels in the city,” said Spike

“Oh… I take it you’re not from here?” said Twilight

“Correct, I am a Dragon, yet I was born in Canterlot,” said Spike

“Wow, really?” asked Twilight

“Yes… changing the subject, what possessed you to come all the way down here, to Narco city… princess?” asked Spike

“Princess?” said Twilight

“You ARE Twilight Sparkle, Right?” said Spike

“How do you…?” Twilight said

“Know?... simple, I read the papers… Mid table, 3rd division, gladiator at the Canterlot Arena, special abilities are strategic planning and Speed casting, called the Princess for being Princess Celestia’s apprentice… you started your training when you were 8 years old, had your first battle in the lower divisions when you were 21, and reached the 3rd division when you were 24, and now, you are doing some sort of Goliath training to tone your physical skills faster, which is not a good idea,” said Spike

“That wasn’t in any paper,” said Twilight

“No, I can tell by looking at your body… no sexual comment intended,” said Spike

“That was amazing,” said Twilight

“Thanks… now, your answer,” said Spike

“Well, I came here to look for someone,” said Twilight

“A family member?” asked Spike

“No,” said Twilight

“Lover?” asked Spike

“No,” said Twilight

“Person of interest?” asked Spike

“NO! I am looking for someone to join the Gladiator team in Canterlot,” said Twilight

“That’s interesting, anyone in particular?” asked Spike

“Yes, they call him Grim,” said Twilight

The second she said that, Twilight noticed something, despite the fact that Spike’s face did not change, his scales had lost some color.

“Grim… as in the Gladiator?” said Spike

“Yes, that same one… do you know him?” asked Twilight

“I’ve... read about him, so, do you know where to find him?” asked Twilight

The moments Twilight went silent Spike knew something was off

“I take it you don’t” said Spike

“To be honest, I don’t know much about him, only a small physical description and the fact that he lives here,” said Twilight

“So, you’re telling that you came all the way here, to look for someone, who you’ve never met, don’t know what he looks like, nor know their name… and you thought it was going to work,” said Spike

“Well… yes,” said Twilight

“Oh, the world we’re living in… anyway, feel free to use my clinic as your base of… operations, at least until the end of the week,” said Spike as he got up

“Why?” asked Twilight

“I’m currently packing to leave the city,” said Spike

“Oh, any sort of trouble?” asked Twilight

“Well, it’s not because neither of the 2 cartels in the city like me because I refused to help them and now my head has a price tag, but, the lease has gotten to expensive,” said Spike as he walked towards the door

“Anything I can do to help?” asked Twilight

“Not that it would do anything to help me, but thanks… Also, if I were you, I’d speak solely in Spanish… you wouldn’t like to attract the wrong crowd,” said Spike reminding her of the events of last night

“Thanks, I will,” said Twilight

“I added a robe to your gear, that way you can hide your identity better,” said Spike as he began to walk out of the room, when BOONK “Mother-dang it!” he screamed as he banged his head on the door frame, exiting the room, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts.

“Oh, my God, he is hot… wait a minute… that accent, his height, his race, the expression that Dash told me about… and those deep, beautiful, green eyes… OH NO! I’M TURNING INTO RAINBOW DASH… but he does fit the description to a T… even his reaction when I mentioned Grim, it was subtle but still, he didn’t seem too happy,” thought Twilight as she got up and headed out of the room to collect her things.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Twilight was done changing into her fixed and cleaned gear, she was only missing her Staff, which she was now looking for everywhere.

“Where is it? Maybe I should ask Spike if he knows where it is… nah, no need to bug him even more, he’s already too nice letting me freeload for the next week… oh, I haven’t checked that closet!” said Twilight as she walked over to the last closet on the hallway.

When she opened the closet, she noticed that it wasn’t empty, but that it contained some sort of armor.

When she looked closer to it she noticed that it was a black hoodie with metal plating underneath acting as a shield, a pair of black pants just like the hoodie with the same modifications, a pair of black tennis shoes with modified swoles, and most impressive and possibly confusing of all, in a crystal box near the back of the closet, was a Grim reaper mask, that looked exactly like the one from the mural and pictures.

