Fallout: Equestria - Murky Number Seven

by FuzzyVeeVee

Rage of the Warlord

    “What was it like?  That is, realising how much he'd broken you?”

    I didn't realise it, that was the problem.

    From the moment he'd shown me that sprite-bot's truths, that everything I believed in had been a lie, what did I have left to believe in?  I'd believed I could escape, but I had failed. I'd believed that I needed to become like Littlepip and be brave with my friends to escape like she did, but then Arbu happened. I'd taken my last solace in that she had done it, that no matter what I'd be able to somehow do it if too if I was only determined enough.

    Then I found out that she hadn't even come close.  I'd simply been telling myself what I wanted to hear all along from the very start in the Pit.  Just a delusional little slave who thought he was more important than he actually was.

    His methods to remind me of my place, that I had no dignity, hope, or control.  It was like I was back under that anvil, feeling it coming but being unable to stop it no matter what I tried.  It took all that spunk and inner strength and corrupted it...made me feel worthless.

    I'd needed something to believe in...a way out.  I didn't throw myself from that rooftop because I was broken...I did it because I thought I was escaping.  You don't do these things to yourself knowing that you're racing to your death. You do it to get away from what's hurting you.  Every avenue I could have believed in had closed, directing me down the only path that my mind felt made any sense just to make the pain stop.

    “But you'd come so far...”

    I know!  My friends knew too, and it still stabs at my heart knowing how much I hurt them by doing what I did.  They never said anything about it but I could see it in their eyes. Even before I'd met any of them properly I'd at least been able to maybe quip off inside my own head or...or after I'd met them, laughed, and joked!  They'd made me happy, and for the first time in my life, be it while being teased or feeling joyful, they were proud of me for the things I'd done. But after it all started to go downhill, I was turning into the slave I'd been before Fillydelphia all over again!  I just couldn't handle that; to be given such a glimpse of the pony I could be only for it all to be ripped away moment by moment again and again!  From losing Unity to the broadcast about Arbu; making things worse for Sunny to the second news report about Bucklynn Cross, and then to find out that she really hadn’t escaped?  That she had failed in everything I'd dreamed of and joined Red Eye on a mission for him!

    Could I really be blamed for thinking there was no other way to escape slavery?  I'd been deluding myself the entire time that there was a way out of Fillydelphia.  That city, it's impossible. Slaves have a saying, you know? That once Filly gets a hold of you, then you'll only ever get out if you lose something, be it a life or a soul.

    “But Brimstone saved you, didn't that help remind you how important you were in the lives of others?”

    Yes...

    Sorry, I don't mean to cry.

    “It's alright.”

    Thank you, but no.  It should have but I just couldn't shake that numbness.  I'd been saved, but for what? All I could see was another slaver coming to take me to a shift. I couldn't live like that, and so I simply retreated.  I ran away from life itself into my own mind, desperate to make it all just blur past until the day I staggered...tripped...and just fell over to be swept away by time.

    Really, though?  I wasn't the real problem.

    “Sorry, I don’t follow.”

    A reckoning, he'd said.  Vengeance. A fury drawn deep in a pony that fought his own battle against the born life he could never quite escape.

    Even as I found The Master's ownership breaking me into the slave I had been born as, the first of my allies was finding our treatment bringing his own past to the surface of his mind. All he’d needed was something to give him a reason to set it loose.

    For a long time, the Great Warlord had been dormant.

    No more.

    I spent that night in My Master's tiny office cell, hunched and shivering within its cold confines and trying to pretend that those crawling sensations over my body were just my imagination in the pitch black.  My back stung, for the cost of my survival had brought with it further punishment for disobedience. A burn on my side spread into an aching across my ribs and surrounding joints. That shock rod he carried had been the newest implement to try and 'bring me in line.'

    I'd been thrown in.  Ordered not to sleep, but to think on my place in life.

    Life...

    Did I even have one?  Could I even have one?

    Front hooves resting over my muzzle and coughing every few minutes as the collar worked its sick purpose, I felt the tight swelling in my breast remind me that no, I couldn't.  Outside the Wall was no paradise, no place of health and relief from what life had 'blessed' me with inside, either in my mind or body. My Master was right.

    Sniffling, I couldn't help but feel upset that Brimstone had saved me.  I knew why he had. I'd have done the same. But from my perspective, all it meant was I had more of the pain to go yet.  I couldn't escape Fillydelphia and I couldn't escape my life. No matter how much I wanted to. Knowing that deep down hurt more than anything, the thought that I had wanted that escape.

    Really, for the past few hours I'd done nothing but keep thinking over all these things.

    I'd been ordered to.

    My head perked up, ears twitching as I heard the door to My Master's office being flung open.  A heavy tread—it was him! Quickly, grunting and moaning in pain, I stood up in the cramped space as best I could to turn and face the doorway with my head lowered and ready.

    “Time's up, little slave!” He called from outside even while I heard the keys jangle and turn in the thick locks.  “I hope you've been doing as ordered this time!”

    Grinding and screeching as the metal door dragged across the hard floor, I squinted against even the office's vague light.  That light soon turned to shadow when My Master stepped forward, stroking the thick coat on his muzzle with a hoof and leering down at me.  My eyes tried to stay low, but I couldn't help but see the heavy whip and inactive shock rod sitting on those leather bandoleers, or the loop of chain around his neck.  Suppressing the squeak of fear, I simply abased myself.

    “Y-yes Master.  I have.”

    “Gooood...and?” One of his hooves rested on the door.  No doubt to slam it shut if I said wrong.

    “I...” I sniffed.  “I don't choose w-when to stop my work and d-die, only when My Master chooses for me...”

    “Very good.” I felt the cloven hoof on the door move down to pat my head gently.  “Anything else?”

    “I d-don't think so-”

    “Oh but there is.” My Master stepped back, I saw him reach for the whip!

    Yelping, I staggered back into the cell while shaking my head rapidly, my whole body trembling.  Oh please, don't! Not more! Think, Murky, think!

    “Yes!” I shouted the word oddly out of place, seeing him hesitate and raise one eyebrow above those beady eyes.  “Th-there...there isn't anything for me out there anyway. No heroes, no better life. Nothing I'd understand how to deal with or live in.  I...I realised where I belong...”

    There was a silence in the dingy office.  I knew what he was doing. He was letting it sink in.  But I couldn't take him just watching as if wanting more.

    “I realised there's no way out, you are who you were born to be and...and there's nothing else after that.  I was born a slave...”

    Finally, My Master nodded.

    “Seems we've finally gotten through to you, Number Seven.  Don't you worry, every slave rebels at some point, it's all natural.  Now you can go back to a life you understand. You are a slave. That's all you are meant to be and you've just had a little period of adjustment in your adolescence.  You'll settle in eventually like they all do, just another number.”

    I hated his voice.  I almost wished he'd shout.  This 'day by day' tone that simply talked of experience and expectation terrified me with the thoughts of that this was my life.

    It was.

    “Now, we have a lot of work for you, little runt.  Get your chain on and follow me closely.  You are to be left in the plaza until arrangements have been made for your schedule.  An event in the Pit is scheduled later today, accompanied by one of Red Eye's, hmm...break days.  So not many shifts are going into the latter half of the day, but don't you worry, slave!  We'll make sure you get the chance at something. Sooty is eager to have you, you know?”

    The moment he'd told me to get the chain on I was already pulling it around my collar and falling into step beside him to begin the journey.  But that last line had drawn a shiver from me and made a sickness rise in my throat. I wanted to scream, to beg and plead with him not to send me there.

    He chuckled when we left the office, hearing no complaint from me.

    “Very good, Number Seven. No words means you're remembering how to act.  Now come on, you'll get to meet your little friends again. You'll like that, eh?  The two mares will be back soon, and the raider seems, heh...eager to meet you. I'm sure they'll be excited to see the real you.  Show them who you really are, Number Seven.”

    There was no choice in it, I had to stay silent and obey.

    Simply had to do what I did before.

    Don't think.

    Don't feel.

    Don't wish.

    Don't dream...

    “All right, wretches!  Roll call is over, now get back to your holes until we require you!”

    Dozens of slaves began to limp away from the redesigned plaza, passing around the smokestacks, incinerator, and the strange solitary confinement holes.  As they left, slavers trotted behind them and slammed the cage doors shut. There was no such thing as the freedom to wander the plaza that they had once had under Protégé's rule.

    I had stood alone during the entire event as I always was instructed to.  The only pegasus in a group of his own, still chained to My Master. Glimmerlight and Coral Eve were still out on work, but Brimstone stood above the crowd, glaring at My Master with death in his eyes.

    “Red Eye's rest day will begin in six hours, until then you will all produce a full day's worth of smaller tasks in your cells to make up for that lost time!  As by his orders you will be permitted to leave the Mall to attend the Pit by your own choosing. However! You will all be back before noon the next day; slaves not returning will be subject to punishment duties.”

    He stood near the old fountain, as though taunting me with the temptation to drink from its muddy waters.  My throat was burning, dry as the ashen ground of Fillydelphia, while the ground below me held a few spats of blood from my coughing.  I'd seen Brimstone glance over every time I'd convulsed.

    “And you...”

    He turned to me, unclasping the chain from my collar.

    “You will remain here while I arrange your next shift.”

    “His shift where?”

    The entire plaza seemed to stop moving, ponies both slave and slaver alike turned back from the movement.

    Brimstone Blitz stood, having not moved at all from where he'd watched over the roll call.  Standing straight on with My Master, he had his chin lowered, eyebrows narrow and eyes hard.  I heard My Master chuckle and turn with a shake of his mane.

    “Of no concern to you, slave.  His shifts are-”

    “Well overworked.  He's done more shifts in the past day than any slave is meant to in three.  You think somepony wouldn't notice? By Red Eye's rules he's earned a day of rest.  He will have no shifts today.”

    There were gasps. Nopony disagreed with My Master these days, but they all remembered the hoof-wrestling match.  They knew the bad blood between these two. I shivered, feeling far too close to the two largest ponies around here.  Please...please Brim, don't do this.

    My Master grinned, arrogant and sure of his position.  His authority was absolute here, turning his head to me with no chain to my collar.

    “Red Eye has his rules, yes.  But I didn't say that his shifts were from Red Eye.  They are my request to him.  My order.  From Master to slave.  Number Seven is my personal little pet slave now, so why don't you ask him whether he wishes to obey my personal requests?  He accepted this position after all, and Red Eye does permit a slaver to hold a personal assistant if the slave agrees to it and wishes to work for them.  Well, Number Seven? You don't have to do work, but I've ordered you anyway, what do you say to all this?”

    The shivering turned to a quaking.  Eyes wet and mind racing, I turned back and forth between the two.  My Master only stood confidently. Brimstone finally turned his head and I could see his eyes pleading.  In the scant minutes before they'd torn me away from him I'd seen how much he had come to care for me as well.

    I wanted to go to him. My Master said I could if I chose to.

    Feeling my bandaged wings dampen with the sweat of a blistering indoors and the pressure of fighting choice and chains, I tried to fight both sides of it.  My...My Master might...might do things if...if I didn't...

    “Murky?  What's wrong, he can't do anything but ask you!  Come on!”

    I looked up, seeing Brim looking almost impatient in his stoic fury. Clearly my situation was all that was keeping him from launching forward.

    “Just walk away, Murky!”

    “From your life, Number Seven?” My Master's voice cooed behind me, just quiet enough for me alone to hear.  “Defying your born Master? Chained to me by fate since before you were even born...you can't defy that which owns your very mark's meaning.”

    Brimstone stamped hard enough to crush a small piece of rubble on the ground.

    “What are you waiting for!?  This sick bastard can't force you to do any more today!”

    We had tried to escape together more than once.  Escape...no, it couldn't happen. I couldn't. Some things were too important.

    “I'm s-sorry, Brim.  B-born a slave...”

    Slowly, my head lowered and mumbled the last few words as I trotted back to My Master's side.  A low growl from Brimstone was all I heard while My Master's hoof stroked my mane and effectively pulled me in against his repulsive sweaty body.

    “What?”

    “See, raider?  Number Seven knows his place in life at last.  You are what you're born as...he's not the only one either, looking at you ready to frenzy up.  Now!  All of you!  Back to your cages while I set the planning out and meet with the merchant.  Come when I call, Number Seven. Might have even heard of a few ponies lined up from the merchant, heh.”

    Setting me down, I simply nodded and lowered my head in submission.  Trotting away, I made a slow pace for our shop cell out of habit.

    Brimstone Blitz glared at My Master as he left, before whirling around, picking me up and stopping just short of slamming me into the wall.  I screamed, covering my face with my hooves, before feeling him put me down...realising what he was doing. Making a short snort, he bent down.

    “Why did you agree!?  You don't have to listen to what he says!  What's this ‘merchant lining up ponies’ piss-talk?  You've worked enough to not need it, you stupid-” He cut off, stamping a hoof to curb his anger. I knew it wasn't really at me.  “Why, Murk?”

    “I'm a slave...I obey...”

    I simply trotted on by him into the cell, hearing him turn to watch me go into the back room, aiming for a corner.

    “Goddesses above, what has he done to you while I was away?”

    “HE'S GOING TO MAKE HIM DO WHAT!?”

    I winced, my ears aching along with the very cell shaking at Brimstone's roar from the front of shop.  Accompanying it was a heavy slam. A part of the wall bulged inward into the back room where I lay curled on the couch in a blanket.  Pieces of degrading plaster flew off and fell across me.

    Glimmerlight had returned earlier, staggering her way in with her initiate robes ripped on the back from a whip.  She hadn't shown what injuries lay below, but even I could see the effort it took to keep the pain from her face. She and Brimstone were in the front shop now where I had heard her telling him what I was being pushed into doing.

    Now I only heard her seem to suddenly panic.

    “Brim!  No!  He's scared, he needs space!”

    The floor quaking beneath me, the giant form of the raider stormed through into the back.  A full shelving unit, flung aside for him to take a more direct path, crashed across the ground before the huge earth pony almost seemed to snarl at me.  Yelping, I withdrew to the corner of the sofa, curling up, my eyes open wide.  Teeth bared, muscles twitching and bulging, a great raider bore down above me demanding my answer.  I...I was scared of him. I hadn't been scared of him in so long!

    “Is this true?”

    Squealing, I covered my ears and shrunk away, pulling my blanket over me.  I heard Glimmerlight gallop in behind him, shouting for him to back off. But my safe little world beneath the blanket was torn away, pulled clean off me.

    “Is.  This.  True?”

    I knew he wasn't going to hurt me!  But the look of anger and rage just terrified me!  At feeling him bearing over me, lighting up every imagined horror awaiting and of every huge Master I'd ever had.

    Screaming, I found myself scampering off the sofa and diving into the darkness.

    “YES!” I cried as I went, feeling the tears flow and the horrible hurt of knowing what had become of my life being admitted in my own voice, before it fell to a choked and diseased gasp.  Looking back at the huge pony standing there I saw Glimmerlight rush in to stand between him and I. But I could only nod gently and fearfully from behind her.

    “...Y-yes.”

    There was a pause.  A silent pause as the heavy and scarred figure simply stared at me.  Filled with anger, but in those eyes I saw care. I saw a protectiveness that now felt it had failed.  Only now did I really see how much I meant to the big pony, how small and innocent I must have seemed to him.

    Now to those same eyes, through violence, oppression, and intended violation, that same innocence was being stripped away.

    “He has gone too far this time.” Brim's voice was dark.  Without any hint of the stoic demeanour I had known him for.  “Every day I watch him hurt ponies, abuse them, and destroy their lives and free wills.”

    A bucket unfortunate enough to be close by him was flattened, bucked across the room.

    “I see him throw you to raiders for your wings to be torn off and find him working with them to try and kill the one slaver who actually had a heart in this fucking building!”

    The sofa flipped, spiralling and crashing to the floor.

    “He strikes Glim and leaves her a malnourished wreck, bit by bit, after sending me from her.  Now this? NOW THIS!?”

    A full shelving unit was picked up, hurled into the wall where it shattered into its component parts.  Boxes once arrayed on it spread everywhere as Brimstone snorted and stamped.

    “This has gone on long enough.  He has hurt too many ponies.  He thinks he is some kind of sadistic slaver god, he does not know the meaning of rage and darkness in the hearts of the raider clans of old!  Enough is enough.”

    It built slowly.  A tremble of his front hooves.  A snort. A closing of the eyes.  Grinding of the teeth and a slow rise to his full height as that immense muscled body struggled to contain the absolute and unbridled rage that was seeking to explode.

    Yet explode it did.  A bestial howl of anger and fury echoed around the room so hard that even Glimmerlight fell to her haunches and covered her ears.  My head turned into splitting agony from the sound in my sensitive ears. But before me came a whirlwind of violence, a desk picked up like it were a toy and smashed against the far floor.  The very concrete of the walls cracked under a ferocious buck.

    Before a very sudden and very deliberate turn toward the door.

    Glimmerlight spotted it before I did, galloping forward in front of him.

    “Brim!  NO! That's what he wa-ARGH!”

    My jaw dropped in shock as I saw Brimstone knock her aside like anypony else.

    Brimstone.  Struck. Glimmerlight.

    The sight seemed impossible, but all the same I saw her thrown backwards to scatter on the floor.  She simply lay back, eyes wide in shock more than anything. Helping her up, we both ran out as we heard the cell door completely fail in its purpose to stop anypony exiting the cell, just in time for it to be slammed back and jammed shut in our faces from a hind leg buck.

    He was in the plaza. Still trotting slowly, deliberately, he moved to near the fountain and turned his head to the balcony above the main door out before taking a deep breath.

    “SHAAAACKLES!”

    Ten seconds passed before another great bellow of the name, he shouted again and then a fourth time.  Every time sending the name echoing all over the Plaza and throughout the entire Mall, enough that I heard the few remaining panes of glass shake.  Glimmerlight was fighting with the door, trying to get it open from its wrecked but jammed lock.  I simply stood back from it, staring through the bars with wide eyes.

    “SHAAAACKLES!”

    Slaves were gathering at their cell doors.  Some slavers, the easier-going assistants who kept an eye on us and brought us food, very wisely decided not to approach him if they were already inside the Plaza.  They weren't particularly nasty ponies, often long term slaves themselves who had simply found a menial role in Red Eye's workforce as a way to escape true servitude.  All the same, they did not want to risk garnering his attention at all. But after that last shout...he appeared. The true slaver in here.  Atop the balcony above, that leering and grinning face.  As though he had expected this reaction...as though he had been expecting it.  Placing me in here just so Brimstone could find out from me.

    “Well...if it isn't our little captive raider who wants atten-”

    “Shut up and get down here NOW you pathetic sack of worthless flesh!  Stand before me!”

    A hoof slammed into the ground before him, making a slab of concrete snap in two with one side popping up from the ground level to fall at the side.  I was not witnessing my friend Brim...this was the Great Warlord Brimstone Blitz. His voice rang with authority and power, completely eclipsing that of My Master.

    “You forget your place, slave!” My Master cackled, glancing to either side at all the cells...his eyes found me.  “You have no say here, raider!  You are no warlord.  No king of raiders any more!  You are nothing but my slave.  You shall remain there to simmer down.”

    If Brimstone Blitz showed any sign of caring for My Master's orders, he didn't show it.  A violent snarl through almost foaming teeth led to a hurling of the slab of concrete at the balcony.  Flying upward, it crashed into the softer brickwork and smashed one section of the balcony around where My Master stood.  I saw him have to flinch to the side to avoid the shrapnel.

    “You will stand before me and answer for this or I will destroy this petty prison to find you! GET!  DOWN! HERE! FACE ME, COWARD!”

    My Master lowered his hoof from covering his face against the rocks that now fell and tumbled down back into the Plaza.  That grin persisting...enjoying seeing Brimstone trapped in the Plaza and raging an order he would never have followed.  With a cackle, he simply turned and left.

    I thought that would be it.  That Brimstone's anger would explode in violence against the guards who were very hastily retreating into one of the cells to hide.

    However I had never seen the Warlord at work when his ire was truly raised.

    Roaring after My Master, rearing up and bellowing his protest at somepony turning their back on him, I saw Brimstone instead cast an eye to the new thick door that protected the way out.  No doubt specifically reinforced just for him.  But I saw his eyes then turn to the slavers watching above with rifles.  He knew it as well as I did. That if he took time to destroy the door, he'd be gunned down.

