My Little Pony: The Brothers of Discord

by mr.myxsiple

Love For A Brother

CHAPTER 29
LOVE FOR A BROTHER

"Now what in Equestria are they doing down there?" Rarity asked peering at the closed basement door. Twilight and Blues had been in there for quite some time now. What could they be discussing?

"I dunno. That Blues guy looked really worried about his brother." Spike answered. "You think they're gonna let him out?"

"I sure hope not!" Rarity aid leaning away from the door. "That pony has caused enough trouble in one day not just to myself but countless others. I doubt Twilight would even consider-"

She was interrupted by the basement door opening revealing a pony coming up the stairs. Thinking it to be her friend, Rarity spoke. "Twilight, there you are. I seriously hope you're not considering letting that pony out."

She then realized that the pony leaving the basement was encased in a sphere of lavender magic. Worse still, the pony inside the sphere wasn't Twilight, but her maroon tormentor whose eyes widened in delight upon seeing her. "Sorry to disappoint you Generosity!"

Rarity let out a screech and hastily ducked under the table. Startled by the screech, Spike let out his own and hid along with the unicorn. Flash meanwhile grabbed his spear and pointed it at him. "Yeah, I usually leave an impression on ponies-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Upon seeing Rarity's terror, Psych finished with an evil cackle.

It was then that Twilight and Blues, both pouting, emerged from the basement and spotted the trembling Rarity under her table. "Maybe I should've gone up before Psych."

"Undoubtedly." Blues muttered. "It's safe to come out Rarity. My brother's powers are sealed off for now. I assure you he can't hurt you."

"C'mon Greed; both you and Magic now fully well that I don't require my powers to inflict pain on others." Psych reminded them. He grinned and turned to the trembling pony. "Of course, I still love using them."

"Ms. Twilight, why is the prisoner out here?" Flash asked hurriedly rushing towards them. Twilight looked around nervously.

"I'm...returning him to his family."

"WHAT?!" Flash, Rarity and Spike cried out, their shout dazing Blues a little.

She held up her hoof before any of them could protest. "I've already made up my mind. Flash, could you get the other ponies in your guard? I'll needed them when I escort him out of Ponyville."

Flash still had some objections, but he remained silent. He merely nodded and left to do what Twilight instructed him to do. With him gone, Twilight turned her attention to Rarity. "I know what you're thinking."

"Well I don't know what you're thinking." Rarity retorted. "How can you possibly consider letting him go freely?"

"Shut up. I can speak for myself." Psych barked when Twilight opened her mouth. "My brother's in trouble, and I have to help him. Magic here, being the kindhearted pony she is, was touched by my pleas and agreed to release me."

"You were screaming and pounding at the barrier when you asked me to let you out." Twilight pointed out.

"Even so, you're letting me out anyway."

"Either way; what's to stop him from returning to Ponyville and wreaking havoc once again?" Rarity questioned.

Psych pointed a hoof at the blind pony. "Greed over there's manipulating me, taking advantage of the one pony who has ever accepted me." He glared daggers at him. "I'll be too busy tending to Ash to make any returns, and he knows about it. It's disgusting how you're using him..."

Blues flinched but said nothing in response. "Well I suppose if that's what's going to happen..." Rarity sounded a little more convinced.

Twilight sighed glad to be just moments away from having Psych taken out of her hooves. "Hey, I'm a little confused about Ash. Were you serious about him?" she asked Blues.

"How I wish I weren't." Blues said with a weary sigh. Twilight immediately noticed Psych's expression shift from irritation to concern. "My father and brothers were so distraught when we found him shivering in the corner of his trashed room with a broken hoof and covered head to hoof with bruises..."

Within the barrier, Psych began tapping his hoof in impatience. "I find that hard to believe." Rarity told him. "When we encountered your brother, he was so determined to kill us all."

"Yeah. I remembered him shouting that he was the most evil pony in the world. He said that it was all he was right before trying to blow us to pieces." Twilight added.

