> My Little Pony: The Brothers of Discord
>  by mr.myxsiple
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Imbalance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello there everyone. This is my first My Little Pony story, and I'm very nervous about it. So...i'm just gonna keep writing and hope you guys like it.

I hope you enjoy.

I DON'T OWN MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC




CHAPTER 1
IMBALANCE


Several years earlier...

His eyes were wide, and his vision was blurry. His breaths were quick, ragged and panicky. His hearing wasn't any good either. His entire body trembled uncontrollably as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt coursed through it. Everything hurt, his head, his legs, his chest, his insides, his everything. Desperately, he cried out in pain hoping that someone would hear him.

"Stay with me!"

Someone did. He saw that someone appear before him, a silvery alicorn whose face was just as panicked as his was. "Don't worry! Y-You're going to be fine!"

The alicorn's horn glowed with a pale silver aura as he placed it over his body. Weakly, he raised his head slightly and couldn't believe his eyes. His entire body was covered in blood, more blood than he had ever seen on him in his life. The sight only caused him to panic even more. His mind a whirl, he tried to recall what happened, and the memory of it just caused more pain.

It was light, nothing but light. He had seen light before, experienced it, but this was different. It seemed to envelope him and caused him pain, burning pain. The warmth it usually made him feel seemed to have intensified a thousand fold, becoming a searing, unbearable blaze. He felt like his whole body was on fire, a raging inferno that threatened to consume him.

But there was no fire. There was only light.

"Damn it!" the alicorn shouted withdrawing his horn. His healing spell had failed. "Why...why is there so much blood?!"

Fearing for his life, he cried out in pain. The alicorn looked at him before walking away. A few seconds after, he heard a loud crash like something, a desk or a chair, being tossed aside. "Damn this!" he heard the alicorn shout. This was followed by another crash. "Can I not save even one of them!?"

There were others? He weakly raised his head; though his blurry vision, he could make out five other beds who were occupied by young colts just like him. He couldn't see or hear them properly, but the way they twitched and moaned in agony told him that they shared the were experiencing the same thing. It seemed that they, like him, were about to die.

He cried out from the overwhelming agony and fear he was feeling. The combined moans of pain from six young colts was just too much for the alicorn to take. He covered his ears, but he could still hear them pleading for their lives. He tried to ignore this as he mentally went through every spell he knew, hoping that he'd come across something, anything that would save them. Nothing came up.

One idea crossed his mind, a crazy idea. It was more of a risk actually. It had something to do with dark, forbidden magic he never thought he'd use some time, magic that dealt with the very forces of life and death itself. He didn't know if it would work and, if it did, what kind of side-effects it would have. But upon looking into six pained expressions, he threw aside his hesitations and ran off.

After seeing the alicorn run off, he felt the pain intensify. As he noticed his sight and hearing starting to fade, he realized that he was just a few moments away from death. He struggled some more and cried out wishing that somepony, anypony would save him.

He saw the alicorn appear once again, but his features were even more blurry. When he spoke, his voice seemed to echo as if he was at the end of a long tunnel.

"Don't worry...You're going to live..."

The alicorn used his magic and brought something up near his face. He couldn't see it properly, but it looked like a black sphere of some sorts. "You're going to live...It might not be the kind of life you expected...but I refuse to let you...or any of the others die...not now...not while you all still have your whole life ahead of you..."

Without warned, he used his magic and shoved the sphere into his chest.

It seemed to phase right through and enter his chest. A second after it did, his eyes widened as the pain intensified. This time, it was the same burning sensation he remembered. He felt like his body had been set on fire. Even though there really was no fire, he felt his flesh burn, his very bones blazing, his heart being roasted by unseen flames.

Unable to contained himself anymore, he screamed out in pain, feeling the invisible flames consume him entirely.




Present day...

The Everfree Forest...Just hearing that name would make anypony shudder. Nopony would ever dream of going in there unless it was absolutely urgent. The place was huge, easy to get lost in, and was teeming with creatures that would rip you to pieces in no time.

But this particular day, there was one pony who was brave enough to stay in the forest all by himself. It was a pegasus stallion, and almost everything about him was dark. Grey coat, short black mane, the only bright things on him were his cutie-mark, a white chess pawn, and his eyes which were golden. Almost fitting his dark appearance, his name was Ash.

It was late in the morning. Ash was lying in the middle of a clearing at the edge of the Everfree Forest far away from his home. He sighed and yanked out a leaf from a nearby bush with his mouth. At that moment, a gust of wind blew, and he let go if the leaf.

He watched the leaf flutter around in the wind for a while before doing it, his special trick, a strange power nopony else had. He had it ever since that fateful day so many years ago.

He knew how to do it; as his gaze intensified, his eyes suddenly went from gold to scarlet. The next second, the leaf became engulfed in flames and was eventually reduced to ash that blew away in the wind. Ash sighed and yanked out the another leaf and repeated the process.

He always chose to be alone if the opportunity came up. He just wanted to get away from every from everypony else.

You know what would happen if they got close to you...

He growled and shook his head to stop himself from thinking such things as all it did was cause him pain. He instead concentrated on burning more leaves from the bush. His powers could do more than that, but he only wanted to burn one leaf at a time. The activity took his mind of his problems.

A small noise caught his attention. After reverting his eyes back to golden, Ash looked in front of him seeing a small white rabbit staring at him. Ash usually avoided animals just as much as he did other ponies in order to protect them.

Thinking of hurting small animals? Harming innocent, kind creatures who haven't done anything wrong?

Another growl escaped his throat as those thoughts crossed his head. He had to drive the rabbit away and knew just what to do. He faced forward and looked right into the rabbit's eyes. Immediately, the latter's eyes widened in terror. After maintaining eye contact for a while, the rabbit turned and hopped off as fast as he could. Ash sighed, glad he was alone again.

But a few moments later, he heard another shuffling as if something much larger was approaching. Ash then heard a voice, a soft, kind voice that caught his attention. "Now Angel, what's gotten into you? Why'd you bring me-"

Ash saw a pegasus mare enter the clearing along with the same rabbit. She had a yellow coat, pink mane and cyan eyes. She stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Ash and took in his presence. Fluttershy had never seen this pony before in town before. She wondered why he decided to stay so close to the forest.

"Um...excuse me." she said shyly. Ash raised and eyebrow as she slowly approached him. "I-I'm sorry to bother you but uh...Angel here told me about somepony frightening him and um..."

Before she could finish, Angle hopped up to him, crossed arm and tapped his foot as if he was expecting an apology of some sorts. Ash scoffed and looked away. That only irritated Angel, and he bounded forward and swatted the side of Ash's head.

Fluttershy gasped. "Angel!" she reprimanded. "I'm so sorry; he's-"

But she was silenced as Ash poked Angel hard in the chest. Before the rabbit could do anything else, he once again locked eyes with Ash. Immediately, pure terror enveloped the rabbit causing him to turn and run off as fast as he could.

"A-Angel!" Fluttershy cried out as her pet fled. Ash turned his head to do the same to her, but was met by a surprising sight. Fluttershy was staring at him wide-eyed, a stern and intimidating expression on her face. He was surprised that someone so timid could make such a face.

"Now that wasn't very nice wasn't it?" she told him sternly giving him the full power of her Stare. "You should be ashamed of yourself, frightening Angel like that when he wasn't doing anything to you. Now I'm going to get Angel back, and when he gets here, you're going to apologize. Understand?"

The initial shock of hearing such a bold tone from her eventually wore off. She continued to stare at Ask without even blinking. Ash in turn blinked twice and opened his mouth. "Is that all?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened and stepped back. This had never happened before; her Stare was supposed to work on anything, but this stranger wasn't even phased by it. Ash spoke once more. "You call that a gaze? This is a gaze."

He got up on all fours and brought his golden eyes up to her cyan ones. She recoiled a bit but retained eye contact. After several moments...nothing happened to Fluttershy. Surprised, Ash intensified his gaze, hoping that she would feel its power.

After several more uneventful moments, Ash finally backed off and stared at Fluttershy wide-eyed with shock. The latter didn't know what the big deal was. She tried to say something, but at that moment, he turned around, spread his wings and took off towards the forest.

"Wait! Don't-" She tried to warn him about the danger of the forest, but he had already left for its depths. Ash flew as fast as he could through trees avoiding their branches to get away from the clearing. After about a minute, he slowed down and came to a stop. Panting a bit, he leaned against a tree and wondered.

M...My Glare...Why didn't it work?

As he pondered that, he some rustling coming form the trees to the side. Thinking that it might be a Timberwolf or some other carnivore, Ash stood his ground, his eyes turning scarlet. That all changed when he heard a familiar voice call out.

"Ash!...Ash!...Oh, there you are."

A colt appeared from the woods. He had a thin, maroon body and a wild and bushy mane; it started off as light grey and became white as it neared the end. His dark rose-colored eyes had a strange look to them; they wide and suggested that he just had too much sugar or that he was crazy. His cutie-mark was strange; it was an eyeball that resembled his own imposed upon an image of a pony's brain.

Ash sighed as his eyes went back to their natural color. "Psych..." he said.

The latter smiled as he approached him. "Wait." Psych stared at Ash intently for a second. "What happened to you? You're all tense."

"I...Nothing happened." Ash said looking away.

Psych sighed and shook his head. "Ash, you know you can't lie to me and get away with it; no one can. D'you wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"OK. Look, lunch is up, so we should get going." Psych said before turning and walking deeper into the forest. Ash looked over his shoulder one last time thinking about that strange mare before following suit.

Ash and Psych didn't speak as they made their way through the forest. Nothing in the forest frightened Psych as well. Eventually, the two of them came across a large stone castle in the middle of a clearing, their home. Psych led the way and opened the door allowing the two of them to enter.

The headed for the dining room nearby which had only one occupant, a silver alicorn with sapphire eyes and a long, silvery mane wearing a deep purple coat. His cutie-mark was a circle the lower half of which was a sun while the upper half was a crescent moon surrounded by stars. He smiled at the two of them as they entered. "Ash, Psych, there you are. I was just about to-"

But he two colts just walked right past him as if they didn't see him at all and sat down. The alicorn, Equinox, sighed and rose from his seat. Still being ignored by the two of them, he left to get their meals ready. As the door closed, they head hoof steps heading towards the room. A few moments later, a door burst open and three stallions entered.

The first one in was an earth pony. He was tall and had a muscular build. He had a brown coat, short, a dark brown mane and light hazel eyes which were currently showing his eagerness to eat. His cutie-mark was a gold medal wearing a red cape.

"Psych, Ash, I can't believe you two beat us here." he said smiling at the two. Psych simply pouted while Ash turned his head away.

"Maybe that's cause you slowed us down Ironhead." the second stallion, a pegasus, said playfully hitting the first one in the head. He had a bright red coat, a wild, dark red mane and orange eyes. His cutie-mark was an outstretched wing that resembled his own.

"Hey! You calling me slow huh bro?" Ironhead asked getting into a small tussle with his pegasus brother.

"Ironhead, Scar, please don't make me split you two up." the third stallion, a unicorn, said sternly. His coat was beige, and his long, wavy mane was navy blue with light blue streaks. Strangely, his eyes were milky white. His cutie-mark was a saxophone shaped like a musical note.

"Alright, alright. Jeez, no need to do that Blues." Ironhead said heading for his seat. His two brothers did the same and took their places at the table. "Hey dad, how lunch coming?!"

At that moment, Equinox entered the room with six dishes carried by his magic. As he distributed, he looked around the table noticing something. As he put down the last of the plates, he went to the door and called out. "Solstice, it's time for lunch son!"

"Just a minute father! I'm almost done with my experiment!" another voice called back.

Equinox opened his mouth again, but at that moment, there as a flash of light and a unicorn appeared in their midst. He had a teal blue coat, a short, grey mane that parted in the middle, and blue green eyes behind a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. His cutie-mark consisted of three books stacked up. A fourth book with a cover covered in magic symbols leaned against it.

"Done and done. I've perfected yet another spell father." Solstice said proudly.

"I'll examine it later, but for now, it's mealtime; you've kept your brothers waiting." Solstice nodded and took his seat. Soon afterwards, their meal began.

There was a lot of talk among the brothers as they ate. Well, except for Ash and Psych which mainly kept to themselves. Equinox sighed; for years, the two of them never wanted to have anything to do with him or the rest of the family. Equinox tried everything, but his two sons refused to change. He sighed and decided to just concentrate on his meal.

*tink

That was when he heard it, a small sound like a pebble hitting glass. It was almost quiet, easily missed and probably nothing, but upon hearing it, Equinox froze. The glass he had been levitating with his magic fell and shattered against the floor.

The crash silenced the room and caused the six other boys to look at him. They were pretty surprised to see the look of shock and horror on his face. Finally, Scar broke the silence. "Uh...dad? What's going-"

Equinox suddenly rose from his seat and teleported out of the room. "Father wait!" Solstice shouted, but his father had already left. He had an idea to where he was and left his seat. He ran out of the room and headed up the stairs, his brother following him (Ash and Psych mostly out of curiosity rather than concern).

Led by Solstice, the brothers raced up the stairs of their home. Solstice led them to their father's study whose door was ajar. As they approached it they heard their father's voice inside.

"No...not again..."

The brothers halted in front of the door. Nervously Solstice pushed the door opened giving him and the rest of them a view of the study. It was a wide room lined with book cases and shelved on which rested a number of strange mechanical objects.

Equinox was in the middle of the room staring wide-eyed with terror at his desk. Aside from a few books and lose papers lying on it, there was what looked like a small set of scales. A small black pebble was on its left end while an identical white pebble sat on the right end. Currently, the scale was tilted to the right.

"Father, what's wrong?" Blues asked worriedly.

Equinox turned towards his sons and gulped. "I...This is hard to imagine but...I'm afraid...it is happening again. I'm not sure how it will manifest, but...I doubt it would be good..."

Judging by the way he said the word "it", the six of them knew exactly what he meant. For a brief moment, the memories of that incident flooded their heads. The ground shuddering, the screams of anguish, the light that seemed to be everywhere...The idea of it happening again was just unbearable.

"W-We gotta do something!" Ironhead exclaimed. "If it's really gonna happen again, there's gotta be something we can do! I'm in dad; I wanna stop this before it happens again."

"Count me in as well father." Blues said taking a step forward. "We all suffered enough from that incident. I refuse to let others feel the same."

"I'll assist you father in any way I can." Solstice said.

"Same goes for me." Scar added. "If we all do this, we can stop it before it happens right?

The sight of their eagerness to help gave Equinox hope. He turned to last two who hadn't said anything at all. "Ash, Psych, you two suffered from that incident as well. We can't do this without you two."

"Pfft." Psych scoffed. "If it's really just like all those years ago, then what's gonna happen is their fault." He turned. "Whoever they are, I say let them suffer, let them feel our pain." He bowed his head and spoke softly. "They deserve it...for what they did to me..."

On that note, Psych left the room. Shocked his what he said, Equinox turned to Ash. "I'm not supposed to care." he said coldly.

"Don't say that Ash." Equinox told him.

"What do you know? You know what I am, so you know that I...I can't care." Ash said in a raised voice. He then spoke with a shaky voice. "L-let them die...I...I don't care if they do...I shouldn't care..." He added before quickly storming out of the room. Equinox sighed and looked down. He then felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked up to see Solstice.

"They'll come around father. One day, they will." the latter said. He had said that to his dad many times in the past. "We just...have to keep showing them that they are still part of the family. For now, we need to concentrate. Can you identify where it will happen?"

Equinox stood up and summoned a bunch of books and scrolls with his magic. Solstice and the rest stepped back as he worked. Solstice usually helped his father in case some complex spell work was needed, but there were times when Equinox said that he needed to do this on his own. Solstice understood this as one of those times.

Equinox quickly consulted several books before opening one of the scrolls revealing a map of Equestria. Afterward, he closed his eyes, and the glow around his horn intensified as he began a scan. After several tense moments, he opened his eyes and gently laid everything down around him.

"Have you identified it father?" Blues asked. Equinox nodded. "Where?"

Equinox pointed his hoof somewhere on the map of Equestria, a place not that far from their castle, a place just beyond the Everfree Forest, a place that, unless they did something, would suffer as they did.

Ponyville.
> Into Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 2
INTO PONYVILLE


"Everything packed?" Equinox asked about an hour after he first heard the scales tip. Ironhead and Scar stood before him carrying saddle bags filled with food, toiletries, a few bits, and a bunch of other things needed when you needed to move away for a while.

"Yeah yeah, we got it." Scar answered his dad.

Equinox nodded. "Good. Remember, the last thing we want is mass panic so you need to lay low. No drawing attention to yourselves and no speaking about this to anypony."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it dad." Scar answered his dad. "What happens if someone asks us who we are?"

"Oh, I'm sure Ironhead can think something up." Equinox said.

That made the brown stallion smile and laugh. "Yeah, if anypony can come up with a good cover story on the fly, it's me."

"Good. It was a good thing I managed to detect it early this time. You two need to investigate Ponyville and find anything that could be causing all this." Equinox continued.

"How 'bout you guys?" Ironhead asked.

Solstice stepped forward. "Blues and I will assist father as he works from here." The beige unicorn nodded, and Solstice sighed. "Also...we'll try to convince Ash and Psych to cooperate."

The brothers were silent for a while after that; they knew that both their tasks would be difficult, but it had to be done or Ponyville would suffer. "I won't keep you two any longer." Equinox told his sons. "Now hurry; the fate of every living being in Ponyville rests in your hooves."

Both Ironhead and Scar nodded in full understanding of how important their mission was. They turned and left the house, galloping and flying into the Everfree Forest. Equinox saw them disappear into the trees and sighed hoping that they'd all be able to fix this before it was too late.



"Aw yeah! I always wanted the fate of something resting in my hooves!" Ironhead yelled excitedly as he galloped through the forest.

"Hey Ironhead! Wanna race there?" Scar asked flying above.

"Sure; no powers 'k?"

"Fine! Like I need them!"

The brothers both sped up they trip through the forest. Ironhead kept looking up from time to time to make sure Scar wasn't using his powers to cheat. Their dad said that it would take an hour of walking through the forest to get to Ponyville, and this race managed to cut that time down. Eventually, the two of them finally emerged from the forest and wound up on a path that led to Ponyville, with Ironhead the winner of the race. About three seconds later, Scar landed behind him.

"Hah! That's...532 to 534 to me!" Ironhead told his defeated brother.

The pegasus panted a bit and smiled. "Next...next time...It'll be 533 to 534..." He then collapsed out of exhaustion. "Then 533...then 534..."

Ironhead just laughed and helped his brother stand. The two brothers then took a deep breath and followed the path; Ponyville was in sight after just a few minutes.

"Alright. Let's do this." Scar said, his eyes determined.

And so they began their stroll through Ponyville. It was the middle of the afternoon, and ponies were busy with work. The road they were on was lined with stalls that sold food and other goods. The two of them walked through it headS low, trying not to attract attention to themselves.

"See anything wierd?" Scar asked.

Ironhead shook his head. He then noticed a group of ponies look at them as they passed. "We gotta find a place to stay first. They're looking at us..."

"OK. Wait." Scar suddenly realized something. "We can't use our powers in public."

"Celestia dammit." Ironhead cursed realizing the same thing. He and Scar loved their powers even though nopony outside their family knew about them. "Whatever, guess that would get us noticed."

Unbeknownst to them, a certain pink pony was happily bouncing her way in their direction.

"Hey look, we've got a job to do." Scar said. "We just gotta do what dad said y'know? All we have to do is keep cool, lay low and not attract any attention to ourselves."

"GYAAAAHHH!" The two of them jumped back at the sudden yell. Before either of them could figure out what happened, they both got a face-full of pink.

"Oh my gosh! You two are new here aren't you? You have to be 'cause I know just about everypony here in Ponyville, and since I don't know you two, that means you're new and since your new I wanna be the first to say hi and welcome to Ponyville!"

Her actions drew a lot of attention from the surrounding ponies. Ironhead and Scar looked at each other seeing their own shocked, confused and totally freaked-out expressions on the other. They hastily looked around searching for a way out when the mare suddenly gasped.

"Oh my gosh! I didn't even tell you who I am. I'm such a silly-filly; anyway, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I love parties! Birthday parties, 'Thank you' parties, anniversary parties, beach parties, pool parties, slumber parties, bachelor parties, surprise parties, good-bye parties which are really really sad, but I still make 'em lots of fun!"

"I...uh..." Ironhead stuttered still looking for a way out.

"And welcoming parties! *gasp!* That gives me an idea!" Pinkie inhaled deeply and shouted out loud to the surrounding ponies making the brothers cover their ears. "HEY EVERYPONY! WELCOMING PARTY AT SUGAR CUBE CORNER IN 10 MINUTES, AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!"

There were cries and excited talk about the party. Soon a few ponies were heading to Sugar Cube Corner chatting about the sudden party along the way. Ironhead was the first to get over the shock of what just happened and found his voice.

"Yeah uh...Pinkie right?" he asked.

"Yup, that's me!" the mare answered cheerfully.

"Yeah look, we'd uh...we'd love to go but we got stuff to do." he told her. "So...yeah. Thanks for the invite, but we can't go..."

They both turned and tried to leave, but Pinkie had suddenly appeared before them. "But you guys must be all sad and lonely having no friends here, and this party'll give you tons of friends." Pinkie told them not dropping her cheery attitude.

"And that's good and all, but we really don't wanna go." Scar told her.

"Nonsense; everypony love my parties." Pinkie then ran up and put a hoof on each of their back. "Lemme show you. TO THE PARTY!"



"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" A large, excited crowd of ponies yelled out. Ironhead and Scar blinked and looked around noticing that they were in some sort of shop. Aside from the crowd of ponies already there dancing to some music, the shop seemed to sell cakes, cupcakes, pastries and other sweets. There store was also decorated with balloons streamers, a big banner that read "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!".

So much for not drawing attention to themselves.

"Wha-but-I-we-but-" The two of them stammered as they looked around wondering how they got there. "But-But we were outside! How'd we end up here?!"

"Don't you remember?" Pinkie said seemingly popping out of nowhere and catching the two brothers by surprise. "I invited you and you didn't wanna go, so I grabbed you guys and yelled 'TO THE PARTY!' and then we had a scene change and now we're here." She pointed her hoof upwards. "What do you think that line up there was for?"

"Wha-" Scar looked upwards seeing only the ceiling. "W-What line?! What the hay are you talking about?!"

"Ah don' you mind her. That's jus' Pinkie bein' Pinkie." a new, southern voice said. The brothers watched as an orange earth pony wearing a Stetson emerged from the crowd.

"Applejack!" Pinkie cried out and hugged her friend. "You showed up!"

"Well o' course I did. Now what're we celebratin' here?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, these two here are new to Ponyville." Pinkie answered gesturing to the two brothers. Applejack trotted over to them.

"Really? Well, good to meet some new faces." Applejack extended her hoof. "Names Applejack. An' I see ya'll met Pinkie."

Ironhead gingerly took her hoof and shook it. "Yeah, I'm uh...Ironhead, and this's my brother Scarlet Blur."

"Scar for short." the latter said shaking Applejack's hoof.

"Nice to meet cha'. So, what brings you fellers here to Ponyville?" Applejack asked.

Scar hesitated a little, but Ironhead cleared his throat. Scar decided to let him do the talking. "We're looking for a job." Ironhead said calmly, totally making it up as he went along. "We're from Manehatten, but we hated the place." He put on a fake but convincing look of annoyance. "All those stuck-up ponies always doing their jobs and nothing else-ugh!"

"It was so boring there. Even our parents were just boring old accountants. My sister-" He froze for a split second there before continuing. "My sister wanted us to stay, but Scar and I wanted to get out. So we told our mom and dad that we wanted to leave and work out of town."

"They got really sad about it, but they let us go. So we ditched Manehatten and tried finding a job somewhere. We tried everywhere, Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus, Baltimare, Scar almost set the weather factory on fire-"

"That was an accident!" Scar lied.

"Whatever." Ironhead rolled his eyes. "You get the picture. So we're here now, looking for work."

Scar blinked amazed by Ironhead ability to come up with such a detailed lie. He just smiled and nodded. "Yeah, what he said."

"Need a job huh?" Applejack did some thinking. "Hmm, we could use some help at the farm. What're ya good at?"

Ironhead shrugged. "Well...I'm strong." He flexed a muscle. "Look at that" He nodded at the bulge. "You're looking at the strongest, toughest pony in Manehatten."

"Strongest one eh?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "We could use a feller like you at the farm that it, if ya think you can handle it."

Ironhead gave her a funny look, a look Scar instantly recognized as a look of damaged pride. He just sighed and let the two of them have their bout. "What're you saying? Of course I can handle it. You calling me weak?"

"Now now, I didn't mean that." Applejack said raising her hooves up. "I was just...curious 'bout how tough ya are."

"I am tough What do I gotta do to prove it?" the stallion challenged.

Applejacks moved sideways. "Oh I think I know how."

Ironhead followed her gaze and spotted an empty table. She raised a single hoof to show him what she meant, and he understood. "If you think I'll back down just 'cause you're a girl, you're wrong."

He gave the farm pony a challenging glare which was returned with a look of determination. Followed by Scar, the two of them rushed over to the empty table and looked hooves with the other. all the while, they didn't take their eyes off the other.

The match attracted the attention of most of the other ponies who gathered to watch the hoof wrestling match. There were many cheers for Applejack and a few for Ironhead. As they were about to begin, Pinkie suddenly popped up between then wearing a cap, a stripped shirt of a referee and a whistle around her neck, making the brothers give her a funny look.

"Alright fellas, I wanna nice, clean fight." she told the two competitors. "No mean words, no bellow the belt, and go to your corners when I tell you."

"Uh, Pinkie? This isn't boxing." Scar pointed out. That didn't seem to bother the two competitors though.

"No holdin' back now ya here?" Applejack said tightening her grips.

Ironhead blinked twice before breaking out into a wide, mischievous grin. "OK. You asked for it."

Uh oh...Scar thought.

Pinkie placed her hooves on Applejack's and Ironhead's interlocked one. "OK you two; on three. One..."

Ironhead and Applejack tensed themselves, playful grins on both of their faces.

"Two..."

The crowd watched in anticipation.

"Three!"

Exactly one second later, there was a loud thud. Applejack blinked and looked down seeing her own hoof on the table pinned down by Ironhead's. Her jaw dropped.

"Wha-but-I-"

"And the winner is Ironhead!" Pinkie shouted raising victor's hoof. Scar and a few other ponies cheered for him, while several others continued to watch in shock and awe. "Oooh! It's too early to celebrate guys. You got more competition Ironhead."

The latter saw a group of stallions. Ironhead sighed and grabbed the hoof of his next opponent.

"This'll be quick."

Meanwhile outside the shop, a group of three mares met up, two unicorns, one purple and one white with a purple mane, and a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. The three of them had heard about Pinkie's welcoming party and wanted to meet these newcomers.

"I sure hope they're nice ponies and all." Fluttershy said as they approached the shop.

"As do I dear, and I certainly hope they're dashing." Rarity responded with a sly smile.

"Speaking of dashing, it's too bad Rainbow couldn't go." Twilight said looking up at the sky.

"I tried asking her, but she was too busy with work." Fluttershy said. "Of course, that's no reason for to be upset with her...I hope the newcomers will understand..."

As they neared Sugar Cube corner, they hear a loud cheer and a loud groan at the same time. "What the-" Twilight said as they galloped inside where they were met with a surprising sight-a large crowd of ponies watching a hoof wrestling match and another group of defeated colts lying around in defeat.

"Girls, glad you could come." Applejack said walking up to them while resting her defeated hoof. "That's the two new comers over there."

At that point, Ironhead just beat another pony who walked away bowing in defeat while he celebrated with his brother. "Well they certainly are... feisty..." Rarity said hesitantly.

Applejack chuckled a bit. "C'mon, I'll introduce ya." Applejack brought the three of them to the brothers. "Howdy fellas, I want ya both to meet my friends. This here's Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy."

"'Sup. Name's Scarlet Blur, but you can call me Scar." the red pegasus said with a salute. "And this's my brother Ironhead."

"Nice to meet ya." Ironhead said turning to them as he slammed another colt's hoof onto the table.

The girls watched as the line of challengers shortened. "He sure is strong." Twilight commented.

"Yer tellin' me." Applejack replied. "At this rate, he'll be the strongest Pony in all o' Ponyville too!"

"Don't worry Applejack." Pinkie said suddenly popping in their midst. "I called...the big guns."

"The what?"

The question was answered when the door suddenly opened with a loud bang. It caught everypony's attention and they looked to see a big red stallion standing there. "Big Macintosh! Yer here!" Applejack exclaimed to which her brother replied with a simple: "Eeyup."

With a raised eyebrow, Ironhead watched Big Macintosh walk towards the table while the remaining challengers made way from him. He heard talk among the spectators, something about that if anypony could beat him, it was Big Mac, and grinned. To him, Big Mac did look like a strong pony. Too bad he was going to beat him.

"Alright, let's see what ya got Mac." Ironhead said as he propped his hoof on the table. Bic Mac glared at him intensely before grabbing his hoof.

Pinkie appeared between the two as everypony else watched closely. "Final match time!" she shouted as Ironhead and Big Mac braced themselves. "Three...Two...One...Go!"

For a change, the match lasted longer than a second. As soon as it began, the muscles on both colts bulged out so much, their veins could be seen. The crowd saw the interlocked hooves shake as the two of them duked it out in a battle of strength.

The whole time, they never kept their eyes off the other. Ironhead was impressed; Big Mac was just as strong as he looked. No wonder everypony thought he would beat him. Ironhead admired that kind of strength, but he knew Big Mac was about to lose.

"Ironhead, what the hell!? Beat him already; he's just a bumpkin!" Scar exclaimed, alarmed that his brother hadn't won yet.

"Yeah well, yer brother's 'bout to lose to a 'bumpkin'!" Applejack countered. Neither Big Mac nor Ironhead said a word since the fight began and just continued to stare at each other determined.

Then all of a sudden, Ironhead hoof tilted slightly to the side. At that sight, the cheering for Big Mac increased dramatically. The pony himself remained as calm as ever and continued to push against Ironhead's hoof. As the latter's hoof approached the table, Scar's cries of despair increased in volume.

"D...dammit! You're suppose to be tougher than that!" he screamed.

His brothers hoof was now inching towards the surface of the table. "I...I..." Just an inch left before total defeat. "I...I..." Half an inch. A quarter of an inch.

Suddenly, Ironhead broke into a wide grin. "JUST KIDDING!"

A second later, there was a loud thud that silenced the room. Several eyes wide with shock stared at the sight-Big Mac's hoof on the table with Ironhead's on top of it. A few more seconds of stunned silence later, Pinkie spoke up albeit rather quietly.

"Th-the winner is...Ironhead?"

There was then the sound of cheering coming from a small groups of supporters. The loudest cheers came from the two brothers who did a hoof bump and bumped each others chest. Applejack, as well as her friends, continued to stare dumbfounded before them, still unable to believe that Big Mac had lost.

"Hey." said pony looked up said saw Ironhead off a hoof to him. "Y'know, you were tougher than I thought. No hard feelings?"

Big Mac looked from the hoof to the pony offering it. He broke into a wide grin and replied "Eeyup." before shaking it.

"Yay! Everypony's a winner here!" Pinkie said grabbing the two of them and pulled them close. "Don't worry; the party and the fun's not over yet!"

While the other ponies cheered and went back to enjoying the party, Scar approached Pinkie."Hey Pinkie, that's really nice and all and we're really having fun, but uh...we really have to go, don't we?" he said turning to his brother.

"Aww, really?" Pinkie pouted, her bottom lip trembling. "But-but you're having so much fun here. Can't you stay for just a teensy bit more? You haven't even tried my cupcakes yet."

"Yeah but-" At that moment, their stomachs grumbled. Causing them to grin embarrassingly. They never did exactly eat anything during lunch. Pinkie vanished for a while and returned with a tray full of cupcakes. Scar sighed. "Fine; we'll eat for a while, and then, we're outta here." he said grabbing a cupcake and taking a bite out of it.



"I can't believe we wasted the whole afternoon!"

It was sunset and, the two of them were unpacking their things in the apartment they were staying in. "You cheated didn't you?" Scar asked. "You used your powers to win all those matches."

"I...Hey, Applejack told me not to hold back, so I didn't." Ironhead argued putting his hooves up. Scar just sighed and shook his head. "But you gotta admit, that party was awesome."

"I...yeah it was, wasn't it?" Scar said with a smile. He honestly never had that much before.

"I know right? I mean, we can lay low and all that, but if Pinkie throws another party, I'm going."

"Hey!" Scar yelled out. "Don't forget to invite me too."

With that, the two brothers starter laughing and remembered the good time they had at the party. After about a minute, they stopped. "But seriously Ironhead, we can't get sidetracked here; we have a mission to do. Did you get that soil sample like dad said?"

Ironhead reached into his bag and pulled out a corked test tube filled with soil. He threw it at Scar who caught it. "They're all in danger." the earth pony said worriedly. "We...we gotta do this Scar. They'll all die if we don't..."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't've said we were looking jobs." Scar pointed out. "Isn't Applejack expecting you at her farm tomorrow?"

"Oh uh...yeah. Sorry about that." Ironhead nervously scratched the back of his hoof.

"You had to talk about a job..."

"Hey, it was the first thing I could think off! I'm a good liar, but I don't always think what's gonna happen next!"

Scar groaned and face-hoofed. "I'll check out the town while you're at the farm." He headed for the door. "I'm just gonna get this to dad."

"OK. Make sure nopony see you." Ironhead said as his brother left. Now alone, he sighed and went over to his bed and jumped on it. Staring at the ceiling, he remembered all those happy faces he saw at the party, all those ponies who had no idea of the danger they were in.

He-No. They had to save them.

He was sure Scar wouldn't mind if he slept early, so he did just that. Their mission to save Ponyville would begin the next day.

> The Brothers' Issues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 3
THE BROTHERS' ISSUES


"No..." Equinox said almost dropping the test tube Scar had given him. Just ten minutes after Scar left the apartment, he reached his dad, briefly explained everything that had happened so far, saw his dad face-hoof for the very first time at the mess they got into, handed him the test tube and left.

Since then, he and Solstice had been performing several tests on the soil sample. He had an initial suspicion when he saw the scales tip, a suspicion that had just been proven true by his latest test. His first test was a simple physical analysis, the result of which said that it was just regular soil, but those were only the physical components. A later magical analysis of the soil confirmed his worst fear.

It was going to be exactly like all those years ago...

"Father, what is it?" Solstice asked worriedly running up to him. He had been pouring over a few books when he heard his dad speak. He was very alarmed when he saw the look of panic on his face.

Equinox gulped and magically passed the test tube to his son who held it in front of him with his own magic. "Perform a magical analysis." he said which puzzled Solstice. Soil was just soil; what else could possibly be in there?

Nevertheless, he did it anyway and cast the spells necessary to perform the test. His horn glowing with a teal aura, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the test. After a few seconds of finding out what was it that made his dad react that way, a blinding flash erupted from the darkness. It caused him to gasp, stumble back and drop the test tube he was levitated, shattering it against the floor.

"Light...light..." he said stunned. He tried to calm down, but the memories started to pour in, the ground shuddering uncontrollably, screams of fright and terror, and light, pure light everywhere destroying everything like an unstoppable force. It was all he could just to stop himself from passing out.

"I see you've come to the same conclusion." Equinox said as he helped his son up. "For some reason, the ground beneath Ponyville is saturated with light. If it continues to build up..."

"They need to hurry." Solstice said before his dad could finish.

Equinox nodded. "I've already asked for daily soil samples from Scar. That way, we can monitor the amount of light in Ponyville."

"That...that's good." Solstice managed to calm down.

The alicorn patted his shoulder. "Son, perhaps it's time you got some rest.; you've been working non-stop for hours. You haven't eaten anything at all."

"Neither have you father." Solstice pointed out. His dad sighed.

"I can manage. Why don't you find Ash and Psych? I'm sure they could use some company."

"I suppose." Solstice then eyes the broken test tube shards and soil on the floor. "Allow me."

The shards and soil were brought into the air by Solstice's magic. The shards converged on each other and started piecing themselves together like a puzzle. Soon a cracked test tube was formed, but the cracks too slowly vanished. He placed the soil back in, gave it over to his dad and left deep in thought.

I hope Ash and Psych are in the mood for talking...



Said ponies were busy playing a game of chess. They were in Ash's room, on his bed, and absorbed in their game. Ash used his knight to take out Psych's remaining bishop which he baited with one of his pawns. After that, Ash looked up at his brother. "You could've avoided that."

Psych raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about?"

Ash picked up the bishop and placed it with the other pieces his brother had lost. "You should've seen how much attention I've been paying to that pawn and known that I was baiting it. Nothing gets past your kinetic vision."

Psych thought about what to say. Ash was right; aside from the powers he gained after the incident, he also had kinetic vision, a talent that took him years to master fully. By at looking another pony, he can figure out what they were feeling at the moment from the small ticks and unconscious actions their body displayed. He could see eye twitches, slight spasms, flushed faces and the like as clear as day.

He did indeed see Ash's eyes travel over that pawn several times, telling him that he was planning something about it, but he allowed it to happen anyway even though he could've found a way to avoid it. Ash was really talented at chess; he didn't get that cutie-mark for nothing, and Psych had his own talents. Matches between them took a while as they were equally matched.

But sometimes, Psych would notice that his brother was having a bad time; now seemed like one of those times. Whenever this happened, he'd lose the match on purpose just to make Ash feel better. The good thing about these chess games was that Ash managed to focus on something else than his own misery for a change.

They heard a knock on the door, but they both just ignored it. A few seconds later, it swung open making Psych give an annoyed sigh, and Blues stepped into the room. "Er, Ash, Psych, having fun?" he asked trying to sound cheery.

Both ponies just ignored him. Psych moved his rook forward and took out one of Ash's pawns. "Er...Scar came back from Ponyville; see said it was quite the cheery town." Blues continued.

"What do you want?" Psych said not looking at him.

Blues was taken aback but remained calm. "Listen, I understand you two have...issues." The three of them knew just how much of an understatement that was; what Psych and Ash had was more than just a simple issue. "But can't you put them aside and help us? It will happen again. I'm sorry to reopen old wounds, but can you remembered how you both suffered back then? How all six of us suffered? Can you honestly wish the same for others?"

"Uh yeah. Yeah I do." Psych said finally looking at the unicorn who's eyes widened slightly at his brother's words. "Why should we give a damn those who hate us? Who reject us?" Psych jumped off the bed and walked towards Blues.

"They've never rejected you; they don't even know you Psych." Blues argued.

"Oh they know me alright." Psych cast a side-long look. "Every minute they spend enjoying themselves, every moment they comfort others in pain, every moment they smile, hope, dream and laugh, they reject me!The minute I come into their lives, they try to get rid of me as fast as they could!" His hooves were starting to shake in anger. If Ash wasn't in the room, he would've unleashed his powers and break Blues to pieces. "You reject me too."

"Psych, you're my brother. I would never reject you." Blues said trying to calm him down.

Psych just gave a cold, sadistic laugh at that. "Brother? Yeah right. The only reason we're a 'family' is because that bastard you call a father turned us into freaks!"

"Father saved our lives!" Blues shouted back. "He took you in, he gave you a home when your previous one was lost, he raised you like his own son! We are not freaks!"

"That's so easy for you to say. Look at you." Psych waved a hoof in his direction. "Greed. That's what he turned you into. Some ponies actually accept you! They choose to be you just so they can get whatever they want! The desire and hunger for everything this world could possibly offer...that's what you truly are!"

"I am not Greed! You and Ash are not who you believe you are!" Blues argued.

"And you're not being true to yourself!"

"I am being true to myself." Blues put a hoof on his chest. "We can choose Psych; we can choose what or who we want to be regardless of what happened to us!"

"Choose?...Choose?" At that, the maroon pony let out a long, high, cold, sadistic laugh before stomping his hoof against the floor. His voice suddenly became venomous. "That choice was ripped from us years ago! D'you think Ash and I asked for this?! Because of what he did, he branded us for life! You're so-called ability to choose is just meaningless! It just blinds you from the inescapable truth! By choosing what you want to be, you lie to yourself because you know deep down what you really are!"

Psych was panting after that outburst. Ash just turned his head away from the two, not wanting to get involved. The truth was that he disagreed with most of what Psych said. He wasn't afraid of him though; in fact, he thought that he and Psych were the same, despicable...unwanted...hated...

And he didn't blame anypony else but himself.

"I...I don't believe you Psych." Blues said calmly to his enraged brother causing the latter to roll his eyes and shake his head. "I still believe that we can choose who we wish to be, and I don't choose what you think I am." At that, Psych waved his hoof dismissively at him.

"Yeah yeah go on. You do that." He challenged. "But no matter what you do or say or think, nothing will change what you are deep down. Go ahead; choose who you wanna be, try to care for others, make them happy with that damn music you love to play." He poked Blues in the chest where his heart was. "But both of us know what's really in here, something that neither of us could ever change."

Blues was utterly speechless for a while. He had arguments like this with Psych before, and they were all just as bad as this one. "Look at me." Psych put his hooves on his own chest. "I'm Grief, sorrow, pain, everything anypony would hate in their lives. I have way more fun living up to what I am. If you guys would just let me do what I want-" He stopped and gave another laugh. "Oh yeah, you'd never do that; I know it. Deep down, you all fear and hate me."

"I...We..." Blues took a step back.

"See? You just gave yourself away." Psych said pointing at him before coldly hopping back on Ash's bed. "Get out before you really piss me off."

"Psych-"

"NOW!"

For a brief moment, Blues thought he was going to use his powers on him even with Ash still in the room. He just sighed and stepped out of the room allowing the brothers to resume their chess game. Once outside, Blues closed the door, sat on his hunches and covered his face trying to hold back tears.

"Blues?" Solstice said as he saw him. He ran over to his brother and patted him comfortingly. "Sweet Celestia, what happened? Did Psych use his powers on you?"

The beige unicorn shook his head. "Just...the same as always." Blues sighed and got up.

Solstice pursed his lips together and looked at the door. He was the eldest of the six of them, making him responsible for his younger brothers. Like Blues, he had tried to talk to Ash and Psych about their problems, but they refused to listen to him as well. He wished that there was something anypony could do, but for years, they shot down every attempt to comfort them.

"H...How were father's tests on the soil sample?" Blues asked wanting a change of topic. Solstice explained the results, stunning his brother. "This...Solstice, we must do something!"

"I know, but we can only assist father and wait for Ironhead and Scar's results. If they can successfully stop whatever is causing light to flow into Ponyville's soil, they all is well. The worst-case scenario is that it becomes too late. If we aren't united when that time comes, Ponyville is lost." He looked over to the door before him. "Until then, we must help our brothers and father as best we can."



"Check-mate." Ash said moving his rook in its final place. Psych looked around and found no way out and hung his head.

"Ah it was a good game anyway." His smile quickly turned into a frown. "Stupid Greed, ruining our game..."

"He was just trying to be nice." Ash said as he packed his chess set away. "You can't really blame others for rejecting us..."

Psych shook his head. "Ash, Ash, Ash." He patted his brother's shoulder. "You're much too swallowed up by your own self-loathing to understand the truth. When will you learn that none of this is your fault?"

Ash sighed feeling miserable once again. "Psych, can you honestly blame others? What we are deep down is just horrible; if nopony will accepts us, it's because they'd be much happier without us."

"You mean happier rejecting us? Hating us?" Psych replied. "Ash, we're a part of this world, a part that's not nice nor pleasant but is an inevitable truth that's never gonna go away. We'll always exist, and they'll always hate us. And for what? Because we're a part of this world they don't like?" He stomped his hooves angrily. "They hate us just because we're a harsh bitter truth in this world that they just can't accept!"

"But Psych, the world would be better off without us...Everypony would be much happier if we didn't exist..."

What is this? Actual care coming from you? That's just not possible, and you know it.

Ash growled and jerked his head as that thought crossed his mind. He covered his ears and tried to fight off the pain coming from his thoughts. The sight of his face going through so much pain made Psych sigh; their chess game was suppose to make Ash feel better, but Blues had to ruin it.

"Ash?" Psych asked worriedly. After a few seconds, Ash shook his head a few more times before uncovering his ears. "There there, it's OK." He went over and gave him a comforting hug. "You don't have to worry Ash. You...are the only real brother I have...I'll accept you no matter what you are."

"H...How can you Psych? Even after all these years, I still don't understand. You know what I am deep down. In fact, I'm worse than you." Ash pushed his brother away lightly. "I'm supposed to make ponies suffer. I'm not suppose to care about anything. There's nothing I can do about it."

"Well, you could at least fix up your attitude." Psych told him. "It's others' fault you're hated in this world, not yours. Quit blaming yourself for everything Ash; turn that anger and hate to those who deserve it."

"...I am..." Ash said gloomily. Shaking his head, Psych sighed and jumped off his brother's bed.

"I'm...gonna get some rest. Night Ash." He always hated seeing Ash like that, almost as much as he hated everypony else for hating and rejecting them. Psych hung his head and left his brother's room still thinking of how he could pull Ash out of his self-loathing.

Ash was now alone with his thoughts which to him was always bad. He always looked for something, anything that would distract him from his own misery; that's what he had chess for. With nothing to do, he sighed and laid on his bed. Hoping for a dreamless sleep, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off.

> Scar's Idol
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 4
SCAR'S IDOL


It was very early, earlier than he usually woke up. Ironhead yawned and grumbled as he made his way through Ponyville. Applejack had insisted that he get there early so they could start working at the farm. He hated getting up early; Scar was still asleep when he left. "Stupid job hunt..." he muttered grumpily. "Why the hell did I say that..."

Some of the stalls he passed by were being set up by their owners, ready for a day of sales. He yawned once more and looked up, seeing the sun, its tip just touching the horizon. He also saw a strange, grey, cross-eyed pegasus mare with an envelope in her mouth and a saddlebag full of more envelopes. "Weird..." he thought before continuing on.

Eventually, he came across a dirt path lined with hundreds of apple trees. Looking up ahead, he saw the gate that led to the farm and galloped there as fast as he could. Eventually, the farm that was Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Pausing for a while to catch his breath, he then entered the farm looking around for Applejack or Big Mac or somepony.

"Uh...Hey Applejack! I'm here!" he called out. "Hello?"

The barn door opened, and Ironhead approached it. To his surprise, it wasn't Applejack who exited, but a yellow filly balancing a basket over her head. She spotted him and did a double-take, causing the basket to fall off her head. She went back, stuck her head back in the barn doorway and called out. "Uh Applejack? There's somepony here..."

The barn door opened, and Applejack stepped out. She smiled upon seeing the colt and approached him. "Ironhead, glad you can make it."

"Yeah, me too." Ironhead said giving another yawn. "Ugh...Do I really gotta be this early?" he complained.

Applejack chuckled. "Well ya gotta be. There's a lotta work to get done, so we gotta start early." She turned towards the yellow fillly. "Applebloom, why don't ya come over say hi?"

The latter approached her sister and looked up at Ironhead. "Howdy mister. I'm Applebloom. Nice to meet ya."

The way she smiled at him struck his heart. For a split second, he saw another filly in her place, a filly he knew well. Luckily, he managed to disguise that feeling well enough to go unnoticed by both of them. He just smiled back at her. "Same here kid. Name's Ironhead."

"I know. Ya beat Applejack and Big Macintosh at hoof wrestlin' right? I heard all about it."

"Yup, that's me." he said proudly. Applebloom's eyes widened in admiration.

"Wow mister Ironhead; that's amazin'! Nopony's ever beaten by big brother and sister at hoofwrestlin' before!"

"I'll tell ya what's amazin, the trees on the east field that need a buckin'." Applejack told her sister. "Go on; they ain't gonna buck themselves y'know."

Applebloom nodded before picking up her basket and running off. "She's a nice kid." Ironhead said.

"Heh. She sure is. Now why I don't I show ya around?"

On that note, Applejack showed Ironhead around the farm. She took him to all the orchards lined with hundreds of apple trees, the barn where they kept the pigs, even the chicken coop. As Ironhead tried to take note of all of that, they came across an elderly mare.

"Mornin' Applejack; who's yer new friend?" she asked.

"Oh, this here's Ironhead. He'll be workin' on the farm from now on. This here's my Granny Smith." Applejack said.

"Uh, hi there ma'am." he greeted. As she smiled back at him warmly, a dog came bounding out of nowhere and went straight for AJ and started licking her face.

"And this here's Winona." she said. Winoa then got a good look at Ironhead and froze up. She jumped out of her owner's arms and started snarling and barking at Ironhead, who took a step back and placed a hoof on his chest.

Crap...can she tell? he thought.

Luckily for him, Applejack was quick to control her pet. "Winona! What the-" She grabbed the dog before she could leap at Ironhead or something. "I'm awfully sorry 'bout this; she usually ain't this way 'round strangers. Down girl! What's gotten into ya?"

"I uh...maybe we should go." Ironhead suggested. Applejack understood and carried the still barking Winona off for a while. She returned a minute later.

"Now where were we?" she asked.

"Yeah, you said something about bucking apples a while ago." Ironhead said as they continued on.

"Oh yeah. That's how we get our apples 'round here." She took him over to an apple tree. "Like this."

She quickly turned and slammed her hind legs into the trunk. There was a loud thud followed by slight sway before several apples fell from their branches. "See? Real simple."

As she began to pick up the apples and toss them into a nearby basket, Ironhead looked over to another larger tree nearby. "So I just buck it?" he asked.

"Yup. One good buck'll get 'em." Applejack said walking over. "Give it a try; hit it as hard as ya can."

Ironhead raised his eyebrows. "I don't think that's a good idea..." he said nervously.

"Why's that?"

"'Cause it's still early." He gave a fake yet convincing yawn. "And I'm not really at full strength yet so..."

"Aw c'mon. Don't think ya can take it?" she asked him.

"Well...yeah but-"

"And here I was thinkin' I jus' hired the strongest pony in all Manehatten and Ponyville." She knew how to use that tone well. She had used it several times on stubborn ponies (especially a rainbow-maned friend of hers), and it got them doing what she wanted every time.

"I am!" Ironhead exclaimed, his pride hurt.

Applejack smiled slyly and began to slowly walk away. "Oh well. You don't gotta do it if ya don't wanna. I'm sorry; shoulda gotten somepony else. If yer still lookin' for a job ya can handle, I think Pinkie's hirin' too. Meantime, I'll go get Big Mac-"

Ironhead wouldn't hear the end of it. "What-I-I'll show you who's strong!" he yelled pointing at her. As he turned and reared his hind legs, Applejack smirked.

"Always works-"

The thud she heard next was a lot louder than she expected. It was then followed by a loud, ripping sound that made her freeze and was then followed by an even louder thud that made the ground shudder slightly. Blinking twice, she slowly turned around; her jaw hung loose as she took in the sight of an uprooted apple tree with a very nervous Ironhead standing before it.

"Uh...oops...?"



Scar had one big problem about his search: he had no idea where to start.

"Grr...Stupid job hunt." he grumbled as he flew around Ponyville. If only his brother wasn't at work, he could at least give some suggestion on what to do first. But he couldn't do anything about it; he'd have to search alone.

"Light...light...light..." he muttered. Nothing he found seemed to have anything to do with light. He sighed and put up and extra burst of speed, passing over ponies doing their everyday jobs. Still, he found nothing out of the ordinary. He touched down in a nearby park and sat on a bench to rest a bit.

He took this time to admire the town some more. To him, Ponyville seemed like a great place to live. The folks were nice, there were plenty of jobs to get and, knowing and somehow befriending Pinkie Pie, chanced to go to fun parties and stuff. For a while, he had been thinking of where to move to live on his own, and Ponyville seemed like the perfect place.

At least it was better than other places he knew. Twice a year, Equinox would take the six on them on family vacations to places like Fillydelphia, Los Pegasus and Manehatten (ponies there were really dull and boring). Only he had been to Cloudsdale though; it was for the Best Young Flyer's Competition, something that didn't interest Ash at all.

He stretched a little and hopped off the bench, ready to resume his investigation. Of course, he still had no leads at all. He considered finding Sweet Apple Acres and trying to get Applejack to give Ironhead some time off. Of course, Ironhead had only been there for a few hours.

"Maybe they get lunch breaks or something..." he wondered.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the storm cloud slowly approaching him from behind. Nor did he notice the sniggering, cyan pegasus behind it. Scar decided to act on his decision and spread his wings, ready to take flight. And that's when Dash hit the cloud.

The results were exactly what she expected. There was a flash and loud crack, and Scar shrieked and messed up his take off causing him to fall flat on the ground. The sight caused Rainbow to double up with laughter. She pounded the cloud several more times in her laughter, sending a few sparks flying here and there.

"Yeah yeah, now who did that?" she heard Scar say. She poked her head and got a good look at him for the first time.

"Hey new guy, over here." she called out to him.

The second he saw her, his eyes widened while his pupils shrunk at the same time. She passed it off as nothing and flew down to him. "You're the new guy right?" she said running a hoof through her mane. "Thought I'd give you my own little welcome."

Scar laughed nervously. "Yeah uh...It was…a really good prank…I uh…don't remember you at the party..." He couldn't believe his eyes; he had no idea she lived in Ponyville. He tried to keep his cool even thought his heart and brain were going wild.

"Yeah, sorry about that; I slack off at work sometimes, well...most of the time, but I really had to catch up yesterday, so I couldn't go. Ah well. So...welcome to Ponyville I guess..." She shrugged and offered a hoof. "Name's Rainbow Dash."

He already knew that. "I'm...I'm Scarlet Blur...But everypony calls me Scar!" he added quickly whilst shaking her hoof. He couldn't believe it; he was actually shaking her hoof!

He sounded both nervous and excited which puzzled her a bit. "Scarlet Blur huh? Weird name." she commented. "What's up with that?"

His mission was gone from his mind which was now driven to do nothing but impress her. "It's 'cause when I hit the air, that's all anypony ever sees."

He spread his wings and took off leaving behind a small could of dust and a red after image in Dash's eyes. She turned her gaze upwards seeing his form rise higher and higher until he was nothing but a tiny red dot in the sky. When he reached a satisfactory height, he looked down on the tiny Ponyville behind him and readied himself.

"No powers..." he whispered before diving.

With Rainbow watching, Scar spun himself at a dizzying rate while the ground approached. At the last second, he pulled himself out of the dive and continued spinning as he darted across the ground. The wind he made Rainbow's mane ruffle as she watched him pull up and straighten himself out.

He spotted a bunch of clouds nearby and gathered them up and flew around them, forming them into a tall column of clouds. He flew aside before charging right in again planning on splitting the column in half. When he was halfway there, he gasped as Rainbow suddenly burst through the center of the tower, splitting it in half. He regained sense long enough to veer to the left as she flew past him. Chuckling a bit, he flew in after her.

When he finally caught up with her, she turned and flew upside down so that she could talk to him. "Yeah, I guess that was pretty good." she said with a casual wave of her hoof. "Lemme show you how we do it here in Ponyville."

She flew off prompting him to chase after her. Rainbow laughed a little at his attempt to keep up with her and sped up. Scar's eyes widened as she flew away from him and put up and extra burst of speed, reaching her once more. Flapping harder, he managed to overtake her.

Rainbow of course, just wouldn't let this happen. Scar watched her as she dipped low to the ground and flew in after her. The two pegasi flew into town with Scar worrying that they might hit something as they flew. True enough, a building which looked like the town hall came into view. The two of them veered to the right just before they could hit it.

Several ponies on the street gasped and parted as a blue shape darted past them followed by, just as his name said, a scarlet blur. They flew past buildings, stalls, street lights and other ponies without hitting anything though the wind they created caused quite a disturbance. Scar was the first to notice this and flew up to Rainbow.

"Hey, we're bothering everypony. Maybe we should pull up." he said just as they turned at a street corner, frightening Carrot Top who was on her way home after picking up groceries. "Sorry about that!" Scar called at her.

"Oh yeah. Good point." Rainbow said finally realizing the results of their little race. She looked up. "OK. Last one to that cloud smells worse than dragon dung; go!"

"Wait-what?" Scar said but Rainbow had already begun speeding towards the cloud she indicated. Not wanting to be seen as dung in her eyes, he sped up there as fast as he could. The two of them were neck and neck; it would be hard to tell who would've won. Giving out a loud cry, Scar pushed himself to flap faster, desperate to win.

The cloud burst as the two pegasi shot into it. They spread they wings and managed to brake a few feet away from where the cloud was. Panting from exhaustion they looked at each other.

"You lost." they said together while pointing at the other. "No, you did. I won." They pointed at themselves. "Quit copying me!"

Just then a third voice rang out. "Rainbow Dash!" A pegasus mare flew near them and put her hooves on her hips. "There you are; your break ended half an hour ago."

"Oh yeah. Eheh...Sorry about that Cloudkicker." Rainbow laughed embarrassed before turning to Scar. "Sorry Scar, but I gotta go..."

"Oh..." Scar said, his ears drooping a little. "I mean...I get! You got work and stuff...It's OK. I completely understand." he finished.

Rainbow smiled and gave a playful punch to his side. "You're pretty cool Scar. Maybe some day, you'll be almost as awesome as I am. Any way, I'll see ya around!"

With that, she took off with Cloudkicker, leaving behind her signature rainbow trail and a dazed and elated Scar. He had a goofy smile on his face and a distant look in his eyes. His flapping slowed down to the point where he was starting to fall slowly.

"She thinks I'm cool..." he said with a dreamy smile.

His body eventually hit the ground, but he barely registered the pain. His head was busy, filled with thoughts of Rainbow Dash, her sleek, cyan figure, her beautiful, prismatic mane, those deep, magenta eyes filled with unquenchable spirit.

"She thinks I'm cool..."
> The Second Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 5
THE SECOND MEETING


"So...how was your day?"

Ironhead was a little surprised when he entered their apartment at the end of the day. After closing the front door, he turned and gasped upon seeing Scar grinning at him. He put a hoof on his chest, feeling his racing heart beat.

"What the hell Scar? You trying to give me a heart attack?" he asked annoyed.

Scar however still kept his grin on. "So...how was your day?" he repeated.

"Uh...kinda OK I guess..." Ironhead answered heading towards his room. Once there, he jumped on his bed and sighed. He looked up and was surprised to see Scar sitting on his bed with that same grin on his face.

"OK...what else?" Scar continued.

"Uh..." The confused earth pony sat up on his bed and shrugged. "Applejack kinda pissed me off when I got there, so I uh...knocked a tree over..." he said nervously. "Yeah...kinda freaked her out a bit and got a pay cut. She didn't let me buck any trees after that and made me clean up the chicken coop. Do I still smell like it?" He sniffed himself and frowned."Ugh, I need a bath. Anyway, after that, she made me sell apples at the market. After that-"

Ironhead stopped upon seeing the grin still plastered on his brother's face. "OK; you're really freaking me out now." Scar was unresponsive leading his brother to sigh. "So...how was your day?"

One second later, Scar was in his brothers face startling the latter. "It was the best day ever! You're never gonna believe what just happened!"

"Uh huh." Ironhead slowly pushed Scar's head away from him. "So what happened? You find out what's with all the light going around?"

"What?" Scar finally dropped the grin. "Oh yeah...That." He looked away guiltily.

"You forgot?!" he exclaimed.

"I-I didn't! I swear!" Scar defended. "I looked a little, then it happened!" The grin returned to his face. "I was taking a break and then...she showed up."

"Who?" Ironhead raised and eyebrow.

Scar flew over and put a leg around his brother who gave him a funny look. "Did you meet a cute girl or something?"

"You could say that..." Scar answered, his cheeks slightly flushed. "I met the coolest and most amazing pegasus in all of Equestria today; you seriously don't know who?"

"Wha-" Ironhead began, but the pieces stated to fit. Scar's goofy smile, the way he's fawning over somepony, his calling her the coolest and most amazing pegasus in all of Equestria; he knew his brother well, and there could only be one pony Scar could be talking about.

"Rainbow Dash?!"

"YES!" Scar shouted. As Ironhead rubbed his ears from the close range shout, Scar flew over to his bed and laid down.

"No freakin' way; she lives here in Ponyville?!"

"You bet she does! I showed her one of my tricks and then, she did her own and then, we flew around town and then, we had a race and then, SHE SAID I WAS COOL! And then-"

"Alright alright; I get it. Sheesh." Ironhead rolled his eyes as his brother started to go on about Rainbow.

Ever since Scar came back from that Best Young Flyer's competition, he'd been going on and on and on about some pony named Rainbow Dash who supposedly did something called a Sonic Rainboom. He'd been talking about her and attempting his own Sonic Rainboom for so long, he annoyed the whole family. It finally stopped after a month when a pissed-off Psych finally shut him up...using his powers. Ironhead shuddered at that memory; it took Scar days to recover from that and ever since, he never talked about Rainbow again (at least, not in front of Psych).

Scar eventually stopped his rambling and looked up at his brother. "You think I have a chance with her?"

Ironhead opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He tried to figure out what to say. On one hoof, he was happy that his brother had finally met his idol and inspiration despite how annoyed he gets when he fawns over her and would love to help him out with her. On the other hoof, they had a job to do; his getting a job at Sweet Apple Acres had already cut into his searching time and Scar busying himself with Rainbow would just cut into their investigation.

"Uh...look." He hated to do this. "Maybe you should...y'know...forget her for now..."

"WHAT?!" Scar was suddenly in his face again making Ironhead once again push him back. "But-but-b-but-"

"Lemme put it this way." he explained. "If Ponyville's destroyed, she'll go with it."

Orange eyes widened in shock after that. "Y-You're right!" Scar exclaimed. "There's no way I'd let her die if I can help it."

"Good to hear." Ironhead replied. "You can start saving her and the rest of Ponyville by getting this to dad."

He pulled out a corked test tube filled with soil. Scar wasted no time in taking it in his mouth and heading for the window. "I'll be back in ten minutes." he said sliding the window open and spreading his wings.

"Make sure you-" But Scar had already left before Ironhead could finish. Panicking, he looked out the window, but Scar was already gone. He began to freak out; he always told Scar to stay high above the clouds so nopony would see him use his powers, but now, giddy from his earlier encounter with Rainbow Dash, he might forget to fly high enough.

Panicking, Ironhead tried to stay positive. Maybe Scar would fly high enough to avoid being seen. Maybe nopony would notice him if he flew too low.

Right?



By the time the sun began to set and the moon about it take its place in the heavens, Fluttershy had finished feeding the animals for the night. After watching the chickens eat for a while, she put away a bag of chicken feed and made her way back to her cottage. She was thinking that after giving Angel his carrot, she'd pour herself some tea and busy herself with a novel she'd been reading.

It was during her walk back to her home that she felt the wind pick up for some strange reason. She stopped upon noticing this and looked around. As she turned her gaze upwards, the wind increased in intensity. All of a sudden, something streaked across the sky, soaring over her head and bringing an intense wind with it.

The wind was incredibly intense, stronger than any kind Fluttershy had ever encountered before. Before she knew it, her hooves left the ground, and she found herself airborne. As she tumbled about, her wings flared out, and, remembering what she could from flight school, she attempted to stabilize herself before she could crash into something.

Luckily, the wind began to die down a bit. Fluttershy managed to stop herself from tumbling and get her hooves back on the ground. It was a good thing too; looking up, she realized that she was just a foot away from smacking into the side of her house. Panting a little, she looked around seeing the animals in disarray from the earlier incident.

Instantly, she was there to calm them down. With some patience and a kind voice(not to mention a little help from her Stare), she managed to restore order to the animals. "There there. No need to worry. Everything's alright." she said soothingly to a baby rabbit shivering in fright. The bunny eventually calmed down and hopped on over to its parents.

Fluttershy smiled upon seeing that but then frowned as she heard panicked clucking coming from her chicken coop. She headed over there and entered, finding several startled chickens fluttering about. She sighed and got to work. After finally calming them down, she too managed to do the same.

What was that? she thought as she looked upwards. She thought she imagined it, but she could've sworn that whatever flew above her was big and fast; all she saw was a red streak. She looked down at the chickens again; while mentally making sure all of them were there, she wondered just what that red streak was.

Wait.

She counted again to make sure, but the same result came in; a chicken was missing, one particular chicken to be exact.

"Elizabeak..." Fluttershy muttered as she left the coop and began searching everywhere for the missing chicken. When she was nowhere in sight, dread started to creep down her spine as she looked around the coop. To her dismay, she saw a trail of feathers leading away from the coop and into the Everfree Forest.

Fluttershy gulped; going into the forest alone was a bad idea, but Elizabeak was in there. Who knows what could happen if she didn't try to get her. She considered calling one of her friends to accompany her, but doing so would take too long.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and entered the woods.

It was starting to get dark; Fluttershy tried not to imagine what kind of things could be lurking around. "Elizabeak..." she called out weakly hoping to get the latter's attention and not attract any creatures to her at the same time. She ventured deeper into the forest. "Elizabeak...where are-"

Startled clucking interrupted her. She turned and saw Elizabeak emerge from a clump of bushes and head rigth for her.

"There you are." Fluttershy said. "What were you thinking running off-"

But the hen had ran pas her and made a beeline for the cottage. Fluttershy watched her leave in confusion; she seemed frightened by something, but what? She looked over at the bushes Elizabeak emerged from and gingerly took a step forward.

It was then that she smelled something strange, like something was...burning? Her eyes widened in fear; a fire in the forest could drive out any beast and send them into town. It could also spread and affect her house as well.

But it didn't seem like a forest fire. There wasn't any smoke above the trees, and there weren't any wildlife running away. But she could definitely smell something burning. Wondering what it was, she followed the path Elizabeak ran away from.

In the end, she reached a large clearing. She saw nothing burning or on fire. In fact, there was only one thing in that clearing.

The same strange colt she saw the previous day.



The surprise on Ash's face was mirrored on Fluttershy's. The latter wondered if he would fly away again like the previous day. Ash on the other hand kept his hooves on the ground. He couldn't believe he'd seen this strange pony two days in a row.

He didn't need this; he wanted her to leave, but she was strangely immune to his Glare. He had no other choice; he had to use his powers to scare her off-

What's stopping you from reducing her to a pile of cinders?

He closed his eyes and growled as the thought crossed his head starling Fluttershy a little. He decided to go and do just what he thought. After all, that what's he's supposed to do. He's suppose to do nothing but kill, hurt, destroy and make others suffer-

He growled again and opened his eyes, his teeth bared. Fluttershy gasped as she saw those angry eyes suddenly change from gold to scarlet. His Glare wasn't working, but fear still rooted Fluttershy to her spot. Ash focused on her and concentrated; in just a matter of seconds, she'd be burnt to a crisp.

But for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Do it! he screamed in his mind. Burn her! Hurt her! This is what you're supposed to do! You don't have any other choice! Fluttershy watched as his legs began to tremble.

In reality, Ash had never used his power directly on other ponies or anything living thing before. She would be his first victim, his first murder...

Ash growled loudly as he hesitated some more. He screamed in his head to burn her, but he just couldn't. He gave one last cry before falling to the side. He started panting as if he's just run a marathon. He then weakly opened his eyes; Fluttershy saw then revert back to their original golden color.

"Oh dear. Are you alright?" She galloped over to him and tried checking for injuries. He didn't seem to be hurt at all.

"Go away." Ash told her.

"B-but you look hurt." Fluttershy reasoned.

"I said go!" Ash yelled standing up. He put a his hooves on her and shoved her away from him. Fluttershy stumbled a bit but was otherwise unharmed. She looked up and saw his face and was surprised to see him staring at her wide-eyed with shock, as if he couldn't believe he'd done such a thing.

"Are...are you OK?" she asked. Every part of her told her that this was a bad pony that she had to get away from as quick as she could, but she couldn't just ignore somepony who looked like he was in pain. "You're not from Ponyville aren't you? That is...if you don't mind me asking..."

Still slightly agitated, Ash stared at her with raised eyebrows and remained silent. Fluttershy drew back a bit. "I-it's OK. You don't have to answer if you don't have to..." She looked at him and saw him watching her warily. "I'm sorry...I didn't even introduce myself...I'm...I'm Fluttershy..."

What the hell? Ash thought. He wondered what happened to that determined, strong-willed, apology-demanding mare he met only yesterday. Now, that same mare is standing before him apologizing and even giving him her name. He shook his head; if she knew what he really was, she'd be right in staying as far away from him as possible.

He had enough of this. Being around anypony else caused his to think things, things that hurt him greatly which is why he always wandered off alone to do his own thing. He turned around , took a few steps away from the shy mare and spread his wings.

"W-Wait!" Fluttershy called out before he could leave. "It's dangerous in the forest, especially at night. There's Timberwolves, dragons, Ursas, manticores..." Her list of horrors lurking in the forest was incomplete and would hopefully remain that way.

"I...I'll be fine..." Ash replied without looking at her.

"OK...If you say so..." he heard Fluttershy reply.

He found himself lingering longer than he wanted to. He didn't understand what was happening to him. He growled silently and fidgeted for a while before finally speaking. "Ash."

Fluttershy's ears perked up upon hearing that. "What?"

The colt turned his head to the side, but didn't exactly look directly at her. "M...my name's Ash."

Taking a deep breath, he spread his wings and took off into the forest. "Ash." she whispered to herself as he watched him leave. Noticing just how dark it was getting, she decided to follow suit and leave the clearing as well.

"What a strange pony..." she mused as her house approached. Putting Ash of out her mind, she entered her home and sighed, finally feeling at ease.

She went and made herself some nice jasmine tea. When it was ready, she settled herself on her couch and took a sip and sighed feeling totally relaxed. She reached over to a nearby shelf and grabbed a book and turned to the page where she stopped. Upon finding it, she began reading; nothing could bother her now.

Well, except a certain white bunny that hopped on her chest, pulled down her book and pointed at his opened mouth. "Oh yes. Carrot. Sorry." Fluttershy apologized as she fetched her pet's meal.

Little did she know that what she saw earlier that day wasn't a red streak.

It was a scarlet blur.

> Suspicions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 6
SUSPICIONS


"OK, that's uh..." he did a quick count in his head. "25 bits."

The weird, cross-eyed pegasus handed in her bits before taking off, a sack of apples in her mouth. "Thanks again Ms. Hooves!" Applebloom said waving at the pegasus as he left.

It had been three days since he started working at the farm. Through the hours of working on the farm (despite being banned from the apple fields), he had gotten a little closer to the Apple family during that time though he had gained somewhat of a rival in Big Macintosh. At the moment, he was manning the a stall in the marketplace along with Applebloom.

Scar hadn't found anything that could be causing the build up of light yet which worried him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary around Ponyville. Why the hell was the ground filled with light? If this kept up, if they were too late to find the cause, Ponyville would be destroyed just like his home all those years ago.

He looked over to Applebloom. She was a good kid, nice, sweet, kind...It made him smile. It also made him think of...his sister...

He shook his head. They had to save this town and everypony in it.

"Hey bro!" he heard a familiar voice yell. Ironhead looked to the side and saw his brother land near the stand. "I couldn't find you at the farm."

"Yeah, Applejack makes me run the stall here sometimes." the earth pony explained before speaking in a hushed tone. "So...you find anything?"

Scar shook his head and hung it in defeat. "This is stupid. Everything's normal, but dad keeps saying that there's more and more light in the soil every day." He stomped his hoof as if he was mad at the ground or something. "What the hay's going on here!?"

His shout of anger and frustration had attracted the attention of a few surrounding ponies. He recoiled slightly and spoke quietly. "What're we gonna do? Even dad's stumped."

"Huh..." Ironhead did some thinking. "D'you think maybe we could...y'know...ask for help?" he asked reluctantly.

"From whom? The ponies here?"

"Well...yeah."

"Are you crazy." Scar almost shouted. "Anypony we ask is gonna get suspicious."

"You don't have to say Ponyville's in danger. Just say that you're looking for light or something."

"Why can't you do it? You're better at making stuff up than I am."

Ironhead was interrupted by a poke to his back. He turned around and saw Applebloom as well as a long line of irritated customers. "Oh uh...Sorry!" he apologized before returning to his post.

"Ironhead..." Scar said annoyed.

"I got stuff to do." Ironhead said as he accepted another customer's bits. "Just find somepony and ask; you'll be fine!"

"But-" Unfortunately, Ironhead was already swamped by the sheer number of customers he had to attend to. Scar sighed and took off still wondering what to do.

"What was that all about?" Applebloom asked curiously.

"Eh, just brother to brother talk. Little kids like you wouldn't understand." Ironhead answered.

That caused the filly to pout and cross her hooves. "I ain't that little..." she said. The sight made Ironhead laugh and ruffle her mane a bit before going back to the customers.



"Ask somepony?...Pft. Who'd I ask?" Scar muttered as he flew around Ponyville. Their job was supposed to be a secret to avoid mass panic and chaos. Then again, they were seriously out of leads. Neither of them knew a lot about the town. Whatever could be the source of the light could be something only the ponies there would know.

He gave an annoyed sigh and dove down, landing in front of a familiar, sweets-covered building- Sugar Cube Corner. He didn't know that many ponies in town, but he certainly knew the pink mare that worked at the place.

He entered the shop and was immediately overwhelmed by the scent of freshly baked good. He took a big whiff of it and sighed contentedly before shaking his head and remembering the reason he was there in the first place.

To his delight, the mare he was looking for was right before him behind a counter. Pinkie spotted him and in right in front of him in less than a blink of an eye, a grin plastered on her face. "Hi Scar. I haven't seen you in a while. How's the job hunt thing?"

"I oh…" His eyes darted from side to side. "It's ok…I haven't found a job yet-"

"Oh I know! I bet you came here 'cause you wanna work here." Pinkie said bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Uh…no." Scar said. Pinkie stopped in mid-air and descended slowly, puzzling Scar. "I'm actually here to ask you something."

"I'm all ears." Pinkie said leaning towards him, her ears moving up and down. "Uh oh. You might wanna take a bath later."

Scar gave her yet another funny look. "What? Anyway, I was wondering...d'you know anything about...light...?"

"Hmm...Oh! I have some light right here!" She held up a flashlight up to his face and switched it on and off repeatedly.

Scar blinked several times not because of the flashlight but because she wasn't holding one when she ran up to him. "No...I don't mean that kind of light."

"Well, that's the only kind I know." Pinkie tossed the flashlight aside. "Why don't you ask Twilight? She's like, the smartiest smart pony in town; maybe she can help."

"Twilight huh?" He could somewhat recall that name from the party. "I guess I could try. Where does she live?"

"Ponyville Library. "It's a big tree thingy."

"OK then. Thanks Pinkie; I'll see you around then."

He turned and made his way to the door as Pinkie waved at him. "Bye Scar; make sure you use lotsa soap!"

Her last sentence made him turn his head towards her. "What do you-"

Unfortunately, he wasn't watching where he was going. Talking to Pinkie caused him to miss the steps outside the shop. He lost his balance and tumbled down the steps and onto the street finally stopping face-down in something damp and filthy. A raise of his head told him that he had crashed into a mud puddle. He gave an exasperated sigh before smacking himself face first into the mess beneath him.

One bubble bath later...

All clean, Scar showed up in front a large tree that looked like somepony lived in it. He knocked on the candle-marked door and waited. "Spike, could you get that? I'm a little busy at the moment."

"On it!" said a new voice, a male voice which puzzled Scar. That soon turned into surprise when the door opened, revealing a small, purple...dragon? Holding a feather duster?

"Uh, can I help you?" he said to Scar's surprised expression. The red pegasus quickly recovered.

"Sorry. I-I'm looking for Twilight." Scar explained.

"Oh. Hey Twilight! Some guy's looking for you!" the dragon called into the library before turning back to Scar. "C'mon in."

He led the way as Scar stepped into the library. Several books were scattered about the floor while some were levitated by a purple aura and placed on several shelves. Twilight saw Scar and approached him. "Oh! Hello there Scar." Her eyes traveled over the library. "Sorry about the mess. We're doing a little cleaning at the moment."

"Nah, it's fine. I'm just here to ask something real quick." Scar said.

Twilight nodded in understanding, and Scar steeled himself once again. "D'you know anything about...light...?"

The mare tapped her chin in thought. "Well...If you want to know about light, this should get you started."

A yellow book flew out of its shelf surrounded by a lavender aura. Twilight held it up in front of Scar who read the title. It was titled "Optics for Dummies".

"That's uh...not the kind of light I'm looking for." he said peering past the book at the librarian.

Twilight put the book aside and looked at him puzzled. "Really? What kind of light are you looking for?"

Light that can blow away everything in its path... Scar thought. "Well...I heard there're other kinds of light."

"Really? Where'd you hear that?" Twilight asked, her interest piqued.

Scar hoped she didn't notice the sweat on his forehead. "I uh...can't remember...So...heard of any other kinds of light?"

"N-no." She shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't think of anything Scar."

The latter wasn't really surprised at all. An idea struck him. "Wait, d'you got anything on the history of Ponyville or something?"

"Huh? First you ask about light, then you ask about the town's history?" Twilight asked confused.

Too late, Scar realized that he didn't think that through. She might make a connection between Ponyville and light and get closer to the truth. "If you don't have any, then I'll-"

"Wait." Twilight said stopping him. She picked out another book titled "A Brief History of Ponyville" and gave it to Scar. "If you must know Applejack's family founded Ponyville in the first place."

"Really?" Scar took the book from her."Well, I guess this could help me. So, do I gotta pay or anything or..."

"Oh no. This is a library. Just have in back in a week OK?" Twilight told him.

"Will do. Thanks again Twilight. I'll see you around then."

With that, Scar took of carrying the book. Twilight watched him leave for a while before turning to her assistant. "Spike, you done there?"

"Almost." he replied. Indeed, his half of the library was almost completely tidy.

"Good because once you're done, we're going to look a few things up." Twilight said as she levitated some books and put them in their proper places.

"What kind of things?" Spike asked. "You mean the stuff that guy was talking about?"

She nodded. She wasn't suspicious at all, just curious. For some reason, Scar affiliated light with Ponyville which got her thinking.
>  A Liar's Tale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 7
A LIAR'S TALE


"Blah blah blah settlers...blah blah blah Apple family...blah blah blah...Zap Apples?" Scar gave a frustrated sigh and tossed the book aside. Then thumped his head on his pillow and just laid there for a while. The book had been no help at all and just left his as clueless as ever.

Just then, he heard the front door open. "Hey Scar, I'm back!" Ironhead called out. He searched the apartment, eventually finding his brother in their room. "Lemme guess, still nothing?"

Scar shook his head but didn't raise it. Ironhead noticed the book and picked it up. "Ponyville's history?" he asked sitting on his bed and flipping through its pages.

"Yeah." Scar flipped over and faced the ceiling. "I tried asking Pinkie, but she didn't know anything and said I should go ask Twilight. After I took a bath-"

"A bath?" Ironhead raised an eyebrow.

Scar waved the question off. "Don't ask. Anyway, Twilight didn't know anything about light either, so I thought I'd find something in Ponyville's history. Turns out that was a bust too."

"Huh..." Ironhead flipped through the pages some more eventually coming across something that took him by surprise. "Wait, Applejack's family founded Ponyville?"

Scar sat up. "Yeah, Twilight told me."

Ironhead nodded and flipped a page coming across a picture of the original settlers. He didn't recognize any of them, but a caption at the bottom said that the filly in the middle was Granny Smith. Huh...Granny didn't look to bad back in the day...

"We've got no leads at all." Scar said miserably. " And dad said yesterday that Ash and Psych are still the same. None of us are going anywhere with this." He gave a defeated sigh.

Ironhead snapped the book shut and put it aside. "C'mon bro, don't say crap like that." He walked over to his brother. "Nothing's happened yet, so we still got time. Tell you what, I'll go ask Applejack if I can get the afternoon off, so I can help you out."

The seemed to cheer Scar up a bit. "You really think she'd let you do that."

"Eeyup."

Scar gave him a puzzled look. The brown pony realized what he just said. "Great, the Apples're starting to rub off on me..."

"That's cause you hang around them all day." Scar chuckled. "Hey, I never asked; what's farm work like?"

"Eh." Ironhead shrugged. "Pretty OK I guess. I mean, most of the stuff I gotta do isn't really that tough anyway 'cause of my strength. Sometimes, I do some plowing or helping out with the animals or taking care of the fields and stuff. Applejack still won't let me buck trees though..."

"They'd go out of business if they did that." Scar remarked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, the Apples're pretty close." Ironhead continued. "They're all really nice y'know. Big Mac's still trying to beat me at everything. Applejack's little sister's a good kid, and her grandma's really nice too. Applejack's well...she's something alright." he found himself gazing out a window. "I mean, even with the rest of 'em, running the farm's tough work. Heck, without my powers, I'd've quit by now." he let out a hearty chuckle.

"Yeah...I saw her buck apples, fix up the house, man the stall, keep an eye on Applebloom...seriously, even I think that's a lot to handle...but she does it all like it's nothing at all. That pony amazes me y'know..."

"Uh huh..." Scar got up and stretched a little. "Listen, I think it's time I go get this to dad." He held up a soil-filled test tube and opened the room's window.

"Don't fly too low." Ironhead warned still a little mad about what happened a few days ago. Scar just waved him off and took to the sky. Now alone, Ironhead sighed. He picked up the book Scar had and flipped through it some more.

"Apple family huh...?"



The next day...

"Y'know, you guys seriously need a new plow." Ironhead commented as he watched Big Mac struggle while pulling his plow which was rusty and clearly needed replacement. His own plow was the same, but he didn't that much trouble pulling it.

In a matter of minutes, his half of the field was fully plowed. After putting the tools back in the shed, he went over and saw Big Mac still busy with his half. "Hey, you want any help?" he asked.

"N..nope...I'm fine..." Big Mac replied.

The other earth pony shrugged. "If you say so. Listen uh...I'm gonna go get a drink. Just call me if you need some help."

"Will do..."

Ironhead made his way into the house and entered the kitchen. After filling up a glass, he sat down and drank from it, resting from the work he just did.

Just then, Applejack entered the room and wiped some sweat from her brow. "Hoo wee, done with your side of the field already?" she asked surprised to see him.

"Uh huh. Big Mac's only like, half done or something. Maybe you guys should get a new plow."

"Why? You got no problem with it."

"Well duh, I'm the strongest pony in two towns." Ironhead said proudly. Probably in the world too...

All that did was make Applejack chuckle. "Well, yer strong; I'll give ya that. Good thing too; get's a lotta work done 'round here."

"Yeah. So where were you?" Ironhead asked. AJ tilted her head upwards.

"Fixin' up a few leaky pipes." Applejack sat down across the table. "Took longer than I thought."

"Heh, farm work's really like that huh?"

"Well, yeah." Applejack shrugged. "It ain't always this easy, but hey, I can manage. You're doin' awfully well for somepony who ain't used to life like this."

"Eh. Living in Manehatten's not that bad. Really boring, yeah, but not bad." Ironhead lied.

He took a sip of his drink. "Well then how'd a boring place like that make somepony like you an' yer brother?"

"I dunno; we're just different I guess." Ironhead replied with a small smile. "You should've seen my mom and dad's looks when we told them we wanted to leave Manehatten. They actually wanted us to do the same kind of work. Can you believe that?"

"Well, it's hard to think of you two behind a desk crunchin' up numbers and all that fancy shmancy mathematical stuff to be honest." Applejack replied.

"Exactly. I told them I wasn't cut out for all that math and business crap. " Ironhead said continuing to lie and make up stories as he went.

He had absolutely no idea just who he was lying to.

"I mean, Scar and I aren't stupid or anything. Well, we never got any awards or anything in school either." He scratched the back of his head. "We just wanted a more exciting life y'know; Scar especially, and I'm kinda the same as him. My sister-"

Once again, he froze at the last word, and he felt a tiny amount of pain in his chest. "Uh...somethin' the matter sugar cube?" Applejack asked noticing this.

The colt blinked several times. "Huh? Wh-what about sugar?"

"You said something 'bout your sister." Applejack pointed out.

"Oh yeah." Ironhead regained his composure. "My sister's fine with living in Manehatten. I write to her like, every week. Heh, I tell her all the times we tried looking for jobs in other cities. I told her Ponyville's nice; she said if she wasn't so swamped with work all the time, she'd visit some time."

"That's awfully nice of her. You two seem real close." Applejack noted.

"Well, we are twins..."

"Twins? You have a twin sister?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Ironhead's heart was a battleground between the pain of loss and soothing feeling of reminiscing good times with his sister. "Her name's Ironheart, and well, she kinda looks like me; I mean, we got the same eyes and coat. She's a little thinner than me, and she's got a longer and curlier mane."

"We used to all sorts of stuff together a few years back." Ironhead found himself unable to lie any more, not about this. "We'd pretend to be super heroes and fight bad guys and stuff. We this stupid little cart outta wood and called it the Ironmobile and ran around town looking for bad guys. And-and one time, we were trying to get sompony's cat outta a tree and crashed our cart into it. A-and the cat fell and started attacking us. We gave the cat back, but our mom and dad were so mad."

After hearing his tale, Applejack watched as he laughed and thumped the kitchen table as he did. He laughed for a long time and by the time they were reduced to small chuckles, he clutched his chest as his lungs ached. When he finally stopped, he remained silent for a while.

"Dammit I miss her..."

The first bit of truth he had said in a long time.

He was silent once more. After a few seconds, he looked up and just remembered that Applejack was with him. "Uh heh, sorry Applejack. Didn't mean to ramble like that..."

"It's all right Ironhead. Hey, that was mighty sweet of ya to say 'bout yer sister." Applejack said with a smile. "How long's it been since ya last saw her?"

"A really, really...really long time." Ironhead answered.

"Ya really miss her don't ya?" He nodded. "Can't say I blame you. I'd prob'ly feel the same if Applebloom and I were apart."

Ironhead looked up at her. "Yeah; you two look really close. Applebloom kinda reminds me of Ironheart when we were kids. 'Course, Ironheart never complained about not having a Cutie'Mark yet. She's a good kid y'know."

"She sure is." Appplejack mused. "Me, Bog Macintosh, Applebloom, Granny Smith, we're all real close. Granny always told us that fam'ly sticks with ya no matter what. They ain't gonna abandon you or hate ya for who ya are." She bowed her head slightly. "And even if they leave...somehow and some way, they're still with ya..."

The silence that followed was similar to the one after Ironhead spoke. Thinking about her words, he realized that during his time at the farm, he never saw nor heard anything about Applejack's parents. He didn't want to be rude or anything and ask, but he could tell that Applejack's bond with her remaining family was just as strong as his own.

He had lost both his parents and his sister in that incident several years ago. Even to this day, he was still saddened by their deaths especially Ironheart who he was closest to and was far too young to lose her life. But despite the sadness he felt, he was happy with his current life. Equinox, Scar and the rest of them, they were his family now. Even though Ash and Psych never wanted anything to do with the rest of them, he still thought of them as his brothers. He, like Applejack, found joy and peace with the ones with was with right now.

The silence was interrupted when Big Mac stepped into the room to fetch a drink. "Oh, finally done with the field?" his sister asked. Big Mac nodded and took a drink. "That's good. After lunch, you and Ironhead can start seeding-"

"Uh, actually Applejack, I wanna ask if I can get the afternoon off. Scar's still looking for a job, and he asked if I can help." Ironhead said and in came the lies once again.

"Hmm...well, I guess you can. You have been workin' real hard here the past few days. I s'pose you can get the afternoon off." Applejack said doing some thinking. "I hope yer brother finds what he's lookin' for."

"Yeah, me too." Ironhead couldn't help but smirk at that. "Thanks Applejack."

"No prob' sugar cube. Ya deserve it; I'm a go prep up some of them seeds. Bee right back."

With that, she left the two boys alone. Ironhead turned to Big Mac. "Your sister's really something y'know. I don't really know any other girl like her."

"That's AJ for ya." Big Mac said looking at where his sister was. "The farm'd be nothin' without somepony as hard workin', devoted and tough as she is. Not to mention honest."

Ironhead blinked a few times. "Did you say honest?"

"Eeyup." he nodded. "Applejack's the most honest pony I know. You could say that it's her 'element'." he added with a light chuckle.

Ironhead blinked several times as this knew brand of information sunk in. He realized that during their entire conversation, Applejack had been completely honest with him. He was honest when he spoke about his sister, but that was just it. Everything else was nothing but lies.

Secrets and lies...that was his element.

He was too caught up in his thoughts to notice that Big Mac had left the room. He covered his face in shame and smacked his forehead against the table. Before coming to Ponyville, he'd never lied that much before, and just now he lied several times right in the face of somepony who exemplifies honesty more than anypony else.

And the guilt was crushing to say the least.
> Vile, Evil, Horrible and Cruel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 8
EVIL, VILE, HORRIBLE AND CRUEL


That afternoon, Ash found himself wandering around the corridors of his home alone. He wanted to have a round of chess, but Psych was nowhere to be found. Their house was so big, and Psych could be anywhere. Ash decided to give and just go back to his room and stay there.

Along the way, he passed by the door leading to Soltice's room. It was ajar allowing him to peek inside. The teal unicorn was sitting on his bed on which several books and scrolls were scattered about. Five books were floating around him surrounded by a teal magical aura.

Solstice magically flipped through the pages with his magic. Every few seconds, he'd sigh and toss a book aside before replacing it with another one. As he put down a graph depicting the slow but definitely increasing amount of light in Ponyville's soil, he noticed his brother looking at him from outside.

"Oh, hello Ash. Forgive me for not seeing you there. As you can see, I've been busy for quite some time now. Why don't you come in?" Smiling warmly, Solstice magically opened the door wide for him. Ash slowly entered as Solstice went through a few more books.

"I'm afraid Scar and Ironhead's efforts in Ponyville have yielded no results. Even as we speak, light continues to fill Ponyville's soil, its cause still unknown."

Ash remained silent as Solstice sighed and placed all the books down. "But enough about that. So what have you been up to lately?" he asked cheerily.

Ash instantly knew that this was yet another attempt to reach out to him. He considered his, as well as the rest of the family's, efforts were pointless. There was nothing they could to help him; he had given up trying to change ages ago.

Solstice on the other hand refused to give up. He didn't care that Ash had spent years refusing their help. His brother was a troubled boy who needed guidance if not from their dad then from his eldest brother. He wondered if Blues had found Psych and tried talking to him. However, the thought concerned him; without Ash around, Psych wouldn't hesitate to use his powers on Blues. Solstice hoped the later would be careful.

"I know. Perhaps you'd like a game of chess. I'll have you know I'm quite talented at it." Solstice said brushing his hoof on his coat. He knew that Ash did indeed love to play chess, and without his usual opponent around, now was the chance to bond something Ash liked.

The pegasus bowed a bit. "I...OK..." he said not looking at his brother. That put a hopeful smile on Solstice's face.

"Excellent. Your set is in your room correct?" Solstice's horn glowed; a flash of teal light later, Ash's chess set appeared and landed among the books and scrolls on Solstice's bed. Using his magic once again, Solstice put all the things aside and scooted aside to let Ash hop on.

"Now then, shall we begin?



"Checkmate." Ash said several minutes later. He sighed; Solstice was good, but wasn't as good as Psych. Their match was shorter than the ones Ash usually had. As they played, Solstice tried starting up several conversations all of which Ash responded with by knocking his pieces over. Seeing the match over, Ash began to pack up his chess set.

"Say, that was a good match Ash. I honestly never expected you to be this talented." Solstice said. "I believe you earned that Cutie-Mark of yours."

Ash snapped his chess set up and began to leave. "Ash, wait. Er...perhaps another round?"

He was ignored. Solstice decided to take things a bit more seriously. "Ash listen, I know we don't usually spend much time together-"

"Just...Just stop." Ash said . He slowly turning around. "I don't want to hear it."

"Ash please...listen to me...I want to help you." Solstice jumped off the bed and approached him. "That's all any of us wish to do to you and to Psych."

"You can't. You can't help me. I'm...beyond help. You can't change who I am. Nopony can." Ash bowed his head.

Solstice gently extended a hoof. "Ash, what you think you are is far from the real you. Deep down-"

His hoof was suddenly swatted away. "Deep down, I'm nothing but evil." Ash interrupted, his legs trembling slightly. "I make ponies suffer. I care for nothing. I hurt, destroy and kill! D-don't think I won't do that to you!" he shouted, his eyes turning scarlet. "Because that's what I do! This...this is who I am!"

But in those eyes, Solstice didn't see somepony evil at all. He gingerly placed a hoof on his brother's shoulder. "Ash-"

But the later, angry and panicking, knocked his hoof aside. "Don't say I'm not. Wh-what do you know? I know what I am and...and I accept it! I'll...I'll hurt you; I'll kill you if I want to, and I'll like it too!"

I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am. Everypony hates me...I'll hurt...I'll k-kill if I want to...

"Ash..."

Why aren't you burning him to a crisp?

"Ash please..."

Hurt him! Do what you're supposed to do! Why are you hesitating?!

"Listen to me Ash, I don't believe-"

But the later had picked up his chess set and violently through it at Solstice. At the last second, he put up a teal magical barrier around him. Ash's chess set broke in two, its pieces scattering across the floor. Solstice gently lowered his barrier and watched as a white chess pawn rolled on the floor until it his Ash's hoof.

Solstice looked up at his brother and saw him panting as he reverted his eyes back to their normal color. Those eyes still showed anger and hate within them, but Solstice saw something else, something that looked like regret. Was Ash showing remorse for his actions?

Before he could say or do anything else, Ash quickly turned and bolted out of the room as fast as he could. All Solstice could do was raise his hoof to try and stop him, but his brother had already left. Defeated, he sighed and lowered his hoof still very concerned about Ash.

He thought he almost saw tears in his eyes when he left.



Ash flew as fast as his wings allowed him. Every wing beat put him further way from his home, from Solstice and the rest of them. He wanted to be alone; he needed to be alone. Being around other ponies only made the pain worse. He angrily wiped his eyes to get rid of the small amount of tears that formed.

After flying for a long time, he finally reached the clearing he usually stayed in. But even as he touched down, his mind was still full of thoughts. Nopony can help you...he thought to himself. Nopony can change who you are. The only thing you're capable off his hurting others. Didn't you try to hurt Solstice even when he was trying to help you? And if Psych hear about it, he'll hurt him. You just don't hurt others, you make others hurt each other as well. All you do is cause suffering.

Ash clutched his head in pain as he tried to block out his thoughts. Unfortunately, they kept on coming. "I only know how to hurt others..." he muttered as his grip tightened. "I'm evil..." His breath became ragged. "I'm vile…" He started to tremble. "I…am...CRUEL!"

He screamed as he uncovered his head and opened his eyes which suddenly turned scarlet. A sudden flash of light and a wave of heat later, the bush right next to him suddenly caught on fire. Ash flinched and scampered away from it before he could get burned. Panting, he watched as the bush was slowly consumed by the flames he created.

He had lost control of his powers. He covered his face and screamed as loud and as long as he could not caring that his throat began to ache. After several seconds, he finally stopped and slumped to the ground panting. As the smoke spiraled into the sky, Ash thought that somepony might notice it and investigate. He quickly rose left the clearing before anypony could show up. He went further into the forests, further away from his home.

To his surprise, something came up. As he parted through a pair for trees, he saw before him, a small cottage next to a small creek. He looked back; he must've reached the other end of the forest. He was also surprised that somepony would live to close to the forest despite it being full of danger.

Nevertheless, he wanted to get away. He turned and was about to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something flying towards him. He realized this too late causing what ever it was to hit him in the temple. The blow wasn't enough however to knock Ash down or critically injure him in any way. Recovered, Ash saw whatever had hit him roll across the ground in front of him-a carrot.

He looked over in the direction it came from, and, to his surprise, he saw a grumpy and very familiar white rabbit. Said rabbit was also carrying another carrot which was quickly thrown at Ash. Not wanting to get hit again, the latter focused and incinerated the carrot completely before it could hit him. The sight was enough to freak the rabbit out and made him make a beeline for the house.

Ash sighed and shook his head to get rid of the thoughts of incinerating the rabbit as well. What's stopping you? He turned away and thought about his next move when he heard the door open. "Now Angel, what is it this ti-"

Both the voice and Ash stopped at the same time. The latter turned to its source and once again came face to face with that same yellow pegasus, Fluttershy. He should've known that coming across that rabbit would lead him to her again. She must live in that cottage, but who'd want to live so close to the dangerous Everfree Forrest?

"A...Ash...?" Fluttershy managed to get out. She then spotted the carrot nearby. "Oh dear, did Angel throw that? I'm so sorry. He isn't usually like this even around strangers." She bowed her head and pawed the ground a bit.

He wondered is she was going to make that rabbit apologize again just like the first time they met. Speaking of the first day they met, he also remembered her being completely unaffected by his Glare. The fact still puzzled him to this day.

Wanting to see it once again, Ash approached Fluttershy, who backed up a bit, and gazed into her eyes. Usually, it only took a few seconds before the Glare took effect and his target would be inflicted with fear and panic. Fluttershy's face showed timidity and confusion but not fear.

Ash pulled back still unable to believe what just happened. She seemed to truly be completely immune to his Glare. Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but Ash turned his gaze to Angel and locked eyes with him. It was just then did she noticed just how intense and focused his gaze. It actually look kinda familiar. It looked kinda liked-

"My Stare?" she said out loud. By then Angel had already ran back into her cottage. "You...You have a gaze like mine?"

Ash looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, and she backed off. "I-I'm sorry for being rude. I was just wondering..."

He sighed and shook his head. "You're pathetic." he said quietly but loud enough for her to hear him. "Y-You're weak. You're...you're a coward that can't say a damn sentence without-"

But he couldn't finish his last sentence. Stammering, he turned away from her. What's wrong? Why'd you stop? She is weak. She is pathetic. Say it to her face! Ash growled but couldn't bring himself to continue his barrage of insults. It was his momentary hesitation to hurt Solstice all over again.

