Nex, Gladiator

by That_Random_Pony


Chapter 4

"He's calm again," Luna sighed, sitting down on the couch across from her sister. "They aren't sure whether or not it's from exhaustion. I doubt that, however." A servant set a kettle and tea set on the table between the sisters, then nodded before leaving.

Celestia rubbed her eyes before reaching for her cup and sipping the fresh tea. "Are the doctors working on him?" she asked, setting the cup down slowly.

"Of course. They're working to seal the wound on his head." Both went silent, thinking back to the week prior. Celestia stared at her cup, as if it would yield to her gaze and tell her all she wanted to know. "It's... awful to think what else they could have done."

Her sister didn't reply, only gazing at her drink before moving it to her lips again. She rested it in her hands, following it with her eyes as she lost herself in thought. It wasn't the first time she'd done this after what happened. Often times it would be during her duties, or during her meals. She hardly ever slept, and Luna wondered if her sister was becoming too attached to this creature. A thousand years ago she would not have hesitated to either kill him or send him off to die. It would have been much simpler, and much more effective.

But now, she looked as vulnerable as a foal. It wasn't hard to see that she was deeply contemplating their problem, but it was becoming too complicated. Luna was past helping him. Nearly a month of his detainment and he still didn't show any signs of coherent thought. They were trying, but without him doing so as well they were just beating a dead manticore.

"What happened in his dream?" Celestia asked suddenly. Her voice lacked any emotion, but her sleep deprived eyes showed just how much she cared. "Luna... what did you see?"

The lunar princess kept silent, looking into her own cup as she waited.

"Luna..."

Still no answer.

"This could be our only hope. Please, what did you see?" There wasn't a sisterly warmth in her voice. Just the tone of a beggar asking for spare bits.

It was strange to see her sister reduced to such a state. Even if their duties as princesses were stressful, nothing seemed to come close to what they were dealing with. Luna exhaled as the last of her steaming tea was swallowed, and she gently placed the cup back on its saucer.

"His... dreamscape was... barely even there," she said in a low tone. "Most ponies have their dreams consuming their entire thoughts. Even nightmares use the entire dreamscape to scare its host... but his didn't."

Celestia only had a vague sense of how dreams and nightmares worked in a pony's mind while they slept. "What was it like?"

"It was... dark... empty... and quiet," she murmured, "much too quiet for any normal dream."

Celestia leaned in, sitting on the edge of the couch as she waited for more. "Did you see him? Or his dream?" she continued, eager to hear more.

Luna thought back to what she had seen, as brief as it had been. "He doesn't dream like a normal pony..." Her eyes closed as she fought off the familiar feeling of despair and hatred. "It's as if he's managed to repress it all... but still allow himself to look back on it all."

"He wants to forget," Celestia murmured, laying back in her seat and removing her crown. "Could you see anything significant? His parents? A home?"

Luna shook her head. "He was like Stride. An orphan..." Her voice barely allowed her to speak. His muffled cries echoed among the sounds of what could only be described as war. "...He won't let us help him, sister... and personally, I see no reason as to why he should."

Celestia's hand slammed on the table, her alicorn strength threatening to shatter the reinforced glass. Luna looked unfazed by her sister's aggression, and she stared into her eyes without any sort of emotion. It took another moment of silence before she removed her hand from the table and set it on her lap. Cracks ran across the table, resonating from where her fist had hit.

"You know this isn't a thousand years in the past," Celestia slowly said, staring at her sister. "This isn't a dark age with knights and monsters. We haven't been to war since the Griffon War, which was over a century ago."

She stood up and made her way to the door, stopping just as her magic opened the great doors. "Please... just reach out to him when he sleeps..." she softly said.

There was no reply, and she sighed as she exited. Luna glanced to the window, her horn igniting as she moved towards it. The evening sunset slowly faded to the darkness of night, signaling the end of the day. She heard the door open slightly, then shut as it set itself in place. A set of heavily armored steps echoed throughout the room until it was right behind her.

"Yes, General?"

"You don't seem troubled, my lady," the gruff bat-guard snorted, staring at the moon outside. "I do not mean that it should linger in your mind, but you seem to be ignoring the matter at hand."

