The Mixer Chronicles

by Mixer

Sands of the Coliseum

When I came to, we were chained to the wall of the throne room, hanging like trophies.
Soulless was the only one absent, a pair of shackles hung empty on the wall.
I guessed that he teleported away when he came to.
“Sophia, it’s quite cute how you thought you could stand against me with this little rebellion. And you Arax, you look like tartarus,” Callidus said.
“So what are you going to do with us, make us your personal trophies?” she spat.
“Oh, nothing quite so nice for you, you and the foreigners will be put in the coliseum, while the six lovely mares will be my personal servants,” he said.
“We’ll never be your servants!” Rainbow Dash snapped.
“Oh, this one has a fiery spirit. You will be fun to break,” he said.
“Don’t you lay a hoof on her!” Applejack cried.
“Oh, another fiery mare. This will be fun,” he smirked, turning away from his prizes.
“Sir, what about the one that got away?” a pretorian questioned.
“That one, I want you to search the city for him. I want him found, and brought to me. Alive,” Callidus ordered.
The guard saluted and left.
“Take the rest of them outside and chain the able bodied stallions together. They can pull the alicorn and the others in a cage,” he ordered, turning to leave.
--
Outside the palace, Soulless was lying on a rooftop, barely conscious.
He had managed to teleport himself out of the palace, but doing so had cost him the last of his reserves, and now he could barely get up, let alone flee if the pegasi came after him.
He barely registered as two forms climbed up to the roof and moved over to him.
“It’s Soulless. Tavi, we need to get him out of here,” Vinyl said urgently.
“Yeah, give me a hoof,” Octavia said as she pulled the unicorn onto her shoulder.
Vinyl helped her get the stallion off the roof and into the building, where a few of the soldiers from Saddle Arabia huddled together.
One of the Saddle Arabians brought over some spice, and waved it in front of Soulless, shocking him awake.
“Soulless, what happened?” Octavia asked.
The unicorn let out a groan while he held his head and wiped his nose of the strong smell.
“Callidus. He had all of the others except for Celestia as prisoners. I think Twilight teleported her away. Other than that, I don’t know what he has planned for them,” he said.
“We have to help them,” Vinyl said.
“But how? We can’t go up against them with the few ponies we have,” a Saddle Arabian said.
“No, but I can get past them,” Soulless said, standing up.
“Not in your condition,” Octavia said.
“I have to,” he insisted.
“Well, we’ll go with you,” Vinyl said.
“I can’t cloak you two as well,” he said.
“Then we can just take out a couple of the pegasi and take their armor,” Vinyl said.
“We don’t exactly fit in with them,” Octavia countered.
“No, it just might work. I can create illusions around you two to make you look like pegasi, though under close inspection they could probably tell that the wings aren’t real,” Soulless said.
“Than what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” Vinyl said, moving towards the door.
“No, it’s best if we wait until they are ready to move, then we can sneak into their formation,” Soulless said.
“But... we can’t just sit here,” Vinyl complained.
“Vinyl, they’ll be alright,” Octavia said, soothing her friend.
“I never said we have to wait to get the disguises,” Soulless said.
“You can’t be serious? There are too many of them to just take out two or three,” a Saddle Arabia said.
“I can take care of separating two or three, so long as you can take them out,” Soulless said.
“We don’t want to risk drawing too many of them though, there are families here as well as soldiers,” the stallion said.
“Then take them and get out of the city. I’m sure that they will not notice if you move in small groups,” Soulless said.
“What about you? We won’t just abandon you three to your deaths,” he argued.
“Don’t worry about us, just save yourselves,” Soulless shot back, getting up to leave.
Vinyl and Octavia followed him outside, where they could see small groups of pegasi flying over the city.
“Stay low and keep close to me,” Soulless instructed as they moved towards the edge of where the soldiers were.
“How are we going to lure three of them away?” Octavia whispered.
“Hmm, there are too many here to distract just three. Let’s try and bait one of the flying groups,” Soulless said, turning away from the large group of soldiers.
After watching the flight patterns of the patrolling pegasi, Soulless lured down a group of three with one of his illusionary wet clones.
