Kydo & Slick

by Slick Dash

Chapter 5

-5-

Later the same night, Rainbow dash lay quietly on the floor of her home. She had come home after the concert and basically collapsed just after entering. She stirred awake finally, awoken by a cold draft. She squatted up on her haunches and looked straight ahead at the open front door. Had she been that tired? That she had just dropped through the door? She didn’t think so, but yet the door was open. She stood up, as she made her way to the door, her hoof pressed against something, and she felt it crack. She looked down to see a picture frame, she recognised it instantly and she fell to the floor as she scooped it up in her hooves. The frame wasn’t important. But what made her fall to her knees was something far greater. The picture....was complete. The second half of it sat in the frame, slightly overlapping the first half. It was terribly tattered, torn on places and fade. But it was still the other half. Ignoring the cracked glass, she took the picture, and with no words, or noises able to escape her, she simply hugged the picture. Tears rolling down her cheeks. Then as she realised what this might mean, she took to her wings, and flashed through every room. “SLICK?!?! SLICK WHERE ARE YOU?!?!” he wasn’t in the cloud house. The door! Dash ran to the door and flew out into the night sky. Searching frantically for any sign of wings, hooves, anything that could mean Slick had been here.

It was then she spotted it, a figure not too far away. It had wings, and it was huge. “Sl...slick?” with the question the mass turned and flew away. Dash followed without a seconds thought, any other day she would have caught up with the thing easily, but the night had taken its toll on her and meant she struggled to even keep her target in her sights, let alone catch it. The two flew for miles, still faster than any land pony could travel but still the flight took a long time, but yet Dash didn’t give up. She never gave up! If anything this moment was worth a thousand other’s, so tonight had no chance of the stubborn little filly going back home. The two flew on and on, the flat lands of ponyville began to make way to large hills, which then in turn gave way to cliffs and rocky mountains. But still the two flew on, never stopping or slowing for a moment.

Back in ponnyville, at sweat apple acres, Big Mac stood resolute in the doorway of the main barns door. When he and his sister had returned from the concert, Applejack had gone to bed without a single word to him. That had hurt him deeply, but there was no time for that, they could make up later but for now he had to think. As he had made his way across the orchard he had been disturbed by a noise. Turning, he had come face to face with Spike. The baby dragon smiled, “Oh hey Big Mac! Sorry to be around here so late but Applebloom and her friends decided they... well they thought their talents may be Dragon taming. To be honest I don’t get how they thought I wasn’t tame but oh well.” He rubbed his bag painfully, “Hey if you guys are ponies, then why the hay do have whips on your farm anyway?” Spike’s saddened ramblings were cut short however as Mac realised what he need to do. Throwing the dragon on his back without a word, he ran to the house in search of a pen and paper. Now he stood alone, after he had received Princess Celestia’s reply saying that if it was an emergency then she would definitely come immediately, he had sent the little dragon home to Twilight. He now waited, bathed in the moonlight.

The shape fell lower to the ground, and so Dash mimicked it. It seemed like the two were about to land, which was good, because Dash was close to passing out again out of exhaustion. Suddenly the shape veered violently to the right, and Dash lost sight of it completely. After a few moments of confused circles, the pony set her hoofs down on smooth clearing. She looked around, the dark surrounded her, threatening to swallow her whole. “Slick....Slick? Are you here?”
“Well, well, well Kiddo not bad.” Dash whirled around to see Kydo leaning lazily on a rocky wall just behind her. “You kept up with me even after everything tonight! Now I’m impressed.”
“K...Kydo?” dash stuttered, confused and scared.
“Oh so you know my name? Wow you really are a fan now aren’t you!” he smirked at the little pony. “So, did you like my little gift back at your house?”
“Your gift? H...how did y...you-“
“Have the picture?” he finished for her, the filly nodded stuck for words. “Well that’s an interesting story. You see, a long time ago I used to do odd jobs for the princess you see. And one day she asked me to come aaaalllll the way down here, to find a particular type of unique oil called Sechulous. Now this oil is quite rare, and unfortunately has only ever been found in this rather dangerous valley. And you see on the day I came down here, some little obnoxious brat caused an avalanche which crushed me dead!”
“But...but I...” Dash had tears in her eyes, mostly out of fear at this point, but also out of the slightest glimmer of realisation of what was being said to her.