As for Fluttershy, she was visibly hurt from the things he said, but something in his eyes changed that. She recognized those eyes; they kinda looked like the ones on an animal frightened by something, but there was more to them than that. They seemed to be filled with...fear? Or was it something else?

Several things told her that Ash was a dangerous pony, but those eyes made her think otherwise.

"Uh…Ash?" she said snapping him out of his thoughts. "It's OK. I know you don't really mean the things you said."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I said horrible things to you, and you think I don't mean it?" He shook his head. "Well I do mean it. Y-you're pathetic…you weak…you're…Gah…"

He turned away from her and walked towards the forest. "You don't know me…I'm dangerous…I'm vile…hated…and evil…Don't…Don't think I won't hurt you!"

As he turned and shouted at her, she saw it again, the fear in his eyes. What was he afraid of? "I'll…I'll seriously hurt you…Don't say stuff like that…You don't who what I am…"

Fluttershy took a tentative step towards him. Ash tensed up but remained still. "You're right. I really don't know who you are, and to be honest, I'm afraid of you actually. But…I can see it in your eyes. You…you don't mean to be mean all the time don't you?"

Ash's eyes widened at that. He stared at Fluttershy wide-eyed with shock before running into the forest ignoring her startled yelp. After running some distance away, he spread his wings and took off. He flew through the forest, away from her, away from anypony whom he might hurt. After flying until his wings hurt, he ended up at the very he was trying to get away from in the first place-his home.

At that moment, the door opened, and Psych stepped out. "Ash, there you are." He approached his brother. "I was just about to look for-what happened?"

Ash remained silent and looked away leading the earth pony to sigh. "It's OK You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. "C'mon, let's go back in."

Psych entered the house leaving Ash alone outside. The latter had one thing on his mind, that mare Fluttershy. Her actions and what she told him greatly confused him. She didn't know anything about him and yet, she was came close to discovering his deepest secret, a secret that nopony knew of except for Psych who seemed to suspect it and was worried by it. Growling again, Ash entered his home, Fluttershy still on his mind.



I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.

He kept repeating that mantra in his head as he stared into the black, empty void before him. He was alone, completely separated from anypony else. If there was anypony else there, he'd surely end up hurting them…

I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.

He strangely felt a presence before him. He raised his head and saw before him that same mare, Fluttershy, care and compassion in her eyes. "Ash…" she said.

"Stop…" he told her shakily. "S-Stop it! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" he screamed at her. "Stop giving me that look! "

"But I-"

"Stop trying to help me!" he bellowed. "I'm evil! I'm vile! I'm horrible! I'm cruel! That's who I am! Stop it! Stop giving me your kindness! I…"

Ashe collapsed and began to tremble. "Stop it please…" he whispered. "I…I don't deserve it…"

"Indeed you don't." a loud, booming voice said.

Ash watched as a massive pillar of fire burst from beneath Fluttershy's hooves consuming her entirely. He gasped and backed off as the flames intensified; he could no longer see Fluttershy and assumed that she had already been burnt to a crisp. He could've done that...With his powers, something like that could easily be done to her and to others...

Eventually, the pillar died down, and a new pony stood in in Fluttershy's place, a pegasus like them. His coat was a mixture of different shades of red, orange, yellow and gold. His mane and tail were made of actual flames. The most striking part of him were his eyes. They were vividly scarlet, the exact shade his eyes took whenever he used his powers.

"You're evil. You're vile. You're horrible. You're cruel. That's...who you are." the fire pony said. "You and I are the same."

"They...They hate me...Everypony hates me..." Ash said gloomily. "I only know...how to hurt others...I'm...a monster...I don't deserve anything...or anypony..."

The fire pony nodded and vanished into nothingness. Ash was once again all alone in the middle of the vast darkness. To him, loneliness had always been a blessing. There was no one to hurt, no one to suffer because of him. He almost wished he'd never have to leave. Consumed by his grief, Ash laid down and curled up into a fetal position.

I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.
> A Scarlet Promise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 9
A SCARLET PROMISE


His eyes closed, Scar felt a shaft of light hit his face. Groaning in annoyance, he turned and covered himself with a pillow to try and block out the annoying sun. When he found out that wouldn't be able to get any more sleep, he got up and stretched.

Sighing, he got out of his bed and made his way to the kitchen. Breakfast since arriving in town was always light. Today's breakfast consisted of a slice of toast and a pair of apples Ironhead brought home the previous day.

As he ate, he mused on their current situation. Even with Ironhead's help the previous day, their search had been unsuccessful. Even as he ate, more and more light was seeping into Ponyville's soil, and there was nothing hey could do to stop it. Their situation seemed hopeless; what were they to do?

Sighing, Scar put his stuff away and left the apartment. It was a beautiful day out in Ponyville despite the circumstances. Scar took to the skies and soared around wondering where he should search next. He briefly considered checking up on Twilight again to see if she'd found anything.

The idea seemed OK, but he remembered Twilight questioning him on the things he asked her. He could tell that she was starting to wonder just why he was looking for things related to light and Ponyville. If she was as smart as Pinkie said she was, maybe it'd be better off not asking her anything anymore.

Slightly frustrated at his situation, he flew up to a nearby cloud and slammed his hind legs into it. It vanished after a slight poof. That kinda helped Scar a little, but he still felt bad. He flew over to another cloud and just laid down on it and rested for a while.

As he laid there watching the clouds go by, something dashed right in front of him, missing him by just a few inches. Intrigued, he raised his head and saw several clouds suddenly vanish accompanied by a poof sound. He then saw that same something dart away from the clouds and headed towards the cloud he was one leaving a multi-colored trail in its wake-

Wait...multi-colored trail?!

The cloud he was lying on suddenly vanished with a small poof. With nothing to support him, Scar suddenly found himself face-to-face with a very familiar blue face, a set of surprised magenta eyes and multi-colored mane. Said pony's mouth also hung open slightly as if she wasn't expecting him at that moment.

"R-Rainbow DAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Scar wasn't flapping at all when he took her in causing him to fall several feet. Luckily for him, he managed to stop himself from falling and looked up instantly recognizing the mare. His earlier problems suddenly vanishing from his mind, he flew over to her remembering to try and play it cool despite his face heating up a bit.

"Uh-Uh-Ah-H-Hi Rainbow." he said in a slightly high-pitched voice. Damn it you idiot!

"Uh, hey Scar. Taking a nap?" she asked him.

"What? Uh-yeah." he replied grinning nervously. Quit grinning like an idiot! "So um...uh...what're you doing here?"

"Eh, just weather duty." Rainbow gestured to the clouds around them. "There's gonna be a downpour here in like, an hour or something, so I gotta clear up a few of these clouds here."

"That's...nice..." Scar said turning red in the face and mentally scolding himself for doing that. "You uh...you want any help or anything?"

Rainbow did some thinking. Scar helping her out would make her finish earlier. Less time for working meant more time to goof off. Besides, the grin on Scar's face told her that he was very eager to help her out. "You really wanna help?" she asked making sure he knew what he was doing.

"Uh huh. I-I don't mind at all." Scar replied with a nod.

That made Rainbow smile which in turn made Scar's heart do several back flips. "OK then. Let's do this thing." She rubbed her hooves together. "You can start by getting rid of that bunch of clouds over-"

Before she could even finish, Scar was already at the clouds she was indicating, leaving behind another red after image. He then started bucking and kicking them until they were gone. He moved on to another group leaving behind a red trail. Several seconds later, he was right in front of her again grinning at her, hoping that he'd done a good job.

"Wow, I guess you're not called Scarlet Blur for nothing." Rainbow said clearly impressed. She rolled her eyes. "Then again-"

She kept true to her name and dashed towards another group of clouds. Scar watched her dart from cloud to cloud, taking them out as she went; he almost felt dizzy just from watching her smack those clouds around. In what seemed like no time at all, she screeched to a halt right in front of him.

"Hah! Ten seconds flat." Rainbow said brushing her hoof on her chest. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you think you can fly with me."

"Oh yeah? Well...I'll show you!" Scar playfully called out as he flew away to take out more clouds.

Rainbow's eyes narrowed as a wide grin broke out on her face. "Pfft. More like I'll show you why I'm called the fastest pony in Equestria!"

Scar couldn't believe what was happening. He was flying and actually having fun with Rainbow Dash! Nopony else knew just how long he wished for that to happen. Ever since he first saw her at that Best Young Flyers Competition, he had wanted to meet her, to thank her for giving him a dream to fulfill, to become friends with her. And maybe...something more...

He wasn't going to deny it. He did indeed have feelings for that blue mare. He wouldn't tell her that yet in fear of freaking her out or anything.

They didn't finish in ten seconds flat, but they finished quicker than Rainbow thought they would. "Heh, I should get your help more often huh?" she told Scar.

"Y-Yeah. You just gimme a call or something. I'll help you out Rainbow." Scar told her.

"Seriously?"

"Uh huh. I haven't found a job yet, so I really don't have anything else to do." he said though a nagging voice similar to Ironhead's at the back of his head said otherwise. "What ever it is, I promise I won't ever let you down."

His crush raised an eyebrow. "Really? Pinkie Promise?"

"Huh?" This time, Scar raised an eyebrow. "Does this have something to do with Pinkie?"

"Not really, but she will start popping out of nowhere once you do it. If you're gonna be staying in Ponyville, you've got to know that." Rainbow said, the idea of Pinkie suddenly appearing out of nowhere unnerving Scar a bit. "OK, just do what I do. Cross my heart..." She drew an X on her chest.

"Cross my heart." Scar nodded and repeated the action.

"Hope to fly..." A cyan hoof extended.

"Hope to fly." A red hoof extended.

"Stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow closed her right eye and touched it with her hoof.

"Stick a cupcake in my eye." Scar finished the motions. He was kinda half expecting Pinkie to suddenly pop out, but they were in the air. Unless she could magically walk on clouds or something, there wasn't any chance of her appearing.

"There. Simple as that. Make sure you keep it 'k." She elbowed his side. "Pinkie said that if you break a Pinkie Promise, you lose a friend...FOREVER!" Rainbow finished dramatically.

Scar nodded in understanding but suddenly stopped when he realized something. "W-Wait...Did you say...friend?"

"Uh yeah." Rainbow tilted her head to the side. "I mean, yeah you can sometimes be a real goof ball..."

Goof ball?

"But hey," Rainbow shrugged. "Not a lot of ponies here can keep up with me, and well...you're a pretty cool guy. So, yeah; we are friends."

Scar's head and heart zoomed into overdrive, his grin almost similar to Pinkie's. "Uh, you OK there Scar?" he heard her say, her voice slightly vague and distant.

"Uh...Scar?"

Said pegasus snapped out of his happy trance and blinked several times. He hastily regained his composure. "You kinda spaced out there. You OK?"

"What? Oh yeah. Sorry." Scar apologized. "It's just well...Besides my family, I never really had any friends..."

He looked away from her a bit. "Well you got one now." That put a smile right back on his face. "I still got lots of time before I gotta help with the rain. I know this place that makes these totally awesome salads. you wanna check it out?"

Scar was taken a back a bit by the suggestion. When he finally recovered, he was completely ecstatic. She wants to hang out with me! He cleared his throat and smiled at her. "Sure Rainbow; I'd love to."



Just a few minutes afterwards, they were seated at a small outdoor restaurant. As they waited, they continued chatting mainly about flying. They shared each other's tricks, moves, stats, experiences until the waiter showed up with their food.

"So is that Pinkie Promise thing serious?" he asked munching on his salad. Rainbow was right; it was good. "Is Pinkie really gonna pop out of nowhere or something?"

"You bet she is." Rainbow said with her mouth full. She swallowed before continuing. "She's really serious about that kind of thing. I once heard she showed up inside a mirror even though she wasn't in the room."

"S-seriously?" Scar said shocked. The pink mare was freaking him out more and more by the second. "Is she really that...that..."

"Random?" Rainbow suggested. "Yep. Totally. But hey, her Pinkie Promise things keeps most ponies from doing something bad stuff to their friends. You should've seen her when she heard one was broken. She had smoke coming out of her ears and her eyes went all red; can you believe that?"

"Well that's uh...freaky y'know?" Scar said thought the idea of somepony's eyes suddenly turning red did seem like a crazy idea to him. "How'd you know that? Have you broken a Pinkie Promise before?"

Rainbow seemed to be taken aback. "N-no. I'd never break a Pinkie promise. Heck, I'd never break a promise period." she added proudly. "It's just not my thing y'know?"

"Wow." Scar said in admiration. "You sure are good friend Rainbow."

That put a smile on her face. "Yeah; I'm not just the fastest pony in Equestria. I'll have you know I'm also the most loyal one too."

Scar's smile faltered a bit. "L...loyal...?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." Rainbow said unaware of Scar's reaction. "I don't let anypony down, especially my friends. I'm the kind of girl that'll stick with ya until the end."

Scar blinked several times. "Wow that's...that pretty cool of you Rainbow." he said half-heartedly gazing into his salad bowl.

He had always admired Rainbow for her spirit, her determination, her willingness to never give up. Now, he had another thing to admire about her, her loyalty. Sure she had a big ego, but all in all, she'd do anything for a friend like him; she'd never hurt or betray anypony like that.

Betray...

That word hung around in his head for a while. Betrayal...Even he hated the idea; he'd never do anything to betray her or his family. He placed a hoof over his chest, feeling that thing deep inside him. It was the very manifestation of everything Rainbow stood against. If she ever found out about it...Would she still want to be his friend?

She did say that she'd stick by her friends until the very end but still...He didn't want to lose her trust. Trust had never really been an issue with him or Ironhead; they trusted each other despite knowing what they carry, and so did the rest of their family. Would Rainbow do the same?

"Uh, hey Scar. You doing OK? You look tense." Rainbow noted. Scar realized that he still had a hoof on his chest and a slightly melancholy look on his face.

"I..." Scar hesitated a bit. "I'm Ok. Felt a little dizzy there for a second..."

Luckily, Rainbow bought it. "If you say so." She looked aside. "Aw jeez, look at the time. I gotta go help out with that rain thing." She quickly shoved the rest of her salad into her mouth. "Vu wawa elp?" she asked, her cheeks bulging with food.

The sight made Scar laugh. "Sure Rainbow. I'd be happy to."

He took to the skies along with her. Despite his fears, he truly meant what he promised her. No matter what, he'd be just as loyal as she was all the time, and that was a promise he'd keep for as long as he lived.
> Iron Feelings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 10
IRON FEELINGS


The next day...

Ironhead sighed and wiped some sweat from his brow before going back to work. He wasn't tired that much, but the hot afternoon sun made him sweat buckets. It didn't help at all that he and Applejack were busy weeding the corn fields. It was burning hot, and they weren't even half done yet.

The slightly irritated earth pony grabbed a gnarly looking weed with his teeth and yanked it out of the ground. He spat it out and turned to Applejack. "Can't the pegasi do anything about this damn heat?"

Panting a little, Applejack looked up at him. "I gotta weather pony friend down over at the town."

"Good. Ask them if we can get a cloud or something. I think I'm gonna melt." Ironhead said wishing he at least had something to drink.

Applejack looked to the side towards the trees. Spotting something there, she walked towards them. "No need for that; she's right over here. Hey Rainbow!" she shouted at the tree.

No reply came however. "Rainbow, I know yer there!" she called again. Ironhead approached her curious to whom she was calling. "Guess we gonna do this the hard way."

Applejack trotted over to the tree and gave it a good buck. There came a loud thud followed by a startled yelp as something blue fell from the tree. Ironhead realized that it was a rainbow maned pony who bolted up in surprise. She wasn't the only thing that fell out of the tree however as several apples came down, hitting her on the head and snapping her wide awake.

"Rise and shine Rainbow." Applejack said chuckling a little at her friend.

"Ow..." the blue pony groaned rubbing her head. "C'mon AJ, I was taking a nap..."

"Nap? How can ya take a nap in this here heat?"

"Like this." Rainbow leaned her head against the tree trunk and began snoring leading Applejack to roll her eyes and shake her head.

Intrigued by the mare's appearance, Ironhead approached her. "Wait. Rainbow? As in Rainbow Dash?" he asked.

Said pony opened her eyes and turned to him. "Oh hey. You're that other new guy right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm Ironhead." he answered. "I think you met my brother Scar."

"Oh yeah, Scar." Rainbow said. "He's Ok, but can be a real goof ball some times."

"Yeah. He is isn't he. He talks a lot about you." A bad thought crossed his mind. "Hang on a sec, when was the last time you saw him?"

Rainbow did some thinking. "Uh yesterday. We hung out like...the whole morning."

It was a good thing Ironhead also had the ability to hide his own emotions. All Rainbow and Applejack saw was an innocent smile which concealed the fury boiling inside him; Scar was going to wonder why the apartment building was just a pile of rubble later. "That's cool. Hey, you think you can fetch us a cloud or something? It's like, a million degrees out here or something."

"Huh...Yeah."She yawned. "Just gimme a sec."

She flew of and returned not too long later with a bunch of clouds which she placed over the field, giving it some much-needed shade. "That's better " Applejack said looking at the field. "Thanks Rainbow. You can go back to yer nap now unless you wanna help-"

"Pass." She held up a hoof. "I gotta few tricks to work on. I'll see you guys around." She spread her wings, ready to take off.

"And Rainbow..." Ironhead said before she could leave. "If you see me brother today, tell him...tell him to keep looking. Trust me; he'll know what I mean."

"Is this about his job hunt thing? 'Cause he told me yesterday that he want to be a weather pony like me."

It was a good thing there wasn't anything to smash nearby because it'd probably be reduced to nothing by then. "Really? I gotta talk to him about that later. Thanks again for the cloud Rainbow."

The pegasus saluted before finally taking off. Applejack looked at the field and noticed just how much better it was now that it had some shade. "Hoo wee, that looks a lot better. Back to work Ironhead."

"Yeah yeah whatever." the colt said heading back to the field. He looked over in the direction Rainbow left. "Huh...so that's the girl Scar can't stop talking about..."

"No surprise there. Rainbow's got 'er own 'lil fan club in town. Scar should join up." Applejack joked.

"Uh...no." Ironhead looked around just in case anypony else was listening. "Don't tell anypony else but uh...Scar likes Rainbow. As in like like."

The farm pony blinked several times in surprise. "R-Really now? Is that why she called him a goof ball?"

"Maybe." He shrugged and pulled out a few more weeds. "I kinda get it though. I mean, she's like...his first crush."

"Seriously?" Applejack asked. "I'm pretty sure there were plenty of mares back there in Manehatten."

"Yeah, but we got to meet a lot of them. Scar and I went to an all boys school." Ironhead paused realizing that he had once again lied to her. He shook his head a bit. "The only girls I really knew were my mom and... Ironheart. So yeah, Scar's a real goof ball when it comes to girls. Good thing I'm not." he added with a chuckle.

"I mean, there we saw a lot of girls when we went around looking for jobs." He flinched again at the lie. "But I dunno...None if 'em really caught my eye." He sighed and shrugged. "Guess I haven't met the right one yet."

He was silent after that thinking about how he'd just lied to her twice like that. He didn't like it one bit. Back home before he came to Ponyville, he didn't lie that much. He knew that it was to cover up their mission, but still...He didn't like the fact that he was constantly lying to somepony like Applejack, somepony so honest, so open with him, so hard-working and devoted, so nice and caring, so-

He felt a poke to his side. "Ironhead, ya can't fall asleep now. Even with the shade, you'll get yerself roasted if ya stand still like that." Applejack said bringing him back to his senses.

"Huh? Y-yeah. Sorry about that..." Ironhead replied. He watched her return to her work and found himself staring at her for a few seconds. He shook his head and silently went back to work still wondering where all those thought about Applejack came from.

After finishing the weeding, Ironhead and Applejack headed back inside to cool off a bit. "OK. Take five Ironhead. Y'all deserve it. If ya need me, I'll be fetching eggs over at the chicken coop."

She made her way out of the room but was stopped by Ironhead. "Uh...actually Applejack, I think I'll handle the chicken coop thing. You can take that break of mine." he told her.

She raised an eye brow. "Ain't ya tired from all that weedin' we did?" she asked earning a shake of a head.

"Not really. I mean, I don't think I'm as tired as you are." he said truthfully. "Hell, why don't I do your chores for the rest of the day?"

That took her by surprise. "No. That's real kind of ya, but I can't ask ya to do all that."

"Trust me; it's all good." He gave her a reassuring smile. "You work more than I do; you need a break more than I do."

"Well..." Applejack considered it. "I suppose I could take the rest of the day off, but if ya ever need help-"

"I promise I'll get help if I need it. You go take it easy now 'k. I'll see you later."

He then left the room passing by Granny Smith as he did. "That's awf'ly nice of him." she noted to her granddaughter.

"Eh, he's a good guy that Ironhead." Applejack replied. "Don't know anypony else like him." she added with a smile. "Anyway, I'm a headin' into town Granny. I'll be back 'round suppertime."

On that note, she left the farm to enjoy some nice time off while Ironhead handled her chores. Granny watched Applejack leave before turning in the direction of the chicken coop where Ironhead worked. A knowing smile graced those aged lips as she made her way outside.



Is this how I make it up for lying to her all the time?...Ironhead thought as he worked. Doing all her chores for her seemed like a nice thing to do, but was it enough? He hoped it would.

"Great, another bath when I get home..." Ironhead muttered sniffing himself as he came out of the chicken coop and smelling like it as well. Carefully carrying an entire basket of eggs in his mouth, he made his way across the field careful not to break anything.

As he entered the kitchen, he thought about what to do next. He would sort out the eggs later after doing some of the other stuff. He had to get the pigs fed, fertilize the corn field, pick Applebloom up from her Crusading thing or whatever it was called...it was a lot to handle. Applejack needed this day off. She didn't-

"About time ya showed up!"

The shout took him by surprise. He yelped and sent the basket full of eggs flying into the air. Panicking, Ironhead jumped and dove at the last second, sliding across the floor and catching it in his hooves. Gulping, he looked up and saw not a single egg broken or damaged in any way much to his relief.

"Don't ya know how long I've been waitin' fer this?"

Ironhead rose and placed basket on the table before any more harm could come to it. He turned around and saw who it was that startled him. "M...Mrs. Smith?!"

"Just call me Granny sonny; everypony does." the aged mare replied. "Anyhow, you don't know how long I've been waiting fer somepony like you."

"H...Huh?" Ironhead asked confused. "What d'you mean Granny? Everything looked OK before I got here. I don't-"

"I ain't talking about workin' 'ere sonny." she told him. "I mean I finally found some feisty young stallion for Applejack; somepony has ta get 'er off the farm more and live outside."

The stallion in question blinked a few times as those words and their meaning sink in. When it finally did, he cried out and jumped back. "Wh-Wh-But-But-" he stammered.

"Ya seem like a nice boy." Granny continued ignoring Ironhead's reaction. He ruffled his mane a bit. "And I can tell Applejack's already taken a shine to ya."

"But...Really?" Ironhead asked. "But...but...me and...and Applejack? That's... that's just weird! She's like...my boss or something!"

That didn't deter Granny at all. "So what? The smile she had when she talked about you, she never smiled that way 'bout any other stallion in this 'ere town b'fore."

"But...But I don't even like her like that." Ironhead argued. "Not that she's not nice and kind and funny and cool or anything, but I don't like her like that."

Granny just smiled at him. "Listen to yerself say that kinda of stuff about her." She laughed and ruffled his mane. "Take care of her ya hear? I still got plenty o' life in here bones of mine; I wanna see some great-grankids b'fore I pass."

Cackling mischievously, Granny left the room and a completely stunned and embarrassed Ironhead behind. His face a shade of red almost similar to his brother's, he quickly left the room and headed for the pig sty, but the previous conversation didn't leave his head.

Me and Applejack together? he thought. He shook his head thinking that it would never happen; she didn't understand what Granny was thinking. Applejack really was kind and funny and all those things he said previously, but she was honest and open, and he was just a liar, a fraud, a deceiver. He couldn't even imagine how she'd react if she found out about the lies he had been telling her.

That thought...it scared him more than anything else. Applejack finding out that he had been lying to her...That was even more frightening than the incident he and his brothers were in when they were young. It was all for a good reason but still...he didn't want her to hate him, to lose her trust. C-Cause she's one of my only friends. he added to his trail of thought. Granny was wrong; he didn't have any feelings towards her.

Right?

> The Liar and the Apples
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 11
THE LIAR AND THE APPLES


At the end of that long, hot day full of unsuccessful searches, Scar was glad to finally be back at the apartment. He was very tired and hungry as well; he planned on taking a nice, relaxing bath right after getting that day's soil sample over to his dad. It was a good thing it only took him around 10 minutes to get there.

He stuck his key in and opened the door. As he closed the door, he readied the test tube already filled with soil and turned to-

"Hello there Scar." The latter was startled to see his brother sitting in a chair across his, hooves crossed with a stern look on his face.

"Uh...hey Ironhead." Scar said approaching the earth pony cautiously. He gulped a little in fear of what might happen. Ironhead looked angry which, with his powers, wasn't a good thing to see.

Ironhead glared at his brother for a few more seconds. "So...how was your day?"

The question seemed innocent, but that didn't lighten up Scar's mood. "Not that good. Still couldn't find anything about the light."

His brother nodded but continued to glare. "Ok uh..." Scar made his way to the window. "I'm gonna get this over to dad." Silence came from Ironhead. "D-Don't worry; I'll stay in the clouds this time, so I guess I'll get going..." He slowly made his way to the window before Ironhead could-

"I know about yesterday." Too late. "I ran into Rainbow Dash today. She told me all about you guys hanging out together."

"Wh-what?!" Scar exclaimed facing his accuser. Aw crap!

"She said you two hung out all morning yesterday." Ironhead told him. "You said you were searching all day yesterday, but you were really hanging out with her!"

Now Scar was cornered. "I...'cause...that's cause I...I'M SORRY!"

The pegasus slumped to the floor and covered his face in shame. "I'm sorry Ok?! I admit it; I'm weak when it comes to her!"

Ironhead grumbled and shook his head, disappointed by his brother. "You could've gotten more work done. I told you to stop hanging out with her. And wanting to work with her?! What's up with that?!"

"C-c'mon! Cut me some slack!" Scar yelled getting up. "You don't know what it's like to be in love!"

"Th-this isn't about me." Ironhead argued back. "This is about what we have to do. If you don't find our where all the light's coming from, Ponyville's history! And so will Rainbow!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Scar said back. "Look, I swear it won't happen again OK? I'll search all day tomorrow; I promise."

Ironhead face-hoofed. "You and your stupid crush..."

"H-hey! What I feel about her isn't stupid!" Scar yelled, his wings flaring out in agitation. "I really like Rainbow. She's pretty, she's funny, she's an awesome flyer, I've never met anypony else like her!"

"Yeah, I know all about you being a real goof ball around her." Ironhead chuckled which made his brother blush slightly.

"Hey!" Scar tried thinking up something to say back. "Um...Ah...Wh-what about you huh?"

"What about me?"

"You're always working down there at the farm right? Aren't you and Applejack...y'know..."

Ironhead couldn't believe this. "Great, not you too!" he exclaimed face hoofing once again.

Scar raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ironhead sighed and looked at his brother. "A while ago...Applejack's grandma told me that she was waiting for somepony like me...somepony that can..." He couldn't finish it.

"Seriously?" Scar chuckled which made his brother almost as scarlet as he was.

"But-but we're just friends! I don't like AJ like that."

"AJ? You got a nickname for her?"

"E-Everypony calls her that!" Ironhead argued. "I'm just her friend. End. Of. Story."

Scar gave him a sly, knowing smile, the same kind Granny had earlier. "Whatever you say bro. Whatever you say."

With that playfully mischievous smile still on his face, Scar took off to deliver that day's soil sample to their dad. Ironhead sighed glad to finally be alone. His day had been very exhausting with him being accused of liking AJ-Applejack! twice. He only wanted to do one thing at that moment-sleep.

He hopped on his bed and tried to doze off before realizing something. He sniffed himself and learned that he smelled strange. He smelled like...apples. He figured that's what happens when you work at an apple farm all day. He considered washing it off but decided against it. There was something in the scent that comforted him, like he had brought a piece of the Apple Family home with him.

The thought felt nice. Deciding to just go with it and slept carrying the aroma of apples. As he laid there, his thoughts began to drift towards them-Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Applebloom and, strangely more often than the others, Applejack.

The next day...

"Hop to it everypony! Applebloom, head fer the east field! Big Mac, you take the west and north! Git them apples in b'fore we lose 'em!"

"What about me AJ?"

"Ironhead...OK. Yer with me in the south field. I buck, you bring 'em in."

"Got it!"

For reasons unknown to the Apple Family, the storm scheduled that day came hours earlier then they were warned (a certain cyan filly was going to get in trouble with her friend). The storm threatened the apple field; the minute the sky darkened threateningly, Ironhead and the three Apple siblings got together.

Cold wind blew leaves and small twigs around as Applejack darted from tree to tree bucking apples as she went. She didn't have time to get the bring in the baskets, but that was what Ironhead was form. He darted from the barn and back delivering basket after basket quickly.

Several minutes in, the sky was completely covered with black clouds. There was a sudden flash of lighting and a great rumble of thunder before the rain started to pour. Still, Ironhead and the Apple siblings managed to bring the apples in before they could be lost.

"Almost done!" Applejack cried out bucking a tree while her partner raced back towards her passing by Big Mac who was just about done with his part of the field. She turned and headed for one of the few remaining trees.

Unfortunately, as she turned, a stray apple that had been blown by the harsh winds flew towards her and smacked her right between the eyes. The impact knocked her off course, and she stumbled a bit before stopping.

"Applejack!" Ironhead cried out running to her side. He helped her up and noticed the nasty bruise the apple made on her face.

"I'm fine." she said seeing his face. She galloped towards the remaining trees with Ironhead in tow. Together, they managed to collect the last batch of apples and darted towards the barn. After regrouping with Applebloom and Big Mac, the group dove into the barn just before the rain started to pour.

Panting and catching her breath, Applejack looked over at her siblings. "That was a close one. Good job everypony..." she said earning tired smiles from them.

A small gasp came form Applebloom. "Applejack, what happened to your face?"

"Oh." Applejack gently touched her face and winced at the sharp pain that followed. "Stray apple got to me. I'll be fine."

"Lemme take a look at that." Big Mac finally got a good look a the bruise. It was slightly swollen and discolored. "Eeyup, that's one nasty bruise sis. I'll go fetch some ice."

He left the three of them alone to do just that. "Uh hey...Applejack?" Ironhead said getting her attention. "Listen...I'm sorry I couldn't help a lot earlier. I wish I was out bucking apples with you guys."

"Well, better to lose a few apples than a few trees." Applejack smiled warmly at him. "Don't sweat it sugar cube I still couldn't've all those apples in without ya."

The way she said it, coupled with the way she called him sugar cube, scrambled his mind a bit. "Uh...thanks...?"he said in a slight daze.

"I wish I could've seen it." Applebloom said bringing him back to reality. "That'd be really cool, knocking a whole tree down. Nopony's ever done it before."

"Huh. We got a few dead trees 'round here. Think you can buck 'em out Ironhead?" Applejack asked the colt.

"What? Y-yeah. If it means helping you guys out, it's OK with me." he replied glad that he could be of help to her-them. he corrected mentally.

Just then Big Mac arrived with Granny and an ice bag in his hooves. "Thanks Big Mac." She put the ice bag on the bruise and sighed. "Yep, that's feels good..."

A sudden flash of lighting caught them by surprise. Granny peered through a window and saw the storm raging on outside. "That's some storm alright. Looks like we're stuck inside 'till it dies down."

"Aww; we were gonna try firefly catching today..." Applebloom said with a pout.

"Cheer up there 'lil sis." Applejack said quick to comfort her sister. "We can still have some fun inside. You up fer a game of Go Fish?"

"Do I?" she replied excitedly. "Big Mac, Ironhead, you guys wanna play too?"

Both guys looked at each other. "Sound like fun to me." Ironhead shrugged and smiled. "Yeah, I'm game."

"Ya better watch out though. I'm pretty good at it y'know." Applebloom said as they left they room.

"Huh? Maybe's that's your Cutie Mark..."

"Y'know, maybe it is!"

The young filly's excitement over getting her Cutie Mark made the group laugh. As they talked on the way out, they were watched by Granny who was specifically keeping an eye on the only non-Apple Family member of the group chatting happily with her grand kids.

Well, not Apple Family member yet...



"Any aces?"

"Nope sorry AJ. Got any 3's Mac?"

"Eeyup. Applebloom, any Kings in there?"

"Nuh uh. Do ya have a queen sis?"

"Here ya go sugar."

Ironhead was...happy to say the least despite what was going on. The storm raging outside would've prevented Scar from searching the town thus wasting yet another day. And yet, Ironhead wasn't that much upset by it; the storm had given him the opportunity to bond with the Apple siblings.

There was a part of him, a small but growing part, that wondered what would it be like to actually be a part of this family. He ended up gazing at Applejack as he thought about it. Now that the swelling and her face was slowly reverting to its original color, he could finally get a good look at her.

The first thing he noticed were her eyes. Those emerald orbs seemed to shine with kindness and comforting warmth. Next were those freckles on the sides of her face; he found it cute how they looked against her sleek orange coat. Then there was that Stetson she always wore above that magnificent golden mane. Last of all was the smile, that gentle curve she always had whenever she gave him a "Howdy" ever time he arrived in the morning-

SWEET BUCKING CELESTIA WHAT THE BUCKING HELL WAS THAT?!

"Here!" Ironhead said loudly hoping to stop the thoughts while handing over a random card to Big Mac.

Three gazes pressed on him. "Uh...I asked for a nine." the other stallion pointed out.

He looked at it and saw that it was a two. "S-sorry. I uh...I mean, go fish..."

The confused gazes however continued. "You all right there sugar cube? Y'all look like Winona b'fore takin' her to the vet." Applejack pointed out.

"Well, that's..." He took a deep breath and calmed down. "I'm fine. I am guys, really."

The siblings nodded and just shrugged it off and resumed their game. Well, except for one of them- Applejack. Ironhead did look fine now, but before he shouted, she noticed something strange. He was...looking at her with a slight smile on his face.

That observation really puzzled her. A second later, she looked over at him, and he looked at her coincidentally. His light hazel eyes met her emerald ones, and neither of them said a word during this little exchange. Applejack then gave a slight shrug and a shy smile.

Ironhead's eyes widened momentarily before nervously turning away, the sight of which made her giggle a little, the sound of which made him turn back towards her. Pretty soon, both of them were laughing for no apparent reason, but neither of them really cared much.

She's got really cute laugh...Ironhead thought no longer caring where it came from.

"What're you two laughin' about?" Applebloom asked curiously, reminding the two chuckling ponies of the other two ponies in the room.

The two stopped laughing at the same time. "Nothing." they said together which puzzled everypony including the two of them. Just as Applebloom and Big Mac were going to ask, Applejack and Ironhead were saved by the timely arrival of Granny Smith.

"Oh Ironhead," she said sticking her head in the room. "It's still to risky ta go outside; would ya like to have dinner with us?"

He was momentarily surprised by the offer. "Really? With you guys?" He looked around at them. "Well...sure. Why not? Thanks for the offer Granny."

The latter nodded and headed out noticing just how much he was enjoying his time with her grand kids. "I hope ya like Apple Pie Ironhead 'cause Granny makes the best ones ever." Applebloom told him.

"Yeah. I can't wait." he told her. Dinner with them sounded nice, a great change from the meager dinners he usually had with Scar. He silently thanked the storm for the chance it gave him.



"Whoa...this's something alright..."

It was indeed something. Apple pies, apple fritters, apple soup, apple salads, apple everything, and everything looked delicious. "Well stop starin' and sit down sonny." Granny told him snapping him out of it.

Ironhead nodded and quickly took his seat right next to Applejack. "I don't even know where to start." he told her excitedly.

"How do the fritters sound?" she asked offering him some.

"Thanks AJ." He took one and ate it. "Mmmm. It's delicious Granny."

"Well I'm glad ya like it." the latter replied taking a slice of pie from Big Mac. "Eat up all ya want."

"Oh I will." Ironhead replied happily eating another fritter. "Hey Applebloom, can you pass me some of that pie too?"

He felt right at home. It had been a while since he had last had a nice meal with his family back home. Deep down, he sort of missed that feeling, that atmosphere of togetherness. He kinda wished Scar was there to share in the happiness he found with the Apple Family.

Crap, when did I get so sappy?

He honestly didn't care about those things anymore and instead just decided to enjoy his time with the Apple Family. He didn't tell any of them, but they were starting to seem like a family to him. Granny was like the grandmother he never had, Big Mac was like the brother/rival he'd always compete with, Applebloom was the like the little sister he'd missed so much, Applejack-

Applejack...She was just...Amazing not to mention friendly, kind, hard working, dedicated...the list went on and on. Never in his life had he met a mare like her, and that wasn't because she was the only mare he knew well. He realized just how fun it was being around her, how good he felt when they were together.

He inwardly wondered if she felt the same.

Several minutes later, they were done. His plate clean, Ironhead leaned back and patted his belly. "Oww...I still wanna eat, but I think I'm gonna explode or something..." he moaned in a satisfied way.

"Eeyup, that's Granny's cookin' for ya." Applejack told him. "I'll go get this stuff put away now."

"Actually, lemme help you with that." Ironhead said getting up and helping her collect plates and putting them in the kitchen sink. As he did, he noticed the sly smile and the raised eyebrow on Granny's face. He sighed a little and just tried to ignore it.

As he deposited the last of the dishes in the sink, he got a good looked out the nearby window. The rain had finally stopped falling though the occasional dripping sound could still be heard. The clouds had parted allowing little moonlight to shine on the great fields of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Looks like that there storm's finally done." Applejack commented appearing next to him.

"Yeah uh...I think I gotta go..." He realized when he just said "N-not that I don't wanna stay or anything, but...Scar's probably worried 'bout me and stuff..."

"Nah, it's all good sugar cube." his companion replied. "Why don't...why don't I walk ya out?"

"That's...nice. Thanks Applejack." Ironhead said feeling tingly for some reason.

The two of them headed back for the table. "Hey Granny, i'm really sorry, but I gotta go." he told her. "But uh...Thanks for dinner and all; it was amazing."

"Any time sonny." She stood up and ruffled his mane affectionately. "Y'all get some rest ya hear? Ya still got some work in the mornin'."

"Yeah, I get it. Thanks."

"Bye Ironhead. Let's go try Snake and Ladders next time." Applebloom said going up to him and earning a ruffle of her own mane.

"Yeah, sounds fun kiddo." He looked up from her, turned to the other stallion in the room and gave him a nod. "Mac."

He nodded back at him. "Y'all stay safe now ya hear?"

"Relax. Nothing's tough enough to take me down." Ironhead laughed a bit. "OK. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

On that note, he left the barn and trotted towards the rod to town alone with Applejack. "Lovely night ain't it?" she said as they approached the gate.

"Sure is." Ironhead replied looking at her. They eventually reached the gate and stopped there. Ironhead slowly turned around and faced the farm filly, alone, under the moonlight.

"H-hey Applejack, I uh...had lots of fun a while ago" he told her wondering why he felt so nervous. "It was a real blast hanging out with you guys."

She smiled at him affectionately. "T'was fun havin' ya around here too. I had fun today too." she replied.

Ironhead shifted around nervously and scratched the back of his head. "That's good. so uh...I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. You too...G'night Ironhead."

"G-Good night Applejack."

With a tip of her hat, she turned around and made her way back inside. Ironhead turned around too, but for some reason could not leave, not just yet. He didn't feel satisfied with a simple good bye. He felt a powerful urge to do something, something bold, something he hadn't thought of fully, something he never thought about before and quickly whipped around.

"Applejack!"

Luckily, she was still within earshot. She turned around and was momentarily surprised to see him fidgeting nervously. "A-Applejack." He tried to ignore the fact that he face was heating up. "D...D'you wanna... hang out some time...? J...just us...?"

The suggestion caught her by surprise and made her own face turn slightly pink. "W-Well I...I dunno what to say honestly." she answered just as nervous as he was. "I.. well...Aw to hay with it, sounds like fun." That made his heart do a back flip or two. "H-How does this Friday sound?"

"That's...that's great." Ironhead was smiling widely now. "Thanks. Night again Applejack."

"Good night...sugarcube..."

With that, she turned and hastily galloped back into the barn. She passed by the kitchen, went up to her room and slammed the door shut. Her entire exchange with Ironhead was noticed by the elderly mare who looked upwards towards her grand daughter's room.

"Ugh...Finally!"

Outside, Ironhead was still in his place, giddy over Applejack's acceptance. After about five minutes, he turned and finally left Sweet Apple Acres and trekked down the road to Ponyville. He felt so excited; he was going to hang out with Applejack! He was going to-

He suddenly froze mid step, his grin vanishing when the full realization of what he just did hit him. "Why the hell did I do that?!" he nearly shouted and almost woke everypony up. What was up with him? He had a mission to do and had to focus solely on that. He didn't any distractions, yet why was so willing to ask her-

It filly dawned on him.

"Ho...ly...crap..."



"Ugh...It's not morning yet..."

Scar still felt a hoof nudging him. "Quit that! I'm trying to-Ironhead! You're back!"

It was indeed his brother. "That's a relief. I got worried with the storm and all and- Are you alright?"

Ironhead said nothing and continued to stare blankly at his brother. "Hey! Bro! What's wrong?" No reply. "C'mon...say something."

Light hazel eyes looked down on him as he heard his brother speak.

"...I'm in love with Applejack..."
> Talk on the Brothers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 12
TALK ON THE BROTHERS


The next day...

"Spike!" said dragon felt a hoof poking his side. "Spike, wake up. I think I'm on to something here."

Annoyed slightly by the sudden awakening, Spike sat up and walked alongside the unicorn towards a desk where an open book lay. "Good; you're awake."

"Yeah thanks to you." he muttered rubbing his eyes a bit.

His tone didn't discourage Twilight. "Remember when Scar came a few days ago looking for something about light?" she told him.

"Mmmm hmm..." Spike nodded dozing off slightly.

Luckily, Twilight failed to notice. "Well, that got me thinking, so I started researching about it."

Spike, who was nodding off, was jolted awake when she held a book up to him. "Look here. It says here that Light, with a capital 'L' by the way, is one of the two primordial forces that created the universe. It says that it, along with Darkness, created a balance that must be maintained."

"That's nice..." Spike said wondering if he could still get any sleep after this. "Is that it...?"

"Pretty much." Twilight placed the book back on the desk. "The book's pretty old, written way before I was born. And there isn't much information about Ponyville in here at all. Why was Scar looking into this?"

"I dunno; maybe he's just curious. Can I go back to bed now?" Spike said glad to be done with the lecture.

She was however interrupted by a knock on the door. "Huh; I wonder who that could be."

Spike yawned as he watched her head for the door and open it. "Oh, Applejack. Good morning." Twilight greeted upon seeing her friend.

"Howdy Twi'." the farmer said with a tip of her hat. "Uh...ya got a minute? I wanna talk to ya 'bout somethin'."

Hearing that concerned Twilight a bit. She turned back to her assistant. "Spike, I'll be out for a while. Could you please put that book back and then you can go back to sleep."

"Yeah yeah." Spike replied. While Twilight left to walk with Applejack, he went over to the book she was reading previously and placed it an empty space in the shelves. He read the title in its spine and walked back to his basket thinking about its strange title.


ON THE NATURAL BALANCE
1ST EDITION
BY EQUINOX




"So, what's on your mind Applejack? Did something happen?" Twilight asked as they strolled through Ponyville.

Her friend stayed silent for a while before finally spitting it out. "I think Ironhead asked me out on a date."

That took her by surprise. So much so that she stopped to see if Applejack was kidding. Her friends raised eyebrow and puzzled expression made her realize she wasn't. "I... Wow, really?"

Applejack nodded. "He asked me last night if we could hang out tomorrow, so I kinda thought it was a date. Felt so weird that I had to say I had to get somethin' jus' to get away from him for a while."

"I guess things would be kind of awkward." Twilight commented. "I don't have any experience on these things to be honest. Why'd you ask me of all of us?"

"'Cause Fluttershy's at the spa with Rarity, Rarity'd probably tie me down and force a dress on me, Pinkie'd throw a party an' I can practically hear Dash singin' 'Applejack and Ironhead sittin' in a-'"

"Ok. I get it. I guess that makes sense." Twilight said. "You also said you think. You're unsure if it's a date?"

"That's right." Applejack said honestly. "All Ironhead said is that we're gonna hang out. Jus' the two of us. Does that count as a date?"

"I'm...not so sure actually." Twilight admitted. "I've never been on or even asked on a date before."

This surprised Applejack. "Really now? Ain't Canterlot fancy colts that jus' wanna get to ya?"

"Well, yes, but none of them would ever pay attention to an egghead like me." Twilight said reminiscing her days back before moving to Ponyville. "And even if they did, I'd probably be too busy studying to notice. So, yeah. I've never had any romantic experience."

She nudged her friend's side. "Anyway, let's get back to you and Ironhead. Has he been showing any signs that he could have feeling for you?"

Applejack's thoughts turned to the events that happened the previous day. "Well, I caught him lookin' at me sometimes. And he's always looks real happy when I'm around. And he did look real nervous when he asked me..."

"I see." Twilight said nodding. "I guess given the things you said, I guess we could call it a date. Ironhead must really like you Applejack."

After hearing Twilight's conclusion, Applejack reddened a bit. "R-Really now...Aw shucks, I...I don' even know what ta say. I mean, I had a few crushes or so back when I was a filly, but this's...I mean, I've never been asked out b'fore."

"You said yes didn't you?" Twilight asked. "Does that mean...you..."

"Ya mean if I like him too?" Applejack said realizing that she never really thought about it. "I...I dunno. I haven't thought about it really."

"I'm sorry Applejack." Twilight apologized. "It just that I hope you knew what you were doing when you said yes. I mean, I've read somewhere that anypony's first date is supposed to be memorable. It's supposed to lead to another and then another and then another..."

"L-let's just deal with the firs' date sugar." Applejack said wanting to take things a step at a time.

"Well we still can't call it a date just yet." Twilight told her. "Maybe Ironhead really just want to hang out."

The farmer shook her head. "I ain't so sure 'bout that. Why else would be so nervous when he asked?"

"I guess that makes sense." Twilight shrugged. "Well, I guess whatever his reason may be, you two are getting together tomorrow. I hope you two have fun."

A smile returned on Applejack's face as they stopped on the road heading for the farm. "Thanks for hearin' me out Twilight. "Don't you worry 'bout me; I'll tell you and the girls all about tomorrow."

"I'd love to hear all about it." Twilight told her. "Take care again and have fun tomorrow."

With a tip of her hat, Applejack nodded and followed the familiar path towards her home. After watching her friend leave for a while, Twilight turned around and headed for her home as well. She was however still thinking about the conversation she had with her.

First date huh...I wonder what's that's like...



"Ahhh...now isn't this simply divine Fluttershy?"

"Oh yes. Very..." She gave a heavy sigh. "Relaxing..."

Just as Applejack said, the two mares were currently enjoying a dip in a mud bath during their weekly spa visits. The warm, soothing mud relaxed her muscles, removing any sort of tension or stress from them. It was by far the only instance where Rarity willingly allowed mud to touch her.

"Now, where was I?" Rarity was in the middle telling Fluttershy about a particular order two days before. "Oh yes. So, she returns the hat three days after I painstakingly finished it, and insisted that I add sequins. Sequins?! Can you believe it? She obviously has no sense of fashion at all..."

Fluttershy nodded in understanding. "But you still did it did you?"

"Begrudgingly, yes." Rarity sighed before turning to the pegasus. "But enough about me. How have your days been Fluttershy?"

"Oh, same old same old..." She wondered if she should tell her about Ash. She was her one of her best friends after all and could help her out with him, but she was a bit unsure of how she'd take it.

"Actually Rarity, there is something I want to ask you about." she admitted.

"What is it Fluttershy?" Rarity inquired leaning forward a bit.

Fluttershy nervously tapped her fore hooves together wondering how best to word this. "Well...a few days ago, I met this colt-"

Rarity's reaction was just as she predicted; she scooted closer to the side of Flutteshy's mud pool and looked at her friends excitedly."Really? you met somepony? That's simple wonderful Fluttershy. Tell me, is he cute?"

The question made her face redden slightly. "I don't...I don't know...I mean, I never really thought of him like that..."

"Do you want me to set something up for you two?" Rarity offered in that same excited tone. "Oh, this is simply marvelous! I know just the perfect dress for the occasion."

"N-no Rarity. I-I appreciate the offer, but...that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Hmm? Then what is it?" Rarity asked.

It took a while for the pegasus to answer. During this time, Rarity noticed her friend looking very nervous about what she was going to say. A thought struck her, and it wiped her excited grin right off.

"Fluttershy..." Rarity put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Did he...is this colt bothering you?"

"What?" Fluttershy felt nervous again. "I...well...you see..."

"Darling, please be honest with me." Rarity said sincerely. "Has this colt...hurt you in any way?"

Fluttershy didn't want to lie about it to her friend. "Well...he...he did scare Angel a few times...and he shoved me once...and he...yelled at me a lot..."

Her description of Ash wasn't exactly the best. Rarity couldn't believe that her friend was being treated so harshly. "M...My word...Fluttershy, why haven't you told any of us about this?" She retreated a bit. "Where is this colt; I'll be sure he never treats you like that ever-"

"N-No. Rarity please don't." Fluttershy said holding her hooves up. "He doesn't mean it really."

Rarity looking at her quizzically. "Judging by his actions, I must disagree Fluttershy."

"You don't understand Rarity." Fluttershy reasoned. "I can see it in his eyes. Every time he did something mean, I saw this look in his eyes. It looked like...like regret Rarity."

"So, he regrets his actions yet still does them?" Rarity asked with a tilt of her head.

"I know it sound strange, but it's true. You need to trust me on this." Fluttershy told her. "He looks like he's in a lot of pain, and I can't just ignore somepony who's hurt. I...I want to help him Rarity."

When Rarity looked into those cyan eyes of hers, she saw that inner strength that Fluttershy always had despite how weak she seemed to be, that strength that came from her desire to help those who need it. Realizing this, Rarity sighed and shook her head.

"You truly are the Element of Kindness..." she mused. "If you want to help him, why don't you start by being his friend?"

"His friend?"

"Yes. You and I have both seen what kind of magic friendship can do." Rarity told her. "Perhaps it's enough to reach that boy's heart and change him."

Fluttershy considered the idea of being Ash's friend. She was still slightly afraid of him, but the pain in his eyes made her feel sorry for him. He'd most likely reject any form of friendship, but that wouldn't stop her from helping him.

"That is a good start." Fluttershy said sure of herself. "I'll do it Rarity; I'll become his friend."

Rarity smiled. "That's wonderful dear, but..." She dropped the smile and spoke seriously. "If he so much as looks at you in an uncomfortable manner-"

"I-I get it." Fluttershy said before she could finish the threat. "Thank you Rarity."

The unicorn smiled once more. "Anything darling. Now, let's forget all this for a moment and just..." She sank into her mud pool a bit. "Relax..."

Fluttershy sighed and repeated the action still thinking about Ash. The magic of friendship had changed her life as well as her friends'. If that gift could be given to him and break down whatever wall he put around himself, she might finally see the real Ash and save him from the darkness that threatened to consume him.

> Fear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 13
FEAR


That same morning in a far away castle deep within the Everfree Forest, an alarm clock sounded in a young, beige unicorn's room. It's noise woke up the room's occupant, Blues, who stuck his hoof out and shut it off after a few attempts. Sighing, he rose and left for the dining room.

Upon entered it, he realized that he was alone. His dad and Solstice were either still sleeping after all the researching they did or still researching. Ash and Psych were most likely doing their own thing; they rarely had breakfast with the rest of the family. Breakfasts have become very lonely ever since Scar and Ironhead left.

He sighed once again as he poured himself some cereal. He wished he could help his dad and Solstice in their research but couldn't. His job of trying to get Ash and Psych to help them wasn't much of a success as they two were still as distant as ever.

He heard of the slowly rising amount of light in Ponyville's soil. Ironhead and Scar's efforts to search for its source have been unsuccessful as were Solstice and his dad's research. His own efforts to convince Ash and Psych to help them have so far been a failure.

Ash and Psych were just as they were for years despite how hard he tried to make them see that they were indeed loved and accepted. They've been that way for years, but it wasn't always like that. There was indeed a time where they were nothing like they were now, a time all six of them were happy with one another, a time so long ago, he wondered if Ash and Psych forgot about...

Will that time...ever come again...?

His ears perked up as he heard the sound of the door swinging open and a set of hooves entering the room. "Father? Solstice?" he asked.

"No, but try and guess who I am." The voice then laughed leading Blues to realize who it was.

"Psych...good morning." Blues said to his brother. "Would you like some cereal?"

The maroon earth pony went around the table and sat opposite him grabbing a bowl as he did. Blues levitated a carton of milk and a cereal box over to him, and Psych began eating. For a while, the two brothers remained silent as they ate.

"So," Blues cleared his throat, noticing that nopony else was entering the room. "Psych, will Ash be joining us?"

"Nope, still asleep. We're all alone now..." Psych's chuckle sent shivers up Blues' spine. It took him a while to compose himself.

"Well, why don't I go fetch him so we may eat together?" Blues suggested.

The suggestion earned an amused chuckle from Psych. "Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you Greed?"

"O-Of course." Blues answered nervously. "We may not be complete, but a meal with the three of us sounds splendid."

"So insistent on that plan aren't you?." Psych commented. He pushed his half-finished bowl of cereal away, propped an elbow on the table, put his head on his hoof and grinned in that same amused manner. "Why don't we let Ash sleep? What's wrong with just the two us? Aren't I good enough company for you?"

"N-no." Blues said trying to keep his cool. "I merely think that Ash would love a meal with his brothers."

Psych frowned. "You seriously think that? You think he's just gonna waltz in right here, wish us good morning, smile and us our plans for the day?" The frown turned into an angry glare. "You deluded idiot; he's angry and miserable all the time because of you and everpony else. You don't know or understand him the way I do, so don't you dare make conclusions like that!"

That last part was true. Psych was the only pony in the entire world who completely knew and understood how Ash thought and acted and vice-versa.

"I wish to help him Psych." Blues said with all honesty. "I wish to help you and him; that's all any of us ever wanted."

"Pfft, all your attempts to 'help' him have been futile." Psych pointed out. "You claim to be helping him, but none of you have done the very first step to helping him, the first step which I've already done. He's still unchanged, but at least I'm one step ahead of any of you."

"And what would that be exactly?"

"You don't accept either of us." This was a repeat of a lot of their former arguments. "Unlike everypony else in the world, I've accepted Ash as a part of this world. You still inwardly hate and despise us."

"I...I don't hate you Psych." Blues told him.

That statement quickly brought a smile back on the earth pony's face. "Oh, you're a special case Greed. You feel something else for me...something that bothers even you...something that's been holding you back...I had my suspicions, but further observations led me to one, undeniable conclusion...I think you know what it is..."

"I...Well..."Blues swallowed-

"There." Psych quickly stood up, shoving his seat back and pointing at Blues who flinched. "You just swallowed, a clear indication of nervousness. You're also sweating slightly and tapping you hoof against the table."

Psych rose and slowly trotted around the table towards his brother. "Furthermore, your pupils are dilating, your body's become more rigid than usually though you still are trembling slightly, and your breaths have become more rapid."

Blues said nothing but flinched as Psych grabbed his chair and pulled his face closer to his. "All these signs are pointing to one, irrefutable fact Greed." His grin was wide, like that of a madman. "You," He put a hoof on Blues' chest. "Fear me."

"Wh-what?" Blues stammered. "Psych, I don't fear you."

"Pfft, you can't lie to me. Only Deceit can..." Psych continued. "I saw all of it, the eye twitch, the flushed cheek, the fact that you're blinking more rapidly than usual, everything! You just lied; you are afraid of me."

Blues opened his mouth but the only sounds that came out were strangled chokes. "But there's more to that.." Psych continued towering over him. "Despite your fear, you still make it a point to try and 'help' me and Ash."

Psych brought his face closer; Blues trembled upon feeling his breath on him. The sight of him cowering and whimpering slightly beneath him made Psych's smile widen. "Don't you find that just downright confusing? You claim to care for me like a brother, yet you're completely afraid of me? Even you must find it irrational."

"How can you possibly help either of us when you hold such fear for one of us? You talk about caring for me, but you can't stand being in the same room as me. You damn hypocrite! Your 'love' for me can't possibly exist alongside the fear that's deep within you and clashes many times with it! You think you can help me, but the fear, the dark, unbearable, nerve-wracking, paralyzing fear holds you back!"

"Your job in this whole mess with Ponyville is to get me and Ash to help you right? And what a lousy, pathetic job you've done so far! You look me in the eye, and you freak out, hesitate and panic never being able to show me the care you should be giving me; you, held back by your fear, can't do a thing to help me! You pathetic, cowardly, worthless piece of garbage!"

"You're letting them down, your dad and brothers! Putting their trust in you, was the worst mistake of their lives! I'm pretty much aware of what's going on. If all else fails, you're gonna need me and Ash to save Ponyville, but if you can't get over your fear, then it's all for naught! The light's gonna get out of control, and it'll be Quinestown all over again! All those lives, all those ponies will be destroyed ALL BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET OVER YOUR DAMN FEAR!"

By then, Blues had been reduced to a sweating, trembling, whimpering, teary-eyed wreck, a sight that made Psych laugh with glee. How he loved this; making ponies suffer, torturing them with just mere words backed-up with information about, those were just his favorite things to do in the world.

"But now...I think you've sunk to an all-time low..." Psych said, his laugh suddenly vanishing, replaced by a much lower tone. "Wanting to get Ash? I know you know that I'd never use my powers with him around."

"Is that all he is to you? A shield to protect yourself from me? A safe zone in the middle of the storm I'm about to unleash on you?" His voice began to rise once again. "You're even worse than I though. Not only is you fear hindering you from helping us, but it's also affecting how you see Ash!"

"How dare you treat him like that! How dare you take my brother, the only pony in this whole damn world that accepted me, and reduce him to something you use for your own personal sake! If you think that I won't do anything about this, YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ANY MORE WRONG IN YOU LIFE!"

"Please..." Blues tried backing up but ended up falling backwards in his chair. "Please..." He scrambled back, but Psych slowly approached him. "Psych, please...!"

Psych slowly leaned forward, a wide, sadistic, maniacal grin stretching across his face. Anypony who ever saw that face would most likely start running away as fast as their legs could carry. "We're completely alone now, and you're too afraid to do anything to stop me."

"Please Psych! Please! Please no!"

"You brought upon yourself Greed. It's time you paid for it." Psych readied himself to unleash the full might of his power on Blues.

The defenseless unicorn could do nothing but give out a strangled cry and cover his head with his hooves as if that was enough to stop Psych's powers.

He heard the doors swing open and a set of hooves entering the room. "Oh, Ash. Good morning." Psych greeted as if he wasn't planning on hurting Blues at all.

Judging by the lack of reply, Blues confirmed that it was Ash which meant that he was safe. "Looks like you're lucky now." Psych commented turning his attention back to him. "I wonder...will you be so lucky next time?"

The heartless laughter that followed combined with the idea of being threatened again was just too much for Blues to handle. He scrambled to his hooves and galloped out of the room as fast as he could, Psych's laughter still echoing in his head.

Psych sighed. What a great way to start the day. he thought, a smile upon his face. He went over to his seat and resumed eating as if nothing had happened.

He always knew Blues was the weakest and most sensitive one among them. That made it so much easier to destroy him with just words. All he needed was enough information and a few choice words and he could make Blues, or anypony for that matter crumble beneath him.

He knew Blues was afraid of him and loved his family and would hate to let them down. He also wanted Ponyville to not to suffer as they did. Psych simply put the four ideas together and used them to break him to pieces. He never really cared whether Blues truly cared about him or not or if he was letting the others down or not. He only said those things to hurt him.

All he truly wanted and cared about was that look of anguish on his face; he absolutely loved seeing it on anypony's face. Seeing that face was like an early Hearth's Warming Eve present. He kinda wished he had a camera on him somewhere, to capture permanently that look of fear and sheer cowardice forever. He made a mental note to start bringing a camera everywhere to do just that.

Banishing joy and laughter, inflicting pain and misery, those were his most favorite things in the world. It was all he can do; he had no choice, so why not just kick back and enjoy it?

After all, it was his element.



After that close call in the dining room, Blues made a beeline for his room, slammed the door and jumped on his bed where he covered himself in shame and finally let the tears flow. Trembling, whimpering, tears running down his face, he never felt more pathetic in his life.

It was true, every word of it. He did love Psych like any brother should, bu the fear...the fear of him...of what he could do...it was always there. It held him back, stopped him from trying his best to be a true brother to him. His inner clash between love and fear, between helping him and avoiding him, kept his up at night sometimes. His secret was out. Nopony ever knew about this, and the first one to do so was the one pony it was about.

Psych had however failed to talk about one thing. Only one thing kept Blues doing what he could to help them, one thing that even his fear, no matter how great, can't tarnish-the memories of a time long ago, a time when there was peace in the family, a time when Psych would never think about hurting anypony, a time when Ash laughed and enjoyed his day.

He desired that more than anything else in the world.

And he would do anything and give anything to make bring back those days.
> Night Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 14
NIGHT OUT


The next day...

It was late in the afternoon. After work, Ironhead made a quick dash home to shower and freshen himself up for his...date with Applejack. The time leading up to the date was kinda awkward between them, but they managed to stay cool about it.

As he stepped out of the shower, he went over the plan in his head. They was going to have dinner at the Silver Leaf, a restaurant decent enough for a first date and not too fancy to make her feel nervous or anything. The food was good and pretty cheap as well; it was perfect.

At least, he hoped it would be perfect. Looking back on just how he asked her out, he never really mentioned a date at all. Heck, Applejack might think that this whole things was just a regular hang out with a friend, nothing special or romantic about it at all.

He didn't even know if she felt the same way about him. What if she totally got the wrong idea? What if all this thing does is just make things awkward between them and possibly ruin whatever relationship they had together? With all honesty, he could take a rejection, but the idea of no longer being friends with Applejack...that was even scarier.

He tried to stay calm about it. No matter what would happen during the following days, he would focus solely on this one night, and he was going to make sure Applejack enjoyed it.

He dried himself up and fixed his mane, making it its usual messy, but decent style. He mentally debated on whether he should bring flowers or not. It seemed like a sweet gesture, but he was worried that it would make it look like he was rushing this.

Gah...Why can't this be easy?

In a matter of minutes, he was all set for that night. There was just one more incredibly annoying thing to deal with. Ironhead grabbed a chair and placed it right across the doorway. He sat down, crossed his hooves and waited for his brother just like he did a few days ago.

He didn't wait too long; after about five minutes, the door swung open, and Scar stepped in. After closing the door, he turned around and was shocked to find his brother the say way he did a few days ago. Ironhead got up and made his way to the startled pegasus.

"I-I didn't hang out with Rainbow today! I swear!" Scar was quickly silenced as Ironhead shoved a hoof in his mouth.

"I'm...going out tonight." he told his nervous brother. "I think you know where I'm going, and I admit it OK? I really hate to do this, but to make it fair, you can do whatever you want tomorrow." Scar's eyes widened, but Ironhead continued. "But, if you rub it in my face in any way or follow me tonight, I'm hurling you all the way to Vanhoover. Get it?"

Scar nodded in full understanding. Ironhead really hated threatening his brother, but if there was one thing he hated, it was gloating. He removed his hoof from Scar mouth, wiped it, and spoke much more calmly. "Don't wait up for me. Get the soil to dad, and stay low OK?" Ironhead said.

Scar nodded once again. Finally satisfied, Ironhead decided that it was time to go. "OK...Let's do this crap!"

He quickly turned and galloped out of the room and down the hall. "Hey wait!" Ironhead screeched to a halt and turned around. He found his brother sticking his head out the doorway and beaming at him. "Go get her bro." Scar said with a playful salute.

"Yeah. I'll tell you all 'bout it!" Knowing that his brother had his back, Ironhead ran off to go make Applejack's night a truly memorable one full of optimism and cheer.



That optimism and cheer however slowly vanished as he neared Sweet Apple acres, replaced by worry and anxiety. It came to a point when he was sweating so much, he was tempted to race back to his apartment and take another shower. He walked down that road several times; why was this time so difficult?

Nevertheless, he pressed on until he finally reached the barn. He took a deep breath and knocked; he waited for a while for somepony like Granny Smith or Big Mac or Applebloom to answer it-

"Applejack?" He wasn't expecting to confront her already.

"Oh, howdy there Ironhead. Ya ready to go?" Applejack said still slightly nervous on how things would turn out.

"Y-Yeah; all set here." Ironhead replied with a nervous chuckle.

The two were suddenly interrupted by an elderly voice. "Aww, ain't that the sweetest thing."

Granny Smith suddenly squeezed herself between the two and pulled them close to her. "Oh, I remember when yer gran pappy firs' asked me out. Took 'im a lot longer that Ironhead over 'ere to finally do it." She laughed and made the two ponies near her blush with embarrassment.

She eventually released the two. "Now you two have fun ya here? Stay safe and be back by 11."

"Granny, I know what I'm doin'; I ain't a little filly no more." Applejack said embarrassed by her grandmother's treatment.

"O' course you ain't. You got yerself a nice, handsome young stallion now." Applejack and Ironhead turned redder. "I'll leave you two alone now. Have fun!"

With that, she shut the door, leaving Applejack and Ironhead in the middle of a very awkward silence. This was eventually broken by Ironhead who cleared his throat and turned to her.

"Hey AJ, totally random question: Just how old is granny?"



"Anyway, thanks for hanging out with me tonight AJ." Ironhead said once they left the farm. "Ever since I got here, I never really got to hang out with anypony much."

"S'no problem sugar cube." Applejack told him. "Ya deserve a night out from workin' hard all day."

"Hey, you deserve this just as much as me." Ironhead told her. "You work just as hard as me AJ. The farm wouldn't last a day without you."

"Aww..." She couldn't help but feel a little flattered. "Don't know 'bout that. Big Mac's a lot tougher than ya think."

"Yeah." Ironhead agreed. "Big Mac know's what he's doing, but there's just one thing..."

"Hmm?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

Ironhead shrugged. "Well...he's not you Applejack."

That response took her a bit by surprise. She opened her mouth to say something, but her companion had stopped. "Anyway, we're here." he said indicating the building before them.

"The Silver Leaf?" she asked him.

"Yeah. This places looks nice, and the food's good. Why?" Ironhead asked.

"Well I know this place." Applejack told him. "Me and my friends ate here lot's o' times b'fore."

"R-Really?" Crap crap crap crap crap crap!

"We sure do. S'nice place, the Silver Leaf. Y'all got good taste Ironhead."

Oh thank Celestia. "Y-yeah. Let's go get a seat."

Glad that things were OK so far, Ironhead led the way into the restaurant. They took their seats and browsed the menu. "OK Applejack, you're the expert here. What's the best thing they got?" Ironhead asked.

"Hmm...Oh, the Daffodil sandwiches 'ere are good. I get 'em all the time." she answered.

"Good enough for me. Hey waiter guy!" A pegasus waiter with a notebook Cutie-Mark approached them. "We'll get two Daffodil sandwiches."

"And throw in some Apple Family cider while yer at it." Applejack added.

The waiter took those orders and left the two alone. "You guys make cider?" Ironhead asked surprised.

"Shore do. Best cider in all o' Ponyville." Applejack said proud of her family's accomplishment. "Cider season starts in 'bout...a month or two from now. Helps us rustle up enough bits for when winter hits. We could always use and extra hoof or two."

"Yeah...You can count on me." Ironhead told her brimming with confidence. "Maybe I can get Scar to help out too. He's not gonna like it though 'cause he hates getting up early..."

The suggestion made the farm pony smile. "That's so like you sugar cube. Y'know, we need more than strong, tough ponies over at the farm. We need ponies that we can trust and depend on, ponies like you."

"Oh uh...eheh." Ironhead said blushing a little from what she said. "Thanks Applejack; that means a lot."

"Hey. I'm jus' sayin' what I'm seein'" Applejack said holding her hooves up.

Just then, the waiter arrived with their orders. "This does look good." Ironhead remarked holding up his sandwich. He then too a large bite out of it. "And it tastes good too."

"Glad ya like it." Applejack said starting to eat as well.

"Yeah, but I always liked daisies more."

"Eh, daisies're fine. If ya ask me, it's Sunflowers that really pack a lotta flavor."

After that, the two of them dissolved into casual chit-chat and story exchanging. Ironhead only asked about her and her life and tried his best to deflect any questions about his own while at the same time giving satisfactory answers. He didn't want to lie to her, especially on a night as special as the one they were having.

He loved this. Heck, they both were enjoying this moment. Chatting about each other and other seemingly trivial things, enjoying a nice meal, taking a sip of Apple Family brand cider every now and then, they almost forgot about anything else in their lives except for that moment.

After a what seemed like a long time, the chatter had died down a little. Ironhead had insisted he'd pay and did so without question. It was 10:35, and Granny wanted Applejack home by 11. They were just finishing up their cider so that they could leave.

As the mare stared into the amber liquid, a question began buzzing around in her head, a question she'd been meaning to ask, since the night began. Heck, she'd been meaning to ask it since he asked her out. Taking a sip of cider, she finally asked it.

"Ironhead, ya mind if I asked ya somethin'?" she said.

"Huh?" He put down his drink. "Sure AJ. What is it?"

She went straight to the point. "Is this a date?"

On the outside, Ironhead seemed perfectly calm thanks to his powers. On the inside however, he was screaming in panic. He played every possible response in his head and every possible response she would have. Having no idea which combination would happen drove him crazy.

Just be honest with her. a voice in the back of his head said. Honest...Just like her.

Honesty...Applejack deserved some honesty after all the lies he'd been telling her. He didn't want to lie to her, not now, not ever. He knew it was for a good reason, but he was sick of lying to somepony so kind and honest with him. He wasn't like Ash nor Psych; he didn't and wouldn't let that thing within him define who he was.

It was then that he made a decision. As soon as this was all over, as soon as Ponyville was safe, he would tell her everything-who he was, his past, his family, all lies would be dispelled. He would be completely and openly honest with her and hoped that she would still accept him. And what better way to start than with her question?

"Y...You're right Applejack...This uh...is a date."

Both faces turned crimson. Applejack looked away as she wondered how to respond to that. "I-If you totally got the wrong idea, I'm sorry!" Ironhead exclaimed upon seeing this.

"No need to apologize Ironhead." Applejack explained turning back to him. "It's just well...I just don' know. This stuff's never happened to me b'fore."

That took him by surprise. "Seriously? You've never been asked out on a date before?"

She shook her head. "Most stallions 'round here all like Rarity. I even heard Rainbow's caught some boys' eyes too."

"Yeah, like my brother." Ironhead added with a chuckle. It seemed to calm both him and Applejack down a bit. "Y'know, forget about those guys. If they can't see how cool you are, then who cares about them? 'Cause there's one guy in this town that can see it. And that guys's...well...wondering if you two could still be friends even if you don't like him back..."

Silence followed after his little speech. Ironhead finished his cider completely hoping that it would be enough to the dull the pain of a rejection if it came. Applejack cleared her throat, and he braced himself.

"Sugar cube...I had a lotta fun tonight." she told him. Ironhead's insides clenched. "It's not the kind of fun I get with my friends or the kind I get with my fam'ly. It's...a new kind, an' well...I like it...An' I think I like you too Ironhead..."

His insides unclenched, but he continued to remain still. Ironhead looked at her face trying to see if she was kidding or not and ended up seeing a cute blush along with a shy smile. Slowly, an identical smile spread across his own face as his insides were screaming with triumph.

Applejack's smile however quickly vanished upon seeing the time. "Land sakes, we got 10 minutes ta get back to the farm!"

"Ah c'mon." Ironhead said with a casual wave of a hoof and still ecstatic about what just happened. "So you're not back by 11, what's the worse Granny can do?"

"Trust me; you don't wanna know." Applejack said warningly. "She looks real nice, but when it comes to us, may Celestia help ya."

Now Ironhead was slightly intimidated. "OK. I think know the fastest way back to the farm." There was a slight pause; maybe it was the cider talking or the joy he felt from her acceptance, but whichever it was, it made him say his next few words.

"Race ya there!"

He was gone in less than a second. Applejack stared at the spot he was at before turning in the direction he ran off to.

As Rarity would say: It was on.



She managed to catch up with him as they entered the road leading to the farm. Ironhead's stamina was a little more than her's, but she was much quicker than she was; she went right passed him, turned her head and gave him a subtle wink before sprinting the remaining distance to her home.

Shortly afterwards, Ironhead arrived slightly out of breath. Hearts hammering in their chest from the activity, they remained silent for a while as they caught their breaths. "Well...we're here." Ironhead said awkwardly.

"Y-yeah, an' not a minute past 11 either." Applejack said noting the time. Once again, an awkward silence enveloped the two.

"Uh hey, thanks for tonight Applejack. I had a really good time." Ironhead told her.

"Me too. Can't wait fer next time." Applejack replied. The idea of there being a next time lifted his spirits.

"Reall? Uh...I can't wait." Ironhead said beaming. "I'll make sure I take you someplace you haven't been yet."

Applejack smiled in happy anticipation. "It's a date then."

Ironhead smiled back at her. "So uh...I'll see you tomorrow I guess." he said with a shrug.

"Uh huh. Bright an' early like always." she said with a nod.

"Yeah. So uh, thanks again AJ, Good night."

"...G'night sugar cube..."

She suddenly leaned forward and gave him a small peck in his left cheek. The kiss lasted only for about a second, and it only felt as soft as a butterfly landing on him, but the contact was enough to send a massive jolt through the colt's body, widening his eyes, blanking his mind, reddening his face, and paralyzing his muscles. As Applejack pulled away, Ironhead tilted to the side and, with a loud thud, hit the ground stiff as a board. He would remain like that for about 15 minutes.

The sight made Applejack chuckle slightly. Still slightly red in the face, she turned and entered her home after wishing him good night once again.

I guess bein' a goofball runs in the family...
> A Scholar's Pursuit
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 15
A SCHOLAR'S PURSUIT


While Ironhead spent that wonderful evening out with Applejack, the one his brother was having wasn't as great as his. Solstice sat alone in his father's study pouring through book after book, scroll after scroll, file after file in a desperate search to find a possible source of light.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the scales on his dad's desk. The white stone was still down meaning that the imbalance still persisted. He pondered on that remembering how panicked his dad was then they tipped. He had seen that look before on his dad. This was actually the fifth time Solstice saw the scales tip in his life.

The first time he saw the scales tip, it was during the evening of summer solstice of the previous year. The second time was during a period he would describe as completely and utter chaos. Chocolate suddenly rained from the sky, trees bent over due to the sudden increased weight of their fruit, some of his own spells didn't work, it was almost hell, a sugary, erratic hell. It stopped just as suddenly as it started, and they were all glad it did though Scar missed the cotton candy clouds.

The third and fourth times occurred during seemingly ordinary days. Though they were spaced out at different intervals, all four incidents had one thing in common: when the scales tipped, it was the black stone that had gone down. This was the first time he had ever seen the white stone lower.

During those four times, Solstice consulted his father about the imbalance. Despite his concerns, Equinox told him not to worry and that the problem would be solved without their intervention. True enough, the scales returned to normal in almost no time after they tipped over. He pondered on those times, wondering if there was any possible connection between those incidents and their current one.

Pausing slightly, he yawned and lifted his silver-rimmed glasses to rub his face. It was past midnight, and Equinox had already turned in for the night. Solstice however refused to rest until he came up with something, anything. Though his body ached and his eyes desired sleep, he would not waver.

But as he finished yet another book, his willpower began to waver. Sighing and running a hoof across his grey mane, he put the book aside and pulled another one close to him with his magic. His eyes drooping slightly, he magically turned its pages and scanned them for anything useful. As the pages went by, his head bowed lower and lower; this wouldn't be the first time he'd fall asleep in the middle of a study session.

But that all changed when he turned to certain page in the book he was browsing. He raised his head and adjusted his glasses which was become slightly askew before continuing to read. He consulted a chart and did a few mental calculations before continuing to read. He moved on to the next page and then the next one and then the next one getting less sleepy as the pages went by.

"This...this is it..." he muttered. "This must be it; I...I've found it..."

There was then a knock on the door followed by it swinging open. Blues stepped in sleepy as well. "Solstice," He paused to yawn for a bit. "Solstice, father sent me to get you. I understand your devotion and how passionate you are about your research, but even you have your limits. You need to-"

"I've found it..."

"Wh-what was that?" Blues asked rubbing his eye.

Solstice turned to his brother, a look of shock on his face. "I've found it Blues...A possible source of the light in Ponyville..."

Blues was stunned as well. "Are...are you sure?"

Solstice felt excited about his discovery. "It must be it; we must get this to father at once."

Carrying the book with him, he ran towards his brother, his horn glowing with teal magic. Once he was near, the teal magic aura enveloped them both as they teleported out of the room. They reappeared outside the door to their dad's room, and Solstice began knocking on it repeatedly.

"Father! Father! Please open up; this is urgent!" Solstice cried out hurriedly.

After a while, the door became surrounded by a silver magical aura and swung open. The two unicorns raced inside where their father sat on top of his bed.

"Solstice, Blues, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Equinox asked startled, sleepy and worried.

"Father, I believe I've discovered the source of the light in Ponyville's soil." Solstice said opening the book and flipping through it.

"Er...What?"

Equinox was a little startled when Solstice brought the open book up to the alicorn's face. Equinox saw on it five grey spheres arranged in a circle. Each sphere had a strange shape engraved on it. Equinox recognized those items very well; he had even studied them at some point.

"The Elements of Harmony!"

Equinox raised an eyebrow. The aura around the book changed from teal to silver as he took the book from his son. "I've done the calculations in my head. The amount of light the Elements of Harmony emits matches up with the amount of light building up in Ponyville's soil. No other possible source of light came close; this must be it father!"

An excited grin on his face, Solstice watched his dad go through the book waiting for his comment. He eventually closed it and cleared his throat. "Well Solstice, your theory does hold truth." he said. "However, there is one problem with it."

Solstice couldn't believe his ears. "What?! B-But-But-My calculations were sound! I even triple-checked them!"

Equinox held up a hoof in a placating gesture. "I'm sure they were son, but I assure you the problem is not within your calculations."

"Then what is it?" Solstice asked.

Equinox yawned a bit remembering just how late it was. "Well to put it simply, the Elements of Harmony are not kept in Ponyville. They are kept in Canterlot, protected 24/7 by guards and a vast array of protective spells. Their light could not possible reach Ponyville."

"Are you sure father?" Blues asked. "I mean, just when was the last time you were in Canterlot?"

The last time he was in Canterlot...

The last time he was in Canterlot...

Canterlot...

Equinox cleared his throat, took all the memories of his last time in Canterlot and shoved them back into the deepest recesses of his mind where belonged.. "That is irrelevant." he said earning raised eyebrows from the unicorn brothers. "Look, the point is unless Celes...the princess moved them to someplace else, they are still there."

"But father, this seems like the only possibility." Solstice argued. "They must be in Ponyville."

"Isn't there any connection between the Elements of Harmony and Ponyville?" Blues inquired.

"None that I know of. However..." Equinox seemed to trail off.

That intrigued Solstice. "Yes? What is it father?"

Equinox took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the scales have tipped before."

His eldest son nodded. "This is the fifth time since I was born."

"Indeed it is. Like our current situation, I managed to locate the sources of the imbalance."

"And what did you find?" Solstice asked leaning in.

"During the third instance, the imbalance was centered in Canterlot." the alicorn explained. "The fourth one centered somewhere far up north where the Crystal Empire once stood. The first and second one strangely... occurred in Ponyville. I'm sure you could remember the second time."

"Yes. I just loved how my saxophone wouldn't stop making farting noises." Blues muttered sarcastically.

Solstice ignored him. "Yes well...Two of the imbalances occurred in Ponyville. The Elements of Harmony must have been there at some point." he insisted.

"The incidents are unrelated to each other." Equinox replied. "Furthermore, even if the Elements were used in Ponyville; they would surely be returned to Canterlot before any long-term effects would take place. T-The princess would make sure of that."

"How can you be so certain father? You and Princess Celestia have never met." Blues said.

Equinox was immensely grateful that Psych wasn't in the room; he'd have seen right through him. "She is a good...and wise leader, somepony fit to rule Equestria. She had used the Elements of Harmony before you were even born, so I believe she has the sense to return them where they belong."

"But...but..."

Solstice wanted to protest, but the rest of his words came out as a yawn. He then felt a hoof on his shoulder and saw his dad in front of him. "You've done well tonight my son, but you've also done enough." he said. "Please get some rest; you can continue in the morning."

Solstice refused to stop now when he had such a huge lead, but he heaviness of his body and the sleepiness in his eyes made him agree with his dad. Bidding his dad and brother good night, he teleported directly onto his bed where he slumped over feeling defeated.

He was sure it was the Elements; it couldn't be anything else. He knew that he was so close to the truth and saving Ponyville. He had never been to Canterlot, so there was still a possibility that the Elements weren't there anymore. That possibility still existed and could in fact be the truth.

And if his dad wouldn't pursue it, he would.



The next day...

Ironhead was already up and getting ready for work at the farm, where Applejack was. He was so glad that last night went splendidly despite how tense he was almost the whole time. Now, he was going to Sweet Apple Acres to confront Applejack once again.

Now he was tense on what to say to her now. Were they officially a couple now? Can he call her his marefriend? He he give her a kiss when he sees her (yes, the memory and sensation of the kiss was still fresh in his mind). How would the rest of the family react when they find out about this?

His thoughts were interrupted by several knocks on the door. Ironhead looked over at it in confusion; they didn't know that many ponies in town, so who could possibly be knocking so early in the morning?

"Nghh...make it stop..." Scar groaned as the knocking woke him up. "Who the hell wants to talk to us this early?"

The knocking continued. Scar groaned once more and covered his ear with his pillow. Meanwhile, Ironhead grumbled and approached the door wondering who would be there. He opened the door ready to confront who it was.

"Hey, whoever you are, this better be-Solstice?!"

Hearing that surprised Scar. He jumped out of his bed and checked out the pony in the doorway. True enough, his eldest brother was there raising and eyebrow as he saw him.

"Ah Scar, Ironhead, good morning." Solstice greeted cheerfully.

"Uh...yeah. Hey bro." Ironhead said as Scar approached the two of them. "Lemme guess, you teleported all the way here?"

"Indeed I have." Solstice said rather proud of his feat. "Long-range teleportation is quite easy for me. Anyway, I see that you two are doing fine on your own. How is the job at the farm Ironhead?"

"Pretty good actually; I was just gonna leave." Ironhead said shrugging.

Solstice smiled and stretched a little. "Ah, it feels so good to be out. I can't remember the last time I went out like this." he said happily.

"Uh, yeah." Scar said rubbing the back of his head. "Look Solstice, not that it's nice to see you, but what're you doing here?"

"Ah yes; I suppose we shall have time to catch up afterwards." Solstice straightened himself up. "As for why I am here. I believe to have found the source of the light in Ponyville."

Immediately, his two brothers were wide awake. "S...seriously?"

"Why of course. I would never joke about something as serious as this." the unicorn answered.

"Did you tell dad about this?" Ironhead asked.

Solstice looked away for a moment, the memories of the previous night crossing his mind. "I told him, and, after a lengthy discussion, he said that my theory is wrong."

"Then why're you here? I thought you'd be stuck home looking for another theory." Scar asked puzzled by his brother's actions.

"Because despite father's words, I believe my theory is correct." Solstice insisted adjusting his glasses a bit. "I am a pony of action; I do not let mere words, not even father's, discredit what I believe is correct. If they are indeed wrong, then I would like to see it for myself through my own personal research. I will not let go of my theory unless I find definitive proof of its falsehood myself. I would greatly appreciate your support."

Ironhead and Scar looked at each other before giving their opinion. They both knew just how passionate Solstice got when it came to research. They knew he really wouldn't rest until he had all the answers. If their dad had dismissed his theory, then it had to be wrong, but as his brothers, they had to trust him.

"Alright. Whadd'ya need bro?" Ironhead asked turning to the teal green unicorn.

"I'm glad you asked. Is there anypony here in Ponyville that I can consult with on the matter?" he asked.

"Well...There's Twilight Sparkle. I heard she's the smartest pony in town. Plus, she lives in a tree/library; she's gotta know something." Scar told him.

"Have you consulted earlier during you search?" Solstice asked wanting more info.

"Yeah, but she said she didn't have anything in her library about light." Scar replied. "You can still ask her if you want."

"Then ask her I shall." Solstice said. "You know my signal should I need any assistance yes?"

"Yeah yeah; we know." Ironhead rolled his eyes. "You just stick to what you gotta do. I hope you get your answers."

"As do I Ironhead. As do I." Solstice sighed and shook his head. "Very well. I shall be off."

"Yeah. Ironhead here's got work to do, and I uh...I'm going out." Scar said earning furrowed eyebrows from his earth pony brother. This went unnoticed by Solstice who just smiled at his brothers.

He nodded at his brothers before turning and leaving the apartment. The sun was just coming up signalling the start of another day, a day he would find the answers to his questions. Knowing that he had his brothers' support, he trudged on looking for a tree/library; it shouldn't be that difficult to find. Ready to get some answers, he smiled. It was time to meet Ms. Twilight Sparkle.
> Crisis in Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 16
CRISIS IN PONYVILLE


Several weeks earlier...

The library was dark and peaceful, silent except for the deep breathing of a unicorn and the slightly louder snores of her dragon assistant. The two of them slept peacefully and dreamily, Twilight about Celestia awarding her for her discovery of a new star cluster and Spike about what else but gems and his favorite mare.

As they spend their happy moments in dream land, the window bellow in the main library slowly slid open without waking up the library's residents. Twilight however grunted and turned in her bed as a set of hooves landed on the library's floor.

"OK; coast is clear." a hushed voice said.

A second set of hooves hit the library floor. "Where are they?" a second hushed voice asked.

"Over there; we just need one of them."

Just as Celestia was about to award her with the keys to her own personal wing of the Canterlot Library, the sound of glass breaking woke Twilight up. She was still sleepy when she did so and thought the breaking glass was just part of the dream she was having.

"You idiot! You could've woken them up!"

The hushed shout caused Twilight to bolt up on her bed now completely wide awake. Pausing for a while, she heard the two intruders continue to argue about the noise they made. Gingerly, she got out of her bed and slowly peeked into the library bellow.

"Wh...who's there?"

"Ah dammit!"

There was a sudden, great flash that momentarily blinded Twilight followed by the sound of something hitting the floor. Blinking the spots out of her eyes, Twilight looked over at the library again and saw that it was empty. The only thing out of place were a few shards of broken glass and something golden glittering on the floor.

Illuminating the room with light from her horn, Twilight raced downstairs where her worst fears were confirmed. As Spike turned and finally woke up, she gently picked up the object on the floor, a golden necklace with a jeweled apple on it. She quickly turned to the display case whose glass was shattered and counted six items.

"T-Twilight? What's going on?" Spike asked peeking down at her. She turned to him, giving him a look of panic.

"Spike...Somepony tried to steal the Elements!"



Present day...

"Ok...you can do this. You can do this. You can do this!" Ironhead said as he neared Sweet Apple Acres. He had been travelling for several minutes and was still a little nervous about confronting Applejack.

As he crossed the streets of Ponyville wondering what to do, he passed by several ponies stopping in their tracks, looking at something. Ironhead, busy with his own problems, failed to notice them until he bumped into a blue, stationary earth pony stallion muttering something to his companion.

"Hey, why're you-"

It was only then did he finally see what everypony was staring at.

Black smoke bellowed from someplace in the distance into the sky above. Ironhead joined the others ponies while a group of pegasi flew above them. The smoke was too far away from the town to affect it, but judging by its location, there was only one possible place it could be coming from-Sweet Apple Acres.

G...Granny...Big Mac...Applebloom...

"APPLEJACK!"

Several ponies jumped to the side as Ironhead shouted, and several more did so as he galloped past them. His earlier problems suddenly vanishing, he yelled at a few ponies ahead of him to get out of his way. He ran faster than he had ever done in his life towards the farm before it was too late.

As he reached the road heading to the farm, Ironhead started begging in his head to Celestia, heck, to both princesses, that the Apple family would be unhurt. The fear only seemed to give him more energy, allowing him to speed up and reach the barn.

To his relief, the barn was untouched. The fire seemed to be taking place in one of the fields. None of the Apples were in sight.

"Ironhead!" a voice from the barn called out. The colt galloped towards it just as the door opened revealing a shaken Applebloom and Granny Smith.

"Applebloom! Granny!" Ironhead cried out glad to see them unhurt. His relief turned to dread as the other Apple siblings failed to make an appearance. "Where're-"

"Tryin' ta put out the fire." Applebloom answered already knowing what he would ask.

He nodded shakily. "OK. Stay here Applebloom; I'm gonna go help them."

He left them and started searching around for a bucket or something to carry water. "Ironhead!" came another familiar voice. He turn and saw, to his great relief, Applejack covered in soot and sweat. He ran over to her as she filled up the bucket from a nearby well.

"We gotta stop the fire from spreadin'." she told him hurriedly.

Just then, two groups of pegasi flew towards the fire, each group with a rain cloud. "That's not enough. Shouldn't there be more of those guys?" he asked as he watched.

"They're busy with somethin' else. C'mon, we gotta fire ta stop!" Carrying the bucket in her mouth, she made a beeline for the flames.

"Applejack, wait!" She stopped, allowing him to catch up. "The trees that're on fire...you can't grow anything on them right?"

She shook her head in response. Now Ironhead knew what to do; to hell with laying low. The farm needed him; the farm needed his powers. To AJ's surprise, he gave a loud cry and charged towards the fire carrying nothing at all. Applejack went after him worried that he might hurt himself or something.

Eventually, he found several trees on fire. The smoke made his eyes water, and the heat drove him back a bit. The wind wasn't in their favor either as it fanned the flames, making them spread faster.

Big Mac was there tossing a bucket of water on one of them which made the flames die down a bit. Another got doused with the rain clouds the pegasi were carrying, and the flame was put out almost instantly. As they flew away to get more, Ironhead eyed a burning tree that was threatening to set the one in front of it on fire. Not on his watch.

Applejack arrived just in time to see Ironhead gallop at full speed towards the burning tree. She panicked as she saw him approached it, afraid that he'd get hurt. Once he was close enough, Ironhead jumped, allowing his momentum to bring him forward.

His shoulder collided with the tree with full force. This was followed by a ripping sound still audible over the crackling of the flames. The tree tilted over and completely fell away leaving the tree it was threatening untouched. The sight made Big Mac's jaw drop; the same happened to Applejack, the bucket hitting the ground without spilling its contents. With several more trees to go, Ironhead galloped to another burning tree and gave it a good buck, knocking it over and stopping it from spreading the fire.

Applejack could only watch with awe as he knocked over tree after tree. It was only then that he realized the intensity of his strength. It was just too unnatural; no pony, not even the strongest pony in Manehatten, could possibly uproot entire trees with just a single buck.

She began to wonder just who the pony she trusted completely really was.



Once Ironhead left, Scar started flying around looking for Rainbow. She probably had work to do, but he wouldn't mind helping her out with it if it meant giving them some time together. Maybe they could go hang out together. Or maybe eat someplace again. Or maybe practice their moves. Or maybe have a race. Or maybe...have her help him fulfill his life-long dream.

"A whole day with Rainbow...This...is...AWESOME!" he cried out excitedly pumping his hooves into the air. "This is the best thing ever; nothing can ruin this day!"

Something large suddenly collided with him mid-air. Scar tumbled around several times before finally stabilizing himself. Rubbing his head, he saw a blonde maned grey pegasus rubbing her head as well. She opened her eyes revealing one of them to be looking at a different spot as the other.

"Sorry!" she yelled out before flying off. As Scar watched her, several more pegasi flew past him. Wondering what was going on, he scanned the horizon eventually finding a large amount of smoke billowing into the sky.

"Scar!"

Said pony turned around and saw Rainbow fly towards him looking stressed out. "We need your help."

"What do you need?" Scar asked without hesitation. Rainbow flew off in the direction the other pegasi flew with Scar following her. "Is this about the fire?"

"No; I already got a team dealing with that. We need help for something else." the mare said putting up a burst of stopped which Scar matched. He opened his mouth to ask what it was, but they stopped flying as the answer showed up in front of them.

It was a large cloud around thrice the size of an average pony. Unlike the other clouds in the sky, this one was very dark grey. Several pegasi flew around it and tried pushing it in one direction before suddenly breaking away as if they just felt a powerful electric shock. True enough, a bolt of lightning suddenly shot out of the cloud and almost hit a group of pegasi that tried to approach it.

Another bolt shot out in their direction. Scar and Rainbow flew sideways to avoid it. They circled around the cloud watching it crackle and shot out more lighting. "Why the hell did you guys make this?!" Scar asked out loud.

"We didn't make this!" Rainbow cried out as more pegasi tried pushing the cloud. "This thing formed in the Everfree Forest! The wind must've blown it into town!"

"Can't we just keep hitting that thing until it goes away?!"

"It's hard OK?!"Rainbow answered back. "It's shooting lightning for crying out loud! Plus, we gotta get it out before it gets to town; it already started a fire at Sweet Apple Acres a few minutes ago!"

Hearing that news, Scar feared for his brother's safety. He tried putting it out f his mind; Ironhead was tough. A fire wouldn't stop him from doing what he can at the farm. He focused on the task at hand-getting the storm cloud out before it could harm anything else.

Together, he and Rainbow flew in and managed to get their hooves on the cloud. They could feel the electricity crackling at the surface, making their hooves tingle slightly. They beat their wings and started pushing the cloud towards the Everfree Forest.

The electricity on the surface suddenly increased causing them to withdraw their hooves. Sensing a bolt about to fire, they dove backwards; Scar managed to avoid it, but Rainbow wasn't as lucky. The bolt shot out and singed the tip of her left wing causing her to lose control and plummet to the ground.

Scar's heart seemed to plummet as well. "RAINBOW!" The red-maned goof ball dove after his rainbow-maned crush before she could hit the ground.

But there was really no need. Rainbow managed to regain her bearings and flew upwards at the cloud. Recovering from his shock, Scar caught up with her.

"What? You though that'd be enough to take me out?" she asked him. The tip of her wing was only slightly burnt but was otherwise alright.

Scar couldn't talk for a while. "I...I was so scared..." he admitted.

Hearing his tone made Rainbow think for a moment, but thinking would have to wait. There was storm cloud threatening Ponyville above them that needed getting rid off. Putting her thoughts aside, Rainbow charged in with Scar and several other pegasi, ready to keep at it.



As Solstice left to find the library, another pony set off from her home with her own mission in mind. After feeding her animals her breakfast and finishing her own, Fluttershy nervously set off towards the Everfree Forrest filled with timber wolves, hydras, manticores...

No; I can't back down now...She gulped as she entered the woods. Her eyes darting around in case anything sneaked up on her, she made her way to the clearing where she and Ash first met. It was empty when she arrived, so she just sat down and waited for him to arrive.

This seemed almost pointless. She wasn't even sure if Ash would show up that morning or that day for that matter. She tried checking the clearing during the previous day, but Ash was nowhere to be found. She briefly thought about venturing deeper into the forest, but her own fears kept her from going beyond the clearing.

Rarity told her to be careful and to tell somepony if Ash tried to hurt her again, but Fluttershy really thought that she could get through to him despite his attitude. Beyond the anger and the threats he displayed, Ash did indeed look like he was in pain.

After several minutes, nopony else entered the clearing. Just as she thought that this would be another wasted day, a dark shape appeared in the sky. A few seconds later, the shape revealed itself to be a dark pegasus stallion. Ash touched down in the clearing, folded his wings and made his way to a bush, his eyes downcast. He didn't seem to have noticed her.

"Um...hello Ash."

Startled, Ash looked up only realizing then that he had company. While he looked at her with surprise, Fluttershy thought on what to say or do next, but nothing came to mind. She spent so much time waiting for him to show up, and now that he was there, she didn't know that to say to him at all.

"What do you want?" Ash asked wanting some solitude.

"I um...W-well...You see...I...How do I put this...?" she stuttered.

"Spit it out!"

She saw it again, the hesitation and panic in his eyes. They told her that Ash didn't seem to be angry at her. He seemed to almost regret his outburst.

"I just...want to talk." she told him slowly.

"Talk? What's there to talk about?" Ash replied. "Anything I say...it'll hurt you."

He turned away and yanked a leaf out of the bush with his teeth. "Do you really want that? Do you really want to hurt me?" she asked.

Ash growled and turned to her. His eyes turned scarlet, surprising her a bit. He looked her in the eye wanting to say it to her face, but as he opened his mouth, all that came out was a chocking sound. He growled and tried to get a spiteful yes out, but it didn't come.

Say it! Say it to her face! he thought as he struggled to get the word out.

As he did, Fluttershy noticed the mental struggle in his eyes. Ash couldn't even get a straight yes out, so maybe he didn't want to hurt her at all. Ash finally sighed and bowed his head in defeat, the leaf in his moth fluttering away in the wind.

"You don't want to hurt me do you?" Fluttershy dared to ask. All she got was his silence. She took a tentative step forward. "It's OK to admit it. It's really nothing to be ashamed of."

"This isn't about shame." Ash told her. "I'm...the most evil pony in the world. I...I live to make others suffer...It's...It's what I am..."

"But...but you always look so hurt when you say or do mean things?" Fluttershy pointed out. "If you're as mean as you say you are, why do you always look so hurt?"

