GLADIATORS

by underrated Drake

Rating: mature
Tags: Violence, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Death, Alternate Universe, Anthro, Princess Luna, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Comedy, Romance, Adventure, Sex, Main 7 (EqG), Profanity
Length: 71076

Equestria has changed

Ever since the end of the battles between kingdoms in Equestria, everyone has started looking for new ways to pass the time and do business.
Enter the GLADIATORS!!!
It doesn't matter if you were a soldier, mercenary, merchant, or just a big fat couch potato if you have the resolve, the power, the spirit, and the raw destructive mentality and ignorance towards pain, you are perfect to be one.
Every day hundreds of new and experienced Gladiators fight for supremacy in the arenas all over the world.
But all that is pointless compared to the national team competitions also known as "World cups" if you ever have the opportunity to compete in one of these tournaments you have officially written your name in history.

Follow Twilight Sparkle as she searches high and low, for the perfect teammates, and follow them in their quest for "immortality" as they overcome adversity to be the best Gladiators in history.

Follow My friends and editors here https://www.fimfiction.net/user/325522/DGJabberwocky AND
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/333639/Goldminer23 GO CHECK OUT THEIR CONTENT

PS. Modern world technology used

Published 2020-08-07 22:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-11-20 01:54:19 UTC

Gladiators ch. 3 An over-eagered mess of a gladiator

THE NEXT DAY, PONYVILLE TRAIN STATION, AROUND 3:00 PM

Twilight and Sunset finally reached the town of Ponyville, they were brimming with optimism for they believed that their future teammates were right around the corner.

They were also really uncomfortable, due to the train ride, and many other mishaps in the way to town

“Oh, fucking finally,” said Sunset as she got out of the train with her backpack

“A 6-hour trip, man I’ve never hated sitting down so bad,” said Twilight

“Not to mention that this is the new bullet train, so it was faster than usual,” said Sunset as she did some leg stretching

“Well, at least we’re here, now, where should we go to look for gladiators?” asked Twilight as she finished her stretching

“Right this way, the arena is… right… down… the street” said Sunset as her eyes made contact with the town

“I thought you said this was a small town, with a small arena,” said Twilight

“It was, at least 5 years ago, I didn’t expect it to change this much,” said Sunset

“Well, let’s go, the bigger the arena, the bigger the chances of getting new teammates,” said Twilight as she walked towards the arena

2 HOURS LATER OUTSIDE THE ARENA

“Hello, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m looking for new gladiators to join Canterlot’s team, are you interested?” said Twilight to a pair of male gladiators

“Sorry miss, but I belong to the Ponyville Gladiator’s guild, and I don’t think you can pay my salary,” said one of them

“Same here, but thanks,” said the other as the two of them walk away

A few feet away Sunset Shimmer was going through the same crisis

“Hi, would you like to join the Canterlot gladiator’s team?” she said

“Sorry, I’m not a gladiator,” said a woman

“I already belong to the guild,” said another woman

“I’m pregnant,” said another

“The three of us already have a team, but thank you,” said a group of male gladiators

After a few more minutes Twilight and Sunset Shimmer gave up and decided to call it a day

“I don’t get it, I thought there were going to be many gladiators here begging to join the team,” said Twilight

“Maybe we just have to change our approach,” said Sunset

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight

“Look around, can you see what’s catching everyone’s attention

Twilight looked around, she first landed her gaze on a group of girls who were giving out pamphlets, they were all surrounded by males trying to get a pamphlet.

Then she looked at the other side and saw a cafe filled to the brim with female gladiators and civilians, the reason for that was that most of the waiters in that cafe were males

And lastly Twilight looked at a store right behind them, there was a male and a female gladiator outside the entrance promoting the store, and the content it sold.

“So, see anything helpful?” asked Sunset

“I see many people interested in spending money in cafes and stores but, other than that I don’t,” said Twilight

“Yes, yes they are, but, what lures them to the store?” asked Sunset

“A good advertising campaign,” said Twilight

“Yes, Twilight, a good advertising campaign, but there is something else, can you see what it is?” asked Sunset

Twilight looked again and noticed what the people were wearing

“You mean the costumes?” said Twilight

“EXACTLY! The costumes, what about them?” said Sunset

“WHAT about them?” asked Twilight getting confused

“They are sexy and revealing, and that is attracting attention,” said Sunset

Twilight added the dots in her head and turned bright red

“DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, I AM NOT GOING TO PUT ON ONE OF THOSE MAID OUTFITS OR SWIMSUITS OR EVEN THAT TYPE OF OVER-REVEALING ARMOR TO GET TEAMMATES!” said Twilight

“Oh, why not?” asked Sunset

“I’m not going to degrade myself to do that, plus I want reliable teammates, not some hormone driven brute that might rape both you and me,” said Twilight

“Oh, that’s why I thought you just didn’t have enough confidence for those outfits,” said Sunset

“What no, and anyway, those type of clothes don’t look good on me,” said Twilight

“What are you talking about?... oh, if you’re still angry about my comment from yesterday don’t be, you now have the boobs to make me take it back,” said Sunset as she grabbed Twilight’s boobs taking her by surprise

“Hey, stop that, don’t touch me there,” said Twilight

“Why your body seems to like it,” said Sunset teasing Twilight even more

“I don’t swing that way,” said Twilight

“I know, me neither, I just like to tease you, you make the cutest face when you’re aroused,” said Sunset

“You’re the worst,” said Twilight finally getting free from Sunset’s grasp

Unknown to them their little talk had attracted a lot of attention from passersby, but they had all went back to their business as soon as Twilight freed herself from Sunset

“Well, that was fun, but what do you say we go find a hotel to stay the night, or at least a cafe or a restaurant to eat something?” said Sunset

“Yeah, I’ll just call Princess Celestia to tell her where we are,” said Twilight

Unknown to them 2 female gladiators had overheard their “offer” and decided to stay around until they were finished doing it.

The 2 female gladiators got up from the bench they were seating in and walked over to where Twilight and Sunset were standing; they made their way to them without making a sound, and when they got within arm’s length, one of them extended her arm

“Hi, there!” said one of them

This made both Twilight and Sunset jump, and Twilight almost dropped her cellphone

“Don’t… ever… do that again,” said Sunset as she caught her breath

“Oh, sorry, My name is Lyra Heartstring, and this is my friend Sweety Drops,” said the Gladiator with light cyan, shoulder-length hair.

“Hi, you can call me Bon Bon, it’s easier to remember than Sweety drops,” said the other gladiator with long Moderate cobalt blue with very light fuchsia stripes hair

“Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m a third division gladiator from Canterlot, and this is…” said Twilight

“We know who the two of you are,” said Lyra

“Really?” asked Sunset

“Yup, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s apprentice, and you are Sunset Shimmer, trainer extraordinaire, you hold the record for the most consecutive highschool gladiator team tournament victories, believe it or not, you’re considered a legend here in Ponyville High,” said Bon Bon

“That’s, Interesting,” said Sunset

“Hey, you two, seem familiar, I think I’ve seen you before,” said Twilight

“Well duh, we were classmates in Canterlot academy, we were even in the same class,” said Lyra

“Oh, so that’s why,” said Twilight

“What are you doing here?” asked Sunset

“We live here, plus we’re also second division Gladiators here in Ponyville,” said Bon Bon

“Cool, by the way, are the 2 of you interested in joining Canterlot’s new Gladiator team?” asked Twilight

The 2 of them went silent for a few seconds

“That’s Why we came to talk to you,” said Bon Bon

“Come with us, it’s not a good idea to have this talk in public, plus, I bet you girls want to eat something,” said Lyra as she and Bon Bon walked away with Twilight and Sunset in tow.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Here we are, Sugarcube Corner, the best cafe in town,” said Lyra as she opened the door and walked in followed by Bon Bon, Twilight, and Sunset

“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, my name is Carrot Cake, what would you like to order?” asked the man behind the counter

“I’ll take a Long John, and a vanilla smoothie, please,” said Lyra

“A caramel Latte,” said Bon Bon

“I would like a combo #3,” said Twilight

“Excellent choice ma’am, would you like pickles in your sandwich?” asked Carrot Cake

“No, thank you,” said Twilight

“I will take, a combo #10,” said Sunset

“Alright, will that be the Sandwich and the Footlong or the 2 burger option?” asked Carrot Cake

“The 2 Burger’s please, and may I change my drink to Vitamin water?” asked Sunset

“Absolutely, what flavor would you like?” asked Carrot Cake

“Acai, pomegranate, and Blueberry, please,” said Sunset

“Marvellous, take a seat and we will take your order to you, the total will be $23.68, will that be cash, debit or credit?” said Carrot cake

“We’ll pay for our orders individually,” said Bon Bon

“Very well,” said Carrot Cake

After paying for their food, Lyra, Bon Bon, Twilight and Sunset, walked over to a booth and sat down

“SO what is what you wanted to tell us?” asked Sunset

“Well, we overheard what your intentions were, and we thought we had to stop you,” said Lyra

“Intentions?” asked Twilight

“The whole exhibitionist idea,” said Bon Bon

“Oh no, we weren’t gonna go through with it,” said Sunset “That was just me teasing Twilight here,”

“Oh, good, you wouldn’t like that type of attention, trust me,” said Lyra

“This place has changed,” said Sunset

“What do you mean?” asked Bon Bon

“5 years ago I came to this town to try my luck in the arena, the town wasn’t this big, and the arena wasn’t that interesting to boot,” said Sunset

“Yeah, three years ago, everything changed,” said Lyra

“Really, how?” asked Twilight

“Three years ago, 2 brothers Flim Skin and Flam, came to this town, and they decided to invest in the arena and various businesses of the town, their investments actually made the town way more popular, at one point last year, this town registered over $10 Billion in tourism alone,” said Bon Bon

“Wow, that’s the amount of money that is spent in Canterlot a day,” said Twilight

“Are you worried that their investment is just a way to do money laundry?” said Sunset

“At first yes, but then, we all found out that these guys owned a very big and important sales company, plus various resorts in Las Pegasus,” Said Bon Bon

“They said in an interview that their investment in the town was for 2 main reasons: One, this town had the potential for commerce, it just needed a little help,” said Lyra

“Well, that “little” help paid off,” said Sunset

“But that doesn’t explain the Arena,” said Twilight

“And, Two: when they were kids, they wanted to be gladiators, but their bodies were not meant for that type of exercise,” said Lyra

“Tragic,” said Sunset sarcastically

“Well, they came here and dumped over $300 million in the arena, remodeling it completely, changing the light system, the booths, they even added massive Jumbotrons inside the place,” said Bon Bon

“Not to mention, the Whirlpools, hot tubs, and saunas, for the gladiators,” said Lyra

“Wow, now that is an improvement,” said Sunset

“Yeah, it’s nice, it’s like a 5-star hotel for gladiators only,” said Bon Bon

“So, going back to the proposal?” said Twilight

“Oh yeah, that was another thing,” said Lyra

“You two are wasting your time, no one is going to want to join the Canterlot team, at least not on their own free will;,” said Bon Bon

“Why do you say that?” asked Twilight

“Well, ever since the renewal of this town’s arena, many guilds and associations were created, now there is even a Ponyville Gladiator team, to compete in the nationals,” said Lyra

“And unfortunately, we’re both members of that team,” said Bon Bon

“Oh, come on, is there someone in this town, that would like to be a gladiator for Canterlot that doesn’t belong to a guild?!” said Twilight in exasperation

“We’re not saying that there aren’t any, it’s just going to be hard to find someone,” said Lyra

“Yeah, and even if you do find someone, you have to be careful, many men down here are kind of pervs, and it’s kind of the same for some women, heck there is even a team down here called “The Ponyville Succubus,” said Bon Bon

“Or the “Ponyville Galants” man I hate those jerks,” said Lyra

“Here is your food ladies, hope you enjoy,” said a female waiter

“Thank you,” they said as they started to eat

Twilight, Sunset, Lyra, and Bon Bon, talked a little longer about the town before it got late

“If you need a place to sleep, you can go to the Ponyville hotel, it’s a 3-star hotel, but is affordable and clean,” said Lyra

“Thanks for the advice,” said Sunset

“Well, see you girls around, and if we know of someone, or you need our help, contact us,” said Bon Bon as they left

“Well, let’s head over to the hotel and get a room,” said Sunset

“Yeah, do you know where it is?” asked Twilight

“Yup, using Maps, I can tell you that… this hotel is… just across from the arena,” said Sunset showing twilight her phone’s screen

“Oh, how convenient,” said Twilight

“Yeah, come on, let’s go,” said Sunset as she and Twilight started to walk towards the hotel

Unknown to them, someone or something was watching from the shadows

The hotel was about 5 miles away from where Twilight and Sunset were standing, and to get there they had to cross through the Arena square, which wasn’t really terrifying since it was really well-lit and surrounded by a beautiful garden.

Twilight and Sunset started walking threw the gardens quietly

When they were about halfway across the garden, Sunset said

“Say, Twilight,”

“Yeah,” said Twilight

“It’s really windy around here, isn’t it?” Sunset said “Someone is following us,” is what she said between the lines

“Really windy, it gives this place a very nice aura,” said Twilight “Yeah, let’s lure him in”

And with that Sunset and Twilight decided to sit down in one of the benches and felt the “breeze”

Sunset and Twilight remained silent waiting for the figure to come closer but after a few minutes, they realized that it wasn’t planning to, so they came up with an idea.

“It’s a very nice town, we should come back with our boyfriends sometime,” said Sunset
“It’s hiding behind the big tree, go get it,”

“Your right, I’m sure Pharrow will love this place,” said Twilight
“How I’m I supposed to do that?”

“Ah yes, Pharrow, really like this type of things, you must be a very proud mother,” said Sunset
“Use a body double and invisibility, but be careful, time it properly,”

“Yup, he’s my little angel, the light of my world,” said Twilight
“Ok, here goes nothing, get ready for a fight,”

And with that Twilight used her magic and managed to time everything perfectly, she got up and walked towards the figure, which was now in a branch of the tree.

She climbed up to the figure, and when she was close enough, she shoved the figure off the branch

At the same time, Sunset Shimmer jumped off the bench and pinned the figure to the ground

“Well done Twi, now let’s make sure he’s not carrying any type of weapons,” Said Sunset as she started to check the figure but was interrupted by a voice

“For the record, I’m not a HE, I’m a SHE,” said the figure and with that, she turned around and removed her hood

“You?!” said Sunset

“You’re the girl from Sugarcube corner,” said Twilight

“Yup, my name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie Pie, or just Pinkie, it’s easier,” said the girl as she got up from the ground

"Why were you following us?" Asked Twilight

"Oh, that, I overheard your conversation with Lyra and Bon Bon while sweeping the floor, and taking your food to the table, and I wanted to ask if I could join" said Pinkie

"Why didn't you come to talk to us in person?" Asked Sunset

"I thought it would be more fun this way," said Pinkie with a big smile

"Well she's a weird one," said Sunset

"I'm not weird, this is weird," said Pinkie as she held up her hand with a piece of cloth

"How did she," though Sunset

"Is that a G-string?" Asked Twilight

"Yup, your friend…" started Pinkie but she was interrupted by Sunset

"HAHAHAHA, oh Lyra and Bon Bon, they're quite the pranksters," she said

"Oh, funny, I didn't know Lyra and Bon Bon liked pranking people," said Pinkie

"Well apparently they do," said Sunset getting angry and snatching the G-string from Pinkie

"Anyway, you said you wanted to join us right?" Said Twilight

"Yeah, ever since I was little I've wanted to be a gladiator, but my parents and siblings told me that was never gonna happen and that I should stay at the farm, but then I turned 18 and decided to go and try my luck, but it didn't work at first," said Pinkie

"Wow so this would be your second chance?" Asked Twilight

"Nah, it would be my 2...10...20...it'll be my 36th chance," said Pinkie with a smile

Sunset and Twilight looked at Pinkie with disbelief

"Well… what position do you usually take?" Asked Sunset

"I'm fast, so I go as a winger, but I can also play as a tanker… strong arms," said Pinkie

"Ok then, just let us talk for a second about it," said Twilight as she and Sunset Shimmer turned around

"What do you think?" Asked Twilight

"Well she can play in three positions considering that she can also play as a winger tank, but… well beggars can't be choosers,"said Sunset

"Ok, welcome aboard," said Twilight

"YAAAAAY!" Said Pinkie

Twilight then pulled out a contract and a registration chart

"Before I sign, may I ask you gals a question?" Asked Pinkie

Twilight and Sunset looked at her

"What are the rules for this again?" Said Pinkie

Twilight and Sunset turned pail

"You do have prior experience in the business right?" Asked Sunset

"Does high school teams count?" Asked Pinkie

"We need help," they both said

THE NEXT MORNING IN A FIELD OUTSIDE TOWN

"So, Pinkie Pie is your new reinforcement?" Said Lyra

"Yeah, she stalked us last night and then begged us to join," said Sunset

"Not to mention I also discovered your prank," said Pinkie

"What prank?" Asked Bon Bon

"The G…" started Pinkie

"Irrelevant!" Interrupted Sunset, her face bright red

"So what's the problem?" Asked Bon Bon

"Well, she has potential, but…" began Twilight

"She lacks experience?" Asked Lyra

"Well, yeah, she doesn't even know the rules," said Twilight

"Well, each type of battle has different rules, the only one that doesn't change is: don't kill anyone, unless it's a deathmatch," said Lyra "but they no longer exist," she finished

"There are 3 main fight types, 1) Man to man, 2) Tactical or as we call it chess, and 3) Capture the flag/crown," said Bon Bon

“Each of them have different rules, in a man to man fight, you aren’t allowed to use real bullets, sharpened blades, or metals for that matter, and don’t get me started about glass, second, you can’t really hit anyone between the legs, or in the head/neck, region, now this rule also has a loophole, since you can cause your rival to hit his head by themselves, and that way it counts,” said Lyra

“In the tactical fights, you aren’t allowed to kill anyone, which means, no real weapons, no deadly punches or choke holds, other than that, the battle ends when you corner the captain, take out the whole team, or they surrender,” said Bon Bon

“And lastly, we have Capture the flag/crown, in these competition you have to follow the same rules as above, the not killing ones, other than that, you win the game only, and only, when you can capture the enemy’s flag/crown, and defend it successfully until the time runs out,” said Lyra

Lyra and Bon Bon then continued to tell Pinkie every single rule for gladiator fighting and even gave her tips on how to fight better.

“Ok got it,” said Pinkie as she finished writing everything down in a notebook

“Ok, Twilight, Sunset, that’s as much as we can do for a theory class,” said Lyra

“Actually girls, I wanted to ask you for another favor,” said Twilight

“And what’s that?’ asked Bon Bon

“Well, she might know the theory, but we still don’t know what she is capable of, so…” said Twilight

“So you want us to do a mock battle until you girls can feel compatible with her or discover her true potential?” said Lyra

“Well, yes… is that imposing too much?” asked Twilight

“Not really Twilight, we were hoping you’d ask us to do that,” said Bon Bon

“But you guys are…” began Sunset

“Down a member, don’t worry we have it covered,” said Lyra

“Really, how?” asked Twilight

“3...2...1,” Bon Bon and Lyra said at the same time

“LOOK OUT BELOW!!! WATCH OUT! AAAAAAAAH!” they heard a female voice scream from above.

Everyone moved out of the way just as a dash of grey crashed landed in front of them creating a massive crater

“Woohoo! Aced that landing,” said the girl

“Actually Muffins, landing with your face and getting up fast doesn't mean you aced a landing,” said Bon Bon

“Really?” said Muffins

“Who is she?” asked Twilight

“Oh, Twilight, Sunset, Pinkie, meet Muffins, or Derpy as we call her, she is our teams best winger-tank, and paladin,” said Lyra

“Hi, nice to meet you all, my name is Muffins, but you can call me Derpy Hooves, I like muffins,” said Derpy

“So you brought her here to make a three a side fight? Clever,” said Sunset

“Yeah, but just because your our friends doesn’t mean we’ll go easy on you,” said Bon Bon

“I would hate it if you did,” said Twilight

“Hey! I have a question, how do you…” began Sunset

“Know what you’re going to say? Well…” began Lyra

“Because you’ve already been through the same thing before and both Twilight and Sunset are really predictable with their actions?” said Pinkie pie

“Yeah, pretty much,” said Bon Bon

“Anyway, let’s get into position,” said Derpy

“Right, let’s go tactical,” said Twilight

“OK then, I’ll create the surroundings,” said Lyra as she started to use magic to modify the surroundings

“Oh, by the way Twilight, these will be our lineup,” said Bon Bon

Lyra 87 OVR

Bon Bon 88 OVR Derpy 89 OVR

“Ok, their lineup is fairly normal, not many determining factors, and easy to penetrate and attack, this will be our lineup,” said Twilight

Sunset Shimmer 85 OVR

Twilight Sparkle 86 OVR

Pinkie Pie - OVR

“Ok, Sunset you attack Bon Bon, I’ll take care of Lyra, and Pinkie you will take care of derpy,” said Twilight

“Ok,” they all said

“Are you ready Twilight?” asked Derpy

“Yeah, we’re ready!” said Twilight “ready to win,”

“OK, 3...2...1… GO!” said Lyra

“Let’s do this,” said Sunset as she dashed forward full speed

“Hey there,” said Bon Bon

“Bon Bon?! What are you doing here?” asked Sunset

“Fighting you dummy,” she said and then she punched Sunset in the stomach knocking here out

Twilight was running close by and noticed this

“What?! But if Bon Bon is there, then where’s…?” she began

“No time to think Twilight,” said Derpy as she dived down and kicked Twilight in the stomach creating a big crater when she impacted the ground

“Well, only you’re left,” said Lyra as she, Bon Bon and Derpy walked over to Pinkie Pie

“I surrender,” she said

“Well, that was fun, what do you girls think? Same Time tomorrow?” said Lyra

Pinkie just nodded “I’ll tell them when they wake up, thanks again for the help,” said Pinkie as the girls walked away

A FEW HOURS LATER

“Ouch, what the heck happened?” asked Twilight

“We had our asses handed to us by Lyra and her team,” said Pinkie

“Oh, just great,” said Sunset

“Yup, they also asked me to tell you that, we will be meeting here tomorrow at the same time,” said Pinkie

“Really, that’s great, can this day get any better?” asked Sunset sarcastically

“Well, I did made sure that they didn’t stuff anymore G-strings into your backpack, and I am happy to say, I succeeded,” said Pinkie proudly

Sunset just stood there with her face bit red

“Ok, I’m heading to the hotel I have to think of a better way to beat them, a new strategy,” said Twilight as she walked away followed by Sunset

“Ok, see you tomorrow,” said Pinkie pie as she walked the other way

For the next week Twilight, Sunset and Pinkie, fought against Lyra and her team, in every type of fight category, and every single time they had their asses handed to them, even Pinkie had been knocked out more times that she could count with her hands

“Well, tomorrow is the last day we will be able to help you girls, the pre-season begins on Monday, so we have no more free time,” said Lyra

“Bye girls,” said Bon Bon as they all walked away

“I just don’t get it, I've used every strategy I know, heck I even modified them to give us more options, but none of them worked," said Twilight as they walked back to the city

"Well, you'll come up with something," said Sunset

"I know I still don't have a place in the team, but I hate to say it, your tactics don't work," said Pinkie

"Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence," said Twilight

"I don't mean it that way, it's just that, your tactics are way too… predictable, even I could figure out the outcome before it even happened, " said Pinkie

"So, wait, you knew you were going to be knocked out, and still let it happen?" Asked Sunset

"No, I knew I was going to get hurt, so I was kind of ready for it, very different," said Pinkie

Sunset and Pinkie then began to argue in the background, but Twilight froze up, the wheels started turning in her head

"Hang on a minute, didn't Pinkie say the same thing when Sunset asked the girls how they knew what we were gonna say, and then Pinkie said that they had been through these drills before, but how… OH MY GOD," thought Twilight "I KNOW HOW THEY'RE DEFEATING US EVERY TIME!" She said

"How?" Both Sunset and Pinkie asked

"Lyra and Bon Bon were our classmates at the academy, remember?" Asked Twilight

"Oh yeah," said Sunset

"So?" Asked Pinkie

"So, they received the same training we did, under Mr. Sharpshooter," said Twilight

"Oh yeah, I remember that, but what of it?" Asked Sunset

"Remember the only thing I was bad at during the academy?" Asked Twilight

"Apart from creating long lasting friendly relationships?" Asked Sunset

"Yes, apart of that," said Twilight angrily

"Nope!" Said Sunset

"I was bad at improvising tactics, and remember what Mr. Sharpshooter said about that," said Twilight

"A field general who is too predictable is as good as a liability and a failure," said Twilight and Sunset at the same time

"I know how to defeat them now," said Twilight

THE NEXT DAY

"Last chance Twilight, better learn something," said Lyra

"Oh don't worry I did," said Twilight

"GO!!!!!" Screamed Bon Bon

Lyra, Bon Bon, and Derpy ran full speed towards Twilight, Sunset, and Pinkie, who were all doing the same

Before Twilight and Bon Bon clashed, Twilight quickly used on of her spells to create a very thick cloud of mist, successful blinding the girls

"Now!" She screamed

And the girls changed positions

"I know what you're doing Twilight, it won't work," said Bon Bon as she launched punched forward hitting air

"Maybe, maybe not, I'm not as smart as Twilight, the only thing I do know is that, my name is Pinkie pie," said Pinkie pie as she kicked Bon Bon in the back and sent her flying towards rock, hitting her head against and passing out

"Clever, use the most to blind us and then attack our blindspots, well that won't help you against me, I don't have a blindspot," said Derpy

Then her nose picked up on something, the sweet sugary smell, of a freshly baked muffin.

"Most resist the temptation, smell you won't defeat me, I don't care if you're a freshly baked, chocolate chip muffin, which happens to be my favorite," she said but then her stomach started to rumble

"I knew I should've eaten lunch before coming," she said

Derpy then looked at the muffin and said "Oh fuck it," and she lunged at the muffin gobbling it up in a second

"You lose, Derpy," said Sunset stepping from behind the rock

"Well, I surrender," she said

MEANWHILE

"Gotta handed to ya Twilight, I'm impressed, I never thought of something like this, and we were in the same division, maybe this is why you were Sharpshooter's favorite, but you forgot something, I can counter this attack," said Lyra as she used her horn to create light, the she noticed Twilight's shadow "There you are," she said as she lunged at her, but going right through her "WHAT?! HOW ARE YOU SO FAST?!" she screamed

She turned and noticed Twilight's shadow again and lunged going through her again, and she continued to do this for a few more minutes, before she ran out of air.

"Where… where are you?" Asked Lyra

"Right behind you," said Twilight

Lyra turned just to be met with Twilight's fiat in her head

"WE WON!!!!!" they all screamed giving each other a high five and a hug

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Lyra and her team started to come around

"How did you…?" began Bon Bon

"Know? The same way you did, I studied my enemy," said Twilight

"How?" Asked Lyra

"Well, it's all thanks to Pinkie Pie actually, she made me realize what you were doing, and even helped me be… unpredictable, " said Twilight

"But what about the fog?" Asked Derpy

"Oh that, it was something that Mr. Sharpshooter once told me, if you're ever in a disadvantage, the set a trap, and it worked perfectly," said Twilight

"Well this means that our job here is done, good luck with team making," said Lyra

"Yeah, let's fight again soon, for real this time," said Bon Bon as everyone gave themselves a hug and said their goodbyes

"Ok Pinkie, time for you to sign the contract," said Sunset

"Already did," said Pinkie

Twilight and Sunset looked at the contract and then back at Pinkie

"When?" They both asked

"The night we met, a week ago, I even fielded out the other form, " she said said

Name Age Height Measurements position

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

“She is a weird one,” They both thought

“So, where to?” asked Pinkie

“I… have no idea,” said Twilight

“If I may suggest something, seeing the lineup you came up with, I think that our best chance of getting another winger is to go to Cloudsdale, they love their speed over there,” said Pinkie

Twilight and Sunset looked at each other and said “Cloudsdale here we come!”

Gladiators ch. 4 The gentle Gladiator

TWO DAYS LATER

"Here we are, Cloudsdale, isn't it lovely?" Said Twilight

"Reminds me of the Crystal Empire," said Sunset

"Because of how beautiful it is?" Asked Pinkie

"No, too flashy," said Sunset

"Well that doesn't matter, we are here on a mission, come on, let's head towards the arena," said Twilight

Twilight and the girls walked through the streets of Cloudsdale searching for the arena.

They thought that it would be easy to find since a large crowd of people was headed towards a stadium

"You think that's the arena?" Asked Pinkie

"It's smaller than I thought," said Sunset

"Well let's go find out," said Twilight as she headed to the stadium.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

"Welcome to Cloudsdale's central stadium today we have a friendly match between the Cloudsdale Wonderbolts and the Griffinstone Cavaliers, this match is one of many in the long list of preparation matches for next years world cup, the match will begin shortly," said a female announcer

"Did you hear that, this is our chance to see what we're up against," said Sunset

"Good idea, let's watch this match," said Twilight as she walked up to the paying booth

"Hello, what can I give you today?" Said the cashier

"I'd like 3 entrances for the match, please," said Twilight

"Coming right up, would you like general, or VIP?" Asked the cashier

"General, please," said Twilight

"Ok then, it will be $75," said the cashier

"Thanks," said Twilight as she paid "by the way, is this the Gladiators arena?" She asked

"Oh no, the arena is all the way up there," said the cashier pointing to a massive building on the top of a mountain.

Everyone's jaw dropped when they saw it

"I was not expecting that," said Twilight

"We'll never get there today," said Sunset

"You can just take the bus," said the cashier

"Bus?" They all Asked

"Yup, bus number 300 to Cyclone St. It will drop you off just outside the arena," said the cashier

"Thanks for your help," said Twilight giving the cashier a $20 bill

"Hope you come again, enjoy the match," said the cashier

Twilight and the girls entered the arena and headed to their seats, and waited for the match to begin

“LADIIIIIIIIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO TODAY'S FRIENDLY MATCH BETWEEN THE CLOUDSDALE WONDERBOLTS AND THE GRIFFINSTON CAVALIERS; let’s check the lineups shall we?” said the narrator

“Well the Wonderbolts are going out with their finest players, and will be using their typical strategy,” said the second narrator

Soarin 89 OVR Fire Streak 87 OVR

Spitfire 93 OVR

Thunderlane 88 OVR High Winds 86 OVR

Misty Fly 86 OVR

Silver Zoom 88 OVR Surprise 85 OVR

“And there we have it, Cloudsdale’s famous “All for all” lineup, lead by Spitfire for the 5th year in a row,” said one of the narrators

“And now we have the Cavaliers lineup,” said the other narrator

Greta 86 OVR

Gabby 88 OVR Giselle 87 OVR

Gilda 92 OVR

Garner 88 OVR

Gaston 87 OVR Gordon 86 OVR

Gerard 86 OVR

“And Griffinstone is coming out with their most complete strategy/lineup in their history, “The Tornado” as they call it,” said the other narrator

Back to the seats, with the girls, they all looked at the massive Jumbotrons hanging from the ceiling, while they showed the line ups.

“Woohoo, this is going to be a very intense match,” said Twilight “Perfect for us to see how real pro’s do it,”

“Who do you think is going to win?” said Pinkie Pie

“It’s gonna be close,” said Sunset

“Close?!” said Twilight “What do you mean close?”

“The Wonderbolts tend to use their speed and maneuvers to gain the upper hand in these types of matches, but Griffinston like to use speed and strength when fighting, making this match reach an impasse,” said Sunset

“So then the winner will be, whoever has more determination,” said Twilight as she sat back down to watch the match.

“LET THE MATCH BEGIN!!!”

“Soarin and Fire Streak have engaged Gabby and Giselle in combat, and none of them look like giving an inch,” said one of the narrators

“I’m paying attention to battle happening between Soarin and Gabby, it looks heated,” said a narrator

“Agreed, on one side we have Soarin, one of the all-time best wingers we’ve ever had and on the other side we have Gabby it’s her rookie season and already she is considered Griffinston’s “Golden Girl” what are your thoughts on that?” said the other narrator

“Gabriella Griffon “Gabby” Queen of the Griffinston arena for 3 years in a row now, only 26 years of age, and at her age, already a national level gladiator, a feat not easily achieved,” said the narrator

“True, apart of her, the other youngest N.L.G. is Sonata Dusk from the Marequestria national team,” said the other narrator

“Yeah, but the youngest ever N.L.G was Princess Celestia Solaris herself who joined Canterlot at the age of 20, over 17 years ago,” said the narrator

“WOW, we were so engrossed in our talking we didn’t even realize that Thunderlane had defeated Garner, one powerful blow to the stomach and… OH! Thunderlane has been knocked out by Gilda, the Griffinston Captain didn’t even let Thunderlane celebrate before body slamming him into the ground, we are one - one now,” said the Narrator

“That was a very interesting moment, Garner, the Griffinstone Defensive Back, and Vice-captain, defeated by Thunderlane in just one move and just seconds later Gilda tackling and body-slamming Thunderlane into the ground, very good move by Gilda, fixing the mistake done by Garner, of breaking lines, and now she has gone back to hunting the rival attackers,” said the narrator

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“It has been almost 20 minutes, and still there have been no new situations, yet the battles going on in the arena are getting really heated,” said the Narrator

“Yes sir, this match is getting better and better, and yet…” BOOM! “OH, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARENA?!” said the other Narrator

“Surprise has been knocked out by Gordon, a very good combination of punches typical of his “boxing styles” and then, in his attempt to aid his girl Greta against Fire Streak, he stepped on one of Spitfire’s land mines, and he has taken out, both, himself, Greta, and Fire Streak,” said the Narrator

“Talk about “death from beyond the grave” earlier in the match Giselle had switched places with Greta, who was having a tough time against High Winds, let’s see what happens next,” said the other Narrator

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“We are down to the final 5 minutes of the competition and the score is tied six-six, Spitfire and Soarin for Cloudsdale and Gilda and Gabby for Griffinstone remain standing,” said the Narrator

“A quick recap of what happened, Thuderlane took out Garner, Gilda took out Thunderlane, Gordon eliminated Surprise and then took himself and Greta and Fire Streak out, moments later Silver Zoom and Gerard, crashed heavily into each other both having to surrender do to their injuries, Giselle, then accidentally walking into the battle between Soarin and Gabby and being pummeled by both of their attacks…” said the Narrator

“Talk about an awful move,” said the other one

“If you think that was silly, try to explain Gaston’s move, he tried to lure both Misty Fly and High Winds towards him, just for him to be shoved from behind by Spitfire as she fought Gilda, landing in a land mine and being knocked out,” said the Narrator

“Yes, you need to be really aware of where you are standing and of your surroundings, the opposite of what these fighters did,” said the other Narrator

“And to add insult to injury, on bad moves, both Misty Fly and High Winds split up heading towards the ongoing battles just to be taken out before even arriving, Misty Fly getting run over by Gabby as she escaped Soarin’s attack, and High Winds being to slow to get out of the way of Gilda’s Kick-nado,” said the other narrator

“Well it’s up to Spitfire and Soarin to give Cloudsdale the win, remember the series is tied 3 - 3, and this game will be the last one,” said the Narrator

“And I believe that no one wants to lose here today, no one is giving an inch, nor an opening with only a few more seconds to go,”

“Will there be a last-second knockout?”

“Well if there is it looks like it will be Soarin, he seems really tired,”

“10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...GAME!!!”

“It’s a tie after all, well done to both teams… now the medics enter the arena grounds to take care of the knocked out gladiators,”

“After this month’s past games, I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that both teams are ready for the world cup, coming early next year,”

“I believe so too, well, good night to all, please remember to exit the stadium in an orderly manner as to not create a clog in the exits, and please, put your garbage in the garbage cans, please respect the environment, thank you,” said the narrators as the game ended

“That was awesome!!!” said Twilight

“Yeah, watching this match really has my blood going, I feel like fighting someone,” said Pinkie

“Please don’t, I don’t want to get in trouble here in our first day,” said Sunset

“Speaking of that, where should we stay?” asked Twilight

“I know just the place, it’s called Cloudview Manor, and it’s a very nice hotel,” said Pinkie Pie

“Sounds pricy,” said Twilight

“It is, but, the owner owes me a favor so, I’ll just ask him,” said Pinkie as she walked away followed by Twilight and Sunset.

A FEW MINUTES LATER AT THE HOTEL

“What do you mean you have no room?!” said Pinkie

“I’m sorry Pinkie, I know I said I owed you for helping me last time I was in Ponyville, but the hotel is currently the host for the Griffinstone Gladiator team, not to mention the remaining rooms have all been booked,” said the owner

“Then what are we supposed to do?” asked Twilight

“Well, there is another hotel just like this one at the other side of the town, tell the owner that I sent you and he will give you a room,” said the owner

“Are you sure?” asked Pinkie

“Oh yes, I called him a few minutes ago, actually I had just finished my call to him when you entered and he said that he only had 20 of the 100 rooms booked,” said the Owner

“Oh well,” said Sunset

“Thanks for everything,” said Twilight

“Next time you come, I’ll give you a special deal, to make up for today, ok,” said the Owner

“Ok, see you next time Mr. Hurricane,” said Pinkie

“Bye-bye, and once again, I’m really sorry,” said Mr. Hurricane as he waved the girls goodbye “Don’t expand the hotel they said, it’s big enough they said, well fuck that,”

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Well, we are almost there,” said Pinkie

“The Silver Lining Hotel, sound cozy,” said Sunset

“I wonder if we will be able to find someone to join our team,” said Twilight

“We will, you’ll see, this city has the most “ready to go” Gla… do you hear that?” said Pinkie

“Hear what?” asked Sunset

“Shhhhhhhhhh. Sounds like a struggle… this way!” said Pinkie as she started to ran down a dark alley

“She has super hearing now? What’s next?” said Sunset sarcastically

“Shut the fuck up and follow her, let’s hope she doesn’t get in trouble,” said Twilight as she darted after Pinkie.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Pinkie came to a stop at a three-way crossing

“Are you… are you sure… you aren’t making this up?” asked Sunset

“Shhhhhhh, listen,” said Pinkie

The three girls stayed quiet and, in the distance, they could hear something

“LET ME GO!” said a female voice

“Not happening… stop resisting!” said a male voice

“Ouch, stop hitting me,” said the female voice

“It’s this way, come on!” said Pinkie

“Wait! We don’t know what we are dealing with, Pinkie, you and Sunset climb up to the roofs and follow me to the voices, if things get dicey, jump off and attack ok,” said Twilight as both Pinkie and Sunset flew/climbed to the roofs

Twilight then turned left and dashed towards the voices.

