The next day, they got up and began to put on their armor and equip the weapons as LightningBolt told them the details.
"It's going to start around mid-day and already we have at least 200 Warriors already signed up, not to mention us. We are going to be on the same team and I decided to choose grey as out color, if you don't mind." LightningBolt said.
"That's fine by me." Said IronBlood and Steeltrix nodded his head.
"Anyway, Lord IronFace and his daughter, Princess Crystal, shall be attending but not participating in the games." LightningBolt finished off as he opened the window.
"So now we get to run across roofs, eh?" Commented Steeltrix.
"Yep. And since we all have climbing claws, we have very little worries to have." LightningBolt showed his climbing claws as he stood on the window sill and crouched.
Then, he sprang across from the window and landed on a nearby buildings roof. IronBlood and Steeltrix soon followed LightningBolt and then, they all were jumping from roof to roof, moving faster than they would have on street level.
They continued on this movement as they jumped across rooftops while still keeping in a tight group. And then, once they were a block away from the arena, they stopped, jumped down from the roof, and began to calmly walk to the arena.
It was huge, easily seen and probably housed a few thousand in its stands alone, not mentioning those who would be entering the arena.
"Alright... Let's try not to die too early, eh?" Said IronBlood.
"Don't they give you training weapons?" Asked Steeltrix.
"Of course we do... But then again, I haven't been here for a while so it may have changed." Said LightningBolt.
They slowly approached the entrance to the contestant gates and they immediately saw at least three dozen Warrior ponies already there, waiting to be let in. Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt quietly filed behind the other Warriors as several guards came to the gates and opened them.
"Here we go." Said IronBlood as the line slowly began to file into the basement of the arena.
Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt stashed their weapons and armor in a hidden spot before they went to put on the arena armor and equip themselves with the provided training weapons. Though it was dark and certainly damp, the torches provided some relief and as a pair of guards slowly escorted them to the lift that would take them up to the arena.
The armor of the trio was simple grey armor, nothing more than leather that would make sure you only got bruises and welts. Their weapons were wood and though they used weapons like their own, Steeltrix felt that they all were wishing they had their real weapons.
Finally, having come to the lift, they piled into it as the guards pulled the lever and sent the lift slowly upward.
"Well, I'm thankful now that we found those claws." Quietly muttered IronBlood," Otherwise we would be in for a world of pain."
The grating above them gave way and sunlight shown down on them as the roar of thousands of excited ponies practically deafened them.
The arena was by no means just a pit of sand. There were trees sprouting up from several areas and boulders had been placed down. An artificial stream of water trickled down the arena, splitting it in half and creating bridges meant to be spectacular death traps.
"So, should we stay around the boundaries or should we go straight for the King?" Asked Steeltrix.
"Every Warrior will be going to that spot. I say, we take this at a nice pace. There's no need to rush... That is, until they release something that will cause us to rush." Said LightningBolt.
Finally, the crowd quieted down as a voice rang out from the far end of the arena," Good day to all. Today, we hold the first tournament of the season! Good luck to all and may the best Warrior win!"
And with that, a horn blew and all heck broke loose in the arena.
Steeltrix, LightningBolt, and IronBlood dashed up into the nearest tree as they slowly observed their surroundings. Though there was a few trees and rocks, the arena was still mostly sand and it allowed them to get a view of everything that was going on. They could easily see the many different teams of several ponies clashing all around them and though they would jump in and join the mayhem, they knew that such an action would ultimately lead to them being wiped out.
A huge mob of battle was taking place at the spot in front of the Kings personal seating area, which LightningBolt had predicted to be no more than a trap.
"Well, well, well... Looks like some crossbow ponies are trying to sneak around." Muttered IronBlood as he pointed out three such ponies.
The ponies had barely gotten to their tree when Steeltrix hurled a sickle and it knocked one out immediately as IronBlood shield bashed another and finally, LightningBolt brutally pummeling the last with his multitude of weapons.
"Alright, let's move forward slowly. Though 200 Warriors will most certainly be quickly reduced, it doesn't always mean a fast victory." Said LightningBolt.
They calmly walked from the tree as they stayed with each other in a very tight group, making sure they checked the surroundings with thorough eyes.
Then, a Hulu Warrior burst from the bushes but IronBlood stopped him cold with a hammer blow from his sword to the Hulu Warriors face.
"Another one bites the dust." IronBlood mused.
They continued traversing the arena, slowly headed towards the huge mob of fighting still at the base of the Kings personal seat, when they spotted a bridge going over the small river.
"I'll take my chances with the water." Said Steeltrix as he waded into the very shallow water, barely coming half-way up his legs. IronBlood and LightningBolt followed him as hey easily traversed the water to the other side.