    When I had first met Brimstone Blitz, it had been his cold and calculated practicality that had terrified me beyond anything else.  That capability for intelligence through the frenzy. To think, plan, and execute even while throwing all control to the wind to brutalise that which stood in his way.  Here again I saw that. His eyes found something else as they travelled to the side, viewing a cell full of ponies.
   
    Glimmerlight saw it too.  Banging her hooves on the cell, crying her eyes out as she screamed and begged him from afar.  To no avail. I saw him turn to the cell, slowly trotting toward the place all those slaver assistants had tried to hide in.  The place they had trapped themselves in.

    “Brim!  BRIM! Don't!  PLEASE! You're better than this!  You're BETTER!”

    He didn't hear...or he didn't care.  Even as the guards above finally realised his plan, it was too late to aim and fire before he charged.  Braying his war cry, the raider warlord disappeared into the cell before the horrified screams started. I couldn't even see it, but I could hear all too clearly the crunch of bones, wet splats of blood and every body-aching crash amidst the whirling movements in the dark around a dark red behemoth that began to systematically and mercilessly slaughter the assistants.

    One even managed to get past him, bearing a crushed cheekbone and staggering out on three legs, his fourth was...

    Oh Goddesses.

    I had to turn to retch even as the assistant collapsed in a red pool, squealing for the help that would never arrive in time to save his life.  I heard Glimmerlight sink down at the bars, wailing as loud as she could for him to stop.

    Up above, panic reigned.  They saw a large portion of their workforce being massacred and struggled to bring their weapons to bear.  Slavers ran all across the upper level, none daring enter the Plaza to reach its new built bridges. But Brimstone had chosen his plan well and the inside of the cell was hid so tightly away from the balcony that they could never reach him.  Eventually, perhaps in desperation, I heard the order shouted: 'Get in there!'

    Hooves clattered down stairs.  I heard rifles cocked and shotguns racked.  I wanted to warn him, to shout out and tell him to stop!  But I could only sit back, witnessing powers and authorities far beyond that of my place in the world act out unstoppably before me.

    The main Plaza door swung open and Brimstone was there to meet it.  Blood splattered across his body, pupils dilated from the adrenaline and thundering forward he rushed for the doorway.  Two slavers who galloped in were simply crushed below his hooves. Ribcages snapped as Brimstone simply ran over them as the third tried to retreat and close the door.  With one mighty swing, Brimstone slammed it shut himself and crushed the pony in the door frame. Retching as he screamed, the slaver became a door block to all his colleagues trying to pull him inside and seal it.

    No chance.

    He tore it from their hooves, swinging it open and disappearing through it.  I heard everything. Gunshots went off, slavers shouted for reinforcements and to 'just fucking shoot him!' Flares of gunfire lit the area just outside the door and the smell of gunpowder reached my nostrils.  But the violence only kept going on, slavers ran back into the Plaza pulling their brutalised comrades to escape the carnage that went on behind those doors.  I heard the sound change, moving further away, higher up. Crashes, raging cries, and sounds of walls and all furniture being absolutely destroyed in his path simply went higher and higher...he'd found the stairs!

    Glimmerlight pulled aside one of the broken bars, bucking the doorway over and over as it taunted and teased her with only just not opening.  I was frozen, listening to Brimstone fulfilling his very promise by sound alone in the distance.  No, wait! Not further! They were-

    A squeal of terror sharply cut the Plaza as a slaver crashed down from the balcony before going utterly silent in a crumpled heap.  Even my recent mind couldn't think too deeply as my eyes were drawn upwards to see the sudden light of gunshots and debris of battle combined upon the balcony.  Slavers appeared now and again, dozens of voices! Brimstone was taking on the entire Mall alone!

    But there was another voice, I only heard it for a few seconds in the distance.  Swearing and accompanying the titanic crash of two huge ponies wrestling back and forth.  I saw My Master back toward the balcony! Then Brimstone's head briefly appeared before they both disappeared again.

    What was-

    All my thoughts were put on hold at the sight that occurred.  Charging forward, ramming My Master ahead of him in a crushing tackle, Brimstone Blitz screamed bloody murder and came rushing off the edge, My Master below him as the pair flew into thin air!  Hanging for a second before my wide eyes, surrounded by the broken remnants of the balcony's marble barrier, the two biggest ponies in my life arced and fell from Brimstone's rampage down multiple storeys.  Tumbling, spinning...My Master was on the bottom as they landed, obliterating the surrounding wall of the fountain and sending a thud through the ground so hard I felt my insides judder.

    Water poured out, washing through the rock dust that had kicked up around them that cleared to the sight of the most ferocious raider in perhaps Equestrian history unleashing all that anger upon one pony.  Guttural shouts and curses on every movement, Brimstone beat My Master into the ground, grabbing his head and slamming it repeatedly off the fountain's remaining structure. Only pausing to slap aside any attempt to fight back, I saw that my thought of them as huge equals was not even close.  Brimstone was straight up destroying him! Blood poured from both My Master's head and Brimstone's mouth, whether from injuries or ripping attacks before, or simply from biting himself in the frenzy!

    Slavers swarmed.  From all sides, they leapt upon him.  Whips, clubs, shock rods and even buckshot flew into Brimstone's body without any apparent effect!  Three slavers were grabbed and hurled across the Plaza from straying too close.  One of the heftier raiders was dropped with a solid butt from Brim's skull before throwing himself back at My Master.  Taking note of the water he shoved the Slave Master's head beneath it, aiming simply to drown the slaver!

    “COWARDLY BASTARD!”

    Dragging him out, Brimstone slammed a hoof into his chest and threw him right back underwater, hooves cutting into his throat!

    “I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER, YOU FUCKING SADIST!”

    Hooves slammed down again and again even as he held the struggling slaver's face below water.  My Master's hooves battered at Brimstone, cutting him on his hoof's edge, bruising with his own huge strength but ultimately not doing anything to penetrate the blood rage that had overtaken my friend.

    The slavers finally got their act together.  Glimmer cried out as she saw three high-powered rifles brought to bear.

    “Fire!  Fire!”

    “BRIM!” Glimmer bucked hard upon the cage, jarring it, but not quite getting it open!

    He paid no heed, veins standing out, and shaking his victim beneath him.

    “YOU ARE NOTHING YOU-”

    The rifles fired in a quick volley. The raider was flung to the side, struck three times along his torso with enough force to make him buckle, stagger and fall.  Collapsing into the pouring water out of the fountain that was washing over and mixing with the blood spilled all around, Brimstone dropped.

    With a clang, finally the cell door sprung open!  Glimmer galloped out and, not knowing what I was doing, I followed.  I saw her make a beeline for Brimstone, putting herself between him and the slavers.  I only got a few feet before I felt somepony grab me from behind.

    “Come here, runt!  We'll need a little insurance!” A whiny and nasal voice; Wormtail!

    I felt a barrel pressed against the side of my head...and I went very still.

    Brimstone was getting to his hooves again, somehow.  He was clearly hurt and bleeding profusely, but still limping forward to continue.

    “Stop!  Raider! You don't want him hurt?  Well, how about this?” Wormtail cried out, pressing the muzzle harshly into my ear, making me whine.

    Across the crowded Plaza, past the battered and exhausted slavers, the barely moving heap of My Master in the fountain and the tear-stained Glimmerlight pleading for Brimstone to stop...I saw him finally give pause.

    There was a silence between them, the gurgling of water as it flowed around the unmoving and brutalised form of My Master, drawing his lifeblood with it.  Limbs flopped, his messed mane floated over the fountain's surface. He had just been absolutely torn into, an example of Brimstone's capability when truly angered.

    Growling lowly however, Brimstone stood his ground from my situation.

    “Let...him...go...”

    “So you can break me?  Hah! Move one hoof forward and your little stunt earlier won't mean anything!”

    I simply stared at Brimstone, seeing the willpower it took him to resist the urge inside driving him to keep fighting.  He didn't take one step forward...but did move backward, turning to put a dent in a cell before using it to lean on.

    “Sick bastards...he is innocent!”

    No, no Brimstone.  I'm not innocent, I'm a slave.  Please understand, doing what they want is what I was meant to be doing.  I don't want it, but I'm not worth ruining things fighting over.  I only wished I could dare speak out of turn to tell him.

    Wormtail didn't have to answer...for in a splutter of water and thick blood My Master rose from the fountain before falling back in, his body failing him to land spreadeagled and coughing thick wads of bloody spit up, all too similar to me.  Yet even on his back, strewn in injured ruin...he laughed.  He laughed long and he laughed loud.  Arrogant, triumphant, and utterly satisfied.

    “I told you!  HAHAHAAA!” He turned to my friends, twisting shattered teeth through a sick grin.  I saw Brimstone's pain in his eyes mixed with the anger, dearly wanting to cave the slaver's skull in.

    “I told you!  Told you I'd find a way to hurt you!  BAAAHAHA! You remember?  You said there was no way, raider!  But there was!  That runt fucking pegasus got into your big 'tough' heart, raider, and I have him set to be ravaged just to show you that there's no beating your Master!  He will always find a way to punish you for trying to act high and bloody mighty before him like you have a choice!”

    He coughed, falling out of the fountain and beating slavers away as he came to his hooves and clearly struggled to get up.

    “Now you'll get to die knowing just who controls who hurts and who lives around here, raider!”

    Brimstone snarled and clearly made to charge, but my throat constricted from the hoof around it to the point I shrieked at hearing the trigger mechanism of the pistol against my head tighten.  The massive earth pony ceased, growling lowly.

    He...he did it all just to get at Brimstone.

    He used me like his personal weapon to hurt my friend.  Just some tool, some belonging My Master possessed to use however he wanted, for whatever end!

    Just like I was being used now, like the pathetic and incapable slave I was, to keep Brimstone in check.  The horrible thing was part of my mind was only telling me this was supposed to be my role.  Just a slave. A slave who strayed too far from his purpose.

    “Heh...you just stay there, raider!  Slavers!  Restrain him and find him some healing potions, he'll need them.” My Master limped toward the door before turning back and speaking loudly after spitting upon the floor.  “For the disobedient slave Brimstone Blitz will be sent to die in the Pit later today for your amusement, and to show that you do not disobey in my Mall!  Get him in the strong cell till it's time, go!”

    That was that.  Even as Brimstone, Glimmerlight, and I found each other's faces, I just couldn't keep up with the conflicting emotions of anger, guilt, pain, and despair between the three of us.

    All I knew was that I just wished I had fallen from that control tower long ago, so that maybe none of this would have happened.

    Even the day was dark.  Some slaves that had returned from trawling the hillsides outside Fillydelphia for scavenged materials were claiming they could see the end of the storm coming near in the great blanket of clouds above.  But for now Fillydelphia was still firmly locked in its embrace. Beneath the rain, pools of water formed in the Plaza under a harsh battering on the metal roof above us.

    Thankfully, this darkness only aided me.

    The lock hadn't been repaired on our cell yet.  Awaiting a chance, I had sneaked out to try and find him.  It wasn't hard, most slavers had retreated from the Plaza to treat the wounds or say a goodbye to their comrades who had not survived Brimstone's onslaught.  Frankly, I thought, the fact that they'd not simply killed him on the spot was a miracle in itself. Presumably My Master wanted the drawn out nature of the Pit.

    The huge bars just ahead marked where they'd taken him.  Slowly, creeping hoof by hoof, I shifted up to them while trying to ignore the fear of being within reach of him.  Oh come on, Murky, I chided myself. That's stupid to think! He's your friend! Your...friend.

    My eyes adjusted to the darkness well, seeing the massive shape of him near the back of the cell.  Sitting down and hunched over, completely unmoving. His head turned when I tapped lightly on a metal bar with a hoof.  The sound was tinny and weak, nothing compared to the thick sound of him rising to approach the front with those immensely thick shackles around his hooves dragging under him.

    “Murk.” A simple and rather curt greeting.  “You should be in your cell with Glim.”

    Shuffling on my hooves, I glanced back at the cell I'd left, before shaking my head.

    “She's re-watching one of the orbs from before that we looked at.  Trying to distract herself, I think.”

    “All the same you need your rest more than ever right now.  I don't need the rot to tell me how sick you look. It's like you've just switched off upstairs a bit, lad.”

    No...no I'm fine.  This is just how you're meant to see me, tired and blurring life by...nothing but a slave. I'm fine...”

    He snorted, the rush of air blowing my mane to one side.

    “Your very coat is falling out in places around your neck, Murk.  I can see how pale you are beneath it.  The bones on your legs are visible with malnutrition.  You are not fine after what they put you through just to get at me.”

    A low growl accompanied the words, gritting his teeth before the big raider slumped down...anger extinguished to simmer below the surface.  Looking at my legs, I leaned on the bars.

    “My Master would probably have done it anyway.  I...I think. It's horrible...but he asks and I have to obey.  J-just how it is for a born slave.”

    I felt myself well up a little.  Brimstone only snorted again, blowing my mane in the other direction even after I'd fixed it.

    “I just don't get why you want to let him control you.  I don't get it at all. Maybe it's just what we're born as.  Slave and raider. But I won't see you just giving yourself up to all that.  To him or to life. Just...just fucked up. With my life, that's saying something.  At least I chose to do all I did.”

    “Sorry...”

    His head turned sharply, before just sighing and shaking his head.  I really was sorry though! Sorry that he didn't understand. Maybe because he'd actually had a life, and tasted what freedom was, even if what he'd chosen to do with it wasn't right.  Perhaps that's why he didn't understand why the only choice any slave ever had was when it should end.

    But I had to ask the question that had been on my mind.

    “Will you, um, be okay in the Pit?  It's like before, I'm scared Brimstone.”

    He gently lay against the bars, as though sitting beside me.

    “Just been sitting here thinking the same.  Maybe once I could say for sure, but this body's getting on a bit, Murk.  Shackles won't make it easy, probably round up what's left of the Big Four.  You've seen Barb, he was my lesser in a Clan that rewarded brutality and bloody spectacle but you saw how dangerous he was.  The others are here too.”

    “I...I've met Wildcard.”

    Brimstone's head whipped around to me, eyes containing a concern and a fury.  I hopped back from the bars like I'd suddenly seen Barb appear behind him, the anger catching me off guard.  My nervous feelings flying up. Shivering and feeling so weak, I tried to force myself to sit down again.

    “Wildcard?  That maniac? You are lucky to be alive. Where?”

    I told him, explaining the incident with the meeting and later on with Sunny, my tone low and without much spark in it, something I knew Brim spotted.  But his eyes narrowed as he heard how Wildcard was working with My Master to some extent too. Clearly the notion that the ‘Big Four’ and the slavers were further in league was not a happy one to him.

    “He is one of the more dangerous, as much as Barb could be, for sure.  I don't know how Shackles managed to secure him to do anything. Took me beating his face into a rock eight times over two months before he finally saw me as leader and did what he was told.  Nasty sod. The power of a combat unicorn with the body of an earth pony and one fucked up mind that didn't give two flying shits about pain or danger. You avoid him, Murk.  Don't ever try to predict him or trick him.”

    “D-do you think he'll be in the Pit?” Quaking, I rubbed one leg with my hoof.

    “Almost certainly.  If he knows I'm in, he'll be there.  This is still a fight, aye, but Shackles will try to make it an execution.”

    I hesitated a second, but part of me was curious.  Raising my voice up, tiny in front of his deeper tone, “Who were the others?  The Big Four, I mean?”

    As though realising he was resigned to not much but me to talk to about his past, Brimstone rolled out his neck and settled back, looking rather grim.

    “Barb was the youngest of them...but he had his uses in ways I'm sure you know well enough.  Wildcard was too dangerous to not let be in charge, he'd been a warband chieftain long before, with his own drugged-up crazy lot.  The others?”

    He scratched his chin with a hoof, the chains clanking.

    “Well, not all were ponies.  Had a great big minotaur. Big Brutus, we called him.  Wandered into the camp one day and challenged me. Right out of the damn blue.  Tough fucking fight. Couldn't make him anything but one of the four after that.”

    Big Brutus!?

    “I...I met him too!”

    The look on Brimstone's face was almost funny in its sudden look of surprise.

    “M-Master Grindstone has a minotaur called that!  His bodyguard! He even chased me once...he was at that meeting too, all, um...cy...cyba...cybamentinic!  Like, robot arms!”

    I waved my front legs about a little, as though trying to demonstrate what I meant, before realising how silly that seemed from the lack of any change on Brim's face and pulling myself back in.  A little slave instinct told me to quit drawing attention to myself. Gutted inside, I couldn't quite beat it back down.

    “Cybernetics?  Sounds like him.  Always was pretty determined to find a way to make himself stronger than me.  Wildcard may have challenged more times but that was just for fun to him. Brutus was the real leadership challenger I had my eye on to probably someday put me down.  Following Grindstone though? That doesn't make any sense...Big Brutus hated being led.  Those enhancements must have done something to his brain.”

    Brimstone snorted again, flipping my mane backwards to expose my forehead and that accursed scar.  I tried to snort back when I corrected it, but simply sounded akin to a filly's sneeze.

    “Probably a good thing, he's better off not being ambitious anyway.  But he was already a nightmare for those before him, with bionics he would be a fell foe indeed.”

    “So, who was the last?”

    An odd look came about him.

    “The last...now there was an interesting pony.  Not a straight up fighter, but he was the one who kept us all going.  Clan that big? Needs somepony who can know where to get the food, the kit, and where's good to go and chib when we needed something.  Fancy-thinking stallion called Rough Diamond who dealt with all that and who got what. Well, once me and the others got their choices from any loot, anyways.  Even raiders have a bit of organisation, and he was the one who did it.”

    I was suddenly sat wide-eyed.  Glimmer's memory had had a stallion she'd called ‘Diamond’ in the time before the raiders attacked!

    Oh no...oh no...

    “Basically, Diamond would go out, find out what he could as a trader, and then bring us in when he felt the time was right.  Sometimes even open a gate from inside if Barb wasn't around to do it. Nopony fucked with him, even if he was a piss-poor little wee thing for fighting by raider standards.  Cos' if you did, you had me to break your skull. He was too valuable; intelligent minds don't often find raider clans.”

    Do I tell him?  Do I ask? He hadn't mentioned Glimmer, he'd said he wasn't involved in Creaky Hollow's destruction when they destroyed Coral's home!  Oh, I didn't know. I had to be vague, find out more before I risked causing another incident here.

    “Is...is he at the Pit?”

    Brimstone shook his head.

    “Nah.  He's long dead now.  When I got to Creaky Hollow I found him among the bodies.  Happens sometimes, got a new raider up soon after but we were caught by Red Eye within days so it doesn't matter.  Always was an odd stallion, Diamond. Never quite fitted in with us, little sassenach, I used to call him.”

    “A what?”

    Brimstone blinked, before chuckling in that gravelly deep voice.

    “Lowland born.  Wee of body and flighty of tone.  Quiet and not like us, he'd sit off or go elsewhere when the brutal shit started.  Probably why he often got trusted by settlements more than any of us, with that silver tongue of his.  Got on well with him, probably the only one I didn't expect to backstab me. Made me wonder what his game was being in a raider clan, sometimes.”

    Brimstone rubbed his chin.   

    “Whatever, he's maggot food now.  The Goddesses can judge him for the liar he was.  Right now I only need to think on what they will think of me.  That's what I've really been thinking on.  Whatever happens tomorrow, if I were to die in a Pit of rage and violence in front of ponies who would see my life ending as justice...is that enough for the Goddesses above?”

    There it was.  What sounded like curiosity, but I could hear the tone of fear underneath.  Not a fear of anything bad or scary, but a fear of himself and with what the Goddesses would see in this brutal figure for his life.  But that was a lot to think on. Rough Diamond was one of the Big Four! It was starting to come together, or was it? I hardly knew the full tale.

    Looking up, seeing Brimstone, I had enough things to concentrate on right now rather than something I couldn't change as he spoke.

    “I cannot ever allow the rage to take me again, no matter what happens.  I have done enough damage by letting the Dragon roam free. Even if it robs me of my fighting spirit, I will not fall to that ever again.”