After a few more seconds, the voices started to get louder

“Please let me go!” said the female voice

“Oh no, you aren’t going to get out of this so easily you dumb bitch,” said a male voice

“Yeah, it’s time for you to learn some respect,” said another male voice
Twilight then turned the corner and was met with a horrific sight, 4 male Griffons had cornered a female pegasus and were hitting her.

The pegasus had long Pinkish hair, green eyes, and a very big chest, her clothes were also torn in some places, mostly due to the Griffons pulling, pushing, and punching her.

“Hey! What’s going on here?” she asked

“None of your business, bitch!” said one of them

“She has seen us, we can’t let her get away,” said another

“Get her!” said the third one

Just as soon as they were going to touch Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, and Pinkie Pie jumped off the roofs and landed on top of 2 of the Griffons knocking them out instantly

“How dare you prey on the defenseless!” said Pinkie as she got off her target

“Drop the act, girl,” said one of the remaining griffons

“Are you ok?” Sunset asked the girl

“Yes, thank you,” said the girl

“Who are you people?” asked Twilight

“I know them, that fool with the sword is Gabriel, Griffinstone’s reserve Wing back, the one with the rope is Gunther, reserve Paladin, as for these idiots… Gale, another Paladin, and...Rinehart?! What is the whole male side of the Griffinstone bench doing here, harassing a lady?” said Sunset

“Like I said, NONE. OF. YOUR. BUSINESS” said Gabriel

“They wanted me to “entertain them” but I refused, and then my pet bunny Angel, punched one of them in the head and then they grabbed me and dragged me here form the Main Road,” said the girl

“So you were going to rape her?” said Twilight

“Ha, no, this bitch doesn’t deserve to even smell us, much less have our seed,” said Gunther proudly

“We were just going to teach her a lesson,” said Gabriel as they took a step forward

“Just like we’ll teach y..” said Gabriel as Pinkie punched him in the head causing him to fly to the nearby wall, and fall unconscious

“Wrong answer,” said Pinkie in a creepy voice

“Goodnight,” said Twilight as Gunther turned to face her and was hit by her magic blast and fell knocked out.
The girls then quickly ran over to the girl and untied her

“Are you sure you’re ok?” asked Sunset

“Yes, I am, only a few scratches and bruises,” said the girl a bit louder than a whisper

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,”

“Sunset Shimmer,”

“Pinkamena Diane Pie, Pinkie Pie, for short,” said Pinkie

“Hi, my name is Fluttershy,”

“What are we going to do with them?” asked Twilight

“Let’s call the police and let them handle it,” said Sunset

“No need, I think they learned their lesson,” said Fluttershy again almost whispering

“Are you crazy?! These guys almost killed you,” said Pinkie

“Yeah, but look at them,” said Fluttershy

“Even if they are almost dead, that won’t stop them from coming after you and us later,” said Sunset

“No really, It was my fault, to begin with, I should’ve agreed,” said Fluttershy

“And degrade yourself for their own amusement?! They were going to rape you!” said Sunset

“Why are you defending them so much?” asked Twilight

“I believe that everyone has good inside them, plus, as I said, I’m sure they’ve learned their lesson,” said Fluttershy

“No they didn’t,” said Twilight “They will recover from this and go back to their old ways, let the police take care of them,” said Twilight

Fluttershy, feeling defeated, accepted and let Twilight call the police

A few minutes later the police arrived with an ambulance to take the Griffons into custody, Fluttershy provided her statement and then left with the girls.

“Thanks for saving me again,” said Fluttershy

“No problem,” said Twilight

“Where are you headed?” asked Fluttershy

“To the hotel that is around the corner,” said Pinkie

“Oh, and what brings you to Cloudsdale?” asked Fluttershy

“Well, we are here cause we’re looking for Gladiators willing to join the new Canterlot Gladiator team,” said Twilight

“Would you like to join?” asked Sunset

“I’d love to, but I’m not a Gladiator,” said Fluttershy

“Oh, ok then,” said Twilight

“By the way? What do you do for a living?” asked Sunset

“Oh, I’m a Veterinarian, but right now, I’m just working as a housekeeper for a friend of mine since she isn’t in town for the moment,” said Fluttershy

“And where are you from?” asked Pinkie

“From Cloudsdale, born and raised, but I also own a house and clinic in Ponyville, where I live,” said Fluttershy

“How come I’ve never seen you?” asked Pinkie Pie

“I don’t go out much,” said Fluttershy, this louder than a whisper

“Still don’t you need to eat or buy provisions?” said Pinkie

“Yes, but I just order online, they deliver everything to my clinic “The Ponyville Animal Sanctuary,” said Fluttershy

“Oh, I’ve seen it, I took Gummy there once,” said Pinkie existed

“Gummy? Oh you mean the little alligator, he’s yours?” asked Fluttershy

“Yup!” said Pinkie

“You aren’t feeding him any more candy, are you?” asked Fluttershy

“Nope, took the doctor’s orders to heart… your orders to heart,” said Pinkie

“Good, the poor thing had to have his stomach pumped, and that’s not pleasant,” said Fluttershy

“Still, how the hell did I not see you, I only saw this, long-haired, skinny, tall guy. He gave me the paperwork, I signed it and then he took Gummy,” said Pinkie

“Oh, that was my younger brother, Zephyr Breeze, he was helping me out at the clinic for a few days that summer, I’m not good with people or crowds, I tend to freeze or pass out,” said Fluttershy

“Ah, you’re one of those shut-in’s, people that hate to socialize,” said Sunset

“No, a shut-in doesn’t want to be a member of society due to emotional or psychological issues, including bullying. My guess is that Fluttershy is just… Shy,” said Twilight

The girls looked at Fluttershy, who turned red and tried to hide behind her hair

“Agreed,” they both said

“Well this is our stop, is your house far?” said Twilight as they arrived at the hotel

“Oh, no, my friend’s apartment is just three building down,” said Fluttershy as she started to walk away.

“Hey, Fluttershy, why don’t you come with us tomorrow, and help us out with the trials? You might even learn a thing or two about defending yourself,” said Sunset

“I-I don’t know… I’m not good with crowds,” said Fluttershy

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” said Sunset

“Yeah, and if any of those nasty griffons show up again, I will make them eat their balls!” said Pinkie
Fluttershy remind quiet for a few seconds before nodding slowly

“Ok then meet us in front of the hotel tomorrow at 10 AM,” said Twilight

“Ok,” she said, she walked away

“Do you really think she will be able to learn something?” Twilight asked Sunset

“Trust me, she might look like the “Cute-defenseless” type girl but she has potential,” said Sunset

“I agree, did you see the size of her melons?!” said Pinkie, earning a look from the other two girls as they walked away

“NO WAIT! I DIDN’T MEAN IT THAT WAY! I DON’T SWING THAT WAY!” said Pinkie as she ran after them.

THE NEXT MORNING

“So do you girls have a list of people that want to join?” asked Fluttershy

“Nope,” said Twilight

“So then, how are you going to make a trail?” asked Fluttershy

“With this Poster!” said Twilight as she unrolled the poster

Fluttershy looked at Twilight then at the poster, and back at Twilight “And THIS is your plan?” she asked

“Well, not all of it, if you can hold this… thank you… and we do some multiplication magic… and… voila! We have about 100 posters ready to paste and be distributed… mind if you help us?” said Twilight

Fluttershy noted and took some of the posters

“Ok then, let’s split up and hand them out or paste them in the walls,” said Twilight, as all of them head out in different directions

A FEW HOURS LATER

“Ok, how many people did you bring in?” asked Twilight

“I have 2 females,” said Sunset

“I have 1 Male,” said Pinkie

“I pasted all of the posters, but no one seemed to care about them,” said Fluttershy

“And I was only able to find these 3,” said Twilight as she showed 1 teenage girl and 2 teenage boys.

“Twilight, you know the rules, you have to be at least 24 to join the national teams,” said Sunset

“I never said they were here for the trail, the wanted to see it,” said Twilight

“How old are you kid?” asked Sunset to the girl

“I’m 17 years old, and I’m a student at Canterlot Academy,” said the girl

“What are you doing here then?” asked Sunset

“Visiting family, it is summer break,” she said

“True… and you two?” asked Sunset

“17 both of us,” said one of them

“Ok then, names?” asked Sunset

“Scootaloo,” said the girl

“Rumble,” said the tallest/buffest kid

“Featherweight,” said the lanky one

“Well, my name is Sunset Shimmer, that’s Twilight, Pinkie, and our friend Fluttershy,” she said

“We know,” said Rumble

“Everyone in the academy knows the 2 of you,” said Featherweight pointing at Twilight and Sunset

“The Deadly Duo” that’s what we call you,” said Scootaloo

“They kept the nickname?” said Twilight angrily

“Yup,” said Rumble

“As for Fluttershy, and Pinkie… Shy is a friend of the family, and everyone knows of Pinkie’s pastries,” said Scootaloo

“Well, now that introductions with you kids are done...” said Sunset “ What about you three?” se finished

“Oh, hi, my name is Stormwalker, I’m Rumble’s older sister, and this is my best friend…” said the first girl

“Flitter! Nice to meet you all!” said the second girl

“My name is Cloudchaser… and for some fun fact, I share a “name” with Stormwalker,” said the tall buff man

“Well, welcome to the tryouts,” said Twilight

“Now before we begin, I have to ask, were you all born in Cloudsdale?” said Sunset

They all nodded yes

“Have any of you participated in any national-level competitions?” asked Twilight

“Does, Olympic cross country count?” asked Cloudchaser

“Was it with the Cloudsdale Olympic national team?” asked Twilight

“Yes,” he said

“That makes you ineligible for the Canterlot national team since that would count as a betrayal,” said Twilight

“OH, STORM CLOUDS!” he said

“Yeah?” said a female pegasus that was flying by

“SORRY, I WAS CURSING!” said Cloudchaser

“OH, OK, SEE YOU LATER THAN!” said the pegasus as she flew away

“Thanks for coming, sorry it didn’t work out,” said Fluttershy

“It’s ok, I’ll just have to write my name in the Wonderbolts waiting list,” said Cloudchaser as he walked away

“What about you 2?” asked Twilight

“Nope, we haven’t been involved in any competition,” said Flitter

“Ok then, how old are you?” asked Twilight

“I’m 25 said Stormwalker,” said

“I’m 24, but my birthday is next month,” said Flitter

“Ok then, what positions do you play?” asked Sunset

“I can play as a winger, wingback, Defense wing, or center,” said Stormwalker

“I can only play as forward and Left-winger,” said Flitter

“Ok then, Stormwalker, you will fight against me, I can play in any position but I prefer to be a paladin if you can evade every single one of my attacks you’ll be in,” said Sunset

“As for you Flitter, you will face me, I play as center, but also know how to play as a forward, if you can counter my magic, you’re golden,” said Twilight

Both Twilight and Sunset lined up at the far end of the soccer field as Storwalker and Flitter did the same on their side

“OK! READY?! SET!...FIGHT!!!!” said Pinkie

And Stormwalker and Flitter were off, rushing towards Sunset and Twilight.

Twilight then used her horn to summon magic blasts and Flitter managed to evade all of them, until she reached the half field mark, and was hit face first by one of the magic blasts, making her fly back to the other goal.

Right next to them, Stormwalker had gotten close enough to punch Sunset, but she quickly evaded and countered the attack with a kick to Storwalker’s stomach; the power of the kick was such that Storwalker, not only threw up her breakfast (And possibly scraped her pants) but she flew back so fast that you never noticed her land inside the goal net, next to Flitter.

“GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!” screamed Pinkie Pie as she hugged Fluttershy

“Mind letting go Pinkie, I’m getting dizzy,” said Fluttershy

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” said Pinkie

“It’s ok,” said Fluttershy as they joined Twilight and Sunset on the pitch walking towards Stormwalker and Flitter.

“Are you two ok?” asked Twilight

“Oh, I’m going to feel that one tomorrow,” said Flitter as she sat up rubbing her now red face

Stormwalker just laid on the ground trying to catch her breath… and whatever was left of her breakfast that was still in her throat.

“Let me check you out,” said Fluttershy as she took out a first aid kit

“I thought you were a Vet,” said Sunset

“I am, but I also know first aid,” said Fluttershy proudly

After a few minutes

“Ok, Flitter you only have a small burn due to the impact, you should be fine by tomorrow,” said Fluttershy

“Really, I thought it was much worst,” said Flitter

“Oh, no, I have great self-restraint,” said Twilight

Fluttershy then turned to aid Stormwalker

A few moments later

“A bruised back, stomach, arm, and leg, no major fractures and/or injuries… but I do recommend that you head home, take a shower and… maybe get a change of underwear,” said Fluttershy as she held in a laugh

“Noted… good thing I live just across the street,” said Stormwalker as Flitter helped her up and carried her to her house.

“That was awesome!!!” said Scootaloo as she ran towards the girls followed by Rumble and Featherweight

“You really live up to the name,” said Rumble

“Thanks, kids,” said Sunset

“I really want to grow up fast to be as powerful as you two,” said Featherweight

“First you have to put some muscle on that body of yours,” said Sunset

“Told you!” said Rumble

“You know if you want I can give you a list of exercises that will help you in that aspect,” said Twilight

“You know about this?” asked Sunset

“Well, I do have a certificate in nutrition, a side of my certificate in International Law,” said Twilight as she gave Featherweight some papers

“I better head home now, don’t want to make my aunts worry,” said Scootaloo leaving

“Me too, I should start doing this right away,” said Featherweight as he flew away

“Yeah me too, I better check up on my sister, don’t worry I won’t tell anyone about this,” said Rumble as he left

“That was fun,” said Pinkie

“Agreed,” said Sunset

“So, Fluttershy, did you learn something today?” asked Twilight

“Uhm… I learned… not to mess with you,” said Fluttershy

“You got that right… but, can you fight?” asked Sunset

“I don’t like violence, I prefer to talk things out and avoid injuring people,” said Fluttershy

“Wait, you said, that you can injure people? You can’t even see your own shadow without jumping,” said Pinkie

“That’s an exaggeration… GAAAAAAAH!” said Fluttershy as her tail pocked her leg

“Told you so,” said Pinkie

“Stop bothering her Pinkie, everyone has their fears and strengths, and respecting them makes us stronger,” said Twilight

“True, but that won’t help us finish the team,” said Pinkie

“Let me worry about that,” said Twilight

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m heading to the hotel, I’m beat,” said Sunset turning around

What she didn’t know, was that she was about to step on an ant, but Fluttershy did, and as Sunset’s boot was about to end the ant’s life, something came over Fluttershy, as she quickly lunged at Sunset, shoving her so hard, that Sunset flew about 10 meters, went straight threw a demolition site, bringing down the building with her; then mimicking a skipping stone on the nearby lake, and finally crashing hard on the sand at the other side of the lake.

“SUNSET!!!!!” Everyone screamed as Twilight teleported herself, Pinkie, and Fluttershy to the other side of the lake.

“ARE YOU OK?!” asked Twilight

“ARE YOU ALIVE?!” asked Pinkie

“Better… better question… when in… hell... did you… get so strong?” asked Sunset as she climbed out of the crater shaped like her body.

“I’m sorry Sunset, but you were going to step on an innocent ant, and I couldn’t let you,” said Fluttershy

“No problem, I’m not that banged up,” said Sunset

“Yeah, cause your head is so hard it acts like a helmet,” said Twilight

“You don’t value your life enough, do you?” said Sunset

“Going back to Sunset’s question, when did you get so strong? You don’t even show any signs of bulgy muscles in your body,” said Pinkie

“Oh, my work as a vet keeps me in shape, and since I tend to care for wild animals to… well you need to be able to make them know their place will you help them,” said Fluttershy

“Cool,” said Pinkie

“Nevermind that, I think we just found our first Defender,” said Twilight

“Who me?” asked Fluttershy

Twilight nodded

“But I don’t even know the rules of this game, nor have I ever tried it,” said Fluttershy

“Then this is a dilemma,” said Twilight

“It will take us a long time to teach you the ropes and train you at the same time,” said Sunset

“Maybe I can help with that,” said a female voice

“Spitfire?!!” they all said as Spitfire landed

“What are you doing here?” asked Sunset

“Well, I wanted to find out who was the earthly ragdoll,” said Spitfire causing Sunset to turn red

“And I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation,” she said

“And you came here because you thought it was a good chance to strengthen your lines?” said Twilight

“No, we don’t use defenders in our lineup, we use speed and agility,” said Spitfire

“Uhm, question, what does a defender do?” asked Fluttershy

“A defender is a player that most always be ready to assist their teammates during battles, it’s a very tough position, both mentally and physically, not only must you work your body over the limit, but you also have to be able to make split-second decisions,” said Spitfire

“Oh, but, I can’t do that,” said Fluttershy

“Didn’t you just launch your friend Sunset here, about 100 meters milliseconds before she stepped on an ant?” said Spitfire

“Yes,” said Fluttershy

“That is known as the “Defender Instinct” which is a very, and I mean VERY, rare ability, anyone can be a defender, but not EVERYONE can be a DEFENDER, you’re a unique type of gladiator,” said Spitfire

“You really think so?” said Fluttershy

“Without a shadow of a doubt,” said Spitfire

“So, what was your proposal?” asked Twilight

“Let us train her and give her the basics… when I mean us, I mean the Wonderbolts,” said Spitfire

“What do you say Fluttershy?” said Twilight

“Well, my mom said that “if you let new experiences and opportunities go, you might just be an idiot” so let’s do it,” said Fluttershy

“Alright, report to the Wonderbolts academy tomorrow at 0700 hours… 7 AM,” said Spitfire

Fluttershy just nodded

Spitfire then turned to leave but stopped

“Oh yeah… these are for you,” she said as she dug some passes out of her sports bag

“What are these for?” asked Twilight

“These make you guests of the Wonderbolts, it gives you access to the Wonderbolt academy gyms, lectures, and cafeteria, not to mention it also helps you with finding accommodation for your stay,” said Spitfire

“Thank you,” they all said

“Well see you all tomorrow,” said Spitfire as she flew away

“Well we better head to the hotel and get some rest, we’re going to need a lot of energy tomorrow,” said Twilight

Everyone nodded and headed to the hotel

ONE MONTH LATER

“And that will conclude your training, how do you feel Fluttershy?” asked Spitfire

“I don’t feel different,” said Fluttershy

“Good, if you did, that means I have done something wrong,” said Spitfire

“WOOHOO! Well done Fluttershy!” they all said as they hugged her

“Thanks,” said Fluttershy

“It’s amazing, you don’t even look any different,” said Sunset

“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy

“Despite all of the training, you look just like you did a month ago,” said Twilight

“Yeah, no over bulgy muscles,” said Pinkie

“That’s because of her body structure,” said Spitfire

“What do you mean?” asked Sunset

“Well, as you know, in many cases, when you do exercise your muscles grow and that growth is very showable, but rarely, we get a case of “Phantom-musculature”. It’s so rare that there are only over 100 known cases of people, not Gladiators, that have this ability. What happened is that her muscles don’t grow or stretch to become bulgy, but they gain the strength and power… this is mostly seen in women rather than men, but it’s still rare,” said Spitfire

“Well, well, well, what do you know, you are a rare fighter after all,” said Pinkie

Fluttershy just blushed

“So, are you ready?” asked Spitfire

“Ready for what?” asked Twilight

“To test your new abilities?” said Spitfire

“Sure, what do we have to do?” asked Twilight

“Fight us!” said a female voice

Everyone turned and saw Gilda, Gabby, Greta, and Gisselle, enter the academy pitch

What are you doing here?” asked Sunset

“Well, first I came here to apologize to Fluttershy, what those men did was unacceptable,” said Gilda

“Did you know them personally?” asked Twilight

“No, they were just a bunch of rich kids that bought their way into the team,” said Gilda

“And what happened to them?” asked Pinkie

“Well, they were all charged with assault and were sentenced to 5 years probation, except for Gabriel, it was discovered that he was the mastermind behind everything, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison,” said Gilda

“Also, they were band from any Gladiator based activity, they aren’t even allowed to be near an arena,” said Gabby
“Oh, that’s… reassuring,” said Fluttershy

“And what’s the other reason for your visit?” asked Twilight

“To test your new abilities and see if you have gotten better or worst,” said Gilda

“So wait, you came here to spar with us?” asked Sunset

Gilda nodded

“Let’s do this,” said Sunset as she ran to the field

ON THE FIELD

Gilda 92 OVR

Gabby 88 OVR Giselle 87 OVR

Greta 86 OVR

Pinkie? OVR Sunset? OVR

Twilight? OVR

Fluttershy? OVR

“The first team to be wiped out wins, no dangerous punches though,” said Gilda

“READY! SET! FIGHT!!!” said Spitfire

And the fight began, but it didn’t last long, Twilight, Sunset, and Pinkie dashed forward to fight Gabby, Greta, and Gisselle, but Fluttershy remained static.

Gilda took advantage of this and quickly aided her teammates, punching Twilight’s, Pinkie’s and Sunset’s breakfasts out

“I surrender!” said Fluttershy as she raised her hands

“Point for Gilda,” said Spitfire

“Ok, a first loss is understandable, they’re pros with years of practice… round 2?” asked Twilight

“Bring it,” said Sunset and Pinkie as they got into position.

For the next 2 and a half hours Twilight, Pinkie, and Sunset, got punched, pummeled, kicked, and thrown around the field, while Fluttershy spent the whole time running away from the fight

“OUFF! They all said when they landed on the ground again

“Well, 99 defeats are still understandable,” said Twilight

“Sorry I don’t share your optimism,” said Sunset

“I think I can taste my Spine,” said Pinkie

“Are you girls ok?” asked Fluttershy

“I don’t think so,” said Sunset

“Fluttershy, it’s your job to avoid that we get bit up so badly,” said Twilight

“I’m sorry girls, I just get too scared when I see fighting,” said Fluttershy as she knelt down next to the girls

“Fluttershy, everyone has their fears, but standing up to them makes us all stronger,” said Twilight

“I know Twilight, I just freeze up,” said Fluttershy

“You know Fluttershy, maybe there is a way for you to gain confidence,” said Sunset

“How?” asked Fluttershy

“Just imagine us as cute animals that are about to get killed or injured,” said Sunset

“Are you sure that’s going to work?” said Pinkie

“Hey, I imagine my rivals as horrifying creatures, helping me fight off my fear of monsters,” said Sunset

“That might work,” said Twilight

“Well, there is only one way to find out,” said Sunset as they all got up and got into position

“Round 100, READY! SET! FIGHT!” said Spitfire

And once again they were off, Fluttershy however, remained static again

“Imagine… imagine… imagine…” She kept saying, she then looked at the battle happening and in her mind, Twilight turned into a puppy, Sunset, turned into a pussycat, and Pinkie turned into a bunny

When she saw this and the fact that these cute animals were about to get injured, she felt something come over her, a massive surge on adrenaline or energy, and she quickly lunged forward.

Pinkie was having trouble keeping up with Gabby, who was starting to gain the upper hand when Gabby finally broke through Pinkie’s defense and was about to deliver the knockout blow, she was suddenly hit in the stomach so hard that she flew straight through the wall of the female Wonderbolt Barracks.

Pinkie looked up and saw Fluttershy, her eyes filled with rage, Fluttershy then turned and dashed to help Sunset, using her body to send Gisselle flying to the outer wall of the field falling unconscious

Then, she quickly headed over to Twilight, and with a power dive, landed on top of Greta creating a crater around her now unconscious body.

‘Wow, Fluttershy, that was awesome!” said Twilight

“Thanks, but it’s not over yet,” she said as she turned to face Gilda

“FINALLY! A WORTHY ADVERSARY!” Gilda screamed

“LET’S SEE WHO IS VICTORIOUS!” said Fluttershy as she lunged full speed at Gilda

Gilda followed and lunged at Fluttershy

When the two of them met in the center of the field a massive cloud of dust raised, blinding everyone.

Moments later when the cloud dissipated everyone noticed both Fluttershy and Gilda standing opposite to each other, panting heavily

“You said… your name was Fluttershy, right?” said Gilda

“Yes,” said Fluttershy

“I’m sorry… for doubting… your resolve,” said Gilda as she fell to the ground

“VICTORY FOR CANTERLOT!” said Spitfire

“Well done Fluttershy!” everyone said as they ran up to her

“Thanks, the idea you gave me, really worked,” said Fluttershy

“Well, let’s make it official,” said Twilight

“Make what official?” asked Fluttershy

“Your presence in the new Canterlot Gladiator team,” said Twilight giving Fluttershy a contract to sign and the chart to complete

Fluttershy signed the contract and then proceed to complete the chart

Name Age Height Measurements position

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

“Well it’s official, welcome to the team,” said Twilight

“Thank you,” said Fluttershy

“Where should we go now?” asked Sunset

“Manechester, it sounds like a good place to go, and it’s not that far from here,” said Twilight

“I’ll go buy the train tickets, express train,” said Pinkie as she sprinted away faster than possible

“Well, girls, well done, and good luck with your team,” said Spitfire

“No, thank you for the hospitality,” said Twilight

“Oh yeah, before you go… here,” said Spitfire as she handed them some papers

“What are these?” asked Twilight

“Well, the general took the liberty of giving you a test to see what your overalls are,” said Spitfire

“91!!!” said Sunset reading her paper

“92!!!” said Twilight

“90!!!” said Fluttershy

“What’s going on?” asked Pinkie Pie coming back into the frame with the tickets

“We just got new Overalls,” said Sunset handing Pinkie hers

“91, not bad, I like it,” said Pinkie

“Well, I must get back to training see you girls later,” said Spitfire

“GASP, WE SHOULD HAVE A “CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE NEW RANKS” PARTY!!!!” said Pinkie

“I don’t think that is possible, our train leaves in 4 hours,” said Sunset

“Oh dear, we have to help you pack Fluttershy,” said Twilight

“And find someone to look after your friend's apartment,” said Sunset

“Oh don’t worry, I already took care of that… well my animal friends did,” said Fluttershy

Just then a big Grizzly bear appeared behind the girls making them jump and run for their lives

“Thank you, Brutus… Oh don’t worry they’ll be fine,” said Fluttershy as she hugged the bear

“Wait, he is your friend?” asked the girls coming out of hiding

“Yup, this is Brutus, he is an old honey bear and a very good friend of mine,” said Fluttershy as the bear waved, hugged Fluttershy again and left.

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Sunset

“Should we head to the train station?” said Fluttershy

“Sure,” said Twilight as the color came back to her skin.

And with that, the girls headed to the train station to continue their adventure.

Gladiators Ch.5 A deadly case of Misconception

ONE DAY LATER

“OH, FUCKING FINALLY! I thought you said it was a SHORT trip!” said Sunset as she got off the train

“How would you know you snored like the train the whole way!” said Pinkie

“No, Sunset’s right, Manchester is only 5 hours away from Cloudsdale,” said Twilight

“Only,” said Sunset

“Then why did we take so long to get here?” asked Fluttershy

All the girls remained silent as they thought for a while, then Twilight noticed something

“Hey, where is the Loncolt eye?” she asked

“Hey you’re right, you’re supposed to see it from the train station,” said Sunset

“Huh, maybe Godzilla came here and ate it! Or they demolished it! Or even worse… WE TRAVELLED IN TIME TO THE FUTURE OR TO ANOTHER DIMENSION!!!!” said Pinkie

“Or, we took the wrong train,” said Fluttershy catching everyone’s attention

“What do you mean, I made sure we got on Train 5970, just like in the ticket,” said Twilight

“Yeah, we got on the RIGHT train… but we had the WRONG destination,” said Fluttershy

And with that everyone quickly grabbed their tickets and read

“Train 5970 to Manehattan, departing at 6 PM,”

“Oh, we aren’t in the wrong dimension, I just bought the wrong ticket,” said Pinkie

“How did that happen?” asked Sunset

Pinkie then started to remember

CLOUDSDALE TRAIN STATION (YESTERDAY)

“Wow, this train station is busier than I thought,” said Pinkie as she stood inline

Then she noticed something in the corner of her eye.

“Visit Manehattan, the town of fashion, of fun, of High class, come for our fashion, or nightlife, and most importantly, come for our Gladiator events; That’s right, throughout the following week we will have various Gladiator competitions; like which? you make ask, well I ain’t telling, so you better come on down to Manehattan and find out,” said an anchor during a TV ad.

“That seems fun, but right now, the girls and I have to build a team,” said Pinkie as she started to look away from the ad, as she walked up to the ticket window.

“Hello, what can I give you today?” asked the clerk

“Hi, I’d like to buy 4 tickets for…” Pinkie began

“But wait! There's more, you might not know this, but Manehattan is also one of the food capitals of the world, come and enjoy or 5-star cuisine, or if you’re not into the whole “Luxury dining” then don’t threat, the city is full of smaller-scaled, but equally delicious restaurants, candy shops, and of course… bakeries, like the world-famous “Diamond Cake bakery” you might know it from TV shows like “Master cake” or “The next great cake” or just by the fact that they hold the record for baking the biggest, longest, sweetest cake in history, so come on down and visit beautiful Manehattan,” said the announcer

“Manehattan,” said Pinkie

“Here you go dear,” said the clerk

“Oh, thank you,” said Pinkie as she came back to her senses and paid for the tickets, and left.

“Maybe I should’ve put more attention on the ticket while ordering,” said Pinkie

“Oh, well, let’s go check the city out,” said Twilight

“At 5 AM?” said Sunset

“Come on, Manehattan is the city that never sleeps right,” said Twilight

“I’m pretty sure that’s Las Pegasus,” said Sunset, but Twilight had already wandered off

A FEW HOURS LATER

“Well, I have to admit, that was fun,” said Sunset

“I know right, so many places to visit,” said Twilight

“So many cute city critters,” said Fluttershy

“So many delicious dishes,” said Pinkie stuffing her face with a hot dog

“Not to mention all of the fabulous fashion shops you can find beautiful dresses and armors,” said another female voice behind them

“Hello, and you are?” asked Twilight

“Oh dear, where are my manners, My name is Rarity Belle, owner of Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and Magnifique,” said the female unicorn with long and stylishly wavy purple long hair.

“Oh, I know the place, it’s in Ponyville… but what are you doing here?” asked Pinkie

“I came to help with my branch here in Manehattan, it was suffering a bit of a creators block, but it’s been resolved,” said Rarity “Now, it’s my turn to ask, what are you ladies doing here?” she said

“We’re here to recruit people for the Canterlot Gladiator team,” said Twilight

“Interesting… anyone in mind?” asked Rarity

“Not really, but… are you offering your services?” asked Twilight

“Oh, heavens, no… I’m only a 5 division gladiator with a rank of 68… What I meant was that there is a Gladiator tournament happening here in Manehattan, tomorrow… maybe you can participate and find someone,” said Rarity

“That sounds like a good idea,” said Sunset

“Can you take us to the arena to register?” said Pinkie

“Sure, right this way,” said Rarity

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Here we are, the Manehattan Gladiator arena,” said Rarity as they turned the corner.

It was a massive construction, it resembled a Roman Coliseum, big enough to fit 1 million spectators.

“Wow,” they all said

“Wow, indeed,” said Rarity

“Hey, there is where we register,” said Fluttershy as they all headed to the registration booth

“Hello, what can I do for you, lovely ladies?” said the registrator

“We would love to register to participate on the tournament happening tomorrow if it’s still possible,” said Twilight

“OF course, just sign this papers and you’ll be ready,” said the registrator

Twilight took the paper and read through it

“Can… Can you give us a second?” asked Twilight

“Sure, take the time you need,” said the registrator as Twilight turned around and motioned for the girls to come closer

“Any problem?” whispered Sunset

“It says we need a minimum of 5 members per team to be considered,” said Twilight

“So… we are one head short,” said Pinkie

“Seems like it,” said Twilight

“So, what are we going to do?” asked Fluttershy

“Well… as long as we find someone over the age of 21…” said Sunset

“Is looking for the opportunity to participate…” said Pinkie

“And has prior experience in the field, will be good to go,” said Twilight

“Oh… if those are the requirements, then I can be the 5th head,” said Rarity catching all of the girls attention

“Are you sure?” asked Twilight

“Well, I’m 27, and I have experience on the 5 division, not to mention, this tournament might the best place to advertise my new line of clothes,” said Rarity

“Ok, then… and there we go… here you go all set,” said Twilight

“Excellent, now, the competition was actually moved from tomorrow until next friday, do to emergency construction work happening inside the arena, so take this time to practice and tone your abilities,” said the registrator

“Ok, any idea where we can find a low cost gym where we can practice?” asked Twilight

“Even better, one of the tournament producers is a local gym called Dynamo Fitness, it was actually founded by a retired first tear gladiator called Dynamo…” said the registrator

“DYNAMO BLITZ!!!!” all of the girls said

“That guy,” said the registrator

“So, that means, we can use his facilities to train?” said Sunset Shimmer

“Yup, but, there are only 2 gyms in the city, and they are usually crowded 24/7,” said the registrator

“Well, if we are lucky, we’ll have enough time to train,” said Twilight

“THAT’S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR! OPTIMISM! You gals really are Gladiator material,” said the registrator

“Thanks, now, which way is the nearest gym?” asked Pinkie

“Near Mainway station, go to the Bridleway Theater and then turn right, you’ll see the sign, you can’t miss it,” said the registrator

“Thanks, come on girls, let’s go break a sweat!” said Twilight earning a YAY! From her friends.

As they turned to leave, they were flagged down by the registrator

“Sorry to stop you in your tracks, but, do you girls have any sort of armor and/or equipment? You can’t participate otherwise,” he said

The girls froze in place, none of them had “proper” equipment, they were all wearing workout pants, sneakers, and T-shirts and jackets; they didn’t even have proper weapons, counting only on Twilight’s Dagger and magic Staff.

“You have until the day of the tournament to find equipment, if you don’t, you’ll be disqualified immediately,” he said

“Thanks, we’ll get to that too,” said Sunset Shimmer as they all walked away

“You girls don’t have equipment?” asked Rarity

“No, I sold my old equipment to have enough money for this trip,” said Sunset

“Which I told you not to,” said Twilight

“All of my equipment is for parties,” said Pinkie

“I never owned any type of armor or weapons, never needed it,” said Fluttershy

“You’re not kidding… well, I can make you some armor… maybe we can even wear some of my new designs during the tournament, that would help me put them on the map,” said Rarity.

“No, we couldn’t impose that much on you,” said Twilight

“I honestly wouldn’t mind,” said Rarity

“If you say so,” said Twilight

“GREAT! My boutique is nearby, let’s head over and try some of my new designs,” said Rarity as she led her new friends to her boutique.

After a few minutes, they reached Rarity’s boutique

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!” she said

“Ha, it has a nice ring to it!” said Pinkie

“Thanks! I practiced that slogan for almost a year before coming up with it,” said Rarity

“Well, practice makes perfection,” said Twilight

“I know right!... well, why don’t you girls tell me your positions and measurements, that way I can adjust the armor to fit you perfectly,” said Rarity

“Well, I’m 5’7” (1.68M), my measurements are 37 - 28 - 40, and I’m a Field General,” said Twilight

“5’9” (1.75M), 39 - 31 - 40, Paladin,” said Sunset Shimmer

“5’8” (1.72M), 40 - 31 - 42, Winger/Tank,” said Pinkie Pie

“5’6” (1.67M), 45 - 30 - 39, Defender,” said Fluttershy

“I see, give me a few hours and I will have the perfect equipment for you, in the meantime, make yourselves at home,” said Rarity as she walked up to the front door and changed the sign from “Open” to “close, due to fashion emergency”.

A FEW HOURS LATER

“All done!” said Rarity

“Really?!” all of the girls said as they got off the sofas they had been using this whole time.

“Yup, come on and see,” said Rarity

The girls followed Rarity into her work studio and saw 5 different armors

“Ok, I started with Twilight, since she probably has the easiest type of armor required, before you is one of my best cloaks, and cape; it was made with a durability black and purple garment, making it really resistant to weather, and you can wash it in any washing machine and it will still remain intact, no damage to the fibers,” said Rarity as Twilight walked over and dressed up.

