AUTHORS NOTE
Listen now and listen well, there is just a bit of gore in this chapter, but it's not that bad in my opinion, but have to do it to warn any of you who will flip out if I didn't do it, so anyways as always, thanks for reading and whatnot, comment, like or dislike in your opinion, and hope you enjoy my semi-gory chapter!

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“In motivating people, you've got to engage their minds and their hearts. I motivate people, I hope, by example - and perhaps by excitement, by having productive ideas to make others feel involved.”
-Rupert Murdoch

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I waited for what was to come next, the stallions had the cage door swing open and they all entered, the gray Pegasus and the mustard earth pony immediately restrained me with shackles and chains to prevent any possible escape.

“Lets see how you do in the arena.” The blue stallion said to me, I could only stare into his dark teal eyes, menacing looks and evil smile made it no better.

They began to drag me out of the cage, I shot a look back at Travis, who didn’t move at all during the commotion, he only gave a sad look back, that I could only perceive as,

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They dragged me out and down the hall, the three of them made no effort in lightening the situation for me, they simply made no attempt to see how I was feeling right now or to make it any better.

“Silver, ya think this thing’s gonna be worth the effort?” The yellowish earth pony asked the unicorn.

“Was the one Iron found worth it? nearly the same condition here Odds, he’ll do us good, making the big bits, regardless of the size of him, they’re smart, but not that smart.” Silver had replied to the earth pony named Odds, who was now muttering something incoherently to himself.

I was ready to go off on the unicorn, that I was so much smarter than all three of them combined, but the more logical side of my brain told me that if they didn’t suspect anything so smart as an escape plan, they wouldn’t have any reason to worry about it when I did.

I stored that in the back of my head for later, we now rounded the corner of the cave down another hall, there was a light at the end, brighter than that of the torches along the cave walls, which suggested a way out.

When we reached the end of the hall, we were greeted by a large metal weave of iron bars, preventing any way in, or out. I watched as Silver gave a nod to a black earth pony near a large wheel, he nodded back and he turned the wheel, which lifted the gate to let us through, though we all didn’t go in.

They undid the shackles and threw me in, which sent me faceplanting against the hard earth, I heard the gate hit the ground with a large ‘clank’, I quickly got my bearings and got up to my feet to observe the new environment.

It was dark, really, really dark, only the hole in the ceiling provided any light as of now, it was nearly sunset from what the darker orange clouds and sky could tell me, I looked behind me to find that the three stallions were no longer visible behind the gate, they left just as quickly as we came.

I heard a low growl behind me that made my blood run cold, I whipped my head around to see nothing, the other end of the arena was dark, I heard another gate, like the one I came through lift upwards on the darker end of the arena, I heard slow patting of feet enter through the opening and, with a loud ‘clank’, there was no way out.

I got into a more ‘ready’ stance, for whatever may be coming my way. What was once one set of patters had now turned into two, and then three, three other beasts ready to fight and kill me for my meat and bone. I heard them stalk around the outskirts of the arena, slowly circling me as I stood there completely visible in the center of the arena.

I was seriously ready to shit myself right then and there, but I knew if I ever wanted to see the light of day again, I would have to fight for my life, even if it meant killing something. I didn’t like the idea of killing, the biggest thing I ever killed was a spider my mom freaked out about and that was about the size of a shooter marble.

They expected me to kill them... Whatever they were, that was the purpose of all of this, the cages, the animals and other beasts, the arena... They all bet money on who would kill who, it’s a terrible game of death and money, I am disappointed in all who think this is okay, this sick and twisted game...

The beasts, then drew out of the shadows, I could now see that they were all wolves, hunting me in their pack of three, so skinny to make them want to kill almost anything, despite the odds of winning.

I closely watched as the circle they made around the arena outskirts get ever so much closer to me, I knew as soon as one attacked and I defended myself, another would come from the behind, getting me when most vulnerable, I needed some sort of plan to keep myself alive for now.