“Then again, you should be praised! After all you are the mighty ‘Rainbow Dash’ the only pony ever to create the legendary ‘sonic rain-boom!’ Who cares what it did to anypony else! Does this place familiar Dash?!? It should, this is where the avalanche...” he glided up into Rainbow’s face “YOU caused, crushed me! Now if it wasn’t for that beautiful Sechulous oil which you so helpfully released I would be dead. But because of that stuff, I was kept alive. But I was STILL, BURRIED under an entire collapsed mountain!” Rainbow Dash backed away from the black and red Stallion, bumping her back against the wall of the mountain. “Three days! Three days I spent trapped under those rocks, being constantly crushed, then healed then crushed then healed again! I nearly went insane, hay I may have actually done! It always does feel like there’s two me’s up in here anyway!” The stallion shook his head comically, but the effect was simply more terrifying. “Finally, after three days, the rocks began to move. I thought I was safe! BUT WRONG AGAIN! ALL the rocks were moved at once, nopony bothered to search. I was just chucked off the side of the cliff with the rest of the rubble! Are you getting it now Dash? Getting it now Kiddo?!?!” Dash couldn’t speak, her mouth hung open with horror and realisation. “STILL NEED A HAND! HERE! The stallion took hold of his trousers with his teeth, tearing them off with tremendous force to show a large cutiemark. The shape of a big blue eye, Dash’s brother’s eye, Slick’s eye.

After nearly an hour of waiting, Celestia arrived at sweet apple acres. Big Mac quickly told the grand ruler what was happening and his fear for Rainbow Dash’s safety. As he reached the point of Kydo saying he would ensure Rainbow cried tonight, the two heard a low chuckle from the dark corner of the barn. The princess and the worker stallion looked around to see a blue tall stallion unicorn emerge from the shadow’s. “You’re a little too late your majesty. Maybe if you’d have gotten here a little quicker, you’d have stopped Rainbow dash leaving.”
“Leavin’? Why in the hay would she leave?” asked Big Mac furiously, taking a step towards the dark stallion.
“My apologies, but I’m not here to talk to yet another country bumpkin, I’m here to speak to someone with true power and class.” With that comment, his horn glowed gently the light surrounding Big Macintosh. He began to lift up into the air, and hung there for a moment. Then with a sudden burst of speed Mac was flung into the wall of the barn, dazed but still conscious the worker pony fell to his knees and stayed there. “Now your majesty, we can speak freely.” The unicorn smirked.
“Dorian.” The grand Alucorn looked at the stallion with pity in her eyes. “I’m glad to find you well after all this time.”
“As I you my liege. But I fear this isn’t a personal visit. I do truly have a reason being here, far outside of ponyville there is the mountain range on which your kingdom rests. Due west of it lies a valley, you know of it?” the Stallion enquired.
“Yes, unfortunately I do know that place, and its terrible history. If what Big Macintosh says is true, then I will surely find someone there waiting for me, will I not?”
“As sharp as ever princess. Yes, he is waiting for you there. I would suggest you didn’t keep him waiting he may get a little...impatient, and with sweet little Dash with him who knows what he would do.”

Big Mac began to rise from the floor. “We... we have... to go h...help D...Dash!” he was shaking from the impact into the tool covered wall. Blood seeped from several scratches, and serious puncture in his right haunch.
“I’m sorry Big Mac but this is an invitation only event. Now,” he turned to look at Celestia once more, “I suggest you hurry. I’ll keep Big Mac company, you should remember I’m very good at restoration magic. So he is in safe hands with me.” The Alucorn had barely spoken, she looked over her shoulder into the night sky. How long would it take? Possibly ½ an hour to get there if she flew as fast as she could? She looked back at Big Mac, his knees were shaking under the strain of his weight.
“G...GO!!!” the red stallion screamed at her, breaking Celestia’s almost trance like state of thought.
“Very well, but I promise Dorian, if I return to find Big Macintosh harmed, or in fact arrive to find Rainbow Dash in any way hindered, you will feel the wrath of Aquestria’s ruler!” and with that ominous threat the turned in the doorway and bounded off into the night wind.
“Now, you meddling commoner” the unicorn approached Big Mac slowly, “Stay still while I look at that leg, you played your part perfectly, and for that I thank you.” With surprising tenderness the unicorn inspected the deep cut in big Mac’s leg, still coming closer. Big Mac murmured incoherently for a moment. “What?” the unicorn looked up at the stallion, Big Mac said it again, but still was too quiet to be heard. The unicorn turned his head to the side so his ear was next to the stallion’s lips.
“I said...” SMACK! The unicorn fell to the floor as Big Mac head butted him with all his might. “No one threatens my friends!” he stood tall, the act he had played while hurt now deteriorated around him. He was hurt but it wasn’t really affecting him in the slightest. “Now you be a good boy, ‘Dirt’ and stay on the ground where you belong.” With his right foreleg, the stallion proceeded to stomp on the back of the unicorn hard. The force knocked the blue stallion out instantly. Big Mac then turned, and proceeded out to the centre of town, to the library.