“It feels… cozy,” said Twilight

“Excellent… now, we have Pinkie, your armor, was a tad more difficult, since you specialize in 2 very different positions, to the fact that I had to destroy to different dresses to create yours; I first created this pinkish-red bodysuit so that it will help you gain speed and agility when you play as a winger, and then I added this pink hoodie with light-blue and white details for you to earn an extra level of protection without jeopardizing the speed element,” said Rarity

“Thanks,” said Pinkie, already dressed with her new armor

“Now, Sunset Shimmer, in your particular case, I had some issues with making your new armor, as you know, the position of Paladin, is not exactly popular, and so, many gladiators tend to work as defenders or even warriors, and so… you were my first attempt to create a paladin armor, so, after doing some research, I came up with this, I created a bodysuit with the same aspects as Pinkie’s to help you gain speed when changing from attack to defensive positions, then I created a middleweight aluminum fiber armor that will protect you and at the same time won’t get in your way while fighting; if it doesn’t feel right, just tell me and I’ll come up with a fix,” said Rarity

“Aren’t cars made with Aluminium fiber?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she finished putting the bodysuit on

“Yes, yes they are, that’s one of the reasons, they are less heavier than older models and makes them drive smoothly,” said Rarity

“I didn’t know you knew of mechanics,” said Twilight

“Or blacksmithing,” said Pinkie

“Oh, that, well, I don’t really know much about mechanics, I just watch a lot of fashion shows on TV and I had the idea from there,” said Rarity

“And the blacksmith part?” asked Sunset

“Oh, heavens, no, I don’t do blacksmithing, wouldn’t want to break any nails, or worst, end up with calluses in my hands,” said Rarity as she admired her manicure

“Of course you wouldn’t,” they all said

“And finally, Fluttershy, in your particular case, Darling, I had more than one issue when doing your gear, first off, you don’t really have the weight or muscle mass to carry the proper defender armor, second, your height was also an issue, and the typical defender is usually 6’0” total, and the third issue… your breasts are surprisingly big, a bit too big for the typical armor, which meant I had to redesign the chestplate as well,” said Rarity

Her last comment had caused Fluttershy to turn red, plus the other girls, Rarity included, were staring at her with jealous looks, which made her feel uncomfortable.

“Regardless, I believe I was able to create something that suits your needs, first, I destroyed many of my old creations to salvage their durasteel, that way I was able to fabricate the upper part of your armor; when it came to the lower part, I fabricated a skirt made with durable leather, you could say it’s army level leather, but that was still not enough do to your legs being completely exposed, so, I made some legging… what is so interesting about them? Well, they are bullet and magic proof, not even a poisoned or fire dagger would be able to pierce through them,” said Rarity

“Wow, thank you, Rarity,” said Fluttershy as she put her new armor on

After she was done, Twilight noticed the last armor in the room

“What about that one?” she asked

“Oh, that’s my armor, it’s the one I use when I fight,” said Rarity

The girls were kind of amazed by it, it looked like a dress fit for a gala at the Canterlot castle, and after touching it, they realized that it was made out of silk, a very, VERY, expensive silk.

“I take it you are a field general?” said Sunset

“Actually, I’m a defender, not very good when it comes to strategy,” said Rarity

When they heard that, the girls’ jaws hit the floor in surprise; her armor was nowhere near helpful for the position she played at, it was light, thin, and of course, made of really expensive material.

“It’s really…” said Sunset Shimmer not knowing what to say

“Well made,” said Twilight

“Thanks, it took me 2 days to make it,” said Rarity

“Really?” they all said

“Yup, anyway, we should head to the gym and begin practicing,” said Rarity as she used her magic to put her gear on.

They were about to leave when Rarity said

“Hold it! I forgot to give you the last part of the gear,”

The girls looked at each other and then back to her

“Here you go, Twilight, these boots will look great with your new attire, they are also lavish and you can even wear them out of the arena,” said Rarity as she handed Twilight a pair of dark purple boots with 10cm heels.

“Right…” said Twilight as she put them on

“Pinkie, these ones are for you, these running shoes will compliment your bodysuit perfectly,” said Rarity

Pinkie took them and put them on

“Sunset, these heels are made of the same material as your armor, not to mention, they match the color of your armor perfectly,” said Rarity

Sunset took them and eyed them for a few seconds “Thanks” she finally said

“And finally, Fluttershy… I know they look like winter boots, but they will help you get a better grip when it comes to fighting,” said Rarity

Fluttershy took them, and thanked Rarity, and put them on.

“Ok, now we are set to leave,” said Rarity as she opened the door for her new friends

“Are you sure, these are the right shoes for fighting?” asked Sunset

“Oh, come one, Sunset, I know you hate wearing heels, but bear with it for some time,” said Twilight

“Fine,” said Sunset as she walked out of the door

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“... and around the corner… there it is, and boy is it crowded,” said Twilight

The girls couldn’t believe the size of the line when they reached the gym.

“Is this the line to enter the gym?” asked Twilight

“Yes ma’am,” answered the man

“How long do you think it’s going to take us to enter?” asked Sunset

“To be honest, I don’t know, I’ve been here for almost half an hour now,” said the man

“Thanks,” said Sunset as she turned back to look at the girls.

“Great, now what are we going to do?” asked Twilight

“We can always go to the second line,” said Pinkie

“What second line?” asked Twilight

“The line that says “Challenge” there is no one in it,” said Pinkie as she pointed to the other entrance.

“Oh, how convenient,” said Rarity

“Yeah, but something’s fishy about it,” said Twilight

“Well, it’s better than nothing, plus, that door is still part of the gym,” said Sunset

And with that, the girls decide to enter the door.

“Welcome to Dynamo Fitness challenge arena, are you planning on participating or watching?” asked the female receptionist behind the desk

“Uhm… participate,” said Twilight

“Yeah, should’ve figured as much, I mean, with the gear you girls have on, it would be weird if you didn’t, please write down your names, positions, and overalls, and also, write a name for your team, when you’re down with that, head down the stairs to the arena and wait to be called,” said the receptionist

“So, what type of challenge is this?” asked Sunset

“It’s a team fight challenge, first place wins $1,000,000 and a life membership to the gym for each member,” said the receptionist

“Nice,” said Pinkie

“Ok, everything is ready,” said Twilight

“Alright then, let’s take a look… Elements of harmony, nice name,” said the receptionist

“SO, are we all set?” asked Fluttershy

“Yup, go on ahead, the challenge will begin shortly,” said the receptionist

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“It’s time to begin today’s challenge, please welcome our first 2 teams, on the left, we have TREMOR!!!! And it’s members Thunder Spark, Jade Jester, Wild Ace, Ivy Jewel, and their leader Golden Flash!” said the anchor as the team entered and the crowd cheered.

“Take a look at those guys,” said Fluttershy

“Muscleheads,” said Sunset

“Now, give a warm round of applause to IRIS!, and their members Scarlet Dawn, Nettlekiss, Thunder Comet, Solar Arrow, and their leader Duke Venture,” said the anchor

“And look at them, their armors are… ostentatious,” said Pinkie

“On the contrary dear, they are marvelous, the amount of detail that they have is amazing, probably worth millions of dollars,” said Rarity

“They must be 2nd division gladiators, maybe even 1st division,” said Sunset

“If they have the money to buy that type of armor, definitely,” said Twilight

“LET THE MATCH BEGIN!!!!”

1 MINUTE LATER

“You’re… you’re kidding me right?!” said Twilight

“IRIS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY OBLITERATED!!! TREMOR ADVANCES TO THE NEXT STAGE!!!” said the anchor

“HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN!!!!” said Sunset

“They had the better gear,” said Fluttershy

“NEXT UP!!! ELEMENTS OF HARMONY!!! And it’s members, Rarity Belle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, and their leader Twilight Sparkle! This is actually the only all-female team here today, GO GIRL POWER!!!!” said the anchor

“We’re up!” said Twilight

“Yup, let’s go see what this gear adds to our abilities,” said Sunset as the girls entered the arena.

“AND PLAYING AGAINST THEM, WE HAVE REAPER!!!! And their members, Bulk Force, Saffron, Ruby Aura, Grave watcher, and their leader Astral Dark!!” said the anchor as the other team entered

When the girls turned to face their opponents, they froze in place, mostly out of fear.

The other team’s members were all dressed in black-colored gear, be it, a cloak, hoodie, or armor; but even more terrifying, was the fact that they were wearing skull masks, which made them look like the real grim reaper.

“What the fuck?” said Twilight

“All of the members of Reaper have been very vocal about their admiration towards legendary gladiator “Grim”, therefore the reason of their attire,” said the anchor

“So, we are going up against a fan club?” asked Pinkie

“Not just any fan club, THE fan club,” said Fluttershy

“What do you mean?” asked Rarity

“Yeah, and who is this Grim fellow?” asked Twilight

“According to what I’ve heard, he is some sort of legendary Gladiator that fought some time ago, he was so good, he went 3 years without losing a single 1v1 fight, even when the rest of the team he belonged to… “PARKA,” I think was the name, had been defeated,” said Sunset

“Never heard of him,” said Twilight

“Well, duh, you never take your head off books, you missed a few things,” said Sunset

“Did you ever see him play?” asked Twilight

“No, and what's even weirder is the fact that there are very few pictures and videos of him or her, there isn’t even any info about who was under the mask,” said Sunset

“SO, do you think it was real?” asked Twilight

“I think it was just a fabrication to make people watch Gladiators fight, totally fake,” said Sunset

“BLASPHEMY!!!! YOU SHALL ALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE SAID!!!” said Astral Dark

“Well done Sunset, you just angered a bunch of groupies that don’t need a computer to fight,” said Pinkie

“Well, I still think we are going to defeat them easily,” said Sunset

“Don’t Jinx us,” said Rarity

“Don’t tell me you believe in those things,” said Sunset

Unknown to them, someone in the stands was staring at the group of girls very carefully.

“LET THE MATCH BEGIN!!!!!” said the anchor

Immediately after saying that all of the members of Reaper charged towards the girls, sending them flying towards the wall behind them.

The gear they had on, dented, and fell apart.

“Ouch!” said Pinkie

“DO TO INCONSISTENCIES IN THEIR ATTIRE, ELEMENTS HAVE BEEN DISQUALIFIED! REAPER WINS AND ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!!!!” said the anchor

“What just happened?” asked Rarity

“Rule 27, when a gladiators armor is deemed unsafe or unfit to continue fighting, the user is automatically disqualified; it’s for their own safety,” said Twilight

“Dammit, we didn’t even last 10 seconds,” said Sunset

“And I’m not surprised,” said a male voice

The girls turned to face the owner of the said voice and saw the registrator from earlier

“What are you doing here?” asked Twilight

“Just wanted to see the competition for today, I mean, it’s my gym anyway,” said the man

The girls froze up, and then Twilight and Sunset took a closer look at the man

“DYNAMO BLITZ?!!!” they said as they began to fangirl over him.

“The one and only,” said Dynamo

“What do you mean you aren’t surprised by the result?” asked Rarity

“Well, Reaper is made out of second division gladiators, and fifth division team doesn’t stand a chance against that… actually I’d be terrified if you had defeated them,” said Dynamo

“But… our rankings...” said Twilight

“A ranking means nothing without knowledge, and more importantly, without proper gear to help,” said Dynamo

“Knowledge?” said Twilight

“Proper?” said Rarity

“What were you girls trying to accomplish here today?” asked Dynamo

“Well, we wanted to use the gym but, it was so crowded, and we didn’t want to wait, so…” Twilight explained

“And the tournament?” asked Dynamo

“That’s something we’d rather talk about in private,” said Sunset

“I see… come to my office, maybe I can be of assistance,” said Dynamo as he led the way.

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

“Take a seat,” said Dynamo as he sat at his desk

“Thank you,” all of the girls answered back

“So, what is your mission?” asked Dynamo

Twilight then explained everything to Dynamo

“I see, so, Celestia finally realized that taking gladiators from every single division isn’t a good idea… well, better late than never,” said Dynamo

“Can you help us?” asked Fluttershy

“Well, I’d love to, especially since I was born in Canterlot, but I can’t… you know what, come to my house tomorrow, I’m sure I can help you out with something,” said Dynamo as he wrote his address down and gave it to Twilight. “I want you there at 8 AM, not a second after,”

“RIGHT!” they all said and left the office thanking him over and over again.

THE NEXT MORNING

“Welcome to my humble home!” said Dynamo

“Please tell me you are being sarcastic,” said Twilight as she laid eyes on Dynamo’s $2.5 million mansion

“Of course I am, I don’t even know why I have such a big house… anyway, please come on in,” said Dynamo

The girls followed Dynamo to the main living room, as he offered them some tea as they sat down on the sofa

“So, have you decided to help us?” asked Twilight

“If I hadn’t you girls wouldn’t be here,” said Dynamo as he came back with various cups of tea.

“Thank you,” they said as they took their teas

“So, what should we do first?” asked Sunset as she took a sip of her tea

“Well, I’m still waiting for someone, but she isn't much of a morning person so… maybe I should start with the beginning,” said Dynamo as he got up

“The beginning?” asked the girls

“Yes… can any of you tell me the requirements for each division in the gladiator arenas?” said Dynamo

The girls went silent, none of them knew how to answer, it was something that they were never taught in school.

“I… I have no idea,” said Twilight in a defeated tone

“Well, remember that, back at the challenge arena, I told you wouldn’t have defeated Reaper?” said Dynamo

“Yes, you said, it was because they were second division and we were fifth,” said Fluttershy

“Correct, and till today, I hold my thoughts… as you girls might know there are 6… 5 divisions, and each division has its own regulations, and fighters,” said Dynamo

The girls listened carefully to what he had to say

“The fifth division, also known as the “Rich Kid division” or “Fake division”, as the name implies, makes an allusion to the fact that in that division you see a lot, and I mean A LOT of expensive, showy, and even classy armors and weapons, and almost all of them are not meant to be used as weapons at all… therefore, you can assume that the main purpose of that division is to put on a show, and the only reason someone is promoted to the fourth division is if they actually want to, or they give a “consent” to participate in the fourth division,” said Dynamo

“SO, the fifth division is pointless?” asked Pinkie

“Well, here in Manehattan, almost 60% of the gladiator population fights in the fifth division, and 90% of them come from wealthy backgrounds, they treat that division as a means for people to admire them as “Gods” not because of their skills but because of their money, therefore the reason why they buy expensive, useless gear and weapons,” said Dynamo

“And the commissioning office is ok with this?” asked Sunset

“They tend to look the other way, especially because that division makes a lot of cash for them, especially in cities like Manehattan or Tall Tale,” said Dynamo

“No matter where you go, money is always the universal language,” said Twilight

“Yes… now, the fourth division, it becomes a bit more ruthless, almost like boxing, that why many rich kids, that want to continue scaling the gladiator mountain change their lifestyles, some go from overspenders to money conscious, others become violent and aggressive, and others turn into muscle heads, believing that it will help them when fighting; we call that “Having their cherry popped” although it’s also a reference for something else,” said Dynamo

“So, the fourth division is a good thing?” asked Fluttershy

“I’d say it’s more of a double-edged sword, on one hand, it opens your eyes to reality, but on the other, it can also destroy your dreams,” said Dynamo

“What about the third? My current division,” said Twilight

“The third division, is considered to be the “perfect division” it’s on that division that you see this sport in all of its glory, a mix between the great Ss, skill, and strategy if you can survive on that division, even if it is mid-table, you can believe that you are a great Gladiator,” said Dynamo

“Then why are salaries so low?” asked Twilight

“For the same reason, the other division make or lose money, people that go and watch the fifth or fourth divisions usually go there for the show, and those who want to watch the second or first divisions go there for the blood and violence, no one likes the third division because it lacks both things,” said Dynamo

“So, this second division, is it bad?” asked Rarity

“Not exactly, you see, the second division takes stuff from all of the other previous divisions, the flashy, helpful gear, the fighting, the strategy, and the skill, but it also adds a new factor… blood, a second division match, usually ends with someone in the hospital, mostly because the rules are designed that way… “It toughens up Gladiators,” they say, but in reality, they only care about the violence,” said Dynamo

“That explains why many of the newcomers to the first division sometimes are really reckless when fighting,” said Sunset

“And of course, you have the “glorious” first division, the cream of the crop, only “real” gladiators fight there… or at least that’s what the ad says… but, they are right, Gladiators in the first division are usually considered superbeings, with abilities that many of you can’t even believe,” said Dynamo

“So, that’s why first division gladiators make a lot of money,” said Pinkie

“Correct… I can actually explain it better using ranking numbers, the fifth division goes from 50-60, with some exceptions, the fourth division goes from 60-70, the third division 70-80, the second division 80-90, and the first division goes from 90-... any number you can think of over 90,” said Dynamo

The second he said that all the girls turned to look at Rarity

“Rarity, didn’t you say that you were a rank 68?” asked Sunset

“Yes, and I am,” said Rarity

“Then why aren’t you in the fourth division?” asked Pinkie

“Simple, she is a magician, just like Twilight, that earns her extra points when being graded, but, as I said, that doesn't make her a fourth division gladiator,” explained Dynamo

“What about the 6th one?” asked Fluttershy catching everyone by surprise

“The 6th one?” asked Twilight

“Yeah, Dynamo said that there were 6 divisions, before saying 5, that means he is hiding one,” said Fluttershy

All of the girls turned to look at Dynamo

Feeling defeated Dynamo said

“I didn’t hide it… that division, doesn’t exist anymore,” said Dynamo

“A division that doesn’t exist?” asked Pinkie

“The S-division… it was one of the most popular, yet, worst division to ever exist,” said Dynamo

“I remember hearing things about it, none of them were good,” said Sunset

“The S-division used to have gladiators over the level of 95… back when the rating was done differently… This division was mostly used by army veterans to keep fighting small, make-believe wars against opponents of other kingdoms… then it also began to include fighters with exceptional talents… it was a thriller for everyone who went to watch it,” said Dynamo

“Why did they close it?” asked Fluttershy

“The division lasted for about 20 years… one of the reasons it was closed, was because the promotion system was faulty and could easily be manipulated,” said Dynamo

The girls looked at him with confused looks

“To enter the division you had to be scouted by a team and accepted into it, if not you couldn’t enter… it came to the point that many royal families bribed many teams to allow their children to enter and “train” to become killing machines,” Dynamo explained

The girls remained silent

“The second reason it was closed, was due to the fact that many royals, were using S-class gladiators as war promoters in hopes to restart the war, something that the treaty of the Crystal heart was strongly against and ordered the immediate shut down of the division,” said Dynamo

“And the third reason?” asked Fluttershy

“Saved the worst for last… that division had the highest mortality rate than any other division, in many cases, battles were to the death… the more pain you could inflict on your opponent the better… the emotional and psychological scars that this left behind, could easily break a saint,” said Dynamo

The girls were horrified about this, Fluttershy and Rarity had even begun to cry

“After the division was closed… sometimes even while it was still active, many gladiators committed suicide… others turned to crime, the bast majority being gunned down by police, like rabid dogs… politicians and royals couldn’t stand to view their mistakes, much less deal with them… the ones that actually sought help now work in the force, either as royal guards, soldiers, or police officers… some of them became entrepreneurs or millionaires… but none of us ever want to see that division re-opened, ever again,” said Dynamo

“Wait! You participated in the S-division?” asked Twilight in disbelief

Dynamo remained silent for a few seconds

“Yes… I and my wife were part of the “Bandidos'' team, one of the great 5 teams of the S-division… actually we are the only surviving members of the team,” said Dynamo

“What happened to the others?” asked Sunset

“Dark Colt, the leader of the team, was gunned down by police, after going on a killing spree that lasted 12 hours… Crimson Moon, was killed in action, in one of our last games; Maverick committed suicide after the division was closed, he was unable to obtain a job, and he fell into financial hardships, his wife and children left him, he fell into a deep depression… killed himself a few months later… Moon Petal, Crimson’s replacement, died of cancer a few months back, leaving behind a daughter… who I now look after with my wife…” said Dynamo

“You know… you could have woken me up, right?” said a female voice

“AMBER SHADOW!!!!” said Twilight and Sunset as they jumped to their feet and fangirled over her.

“I told you they tend to do that,” said Dynamo

“Alright, alright…the kids are not here right?” asked Amber

“No, they already headed to school, I took them personally,” said Dynamo

“Good, I’ll join you all in a minute,” said Amber as she walked away

“What about Moon Petal’s husband?” asked Fluttershy

“She never married,” said Dynamo

“Then…” Rarity began

“Her daughter was a result of a badly planned and prepared one-night stand, luckily for her, the competition had ended, and our team decided not to participate the following year do to what happened with Crimson and Dark Colt,” said Dynamo

“What about the other man, the one she slept with?” asked Rarity

“He’s dead… after she was diagnosed with cancer, I did my best to hunt him down… until I reached the town of Hooflyn, there, after asking around, I ran into a doctor, he told me he had treated a man by his name, but that even after his best efforts, he had flatlined… he told me that, when they brought him the body, he could tell he had been in a battlezone… I later discovered he was a known drug lord, leader of the Nomads, according to him, he had been dead for almost 5 years now… and so, I and my wife decided to become Obsidia’s guardians, although she now attends the royal academy,” said Dynamo as Amber sat next to him with a fresh cup of coffee.

When Sunset and Twilight heard the name of the girl, they froze in place, as an image of her popped into their brain.

“Yes, well, I heard you girls need some help,” said Amber

“Yes, we need to practice for the upcoming tournament,” said Twilight

Amber then looked at her husband

“And I take it you want me to train them?” said Amber

“You said you wanted to go back to the old days when you were a gladiator instructor,” said Dynamo

“THAT’S MY CURRENT JOB, DOOFUS!!” said Amber

“Then, I see no problem,” said Dynamo

“Did… did you just reverse-psychology me?” said Amber getting angry

“You know you love me,” said Dynamo with a smug smile

“Can’t argue with that… ok, who is the weakest one here?” asked Amber

They all pointed to Rarity

“A mage type, what can you play as?” asked Amber

“Defender,” said Rarity

“What’s your rank and level?” asked Amber

“Fifth division, level 68,” said Rarity

“I have a lot of work ahead of me,” said Amber

“Also, Twilight, Rarity, I must beg you to come find me after training,” said Dynamo

“Why?” asked Twilight

“Well, if I send you into that tournament, with the same fifth division gear, all of our work will be in vain, I’ll teach you to create real gear… enchanted gear,” said Dynamo

Twilight’s and Rarity’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Dynamo as Amber pushed them into the gym to begin their training.

ONE WEEK LATER

“WELCOME ONE AND ALL, TO MANEHATTAN’S ANNUAL GLADIATOR TOURNAMENT, WHERE GLADIATORS OF DIFFERENT RANKS AND BACKGROUNDS COME TOGETHER TO TEST THEIR ABILITIES AND FIND OUT, WHO IS THE BEST STREET FIGHTER. COMPETITORS GET READY, THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS IN 20 MINUTES,” said the anchor over the loudspeaker.

NEAR THE ENTRANCE

“Where is she?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“She said she had to go back to her boutique to grab something,” said Fluttershy

“Well, she better get here quick, I don’t want to be penalized for her being “fashionably late” again,” said Sunset

“Have some faith in her, she did have those habits punched out of her… I hope,” said Twilight

“You know, to be the typical “Princess wannabe” Rarity does have a high level of pain resistance, I mean, Amber punched her so hard sometimes, while in combat, she even flew through concrete walls,” said Pinkie

“Hopefully, she didn’t make her anymore brain dead,” said Sunset

“There she is!” said Fluttershy as they turned to see a sprinting Rarity coming towards them

“Took you long enough,” said Sunset

“Sorry, I misplaced this, and I didn’t remember where,” said Rarity catching her breath as she showed the girls a notebook

“What’s that?” asked Pinkie

“Notes I took while Dynamo taught Twilight and me how to create enchanted gear,” said Rarity

“So, why did you need it so bad?” asked Fluttershy

“You’ll see in a second,” said Rarity as she started to read the notebook as her horn lit up.

A burst of bright light temporarily blinded the girls, forcing them to close their eyes to avoid becoming blind.

When they opened their eyes, they noticed they were now wearing the same armor from before.

“Seriously, you went over to get a notebook to respawn the armor that didn’t work?!” said Sunset

“Yeah, Rarity, this armor is not really going to help us win,” said Pinkie

“Of course not, well, not yet at least, there is one more step I have to do,” said Rarity as she read the notebook again and her horn lit up once more.

After the light faded and the girls opened their eyes, they were shocked

“Nothing happened,” said Sunset

“Well, I didn’t change your armors, all I did was add extra abilities to them, including mine,” said Rarity

“Really?” asked Twilight

“Yup, I added magical attack resistance, endurance, an extra level of protection to all of your armors, plus adding abilities made especially for you all,” said Rarity

“Like?” asked Pinkie

“In your case Pinkie, I added “Featherweight” which is an ability that will allow you to move faster than before, plus I also added 3 points for maximum attack adjustment called “Tiger’s blessing”, that way you will be able to create real damage to even the toughest type of armors,” said Rarity

“Cool,” said Pinkie as she admired the improved armor

“Fluttershy, I added the special ability called “Guarding Angel”, this ability will increase all of your skills by 10% when our team is losing the battle, and if what Twilight said is true… well, let’s just pray for the misguided soul that infuriates you,” said Rarity

“Thank you,” said Fluttershy

“Sunset, I gave you the ability called “Tank” this ability will make you unstoppable for about 5 minutes, I do however recommend that you use this ability wisely," said Rarity

"Why?" Asked Sunset

"Once you're 5 minutes are up, we will be twice as more vulnerable, the typical double edge sword," said Rarity

“I can live with that,” said Sunset

“Twilight, your outfit has been enchanted with an ability known as “Great Sage” and… I bet you know what this ability does?” said Rarity

“Yup, is an ability that allows you to understand the enemy’s skill and game plan, while at the same time, it can also help you improve your own skill and abilities,” said Twilight

“Correct, and as you all know, enchanted gear’s abilities need to be leveled up, if you can use magic, and if your enchanted gear’s ability consists of magical prowess, you must learn as much as possible from it, if you don’t the better way to do it, is to research as much as you can about the ability and use that knowledge on the arena… or pay an enchanter or blacksmith to do so for you, if you have the money to do so,” said Rarity

“What about your armor?” asked Twilight

“Oh, I had to redesign my armor quite a bit,” said Rarity

“Yeah, your previous armor was basically a dress for a gala,” said Sunset

“Yes, and I decided to redo it, I created this bodysuit out of a mix of cotton and leather, which will give me the same protection against magical attacks, then I created this robe that will also help me when I cast a spell and give it some extra strength; and finally, the boots, I made especially to help me gain stability and balance, regardless of which type terrain I am fighting,” said Rarity

“Even Though they are high-heels?” asked Fluttershy

“Especially because they are high-heels,” said Rarity with a determined look

Unknown to them, a dark silhouette was staring at them from nearby.

“Well, anyway, are you girls ready?” said Twilight

She received a nod from everyone and they started to walk into the arena

“HEY! HOLD UP!” came a voice

The girls turned and were met with the owner of the voice

“Dynamo? Amber? Something wrong?” asked Twilight

“Hate to rain on your parade girls, but you’re still not ready for the tournament,” said Amber

“What do you mean?” asked Sunset

“Only Twilight and Rarity have weapons… how do you three plan on doing a good job with your bare knuckles?” said Dynamo as he dropped a massive chest in front of them.

“Fluttershy, this is for you, this hammer is called “The great hammer of elimination” it’s perfect for your type of style and position,” said Amber as she lifted the hammer with great effort.

Fluttershy looked at the hammer and then at Amber’s face, she was going her best not to seem tired of carrying the heavy weapon.

Fluttershy slowly reached forward and took the hammer, she expected it to cause her to fall flat on the floor, but surprisingly, she found it to be extremely light.

“Wow, I thought it was going to be heavy,” said Fluttershy as she held the hammer

“Since you have the “Phantom muscle” ability that added to your instinct makes this the perfect weapon for you,” said Amber

“Pinkie, this is the “sword of prowess” this sword will help increase your physical abilities faster, not to mention, it's one of the most durable swords ever made, almost nothing can break it,” said Dynamo as he handed Pinkie the sword, and she immediately began to juggle with it like if she was part of some sort of show

“She’s a natural,” said Amber

“Yup,” said Twilight

“Anyway, Sunset, this is my old gear, from my fighting days, “The shield of Crushing” and “the sword of Elimination” these weapons added to your new armor and skills, should make you really hard to kill or injure… they kept me alive for this long,” said Amber

“Thanks, but I can’t possibly accept,” said Sunset

“Don’t worry, we have even more weapons back at our house, we just don’t want the kids to be playing with these ones in particular,” said Amber

“Oh,” said Sunset as she was left with no choice but to accept

“As for the 2 of you, Rarity… this staff should do a better job than your current one, “The staff of wisdom” it will help you create stronger magical attacks without consuming more mana than a low-level spell,” said Dynamo

“And Twilight, while you were practicing with me I realized that you didn’t have much success with some particular types of elements, therefore I want to give you these rings, each of them will help you get better and cast spells with “fire, snow, or earth” as the main element,” said Amber as she gave Twilight the rings

“Thanks… thanks a lot; but why are you doing this?” asked Twilight

“Well, It’s about time that Canterlot wins another world cup, we won the last one when I was still on the team, almost 10 years ago,” said Dynamo

“Now, remember, you might be thrilled with your new gears and equipment, but don’t forget to practice with them, they take some getting used to,” said Amber

“Right, we will,” said Twilight

“Also, this tournament has a bit of everything, everyday common people, thugs and goons, semi-professional gladiators, rich kids, and professional gladiators,” said Dynamo “Be very careful, it’s more than likely, many of these team are stronger than y’all,”

“We will,” said Twilight as they entered the arena gates

“Good luck with the recruiting!” said Amber

“THANKS!! FOR EVERYTHING!” they all said as they waved goodbye

“How long do you think they are going to last?” asked Amber

“2 rounds at most… they have the skills and ability, but they aren’t used to the tactics or equipment… and knowing the man organizing this, he’s going to make them fight strong teams right off the bat,” said Dynamo

“Well, at least we know they’ll get better in time for the world cup,” said Amber as they walked away.

INSIDE THE ARENA GROUNDS

“LADIES AND GENTLECOLTS! WELCOME TO THE ARENA, THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY!!!!” said the anchor as the girls entered the arena and saluted the crowd.

‘There is much more people than I thought,” meeped Fluttershy

“Ignore them, focus on us and the rivals, tone the fans out until the end of the match,” said Sunset

“Right!” said Fluttershy, her legs still shaking

“AND NOW, THEIR RIVALS!!! CHRONICLE!!!!!” said the anchor as 5 more people appeared on the arena, 3 females and 2 males, all wearing rather showy outfits.

“Do you think they are rich kids?” asked Pinkie

“Most likely, but maybe they have skills,” said Rarity

“... and for Chronicle, we have Cherry Moon, Ivy Petal, Sky Chaser, Solar Dare, and their leader, Chrystal fire,” said the anchor “GET READY!!! SET!!! FIGHT!!!!”

With that Cherry Moon and Sky Chaser lunged for Twilight and Rarity, only to be intercepted by Pinkie and Sunset, who counterstriked and sent the 2 of them to the wall behind them putting them out of commission.

Meanwhile, Rarity and Twilight did their best to keep Ivy Petal and Solar Flare away by using their new equipment to cast various repetitive spells, until one of Rarity’s spells connected with Ivy’s face, causing a large electric discharge to pass through her body, falling to the floor unconscious.

Twilight was having a bit more trouble with Solar Dare, he was faster than Ivy, and that made it easier for him to dodge the attacks.

That was, of course, until Twilight lost her patience, and fired 5 magic balls, each one of a different element; and, although Solar Dare did his best to dodge the attacks, he was unable to react in time to get out of the way of the Fire, wind, and rock magic balls which hit him at the same exact time, making him fly towards the wall behind him, putting him out of the fight.

Unknown to them, Chrystal Fire had used her teammates as a diversion to get near Twilight and since Twilight was the leader, knocking her out would immediately promote her team to the next fight.

She was about to hit the back of Twilight’s head with her sword when she felt a large piece of metal hit the right side of her face.

The next thing she knew, she was flying across the arena, smashing into the wall and landing on top of a barely awake Solar Dare; the comical part of all of this was that, when she fell on top of him, they accidentally kissed each other, but due to the shock, they were unable to move, making the kiss longer than necessary (Yeah right, they just like each other).

“Good job Fluttershy, and even better, you didn’t kill her,” said Sunset

“Thanks,” said Fluttershy

“THAT’S MATCH!!! ELEMENTS ADVANCE TO THE NEXT FIGHT!!!” roar the anchor as the crowd cheered.

“You girls have 5 minutes before the next match begins, use it to talk strategy and gate hydrated,” said the anchor.

Twilight and the girls made a quick team huddle

“Ok, we know nothing of the next team, but our best tactic is to do quick counterstrikes,” said Twilight.

“Good idea, if this works, we would’ve trained our defense and offense, perfect balance,” said Sunset

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

“... and now, welcome the next team that will fight against the elements… REAPER!!!!!” said the anchor

When the girls heard the name, they froze and started to sweat

“These guys again?” said Rarity

“This our chance at revenge,” said Sunset

“Yeah, plus, we aren’t as weak as last time,” said Pinkie

“Get ready, we are heading for the final!!!” said Twilight with fire in her eyes

“READY!!! SET!!! FIGHT!!!” said the anchor

And with that, both teams lunged at each other.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“AGAIN!!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!” said Sunset

“Are they not normal?” said Rarity as she used healing magic on Pinkie

“Certainly looks like it... wonder what type of training they do,” said Pinkie

“Well, at least we lasted longer than last time,” said Fluttershy

“Yeah, but, we still didn’t find the next member of our team,” said Twilight as she gave everyone of the girls a drink

“Actually Twi, I think we did,” said Sunset

“Really? Who?” she asked

With that, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy turned their heads to meet Rarity’s gaze

“Who? Me?” she asked

“Yeah, you were awesome during both fights, not to mention, you fit in perfectly with our lineup,” said Sunset

“What do you say Twilight?” asked Pinkie

“I’d be delighted to have you join if you want that is,” said Twilight

Rarity thought about it for a minute, and then said

“Sure, sounds fun… plus, I just got to meet you girls, I’d hate to say goodbye that soon,”

“GREAT!!!” they all cheered

“Here’s the contract and the registration slip,” said Twilight as she handed them over to Rarity.

Rarity took a few minutes to read through the contract before signing it afterward

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

“And now we just have to add your new overall,” said Twilight

Twilight Sparkle 92 OVR
Sunset Shimmer 91 OVR
Pinkie Pie 91 OVR
Fluttershy 90 OVR
Rarity Belle 90 OVR

“Wow, that training really did wonder for you,” said Sunset

“Yeah, I wonder why your overalls didn’t get better,” said Rarity

“Because after you reach level 85 your overall grows even slower, plus you have to do especially exercise and do various fights to help it rise,” explained Twilight

“Oh… well, then, what now?” asked Rarity

“I… have no idea,” said Twilight

“That’s a first,” said Sunset

“It's just that… I thought this would be a great challenge, but we blew it quicker than I could learn anything new,” said Twilight

“Maybe I can be of assistance,” said an old female voice

The girls turned and saw an elderly woman, probably in her mid-70’s walking towards them

“Nice to meet you, but, who are you?” asked Twilight

“Oh, where are my manners, my name is Apple Smith… but everyone calls me Granny Smith,” she said

“Oh, we are…” said Twilight

“Don’t worry deary, I know who you girls are,” said Granny Smith

“What did you mean?” asked Sunset

“Pardon?” said Granny Smith

“When you said you could help,” said Sunset

“Well, you see, I have a problem… a challenge, only gladiators can help with, and I know you girls are looking for a good challenge, come with me, and you won't be disappointed,” said Granny Smith “What do you say?”

The girls looked at each other and then at Granny Smith.

Gladiators Ch. 6 Rain on your parade

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“6 tickets for Appleoosa, please,” said Granny Smith

“Right away… we have a train departing in 25 minutes, gives you enough time to reach the platform and hop on if you want,” said the cashier

“Perfect,” said Granny Smith

“Well then, here you go,” said the cashier giving Granny Smith the tickets

“Thank you, young man, here you go, a lil’ tip,” said Granny Smith as she gave the cashier a $20 bill

“Thank you, ma’am, have a nice trip,” said Granny Smith as she walked away with the girls in tow.

“So… Ms. Smith, what is this challenge you told us about?” asked Twilight

“We’ll get to that when it matters, deary… for now, let’s get on the train, and rest, you girls must be tired,” said Granny Smith

The girls looked at each other and back at Granny Smith

“By the way, deary… do you actually need all those bags?” asked Granny Smith, looking at Rarity and pointing at the mountain of bags she was pulling along.

“Well, it’s never a bad idea to be prepared for a trip,” said Rarity defending herself

“Yes, but you’ll have to pay extra for every bag of luggage, and judging by the size of the pile… it’ll be around $50… or more, I’ve never taken that much luggage with me,” said Granny Smith

All of the girls stopped in their tracks and looked at Rarity’s pile of luggage

“Oh, relax deary, I believe you are a magic user, right?” said Granny Smith

“Yes ma’am,” said Rarity

“Then, why don’t you use dimensional storage, it’s a really handy spell,” said Granny Smith

“She’s right, I use dimensional storage so that I can have both my hands free,” said Twilight

They all turned to look at Rarity, they were expecting her to have a smile on her face, but, instead, she was pale...er than usual.

“I… never learned how to use that spell,” she admitted

Everyone looked at her with disbelief

“Easily fixed, Ms. Sparkle, I believe you could teach her how to use it quickly, right?” said Granny Smith

“Sure… ok Rarity, it’s a very simple spell…” Twilight began

After 5 minutes, Rarity was able to cast the spell properly, and throw all of her bags into the portal.