Blues' face scrunched up with worry. "Really? I'm aware of Ash's temper, but starting a forest fire...Even he wouldn't do something like that."

"He reacted rather violently when we tried being nice to him." Twilight told him.

Blues shook his head miserably. "Ash had always had a negative reaction whenever we attempt to reach out to him. He would lash out at us as well..."

"Pfft. None of you are truly trying to help him." Psych said grumpily. "So long as you hate him, so long as you hate us, all you're gonna receive from either us is pain."

He crossed his forelegs and turned away from Blues who remained silent as he pondered on his misery. "It must be difficult living with brothers like them..." Twilight remarked.

"You have no idea..." Blues replied sadly. "My brothers all have their respective flaws and imperfections, but I love them all either way." He turned to the barrier. "Even you Psych. If I don't care for you at all, why would I come all this way to bring you home?"

"Because you've deluded yourself into thinking that we're brothers." Psych answered sharply without facing him. "You all think we're one big happy family that should stay together despite the fact that we're naught but the worst things the world has to offer."

"P-Please Psych; I do not wish to argue with you today." Blues pleaded turning away.

"Well too bad Greed." Psych answered heartlessly leading Twilight and the others to stare at the two brothers. "All of you fail to stay true to who you truly are. Just look at them!" He gestured towards Twilight and Rarity who flinched. "Magic over there practices her talents. I've read all about Generosity's selflessness. Despite them not realizing it, they, like me, stay true to who they truly are. None of you are like them. None of you are like me or Ash."

"I-I'm sorry for dragging you two into this." Blues apologized to the two mares. "Psych, the rest of us do stay true to who we are." The latter rolled his eyes. "You say frequently that I am the manifestation of greed itself, but I do not posses desires that would make me embody that. I was able to chose what I wanted to be."

"That's 'cause you falsely believe in your concept of choice. I don't have it, you don't have it, they don't have it, none of us have it!" Psych roared. "Despite any effort you make, you can't chose who you are deep down. For all twelve of us, that's already been decided. The ability to chose our own path, our own way of living...that's just an illusion, one more misleading than any I could conjure."

Feeling dejected, Blues retreated a little giving Psych some satisfaction upon seeing his face. "What do you mean I can't chose?" Rarity asked him a little upset. "I may be the Element of Generosity, but sometimes I feel selfish. Sometimes, I feel greedy."

Psych narrowed his eyes. "Then you're straying from your true nature. Thinking and doing anything but selflessly giveing to others is a sign of your misguidance. You're just as lost as the rest of them are."

Rarity let out a gasp of surprise and offense. "Lost? If anypony here is lost, it's you." she argued. "What kind of pony treats their own brother so harshly?"

"Hey, I treat Ash with love and concern for his well being. Greed over there is not my brother; I have no family but Ash." Psych answered sharply. "How could I possibly consider ponies who despise me as my brothers? They all hate me, so in return, I hate them as well."

"But-" Unfortunately, Psych wouldn't hear any more from Blues. He huffed and turned away from him. "Psych I...I don't hate you..."

Blues' entire figure slumped. His head bowed as he fought back tears. Feeling sorry for him, Rarity approached but was interrupted by him speaking. "Twilight...Rarity...I'm sorry for what my brother is saying to you two...Please...he's the one that is truly misguided and deluded..."

Twilight looked from the dejected Blues to the sulking Psych wondering just what was going on in their family. "I don't mean to pry but...I just don't understand...Why he doesn't see how much you care about him?"

Blues sighed and looked towards her. "He believes himself to be Grief itself, and since nopony likes sorrow and misery, they hate him as well."

"H-How could somepony think something like that?" Twilight wondered.

Blues sighed once again. "I honestly have no idea what went wrong. This may sound hard to believe...but Psych wasn't always like this..."

Twilight, Rarity and Spike all looked at each other. Well that is a surprise. Rarity thought as Blues raised his head, a soft smile upon his lips.