When the soldiers surrounded the wet clone, they were surprised when their spears just went through it, and even more surprised when they were ambushed.
Soulless took his target down with a swift jab of his hidden blade, while Vinyl knocked her captive out and Octavia choked out the third.
After they were hidden where they wouldn’t be noticed, the three of them striped off the armor and donned it. The helmets had to be adjusted for the two unicorns so that they sat just above their horns.
“It’s a little big,” Octavia complained, cinching the straps as tight as they would go.
“It’ll have to do. My illusions can cover for most of the disguise, but try to stay as incognito as possible,” Soulless said, focusing his remaining magic.
In a flash of a dim red light, all three of them now sported false wings.
“Wow, these look pretty convincing,” Vinyl said.
“Yes, as far as anypony knows, we’re all pegasi,” Soulless said, taking a breath after the spell.
“Are our horns really still there?” Vinyl asked, looking at her reflection in the head of a spear, feeling for the familiar protrusion.
“Yes, your horn is still there, you just can’t see it, but it will still glow if you use magic,” Soulless explained.
“So no magic while we’re around them,” Octavia said, drooping slightly.
“Don’t worry, if we have to, I can get us out of there,” Soulless reassured her.
The three of them grabbed spears and headed out from their hiding place and towards the group of soldiers.
--
I didn’t know how long we were walking, I just knew that it was starting to get dark.
They had chained all of us together, all except Luna, Sombra, and myself, who were bound on carts.
I didn’t bother to look up from the floor of the cart at who was pulling me along, I didn’t care. We had failed to protect Saddle Arabia, all of us who pledged to protect Luna had failed, and worst of all, I had failed to protect anypony that I cared about.
I looked up when I the sun started to shine in my eyes and saw that Trottson was pulling me, and Stat Shine was past him. Behind me was Thunderlane, and Luna’s cart behind him.
Farther down the line I saw Brick pulling two cages in a row, one with Twilight and her friends, the other with Ivy, Rose, Silverwing, and Spitfire.
At the very head of our train was Haakim, pulling Arax and Sophia, who were in another cage.
“You’re awake finally?” Trottson asked.
“I wish I wasn’t,” I groaned.
“Come on, this isn't like you where is the crazy plan to get us out of this?” Thunderlane asked.
“I don’t have one, we lost...” I said dejectedly.
“We’re still alive aren't’ we?” Trottson countered, trying to snap me out of it.
“What’s the point if we can’t do anything. If we try to escape they’ll just kill us. If we just go along with them, we’ll die. We can’t win,” I sighed, laying my head back down on the floor of the cart.
“So you’re just giving up?” Star Shine called back, anger in his voice.
“Quiet prisoners!” a soldier snapped.
“Bite me!” Star Shine spat back.
The soldier growled and smacked Star Shine across the face, making him stumble, and get caught in his shackles.
“Get up!” another soldier ordered when Star began to get dragged through the dust.
Star Shine struggled with the chains but found his footing and started to trudge along again.
After that, nopony talked, we just all traveled along in silence as we headed towards our destination.
Some time later, they decided to stop for the night.
They had us make a half circle and made camp with sentries to watch us, inside the half circle.
I could see that they had two groups of sentries, each sitting around a fire. Each group had two facing us, and one with his back to us.
I looked around the rest of the camp, and saw similar groups sitting around fires, eating, talking, and reveling in a victory well won.
It was an odd sensation, to be on the losing side, to see others celebrating while I lay in chains.
While the others soon turned in for the night, the six sentries continued to watch us, their gaze unwavering.
I could see dimly as three pegasi started to move down the train towards me, checking the other side of us.
When they reached me, one of them moved closer to me, and I saw a familiar pair of eye looking at me.
“Soulless?” I questioned, shaking my head.
“We’re here to free you, he said, looking for the lock to my chains.
“Idiot, don’t bother with me, free Luna and the Element bearers,” I hissed.
“Hey, what’s going on over there?” on of the sentries called, wandering over to us.
“We were checking to make sure the prisoners were still secure, and this one started to give me back talk,” Soulless bluffed.
“Yes, some of them have quite the mouths on them,” he nodded. “But why were you sent? We could have just done it ourselves?”