“WELL KIDDO?! RECOGNIZE ME NOW!?!” the black and red stallion stood before Rainbow Dash, his bare flank showing the unique cutiemark of Slick Dash.
“S-Slick, it’s you!” Rainbow cried out trying to move forward towards her brother, tears mixed with joy and fear now streamed down her face. As she approached the Stallion, he reared onto his hind legs, spreading his wings out wide. Looking something like a horshack test as he did so.
“STAY BACK! I’m not below killing you Dash! After all an ‘eye’ for an eye!” Dash retreated back to the wall. She slumped down to the ground. Her tears now giving into soft sobs. She buried her muzzle into her hooves to hide the sight of the “Thing” in front of her, posing as her brothers body. Yes he may have slicks memory, and slicks body, but that was all it had. It didn’t have his heart, his kindness. This wasn’t the maker of her cloud home, this was a freak of nature! Just like Big Mac had said, he was a poser nothing else. But still, the voice of her long lost brother screaming at her with so much hate and loathing broke Rainbow Dash’s heart. The sight was pathetic, and as the stallion fell back onto his fore hooves, he looked at the filly, a pang of guilt and remorse slowly throbbed in his heart. He wanted to reach out to her, to stroke her mane, to be close to his little Dash after so many years. But as soon as these feelings began to emerge, a presence inside the stallion quelled them immediately, replacing them with jealousy, anger and hatred of the little filly. “Don’t worry.” He said curtly, Dash looked up at the sudden calm in his voice, for a moment she thought it was over, her brother back with her. However as she looked, the stallion stared into the night sky above, a wicked grin spreading across his face “Your part in this is nearly over. She’s coming, you must be quite important little Mrs. Best young flyer if she came this quickly. I don’t think I could have picked better bait if I tried!” the shadows of the valley seemed to envelope the stallion, hiding from sight. When the moons light next shone there he had gone.

Rainbow looked to the sky trying to see what was happening, her brother’s sight had helped him vastly as she still couldn’t see who he had been talking about. But as she looked on, a bright coloured mass began to emerge from the dark night sky. With a plummeting feeling in her stomach Dash realized who it was. “CELESTIA!!! Don’t come down here!!! It’s a tr-“ Too late. The Alucorn landed a few feet away from the filly, without a word she trotted over quietly.
“Rainbow, are you alright?” she asked tentatively.
“It’s... a trap.” Dash whimpered lamely. Too late in saving her princess, she stood quickly. She’d fly out of here with Celestia, they’d come back to help her brother. But something was wrong in this valley, she wasn’t sure what, but something was truly wrong. They had to escape before Kydo/Slick returned.
“My my myyy, princess Celestia! How good to see you again! It really has been too long.” The voice came from high above. Celestia and dash looked up to see the moon, strikingly bold in the night sky. And against it was a the silhouette of a Pegasus. “I’m so glad good old Dorian sent you the right way, I’m not too sure of him these days. I’ll probably have to deal with him next! But oh well, why plan for the future? Not when the now presents such....opportunity.” The dark began to edge in around the two of them, dash kicked out at it, trying to beat away the sheet of black that fast surrounded them. She felt her hoof make contact, so it meant it could be pushed back surely! But as she raised her hind legs to strike again, the dark snaked into long tendrils that coiled around hers and Celestia’s legs. The dark stretched their appendages out so they were hovering slightly off the ground, unable to move.

