Rise of the Element Gang, Book 3: Heroes United

by Power of Six


Chapter 12: Light and Shadow

Chapter 12: Light and Shadow

I had only just thrown “Tom” out of the library window, creating yet another hole in my home (not that I cared at this point) when Discord reappeared to us, striding over to us across the tartan covered streets.

“Well, well, well. I see you’ve found the Elements of Harmony. How terrifying!” he sarcastically said.

“Discord!” I said, enraged. “I’ve figured out your lame riddle. You’re in for it now!”

“I certainly am. You’ve clearly out-dueled me and now it’s time to meet my fate. I’m prepared to be defeated now, ladies. Fire when ready.” As he said all of this, he conjured up a pair of sunglasses, placed them on, and also a bullseye on his chest, leaning casually against a tree.

I would have normally been suspicious of his actions, but I knew he was only trying to confuse us further and ignored him. It was time to take him down and then get back my number one pony assistant if it was the last thing I’d do.

I looked around for his dark minion, but could see no sign of him anywhere.

“Where’s your servant? I’d have thought he’d have wanted to see this.” I remarked.

“Oh, Nighty?” Discord shrugged. “He’ll be around somewhere, spreading chaos in my name like a good boy. I could always bring him along, if you’d prefer.”

“He’ll get his later!” I snapped. “You’re both going to pay for what you’ve done!”

“If you insist.” he said casually. “Very well, get on with it then. No point in prolonging my inevitable defeat.”

“Formation, now!” I ordered, the others all reluctantly getting into place. “Rainbow Dash, get over here.”

“Fine.” Shield said as he walked over with a nonchalant look on his face. “This isn’t gonna work, but there’s no point in arguing with you.” I then looked to Discord to see he had raised a brow at us. “Don’t ask.”

“All right, let’s get this over with!” I said as we were all ready to use the Elements.

I could hear the power build up as the Elements began to work their magic. I reached into my own Element, letting its power flow through me as it did when I had defeated Nightmare Moon, becoming an instrument of them.

This had to work. It was our only chance…


Dusk’s view

I met my foe mid-charge as our fight began, our claws locked together, shaking from the effort we were both putting into our attacks. Wrestling to gain a position of power with each other, I found it quite terrifying being this close to his livid face, staring straight into his eyes, but I didn’t allow myself to be distracted.

Grunting, straining with the effort, I put all of my energy into holding off Diablo as best I could manage, urging myself not to give in to him. I even managed to move him a little bit, listening to his hooves and claws scrape across the floor.

“Where did you find this… strength?” Diablo asked.

“Like I’d tell you!” I let one burst of strength against Diablo, enough to make him stagger.

Taking this advantage, I pushed forward, sending two punches to the face, hearing his exclamations of pain and locking him in a wrestle again. Perhaps I could force him to the floor and pin him down while I punched him further. Normally, I would've consider a fair fight and not strike a stallion when he was down, but I knew my opponent wouldn't extend the same courtesy.

Diablo had different ideas. Enraged by me pressing a kind of advantage, he doubled his strength, whereas before he had been reserving it, which had allowed him to get the upper hoof. He didn't look like he was going to be making that mistake again, pushing against my weaker side so that I couldn't gain a footing against him.

Despite my best efforts, Diablo pressed the advantage of greater strength and pushed me away, sending me skidding across the floor, followed by a strong punch to the face that sent me flying back into the wall. But I wasn't going to be defeated that easily, not this time. I shook my head to clear my vision and stood back up, glaring at him.

Diablo raised an eyebrow and laughed.

“Still you insist upon this futile resistance?" he mocked. "We both know how this will end, brother."

“Then, by all means, come and end it," I countered, standing in a ready stance.

Diablo took the bait and charged me again, me holding my ground. I watched as he raised his hoof to strike me and ducked under it, swerving to avoid the following blow and any other blow he sent. I kept my eyes on my enemy’s hooves and claws, anticipating blows before he threw them and dodging them as they came, blocking only if I had to.

Taking advantage of the fact that it was dark, I tapped into my magic and let a ball of light shine in front of Diablo’s face. Blinded by the sudden attack, I proceeded to land every blow I could manage to throw at him, attempting to weaken him.