“What the?” said Twilight as she grabbed the box

“Hey Twilight, I forgot to put your magic staff with your armor, here… it… is,” said Spike as he noticed Twilight holding the crystal box and looking at him “You weren’t supposed to see that,” he said

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Twilight paced back and forth in the room she had awoken just minutes ago, while Spike sat on the bed holding the mask, while looking at Twilight.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was you?” said Twilight at last

“Cause I wasn’t planning to,” said Spike

“You could’ve, I mean, I came all the way here just for you,” said Twilight

“You didn’t have to,” said Spike

“You don’t get it do you Spike, you’re our team’s only hope,” said Twilight

“I’m sorry, I’m not Grim anymore, I… I… I retired, and I have no intention on going back… besides, with all the money in Canterlot, mom should be able to afford someone better, but knowing her, she doesn’t want to pay,” said Spike

“What?!” said Twilight

“What, What?” asked Spike

“You said your mom could afford someone better,” said Twilight

“Ah… Shit!,” Spike muttered under his breath

“And the only person you could mean with that is… GASP! CELESTIA IS YOUR MOTHER?!!!!” said Twilight

Spike remained silent for a few seconds and then said

“She’s not my biological mother, she adopted me at birth, but yes,” said Spike

“HOW DID THAT HAPPEN… MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY DID YOU LEAVE!!!!!!!” said Twilight as she got into his face

Spike just got up and walked up to a window

“It’s a long story,” he said

“I’ve got nothing but time,” said Twilight as she sat down on the bed

Spike looked at her and then began narrating

“Ever since I can remember, I knew I was different, I mean, I looked at the man and woman who raised me and I could tell I looked nothing like them, so one day, when I was around 10, I asked my mom why I was different and she explained everything to me…”

“Your real parents were adventurers from the Dragonlands, maybe they weren’t the greatest ever, but they go the job done one way or another, their names were Smelter and Aykaro, I never got to meet them personally, but I thank them for giving us you,” said Celestia

“Well, after that I grew a bit bitter, words of my mom, and became even more of a loner, as if my current situation at school wasn’t enough… then one day, mom told me she was pregnant, and a some time later Eris was born by then I was 13 years old, and although I have to admit, I love my little sister, every time I saw mom and dad playing with her, there was something in my heart that said “You must leave, they aren’t your family, let them be happy” and so, I began to plan my leave,”

“For me, schooling was never a problem, I always got good grades, to the point a skipped a few and graduated when I was 15, but by then I had hit a wall, I didn’t know what to do with my life and that infuriated me… after sometime of thinking, a thought came to my mind “Why do I live here and not the Dragonlands and what happen to my real parents?” so I decided to go to the person that I knew had all the answers… Nurse Redheart, and so I did,”

“At first it was really hard to convince her to tell me anything, but after a few months of me persisting, she finally broke and told me everything

“Your parents didn't abandon you… they died… I remember it as if it was yesterday… from what I gathered, my parents actually conceived my egg while they were Questing near the Crystal Empire, and do to the rules that the Dragonlands had at that time, I was not welcomed, so they were denied access to the city, the guards told them “it’s you or the egg”, my parents chose me, and my father was granted a special permit to head into town and collect all of their earning and as many possessions as they could take, and so they did… after that my parents went from town to town, looking for a new place to call home, but since the war was recently over, there was still so much prejudice and racism going on, no one was willing to help them, that is until my father ran into his brother in the town of Las Pegasus, it was there were he told him that the Gladiator arenas were starting to get popular, and towns are looking for warriors to partake on the challenge… at first for them it seemed like a good idea, but then, they decided against it, that was when he told them about a city called Canterlot, that had just recently changed hierarchy and were doing all they could to become the first openly multy-racial city in the country, so they decided to head over and try there,”

“It took them sometime, and since at that point and time, the train didn’t connect with Las Pegasus, they had to walk the last part of the trip… when they were about 6 miles out, they were ambushed by a group of thieves, my father stayed back to allow my mother to run to the city, unfortunately, he was easily defeated and killed right were he stood, my mom however, managed to make it all the way to the gate, but before she was able to alert the guards, the thieves fired various arrows towards her, at first they didn’t work because of the scales, but then, they changed to magic rifles and they shot her various times, by then the guards had realized what was going on, and opened fire against the bandits, killing some of them, and capturing 2 others,”

