CHAPTER 39
THE LOST BROTHER
"...Fluttershy..."
Said pony's ears perked up upon hearing that. She quietly crept back towards her room and peered inside only to spot Ash quietly asleep on her bed. Convinced that maybe she had just imagined hearing her name, she quietly made her way downstairs where she found an annoyed rabbit waiting for her.
Angel was looking at her crossly. "Now Angel, I know you don't like him." Fluttershy said.
Her pet jerked his head backwards. "And I know all the other animals don't like him either..."
When Fluttershy had brought Ash in, birds swarmed towards him chirping angrily, squirrels hissed at him and threw their acorns, her bear burst in roaring angrily, basically every animal in the area went berserk once Ash entered. It was only with a few pleading words backed up by her Stare did Fluttershy keep them at bay long enough for her to get Ash to her room safely.
"Angel, didn't you see him? He was all hurt and hungry and tired, and alone." she continued feeling sorry for the poor colt. "I don't know why you're all so angry at him, I just had to help him."
The rabbit just crossed his arms and turned away from her, his head held high. Fluttershy sighed and trotted off towards her kitchen. Pot, pans and food containers were cluttered about from when she was preparing Ash's food and needed some tidying.
As she entered the kitchen, she passed by a desktop calendar and did a double-take. "Oh no..." she muttered remembering what day it was. "Today's grocery day...I was supposed to go after giving Angel his bath...I suppose I could go now, but Ash will be all alone..."
She couldn't possibly leave him all by himself all hurt and hungry; who knew what would happen if she wasn't around? Then again, she had to go into town and pick up some more food for herself, the animals and Ash. What should she do?
"Of course! I'll just ask one of the girls to watch Ash while I'm out." There were just two problems thought. They all might be too busy, and she was hesitant to take away some of their time. Secondly, it was Ash they'd be looking after. Twilight told them that they all didn't mean any harm, but Ash tried to kill them on his own. Surely they'd be wary of him.
The image of the broken Ash dominated her mind; she knew what she had to do. "Um Angel, could you do me a favor please?"
Several minutes later, Fluttershy heard knocking on her cottage door. She opened it revealing her unicorn friend looking a little tense. "Angel was a little vague, but I understood him enough to know you needed my help." Twilight told her.
"Thank you for coming Twilight." Fluttershy said letting Twilight in.
"So, what is it that you need?"
"Um..." Fluttershy fidgeted around a bit. "I need a big favor, b-but if you're too busy that's fine..."
"Oh don't worry. I was able to get re-shelving done early, so my schedule's pretty light." Twilight assured. "So what's this favor you need?"
Once again, she fidgeted nervously. "Um...come with me upstairs, and I'll explain."
Fluttershy led her curious friend up the stairs towards her room. Once they were in front of her door, she turned around. "Um...promise me you won't get mad or upset?"
Still curious, Twilight nodded. Fluttershy took a deep breath and opened the door a little bit. A jerk of her head beckoned her to come closer and peered into the room. Her eyes scanned the interior for any signs of abnormalities eventually widening once they locked on what was on her bed. Fluttershy quietly closed the door upon seeing that.
"Wha-How-But-What's he doing here?!" Twilight stammered.
"P-Please don't be mad. I-I found him all hurt and alone in the middle of the forest. I just couldn't leave him. I mean...just look at him."
Fluttershy opened the door again and gave Twilight another look. It was only then did she notice the bruises covering his hooves as well as how thin they were. "He was starving too Twilight. I don't think he can hurt anypony right now." Fluttershy added quietly leaving the door slightly ajar.
"Well despite everything he's done, he does look like he's in bad shape..." Twilight commented.
"I know; that's why I can't leave him alone. I need somepony to keep an eye on him while I pick up some groceries." Fluttershy explained. "Could you do it please Twilight? I promise I won't take too long."
"Hmmm..." Twilight thought about the beaten pony on Fluttershy's bed. Surely he was incapable of harming anypony at the moment. "Well I suppose I could watch over him until you get back."
Her friend's expression brightened. "Thank you Twilight. I feel much more at ease now." she said letting out a sigh.
"So is there anything specific that I have to do?"
"Well, Ash is asleep right now, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about." Fluttershy answered after some thinking. "But he might get hungry again if he wakes up. I have a little food lying around here in case that happens."