My plotting was interrupted as one of the wolves lunged out of its circle, towards my throat with baring teeth, my only response was a quick duck down, only for the wolf to fail at it’s attempt at successfully killing me, but to bite down on the hard earth below.

I jerked back upwards, watching the wolf’s every move as it picked itself up from the ground beneath it, soon after, I heard another wolf from behind leave the ground and reach for my neck from behind, I responded with a mid air back hand that connected with the side of it’s body, giving off a gruesome crack of ribs, which in turn sent it off skidding to the side of the wall.

With a loud yelp of pain, it pulled itself up and limped back into formation with the rest of it’s pack, it already looked ready to be done, it was already overexerting itself in its now present condition, and I’m sure that small hit of a blow was almost enough to put it out of commission, or slowly dying on the ground, where I would be put up to the challenge of putting it out of it’s own missery.

These... I have no words to describe these ponies who think such treatment of other creatures is okay, to make them kill one another for their own enjoyment, anyways these... monstrosities, “yeah that works” , have put all of these innocent creatures together to kill one another, only to be something they can bet on and make money off of others who bet wrong...

My thoughts were then interrupted as the wolf in front lunged towards me, I was a little slow to react there, and nearly paid the price for it. The wolf had knocked me to the ground as I grabbed it’s neck firmly, keeping a pair of snapping jaws away from shortening my nose.

Through thrashing of wrestling bodies on the ground, and snapping jaws at my face, somehow I managed to get a better and more controlling grip on it’s head, I gave a large forceful push with my left arm and a hard tug with my left, which resulted in a loud snap of the neck and the body going limp on my chest with a slight ‘thud’.

I slowly, but efficiently, got the limp body off of my own living and breathing one, standing up I stared at the now dead wolf, it’s eyes remained open and it’s face stuck in the fierce position it was during it’s last few moments of living.

Such thoughts I was dreading so badly, that I failed to realize that one of the two remaining wolves had rushed from behind and sunk it’s jaws in my left calf of my leg.

I came back to the real world, only to be greeted by the feeling of two inch thick knives in the back of my leg, I yelled louder than I thought I ever could, or at least possibly could. I abruptly turned around, staring at the wolf on my leg with a look of death and no mercy, the wolf probably perceived this in these words:

I can be temperamental as all hell, one moment I can be the nicest person you meet, one fuck up and you could be staring death in the face, but I tried to limit myself to such thoughts and actions, but this was an exception for two reasons; One: I’m in a life and death situation where I want to live, even in spite of the requirements, and Two: There was a jaw on my calf.

I went on an absolute rage right there, I took hold of the scruff of it’s neck and violently shook it until it let go of my leg, I listened to it whimper for mercy as I brought it face to face with me, it’s begging eyes stared me through for a truce, I gave a small evil smile...

I took the wolf in hand and smashed it’s head into the hard earth, there was a slight jerk in the body as it fell in my hands, heavy and now lifeless as it swayed in my uneven grip.

My attention turned in the direction of the other wolf, who was now cowering in the darker part of the arena, I was now advancing towards it, it’s once companion in hand as I came towards the cowering creature who was scared shitless like I was before this.

I got a better grip on the corpse in hand and swung the twenty pound body like a club towards the wolf, when the two connected, I watched as the last remaining wolf fell to the ground and it nearly scrabbling up to get away, but to no avail.

But I had dropped the body and grabbed hold of it’s tail swinging the ragdoll of a member of the Canis family over my head, hearing it whine and yelp out of pain and of fear made me all the more angry, it reminded me of my parents and how they used to do such a similar thing to me in my years living with them, that gave me all the more reason to inflict more pain in my mind.

I took control of the thrashing body and swung it against the ground, each blow a sickening crack of bones and ribs, I eventually felt it’s body too go limp, but I didn’t stop, I continued to bash the body against the groundbreaking skin and bone as blood spattered from the body.