“When they reached my mom, she was in very bad shape, but she was still alive, most importantly, I was about to hatch, so they quickly transported her to the city hospital, where Nurse Redheart and the doctors did their best to save her life, but it was futile, my mother passed seconds before I hatched… No one knew what to do, they wanted to through me out, but Nurse Redheart was against it and took care of me until I was healthy enough… that same day, Princess Celestia and Discord where at the hospital, they had heard what had happened at the border and wanted to know the outcome… the doctors told them everything, except that I had survived,”

“They were about to leave, when nurse Redheart took Celestia by the arm and pulled her to the incubators, and that’s when we met for the first time… Nurse Redheart told Celestia and Discord everything, she even got on her knees and begged them to adopt me, to which Discord was a tad weary about,”

“We know nothing about them, and their diets are too different from ours, it wouldn’t work” he said, but Nurse Redheart was determined to have them take me, “Believe it or not, after a dragon hatches from their egg, they become almost like us Equestrians, their mothers have breastfeed them too… still Discord was a bit defensive, but Nurse Redheart persisted, “I can give you some serum, if you ingest it, it will give him the necessary nutrients until he is old enough to eat solids”... “That clears the baby to toddler part of his life, but, then?” said Discord, “Dragons are omnivores, they eat anything they find tasty, just like us, so there shouldn’t be any problem,” she answered”

“Throughout the whole conversation Celestia had been holding me in her arms, listening to everything, but, Nurse Redheart told me that she didn’t seem to keen on the idea, until, while she was trying to remove part of the blanket from my face, I moved my tiny hand and grabbed her finger, it was at this point that Nurse Redheart said it changed everything,”

“She became hysterical, she was saying, “Where do I sign!” like crazy, so Nurse Redheart called a social worker and they filed the paper right then and there, and from that day on, I was part of the royal family… but, things weren’t perfect yet...”

“Since the day she met me, Celestia felt a deep bond with me, so we could all tell that she wasn’t happy… So one day, she went over to the jails and decided to interrogate the bandits that had been arrested… According to one of the guards “She was like a Devil on steroids that day, she didn’t take well to one of them who kept being a smartmouth with her”... one of his responses infuriated her so much, she actually killed him on the spot… Then she turned to the female bandit and after seeing the corpse of her friend, she sang like bird, she told Celestia everything, names, roots, hideouts, ages, anything she wanted, after that she left town for a few days, no one understood it… although, during this time, I have to admit, I grew closer with Discord, even learning a few of his quirks,”

“When Celestia returned, everyone was scared… she was covered head to toe in blood, no one dared to ask why or how, but she had a smile on her face, which grew wider when she saw me, to the point that she said “Mommy’s home,” as she hugged me,”

“I later found out that she had hunted down all of the remaining bandits and slaughtered them… from that day one, I grew afraid of her, so I made sure not to anger her… EVER!”

“I stayed there for 2 more years, thinking and thinking of what to do… until one day, I just decided to pack some of my belongings and leave… I remember it very well, when Celestia and Discord some me heading for the gate of the castle with my luggage they, literally, jumped out of the balcony… they tried to stop me, telling me that I didn’t need to leave, but I told them I had to, I had to find myself, understand what I was placed in this world for, and if I stayed, I wasn’t going to be able to,”

“It took over a few minutes to convince my mother, but Discord was finally able to convince her… then I saw Eris running up to us… I’d never forgotten the last words we said to each other.

“Big brother, where are you going?” she asked

“I’m going on a trip,” I said

“Oh, can I come?” she said with a smile

“No sis, your place is here, mine isn’t” I said

“This made her really sad, she even started to cry and hug my leg to stop me from leaving, but Discord helped me out… that’s when she said “Will I ever see you again?”

