//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Nex, Gladiator // by That_Random_Pony //------------------------------// The train rumbled across the tracks, blowing its whistle as it left Canterlot and started towards Ponyville. Inside, the entire train had been reserved for six ponies and one... creature. The girls sat across from one another, anxiously glancing to their new "responsibility" as he stared out the window. Instead of sitting down, he held on for dear life, crushing the metal poles his fingers clung to. His unconscious display of strength had frightened even Applejack, but she and Rainbow masked their shock. Though Twilight was still unsure about him, she could see something... innocent. Ever since they left the castle, he stared at the sky endlessly. He paid no mind to the weird looks passing ponies had given, or to Twilight putting a leash around his neck. Speaking of which, Twilight glanced at the tether in her hand. She was, personally, nowhere near comfortable around this creature, but for her to use the leash, he had to be close. She sat beside him in the train, glancing at him from time to time. The train rocked suddenly, and he snapped out of his awe and lowered himself, the steel pole groaning as he clenched harder. The girls looked in his direction, watching him keep his head low and remain still. "It's okay," Twilight cautiously said, holding her hand out to him. "It's just the tracks. We won't be flipping over anytime soon." He didn't seem fazed by her attempts to ease him, and she looked up to Fluttershy. The meek pegasus shook her head, sniffling hard to get the snot out of her nose. "Um... have you been on a train before?" He nodded quickly, another loud clacking of the train causing him to break the pole in half. Panicking, he grabbed a seat and held on, burying his masked face into his arm. Pinkie couldn't help but giggle, which Rarity hushed. "It's better if you sit down," Pinkie told him, patting one of the seats. He peered out from his arm, silently watching for a minute before digging back into his arm as another rumble rocked the train. They looked at him without a clear picture of what he was. Sure, they'd seen him roaring and thrashing, but now he looked... afraid. Over something fillies and colts weren't even scared of, on top of that. Fluttershy scooted away from him regardless, blowing her nose into a tissue and sighing as she breathed. Rainbow retained her hardened glare, ready to spring in case he did something fishy. Or violent. Applejack, on the other hand, laid back with her stetson over her face to relax. She could see he was scared, and she was sure he'd be there until the train stopped. If Pinkie weren't there, of course. "Come on, it's just a bit of bumps!" she laughed, standing up as their car rattled along the tracks. "See? It's fun!" He refused to look up at her, the seat cracking as his fingers dug into it. Pinkie frowned, unhappy to see him so frightened. An idea popped into her head, and she slid into the seat beside Twilight. Her studious friend gave a questioning look, but Pinkie winked and reached down to his exposed armpit. The already wide smile grew bigger and bigger as she moved closer, snickering when her hand was just under his arm. With another wink to her friend, she started vigorously tickling, waiting for a response but got none. Nervously chuckling, she tickled again, and again, then poked his sides, then his neck, and even his belly. "Aw, come on, aren't you ticklish?" Pinkie groaned, laying down beneath him. He opened his eyes, surprised to see her and wondering what she was talking about. Pinkie poked at his armpit again, Nex watching her do so. "Don't you feel that?" she asked. "Everypony's ticklish!" He looked at her for another minute, lifting his head onto her arm. "No..." Twilight sat up, as did Rarity and Fluttershy. "What... what do you mean? You're not ticklish?" Pinkie anxiously laughed, still tickling for a reaction. He kept silent, then sat back when he was sure the train wouldn't rumble. Nex examined his nail, checking to make sure it was grown out enough. Then, in front of their eyes, he slashed a small cut into his forearm. They cringed, but he didn't so much as flinch. He let a small tear of blood dribble out, then licked the wound. "I... no feel... no can... only big hurt." It took them all a moment to understand, and Rarity covered her mouth in exasperation. Pinkie's mane deflated, and she sat up. "...h...how? Everypony... everypony feels... why can't you?" she questioned, still disbelieving. The train rocked again, and he held on again. "Pain bad... Master want win....." Nex gritted his teeth angrily, then growled lowly. "Master... fix me... never feel... always win." It was extremely terrifying to think of what had to be done for him to not be able to feel anything. It was unbelievable for any of them. Pinkie sat next to him, dripping tears as he cowered from their ride. Her hand reached to his arm, and she touched him. Rainbow had expected him to do something, but he kept still. She eased her mind when she remembered he couldn't feel. He didn't know she was touching him. He didn't know she was sorry for him. He didn't know that she wanted to be there for him. It made Pinkie even sadder. So she hugged him. She squeezed him, hoping somewhere he could feel her. Nex felt weight on him, and he wriggled away when he saw her pink mane. He now covered his head with his arms, waiting for the trip to end. Pinkie sniffled before moving back to her seat, wiping her eyes and gently whimpering. Fluttershy sat closer and hugged her, and Pinkie buried her face into her shoulder. Applejack looked away, pushing her stetson up and sighing. "I'm gonna go check where we are," Rainbow said, moving to the exit to the car. "I'll be right back." Twilight and Rarity nodded, and she was gone. "It's awful... but she doesn't want to believe anything until he makes her," Rarity sighed, carefully wiping her eyes, careful not to smudge her mascara. "What are we going to do?" The question plaguing Twilight's mind. "I... I'm not sure," she admitted, turning to Nex. "I honestly don't know what to do." The rest of the ride went on in silence, with occasional grunts from Nex each time the train made noise. As the sun touched the horizon, the train pulled into Ponyville, letting off a wail of steam to signal its stop. Nex exhaled and let go of his seat, looking up to Twilight as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When she saw him looking