Ash's eyes widened as he took a step back. "Sh-shut up!" he roared. "Don't say those things...You know nothing about me!"

She flinched at the shout and backed away a little. "You're right. I still don't know you, and I still don't get why you have to act so mean all the time and why you always look scared when you are." The colt turned away but saw her approach out of the corner of his eye.. "But...if you just let me...know you a little more...maybe...I can help you stop being so miserable all the time..."

The offer made Ash turn back to her. With cyan eyes filled with kindness he didn't believe he deserved, she shyly approached.

"Ash...If you don't mind that is...would you like me to be your friend...?"

The colt was stunned.

F...Friend...?



"I must say Twilight, had I not checked twice, I probably wouldn't have believed it myself."

"Really? Well, I have to agree that it's something you don't see everyday. Would you like a cookie Rarity?"

"I'd love one."

"H-Here you go my sweet."

"Why thank you Spike."

That same morning, Rarity paid a visit to the library. She would always do so whenever she had a fresh piece of gossip that was just too juicy to keep to herself. While Twilight never really enjoyed such things, it was nice to have her around and have her stay for a cup of tea. Spike surely didn't mind.

"I mean honestly. There I was picking up some fabric when I see who else but Applejack going to a restaurant with a colt!" Rarity told her. "It was all I could do to not check in on them."

"You mean spying?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

Rarity looked flustered. "Heaven's no! I would never...let them know I was watching them." she said. She didn't say she wasn't going to spy on them.

"If you really want to know what happened, you'll just have to wait for AJ to tell you about it." Twilight said taking a sip of her tea.

Her companion sighed and took a sip as well. "It seems like Applejack has found her special somepony before either of us have."

"They've only been on one date Rarity. I think it's too early for something like that." Twilight said.

"Oh but still." Rarity sighed once more. "It's been so long since my last relationship..."

"Well, you said they looked happy with each other. That's good enough for us." Twilight told her. "Well, I hope they're happy. I don't really know anything about these sort of things aside from the things I read about."

"Never? Not even just a teeny crush?"

Twilight shook her head. "Not really. It was all study study study for me back in Canterlot. I've never really noticed nor been noticed by other colts before."

That earned a surprised look from Rarity. "Really now Twilight? Well, Ponyville is so much different from Canterlot. Perhaps your special somepony is somewhere here."

Just then, there was a knock upon the door. Twilight stood up to get it. "Here in Ponyville? Rarity, while there are plenty of nice colts here in town, none of them really caught my-"

She opened the door.

"A...uh...attention..."

Wow...he's...cute...

> The Scholar and the Librarian
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 17
THE SCHOLAR AND THE LIBRARIAN


"Good morning. Ms. Twilight Sparkle I presume?" Solstice said smiling warmly at her.

"Why...why yes. That's me." the mare got out feeling more nervous than she had ever been before. This had never happened before. "I...er...well...I mean...Are you new here? Because...I don't think I've seen you before..."

"Ah yes; I just arrived here in Ponyville today actually." He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, please forgive me. Where are my manners?" He chuckled, stepped back and bowed. "A pleasure to meet you Ms. Sparkle. I am Solstice, a humble scholar seeking answers."

Twilight heard stifled laughter from within her home. "It's nice to meet you too Solstice. W-Would you like to come inside?"

"I'd love to."

Twilight backed up and allowed Solstice to enter the library. As he did, he craned his neck upwards, taking in the various tomes and volumes around him. Twilight watched as his eyes sparkled in amazement as he took the sight of so many books."I must say, this is quite the collection Ms. Sparkle. Did you collect all of these yourself?" he asked.

"Oh no. All these books were here when I got here." Twilight explained as he looked in wonder at the library. "I-If you really like libraries, you should really see one in Canterlot."

"The Canterlot Library? Oh, you've no idea how long I've dreamed to pay it a visit." Solstice admitted. "Five stories of age-old knowledge perfectly preserved for generations." He gave out a dreamy sigh. "If you've been there, I'd love to hear all about it."

That brought a smile on her face and sent her thoughts a whirl. Wow...He likes books...like me...He likes libraries...like me!

More stifled laughter brought her back to reality. Twilight turned around seeing Rarity and Spike apparently enjoying what they were seeing. Her cheeks flushed, she realized that she forgot they were there.

"Friends of your I take it?" Solstice asked.

"Y-yeah." She cleared her throat. "This is my friend Rarity and my assistant Spike. Guys, I'd you both to meet Solstice."

"A pleasure to meet you two." Solstice bowed once more. Twilight thought she saw her unicorn friend's eyes flutter. Solstice turned back to the librarian. "Forgive me. I had no idea you had a prior engagement. Perhaps I could return at a more appropriate-"

"Oh no; It's quite all right actually. I was just about to leave." Rarity said surprising her unicorn friend. "Twilight, do you mind if I borrowed Spike for a moment? I've run out of gems, and I'd love his help in finding some more."

"R-Really?" Spike asked excited to spend some time with her. "Can I Twilight? Please?" he begged.

"But-But Rarity-" Twilight began but never finished due to Rarity placing hoof on her shoulder.

"Solstice, do you mind giving us a moment?"

The colt nodded, and Rarity pulled her friend aside and spoke in a hushed, hurried manner. "Twilight, listen to me and listen well. A young, handsome gentlecolt with whom you share quite a few interests is taking interest in you. You. Do. Not. Pass. Up. This. Opportunity." She punctuated each work with a light tap to Twilight's chest.

"Wh-what?"

Rarity just smiled slyly at her and made her way to the door. "A pleasure to have met you Solstice. Come now Spike, I won't be able to find those gems without you."

Twilight just watched her leave the library along with her love-struck assistant. Solstice turned to her and smiled. "Why they seem like lovely friends of yours." he commented.

"Oh...Yes. If you're staying here in town, I'd love to introduce my other friends." she said nervous now that they were all alone.

Solstice chuckled and adjusted his glasses a bit. "That would be lovely, but my stay won't be for long. In fact, I came here looking for you Ms. Sparkle."

Twilight felt her cheeks flush once again at that. "Y-You know, you could just call me Twilight. I mean, you don't look that much younger than me."

"Very well then Twilight." Solstice continued. "I'm in the middle of some research, and while testing a theory of mine, it was recommended that I consult you."

Solstice smiled, liking the way he was wording out his goals without giving up too much information. He wasn't anything like Ironhead and his ability to lie easily and make thing up on the spot; no, he knew how to work words well.

"Wow...I...don't know what to say." Twilight said. "W-would you like to discuss this over some tea?"

"That sounds lovely."

Solstice sat down while Twilight poured him some tea, noticing the amethysts that were her eyes sparkled like her name suggested. He watched her silky mane flow as she turned to pour herself some tea and smiled. She sat down and took a sip as well.

"So this research you're doing, is it really something I can help you with?" Twilight asked.

"Well, you certainly have the resources." Solstice looked around the library, stopping only when he saw a particular shelf. "Are those books authored by Star Swirl the Bearded himself?"

"Why yes they are." Twilight said. "I have a few copies of them back in my old home in Canterlot. I remember my parents getting me the Beginner, Intermediate and Advance Guides to Spellcasting. It took me about a month to go through each of-"

At that moment, Solstice gave out a yawn and scratched his eye. "Oh, forgive my rudeness." he said quickly before Twilight could think he was getting bored. "I was up all night doing my research."

Twilight sighed in relief. "Trust me; I've been there." She raised her cup. "You have no idea how many times Spike tries to tell me to sleep in the middle of an all-night study session. Rarity even tells me it's horrible for my skin, that I'll get wrinkles or something."

"My father reprimands me for doing that all the time."

"It's bothersome right? I mean, you're not supposed to sleep during one."

"That is the point of an all-night study session."

"Exactly. I know he's worried about my health and Rarity my looks, but look at me. I'm fine."

"Indeed you are. You look absolutely lovely today Twilight." Solstice raised his cup as well. She slowly took a sip feeling a bit like Fluttershy at the moment. "Anyway, I too have the Beginner, Intermediate and Advance Guides to Spellcasting. It took me much longer than you did to go through them completely." Solstice admitted. "Right after learning a spell, I'd try to perform it right away with sometimes catastrophic results. When I was young, I accidentally mixed up a color-changing spell with a multiplication spell. The frog I was attempting to turn orange suddenly turned into a thousand frogs; it took my family an entire week to clean them out."

"That's hilarious." Twilight said smiling and reminiscing about her younger days. "You know Spike? I once tried a spell to put him in a tux, but I accidentally put him in a dress! And it just so happened that Rarity came by at the exact moment!"

He chuckled at the memories and made her chuckle as well. This was tuning out better than he had expected. He stopped laughing however upon seeing a particular book on the shelf. "May I?" he asked pointing at it.

"Go ahead Solstice." The latter thanked her and levitated the book over to him. It was On the Natural Balance 1st Edition written by his father. "That's a pretty old book. It was written way before I was born."

"It's outdated." Solstice told her.

"I...I'm sorry. What?" she asked.

He thought about it for a moment. "Could you please excuse me for a few seconds?"

Twilight nodded and saw his horn glow with a teal aura. A second later, he was gone in a flash of teal light. About ten seconds later, he reappeared levitating a book from the library back at his home. He passed it over to Twilight.

"I'm sure this will make a wonderful addition to your library." he said.

Twilight looked at the cover and couldn't believe her eyes. "On the Natural Balance...5th Edition?!" she said excitedly. Solstice noted how adorable she looked. Indeed, as her eyes turned up to him wide with wonder, he felt his heart strings tug a bit. "Solstice, I appreciate the thought, but this is your book right? I can't just take it."

"Oh no need to worry." His horn glowed once more, enveloping the book once again in a teal aura. He concentrated his magic, and another flash later, the book landed in Twilight's hooves. However, Solstice was levitating a second, identical book with his magic.

"Was that a replication spell?" she asked him.

"I thought a unicorn as talented as yourself would recognize it." Solstice answered. "Yes indeed it is. There should be a small coffee stain on the upper left corner of page 72 if I'm not mistaken."

Twilight opened the book, and true enough, there it was, a small, dark brown spot on the upper right corner of page 72." Wow." was all she could say. "Thank you."

"Oh it's nothing honestly. While learning magic, you could say I had a little help." Solstice said placing a hoof on his chest.

Twilight glanced a the book and looked at him. "Looks like another all-night study session for me."

Solstice laughed at her little joke. "Unless you fall asleep in the middle of it that is. Believe me, it's happened to me one or two times."

Twilight chuckled a little, a sound which Solstice found adorable. Gazed into his teacup for a while before looking up at her. "Twilight...You know, I came to this library hoping to find more evidence to prove my theory correct. Instead, well, I've found something even better-a charming young mare."

Twilight lost count of how many times she blushed since they first met. "Y-y-you think I'm...charming...?" she asked wondering if she heard him right.

He nodded and smiled. "Twilight, I've had a delightful time since I came in here, and it's been such a delight spending time with you."

"I...I had fun too Solstice." Twilight old him. "To be honest, it's usually just me, my friends and my studies. I've never really...spent this much time alone with a guy before."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's such a shame that others can't see how lovely you truly are." Twilight looked away and blushed once again. "It pains me to say that my time here is only temporary, but once I am finished, perhaps I could return to Ponyville and get to know you more. Say perhaps, over coffee?"

The offer seemed like a good one. Slightly dazed, Twilight was already considering having Spike push back her perfectly made schedule for the rest of the month just for that one time. "That...that sound nice." she said. "I can't wait."

Solstice smiled and took another sip. "Wonderful. Now, back to my research."

"Oh, of course. Almost forgot there." Twilight admitted. "So what is it you're looking into?"

There was a slight pause. "The Elements of Harmony."

Twilight was about to take a sip, but she put her cup down upon hearing what he said. "Th-the Elements of Harmony? Wh-what exactly do you need?"

"Well for starters, I'd like to know where they are." Solstice set his cup down, but as he looked back up, he noticed a change in Twilight's expression. She now seemed worried about something. "Is something the matter Twilight?"

"N-no; it's just...what do you want with the Elements?" she asked him, her mind flashing back to all those weeks ago.

"I require them for my research. Have you any idea where they are?" he asked confused by the sudden change in atmosphere.

Twilight paused an looked away. "They're...they're not here in Ponyville. I don't know where they are."

"I have reason to believe that they are indeed here." Solstice said noticing her hesitation. "You are a passionate researcher are you not? As am I; I will not let this go unless my theory is either proven right or wrong. Allow me to ask again; where are the Elements of Harmony?"

Twilight remained silent, a small layer of sweat on her forehead. "Twilight," Solstice continued. "Unless you tell me the location of the Elements, well...let's just say something...unfortunate could happen to you, your friends, and Ponyville in general."

The librarian could believe it; was that a threat?! "Please just answer me Twilight; where are the Elements of Harmony?" Solstice asked once again.

His face was calm, but Twilight's showed tension. Ever since that incident, she had taken extra precautions about the Elements and would alway feel anxiety when the subject of their protection was brought up. Could he be in league with whoever tried to steal the Elements all those weeks ago? He seemed like a nice guy, but what did he want with the Elements?

It all came down to choosing between the elements or her friends. How would they feel if they found out she gave up the Elements? They were practically powerless without the Elements. She remembered how much they tried to get them back when they went missing once.

But either way, something bad was going to happen to Ponyville. She remembered what the six of them were able to accomplish. They defeated Nightmare Moon. They defeated Discord. As long as they had the Elements-no. As long as they had each other, nothing would happen, not on their watch.

"I'm...not telling you." she finally told the colt.

Solstice gazed at her seriousness for a moment and nodded. "I see...So that is your decision..." He sighed; there was only one way to get the information now. "I have a brother Twilight, and he created, well, 'titles' he 'bestowed' upon me and the rest of our family. Do you know what I am known as?"

Before Twilight could answer, a sphere of teal light appeared at the tip of his horn and grew to the size of a soccer ball With a jerk of his head, the sphere was launched; it hit the window, phased right through it and went skywards. Several feet above the library, it suddenly exploded giving out a loud boom, a bright, teal flash and showing off several arcs of teal magical energy.

Twilight felt the explosion from within the library. She looked over at Solstice. He had a twinkle in his blue green eyes and a playful smile upon his lips.

"I am the Magic of Discord."
> Calling All Brothers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 18
CALLING ALL BROTHERS


A teal, soccer ball-sized sphere exploding and sending out three arcs of magic, Solstice was rather proud of his signal. As flashy as it was, it was also very effective; the whole thing turned made the entire town momentarily turn away from the two disasters that were currently ongoing. New mutterings spread out as the citizens of Ponyville questioned what was going to happen next.

"What the hay?"

Before Applejack could try to figure out what just happened, a brown blur sped past her in the direction of the explosion. Ironhead didn't even look at her when he passed. She couldn't understand why; the fire was still raging, and the rest of the fields were still in danger. Was he really going to abandon them?

"Ironhead!" she cried out chasing after him. "Ironhead, what's gotten into ya?!"

Her shout made him dig his hooves into the soil. He screeched to a halt and turned back to her noticing the raging inferno behind her. He looked back to the spot where his brother sent up his signal and then back to her, his mind trying to put it all together.

He was torn. His brother needed him, but he couldn't abandon Applejack when she needed him. Panicking, he turned from her to the arcs and then back to her and then back to the arcs. He couldn't decide; what was more important-her or his family?

"We can't do this without ya Ironhead." Applejack told him. "What's happenin' here? What's with the fancy light show?"

Ironhead hesitated. "It...My brother..." he stammered.

"What? How the hay can Scar make that?" Applejack questioned.

"M...My...My other brother..."

Now Applejack was confused; he had another brother? She thought it was just him, his parents, Ironheart and Scar. What was this about another brother in Ponyville? Wait, those weren't important at the moment. She shook her head and focused on what she knew and what was going on.

"Ironhead...we can't do this without ya." He knew she was right, but he couldn't abandon his brother if he needed him. Being torn between her and his family caused him to stammer and turned from her to the arcs once again until he finally gave a loud cry and rushed back to the burning trees.

Applejack watched once again as he bucked tree after tree once again surprising her by his strength. The thought of an unknown brother made her feel uneasy. Why would he hide that fact? Could there be more secrets that he hadn't told her? Was there still something about him that he hadn't told her.

Ironhead had just uprooted another burning tree with a single buck when he saw Applejack confused and wanting to know the truth. He sighed and shook his head realizing that the jig was up; he could no longer hide things from her. "Applejack...I think it's time you knew..."

For a while, they just stared at each other while the flames raged on. "Wh...who are you...?" Applejack asked.

The liar sighed once more and turned around to face the burning tree before him. It was one of the bigger, older trees that were present in the field He stood on his hind legs, grabbed the sides of the tree and pulled. Applejack watched in awe as his muscles rippled, the sound of ripping filling the air.

"I'm Ironhead...the Strength of Deceit!"

With a mighty tug, the tree was completely uprooted from the ground. Ironhead pulled back and flung the tree sideways. It crashed into several other burning trees and knocked them down, bringing them away from the rest of the apple field.

Applejack, Big Mac and the pegasus group that was putting the flames out all had their jaws hanging. Ignoring them, Ironhead dashed over and knocked the few remaining trees down. Smoke billowing in the distance and the rest of the apple crop safe, Ironhead turned and ran right out of there passing by Applejack and not making eye contact.

She slowly turned and watched him gallop into the distance, her mind trying to put this all together and trying to figure out what he meant.

The Strength of Deceit...

"...Ironhead...?"



The minute he saw it, Scar's instincts kicked in. He, as well as whole family, knew about Solstice's signal and what it meant. Without thinking, he turned away from whatever he was doing and flew as fast he could towards the source of the signal stopping only when his rainbow-maned crush suddenly appeared in front of him.

"What the hay Scar; where're you going?" she asked him.

He opened his mouth to answer but Rainbow suddenly yelled: "Look out!" Scar and Rainbow dove to the side just as a bolt of lightning went off in their direction. The scarlet pegasus looked back at the storm cloud as if he just remembered why he was there in the first place.

As another group of pegasi flew in and attempted to pushed the storm cloud away, Scar realized that he couldn't just abandon her now when she needed him. He made a promise to her, a rather silly one yes but a promise nonetheless. He wanted to keep it, but Solstice needed him. What should he do?

A sudden crack and flash snapped him out of his thoughts. It was hard to think when there was something trying to kill them with lightning every few seconds. "You can't leave; we need everypony we can get working on this." she told him.

"Rainbow I-" He didn't know what to say nor what to do for that matter. "I...I have to...No I...You see..."

Before he could fully explain himself, another bolt interrupted him, forcing him and Rainbow to dodge again. Annoyed by the cloud, he flew in alone at it and started pushing it away from town. A little while later, he started to feel electricity gathering at the surface. He backed up and flew away just before a bolt shot out and nearly killed him.

As another group flew in to continue the effort, Scar turned back towards his brother's signal still feeling torn about what he should do. Rainbow flew up to him wondering what the fuss was all about. "What's going on here Scar? What's with the explosion thing?"

"I...well..." He didn't know how to answer her. He just flew off towards the signal but suddenly stopped and flew back towards the cloud. Rainbow noticed his dilemma and flew in next to him.

"What's happening Scar?" she asked. He opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by yet another bolt of lightning. Scar circled the cloud with Rainbow at his tail.

"He...needs my help..." Scar said to her.

"Who, Ironhead?" Rainbow asked. "I already got a team at Sweet Apple Acres. You don't need to-"

"No." he interrupted. "Solstice, my brother."

That took her by surprise. "You got another brother here in-"

She never got to finish. Distracted by his inability to decide, a bolt of lightning shot out of the cloud, grazing the top of Scar's right wing. He screamed out loud and began to plummet just like Rainbow did a few moments earlier. Like Scar did earlier, Rainbow flew in after him hooves stretched before her ready to catch him before he could splatter against the ground.

Halfway there, Scar's eyes shot open. He had just had it with that stupid cloud threatening the town and everpony in it. There was only one way to get it of it, and he didn't like it, but unless he used his powers, the cloud would still be there. He hesitated about using them, but keeping his secret wasn't important as everpony else at the moment.

He straightened himself up and checked his wing. It, like Rainbow's, was slightly singed but still usable. He readied himself and suddenly pulled up just a foot before hitting the ground. Rainbow saw him fly upwards and hastily veered to the side. She watched him rise and remembered just why he was called Scarlet Blur. She flew in after him and saw him stop several feet away from the cloud.

"EVERYPONY OUT OF MY WAY!" he shouted swinging his hoof. Those within earshot and those trying to push the cloud moved to the side just as Rainbow flew up to him.

"Scar. You Ok?" she asked noticing his singed wing. "Just what the hay are you-"

"Rainbow." Hearing the seriousness in his voice stopped her. Scar gazed into those magenta eyes he loved, sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's time you knew...who I really am..."

Now she was confused. Who he was? She knew who was. He was an awesome flyer and a really good friend, a pony she could trust. Was there more to him that she didn't know? She was about to find out.

"I am Scarlet Blur...The Winds of Treachery!"

He swung his hooves outwards, and his wings suddenly expanded, growing to around five times their normal size. Rainbow's jaw, as well as everypony else's jaw dropped at the sight. Ignoring them, Scar pulled his massive wings back and gave a mighty flap, sending out a powerful gust of wind. The wind caused Dash to tumble away from him. When she finally stabilized herself, she saw the wind Scar generated slam into the cloud, pushing it several feet back.

Not satisfied, the massive-winged colt flew upwards at speeds greater than his usual. He suddenly stopped several miles up and dove down. As he flew, Scar twisted and got into a spin, the same trick Rainbow saw him perform the first time they met. This time however, she saw wind beginning to gather around Scar's body in a spiraling motion. It accumulated quickly, and before the eyes of all who were watching, Scar became engulfed in a tornado of his own creation.

Said tornado suddenly stopped its descent and headed straight for the storm cloud. Rainbow quickly flew to the side but was still blown aside from the massive winds generated. After stabilizing herself once again, she saw Scar, surrounded by his tornado, slam into the storm cloud. The cloud held itself together, but, after being drilled by Scar's, tornado, it vanishing while sending out a few more sparks.

His goal finished, Scar dispelled his tornado but kept his wings expanded. Sighing and ignoring the startled gazed directed at him, Scar turned around and flew of in the direction of his brother's signal ready to help in any way he could. As he did so, he passed by Rainbow who looked at his retreating figure wondering just what he said meant.

The Winds of Teachery...

"...Scar...?"



"Eep!"

The explosion drew Ash's eyes upwards. There adorning the skyline were three arcs of teal magical energy, his brother's signal. Since they were young, Solstice had developed that signal to call the rest of his brothers. It told them that he needed help and to gather at whatever place he fired it from.

"Wh-what was that?" a weak voice said. Ash looked back down and saw Fluttershy peering at the sky from behind a tree; she had apparently hidden herself there when she heard the explosion. "What is that?" she wondered. She looked back at her fellow pegasus staring at the signal as if it meant something to him. "D...do you know what that is Ash?"

Ash did know what it was. Pretty soon, Ironhead and Scar would be converging on the spot to assist Solstice in whatever he needed to do. As for Ash, he wouldn't help; he couldn't help. He would deny his brother the help that he needed-

Ash gasped, clutched his head and backed up as those thoughts crossed his head. Why should I help him? I...I don't care what happens to him...T...to them...

As the thoughts continued, he began trembling and clutching his head tighter and tighter. I don't care...I don't care about them...They...they can die for all I care!...I'm evil...I'm vile...I'm horrible...

"Ash?" Worried, Fluttershy approached him warily. She gently extended a hoof towards him.

"I'm cruel!"

He violently swatted her hoof away and snarled at her. Upon seeing the frightened look on the mare's face, Ash's eyes widened and turned away. Fluttershy saw it again, the pain in his eyes when he knocked her hoof aside. Why did Ash say and do mean things when he would just regret them afterwards? Just what kind of things troubled the poor boy?

"I don't...need friends..." he said, his voice shaking with pain. "I don't...want friends...I don't...don't...don't..."

"I DON'T DESERVE THEM!"

After blurting out one of his biggest secrets, he hastily covered his mouth. His outburst startled Fluttershy. She watched as he sat on his hunches and began whimpering and trembling while clutching his head. In his mind, Ash kept telling himself that he really didn't deserve friends, nor a family, nor anypony else for that matter. He reminded himself that he lived to bring suffering and pain towards others. It was what he was; nopony could ever change that.

"Y...you can't say that Ash." Hearing her soft, kind voice made him face her. "Everypony needs a friend, especially ponies who're hurting inside like you. And it doesn't matter if you've done something terrible. I mean...I've done some pretty bad things before...but...but my friends still stuck by me. They helped me in more ways than you can imagine. Don't you want anypony to help you?"

Ash was silent for a while. "I...I'm beyond help...You..You can't help me...Nopony can..."

"Then...Can I at least try...?"

The offer sounded pure and full of good intent. Ash could practically feel the kindness she was offering him, warm, soothing, comforting. Unfortunately, the display caused more thoughts to plague his head. No...I don't deserve her kindness...

"Shut up...SHUT UP!" he bellowed at her. "I'm the most evil...the most vile, despicable pony in the world!" he shouted at Fluttershy who noticed the fear and panic in his eyes. "I don't need your friendship! I don't need your kindness! Making others suffer...I'm...happy this way..."

He was panting from all the shouting he did. Fluttershy had backed up when he began shouting, but now that he seemed to have calmed down, she slowly approached him. Still wide-eyed, Ash stood his ground ash the mare stopped and looked at him with sorrow and pity in her eyes. She saw his pain and wanted nothing more than to make it go away.

"You're...not happy..."

Hearing that almost brought him to his breaking point. Before she could say another word, he turned around and flew back into the forest as fast as he could. Her eyes, those cyan orbs shining with kindness, were branded into his mind. Just thinking about them and how kind she was caused unfamiliar and unwelcome feelings to boil up inside him. Shaking his head, he continued on intending to get as far away from her as possible.

Back at the clearing, Fluttershy continued to stare at the spot where Ash was. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something else other than the pain and regret they usually displayed. She could practically see the darkness gnawing away at him from within, threatening to consume him entirely. The darkness scared her, but the thought of somepony being consumed by it scared her more.

Could there still be hope for him?

"...Ash..."



Solstice took a sip and set the teacup back down. "I must thank you for the tea Twilight." he said to the surprised unicorn mare. "I haven't a had a cup that good in ages."

"What did you just do?" Twilight asked noticing the teal light shining through the window.

"I assure you it's nothing to worry yourself about." Solstice explained. "What I fired is merely a signal, one I use to call for help." He looked at a nearby clock. "Strange, they should be here by now."

"Who-"

The door suddenly burst open with a loud bang. Twilight also had to shield herself from a sudden gust of wind that blew through it. Solstice remained calm and watched his two brothers enter the library.

"Ironhead? Scar?" Twilight asked astonished.

"Twilight?" The newcomers said together.

"I see you've met my brothers." Solstice told her. "The Winds of Treachery Scarlet Blur and the Strength of Deceit Ironhead. Now that the proper introductions are finished, we can now get straight to the point."

As Twilight's eyes traveled from brother to brother, Scar approached Solstice. "What the hell bro? I thought you had an emergency or something. Why'd you call us here?"

"I've found what you've been searching for since you arrived here. Twilight here refuses to tell me, so I called you both to see if we can get through to her." he answered. Both his brothers looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Scar, Ironhead...this is our chance..."

He was right. There were just moments away from reaching the source of the light that was threatening to destroy Ponyville. They could save them, the Apples, Rainbow, everyone in Ponyville. They wouldn't have to go through the same pain they experienced all those years ago. The brothers nodded firmly at each other and turned to Twilight.

"The Elements of Harmony Twilight, where are they?" Solstice asked. She backed up as the unicorn approached her slowly with his brothers.

"C'mon Twilight, just tell us where they are." Ironhead pleaded. "We've been looking since we got here."

"Is that why you asked me about Light?" Twilight asked turning to Scar.

"Well...yeah." the latter answered. "Look Twilight, I'm sorry I didn't say anything about this, but we had to lie about who we were to do our job. Just tell us where the Elements are, and we'll get outta your mane."

She didn't plan on telling them. The Elements were taken before, and she wasn't going to let that happen again. She looked at Solstice who was gazing at her intently. She really felt a connection with him during the brief time that they had, and now, here he was threatening the town and trying to get the Elements. The Magic of Discord? Just what did he mean by that? Deciding to deal with her emotions later, she stood her ground, ready to protect the Elements.

"I won't let you take them." she said as her horn began to glow.

"Twilight, wait!"

A flash of magic later, she was gone. Solstice sighed and turned to his two brothers. "She should still be in town. Fan out and search for her. She seems rather upset with us, so try to reason with her." he said. The tip of his glowed and created a spiral of teal energy with two long tendrils. The tendrils detached themselves from his horn and entered the heads of Scar and Ironhead. Their eyes momentarily turned teal before reverting to their natural color.

Both his brothers nodded and left to find Twilight. Solstice remained in the library for a while thinking about what had just happened. He didn't understand why she was upset when he said that he was looking for the Elements. Whatever the reason, he felt bad for upsetting her and wondered if this would all be settled without conflict.

Twilight held the answers he was seeking. Ponyville's fate could rest on what she told them. Thinking of the lives at stake, Solstice teleported into town ready to find the mare that had captured his heart.

> The Chase
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 19
THE CHASE


The town square was still buzzing with the news of the two disasters when Twilight appeared. As soon as she did, she looked around wondering if she'd been spotted by one of the brothers. When she didn't spot any once of them, she galloped out of the square as fast as she could.

She wasn't planning on getting and securing her Element. If she was being tailed, she could end up leading them to it. Still formulating her next plan, she turned at a corner. Ironhead suddenly burst through an alley before her and spotted her. She dug her hooves into the ground and lit up her horn.

"Twilight, wait!" But the unicorn had already teleported away before he could get the chance to talk. She reappeared in the middle of Stirrup Street, startling a few ponies as she did. She galloped away again and dove into an alley. Looking around, she spotted a stack of crates and dove behind them. She stuck her head out for a while before covering herself once more.

Now alone, she had time to think. The brothers were searching for her and the Elements of Harmony. They didn't seem to know that any of her friends had the Elements meaning that they were safe for the moment, but she had to warn them that Solstice and his brothers were after the Elements. Scar and Ironhead had gotten close to Rainbow and Applejack; what that also part of their plan?

She was in Stirrup Street; Carousel Boutique was just on the other corner. Hoping that Rarity and Spike were there, she teleported to the entrance of the dress shop and hurriedly knocked on the door. She turned around and scanned the area for any of the brothers and turned around when, to her relief, the door opened.

"Twilight, what a pleasant surprise. How were things with Sol-"

"Not now Rarity!" Twilight cried out. "Where's Spike?!"

Her panicked tone surprised her. "Why...why he's inside. Spike?" Rarity called to the dragon.

The latter was quick to respond to his crush's voice. Spike was floating towards them, hearts in his eyes, apparently having enjoyed his time with Rarity. "Something wrong Rarity? You you need me to help you polish another-"

"Not now Spike!" Twilight's shout brought him back to earth. Rubbing the spot where he hit the floor, he listened to her. "I need to get a letter to the princess; it's urgent."

"I have a few scrolls over there." Rarity said pointing at a nearby desk. Spike hurried there and fetched a quill and parchment.

"OK. Dear Princess Celestia-"

"Twilight!"

The librarian turned and saw a red shape descend towards her. She quickly turned back to her assistant. "Elements in danger. Ponies after them." she spoke hurriedly as Scar approached.

Rarity cut in. "Twilight, what in Equestria-"

"I'll explain later!" the frantic Twilight cried out. "Spike, send that, lock the door and don't let him in."

Before either of them could question her further, she teleported away. Spike and Rarity got a glimpse of Scar nearing them; they bolted back into the shop, locked and barricaded the door just in case just as Scar landed. He looked in confusion at the store's entrance, wondering why they locked themselves in. Passing it off as nothing, Scar turned to the side.

I just lost her. How're you guys doing? he thought.

Saw her a while ago, but she bolted. Ironhead's voice said in his mind.

Found her! Solstice said getting his brothers' attention. She's on path leading out of Ponyville.

Stay on her. I'm on our way. Scar said taking to the skies once more.



"Twilight!" Solstice called out startling the mare who was just on her way to warn Fluttershy. "You have no reason to panic. Just tell me where the Elements of Harmony are and I-"

"Just what do you want with them?" she asked before the request could be completed.

Solstice drew back a bit to show that he meant no harm. "Forgive me, but I cannot answer that Twilight. I must know where the Elements are; I shall explain myself when this is over. Perhaps over coffee like we discussed-."

Twilight looked at him incredulously. "How could you even think of that at a time like this?!" she exclaimed causing the colt to wince. "I thought you were a nice guy Solstice, but you threatened my friends!"

"I...What?!"

Before he could question her further, he saw her horn glow once more. Anticipating another teleportation spell, he channeled his own magic at the same time. Just as she began to vanish, he fired a thread of teal magic and connected it with her horn. Twilight realized this only half a second before they vanished.

She reappeared somewhere in Ponyville, but, to her shock, Solstice had appeared along with her. She charged up again for another teleportation spell, but her horn was once again connected to Solstice's.

"Forgive my methods Twilight, but they are necessary." Solstice told her. "Now, if you could just tell me-"

A sudden flash from her horn momentarily blinded him. Unable to see, he heard her teleport away and sighed. Blinking spots out of his eyes, he turned to the side. She managed to elude me.

I got her! Ironhead shouted. Dammit, she got away again.

Successive teleportations are taxing on normal unicorns. Solstice thought as he raced into town. She should eventually tire out.

Hang on...Scar's voice said. I found her, and she's not teleporting.

Where are you? Solstice asked.

Hayseed Avenue.

On it.



Twilight was running for her life from a guy who didn't even want to hurt her. The scarlet pegasus dipped low and flew on the galloping unicorn's right. "C'mon Twilight, don't let it be like this." he begged. "Tell us where the Elements are."

Twilight remained silent and galloped and galloped even faster. "HEEELP!" she cried out as Scar caught up with her. He kept his eyes on her as they rounded a corned. He opened his mouth to shout again, but Twilight did it before him. "Rainbow!"

Hearing that forced Scar to look forwards, seeing the cyan pegasus flying towards them. They both parted and allowed her to dash past them. Rainbow did a quick turn and flew on Twilight's right.

"Rainbow?!" Scar exclaimed.

"Twilight? Scar? What the hey's going on here?" she questioned turning from pony to pony.

"Rainbow...Scar...Trying to get...Elements..." Twilight panted exhausted from the running and teleportations.

"I can explain!" Scar cried out. "OK, maybe I can't, but I have to do this!"

Twilight began to slow down and eventually came to a halt. As she caught her breath, the pegasi looked at each other, Rainbow in disbelief and Scar in shame. "Scar...is she serious?" she asked him.

Guilty for keeping secrets from her and desiring nothing but for all this to go down smoothly, Scar sighed and faced her. "R...Rainbow..."

"Scar!" A great teal flash caught their attention as Solstice appeared in their midst. "Have you done it? Have discovered where the Elements of Harmony are?"

"So you are after them!" Rainbow accused rounding up on her fellow pegasus.

Scar gulped and backed up a little turning from Rainbow to Solstice repeatedly. He was doing this for her, for all of Ponyville, but he couldn't tell her. "R-Rainbow, you don't understand. I have to do this."

"Twilight please, I'm just as tired as yourself about this whole business." Solstice said approaching the unicorn. "Now, please tell us where the Elements are."

"Hold up buster." Solstice halted when Rainbow flew in his path. "You guys chased my one of my friends through town and are trying to get the Elements. Don't think you guys aren't gonna get away with this."

"R-Rainbow-"

"I see. So you are involved with the Elements as well Ms. Rainbow." Solstice said rather calmly to the agitated mare's face. "I take it that if Twilight here refuses to tell me, the same can be said for you?"

Rainbow drew back and scrutinized him a bit. "Ya got that right; you're not getting your hooves on the Elements. Beat it Twi'. I got these guys."

Twilight nodded and bolted as away as fast as she could. Ironhead, she's heading south. Scar and I will be with you shortly. Solstice thought. "Scar?"

The latter sighed and flew off in Twilight's direction. "Hey!" He looked to the side and saw Rainbow flying alongside him. "I-I can't believe this Scar; how could you do something like this?! I thought you were my friend!"

"Look I...I'm sorry OK?" he said pleadingly. "Please, just let me do this. Trust me Rainbow...please..."

To his dismay, she still had that furious look on her face. Solstice, I can't do this! he screamed in his head.

I understand that this is difficult for you, but please bear it Scar. his brother replied. If you truly care for her, then you should put her safety and her life above anything else. I am uncertain if there will be an opportunity to explain yourself in the future, but unless we find our answers, there may not be an opportunity at all!

Scar gritted his teeth realizing that he was right and turned to her. "I'm sorry Rainbow."

His wing suddenly expanded to their massive size startling Rainbow. Scar gave an almighty flap that not only propelled him forward at phenomenal speeds, but also send backwards a gust of wind that blew Rainbow off track. By the time she recovered, Scar was just a small dot heading into the distance. Nevertheless, she pushed on wanting to give Scar a piece of her mind.



Ironhead spotted Twilight quickly after she separated from Rainbow. Upon spotting him, she quickly halted and darted into the street to her right. Ironhead was quick to follow her through the streets of Ponyville. He noticed look ahead and spot something in the distance.

"Applejack, help!"

Startled, he looked ahead seeing said earth pony watch her friend rush past her. When she turned to look behind her, Applejack locked eyes with Ironhead for a split second during which she managed to piece together what was going on. As Ironhead sped past her, she fixed up her hat and raced after them.

After rounding a corner, Applejack pulled out her trusty lasso with her teeth and began twirling it above her head. With a mighty swing, she launched it at him and managed to get it around his neck. Smiling, she pulled back to reel him in, but to her surprise, her hooves left the ground and she began bouncing up and down.

Ironhead seemed to be unaware that he was dragging her along. Getting her front hooves on the rope, AJ pulled and dug her hind legs into the ground. All she did however was slowly him down slightly and leave a trail of drag marks in her wake.

The colt had noticed the decrease in speed and looked back. His jaw dropped, and he quickly dug his hooves into the ground. He stopped quickly, but Applejack still had plenty of momentum which launched her forward and made her let go of her lasso. She flew through the air for a moment and crashed into Twilight. The two mares tumbled around before slamming into the side of a building.

After getting rid of the lasso around his neck, Ironhead rushed to the two fallen ponies. "Oh crap; are you guys alright?" he asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah..." Applejack said getting up and checking on Twilight. "Now...what the hay is goin' on here?"

"Ironhead...after Elements..." Twilight panted still lying on the ground.

"Say what now?!" Applejack cried out turning to the colt with shock on her face. "Ironhead, is this true?"

The latter wondered if he could somehow lie his way out of this. This is Applejack; I can't lie to her... He took a deep breath. "Y...You see AJ-"

"Ironhead!" Applejack jumped back as Solstice teleported himself to their location. "Oh dear; Twilight are you alright?" he asked worried approaching the fallen unicorn. "Let me help you up."

He surrounded her body with a teal magical aura and propped her up on all fours. After doing so, his attention turned to the other mare in the group. "Another one of your friends I take it? Is she also involved with the Elements of Harmony?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Whaddya want with the Elements?"

"Where they are to be exact." Solstice answered. "They could hold the answers we seek."

"'We'? Does that include him?" She gestured towards Ironhead who backed up a bit.

"Why yes." Solstice replied calmly. "You see-"

A brown hoof stopped him mid-sentence. "I...I wanna tell her bro."

Solstice nodded and stepped back allowing his brother to approach her. Those green eyes that he loved now showed just how upset he was. He sighed and looked at her pleadingly. "I...I'm sorry Applejack. I...I lied to you...a lot..."

He bowed his head in shame as he awaited her answer. "Everythin'...Was it all a lie?" she asked wanting to know the truth of all this. Ironhead slowly nodded. "All of it...comin' from Manehatten...lookin' fer a job here...yer life...who ya are...that all ain't true...?" He nodded again. "You've been lyin' ta me since the day we met?"

"I'm sorry. I'm...so sorry...I didn't want to lie to you really. But I had to." he raised his head. "I-I just-I had to...I didn't want you know...not like this..."

He sighed as she turned away from him. He could already imagine the disappointment and disbelief she felt about being lied to. "I...I can't believe this...I-I trusted you!"

"I knew it was wrong to lie, but I had to do it." Ironhead replied.

"Ya got close ta me...to my fam'ly...just to get yer hooves on the Elements?"

"I didn't even know the Elements were involved until a while ago." he told her.

"How do I know that ain't a lie right there?"

"I-It's not!" he argued. "Look, I'm sorry OK? I'll make it up to you sometime, but now, I need to know where the Elements are."

"Hmph. You ain't gettin' the elements, not on my watch." Applejack said standing her ground.

Ironhead pouted while Solstice turned to the side. Scar, where are you?

Ah! R-Ow! Rainbow-Gah! Ack! Almost-Oof! There!

A sudden crash nearby caught the group's attention. The ponies looked to the side and saw a pair of massive red wings covering something on the ground. The wings then began to shrink to their average size revealing Scar underneath them. He got up and shook some dust off himself.

"Sorry about that." He approached them wincing a little. "Something came up."

"Hey! I'm more than just something!" The group looked up and saw Rainbow land in front of Twilight with Applejack. "Anyway, I still can't believe you Scar!"

"Rainbow, I know this looks bad, but we need to know where the Elements are." Scar replied.

"An' jus' whaddya want with 'em? Y'all don't know the hell we went through last time we lost 'em." Applejack told them.

"We just wanna know where they are." Ironhead reasoned. "C'mon guys, just tell us already."

The four of them had erupted into a large argument. Ironhead and Applejack seemed to be the most fervent ones arguing followed by Rainbow and then Scar. Accusations were flung around, excuses and apologies were mentioned, some shouting occurred, all in all, things were not so great among the four of them.

...1...

...2...

...3...

...4...

...5...

The whole time, Solstice appeared to be perfectly calm. Twilight, now feeling much more energized, saw him eyes tightly closed. She was surprised by how at ease he looked despite the huge fight going involving his brothers and her friends.

In his mind, Solstice was slowly counting to ten. It was a simple, common technique, but it worked when it came to calming him down. The whole situation, being so close to his answer and not getting it, the arguing occurring at the moment, seeing his brothers troubled and pleading, it was all too stressful to him; he just had to start counting.

...6...

...7...

...8...

...9...

...10...

Eventually, he opened his eyes which still had that calm look in them. He approached the quarreling ponies and cleared his throat. "That is enough all of you." he said loudly but softer than a shout. He managed to get their attention.

"Hey, you OK Solstice?" Ironhead asked worriedly as his brother bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly.

Scar looked at him with worry too. Solstice sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Let's end this quickly please."

He startled the group by firing another displacement link at Twilight's horn. The mare struggle to break the link, but Solstice managed to hold on. "Hey, let her go!" Rainbow cried out leaping at him. Instead of crashing into hi, he crashed into a massive scarlet wing whose owned used to shield his brother's body.

Applejack reared up, but was intercepted by Ironhead. Still very much upset for being lied to, she glared at him before quickly turning around. Ironhead instantly knew what was coming. "N-No! Applejack, wait!"

Too late. Applejack went and gave him a solid buck right to his jaw. The second she made contact, a massive jolt of pain coursed through her body starting from her hind legs. Worried that she'd hurt herself and feeling guilty for being the cause of it, Ironhead watched her stumble back and fall clutching her hind leg.

"What're ya made of rock or somethin'?!" she cried out, her legs still stinging.

Ironhead tried to apologize, but Solstice cut him off. "Scar, I need a distraction."

The later nodded reluctantly and took to the sky where proceeded to flap his massive wings several times generation harsh winds that blew dust everywhere. Applejack was blown aside easily while Rainbow beat her own wings just to stay in place. Twilight would've been blow away as well if she weren't attached to Solstice who held on to Ironhead who strangle wasn't affected by the powerful wind.

With the other two mares occupied, Solstice's horn began to glow. A powerful flash erupted from it, momentarily blinding Applejack and Rainbow. The winds suddenly stopped leaving Rainbow to fall to the ground. She got up and noticed Applejack trying to get up from being blown over. Twilight and the brothers were nowhere in sight.



They reappeared along the outskirts of Ponyville. Once there, Solstice released his link with Twilight who was a little dizzy from the sudden teleportation. He approached her still looking rather calm. "I assure you Twilight, if there was any other way, I would not be doing this." His horn began to glow. "Please forgive me."

He touched his forehead to her sending a massive surge through Twilight who saw images flash in her mind. She saw herself standing before the broken display case where the Elements stood. Using her magic, she took each of the five necklaces and turned around to where her five friends stood looking sure of themselves. She passed each Element to its respective owner before placing her own Element in her hooves. Hoping that this was much better off, she turned to her friends.

"Make sure they're safe."

With a mighty cry, Twilight wrenched herself out of the memory and landed on her back right back in reality. She looked up seeing Solstice shaking his head from the sudden ejection from her mind. He eventually recovered and looked at her. "I see...The Elements of Harmony are here in Ponyville." he said.

His brothers looked at each other. Twilight got up and directed her words at them. "You're not going to find them." she said defiantly.

Solstice wasn't fazed at all. "Twilight, I need to know where they. If you could just cooperate-"

A sudden bolt of magical energy surged from her horn only stopped when it collided with a teal barrier around Solstice. "Please don't make this difficult for yourself." he said lowering his shield.

Twilight responded by summoning up her magic once again. Sensing trouble, Ironhead and Scar stepped forward to protect their brother. As Solstice charged up his own magic, Twilight looked at the three of them; she didn't know if she could take all of them on. How would she get out of something link this?

"Twilight!"

That was when they heard a high-pitched voice coming from a hill behind them. The four of them watched as a shape appeared at the peak and began rolling down towards them. The brothers scattered as it barreled past them and stopped next to Twilight revealing it to be a pony riding on top of a cannon with wheels.

"Pinkie?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"Pinkie?!" Ironhead cried out.

"She has a cannon?!" Scar yelled startled by the weapon.

"Oh don't be silly Scar; it's a party cannon!" Pinkie said hopping off it.

Twilight was still trying to put this all together. "P-Pinkie...what are you doing here?"

"Well, my head got real itchy and I sneezed." the party pony answered simply. The three brothers silently looked at each other as if they were waiting for the punch line.

"I...beg your pardon?" Solstice asked.

"When my head itches and get all sneezy, that mean sompony's being chased, so I was like *Gasp!* 'Somepony's playing tag without me?!', so I ran around looking for who was getting chased and who was it, but I got really really tired, so I thought 'Hey, why don't I look from the sky?', but then I remembered my flying machine was still all broken, so I thought 'I need something with wheels.' and then I remembered this thing, so I rode around it and it wall fun and I went like 'Wheee! Why haven't I tried this before?' and then I saw Twilight, Scar and Ironhead with a new pony so I went 'A new pony? I should say hi', so...HI!"

Pinkie was up in his face when she finished. Solstice blinked and looked from Ironhead to Scar and saw his own surprise reflected on them. "Er...Hello as well Ms. Pinkie, yes? My name is-"

"Pinkie, they're trying to get the Elements!" Twilight cried out.

"Ah yes, you held one of them at some point." Solstice said remembering the pink mare from Twilight's memory.

"Yup, but I'm not telling!" She made a zipping motion with her mouth with her hoof and bounced on over to Twilight. "Twilight and I Pinkie Promised not to tell anypony about the elements."

"I see." Solstice nodded. "Then rest assured, you will not be exactly telling me where they are." He approached the two of them, his horn aglow.

"Don't worry Twilight; I got this!" Pinkie said jumping behind her party cannon. Solstice stopped his advance and looked at it curiously.

"I cannot help but ask, what exactly is a party cannon?"

"Well it's a cannon that shoots party stuff. Like this!"

She aimed the cannon at Ironhead and pressed a button at the back. There was a loud boom and a flash of brown followed by the smell of something sweet. Scar stared wide-eyed at his brother underneath a massive chocolate complete with vanilla frosting and a pair of candles on top.

"Oh my." Solstice said amazed by the contraption. "Is this an invention of yours?"

"Nope. I bought from a party cannon store." Pinkie replied pointing the cannon at Scar.

The pegasus could only freeze up as Pinkie fired. He was knocked back a bit and felt several long, thin things wrap around his body and legs. To his surprise, he began floating off the ground. He looked up and saw to his surprise several pink, blue and yellow helium balloons pulling him into the sky.

"I must study this machine!" Solstice cried out excitedly. That excitement however vanished upon seeing the cannon pointed right at him. "No-wait!"

Pinkie pressed them button. Solstice's eyes shrunk as a massive jet of water shot from out of the cannon hitting him square in the face. The stream was strong enough to knock him off his hooves and carry him several feet away until he collided with the back of the hill Pinkie came from.

The whole time, Twilight stared at the display with her jaw hanging. Making a mental note to never get on the receiving end of the party cannon, she turned to her friend in awe and a little fear. "Wh-what was that last one?"

"Well if ever we wanted a pool party, I brought the pool." True enough, the water jet slowly came to a stop, and out of the cannon came a pink inflatable pool along with a beach ball. "Huh, maybe I shoulda fired the pool before the water..."

Twilight looked from the giant cake on top of Ironhead to the shrinking red dot that was Scar and to soggy trail of Solstice. "Well at least they'll be out for a while." she said composing herself. "Now then, the Princess sould be responding to my letter any minute now. Pinkie, round up the others and-"

A flash of teal light stopped her mid-sentence. Twilight gasped as Solstice reappeared in front of them and cast a spell to dry himself off. There was then a loud cry as the cake exploded, revealing an unharmed Ironhead licking some frosting on his hoof. To make things worse, Scar landed near his brothers now balloon-free.

"Now then, where were we?" Solstice approached them, his horn aglow.

"Pinkie, do something!"

Pinkie aimed her cannon, but Solstice cast a magical barrier around himself and his brothers. The party cannon shot out a piñata, but it crashed harmlessly against the barrier, spilling its contents everywhere. "Dibs." Scar said pointing at the candy scattered around.

Twilight gulped and stepped back along with Pinkie. Solstice, calm as ever, got closer and closer. Thinking fast, she charged up one last teleportation spell hoping that they would get out of there and call for help.

She didn't need it. Before she could finish her spell, the ground began to shudder. The glow from her horn vanishing, she stared at the ground as it began to shudder under her hooves. She got low and stabilized herself, but it wasn't that powerful, just a minor quake.

"H-Hey, m-my v-voice s-sounds f-funny." Pinkies said as her teeth chattered against the tremors.

Twilight was about to tell her to take this seriously when she noticed the brothers. All three of them had frozen in place, their faces wide and still as if they'd just seen something frightening.

They were blind and deaf to everything else. The shuddering of the ground was all to familiar to them. They could still picture that day despite the years that had gone by. The ground lurching...buildings coming down...screams of panic...pain more intense and agonizing than anything else they'd felt...

And light...Light was everywhere.

In the middle of the tremor, Scar spread his wings and took off flying far away as fast as he could. Ironhead was trembling like crazy, even more than the ground did. Solstice looked forward and, for a split second, met Twilight's eyes. Those amethysts were the last thing he saw before his visioned darkened.

Twilight gasped when Solstice suddenly collapsed. The tremors continued for about a minute more before finally stopping. Ironhead, the only one among his brothers present and conscious, quickly scooped his unconscious brother onto his back and galloped away as fast as he could.

Panting a little, Twilight sat on her hunches and thought about everything from Solstice arrival to his pursuit of the Elements. With any luck, the Princess would have a reply already. "Pinkie, are you alright?" he asked.

"Yup. And my party cannon's OK too." Pinkie replied. "So why were those guys playing tag with you Twilight?"

"They-they weren't playing tag." She took a deep calming breath. "Look, can you gather the others and tell them to meet me at the library."

"Okie dokie lokie Twilight. See ya later." Pinkie replied jumping on her party cannon and rolling away with it. Now alone, Twilight sighed and looked over at the hill where Ironhead passed carrying Solstice.

Who are these ponies? Why do they want the Elements? And just what was with that tremor?



Ponyvillians had much to talk about that day. The fire at Sweet Apple Acres, the storm cloud nearly destroying the town, the two brothers with strange powers chasing the local librarian around and now, the strange tremor that passed and luckily didn't hurt anypony.

A lone earth pony stallion sat at a booth in a coffee shop sipping a latte. All around him, he could hear the other patrons talk about everything that had happened that day. He had no interest in minor chit-chat; he was waiting for somepony.

"Rather nice weather yes?" The earth pony look up and saw a pegasus mare grinning slyly at him. "I for one, think the weather here is excellent. Where do you think had the best weather?"

"Baltimare, but I heard weather's good in Dodge Junction today." the stallion replied. The mare grinned and sat down with him in the booth.

"So?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

The stallion smiled. "Everything's going well so far. As you can hear, the town won't stop talking about it." he said gesturing around the room.

"Yes." She nodded. "Those colts, what's the deal with them?"

"No idea. We weren't informed of them."

"You want me to tail them? You can keep tailing the girls." the mare suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Be sure to report this to the superiors."

The mare nodded and stood up. She trotted passed him and stopped beside him for a while. "That tremor...it's starting isn't it?"

For a while, the stallion was silent. "Indeed." He then smiled and took a sip of his drink before laughing a bit.

"It has begun..."

> Recovery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the delay. I was busy with school crap. That, plus my habit of procrastinating, delayed this chapter. I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again.




CHAPTER 20
RECOVERY


"*Blurp!*

A wisp of green flames emerged from Spike's mouth and swirled around in mid-air. Twilight, who was waiting anxiously for this and for her friends to arrive, got up and galloped over to him just as a rolled-up scroll popped into existence. She quickly snatched the scroll away and unrolled it.

My dearest pupil Twilight Sparkle,

I do hope that you are well enough when you receive this message. Please send a reply as soon as you receive this letter.

I trust that the Elements of Harmony are safe wherever they are. I have dreaded another attempt to obtain the Elements since the incident weeks ago, and it seems my fears were confirmed. I have assembled a squall of royal guards ready to be deployed; just give the word, and they will be there in under an hour.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia of Equestria.

Twilight read her mentor's letter several times already feeling reassured. "Spike, take a note please." The dragon quickly produced a quill and parchment. "Dear Princess Celestia," she began pacing in front of him. "Rest assured that I am perfectly fine and unharmed."

"I'm also happy to report that the Elements of Harmony are untouched by the ponies pursuing me. The three of them are brothers named Solstice, Ironhead and Scarlet Blur. The latter two entered Ponyville a few weeks earlier, but it was only when Solstice arrived that they began to act. They chased me though out Ponyville all while questioning me on the Elements' whereabouts."

"Even though I refused, they managed to view some of my memories but not all of them. They fled after a mysterious tremor shook Ponyville and haven't been seen ever since."

"You think we should get those guards?" Spike asked. "What if those guys come back? We can't exactly wait for another earthquake or something."

"Hmm...Good point." Twilight considered the idea. "Having them around does seem like a good idea, but..." A thought crossed her mind.

"But what?" Spike asked.

She sighed. "Even though Solstice threatened the town, he didn't seem to want to hurt me or the others; the worst he's done so far is veiwing my memories. It just doesn't make sense."

"We almost lost the Elements last time. I wouldn't wanna take chances with those guys if I were you." Spike said.

"Still, I don't think I have all the pieces. If I could get some more information from them, maybe I get a better picture of things." Twilight said.

"Oh please." Spike rolled his eyes. "You're just saying that 'cause you wanna see that Solstice guy again." He raised his eyebrows twice. "I saw those goo-goo eyes you were making. You like him don't you?"

"S-Spike!" Twilight exclaimed though the flush on her cheeks gave her away. "The point is that I need more information. Now back to the letter." Spike readied his writing tools, and Twilight cleared her throat.

"As assuring as having extra protection around sounds, I have to decline the offer for now. I still don't have all the information I need to make an important decision. I ask that you keep the guards on standby until have all the information I need."

"Until next time, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

With the letter done, Spike rolled up the scroll and breathed wisp pf green flames which engulfed the scroll and sent it off to Canterlot. Just then, a gentle knock came upon the library door. "Good, that must be one of them." Twilight said opening the door with her magic.

Fluttershy bounded into the room, worry and concern on her face. "Twilight! When I heard you were being chased, I was so worried. Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I...I'm fine Fluttershy." The latter managed to calm down. "All they did was chase me; they didn't exactly try to hurt me."

"Speak fer yerself." a southern voice said. Both mares watched was Applejack walked into the room with a slight limp.

"Oh my. What happened to you Applejack?" Fluttershy asked hovering over to her friend.

"I gave one of 'em a good 'ol buck to the face, and well, I guess now I know why they call him 'Ironhead'." Applejack said, her hind legs still stinging slightly from earlier. "I'm OK; won't be long 'till these fellers stop achin'."

"I heard ponies talking about the fire on the way here." Twilight said. "Is everything alright at the farm?"

"Granny, Applebloom and Big Mac're OK. The fields're also just fine Twi'." She hesitated a bit. "Kinda thanks to Ironhead in fact. Couldn't've put out the fire without 'im ta be honest."

Twilight could tell that her friend was still upset over being lied to. She opened her mouth to say some words of comfort but was interrupted by the door suddenly bursting open. "Hey Twilight! You find out where those guys went? I thought I saw Scar after the earthquake thing." Rainbow said flying about.

"No I didn't see them Rainbow. Whatever that earthquake was, it scared them off for some reason." Twilight replied. The pegasus huffed and crossed her forelegs. "Still upset about Scar?"

"It's just...I can't believe that guy!" Rainbow exclaimed frustrated. "He came all this way just to get his hooves on the Elements; I thought he was my friend..."

"Rainbow..."

"Hi guys!" Twilight jumped only noticing at that moment that Pinkie was right next to her. "I got everypony Twilight. Rarity should be in here in...Oh hi Rarity!"

The white unicorn entered the library. "Twilight, there you are. What in Equestria is going on here?" she asked wanting to be brought up to speed.

"They were looking for the Elements." Fluttershy gasped at the news. "Solstice came to me and asked me to tell him where the Elements are. When I refused, he called his brothers." Fluttershy's ears perked up for a moment, but nopony noticed. "I refused them as well leading them to chase me around town. They left after that earthquake hit."

"Huh. If those guys tried showing their faces again, I'll make sure they get what's coming to 'em." Rainbow said cracking her hooves.

"Not so fast Rainbow." Twilight reprimanded. "Something doesn't make sense here. Solstice threatened Ponyville, but neither he nor his brothers tried to hurt any of us. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Well it certainly sounded like they were about to hurt you." Rarity said remembering how panicked Twilight was when she arrived at the boutique.

"I was stressed out. All I really cared about at the time were the Elements." Twilight admitted.

"They chased ya 'round like Winona with a squirrel." Applejack pointed out. "They're lookin' fer the Elements Twi'. We can't take chances with this."

"That's what I said, but Twilight here says she wants to try talking." Spike said jerking his thumb at her.

"There's still so much we don't know." she reasoned. "I don't think we should take any action against them until we know what exactly is going on."

"And how do we do that?" Rainbow asked. "They could be anywhere by now."

"Uhm..."

"They could be in their evil lair, plotting their next move and laughing evilly like this: MWAHAHAHAHA!" Pinkie said rubbing her hooves together as the light around her dimmed from some strange reason.

"I think I know away..."

"Now Pinkie, that sounds simply ridiculous." Rarity said. "Evil lairs only exist in those silly comic books you've been reading."

"Hey, those comics aren't silly." Rainbow interjected. "In fact-"

"Excuse me." A meek voice caught the group's attention. Startled by the sudden shift of attention to herself, Fluttershy drew back a bit. "I um...think I know a way to find out more about those colts."

"You do?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded and turned to Rarity. "Remember that colt I told you about? The one I was trying to help."

"Why...why yes. What does he have to do with this?" Rarity questioned.

"I met him today and talked to him a bit. Well...when that thing exploded in the sky, I think he recognized it." she told her friends. "He might know about solstice and the other guys. Maybe we could ask him."

It seemed like a good idea, but Rarity had her objections to the plan. "Darling, from what you've told me about this colt, I believe we won't be getting his cooperation."

"Just how bad is he Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

The pegasus's eyes darted from side to side. "Well this morning...He sort of...got really mad and yelled at me a lot..."

"Seriously? What did you do, apologize too much?" Rainbow joked.

Meekly, the shy mare rubbed her foreleg with her hoof. "Well, he got really angry when...when I asked if we could be friends."

"Sounds like he needs a party. Good thing I brought this!" Pinkie said in a sing-song voice as she pulled out her party cannon from out of nowhere.

"It does sound like our only lead." Twilight said after some careful thinking. "If he knows anything about the brothers, we could find out exactly what's going on here."

"If he's anythin' like his brothers, he oughtta be somethin' fierce." Applejack said. "Y'all saw what those three can do; what if he's got some freaky powers too?"

"I don't think he'd hurt any of us." Fluttershy reasoned.

"Fluttershy, you told me he shoved you." Rarity's revelation stunned the rest of the group.

"B-But he looked really miserable after he did it!" Fluttershy said trying to put everpony else at ease.

"So what? They hurt one of us, they're gonna have to deal with the rest of us." Rainbow said flying up to her fellow pegasus. "I say we find this guy, find out what he knows, and then kick his flank all the way across town."

"D-Dash...!" Fluttershy said alarmed.

Luckily, Twilight was there to calm her friend down. "Easy there Dash. Charging in like that isn't very wise nor safe. I agree that we should meet with this colt, but let's not do anything rash OK?"

Rainbow just huffed and nodded in reply. "All right, but I'm comin' with ya Twi'." Applejack said. "There ain't no tellin' what this here pony can do."

"I wanna go too." Pinkie said bouncing up and down excitedly. "Somepony has to lighten up Mr. Grumpy Pants when he's all saddy-waddy."

"Um...his name's Ash Pinkie." Fluttershy corrected.

"I shall accompany you as well Twilight." Rarity announced. "I wish to have a few words with this Ash as well."

"I guess it's settled then." Twilight said turning to Fluttershy. "When can we meet him Fluttershy?"

The latter did some thinking. "He was really upset when he stormed off today, so I don't think he'll go back to where I found him. Maybe we could try tomorrow."

"Then let's all meet up tomorrow at Fluttershy's." Twilight announced earning nods from everypony else. "In the meantime, do you need any help on the farm AJ?"

"Actually...yeah. Without Ironhead, movin' all those dead trees're gonna be a real pain in the flank." the farmer said bitterly. She shook her head. "'Preciate the help Twi'."

"Anything for a friend AJ." Twilight said with a smile and a nod. Her other friends gave nods of agreement which made Applejack smile.

"Alrighty then. Let's hop to it girls." Applejack said adjusting her Stetson and leading the way out of the library. She and her friends began their way towards the ruined portion of Sweet Apple Acres."

"Twilight?" A soft voice to her right caught her attention. Fluttershy walked up to her and looked at the ground. "Listen...I don't think Ash is a bad pony. He's just...sad all the time. You believe me right?"

Twilight thought about how to respond. If Fluttershy, the nicest pony she knew, said that Ash wasn't so bad, then there wasn't anything to fear. Then again, hearing about the things he did to her made her wary about dealing with him. What if Ash started going off and did something worse than he'd already done?

However, one thing predominated all those uncertainties, her trust in Fluttershy. Twilight hadn't met Ash yet, so it wasn't her place to judge him. She would just have to trust Fluttershy's words and hop for the best.

"I'll...give him the benefit of the doubt." she finally answered. "If he's easily upset, then I'll do my best to make him feel comfortable. Besides, somepony else has to make sure the others don't do anything rash." She rolled her eyes over to the other pegasus in the group.

Her answer earned her a gentle smile from Fluttershy. "Thank you Twilight. I...I really appreciate it, and...I hope Ash appreciates it too."

"It was a brave and wonderful thing, offering to be his friend." Twilight said. "Friendships change lives; I mean, l'm the perfect example. If you believe your friendship can save him, then I say go for it."

Fluterrshy nodded but looked away sadly. "But what if he gets mad again? What if he doesn't want friends?" She knew that the problem was more complicated than that; Ash said that he didn't deserve friends.

"Then...I suppose you'll have to deal with it Fluttershy." Twilight answered. "And I guess we'll have to deal with him if he gets too upset."

Fluttershy nodded once more and busied herself with her thoughts. Twilight though about this Ash she'd heard of and his possible connection to the brothers. If he cooperated, that would be good for all of them, but if he got violent, would they be able to handle him?

Ironhead has his strength. Scar has the wind. Solstice has his magic. What's the worst he can do?



"What happened out there?!"

Scar and Ironhead flinched a little at their dad's raised tone. Equinox was never the type of pony usually yelled or raised his voice; heck, he rarely got angry at all at anypony. Yet, here he was in his study upset and shaking his head in disappointment while his two sons hung their heads in shame.

Next to the alicorn was Blues, a look of sympathy on his face. He could remember how shocked he felt when they discovered that Solstice had left without warning, worrying them both. Then, his dad came to him with the news that Ironhead and Scar had returned with bearing an unconscious Solstice. His unicorn brother was still out cold, sleeping in his room while their dad dealt with the other two.

The silence that followed was interrupted by a merciless laugh. Right by the door to the study stood Psych who had come to watch Ironhead and Scar get chewed off by their dad. By his side was Ash who was silently watching the scene before him, his mind trying to put away thoughts of Fluttershy's offer earlier that day.

"You were supposed to investigate the town undetected. You chased a mare throughout Ponyville." Equinox continued earning a snigger from Psych. "I can only imagine how frightened she must have been as she fled from you.

"We didn't wanna hurt her..." Scar explained. "He had to know what she was hiding from us. It was our only lead dad."

"That still didn't make it right to hound after her like a pack of timberwolves." Equinox countered still disappointed. "You were in Ponyville for weeks. Even with your job Ironhead, your investigation should have learned something before now."

"I-Its was hard OK?" Ironhead reasoned. "We didn't even know what to look for. And we kinda...got distracted..."

Equinox gave his sons an incredulous look. "I thought you two wanted to save Ponyville. I thought you were willing to spare those ponies the pain you've experienced. How could you let yourselves become sidetracked from what you were trying to achieve?"

"C'mon dad." Scar said a little frustrated himself. He could tell his brother felt the same way. "Have you ever fallen in love with somepony before and did something really stupid and now you're regretting it because you think they hate you and never wanna talk to you or even want to be your friend anymore?"

The alicorn's reaction piqued Psych's interest. He saw Equinox swallow, blink his right eye quicker than his left, and sweat a little on his forehead. Huh...Just what're you hiding? the maroon earth pony thought, mischief in his eyes.

"Look dad, we're sorry; we really are, but we got other stuff to deal with." Ironhead said.

"Allow me to continue." A sudden flash of teal light momentarily blinded everpony. Solstice had appeared in their midst and adjusted his glasses.

"Solstice, you should still be resting." Equinox told his son worriedly.

"If I still required rest, I would still be in bed." Solstice replied. "Father, I was unconscious and yet showed no sign of physical injury. You know only one thing could do such a thing to me-an earthquake..."

The air in the room suddenly felt heavy. All six brothers trembled at the word "earthquake". Solstice shook the painful memories from his mind. "Father, you know what this means."

For the first time, the reality of what had just happened struck Equinox. "It...It's starting...It's only a matter of time before..."

"Before every living soul in Ponyville's wiped out? Wouldn't that be like, the ultimate irony? The one thing those ponies were trying so desperately to protect is responsible for their own destruction, how cool is that?! Hey, if it's possible, can you get me an exact time and date? I wanna be there to watch it all crumble before me." Psych said with an evil grin.

"Psych..." Equinox said looking sadly at his son.

"Light in Ponyville's soil is reaching alarming levels." Solstice continued summoning up a chart with his magic. "And I now know the source of this Light."

"You have?" Equinox said leaning in.

Solstice nodded and lit up his horn. "The Elements of Harmony."

Using his magic, he summoned a hovering rectangle in front of his dad. It flashed and began showing an image, more specifically, the memory he found in Twilight's head. It showed her taking the Elements out of their case and handing them over to her friends telling them to keep them safe. Solstice paused the memory right there and looked at his dad.

Psych raised an eyebrow in interest. He turned to his side and was surprised to see Ash's pupils dilated. Confused, he traced Ash's gaze to one of the mares on the screen, the butter-yellow pegasus with the pink mane. Just who was this mare, and what did she have to do with Ash?

"But...Those are the Elements of Harmony?" Equinox asked pointing a hoof at the five bracelets and tiara.

"They must be." Solstice answered. "Twilight was so willing to protect the Elements. This memory shows that something. These have to be the Elements."

Equinox still looked uncertain. "But...The princess is their current wielder. What are the Elements doing in the hooves of six ordinary ponies?"

Solstice did some thinking. "Could it be that these six mares are the new wielders of the Elements of Harmony?"

His suggestion got the room thinking. Ironhead looked over to the image of Applejack, her face determined as she held the necklace that held a jeweled apple, just like her Cutie-Mark. He suddenly thought all about her and what other ponies said about her, and everything made sense.

"Applejack..." Ironhead said pointing at the orange mare. "...Element of Honesty..." No wonder she was so upset when she found out I lied to her...

Scar looked at his with a raised eyebrow before he understood. He looked over to his crush holding the necklace. Knowing her, she wouldn't let her friend down. Twilight trusted her to protect what she was holding, and he knew she would never let her down.

"That's Rainbow Dash...Element of Loyalty..." he said, his eyes on the determined ones of the blue pegasus.

"I'm surprised they managed to make their Element of Magic appear as well." Solstice said, his gaze on the golden tiara in Twilight's hooves. "It seems rather fitting that Twilight wields it."

"That just leaves the other three." Equinox said looking at the three remained mares.

"That one's uh...Fluttershy." Scar said pointing at the screen. "No idea what her Element could be though."

"...Kindness..." Ash whispered loud enough for anypony else to hear. He ignored them thinking how fitting that was. She was the Element of Kindness; no wonder she did all those things to him...

Surprised gazes were directed at him, but he remained silent. When he refused to elaborate, Equinox turned back to the screen. "That just leaves the other two." he said.

"That's Pinkie Pie." Scar said. "She's an insane, bubbly, over active, ball of sugary sweets that just wants to make everypony smile."

That description caused Psych's ears to perk up. He looked up and found the pink pony Scar had described. His legs began to tremble slightly as he took in her that bubblegum coat, that poofy mane, those blue eyes.

...Pinkie Pie...

"...The Element of Laughter..."

"Huh, that kinda makes sense." Ironhead said agreeing with Psych while ignorant of what was going through his brother's mind. "That just leave Rarity over there with the Element of Generosity."

"If your descriptions are correct, then these mares must be the ones chosen by the Elements." the silvery alicorn said. "The fact that they were able to summon up the spark for their Element of Magic proves this. Still...how did ownership of the Elements get passed onto them from the princess?"

"I can't think of any connection between them and the Princess Celestia." Solstice said. "More research into the matter is needed."

"Perhaps so, but not today." Equinox looked at his three sons who returned from Ponyville. "The chasing, the earthquake, you three have been through so much today. We will find a solution to this, but for now, you three need to rest up."

Ironhead bowed a little. "Yeah I uh...got a lot to think about. I'll...I'll see you guys around." he said before silently walking to his room.

"Y-Yeah. Me too. Sorry again dad." Scar said doing the same.

With his source of entertainment gone, Psych left as well. Noticing Ash, Equinox opened his mouth to speak, but the grey pegasus turned and let as well. Equinox bowed and sighed shaking his head in the process.

"Father?" He looked up at the sound of Solstice's voice. "Father, I wish to take full responsibility for what happened. I initiated the chase, and I admit my methods were rather harsh." Images of Twilight's face throughout the whole encounter flashed in his mind. "I regret my actions just as much as Ironhead and Scar do."

Blues trotted forward and patter his brother's shoulder. Both brothers smiled slightly. "I know you meant well Solstice, but the one you should be apologizing to is this Twilight you speak of."

Solstice nodded. "I pray that she is just as forgiving as you are father." he said before lighting up his horn and teleporting out of the room.

Equinox sighed and did some thinking. An idea struck him, one that could help them get the information they needed. "Blues, I have a task for you." The beige unicorn's ears perked up. "The mares must still be upset with the three of them, and Ash and Psych remain uncooperative. Only you can do this."

Blues nodded understanding that he was being trusted with this task. "What must I do father?"

It seemed like the only way. He was afraid to get involved in case these mares had connections with the princess. Blue's task would be simple, and unlike Ironhead and Scar's, didn't involve keeping too many secrets.

"How would you like to be a mediator?"
> Confronting Ash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 21
CONFRONTING ASH


"Ugh...it's been two hours; is this guy even gonna show?" Rainbow complained from within the dense branches of a tree.

The six of them were stationed around the clearing where Ash usually frequented. They took to their hiding places, Rainbow in the trees, Twilight and Rarity behind a clump pf bushes, Applejack and Pinkie, complete with a camouflage helmet and a pair of binoculars, behind a pair of trees and Fluttershy at the front barely concealed. For the next two hours, they waited, and now, their patience, especially Rainbow's, began to grow thin.

"I don't really know when he shows up. He just does..." Fluttershy admitted shyly.

Rainbow groaned and went back into her tree. "Cheer up Dashie." Pinkie pulled out a cupcake from out of her saddlebags and tossed it over to her friend. "I got treats for everypony; who wants one?"

"Over here Pinkie." Applejack called. Pinkie tossed another cupcake at Applejack who caught it in her mouth. "Fanks!" she said while chewing.

"Hey Fluttershy, you think Ash would like a cupcake?" Pinkie asked holding out another one to Fluttershy.

"I don't know. It could be like a peace offering." the latter suggested.

"If he is as he sounds Fluttershy, perhaps we could use one." Rarity suggested. "That is of course if he shows up at all." she added, her eyes turning to the empty clearing.

"Can we come back like, later or something? This's all way too boring for me." Rainbow said itching to do something more exciting than waiting.

"We don't know when he'll arrive; that's why we all came prepared to stay for a long time." Twilight said indicating her saddlebags and everypony else's. Rainbow was the only one who didn't bring a saddle bag. "The only thing you brought were a pillow and a blanket." She pointed at the makeshift bed in the branches of the tree.

The blue mare groaned again and retreated back to her hiding place. "Do you have any idea where he could be coming from Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

Her friend shook her head. "Ash always just flies off deeper into the forest. It's full of dangerous creatures; I'm actually surprised they don't tear him apart." she said a little fearful.

"Hmm...Rainbow, do you think you can fly out and find any kind of settlement anywhere beyond here?" Twilight asked. Her friend smiled.

"Sweet. Time to get away from this boring tree." She spread her wings ready to take off.

Before she could however, she heard Pinkie gasp as she spotted something in her binoculars. "There's somepony coming!" Dash groaned and folded her wings back in.

The six of them tensed up a little and waited. A few moments later, a grey spot appeared in the sky and began to descend into the clearing. In a matter of moments, Ash had arrived at his usual spot to take his mind off things and burn some leaves completely unaware of the other six ponies in the area. He sighed and before walking over to the bush and yanking a leaf out with his mouth.

"That's him; that's Ash." Fluttershy said quietly turning behind her.

Twilight silently urged her forward. Flutershy gulped nervously and took a step forward only stopping when she heard a hushed: "Wait!". She turned around and saw Pinkie fumbling with her saddlebag. The pink pony pulled out another cupcake and tossed it over. Fluttershy fumbled with it a little before catching it in her hooves. Pinkie gave her one last reassuring smile before going back into hiding. Fluttershy steeled herself once more before flying the clearing.

"Um...hello Ash." she greeted shyly. The grey pegasus looked up seeing her for the first time. He sighed and let go of the leaf allowing it to flutter away in the wind. "Would uh...you like a cupcake?"

She extended the treat in an offering manner. Such a kind gesture caused Ash's mind to race. "Are you still going on about that friendship thing?" he asked her.

"Well um...sort of." Ash rolled his eyes. Fluttershy turned back to her friends and received a gesture from Twilight to go on. She flew closer to Ash and deposited the cupcake in front of him. "Here. Try it; it's really good." she said smiling slightly.

He found himself staring at her kind smile she always had. That coupled with her gesture caused unfamiliar feelings to grow inside him. Tensing, he shoved those feelings aside and did his best to ignore them trying to return to the front of his mind. "I...don't eat...cupcakes..." he said rejecting her offer.

Fluttershy thought she heard a muffled gasp from where her pink friend hid. "But, it's really good, I promise. My friend baked it, and she's the best baker in town. Would you please just try it?"

He could feel it again, her kindness surrounding him, enveloping him with warmth, making him feel so calm, so secure, so happy-

NO!

Without even thinking, he raised a hoof and crushed the cupcake to a mushy pulp. Fluttershy's gasp was mixed with the gasps of her friends as bit of frosting splattered across the clearing floor. As Ash raised a trembling hoof, Fluttershy noticed his eyes wide with horror and fear.

"I know what this is." he told her with gritted teeth. "I know, what you're trying to do and why you're doing it. I know...who you are, Element of Kindness."

Hearing took her by surprise. "So...you know who I am." she said though Ash didn't reply. "So, you know Solstice and Ironhead and Scar right?" He narrowed his eyes at her surprised to hear that she had been told of the events the previous day. "Do you know why they're after the Elements?"

Fluttershy eagerly awaited his answer. "Why should I tell you?" he answered rudely.

"I-well." Fluttershy stammered surprised by his tone. "We just want...um..."

"Can't you go one damn sentence without-" Ash stopped himself mid shout and trembled slightly. She's pathetic...and weak...why can't I say that to her face?! Why...Why do I keep hesitating?!

Fluttershy was tempted to look back; she could imagine the looks on her friends' faces after hearing him yell at her. "Um...I'm sorry if it's bothering you." she apologized.

Ash sighed angrily and shook his head while getting up. "Didn't I already drill this into your head? You know what I told you; I am the most vile...evil...c-cruel pony in the world. All I know...is how to hurt others."

Pity coursed through Fluttershy. "I don't believe that." she told him. "Being mean all the time can't be the only thing you can do."

"It...It is...It's...it's what I am..." Ash told her trembling. "This is what I am! I'll...I'll hurt and destroy...anything in my way...you...anypony else...I don't care...I don't care!"

She could feel her friends tense up upon noticing how agitated Ash was getting. "Ash, it doesn't have to be this way. You don't have to do cruel things all the time if you don't want to." she reasoned.

"I have to; it's what I am!" he shouted, his eyes wide and his voice cracking. "Deep down, I'm vile and evil! No matter what you do...you can't change me!"

Hearing such things filled her heart with more pity. His words got Fluttershy thinking. Why did he believe he was evil so strongly? He actually looked like he was forcing himself to do and say all those horrible things. Just what was it that caused this poor boy so much pain?

"Ash, listen..." she said soothingly.

"You can't...can't change who I am...Nopony...nopony can..." Ash said once again, his voice shaking. "I'll always be cruel no matter what...I'll hurt anypony...even you!"

He suddenly raised a trembling hoof leading Fluttershy to gasp and recoil. As he hesitated, Ash clenched his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. Stop hesitating! You're suppose to hurt, destroy and kill! It's what you are! he screamed in his head. Giving out a loud cry, he swung his hoof intending to strike her across her muzzle.

His hoof suddenly collided with something else, something that felt like a pony's foreleg. "Hey, back off!" a loud, somewhat squeaky voice shouted defiantly at his face. "She's trying to help you, you idiot! Why the hell can't you-"

Ash opened his eyes immediately seeing the angry magenta ones of Rainbow. She was so ready to kick his flank all the way to Ponyville and back, but all her bravado vanished upon looking at those golden eyes of his. Ash unleashed the full power of his Glare on her, replacing her courage and determination with fear and panic.

Rainbow choked out a yelp before deploying her wings and dashing back to the tree she flew out of. "Rainbow!" Twilight shouted leaving her hiding place to check on her friend. The blue pegasus was found sitting on a branch covered in the blanket she brought while shivering in fright.

Rainbow's other friends ran up to the tree to check on her. Ash looked startled at the sight of all those ponies hiding in the shadows. "Ash, wait. I can explain." Fluttershy begged.

But Ash didn't want to hear it. He had been through enough that morning and just wanted to get away from her as fast as he could. He quickly turned and spread his wings ready to fly. As he leaped into the air, Twilight spotted him and hurriedly galloped into the clearing.

"Oh no you don't." Unwilling to let their only lead go, she lit up her horn, and a lavender glow enveloped Ash's tail. He flapped his wings, but Twilight pulled him back. He wasn't going anywhere. As he continued to struggle against her magic, Twilight approached him.

"Listen Ash..." she began as the grey pegasus fought against her hold on him. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want to ask you about-"

Ash suddenly whipped his head towards her. The ground in front of Twilight suddenly exploded, knocking her off her hooves. Everypony else turned towards the clearing upon hearing it and saw Twilight hit the ground several feet away from where she was standing.

With her being down, the grip on Ash's tail vanished and he landed on his hooves. He turned around and saw the epicenter of the explosion now a large, black circle of singed grass, dirt and pebbles. Upon seeing it and the fallen mare before her, he bowed his head and started trembling as thoughts raced across his head.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy quickly bounded towards her fallen friend. Twilight coughed and slowly opened her eyes and surveyed herself. She was shaken and covered in some ash, but was otherwise unharmed. She slowly stood up.

"What...what in the world just happened?!" she exclaimed.

There wasn't anything around to cause an explosion of that magnitude. She and her friends then caught sight of the grey pegasus colt trembling before them, his head bowed his mouth breathing deeply.

"...I am The Flames of Cruelty..."

He raised his head, and everypony watched as his golden eyes suddenly turned scarlet. "I'll h-hurt...I'll kill...I'll burn you all!"

He swung his head, and as he did, every tree he laid eyes on suddenly burst into flames. The mares hiding near them screamed with fright as they galloped away into the clearing. Rainbow jumped out of the tree she was hiding in, but an explosion in front of her caught her by surprise. It send her tumbling towards the ground where she crashed rather painfully.

Ash screamed and created an explosion in their midst the force of which scattered them across the clearing. Fluttershy crashed into a burning tree and slid down. She coughed as she choked on the smoke that was clouding the area. She weakly opened her eyes and saw Ash panting and shaking, his coat blending with the smoke.

All she could see were flames, on the trees, in the bushes, on the grass, everywhere. All she could hear was the crackle of the fire as it consumed tree after tree. The smoke was blinding as well as choking. She could barely make out her friends in the smoke, but they had to be somewhere. Coughing a little, she crawled across the ground careful to not make any noise. However, a burning branch had broken off from a tree and landed beside her, leading her to gasp and flinch.

Ash must've heard her because he suddenly turned in her direction. As he cried out, Fluttershy covered her head as the ground beside her exploded. She was showered with dirt but was otherwise unharmed. She looked ahead and saw a shape lying on the ground several feet. Still staying as quiet as possible, she crawled towards the shape hoping that her friends was alright.

A pink hoof eventually came into sight. Fluttershy rushed over and shook it's owner's shoulder. "Pinkie...Wake up please..."

A low groan came from her mouth as Pinkie raised her head. "Oww...my head's all spiny..."

"Shh Pinkie. Don't make any noise." Fluttershy begged.

She looked over to Ash who was trembling and breathing deeply. His eyes were just as they were when he smashed her gift, wide with horror and fear. A bolt of purple magic sudden struck him and knocked him several feet back. Fluttershy looked around and saw a purple light shining from within the smoke. "Pinkie, this way." she whispered leading the way.

As they neared, the light sent out a pulse of magic, blowing the smoke away as it did. With the surrounding now clear of smoke, Fluttershy saw Twilight , her horn aglow with magic. She was covered in soot from all the explosions but was still fully functional. Nearby, Applejack was coughing and using her hat to waft away some smoke as she dug her head under Rarity as she helped her up. The white unicorn managed to get up, took one good look at her ruined mane and fainted right away.

A loud battle cry shouted as Rainbow flew towards Ash who was just getting up. "Rainbow, wait!" Twilight cried out, but her friend ignored her. Still trembling and wide-eyed, Ash created an explosion, but Rainbow managed to swerve around it. Thinking fast, Ash kept his gaze down and swung his head in an arc, creating a wall of fire that halted Rainbow's advance and giving him enough time to knock her back with an explosion.

Rainbow tried flying back, but felt her tail being pulled. She looked back and saw it enveloped with lavender magic. "Forget it Dash; we have to get out of here!" Twilight cried out. Another explosion interrupted her next words.

Do it! Ash blew a nearby tree to smithereens. Hurt! Another one shook the air. Kill! An explosion near the group made a few of them scream. Destroy! He could imagine their terrified faces. This is what I am! This is all I know! I'm vile! I'm evil! I'm horrible! I'm cruel! I'm Cruelty itself!

His trembling became more intense and his breathing became more ragged. Twilight noticed this and hastily yanked Rainbow near her. Once she was near, she lit up her horn and surrounded herself and her friends with a shimmering lavender barrier which also protected them from the heat. His mind filled with thoughts of death and destruction, Ash drew in a ragged breath, reared on his hind legs, screamed and stomped as hard as he could.

Do what you do best! Kill! Destroy! Hurt!

The air around the barrier exploded violently. It shimmered for a brief moment, but Twilight, gritting her teeth, managed to keep it intact. Not finished, Ash bombarded the barrier with explosion after explosion; they seemed to have no end. Fluttershy huddled up close to Applejack who covered her face with her Stetson. Rarity woke up in time to see the explosions, grabbed Applejack and held on for dear life. Pinkie and dug her head in the ground like an ostrich. Pretty soon, cracks began to race across the shield.

"Twilight, do something!" Rainbow's shout was barely audible over the repeated explosions.

Twilight knew that her barrier was only a few moments away from being shattered completely. She didn't have any idea on how to stop him; Ash was just too powerful for them to handle. His power was fierce and incredible, just like Solstice and his brothers.

Just like Solstice and his brothers...

That's it! she thought.

Hoping that this would work, Twilight lit up her horn. A lavender sphere appeared at the tip and quickly grew in size. Swinging her head in a downwards arc, the sphere slammed against the singed ground. She and the others felt the ground shudder a little upon impact. Twilight quickly made another sphere, this time slightly bigger than the first and slammed it downwards as well.

The ground shuddered even more than the first time. After the third time Twilight repeated her actions, the explosions stopped for a few seconds. Fluttershy saw Ash's eyes closed tightly, his teeth gritted as if he was in pain. He shook his head and continued to hammer away at the barrier with explosions. Twilight inhaled deeply and put all her magic into her horn, creating a sphere far larger than any she had created and slammed it against the ground.

The shuddering created wasn't as powerful as the earthquake's but was still very impressive. The explosions suddenly ceased, but Twilight kept her barrier up just in case. "It's workin' Twi'!" Applejack cried out pointing ahead of them Twilight looked in that direction and saw Ash frozen in place. Fearing another explosion, she slammed another massive sphere into the ground, creating a second mini earthquake.

As the ground shook, Ash lost all sense of his surroundings; the flames, smoke, heat and other ponies barely registered. The only thing that did was the violent shuddering of the ground. As his breath quickened at an alarming pace. He felt himself violently thrust into the past, to Quinestown, his first home.

As his breaths quickened even further, Twilight slammed another sphere into the ground. The shuddering vanquished all other thoughts and filled his head with memories, painful memories-the ground shuddering even more violently than it was now, buildings crumbling and bursting into flames, ponies running for their lives before meeting their own demise, their screams of fright filling the air.

And Light...painful Light...burning like an unquenchable inferno...consuming his very being...bringing searing agony unlike anything else...was everywhere.

"Stop!"

Twilight, who was about to bring down another sphere, obeyed mostly out of the shock of hearing who it was that shouted. She and her friends looked at they shy friend who, to their surprise, had tears out of the corner of her eyes. "Stop it...please...Just...Just look at him..."

Ash, the pony who was just about to blow them all to pieces, was on his side, his golden eyes wide with horror. His head filled with the memories of long ago, his entire body jerked and convulsed violently as he began hyperventilating. They could barely recognize him as the violent, screaming, unstable colt he was just a few moments ago. He actually looked pitiable.

As the flames around them raged on, Twilight lowered her barrier. Unimpeded, Fluttershy raced across the clearing to the shuddering pegasus before them. He was mean, he was horrible to all of them, but she refused to believe that that was all he knew. She saw it in his eyes; beneath the anger and hate they showed was a pony screaming for help. The sight broke her heart.

Ash was still trapped in his memories, but managed to see Fluttershy racing towards him, her eyes filled with worry. He knew that, as the Element of Kindness, she'd comfort him; he could picture her holding him, trembling like crazy, in her arms and stroking his mane whispering words of comfort. His insides were suddenly overcome by a soothing, calming sensation brought about by the idea. He would look into those cyan eyes and truly believe that everything would be-

No...No...NO! NO! NO!

The ground in front of Fluttershy exploded suddenly. She screamed and stopped before she could run into the blast range. When the smoke and dust finally cleared, Ash was gone. She looked up and saw him in the air, flying as fast as he could.

"Ash!" she cried out, but he was already too far away. Feeling defeated, she sat down, bowed, sniffed a little and wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye. "Ash..."

Twilight felt sorry for her friend. Nothing came out of his whole encounter except knowing that Ash was connected to the brothers and seeing her Fluttershy crushed. "The poor thing..." she heard Rarity say behind her.

She sighed. "Let's...let's get out of here. Rainbow, go on ahead and get as many rain clouds as you can. Some of the other pegasi must've noticed all this already."

Rainbow nodded and took one last look at her depressed friend before leaving. Twilight approached Fluttershy and sat next to her. "I'm sorry things turned out this way Fluttershy."

It took a while for her to answer. "It's fine Twilight...This isn't your fault. Let's...let's just go home..."

A few moments later, Fluttershy found Pinkie next to her. Before she could say anything, two bubblegum hooves pulled her into a hug. While she was grateful for the gesture, her thoughts were still on the poor boy who left. She had known for a long time just how much darkness laid in his heart, but she never expected...this. As was practically drowning in his anger and hate.

Was he really beyond help?



Still hyperventilating, Ash flew as fast as he could through the Everfree Forest crashing through twigs and branches as he did. Images of Fluttershy and of what he was about to do to her and her friends continued to flash through his mind. He was still trembling and shaking, so much so that he was surprised that he was still able to fly albeit not very well.

A long time later, he finally arrived at the castle deep within the forest. Without even slowing down, Ash crashed through the front door and crashed into the wall across it. Pain shooting throughout his body, he slid to the ground where he continued to tremble and hyperventilate.

"A...Ash?!" A familiar voice cried out in shock. The trembling pegasus recognized it as Ironhead's voice. "S-Sweet Celestia, what happened to you?! We saw the smoke and-and freaked out when-"

Ash didn't want to hear any of it. He scrambled to his feet and bolted away ignoring his brother's cries to wait. Galloping as fast as he could, he went up a corner and dashed up a set of stairs. Just as he turned to head up another set of stairs, he collided into something. He was once again knocked to the ground feeling slightly dazed.

"Ash?" The pegasus looked up and saw the dark rose eyes of his brother Psych looking at him surprised and worried. "W-wait!" Psych cried out as his brother brushed past him and flew up the stairs. Deeply concerned, for him, Psych followed suit.

Ash could unfortunately fly faster than his earth pony brother could gallop. Two more flights of stairs later, Ash made a beeline for his room. Once there, he pulled open the door and hurled himself inside before slamming it shut. Psych arrived a split second later. "Ash?" He tried the knob, but it was locked. "Ash, what happened?!" he cried out hammering on the door. "Ash!"

Inside his room, Ash had finally stopped trembling and hyperventilating, but his mind was still in disarray. His back against the door, he clutched his head tightly and started crying out if he were in serious pain. The images...Fluttershy...her terrified friends...the burning clearing...Quinestown...everything he'd just done...they all rapidly coursed through his head. Standing on his hind legs, he got up started staggering around the room as his cries increased in volume.

I'm vile. I'm evil. I'm horrible. I'm cruel. Hurt...Kill...Destroy...Hurt ponies who just want to talk...Destroy ponies who tried to help him...Kill ponies who try to show me kindness...My cruelty has no end...This...This is all I know...I can't do anything else...This is what I am...This is what I will always be...

Images of Fluttershy, of Psych, of Scar, Ironhead, Blues, Solstice and Equinox came to his mind. "Why...Why do you keep doing this to me?!" he screamed as tears poured down his face. He just didn't understand any of it; why couldn't any of them just hate him like the rest of the world does and should. To him, it made no sense.

"You...you all care about me...but I can't...and never will feel the same towards any of you! I'm incapable of love, of care, of kindness! I'm Cruelty itself! The world hates me...So why...Why do you still care...Why do I have brothers...a dad...a family...Why do I have ponies who care about me...Why don't any of you see me for what I really am..." He sunk to his knees this time clutching his face. "Why...Why...Why..."

"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

If it weren't for the virtually soundproof walls, the whole house would've heard Ash screaming his head off.
> Brothers in Distress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.
> The Terror of Psych Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 23
THE TERROR OF PSYCH PART 1


Rarity let out a relaxed sigh as her mane was doused with shampoo, conditioner and dozens of other hair-cleansing products. She let out another one as soft, blue hooves massaged her scalp while another pair filled her hoof. Lighting up her horn, she levitated a grape from a nearby fruit bowl and popped into her mouth.

"My goodness Rarity; what happened to your mane?" Lotus asked cleaning the dirt and grime out of the purple strands. "All this dust and ash; were you in that forest fire yesterday?"

"Well I...do not wish to talk about it." Rarity replied simply. Lotus and Aloe were pro's when it came to spreading gossip around Ponyville, and she didn't want to get mixed up with the whole incident.

"You six are always involved in something." Aloe commented brushing Rarity's hoof. "Every week, one or all of you get into some kind of trouble. At least you keep things interesting in town."

"I assure you Aloe; none of us caused whatever happened yesterday." Rarity told her. Both spa ponies looked at each other still a little unconvinced before going back to work on Rarity.

Rarity was glad to be in their hooves. Their little encounter with Ash the previous day ended with her getting dirt, smoke, dust and ash all over her mane and coat. Once she arrived home, she immediately spent the rest of the day cleaning up every square inch of her. When she thought that still wasn't enough, she dropped in on Aloe and Lotus the next day.

After being scrubbed down fully by the two earth ponies and looking stylish once again, she was planning on dropping by Fluttershy's place to check on her. The poor thing looked so distraught the yesterday. I do hope she feeling better today...

For the next hour or so, the spa ponies worked their magic on one of their best and most frequent customers. Once they were finished, Rarity got off her chair and admired herself in a mirror. She looked absolutely dazzling, much better than she did an hour earlier.

"Aloe, Lotus, you've done it again." she said to the two earth ponies smiling proudly. "How could I ever repay you both for making me beautiful once again?"

"With the usual Rarity." Aloe answered sticking her hoof out. Rarity giggled a little at her own mistake before rummaging through her saddle bags and pulling out a pouch of bits. Lotus took it and counted them, making sure they were enough. "Have a nice day Rarity."

Rarity nodded left the spa passing by the next customer, a deep green earth pony with a dark red mane and brown eyes and a Cutie-Mark consisting of a trio of cabbages who was reading a newspaper in the waiting area. She failed to notice his eyes glazing over her as she passed as well as the grin. Setting the newspaper, he got up and followed Rarity out of the spa.

Unaware that she was being followed, Rarity continued on. He stalking had been keeping track of her and her friends for weeks and knew how to do so. He made sure to keep his distance, around 20 feet from her, and just acted like any normal citizen of Ponyville.

Still ignorant, Rarity thought that Fluttershy would love something from Sugarcube Corner; blueberry tarts were her favorite. Making a decision, she made her way to the sweets shop which was still located some distance away from the spa.

As she rounded a corner, she spotted a pony who seemed to stand out of the others, a maroon earth pony colt with a white and light grey mane. Said pony, upon noticing her, quickly trotted up to her. "Hey, your name's Rarity right?" Psych asked.

"Why...why yes I am." Rarity replied with a flourish of her mane thinking him to be a potential customer.

Psych smiled. "Oh, that was quick." he said, and his eyes began to glow with a strange dark-rose light.

Before Rarity could process what was happening, a shooting pain unlike any other suddenly struck her back left knee causing her to scream out and bolt upright. She then fell on her back and continued to scream. She thrashed about, but found herself unable to move the leg where the burning pain came from. Frightened beyond measure, she looked and nearly threw up.

Sticking out of her leg, going past her bone and splattering her blood everywhere, was a long, black, metallic tendril with sharp edges and separated into many segments. At the end of it was a large five-fingered hand with sinister-looking claws. Right next to the claw was Psych, smiling with the wide grin of a psychopath; he was enjoying this.

With Psych grinning at her, the claw flexed itself before burrowing into Rarity's right hind leg just above the knee splattering even more of her blood around. More agonizing pain shot through her body as she screamed until her throat burned. Unfortunately, Psych wasn't finished with her yet; the claw reared back and drove itself through her body right where her heart was just like a needle threading its way through cloth.

Right before impalement, Rarity was somehow glad that it was about to be over. But as the claw burst into her chest, the only thing that came to her was more agonizing pain. Death had not come to end her suffering once and for all, but why? Surely she should've died from a blow like that. Why was the pain prolonged far after she was supposed to be dead.

She screamed and thrashed, her forelegs swinging about, but Psych just stood there smiling at her like a mad pony, his eyes still glowing. Rarity felt the earth shudder a little and then screamed as something suddenly grabbed the back of her head; the claw had burst out of the ground and clutched her skull.

Her body covered in blood, Rarity found herself unable to scream anymore and just felt every inch of her body scream out instead. She wanted the pain to end even if it meant death. The claw began to intensify its grip; Rarity could feel the fractures racing across her skull. The claw raised her head allowing her to look into the heartless eyes of her tormentor.

