Magic Paint Brushes 2: A New Canvas To Paint On

by Ugly-Duckling123

Chap 23

Back in the library, everyone was speechless at what they had just witnessed on the screen.

Everything was going so well, the plan was working, Sarah had back her bracelet, and now they've lost another friend to Sombra and his Dark Magic.

After a few minutes of a mix of shocked and 'thou-shalt-not-be-forgotten' silence Amber came rushing in blinded with her speed and tears and after seeing she bumped into Eric, buried her face into him and let her feelings out, repeating how sorry she was that the plan failed.

"Amber none of this is your fault," Eric said getting down on his knees to look her in the eye "And I've got a feeling that Jack wouldn't want you to think it was either."

"So what now then everypony?" Applejack's voice called out behind Eric who was still comforting Amber.

"What do you mean 'what now' AJ?" Rainbow replied a bit strongly one of the ones to take this news the hardest because of her loyalty to her friends "Anyone can tell it's over. We've now lost two friends to Sombra and his darkness, who I'm sure he'll set out on all of us just to get Eric and or us so he and Chrysalis can finally take over Equestria, Apart from Eric's paintbrush-sword-thing we don't have any way to defend ourselves that they don't now have because of Jack's chaos powers, And if we go in there headstrong it's a suckers bet that we'll win this war."

"You know Cloud-Butt, if you always hang onto the bad side of things you'll never see the good side of things that come along with it," Eric said now facing everyone again Amber calming down a bit "There's to sides to every coin you know."

"Ok smart guy," Rainbow said not even bothering to shun him for his nick-name for her "What good came out of this?"

"Well one," Eric began a slight smirk on his lips "We learnt not to trust Sombra and/or make deals with him. Two Sarah has her bracelet back and I'm sure I saw her recognize it when Jack gave it to her. Three we may still have a chance to win this," he said more in a thinking tone now "But with this new news, I'm not sure on how she'll react or if she'll work with us just to get him back..."

---

Down in the dungeons, Suzy had been thinking to herself and going over these feelings she had been feeling for Jack, wondering what they were. Or if it was possible for something with no heart such as her to even have these feelings.

Suddenly the dungeon's door opened and a small group of hooves came down the stairs to see her, looking up she saw the boy from before and the elements and one of the filly's.

"To what do I owe the pleasure for Knight, Elements are you not meant to be upstairs trying to work out how to put an end to this darkness that plauges your home?"

"Well actually Suzy," Eric said speaking for the group "That's kind of why we're here..."

"Oh?" she asked cocking her head. "And why should I help you Knight? I already said I'm not going to give you any help."

"Lets answer that with a question of our own," Eric said trying to control his temper with this bug "How much do you care for Jack Jones?"

"Like it's any of your business," she said turning her back on them and going to the back of the cell then asked some green on her cheeks "Why do you ask?"

"Because now we lost Meester Jack to that meanie too!" Amber called out hugging Eric's legs a pleading look of forgiveness on her face.

"This... This is a trick right?" Suzy said slowly getting up "Because if it is, it's not funny."

"Unfortunately Suzy," Twilight said stepping up her head slightly bowed "This is no trick. While Jack was out trying to win Sarah back, they came across Sombra, and Jack made a deal with him to take Sarah's place. But Sombra cheated on the deal and now we have lost both of them to the darkness."

Suzy was so shocked by what she had just heard, that she didn't notice that she was shedding purple tears as she backed up from them.

Suddenly there was a flash of light as Discord showed up.
"Not to interrupt this lovely matter my dears, or put you in any danger," he said mumbling the last part "But there are a few guests upstairs in the courtyard asking to see you." with that he zapped out of there as the girls rushed out leaving only Eric, Amber and Suzy.

"Suzy," Eric said quietly meaning she had to pay attention "I've never had a lot of friends and therefore may not know a lot about friendship or whatever but... and please don't get annoyed, I don't think anyone in your 'colony' were ever your friends."

"Liar. My... My Queen will come and rescue me and... and get me out of this dumb castle of yours." Suzy said curling up a bit more.

"Suzy she's had at least two days to do that," Eric said slowly "I don't think she's coming."

Silence.

"Um... Miss Suzy?" Amber peeped up looking to the Changeling in the cell. "Will you please help us to get Sarah and Jack back. Even if you like any of us or not."

"May I have some time alone to think about all this please Knight?" Suzy said not looking up to the two who were still there.

"Sure," Eric said turning to leave "Come on Amber, lets see who's trying to attack us this time."

With that Eric and Amber left the dungeons leaving Suzy to be by herself. As Eric was closing the door, he sighed as he thought he could hear the distinct sound of her crying from the news she was just given.

---

As Eric and Amber got back into the main part of the castle the Crusaders, Ruby and Jade came running up to them worry on their faces, all speaking at once.

"Girls stop," Eric said crouching down to be in their line of sight "I can't understand any of you if you all talk over each other. Now what the problem?"

As they were about to start again a loud bang and screams of pain echoed through the halls.