“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?” said Granny Smith

“At all… if only I’d learn to do it before, I would’ve saved so much money,” said Rarity

“How did you know about the spell Ms. Smith?” asked Fluttershy

“Oh, deary, if you’ve been in this world for a long time like me, you’d be a fool not to learn new things… anyway, let’s hurry, I wouldn’t like to take the night train,” said Granny Smith

“Why?” asked Pinkie

“You’d be unable to see the landscape… it’s mighty beautiful this time of year,” said Granny Smith as she walked away.

The girls looked at each other for a few seconds and followed her to the train.

A FEW HOURS LATER

“... and right behind that mountain, was the battle of Grassingbuck, the battle was mostly fought between the Dragonlands and the Tall Tale empire, with Tall Tale losing the battle, but, getting the town back after the war… heh, the Dragonlord even made sure to fix the town, now it’s a beautiful tourist attraction,” said Granny Smith

“Fascinating,” said Twilight as she and the girls listened to Granny Smith

“It’s amazing how much the world changed after the war,” said Sunset

“Yes, even though we lost so many good people, the world has rebuilt itself rather well,” said Granny Smith with a sad smile

The girls noticed this

“Did, you lost someone close?” asked Fluttershy

“Many family members, my grandmother, my parents… my husband… and many more,” said Granny Smith

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” said Rarity

“It’s ok deary, I have my grandkids to take care of… although they’re already grown adults,” said Granny Smith

“What about your children?” asked Pinkie

“My son, Bright Mac died in an accident 15 years ago, he was 30, and my daughter-in-law, Pear Butter, died of Coronary Artery Disease… well, it led to multiple organ failure… she was 46,” said Granny Smith

The girls all went quiet, they didn’t want to say anything else to make Granny Smith sadder or uncomfortable.

“Well! No need to talk about that, if you girls excuse me, I’ll get some shut-eye, I recommend you do the same, will be arriving at Appleoosa tomorrow morning, I’ll tell you all about the challenge then… rest well, dearies,” said Granny Smith as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The girls looked at each other, shrugged, and closed their eyes… except for Twilight, she felt uneasy regarding Granny Smith’s offer, and so, she decided to head over to the back of the wagon, and make a quick phone call.

“Come on… pick up…” said Twilight

“Hello?” said a male voice

“Flash! Great, I need your help,” said Twilight

“What is it?” asked Flash

“I need all the information you can give me regarding one, Apple Smith,” said Twilight

“Why?” asked Flash

Twilight then proceeded to explain everything to Flash

“Alright, give me a few minutes and I’ll call you back,” said Flash

“Thanks,” said Twilight as she hangs up

A FEW MINUTES LATER

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

“What were you able to find?” asked Twilight

“Well, Apple Smith, age 72, height 5’6”, Canterlot citizen by marriage, born in Appleoosa, she is the owner of Sweet Apple Acres, one of the biggest farms in the whole country, her current net worth is around $56,000,000.00; widowed at the age of 36, her husband Lt. Mayor Silver Arrow, KIA’d during the battle of the Equestrian Gulf, her son, Bright Mac, killed in a car crash back in…” Flash said

“Flash, that’s not the info I need,” said Twilight

“Then?” asked Flash

“I need to know why she offered me and my friends to head over to Appleoosa, there for the reason, I’m calling you,” said Twilight

“Oh… well, Appaloosa is actually a very small town, only 15,000 residents, it also has a fourth division arena, a great place for a vacation,” said Flash

“Anything else?” asked Twilight

“Let see… the only thing I can tell you is that, there is some sort of competition happening down there… but don’t worry, Apple Smith is a very nice person, she won’t put in harm’s way,” said Flash

“How do you know?” asked Twilight

“Ever heard of a Gladiator by the name of “The Collector”?” asked Flash

“Of course, she was one of the OG gladiators from when the leagues started, and… NO!” said Twilight

“Yup,” said Flash

“No!” said Twilight again

“Yup,” said Flash

“Yeah?” said Twilight

“No... I MEAN! Yeah.. that’s her,” said Flash

“Amazing, thanks Flash, you’ve been very helpful,” said Twilight

“You welcome,” said Flash

“Say hi to Sci for me, ok,” said Twilight

“Sure,” said Flash

“And Flash, please don’t tell anything to the Princess, please,” said Twilight

“My lips are sealed,” said Flash

“Thanks,” said Twilight as she hanged up

“Trouble with the princess?” said a voice

Twilight, not expecting the sudden voice making itself known, screamed loudly, launching her phone out of her hands into the air, only for Granny Smith to catch it calmly.

“Granny Smith! You…” said Twilight

“I’m aware of what you know about me… anyway, what’s all this I hear about the princess?” asked Granny Smith

“Well, you see…” said Twilight as she explained everything to her.

“Then it was good that I ran into you, I believe we can now fully assist each other,” said Granny Smith

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight

“For now, deary, go to sleep, you’ll need your strength for tomorrow… I’ll explain everything when we arrive, good night,” said Granny Smith as she walked over to her seat, reclined it, and fell asleep.

Twilight looked at the former S-class gladiator as she slept.

“Flash is right if she wanted to harm us… we’d be dead by now,” thought Twilight as she sat down next to Sunset Shimmer and fell asleep.

“AND CANTERLOT HAS WON IT!!!! THEY HAVE BEATEN THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE TO CROWN THEMSELVES AS THE NEW WORLD CUP WINNERS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS!!!” said one of the anchors

“IT WAS ALL THANKS TO THEIR CAPTAIN TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!!” said the other anchor

While they were saying this, the crowd was going crazy celebrating the victory of Canterlot, while Twilight and her friends were going crazy in the arena hugging and congratulating each other.

“WE DID IT!!!!” screamed Pinkie Pie as she hugged Twilight

“WE ARE THE BEST!!!” said Sunset as she came up and hugged Twilight

“Oh, this is just wonderful,” said Rarity as she waved at the crowd

“We truly are the best team,” said a female voice that Twilight didn’t recognize

“But it wouldn’t be possible without Twilight,” said another female voice she didn’t recognize

But for whatever reason Twilight wasn’t paying any attention to the 2 voices, her eyes were glued on a male silhouette that was rushing towards the girls.

Twilight immediately rushed towards the silhouette and jumped into its arms

“Well done Twilight, you did it!” said the male silhouette

“We all did, not only me,” Twilight answered as she kept her arms wrapped around him

“It was your strategies, your ideas, you’re the one that orchestrated all this… this is your moment, enjoy it!” said the man

Twilight, however, had the urge to kiss him, and so, she slowly moved her head towards his, with him mimicking the motion.

Seconds later, their lips met in a steamy, yet passionate kiss.

Cheers and whistles were heard in the background while Twilight continued her kiss.

The cheers turned into chanting.

“TWILIGHT!! TWILIGHT!! TWILIGHT!!...”

“Twilight… Twilight!... TWILIGHT!!!!!!” came Sunset’s voice

“Wha… WHAT!!!” said Twilight as she shot up.

“We’re at Appleoosa, and if you’re done making out with the seat, Granny Smith wants to talk to us,” said Sunset as she walked away

Twilight’s face was red after realizing what Sunset Shimmer said, but she quickly got up and hurried for the platform.

A FEW SECONDS LATER, IN THE STREETS OF APPLEOOSA

The streets of Appleoosa were as crowded as you could imagine, there were people buying souvenirs, others buying food, and many more doing their best to enter the arena and see the Gladiators.

“You guys sure know how to throw a party,” said Sunset

“It’s way too crowded,” said Fluttershy, feeling a tad uncomfortable with the crowd.

“Oh, come on, dear, you have to get over your fears,” said Rarity

“Rarity is right Shy, if you can’t keep your nerves in check you’ll become a liability to the team while fighting,” said Twilight

“I’ll… I’ll do my best,” said Fluttershy

“Now, that’s what we like to here,” said Twilight

“Wow, this place has it all, “Blacksmiths” “Magicsmiths” they even have those weird shirt stands,” said Sunset

“Plus the food here is to die for,” said Pinkie as she appeared out of nowhere eating some apple pie.

“Where the hell did you get that?” asked Twilight

“From over there,” said Pinkie pointing at a stand with a line so long you couldn’t see the end of it “Wanna try some?” she asked as she offered some of the pie to her friends.

“My God, it’s delicious,” said Sunset

“Perfection,” said Twilight

“It’s like eating pure happiness,” said Rarity

“I love it,” said Fluttershy

“Glad to hear you gals like my family’s apple pie,” said Granny Smith

When she said this, the girls stopped chewing and turned to look at Granny Smith

“Yup, that’s actually my grandmother’s recipe,” said Granny Smith “Come on, I’ll introduce y’all,” she said as she walked towards the stand

“Order up!” said the girl manning the stand

“Thank you,” said the client as she left

“How is the business going Sugar Belle?” asked Granny Smith

“GRANNY SMITH!!! You’re back from your “Mission”, I hope it was productive,” said Sugar Belle

“It was indeed, here is our solution,” said Granny Smith as she pointed to the girls

“Nice to meet you all,” said Sugar Belle

“Likewise,” said Twilight

Sugar Belle was a very attractive girl, you could tell she took care of her body, she was fit, yet not muscular, plus, you could tell her boobs were DD-cups even under the shirt and overall she was wearing, she had long bouncy magenta hair, cerise yes, and stood at about 5’7”.

“This is my grand daughter-in-law,” said Granny Smith

“Oh,” they all said

“Yup, I married, Big Mac about a year ago,” said Sugar Belle

“Who?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Big Macintosh, he’s my oldest grandchild,” said Granny Smith

“Oh, I’d like to meet them,” said Pinkie

Granny Smith and Sugar Belle looked at each other for a few seconds

“Apple Sauce, can you look over the stand for a few minutes?” said Sugar Belle

“Sure, leave it all to me,” she said

“Follow us,” said Granny Smith as she and Sugar Belle walked away

The girls followed Granny Smith and Sugar Belle to a quiet place

“I believe it’s time to explain our little predicament with you all,” said Granny Smith

“You see, Appleoosa is known for its food, fun attractions, and business opportunities… however, the biggest event is the “Gladiator clash” which happens every year and it involves all of the official teams in the arena, 8 in total,” said Sugar Belle

“I fail to see why you need us,” said Sunset

“Well, Appleoosa has a 4th division arena, gladiators here still put on a show, but they can be tough fighters,” said Twilight

“Precisely, the 4th division is mostly used by the newer generations to prepare them for the 3rd division, where things get tougher,” said Granny Smith

“So, I take it, the reason you need us has something to do with the guild?” asked Fluttershy

“Yes and no… follow us,” said Granny Smith

“The gladiator’s average age in this arena is of 23 years, so you can tell they are rookies, all wanting a taste for the glory that comes with being a gladiator, many go on to the 3rd division in Marexas or make it to Las Pegasus’ 1st Division, or even Canterlot’s elite, others, stay here, or move to the town of the Ponyville to continue their careers,” explained Granny Smith as the group walked passed another one of young gladiators.

“So, what seems to be the problem?” asked Pinkie

“The guild is going through some financial struggles… and I hate to admit it, but… it’s my family’s fault,” said Granny Smith

“WHAT!!!?” they all said

"I wouldn't say it’s OUR fault, but we are definitely contributing to the problem,” said Sugar Belle

“How can that even happen?” asked Twilight

“Well, remember I told you about the official teams that belong to this guild and arena… well, one of those teams belongs to my family,” said Granny Smith

“And let me guess… you are so good, that no one wants to join the guild anymore, for the only reason that they don’t want to be overshadowed by that team?” said Pinkie Pie

“How did you know?” asked Granny Smith

“Pinkie sense!” she said as she bounced around the group

“Well, your friend is right, our team “The Familia” has been part of the guild since it’s very first day, and now, it’s the only original team left,” said Sugar Belle

“So, you want to disband your team?” asked Rarity

“Oh, heavens, no!” said Granny Smith

“So then?” asked Twilight

“We want you to… kick my grandkids asses, as you say nowadays,” said Granny Smith with fire in her eyes.

“Excuse us… WHAT?” asked Twilight

“Granny Smith is right, my husband, her younger sister and their friends have taken over the team, and they have been champions since their first years 5 years ago,” said Sugar Belle

“But, isn’t that a good thing?” asked Twilight

“It would, if they didn’t cheat to win,” said Granny Smith

“Wait, cheat?!!!” they all said

“Oh, it’s nothing dirty, they cheat by being TOO good at being Gladiators,” said Granny Smith

“I still don’t get it,” said Twilight

“Do you see those 5 gladiators in the training arena right now?” asked Granny Smith

“Yeah, what about them?” asked Sunset

“The girl with the long blonde hair is my Granddaughter, Applejack…” Granny Smith said, as the girls saw, Applejack practicing so hand to hand combat with a metal dummy, only for her to kick it and blow to pieces “... she specializes in hand to hand combat and usually plays as a Tanker/Warrior, she currently work part time for the Canterlot Arena as a 2nd division Gladiator, Sugar Belle… Sugar Belle?... Sugar Belle!” said Granny Smith as the girls turned to see Sugar Belle staring at one of the fighters and drooling a bit

“Wha?... Oh, yeah, you see the tall, muscular, handsome male, near the hay stacks?” asked Sugar Belle, as the girls so the man in question lifting a 200KG weight with just one hand like if it was nothing “That’s my Husband, Big Macintosh or Big Mac, for short, his is a Tanker, and a 2nd division Gladiator at the Canterlot Arena as well, but mostly works at the farm and misses many of his matches which he dems as “Unimportant”,” said Sugar Belle, her eyes glued to her husband

“Wow, with a body like that, I can only imagine their intimacy,” whispered Rarity as Granny Smith continued.

“The tallest man at the far left is Troubleshoes Clyde, possibly one of the best tankers of this generation…” said Granny Smith as they saw the tallest, most muscular man, he girls had ever scene, practicing tackling with a robotic metallic tackle bag placed at max power (The same amount of power as a wrecking ball at full power) and stopping it like if was made of foam “... he is a 1st division gladiator for the Marexas guild, top 3 of the log actually, he is a bit clumsy though, but, makes up for it with his sheer strength… and before any of you get any funny ideas, he is married to a gladiator called Tempest, another 1st division gladiator, and she is TERRIFYING,” said Granny Smith

“The male furthest to the right, next to the other girl, is Big Mac’s and Applejack’s cousin, Braeburn …” said Sugar Belle as the girls saw him using a special treadmill that included obstacles, which he avoided with such ease, it almost seemed illegal to be so agile ‘He is also a 1st division gladiator, and a darn good one, yet, he has only ever finished in the mid section of the log, since he isn’t particularly strong, but he is coordinated, almost TOO coordinated,” said Sugar Belle

“And finally, the girl next to him, using the punching bag is Braeburn's wife, Little Strongheart…” said Granny Smith as they saw the girl pommuling the punching bag left and right, her arms moving so fast, they were barely visible “She is a 2nd division Gladiator, actually, she would be a 1st division, but was on maternity leave for 3 years, so she never took part in the promotion battle, until this season, she is first place of the Marexas arena, she is fast and strong, plus, the only word she doesn’t understand is “quit”, out of everyone, I feel bad for whoever has to fight her,” said Granny Smith as they turned to face the girls, who were completely pale.

“Something wrong?” asked Sugar Belle

“Well, we can see why no one wants to join the guild here,” said Twilight

“Yes, but, I’m afraid that these kids have become… lazy, arrogant… proud, and that is tarnishing their reputation and my family’s, they never try to up their game, and tend to bully and intimidate their opponents,” said Granny Smith

“But, that’s not the Gladiator spirit!” said Twilight

“I agree deary, every year for the last 5 years, the finals have always been between them and another team called “The Striders” but, since all of the members aged over 28, they decided to retire from the competition and disband the team, leaving the space open for another team to enter, but no one wants to, and the wants that do, change their minds mear minutes after they do,” said Granny Smith

“So, you’re saying, that if we participate…” said Sunset Shimmer

“And fight against your team…” continued Pinkie

“And defeat them…” added Rarity

“Would give your grandkids the reality check they need to grow?” finished Fluttershy

“Well, yes, but I would also like them to stop participating in this tournament, and just like the Striders, leave it for the younger generations, instead of being conformists and enjoy an empty triumph,” said Granny Smith

“So, will you help us?” asked Sugar Belle

“Sure… but I need to ask… back in the train, you said we could help each other out, didn’t you, I see the training aspect of this, but…” said Twilight

“You see, I would like Applejack to push her career further, and for her to join the national squad, she has the abilities, and I’m sure you’d be impressed as well, once you fight her, and, since she is a Canterlot citizen by birth, you wouldn’t have a problem adding her to your ranks… you can even add Big Mac, he is also a Canterlot citizen, 2 for the fight of 1,” said Granny Smith

“We’ll see about that,” said Twilight

“Hey Granny, who are these girls?” asked a female voice as they turned to see Applejack and her team walking towards them

“Oh, they are the team that have come to replace the Striders, meet, uhm… What was your team's name again?” asked Granny Smith

“The elements of harmony,” said Twilight

“Hmph, doesn’t sound powerful… Plus, you gals don’t give the impression of being pros, what divisions do you belong to?” asked Applejack

“3rd,” said Twilight

“3rd,” said Sunset Shimmer

“4th,” said Pinkie

“4th,” said Rarity (She participated on in the promotion match and won)

“4th,” said Fluttershy (Same story)

“HA! THIS is competition? Seems like another easy year people,” said Applejack

“I wouldn’t sing victory yet, Applejack,” said Twilight

“Oh, why not, there isn’t any team in this town that can defeat us, you should know by now,” said Applejack

“Well, first you have to get to the final,” said Twilight

“Piece of cake,” said Applejack

“And then defeat us,” said Sunset Shimmer

“I repeat, PIECE. OF. CAKE.” Applejack said

“You never know, we may have something you don’t,” said Rarity

“Oh!, and what might that be?” asked Applejack

“Meet us in the final, then you’d learn,” said Fluttershy putting up a strong face

Applejack glared at them and then said “Well, you gals have definitely caught my attention, let’s wait and see if your ragtag team can defeat us, later… losers,” said Applejack as they all walked away

“When does the tournament begin?” asked Twilight

“At high Noon,” said Granny Smith

The girls looked at her in confusion

“In one hour, for now, try to keep your energy, ok… and good luck,” said Granny Smith as she walked away with Sugar Belle behind her

“Well, I’m going to go do some warming up, anyone want to join me?” asked Sunset Shimmer as she left

“I’ll go,” said Pinkie following

“I’ll go check out the local fauna, and relax myself mentally for the game,” said Fluttershy as she left

“I’ll go take a look at the bazaar, I saw some interesting designs while walking with Granny Smith,” said Rarity as she left

“And I’ll… stay here, and think of a strategy for the tournament,” said Twilight as she was left alone in the park.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

“Hello?” said Twilight

“Hi, Twily!!!” said a female voice at the other side of the line

“Eris!, what a surprise,” said Twilight

“I’m mostly surprised about your new mission, just heard it from mom actually,” said Eris

“Well, everything is going good so far,” said Twilight

“Glad to hear, but… what haven’t you contacted my mother yet?” asked Eris

“Well… I, don’t really have that much news, and to be honest, the team has only 5 members, we have a long way to go,” said Twilight

“I hear you, but… if I were you, I’d call her, she’s really worried about, you, as if her pregnancy wasn't enough,” said Eris

“Wait… WHAT?!!” said Twilight

“Oh, yeah, mom’s pregnant… again,” said Eris

“Wow, that’s amazing, isn’t she 47?” asked Twilight

“Yup… listen Twi, I don’t want to sound like insensitive, but, mom sees you as a daughter as well, and… ever since my older brother disappeared from the face of the earth, she’s been a bit paranoid about losing people close to her,” said Eris

“I didn’t know Princess Celestia had another child,” said Twilight

“Well, he isn’t a blood child, he was adopted at birth by my mom and dad when they were 19… he’d be 29 around now, but I haven’t seen him since I was 5, when he left home,” said Eris

“That was 11 years ago right?” asked Twilight

“Yeah… anyway, I know what you’re doing is important, but, just call my mom and tell her you’re fine, maybe that will ease her mood swings a bit,” said Eris

“Sure… Oh, gotta go, the tournament is starting,” said Twilight

“Good luck,” said Eris as she hang up

“A missing child, huh, that must be tough, even mom was a wreck when Shiny left the house, and moved to the Crystal Empire… anyway, mind on the fight,” said Twilight as she walked towards the arena.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE APPLEOOSA ANNUAL GLADIATOR TOURNAMENT! This year we suffered the retirement of one of the best teams that ever graced this arena “The Striders'', but worry not, our very own Granny Smith went out on a secret mission to the nearby towns and has returned with a team, that she deemed worthy of taking their place, at least for this tournament, and as it is the costum don’t here in Appleoosa, let’s welcome the members of “The Elements of Harmony'', Leader Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity…” said the anchor as Twilight and Co. entered the arena as the crowd roared in applauses and cheers.

“This is better than what I thought,” said Sunset Shimmer

“... as they take on their first rivals “The Awesome”, who were last year’s third place, and their members Twinkletoes, Sweet Moon, Dew Eyes, and new members, Wild Spirit, and Applesauce,” said the anchor as the other team entered the arena.

“This guys look tough,” said Fluttershy as the girls noticed that the other team’s members had way more muscle than them

“I’ve got it, let’s use move #23,” said Twilight

“Are you sure that’s going to work?” asked Rarity

“Depends if Sunset and Pinkie time it perfectly, then it’s just a matter of catching them off guard,” said Twilight

“Easy enough,” said Sunset

“Yup, No pressure… plus, we’ve used this move before… In practice,” said Pinkie

“Well, let’s see if it works,” said Twilight

“GLADIATORS ARE YOU READY?!!!!” said the anchor as the 2 teams got into fighting positions

“FIGHT!!!!”

As soon as that word was said, Pinkie and Sunset Shimmer darted forward, catching “The Awesome” by surprise, and before they knew it, Applesauce and Wild Spirit were on the ground unconscious.

This prompted Twinkletoes, Sweet Moon, and Dew Eyes to turn around, seeking revenge for their fallen friends, which turned out to be a rookie mistake (Never give your back to your opponent).

Seeing this, Rarity used her light magic spell called “Laser” on Sweet Moon, which caused her to lose her eyesight for a few seconds, allowing Sunset Shimmer to pin her down.

Dew Eyes saw this and charged for Rarity, only to be body checked by Fluttershy, and sent flying to the other side of the arena, landing face first on the floor and ricocheting of the ground a couple of times before coming to a rest near the border of the arena, she was about to get up, when her hammer landed on her gut knocking the air out of her, making her lose consciousness.

Twickletose was the only player left for his team and using his speed and ability, he quickly attempted to attack Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer to free Sweet Moon, but he forgot about something, or someone.

Twilight saw him sprint towards Sunset and used her Water and air magic to ice the floor beneath him, this caused him to lose balance, fall hitting the back of his head, and sliding head first into Sweet Moon’s head, knocking her out after the contact.

“AND THAT IS MATCH, THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND ARE “THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY”!!!” said the anchor as the crowd roared in applause.

Twilight and Co. just hugged each other and saluted the crowd as they walked out of the arena.

“THIS BATTLE WAS OVER IN 45 SECONDS, IT’S A NEW RECORD FOR THE ARENA, CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!” said the anchor

Somewhere in the Crowd, Applejack and her team were looking at the scene unfold

“Whatya think sis?” asked Big Mac

“Not too shabby, but ah’ve seen better,” said Applejack

“I just saw the match roster, we’re fighting “The Grizzlies” after this match,” said Little Strongheart

“Walk in the park, let’s stick to the ol’ faithfuls” said Applejack

“Ah! Yes, Let’s see if the new gals continue after we show them our abilities,” said Troubleshoes.

20 MINUTES LATER

“... AND WITH THAT STEEL MARK IS OUT, VICTORY FOR “THE PYTHONS”!!!” said the anchor as a group of Gladiators exited the arena

“That was amazing, The Pythons used the old Backcountry blitz and combined them it with the Albucoltque ram, it was an easy win against the a normal “Wall” formation,” said Twilight as her eyes continued to be glued to the arena

“Was she speaking english just then?” asked Rarity

“Yup, but, she tends to get so involved in the battles she forgets that we aren’t… as talented as she is,” said Sunset Shimmer

“AND NOW, LET US WELCOME, NOT ONLY THE OLDEST TEAM IN APPLEOOSA, BUT IT’S BEST TEAM IN HISTORY, “THE FAMILIA''!!!! AND IT’S, APPLEJACK, BIG MAC, TROUBLESHOES CLYDE, BRAEBURN, AND LITTLE STRONGHEART, AS THEY TAKE ON “THE GRIZZLIES” AND IT’S MEMBERS, TANGO, WATER PIE, CHERRY BERRY, MOON DAISY, AND LUCKY BEE!!!” said the anchor

“Oh, it’s Applejack’s team,” said Twilight

“This will be interesting,” said Sunset Shimmer as all of the girls looked onto the arena as the match began.

Moon Daisy and Water Pie charged Little strongheart and Troubleshoes, using their speed against them, unfortunately, Little Strongheart and Troubleshoes saw their intentions and dropped to the floor, immediately after, they stretched their legs and tripped the 2 attacking gladiators, causing them to fall and slide away almost abandoning the stage.

Immediately after Tango charged Big Mac, only for Big Mac to stop him using his muscular arms and body slam him to the ground; that match seemed to be over but Tango pulled off a surprising move and punched Big Mac’s knee causing to lose balance and fall to the floor, allowing him to escape.

Seeing he was down, Cherry Berry and Lucky Bee decided to rush him and pin him down, only for them to be kicked away by Applejack and Braeburn; this allowed both teams to regroup and try again

This time, however, it was Applejack and co. who attacked, it was almost like the move that Twilight and friends had done earlier, except that, instead of the 2 wingers/warriors, making diagonal runs, the whole team charged, exchanging positions suddenly as to confuse the enemy.

Tango, Lucky Bee, and Cherry Berry, were able to avoid the attack, but Water Pie and Moon Daisy, weren’t so lucky as they were body checked by Big Mac and Troubleshoes, sending the 2 of them flying to the wall outside of the stage, disqualifying them immediately.

“THEY USED GHOST TRAIN!!!!” screamed Twilight

“So?” asked Rarity

“It’s a very difficult tactic to pull of almost impossible,” said Twilight

“So, that means?” asked Fluttershy

“They are definitely good,” said Twilight as she sat down, her skin turning pale

Back in the stage, Applejack’s team had stopped charging the 3 remaining members of the enemy team.

“RUSH!!!” screamed Applejack as they charged the survivors again

Cherry, however, wasn't having it and copied Twilight’s idea, except that she used mud instead of ice to try and get some time for her team.

This caused all of them so slip a little, Immediately after this, Big Mac and Troubleshoes threw themselves to the floor as Braeburn and Little Strongheart, used their backs as stepping stones to lunge themselves at Cherry Berry and Lucky Bee, shoving them out of the stage with such strength they landed unconscious on the ground near the medic post.

Tango saw this, and turned only to meet Applejack’s leg kicking him the gut so hard he actually flew into the wall leaving a crater behind.

“AND THE MATCH IS OVER, WINNER, “THE FAMILIA”!!!!” said the anchor as the crowd cheered

“BULL RUN?!!! They used Bull Run on that last play, and then modified it into an Eagle dive,” said Twilight

“They have creativity, strength, stamina…” said Sunset Shimmer

“... a well organized understanding of teamwork,” finished Pinkie

“How are we going to defeat that?” asked Rarity

“I don’t know, but I’ll think of something,” said Twilight, as the girls headed for the next battle.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“... AND WITH THAT “THE FAMILIA” HAS WON THEIR LAST ELIMINATION ROUND, AND FOR THE 5TH YEAR IN A ROW, THEY’LL BE HEADING TO THE FINAL AGAINST SURPRISE TEAM “THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY” BUT FIRST, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO GO TO THE STANDS AND BY SOME FOOD OR DRINKS, WE WILL BE BACK AFTER THIS 10 MINUTE BREAK!” said the anchor

As he finished saying this, everyone in the crowd walked out and headed to bazaar to buy something to eat, this also included Twilight and friends.

“So… any ideas?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“No, my mind is blank,” said Twilight as they all sat down near a hot dog stand to eat

While they were eating their food, 2 other gladiators walked up to them

“Hey, sorry for interrupting,” said Dew Eyes

“Oh, no, it’s no problem,” said Twilight

“We just wanted to thank you for giving us a real challenge,” said Raggedy Randy (Leader of “The Ryders” team they just defeated,”

“Yeah, I felt like if I became a better Gladiator while fighting against you,” said Dew Eyes

“What do you mean?” asked Fluttershy

“Well…” said Dew Eyes

“Every year is the same, “The Familia” use their strength and combine it with the same tactics over and over again, they never seem to change anything,” said Tango as he walked up to them

“Tango, good to see you up and running, how are your girlfriends?” asked Dew Eyes

“They’re fine, just sad about the loss,” said Tango

“Wait, what do you mean by SAME tactics?” asked Twilight

“Well, every year the familia uses the same 3 offensive tactics, and 1 defensive tactic, they never change them, but it’s hard to defeat them because of how physically strong they are,” said Randy

“So far, they have only used Ghost Train, and Bull Run when attacking, but do to the circumstance they changed it to Eagle dive,” said Twilight

“While using, Fencing, as their defensive move, it’s a very basic defensive formation, but if you practice it properly, it can be really hard to break, I know cause I used the same tactic while coaching,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Earlier you said they are using complicated skills, do you think that has something to do with it?” asked Rarity

“Well, of course, the tactics they use are really hard to pull of, which mean they must be practiced regularly, which wouldn’t allow them to… practice anything else,” said Twilight as her eyes lit up with an idea

“I take it you discovered something,” said Rarity

“Yeah, every tactic in this world has a way of being stopped, or at least slowed down, Ghost train can be stopped by the “Holy Shield” defensive position, that’s when all the members of the team use the same blocking posture and form a line, unfortunately we don’t have that level just yet… but we can also use Hawk Jump to avoid it, and since we all know how to do that one perfectly…” said Twilight

“We can avoid the contact,” said Fluttershy

“Bull Run is a very weak type of attack that requires a high level of physical strength for it to work, and as we saw, it is easily stopped… as for Eagle Dive… use either tornado or Ghost run and you will be able to avoid it easily,” said Twilight

“As for Fencing, all you have to do is break the line by over flanking the enemy, this will cause them to get confused and break form,” said Sunset Shimmer

“That only leaves the final move, do you know which one it is?” asked Twilight

“We can only describe it, but, that wouldn’t be much help,” said Dew Eyes

“It's called Storm rodeo, it's basically the same as Ghost train, except that it’s much faster, and the attack may come from either air, front or behind… what makes it so difficult to stop it is the massive cloud of sand that engulfs the team as they are attacked,” said Granny Smith as she walked up to them.

“Granny Smith?” they all said

“I created that move, and I know how to stop it… but I guess you already know how to do it,” said Granny Smith as she looked at Twilight

“Spartan Block,” said Twilight

“A move created by the Canterlot Gladiator team in 97 to stop the Marexas team using the same tactic and ending the battle,” they both said

“Thank you, all of you, I hope this is the last year that these type of competing happens,” said Granny Smith

“I’ll do my best to do so,” said Twilight as she stood up

“Us too,” said Sunset as the rest of the team stood up and headed for the stage

“Are you sure this is what you want?” asked Tango

“My Grandkids need a good beating to make them grow up, unfortunately, I am not that young anymore, if not, I’d do it personally,” Granny Smith said with death in her eyes, which made the other 3 gladiators shiver in fear.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE MOMENT WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR IS FINALLY HERE, THE GREAT FINAL BETWEEN “THE FAMILIA” AND “THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY”! WHO WILL WIN, WILL IT BE REIGNING CHAMPIONS THE FAMILIA, OR NEW COMERS THE ELEMENTS?! ANYWAY, LET’S WELCOME BOTH TEAMS INTO THE STAGE!!!” said the anchor as the 2 teams entered the stage

“Congratulations on making it this far,” said Applejack as she walked over to shake Twilight’s hand “To bad this is the end of the road,”

“Likewise...and, we’ll see about that,” said Twilight as the 2 girls walked over to their respective teams.

“Ok, remember, let them attack us, after their tactics don’t work, they'll become desperate and break character,” said Twilight

“FIGHT!!!”

Immediately, Applejack and her team got into the Ghost train formation and attacked Twilight’s team.

“3...2...1...NOW!” Twilight said as the girls jumped into the air, avoided being hit by the attack

“WHAT THE?!” said Applejack as they slid to a stop

“QUICK, INTO POSITION!” Twilight said as she and Rarity began shooting magic fire and water orbs at Applejack’s team

This of course angered them, but it gave them the chance to get into position.

This surprised Twilight, since it wasn’t Bull Run, but BULL CHARGE! A much faster and stronger attack they did not know how to avoid.

Applejack’s team charged at Twilight’s in their new formation, getting closer to them faster, but Twilight decided to follow her plan and ice the stage.

Sure enough, this caused all of them to slip, and again, Big Mac and Troubleshoes positioned their bodies to become stepping stones for the Eagle dive, to which Little Strongheart and Braeburn took advantage, but as they were beginning the descend, they were met with strong winds form Fluttershy’s Tornado skill, which sent them flying backwards and landing at the out of the stage being disqualified.

"NOW!! COUNTER STRIKE!!" Twilight said as they charged towards Applejack and co. As they regained their footing.

Twilight and friends decided to use the Pentagram Blitz to attack Applejack's team, and at first, it seemed to work perfectly well, but Twilight forgot to add a variant to her plan, a very important variant, which was about to prove costly.

Due to the position on the stage, Applejack and Big Mac were the "easiest targets" unfortunately, Pinkie Pie was the closest person to Applejack, and Fluttershy was the closest to Big Mac.

What does that have to be bad you ask? Twilight had completely disregarded their physical strength compared to the 2.

Just as Pinkie was about to make contact with Applejack, she turned around, and roundhouse kicked her on the gut, sending her flying off the stage and into a nearby wall, falling unconscious in Braeburn's arms as he helped her to the nearby medics.

As for Fluttershy, she was able to make contact with Big Mac, but the massive difference in strength was now easily noted, since Fluttershy's knuckles bounced off Big Mac's body like if they were made of rubber.

"Ah'm truly sorry about this miss," he said catching her attention

"Wha?" Was all that Fluttershy could say before Big Mac punched her on the gut and sent her flying in the opposite direction with such strength, not even her wings could help her stop, until she slammed against the wall, her armor almost completely destroyed, but her consciousness never leaving.

"STOP! REGROUP! ordered Twilight seeing her 2 friends out of the game.

"What are we going to do?" Asked Rarity

"We are equal in numbers, but…" Said Twilight

"But compared to their bodies we are weak," said Sunset

"I have to commend you and your team Twilight, no one has ever lasted more than a minute against us, no one has ever eliminated one of us, for that, you and your friends have our eternal respect, but I'm afraid it's time to end this, once and for all,"said Applejack as she, Big Macintosh and Troubleshoes Clyde, got into a formation that Twilight knew to Well

"We can't defend against that!" Said Sunset

Then an idea popped into Twilight's head

"Yes we can, Rarity, just do what I tell you and we will," said Twilight

As soon as she said that, Applejack and co. Charged at them, as a giant cloud of sand appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them.

"Get ready," said Twilight

"NOW!!" she screamed as Applejack, Mac, and Clyde appeared surrounding them.

"This ends now!... WHAT THE!!" Said Applejack as their attacks connected with Sunset Shimmer's shield, which had grown big enough to protect the 3 of them.

"NOW RARITY!!!" screamed Twilight as the 2 of them jumped from under the shield, and used wind magic on Applejack's team sending then flying to the other side of the stage.

"ARGH!!!" They said as they landed

"We did it!" Said Sunset

"Don't sing Victory yet," said Twilight as Applejack and her team got up from the ground.

"You… you stopped our best attack… impressive… you have left us no choice but to use this," said Applejack as she and her team got into another formation

"I've never seen that formation!" Said Sunset

"What are we going to do?" Asked Rarity

Twilight, however, was looking at them carefully, and that's When she realized something.

"It's incomplete," she said

"What?" They said

"Their formation is incomplete, look, they're missing Little Strongheart and Braeburn, they're going to use "Bronco Parade" on us," said Twilight

"That old formation no one uses?"Asked Sunset

"Yeah… and we know how to stop it," said Twilight

"We do?" Said Sunset

"Well, I do, you missed that class," said Twilight "Now, Sunset, you'll stand in front of me and Rarity, Rarity, when I say now, create as many magic balls as you can, magic type doesn't matter, and make them rain above them, ok?!" Said Twilight

Both girls nodded and got into position

As soon as that happened, Applejack and her team charged Twilight's, who copied the action

"NOW!!!!" said Twilight and both she and Rarity began to create magic balls and make them fall on Applejack's team

"What the?" They all asked, losing focus of their target

"NOW SUNSET!" Said Twilight

As Sunset Shimmer used magic to gain momentum and ram Applejack's team like a bowling ball toppling the cones, sending them flying and landing on the ground either unconscious or with damaged armor.

"AND THAT IS THE MATCH EVERYONE, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4 YEARS, THE FAMILIA HAS LOST A FINAL, THE ELEMENTS WON!!!!" said the anchor as Twilight and Sunset and Rarity were joined by Fluttershy and Pinkie to celebrate the win.