“Is the sky blue?” I said with a smile

“Yes,” she answered as she wiped her tears away

“Then there’s your answer… take care of mom and dad for me, ok,” I said as I hugged her

“After I left, I discovered how hard life could be. Everywhere I went, I saw hardship, unfairness, sadness, and suffering, especially with none-Equestrian races… I even got to experience it myself,”

“Before leaving, Discord gave me some money to help me with some expenses, they didn’t give me more because I told them I was going to study and work at the same time, but, I was wrong, no one wanted to rent to me or hire me, because I was “impure”, even the Dragonlands didn’t allow me to enter… so I had no choice but to live on the streets for a while,”

“While leaving in the streets I arrived at the Tall Tale. That was hell for me, people even ran to the other side of the street to avoid me… when night fell, I had nowhere to go, so I just sat down in the stairs of an abandoned building… while I was sitting there, an old man came up to me and asked me if I had money for food, I gave him a $10 bill and told him it was all the money I had, he then asked me if I was homeless, and I told him yes, he then told me to follow him into the building, it was there were I discovered a whole community of homeless people, they were all of different races, and they quickly took me in as one of their own… for the first time in so long, I felt… welcome… at home,”

“I stayed with them for a bit over a week, until one day… while I was walking down the streets doing nothing, I was witness to one of the most inhumane things I‘d ever seen… across the street was a group of young men, 3 of them, I could tell they were 5th division Gladiators because of their extremely flashy armor and stiff movements, when I looked closer I saw that they were kicking someone who was in the floor, that was when I noticed who it was… it was Red, one of the oldest members of the group,”

“I immediately ran across the street yelling at them, sure enough, it worked. When the 3 cowards saw me, they ran away screaming like little girls… Red was in bad shape, but alive, I was able to call the police and they took Red to the hospital,”

“While at the hospital, the police did nothing, they even laughed at the situation, to which I confronted them “Is that how you treat people around here?” I asked

“People? You don’t count as people you don’t even have a home,” one of them laughed

“That’s when I handed him my and Red’s ID’s… the look on their faces was priceless, they didn’t know that Red was a war vet. And that he had saved everyone in town all by himself… and when they saw my last name and my parent’s information, they quickly fell to their knees and beg for forgiveness… of course, I had none,”

“They immediately took Red’s statement and contacted the Gladiators’ families, of course, they didn’t care, except for one family who were willing to pay for the medical bills and for finding him a good assisted living facility… Red was against the idea, but I was able to convince him, that was the last day I saw him… I heard he went to Phillydelphia to live with his son who had recently been elected Mayor of the city… he died last year, surrounded by family and friend,”

“As for the gladiator’s involved… I took care of them later on… but that day, I learnt what I wanted to do… I wanted to be someone who helped those who didn’t have anyone, who were casted aside by society for being different… that day I decided to become a doctor”

“Unfortunately, the Tall Tale medicine school, did not want to accept someone from another race in the school and so, I decided to move down to Mareami, I had seen that the medical school there was allowing many different races, so that’s how my academic life began,”

“Luckily for me, I had decided to bring my diplomas and certificates from school, even the one that showed the scholarship I had earned… unfortunately, it only covered 1 semester, so I had to work to earn the rest,”

“But as you can imagine, my laboral luck didn’t change, then one day, I was walking around town, I came across the newly opened Gladiator Arena, I decided to go check it out, and while I was there, I accidentally bumble into someone,”

“Are you planning on joining the arena?” he asked

“No, I’m not of the legal age,” I answered

“Well, how old are you?” he asked

“19,” I answered

“Then register, right now they are building the different divisions, so they are taking anyone, as long as they are over 18,” he said

“I’ll think about it,” I lied, and left, later that week I discovered that students weren’t aloud to be Gladiators, to be honest, I don’t remember why… anyway, I decided to work doing gigs, and I was able to save some money, but I was doing the bare minimum, and at that rate I wasn’t going to have enough to pay for the next semester… so after a terrible day of work, I decided to go to a nearby supermarket, and buy a pair of black sneaker, black pants, black hoodie, some gloves, and a skull mask, thus Grim was born,”

“After that, I left to register, and I was lucky, that was the last day to register… and thanks to it, I got a $2,000 bonus, which helped me with studies,”