"P...Please...Please...Please!" she begged as tears began to form.

Upon seeing the tears leaking out from her face, dropping to the ground and mixing with the slowly expanding pool of her blood, Psych raised his eyebrows. He pouted and sat on his hunches, his face scrunched up as if he was in deep thought. Still in horrible pain, Rarity watched him put his hoof on his chin as he thought about what to do. Finally he looked right at her once again.

"Hmm...nah."

The tips of the claw began to whir and spin like drills. The claws retracted briefly before stabbing into Rarity's head and burrowing into her skull. As Rarity screamed from having the insides of her skull being burrowed out, short spikes suddenly popped out throughout the length of the tendril. The segments began to spin around, some clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. Whichever way they spun, their spikes dug into Rarity's innards intensifying her agony even more.

As her screams grew louder and her thrashing more violent, Psych chuckled. Rarity's pain was as unbearable to her as it was pleasing to him. She couldn't believe such pain existed before. She couldn't believe that she was still alive enough to experience such a thing without dying. When would it end? When would Psych finally be satisfied enough to stop this?

Apparently not anytime soon. "Hmm...Surely I can top this." he muttered to himself wondering how to make Rarity suffer even more. Ignoring her screaming, an idea popped into his head. "I know-genetically altered fire ants!"

Almost immediately, Rarity fell thousands of small creatures swarming all over her. Her vision was suddenly filled with thousands of large, red ants armed with massive black pincers. She swung her hooves wildly, but they stayed on her and covered her entire body. As the drilling continued, they burrowed themselves into her.

They entered her eyes, her ears, her nose, her mouth, her skin, everywhere. Rarity could feel the swarm crawling inside of her gnawing away at her flesh, bones and organs. Unable to see anything but ants, Rarity thrashed and thrashed and kicked and screamed at the pain that was engulfing her. It was just unbearably maddening. She felt like she was going to go insane.

As for Psych, he just laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and-

"Hmm?"

He had been so busy torturing Rarity that he has failed to notice something else. He concentrated, and Rarity's form shimmered out of existence and was replaced by another pony-shaped mound of fire ants thrashing and screaming like crazy. This time however, the screaming was that of a stallion's. The ants shifted a little revealing an amber coated earth pony, a trio of horse shoes on his flank.

Like Rarity, he was also had a claw drilling into his head and millions of ants gnawing on his insides. His screams also brought a smile to Psych's face. The screaming pony vanished and was replaced by a golden coated, cyan maned pegasus mare screaming her head off. Then in her place came another mare, a unicorn this time with a blue coat, a grey and blue mane and an hourglass on her flank.

Aside from Rarity and the next three ponies, Psych could sense around five more ponies trashing and screaming their heads off as ants devoured them internally and a claw burrowed out their skull. He always loved using his powers on other ponies, and it had been a long time since he last used them. Having more fun than he ever had long time, Psych laughed, and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed...



"Wh-what the hell?!"

The pony spying on Rarity, as well as a large crowd, stared with his jaw hanging at the scene before him. Some strange colt had walked up to Rarity, and a few seconds later, his eyes began glowing, and Rarity and several others collapsed and started screaming and thrashing. For some reason, they didn't seem to be able to move their hind legs as if some unseen thing was holding them in place. The maroon colt she was talking to was the only one not screaming but was instead laughing like an insane pony. Psych then suddenly grinned and raised his head.

The pony instinctively jumped behind a nearby tree. As he slowly rose to his hooves, the screaming suddenly became louder; he quickly turned around and gasped as he saw everypony else in the crowd on the ground screaming and thrashing like crazy. He pressed his back against the tree and panicked. Whatever was happening, he seemed to be safe there.

He opened his mouth to cry for help, maybe backup even, but hastily shut his trap. What if that pony had heard him and went up and did the same to him? He was trapped there until...who knew when? Just when all seemed lost, a familiar pony appeared in the distance.

"What in tarnation?!"

Dumbstruck, Applejack stared at the street full of ponies screaming and thrashing in agony. A crowd had joined her in watching the shocking scene before them. A particular stallion in the crowd gasped as he spotted a familiar mare in serious pain two ponies away-his marefriend. He quickly galloped over to her; he opened his mouth to call her name, but as soon as he reached the first pony, he suddenly collapsed and started yelling his head off like the other ponies.

The crowd screamed and ran away. Applejack remained in place and saw something in the distance, a maroon earth pony with glowing dark-rose eyes laughing maniacally in the midst of the torture session. Right in front of him was a familiar unicorn thrashing about.

"Rarity!" Applejack cried out, but her friend didn't respond. She readied herself to gallop to her aid but stopped remembered what had happened to that other pony. "Twilight!" she cried out ready to fetch her friend, but the ponies' screaming stopped her in her tracks. If she left them alone, who knew what would happen?

"Looks like it's up ta me then." she said fixing up her hat.

First step: get over to the maroon pony without screaming her head off; much easier said than done. As she looked around for an idea, she spotted the green earth pony hiding behind a tree afraid to come out. Unlike the other ponies around him, he didn't seem to be in any pain at all. She had to get him out of there first. Looking around she grabbed an empty crate and bucked it over to him.

"Hide inside an' git yerself outta there!" she yelled out.

Still a little scared, the pony gingerly nodded and hid under the crate covering his body completely. Tensing up, he gulped and stepped onto the street. To his and Applejack's surprise, he didn't end up screaming like the other pony did. "Good! Now try ta git over here!" she shouted. The pony followed the sound of her voice and slowly made his way towards her.

Just the, Psych raised his head while laughing. "Hold it!" Applejack shouted, and the pony obeyed. She tensed up, but for some reason, Psych didn't take notice of the crate in the middle of the street. "OK. Keep walkin'!"

The pony resumed walking; the farmer kept her eye on Psych who failed to notice a crate moving on its own despite it being within sight. The pony passed several screaming and thrashing ponies before finally reaching Applejack who pulled the crate off him. "Thanks." he said before galloping away as fast as he could. Applejack turned her attention to the crate. It had somehow protected him from whatever was going on.

Readying herself, she got under the crate. It was pitch black inside, and she couldn't see in front of her, but she knew the maroon pony was right ahead of her. "Here goes nothin'!" she yelled as she galloped straight ahead. She stumbled a little upon treading upon a few ponies, but maintained her speed. His eyes glowing, Psych was looking right at the quickly approaching crate but failed to respond to it. It finally registered however when he felt something suddenly collide with him.

The collision had sent him flying, the glow in his eyes vanishing upon impact. He tumbled around a little before finally stopping. The crate had gone with him as well and landed right on top of him, concealing him completely. With him down, Applejack noticed that the screaming and thrashing around her had stopped. The ponies were instead shivering and whimpering with fright. She looked to the side and saw her unicorn friend doing just that.

"Rarity!" She quickly picked her up. "Y'all right sugarcube? What the hay's goin' on here?"

Rarity was still shaken by the things she saw and felt. The images of the claw and ants still flooded her head. "Th-th-th-c-claw and-ants-and-"

Claw? Ants?Applejack looked around and spotted none of those things in sight. Rarity clutched her orange hoof and held on so tight it hurt. "So much-It-it hurt-so-so-m-much-"

"Don't worry sugar; I'll get ya outta here." A shifting inside the nearby crate told her to hurry up. She hurriedly scooped the trembling unicorn on her back and galloped off the street. She deposited her behind a building and ran back to fetch the other ponies despite Rarity's please, but as soon as she arrived, Psych burst out from under the crate.

He looked around and instantly spotted Applejack who tensed up. "Well isn't this a treat? I've found both Generosity and Honesty, and it isn't even lunchtime yet." he said with an evil sneer.

Applejack was surprised to know that he knew who they were. "Just wait one apple-pickin' minute here, yer with Ironhead and the rest of 'em ain't ya?!"

"Hmm...I suppose you can say that." Psych replied, his smile turning into a snarl. "However, I've no interest in your Elements; I'm here to make you pay!"

He eyes glowed once more with dark rose light. A pair of large wolves, larger than an average timberwolf, with black fur, glowing yellow eyes and razor sharp teeth suddenly appeared snarling beside him. Psych raised a hoof and pointed at the mare before him. "Tear her to pieces!"

Their mouths dripping with saliva, the wolves lunged at her. Applejack jumped to the side as one passed her, but the second one lunged at her fangs bared. It sank its teeth into her right foreleg causing her to cry out in pain. The wolf bit down harder; Applejack felt the bones in that leg break apart. Not finished yet, the wolf yanked her leg away; Applejack felt it in danger of being torn off completely.

Psych's maniacal laughter rang in her ears. Panicking a little, she heard the other wolf head her way. Thinking fast, she pulled up her hind legs and gave it good buck right across its muzzle. The sound of the wolf whining in pain stopped Psych's laughter. With the other wolf down, Applejack turned her attention to the first one who pulled back and tore half her leg completely off.

Applejack screamed louder than she ever did before. She stumbled trying to balance on three legs and looked at her leg and nearly fainted. Blood was pouring out of it like a fountain, and a piece of her bone stuck out. The pain coming from it clouded her mind, but she managed to take notice of the wolf spitting her leg out and approaching her hungry for more.

Pissed off, Applejack stood her ground. "C'mon! I'm still standin' here!" she taunted despite the burning pain in her leg. The wolf barked before lunging at her. Applejack readied herself, spun on her one good leg and bucked the wolf right in the chest. This sent the wolf flying straight towards Psych whom the wolf crashed into painfully.

As soon as the wolf hit Psych, it just vanished into thin air, but that wasn't the only thing. The pain in her leg had vanished just as quickly. Applejack checked and, to her surprise, saw that her leg was perfectly intact, not a scratch on it. She looked up and saw Psych who seemed to have stumbled from the impact. He opened his eyes which were no longer glowing.

"Wh-what the hay was that?!" she exclaimed.

After fully recovering, Psych glared at her. "I've underestimated your abilities Honesty. It appears that you can do more than just stand for the truth; you also have the strength to enforce it. Not many ponies can throw off my illusions so simply."

"Illusions? What that what those wolves were? Is that what ya did to these here ponies?!" she demanded.

Psych chuckled. "Indeed. None of the things I create are real. However, they look, seem and feel real. That's why you still feel the pain I cause. And what enjoyable pain it was! Had I kept what I was doing, had I increased the pain they were experiencing even more...Let's just say your friend would've never been the same!"

He ended his sentence with a cold, sadistic laugh. Applejack pouted and pulled out her lasso. "Alrighty then. Listen here partner, you hurt my friend and ev'rypony 'round here, an' I ain't gonna stand fer it! Just who do ya think ya are runnin' 'round terrorizin' innocent folks like this?!"

Psych stopped laughed but kept the sinister smile on his face. "You're gonna oppose me? Good. First you then Generosity and then the rest of you Elements of Harmony! I won't rest until you're all naught but drooling, catatonic wrecks for the rest of you lives!" Applejack readied herself as his eyes began to glow once more.

"I am the Illusion of Grief! Brace yourself Honesty; as the embodiment of pain and suffering, the agony I'm gonna bring will make you beg for death!"
> The Terror of Psych Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 24
THE TERROR OF PSYCH PART 2


Rearing up in a display of courage, Applejack charged towards her fellow earth pony. What she displayed, Psych saw nothing but idiocy. Chuckling with glowing eyes, he watched as he made an iron spike shoot out of the ground. It impaled Applejack right in her stomach causing her to halt and cry out in pain.

Not finished with her yet, Psych concentrated and caused more spikes to shoot out of the ground, impaling Applejack until there was no room for them any more. The end result was seeing Applejack with over twenty spikes sticking right through her, her wounds bleeding profusely. Psych ended the assault by launching one last spike which struck the farmer right between the eyes.

The pain she was going through was indescribable; she didn't even know such an amount of pain existed. Psych was right, she was practically begging to die.

"Oh wait, before I completely destroy your mind, I gotta ask you something." Psych's eyes lost their glow. The spikes impaling Applejack disappeared as well as the the holes they left in her and pain they brought, but the memory of such a horrible thing caused Applejack to stumble and fall panting heavily and trembling slightly.

"I'll make it quick; where did you hide Generosity?"

She knew he was referring to Rarity. In the midst of the terror she was feeling, she felt a flash of anger. "Y-you can jump of a cliff; I ain't telling ya where she is!"

Thanks to Psych's kinetic vision, he saw her subconscious movements betray her. At the words "where she is", he saw her eyes move slightly to her left. "C'mon, tell me! I got plans for her, plans which involve me nailing her to the ground, driving a chainsaw through her abdomen and cutting her in half."

Hot anger forced Applejack to her hooves. "Yer a monster, that's what ya are..."

Psych sighed with a smile on his face. "I know." he responded simply.

"Do what ya want ta me! I ain't gonna tell ya!"

Bingo. "Oh so she's over there." Psych said grinning and turning to the building where Applejack deposited the frightened Rarity.

"What? No she ain't!" Applejack cried out.

Her words wiped the smile right off of his face. He blinked twice and looked as if he was surprised by something. "Whoa...OK, you truly are the Element of Honesty. You are by far the worst liar I've ever met. You set everything off; eye twitch, hoof shuffle, muscle spasms, everything!"

Applejack didn't know what he meant, and she didn't care either. "I ain't following ya, and I ain't gonna let you git to 'er either!"

She twirled her lasso around with her tail and launched it at him. Psych turned his head to avoid it and activated his powers unaware that the rope managed to get a hold of the crate Applejack was using earlier. Before he could call down a bolt of lightning to strike her, she yanked the roped back. The crate smacked into Psych distracting him long enough for her to run up and buck him right in the chest.

Applejack rushed towards him and reared on her hind legs. Psych saw this and jumped back just as she stomped the ground in front of him. He lit up his eyes, but Applejack ran up and gave him a good strike right across his muzzle; Psych anticipated the buck and jumped back and avoided it before using his powers to launch a fireball at her. The farm mare galloped and slid under the fireball before getting up and jumping giving him a good headbutt to the chest.

Psych was knocked back and fell on his side. He quickly rose and activated his powers once again. This time, five large daggers with jagged edges materialized in front of him. They launched themselves at Applejack who managed to dodge four of them. The fifth one cut right through her right flank leaving a deep gash which began to bleed.

As she winced in pain, the knives turned around and went back for her. Despite her deep wound, she managed to dodge all of them. She charged once again at Psych who, with a wave of his hoof, pulled all the knives back before driving them into the ground before him halting Applejack's advance.

"I'm serious y'know." Psych told her. "I doubt you can't lie to save your life. It's just not who you are isn't it?"

Ignoring the gash on her flank, Applejack humphed. "Huh...ya got that right."

An idea suddenly struck Psych making his eyes widen and his hooves tingle with excitement. "I see. But do you know who the greatest liar ever is?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's the pony whom you trusted, the pony you gave a job and your hospitality, the pony who's done nothing but lie to you since the day you met."

Psych grinned upon seeing what looked like irritation flash across the mare's face. "Ironhead..." she muttered.

"Indeed." Psych nodded. "If anypony could lie and conceal things, it's him. Did you know he was already prepared to lie to anypony he encountered if the situation required it? Think of how he deceived you, how he spoke nothing but filth to you. Think of how he lied to you."

Despite her anger towards Psych, she had to agree with him. "He...He lied to me..."

Upon detecting the sorrow in her voice, Psych's grin grew wider. "He was prepared to do so before he came here? He was prepared to give anypony nothing but lies. It's his nature; just as I am Grief itself, he is the very incarnation of Deceit itself."

"Wh-whaddya mean by that?"

"I mean that he was able to deceive you Element of Honesty." Psych said, his voice dripping with malice. A flash of light appeared in front of him and materialized into the pony they were talking about.

"I...Ironhead..."

"I lied to you." he told her with a face devoid of any emotion. "You gave me a job, you thought of me as a friend, you trusted me, and in return, I lied to you."

Applejack stared at him once again feeling the pain she felt two days earlier. "You weren't like anypony else...I thought you were special...I thought...you thought I was special..."

Psych's eyes and smile couldn't get any wider. Ironhead's expression didn't change upon hearing her words. "Did I? Did I really think you meant anything to me? I guess you'll never know..."

With that, his form vanished into nothingness. Applejack bowed her head feeling even worse than she already did. She didn't deny the fact that she had feelings for him, but what about him? When he asked her out on that date, was that just another attempt to get close to her and get the Elements or was it a display of his own feelings?

"OK!" Psych cheerful shout reminded her that he was present. "Now that bringing emotional pain is done, it's time to go back to the physical pain!"

Grinning like the psychopath he was, Psych raised a hoof. Immediately the sky darkened with storm clouds. Looking skywards with her jaw hanging, Applejack saw a dark tornado suddenly burst from the clouds. Upon closer inspection however, she saw that it wasn't made of wind but of millions of daggers similar to the ones currently embedded in the ground.

Terror paralyzed her as the tornado approached. Applejack suddenly found herself surrounded by the daggers which spun around her at dizzying speeds. The winds they created started to pick up and before she knew it, Applejack felt her hooves leave the ground. Her legs flailing about, she was lifted in the air. As she spun around several times, she noticed several of them stop and point right at her.

"You're in my world." Applejack was surprised to hear Psych's voice so high up in the air. Back on the ground, he slowly raised a hoof and pointed it at the sky. "I control everything you hear, everything you see...everything you feel..." He suddenly thrust his hoof forward. "Feel this."

Instantly, Applejack was thrust into a world of nothing but blind agony. The tornado of daggers closed in on her and the screaming began. First, two daggers came from behind and stabbed themselves into her back. As she screamed out, three daggers shot out and cut across her stomach several times while another pair flew in and dug themselves into her front right leg.

THIS AIN'T REAL! THIS AIN'T REAL! she screamed in her head as she felt the daggers cut her up mercilessly.

As the winds buffeted her around, several more daggers flew in and sliced across her sides while others stabbed themselves into her at various places. A cluster of them flew at her face and started desecrating it; one dagger came in and slashed her right across her left eyes while the others started cutting her face apart. Several more swarmed around her and sliced through her flesh with their unforgiving blades.

Her blood began to fall like rain. Hearing her cries of anguish, seeing the crimson blood staining the floor, feeling the wind tear the farmer to pieces...Psych never felt more alive. He stood up on his hind legs, spread his fore legs and started laughing his heart out. Through the agony she was being put through, she heard it. It was just cold, heartless and evil as it came from a demon from Tartarus itself.

An eternity of pain later, the hurricane vanished leaving Applejack to plummet to the ground and hit it with a sickening crunch. The mare was barely recognizable. Her belly, which was a beautiful shade of orange, was now covered in blood, daggers, wide gashes, chunks of flesh and several other wounds. Her neck had five daggers embedded in it allowing her to do nothing but whimper in agony. He face was just as desecrated as the rest of her was. Her left eye was reduced to just a bleeding socket, both her ears were cut off, her mouth was full of her own blood, and her one good eye was filled with tears and looking at Psych in fear.

Suddenly, the light in his eyes vanished taking the pain with it, but the memory of it made Applejack tremble with terror. A few seconds later, Psych used his powers again with Applejack looking as good as new ready for another round of pain. "Y'know Honesty, there's only so much a pony's mind can handle." he said approaching her slowly. "You've shown plenty of resilience until now, but even you have your limits."

Applejack tried to get up, but her legs were trembling so much that she couldn't stand. Psych went and planted a hoof on her, pinning her down. With nowhere left to go, AJ looked up in fear at the maniac grinning at her. "Y'know, I was saving this for Generosity." Her eyes widened as a chainsaw materialized in his hooves. "But I'm certain I'll think of something that'll top this."

Grinning evilly, he pulled the cord, and the chainsaw roared into life. He raised it over his head and quickly brought it down towards her. Thinking fast, Applejack grabbed her hat and brought it up to the chainsaw before it could touch her. Her precious Stetson was shredded to pieces, but those pieces got caught up in the chainsaw, causing it to sputter and stop working altogether.

"What the hell?!" Psych cried out bringing up his chainsaw for inspection. Seeing her chance, Applejack got her hooves on his chest and shoved him back. As Psych rose, Applejack managed to stand despite her legs feeling like Sugarcube Corner's apple gelatin. She charged at him a little clumsily, but managed to barrel right past him without him getting a chance to activate his powers.

Applejack halted and quickly turned around. Upon seeing the colt turn, she quickly looked around and spotted the crate she used earlier. Psych's eyes began to glow once again trusting her into the world of his illusions. In in, she saw a buzz saw materialize in front of him and launch itself at her. Panicking, she quickly jumped behind the crate and braced herself.

To her surprise, the buzz saw didn't come crashing into the crate and sawing her in half. Still, she didn't believe she was in the clear yet, that is until she heard hoof steps. She turned around and saw Psych run up in front of her and activate his powers creating the buzz saw once again. Applejack quickly jumped over the crate and hid behind it again. Again, the buzz saw didn't come at her. She heard Psych growl angrily before running up to face her.

Intrigued by this, she grabbed the crate and held it in front of her; somehow, it had protected her from his powers. Her view of Psych was blocked, but she heard him growl in annoyance before running to her right. Guided by the sound of his hooves, Applejack turned towards him still carrying the crate. Annoyed, Psych ran in circles around her looking for an opening, but his target managed to keep up with him.

"Dammit! Come out of there!" he roared as he continued to run. Applejack didn't respond and just kept hiding behind the crate.

Eventually, Applejack saw her chance when she heard him panting. As his galloping slowed down, Applejack ran forwards and rammed him with all her might. Psych was knocked back and struggled to get up, but Applejack, with adrenaline pushing her fear away, charged and emptied his lungs with a buck to his chest. Before Psych could get up, Applejack lassoed the crate and hurled it over him. Before he could bust out, she ran over and jumped on top of it just as the pounding started.

"Hey! Lemme out!" Psych roared hammering against the crate with his hooves. Luckily, Applejack's weight was enough to keep him in. Feeling satisfied with his entrapment, she sighed and slumped over the crate breathing heavily. The fight was over, but she doubted she would ever forget the things she saw and felt. She clutch herself and trembled a little remembering the pain he put him through.

"Jus' where th' hay do these guys come from?" she wondered out loud.



"Applejack." Said pony snapped into attention upon hearing her name. She saw Twilight approached looking worried. "I heard about what was going on and rushed here as fast as I could. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Twi', but I don't think Rarity an' I're gonna get any sleep fer th' next few days." she said still trembling a little.

"Rarity? Where is she?" Twilight looked around for her friend.

"Over there." The farm pony pointed at the building she his Rarity behind. "She might still be there. This feller over here got to 'er first." she added thumping the crate.

"I swear when I'm released, I'm gonna-"

"Save yer breath." Applejack told him. "He's one of 'em Twi' just like Ironhead and the rest of 'em." Her friends eyes widened. "He said he can do illusions, real nasty illusions in fact."

"Illusions?" Twilight asked.

"Yep. They feel real, but he can't hurt anypony now."

"This crate blocked his powers?"

"Uh huh. Don't exactly know why either."

Twilight looked at the crate with an intrigued expression. After doing some thinking, she turned to her friend. "Applejack, when I give the word, get rid of the crate."

"Ya sure about this?" the latter asked.

"Positive. If physical objects can block his powers, maybe other kinds can too."

Applejack just nodded trusting her. She slowly got down while keeping her hooves pressed on the crate. She locked eyes with Twilight who began counting. "One...Two...Three...Now!"

Applejack yanked the crate away and braced herself for whatever happened. Psych triumphantly rose to his hind legs and activated his powers. His eyes glowing, he readied himself to give the mares pain unlike anything else...only to be stopped by a magenta barrier surrounding him.

"Aw c'mon!" Psych cried out indignantly. He sat on his haunches and crossed his forelegs. Applejack finally let loose the breath she had been holding.

"So keeping him in here should protect us as well." Twilight concluded.

Psych took notice of her for the first time. "Oh hey, you're the other Magic. Just what d'you plan on doing to me?" he asked.

She tilted her head confused. "Magic? My name is Twilight Sparkle, and as for you, I'll think I'll keep you locked up somewhere you can't hurt anypony."

"Like what the city jail?" Psych asked sarcastically. "Good luck. Those jails have bars don't they? That's not enough to block my powers."

Understanding his point, Twilight's brow furrowed. "Well...I'll just have to keep you at home."

"What?!" Applejack exclaimed returning from fetching her hat whose destruction was just an illusion. "This pony here's a maniac! You just gonna leave him at yer place?!"

"Don't worry AJ; I'll keep him in the basement." Twilight reassured. "I'll even put a barrier around it so he can't get out."

AJ managed to relax a little. "OK, but y'all be careful OK? Trust me; you don't wanna mess with 'im"

Twilight nodded. "Now is Rarity alright?"

"Tremblin' like a leaf, but she' a-OK." Applejack led the way while Twilight, leaving Psych in his prison, followed here behind the building where she found Rarity crying.

"Oh my goodness." Twilight said dropping down to help her friend. Upon seeing her, the white unicorn rushed and held onto her for dear life. As she continued to cry, Twilight stroked her back in an effort to comfort her.

"I'll take o' her Twi'. You get 'im nice and locked up ya here?" Applejack told her gesturing her head towards Psych.

Twilight nodded and handed Rarity over to Applejack who carried her on her back as they walked away. As they did, Twilight returned to Psych who was still sitting grumpily and levitated him with her magic. She began to walk home wondering just what the hell was going on.



"Hey Twilight, you sure about keeping that guy in here? He give's me the creeps. Did you see his eyes? He looked at me like he was gonna eat me or something." Spike said wincing a little a few minutes after Twilight arrived home, placed a barrier around the inner half of the basement and magically locked the door.

"I know he seems scary Spike, but I have to keep him somewhere he can't hurt anypony." Twilight replied albeit feeling a little nervous. "Beside, since we couldn't get any information from Ash, maybe we could get some from him."

"Yeah, but what if he tries to escape?"

"Already thought of that." Twilight answered hopefully. "I moved all my scientific equipment to the other side of the room; the only things on his side are a bunch of file cabinets and outdated books. Trust me, he won't be breaking out of there."

Meanwhile in Twilight's basement...

Psych sighed as he tapped the shimmering lavender shield that confined him to half of the basement floor. It was sturdy enough to take several blows before finally breaking. He sighed again looking around for some means to escape so he can corner Twilight and her little dragon friend and drive them to insanity. Unfortunately, the only things with him were some dusty old books and a few file cabinets. Sighing once more, he got to work.

A few minutes after leafing through the books, he found nothing that could help him. Just for the heck of it, he picked up the biggest one among them and chucked it at the barrier. It shimmered briefly, but remained undamaged. Sighed , he went to the file cabinets and began going through them only finding things like old research notes, schedules, discarded check lists and records.

That all changed however, when he opened the bottom most drawer of the third file cabinet he was browsing. Instead of seeing more papers, Psych saw instead a large, thick purple binder with Twilight's Cutie Mark under it. Intrigued, he picked it up noticing golden words underneath the mark. it read: Friendship Reports. Curious, he opened the binder; on the first page, there was what looked like a letter written on fine parchment.

"I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the "magic of friendship". She must report to me her findings, from her new home... in Ponyville."

A wide, sadistic grin broke out of the earth pony's face, and excitement tingled in his hooves. Forget escaping, he had found something that would make his imprisonment much more enjoyable. Grinning like the mad pony he was, Psych opened the binder and began to read.

Let's see. Dear Princess Celestia...
> Imprisonment and Questioning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 25
IMPRISONMENT AND QUESTIONING


"Dear Princess Celestia, my investigation into the matter of the ponies has resulted in a few incidences with others; apparently, there were more of them than I thought. My friends and I are unhurt, but a few of us are quite shaken..." Twilight remembered just how shaken Applejack and Rarity were after their encounters with Psych.

"That guy did something to Rarity didn't he?" Spike asked sharply turning towards the door to the basement and shaking his fist at it. "If he ever does that again I'll-"

"Spike!" Twilight reprimanded before her assistant could finish the threat. The later stopped and looked back at her sheepishly.

"Heh...sorry about that Twilight." he apologized.

The unicorn sighed. "Listen, I know you're upset over what he did to Rarity; believe me when I say somepony like him deserves to be locked in the deepest dungeon Celestia has." She glared at the basement door herself. "But we still need information from him regarding what Solstice and his brothers wanted with the Elements. Now back to that letter."

Spike held up his quill and parchment as Twilight cleared her throat. "In the end, I managed to detain a pony affiliated with them and plan to interrogate him. We have no idea what the brothers will be planning next. Therefore, I must request for the presence of a few royal guards in Ponyville for extra protection while I question him."

"I will send the results of my questioning as soon as I have them. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."

Spike rolled up the letter and sent to off to Canterlot. "So when are you gonna talk to that guy?" he asked.

"Later after we've had a good meal." she answered, her stomach grumbling slightly. "Think you can rustle up something for him as well Spike?"

The dragon shifted uncomfortably. "OK, but I'm not taking it down to him. I know you got a barrier around him, but he just freaks me out y'know?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll teleport it down there." Satisfied, Spike left to prepare lunch for the three of them. With him gone, Twilight looked once again at the basement door wondering if Psych would be in any mood for talking.



I used to think the most important traits to look for in a pet, or any best friend, were all physical competitive abilities. But now I can see how short-sighted and shallow that was...

"Huh...Brash aren't you Loyalty?" Psych muttered to himself as he turn a page to view the next letter. He was interrupted by a popping sound from behind him, Looking over his shoulder, he saw a plate on which two hay sandwiches sat. He marked his spot in the binder and fetched his lunch. Carrying a sandwich in his mouth, he returned to the binder and resumed reading.

Upstairs while the library's other two occupants were busy having lunch, Spike belched out some green flames, and Twilight caught the scroll that came with it with her magic. She unrolled it and read its contents intently. "What's it say Twilight?" Spike asked.

"It says here that the guards have been sent. It's just a small group of four. They should be arriving later in the afternoon." Twilight replied, her mouth slightly full of oats.

"It's gonna be weird having royal guards around here." Spike commented snacking on a few rubies.

"We don't really need many of them. He's harmless behind that barrier; the guards are just here in case Solstice and the others tried something again. I wonder what they're planning now..." she replied, her thoughts tuning to Solstice. "Solstice and his brothers never actually tried to hurt us, but Ash and this pony both tried to. They're both affiliated with him, so why do they seem to act separately?"

"That's why you're gonna ask him right?" Spike pointed out. "Ya better do it now before those other guys show up."

"Huh...I think I will." She wolfed down the last of her oats and took a quick drink. "Wish me luck."

After receiving a thumbs up from him, Twilight took a deep breath and headed to the basement door. She gently pushed it open and lit up her horn in case she had to do a quick spell. She knew she had a barrier protecting her, but better safe than sorry right? She slowly descended the stairs, every step taking her closer and closer to a psychopath. She shook off bad thoughts from her head. He was harmless; what was the worst he could do?

Once she was a the bottom of the stairs, she cleared her throat and spoke. "Hello?...I hope you're in the mood for answering because I have so many ques-"

She froze mid-sentence at the scene before. Her magical barrier was still intact. Behind it sat Psych who was busy going through something she eventually recognized as a thick purple binder. Upon hearing her voice, the earth pony looked up and waved cheerfully at her. "Oh hey there Magic. So what's your first question?" he asked grinning innocently.

"Wha-bu-ho-wh-" Twilight sputtered before finally crying out: "What are you doing with that?!"

"Uh, reading it of course." Psych answered holding the collection of reports up. "I grew bored, so I looked around and found this little thing in a drawer." He opened it and flipped through a few pages while Twilight stared with her jaw hanging. "It's been really entertaining; you've no idea just how much I learned from it."

A flash of light later, the book magically disappeared from his hooves and reappeared safely in Twilight's. "So Magic...you're the student of Princess Celestia herself...No wonder you guys have a connection to the Elements." he mused.

Twilight placed the binder aside before turning back to him. "So you do know about the Elements; you are with Solstice aren't you?" she questioned.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say 'with' him. We're affiliated with each other, but we aren't really that close." Psych replied. "So why do you keep those things around?" He pointed at the friendship reports.

"I'm asking the questions here." she reminded him. "Now what is it that you want with the Elements of Harmony?"

Psych sighed and sat on his hunches. "I already told Honesty that. I don't, in any way, seek your Elements." He grinned at her. "Keep them here as long as you want. Make sure they stay put."

Twilight didn't feel reassured by his words and his cooperation. Something about that smile of his made her feel edgy. "Well do you at least know what they're planning?"

"Hmm...Aside from them wanting to find out where the Elements of Harmony are located, I can't say. I don't really involve myself in the stuff they get into. They could honestly jump off a cliff for all I care." Psych said heartlessly. "I tend to act separately from them."

Twilight nodded; this was getting nowhere. "But, despite the truth looking at them right in the eyes, they concern themselves over me. They're probably searching for me as we speak."

"Really? Are you Solstice's brother as well?" Twilight asked.

Psych's grin quickly turned into a frown. "No. I only have one brother with whom you guys had a run in with."

"What? Y-You mean Ash? He's your brother?" Twilight asked surprised. "He was the one that started the fight; I swear none of us wanted to hurt him."

Psych huffed and sat down again still feeling upset. "If you must know, that's why I went after Generosity and Honesty." he told her.

Generosity? Honesty? Why is he calling us by our Elements? she wondered. "My turn to get a question in." He pointed once again at the reports. "Why do you keep those around? Haven't you already learned from them? Just curious that's all."

Twilight eyed him suspiciously. The question seemed innocent and had no ill intent. It wouldn't hurt to answer him right? "Sometime ago I...let's just say that I lost my way." she answered him. Psych leaned forward in interest. "I forgot what really mattered to me; I forgot everything I learned here in Ponyville, everything I learned from my friends. She gave the binder a pat. "These letters reminded me of what really mattered. I kept them in case I ever needed to be set on the right path once again..."

Silence ensued after Twilight's reply. Psych's eyes closed, the gears in his head turning as he processed what he had just heard. After much thought, he opened his eyes and gave hr an amused smile. "You truly value friendship don't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "It changed lives for the better. One of my friends believed that it would change your brother. He really looked like a troubled colt."

"You have no idea." Psych said wondering what Ash was doing at the moment. "Yet what happened to that friendship when he started that fire? I thought your friendship was supposed to help him. What went wrong?"

"He...Ash didn't seem to accept our offer. It just seemed to anger him instead."

"So where was your precious friendship then?" Psych questioned. "I thought it was going to change him for the better?"

"Well I-"

"I've read how it changed your friends, and yet it did nothing to my brother."

"Well...friendship isn't perfect." Twilight told him.

"Oh I know it's imperfect. I'm just saying that it's much more flawed than you think." Psych said. "After all, relationships in general are not only flawed, but obstructive."

"Obstructive? To what?" Twilight asked.

Psych sighed. "The ugly, irrefutable truth that not all ponies are as perfect as you think."

"I'm very much aware of that. I know me and my friends aren't perfect, but that doesn't make me think any less of them. I know how to look past their imperfections and-"

"Look past them? Pfft. You blot them out, that's what you do." Psych interrupted. " Take Kindness for example. She is a wimpy, pathetic-."

"Don't talk like that about her!" an upset Twilight shouted.

"- coward." Psych ended with a smile. "How is it that you can depend on a pony such as that?"

"She's a lot tougher than you think." Twilight answered angrily.

"I beg to differ." Psych said unfazed. "We're talking about a mare who changed completely upon the acceptance of an idea. Yeah, she reverted back to her old self, but it was rather pathetic of her to change at all right? She's a pathetic mare, and you can't see that because of your friendship. You can't see any of your friends true characteristics before of your friendship."

For a while, she was speechless. "What makes you think you know my friends more than I do?" Twilight asked upset over the things he said.

Psych grinned and turned to his side. "I think I know just as much as you do; it's my special talent after all." he answered pointing at his Cutie Mark. "The eye represents my kinetic vision, my ability to see a pony's subconscious actions and habits. The brain on the other hoof represents my ability to analyze ponies. Give me say, half an hour with somepony, and I could tell you exactly what kind of pony they are, and exactly what to say in order to hurt them. I couldn't do that to your friends, but you provided me with something just as good."

Twilight's eyes widened as she turned to the binder at her side. "The friendship reports?!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed." Psych said with a nod. "So let me get this straight, Honesty's a stubborn, hard working family pony, Generosity's a lady who keeps true to her Element, Loyalty's brash and headstrong, Laughter's bubbly and cheerful and loves to make everypony smile..." For a brief moment, anger coursed through his veins. "And Kindness is, as I mentioned earlier, a wimp."

Psych finished with an evil grin while Twilight stared in shock. "I even got stuff on Princess Luna." he added. "Funny; I thought she was still imprisoned on the moon..."

Twilight shook her head and found her voice. "If you know that, then you must know what good ponies they are." she told him.

"Please, you only say they're good because your friendship with them obstructs your view of their true nature." Psych said. "Lemme ask you something; if, for some insane, illogical reason, we were friends, would be be able to look past my sadistic, heartless nature and truly care for me? If we were friends, would you release me?"

Twilight was a little startled by his questions. "Well...It wouldn't be nice to keep one of my friends locked up..."

"You are aware of what I'll to others once I'm released. You're willing to sic me on the defenseless ponies because I'm your friend?" Psych accused. "You said it yourself that you'd hate to see a friend of your imprisoned like I am. Our friendship has caused you to forget that I'm a maniac. You were so lost in your care for me that you were willing to let me lose in Ponyville."

"I...I..." Twilight didn't know what to say.

"Such is the nature of friendship. It does nothing but blind ponies to other's faults! They use it as a means to be nice to others despite their faults! It's a cover placed upon the faults of others by those who supposedly care them only because they don't wish to see their faults! All those letters are all just ways to cover your friend's faults and problems!"

"Every lesson you learn, every letter you and your friends have written are just displays of your weakness! You may learn something, but that learning's never gonna cease won't it? You six will always remain the pathetic ponies you are which will churn out more and more letters to put in there, more and more testaments to your failures! I may have my own problems, but at least I don't try to cover them up! I love making ponies suffer; it's all I can do, and I can't choose otherwise!"

"Don't like other ponies fault?! Despise seeing their errors?! Well don't cover it up with something fine and dandy like friendship! And don't go running to your mentor passing it off as something you learned when it's just another mark of your failure! Here's what you write next time: 'Dear Princess Celestia..."

"N-No..." Twilight shook her head not wanting to hear it.

"Today I learned that everything I've learned here in Ponyville was all useless. All this time, I've don't nothing but conceal my 'friends' screw-ups. What a pointless task you've given me!"

"No...No!" Twilight shouted finally hearing enough. She turned around and hurried out of the basement as fast as she could.

"While you're up there, d'you think you can send down any books by Jung you got?" he called before hearing the basement door slam shut. He grinned and started laughing remembering how distraught Twilight looked before she left. Letting out a relaxed sigh, he laid on his back with his head in his hooves and stared at the ceiling still chuckling. He never needed his powers to inflict pain on others; he could do it just as easily with the right words.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy it here..."
> Sorrow and Smiles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 26
SORROW AND SMILES


"Hey, you heard about what happened a while ago?"

"Yeah I heard. Somepony went crazy and started making everypony in sight scream."

"Freakiest thing I ever saw..."

"What if he comes in here?!"

"Relax. I heard that Applejack took care of him."

"First those three ponies, then that weird fire, then this guy...Just what's going on here?"

That was a question almost everypony was asking late that afternoon in Sugar Cube Corner. Word of Psych's arrival in town had spread surprisingly fast causing a few ponies to grow tense look around carefully and, in the case of three flower-selling ponies, locked themselves indoors for several hours upon seeing a complete stranger.

Meanwhile, the quiet air in Sugar Cube Corner's kitchen was broken by a high pitch DING! Hearing that tune, a certain pink mare spotting a pink, floral apron happily bounced on over to the oven. After slipping on some oven gloves, she reached inside and pulled out a tray of freshly baked brownies, their scent drifting filling her nostrils and making her drool. Unable to contain herself, she opened her mouth much wider than anypony else could and prepared to devour the entire thing, only to be stopped by a coughing sound.

Her mouth still wide open, Pinkie looked to her right seeing two foals sitting on the kitchen floor glaring at her expectantly. Her mouth still agape, she tipped the tray causing two brownies to fall; the twins caught the falling treats in their mouths. As they chewed happily, Pinkie tipped the tray allowing the rest of the brownies to fall into her mouth. She munched on them, swallowed and let out a loud burp which made her and the twins giggle.

After laughing at her own burp with with twins for a while, Pinkie glanced outside the window and spotted something large soar through the sky. Pressing her face against the glass, she saw that it was really a cluster of pegasi clad in the golden armor of the royal guard flying in perfect formation.

Judging by the direction in which they were flying, they seemed to be heading towards the library. Feeling like something cool and fun was going to happen, she tossed her apron aside and galloped out of the kitchen.

"Bye Mr. Cake! Bye Mrs. Cake! I'm gonna go see Twilight!" she called as she raced past the couple behind the register.

"Bye Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake answered waving back at her while her husband headed into the kitchen.

"Er...honey?" he called a few seconds later. "What happened to that batch of brownies in the oven?"



Upon seeing the guards through her window, Twilight raced outside. By the time she was out, the pegasus guards had already landed and stood ready to receive orders, their spears looking rather menacing. Standing ahead of the other guards was a tall, sky-blue pegasus with a grayish white mane and amber eyes.

"Ms. Twilight, I'm General Stratos of the pegasus guard here to station these four here in Ponyville at her majesty's order." he said formally.

"Thank you General. You have no idea how reassuring it is to have some extra protection around here." she told them.

Stratos nodded and looked behind him. "Flash, I'm placing you in charge here. Ensure that nothing happens to Ms. Twilight, her friends or the Elements of Harmony."

On of the pegasi, a deep saffron one with blue eyes and mane nodded stepped forward holding his spear ready. "I won't let you down sir."

Pleased with his response, the general looked back at Twilight. "Where they'll be staying has already been arranged by the Princess. They'll be patrolling the town day and night; you needn't worry about them. They are among the best guards I have."

Twilight looked from Flash and the rest of the guards to Stratos. "Very well then. Please tell the princess that I'll be sending any updates I find."

Stratos nodded, turned to the rest of the guard and saluted to them. After watching Flash and the guards return it, he spread his wings and took off towards Canterlot. Twilight watched him fly off for a while before looking down, seeing the pony in change, Flash, approach her.

"I hope our stay here in Ponyville doesn't make you uncomfortable Ms. Twilight." he told her.

"Oh no; it's fine. Growing up in Canterlot Castle meant having to grow up surrounded by guards all the time. I'm pretty used to it." she reassured earning a smile from the guard.

"I also heard that you have a prisoner; would you like one of us to stay as extra protection?" he offered.

Twilight was quick to refuse. "Oh no; the protection placed around him is already enough. Besides..." She rubbed her hoof nervously. "He really isn't the kind of guy you'd like to be around..."

Flash raised a puzzled eyebrow but didn't question her any further. "I see. Well, we'll be beginning our patrol now. Just find me or any of us in case you need anything."

"I'll keep that in mind." Twilight said nodding. "Thanks again Flash." The guard nodded and left to give the remaining guards their orders. Twilight, feeling much better with extra protection in town, turned around and got a face full of pink.

"Hi Twilight!"

"GYAH!"

In less than a second, Flash and the rest of the guards were in front of her, their spears pointed forward. "It's OK! It's OK! It's OK! She's with me!" Twilight cried out frantically before the guards could skewer her friend.

Luckily, the guards relaxed. Pinkie, not at all bothered by the fact that she was almost killed, bounded over to Twilight. "Hi Twilight! What's with all the ponies in the shiny armor? Is the princess coming over for another party? Does she need anything? I got lots of streamers and balloons and party hats back home and-"

"N-No Pinkie. Princess Celestia isn't coming to town." Twilight interrupted. "The guards are here for extra protection. Solstice and his brothers might make another attempt at the Elements. They're bound to make another move soon now that we have one of them here."

"We do?"

"Yes. One of them arrived in Ponyville a while ago and-"

At the words "arrived in Ponyville", Pinkie had unfortunately bolted into the library before Twilight could explain how Psych tortured everpony he encountered. Knowing Pinkie's usual way of treating newcomers, Twilight recovered from her shock and galloped back into her home where she found Spike lying on the floor looking dazed.

"Spike, where'd Pinkie go?!" she cried out helping him up with her magic.

"Sh-she went right past me and headed into the basement!" he answered hurriedly. Panicking, Twilight checked the basement door which, to her dismay and surprise, was open.

"B-But-My lock and-my spells-and-GRAH! Pinkie, why do you have to keep breaking the laws of physics?!" she cried out in frustration. Caring more about her friend more than her strange abilities, Twilight raced into the basement before anything could happen.



"Yeesh, how OCD can you get Magic?" Psych muttered as he went through several of Twilight's outdated check lists. She had them for everything from usual day-to-day activities to making even more lists. As Psych tossed one of the over his shoulder and grabbed one of Twilight's planners, he heard the basement door open. "Hey Magic, what's with all the lists and schedules? So obsessed with order that you can't take the crap life throws at you?"

There was no reply however. Instead, Psych head something come crashing down the stairs. Curious, he put the planned aside and watched as a tray on wheels rolled in front of the barrier. On top of it was a large, three layered cake with covered with pink frosting, sprinkles, gummi bears, chocolate chips, lollipops, mini marshmallows, ice cream...I'm getting diabetes just looking at it. he thought approaching it slowly.

BLAM!

"GAH!"

Psych jumped back just as the cake exploded violently revealing a pink mare covered in frosting and wearing a party hat.

"Wh-what the-"

"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" Pinkie shouted with enough force to cause Psych's mane flutter. The next thing he knew, she up hopping up and down excitedly right in front of the barrier. "Oh my gosh, we haven't had a new pony in town in weeks! I must be loosing my skills; I mean usually ponies are excited or happy whenever I come out and say: 'WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!', but lately, all they do just stare and make faces like that."

"Uh...Um..." Psych was still trying to get over Pinkie's rapid chattering.

"Yeah, just like that! Hey, why're your eyes all funny? The only time I ever got those eyes was when I had a whole cake and three glasses of chocolate syrup for breakfast. I was jumpy and crawled up the ceiling like a spider; Mrs. Cake almost fainted when she saw that. Have you met the Cakes yet? Oh wait, you haven't 'cause your still stuck in here, but you totally gotta go see them! They're the best bakers in town, and they can get you anything from pastries to cakes to cupcakes to-"

"Pinkie!" Twilight's shout finally made her stop talking. "Pinkie, get away form him; he's crazy!"

"C'mon Twilight, he can't be that bad. You and everypony else call me crazy all the time." Pinkie pointed out.

"Yeah but...He's the bad kind of crazy!"

"There's a bad kind?"

"Yes! Now get away from him before-"

"Pinkie?" Psych finally said. Everything then began to fall in place. He looked at the pink mare still covered in frosting and instantly realized who she was. "Pinkie Pie...Laughter!"

He suddenly reared on his hind legs and slammed his front hooves onto the barrier. Twilight yelped and jumped back, but her shield remained intact. Pinkie on the other hoof wasn't surprised at all. Nor was she surprised when she found Psych glaring at her teeth bared, his breaths heavy. His eyes, which Pinkie had found to be funny-looking were now seething with hate.

"You...We've finally met..." he said full of spite.

"Uh huh. Why? Were you waiting for me?" Pinkie asked innocently.

"I've always known this day would come..." Psych continued. "I've always wondered what kind of pony you'd turn out to be, what kind of pony would embody Laughter itself...and now...I'm not at all surprised..."

Puzzled, Pinkie tilted her head to the side causing a drop of frosting to fall and hit the floor. "Laughter huh? Oh, I'm all about laughing and having fun. I love turning those frowny faces I see upside down."

At those words, Psych violently pounded the barrier. "Pinkie, get away from him!" Twilight cried out despite knowing that her barrier would hold.

"You love it don't you? You devote yourself to bringing joy everywhere you go. You can't stand the sight of gloom and despair and do you best to get rid of them. You live in a perpetual bliss and just want to share it with everypony else don't you?"

Pinkie took some time to consider his questions. "Well yeah. Seeing everypony so happy make me real happy too. It's the best feeling ever!"

"...I see..." Psych bowed his head and started to chuckle which eventually turned to laughter. Eventually, he threw he head backwards and began laughing in a cruel, sinister way. Twilight felt her blood chill as his peals echoed throughout the basement walls; she had never heard something to heartless in her life. Pinkie however, just smiled and started laughing as well, her own laughing filled with cheer and mirth.

"Wh-Why are we laughing?!" she asked clutching her stomach and wiping a tear away. Psych eventually stopped his maniacal cackling and looked at her.

"You're no different from me!" he cried out and began to laugh once again.

Twilight rushed over to him. "What're you talking about? Pinkie is nothing like you!"

Psych stopped once again to speak. "She is like me! We're two sides of the same coin! Both of us live by the very things we embody and spread them wherever we go! We both love what we do and refine our abilities to spread it! We're even both insane! Our only difference is what we spread; she spreads laughter and mirth while I do the same with anguish and pain!"

"Huh?" Pinkie asked raising an eyebrow. "I dunno what you're talking about, but I do like making everypony smile. It make me smile."

"And I enjoy inflicting misery just as much." Psych replied. "It makes me smile."

"H-How can you be so cruel?" Twilight asked him in disbelief.

He furrowed his brow and glared at her. "It's ponies like you who made me into the psychopath I am now. I'm merely a part of the world, an undeniable truth that will never cease to exist, yet guys like you reject me. You all hate me! Despise me! Get rid of me the minute I come into your lives!"

"But none of have even met you before today; how could we hate you if we didn't know who you were?" Twilight asked wondering just what he was talking about.

Psych huffed and put a hoof on his chest. "I'm Grief, sorrow, pain, everything everypony would hate in their lives. I'm the gloom you try to dispel with happy thoughts and laughter. I am the incarnation of despair and agony, and I live to sow them. It's what I am..."

That last sentence seemed familiar to Twilight. Reaching through her memories, she heard the same thing coming from a grey pegasus moments before he tried to burn them alive. "Wait...Ash said something like that too." she said. "He said he was evil, that that was all he was."

"Indeed." Psych nodded. "He's an incarnation just as I am. It's what we all are."

"You're...incarnations?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. I'm Grief itself. Ash is Cruelty itself. We're all manifestations of the worst things the world has to offer just as you are all the manifestations of the more favorable things the world has to offer. You are all loved while we are all despised and hated. The others refuse to accept this truth; only Ash and I believe it."

"Wait...so you're sadness and those gloomy things?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes." Psych turned his attention back to her. "In the same way, you're Laughter, cheer and merriment itself. You're friend there is Magic itself. All your friends are incarnations just like us."

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait just a minute, I'm not a manifestation of anything; none of us are! We're all just normal ponies like everypony else."

The colt pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "So...you deny it as well huh? I see...You don't accept your true self..." Twilight said nothing as he turned to his counterpart, his opposite. "And you...always bringing sunshine to everypony's lives...it's what you are...don't you find the task exhausting?"

Pinkie shrugged. "Not really. Seeing everypony having a good time is always a really nice thing to watch."

"Yes, but don't you think that it'll never cease? Ponies're never gonna stop feeling gloomy, and none of your efforts're gonna put and end to that. The joy you're bringing to them isn't perpetual...So why give them that brief moment of cheer before I come in, slap them in the face and send them back to reality?"

"Pinkie, don't answer him." Twilight warned quickly.

"Well...I don't really think it matters that they'll be all sad again." she answered ignoring Twilight's pleas. "If they do get all saddy and droppy again, I'll just have to cheer it them up again."

"True, but won't it go on like that until your death? This is a battle you'll never win." Psych told her. "You can't keep everypony happy all the time; my gloom'll eventually worm its way into their hearts. Even knowing this, you still wanna pursue this pointless goal?"

Pinkie considered the question. As Twilight watched worriedly, she sat on her haunches and began to think. After about a minute, nothing happened. Psych smiled, thinking that he had stumped her and made her realize how pointless her-

DING!

A light bulb suddenly appeared on top of Pinkie's head and turned itself on much to Psych's surprise. A wide grin broke out on her face as she approached the barrier. "Oh, oh, oh! I got an answer!" she cried out happily.

Psych raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate then."

Pinkie nodded, the light bulb vanishing in the process. "I still wanna do it." she said simply leading Psych to stare at her in disbelief.

"Seriously? You'd devote yourself to such a lost cause for the rest of your life? This is something you'll never conquer! You'll be spending the rest of your days in an endless struggle to make everypony smile! You see somepony in despair and bring them into the light, but have you even considered just how long they're gonna stay there!"

"The life you live is pointless, without meaning, and utterly pathetic! You try to give meaning to pony's lives, but that meaning will eventually be lost! Ponies can never be happy forever; why can't you just accept that?! What's the point of going out of your way to turn every frown you see into a smile knowing fully well that it'll just revert to its original state?!"

"The point is to make them happy." Pinkie said before Psych could continue. "I dunno about all that stuff you said about me being made of Laughter or anything, but I really like making ponies smile. I know they're gonna feel sad again, but that's not gonna happen yet. Why should I think about that?"

"B...Because..." Psych began gritting his teeth in anger.

"You say it's silly, but hey; I'm silly, and I do lots of silly stuff too. Like this one time when thought I could make stuff bake faster by turning the oven up, but then the knob thingy broke and it exploded and the Cakes had to call the fire department and they wouldn't let me play with the hose and-" Psych's glare cut her off. She giggled a little. "Oops, sorry about that."

"Anyway, I think they know they're gonna be sad again, but when they do, they know I'm gonna be there to cheer them up. They don't just get all happy because of what I do, they get it 'cause they gotta friend like me. Seeing them so happy even thought there's all kinds of stuff that'll make them sad...There's no way I'd get tired of that! I even made a song about it!"

"What?!" Psych exclaimed angrily.

"Uh huh. C'mon, it's easy to catch on; listen! I like to see you grin. I love to see you beam. The corners of your mouth turned up is always Pinkie's dream..."

Psych growled, his front hooves trembling. "But if you're kind of worried, and your face has made a frown, I'll work real hard and do my best to turn that sad frown upside down!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Psych screamed hammering the barrier with such force that Twilight feared it would break. Pinkie stopped singing, but Psych continued to smash his hooves again and again against the barrier, the only thing standing between Pinkie and his wrath. After what seemed like a minute, of ruthless pounding, Psych finally stopped. His head was bowed, his hooves were sore and trembling, and his breaths were heavy."

"I...hate you...I hate you...I HATE YOU!" he screamed at her face. "IT'S JOY-HOARDING, CHEER-CRAVING, LAUGHTER-WANTING PONIES LIKE YOU WHO MADE ME INTO THIS MONSTER! You...YOU'RE AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST! YOUR SOLE REASON FOR LIVING IS TO BANISH ME FROM THIS WORLD AND FILL IT WITH YOURSELF! WHY?! WHY IS IT THAT YOU AND EVERYPONY ELSE JUST CAN'T ACCEPT THE SORROWS OF THE WORLD?! WHY DO YOU ALL KEEP SHUNNING, DENYING AND REJECTING ME?! I'M A PART OF THIS WORLD AS WELL DAMMIT!"

"P-Pinkie...we should go." Twilight said as Psych continued to rage on. Pinkie seemed to understand and went up the stairs along with Twilight all while continuing to hear Psych scream at her.

"YOU DENY AND REJECT ME MORE THAN ANYPONY ELSE! YOU'RE TOO NAIVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT YOU HATE ME AS WELL! YOU AND EVERYPONY ELSE HATE ME, AND I HATE ALL OF YOU JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE! I HATE EVERYPONY! I HATE YOU LAUGHTER! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"



Twilight finally slammed the door and placed an array of spells on it to keep it locked cutting off Psych's furious screaming for the moment. Once she was done, she sighed and sat down feeling exhausted. "Are you OK Pinkie? He said some pretty hurtful things back in there." she asked.

"Yup. I'm OK." Pinkie answered still smiling after everything.

Twilight looked once again at the basement door. "I've...I've never felt that much hatred coming from a single pony before..." she remarked remembering the anger in Psych's eyes. She wouldn't be surprised if he was still screaming. "I can't believe somepony could actually hate you Pinkie."

"It's OK." Her friend shrugged. "Y'know, I don't really hate him, not one teensy weensy tiny bit."

"Really?" Twilight asked. Then again, the idea of Pinkie actually hating somepony was just as absurd as hearing Applejack lie.

"Yeah. I know he sounds really really mad, but...he's also really really sad." She looked at the basement door thinking about the howling pony one floor down. "Didn't you hear him? He was saying 'Boo hoo. Everypony doesn't like me. Wah!'"

"To be honest, all I heard was him screaming his hatred of you."

"Well, he's sad OK? And I'm gonna cheer him up." Twilight opened her mouth, but Pinkie had turned away and started brainstorming. "Let's see, he's the saddest pony I know, so I'm gonna hafta pull all the stops here...I'm gonna have to go where nopony has ever gone, do thing nopony's ever done. I gotta make it a gazillion times better than my usual cheer up routine..."

"Uh...Pinkie?" Twilight tried to get in.

"*gasp!* I have to fix up my party cannon!" She ran to the door and pulled it open. "Gotta go Twilight; bye!"

With that, she dashed away at ridiculous speeds. Once Twilight got over her surprise, she watch the dust trail Pinkie left behind wondering if she would succeed. Friendship had failed to reach Ash and had instead made things worse. Would the same thing happen to his brother?

"Oh Pinkie...I sure hope you know what you're doing..."
> Breaking Point
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 27
BREAKING POINT


As Flash and another royal guard flew over the library during the evening patrol, Twilight yawned and closed up the book she was engrossed it. Spike was already snoring away in his basket, and she couldn't wait to join him.

"Finally glad today's over..." she muttered as she went up the stairs to her bed. What with Psych and everything he did, the whole day had been completely exhausting. She was glad when she finally slumped over on her bed, drew her blanket over her body and closed her eyes waiting for herself to finally drift off...

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Twilight groaned in annoyance and covered her ears with her pillow. The knocking however continued keeping her from drifting of to sleep. "Whoever you are, can't it wait 'till morning?!" she groaned trying to block out the annoying sound.

"T-Twilight? Could you please let me in?"

Upon recognizing the voice, Twilight's ears perked up. She slowly raised her head. "Twilight? Please let me in..."

She seemed worried and tense which bothered her. Twilight finally rose and galloped downstairs; she pulled the door opened feeling a slight gust of cool evening wind, hearing the distant hooting of her pet owl and seeing her friend all alone in the middle of the night.

"R...Rarity...?"

Her friend looked...well, better than she did earlier that day when she was trembling and sobbing. Still, Rarity showed signs of trauma; her frame still trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly wide. Speaking of her eyes, Twilight noticed several bags under them; Rarity would freak if she saw those.

"I can't sleep." she choked out shaking a little. "I try...I close my eyes, but all I could see is that claw. And-and those ants...they were everywhere...They were eating me Twilight! The crawling and-and gnawing and-and-"

"Shhhh." Twilight extended her hooves and pulled Rarity into a hug. As the latter sobbed and trembled while Twilight stroked her back gently. "There there...It's OK Rarity..."

He did this...she thought. Rarity was a mess, and it was all the doing of the pony she was keeping locked up in her basement. Psych said his life's purpose was to inflict pain wherever he went, and Rarity was a victim of it. No...She put her thoughts on Psych aside instead focusing on her friend.

"Listen Rarity, you can here for tonight." Rarity sniffed and looked at her. "Don't worry about it. It'll be like that sleepover we had remember? I'll get the smores and the pillows...We could give each other makeovers and tell ghost stories..."

A small smile slowly spread on her lips. "Th-That sounds wonderful Twilight but...I'd really love some sleep."

"That's OK Rarity." Twilight replied. "C'mon, I'll go get my second bed up."

Grateful for her friend's offer, Rarity pulled away from Twilight and entered her home. Twilight led the way upstairs and pulled out her spare bed careful not to wake Spike up. Rarity settled down and got herself comfortable as Twilight approached.

"I know a spell that'll allow you to have a calm, dreamless sleep." she told her earning a nod from Rarity. With her approval, Twilight lit up her horn and placed it on Rarity's forehead.

Almost immediately, he eyes began to droop, and her body felt heavy. She shifted a little and let out a yawn as her vision clouded. "Th...thank you Twi..."

With that, she finally found peace within the realm of sleep. Satisfied with her work, Twilight worriedly looked outside the window toward a place far away from the library where somepony else who Psych hurt lived.

"I sure hope Applejack's doing OK..."



*KLANK!*

"Another one!"

"B-But AJ...that's your fifth cider!"

"I can still feel the knives cuttin' me up Big Mac...Another one!"



Applejack and Rarity however, weren't the only ones having a bad night. Far away from Ponyville deep within the Everfree Forest, Blues ran about the woods weaving around tree after tree as he did. Once that area had been checked, he moved on to another one. He eventually came to a stop and stood panting for a moment after checking several more areas.

Anything? he thought desperately.

Still nothing. Scar's voice replied. What about you Ironhead?

Same here...Damn it...

Father?

No sign of him...where could he be?

Blues sighed as he ran a hoof through his mane. Solstice, have you found anything?

...

Solstice?

...

H...Help...

Solstice? Blues thought alarmed.

S...Somepony...HEEEEELP!

The silence of the night was suddenly interrupted by a massive explosion that was all too familiar to Blues and the brothers. Blues jumped a bit and turned in the direction it came from; judging by the sound, it didn't seem that far away.

I think I'm the closest to him. Blues thought as he ran through the trees. I'm heading towards him at the moment. I hope I'm not too late...He kept that last thought to himself.

Worried like hell for his eldest brother, Blues galloped past trees and branches. He eventually heard a familiar voice letting our strangled gasps and moaning out in pain. He instantly recognized them as Solstice's and quickened his pace fearing the worst.

Eventually, he emerged into a clearing where the cries originated. Solstice was on the ground, clutching his head as he writhed around in agony. "Solstice!" Blues galloped to his side stepping on something small, most likely Solstice's glasses.

He went closer, but a sudden jolt coursed through his body. The force of it knocked him into the air and sent him crashing into a nearby tree. Blues then crashed against the forest floor; his head dizzy from the impact, he struggled to stand.

"N…No! Blues, get back!" Solstice cried out as his brother approached. His body made a suddenly violent jerk. "Run! I…I can't…I can't hold it much longer!"

He let out a long scream of pain. As he let out more, arcs of teal electricity raced across his body; his back arched at a painful angle. Not caring about the danger, Blues rushed over to him only to receive another powerful jolt to his system. He was once again launched into the air. This time however, he suddenly stopped mid-flight and was set down gently on his hooves.

"Father?" Blues asked.

"F…Father! Please help!" Solstice cried out in pain.

Blues stepped aside as Equinox rushed over and held Solstice up. He cried out as a power jolt coursed through him but stood his ground. The trembling and hyperventilating unicorn looked up at his dad and let out a cry of pain as he clutched his head even tighter.

"F...Father!...I...I can't...Please...Help!"

The rest of his words were drowned out by several screams of pain. Solstice's horn then began to glow unusually brighter than usual; it was only a matter of moments before it went off. Alarmed, Equinox lit up his own horn. All of you get back! he screamed in his head.

Blue quickly ran behind a nearby tree and, for good measure, used his own magic to create a navy blue barrier around himself. His horn brimming with silver magic, Equinox touched it to Solstice's and instantly felt a sudden surge of magic course through it, almost overwhelming him.

Refusing to yield, Equinox channeled his own magic and fought against Solstice's. The magic he was releasing grew stronger and stronger despite Equinox's efforts. Fearing the worst, the alicorn amplified his own magic and managed to overwhelm Solstice's. Before it could intensify even further, he cast a simply sleep spell which managed to reach the panicking unicorn.

Solstice, who had been crying out in pain, suddenly felt extremely drowsy. As the glow in his horn diminished, he swayed to the side and suddenly collapsed. Equinox hastily caught his son before he could hit the ground. Upon seeing Solstice snoring away peacefully, he let out a relieved sigh.

It's safe to approach.

Upon hearing his dad's thought, Blues lowered his barrier. He gingerly stepped out of his hiding place and made his way towards Equinox carrying the slumbering Solstice. He then heard somepony touchdown from the air and a set of hoof steps near them.

"What happened?" Ironhead asked worriedly.

Equinox sighed as he hoisted Solstice on his back. "Solstice almost had a surge. I've managed to calm him down before things could get out of hoof." His three other sons looked at Solstice with worry. "I still can't believe this is happening…"

"First Ash, then Psych, and now Solstice…why the hell is all kinds of crap happening to us?!" Ironhead complained.

"Ironhead please calm yourself. It's most likely the stress of this whole situation that almost caused Solstice to have a surge in the first place." Blues told him. Ironhead nodded but still felt upset about everything.

"Still no sign of Psych?" Equinox asked.

Their somber faces gave their answers. "Where could he be? I understand that he's just as worried about Ash as we are, but why did he have to run off? He could be seriously hurt or lost or worse!" Equinox exclaimed fretting over where his son was.

"Wherever he is, I don't think he's in the forest. We've been searching like, all day and there's no sign of him." Scar added.

Blues picked up his brother's glasses and gave them to his dad. "We can discuss our next course of action back home. Beside, Solstice is in no condition to continue searching." He sighed and looked into the distance. "I suppose...We'll have to hope Psych has found somewhere safe to spend the night."

Feeling defeated, the family began their trek home, their hearts heavy with worry.



Groggy and slightly disoriented, Solstice slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his face. He felt that he was lying on something soft and familiar, most likely the bed in his room. Judging by the book case at the far right corner and the desk right next to it, he concluded that he was indeed in his own room. He groaned a little feeling a slight headache.

"Solstice, I'm glad to see that you've finally woken." He looked at the side and saw Blues sitting in a chair by his bed. The latter handed over his glasses. He thanked his brother and gently placed them back on.

"Blues." He quickly shot up on his bed and checked his brother for injuries. "Are you hurt? I saw you crash whenever you approached."

"I'm fine, and so is father. None of us are seriously hurt." Solstice sighed and fell back on his bed.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Blues responded. "It's been almost half a year since you last surged."

Solstice sighed and covered his face. "It's nothing to be ashamed of Solstice. I, as well as every unicorn in Equestria, had my fair share of surges when I was young."

He quickly uncovered his face. "But Blues, those occurred when you were young. I am past that time, and yet I still surge. How many unicorns my age still continue to?" Solstice asked depressed. "If my surges were similar to young ponies' then I would be less worried, but they are not. My surges are far more destructive than yours or any young unicorn's...They don't know what it feels to be a ticking bomb that could go off just because of a little stress..."

"Solstice," Blues laid a hoof on his brother's shoulder. "You and I both know that your surges aren't your fault. You know what happened when father saved your life all those years ago, how special the circumstances were. This is something even he didn't foresee. Nopony can be blamed for this."

Still feeling depressed, Solstice sighed and placed a hoof on his chest. Besides his own heartbeat, he could practically feel it inside of him, the real reason he still had his surges. "I know Blues...But still...I did everything I could to stop myself from stressing out, but...but it was just too overwhelming. Ash is a mess, and now Psych has gone missing! Not to mention the Light that's still building up in Ponyville's soil and could go off in a matter of-"

"Shhh." Blues said sensing his brother was going to go off.

Solstice too a nervous gulp and closed his eyes tightly. ...1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10... He opened his eyes and turned away from his brother. "Forgive me Blues. I am still feeling distressed."

Blues paused for a moment before a navy blue magical aura enveloped his horn. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

For a moment, there was silence. And then, Solstice heard a low, beautiful note being played. He quickly turned and saw his brother, his saxophone in his hooves. He watched as Blues began to play a slightly upbeat jazz piece which soothed Solstice's agitated heart. As the music slowly swelled into a much louder and upbeat tone, Solstice felt the same thing happen to his heart. He gently closed his eyes and let the notes flow through him.

Blues's performance lasted a little over two minutes, and by that time, Solstice was feeling much more relaxed. Blues lowered his instrument and smiled. "Feeling better?"

"Much...That was beautiful Blues..." Solstice praised quietly. "Thank you..."

"Anything to help a brother of mine." he replied setting his saxophone on the floor with his magic. "You know I'd gladly do anything for any of you...Even Psych..."

Solstice sighed. Now that he had calmed down, he could once again think rationally. "I trust that you all headed home once father subdued me?"

"We did. Afterwards, the four of us discussed our next move." Blues began. "We tried consulting Ash, but as you know, he's in no condition to answer us. We talked once again and thought of where he might go. Psych isn't foolish enough to spend the night in the forest on his own even with his powers."

"He wouldn't leave unless he had a reason." Solstice did some thinking. "It it very late; he must have thought of a place to spend the night...He must be in-"

"Ponyville." Blues finished. "Father reached that conclusion as well. I've no idea why Psych left, but if he'd have to spend the night somewhere besides here, the town would seem like his best option."

"Agreed. Tomorrow, we shall-"

"Forgive me Solstice, but there is no 'we'." Blues interrupted. "Father has assigned me to act as a mediator between us and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. I'm leaving for Ponyville tomorrow not only to search for Psych, but also ease the tension you three caused."

"I see…So…Ash remains…?" Solstice asked hoping for an improvement on the pegasus's state.

He was answered by a heavy sigh from Blues. "Still as uncooperative as ever." He shook his head and continued. "But you mustn't worry about him for the moment. Get some rest; this night hasn't really turned out well for you."

Solstice nodded and levitated his glasses over to a bedside table. Blues rose and, carrying his saxophone with his magic, made his way to the door. "Blues, wait." The beige unicorn stopped. "Tomorrow…would you mind giving Twilight a message from me?"

For a while, Blues remained silent as he pondered the request. Finally he answered.

"No."

Astonished, Solstice watched his brother turn around. "I will apologize for your actions, but I believe that anything you would like to say to her should be said in person. I'm sure she would appreciate that more than hearing it from me."

The latter sighed and closed his eyes. "Good night Blues…And thank you…"

With that, Blues left his brother's room and made his way to his own, his heart heavy with worry. His family was in disarray, and he felt almost powerless to fix it. Solstice could easily be cheered up, but Psych and Ash were, and have always been, difficult to reach. With Psych being cold and heartless and Ash being depressed and angry, they were just as distant, misguided and miserable as ever.

They had no idea that every night, he dreamed of the day they would finally be free of their suffering, no idea of what he'd do or give to make that dream a reality.
> The Mediator
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 28
THE MEDIATOR


"Well...here goes nothing..."

Ponyville's marketplace was bustling with activity. Blues could hear each salespony as they chatted with their customers, some talking about how they were, others haggling for a cheaper price. "What a rather lively town..." Blues commented as he made his way through.

There were two ponies, one earth pony and one unicorn, chatting while they headed his way. "Excuse me for bothering you two," he said to both of them. "But I was wondering if you could help me with something."

Both ponies stopped and gazed at him curiously. "Sure." the earth pony said in a friendly manner. "Say, you're new here aren't you?"

"Yes, but I won't be staying long." Blues answered her. "I just happen to be looking for somepony, my brother to be exact. He left home unexpectedly yesterday, and I thought he'd be here."

"Wow that sucks." the unicorn replied. "If anybody in my family ever went missing, I wouldn't know what I'd do."

"I'm glad you share me concern." Blues continued. "I'm looking for a pony named Psych; have you come across somepony with that name?"

Hoping for a "yes" from either mare, Blues waited patiently as they thought. "Sorry; doesn't ring any bells. Bonnie?"

"Same with me." Blues felt his heart sink a little. "What does your brother look like? Maybe I've seen him somewhere."

Hope returned to Blues. "He's an earth pony. He has a maroon coat, dark rose eyes, a white and light grey mane..."

"Hey tell me...he wouldn't have an eye on a brain as his Cutie Mark would he?" the unicorn asked in a strangely nervous way.

Blues however cared only about what she said "You know him? You've seen a pony like that here in town?" he asked hurriedly.

"Yeah. I saw him yesterday standing in the middle of a street full of screaming ponies."

Once again, Blues heart sunk this time deeper than earlier. "R...Really?"

"Yeah. Scariest thing I ever saw. All those poor guys and girls screaming and thrashing..."

"I heard about that." the pony known a "Bonnie" added slightly fretful. "You came home so scared yesterday." She gave the other mare an affectionate nuzzle.

"Sweet Celestia Psych!" Blues muttered running a hoof through his mane, his marble eyes filled with concern. Psych had been gone one day, and he had already psychologically scarred several ponies.

"Seriously, that guy's your brother?" the unicorn asked. Her tone wasn't harsh or accusatory, just surprised.

"Yes." Blues replied firmly. "Look, I'm sorry for the things he has done. I know he has wronged the ponies here in Ponyville, but he is still my family. He has been missing for a day, and we are all worried sick about him. Please...I have to find him before he hurts anypony else..."

Once again, Blues waited tensely for their answer. He heard a sigh from one of them followed by an answer. "Well...last time I heard...He was taken away by Twilight."

"Twilight..." He had a feeling those six would be involved in this. "Where would I find her? I'll need specific directions."

"OK..." Bonnie sounded uneasy. "Just take a left on Trot Boulevard-"

"I'm sorry, but no street names please. I need a specific path to where she is." Blues said causing his companions to look at each other.

"If that's what you want..." the unicorn said with a shrug. "Just uh...head straight from here and make a right. Then take the third left intersection. Keep going forward until, and you'll end up right in front of it."

"Is there anything special about the building? Anything that sticks out?" Blues questioned.

"It's a giant tree. It shouldn't be too hard to find." Bonnie pointed out.

"A large tree...I understand." Blues nodded to both mares. "Thank you both for your help. I apologize once again for my brother's actions and wish you both a good day."

With that, he trotted away from the two mares remembering the instructions the unicorn gave him. As he did, he heard them continue to talk to each other about him. "That guy seemed a little weird don't you think?" the unicorn asked.

"Well he doesn't seem like a bad pony. I'm just surprised he's brother with the guy the did all those things. I saw Colgate a while ago, and she was still shaking and saying something about a claw."

"Now that's just freaky. First those three guys show up and chase Twilight around, then that fire, then that guy who showed up, and now him. Just what is going on in this town?"

If only you knew...If only you knew...Blues thought as he quickened away.



"M-More toast most beautiful one?" Spike offered clad in a blue apron, a plate of freshly toasted bread in his claws.

Grateful, Rarity levitated two slices and began spread it on the bread. "Why thank you Spike. You've been such a dear ever since you've woken up." She gave him an affectionate cheek rub that made him blush.

"If only he was this cheerful every morning." Twilight remarked taking a sip of orange juice. "You don't have any idea how much he grumbles while he's making breakfast."

"Twilight..." Spike said embarrassed while Rarity giggled. "I'm not really like that..."

"Excuse me? I believe your exact words earlier were: 'Hey Twilight, can't you write a letter to the princess about making the sun come up la-Oh! H-Hi there Rarity...Would you like me to make your breakfast?'"

Spike remained silent after than and went to pour himself a bowl of cereal. "I have you thank you as well Twilight." Rarity continued. "I'm certainly feeling much better now with a good night's sleep."

"Well it's nice to see you back to your old self." Twilight replied deciding not to mention the fact that the pony that almost drove her insane was locked up in her basement. "And it's nice to have company for breakfast. So how's business lately?"

Rarity was about to answer when she was interrupted by a knock on the library door. Spike opened it revealing one of the guards stationed yesterday. "Flash? Is there something you need?" Twilight asked him.

"No Ms. Twilight. I'm just here to report that there's been no disturbance of any kind in Ponyville so far." the guard reported setting his spear against the wall. "How are things here? Is the prisoner still secure?"

"Uh..." Twilight glanced towards Rarity who had an eyebrow raised. "He's still under heavy protection. He won't be hurting anypony anytime soon."

"I see. That's good to hear." Flash replied. "Still, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Twilight nodded in understanding.

"Prisoner? Twilight, is there somepony else here?" Rarity questioned.

The librarian's pupils quickly shrunk. "I...um...well...You see Rarity..."

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Whoever you are, thank you! "Oh look, somepony's at the door." Twilight said quickly. Hopefully, who ever it was would stay long enough for Rarity to finish up and leave before find out about Psych.

"Allow me." Flash offered making his way to the door and opening it. "Can I help you?"

Blues raised an eyebrow. "Er...yes. I'm looking for Ms. Twilight Sparkle. Is she in today?"

Twilight craned her neck and got a glimpse of her beige visitor. "Does Ms. Twilight know you?" Flash asked.

Blues rolled his eyes. "Well she certainly knows my brothers..."

Twilight had heard his reply and reacted by yelping, knocking aside her glass of juice and jumping back. Flash reacted as well, hastily grabbing his spear and pointing it at his nose. Blues reacted by stepping back, his mane shifting for some strange reason.

"How many of you are there?!" Twilight cried out.

"I-I'm the last! I swear!" Blues cried out. "Please, I'm just here to talk; I swear I mean no harm to any of you!"

Rarity and Spike were at the sidelines, their gazes rapidly shifting from Twilight, to Flash and then to Blues. "Please...I know my brothers have done things that hurt you, but I'm here to make things right! Please believe me!"

Blues' pleas seemed sincere and truthful, but Twilight still felt a little uneasy. If this pony was anything like the others, he'd definitely have some strange powers of his own. "I...I don't wish to hurt anypony..."

Eventually, Twilight sighed. "Stand down Flash. Let him in." she said. Flash lowered his spear and stepped aside.

"Th-Thank you." Blues said to the guard as he passed him. He turned to the mare in front of him. "Twilight Sparkle I take it? I understand your uneasiness about dealing with somepony like me. My name is Blues, and I'm here to speak on behalf of our actions."

Twilight eyed him cautiously for a while. "I take it you're here for your brother?" Twilight asked him.

"Yes. He went missing yesterday leading my family to search frantically for him. We-"

Blues suddenly stopped and turned his head to the right facing the direction Rarity and Spike were at. He was gazing at the latter with a confused expression for a while before continuing. "We were all worried about him. I asked around Ponyville and learned he was being kept here."

Twilight calmed down a little. "In that case, then you should also be aware of what he did here in Ponyville."

"I'm well aware of his actions." Blues replied with a nod. "I feel absolutely dreadful that he hurt so many ponies."

"H-H-H-He's here?!" Rarity stammered as her eyes shrunk. She ducked her head under the table and started to shake.

"Are you one of the ponies he hurt?" Alarmed and worried, Blues turned to her placing a hoof on his chest as he did. "I'm so sorry about what he did. Believe me when I say that-"

"I-I couldn't get a good night's sleep because of him!" Rarity exclaimed much to Blues' dismay. "I almost went insane!"

"Your brother also hurt another one of my friends." Twilight added upset. "I don't even know how she's even coping with what she went through."

"Please..." Blues begged. "My brother...Psych...He...He's just..."

"Heartless? Unnecessarily cruel? Evil?" Rarity suggested. Blues gritted his teeth trying not to agree with her. "A psychopath who wishes nothing more than-"

"I know how it feels!" Blues exclaimed before Rarity could finish. "I was a victim of his powers as well. I know what it's like to have him in your head and rip you piece by piece while he just sits there laughing and rejoicing over your anguish! He has been doing that to me and my family for years!"

His outburst had silenced the two mares and left them staring at him a little stunned. Blues sighed and bowed his head towards Rarity, his heart burning with pain. "You should consider yourself lucky...At least..luckier than the rest of us..."

"Wh-what do you mean?" a confused Rarity asked; she could see pain filling those white eyes of his.

"He only hurt you physically...He didn't know you personally...He didn't grow up with you...He didn't live under the same roof with you...He didn't watch you grow up and mature into the pony you are today...He didn't take every decision you made, act that you did and word that you uttered and used them to find out what it is that makes you tick...He didn't use that information to tear your entire life apart...He didn't make you question why you do the things you love..."

Twilight's eyes softened upon hearing that, and so did Rarity's. Spike's shoulders were drooping a little. Even Flash, who was merely watching everything unfold looked was yet another victim of Psych's cruelty, a victim that was also his brother. What kind of pony would do such a thing to his own brother?

"I'm sorry." she quickly apologized. "I...I didn't know..."

"It's quite alright." Blues replied turning to her. "Now that we've calmed down, can we please have a pleasant discussion about everything."

Both Twilight and Rarity nodded. "Please have a seat." the former offered.

Blues thanked her and sat at the table along with the two other unicorns. "Your other brother, Ash...We got into an incident with him as well." Twilight mentioned.

"We knew the fire was his doing. I'm sorry again for the incident." Blues replied. "Ash and Psych...they were always distant from the rest of the family. They never got themselves involved with other family matters."

"Psych said something like that yesterday." Twilight said remembering that conversation. "If he and Ash kept to themselves most of the time, then that would explain why they were so violent when we encountered them. Solstice, Ironhead and Scar, they were much more gentle compared to the other two."

"Ah yes; I've come to discuss their actions as well." Blues said with a nod. " I assure you that none of them meant to harm any of you. I saw them return home, and they all feel terrible about they did."

"They...did huh..." Twilight's thoughts drifted to Solstice. "But, are you guys still after the Elements of Harmony?"

Blues closed his eyes and took a deep breath hoping that honesty would make them less upset. "Yes. Yes we are."

Instantly, her eyes widened in alarm; Flash gripped his spear tighter. "I also wish to add that we have no intention of stealing them away from you. We'd just like to know where they are."

"They're...here in Ponyville. I have reasons to why I can't say exactly where." Twilight answered firmly. "I'd like to ask something as well. If you're not here to hurt any of us, why did Solstice threaten Ponyville?"

"He-He did?" Blues asked surprised. That didn't sound like Solstice at all. "Perhaps it's just a misunderstanding. I assure you he regrets hurting you as well Twilight."

The latter stayed silent and rubbed her hoof with another. "He didn't seem like a bad pony when I first met him." Rarity added.

"Yeah. Twilight looked like she was gonna faint or something." Spike said chuckling a little.

"Spike!"

"What? You totally were." Spike pointed out. He then noticed Blues staring at him in a confused way. "Uh, why're you looking at me like that?"

The visitor cleared his throat. "I'm...just wondering something. I don't wish to be rude, but I must ask...Why are you bipedal?"

"Bi-what?" Now Spike was confused.

"Uh, Spike's dragon. They're usually bipedal." Twilight pointed out.

"Oh a dragon." Blues said with understanding. "That also explains the things jutting out of his back."

"You couldn't tell?" Spike asked. "You never see a dragon before?"

Blues coughed a little. "Well er...I suppose that's technically correct."

"Technically correct?" Rarity asked.

Blues rubbed the back of his. "Er yes. I don't usually go around telling ponies this...I'm er...I'm blind."

All three of them looked at him not expecting that. "A-Are you serious?" Rarity asked.

"Very. Long ago, I had the ability to see, but an...incident occurred when I was but a foal. Ever since that day, I've lost that ability..." Blues explained leaving some silence in his wake.

"Hey, what color is this?" Spike asked holding up a teacup.

"Spike!" Twilight reprimanded. "Wait, if you're blind, how did you find your way here?"

Blues nervously rubbed his hooves together. "Well, like my brothers, I have special powers...My power allows me to navigate my surrounding without using sight."

"You too? How come you guys all got special powers?" Spike asked.

Blues nervously placed a hoof on his chest. "I'm sorry, but I'm not here to discuss what it is I can do."

"You're right." Twilight said. "So...I take it Solstice is the head of your family?"

"No. Our father, Equinox, is." Blues corrected. "He-"

"Equinox!" The student's shout caused the others to stare. "Your father is the Equinox?!"

"Er...yes." Blues replied leaning back a little. "Do you know him?"

"Know him? Who hasn't heard of the famous alicorn scientist who dedicated his life to studying the balance between Light and Darkness? Who hasn't seen any of his papers on the nature of primordial forces? Who hasn't heard his theory on how the world was created?"

A long silence was her response. Then slowly, two hooves, one beige, the other white, and a purple claw was slowly raised. There was then a cough as Flash slowly raised his hoof as well. "You're his son, and you haven't done any of that?" Twilight asked.

"Yes; he has several works written in Braille." Blues muttered sarcastically. "I have to say no. Solstice takes more interest in our father's work than any of us."

Annoyed, Twilight sighed. "I didn't know he had children."

"Believe it or not, but one of his children in now sitting before you." Blues said. "And another one is being held by you."

Twilight's eyes turned to the basement door. "Ever since Psych vanished yesterday, my father had been beside himself with worry. I myself could not imagine what kind of trouble he could have been in."

Rarity took note of the worry in his expression. "M...May I speak with him?" he asked quietly.

Twilight scanned his face seeing a pony concerned for his brother. Sighing, she left the table and undid her magical locks on the basement door. Flash stepped forward ready in case he was needed, but Twilight shook her head. Blues thanked her and followed her down the stairs to where his brother was.



"Psych?" Blues asked once they reached the bottom. He immediately sensed a large void; his powers couldn't sense anything beyond that.

"Greed?" Psych replied. He was finishing up on a piece of toast while going through several schedules and check-lists. Annoyed, their owner picked teleported them to the other side of the barrier. "What the hell're you doing here?" Psych asked bored now that his source of entertainment had been lost.

Hearing his voice made Blues rush past Twilight, run up to the barrier and place his front hooves on it. His face broke into a relieve smile. "It truly is you...We've all been worried sick ever since you left."

"Yeah yeah. Sure." Psych replied rolling his eyes.

"We've been searching all over for you. How could you just sneak off without informing any of us?"

"C'mon, I leave home every day to practice my powers on the creatures around home. You didn't seem to be as concerned as you are now."

"Wait, what?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"None of that matters now Psych." Blues said. "I'm here...I've come to take you home."

"Hold up. You want me to let him lose again?" Twilight asked. "He tortured Rarity and several others; who's to say he won't do it again?"

"I kinda have to agree with Magic over there." Psych said surprising her. "But not for your reason of course. As exhilarating as going out and torturing everypony in sight to the brink of madness sounds, inflicting physical pain's really...boring lately. I'm mean, I'd still enjoy slowly pushing a pony head-first into a circular saw while hacking their legs off with an axe, but I miss the psychological aspect of the torturing. I can't do much of that with complete strangers, but with her and her friends, it's been real fun! Besides, I wanna stick around and see just how long it takes to break those damn Elements of Harmony to pieces."

Blues was speechless. "H-How can you even say such a thing?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"What? As much as possible, I use my target's own fears and vulnerabilities to drive them insane instead of the usual physical torture. When it comes to brining the pain, my motto goes: 'why pulverize when you can traumatize?'." Psych ended with a cold laugh that sent chills up her spine.

"Take you for example Magic. I know you value your friends more than anything." Psych grinned evilly at her. "So, if I gotta choose between dropping you into vat of lava or having you watch me nailing Honesty to ground, cutting her open and ripping out her organs, I'd go with the latter."

The mental image Twilight got made her sick. "Psych!" Blues exclaimed.

"Give it up Greed. She's not gonna let me out." Psych said with a smile. "Now shut up while I tell her how I plan to have her watch Kindness have her flesh ripped apart by a pack of ravenous-"

Twilight covered her ears and shook her head several times making Psych laugh with glee. "She has to decide between letting me go and risk unleashing me upon her town or keeping me here and enduring my torturing herself. Her good nature's making her chose the former, and frankly, I don't really mind!"

At this rate, nothing could convince Twilight to let him out. Despite everything, Blues didn't want to see his brother locked up like this. Desperately, he thought up a way for everything to turn out good for all of them. Like his dad years ago, and idea struck him, and he didn't like it one bit.

He was going to make Psych want Twilight to let him out.

"We entered his room." Blues said over the earth pony's cackling.

The latter stopped and turned his attention to him. "What did you say?"

"We...When we learned of your disappearance, we became worried." Blues continued. "We thought Ash might know where you were, so we unlocked his door and…Everything was a mess."

"Wh…what?" Psych asked in a soft, strange way. Twilight stared at him confused by his sudden shift in expression.

"His entire room was in disarray. I was in there myself and witnessed the chaos myself." Blues continued painfully remembering those events. "Ash himself was…even more of a mess. Th-they told me about the bruises all over his body…How did those get there?!"

Stunned, Psych remained silent, his head bowed upon remembering just how much pain Ash was in the last time he saw him. Twilight on the other had and just stunned to see and hear what sounded like actually concern and care from Psych.

"I…I swear we didn't hurt Ash enough to give him bruises all over his body." Twilight told Blues.

"There's more." Blues added darkly. "We also found out his hoof was broken-"

"WHAT?!" Psych shouted in horror. His gaze once again turned downwards and his frame shook a little. "He…That wasn't there when I saw him…"

"I-It was a hairline fracture. Solstice managed to mend it, but…He's troubled." Blues' sorrow made his eyes water little. "He's troubled Psych and none of us know why. Whatever it is that is bothering him, he needs us Psych…He needs you…"

Upon hearing those last few words, Psych realized something. He then began to tremble as his rage built up. "H…How dare you…"

He reared up on his hind legs and slammed them against the barrier. "How dare you use him against me! How dare you use him to influence me!"

Blues looked away and bit his lip. He hated using his brother's one positive trait to manipulate him, but it was for his own good and Ash's. He drew a shaky breath. "I don't want to him to be in pain Psych, and I know you don't want it either. Please…Ash needs his brother…"

Psych growled and remained silent for a while. Finally, he raised his head and turned to Twilight. "Let me out." he ordered with a snarl.

"What? I'm not letting you-"

"Twilight please." Blues begged. "I have another troubled brother back home, and Psych is the only pony who could reach him. I despise how manipulative this sounds, but caring for Ash should also stop him from coming back and hurting anypony else."

"LET ME OUT!" Psych screamed at her pounding the barrier again. "I have to get to him! He's the only pony who doesn't hate me, who doesn't reject me, who accepted me! He needs me! He's my only brother! He is all I have! I have to help him!"

Beneath the anger in his eyes, Twilight could see Psych overwhelming love for his brother, something that she was surprised to see coming from a pony who despised the world with all his heart. Maybe his heart wasn't as dark as she thought it was; maybe, in a life where he hated everypony else, Psych had actually found someone to cherish, his brother.

And that brother was in deep trouble.

Coming to a decision, Twilight lit up her horn. The barrier surrounding Psych slowly shrunk until it became a floating sphere with him inside of it. She looked at him and earned a scowl. "Don't think I'll thank you. J-Just get me to my brother."

Twilight held his gaze for a while. "You love your brother don't you?" she told him. "I know how feels to worry about one. When you have a brother, and he's in any kind of danger or trouble…you just have to help him. If he's doing something wrong, if he's misguided or lost…you have to do something about it." She shifted her gaze to Blues. "That's why you're here right? You came because you love your brother too right?"

Blues slowly nodded. "Despite everything, I will always love him like any brother should." He heard Psych scoff and mutter something that sounded like "hypocrite".

Twilight managed to smile at Blues' response. She floated Psych in front of her and marched up the stairs with Blues trailing behind. She of all ponies knew that when anypony, especially a friend or family, is troubled, you do something about it out of love. She saw that kind of love in Blues and in Psych as well.

The earth pony believed himself to be hated by the world. Becoming a psycopath, he had found a flicker of hope in the form of his brother, the only pony to have ever accepted him. Even though it was just one pony, Psych had found somepony to love, to keep him from succumbing completely to despair.

In the midst of the darkness in his heart, Ash was Psych's light.
> 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.
> Coming To Light
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 30
COMING TO LIGHT


That evening, just as Luna began to raise the moon, her sister had just entered her room levitating a mug of warm milk with her magic. The moon steadily rose past her window as she made her way to her bed and settled herself in. With Luna now in charge of the courts, Celestia now had the whole night to herself.

Taking a sip, she levitated a book from a nearby shelf to her and began reading. She had barely gone a single page when a wisp of green flames appeared out of nowhere. As she lowered the book, a small pop echoed as a rolled up scroll came into existence.

It was most likely a update from her student Twilight Sparkle. Ever since the first attempt on the Elements of Harmony, she trusted Twilight with protecting them. Maybe she had obtained some new information from the pony they managed to capture. Eager to find out, Celestia quickly unrolled it.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I managed to gather new information today not from the prisoner but from another pony named Blues claiming to be his brother. He spoke with me today on behalf of all the ponies we got involved in. According to him, Solstice, Ironhead and Scar had no intention of harming us.

Our prisoner, as it turns out, acted separately from his brothers. He assaulted Rarity and Applejack out of vengeance for what we did to another one of his brothers. Please understand my decision to release him; one of his brothers was in troubled, and he begged me to let him see him. He left and hasn't bothered us since.

Blues told me that they are however still after the Elements of Harmony. Rest assured that I haven't told him about their whereabouts. Before he left, I told him that I would be sending you this letter. He will returning tomorrow afternoon to hear your reply.

In the meantime, I was wondering if you had any information regarding his family. According to Blues, they are six brothers all led by their father, the alicorn scientist Equinox-

Every part of her froze upon reading that name. The alicorn scientist...Equinox...Equinox...She hadn't heard that name in years.

She hurriedly went back to the letter and reread the part about six brothers, the six sons of Equinox.

It had to be...them...

She slowly set the letter down and stared before her. She took a big gulp of milk to settle herself down before collecting her thoughts. Equinox...what did he have to do with any of this? What was it that he wanted with the Elements of Harmony? Was there an imbalance present? Were Twilight and her friends needed? If so, why didn't she sense it?

This didn't make any sense. Why didn't he try to contact Twilight and the rest during the other imbalances? Unless...Unless the imbalance was towards the other side. But if so, why would he need the Elements of Harmony? He already had what he needed to fix whatever imbalance he had to deal with.

But all those questions couldn't distract her from what bothered her the most-confronting Equinox. She thought that after that incident several years earlier, she would never have to deal with him ever again. Their last encounter had ended in shouting, accusing, and Equinox leaving to never see her again.

Not to mention her heart painfully shattering to pieces.

It had been less than half a century since that fateful day when Equinox left, and here he was making a reappearance. She cursed her long life; surely a good load of centuries would've pass before they would have to see each other once again. To alicorns like them, less than a century was all too short a time. It was not enough to fully heal their hearts.

The dread that laid heavily within her...Did he feel it too?



"Negotiations went rather well I suppose." Blues commented at dinnertime that same day. "Well, aside from a minor incident with Psych that is..."

Equinox nodded as he took a drink. "I am just relieved to have Psych back home. A pity he and Ash aren't joining us this evening..." He gazed sadly at the two empty chairs to his right. Psych had only fetched some food for himself and Ash before leaving for his brother's room.

"Hey, he's home right? That's what matters." Scar said cheering his dad up a little. "So uh Blues...Everything's cool now with the girls?"

"Hmm...I suppose with Twilight and Rarity. The others weren't present when I arrived, but I believe they would spread my message of peace to their friends. Hopefully, relations between our two groups would improve."

Blues continued with his meal not seeing Scar's eyes swivel towards Solstice who glanced at Ironhead who looked right back at Scar, an event that also went unnoticed by Equinox. The three brothers wordlessly returned to their meals while Blues continued.

"Twilight also mentioned sending a letter to Princess Celestia." The beige unicorn failed to notice his dad freeze for a split second. "I mentioned your name to her father; was that a wise decision?"

...

"Father?"

"What?" Equinox barely heard his son the first time. "Y-Yes it was. It would be good for them to know just who they are dealing with..."

Blues nodded in agreement before going back to his meal. None of the brothers noticed their dad lost in his thoughts. Eventually, he sighed and pushed his plate away. "I believe I've had enough for tonight." His sons gazing at him in surprise, the alicorn slowly rose and left the table.

He returned to his study and let out a big sigh. He placed a hoof on his chest and felt something underneath his purple coat. Memories from long ago began to pour in, memories both happy and tragic. Those memories were still so fresh, it seemed like only a few days instead of several years.

Ever since he heard of the Elements' involvement, he knew that he would have to deal with Celestia. He sighed once again and ran a hoof through his mane, remembering the day he left her. The decision had been painful for both of them, but he had his reasons. Besides, with all the shouting and arguing that went on that fateful day, as well as the last thing she ever said to him, Celestia seemed almost glad to be rid of him.

Even after all these years, he was still upset with her. He left because she had...changed. When he first met her, before she assumed the throne, she was such a lovely mare, and even when she did become ruler of Equestria, she was still such an amazing pony, somepony with whom he could spend hours and hours just being with.

But then, as the centuries went by, she began to change. Ever since they discovered those things, she had begun to show small changes in her personality. As more time went on, he watched her slowly become a new pony, a pony so different from what she was before. She was no longer the Celestia he knew.

No longer the Celestia he loved...

*knock!*knock!*knock!*

"Father?" Blues' voice said from outside the study. "Father, may I enter?"

Equinox took a deep, shuddering sigh and shook away the painful memories. "Y-yes. Come in Blues."

His blind son entered the study. "Solstice told me you looked rather depressed earlier at dinner. Is something the matter?"

Despite how gloomy he felt before, Equinox felt a lot better now. Just hearing the love and concern in his voice made the pain more bearable. The very same day he lost Celestia, he gained something else-six wonderful ponies who became his sons. Caring for them had done wonders on his already wounded heart.

He trotted over to his son and pulled him into a tight hug. "I...I was depressed a moment ago...but not any more..." he said with a soft smile on his lips.

Blues eventually got over his surprise and returned the hug. He broke away after about half a minute and cleared his throat. "Well I'm glad to know that you're feeling better." He gave out small a yawn. "Perhaps we should both get some rest. I have to be in Ponyville again tomorrow."

Equinox nodded. "Oh, that reminds me." He lit up his horn, and a test tube rack on a nearby table flew towards him surrounded by a silver magical aura. It held five test tubes each half-filled with a strange black liquid. "I managed to finish these earlier. These are magical catalysts Blues. Each contains a spell that will suppress the amount of Light entering Ponyville's soil. It's not a perfect solution, but it should buy us more time."