Luna sighed and shook her head. "I appreciate your concern, Lancer, but I'd appreciate you keeping the stallions in line rather than pry on mares' business," she told him. The old stallion chuckled lowly before coughing into his fist.

"Always the wit with you, Lady Luna," he chortled, stroking his prickly beard. "Very well then. I only meant to tell you we've discovered something... interesting about the creature."

"And what is that?" There was a distinct sound of chewing, and she rose a brow before turning. The stallion charged with leading the Lunar Guard was eating a chicken leg in front of her, swallowing before giving her a coy smile.

"It has a craving for blood," he said, taking another bite of the roasted meat. "At least, cooked meat. Seems it doesn't like to eat its greens."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but let her lips tug into a grin. "Has it been eating?" He nodded his head, then headed towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"Perhaps the barracks. There hasn't been anything of significance lately," he stated, opening the door just enough for himself. "As for you, my princess, I suggest you roam the dreamscape... and... perhaps appease your sister's pleas. It's awful to see kin begging one another."

Luna was left alone to herself as her general left. She stared at her moon for a while, contemplating how big it had seemed a thousand years ago. Her horn ignited again, the constellations moving and creating newer ones for ponies to enjoy. When she was done there, she teleported herself into her tower and sat on her bed, removing her onyx heels. For the first time since her alicorn abilities returned her to normal, and allowed access to the dreams of her subjects, she was anxious.

The words of her most trusted advisor and friend, along with her sister, gnawed at her. She would undoubtedly come across his subconscious sooner or later, since he was close by, and it would only spur her to enter. At the same time, she wondered what else his mind had made. Dreams were beautiful. Nightmares even more so, as they put a pony in a vulnerable position to show that they are just like every other pony. What he had conjured was... vague. Nothing seemed like a normal dream. Everything revolved around fighting... his foalnapping... but nothing as imaginative as others.

He won't speak to us... he calls us monsters... how ironic... and sad.

She looked to her reflection in the mirror across from her bed, pushing a stray strand of her night-like hair behind her ear. Her horn lit up, illuminating the dark room with an indigo glare.

Everything slowly began to fade, until Luna felt light. Her eyes opened up, and she found herself standing in a hall of various doors. Every door represented each individual dream, which she passed as she searched around. Her wings fluttered as she flew past dream after dream, slowing once she spotted it. Instead of a unique panel, there was a grey and decaying door. Her hand cradled the doorknob as she felt the dark whispers of nightmares. After finalizing her decision, she turned the knob completely.

It bursted into a hazy smog of black, surrounding her and flooding the air as she entered the dreamscape. Her horn shone through the dark as she searched, blindly flying through the mist. The silence bothered her, but knowing his current state put her at ease. She spotted a form just beneath her, and she halted her flight before gliding down. As she approached, she noticed how much smaller he looked now. When her light revealed him, she realized he was laying on his side. His back was to her, but she could see distorted images around him.

They dispersed when she stepped closer, looming over him. He made no movement other than breathing. His body was covered in rags and blood, most of which she assumed wasn't his.

"Nex." He kept silent, prompting Luna to step closer. "If you can speak, it would benefit us both."

No answer. He twitched briefly, then grunted as his body strained. Luna's aura moved into her hand as she went to see his nightmare, but the moment she took a step he jumped up and readied himself. There was hatred in his eyes. They'd done nothing but try to help him, and still his rage and malice obscured everything they were doing.

"We want to help you," she told him, biting back her aggravation. "My sister wishes to undo everything they've done to you... but we require your cooperation."

He looked to her, his feet spreading into a stable position. Luna recognized the stance he was in, and she huffed before cutting off her magic.

"You'll either die in your prison, or learn that we want to help," she sneered, turning away from him. "Whatever should happen first will be fine."

Her steps receded as she went to exit the dream, but before she could teleported herself, she heard a mumble. It escalated, then turned to grunts before everything was silent again.

"No... can... help..." His voice faded, just as his dreamscape began to deteriorate. "Alone now... all... gone..."

Luna found herself back in the trail of dreams. She looked across the expanse of thoughts and images, then sighed as she went to look over them.

