Celestia read over the scroll her student had sent, smiling softly as she read about Nex's progress. He'd learned the alphabet, how to count to ten, and hadn't bursted out in anger… yet. She was certain he'd control himself, or at the very least her student and her friends could keep him calm. Day court was just about over, and after a day of dealing with nobility, Celestia was ready for a warm bath before bed. Her horn chimed as the sun inched its way past the horizon, vanishing in just a few minutes. She sat up and stretched before moving down the steps. Her guards moved to the golden doors to open for her, but before they reached them they bursted open.
“Princess!” A pair of guards rushed in, both saluting before their monarch. “We've been sent by General Iron. He requests your presence in the medical wing!”
“They've found another of the experiments,” the other said. Celestia's eyes widened, and any weariness vanished as she spread her wings and shot past them with a flap of her wings.
Another? Stars, let it be alright. Does Luna know?
She slowed as she entered the medicinal sector of her castle. The halls were much more clear and plain, with more traditional hospital rooms rather than the guest rooms in the other wings. A mare in a nurse's outfit waved for her to follow, prompting her to rush to catch up to her. They were taken to one of the more secure rooms, guards lining the hall in a wall and along the corridor.
“Your highness!” A green unicorn stallion met them just outside the room they'd been led to, dressed as any doctor. “I'm sorry, but she's in poor condition.”
“How so? What's wrong with her?” Celestia questioned, casting a spell on the wall to make it transparent.
“We've found several narcotics in her system, and she has bruising all over her body,” he explained, looking over a chart. “She has a concussion and multiple lacerations from what look like ropes. Princess, she'll be under for a few days while we detox her.”
Celestia sighed as she examined the poor mare. She looked no older than Cadence. As her eyes roamed the mare's features, she found one thing to be grateful for. “Doctor, have you found any implants in her like the others?”
He shook his head, a small smile of his own relief easing hee. “Thankfully we haven't found anything. Her body hasn't been modified.”
A question popped into her head as she recalled the guard's words. “The guards told me she was another experiment. But you say she hasn't been implanted,” she told the doctor.
“Oh, right. She was awake before she arrived here. She was rambling about a pit. About… fighting and the children,” he hesitantly informed her. “From what Long Stride had spoken about, I thought there was a connection.”
She nodded and looked at the pink mare for a few seconds, then let her spell fade. “Alright. Keep me and my sister updated with her well-being. I'll explain the situation to her.” The doctor nodded his head and gestured for the nurse to follow him inside.
Celestia sighed as she turned and headed back out of the medical wing. It had been nearly three weeks since anything significant had happened, but this was a reminder that her work with Nex was much greater. Another survivor meant another pit, which would mean she might remember where it was. The guard was still scrambling all over Equestria in search, day and night. It wasn't enough… they needed to find these pits before any more children could be taken.
It wasn't long before Celestia found herself climbing the steps to her sister's room. She could feel her sister's magic reaching out somewhere, which was strange since it wasn't midnight yet. As she reached the top, she felt a sudden shift in her sister's magic. It wasn't alarming… just abnormal. When she entered the room, Luna sat on her bed with her eyes closed and her horn alight. She was obviously in the dreamscape… but with who?
“And what else has she taught you?” Luna questioned, sitting across from Nex in his mind.
“Can count. One… to… ten,” he grumbled, trying to keep his pronunciation accurate. “Twi-light say fast learn.”
“You're a fast learner,” she corrected. He nodded and looked at his fingers, silently counting. “And you have kept peaceful with the town, yes?”
He lifted his head and tilted it. “P-Peace...full?”
“You haven't hurt anypony. You're not fighting, yes?” Luna reiterated. She heard him growl, but it died down as he murmured to himself.
“...pr-ah-miss… nice… to Twi-light,” he snorted, scratching his messy hair. “...but keep pegasus away.”
Luna shook her head and sighed. “Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.” He snarled softly, to which she gave him a stern look. “They don't wish you harm, Nex.”
Slowly, memories began to flow around them, and his voice faded from her as he receded back into his mind. “Pegasus… afraid… ponies… afraid.” He lowered himself to the ground, laying with his back to her. “Always… be… afraid”
His memories began to play out for him, secluding him in his past. She sighed as she stood and turned to the door, exiting his dream before she returned to the physical world. Her magic ceased and she inhaled deeply, then let it out before opening her eyes. To her surprise, Celestia sat beside her.
“What were you doing?” Celestia questioned softly.
Luna stood from the bed and looked outside as she placed her regalia back on. “I've made regular visits to Nex's dreams, and normally I attempt to gather information,” she huffed, cracking her stiff neck. “Tonight he seemed… less tense… as if he didn't hold us in contempt.”
“What had him that way?” Celestia asked, standing up as a smile grew.