"Keep an eye on him and feed him in case he gets hungry. Got it. Anything else?"
"Um...Try talking to him..." Fluttershy added hesitantly. "I-If he wants to that is. I'm still wondering what he was doing there all alone and hurt..."
Twilight tilted her head, but didn't question her further. "OK then. I'll make sure he's well taken care of. You just worry about those groceries of yours OK?"
Now fully reassured that Ash would be in good hooves, Fluttershy nodded. "OK. Bye Twilight. I'll try to be back as soon as I can."
On that note, Fluttershy headed back downstairs and fetched a pair of saddlebags. After filling up a small pouch with bits and tossing it in, she trotted out of her cottage and headed into town. Twilight watched her friend head into town through a nearby window.
"...Mnghh..."
The groan coming from Fluttershy's room caught her attention. Peering back inside, she spotted Ash squirming around on the bed and eventually open his eyes. He briefly scanned the room as if he had forgotten where he was before trying to sit up. The action did nothing but bring pain to his bruised body as he fell back down.
Groaning in pain, Ash heave the door open followed by a set of hoofsteps. He opened his eyes expecting to see Fluttershy and was surprised to see the unicorn in her place. "Wh...what?...You?...You're..."
A little reluctantly, not to mention awkwardly, Twilight approached him. "Um...Hi. I'm uh...Twilight; never really told you my name before have I?" She laughed awkwardly earning a stare from the colt. "Anyway, are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?"
"Ngh...W...Where's...Grr..."
He really did sound weak and helpless. "Fluttershy's in Ponyville doing some shopping. I'm here to take care you you until she gets back." Ash groaned and closed his eyes tightly. "Are you hungry? Fluttershy said there's still some food around if you want some."
Ash shook his head and sighed leaving Twilight to stare at him in awkward silence. She remembered Fluttershy telling her to try to get some information and approached him. "Those injuries look bad. What happened to you? Did something in the forest attack you?"
Ash did nothing but stare at the ceiling, a look of gloom on his face. "Why...Why is she doing this...Why are you doing this..." She was startled by the tears that formed. "Why are you all so kind to me..."
Once again, she was startled this time by him covering his face and rocking from side to side as he sobbed. "I'm evil...I'm Cruelty itself...I hurt you, and I'll hurt you still..."
Upon hearing that, her mind flashed back to a few days ago, to when Psych was in the middle of yelling insults at Blues in her own home. She remembered him saying that he was Grief itself, and here was Ash saying that he was Cruelty itself.
Twilight honestly had no idea how to reply. She already knew that Ash was unstable, but she never expected...this. She tried approaching, thinking of anything she could say to comfort the poor colt. "Um...Ash...Listen, we're being nice to you because you need it. I know you've done terrible things before, but that doesn't mean you don't deserved to be cared for. You have brothers right? Don't they all love and care about you?
"No!" She backed up after Ash's shout. "No! No! No! No!"
Twilight backed out of the room as Ash continued to shout and cry. She gently closed the door with her magic over his wailing and leaned against it. Sighing, she leaned against the door and put a hoof on her forehead. No doubt the pony was still as miserable as ever.
She sighed; how was she supposed to deal with somepony like this?
"He's just so...unstable. I honestly can't believe that was the same pony that tried to blow us all to bits. Fluttershy's counting on me to take care of him, but how am I suppose to do that if he keeps screaming that he doesn't deserve any help? What should I do?"
Angel made the motion of picking something up and dropping it in front of him. He then made the motion of opening a door in front of whatever he dropped followed by a swift kick.
"I can't do that; there's no way he'll survive on his own. Angel rolled his eyes and pinched between his eyes before hopping away from Twilight.
For the next half hour or so, Twilight was downstairs in Fluttershy's living room occasionally taking peeks into to room above to check on the pony inside. Deciding to do another check, she headed upstairs and quietly opened the door. Ash had finally stopped his violent sobbing and was instead whimpering meekly, his eyes clenched tightly and stained with tears.
"Ash?" Twilight approached trying to sound as gently as possible. Ash gave a deep sigh before looking at her. "Are you feeling any better?" Ash grunted and rubbed his stomach. "Oh, are you hungry?" She though he gave a stiff nod. "Hang on; I'll get you something."