“I actually had some trouble at the beginning, although by then I was called “Unknown” but I was always getting beat up, since I didn’t have any fighting experience… so, I thought of something… if I didn’t have the experience yet to fight, then I’ll learn where to punch to cause most pain and win the matches quicker, so for the rest of the season, I studied extra to learn everything I could about anatomy… this also helped me with my clases, since I was going ahead of the professor, it gave me more time to regain my strength,”

“After some more fights, I was able to perfectionate my strategy and I won a match… but it was still not enough, and since I didn’t like using weapons, i decide to turn my body into one, so I headed to the universities MMA club, and joined, it was there were I learned to fight properly, and by the end of my second season, I was already one of the most feared Gladiators of the lower divisions,”

“However, I still had to win promotion by fighting another gladiator, and how my luck smiled to me, when it turned out to be one of the ones that had attacked Red 2 years ago, and he was still bragging about it… that made me lose it… the last thing I remember was the bell announcing the start of the fight, and then it all went black… when I came around, the other guy was laying in a pool of his own blood at the other side of the arena… he was alive… but he’d never fight again… the whole thing lasted about 20 seconds,”

“After that… I became the crowd favorite, and people came from all over Equestria just to see my fights… to be honest I began to fear what I was becoming but the money was good so I decided to keep up with the show, I was even able to pay the full amount of my studies, of course, I told the lie that my parents were sending me money… I was even able to move out of the room I was given at the University and get away from my sex and drug crazed roommate,”

“After that fight, I ascended to the 4th division, and that is when I met Master metal and joined Parka… but I believe you already know about all that… those were the happiest years of my life… until I earned my diploma… after that I heard of a small booming city in Mexicolt that had recently opened an arena and were looking for qualified medical specialist to take care of the injured Gladiators… that day I retired,”

“I lived here for 2 years, and it was heaven, it thought that for the first time in forever I had found my place… and then all hell broke loose, the cartels came into the city, bringing their blood money investments, and scarring everyone away, and those who stayed decided to join either of them while the city became a narco city… of course, I was forced to stay, didn’t have anywhere else to go… then came the threats “You help us or else,” that was the drop that overflowed the glass, I decided to take the town back by myself, give the peace corps. Some help from the inside… and then I met you… picking a fight with one of the leaders of the Marealoa Cartel. What were you thinking?” said Spike as he turned to see Twilight

“I didn’t ask for it,” said Twilight

“You came here looking for me, despite the fact that you didn’t know the least thing about me,” said Spike

“You’re right… but I found you,” said Twilight

“And you almost got yourself killed… who told you about me anyway?” asked Spike

“Your former teammate Rainboom, she is a member of the Canterlot team and she recommended you.”

“Dash?... even after all these years she remembers me?” said Spike

“Yet, she didn’t know where you were, but then, another member of the team, Big Mac, said that he had battled against you in Marexas 2 years ago, and saw you take a train to Portezuelo,”

“Oh, that massive farm boy… yeah, I remember him… I didn’t ruff him up too bad, right?” asked Spike

“Nah, he’s tough, you almost gave his wife a heart attack though,” said Twilight

“Heh, good,” said Spike

“Spike… I know you had it rough, but, please reconsider, your parents and sister miss you greatly, and Rainbow Dash misses you too, she was almost driven to insanity… and we need you in the team,” said Twilight as she placed a hand on Spike’s shoulder

“I’m sorry… I can’t go back,” said Spike

“Why?!” said Twilight

“How can I face them, I am no longer the kid they raised, the teen they protected… the teammate they remember… I’ve become a monster… a mindless, bloodthirsty killing machine… I’ve lost, it’s safer for all of you that I stay here, far away,” said Spike

Twilight remained silent for a few seconds, not knowing what to do or say

“I recommend you get out of here fast, things are going to get ugly,” Spike said looking out the window

Twilight nodded in defeat, she knew she wouldn’t be able to convince him, she quickly grabbed her things and headed for the door, but before she left she turned back to see Spike and said

“Thanks for everything Spike… But please don’t forget… a loser is not someone who loses a fight, but he who gives up before the fight begins,” as she walked out.

Spike turned his neck to look at the now closed door, and then at the mask on the bed, and finally out the window.