    “The Goddesses are kind, Brim.  You helped me and-”

    “Is it enough?  Go to the wastes and watch every fucking settlement be afraid of me.  Look at the fifty-plus years of killing, torturing, looting, raping, and burning that I caused upon hundreds of lives.  At all the slaves in here because I sold them in.  That's all I wonder, when is it enough?  At what point will I be forgiven and at what point I could forgive myself for what I am?  Just a rage-filled old pony with a life of death behind him.”

    Brimstone sighed.

    “I cannot allow that rage to control me again...not for anything.  For fighting or for anger...never again.”

    Once more, we went a little silent as I curled up near the bars to stay in the shadows.  I never knew the words to say that would help things...so the most I could do was simply be there to listen to him.  However Brimstone turned to look down and toward me, softening his face.

    “Murky, you grew up with the Goddesses in your belief, didn't you?”

    “Y-yes.  My mother taught me it.  S-she said that where she grew up they all believed it.”

    “What...” He paused.  “What do they do after you die, Murk?  On the eve of a great challenge, I have to ask.  What does this faith of yours tell is judged for a pony when they fall?”

    Shifting to sit up, I blinked a few times and rambled through my patchy memory to try and recall it.  I remembered the prayers through repetition and desperation, but what happened after death wasn't something I'd thought on in a long long time.

    “Well, m-my mother told me that it was like a rush?  A release?” Taking a breath, I felt a few memories pick up, words of wisdom on the mercy of the Goddesses.  “That as it happens...as life ends and the darkness comes to your vision, it will flow around your senses and leave you as you were dying, awaiting the peace to soothe any pain.”

    My voice began drifting, closing my eyes.  Imagination of it all beginning to soar and truly remember my mother's teachings.

    “A moment of calm to reflect on that it has happened alone.  You will be left to your dying moment for reflection before the Goddesses above, mighty Celestia or watchful Luna, will come from on above to stand by you.  As the world recedes like a silver fading veil they will be there to comfort and ease your passing when they carry you into the great sky as mercy for your lived hardships.”

    The world had faded to just Brimstone and myself.  His presence was easy to hear with my eyes closed, clearly sitting and thinking on it.

    “There, when they have arrived where the sun and the moon spiral eternally...they will turn to you, and...either one or the other will speak.  Asking you about the life you have led and you will answer truthfully, for they know lies from honesty. It takes as long as it takes, until they have heard all.  It is not judgement, but simply a process before they will lead you to a new place in peace. What you tell of your own life will no doubt make you think and change before you are left under their watchful rule in a new world.”

    I sniffed, wiping an eye.

    “Some place out of reach from all chains of birth, far beyond the stars in a place not so different to the world you know.  You might see the same lands you remember, or maybe your home, but it is where past and present might be reunited through a new journey you shall take to find the friends and family you left behind within a better world than what you left.  To seek them out and be together again after your escape. That's what she told me, I mean, I...I think...”

    Bowing my head, I leaned on the bars, hearing Brimstone shift.  Softly, one of his giant limbs reached through to settle around me.  The moment it touched me, I couldn't help but flinch and jump. Gritting my teeth and feeling guilty, I fought past the my shattered nerves to not pull away.  A friend, Murky...a friend.

    “Aye, then they shall hear my life and look sternly upon my brow, but I shan't hide from them.  Thank you, Murk. No matter what tomorrow brings, if it has to happen I will gladly tell my life at their behest.”

    Without much indication, he drew over a small bowl of the rank food they'd handed him.  Too small for his needs, but he slipped it through to me.

    “You need this more than I do.  Go on.”

    Looking up at the big raider with wide eyes, I pushed myself into his awkward embrace through the bars.  Under the quiet time of rest in this early morning amongst the Mall, interrupted only by the sobs and moans from various cells, I just lay shivering beside him at the bars and finishing the food he had given up for me.

    “I don't want anything to happen to you in there, Brim...”

    “What happens, happens.  Glimmerlight will always be there for you.  If it's time for me to meet the Goddesses, then I shall still look upon you all from on high.  Now go, Murky. Glim needs you just as much as you need her.”

    I didn't go immediately, but spent time shivering and trying to wish I could rest there without being eventually spotted.  Only when the clatter of keys in locks signalled a slaver patrol coming near was I finally forced to break away and creep back to my own cell.

    Behind me, lowly from the cell, I could almost have sworn I heard that deep voice of his murmuring unsure words.

    A prayer.

    “This has all happened before, Murky.  Don't you worry.”

    Glimmer reached across and gently ruffled my mane with a thin smile.  We were sitting in the back of our cell. My belongings had been left there.  Allegedly, Blunderbuck had retrieved them from storage when My Master had rid his office of them.  My journal, PipBuck, saddlebag, and the statuette Unity had given me at least anyway. Anything else was either in the armoury or storage chambers.  My fleece, I had heard, was beyond repair after being used as a cleaning rag by My Master. The sting of loss for that warm companion I'd had to hide my pitiful wings since my first attempt ran deep.

    The statuette, I hadn't dared look at.  I'd simply stored it in my saddlebag. It didn't truly mean what it used to anymore.

    As such, possessing my journal again, I'd sat staring at a blank page, not sure what to draw.  Or even if I could.

    Truth was, I was being quiet and still.  So much so I was sure Glimmerlight was rather concerned at my mental state.  I didn't blame her, seeing the slave instead of the pony, the slave who'd sought the only choice he could ever make not a few hours ago.

    “R-really?”

    “Oh yes.” She nodded.  “Brimstone's been through the Pit three times now.  Four if you include where you met him. Every time he had to fight.  Every time he completely destroyed them. Brim'll be...okay.”

    I heard a hesitation, it was fairly obvious what it was.  Brimstone had faltered, fallen back into the murderous pony he'd been once more.  Biting my lip, I sat up and turned away from my journal to more properly face her.

    “Are, um, you okay, though?” My voice sounded raspy.  Truth be told I was feeling quite weak of limb and dizzy.  Only scant thought to not make things worse than I had already was keeping me from trying to show how badly I could feel that...thing swelling in my lungs.

    Glimmerlight kept smiling, but only with her mouth.  Eventually, seeing me looking up, her ears drooped and her head dipped.  Like a mask falling off, I saw just how hurt she was from what had happened.

    “He...he hit me.  Just to get me out of the way.  It didn't hurt, not like a strike, but he just threw me aside.  He's never done that.  I haven't seen him like that since...well, y'know?”

    Her hoof lazily gestured to her small bag of memory orbs before she lay back against the sofa, hissing in pain from her whipped back before settling on her haunches.

    “Brim killed all those ponies, Murky.  Just slaughtered them, defenceless and just trying to stay out the way.  Not every pony in here is evil!  They didn't deserve that, I knew a few of them by name from bringing us food!  Ponies like Blunderbuck could have been in there. Folks like him are just good ponies in a bad place with no way out, the same as us.  I...”

    She sniffed, wiping her eyes.

    “I want to forgive him, but it's just turning into an urge.  To reach for an orb and just...let it go. Go back to only remembering him as he was.  Emotions clashing with temptation. An addiction of sorts, making me weak. Sorry, I've not been as happy as I like to be lately.”

    Picking up my blanket, I huddled up beside her, placing it over her back as much as my own.  Brimstone had told me to be there for her and though I would have done it even without his wishes, I wasn't about to let him down.  All the same, Rough Diamond was a harsh topic, one I didn't want to bring up lightly, yet one that bore down upon me. The stallion who she thought she'd loved was nothing more than Brimstone's raider spy taking advantage of Glimmer's casual nature.  No wonder Coral Eve was angry.

    But I had to believe for Glimmer, believe that she could come past this, find the truth, and put an end to that chapter of her life.  It was for those reasons I picked up her bag of orbs before sitting beside her too.

    “If...if you're feeling bad about wanting to use orbs and get rid of things, maybe do the opposite?  M-maybe trying to find out more will h-help you distract yourself and...and come closer to working through it?”

    She looked weakly at me, then at the orbs piled in her bag.  Then she giggled and laughed, trying to force it through the hurt on her face.

    “So if this one's another tonsil tennis session, you'd be alright?  You seemed a little flustered last time, maybe if it was a certain unicorn we know...”

    I simply sat quietly, before I realised that was humour. Was I really sot numb to the core that I couldn't even recognise a tease from Glimmer? Letting her words run through my head again, seeing her concern, I felt the harsh pang of reality hit home.  I doubted I'd ever think of who she’d meant the same way again.

    “Oh...um...I don't think she'd ever-”

    “Pfft, who said she?” Glimmerlight pushed a grin through a split dry lip that had long gone without enough moisture.  Looking up, she saw me blink and only get it after a few seconds, before giving a knowing wink as I baulked.

    “I...I...uh, um...mares!”

    “Sure, lil'bro, sure...”

    Leaving me to have my mind racing on the words to tell her that I liked mares (Honest!  Really!), I saw her digging around the little glowing spheres. How she told the difference between orbs was beyond me, I just saw colours.  But then it was her talent after all. Laughing as I blushed and hugging me tight with a kiss to the forehead, I could do little but appreciate the kind gesture.  It reminded me of better things about contact between two ponies when my mind was fighting the hateful imagination of something much more vile.

    “Th-thanks...” My voice felt weak while she dug out an orb.

    “Hey, I may be the gal who is more than happy to tease the clothes off somepony, but I know more when someone’s hurting, Murky.  Just...just try to not think about it.” She lifted the orb in her magic, a pale pink sparkling one. “Let's just drift away for a bit, alright?  Go someplace else, fight another battle to find out what really happened. Forget about the one we're losing in here. That sound better?”

    Gently, feeling my emotions on a knife edge as they were right now, I nodded.  It did sound good, being able to see another life and pretend I wasn't a pet slave for a while...

    Settling down beside me, keeping the blanket over us, Glimmerlight brought the orb between us before her horn's light from telekinesis shimmered and grew.

    “Just let go for a while. You need the break, Murky...”

    Things didn't change much.

    In the world I'd left I was snuggled under a blanket with my sis', but the feeling didn't disappear as I felt myself enter a larger and stronger body than my own.  Somepony was still snuggled into me.

    Murmuring happily, Glimmer opened her eyes to find she was huddled up under a blanket outdoors under the night sky.  Well, the dark clouds in calm weather anyway. The light wind with the night's chill was positively refreshing after the stuffy and furnace-like atmosphere of Fillydelphia, the clean air filling my lungs as she breathed gently.

    Huddled up with her was an earth pony, Rough Diamond.

    A strange sensation, for sure.  I wanted to tense up yet she only relaxed further.  He lifted drowsy eyes in return and offered a warm smile.

    “Hey there, my pink dream.” His informal and smooth voice cooed out, stroking her side.  “We've got hours yet till dawn, y'can sleep if y'want...”

    “Nah,” Glimmer rubbed her eyes with a hoof, before toying with his thick brown mane and giggling, “I'm happy just here. Never was one for lying around.  Better to be up and active. Fixing something, doing one of a dozen little things I know. Jack of all trades, I can be, when I want to. Just get bored easily.”

    “What like?”

    “Oh everything, helping with the crops, prospecting the hills, learning to shoot with my mouth, how to cook, or even just playing with all sorts of technology.  Oh, and massage, can't forget massages, I know that too.”

    I felt her eyebrows wiggle, making Diamond laugh.

    “I'll have to remember that one someday!  Be more comfortable on a bed though, such a pity you're not allowed to take me there.  I'd love to see this peaceful place you talk highly of. Maybe meet your friends, Coral Eve and her son?  They sound lovely.”

    Glimmerlight lightly tapped him on the head with her hoof.

    “You know fine I can't until I bring them around to you, hun.  I could say the same in return for your caravan.”

    Diamond rolled his eyes.  “Yes, yes. But really, that's not a good idea.  They don't like folks seeing their full stock, you know?  We have to maintain some degree of our secrecy. Plus, the boss is...well, to put it simply, I'm the good guy while he's the one who hashes out the really tough deals, let's just say.  Doesn't take no for an answer.”

    “Sounds like a swell stallion.” Glimmer muttered sarcastically, stretching as she got up.  I could see her eyes dart towards somewhere in the woods for only a second while Diamond's back was turned, probably the location of Creaky Hollow, but the thick woods even when dead hid the dull spotlights they used to see.  “You traders should be careful though, our scouts spotted a huge raider warband in the area yesterday.  They say that it might be him. The Dragon.”

    Rough Diamond got up, walking to the edge of the hill they'd chosen to lie upon and placing a hoof over her shoulder.

    “Don't y'worry about me and the boys, love.  We know how to avoid them, good caravan drivers can outrun anypony on foot if we've got a mind to, and we've got enough firepower to see them off.  Like my trusty little piece over there.”

    He nodded toward his pack, where a bolt-action rifle lay propped against a tree.  Even I with all my unknowing of weapons and specifics could see it was very well maintained, despite clearly being remade a few times from various woods and metal pieces.  The stock of the gun bore a chipped-in symbol of his cutie mark. Presumably just to identify it as his. Glimmerlight's eyes ran all the way from one end to the other and I could feel the approval on her face at the fine piece.

    “I had noticed. I'd ask to take a few shots, but the timberwolves go after sound around these woods.  Still, you should let me toy with her. Take her home for a bit and I'll give her a work over and upgrade for you in exchange for some orbs, maybe?”

    Diamond laughed, pulling his mouth closer to her ear and whispering, “Not a chance. She's the other love of my life and I don't think she likes threesomes or swings the same way you do.”

    Glimmer snorted and laughed, playfully pushing his head away with a hoof.

    “Aah, ya silly buck.  Keep her all to yourself then, just wait till she desperately needs to go to some war and you'll wish your pal Glim had given her the once over with Steel Ranger trained techniques!  Give me a good platform and I'll make her something incredible. But really...take it safe out there. Those raiders were awful close to the main roads out of here.  You get that boss of yours to stay clear of them and stick to the hills, it's safer there.”

    Diamond nodded a few times as she spoke.  “Don't worry, he listens to me. I've...well, I've been trying to talk him into a few things lately.  Honestly, he's big and nasty, but sometimes I feel there's something else in there. He's a pony you could trust to do something.  I dunno...no one else seems to see it but I keep thinking he's got another side under all the anger that makes him deal so harshly.  Heck, he took me in, and the trade caravans are usually all about the stern merciless dealers, y'know?”

    Glimmer nodded, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.  “I don't imagine you get to be in charge if you can't recognise somepony's worth.  Like, gauge them at a glance. Hell, I do that too sometimes! Just instead of gauging the size of your capability I gauged the size of your pe-”

    “Heeey!” A smirk as he playfully butted in.   

    “Whaaaat?  I was gonna say personality.” An innocent look.

    “Sure.” A deadpan stare.

    “Honest!” A bright smile.

    “'P' and 'e' don't even sound the same for 'personality' compared t'what you said.” A rise of his eyebrows as he leaned in.

    A few seconds passed of them looking at one another, before I felt Glimmer's mouth unable to avoid jerking and giggling...before both just burst into laughter.

    “Ah, Glim.  Hahaha! You know, I've been to a dozen villages over the years, met a good few mares along the way, I admit.  Not that you're one to talk.”

    She seemed to shake out her mane proudly.  No shame at all. “Live life to have fun. Wasteland’s bad enough, why not have a beautiful moment between two ponies who just want to forget it all for a bit?”

    He smiled. “Yes, good times with many, but I don't think I've met any as downright fun or interesting as you.  I admit, I look forward to coming here every time.  I don't mind admitting that I wouldn't perhaps overlook asking that when the trades are done if you could see about me coming to live, y'know...permanently?  Part of me wants out of this trade, find someplace quiet to get away from the harsh life it entails. Things you see...I think I'm just wanting out of it.”

    Glimmer seemed a little taken aback. I felt her front hooves trying to hide the little nervous pacing they made.

    “Well, I'm not going beat about the bush here, Diamond.  I'm not a mare who's used to the whole 'settling' with one person, y'know?  At least yet! I'm young, free, and I left that stuffy bunker to live without order and rules. Go wherever, live however, eat whatever, love whoever. To just go out and do what I wanted while I could, until the time came to think about anything more.  But, all the same, it'd be nice to have you around, y'know?”

    She smirked.  Truth be told, I had to feel even a little happy to see the playful teases until I remembered who this was she was speaking to.  That Diamond was seeking any way he could to get that village location out of her! He really was a master at this, his face looked genuine!

    “I'd love that.  Now, I've got to go in a few hours, so let's get something to eat and see about making a trade for some of those orbs, huh?”

    Glimmer nodded, trotting toward their discarded packs for the brief meeting in the woods.

    “Yeah, I've been running low lately, lots of things to get out!  Better out than in, right? But here, first? I got you something...”

    She began to rummage in her pack, watching Diamond for a second to take in the shocked surprise at this gift.  Slowly, she drew out a long bullet. The tip of it glowed light blue from a soldered and filed down rough join.  It reminded me of the things she'd stuck on the end of her rifle during the battles against Barb's raiders but in a much more condensed form, to be fired from the gun instead.

    “Glimmer...what is this?  It'll fit in my rifle, I know...”

    “My own personal little creation!  Learned how to do so from my father, it's a small magic charge stored in the tip of a bullet drawn from a targeting talisman on a high powered energy rifle. Basically, using spark connectors to channel the magic energy from it into a new small talisman that I then solder to the end of a bullet casing. Simply put, it's your wonderbullet!”

    She floated it over to him with her magic, Rough Diamond taking it in his hooves.

    “Glim...this, I mean...you're giving me it?”

    She laughed, bopping him on the head.

    “Course I am, you silly thing!  Now it's channelled with the power and accuracy of a high intensity energy weapon's targeting system spell, so it'll fly truer than any bullet you've got and detonate on striking.  They're impractical as hell because the stuff they come from is so rare and often put to better use elsewhere. So if you ever fight anything too tough to kill, anything that's got you on the ropes and about to stop you coming back to give me a welcome home buck in the woods?  This'll bring you back to me safe the one time it matters.”

    It wasn't often I heard Glimmerlight being truly sentimental and heartfelt about even a loose relationship, but even I felt moved by this.  Her way of showing that even if she was never going to properly settle right now, she wanted him to stay safe, to return to her. He simply stared at it for a few seconds.

    “That's...a first.  Somepony giving me something.  You never see that with the boys...”

    Glimmerlight grinned brightly, rubbing her nose against his.  Heehee! That tickled! Stop it sis’, come on!

    “Just come back safe and I'll have a chat with Coral about seeing what I can do for when you decide to come join us and disappear from the world for a while.”

    Leaning inward, I felt her lips graze his.

    “I'll make it happen, you deserve a break.  Trust me, it'll be absolutely stormin'!”

    Her mouth pressed in further, working hard with her lips as they fell to the floor and snuggled, the blanket being drawn over even as I felt myself begin to leave her body, life and memory...

    So this was confirming it.  He was finding a way to get himself into the village in order to know its location for Brimstone's clan.  What a weasel!

    With the thought of what he would do to her eventually in these orbs, I could feel my heart break even now for my poor friend.

    The feeling of being snuggled was still there even as I came to with Glimmer, even tighter than I remembered.  Warmer...closer...rougher coat...

    Wait...what?

    “Morning, sunshine!” Wildcard singsonged.

    There was a half second pause...before both Glimmer and I screamed in shock at the large raider snuggled in between us under the blanket.  What...what I...WHAT!?  Glimmer fell off her side of the sofa, thumping against the floor while I somehow found the body energy to propel myself up and over the back of the sofa, my kicking legs disappearing to fall in a heap upon the other side.

    I heard Wildcard lounge back and yawn, had he been sleeping there!?

    “Aah they always do that, so come on!  Today's the day! It's today!”

    Glimmer and I found each other around the side of the sofa, her covering me against him while the crazed raider shifted and turned to sit up on the sofa, stretching.  Mid yawn, I saw those scars on his face twist and do strange things to the shape of his mouth and snout. Running his cracked hooves through his multicoloured mane he got to his hooves.

    “It's early evening.” Glimmerlight muttered to him, slowly trying to back up toward the way to the front door.

    Wildcard cocked his head.

    “How do you know that?”

    “What?  It was late morning earlier and we weren't out for long in that orb so-”

    “Do you know you were only out for a little time?  What if it was...ooh!” He gasped, a hoof to his mouth.  “What if it was a year? How do you know with nothing to prove it?  Perhaps it was two days? Huh?  Huh? Only makes sense right?”