I let the limp and almost unrecognizable body fall to the floor as I did the same with the other bodies, my once small smile had turned into a cackling laughter by now, as I threw all three of the bodies in a pile, I began to beat them to a bloody pulp, I never have been so exhilarated in all of my life.

Normality eventually came back to me, I simply stared at my now crimson hands, blood from the now jumbled mess of bones, flesh, and other potpourri of organs and all else I couldn’t recognize right there, I felt my stomach lurch, and I keeled over, clutching my sides with my arms, I felt myself tremble as the adrenaline from my sudden rage of anger and ruthless killing faded into my body, I felt pain, I looked behind me to look at the bite, It was leaking blood ever so profusely, creating a quite large puddle of blood below my calf, the lightheadedness kicked in and I fell on my side, breathing heavily.

I heard the gate open and watched as some of them came in and began taking the distorted bodies and putting them on a large stretcher, I listened to the sound of pieces of wet, bloody flesh slopped on one another.

I continued to breathe heavily as they left and Silver and his cohorts came over to observe my laying on the floor before them.

“Dear sweet Celestia! I didn’t think it’d do THAT much damage, I’ve never seen such rage in all my life!” I heard the yellow one exclaim as he overlooked my body.

“I told ya this thing would be worth it, and from the looks of it, he had himself one heck of a hayday with those wolves.” Silver said triumphantly.

“Yeah but that bite don’t look to good to me, we gotta get him to Mist if ya want him to fight two days from now.” The gray stallion said to the other two, whom nodded in agreement.

“And from what the judges saw, I’d say they’re putting him up against a adolescent manticore.” I watched him shudder a bit after saying that bit, which led me to believe a manticore wasn’t something you wanted to fuck with.

“Well if we want him to make it alive, I’d hope you two would be so kind as to get him to mist now wouldn’t you Odds? Skies?” The unicorn put off the harder labor to the others it seemed.

I listened to them both grumble as they took each of my arms and wrapped them around their shoulders, they then proceeded to drag me out of the arena, leaving their ‘boss’ in the arena alone to stare at me with the most pleasant smile on as if to say;

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They brought me down the final hall, where many groans and whimpers could be heard as we approached the common rusted iron door frame, with a loud series of knocks, supplied by Skies, as he was called by Silver.

We entered after the loud screeching of hinges and older, rusted metal moved to allow us inside, my nose was met with the sharp smell of isopropyl alcohol and blood, I looked in to see that there were multiple jars and vials of medicine and such that lined the shelves, accompanied by other pieces of equipment for such medical purposes, in the center of the room was a large operating table with adjustable, metal clamps to allow for ‘secure’ operations.

“Alright then... is this him?” A light blue unicorn with a darker navy mane came in from a back room, wiping his blood stained hooves with a white and red stained towel, stopping to look me up and down.

“Yeah Mist, just get him fixed up, he got a nasty bite on his leg there, just make sure he’ll be ready to fight two days from now.” Skies responded in a harsh tone, as to certain specifications which needed to be met by him.

“Oh... okay then...” Mist was perspiring a little from Skies’ loud and demanding tone.

“Get to work...” Skies and Odds dropped my body and let it slump to the floor and left.

After the slamming of the iron door, I was left with the now fidgeting unicorn in the antiseptic smelling room.

“Well.....ummmm.....lets get you up on the table here...” He said as he approached my slumped body.

He jumped back a little when I got myself up, slowly and painfully I got up and rolled onto the table, Mist approached hesitantly.

“Well what do you think my dear unicorn friend?” I retorted back to him in a cocky tone of voice.

“Well... its just... everything... well, anything that fights here...” He began, and I finished.

“Is too unevolved to talk in this language and think and act like your species does?”

“I don’t think I could blame you Mist.” I started, he stared at me in complete shock when I said his name.

“Like I said, I can think too, I’m wearing CLOTHING for God’s sake, cmon, you honestly didn’t think we wouldn't be THAT dumb if we had clothing on now did you?”

“Sometimes I wonder about the thought process of all you ponies...” I said with just a hint of disappointment in my voice.

