//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Final Step // Story: Rise of the Element Gang, Book 3: Heroes United // by Power of Six //------------------------------// Chapter 11: Final Step My excitement and fear was growing even more for every step I took in this dark place, for the success of when I would finally escape and for when I would have to face Diablo Nightfall yet again. Only this time, I would be ready for him, or as ready as I would ever be. I would have to, if I had any hope of stopping him and his master. Well, Diablo at least. I didn’t stand a chance against Discord. As such, I had quickened my pace in order to make it out of here as quickly as possible. As such, I didn't notice that the tunnels were starting to twist and turn a lot more than they were before and it was becoming a lot harder to see, with an increasing darkness pressing down upon me. I just kept on running, hoping that I would find a way out soon and ignoring when I ended up almost tripping and falling, doing my best run-on. Another thought that came to mind would be what would happen when I saw Twilight and the others again. How much of what Discord showed I was actual truth and would they really want me around? Even then, how was I going to explain about Diablo? Would they blame me for anything he had done, for failing to stop him and for just running away like a coward? I wouldn’t blame them if they did, for that was what I had been… what I was… Once again, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly my darker self had done. In essence, he was everything negative about me given form and increased tenfold, to a level where compassion and pity were just words to him. Add to that his increased strength, speed, and magical powers and there would be no limit to the cruelty he could cause. And he would hate them, because of the madness that Discord had put into me to make him feel like he didn’t need them, like I didn’t need them… the thought of this made me push myself even further, my own anger increasing for him. I returned my focus to my surroundings and thought it all seemed rather familiar, like I had been here before. Picking a direction and sprinting, I tried to find the path again, but ended up going down into a dead end. I tried to recall where I had been before, noticing that all of these walls and passages looked the same and there were so many of them. It was then that I noticed the butterfly accompanying me had disappeared, either gone far ahead of me or I fell behind while lost in my own thoughts. Even so, I wasn’t going to let it stop me. There had to be a way out of here, there had to be. My panic was increasing now, galloping this way and that, encountering only dead-ends, wrong ways or routes that carried me to right back where I started at what felt like hours ago. Soon, I ran out of breath and collapsed at yet another junction I had already passed. I didn’t want to admit it but…I was lost. Lost, down here in the dark! Desperately, I tried to think of a solution for this problem. I could attempt to remember where I had already been in these tunnels and eliminate possibilities from there, but there were simply too many tunnels and they all looked too similar from each other to even begin contemplating a way out. Why didn't I leave some arrows marked into the dirt, like I always did in times like this? I had lost my head and now I was paying for it… I could try using my magic to try and find my way out, but that would only give me additional light. I couldn’t use the tracking feature they had, for there was nopony else down here for me to track, at least nopony up ahead. I’d just end up going back the way I came. Besides, I wasn't even sure I had the strength to use it. I had recovered some strength, but I didn't know if was enough yet…I still got little headaches whenever I used so much as a basic levitation spell. How was I going to cope with my color shapes? Before, when I had been in situations like this, a friend had come to help me. Luna, the Crusaders, Spike, Little Strongheart, Zecora. They'd all come to help me in my time of despair, when I’d needed them most. Would somepony come now to help me? How were they going to find me down here? I didn't even know where I was! “What am I supposed to do?” I cried out, my voice echoing cruelly around the tunnel. “Somepony! Anypony! Help!” But there was no reply, nopony was coming to help me now. I was alone. Twilight’s view “Okay, back off, back off!” Shield said as he, Dog, Leon, and Spike kept the girls from stealing the book from me with my number one dragon assistant with a rolled-up parchment as a weapon. “None of you are taking this book! You’re all gonna sit there and let her read it!” “Hopefully we’ll get something as to find out where Discord put…” Dog said as I then opened the book. “The Elements!” I said, causing the four individuals guarding me to turn and see what I had found. I had never been so relieved and surprised in my life. I had been expecting to find some kind of clue or another riddle leading to the Elements that would allow us to find