Rainbow Dash barely gave James time to change his shape as she was practically dragging him out of bed to go to Ponyville. It wasn't long after that they met with everyone else just outside Twilight's Castle as Rainbow Dash was emphatically telling them about what happened with Scootaloo earlier. Even as they walked through town she couldn't stop obsessing over it.
“I mean, can you believe she said that?” Rainbow Dash asked, not for the first time.
Pinkie Pie blew through her lips and smiled. “I mean, yeah. Eavesdropping on your own fan club is kinda weird.”
“She basically said that the Wonderbolts aren't cool!” Rainbow Dash emphasized, ignoring Pinkie's comment.
“Sounded to me like she was saying she prefers stunt flying over formation flying. And I can understand. Formation flying is meant to be impressive, stunts are meant to be exciting. It's apples and oranges, you can't compare one to the other.” James was rationalizing, but it wasn't wrong either. He yawned as they continued to walk through Ponyville. Unfortunately he was still in his pajamas and didn't have an energy drink to help wake him up.
“But it also kinda sounded like she didn't think I was cool either.” Rainbow Dash added. Her heart sank as she said it, but she was genuinely worried that Scootaloo might be drifting away from her. She pushed the thought from her head as she continued. “But, pah, we all know that's crazy. I mean, I'm definitely not worried about her looking up to somepony else.” She forced a laugh as she went along, the terror of her thoughts creeping back to the forefront of her mind. “Nope. Not. At. All.”
Applejack had had thoughts like that before too, but she wasn't going to stress over them. “Well, I'd understand if you were. It would be like if Apple Bloom started loving bananas more than apples.” She laughed as she thought about it, but it was a worry of hers. “Y'all tell me if that ever happens. You hear?” She quickly added.
“But what could the Washouts possibly have that I don't?” Rainbow Dash got more worried as she thought about it. None of it made sense to her.
“Why don't you find out?” Pinkie Pie asked as she leaped up and gave her an advertisement for a show that weekend.
Rainbow Dash couldn't believe it as she looked at the flier. “They're doing a show in Ponyville this weekend?”
“Guess I'm going to a show.” James said with a shrug.
***
That weekend James arrived early with Amber and Sara to watch the show. Amber stayed close to James as Sara wandered off to find her own seat. James sighed as he watched her walk away.
It was nearly an hour before the rest of the ponies arrived, Pinkie Pie pulling a box of cupcakes from her mane as she said something James could only kind of hear.
James quietly sat and ignored Rainbow Dash pointlessly complaining about the bleachers. And basically whining about everything else.
“At least they're not stupid about this.” James mumbled as he heard the announcer clearly tell the audience that they shouldn't try reenacting the stunts.
Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing. The stunts were incredible and that element of danger only made it that much more intense. Her blood was pumping as she watched the show, hooting and cheering as she watched. Only calming down a bit once Scootaloo pointed out that she was excited. James chuckled as she tried to cover it up.
The show continued as Rainbow Dash tried to contain her enthusiasm at each new stunt. She wouldn't admit it to either Scootaloo or James but she realized that there was in fact a difference between the two kinds of flying and she enjoyed the show as much as anyone else. Over an hour later it ended and James stood in line with Amber and Sara to get autographs with the other ponies. He could hear Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo talk about something and looked down at his daughters. “Hey, you two go have some fun. I'll find you later.”
Amber and Sara looked at each other and smiled before hugging him and running off. Sara's smile was nice for him to see as she had been cold to him lately. Probably just a daughter growing tired of her old weird dad. “If you can't be good, at least be better than me.” He called after them before walking up to Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo who were talking to the Washouts.
“… If doing barrel rolls through nine hundred million volts of electricity in a raging thunderstorm is wrong. Then I don't want to be right.” Rolling Thunder said with a smile.
“It's not the volts that's the problem.” James said as he looked to her. “It's the amps. It takes less than one amp to be lethal. You should at least try to understand the risks of what you're doing.”
Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo completely ignored him as he spoke, not that it surprised him any.
“And what's your reason?” Rainbow Dash asked the small red pegasus as he introduced himself.
“Anger issues! Get of my back!” Short Fuse shouted with no provocation.
James glared at him as he pushed the small pegasus away with his magic.
“What's your problem buddy?!” He shouted at James.
“You shouting like that at my friends.” James calmly said, though his angry tone was evident.
Rainbow Dash looked back to Rolling Thunder, allowing Short Fuse and James to threateningly growl at each other. “So who's the leader?”
“Only the most reckless Wonderbolt of all time.” She said admirably as she looked up to the incoming pegasus.
Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust exchanged a brief angry glare before Scootaloo's enthusiasm broke it up. Rainbow Dash's respect for the group immediately fell as she looked to their leader with open contempt. And made her point quite clear.
James quietly watched as the three went back and forth, now ignoring the red pony who was once again screaming at him.
“She admits her crap could have killed them and the same for her current team. She is not someone Scootaloo should be admiring.” James mumbled to himself as he started to get angry with the whole situation.
Even as Rainbow Dash tried to explain why there were rules in place, though she did miss the point, James quietly fumed and waited for a moment to speak with Lightning Dust.
“I'll do it! Can I do it?” Scootaloo asked eagerly as Rainbow Dash turned down the opening with the Washouts.
James's jaw dropped at the question. He would have stepped in if Rainbow Dash had agreed, but Scootaloo was right out.
“Let me think, no.” Rainbow Dash said as she pulled Scootaloo away from Lightning Dust.
“Not just no but he…” James hesitated so as not to swear in front of Scootaloo. “Absolutely not.” He finished before turning his angry glare at the reckless pegasus who had made the offer.
“I wasn't asking you. Either of you!” Scootaloo said as she walked to Lightning Dust. Much to the horror and frustration of both James and Rainbow Dash.
“Aw, you're cute. But technically you haven't washed out of the Bolts, which is kind of our thing.” Lightning Dust explained.
“And also, no-o-o-o.” Rainbow Dash added as she walked up to Scootaloo.
“Seriously Scootaloo. This isn't something you can just start on a whim. This is dangerous and you need to know what you're doing or you can get hurt or worse.” James said as he stood beside Rainbow Dash.
“Oh, I know.” Scootaloo said eagerly. “What if I joined up and dropped out super quick?” Once again James was being ignored. That was happening a lot lately it seemed.
Rainbow Dash didn't even hesitate as she picked up Scootaloo and began to fly off. “Okay, that's it. You're coming with me. You coming James?”
“I'll be along in a moment. I just need to tell Lightning Dust something first.” He growled as Rainbow Dash flew off. “Listen here. I don't care if you hurt yourselves doing this garbage. But I'll be damned if I let your incompetence do anything to that little girl.” He said as he got nose to nose with Lightning Dust.
“With a mouth like that are you sure she's any better around you?” Lightning Dust said as she smirked at him.
“Trust me. You don't want to be on my bad side.” He growled as he flew away.
“Were we just threatened by an alicorn?” Rolling Thunder asked, amazed.
“Who cares.” Lightning Dust said as she turned away.
They flew in relative silence towards the Wonderbolt training grounds. Rainbow Dash continuing to try to sell Scootaloo on formation flying and James couldn't keep from pacing as they waited for Spitfire to start her lecture. Even with Rainbow Dash trying to encourage Scootaloo to see the appeal of her career, Scootaloo brushed it off due to it's lack of death defying stunts.
Spitfire put on her game face and began a Matt Foley style motivational speech, emphasizing being in a body cast instead of living in a van down by the river. James shook his head as he listened to it, partly from it's ridiculous delivery.
“Heh. Sorry, that was a little … intense.” Rainbow Dash said as they flew back to Ponyville.
“And the whole cast thing wasn't even as bad as it gets. Scootaloo, I have seen people die doing those stunts. Yes with practice it's not as likely, but there's years of education that needs to come first. And there's always the chance.” James expounded alongside her.