“You... know I don’t approve of all of... this...” He said in a blunt but shaky tone as he began washing his hooves in a bin of water nearby.

I just looked at him with the utmost confusion in my eyes, he then, after drying his hooves on a bloody towel.

“I would have never known that...” I was starting to feel bad for this kid, I had no Idea what he went through, he’s still pretty young, about Twilight’s age.

The thought suddenly rushed through my head, she wasn’t there when I was in the cage, they did something to her, I don't want to think what though, but I knew I had to get out of here, with Travis that is, and maybe this kid too, he seemed to have left some things he didn’t want to, and he was patching up my bite wound, it’s the least I can do for him.

“Listen Mist, I need to ask you a serious question right now...” My voice was stern and harsh, making Mist cringe at my tone.

“No... They don’t supply enough medical utensils and equipment for me to get my job done... let alone enough for myself...”

“Alright we have something in common, now, are you willing to help me and my friend... the other one like me, get out of here?”

“As much as I want to... I don't see how we can...” His expression had changed to a saddened look, as if the worst would happen if we even tried anything.

I looked at the door behind me and looked back at Mist, I gestured for him to come a bit closer to tell him my plan in secret, he leaned in a bit as I cupped my hand around his ear and whispered every detail for his little pony brain to process and handle, as soon as I was done, he looked at me like I was some crazy bastard for thinking what I told him in secret.

Mist looked me over quickly as I just stared at him, supreme confidence in my eyes told it all.

“Alright... I’ll help... When do you plan on doing this?... Sorry I never got your name.” Mist said as he finished closing up my wound with some bandage and a safety pin.

“We’re getting out tomorrow, and the name’s Taylor.” I said as Mist helped me to my feet.

As if on cue, Odds and Skies came in as I walked to the door with Mist’s help.

“Well, look who did their job right for once.” Odds said smugly as they strolled on in to get me.

“I’ve... always have my job done right...” Mist quietly responded, shrinking almost literally in size as he spoke.

“Oh shut up Mist, You just stay quiet and do your job, or your in line for a beatdown for talkin’ back.” Skies retorted, brutality in his voice of a very high level, making Mist look no bigger now than one of the wolves I fought and killed.

“Lets just take him back, Mist doesn’t deserve our time anyways.” Odds sounded bored from this ‘wasting of time’ with us.

They then proceeded to get me in the same position as before and drag me out of the room, I looked behind me to see a sad looking Mist all alone in the room as the doors slowly shut on their own, he and I both made eye contact for a brisk second before we lost sight of one another, a confident smile was all he gave before it shut, preventing me from seeing the one being who understood besides Travis.

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As the loud doors opened and shut behind me, I thought for a moment about my plan, and how Travis would react to it once I told him, Odds and Skies neared the end of the hall and I looked to see Travis sitting in the corner, looking off as if something has been bugging him for a while.

As they undid the lock on the cage, I watched as Travis’ head shot up and his eyes met with mine, as they opened the door and threw me in, he gave off a loud sigh of relief, happy that I was still alive.

Picking myself off the ground, I heard them close the door to my freedom on the way out, as the lock clicked, I heard Odds say these words before leaving.

“You better pray to Celestia that manticore doesn’t tear you up in two days.”

I turned to watch them leave, both of them laughing as they casually walked down the hall, as soon as the door shut behind them I turned to Travis, who was now looking at the bandage on my leg.

I didn’t respond to him, I just kind of depressed my facial muscles and let them sink down, showing that I had no intention of talking about it.

“If you mean going absolute apeshit on all of them, beating their bodies into a bloody pulp until they’re unrecognizable, even unrecognizable that they’re even wolves bad then you have a low thought of what bad means.”

“Jesus Christ man... Remind me not to fuck with you next time you’re angry.”

I gave a small smile to him as I too, leaned in to tell of my devious escape plan.

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A Second Chance

by Tridon2951

Let the Games begin