CHAPTER 22
BROTHERS IN DISTRESS
About two hours after Ash suddenly showed up and locked himself in his room, Psych found himself pacing inside his own room filled with anxiety. Two rooms away, Ash was still inside his own room doing who know's what. Psych couldn't stay calm about all this.
He couldn't stop feeling worried for his brother. Sighing, he grabbed a book from a stack next to his bed. They were all written by somepony called Jung; Psych was a real fan of the things he'd written, but even as he leafed through his works, he still couldn't take his mind off Ash.
Sighing again, he toss the book back in the pile and laid on his bed wondering when Ash would finally come out of his room. Knowing his brother, it would probably take hours judging by how upset he looked when he spotted him. Having to wait that long to find out what was wrong made Psych very frustrated.
He really was worried sick about him. When he couldn't find Ash that morning, he just assumed that he had gone to burn leaves like he usually did. Like the rest of them, he freaked out upon seeing the thick black smoke coming from far off into the forest; only Ash could've created a blaze that intense.
A quick glance on the clock told him that it was just a few minutes before they usually had lunch. Ash still wouldn't want to come out at that time. Sighing once again, Psych jumped off his bed and left his room. He went over to Ash's door and knocked on it a few times.
"Ash? Er...I don't know if you can hear me, but...it's lunchtime, and I'm certain you're hungry." No reply came. "Look...Just come out soon please?"
Psych waited for a whole minute for his brother to come out. When he didn't, Psych quietly left, his head bowed. He only looked up again when he entered the dining room where everything already set. He was all alone, but he knew the rest of them would be arriving. He sat down in his usual spot and waited with his head in his hoof.
About a minute later, a flash of teal light momentarily blinded him. "Psych...Hello. Will Ash be joining us?"
Uncovering his eyes, Psych snorted at him. "What does it look like? He's clearly upset about something; d'you honestly think that he would be fine by now?"
Solstice was surprised by his hostile tone. "I...I was just worried about him Psych; as are you."
Psych just scoffed and turned away. Solstice sighed gloomily now worried about two of his brothers. He took his seat at the table and waited patiently for the rest of the family to arrive. He looked over to his brother who had his head in his hoof facing away from him.
A few minutes later, Ironhead stepped in along with Scar and Blues. He stopped upon seeing his two brothers at the table. "Ash's still not coming out huh?" Neither one of them replied leading him to sigh and sit along with his worried brothers.
Equinox stepped in carrying a several plates filled with celery sandwiches with his magic. As he set them down, Psych reached over and plucked several sandwiches and tossed them onto two separate plates. Without saying a word, he took one plate in his mouth and balanced another on his back before leaving the startled ponies behind.
He headed back up the stairs and made his way to Ash's room. He put the plates he was carrying down and knocked on his brother's door. "Ash, it's me." he said hoping that he could hear him. "I've brought you lunch. You must be hungry now right? Ash?"
No response came from the room. Psych tried the door again only to find that it was still locked. Sighing, he went and sat against the wall next to the door and began eating alone. Unfortunately, he had very little appetite; worrying about Ash had put all other thoughts out of his head.
All alone and worried sick, Psych finished his sandwiches in silence. For a while, he just sat there, staring before him while a plate of sandwiches beside him remained untouched. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head feeling completely powerless to help Ash.
Hoof steps caused his ears to perk up. Pouting a little, he turned and saw Scar approaching him, a similar look of worry on his face. "Hey Psych...you OK? Ash still won't come out?" he asked upon seeing the uneaten food.
The earth pony didn't respond. "He'll come out. Don't you worry bro." Psych didn't feel reassured at all. "Did you get to talk to Ash when he got here? Did he say why he was all freaked out?" Scar asked.
Psych said nothing and faced the wall in front of him, sighing as he did. "So...How did it feel Treachery?" he asked.
"Huh? Well...I was pretty shocked when I heard about Ash, and I'm really worried now like-"
"I'm not referring to that." Psych interrupted turning to the pegasus. "I'm referring to you meeting you long-time crush Rainbow Dash. I've heard so many incredibly annoying things from you about her. I'm certain meeting her was something you've never anticipated. Tell me, was she everything you were expecting?"