them. But that wasn’t the case for they were actually in the book, a hollowed out in a section that turned into some sort of case. “The Elements of Harmony!” Leon said in surprise. “They were here all along!” Dog added, just as surprised. “The last place any of us would look.” Shield said as Spike came over. “Gotta say, Discord’s good.” “This is great!” Spike spoke up. “Now you guys can defeat Discord and put everything back to normal!” “Just like always, when we work together,” Shield added with a proud smile, “there’s nothing we can’t do.” “Right!” I said to him, feeling happier now as I shut the book and brought it over to show the others. “See, girls? We did it! We found the Elements of Harmony! Together!” There was virtually no reaction from them. Applejack was leaning back nonchalantly, Pinkie was slumped against Rarity’s boulder whilst Fluttershy flicked at her mane, and Rarity was polishing “Tom” lovingly, not even looking up. Frankly, I couldn’t quite believe this. “You don’t even care, do you?” “No!" they all said as one. I sighed sadly at the state of them. “I never thought it would happen. My friends…have turned into complete JERKS!" she finished angrily, frustrated at their attitudes to saving Equestria and quite possibly Dusk. “What did you expect?” Shield said to me. “Discord turned them into their exact opposites. Of course they wouldn’t care.” “Yeah, being the opposite of yourself usually means you’re kind of a jerk.” Leon added. “Especially if you’re like what these girls are… were.” “Yeah.” Dog put in. “I mean, ya saw what Dusk’s opposite’s like. Kinda the same for ‘em.” Now thoroughly fed-up with the whole ordeal, just wanting to save Equestria, find Diablo and figure out a way to turn him back into Dusk, and never see the rest of them again, I rushed around, slapping each necklace on their respective wielder, before placing the strange crown I’d never learned the proper name of on my head. “Come on, everypony!” I said as I marched, leading the girls out so we could face Discord. Spike ran up to me before I could. “But, Twilight, aren’t you missing somepony?” “Nope!” she replied. “We’ve got the liar, the grump, the hoarder, and the brute. That just about covers it and I already know that Dusk isn’t here, so stop reminding me!” “But I…” “Look, I just want to use the Elements, stop Discord, and find a way to get Dusk back after that. He’ll be perfectly fine and then the two of us can just be best friends forever since he’s not a liar, a jerk, a hoarder, or a brute because he’s just so great and I’m not going to lose him. Do you hear me?” Spike stared at her after her rant and I flushed when I realized what she had said. Had I really just said all of those things about Dusk, just like that? “Twilight, calm down.” Shield said as he walked over to me. “Look, we all want this to be over, but we have to think things through before we do anything else. For crying out loud, you only got five Elements! We need Dash to use Loyalty if we’re ever gonna take Discord down. How are you supposed to beat Discord without all six, without Rainbow Dash?” “Good point.” I said before I hatched on an idea, placing the Element of Loyalty on him. “There! Congratulation, Shield. You’re the new Rainbow Dash. Now let’s go!” “What, me?!” Shield said with shock. “Why me?” I groaned before I started pointing out the obvious. “Because you’re just as loyal as Rainbow Dash and I don’t think it’s a coincidence you both have a lightning bolt as part of your cutie mark.” “Twilight, I can’t take Dash’s place!” I told her. “Do you know what she’ll do to me if she found out I impersonated her?” “Too bad! You’re Rainbow Dash. Now let’s go defeat Discord so we don’t ever have to talk to each other again!” The others all stampeded past, whooping with joy at the prospect of it, Rarity lagging behind as she was pushing “Tom”. Frustrated, I turned back so I could use my magic to move “Tom” through the wall. I didn’t care about the damage it would do, I just wanted to get it over with. It was then that Shield rushed up in front of me. “Twilight, listen to yourself! You’re acting just like the others. The Elements aren’t gonna work with all of you like this.” “Listen here, you!” I said to him sternly, surprising him. “I don’t care what you think! You’re going to come with us and help us use the Elements on Discord! That is final! Understand?!” “Y-yes, ma’am.” Shield said, backing down with feat. “Good!” I was about to head out when a hoot caught my attention, causing me to look to the table and find something by Dusk’s hat. It was Dusk’s Hoothoot, Ophelia. I had to guess she gotten in here by flying in through an open window. I only realized now that I hadn’t seen her for a while and she’d only now returned. She was bent over Dusk’s hat, watching it closely, like she was guarding it. Even from her demeanor, I could tell that she was upset, gazing forlornly at her master’s trilby as if by force of will, he would return. Slowly, I walked up to her, those yellow eyes boring into me, like she was asking me where Dusk was. “I know, I miss him too. Don’t worry. I’ll