Quickly, Eric got up drew his sword, and rushed to the courtyard shocked to see the Elements were knocked out - some showing signs of blood. Luna, Celestia, Cadence Shining Armour and Discord, using all their powers to destroy the shadows that were swirling around creating destruction. And finally on the other side of it, Sarah, Jack, Chrysalis and Sombra all wearing looks of 'I'm-so-loving-this' on their faces.

After telling the foals to stay inside and not come out, no matter what, Eric ran outside and jumped in front of everyone.

"STOP!" he cried holding out both hands looking from side to side.

"At long last the Knight comes to protect his castle," Chrysalis said buzzing her wings her green eyes on him her fangs showing as she smiled evilly.

"That's right," Eric said turning to face them anger on his face "And as a Warrior of Harmony I shall do all that I can to put an end to what villainy you have created in Equestria."

"What makes you think you, or anypony here will be able to stop us Knight?" Sombra replied looking around to the others. "Especially as we have two of your friends over here full of darkness now?"

"I didn't say I'll stop you," Eric said not looking to anyone as he said this "I just said 'I'll do all that I can to end this'. Besides if you've got my friends," he said nodding to Sarah and Jack in their new outfits, black hair, and evil smiles "To me, theres not a lot to fight for."

***
Back inside, just on the borderline of the destroyed wall, the six little filly's were trying to see what was going on, and deduce what Eric meant by what he said.

"What's going on out there?" Jade, Ruby, and Amber asked the Crusaders who were using the spying and eavesdropping skills they picked up when they tried to get their Secret-Agent-Cutie-Marks.

"Eric's just said he'll, as a Warrior of Harmony, do all that he can to put an end to what villainy those bullies have created in Equestria." Apple Bloom said an ear-trumpet in her hoof so she could hear what was going on outside better.

"But isn't he still hurt from his fight with Miss Sarah?" Jade asked peaking around the wall but not seeing much because of the grownups standing in the way.

"I don't think, fighting is what he meant Jade," Amber said backing up a bit shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" the others asked as the CMC got down off each other.

"When... when he said that," Amber asked Apple Bloom "How was he speaking? Like... Like was it strong, quiet, looking to anyone or not...?"

"He wasn't looking to anypony in particular," Sweetie Belle said thinking.

"And to be honest," Apple Bloom said "He didn't make it sound too strongly either."

"What difference does it make how he said he'll beat up the bullies?" Scootaloo asked wings buzzing.

"Because he didn't say he'll beat them up..." Ruby said getting to where Amber was getting at.

"He just said 'He'll do all that he can'." Jade finished, all of them now even more worried then before as they went back to watching the 'meeting' that was happening in the courtyard.

***
"He just said 'He'll do all that he can'." Luna finished, making Celestia, Cadence, Shining Armour and Discord a bit more worried as they went back to seeing Eric stand up to the Queen of the Changelings and the King of Darkness.

"Oh god I sure hope he knows what he's doing," Discord said holding his snapping hand's broken wrist meaning he couldn't do anything but watch.

Over on the side of darkness Sarah was having these feelings as well.

Since she got her bracelet back, slowly the Darkness has been leaving her and some of her memories on who the boy across from them was were coming back.

Not having all her memories and feelings back yet, Sarah knew that if the boy went up with any of the others, they wouldn't go easy on him and he wouldn't last five minutes. Not understanding why she did it Sarah stepped forward.

"Sire, please let me fight him," she said keeping her evil look on her face. "Please let me finish what I started the other night."

Everyone was put into shocked silence at the request Sarah just gave out.

"I am alright with that request," Chrysalis said flicking her greasy mane out of her face. "As long as the puny knight gets destroyed, I don't care who does it."

"I admire your determination Sarah," Sombra said after a while ignoring everypony as he talked to her "But Jack needs his share at training as well you know. And by how I understand it Knight," he said looking to Eric sword still in hand "You would be more happy fighting him then Sarah wouldn't you?"

"As long as we get them both back," Eric said anger on his face as he said this "I don't give a dam who I fight. I'll even fight you, if you weren't so much of a coward."

For the next few seconds, everyone was still, and no noise was being made as everyone waited in silence, holding their breaths as they waited for Sombra's answer.

"You think I'm a coward?" Sombra asked sitting on his haunches as he looked towards Eric blocking everyone else out.

"Well... Yeah," Eric said eyes only for the King of Darkness before him. "Why else, would you always use your powers and the pony's fears and someone else to to fight your battles for you?" Eric asked shrugging as he looked to the sky. "Answer... Because you're afraid that you wont win. You scared that, if you didn't have any powers, you wont be able to do anything, that you'll go back to being the Princesses weak Unicorn cousin who didn't get any fame because you were just a Unicorn and not an Alicorn like them.
"I bet that's why you wanted Dark Magic in the blumbing first place isn't it. So you could hide behind all that power and be so scary to everyone, that no one would dare even try to stand up to you. Isn't it?
"Well...?"

Author's Note:

Sorry for the wait, and sorry for the swearing I made Eric do.