Ace raised his shield to block a swing from Dark Mist's shadow claw! "That all you've got bro?" Ace spat as he used his shield to push Dark Mist back! "C'mon Ice! Change things up a bit!" Ace cut down one of the nightmare minions that foolishly tried to rush him! "The other guys have taken care of your playmates. It's just down to you and me."
"It'll be just me soon!" Dark Mist shot back as he batted away Ace's shield! "And stop calling me by my old name!" Dark Mist rushed Ace, and punched him in the gut before slashing with his shadow claw! Ace was knocked back and dropped his sword! Dark Mist stood over the fallen Arctic Ace, and slowly raised his claw. But when he was poised to strike, he couldn't. Dark Mist's arm trembled as he looked at the stunned Arctic Ace on the ground before him. He then plunged his shadow claw into the ground just inches away from Ace's head! "You're lucky that bash to the head from your shield still has my eyes messed up..." Dark Mist opened a portal back to the Nightmare Forces' lair.
The other Elements of Heroism rushed to Ace's side and helped him up and retrieve his Duelist Arms. "You were pretty lucky back there Ace." Steel noted. "A few inches closer, and you'd have lost your head in more ways than one."
Ace shook his head. "It wasn't luck. I could tell." Ace slowly got up with the help of Steel and Burst. "He didn't miss me by accident. Light still leaks from his wounds whenever I manage to cut him. I could faintly see him trembling when he was ready to strike. Somewhere inside, I know that Ice is in there. Part of him knows what he's doing is wrong. I thought that I might be able to get through to him. But honestly?" Ace sighed in defeat. "Each time I try I get pushed back before any real progress can be made. I'm starting to lose hope..."
"Ace. Things might seem bleak for Ice's situation." Burst began. "But when the world gets dark, that's when hope shines the brightest. You've only failed Ice if you decide to give up on him. I know that there's a worst case scenario that none of us wants to see. So use that desperation to avoid it as a drive to never let it happen."
Ace gave his friends a small smile. "Thanks Burst. I needed that." The Elements of Heroism decided to return home and recover from their battle. Each time I pick up my weapons I keep hoping that Ice is gonna wake up and lower his. Why does he put so much blame on himself? Life's full of unexpected events. Ace let out a sigh. Then again, Ice's current alignment was a bit of a surprise too...
Back at the Nightmare Forces' lair, Dark Mist punched a nearby wall! "AGH!" Dark Mist screamed! "All this new power I have...the fear I now have dominion over...why do I still feel so much guilt whenever I see Ace's face?!" Dark Mist stared at the ground in shame. "After all this time...how can I still be so spineless?"
"Troubles on your mind Dark Mist?" Night Terror asked as he slithered out of the nearby shadows. "You've been looking far less motivated than usual. Though with your abysmal amount of victories, I shouldn't be surprised. You especially seem to be shaken whenever you cross paths with the Element of Wisdom."
Dark Mist froze in fear. "I-It's nothing Lord Night Terror!" Dark Mist stammered. "He-he's nothing to me! Just the only one of the Elements of Heroism that's wronged me the most!
"Oh?" Night Terror asked with a bemused look. "And just how have you been wronged by him?" Night Terror then gripped Dark Mist by the head and his hands glowed with the poison purple aura of his magic. "Let's find out shall we?" By diving into Dark Mist's memories, Night Terror found the former Dark Ice's source of shame and guilt. The memory that had haunted him to this day, and the one that had pushed him to the Nightmare Forces. Night Terror then released Dark Mist and smiled. "Ah. Now I see the source of your conflict. And the origin of the fear chaining your heart." He then put a hand on Dark Mist's shoulder. "Worry not Dark Ice. I shall explain to your brother why you have joined us. And I shall also free you from your shackles. Bring him to the edge of the Everfree Forest today. Use force if you need to, but bring him alive and intact."
Dark Mist was confused at hearing this. "Th-thank you my lord!" Dark Mist bowed. "I'll bring him immediately!" However, one thing puzzled Dark Mist. "But, My Lord? Why did you call me by my original name?"
"Simple. It's because that's the name that bears so much of the regret you carry." Night Terror answered. "And it is his shackles that need to be broken. That, and it's what the Element of Wisdom keeps calling you."
Dark Ice hesitantly nodded. "Understood...my lord." Dark Ice opened a portal to Unityville. "I'll be sure to follow your orders to the letter." Dark Ice stepped through the portal to Unityville. Unaware of the sinister turn that Night Terror's smile took upon his departure. The portal transported him right to Ace's front door. Understandably, everyone in town instantly bolted indoors. Dark Ice put on his best smile, and knocked on the door. A shocked Ace answered the door. "Hey bro." Ace was silent for a moment before slamming the door in Dark Ice's face. He returned a few seconds later with his Duelist Arms in tow! His sword drawn! "Whoa whoa whoa!" Dark Ice panicked! "I'm not here to fight you Ace!"