    He hesitated, before narrowing his eyes and trotting forward.  Backed against the wall, too weak to do anything, we simply had to shiver and wait as he came right up close, looking directly at Glimmerlight.  Suddenly, he sniffed sharply...then took a long sniff along her mane. I felt Glimmer aching to hit him before she jumped when he let his tongue lap out and lick up her cheek.

    “Ahaaa!” Licking his lips as though tasting something, Wildcard leaned back and clapped his hooves.  “I thought it was you!  I remember you, little missy...just needed to get the tongue going to remember!”

    “Of course, you're the bastard that burned our village!” Her muscles tensed.  I could feel how hard she wanted to attack him, but he was far beyond either of us.

    His eyes glinted, face twisting into a more predatory glee.  “Aw, c'mon I can't take all the blame. That's arrogant you know?  You being a yesman-pony-mare-thing? I don't like yesmen!  But you got in on the action too, I knoooow...it was fun wasn't it?  The houses screamed! I hadn't known a house could scream, I thought they were just a house...”

    “Those were my friends!  You locked them inside to burn!”

    Wildcard paused for a second, before laughing outrageously and slapping her clean from her hooves.  I went with her, Glimmer's hooves around me meaning I fell upon her chest. Before I knew it, Wildcard was leaning over us, going from laughing to snarling with drool leaking through his broken lips.

    “I was having fun remembering it, you bitch!  The HOUSES screamed!  I didn't want it spoiled that it wasn't the houses!  FUCK YOU!”

    His horn glowed, one of those brutal machetes sliding from his side sheaths.  Frozen in fear, I just clutched Glimmer whom I felt tensing, somewhere between anger and terror.

    “I swear, every time you folks just think you know better, you gotta go ruin a pony's dreams, huh!?  You get off on it or somethin'?  Can you scream like a house? I want to hear the scream the houses made!”

    He got off us, spinning the machete before immediately hacking into one arm of the sofa, sending stuffing flying everywhere.  Screaming his head off, laughing and then wailing again. Finally, when the arm of the chair had been destroyed under the torrent of slices, he turned to us and grinned.

    “You hear it?  Did you hear that?  That was so cool!”

    Glimmerlight almost seemed to growl lowly.

    “You're insane...what do you even want!?”

    “Hey, hey!” He trotted up, pointing a hoof.  “You think you can order me around like some fucking slave, huh?  You think you got something that says you get to order me to answer?  Cos' this is my world...”

    His eyes opened, going wide and letting his mouth hang open...looking down at me before letting his muzzle glance upwards toward Glimmerlight, viewing every side of her head.

    “Cos' I remember your scream.  I don't cut it out of my head, no...”
   
    There was a chill to his words, a deliberate choice.  I felt for Glimmer, I really did. What I'd been through at the hands of Barb's portion of the raider clan couldn't have been anything to what the raiders likely did to her.  How did Coral even stay sane without stripping memories?

    “What do you even want, Wildcard?” Glimmerlight spat the words back, I could feel she was fighting not to hit him.  I wasn't surprised. But Wildcard blinked a few times and sat back.

    “Oh, now you ask politely.  Well why didn't you say so? It's cool, I'll forgive you, big pot of forgiveness I am!  I'm just here to be nice and give you a little heads up spoiler for my Pit.” He nodded frantically.  “Oh yes...just to tell you, the big red guy isn't gonna come back, y'know? Oh he's in for a good fiiiight...Shackles and I had like, this bonding session over all the fighters!  He's got gooood taste.”

    He winked at us.

    “Besides, I've got my own little surprise even he doesn't know.  A wildcard, get it? Haha! Bet you can't guess who it is!”

    “I wonder.” Glimmerlight glanced to the door, lightly bumping me toward it.  I'd been sat silent, simply listening and shivering quietly. Something about him felt more unsettling than normal, like some part of me was repulsed by him being even near me.  I simply retreated into my own blank slave mentality.  Just don't notice me, please.

    “Well, don't guess cos' I won't tell!  HAH! Anyway, go go go! They're coming to take him there and you don't wanna miss it do ya, little squealer?”

    Looking down at me, I yelped and hid behind Glimmer.  Wildcard just laughed, trotting away to the door. Waiting a few seconds, Glimmer followed with me in tow.  Taking a few seconds to check I was all right, she just found me as I was. Numb and scared. A hoof on my shoulder, she turned to check for Wildcard through the door.  Nothing. Good, I hated that pony. I just didn't know when he might decide it was fun to gut me!

    “We'll be alright.  He's gone now, we can-YARGH!”

    Her words were cut off, Wildcard's machete coming streaking through the door in his magic to leave a ghastly slice over her shoulder.  Screaming, falling to the ground and clutching the wound, both she and I turned to see him pop his head back in.

    “See?  You can scream like a house!  HAAAAH!”

    With that, he turned and pranced away, leaping up to click his hooves together as he left the cell.  Pulling all the rags I could off the shelves and helping her to the front of the store, we sat by the door to await the Pit convoy while tying up her shoulder.  It wasn't terribly serious...by Fillydelphia standards anyway. All the same, I kept adding rags until I could stop seeing red seeping through. Shivering, sweating, Glimmerlight ruffled my mane.

    “I...I think that's enough, Murky...” She breathed out and hissed in pain while I tied a knot in the bandage with my mouth and hooves, feeling my 'slave tooth' as I'd come to know it aching all the more and wobbling in its socket painfully.

    Taking a few breaths, she tried to offer a smile.

    “I'll be fine.  He's crazy. Didn't know what he'd do.  Least I can still move it...just hope I can get a potion so it doesn't scar.  I don't think the Brim look suits me, huh?”

    I sat quietly, nodding.  Only after a few seconds did I realise she was being light hearted and tried to force a smile.

    “A-are you okay?  You know? Like the o-orb?”

    Glimmerlight seemed to think for a second, looking across as we saw slavers start to enter.  It was time.

    “We've got enough worries right now for Brim, Murky.  But yes, I'm alright. Just sickened that I slept with and gifted a damned raider.  I think it's obvious to see how this is going to end.  But...thanks for helping me, Murky. I’m not sure I could do it without somepony here.”

    “H-huh?” I didn't understand.

    “For sharing the journey like you- argh!” She adjusted her bandages, before trying to smile to me.  “Like you promised. They've hurt you bad, but you're still the pony I know deep down who doesn't forget the promises he makes.  Without somepony there I, well, I think I'd not do another one.”

    “I'm so sorry it's bad, sis'.”

    “Me too, Murky.” She sat back silently, before her unhurt front leg went to her forehead.  “I just feel like such a fool, so concerned about my own pleasure and fun that I didn't even see what was right in front of my eyes.  I watch these memories and I just want to...to-fucking hell why can't I ever learn?”

    As sudden as that, it was like a tidal wave of emotion coming from her.

    “I wanted so bad just to live this free life of loving who I wanted and going where I wanted!  But there's always somepony going to take advantage of it and now it's landed me in this fucking city!  All because I didn't realise he was a damn raider! Coral even warned me and I...I just kept it up!  Oh, Murky. We need to get out, I don't think I can live here forever knowing what it was I did that brought so many ponies in to die here!  It's the curse of memory. Forget your mistakes and you're always doomed to make them again.”

    “I, um, I...it might not be all that?  M-maybe there's something else? Maybe you did figure him out but they stumbled upon it anyway!  Maybe, uh, you just removed it to forget that he'd fooled you at all before?”

    I was grasping at straws, I knew.  She was in some state, so the best I could do was simply trot forward and put my hooves around my big sister best friend forever and remind her that she wasn't alone.

    Not that we had much time for a moment of bonding.

    “Right, slaves!  This wretched break day is here as declared by Red Eye in his eternal 'wisdom.'  You will all be back before noon tomorrow.”

    My Master limped in.  He was still caked in his own blood, limping with one leg in a splint while covered in bandages around his head.  A huge rib compression vest was around his body. Brimstone had really gone to town, but My Master, like his chain, was eternal.  He would always manage to find the way to get back to command.  Seeing us leave our cell, he only grinned at us.

    “Don't think you're getting off to visit that Pit, you've still got a shift left to run!”

    Glimmerlight stepped before me, wiping her eyes and stepping up in my defence.  As I'd learned lately, hurt ponies that cared were more willing than any.

    “No he doesn't!  Red Eye has declared a break and all up to date slaves can take it!”

    “I wasn't talking to him, whore!  I was ordering you!” He roared, striding forward and knocking me aside to shove her toward a group the slavers were organising.  “You've been sick too many times to avoid shifts that you've quite the backlog to make up for. If you wanted to watch your raider 'friend' then perhaps you should have thought about that!”

    “H-HEY!” She shouted, trying to move past him before being blocked off by the slavers, Wormtail included with his smug grin.  “Murky! Don't go to the Pit! Not alone! Don't go off alone, please!”

    I knew why she didn't want me going alone.

    I knew why all of my friends thought that.  That thought stung me hard, like they weren't trusting me.  With good reason, I concluded.

    But I felt a hoof on my shoulder, soft and gentle.

    “I'll take him.”

    Bruised, swollen of lip and beaten badly, Coral Eve had limped beside me, returning from her own wearying shift.  I saw Glimmer look somewhat between surprised and grateful.

    “You?  Why? To watch Brimstone have to go through it?  To watch how they try to kill-”

    “I'm not going for that beast, Glimmer!  Don't put words in my mouth.  I'm going for Murky. The raider can die for all I care after what he did, but I'm not after vengeance.  No, I won't let Murky wander off to think bad thoughts.” She leaned down, turning away from a somewhat shocked Glimmer.  “We love you, Murky. But we're worried about you, please understand we can't take chances.”

    I looked to Glimmer, I looked to Coral, before I finally nodded, trying to fight back a couple of tears.  She was right. I felt so hollow, abused, and violated that the thought of where I'd be taken at noon tomorrow was still scarcely sinking in.

    “O...okay.”

    “Good, my dear.” She looked back to Glimmerlight, receiving at least a thankful and forgiving slow nod.  At least when it came to me, they could for once agree.

    Behind us, I heard a great commotion.  Shouting orders and shock rods sparking, I saw them dragging and leading Brimstone Blitz from his own cell, ready for the Pit.  His hooves were shackled thickly with massive weights while the burliest slaves grasped him tightly. The chains were so tight that he could not do anything more than simply hobble and shift inch by inch.  Clearly, even at the risk of a slow and impatient journey, they were not taking any risks.

    While My Master set to ordering the slaves yet to finish their shifts, I saw Wormtail sneer and begin to trot up to Brimstone.

    “Sooo, the big nasty tough warlord, stripped of his dignity, eh?”

    It was a pale imitation of My Master, the scrawny and weasel-like buck simply being a cocky little shi...um...yes, that word.  Brimstone merely stayed silent, lowering his eyebrows at the irritating aid before him.

    “Thought you were so big to go on a rampage?  Well who was it that stopped you, eh? Me! You know why?  Cos' you're just soft now. The Dragon's been de-clawed, that one little stupid buck is enough to make him start caring!  Now look at you, aaaall in chains...”

    He edged close, leering.

    “I'll bet you wanna hit me, don't ya?  Well get used to this, because you're our slave.  Get used to not doing anything! You can look down and act all tough but you're trapped!  Your hooves are chained on the floor, go on and move em! Try it! You can't hurt me, I'm one of your masters now!  You can't do any-”

    Brimstone headbutted him.

    Slowly, the slavers looked to one another, to Brimstone, and then to the splayed out and unconscious figure of Wormtail, before simply shrugging and leading Brim away without a single punishment.

    Okay.  Even in these dark days, that made me laugh inside.

    The fanfare and explosive sound of the Pit was like an old hated fear coming far too cleanly back to my mind.

    In a convoy, we had been marched toward it through the dense smog of the city cooling off its infernos for a day of rest.  The toxic stink was heightened, steam gushing from holes in the ground around us to mark the extinguished furnaces and forges.  Marching past the FunFarm gates, I had seen that hateful Pinkie Pie cut-out still waving with that creaky hoof perpetually. It seemed to be welcoming me home.  Once past the Petting Zoo and rollercoaster, we were directed toward the colossal ice rink and split up into various queues.

    A building of wood and concrete, gaudy pink paint peeled from all sides and hung with long dead party lights.  It rose tall, with massive gated entrances for the crowds and smaller ones on either side for, presumably, staff back in the old Equestrian times.  The light from within lit the clouds above as huge floodlights aimed both in and out of the open-topped roof.

    Around me, relieved and excited slaves met apprehension with bloodthirsty anticipation.  Cheers, whoops, and great roars from those already inside being worked up by an announcer boomed across the FunFarm and hurt my ears enough that I clung to Coral while we limped inside.  Slavers met us, far more than had been here last time. The tall sides for the stands were littered with makeshift guard posts bearing long rifle equipped guards watching every area of the crowd.  Red Eye was taking no chances of another riot after last time, preferring to shove and push us onward to specified places rather than allow us free reign to choose our own entrance.

    Even as we were thrown and forced into the tall gateway, I felt my body clench with familiar fear.  Last time, I'd been in chains to be sent to my death. The sweaty and filthy bodies pressed around us only kept me uncomfortable and feeling much the same way.

    “Once you are past the gates you will not leave until the event is finished!  All slaves are to remain within the Pit's grounds until we move you out!”

    Calls and instructions were shouted from above, over the entrance tunnel I saw a unicorn with a loudspeaker standing upon an old security balcony.

    “There is a shoot to kill policy in effect for any misbehaviour by the order of Red Eye himself!”

    The entranceway widened, brightening up as the interior lights flickered over the inside ringed corridor that ran under the stands and around the entire Pit.  Old stands of confectionery, fast food, and souvenirs littered every side beside symbols for toilets and foal changing facilities. But most surprising of all to me?  It was all in use.

    Slavers and even slaves had taken them over to offer their wares and acquired foods or goods from their own stocks.  The toilets apparently worked, while the Roamer slaver bar had brought a portion of its drinks for purchase from those lucky enough to still own any caps.  Slaves flocked around me, watched from above by griffons amongst the rafters that held up the stands, buying and selling frantically in a whirlwind of excitement before the event.  Above me in the stands, I could hear ponies stamping their hooves and crying out in time with the counts of the announcer. The entire ring of the corridor around the Pit was a flurry of activity.

    Amongst it all, I felt very small indeed.

    Already, I could feel my chest tighten.  This thick air inside wasn't helping me at all.  My Master had given me a portion of RadAway before locking me in his office cell to ward off the rising effects from my collar, but under so much stress I was sure that the effects were accelerating every time.

    We didn't talk.  Coral and I could barely hear each other amongst all the haggling and cheering.  I was sure Sooty would be around here somewhere.  But our attention was drawn to the biggest stand, a huge twenty foot wide raised platform bearing six ponies that were frantically taking money and only giving pieces of paper in return.

    “What is that?” I muttered the words, inaudible to people, but Coral must have seen my curious glance before bending down to my ear.

    “It's the betting stand!” Even for my hearing, she had to shout.  “That big chalkboard behind them is all the names of ponies involved today.  There's two sets of games to come because Red Eye's here to view it and the last one didn't finish!”

    Even the reminder of the last one made me shiver when I looked at the chalkboard.  My name had been on there once, probably with the lowest odds in Pit history. Ponies had bet caps on the assurance of my death.

    Oh Goddesses...I wanted to be sick again.

    “They're still adding the name for the second bout, Murky!” Coral shouted again, looking up at it.  “But Brimstone is number three on the first set of six. The odds against him are pretty high, word must have got out that Shackles and Wildcard want him dead for sure in there!”

    “Hey!  Get out my fucking way, you two!”

    A heavyset mare was walking right toward us, carrying a betting ticket and placing a heavy bag of caps back on her harness.  She shoved right by, knocking both of us apart and sending me to the floor.

    “Watch yourself!” Coral cried out after her, receiving nothing but a rude shake of the mane when the mare deliberately ignored her.  “You alright, Murky? Sorry, it's so busy in here...”

    Getting back to my hooves, I coughed through closed teeth, the reason for that being all too clear when I looked up at Coral and saw her look of shock and sudden smile at what I held there.

    The mare's entire bag of caps.

    “S-sorry, it's, um, habit?”
   
    “Well, well, well.  Good to see you've still got it in you, Murky.” She glanced up at the betting board.  “Go on then, I know you'll want to.”

    They laughed when, nervous and stammering, I finally got the proper words out to be heard after waving my little hoof up at the betting platform.  I was shoved from the side and made fun of for betting on the 'chosen death' by the 'big guys,' but I just did all I could to tune it out. Something felt wrong about betting on the deaths of others, but if Brim won then it would make life a lot easier to buy supplies for our escape!

    At least one pony would be supporting him in the Pit.

    That was what friends did?  Right?

    If the ring corridor beneath was busy and loud...boy I hadn't prepared myself to remember what the stands were like.

I almost fled instantly.  The second I saw that cage before me, memories of wailing and begging not to die beside a metal gateway came back all too strong.  No longer was her escape from the Pit that hopeful memory and all that was left in my mind was that crippling terror.

    This was where ponies died.

    This was where I'd been sent to die.

The colossal stands rose to the edge of the ice rink stadium near the roof, open to the cloudy sky above.  They were almost completely filled with ponies crammed into a small space for their numbers. Below me, floorboards creaked at the weight when we were shoved and corralled by slavers into a specified area a few rows back from the cage itself.  Ponies shunted me from either side until we sat down, even then trapped amongst a sea of bodies that stomped in time, crying illegible chants as one.

A converted ice rink, solid and grey with the ice long gone within the heat of Fillydelphia.  Around it lay the cage that ensured combatants could not escape their fate of fighting to the death before ponies in the old stands.

Red Eye had been doing some upping of security, that much was obvious.  The cage was repaired since last time, no longer with a roof access as last time.  Griffon snipers were more prevalent, nestled in the scaffold framework holding up the roof above us, while guards patrolled up and down the stairways of the stands.  Above us, every so often, a Pinkie Balloon reared its freakish watchful face in the gap above as they watched the surroundings. Occasionally, a griffon would swoop overhead and make me flinch.  To one side I noticed Red Eye's chair awaiting him upon a raised balcony, already packed with his inner circle. Old Grizzly was visible, the rest being a motley collection of thick and thin, tall and short.  One bore what looked like a bird of prey upon his back, chained to his raggedy armour that bore feathers all over it as decoration from a dozen different birds. Another elderly looking pony was actually blind by a rag around his eyes, navigating simply by touch.  A couple were immaculate, decked in what looked like pre-war military dress uniform with greased manes and shining newly made rifles at their sides. All curious ponies no doubt acquired for selective skills to Red Eye's usage being treated to this day at the Pit.

I strained to see if I could spot Protégé among them, praying he was recovered.  For a moment I thought I saw a black unicorn, but it was a mare bearing a cybernetic jawline and an armoured Stable jumpsuit.

    But before me...the Pit.

Stained in blood till its concrete surface was varied in shades of red and grey all over, it lay behind the metal cage with the scars of past battles.  Chips from gunshots, tears I recognised as auto axe swipes, and even a few bones shoved into the corners out of the way marked it. Above, twelve barrels were suspended containing weapons or hazards and linked to pressure plates beneath them.

“This is horrible...” I muttered to Coral.  “Why are so many ponies here just to watch us all kill one another?  I don't get it.”

    Coral had actually been looking around us to the crowds.

“Well, we're here.  I don't imagine some of these ponies are looking to be here for their friends too.  But yes, this is a disgusting monument to Red Eye's madness. I can't take his words seriously while this place exists.”

Hearing her words, I looked at the crowd near us.  There were many grinning and cheering for the fights to begin soon.  But every so often I saw some clenched in fear, holding another pony sometimes.  My heart went out to them, their friends were in there as well. No matter who survived today, there would be tragedy.

    “Workers of Fillydelphia!  Upon this day of rest given by our leader, Red Eye, we bring to you a double helping of this popular event!”

    Stern's voice boomed across the sound system even as the crowd shouted their enthusiastic approval of this.  How? How could they be so miserable and yet immediately find entertainment by this brutality? I wished I could think why, but I just hunkered down on the bench, covering my ears and leaning against Coral.  I didn't like this. Too cramped. Too crowded. I needed space. Everything stank of the watered down alcohol the Roamer had brought over and of unwashed ponies crammed in while excited and active.