Blues nodded. "I'll pick them up tomorrow before I leave for Ponyville." He yawned once again. "Well, I suppose she should both get some rest. Good night father."

"Good night Blues." his dad replied with a soft smile. After his son left, Equinox looked around at his empty study and let once another sigh once again left alone to wallow in his memories.



The next day...

After hearing three gentle knocks upon the library door, Twilight opened it. "Oh Blues...Are you here for the princess' reply?"

"I am Twilight. Has there been any so far?" he asked.

"No, but I told her you'd be coming back today. Why don't you come it; it shouldn't be long before she does reply."

Thanking her, Blues stepped into the library. "Today's re-shelving day for us. Sorry if everything's a little messy."

"It is?" Blues asked. Now that she pointed it out, he could sense several small objects scattered around the floor. He took a step and trod on one of them; it felt like a book. Nearby, he sensed a bipedal figure, most likely Spike busying himself with some cleaning.

"It looks like you brother's keeping his word so far." Twilight commented getting his attention.

"What? Oh yes; Psych spent the rest of yesterday tending to Ash. I still wonder if that will make any improvements on his condition..." he remarked sadly earning a look of pity from Twilight.

"Listen-"

*Blurp!*

Spike had been carrying a large stack of books when he belched out green flames causing him to drop the stack on his foot. As he yelped and hopped on one foot, two scrolls tied with golden ribbon popped into existence. Intrigued, Twilight geabbed them with he magic and examined one of them. "This one's addressed to me and my friends." She held up the second one. "This one's addressed to you and you family."

"It must be Princess Celestia's reply." Blues said. "But why would she send you a letter as well."

"I guess we'll have to read it to find out." Twilight said offering the scroll addressed to the brothers to Blues. The latter stared at the floating scroll for a few seconds before staring at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. Confused, Twilight stared back for a few seconds. "Oh!" Embarrassed, she pulled the scroll back towards her. "Sorry; forgot you were blind." She laughed nervously leading Blues to stare at her again. "Aheh...I'll just read it to you..."

She untied the ribbon allowing the scroll to unroll, an action that caused several small things to all to the ground. Blues stared at them in confusion, but Twilight did so in shock. What had fallen to the floor were seven strips of golden paper all inviting the bearer to attend-

"The Grand Galloping Gala!?"

Now Blues' eyes widened in surprise. "The Gala? The princess is inviting us?"

"A-Apparently." Twilight replied a still a little surprised. A thought crossed her mind leading her to unravel the other scroll whose contents made her gasp as well.

"What is it?" Blues asked.

Twilight was staring at six golden tickets hovering before her. "W-We're being invited too? Why would the princess want that?"

"Perhaps she would like you to be present when she speaks with us." Blues suggested. "But why would she chose to do so at the Gala?"

"She must have her reasons." Twilight answered setting the tickets on a nearby desk. "I'll give these to my friends later. You should get yours to your family."

"Very well then." He looked down and began to pick up the tickets. "I should probably leave right away. I have something else to attend to and would like to start it soon. Is there anything else Twilight?"

All he got as a response was silence. "Er, Twilight? Is something the matter?" Still Twilight didn't reply. He turned to Spike who had gone back to dusting a nearby shelf. "Er Spike, something seems to be wrong with Twilight."

"Really? Maybe she's just a little-GAH! What's that thing sticking out of your head?!"

Blues' eyes widened upon hearing that. What Spike and Twilight saw was a long navy blue tendril sticking out of the back of his head. The other end was coiled around the gala tickets and was in the middle of picking them up. As they stared, Twilight noticed several light blue flecks along the tendril.

"I-is that you mane?!" she exclaimed.

"What?...Oh..." The tendril retracted back into his mane taking the tickets with it. Embarrassed, he coughed; he had gotten so comfortable, he wasn't thinking when he used his powers. "I'm sorry for startling you both; I should have explained...This is...my power..."

"So you can move around your hair?...That's pretty lame." Spike told him. "Not as cool as any of your brothers'-Whoa!"

Spike suddenly found himself dangling upside down, a long strand of Blues' mane holding him by the ankle. "I am not known as the Tendrils of Greed for nothing you know."

He gently lowered Spike to the ground and retracted his strand of hair before turning to Twilight. "I'm sorry for that. Perhaps it's time I left..." He quickly bolted before Twilight could react to his little feat.



Unbeknownst to him, a pony saw him leave. She was a pegasus mare, blonde, blue eyed, light amber coated and bore a gardening spade as her Cutie Mark, a pair of saddle bags slung on her. Upon spotting the blind pony, she instantly recognized his as one of the ponies accompanying Twilight as they escorted Psych out of town.

Ever since those three guys with strange powers showed up, she had been looking into them. She heard from her partner about another pony with strange powers and saw Twilight take him home. This beige pony was in with them and was now her only lead to what they were all up to.

She spread her wings and took to the skies making sure not to draw Blues' attention to her. She silently followed him as he made his way through Ponyville. Blues eventually reached a park and trotted over to a clump of trees that would hide whatever it was that he was doing.

As he disappeared into them, his stalker landed in one of the trees. Upon detecting the movement, Blues stopped and looked around. Dismissing it as nothing, he got to work while the pegasus mare watched eagerly.

He eagerness turned into surprise as a test tube popped out of his head on its own. She was further surprised by the long tendril that came with it. Her eyes wide, she watched as the tendril uncorked the test tube and pour its contents onto the soil.

Being blind, Blues didn't notice it, but the ground beneath him suddenly glowed with silver light. The glow lasted for a few seconds before disappearing. By then, Blues had already placed the test tube back in his mane before leaving to find someplace else to pour the catalyst.

Now alone, the pegasus flew down and examined the area. Everything seemed normal, but she still felt uneasy. She didn't know what Blues did, but she didn't like it. She reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a spade which she used to scoop up some soil. She placed it in a leather pouch before flying off.

She eventually in front of an ordinary looking house in Ponyville. After knocking, she was greeted by a unicorn stallion. He was rather old; he had whitish grey hair, a crimson body, yellow eyes and a cluster of beakers, bottles and test tubes for a Cutie Mark.

"It's you...What is it? Did something happen?" he asked.

I'll explain when you let me in." she answered seriously.

The unicorn blinked twice and looked around as if he were checking if somepony was watching them. He then stepped back and let the pegasus mare into his house. "Something happened." she told him tossing the leather pouch which he caught with his magic. "Some guy that's connected to those colts put something wierd in the soil. I wanna know what."

The unicorn said nothing as he opened the pouch to peer at its contents. "My analysis shouldn't take too long. Give me until tomorrow, and I'll find out what it was."

The pegasus nodded, and the unicorn set the pouch on a desk. "How's your partner fairing? I heard that he was almost caught up in that screaming mob a few days ago."

"He's fine. You don't have to keep looking out for us y'know. We can handle this." the pegasus answered grumpily.

This made the unicorn laugh. "My dear, you two are still new, still young. It would take time before you two are full members of Libra. It was wise for our leader to put somepony like me in charge of you two."

The pegasus scoffed. "Well it's a stupid decision. We don't need a-"

"Are you doubting our leader's actions?" he asked her warily. "Perhaps I should inform-"

"N-no! I'll shut up." the pegasus said quickly. "I'll follow whatever we're told to do. We all want the same thing don't we?"

The unicorn nodded. "Indeed we do. All members of Libra are united by a common desire: to restore balance to Equestria under our leader's name. If our organization is to succeed, we can't afford doubts."

The pegasus looked fiercely at him. "I don't doubt. I'm a Libra agent dammit. I know what has to be done for balance to return to Equestria." The unicorn smiled evilly as the pegasus turned to leave his house.

"We have to take that bitch on the throne out..."
> A Scholar's Apology
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 31
A SCHOLAR'S APOLOGY


The next day...

The unicorn opened the door, and the pegasus mare strolled in without so much as a greeting. "It's been a day; what did you find out."

"Good morning to you too." the unicorn said closing his door. "I have the results on the soil analysis...We have a problem." he said approaching her looking solemn.

Dread began to fill his companion. "What is it?"

He sighed. "That stuff was a magical catalyst, a spell in a bottle. In it was a spell that's suppressing the Light flowing into Ponyville's soil. I took another soil sample earlier; there's less Light in it than predicted.

The mare's eyes were wide. "Wh-what?! They know about the Light? How can they know about that."

The unicorn held his chin as he did some thinking. A thought occurred to him, making his freeze. The pegasus noticed this and stared at him confused. "What is it?"

Slowly, he lowered his hoof and looked at her eyes wide. "Is it possible?...Could it be...them...?"

The same thought also occurred to the pegasus mare making her both shocked and excited. "It...It actually worked." She gave a small laugh. "They actually showed up; our leader was right."

"Indeed. Find them." The unicorn ordered. "Next time one of those ponies show up, tail them. Find out where they're staying. Soon, we'll have them in our clutches..."

"There's a problem; they've all got weird powers." the mare pointed out. "The two of us can't take them all on."

The unicorn did some more thinking. "Perhaps...we should call in Butch."

"Butch?!" the pegasus cried out incredulously. "Ugh, I hate that guy! I don't wanna work with him..." she complained.

"Oh hush. You won't be working with him directly. Just find out where those ponies live, and he'll take care of the rest."

She sighed. "Yeah yeah whatever." she said making her way to the door. "Hey, You better be making a new schedule; we both want to get out of here before the Light goes critical."

"Of course." the unicorn said with a nod. "I'll have another date after some time. I don't wish to get caught up in it either. It would be a shame if Libra's plan for Ponyville succeeded at the cost of one of their most brilliant scientists."

The pegasus rolled her eyes as she left the house. "I'll tell you when I see them." she called out taking to the skies, keeping her eyes peeled for the brothers.



Later that afternoon...

Scar sighed as he stared at the front doors before him, his body sagging slightly. He wanted so badly to go outside, but nervousness kept him indoors. The truth was, he had been spending the past twenty minutes shifting about in front of that door debating whether to leave or stay.

Ever since Blues returned two days earlier saying that negotiations had gone well, he had been considering paying Ponyville another visit. Now that things between the brothers and the mares were going much more smoothly, he was planning on finding Dash and explain himself to her.

Did I really betray her? he wondered gloomily remembering Psych's words to him. He tried to shake those thoughts away, but they continued to pester him. He didn't mean to hurt her or any of her friends, but he just had to do it. Now was the perfect time to explain everything fully.

But she looked so upset and pissed off when she found out he had been trying to get the Elements. She knows that they had no intention of hurting any of them, but would she still forgive him for lying to her?

"Scar?"

Said pony jumped upon hearing his name called. "What're you doing here just staring at the door?" Ironhead asked coming into view.

"Huh?...Oh, I was uh..." He scratched the back of his head and sighed, his ears lowering. "Actually, I dunno what to do..."

Ironhead could tell that his brother was being troubled most likely by the same thing that was troubling him. He sighed as well and trotted up to him. "Well...I know what I'm gonna do."

"The same goes for me Ironhead." Both brothers turned as Solstice appeared in their midst and made his way to them. "Scar, I've watched you grow up and never saw you back down from a challenge. I can tell that Rainbow shares that same spirit. Would she back down from something such as this?"

Scar did some thinking. "Actually...She's really too proud to say she's sorry."

"Well good thing you're not." Ironhead said with a chuckle. "Listen bro, we all screwed up big time here. I'm gonna try and fix it, and so's Solstice here. If you really love Rainbow, then go get her back."

Scar took a deep breath and got himself pumped. "Alright...I'm doing this. Even though Rainbow might now want it, she deserves an explanation. All I can do is hope that she forgives me right?"

"That is what we all hope for Scar." Solstice told him, and Ironhead nodded. "They are good, understanding mares; I'm certain they will see reason."

Scar smiled as he approached his eldest brother. After Ironhead did the same, Solstice lit up his horn, and one quick teleportation spell later, the three brothers found themselves standing in the middle of the town square which was thankfully empty.

"Good thing nopony saw us. They all probably still remember us." Ironhead said.

"Indeed. I suppose this is where we part for now." Solstice told them.

"Yeah. Let meet up back here at sunset...No matter what happens." Ironhead replied with a little pause.

Scar nodded, spread his wings, and hovered a little. "Good luck guys." He gave them a friendly salute before turning around. Ironhead took a deep breath and steeled himself before heading down the path that led to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Ironhead, Scar, please wait a moment." Solstice called before either of his brothers could get too far. Both of them returned to him wondering what he had to say. The unicorn cleared his throat and gave a low bow. "I...I would like to apologize to you both first. It was rather harsh, extreme actions that caused this whole incident. Had I been much more gentle, perhaps things would have turned out differently. Please forgive me..."

Both of his brothers looked at each other before turning to him. "C'mon bro; you don't need to do that." Scar told him. "Ironhead said we all screwed up her, so it's not totally all your fault."

"But-"

"It's OK, seriously." Ironhead told him. "Look, you just get over to Twilight's and make sure everything's cool with you two. You just worry 'bout that OK?"

Hearing that quickly brought his smile back. "Thanks you Scar, Ironhead. Good luck with your efforts."

On a much happier note, Solstice lit up his horn once again and vanished with a flash of teal light. Scar saluted his brother again before taking to the skies thinking of places Rainbow would be staying. Alone, Ironhead sighed and galloped away towards Sweet Apple Acres with the determination to make things right with the mare he had hurt, the same determination that his brothers had.

And like his brothers, he was completely unaware that their arrival had been witnessed by a pegasus mare hiding behind a nearby shop. Once the brothers parted, she left her hiding spot and made her way to the middle of the town square, Scar's and Ironhead's figures retreating slowly.

Hmm...I'll go with...that one...

She spread her wings and took flight.



Solstice wound up in front of the familiar door to the town library, his stress levels a little raised, but not high enough to trigger a surge. Among his brothers, he was the most calm one when he decided to talk with Twilight once again. He sighed and adjusted his glasses a bit slowly dragging out the seconds that separated him from her. Steeling himself like his brother did, he raised a hoof and knocked three times on the door. His heart hammered in his chest, but his face showed complete and utter peace.

A few moments later, the door creaked open, and a voice rang out. "I'm sorry, but we're in the middle of reorganizing. Would you like to make a reser-Solstice?!"

Several book she was levitating with her magic suddenly cluttered to the floor at the sight of the teal unicorn. He cleared his throat. "Er...Good afternoon Twilight."

"Um...H-Hi..." she answered awkwardly. She clearly wasn't expecting him to show up.

"F-Forgive me, have I arrived at a bad time? I could return a little-"

"Actually...I'm pretty free at the moment." Twilight admitted.

"You are?" Spike called out from within the library.

Twilight turned to her assistant. "Yes Spike. Why don't you go out and take a break?"

"Huh?...Oh. OK; See ya later I guess."

Spike ran past Twilight and Solstice and headed into town. "Why don't you step inside Solstice?" the former offered extending a hoof towards the interior of her home.

Solstice thanked her and followed her in. The interior was slightly messy with books scattered about. Using his magic, Solstice moved them aside, being careful not to step on any of them. He followed Twilight to a nearby table. "Have a seat Solstice." she offered.

He did so while Twilight sat across the table. The tension between the two ponies filled the air as they just stared at each other wondering if the other would make the first move. After much hoof tapping, throat clearing and false starts, the silence was finally broken.

"Twilight I-"

"Why did you threaten me and my friends?" she cut him off. "I really think you're a good pony Solstice, and Blues told me that you all never wanted to hurt any of us, so...why?"

Solstice hated seeing her so distraught. He slowly reached over and took Twilight's hooves in his own and gave her a sincere, pleading look. "Twilight...I know fully well that my actions harsh and somewhat extreme, and I wish to say that I'm sorry for hurting you and making you feel threatened. And please believe me when I say that I would never, ever, even think about causing harm to you or any of your friends."

She saw the truthfulness in his eyes and heard it in his voice. "Then why did you threaten them?"

Solstice sighed and gently let go of her. "I do not understand. What was it that I said or did that made you feel threatened?"

Twilight nervously rubbed her hoof. "You said that if I didn't tell you where the Elements were, something bad would happen would happen to me, my friends and all of town."

He blinked twice and leaned back on his seat. "Oh..." He still remembered that moment when she became tense at the mention of the Elements. Thinking back, that did sound like a threat. "I see. Twilight, I swear I did not mean that as a threat."

She looked at his wanting to believe that. "What do you mean?"

Solstice sighed and adjusted his glasses. "The six of us are needed. I cannot tell you everything, but a great tragedy is about to befall on Ponyville, and only my brothers and I can prevent it.

"R...Really? Ponyville's in danger?" she asked surprised. "Can't I help? Can any of us help?"

"Yes, but we should be the ones who end it for good. This is a task for us." He nervously placed a hoof on his chest. "We alone are responsible for preventing this tragedy from happening..."

He sounded so brave as he spoke about his family's mission. "That sounds like a huge thing to bear." she commented after a short silence. "I should know; I've had the fate of Equestria depend on me and my friends before."

"I know." Solstice asked resting his chin on his hoof and gave her a smile. "I know about the Elements' job to restore peace to Equestria. You and your friends are very brave Twilight."

She blushed a little upon hearing that. "So...all is forgiven...?" Solstice asked meekly.

He gave her a puppy-dog pout complete with matching, slightly teary eyes. To her, it was just too adorable to resist. "Oh...I...I forgive you Solstice."

A smile quickly returned to his face as he took her hooves once again making blood rush to her face again. "I feel so relieved to hear that. You've no idea how much this means to me Twilight. I'm so glad that things between us have been settled."

Feeling his hooves holding hers and staring into those blue-green eyes of his, she fidgeted a little. Seeing this, he let go of her quickly. "F-Forgive me. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"What? Oh...It's fine." she told him awkwardly. "I'm just...uh..."

Solstice made a motion to stand up. "Perhaps I should-"

"No!" Twilight herself was surprised by the volume of her voice. "I mean...why don't you stay a little. You could..."She quickly looked around. "Help me finish up the cleaning over here..."

"Hmm? I thought Spike was assisting you." he said not that he was complaining or anything.

She smiled at him, the first time since he arrived, and it made his heart soar. "I think he won't mind a little more time off. Besides...you love my library. This could be a good time to...get to know it better..."

Solstice smiled and chuckled a little before levitating a few books off the floor. "Now then, where do these go?" he asked glad to be of help.

Twilight was glad to be helped by him. "Those two go in the astronomy section over there." He moved those books to the shelf she pointed at. "That one goes in the fiction section under fantasy, and that one..."

Solstice couldn't be any happier helping her out. Yet, despite how wonderful things turned out for him, he couldn't help but gaze out the window and think about Scar and Ironhead and wonder if things with them were going just as smoothly as they were with him.

"Solstice? Are you listening? The sociology books go in the shelf under that."

And yet, glancing back and seeing those clear eyes, watching that spreading smile and hearing that elegant voice, he found all his troubles quickly melt away.
> A Liar's Apology
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 32
A LIAR'S APOLOGY


OK...You can do this...You can do this...You can do this...You can do this...You can do this...You can do this...

That was what Ironhead kept telling himself as he trudged along the dirt path that led to Sweet Apple Acres. Being the middle of the afternoon, the Apple's were most likely busy with farm work. Granny would be rocking in her chair, Applebloom would be tending to the chicken coup, Big Mac would be plowing the field and Applejack...

He sighed and quickened his pace.

The farm eventually loomed into view, but all that did was make Ironhead feel even more nervous. How could he possibly face them again after all he did? Would they ever forgive him? Would Applejack forgive him for all the lying he did to her? She looked so hurt when she found out the truth.

As he neared the front gate, he spotted somepony familiar balancing a large basket filled with more apples than it should on her head. The basket teetered dangerously on Applebloom's head as she swayed from side to keep it from falling. Unfortunately, she tripped on a rock and fell with a yelp.

To her surprise, she didn't land on the ground but one something tough and warm. She looked down a saw saw that it was something covered n a dark brown coat. "Watch yourself kid." a familiar voice said.

She gasped. "Ironhead!"

The latter grinned as he let her down. "Lemme get those." he said spotting the apples scattered around. He gathered them together and placed them back in the basket before carrying it across his back. "I'll carry these in. Next time, don't put so many apples in this thing."

Grateful, the filly nodded. "Thanks." She said following Ironhead into the house; he was being much more careful. "Hey Ironhead, where've you been? I heard ya ran off right after the fire."

He sighed and gulped. "Uh...yeah. I had to uh...help out my brother."

"The how come ya never came back?"

"It's...complicated." He opened the front door and headed inside. "Did you ask your sister?"

"Yeah. She jus' said she didn't wanna talk about it. She looked real sad too."

Upon hearing that, Ironhead stopped, closed his eyes tightly and sighed as the guilt of hurting Applejack coursed through him once again and causing him grief. "You OK Ironhead?" Applebloom asked worriedly.

"Y-yeah. Look, I don't wanna talk about it either." he answered. Applebloom thankfully didn't ask any more questions. Silently they made their way to the kitchen. "So where d'you want these?"

"Just leave'em there sonny. I'll 'ave Big Mac deal with 'em when he gets back from town." Ironhead turned around at the voice and saw an elderly mare step into the room.

"Granny..."

She just smiled at him as if they just saw each other yesterday. "Been wonderin' where ya ran off to."

"Um...Yeah...I had to do something really important." Ironhead scratched the back of his head. "And well uh..."

"Ya should've seen 'er." Granny continued walking up to him. "A lil' after ya ran of, she went after ya. Never seen her so worried 'bout anythin' b'fore."

"R...Really?"

"You bet yer flank. I also remember 'er comin' back lookin' downer than a a tree in a heat wave."

"O-Oh..." Ironhead bowed unable to look at her. "Look, Granny I-"

"I know yer sorry." she told him. "An' I know yer here ta make things right. And even though I wanna give ya a big ol' smack fer makin' mah granddaughter upset," Ironhead gulped a little. "I know ya didn't mean to. I know how much she means to ya, so lemme tell ya, she's in the north field."

His ear perked up as he raised his head and met Granny's gentle smile. "What're ya still standin' around here for? She's waitin' for ya."

A grin quickly broke out on his face. "Thanks Granny." he thanked before galloping outside. Granny Smith watched him leave and chuckled a little.

"Hmm...That filly's more stubborn than ya think. Good luck out there sonny."



As he approached the northern apple field, he could already hear the familiar thud of hooves striking against a tree. After passing over a hill, he finally spotted Applejack hard at work. She didn't seem to have noticed him seeing as she moved to another tree once he arrived.

Ironhead began to freak out a little. He slowly back away but stopped himself before he could get too far away. I gotta do this. She deserves an apology. he thought with gritted teeth. He took a deep breath and trudged forward.

"Uh...Want some help with that?..."

It was only then that the mare noticed him. Applejack's face momentarily showed surprise before shifting to a neutral expression. "H...Hey there AJ..." Ironhead said nervously.

"Ironhead." she replied with a nod. "And no thanks; I got everythin' handled here."

He sighed as he watched her tip a basket full of apples into a nearby cart. He sighed and approached her. "Look...I'm sorry OK." he said quickly. "I'm sorry I lied about...well, everything."

She wordlessly began to pull the cart back towards the barn. "H-Hang on!" Ironhead caught up with her. "C'mon Applejack, I said I'm sorry. Don't be like that..."

The farm mare stopped in her track and took a deep breath. "I poured my heart out to ya. I was completely an' totally open with ya, and you pay me back by lying to me?"

"Wha-" He was caught off guard. "Y-you can't blame me. I had a perfectly good reason to lie."

"There ain't ever a good reason to lie to somepony." she told him sternly before looked aside. "'Specially ta sompony ya care about...Considerin' if ya ever cared about 'em in th' first place."

"Applejack," He looked at her pleadingly. "I do care about you, honest!"

She turned to him. "That comin' from the 'Strength of Deceit'?"

"Aww, that's just some fancy title thing Scar made up 'cause he though it sounded cool." Ironhead explained with a wave of a hoof. "I'm not Deceit or anything like that."

"So yer sayin' ya didn't lie to me since the day we met?"

"W-Well...No..."

Applejack sighed and continued one past him. "Wait!" She stopped again. "Applejack, I didn't lie about everything y'know. I wasn't lying when I told you about Scar being my brother. I wasn't lying when I said I loved spending time with your family...I wasn't lying when I said I missed my sister." He gulped and fought off the pain. "Because I loved her just as much as you love Applebloom."

Hearing the word "loved" intrigued her. Applejack set the harness of the cart aside and turned around to face him. She saw him standing before her looking determined to make things right, to make everything better. She briefly flashed back to that terrible moment when the fields were aflame and saw that same face on him as he worked to save the farm.

"And I swear I wasn't lying when I said I liked you...That's why I came all the way here to say...I'm sorry..."

Silence followed after admitting that during which a tensed Ironhead watched Applejack do some thinking; it was waiting to hear if she liked him back during their first date all over again only this time, there wasn't any cider around to dull the pain. Once he saw a deep breath, he put on a straight face even though his mind was panicking.

"Do ya really...like me like that...?" she asked him quietly. "Yer tellin' me that wasn't a lie?"

He took a deep breath. "I-I swear I'm honest; how can you think I'm not?"

"Because you were already plannin' ta lie yer way through anythin' just to get the Elements." she said bitterly. "I trusted you, and now..." She sighed and turned away. "Now I don't even know what's true 'bout you an' what's not...The only thing I do know is that title of yers's fittin'. You were ready ta lie ta me and not just me; you were gonna lie ta anypony you met that day..." She took a deep breath and turned around. 'An'...I'm gettin' tired of the lies..."

Grief and fear consumed him as she put the harness back on and trotted away. He took a step forward but didn't have anything to say in his defense. His heart crushed, he sadly watched the mare that had captured it leave without another word while falling on his haunches.

He couldn't believe this; she liked him back didn't she? He apologized and meant it, but why didn't she believe him? Why didn't she let him explain that his lies had no malicious intent?

Why didn't she trust him anymore?

Ironhead's thoughts were interrupted by a coughing sound in front of him, a coughing he recognized. "Did she tell you about what I did?"

"Eeyup."

"I'm sorry I hurt her OK?"

"I know you are, and boy did you hurt her bad." Big Mac commented with a nod.

Ironhead sighed and looked up at the pony before him. "So I guess you're pretty pissed at me too huh?...I don't really blame you; I'd feel the same if it were my sister..."

"She's got a good reason to be upset y'know." Big Mac told him. "She told me how she felt getting crushed like that right after your little date." The other stallion winced a little before getting up.

"If wanna hit me or something, don't. Seriously; you'll just hurt yourself." He walked towards the barn but stopped right beside Big Mac. "Besides...one Apple hating me's already too much."

Ironhead then began to drag his hooves away from Big Mac, away from Sweet Apple Acres...away from Applejack...

"Listen," Big Mac said before he could get too far. "Cider season's comin' up, an' we'll need all the hooves we can get. Technically, you still work here, so you better be here again tomorrow to prep up. We're gonna need everypony here."

Brown ears perked up as Ironhead turned around. "Wait, you're not kicking me out or anything?"

"I'm givin' you another chance." Big Mac told him. "And this'll be the last one too. Break her sweet little heart again," He gave him a death glare and pawed the ground.

But Ironhead didn't feel threatened, and not because Big Mac couldn't cause any bodily harm to him. It was strange to see the calm, reserved Big Mac make a gesture such as that, and that made Ironhead smile a little. Maybe there was hope for him and Applejack after all.

"Thanks Mac." he thanked before walking away feeling a little better than before. This was his chance to make things right again, to make Applejack trust him once again.

Yes, hope, no matter how small, was still there.
> A Scarlet Apology
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guys...There's something that's been bothering me lately.

The longest story I've ever written is 60 chapters long, and this fic just went past 30 chapters, and there are still a lot of things that're supposed to happen. This is my first MLP fic, and I really want to make it great, but I'm terrified that its length will cause people to lose interest completely.

I'm telling you; there's still a long way to go. Pls bear with me until the very end. I promise to make the journey there as memorable as possible.

Thanks for hearing me out.




CHAPTER 33
A SCARLET APOLOGY


The whole of Ponyville was stretched out before Scar as he perched himself on top of town hall. It was only then that he realized just how wonderful a town it truly was. In one corner, he saw a trio of earth pony mares selling some daffodils to an earth pony stallion. At another end, he saw another trio, this time of fillies rising around in a wagon.

It was a beautiful town filled with wonderful ponies, ponies who had no idea that they were in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth. It was for that reason that he and Ironhead traveled to search of the source of the Light in Ponyville. It was for that reason that he spent countless exhausting hours searching for that source.

It was for that reason that he betrayed the mare who had inspired him, the mare that had given him his dream, the mare that he loved.

"Oh Rainbow..." Scar muttered sadly. The guilt of hurting her, of betraying her was just crushing. The only thing that was anywhere near as strong as his guilt was his resolve to make things right. And with that burning resolve coursing through him he spread his wings and took to the sky's.

Now the only problem was looking for her. Let's see...She's should be at work by now which means she's slacking off somewhere...he mused as he flew around. He flew upwards and scanned the surrounding clouds for a napping Rainbow, but she wasn't there.

Sighing, he flew around trying to spot anything from a rainbow trail to a flash of blue, but nothing came up for the first several minutes. As he was about to move someplace else to search for her, he caught a glimpse of movement below him; looking down, he saw the remnants of what was definitely a rainbow trail.

Orange eyes wide, he looked to his left and saw a blue shape slowly shrink in the distance; he could almost make out a rainbow tail behind it. Excited, he readied himself to go after her, he stopped once again held back by the fear of being rejected. He gave a loud, frustrated sigh; rejection or not, she deserved a proper apology.

By the time he had made the decision to follow her, Dash was already out of sight. Nevertheless, he flew in the direction she was heading keeping an eye out for her. When she was nowhere in sight, he flew lower hoping to at least get an idea to where she was going.

As he did so, he saw a lake slowly come into his sights. He had seen the lake before during his earlier searches in Ponyville but had not really approached it. This time, he flew in closer and, to his delight, spotted her at the other end of the lake relaxing on a recliner, a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes.

Nervous but determined, Scar flew low and skimmed the surface of the lake, its waters lapping at his speed. When he was about a quarter of the way across, Rainbow looked up and saw something coming at her. Raising her shades, she saw that it was a rapidly approaching scarlet blur.

"Rain-"

Ba-dump!

He was in the middle of the lake when it happened. He felt a powerful beat resonating from within his chest. As his eyes widened, he felt his muscles and more importantly his wings suddenly weaken. As he flailed his wobbly legs about, he began an uncontrolled decent into the lake below.

"OW!" He struck the surface of the lake and bounced off it only to smack against it again. "OW!" Another bounce and another smack. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!"

Scar eventually slowed down and crashed several feet away from the shore, going about two feet under water. For some reason, his whole body felt strangely weak and sluggish; the water seemed thicker and trying to drag him down to the bottom. Panicking, he swam upwards and broke through the surface. Panting heavily, he quickly paddled to shore and pulled himself out of the lake.

Wh...What the hell was that?! he screamed in his head while panting in exhaustion. He lifter his forelegs and was surprised to find that his strength had returned as mysteriously as it had vanished. He raised his head and parted a bit of his mane that was in the way of his eyes to gaze at the now calm lake and found nothing out of the ordinary.

As he pondered on what could've caused the sudden sensation, he became aware of a presence behind him. Gulping, he slowly turned and saw a surprised and irritated pegasus mare glaring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah...Uh...H-Hi Rainbow..."

A short beat followed. "I was busy y'know." Rainbow said pointing at her recliner. "Busy napping yeah, but what're you doing here?"

Crap; this isn't how I planned this! Scar quickly stood up and, still dripping wet, bowed his head. "Rainbow...I...I'm sorry OK?" he said meekly. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"To what?! Take advantage of me?! Be my friend then turn on me?!" Scar flinched with every sentence. "Seriously what kind of pony does that?!"

"I...I didn't want to do any of that; I swear." Scar reasoned.

Rainbow huffed and crossed her forelegs. "Yeah well, you still did it didn't you?" Scar wilted a little. "Huh, I thought so."

Scar looked at her pleadingly. "Rainbow...I...I...I didn't know about the Elements until after I showed up. I didn't mean to chase Twilight around town like that. Rainbow...I swear I didn't mean to hurt you..."

He did sound sincere, but that still didn't change what he did. "Oh you did more that that huh? I-I trusted you Scar! I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend Rainbow." he reasoned. "You can still trust me..."

"Pfft...I thought I could..."

"Rainbow, I was trying to keep you safe." he reasoned. "You gotta understand that that's all I ever wanted."

"Safe? Safe?! If anything, I should be safe from somepony like you!" she said sharply. "You leave me and my friends alone you hear?!"

Hearing that coming from his idol, his hero, his inspiration broke the colt's heart. "B-but-but-"

Unfortunately, she had no intention of hearing any more. Sighting frustratingly, she tossed her sunglasses onto her recliner and spread her wings. "R-Rainbow! Wait!" Without another word to him, she took off leaving the damp pegasus all alone.

"W-Wait!" Scar quickly spread his own wings, sending off droplets of water, and took flight as well. The wind rushing past him dried him off and cooled him as he soared towards his crush. "Rainbow!"

"Ugh..." The latter looked over her shoulder and confirmed that Scar was chasing her. She turned away and put up an extra burst of speed sending her high above the clouds. Scar narrowed his eyes and put his on burst as he followed her up there.

"Rainbow, wait! Just hear me out please!" Scar cried out chasing after her again. Rainbow dipped back down below the clouds, but Scar managed to follow her. He flapped even faster slowly shortening the distance between them.

Thinking fast, Rainbow swerved to the right and headed into Ponyville with Scar hot on her heels. They reaced through the marketing district before making a left and speeding down another street. Ponies gasped and jumped away as blue and red blurs rushed past them. Rainbow made a sharp turn to the right and headed into and alley before heading back up.

Scar still followed her the whole time and was slowly catching up. Hmm...Pretty good I'll admit...she thought as she sped away from him. Still not as good as me though...

She angrily shook her head almost forgetting that she was still mad at him. Being the Element of Loyalty meant that trust was very important to her. Scar had taken the trust she gave him, and he repaid it by chasing her friend around, demanding where the Elements of Harmony were. How could he possibly justify betraying her like that?

"Rainbow!" Scar's shout snapped her out of her thoughts. She twisted and flew backwards seeing him slowly close in on her. She swerved to the right and dove into a cluster of clouds, but Scar burst through them and continued following her. Growling a little, Rainbow quickly stopped and flew in his direction.

Scar saw the oncoming Rainbow and swerved to the right to avoid a collision. As he stopped and regained his bearings, Rainbow quickly sped off into the distance. Determined and persistent to the end, Scar continued after her. Knowing that she would eventually tire herself out and slow down; he only hoped that she would before he did.

Unfortunately for him, Dash was anything but tired. She looked back and saw him coming at her once again; she had tried everything, but nothing seemed to shake her pursuer off.

Well...not everything...

Grinning a little, she slowly came to a stop. As she caught her breath, Scar sped up and closed in on her wanting to just talk things out between them. "R-Rainbow-"

She flashed him a grin and narrowed her eyes. "If you thought that was fast, check this out."

Without further ado, she bolted right past him at speeds he couldn't even imagine. Shaking his head, Scar turned and flew after her intending to catch up. She seemed to be flying faster than she did earlier leaving Scar in awe of her speed. This was the true extent of her talents; he doubted he could even reach that kind of speed on his own.

Still, he refused to yield. Rainbow looked over her shoulder, and saw he was still keeping up. Grinning again, she put up another burst of speed widening the distance between them once again. There was no way Scar could possibly catch up with her now, and she could tell that he knew that too. It was only a matter of time before he ran out of energy leave her alone. As the distance between them lengthened, she looked at him waiting for that to happen.

To her surprise, her burst of speed only made him more determined. The speed she was going on wasn't achievable by normal ponies, but unfortunately, Scar wasn't a normal pony. Determination in his eyes, he gave out a loud cry as his wings expanded to five times their usual size. With one powerful flap, he covered a large amount of distance between them.

Several more flaps later, he had cut the original distance between them in half. Frustrated, Rainbow looked ahead and picked up her speed. Scar saw her accelerate and did more powerful flaps sending violent winds backwards to increase his speed. In a matter of moments, he was flying right beside her, much to her surprise.

Nevertheless, she sped up even more finally grinning when she reached the speed she was aiming for, the speed at which a white shell materialized in front of her. Her eyes glanced to her right and nearly popped out of her skull when a similar shell formed in front of Scar. Keeping focused on her own actions, she picked up speed.

Excitement tingled through Scar's veins as his speed continued to rise. Not breaking his own concentration, he accelerated alongside Rainbow. Eventually, the shells around them narrowed into a cone which they flew into. As the cone narrowed, both hearts were pounding, both sets of muscles were working, both minds were thinking the same thing.

Almost there...Almost...Almost...Almost...

NO!

At the last second, Scar shrunk his wings and tucked them close. The next second, he collided with the cone and stretched it out as if it were made of rubber. He froze for a split second before being violently thrown in the opposite direction, tumbling at dizzying speeds.

As soon as he felt that he was going to throw up, he expanded his wings again and stopped himself. Eyes spinning, he held his head and groaned. Beneath his nausea was disbelief. He was so close, so close to actually doing it, the legendary technique he had practiced for days, the Sonic Rain-

BOOM!

The explosion made his head snap up just in time to see a bright flash and several rainbow arcs spread out from a certain point in the distance. As they washed over him, his eyes stopped spinning, and his jaw dropped. Seconds later, his dizziness had completely vanished, replaced by joy and awe. I actually saw a Sonic Rainboom up close!

"WHOO HOOOO!" he cried out pumping his hooves in the air and flying in merry circles. "THAT WAS AWESOME! YOU ARE THE BEST RAINBOW DASH! YOU-"

His cheering came to a halt when he spotted the rainbow trail slowly fade. Scar craned his neck and could barely make out Rainbow's figure slowly fading into the distance. Bracing himself, he flew in after her but stopped due to a sharp pain coming from his left wing. As he painfully struggled to keep himself airbown, he looked ahead; Rainbow was nowhere in sight.

His whole body sagged as he floated downwards, eventually coming to a rest on a small cloud. He stretched his aching wing out and, wincing a little, massaged it gently; there wouldn't be any more flying for him until it had rested properly. He considered himself lucky; if he had gotten that wing cramp right in the middle of performing the Sonic Rainboom, things would've been much more disastrous.

But the pain in his wing was nothing compared to the pain inside him. Sighing, he folded his wings and slumped face first into the cloud feeling nothing but painful misery.

Rainbow hated him. He let out a long groan as the thought consumed him. She hated him, would never want to see his face again, would never want to even look at him ever again. All he ever wanted was to make things right between them, to say how much he regretted betraying her. He supposed this was normal coming from the Element of Loyalty.

And what was he? Treachery incarnate according to his brother. He never believed Psych and his way of seeing them, and he tried staying true to his true self, but in the end, he betrayed Rainbow. He never considered doing such a thing to anypony especially to her, and yet, he did so. Betrayal...That wasn't him at all or was it? Was he really a traitor to the core? A a backstabber? A pony undeserving anypony's trust?

But one thing was clear however; he was a pony hated by Rainbow Dash.
> Drowning Sorrows
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 34
DROWNING SORROWS


Teleporting all the way from the library, Solstice was the first among his brothers to arrive at their meeting place in front of Ponyville's town hall. As he stood there waiting patiently, he wondered how Scar and Ironhead were doing with their apologies. Hopefully, things would've just as smoothly as it did with him.

It was just past sunset when he arrived. He had spent the entire afternoon helping Twilight out with the re-shelving. It was a time-consuming process he didn't mind since he was spending it with her. Her parting words to her were: "See you at the Gala...". Her nervous chuckle was music to his ears.

Speaking of his ears, they perked up upon hearing trotting heading in his direction. Looking to his right, he smiled as one of his brothers approached. "Ironhead, how were things with Applejack?"

The earth pony looked up at his brother and sighed before turning away. "It...seriously could've gone better..."

Hearing that made Solstice let out a small gasp. "But..." Ironhead looked up at him again. "I'm not gonna give up...I'm...I'm still in this..."

A gentle smile returned to his brother's face. "Good to see that you haven't lost hope. I do hope Scar is doing splendidly with his apology as well."

Ironhead looked over his brother's shoulder and spotted something. "Uh oh. You're not gonna like this bro..."

Confused, Solstice turned around. Slowly coming into view was Scar, his body looking unusually heavy as she trotted up to his brothers head bowed; it didn't take a genius to figure out how things with him went. Gloomy as ever, Scar halted in front of his brothers and let out a sigh.

"Oh dear..." Solstice trotted up yo the depressed Scar and patted him comfortably on his shoulder. The latter looked up at his brother with sorrowful eyes, eyes that earlier had been filled with determination. Solstice opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

"S-So um...H-how did things go with you guys?" Scar asked trying not to think about the pain inside him.

"Uh..." Ironhead scratched the back of his head. "Applejack and I are still kinda rocky. Things between us still aren't that good to be honest."

"Oh...I'm sorry," Scar's ears drooped even lower. "What about you Solstice?"

The latter blinked. "What?" He looked from Scar to Ironhead and then back to Scar while shuffling around nervously. How could he tell them them that only he ended up getting truly forgiven. "Me? Well, things went...er...How do I put this?"

"She still mad at you?" Ironhead asked.

The unicorn tapped his hooves nervously against each other. "Actually...Things went...well between us..."

"Really?" Ironhead asked raising his eyebrows and earning a nervous nod in reply. "Th-That's great; good for you bro."

Scar managed to give him a weak smile. "Scar, Ironhead, please, I-"

"Seriously bro, don't." Ironhead interrupted. "Even though things with us aren't doing so good, we're happy for you."

"Yeah. We're glad at least you got what you wanted." Despite his gloom, Scar did feel happy for his eldest brother.

Solstice was genuinely touched by his brothers words. He adjusted his glasses pulled his brothers into a tight hug. Both of them were surprised at first, but they eventually rolled their eyes and just went with it. Ever so grateful for their support, Solstice released both of them after a few moments with a sigh.

"Now then, I believe it is time we head on home." he said prepping up his horn for a quick telepotation spell.

"Uh...actually Solstice, I think I wanna stay here for a while." a nervous Scar said before the spell could be completed. Both of his brothers turned to him. "I...really got a lot on my mind right now, and...I kinda want some alone time...I need to clear my head a little..."

"Are you certain?" Solstice asked. "Scar, I know that you are hurting; if you have any worries at all, you need only ask me or-"

"Let his go Solstice. He needs this." Ironhead interrupted.

"But Ironhead-"

"Look, Rainbow was more than some girl Scar liked OK?" Ironhead explained. "She was his idol. Being rejected by her...crap, even I'd wanna take some time off after something like that. Just give him some time, he'll be back on his hooves before you know it."

Solstice considered it for a moment; he had no idea of Scar's pain, so who was he to say what he could or couldn't do. "Very well Scar; please take care of yourself."

The latter nodded. "Relax; I will. I'm just gonna stay here in Ponyville and..." He gave another big sigh. "Clear my head a little..."

Both his brothers looked at him worriedly. Sighing, Solstice lit up his horn with teal magic. "See ya later bro. Keep your head up." Ironhead told him as the spell enveloped him.

Scar had just enough time to give his brothers a small salute before they vanished in a teal flash. As much as he wanted to be alone at that moment, he was glad to see how much they cared about him. It almost made him forget about what happened earlier. Then again, it still didn't change what he did.

He still betrayed Rainbow.

Unbeknownst to his brothers, he had a feeling that something bad would happen and prepared himself for it in case it came. Now that he was alone, he lifted his uninjured wing and took out a large pouch of bits, just enough to get him through the night. Putting the pouch back in its usual place, Scar left the meeting place to "clear his head a little".

And he knew just the kind of place to do that.



The building was located along the outskirts of Ponyville. It was a small, rectangular , three-story structure covered in dark brown paint and with a small garden in the front. Scar could faintly hear music being played through the windows. Right above the doorway was a large neon sign that said in bright green letters: "Scotch's Place".

Good enough for me.

The interior of the building was well lit and filled will rather upbeat music. Scattered across the floor were several tables where ponies sat, ate, drank and chatted with one another. Directly across the entrance was a bar manned by a light tan earth pony with a sand-colored mane and dark brown eyes wearing a red vest with a white collar. His cutie mark consisted of a pair of mugs filled with frothing liquid clanking against each other.

A little reluctant, Scar entered headed for the bar hoping not to draw too much attention to himself. Unfortunately, just entering the room caused a few ponies to turn in his direction. They stared at him briefly before resuming their business making him wonder if it was him they were talking about.

He made it to the bar and sat on one of the stools there without incident. The bartender noticed this trotted up to him. "Hey, you're one of those weird ponies with freaky powers are you?"

Scar blinked twice in surprise. "The whole town knows about you guys. Trust me when I say there's always something new happening here in Ponyville every week or two." He sighed. "Anyway, welcome to Scotch's Place. I'm Scotch. What can I get you?"

His customer pulled out his money pouch and counted his bits. "Uh...Just-just get me some cider." he replied a little tensely.

Scotched left for a moment and returned with a frothing mug of cider in his mouth. "Everything OK with you?" he asked putting it down.

Scar took the mug and drank down its contents. After lowered it, he closed his eyes letting the alcohol get into his system for a few moments. "Huh? What?" he asked almost forgetting the bartender's question.

"I was asking if you were OK." Scotch replied. "You look like you got a lot on your mind."

"You really wanna know?" Scar asked taking a sip.

"Only if you're willing. Part of the job is listening to everypony rant and bitch about how their lives suck. Because of that, I'm the only stallion in town who knows just as much gossip the mares do. I know who's having trouble with their job, who's sleeping with him or her, whoever the real dad of that foal is, y'know, that kind of crap. So what's your story?"

Scar tapped his hoof against the stool. "Um...It's kinda a long story to be honest."

"Work trouble?" Scotch questioned; Scar shook his head. "Family issues?" Again, a no from the pegasus who drank once again from his mug. "Money things? Friend quarrels? Mare problems?"

Scar finished the last of his cider and half-slammed the mug on the table. "She more than just a mare; she was my inspiration!" he cried out burying his face his his hooves. "She was my idol, my hero, and I ruined everything!"

"Alright, I get it." Scotch said comfortingly though several other customers turned in their direction at Scar's outburst. "Anything else you wanna say?"

"Yeah; can you fill this up again please?" Scar pushed his empty mug towards the bartender who took it away. He then uncovered his face and sighed heavily unable to wait to get another drink.

His waiting however was suddenly interrupted by a loud clanking sound coming from his right followed by the sound of liquid being poured. Not too long afterwards, he felt cold liquid pour on his lap causing him to cry out and jump back in fright. He landed on his hind legs and stood up taking in his soaked stomach.

"Oops!" A pony came up to him probably to help him out. Startled, Scar backed up and stepped on some of the drink that had spilled onto the floor. With a loud cry, he hoof slipped, and he fell backwards. The pony helping him grabbing his right outstretched hoof to pull him up, but Scar only ended up swinging and slamming into the back of an empty chair on his right. He slowly slid to the floor groaning in pain.

"I-I'm sorry mister; I only wanted to help..." the pony sad sadly. Scar shook the stars out of his vision and looked up at the pony who had caused all of this.

To his surprise, it was a mare, a pegasus like him. She had a grey coat, a blonde mane, a bunch of bubbles of a cutie mark and...Scar was drawn to her eyes. Both were yellowish in color, but while one of them staring apologetically at him, the other was turned away slightly towards the ceiling.

"Um...Don't worry about it." he assured her. As she let out a relieved sigh, he took in her strange eyes again. Those eyes stirred something in his memory. "Hey...you crashed into me that day the storm cloud came into town." he realized.

"Really? Oh. Sorry about that too; we were all in a hurry." the mare replied.

"What? Oh it's OK really." Scar replied standing up. "That cloud was gonna mess Ponyville up; it had to be taken out ASAP."

"You're the one who did it right?" she asked. "I saw it when you made your wings grow big and make that wind and make yourself into a tornado-"

"Y-yeah; I can do a lot of things." Scar said with a nervous chuckle.

The mare smiled gently at him and extended a hoof. "Sorry for not introducing myself first. Name's Derpy Hooves."

"Scarlet Blur, but everypony just calls me Scar." the latter replied with a smile of his own while shaking her hoof. He heard a whistle and looked ahead. Scotch waved at him and pointed at a fresh mug of cider. "Hang on, my drink's here."

"Yeah. I need a new one too." Derpy said walking along with Scar and taking a seat next to Scar. "Another one please Scotch."

As Scotch fetch her another drink, Scar downed his own. After finishing half of it, he put the mug down and sighed. "Ugh...Sweet Celestia, I needed that..."

As he drank some more, Scotch returned with Derpy's drink. "Hey Scotch." Scar said pointing at his now empty mug; Scotch understood and left to fetch a new one.

"Um...Are you OK Scar?" Derpy asked reluctantly.

Her fellow pegasus got his drink back and took a few gulps before lowering it already feeling buzzed. "Huh? Oh...Did you hear me a while ago?"

"Sorry, but you were really loud." Derpy took a drink. "That mare meant a lot to you huh?"

Scar sighed and took another drink. "She did...And-And I ended up betraying her!" With a loud cry, he buried his face in his hooves and started sobbing. Alarmed, Scotch approached, but Derpy got to him first. She gently rubbed the sobbing pony's back.

"There there. C'mon, don't cry Scar." she said in a caring motherly way. Scar looked up at her with slightly damp eyes and hiccuped. "It's OK. Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"R-Really?" Scar wiped his nose. "It's kinda a long story Derpy."

She just continued to give him that same caring look. "Don't worry; I'm all ears."

Several drinks later...

"And then! She-she told me to stay away from her and her friends!" *Glug*Glug*Glug* "She flew off, and-and I went after, but-" *Glug*Glug*Glug* "B-but-but she did a Sonic Rainboom thing and flew away! I didn't mean to hurt her, and I said I was sorry!" *Glug* "Why?!" *Glug* "I didn't mean it! *Glug* "Why?! Why?! Why?!"

*Glug*Glug*Glug*Glug*Glug*

"Ugh, Scotch!" Scar cried out giving his empty mug away before slumping on the counter top miserably.

"Aww..." Derpy said feeling sorry for him. "You don't have to worry about Rainbow. She said she was your friend right? She just needs to cool off for a while before she comes around."

Scar lifted his face now soaked with tears and looked at her. "R-*hic*-really?"

"Uh huh. But it might take a while 'cause...well...she's the Element of Loyalty...I dunno a lot about Rainbow, but thing's are gonna be fine. I'll even Pinkie Promise that." She did the actions of said promise before taking a drink.

Scar sniffed feeling a little better and drew a hoof across his nose. "Careful with that. If things don't get any better, you'll lose me-"

"Forever." Derpy finished dramatically before laughing a little. As she did, Scar narrowed his eyes and stared at her intently. "Um...Scar?"

"Wow. Your eyes look normal now..." he said amazed.

"OK. You must really be drunk."

"I am not drunk." He reached for his cider and downed his..."Crap. Lost count after eight."

"Told you so."

"Hey, you're looking pretty tipsy too Derpy."

"Am not." She lightly pushed him.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am...Am...Pfft..."

Derpy just suddenly burst out laughing, clutching her sides in mirth. Scar found her laughter contagious as he joined her, pounding the counter top as he did. Scar never imagined he could feel this happy again considering that he had completely destroyed his idol's trust in him.

"OK." Derpy said holding out her hoof as her laughter finally died down. "OK. I guess I'm pretty drunk, but not as much as you!" she joked as Scar finally stopped and sighed.

"So...why're you here Derpy? Trying to drown your problems like me?" Scar said swirling his drink around before drinking.

Derpy turned and rested her forelegs on the counter top. "No. I come here sometimes when want some alone time. Scotch's really nice and make any bad pony trying to talk to me go away."

"So protecting us's part of the job too Scotch?" Scar joked to the bartender who just rolled his eyes as he handed another customer his drink. He chuckled and felt a tap on his shoulder. "Yeah Derpy?"

"Don't look now but...There's a mare here with her eye on you..." she answered giggling.

"Huh?" Scar craned his neck and scanned the crowed bar. "Really? Which one?"

"That pegasus alone in the corner with the blonde mane and the spade Cutie Mark. I just saw her staring at you a while ago."

Scar found the aforementioned pegasus. They briefly locked eyes before she turned away quickly munching on her plate of hay fries innocently. Scar groaned miserably and faced forward. "Aww what's the use? I-I'll just end up betraying everypony else anyway. My brother's right; I'm a horrible pony..."

His shoulders began heaving as his he was sobbing once again. "No you're not." Derpy said causing him to raise his head and whimper. "I dunno why your brother said that, but I don't think you're a bad pony Scar."

Scar sniffed trying hard to believe her. "E-Even though I...I..."

Derpy just nodded before Scar could finish. The latter finally smiled and wiped his eyes definitely feeling better than before. "Th-thanks Derpy. You're a good pony too." Derpy back at him also feeling happy. "Hey Scotch, another round for me and my friend over here!"

"I'm gonna have to say no to that." Scotch replied surprising the pegasus. "I think you two have had enough."

"Aww...Please Scotch?' Derpy asked nicely.

"Look, other customers are starting to complain around here." Scotch gestured around the bar where a few ponies where complaining about the noise they made. "Any more alcohol in you won't make them quiet down."

"Yeah; get a room you two!" one of them shouted angrily causing Derpy to shrink and turned red.

"Hey!" Scar shouted back getting out of his seat. "You wanna-Oof!"

He had fallen face first onto the bar's floor. Surprised, Derpy jumped off her seat and dug her head under his body to help him up. Now on his feet, Scar shook his head and made for the pony who shouted. "That's my friend you're-Oof!"

He took one step forward, wobbled and fell down once again. "Yep. I'm drunk. Let's get outta here Derpy."

"Ahem." Scotch coused and got their attention. The two of them saw him holding up their bill. Derpy approached him and took a look. Immediately, her spirits plummeted.

"B-But-I wasn't really planning on drinking that much." she said surprised by the number of drinks she had while hearing Scar out. She worriedly pulled out her pouch of bits and poured out its contents . Her heart fell upon realizing that it wasn't enough to cover her bill. "H-Hang on a minute..."

Scotch sighed. "Derpy..."

"J-Just wait." Derpy desperately searched herself looking for any spare change on her. "Hang on. I just know I got more...Oh..."

He search was interrupted by the sound of something heavy falling. Curious, Derpy looked down and saw a pouch lying on the floor a few feet away. She reached for it and opened it, letting out a small gasp at the number of bits inside.

"Did I get it on the counter top?" Scar, still on the floor, asked craning his neck. "Crap. Note to self: no throwing stuff when you're drunk. Anyway, is that enough Scotch?"

The bartender took the pouch and counted the bits inside. "There's enough for you and for Derpy."

"Good. I'll pay for her too then." Scar said craning his neck to look at them. Scotch looked satisfied while Derpy looked reluctant.

"B-But Scar, you don't have to." she said embarrassed by being unable to pay for herself.

"Sorry. Too late for that." he replied as Scotch trotted away with the money. "It's 'cause of me going on about my life you drank more than you wanted, so...this's me saying sorry."

Despite still feeling a little embarrassed, Derpy smiled, touched by the stallion's gesture. "Now then, think you can help me up?"

Still smiling, Derpy packed away her bits and helped Scar up. He shook his head and glared at the doorway right in front of him. "OK...I can do this." He took a step forward and steeled himself as he felt his entire body wobble. Derpy darted forward to help, but Scar planted another hoof in front of him straining himself to not fall. That was followed by another hoof forward. And then another. And then another.

"Finally!" After that treacherous journey through the swirling bar, Scar made his way out. Glad to be outdoors again and feeling fresh evening air on his face, he grinned triumphantly. "C'mon Derpy, let's-Oof!"

When Derpy emerged from Scotch's Place, she found Scar lying on the ground not to far away. The sight made her giggle and take a step forward feeling her legs wobble a little. Giggling at the discovery, she carefully made her way towards him until-

"Oof!" She collapsed right next to him. Groanaing a little, she looked to her right and saw Scar doing the same. The two pegasi locked gazes for a moment before bursting into laughter at their own condition. "Wow...I'm really drunk." she remarked giggling a little. "Hey Scar, how're my eyes?"

"Normal." Both ponies laughed again until Scar rose. "C'mon Derpy, let's hang out somewhere else."

"Ooh. Let's fly over to Sugar Cube Corner. I think Pinkie's doing a taste testing thing for some brownies tonight." Derpy suggested eager to hang out with her new friend.

"Good enough for me. Let's-OW!" Scar cried out as he spread his wings and felt a sharp pain coming from one of them.

"What's wrong?" Derpy asked worriedly.

"Ah...I hurt my wing chasing Rainbow earlier." He winced as he folded his wings back. "Sorry Derpy; I'm not doing any flying tonight."

"I know." Derpy said cheerily. "Wanna come over to my place? We can hang out there instead."

"But...my wing..." Scar flexed it again and winced.

"I can help. I know a little about giving massages. If we can get to my house, I can help you feel way better." Derpy offered with a cheery grin.

"Seriously?" Scar's drunken mind considered the offer of a relaxing massage at Derpy's house. "Whoa...I dunno if it's 'cause I'm drunk, but there's like an alarm thing going off in my head." He blinked a few times. "Now it kinda sounds like one of my brothers, but I can tell what's he's saying. Something about music I think; he plays a saxophone..."

"We can drink more cider at my home."

The alarm and his brother's voice vanished upon hearing that. "Massage and alcohol? Sweet! Your place it is Derpy." What could go wrong? "So where's-Oof!"

Derpy laughed again seeing him fail at walking. "C'mon, lemme help." She helped him up and draped his right foreleg over her. "Think this'll work?"

"Let's find out." Both ponies took a step but in opposite directions. They laughed again, before Scar took a step in the right direction.

"There you go Scar. It's easy, just a hop, skip and...jump!"

"Gyah! Whoa! Whoa! Don't jump without me!"

"Sorry. OK; let's try again. Say it with me...hop...skip..."

"Jump!"

"Ahh! Hey, you were too early!"

"Was not!"

"Was too! C'mon...Hop...Skip...Jump!"

*bonk!*

"Ow my head...You OK Scar?"

"Uh huh, but let's just try walking now OK?"

"OK...There. That was kinda easy. C'mon, just a few more blocks away!"

The journey was slow, tiresome and noisy, but boy did they have the time of their lives.

> The Morning After
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 35
THE MORNING AFTER


As sunlight drifted through her window, Derpy groaned and turned in her sleep silently begging the princess for even just a few more seconds of precious sleep. She still had at least half an hour left before having to get up, make breakfast and herself ready for her morning delivery route. Sighing a little, she stretched out her left leg and pulled the pillow on her right close to her, snuggling up to it as she tried to get some more sleep.

Strangely, the pillow felt a lot tougher then she expected not to mention a lot warmer. Nevertheless, she rubbed her cheek against it finding the strange warmth actually soothing. Things got more strange however, when the pillowed moved on its own and placed something that felt like an arm around her.

Still, that wasn't enough to bother her. She shifted a little and raised her head, stopping only when she felt a warm breeze hit her face. Finally disturbed by the strange occurrences, she gently opened her eyes and immediately saw a pair of orange ones staring right at her.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Her scream startled Scar.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Together:

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

The suddenly door burst open revealing a pony behind it.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"GRAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Said pony brandished a golf club above their head.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Scar scrambled out of the bed and fell onto the floor. The pony with the golf club, quickly advanced on him. "You little creep!" The club was quickly swung downwards.

He screamed and covered his head awaiting the blow. "C-Carot Top, wait! Don't hurt him!" Derpy shouted before Scar could be struck. Scar uncovered his head and saw the club just half an inch away from the top of his head. Holding the club was a yellow earth pony mare glaring at him with angry green eyes.

"Wh-What's going on? Where am I?" Scar asked unable to recognize his surroundings.

"You're in my room Scar." Derpy told him still lying on her bed. "Remember? We got really drunk last night, and then we went here."

He concentrated and tried to remember the previous night. He remembered saying bye to his brothers, going into Scotch's Place, meeting Derpy and telling her about his problems, drinking with her, leaving the bar and remembering about his hurt wing, accepting Derpy's offer of a massage and more drinks, getting home, chatting and drinking-

He stopped at that memory because everything after that was a blur. But looking around from Derpy still lying on her bed covered in a blanket to his own state, his pupils shrunk as he felt a sack of bricks fall into his stomach.

"Oh...Oh crap..." His breaths became ragged as he clutched his head. "Oh no...No no no no NO! Derpy! Please tell me we didn't!"

As he panicked, Carrot Top raised the golf club higher. "H-Hang on!" Derpy cried out desperately trying to remember the previous night. "OK...OK. I remember us getting home. We were both laughing and talking downstairs, and...and I was scared we'd wake everypony else up. Then we...We grabbed some cider and went upstairs..."

"Oh crap..."

"We kept on drinking and got even more drunk...

"No..."

"We got in my room..."

"NO!"

"You got on my bed."

"NO!"

"I crawled on top of you..."

"NO!"

"I said I was gonna make you feel really good."

"NO!"

"I started massaging your wings."

"NO!"

"You kept moaning and telling me how good it felt."

"NO!"

"Then you flipped over on your back."

"NO!"

"You told me to massage under your wings."

"NO!"

"Then you went back to moaning."

"NO!"

"And then you..."

"NO!"

"Y-You fell asleep."

"Nuuuuuu-What?"

"You...You fell asleep." Derpy said wide eyed. "You kept moaning and moaning and then...started snoring."

Scar blinked twice, and Carrot Top lowered the club. "Y-You sure Derpy? You completely sure about that?"

"Um..." She scrunched up her eyes and started thinking. "Uh...I'm sure. After you fell asleep, I fell next to you and started sleeping too."

It took Scar several moments for this to sink in, moments where the weight in his stomach vanished. "So that means...That means, I fell asleep." A wide grin quickly broke out. "I fell asleep! We didn't have sex! Yes!"

It was only after about five seconds after he said it that he realized what he had said. "N-Not that you're not attractive or anything Derpy." he said quickly. "I-I mean I-you-I-you see-n-never mind..."

As he sighed and laid down once again, Carrot turned to Derpy with a questioning look. "So who is this guy Derpy?"

"Oh." She hopped off her bed and approached her. "Carrot, This is Scar, my uh...friend." She fidgeted nervously. "Scar, this is my room mate Carrot Top."

"Uh, hi." Scar greeted awkwardly with a little salute. "Sorry about the screaming."

Carrot sighed. "It's OK; I'm sorry about almost hitting you. I'm just glad you didn't wake up-"

"Mama?"

All eyes turned to the doorway where a unicorn filly stood clutching a stuffed bear. She had a violet coat, a blonde mane and yellow eyes which seemed familiar to Scar. He slowly turned turned to Derpy and realized the similarities between her and the filly. That, plus the way she looked at Derpy when she asked, gave him an idea to her identity resulting in his jaw dropping.

"What's wrong Dinky?" Derpy asked worriedly.

The filly clutched her bear tighter as she approached. "I heard you screaming and got scared. Are you hurt mama?"

Seeing her worried about her, Derpy pulled the filly closer. "Aww, I'm OK muffin. Auntie Carrot just scared me that's all." she said comfortingly. Scar pushed his jaw back up.

"I wasn't the only one." Carrot replied pointing at the pegasus who turned to the filly.

"Y-Yeah...Sorry about scaring you like that." He scratched the back of his head a little guilty about startling her. "Anyway, I'm Scar; I'm friends with uh...your mom."

Dinky tilted her head as if she were examining him and the smiled. "If mama likes you, then I like you. I'm Dinky."

Seeing Dinky smiling innocently in the embrace of her mother tugged Scar's heartstrings; he couldn't help but smile back at her. Derpy smiled as well seeing how Scar seemed to already like her daughter. "OK then, everypony hungry for some breakfast?"

The two other girls nodded, but Scar didn't. "Uh...Listen Derpy, I think I've done enough here. I don't really wanna bother you any more...Besides, my family might start worry about me." They've probably started a search party already...

"Scar, you didn't do anything wrong." Derpy told him letting go of Dinky. "C'mon, let's have breakfast together."

"Trust me; you're gonna love what Derpy's making." Carrot told him.

He opened his mouth to argue back, but then, his stomach growled causing him to blush and Derpy to giggle. "OK I'm in. So what're we having Derpy? Toast? Cereal? Pancakes?"

The wall-eyed mare smiled.

"Muffins!"



Scar had never had muffins for breakfast before, but, as he munched on one of Derpy's banana-chocolate chip muffins, he wished he did it all the time, or at least, have more of Derpy's. His muffin half-done, he reached across the table and plucked another one from a tray.

"I told you mama makes the best muffins ever." Dinky told Scar as she ate a muffin of her own. "Mama, can we have some more please?"

"In a minute muffin!" Derpy called out from the kitchen where she and Carrot where busy making another batch. The two mares sounded like they were talking about something, but Scar chose to ignore it.

Excited for another round, Dinky continued with her muffin. "So uh Dinky..." Scar began a little nervous. "You in like, kindergarten or something?"

"Uh huh. Ms. Cheerilee's the nicest teacher ever. Yesterday, she said that the unicorns in are class are gonna start using magic today. She said Ms. Twilight was coming in to teach us the basics." Dinky told him.

"Really? That's cool I guess." Scar said finishing his muffin. "So, can you do magic already?"

"Kinda; watch this."

Dinky turned her gaze to the lone muffin sitting on a tray about a foot away and concentrated, scrunching her eyes up to the point where they almost resembled her mothers. At first, nothing happened; Dinky propped her hooves on the table and concentrated harder, her tongue sticking out a little. The tip of her horn started to glow with a dark gold aura before sputtering and extinguishing.

"Aww." Dinky said sadly looking at the muffin which hadn't moved even a little bit.

Just then, Derpy came into the room and deposited a fresh plate of warm muffins on the table. "Don't worry muffin. You'll get it right some day." she said patting her daughter on the head and sitting next to her.

"Isn't Twilight like, Princess Celestia's student or something?" Carrot mentioned. "If you keep it up, maybe you can be her student."

"My teacher's teacher is the princess? I'm gonna be the bestest unicorn ever!" she cried out excitedly earning laughs from around the table.

Smiles on their faces, they continued enjoying breakfast together. By the time they were done, Scar was happy and full. As Carrot took the dishes away, Derpy fetched a small backpack and place it on Dinky. "Now, you be good OK?"

Dinky nodded and nuzzled her mom. Derpy gave her a kiss on her forehead before she ran off to school. "Bye mama! Bye Auntie Carrot! Bye Mr. Scar!"

Scar waved back at her before she galloped out of the house. Carrot emerged from the kitchen finished dealing with the dishes. "I guess I better go too. I have to get my stall up early today."

"OK. I'll see you later then." Derpy said happily waving to her room mate.

Carrot nodded at her and headed for the front door where she stopped and looked over her shoulder. She gave him a funny look leading him to raise a confused eyebrow in response. She held that look for about half a minute before shutting the door behind her. As soon as it did, Scar rounded on Derpy and asked the question he had been withholding.

"You have a daughter?!"

Derpy winced a little. "Sorry about that; I'm just a little surprised." he quickly apologized. "She's a good kid y'know."

She smiled feeling good about hearing about her daughter. "Well...You said your family's gonna worry about you right? You should go now. C'mon, I'll walk you out."

"Y-Yeah...Right..." Scar shuffled around nervous before being led to her front door. "Hey Derpy, thanks again for y'know, everything. I know things got all messed at the end, but I still wanna say thanks. I really had fun last night; you helped me get through a really tough time for me."

She smiled as they reach the doorway. "Yeah...I had a lotta fun too. I'm really glad your're not sad anymore."

Scar smiled and looked out the doorway. "I'm still not giving up on Rainbow y'know. I'm still gonna make things right again."

Derpy watched him gaze out of the doorway determined to make things right between him and his idol. "Y'know, if you're ever around, maybe we can hang out again."

"OK, but let's not get drunk again OK?" Scar replied leading both of them to laugh. "Yeah...That'll be great. I'll see you around Derpy."

As she smiled back, he gave her a little salute before taking off. As soon as figure vanished in the distance, Derpy sighed and entered her home, glad that Scar wasn't unable to see the look of worry on her face.



After flying for around a minute, Scar's wing felt a lot better than it did the day before. Derpy's massaged had apparently done wonders to it. Wanting a true test, he enlarged his wings and found, to his delight, that his wings still didn't hurt. He flapped several times and sped up towards the direction of the Everfree forest. With any luck, he's get there before the search party set out.

Passing over the trees, he spotted none of his family searching around for him. He continued on deeper into the forest eventually coming across the castle he called home. He touched down in front of the main door, which at the same time, opened."

"Solstice! Blues!" Scar cried out galloping to his unicorn brothers as they stepped out. Both of them halted as he stopped in front of them.

"There you are. Have you any idea how worried father was last night when you didn't return?" Blues reprimanded sternly.

"Heh. Nice to see you too bro." Scar said with laugh.

"We were all worried about you Scar. Why didn't you inform us that you were to spend the night in Ponyville." Solstice asked.

"Well...uh...I guess I got caught up in trying to clear my head." Scar answered hoping to end this conversation quickly. "Aaanyway...I think I'm gonna head on up to my room." he said passing between his brothers and failing to notice Blue's eyes widen. "I'll tell you guys more about it later so-"

He stopped as he felt something quickly wrap around his hind legs and snapped them shut. It then coiled around his torso and wings and yanked him backwards causing him to shriek. The next thing he knew, he was upside down and got a good view of what was holding him, something navy blue with light blue flecks. Sticking out of the end was a long tendril with the same coloration. He traced it and found it attached to the top of Blues' head. His blind, milky eyes burned holes into his orange ones.

"Is that alcohol on your breath?!" Blues exclaimed as Solstice backed up. He knew better than to get in the way of an angry Blues.

"I uh...you see..." Scar stammered unable to think properly due to the blood rushing to his head.

"So this is how you 'cleared you head'?" Blues shook him a few times. "You know how poor your judgement is when you're drunk! Please tell me you didn't get yourself into any trouble."

"I...I didn't, honest!" Scar answered hoping this would calm Blues down. "Besides, I wasn't alone! I was uh...with a friend."

"A friend? Was it with this friend that you spent the night?" Solstice asked.

The upside down pegasus quickly nodded at Blues. "Y-yeah. Yeah, we did get really drunk, but we didn't get into trouble or anything. We just talked and talked and then we decided to hang out at her place-"

"Her?! HER?!"

Celestia help me.

"YOU! TOOK! HOME! A! DRUNK! MARE!?" Blues shrieked punctuating each word with a jerk of his hair, making Scar swing around madly.

"AAH! WE! AAH! DIDN'T! AAH! DO! AAH! ANYTHING! AAH!"

Blues stopped and let his brother come to a rest in front of him. "Sh-she said herself that nothing happened!" Scar cried out not daring to mention that they had shared a bed. "She told me that I fell asleep before anything uh...happened..."

Blues narrowed his eyes at his brother who gulped. After a few moments of glaring, he sighed and gently lowered Scar to the ground. The hair surrounding his body retracted back into his mane returning it to its usually wavy state. "Very well Scar; I believe you." Scar sighed in relief. "But still...getting yourself drunk and spending the night in an equally drunk mare's home isn't something to be proud off."

"I know; it was a stupid thing to do. I'm just glad nothing bad happened. Besides, we can still be friends." Scar said picking himself up. "And she really did help me clear my head about my problem with Rainbow."

"She sounds like a good friend." Solstice commented.

"She is." Scar agreed. "Anyway, I should probably head inside and tell dad I'm OK right?"

"Yes, and you probably should mention how you spent your evening. I'm sure father has some words for you as well." Blues said heading inside.

"At least he's way nicer." Scar muttered as he and Solstice headed inside as well.

The door behind them quickly shut blocking out their view of the outside world. With seemingly no one watching, another pony touched down in front of the castle, a pegasus mare with a spade Cutie Mark grinning evilly at the castle before her.

Heh...we've got you now...
> Butch's Assault Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 36
BUTCH'S ASSAULT PART 1


"A castle right in the middle of the Everfree forrest...I couldn't even go in there without looking over my shoulder every second. How do those guys stand living there right in the middle of all sorts of wild animal crap?" the pegasus mare said pacing around the living room.

The earth pony stallion was sitting on his couch sipping some tea as he listened to her talk. "They do have special powers don't they? With those, protecting themselves against the forest's animals shouldn't be too much of a problem." he replied calmly.

"I guess." The mare stopped. "Don't you think Butch and his goons might not stand a chance?"

"Are you worried about them?"

"Ugh, no! Butch's an arrogant jerk. If anything, I kinda want him to fail."

The earth pony raised an eyebrow. "Really? This mission is essential to Libra and to our Leader's goal." He took a sip of tea and put the cup down. "I don't like Butch either, but if he succeeds, if he gets them, nothing will be able to stop us. The Elements of Harmony will be powerless against us. Once Ponyville is destroyed, we can take the Elements for ourselves. Our leader will be unstoppable."

The mare narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "Pfft. You might care about Libra and our Leader, but I don't. I couldn't care any less who's running Equestria after all this as long as it isn't that bitch."

"Meadow..."

"You know why I'm here Cabbage." she continued turning away from him. "You know how my family suffered 'cause of her." She grit her teeth angrily wanting desperately to punch something. She then heard Cabbage rise from the couch and approached her, nuzzling her comfortingly.

"Look, everything will turn out fine. We will win in the end." Meadow calmed down upon feeling his warmth. "We'll all have what we want when this is all over."

Meadow sighed and nuzzled him back knowing in her heart that she could trust his words.



Later that evening...

"So, lemme get this straight. You and a mare got totally wasted, you got her to take you to her place, you got yourself in her room, you got on her bed, you got her to get on top of you, you got her to give you a massage, and you still didn't get laid?!"

"Uh...no..."

Ironhead's legs fell beneath him as he rolled on the floor clutching his sides while laughing his heart out. Scar frowned as he crossed over to his room and pulled the door open. "Loser!" Ironhead cried out tears in his eyes while Scar slammed his door shut. After about a minute of laughing, Ironhead picked himself and headed for his room chuckling as he did.

The rest of the family was getting ready for bed as well. Solstice had bookmarked the page of a book he was engrossed in and levitated it to a nearby book case. Blues had played the last few notes of a piece he was performing and was levitating his sax back to its usual spot. Ash stared at the ceiling wallowing in his misery; Psych was doing the same worried sick about Ash, and Equinox took one last look at his invitation to the Grand Galloping Gala wondering why Celestia wants to meet them there of all places.

For hours, the family slept peacefully, the castle they lived in silent under a moonless night. The trees surrounding the castle covered the area around them in darkness, and through this darkness did several figures travel through silently. One of those figures, the leader of the group, moved ahead and came across the castle first, smirking as the rest caught up.

"Time to get this show started." he turned to his companions. "Search every room until you find them. If anyone gets in your way...kill them."

Meanwhile inside the castle, Blues had woken up unexpectedly. He smacked his lips and felt them dry and in need of some water. Sighing, he jumped off his bed and left his room heading in the direction of the kitchen. He arrived there without incident and satisfied his thirst with a glass of water. Feeling better, he trotted out of the kitchen and into the dining room, the castle's silence broken by the sound of his hooves against the-

He suddenly froze mid-step, a look of shock on his face. He had picked up the sound of the front door swinging open as well as several figures enter the building. He could hear them muttering to each other about something, but he didn't care what. He knew there were many of them , more than he could handle.

Good thing he knew what to do in a situation like this. Careful not to make a sound, Blues launched a strand of his mane sideways towards a small cupboard. Pursing his lips, he felt around for the handle and pulled it open. The strand shifted through several utensils and until it wrapped around what Blues was searching for, a crimson rock covered in runes, a rock with a special enchantment. The tendril constricted around the rock and crushed it to pieces producing a very audible crack as it did.

The crack was unfortunately loud enough to get the intruders' attention. Blues could already sense several of them head his way; gritting his teeth, he raised his shoulders ready to attack, his mane flaring out threateningly. Hopefully, he'd be able to handle them before his family could arrive. In a matter of seconds, one of the intruders appeared before him.

Immediately, he sensed the intruder leap and soar towards him leading Blues to conclude that he had wings. He swung his head and, the flying intruder got the side of his head smacked by a long tendril of navy blue hair. He crashed into the side wall as two more intruders came in and lunged at the pony.

Blues jumped back and launched two tendrils at them. He smirked as he felt one of them coil around its mark but suddenly gasped in pain as he felt that tendril suddenly become severed. They have claws?! he thought as he stumbled back from the pain. This gave the other intruder the chance to lunch at him and grab him.

Struggling against the claws that held him, Blues felt himself lifted off the floor. The next second, his lungs emptied themselves of air as he felt himself being slammed on the table. Dizzy from the impact, he felt his assailant's hot breath on him.

"We know they're here. Tell me where they are, and I might let you live." he said clutching him tightly.

Refusing to yield, Blues wrapped his attacker's head with hair and launched him upwards, slamming him into the ceiling. He then toss him towards one of the other intruders who dodged him and flew at him. Thinking fast, he made two tendrils coil around two of the seats at the table and swung them at the intruder. He heard them shatter to pieces upon impact and the sound of a body hitting the table. He then kicked and felt satisfied when he felt his hoof come into contact with a face.

Blues rose and threw the remaining pieces of the chairs against the table. He could sense another intruder enter the room as well as the first one he attack rise to its feet. He got up and quickly ducked as the new intruder flew towards him and shot his tail out. It coiled around the his legs, but he quickly severed them with a slash of his claws inflicting another wave of pain to Blues.

He recovered just in time to dodge the first intruder's lunge. As they flew back towards him, he jumped off the table, faced them and launched a thick tendril at them. One was struck, but the other one swerved around it and raised his claws. Another wave of pain told Blues that his hair had once again been severed. He knew he could just keep regrowing his hair, but of they kept cutting it, it wouldn't take too long before he was pain was too much.

He recovered quick enough to duck a swipe of his attacker's claws. The other one recovered from the blow and flew in as well, successfully punching Blues in the face while he was too busy dodging another swipe. The pony stumbled back from the blow and lashed out with a tendril that smacked both of them aside. As they crashed against the wall, he sensed something from behind him.

He quickly whipped around, but he was too late. He was so absorbed with holding off his two opponents, he forgot about the other two which had apparently recovered and launched their own assault. One of them grabbed his head, lifted him off the floor and slashed his stomach earning muffled screams from him. Blues quickly readied a counter, but the other intruder yanked the growing hair backwards and cut it with his claws earning yet another muffled scream of pain.

His body weary, he realized that they had forgotten about his tail which he lengthened, split and wrapped around their ankles. With a powerful yank, both intruders lost their balance and fell; Blues landed and flung them away from him. To his dismay, both of them spread their wings and stopped themselves before they could crash. Worse still, he sensed the other two intruders rise and backed up a little.

"Perfect." he muttered. He doubted he'd be able to leave with these four still conscious. Ignoring the feeling of blood dripping from his wounded stomach, Blues stood his ground; it was going to be a long fight.



Solstice was the first one out of his room after hearing the Emergency Stone shatter. He quickly headed down the corridor towards the stairs stopping only when he heard something rushing up them. He stepped back and calmly lit up his horn readying a spell in case one had to be cast. Movement out of the corner of his left eye caught his attention. He quickly glanced in that direction, but it was only Scar poking his head out of the room.

"Scar!" he called out to his brother and got his attention. "Check the stairs on the other end! There might be-"

He was interrupted by something large quickly heading up the stairs. Reflexively, Solstice fired a burst of teal magic and struck the creature, but another one quickly took its place. It lunged at Solstice, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Groaning, Solstice's eyes took in the intruder's brown feathered body as well as the beak on his face.

A...A griffon? Why would griffons attack us?

He was just about to ask that question when Scar, wings expanded to their full length, flew in and kicked the griffon holding his brother, sending him flying back. "You OK bro?" he asked turning to Solstice who picked himself up and dusted his shoulders.

"Nothing too serious I assure you." Both brothers turned to the staircase upon hearing the sound of more intruders heading up. A crash from their right caught their attention; they looked and found the window at the end of the corridor shatter as more griffons poured into the corridor. "Oh dear." Solstice said but remained perfectly calm as he lit up his horn.

"Scar, deal with the griffons entering through the window. I shall deal with the ones heading up the stairs." Solstice said hurriedly as a tendril of teal magic left his horn and entered Scar's head. Scar nodded and flew off in the direction of the invading griffons. Solstice took a step but suddenly remembered the other staircase that lead to their floor. Psych and Ash were still in their rooms; who would protect the other stair case?

"Bro!" To his relief, Solstice saw Ironhead race out of room towards the other end of the corridor. "I got the other end! They're not gonna get past me!"

Smiling, Solstice quickly performed the same spell on him before he raced down the stairs and was surprised by the number of griffons surging towards him. Staying perfectly calm, he fired blast after blast of magic. Some struck their targets and knocked them back whiles others dodged and lunged at him. He quickly raised a shimmering teal barrier which blocked their punches and slashes. Concentrating, he teleported backwards and blasted them with bursts of teal magic.

More and more griffons kept coming up the stairs. Two of them dodged his blasts and swiped at him with their claws. He dodged them and teleported a few steps up; he was very talented at magic, but his own physical capabilities were poor to say the least. Undeterred, he raised a teal barrier as a third griffon joined in on the assault. Thankfully, their punches and slashes did no damage to the barrier which he expanded, knocking the intruders down onto the floor below.

Planning to keep them down, Solstice teleported to the foot of the stairs. The corridor was strewn with fallen griffons, but more were coming in from the right side; there seemed to be no end to them. He still had plenty of magic left in him, but it wouldn't take too long before he becomes exhausted. He realized he had no choice; he had to use his powers.

Hoping his dad would forgive him for any damage he'd do to the castle, he lit up his horn and gave a loud cry. A teal magical aura enveloped his body filling the dark corridor with teal light. A similar one lined the corridor to his right. Stone columns suddenly burst out of the walls, crisscrossing themselves and forming a barrier that barred any access further.

A few griffons noticed it and quickly stopped, but the ones ahead of them weren't as quick. They crashed head-first into the stone bars and groaned as they crumpled at its feet. A bunch of griffons at the back didn't notice it either and cried out as they collided with the ones who had stopped in time, making a mess of feathers and insults. The ones who recovered first rubbed their bruises and turned around and tried to flee.

Solstice wouldn't let them get away so easily. His body still surrounded by a teal magical aura, he fired a larger burst of magic down the corridor. Halfway through, it suddenly split into several smaller streams of magic which shot through the gaps in the barrier and struck the retreating griffons. Some took head shots and collapsed unconscious while the ones who only took body shots or who evaded them fled to find an alternative route.

As they retreated, Solstice felt relieved, but he quickly turned around and saw more griffons charging towards him. The sight would easily freak anypony else out, but he was as calm as can be; he knew fully well the consequences if he let his stress get the better of him. With a deep breath, he adjusted his glasses, and the teal aura surrounding him intensified as he prepared himself for the fight.



With a mighty flap, Scar created a massive gust that knocked the griffons back out the window. When one of them stopped himself and flew back in, Scar crossed his forelegs over his face as he crashed into him and knocked him out of the window. He then gave another powerful flap, knocking the griffons away from him with another powerful gust.

With them distracted, Scar surveyed the ground and gasped as he saw dozens of griffons breaking through the windows and barging through the front door. He quickly flew to a nearby window and kicked the griffon before he could break the glass. The griffon recovered and flew in at him; Scar readied himself and twisted his body several times painfully battering the griffon with his enormous wings. Once he was done, he punched him in the jaw and took joy in seeing him fall.

That joy turned to shock as he felt a powerful kick to his side. Flying away a little, he spotted three griffons heading his way and quickly descended as one of them flew over him. He then crossed his wings over himself creating a makeshift shield which softened the punches of the other two griffons. He then quickly swung his wings out and knocked them into the castle wall before blowing the third griffon back with another powerful gust.

With them down, he circled around the castle and spotted two more griffons entering through a second floor window. He flew into the corridor, went right between them and knocked them back outside with a flap of his wings. As he flew out, he was surprised when a third one snuck up on him, grabbed him and slammed him against the castle wall.

Scar struggled but stopped when a fist sunk into his stomach. Another blow struck the top of his head and knocked him to the ground below. Weakened, Scar rose on shaking legs only to see the three griffons charging towards him. Growling, he flared his wings and swung one of them, knocking the first griffon into the castle wall.

He backed up as the other two swiped at him with their claws and felt himself touch the castle wall. He realized that too late as another flurry of slashes came his way. He instinctively covered himself with his wings and felt several feathers being torn off. Not wanting to lose all the feathers in his wings, he swung them outwards and followed with a gust that sent them crashing into the trees surrounding the castle.

Panting and woozy from the blows, Scar rose and circled the castle once again spotting a group of five griffons about to enter through the front doors. He flew towards the one in the lead and kicked him aside. He landed and tuned towards the remaining griffons, wings flared in agitation and glaring at them with fire in his eyes.

"NOPONY'S GETTING PAST ME!" he cried out defiantly before beginning his assault.



Equinox had no trouble finding out what the source of the commotion was. He woke up to the sound of the Emergency Stone in his room breaking, but as he rose, there was a powerful thud coming from the door. More and more thuds were heard, but he was confident in the door's stability. A layer of spells over the door made it virtually impervious to-

BOOM!

He gasped and shielded himself as the door burst open. Bewildered, he watched as two menacing griffons strolled into his room cracking their knuckles. He spread his wings and made the two of them gape at him. "Who are you and what are you doing in my home?" he asked sternly.

One of the griffons hurriedly peered outside the room. "Hey Butch! They got an alicorn with them!"

Tensed, Equinox watched a third griffon enter the room. He was much larger and more muscular than the two others, but what really set him apart was the massive broadsword strapped to his back. He stopped a few feet away from the alicorn and narrowed his eyes. "Alicorn? They never said anything about an alicorn in here." he said out loud.

"I take it that you are Butch?" Equinox asked. "What business do you have with us?"

"Cut the crap. I know they're here." Butch said rudely. "I know about those kids trying to fix the Light going on in Ponyville. I know who they really are..." he finished with a sneer.

Equinox paled. How could they possibly know?! A thought suddenly struck him. "You...You're responsible for the Light in Ponyville's soil!" he accused pointing his hoof at the griffon.

"Dead wrong. That's technically not our fault." Butch replied bringing a claw up. "But we do want Ponyville wiped out, and those six guys are getting in our way. We're here to get rid of 'em too."

Butch slowly drew his sword and pointed it forward. Meanwhile, white-hot anger coursed through Equinoxes veins. His calm face suddenly turned into a snarl. "What have you done to my sons?!"

Before Butch could answer, a third griffon flew in through the door. "Butch! We ran into four of them. They're tougher than I thought."

"Yes. My sons can be a hoofful to deal with." Equinox stepped forward. "This can end without either of us being harmed. Please; tell your companions to leave us in peace."

"Yeah, about that..." Butch swung his sword. "That ain't gonna happen 'K? I'm gonna kill you here, my guys are gonna kill those kids of yours and then they will be ours..."

Equinox's face once again shifted to one of rage. "I won't let you harm a single hair on their heads!" he roared firing a burst of silver magic from his horn. Butch merely smirked and almost lazily raised his sword to block the attack.

Equinox was expecting the blade to shot out of his claws or even be shatter to pieces allowing the spell to strike Butch right in his face, but it remained completely intact. Instead upon impact, the sword glowed with a similar magical aura, and the burst faded into nothingness.

"I...Impossible. An arcanite sword?!" he cried out unable to believe his eyes.

"Yup." Butch ran a claw across the blade which didn't have a single scratch on it. "They don't nickname this 'The Mage's Bane' for nothing y'know. C'mon, throw as much magic as you want; this thing'll just cancel it out."

Gritting his teeth, Equinox lit up his horn again and attempted to telekinetically yank the sword out on his grasp. To his dismay, the sword merely glowed with the same magical aura, never leaving Butch's hold for a single second.

"But...You are a griffon." Equinox pointed out. "Arcanite is only mined in Equestria, and even that is is tightly monitored by the government and protected by the Royal Guard. We don't even export it. You obtaining such a substance should be impossible!"

Heh. Not if you got a guy working on the inside. Butch thought with a smirk. He brandished the blade and pointed it at the alicorn once again. "OK. You alicorn guys are old right? You're like, what? 2000? 3000 years old? C'mon old-timer; make your move."

The other three griffons stepped forward grinning evilly like their boss. Equninox backed up and considered his options. His magic was pointless as long as Butch had that sword, and, being the pacifist that he was, his own physical capabilities weren't any special. He only had one choice.

Acting before Butch could, he lit up his horn. The griffon boss raised his sword to block the spell, but nothing came. Instead, he heard cries of shock as his fellow griffons were lifted off the floor, their bodies surrounded by a silver aura. Thinking fast, Butch flew upwards and the griffons were pulled towards the spot he was previously at.

He winced as he saw their bodies collide. Growling, Butch flew in at Equinox and slashed only cutting through empty air as the alicorn vanished in a silver flash. Annoyed, Butch slashed at his bed, ripping his blanket, sheets and pillows to shreds. He turned back to the other griffons who were just beginning to recover.

"What're you waiting for?" he barked at them. "Search the damn room already!"

The griffons rose and started pulling open drawers, breaking open chests and opening cabinets all while complaining under their breaths. Sighing in annoyance, Butch tightened the grip on his sword knowing for sure that it would taste a pony's blood that night.



Blood thundered through his veins, sweat covered his brow and hooves went flying and making contact with griffon bodies. Yes, despite the danger of the situation, Ironhead had never felt more alive. It had been ages since he got into a good old-fashioned beat down with anypony. He wasn't ashamed to admit it, but he just loved a good brawl every now and then.

Crying out and pumped with adrenaline, Ironhead bucked a griffon all the way down the stairs. He jumped in his direction, but the griffon rolled away just as Ironhead landed and left several cracks in the floor. The griffon rose and punched him in the face, but he suddenly yelped as all it did was cause more pain. He clutched his wrist and watched his claw throb painfully.

"You call that a punch? This's a punch!"

Ironhead's hoof struck his chest and sent him down another flight of stairs. He ran downstairs and was delighted to see several griffons running through the corridor to his left. Several feet away from them was a stone barrier; Ironhead thought he could see flashes of teal light coming from the other side of it. Cracking his hoof and neck, he smashed a hoof against the floor cracking it slightly.

"BRING IT OOOOOOOOON!"

He charged right into the horde with the intention of beating them into submission. Unfortunately, he was too busy with them to notice another group of griffons head up the stairs. There were 10 of them, and the one in the lead took one look at the griffons swarming Ironhead and decided not to deal with him. Instead, he continued up the stairs and was delighted to find the next floor's corridor empty.

"Good; start searching!" he ordered as griffons busted through doors and barged into the rooms. He then walked over to one of the doors kicked the door open. Glad to see it empty, he searched through the cabinets, drawers and under the bed. There was nothing of interest in the room except for a saxophone sitting in a corner.

Grumbling, he left the room and slammed it shut. A griffon ahead of him was about to open the door to the right, but stopped when the next door opened. At the sound of somepony coming out, the griffon marched towards the pony bringing his claws out. "Hey! What're you-"

The next thing that came out of his mouth was a long, drawn out scream of agony. As the screaming continued, the other griffons peered out and saw the one ahead of them on his knees clutching his face. A few moments later, the griffon collapsed to the ground and writhed around in agony giving them a perfect view of the maroon earth pony ahead of them.

Psych was surprised to see the corridor filled with griffons. As the one behind the first griffon he assaulted stepped forward, Psych's eyes glowed with dark-rose light. The griffon gasped as the one in front of him vanished and checked behind him only to find himself alone with Psych. Not scared at all, he took another step forward ready to attack but stopped when he noticed a dark cloud formed over him stretching all the way towards the staircase they came up in.

A second later, rain began to fall from the cloud. At first, he scoffed at it thinking that a little water wouldn't hurt, but as soon as a drop his back, he screamed at the burning sensation that followed. Another drop hit the top of his head and brought the same agony to his. He quickly covered his head with his arms as Psych grinned and made the rain intensify.

Immediately, the griffon screamed as his whole body felt like it was on fire. He collapsed and thrashed about, the rain continuing to pour on his body. He got a momentary glimpse of himself and nearly vomited as he saw his own flesh being painfully dissolved by the highly acidic rain. Steam poured out of the sores as his flesh continued to melt away eventually revealing his bones which also started to dissolve.

He couldn't stand, he couldn't fight back, he couldn't even think properly as his body deteriorated. Several drops landed on his eyes, and he immediately went blind. He was trapped in darkness with only agony to keep him company. His only relief came from the fact that he would eventually die from it all, but no matter how long he waited thrashing about, death had not come. It was all just an illusion, but the pain, the agony, the misery, was all too real.

Psych strengthened the rain even further. A twisted, sadistic smile broke out as he took in the sight of the thrashing griffon, the sound of his screams of anguish and inhaled the aroma of rotting flesh. Wanting to check on the others, Psych shifted his focus; The griffon he was watching vanished and another suffering griffon appeared further into the corridor. He changed his view again and saw another griffon suddenly disappear from sight most likely after jumping into an open room to escape his illusion.

He knew that griffon, despite having escaped, was in no condition to fight back. Even if he did, he would fall under his illusion once again. They were all powerless before him; none of them could approach him. Psych backed up a little to avoid the puddle of acid that was slowly spreading across the floor, but kept shifting between the griffons. Watching them writhe in agony, he just laughed and laughed and laughed and-

A powerful blow to his back knocked him down and slammed his chin into the floor. His illusion vanished as well as the screams of agony. Psych tried to rise, but a claw grabbed his head and slammed it against the floor. Dizzy from the pain, the claw let go allowing himself to flip over and get a look at his attacker.

It was another griffon grinning evilly with another group behind him. "I got this one. Search the rooms!" he ordered.

Still in pain, Psych's eyes widened upon hear that order, eyes that also started glowing. Before a single room could be broken in to, the griffons suddenly found themselves alone in the corridor. Before they could process what just happened, a mighty roar and a gust of hot breath drew their attention to the massive Ursa Minor right behind Psych.

Psych shifted his view several times making sure the all the griffons were running away. As he was about to sic the beast on them, he rose and gasped in pain. His concentration was broken, his eyes stopped glowing, and the Ursa Minor vanished into thin air.

The griffons unfortunately noticed this and approached Psych slowly. Gritting his teeth, Psych backed up holding his aching jaw. He stopped only when he was in front of the door to the room right next to his, Ash's room. His brother was no condition to fight the griffons if it came to it. Taking a deep breath, he stood his ground.

A griffon ahead of him noticed his determination and protectiveness. "What's in that room huh? Is that where you're hiding them?"

Psych glanced at the door before turned back. "This room contains something far more precious to me than anything you guys can imagine. I've no idea what you're searching for, and I don't frigging' care. But if you ever wanna enter this room, you'll have to go by me first!"

His eyes, filled with both the desire to both torture the griffons into insanity and protect his only family in the world, glowed once again with their dark-rose light.

"Here me well! I am the Illusion of Grief, the embodiment of the world's misery, the incarnation of suffering and despair! I'll gonna bring anguish, I'm gonna make you suffer, I'm gonna shatter your very minds!"

> Butch's Assault Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 37
BUTCH'S ASSAULT PART 2


How are you managing Scar?

Whoa! I'm taking out the guys-Oof! At the front door-Raaaah! You OK?! Hi-yah!

Glad to hear that you are doing well. I am currently engaged in a fight between several more griffons hear on the floor below our rooms.

OK-Gah! Not stressing-Dammit! Out?

I'm fine. Ironhead? I believe that is you brawling on the other side of the barrier I created. Do you need any assistance?

Can't talk; too busy kicking griffon ass.

I see. Have either of you seen father, Blues, Psych or Ash?

Argh! N-Nope!

Can't talk; too busy kicking griffon ass.

*sigh*



Equinox reappeared in the dining room, but before he could survey the area, something large and heavy slammed into him. He was knocked off his hooves and painfully slammed into the wall. Despite being disoriented from the pain, he felt the feathers of whatever crashed into him.

A burst of magic knocked the griffon back allowing him to view the room fully. The floor was strewn with griffon feathers, clumps of navy blue hair, splintered wood and the occasional drop of blood. The table where he and his sons had their meal at had been split in two. He knew that a few spells would fix that, but he was much more concerned about his sons.

He then spotted one of them, Blues, at the far end of the room surrounded by two griffons who were dodging a tendril that began at his head and ended with a large mound of hair, most likely a griffon he had wrapped up. He watched as a griffon flew over the mound as Blues swung it and severed the connection. As Blues screamed, the trapped griffon burst out and lunged at the distracted Blues.

He would've sank his claws into his flesh if he hadn't been hit with a blast of silver magic. Blues then found himself yanked backwards unexpectedly. When his hooves finally met solid ground once again, he felt a presence beside him. "Are you alright my son?*gasp!* You're bleeding!"

"I-I'm fine." Blues reassured before smacking an approaching griffon aside with a tendril. Another flew at them only to crash face first into a silver barrier. Equinox lowered the shield and struck the griffon with another blast of magic.

"Let me asses that wound." he said surrounding them with another barrier. Sighing, Blues rolled on his back exposing his deep gashes to his dad. As he lit up his horn, the griffons recovered and began hammering away at the barrier with their fists. Equinox lowered his horn and pointed it at the wounds. Blood stopped seeping out of them, but the marks were still visible.

"Good enough for now." Equinox said as his son rose. The barrier radiated outwards and pushed the griffons further back. Once it dissipated, Blues jumped forward and launched four tendrils. Two coiled around their targets' ankles, but the other two were severed. Fighting the pain, he slammed the two griffons on the floor.