We can't help one who doesn't want help.


One month later…


He laid in the same spot for nearly thirty days. Luna tried night after night, hoping Nex would say something. But he said nothing. Celestia still went down to see him, but she had the same results her sister had. There were days neither sister bothered bringing him up, and others where Celestia would spend all night with him. His back was all he ever showed, and he would barely eat the meat in his cell.

When there wasn't time to see how he was, she would tap on the glass. The first time she tried it, he glanced over his shoulder, then turned back over. She would always come back to do it, and she wouldn't leave until she got a sign. His first sign included a sudden hit to the crystal. The next was an annoyed grunt, which was barely audible behind the barrier. His current sign, which she was somewhat grateful for, was knocking on the crystal where she had. After that, he would go back to ignoring her.

The guards had mostly forgotten about the creature under the castle, save for the small squadron of earthen stallions that guarded him. Most didn't know why the solar princess would descend into the prison. Or why she looked more distraught coming out than going in.

Her patience was running thin. Nex needed help, but didn't want them near him. She was done waiting, and she was sure Luna was as well. Her only problem was how she would go about it. Violence would sever his miniscule trust in them, and anything even slightly aggressive would frighten him into attacking. She needed to do something when he was asleep. Her magic would be absorbed if he woke up, and she wasn't sure taking a blast of her own mana was something she could withstand.

So she waited. The day passed as usual, but she didn't check on Nex. When night fell, she gave her sister the usual "Goodnight," but waited in the prison. Her guards said nothing as she paced near the stairs, keeping herself awake with blasts of wakening spells. As usual, her sister went to her chambers the moment midnight hit, to travel through the dreams of their subjects. When she glanced into the crystal prison, Nex seemed to be asleep.

She turned to her guards and gestured to the door. "Leave us." It was a very rare thing to hear her order anything.

All four guards kept still, looking to each other questioningly. "Ma'am, General Iron and Lancer have ordered us not to-"

"I understand what they've ordered," she cut in, "but I only need a moment. I am ordering you to wait outside until I call you all. Is that clear?"

The guard closest to the door went to say something, but the one across stepped forward. "How long will you be, ma'am?" he asked.

"Not long," she replied. "Now, please leave."

The commanding officer sighed quietly, then nodded for the others to follow. The guards slowly climbed up the steps, the last closing the door. When she was sure they were alone, she pulled away her crown, setting it on a hook before removing her gloves. She moved to the side of the crystal and grabbed hold, then pushed it as hard as she could.

Each of her guards were just for show. She could easily overpower any earth stallion with her alicorn strength. As such, she was able to easily move the crystal enough for her to walk in. Her magic removed her golden slippers as she cautiously moved over to him, carefully setting her feet to not make noise. When she was right next to him, she lowered onto her knees and shifted over to his front.

His arm was wrapped around himself, his right hanging above him from the short length of the chain. She quietly undid them and set his hands down. Both were scarred in nearly every place, and it trailed down to his wrist, where his rags concealed what was left. She wouldn't risk her luck any more than she was, so she moved to his face. The mask didn't seem to be hooked or tied, and it dug into his skin.

No... they... they couldn't have…

She put it aside in her mind, then put her hands to the sides of his head.

Luna will be furious... and in all honesty, I can't believe it's come to this. But I must do what I can to relieve his pain.

Her horn ignited.

Hopefully Luna doesn't get here too soon.

Her eyes flashed white, before everything around her vanished. Screams and yells blasted into her head, faces and corpses whizzing through her mind. Shadows of men loomed over, observing her every movement. From their dark forms, monsters appeared and charged. Red and black covered her in seconds, bodies upon bodies piling. Smaller monstrosities looked up from the cavern, standing behind her like her guards.

Stallions in coats stood over her as she was laid on a steel table, her arms and legs strapped down. Languages of old came from their lips as they laughed. Screams of a child rang out, pleas and incoherent ramblings fitting between every cry of pain. Trees began sprouting from the ground, small fillies and colts running around in panic. A manticore the size of a tree chased them, cornering them between itself and a pack of timberwolves.