“We volunteered to do it. Figured we’d give you a rest,” Soulless said.
“Thank you, the battle today was hard, but well won,” he said.
After he turned away and returned to the other sentries, Soulless and the other two, who I noticed were Vinyl and Octavia, went down to Luna and unlocked her bindings, and then broke out the Element bearers, fleeing into the night with them.
“Well, at least this wasn’t a total failure,” I said to myself, laying my head down to attempt to sleep.
~~
When I woke up, we were moving again, but this time, with guards flanking each of us.
I guessed that they decided to keep a tighter watch on us when they found that some of us had escaped.
I also noticed that all the mares that had been in a cage the previous day were now walking as well.
We walked for a few hours, and soon a city came into view.
It was a splendid city, with buildings that were either marble or some other white stone, and wide paved roads.
We traveled along one of these roads towards a large circular building, which looked like some kind of arena.
Once we got there, we were ushered inside and put into cells.
“Listen up meat,” a stallion commanded, walking past the cells, one at a time. “All of you are now combatants in the coliseum. AS such, you are expected to fight, to the death if necessary, to please the emperor and his people.”
“What kind of a sick joke is that?!” Silverwing questioned.
“Ah, there it is,” the stallion smiled.
He walked over to her cell and looked down at her.
“This, “sick joke”, is your new way of life.”
“You expect us to fight for your amusement?” Trottson questioned.
“Yes, or you will die. It’s that simple,” the stallion replied.
There were cheers from the arena as the first of the fights was announced.
“Ah, it appears that the first of you will be going on shortly. You,” he said, pointing to Brick, “Are going to be the first to fight.”
Two other fighters entered the room with bundles, and set them down by the arena master.
“You’re going to be a beast fighter,” he smiled, tossing one of the bundles over to the cell.
“The rest of you aren’t as fortunate. You will all be gladiators, meaning you will fight other ponies,” he explained.
Brick pulled the bundle through the bars and pulled out a short blade and some light armor.
A buff earth pony came into the room and opened the cell.
“Come on, they’re waiting for a show,” he said cheerfully.
Brick picked up the blade and tossed it aside, but he donned the armor and followed the stallion.
“Your friend is foolish, he has just thrown himself to the wolves,” the arena master said.
Brick walked up a sandy ramp and entered into a large circular arena, with high walls and large gates at four points, to allow gladiators and beasts to enter and exit.
Above the walls were rings of stands which were packed with ponies, all waiting eagerly for the show to begin.
“Fillies and gentlecolts! Today we bring you a special surprise!” an announcer boomed once the crowd had settled.
The announcer stood in a booth, with the emperor sitting behind him.
“All of today’s events will involve the recently captured from our grand emperor's recent conquests,” he announced.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Brick just wandered a little farther into the arena, looking it over.
At four locations high in the stands, he could see unicorns projecting a barrier that domed the arena.
“The first event will pit a pack of timberwolves against an earth pony stallion: Brick!”
The crowd gave fewer cheers for Brick than they did for the mention of the timberwolves.
Brick readied himself as four timberwolves emerged from cages at the far end of the arena.
He wasted no time, and charged at them, just as they began to charge at him.
The crowd cheered as Brick tackled one of them to the ground, tumbling a few times before tossing it off.
The other three circled around Brick looking for a place to strike.
One lunged, and Brick brought his hoof up in defence, slamming the timberwolf’s snout into the ground.
Before he could face the other two, one lunged at him and latched onto his back leg.
Brick grunted in pain as it tugged at him, threatening to put him on the ground.
He kicked it in the face three times before he broke part of its jaw with a crack.
After shaking off the attack, Brick faced the two remaining timberwolves, and started to back away from them.
The crowd was giving cheers of encouragement to both Brick and the wolves in equal measure.
The two wolves split up and circled around to both sides of Brick, waiting to strike.
Brick turned his head from one to the other, waiting for one of them to make a move.
They both lunged at the same time, on from each side.
Brick jumped forward, and landed in a position that made it easy for him to buck them when they collided where he had been standing.
The crowed cheered as the two timberwolves whimpered and whined as they skidded across the sand.