“I just don't want you to get hurt.” Rainbow Dash said as she came to land near the CMCs clubhouse. “That way you can follow in my hoofsteps.” She nudged the small pegasus slightly as she added. “Everypony's dream, right?”
“More like follow your wing flaps.” Scootaloo clarified.
“Same difference.” Rainbow Dash was quick to interject.
“Thanks super talented flier, for clearing up what I should do.” Scootaloo said, her voice dripping with sarcasm while Rainbow Dash walked up the ramp to the club house completely oblivious.
“Clearing things up is one of my specialties.” Rainbow Dash said proudly. “Now let's go tear up all of your Washout posters into tiny pieces and throw them off a cliff.”
Scootaloo began to walk away but was confronted by a stone-faced James. “Rainbow Dash may have missed the point, but the sentiment isn't wrong. We're worried about what might happen if you keep idolizing the Washouts. They're not going to end well.”
“You aren't my parents!” Scootaloo shouted angrily. “You're not even really my sister and brother!”
James's face softened as he heard her speak. He couldn't let her walk away without hearing at least this. “That doesn't mean we don't care. I know you like stunts, I've known since our trip to Cloudsdale. But there's daring and then there's reckless. Please think about what you're doing.” James said before walking off towards Ponyville. “Sara and Amber are probably wondering where I went. Just remember, we do care about you.”
He knew this wouldn't end that easily. His two daughters were enough to teach him that everything he and Rainbow Dash had done had made no impact on Scootaloo's decision. He needed something to help him rest easier, even if it couldn't be preventative. He brought Sara and Amber back to his castle and changed them back before sending them to bed and going to medical to requisition a special hypospray. It felt like a lead bar in his hands, it’s weight only increasing with what it represented to him.
He sighed at the choice, and his own feelings that led to it. But he had come to accept the inevitability a long time ago. The signs were there and he brazenly continued as if nothing were wrong. As long as he took the lessons he had learned along the way, he could hopefully navigate this maze and come out intact.
He hoped.
Scootaloo was probably talking to the Washout's right now. If he was going to do this he needed to hurry.
James could hear Short Fuse screaming as he walked towards the field they had set up in. It wasn't long after that that he found Twilight and Rainbow Dash confronting Lightning Dust. He stood silent virtually ignoring everything that was being said until he watched Scootaloo step out of the tent wearing the Washout's uniform.
He patiently listened as Rainbow Dash tried to talk sense into the filly, though she would hear none of it. Even pushing Rainbow Dash away as she tried to argue her point to be there. Shouting her own biggest insecurity as a way to hurt Rainbow Dash.
“But not being able to fly doesn't mean I can't do something awesome.” Scootaloo said as she cheered up slightly. “Like strapping my scooter to a multistage liquid fueled rocket and jumping twenty two wagons lined up in front of a roaring crowd.” She happily said.
As she envisioned it James walked up and pressed the hypospray to her neck and activated it. It stung badly for the first moment before the pain began to fade into a dull ache.
Scootaloo screamed out in pain moments before it began to subside. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked to the man she had once liked calling her brother, now hurting her because he didn't like her choices. “What was that for?” She demanded as she fought off the urge to whimper, which got easier as the pain faded away. Why was he doing this?
“Sub-dermal emergency transponder.” James spoke evenly, though there was an edge of anger to his words. “The same that everyone in my family has.” Without looking to his right he hit Rainbow Dash with the same spray causing her to shout in pain as well. “Everyone.” He emphasized.
This was a turning point, he had accepted that when he got the hypospray. Here he started turning into the man he had killed years ago. He wondered to himself if he even could become as terrible as his counterpart had without the magic to back it up. He didn't know, and he'd just have to deal with things as they came.
“A what?” Scootaloo asked as she rubbed her neck where it had been injected.
“Basically if you get seriously hurt, no matter where you are you're brought right to medical for immediate treatment. If I can't stop you, I can at least try to keep you alive.” He said stoically.