"Oh really?" Ace asked as he narrowed his eyes. "The times you've tried to kill me and my friends would beg to differ! This is all too good to be true! Just two or three of your instances of fighting us and NOW you decide to see the error of your ways?! I'm not buying it! It's way too unrealistic!"
Dark Ice sighed. "Look. I mean it Ace. I'm not here for a fight. I just want to explain to you why I've done the things I did. My boss, Lord Night Terror himself, will explain it to you. Please Ace. I just want you to understand. You don't have to like it, or even accept my choice. But if nothing else, please try to understand me."
"...You're serious aren't you?" Ace asked with a dubious expression. Dark Ice nodded, and Ace let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Take me to meet your big bad boss. Might as well see the face of the creep who's been sicking you on us. But there's no way in tartarus I'm going in unprotected." Ace holstered his weapons and headed out the door. Ace and Ice headed for the edge of the Everfree Forest. Before the two of them, a portal opened.
Night Terror stepped through the portal. He was clad in pitch black armor save for his head. His long, black hair seemed to blend in with his skin and armor. A black cape seemed to give him the appearance of being cloaked in the very darkness he emerged from. "Ah. Good of you to come Element of Wisdom."
"I've got a name you know." Ace said sternly. "But that's not the point of why we're here. Ice said you wanted to explain why he joined you. So spill it. Otherwise you're just wasting time."
Night Terror scoffed. "I see you're not one to waste time. Fine then. The reason that Dark Ice choose to join us..." Night Terror pointed at Ace. "Is you." Ace froze at the revelation. "You thought it was only his regret for failing to get you away from the storm. True. He places all the blame on himself for his failure. But you forget. You and your youngest brother are the very reason WHY he failed in the first place. Since then, the guilt and regret have shackled his heart with fear."
"Ice..." Ace said as he looked at his brother. "I know you blame yourself for not saving us. But we all made it out okay! None of what happened is your fault! You still tried to save me and Shadow! "
Night Terror smiled. "Worry not Arctic Ace. For the very reason I have called for this meeting is to unchain Ice's heart from all the guilt and regret that weigh him down." Night Terror then turned his gaze to Dark Ice. "Rejoice Dark Ice! For soon, you shall be freed!" Night Terror's smile turned vicious as he fired a blast of magic at Ace! Knocking him to the ground! Ace groaned in pain from the blast!
"Lord Night Terror...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Dark Ice shouted as he stared at Ace's fallen form! "Why did you attack my brother?!"
Night Terror chuckled. "I thought it was obvious Dark Ice. I am freeing you of your shackles. By eliminating the source of your regret and guilt, it shall no longer trouble you." Night Terror summoned a sword, and raised it to pierce Ace's heart! "Now...PREPARE TO BE RELEASED FROM YOUR BONDS!"
Dark Ice's eyes went wide with horror as Night Terror prepared to strike down Ace! And at that moment, when fear once again gripped his heart, something spurred Dark Ice into action! "NOOOOO!" Dark Ice summoned his shadow claw, and blocked Night Terror's blade!
"FOOL!" Night Terror screamed as he continued to press his sword forward! "Why do you seek to halt your freedom?! Why cling to the source of all your guilt?!"
"This isn't what I wanted..." Dark Ice growled as he stared right into Night Terror's acid-green eyes! "I never wanted...TO LOSE MY FAMILY!" Dark Ice barely managed to force Night Terror back. "All I wanted was to be able to face my brothers without hating my own guts!"
Night Terror was furious at hearing this. "Treachery." He growled as he channeled his magic! Firing a blast at Dark Ice! The spell Night Terror cast placed a seal on Dark Ice's chest and back. "Heed my words well Dark Ice. You are now marked for death. There will be nowhere you can hide from my wrath. My forces shall not rest until your betrayal's price has been paid with your blood. Yours, and all those that dare to oppose or betray me!" Night Terror retreated back through a portal to his lair.
"ACE!" Dark Ice ran to his brother's side. "C'mon Ace! Get up!" Dark Ice managed to help Ace up. "Oh Celestia...I'm sorry Ace! I'm so sorry! I didn't want this! I never wanted this!"
Ace managed a strained smile. "Hey...it's cool bro..." Ace then clutched his stomach. "You didn't know...this was gonna happen. Ngh!" Ace winced in pain. "Your boss certainly isn't gonna make this an easy fight..." Ace then looked Ice in the eye. "Hey...you've got a literal target on you now. If you crash here with us, you stand a better chance of not getting picked off by one of Night Terror's goons." Ace reflected on his and the Element of Heroism's past battles with the Nightmare Warriors. "And those guys don't mess around when it comes to fighting."