"I assure you, there was a time when Psych and Ash were nothing like they are now. Years ago when we were young, Psych and Ash did indeed love all of us unquestionably. That was a time when Psych was kind to others, a time Ash when Ash was as happy as a pony can be. The seven of us were happy and perfectly content with our lives..."

Psych's ears were perked up taking in every word Blues said, but his back was still turned. "Psych...all I've ever wanted...Is for everything to be like before...You're suffering Psych, but it isn't caused by what you believe is causing it...you've alienated yourself from your family; that is the reason for your suffering. N...None of us hate you Psych...You are not Grief itself...We all love you...All we want if for you to love us back once again...I'd do anything to achieve that..."

With all his heart, Blues hoped that his words would reach his brother. Twilight and Rarity, who still had some difficulty imagining Psych as somepony kind and merciful, could feel Blues' love for his brother. This was a pony who cared deeply for his family, who wanted to protect them and keep them together no matter what. The two mares noticed Psych stir. They saw him uncross his forelegs, sit up straight and inhale as if he was going to say something.

And the he laughed.

Psych laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed in his usual cruel, sadistic and heartless way that sent chills up a pony's spine. As he pounded the barrier in his laughter, anguish coursed through Blues. Indeed, every strike against the barrier felt like a strike directly at his heart. Spike cowered a little as he hid behind Twilight who, with Rarity, wondered just what was so funny.

"S-Sweet Celestia Greed; you're far more hypocritical than I thought!" Psych cried out clutching his sides as he laughed some more.

Blues' mind was a whirlwind. What was it that he said that was so hypocritical? "Wh-But-I-W-I don't understand! I truly meant what I said! What are you talking about Psych?!" Blues stuttered in confusion.

Psych continued to laugh for another minute before finally turning around and wiping a tear from his eye. "Y-You just said how much you want things to go back to the way they were, that you'd do anything to get that!" He laughed some more as Blues' face fell. "Don't you know what that is? That's wanting, that's longing, that's desire! So you desire something so great, you're willing to do anything for it!"

He continued to laugh making Blues distraught. His distraught turned into surprise as he sensed a pony trot between him and his brother. "And what is wrong with that?" an upset Rarity asked Psych. "Don't we all have desires in our live? How does his desires make him a hypocrite?"

"Oh I'll tell you why." Psych pointed at Blues. "This guy over here keeps saying that I'm not who I believe I am, and he's not who I believe he is- Greed itself."

"But you heard him right? You heard him say how willing he is for things to go back to the way they were. You saw firsthoof his desire for something, but the thing he wan't so dearly is unobtainable. A time when I'll be able to love them once again? Please; do you know that he's afraid of me? That he sometimes can't stand being anywhere near me? How can things ever go back if he holds onto that fear?"

"As long as you hold onto that fear, returning to the past is impossible. I've seen the way you act around me, and lemme tell you, you're nowhere near getting over your fear of me. What kind of pony would desire something so impossible, so irretrievable? Only a pony with really unfathomable desires that's what! A pony who doesn't care about how unattainable whatever he wants is! A pony that embodies Greed itself!"

"You've been telling me for years that you aren't Greed itself, but here you are showing me just how great your desires are! You say that you're not greedy, but you just said how you'd do anything to achieve what you want! You thought that, with your so-called ability to chose, that you could be somepony other than what you embodied, but you're wrong! You say you aren't greedy, but you are!"

Blues began to tremble and make choking sounds at this point. Tears began to gather at the corner of his eyes and Psych continued. "You've just proved what I've been saying for years! You are the incarnation of Greed itself! You don't let how impossible things seem interfere with getting what you want! You chose this goal didn't you?! Well that 'choice' was just another display of your avarice! You are a hypocrite! You are greedy! You are Greed itself!"