My airway suddenly constricted as Diablo reached out with his claw and tightened it around my throat, choking me. I scrabbled desperately at it, trying to push him away as I found it more and more difficult to breathe, sending out a kick. That was enough to lose his hold and let me drop to the ground in a heap.

“Your spells are weak, useless in battle.” my foe said angrily.

“Yet… yours aren’t.” I remarked, gulping down air. “Why don’t you use it?”

“I don’t need magic to kill you.” Nightfall growled, shaking his head to clear his vision. “When I kill you, I shall do it with my own bare claws!”

“Then… I shall do no less.” I returned to a ready stance, breathing easily again.

I may have wanted him defeated, but I didn't want to be completely cowardly doing it. I decided to at least be better than resorting to magic in this fight and match my opponent equally. Call it a sense of pride or honor to be fair in battle…or the fact I didn't want to provoke Diablo into using his far more powerful magic against me.

This time, I threw the first punch before Diablo could react, landing it on his face, which was quite akin to hitting a brick wall in much the same way. As such, the split second's hesitation of pain provided Diablo with an opening to strike me in the gut, making me double over and cry out with a follow-up strike to the face. To avoid more blows, I rolled to the side, picked myself up, and returned to blocking and dodging his blows.

Neither of us, of course, had any kind of formal training in any martial art or method of self-defense, me due to my views on violence and Diablo because he knew everything that I did, as he was literally a part of me. As such, the two of us were down to basic brawling and punching, though Diablo had far more strength to call upon than I did, as well as being more physically capable than I was.

My size and stature, however, gave me the slight advantage, of being faster than somepony of a bigger build. Combined also with my sharp mind and decent reflexes, I was able to anticipate and avoid most of Diablo’s attacks, at least as long as my concentration and stamina held, the latter being more fragile than the former. For the most part, I was able to keep a good distance from his attacks.

I also had a slight knowledge of the most vulnerable parts of a pony, such as the joints of the legs or points near the neck and back. As such, I focused on what counter-attacks I could manage on these areas of Diablo, in order to inflict the maximum damage possible. Even then, my darker self was still able to absorb the damage, due to his own physical strength and my lack of muscle.

“You can’t keep this up forever, Dusk.” Diablo taunted as another punch flew over my head. “You will tire soon enough.”

I didn’t respond verbally, but instead took advantage of the second’s opening he’d left due to his taunt. I aimed a jab under his leg, making it bend backward from the reflex muscle action, enough time for me to repeat the move on the other leg. With Diablo now bent forward on his knees, I smacked him in the face twice with all my strength and proceeded to perform a downward strike on my spine.

Diablo however, reacted quickly, swinging his legs forward so they struck my claw away, the momentum of the force causing him to flip and propelling him in such a way that he was able to land two strikes with his claws and one final kick with his hooves, sending me sprawling away from him and smacking back to the ground.

As I started to push myself back up, wiping away the trickle of blood from my mouth, Diablo started to sing mockingly in a deep, somber tone, like singing a funeral hymn.

Now this time,
You will fall,

Down in darkness,
Lost in this great sprawl!

And I have come,
To start a fire!

Little Ponyville,
Will become your pyre!

I had barely recovered myself when Diablo attacked again, forcing me to go on the defense once more, desperately blocking and dodging his punches and kicks, while he continued to sing during the deadly flurry of fists.

Fall to the shadows,
Just give in to the pain,

Fall to your grief,
And let it grow into your bane!

Rot in the caverns,
Forming down in your soul!

When the night has arisen,
Then the chaos will be whole!

“I thought this was a fight…” I ducked under a blow, punching it away, “…not a dance!”

“Then stand still and fight, like a stallion!” he roared back.

Diablo seemed to be gaining confidence, in addition to the amount already gained from his previous victory, something that I could use to my advantage. Once again, thanks to his distraction from the singing, I found an opening and struck him on the neck twice with both my front hooves, followed by an upward punch to the chin, making him reel back and cry out in rage and pain.