“He's learning, and counting is something that excites him, as miniscule as it is.” She set her tiara on her head and stretched her arms. “It's progress. He still encloses himself in those memories… but he at least speaks.”
She softly gasped as she felt her sister hug her from behind, holding her tightly. Luna put her hand on her sister's and sighed, resting her head against her. “Thank you, Luna… thank you.”
She smiled vaguely and held her sister's hand tighter. “If you are so desperate to help this creature… then I will do what I can… however stubborn he might be.” Celestia chuckled lightly before moving away and wiping her eyes. “He won't make progress until he no longer represses those memories, sister. It will take time before he can begin treatment.”
Celestia nodded her head with a smile. “Do your best, sister. I don't expect a miracle within a few days.”
Luna returned the gesture and fixed her mane. “Why are you here? I never sent for you. Has something happened?” she questioned, noticing the solemness of her sister's expression.
“They found another survivor,” the elder alicorn told her. “She's in critical condition, but she's being taken care of. She was there. In the pits.”
The lunar diararch slowly processed what she was being told. “Did she say anything? Or has she been unconscious this entire time?” Luna asked, standing up and stepping into her onyx slippers.
“She'd been rambling before they sedated her. She knows about the pits and the fighting,” she said, watching her sister prepare for Night Court. “She doesn't have implants.”
Luna turned to her sister in shock. “Then… she isn't a gladiator?” Celestia shool her head. “Which means… she could help us find them.”
“I'm not sure yet, but once she is awake she'll need time to move past it,” Celestia sighed, heading to the door. “Luna… they didn't try to transform adults. She has drugs in her system but they restrained her.”
The lunar princess met her sister at the door and opened it. “She may have implants we haven't seen, then.” Celestia shook her head.
“She must have done something. Maybe a traitor of sorts. We'll know more in some time,” she told her sister. Luna nodded as they descended down the stairs.
“Keep me up to date with her condition. I will post guards throughout the night to keep watch,” Luna declared, summoning a quill and scroll to write out the order.
“I'll have my guards watch her through the day, of course.” Her throat went dry as she came to the next subject this new survivor brought. “We need to bring Nex back.”
Luna’s quill stopped moving for just a second, then kept scribbling. “He needs some time to grow away from the Pit. We cannot impede on his progress,” she said in a low voice.
“She might know about him, Luna. She could help us with his transition into society,” Celestia argued calmly. She sighed and rubbed her temple, knowing she was pushing for too much at once. “If she knows anything about him, we'll speak about bringing him. Alright?”
Her younger sister nodded softly, a smiling making itself present. “Alright. I should be going to the throne. Rest, sister. The last thing right now should be more worry. We will figure something out.” Luna gave her sister a hug as they reached the bottom of the tower, and they went their separate ways.
“He'll be fine… I'm sure he will,” Celestia whispered to herself.
Ponyville
Twilight yawned softly as she lifted her head from her pillow. The early morning rays kept her eyes squinted as she got up. Glancing over to Nex’s bed, she saw him twitching slightly. She made her way to his side and looked closer, her eyes widening as she saw the machinery in his back moving under the shirt.
“Nex! Nex, wake up!” she shook his body urgently, but he only grunted in response. “Nex, please, get up! You're okay! Nex!”
His pikes shot out from his forearm and he shoved her away, jumping up and roaring at her viciously. The adrenaline in his system faded as he glared down at her, his teeth bared as he loomed over the fallen woman. Nex’s eyes focused on her arm, where her bare skin wept some red. He lowered his arms slowly, his breathing evening out as he traced the three slash marks on her. The metal retreated back under his skin, and the implants in his back flattened out.
He looked to her eyes… seeing the fear that churned within them. There were so many like her. With the same fear just from looking at him. He didn't mean it. He didn't want her to be scared.
“Nex, relax,” Twilight softly told him, raising a hand to him as she stood up. “You're not in danger. We're safe, okay?”
Nex didn't stop staring at her arm, prompting her to take a look. As she realized she'd been scratched, she heard him leap from the bed and to the stairs.
“Nex, stop!”
He tumbled down the steps and rolled into a sprint, bursting through the door and bolting into the street. He looked around wildly, looking for a direction to take. He started towards Fluttershy's cottage, while Twilight caught up at the door. She sighed loudly and rushed back in to tend to her scratches. There wasn't much blood, and the cuts only stung, thankfully.
“I have to get the girls’ help,” she muttered, wrapping her forearm in bandages.
Nex hurried to the small river near the pegasi’s house, leaping over the small body of water and booking it towards the forest ahead. He pushed through the thick bushes and branches, a low branch nicking his leg. The small obstacle didn't stop him from going, and soon he was on all fours. Trills and shrieks echoed around him, like when he'd gone to other pits. He wasn't welcome in the little homes of the ponies. He belonged out with the wild, where he killed to survive. A small trunk caused him to break off a number of splinters in his hand, one going deep enough to pierce all the way through. He bellowed out in agony As he tumbled, scratching himself against the bushes and branches.