The other two griffons were struck by blasts of silver magic leading them to let out a piercing, high-pitched eagle scream. As it sounded, Blues cried out in pain as he stumbled back. "Blues!" Equinox was immediately at his son's aid. Meanwhile, griffon had recovered; worse still they had all witnessed what the shriek had done to Blues. Both ponies looked up, seeing the griffons take a deep breath.

All at once, they released a long, piercing eagle shriek. To Equinox, it was just another loud sound, but to Blues, it was pure agony. His mane straightened out as he covered his ears and began screaming in pain. Even with his ears plugged, the griffons' shriek tore through his senses, overwhelming them, inflicting unimaginable pain to him. He stumbled back

Equinox was about to raise another silver barrier, but the griffons, still letting out their eagle shriek and hurting Blues, flew in and rammed them. Blues felt himself get slammed into the wall and heard his dad suffer the same fate. Before he could launch a counterattack, he felt a fist sink into his stomach.

Another fist struck his face. Several more hits there, and he could taste a little blood. He could sense that his dad was suffering a similar fate. Indeed, the sound of fists striking against his dad's flesh hurt him as well. With neither of them finding an opportunity to attack, the griffons' savage beating continued.

It only ended when Equinox successfully surrounded the two griffons with silver magic and froze their bodies. Grunting, he launched them back and slammed them against the wall opposite them where they collapsed unconscious. The other two were too distracted by the sight to notice Blues wrapping their faces with hair.

He shoved them back and got one his hooves. Swinging his head, he twirled the griffons over himself several time before launching them at the wall. Like their fellow griffons, they smacked head-first into it, slowly slid down and hit the floor out cold.

"About time they were unconscious." Blues muttered leaning against the wall and catching his breath. He heard a thump and sensed his dad do the same thing.

"There are...still others..." he said between pants. "The whole castle...is under attack. Your brothers...are in danger."

Blues sensed his dad rise and bring his horn, now doubt glowing, down on him. His exhaustion quickly faded as well as the pain from his injuries. "We cannot rest for too long." Equinox continued, healing himself with his magic. "Scar and Ironhead should be able to manage. Ash is still in no condition to fight anypony at the moment, but he should have Psych to defend him. Solstice is the one in the most danger."

"Why is that? Are you worried the stress of battle might trigger a surge?" Blues asked nervously.

"Yes and something else." The father and son pair started trotting out of the room. "The griffon leader is armed with a sword made of arcanite, a metal that can block out any form of magic; mine was completely useless against him. If Solstice were to encounter him..."

"Let me find him father. Surely, I could defeat him before he reaches Solstice." Blues offered as they reached the stairs."

"No." The unicorn raised his eyebrows. "Blues, I noticed the dining room floor littered with stands of your mane. If that much damage can be done with mere claws, think of what a sword could do to you. I refuse to put you in harm's way, but you shouldn't worry. I already have somepony in mind, sompony who would love to get into a fight with the griffon leader."

Blues nodded, understanding just who his dad was talking about. "Yes; why don't we find him. No doubt he must be enjoying himself by now..."



And he was enjoying himself.

Sure, he was on his stomach with a pile of griffons on top of his hammering away at his back, sides and face, but all those blows didn't hurt at all. Ironhead's body was made tougher stuff than a normal pony's; their blows weren't as painful as they normally would've been. In fact, the griffons were hurting themselves instead.

He looked ahead towards the stairs in front of him ignoring the griffon's fist pounding against his skull. His eye lit up as he saw Blues and his dad emerge from the staircase, both looking at him alarmed. Hey guys, I found Blues and dad. They're OK.

Alarmed by the griffon horde covering his son, Equinox lit up his horn. "Don't worry dad; I got this!"

Deciding that the griffons had had enough fun, he quickly stood up and swung his limbs about. Griffons went flying, crashing into the walls and ceiling. One that remained took a punch from Ironhead knocking him all the way down the corridor, stopping only when colliding with a sliver barrier Equinox threw up.

A few remaining griffons ganged up on his left and shoved him against the right wall. Undeterred, head butted one of them and bucked another one away. Soon, there were only about six griffons left. Ironhead sighed, cracked his neck and slammed a hoof against the floor before continued the fight.

"I was right; he is enjoying himself." Blues muttered as bodies went flying.

It was over in after minutes. The griffons were tough and put up a long, good fight but eventually, the last one slammed against the floor and passed out on the spot. Ironhead stood in the middle of the unconscious griffons panting, sweating and wide eyed, adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

"Damn that felt good." he said wiping some sweat from his brow. "So dad, bro, how're you guys doing?"

"Never mind us. I'm just glad to see you unhurt." Equinox said flying towards his son and pulling him into a hug. Ironhead just sighed and went along with it.

"We need your help for something Ironhead." Blues said trotting up to him. "Solstice is in danger. He-"

"Hang on a sec bro." Ironhead broke away from his dad's embrace and held a hoof up ordering them to stay quiet.

I have successfully cleared out my side of this floor. Solstice's voice echoed in his thoughts. We should find Psych and Ash and confirm if they- Wait a moment.

What? Ironhead thought.

Several seconds of silence answered him. When his brother's voice returned, it was quick and panicked. I...Impossible...I...I need help; Scar, Ironhead, are either of you available?

Grah! Sorry bro! Little-Aaaaahhh! Busy here!

On my way bro!

With a loud battle cry that surprised his dad and brother, Ironhead turned and charged down the corridor. Slowly, the crisscrossing stone columns that Solstice used as a barrier came into view. Ironhead just smiled upon seeing them and sped up, lowering his head in the process.

With a loud smash, the barrier burst apart showering the area with rubble, yet that didn't stop Ironhead from continuing on, determined to save his brother.

"How unexpected." Blues said face-hoofing. "He hears one cry for help, and it's like a switch go off in his mind. It doesn't matter how invulnerable he is; I swear he's going to get himself killed one day." He gave a big sigh. "I guess we should help him then."

"No." Equinox said stopping his son from charging into battle. "Ironhead can deal with their leader. The two of us should split up and find the others. You head downstairs, while I check upstairs. With any luck, we should find them before it's too late."

Blues nodded, and the duo split up to find their family before it was too late.



Meanwhile, one floor above them, Psych was fighting for his life.

As the griffon at the head of the group flew towards him, he lit up his eyes; instantly, every other griffon vanished except for the one in the lead. With a wave of Psych's hoof, several tendrils of razor wire shot out along the entire length of the corridor swinging around wildly. The lead griffon swerved around them but eventually, they slashed across his body leaving deep, bleeding gashes on his face and body.

Psych normally would've relished the sound of dripping blood and the scream of pain, but he didn't have time. Once the lead griffon fell, Psych shifted his focus; the griffon vanished and was replaced by another griffon further down the corridor. Psych made the tendrils slash and cut into his flesh making sure to inflict enough pain to keep him down. Once his sides was finally a mess of blood, feathers and exposed flesh, he collapsed as well. Psych immediately shifted focus to another griffon. Hopefully, the flailing razor wire would hold back any of the other-

He suddenly felt his hooves leave the floor and his back slam against the door he was guarding. The glow in his eyes vanished giving him a full view of the angry griffon clutching him by his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the remaining griffons slowly rise shaking their heads and blinking several times. This one must have been at the back and was able to evade the razor wire.

I hate my power's limitations...

"No more tricks." the griffon said throwing Psych against the opposite wall. Groaning, he opened his eyes and saw the griffon reaching for the knob and quickly activated his powers. The knob suddenly turned red-hot and emitted steam, but the griffon noticed that too late and screamed as his claw burned. Psych turned his illusion as the griffon clutched his burning claw.

Thinking fast, Psych cast another illusion, and out of the walls came dozens of barbed hooks attached to some rope. They launched themselves at the griffon, snagging on his wings, and flesh and hoisting him into the air. With a swing of his forelegs, the hooks pulled back sending blood and chunks of griffon flesh everywhere. The griffon collapsed screaming in agony, so Psych shot a hook at his mouth. It pierced the griffon's tongue, and, with a mighty tug, tore it out of his mouth.

Psych let him wallow in his agony before turning his attention to the other griffons. One flew at him, so he drove a stone spike into the back of the griffon's head. Once he fell, he shifted focus to another griffon and pinned him to the ground with a spike that grew out of the ceiling. He shifted focus and sliced another griffon's legs off with a buzz saw. A griffon ended up getting torn to pieces by a pair of wolves while another one had his eyes gouged out violently with an ice pick.

He was determined to stop them before they reached his brother. He was willing to torture them all to insanity if it meant keeping Ash safe from harm. He didn't care that they flailed about in agony. He didn't care that he saw blood gushing out of eyes, ears, beaks and stomachs. He didn't care that they begged him to kill them.

I just want my brother to be safe...

Time flew for Psych; he didn't know how long he spent torturing them, but he stopped. Panting and his body sore, he took in the scene before him, the griffons clutching no-longer-present wounds, shivering in fright and whimpering in pain. One raised his head and gazed looked around confused eventually looking into the earth pony's eyes which glowed with a dark rose light. He whimpered and fell back hoping that he would be shown mercy.

But Psych had no intention of showing them mercy. He lit up his eyes once again ready to destroy their minds and render them catatonic for the rest of their lives. As he was about to fill the corridor before him with an electric field that would send millions of volts into their bodies, he once again felt himself lifted and slammed against the wall.

Groaning, he looked ahead and saw another griffon pinning him to the wall, another one at his side. He realized that they must have recovered from the acid bath he gave them. He activated his powers once again, but the griffon wouldn't let him. He pulled back and slammed him against the wall once again.

His own body screaming in agony, Psych felt noticed that his vision was getting blurry. That all changed however when he heard a door suddenly burst open. His head immediately shot up giving him a clear view of Ash's door wide open, a pair of menacing griffons standing before it.

"No!" Psych shot up and raced towards them, but one of the griffons grabbed him as he passed and threw him into the room. Psych soared across the room, over Ash's bed and slammed against the wall and fell on the floor. Now body felt like it was on fire. He lifted a shaking foreleg and slowly pushed himself up, but he felt a sharp pain come from his stomach. He suddenly coughed out some blood and collapsed trembling and sputtering out more of it.

Meanwhile the griffons entered the room and cast a sweeping glance around it. At first, they found nothing of value, but then they found the bed with a figure curled up under a blanket. After some rustling, a head popped out belonging to a pegasus colt who was wondering what the commotion was.

One of the griffons immediately lunged at him. Ash was helpless as he was yanked out of his covers by his neck and slammed against the wooden head board. The griffon tightened his grip smirking as he saw the pegasus struggle, and heard him choke.

"N...No!" Psych spat out some leftover blood and forced himself to his hooves. "Please...Don't hurt him!"

He charged at them hoping to get them away from his only family. Unfortunately, his advance was halted by the other griffon who swooped down on him, grabbed him and slammed him right next to Ash. He then felt a fist sink into his stomach, knocking the air out of him.

Normally, Psych would've unleashed hell on them, but he couldn't. Ash was right next to him; he would never dream of using his powers in such a situation. Ash could've fought back if it weren't for his depressed state and weakened body. The griffon holding him raised an eyebrow noticing the lack of assault. "What's wrong? Can't use your tricks?" he taunted.

Psych would've dunked him in lava if it weren't for Ash being in his proximity. He hung his head accepting his defeat. "P...Please...Have your way with me...Just don't hurt my brother..."

The griffon holding Ash smirked. "Sorry, but no deal." He tightened his grip on Ash causing the latter to choke and trash about.

"NO!"

"Where are they? We know who you six are and what you have? Tell me where they are!"

Psych knew instantly what they were talking about, and there was no way he could just hand it over to them. The sound of Ash choking and struggling was all he could hear. He had to use his powers, but he had to get away from Ash first. That gave him an idea.

"Th-there." He pointed at the far right corner of the room. "You should find a hidden compartment within the walls, but it'll only open if Ash presses his hoof against a certain location."

His heart hammered, but even that couldn't block out the sounds his brother was making. The griffon holding Psych looked at his companion and jerked his head in the direction Psych specified. He nodded and threw Ash into the corner earning another scream from Psych. As the pegasus slowly rose, the griffon stalked towards him making sure he didn't try any funny business and putting enough distance between him and his companion.

"If you're lying, we're gonna kill him." Psych said nothing and bowed his head concealing his glowing eyes. "You hear me? Well, we're still gonna kill you all either way but-"

The griffon suddenly felt something strike his back. He dropped Psych who continued to maintain the illusion he created. The griffon, rubbing his sore back, turn around and got a claw swipe to his face. He fell back against the the bed, rolled across it and fell against the floor. Psych rushed over and peered over the bed while maintaining the illusion.

Groaning, he opened his eyes and saw his fellow griffon flying above him, a look of rage in his eyes. Without warning, he swooped down and started beating the crap out of the fallen griffon. "I-AM-STRONGER-THAN-YOU!" the top griffon punctuated each word with a blow to the other one's face.

Once he had been given a thorough beating, Psych cancelled his illusion and pressed his back against the head board in eager anticipation of the events that were about to unfold. The beaten-up griffon slowly rose trembling with rage, his gaze directed not at Psych but at his fellow griffon shoving Ash around ordering him to open the compartment.

"Why you little!" The first griffon lunged at his companion, yanking him aside and beating him senselessly. The two griffons were soon just a jumbled mess of feathers, flying claws and shared insults.

Taking advantage of their fighting, Psych hopped off the bed, grabbed the blanket by his teeth and threw it over Ash. He went back and grabbed the pillow and pressed it against Ash's face just in case the blanket wasn't enough. Keeping one hoof pressed against the pillow, Psych turned to the brawling griffons and activated his powers.

Using them, he created another cloud above them and set upon them another downpour of acidic rain. He shifted views several times and saw both of them writhe around in agony. They both however had much more sense; as their bodies dissolved, they hastily made for the door. Psych turned his illusion off and witnessed them run right out of the room just in time to be struck by a blast of silver.

As he removed the covering on his brother's body, Equinox rushed into the room, gasping as he saw them. "Psych! Ash!" He wasted no time in rushing to their side and pulling them into a tight embrace. "I was so worried! When the griffons said they they were going to kill you, I...I just wanted to find you before they did..."

Both of his sons squirmed, but they couldn't break free of his embrace. Equinox then felt something moist touch his hoof. A quick check later, his heart nearly stopped at the sight of warm blood. "Oh my goodness!" He pulled away from his sons and immediately noticed blood on one of their lips. "Psych! Y-You're hurt; let me help you..."

But Psych pulled himself out of the alicorn's grip. He scoffed at Equinox, breaking the latter's heart, and took a step only to have his legs buckle and collapse on the spot, every inch of his body on fire. Through hazy eyes, he vaguely saw the image of a panicked alicorn before darkness swallowed him.



Ironhead's uppercut knocked Butch off the floor and caused his to smack headfirst again the ceiling and let go of his broadsword. Then then fell as in slow motion until he finally hit the ground, his blade clattering beside him. The pony who had just defeated smirked, not a single scratch on him. Beside him, Solstice stood unharmed but exhausted.

Hurried hoof steps caught the brothers' attention as Equinox bounded towards them. "Hey dad. We got things taken care of here. How's everypony else?" Ironhead asked.

"Psych is unconscious." Worry clenched the brothers' hearts. "But he is otherwise fine. He and Ash are both resting in their rooms."

"I'm very relieved to hear that." Solstice said with a sigh. He the turned his head to the side for a moment. "I just received word from Scar. He said that Blues had joined him and they successfully repelled the remaining griffons."

"D...Dammit..." A grunt brought their attention to a stirring Butch. He pawed the floor at his side eventually grabbing the handle of his sword. With a grunt, he used it to prop himself up back on all fours.

"You've lost." Equinox said stepping forward. "You are in no condition to continue fight. Command your forces to leave us in peace, and we will not harm you any further."

At that, the griffon snarled. "This isn't over." He raised his head. "Fall back! Full Retreat!"

The conscious griffons stirred and slowly ran away, some carrying their unconscious companions with them. They hurried past Butch who shot Equinox a dirty look before sheathing his sword and fleeing with his fellow griffons. Pretty soon, the corridor was empty save for the three of them.

"Yeah they better run." Ironhead said chuckling with amusement.

"Perhaps we should search the entire castle for any lingering griffons." Solstice suggested.

"Sound good to me. I'll go check this side; you guys check out the other side."

Solstice nodded, and Ironhead trotted away to search. The unicorn turned and trotted in the other direction to conduct his own search. "They know..."

"Hmm?" Solstice stopped turning curiously to his dad. Equinox turned to him looking grim.

"They know who you six are Solstice. They are somehow connected to the Light in Ponyville's soil. They were after what you six carry.

That bit of news stunned the young scholar. He stared at his dad trying to make sense of all this while placing a hoof on his chest. "Things are going from bad to worse. What is happening father?"

With a sigh, Equinox shook his head and took a step forward. "I've no idea my son, but one thing is clear. I would rather die then let them take any of you away from me..."

> Running Away
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys, listen...

Lately, I'm being given a lot of school stuff to do, and I can't do all of it and write at my usual rate at the same time. I'm sad to say that I'm cutting my writing time and putting more effort into my school stuff. I'll still update, but it won't be once every week anymore. Things should go back to normal around the third week of December.

Sorry again. I hope this chapter makes up for it.




CHAPTER 38
RUNNING AWAY


"No...No. No. No. No!" Ash screamed clutching his head, backing away from his brother.

"Ash please..." Psych begged holding a bowl of uneaten food. "Ash, you haven't eaten a thing since the day of the fire. Look at yourself; you're wasting away!"

As if on cue, Ash's stomach grumbled loudly. The pegasus colt was not only bruised but also painfully thin. For days, he was visited by Psych who tried giving him something to eat, but he declined every offer of food. For days, Psych had been pleading and begging to eat, to take a bite, to get something into his empty stomach.

"S-Stop please..." Ash begged as Psych approached with a bowl of warm oatmeal. "Stop trying to be nice to me...I don't deserve your kindness..."

Heartbroken, Psych set the bowl aside. "Ash, don't say such things. You accepted me when everypony else did otherwise. You have no idea, how it feels to-"

"I didn't accept you because nopony else did." Ash said trembling. "I didn't do it because you felt hated...I accepted you, because you're all I did deserve, Grief, sorrow, pain, everything the world hates. I'm Cruelty incarnate; I'm practically evil itself. I don't deserve anything else."

"Ash..."

"Why can't you accept that? Why can't any of you accept that I'm evil? I-I'm going to hurt all of you without even thinking about it. I don't...don't care about any of you, and I can't...Why do you all keep treating me so nicely? Why do I have a home? Brothers? A loving dad? Why does somepony as despicable as me have something like that?!"

He covered his face and started crying. I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am. His body shook with violent sobs as he slowly fell back. Before he could hit the bed, Psych hurriedly reached forward and caught the sobbing colt. He pulled Ash close and gently rubbed his back, a few tears of his own leaking out of his eyes.

"You may be evil, but you'll forever be my brother..." Ash said nothing in reply and instead kept on crying. "I'll always be there for you...always-"

His next words were hindered by a sudden bout of violent coughing. Psych pulled away from his brother keeping one hoof on his should and the other on his chest. The griffon attack had happened the previous night, and Psych was still recovering from the beating they gave him.

Luckily, he was no longer coughing up blood, but all the hacking had made his chest sore. The coughing lasted for more than a minute, and by the time it was over, Psych put a hoof on his head as the room spun around him. Swaying around a little, he shook his head and cleared up his dizziness despite his chest pain.

"Look at yourself." Ash told him. "You're hurt badly all because of me."

"And I'd gladly get injured a thousand times if it meant keeping you safe."

Ash shook his head, clutching it as more tears poured out. "If I had fought back, I would've hurt them...If I didn't fight, then you'd get hurt trying to protect me..."

He suddenly reached out and grabbed his brothers shoulders looking at him with a tear soaked face of anguish. "Don't you see?! No matter what I do, no matter what I chose, somepony will end up getting hurt! Everything I do, say and decide hurts everypony else!"

"That's what I am! A pony who does nothing but bring pain to others! A pony who can only hurt, kill and destroy! A pony the world should hate and reject! A pony that's evil incarnate! A pony that's Cruelty itself! Cruelty is all that I am! Nothing will ever change that! I'll always be cruel! No matter how much you all love me, I can never...I will never care or cherish or...or love you or anypony else!"

The room seem to spin again after hearing Ash outburst, maybe even more violently than before. For years, he had always known that Ash was incapable of loving anypony, that no matter how much he gave or did for him, no matter how much he showed him he cared...Ash would never feel the same. He had been living with that fact for several years and did so just fine.

But this was the first time he actually heard it coming from Ash's mouth.

Ash didn't get to see his brother's reaction as he had covered his face and started crying again. Once again, he fell back on his bed this time without Psych to catch him. He covered himself with his blanket, shivering under it as he muttered. "I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am...I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am...I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am..."

So lost in his grief, Ash felt everything else just melt away, leaving him alone in a world of sorrow. He had no idea that Psych was staring at him trembling almost as badly. He had no idea he felt like his heart had just been gouged out and stomped on. He had no idea he had just been reminded how truly alone, rejected and unloved he was. He had no idea that he had bolted out of the room slamming the door as he did. He had no idea he dashed into his own room locking his door in the process.

He had no idea that Psych was on his bed, curled up under the covers, crying and trembling as badly as he was.



I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.

All he could see was the empty void before him.

I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.

All he could hear as his own thoughts repeating the mantra.

I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.

It was good that he was in the void. He was totally alone there; there were no evil things to do to, no ponies around to hurt, no lives to destroy. He almost felt happy...He shuddered trying to get such a thought out of his head; happiness wasn't something he deserved.

I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am.

A flash of red light and a wave of heat coming from behind him caught his attention. Turning around, he saw a massive pillar of fire erupt from right in the middle of the void. It seemed to come from whatever "floor" was present and extended infinitely upwards; Ash could see no end.

Out of the flames stepped a massive pegasus stallion, his body, mane, wings and tail made of flames. The pillar behind him dissipated, but his powerful flames filled the otherwise black void with orange, red and yellow light. He gazed at the only other pony in the area, his expression showing absolutely no emotion.

"I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...who I am." Ash told the flame pony. "It's what you are too...You and I...are the same..."

The fire pony nodded still showing no emotion. "You and I are the same." he repeated. "We are evil incarnate, Cruelty itself."

Ash bowed his head unable to bear the sight of the other pony. "You and I...live to make other suffer...It's all we can do...It's all we can do..."

Once again, the fire pony nodded. "It's all we can do...It's all we can do..."



Hours after falling asleep, Ash woke up to searing pain in his stomach. He sat up on his bed and let out a loud groan as he felt his stomach burn. gingerly, he raised a bruised hoof but was surprised to find it trembling. Almost at one, the room began to spin in dizzying circles; Ash instead put his hoof on his head, his stomach still on fire.

Swaying around, he spotted the untouched bowl of oatmeal Psych left behind. It was already cold and stale, but it was still edible. The burning in his stomach intensified at the sight of it. Gingerly he reached out for the bowl thinking that it would be enough to give him some of his strength back. He grabbed the edge of the bowl and slowly pulled Psych's offer towards-

His offer...He gave this to me...He did it...because he saw me starving...He did it...because he was worried about me...He did it...because he cares about me...

No...No! No! NO!

Ash quickly shoved the bowl away causing it to fly off the bed and shatter against the floor spilling stale oatmeal all over it. His stomach still burning, Ash clutched his head and started trembling. Why won't he stop?! I'm Cruelty itself! I...I don't...don't deserve this...Not him...Not my family...

Uncovering his head, he looked around his room, his home, the place he had been living in since that fateful day all those years ago, the home given to his by Equinox, his loving father who loved him so much despite who he was. Ash knew deep down that he was undeserving of his father's love.

Unable to bear staying in his home, Ash grunted and rolled off his bed, his hooves trembling as they hit the floor. Nevertheless, he forced himself up despite the burning sensation spreading to the rest of his body and took a step forward. His hoof shook even more and threatened to collapse, but Ash, gritting his teeth, forced himself to stay up.

After a full minute, Ash braced himself and took another step forward and met the same problems as he did the first time. He took another step after a minute of resting and then another, this time after a slightly shorter period of rest. The resting between steps gradually shortened, but it still too him more than 20 minutes just to get to his door.

After opening it, he stuck his head out and peered into the hallway relieved to find that nopony was around to see him. The others, who weren't as badly injured during the previous night as he was, were most likely cleaning up the place after the griffon attack, and Psych...He had no idea of the pain the earth pony was in.

His body still burning with pain, Ash gently closed the door and made his way to the still shattered window on the right end of the corridor. He passed by Psych's room unaware of the broken Psych inside and reached the window without detection, but the trip alone left him panting and sweating. He grunted as his wings slowly unfolded and spread to their full length. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself out of the window.

His right hind leg struck the window frame, but he quickly regained control and flapped in place just a few feet from the window, but in doing so, he could feel his already diminished strength slowly deplete. Shaking his head, he flew around the castle relieved to find nopony on the ground either. With nopony watching, Ash flew away from the castle, flying over the tree tops as fast as he could.

I don't deserve to be there...Images of his family flashed through his mind...You're all good ponies...I can see how much you love each other...And how much you love me...But...I'm Cruelty itself...I can't feel love...All I can feel...Is hate...I don't deserve to be loved by wonderful ponies like you...

Unfortunately,his flight speed wasn't very fast at all. Every flap brought him further but also slightly lower to the ground. Within a few minutes, his hooves were already grazing the tree tops coating them with a layer of twigs and leaves. Ash, straining himself to stay above the tree tops, eventually feeling his wings fail to rise.

Immediately, he plummeted. Twigs and leaves raked and slapped his face as he fell through the dense tree tops. He didn't have the strength to shield his own face as nature battered him around like a rag doll. A stray branch bashed against his right shoulder just before he smacked into the forest floor tumbled and stopped.

All he could feel was the dirt beneath him, some grass poking at his stomach, a gentle blow of wind, the burning sensation that still covered his body, the bruises, new and old, screaming in agony and the cuts on his face bleed slightly. He didn't and couldn't possible rise from such an ordeal. The slow and steady rise and fall of his chest would eventually cease to be.

Have...Have to...get away...

He forced a shaking hoof up.

Get away...

He pressed it against the ground ignoring the pain that came with it...

Get away...

He did the same to his other hoof...

Leave them...

He forced his hind legs up.

Leave...

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to take a step putting the desire to get away and no the desire to collapse at the front of his mind. He took another step knowing that it would take him further away from his family. He let out loud growls with every step trying to put the pain aside. Letting out the biggest growl of all, he galloped blindly away from the castle.

His whole body burned even as he did so, his legs aching with every stride. Keep going...Keep going...Keep going!

Ash finally reached his limit, and his legs gave in. He collapsed once again feeling everything he felt the first time he hit the forest floor. This time however, something felt different. There wasn't any grass poking at him. Instead, he felt the ground covered with something powdery. Then there was a strange pungent smell. It smelled like it was coming from something...

Something burned.

No...

He lifted his head, and suddenly wished he didn't.

NO!

Trees burned charcoal black. Ash and cinders covering the ground. Air smelling like smoke.

Flames everywhere. Smoke blocking everything from view. Heat making him sweat. Screams of terror piercing the air.

A yellow pegasus rushing towards him showing concern in those eyes of hers.

All of it was his doing...

No...No! No! No!

Ash forced himself up and galloped out of the clearing trying this time to block out the memories of that day, the day he almost killed six ponies who only wanted to talk. The day he almost killed her...

Once again, his legs gave in on him; his chin slammed into a small patch of grass as he fell for the third time. Dizzy from pain, he heaved his body upwards, but it just wouldn't leave the ground. As he smacked against it, the tress and grass around him began to spin. Darkness appeared at the edge of his vision as his breathing slowed down.

Ash struggled to get up, to keep getting as far away as he could to the castle, but his sore, aching body held him in place. Pretty soon, he lost all ability to move at all, and breathing just became too tiring to do. The world around him continued to spin in dizzying circles as the darkness spread across his vision. In just a few seconds, the darkness consumed him, and all feeling vanished.



Feelings however suddenly returned to him.

He could feel that he was face up and on top of something soft and warm as well as something equally as soft and warm on top of him. He could feel that something soft and fluffy like a pillow under his head. He could feel the pang of hunger coming from his empty stomach. He couldn't see still, but he realized that it was because he hadn't opened his eyes yet.

When he did, Ash studied his unfamiliar surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the bed he was on and the blanket draped over him. A jerk of his head confirmed that it was indeed a pillow under his head. His eyes swilled to the left, spotting a window through which sunlight shine through. The room itself was decorated with wooden trinkets like a few bird houses, some framed pictures sitting on a nearby table and a clock hanging from the ceiling directly in front of him.

His nose twitched as an unfamiliar smell reached him. His eyes traveled to his hooves lying on top of the blanket and noticed a thin layer of some dark green substance on his bruises. He brought his right foreleg to his face and gave it a sniff; it smelled like a mixture of herbs and leaves. Whatever it was, it took away the pain from the bruises.

Lowering his hoof, he strained himself to get up, but pain suddenly racked his body causing him to groan. He had only risen by about an inch before falling back on the bed. He knew that he was in no condition to get up, to move, to do anything at all. Just who had brought him to this strange place?

Upon hearing hurried hoofsteps, he turned to the door thinking that he would get an answer. In a matter of moments, the door swung open, and she stepped inside.

"Y...You..." he said tiredly.

Fluttershy backed up a little but regained her composure as she walked towards him. "A-Ash, it's good to see that you've finally woken up." she said in that same small, timid voice.

The colt put a hoof on his head and took several deep breaths. "Wh-where am I? What happened?"

'"I don't know myself really." Fluttershy answered pawing the floor. "I was just about to give Angel his bath, when he ran off into the forest. I followed him and found you on the ground looking all beat up. I brought you here to my room and put some herbal ointment on those bruises of yours. I was just waiting for you to wake up."

He picture her tucking him into her bed, fluffing his pillow and drawing a blanket over his unconscious body. He could imagine the worry she felt, the effort she put in to help him, the feeling of those gentle hooves caring for him. She did all that for me? Ash thought gazing into those cyan eyes that made him feel-No. He shook his head and the feeling away.

Fluttershy approached some more, stopping at his side. "You look so thin...Would you like something to eat? I-If you're hungry that is..."

"I-" Ash's replied was cut short by a groan coming from his mouth and his stomach.

"H-Hang on." Alarmed, Fluttershy dashed out of the room leaving him alone to twist around in pain, his eyes clenched tightly. He vaguely heard her galloped back in a minute later and felt something placed next to him. "Here. This should make you feel better."

Ash opened his eyes and saw a plastic tray at his side. On it were a glass of water, two slices of bread, a block of cheese and a bowl of warm oatmeal. The scent of the food overwhelmed him making his mouth water and his stomach growl angrily. He gazed at the meal longingly but then looked up at Fluttershy who was rubbing her foreleg nervously. "If you don't like it, I could get you something else. I think I might have some fruit somewhere around here...Or maybe you'd like something else..."

"All this...for me?" Fluttershy was surprised to see pain in his eyes, pain that didn't come from hunger. "Wh...Why?...I...I almost killed your friends...I almost killed you...I don't deserve this..."

He would've shouted that, but he lacked the strength to do so. He did however have the strength to push the tray away from himself earning another painful growl from his stomach. "I-If it makes you feel better, I forgive you for all that." Fluttershy told him pushing the tray back. "Ash, just look at yourself. You need to eat something."

Hearing the concern in her voice made him feel...happy, but he quickly shook his head trying to ignore the feeling and the hunger pains. Refusing to give up, Fluttershy picked up the bowl of oatmeal up and blew it to cool down, making sure its scent reached Ash. "OK. You don't have to eat everything if you don't want to, but one bite shouldn't hurt." She held up the bowl near him. "Please? Just take a small bite, and I'll be happy."

Ash froze at the sight of Fluttershy holding up a bowl of warm food, a gentle smile on his face. The sight, as well as the idea of making her happy, sent his mind into overdrive. Thoughts bounced around inside his head bring more pain that he already had. I don't make ponies happy! I make them suffer! I hurt, kill and destroy! I-

He gazed into those kind eyes of hers and felt all thought vanish.

I...I...I...

Fluttershy eeped as Ash suddenly sat up, yanked the bowl out of her grasp and jammed his face into it. He gulped up large amounts of oatmeal at a time without a care in the world, making loud slurping noises as his tongue scooped it into his mouth where it was swallowed immediately. The food tasted heavenly, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was hungry or if it was because of who gave it to him...

Less than half a minute later, the bowl was empty, but Ash ran his tongue along the sides of it desperate to get every last morsel of oatmeal. When he was finally done, he slammed the bowl on the tray revealing his oatmeal-covered muzzle. Still not satisfied, he took the bread and cheese one by one and crammed them into his mouth, chewing quickly before swallowing. After grabbing the glass and draining it in less than ten seconds, he slammed it against the tray and fell back against the bed.

"O...Oh my..." Was all Fluttershy could say in response to what she just witnessed.

Ash laid on her bed panting and trembling slightly after his little feast. The pain in his stomach had finally vanished though he still felt weak and tired. Desperate for more, he licked his lips hoping to get any remaining traces of food that may have been left behind. "H-Here, let me get that."

Before Ash could protest, Fluttershy had closed in on him with a napkin in her hoof. The second she touched his face, he froze slightly wide-eyed. His heart hammered as she gently rubbed across his muzzle wiping away the bits of food he wasn't able to reach. "There, all clean." she said once she was done. Despite her hoof retreating, Ash was still frozen, his heart still hammering.

S...So caring...A gentle warmth spread across his body. With a small grunt, he forced the thought, as well as the feelings he was experiencing, deep into the recesses of his mind. hoping that they would never return.

"Um...Ash? Hello?" Her voice snapped him out of his trance. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I...Y-Yes..." It angered him, how difficult the feelings were making it for him to speak.

"That's good to here." She pulled away from him. "You just stay here and get your strength back. I'll leave the door open, so you can call me if you need anything at all." He nodded a little stiffly. "You take care OK."

She left after giving him another caring smile. As soon as she left, Ash closed his eyes. The feelings came back more strongly than before-the warmth he felt when she smiled at him, the calm he felt knowing that she would take care of him, the peace he felt just knowing she was near-

NO!

He clutched his head and started panting trying to get the thoughts out. I can't...I can't...I can't feel these things...It's impossible...I'm Cruelty itself! I can't care! I can't feel kindness! I can't feel...feel...

But he couldn't bring himself to say the last word. He took all those things he felt and once again shoved them deep into his mind; such emotions were impossible for an incarnation of evil. Ash slowly uncovered his head, his breathing returning to normal and stared at the ceiling. Tiredness took over once again as he felt his eyes droop. Right before they could close completely, a single word involuntarily escaped his lips.

"...Fluttershy..."
> The Lost Brother
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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...
> Ash's Caretaker
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 40
ASH'S CARETAKER


"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked emerging from the kitchen. "You don't look so good; is everything alright?"

"Uh..." Twilight quickly turned around a little nervously. "I'm uh...fine." She didn't look too fine. "Look Fluttershy, you don't have to worry about Ash. Psych can take care of him while he's here."

"Huh?" Fluttershy asked wondering where that came from. "Well, I'm glad his brother's here to keep him company. Ash could use somepony like him now."

"Right...Somepony like him..." Twilight replied shifting her weight from side to side.

Something was definitely wrong. "Twilight?"

"Fluttershy just...Just be careful around him OK?" Twilight said trotting away. Fluttershy raised a hoof, but her friend had already left the cottage. Alone, she turned her head upstairs towards her room where Psych was most likely tending to Ash. For a pony who knew hot to treat his brother so lovingly, he sure was scary. Maybe that was why Twilight told her not to talk to him.

Then again, she had to go up eventually, and she decided to check up on them just then. She headed upstairs and gently opened the door immediately drawing the attention of the colts inside. "Um...Is everything alright in here?"

Both pairs of eyes were on her. "Um..." Ash slowly pushed his fruit bowl away from him. A quickly glance told her that it was empty.

"Oh good; you've finished it." She entered the room and headed for the bed. Through the corner of her eye, she noticed Psych gaze on her the entire time. He looked like he was...studying her? Whatever he was doing, it was unnerving her. "I'll just um...get this now..."Dark rose eyes burrowing into her, she grabbed the bowl with her teeth and quickly left the room. Even from the safety of being behind the door, she could feel Psych's gaze on her. Indeed, while Ash sighed and laid against his pillow, Psych was gazing at the closed door thinking intently about her.

When he had flashed her that sinister smile earlier, she was frightened by the glee in his eyes. That gaze...it told her that he would do unspeakable things to her just for his own amusement. But those same eyes had just shown mercy and kindness once they were turned on Ash. She had never met a pony who changed expressions just as suddenly as he did before.

Maybe it would be better if she just avoided him...

"She certainly does lack backbone." Psych commented once Fluttershy left . "I totally lost count of how many um's or er's or any other variations of the sound while she was talking."

Ash's gaze turned away from him. "But she has her strong moments..." he replied quietly.

"Hmm, indeed. She may be a pansy, but she has some inner strength of her own." Psych said remembering all those friendship reports about her. "But even the mightiest of ponies have their vulnerabilities."

The pegasus looked towards his brother and noticed the malicious grin on his face, no doubt imagining just how to properly torment the shy pegasus mare. "You're really going to hurt her?" he asked.

"Well, not now, but soon." Psych answered. "A pony like her doesn't stand a chance against me."

At that, Psych started laughing in that same evil manner. Already, Ash's mind started forming images of Fluttershy, images of her sobbing and screaming as Psych looked on laughing heartlessly, of her thrashing about in agony of the unspeakable things being done to her, of her voice soft and hoarse quietly begging for death..."Ash? Is everything alright?"

Said colt as as stiff as a board, his eyes wide and his frame shaking. His breaths were slow and heavy, and his thoughts were erratic. With a growl, he clutched his head and shook a little more violently, but the images just wouldn't go away.

Why do I care? I don't care about her. He clutched his head tighter and gritted his teeth. I don't care...Don't care...Don't care...Don't care...Don't care...Don't care...

"Ash?" came a much softer, kinder voice. "I-I heard you growling and got worried. Are you OK?"

Slowly, his eyes opened and instantly met a pair of softer, concerned cyan ones. Just as instantly, his agitated mind calmed down. His breaths grew steady and his trembling ceased. Seeing her unharmed and untouched by Psych strangely brought a sense of relief.

This didn't go unnoticed by Psych who raised an eyebrow. "Is he in pain? Are his bruises acting up?" Fluttershy asked him.

"N-No." Psych answered knowing that Ash's pain wasn't physical at all.

"Oh...Hang on a moment." Fluttershy lifted Ash's foreleg and ran a hoof over a slightly darker patch causing Ash to wince a little. "Sorry...Did that hurt a lot?" Ash nodded. "Your bruises are still in the middle of healing. Just give me a moment."

She fluttered away and quickly returned with a bowl of some dark green paste that smelled moldy. "What is that?" Psych asked plugging his nose with one hoof and wafting the air with the other.

"It's a herbal ointment I made. Ash needs a new layer on him." Fluttershy scooped up a small dollop of the paste and applied it to a bruise on Ash's foreleg, gently rubbing in small circles. Ash inhaled deeply the second she held his foreleg but remained silent as she slowly treated his bruises. As she moved onto another one higher up on his arm, Psych watched the scene intently. Fluttershy was far too busy with her treatment to notice how Ash was reacting to it. His entire body had strangely stiffened; his mouth would give an occasional twitch as if something was troubling him.

He felt heart was pounding and also a strange calm along with it. Gritting his teeth a little and closing his eyes tightly, he forced the feelings away. Every time he did, they suddenly came back, angering him even more. He couldn't feel these things, not towards her, not towards anypony. It was impossible.

"There. All done with you forelegs." Fluttershy said giving him a kind smile. She then fidgeted a little. "Now um...now for your um...body..."

Ash's eyes widened, but he didn't protest as he scooted up and lifted the blanket away exposing his slightly bruises belly to her. She scooped up another dollop of ointment and gulped as she climbed on top of him. Ash saw her cheeks flush as she extended he hooves and gently laid them on Ash's chest

This time, she did notice something odd as his pupils shrunk and quickly withdrew them. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..." she apologized rubbing her hooves shyly.

"N-No. It's OK...I don't mind..." Ash replied almost as quietly.

Now knowing that he was alright with it, Fluttershy pressed her hooves against his chest one again. Cheeks burning up even more, she gently rubbed the ointment in circles all over his chest occasionally dipping down to his stomach. It's even worse now that he's awake. she thought. I've done this lots of times with animals, but never with another pony before...And he's a colt!

Ash wasn't doing so well either. As much as he hated to admit it, her hooves were so soft rubbing gently across his body. Nopony had ever held him so gently as she did before. Every soft brush against an ugly bruise would bring soothing warmth to his chest instead of stinging pain. The warmth however seeped into his face as she went lower. Once again, he forced the feelings back into his mind even as soft yellow hooves brushed over his belly, his chest, his-

"Pfft..."

Both Fluttershy's and Psych's ears perked up at the sound. Eyes wide, Ash let out a few coughs and convinced her that it was just that. Passing off the strange sound, Fluttershy scooped up another dollop of ointment and continued off where she stopped, a spot on opposite sides of Ash's body right around the hip area.

"Guh...Pffft...Ha..."

This time, the other to ponies did notice as he had fidgeted in his place. "Ash? What was that?" Psych asked never having heard him make that sound before.

Fluttershy appeared to have understood more. "Ash, are you...ticklish there?" she asked hesitantly pointing at his hips.

"Wh-what? No it...just hurts..." Ash said panicky.

"You're lying." Psych pointed out.

Dammit. He should've know he'd never get away with it with Psych around. "F...Fine...Maybe a little..." he admitted turning away.

As Psych looked on surprised, Fluttershy held her ointment-covered hooves up. "Um...I still have to get that, so um..."

Ash sighed and nodded. Fluttershy gulped again and pressed a hoof against a bruise on his left hip. "Ngh..." Slowly, she traced a small circle on it. "Grr...Pfft...Ngh..." She repeated the motions with Ash's other hip. "Ahh...Huh...Uh..."

At that point, he was fidgeting slightly fighting desperately not to laugh out loud. He quickly jammed his right hoof into his mouth and bit down on it stiffing his laughter. A little startled, Fluttershy continued rubbing ointment all over his hips all while Ash's body spasmed, his left rear leg twitching, his teeth digging deeper and deeper into his hoof almost to the point of drawing blood.

"Ngh...Mnn...Ahh...Pfft...B...Bwa...Aha..."

"Ahahahahaha!" Ash finally reached his limit. He spat his hoof out allowing several peals of laughter to erupt out of his mouth. As he squirmed around thrashing his legs about, Fluttershy found herself giggling as she dug her hooves into his sides, intensifying his laughing and struggling.

"Ahahaha-St-Stop! Please-Ahahaha-Please!" His tormentor only giggled some more as her tickling intensified. "No more-Ahahahahaha! No more please! Ahahahahahah!"

A whole minute of ticklish agony later, Fluttershy finally pulled away. Ash's laughter slowly diminished until he was just lying eagle spread on the bed chuckling lightly, his stomach aching from all the laughing he did. He was hurting slightly all over, but he couldn't remember feeling so relaxed, so...good. Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was his brother wide-eyes and slack-jawed completely frozen.

Ash's blood instantly froze, his chuckling stopping. In a second, he grabbed the blanket in his teeth and threw it over himself shutting out the rest of the world. Confused and a little startled by everything, Fluttershy lifted a hoof but stopped upon seeing the shaking going on under the blanket.

"Ash?" The colt under the blanket flinched away at the sound of her voice. She could hear him whimpering pathetically under the sheet. "Ash I...I'm sorry I upset you...I was just trying to..." From underneath the blanket, she saw him shake his head. Her spirits quickly fell, retracting her hoof and frowning. "Never mind." She sadly climbed off her bed and turned to him. "I'll just go...Sorry again..."

All covered up, Ash heard her retreating footsteps followed by the door swinging shut. Shaking and whimpering like a hurt foal, Ash did his best to think of something, anything else, but the mare who had made him feel so safe and comforted was all he could think about.



Downstairs, Fluttershy was pacing around her kitchen feeling guilty for having upset Ash. "Oh, Ash is even worse than I thought Angel." she said to her pet as he sat on the table munching on a carrot. "I'm trying so hard to be nice to him, but all that does is make him even sadder." She stopped and faced him. "I can't keep treating him if he keeps saying he doesn't deserve it; what should I do?"

Putting down his half-eaten carrot, Angel pointed at the door. "Angel, I can't do that." Fluttershy protested.

Angel looked like he was about to suggest something else when he suddenly froze and glared at something over her shoulder. Puzzled, Fluttershy turned around shrieking as she suddenly noticed the pony standing right behind her. "Ps...Psych?"

He blinked twice at her as if he still couldn't believe his eyes. "I...I haven't heard Ash laugh in years." he told her.

"R...Really?" Considering how he was now, that wasn't so surprising to her. Gasping, she suddenly remembered just who she was talking to- a maniac who would torture her without a second thought. "I'm so sorry I upset Ash." she said quickly backing away from him. "I swear I didn't mean to; I just wanted..."

Psych raised his eyebrows and waited. Trembling, Fluttershy cowered before him with no idea how he intended to punish her. Nothing happened for the next half minute after which Psych simply said: "Go on..."

Fluttershy gulped still terrified of the earth pony. "I...Ash is just so..." She struggled for the right word so as to not infuriate Psych.

"Miserable? Angry? Self-destructive?" he suggested.

"Um...Yes..."

Psych's expression softened taking away some of Fluttershy's tension. "You wanted to make him laugh?"

"Y-Yes." Fluttershy found herself more at ease. "Ever since I met him, he's always looked so sad and hurt. And I keep hearing him say horrible things about himself. I guess I just wanted...to make him feel happy...even if it was just for a while..."

Psych just gazed at her, sorrow in his own eyes. "I've spent years watching Ash in pain and blaming himself for everything. All I ever wanted for him is for him to be happy, to let go of his self-loathing and try to live in peace, to turn that hatred, that anger, that loathing to those who hate-"

He suddenly stopped closing his eyes tightly, fighting the rage surging through him. Fluttershy could tell that he had more to say but stopped himself from getting off topic. After half a minute, Psych sighed. "Do you know why I'm not torturing you at the moment?"

She squeaked at the word "torture" and shook her head. "Kindness, for the past few days, I've been tending to Ash, and he's rejected everything I've done for him. But you...You got him to eat, you got him to allow himself to be cared for...you got him to laugh when I've spent years trying to get him to smile..."

"Actually, I wasn't trying to make him laugh at first. I didn't know his hips were ticklish..." Fluttershy admitted shuffling around nervously.

He waved her off. "The point is, Ash needs you right now." Psych told her. "You seem to able reach him in a way I can't. I want him to recover from this, and I believe you're the only pony who can help him do that...And you can't do that being savaged by wounded and sick animals and begging for death can you?"

Beneath the threat, Fluttershy knew that all he wanted was what was best for his brother. He was right; now was a very dark time for Ash. More than anything , he needed ponies who wanted nothing but what was right for him, ponies like herself, ponies like his brother.

"He needs you too Psych." Fluttershy said. "Listen, I'm...I'm really scared of you, but I still want you around. Ash needs his family at a time like this."

Psych nodded in understanding. "It seems like we've come to a truce." He paused for a moment. "But when Ash is well enough to leave." He glared at her threateningly causing her to back up. Satisfied with their talk, he trotted away most likely back upstairs to his brother.

Alone, Fluttershy thought about the hurt, anguishing pony recovering on her bed. When she had first met him, she thought that he was just a plain old mean pony who did mean things for no reason. A few meetings later, she began to see past the mask.

He was in pain and hid that beneath a mask of cruelty. She had no idea where this pain came from, but it looked like he had spent years suffering. He needed more than somepony to heal his body, but also his heart, his soul.

And right now, she was one of the only ponies who could do just that.
> Family Matters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 41
FAMILY MATTERS


*knock!*knock!*knock!*

"Ash? It's me. I have your dinner ready."

The door creaked open once again catching the brothers' attention. The light of a crescent moon shined through the window as Fluttershy flew in. Ash and Psych could see on her a tray in her hooves, the scent of warm food drifting from it.

"I um...made some for you too Psych. If you wanna eat here that is..." she said nervously. "Grocery night's also pasta night for me..." She presented the tray to them on which were three steaming plates of spaghetti covered with some creamy sauce and a few mushrooms.

The sight, not to mention the smell, made Ash's stomach growl. Giggling, she approached the pair and placed a plate and fork in front of him. "Do you feel strong enough to eat on your own?"

With a grunt, Ash forced himself upwards. Psych's hooves were quickly on his back, supporting him as he finally sat up on the bed, panting lightly from the effort. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he grabbed the fork and started shoveling the noddles into his mouth.

Psych furrowed his eyebrows as he accepted a plate from Fluttershy. "Let's eat." she said cheerily digging into her food.

The whole thing was awkward to say the least. The only sound in the room came from from the gentle clanking of their forks against the plates and the soft sound of their chewing. Occasionally, one of the three would gaze upwards watching the other two for a moment before quickly turning back to their plates. More than once, a pair of eyes would end up meeting and quickly turning away before anything could be said.

From the corner of his eye, Psych watched Fluttershy thinking about their little discussion that afternoon. It would've been so easy, satisfying to have tortured her instead. He hated her like everypony else, but he-no-Ash needed her. He needed her to be of sound mind if she was going to care for him. His brother had rejected every form of help offered to him but hers. His expression softened as his attention turned to Ash. He needed all the help and care he could get.

As his gaze lowered, the later looked up to the two ponies with him, the two ponies who had been caring for him since he ran away. He could sense their concern and care in their voices and gazes and especially in their actions. Psych was treating him the same as always, with love and compassion he never showed to anypony else, and Fluttershy...Was she really this nice to everypony? Even to horrible ones who do nothing but hurt and destroy and-

He gave a small grunt and shook the pain away, an act only Fluttershy noticed. She watched as Ash continued on eating hoping that his actions had gone unnoticed. She gave a small sigh worrying not just about the state of his body but also his heart. She could still see it in his twitches, growls and shudders, the great darkness that laid within him.

He really needed a friend.

"So...how do you guys like it?" she finally asked breaking the silence.

Ash remained silent while Psych shrugged. "There's not much to say." Psych said without even looking at her.

"Oh that's good I guess..."

"Though you might want to try making steamed broccoli next time. Those're Ash's favorites."

"Really?" Fluttershy looked at Ash who gazed away. "Would you like that Ash?"

The colt still continued to look away. "I...I would actually...You think you can stir-fry it in butter too?"

Hearing that made her smile. "If it'll make you happy, then of course."

That smile, that voice, that warmth in her eyes...Ash forced the feelings away as quickly as they came and continued eating. The smile faded as well leaving Fluttershy thinking. Why can't he just enjoy himself for once? Does he really hate being happy?

Since then, Ash had spent the rest of the meal in silence not even looking up at her. She should've known better to actually say she wanted to make Ash happy knowing that it only upset him. She was vaguely aware of Psych glaring at her clearly pissed off for upsetting his brother. Fluttershy gulped wondering just how long exactly their truce will hold.

"Hmm...it's getting late." Psych said looking out the window taking note of the moon in the sky.

"Do the rest of your family know you two are here?" Fluttershy asked.

"Hmph. There might be a search party going around as we speak." Psych said rolling his eyes.

"Search party? They must be worried sick about you two." The earth pony snorted. "Maybe you should go back and tell them about Ash."

"Yeaaaaa-no." Psych's response surprised her. "I'm staying here with Ash. You said so yourself that he needs me."

"Well...he needs the rest of his family too." Fluttershy said nervously drawing circles in the bed sheet. "I think it'd be good for Ash if your whole family was here..."

"Don't talk to me about family." Psych told her crossly setting his plate down. "As far as I'm concerned, Ash is my only family."

Fluttershy was stunned by the coldness in his voice. "B-But they'll be so worried. And being worried is so-"

A maroon hoof held up in front of her face shut her up. "Those ponies despise me." She opened her mouth, but Psych cut her off. "For years, they've all acted like they care about us when in fact, they've rejected us all their lives. My so called 'dad' and 'brothers' all believe were all one joyous little family. Tch."

"I'm Grief, sorrow, pain, everything anypony would hate in their lives. Like everypony else, they reject me and cling to more pleasant stuff like happiness, contentment, and laughter. I'm a part of this world as well, yet they cast me off the minute I worm my way into their lives. They seek ways to alleviate their misery, casting me off in the process! They hate me! They resent my very existence! Well I won't stand for this you hear me! I will never-"

His raving was cut short as another violent bout of coughing and hacking struck him. "Oh-Oh my goodness! Are you-"

But Psych waved her off as she approached. Fluttershy was forced to watch helplessly as he jumped off the bed, holding a hoof to his chest as his body was wracked by coughs. She glanced ahead and saw Ash wide-eyed and staring at his brother surprised by the turn of events, an empty plate at his side.

"D...Dammit..." Psych muttered after his coughing had died down a little over a minute later. "Still haven't-*cough!*cough!*-R-recovered..."

Seeing him panting and wheezing, Fluttershy hopped off her bed and approached him warily. "Um...Psych? Did something happen to you too?"

He growled. "*cough*! None of your concern...*cough!*cough!*cough!* Ugh..."

The foreleg keeping him up trembled and gave way. Fluttershy gasped and quickly helped him up despite his protests. "Why didn't you say you were hurt too? Do you want me to get you anything?" she said fretting a little.

Again, he waved her off. "Believe me, Ash needs your concern more than I do. I'll be fine on my own."

"But-"

"I'll be fine." Psych insisted forcefully. "All I require is some bed rest, but Ash's*cough!*gonna need more than that.*cough!*cough!*cough!*Save your energy and care for him..."

Fluttershy drew back and surveyed him. "Well...if you won't let me take care of you, then you should go home and get some rest." Psych opened his mouth to protest, but Fluttershy continued. "You can't really take care of Ash if you're not doing well either can't you?"

Psych snorted and stood upright irritated by his condition, the idea of leaving Ash and the fact that she was right. "A-And don't worry. I promise Ash will well cared for, so you don't have to worry." she quickly added with a hopeful smile.

Pouting, Psych sighed. "Fine. However, I will be back here tomorrow morning to check up on him."

After seeing her nod in agreement, Psych hopped on back on the bed. Ash, who had been silent during their exchange, found his brothers forelegs wrapped around him tightly and his chin resting on his shoulder. He could feel Psych stroke his back gently, like a mother comforting their crying foal.

"Take care." He brought his head up and gently kissed his brother's forehead. Psych jumped off the bed and gazed one last time at Fluttershy who responded with a nod and a reassuring smile. Satisfied, he trotted out of the room; Fluttershy vaguely heard him head head downstairs and eventually out her door.

She then turned her attention to the empty plate at Ash's side. "Here; let me get that." She took the plate in her mouth and stacked it with the others before placing them back on the tray. "You get some rest now while I finish up downstairs OK?"

Ash nodded slowly and watched her leave with the tray of empty dishes. Once downstairs, she deposited them in her sink and got to washing the, humming a merry tune as she did. She mentally went over her current food supply, checking if there was any broccoli lying around at all.

Soft but rapid tapping from behind caught her attention. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Angel gazing at her expectantly. "Almost done here Angel." She rinsed off her last plate and put it in her dish rack. "Now, who's hungry?"

Angel smiled as Fluttershy laid a fresh carrot in front of him and quickly got to munching on it. With him done, his owner fetched a large sack of animal feed and dragged it to the middle of her living room. She took a deep breath and cried out loudly yet in a somewhat soft tone: "Dinner time!"

At once, all sorts of animals emerged from from their homes in response. Bluejays, hummingbirds and sparrows perched outside their birdhouses. Mice and rabbits scurried out of their holes and lined up ready to eat. Ferrets, raccoons, lizards and others animals heeded her call hungry for a meal.

It took Fluttershy half an hour to feed all her animals and get them settled. Seeing them all cozy in their nests made her yawn and rub her eye. It had been an exhausting day for her, and she couldn't wait to get some rest. She trotted over to the stairs intending to check on Ash one last time before turning in for the night.

A bright flash and a loud sound suddenly appeared; Fluttershy shrieked and dove under her couch head covered, teeth chattering and trembling in fright. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Who's-Th-Th-There?"

Her answer came in the form of three gentle knocks upon her door. Gulping, she took a cautious step out of her hiding place and laid low as she approached the door. She reached up for the knob and pushed the door open preparing to duck back under the couch if necessary.

She was greeted by a tall silver pony-no. An alicorn? I thought the princesses were the only ones around.

"Er, good evening." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you Ms. Fluttershy? I was told she lived here."

"Yup. That's her." a voice from behind him said. Fluttershy peered around the alicorn and spotted three ponies behind him, two of which she recognized.

"Scar? Ironhead?" she asked standing up slowly.

"Hey...Been a while huh?" Scar said scratching his head nervously."Yeah. We only met like once right?" Ironhead responded.

"That's right." She turned to the pony other she didn't recognize. "Um..."

"Ah. Solstice. A pleasure to meet you Ms. Fluttershy." The unicorn gave her a respectful bow.

"And I am their father, Equinox." The alicorn nodded at her. "Earlier, we discovered by Ash and Psych missing and sent out a search party. Psych suddenly appeared saying that Ash was with you."

"That's right. I've been taking care of Ash since earlier today. He was in really bad shape when I found him..." Fluttershy told him. Worry and panic gripped Equinox's heart painfully. "I've treated his wounds, put him to bed and gave him some food. He's in a far better condition now."

"Thank goodness." Equinox and his sons exchanged several relieved glances. "Ash has been hurt for the past few days. All of us have been trying to help him, but to no avail. When he vanished..." He gulped and shuddered, fear in his eyes. "I...I feared for his life." He shook his head. "I've no idea how to thank you Ms. Fluttershy."

"Just a simple thank you will do Mr. Equinox." Fluttershy told him. "I just couldn't leave him all hurt and alone could I?"

Equinox smiled still wishing he could do something in return for her kindness. "May we come in and see him?" Solstice asked.

With a nod, Fluttershy stepped aside and gestured them inside. Equinox led the way and stepped into the cottage, his sons right behind him. Solstice looked around Fluttershy's living room as he entered. "My, what a cozy little-"

A trio of robins were suddenly swarming around his head chirping angrily and pecking wherever they could reach. Letting out a startled cry, he instinctively raised a teal barrier around himself; the birds continued to flutter around it looking for an opening.

"A little help here!" Scar was directly behind him, surrounded by several raccoons, their fur raised in agitation. At the rear, Ironhead as shaking his head wildly; Solstice could make out a large number of mice clinging to it.

"Oh my goodness! P-Please stop hurting them..." But the animals paid her no heed. Seeking to end this quickly, Solstice lit up his horn; the chattering, growling and squeaking stopped as each animal was engulfed in a teal magical aura, holding them in place. He gently lifted them away from his brothers.

"I assure you I'm not hurting them." Solstice said to a shocked Fluttershy. Her pets struggled against the magical hold on them. "I should explain. Animals...are not very fond of us."

She noticed him place a hoof on his chest but didn't question it. "Well...that explains why they also went a little crazy when Ash came in..."

"A little crazy?" Ironhead asked incredulously.

She shuffled nervously a little as Solstice put the animals back in their homes. "A-Anyway, Ash is upstairs at end of the corridor. I think he should still be awake."

Equinox nodded at her and galloped upstairs with his sons. From her position at at the foot of the stairs, she could make out their hurried hoofsteps, the sound of the door creaking open and their relieved cries of: "Ash!"

She could picture the scene as if she was up there herself. She could imagine the relief and love in Equinox's as he embraced his hurt son. She could picture Solstice telling him that everything would turn out fine, a gentle smile on his face. She could hear Ironhead laughing as he punched Ash lightly in the shoulder hopefully away from a bruise and Scar joking about it.

She would've loved to be up there as well but decided against it. Such a tender moment should be spent with family after all.



"How is Psych by the way? I sent him home after I saw him coughing a lot."

Fluttershy and the family minus Ash had assembled in her living room. She offered them tea, but they refused saying that they would be out in a moment. "Psych is currently in bed." Solstice explained. "My brother Blues remained at home to tend to him. He told us to send Ash his regards."

"I still have no idea how to thank you properly for all you've done Fluttershy." Equinox told her. "But for now, you needn't worry about him. Ash is in a good enough condition to return home with us."

Her eyes widened. "R-Really?"

"Yeah. Don't worry; we'll make sure he's OK. He'll be in good hooves." Scar assured her.

"I um...That's good, but..." She didn't know how to put it. She was the only pony who could help Ash now; he couldn't leave. "He...Ash can't leave yet..." she squeaked.

The stallions looked at her puzzled. "We're perfectly capable of caring for him on our own." Equinox told her. "If you're concerned about transport, a simple teleportation spell would-"

"I'm sorry. I-I'm not saying you can't take care of him, but..." She gulped. "He needs me..."

More confused gazed from her guests. "Needs you?" Solstice asked. "If anything, Ash needs his family during his recovery to tend to him. We've been doing so for the past few days."

"But it's not working isn't it?" Fluttershy said surprising them. "He's always been rejecting you every time you help him right?" They nodded a her. "Well, he's been accepting my help. I actually got him to eat."

Equinox spoke up. "Have you tried steamed broccoli? They're-"

"His favorites. I know." she finished. "And no I haven't."

"Ash's always a sucker for that. Dunno why though; that stuff's nasty." Scar stuck his tongue out in disgust and chuckled. "We tried that once, and he still didn't eat it. One of the freakiest things I've ever seen."

"Yes well, I was able to get him to eat several times today." Fluttershy continued. "He's still upset all the time, but he's letting me help him, and I really don't know why...I'm not sure if he'll still want to be helped if he leaves."

Her explanation got them all thinking. "B-but it's still your decision. If you still want to take him home with you, that's fine with me." she added hastily.

The brothers turned to the alicorn. "Well father, the decision is yours." Solstice told him.

Equinox took his time. He would honestly feel much more reassured if Ash were at home safe and sound and cared for by his family, not that he didn't trust or doubt Fluttershy or anything; she clearly knew well what to do. If Ash was only willing to accept help from her, then what would he do if he was taken away? There was the possibility of him slipping back into his old ways, rejecting any help, slowly wasting away...

"Actually, the decision is not mine to make." he announced. "All of us here only wish for Ash to be well cared for. Perhaps it is best that we should ask him what he would like to be done."

"Well that does sound fair." Fluttershy commented. "Ash should still be awake by now. "Now's a good time as ever to ask him."

They all nodded in agreement and headed upstairs. Fluttershy opened the door and found Ash still awake and sitting on her bed. His head snapped up as the door opened. "Hello again Ash. Still feeling well son?" Equinox asked.

Ash paused for a moment before nodding slightly. Fluttershy and the rest of his family stepped into the room. "We've been discussing with Fluttershy Ash." Solstice informed. "We would all like to know whether you would like to return home with us or stay here while you recover."

Ash blinked twice as he gazed at them all. "Go home or stay?" he asked back.

"Whatever you decide is fine with all of us." Fluttershy added. "So what do you want Ash?"

What he wanted? He honestly didn't know. He looked from his family to Fluttershy and then back feeling at a lost. He clenched his sheets thinking that he was undeserving of any of their care. He didn't belong anywhere as far as he was concerned, he didn't belong anywhere. He should've been left all alone in that forest, hurt and alone, unnoticed by everypony, even Fluttershy.

Fluttershy...

"I...I want to stay here..." he answered quietly.

"Hmm?" Equinox was a little surprised. "Are you certain? We only want what's best for you." Ash nodded stiffly, and Equinox sighed and turned to Fluttershy. "It looks like Ash in your hooves now. Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Ash has been very cooperative, so I don't think it would be too much trouble." she replied. "If he really wants to stay here, then I promise he'll be well cared for." She did very strange motivations, drawing an x over her chest, extended her hoof and poked herself in the eye, earning confused stares from the others. "Um...sorry..." She shrank back a little.

She was spared by a yawn coming from Ash. "You've had a long day and need your rest." Equinox said as he reached over and hugged his son. "I promise to visit every day until you get better. Get well soon my son..."

Solstice and his brothers joined in, their warmth making Ash shudder a little. They eventually pulled away, each giving polite nods to Fluttershy as they left. "Thank you again for everything Ms. Fluttershy." Equinox, the last of them, said as he passed he doorway.

She smiled and nodded back wordlessly saying that she would care for his son as best she could. Feeling much better than he had been for the past several hours, Equinox left. Straining her ears, she could make out the sound of her front door closing followed by the familiar sound of teleportation as the family vanished.

"You have a very nice family Ash." she commented turning towards the colt on her bed. "I can see that they all really love you."

Ash remained silent and rubbed his elbow. "It must be nice having all those brothers around." she went on. "I don't really have any siblings like you do, so I really don't know what its like..."

"They love me..." Ash clenched his sheets. "How can they love me when I am is evil?...How can they even stand being with me when all I can do is hurt, kill and destroy?..." He looked up at her, misery in his eyes. "How can you stand me?"

She slowly approached him, speaking in a soothing voice. "Ash, they're your family. You just...just don't hate family; I don't think any of them could. They're like this because somepony they love is hurt and sad and needs help. No matter what you've done, they can't possibly imagine leaving you all alone can they?"

"And um...as for me...I used to be afraid of you, but now...I can't do that. What you need isn't a pony to be afraid of you. You need a pony who will treat you right, who cares for you, who wants to see you happy...You need a friend..."

His ears perked up at the last word. Fluttershy fidgeted a little, rubbing a foreleg while looking away for a moment. "I wanna ask again...if it's OK with you...would you like to be my friend?"

Friend?

The word echoed in his mind, bouncing around inside it like a rubble ball. It brought for thought, the same dark, angry thoughts that tossed and turned in his mind bringing crushing agony as they did. Friend?...Friend...I'm vile...I'm evil...I'm horrible...I'm cruel...I don't deserve-

One look into those eyes made all the pain vanish.

"I..."

"I'm sorry?" She leaned a little closer hoping to hear the answer she was hoping for. Ash swallowed the massive lump stuck in his throat feeling much at ease.

"I...I want to be your friend..."

The smile she gave him...It was almost infectious.
> Libra
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey guys. Sorry the chapters are taking so long. I keep procrastinating and stuff. Whatever happens, don't think I'm abandoning this fic, because I'm not.



CHAPTER 42
LIBRA


The bright lights of the great city of Manehattan filled the night sky, a horrible thing for anypony who wanted to gaze at the stars. Then again, nopony in the city paid much attention to the skies that night; the bustling Manhattenites trudged on with their lives thinking of nothing but their next appointment or what to eat. Nopony paid attention to the lone griffon with a broadsword strapped to its back flying overhead.

Butch gave an annoyed sigh and accelerated a bit. Several of his griffons suffered from painful bruises, small cuts and a few broken ribs. Some of them looked unharmed but were shaking and kept looking around as if terrified by something. Those in better condition were hanging around the city below drinking away their terrible defeat at the hooves of the brothers. Meanwhile, he had the unfortunate job of reporting their failure to the higher ups. Ugh...this's gonna suck...

The job seemed easy at first, get in steal, kill anything that got in their way, get out. The only thing in their way was supposed to be a bunch of super-powered ponies. He just knew he could take them; he had faced diamond dogs, clashed against a pack of timberwolves, even took down a manticore once. He was one of the toughest griffons around; the others weren't like him but were tough enough to keep up.

Yet they-he lost. To a pony. A pony with super strength and a tough hide that his claws and sword couldn't scratch but still a pony. He could already imagine the heckling he'd get when he gets back to the Griffon Nation. He imagined his daughter...She'd never live it down that he got beat up by a pony. He rolled his eyes at the thought.

Sighing again, Butch sped up heading towards the harbor. Passing over the Statue of Librayty, he soared across a yacht-filled harbor into the open ocean. Squinting his eyes into the distance, he spotted a shape loom over the horizon.

The island was a popular tourist a traction. Apparently some rare species of squirrel inhabited it, so it was usually filled with plenty of ponies from out of town, the perfect place for members of Libra to meet without suspicion.

Butch landed in a dense thicket of trees, grateful that nopony was snooping around. He trekked into the woods, down a familiar trail eventually reaching a dead tree stump. Checking again to make sure nopony was following him, he dug his claws into the aged wood and heaved.

The entire stump budged and heaved upwards, rotating on a hinge revealing a ladder leading into the ground. He jumped inside and swung the hidden entrance shut before heading down the ladder. It eventually bottomed out into a dark corridor lined with stone that apparently led to nowhere.

Undeterred, Butch walked down the corridor stopping right in the middle of it. Raising a claw, he ran his talons over a section of the stone wall, balled them into a fist and punched it. He heard the whirring and clanking of gears, switches and other mechanical things coming from within the wall which split in two revealing a large room.

Libra, Manehatten base.

The entire base was situated in an underground cavern supported by large, steel beams reinforced with powerful magic. Illuminated by brightly lit torches along the sides, the room Butch had entered was massive, filled with cries of effort, grunts of pain and thuds of impacts. At one section, a group of ponies were doing push ups, sit ups and stretches while others were lifting weights. Not too far from them, a unicorn and an earth pony snarled at each other before launching themselves at each other. The earth pony got the unicorn in a head lock, but the latter teleported out of the grip and landed right on top of him. He hammered away, landing several blows on his opponent while other pairs sparred around them.

At another area, Butch watched as several unicorns blasting at several stone disks soaring through the air. Near them, a pair of unicorns were dueling, carrying swords in their magical gripped. Butch was rather impressed by them, almost itching to bust his sword out and join in.

Sadly, he had an unfortunate task to complete. At the far end end of the room was a corridor lined with similar torches. Butch flew towards it, earning some stares from some of the ponies inside whose opponents took advantage of the distraction and struck. Butch chuckled as he disappeared into the corridor.

Beyond the training room was a vast network of tunnels all lit by the same torches. Butch had only been through them once, but it was enough for him to remember the right way through. As soon as he saw two guards, he knew he was at the right spot.

A large, steel door stood at his right guarded by two heavily armored pegasi, a spear in their hooves. "Hey!" Butch's shout caught their attention. "Lemme through, I'm here to see Shield." Both guards looked at each other questioningly before nodding. Butch reached for the handle, and pulled the door open.

The room was more of an office than the training room. A weapons rack containing a sword, spear, axe, rapier and an assortment of throwing knives stood in one corner. At the very center of the room was a desk on which several folders and papers were strewn. Behind the table was another corridor that led deeper into the base.

Between that and the table stood Shield. The only part of him that showed were his blue wings. The rest of his body was completely covered in dark blue armor with dark yellow highlights. Spikes studded his shoulders, and his face was concealed under a helmet. He looked up from the files at his desk as Butch approached.

"I see you've returned Muscle. Judging by the various cuts and bruises on you, I say the mission was a failure."

Shield of course wasn't his real name. He and Butch were two of the six highest ranking members of Libra and were referred to by their code names. Shield had only one job, to protect the Leader and act as second-in-command. Butch's code name was Muscle, and that's all Shield ever thought of him as, someone told to work, to act, to fight, not to think.

Butch could imagine him narrowing his eyes at him as he trotted around the table. "Do you have any idea how crucial this mission was to us?" Shield asked.

"Hey, those punks were tougher than you guys said they were." Butch argued.

"That is why we offered some of our own troops, even a few of my own! Yet you stubbornly ignored that offer and went with your own group." Shield jabbed an armored hoof at him. "Perhaps we would have found them if you hadn't been so arrogant!"

"My guys searched that house clean OK? They couldn't find them. Those ponies won't even tell us where they were...I don't think they're keeping them there."

"Then where do you propose?" Shield questioned.

Butch raised his arms up in defense. "Hey, don't ask me; maybe they're not the guys we're looking for."

"They are responding to the imbalance in Ponyville; it has to be them." Shield insisted.

"Well maybe that alicorn guy I saw hid 'em somewhere else!" an agitated Butch blurted out.

Shield froze at the answer. "That is absurd."

"I'm telling the truth; turns out those ponies have an alicorn for a dad." Butch replied.

"Impossible. The only alicorns left are Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadence."

"I was just as freaked out as you are." Butch continued. "'Course, I coulda taken him; bolted right after I busted this thing out." he added with an air of bravado as he gestured to his sword. Shield grunted in annoyance and rolled his eyes.

"An alicorn you say?"

A third, very familiar voice coming from the corridor ahead caught their attention. Shield immediately drew back and stood at the corridor's entrance a any good soldier would when their superior was present. Butch meanwhile just straightened up nowhere near as formal as Shield was being. The pony opened his mouth, about to tell the griffon to show some more formality when a pony stepped in the room.

Everything about the Leader was meant to keep their true identity a secret. Like Shield, this pony was all covered up but under a dark gold hooded cloak. The Leader also wore a strange mask; it looked like it was made of gold wires, twisting in the middle and forming a T, almost looking like a set of scales. Dark yellow eyes peered from behind the mask fixed on Butch.

"What is this I hear about an alicorn?" the Leader asked once again, their voice altered by a spell placed on the mask.

Butch raised an eyebrow. "Uh...I found this alicorn guy with them; turns out he was their dad. Pfft; he talks tough, but he bolted once he saw my sword." He chuckled a little.

"Describe him to me." the Leader ordered earning confused gazes from the other two.

"Let's see...Pretty tall. Blue eyes. All silvery. Kinda wimpy..." Butch listed. The Leader's eyes narrowed.

"I thought there were no other alicorns left but the princesses; how could one stay hidden for so long?" Shield wondered.

The Leader didn't seem to pay attention to him and continued to muse for a moment. "I will deal with this alicorn problem in the future. For now, we have a failed mission to deal with..."

Both the Leader and Shield glared at Butch who growled lightly. "Send me back in there; I'll rip them all to bloody little pieces." he promised angrily.

"Not likely." the Leader answered. "I expected more from you Muscle."

"You always boast about how much more superior you griffons are to us ponies, how you can fly faster and longer than most pegasi, how your muscles are more developed than most earth ponies. I thought you had the muscle to back those claims up."

"Those guys had super powers!" Butch cried out angrily. "I took on this guy, and I couldn't even scratch him! Literally!"

"It would seem that we underestimated them. Or perhaps, we overestimated you." the Leader retorted. "Have you actually done anything helpful during the mission."

"I...kinda trashed the alicorn guy's office." Butch admitted. "Didn't find much. Just a bunch of sciency stuff, some books, a ticket-"

"Ticket?"

"Yeah. It was all gold and crap. Said it's for some gala or something..."

At that, the Leader's eyes widened. "The gala? The Grand Galloping Gala?" Shield asked.

Butch shrugged. "I guess. Some of my guys found the same thing in those ponies' rooms. Guess they're all invited or something..."

The Leader quickly turned to Shield, eyes blazing. "Send word to our base in Canterlot immediately. I want agents at that gala." Shield nodded briskly before galloping off. "It would seem like you did something useful. Perhaps you aren't as useless as I thought Butch."

The griffon flinched; the Leader was the only one who knew all their real names. Sometimes, he wondered just what else his boss knew about him. "If we're crashing that party, I want in." Butch said staking a step eager to make up for his failure.

A sharp glare from under the Leader's mask put a damper on his spirits. "What I need is more information not another commotion. They are going to the gala where Princess Celestia will be; a meeting between them is worth listening in to. Perhaps we'll hear just where they're being hidden."

Butch humped disappointingly. The Leader turned around and headed for the corridor ahead. "I have business to attend to before meeting up with Mistress at our base up north. You're dismissed."

Butch was left all alone in the room feeling relieved that he didn't get punished and annoyed by his failure. Sighing, he turned around and left the way he came in, thinking that maybe he could blow of some steam beating up some pony agents. Some of them did seem eager to get into a-

"Sir!" one of the pegasi guarding the door suddenly. It kinda felt good be around guys who were under him. "You got a visitor. Told her to wait at the training room."

"Her?!" Butch exclaimed getting a nod from the guard. What's she doing here? he thought running a claw across his face. Sighing, he waved the guards off and headed for the training room.

As he approached, he could hear loud grunts, punches and cries of pain. One of them came from a pony, but the other one sounded like it came from something else. As Butch entered the room, the body of a unicorn came flying and slammed into the wall nearby. As the pony groaned and slid to the floor, Butch looked up at his opponent, another griffon who grinned and flew towards him.

"Hey pops. Knew you were somewhere around this joint." she said punching his shoulder.

"Gilda..." He grinned slightly. "Aren't you supposed to be back at our base in the Griffon Nations?"

"Eh. Decided to ditch the place for a while." she answered with a shrug. "Heard you landed some big shot mission huh?" she said elbowing him.

"Y-Yeah." He rubbed the spot where she hit him. "It's nice seeing you..." he added a little quietly.

"Huh? C'mon, don't gimme that sap." She playfully punched him again. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"Look, I really need to blow off some steam here." He turned to the group of ponies watching them. "Hey, I'm gonna need someone around here to beat up-"

"How 'bout me?" Gilda grinned and narrowed her eyes. "Been a while since our last tussle right? Someone around here's gotta keep you in shape." she added cracking her knuckles.

Butch raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless sighed. "Ugh, fine. Just don't go whining when I-"

Air suddenly and violently left his lungs. Butch found himself on his back with a large weight pressed against his chest, his daughters sneering face right in front of him. "Starting to get old pops; that all ya got?"

Growling, Butch kicked her off; Gilda spread her wings and stopped herself in mid air. She then ducked as Butch flew up and went after her. Butch quickly spun around and backhanded his daughter across her face. He then brought his claws together and smashed them against the top of her head.

Gilda crashed against the floor and rolled sideways to avoid her dad's next blow. Spinning on one arm, she kicked his side and knocked him back a bit. She flew in and delivered two punches right to his face. Butch caught her third punch and bashed his head against hers and kicked her back.

Gilda recovered and caught her dad's fist as it went for her face. She pulled him close and slammed her other fist into his chest before throwing him over her. Butch landed on his feet and looked up seeing his opponent fly towards him. He brought his arms up and caught her shoulders, stopping her advance.

"So word's going 'round that your guys got beat up by a buncha ponies." Gilda said prompting Butch to sigh.

"They had superpowers!" Butch slammed her to the ground. Gilda pushed herself up and slammed into his chest before kicking him back. "If they were normal, I could totally beat them."

"Like you could beat me?" Gilda rushed towards him and delivered a powerful uppercut. "I think you're slipping pops. Somebody's gotta whip you into shape!"

Gilda punched him again, but suddenly felt his fist sink into her chest. Butch quickly grabbed her wrists and forced her arms behind her. She struggled, but Butch kept his grip and slammed her face-first against the floor. With one claw holding hers together, the other one pressed her head against the floor.

"Say it!" Butch cried applying pressure. "Say it!"

Gilda squirmed but couldn't break her dad's hold. After much wiggling, she was able to lift her head a few inches allowing a single word to escape from her beak.

"U-Uncle!"

Hearing that, Butch let go and fell to the side panting and sweating heavily. He looked over to his daughter doing the same things and immediately felt a rush of pride. "Heh...You're tougher than I thought you'd be..." he said.

"And you hit hard...for an old guy." Gilda said with a laugh.

"Duh, I taught you everything..." Butch said sitting up and rubbing his chin. That uppercut was really good y'know."

She just smirked and slowly rose. "My other hit's aren't bad either." She punched her open palm. "C'mon pops, best two outta three?"

Butch grinned and quickly rose ready to fight as well, the memory of his humiliation already gone. "You wanna say uncle again? Fine with me!"

And with that, father and daughter resumed to happily beating the pulp out of each other.



The Leader blinked and ran a hoof over the photo. It was old and slightly faded, but the image was still perfectly clear. After hearing Butch's report, something clicked, something related to the photo.

Twenty ponies all lined up stood grinning happily at the camera. The Leader's yellow eyes gazed over a certain pony in their midst, a dark yellow unicorn with white hair and dark yellow eyes. Standing right above that pony was a tall silver alicorn dressed in a fine purple coat.

"...Equinox..."

> Ash's Friend
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 43
ASH'S FRIEND


Fluttershy hummed to herself as she poured out the last of a batch of creamy pancake batter into a pan. As she let it cook for a while, she made her way to a nearby cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres brand honey and set it on the table next to a tray. Two plates filled with pancakes already stood on top of it.

After heading back to her stove and flipping the pancake over, she picked up two forks and set them on the tray and filled up two glasses with warm milk. As she placed them on the tray, a sweet aroma filled her nose. She turned back to her stove, grabbing a spatula as she did, and scooped out the last pancake perfectly round and cooked to a perfect light brown.

As she placed it on her plate, she stepped back to admire her work. Six pancakes arranged in two neat stacks, a bottle of the sweetest honey available in Ponyville, two glasses of clear, nutritious milk, yes, it was indeed food fit for the princesses themselves.

Fluttershy had always believed that a good breakfast was the perfect way to start one's day; nothing said: "I'm ready!" more than a nice meal prepared with such caring hooves. Ash certainly needed one after all he'd been through lately. A good, hearty meal should be the perfect thing to help his ailing body-

THUD!

Gasping, Fluttershy's head jerked upwards. The noise sounded like it came from directly above right where her room should be. The only thing in there that could possibly be heavy enough to fall and make a noise that loud was...

Ash!

Forgetting about breakfast, Fluttershy galloped out of her kitchen and up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry. Scenario after scenario raced through her head with every step she took. At the top of the stairs, she raced towards her room and threw the door open.

Ash was on the floor groaning and struggling to push himself upwards. His body was unfortunately still too weak to stand; his forelegs trembled and gave way causing him to fall and smack his chin against the floor. As he struggled to rise, Fluttershy hurried over to her friend-still trying to get used to that-and helped him up.

"What happened? Did you fall?" Fluttershy asked hurriedly, his weight resting on her. He let out a gasp and shook his head. "So...You tried to get out?" Through the groans of pain, Ash nodded. "Wh-what were you thinking getting out of bed without calling me first?"

"...B..."

"What was that?" Fluttershy leaned closer to his mouth.

"B...Ba..."

"I'm sorry; can you speak a little clearer please?"

Slowly, Ash raised a shaking hoof and pointed at the open door.

"B...Bathroom..."

Fluttershy looked from the door to Ash and understood. "Oh...Oh! You have to um...pee..."

Ash cringed a little and nodded. Peeking over his head, she saw his hind legs crossed and shaking a little. Fluttershy gulped and turned a little pink. "Well...Let me help you there."

Sighing, Ash set his right foreleg down and applied pressure immediately wincing afterwards. "That's it. Slowly." Fluttershy encouraged as he did the same with the other. "Now take a small step. Don't worry; I'll be here with you the whole way..."

Hearing that, the colt stopped for a moment before shaking his head. Grunting a little, he stepped forward; with Fluttershy supporting him, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. Pausing again, he took another step forward urged on by Fluttershy.

"Almost there Ash." Fluttershy said as he took more and more steps. In just a matter of minutes, they entered the hallway. Resting for a few seconds, he began his slow trek towards relief from his predicament. Everything hurt from the movements, but with her supporting him, he didn't seem to mind.

As the door opened, Ash felt himself relax a little. Like the rest of the house it looked nice and cozy with its wooden fixtures and ornaments. At the end of them room stood a toilet, the answer to all his problems as well as the source of a new one.

"Well...We're here..." He looked to the side and saw Fluttershy's face a bright shade of red. He quickly turned away, a small tinge of pink sneaking its way across his own cheeks. "I guess we better...get this over with..."

Ash remained silent as they made their way across the room. They both stopped in front of the toilet and just stared at it; both knew what must happen next though they were both very uncomfortable about it. Unfortunately, Ash's bladder didn't seem to care about it.

"Um...I'll give you some privacy..." Fluttershy said shyly moving away from him. Without her support, Ash's legs wobbled dangerously, his eyes widening right before they gave way. Fluttershy quickly caught him just moments before his forehead could smash against the toilet. "OK; bad idea!...I guess I'll have to stay here then..."

Both of their faces couldn't get any redder. Gulping, Fluttershy lifted the seat and draped his left arm over herself and flew up a bit hoisting Ash a little leaving Ash standing on his hind legs. As she flew forward, Ash adjusted himself forward until he was directly above.

"Whenever you're ready Ash..." Ears flat against her head, Fluttershy closed her eyes and looked away, ears flattening against her head. A few seconds later, there came the gentle trickle of liquid being poured.

Not looking. Not looking. Still not looking. La la la la la la la...

"Um...I'm done..." Fluttershy creaked and eye open seeing a red-faced Ash turned away from her. She slowly let him down, closed the seat and flushed glad that it was over.

At least for now...

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"Y-yes." Ash answered stiffly still uncomfortable about peeing right next to her. "Can we go now?"

Fluttershy nodded and helped Ash take a step. Within minutes, he found himself back in her room. Still looking away from her, she helped him back onto her bed and tucked him in. "Um...I'll go get breakfast..." she said quietly before leaving in a hurry.

Now alone and back in her kitchen, Fluttershy let out a sigh. She was still blushing like crazy even after the whole ordeal was over with. It was by far the most embarrassing thing she ever did; for Celestia's sake, she almost saw Ash's...thingy...She shook such thoughts out of her head and turn her attention back to the breakfast tray. They should really get started on it.

*knock!*knock!*knock!*

"Huh?" She left the kitchen and opened her front door. To her surprise, a maroon earth pony stood behind it. "Ps-Psych? I wasn't expecting you so early."

Psych peered over her shoulder. "Where're your animals?" he asked keeping his eyes peeled.

"At the back having breakfast. Why don't you come in?"

As she stepped aside, Psych trotted in. "Good; I've no plans on getting ambushed so early; how's Ash doing?"

"He's doing well. I was just about to head up and give him breakfast in fact." Fluttershy replied shutting her door. "What about you? Are you feeling OK?"

His gaze was directed upstairs. "Better. Why don't you get Ash's food ready while I go see him."

"Um...OK." Psych headed upstairs while Fluttershy went back to the kitchen. He seemed rather...tame; aside from the coldness in his eyes and voice, there was no trace of the twisted psychopath she met yesterday. It would seem that he was holding up his end of the truce between them which was good; she certainly thought this was better than being tortured.

She drizzled some syrup evenly on both piles before she made her way back to her room. Inside, she found Psych sitting on her bed next to Ash. The latter was staring blankly at his hooves shoulders sagging while the former had a gentle smile on his face. They both turned towards her as she entered. "Are you hungry Psych? I could fix up something for you in you want." she asked.

"I'm gonna have to decline. I won't be staying here too long in fact." he told her. "I just came to check in on Ash before I head into Ponyville."

"You're heading into town?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes. My little chat with Magic yesterday gave me a wonderful idea." Psych said cheerily. "In fact, I should probably leave right away." He planted a small kiss on Ash's forehead before heading for the door. "I won't take too long and should be back before lunchtime; see you later Ash!"

Psych alone in a town filled with ponies? "W-Wait." Fluttershy called out before he could leave. "I don't mean to pry but, what exactly are you planning to do?"

Initially, she feared the answer. Poking his head through the door, she gave her a sly smile, psychopathic mischief twinkling in his eyes. "Let's just say...I'm off to do some sowing."

Both Fluttershy and Ash were still confused by what he said but said nothing as he left. "Well then, here's your breakfast Ash."

The latter accepted the plate from her and got started on it. Fluttershy sat across him and dug into her pile. Her mouth full of sweet pancake, she looked over at her friend eating quietly. "So how are you feeling Ash?" she asked.

"I'm OK." he answered simply. "Better than yesterday."

"That's good...Oh, you're um...going to need another layer of ointment..."

Ash tensed up uncomfortably but recovered. "OK, but try not to tickle me."

"I'll try." Fluttershy promised. Ash silently went back to finishing his breakfast. It was good to hear him talking normally and not shouting and crying like he did yesterday though he still looked a bit depressed. He could really use some cheering up.

"I know, why don't we play a game." she offered earning a puzzled look. "I think you'll like it; it's called "Shhh!".

"'Shhh!'?" Ash repeated.

"Oh yes. We see which one of us can stay quiet the longest." she explained; he had never seen her this excited before. "Are you ready? One...Two...Three...Go!"

She took a deep breath and shut her trap, her cheeks puffed with air. Ash blinked twice and just stared at her not changing his expression at all.

...

...

...

...

...

H-He's good. He doesn't even look like he's trying. Fluttershy narrowed her eyes.C'mon Fluttershy; if you could beat Stalliongrad's champion Checkered Quilt in the finals three years ago, then you can beat Ash too!
...

...

...

"*...sigh...*"

"I win! I'm still world champ!" Fluttershy cried out happily. Her overjoyed expression became more sheepish. "O-Of course, you did really well too Ash. Good game."

"I guess..." Ash said finishing up his pancakes.

Fluttershy nodded and helped herself to a forkful of pancake. As she chewed, she noticed something foreign lying on top of the bedside table. Setting her plate down, she reached over and grabbed it, turning it in her hooves as she examined it. It was a wooden rectangle with hinges on one side, a checkered pattern that made a dull rattling noise.

"A chess board? Where did this come from?" she wondered.

"That's mine." Ash said setting his empty plate down.

"Did one of your brothers bring this over?" She opened a latch on its side and found an assortment of pieces.

"Yes...I had a match yesterday actually." Ash told her as she poked around the pieces.

Fluttershy moved the pieces around until one caught her eye. Digging under a black bishop, she pulled out a white pawn and held it in front of her. She eyed the piece from all sides before gazing at the colt before her. He eyes traveled towards his flanks where a similar piece lay.

"Wh-what're you staring at?" Ash shifted uncomfortably, drawing the blanket to cover his flanks. Fluttershy eeped and covered her mouth, drawing her eyes away from his flanks as quickly as possible.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" she cried out cheeks burning once again. "I just-um...Would you like to play?"

Upon hearing that, Ash relaxed a little, his ears perking up in interest. "You mean... have a match with you?"

"Y-Yes." Fluttershy set the piece down. "I mean, we played a game I liked, so it's only fair we played something you liked."

Ash looked at her and then at his chess board. He reached over and picked up the pawn she put down and turned it over his hooves like she did as he considered her offer. He looked at her again and received a reassuring smile. Biting his lip a little, he turned towards the window admiring the view outside for a while.

"I...I want to play outside..." he told her.

"Outside?" She looked out the window as well. "Are you sure? I mean, you're still too weak to walk on your own."

"I'll manage." Ash said insistently. "I...I want some fresh air; I don't want to be cooped up in here all day."

Fluttershy bit her lip wondering if she should allow him to leave the cottage for a moment. "Some fresh air does sound good for you. OK; just let me put all this away before I help you outside."

Ash nodded and laid back down as Fluttershy collected their things and headed back downstairs. Sighing, he rubbed his face and stared at the ceiling sadly, wondering why he agreed to this in the first place. What did he allow her to help him; he did he call her his friend?

"Ash?" Fluttershy poked her head back in the room. "I'm all set to take you out outside. There's just one little thing we have to take care of."

"Ugh...what?"

She brought up an all too familiar bowl of green paste.

"Ointment time."

Gulp...



A mid afternoon breeze cooled his body. A layer of clouds covered up enough sun to stop it from getting too hot and yet illuminated the ground under just enough. A pair of blue birds chirped happily as they flew around, staying far away from the colt.

It was indeed a wonderful time to be outside. This fine afternoon found Ash on Fluttershy's front lay, a pillow under his seat and his chess set out in front of him. His opponent slowly pushed one of her pawns forward and grinned satisfied with her move. Ash stared intently at the pieces he had left pondering his next move.

For the first time in days, he felt relaxed.

Fluttershy looked at her opponent. She had hoped that playing something he liked would at least cheer him up a little. The whole time he played, Ash did look...He wasn't exactly happier; he actually looked just less sad. But hey, it was a start right?

"Such a nice day isn't it?" Fluttershy said with a deep sigh.

Ash rubbed his shoulder awkwardly. "Y...Yeah..." He took a deep breath of fresh air as well. "So nice..."

"You like it outdoors don't you?" she inquired.

"...I like fresh air and open spaces and sunlight on my coat." Ash mused. "It's very relaxing..."

"It must've felt bad being cooped up for so long." Fluttershy said moving a piece forward. "Though I still like being indoors curled up on my couch with a nice cup of tea better. Not that there's anything wrong with what you like..."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. Now that he was outside , he got a good look at the area surrounding the cottage. There were no other houses in sight; to one side of the house was the Everfree Forrest where his home laid. Trying to put thoughts of home and his family out of his mind, he turned away towards a path that led away from the cottage. His eyes followed a path eventually coming across a group of buildings.

"That's Ponyville." Fluttershy said noticing where he was staring. "You've never been there haven't you?"

He shook his head. "Just my brothers...not me..."

"Really? Well maybe when you get better, I can show you around town." she offered. "We could buy treats at Sugarcube Corner. I could show you this nice little bird nest I found near the lake. You could go meet my friends..."

"I..." He blinked and suddenly found himself back in that burning clearing, crackling fire and piercing screams filling his ears. "We've met..."

"Oh...I'm sure they've all forgiven you already." she said with a hopeful smile. "I know you really don't mean to hurt anypony-"

She was silenced by a low growl. Ash closed his eyes tightly as thoughts raced across his mind. I did mean it. He grit his teeth. I did...I did...I did! I wanted to hurt them! The thoughts hurt like knives digging into his head and chest. Fluttershy looked at him with worry, but he ignored her.

Ash moved a rook forward, shielding his queen which was being threatened by her own rook. Getting focused on back on the game, Fluttershy stared at her own pieces trying to work out a plan on attack, her eyes a little scrunched and her tongue sticking out a little as she thought.

It actually looked pretty cute.

Ash tensed up and grit his teeth a little. He shoved that thought and all feelings that came with it deep into his head. He shouldn't-he can't have such thoughts. He couldn't think that way; he couldn't...couldn't see anypony that way.

Getting his focus back on their match, he watched her take out his last bishop with her queen. He retaliated by using his rook to take out her own bishop which had been left wide open due to moving her queen. Fluttershy did some thinking before moving her king back getting it away from the other pieces.

She doesn't play much. he noted. She didn't have any real strategy and just took out his pieces as best as she could and moved some away when they appeared to be threatened. Psych was more of a challenge than she was.

Pieces clacked against the board as they made their moved. Ash had to sacrifice his queen to protect his king. His rook made several moves knocking pieces over one after the other until it was finally captured by Fluttershy's other bishop. He then captured one of her pawns with his own and thought about his next move. Fluttershy's eyes darted around the chess board a few seconds before letting out a gasp.

"Checkmate!" Fluttershy cried out excitedly moving her bishop. "I...I actually won...I finally won!"

She smiled and clopped her hooves together feeling giddy about her victory. She even flew up and spun around in glee. She looked so happy, and Ash...Ash took a deep breath. The feeling that had wormed their way into his head had come back full force. Her smile, her laugh, they filled his chest with warmth; they almost made him do the same thing.

"No..."

Mid-cheer, Fluttershy paused. Ash was shuddering slightly, muttering things under his breath. "Can't...Not what I am...Don't feel...Impossible...I'm evil..."

"Ash?" Forgetting her victory, she flew over to his side. "I'm sorry if I upset you. You're a really better player than I'll ever be. You did win the first five matches."

"Heartless...Despicable...Horrible..." Tears started to form. "Hurtful...Destructive...Cruel...Cruel...Cruel...I'm cruel...I'm Cruelty...I..."

With that, he buried his face into his hooves and started sobbing, his body shuddering violently. His head, his heart, his mind his...everything was aching as he reminded himself of what he truly was and how nothing will ever change it. After all these years, why did it still bring him pain?

He suddenly felt soft hooves touch him gently reminding him of the kind, sweet mare who- "No!" He turned towards her and raised a hoof ready to smash it into her jaw. Fluttershy backed off a little and froze staring into his golden eyes, still flowing with tears, with worry and fear in her own.

Do it. he said in his head. His hoof budged an inch, but that was it. Do it! he screamed internally, his hoof trembling like the rest of his body. This is what you do! This is what you are!

But the strike never came. Instead, Ash froze, his face twitching in pain. As his hoof lowered a little, Fluttershy gently reached out towards it. Ash showed no sign of resistance as she took his hoof and gently put it down. Without a single word, she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around him.

He could feel the gentle beat of her heart, the soft stroke of his mane and the warmth of her embrace.

"...I forgive you..."

Those three words brought more tears to his eyes.

"...I'm sorry..."

She was so surprised, she thought she misheard him.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." He clenched his eyes so tight they hurt. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I scared your pet! I'm sorry I shoved you! I'm sorry I yelled at you! I'm sorry I tried to kill you! I'm sorry you have to deal with somepony like me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Once again, he was sobbing almost like a child blurting out apology after apology until his throat hurt. Fluttershy just held him and let him release it all. By the sounds of his sobs, it was like he had been holding it for a long time. Now that they were finally out, she hoped that Ash would feel much more at ease.

The pain inside him still burned, but it was much less than it was before. Still, it took him several minutes before he finally stopped crying. He pulled away from Fluttershy and wipes his tears off; he took a deep, shuddering breath and calmed himself down.

"Feeling better?" she asked.

"A bit..." he replied wincing a little.

"You don't really mean to be mean all the time." This time, it wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"I...I don't know." Ash said tensely. "I mean...When I got mad at you, I did want to hit you but..." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "But I couldn't do it...I...I didn't want to do it...I...I don't want to hurt anypony..."

His confession caused hope to spark up in her chest. "But I'm Cruelty itself...I have to hurt ponies...but I don't want...but I have to...I want to...to be happy...but I don't...don't deserve to..."

"Ash, don't say that. If you've been in this much pain, then there's nothing wrong with wanting to be happy." she told him soothingly, her heart aching a little from hearing somepony say that about themselves. "You don't have to hurt anypony if you don't want to. You don't have to be cruel; you can be, well, kind."

"Kind?" Kind. Kind like her. "But...I don't know how...I think I forgot..." he said with a sniff.