bring him back, you’ll see. We’ll use the Elements and he’ll be fine.” Ophelia just stared at me, like she was doubting and disbelieving of what I just said and I couldn’t blame her. Even then, my words sounded hollow and untrue at that moment, only compounded when I heard my friends fighting among themselves again. Who was I trying to convince? The Pokémon or myself? But we had to try… it was our only chance. “You can keep that safe.” I said, gesturing to the hat. “Until he comes back. Owlowiscious can look after you, so you won’t be on your own.” I sighed and straightened her crown. “Well, time to go, wish us luck.” Even as I tried to draw on my determination to defeat the Lord of Chaos, all I could see was those forlorn yellow eyes gazing at me. I had to do this or else… what more could I do? Shield’s view Still a little afraid by how she just snapped, I watched as Twilight turned with a serious look on her face and began walking out of the library. “Come on, Shield.” She said to me as she went past me. “Let’s get this over with.” Watching her leave, Dog, Leon, and Spike came over to me, looking at Twilight with both fear and concern. “Man, she’s just as scary as the cap.” I told them. “Yeah, and the way she talked to you,” Leon spoke up, “isn’t that like how Dusk snapped at us when he tried to scare us away?” “Ee-yup!” Dog added. “Another thin’ those two have in common.” “You know, my grandpa told me that Fire Dragon stallions like Dusk find mares like her to be hot.” Leon put in. “If Dusk saw her how she snapped at Shield, he would ask her right there and now.” “Ask her what?” Spike asked. “To go on a date?” “A date?” Leon told him. “He’d ask her to marry him!” “Ee-yup!” “No doubt about that.” “SHIELD!” Twilight yelled, getting our attention. “Well… guess we have no choice.” I said to them. “Let’s go, boys!” With that, me, Dog, and Leon then ran off to join the girls to stop Discord, even though there was not a chance this plan Twilight had would work. Dusk’s view Still down in the darkness of the labyrinth, I was unable to trace or find my way out. Nopony was coming to help me and I was alone against the ever-growing shadows, like they were wild beasts and reaching out to consume me, prevent me from ever seeing the light of day again. It was hopeless, pointless… what was I supposed to do? “Having a little trouble there, fire-spitter?” Hearing that familiar voice, I turned to see Leon standing with a smug look on his face. “Leon? What are you doing here?” “What else do you think? I’m here to help you out.” He told me before he looked beyond me with a smile. “And it looks like I’m not the only one.” I looked to where she pointed and a flash of light suddenly appeared before my eyes, providing brief respite from the darkness before it faded, but was still present. It was a rolled-up scroll with the golden Seal of the Sun set upon it in a red velvet ribbon. Hope suddenly shot through, as I levitated it to me. Only one pony would use that seal, for I had seen these letters being received and sent off by Twilight and Spike so many times before. That could only mean one thing… I quickly unfolded the scroll and traced my eyes over the majestic horn that had written it: Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself. I read and re-read the letter several times before I was sure I understood it. It was short, simple, but it could only mean one thing. Only one pony could have sent me this letter and understood what these words meant when she had written them. This would hurt, but I had to try…it was my only chance. Leon even gave me some support to this idea. Concentrating my thoughts on her, I reached into the unique magic I possessed, ignoring the growing, burning pain that seared into my brain. I remembered all I felt for her, the kindness she had shown when she barely knew me, appraisal of something I’d kept hidden for so long, and my everlasting gratitude at giving me what I had always wanted: friends. Come on, just a little more… you can do it… I snapped open my eyes when I saw a light shining through and my eyes were graced with the shining white color form of Princess Celestia. Apart from the lack of eyes and detail, it looked just like her. I’d even done my best to recreate her flowing, multi-colored mane and shining golden crown. Would this work? Please, let this work… I positively beamed as, of its own accord, the Celestia puppet cantered away up the tunnel, stopping at the junction to wait for me. My smile growing wider and my headache becoming more painful, I galloped after the puppet, a renewed determination flooding through my whole body. Finally, some progress! I continued following the passage the puppet led me on, with it now and again pausing to wait for me. There would be times when the headache it gave me became too much and I had to cut off my magic for a while, pausing for a few minutes to rest and let the pain die down, before gritting my teeth, feeling the pain seer through my head again and letting it guide me on once more. Hopefully, the pain would be worth it if it resulted in victory. At