"We won!!!!" Screamed Sunset

"You are the best tactician in the world Dear," said Rarity

"Thanks gals… but I have something to do," said Twilight as she walked over to Applejack who was sitting on the floor.

"Good fight," she said as she extended her hand towards Applejack

Applejack looked at it and then at her and smiled.

"Darn right it was, I'm impressed, you were even able to stop the Storm Rodeo and Bronco Parade," said Applejack

"Thanks, but you're impressive yourself, I've never seen someone with your physical abilities, not even Fluttershy," said Twilight

"Thanks," said Applejack

"Well done girls," came female voice they all recognized

"Granny Smith, thanks for inviting us," said Twilight

"It was nothing, now, about our little arrangement?" She said

"Arrangement, what arrangement?" Asked Applejack

Granny smith and Twilight proceeded to explain everything to Applejack

"Well, ah"ll be darned, the national team," said Applejack

"Yeah, we were hoping you and your team could join, if you want that is," said Twilight

"Of course, but it'll only be me and Mac, the other's already compete with Marexas," said Applejack

"Oh well, here is the contract," said Twilight as she magically appeared to separate contracts for them

Applejack and Mac read through them and signed the papers

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)

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

"Ah, don't know what to write on the other parts," said Mac

"Just leave it like that, we'll leave that to the princess," said Twilight

"So then, I take it the team is not ready yet," Applejack

"No, we were planning on heading south tomorrow, wanna come?" Asked Twilight

"Of course, it sounds fun," said Applejack

"Ah'm sorry Twilight who've got to head back to the farm and work, but I'll be at training trust me, " said Mac

"Ok, we're counting on you," said Twilight

"Well, now that that is out of the way, why don't you go and lift the trophy?"said Granny Smith as Twilight turned and ran to the stage.

"AND WITH YOU, THIS YEAR'S WINNERS "THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY!!!!" said the anchor as Twilight raised the trophy and everyone clapped.

THAT NIGHT

"... and that's why he doesn't talk much," said Applejack as she had a fun conversation with her new friends.

"Wow, and yet he married before you," said Rarity

"There is more to life than marriage, Hon," she said

"If you say so," said Rarity

Twilight, however, had left the hotel room and was walking around the garden of the hotel, her mind glued to their first victory, when…

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Huh, I don't know this number… hello?" She said

"Hello Twilight, dear," said a male voice

"Hi… who is this?" Asked Twilight

"Ouch!, that just hurt my little black heart," said the man

"DISCORD!" Twilight Screamed

"The one and only prince of chaos, speaking," said Discord

"How Did You get my number?" Asked Twilight

"Eris, she might be able to hide things from her mom, but when it comes to dad, well… you get the picture, " said Discord

"I heard Celestia is pregnant again, congratulations," said Twilight

"Thanks, that's kind of the reason I'm calling… she is beginning to worry about you, you haven't contacted us in so long," said Discord

"Yeah, but the team is coming together, I'm only missing one more person and the job is done," said Twilight

"Wonderful… do you know where to go next?" Asked Discord

"Well… no, we thought we'd head to Tall Tale," said Twilight

"And that is exactly what you shall not do," said Discord

"Why?" Asked Twilight

"You won't like to work with them, too… stuck up," said Discord

"Then, any ideas," said Twilight

"Of course, I just got off the phone with an old friend of mine, and he tells me that there is a 1st division Gladiator looking for a new challenge, and that she has never represented her hometown in any tournament," said Discord

"Great, where is she?" Asked Twilight

"Mareami, you must head there tomorrow," said Discord

"Ok… do you know her name? Asked Twilight

"No, she goes by the name Rainboom, and she'll be waiting for you at the arena," said Discord

"Cool, how old is she?" Asked Twilight

"Around your age… Twilight, before you go all happily to talk to her, I have to warn you, she used to be an S-division gladiator, so she isn't easily… impressed," said Discord

"Wow, an S-class, my age, and still competing, that's amazing," said Twilight

"Yes… but she also is known for her competitiveness and her bad temper, so be careful around her,"said Discord

"We will, I'll call you after we meet with her to let you know the outcome," said Twilight

"Ok… oh and, I hear you are Appaloosa

"Yeah, why?" Asked Twilight

"If you want to arrive on time, you're going to have to leave immediately, I already bought you tickets, first class, and your train leaves at midnight, is that ok?" Asked Discord

"That's in 2 hours," said Twilight

"I know, but, I'm weary about this one, it's best to not let her wait… oh, and, don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut, bye, and good luck," said Discord as he hung up

Twilight immediately ran to her room to tell her friends about the development.

Gladiators Ch.7 A promise

“So, Discord called you and told you about this 1st division gladiator, who is willing to try US out?” said Sunset Shimmer

“Yup, and he also told me that she was a former S-division Gladiator,” said Twilight as all of the girls got out of the train.

“And you are positive that she will be willing to join us,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Well, we just won the Appleoosa Gladiator tournament, apart of the Canterlot Gladiator Smash brawl, and defeated Applejack’s team of 1st and 2nd division gladiators, there isn’t really anything tougher,” said Twilight

“Thanks for the compliment, sugarcube, but… there are many things harder than that,” said Applejack

“Like?” asked Twilight

“Giving birth,” said Pinkie

“Gladiator related darling,” said Rarity

“Oh… I have nothing,” said Pinkie

“Well, you have the mock battle we had in manehattan,” said Rarity

“Oh, yeah! I’m still sore from that, and it was almost a month ago,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Girls… uhm… Mareami is known for having a very tough Gladiator competition,” said Fluttershy

“Oh yeah, your right, what do they call it…?” said Twilight

“The pyramid,” said Fluttershy

“Pyramid? Never heard of it,” said Sunset

“Yeah, what is it like?” asked Rarity

“Well, the pyramid is a form of Gladiator fighting, where the challenge is to defeat all of the teams to be crowned champion,” said Fluttershy

“Isn’t that like a normal competition, Hon?” asked Applejack

“No… unlike normal competitions, in this one, Gladiator teams are already chosen, and the challenging team has to defeat them all to win and obtain a monetary settlement,” explained Fluttershy

“Wow, Shy, How do you know so much about this?” asked Twilight

“Remember that I told you about the friend I was housesitting for? Well, she is a Gladiator here in Mareami,” said Fluttershy

“Wow, she has to be really good,” said Sunset

“I believe she is, we never talked about Gladiator stuff before, because I wasn’t one and didn’t feel attracted to this,” said Fluttershy

“But, you knew she was a gladiator?” asked Rarity

“Of course, I went to see her fight once, many years ago, she was good,” said Fluttershy

“So, I assume she was born in Cloudsdale, just like you?” said Applejack

“Yup,” said Fluttershy

“And if you say she is good, is it safe to assume she represents Cloudsdale, right?” asked Twilight

“No… well, at least I’ve never seen her play with Cloudsdale, she’s been alternating residence between Mareami and Cloudsdale for 5 years now,” said Fluttershy

“And why’s that?” asked Applejack

“Don’t know, never had the urge to ask her, it’s her private life,” said Fluttershy

“Of course you didn’t!” they all thought

After bending a curve, the girls noticed the massive city arena

“So, you think you’ll see your friend again?” asked Twilight

“Hopefully, but, I’m sure she’ll be surprised to see me fighting as a Gladiator now,” said Fluttershy.

The girls walked towards the arena admiring the gladiator-style decorations

“Look, that’s an image of Onyx “Bone Collector” Bolt, he is one of the greatest rogue fighters ever,” said Twilight as she saw a poster of him in a store

“And that’s Apple Justice, top 3 Field Generals of all time, many of his tactics are still impossible to stop… to bad he died young,” said Applejack as she saw another poster

“Oh, and look at that armor, it’s so… classy and elegant, who is she?” asked Rarity

“That’s... Princess Celestia, when she was still a Gladiator,” said Twilight Sparkle

“She looks mighty young in that image,” said Applejack

“Well, she was around 23,” said Twilight

“Then the man behind her is…” said Sunset

“That’s her husband, Discord… and adding the woman at the right… that’s Princess Luna… They created “The Royal Guard” they were undefeated for almost 2 years,” said Twilight

“That’s my mom and dad! Cloudy Quartz and Igneous Rock Pie… I didn’t know they were gladiators!” said Pinkie Pie

“Creators of the Boulder Dash, your parents are credited with creating one of the best moves ever,” said Twilight

“And look, there’s Granny Smith… wow, she was young in that picture,” said Applejack pointing to at another Poster

“Agreed, she looks around… her mid-20s,” said Twilight

The girls continued walking a bit more, until they noticed a wall-sized poster of a gladiator team.

“Who are they?” asked Sunset

“Beats me... “ said Twilight

“Parka!” said Fluttershy

“What?” they all said

“It says it right here… “In loving memory of the greatest team to ever exist “Parka” and it’s Members Master Metal, Onyx Night, Mystic Dusk, Crimson Mark, Dead Breeze, Rainboom, and… Grim,” they all read

“Wait a minute, that’s the Gladiator we came to meet!” said Twilight pointing to Rainboom

“Really?!!!... but is says here that the members are dead,” said Sunset

“I think they mean the team, darling,” said Rarity

“Oh… yeah, guess you’re right,” said Sunset

For whatever reason, the girls kept looking at the hooded, skull-mask wearing, member of the team, as if, on some sort of trance

“Man, ah’ve got to admit, that Grim guy sure is scary,” said Applejack

“I know right, I wouldn’t like to fight him,” said Pinkie Pie

“I have to admit, I find he’s or her style rather… interesting,” said Rarity

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight

“He doesn't seem to be wearing anything other that a simple hoodie, no armor whatsoever, I believe that is against the rules,” said Rarity

“Years ago, it wasn’t, they changed the rules after the S-division was terminated,” said Sunset

“Oh… anyway, let’s go, it’s almost noon, and I don’t want to be late to meet this Rainboom woman, she seems… intimidating,” said Twilight as they all turned to look at the image of the hasmask wearing gladiator, and walked away, except for Fluttershy, something about her seemed familiar.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

“Well, here we are, this is the arena lobby, but, where is she?” asked Twilight

Using the newly acquired idea of how she looked, the girls scouted the area.

After a few seconds of nothing, Twilight began to feel nervous

“Did we arrive too late?” she asked

“Twilight, if anything we arrived 20 minutes early,” said Sunset Shimmer showing Twilight her cell phone screen.

“But, what if she was testing us, to see if we are punctual, and was expecting us 30 minutes before the agreed time?” said Twilight panicking

“Is the time thing common or?” asked Applejack

“It appears so,” We’ve only known each other for about over a month,” said Rarity

“2 months in my case,” said Pinkie pie

“1 and a half,” said Fluttershy

“Wow, and I thought Granny Smith was crazy about punctuality,” said Applejack

Just then, the girls heard an argument nearby and walked over to see what was going on

“WE QUIT!!” said a tall muscular Gladiator

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU QUIT?!” said a female voice

“YOU PROMISED US GLORY, AND YET, WE’VE ATTEMPTED THIS STUPID CHALLENGE OVER 10 TIMES AND WE CAN’T GET OVER THE 5TH STAGE!” said the Gladiator

“AND YOU’RE EXPECTING ME TO CARRY YOU TO THE TOP?! I’M SORRY TO TELL YOU SKIPPER, I HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LACK OF TALENT AND AMBITION!!” said the woman

“LACK OF AMBITION?! LACK OF AMBITION!!!! BITCH, MY TEAM AND i HAVE MORE AMBITION THAN YOU IN ALL OF YOUR BODY!!!” said Skipper

“AND YET YOU HAVEN’T DEMONSTRATED ANY OF IT,” said the woman

“WE LET YOU JOIN, BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THAT WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOU COULD GUIDE US TO THE TOP, BUT WE WERE WRONG!!! YOUR OLD SCHOOL IDEAS ARE NOTHING BUT TRASH!!” said Skipper

“AND YOUR “NEWER” IDEAS, MADE YOU LOSE IN THE FIRST ROUND WHAT...1...2… 30 TIMES!! I’M NOT THE PROBLEM HERE, IT’S YOU!!!!” said the woman

“YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD IT WITH YOU!!! WHEN WE REALIZED YOU ARE A FORMER MEMBER OF PARKA, AND A FORMER CLOSE FRIEND OF SOMEONE LIKE GRIM, WE THOUGHT WE HAD HIT THE JACKPOT, BUT, IT SEEMS WE WERE WRONG!!!” said Skipper

“YOU LEAVE HIM OUT OF THIS!!!” she screamed

“OR WHAT?!!! No matter what you do, you will never escape his shadow, or be at his level… no wonder he abandoned all of you… and keep your money, we don’t need your charity” said Skipper as he walked away, leaving her standing there, her fist clenched tight, her face red with anger.

“Uhm… ms. Rainboom?” asked Twilight

“WHAT?!!!” she said looking at Twilight making her jump back in fear.

That was when she realized her reaction, and turned around

“I’m… I’m sorry about that… I just had a very stressful conversation,” she said

“It’s… it’s ok,” said Twilight

“So, what can I do for ya?” she asked with a smile

“Uhm, we’re… we’re the team that was going to meet with you,” said Twilight

“Oh, you are? Wow, you’re early,” she said

“We told you!!!” exclaimed the rest of the members

“Anyway… hi, my name is Rainbow Dash, but as I assume you know, everyone calls me Rainboom, nice to meet you all…” she said as she turned to see all of them, freezing as soon as her eyes made contact with Fluttershy’s

“FLUTTERSHY?!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!!” she screamed

“THAT IS MY LINE, YOU NEVER SAID YOU WERE IN THE S-DIVISION!!!” said Fluttershy

“YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU WERE A GLADIATOR!!!” said Rainbow Dash

“It’s actually a long story,” said Twilight

“Well, you better start talking… What was your name again?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Twilight Sparkle,”

“Sunset Shimmer,”

“Pinkie Pie,”

“Rarity Belle”

“Applejack”

“Ok, now that that is out of the way, the story,” said Rainbow Dash

Twilight and the rest of the girls explained everything that had lead to that particular moment, not leaving a single detail out

“And the man that did that to her, where are they?” asked Rainbow Dash

“In jail, not even their families fortunes could save them,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Well, thanks for saving her, she’s my only friend,” said Rainbow Dash

“No problem,” said Twilight

“So, you’re looking for someone to join the royal team, right?” said Rainbow Dash

“Yeah, are you interested?” asked Twilight

“Well, I know for a fact that I will never be called to play with Cloudsdale,” said Rainbow Dash

“Why?” asked Twilight

“They said I have no self control, that I was a liability,” said Rainbow Dash

“Wow, that’s harsh, did they forget you are a 1st division, scratch that, that you were an S-division gladiator?!” said Sunset

“I think they said that because I was one,” said Rainbow Dash

“Higher expectations?” asked Twilight

“Maybe, or they just didn’t want to be outshadowed by me,” said Rainbow Dash

“So, do you want to join us?” asked Twilight

“Listen… Twilight… you gals aren’t the first ones to ask me to join a team, world cup or not… I’m not just going to join all willy nilly, you have to show me what you’re made of,” said Rainbow Dash

“So, what do we have to do?” asked Twilight

Rainbow Dash looked at them and then looked at the TV and smiled

“Make a temporal team with me… and conquer the pyramid, if we do, then I’ll join you,” said Rainbow Dash pointing at the TV

“And once again, the Pyramid has stood in place, with “Skorn” defeating “Elevation” and securing their position in the 5th stage of the pyramid, now, who will reach the top stage and dethrone “The Prime” from the top of the pyramid, a position they’ve held for almost 4 years now,” said the TV announcer

The girls then turned to look at Rainbow Dash

“So, what do you say?” she asked

“Do you even think we can achieve that?” asked Twilight

“That’s my challenge, take it or leave it,” said Rainbow Dash

Twilight turned to look at her friends, and then back at Rainbow Dash

“Alright, we’ll do it,” said Twilight

“Great, now, follow me,” said Rainbow Dash as she headed towards a door

“Where are we going?” asked Twilight

“To the starting line,” said Rainbow Dash as she opened the door to a roaring crowd cheering as another team was being kicked out of the first step

“Wait! You want us to start now?” asked Twilight

“Of course… listen Twilight, the world cup is… 3 months away, if you fail here, that still gives you enough time to find someone else, and impress the Princess,” said Rainbow Dash as she finished the registration

“But, we don’t know the rules of this,” said Twilight

“Simple, 7 a side teams fight for dominance of the stage, and are only allowed to continue to the next one if they defeat all of the members of the previous team,” said Rainbow Dash

“Without a break in between?” asked Sunset

“Nope… that’s the real Gladiator way, during the wars, you didn’t have a chance to rest, so you had to always be ready to fight, that’s why many gladiators love this challenge, it reminds them of the past… plus, you girls can use this as an exercise for the world cup,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Well, she does have a point,” said Twilight

“Ok then, Twilight, I see you’re a field general, so, I’ll leave that 2 you,” said Rainbow Dash

“Uhm… ok,” she said as they followed Rainbow Dash to the starting line.

“Wait, what are the rules of this?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“7 a side teams, fight for dominance of the stage, bla, bla, bla, we win when we eliminate all of the members of the opposing team and conquer the stage,” said Rainbow Dash

“Ok, sounds easy enough,” said Twilight as they got into position

“And we are back, and it looks like Rainboom has found herself a new team, just mere seconds after her last team was eliminated and kicked her out, will she be able to finally reach the top on her… how many times has she actually tried this?... 72 times?!!!” well… uhm… 73rd time’s the charm they say… anyway, their first rivals will be “The TIGER SQUADRON!!!” said the anchor as the members of that team walked out into the stage

“Wait! You again?! Don’t you ever give up?” said the leader of the team called Moonshadow Storm

“Are you still sour about me helping you up and kicking your butts when I changed teams?” asked Rainbow Dash

“We trusted you, and yet, you changed teams the same day! Where is the loyalty you claim to have?” he said

“I am loyal… just, not to you,” said Rainbow Dash

“Well, don’t expect us to make it easy for you,” he said as they entered an inverted V formation

“Ok, Twilight, first call, what do we do?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Demon dash,” said Twilight almost immediately

“Good call,” said Rainbow Dash as she got into position on the wing

“3...2...1… GO!!!!” said the anchor

As soon as the word was said, all of the girls charged at the opposing team

“Ah! Demon Dash, that’s not going to…” he wasn’t even able to finish his sentence when the girls, using their magic or physical strength, bulldozed over them and sent them flying over the edge of the stage into a safe pit.

“Well done Twilight!” Everyone said before turning and seeing that Rainbow Dash was already climbing the next flight of stairs towards the next stage.

“Don’t stay too behind!!” said Rainbow Dash

“Rainbow, wait!!” said Twilight as they all ran after her.

But, Rainbow Dash didn’t, as soon as she reached the entrance of the next stage, she immediately charged the members of the next team (The Whispers).

She was able to successfully eliminate 2 of them by attacking them by surprise, but after that she began having trouble fighting 5 people at the same time.

They were pummeling her left and right, until they all heard

“LIGHT FLARE!!”

They all turned to look at the owner of the voice, only to be hit by a bright beam of light, and to then be shoved off the stage.

“Thanks Twilight, Come on!!!” said Rainbow Dash as she got up and headed to the next stage.

“Rainbow Dash wait, what about the strategy?!!!” said Twilight

“I can’t hear you, keep up!!!!” was all Rainbow Dash said as she continued running up the stairs.

“Rainbow Dash, stop!!!” said Sunset Shimmer as she and Pinkie Pie rushed after her.

“Man, this girl is whack… something’s up, ah can feel it!” thought Applejack as she began to climb the steps behind the rest of the girls.

Just seconds later, Rainbow Dash reached the top of the staircase, and charged the following team “Avians” who easily avoided her charge and countered sending her flying towards the edge, only for Pinkie to pop out of nowhere and catch her before she fell off.

Then the avians decided to attack the 2 of them, but were unable to reach them thanks to Sunset Shimmer using her defensive abilities to protect them while Pinkie helped Rainbow Dash back onto the stage.

Seconds later, the rest of the girls arrived and quickly began to spar with the rivaling team.

Sunset Shimmer fighting and eliminating Ruby Dusk, Pinkie, who left Rainbow Dash behind, punching Water Snowflake so hard she flew straight out of the stage and onto the medical center, Sunset Shimmer spartan kicking Twinkle Charm off the stage, before shoving Velvet Love straight into Applejack’s way and body check her off the stage.

They seemed to be doing a great job at first, but then, the remaining members of the Avians, decided to counterstrike by using magic, forcing the girl to retreat behind Twilight and Rarity as they created a magic shield to protect them.

Unfortunately, they didn’t realize that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were not behind them, since Rainbow Dash was still trying to regain her breath, and Fluttershy was acting as a human shield absorbing the attacks.

But, Shadow Light, also noticed this and charged the pair, without giving them time to react properly as she lunged at them.

Fluttershy, in a desperate move, shoved Rainbow Dash to the side as she fell to the floor hoping to avoid the attack, which she was lucky enough to do, plus, it also gave her enough time to kick Shadow in the gut and send her over the edge.

“Thanks… thanks Shy,” said Rainbow Dash

“It’s ok, but, the girls need help,” said Fluttershy, pointing at her friends who were fighting their way closer to the remaining members of Avians

“You’re right… time to end this,” said Rainbow Dash as she got up and charged at the last 2 members, knocking them out of the stage in the process and dashing up the stairs in the same move.

“COME ON! WE’RE ALMOST HALFWAY!!!!” she screamed

“RAINBOW DASH, STOP!!!!” screamed Twilight as they chased her again.

Once again, Rainbow Dash did not wait for the rest of the girls, but did, however, change her approach against the next team, since she knew it was a much stronger side.

Instead of running straight to them, she decided to run in a zig zag way, trying to catch them off guard.

At first it worked, and she was able to make some successful hits, but none of them strong enough to knock them out or over the edge, and again, she was stopped and almost shoved out off the stage, if it weren’t for Fluttershy catching her and anchoring her feet to the ground avoiding the fall.

“SIGMA FORMATION, RICOCHET!!!” screamed Twilight as all of the girls appeared and formed a shield around Rainbow Dash, challenging the opposing team to come near them.

And they took the bait, Crimson Flash, leader of the team “Rogues” was the first one to attack, rushing towards Applejack.

A deadly mistake

Applejack easily stood her ground and roundhouse kicked him all the way to the otherside of the arena, from which he never got up.

Then came Rapid Arrow, she charged Sunset Shimmer, and was met with the same fate, except, Sunset Shimmer actually punched him and then tripped him down the stairs the girls had just climbed, before falling off the side and out of battle.

2 of the remaining members, Swift Spirit and Lunar Light, seeing that there was no way to rush them and open their defence, decided to flank them and attack at the same time, only to be stopped by Rarity and Twilight, who used their magic to make their own abilities work against them, and slip out of the stage.

Finally, the last member of the team, Winter Bristle, decided to attack by jumping over, the line and catching them by surprise, but just as he was able to clear Applejack and Sunset Shimmer, he was met in the air by none other than Pinkie Pie, who punched down with such strength, he actually fell through the floor of the stage.

“WOOHOO!!! That was epic!!!” screamed Pinkie as she landed

“Yeah… anyway, Rainbow Dash, you have to wait for us to… WHERE DID SHE GO?!!!” asked Twilight as they all turned and saw Rainbow dash already climbing the steps to the next stage

“Seriously with this one!” said Sunset as she began to chase her.

“Twilight wait,” said Applejack

“What is it Applejack?” asked Twilight

“There’s something fishy goin’ on ’ere… there’s something about her that makes me believe she ain’t worth the trouble,” said Applejack

“Are you positive?” asked Twilight

“Ah know ahm new to the team, but trust me, she seems… desperate, like if there’s something goin’ on behind the scenes,” said Applejack

“Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind,” said Twilight as she and Applejack began to climb the stairs.

BUt when they got to the top of that staircase, they saw that all of the girls had stopped in their tracks, including Rainbow Dash

“What’s going on?” asked Twilight

“There is no one up here,” said Rarity

“Of course they are, I can smell them,” said Rainbow Dash

“Even if they are, we can’t fight something we can’t see,” said Fluttershy

“Then allow us to make things easier for you,” said a voice the girls remembered very well.

And with that various smoke bombs exploded and out walked 7 gladiators Rainbow Dash knew too well

“I should’ve known you guys were the ones guarding the 5th stage,” said Rainbow Dash

“Yeah, once again, thanks for getting us up here… but don’t think we’ll let a failed S-class like you pass,” said Skipper

“Hey, ain’t that the fool that was harassing you back at the lobby?” said Applejack

“Yeah, this is his team “Riot”... and I see you replaced me rather quickly too,” said Rainbow Dash

“Yeah, it wasn’t that tough a decision, my little brother is better than you in every way,” said Skipper.

“Well, we’ll see about that soon, won’t we?” said Rainbow Dash

“That we will… EVERYONE, PHANTOM FORMATION!!!” screamed Skipper as his whole team got into position

“Oh, that’s a good one, but easily broken, all you have to do is…” Twilight began

“ATTACK!!!!!!” screamed Rainbow Dash as she charged Skipper, only for his teammates to block her path and send her flying back towards her team.

“Rainbow Dash, listen to me! If you want to defeat them, you have to…” Twilight said but was interrupted by Rainbow Dash

“Save it princess, this is personal!” said Rainbow Dash as she once again made the same move with the same outcome.

“Rainbow Dash… listen!!!” Twilight said

“SHUT UP!!” was all she said before she got up and attacked again, only for Skipper to avoid her attack and send her flying towards the edge at the other side of the stage.

“Who’s next?” he asked

None of the girls moved

“Girls, quick, get into a Spartan…” Twilight began to say only for Skipper’s voice to ring in her right ear.

“Too slow,” he whispered as he appeared next to her and charged towards Pinkie pie hitting her on her jaw and sending her flying out of the stage.

This infuriated Applejack who quickly roundhoused Skipper in the gut and sent him flying towards the other side of the stage.

He was about to fall off the stage, but 2 of his teammates, Steel Victory and Solar Comet, jumped in front of him and used their shields to cushion his fall and keep him on the stage, as they fell off it.

“CHARGE!!!!” screamed another member of the team as Riot charged and surrounded Twilight and her friends.

Fights broke out all around the stage

Sunset Shimmer fighting against Thunder Snow, Applejack vs Celestial Moon, and Fluttershy vs Lunar Rose

For a few minutes it seemed that the girls had the upper hand, especially because of Rarity’s and Twilight’s help.

But it came to the point that Riot began using the girls inexperienced to gain the upper hand.

First, Thunder Snow decided to dodge Sunset Shimmer’s attacks while getting closer to Lunar Rose and Fluttershy; and when they finally got within reach of each other, both Lunar Rose and Thunder Snow jumped out of the way, only to cause Fluttershy’s hammer to collide with Sunset Shimmer’s sword and disarm her.

“I’m so sorry Sunset!” said Fluttershy

“It’s… LOOK OUT!!!” was all Sunset Shimmer could say before Lunar Rose punched her in her jaw and sent her over the edge

“SUNSET!!!” screamed Fluttershy as she karate kicked Lunar Rose so hard she flew to the other side of the stage and through the staircase, leaving her unconscious as she fell off the stage.

Fluttershy turned and saw Applejack struggling to contain Celestial Moon, and was about to go and help her when…

“Where you think you’re going shorty?!!” Came Thunder Snow as he kicked her on her back, causing her to lose balance and fall of the stage

“AND THAT’S HOW IT’S DONE, BITCHES!!!!!” Thunder Snow mocked Fluttershy

“ah’d take that back if ah’d were you,” said Applejack

Thunder Snow didn’t even have time to turn when Applejack, once again, roundhouse kicked him in the gut and off the stage.

“You never call a woman that… homeboy!” said Applejack as she saw Thunder Snow fall to the safe foam at the bottom of the stage.

“That’s how it’s done,” she said with a smirk

But her concentration was broken when she heard a scream behind her.

She turned just in time to see Rarity being kicked off by High Jump, as he turned to help Celestial Moon, who was trying to break through Twilight’s magic shield.

With his added strength, Twilight’s shield began to crack

“Damn it,” she said as she tried her best to keep the shield from breaking

“Goodnight, girly,” said Celestial Moon

“Nothing personal,” said High Jump

As they prepared to give the final strike onto Twilight’s shield, they heard loud footsteps coming towards them.

This caused them to look to their side only for both of them to be tackled by Applejack, as they fell off the stage with her.

“APPLEJACK!!!” screamed Twilight

“DON’T LET’ER DO ANYTHING FOOLISH!!!” was all she said before hitting the foam pit

At that Twilight got up and looked at Rainbow Dash

She was trying her best to get up from the floor, so Twilight rushed towards her

“Are you ok?” she asked as she helped her up

“Yeah… just having trouble catching my breath… I forgot this brute was strong,” said Rainbow Dash

“If you had waited for me to tell you how to fight it you would have avoided all of the pain,” said Twilight

“Yeah, yeah… so… how can we defeat someone far stronger than us without paying attention to the disadvantage?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Simple really…” was all Twilight was able to say before a fist met the right side of her face and sent her over the edge.

“Oops, I did it again,” mocked Skipper as he shoved Rainbow Dash to the ground

“You… that was a cheap shot!” said Rainbow Dash

“Well… it worked,” said Skipper

“Where… where is that honor you were talking about so much?” said Rainbow Dash

“It died, the moment we let you into the team… for 1 year, you tortured us, disregarded our feelings… treated us like crap… forced us to take on a challenge mere minutes after suffering terrible blows and bodily injuries, and called us weak… useless… FAILURES… well, now, I will take revenge for what you did, for the suffering you inflicted on us, but don’t worry, we’ll still use all of the tactics you showed us, so… thank you,” said Skipper as he prepared himself to crush Rainbow Dash’s head when his body was surrounded by a purple light and his body began to cumbulce.

After the electric hook subsided, Skipper’s body went limp and fell over the edge of the stage

“... you set up a trap,” said Twilight as she lowered her staff.

Immediately the crowd roared as Twilight helped Rainbow Dash up.

However that line and subsequent action triggered a memory for Rainbow Dash

“We’re at a disadvantage, who are we going to defeat them?” she said

“Simple…” said Grim as he was punched in the left side of his face and stumbolded over the edge

Rainbow Dash then turned to face the last member of the opposing team

“Show’s over girl,” he said as he was about to charge her only for his body spontaneously combust and then be shoved over board.

Rainbow Dash looked at the scene in confusion, until Grim appeared from between his flames and say

“... we set up a trap,” as he helped her up.

“AND WITH A MAGIESTIC USE OF SHADOW PORTAL, TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS ABLE TO DEFEAT SKIPPER TO WIN OVER THE 5TH STAGE!!!... unfortunately, here is where the show ends for tonight,” said the anchor

“WHY?!!!!” asked Applejack as she end the girls teleported back onto the stage

“No one has ever gone past the 5th stage so the floors upward are actually unattended today, but do not worry, the teams in charge of those stages will be here tomorrow to finish the fight,” the anchor explained.

“Well, maybe this’ll give us enough time to come up with a plan, what do you say Rainbow Dash?” asked Twilight

But as the girls turned to face her, they realized that once again, she was missing in action.

After a few seconds of looking around, they noticed that she was flying towards the entrance of the arena

This surprised the girls a lot, and after using teleportation, they were finally able to catch up with her.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash, aren’t we going to talk strategy?” asked Pinkie Pie

“Get lost!” was all that came out of Rainbow Dash’s mouth

“Excuse us?!” said Sunset Shimmer

“LEAVE!! I’m not going to join co… cheaters,” said Rainbow Dash

That comment surprised everyone, but Applejack was able to pinpoint something in that outburst.

“What are you talking about?” asked Twilight

“That final move, you had no right to cop… use it,” said Rainbow Dash

“Again, What?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“I don’t work with c… cheaters,” said Rainbow Dash as she began walking away “I don’t think this is going to work,” she said will walking away

“HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!!” said Applejack as she threw a trash can in front of Rainbow Dash’s way

“You want something… cowgirl?” asid Rainbow Dash as she turned ready to fight with Applejack

“Yeah… I want you to be honest,” said Applejack as she cracked her knuckles

“Excuse me?” asked Rainbow Dash

“You think you’re so clever, but I’ve caught up to you,” said Applejack

“What are you talking about?” said Rainbow Dash

“Drop the act… there’s more to this than a test, isn’t it?” said Applejack

“Wha?” said Rainbow Dash

“The way you fought your way up the stairs, with such desperation, it seemed like you were…” Applejack said

“Acting like a real Gladiator?” interrupted Rainbow Dash

“No… trying to accomplish something,” Applejack finished

Rainbow Dash remained silent

“All throughout today, ah’ve been adding all of the dots, the exuberant amount of times you’ve taken the same challenge, the amount of teams you’ve had, your disregard for your teammates, for a plan, what Skipper said before Twilight took him out… they way you corrected yourself a second ago where you changed the words “Copycat” for “Cheaters”, “copy” for “use it”, or “copiers'' for “cheaters'' again… you better start singin’ like a bord our we’re out of ‘ere,” said Applejack

Rainbow Dash, however, remained silent, not even making eye contact

“You see, ah told you she wasn’t worth it, let’s don’t waste our time with her and leave,” said Applejack

“No… everyone has a reason, a story to tell, let’s hear her out,” said Twilight Sparkle.

This exchange, once again caused Rainbow Dash to have a memory.

SOMETIME AGO

“... YOU SEE, I TOLD SHE ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH, SHE’S A LIABILITY, I AM NOT GOING TO GO OUT ONTO THAT STAGE AND FIGHT WITH HER AS MY COVER!!!” said Mystic Dusk

“Sorry Love, I’m going to have to agree with Mystic,” said Master Metal

“Wait!... stop,” said Grim

“Grim, this is weird, you rarely talk… and usually it’s a taunt,” said Master Metal

“Well… I believe that this time I have to say my peace… I wouldn't kick her out,” said Grim

“Why?” asked Metal master

“She has a reason for being here… a story behind the mask… we should hear her out and then decide,” said Grim as he turned to face her “If she is worth staying in this team,” he finished.

“Applejack, don’t you think you were a little harsh with her?” asked Fluttershy

“She is a grown woman, if she is going to call herself a gladiator, then she should also act as one, not play pretend,” said Applejack

“Yeah… but,” said Fluttershy

“BUt nothing, if she’s going to put us all through that and act like if aren’t important, then she’d better give me a reason not to bash her skull in,” said Applejack

“Don’t you think that’s taking it a bit TOO far?” said Fluttershy

“OH COME ON!!! She just put us through hell and didn’t even thanked us for the help… ah know she’s your friend, but ah assume that she should at least care about you and not act as a little b… why is she cryin’?” said Applejack as she turned to face Rainbow Dash

The girls immediately moved their line of sight from Applejack to Rainbow Dash, and she was indeed crying.

“Dash? Something wrong?” asked Fluttershy as she got close to her childhood friend

“She’s right,” Rainbow Dash whispered

“What?” asked Fluttershy

“She’s right!... there IS more to it… but…” Rainbow Dash said between sobbs

“Well, ah suggest you stop cryin’ and start talkin” said Applejack

“Right… it all started 5 years ago…” said Rainbow Dash

(“That was the last time Parka was together as a team…” said Rainbow Dash)

“... AND WITH A BRILLIANT DISPLAY OF RAW STRENGTH AND STRATEGY, PARKA HAS ONCE AGAIN WON THE GLADIATOR TOURNAMENT FOR THE PERFECT 5!!!” said the anchor as all of the members of Parka celebrated their accomplishment.

“Now we are the greatest team ever!!!” said Metal Master

“Was there ever any doubt?” asked Mystic Dusk as the group walked up the stairs to receive the trophy

(“Wait… why does your story begin with such a happy part?” asked Pinkie Pie)

(“Pinkie, that’s rude” said Twilight)

(“Simple really… That was the last time we were actually happy… everything went downhill from there on,” said Rainbow Dash)

A FEW DAYS LATER

The whole Parka squad had gotten together at “The Dungeon” (the place they used as Base of operations) to discuss strategy.

“So, are we all here?” asked Metal Master

“Everyone except Dead Breeze and Onyx,” said Crimson Mark

“Of course those 2 are late… I understand the marriage situation, but if they are going to be late, they should at least call,” said Metal Master

As if on queue, the 2 missing gladiator entered the room

“NO!!! Why in the world would I even do that?!” said Dead Breeze

“Can’t you stop thinking about yourself for once in your life!” said Onyx

“Funny, ever since I met you I’ve only thought about you and your well being!” said Dead Breeze

“All I want is for us to move to another town, not to quit being Gladiators!” said Onyx

“And I understand that, but… we have responsibilities back here as well,” said Dead Breeze

“AND WE’LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE IN 9 MONTHS!!!” screamed Onyx

This comment caused the whole room to gasp, this made the couple turn and notice their teammates.