Psych was interrupted by a chocked sob coming from the shaking unicorn who quickly bolted out of the library. While Twilight, Rarity and Spike watched him gallop away in shock, Psych watched him leave frustrated instead. "Aw c'mon! How come you always run away right before you break down? I worked hard to try to see that y'know? I wanna see your tears! I wanna see your anguish! I wanna see-"

"You are the most...I don't even know what to call you!" Twilight shouted but fumbled with her words. "I can't believe I sympathized with you earlier! Blues is your brother; how can you treat him so-"

"I have no brothers, no family but Ash!" Psych shouted back. He growled as he turned towards the doorway. "As long as Greed hates me, I'll never see him as family..."

"He came all the way here just to bring you home; he loves you! Why don't you see-" But Twilight was interrupted by several hoof steps near the door where Flash stood with the rest of the royal guards.

"M-Ms. Twilight? Is everything alright here?"

After pausing to remind herself what had to be done, Twilight answered. "Y...Yes. Did any of you see Blues on your way here?" They shook their heads leading her to sigh. "I guess we'll wait for him."

"Pfft. I've seen him break down lots of times. He's not gonna return so easily." Psych said earning and angry glare from Twilight.

"In that case we better go look for him." Twilight said as the guards flew off. She turned to Rarity. "I'm sorry Rarity; I wasn't expecting things to turn out this way."

"No no. Believe me when I say I'm just as upset as you are." Rarity said shooting Psych an angry look. "But I think it's time for me to head on home. Thank you again for letting me stay for the night."

"It was no problem really. Don't worry about me; I'll get this all sorted out. I've already got a letter for the princess in mind." Twilight replied. "I'll see you around then."

"Bye Rarity." Spike said shyly from behind Twilight's back. The fashionista nodded at both of them and left the library and the psychotic earth pony behind.

---

However, thoughts about that family continued to buzz around her mind. She couldn't imagine living in a household that chaotic. How does somepony as sensitive as Blues stand a pony like that? she wondered as she made her way home.

Just as she passed an alley not too far from the boutique, she heard a strange sound coming from within it. She paused and turned towards the space between two buildings and once again heard the strange sound echoing from deep within. It actually sounded like sompony crying.

Another choked sob echoed through the alley. Curiosity getting the better of her, Rarity gingerly entered the alley, her eyes darting around in case something jumped out at her. As the sobbing continued, she turned a corner and saw a pony sitting with his back against a stack of cardboard boxes, his face buried in his hooves as his body heaved with sobs.

"B...Blues...?"

Said pony raised his head upon hearing his name. Rarity immediately noticed that his face and hooves were damp with tears which continued to pour from his eyes. "Wh-who's there?" he said, his voice a little hoarse from all the crying he did.

Rarity nervously approached him. "It's me Blues."

"R...Rarity...?" He wiped away some leftover tears. "I...I'm sorry for running off...I just...just..."

Rarity saw his struggle to keep talking while not showing that he was crying. Blues closed his eyes tightly and fought back his tears, two of which leaked out of the corner of his eyes. "Bottling up your feelings isn't very wise." she told him. "Just let them out."

Blues shuddered, quickly covered his face and began crying once again. Rarity, deciding to give him some privacy, turned away and let him cry his heart out. He sounded almost childlike in the way he sobbed; somepony like him didn't stand a chance against somepony like Psych.

Blues' crying eventually lessened to quiet sobs while his body shuddered. Feeling sorry for him, Rarity pulled out a handkerchief and levitated it over to him. Sensing something approached him, Blues reached out and grabbed it.

"Feeling better?."she whispered while he dried his remained tears. He drew a deep shuddering breath before pulling himself together and giving it back to her.

"Y...Yes...Thank you Rarity." Blues replied softly.

"It was nothing really." she said putting her wet handkerchief away.

"No it wasn't. I heard you stand up for be back in the library." he explained. "Psych usually berates me in private; you were the first pony to actually defend me..."

Rarity was surprised to hear that. "Yes well, your brother was being rather rude. I may be a lady, but I know when I should stand up to somepony treating another so harshly. I just don't understand how you put up with somepony like him."

