//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Nex, Gladiator // by That_Random_Pony //------------------------------// One week later… "What letter is this?" Twilight asked. Nex muttered to himself, reciting letters in his mind and silently recalling the song. "K-K?" he hesitantly said. Twilight smiled, nodding her head and flipping the page. "Great! You remembered the alphabet!" He stared at her, waiting to move on. She nervously laughed as she teleported a quill and ink onto the book. "Okay, now let's see if you remember how to read." She wrote down a sentence, which Nex examined thoroughly. He groaned to himself, his head hurting from the amount of words and the effort it took to remember. "'H-ow... are... yo-ou?'" he drawled, looking closer to see if he was right. "How... are... you." "Do you know what that means?" she asked, leaning down to see his eyes. He shook his head, then sat upright. "It's wanting to know how someone feels. Like if they're sad, or angry, or happy." He tilted his head, his fingers anxiously scratching each other. "What... sad?" Nex questioned. "Well... sad is... when you... um... huh." She rested her head in her palm, thinking for some time. "Well... when you're sad, it's like when you get hurt. Does it feel nice?" Nex shook his head. "Exactly. But it hurts in here," she said as she gestured to her heart. Nex stared at her chest, then looked at his own and touched the spot over his heart. "Hurt... here?" he asked. Twilight nodded, and he looked back down, feeling his heart beat. "You die if hurt here." Her smile dropped into a deadpan. "No, Nex I'm using a metaph... hmm... I don't mean someone hurt me with something," Twilight began, "I mean someone said or did something that hurt me. But I don't get hurt on my body, okay?" He lowered his head and grunted. "I... think..." Twilight glanced at the clock, glad to know it was time for bed. Nex rose his head and watched her reshelve all of the large books she had been looking at. "What big books for?" If his senses hadn't improved in the pit, he wouldn't have heard her gasp. "Oh... um, these are just for ponies to learn more things," she assured him, sweat forming on her forehead. "We should go to bed!" He grunted as she pulled him towards the stairs, causing him to stumble as he went up. She rushed him into the room and went to her bed, giving him a quick, finicky smile before diving under the covers and going silent. Nex rose a brow beneath his mask, then looked down at his arms. He stripped the long-sleeved shirt off, revealing his arms for a second before they were hidden by his blanket. The moonlight cut through the curtains, drawing his attention from his bed. He glanced over to Twilight, making sure she was asleep, or at the very least unaware. Slowly, he creeped out of his bed and crawled over to the window, moving it aside to see what the light was. He took a sharp breath of awe, staring up at the dazzling bright light in the sky. It wasn't the sun. There were still stars out to support his thought. It shone brightly, giving him his own shadow and illuminating the dark a bit. "...nice..... light.... look nice," he whispered to himself. He pushed the curtain aside so his bed was bathing in the light, and he climbed back in, facing the window. "Light nice...... light..... nice...." His deep, even breaths reached Twilight, who was frowning at what she had just watched and heard. To her disappointment, the full moon didn't light up his arm like she'd hoped. She remembered trying to see his body, but he waited until she fell asleep before going to bed himself. There wasn't a shred of doubt telling her that she could try now, even though he was asleep. She waited a little longer, then got out of bed and quietly made her way back into the library. The books she put away were teleported back onto the table, opening to where they had last been open. Trotin language made each book a cipher for a normal pony. To Twilight, it was just a matter of running translations in her head to read. "Hmm... I know I saw it in here somewhere," she murmured, flipping through the pages quickly. "I just have to keep looking..." She spent hours looking through meanings and phrases from the ancient pony civilization, but nothing turned up. After closing another dead end, she reflected on Nex's background. He was traumatized, he'd been kidnapped, he didn't know what he was, he was modified, he was used as a gladiator, he was illiterate... he killed in the arena... "It was popular back then... but gladiator fights were