one of these points, as I was lying panting on the floor, recovering my strength, I unwillingly performed the magic again. The Celestia puppet gracefully glided over to me and bowed her head near mine, like she was actually here, checking up on me to see if I was all right. “Still… looking out for me… then.” I whispered hoarsely to her, pushing myself up to my hooves. “Let’s… get going…” “Right.” Leon said. Just as gracefully as before, the puppet led us on, while I staggered along behind, clutching my head and quelling the pain as best I could. It couldn't be too far now, just a little bit further and I’d be out…then…I dreaded to think. The passage was certainly long and twisting, to say the least. It rose and fell, turned and encircled to such a great degree of confusion and repetition, that I would have surely been lost down here, were it not for the puppet that was guiding me. Even if the puppet wasn't guiding me, the darkness would surely have been enough to terrify me into submission. It reminded me too much of when I first came down here, the shadows pressing down on me and the echoing laughter that grew only louder and louder with every step I took. Thankfully, it was silent and quiet as the night…for now at least. After what seemed like hours of pausing and stopping and groaning and staggering, signs of my progress were beginning to show. Gradually, the twists and turns started to lessen, with only one path standing out from the rest. Equally, the shadows began to lose their presence, with another light shining through the dark. Regardless, however, I kept the puppet going until I was sure I had reached the end. That didn't take long. Eventually, I could see only one path, with no twists, turns or other possible detours. That light that had been steadily growing brighter was now strong enough to rival the rays of the sun, so that very few shadows existed at all. The puppet too had been growing steadily brighter and it had now reached its peak, which meant I was close to the end. I sprinted, round the last corner and emerged into a clearing in the cave, utterly relieved to finally be out of the maze. This only increased when I saw who was waiting for me, the source of the light that was filling the cavern. “Princess Celestia…” I whispered and collapsed, utterly spent of all my energy. I felt a hoof gently cup my chin and lift it up to her smiling face. “Dusk Noir… look at you, how far you’ve come now.” “It… it wasn’t… easy, your Highness… and… I didn’t… do it alone.” I replied as she and Leon helped me slowly back up to my hooves and claws. “All the more reason that it's so remarkable you’ve made it thus far.” Her benevolent smile grew even warmer. “I am very proud of you, for this and all you have achieved.” “Not exactly… a long list then…” I panted. “Really?” She knelt low, so her eyes were gazing straight into my own. “When I first met you, almost a year ago in the Canterlot gardens, you thought you were under the impression that you were the least important pony who had aver set hoof in Equestria, that perhaps it would be better if you never even existed at all.” “But… isn’t that the case?” I sighed. “I’m not an Element of Harmony. Sure, I gave a little help with stopping Nightmare Moon, but I still couldn’t stop my darker self. I’m nothing, that’s what I am.” “That is entirely false," she said, resolutely but still gently. "Even if that were true, it's not just who you are underneath that matters, but what you do that ultimately defines you. And you have done a great deal since that day." “I, um… I… it was… nothing that great, surely…” “Oh, really?” “She’s right.” Leon spoke up. “As much as I hate to say it, you’ve definitely proven you’re anything, but useless. Besides all the stuff you did before when we lived in Canterlot, you did some pretty cool stuff. You led me and the guys and rescued our friends from the Everfree Forest without even a plan, fought a Paraserpent, probably made peace with some Diamond Dogs, stood up to a full-grown dragon, even fought against a hydra. You’ve done what you had to whenever somepony needed it however big or small and those are just what you've done for Twilight Sparkle and her friends.” “But I… I…” I tried to speak, but Celestia spoke up. “Not only that, you also gave help to markless young fillies, became as close as a brother to your fellow assistant, assisted in finding a valuable ingredient for somepony you barely knew, became part of a new friendship between two peoples once enemies and, most importantly of all, are held very closely in the heart of somepony who thought she would never truly fit to the world she had left again. The best friend that she has had in a very long time.” I was silent as both Lion and the princess' words, letting them sink in gradually. She was right. Even if the girls hadn't really been my friends, I had still made a difference through my own actions and just being myself. I’d made differences in places, made new friends all on my own, even with royalty, things that I would never have even dreamed of doing, extending far beyond just pining