“What are you guys doing here?” asked Dead Breeze

“Waiting for y’all, you’re 1 hour late,” said Metal Master

“No we aren’t, you said the meeting was going to be at noon, it’s noon o’clock,” said Dead Breeze

“Time change Dead, it’s spring… anyway, congratulations on the news,” said Grim in his typical emotionless, dead voice

“Oh… uh, thanks,” they said

“Anyway… first I wanted to congratulate everyone of you, this was another extremely successful year,” said Metal Master

“Ah, thanks boss,” said Rainbow Dash

“But I want next year to be one for the history books,” said Master Metal

“Dude, we’ve won every single tournament that exists this side of the country: The Pyramid, Round robin, survival, 1V1, and the eliminator challenge; for the last 5 years without falter, what more do you want us to do?” asked Crimson Mark

“Well, it’s simple… I want to us to become the only team in history to win the same trophies 6 years in a row,” said Master Metal

“I think we’re the only ones to have ever won all of the tournaments… in a year, much less 5,” said Grim

“Yeah, skull head here is right, we’ve got nothing to prove to anyone,” said Mystic

“Well, then challenge ourselves to be better when winning the tournaments next year,” said Master Metal

“Why are you so set on winning the same trophies again… leave the newer generation win something,” said Grim

“Well, truth is, next year will be my last season as a Gladiator, I’ll be retiring to… take on new challenges,” said Master Metal

“Wow, really man?” asked Mystic

“Yeah… I mean, I’m already old, like Grim said, I better give the new generations a chance at glory,” said Master Metal

“Dude you’re not old, you’re only 53,” said Crimson Mark

“I didn’t mean what I said, the way you took it,” said Grim

“It’s ok Grim, plus, you’re right, we have to give the newer generations something to win, so… what do you guys say? One more year?” said Master Metal as he extended his arm forward

“One more year!” said Grim, Rainbow Dash, Crimson Mark, and Mystic Dusk

But soon they noticed that Onyx and Dead Breeze didn’t join the team huddle, so they turned to look at them.

“Something wrong?” asked Master Metal

“Well…” said Dead Breeze

“We’ll be taking a hiatus for being Gladiators for a year or 2 to take care of the baby,” said Onyx

“And… we’ll be moving to Las Pegasus, since… I found employment there as a trainer,” said Dead Breeze

“So… that means you guys are quitting?” said Master Metal

“With a heavy heart,” they both said

“Well… I wish you the best of luck… and please stay in contact,” said Master Metal with a big smile

“Thanks for understanding,” said Onyx as she hugged the man that had been her father figure since she was a little girl in the orphanage.

“We’ll be cheering you on from a far, don’t forget about us,” said Dead Breeze

“We won’t… how’bout a party, to send you off?” said Master Metal

“Thanks” they both said

(“So, wait… you’re blaming all this on a pregnancy?” asked Pinkie Pie)

(“Of course not, that’ll be insensitive… but it was the beginning of the end for Parka,” said Rainbow Dash)

(“Why?” asked Fluttershy)

(“With Onyx and Dead Breeze gone, the team lost one of the fastest winger and strongest Rouges to ever live… and without anyone to replace them, and no one to keep the rookies in check, the team lost all sort of respect for one another,” said Rainbow Dash)

(“That explains a few things but…” said Twilight)

(“But it doesn’t explain your obsession with winning this tournament,” said Sunset Shimmer)

(“Then allow me to explain the reason for my insanity… the promise I made to him,” said Rainbow Dash)

4.5 YEARS AGO

“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT, WE LOOKED LIKE FICKING AMATUERS DURING THE LAST ROUND ROBIN EVENT!!!” said Master Metal

“Hey, it’s not my fault that the 2 new kids are trash!” said Crimson Mark

“Not to mention, you said they were better than Blizzard and Monogram, at least those idiots lasted longer than them fighting,” said Rainbow Dash

“SIGH… I can’t believe it, this year we didn’t win anything at all,” said Master Metal as he sat down on his desk

“Well, we still have next year!... what do you say old timer, one more round?” said Mystic Dusk

Master Metal looked at her and gave out a soft chuckle

“No… my time is up… it’s time for me to hang up my weapons,” said Master Metal

“What about the team?” asked Crimson Mark

“The team is the team...gladiators come and go, but the team will remain… you guys can continue it, you’ve got the potential,” said Master Metal

“No… you are the soul of the team, without you, there is no team at all,” said Mystic

“If you say so,” said Master Metal

“Hey!... where is Grim?” asked Rainbow Dash

“What? missing your boyfriend already?” said Crimson Mark mocking Rainbow Dash

“He is NOT my boyfriend!” said Rainbow Dash

“Oh!... I take it you haven’t heard,” said Master Metal

“Heard what?” asked Rainbow Dash

Master Metal then proceeded to grab a piece of paper and read it

“Dear members of Parka, I know this isn’t the most appropriate way to say goodbye, but please forgive my cowardice, but I fear that if I say this in person, I will have second thought about my decision, and I won’t be able to live with myself if that happened; I just wanted to let everyone know, that I thank you… thank you for showing and having faith in me, even though I was a total unknown when you guys gave me a chance… Thank you for these past 6 awesome years where you showed me what it felt like to have friends, comrades, fans, happiness, and most importantly… a place where I belong… But, I believe my time has come to head elsewhere and meet with my destiny, time for me to explore new paths and claim new victories… I thank you all, and will cheer you all on for the rest of my life, sincerely, Grim,” he said between sobs

As he finished reading Rainbow Dash grabbed her cellphone and ran out of the hideout as fast as she could.

“Come on… come on, pick up!” she said as she ran towards the apartment complex where she and Grim lived

“GRIM!!! WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS?!” she said when someone picked up at the otherside of the line

“I was expecting your call,” said Grim

“WHY?!” she said

“My adventure here has come to an end,” said Grim

At that point, Rainbow Dash heard something in the background, something that made her pinpoint his location in a matter of seconds.

It was a train whistle

“Time for me to go,” said Grim

“WAIT!!!” said Rainbow Dash as she used her well-known daredevil speed to get to the train station as soon as possible

“Don’t leave, please!” she said as she ran to the train station

“I’m afraid I have to… my destiny is elsewhere,” said Grim

“But we still need you here!” said Rainbow Dash as she turned a corner and saw the entrance of the train station in the distance

“No you don’t, you guys are still strong, and with a bit more of training, the new recruits will be unstoppable,” said Grim

“I STILL NEED YOU!” she screamed into the phone as she dashed through the station doors

“I’m sorry Ray… But you’re better off without me,” said Grim

At that exact moment Rainbow Dash made it onto the platform and started, frantically, looking around trying to find him before he boarded the train.

Just then she heard the train whistle alerting of the departure of the train, Rainbow Dash turned and saw Grim standing on the last wagon of the train looking back at her.

“GRIM WAIT!!!” she screamed as she ran towards the wagon, but it was no use, the train had left the platform.

“It was nice knowing you, thanks for being a great friend,” said grim, a touch of melancholy in his voice.

“Will I ever see you again?” asked Rainbow Dash trying her hardest not to cry

“When you win the Pyramid challenge again… goodbye Ray,” said Grim, doing a “Peace out” salute and entering the wagon, leaving the city, to never return again or be seen again.

“2 weeks later, the team disbanded, and everyone went on their own ways… I tried to contact Grim many times after that but…” said Rainbow Dash dialing on her phone

“I’m sorry the number you have dialed is no longer assigned, please check the…” said the computer voice as Rainbow Dash hung up

“So, that’s why I want to win this tournament so bad… to see him again,” said Rainbow Dash as she turned to face her team and notice the teary eyes, except for Applejack, she was as stoic as ever.

“Oh, you poor thing… so this is why you didn’t want to move back to Cloudsdale,” said Fluttershy as she walked up and gave her a hug

“I just want to see him again,” said Rainbow Dash as she cried into Fluttershy’s shoulder

“So, wait… your paranoia is all due to an ex-teammate?” said Applejack

“Maybe for you it’s meaningless, but not for me!” said Rainbow Dash

“OH MY GOD!!! This is massive!!” said Fluttershy

“Why, it sound very normal to me,” said Twilight

“No, it’s a massive development, Rainbow Dash… YOU’RE IN LOVE!!!” said Fluttershy as she hugged her BFF

“Wha- wha… why is that so weird?” she said

“You always said you hated romance, and I always thought you swung the other way, OH THIS IS AMAZING!!!” said Fluttershy as she jumped up and down like Pinkie

“Is she ok?” asked Sunset

“Yeah… she just loves romance… a lot… anyway, sorry for how I behaved,” said Rainbow Dash

“It’s ok, we understand,” said Twilight

“Yeah, plus, I’m pretty sure i’d do the same thing if it meant seeing the person I love again,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Going back to the topic at hand… do you still want us to help you?” asked Twilight

Rainbow Dash remained silent for a few seconds, before saying “The real question should be, do you still want me on your team?” she said

Twilight walked up to her, placed her hand on her shoulder and said

“Of course,”

“Thanks… so, any ideas on how to defeat the other teams?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Well, first I have to see them, then I can come up with something,” said Twilight

“Alright then… hey! You gals hungry? I know an awesome Burger Bar down the road, it’s on me!” said Rainbow Dash as she walked away with the rest of the girls in tow.

THE NEXT DAY

“AND WE ARE BACK TO CONTINUE THE WHERE WE LEFT OFF YESTERDAY, WILL RAINBOW DASH AKA RAINBOOM WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO RECLAIM HER FORMER TEAM’S SPOT AT THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID, OR WILL SHE LOSE AND GIVE UP ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!” said the anchor as the girls climbed the stairs towards the 4th stage

“I have to want you all,” from here on in, these team are going to be harder and tougher

“Don’t worry, we’re prepared for it,” said Twilight

“AND NEXT UP, THEY WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH “STORMWALKERS”!!!! AND IT’S MEMBERS MISTER BRISTLE, STAR CHASER, STAR VICTORY, TORNADO, HURRICANE, SUN WINGS, AND COMET BALL!!!” said the anchor as the girls reached the top of the stairs and noticed that the other team’s members were buff and athletic

“Oh, no, muscle heads,” said Rarity

“Hey,” said Applejack

“Oh, not you dear, you have feminine charm on your side unlike them,” said Rarity

“Thank you,” said Applejack with a sense of doubt in her voice

“Anyway, enough fashion mumble jumble, what’s the plan Twi?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Well, judging by their posture and bodies, you can tell they fancy speed and counters as they’re favored ways of fighting… and by the formation they have taken up, they plan to do just that, so… VIPER FORMATION, GLADIATOR CHARGE!!” said Twilight as the girls quickly got into position.

“This brings back memories,” thought Rainbow Dash

“NOW!!!” screamed Twilight as the 2 teams charged each other

Before the teams made contact though, Twilight and Rarity, casted “Holy Shield” and “Eclipse” to engulf them while charging

“What the…?” said Mister Bristle as he and the rest of his team was sent flying out of the stage

“AND IT’S DONE, RAINBOW DASH AND HER TEAM ARE OFF TO THE NEXT STAGE, AND THEY WILL BE FIGHTING AGAINST… REAPER!!!” said the anchor

As soon as this name escaped his lips, Twilight and the rest of the girls stopped on their tracks

“THOSE FOOLS AGAIN!!!” said Twilight

“Wait? What’s going on?” asked Rainbow Dash as the members of Reaper came out into the stage

“We meet again, princesses,” said Astral Dark

“Oh, it’s Grim’s stalkers, I MEAN, fan club, wow I didn’t know you guys could fight,” said Rainbow Dash with a smirk

“You humor us Rainboom,” said Astral Dark

“But don’t think we’ll go easy on you just because you were Grim’s girlfriend!” said Saffron

The mention of this made Rainbow Dash’s face turn red

“I thought you guys weren’t a couple,” said Fluttershy

“Well… I never got to ask him out, so…” said Rainbow Dash

“WAIT?! You’re saying you guys aren’t dating?” said Saffron

“UH no, I don’t even know where he is… but I do miss him,” said Rainbow Dash

“That means I still have a chance with him, I only have to find him,” said Saffron

“HEY! BACK OF THE LINE BITCH, THE ETERNAL IS MINE!!!” said Ruby Aura

“NO, HE IS MINE!!!!” said another member called Nightlight Aura

“Dude, do something about your sister and cousins will ya,” said Grave Watcher

“Meh not worth the hustle, plus, if they end up finding him, I might end up being his brother-in-law,” said Astral Dark

“Is it just me, or did this get weirder by the second,” said Applejack

“Agreed,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Girls,” said Fluttershy

“Yeah?” they all said

“I don’t think Rainbow Dash took their comments well,” said Fluttershy as she pointed to an enraged Rainbow Dash

“Oh dear, she’s entering berserker mode,” said Fluttershy

“Quick, Sombra formation, Lightning dash,” said Twilight

“FIGHT!!” said the anchor

And both teams were off.

‘ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDINING ME?!!!!” said Sunset SHimmer

“I REALLY, REALLY HATE THOSE GUYS,” said Twilight as they sat at a table at the burger bar

“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” said Rarity

“Yeah, plus I was able to knock some sense into those whores,” said Rainbow Dash

“Wow, I’ve never seen you act so possessive of someone… except Tank,” said Fluttershy

“WAIT!!! Who is Tank?” they asked

“He isn’t your boyfriend right?” asked Applejack

“NO!” said Rainbow Dash

“Your… son?” asked Twilight

“WHAT?! NO I’M… I”m still a virgin,” Rainbow Dash whispered

“Really?!” they all said

“Yeah… I want to have my first time with him,” said Rainbow Dash

“Oh… then who is Tank?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“My pet tortoise,” said Rainbow Dash

“Well that’s somethin’ I didn’t expect to hear!” said Applejack as she and the other laughed

“Yes, well… You know Rainbow Dash… the offer is still there if you wanted, even though we weren’t able to complete your challenge,” said Twilight

“Well, it was mission impossible, you gals are still miles away from being able to fight the teams in the 2nd and 1st stages… plus, I think I found something better than reliving old glories,” said Rainbow Dash

“And what is that?” asked Twilight

“Friends,” she said

“What about Grim?” asked Rarity

“I’ll see him again, if not in this life, maybe in heaven or in the next,” said Rainbow Dash

“So, does that mean?” asked Twilight

“Where do I sign?” said Rainbow Dash as she took out a pen

Twilight then gave her the contract and she filled it up

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) Tank
Rainbow Dash 29 5’4” (1.62M) 38 - 25 - 40 Warrior/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

“Wait… who is Big Mac?” asked Rainbow Dash

“Mah older brother, he ain’t here but will help us out,” said Applejack

“Funny,” said Rainbow Dash

“What is?” asked Twilight

“He shares the same height with Grim,” said Rainbow Dash with a smile

“Well mah brother was not Grim, he never left the town,” said Applejack

“I know, Grim didn’t have a southern accent, it was more like… the Canterlot Royal accent,” said Rainbow Dash

This made Twilight remember something, but decided to brush it off

“Well, I better contact our them, telling them we’re coming back,” said Twilight as she took out her phone and dialed

BACK IN CANTERLOT

“... SO PLEASE, HEAD OUT AND FIND HER, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!” said Princess Celestia as she addressed the royal guard

“Sis, don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?” asked Luna

“DO YOU WANT TO REPEAT WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM WITH TWILIGHT, I REFUSE TO LOSE HER AS WELL!!” said Celestia

“Discord, just tell her,” said Luna

“I can’t, I told Twilight I wouldn’t, scouts honor,” said Discord manifesting a scout uniform

“You weren’t a scout,” said Luna

“I surely was… not, but still…” said Discord as his phone rang

BEEP BEEP BEEP

“Hello, Discord lord of Despair talking… Oh Twilight, good to hear from you…” said Discord

The moment Discord mention her name, Celestia charged for his cellphone

“Oh, everything is fine, so do you have any, UFF…” said Discord as Celestia shoved him so hard he flew straight into the wall cracking it

“Twilight! Are you ok?... oh thank God… the jobs done? Wonderful… tonight?... of course, we’ll be waiting… where are you by the way?... Mareami! Well, that’s lovely, see you tonight dear,” said Celestia as she hung up the phone

“So?” asked Luna

“Guards, cancel the search, head to the train station to welcome them!” said Celestia as she walked over to her husband to free him from the cracked outline of himself on the wall.

BACK WITH THE GIRLS

“Ready to go?!” Twilight asked

“Once I finish my onion rings and beer,” said Rainbow Dash

At the mention of this, Twilight’s belly rumbled

“You know what? I could eat something,” she said

“Yeah, well order something, I ain’t sharing my rings,” said Rainbow Dash

“Weird, you used to hate them,” said Fluttershy

This just made Rainbow dash glare at her

“Oh… I take it he loved onion rings,” said Fluttershy, as she saw Rainbow Dash’s face turn red.

“Someday… I know it… we will meet again,” thought Rainbow Dash as she took another bit of her onion rings.

Gladiators Ch. 8 The Greatest Gladiator to ever disappear

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.

Gladiators Ch. 9 A Rag-Tag Dream team.

ONE WEEK LATER

It had taken a while for Spike to explain everything he had passed since he left the castle, granted, when he recounted the same story he had told Twilight down in Portezuelo… well, let’s just say that Celestia had “murder” written all over her face.

However, when he mentioned what he did down in Portezuelo, everyone looked at him in a VERY different light, almost as with an extra level of respect.

However, Spike then mentioned that his priority was to set up a clinic back in his hometown, something Celestia, being the mother she is, and Queen of Canterlot, arranged for everything to be ready in a matter of hours.

This shocked everyone, except Spike, he was used to his mother going “overboard” for him, he appreciated her help, but disliked that particular side of her.

Nevertheless, his clinic was ready to go the next day, and he started to treat Gladiators and normies in a heartbeat, and for once, Twilight saw him smile, she had known the guy for a couple of days, but he had never smiled as he did now, and it made her feel all tingly inside, something that Rainbow Dash took notice of, but, she was more interested in spending more time with Spike than fighting over “territory”

Spike dismissed his latest patient with a quick nod and a gruff “Take it easy on the training, and if it hurts again, come back.” The young stallion, clearly a rookie gladiator, hurried out with a muttered “Thanks, Doc,” leaving Spike standing in the center of his modest clinic. The room was spacious but efficient, filled with sturdy wooden cabinets, shelves lined with various medical supplies, and a pristine white examination table in the center. Everything was neat, organized, and ready for emergencies.

Spike let out a long, weary sigh, his towering frame turning toward the four mares standing awkwardly by the entrance. His green eyes flicked over them, cold and calculating, though a glint of exasperation betrayed his otherwise emotionless facade. His deep, gravelly voice filled the space.

“What do you four want now?”

The question was accompanied by a faint growl, more of annoyance than aggression. At 6'10", Spike’s sheer presence was enough to make Fluttershy recoil, shrinking behind Rainbow Dash. The dragon’s body was a testament to years of grueling combat—massive, corded muscles rippled beneath his dark scales, scars traced stories of battles long past, and his horns curved back with a regal yet intimidating elegance.

Rainbow Dash, unfazed, stepped forward with her trademark cocky grin, her wings giving a small flap of excitement. “Come on, big guy, don’t be like that! I just wanted to hang out! It’s been forever, y’know?” She jabbed a thumb toward her chest. “Five years, Spike! Five! I had to wait just to come see you again.”

“Five years,” Spike muttered under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest. “And this is how you spend it? Loitering in my clinic.”

Rainbow huffed, rolling her magenta eyes. “Yeah, well, someone’s gotta remind you to actually have a life outside of work.”

Twilight stepped forward next, her hands clutching the hem of her lavender blouse as if it were her only anchor. Her expression was calm, though her amethyst eyes darted nervously to Spike’s piercing green gaze. “I just thought… I mean, it’s been a while since my last check-up, and, well, you’re the best doctor in the city. I figured, why not?”

Spike’s eyes narrowed slightly, his suspicion clear. “Right. Because out of all the doctors in Equestria, you just happened to choose me.”

Twilight looked away, her cheeks tinging pink. “I just… trust you, that’s all.”

Fluttershy, who had been clinging to Rainbow’s arm like a lifeline, flinched when Spike’s gaze turned to her. The dragon’s eyebrow arched expectantly, but the timid pegasus only managed a squeak in response. Rainbow rolled her eyes and nudged her forward.

“Go on, tell him,” Rainbow encouraged.

Fluttershy swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper. “I-I didn’t w-want to come… R-Rainbow made me…”

Spike let out a short, humorless laugh. “Figures.”

Pinkie Pie, the last of the group, was bouncing on the balls of her feet, her poofy pink hair swaying with every movement. “And I’m here because I want to know more about you, silly! I mean, everypony knows Grim the Gladiator, but nopony really knows Spike the dragon. Like, what’s your favorite color? Do you have a favorite food? Oh! Or maybe a secret hobby you don’t tell anyone about?”

Spike pinched the bridge of his snout and sighed. “Of course you are.”

The dragon’s tail flicked behind him, a clear sign of his growing irritation. “You know, this clinic is meant for gladiators and civilians who actually need medical care,” he said pointedly, his voice tinged with frustration. “Not for you four to clog up my day because you’re bored, curious, or… whatever this is.”

The girls exchanged sheepish looks, except for Rainbow, who simply shrugged. “Relax, Spike. You’ve got time. No patients right now, right?”

Spike glared at her before sighing heavily. “Twilight,” he said, his tone curt. “Since you’re the only one pretending to have a valid reason, follow me for your check-up.”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat as she nodded quickly, her hands gripping her bag tighter. “O-Okay.”

Spike turned on his heel, his heavy footsteps echoing through the clinic as he led her toward the examination room. Twilight followed, her mind racing as she tried to suppress the fluttering in her chest. The door shut behind them with a soft click, leaving the others to wait in awkward silence.

Spike gestured for Twilight to sit on the padded examination chair, a sleek, modern piece of equipment with built-in sensors that glowed faintly. He grabbed a small tablet from the counter and began entering her details. His clinic was equipped with the latest technology, though its polished sterility was a sharp contrast to his gruff demeanor.

"Alright, Twilight, let’s make this quick," Spike said, his voice a low rumble. "Start with the basics. Any pain, dizziness, or muscle cramps lately?"

Twilight adjusted her glasses nervously, her heart racing more from his proximity than any actual medical concern. “Uh, no, not really. Maybe a bit of stiffness after sitting too long, but that’s probably just from reading.”

Spike raised a brow, his piercing green eyes studying her intently. “Stiffness, huh? Stand up and let me check your posture.”

Twilight slid off the chair, standing awkwardly in front of him. Spike loomed over her, his towering frame making her feel small despite her above-average height. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his touch firm but surprisingly gentle as he guided her into a straighter stance.

“Relax,” Spike muttered as Twilight tensed under his touch. “I’m not gonna bite.”

Twilight flushed, her cheeks burning as his large hands moved to her upper arms, pressing lightly against the muscles. “You’ve been tense for a while, haven’t you?” Spike commented, his tone neutral but tinged with curiosity.

“I-I guess,” Twilight stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… work stress, you know? Meetings, planning, research…”

“Uh-huh,” Spike said flatly, his hands trailing down to her forearms and wrists, his thumbs pressing against the tendons with precision. “Hmm.”

“What?” Twilight asked, biting her lip nervously.

Spike didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he crouched slightly, his hands sliding to her thighs. “Hold still.” His voice was gruff but calm as he began applying light pressure to her quadriceps, moving deliberately.

Twilight’s breath hitched, her hands instinctively gripping the edges of her skirt. “S-Spike! What are you—?”

“Checking your muscle tone,” he interrupted, his voice as emotionless as ever. “This is basic stuff, Twilight. Don’t make it weird.”

Twilight’s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish, her brain scrambling to form a coherent response. The feel of his claws against her legs was… distracting, to say the least.

Spike finished with her legs and stood, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Your muscles feel softer than they should. Something’s not right.” His gaze flicked to her abdomen. “Lift your shirt.”

“W-What?!” Twilight squeaked, her arms instinctively crossing over her stomach.

“I’m checking for signs of muscle strain,” Spike explained, his tone unyielding. “It’s not personal, Twilight. Do you want me to do my job or not?”

Swallowing her embarrassment, Twilight hesitated before lifting the hem of her blouse slightly, revealing her toned but slightly trembling stomach. Spike’s hand pressed against her abdomen with clinical precision, though his size and strength made the contact feel more intimate than intended.

“Hmm,” he muttered again, his brow furrowing. Without another word, he straightened and turned toward the door. “You three, in here. Now.”

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy exchanged puzzled glances before shuffling into the room. Spike folded his arms, his expression unreadable.

“Line up,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. “I’m doing physical tests on all of you.”

“What for?” Rainbow asked, her wings flaring slightly in confusion.

Spike didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed Rainbow by the arm, his claws lightly gripping her bicep as he began his examination. “You’re first.”

Rainbow blinked, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. “Uh, I mean, you could’ve just asked, big guy. Not that I mind…”

“Stop talking,” Spike said gruffly, his focus unwavering as his hands moved to her shoulders, then down to her thighs. Rainbow’s smirk faltered as he pressed against her muscles, his claws brushing her skin.

“Geez, Spike, buy me dinner first,” she quipped, trying to mask her growing nervousness.

Spike shot her a deadpan look. “You’re not my type, Dash.”

Pinkie Pie giggled from the sidelines. “I told you, Dashie! Grim’s a one-dragon show.”

“Quiet,” Spike said sharply, his hands moving to Pinkie next. The bubbly mare bounced in place, her energy undeterred even as he guided her into a seated position.

“Okay, Mr. Grim,” Pinkie teased, “just don’t tell my boyfriend you’re touching my legs. He gets super jelly.”

Spike arched a brow, unimpressed. “You don’t have a boyfriend.”

Pinkie gasped dramatically. “I could have one!”

Spike sighed, finishing his checks and moving on to Fluttershy. The timid pegasus froze as his massive frame loomed over her. She trembled like a leaf as his claws gently prodded her shoulders.

“Relax,” Spike muttered, though his gruff tone did little to calm her. He worked quickly, his hands brushing her arms, legs, and abdomen with the same clinical precision.

“Th-thank you,” Fluttershy whispered, barely audible.

When he finished, Spike straightened, his expression grim. “You’re all showing signs of severe muscle fatigue,” he said finally, though he kept his tone neutral. “None of you mentioned this earlier.”

The mares exchanged guilty looks, but Spike didn’t press further. Instead, he turned to Twilight. “Take me to the training grounds. I need to see what’s going on.”

Twilight nodded hesitantly. “Alright, Spike. But… is it serious?”

Spike didn’t answer, his jaw tightening as he moved toward the door. “We’ll find out.”

Spike’s imposing figure stepped into the Royal Training Grounds, his footsteps heavy on the polished stone as he scanned the scene. The grounds were vast, equipped with cutting-edge technology—automated dummies, magic-infused training equipment, and even a simulated environment chamber for intense gladiatorial preparation. The air was filled with the sounds of grunts, clanging metal, and the occasional bark of instructions.

The team was in full swing. Applejack was effortlessly lifting a massive weighted log, her muscles straining but controlled. Big Mac was sparring with an enchanted dummy, his strength shaking the ground with each blow. Rarity practiced precise strikes with an elegant rapier, her movements sharp and deliberate. Sunset Shimmer was manipulating fire magic, her aura pulsing with intensity. Flash Sentry was in the middle of a sword drill, sweat pouring down his face. Nearby, Derpy stood by Dr. Whooves, watching the team with a supportive smile while cradling her growing belly.

Spike’s deep voice cut through the commotion like a blade. “Everyone, against the wall. Now.”

The group froze mid-action, turning to see the towering dragon glaring at them. His tone left no room for argument. Without hesitation, they lined up against the wall, though their reactions varied.

“Uh, Grim?” Flash began nervously, his hand scratching the back of his head. “Something wrong?”

Spike ignored the question, stepping in front of Applejack first. He crossed his arms, his emerald eyes scanning her from head to toe. “Stay still,” he ordered, his claws reaching for her arm.

Applejack didn’t say a word, though a faint blush crept up her freckled cheeks as Spike’s massive hands pressed against her biceps. His claws moved to her legs, then her abdomen, testing the muscle tone with precision. She stood still, her eyes fixed on the ground, but the redness of her face betrayed her.

Spike gave a curt nod. “You’re fine. Next.”

Big Mac stiffened as Spike approached, his complexion turning a shade lighter. “Now, Grim,” he began, his deep voice trembling slightly, “y-you ain’t gonna—”

“Stop whining,” Spike cut him off, his claws already on Big Mac’s shoulders, pressing into the muscles. He worked quickly, moving to Mac’s arms and chest. “If I wanted to send you flying, you wouldn’t have seen it coming.”

Big Mac swallowed hard, the memory of their one-second fight in Marexas flashing vividly in his mind. “R-right, sir…”

Spike grunted, finishing the check. “Next.”

He stopped in front of Sunset Shimmer, who visibly tensed but tried to play it cool, tossing her fiery hair over her shoulder. “This won’t take long, will it?” she asked, her tone casual, though her eyes betrayed her fascination as they traced over Spike’s muscular arms.

“Depends,” Spike said flatly, already starting the examination. He pressed against her shoulders, his claws trailing down to her arms. Sunset bit her lip, her breathing shallow as he crouched to check her legs.

“So… thorough,” she murmured under her breath, her cheeks heating up. “Didn’t know you were so… hands-on.”

Spike stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at her. “What?”

“N-nothing!” Sunset stammered, waving her hands dismissively. “Carry on, Doctor Grim.”

He straightened and stepped away, muttering under his breath. “Next.”

Rarity’s voice rang out before Spike even reached her. “I must protest, Spike!” she exclaimed, holding up a perfectly manicured hand. “We are not in that kind of relationship, and I would appreciate a bit of decorum.”

Spike’s deadpan stare didn’t falter. “You want to skip the check?”

“Well, I didn’t say that,” Rarity replied, flustered but reluctantly stepping forward. She huffed as Spike’s claws began their assessment, testing the muscles in her arms and legs. “You could at least warn a lady before you—”

“Done,” Spike interrupted, moving on without fanfare. Rarity gawked, her protest dying on her lips.

Finally, he stopped in front of Flash Sentry, who gave him a nervous grin. “Uh, Grim… no offense, but I’m not really into guys, y’know?”

Spike’s glare was instant, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop. Flash’s smirk vanished as his legs started trembling uncontrollably. “S-sorry, just a joke!” Flash stammered. “Please don’t kill me.”

Spike sighed, pinching the bridge of his snout before completing the examination in record time. When he finished, he stepped back, folding his arms and addressing the group. “All of you, except Applejack, have the same problem—severe muscle fatigue.”

The group exchanged worried glances, but Spike didn’t give them time to respond. “Now, show me the training regimen you’ve been following.”

Dr. Whooves stepped forward, holding a clipboard. “Well, Grim, we’ve been using a regimen tailored for high-intensity preparation. I—”

“Hand it over,” Spike demanded, snatching the clipboard.

Spike’s expression darkened as he scanned the training regimen again, the sharp crack of his claws against the clipboard the only sound in the silent room. His piercing green eyes flicked back to the assembled team, his displeasure evident in the way his tail flicked behind him. Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably against the wall, her wings twitching.

“What idiot designed this?” Spike growled again, his voice a dangerous rumble.

Twilight froze, her face going pale. “I… I did,” she said quietly, her voice barely audible.

Spike’s gaze snapped to her, his eyes narrowing. “You?”

Twilight swallowed hard, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “Y-yes. I thought it was… appropriate. It’s based on the schedules of some of the greatest gladiator teams—”

“Stop.” Spike’s voice cut her off, cold and commanding. He thrust the clipboard into her hands. “You based this on what?”

Twilight hesitated, glancing down at the clipboard. “The routines of elite gladiator teams. I thought—”

“You thought,” Spike interrupted, his tone filled with irritation. He turned to the others, gesturing sharply. “Look at them, Twilight. Severe muscle fatigue across the board. They’re worn out because this ‘elite’ routine is tailored for teams with regenerative mages and specialized healers. This team has neither.”

Twilight flinched at the harshness of his words. “But… I checked the stats, the success rates—”

Spike cut her off with a deep sigh, running a clawed hand down his snout. “Stats don’t mean shit if your team is dead on their feet before they even enter the arena.”

Rainbow Dash took a step forward, her voice uncertain. “Hey, Grim… maybe cut her some slack? Twilight was just trying to help.”

Spike’s glare shifted to Rainbow, silencing her instantly. “You’re defending this?” he asked, his tone incredulous.

Rainbow’s wings drooped, and she shook her head. “No… I just—”

“Don’t,” Spike said sharply. “Rainboom. We know what this types of trainings can do, you know better,”

At the mention of her gladiator name, Rainbow stiffened. Memories of their time in Parka together flooded back—countless battles fought side by side, their victories hard-won through blood, sweat, and trust. Her cheeks reddened slightly, though she forced herself to meet his gaze.

“Yeah, I do,” she admitted, her voice quieter now. “But you could’ve been nicer about it.”

Spike sighed, his irritation giving way to a flicker of regret. “I don’t have time to be nice. Not when this is the result.” He gestured at the team, his expression hardening again. “This training regimen could’ve ended careers—hell, lives.”

Twilight stepped forward hesitantly, clutching the clipboard like a lifeline. “I didn’t realize… I’ll fix it. I promise.”

“You’re not fixing anything,” Spike said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He turned to the rest of the team. “I’ll be redesigning your training program myself.”

There was a beat of silence before Flash Sentry spoke up nervously. “Uh, Grim? No offense, but your version isn’t gonna be, like, worse, right? You’ve got a bit of a… reputation.”

Spike’s glare pinned him in place. “You think I’d break you before a match?”

“No! No, of course not!” Flash stammered, his legs trembling again. “I mean, you’re the greatest gladiator who ever lived. You’re… uh… fair?”

Spike rolled his eyes, “luckily, I’m also a doctor, so I know a thing or two when it comes to your bodies,”... “Twilight,” he said, his voice firm, “take me to the training ground’s control center. I need to see the resources and equipment available.”

Twilight nodded quickly, eager to make up for her mistake. “Right this way.”

As they left, Rainbow Dash folded her arms, her expression troubled. Sunset leaned over, her voice low. “You okay, Rainboom?”

Rainbow huffed, her wings twitching. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… he’s so damn cold now, y’know? Back when we were in Parka, he wasn’t like this.”

“Gladiators change,” Applejack said softly, her arms crossed. “Grim’s been through hell and back. That kinda thing… it leaves a mark.”

Rainbow’s gaze lingered on the door Spike had disappeared through, her chest tightening. “Yeah,” she murmured. “I just wish I could remind him of who he used to be.”

The Control Center

The control center of the training grounds was a room brimming with state-of-the-art technology—monitors displaying live feeds of the various arenas, detailed profiles of each gladiator, and holographic projections of battlefields and formations. The hum of machinery filled the air, and the soft glow of magical screens cast an otherworldly light across the room.

Spike stepped inside, his towering frame somehow fitting naturally into the space. Twilight followed, her shoulders tense and her hands clasped in front of her, still reeling from Spike’s earlier outburst.

Spike turned to her, his stoic expression softening slightly. “Twilight.”

She froze, her violet eyes darting up to meet his. “Y-yes?”

“I was too hard on you back there,” he said, his deep voice calm but sincere. “I didn’t mean to make you feel… like that.” He gestured vaguely, his claws scratching the back of his neck. “You’re not an idiot. You were trying to help.”

Twilight blinked, her cheeks flushing. “Oh, um… thank you, Spike. I mean, Grim,” she added quickly, correcting herself. “I understand. You care about the team, and I shouldn’t have been so careless.”

Spike sighed, rubbing his temples. “You weren’t careless. You’re just not trained for this kind of thing. Strategy, sure. Tactics, absolutely. But gladiator training? That’s my field.”

Twilight nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “I appreciate the apology, Spike. And… I’m sorry, too.”

He gave a small grunt of acknowledgment before turning his attention to the nearest console. His claws moved deftly across the holographic interface, bringing up detailed profiles of each team member. As he worked, Twilight stood beside him, her curiosity piqued.

“Alright,” Spike began, his voice taking on a more authoritative tone. “If we’re going to fix this mess, we start with understanding each role on the team. Every position has a purpose, and every gladiator has to play to their strengths. No exceptions.”

Twilight nodded, pulling out her tablet to take notes.

Spike turned to Twilight, his green eyes meeting hers. “You’re the Field General. That means you don’t fight on the front lines, but you control the flow of the battle. You see everything, you anticipate the enemy’s moves, and you give the orders.”

Twilight hesitated. “But what if I make the wrong call?”

“You will,” Spike said bluntly, earning a startled look from her. “But that’s how you learn. A good Field General doesn’t have to be perfect—they just have to adapt. Trust your instincts and trust your team to execute.”

Next, he pulled up Sunset’s profile, her fiery magic aura glowing in the hologram. “Sunset’s our Paladin. She’s offense and defense rolled into one. Your job is to support the team with buffs and shields while taking the fight to the enemy when needed. You’re versatile, so use it.”

Sunset’s hologram crackled with energy, and Twilight couldn’t help but notice the strategic potential. “So, she’s the backbone of the team?”

Spike nodded. “Exactly.”

“Pinkie’s tricky,” Spike said, bringing up her profile. The hologram depicted her bouncing unpredictably, her energy chaotic but focused. “She’s both a Winger and a Tank. That means she can move fast and hit hard, but she’s also durable enough to hold her ground when needed.”

Twilight raised a brow. “That seems… unconventional.”

“Welcome to Pinkie Pie,” Spike said with a faint smirk. “Unconventional works for her. We don’t change that—we use it.”

Spike’s claws tapped on the screen, summoning Rarity’s profile. Her hologram showed her conjuring elegant magical barriers while striking with precision spells. “Rarity’s a Mage Defender. She keeps the team safe with barriers and counters, but she also supports the offense when the opportunity arises.”

Twilight nodded thoughtfully. “She’s more defensive than offensive, then?”

“Exactly. She’s finesse, not brute force.”

Applejack’s hologram appeared next, her powerful physique on full display. “Applejack’s a triple threat—Warrior, Tank, and Winger. She’s strong enough to break through defenses, durable enough to take a hit, and fast enough to reposition when needed. She’s the most balanced member of the team.”