    “But first, will you welcome your master himself.  The one who makes this utopia of generosity exist to further our world...Red Eye!”

    One shout by Stern and there he was, walking calmly to the balcony watching over the cage.  Flanked by two of the mighty green alicorns, his inner circle backed off to allow him room for his seat.  By his side I saw that hateful mutt, Winter. Motioning to Stern, he took the microphone.

    “My wondrous workers, it is rare I have a chance to address you all so directly, face to face rather than through the impersonal medium of a PA system.  I say 'thank you' so many times, but it never quite feels the same. And thus...thank you, for your sacrifice and your willing hearts.”

    Yeah, right.  Even I could make a raggedy little snort about that line.  Even if I had to clutch my throat and choke madly afterwards.

    “I bring to you a chance for relaxation and for your own entertainment.  The Pit is brutal and often tragic, but never forget its purpose as a choice for those who will it, and as a punishment for those who seek to undermine your efforts.  Yes, workers.  There are those in this world who would take what you have shed blood and sweat for and selfishly destroy it.  Let their efforts before you today act as their will to survive and once again prove themselves in your eyes, not mine.  With that said, I see no reason to hold your event any longer...”

    There was a huge chorus of cheering to his words.  Red Eye stood, raising a hoof and seeing to look past all our eyes one by one with a carefully calculated sweep of his head around the audience.  Feeling that baleful gaze come upon me, I shrank back. He was my master too. He wanted this to happen, felt it was best to raise his army and punish slaves who got out of line.  That made sense, right? He was the one in charge, the one ordering my life from afar, he wouldn't be a master if he didn't know best, right?

My head hurt.  I buried it in my hooves even as Coral snorted up at Red Eye and wrapped a hoof around me.  Why did free will have to be so complicated? I hated Red Eye, but I felt indentured to abide by his reality inside.  Had I fallen so far?

    Stern took up the microphone.

    “As Red Eye commands, it shall be!  Let the Pit event...BEGIN!”

    The floor shook.  Ponies stomped until my shaky slave tooth was wobbling and my bones seemed to rattle inside my thin chest.

    “Our first contender!  Hailing from Friendship City, we have Top Quartz!  Is she harder than her name's crystal implies? We'll have to find out!  Bring her in!”

    The gate at the far end of the Pit clanked and slid open to reveal the dark behind.  Squinting, I could see various dark shapes behind the scared little mare being shoved out.  With the door slamming behind her, I could see the visible terror on her face. She didn't want to be here.  Oh Goddesses protect her.

But to get out she'd have to kill six ponies.  Looking at the white and grey earth pony below, I could tell she didn't have the heart at all.

    “Her opponent, all too appropriately, is from that same statue of the old world!  From Friendship City as well we have one disobedient slave that tried to steal food from all of you!  This is Toolkit!”

The second gate slid up, a young buck hurled through it after clearly been having fighting to get away from the door.  But landing on the concrete with the door closing, he was trapped. Shivering, he stood and looked across to his opponent.

    Then the true horror sank in.  I could see it in their eyes.

    They knew each other.

Trotting forward hesitantly, I could see their mouths moving.  This close to the front, I strained my ears to block out the crowd as they shouted over the sound.

    “Toolkit!  No! I...I thought we'd be put on the same team!”

    “I don't know!  I just don't know, Tops!”

    They were friends.  Already, I shivered, my mouth hanging open and trying to form the words to express the evil of this situation.  They didn't want to fight, meeting near to the middle, they just looked from side to side, hearing the jeers and demands that they battle to the death.  They were looking for a way out, a method to end this without killing the other!

The thunderous boom of an anti-machine rifle echoed around the ice rink, blowing a chunk of concrete near them apart so hard that the shrapnel made them both cry out and wince back.

    “Enough delaying.  Two will become one for survival in this arena, the crowd has an expectation!  If a combatant is not dead within the allotted time limit then both shall die regardless!”

    Top Quartz and Toolkit stood around one another, beginning to panic.  I couldn't hear them talking, the shakes of their heads. Toolkit began to cry.  The crowd brayed for blood from the two who had no wishes to draw any from their old friend.

Gradually, I saw them begin to realise the reality of their situation.  After one more warning shot, I saw Top Quartz shouting an apology as she moved forward in a terrified and unwilling charge.  It began hesitantly, worriedly, but for every small attempted strike the panic grew and the other began to hit back. Survival slowly overcame friendship as a strike became a grapple and a grapple became a savage fight.  Rolling upon the floor, both screaming and lashing out with little skill, I felt my stomach turn.

Neither was a fighter.  Neither had any idea how to kill quickly or efficiently.  It would be feral, brutal, and slow. One second Toolkit was on top, banging Quartz's head across the concrete.  Then she recovered, swinging him over even as her vision was blocked by blood. Hoof after hoof fell, crying and screaming in equal measure.

Toolkit blocked some, lashing out with a snapping sharp hoof that knocked Top Quartz off him.  He rolled off, looking at his friend streaming blood from her nose and forehead and clearly hesitating.  In that moment, she was back on him, driven wild by need to live that she simply bowled over the scrawny stallion and continued her unskilled gradual killing with beating hooves.

Tears dripped from my own eyes as I heard the distinctive crack of a skull.  Toolkit went limp and hazy with blood pooling beneath his head. Toolkit lay very still.

    Only then did Quartz fall backward, breathing hard...and scream.

Against her wail of anguish at the sight of her beaten friend by her hooves before her, the crowd picked up in delight.  Some threw tickets to the floor while others leapt and whooped! I heard Coral swear beside me, an unusual sound from her.  This was so wrong!

    “Our first victor!  Survival of the fittest in this Pit, workers!  Top Quartz shows her will to survive was greater than that of Toolkit!  On to round TWO!”

    This was sick.  I'd been down there but I'd never seen an actual event in this way.  There were ponies enjoying this!

    “This time we've got Friendship City's rival Manehattan bringing us a contender!  Years of working as a guard in Tenpony Tower led him to venture for a more exciting life in the wastes!  Well he found it with Fillydelphia quite by accident! This is Shovels!”

The gate opened, releasing number two.  Another stallion, tall and lanky with a filthy dark brown mane.  A unicorn this time, he regarded the mourning mare before him with hesitation.  Quartz lay over the body of her friend, as though she could bring him back to life by her light sways of his form and tears alone.  I sent her and Toolkit's soul every prayer I could remember. Please, Goddesses, descend from on high and put a stop to this madness!

    Coral wasn't even looking, averting her eyes in disgust.

    Shovels was clearly more willing, as much as he looked aghast at this.  The crowd chanted, 'KILL!  KILL! KILL!' when they saw Quartz had her back to him, making me wish I could somehow tell them I wasn't with them!  I had no wish to be associated with this! If not for Brim...

Using the time, Shovels edged toward a pressure plate, pressed it and immediately leapt clear.  A drawn breath amongst the atmosphere while the barrel opened and revealed a long knife falling to bounce off the concrete and drop to the ground.  The sound made Quartz turn, blood-soaked face looking on with terror while Shovels picked up the knife in his green magic. Slowly, he shook his head.  He was out to live, even if he frowned at how it had to happen. I saw his mouth form the quietly spoken word, too quiet for me to hear. 'I'm sorry.'

It began again, with not a shred of dignity given to Toolkit's bleeding corpse upon the ground.  Shovels charged, the knife at the limits of his magic's range while Quartz only waved her hooves in desperation, pleading and screaming for him not to!  Before my eyes, no quarter was given, the knife whirled forward and slashed across her chest, drawing a thick bloody stream and an agonised squeal from the mare.  A buck beside me screamed almost in my ear, 'GUT HER!'

I squeezed away from him until I was holding Coral tightly.  Nearby, I saw two ponies holding each other in tears. No doubt other friends of those in there.

Quartz was not going down without a fight though.  Inexperienced as she was, the mare had the guts to rush forward and catch the unicorn off guard.  Running past the knife, she went for him until both of them stumbled backwards in a rough wrestling bout.  The knife fell nearby as they fell to the ground, Quartz' blood blinding her opponent. Better fighter or not, he couldn't hit back while blind.

Furious and desperate, he rolled her again and again.  I saw them nearby to a pressure plate before their next roll carried them right over it.  With a clang, the lock on the barrel opened and spilled its contents. I gasped, the bright green radioactive goo (chemical or tainted?  I had no way to tell!) erupted forth and led to both fighters diving away to avoid the grim death such a spill would allow. Scrambling away from the fluid gushing over the ground, I saw Shovels take a spill on his hind right leg and scream.  Before my eyes, his skin melted away until the clean white of bone was visible even at this distance. His screams only went on and on, clutching at his leg with wide eyes, like he could somehow fix it.

Quartz made use of the time, taking up the knife and limping back to him.  Looking upward to her, he lifted his hooves before she descended. Without elegance, she jabbed her mouth holding it in again and again, each stab puncturing his coat and drawing a yell.  Ten or more times in rapid succession she did so against her helpless foe before one scream turned to rage. Grabbing her in desperation, a vicious headbutt dropped the knife into his magic, turning it on the spot to fire right into her throat and extended from the back of her neck.

The poor mare fell, dropping to the side with twitchy spasms in death.  Beside her, Shovels tried to stand before almost looking down to realise how much blood was flowing from him.  Pale and weak, he only managed a few trots forward before collapsing and dying as well.

The crowd was more than happy with this brutal performance.  No, no more. I wasn't watching this! Even before me I saw how the pit was filling up with bodies.  Untreated and without being carried away they leaked blood and left corpses around the area. By the end of both sets of six this place would be a carnal pit!

Before me, one of the two ponies clutching one another wailed loudly, clutching his female companion tightly for comfort, all too similar to me.  My eyes were burning, my throat and lungs too. I needed air before I passed out.

    “What an upset!  A double way kill in this very Pit!” Stern's voice offended me by making a game out of this nightmare, every pony that died in there I knew the fear of!  “The betting stand will collect for the first death, so supporters of Shovels you are in luck!  Thus we move on with our next two contestants!”

    She left a dramatic pause in a place I highly disagreed with, allowing the crowd to simmer and sort their tickets.  Suddenly, I felt very guilty about my own bet for Brimstone. But it had to be done, that money could buy us some desperately needed things on the slave markets.

“First up!  All the way from Hoofington we have an ex-gang member!  By his own claims he left the Hoof because it was 'too easy' and he wanted a greater challenge!  Let's see him in, this is Roaring Tiger!”

    The gate opened and 'Roaring Tiger' came speeding out.  An earth pony, skinny and somewhat muscular, he darted across the concrete floor before leaping and spinning in the air to land dramatically.  Taking a fighting pose, he raised a hoof and cried out.

    “Let whoever faces me beware, the Tiger's strength flows in my veins!”

The crowd liked that one, finally somepony eager to fight and a little charisma.  Something about his nature felt off to me though, I'd seen Barb and Wildcard up close and the look in his eyes held none of the same weathered resolve.  He thrust his hooves up even as Stern continued. The other team had lost two members now...I knew who that meant.

    “His opponent!  Second only to Xenith in Pit events won, we have the Dragon himself to face the Tiger!  The Great Warlord of the Bloodletters! The Scourge of Ponyville! The largest pony you'll ever see!  This is...Brim! Stone! Blitz!”

    I expected a cheer.  It never came.

    The crowd booed.  Even as the gate raised, as I saw my friend slowly stomp his way onto the concrete with little fear in his eyes, they jeered and spat.  I heard ponies decrying him and shouting for loved ones long gone. Others seething about him being why they were here. I'd never thought of how those outside the Mall thought of him, but now I was seeing it.

The wasteland saw him as nothing but a monster and a beast.  If it affected him, he didn't show it, simply moving forward to the centre with his eyes only on his opponent.

    “An unpopular pony for sure, workers.  But! If he is to win this set of six, he will equal Xenith's record!  So there's a lot at stake here as our current highest rated fighter enters the arena!  Can he still do what he once did? Or has the Great Warlord long gone past his prime? Let the next fight...begin!”

    Roaring Tiger was bouncing from hoof to hoof, having gone a little quiet until now.  He shouted across even as Brimstone advanced slowly.

    “Get ready for the storm, raider!  Hoofington gang gonna wreck you right here!”

Brimstone stopped and snorted.  But his voice was low, simple and direct.  Others might not spot it, but on hearing his bass-filled voice over the sound I recognised regret and an unwilling tone.

    “Enough boasting.  Lie down and I will ensure it does not hurt.”

“Y-you kidding?” Roaring Tiger seemed to look around, before snarling.  “You better lie down, cos' this gang's going to wreck you!”
   
    He began to cartwheel and leap around the sides of the arena.

    “You ain't got a clue how hard we got it in the Hoof, you're all soft out here!”

    Landing on all fours, Tiger grinned.

    “So get ready, the storm is coming!  Better just give up now!  It'll be easier!”

    “So come do it then.” Brimstone hadn't even moved.

    “Oh I will, better start running!”

    “I'm right here.”

    Roaring Tiger growled, whether or not it was like a tiger, I didn't know.  But he scraped a hoof on the ground.

    “Here it goes!  Get ready, here I come!  YAAAAH!”

He galloped forward, leapt, and spun before landing on his front hooves and flipping forward with a flashy and dynamic spinning kick!  High in the air from an impressive jump, he came down to impact on Brim's side at high speed, moving his leg faster than my eyes could follow!

Brimstone didn't even move an inch as Roaring Tiger's hoof struck and sent Tiger falling backwards, dropping him as though he'd leapt directly into a brick wall.  Brim hadn't even flinched.

    Yelping out loud, clutching his hoof, Tiger looked up to see Brimstone stare down.

“I know all the gangs in Equestria, you are not of the Hoof.”

    Roaring Tiger didn't even get to finish the scream as Brim's hoof descended in one fatal snap of the neck.

The crowd went silent, murmuring to one another.  That hadn't exactly been the fight they'd been expecting.  I heard sighs and distasteful curses from those who'd lost bets on a cool-sounding name.  Others simply bemoaned that there hadn't been any 'real' violence.

    “Well, that wasn't quite all it was made out to be, Brimstone Blitz is our winner!  Can he last the four more fights to a record-equalling victory? Bring on our next challenger!  Number three from the opposing team, this is Long Trot! A caravanner and prospector that has weathered raiders, gangs, and beasts all over Equestria!  Some say that he was also a hired assassin, but who knows for sure? Let's find out!”

    Stern was clearly moving it quickly along past that unexpected 'disappointment' of a fight.  The crowd had lost much of its bluster, but was beginning to pick up the pace again as the door slid open.

From within came running a tall and well-built earth pony.  Dark grey with a light brown mane, he lowered his head and sprinted before any comment to even begin had started!  From here, I had to squint to try and see his cutie mark, was it a wagon wheel?

Even if I couldn't tell what it was, I could certainly still tell the direction he was headed!  He was making for the corpses of Top Quartz and Shovels, going for the knife! Brimstone clearly saw it too, realising he was much further away.  Looking for a weapon of his own, Brim reached to the side and stamped upon a pressure plate. The barrel creaked and jarred open, before dropping a pile of a dozen little objects!

Brimstone leapt away, landing and rolling over on his side to get as far away from them as possible.  Little beeping plates of metal with blinking red lights fell and scattered across a section of floor.

    “Looks like the Warlord doesn't have the same luck!  Anti-personnel proximity mines, workers! Anyone gets too close and you're in for a light show!”

The crowd loved that one, Brimstone having to dive away led many to cheers of laughter, stomping their hooves in approval as Long Trot yanked the knife from Quartz's neck with a horrid spray of blood.  Between the green spillage of chemicals, the mines, blood, and corpses, the Pit was already beginning to gain its hazards quickly. Shifting closer to one another, I saw Long Trot take a cautious and stalker-like stance.  Hearing the calls to knife Brim, I couldn't help but feel a pulsing will inside to want to shout back in support of him!

    But something didn't make sense.  Brim wasn't rushing in to attack. Why not?

Long Trot took the offensive, darting forward and feinting to one side before making a vicious slash at Brim.  The larger pony had his eyes fixed on that knife, hunched and ready to move. Seeing the attack, he shifted backward, then to the side to avoid a follow up attack.  Grimacing, Brim swept forward and threw a hoof toward his opponent, but the tall earth pony leapt out of reach.

    “That's not right.” Coral muttered beside me. 

I nodded. “Brim's much faster than that, I-I've seen him take on ponies with weapons and just stomp over them!”

“That's what I meant.  I don't know what's with the raider, but for his sake he better clear it up.  They will have worse planned for him, every wound will count, he's still got three more if he wins this one.”

    “He will.” I whimpered it, clinging to Coral's front leg.  “He will. Please, Brim...”

Long Trot cautiously moved around with intent focus, keeping his front to any hazards in the area.  This pony knew what he was doing alright. Brimstone snorted, charging forward and jumping, all four hooves off the ground, one swinging for Trot's head.  Clearly surprised that such a big pony could move as quickly, Trot had to frantically dive away from Brim's crushing slam and pace a hasty retreat to avoid a huge buck that followed it.  Landing on his back hooves, Trot ran up and leapt forward, making me scream when I saw that knife connect to the recovering Brimstone, drawing a gash along his side. The pony moved fast, darting in and out with the ease of somepony used to making those cheap dirty shots count.

The big raider roared in anger, drawing a cheer at the sight of blood from the crowd.  Aiming another slash, Trot had to drop and roll away before it landed, seeing Brimstone's hoof swing around.  For a second, I saw Trot's shocked face at the nearby mines when his evasive dives carried him a little too close for comfort!

My friend charged, hoof after hoof swinging and sending Long Trot into a very suddenly panicked retreat!  This was more the Brim I knew! Rushing, whirling, and unstoppably piling into Long Trot, one strike drew a bloody spray from Trot's mouth and sent the knife spiralling through the air.  Long Trot thudded to the ground, dizzied. Above him, Brim reared up, one hoof readying to slam down and end it!

    Then I saw it; he was trying to end this as painlessly as possible.  He wasn't allowing the savage rage to take over.

Unfortunately, this holding back was slowing him, losing the aggressive violence that gave him that frenzied speed and inner rage to become a god of battle on those who stood in his way.  Even as the hoof took careful aim for the neck, Long Trot threw one hoof to the side and slapped it near an anti-personnel mine! The beeping sped up even as Trot rolled out of the way of the descending hoof and sprinted.  Brimstone was trying to not be a raider down there, and it was costing him.

    “Have some of the wonders of high explosive, raider!” Trot's voice shouted even as he moved.

Brim saw the mine, but with two hooves off the ground, he didn't have time to land and move before it blew.  I yelped and covered my ears from the sharp crack even as Brimstone stumbled back and roared in both pain and fury.  Shrapnel dug into his side, legs, and neck. It wasn't anywhere near enough to bring him down, but I could see that slight limp on him turning back to find his opponent.

I knew he wouldn't lose this fight.  Long Trot was outclassed in speed and strength, but this was all about how many wounds Brimstone had to take before the tough fights with the likes of Wildcard began.  What was he doing?  Were it not my fear of those around me attacking for supporting the 'hated raider' I would have cried out to him, told him to please just live!  Do whatever it took!

    Shaking his head, clearly thinking the same thing, that this had gone on too long for a fighter of his calibre.

“Right, that's enough...” Only I likely heard him speak lowly, the deep tones passing to my ears even amongst the sounds of the crowd.

Brimstone put his head down and charged.  Long Trot was stumbling for the knife again, but in full gallop Brimstone was so much faster on every stride.  With a crash, the huge pony slammed into Trot, rolling over and throwing him a few feet away. Landing heavily, Trot barely got up and grabbed the knife before rushing at Brimstone!  Dodging around one another, they clashed. Brimstone using his thick hooves to block the edge while Trot ducked and weaved. This should have been over ages ago!  

Eventually, he seemed to find what he was looking for. Simply diving onto Trot, he turned it into a grapple, throwing the knife away.  In here, Brimstone simply overpowered him. The crowd, sensing the end, cried for blood! They wanted him to throw Trot into the chemicals or drop him on a mine!  Instead, he simply began pressing away Trot's waving limbs until he got a grip around his neck.