“Are you messing with my ponies?” Lightning Dust asked threateningly. “Tonight's her debut performance, and I need her to be ready.”
James was once again nose to nose with Lightning Dust. “Now listen here.” He growled quietly. “If anything happens to her, there is nowhere you can run that I cannot find you.” As he glared at her he committed the feeling of her energy to memory. He would have preferred a tracker, but he didn't specifically need one.
“Okay …” Twilight said as she separated the two, ultimately moving Lightning Dust as she couldn't even move James with her magic. “Let's cool off for a moment.”
Lightning Dust brushed off the encounter as another point for her. “You should come to the show, it's half off for princesses.” She said with a satisfied grin and holding out a ticket for Twilight. “Bring your friends.”
Twilight looked to Scootaloo and made her attempt at reasoning. “Scootaloo, are you sure that's really what you want to do?”
The pain had passed by now and with a confident smile she nodded. “Absolutely.” Her face turned angry as she rushed over to Rainbow Dash and James. “And there's nothing either of you can do to stop me.”
It hurt as Rainbow Dash acknowledged that she couldn't. “You're right. You're your own foal, and you have to make your own decisions.”
“Good.” Scootaloo said snidely. “Because I already have.” She turned and walked away without even a glance behind her.
Rainbow Dash moaned as she slowly flew away and James watched intently as they began to practice again.
***
James hadn't even moved by the time the show had started, which is where Twilight and the rest found him as they looked for seats. He looked odd to her, his hair stood nearly on end and had changed from it's dark blond to a bright golden hue, his tail having changed similarly. Even his face wasn't the same, normally when he was angry he kept his face impassive and you had to look in his eyes and hear him speak to know. But now he was openly scowling. This was new, and a little terrifying to see.
As she looked she noticed that even his eyes were different. They normally were a dark blue, but were now a bright emerald green. Something had happened while they were gone and she was going to find out … after he calmed down.
She watched as he obviously grew more angry while Lightning Dust explained the stunt, that's when she noticed other changes around him. Periodically electricity would arc around him, the grass he stood on waved as if caught in some unknown wind. And it was almost as if he began to glow as she watched him. There was something to this change and it was growing more concerning as she watched. She wouldn't admit it, not even to herself, but the thought that he might kill someone crossed her mind.
Scootaloo had been happy about her decision, that is until she saw the rockets duct taped to her scooter. Nothing about this looked professional, safe, or even sane. “Has anypony tested it before?” She asked, as she realized what Rainbow Dash and James had meant when they said that they were concerned for her.
Lightning Dust shrugged it off. “Where's the fun in that?”
Panic suddenly gripped Scootaloo, she had to get out of this. Spitfire's words of a full body cast and James's warning of death rang in her ears as she turned pale. This pony really didn't care what happened to her.
Lightning Dust casually taped another rocket to the side of the larger one. She also had no idea how thrust worked.
“There's more?” Scootaloo nervously asked.
Lightning Dust turned to Scootaloo, her newest recruit and biggest blow against Rainbow Dash. “You're not thinking about backing out are you?”
“No.” Scootaloo was quick to answer before more timidly adding. “Just about drinking through straws” She attempted to swallow the lump in her throat before adding. “… if I'm lucky.”
Lightning Dust couldn't believe she was hearing this. This runt was backing down, right as the stunt was supposed to begin. She was being a coward! “Are you the president of my fan club, or not?” She asked angrily. She needed this blow to Rainbow Dash, even if it had worked out well for her she still needed to jab at the pegasus who got her kicked out, humiliated her. This was personal.
“Of course.” Scootaloo hurriedly said. “It's just …”
“You wouldn't want to get impeached for dishonoring my wishes, would you?” Lightning Dust became more threatening as she pushed harder. She couldn't let this coward run away now.
Scootaloo tried to think about her options. “I … is that a thing?” She asked moments before Lightning Dust picked her up and dropped her on her scooter.