MINUTES LATER IN THE STREET

“Man, that was pointless… Well I don’t really blame him for being afraid of going back, so much has changed, and he has also changed by the looks of it, despite the fact that he is extremely attractive… OH GOD NOT AGAIN! Oh dear Twilight, you’ve lost it… you’ve turned into Rainbow Dash,” Twilight thought as she walked through the streets heading for the secret entrance of the city.

Just then, she looked up and saw a massive convoy of at least 50 heavily armored trucks and heavily armed men heading towards her.

She hoped they were going to ignore her, but to her bad luck, the convoy stopped right in front of her and aimed their weapons at her.

Twilight froze as a man go off one of the trucks and stood in front of the convoy

“We finally find you, puta,” said the man

“What do you want?” asked Twilight

“To send a message to the Peace corps. STAY OUT!!!” he said as he pointed his 9mm gun at her.

Twilight was frozen with fear

“Any last words?” asked the man

“What can I do? My magic barrier wouldn’t be enough to defend me against all that! Oh lord, please help me!” she said

Just as the man was going to pull the trigger a deep, dead voice said

“I knew you were cowards, but this is a new low,”

Everyone turned and saw Spike on the roof, wearing his famous attire minus the mask

“So it was you all this time, La Sombra, is actually La Lagartija,” said the man as everyone laughed

“Let’s see who’s laughing at the end,” said Spike

“Hah, haven’t you seen, I have all of my men here, there is no way you can defeat us… MATENLOS!!!” screamed the man

Everyone pointed their guns at Spike and Twilight

“Let’s see what you think about this!” said Spike as he began to move his hands in weird ways

“¿Qué está haciendo?” asked one of the man

“¡Oye, no me apuntes con eso!” screamed another one as everyone turned to see that many of the men present were aiming their guns at each other.

“¿Qué está pasando?!” said one of the man aiming his gun at another

“What, did you really think I’ll help you just like that?” said Spike, making everyone look at him.

“What type of witchcraft is this!” said the leader

“I believe you call it… puppetry,” said Spike as he snapped his fingers and immediately after everyone began firing their guns at each other.

As if it wasn’t enough, Spike made the drivers of the trucks drop grenades inside of them, making all of the trucks blow up and fly through the air.

After a few seconds, only the Leader was left

“Impressive right?” said Spike as he landed next to Twilight

“How… how did you do this?” asked the Leader

“You see… I’m not only a good doctor… but I also am… the greatest gladiator to ever live!” Spike said as he used his claws to stab the leader right through his heart, killing him.

“That… was… AMAZING!!!” said Twilight as she ran over to Spike and hugged him

This caught him by surprise, and he didn’t knew how to react

“What made you change your mind?” asked Twilight

“What you said before you left, it was my motto while at the Royal Academy… I had forgotten about it,” said Spike as he wiggled himself out of Twilight’s hug

“So, does that mean?” asked Twilight

“If you still want my help,” said Spike

“Of course! Here sign this!” said Twilight as she gave Spike the paperwork and a pen

Twilight Sparkle 27 5’7” (1.68M) 37 - 28 - 40 Field General
Sunset Shimmer 27 5’9” (1.75M) 39 - 31 - 40 Paladin
Pinkie Pie 27 5’8” (1.72M) 40 - 31 - 42 Winger/Tank
Fluttershy 26 5’6” (1.67M) 45 - 30 - 39 Defender
Rarity Belle 28 5’7” (1.69) 44 - 32 - 32 Defender
Applejack 28 5'9" (1.75) 43 - 30 - 40 Warrior/Tank/Winger
Big Macintosh 30 7'0" (2.15) 54-37-35 Tank
Rainbow Dash 29 5’4” (1.62M) 38 - 25 - 40 Warrior/Winger
Spike Solaris 30 6’10 (208 M) 47 - 33 - 36 Rogue/Paladin/Winger

Twilight Sparkle 92 OVR
Sunset Shimmer 91 OVR
Pinkie Pie 91 OVR
Fluttershy 90 OVR
Rarity Belle 90 OVR
Applejack 95 OVR
Big Mac 98 OVR
Rainbow Dash 115 OVR
Spike 150 OVR (Last time I was checked)