Two ponies came out with whips and put the timberwolves back in their cages, while the crowed cheered and applauded for Brick.
When he returned to the cell area, he was taken to have his leg treated.
“Well, it sounds like he put up a good fight. Now, you are up next,” he said, pointing to Sombra who was sitting in the corner of his cell.
Sombra didn’t stir when the arena master addressed him.
“Did you hear me? You’re on next!” The stallion bellowed.
Sombra got up slowly and walked to the arena, head down.
He didn’t look up when he got in the area, but just stood there as his fight was announced.
“Now, we have another new fighter to the arena, pitted against the crystal scourge, Sombra!” the announcer boomed.
Sombra, now looked up at his opponent, a green pegasus stallion, wearing a smug grin and some light armor, and holding a sword and shield.
His grin quickly disappeared when he saw the fire in Sombra’s eyes, as he created a crystal sword.
The stallion rushed at Sombra, but his sword bounced harmlessly off of a crystal when he swung it at Sombra.
He brought up his shield to block Sombra’s swing, but the shield split in two and fell away, leaving him exposed after staggering backwards.
Sombra then lunged at him, swinging his sword in vicious arcs at the green pegasus.
The green stallion’s eyes were wide as he attempted to block each strike with his own sword.
The crowd was oddly quiet as they watched the merciless onslaught.
After deflecting many blows, Sombra brought his sword downwards at his opponent.
The pegasus brought up his blade to block it, but it snapped under the weight of the blow, sending him staggering backwards with only a few inches of blade left.
Sombra moved forward and brought his blade up across the pegasus's chest, causing him to stagger backwards, then fall to his knees.
Sombra did not wait for a verdict from the emperor either to spare the stallion or kill him, he just drove his blade through the defenceless pony and turned away, leaving the sword embedded in the stallion’s chest.
The crowed cheered for the show of force from this new fighter.
Sombra just walked back to the entrance he came from, leaving the arena behind.
“Such brutality. You will do well,” the arena master said as Sombra passed.
Star Shine and Rose were sent in as a duo, and came back slightly beaten, but intact.
Then came a large fight. It was Silverwing and her squad against the Wonderbolts.
The battle went on for some time, but in the end, Silverwing’s squad came out on top, and all of them staggered back in, covered in bruises and cuts.
“Alright, now comes the main event. A free for all,” said the arena master.
He tossed bundles over to Trottson, Phalanx, and Thunderlane.
“You three will be participating in the fight, so make it good,” he said.
Trottson got medium armor, and a sword and shield combo, while Thunderlane got very light armor, and two swords. Phalanx was given a long handled spear, and some light armor.
They all walked out to the arena, and saw that there were five similar gladiators to them entering from the opposite end of the arena, and two large stallions, one earth pony, and one pegasus, at a third gate.
The five gladiators were unremarkable, just regular gladiators of the arena, but the two others were larger, and scarred with countless battles.
One had heavy armor, and a huge club, while the other held a tower shield and a large blade that curved outwards at the end, like a hook.
“Next we have the main event, a free for all including Cleaver and Mattock!” the announcer boomed.
At the mention of the two veteran gladiators, the crowd erupted in cheers.
The five gladiators were reluctant to go head to head against the titans of the arena so they went at it with the Lunar Guard members while the two celebrity fighters engaged each other in a skirmish.
“Let’s work together to cover each other’s weaknesses,” Trottson said.
“Right!” Thunderlane said, flying up above the other two who got ready to meet the attackers.
One of the pegasi gladiators rose to fight Thunderlane, while the other four went towards Phalanx and Trottson.
Phalanx kept the ones with swords at bay, but one of them had a trident and net and tried to get the spear from Phalanx.
Trottson had to compete with another stallion with a shield and sword, as well as a mare wielding two short blades.
The crowded was frothing with excitement. None of the other events in the day had had quite this level of combat, being either because of a lack of talent, or a short battle, but now there was a full blown fight between skilled warriors.
Mattack and Clever were not fighting in earnest, but putting on a show until they were told to break up the rest of them.
Mattock would take a lethargic swing at Clever, only to have it bounce off his shield, and be returned with a swing of his blade.