Hoping his hunger would overpower his unwillingness to be helped, she hurried back downstairs and went for the kitchen. Looking around, she spotted some grapes in a bowl. Carrying it with her magic, he galloped back upstairs into Fluttershy's room and deposited it in front of Ash. "Here. Eat up Ash."
The latter slowly raised a shaking hoof and pulled the bowl close to him. He reached in and picked a grape from its stem and popped it in his mouth. His teeth broke its skin, flooding his mouth with rich sweet fruit juices and deliciousness pulp.
"Feeling any better?" Twilight asked as he munched on his food. She thought she saw a stiff nod from him as he chewed slowly. Thinking it safe to approach, she did so. "You should really eat up and get your strength back so you could go home."
Hearing the last word made him shudder, but he remained silent and popped another grape in his mouth. "H...Home...?" he asked after a long pause.
"Y-Yeah. I mean, you must live somewhere with your dad brothers right?" Twilight asked.
"My dad...my brothers..." Ash repeated frowning.
"They don't know you're here do they?" Ash didn't respond. "They must be worried sick about you." Ash turned his head to the side. "I wouldn't be surprised if they were out there searching for you right now."
Ash just continued to stare at the wall in silence. Twilight sighed and rubbed her hoof wondering how she should proceed when another voice pierced the silence.
"Ash!"
Both pony's ears perked up as the familiar voice in the distance called. "Ash! Can you hear me?! Ash!"
"Is that one of your brothers?" Twilight asked. When she got a nod, she smiled. "See, what did I tell you? I better go let them know you're alright."
Ash didn't respond as Twilight galloped out of the room and out of the house. She could hear the voice again calling for the injured pegasus coming from the direction of the forest. She quickly galloped in that direction and peered through the trees vaguely making out a pony's shape moving through them.
"Ash! Please answer me!" the pony called out again.
"Over here!" Twilight called back.
The pony in the trees paused upon hearing her shout. Twilight heard bushes and branches move as the pony hurriedly made their way through the forest to get to her. She opened her mouth again to call out, but it suddenly dropped as an all too familiar earth pony emerged from the woods.
"Psych?!"
"Magic?!"
Hours of tension coursed through Psych as he growled and lit up his eyes ready to torture her mind out. Panicking, Twilight hastily lit up her horn ready to ready to out up a protective shield to-
*cough!*cough!*hack!*cough!*cough!*cough!*wheeze!*cough!*cough!*cough!*
Both glows vanished as soon as Psych's sudden bout of violent coughing. His knees buckled a little and a hoof found its way to his chest as the hacking ravaged his body. Twilight watched warily as Psych dropped to his knees and continued coughing.
He was just grateful that no blood was coming out. His coughing bout continued for a whole minute after which he slowly rose on shaking legs. He stood panting for a moment before glaring at Twilight. "Dammit...I haven't the time for this! I'm looking for Ash."
"I...He's here." Psych's ears perked up, and his eyes widened. "Fluttershy found him wounded and-"
Before she could finished however, Psych charged towards her; startled, she jumped aside and let him run past her. She followed his as he ran around the cottage eventually skidding to a halt before the front door. Not wasting any time, he thew the door opened and hurled himself inside, Twilight coming right after him.
As soon as they entered, they were greeting by loud and angry chirping and growling. All off Fluttershy's animals came out of their nest and hiding places as soon as Psych entered. Twilight gasped as a loud roar echoed followed by Fluttershy's bear angrily making it way towards them from the kitchen. Still confused to what was going on, Twilight noticed too late that Psych's eyes were glowing.
He inhaled deeply and let out an almighty roar that made the furniture rattle and the windows break. To Twilight, it sounded like the roar of a mighty Ursa only magnified a hundred times. She plugged up her ears but even that wasn't enough to completely block out the Psych's powerful roar.
After what seemed like hours, it was over leaving Psych panting from his efforts. Twilight uncovered her ears, her eyes still spinning from the roar and looked around. All the animals were gone though she could vaguely hear whimpering and whining coming from the various holes and birdhouses around the room. Suprisingly, Fluttershy's windows were still intact.