outlawed," Twilight muttered, flipping through a new book. She skipped through the chapters and sections until she reached the subject of death as entertainment. The text described death, "heroic" fights from criminals and peasants who had been forced to fight for their lives. It didn't take long before she found the word she'd been looking for. Another book opened from her magic, and she scanned the index before tearing through the pages into the glossary. "Death... slaughter... murder..." Her eyes zeroed in on the set of words beside the name she'd been looking for. "'To put to death... to destroy... a violent... bloody... death.'" Her hands shook as she read over his name and its endless meanings. Nex had been a gladiator for years... which begged an answer to a question Twilight dreaded to ask. How many ponies has he killed? "Nex." His eyes remained on the past, a form shifting through the darkness and standing behind him. "I've left you to adjust. I'm here to see your progression." Luna waited for him to do something. Instead, he sat up and continued to stare endlessly, his back completely to her. She sighed, expecting a reaction like the one he'd given. A cloud formed from the smog around them, allowing her to sit as she waited for his dream to end. "Trotin is an old language," she softly told him. "My sister and I barely understood it as young alicorns. But I remember enough to know your name. What was it... murderer? Killer? Slayer?" His growl escalated into a feral shout, but he didn't turn from his spot. The memories grew faded and dull, to the point where some were flickering in and out of existence. "Did your master give it to you? Or did you?" Luna asked, her voice eerily calm. "I doubt you understand enough Equish to come up with an average name. Considering what you've been through, it fits. You killed. How many did you kill? 100? 1000? You had at least ten years. I'm sure you killed-" The cloud dissipated as Nex landed, smashing into the invisible ground with his fists. He let loose a feral roar, spreading his arms and searching wildly for the lunar princess. Her heel clacked on the ground just a few feet away, prompting Nex to hurtle himself towards the sound. His fists broke through smog, dispersing her into smoke. She reappeared by his faded memories, waiting for him to strike again. "What were you in there? A guardian? A murderer? A monster?!" He screamed again, lunging at her as she flew up. "We try to help, but you insist on staying a monster!" He leaped up, swinging at the air before falling back down. Structures began to form, allowing him to climb up to her and launch himself. She dispersed again, watching him hit the ground and roll onto his feet. At this rate his dream will lock me in... and this won't be as unreal as it is. She could feel his emotion turning the dream into an erratic mess, his memories flickering as they flooded his mind, then died out as his anger blinded him. He lunged again, growling at his inability to touch her. The feelings of hate and loathing left a chill on Luna's spine, but she needed to keep it up. No matter how hurt she could get. "That's it, isn't it? You wanted to kill!" Luna declared, landing at last. He sprinted towards her, a fire in his eyes. "You wanted to murder them! You're a monster! An animal! Isn't that right?!" "NOOOOOOO!" Luna gasped as his fist collided with her cheek, sending her sailing away before skidding along the ground. She recovered quickly, just in time to catch his arms before he could bring them down. Her alicorn strength pushed his arms up, lifting him from the ground. He shot his legs out, kicking her back and scrambling to his feet. Her horn lit up, then died out before he came swinging at her head. To his surprise, she dodged and wove around his erratic attacks, then jabbed him several times in his chest. The wind was knocked out of him, but he managed to spin and knock his arm into her. His wild swipe set her off balance, giving him time to adjust himself and spin his fist around to hit the same cheek. She fell back a couple feet, sitting up and waiting for him to rush her. Nex panted on his hands and knees as she struggled to stand while Luna rubbed her cheek, cringing as she realized he'd bruised her. The taste of silver in her mouth didn't help, but she felt something warm running down her cheek. There was a cut, and after dabbing it with a finger she saw her own silver blood and droplets of red. She looked over to him, seeing red dripping from his raised fist, and a dim sheen coming from just above