Blues understood her question. Seriously, how would anypony put up with somepony like Psych. "Rarity...What if you had a sibling, a sibling you loved dearly and who loved you back for years, and one day, you wake up and discovered that they've changed completely and you don't know what went wrong?"

His question earned silence from his companion. Rarity tried to imagine it, waking up one morning, and seeing her precious little sister suddenly sadistic and evil, taking pleasure in other ponies' pain, laughing at others' misery...The thought was just painful, almost making her want to find Sweetie Belle and make sure she knows what a loving sister she has, to not let whatever happened to Blues' sibling happen to her own.

"Please don't hate my brother." he asked her. "The reason he is so heartless and cruel is that he believes that he is unloved by anypony." He sadly turned to the side. "Why? I swear, he's even more blind than I am. I...I fear him yes, but why can't he see that I still love him? That our family loves him..."

Blues remained silent wondering what went wrong with his brother, why he didn't love any of them anymore. "I see it..." Rarity told him. "What Psych saw as greed, I saw as love. That's why you're so determined to make things right. It's not a crime, and it's certainly not greedy to do so."

Her words finally made him smile. Rarity smiled back and gestured towards the library. "Now I believe there's a brother of yours who can't wait to get home."

"Y-yes. Thank you again Rarity."

He quickly galloped away to reach his brother once again. Rarity followed him as he turned the corner and neared the alley's entrance now more hopeful that one day, Psych would be back to his normal self, no longer evil, no longer miserable, no longer heartlessly inflicting pain on others.

Only to see him suddenly stop a few feet away.

"Er...Rarity?" Blues turned around and scratched his head nervously. "I was just going in random directions when I arrived here...Do you know the way back to the library?"

Hearing that, Rarity sighed and felt grateful that he couldn't see her roll her eyes. "Strange, you make being blind look so easy." she commented trotting up to him.

"Yes, it's very easy when you have powers that enable you to see." He sensed Rarity stop beside him. "Now then, the library?"

"Oh why don't I just join you. I've nothing important planned today anyway."

"Really? Many of the ponies here seem busy with their jobs. I thought you'd be joining them."

"Well I haven't had any clients lately, so most of my time is spent on my own projects."

"Really? The same is with me. When I'm not practicing some decades-old piece, I usually compose a few of my own. None of them have ever been heard by the public however..."

"So you are a musician. There aren't many of you here in town. I know this mare who's very talented with a cello. Perhaps you could form a small orchestra."

"Yes...That sounds nice."

Neither of them noticed that their journey had already began.

---

As soon as the front doors opened, Psych galloped away from the stunned Blues and headed up the stairs. He reached the floor where their rooms were and skidded to a halt in front of Ash's. He quickly tried the door and was surprised to find it open. He slowly pulled it open a little afraid of that he might find inside.

"A...Ash...?"

The room was thankfully in order. Psych scanned it and found his brother lying on his bed apparently still asleep. Psych slowly entered the room and approached his brother. Ash's body still bore dark, ugly bruises, but they were already in the middle of healing though the ones on his face still stood out.

Gently, Psych sat on the edge of the bed and watched his brother sleep peacefully. He was so worried about him when he heard the news from Blues, he wanted nothing more than to pick him up and cradle him in his arms like a mother would their troubled child. He wanted to tell him that he was not alone, that he'd never leave him, that he loved him.

But he decided against it. When awake, Ash would almost never get any peace. It seemed like it was only in sleep that he could have some peace, not happiness maybe, but peace. In a world that hated him, Ash needed every ounce of peace her could get.

So instead of doing all those, Psych did something simpler, something that also wouldn't disturb his peace. He gently leaned over and gave Ash a kiss, a small peck right on his forehead, a sign of his overflowing his care and love.

Author's Note:

Hey guys. It's my finals week next week, so the next chapter will be up later. Sorry for the delay; hopefully, this chapter will make up for it.

Comments

[NIGHT-RAVE]

why are there so little comments?

[colt alchemist]

I feel like this story is very underrated. It's actually really good.