Scar looked confused at Psych who wore a poker face. "I well...She was amazing." Scar found himself smiling. "I always knew she was a great flyer. But after meeting her...I found out she's an awesome flyer! Like, I've never seen anypony with skills like her. Plus, she cool, she's funny, she's a good friend, she's-"
"Loyal?" Scar had been rambling so much that he had failed to noticed the change in Psych's expression. His brother was now staring at him with the wide eyes and the twisted, sadistic, maniacal smile of a psychopath. "That's her Element correct? Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty..."
Psych could see Scar tense up and gulp. "Well...Yeah. I met her and she really does seem to show it." he replied nervously. "Please don't use your powers on me." he quickly begged.
Psych's smile widened a little more. "Oh I won't." Just yet. "Back to Rainbow, as the Element of Loyalty, shouldn't she value trust above anything else? You must agree to that right?"
"Y...Yeah..."
"Indeed she must. Imagine how crushed, how upset, how immeasurably furious she must be right now." He smiled wider at Scar's expression. "You befriended her didn't you? She seemed to have trusted you, yet in the end, you stayed true to yourself and stabbed her in the back."
"I...I didn't betray her." Scar protested. "She was just upset, and I didn't get a chance to explain."
"You chased her friend throughout Ponyville. You searched and demanded answers, answers that led to something she was so willing to defend. If she was upset, then she must've grown attached to you during your stay. Tell me, if I reversed the situation, say, she befriended you and suddenly assaulted Deceit or Greed or Magic and demanded to know where the rest of us were, wouldn't you feel betrayed?"
Tense and scared, Scar remained silent. "She shouldn't have trusted you. Nopony should trust you! You are Treachery itself for pony's sake! Sooner or later, you're gonna have to stab everypony in the back and watch them die! What pony in their right mind would put their faith in the very embodiment of betrayal?!"
The helpless pegasus backed up in fear. "I...We..."
"Don't give me that ridiculous we-have-a-choice-to-who-we-want-to-be crap; I get enough of that spewing out of Greed's mouth. I've said it a million times; WE! DON'T! HAVE IT! We'll forever be embodiments of the worst things the world has to offer! No matter what you do, what any of us do, it'll never change what we are deep down! Just look at what just happened in Ponyville!"
"You betrayed her, the one pony you adored oh so much! She trusted you! She thought you were true friend, a dependable pony whom she thought had her back, but you stabbed her in it! It's your nature to betray, to take such a precious bond forged between two hearts and then shatter it to countless pieces! Where was your ability to choose when you went after her friend huh? You could've found a way to do your job without betraying her, but look what you ended up doing! Don't you see it? Treachery is indeed all you are!"
"All the others put their trust in you; they love you and believe they can count on you knowing fully well what you are! What stupid, ignorant imbeciles they are! How much longer are you gonna keep your little charade up huh? When will you finally betray them? As quickly as you did Rainbow? When will you do what you are supposed to do huh? Tell me..."
Eyes wide and trembling, Scar couldn't find his voice. "Tell me!" Psych roared as he approached him. "TELL ME DAMMIT OR I'LL MAKE YOU!"
That was the last straw for Scar; Psych threatening to use his powers on him...he just couldn't stand it. Without even thinking, he expanded his wings and gave a powerful flap creating a massive gust that knocked Psych into the air. He tumbled around for a while before crashing on the floor several feet away.
"Psych!" Scar cried out as his brother tried getting up. "Psych I...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
The latter just growled and looked up, but Scar had already turned and flew away from him. As he stood, he watched the pegasus round a corner and disappear. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Psych dusted himself a little and looked around. The plate of sandwiches had been blown aside by the wind Scar created. Psych picked up the plate, the bread and the celery and took them to the kitchen.
He sighed once again as he set the plate down feeling a little bit better. His verbal assault on Scar had cheered him up a little despite not getting a chance to use his powers on him. It made him think a little less of Ash who was still in his room...doing who knows what...He bit his lip and made a decision.
"Oh Deceit!"
Later...