“Great! welcome to the team,” said Twilight as she once again hugged Spike

“Thanks,” said Spike feeling a bit surprised for the hug

“Ready to go home?” she asked

“Sure, come one,” he said as he walked over to a shed, opened it and showed Twilight a golden jaguar f pace svr

“How did you get one of these?” asked Twilight

“I took as collateral from a Kingpin I… uhm… assisted on living this world, plus he owed me a lot of money, anyway, get in, it’s a long trip to the nearest airport,” said Spike

“What about your clinic?” asked Twilight

“Oh,” Spike said as he pointed to the burning building in the distance “I wasn’t going to give them the pleasure,”

“So wait, if you were living town at the end of the week, why burn the clinic?” asked Twilight

“Well, I knew that they were going to figure out who I was sooner or later, so I decided to text them, and use you as bait… sorry… so then, after you left, I quickly changed into my armor and followed you until they showed up, then I just to kill them, and the city would be narco free, allowing the Peace Corps to enter the city unopposed,” said Spike

“Wow,” said Twilight as she sat down and Spike speeded away.

2 DAYS LATER

“Ok, here is where we train, are you ready to see everyone again?” asked Twilight

“Ready as I'll ever be… you haven’t told them that you’re back right?” asked Spike

“Nope, it’s surprise,” said Twilight as she opened the door

Spike then walked in and saw that all of the team members were on the ring, doing an “ambush” training.

(1 vs X number of fighter)

Rainbow Dash was the one being ambushed, So Spike decided to get closer and look at her.

One by one, Rainbow Dash evaded and counterred every attack thrown at her.

She was doing so well, it irritated Spike, so he decided to say

“It’s been 5 years, and you’re still fighting like an old lady,”

Rainbow Dash immediately froze after hearing his voice, this gave the rest of the team members time to tackle her to the ground

“I hold my thought,” he mocked

Rainbow Dash immediately got up and turned around to see Grim standing before her

“Is… is it really you?” she said

“Gee, I have no Idea, how many more Grim’s are there?” he said

As soon as he said this Rainbow Dash jumped off the ring and tackled him into a hug

“I thought I’d never see you again!” she said as she cried into his chest

Spike however was really confused and didn’t know how to react, he then turned to face Twilight who just mumbled

“Hug her back you dumb ass,”

And so he slowly wrapped his arms around her

“I… I missed you too,” he said

Just then the doors to the compound swang open

“Twilight! I hear you have returned, I take it you were able to find him,” said Celestia as she, Luna, Discord and Nurse Redheart entered the arena

Spike turned and made eye contact with them.

“Oh, you must be the famous Grim we’ve heard so much about, it’s a pleasure,” said Celestia

Spike let go of Rainbow Dash and walked towards the group or royals he hadn’t seen in so long

When he was 5 ft away from them, he stopped and began to remove his mask

This caught them by surprise, since no one had ever seen Grim without a mask.

As soon as his mask was completely off, everyone jaws dropped

Spike just looked back at Celestia and Discord, tears were forming in their eyes

“Hi mom, hi dad… it’s been a while,” he said

Celestia then walked forward, she couldn’t believe her eyes, she wanted to make sure that this wasn’t someone playing a prank on her, that it was her long lost son standing before her.

Celestia then placed both her hands on Spike’s cheeks, making him flinch, just like when he was a kid.

Immediately after, she tackled Spike into a hug and began to cry hysterically.

Spike then hugged her and said

“I’m home mom,”

“Welcome home son, welcome home!” she said as she cried and was joined by Discord, Luna and Redheart.

But back with the team, there many faces of confusion

“Wait, what just happened?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Grim is a Dragon?” said Pinkie

“And the son of Queen Celestia?” said Sunset Shimmer

“And really attractive,” said Rarity

This comment however, didn’t sit well with either Rainbow Dash or Twilight

“What did you say?” said Rainbow Dash

“The truth he is really handsome,” said Rarity

“Rares is right, he is attractive,” said Applejack

“I have to agree too,” said Fluttershy

“Fluttershy! Not you too!” said Rainbow Dash

“He’s also a Doctor,” said Twilight

“WAIT, WHAT!!!” everyone said

“It’s a long story!” both Spike and Twilight said

“Then you better start!” said Rainbow Dash.