"Nice as that sounds, that also paints a big bull's-eye on you and your friends." Dark Ice countered. "Not to mention Night Terror also has it out for the Elements of Harmony too. Me staying here only puts you in worse danger. And I won't be the one to put you in danger again. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go." Dark Ice opened a portal. One that led to a place he hadn't been in a long time. "I need to find myself." Dark Ice left Ace to be tended by the other Elements of Heroism. Meanwhile, Dark Ice had arrived in Cloudsdale. Right on the doorstep of his old home. It had been rebuilt since the storm had hit all those years ago. Though the house now stood intact, the memories of its demolished state were all that Ice could see. Dark Ice felt his arm freeze as he tried to knock on the door. All the weight of regret and guilt in his heart finally came crashing down on him. Mustering all his will, Ice managed to knock on the door. "Mom? Dad? Shadow? I-It's me...Ice." Dark Ice rested his head against the door. "I-I know it's been so long since I ran away. Leaving you behind was stupid. Celestia only knows how much I scared you..." Tears began to fall down Ice's face. "I-I'm sorry! I screwed up! I screwed up bad!" Ice heard the door slowly happen. He saw his parents and Shadow looking at him. Before he knew it, Ice was wrapped in an embrace by them. "W-Why?"
"Because you came back bro." Shadow answered. "That's all any of us ever wanted. Oh! I better call Ace!" Shadow ran off to call his brother. And in the meantime, Ice sat down with his parents. Upon Shadow rejoining them, Ice told them of his journey since he ran away from home all those years ago. The most difficult events for him to recount were his joining and subsequent defect from the Nightmare Forces. "Geez Ice! You've been through the gauntlet!"
Dark Ice nodded. "Yeah. That's why I can't stay here." He gestured to the seal on him. "This thing makes me a moving target. Anywhere I go, the Nightmare Forces are gonna hunt me. And they won't stop until I'm either captured or dead. The longer I stay put, the greater a chance more people are gonna get dragged down with me." Dark Mist grabbed a light grey cloak from a nearby closet. "I'm sorry I can't stay." He then looked at Shadow's teary eyes. "But...it was nice to come home again." Ice had barely gone out the door when he was knocked to the cloud! "AGH!"
Three dark figures landed before Ice, and smirked down at his fallen form. They looked like Shadowbolts. But what separated them from the ones that had appeared during Nightmare Moon's return was the silver that replaced the purple portion of their flight suits. "Did you really think there'd be no immediate action, traitor?" The Shadowbolt Elites said in unison as they began to kick Ice while he was down! "There's no escape Ice! None except for death!" The torment continued until it was abruptly cut short as the sound of a blade cutting through the air was heard!
Dark Ice slowly got up, and saw Ace with his Duelsit Arms at the ready. "Ace..." Dark Ice shook his head. "Stay out of this! This is my own mess! I won't let you get dragged into this too!" Dark Ice and Arctic Ace noticed the Shadowbolt Elites fusing into a single new form.
"Now you'll feel the wrath of Rage Tempest!" Rage Tempest bellowed as he fired a bolt of dark lightning at the brothers! Both Ace and Ice rolled out of the way and took to the air! But that didn't stop Rage Tempest from giving pursuit! Instantly swatting both of them back down to the clouds below! "Fools! I am the supreme aerial combatant for the Nightmare Forces! I am unrivalled in the sky!"
"Ace, get out of here!" Dark Ice pleaded. "I can handle this myself! Just...gotta...get him where I want him." Dark Ice staggered to his feet, and summoned his shadow claw.
"No you can't Ice!" Arctic Ace snapped! "You've been handling things on your own for too long! And look where it's landed you! Not anymore! We're family Ice! That means we look out for each other! And there's no way I'm letting you do this alone! We can win this fight together! But only if you're willing to let me help!" Ace looked pleadingly to Ice. "Please. It's your turn to understand me." Ice hesitantly nodded. "Okay. Here's the plan..." Ace informed Ice of his strategy. Ice nodded, and turned into his mist form.
Rage Tempest landed on the cloud, and advanced towards Ace. "Well, well. So the traitor's a coward as well? I should have expected as such. Still, I suppose his departure's convenient. Now I have the honor of crushing one of the foolish 'heroes' that dares to oppose Lord Night Terror! Prepare yourself fo-GAAAUUUGHHH!" Rage Tempest bellowed in pain as one of his wings fell from his back!
Dark Ice stood behind Rage Tempest with his shadow claw dripping with nightmare essence upon slicing off Rage Tempest's wing! "You're right. In the air you're at your best. But that means squat if you're grounded or your wings are clipped! NOW ACE!" Ace flew right at Rage Tempest, and cleaved him down the middle! The nightmare warrior disintegrated as soon as his halves split! The two brothers looked at each other. "Look Ace. I won't lie. You made some pretty valid points back at the Everfree. But I can't come back to you. At least...not yet. I've got issues I need to take care of. And I need to find who I am at my core. I don't know how long it'll take, but I promise I'll be back when I'm done. Until then, catch ya later..." Dark Ice opened up a portal, and stepped through.
As he watched Ice leave, Ace couldn't help but smile. At least he's on the first step to waking up. It won't be an easy path, but I know he's walking on the right one now...