his knuckle. The mods in his arms had activated, which meant she would have a nasty scratch when she left the dreamscape. He didn't move towards her. He just struggled to catch his breath while his pikes retreated under his skin. "I... no... bad." His broken hand slammed into the ground. "I... no... bad... I no... like kill... I FIGHT FOR PIT! FOALS.... my... my pit...." He growled and snarled, slamming his fist into the ground. "You didn't like to kill?" Nex growled again, shaking his head as he clawed at his scalp. "You wanted to save those ponies... yes?" "...they weak... I strong... keep... keep safe..." He looked up at her, clenching his teeth. Luna used a spell to cover her cheek, anxious to get back to her normal body to cover the wound. She held the rag she conjured to her cheek and moved over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Then let us help you... you don't deserve this suffering." An echo rang in her mind, causing her to take a deep breath. "If you won't open your life to us... then you can at least promise to try. Try to let us help you. My sister wishes to see you as a normal citizen. She believes you can be helped." He raised his head, his eyes hidden by the smog. "Why?" Luna did nothing except wait for him to speak again. "Why ponies help?" She looked off to the side, then sighed as she pulled the cloth away. He was alert from the blood spilling out of the wound, raising his head and standing. "Because we care... you aren't an animal," Luna said, grinning just slightly. "I once went mad because nopony was there... do not let that happen to you. Especially with such wonderful ponies." She began to fade, as well as the smog. "Sleep well... gladiator." He vanished from her sight, then the feeling of reality returned, bringing enormous pain with it. She rushed to the bathroom, holding the wound as it wept a good amount of silver. Her stomach felt sore, and her cheek would surely swell once she tended to it. Warm water splashed on her face, stinging the gash in her cheek. She hissed in pain as she conjured a spell to close the wound. Once the bleeding stopped, she bandaged it and groaned, trudging herself to her bed and carefully laying down. "Guard," Luna called. The door opened immediately, a Lunar guard stepping inside saluting. "Tell my sister I have something important to discuss." "Yes, Princess." He closed the door behind him before rushing to find the solar diarch. Luna drifted in and out of sleep, mainly because of the blood loss, but lasted out until her sister entered. "Sister, promise Us you won't react without my explanation." Celestia rose a brow, adjusting her nightgown. "Alright... what is it?" she said in a tired voice. Luna thought about covering it up now, but decided it would be best to keep her sister involved. She sat up and moved the cloth from her face, prompting her sister's eyes to widen in exasperation. "I pushed Nex too far," she quickly cut in, embarrassed at the thought of explaining how she got hurt in her own realm. "He cut off his mind from the dreamscape... we fought, but I believe I made some progress." Celestia lifted the bandage, examining the wound carefully. "You should have warned me," she scolded softly. "Did you break something of his?" Luna shook her head with a small laugh. "The dreamscape can only affect dreamwalkers, not the dreamer," she explained. Her sister shook her head and smoothed the bandage out over her cut. "You're not going into the courts with a bruise the size of your fist." "Which is why I need you to take over for the next few nights," Luna cheekily smiled. "I can handle the paperwork from here, but you must take my place in the throne room." "You owe me for this," Celestia sighed, rubbing her weary eyes. "I'm going back to bed. Goodnight, Lulu." She dragged herself to the door, opening it halfway but stopping with one foot out the door. "Luna... thank you." Her sister gave a slight grin and nodded her head. "I know." Ponyville "Where... we?" Nex grunted, eyeing the cottage sitting on the small hill. He followed Twilight over the small bridge, growling at the small animals watching him curiously. They scattered in fear, and he huffed to the side. "Remember when we tried taking you to the vet?" Twilight asked. He didn't respond, and she groaned softly. "The lady who wanted to check you?" He nodded. "Well, she doesn't know what you are - well nopony does - but we need to make sure you're healthy." "I no hurt," he told her, looking over his body. "No fight." "I mean we have to make sure you aren't