There was no way she was backing down now. Lightning Dust called down to her team to ignite the wagons. Smiling wide once they were fully engulfed.
Twilight was certain of it now. It looked as though James were burning along with the wagons and electricity was regularly arcing from his body as he stood there, growling towards the stunt platform.
Terrified about what she saw before her Scootaloo lifter her visor. “Okay, I am thinking of backing out now.”
“Too late!” Lightning Dust happily said smacking the launch button and sending the little girl hurtling towards the poorly designed spectacle.
Two near sonic trails extended towards the rocket from opposite sides as Rainbow Dash and James both rushed to the terrified pegasus holding onto the handles of her scooter for dear life. Rainbow Dash was there first and scooped Scootaloo out of the death trap and flew with her in her grip. James's wings stretched out slowing him down and helping him adjust his course to not collide with the two as he moved to glide alongside them.
“I know I was supposed to let you make your own decisions, but that doesn't mean I can't swoop in and save you from time to time.” Rainbow Dash said as she looked to the little filly, who happily hugged her.
James smiled and nodded as he followed them to the ground where Short Fuse was working on extinguishing the wagons.
On the ground Scootaloo ran over and hugged James too as Lightning Dust came to berate them for interfering. “If I'd have known you were going to bail I'd have done the trick myself.” Lightning Dust chastised as she landed.
“On that death trap?!” James growled as he advanced towards her. “That ramp is at a ninety degree angle, there is no way she was going to clear those wagons. And the landing ramp is another ninety degree angle so she was looking at no better a landing than a face first crash, and if somehow she didn't the ramp was too short to decelerate and led right into the bleachers. You were not only going to kill her, but more than a few of your audience members while you were at it. And that's if everything went right!”
James's voice turned from a low growl to a shout and his eyes were wild as he stared down the pegasus who couldn't help but cower as he loomed over her. His emerald eyes burning in their fury his wild hair standing on end and she could feel a great pressure pushing down on her as if some unseen force were trying to bury her without digging a hole first.
At that moment the rope around her front hoof went taut and ripped her up from the ground with a sickening snap and her agonized scream. James turned around and took a deep breath as she vanished into the air, though James could still sense her.
“James, maybe you should …” Rainbow Dash began to say before James held up his hoof and nodded. After a moment he shot up into the air and caught up with Lightning Dust who was trying to extricate herself from the impromptu snare with only her wings and teeth.
James grabbed onto the rope with his teeth and held on as he launched a ball of ki at the rocket, destroying it in a spectacular fiery explosion. He brought her slowly to the ground ignoring the loud cheers of the crowd, many of whom had no idea the stunt was not meant to go that way. He'd buy Scootaloo a new scooter as soon as this was over.
Scootaloo approached Rainbow Dash with her head hung low as James chased after the pegasus who put her on the death trap. “I'm sorry for joining the Washouts.” She said. “Lightning Dust wasn't who I thought she was. She didn't care about me being scared or about putting me in danger. She only wanted a good show. Even if it meant I got hurt. That's not the kind of pony I want to look up to.” As James landed his omnitool blinked to life and he inspected the damage.
Rainbow Dash shook her head as she crouched to look at Scootaloo. “I'm the one who should be apologizing. For not acting like somepony who deserves a fan club. I've been lucky enough to have somepony who thinks I'm the coolest. But there's nothing cool about making you feel like you'll never be as awesome as me.”
James smiled as Scootaloo hugged Rainbow Dash and nodded. “And I was a blatant jerk. But that's nothing new.” He said as his omnitool completed it's scan revealing the compound fracture and dislocation in Lightning Dust's foreleg. He may not have been at the top of his class as a field medic but he could set bones, even compound fractures, and pop joints back into place.
Rainbow Dash continued to talk to Scootaloo as James cut the leg off Lightning Dust's uniform and set to work treating the injury. She was not going to be using that leg again for a few weeks. Once he had set the bones he injected her with a pain killer. As it took effect she looked to the alicorn who had threatened her and was now treating her. She couldn't help but be confused by his actions, though the pain killer probably helped the confusion.