    Then, he squeezed.  Long Trot fought, kicked and struggled, but in that choke hold there was no escape against somepony so strong.  Gradually, Long Trot slowed and ceased to move other than a few spasmodic jerks of his hind legs. Laying his opponent down, Brimstone stood...and stumbled.

The wounds on his side only kept seeping blood that dripped off his belly or down his legs.  Ignoring the crowd's boos at the raider winning again with a simple and (comparatively to the poor ponies forced in before) painless execution, I saw him testing the movement in his body with a grimace.  Some shrapnel had clearly gone deep.

Now Long Trot's body formed another pile alongside the other ignored corpses that would lie there until both bouts were done.

    “BOO!  WE WANT PROPER FIGHTS!” That same buck beside me cried.

    “YEAH!  THIS SUCKS!  MORE LIKE THE FIRST ONE!” screamed another.

The crowd was turning against this, two fights with nothing but 'boring' deaths and little real violence was leading the bloodthirsty audience to protest and scream their displeasure.  Up on the balcony, I saw little change in Red Eye's watchful gaze, stroking Winter with one hoof. But I saw him finally turn his head to Stern and mutter but a few words in her ear. She looked to him, then at the Pit, then back again before nodding.  Taking up the microphone, she held up a talon for silence.

    “You want a proper fight?”

    “YEAH!” They chorused.

    “Then you shall have a spectacle!  The next bout shall be two on one! Numbers four and five from the opposing team will enter the Pit together to bring low this beast who has hurt so many of you!”

The crowd went mad, chanting and approving of this idea.  This wasn't fair! Something was wrong with Brimstone and they were throwing two ponies at once against him?

    I saw Brimstone stand up again from testing his leg and throw his head toward the opening gate.  This...this is where it would really begin.

    “Now there's some history here, workers!  These two ponies were once of this beast's very warband!  But he betrayed them! Turned away from the group and started killing them when paths crossed in Fillydelphia!  Welcome...Scar Tissue and Pitfall!”

    Now the crowd got really going. Two ferocious raiders charged into the arena, howling and whooping as they came.  Both unicorn stallions, their filthy black coats were twisted and dyed with red and yellow, symbols of atrocity adorning both.  One bore a cutie mark of a trident with a waxed-up brown mohawk mane, while the other had a set of upward facing stakes and a similarly coloured mane shorn off one side entirely to only leave one half on his right side left.  The latter I guessed was Pitfall from the mark, making the mohawk Scar Tissue. They looked like brothers!

    Brimstone clearly recognised them.  Pulling his leg off the ground, he snarled and stomped.

    “I thought you two had been killed off long ago in here!”

Scar Tissue snapped at the mouth almost like a dog.  “We ain't dying till we got a shot at you, betrayer! You any idea how many of our kin you killed in that Mall business?”

Pitfall chimed in, his voice a rasping sound of somepony who smoked far too much.  “Clan sticks together, forever and always! You turned your back on it! Now we're gonna put you down, old worn-out stallion taken out in place of the new!”

They both broke off to either side of their half in the Pit, cast a knowing glance to one another, and stamped on pressure plates simultaneously.  Holding their hooves up with expectancy, the barrels opened and dropped their contents. To Scar Tissue, a trident with wickedly barbed points that was at least ten feet long.  To Pitfall, a net covered in small fish hooks and a set of hoof-blades. Catching them in their hooves or magic, the pair armed up.

    This was wrong, they knew where their signature weapons were.  The fact they even had weapons for themselves was ridiculous!  Somepony was playing with the rules fast and loose here behind the scenes.  I shivered, praying under my breath.

    “Please, Goddesses, forgive him and let him live.  Please...”

    The pair hoof bumped with a sadistic grin, turning back to Brimstone.

    “Ready, chief?'”

    Brimstone only lowered his front half down, scuffing at the dirt and growling.

    “Come on then, upstarts.”

They didn't need any further incentive.  Screaming their own battle cry, the pair surged forward, crossing over each other's path with fluid grace and flanking around Brimstone in the centre of the Pit.  My friend surged forward against Scar Tissue, aiming to divide and conquer. But even as he ran, the net whirled out, projected over a long distance by Pitfall's magic, and slashed at his back leg.  With a great cry at the hooks tearing skin and dragging his leg out, Brimstone stumbled and twisted, trying to free himself. One hoof sliced backward and using the hard edge against the hooks, simply tore it off.  Face twisting in anger, he stamped it down and away from Pitfall's magic, only for that huge trident to come piercing in from the side. Dropping and rolling to avoid it, Brim grunted at the pain before coming back to his feet a good bit slower than I'd known him normally to.

Even by the time he was there, Pitfall had darted away, the net taken with him.  Covering his retreat with that trident, floating and watching Brim should he try to launch at Pitfall recovering his weapon.

These two fought as one.  Twins. Circling Brimstone, two ponies and two floating weapons, they surrounded him with a precision.

    “Time was you two were just runts born into the clan.” Brimstone muttered to himself, favouring his injured legs and body.

“Times change, chief!  The old get slow, the dynamic young take over!  After all, isn't that how you got in charge when your old dad got too slow to stop you?” Scar Tissue spat, before his trident flew in.  Spotting it easily, Brimstone backed off to deflect it with his hooves. I tried to scream a warning, but behind him the net floated in and caught his back legs again to prevent his retreat.

    Then I did scream as the trident's points dug into his shoulder.

Bellowing at the stab, much to the enjoyment of the crowd, Brimstone thrashed and whirled, sending the trident flying across the arena while stamping the net into the ground.  He bled from dozens of small cuts now of shrapnel and stabs. Every time he went for one, the other would surge in!

Brimstone wasn't going to give up that easily.  Even as the pair moved to recover their weapons, he took the chance to run to another pressure plate.  Almost breaking it with his hoof, he had to swear colourfully and loudly (Luna's almighty what?) when the sight forced him to leap aside again.  A strange long and thick bar shape dropped heavily before slapping onto the ground hard.

    “Brimstone Blitz just has no luck today!  For those who don't know, that is a bar mine!  An anti-machine and wagon mine that only goes off when something of enough weight presses down on it, shooting upwards on its detonation with enough explosives to take out a sentinel robot!”

    This was ridiculous!  Now a mine that would only be set off by somepony as big as Brim was in the arena!?  Why wasn't Red Eye stopping this? Looking up, I saw him only watching my friend with careful eyes, that cybernetic one blinking occasionally.  Surely somepony as intelligent as him saw what was going on?

Scar and Pitfall had gotten their weapons back, advancing upon Brimstone again.  They were much faster than him, wiry and lithe with a thin and tense strength. Wildcard was keeping his remnant portion of the warband well exercised even in Fillydelphia, that was for sure.  Once again making a flanking move, they rushed for Brimstone. Between them Scar Tissue was clearly the faster, making a sprint to reach behind Brimstone. To my surprise, Brim simply turned and ran.

They didn't seem to expect it either, but they bounded forward.  The crowd jeered at the warlord's 'craven cowardice' but after a second it all became clear.  Leaping clean over the chemical spill with a grunt on landing upon wounded legs, Brimstone made his way to the far side of the Pit and backed himself against the corner.  I was no fighter, I couldn't grasp why. But soon enough, it became clear.

As they caught up, they couldn't surround him in the same way.  It was risky though, Brimstone had nowhere to run now as he gambled that against making sure he could see them both at all times.

    “Trapped now, chief.” Scar Tissue licked his lips.

    “Trapped in the pit.” Pitfall chimed in, making at least a few ponies in the crowd groan.

    “Then come get me.” Brimstone settled, ready.

Scar obliged first, that huge trident using its ten foot range to let him thrust from well outwith his own magic's range if he only used his telekinesis on the end of it for quick thrusts.  Blocking and using his hooves as shields, Brimstone smacked it aside time and again. What was he trying? They could just keep stabbing until they got him! Pitfall sent his net surging in to wrap around Brim's front hooves, trapping them together!  I saw the pain on his face as those fish hooks dug under his skin and his front body collapsed down.

    “Bad plan, big guy.  Goodbye!” Scar laughed and lunged with the trident.

Brim's plan came into play.  Launching up with his hind legs, he twisted and grabbed the trident's shaft in his mouth tightly.  I saw the telekinesis fight against it, Scar Tissue moving in closer to try and pull harder! Brimstone had both their main weapons locked on him now!

    Even when Scar Tissue fought magic against mouth, Brimstone let go.  The trident flew out of his mouth from the straining telekinesis and slapped right into Scar's face.  Taking the opportunity, Brimstone launched off his hind legs toward the unsuspecting Pitfall.  Landing awkwardly, he still managed to lift his tied front hooves and deliver a double hoofed hammerblow across his face.

The raider fell back, face gushing from fish hook lacerations.  I thought Brim was going in for the kill, but instead I saw him use the dazed and helpless raider's hoof claws to cut the net off his own! He could end it now, the pony was out cold!

    He didn't.  I saw the look, the mindset saying 'kill,' but looking at a helpless pony before him, Brimstone backed off.

Behind him, the trident speared into his flesh once again.  The raiders had no such qualms about attacking somepony like that. Tearing out with those barbs, I saw a nasty wound opened.  Brimstone stumbled, staggered, and leaned against the thick concrete wall just below where the cage started.

“What's this?  The big nasty warlord's lost his edge?  Lost that raider feel? Well that's just gonna treat you rough then, isn't it?”

Scar looked at his brother upon the floor, now unconscious and clearly out of the game here.  Grimacing, Scar Tissue shook his mohawk-bearing head.

    “Seems he's out of it anyway, oh well!”

He bore a sick grin, before the trident flashed and went spearing into his own brother's neck!  He didn't even look bothered! Drawing it and leaving yet another body to the mercy of the Pit's cold and increasingly stained floor, he turned back to Brimstone.

“That's how raiders act, chief!  Do what it takes. They were going to make us fight after we killed you anyway!  But you'll never not be one! No, now you're just a bad one!  I guess I get all the glory then to bring you down!  Always did want to challenge you when you got old and slow.  Here's my chance!”

His magic lit up, drawing his brother's hoof claws to himself and wearing them, the long trident flicking back to keep Brim at a distance.  I could see my friend stumbling. The wounds were beginning to tell. He still had two to beat and this one was already looking dodgy. Scar was unhurt!

“You want a shot at your old warlord?” Brimstone snorted, hardening his face.  “Perhaps he's still got a couple fights left in him!”

It began.  Brimstone charged, hooves sparking on the concrete floor, he tore toward Scar.  The smaller raider crouched, narrowed his eyes and flung the trident forward. Lancing ahead, it jerked to the side when Brimstone deflected it with a hoof and leapt to swing a mighty hoof for Scar's head.  Dropping and rolling to the side, Scar Tissue leapt to his hooves again and threw a slash with those hoofblades, missing Brimstone as he hopped backward and reared up to deliver a double-hoofed slam that only barely missed his elusive opponent.

Every impact brought a scream of delight from somepony around us, Scar's frantic running to retrieve his trident prompting many to urge him on!  Internally, feeling nervous about supporting these pit fights, I still cheered for Brimstone. But I just couldn't help shake the sense that something was terribly wrong.  He couldn't face being a raider, so he was turning away from it to his own suffering by not getting into that properly rage-filled mindset to unleash his real physical power.

Was I any different?  Why didn't anypony understand I just wanted to leave as painlessly as possible?  I was just running away all the same.

The trident spun wildly in the air, landing to point at Scar's opponent while they circled.  Grimacing, both leapt forward. A clashing meet of trident, blades, and thick hooves mixed with narrow dodges and small clips that sent either fighter back a foot to regain their stance.  I saw Brimstone's hoof catch Scar's shoulder and throw him almost right over. A hoofblade opened a thin slit along Brim's left foreleg. A dent in the trident from a particularly harsh block.

    The two whirled away, breathing deeply.  The crowd ecstatic at the tough fought battle.

Scar Tissue was good.  Very good. Even without his brother, he had a lot of speed and a reaction time I hadn't seen since Barb.  He maintained a youthful grin and bouncy stance upon his hooves while Brimstone was slowing, breathing hard, and dripping blood everywhere he went.  One serious injury more could be enough to tip that into a truly wounded position, the mine and bladed attacks had really taken their toll.

    Frankly, I had a whole new respect for Brimstone's constitution, to take as many slices and tears and still be capable.

    “Giving up, old chief?”

“Not while I'm alive!” Brimstone spun, bucking full force toward his opponent.  Scar, however, grinned and dove forward to roll beneath it, slicing upward. Noticing him almost too late to avoid being gutted, Brimstone threw himself to the side and swung to deliver a punishing blow I'd seen catch many an opponent out with its speed.

    Scar simply ducked it.

    “Is that it?  I've seen you do that a thousand times in my life, chief!  You know what they say about old dogs...”

The trident came flying down vertically from above.  Catching Brim's knife wound from Long Trot, it dragged at the slit and reopened what had been slowly beginning to thicken.  Brim looked more surprised than pained, having to quickly shift and move awkwardly to the side when the trident kept stabbing down again and again.  I saw what Scar was doing, a pony couldn't properly defend upwards like a griffon or hellhound could!

    “How'd you like some new tricks?  Picked up from the griffons in here that Wildcard brought into the clan!”

Brimstone strained to keep an eye on the trident, dodging frantically, I heard him cry out in shock as he had to leap over that damn bar mine.  Backing off, seeing it coming, he hopped up and over onto his back, catching the trident head between his hooves. Without any fancy thought, he simply drew it in close and smashed the offending weapon into splinters, bending the tips.

“All flair and no reliability.” Brimstone muttered while he turned back and slammed his hooves together.  In a moment of horror, I saw even the strong gesture make him wince and stumble on his front legs. All his limbs had taken horrific punishment, one back leg was bent and clearly not taking any weight.

    “Hah, you think that's all I got?” Scar grinned back, his horn still glowing.  Slowly, it built up and began to crackle.

My ears popped, a flash of light and an after-image of a stream of light, like lightning!  All the way from his horn to Brimstone, where I cried out loud to see him half collapsed and clutching his chest.  Only after a few seconds did I realise I'd lost my hearing completely. All around, ponies rubbed their ears while the slow rumble of the crowd began to grow again.  A splitting headache began to form while my hearing returned. Curse my tainted birth...

“-new tricks, huh?” Scar's voice cut back in.  “Little thing Wildcard taught me! See, we the young don't like to just do what you taught us.  All brawn and never looking at what we can really do with magic!”

    Brimstone pushed one hoof to the ground, trying to close the distance.  But Scar Tissue only trotted backward.

    “Ah.  Ah. Aaaah!  Face it, chief.  You're obsolete to the new clan!  Where magic and strength goes together!  You-HAH!”

My ears erupted in pain again, Brimstone had tried to leap suddenly forward, but the same spell sent him collapsing to his side.  Eyes watering from my own pain, I watched him breathing heavily.

“Interrupting me, I said you're past your time!  A good magical shock does wonders against those getting a bit on in life...what are you, sixty-something now?  How's that heart doing after all this time in Filly?”

Tapping his hoofblades together, he began to wander across, waving one in the air to announce the upcoming kill to the crowd.

“Just lie there, chief.  I'll make it a raider's death.  Nice and bloody, going down in a blaze of violence.  Isn't that how you always said we should go? Pity you didn't move with the times, just sticking with that tired old raaaah-raaaah I’m a big raider shtick.”

He began to charge, the hoofblades tip-tapping as they went.  I saw Brimstone roll onto his front, facing away from Scar, gritted teeth in great pain.

    “Well it's over now!  Some way to go, being the old arrogant big guy!  Have you even learned one thing from the ponies around you?  No? Now you'll pay for that!”

Scar rushed forward, leapt into the air, raising his claws high, and screamed a guttural howl of death!  I squeezed Coral's foreleg so hard I feared I'd break it.

    His eyes opened.

    “You could say I've learned one little fighting trick from a good friend...”

His whole body surged.  From his shoulders to his rear hooves I saw muscles ripple and power that colossal body up to lean on his front hooves.  As Brimstone Blitz unleashed the sharpest and biggest, most powerful straight-up buck I'd ever seen toward Scar Tissue even as he descended.  A surprise attack with his full strength that collided with earth shattering force...into Scar Tissue's groin.

    There was a crunch.

    Simultaneously, myself and every single buck (along with a good portion of the mares) in the stadium made an 'Oooooh!' sound and clutched themselves, rear legs crossing over protectively.

    I even saw Red Eye wince and scrunch up half of his face, that cyber-eye blinking at a rapid pace while one hind leg pulled just a little closer.

    Beside him I saw his dog, Winter, whine and cover his face with a paw while lying down.

The entire fight had seemed to stop dead.  Frozen in time at that moment of impact before Scar slowly fell to the ground.  Eyes so wide they almost seemed to pop out of his skull, he just lay quivering with an open mouth making little squeaky noises the likes of which even my filly-like voice couldn't match.

    Brimstone grunted, limped, and stood above him.

“A raider's death?  Bloody and violent? Consider that the violence.  But you will have no blood, the Goddesses watch for those unwilling to follow that path any more...even if it renders them unable.”

    A hoof raised, I saw Scar Tissue's eyes follow it as he was unable to move his body.

    His neck snapped like dry bark under the stamp.  The life in his eyes disappearing seconds later.

Regardless of the lack of blood, the crowd shouted their approval once many of them had been done recovering and making sure certain things were still there.  (Alright, alright, maybe I had, too...just to be sure.) I still heard boos, but that fight had pleased them.

    “The Dragon wins once again!  We are only one fight away from equalling the Pit all-time record after proving his worth against two at once!”

Finally, I allowed myself to breathe.  Or at least, begin desperately sucking warm air through a cramped throat.  My hoof toyed with the collar, feeling it chafing my burns and rad-sores developing all around my neck.

My body couldn't take this pressure.  Already my chest was thumping hard and I could taste the rancid bile and tinge of metal in my throat.  I needed RadAway the moment this was done. Maybe I could go to the hospital and trade with the caps from my bet?  I didn't want to go to Sooty...no...no no no no.

    Brimstone knelt down in the centre, taking his breath.  Coral narrowed her eyes.

    “I can't say I feel sorry for him.  But if the next fight is anything like that then I can't see him getting by.”

Horrified, I turned to her for saying such a thing!  But those bitter eyes only narrowed and turned away from me.  I couldn't say anything, the history between them was just too dire.

“Well, workers...we come to it at last!  The final bout of this first set of six! The Great Warlord is hurting, clearly not as fit as he once was-”

    No!  He was fit!  He just...just wasn't fighting right!

Biting my lip, I saw Brim glancing around the crowd.  He was looking for us! Without thinking, I simply stood up on the bench.  Around me, some ponies hissed and swore at the sight of my wings. But stern glances from Coral kept them back.  She had sat quietly and sometimes I swore almost enjoyed seeing what she would see as justice done to Brimstone, but she wouldn't let them hurt me.

More visible, his eyes found me.  We couldn't say anything, but I knew that look in his eye.  Somewhere between apology and gratitude.

Now I realised fully what it was.  Earlier today when he had swore not to let the frenzy take over.  It wasn't that he couldn't fight without it, it was that he couldn't risk a fight getting so intense that it would draw it out of him by his very habit.

    Please, Brim...just come out.

    “So now we move to our final challenger!  So without further talk...let us allow the final to begin!  Bring them in!”

    The gate slid up.  Within the dark void I saw a shape and two eyes marching forward.  Here they were...

    But then my heart skipped a beat.

    History was repeating itself.

    Before me in that pit was not a pony.

Thick and stomping, strong and bestial.  Barely fitting out the gate, he came. Larger even than Brimstone and not at all what I had expected to see.

    He was a raider, yes.

    But he was a buffalo.
       

    My heart sank.

Huge in body, possessing massive horns and cloven hooves, the buffalo stomped forward under the screams of the crowd.  Dyed hair on either side depicting the same raider symbols as Brimstone himself alongside foul abstract pieces of acts I wish my mind could already forget.  A thick spur of bone between his nostrils, while his horns were carved, painted and tipped with bronze.

    “A brand new addition to our rosters!  The final opponent is for a grudge match!  Yet another of Brimstone's own warband come back to seek revenge!  Stronger than any pony and so crazed we've had to keep him locked in magic enchanted chains as a secret weapon of war since he was brought here!  But now he wants a piece of his old Warlord! For his feats, he was named 'Breaks Many Foes' but in the Pit, we simply call him...BOOOONECRUUUUSHER!”