"No wonder you showed such confidence when your mission began; you were already prepared to lie your way through anything you encounter. Isn't that one of your powers? The ability to lie so quickly without any outward signs? Even I can't even tell whether you're lying or not! Only Deceit itself can bypass my talents!"
"How many lies have you told?! How many times did you spew your lies right in her face or in anypony's face?! Justify it all you want, but the fact remains; you lied to her, a pony who embodies the very trait of honesty and openness! The mare gave you a job, she gave you hospitality and you reward her kindness with such filth! Look what your lies have done; this mare probably despises you now!"
"Every word, every single word that comes out of that mouth of yours is nothing but filth! They're a facade; as a matter of fact, this whole thing I'm looking at right now is just as fake! You put up this mask of a strong pony that can guide you through any crisis, but anypony you lead would only meet their own demise! You are a liar that spews only filth and always will be!"
With an incredibly loud crashing sound, Ironhead slammed the door to his room shut so hard, it was almost in danger of breaking. Psych grinned and sighed feeling much happier now. He trotted along until he came upon Ash's door again which still remained locked.
Psych grinned. Both Ironhead and Scar had one issue they had in common-trust. Deceit and Treachery go hand in hand with one another. They both dealt with having trust placed upon them and then destroying it in some way. The brothers had never had issues regarding trust, but the idea that they held something that destroys it always bothered them. That, plus knowing that they bonded with the Elements of Harmony, gave Psych enough information to make them tremble before him. It was still too bad he didn't get to use his powers on them; that'd make things way more interesting.
He then did some thinking. Solstice was the last pony to go to Ponyville and chase that mare around; surely he'd have some weakness he could exploit. Then again...Psych couldn't. The last time Psych had tried doing anything to tear the unicorn to pieces...thing got very messy. Nopony was seriously hurt, but Psych knew he couldn't do it again.
"Hey Greed!"
Later that night, Psych ate his bowl of warm, delicious soup acting as if he hadn't tormented three of the ponies at the table earlier that same day. Scar, Ironhead and Blues all kept trembling slightly as they tried to finish their meal. The sight made Psych smile. I should seriously get a camera.
Equinox and Solstice, the only two at the table who weren't verbally assaulted that day, kept looking at Psych and the empty seat beside him. Ash had failed to show up again making everypony worry even more. Every now and then, Psych would look at the seat beside him too and share their worries. He had been holed up in his room the whole day; surely, he'd have to com out some time.
Psych was the first to finish his meal. Without a single word to the other ponies in the room, he left and headed upstairs to where their rooms were. He passed his own room and went for the door to his brother's. "Ash, it's me." he said while knocking. "C'mon, it's been hours since you've arrive. You've got to come out."
More silence followed. Psych didn't know if Ash couldn't hear him or he was just too upset to respond. "Ash...come out...please..." he begged. "You don't know how worried I am about you...Please..." He found himself hammering on the door. "Please come out...Ash...Ash!"
Despite his pleas, Ash didn't emerge from his room. Gritting his teeth, Psych galloped away as fast as he could and made his way to the top floor, where Equinox's study was located. Once there, he barged through the front door and made his way to the alicorn's desk. After pulling open several drawers, he finally found the one that contained the keys to every room in the castle.
Being arranged by floor, Psych grabbed the key ring for their rooms with his mouth and galloped away, the keys jingling as he did. He went down the stairs thankfully passing nopony as he did and skidded to a halt before Ash's door. He dropped that keys and fumbled with them a little before finally locating the one for the room in front of him. He hurriedly placed it in the lock, turned and, to his relief, hear the lock click open. Without a moment's hesitation he opened the door.
"Ash!"
The room was in complete disarray. The bed was pulled to one side, and the mattress on it was flipped over. Pillows out of their cases were strewn throughout the floor. The bedside table was overturned and several feet away from where it was supposed to be. The closet which held what little clothing the room's owner had was flung open, its contents also scattered about around the room. Stunned, Psych searched the room desperate to find his only family.
With a jolt, Psych finally spotted him. Ash was in the far right corner of the room lying on his side and clutching his legs close to his body which was trembled every few seconds. His eyes were closed tightly with a hint of wetness around the, and his mouth winced as if he was in serious pain. The sight was just too much for the maroon earth pony who galloped over to his brother.