after Twilight in the library wishing I was her friend back in Canterlot…so long ago. “However big or small," she continued, "you have made a difference, my little pony, contrary to what you may think and I don't think Equestria is ready to make it without you just yet. If you did all that in a year, imagine what you could do throughout the rest of your life." “Wow… I… I never thought about that before.” I whispered. “I mean… I never thought I was special enough to do anything.” “Everypony is special, Dusk. It’s just if you choose to let what is special about you shine through.” I returned her smile, levitated something down to me. “Now, I believe this belongs to you.” I was in awe as she passed down the sixth fragment to me, attaching it to my necklace with the rest of them. It was a creamy yellow, like the kind-hearted pony it reflected, like how kind the princess and Leon had been to me, setting me on the path to do all the things that they had mentioned… and so much more. I felt the burst of strength, my headache fade away and knew I had full access to his magic again. Only one piece left to find… “Not far left now.” Celestia encouraged. “We shall let you continue on.” “Right.” I hesitated for a moment and gazed up at her, speaking to both her and Leon. “Thank you, Princess, Leon. For everything.” I was about to hug her, but remembered who I was with and stopped myself. The princess, however, seemed to anticipate what I was about to do and pulled me close, embracing me gently. I was surprised, but returned it, nestling into her pure white fur. Even her fur was as warm as the sun, I noted. Even Leon joined in on the hug. “It was our pleasure.” We broke apart, much to my disappointment and Celestia nudged me. “Now go, finish your ascent.” “I’ll make you proud, Highness! See you on the outside, Leon!” I called out to her, as I sprinted on up the tunnel. Just as I turned the corner, I could have sworn that I heard her whisper “You already have…” A brief moment later, I saw the butterfly fly over to me, taking the lead once again with the addition of Fluttershy’s cutie mark on its wing. From there, I smiled as I now knew of this represented. Seeing them all, receiving such great help from when I needed the most, it reminded me of how I was never alone as long as I have my friends. Even during my darkest days, I know that my friends will always be by my side. The marks on its wings represented that along with my determination to return to the friends I care about so much. They always stood by my side when I needed it, now… I needed to do the same. Diablo Nightfall’s view Reeling and groaning from the pain in my head that only seemed to be getting stronger with every passing minute, I was in a state of deep concentration now, trying to narrow down the exact source of what might be causing it, any anomalous strands of magic or remnants of a weaker spell. Thinking about it a bit more, I realized that Luna and Dragonis hadn’t fought me with the intent of killing or destroying me as I had done. It seemed that they had merely come for Luna to perform that spell, fighting me so that I was in a weakened enough state for her to use it. It was even enough for Dusk to fight against me. A jolt of power, like the spell had entered my very thoughts… My rage only heightened at the thought of them. I had been careless last time, overestimated myself so that I left enough of an opening for them to carry out their task and allow Luna to cast her spell. I would not make that mistake again and they would learn that, once they took their last breath and lay screaming at my claws… then Luna’s sister… Celestia would be far more of a challenge. She was longer-lived than her sister as well as Dragonis and, as such, would be much more powerful than Luna. Perhaps draining her energy would be enough to let me enter my Kishin Egg and make me a true Kishin. Regardless, I would soon meet her in battle and was confident that I would leave her in the same weak, pathetic state as her sibling and the younger princess’ lover for my master to do whatever he would have in mind for them. Then there was Discord himself… I had already pledged an eternal allegiance to my lord and master, the one who had given me life, but recently, I had been thinking that my master’s vision was too limited, too restricted, a vision that I shared but that I would have infinite more control over. I had strength and I had power, so what was to stop me? Imagine, if I could destroy Dragonis as well as overthrow Discord, Luna, and Celestia! I would be the one left to rule Equestria, to do as he saw fit! A reign of chaos, pain, and suffering! How glorious it would be and I kept those thoughts fueling me as I tunneled into my mind to find what was causing my own pain. It didn’t take me long to find it and soon it all became so clear. Why else would Luna and Dragonis seek me out, to fight him and not to kill me? I could feel him, his presence in my mind, and my anger increased even further at the very thought of him trying to fight back, as if he could dare oppose me. “Dusk…” he growled, looking