Suddenly, a Northern Warrior pony charged them from over the bridge and then they watched as the bridge exploded as it’s booby-trap was sprung by a trip-wire.
"Whew... That was close." Said LightningBolt.
They slowly continued onward as the noise of fighting from their destination grew louder and louder, not to mention the crowd as the whole tournament seemed to be reaching its climax.
And then, coming to the edge of the battleground, Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt took a moment to survey what they saw before them.
Of the many that were knocked out on the ground, it seemed that at least a dozen Warriors still stood. All were armed with varying weapons but it seemed they cared not for the group as the ponies seemed to be trying to tell King IronFace something, which was still up in his podium.
"Alright... Let's get this over with. I think we can take them out without too much issue..." Said Steeltrix quietly as he took out his sickle and prepared to throw it.
A Warrior cried out as Steeltrix's sickle knocked him down and then, as the other ponies tried to figure out what just happened, Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt charged the remaining ponies.
Steeltrix jumped and twirled as his scythe knocked down ponies and delivered hammer blows to others. IronBlood used his shield to floor ponies as he pummeled them with his swords pommel before moving on swiftly to the next. LightningBolt changed his weapons as he went, making it impossible to stop any of his weapons.
And in a matter of moments, the remaining ponies were knocked out and it left Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt still standing.
King IronFace, gazing down upon the trio with his half-metal face, called out for all to hear," Mares and Colts! I give you your champions!!"
The crowds went wild as some tossed flower upon the three colts and though they waved and bowed, neither of them see to pay much attention to the crowds.
"And might I be allowed to know the names of our champions?" Called IronFace.
Steeltrix answered, “I am Steeltrix." He pointed to IronBlood, “My brother is IronBlood and the other is LightningBolt."
The crowds cheered on but Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt could see the face of IronFace change from happy to worrying. But that face soon disappeared as IronFace said, “Tonight, a feast shall be held for our champions and for their fellow contestants!"
And the crowds continued to cheer on.
Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt, now wearing their appropriate armor and armed with their real weapons, slowly walked towards the palace of IronFace. They were part of a huge precession headed towards the palace and on all sides, there were crowds of Mares and Colts, cheering and celebrating.
"Well," said LightningBolt," I think that went better than we all expected."
"Agreed... But King IronFace, when he heard our names, did you notice how his face went from happy to worry? I am sure he probably had a reason but such a thing to me is odd." Said IronBlood.
"Yes... But, maybe going into the palace will allow us some insight to what could possibly be causing him worry." Said Steeltrix.
As the whole parade continued on, the three colts tried to enjoy the moment while it lasted before the palace gates opened up and the whole parade slowly filed into the palace grounds. As the gates closed, Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt had a small moment to gaze upon the beautiful gardens and orchards before the whole place halted and stood for a moment as King IronFace and a small force of bodyguards walked out of the palace.
IronBlood noticed something shining in the daylight and he looked up to see-
"Is that Princess Crystal?" He quietly muttered to LightningBolt.
"Yep... And she's the only Princess to wear pure crystal armor and also be partial Warrior pony..." Answered LightningBolt as he nodded.
"Welcome, Warriors from all kingdoms. You all fought well in the tournament and though we still have our Champions, you all have honored your kingdom and yourselves." Said IronFace.
"Come," IronFace motioned to the assembly," We have assembled a great feast for you all."
And with that, IronFace and his unit led the whole assembly of 200 Warrior ponies into the palace.
And as they walked along, IronBlood kept his eyes trained on the shining figure of Princess Crystal, who still stood on her podium as she gazed down upon the Warrior ponies.
Inside the palace, they were led into the great hall and Steeltrix gave a low whistle as he saw the huge tables of food that had been set up. So much food that though 200 Warriors could probably wipe it out easily, it would be some time before that happened. Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt sticked together as IronFace turned to the Warriors and held up a golden goblet and said," A toast to the Champions and to you all."
"To the Champions!" Answered the Warriors as they held their goblets to Steeltrix, IronBlood, and LightningBolt.
And as soon as everyone took the toast, the feast began.
Steeltrix ignored the food, not feeling hungry, as he looked all around the great hall. Almost immediately, he began to notice a lot of things were wrong: there were no nobles present even though all tournament feast had some present, no guards could be seen around the balconies or on the ground level, and the air was filled with only talking when it should be accompanied by music from entertainers, and finally, as he watched IronFace slowly disappear from the room, why wasn't the King staying?
These questions rattled him and Steeltrix went back to IronBlood and LightningBolt because he felt something was not normal.
"I noticed, too, Steeltrix." Said IronBlood when Steeltrix found him and LightningBolt." This feast isn't what it should be..."
"Not to mention that our King is acting oddly... IronFace would never leave a feast before it was done... And he would always have entertainers and guards around." Said LightningBolt as he looked around.