The Stallion jumped from the top of the cliff, and sailed lazily down through the sky to stand before the princess. All joking demeanour now gone, his face was cold as the stone he walked on. “I suppose you remember who I am?” he questioned the Alucorn. Celestia looked at him with an expression of sorry etched into her face.
“Or I at least remember who you were. Tell me before we continue, what shall I call you? The true name of that body, or the one you adopted on that infernal stage?”
“Kydo, if you will your majesty,” he looked into the face of Rainbow dash, as he smiled “The other name has no use, now that he’s dead!” Dash pressed her eyes shut tight at the snide comment. Trying her best not to believe the words herself.
“peace, Rainbow, peace. Leave your sister alone ‘Kydo.’ So what is it you want from me that made you go to so much trouble for my capture.”
“First, SHE!” he punched a hoof into rainbow’s chest, causing her to cough and splutter with shock. “Is not my sister! She is nothing but bait. And secondly, I want reparations for what you’ve done!”
“If she is not your sister, and means so little, why do you prefer to be called the same name that you adopted for her... Kiddo wasn’t it?”
“YOU’RE AVOIDING MY OTHER WORDS!” Kydo screamed at the Alucorn, “I WANT YOU TO PAY FOR WHAT YOUVE DONE?” tears filled the eyes of the Pegasus. Being infuriatingly close to what he wanted, and yet not being given it, was driving him mad every second he stood there.
“If you are referring to what happened here 10 years ago, then i am sorry but I have nothing to give that will erase the suffering you and Rainbow here have suffered.”
“That’s not what I mean” The stallion whispered furiously. “If that hadn’t have happened then i would have never gained what I needed to do this! I mean I want you to pay for everything you do to those who blindly follow you, you use them Celestia! If one has a talent that’s considered even slightly unique you use them to help you gain whatever you want. Completely ignoring what that individual needs, OR DESERVES!”
“I never place my own needs before those of my people, and if you believe I do than you are mistaken!” huffed Celestia in an insulted tone.
“Oh really? When a filly realises its cutiemark is that designed to protect, you take them away and train them to be your royal guards. You don’t leave any behind to help fend for their homes! Unless you are in the town, there is never a guard posted to look out for trouble. AND BECAUSE OF THAT YOUR LAND IS ATTACKED BY DRAGONS, MANTICORE’S AND HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT ELSE!” the stallion gasped for breath, his temper rising fast. His voice shrank back to a whisper once more, “You expect your subjects to do what you would never risk your own men to do, but they themselves swear to protect the land. Unicorns in your court who could easily use magic to extract resources from dangerous places, are left in ballrooms being pampered while, hardworking, loved, ponies are sent to do the work. THAT WAS ME CELESTIA! YOU ASKED ME TO FIND SOME DAMNED OIL JUST BECAUSE I COULD SEE FURTHER THAN OTHERS! While you knew that older more experienced ponies were available. You didn’t think of what could go wrong. You just sent me off, without a thought of anything else! Not even my damned sister left alone BECAUSE OF YOURE SELFISHNESS!”

The stallion finished, his chest rising and falling quickly as he panted for breath and filled with adrenaline. Celestia sighed to herself, “You’re right”
“PRINCESS!” cried Rainbow Dash shocked at Celestia’s admitting the accusations to be true.
“You’re right, I should have sent someone more qualified. That way I would know that they would be safer than you were. A unicorn could have made it out easily with magic, but an earth pony or Pegasus would have struggled. But I didn’t know what would happen later that day! If I had then i would never have asked it of you.”
“THIS ISNT ABOUT ME! THIS IS ABOUT EVERYOTHER PONY!”
“If so then why did you mention rainbow Dash so caringly? If it wasn’t about your loss then you wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of taunting those you knew before the accident.” Celestia’s accusation was quick and lethal. She cut off the Pegasus mid rant, and left him speechless. “Now I know why you’re doing this! And I am so sorry, but I cant change it now. Its been inside you too long. If it had been a year then maybe, purifying it of its imperfections would mean youd live with no problems, you would still be Slick, but now you’re beyond saving.” She hung her head down in sorrow and didn’t speak another word, resigned to whatever was in store for her.
“What’s inside him?!?!” screamed Rainbow Dash, “Is he still in there? Is my brother-“
“No.” It was Kydo who had spoken. Dash let out a miserable “Oh” but as she looked up she saw that he hadn’t been speaking to her. Kydo was looking into the darkness, in the direction of the path through the mountain. Shapes were emerging, one large and 5 smaller ones.
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Comments

[LadyGalena]

It's Equestria, not aquestria. It's ALICORN, NOT ALUCORN