sick with something, or allergic to anything around here," she explained. "Even though you only eat... meat, you're gonna have to eat vegetables until your food makes it here from the Griffon Empire." He shook his head, almost like a child. "No eat." "Alright, just try to be calm." Twilight knocked on the door a few times, a yelp coming from inside. "Who is it?" a small voice called. Nex heard the congestion, cringing at a sudden sneeze. "It's Twilight, Fluttershy." The door opened slowly, and an under-the-weather looking Fluttershy sniffled before rubbing her eyes and looking at them. "Goodmorning, Twilight. Goodmorning, Nex." Her eyes shot open, and she realized he was glaring her down. The door slammed in Twilight's face, causing her to shout as her snout was hit. "I'm sick and don't want anypony to get sick so GO AWAY!” "Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted, clutching her face. "That hurts! Ow... Fluttershy, I've had my shot already. I'm not getting sick from a few sneezes. We need you to see if Nex is healthy." The shutters in the window next to the door opened slightly before snapping closed. "He's fine, now go!" she pleaded. Twilight tried forcing the door open, but Fluttershy held it closed. While she was concerned that her friend didn't remember her door could lock, she used her magic to pull Fluttershy away from the door. "We're supposed to help him, remember?" Twilight reminded her. "He's not going to hurt you! We just need a checkup, I promise." Fluttershy was paralyzed at the sight of him stepping into her home, her animals smart enough to scurry and flutter away from him. His eyes bored holes into her soul, every bit of her afraid of what he could do. Twilight tugged on Nex's collar, glaring back at him to the point they were in each other's face. To her surprise, Nex stood back and crouched, grumbling to himself as he diverted his gaze. "Just a quick checkup, okay? He won't do anything," she pleaded, then moved to her ear. "He doesn't like it when somepony's scared of him. He gets... sad. He doesn't want ponies to be scared of him." Fluttershy glanced to Nex, just as he angrily shooed one of her birds away, then back to Twilight. "Y-Y-You have to stay... here," she gulped, softly coughing into her sleeve. She gasped when Nex's stomach growled, prompting him to grumble. "And you stay with me until you leave!" she whispered desperately. Twilight smiled and released her friend, gently nudging Nex to stand up. "Alright. Nex, Fluttershy just wants to help, okay?" Nex turned to the cowering pegasus, his eyes centered on her large wings. She could reach speeds quickly, even if the muscle was lacking like the blue one. Knowing she was sick made him less tense, but he would never underestimate a pegasus. "No touch with wings," he snarled, earning him a harsh nudge to his side. He moved closer to Fluttershy, internally smirking at his height advantage. She was the smallest of the six, making her weaker in his mind. She pushed her sleeves up to her elbows and sniffled again, shaking visibly as she stepped closer, also noticing the height difference. Twilight made sure she was close to them, still concerned about his attitude towards pegasi. "M-Maybe y-you should... sit," she whimpered. Nex turned to Twilight, who guided him to the floor so Fluttershy could reach his head. Her small hands moved to his face, eliciting a small growl. In turn, Fluttershy recoiled immediately, and Twilight groaned. "Nex, stop it. This is just to make sure you're okay," she scolded. "Just trust her, okay? Or try." Nex glared at her again, his scrutinizing gaze vanishing as he closed his eyes. Fluttershy swallowed hard, moving to his face and taking his pulse. It took her time to find it, since he didn't have a muzzle like them. She traced his jawline, feeling a similarity to an ape she'd had the pleasure of nursing. The thought of him as another animal made her slightly less afraid, until she looked in his mouth. His teeth were fine, but ALL of them were sharpened to a finite point. Some had metal attached to fill in the gaps from shaving them down, which resulted in a mouth full of razors. "W-What does he eat?" she squeaked, sneezing into her elbow. Twilight rubbed her arm and sighed. "What do you think?" The blood drained out of the animal lover's face, but she kept herself calm before freaking him out. Nex exhaled slowly, his arm tensed and ready to spring. Fluttershy moved her head to his chest, listening for a heartbeat. A muffled thumping rang in her ear, steadily beating without