"When this is over... I think we need to visit the one place that could possibly tell us what's going on... The dungeons." Said Steeltrix in a low voice.
"Why the dungeons?" Asked LightningBolt.
"Do you ever get that feeling that you think someone is actually not who they are?" Asked Steeltrix.
"You think that was... An imposter?" Asked IronBlood.
"And if he is, then the real IronFace would have to be in the dungeons... At least, I hope he is..." Said Steeltrix.
"Then let's do it... I know a way across the rooftops we can use to get into the castle without being seen." Said LightningBolt.
"Okay. It's settled. Tonight, let's find why our King is acting so peculiar." Said IronBlood.
The night air was crisp and cool as some of the chill from the mountains began to sets down upon the city. The full moon bathed the city in a silver, radiant glow and as Steeltrix jumped from one roof to another, the light gave him a vision like it was day.
They had returned to their room and stayed there for a short amount of time before they had began the roof-crossing to the outer walls of the palace. LightningBolt led the way as they followed him closer and closer to the walls.
"Now, let's hope that this IronFace doesn't have guards at where we are going... Otherwise, we may have even more difficulty getting in." Said LightningBolt as he stopped.
The trio halted for a moment as LightningBolt scouted the way ahead. The window blew against them and it made Steeltrix slightly shiver.
"Alright. Looks like there's no one but to be sure, let's get in closer and check again. I want to make sure we have nothing to fear." LightningBolt reported as he began to move towards the castle walls.
Steeltrix and IronBlood immediately followed and for only a few minutes they jumped across rooftops. When they stopped, LightningBolt checked again before he said," Alright, its clear..."
And then LightningBolt ran across the roof as he soon hurled himself off the roof and onto the nearby outer wall of the palace. Steeltrix followed up and then IronBlood finished off as they all soon were crouched on the wall, hunkering down as LightningBolt soon took a small look around before he said quietly," Alright we're going to enter through that towers lowest window. It will lead us to a corridor leading to the dungeons."
"And how do you know all of this information?" Asked Steeltrix.
"My dad may be a commander but he was a relative to the King so he was often posted here as the IronGuard Commander. I took the time here before my dad retired to explore around." Quietly answered LightningBolt as he quickly walked down the steps from the walls and dashed to the nearest tree.
"I know I don't cuss but, dude, this guy is what I call a badass." Muttered Steeltrix as he formed a warding sign with his one hoof.
IronBlood chuckled as the two followed Lightning’s example and they soon dashed across the open gardens of the palace and to the tree where LightningBolt waited silently. Then, after another quick look around, LightningBolt ran from the tree to the towers window, which would take probably two ponies to reach its top. But LightningBolt skipped that part and ran right up the wall, his climbing claws digging into the cut stone as he soon cleared the window will and landed inside the tower. Steeltrix and IronBlood both did the same effortlessly and once they had a short rest, LightningBolt motioned them to follow him as he quietly stalked down the chamber leading from the tower into the castle, with Steeltrix and IronBlood following his example.
The chamber was surprisingly well lit and as they slowly crept along, LightningBolt motioned to a chamber jutting off into what seemed to be an old mine.
"The dungeons are actually old iron deposit mines... But trust me, once in, we will really have to keep track of where we are... I never went into the mines...." Said LightningBolt as he began to enter the chamber and Steeltrix could hear the plain fear in LightningBolt's and he couldn't blame the Warrior.
Steeltrix himself was getting scared and it takes a lot to do that to him.
The hall now went from being well lit to being very dark, only having a few torches lit. The air became dark and heavy, like the minerals that once inhabited the stone walls had decided to try and disperse into the air. The effect made it feel oppressing in the chamber and though none of them were claustrophobic, it felt like they were being closed in on a sides.
They continued along the path as it seemed to feel like hours before they came upon a single, metal door. LightningBolt checked it and found it locked but Steeltrix came forward and produced a small blade and several lock picks.
"You pick locks?" Asked LightningBolt.
"You think that's crazy? I know how to use black powder in... Certain ways..." Said IronBlood.
LightningBolt looked mortified as IronBlood chuckled and Steeltrix quickly picked the lock like it was child's play. He put away his lock picking equipment as he pushed open the cell door and they quickly entered as Steeltrix closed the door.
"Oh... Well... We found our missing ponies... SoulStorm help us..." Muttered Steeltrix as he looked around in shock.
The chamber was lined with cells and inside them were the sad remains of ponies of all types and of all colors. As the trio of Warriors slowly walked down the cells, all they could see were the remains of ponies who had died from many things: starvation, dehydration, disease, each looking worse and worse as they went.
"So it looks like King IronFace is a puppet for SoulStorm... There's no other explanation to all of this..." Said LightningBolt in pure shock.