Thunderlane was parrying the strikes from the pegasus, while taking swipes at his opponent who only had one blade, to his two.
Phalanx was fending off two attackers, using his spear as a staff, while Trottson and the stallion with the shield were pressing their shields together in an attempt to overpower the other.
Phalanx pushed a unicorn with an ax back before retreating backwards towards Thunderlane.
The two met and went back to back, facing the three opponents.
One, anearth pony stallion, rushed at them, but was batted away by a swing from Mattack, who had decided to have a little fun.
The white earth pony smiled as the four turned to face him.
“Time to see what you’ve got,” he said as he brought his club down at the two back to back ponies.
Phalanx and Thunderlane rolled out of the way of the club as it struck the arena floor, kicking up a puff of sand.
Trottson was busy with his opponent, so he didn’t notice when Clever loomed up behind him.
The other pony went pale as he saw the large blade held high in the air, and jumped backward as the blade came down, intentionally missing Trottson.
Trottson rolled to the floor, looking up at the large brown pegasus who had some heavy armor to go with his overly large shield.
“You’re a little slow there buddy,” Cleaver said, pulling his blade from the sand. “You should pay more attention to your surroundings.”
“I’m not intimidated by you,” Trottson said, getting up while the larger pegasus let his blade rest on his shoulder.
“Well you have guts, I like that,” Cleaver laughed.
The mare with twin blades dashed behind Clever and tried to get at him.
“What’s this? A little buzzing fly?” Clever mused as he batted her aside with his shield.
The mare squealed as the wall of steel sent her flying.
“I watched how you and your friends fight,” Clever said, turning back to Trottson.
“Yeah, and?” Trottson questioned, holding his shield at the ready.
“You fight better together. Maybe even better than me,” he laughed.
Trottson was caught off guard by the light mood of his opponent, but was ready to dodge the swing from his blade.
“That’s better, show me what you’ve got,” Clever said, grinning from ear to ear.
Trottson used his wings to give him an extra boost of speed as he dodged the swings from Clever, but each swing clanged against the shield, almost as if he could tell where Trottson was going to attack.
Phalanx and Thunderlane were letting the other gladiators attack Mattock as he swatted at them with his large club.
When he connected with the next pony, there was a crunch as bones broke.
The other backed off as Mattack moved onto Phalanx and Thunderlane.
“He’s got hardly any armor,” Phlanx said.
“So that means he can’t take a hit as well as he can give one,” Thunderlane said, starting to fly above Mattock.
Phalanx jabbed at Mattock while Thunderlane tried to flank around him.
Every time Phalanx jabbed, Mattock would push it aside and turn to stop Thunderlane from striking.
“Stop moving around so much, it makes you harder to hit,” Mattock complained.
Thunderlane moved as Phalanx jabbed, and stabbed hi blades into Mattocks off arm.
“Ow, that hurt,” he complained, knocking Thunderlane away, leaving one of his blades embedded in his muscular arm.
Phalanx jabbed, but Mattock grabbed the shaft, just behind the head, and broke the spear with his club.
Thunderlane flew at him but Mattock, caught him and tossed him to the ground to his right, bringing his club down in his direction, sending up a cloud of sand with the might of the swing.
When the dust settled, the club was just inches away from Thunderlane’s face.
“Stay down kid,” Mattock cautioned the wide eyed pegasus, “This fight’s done.”
Phalanx stood staring at the large stallion while Trottson tried to get around Clever’s shield.
Trottson bashed his shield against Clever’s and tried to get his blade around the shield, but Clever just put his weight behind the shield and forced Trottson to the ground, leveling his blade at the downed pegasus.
He looked up at the booth where the emperor was now standing, scanning the arena.
The emperor nodded, and Clever planted his sword in the ground, helping Trottson up.
“Well done, the crowd loved you guys,” Clever said to the bewildered pegasus.
Mattock pulled the sword from his arm and handed it to Thunderlane, giving him a pat on the back as he lumbered away with his club.
The three pegasi gave each other puzzled glances before walking over to the gate that they had entered from.
“It’s not everyday that you get to fight a legend,” the arena master said.