changing its rhythm. She moved her hand to his shoulders, causing him to twitch noticeably, but he kept still. Fluttershy traced his broad frame and compared it to how a stallion was. He wasn't overly wide like Big Macintosh, who was a large pony overall, but he was a bit over average. Unlike ponies with his frame, however, his body wasn't bulging muscle. His arms weren't thick, but they were firm. There were signs of starvation, especially since his wrists were basically skin and bone, and his arm shook as he clenched it. She felt concerned about him, especially when she felt a small bump on his back through the fabric. She ignored it and knocked on his knee, unsure of what else to check. He didn't respond, and she tried again with his other leg. Nothing. Fluttershy kept trying to find the nerves, but stopped when she remembered they were all numb. She moved behind him again, eyeing a discoloration that looked to continue down his back. Her finger touched it, tracing down inside his shirt. Nex's back arched, and his hand shot around to grab her wrist, frightening both mares in the room. "What's wrong?!" Twilight asked, pulling his arm away from Fluttershy. "Nex, she's just making sure you're not hurt!" "No.... touch.... hurts," he growled, turning to the side to look her in the eye. "No touch body.... only clothes." She nodded quickly, shaking even more than before. The last thing she needed to do was check his eyes. Twilight explained it to him before Fluttershy turned on a small flashlight. He squinted, and Twilight reminded him to keep his eyes open. Fluttershy watched his pupil slowly dilate, then return to normal size. She held the light a little longer as she got a better look at him. His eyes weren't big like another pony, and they weren't colorful or vibrant like one. His were a dull grey, his left iris discolored near the upper portion. "Is something wrong?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy shook and caught a gasp before it could escape, then turned to her friend. "H-His... I-I think he's a little... blind." Nex muttered softly, tilting his head and squinting at her. She recognized the gesture as one of question, since her animals made similar indications. "I-It means... you can't see well." He gruffly harrumphed, turning away and growling. "Hmm. Okay, what's next?" Twilight asked. Fluttershy fiddled with her wing, snapping to attention when Nex directed his growling to her. "U-Um, maybe you should take him to get... glasses?" "That's it? What about checking his health or his blood pressure?" Fluttershy shook her head sadly. "I don't have to do that for my animals," she told her. "And... I don't know, he looks fine. He's like a gorilla, but I still don't know how he's supposed to be." Nex scratched his head with his shoulder, gurgling as he finally got one of his itches. "He acts like an animal," she whispered with a bit of amusement. "Well we have to help him act like a normal pony," Twilight replied, covering her mouth so Nex couldn't hear them. "Alright, I'm gonna take him back to the library. Hopefully I can figure something out." Nex laid himself out on the floor, exhaling as he adjusted himself on the carpet. Some of the newborn squirrels scampered over to him, cautiously approaching. He couldn't feel them, so their little paws didn't bother him as they climbed onto his back. They nestled themselves along his spine, drawing the attention of the other animals. He noticed the gathering of woodland creatures, wondering how some tasted while ignoring others. Fluttershy giggled as an otter clung to his leg, and a robin perched itself on his head. Twilight was silently relieved to know he couldn't feel them on him. Fluttershy carefully plucked the squirrels and the robin from their resting places and nodded to the young otter. Nex turned and glared down at Fluttershy, but relaxed when he saw her hands full of small animals. He looked up to Twilight, waiting for her to say something. She took his hint and moved to the door. "Alright, we should get going. Spike should be coming home today, and Celestia knows how he'll react to him." She hugged Fluttershy and waved as she walked out the door, but Nex stood there and watched her for another minute. Fluttershy looked away in fear, closing her eyes until she heard his footsteps heading away. She opened her eyes, watching them go. Her mind wandered to what she felt on his back. It wasn't small, and the bump was just one of the few she managed to touch. And his eye... ...what happened to him in that awful place?