"But where is-" began IronBlood when Steeltrix shushed his brother as he approached a wooden door that stood out from the normal metal doors.
He came to it and he took out his lock picking gear as he began to quickly crack the lock open. And when it clicked, he put his stuff away as he pushed open the cell door as it creaked open slowly.
And inside lay the withered remains of a pony that they had come for.
"Is he dead?" Asked IronBlood as Steeltrix took a chance and he entered the cell.
A groan came from the withered body of IronFace and Steeltrix knew it was the real him as he saw where his half-iron face part had been.
IronFace was a pony of black but also had hair of blue and his Warrior mark was a pony’s face with half of it the color of iron.
And then, to their shock, IronFace slowly rolled over to face them and the light from outside just barely illuminated IronFace's face as he looked up at the Warriors.
"Have you come to kill me?" Croaked IronFace.
Steeltrix looked at the others as he nodded and he grabbed one of IronFaces front legs as he draped him over his back and as IronBlood came to help, Steeltrix said," No... We came to free you from this hole of death. We are Warriors from the Rebellion... We'll explain later, when we get out of this place."
And then, as they began to move from the place, IronFace managed to croak out," Thank you...."
And then, the horn on Steeltrix's head began to softly glow purple but no one took notice since they were trying to get out of there before trouble came upon them.
They slowly walked through the quiet and empty streets of the city as they were so close to the inn they were staying at. They had barely managed to get IronFace from the palace but somehow he had held onto his life. And now that they were close to their destination, LightningBolt ran to the door and held it open as Steeltrix and IronBlood, supporting the weight and frame of IronFace, as they managed to get inside the inn's main pub space before LightningBolt followed them and closed the door.
"Who is he?" Asked the inns owner as he pointed to IronFace.
IronFace managed to hold his head up as he showed his face and immediately the inn owner bowed as he said,"King IronFace! What happened to you?"
"We found him in the dungeons... The IronFace we have all seen in public is an imposter, a puppet set up by King SoulStorm.." Answered LightningBolt as Steeltrix and IronBlood slowly put down IronFace in a chair and the inn owner came forward with some soup, a bit if bread, and a mug of water.
"Is he going to-?" Asked the owner and Steeltrix, having a glowing hoof on IronFace, said," No... But he needs food for sure..."
As Steeltrix slowly coaxed IronFace to eat what had been provided, IronBlood looked out a window as he watched for trouble.
And then, LightningBolt asked suddenly," You can use magic?"
IronBlood payed no attention as Steeltrix sighed and answered LightningBolt," Yes... But like others, I can't do anything powerful since I am a Warrior pony... I hope this doesn't anger you..."
"Anger? Are you kidding me? Knowing you can do it has lifted my morale. I'm envious that you can use magic." Said LightningBolt to Steeltrix's surprise.
IronFace slowly are the soup and bread as he took a sip of the water. The inn pony put a blanket on IronFace as he said," Is there anything I can do for you by chance, m'Lord?"
"No.. But you have my thanks for this food.. And to you three Warriors, you have my gratitude... But who is the Rebellion?" Said IronFace.
IronBlood now came over as the inn pony sat down nearby and as Steeltrix and LightningBolt seem to heave a sigh of relief.
"I am Steeltrix. My friend here is LightningBolt and the other is my brother, IronBlood. We are part of a coalition of the rebel armies from all of the kingdoms and we are led by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
"Their father, King SoulStorm, has gone from being good to being corrupted. He has summoned Discord from his prison and now, his daughter are trying to set things right." Said Steeltrix.
"Discord? SoulStorm save us..." Muttered the inn pony. They all looked at him with a look and he realized what he had said. "Oops."
"We were sent to try and get your help so that we could beat SoulStorm... We didn't expect this to happen." Said IronBlood.
IronFace finished up the drink and food as he said," Well, no matter what happens, when I get back to my throne, I swear that I will help you. You save me so I will save you if need be."
"Also... Why wasn't Princess Crystal with you?" Asked IronBlood cautiously.
"I asked the imposter to spare her... She didn't even know... Why?" Said IronFace.
"Well, I've seen her but I'm surprised she didn't find out about you being in the dungeons." Said IronBlood.
IronFace looked at them all as he said," Well, I hope I can finally sleep. Stone floors aren't very good beds..."
The inn owner said," Allow me." As he got up and slowly helped IronFace up and slowly, they went upstairs and the three Warrior ponies followed them up slowly.
And once King IronFace was inside his room, the three Warriors decided to take sleep shifts and LightningBolt volunteered to do the first shift. And all Steeltrix said to LightningBolt was," Don't sleep on the job. And I got next shift so you can rudely awaken me if you want to."
LightningBolt nodded as he took up his post in front of the room of IronFace.