James continued to glare at her as his omnitool began to print a lattice cast around her leg that extended all the way up to the shoulder. Intimidation keeping her in place as much as her injury. Once the printing was done James helped her stand. She returned his glare before silently hobbling off, only slightly loopy from the pain killers.
Twilight cautiously approached James as he watched Lightning Dust leave. “James.” She cautiously said. “What's going on with you? You look different and something was going on earlier while you were watching the show.”
“Yeah James. I was meaning to ask you, but why are you Super Sayian? There was no fight or anything.” Rainbow Dash asked as she walked up to James. “Also, how are you a super sayian when you're technically a pony right now?”
James turned his head and finally noticed his hair before he took a deep breath and released the heightened state. “Sorry, when I get angry enough I can't exactly prevent myself from transforming. And the spell I used only changes my shape, it has almost no effect on what I am. Which is exactly what I wanted from it.” He said as he looked back to the failed stunt.
“What about the lightning and fire?” Twilight asked hoping to understand more.
“My ki. There's a lot of it.” James answered. As Twilight considered the answer she suddenly felt like she knew precious little about anything going on.
“So James. I need to ask you something important.” Rainbow Dash said with a smile almost as wide as Scootaloo's.
Over the next couple days James meditated and evaluated his actions. He would do them again in a heart beat and that was a problem. Clearly he was not to be trusted. His omnitool blinked to life and he sent out an alert. It would take time to reach everyone, but it was for the best that he do this. He weakly smiled as he looked to his schedule, there was an event in Ponyville he was looking forward to coming up, followed shortly by one he was dreading. At least he got to have a little light that day.
After the meeting in the CMCs club house James accompanied Rainbow Dash to Twilight's castle where he had asked more than just the eight closest to attend. At Twilight's suggestion they would all meet in the throne room around the map table. There was still about half an hour until everyone arrived and James took the opportunity alone with Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to talk.
“I need to say sorry, especially for how I acted the other day. Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash; the transponder shouldn't have been forced on you. I can't undo that. Nor the pain I caused you. I …” James was about to say more but he was cut off by Rainbow Dash.
“It didn't hurt that much.” She said dismissively. “Though it did hurt, so thanks for apologizing.” She flew up to James and whispered in his ear. “Maybe watch where you put that thing though, I couldn't sit for hours afterwords.”
“Besides, you said it yourself.” Scootaloo said with a smile. “This is something all of your family has. And now we do too.”
James nodded. “But I still should have asked you first. Instead I made the decision and you live with the consequences.”
“Uhm, it's just something to keep us safe.” Rainbow Dash said as she continued to hear the apology she had tried to cut off.
“Yeah, but it's still not right.” James quietly said.
Scootaloo walked up to him and hugged him. “You did it because we're family, even if not by birth.” She said, echoing his words from years ago.
James really regretted sending the alert, even though he knew it was necessary. His caring wasn't the fault of this world, it was his own compassion that led to this. It was no longer a joke that this world had changed him, it made him better. He just hoped he hadn't made it worse in return. He smiled as he returned Scootaloo's hug before rubbing her head. “Alright kiddo, run along. The grown ups have boring talk to get to.”
Rainbow Dash flew along ahead as James used a nearby empty room to polymorph back into his normal self. Once he was changed, he walked to where the meeting was taking place. Stopping outside the door to collect his thoughts before entering.
He wasn't terribly surprised at the quick response he had gotten to his request to meet with everyone. And of course no one had even asked why, they trusted him thoroughly. That was dangerous.
Celestia and Luna sat nearest Twilight's throne as Spike sat in his with Cadence and Shining Armor at his side. Big Mac sat next to his sister's throne, not really understanding why he was here in a meeting with all four ruling princesses.
Starlight sat by Fluttershy while Derpy was seated by Pinkie Pie. James was on Applejack's other side, closest to the door.
