The Mayor Of Canterlot

Once he found all the "props" he would ever need, plus filling his pockets with as many bits as possible, Thunder Bets makes his way toward the throne room, with an eager malicious smirk when suddenly, a series of loud tremors followed by a big explosion caught him off guard and almost made him fall while some bits dropped to the floor.

Following the sound, he looks through a window in time to see a bloody Mark at the edge of the dome as the bloody figure slides down toward a group of hungry mares.

He did it, that knucklehead actually turned that simian into a literal bloody pulp! He placed his hands against the glass to take a closer look at the mayor completely livid on how Devil’s beating went out of hand.

That oversize, bird brain, IDIOT! What is the point of putting screens on that cell if you are just gonna throw that ape through...the...window? His anger slowly died down, when he discovered how the body was at least 5 times the size of the mayor, it was way bulkier and had some sparks of yellow under all that blood.

With a cold chill running through his spine the pegasus slowly backs away from the window as he discovers his companion being mauled by a pack of hungry mares as his fur gets more pale.

The dungeon is at least five floors underground! And he still had enough power to ram and make a ripple into the dome! Is he really that ridiculously strong...?

Gulping in fear the pegasus forgot his treasure and took flight as fast as his wings could carry him. As he made a mad dash toward the throne room while taking out his scroll and calling his companions.

Trying to reach Crow first, he immediately receives voicemail. Damn it Crow! Worse time you choose to put your scroll in silence! Have it your way, it's your funeral. He tries to call his minions only to receive interference, confusing the pegasus and getting him even more scared; and finally, he calls Snake which, to his fortune, was able to pick up.

"I know Thunder, I saw it too." Silver tells, oddly calm about it.

"Then you know we need to escape Snake! If that human was able to do that to Devil..."

"...We will be fine." He interrupted. "As long as we keep our distance. He is only one primate and we still have our weapons, plenty of unicorn minions and the princesses as hostages. The only thing he had left was the element of surprise and he blew it. What could he do now?"

As to answer his question an alarm went off, followed by the sprinkle system which sprayed water everywhere killing the gas and starting to awaken the mares who Thunder now realized were spread all over him.

His blood ran cold as he took to the air before anyone could see him and hide behind a banner, "SNAKE!" He harshly whispers, hearing the same alarm on the scroll.

"I know, I know! Just go to the throne room and lock yourself there. We can't lose our hostages if we wish to run away!" Before the pegasus could reply Snake cut the call and with no other option he followed his advice and made a mad dash through the room before any mare could spot him. Using everything he could find to barricade the place. To his luck the water hadn't reached that room and as such he had a thick fog where to hide which he reinforced spreading more canisters everywhere.

Meanwhile Snake doesn't waste time in reaping more gas to the mares near him and slowly march toward Celestia’s chambers.

‘For the sprinkles to go off in multiple places, he must have found the main valve and turned specific areas on. Clever boy, awakening only part of the castle so as to not overwhelm yourself. Ingenious but ultimately pointless.’

He smirks maliciously, as he placed a hand where one of his eyes used to be. ‘Those bastards laughed at me when I told them how he took my eye with one single punch, so I was hoping that ape and Devil would have killed each other by now, but taking care of Thunder and Crow before they get me for the money I own them? Now that is even better! So go ahead pest, deal with my loose ends for me, and if that still isn't enough I have one more surprise just for you. Go and get tired, I will deal with you myself right after that.’

Sometime later.

Resting on top of a pillar, Thunder manages to relax and calm down as he takes occasional glances at the barricaded door at the other end of the throne room. At his side he could hear the low growls and quick moving shadow of desperate pegasus on the lookout for their prey, making them resemble a flock of ravens seeking meat. In the end, the dense fog became his perfect hideout, giving him time for his fear to slowly morph into anger as he took a glance at the still unconscious Luna.

‘That stupid human! If it wasn't for him I would be enjoying myself right now! How many stallions could claim to be with heat up alicorn and live? I took a huge bet coming here without my minions and now thanks to him I can't even play!’

He looked down and took out a dagger coated in purple liquid, releasing a dense fog of the same color. I was planning on using this on Snake once the dome was down, but seeing I'm cornered, I might have to use it on the mayor.

Formulating a plan he starts to smirk. Yeah, I wonder what would happen if a powerful neurotoxic design to stop the heart instantly is used in a place where you can’t die? I bet it would be one hell of a paralysis. One, maybe two hours, of pure agonizing pain between life and death.

The sound of a wall moving alerts the pegasus that took his weapon out and flyed higher to hide in time to see the human in question exiting another secret passage and into the room, wearing a gas mask, a chest plate, leg arm and shoulder pads of one of the castle armors to have as protection .

So that is how you avoid the whores in heat then? Clever, but your luck just ran out human.

Looking around the human can only have a moment to adjust his eyes before a dagger is thrown at him from the fog, hitting his shoulder. Immediately the piece of armor started to melt as if it was heated by acid, forcing the human to take it off and toss it before it was too late and find cover on another pillar before another dagger was thrown.

"Had to be honest with you human, despite not fully believing the rumors. A part of me was betting on you beating Yellow Devil. Seems like I won." Thunder starts to taunt him as Mark tries to find him using his voice as a guide.

"You were counting on me beating your friend?" He then dodged when another dagger almost broke his mask.

"Rule #1 in the betting world, always rig the game so you win regardless of the outcome."

"Kind of defeats the purpose of betting, don't you think? What is the point if you win regardless?"