to the pulsing stone on my wrist. “It seems you’re more resilient than I thought… Well, I will not be making that mistake again!” With a roar, I dived into my head to finish what I had started. Defeating him once hadn’t really been enough. How gratifying it would be to do it once again, this time not just breaking him, obliterating and destroying him so nothing was left. This was going to be enjoyable indeed! Dusk’s view I had come to a halt as I had seen what I had to overcome for my last obstacle. The passage had been gradually ascending higher and higher, the shadows receding all the more and beams of light beginning to spill through cracks in the cave wall. I knew I was nearing the end and had hoped that the last leg of the journey would be a little easier than what I had been through. How futile those hopes were. Towering above me was a rock face, jagged and rough enough to be climbed and stretching all the way to the top, where I could see the light of the outside world shining through like a beacon. But to get there, I would have to climb up this rock face. There was no alternative passage, no convenient staircase or secret route, for I had scoured the whole area since I’d encountered this supposed dead end. With the butterfly flying upwards, I knew this was the only way out and the only way to use would be to physically scale it, all the way to the top. I gulped at the thought of it, my legs shaking. Though the end was now in sight, I was still apprehensive about doing this. In fact, I didn't want to do this. Hadn't I been through enough pain already? Despite the added strength the stones gave me, this would still be an incredible strain on my stamina, to say the least. My lungs would burn, my legs and joints would ache beyond belief and it would take all the strength I possessed to keep myself from falling and to keep climbing all the way to the top. How could I possibly manage this…? No, I thought to myself firmly. I had come too far in this venture and suffered too many hardships to give up now. I had already accomplished what I at first thought would be impossible and had come all this way. What would be the point if I couldn't even attempt to at least try to climb it? If I fell, well…I could always try again. I already had so far. “Why do we fall?” I said to myself. “So that we can learn to rise.” Taking a deep breath, I set my claws on the first holds I could see and hauled myself up onto the cliff face. I let my legs search for holding points, fixed myself into them and pushed myself up the cliff, slowly, steadily, but in a way that I would be able to manage. I just had to keep doing this, finding clawholds and making my way up the rock face to the best of my ability. As I exerted myself in the climb for my life, I started to consider what would happen when I ultimately reached the top. The final fragment of the necklace would surely be up there and, using that, I should be able to use to recover the strength that I would lose in my climb. Hopefully then, I would be able to use that strength to defeat Diablo Nightfall, regain control of my body and mind and return to the waking world of Equestria. In theory, it was simple. But in practice, it would be far more daunting. Even with all of the fragments in my possession, Diablo was still stronger and faster than I ever was. I’d already learned that the hard way, not to mention received many injuries from my mistake. The unicorn I knew also had a deep, burning hatred for me. I had felt it when he was just a figment of my fears. He would stop at nothing until I was completely obliterated and he had utter control of me. How could I possibly hope to stand up to that? I paused for a moment, allowing myself a moment’s rest. Panting, with sweat pouring down my face, I looked up. Still quite a way to go. Grunting, I resumed my climb and my train of thought. Even if I defeated Diablo, what would I do from there? I knew nothing about the state my home was in, what had been going on since my absence. Had the girls defeated Discord or was he now in total power and dominion of Equestria? If that was the case, what hope did I possibly have of stopping him? Discord was far more powerful than any being I’d ever encountered, capable of strong manipulation and deceit, as well as deadly in combat. Were the Elements enough to stop him this time? And the girls… I had to pause in my thoughts again, as I examined the cliffside for the next part I had to climb onto. Carefully, I moved both of my right legs so that they latched onto the clawholds that were closest to me. I had a little slip, but managed to recover myself and keep on climbing. The things I was going through, just for them… I felt a great pang of longing for them, to return to my friends. Knowing what Discord had shown me with Applejack, I knew that they needed me more than ever. I had to go back and help them. Knowing what Discord had done made me angry at the draconnequis for making me play this cruel game. Whether I was an Element of Harmony or not, I would do my bit to defeat him, however small or supposedly insignificant. For