Twilight scribbled furiously on her tablet. “She sounds invaluable.”

“She is,” Spike said simply.

“Flash is the Knight,” Spike continued, his voice steady. “His role is to hold the line. He’s the first one in and the last one out. He’s not as durable as a Tank, but his speed and skill make up for it.”

Twilight tilted her head. “So he’s a mix of offense and defense?”

“More like a spearhead,” Spike clarified. “He leads the charge and sets the pace.”

Big Mac’s hologram loomed large, his sheer size and strength intimidating even in projection. “Big Mac’s a pure Tank. His job is to absorb damage and draw the enemy’s attention. He’s the anchor of the team.”

Twilight frowned. “But doesn’t that put a lot of pressure on him?”

“It does,” Spike admitted, “but he can handle it. He’s done it before.”

Rainbow’s profile appeared next, her hologram zipping across the screen in a blur of color. “Rainbow’s a Warrior and Winger. She’s all about speed and aggression. She flanks, she harasses, and she capitalizes on openings.”

Twilight smiled slightly. “That sounds like her.”

Spike’s expression darkened. “Yeah, it does. She’s good, but she’s reckless. She needs to rein it in.”

Finally, Fluttershy’s hologram appeared, her timid stance contrasting sharply with the others. “Fluttershy’s an anomaly,” Spike said, his tone contemplative. “She’s a Defender, but her body says she should be a Winger. She’s a pegasus, so she’s built for speed, but she has the muscle power of a Tank.”

Twilight blinked. “That’s… unusual.”

“It is,” Spike agreed. “She’s strong in ways she doesn’t realize. Her challenge is learning to use that strength without losing her agility.”

Spike leaned against the control console, his towering frame seeming even more imposing in the glow of the holographic displays. He was silent for a moment after explaining the team’s roles, his sharp emerald eyes focused on the screen. Twilight, sensing the shift in his mood, hesitated before breaking the silence.

“Spike,” she ventured carefully, “why is the Rogue position so… controversial?”

Spike’s expression turned grim as he pulled up the Rogue position on the screen. The hologram depicted a lone figure darting between positions, executing precise movements while under relentless assault. The figure defended, attacked, led, and supported all at once, embodying every role on the battlefield. The strain was evident in the sluggish movements toward the end, the figure collapsing to its knees as the match ended.

Spike’s expression turned grim as he pulled up the Rogue position on the screen. The hologram depicted a lone figure darting between positions, executing precise movements while under relentless assault. The figure defended, attacked, led, and supported all at once, embodying every role on the battlefield. The strain was evident in the sluggish movements toward the end, the figure collapsing to its knees as the match ended.

Twilight frowned, leaning closer to the screen. “That… looks brutal. Like trying to be everywhere at once.”

Spike’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he studied the hologram. “That’s exactly what it is. A Rogue has to play every position on the field simultaneously—for the entire duration of the match. Offense, defense, support, strategy… all of it.”

Twilight tilted her head, her mind racing to grasp the logistics. “But that’s impossible. No one could keep that up for long. The physical and mental strain alone—”

“They can’t,” Spike interrupted, his voice low and steady. “That’s why the Rogue position is nearly obsolete. No one wants to do it. No one should.”

Twilight glanced at him, her curiosity piqued. “But you did.”

Spike’s shoulders stiffened, his gaze fixed on the screen. For a moment, he didn’t answer, the silence stretching uncomfortably. Finally, he sighed, leaning against the console.

“I was the last Rogue in the S-Division,” he admitted, his tone devoid of emotion. “The position was already dying by the time I joined. Most teams wouldn’t even consider it. Too dangerous. Too much risk.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “But you took it.”

Spike nodded, his emerald eyes meeting hers. “Someone had to. Back then, Parka was falling apart. Injuries, retirements, morale—it was a mess. We needed someone to fill the gaps, someone who could cover every role without question. I didn’t think twice.”

Twilight’s breath caught. “And… you were good at it?”

“I was the best,” Spike said bluntly, though there was no pride in his voice. “But it came at a cost. The strain, the injuries… it doesn’t just wear you down. It breaks you.”

He gestured to his body, the scars crisscrossing his arms and neck. “Every one of these came from playing Rogue. Torn ligaments, broken bones, concussions, exhaustion… you name it.”

Twilight shuddered, her hands tightening around her tablet. “Why keep doing it if it was that bad?”

Spike’s gaze softened, though his voice remained steady. “Because it wasn’t just about me. It was about the team. Parka needed me, and I couldn’t let them down. Especially not Rainboom.”

Twilight blinked, her head tilting slightly. “Rainbow Dash?”

Spike sighed, running a clawed hand through his spines. “She was the heart of the team back then. Her speed, her drive… she was unstoppable. But she wasn’t enough on her own. None of us were.”

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, though it was tinged with bitterness. “So I stepped up. Took the hits, made the plays, and kept us in the game.”

Twilight stared at him, a mix of admiration and sadness filling her chest. “You sacrificed yourself for them.”

Spike’s expression hardened. “I survived. Barely. But it wasn’t sustainable. By the end, I was limping into matches, holding my ribs together with tape and willpower.”

He turned back to the screen, the hologram looping to show the Rogue collapsing again. “That’s why the position is obsolete now. No one wants to go through that. No one should have to.”

Twilight hesitated, her voice soft. “Do you regret it?”

Spike didn’t answer immediately, his eyes locked on the hologram. Finally, he shook his head. “No. I did what I had to do. Parka survived, and so did I. That’s enough.”

Twilight’s gaze lingered on him, her respect for the dragon deepening. “You’re incredible, Spike. You’ve been through so much, and yet you’re still here, still fighting for your team.”

Spike smirked faintly, though his eyes remained somber. “Yeah, well… someone’s gotta make sure you don’t kill yourselves out there.”

He turned back to the console, pulling up the updated training regimen. “And that starts with this. No one on this team is playing Rogue. Except for me,”

ONE WEEK LATER

The team’s transformation over the past week had been nothing short of extraordinary. Spike’s training regime, tailored to their individual strengths and weaknesses, had pushed them to new heights. The gladiators moved with newfound precision and synergy, their confidence growing with each grueling session. Yet the cost of this improvement was evident in their sweat-drenched faces and aching muscles as they trudged off the training grounds for a much-needed break.

The team’s chatter dwindled as they wandered toward a less-used section of the training grounds. Sunset Shimmer led the way, her curiosity piqued by whispered rumors of the place Spike trained during his days as a Rogue. When they arrived, they found a setup unlike anything they had ever seen—twisted climbing walls, shifting platforms, moving dummies that attacked without warning, and heavy weighted chains strewn across the arena.

“What is this?” Rainbow Dash asked, her voice tinged with both awe and apprehension.

“It’s… terrifying,” Rarity murmured, her wide eyes scanning the treacherous terrain.

“Looks like a death trap,” Big Mac added, his usual stoic demeanor cracking slightly.

Before anyone could respond, a guttural roar echoed across the arena, freezing them in place. They turned toward the source of the sound, their blood running cold.

Spike was in the center of the chaos, his massive frame moving with brutal efficiency. Weighted chains wrapped around his forearms as he yanked them with a ferocity that made the ground shake. Platforms beneath him shifted unpredictably, but he leaped from one to another without hesitation. Dummies lunged at him, their magically-enhanced strikes lethal, yet Spike evaded with an agility that seemed impossible for someone his size. His muscles strained visibly, veins bulging against his dark scales, and every movement seemed to teeter on the edge of collapse.

“He’s insane,” Flash Sentry whispered, his face pale.

Fluttershy trembled, hiding partially behind Applejack. “H-he’s going to h-hurt himself…”

Sunset shook her head, her eyes glued to Spike. “No… he’s already hurting himself.”

Twilight’s breath hitched as she watched him push through the impossible. The way his muscles trembled with each movement, the way his breathing grew ragged but steady, it was clear he was reaching a breaking point. A sick realization washed over her as the implications of her own training regime finally sank in. The strain she had inadvertently placed on her team—on her friends—was nothing compared to what Spike had endured for years.

When Spike finally finished, he collapsed to one knee, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Despite the exhaustion that radiated from him, his expression remained stoic, his green eyes sharp as they darted toward the group.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said flatly, his voice carrying the same command it always did.

The group shuffled awkwardly, but Twilight stepped forward, her voice shaking. “Spike… why are you doing this to yourself? You’ve already proven everything there is to prove. Why—”

“Because I have to,” Spike interrupted, rising to his full height. His towering frame cast a long shadow over them, his presence as imposing as ever. “This is who I am. What I am. A Rogue doesn’t stop training, doesn’t stop moving. You want to know why the position is obsolete? You’re looking at it.”

Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her wings twitching. “But you’re not in Parka anymore. You don’t have to—”

“Stop,” Spike growled, silencing her. “This isn’t about Parka. It’s about this team. You think I’m just standing on the sidelines, giving orders? No. I’m preparing, just like you.”

“But at what cost?” Twilight asked, her voice breaking slightly. “You’re… tearing yourself apart.”

Spike’s gaze softened just a fraction. “Better me than you.”

The group fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. Before anyone could respond, the sound of regal footsteps echoed behind them. They turned to see Queen Celestia approaching, her golden regalia gleaming in the sunlight. Despite her elegance, her gaze was warm, though it lingered on Spike with a hint of concern.

“My son,” Celestia greeted, her voice soft but commanding. “You’ve been working hard, as always.”

Spike inclined his head in acknowledgment but said nothing. The rest of the team quickly bowed, murmuring greetings.

Celestia’s eyes swept over the group, a small smile gracing her lips. “You’ve all made remarkable progress under Spike’s guidance. I’m proud of each of you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Rarity said, her voice polite but tinged with pride.

Celestia’s smile widened before she addressed the group as a whole. “I have an announcement. In a week’s time, we’ll be hosting a small gladiator tournament here in the city. It will be open to all who wish to test their skills, and there will be opportunities for your team to challenge or be challenged by other gladiators.”

The team exchanged excited glances, though some looked uneasy. Rainbow Dash grinned, nudging Applejack. “You ready to show everyone what we’ve got?”

“Don’t get too cocky, Dash,” Applejack said with a smirk. “We ain’t unbeatable.”

“Well, not yet,” Flash added, his grin playful.

Celestia continued, her tone serious. “This will be an excellent opportunity to test your abilities and refine your teamwork before the larger matches to come. However,” her gaze settled on Spike, “this applies to you as well, Spike. Though I suspect you already knew that.”

Spike nodded, his face unreadable. “Understood.”

The queen’s expression softened. “I trust you’ll do what’s best for the team. As always.”

She turned to leave, her flowing robes trailing behind her, but not before glancing back at Spike one last time. “Take care of yourself, my son.”

As she disappeared from view, the team erupted into conversation, the news sparking a mix of excitement and nerves. Twilight, however, stayed silent, her gaze fixed on Spike. Despite his stoic demeanor, she couldn’t shake the image of him in the Rogue arena, pushing his body to its limits. She made a silent vow then and there: no matter what, she wouldn’t let him destroy himself for their sake.

The Day of the Tournament

The city of Canterlot was alive with excitement as the grand coliseum roared to life. Thousands of spectators filled the stands, eager to watch the best gladiator teams from across the land clash in battle. The energy was electric, with vendors hawking food and merchandise, including miniature replicas of famous gladiators’ weapons and banners bearing their symbols. Yet, amid the festivities, the tension in the royal box was palpable.

Spike sat in the shadows of the royal box, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. Dressed in his usual dark, utilitarian clothing, he looked every bit the stoic local "Ripperdoc" that the public knew him as. His hood was drawn low, hiding his unmistakable horns. To the spectators, he was just another bystander—certainly not the legendary gladiator, Grim.

Twilight sat nearby, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair as she scanned the arena below. Beside her, Rainbow Dash was restless, her wings twitching as she shifted in her seat. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy sat in silence, their expressions a mix of focus and unease. Meanwhile, Flash Sentry leaned over the railing, his eyes darting between the different teams fighting below.

“Look at the form on those guys,” Flash said, pointing to one of the teams dominating the arena. “Especially those girls. Total hotties, am I right?”

Everyone turned to stare at him, their expressions ranging from disbelief to outright annoyance. Twilight smacked him lightly on the back of the head. “Really, Flash? Now? Of all times?”

“What?” Flash said defensively, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m just saying, they’re good fighters and good-looking. You can’t tell me I’m wrong.”

Celestia chuckled softly from her seat, her regal presence effortlessly commanding the room. “Careful, Flash. Comments like that might earn you a few extra bruises in training.”

Discord, lounging nearby in an extravagant chair that seemed to defy gravity, snickered. “Oh, let the boy admire. After all, it’s not every day you see such elegant destruction.” He gestured to the arena with his lion’s paw. “Team Reaper certainly knows how to put on a show.”

Spike’s green eyes flicked toward the arena, narrowing slightly. “They’re not bad,” he muttered, his voice low enough that only Twilight heard. She glanced at him, her brow furrowing.

The arena gates creaked open, and Team Reaper stepped into the spotlight. They were a striking group, dressed in black-and-red armor with gothic embellishments. Their leader, Astral Dark, carried himself with a quiet confidence, his silver hair gleaming under the sun. His younger sister, Saffron, stood beside him, her movements graceful yet predatory. The twin cousins, Ruby and Nightlight Aura, were nearly identical in appearance, with their long, raven-black hair and crimson eyes, though Ruby’s playful smirk contrasted sharply with Nightlight’s cold, calculating gaze. Grave Digger, the group’s strategist, adjusted his gauntlets, while his older brother, Bulk Force, cracked his knuckles, his massive frame dwarfing even Spike in size.

The crowd erupted into cheers, many waving banners adorned with skull motifs and the words “Team Reaper”. The female members of the team drew particular attention, their beauty matched only by their lethal skill.

“They look like they stepped out of a gothic painting,” Rarity muttered, her eyes narrowing.

“More like Grim’s stalkers,” Rainbow Dash added, her tone sharp. “I mean, seriously, they’ve been obsessed with him for years.”

“Can you blame them?” Discord interjected, swirling a glass of something suspiciously glowing. “They’re fans of the eternal. The legend himself.”

“They’re also unbeatable,” Fluttershy whispered, her voice trembling. “We’ve never been able to…”

“Don’t remind me,” Applejack said, her jaw tightening. “They’ve had our number every time.”

Team Reaper faced off against a seasoned team known as the Thunderclaws, a group of well-established gladiators known for their aggressive tactics and relentless teamwork. But the moment the match began, it was clear who was in control.

Astral Dark moved like a shadow, his twin blades cutting through the air with surgical precision. His every movement was deliberate, his attacks calculated to dismantle the Thunderclaws’ formation. Saffron flowed beside him, her whip-like weapon wrapping around shields and yanking them away before her dagger found its mark.

Ruby and Nightlight Aura worked in perfect synchronization, their twin scimitars carving through the opposition with devastating speed. Ruby’s mischievous grin never faltered as she toyed with her opponents, while Nightlight’s icy focus kept her strikes lethal and efficient.

Grave Digger directed the chaos from the rear, shouting commands as he launched projectiles with deadly accuracy. Bulk Force, meanwhile, was a one-man wrecking crew, plowing through the enemy ranks with raw power. His massive warhammer shattered shields and sent opponents flying, drawing gasps from the crowd.

“Impressive,” Celestia remarked, her tone neutral but her eyes sharp. “They’re disciplined, coordinated, and ruthless.”

“Reminds me of someone,” Discord said with a sly grin, his gaze flicking to Spike. “Don’t you agree, Grim?”

Spike didn’t respond, his attention fixed on the fight. His stoic expression gave nothing away, but Twilight could sense the tension in his posture.

The Thunderclaws lay scattered on the arena floor, groaning in defeat as the announcer declared Team Reaper the victors. The crowd erupted into thunderous applause, chants of “Reaper! Reaper!” echoing through the coliseum.

Astral Dark raised his blades in acknowledgment before turning to his team. His gaze lingered on the royal box for a moment, a sly smile playing on his lips.

“They’re looking at us,” Fluttershy whispered, shrinking into her seat.

Twilight nodded grimly. “If they win the next match, they’ll challenge us. We have to be ready.”

Rainbow Dash crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “Bring it on. I’m not letting them walk all over us this time.”

Spike finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. “Don’t get cocky, Rainboom. They’re not just good. They’re smart. If you’re not careful, they’ll break you before you even realize it.”

The team fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. As the next match was announced, the anticipation in the royal box grew. For Team Reaper, this tournament wasn’t just a competition—it was an audition for the ultimate challenge. And the Canterlot Gladiator Squad knew all too well what was at stake.

The tension in the coliseum was palpable as the gates on opposite ends of the arena creaked open. On one side, Team Reaper emerged, their gothic armor gleaming in the afternoon sun, their presence commanding as the crowd erupted into cheers. Astral Dark led his team with his usual calm confidence, his silver hair catching the light. His team followed closely: Saffron with her whip coiled around her waist, Ruby and Nightlight Aura flanking him like shadows, Grave Digger scanning the field with a sharp gaze, and Bulk Force cracking his knuckles with a grin.

Across the field, Team Demonscyth entered to thunderous applause. Clad in sleek, dark-red and silver armor, they moved with precision, their demeanor exuding an air of professionalism and discipline. They were led by their captain, Onyx Scythe, a towering figure wielding a massive glaive. Behind him, the team’s lineup fanned out:

Ashen Blaze, a nimble swordsman with two curved blades and fiery magic.

Marrow, a burly tank with a massive shield and a reputation for indomitable defense.

Sable Thorn, a graceful spear-wielder with unmatched agility.

Obsidian Veil, the team’s mage, whose black-and-purple robes billowed around her.

Crimson Tide, the team’s rogue, her movements nearly imperceptible as she shifted into position.

The announcer’s voice boomed across the arena. “Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for the clash of titans! On one side, we have the undefeated Team Reaper! On the other, the pride of the Canterlot Coin Guard, the legendary Team Demonscyth! Fighters, take your positions!”

The teams faced off, their eyes locked. Astral Dark smirked, resting his twin blades on his shoulders. “You’re supposed to be the best in Canterlot, huh? Let’s see if that’s true.”

Onyx Scythe gave a faint smile, his deep voice steady. “We don’t need words to prove our worth.”

The signal sounded, and the battle erupted into chaos.

Bulk Force charged straight at Marrow, the arena trembling under their combined weight as their weapons clashed with a deafening clang. Marrow’s shield absorbed Bulk’s initial strike, but the Reaper tank was relentless, forcing Marrow to backpedal with sheer power.

Meanwhile, Ashen Blaze darted toward Ruby and Nightlight Aura, his fiery blades spinning in a dazzling display. The twins countered with synchronized precision, their scimitars creating a defensive whirlwind as they maneuvered around his strikes.

“You’re fast,” Ruby quipped, her playful grin never faltering. “But not fast enough.”

Nightlight’s cold voice followed. “And too predictable.”

Their blades caught Ashen’s just as Saffron’s whip lashed out, entangling one of his arms and pulling him off balance.

Across the field, Obsidian Veil conjured a storm of dark energy, her spells targeting Grave Digger, who deflected them with calculated movements. “Not bad for a mage,” Grave said, his voice steady. “But you’ll have to do better.”

Obsidian’s eyes narrowed. “Gladly.”

Astral Dark clashed with Onyx Scythe at the center of the field, their weapons creating sparks with every collision. Onyx’s glaive gave him reach, but Astral’s speed and dual blades kept him close enough to negate the advantage.

“You’re good,” Onyx admitted, his voice calm despite the intensity of the fight. “But experience always wins.”

Astral chuckled. “Funny. That’s what I was about to say.”

Crimson Tide moved like a ghost, targeting Saffron from behind. Her daggers gleamed as she aimed for a decisive strike, but Saffron’s whip snapped upward, blocking her advance. “Nice try,” Saffron said, twisting the whip to force Crimson to disengage.

Meanwhile, Bulk Force roared, delivering a ground-shaking slam that sent Marrow stumbling. Grave Digger capitalized, landing a precision shot that disarmed the Demonscyth tank.

Obsidian Veil unleashed a massive spell, her magic surging toward Ruby and Nightlight Aura. The twins evaded, but the spell forced them to split, breaking their usual formation.

Onyx Scythe’s strikes grew more aggressive, his glaive sweeping in wide arcs that forced Astral to give ground. But just as Onyx seemed to gain the upper hand, Astral smirked. “Checkmate.”

Saffron’s whip lashed around Onyx’s ankle, pulling him off balance. Astral’s blades struck simultaneously, forcing the Demonscyth captain to yield.

The announcer’s voice rang out. “Team Reaper wins!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, the chants of “Reaper! Reaper!” echoing through the coliseum. Astral Dark raised his blades in victory, his team gathering behind him. Their smug expressions said it all: they had faced one of the best teams in Canterlot—and won.

As Team Reaper turned to leave the field, Astral glanced toward the royal box, his silver eyes gleaming. “Well, well,” he said loudly enough for the entire coliseum to hear. “Looks like the Canterlot Royal Team is next.”

Saffron grinned, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “You’re not nervous, are you, princesses? Don’t worry, we’ll go easy on you this time.”

Ruby and Nightlight Aura both smirked, Ruby adding, “Yeah, you’ll only need a miracle to defeat us… but then again… no,”

Their words sent a ripple of anger through the Canterlot Royal Team. Rainbow Dash shot to her feet, her wings flaring. “You wish! We’ll wipe the floor with you!”

“Settle down, Dash,” Applejack warned, though her own hands were clenched into fists.

Twilight’s jaw tightened, her glare fixed on the Reaper team. “They’re just trying to get under our skin.”

“It’s working,” Flash muttered, though his gaze lingered on Ruby and Nightlight. “Seriously, those girls are—ow!” He flinched as Twilight elbowed him.

As the team fumed, Spike stood abruptly, his towering frame drawing everyone’s attention. He moved with purpose toward the exit of the royal box, his expression unreadable.

“Spike?” Twilight asked, her voice tinged with confusion. “Where are you going?”

Luna arched a brow. “What do you intend to do, Spike?”

He paused, pulling out a sleek, skull-shaped mask from his bag and slipping it over his face. The crowd below hadn’t noticed yet, but those in the royal box froze as he removed his ripperdoc hoodie, revealing a black hoodie emblazoned with the iconic bone-like design that the world knew all too well.

Spike turned, his deep green eyes gleaming through the mask’s sockets. “Answering their challenge.”

With that, he pulled the hood up, his imposing figure disappearing down the stairs as the roar of the crowd grew louder. The air in the royal box felt charged, the girls’ hearts pounding in unison.

Twilight clutched the armrest of her chair, her voice a whisper. “Grim...”

The coliseum buzzed with unease as Team Reaper, standing in the center of the arena, continued their taunts toward the royal box. The crowd watched with bated breath, their whispers growing louder with each insult hurled by Reaper’s leader, Astral Dark.

“Aw, what’s the matter, Canterlot Royal Team?” Astral sneered, his silver eyes glinting mischievously. “Afraid to come down and face us?”

Saffron smirked, placing her hands on her hips. “Did the princesses suddenly get shy? Or maybe they’re too scared to step into the arena.”

Ruby Aura chimed in, her playful tone masking the bite of her words. “Not even a little retaliation? Pathetic.”

“Let’s not be too hard on them,” Nightlight added coolly, brushing a strand of raven hair behind her ear. “They’ve been losing to us all year. I’d be hesitant to fight, too.”

Bulk Force laughed boisterously, his deep voice rumbling through the arena. “They know better than to mess with us!”

In the royal box, the tension was thick enough to cut with a blade. Celestia’s serene composure had cracked, her jaw tightening as her golden aura flared faintly around her. Even Luna, who was typically calm under pressure, looked moments away from descending into the arena herself.

Rainbow Dash stood, her wings flared. “That’s it! Let me at them! I’ll shut them up!”

“Sit down, Dash,” Applejack said firmly, though her clenched fists betrayed her anger. “We don’t need to stoop to their level.”

“They’re insufferable,” Rarity muttered, her eyes narrowed. “Such disrespect.”

Twilight’s gaze flicked to Celestia, who had not moved but was clearly fuming. “Your Majesty—”

Before she could finish, the booming voice of the announcer interrupted the escalating tension.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” he called, his voice echoing across the coliseum. “A challenger approaches!”

The arena fell silent as all eyes turned toward the entrance of the tunnel. The lights dimmed slightly, and a low rumble spread through the stands. Suddenly, green flames erupted from the ground at the mouth of the tunnel, licking the air like spectral serpents. A shadowed figure emerged, walking slowly but with purpose, the green light casting an eerie glow over their path.

Astral Dark’s confident smirk faltered as he stared at the figure, his brows furrowing. “Who the hell is that?”

Saffron squinted, her usual smug demeanor replaced by curiosity. “I don’t recognize them.”

Ruby and Nightlight exchanged glances, their identical crimson eyes widening. “No way…”

Grave Digger’s sharp voice cut through their confusion. “Whoever it is, they’ve got flair. But it’s not going to be enough.”

As the figure stepped fully into the light, the crowd gasped collectively. Dressed in a black hoodie emblazoned with bone-like designs, the challenger’s imposing frame was unmistakable. The skull-shaped mask covering his face made even the boldest spectators shrink back in awe.

“Is that…?” Ruby began, her voice trailing off.

“Grim,” Nightlight finished, her usually icy tone filled with awe.

The coliseum erupted in whispers, the energy shifting as the weight of Grim’s name rippled through the crowd.

Spike stopped a few feet from Team Reaper, his green eyes gleaming behind the sockets of his mask. The sound of his knuckles cracking echoed ominously in the hushed arena.

For a brief moment, Team Reaper stood frozen, wonderstruck by the sight of their idol. Then Astral Dark sneered, snapping out of his stupor. “You’re not him. The real Grim’s gone. You’re just some wannabe wearing his mask.”

“Yeah!” Bulk Force added, his massive frame puffing up. “No way you’re the Eternal.”

The twins stepped forward, Ruby’s tone tinged with suspicion. “If you’re the real Grim, prove it.”

Spike tilted his head slightly, his voice cold and menacing as he finally spoke. “Then let me show you how wrong you are.”

Before they could react, Spike lunged.

Spike’s movements were a blur, each strike executed with surgical precision. He didn’t need weapons—his fists and feet were more than enough.

Spike targeted the leader first. With a feint to the left, he dodged Astral’s dual blades and drove his knee into Astral’s abdomen, sending him skidding across the arena floor, gasping for air.

Before Saffron could retaliate with her whip, Spike closed the distance, grabbing her wrist and twisting it just enough to disarm her. A swift leg sweep took her off her feet, and a calculated palm strike to her chest sent her flying.

The twins coordinated their attack, aiming to overwhelm him with synchronized strikes. Spike anticipated their moves, blocking one with his forearm while delivering a spinning back kick to the other. A quick jab to Ruby’s shoulder and a leg hook sent both sprawling.

Grave Digger came next, he quickly attacked Spike but he ducked under a thrown projectile, closing the gap in an instant. A sharp elbow to the ribs left Grave Digger crumpled on the ground.

Bulk ForceThe massive tank charged with his warhammer raised high, roaring like a freight train. Spike sidestepped effortlessly, delivering a devastating uppercut to Bulk’s jaw. The force sent the giant stumbling backward before collapsing in a heap.

The entire fight lasted less than twenty seconds.

The crowd erupted in stunned silence, the sheer efficiency of Grim’s assault leaving them breathless. Team Reaper lay scattered across the arena, groaning as they tried to collect themselves.

Astral Dark sat up, clutching his ribs, his voice filled with awe. “It… it really is him.”

The twins scrambled to their feet, their eyes shining with starstruck admiration. “Grim! Eternal! You’re amazing!” Ruby squealed, only to shove Nightlight. “I saw him first!”

Nightlight glared, shoving her back. “In your dreams. I’m the one he’ll choose.”

“Ladies, stop it!” Saffron hissed, her cheeks flushed. “Obviously, Grim would prefer someone sophisticated.”

Bulk Force groaned, rubbing his jaw. “I’m just saying, he could marry all of you. Dude’s a legend.”

Grave Digger shook his head. “Focus! We’re humiliating ourselves…”

Their fan frenzy escalated as they argued over Grim, the female members nearly coming to blows before the royal guards stepped in, dragging them to the sidelines to calm down.

In the royal box, the Canterlot Royal Team sat in stunned silence. Even Celestia’s composure wavered as she stared at Spike, now standing in the center of the arena. Twilight clutched the railing, her heart pounding.

“That was…” Rainbow Dash began, her voice trailing off.

“Unreal,” Flash finished, his jaw hanging open.

Spike turned toward the royal box, his mask hiding any emotion, but his presence spoke volumes. With one last glance, he turned and began walking toward the tunnel, his movements calm and deliberate.

Luna leaned forward, her voice breaking the silence. “Where are you going?”

Without stopping, Spike replied in his cold, even tone, “To remind them why they call me the Eternal.”

The girls’ hearts collectively skipped a beat as Spike disappeared into the shadows of the tunnel, the green flames flaring one last time behind him.

AT THE CHANGING ROOMS

The atmosphere in the changing rooms was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint dripping of water from nearby showers. Spike stood near a bench, his skull mask placed carefully beside him as he toweled off the sweat from his neck. The rest of the Canterlot team filtered in one by one, their expressions ranging from stunned to outright starstruck.

Twilight’s voice was the first to break the silence. “Spike… that was… incredible.”

Rarity placed a hand on her chest, her voice breathless. “Incredible is an understatement. That was… a masterclass in combat.”

“Masterclass?” Flash Sentry echoed, grinning. “That was more like watching a god descend from the heavens to lay down judgment.”

“I’m with Flash on this one,” Sunset Shimmer said, her arms crossed, though her eyes betrayed her amazement. “I’ve never seen anyone fight like that.”

Applejack tipped her hat back, shaking her head in disbelief. “Reckon I’ll be seein’ that in my dreams tonight. Never thought I’d witness Grim in action.”

Rainbow Dash was practically vibrating with energy, her grin threatening to split her face. “That. Was. AWESOME! Oh my gosh, Spike—you were amazing! No—legendary! Just like the old Grim! No, even better!” She grabbed his arm, shaking it enthusiastically. “I knew you still had it in you! Oh my gosh, I’m gonna—”

“Calm down, Dash,” Spike said, his voice calm but firm. He pulled his arm free, though the corner of his mouth quirked in the faintest smirk.

Celestia stepped into the room, her regal presence commanding immediate attention. Luna followed closely, her midnight-blue dress flowing around her. Discord trailed behind, his mismatched grin wide but genuine.

“My son,” Celestia began, her voice soft but filled with emotion. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Spike glanced at her briefly, then turned back to adjusting his hoodie. “It’s just a fight, Mother.”

“Just a fight?” Discord interjected, floating closer with an exaggerated look of disbelief. “That was poetry in motion, my boy! Pure art!” He clasped his lion paw and eagle talon dramatically. “If I still had a heart to melt, it’d be a puddle right now.”

Celestia chuckled, shaking her head. “Discord, you’re impossible.”

“True,” Discord said with a smirk, “but so is he.” He pointed at Spike. “And we raised him.”

Celestia’s gaze softened, pride shining in her eyes. “That we did. And seeing him fight like that… I’ll admit, I was worried when I saw you step into the arena, Spike. But you reminded me why they call you the Eternal.”

“You did us proud, son,” Discord added, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

Spike finally turned to face them, his green eyes meeting Celestia’s. “Thanks,” he said simply.

Luna clapped her hands together, breaking the moment. “Well, now that we’ve seen our secret weapon in action, perhaps it’s time to strategize for the upcoming World Cup.”

Celestia nodded, her composure returning. “Indeed. With Team Reaper challenging us so openly, it’s clear that other teams will be studying our every move. We need to adapt.”

Discord spun lazily in the air. “And by adapt, dear sister-in-law, you mean bring a bit of chaos to the table, yes?”

Twilight adjusted her glasses, nodding. “We’ve already been working on our formations, but after seeing Reaper fight today, we might need to adjust our defensive strategies.”

“Reaper fights aggressively, but they rely on precision teamwork,” Sunset added. “If we can disrupt their synergy, we’ll have a better chance.”

“Still,” Spike interjected, his tone calm but firm, “we’re one fighter short.”

The room fell silent. Even Celestia furrowed her brow, clearly pondering the dilemma.

“Who do we call in at this stage?” Applejack asked, her voice practical. “Most of the good fighters are already on teams.”

Spike folded his arms. “We have someone. Eris.”

Celestia’s eyes widened slightly. “Eris? Your sister? Spike, she’s only eighteen.”

“She’s also in the fourth division,” Spike pointed out. “She’s earned her place. I’m not suggesting we throw her into every match, but as a backup fighter, she’s more than capable. She can step in if someone gets injured.”

Discord rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Eris, hmm? She is a chip off the old chaos block. Might be just what we need.”

Celestia hesitated, her maternal instincts warring with her logic. “She’s still young…”

“She’s ready,” Spike said firmly. “I’ve trained with her. She’s strong, smart, and adaptable. And we need her.”

After a moment, Celestia sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Very well. But only as a backup. And if she’s injured, she’s out.”

Spike gave a small nod. “Fair.”

Luna smiled, her gaze sweeping over the team. “Well, then. With Eris on board, I believe the only thing left to say is that you’ve truly become a… rag-tag dream team.”

Discord burst out laughing, his mismatched hands clapping together. “Oh, I love it! The Rag-Tag Dream Team! It’s perfect!”

The entire room erupted into laughter, the tension from earlier finally breaking. Even Spike allowed himself a faint smirk as the team rallied around the idea. Together, they prepared to face the challenges ahead, their resolve stronger than ever.

Gladiators ch. 1 Building a Dream team

“It’s the final minute of the Gladiator fight for the title of “King of the Arena” and so far the fight between Sharpshooter and Maze “The Lunatic” Runner has been very close, neither of them has left an opening, their defenses have been on point and their attacks too,” exclaimed an excited commentator

“I agree with you Maximus. I’m enjoying this battle, not only because it’s for the title of Champion. But also because both Sharpshooter and Maze Runner are seasoned pros, fighting to see who wins the cup for a record 10th time since this competition was inaugurated 20 years ago,” said another commentator

“Well, Steel, let’s take one final look at these fighters before the fight ends, shall we?” said Maximus.

“Please do,” said Steel.

“Well, Sharpshooter, age 47, born in West Heighburg, father of three, with a height of 6’3”, and weighing in at 90 Kg of muscle. He used to be a sniper during the great war for the Kingdom of Canterlot and honorably discharged 1 month after the peace treaty was signed. his official death count is of 300 confirmed deaths, but there is a rumor that he killed even more; Also I should mention that he was the first-ever winner of this championship and till this day he has a win-loss record of 250-160,” said Maximus

“Those numbers surely are impressive, unfortunately for him, I believe age is taking a toll on him, of the last 20 fights he has been involved he has lost 17 of them, 10 of them by knock-out. I spoke to him before the match and he told me that this is his final season as a pro. However, he will continue to train the future generations of Gladiators somewhere in town,” replied Steel

“Well that is something I’m looking forward to, now, let’s talk about his competition, Maze “the Lunatic” Runner, I should warn you, “The Lunatic” isn’t his original nickname, oh no, during the war he was known as the “Skullcrusher”, and I mean, we can all see why. This man is the definition of strength! 6’5”, 210 Kg of pure muscle, not even a drop of fat in this guy's metabolism, 43 years old and used to be an Army captain during the war. He participated in over 1000 battles from which he only retreated once. His kill count is unknown, as, for his love life, he has admitted to being married and to have 2 sons. But so little is known about them, the only evidence is a picture that was taken 2 years ago during a party, he says he does this for them to live a normal life in anonymity and not feel afraid of going into the streets, what a noble act, wouldn’t you agree?” asked Maximus

“Of course, my family and I never thought that I would become famous. Trust me, every time we go to the supermarket we are bombarded with fans asking questions, I got to say though, that I kind of enjoy it,” said Steel

“I’m gonna cut you off there Steel as something is happening down in the arena,” said Maximus

Maze Runner and Sharpshooter had been at each other’s necks this whole time, fighting for dominance in the battle, but their ages were getting in the way and they were both out of breath.

“Time to end this, don’t you think old friend?!” said Maze Runner

“I wouldn’t like anything but that,” answered Sharpshooter

And with that Maze Runner started to charge towards Sharpshooter at full speed. Sharpshooter answered by firing his guns towards Maze Runner who using his speed and agility easily evaded the bullets as they hit the ground

“You’ll need something new to stop me,” said Maze Runner as he neared Sharpshooter

Sharpshooter looked around but he had unconsciously placed himself between the “Wall” and the “Lunatic”

“Nowhere to go old friend, but don’t worry, I will make sure people remember you as the greatest that ever lived,” said Maze Runner as he got ready to strike

“On the contrary my dear friend, I will tell everyone about my legacy,” said Sharpshooter as he charged at Maze Runner and jumped over him at the last second.

“What?” was all Maze Runner could say before Sharpshooter aimed his gun and struck Maze Runner in the head, neck, and back, falling to the floor.