There was a small hill for him to roll down, with enough rocks to bruise him well before he halted against a log. Nex grunted as he looked at his hand, blood mingling with the dew and dirt he'd collected on his body. He grunted and tore out a splinter, then shrieked in pain as he realized how deep it'd been. Deciding against pulling out more, he slowly got onto his feet and cradled the damaged limb carefully. There weren't any familiar paths or markings, and he couldn't climb up the way he came. Snorting angrily, Nex limped on forward, smelling a subtle moisture in the air. He hurried a bit to a small opening in the woods, breaking into a small clearing.
Before him was a calmer sight than the forest held. A pristine blue lake laid smack in the middle of the clearing. He saw motion across the water, then bared his teeth when he recognized the forms. Timberwolves. The alpha of their pack looked over to the bipedal creature, snarling in return to what looked like a display of size. Nex moved closer to the water, his growls getting louder. The alpha yapped and adjusted the attention of its pack to him. Soon more snarls and growls joined its own, and Nex felt his blood pumping once again. The pikes shot out at once, and he let loose a menacing roar of hatred.
His warning didn't fall on deaf ears. Whatever this creature was, it wasn't going to back down, and it was as ferocious as it looked. The alpha’s snarls died down, and it made its way back into the forest. The rest followed lead, still barking and growling at him the whole while. Nex snarled until they vanished behind bushes and forest, then grunted as he trudged himself over to the water. The sprint had left him exhausted, and his mouth was drier than ever. He reached down and started downing as much water as he could.
When he finally felt hydrated, he pulled away and wiped his mouth. As the water returned to its calm stillness, Nex stared into his reflection. The mask concealed who he was. But it also hid him. Ponies looked at what he was looking at now. They were afraid of him because he looked like he could hurt them. A part of him deep down wanted to lash out in anger. They left him when he needed them most. He was forsaken. He could've been saved from this… this existence. What was he? Why weren't there any like him? Why did they hate him?
The same questions he'd asked for so long. His teeth bared as he shouted and slapped the water. He nestled himself just a ways from the edge of the lake, resting his head on the soft earth. Too many questions… too much thinking. There was a small click in him, and he went to sleep.
There were never berries when she needed them. Whenever she was strolling through the Everfree there were berries everywhere, and now it was as if they'd all been eaten by a swarm of parasprites. Madam Zecora huffed as she moved branches aside, eyeing them for any signs or the fruit she sought.
“Never a problem for me, until I'm as busy as a bee,” she muttered to herself.
She heard rustling to her side, and she turned to see what it was. Living twigs and branches passed stationary trees, moving with their tails between their legs. One glanced in her direction, but disregarded her as it kept up with its pack. Timberwolves were often a problem, but to see one so docile was a sight she never thought to see. They had just come from the lake nearby. The roar must have belonged to a manticore… as strange as it sounded.
Zecora had heard manticore roars before. She could vividly remember the sounds of the beasts. What she heard was no manticore. Curiosity and caution clashed within her mind, but eventually she found another reason to support her curiosity. The lake ahead flourished with fruits and berries of all kinds, which meant she would have to venture there at some point. She adjusted the basket on her arm as she started towards the lake. It wasn’t long before she gazed upon the calm crystal waters. The whole clearing was a pleasant contrast to the eerie forest, but one thing stuck out most.
A body rested near the water's edge. It was clothed, but she couldn't tell if it was even a pony. It lacked a tail, vibrant color, and it's mane was rather short. From what she could see on its neck, it looked like it didn't even have fur. Tan skin bordered the black mane on top of its head. She inched closer, waiting for it to breathe to see if it was alive. There were cuts along its clothing, and in some places she could see open tears in its skin. No bite marks, though. If she had to assume, this… thing scared them away.
“A bit small to scare a pack,” she chuckled to herself. “However, I insist you go back.” She knelt down beside him, then gasped as she looked to its face.
There wasn't a snout or skin, or anything remotely like a face. A metallic and cold mask hid anything living behind it, leaving only its jaw and ears visible. A quick examination led her to where the metal dug into his skin. There didn't seem to be any locks or even a way to remove it.
“What have you turned into?” she gasped quietly. “Who has done this to you?”
Zecora set down her basket and reached to his neck, looking for any signs of fever or sickness. Before she could register what happened, she found herself gasping for air and dangling painfully. She looked down to the creature as its cold “face” glared her down, the small sockets revealing angry eyes. Its grip was tight, and any attempt to speak was drowned out. And in the same amount of time it took to get lifted up, she fell to the ground. Zecora gasped for breath as she lifted herself onto her arms, looking up to him.