"Well...I could teach you." Fluttershy offered. "I'm the Element of Kindness remember? I can help you be kind if you want."

His ears perked up. "You...You'd really do that for me?"

Smiling for the first time in a while, she nodded. "But um...can I ask a favor first?" she asked shyly. "I um...Before I help you, I want to see you smile."

Ash looked up and properly saw her for the first time since he started crying. She was nervously smiling and rubbing one hoof with the other awaiting his answer. For a moment, his dark thoughts returned telling him that this was not who he was, that she was mistaken, that he could change.

For the first time in his life and with much difficulty, he shoved those thoughts into the back on his mind.

He was no idiot, and he knew that it wasn't going to be easy. There was still so much pain in him, enough to make him wonder if he would ever be truly and fully happy ever again. The darkness gripping him was still there, but it's hold on him had loosened just a bit. He knew that just one act, one moment of weakness, one dark, evil thought, was all it took for it to consume him one again.

But with her, his friend, trying didn't seem so bad at all.

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly clearly a little stiff from not being used for so long. Heck, Ash couldn't remember the last time he had ever found anything to smile about. With a nod from her, his mouth moved and formed a small curve. It wasn't exactly the biggest smile in the world.

But it was the biggest one she had ever seen.



"Alright. It's almost lunch time Ash. Time to head back in."

"O...OK...Just one thing first."

"Hmm? What is it?"

He grabbed his king and moved it diagonally up once, knocking her bishop over.

"That wasn't a checkmate."

"Aww..."

> Seeds of Mistrust
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 44
SEEDS OF MISTRUST


The trek to Ponyville from Fluttershy's cottage was rather uneventful for Psych. The maroon earth pony trotted on with a spring in his step happily anticipating his arrival in town. Truth be told, he missed that quaint little community filled with all those happy faces and cheerful laughs; he was going to have oh so much fun there.

Psych however had two particular ponies in mind. True, it would've been fun to pay everypony in town a visit and give them a little (or maybe a lot of) hell, but his plans for the day primarily revolved around two mares in particular. The first one would be easy to find but the second one was a different story. At least they live in the same town.

To his delight, Ponyville's bustling market district came into view. Ponies all around were busy chatting with each other initially unaware if the earth pony's presence. Smiling wickedly, Psych continued on knowing that they'd have to take notice of him eventually. True enough, an earth pony mare with a flower in her mane standing behind a flow stall spotted him and shrieked.

"It's him! The psycho pony!"

Her shout got the marketplace's attention. All eyes turned to where she was pointing. Grinning ever wider, Psych threw his head up and lit up his eyes.

"Everypony run!"

Five seconds later, Psych found himself in the middle of an empty street. As s small gust of wind blew a stray piece of paper around, he took a deep breath and reminisced about the frightened looks and panicked screams he had just witnessed. With a satisfied grin, he continued on; now that he thought about it, he probably should've held on or two of them down and asked them for directions, maybe torture them a little while he was at it.

"Huh...Now where the hay did everypony go?"

Hearing that voice made his ears perk up and his mouth curl into a smile. He rounded a corner and spotted a single pony standing next to an empty stand, a Stetson held in one hoof, a pair of bulging saddlebags on her back and two baskets of apples next to her. Like a predator stalking its prey, he crept forward. Her back was turned towards him as she scratched her head in confusion.

"Honesty, just the pony I'm looking for!"

Hearing that voice turned her blood to ice. For a split second, she found herself floating in midair while a whirlwind of knives desecrated her flesh. Taking a huge gulp, she turned around spotting the colt as he slowly came into view.

"Y-You!" Applejack cried out pointing at him.

"Yeah; it's me. Been a while hasn't it?" Psych asked casually.

"If ya mean a while since I kicked yer flank, then ya." she replied trying to sound braver than she actually was. "You still makin' trouble 'round here? Did everypony head for the hill 'cause of you?"

"Well yeah, but they're not my concern at the moment." Psych took a step forward and placed a hoof on his chest. "I don't expect you to believe me, but I wanna say that I'm merely hear to talk."

AJ took one look at him and snorted. "Yer right; I don' believe ya."

Psych chuckled at that. "Of course you don't; I'm a psychopathic maniac remember? If you wish to fight me, I wouldn't mind having another bout with you." he added making his eyes glow with that same light.

Applejack growled and humphed; win or lose, she didn't want a repeat of their last fight. "Fine. Do whatever ya gotta do an' get goin'. In case ya haven't noticed, yer scarin' away all mah customers."

Psych looked over his shoulder and spotted several ponies peering from the sides of buildings too frightened to approach. "Well I'm here aren't I?"

"Well yeah, but unless yer here to pay-"

Psych silenced her by pulling out a pouch and shaking it in his mouth, the bits insides jangling as he did so. "You sell apple products don't you? I wanna purchase some."

Still suspicious, Applejack lowered her saddlebags and unpacked her merchandise. That afternoon, she had brought her usual wares; in addition to the usual apples, she had a wide assortment of apple-based treats ranging from fritters and crumbles to pies and cakes. "Hmm, what to chose...what to chose..."

Applejack kept her eyes peeled for any sudden movements as he looked over her wares. "How much for those apples?" he asked pointing at a basket.

"Three bits fer five apples." she answered. "Fritters, crumbles and pies're two bits each. Whole cake's five bits."

"Hmm." Psych opened his bit pouch and counted his money. "Are all these still fresh?"

"Uh huh."

"Huh. I'd hate to have them go bad while I'm still here. Hang on; gimme a moment."

Applejack shuffled around, uncomfortable with talking so casually with a complete sadist. Then again, a customer was still a customer no matter how much pain he had caused her and Celestia knows how many other ponies. Pouting a little, she waited for him to make a choice still ready to act if he ever did something unexpected.

"I'll have a pie and some of those fritters." Psych said finally. "That's 10 bits yes?"

Applejack nodded while packing up the pie and the fritters while Psych counted his bits. As he handed over 10 shiny gold coins, Applejack set a large box and a paper bag on his back. "A pleasure doing business with you Honesty."

"Hmmph. Well ya got yer treats. Why don'cha go do what ya gotta do now?" Applejack said waving him off, but Psych stood completely still. "Go on. Git." Still no response. "Look, havin' ya around's bad business fer me. What is it ya gotta do anyway?"

"Actually Honesty, I came here to see you." Her eyes widened in panic as she took a step back. "Worry not; As I've said, I'm not here to torture you. I'm here only to talk."

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "If ya really wanna talk, then I gotta few words for ya mister."

"Yeah. I'm certain you do." Psych said rolling his eyes with a sadistic grin. "By all means, go. I'm certain things down at your farm are much more difficult now without that liar to help you."

He had to bring him up. Applejack thought as she unpacked the rest of her wares. "We're managin'. We worked pretty fine b'fore he showed up, and we can work fine without 'im."

"I can see that. So you aren't curious at all to why he's been absent for the past few days?" Psych asked. "In case you were wondering, all this time, he was at home busy playing hero."

Hearing that caught her attention. "Playin' hero?"

"Yes; he does that doesn't he?" Psych asked mischievously. "Always wanting to fight the villain, always rushing off to help those who require it, always ready to save the day...That's him in a nutshell wouldn't you say so?"

"I guess..." she admitted thinking about how he had helped saved the farm from that fire. "Wait a sec; what're you goin' at here?"

"Oh believe me when I say I'm not exactly as fond of him as you are at the moment." Psych answered. "After all, he did lie to your face and took advantage of your kindness and hospitality. He even went as far as making you think he liked you."

Grief flashed on the farmer's face as old wounds were reopened making Psych smile even wider. "I honestly anticipated he'd do such a thing; he is after all the incarnation of pure Deceit, of lies, trickery and falsehood, everything against everything you stand for correct?"

"He...He said he was sorry..." Applejack said remembering how distraught he looked when he did so.

"I could be another lie; you can never tell with him." Psych said with a sideways glance. "But you always mean what you say correct? You don't conceal things or fool others. You truly are good and honest to everypony right?"

"Y...Yeah...I guess." Applejack said with a shrug.

"And yet he's got the gall to call himself a hero." Psych said with contempt. "Can you believe that? What hero goes around lying to ponies right in their face? Heroes are supposed to be noble and stand for all things righteous. But what does he do huh?"

"He lies that's what." Applejack said bitterly. "I thought he was a hero though..."

"Believe me, he's anything but. He may act and think like he is one, but that doesn't change what he is. Or what he's done." Applejack looked aside for a moment. "Even after all he's done, does he seriously believed he's Super Mane or something? He deceived you Honesty, not very heroic at all. Of course, that's his nature. Do you know he has the ability to lie without detection?"

"You serious? Is that even possible?"

"If you couldn't tell, then that's a show of his power." Psych continued. "My special talent turns me into a living lie detector, but whenever I turn to him, I'm unable to tell. Even when he says the most obvious of lies, I still read him as telling the truth. I'm the only one there who can never tell whether he's being honest or not. *Sigh...* I guess I know how you feel."

Applejack glared at him. "Y'all don' know know how I feel..."

"Whatever you say. At least we can agree that he's undeserving of his title of hero." Psych said with a chuckle as he turned away. "I suppose I should get going and do my other business before this pie gets too cold. Until next time Honesty; I promise to make our next encounter much more enjoyable..."

He ended his sentence with a dark laugh as he thought about just how much he was going to enjoy it. Though he couldn't see Applejack's face as he left the market district, he didn't need to turn around to see it. He could picture it clearly in his head- downcast, eyes distraught, mouth in a frown, ears flat against her head, doubts in her heart.

And he was just getting started.



I probably should've asked her for directions. Then again, she wasn't in any condition to tell me. Psych thought chuckling as he scanned the sky. He knew that the other pony would be much more difficult to find, but he had to find her before the pie for Ash got cold.

Keeping his eyes peeled, he entered Ponyville's park which quickly emptied once the ponies in it spotted Psych. Grinning evilly, he made his way over to a nearby bench and sat down, dropping his bag off in the process. He peered inside and poked a hoof at the pie feeling its warmth. He gave it a sniff and couldn't help but admit that it smelled heavenly.

A whooshing sound from overhead caught his attention. Psych looked up and flinched as a blue blur shot right past his head ruffling his mane a bit. Looking to the side, he saw a rainbow trail lead up to a blue pegasus darting through the air. One look at her multicolored mane was enough for Psych to identify who it was. He grinned as he rose from his seat.

"Hey, I wanna word with you!" Rainbow did a barrel roll and twirled around a cloud. "Loyalty!" She flew in several loop making Psych dizzy a little. "Can't you hear me?!" She flew towards the ground and pulled up flying towards him. Psych jumped on her path and stared her down. "Alright, listen up; I-"

But Rainbow once again flew right above him generating winds that messed up his mane. Growling and stamping his hoof, he looked up again and saw her flying up again out of earshot, his eyes narrowing and his lips curling into a sneer. "Very well then; I know just how to get your attention..."

Chuckling darkly, his eyes glowed with dark rose light. Rainbow, oblivious to the earth pony's actions, flew through several clouds before flying towards the ground. Seeing her approach and enter his range, Psych concentrated, and a large machete materialized in front of him. Narrowing his eyes at the oncoming pony, Psych took aim and launched the weapon straight towards her.

By the time Rainbow registered the flying blade, it had already struck her right between her eyes with a loud thud and sunk half its length into her skull. Blinded by the pain, she spun out of control almost hitting Psych who ducked at the last second. Rainbow smacked into the ground face first, driving the machete deeper deeper into her head, and continued to bounce away sending the blade deeper and deeper until her until it finally burst from the back of her head.

By then, she had come to a halt and laid on her side gasping and shaking, her head in unbearable pain. She could feel blood oozing out from around the blade dripping onto the ground and down her face. The sick, metallic taste of her own blood almost made her vomit. Her breath in rapid gasps, she raised a hoof, which trembled so greatly she could barely control it, and gently touched handle of the blade.

"GRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Agony shot through her as the machete budged. She fell on her side trembling like crazy. Tears forming out of her eyes, she started hyperventilating, wondering why in the name of all things good and decent in the world wasn't she dead yet.

Through the agony, she heard hoof steps approach her. Her eyes swiveled up spotting Psych, a sinister look on his face. As much as he would love to continue, he needed to talk with her. The glow in his eyes vanished and, much to Rainbow's surprise, so did the pain. Shocked, she felt her head eyes widening at the lack of blood and blade.

"I'm glad I finally gained your attention Loyalty." he said drawing her attention away from what had just happened.

"Huh?...Wha...What the hay did you do to me?!" she cried out getting up in his face. Any other pony would've flinched at the display, but Psych wasn't a normal pony.

"I got your attention." Psych answered simply. "You are too busy flying around to notice me, so I brought you down. As to why, I wanna talk."

Rainbow drew back and, remembering the tears that had formed, quickly wiped them off. "Talk? You almost cut my head in two, and now to tell me you just wanna talk?!"

"Yeah. That's the whole reason to why I'm here. I just want to talk." Psych replied slowly.

She glowered at him and stood her ground. "Yeah right; I know you. You're one of those guys with the freaky powers. What's up with you; Twilight said you guys don't really wanna hurt us."

"She can't account for my actions; I tend to act separately from my so called 'brothers'." Psych explained. "I don't require their permission if I wanna do anything."

"Huh..." Rainbow said eyeing him from head to hoof. Probably could take him if it came to that. "So what's your deal? What d'you wanna talk about?"

That same evil grin crept across his face. "I've heard you and Treachery've had a recent falling out."

"Uh, me and who?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Y'know, the pony that said he was your trusted friend? The pony that gained your trust? The pony that took said trust and smashed it to bits? The pony who took advantage of your friendship? The pony who betrayed you?"

"Scar..." Rainbow muttered with a frown.

"Yup, that's him." Psych replied cheerily. "I heard he tried to apologize to you and you turned shot him down. Smart move deciding not to trust him anymore."

"Hmmph." She crossed her arms and did a sidelong glance. "He...He said he was sorry...That jerk..."

But a memory stirred in her mind, that of an elated Scar cheering her name like he was her number one fan after doing a Sonic Rainboom. Hearing praise and cheering from anypony had always been music to her ears, but she couldn't help but think that that Scar was more like the Scar that she knew, the happy if not overly enthusiastic goofball who had her back. Not a traitor at all.

Maybe I was a little too hard on him...

Psych's grin grew even wider upon seeing her distant look. He was hoping for this, this momentarily display of connection with that pony. "Oh you don't have to worry about him at all. He's actually doing quite fine now."

"Huh?"

The earth pony chuckled; several overheard conversations had given him the information he needed. He had gotten the basics, but the finer details could easily be...exaggerated. "Yeah. You see, he's befriended sompony recently. Actually, the very same day he tried to make amends with you. Are you familiar with the name...Derpy Hooves?"

"D-Derpy?" Images of crossed eyes, bulging mailbags, misdelivered packages, muffins and a goofy grin crossed through her mind. "Derpy...and Scar?"

"Indeed." Psych said with a nod. "The very same day he attempted regaining you trust, he decided to go spend some time at a local bar around here. That's where he met with Derpy and hung out with her all night."

Rainbow looked away again and shrugged. Nothing really bothered her at that point. If Scar had indeed made a new friend, then that was good for him. It didn't really bother her that much...

"Then they got totally drunk and went to her house."

"Wha-huh?" Psych once again had her attention. Rainbow blinked twice, staring at him in disbelief wondering she he had misheard him.

"You heard me right Loyalty. His wings were also aching; after getting drunk out of their minds and being ejected from the bar, Derpy offered to give him a 'massage'." He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "At her home."

"S...Seriously?"

"According to Treachery, they had more to drink at her place. Then, he got on her bed and beckoned her to him." Rainbow's eyes were the size of plates at this moment. "She crawled on top of him and ran her hooves across his wings, and we both know just how...sensual...an act like that can be..."

Savoring her expression, Psych continued. "I'm no pegasus, but I believe you can imagine what sort sensations they were both going through at that moment. The gentle touch of her hooves running though his primaries, the sensation of stretching and massaging the spot that joins the wing and the body, the moaning...I bet he was moaning in absolute ecstasy. Especially when he flipped over and told her to massage his chest. I bet you could hear him egging her on, demanding more and more..."

"Alright alright! I get it! Sheesh; way too much information!" Rainbow cried out shaking her head repeatedly.

Psych grinned at her discomfort. "Alright fine. You don't want me to elaborate. I get it that you're quite uncomfortable about all this."

"What? Me? Uncomfortable?" She waved him off. "C'mon, if Scar wants to hook up with somepony, then he should go for it. It's not like I'm his boss or anything..."

"You do have a point." Psych replied with a nod. "I mean, if it were me, I'd be furious with him. He apologized and sounded so sincere about it, and when things went south, he was so quick to move on to somepony else and make a new friend." He shrugged and flashed a grin. "I'm surprised he tossed you aside for somepony else after all you've been through. A traitor through and through is he not?"

Rainbow had her jaw clenched as she took in his words. Psych turned around returned to the bench where he picked up the bag and placed it back on him. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but Ash's pie's getting cold. I'll leave you to...ponder Treachery's latest actions. Until next time Loyalty..."

Like with Applejack, he never looked back as he trotted out of the park already knowing what he would see if he did. Psych grinned and fought to urge to let out a maniacal laugh, but he held his tongue; there would be plenty of time for that later. For now, there was a pie and some fritters on his back ready to be given to Ash. He briefly wondered how his brother was doing.

Things had gone better than expected. He was glad his trip to Ponyville hadn't been a total waste. He had delivered his message, and he needed was a little time before things got even more...interesting. The image of a single golden ticket flashed through his mind as he sped up his walk out of Ponyville, eventually reaching the path to Fluttershy's cottage.

The seeds have been planted; I can't wait for them to bloom...
> Kind Sorrow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 45
KIND SORROW


Destructive...

Unstable...

Broken...

Cursed...

Cruel...

All I know is anger...and hate...

It hurts...So much...

Can...Can I really change? Am I still capable of it?



For the nth time that day, Ash covered his face and let out a big sigh. After their little talk, Fluttershy had helped him back inside and put him back to bed before heading for the kitchen to prepare their lunch. He reached for his pillow and pressed it against his face letting out yet another sigh as he tried to sort out his jumbled thoughts.

He felt...He honestly didn't know what he felt. He didn't feel any worse because letting all his emotions out actually felt liberating. Then again, he still didn't feel any better; there was still too much anger and hate in his heart. No amount of care, kindness or warm hugs from Fluttershy could possibly banish them no matter how good they felt...

Upon hearing gentle knocking from the door, he put the pillow back. The door creaked open and Fluttershy stepped with another tray in her hooves. He was about to say something when a familiar aroma struck his nose. He took a deep breath and let the sweet scent fill his lungs. Licking his lips eagerly, he exhaled and looked at the tray where he confirmed what he had smelled, a plate of steaming broccoli.

"Are they-"

"Stir fried in butter, just how you like them."

As he swallowed, she thought she saw the corners twitch upwards slightly. An angry growl emanated from his stomach causing him to cover it and look away blushing. Giggling, Fluttershy shut the door and flew to Ash's side. The colt leaned forward and inhaled the scent directly from its source leading him to shudder.

Fluttershy presented it but stopped when a sudden uproar came from downstairs. A mixture of growls, screeches and hissing caused her to flinch and almost drop the tray and spill all of Ash's favorite meal. "Um...I'll just check on that..."

Fluttershy could've sworn she heard him let out a small whimper of disappointment as she turned away. She closed the door, and at the same time, the angry shrieks from downstairs suddenly changed sounding more like frightened wails of terror. "Oh my!" Trying not imagine what kind of horrors she would find below, she quickly set down the tray in front of the door and flew downstairs.

"How fortunate that Kindness isn't here." a familiar voice said with a dark chuckle. Fluttershy jumped the last step, looked around the room wide-eyed and alert and let out a gasp.

The room was quiet save for the occasional whimper from a den or birdhouse. In one corner, a trio of shaking mice peered out of a mouse hole, let out a squeak and slammed the door shut. In another corner, weak chirping came from the birdhouse where her robins stayed. Through one of the windows, she could make out the trembling back of her pet bear; he was one of of the toughest, bravest animals she had, but now...

In the middle of it all stood Psych grinning like a foal in a candy shop, a large paper bag on his back. Fluttershy's eyes traced his line of sight and nearly bulged out of her head when she spotted a small white bundle curled up in a fetal position. "Angel!" In an instant, she was at his side scooping his trembling form in her hooves.

"They started it in case you're wondering; I was only acting in self defense." Psych told her. "They lunged at me, so I retaliated by sending a few thousand volts into their bodies, sticking white hot spikes down their throats, I think may have I used some acid or whatever, I don't really remember."

"I do recall having a particularly fun time with your lark though." he added with a chuckled as he reminisced. "After wrapped him up in barbed wire and slammed him against the floor a dozen times, I remembered that there was some Prench song about a lark. I remembered it word for word and hummed hoping he'd catch its tune and sing along with me. Sadly, he was too busy being torn apart to mimic by song, but that didn't diminish any of the fun. Besides, I rather like that song. Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai."

He could almost distantly hear the lark chirping rapidly as he pulled a scalpel out of mid air; he always found dissection and dismembering much more enjoyable when done by hoof. "Je te plumerai la tête. Je te plumerai la tête. Et la tête! Et la tête! Alouette! Alouette! A-a-a-ah!" He let out a cold laugh remembering the feeling of cutting into the bird's flesh. "Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai. Je te plumerai le bec. Je te plumerai le bec..."

"That wasn't very nice..."

"Hmm? As I've said, I did it out of self defense." Psych reminded still maintaining that twisted smirk. "Your animals all have it out for me especially that little brute-"

"How could you!?" Fluttershy was suddenly up close, her forehead pressed against his, nostrils flaring. "How could you do something so horrible to these critters?!"

"For the third time, they attacked me first." Psych replied calmly. "I informed you of how violent they get when I'm present. Had I not reacted the way I did, you'd instead find me being mauled by them."

"But you didn't have to treat them the way you did. Just look at what you did to poor Angel!"

"He had it coming." Psych said with a casual wave of his hoof. "Y'know, I've never seen this side of you before Kindness. I'm aware of your hidden, assertive self, but I'd no idea I'd actually get to witness it. Careful you don't over do it like last time."

Fluttershy drew back and bowed her head, a gesture that made Psych laugh and narrow his eyes. "I thought so. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a pie that's beginning to get rather-"

Her head slowly rose.

"Rather...Rather...R...Rather...C-cold..."

All earlier thoughts of enjoyment and wickedness immediately vanished from his mind as he stared into...those...those...eyes...His mouth fell open, his pupils shrank and his shoulders slumped as his mind slowly went blank.

Wh...What...

"Now say you're sorry." a stern Fluttershy said holding up the still shaking Angel.

"I...I'm sorry...Angel..." Psych said unable to look away.

"Sorry for what?" Fluttershy pressed causing Psych to draw back slightly.

"Th-That I hurt you and...all the other animals..."

"Now listen Psych. I know you were just trying to defend yourself, but you could've done it without hurting them the way you did. Now, I'll tell all the animals to leave you alone if you promise not to hurt any of them anymore. Understand?"

Slowly, he nodded. "And Angel?" A head popped out of the trembling white heap in her hooves. "Psych said he won't hurt any of you, so you and all the other animals stop hurting him OK?" Her pet nodded. "Good. Now I expect both of you to behave around each other OK?"

Both nodded at her. "Good, I'm glad we settled that." She gently closed her eyes and sighed with a small pout. Was I too harsh?...Maybe I should-

"What in Celestia's name was that?!" Psych exclaimed having finally returned to his senses. He heard an eep drawing his attention to the startled pegasus. "Wha-what? Mere seconds ago you were-I-What was with those eyes?!"

"Oh um...I'm sorry. It's just that whenever somepony tries to hurt any of the animals, I just...I-'m sorry again." she repeated apologetically.

Psych blinked several times wondering if this shy, meek mare in front of him was the same as the commanding mare who spoke with him not too long ago. "The intensity of your gaze...I've witnessed something similar before...It's just like Ash's Glare."

"His...Glare?" Fluttershy asked with a tilt of her head.

"Yeah, it-"

A set of knocks cut him off. "Um, excuse me. I'll get back to you on that." Fluttershy set Angel down gently on her couch and walked past the slack-jawed Psych and opened her front door.

It swung open, and Fluttershy gave a small gasp as she took in a tall but familiar pony looking down at her. "M-Mr. Equinox. H-Hello." She peered around him and found found four grinning colts behind him. "Solstice, Ironhead, Scar and...um..."

"Blues. I believe this is the first time we've met." the blind pony said approaching.

"What's the hold up Kindness?" Fluttershy stepped aside as Psych approached. The latter spotted the other ponies and grunted. "Ugh...you guys..."

"Psych, I knew you'd be here before us." Equinox said smiling at his son. "May we come in Fluttershy?"

The latter nodded and stepped aside allowing her five guests to enter her cottage. "Uh, hey Fluttershy, where're your animals; I don't wanna end up getting cornered by a bunch of ferrets or something this time." Scar asked looking over the room with his wings deployed.

"Well Psych already...um...dealt with them already..." Her nervous shuffle and his sadistic grin told the whole story. "Anyway, I was just about to take some broccoli up to Ash actually." She stopped and turned around to face them smiling. "I know, why don't you all give him his meal? I'm sure he'll appreciate it much more coming from all of you."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Fluttershy." Solstice said while the rest of his family nodded. Fluttershy led them up the stairs and let Solstice pick the tray up with his magic before knocking on her door.

The eyes of the colt inside widened at the sound. The door creaked open, and Fluttershy's head poked through it. "Somepony's excited." she said with a giggle leading Ash to look away with a blush. "You actually have some guests Ash."

As the latter raised an eyebrow, the door widened. Ash's own eyes widened as Solstice stepped inside carrying the tray shortly followed by the rest of his family. Gritting his teeth, he pushed against the bed; Fluttershy quickly bounded towards him and dug her head under his back, pushing him upwards until he finally sat up. Panting a little, he gazed at his family, a slightly distant look in his eyes.

"Hey bro. How're you feeling?" Ironhead asked grinning. Heck, all of them were smiling softly at him.

"I...Better actually..." Ash swallowed, his right hind leg twitching slightly. He could feel their kind gazes pressing against him.

"Here." Solstice deposited the tray in front of his brother. Its aroma filled his lungs once again, but it was completely overshadowed by the tension coursing through him. "Ash?" He looked up seeing a concerned expression on the unicorn's face.

All of them were facing him wearing frowns, raised eyebrows, and slightly lowered ears, their expressions causing him to tremble slightly. His head bowed over the bowl of his favorite meal concealing his eyes from the rest of the ponies. Solstice turned to his rest of his family but suddenly heard a small drip. He turned back around and saw a small drop fall and hit a piece of buttery broccoli.

"A...Ash?..."

All of them staring at him with warm, concerned faces was just too much for him. He let out a big shuddering breath and started visibly shaking. He covered his face and finally let the tears flow. At once, Equinox moved to approach his son, but Ash flinched away upon hearing his approaching hoof steps. He shook his head repeatedly scattering a few tears as he did.

"...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

Over his apologies, Equinox approached him and pulled him into an embrace. Ash stiffened at his touch but didn't do anything to resist the alicorn and just continued sobbing. "There there Ash...You haven't done anything-"

"Yes I have!" Ash exclaimed not daring to look at his dad or the rest of his family. "D'you have any idea...How many times I wanted to hurt you? How many times I wanted to hurt all of you?" He shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. "I'm angry...I'm angry almost all the time and it make me want to..." He took a deep shuddering breath. "Th-there's just too much rage...I can't...can't love any of you...the same way you love me..."

"Ash...C-C'mon, you can get pissed off at us if you want; that won't change how we think about you." Scar spoke. "I mean, I get pissed off when dad made that chore system where I have to scrub every toilet in at home in one afternoon. I get pissed off when Blues makes some snappy come back whenever I say something dumb."

"They're more necessary than you think." Blues deadpanned.

"Yeah like that."

"You get pissed off when I make a crack about you not getting laid." Ironhead added with a smirk.

"You're never letting that go are you?"

"Not in a million years bro."

Scar's eye twitched, but he turned back to Ash. "Look, I get pissed off at a lot of ponies and a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I hate them or anything..."

"I'm not like you." Ash said quickly. "I...I want to hurt you...I wanted to hurt all of you..." He squirmed in his father's grasp and brought his hooves up to clutch his head. "I want to...but...I don't..."

As Equinox hugged him tighter, the brothers looked at one another at a loss except for Psych who bit his lip and looked aside. Fluttershy couldn't help but feel glad that he wasn't sobbing as much as he had been earlier. "Ash, I...I had no idea you felt such things." Equinox told him pulled away though the pegasus refused to look at him. "I have loved and cared for you for years, and I swear I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to make you feel so-"

"You never did anything wrong!" Ash cried out finally opening his eyes and looking at his father. "You get mad, you want to talk about it. I get mad...I want to hurt ponies. Even if they love me. Even if I don't have to...I'm broken...I'm so broken..." Equinox shook his head and pulled his son in closer.

This time, Psych approached and leaned against his brother, pressing the side of his head against his back. "It's OK Ash. You're not alone..."

Hearing that, Equinox pulled away again. "What? Ash, Psych, you are not broken!" he insisted. "You have flaws yes, but that doesn't make you broken."

"It's not the fact that we're flawed that makes us broken." Psych said indignantly. "It's the extent to which we're flawed. I'm a ruthless, sadistic, heartless, psychopath. Ash is a depressive, angsty, self-depreciating mess."

"We make mistakes...we hurt ponies...We do them because it's what we are..." Ash added. "Your flaws...They're not as bad as mine."

"You believe your flaw are more grave than ours? Than my own?" Solstice asked placing a hoof on his chest.

"As far as I know, there's nothing majorly wrong about you." Ash told him. Solstice opened his mouth to argue back, but he quickly closed it.

"'Nothing majorly wrong about us'?" Blues repeated dumbfounded. "Ash, I have issues you can't even begin to imagine! I..." His legs trembled slightly. "I have flaws that haunt me just as much as yours..."

"Really? Do tell." Psych said rounding up on him with a grin. "Let it out; I'm sure bearing a problem like that doesn't do you any good."

"OK Psych, seriously, he's gonna say something that's really been hurting him a lot. You don't have to go make him feel worse." Ironhead reprimanded.

"It's what I do just as defending and protecting others is what you do." his fellow earth pony argued back. "Or was that lying? Can't really be the former if you do the latter huh?"

Ironhead growled but didn't bite back. "You all got your own issues, but you've no idea of what I must live through every day!" Psych roared at them. "My pain is-"

"Is totally something you made up." Scar countered before he could finish. "You seriously think we hate you? Anypony who saw what we were like before would say that isn't true. I dunno why you tell yourself we reject you, but I'm telling you we don't."

Psych growled at him hopping off the bed and approaching him. "Don't give me that nonsense Treachery; I see signs of your rejection of me every day!"

"Psych, we are your family." Solstice reminded him.

"Then why d'you all reject me? Huh? How can any of you possibly call yourselves my family if you can't accept me!"

"Well your torturing doesn't really help now does it?" Ironhead muttered.

"Ironhead!" Blues glared at him briefly before turning back to Psych. "Is there anything we can do that will convince you that we love you?"

"There isn't...It's far too late for that now." For a moment, barely longer than a split second, he felt his throat tighten.

"It's never too late." Equinox turned his gaze to him and reached out, gentleness in his eyes. "Psych...I've loved you since you were only a young colt begging me to teach you about how ponies think...And I still do with all my heart."

Psych scoffed and knocked his hoof aside. "You old fool; you still don't get it. You have no idea what you did to me!" He trotted towards the alicorn teeth grit in hatred. "You did..." He swallowed. "You did love me...But that moment's been gone for years. I see it clearly; you don't love me the way you think you do! So stop these pointless declarations! Stop these hollow, empty displays of affection! Stop-"

"SHUT UP!"

It wasn't the volume that stopped Psych but the owner of the voice. Every eye in the room turned towards the pegasus on the bed shaking and glaring at the maroon earth pony. Ash's bit his lip as more tears filled his eyes and he looked at his brother. Psych looked back at him in surprise and, in a very small and rare amount, fear.

"A-A-"

"No; you listen to me!" Ash roared pointing a shaking hoof at him. "You...You ungrateful jerk!" He gasped and clutched his head. "H-He-They love you dammit! Why can't you-Gah!" He flinched away and then went back to glaring at him. "S-see that! Years ago, you lost everything you ever loved, and you want to throw away the love that found you?!"

He gasped and began breathing rapidly, gritting his teeth as if in pain. "A-And why? Because they all hate you?! You torture, mock and despise everypony you meet, and you wonder why they hate you?! You wonder why they'll never accept you?! W-Well they shouldn't! They have every right to despise everything you are! Ponies hate feeling sad just as much as they hate cruelty! If...If you think you can change that, then you're even more insane than you say you are!"

"You say you're Grief itself? You-you say you like seeing others suffer?" Again, several deep breaths. "Well there's a suffering pony right in front of you! Wh-why aren't you s-smiling? You see me in pain every day! Why is my pain any different from others?! Some embodiment of Grief you are! You're the only hypocrite around here! I-"

He quickly covered his mouth before the rest of that sentence could be finished. I hate you. I'm just three words away from destroying him completely...Three words away from taking away his only hope...Just three words...

But...

Ash was still shaking, the words threatening to spill out of his mouth. Mid-struggle, his eyes flitted around the room. Equinox was staring wide eyed at him, his mouth slightly open. Solstice's eyes were darting back and forth between the two of them. Ironhead was saying something to Blues who was biting his lower lip while Scar looked on worriedly. Fluttershy, an unintentional witness to the travesty that was his life, had pursed lips and damp eyes, and Psych-

His shaking diminished slightly upon laying his eyes on his brother. His brother who had wide, sad eyes and slumped shoulders. His brother who was the cause of so much painful anger. His brother who loved him, who cared for him in his time of need, who desperately tried to pull him out of his self-depreciating ways. His brother who he was so close to breaking completely.

Eye contact between them lasted for what felt like several lifetimes. It was the look of a neglectful parent berating their foal on their poor behavior. It was the frown of the artist who had just received his first rejection letter and knew that there was more to come. It was the eyes of a pony struggling with the enormous weight of their suffering which threatened to crush them completely.

He would know. He saw that same look in the mirror all the time.

Those lifetimes came to an end as Psych stood up and jumped off the bed. Vaguely, Ash heard his father say his name, but he wasn't too sure. All he was sure of was the retreating form of his brother as he slowly made his way to the door. As he opened it, Ash reached out and opened his mouth, but it was too late. The door gently closed leaving Ash to stare at it still as a statue, more tears filling his eyes.



"I'm pathetic."

The room was empty save for Fluttershy and Ash. Equinox and Blues went after Psych while the rest stayed with Ash. They didn't stay too long, and when it was clear that Psych wouldn't be coming back anytime soon, they left as well.

"Ash..."

"Yes I am. How can you not think I am?" Ash pressed a pillow against his face covering his eyes. "That should've been my first test...And I ruined it..." He uncovered his eyes and turned to her. "I wanted to hurt him so much in the most painful way I can. I-I wanted to do to him what he does to others...But he's my brother...I...shouldn't even think of something like that..."

Fluttershy sniffed and wiped a tear at the corner of her eye. "Oh Ash...I know how you feel. I've done something like that too..." She shook her head. "If it makes you feel any better, you're far better off than I was."

His eyes widened upon hearing that. "What? I just told my brother the most hurtful things he could possibly hear; how the hell can I be any better than you?"

She drew back at his raised tone. "Well...um...OK. Psych really isn't the nicest pony around now is he?" Ash shrugged but didn't respond. "Well, don't you think he maybe...deserved it?"

Ash opened his mouth, but Fluttershy beat him to it. "I know. It's not nice to say mean things to your brother, but...But you had to say it. Your brothers tried reasoning with him and he just blew them off. He only listened when it was you who talked to him. You have a connection with him that nopony else has."

"But..." He closed his eyes tightly for a second. "But that makes what I said-"

"Even more important." she finished.

"I was going to say more painful."

"I...suppose that's also true...I know you were going to say some more really hurtful things, but sometimes...I guess sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind..."

He stared at her as if she suddenly spoke in a different language. "Think of it this way. What you said was hurtful, but you did make a point." she explained. "Somepony had make Psych listen, and that pony could only be you. Because of what you said, Psych could well be on the road to being a better pony. Being mean to him...was probably the nicest thing you've ever done to him..."

He stared at her for a moment taking her words in before sighing and looking up the ceiling. "But...This is supposed to be kindness? This is supposed to be what you are? You're way too..." His head twitched a little.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, but Ash didn't continue. "I know it's not the kindest thing to do, but it had to be done."

Ash was silent for almost a whole minute. "I don't want to hurt him all the time..."

"You don't have to. Maybe you could just, make him know just how much you love him back."

Love. That word felt so strange to him, had always felt strange to him. It felt too pure, too perfect, to incorruptible. How can it possibly exist alongside the burning flames that lay in his heart? How can there be room in something as comforting and caring as love for harsh words, angry shouts, tears and pain?

"You should probably say you're sorry when he comes back first." she suggested.

He sighed. "I know him just as much as he knows me. I know he's coming back."

"Of course." She gave him a gentle smile. "Even after today, he loves you very much Ash. I don't think he's ever going to give up on you. And well, after today, I don't think I'm giving up on you either."

The familiar warmth in his hart returned upon hearing that making the corners of his mouth twitch a little. Fluttershy reached over and picked up the still full bowl of untouched broccoli. "Um...I think this is still good enough. But would you like me to heat it up first?"

"I...I'd love that...Fluttershy..."

She smiled once again before flying off with his favorite meal, his appetite returning with a vengeance.
> Field Trip
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 46
FIELD TRIP


Ironhead yawned and growled as he trudged through the Everfree Forrest realizing that one of that bad sides to no longer living in Ponyville meant waking up earlier to get to the farm on time; as Big Mac said, he technically still worked there. He licked his lips faintly tasting a few stray crumbs and a bit of cheese from the bagel he finished halfway through the forest.

What am I gonna tell her? Is she even gonna believe me? he thought passing around a patch of strange blue flowers. Undoubtedly, the Apples would question his absence for the past few days. What; do I tell 'em I we got attacked by griffons? Would they even believe me? Would Applejack...

He sighed and shook his head. I already got more stuff to deal with at home. All that crap with Psych and Ash...Dammit...

As much as he loved his brothers, it pissed him off and worried him that they were the way they were. Some days, he would ask himself where everything went wrong. As far as he remembered, he never did anything serious enough to hurt them, and neither did the rest of them. Heck, every time he tried asking them what went wrong, Ash would sulk and be unresponsive while Psych would go on about how he hated him and that he was nothing but a liar and all that crap...

He emerged from the forest not too long later. He looked around and saw that Fluttershy's cottage wasn't too far away.

I'm broken...I'm so broken...

You all got your own issues, but you've no idea of what I must live through every day!

Your flaws...They're not as bad as mine.

Then why d'you all reject me? Huh? How can any of you possibly call yourselves my family if you can't accept me!

He winced remembering that painful exchange yesterday. He stared at the cottage forlornly particularly at the window along the top floor. "Maybe I should..." He stopped himself half-step and sighed once again. "Forget it; Ash's probably asleep anyway..."

He walked past the cottage and eventually found himself in Ponyville. Ponies all around were yawning and stretching as they set up shop and prepare for another day. Ironhead walked past all of them eventually arriving at the familiar path that led to Sweet Apple Acres. Upon taking his first step on the path, he pursed his lips and took a nervous step back.

Sweaty, nervous, fidgety and uncertain about what would happen once he stepped into the farm, it was the night of their first date all over again albeit with 10 times the dread. Of course, back then he was hoping they'd end up a couple while now, we was hoping they'd manage to at least stay friends. Steeling himself like he did before, he took the first step of many towards the barn.

As he approached the barn, he failed to pick up the familiar thud of strong hooves against tough tree bark. Looking around, he failed to see any of the Apple family. "Huh...They're usually supposed to be up by now..." Furrowing his brow, he hurried towards the barn still unable to catch any sign of the Apples. Confused, he raised a hoof and knocked on the front door.

"Hey, it's me! Anypony home?! Granny?! Mac?! Applebloom?!...Applejack?!"

Eventually, he did hear hoofsteps. The front door swung open revealing Applejack on the other side. Her eyes widened for a second before shifting to a neutral expression. "Ironhead." she greeted with a nod.

"Uh, hey there AJ." he greeted back confused at her tone. "So what's going on here? Aren't you guys supposed to be out by-"

"ACHOO!"

The whole house shuddered under the noise. Both ponies flinched at it before turning towards the interior of the house. "What the hay was that?" Ironhead asked.

"Applejack, where's that whiskey I told ya to fetch?!" an elderly voice called from within.

"On it granny; be there in a sec!" As Applejack headed for the kitchen, Ironhead stepped inside. Granny's voice sounded like it came from upstairs. Never having gone up there before, he followed it and ascended.

He came across a corridor lined with doors and picture frames. Ironhead approached one that was a bit lopsided and adjusted it. It showed the Apples seated at a picnic; Granny had a sandwich in her hooves, Big Mac had bulging cheeks as he waved at the camera. Applebloom was in the middle of bouncing a ball on her head. Applejack herself was leaning against a tree playing a harmonica.

I didn't know she played. Maybe I should...

He shook his head and moved to another picture. Unlike the rest, it was a slightly old and faded and filled with ponies he didn't recognize. As his eyes traveled around, he spotted a green mare sitting in the foreground. He suddenly saw that same picture again but in a book he had already read what felt like a lifetime ago. It was Granny Smith back when her family founded Ponyville.

He let out a laugh at the next picture. It showed Applejack back when she was younger, an over-sized Stetson completely covering her face. She looked to be slightly older than Applebloom was judging by the Cutie Mark on her flank. It looks like she's had that same hat for years now; where could she have gotten it?

"ACHOO!"

Another, earth trembling noise rocked the house once again making the pictures on the walls rattle. It actually sounded like it came from down the corridor, more specifically from the second door on his left. He walked down the corridor and knocked a few times at the door. "Uh...Anypony in there?"

The door opened, and he found himself looking down at a small filly. "Oh, it's you Ironhead."

"Hey Apple-"

"ACHOO!"

Ironhead looked up into the room. It was a simple bedroom with a green curtained window, a closet, bedside table and a bed. Currently occupying the bed, was Big Macintosh, all covered up, wiping his nose, red eyed and shivering, a box of tissues at his side. At the end of his bed sat Granny who was busy stirring a large basin sitting on a stool. Inside was a dark grey sludge that smelled like he did after a morning work-out, perhaps even worse.

"Ugh, what's going on here?" he asked covering his nose.

"I-ACHOO!"

"Lemme do the talkin'." Granny said pulled a wooden spoon out of the foul liquid and giving it a sniff. "Big Mac here's got the flu , and I'm whippin' up a batch o' Apple Family flu killer. Been in th' fam'ly fer generations; works ev'ry time." Ironhead peered inside the basin and cringed. "Almost done in fact; where's that there whisky?!"

"Right here Granny." Applejack walked in with a bottle of whisky in her mouth and set it next to Granny.

"What else is in that stuff?" Ironhead asked as the elderly mare poured half its contents into the basin.

"Lemme see now...Whiskey, beans, vinegar, parsley, ginger, garlic, ketchup and apples of course." She continued stirring for a few seconds before turning to her grandson. "Alright Big Mac; it's all ready."

The latter raised his head to check out the contents of the basin and gulped. "ACHOO! Eenope."

"C'mon Big Mac, we need ya to get better so you can be our guard at our class field trip." Applebloom quipped up.

"Guard?" Ironhead asked turning to her.

"Yeah. We're supposed to go to Zecora's to see how she gathers her herbs and makes her potions and stuff, but we have to go through the Everfree Forest-"

"Everfree Forest?!" Ironhead exclaimed making everypony jump. As a foal, his dad had warned them all of the dangers that laid in the woods that surrounded their home and told them to never set a single hoof in there unless he was present. Unfortunately, being the adventurous, hero-playing colt he was, Ironhead would sneak out and explore and play hero once again like he did with his sister.

Of course, he would get caught almost all the time. Equinox rarely showed anger, but even the slightest display of disappointment, frustration or rage from his ever-so-caring dad was enough to crush his insides. Even when his powers manifested, his dad still barred him from the woods despite having developed virtually impenetrable skin and enough strength to crush boulders with his bare hooves. He had to wait years before he could go out on his own. If anything, kids like Applebloom needed somepony to protect them from the dangers of the forest.

"C'mon ya big baby; open up." Ironhead's attention was drawn to Granny poking Big Mac's lips with a glass of her so-called flu killer. The latter shook his head and let out another powerful sneeze. "Alrighty then. AJ, why don't you grab 'ol Smarty Pants over there; it's about time we threw that old thing out-"

"NO!" While his mouth was wide open, Granny jammed the glass into his mouth. The other ponies in the room winced as Big Mac sputtered as the black sludge poured down his throat. A few hack and sputter-filled moments, the glass was finally empty; Big Mac spat it onto the bed breathing heavily and then started licking his pillow furiously to get rid of the taste. Ironhead didn't blame him.

"Any better Mac?" Ironhead asked. Big Mac rubbed his nose and took a deep breath. He let out a smile and sat up straighter.

"Eeyu-ACHOO!" The whole house shuddered again at the force of the sneeze. Big Mac groaned and fell back against his bed just as sick as ever.

"I knew I was missin' something..." Granny said scratching her chin in thought. "Aw shoot! We fergot the pickle juice an' the coffee beans! Huh...Was that it?"

Ironhead gulped at the thought. "Look Granny, how long is this gonna take?" Applejack asked. "I gotta get started on Big Mac's chores."

"And what about us? We can't have our class field trip without Big Mac." Appleblom added.

With a sigh, Applejack trotted to her sister and patted her head. "Sorry Applebloom, but it looks like y'all aren't goin' ta Zecora's today."

The young filly let out a sigh as she bowed her head dejectedly only to jump again at another one of Big Mac's sneezes. With a raised eyebrow, Ironhead took in the sniffling, sick Big Macintosh, the pouting, disappointed Applebloom, the confused, struggling Granny Smith and the frowning, sympathetic Applejack. He just couldn't let this thing ruin all their days; he knew what he had to do.

"What about me?" he asked gaining their attention. "I walk through the forest all the time; heck, I live in that hell hole. I can keep you guys safe if you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah. C'mon, strongest pony in Ponyville here." He flexed a muscle leading Applejack to roll her eyes. "If anypony can fill in for Big Mac, it's me."

"AJ, AJ, can Ironhead come with us to the forest instead?" Applebloom begged leaning on her sister's foreleg.

"I'll take care of her; you can trust me with this Applejack." Ironhead promised with an air of confidence.

Applejack pursed her lips as she went over the offer, Ironhead awaiting her response. He knew from her tone of speaking and the way she looked that she was still a little sore at him for lying to her and all that. He knew that this was his once chance to make up for lying to her, to show her that she could really trust him with something so important.

"Well, if it means you can have yer trip, I suppose it's alright..."

"Yiiiiiipeeee!" Applebloom rapidly bounced up and down, spinning in mid air with each ascent. He couldn't help but grin at the sight; he watched her with her excited jumps and peals of joy, her yellow coat slowly darkening to brown, her mane lengthening and growing and curling at the ends, her green eyes flashing to hazel...

Tugging at his hoof caught his attention making him look down. C'mon Ironhead, we gotta get goin' b'fore Ms. Cherilee leaves!"

"Yeah yeah yeah. Gimme a sec." As Applebloom ran out, he turned back to the other ponies in the room. "Yeah, I'm gonna keep an eye on her. You take it easy Mac 'k? See ya guys!"

He ran out of the room in Applebloom's wake. With them gone, Applejack turned to her grandmother with a sigh. "Well, I better get started on those chores then. Holler if ya need anythin' Big Mac."

"ACHOO!"

"Of course, chili sauce!"



About half an hour later, Ironhead found himself walking back towards the Everfree Forest this time with a group of foals following him from behind. They were all chattering with each other happily as if the idea of them walking into the dark, unpredictable, monster-filled deathtrap that was the Everfree Forrest had't sunk into their young minds yet. "So is Big Mac going to be alright?" asked the only other adult with him, their pinkish purple teacher Ms. Cherilee.

"Oh, he's doing OK. Granny and Applejack're taking care of him." Ironhead replied as the familiar dark and menacing trees loomed in the distance. "I think he's gonna be fine."

"That's a relief. It's also a relief that you were so quick to fill in for him Mr. Ironhead." she thanked.

"What? I-It's fine miss." he replied a little bit embarrassed. "Applebloom was really excited about this while ago; I didn't really wanna mess this up for her and her class. Still thinking if it's really safe for kids to be in the forest though..."

"That's understandable, but there is so much our class can learn from Zecora. I originally asked if she could come to our school, but I think there was a mix-up with the mail that we noticed too late." Cherilee let out a sigh. "When I finally decided to just have the class at her hut, I asked Big Mac if he could come with us as a bodyguard."

"Yeah, he is tough enough for the job. Then again, I did beat him at hoof wrestling, so I guess I'm good enough too." Ironhead added with an air of confidence.

Cherilee smiled and stopped at the rim of the forest. "Now class, does everpony have their travelling buddy?"

"Yes Ms. Cherilee!" Every foal in her class was paired up; Applebloom had a bushy maned filly with glasses standing next to her.

"OK. Now we're about to enter the Everfree Forest." Cherilee gestured to the path that led into the dark woods. Ironhead noticed a couple of students swallow of shake slightly in fear. "I know it's scary which is why we have Mr. Ironhead here to watch over us." The aforementioned pony, not expecting to be called, waved sheepishly at the group. "As long as we stay on the path, none of us will get hurt."

"Oo! Oo! Oo! Oo!"

"Yes Twist?"

"Mithster Ironhead, izzit true you live in th' Everfree Forest?"

A jolt went through Ironhead, not expecting to be questioned about anything that day. He glanced at Cherilee who wore a similar look of surprise before turning to the curious filly. "Uh...Yeah...But I take different path to get home. I didn't even know somepony else lived there."

"Do you have to fight monsters all the time?"

"Well uh, not really. Sometimes when I'm walking, a timberwolf or a manticore or whatever pops up, but I can manage."

"So are we gonna get attacked?"

The voice that asked shook a little. All around, Ironhead could see uncertain eyes and flattened ears on almost every student. Some visibly showed their fear of entering the forest, while others tried to put on a brave face. Pouting, Cherilee glanced at Ironhead showing that she herself was a little afraid of the forest.

"Hey," Ironhead stepped forward getting their attention. "Nothing's gonna happen to you guys, not on my watch. You guys can trust me alright?"

A few students shrugged, but the rest remained as uncertain as ever. On particular earth pony colt near him was shuffling around and looking at his hooves. "But...It's so scary in the forest..."

Ironhead pouted and let out a sigh. Huh...C'mon; what would dad do? He took a deep breath, put on a gentle smile he had seen many times on his father and spoke to the colt. "Hey, lemme ask you something. You ever read any of those comic books or something?"

The colt looked up, a hint of interest in his eyes. "Well, I do have a Power Ponies copy back home..."

"Really? Y'know, I'll let in you on a secret..." He gave him a mischievous grin. "I got super powers too."

Excited whispers and gasps of "Huh?" came from the class. The colt Ironhead was talking to looked up at him curiously. "Super powers? Only ponies in make-believe comics have super powers." a prissy-sounding pink filly near the back of the group replied.

"Oh I got powers alright." He turned away from the group and made his way to a large, thick tree along the path into the forest. "Hey guys, check this out!"

He grabbed the tree with his hooves and heaved upwards. Several kids as well as Cherilee gasped as Ironhead ripped the entire tree out of the ground like it was nothing. Grinning, Ironhead stood on his hind legs, the massive tree balanced on his shoulders and launched it upwards. As it fell, he wheeled around and bucked it right in the middle of its trunk.

The other ponies watching him flinched as a powerful crack resonated through the area. The tree split in half, practically exploding and showering the ground with splinters and sawdust. Both halved hit the ground with a thud with Ironhead standing right between them. It was an simple and easy feat, one he had actually done several times before.

"Y-You do have super powers!" the colt cried out running excitedly to him.

"What did I tell ya?" Ironhead said ruffling his mane a little. "You guys got nothing to worry about in there. I'll protect you no matter what."

The mood in the group improved after saying that; those fearful and uncertain faces were now smiling knowing that they would be protected. Cherilee smiled as well and glanced at him giving a silent thank you for cheering up her students. Ironhead nodded back at her and turned to the forest. It wasn't going to scare anypony now, not while he was with them.

"OK guys; let's do this!"
> A Hero's Duty
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 47
A HERO'S DUTY


Not long after Ironhead's display of strength, the class was walking along the path toward's Zecora's hut, Che and Cherilee in the lead. The former looked over his shoulder, seeing the students openly talking to each other while keeping their eyes on the dark woods on either side of them. The colt Ironhead had spoken to earlier turned away from his buddy and nodded at him; Ironhead smiled and nodded back.

"That was really well handled Mr. Ironhead." Cherilee commented as they passed into a shady area covered by high crisscrossing branches.

"Really? You're not freaked out about my powers or anything?" he asked turning back to her.

"Well, I'll admit I had a teensy heart attack when you split that tree in half." she answered with a sheepish grin. "You're strength is unnatural, but believe me when I say stranger things have happened in this town. Ever since Twilight moved here, this town has seen one disaster after another."

Ironhead shrugged in agreement. He guessed being the bearer of the Elements of Harmony turns one into a trouble magnet. Then again, where did that leave him and his brothers? They had lots of trouble and chaos, but it was all within themselves. Maybe the girls have had it going better than any of them did...

"You know, I would've thought you've handled children before." Cherilee's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Well I haven't really...Honestly, I just did what my dad did when I was their age."

"Your father?"

"Yeah. He's real nice." Ironhead smiled thinking about his dad. "I went on about being a hero to those kids, but he's always been my hero."

"He sounds like a good pony. You still live with him?"

"Yeah. We live like, way way into the forest." He gestured deeper into the dark woods. "Sorry, but I think taking these kids that deep's a crazy idea."

"Of course. Thankfully, Zecora's hut isn't that deep into the forest." Cherilee told him. "A lot of ponies here are really looking forward to learning from her.

"Huh..." They walked bit further in silence. "So, who is this Zecora pony? All I got from Applebloom is that she lives in the forest and makes potions and stuff..." He knew that there were plenty of wild plants and herbs growing in the forest. He recalled his dad and sometimes Solstice venturing into it to gather samples for their experiments.

"Zecora is the Ponyville's local herbalist." she explained. "She's a bit of a hermit, but she's really nice once you get to know her."

Ironhead nodded but remained silent. He looked over his shoulder to check on the class and was glad to find them still chattering happily with one another. He sought out Applebloom and found her talking to her buddy as well as two other fillies, not bothered at all by the forest. As he turned away from them, he spotted two earth pony fillies walking a little too far back away from the class.

"Hey you guys at the back, you're starting to get too far behind. C'mon, hurry up." he called out to them. The pink one turned away from her friend and pouted at him before speeding up. Ironhead raised an eyebrow as he turned to Cherilee. "Huh...What's up with her?"

She checked just who he was talking about. "Oh, that was Diamond Tiara and her friend Silver Spoon. They don't really have any other friends aside from themselves."

Ironhead checked the filly again. "How come she looked at me like I ate her ice cream or something? I just said to speed up a little..."

Cherilee just flashed him an apologetic smile. "Oh look, here we are."

As she and the class stopped, Ironhead looked ahead at their destination. His eyes widened as a large, decorated tree came into view. Its branches were twister and used to hang several bottles and vials of who knows what. Two eerie looking masks, a smaller on above the door and a larger one leaning on the side watched the group as if they were guarding the hut.

"Ah Ms. Cherilee; I was wondering when you would show."

The door opened, treating Ironhead to another surprise. The pony that stepped out was unlike any he'd seen before. Her coat consisted of black and white stripes than ran from her mohawk to her tail. She wore several gold rings around her neck and her foreleg. Her cutie mark, if you could call it that, consisted of a spiral sun.

"Your students are not the only ones awaiting this visit you know." she finished trotting up to the group.

"Zecora." Cherilee greeted trotting up to her as well. "I trust that everything is all set for today."

"Why but of course. All that they will learn have no better source." the zebra replied before turning to the students. "Welcome my little ponies to my humble abode where many things great and mysterious are stowed. For all you who are excited, you will not be upset for what I have in strore is not something you would forget."

Does she think that rhyming thing up in a second? Ironhead thought as Cherilee led the class inside. As he followed them in, Zecora caught notice of him.

"What is this a new face I see. Come closer so I may look at thee." she asked politely. Deciding to be polite, Ironhead trotted over to introduce himself.

"Hey there. I'm Ironhead. I'm here to keep an eye on these guys while they're here in the forest." he said nodding to the zebra.

She nodded back at him in returned before addressing the teacher. "Ms. Cherilee, where is Big Mac? I thought he was your guard in case of an attack."

"Oh, he caught the flu earlier. It was a good thing Ironhead here was able to fill in so quickly." she replied as the last of the class entered the hut.

"How unfortunate that he has a flu. Perhaps I could make him something that could help, a sickness healing brew." Zecora offered.

"Oh no; he's doing fine. Granny's Smith's making this family recipe thing that's suppose to cure him. If she can get it right that is." Ironhead added with a chuckle.

"Ironhead here says he lives the the forest." Cherilee added much to Zecora's surprise.

"What's that you say?" She turned to him eyes wide in surpise and wonder. "Can this be? Others live in Everfree?"

"Huh?" Ironhead said with a start. "Y-yeah. I live in the forest too but like way deep. We've never met before so yeah it's that deep."

Zecora smiled and gestured to her hut. "A pleasant surprise to meet my forest kin. Now that the students are inside, would you like to come in?"

With her leading the way, Ironhead entered the hut and looked around. The interior of was full of wild and unknown scents coming from the herbs and bottles that hung from the ceiling and filled up several shelves. Several masks carved similarly to the ones outside hung on the ceiling as if they too were guarding the interior. A small bed with a yellow spotted blanket stood in a corner underneath a small window.

The whole class was seated in the middle surrounding a large empty cauldron on a fire pit. Ironhead sat down by the edge while Zecora moved towards the center. The class's curious chattering quickly died out as she arrived at her place in front of the cauldron. She cleared her throat drawing everypony's attention.

"Again welcome to my home most eager little ponies. I am proud to show you all my most favorite of hobbies. Curing rashes that itch and sores that throb is nothing but my simple, rewarding job. But making potions that heal and potions that renew, are not the only kinds that I can brew."

She yanked down a bottle dangling from the ceiling with her teeth and poured it into the cauldron. As a small cloud of white smoke poured out, a few students standing in front leaned forward to get a better look. Grinning slightly, Zecora moved to a side cabinet and took a small dish of dark yellow powder. It went into the cauldron changing the smoke from white to dark green and the mixture to bubble violently.

"I see your suspense has increased tenfold." She picked up a twisted root lying on the ground and held it above the gurgling brew. "Now allow me to show you something to behold."

The root fell into the mixture and turned it bright green. A column of green smoke suddenly erupted from the cauldron and surrounded Zecora's body like a snake. Several students gasped and quickly scooted backwards at the sight, but all the striped shaman did was smile. She rose on her hind legs and swung her arms sideways; the smoke split in two, coiling around her outstretched arms.

Zecora raised them into the air, the smoke rising and merging into a sphere. With a swing oh her hoof, the sphere shrunk and contorted eventually expanding once again and forming the shape of a flower. As a few students gasped, the flower shrunk, the smoke contorting again and forming into the shape of an elephant that raised its trunk at the crowd. With another wave of her hoof, the smoke formed an over sized pony head which stuck its tongue out and wagged it from side to side making the whole class plus Ironhead laugh.

As everypony ooed and ahhed as more green smoke rose from the cauldron forming intricate shapes and forms, Ironhead felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find a rather distressed-looking Cherilee, his grin vanishing instantly. She beckoned him towards her, and the two of them crept backwards careful to avoid being noticed by Zecora or the foals.

Once they were near the entrance, Cherilee rounded on him. "I did a quick head could, and we're short two ponies. Have you seen Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon?"

"Huh? Yeah, I saw them when we went in here..." He turned back at the class watching as Zecora sprinkled some red power into the cauldron and saw no trace of the two rich fillies. "Maybe they went outside."

Cherilee checked the class one last time before heading outside with Ironhead. They looked around the clearing, but there was no trace of either of the two. "They gotta be around here somewhere; you check the back while I'll look around here."

She nodded and left to do just that. Ironhead walked over to the path they came from wondering if there was any trace of them. When he found none, he moved over to the surrounded trees and looked around even pausing to hear for a snippet of conversation or something. Hearing none, he went back to the hut and peered inside feeling glad to notice that the fillies absence hasn't been realized yet.

"Mr Ironhead? I think I found something." Cherilee said from the other side of the hut. Ironhead walked around the building and came across her standing in the middle of the freakiest garden he'd ever seen. Plants with spotted leaves, thorny stems, gnarled up vines, grotesquely-shaped fruit and smelly flowers were planted in long, neat rows. "I found something near these strange blue flowers-"

"Don't touch those!" Cherilee, whose hoof was a second away from touching the plant, flinched and drew her hoof back. Ironhead was quickly at her side, eyeing the blue petals with contempt. "That's Poison Joke. It won't kill you, but it'll do something totally embarrassing if you touch it."

"Really?" She eyed the flowers suspiciously. "They don't look so bad. Did something like that happen to you?"

Silence...

"Mr. Ironhead?"

Horrible recollections...

"Mr. Ironhead?"

Being immensely grateful that Scar had no idea about the incident...

"Hello?"

"Huh-what? Yeah...seriously don't touch those." he finally said rather sharply. He turned back to the flower patch and notice two flowers bent.

"Those two look like they've been trampled on." Cherilee pointed out. "You think Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon became exposed to these flowers?"

"That sound right, but..." He turned his attention to the hut. "There's a cure for it though. Zecora's got lots of medicine and stuff. If they got affected, then they could've gone to Zecora to get cured."

She did some thinking and came to an ugly realization. "But they're children, and they have a reputation in class as well. They would't dream of going to Zecora if it meant showing their embarrassing state to the others...So they must've tried heading back to Ponyville..."

"Alone? Are those two crazy?" Ironhead let out an annoyed sigh and trotted away from the garden. "I'll check the path; maybe they're still there."

"I'm coming with you-"

"Sorry miss, but no." She stopped in her tracks.

"I'm sorry Mr. Ironhead, but they're my students-"

"And if the rest of the class find out all of us are gone, they're gonna freak out." Ironhead pointed out leading Cherilee to pout. "Look, stay here and make sure the rest of the class's OK? I'll find those two and bring 'em back before something happens."

Cherilee tensely bit her lip, looking from the hut to the path that led to it. "Oh...Fine; I'll the keep other students busy." She turned to him, eyes wide with concern like she was the very mother of the missing foals. He was a stranger to her, and yet he was the only pony she could turn to in such a desperate time. "Please bring them back safely."

Understanding her concerns, Ironhead gave her a firm nod. "Don't worry. I'll get 'em back safe." He quickly turned and galloped out of the clearing, sending up a small dust cloud in his wake, and onto the path that led away from the hut. Letting out a worried sigh and composing herself, she smiled like everything in the world was fine and perfect and reentered the hut where everypony was still paying attention to Zecora.

Everypony but three fillies...

"Didja hear that?" Applebloom whispered excitedly.

"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon ditched and headed into the forest? Yeah I did." Scootaloo replied with a nod.

"What were they thinking? I hope Mr. Ironhead finds them soon." Sweetie Belle added.

"Huh? Sweetie Belle, these are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon we're talking about." Scootaloo said hovering for a second before landing.

"I know, but that doesn't mean we should just let something bad happen to them." the unicorn reasoned.

"Actually, Sweetie Belle's right here Scoots."

"Aw c'mon; you too Applebloom?"

"Uh huh. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them do we?" Sweet Belle nodded while Scootaloo rolled her eyes. An idea suddenly popped into Applebloom's young mind. "That's it; we should go help Ironhead find 'em."

"What?!" both of her friends shouted, quickly slapping their hooves over their mouths. When nopony reacted to their shout, Sweetie Belle continued. "Applebloom, we're in the Everfree Forest; you seriously think we should go find them?"

"Uh huh." she replied with a nod. "All we gotta do is find Ironhead and help 'im out. Y'all saw how tough he is."

"Wait, you mean help him bring Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon back? Sorry, I just don't see it." Scoots admitted.

"Look at it this way, maybe if we do something totally nice for them, they'll start to lay off us a bit." Sweetie Belle reasoned.

The orange filly pouted as she stood in thought, her friends watching her expectantly. "Well...I do like the idea that they'll owe us for saving them..."

"Plus, findin' lost ponies does sound like a neat Cutie Mark doncha think?" Applebloom said elbowing her lightly.

At that, Scootaloo's mind was made up. "Alright I'm in." All three of them grinned excitedly at each other. "We'll have to find a way to sneak out though..."

"Leave it ta me." Applebloom said smirking confidently. "You two just act all natural OK?"

They both nodded and turned their attention back to Zecora who was showing off an ornately carved wooden mask to the rest of the class. Applebloom's hoof suddenly shot into the air. "Hey um, Zecora. Ya think you can show everypony that light makin' potion ya showed me b'fore?"

The zebra noticed her and smiled. "Why of course Applebloom, a good suggestion for my next presentation." She tossed a few herbs and poured a light blue liquid into the cauldron. "Now be warned my little ponies for this next brew will cause great illumination."

With a final addition of a few leaves, the contents of the cauldron flash and emitted a bright light so intense that everypony had to shield their eyes. Everpony else looked in wonder at the spell completely unaware that three fillies sneaked past their teacher and out of the hut. Once outside, they made a break for the the path that led out of the clearing, laughing excitedly as they began their search.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS LOST PONY FINDERS! YAY!"



With a growl of frustration, Ironhead dug his hooves into the ground, sending up a small dust cloud as he screeched to a halt at the very entrance at which they entered the forest. He scanned the area and still found no trace of the two missing fillies. His dread, which slowly grew as he neared the entrance, reached its peak once he arrived.

"Girls!" he called out hoping for an answer. "Diamond Tiara! Silver Spoon! Where are you guys?!"

The lack of response only amplified his dread. Crap. Still no sign of 'em. He shook his head in frustration. Dammit; they must've gotten off the path. Every second I'm not there, there could be some monster attacking them; I gotta find them!

He turned around and galloped back into the forest. This time however, he veered off the path and went deep into the forest. Branches and twigs raked against his toughened hide, but all that really mattered to him was saving those two fillies before it was too late. This was more than his job, more than some task their teacher gave him; this was what he was, a hero, a defender of the weak, a paragon of courage and duty, and he had the caped medal on his flanks to prove it.

"Girls, can you hear me?!" he called out again as he delved deeper and deeper into the forest. As he put more distance between himself and the path, the trees changed, growing more gnarled up and twisted. He could practically imagine the pair of them huddled up together, crying their terrified little hearts out, wondering if they would make it out alive.

"Girls!"

That's when he heard it, a splashing sound somewhere in the distance. He quickly changed direction, his momentum causing to slam against a tree and almost knock it over. "Girls hang on! Just stay there!" he yelled galloping at full speed, almost crashing into every tree he came across. Just a few seconds later, he spotted two figures, one pink, the other grey, crouching before what looked like a small creak.

"Girls!" Both ponies turned to him as he galloped towards them. "Thanks Celestia I found-Sweet holy buck!"

"Don't. You. Dare. Laugh." Diamond Tiara hissed through her teeth.

Frankly, he was a little more horrified than amused, but decided not to tell her that. What he was looking at could only be caused by that damn plant. The pink filly before him was covered head to hoof with large, pink zits. Judging by the small amount of...fluid on her, he guessed she had tried popping a few of them; the thought made take a step back.

Silver Spoon, who was sitting by the creak, wasn't faring any better. She looked like she was trying very hard to keep her mouth shut, but a hint of white poking through her lips caught his attention. Realizing that hiding it was pointless, she gave a defeated sign and opened her mouth revealing a set of crooked, horribly misshapen teeth.

"Ugh..." Ironhead said with a grimace leading the silver filly to turn away. "Hey, c'mon; it doesn't look that bad. I'm think that the teeth thing can be fixed with some braces..."

"Braces?!" Silver Spoon shrieked. "No way! I look ridiculous enough already!"

"You an me both Silvy." her friend added moving to pop another zit.

"Uh hey, I don't think you should pop those things." Diamond Tiara ignored him. "A-anyway. You don't have to pop them. We could just head back to Zecora's-"

"And risk everypony seeing us like this? No way!"

Ironhead sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well that's the only way to get cured of this." The pink filly looked away as if she were actually considering the option. "Besides, this is what you guys get for ditching class."

"I told you not to touch that flower!" Silver Spoon said through crooked teeth.

"Hey, you were the one who decided to check out the garden!" Diamond Tiara retorted.

"You agreed with me didn't you?!"

"Well you were supposed to remember the way back to Ponyville weren't you?!"

"We wouldn't need to go back if you hadn't touched it!"

"It was your idea in the first place! We're both lost in the middle of the Everfree Forest, could get eaten any second and look like freaks because of you!"

"Whoa OK. That's it; break it up you two!" Ironhead shouted stepping between them before their fighting could escalate. "I get it; you guys mad and scared and don't wanna get embarrassed. Tell you what, I'll take you guys back then distract your classmates while Zecora cures you. That sound OK?"

Both fillies looked at him for a moment before lowering her gazes. "OK. Sorry for everything DT." Silver Spoon said with a weak smile.

Diamond Tiara bit her lip and sighed. "C-Can we just get out of here? I thought I saw something following us on the way here." she said shuddering a little while looking around them.

"Don't worry. Whatever it is, I'll protect you guys." Ironhead said with a reassuring grin. Silver Spoon looked more relaxed, but Diamond Tiara continued to look afraid. "C'mon; let's get back before Ms. Cherilee freaks out again." he said trotting away from the creek, the two fillies following in his wake.



"Ah! What was that?!"

"I dunno. The wind maybe."

"Gah! I heard something over there!"

"Probably a bird or something..."

"There's something crawling up my back!"

"Eww! It's a bug!"

"Get it off me Silvy! Get it off!"

Ironhead sighed and shook his head as the two bickered and complained about their whole situation. They had been like that since they left the creak just a few minutes ago and were started to get on his nerves. They would jump at the slightest noise and question whether he really knew the way back to Zecora's.

"Ugh, good thing I found you guys." he muttered.

"What was that?" Diamond Tiara asked checking her pimpled body for any more bugs.

"I said it's a good thing I found you guys." he repeated. "No offense, but you two wouldn't last too long in here."

"Duh, we're not weirdos."

Her words made him stop in his tracks leading the two of them to crash into him. "Hey, what's the hold up?" Silver Spoon asked rubbing a spot on her forehead where she had hit him.

"You think I'm a weirdo?" he asked turning around.

"Well yeah." Diamond Tiara said coming out from behind Silver Spoon. "Normal ponies wouldn't survive in the forest, but freaky ponies like you and Zecora can do fine in it."

His brow furrowed. "Freaky? 'Cause of my powers?"

"Uh huh. They're not normal." Diamond Tiara pointed out. "Maybe that's why they all live in the forest."

"Whoa hey. Just 'cause I got powers doesn't mean I'm not like everypony else." Ironhead reasoned. "I mean, I get up in the morning, eat hay, workout, mess with my brother and love my family like every other pony. There's nothing weird about that is there?"

"Hmph." Diamond Tiara turned her zit-tipped nose up. "You just act normal, but that doesn't change that fact that you aren't normal."

Ironhead opened his mouth to respond, but the familiarity of her argument stopped him. He is not like other ponies. All he does is act like one. None of his actions could change what he truly was. This filly was beginning to sound bit like Psych. The idea of a young girl growing up to be somepony as spiteful and bitter as Psych made his head spin and almost him pass out. Deep down however, he know that she couldn't all bad. He was just glad that, as mean as she sounded, she wasn't a sociopath like his brother.

"Look kid, I don't believe-"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Ironhead's head immediately snapped up, his ears raised to pick up any and all sound. His head swiveled around several times trying to catch the shriek once again. Judging by its high pitch, he realized with a heart-stopping shudder that it came from a filly. Both Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara were instantly huddled up against him looking around as well. "H-Hey...what was that?"

"HEEEEEEEELP!"

"ON MY WAY!"Without a seconds thought, Ironhead galloped deeper into the woods in the direction of the scream.

"H-hey, wait for us!" Silver Spoon cried out galloping after him. "DT c'mon! You don't wanna get left all alone now do you?" Her gulped and nodded shakily before following suit.

Ironhead was galloping at full speed once again taking care not to knock over any trees in his path. He kept his ears perked trying to pick up the scream and heard it again. He swerved to the left and continued on in the direction wondering why would another student ditch the class wander into the forest like...

Like two other fillies...

"CRAP!"

He dug his hooves into the ground and screeched to a halt. When he finally stopped, he turned around, his inside dropping upon seeing that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were nowhere to be found. He started forward, but a clump of bushes rustled and out they came looking like they just did the Running of the Leaves twice.

"How...could...you... forget us..." Diamond Tiara said falling on her side as she caught her breath.

Ironhead was immediately at their side looking panicked. "I-I'm so sorry guys for ditching you. I-I-just-When I heard that scream, all I thought was-"

He stopped mid-sentence when he heard a clump of bushes behind him shudder. He immediately turned around and assumed a fighting stance while the two fillies cowered behind him. As he was about to leap forward, three young fillies burst out of the bushes and headed in their direction. Ironhead's jaw dropped.

"A-Applebloom?! What the hell are you guys-"

"EVERYPONY RUN FOR THEIR LIVES!"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders charged right past them not even bothering to take notice of the the popular fillies' predicament. Ironhead craned his head to call out to them, but stopped when he heard a loud crunching sound from in front of him. He faced forward and saw an entire tree yanked out of the ground by a giant claw and thrown aside. All the jaws dropped as a giant scorpion stood before them brandishing its stinger and clicking its pincers menacingly.

"Ah buck me..."
> The Big Bug Battle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 48
THE BIG BUG BATTLE


A high pitched scream, courtesy of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, tore trough the air as the scorpion advanced towards the ponies. It was massive like a dark brown house covered with black scales that resembled armor balancing on eight legs. It's dark red eyes narrowed at the ponies as its stinger raised and hurled itself at them. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon screamed and clutched each other, their brief lives flashing before their eyes.

"Oh no you don't!

Ironhead stood on his hind legs and caught the mighty stinger before it could impale the two girls who had suddenly grown silent. The force of the strike was enough to push him back, leaving two long trails where his hind legs were. When he finally stopped just a few feet from the girls, he grinned and relaxed, but the stinger suddenly retracted pulling him with it. With a leftward flick of the scorpion's tail, Ironhead was sent flying through the air screaming as he crashed into a tree and disappeared from sight.

"N...No..." Silver Spoon whispered as the scorpion turned it's attention back to them. The arms wrapped around her tightened as her vision blurred from the tears welling up in her eyes. It felt like the fear was gripping her throat rendering her unable to speak.

"I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I DON'T WANNA DIE!" Diamond Tiara repeated louder and louder tightened her grip on her best friend. Ignorant or just dismissive to their sobbing and pleading, the scorpion raised its stinger once again this time with nothing between them. Two hearts stopped. Two minds went blank.

"DADDY!"

BAM!

The scorpion got the shock if its life, when Ironhead suddenly ran in and rammed its side. The scorpion hissed and clicked its mouth pincers in irritation as the blow knocked it away from its mark. Its left half rose due to the impact, legs waving uselessly in mid air, forcing its right half to scuttle away so as to not tip over.

"Why the hell are you two still standing there?!" Both fillies snapped out of their daze at his shout. "Get outta here! GO!"

But the girls, shaking, whimpering and sobbing, couldn't move their legs. Realizing that its targets weren't going anywhere, the scorpion pursued but found itself unable to move forward. Behind it, Ironhead had his hooves around the base of its tail and looked like he wasn't going to let it go after the girls.

"You're not going anywhere!" With a loud cry, Ironhead dug his hind legs into the dirt and twisted his body. The scorpion found itself leaving the ground and hurled through the air just like Ironhead was not too long ago. After knocking over a few trees, it finally crashed several feet away in a large heap.

With the scorpion down, Ironhead hastily looked over his shoulder and saw the girls still held in place by their fear. Fierce clicking made him look forward and see the scorpion turn towards him with its eyes narrowed. He let out an annoyed sigh as he galloped towards the two girls. They looked absolutely pathetic covered in tears, sweat, snot and zits, but Ironhead was more worried about their safety.

"I'm getting you two outta here." Both girls yelped when he grabbed them and tossed them on his back. Diamond Tiara grabbed his neck while Silver Spoon held onto his sides. Looking further back, he gasped as he saw the scorpion scuttling towards them. "Hang on girls; this's gonna get real bumpy!"

Both girls cried out as he suddenly sped forward. Twigs and leaves slapped against the earth pony trio as they fled from the scorpion. Silver Spoon buried her face into his back as her shoulders heaved with sobs while Diamond Tiara was holding onto his neck for dear life while screaming in his ear.

"AHH! AHH! TREE! TREE! TREE! LOOK OUT! ROCK! AHH!"

No thanks to her, he made to to dodge ever tree, rock and vine bundle that came their way. He kept his eyes out of any obstructions and for the crusaders; he still had no idea where they went. Behind them, the scorpion pursued. Ironhead had no idea where to go exactly, but he knew to get that thing as far from Ponyville and Zecora's as possible. His best bet was to find somewhere safe to hide these to then-

"DUCK!"

He reacted instinctively, digging his hooves into the dirt and lowering his head. He did so just in time as an entire tree soared over them and crashed some distance away,blocking their path. Heart pounding, Ironhead saw the scorpion close in on them and jumped over the fallen tree before galloping away. The scorpion merely swatted it aside as it passed and continued its chase.

After emerging through a clump of trees, Ironhead suddenly found himself screeching to a halt. The fillies on his back gripped him tightly as they lurched forward from the sudden stop. Diamond Tiara raised her trembling head and addressed their savior. "Wh-why'd you sto-"

Her words fell dead when she finally noticed the massive cliff before them. Ironhead gulped and looked down at the solid fifty foot drop to another part of the forest. He hurriedly turned away to find another way but found the scorpion standing before them snapping its pincers. "W...We're trapped..." Diamond Tiara said cowering behind Ironhead's head as the scorpion approached.

She suddenly felt hooves on her sides pick her up and place her on the ground. Ironhead reached over and put her friend down as well. "Alright listen up." He jerked his head to the side. "I'll take that thing on while you guys get outta here." Their eyes widened, and they shook their heads. "That thing's not gonna let you guys go you hear? I need you guys to get somewhere safe? Hide in a bush or something, and I'll go get you when I'm done taking this bug out OK?"

Both fillies whimpered and nodded. With a deep sigh, Ironhead turned and faced the creature. "Hey pinchy!" He punched the ground leaving a few cracks in it. "You're seriously picking on kids?! What; scared to take on a real stallion?!"

It responded by brandishing its stinger and snapping its claws; it wasn't going anywhere. Ironhead couldn't help but grin at the angry bug staring him down. If this thing wanted a fight, then it was going to get one. He widened his stance and lowered his head, pawing the ground with his hooves. The scorpion narrowed its eyes at him as if accepting his challenge before charging towards him.

"LET'S DANCE!"

As Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon scampered away, Ironhead charged in letting out a mighty battle cry. As it charged, the scorpion ripped another tree out of the ground and tossed it at the charging pony. Ironhead quickly spun around and split it in half with a powerful buck. Afterwards, he leaped at the scorpion which scuttled back to avoid him. He then jumped sideways to avoid a stab from the stinger, but the scorpion followed it up with a swing of its pincer forcing to cross his forelegs over his head and take the blow.

To his surprise, he was knocked off his hooves and sent tumbling across the forest floor. He eventually came to a halt and looked up seeing the scorpion scuttling towards him once again. His eyes darted to the bottom half of the tree he just crashed through; he picked it up and threw it as hard as he could. The scorpion swatted it away with its pincer but was surprise to find Ironhead galloping straight towards it. He jumped, pulled his hoof back and delivered a solid punch right below its eyes.

He jumped back as the scorpion thrashed around in pain swinging its pincers around. Ironhead avoided two swings before catching another stab from its stinger. The scorpion tried pulling it back, but Ironhead refused to let go. Grunting, he raised the stinger and jammed it into the ground getting it in as deep as he could. He jumped back and watched with a smirk, the scorpion clicking and snapping angrily as it tried to yank its stinger out of the ground, unaware of Ironhead running towards it. It realized this to late, about a second before it received a solid, rock-splitting buck.

Ironhead smirked as the scorpion was pushed back from the impact. It shook its head and snapped its pincers threateningly at him still willing to fight. Seeing its stinger hurtling towards him, Ironhead jumped aside and countered with a buck. The scorpion quickly yanked its stinger away before the blow could connect and countered by smacking him with one of its pincers.

A little dazed from the blow, Ironhead ducked as the pincer swung at him. He charged and delivered a flying kick bellow its eyes followed by a solid buck to its face. Again, the scorpion was knocked back several feet almost knocking over yet another tree. Ironhead noticed its tail drooping lower than usual and realized that their fight was close to ending. With a loud cry, he leaped at the weakened bug.

Its right pincer shot out and grabbed him in midair before slamming him against the ground. Groaning, he dug his hooves under the claws and pushed them apart. He dropped down and dodged another lunge from the stinger. The scorpion launched its claw at him with the intent of grabbing and tossing him around senselessly like a rag doll.

Ironhead quickly stood on his hind legs and stopped the claw from closing in on him with his forelegs. The scorpion clicked angrily as it tightened its grip, but Ironhead's strength kept him from being trapped. An idea suddenly struck him, and he raised his forelegs up allowing the claw to clamp around his sides.

The scorpion prepared to lift him, but Ironhead clamped his arms over the claws and jumped back pulling the scorpion with him. Off balanced, it hurriedly scuttled forward, but Ironhead jumped back once again making sure to shake its balance every time. When he reached the edge of the cliff, he grinned and jumped back one final time. This time, he reached higher up the claw and leaned back yanking the claw as hard as possible.

The scorpion suddenly felt itself leave the ground and flip in mid air. It came down and fell right off the cliff tumbling down and down until it crashed against the ground bellow letting out a loud boom and a cloud of dust. As the dust cleared, Ironhead peered over the cliff and was met with the sight of the scorpion shaking its head and rubbing it with its pincer.

Thankfully, it couldn't climb back up for round two. A sudden rustling from a nearby bush made him jerk towards the bushes to his left where he saw a pink pimpled hoof sticking out. His brow furrowed, he trotted towards it. "You guys can come out now. I thought I told you guys to get outta here. Eh what the hell; that bug thing's gone anyway."

Slowly, Diamond Tiara walked out of the bush no longer crying but still shaking slightly. Silver Spoon fared a little better though her face was still damp from her sobbing. "I...Is it really gone?" she asked, her eyes darting around.

"Yeah. I took care of it. Told you guys I'd protect you." Ironhead said smiling at their damp faces. "So c'mon. Stop crying; I won't let anything get to you guys."

For the first time since she left the class and got lost, Silver Spoon felt truly safe. She sniffed and wiped away her remaining tears. She took a deep breath before showing him her crooked, misaligned teeth in a smile. "That's better. You OK Diamond?"

"Y-Yeah. Let's just get out of here already." she replied still little afraid.

"Yeah sure. Just lemme go find Applebloom and her friends. They're still around here somewhere-"

"HEEEEEELP!"

One second later, Ironhead was peered down the cliff once again. The scorpion had risen after its fall and was facing something in the trees ahead of it. Ironhead leaned closed and could make out three shapes hiding in the bushes, one yellow, one white, one orange-

"AW COME ON!"

Unbeknownst to the scorpion, Ironhead glared at it angrily dropping into a crouch. Seeing this, the two other fillies gasped as they looked from him to the scorpion and back. "You two stay here. I'll come back when I'm done." he ordered through gritted teeth.

"Th-that's really far down." Diamond Tiara interjected. "Are you really gonna jump?"

"Duh." Ironhead steeled himself as the girls gasped. "I'll make it; I'm a weirdo remember?" Diamond Tiara was taken aback by his comment. She let out several choked sputters not knowing what to say. "Y'know what, you're right, but I saved you, and now I gotta save those guys, and its only 'cause of these freaky powers that I can do that. I'm not just a freak...I'm a hero.

Without further ado, he launched himself off the cliff. Both fillies scrambled towards the edge where they watched their savior fearlessly plummet towards the ground right foreleg extended and fiery eyes narrowed. Meanwhile, the scorpion, maliciously eyeing the three fillies cowering before it, raised its stinger ready to impale them.

Ironhead hit the ground with the enough force to make the ground shake. causing the scorpion to lose its balance and miss its strike at the fillies who had also fallen down. The scorpion eyed the crater in the ground warily not knowing what to expect all of the sudden ironhead jumped out of the hole as the scorpion tried to impale him.

That's when Ironhead reached up and grabbed the stinger. The scorpion hissed at the sudden interruption and responded by swinging around with reckless abandon, but Ironhead held on for dear life. Applebloom and her friends immediately hid behind a tree and watched as he struggled to maintain his hold.

"C'mon! Punch! Kick! Slug 'em! Get him Mr. Ironhead!" Scootaloo cheered hovering in place before falling abruptly.

Sweetie Belle cringed as the scorpion continued to thrash about with Ironhead still clinging onto its tail. "H-He can't hold on forever! He could get really hurt."

"He's gonna be fine girls." Applebloom told her friends over the sounds of the battle. "He's got those powers an' stuff. There's no way he'd-"

With a flick of its tail, the scorpion sent Ironhead flying and crashing into the side of the cliff. Ironhead groaned and clutched his head as his surrounding spun around him. Though his disorientation, he realized the deep hole he had made upon impact. Raising his head, he saw the scorpion pull its stinger back ready to deliver a killing blow. Six hearts stopped.

"NO!"

BAM!

The impact caused a loud crashing sound as well as a small dust cloud to form around his body. All five fillies could just stare at the spot their hero was now with the sharp stinger of a giant scorpion sticking out of it. Applebloom fell down on her haunches unable to believe her eyes. Sweetie Belle opened and closed her mouth like a fish gasping for air, but no words came out. Scootaloo was to stunned to even move or think straight. High above the cliff, Diamond Tiara's jaw dropped, while Silver Spoon covered her mouth in horror.

As the dust slowly dissipated the scorpion pulled its stinger back. When the dust around Ironhead's body finally cleared up, Sweetie Belle whimpered and turned away. "I can't look!"

"Sweetie Belle, check it out." Scootaloo said nudging her with her hoof. "C'mon, you gotta see this!"

"I can't! There's gonna be blood everywhere!"

"No! Seriously, look!"

"How can you be so excited about this?! He just died for pony's sake!"

"Just look and find out!"

Gingerly, she turned around, curiosity getting the better of her horror. As soon as she saw a bit of brown, she whimpered and shut her eyes. After being nudged by Scootaloo again, she looked again and saw that it was all just brown, not a hint of red in sight. Ironhead was shaking his head and groaning on pain, but the stinger hadn't even pierced his skin.

Clicking angrily, the scorpion struck again, its stinger stabbing into the same spot on the cliff's face. Wafting the dust cloud away with its tail, the scorpion looked again at Ironheads body expecting to see his body splattered with thick, red blood, but he was just as unharmed as ever. Shifting a little, Ironhead raised his head and shot the scorpion a defiant grin. "Heh...That it..."

Apparently it wasn't, and the scorpion stabbed him again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Ironhead knew that there was no chance he would get impaled, but the repeated blows were taking their toll on his body. His skin may be tough and impenetrable, but his insides weren't as invulnerable. Several times, he attempted to catch the stinger, but it slipped through his grasp every time. He continued to take blow after blow after blow desperately trying to think up a plan.

"Somepony do something!" Applebloom cried out in a panic.

Beside her, Scootaloo beat her wings and failed to get any lift. "Ugh. If I just had my scooter, I could totally zip around and get that thing's attention."

"Then what?" Applebloom asked. That thing's still gonna catch you."

"Well do you have any ideas?"

"Well, if I had a lasso, I reckon I could do something."

"You don't have your lasso."

"Well you ain't got yer scooter either."

"Uh, girls? What're they doing?"

Following Sweetie Belle's outstretched hoof, the other two girls looked up the cliff when a large rock slowly approached the edge. On top of the cliff, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were hard at work rolling the rock towards the edge. "Th-this is too heavy Silvy! Ugh, Randolph!" Diamond looked around, but nopony showed up. "Great..."

"C'mon DT...Just...a little...more..." Though her back ached and her hooves throbbed, Silver refused to let that scorpion kill their hero. Her friend obviously was less than thrilled, only having helped to save the only pony who could get them out of the forest alive. The boulder dislodged some dirt as it reached the edge, but the scorpion was too busy pummeling Ironhead to notice the oncoming danger.

"Take this...you stupid bug!"

The boulder crashed twice along the cliff wall as it fell. The weakened Ironhead, gritted his teeth and raised his forelegs ready to attempt another catch. The scorpion pulled its stinger back ready for another blow, when the boulder crashed right on top of its head. It let loose another round of angry clicks, rubbing the top of its painfuller head with its pincers. High above the fight scene, the two fillies grinned at the scorpion's thrashing and clicks of pain.

"Bump, bump, sugar lump rump!"

Down below, Ironhead and the Crusaders were smiling as well. "Ugh...Crap, that's gotta hurt...Good job guys..." he said rubbing his stomach. Grunting, Ironhead planted his hooves against the cliff's face and glared at the scorpion. "And this's gonna hurt more!"

He pushed off with all his strength, launching himself at his opponent. At the sight of him leaping out and soaring through the air, a jumping, ecstatic Silver Spoon grabbed her friend and shook her screaming: "He's alive! HE'S ALIVE!"

The scorpion scuttled back just as Ironhead landed sending cracks racing around the ground. Clicking angrily, it swept its tail at him; Ironhead ducked and charged in at it, jumping aside as one of its pincers came down. After ducking a swipe from the other pincer, Ironhead dove underneath its body and quickly got on his back. With another battle cry, he kicked its underside and surprised everypony else by launching it into the air.

Once again finding itself off the ground, the scorpion let loose another barrage of angry clicks. As it fell, Ironhead stood on his hind legs, allowing it to fall right into his hooves. He gasped and stabilized himself before looking up. "Let's see how you like that cliff!"

With a mighty heave, Ironhead flung the scorpion straight into the wall, shaking the entire cliff hard enough to make the fillies on top lose their balance. After crashing back on the ground, the scorpion rose and launched its stinger. Once again, Ironhead caught it mere inches from his face; he raised the stinger and jammed it into the ground. Before the scorpion could pull back, he raised his hooves and smashed them against the stinger.

With a gut-wrenching crack, the stinger busted open splattering thick, green slime all over his chest, face and hooves. The scorpion let out a fierce shriek as it yanked its tail back. Stumbling around dizzy from pain, it drooped its tail over its face; its once proud stinger was now nothing but a painful mass of broken shells and slime which continued to drip onto the ground. While Applebloom and Sweetie Belle wretched, Scootaloo exclaim: "Cool!".

The scorpion turned its attention back to its brown opponent who was cracking his hooves. "Want another round?"

A heartbeat later, the scorpion was scuttling, not towards Ironhead or the girls but towards the trees on the other side going as fast as it legs could carry. The sound of shaken branches and pained clicking slowly grew further and further as the scorpion put as much distance between them as possible. With it gone, the Crusaders rushed towards their savior.

"You guys OK?"

"Yeah; that was amazin' !" Applebloom exclaimed with a jump. "That was th' most heroic-ly heroic thing I ever-"

"WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU THREE THINKING?!" Ironhead roared causing all three fillies to shrink. With stern eyes, he approached them himself. "Why aren't you three with the rest of the class?" he asked in a much softer tone that still showed his disappointment.

A trembling Scootaloo poked her head out of her wings to answer. "W-well...we heard you and Ms. Cherilee talking about finding Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon and-"

"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!" Ironhead suddenly exclaimed jerking towards the top of the cliff where the two fillies in question stood thankfully unharmed. "Just hang tight you two! We'll be there in a jiff!" He turned back to the Crusaders who all gave him sheepish grins. "C'mon, we'll meet up with them before we head back to Zecora's."

Ironhead led the way as they went around the cliff looking for a way back up while the Crusaders huddled up behind him. "At least that took his mind off us right?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"And don't think I'm not done with you guys yet!"

*gulp*



"Pfft...Ahe...Aha..."

"Don't. You. Dare-"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Both Diamond and Silver went beet red as the Crusaders dissolved into a giggling, hysterical fit. Diamond huffed up in response to their laughter while Silver ground her already messed up teeth. To the side, Ironhead was watching trying to catch his breath after the huge fight he had just had.

"S-Sorry! Ahahahahah...but-but y'all look so dang funny!" Applebloom exclaimed clutching her sides.

"C-C'mon...ahahaha...you guys...haha...laugh and pick on us at all the time...ahahahahaha...only...heh...only fair we...ahahaha...get to do it too!" Scootaloo blurted out unable to make a perfectly coherent sentence.

At least Sweetie Belle at the decency to cover her mouth and let out a few, soft giggles. Nevertheless, they were seriously getting on the rich fillies' nerves. Seeing their rapidly reddening faces and twitching eyes, Ironhead stepped in before a fight could break out. "Alright, that's enough you guys."

It took a while due to the chuckles and the murderous glares, but both parties eventually settled down. "Are you alright Ironhead?" Applebloom asked.

"Huh? Yeah; still standing." he replied grinning in spite of his messy, dirt-matted mane, slightly wobbly stance and shortness of breath. "Just glad you're all OK too." His smile then suddenly morphed into a frown. "Seriously though, what were you girls thinking?" He pointed at the rich fillies. "You should've gone back after you touched the Poison Joke." He pointed at the Crusaders. "And you three never should've left."

"You saw how those three blank flanks were laughing at us. The whole class was gonna do the same if we went back." Diamond angrily retorted.

"So you thought it was a good idea to head into the forest?" Neither of them could answer him. "And you three, just what were you thinking?"

Applebloom stepped forward before any of her friends could answer. "I-It was my idea Ironhead. I thought that if we helped save 'em, they'd stop pickin' on us a bit."

"We were gonna look for you first, but we got lost." Sweetie continued. "Then we accidentally ran into a scorpion nest, and that thing started chasing us."

"We're sorry we made you worry." Scootaloo apologized bowing her head. The the other two repeated the gesture hoping for forgiveness. Ironhead sighed and shook his head.

"I get it OK. You guys wanted to do something good." He pouted. "But that doesn't mean it was a good idea to leave the class and go find me. I mean, Applebloom, how am I gonna tell Applejack she lost her sister? Heck, what's Cherilee gonna tell all your families if something happened to you huh?"

They were just glad he wasn't shouting though it still hurt. "We just wanted to be heroes like you Mr. Ironhead." Scootaloo explained.

"I know, but that was still a pretty dumb thing to do." he pointed out. "Heroes don't just run right into danger thinking they can already win. Heroes don't stop thinking about themselves or others when have to do what they gotta do. Heroes aren't idiots. Heroes-" He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening. "Heroes...don't...don't...don't..."

We just wanted to be heroes like you Mr. Ironhead.

"Oh sweet Celestia..."

To their surprise, he suddenly fell on his haunches, his face twisted up forming a look of anguish. He covered his face with his hooves wishing that he could hide away that fact from himself. All his life, he had wanted nothing more to be a hero, to help others in need, to be a shield to protect and anypony and everypony from harm.

Heroes don't just run right into danger thinking they can already win

Did he not show that overconfidence with the scorpion?

Heroes don't stop thinking about themselves or others when have to do what they gotta do

Did he not just abandon Diamond and Silver when he heard a cry for help?

Heroes aren't idiots.

Maybe the real idiocy here was thinking he was a hero...

"D...Dammit...you three almost died!" he exclaimed as if the thought had only just set in. All fillies became alarmed as his body trembled. Fear gripped his heart, squeezing it tightly to the point when he thought it would pop like a balloon. It was all him; they just wanted to be just like him, and they almost died because of it. Heroes don't put others in danger. "You-you tried to-to be like me-b-but-but that's not-not like a hero-I-I'm not a hero..."

Much to their surprise, he suddenly rose on shaky legs and started pacing around. "I'm not a hero. I'm not a hero. Can't-No-Need to be." He suddenly stopped and turned to the girls, flashing them and twisted grin that made them all cringe. "D-don't worry girls-I'll-I'll-I'll make sure you get back safe." he said quickly. "I-I-I-I-"

"Ironhead?" Applebloom said warily approaching him. The adult's smile dropped as she stopped in front of him. "As mah sister would say, that's a buncha...horse apples. Anyhow, you are a hero Ironhead."

"But-but-b-but-but-"

"If ya don't believe me, jus' ask the rest o' them." She gestured to the other fillies. "Ya saved all of us Ironhead. Ain't that all ya really wanted?" He gave a shaky nod. His breathing was noticeably much slower. "Ya see? You are a hero Ironhead. Yer our hero."

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Ironhead looked up at her gentle smile. All around him, the fillies were all giving comforting smiles save for Diamond who merely stuck out her bottom lip. They were happy, safe, alive thanks to him. Surely that's all that mattered to a hero right? He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths; it took him about a minute, but he eventually calmed himself down. He opened his eyes and sighed.

"S-Sorry 'bout that guys. It's just...I just really like being a hero and well...I guess I kinda forgot some important stuff." Another sigh. "Thanks for setting me straight guys. We better get back to Zecora's. You're all still in a lotta trouble."