“AND THE WINNER, FOR THE TENTH TIME IN HISTORY, IS THE LIVING LEGEND, SHARPSHOOTERRRRRRR!” screamed the narrators as the crowd went wild

“Ouch, how the hell did you do that?” asked Maze Runner as Sharpshooter helped him to his feet

“My dear friend, you’ve been in this arena for almost 18 years, but you still have the impulsivity of a rookie,” said Sharpshooter as he and Maze Runner hugged

Then two very curvy women walked into the arena and gave Sharpshooter a big golden trophy and a belt that said “Canterlot’s arena champion”

“Well, that’s all folks, we have a new champion today and this brings the season to a close, and boy, was it a thriller to the end, we had rookies defeating pros, pros showing their guns, and even some old dogs learned some new tricks, I am Maximus Ace,” said Maximus

“And I’m Steel Mustang, and we will see you next year, for the start of the new season, good night everyone, and remember, fight responsibly,” said Steel Mustang

DOWN IN THE SEATS AROUND THE ARENA

“THAT WAS AWESOME, I TOLD YOU ALL THAT SHARPSHOOTER WAS GOING TO WIN!” screamed a very excited teen Shining Armor

“Ok, Shining, calm down, we don’t want you to fall and break your neck,” said Twilight Velvet

“Mom, I’m going to join the royal guard next year, I have to toughen up my body so that I can fight,” said Shining

“You play, Rugby, Football, Soccer, boxing, and Karate, you even go to the gym and lift weights; JUST HOW MUCH MORE TOUGH DO YOU WANT TO BE?” asked Night Light

“As tough as I can be,” said Shining with a smile

“Oh, you are impossible,” said Twilight Velvet

“What about you Twilight, you’ve been quiet this whole time,” said Night Light

Everyone turned to look at Twilight, her eyes were wide open, full of wonder, the books she had brought along were now in a massive pile in the floor, in a “normal” situation regarding books, every time Twilight found a book on the floor she would start complaining and ranting none stop, one time, she found an almanac on the floor in her dad’s office, she didn’t get over it for days.

But today that was different, she had completely disregarded the existence of the books, and her eyes were fixed on the arena, not missing one single detail during the whole fight.

“I take it you liked the show,” said Shining

“I loved it,” said Twilight jumping up and down

“Ha, it’s the first time I see you so happy over a sport,” said Night Light

“I know right, but this is amazing, the level of strength, the strategies, the… glory, I love this sport,” said Twilight

“Well, this is one new development, you sound just like me,” said Shining

“I know, but it’s just… WOW, I wonder if there is a place I can join training for this type of events,” said Twilight

This made everyone look at her in disbelief and worry

“Twilight, dear, I love the fact that you’re interested in a sport, but…” said Night Light

“This isn’t the type of sport or career for you,” said Twilight Velvet

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight

“Well, to be honest, Twilly, you’re more of a Brainiac, not the muscle type, and to be honest, training for these for events, is no joke,” said Shining

“What does that mean?” asked Twilight

“He means, that if you want to be a Gladiator, you have to be ready for everything, blood, broken bones, concussions, hate, and even, in the worst-case scenario, death or murder,” said Sharpshooter as he walked up to Twilight and her family overhearing the conversation.

“I can be ready for all that, trust me,” said Twilight

“Says the girl who is afraid of Spiders, Snakes, roaches, rats, mice, and who has no stamina whatsoever,” said Shining

“No, I don’t,” said Twilight

“Twilly, you even believe that the ghost in those books you read are real,” shining continued

“Not true,” said Twilight

“Yeah, right… TWILIGHT THERE’S A SNAKE!’ said Shining pointing at the ground

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!” screamed Twilight as she jumped into her mom’s arms

“Shining Armor, that was not nice at all,” said Night Light

“It proved my point,” said Shining

“Don’t be too sad Twilight, not everyone is built for this, trust me, a lot of the gladiators in the arena, are really troubled individuals, all of us are still trying to relive or glories during the war, it’s no place for someone as pure as you,” said Sharpshooter as he leaped over the wall, and sat down next to Twilight

“But I want to be a gladiator,” said Twilight getting sad

Sharpshooter looked at her and felt pity for her

“Tell me, what’s your biggest strength?” he asked

“I’m really smart,” said Twilight

“Really, so tell me…” Sharpshooter said as he reached into his backpack and grabbed some pictures “These are different tactics used in team matches, I’ll put two of them together and you have to choose which one is the best for victory,” he said as he aligned them

Twilight looked at the first pictures and said “This one, the wingers have a lot of space to flank the enemy and create a diversion from behind pinning the enemy down,” she said

“Correct, this was the tactic used by Griffinstone during the first world cup, they didn’t win the tournament but they were the runner up, what about these two?” asked Sharpshooter

“This one, The Tankers and Paladins are standing in a very defensive-offensive style, making them almost invincible,” said Twilight

“Correct once again, this is the Dragonlands famous “Wall of Fire and Death” move to this day, there hasn’t been a single team to break through it,” said Sharpshooter

“This final one is tricky,” said Twilight

“Take your time,” said Sharpshooter

“I’d say… that this strategy will be the best for the battle, but this one too, in the end, it falls to whoever wants it more,” said Twilight

“You are correct Twilight, you truly have a gift,” said Sharpshooter

“So, do you mean I can be a Gladiator?” said Twilight

“Well, maybe not an outfield Gladiator, but your ability to read tactics and your knowledge makes you prime material for the position of Field General,” said Sharpshooter

“Awesome, I can be a Gladiator, I can be a Gladiator,” Twilight sang

“Are you sure she can be one?” asked Twilight Velvet

“Well, she’s got potential, but she will have to learn how to fight, and work in a team, and most importantly, how to be a leader,” said Sharpshooter

“So then, can you teach me, please,” Twilight begged

“I’d love to Twilight, but I can’t I already have a contract with someone else,” said Sharpshooter

“Oh,” said Twilight getting sad again

Sharpshooter saw Twilight's face and felt even worse but then he thought of something

“You said, your ability was being smart right?” he asked

“Yes,” said Twilight

“Well, you see, my contract is with the Canterlot Royal Academy, if you study hard, and manage to get accepted I will be your coach and teach you how to fight, deal?” said Sharpshooter stretching his hand forward

“Deal,” said Twilight shaking his hand and running off to study

“She is one energetic girl,” said Sharpshooter

“That and the fact that she is a 7-year-old, with the brain of a 30-year-old genius,” said Twilight Velvet

“Well, I hope she makes it in, there is nothing sadder than a kid with a broken dream,” said Sharpshooter

“Trust us, she will,” said Night Light

A FEW MONTHS LATER

“Today is the day, the entrance exams for the Canterlot Royal Academy, I have to ace this, if I do, I can make my dream come true,” thought Twilight as she walked into the test room

“Hello, kids, welcome to this year’s entrance exams for the Canterlot Royal Academy, My name is Cheerilee, I’ll be your teacher today you will be tested in the 8 major subjects of study English, literature, math, science, social studies, PE, foreign language, and computer science, the passing grade is 70, but don’t worry if you don’t manage to pass this test today, there will be a retest next month, and then again next year,” said Cheerilee

Everyone in the class started to get ready, including Twilight, she had everything ready, pencil, pen, calculator, eraser, and spare sheets of paper just in case

“Bring it on,” thought Twilight

“Uhm, excuse me, may you lend me a pencil?” said another girl sitting next to her

Twilight looked at her, she had shoulder-length hair with red and yellow stripes in it, moderate cyan eyes, and seemed to be Twilight’s age

“Sure, what happened to your?” said Twilight handing on to her

“This,” said the girl as she showed Twilight the fully used pencil

“Let me guess, you tried to sharpen it but the tip continued to fall off?” said Twilight

“Yeah, then I just lost my patience,” said the girl

Twilight started to laugh with the girl also bursting into laughter “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight

“Sunset Shimmer, nice to meet you,” said Sunset Shimmer

“Why are you joining this academy?” asked Twilight

“I want to be a gladiator or an instructor whatever happens first,” said Sunset

“Me too, what position do you like to take?” asked Twilight

“Paladin or winger, what about you?” asked Sunset

“Field General,” said Twilight

“Ah, the brains in the operation, cool, hope we can be in the same team,” said Sunset

“I would love that,” said Twilight

“Ok kids, the exam starts… now,” said Cherilee

A FEW HOURS LATER

“Man I’m exhausted, what about you?” asked Sunset

“Same, but I’m confident that we passed,” said Twilight

“Yeah me too, but we’ll find out tomorrow,” said Sunset

“Say, wanna come to my house?” asked Twilight

“Sure why not,” said Sunset as the 2 girls ran off

THE NEXT MORNING

Twilight and Sunset stood in front of a big board with the names of all of the students that had passed.

“YES!!! WE DID IT!!!” said Twilight as she and Sunset hugged

“This is gonna be awesome,” said Sunset

“My… our journey begins now,” thought Twilight

20 YEARS LATER

Twilight and Sunset had successfully entered and even graduated from the royal academy, but unfortunately, they had gone their separate ways after graduation, Twilight had tried to compete as a Gladiator following everything Sharpshooter taught her during her 11-year stay at the academy, but in 8 years in the tournament she had barely been promoted to the 3 division of fighters, and she always ended up in the midsection of the table, never winning promotion to the second or the glorious first division.

Due to this, Twilight had to take another job just to pay the bills, luckily for her, during her time in the academy, she had impressed and even befriended her majesty, Princess Celestia, to the point that Celestia begged her to be her apprentice.

Twilight accepted in a heartbeat, she loved to always be learning and that was one of the main things she did with Celestia, she learned new magic spells, combat skills, and diplomatic tricks, Celestia even let her compete as a Gladiator from time to time, but Twilight didn’t have the success she wanted to have.

One day, Twilight was in the palace library arranging the books and royal records, her favorite pastime as of late, when a guard walked into the library

“Ms. Sparkle!” she said

“Silver Bullet? How can I be of service?” Twilight asked

“Her majesty Princess Celestia wants to have a word with you,” said Silver Bullet

“Oh no, is she angry at me?” asked Twilight getting nervous

“That I can not answer, now please follow me,” said Silver Bullet

Twilight did as she was told and followed Silver Bullet to the royal court

“I hope she isn’t going to kick me out, this is my only job where I earn money, I hope she’s not angry about what happened yesterday,” Thought Twilight as she entered the court

She quickly walked towards Celestia and kneeled down

“Oh God, she looks angry,” thought Twilight

“Twilight Sparkle, I believe you and me need to talk about something important,” said Celestia in an angry voice

“Is that so your highness,” said Twilight

“Yes, Twilight this is unacceptable, I am so angry right now that I don’t even know where to begin,” said Celestia

“Oh dear, here it comes,” thought Twilight awaiting the worst

“The Canterlot Royal Gladiator Team once against lost in the world cup, this was our worst participation yet,” said Celestia

“I KNOW YOUR HIGHNESS, PLEASE FORGIVE ME… wait, what?” said Twilight

“There is nothing to be sorry about Twilight, it’s not your fault,” said Celestia

“You’re not going to fire me?” asked Twilight

“Why would I?” asked Celestia

“For the failed experiment from yesterday that burned of your eye-brows and your dress exposing your body to everyone,” said Twilight

“Of course not, Science is all about the failures, plus I didn’t mind the nudity part, It was a very… funny result, though,” said Celestia

“So then why do you need my services, your highness?” asked Twilight

Celestia got up and walked towards Twilight helping her up from the floor

“You see Twilight, I’m putting together a new team for next years world cup, and I want you to be the leader of it,” said Celestia

“Wait, WHAT?!” said Twilight

“Yup, we’ve heard nothing but praise about you from Sharpshooter,” said Luna walking into the room

“Princess Luna, good morning,” said Twilight

“Good Morning to you too,” said Luna

“Going back to your request, I don’t think I’m the best person for the position, I’m barely surviving the third division,” said Twilight

“You’re not a fighter Twilight, you’re a thinker, with the bonus that you can hold your own against others, you’re perfect for the position, plus you’ll be in your element,” said Luna

“If you say so; so who are my teammates?” asked Twilight

“That’s for you to choose, we want you to go out and find your “Dream team” and lead us to victory,” said Celestia

“Ok, so, that means…” said Twilight

“You’re going on a trip around the world to find the best fighters you can,” said Celestia

“But, don’t the members of the team have to be all from the kingdom?” asked Twilight

“Not necessarily, as long as they haven’t been selected to represent their kingdom before at the highest level, and they are willing to represent us, we’re good to go,” said Celestia

“Ok,” said Twilight

“Oh and Twilight one last thing, don’t hire anyone that belongs to a guild,” said Luna

“Why?” asked Twilight

“If you do, you’re not only going to have to pay them, but also the guild, for using their “services” and it’s annoying,” said Luna

“If you say so, when do I start?” asked Twilight with happiness

“Immediately,” said Celestia

“You have to have the team ready before the last day of the register, in 9 months, you need to find 7 players to join you in the field and 3 more to be substituted in case of injury,” said Luna

“Here is a list and a contract, once you find them, give it to them, and that would be it,” said Celestia

“Also, don’t worry about money, we’ll take care of it,” said Luna

“Now, go and make this city and us proud with this team,” said Celestia as he hurried Twilight out of the room

“You think she’ll do it?” asked Luna

“I trust her judgment, we should get ready to welcome our new players,” said Celestia as she headed to her room

OUTSIDE THE CASTLE

“Let’s see, I think this is the best lineup I can come up with, that means I need to find 2 wingers, 3 paladins/warriors, and 2 tanks, but where should I start searching?” thought Twilight as she started to walk down the street

Then a T.V in a store caught her attention

“Today marks the end of the Highschool Gladiator cup, and once again, Canterlot High had won the cup, for the 5th time in a row,” said the anchor

“If only our city squad was this talented,” said the other anchor

“Well, the secret for their success has to be their coach Sunset Shimmer, ever since she took on the role as coach they have been unstoppable,” said the anchor

“I think I know where to start, I just hope she still remembers me,” said Twilight with a smile as she ran off towards Canterlot High.

Gladiators Ch.2 Convincing a Friend

Twilight ran a full 6 miles nonstop until she reached the entrance of Canterlot High.

Canterlot High was actually a high school that was built for students that weren’t able to pass the entrance exams to the academy and/or came from families that couldn’t afford the academy, making it a very popular school in the area.

“It’s bigger than I thought.” said Twilight as she walked towards the entrance.

The school was indeed massive, there was even a map that told you where everything was and how long it was going to take you to get there.

“Well, Big was an understatement, now let’s see, if you were an instructor in this school, you would be… right… here, the P.E. office… now let’s start walking.” Twilight said.

10 MINUTES LATER AND AFTER GETTING LOST OVER 5 TIMES

“Ha, finally, this place is massive.” said Twilight.

“Ok, guys drop and give 30, NOW!” Twilight heard a scream.

“That’s definitely her.” TwilightThought as she walked towards the pitch.

There in the pitch was Sunset Shimmer and a group of about 20 students all doing pushups.

Twilight decided to walk up to her, hoping to have a great reunion with her BFF after so long, as soon as she was within earshot she said.

“It’s nice to see you again Sunset.”

Sunset Shimmer turned around to see who had talked, but instead of running with her arms open to hug Twilight, she just turned to look back at her students, she didn’t even smile at Twilight.

“Do you need some help Ms.?” she asked.

“Yes, I was hoping to talk to you.” said Twilight.

“Ok, you have 5 minutes, talk.” said Sunset.

“I came here to ask you to join Canterlot’s new Gladiator team with me.” said Twilight.

“And why would I do that?” asked Sunset.

“Because I remember that while we were in school you said that you wanted to be part of the kingdom's gladiator team.” said Twilight.

“You’re right, I WANTED all that, not anymore.” said Sunset.

“Cool, here I’ll give you the… wait, what do you mean “not anymore”?” asked Twilight.

“I no longer have an interest in that infantile fantasy.” said Sunset Shimmer.

“But… But why?” Twilight sputtered.

“That is none of your business if that is all you have to say to me, please abandon the premises.” said Sunset Shimmer doing a shooing gesture with her hand.

Twilight looked at Sunset for a few seconds until she felt the stares of all of the students, feeling embarrassed she decided to leave the area.

“What happened to Sunset? She wasn’t like this before, yes she was competitive but… she was never downright mean.” Thought Twilight as she walked away

“The nerve of her, how dare she show her face to me, after what happened that day, ha, and I thought we were friends.”... “WHAT ARE ALL OF YOU LOOKING AT 10 LAPS AROUND THE TRACK, NOW, GO, GO, GO, GO!!!!” said Sunset Shimmer.

OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL

“I still can’t wrap my mind around it, since when is Sunset so mean? And why wasn’t she happy to see me?” Twilight walked all the way to the park and sat down on a bench, she sat there for almost an hour trying to make sense of the situation.

She thought hard, to try to find the reason for her “friends” sudden outburst but she came out blank, except for one idea in her mind.

“I won’t give up, I’ll follow her like a shadow every day until she accepts, or they arrest me, whatever happens first.” said Twilight making a determined stance on the bench.

“Mommy look, that lady is crazy.” said a little boy in the distance.

“It’s not polite to stare.” said the mom as she pulled her son away.

Twilight, after hearing that, turned bright red and quickly sat back down.

“I really have to stop doing that.” she thought and quickly walked away towards her apartment.

ONE MONTH LATER

For the following month, Twilight followed, called, and even stalked Sunset Shimmer, she sent her letters, gifts and even left her voice mails on her phone to the point of Sunset blocking her number.

Throughout the whole month, Twilight had kept her determination to convince Sunset to join her, but today that determination was beginning to fade.

So Twilight decided to give it one last chance before walking away and searching elsewhere.

Twilight once again walked all the way to the practice field to talk to Sunset Shimmer one last time.

Twilight arrived and looked around for Sunset Shimmer, and sure enough, she saw her near her students as they were about to start practice

Twilight walked up to her and said “Ms. Sunset Shimmer, sorry to bother you, but we need to have a talk, a serious one.”

“You again, isn’t it enough of an answer to ignore you, your calls, and your letters? Understand this, you and I have nothing to talk about.” said Sunset.

“What happened to you Sunset? We used to be friends, best friends.” said Twilight.

“Used, being the important word in that sentence, now, for the last time, leave me alone, or I will call security to escort you out of the premises and then ban you from the school grounds.” said Sunset.

“Ok, Sunset, I didn’t want it to come to this but… I challenge you to a duel.” said Twilight as she removed her Gladiator batch and threw it at Sunset Shimmer.

“Oh, I’m terrified, an egghead is challenging me to a duel, HAHAHA, get lost Twilight, before you REALLY get hurt.” said Sunset Shimmer.

“What do you think is going on?” said one of the students.

“Maybe it’s a lovers quarrel.” said another.

“I might be an egghead Sunset, but I’m not a chicken.” said Twilight.

Sunset then stopped in her steps and turned to look at Twilight.

“What did you call me?” asked Sunset with the word death written all over her face.

“Chicken, Puk Puk, Puk Puk, Puk Puk, Pukaak.” said Twilight imitating a chicken.

“Take that back, right this instant!” said Sunset full of anger.

“I’m sorry dear, but I don’t speak chicken.” said Twilight with a malicious grin on her face.

“Fine, you and me, Gladiator team fight, tomorrow here at noon, if I win, you leave me alone for the rest of your life, if you win, I’ll join your stupid team, deal?” said Sunset.

“No, if I win, you’ll tell me why you’re acting this way towards me, deal?” said Twilight.

“Deal.” said Sunset as she shook hands with Twilight.

“Emerald Aurora, Electric Lilly, Midnight Harmony, Comet Hunter, Dark Snow, and Ivory Spark, Dark Bristle, you, will be in my team?” said Sunset as she turned to her students.

All of them nodded and followed her away from the group.

“What about me?” asked Twilight.

“Not my problem.” said Sunset as she walked away.

Twilight then turned towards the group of students and said “Who would like to join my team?”

As if on queue all of the students got up and walked away leaving Twilight in a very embarrassing stance.

“Well, that was embarrassing.” thought Twilight.

“We’ll join your team, miss.” said a male voice.

Twilight turned around and saw 5 students standing behind her.

“Well, thank you, but we need one more member.” said Twilight.

“And a miracle.” said one of the kids.

“What do you mean?’ asked Twilight.

“We are, what Ms. Shimmer and the other students call “the bad batch,” and we aren’t exactly popular in the team.” said another student.

“But, one thing we do not appreciate, is that Ms. Shimmer always says that we always have to be respectful of our rivals and never let anything turn us into assholes, and she didn’t respect that.” said another of them.

“Why are you called the Bad batch?” asked Twilight.

“We don’t have “talent” to be gladiators.” said another.

“According to whom?” asked Twilight.

“Ms. Shimmer,” said the last student.

“Sunset how low have you fallen. Well don’t listen to her, I’ll help you show them that you have talent.” said Twilight.

“Really?” they all said.

“Yeah, we’re a team now, what are your names?” asked Twilight.

“Lightning Meteor.”

“Fluffy Berry.”

“Obsidia.”

“Mythic Haze.”

“Astral Thunder.”

“Last Legacy.”

“Nice to meet you all, My name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m a 3rd division Gladiator, and Princess Celestia’s apprentice.” said Twilight.

“Well, now we just need a final member.” said Fluffy Berry.

“Are you really going to give Ms. Shimmer a taste of her own medicine?” asked a male voice.

“Well, I only want to defeat her but yes.” said Twilight.

“Then, I’ll be your final member.” said the boy.

“Who are you?” asked Twilight.

“He is Blaze, he’s a senior at the school and the number one prospect as well.” said Meteor.

“Why do you want to join a team of losers?” asked Obsidia.

“Because of I’ve had it with the division.” said Blaze.

This made everyone look at him.

“Ever since Ms. Shimmer came here, the school has been divided, those with “talent” walk all over the ones without it, she destroyed the vision of this institution, but everyone is so fucking afraid of her, forgive my language, that no one does anything, only because she brings back silverware and trophies, I don’t want to leave this school with that witch still in charge of the team, I couldn’t live with myself.” said Blaze.

“Why is it so personal?” asked Twilight.

“Because thanks to her, I lost my friends, my teammates, the girl I love, all of them changed, my friends don’t want to hang out with me because I’m too popular, my teammates don’t let me be free with my relationships, and Dahlia ignores me because they told her that “My type” are all insensitive jerks that only want to bang our brains out when I arrived here, it wasn’t like this, we all loved and respected each other, we didn’t care if you had talent or not, but now, that’s all that matters, and I don’t want that to stay this way.” said Blaze.

“Sunset, I didn’t believe someone could get buried in rock bottom, but now I stand corrected… do I really want you in this team?” Thought Twilight.

“Ah, Ms. Sparkle?” said Astral Thunder.

“Yes?” said Twilight coming back to earth.

“What are we going to do?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t know much about Sunset, she’s changed so much, all I can do is come up with a line up for the battle, so what are your positions?” asked Twilight.

“I’m a paladin.” said Blaze.

Twilight wrote that down, then she turned to the other teens but they didn’t say a thing, Twilight added the dots.

“You don’t have positions do you?” asked Twilight.

“She said that we would never have what it takes to join the squad, but she allowed us to train from time to time.” said Mystic Haze.

“Un-fucking-believable, this has just gone too far.” said Twilight “Ok, during training, what do you think is your best quality?” said Twilight.

“I’m a fast runner and I have a lot of stamina.” said Lightning Meteor.

“I like the archery and sniper training.” said Obsidia.

“I’m strong.” said Astral Thunder.

“I like hand to hand combat.” said Fluffy Berry.

“Same.” said Mystic Haze.

“I’m good with defense.” said Last Legacy.

“Ok, this is what I came up with.” said Twilight showing them the paper.

Obsidia 60 OVR Lightning Meteor 65 OVR

Fluffy Berry 58 OVR Blaze 86 OVR Mystic Haze 63 OVR

Twilight Sparkle 86 OVR

Astral Thunder 64 OVR Last Legacy 60 OVR

“Looks solid, and by the looks of it, we can easily break through Ms. Shimmer’s defenses.” said Blaze.

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight.

“Ms. Shimmer uses the same line up everytime, she thinks that she’s invincible.” said Blaze

“Can you draw it?” asked Twilight.

“Sure, just tell me who is in her team.” said Blaze.

After a few minutes Blaze finished creating Sunset’s unique line up.

Comet Hunter 80 OVR

Midnight Harmony 79 OVR Electric Lily 82 OVR

Sunset Shimmer 85 OVR

Dark Bristle 84 OVR

Dark Snow 77 OVR Emerald Aura 80 OVR Ivory Spark 79 OVR

“This is what she always does.” said Blaze, “Of course, she is in my spot taking into consideration that she is using the school’s “best of the best”, is it helpful?” he asked.

“Of course, and now I know we will be victorious.” said Twilight.

“Really?” they all asked .

“Yup, trust me, we will win, now to the ground and give me 30.” Twilight said imitating Sunset.

“Yes ma’am.” they all said and started doing push ups.

“At least I’m glad to see that you haven't changed much in your tactics.” thought Twilight.

THE NEXT DAY - NOON

Twilight and her team entered the school's arena and were greeted by Sunset Shimmer.

"It looks like I had nothing to worry about, you recruited the worst gladiators in the school." she said laughing.

"You do realize that I have a higher overall than you right, or is your head too big and empty to do so?" said Twilight.

This infuriated Sunset.

"You know Twilight, I was planning on going easy on you, for old time sake, but now, you better pray that I don't tear you apart," said Sunset

"I'd like to see you try," said Twilight

"Welcome to the first battle between Sunset Shimmer's dream team and Twilight Sparkle's loser team, who wrote this? Anyway the rules of this event are simple, the first team to put the other's captain in a difficult position or knock them out wins, understand, get ready, GO!"

"Ok guys, just do what I told you and we will win," said Twilight "bring it in," she said as she stretched her hand forward

Everyone followed and placed their hands above Twilight's

"Losers, on three, one, two, three…" said Twilight

"LOSERS!!!" they all screamed and got into position

AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARENA

"Listen up maggots, we should be done with this fight in less than 10 minutes, no one in that team can hold a candle to us," said Sunset

"What about Blaze?" Asked Ivory Spark

"No one man shows have ever won a team game," said Sunset

"What about Ms. Sparkle?" Asked Emerald

"All brain, no fight, piece of cake, remember, no mercy, no surrender," said Sunset

And with that Sunset and her team spread out to get into position

The arena was being magically modified to make it look like a forest, this way the game would be more entertaining and full of surprises.

It had been almost 5 minutes and no one had made a move yet.

To be honest Twilight's team was nowhere to be seen

"You see, I told you that she is all brain and no fight, open up a bit cover more ground, they must be hiding for the end of the match," said Sunset

After she said this their lines opened up more and left many spaces to attack

"You see I told you that her impulsivity is her worst enemy, go, go," whispered Twilight

With that Obsidia and Lightning Meteor left their positions and attacked

Meteor decided to play with Midnight Harmony, so de decided to lure her near him by throwing rocks and making lots of noise

And just as he suspected she felt for it

"I know you're there loser, just give up peacefully and I might just break your arm," she said

Meteor decided to end this game and so, he threw a rock into a nearby tree making a loud bang

"Ha, got you… what?" Was all Midnight could say before Meteor appeared behind her catching her by surprise

He then punched her in the stomach knocking her out

"How's that for peaceful," he said and ran off

"And we have the first knock out, Lightning Meteor has defeated Midnight Harmony," said the narrator

"WHAT?!' Everyone in Sunset's team said

At the other side of the arena Electric Lily was starting to get anxious after hearing what happened to Midnight Harmony, this caused her to lose focus and started to move erratically, making her an easy target for Obsidian.

All she had to do was wait for the right time to attack, and she knew it was close

A few seconds later Lily had walked right to where Obsidian wanted her.

So she quickly pulled out one of her stun arrows and aimed it at her

"Excuse me, class rep, up here… nothing personal," she said as she fired the arrow.

The arrow hits Lily releasing a massive bolt of electricity, knocking her out

"It's my own creation, taser arrows… by the way your name is Electric Lily, how the hell did that affect you? Oh yeah, you're unconscious, well I'll ask you later," said Obsidian as she left

"Electric Lily has been knocked out by Obsidian, this fight is getting interesting," said the narrator

This made Sunset furious "close lines, get into defensive positions," Sunset commanded

She and her team then began to move forward, until they got to a clearing that symbolized the half of the arena

"Keep your eyes open, they might be near," Sunset said

All of the members of Sunset's team than began to move in circles, making their blindspots almost, and I repeat ALMOST, non existant.

"Ok, this will only work if we all work synchronized, if one of you slips up it will no longer work," said Twilight

After saying this, everyone got into position and awaited the signal

Twilight got up onto a tree and used her magic to create a dummy of herself.

This caught Sunset's attention

"Everyone hold positions, I'll take care of this," she said as she walked towards the semi hidden dummy

“You should’ve quitted while you had the time,” Thought Sunset before she pounced on Twilight's dummy, unknowing that this dummy was placed on the edge of a small ravine.

Sunset Shimmer fell face first into the ravine and as soon as her face hit the bottom, Twilight screamed

“NOW!!!”

And with that Fluffy grabbed Comet Hunter by the neck and pulled him into a nearby bush, Mystic Haze jumped out of a nearby tree and hit Emerald Aura on the head, Astral Thunder then swinged off another tree Tarzan style an kicked Dark Snow sending him flying into another tree, Last Legacy, came down from a tree like Spiderman and grabbed Ivory Spark by the shirt and hoist him up until he disappeared out sight, and Blaze ran full speed and rugby tackled Dark Bristle into nearby bushes and body slammed him.

After the damage was done, they disappeared back into the wilderness and hid just out of sight.

At that same moment Sunset climbed out of the ravine and rushed to the clearing to see that her team had been wiped out.

“TWILIGHT! ENOUGH OF HIDING COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME!” she screamed

“I’ve been here this whole time,” said Twilight walking out from behind a tree

“That’s it, you and me, Egghead vs…” started Sunset

“Airhead?” said Twilight

“Oh that’s it,” siad Sunset as she launched forward, only to be stopped by an arrow falling near her feet

“I’m sorry to rain on your parade teach, but, checkmate,” said Obsidian as everyone came out of hiding

“You know the drill, surrender,” said Blaze

“Never, I will never accept defeat, moreso if I’m being defeated by a bunch of losers!” said Sunset just before Twilight walked up to her and slapped her so hard that you could hear it all the way at the other side of the school.

“What happened to you? You used to be the nicest person in the world, but now, you’re hated by almost all of your students, heck, I can even say, without a shadow of a doubt, that you hate yourself,” said Twilight

“There you go again, doing your little Ms. Perfect act,” said Sunset

“What the fuck are you talking about?” asked Twilight

“Everytime I do something wrong, here you come acting like if you’re perfect,” said Sunset

“I repeat, what the fuck are you talking about,” said Twilight

“Oh, for the love of God, Ms. Shimmer is jealous of you,” said Blaze

“What?” said Twilight

Sunset Shimmer didn’t say anything

“Sunset, why?” asked Twilight

“Ever since High school, you were always getting everyone's attention, the teachers, the guys, the girls, even Princess Celestia, but no one payed attention to me, I was always under your shadow, and then, Princess Celestia chose you to be her apprentice, that day, you changed, you didn’t hang out with me, you even ignored my calls,” said Sunset

“I did that, because I didn’t have the time to do so, my life wasn’t all roses and laughter, I barely even had time to sleep,” said Twilight

“And then, she went out to try make her dream come true, and become a world famous gladiator, but she failed miserably, then when she came back to the city and saw your success she felt even more hurt and jealous, and so she sweared that she would never loss to you, therefore the reason why she hates you, was my summary aqurate?” said Blaze

“How did you?” asked Sunset

“You tend to talk a lot under your breath, but you’re always saying the same thing over and over again,” said Blaze

“Wow, I never suspected, I did that, I’m really sorry Twilight” said Sunset

“Oh, for God sake, just accept Twilight’s proposal to join the team, and get the hell out of this school,” said Blaze

Twilight looked at Sunset and said

“After what you did in this school, and the way you acted, I don’t think it’s a smart idea to let you join the team, goodbye Sunset,” said Twilight as she walked away, followed by her team

Sunset just sat there in the middle of the now disappearing arena, motionless, tears falling down her face.

“What have I done?” she said, as if on queue the skies opened up and it started to rain, not that she cared, she just sat there, not making a sound, a move, or anything for that matter.

After almost an hour Sunset Shimmer finally got up and looked at the sky

“I know what I have to do,” she said

A WEEK LATER

“Well, I give up, there is no one here who is skilled enough that doesn’t belong to the adventure guild, or the hunter’s guilt, my only option now is to head out to another town and try my luck there; But where do I begin?” said Twilight as she sat in a cafe shop

She was concentrating so hard on the map on her phone she didn’t notice someone enter the shop.

“If you want my advice, head south, to the small town of Ponyville, the arena might not be big or famous, but there is a lot of talent, trust me I know,” said a female voice

‘Sunset Shimmer? What are you doing here, shouldn’t you be giving your class at Canterlot High?” asked Twilight

“Yeah, about that, I quitted my job there last week, you were right, I had destroyed that school’s image with my bitterness,” said Sunset as she sat down in front of Twilight

“Oh, well, what are you going to do now?” asked Twilight

“To be honest Twi, I don’t know, I saved some money, maybe I’ll move to Phillidelphia, but that’s not important! I’ve been looking for you this past week,” said Sunset

“Really? Why?” asked Twilight

“Cause, I need to apologize to you, for everything I did, this past days, I thought about what you and Blaze said back at the arena, and… you both were right, so Twilight, I know that what I did was wrong, and that maybe we won’t be friends anymore, but please forgive me,” said Sunset

Twilight remained silent for a few seconds before saying “Why?”

“Excuse me?” said Sunset

“Why? Why did you do all this? Why, in the name of God, did you become this… this…” said Twilight

“Asshole of a person?” finished Sunset

Twilight nodded

“Well, remember when we were in high school, you and I wanted to be the best gladiators in the world?” said Sunset before Twilight interrupted

“I know where this is going, Blaze already said that, I want to know, why Sunset Shimmer, the toughest, nicest, most caring person, which I considered my friend, changed,” said Twilight

“To be honest Twilight, I changed because I wanted to, I always wanted to be the better one, I wanted to be better than you, and unconsciously I began to get jealous, every time I was dimed the second best student in the class, or the academy’s #2. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, I wanted to show them that I was stronger, that I was smarter, that I was a better fighter, a better strategist, I wanted everyone to adore me,” said Sunset

Twilight just looked at her, waiting for her to continue

“After Celestia officially chose you to be her apprentice, I was furious, and the day after the graduation ceremony I packed my thing and left the town, not saying goodbye to anyone, not my mom, and dad, not my sister, not my friends, and not even you, I wanted to go out into the world and become the best gladiator out there, and that’s how my story began. I arrived at the town of Ponyville the next morning, and head straight for the arena, It was small but the fans were loyal, and so, I signed up for the qualifications rounds to enter the arena, but I lost in my first fight, I don’t remember the name of the guy who I fought against, Big Drac, Big Sack, something like that, he destroyed me, I didn’t even last 5 minutes,” she said

“Then I headed to the south east, to the town of Cloudsdale, but I wasn’t even aloud to participate because I wasn’t a Pegasy, after that I felt even more angry, and so for 5 years I moved all over the country searching for an arena to join but I never found it, and so with my last bits, I bought a train ticket back to Canterlot, and when I arrived, I saw your face next to Princess Celestia’s, Luna’s, and Cadence’s and I broke, I was so angry that the first thing I did was head over to Canterlot high, and apply for the position of Instructor, of course they took me in right away, seeing that I was Canterlot Academy’s #2; for 2 years I worked as the assistant instructor, and then I managed to get promoted after the other instructor decided to join the arena, and you know the rest of the story,” said Sunset

Twilight still remained quiet, until she decided to say

“So, you created all of this chaos in that school, because you were jealous of me?” said Twilight

“I never said I was proud of it,” said Sunset

“Sunset, you ruined many lives in that school, hopefully they will recover,” said Twilight

“Yes, I hope so too, it was part of what I said in the letter I left to the students, current and former, although, I doubt that they will forgive me,” said Sunset

Twilight just sighed and looked out of the window, then she looked back at Sunset and said

“So what happens now, where will you go?”

“Like I said, I don’t know, I don’t really care, I just need to think for a while,” said Sunet

“Really, that’s a shame, cause, I had a proposition for you,” said Twilight as she pulled the contract and the sign up sheet

“Really, after all this you still want me to join?” said Sunset in surprise

“Sunset, a very smart person once taught me that, no matter who bad someone has messed up, everyone always deserves to get a second chance, do you remember who taught me that?” said Twilight

“It was me, many moons ago, God, I’ve been so stupid” said Sunset

“Yes, yes you have,” said Twilight as she handed a pen over to Sunset

Sunset shimmer took the pen and started to read the contract.

After a few minutes she signed the contract and moved over to the registration chart

Name Age Height Measurements position

Twilight Sparkle 27 5’7” (1.68M) 37 - 28 - 40 Field General
Sunset Shimmer 27 5’9” (1.75M) 39 - 31 - 40 Paladin

“And done, wow, I didn’t know your boobs had grown much, you used to be so flat chested during High school,” said Sunset

“Don’t make me expel you from the team,” said Twilight

“Sorry, sorry, I had to get that out of my CHEST,” said Sunset Shimmer laughing

“Sunset Shimmer!” said Twilight angrily, before she too started laughing

“Ok, so, where is our next destination, captain?” asked Sunset Shimmer

“Ponyville, we’ll head there tomorrow at noon,” said Twilight

“Great! There's just one problem,” said Sunset

“And what’s that?” asked Twilight

“Mind if I stay in your apartment tonight, my landlord already rented my apartment,” said Sunset

Twilight just looked at her in anger, but she exhalled and said “Sure, why not,” with a smile.