    The colossal figure reared up, so huge in size that he almost came to the height of the minotaur I'd seen!  But far heavier.  Opening his mouth, Bonecrusher emitted a throaty whooping cry before slamming his hooves down so hard I felt it even up here.

“This old leader shall fall before me for his betrayal of us all!  Raiders do not forgive! For blood! For revenge of our fallen in the Mall!  His broken body shall be cast down!”

The crowd were up on their hooves, stomping and yelling, their hooves pounding on the ground or the cage around the arena.  I saw so many of them fighting with the guards to get back to the betting stands. Many were swapping out tickets up here in the stands!

    Below, Brimstone Blitz lethargically pushed himself up and flicked blood from his limbs and body with a shake.

    “I expected Wildcard...not you.” He growled at Bonecrusher, keeping himself held ready for anything.

“Wildcard gave me this chance!” Bonecrusher snorted in response and scrapped ready to charge.  “We drew for it and I got number six! One of your own Big Four will destroy you in turn!”

    One of the Big Four?  But Brimstone hadn't mentioned him...

“You are not one of them.” Brimstone's words set a furious look on the buffalo.  “Rough Diamond died, you didn't get to the initiation before we were brought here.”

    “You know I'd have passed!” Bonecrusher shouted in a voice like stones crumbling together.  “I was always just waiting for the chance! You know I'd have made it to be one!  I was the replacement! It's always the way when one dies! Ever since Wildcard killed that wimp Diamond you know it was my place to step in for him!”

    Wildcard killed...huh?  I perked up, seeing the look of surprise on Brimstone's face as well.  That threw everything I knew for a loop. Internal raider grudges? Fighting over loot?  But Brim clearly didn't have time for over thinking right now, steeling his face.

    “Keep dreaming.  You’re a mindless idiot, Foes!  You could never lead.”

    There was a brief silence.

    “Fighting is all that matters to a raider and I could FIGHT!” The roar came just short of the almost overdue charge.  Lowering his head and shaking the very foundations, Bonecrusher rushed forward faster than I'd ever have wanted to see.  Those horns gleamed and pointed right for Brimstone's breast.

My friend dove to one side, scrambling madly as he landed near the hissing chemical pile that was starting to eat into the surface of the Pit.  Seeping near to Top Quartz's corpse I could see it eating and melting away one of her hooves. The Pit was cramped now with dangers and bodies! Stumbling over the obstacles, Brimstone got back to his feet even as Bonecrusher skidded to a halt and turned to snarl back.

Brimstone didn't let him charge again.  Screaming his own cry, he pushed the pain away and ran directly for the lumbering beast before another charge could be built up.  Surging in with one, two, and then three solid slams to the face, Brimstone unleashed what he had upon the buffalo.  I heard every mighty thump of hoof on forehead, before Bonecrusher twisted and threw Brimstone a good ten feet away.  Landing, a sudden beeping gave rise to a quick slap of Brim's hoof throwing a mine in between the two.  The resulting detonation so close to the edge caught three slaves in the crowd with shrapnel and threw up a smokescreen to dodge the follow-up goring from the buffalo.  The tempo was on, neither was messing around here!

Scraping his horn along the edge of the Pit from being blinded, Bonecrusher left a long scar in the wall before sliding to a halt and spinning to find Brimstone launching back onto him.  They tussled for a few seconds, but to my horror I saw the reality. For once, Brimstone was well and truly outmatched in terms of sheer strength.

Bonecrusher threw down Brim's attacks, raising his hooves up to grab and slam my friend into the arena wall.  Braying loudly, he lowered his head and charged, butting Brim in the stomach and crushing him a second time before throwing him away.  Arcing over, Brimstone landed in a heap, just pushing himself up to deflect a horn. The resulting charge still flung him another ten feet away to land near Long Trot's body.

    Slamming the ground with his hoof, I saw the restrained fury in his eyes.  He wanted to unleash the beast inside, the Dragon.  But he was holding it back, shaking his head.

“You've lost the raider in you, Brimstone Blitz!” Bonecrusher stalked near him.  “Time was you could stop a charge of mine. Now look at you!”

He surged forwards, drawing a cry of pain when one of those horns pierced Brim's thick skin and carried him across the arena to spin and slam down.  I could see Brimstone holding a hoof to the wound.

No...no!  Brimstone couldn't defeat him like this!  He just couldn't! I remembered all too clearly what he said, that no matter what he wouldn't give in to the raider inside!  It...it was his way to go out if he had to but show everypony he was different! The only way out! His only choice.

    Just like mine.  Why couldn't he have understood that?

    “Murky?”

    Why not?

    “Murky!”

I blinked, realising I'd been crying, sitting hunched back in the seat amongst a sea of crying spectators.  Coral Eve was looking me in the eye, shaking me a little.

I didn't say anything, but she saw the horrified look in my eye.  She felt nothing for Brimstone, I could see that. She was almost calm, maybe even feeling he deserved this.  I felt her shake me again, but I just trembled. What could I say? This was exactly the same thing, only now I was seeing it happen to somepony else!

Another horrid gore drove home before Brim even got up.  He was leaving a trail of blood across the concrete wherever he was thrown and tossed.  Rolling beneath Bonecrusher, barely avoiding the stamps, Brimstone limped and almost fell upon a pressure plate, seeking something he could use.

    The barrel almost jammed, something huge inside it jerking and then falling with a heavy clang.

    A helmet made of bronze and steel in the crude shape of a dragon bearing two great horns.

    Brimstone's helmet.

    Wildcard or Shackles, whoever it was behind the scenes doing this was taunting him now.  Teasing him with the temptation.

    I saw him stare sideways at it, frozen in place.  To one side, Bonecrusher noticed it and laughed.

“You've lost who you are, Brimstone!  No longer the raider, but you're nothing without that rage burning to drive you!  A spent flame in the night. You know what you need to do to ever hope to fight me...but you won't.”

He was right, kicking it to the side, Brimstone slid around and charged directly into the side of Bonecrusher.  Roaring aloud, hoof after hoof fell into the buffalo, throwing everything he had to throw. The buffalo staggered back under the witheringly harsh hail.  Almost to the wall, before the old clan member struck back. Launching forward, he simply headbutted Brimstone, stunning my friend before picking him up and body-slamming him into the floor.  Raising him again, rising to two hooves, the buffalo presented my friend in his dazed state to the crowd, screaming his victory!

Spinning and swinging, Bonecrusher hurled him with terrible force into the wall right below us.  Even on our side, the concrete bulged in and cracked enough to send fragments all over us in the crowd.  Behind him, Bonecrusher turned to the crowd and raised his hooves, chanting old raider verses and oaths.

    Quaking, crying and terrified, I saw Brimstone slump down...still breathing, but terribly injured.

    “Murky, snap out of it!”

Coral's hooves shook me, I realised I was hyperventilating badly, my illness kicking up and making my vision go hazy.  This was all it came down to. Death or pain! For all of us born with something we hated!

    She shook me so hard my neck almost got whiplash.

    “Don't get to thinking what I know you're thinking!  That isn't the way! Not for you...”

Frozen with fear for my friend and feeling like I just wanted to slink off and do something, I simply turned and stared wide-eyed and blank to the older mare.  Her eyes narrowed while looking at me.

    “Not for him either.  Everypony, get out of my way!”

She stood in the seats, forcing the jubilant slaves around us to the sides.  Coral strode down the benches, over slaves even, until she was ringside.

    “Get up, you beast!” She screamed at Brimstone from right beside him.  Shaking, he looked up, as though surprised to see her.  “You get up and do your job!”

    His face was swollen, in visible agony and close to some horrible mortal failure.

“I am.” He rumbled, speaking from half of his split mouth.  “I will not live a raider any more. Breaks Many Foes, he was one of the most brutal fighters lacking only in leadership.  If I must fall to him to prove that I will not turn to the raider to have forgiveness...then I will.  I'm not like you or Murk or Glimmerlight who finds their strength from the goodness in your hearts.  I will not turn back to the Dragon before all these ponies just to win.”

I could see Coral's ire rising as he spoke, her horn sparked and grew in flashing light every time he spoke a word.  Eventually, she screamed aloud and emitted a sharp pressure blast into the arena. It slapped right across Brimstone's face and staggered him to the side.

    “Now you listen to me, brute!” She snapped, scowling at him.  “You want to be forgiven by everypony for the things you did?  You keep wondering about what it'll take? Well I'm going to tell you right now what you can do to fix it!”

    Coral leaned close to the cage.

    “Nothing!”

Shaking and feeling my chest tight and my head weary from lack of air on my rapid breathing, I widened my eyes at the look Brimstone gave her.  Somewhere between crushing emotion and anger.

    “You can do nothing, because no matter what you do, no matter what you live like or who you help and save, there is one pony who will never ever forgive you.  Me! Consider me bitter and angry against somepony like you who assisted in saving my life from Barb, but you know what?  I don't care! Oooh, consider that bad if you want and I'll probably agree that it's not my best trait, that I hold grudges and never forgive easily, but at least I accept it!”

    Slaves around us seemed to back away from her and Brimstone.

    “You're a raider.  You were born one, and from that raider earlier I heard how you killed your own father to be the best one!  Now you want to turn around and pretend you aren't one, to the point that you die to that beast over there?”

She pointed a hoof through the cage, Bonecrusher was raising cheers from the crowd on the far side, teasing them with what to use for 'the kill' from all the lethal areas of the arena.  Brimstone turned and looked, oddly silent before returning to her eyes.

    “You want to die?  Fine, I'll probably smile rather than mourn for you.  But I'm not letting you die like this.  Not running away from who you are.  For me? Oooh, hell no. For him!”

She reached through, grabbing his head and pointing it up at me.  I locked eyes with him, seeing the look of shock. Likely seeing me so small, so afraid and vulnerable.  It was taking all I had to stay there and not shrink away.

“That little buck tried to throw himself off a roof because he couldn't see any way to escape being what he was born as!  So if you think I'm going to let you, somepony he for some reason truly cares for, throw your life away trying to run from the very same thing and prove his hurt little mind right, then you are seriously wrong, Brimstone Blitz!”

Pulling his face back around, she stood up on her hind legs to get to his height, staring her family's killer right in the eye from inches away through the bars without fear.

    “I care for him.  So even if it hurts me to ever help you I'm going to tell you right now.  You will not die like this. If you can't beat him...then fine.  But do not go out being a weak coward, only running away from what he is.  You're a raider, Brimstone Blitz.  You'll never know if the world will ever think well of you again, and you better get used to remembering that.  So get over yourself, turn around and be the pony you are.  Prove to that little pegasus behind us that you don't just give up because you can't handle what you were born as!”

    Her eyes narrowed.

    “You go out there and you show him what learning to try again no matter what anypony thinks of you really means.  You'll never earn my forgiveness through killing yourself, Brimstone.  You'll never not be that Dragon inside. But you are not going to die and prove everything that is wrong with this right to the one innocent slave I've met in this damn city!”

Behind them, Bonecrusher roared, turning.  Brimstone didn't even pay him heed. He looked up to me and, I thought, seemed to have something change in his look.  He looked around at the ponies chanting for his death, chanting for revenge for all he'd done. Eventually, looking to Coral.

“I do not know that I can beat him...not now.” He spoke slowly as he stepped back.  “But if I must die proving a point then that must be all that I can do. Murky?”

    I gasped, surprised to hear him shout to me.  He looked down and picked up the Dragon helmet.

    “Coral is right.  We can't change what you or I were born as.  But we can always push for more, no matter what they say.  Not any crowd and not any sick bastard with a collar.”

    He looked to the helmet, hooves trembling at the baleful carved eyes and blood painted markings.

    “If Glimmerlight was the point I turned...let this be the moment I never looked back.”

The helmet was thrown on, standing tall and swinging to face his opponent, I saw him clip it around his neck and wring out his neck.  His wounds poured still, but yet I saw Brimstone allow himself to push past it with a growl.

Bonecrusher grinned at the sight, clearly relishing more fight.  Coral Eve stood watching sternly. I simply sat in amazement.

    “Come back for more, huh?” Bonecrusher chuckled.

    “You going to talk like Scar over there or fight?” Brimstone snarled, lowering his own horned helmet.

    Seeing the sign, so did Bonecrusher.  The way between them was clear of all obstacle.

    “Let the Dragon die!” To a great cheer of the crowd, Bonecrusher shifted that massive frame and charged.

    “Then come try it!” Brimstone roared in return, charging forward with a renewed strength.  The two thundered toward each other, pounding the ground and building speed at a frightening pace.

    I'd seen him fight a Steel Ranger and considered it the most brutal conflict in my life to witness.

    I'd seen nothing.

    The two leapt from the ground and simply collided, head to head with their horns interlocking in a crash that made the corpses and mines jump on the floor, some of the smaller ones exploding as they fell.  Ramming, snarling and twisting the pair fell, got up, rammed again and flung hooves and horns at one another.  Every strike a colossal thump that reverberated in my breast.  There was no blocking, no dodging.  They simply laid into one another like possessed demons of battle.  Blood flew, sparks of metal on bone lit their faces, and each gave ground only to push back.  Bonecrusher reeled, surprised. But I saw that grin as he flung his massive size around and collided with Brimstone to fling him away.  Tumbling head over hoof, he slammed into the ground and rolled to his hooves.

    Pausing, I saw the blood leak from his helmet.  There was a shake of his body, before he raised both hooves to the sky and screamed an unearthly war cry carrying the rage of sixty years under the brutality of a raider clan.  The hooves slammed down and drew into a charge back to his opponent and meeting the approaching buffalo halfway.  Throwing himself up, Brim got him around his neck and dragged the huge beast to the ground. Wrestling and slamming Bonecrusher's head into the floor, he was smashed aside by his opponent like a rag doll.  Time after time he flung back on and stopped the larger opponent from getting up until eventually their horns locked again.

    Ponies screamed themselves hoarse around me. Many were on their hooves still, waving and leaping at the brutal conflict before them.  Two immense creatures leathering each other for all their worth.  I saw horns stab on both sides, until Brimstone gored the buffalo upon the chest.  Driving him back for the first time, Bonecrusher hit the wall and bellowed in pain when Brim's helmet pierced deep.  Raising both hooves, he crashed them down upon Brimstone's back twice to stun him. Catching the buffalo's neck, Brimstone swept around and forced his opponent into the wall, slamming their head over and over, only harder each time until the concrete began to splinter.

Faltering and stumbling, Bonecrusher tripped and almost fell, stunned.  But with a surge of his body, swung Brimstone right off the ground and horizontally swung him into the wall.  Leaning down, he tossed and tried to gore my friend all over again, throwing him over the personnel mines.  Landing, Brimstone kicked two of them with great speed toward Bonecrusher's face, exploding right on top of him and following it up with a charging hoof strike that sent both of them to the ground again.

This was simply a blur of motion.  Hits arriving and being countered before either could register the pain.  Berserk meeting frenzy. Bonecrusher's constitution was immense. Even streaming blood from his face, he was still up even before Brimstone!  The shrapnel had chipped his horns and tore one brass tip free but even with a face full of metal, he moved to stamp again and again on his downed opponent.  Crying with tears of stress and fear I watched my friend beaten into the ground with impacts that would have killed me from barely one strike.  Then a rise of the head and Bonecrusher found a hoof impaled upon one of Brimstone's horns.  The bestial scream sent shivers through me.

Brim struggled to his hooves, he was weak, but in those eyes I saw little but sheer rage and unleashed anger that had been held down all competition.

Was...was this really the way?  To have to go through with it and always just strive on, no matter how you feel inside or how it makes you feel?

    Brimstone leapt forward, a hoof surging out to stagger his opponent.

    I'd been trying so hard so many times but I only kept failing by stint of what I was, a slave!

    Bonecrusher caught the next attack, dishing out a vicious headbutt in return.

    But Brim had been dying before me and still fought.

Spinning, he bucked the buffalo hard in the side to the crack of ribs, Bonecrusher didn't care, rushing forward and tackling Brimstone down to crush Brim with his weight!

    Was it right to avoid the pain and hatred around you telling to just let it all end?  To keep going?

    Even before me, Brimstone struggled and lifted the colossal beast from him, grimacing and throwing himself out from under.

    I saw Coral looking to me.  She saw my wider eyes and seemed to almost smile.

“The road's tough.  We've all suffered from where we began.  Even with hope you might not make it in the end, we might not get out.” Her eyes turned back to the Pit.  “But it's always worth trying, Murky. That's what he's showing to you.”

A great cry drew my attention back to the Pit.  Both of them, reared up, were throwing huge strikes at the other.  A devastating right hook from Brimstone that broke one of Bonecrusher's horns, a hideously powerful slam of a hoof from the buffalo that tore the right side of Brimstone's helmet clean away along with a good portion of the skin below it.  One after another, throwing their whole exhausted bodies into it. They just kept hitting, the crowd chanting numbers to the strikes. But gradually, I saw Brimstone's attacks lessen as he took more damage.

    “The Dragon is over!” Bonecrusher screamed, raising both hooves.

“Maybe it is!” Brimstone roared back, striking Bonecrusher in the gut and leaping up to grab him around the neck.  “But if he's going...”

    Ever so suddenly, I saw one eye match mine.

    “...then he's going out trying for the impossible!”

Pulling his opponent down, I saw Brimstone glance to me just for one half second, before beginning to fight the strength of the struggling buffalo.  Slowly, he began to pull. Tugging, swinging, fighting, and bellowing every oath he knew he began to overcome the buffalo's strength with what he had left.  His injuries bled more as muscles worked and moved, His eyes turned red from bloodshot. Veins stood out. Then he began to roar with one last almighty effort against something almost twice the mass of himself.

Slowly, I heard the entire crowd go quiet, other than an open mouthed gasp, as Brimstone spun and spun until the momentum built and through his scream of unthinkable effort lifted the entire buffalo.  He spun around without letting go as for one unbelievable moment, I saw a pony propel a whole larger beast above himself by the neck and body slam him right over the top to land-

    I saw the bar mine.

No!  NO! I ran forward!  Like a pane of glass shattering my head cleared and realised the danger!  Galloping to the cage side past Coral even as the buffalo descended, followed by the howling rage of Brimstone Blitz drowning out a shriek from the untouched freedom of my mind that cared for somepony else who had helped me come as far as I had!

    “BRIIIIM!”

    Bonecrusher landed with a slam that lifted everything in the pit a full foot from the ground...right on the bar mine.

    My vision went white and I felt my body along with everypony else in the front row blown away from the cage as the full construct shattered and leapt free of its housings.  Dust and smoke whirled free and coated everypony as they covered themselves.  Bits of concrete and earth rained from above and pattered from the decimated cage that was dangerously leaning, ready to fall.  Griffons caught themselves in the air from the disturbances and landed quickly to point rifles at the cage itself.

My vision only saw that much, bleary with shock and blinking from the flare that had gone off right before me.  Ears ringing, I pulled myself out from below Coral Eve and struggled to the edge of the cage. Pulling myself up to look in, barely able to keep myself upright in grief, I squinted through the smoke.

    Nothing...just nothing.

    The crowd began to get up behind me.

    Then they began to cheer.

    “What a match!” Stern's announcing rung across the area from mostly broken speakers.  “A true epic!”

    No...no this wasn't right!  How could they cheer!?

Through the smoke, I saw the huge pile in the middle.  A buffalo-sized one, with no sign of Brimstone at all. They screamed with cries of 'Did you see that?' and 'That was awesome!' But I only fell to the lip of the wall surrounding the cage, crying and feeling part of me torn clean out.

    “A second double kill in the ring with the almighty bar mine!  What an...wait!”

    I gasped, but as I watched...I saw movement.

    Bonecrusher began to stand up.

    My heart felt hollow.  No, that wasn't fair!  Please, Goddesses in your mercy don't do this!  NO!

    The crowd had gone wild in their rush to get to the betting stands and scream their delight at the turn of events for their favourite!  They started to chant for him...

    ...before it fell aside to reveal Brimstone Blitz beneath it, having shoved the heavy corpse up and off of himself.

The smoke clearing around us at last through the open roof above now thick with curious griffons, my friend, Brimstone Blitz, unsteadily pulled himself up.