The dark stallion cricked his neck and growled deep in his throat. It only seemed that for every blow I landed or injury I caused him, that just made him even angrier and even more determined to bring me down. I, however, needed not to be intimidated by that. I needed to remain in control of my emotions, relatively calm and calculated in order to match his brute force and pure rage.

Diablo charged with the intention of colliding with me head-on, his horn lowered to possibly impale me. I, however, reacted quickly, side-stepping out of my way and slamming my claw down on his spine, making his back buckle and slam to the floor. Before Diablo could recover, I slammed both hooves in a kick to his face, sending Diablo away from me again.

My darker foe hitting the floor, I decided to take a chance. I waited until he was halfway to getting back to his hooves and claws and then sprinted right at him. I reached him, slammed into his hip, twisted with his leg with all the energy I could muster, and sent him crashing to the floor again, grabbing his head and punching him repeatedly in the face. I had him now!

“I think not!” my foe screamed.

Diablo caught one of my fists mid-punch and squeezed, sending that paralyzing pain up my arm again, roaring with rage like a beast and making me sink low. This was what had brought me to his mercy last time and I wasn’t going to let it be the end of me this time. Screaming through my gritted teeth through the pain, fighting back tears while bringing out my Fire Dragon eyes and determined not to give in, I raised my free, limp claw… I just had to bring it up… enough strength to…

“I… think… so!” I shouted back through the blinding pain.

Diablo’s eyes widened and he tried putting more pressure onto it, but he reacted too late. I could do this… ignore the pain. I swung it up, brought it around, and hit him on the side of his face. Yes, I’d done it! It was just enough to make him let go, lax his grip enough for me to smack him hard across his face, my fists crashing into the bone and sending pain shooting up my arm.

Hurriedly, I pulled back to a safe distance, while my opponent reeled in surprise and pain from this sudden counter-attack. I didn't want to think prematurely, but I could tell he was weakening. If I could keep this up, just a little longer, I might actually win this battle and defeat him. But Diablo came back, just as strong as before, forcing me on the defensive again.

I had to hold him off… I could do this…

But I was finding it harder and harder to keep up with the attacks, more and more strikes being landed on every inch of my body and adding to the injuries I’d already received. I tried to push myself, to keep myself fighting, but I was already well past my limit. Gradually, I was running low on energy, whilst my foe seemed to have an inexhaustible supply I couldn’t hope to match.

After the next blow that landed on my legs, I couldn't keep it up any longer. I collapsed on the floor, my energy and drive gone and my injuries getting the better of me. I tried to get back up, to get back into the fight, but I had nothing left to give. I was completely spent of strength, unable to do anything else. I was finished.

I had just enough will to raise my head and see Diablo while having a few bruises and a cut lip from my efforts. He spat blood and glared contemptuously at me, panting from his own efforts, but smiling in victory.

“You certainly put up a better fight this time. Too bad it is your last.”

I watched as he raised his claw to bring it down on my head, closed my eyes, and waited for the end to come…


Twilight’s view

Like the others, I too was just getting back up after being dropped to the ground. The Elements had been working (with the exception of Shield’s), we had all been lifted up into the air and consumed by their magic. Discord had even looked a little concerned at first. Suddenly, like somepony hitting a switch, it all stopped and we crashed to the floor.

“What's going on?” she asked in general.

“Mine’s workin’.” Applejack replied, tapping her own. “There must be somethin’ wrong with yours.”

“I hate the Elements of Harmony!” Pinkie declared, throwing hers onto the ground.

“Hmph! Garbage.” Fluttershy agreed, adding her own.

“This gem is a mere dwarf compared to Tommy-Wommy.” Rarity said, discarding Generosity and returning to her boulder.

“I told you it wasn’t gonna work.” Shield said, removing Loyalty and placing it on the pile before walking towards Discord with a glare. “Boys, Plan B! Time to take—whoa!”

“Oops! Sorry, Rainbow Crash! Or should I say ‘Shield Stubble’?” Fluttershy laughed, revealing she had tripped him with her tail.

Discord was approaching us, sarcastically applauding accompanied by random sounds. “Bravo, ponies! Bravo! Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules, Celestia drools!”