Just a minute ago he'd been ready to suffocate her, and now he stood still. Like a child waiting to be scolded. Every so often he lifted a hand, as if ready to say something, but never acted and recalled his appendage. She watched him from her prone position, waiting for another violent action. But nothing happened. He crouched down in front of her, watching her closely.
“I… sorry.” Her ears perked up at the realization he could speak. Zecora could tell it was difficult for him, but he was sentient.
“It was a mistake, I'm sure,” she hesitantly replied, noticing his collar. “Why do you sleep on the forest floor?”
He snorted softly, then sat back and looked at his arm. Her attention snapped to the blood stains and holes in the sleeve, which he held gingerly. “...stay… here,” he muttered, clenching his fist. “No hurt… no afraid.”
She didn't understand his ramblings, but she didn't make any sudden moves. As she waited for anything else he had to say, she made out scars along his neck. They were too neat and precise to be injuries… more like a surgery. He grunted quietly, but she noticed at once. There was a particularly large rake along his side, which he prodded with a finger while growling in pain.
“You are injured,” she said softly, carefully getting to her feet. She held out a hand to him, one he recoiled from. “Come. I will make your safety ensured.”
He eyed her for a time, looking to her hand then back to her before repeating the motion. Eventually, with a push from his aching side, he cautiously took the zebra’s hand before standing up. Zecora was sure she didn't help him at all, since he weighed almost as much as a boulder.
“My hut lies within the woods,” she told him. “Once you are better, I will have all sorts of goods.”
She could see his animalistic behavior change into that of a boy lost in the woods. He held her hand limply as she guided him back into the brush. Every little sound of the Everfree startled him, forcing his grip tighter on her as they walked. Zecora could imagine one of the Crusaders being behind her instead of the gargantuan creature she was now leading to her hut. They found the path she always used to travel around the forest, and made their way back. He never stopped looking to their sides as animals called out. His animalistic nature returned when he heard a manticore in the distance. Zecora could hear his growls and huffing.
“Would it be safe to assume you have a name?” she asked, turning to him as they walked. He nodded slowly, but never said anything. “Perhaps if you say yours, I shall do the same.”
He tilted his head to the side, adorably she could add. “W-What… yours?”
She gave him a warm smile and said, “Zecora.”
He kept silent, glancing to the ground and away from her. “I… Nex.”
“Nex, you say,” she chuckled softly. “A strange name, but in an interesting way.”
His eyes focused on her in a squint. “Why talk like… that?”
Zecora was certain he wasn’t from around Equestria, what with his struggle on speaking. “It is native, where I am from,” she explained, guiding him off the path. “Perhaps when you are well, we will have somepony you know come.”
His grip on her hand loosened, but he kept moving as they approached her home. She led him inside, letting go of his hand as he wandered around her small hut. He crawled over to her masks and artifacts from her homeland. Zecora went into a back room and looked for her medical supplies. With a few bandages and oils, she came back for him but observed him for a second. He was staring down a ceremonial spear near the exit, completely lost of any other thought. Even the sounds of her feet were deafened by his concentration.
“It was from a dear friend,” Zecora told him. He didn't look back, even as she settled beside him. “He was a brave stallion… though warriors such as him meet their end.”
She opened a small pot and dipped her hand inside, pooling the herbal secretion in her palm before touching the small gash. The moment her hand made contact, he let out a thundering roar of anguish and pinned her to the ground. Zecora yet again found herself staring down a beast that had to defend itself. She could hear his growls and snarls, his eyes glaring her down relentlessly. His hand crushed her wrist in its solid grasp, his eyes darting to the hand now smeared with red.
This time, there was no backpedal. He didn't get off her as the seconds ticked by. He needed to defend himself from the pain… but this wasn't what she'd seen until now. Slowly, her other hand made its way out from under him and towards him. A loud snarl warned her to cease her actions, but after a quick stutter she kept reaching up. He bared his sharpened teeth, the metals shining in the light of the fire. With one final effort, he bellowed in her face, punching the ground beside her. It left an astonishing hole, one she'd never thought she'd see, but even then she was unmoved.
His body seized up at her touch. He panted softly as she held the side of his head, offering him a sympathetic smile. Emotions clashed in his dark eyes, his breathing becoming erratic. His grip eased up on her, and he took the hand she'd placed on him and pulled it away. After staring her down for another minute, he moved away and helped her sit up.
They kept quiet, but Zecora watched him. Not out of fear, but to see what he would decide to do next. He prodded his now relieved cut curiously, smelling the oil on his hand and in the pot.
“What… that?” he questioned in a low tone.
Zecora smiled as she sealed the pot and set it aside. “A simple mix. It helps break apart splinters from woods and sticks,” she explained. He gave her a small nod, then turned to the fire.
“...hurt… and smell.”