The next thing she heard was hurried hoof steps as Psych galloped away and headed upstairs. She heard a door being pulled open followed by a desperate wail of:"ASH!" Curious, Twilight shook her head and bounded after him. She burst into the room, her jaw immediately dropping at the scene before her.
"ASH!" Psych cried out running up to his brother and throwing his hooves around him. "I-I-I was so worried! You-you were so distraught earlier, a-and-and when you-you left I-I-I didn't know what to do! I...I was so afraid that you'd end up getting worse and...I...I'm just so glad to see you OK..."
Ash said nothing as Psych hugged him tightly, rocking back and forth, stroking his back, tears pouring down his face. As he sat there relieved beyond measure that his brother was safe, Twilight stared at the scene slack-jawed, her shirt-circuited mind trying to make sense of this.
Psych was...crying. He was actually cry with tears and shudders and everything. She blinked twice, but the scene before her didn't change in the slightest. Psych, the pony who had tortured countless ponies, who had tormented her and her friends, who treated his own family like dirt, was bawling his eyes out like a child. She knew he cared for Ash, but she never expected such an...emotional display.
Still in one of the biggest shocks of her life, she almost didn't register the sound of hooves heading up the stairs Ash, still in a sobbing Psych's embrace, was the first to notice somepony enter the room.
"I'm back Twilight. Um...Why are all the animals hiding in their-" Fluttershy stopped upon seeing the crying pony. "O-Oh! Who's this?"
"Um..." Twilight racked her brain a little. "This is Psych, Ash's brother. Apparently, he's been looking all over for him."
By then, Psych's sobs had reduced. He pulled away from Ash who his noticed reaching for the grape bowl. Stunned, Psych pushed the it closer allowing him to grab a piece of fruit and pop it in his mouth. "You're...You're eating...You're actually eating!" Psych exclaimed dumbstruck. He held up the bowl and offered Ash another grape. "I can't believe this...How did you-"
It was only then did he notice Ash's gazed fixed on something as well as his dilated pupils. He turned around, his own eyes widening at the sight of the pegasus mare. "Kindness?!" Fluttershy recoiled a little. "You...you were able to get Ash to eat?"
"Um...Yes, and...My names's Fluttershy actually." she answered shying away a little.
"I...I've been trying to get him to eat for days, and all of it was in vain! How'd you do it?" Psych asked amazed.
"Um...I didn't try much. I asked Ash politely and he started eating."
"Wh-Wha-but..." He just gave up and sighed. "I suppose all that matters is that he's OK." He briefly turned to Ash before turning to Fluttershy. "As for you..."
Fluttershy gulped and stepped back prompting Twilight to step between them. "There's no need for that; I wouldn't dream of using my powers with Ash in the vicinity." Psych said while Ash continued to eat quietly.
"Well at least we know something else that stops you." Twilight commented stepping aside.
Psych humphed and turned his head aside. "I already told you Magic; I don't require my powers to inflict pain."
He flashed a grin so sadistic and evil, both mares recoiled. His malicious face suddenly softened, adopting a more merciful look, as he turned back to Ash and held up the fruit bowl. "Um...Oh! I just remembered I have some...groceries to organize." Fluttershy said slowly backing up towards the door. "I'll leave you to take care of Ash then..."
She was out of there faster than you could blink. Now alone with the colts, Twilight watched Psych give another grape to his brother, still stunned to see him treat another pony with such care. This was a whole new side to the psychotic earth pony, one only Ash could bring out.
"I know what you're thinking." Psych said as if reading her thoughts. "True, I'm a psychopath, but I know how to treat my brother right."
He watched his brother chew for a few moments. "Blues was telling the truth wasn't he? You two weren't always like this weren't you?" she dared to ask.
"We're both bonded by the fact that the you, Kindness, the rest of you Elements of Harmony and the whole world despises us, rejects us." Psych said in a distant tone as he watched his brother. "When we learned and realized just what we truly are, embodiment of Grief and Cruelty...We changed into the ponies you now see before you. I became a monster and Ash..." He just gestured to him with his hoof.
There's still good in him...Twilight realized as she watched the brothers. It's not much, but it's there...in both of them...maybe there is hope for them after all...