All five of them cringed at his words; they guessed that no amount of buttering up would save them from their teacher's and their families' wrath. He once again led the way away from the cliff while the fillies following all dreading what punishment they'd have to face. Scootaloo took one last look at her pimply, crooked-toothed bullies and snickered.

"Totally worth it..."



"And then...BAM! I jam the scorpion's stinger into the ground, but I wasn't done yet. I raised my hooves and CRACK! I smashed it stinger to bits. I got green slime stuff all over me, but the scorpion ran off. That'll teach it to mess with me!"

All around him, the class cheered. They were all in front of Zecora's hut where he had begun his tale of how be beat a giant scorpion. As he stood proudly before his cheering crowd, Cherilee trotted up to them.

"Time to go class. Remember to thank Zecora for her wonderful display." she said waving to the zebra who merely took a humble bow. A chorus of thanks erupted from the class before they got up and left.

"A giant scorpion?" Cherilee asked Ironhead in a hushed whisper as they traveled.

"Uh...yeah. Aheh..." She shot him a stern glare which made him gulp. "So uh...what's gonna happen to them?"

"Well they'll all be getting detention, but we'll discuss that once we get back to the school." she said before grinning. "I have to thank you Mr. Ironhead, for getting them all back safely. I admit I was still unsure about you, but now I know I made the right choice."

He grinned back at her. "No prob miss. That's what heroes do."

They shared a laugh before continuing their trek through the forest. In a matter of minutes, they had left the dark woods and found the familiar sight of Ponyville in the distance. "Before we go back class," Cherilee said turning around. "Let's all thank Mr. Ironhead for everything he's done for us today. It was such a short notice, but I'm glad he was able to come with us today."

Once again the subject of praise, Ironhead grinned as the class cheered for him. His eyes traveled around spotting the Crusaders chanting his name and they stomped their hooves. Some distance away from them, Silver looked like she was cheering her little heart out with Diamond joining in at the last second.

He waved to them as they all left. Sighing, he turned away and walked the other way back to the farm. Hopefully, Granny had cured Big Mac of his cold already and got him back outside, but what really got him excited was seeing Applejack; he couldn't wait to tell her about how he saved her sister from certain death.

"M-Mr. Ironhead?"

Confused, he stopped in his track and turned around. Silver Spoon was standing there alone and smiling shyly, a hint of red on her cheeks. It honestly looked kinda strange to see her without Diamond around. "Glad your teeth are back to normal." he commented. She giggled and showed him her perfectly normal set of chompers.

"Thanks again for distracting the class while we got cured..." Her face turned slightly redder and she absentmindedly twirled a lock of her mane with her hoof. "And well...Thanks again for saving my life." She found herself unable to meet his gaze. "You...You'll always be my hero..."

Huh... she's actually a lot nicer than her friend. he thought as he approached. "Hey, you guys helped me out too huh? Was that rock thing your idea?" She nodded quickly. "Thanks for that Silver. You were my hero today."

Hearing that, she finally looked right at him, her heart racing and her head spinning; she honestly looked like she was going to faint any moment. With one last nod, Ironhead turned and left her watching his retreating figure forlornly.

"Silvy!" Diamond was suddenly at her friend's side looking slightly annoyed. "You're lagging behind. C'mon, I don't wanna get into anymore trouble."

Giggling a little, she followed her friend and regrouped with the rest of the class. Still red-faced and giddier than foal at their birthday party, she gazed at the figure of her brown coated savior trotting into the distance.

"*sigh*...Mr. Ironhead..."
> The Hay Burger Hangout
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 49
THE HAY BURGER HANGOUT


Rainbow was groaning and scratching her head as she poured a carton of milk into a bowl of Wonderflakes brand cereal. After putting the carton back in her fridge, she came across her tortoise Tank staring at her from atop a cloud counter, an empty plate before him. Sighing, Rainbow headed back to her fridge and tossed a few lettuce leaves and a tomato slice on his plate. Returning, she patted him on the head before sitting down at the table. Wobbling a little, she lifted her spoon and fell face-first into her cereal bowl.

"*Gasp!*" Rainbow quickly yanked her head out of the bowl gasping for air. She shook her head sending drops of milk, and bits of cereal and cloud-shaped marshmallows flying off. She grabbed a nearby towel and dried her face; she put it on her table, fluffed it like a pillow and laid her head across it.

"Ugh...Last time I stay up all night reading Daring Do..." she muttered thinking about her copy of Daring Do and the Seven Swords lying on her bed. "How the hay does Twi' do this...Ah what the heck, a few minutes won't hurt...zzzzzzz..."

*knock*knock*knock*

Rainbow growled and rolled her eyes at the sudden intrusion. As the knocking continued, she forced herself off her chair and made her way to the door. "I heard ya the first time; be there in a sec!"

It took a bit longer than a sec, but the sleepy Rainbow made it to her front door and opened. Grimacing a the sudden brightness outside, she found a familiar grey pegasus smiling at her. "Hi Rainbow Dash."

"Hey Derpy. You got mail for me?" she asked with a yawn.

"Uh huh. Here you go." Derpy replied giving her a few envelopes. "Oh, you got a few more. Just gimme a sec."

As Derpy rummaged through her mail bag, Rainbow went over the envelopes. Junk mail, junk mail, bill, junk mail. Ugh...Her attention turned once again to the mail pony.

Are you familiar with the name...Derpy Hooves

They got totally drunk and went to her house.

She crawled on top of him and ran her hooves across his wings.

I bet he was moaning in absolute ecstasy.

I bet you could hear him egging her on, demanding more and more.

"Here you go." Derpy said pulling out of more bills. Rainbow frowned and took them from her deciding to deal with those later. Her job done, Derpy prepared to take off towards the next house on her route.

The words came out before Rainbow could stop them. "H-Hey Derpy," She stopped mid jump and turned around. She saw Dash looking uncertain about something which actually looked pretty strange.

"Yeah Rainbow Dash?" she asked with a goofy smile. Rainbow couldn't help but noticed how innocent she looked. She never really knew anything about Derpy except that she was a single mom who means well, delivers mail and loves muffins. Surely there was no way what she heard was true.

Then again, she does have a kid...And I've never really seen who the dad is...

She shook her head of such thoughts leading Derpy to tilt her head in confusion. "Look Derpy...Is this whole thing about you and Scar getting together true?"

"Huh?" The question took her by surprise. "H-How did you know about-"

Rainbow's eyes widened and then narrowed. Realizing what she just said, Derpy covered her mouth before she could say anything else. Rainbow however heard all she needed to hear. "So you two...you two really..."

Derpy stepped back and looked away uncomfortably. "Um...well..." She didn't know what to say; she could lie, but that sounded...wrong. Then again, telling the truth was almost as bad and would just screw up Scar's chances of earning Rainbow's forgiveness.

Her discomfort, as well as her reluctance to speak, unfortunately was all the answer Rainbow needed. She sighed and waved her free hoof dismissively. "Y'know what? Forget it; if you and Scar wanna hook up, then that's your business. Thanks for the mail again Derpy; see ya around I guess."

As she turned away clutching her mail, Derpy suddenly called out to her. "Wait Rainbow!" To her relief, she didn't move. "Scar told me...he knows he did something really bad to you." She rubbed her foreleg nervously. "And uh...he's really really sorry about it..."

Rainbow sighed. "I know he is. Just...give me some time OK?" Derpy bit her bottom lip. "Look, I really gotta get ready for work. I'll see ya around Derpy."

With that, she went back in her house and closed her door on the mail pony. Disappointed with herself Derpy's mouth scrunched up as if she'd tasted something bitter. Maybe she should've explained things better, say how Scar was practically bawling his eyes out as he poured out his broken heart to her. Maybe Rainbow would've been more likely to forgive him. Maybe she could've made him happy again.

Accepting that she couldn't do anything else at the moment, she spread her wings and left; she had a mail route to finish.



Well, here I am again. That same day, Scar once again found himself perched on the Ponyville's spire-topped town hall looking for his rainbow-maned idol. With no sign of her, he took off and soared over Ponyville wondering whether she was at work or relaxing like last time.

Scar was actually hoping more for he former. Maybe if she were at work, she'd be less likely to dismiss him. Or maybe she'd take it as him bothering her duties and dismiss him just as quickly. Then again, finding her while she was relaxing would also count as taking up time that would preferably be spent kicking back and relaxing. It seemed like no matter what she was doing, he was being a burden to her.

Still, he refused to throw in the towel. To his luck, he spotted a hint of a rainbow trail which could only come from his idol disappearing into the distance. Grinning, he went after the trail which led to a clump of clouds high in the sky. He poked his head through the cloud and found to his surprise several other pegasi flying around with clouds in tow.

"C'mon guys! These clouds won't move themselves y'know!" Scar found Rainbow calling out to the other pegasi. As they flew off, she went behind a nearby cloud and pushed in the same direction the others were heading. Seizing this chance, Scar quickly flew up to her heart hammering.

"Uh...Hey there Rainbow." he greeted her grinning sheepishly. She stopped pushing the cloud and turned to him with an eyebrow raised. "You...you want some help with that?"

Rainbow pouted which made his smile vanish. "No thanks. I can handle this thing on my own."

"Oh OK..." Scar looked around sweating a little. "Are there any other clouds I can help bring?"

"Not really. We got all we need." She tapped her hoof impatiently against the cloud.

"Well, you need any help with anything?"

"Nah; we got it covered."

"How about-"

"No thanks."

"But I didn't even-"

"I got it handled

"Maybe I could-"

"Rainbow!"

That male voice got their attention; some distance away, a dark-colored pegasus stallion looking at Rainbow crossly. "What's the hold up? We got clouds to deliver." he complained.

"Yeah; I'm on it Thunderlane!" As he sped off, Rainbow turned to Scar with a slight scowl on her face. He gulped and slowly flew backwards before it grew into an even bigger one.

"OK then...Sorry about bothering you Rainbow..." He reached the cloud and kept going. "I'll uh...see you around I guess...B-Bye..."

With an annoyed sigh, Rainbow got back behind her cloud and started pushing it far away from him. As she disappeared into the distance, Scar sighed and descended. He came across a low-lying cloud and perched himself on top of it; there he let out another sigh of defeat and buried his face in the softness of his perch.

"Ugh..." This was not going the way he planned it. Surely by now, Rainbow would've been given enough time to mull things over and become more open with him. He wasn't expecting her to still be that mad; if anything, she looked even more upset than before. This didn't make any sense.

He honestly had no idea what to do next. He was tempted to go after her and help her out with work, but he knew that he'd just be an annoyance. Maybe if he showed with some kind of peace offering, she'd be more open with him. Then again, this brought up the question of what to give. Flowers and chocolates initially came to mind, but those felt too romantic. She liked flying, so maybe something along those lines would work...

Scar's thoughts were interrupted when something soft landed on top of his head. He grabbed it with his hoof and raised his head to inspect it; in his hoof was a small white envelope that looked like mail. Flipping it over, he saw that it had a tree pictured on its stamp and read: "Sea Swirl. 301 Rose St., Ponyville".

"Where'd this come from?" he wondered scratching his head with his free hoof. A flutter of movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention; there fluttering in the wind was another envelope. He flew towards it and caught it as well. As he read the address on it, he spotted yet another one fluttering away in the distance.

Did somepony drop these? he though catching the third envelope. He looked around for any remaining envelopes and spotted something bigger flying some distance above him. It looked like a pony carrying a large brown bag around them.

"Hey!" Scar flew towards the pony taking care not to drop the mail. "Uh, excuse me. I think you dropped something."

Halfway there, the pony turned around showing a grey face with a yellow, lopsided eye. Scar almost stopped in his tracks as he got a glimpse of her smiling face. "Derpy?"

"Oh. Hi Scar." she greeted in a friendly manner. She noticed the envelopes in his hoof. "Is that your mail?"

"What, this?" he asked holding them up. "No; I found these floating around. I saw you and thought they were yours."

"They can't be mine; I just finished my mail route." Derpy replied opening her mail bag. "I remembered that I delivered all my-huh?"

Derpy held her mailbag up giving Scar a view of her good eye peeking through a hole at the bottom. "Uh oh!" Derpy cried out poking her hoof through it before frantically searching through the empty bag."M-My mail! H-How did-What-where did they-"

She then spotted the letters in Scar's hoof. "My letters! Y-you found them!" She snatched them out of his hoof and hugged them close to her chest like a mother would their lost child. "Oh my gosh; I was just about to head back to the post office. My boss would've been really mad if I really lost these. Thanks Scar."

Her grateful, caring smile brought one to his face almost making him forget that Rainbow had once again blown off his apology. "C'mon Derpy; anypony would've done the same." he said a little embarrassed. "So uh...Been a while huh? How've you been Derpy?"

"Oh I'm OK." she answered with a shrug. "Job's doing well I guess. Carrot's doing OK too. Dinky's having some trouble with her magic though; she's really upset about it."

"Oh...That sucks." Scar couldn't help but feel bad for the poor unicorn filly.

Derpy sighed also feeling bad for her daughter. "So how're you doing Scar?" she asked perking up a little.

"Oh uh..." He fidgeted a little. "Actually I came here to see if Rainbow wanted any help with work." His body sagged as he remembered her rejection. "All I did was get her in trouble."

"Aww..." Derpy patted his shoulder comfortingly. "It's OK Scar; I still think she'll come around soon." Scar sighed looked up, a small smile on him.

"Thanks Derpy..." She gave him a reassuring smile. Scar smiled back, but internally, he couldn't help but feel a bit awkward being around her. They did get totally wasted, and for Celestia's sake, he almost slept with her!

But seeing her now, she didn't appear to be too bothered by it. He was so close to doing something completely reckless and irresponsible to her, and yet she greeted him with a smile and even comforted him when he was troubled. Despite what happened, he was still her friend, and quite frankly, he could really use one at the moment.

"Hey, you got free time?" he asked.

"Actually, yeah. After my morning route, all I gotta do is head back to the post office, and I'm free for the rest of the day." she answered.

"Cool. Tell you what," He pointed at the letters. "Why don't I deliver those while you head back to your office. Then we can meet up and hang out."

"That sound great!" Derpy cried out. She opened her mouth again, but the only thing Scar heard was a loud grumbling coming from her stomach. Derpy covered her mouth as her cheeks reddened; Scar put a hoof over his mouth and stifled a laugh.

"Good idea Derpy. Wanna grab lunch?" he asked sniggering. Derpy removed her hooves from her still blushing face and nodded. "Alright, I'll take those." He took the envelopes from her. "While you head back to your boss. I'll wait for you at uh..." He read the address on one of the envelopes. "301 Rose Street. See you there."

"See you later Scar." she said waving at him as he disappeared into the distance. Beaming, Derpy flew off feeling like her day had just suddenly gotten better.



Scar had never heard of the Hay Burger, but when Derpy suggested it, he thought he'd give the burger joint a shot. The place looked decent enough, and judging by the joyful chewing and sipping customers inside, the food was just as good. Luckily, they were able to get in line before the lunch rush could set in.

As the stallion in front of them left with his order, Derpy and Scar approached the counter where the cashier greeted them. "Hi. Welcome to the Hay Burger, home of the Hay Burger. Can I get your order?"

"Yeah." Scar scanned the menu. "We'll have uh...two hay burgers, some large hay fries, a blue berry milkshake for me and...what was it again Derpy?"

"A grape soda"

The cashier took it all down and left for a moment. He returned not too long after carrying a tray with two juicy hay burgers, a plate of horseshoe-shaped hay fries with some ketchup on the side and two cups with straws. "That'll be 35 bits please."

There was a small clunk as both of them placed their money pouches on the counter at the same time. Bewildered, they turned to each other. "C'mon, I got this Derpy." Scar told her.

"No lemme do this. You paid for everything last time we hung out." she refused.

"I know, but last time, you had a bit of trouble paying..."

"Hey! I can pay for myself."

"Fine; let's just split it."

"It's 35 bit; you can't split that."

"Fine. Uh...That salad's 15 bits. Wanna make it an even 50?"

"Sure."

"Good. Toss is one salad please."

The cashier placed their salad on the tray and brought up their bill to 50 bits. Scar and Derpy paid 25 bits each and left with their food. Picking a tray in the middle of the restaurant, they took their seats. Scar held up his hay burger and gave it a sniff, flooding his nostrils with the aroma of freshly baked bread, crisp lettuce and juicy hay, making him realize just how hungry he was.

He took a bite and let out a groan of satisfaction. "Mmmm...This's good Derpy." he said after swallowing.

"You should try stuffing it with fries." Derpy replied, the top bun of her burger off. She sprinkled some salt and a few of her fries on the patty before putting it back together and taking a bite. A mouth full of burger, she grinned at him and wiped off a bit of hay stuck to her face. Scar merely let out a small chuckle and took a sip of his drink.

"Too bad they don't sell muffins though." Scar remarked, and they shared a laugh.

"Y'know, Dinky and I come here some times." Derpy continued. "Sometimes, I surprise her and pick her up from school, and then we'd go here and eat out."

"Well that's nice." Scar commented. "You're actually a pretty cool mom."

Derpy blushed at the compliment and sipped some of her soda. "C'mon...Carrot helps sometimes, and I got a friend who babysits her sometimes...I can't do it all alone."

Scar bit his lip in thought. She shouldn't be raising a filly all alone; Dinky was a unicorn, and she needed to learn magic, but her mom was incapable of teaching that herself. No wonder she's still having trouble with her magic. Shouldn't her dad be the one doing this stuff?

He wanted to press further, but he wasn't sure if it was a sore topic for her or not. "Well I think you did good. I mean, look at me; I never really had a mom growing up."

Derpy froze in the middle of biting into her hay burger. "R-Really? You...You grew up without a mom?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"Huh? No; it's OK really." Scar told her before she could get too upset. "When I was really young, like way before I got my Cutie Mark, I did have both my parents. Then uh...this incident happened and well...they both died."

Scar found himself staring at his cup as he finished. Derpy, mouth agape, slowly lowered her burger. "Oh my gosh...That's horrible..."

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm OK Derpy." His words failed to remove her frown. "I am; really! After all that, I ended up with my dad and my five brothers. They're the one I grew up with."

"Your dad raised six kids all on his own?" Derpy said in awe. "I...wow..."

Scar laughed and shrugged. "Yeah; heck, sometimes, I wonder how he does it."

"It's gotta be love right?"

"That's right. He does love all of us like we were his own sons. Even..." He remembered his misguided brothers. "Even when we're being stupid or impossible, he doesn't give up..."

After a few moments, he felt a hoof hold his arm and gave it a squeeze. Scar look up just to see a grey hoof pull back, it's owner giving him a smile and a nod. With a start, he realized that she was the only pony outside of his family he told about his family. Smiling back at her, he took another bite out of his hay burger.

"Let's change topic; so you're a mail pony right? How'd that happen?"



Halfway through their meal, Scar found himself absent-mindedly staring through the window at the clear blue sky taking occasional sips of his shake. Derpy noticed him and swallowed her hay fries. "You OK Scar?" she asked.

"Huh? Y-yeah. I'm having fun really." he replied still trying to put earlier's incident out of mind.

Derpy however was still unconvinced. "Scar..." she pressed. "Are you still feeling bad about Rainbow?"

"W-Well...A bit yeah..." he admitted with a sigh. "I don't even know why she look even more mad today."

As he took a drink, Derpy fidgeted nervously. "I-I think I know why. We kinda talked earlier, and uh...she knows Scar. A-About us getting drunk and spending the night together..."

At the, Scar's eyes popped open and nearly grew as wide as the burger he was eating. Seeing his cheeks well up and fill with his drink, Derpy ducked under their table just as Scar spewed milkshake in front of him. "SHE WHAT?!"

Every eye in the restaurant was suddenly on his. Mumbling out an apology, he wiped his dripping mouth with the back of his hoof while one of the employees approached the mess with a mop. "R-Really?" Scar asked panicked and filled with dread.

Derpy poked her head out from under the table and nodded. "B-But-but-nothing happened right? You did tell her we didn't have sex right?"

She sat back on her seat sweating, her good eye darting around the restaurant. "Um...Well...I-I tried to say something, but she just said it's none of her business what we do together."

Scar felt his spirits plummet which was a surprise since he thought they couldn't get any lower. Letting out a defeated groan, Scar leaned back a bit before falling face first against the table. "Oh...Oh crap...How did...How did she know?...Ugh..."

"I-I'm sorry Scar." Derpy apologized resting her forelegs on her table and bowing her head. "I wish I could..." But she didn't know what else to say. "I just made things worse didn't I?...Even after I made that promise..."

"You mean that Pinkie Promise..."

Both pegasi looked up at the voice only seeing their own surprise on their other's face. "Was that you?" they asked at the same time. "No. Then where did that-"

Their table suddenly rumbled and shook. Scar and Derpy hurriedly took their hooves off it just suddenly flash of pink burst from under the table filled their vision.

"NOPONY BREAKS A PINKIE PROMISE!"

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Scar seat leaned back, and he swung his legs about to regain balance. With a loud thud, he fell back completely, silencing his cries of panic. Groaning and slightly disoriented, he raised his head and saw a pink shape come into focus.

"P...Pinkie?"

"Uh huh. The one and only! Didja miss me guys?" she said winking you.

"Wha-ha-b-but-what-who-" Scar sputtered as he slowly picked himself.

Across from him, Derpy was much quicker to get over her shock. "P-Pinkie...what're you doing here?"

"How did you get under there!?" Scar finally screamed bolting upright and slamming his hooves against the table, his face and mane wild.

"Oh." Pinkie sat down on a chair that appeared to have popped out of nowhere. "Derpy here's broken a Pinkie Promise." She paused to give the mare a glare before turning back to Scar with a smile. "So I came to make sure you guys're still together. "Oooh, can I have some fries please?"

Scar blinked unsatisfied with her response. "Uh sure...go ahead..." Their pink guest cheered and stuffed several hooffulls of fries into her mouth.

"Wait Pinkie, how did you know about me breaking my Pinkie Promise?" Derpy asked.

She swallowed and wiped her mouth. "Oh, there's a Pinkie Sense for that." she answered nonchalantly helping herself to some more fries.

"O...K..." Scar and Derpy shared a confused look.

"Besides, you're all gloomy Scar." Pinkie told him surprising him by grabbing the sides of his head and rotating it downwards a full 180 degrees. "And when you're gloomy, you totally need somepony to turn that frown upside down." She twisted his head back to its original position. Scar yelped and yanked his head back and started checking his neck expecting to find things like broken bones and torn muscles.

"Scar's upset 'cause Rainbow's still mad at him." Derpy explained. "I Pinkie Promised him that things were gonna get better, but it looks like things just got worse." She looked away rubbing her foreleg with the other. "I'm sorry I broke it,but I'm trying to help; I really am! Please don't be mad at me."

She drew back a little as piercing blue eyes stared into her soul, their owner's tongue sticking out of her mouth. "Well...OK!" She cried out suddenly sporting a grin. "If everything turns out OK, then it's OK with me!"

"So...you're not mad anymore?"

"Nope; being mad feels super icky." Pinkie shuddered at the word. "Being happy's a whole lot better."

"Y-Yeah. I agree." Scar said surprised that his neck wasn't broken in any way. "Anyway, how did you get here?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No. Not really."

"Well, I was in the kitchen as usual baking brownies and cakes and cupcakes and cookies and pastries and pies and crumbles. I was waiting for a batch of chocolate chip cookies when my ears got all hot and my hair got all twisty, and then I realized SOMEPONY BROKE A PINKIE PROMISE!, so I left and found Derpy over here."

Scar's face scrunched up in confusion. "Th-that still doesn't explain it!"

"Wait Pinkie. Didn't you say you left your oven on?" Derpy asked.

"Uh huh, but it's OK. When I left, there was still two minutes left." Pinkie replied.

"You've been talking for more than that." Scar pointed out.

"I have?..." Pinkie suddenly let out a gasp so big she inflated slightly. "Oh my gosh! Sorry guys; gotta go!"

Scar blinked, and by the time he opened his eyes, there wasn't any sign of Pinkie but a trail of dust that led out the restaurant doors and trailed into the distance. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and still found the dust trails there slowly fading away. "Um...Ah..."

"Here, we just say that's just Pinkie being Pinkie." Derpy told him.

"I'm never gonna get used to that." Scar sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, I just wanna say that...I'm not mad at you either Derpy."

Derpy's ears perked up, but they quickly flattened. "But-but Scar I..."

Scar held up his hoof and stopped her. "I know you made that promise, and I know breaking one's a horrible thing to do, but seriously Derpy...Just 'cause things between me and Rainbow are still going bad doesn't mean I don't wanna be your friend anymore."

Hearing that both surprised and touched Derpy. She looked at Scar seeing a gentle smile on his lips and found herself unable to look any more. "S-Scar I..."

"Whatever you're thinking, it's wrong." he told her. "Derpy, you haven't done anything wrong." Seeing her fidget, he sighed. "I know it must've been weird talking to her about all this, but her finding out wasn't your fault."

"Y-yeah...But I..."

"Derpy, if anything, you're making things a lot easier." Scar said surprising her. "D'you know how depressed I was when we first met? Or when I bumped into you a while ago? Those were like, one of the worst times of my life and you...you pulled me back up. If I hadn't met you at the bar, I would've probably passed out drunk right there feeling like crap. If I hadn't seen your mail, I'd probably still be sulking all alone by now. And you probably would've pissed off your boss."

"S...Scar..." she said reddening slightly and turning away from him. "I...I still feel like I'm making things worse..."

Scar reached over and patted her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze like she did. "Derpy, just being your friend is making things better."

At that Derpy finally looked back at him and smiled. All this time, she thought he was miserable for what happened to him and partly for what she did you him, but now, he was happy, and it was because of her. That was all that mattered wasn't it? If her friend was happy, then why shouldn't she be was well? For him, she needed to be strong.

"Thanks Scar." she said prompting him to pull his hoof back. "Y'know...maybe next time we hang out, it should not be after Rainbow turns you down."

"Yeah; you're probably right. "Scar replied scratching his head. "I am gonna keep trying though."

"And I still promise things'll get better. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Scar chuckled as she performed the actions of the promise, and together, they whispered the word "Forever" ominously and shared a laugh. Remembering that they still had a meal to finish, they picked up their burgers and continued eating chatting happily with one another as if earlier, they hadn't been worried, depressed or stressed about anything at all.

Truly, friendship is magic.
> Blues' Blues
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the huge delay. I've had some trouble with the editing, and honestly, I don't think this story is doing so well. The general lack of popularity lately demotivates me. Sorry.




CHAPTER 50

BLUE'S BLUES


They were arguing again, the shouting, cream-colored unicorn mare and the glaring, white earth pony stallion. Then again, he wasn't at all surprised by it. They were always arguing be it over each other, money, work, him or some other trivial matter. Their voices were loud, but he couldn't understand what they were saying; what were those two squabbling about this time?

He whimpered at their raised voices and hugged his hind legs closer to himself. He wanted it to stop; he wanted to speak up and beg them to stop, that their fighting was hurting him as well, but he couldn't find his voice. As their voices grew harsher and louder, all he could do was let out a small whimper and shut his eyes.

He felt small, absolutely tiny, barely noticeable. He felt like disappearing; he wanted to disappear and never have to look at their harsh faces or hear their angry tones. Their voices then suddenly stopped causing him to raise his head, a small bit of hope flickering in his chest. He made to get up, but both adults suddenly whipped in his direction, turning his blood to ice.

The hope died just as quickly as it came if not quicker.

His heart hammered against his chest as they hurriedly made their way towards him. Both of them were scowling at him, gritting their teeth and flaring their nostrils. His chest immediately tightened making it painfully difficult to breathe. This wasn't the first time they turned on him with those looks, but it blanked his mind and shook his legs either way.

He quickly rose and galloped away as fast as his small legs could carry him. He had barely gone five steps when he felt a set of teeth clamp onto his tail and gave it a painful yank. He let out a gasp as his chin bashed against the ground and felt himself dragged back. Screaming, crying and trying to claw himself away, he begged her to let go, but it was no use. When he felt the teeth let go of his tail, he rose to his hooves but found his path blocked by the unicorn mare.

He gulped and shrunk, backing away from the fiery gaze of her aqua eyes which burned right into his. He suddenly bumped into something and looked up letting out a whimper as the stalling gazed at him in a similarly. He covered his head and sank as low as he possibly could while the mare approached.

"P...P...Please..."

"What was that?" she barked at him getting in his covered face.

Feeling even smaller than before, he let out a whimper but didn't answer. A swift kick to his rump courtesy of the stallion made him yelp and uncover his face. "You got something to say?" Another blow struck him. "I heard you; spit it out!"

He motioned to cover himself again, but the stinging sensation in his behind reminded him of the consequences. Looking back and forth between them, he gulped and tried to get the words out of his trembling lips. "P...Please s-stop...stop...stop fighting please..."

"Stop? Stop?! You're telling us to stop!?" the mare screamed at him as he cowered. He cried out when a magical aura surrounded him and let out a series of rapid sobs and whimpers as he felt himself dragged upwards until he was standing on his hind legs. His pathetic, childish whimpering finally stopped when the back of her hoof swiftly connected with his cheek.

For a split second, there was silence as his body spun; the mare released her magic causing him to fall face first against the floor with a sickening thud. Shuddering and sobbing, he felt his cheek and winced at the pain. When a set of hooves grabbed his side and hoisted him up sending him into a panic.

"No! No! No! No! Please! No! Please! Please! Please!"

"SHUT UP!" the stallion roared throwing him against the ground. Before he could recover, he was flipped onto his back and pinned to the ground by the stallion's hoof.

"You think you're so fucking big?! You think you can tell me what to do?!" the stallion roared pressing his hoof against his chest and refusing to stop even as he cried out. "I am an ADULT! You are a BRAT! WHAT THE HELL MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO?!"

He finally withdrew his hoof scowling at the downed pony in the process. Tears poured down his face as he made several labored breaths that made his chest hurt. He had forgotten that he was just a mere child, small and utterly less wise and superior to the two adults. He had absolutely no say in whatever they wanted to do with each other.

The mare shoved the stallion aside and pointed her hoof at him, eyes blazing with fury. He shrank and covered his head expecting more blows.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT!? GET IT IN YOUR HEAD DAMMIT! YOU ARE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I AM YOU MOTHER! I TELL YOU WHAT TO DO!"

She slapped him again just as hard as the first time. "I...I...just..." He couldn't stop shaking and crying. "C-can't you...can't we...just talk...not...not shout..."

His words earned him another backhoof from his mother. Before she could strike again, the stallion came back in and nudged her aside. "WHEN WILL YOU LEARN TO SHUT UP WHEN THE GROWN-UPS ARE TALKING!" He grabbed his head and placed a hoof on his horn. "You need to know your place."

His head practically exploded.

"AAAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHHHH! STOP! PLEASE STOP! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

He was thrashing, pounding and clawing against the hoof, but the stallion paid him no heed.

"IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!"

He tried summoning up his own magic, but it wouldn't come.

"DAD! DAD STOP! PLEASE! NO! NO! DAD! STOP! PLEASE! NO!"

He could feel the cracks spreading.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

SNAP!



With scream, Blues woke up and was immediately comforted by the darkness around him. His hooves immediately flew to his horn, running across its length and taking in its wholeness. Feeling it intact, he let out a relieved sigh and fell back against his bed trying to steady his breath. It wasn't broken. Nopony tried to hurt him. Nopony-

A sudden loud ringing made him bolt upright and launch a tendril of his hair towards his side. It struck his alarm clock, knocking it of the table and sent it clattering across the floor. Using the same tendril, he picked up his clock and turned it off before putting it back in its place. With a groan, he retracted the tendril and covered his face.

Damn fight...he thought with a grimace, thinking back to yesterday when his family was in turmoil. All those raised voices, harsh tones and insults...they reminded him too much of before. Before was a horrible time, to him, the worst moments of his life. The scars remained on him to this day.

Sighing again, Blues jumped off his bed and left his room. Trying to keep his spirits up, he thought of the positives; he no longer had to deal with those two "parents" of his. Things were much better compared to before. He had a father who did indeed love him with every once of his being. He had brothers who supported and treasured him, connected by something more than blood. He had a proper family, and he was happy.

But...Psych and Ash...His thoughts turned sour once again. He wanted nothing more than a proper, happy family, and he took it as his job to do just that. He was always the one who broke up arguments, he always tended to them whenever they were ailing, he always did everything he could to make them know he loved them.

So why did those two suddenly fell out with the rest of them? Was it something he said or did or something he didn't say or do? What did he ever do that broke them apart from the rest of them? Why couldn't they just tell him why, so that he could fix it, and they could go back to being one big happy family once again? Why did they have to do all this? Why?

"Does this coat bring out my eyes?

Confused, Blues shook his head and tried to get his bearings. The voice had come from his dad, and he was standing next to a long table where another pony, a unicorn who could only be Solstice, sat. So absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn't realized he had entered the dining room already.

"Blues. Good morning son." Equinox greeted tugging the collar of a dark blue coat he was wearing.

"Good morning father. Good morning Solstice." he greeted back with a smile. "Where are the others?"

"Ironhead and Scar went ahead to Ponyville, and Psych is still in his room. I tried bringing him breakfast but..." The alicorn trailed off sadly.

Blues pouted and decided that it was time for a change of subject. "So, what exactly is going on?" he asked trotting to a chair.

"With the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, father is trying to find a proper attire for the event." Solstice explained.

"I haven't been at such a formal occasion in decades." Equinox said trotting up to a mirror propped up against the wall. "Hmm...not this one." He took his coat off and levitated it to a pile of clothes before levitating a grey one to him. "What do you think Solstice; much better?"

"Forgive me father. I admit I have a poor sense of fashion." Solstice rubbed the back of his neck.

"I think it suits you well father." Blues added with a small grin.

"Really? Well..." Equinox paused for a moment and let out a chuckle. "Oh very funny Blues. Have you decided on what to wear yet?"

"Yes. Anything that looks decent." he answered filling up a glass with milk. The alicorn pouted. "Father, you know how I am when it comes to appearances. I want to look decent enough but not overly flashy."

Equinox put the coat back and trotted to his blind son. "Blues, the Grand Galloping Gala is the most prestigious event in all of Equestria. Wouldn't you want to stand out at such an occasion? Wouldn't you want to look you best in front of the princess?"

Blues sighed and took a drink. "I suppose seeing as I'll be with royalty."

"Worry not brother." Solstice said with a reassuring grin. "I'm certain we will find something that suits you."



"Too tight! Too tight! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

A quick flash of teal magic later, the light blue polo shirt was gone from Blues' body and reappeared on top of his bed. Finally free from the suffocating clothes, Blues let out a gasp and caught his breath while leaning against the wall. Pursing his lips and adjusting his glasses, Solstice surveyed the pile of suits, shirts, pants, vests and coats spread across the bed.

While his brother recovered, Solstice levitated a black suit, a light purple shirt and a stripped blue necktie from the pile. "So far, this combination suits you well in my opinion."

"They look good enough for me." Blued muttered sarcastically.

"The only problem appears to be the size." Solstice continued having unheard his brother's snark. "The suit is too small while the shirt is too large. I do however know of a size altercation spell that should remedy that."

Blues nodded having finally gotten his breath back. Though he couldn't see it, Solstice's horn glowed brightly as he enveloped the suit with his magic. Before his very eyes, the suit grew smaller and smaller until Solstice deemed it small enough. He cancelled his spell and tosses it over to Blues who was able to catch it. "I've made this one smaller; try putting it on."

Blues put one foreleg through one sleeve but had difficulty getting through the other one. With an annoyed grunt, he finally got it through but realized that he couldn't lower his arms. He stood on his hind legs and tried forcing it down failing to notice the small rip that had formed at the bottom. "Blues, you'll tear it!"

Solstice shout caught him off guard and caused him to lose his footing and stumble dangerously close to the wall. With a loud cry, he fell face first and suddenly stopped with his nose just an inch away from the wall. A strange tingling sensation all over his body told him that he was safe in his brother's magical grip.

"Thank you Solstice." he said with a relieved sigh. The other unicorn pulled him back a bit and magicked the suit right off him before letting him go. Blues swayed a bit but landed on his hooves unharmed.

"Hmm, altering the size wasn't enough; it appears this must be fitted on you." he remarked.

"Are there any spells for that?" Blues asked.

"None that I am aware of. My usual studies do not particularly delve into this brand of magic."

Blues let out a dejected sigh. "Our first formal occasion, and I don't have anything to wear."

"Forgive me Blues. I am no dressmaker." Solstice apologized placing a hoof on his chest and bowing.

Blues was about to tell him that none of this was his fault, but his words made him pause. "Wait; what was that Solstice?"

"I said that I am no dressmaker." he repeated. "I always thought that I would have a spell for everything, but I've nothing at the moment."

"That doesn't make you any less talented Solstice." Blues comforted. "And don't worry; I actually happen to know a dress maker."

That took the scholar by surprise. "You do? Who?"

"You remember Rarity, one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony right?" he explained. "While I was there, we happened to talk a bit, and she mentioned that she makes and designs clothes for a living. Maybe she could get those clothes fitted properly for me."

Solstice remained silent in thought. "That does sound like the ideal course of action. It does seem like only an experienced pony such as herself can deal with this."

"Well then, I should be off. Do you know where my saddlebag is?"

"Right side of you bed." Solstice answered as he folded the clothes with his magic and laid them on the bed. Using a tendril of hair, he searched for a moment before finally finding it and pulling it towards him. Solstice levitated the clothes inside, and Blues closed it shut with a saxophone-shaped clasp.

"Alright. I'll inform father first before leaving. With any luck, I could meet up with the rest of you as you visit Ash." Blues said trotting towards the door with his brother. "See you later Solstice." Both brothers nodded before walking their separate ways.



"...Tall and in an open area. Thank you sir."

As the stallion walked away puzzled by his strange way of asking for directions, Blues headed in the opposite direction. Let's see...second left from here, then first right. That should put me on a large open area where the shop stands alone.

It didn't take too long for him to find it. A mere minute later, he found a wide grassy area and clicked his tongue a few times. He sensed a tall structure, presumably a building, with two smaller, thinner structures, presumably trees, beside it. Seeing as this building fits the description, Blues approached it and gently knocked on the door.

"Just a moment darling!" said a voice which he instantly recognized as Rarity's. A few seconds later, there was the jingling of a door knob and the door swinging open. "Welcome to Carousel B...Blues?"

"Ahem. Hello again Rarity." he greeted failing to notice her puzzled expression.

"Wh-why are you here? Has something come up?" she asked quickly fearing the worst.

"What? Oh-no. No; everything's fine at the moment. Nothing that you should be concerned about." He shifted to his side showing his saddlebag. "I'm here as a paying customer in fact."

Rarity blinked, her earlier concerns gone. "You are?"

"Yes. With the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, I've been trying to find something to wear, but the one that suits me the most doesn't fit." he explained. "Then I remembered you mentioning your career, and I thought you might be able to help. Unless of course you're busy with other work."

"Oh no." She waved her hoof and shook her head. "I'm just conceptualizing at the moment, not doing any of the actual dress making. I'd be happy to have your clothes fitted."

Saying that earned a grateful smile and nod. "Thank you Rarity. May I come in?"

"Why of course." Rarity stepped aside allowing her customer to enter the shop. As blues sensed a wide open room, Rarity trotted up to him. "Would you mind giving me a moment to collect a few tools I'll be needing?"

Blues nodded and heard her walk away outside of his senses, presumably into another room. Alone in the shop, Blues sat on his hunches, absentmindedly humming a small tune as he waited. A few seconds passed with nothing happening, but that all changed when he suddenly detected something shifting along the sides of the room.

Intrigued, Blues rose and trotted towards it and sensed it shift some more. When he was about a foot away from whatever it was, he heard a low hissing and sensed something move in front of him. "Now what in Celestia's name is-"

"MREEEOOOW!"

"AH! AH! AH! AH! AH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

He was screaming and running about the shop while there was something on his head hissing, shrieking and ripping out large chunks of his mane with what felt like claws. He painfully felt each slice and cut as if it was cutting into his very flesh. Screeching to a halt in the middle of the room, he grit his teeth and fought against the pain; his mane came alive, wrapping around whatever it was shredding his mane and hoisting it high above him. He heard more hisses, but pain finally ceased.

"Blues, I heard a scream. Is everything al-AAAHHH!"

Her high pitched shriek of the sight before her tore through his senses. He let out a shriek of his own, his tendrils of hair straightening out and dropping whatever he was holding back on his head where it resumed giving him a painful haircut. As bits and pieces of hair flew around the panicking Blues, Rarity activated her magic and grabbed the ball of fluff on his head.

"Opalescence, no! Bad kitty! That is not how we treat out guests!" she reprimanded sharply earning a hiss from her pet who was unable to do anything in her magical grip. Rarity tried pulled her, but Opal had dug her claws into Blues' mane. Rarity tugged some more leading Blues to hiss and gasp in pain. "Let. Go. Of. Him. This. Instant!"

Each word came with a tug from Rarity, a hiss from Opal and a gasp from Blues. Still, Rarity refused to give up and pulled some more backing up as she did. Gritting her teeth and closing her eyes, Rarity pulled away, tugging on her pet as hard as she could. She didn't stop until her rear hit a cabinet full of sewing equipment. She opened her eyes hoping that she had finally gotten her off him.

Opal was right in front of her face growling, held in place by a light blue aura and still clutching onto a clump of navy and light blue hair. The only problem was that Blues was in the middle of the room with a long thick tendril of hair measuring several feet long coming out of his head. His left eye and mouth twitched as if he were in pain.

"D...Don't let go..." he told her hesitantly. Bracing himself for a world of hurt, he yanked his hair back as hard as he could; pain shot like lightning across his body forcing him to cover his mouth before he could scream. Rarity's head jerked up at the muffled shout and saw Blues, his eyes shut tightly and his teeth biting into his hoof. About a second later, he lowered his hoof and took a deep breath. "Th...thank you Rarity."

"I...er...L-let me put Opal away for a minute." Blues nodded but frowned at her tone; clearly she was shell-shocked by all this. As she trotted away, he pulled his mane back in until it was back to its usual style.

He sensed her reenter the room. "Blues, I am dreadfully sorry. Opal never acts this way to all of my customers." she apologized still unable to decide which was stranger, Opal's actions or her customer's unique hairstyle.

"It's alright Rarity; animals of all sorts usually behave like that around me. I blame neither you nor Opal for all this." He paused and did some thinking. "In fact, I think I should be the one to apologize. I think I gave you quite the scare a while ago."

"What? Oh yes the um...hair thing. I must admit I was shocked to see such a thing." she confessed.

"It er...Is my special power. The strands of my mane are sensitive to sound waves and changes in air currents, allowing me to navigate safely despite my blindness. I'm also able to elongate, retract and manipulate it any way I want."

His mane came alive and shifted. Some parts retracted back into his skull while others elongated until he had a mohawk on his head. "M...My word. What I would give to be able to do that." Rarity admitted much to Blues' surprise. "What? It takes hours of washing, combing and styling to get this mane looking so fabulous."

"I...see..." Blues changed his mane style back to its usual appearance. "Again, sorry for startling you."

Rarity opened her mouth to protest but decided against it. "Apology accepted Blues." She cleared her throat. "Now that that's been cleared up, might we begin?"

"What?" He blinked twice and suddenly remembered. "Oh right of course, the fitting. Where should we begin?"

"Well first, let me see what you've brought me." Blues put his saddlebag down and grabbed the coat, shirt and tie with his magic. Rarity took them and held examined them, eyeing them from every angle and feeling the material. "Hmm..."

"Well?" Blues wondered.

"Hmmm...How do I put this?" she muttered tapping on her chin. "You obviously didn't select these clothes now did you?'

"No. Solstice did it for me. He said that they seemed to suit me the most."

"I see. No offense to your brother, but he has a poor sense of fashion." Rarity said bluntly.

"Worry not; he is aware." Blues informed.

"Well then I hope, he picked something better for him. For now...er..." She eyed the clothes with uncertainty in her eyes. "Why don't I get you measurements first hmm? There's a raised platform not too far from you; would you please step onto it?"

Blues nodded and trotted towards the side of the room where he found the raised platform and stepped on it. A few seconds later, Rarity was at his side with a pair of red glasses on her face, a pencil in her mouth, a tape measure around her neck and a not pad floating above her. "Now just hold still while I take some measurements."

"Alright." Blues said and went as stiff as a board. Rarity got to work and wrapped the tape measure around his stomach. Muttering the length under her breath, she quickly jotted it down before moving to another area.

For about five minutes, the two of them were silent as Rarity went about her measuring. "Raise you hoof please." she requested. Hmm...He's quite a bit stiff. she thought to herself. Then again, most of her customers were usually this quiet and formal around her. She decided to get him to open up a little. "So Blues, are you feeling excited about the upcoming gala?"

"Well...I am anticipating meeting the princess and clearing up this entire misunderstanding with the Elements." He paused for a moment as he lowered his hoof. "I suppose I am a bit excited; it is our first formal occasion as a family."

"Really now?" Rarity asked measuring between his shoulders. "You must not really get out much."

"On the contrary. Twice or thrice a year, the seven of us go an vacations." Blues told her. "We've been to Manehatten, Las Pegasus, Hoofington, Brayzil..."

"Would you mind turning a bit?" Blues complied and turned towards her. "What about Canterlot?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Actually, I think my father is avoiding that place." Blues answered. "He told us that many unpleasant things happened to him there and that he doesn't wish to reopen old wounds. When I told him about the gala, he sounded tense but eventually agreed to it."

"Really now? What a shame. Canterlot truly is a beautiful place to be." Rarity said. "Twilight was actually born there, and the six of us were there during the last gala."

Blues raised an intrigued eyebrow. "You were? What was it like?"

Ponies running in panic, rabid animals shrieking and roaring, my dress splattered with cake, pillars tumbling down like dominoes..."Not exactly what we expected. All in all, it was a massive disappointment." She saw him frown at that. "Oh don't let that discourage you; perhaps this year's gala won't be as disastrous as the last one."

Rarity lowered her measuring tape and jotted down the last few measurements."Done with the measurements. You can step down now Blues."

"Thank you." he replied hopping off. "That was rather quick; I was honestly expecting to stay much longer."

"Why? Do you have any other plans today?" Rarity asked folding the clothes he brought her and setting them aside.

"Well I was planning on meeting up with the rest of my family to visit Ash..." Blues trailed off.

"Ash?" Rarity turned back to him. "Visit? Has something happened?"

Blues fidgeted a little. "Yes, but as I've said, it's nothing you should trouble yourself with. I can deal with my family problems on my own."

Yet despite what he said, Rarity had doubts on that. Bitterly, she remembered how he broke down and ran away after being berated and insulted by his own brother, how she found him broken and sobbing in an alleyway like a child, how he admitted to not hating his brother and asking her to do the same. Things with them did indeed sound bad, and it wouldn't be nice for her to have him bring up such thoughts.

"Ahem. Anyway, I should be able to have your clothes ready..." She thought about them for a moment. "Um...the day after tomorrow. I'll have you looking dashing for the gala by then."

"I'm sure you will." Blues replied smiling a little.

*knock!*knock!*knock!*

Both ponies looked towards the front door. "Excuse me for a moment." Rarity left Blues and opened her front door revealing a grey pegasus. An excited smile quickly grew on her face. "Ah Derpy dear. Is this my delivery?"

"Uh huh. Just sign here." Derpy deposited a small package at her hooves and pulled a small notepad and a pencil out of her mail bag. Rarity took them with her magic and signed her name with a flourish before handing them back. "OK then. Have a nice day Rarity."

"Yes you too darling, and thanks again." Derpy nodded before flying off to her next delivery. Rarity picked up the package and headed back inside the shop. She raced towards a desk and unwrapped her package, letting out a small squeal of excitement as she did.

Her squeal attracted Blues who approached. "What is it Rarity?"

"Oh, something I've waiting a whole week to get." She stood aside and presented her package to him. Blues blinked twice and tilted his head sideways.

"Well what is it?"

Her eyes widened, and her heart stopped; she had completely forgotten his condition. "Yes well...um..." she began awkwardly. "It's a set of ginseng tea straight from Hoofington."

Blues expression instantly brightened at the mention of tea. "Hoofington ginseng tea? I absolutely loved those back when we were there."

"You do?" Rarity asked glad that the awkwardness was gone. "I never took you for a tea loving pony."

"Well only me, Solstice, Psych and our father actually enjoy tea though Solstice prefers chamomile which led to a few arguments." Blues went on.

"In that case, would you like to try some?" Rarity offered.

Blues was quick to decline. "Oh no. I couldn't-"

"No I insist." Rarity said in spite of his protests. "It sounds like things with you now aren't going smoothly. Believe me when I say that's happened to me many times before. One thing I do is just kick back, relax and try getting away from it even for just a short while. I know you're probably worried about things with your family, but I think taking a break from all of it would do you much good."

"I..." Blues began, but he really thought about what she said. He admitted that it was exhausting and stressful trying to settle his family issues and getting insulted and yelled at every time. He loved them all and wanted nothing but for them to all be happy with one another, but for now... "I...I could really use a break from it all."

Rarity smiled warmly. "Good to hear. Now, why don't I show you to my kitchen. I happen to have a few biscuits that would go lovely with the tea."

"That...That sounds like a wonderful idea...Thank you Rarity."

He couldn't help but feel a bit touched by her generosity. He had spent years trying and failing to close the gaping rift that separated them as a family. All those years of insults, arguments and shouting took their toll on his body and mind, but he always did his best not to let it show and instead focus on how to make things right with all of them. This was the job he had given himself, a job he never would have thought of giving up.

But a break, even a small moment where he would just put them all aside and enjoy himself, sounded absolutely lovely.



Proofread by:

AquaJet25
> A Break From It All
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 51
A BREAK FROM IT ALL


"Candy? Balloons? Streamers? On a dress?" Blues asked having difficulty in putting that idea together in his head.

"Yes yes I know it's difficult to imagine, but Pinkie insisted." Rarity replied remembering the travesty that was her dress. "It was her dress, so I had to comply." She let out a sigh. "Would you like some more tea?"

Blues nodded and pushed his tea cup forward allowing Rarity to fill it up with dark green tea. Both of them were comfortably seated in Rarity's kitchen snacking on cakes and biscuits and sipping warm tea. When he heard her set the teapot down, he took a sip sighing as the taste and aroma flooded his senses.

He felt happy, clear-headed, and calm; all in all far better than he had felt for the past few days. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he felt this relaxed. Though he loved his family, keeping them together was a 24/7 job which earned him nothing in return except insults, cold shoulders, laughs and smiles. There were no job benefits, leaves nor break times, so he used what he was given.

Across the table, Rarity did her job of being a good hostess and made sure he felt at home. After settling down and having a bit of tea, they had resumed talking about the upcoming gala. From there, the subject shifted to those complete disasters that were the first batch of outfits she made for her friends for the event.

"I honestly felt like burning them, but in the end I decided to keep them." Rarity said taking a sip. "As a reminder of a lesson, I had to learn the hard way and to make sure it is never repeated."

"Ashamed of one of you works? Believe me, I've been there." Blues replied sympathetically. "I sometimes compose pieces of my own, and I admit I have created things that were better off never being heard by anypony's ears but my own."

His hostess sighed as she dipped her biscuit into her tea. "An affliction I'm afraid. All us artists suffer it at one point." She took a small bite of it. "We give, and work, and create masterpieces, but sometimes..."

"We end up making travesties." Blues finished with a sigh of his own. "But it's better not to dwell on them too much, isn't it? So long as we learn, I guess it's not a complete failure."

"Indeed." Rarity raised her cup in agreement. "Perhaps it's better that we're never perfect; constant improvement is a far better goal."

Blues smiled and leaned back a bit sipping his tea; Rarity in turn smiled back. "My, somepony's looking very relaxed. Are you enjoying your little break?"

He paused for a moment realizing just how relaxed he really was. "Very much, Rarity. I never realized what time away from it all felt like. Never having to deal with poor decisions, torturous visions, angry screams and cries of despair, I'm can finally enjoy some time off."

Rarity froze at his words. "But surely not every moment is painful for you. No family can have nothing but painful memories."

The hooves around the teacup clenched up though she failed to notice it. "O-Of course. Don't get the wrong idea, Rarity; I'm not miserable all the time there." Blues said quickly dropping his smile as well. "In spite of the dark times, there are bright ones as well. There were times wherein I felt truly happy being with them."

"That's good to hear." Rarity replied picking up on it. "Your fond memories are far more important than any mishap you've had with them." He raised his cup at that. "Tell me, what's your fondest memory?"

Blues leaned forward, cradling his cup in his hooves and taking a sip. "My fondest memory? Hmm, There are so many of them. Let me think... Ah, why not my first truly fond memory? It happened long long ago before I developed my powers, when I was just a mere colt left blind by a tragic incident..."



Even before the incident, Blues was never afraid of the dark. He had no need of a nightlight or a crack in the doorway to make sure he slept soundly at night. Thinking about it, it was probably because he only had to deal with it at night when he needed to rest. The darkness was all around him 24/7; he could barely remember what light was like even though he had already gotten used to his being sightless.

He could hardly believe his ears when he heard that he would never see again. Several times a day, he would blink or rub his eyes, but sight wouldn't return to him. He couldn't even be left alone lest he bumped into a wall or knocked something over. Usually one of the others would accompany him, but that wasn't the case at the moment.

"H-Hello?" he called out nervously. He kept his right hoof on the wall near him as he slowly trotted down the hall hoping that he wouldn't fall down any stairs. This hall was no different than the last two halls he traversed. He couldn't deny it anymore; he was officially lost.

He thought he knew the way around for sure, but he realized with a sinking feeling that he was wrong. He gulped and pressed his back against the wall. He hugged his rear legs close to him hoping that somepony would pass by and help him out.

A minute passed and then another and another; a full five minutes passed without anypony showing up. Just as he was about to call out again, he suddenly heard a sound, a quick, melodious and rather upbeat sound which became louder and quicker as time went on. Whatever it was, it strangely gave him hope. If he had to guess, it felt like it was calling to him.

He slowly rose to his hooves and followed the music keeping a hoof on the wall at all times. The music grew louder and louder with each step. Affixing it and it alone to his mind, he trotted quicker, stood taller and felt calmer; the darkness surrounding him felt far less intimidating. What's going on? I feel so...so happy...

He came to a halt with his heart racing. The wondrous music was coming from right in front of him with only a mere door standing in his way. Without a second's hesitation, he twisted the knob and pulled it open; the music struck him full-force making him feel like he might tip over. He let out a dreamy sigh and closed his eyes, letting this incredible sensation envelop him like a warm blanket.

"Blues?"

A loud scratching noise pierced the air, and the music was silenced. Surprised and disappointed, he opened his eyes only to find the same darkness staring back at him. A set of clicks, that sounded like hoof steps, approached and stopped.

"Blues? Is something wrong?" a voice said from the darkness. Blues recognized it immediately; it was the alicorn that saved him and the others. "Wait…Did you come here all by yourself?"

"Um…" He shrunk a bit remembering his dilemma not too long ago. "I thought I knew the way around, but I guess I got lost."

He heard Equinox let out a sigh laced with a hint of frustration. "Blues, I know your condition is troubling you, and I know you wish to try living as normally as possible, but you can't do something so reckless. What if you had fallen down a staircase or bumped your head against a doorknob?" he asked sternly. "You could've been seriously hurt."



"You father seems to care about you already." Rarity remarked in the middle of Blues' storytelling.

"Yes well, this was before we began calling him our father." Blues explained. "After the incident that blinded me, the six of us had absolutely nothing left and nopony to turn to but him. As for him well...he saved our lives. I suppose afterwards he felt responsible for our well-being."

The incident again; this was the second time she had heard him mention it. Before she could ask any more, he cleared his throat. "Now then, where was I?"



"I'm sorry." he said guiltily bowing his head."I really thought I knew where I was going...I'm sorry."

Equinox sighed which eased him a bit."I suppose all that matters is that you're unhurt, but next time, have me or one of the others accompany you when you want to go somewhere." The young colt nodded. "It must've been difficult for you walking around in the darkness."

"I...It was a little scary...but then I heard the music, and then it wasn't so scary anymore." Blues admitted feeling a lot better.

"The music? Yes; there's a gramophone here that was playing some a while ago. I like to listen to it when I go over research notes." Equinox mentioned. "You enjoyed listening to it?"

"Uh huh..." He hesitated for a moment. "Um...Can I please stay here and listen to it? I promise I won't bother you."

Equinox paused for a while and then spoke kindly. "Very well; you can stay on my bed while I work."

Blues smiled and felt a hoof on his back. He entered the study with the alicorn's guidance and was directed towards the bed. With a small grunt of effort, he climbed on top of it and turned around showing an eager smile. Equinox smiled as well, and, with a bit of magic, lowered the needle on the gramophone. The joyful music promptly resumed much to Blues' delight.

Over the music, he heard Equinox walking and a chair scraping while he happily stayed sitting on the bed listening. His head bobbed up and down with every beat coming from the gramophone. His shoulders shifted slightly in turn with the music without him controlling it. His while body swayed and shifted with each rise, fall, beat and note.

"You truly enjoy this music, don't you?" Equinox commented after a short while earning a nod in response.

"It's really nice. There aren't any words, but it's a really nice song." the colt said head still bobbing.

He heard a chair scraping and hoof steps once again. "That's a song by a famous musician named Jazz. She is a very talented saxophone player, and has performed for many audiences for several years." Equinox told him.

Blues paused suddenly with a quizzical look on his face. "Saxa...phone?" he asked curiously.

"Saxophone." Equinox corrected. "It's the instrument she's playing. Beautiful, isn't it?" At that moment, the gramophone played its last note and fell silent; Blues slumped over disappointingly, but he immediately perked up when the music started again. "Jazz is a talented musician; I figured you would like to listen to her work completely."

"Th...thank you." Blues said smiling again. He never realized just how happy music could make others feel. He felt excited; if there was a job that did just that, he wanted to be a part of it. "I wanna do that." he announced much to Equinox's surprise. He suddenly got up, white eyes sparkling with excitement. "I wanna be like Jazz and play the saxaphone. I wanna make music and make everpony happy. I wanna...I wanna..."

His excitement instantly evaporated as soon as he remembered the cold darkness surrounding him. Even Jazz's continuing music failed to lift his spirits as his shoulders sagged and his head lowered. His heart, which seconds ago was filled with hopes and dreams, suddenly felt heavy. "But...But I...I can't...I...I'm..."

Blind. Sightless. Broken. When he was first told about his blindness, he was indeed crushed. Never to see again, he merely shrunk and wept silently knowing only that his life would never be the same. Still, he wanted to keep living, to keep his head up and somehow come to terms with what happened to him. Until then he had managed with the help of Equinox and the other colts.

Despite the music still playing, the darkness came back with crushing force. The reality of his condition finally struck him full force. It didn't matter what he wanted in life; his condition wouldn't allow it. Every dream he may have had and probably will have have already been shattered. What was the point of hoping to become something great? Who was he but a damaged pony?

Why didn't I just die?

Blues suddenly felt a hoof rest gently on his shoulder and looked up imagining a face right in front of him. "That's doesn't matter, Blues."

Shock and despair fill him up. "But-But I can't see!" he cried out getting on all fours. "I can't see...I can't...see...I...I..." He suddenly collapsed on the bed and started bawling. Shaking and miserable, he pressed his face hard against the bed muffling his pained sobs.

He suddenly felt two strong hooves hoist him up off the bed. The next thing he knew, something tough warm pressed against his body while the hooves wrapped around him. His anguished cries came back full force this time with nothing to soften it. He screamed and wept and wailed and cried into Equinox's chest while the alicorn stroked his back and whispered gently in his ear.

Blues stayed in his embrace for five whole minutes. When wails had finally diminished into quiet sobs and whimpers, Equinox gently placed him back on his bed. The next thing he knew, a soft cloth pressed against his tear and mucus soaked face and wiped it dry. He took a shaky breath and stood still and silent as Equinox dried his face.

The cloth left his face, and he felt a hoof on his shoulder. "Blues...why do you want to play the saxophone?"

The colt swallowed a lump in his throat. "B-Because...That music made me so happy, and-*sniff*-I wanna make ponies feel like that too..." He rubbed his nose with his hoof. "But...I can't see..."

"Do you need to see to make ponies happy?" Equinox questioned.

"N-No...But I can't play the saxaphone. How...How can I learn, if I can't see?"

He turned his head aside, but a gentle nudge from Equinox made him face forward again. "Your blindness is a hurdle Blues, not a wall; it's something that slows you down not stop you completely. You can't see yes, but that doesn't mean you can't learn."

Blues pursed his lips and bowed. "You don't need sight to fulfill your dream Blues; all you need is are a strong desire and an ironclad will that refuses to surrender, and I see both of those in you. After the incident, you could have given up on life itself, but you didn't. You stood tall and didn't let it stop you from trying to live life to the fullest; why should it stop you from doing what you want to do?"

"I..."

He felt Equinox grip his shoulders. "Do you want to be a musician?"

"I...Yes." Blues said firmly.

"Truly? With all your heart?"

"Y-Yes! I...I want to be a musician. I want to play music and make everypony happy." Blues said with more resolve. "Even though I can't see...I want to do all that."

The alicorn was silent for a while; for some reason, he imagined a smile on his face. "There's only one thing stopping you from achieving that Blues-you. Not you blindness; you." He tapped his chest. "I believe you can be whoever you want to be, but that means nothing if you don't feel the same. As long as you tell yourself it, you can achieve anything."

Blues stayed silent and went deep in thought. The doubts were still there whispering in his parents' voice that he couldn't do it. Things still looked dark, but then he suddenly remembered what he did the last time he felt like that. He focused on the music still playing in the background and the joy it filled him with and realized that those voices had suddenly grown quiet.

"I...I'll try..." He shook his head. "N-No! I'll...I'll do it. I...I will do it." He looked up. "I'll work hard; I promise. I'll make music and make everypony happy."

"But you're blind." Equinox pointed out.

"I know, and it's gonna take a while 'cause of that, but I'll get there one day. That won't stop me, and..." A small smile grew from the corner of his mouth. "And...I won't stop me."

Jazz's song finished once again, but the doubts remained silent. Even without it, Blues felt completely at ease knowing that his dreams were still worth fighting for, and it was thanks to Equinox that he realized that.

"Well said Blues. Well said."



"Imagine my surprise when, about a month later, I received my saxophone. Needless to say I was beyond thrilled. I had spent the last moth just listening to more music, and I finally had the chance to make some of my own. As I expected, learning was difficult since I couldn't read, but through hours and hours of memorizing the tunes produced and experimenting with them a little,I developed my skills. Finally-"

"Sis, I'm here!"

Before Blues could process the new voice, somepony stepped into the kitchen, a much smaller unicorn, a filly according to his senses. "JYou're never gonna believe what happened on the field trip. We-" She abruptly stopped seeing the pony seated across her sister. "Um..."

"S-Sweetie Belle. You're here, but..." Rarity took a swift glace at a wall clock. "3:30...Have we really been talking for so long?"

"It seems that way." Blues said as equally surprised as her. He then noticed that his tea cup felt a little cold to touch. "I suppose we did lose track of time while we were talking."

"Yes. Yes we did." Suddenly remembering the other pony in the room, she trotted to her sister. "Blues, this is my sister Sweetie Belle."

The former nodded and left his set as well to approached the filly with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Sweetie Belle. As your sister has said, I'm Blues."

Sweetie hesitated a bit before nodding at him. This wasn't the first time she had arrived while her sister had a guest be it a customer or...She turned to whisper in her era. "Um...Is he your new boyfriend?"

Rarity immediately pulled away . "Wha-hu-but-what-" She rapidly turned from Sweetie to the wide-eyed Blues and back. "Sw-Sweetie Belle, Blues is just a friend, a client in fact."

"Really? But didn't you use to date some of your clients?"

"Well, that's not the case now!"

"Er...I can hear every word..." Blues added awkwardly.

Rarity turned pink slightly but shook the color off her face. "He is a friend and a customer." she insisted hoping her sister would believe it.

"OK if you say so..." she replied much to the older mare's relief. "Um...Applebloom and Scootaloo are waiting for me back at the clubhouse, so I can't really stay too long. We're gonna try high diving today." she added excitedly.

"H...High diving?" Rarity's right eye twitched.

"Yup." Sweetie smiled cheerily as she nodded at both ponies. "Nice meeting you. Bye Rarity; I'll see ya at dinner time."

Without further ado, she exited the boutique leaving a pair of stunned adults in her wake. Rarity turned around and saw the same stiff, slack-jawed and wide-eyed expression on Blues. "High diving?" he repeated.

"Another attempt at getting her Cutie Mark. She and her friends do this sort of thing all the time." she explained.

"But high diving? I suppose they failed bull taming, lumber jacking and mining. What're they going to try tomorrow? Sword fighting?" a stunned blues asked voice dripping with sarcasm.

"They've already tried that yesterday." His eyes grew wider. "Worry not; nothing too er...disastrous ever occurs."

"I'll take your word for it." Blues replied skeptically. "What time did you say it was?"

"Er...It's 3:35 at the moment."

"Goodness; it's later than I thought." Blues realized. "My family should be preparing to visit Ash this very moment." He turned to his hostess. "I'm sorry Rarity, but I have to leave now."

"Oh, it's quite alright, Blues." she said with a casual wave of her. "I've got everything I need for your suit anyway; you can pick it up two days from now." Blues nodded happily. "Well then, shall I walk you out?"

Blues nodded and fetched his saddlebag before the pair of them left the kitchen. As they trotted together in silence, Blues couldn't help but think kindly of the nice mare beside him. He was just a customer, somepony she barely knew, the brother of one who had given her so much pain, yet she treated him with such kindness and well...generosity.

"Ahem. Rarity I...I can't thank you enough for well...all of this." Blues said gesturing around with his hoof. "Not just the suit thing; I mean for the tea and he talking...It was nice."

Though he couldn't see it, she smiled at him ."I had a delightful time as well, Blues. Please, if you ever need a moment to take your mind off whatever is troubling you, do drop in. I'll put in some tea, and we can chat as long as you'd like."

"Rarity I-" He stopped himself knowing that it was pointless to refuse. "I'll keep that in mind."

By then, they had reached the front door. Rarity pushed it open and gestured outside. "Well then...Until next time, Blues.

"Yes well...Thank you again for today, Rarity." he replied with a nod. "The chat and the tea were very refreshing; I feel like I could play all night if I wanted to."

"That's good to hear." She paused for a moment remembering something. "It's such a shame that you have to leave really. I would love to hear the rest of that if it's not too much trouble."

On the contrary, Blues smiled. "Yes; now where was I...Ah yes. I had started practicing right after receiving my saxophone. Eventually, I deemed myself ready enough for performing..."



I am not ready enough for this...

Blues gulped suddenly wondering if performing in front of an actual audience already was a good idea. He fidgeted and tightly gripped his instrument as five colts and one alicorn sat before him waiting for his performance to start.

"Um...H-Hi everypony." he began while sweating bullets. "I'm um...glad you're all here and...uh..."

"Are you OK Blues?" Ash asked worriedly.

"I-I'm not sure, Ash. I can barely move." Blues replied now trembling visibly. "My-My head's spinning and...can't...breath..."

He grunted and shook his head, tightening his grip on his saxophone. I can do this! I can do this I can do this! With renowned confidence, he rose to his hind legs and raised his saxophone, his lips enclosing on the cold metallic mouthpiece. He inhaled deeply and-

Wh-what was the first note?!

He must've looked ridiculous standing upright, eyes wide and lips trembling, completely frozen on the spot. He could practically feel his audience's confused stared burrowing into him. As they began to mutter among themselves, Blues' heart hammered and mind started to race, trying to recall at least the first note. He had spend hours practicing this and he can't even remember the first-

Do

The muttering stopped when the note was played. Feeling good about this, he moved on.

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun

So far so good. he thought, a smile curling around the mouthpiece.

Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow Sew
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do, oh oh oh

His movements were slowly and steady. By then, he was thoroughly enjoying himself. He readied himself for another round.

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun

He could hear the other singing alongside him under their breaths. Bouncing a bit to the tune of his song, he continued.

Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow Sew
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do, oh oh oh

Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself

La-

La?! That wasn't the next note. He could once again feel everypony's stares on him. This was bad, yet he was right in the middle of the song.

So much was his stress that his hooves moved instinctively playing yet another wrong note right after the first one. Again, he panicked and played another wrong note and another and another until the song was barely recognizable. His legs threatened to give way, but he forced himself to stand tall. Somehow, he was going to salvage whatever was left of the song and play it through. His minds scrambled as he thought of where which note should go.

However, as he payed attention to the random notes he was playing, they appeared to fit well together yet his mind said otherwise. Deciding that it was worth the risk, he stopped thinking and played the first think that came to mind. His slow movements suddenly picked up the pace; the smooth metal glided against his hooves as he played note after note.

He shut his eyes and dived into the rhythm, body swinging and hips jerking to the beat. The saxophone in his grasp swung with him as though he was dancing with it. His heart hammered even more, but not out of dread but excitement. Though his breaths were starting to get short and his body tired, Blues didn't-he couldn't stop.

Step. Swing. Jerk. Spin. Twist. Shake. The glorious music never stopped the whole time. The beat sped up and slowed down then sped up again all without the colt thinking. Suddenly deciding on a momentous finisher, Blues bent down and played notes in increasing volume, slowly rising higher and higher until he reached the highest note. Throwing his head back, played it as long as his lungs would allow it.

As it turned out, it wasn't very long. His lungs eventually gave out several seconds later. Before he could inhale, he lost his balance and suddenly fell back hearing gasps form his audience. His back slammed against the hard floor, but his saxophone stayed with him.

For the next few seconds, Blues just laid there panting and quivering with excitement. Adrenaline continued to pump through his veins even though his song was over. With a small grunt, he pushed himself up with one hoof and stared in the direction of the others. "Um...So...How was it?"

A few seconds passed with no response from them. A few more passed, and there was still reply. His hopes dashed, Blues sighed and felt his saxophone. He had so much fun playing it, but what was the point if others didn't enjoy it as well? He gave it his all, and still he failed to make other feel what he felt. The instrument in his hooves was better off in the hooves of somepony more gifted than he ever was or ever will be-

"Blues...That was the coolest thing I ever heard!"

His head jerked upright in surprise turning in the direction it came from. It definitely sounded like Solstice's voice, but he was too stunned to believe it. "R-Really?"

"Uh huh. That was awesome." Solstice went on excitedly. "I didn't know you were that good."

"You...you mean it, Solstice?" Blues asked in disbelief. "I mean...I don't think..."

"Hey, it was good, Blues." His head turned again; it was Ash this time. "Yeah; I mean, the Do Re Mi part was cool, but the thing you made was even better."

"I think it was awesome, too. Good job Blues." Scar added. Him too?

"Coolest thing I ever heard." Ironhead remarked. "I don't even like music that much, but I still it's pretty awesome."

"But...But..."

"Blues, it was beautiful." Psych told him before he could finish. "I actually almost felt like dancing too."

He could hardly believe his ears. Their praises made his head spin again, but in a good way. They...They liked it! They actually liked it! A wide grin broke out across his face. If it weren't for his exhaustion, he'd would've gotten up and gave them another round.

"It was a wonderful performance, Blues. I do believe you have a future with this." This time, it was Equinox who spoke. "Bravo, Blues."

The next thing he knew, he heard a set of hooves rapidly stomping against the floor. Soon, he heard another set join it then another and another until he heard the applause and cheers of five ponies who loved his performance.

"Well done, Blues! Take a bow!" Equinox called out chuckling as he applauded. Flushing slightly, he realized that he was still lying on the floor. Setting his saxophone aside, he pushed himself up onto his hooves-

A sudden gasp went out. "B-Blues!" Ash cried out. The other five ponies suddenly fell silent. Blues froze, dread once again flooding his senses. Ash continued to sputter rapidly trying desperately to get his words out. "O-On-On your flank! It-It's a Cutie Mark!"

Now that...That was unexpected. It was just too good to be true. Blues immediately turned towards his flank momentarily forgetting that he couldn't see. Once he remembered that unfortunate fact, he rubbed and patted the area with his hoof as if he could physically feel any sort of Cutie Mark. All of a sudden, he heard hurried hoof step; he gasped and back up a little realizing that the others had swarmed around him.

"It is a Cutie Mark." Psych confirmed stunning the beige colt.

"What...What...Really?" Blues stammered still finding all this hard to believe.

"Yeah. It's a saxaphone, but it also looks like a musical note." Ironhead explained before letting out an annoyed whine. "Aww...How come you got yours before I did?"

Blues suddenly felt somepony large stand before him; it could only be Equinox. He looked up at the alicorn imagining another smile adorned on his face. "As I've said, as long as you tell yourself it, you can achieve anything...I'm proud of you, Blues."

Blues' head was still spinning; everypony had loved his performance, and he got a Cutie Mark in the process? This was...This was incredible; this was the best day ever! Another grin, so wide that it almost hurt, broke out. His body trembled again with excitement leading him to do the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed his saxophone, stood up and played them all another round.

And they all cheered.



Blues found himself smiling fondly, staring far off into the distance as he finished his tale. He would never forget everything he felt on the day he discovered what it was that made his special, the anxiety of performing, the panic at his slip up, the excitement of playing with his heart, the dread at the end of the song, the joy from the cheers and getting his Cutie Mark, and the sense of fulfillment from making them all happy.

That time, the seven of them were still strangers bound only by sharing a tragic fate, but to him, that was the first moment he could remember that he felt that sense of togetherness with them. That was the seed that was planted in them that slowly grew into a sense of family. More memories would follow that some, some good and other bad, but through it all, he would forever have that first memory deep in his heart.

"That was a beautiful memory, Blues." Rarity said reminding him that she was present. "I feel privileged that you shared it with me."

Blues turned to her with a smile. "I have many fond memories with my family, but that one will stay with me forever. Though things now are far from perfect, I am confident that we will all be like that again one day."

"Well then, don't let me keep you here any longer." Rarity told him gesturing out the door. "Go; your family's waiting for you are they not? To be honest, I'm still not very fond of Psych and Ash, but I hope they come around one day."

"Thank you Rarity, and see you." With a nod, Blues turned and exited Carousel Boutique with a spring in his step feeling fully refreshed and perked up.

"Oh Blues?" Rarity's call made him stop and turn back. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I would love to hear you play some time."

With a slight chuckle, he smiled. "Maybe one day Rarity, I promise."

"I'll hold you to it." she replied pleased with his response. "See you again, Blues."

With another nod, he left once again. Rarity shut her door and retreated back into her home making a mental checklist for herself. She would have to clean up the kitchen followed by dealing with Blues' suit. It was fully within her capabilities to fit it perfectly, but she felt she could do more-

Another set of knocks stopped her in her tracks. Puzzled, she opened her front door revealing her latest customer grinning sheepishly. "Blues?"

"Er…Rarity…Which way is the Everfree Forest again?"



Edited by:

Lynx Traveller
UltimateWarriorFan4Ever
xfallenangel13x

> Brother To Brother
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAPTER 52
BROTHER TO BROTHER


With an encouraging grin and nod from Fluttershy, Ash dipped his hoof into the sack she held and scooped out a hoofful of birdseed. He turned to the red and blue woodpecker perched at his bedside table and extended his hoof towards it. Seeing the offering, the woodpecker hopped closer to Ash and cocked its head sideways and flew towards him. It flew right past his outstretched hood and went for the top of his head, where it unleashed a barrage of rapid pecks.

"OW! OW! GAH!" Ash swung his hooves over his head, but the bird evaded each blow and pecking him between strikes. Nevertheless, Ash continued to flail around, scattering birdseed everywhere.

"M-Mr. Woodpecker!" Fluttershy exclaimed in shock. Hearing her, the bird ceased it attack and flew over Ash's head while he rubbed his aching scalp. The woodpecker let out a series of chirps of tweets that Ash could've sworn sounded like laughter before flying out the open door.

"I'm really sorry about him. He's really the mischievous type, but he's never done anything like this before." she explained guiltily. "Are you alright?"

Though his head still throbbed, Ash nodded. "I should've expected that. All the animals here hate me even though I try being nice to them..." he said hissing a bit at the pain.

Fluttershy pouted as he sighed and laid back on her bed. "OK um...I know your first attempt at actual kindness didn't really go so well..." He furrowed his brow at her. "OK it was a failure, but you can't lose hope."

Despite her words, Ash let out a defeated sigh. What was the point to all of this? Fluttershy said that there was actual kindness in him and trying to express it earned him a hurt brother and a sore head. Just where was the goodness that she kept saying laid deep within him? He clearly couldn't see it.

"Maybe it was a bad idea to try it with an animal first." Fluttershy wondered out loud. "Why don't I show you that you can be kind to other ponies instead?"

"I've shouted at, neglected and hurt everypony I know. I might just do it again." he replied dejectedly.

"We won't really know if don't try right?" she said trying to sound optimistic, yet he looked as miserable as ever. "Why don't we go outside? I think you'll feel better after some fresh air."

The mention of going outdoors perked his ears. "I...I'd like that."

Not too long after that, the two of them were halfway down the stairs leading to the floor below. As always, he stood at her right, his left foreleg draped across her shoulder, grunting slightly with every step while Fluttershy supported and encouraged him. Movement still brought pain to his muscles, but now it was significantly less than when he had first arrived.

Every step or two, Ash would bounce to his side resulting in his cheek pressing against Fluttershy's for a second of two. Although brief, the contact was enough to redden his face and make his stomach drop. Meanwhile, a pink-cheeked Fluttershy had to suppress a whimper; from being with him when he peed to rubbing ointment all over his body and pressing her cheek against his, the series of awkward moments didn't seem to have an end.

"You know Ash, maybe we should see if you can walk on your own." she suggested earning a look from him. "I mean, you're appetite's all better, and you've been gaining weight...not that you're getting fat or anything..." she added quickly. By then, the pair had reached the bottom step. "Well...do you want to give it a try?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Ash raised a hoof and pressed it against the floor. "I think I can handle it, but can we try it outside?"

"Of course; my backyard would be perfect place to try." With a nod from Ash, Fluttershy helped his across the room and reached the front door. Opening it, they were greeted by the sight of a clear sky just like the previous day. Stepping outside, Ash took a deep breath letting the fresh air sooth his body and calm his mind.

Leaving the doorway, they went around the cottage, and Ash got his first glimpse of her backyard. The whole area was surrounded by a wooden fence with heart-shaped fixtures. Aside from the bushes and the single tree, there was a table with two pillows on one side. At the other side, at the end of a pathway of stone slabs stood a chicken coop surrounded by wire. He distinctively hear clucking from within the coop; Ash hoped his presence wouldn't aggravate the chickens into attacking.

The pair stopped on one of the stones that led to the chicken coop. "Now then, shall we get started?" Fluttershy asked turning to him. "Let's see first if you can stand on your own."

She removed Ash's leg from her shoulder and slowly stepped aside ready to catch Ash should he ever show signs of loosing his balance. However, much to their relief, he had no difficulties in staying upright. His legs wobbled slightly, but otherwise, he was fine. Relieved that he didn't collapse on the spot, Ash turned to his caretaker and nodded.

"Good; you're holding up well." she remarked. "Now then, let's take it slow OK? Just baby steps first. Try to make it to that table over there."

Ash nodded and braced himself as he took a small step forward immediately feeling his muscles ache from lack of use. He let out a small gasp instantly alerting Fluttershy who quickly bounded towards him; he let out a small "Oof!" as she caught him when he fell to his side.

"No..." With a grunt, Ash pulled away.

"But-"

"No." he repeated with a bit more force. "I...I can handle it..."

To prove it, he put another hoof forward biting his bottom lip to stop a gasp from coming out. However, he fell aside once again and was caught by Fluttershy. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe we should've waited until-"

"I...No..." Ash insisted. "I can handle this..."

"You really want to walk again don't you?"

Ash put on a sour face and turned away. He raised a hoof and felt his left cheek, the one which was previously in constant contact with hers. "I...I just want to start walking on my own from now on."

Fluttershy blinked twice still feeling a bit unsure. "Um...OK then, but please take it easy. I don't want to you hurt yourself again."

With a low growl, Ash pulled away from her and stared before him. Steeling himself once again, he stepped forward. His pain once against shot across his muscles like lightning, but he kept himself upright. With a deep breath, he put another hoof forward again trying hard to ignore aches and pains his muscles were experiencing. He forced himself to take another step and then another. Fluttershy's eyes widened as he took a couple more steps and quickly bounded in front of him.

"That's it Ash. Just take it easy." she encouraged the struggling pegasus. "No need to hurry. Just take as long as you want." She briefly looked over her shoulder. "Look, you're almost there, and there's a nice, fluffy pillow waiting for you when you're done." Ash let out a particularly loud grunt as he took a step.

Right front leg. Right hind leg. Left front leg. Left hind leg. It wasn't that complicated a process. With narrowed eyes, he affixed his gaze towards the large pillow lying on the ground mere few away from him. Almost there... he told himself mentally. Five feet away. You can...rest when you get there...Four feet.

He thought he was imagining it, but he could've sworn the pain was fading, slowly, but it was definitely lessening with each step. Three feet remained then two. One.

"Ah!" Finally at his destination, Ash grabbed the table and sat himself down on the pillow beneath him. He had done it; his heart was racing, his brow was damp, and his legs were shaking, but he had made it. Panting, he looked over his shoulder towards where he started, his jaw dropping a bit upon seeing just how far he had walked.

"You did it Ash!" Fluttershy's excited squeal turned his gaze away. He saw her bound towards him with the biggest grin he'd ever seen on her. "You can walk again; isn't that great?"

"I...I guess..." he replied embarrassed by the attention she was giving him. "Can I rest a bit before I try again?'

Her gaze softened at his request. "Of course; you just take your time Ash."

Closing his eyes, Ash took a moment to catch his breath. His recent accomplishment was still fresh in his mind; he had been injured and starving to the point where he could barely move, but here he was having just walked further than he could've possibly imagined. He could feel his heart racing, but not out of exhaustion;when was the last time he had felt this way, this sense of accomplishment?

"I really did it." he commented opening his eyes. "I never thought I could..."

Fluttershy's gaze shifted to one that showed concern. "You really should believe in yourself more Ash; you can really do more than you say you can." Her comment made him turn away. "I...I know you want to change, and I'm doing my best to help you, but nothing's going to get better if you don't even believe you can."

Ash blinked and turned back to her. He always thought himself pathetic, but would somepony like that have accomplished what he just did? He thought he'd never change, but there was no way he was that same weak pony who she found lying in a pathetic heap. He was...he felt different. He wasn't there yet, but he did feel closer.

"I'll try." He shook his head. "No I...I'll do it. I'm not that same weak pony you found in the forest days ago."

With another grunt, he rose to his hooves and looked around. "I'll see if I can make it to that chicken coop over there."

Fluttershy nodded and rose as well; she trotted to his side nodding in encouragement. "Alright. Remember to take it easy."

"It doesn't hurt much anymore." To prove it, he took a step forward.

"OK, but still..."

Sighing and rolling his eyes, Ash took another step forward. To his relief, the pain only came in small amounts just like last time. Slowly, he made his way to the chicken coop with much less difficulty than his first walking attempt. "See? Doesn't hurt." he said still moving forward.

Fluttershy sat down on Ash's pillow as she watched him near the chicken coop. "You're doing really well Ash. You're gaining weight, and now you can walk again; I think...after a few more days, you'll be well enough to go home."

The mention of home, of leaving the small cottage, of leaving her almost made him freeze in place. This was suppose to be a good thing; no longer would he have to be tended to and watched over like a child. Gone would be the days that he would spend lying in her soft, warm bed listening to her telling him that he had goodness in his heart.

He was going to miss her, his...friend...

Ba-dump!

A powerful beat suddenly resonated from within Ash's chest and quickly spread across his body. Immediately, he felt like he had just suddenly gained several pounds. He only had time to gasp and clutch his chest and his legs gave in; he suddenly collapsed on the spot, his chin bashing against the edge of the stone slab be had fallen on.

As he fell, Fluttershy rose. Her mouth opened ready to cry out, but-

"ASH!"

The voice wasn't her own. Out of the corner of her eye, a maroon shape raced across the yard towards the fallen pony, but what was more startling than Ash's sudden collapse was the look on his face. Utter panic, complete shock and sheer terror, Fluttershy had never seen either of these on him before. It was enough to root her in place, as he skidded to a halt.

"Ash! ASH!" a terrified Psych cried out shaking him.

"Ugh...Gah..." Ash's eyes were tightly closed, his teeth grit.

"Sweet Celestia, you're alright." Psych said relieve yet still agitated. "What happened; are you in pain?"

"N...no pain...I just...feel weak." Every few seconds, one of his legs would lift only to tremble in place for a few seconds before falling back down. "C-Can't...move..."

"I gotcha." Psych draped a grey leg over his shoulder and hoisted him up. Ash groaned and tried pushing himself to his hooves, but he had no strength left. "Y-You can't stand?" He shook his head several times. "Kindness!"

His shout snapped Fluttershy out of her daze. "R-Right! Hang on." She hurried over to the brothers and draped Ash's other leg over her shoulder. Together, she and Psych hoisted Ash up and dragged his away, his hind legs tailing uselessly behind them. "Psych, here." The earth pony followed her towards table towards the side of the yard. Trying their best to ignore Ash's groaning due to being dragged, they deposited him on top of a pillow.

"What happened? Are you OK? You're certain you're not injured?" Psych scampered around Ash's body checking for any cuts or bruises.

"I don't know..." With a jolt, Ash realized that he could move his legs again. Grunting, he flipped himself onto his back. "I-I don't know what happened. I was walking fine, and then I...I suddenly felt weak. I don't know why."

After going over his body one last time, Psych trotted off in the direction of the chicken coop. "Maybe you were just tired from all that walking." Fluttershy suggested.

"No...It was-it was too sudden for that." Ash replied shaking his head. A hoof found its way to his chest. "I was a bit tired, but all my strength literally vanished in a second."

"Maybe you just tripped." Psych called poking at the stone slab Ash had fallen on. "Unlike the others, this particular slab's dislodged from the ground." True enough, he dug his hoof under it and lifted it a bit.

"A-Ash said that's not the case." Fluttershy said rather quickly. Psych noticed her wings flare out a tiny bit; mentioning the slab had agitated her for some reason, and while he was curious to why, he had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Well whatever it was, all that matters is that Ash's fine. You are feeling better aren't you Ash?" Psych asked walking back to the pair.

"Y-Yeah I am." Ash replied turning away from his brother.

"Good. Glad to see you're doing well..." Psych replied unable to keep the awkwardness out of his voice.

To the side, and uncomfortable Fluttershy looked from brother to brother; she could only guess to what either of them was thinking. The last time the two of them had spoken didn't exactly end on a good note, and she knew they had some things to say to each other. They were due for a long talk about how they truly felt.

"I'll um...I have some animals that need feeding so..." she said backing up. "I'll just um...leave you two alone for a while..."

With that, she scampered away from the silence between the two brothers. Ash still couldn't bring himself to look at Psych and instead focused on a particularly long blade of grass on the ground. After what should he say; what could he say after telling him such hurtful things? A simple "sorry" didn't feel enough to undo the damage he caused.

"Ash, listen I-"

"Psych, listen I-"

Both colts stopped realizing they had spoken at the same time. After a few moments of hesitation, Psych cleared his throat. "Hey Ash, can...can we uh...talk?"

He had known something like this was coming. Ash pursed his lips together and nodded slowly; as Psych trotted to the pillow on the other side of the table, Ash sat up on his. Psych sat down and placed his forelegs of the table, one of his rear legs shaking slightly. Again, he hesitated at first, trying to find the right words to say. Nothing like this had ever happened before; where should he start?

"I know I upset you...And I'm sorry for that Ash." Psych apologized. "I-"

"You're the sorry one?" Ash said in disbelief. "I said those horrible things, and I know this isn't the first time I hurt you like that." He paused for a moment taking a gulp. "I-I was so mad, I wanted to hurt you so much, and I almost did...I...I...I'm sorry Psych..."

For the first time, they fully looked at each other seeing their own misery reflected back at them. Ash broke contact first, but Psych continued to gaze at the brother he loved so much. "I still upset you, and I'm sorry for that." He bit his lip deep in thought. "I uh...I think I owe you an explanation."

Interested, Ash turned back to him wondering just what he could say that would justify everything. Psych cleared his throat and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Ash...You accept me don't you?"

Ash gazed back at him confused. "What kind of question is that? Of course I accept you; you're the manifestation of pain and suffering, everything I deserve...everything I...I should have..."

Psych nodded; this wasn't the first time he had heard such a thing from him. "I understand that; I know deep down that you will never value me like I do to you." He had to pause for a moment to swallow a lump in his throat. Even now, that fact was still as painful as ever. "Nevertheless, you accepted me when everypony else didn't. You alone see me as a part of this world, a truth that can never be denied. You understand that Grief is necessary to living, not something that should just be pushed off to the side just 'cause it's inconvenient."

"I try to remind everypony that I'm not something that should be pushed aside, that they need a little sorrow in their lives, that there's a price to pay for choosing to be happy all the time and rejecting me. You Ash don't need that lesson; you've already accepted that you need suffering in your life. That's why I...I don't want to hurt you."

Hoping he would understand, Psych gave Ash a moment to take it all in, but all he got was his brother's confused stare. "I thought you couldn't make decisions like that." he said earning a surprised look from the pony across him. "You love to go one and on about how you have no choice but to make others suffer, yet you chose to leave me alone."

"That-" Psych grunted as if he were physically hurt. The mention of choice made him clench his teeth. "You grieve do you not? I live within the sorrow you go through everyday; I don't spare you or anything like that. I am Grief itself; any pain you undergo's already my doing."

Ash frowned still unfinished with his issues with Psych. "On the gratefulness thing, what've I to be grateful for?" Psych found it difficult to keep the venom out his voice; the last thing he wanted to do was end up shouting at his brother. "They can say they love me all they want, but they're naught but empty words." He took a deep, calming breath before he could go on. "You may not notice it, but I can see it perfectly; they don't love me as much as they say they do."

"What in Celestia's name makes you say that?" Ash questioned trying not to get too upset.

Psych's brow furrowed still struggling to keep his temper in check. "Actions may speak louder than words Ash, but subconscious actions practically scream the truth. You're incapable of seeing it, the fear and hate they show when I'm around. They were like this even back then, and they haven't changed since."

"And you still think they'll come to accept you one day despite all you've done to them?"

"I don't."

Ash blinked twice wondering if he heard that right. Noticing his surprised look, Psych sighed and shifted a little, whatever trace of rage vanishing. "I have dreams Ash; there are things I want out of life, and acceptance isn't one of them. I've spent years trying to obtain it and countless nights lying in bed wondering when I'll finally have it. Yet with each passing day, it feels like it's slowly slipping out of my grasp."

A slight breeze blew as silence ensued between the two of them. Ash could only stare dumb-struck, his jaw hanging slightly. His brother had been one overflowing with hate and bitterness at the world. He had always thought that love and acceptance would finally bring him peace, but if Psych didn't want any of that, then what else? Just what would satisfy him?

"Then what do you want? What do you dream of Psych?"

The earth pony closed his eyes tightly for a moment before looking gazing at his brother. His hollow, gaunt face, which usually wore the twisted smile of the maniac he was, appeared to have aged several years. Ash had seen pain in his eyes before, but the agony displayed right now left him speechless.

"What I desire...more than anything else...I..." He grit his teeth and looked away. "I can't tell you; I'm sorry Ash."

Just like that, he threw up a wall between them, the first Ash had ever seen. Psych had always been open to him about his deepest thoughts and feelings, so what was with the sudden secrecy? What dream could be so bad he'd never wanted to tell his own brother? This...all this wasn't the Psych he had known; had his "kindness" changed him somehow?

"I admit hearing such a thing from me's pretty surprising." Psych said sounding much more at ease. "Despite all my suffering, it feels great having a goal to work for; certainly makes things easier." Ash remained silent. "How about you Ash? Is there anything you desire outta life?"

What I want? My dream?...This was something he had never even thought of before. Suppose he did finally find peace within himself, then what? "I...I don't know Psych...I never really thought about it...I mean, do I really deserve one?"

"Of course you do Ash; you gotta hold onto something while the world despises you."

"But-"

Ash was interrupted by an annoyed sigh from his brother. "You wanna know what your problem is Ash? You don't accept yourself. I've accepted you, and you've accepted me, but you can't accept who you are."

"But how can I? I'm Cruelty itself!" Ash cried out in a panic. "Everpony hates me for a reason; why should I be different?"

"Because it'll give you peace of mind; you deserve at least that...Ash, you look in a mirror and loath what you see. Y'know what I see when I look in a mirror? A broken pony oozing with flaws. Yet these are my imperfections; they make up who I am. Who would I be without them? To deny them's like denying myself, exactly what everypony else is doing to me."

"So I embrace them. I hold my head up, and say 'This...is me. It's not pretty or pleasant at all, but me nonetheless.'" He closed his eyes tightly and paused for a moment. "Ash, I know you hate your current situation, but if you can't accept who you are, then nothing'll ever change. Hell, do you even want change?"

Ash flinched a bit folding his forelegs close to himself. "I don't even think I can change."

"See, it's that kind of thinking that keeping you in place. You're throwing your whole life away." Psych replied sternly. Ash shifted uncomfortably; hadn't Fluttershy said something similar not too long ago? "You need to get that thought outta your head; you can't possibly continue living like this Ash. Please, if not for me then for yourself; I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, but you'll be able to find peace. It's for your own good." Psych pleaded.

They returned again, the painful thoughts that bounced around his head. I'm evil. I'm vile. I'm horrible...I'm cruel. That's...what I am. Ash groaned in pain and used a hoof to cover his face. "I...It's harder than you think OK? What we are...It's nothing to be proud of at all. How you're able to accept it is a mystery to me."

"Ash..."

"The world rejects us for a reason. We're the worst things it has to offer; how do you expect me to accept something like that?"

Before he could continue, he suddenly found himself in Psych's warm embrace. Two strong hooves pulled him close to his brother who rested his head on his shoulder. Ash grit his teeth and stood still, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. "There is one pony who one pony who sees value in you. It's there Ash; you just have trouble seeing it. I hope that one day, you value yourself the way I do."

As Psych squeezed him, he could feel it, the warm love and care that could only come from somepony who loved you with all their heart. A single tear finally leak out of his eye and dripped onto Psych's maroon coat. "I still don't know if I can, but I'll try...I promise...I want the pain to stop too..."

Psych said nothing as he held his brother close. He had told Ash all he could say, but he wished he could do more to help him find the peace he so desperately needed, but for now, all he could do was hold him tight and remind him that despite everything, he had a brother who would always believe in him.

"You OK?"

"I..." Ash spoke after a while. "I'm still a bit mad at you."

Psych sighed and pulled away; Ash did indeed sound upset when he shouted all those things at him. While his explanation was honest and heart-felt, he knew it wasn't enough to fully satisfy him. "Very well then; what can I do?"

Fluttershy's words echoed in his mind. You have a connection with him that nopony else has. He could reach him, help him change who he was for the better...this was kindness, the true and pure one she had spoken off. The doubts suddenly came back reminding him of what he was and all he could do, but for once, he told them to shut up.

"Just...Just try to be more grateful to..to them." Ash finally said. As he expected, Psych furrowed his brow slightly. "I know what you said, And I know that they hurt you, but our...our dad and brothers did so much for us; they deserve at least a bit of gratitude don't you think?" Psych added a pout to his face. "Please Psych...For me?"

His expression changed at those words shifting to a much more neutral one. Psych looked away deep in thought while Ash pursed his lips awaiting his answer. He could imagine the battle raging in his head, his love for his brother against his hatred for those who rejected them; which side would triumph in the end?

Finally, Psych turned back to him, reached up and planted a small kiss on his forehead.

"I'm in pain too Ash...But for you, I promise...I'll try."



Edited by:

AquaJet25

Lynx Traveller

UltimateWarriorFan4Ever

xfallenangel13x
> Notice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To my readers,

I have been writing fanfiction for the past 5 years. There were many ups and just as many downs, but I stayed firm and kept writing knowing that I had found something I am finally good at. But now, there is something I must confess.

Writing has become an addiction to me; every time life would get me down and made me feel like useless heap of crap who's incapable of doing anything right, I would write and write and take in your reviews and comments. The negative feedback and lack of popularity destroys me, but the positive ones make all my worries vanish in a second much like a drug. I have little friends outside of writing because I'd rather write and forget my problems than socialize. This world of fantasy had grown into an unhealthy obsession for me to the point where I prefer it over reality.

The reality is that I have serious self-esteem issues and use writing to block it out. Ash, a character in my story, is the embodiment of those issues (now he sounds like some crappy self-insert). Like him, I think poorly of myself and even believe I can't change for the better anymore. The only difference is that I have writing to take my problems away.

As much as writing had helped me, it has contributed to my self-esteem issues and made them even worse. I hate to say this, but I must retire from writing for a while. I've had a good run, 5 years in fact, and I think it's time for a break.

I will now spend my time trying to fix myself and put my life back on track. I'm not sure how long this would take, but it's for my own good. I know moderation seems like a better solution, but writing had just destroyed me too much.

I'm sorry for doing this to those who love my works, but I'm more sorry that I used your reviews and kind words to blot out my real problems. I'm sorry for not learning from your feedback and for allowing a simple hobby to turn into an obsession.

I have decided to take a break at this chapter because it shows what I must do, believe in myself more. I am an imperfect person, and it's time I accepted that instead of running away from it.

I am not giving up on this story, but I won't blame you if you do. After all, I have no idea when I'll be able to continue it or even re-write it. I'll be gone, but I promise that when I return, I'll be a better person.

I'm sorry again for all this. Wish me luck.

Thank you all for everything.