After that fight, it was my turn to be put in the arena.
I didn’t take any armor or weapons, but walked straight to the arena, searching for Callidus.
When I found him, I walked to the part of the wall beneath him, ignoring the three gladiators that had been sent to fight me.
“Callidus!” I yelled.
He got up and looked over the railing down at me.
“What’s this?” he questioned.
“Release my friends. Now,” I growled.
“You are hardly in a place to be ordering me around,” he scoffed.
One of the gladiators, an earth pony stallion with a sword and shield chose that moment to attack me.
I used the crystal that Sombra left in the arena to cover my hoof and I caught the blade mid swing.
“It’s rude to interrupt others when they are talking,” I said glaring at him.
“I’ll do whatever I wish with you and your friends. Your lives belong to me now,” Callidus said.
“Hey, you’ve got other things to worry about!” The stallion complained pulling his sword out of my grip.
I extended a blade from the crystal gauntlet and slashed across his chest, sending him staggering back, clutching the long gash.
I watched as he dropped to the ground, blood staining his light armor.
I made armor from the gautlet, creating a full arm guard and a half breast plate.
I changed the blade into a small buckler and made a sword for my right hoof, turning to face the others.
One of them was using two swords, another had a trident and net, and another was using a spear.
The one with two swords tried to attack me, but I parried his strikes with the buckler, and countered with my own swipes from my sword.
He fell back under the flurry of blows and was only saved by a jab from the trident.
I brought up my buckler to stop the trident, and slid to the side from the impact.
I shortened my sword, and made a blade come out of the buckler, making it serve as a weapon, and went after the trident bearer, while he tried to catch my legs with his net.
He managed to wrap his net around my sword, but I chopped at it with my blade buckler and tore the sword free, just in time to catch the trident in between the tines.
With a flick of the trident, he sent my sword flying out of my grasp and prepared to strike at me again.
I parried it with my blade buckler and thrust the blade into him while he was open.
HIs eyes went wide, and he coughed up a few splatters of blood as I pulled back, letting him fall to the ground.
I couldn’t take the time to catch my breath, as the sword wielder came after me again, more ferocious than last time.
He kept swinging, not giving me more than enough time to block.
I could barely hold him off, until he went for a double downward strike.
When the twin blades came down, I blocked, but this time, when he drew back, his blades took the shield with them, and became stuck in crystal.
I kicked him away, and brought my sword to me with magic as the pony with the spear came after me, intending to gore me while I was defenceless.
The blade reached my hoof just in time, and I pushed the spear head aside.
I drew back, letting him recover, but separating my blade into parts, held together by a tether of magic.
He look warily at the fivel blade pieces that lay on the ground, a faint blue line connecting each to the next, and the last to the hilt.
I swept the hilt from side to side, making the blade snake through the sand in front of me.
The pony that had lost his swords got back up and took the trident, and joined the one with a spear.
“Are you sure about that?” I questioned, bringing the blade back into one solid piece.
They shared a glance before attacking together.
I separated the blade and sidestepped the trident while wrapping my blade around the spear.
I yanked the spear out of his grasp, and brought the blade back in a wide arc, threatening to cut both of them open.
The one with a trident used his trident to block the blade, which wrapped around the haft.
I smiled as I disarmed him, grabbing the trident with my free hoof, and bringing the blade back to its original shape.
Both of them stared at me, unsure whether to keep fighting.
I spun the trident around and planted it in the ground, and dropped the blade, taking the crystal from it and making a pair of studded gauntlets.
They must have decided then that it was better to die fighting than get killed for not, so they both charged me, ready to do hoof to hoof combat.
The one that had the trident had tougher armor, so I decided to take down the more lightly armored one first.
I caught his hoof, and uppercut him in the gut, before blocking a swing from the other with my forearm.
I decked him across the face, sending him staggering away, while the first started to recover.
He decided to let me take the first swing this time, but couldn't quite block a punch from an armored hoof, and took it to the face, stumbling backwards before falling backwards holding his muzzle.
The second was barely on his hooves, swaying slightly.
I walked over to him and pushed him down.