She was drawn further back, another memory playing out before her. A pair of guards struggled to keep him still, though they couldn't keep him quiet. Celestia watched the stallions calmly walking as he thrashed, yelling to the ponies they passed. All she saw in their faces was disgust. Fear...

...and hatred.

He screamed for help, begging for somepony to stop them. He'd done nothing wrong, but they were too relieved of his riddance to ask. She could see he realized this, and his tears flowed as he was taken. His sadness and questioning was replaced by anger and his own disdain. He clenched his teeth to keep from crying, and shut his eyes in surrender.

"Why... why everypony hate me... why?"

Why... the one question he wanted an answer to. She could feel it in his mind. With all her wisdom and experience, she didn't have an answer. Her subjects had failed everything she'd meant to teach them, but even she knew the crowds of Canterlot weren't reliable.

He'd met the wrong ponies in his life... he didn't know what compassion was.


Lunar Tower



Luna sat beside him as he laid silently, his heavy breaths the only sound in his dreamscape. She glanced over to his memories, unable to completely decipher each to see for herself. If he would remember more than what she was watching, she would see more. All he remembered now, was fighting in the pits. She watched him tear apart other feral ponies, who were modified like him.

As she looked to more images, she gasped as they began to rearrange. More and more memories began to appear around them, swirling into place beside one another and surrounding him. Each clouded memory slowly cleared, revealing their secrets. She looked away, knowing he wouldn't want her to see everything. Her magic covered the twister of his past as she searched through his mind. Another source of mana emanated from a deeper part of his subconscious. She recognized it, and once she saw the golden aura, she was pulled out of his mind.

"For Faust's sake, sister!" she exclaimed.

Her horn flashed, teleporting her into the prison. She ran into the hall, then rushed into the crystal cell, but slowed as she got closer. Celestia was on her knees with Nex, his hands grasping her wrists as he pulled them away from his head. His eyes were irritated, but no tears fell. Anger and sadness clashed in his eyes, but he did nothing but whimper and growl.

"Why... why ponies hate me?" he asked, his hands loosening their grip. "I... do... nothing..." He brought his hands away, then looked to them as he grunted angrily. "I monster... that why... that why?!"

He looked to Celestia for answers. For the first time in weeks, Luna could see emotion. No longer feral growls and roars. He was finally speaking to them.

Her sister moved her hands closer to him. Nex cringed and looked to where her hands were going. He looked poised to defend himself, but closed his eyes and lowered his arms. Gentle fingers touched his jaw, lifting it up to hers. He opened his eyes, baring his teeth as he looked into her eyes. He kept his glare strong, gradually faltering as her gaze didn't change.

"You're not a monster," she smiled, her warm expression breaking his cold stare. "We don't know what you are... but I know the difference between a monster and a child." He glanced to Luna, ignoring her neutral eyes and turning back to the solar alicorn. "Nex... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything they've done to you."

He stayed quiet, watching as she cried silently and smiled. "You... no hurt me," he grunted. "Why sorry?"

"Because my subjects failed you, and I am responsible," she told him. He tilted his head, following a tear as it fell. "Please... we want to help you... Glimmer wants us to help you." His head perked up, which Luna took note of.

"Glimmer... alive?" he asked, his hoarse voice cracking. She smiled and gave a reassuring nod. He looked away, then quickly turned back to her. "...he... home?"

"His parents are grateful to have him," she laughed, rubbing her eye. "But... we need your help, Nex. We... need to know some things."

His mask hid his dead expression, but he kept looking to her. "Glimmer and Stride were... helpful, but we need more information," Luna said, taking a step closer. "Glimmer was too young, Stride was too new... but you know about what they do... yes?"

Celestia quivered as echoes of screams resounded in her head, which died off quickly. "I... I little... when they take me," he murmured. "I... I know..."

Celestia placed her hand over his, giving him a firm squeeze. "Please... it could help us save others before they're taken," she pleaded. "That's all we need."

Nex exhaled deeply, rubbing his sore forearm and examining his bandages. He pulled some of it loose, until the rest fell off. Where awful gashes had been, scarred flesh replaced it, as though it had never been pierced. Luna quietly gasped, then looked to Nex as he sat back and held himself.

"I... I try..."