"Ash!" Psych began, but upon nearing him, he froze in place. Wide eyed with shock and his jaw hanging, he stared at Ash only noticing what was wrong now that he was up close.
Bruises. Ash's entire body was covered in dark, ugly bruises that varied in size. His face particularly had two under his eyes, one across his right cheek and a very large one on his forehead. The sight of him in that beaten state broke Psych's heart.
He didn't have those when he arrived...And nopony else entered so...
"Oh Ash..."
Without hesitating, he went over and scooped his brother up in his arms careful to avoid the bruises. Ash trembled upon feeling another pony touch him, but he didn't have the strength to fight it off. Psych sat against the wall clutching the battered Ash close to his chest and felt tears come to his eyes. Hugging his brother, Psych began to cry rocking back and forth, his tears falling on his brother's bruises.
Feeling the dampness on his body caused Ash to stir, but Psych refused to let him go. He could feel it, Psych's warmth...his sorrow, his care...Let go of me! Ash screamed in his head because he didn't have the strength to do it to the pony clutching him. What did I ever do to deserve your care?!
Psych sniffed and held his brother tighter while stroking his back."Ash...Ash, listen to me." Psych drew a shaky breath as Ash froze. "I don't care what you are...I accept you...I accept you...I'm your brother...I accept you and I always will..."
"Why...?" Ash's voice was hoarse and choked; his eyes began to tear up once again. "I hurt everypony...you...the others...Fluttershy..."
Fluttershy? Psych recalled that name as one of the Elements of Harmony. Did they have anything to do with what happened earlier? Before he could say anything else, Ash continued. "I'll hurt you...One day...I will...You...You should stay away from me...get away from me...Leave me alone..."
"Never..." Psych felt more tears come to his eyes. He clenched them as he held his brother tighter. "I'll never leave you Ash...I'll never abandon you...I don't care if you hurt me or anypony else...You're a part of this world...we both are...I'll never reject you..."
Ash trembled and drew a shuddering breath. "Why...W-why...I'm Cruelty itself...The world will always hate me...I'll always hurt others..."
"You're not alone in this Ash." Psych said with a sob. "I'm Grief itself. I, like you, am hated by the world, and I too live to inflict pain upon others...But you...you accepted me Ash...You...are the only pony who has ever done that...Hurt me all you want...I don't care...because I will never hate you...I will never reject you..."
Ash clenched his eyes shut tightly as tears continued to pour. He could once again feel just how much Psych cared about him. "I don't deserve you...I...I'm broken...I'm so broken..."
His hooves trembling, Psych gripped his brother tighter. For a long time, everything was silent save for the sound of the two brothers crying their hearts out.
It took around five minutes for Psych to fix everything in the room. Once it was tidy, he bent and hoisted his crying brother on his back. Slowly, he placed his Ash on his bed careful to avoid touching his bruises. Psych tucked his pillow and drew the blanket over him. Still crying a little, Psych gave Ash a final hug before leaving the room, making sure to lock the door in the process.
The tears still refused to stop. Clenching his eyes tightly, Psych could never get that image of a battered Ash out of his mind. His brother's words came to him once again.
...I'm broken...I'm so broken...
"I'm broken too..." Psych muttered. He wasn't going to deny it. Call him what you want, a monster, a maniac, a psychopath, but know that he would know that you were telling the truth. He admitted it; he was a maniac, an insane, sadistic monster who just loves to see others in pain.
Anger and hate coursed through his body reaching a breaking point. The world had done this to him; it had turned him into the monster he was. They rejected and despised him even though he was just being what he was-the embodiment of Grief itself, a part of the world that nopony could ever vanquish. But their hate was nothing compared to his hate. He would never forgive those who rejected him, those who hated him, those who despised another irrefutable truth of the world...
He hated them, all of them, every single one of them, especially a certain six ponies.
"...Elements of Harmony...I will break you all..."
Trembling with fury, Psych opened his tear-soaked eyes now searing with rage and glowing with an unnatural light.