Psych turned to her, his expression sour. "Our pasts selves are nothing but lies; this's who we truly are. That coward Greed still believes that we'll go back to how we were before. Pfft, that'll never happen as long as he and the rest of the world hates us."
"He...He doesn't hate you." Twilight insisted prompting Psych to roll his eyes. "He-They love-"
"Please, what kind of pony would despise and reject and love you all at once?" Psych asked her. "They all believe they love me, but I'll never believe it unless they or the rest of the world let go of their hate."
"Well you're not exactly giving them a reason to love you back." Twilight argued. "If you changed your ways, you can be loved. You can make a friend..."
Psych suddenly let out a high, sadistic laugh. "That thing again? Please, I'm Grief, sorrow, pain, everything anypony would hate in their lives, and there's no changing that. Once I found that out, I embraced my true self, using my talents to punish those who hated me for no good reason."
His eyes glowed threateningly. Twilight stepped back but remembered hearing him say that he wouldn't use his powers near Ash; for now, she was safe. "You two have already changed once for the worse." she told him. "It's not too late; if you truly want to feel loved, then you have to believe that you can change."
"We..." Ash said suddenly speaking up. He looked at his bruised hooves and closed his eyes tightly. "We can't change who we are...We're beyond that already..."
"Couldn't've said it better myself." Psych said as Ash helped himself to another grape.
"Wha-But-" Twilight just couldn't comprehend these two. "Blues told me that you were good ponies. He said you were both completely different before. He said your family loved you; how can you possibly let some ridiculous idea change you?"
"Please, d'you think we're the only ones?" Psych asked nonchalantly. Upon witnessing Twilight's confusion, a twisted smile broke out. "Sweet Celestia, you do think we're the only ones! Well lemme enlighten you a bit; we're not the only ones to have gone such a drastic change in their lives. There's somepony else..."
It took a while for this to sink in. "I'm not surprised you haven't noticed." Psych continued. "Then again, you have interacted with him long enough to establish who he was. I guess anything that you'd find that suggests otherwise would be shocking."
"Interacted...Are you talking about Solstice?" she asked him.
"That's right." Psych answered cheerily. "We all woke up one ordinary morning, and he was suddenly a completely different pony. He's in the same boat as Ash and I. "
That irritated her for some reason. "H-Hey, Solstice isn't anything like you." she told him annoyed.
There was a mischievous twinkle in those dark rose eyes. "You certain about that? I know what you're thinking. He's kind; he's sweet; he's a cheerful little gentlecolt, but years ago, he was nothing like that. He was the complete opposite of what he is now. All that stuff you see? That's not the real him."
"I...But...I...I know him." She thought back to all the times they spent together.
"Really? OK, you're a smart mare Magic; tell me who would know the real him better." Psych challenged. "You, some pony he met less than a month ago, or me, a pony who has been living under the same roof as him for years and has a special talent of analyzing ponies?"
Twilight wanted to say that she did know him. She wanted to defend his image from the heartless pony before her, but she just couldn't. "I thought so." Psych went on seeing her eyes downcast. Everything you know now is a lie, a mask, a big cover up. The next time you see him, know that's not the real him."
Her sad silence was music to his ears; her lowered ears, sagging shoulders and depressed gaze would have widened his smile more if it was possible. "What...What was he like before?" she asked almost in a whisper.
"Hmm. Maybe you should ask him." Psych answered. "The fact that he's never brought it up with any of us intrigues me; even I don't know the the reason for his change, but I do know one thing..." His grin became even more twisted, his eyes showing even more malice. "There's a darkness in his heart; it almost rivals the one in mine...And when I find out the truth..."
"...I'll destroy him..."
Eagerly anticipating tearing the scholar the pieces and picturing him screaming out in anguish, Psych laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed, barely noticing Twilight slowly back away from him wishing that all he said wasn't true. Solstice was one of the nicest ponies she'd ever met. She remembered the sparkle in his eyes when he first met her, the sorrow in his voice when he apologized, the way his hoof gently held her own.
How could that not be the real him?
As she was about to head downstairs, the the laughter suddenly ceased. Curious, Twilight slowly crept back up to the room and peered inside just in time to see Ash finish a grape and Psych offer him another. The look on the latter's face had once again shifted to something more gentle as if just moments ago, he wasn't thinking about harming anypony at all...