    I could not possibly describe for the rest of my life the feeling inside me.

He looked like he should have been dead.  One full half of his body was burned and scarred.  The eye on that side was missing entirely along with his ear.  His jawline didn't look quite affixed right either, being slumped to one side in a way jaws shouldn't be.  Meanwhile, I was sure I could see bone under the blasted side of his torso.  Never had I seen him look so weak to take even one horribly limping step and drop the mangled helmet from his head...before crushing it with one last gasp of strength.

    You could have heard a parasprite's wing flutter.

I simply almost collapsed, breathing hard when I saw him turn his one remaining eye and mangled face toward me.  I couldn't help but smile and feel ready to cheer, before the silence was broken by one lonely sound of hooves tapping together in applause.

    One pair, high up.

    “Congratulations, Brimstone Blitz.”

    Red Eye.  He lounged back in his chair upon the balcony as though nothing had happened.  His voice carried easily and smoothly across the devastated arena below him.

    “Congratulations on your victory against all the odds.  Indeed, against the odds, if my observations and judgements are not mistaken.  I may have to have words with some of the Pit organisers after this is done.  But even with this, I was curious to see how you would do. It seems my investment in you was not without true purpose.”

He got up, trotting to the edge of the balcony and staring down toward Brimstone.  My friend stood shaking on his hooves, not having said a word yet, and stared back.

“It cost me many lives to bring you in, but when I heard of your renewed purpose below that Ranger Initiate's protection I remember feeling only justified in the decision.  You have changed, Warlord. Now before me in this Pit and before the eyes of Fillydelphia's loyal workers...you have shown me at least that there is another pony standing before me today after that little 'moment' with a couple ponies at ringside.  One who might finally perhaps see a way to offer more to Equestria than as a beast of burden in mines and factories.”

    W-what?  I sat cowed beneath my master's voice, looking from him to Brimstone in equal measure.

Red Eye smiled, reaching down to take up a small trinket and throwing it down into the cage.  Glinting in the light, it landed amongst the broken rubble with pinpoint accuracy before Brimstone.  Squinting my eyes, I could see it was his symbol.

“I offer you more, Brimstone Blitz.  Normally six victories are required, but under such circumstances as that you have proven with a clearly tampered event I feel it only right to offer you this.  To leave your slavery behind. To become a better pony as part of my forces. But not as some lowly grunt...no. You are a Warlord in spirit, Brimstone. I offer you command of a section of my army.  These wastes are tainted by raiders the likes of which you know more than I ever will.  Not all can be brought to the workforce.”

    Brimstone looked down to the symbol, a rank offered.  Above him, Red Eye smiled.

“After healing, I can have you in the Cathedral within days, ready to make your ongoing crusade to purge this world.  You have done such evil, let us not mess words here. But I offer you a chance to lead an army again, to rid Equestria of those who would do nothing but harm and misery unto others.  A true course of redemption under my flag, that ponies all around Equestria would come to see you in name as a saviour!”

    Red Eye seemed to expect Brimstone to say something.  But my friend looked only from the badge to me...then back to Red Eye.

    “Great Warlord, you need not toil in penance any more.  You have done your time in hell.”

    My master smiled, genuine and knowingly.

Brimstone trotted forward, toward the badge.  Wincing and grunting at his failing body, he leaned down to pick it up.  Almost falling, he brought it to his eye to look at. His eye looked to myself and Coral Eve, the mare's expression unidentifiable as she stared back.  But he held my gaze for a long time. Then one bloodshot eye turned back to Red Eye.

Before he grimaced and spat a wad of blood upon it.  Casting the badge down, I saw Red Eye's hoof have to reach out and stop Stern's huge rifle coming to bear.

“Very well, Warlord.” Red Eye uttered, his voice calm but for a slight disappointment even as Brimstone turned back to his waiting gate where I already saw healers waiting with potions.  “Very well.”

    With a flick of his Stable cloak, Red Eye turned, passing from the event along with many of his congregation.

Left in the devastation of the Pit, I saw workers rushing out to repair it in time for the next bout, leaving the corpses and hazards behind.  Around us a great commotion kicked up of slaves talking and slavers shouting. I felt ready to sleep for days.

“All slaves with betting tickets have five minutes to collect their winnings!  Only the slave with a ticket may go! They must go alone!”

The call went out, starting a mass exodus of slaves rushing to collect their earnings from the winners.  Watching Brimstone disappear, I let my thoughts drift. All the odds had been against him. He couldn't turn from what he was yet still he powered through and even in the end stood tall to stick with those he wanted to for a better life.  Even as I turned back to Coral Eve, she softened and placed a hoof on my shoulder.

    “If he ever does one thing I'll be glad he did, it's this, Murk.”

“Y-yes...I've got, um, winnings?” I held up the ticket, possibly the highest earning one in the entire stadium.  “But, um...”

    “But you need to go alone.”

    I nodded.  “D-do you trust me to go off alone even for a bit?”

Coral smiled and kissed my forehead.  “After today, after you seeing that, let's see how you do just this once, Murk.  I trust you.”

I managed a little smile back.  I knew it would be a long time before I felt the temptations leave. The moment this break day was over I would be back in the grind.  But for now, after all that, I could let it go for an hour or so and not see every ledge as an opportunity in the recesses of my mind.

    Yes...just forget about it for now.  I was about to be richer than I'd ever been in my little life, after all.

However I didn't thank him for that.  If anything, I thanked him for maybe putting me on the road to saving my own life a second time.

    “While the betters for the last bout collect their earnings, let us continue for those of you waiting for the second bout!  We shall see if such a sight can be beaten!”

I ducked and weaved my way through the thick crowds, hopping away from stamping hooves and even scurrying below various ponies between their legs to make my way unseen through them.  Ahead lay the betting stand, being flooded by a great many ponies. Taking a second to allow the crush to pass by, I sat on the stairs that would normally lead me out of the ice rink's main entranceway.  The guards cast me a glance at my proximity, but I just offered a nervous smile and patted the seat. I was just sitting here waiting! Honest!

    Grunting, they turned away.

    “Let us bring in the first contestant, our Number Seven for the first team of this event!  Growing up way in the north's frozen tundras where your very blood turns to ice...this is Windchill!  Let's hope she's stronger than that nervous face looks folks, for she is against one of our most popular fighters.  Here is Number Seven for the other team as well! He's unpredictable, he is bloody in his execution and he has given us all such entertainment!  It's Wildcard!”

The crowd cheered above, the noise filtering and echoing down into these tunnels I waited within.  Well, they had said they drew straws for who fought Brim, didn't they? Wildcard must have lost out.  What a ridiculous and terrifying pony...his surprise 'wildcard' entry being a buffalo...

I spotted a gap at the betting stand.  Time to go claim my prize and then run as fast as I could back to Coral to wait it out and close my eyes to any further horror.  Nopony could see how much I was about to earn for my friends to use even if I-

    I had to try and chide myself. I couldn’t think that now.

Trotting over, I heard a sudden shriek above from the Pit and an approving stomp of hooves from the crowd.  Stern made the announcement. Wildcard had made his kill brutally and quickly. That poor mare...

Squeezing through, I tried to hold up my ticket.  Wouldn't everypony please let the little skinny pegasus through please?  One snorted at me and pushed me behind him. Come on! Just because I had wings...

    “Well that was fast, workers!  Let's move right along! Our next match will be team one's Wildcard against team two's Number Seven!”

    I paused for a second, then laughed and shook my head.  Oh come on, Stern. Everypony knew that Number Eight came after Number Seven, right?  Windchill had been number seven! Even I could count to seven.  It was in my...

    I froze rock solid.

    ...name.

    “Come on, Number Seven!  Get in here!”

    No...no there was no way.  She was just making a mistake.

A hoof lay on my shoulder.  From out of the shadows and gaps between ponies, three lithe and dark coloured raiders emerged and grabbed me even when I tried to run.  Shades! Barb's Shades!

“Oh you're not going anywhere, little pony!” One of them sneered at me even when I cried out and struggled, but nopony paid any heed.  “Wildcard told you, didn't he? You'd never guess his surprise entry from behind the scenes...”

    I screamed.  I screamed for Coral, for Brimstone.  For Red Eye even, to hear me and stop them.  But telekinesis and ropes grabbed me, dragging and pulling me through the crowds toward the stairs leading down, the ones I'd been meekly guided through what felt like so long ago.  No! Please no!

My hooves beat at them, but their indistinct forms twisted and scuffled back until I felt a hoof crash into my face.  My nose, still fragile and hurt after My Master's beating, sent a wash of pain through my head and dizzied my vision. Cowed, I slumped and held it while they pulled me down into the fighting pits, whimpering helplessly.

“Wildcard was kind enough to give us a home, you really think some of us wouldn't just slip out of that Mall?  That's what we do.  When we heard he wanted somepony to fetch you for this place, we were all too happy to oblige.  The Clan avenges its own!”

“Please...not the Pit, I-I can't fight...” They hurled me upon a dark stone floor around various other fearful-looking ponies.

They just scoffed, grins showing through the darkness.  I knew this place, it was the waiting rooms before a match!  Rotten benches and small cells to hold troublesome slaves lined the walls while the bloodily stained ramp that led to the main Pit gate was at the far side.  I heard trotting coming down it.

“Isn't that the point?  We're raiders, kiddo. Don't expect mercy or any sort of begging to work.  You killed our Clan leader, this is revenge. Nothing heroic, just a simple reworking of the roster behind the scenes and then throwing you in with the boss...”

“Please...” They were fading away even while a gruff slaver came looking around the slaves, trying to find me and presuming I'd just hid away.

“Bye bye, feathers!” Their laugher only echoed lightly and faded away when they melted into the shadows.  Even from beyond the grave, Barb's influence was against me.

    “There you are!”

A hoof fell on my shoulder.  I pleaded, begged him to check with Red Eye, even!  But a crop raised and fell before I was dragged between his assistants.  Every terror, mind numbing horror from before was coming back. There was no Littlepip to interrupt this time!  Coral was stuck in the stands! Brimstone could barely even move after his runs! There was nopony to help me this time!  Struggling, I beat at them, fighting...but again and again they fought me off and carted me up, before throwing me into the light.

    I heard a gate slam, and a crowd roar so loud I almost screamed at the thudding headache.

    Behind me, a maniacal giggle when I dared open my eyes.

    I was in the Pit...and Wildcard was my opponent.

    It felt like my life had come full circle.

    She hadn't saved me.  She had become something false to what I had believed.

Of course it would be the Pit to have it happen.  That was why I'd not succeeded. My destiny would not let me die in a false belief.  I could almost feel my cutie mark jangling and laughing through those gnashing shackles.

    “Ooooho!  Look who thinks he can take me on, huh?  You a big tough stallion now? Are ya?”

Wildcard pranced and trotted in equal measure around the corpses and chemical spills that now crowded the floor of the Pit toward me.  Down here in the middle of it, I had to fight to not breathe through my nose, it was a carnal pit now.  My hooves felt damp from stepping in blood, the flies had descended, and even at a distance I could feel my chest thumping hard and driving my windpipe shut from that radioactive green sludge.

“No!  No, I don't!  I'm not meant to be in here!  I...I give up! You win!” I backed away into the gate.  Ahead of me, Wildcard laughed and leapt atop the huge corpse of Bonecrusher, his two machetes (from a barrel, presumably) held in his telekinesis either side casting thin shadows from the massive floodlights centred on him right in the middle.

“Aw, you want out, poor little pony!  HAHAAA! NO CHANCE!” His face twisted from mock care to fury so quickly, before seething and stalking toward me.  “You come into my ring, insult my skill by declaring you can beat me by coming here and then you have the balls to say you were just wasting my time?” One eye twitched.  “You little shithead!  C'mere, c'mere-c'mere-c'mere!”

He started galloping forward.  Shrieking, I ran around the edge.  Sprinting and crying all at once, I put my head down and tried to stay away from him as best I could.  The crowd laughed and stomped their pleasure, but I was more concerned with the tap-tap-tapping of machete blades on the ground as he taunted me while chasing.

    “Come here little Murky! Wildy's comin' to geeeet yaaaa!”

I looked back to see him leisurely playing up his chase, acting to the crowd and with his tongue hanging out in delight.  I screamed when I felt myself trip, then again as I saw it had been over Roaring Tiger's broken neck. The corpse fell to the side and swung lifeless eyes toward me.  Scrambling back, I tried to climb the cage, but a slaver's baton only knocked me back in. No! No, let me out! Not like this! It would hurt! I didn't want to die like this!

Then the pain began, I felt a horrid tear upon my flank.  Falling backwards, squealing aloud, I tried to clutch myself and only sat still with wide shocked eyes at the immense rip in my skin that bled upon the floor.  I...I couldn't scream more, I just stared in disbelief when the pain crawled and spread. Instead, a low and fearful moan escaped my mouth toward Wildcard. The maniacal raider stood back, licking my blood from his giant blade and shivering in delight.

    “P-please...don't do this!” I begged him, gritting my teeth.  It hurt so much!

    “Not when you taste like this!  Oh it's good! Want some?”

The machete extended, while I crawled and pulled myself away.  Ahead of me, through the cage I could see slavers throwing themselves upon a commotion.  Coral blasted at least two away, running and trying to tear open a section of the damaged cage.  I heard her screaming my name, but they just kept coming. A baton swung. She fell.

“You turning down my offers again?  It's cool, man, it's cool...acquired taste and all.  Coulda said 'No, thanks' though...” Wildcard wandered off to the side, giggling and keeping an eye on me even while I pulled myself past Top Quartz and Shovels.  My leg leaked a trail behind me, every movement sending flares of sharp pain across my body. Yelping and crying aloud, the crowd seemed to enjoy the sight.

    I desperately wanted someone to come and help me. Glimmer!  Glimmerlight to...to cut the power and make it dark! Or...or Protégé come back and stop the event!  Mister Peace! He could destroy the entire Pit!

    But there was no sign of any of them.  I was alone. Truly alone.

My leg was going numb from blood loss.  Worse, I could feel myself breathing in less each time.  Coughing and spluttering, I tried to suck in more oxygen to keep myself going.  In the middle of the arena, they were treated to a little pegasus struggling to even breathe properly.

    “I thought you'd like my surprise, I did tell you I had a wildcard entry, kid!” He grinned, looking around at the crowd.  “They like it...everypony likes seeing pegasi get cut up.  Something about the way you flop...oooh, it's artistic!”

The machete dropped in front of where I’d tried to limp to.  Squeaking, I turned the other way only for the second to block me off again.  Oh Goddesses, please lift me free of this! Not like this! I turned and galloped, crying out at the pain of even moving my cut leg, and falling across myself.  That cry turned to a higher pitch when something dug into my flesh and pulled hard.  Twisting, I saw a large slender hook dug through my other flank, sunk in and pulling so hard my body's flesh was shifting off my figure!  The feeling as my flesh lifted and pulled the rest of me back, the hook tearing at it inside!  I wanted to flail, but the movements hurt so much! My hooves struggled, trying to pull at it while the string attached tugged me slowly across the floor, screaming as I went.  It hurt so bad...why...why in here?

“No trying to run!  I got a lot more for you!” Wildcard's magic drew the hook out of me, squirting blood as its barb on the tip ripped my flesh.

A horrible sensation took over, my back legs...I...I couldn't feel them!  I'd lost so much blood from my little body that I couldn't properly feel them I...I...I...

I coughed, it grew into a hacking convulsion.  The stress and lack of air from proper measured breathing was getting too much.  In front of everypony I flopped and vomited blood, clutching my chest, my pupils shrinking.  A feeling like thick liquid in my throat as it started all over again...my illness had gone unnoticed for far too long and now it was doing its job.  Seething through my scabbed neck, it was killing me as much as Wildcard.

    “Oooh...radiation is it?  Well now, that gives me an idea!  The crowd'll like this one! HAH!”

I was being dragged across the pit, trailing blood and unable to even properly breathe.  Juddering and coughing up wads to try and get my windpipe clear, I felt my vision go hazy.  M-maybe if I could d-drown in it it'd be less p-painful...

    I was so scared, in so much pain...

I wished Brimstone had never saved me.  It hurt so much now in front of the hundreds who cheered for my death like they would have weeks ago.

He dumped me beside the chemical pile, within feet of the hissing liquid.  I squirmed, seeing the steaming liquid pop and fly nearby. Thoughts of seeing a pony flayed to the bone by it came to mind, and in a moment of desperation I lashed out.

    One of my hooves struck his jawline before he began talking.  His eyes went wide as the movement made him bite his tongue hard.  Wandering back, clutching his mouth, I saw his eyes fill with rage, of that unleashed insanity lurking inside him.

    “Ooh...y-you little brat!  My tongue! I taste with that tongue!  I don't have a spare!  You're going in that fucking goo!  Right in! Hooves first so you feel it the entire way!  Fuck you!”

He charged forward, both machetes lifting from the ground!  I felt the chemical pile right behind me. I'd...I'd only get one chance at this!  He was running so fast, heedless and right at me! My lungs contracting, jawline covered in red from leakage out of my mouth, I swung up to get my hooves facing him, if I timed this wrong...

    He stopped.

Then he laughed.  Stomping his hooves and even dropping his weapons, he laughed as much as the crowd and rolled onto his back, howling with mirth.

    “You...you actually thought I'd fall for that?  HAHAHA! That's brilliant! Oh you actually thought you could survive this!”

    Rolling back up, wiping his eyes, Wildcard sauntered nearby, before dragging me away from the chemicals with his magic.

    “You never even think about that after me there's five others?  You wanna know why you wouldn't beat me?  Because fuck you, that's why!”

His hoof struck my face, dizzying me.  I felt myself lifted up, before the whole crowd.  Telekinesis caught my upper body and lifted my beaten, bleeding and dying sick body before them.  I felt ready to pass out, my mind reeling.

“You insulted me by thinking you could win!  But hey? It's cool man, I'm cool with it! It's like...philosophy of entertainment, right?  You make the crowd think I was gonna fail! Cool man! I like it! Really!”

There was a pain.  A pain like no other.  I'd been stabbed before, but this was so much more.  A piercing feeling, a push and bulging like I'd eaten too much before it emerged.  Under the approving crowd, I looked down from hanging in his magic to see his machete blade protruding from my stomach.

    He'd...he'd impaled me.

I couldn't even scream through my throat, just a low and painful moan at the three feet of cold metal right through me.  I felt him close to my ear, whispering.

“You probably thought this little part of your adventure was over, right?  That you'd hear the moral of the story and that'd be it for another while?”

    “P-p-plea...”

“Well, I don't play by the rules of drama, kid.  There's no hero to save you. You likely had it in your head, 'Oh, I almost died last time from falling, there won't be any big scare again for a while, right?' Cos' stories work like that...preservation of impact, right?”

I felt a cold touch on my neck, the second one.  The crowd was chanting, but everything had fallen away.  There was just me and him...and I was fading quickly, mortally wounded.  I felt the pain begin to kick in, spreading and clenching over my whole torso as everything inside me rebelled at the blade pushing through them.

    “But you see, I never did like that.  Gotta innovate, y'know?  So here's a curveball for you.  What if you died now?  How would the little story in your head like that?”

    “N-no...”

“Yeeees...they're all watching you.  Some might want this, sick bastards they are like me.  But most might be screaming at me right now to let you go.  Only no matter how loud they swear and scream, I'll never hear them.  Why don't you scream for them all right now? One last scream before I pull?”

Before me, through the cloudy eyesight, past the dulled sounds of everyone watching me in this Pit, I saw Coral slamming on the cage, pulled down by slavers as she tried her all to no avail.

    Brimstone's words were the ones in my head though.  His first ever words to me.

    “Put on a braver face there, don't let them have the pleasure.”

    My mouth stammered, wanting to scream for help.  But I knew I was alone.

    “Come on...do it!”

I could feel my body failing, everything going numb.

    “DO IT!”

I couldn't hold it back...so much pain! I couldn’t even breathe.

    “Oops!”

The machete blade drew, I felt my neck open and something leak over my chest.  A horrible gurgling, a numb feeling of falling to the ground. Quivering, in enough pain that my mind simply reeled and looked to the sky with strange clarity, to where a hole in the cage had once been. I couldn't even raise a hoof to try and wish for her to please...please just save me.

    She didn't save you.

    All perks lost...