up at her, she gasped. She wished this whole thing had been a weird, dark dream. But when the feel of the leash registered, she knew it wasn't. The others all stood up, Nex and Twilight following. He growled as Fluttershy moved past him, prompting her to rush out of the train. "Nex," Twilight scolded. He grunted and looked forward, waiting for her to walk again. "Fluttershy isn't going to hurt you. She doesn't want to. Okay? And where we're going, there are plenty of pegasi!" He shouted at her, snarling and baring his teeth. It frightened her, but she held her ground. "And stop doing that!" she yelled, pointing her finger reprimandingly. "You can't scare everypony because you don't get your way! The princess wants us to help you, but I won't let you hurt somepony! Okay?" He glared at her, standing erect as his anger made itself known. Twilight could see he was easily taller than her, and probably about as big as her mentor. If not, he was larger. Showing fear meant giving him leverage, so she glared back at him with an unmoving stance. His eyes bored into her with malice, but after a few seconds he huffed to the side. "...keep pegasus away," Nex snarled, slouching back down. "Weak one no come near." It was all she would get from him, so she sighed and nodded. "Her name is Fluttershy. Fluttershy won't come near you," Twilight vowed. "Now come on." He dragged himself behind her, looking up at the sky again. Twilight urged him forward with her leash, and he absentmindedly followed. "So, what? We just go home?" Rainbow asked, looking back to Nex. "We're not letting you sleep with that thing around without somepony as backup." "Rainbow's right. Somepony has to be around if something were to happen," Rarity added, quickly holding a hand up. "Somepony that can take part in restraining him." "It's fine, girls," Twilight assured them, stopping as they reached the road to her home. "I can take care of him. We'll see you in the morning." Rarity quickly grabbed Twilight's shoulder before she could leave. "Bring him around the Boutique, dear. He needs a proper outfit if he wants to look civil." Nex tilted his head again, unsure of what she was saying. "And come early! Celestia knows what the town will think." "We'll have to bring 'im outside sooner or later," Applejack shrugged, fixing her hat. "Better if ponies here don't just see some weird thing walkin' around." "But let's get him his clothes first," Twilight nervously laughed. "Let's just hope it's not another Zecora fiasco." The girls all agreed, and Twilight led Nex to the library. Rainbow turned to leave for her home, but quickly scanned around when she didn't hear a certain loudmouth. "Huh... where'd Pinkie go?" Nex examined the giant tree with curiosity. His idea of a house was something made of stone. Wood, even. Her home was a giant plant. He could see windows, a balcony, and a platform upstairs. Twilight took out her key and unlocked the door, leading him inside. "Alright, there should be another bed in my closet," she said to him. She closed and locked the door behind them. "You can sleep in the guest room, oka-" Nex grunted, pointing to the leash. "Sleep close." "I don't have to watch you while you sleep, y'know," she told him. "Just sleep in there. It could be your room." He shook his head. "Why not?" He lowered his head, keeping it down as she waited. "I... sleep with others... in pit," he muttered. "Need... body near. No touch... need know you there." He's afraid of the dark. Twilight sighed, but decided it was best to have him within earshot. "Alright. There's a bed upstairs with mine," she told him. "Just sleep there for now... and tomorrow we should probably get you cleaned up." He nodded, then followed her upstairs into her room. Just like downstairs, the walls were lined with books, but there was a small staircase that led up to a small platform in the wall. Twilight kicked off her shoes and led him to his bed, gesturing for him to get comfortable. He looked at her, then back to the bed. "Sleep here...?" "Well, of course," she smiled, moving the blanket for him. "Just get in." He turned back to the bed. Twilight could see he wasn't fully convinced that it was this easy. It could have been his anxiety about his new home, also. She smiled as he climbed into the bed, careful with his bandaged hand, and laid on his back. "There. Are you comfortable?" Nex shifted a bit, smelling his pillow and rubbing his head around strangely. After finishing his little movements, he nodded to her. "Okay. Goodnight." She headed over to her own bed, then tossed herself onto it. Normally she'd change into something light, but her day had not gone too swimmingly. With Spike away to help the mail service in Manehatten, she didn't even have full meals. Nex was another mouth to feed... and a bloody mouth, at that. And aside from just being too tired, she didn't want him watching her change. The bathroom was much too far for her weary mind. So, she curled up into her covers, got comfy, and closed her eyes. Though she would like nothing more than to fall asleep, her mind was thinking otherwise. She had questions that needed answers, like how he survived experimentation and what made him immune to magic. What other implants did they give him? What sort of technology allowed his small transformations? The pit, the gladiators... the foals... and... his fear of ponies... ...and why pegasi? "Nex?" she called. He grunted. "I know you're afraid of us... or hate us... but why pegasi above all?" The bed creaked as he sat up, and Twilight did the same out of caution. His mask faced her, gleaming from the light of the moon, but she couldn't read his expression. He looked at his broken hand, cradling it by the wrist. "Pegasi kill in pit... get away... let fighter bleed... Hard fight in air," he growled, thinking back to the day of his release. "Kill ponies... ponies I know... but they almost kill me." It sounded like they were the biggest threat in the arena. "I thought the earth ponies would be a bigger threat." "Earth ponies strong... but unicorn kill them. Earth ponies hard kill close... unicorn kill far." The earth ponies seemed to be outmatched by a unicorn, but he didn't show disdain towards her. Then again, he was immune to magic, meaning her spells couldn't hurt or affect him. "So... you aren't scared of me?" He nodded his head. "Because magic can't touch you, right?" He paused. Nex laid back on the bed and exhaled. "No... you weak... like white unicorn... no scared of weak... easy kill."