“Thank you all for coming. I know it's odd for me to ask you all out here. Thank you Twilight for allowing the use of your castle. But something has become distressingly apparent.” James took another steadying breath as he tried to think of what he was going to say.
“A couple years ago I was tasked with eliminating a tyrant … that tyrant was myself. He had accepted the princesses magic to keep it from Tirek's grasp and eventually succumbed to the temptation to use the optimized magic to fulfill his desires by simply making others think what he wanted them to think. What was hardest about this was that he was not always this tyrant, but it was a series of gradual steps that brought him to that state.”
“I believe that the other day I took one of those steps. I allowed my personal concern to get the better of me and in so doing I forced an emergency transponder on Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. This was a small step in that it was with the intention to keep Scootaloo safe should something happen to her, and show her that I do care. But it wasn't my choice to make. They both have been nice enough to forgive me for this, but it still is proof that I have started to turn this direction.”
“But you did it because you cared!” Rainbow Dash argued. “Why would caring be a sign of you turning evil?”
“That's how the worst things begin, good intentions twisted into terrible actions. My counterpart started by wanting to protect you all. And then there came a choice; allow the versions of you he had known to vanish to make room for the true future, or do one terrible deed and protect those he cared about. In both events he turned into a monster, using the spell once on Twilight to save the them, or using it on all of you to let Twilight save Equestria.”
“One terrible action led to another, gradually getting worse until the day he died. Each justified at first, until justification just felt unnecessary. Caring has destroyed worlds, ripped time apart, and ended lives. As I may do at any time.”
“So, for now the door to New Guardia is deactivated. I will be leaving after the meeting, and it may be some time before I see any of you again. … If I see any of you again.”
At James's announcement audible gasps came from most of those in the room. Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack talked over each other trying to understand why he would do this.
“In case I don't see you again. Thank you for everything.” The room was shocked into silence as James stood and turned to leave.
Loud galloping could be heard as Starlight shouted. “Not that easily!” She had jumped on the table and did her best to build up speed as she ran at James.
James half nodded as he turned back to face her. Starlight leaped up and came flying right for his head, foreleg extended. James was just in time to role his head with her strike. She continued past him and skidded to a stop before turning to face him. Their audience gasped at her action, not understanding what she could be intending to do with the attack.
“So you're running away?!” She shouted. “We told you we wouldn't let you face this alone, and we meant it! And I won't let you just hurt everyone now because of something you're afraid you might do in the future.”
“Didn't you just finish telling Scootaloo that you cared?” Rainbow Dash demanded. “How do you think she's going to feel if she never sees you again? Or were you just lying?!”
James nodded to them. “I wasn't lying. That's why I have to do this. And even if you had changed my mind, it's too late now to do anything about it. The council is convening. The best thing you can do for me is, if you don't see me in more than two months … forget about me. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better friend.” As James stopped speaking he violently melted out of the throne room, leaving them all stunned.
Starlight limped back toward the group, cradling her foreleg that had hit James's face.
“Why did you attack him Starlight?” Rainbow Dash demanded as she flew up to her. “He was already feeling bad, how was that going to help?”
“We saw it in his subconscious, Rainbow Dash.” Princess Luna said. “He believes that it is sometimes helpful to have some sense knocked into him. Particularly when he is unsure of himself.”
“I just didn't realize how hard that would be. I think I might have sprained my hoof.” Starlight said as she continued limping.
“What did he mean by “the council is convening?”” Cadence asked, she knew him the least of everyone here and this was strange even for dealing with the odd man.
“His ethics council. He has a panel of people he respects who judge him on what he does in other worlds. They all understand his position and try to keep him from hurting other worlds.” Rainbow Dash explained. “Lady Seto told me about it once.” She clarified in response to the shocked expressions.
“Do you have any guess as to how they may rule in this instance?” Cadence asked.
“I don’t even know who they all are.” Rainbow Dash admitted. “I just hope they realize he’s not the only one losing somepony here.”