I looked around, and saw that all of my opponents we either dead, or knew enough not to get up.
I was escorted back towards the gate, but I turned back to see that the next match was already being announced; Ivy and a veteran duelist.
I pushed the guards off of me and watched from the closed gate as Ivy and the duelist, both in light armor and holding rapiers walked towards the center of the arena.
The duelist was a unicorn mare. She looked a little like trixie, with light blue fur, and a silver mane, but she had a much colder look in her eyes.
I could hear her say, “En garde,” as she and Ivy got into fighting positions.
The two of them started by testing each other’s capabilities, using only light swings and slow thrusts.
Two guards tried to pull be back to the cells, but I tossed them off again, sending them back a few feet.
When I turned back to the fighting, they were now both attacking and parrying, trying to out maneuver the other.
Ivy seemed to be getting the upperhoof, until the mare parried and sent the blade flying from Ivy’s hoof.
She leveled her rapier at Ivy’s neck, smiling.
I created a rapier from the crystal shards that were still in the arena and sent it to Ivy, slapping aside the mare’s rapier.
The mare looked furious, and attacked madly, swinging the her rapier in swift little arcs, trying to snake around Ivy’s defence, but the crystal rapier was better than the one she was given before, and was able to keep the mare at bay.
It wasn’t too long before the mare got sloppy, and Ivy was able to disarm her, sending her blade spiraling away.
Ivy leveled her rapier at the mare and smiled, just like the other mare had done.
The mare fell back, looking at the tip of the blade, then at Ivy, then at her blade.
I saw what she was going to do, but I couldn’t warn Ivy because the guards tried to take me again, and the fallen rapier lifted from the sand, encased in a pale blue glow, and flew at Ivy, stabbing right through her.
“IVY!” I cried, held down by two guards.
Ivy dropped to her knees, looking at the rapier that was sticking out of her, blood dripping from it’s tip.
The mare got up and got behind Ivy, pulling the blade out, sending an arc of blood across the sand.
Ivy gasped, holding the wound, as two guards came out to drag her back to the cell area.
I shook off the two that held me down and ran through the inside of the arena to where they had taken Ivy.
I saw that she was bleeding badly, and I used a crystal to block the wound, keeping the blood from spilling out.
Four guards approached me, spears at the ready.
Just then a large stallion got in between us and them.
He was big, and had many scars, telling of his many fights.
“Back off,” he said to the guards, glaring at them.
“Cleaver. How timely,” the arena master said.
Ivy, was having a hard time breathing, but thankfully the blade hadn’t cut her lungs, or her heart.
“Mixer...” she said weakly, looking up at me.
“Hold on,” I said.
I felt a heavy hoof rest on my shoulder and looked up to see Clever.
“Let the medics take a look at her. There’s nothing else you can do,” he said.
I took a step away from Ivy and let a couple of unicorns take her away.
“I’ll kill him,” I growled.
“Who?” Cleaver asked.
“Callidus,” I said.
“You can try, but nopony’s ever gotten out of the arena without winning it,” he said.
“And what about you?” I asked, “You seem to have seen your fair share of combat.
He sighed, “I’m just a gladiator now, I’ve been in the arena too long to do anything else.”
“Well, I’m going to break all of us out of here,” I said.
“Didn’t you hear me? Nopony, and I mean nopony has gotten out, and for good reason. If you can get past all the guards down here, then you have to deal with the soldiers outside, and you can’t get out through the arena because there is a magic dome to keep the fighters in,” he explained.
“I’ll find some way,” I said, and went back to my cell, leaving him standing there.
--
“I want to join the arena,” Soulless said, talking with a pony standing behind a desk.
“We already have enough gladiators already,” the pony said.
“I think you misheard me. I said, I want to join the arena,” Soulless pressed.
“Fine,” the stallion said exasperated, “Go inside to get your armor.”
“Thank you,” Soulless said, entering the arena.
That day, he, Vinyl, and Octavia had watched the fights, and had made a loose plan to free us.
The plan was to have Vinyl and Octavia pose as guards and take down the field, while Soulless starts a riot with the gladiators.
Little did they know that Luna and Celestia were gathering an army to march against Callidus.