I am… the world’s symbol of peace and justice! Fueled by these thoughts, I jumped up to the next clawhold, heaving myself up the cliff and checking to see that I had made it at least halfway now. Allowing a weak smile, I prepared myself for the next leap. Just a little further… if I could make it… This exertion certainly one of the easiest things I had done, as I already knew I wasn’t much of a physical pony, especially now. It was getting me out of breath and panting just to make it this far. However, I noticed that—when I had confidence in myself—the climb was a little easier, whereas when doubt arose, the holds were a little more difficult to reach. Or was that just me, making connections where none existed? I shrugged mentally, and pressed myself on past the halfway point. I had to do this, believe in myself that I would make it up here, find the remaining fragment and defeat Diablo Nightfall once and for all. I’d made it past halfway now, I could make it out of here if I just kept this up, kept going up the rock, no matter what. I let the confidence flood through me, give me more strength as I jumped the next hold, panting from the effort. No sooner had I, however, the doubt surfaced in my mind once more. But…what if I couldn’t make it out of here? What if I ended up becoming so tired I couldn’t climb anymore? Or worse, what if I fell from here? The fall would be enough to injure me, if not kill me, then I’d be in the same state I’d been at the start of all of this. How could I do this without some kind of help? Was anypony going to help me? I needed… CRACK! I felt the stone beneath my claw. I panicked as my grip slackened and I suddenly slipped back down the rock face, my screams echoing off the walls. I recovered enough of my wits to stop myself mid-slide, but by the time I did, I checked to see that this particular slip-up had resulted in me being closer to the bottom again, much to my great despair. All that effort I had put in just to make it to the halfway point, all the sweat that was now pouring down my face, it had all been for nothing because of that one lapse in concentration and strength. Now, I was essentially back at square one, all the way back down, with much less strength than before. How was I going to have the energy to climb all the way back up there again and to what end? “I can’t… I can’t do it…” I whispered, tears beginning to fall. “How will I ever… make it out like this? I can’t…” “AT LAST! SOMETHING WE AGREE UPON!” a horribly familiar voice roared. Before I could do anything, I felt something slam into my back, forcing me into, through the rock that I was attached to, tumbling and skidding across the stone floor before smacking into the cave wall. My vision blurred and my joints aching, I lifted my head up and saw him, climbing through the hole, and an expression of utter fury set on his features. His eyes were locked on me like laser beams, with nothing but pure hatred and rage burning in them. “Diablo.” I said, pushing myself back up to my hooves and claws. “You’ve come for me?” “I have.” He let a smile of amusement warp his features. “I must admit, I’m somewhat impressed that you’ve made it thus far. Clearly, I underestimated you… or you just like being shown how pathetic and useless you truly are.” I felt myself shiver in fear at his words. I wasn’t ready yet, I didn’t have all the pieces, and I couldn’t fight Diablo yet. He was right then, about him feeling my within his mind, but he still hadn’t expected me to come and face him yet. This was going to play out exactly like last time, where he would leave me just as broken and beaten as before. Only this time, I was sure that Diablo would leave nothing left of me. But something else awakened inside me, something else apart from my fear of Diablo and the pain he would cause. Whether I had all the fragments or not, I felt stronger than I was when I had first faced him, more determined to bring him down, to make him pay for the pain that he had caused, both to me and my friends. This was my chance, my only chance to bring him down and I wasn’t going to let that pass. If we were to fight now, I would be sure to give him a battle he would never forget. “You've been giving me quite a headache, you know?” he continued. “For one so small and useless, you can be quite an annoyance, I’ll concede that much. All the more reason you should just give up and let me defeat you again as we both know you will.” I stood my ground in a combat stance, one I had taken more times than once in my life. “I’m not interested in your concessions, brother. Last time, I was weak and I was helpless to stop you and I would have given up. This time, I’m going to fight you and beat you and I’m going to make you regret what you’ve done.” “No time wasted with words then?” Diablo also stood ready, flexing his muscles. “Very well. Let’s get this over with. I’m missing out on some suffering I could be causing.” “Not now, not ever again!” With that, we both charged each other, clashing once more in battle. This time, only one would walk away. One shall stand, one shall fall.