"Getting rich, of course." With his hideout destroyed, Mark is forced to keep dodging as Thunder keeps trying to hit him. Once he gets enough distance between the two, a quick shadow swoops in and recollect the daggers again so the human can't have projectiles of his own.

Getting an idea Mark tries to shoot fire into the fog but they just get lost into the mist.

"Wait, you can also use fire? Are you half dragon now?" Mark tries to follow his voice but his attacks prevent from casting and force the mayor to keep dodging the poisonous weapons. Thunder never stops moving.

"I spent 10 years exploring all of Equus, you don't travel around a magical land without picking a trick or two." Mark replied, finding shelter on another pillar.

"Je, then it's a good thing, I always carry a couple of aces under my sleeve." Mark froze when a ballista with the trigger wrapped on a string, landed on his right and before he could react Thunder pulled the string firing the weapon right into his exposed arm sending him backwards into the ground as he wriggled in pain holding his injury.

"JACKPOT!" Rolling back, Mark barely dodges another attack and starts running away as his arm becomes numb and unresponsive as he finds cover in another pillar.

"Thanks, it was killing me not knowing what happens when a lethal poison is injected inside a healing dome. So it just stops spreading but keeps working right where it hit. Very nice."

Watching the arrow, Mark wonders if he should or shouldn't remove it, when he hears more wooden objects falling from the ceiling, Thunder just spreads more ballista all over the room ready to be sprung, limiting even more of the humans movements. To make matters worse his hideout was almost gone as well.

"And to think I was afraid, not gonna lie, you are a foe that shouldn't be underestimated Mark. You earn this much from me, but tilting things in my favor and keeping my opponents off balance is my bread and butter. I don't know what other tricks you have but I sure as heck not gonna let you have a moment to breathe, it's over primate!"

A shower of arrows go off in every direction, forcing Mark's mind to work overtime to think of something. Spotting a nearby shield he gets an idea and dashes quickly at it before any arrow could reach him. Having managed to get a second to breathe he closes his eyes and snuffs out his flames as he focuses his hex once more moving the lines into his legs. Ignoring how a series of daggers were melting the steel he quickly moved to the left before the shield was gone. Picking up a nearby pebble and throwing it in the direction of the projectiles being launched.

Hearing a thud he smiled knowing he hit his target and without stopping he raced toward the wall before jumping. As his marking changes form to resemble gusts of wind his speed rapidly increases, allowing the human to catapult himself like a bullet into the fog.

"What?!" Thunder has barely a chance to understand what was happening as Mark breezes through the clouds and kicks him square in the stomach, ramming him into the ceiling. Jumping in mid air, Mark continues to dash back and forward, everywhere like a rocket as Thunder could barely dodge his attacks.

Finally appearing behind him, Mark spun around and hit his back right in the middle of his wings making him fall to the ground with force, before the human tumbles down as well.

Having recovered his second wind the pegasus sits down with difficulty before looking at the human and laughs; despite his speed the arrows managing to reach him the armor served some protection, various projectiles find their marks on his back, one of his leg, and his other arm, paralyzing almost all of his body.

Not believing his luck the pegasus can only laugh. "See? I can always tilt things into my favor. That was one heck of a kick, Mr. Mayor." Thunder cleaned some blood from his chin, "I knew you were full of surprises, but to think you can actually run in the air...?" He takes a deep sigh before spotting his short sword, which had the most deadly of his poisons near him, "...It almost makes it a pity I have to kill you." Managing to stand up, the pegasus slowly walks toward the weapon and picks it up as Mark can only glare at him unable to move, trying to gather as much energy he had left into healing at the very least, one arm.

"Please don't take it personal, it's just how things are." He raises the humans head and places the edge of the blade at his throat, "No matter how much you try, the house always wiAHG!" Startled Thunder is shocked when all of a sudden the edge of a dagger pops out of his chest and someone grabs his neck from behind with force. When the fog clears out, both him and Mark are surprised to see Luna standing behind him.

"Jackpot." She utters as she twists the blade. The poison already working its magic in freezing the pony in place as he has a hard time breathing.

"H-how?.." He manages to question, but the princess remains motionless as she effortlessly tosses him out of the window, breaking the glass in the process and clearing the room from the gas.

"Luna?" Sighing in relief Mark looks down to catch his breath, while managing to rip out one arrow from his shoulder, "God I'm so happy to see you are ok, listen, forget about me. I will be fine, you need to go save Celly before..." His words are cut short literally when the princess grabs his neck and raises him into the air as she slowly starts to strangle him.

"L-Luna!" Mark wheezes out as he starts to wriggle in pain as he can only grab her wrist weakly. Only then did the human notice how her eyes were milky white and she also was sporting two green earrings, the princesses face was motionless except with the tears starting to stream from her eyes.

‘Snake he...he is controlling her, and she knows what she’s doing?! I...I need to do something!’

Running out of options he quickly ripped another arrow and stabbed her arm with it, begging that it still had enough poison to do its magic. Luckily it does and her arm goes numb forcing her to release Mark.

Catching his breath the human started to crawl away from the controlled alicorn as she was heading to finish the job. Spotting Thunder's sleeping equipment Mark doesn't waste time and lands on top of the machine turning it on and grabs the hose before Luna could grab his neck again with her free hand. Blasting her with all of the content, the human falls down once more with the alicorn falling on top of him pressing the arrows deeper into his flesh and robbing of what little energy he had left, as his head starts to spiral and he slowly lose consciousness.

Despite all that, he can't help but smile weakly at the sensation of the two massive soft orbs resting right on his face.