I growled angrily at him as he traced his claw along my chin, let out a hearty chortle, and slipped and skidded away along a path of soap. Never before had I hated anypony as much as I had Discord, with the exception of possibly Diablo Nightfall, for what he had done to me, to my friends, my home… Dusk.

“It’s your fault it didn’t work!” Pinkie blamed.

“Who are you talking to?” I demanded.

“Any of you! To ALL OF YOU! I’m outta here!” With that, she bounced away, still frowning.

Applejack threw aside her Element and set off too. “I better go, too. I’ve got new better friends waitin’ for me at the farm.”

“Yeah! I’m sick of you losers.” Fluttershy soared away, lastly followed by Rarity, pushing Tom along the ground.

“FINE!” I yelled. “Leave! See if I care! I don’t need you guys either! With friends like you, who needs… enemies?”

I bowed my head dejectedly, feeling a tear trickle down my cheek and splash onto the ground. I did see my fur had now become as toneless and colorless as theirs, but what did that matter now? Despite the way they were acting, that had been a lie. They were my friends, the best friends I’d ever had. We’ve been through so much together, learned so much… and now that was over. They were all gone and I wasn’t sure if I would ever see them again.

But it was worse than that. We’d failed to stop Discord. The Elements hadn’t worked and now he was going to plunge all of Equestria into eternal chaos, overthrow Celestia and Luna, and take their place on the throne. Worse still, I’d failed to save Dusk, like I’d vowed I would… possibly the one thing that had been motivating me all this time, that one desperate hope, and I didn’t even have that now. Right now, I need to go. Don’t know or even care where, I just had to get away from here.

Shield’s view

“Dusk… I’m so sorry… I tried…” Hearing her, I looked and was shocked to find Twilight trudging away, tears flowing down from her eyes and now just as gray as the rest of the girls.

“Twilight?” I said, now worried about her just as Dog and Leon came over and helped me up. “Where’s she going?”

“Who knows?” Dog told me as I saw he and Leon were just as worried. “But it’s obvious she’s not stayin’ here.”

“What do we do now?” Leon asked. “Now she’s like that, now the Elements of Harmony are nothing but stones! We’re doomed!”

“Don’t give up hope!” I said, not letting this get me down. “We might still have a chance to beat Discord!”

“Oh, I’m afraid your wrong there, little Shield.” Discord said as he appeared in front of us. “There is nothing for you to hope on.” With one snap of his fingers, me and the guys were then ensnared by tendrils. When I looked, I saw that we were caught by the three Paraserpents we met back at the castle: Leon caught in Doom Cobra’s bony grip, Dog wrapped in Blaze Mamba’s flames, and me trapped by Grim Viper. “Now, come along. Let’s go see if we can find my little trouble-maker.”

Just like that, the Paraserpents then started following him, taking the three of us with them by force.


Dusk’s view

I had many fears. Fear of rejection, of loneliness, of disappointing those closest to me, of pain and death. Even more so now, I feared what Diablo would do. I could feel my dark intentions burning like a forest fire, the destruction and suffering he intended to cause. I was supposed to be the only one that could stop him…

And I had failed. Now, I had a fear for if all I would be remembered for was that I had failed to stop him when I could. The last embarrassment and shame I would feel and it would be eternal throughout history. I waited for that fist to slam down and end it, just let oblivion take hold forever… just end it…

“Aah!” Diablo yelled as I then looked to see what caused my dark side’s action. “Get out of my face, you stupid butterfly!” That was when I was surprised by the sight of my little butterfly who was flying around Diablo, distracting him.

But I soon realized that it wasn’t the same butterfly as this one was lilac, not white. But where exactly did it come from? I didn’t have time to think about it much as Diablo scared it away with a blast from his horn.

“Geez! What the heck?” Diablo said, before shaking off his shock and turned back to me. “Now where were we?”

“Oh, no, ya don’t!” a voice cried out in the darkness as I heard the sound of rushing hooves.

Before Diablo could say anything, I heard the sound of hoof striking hoof, followed by a cry of surprise from Diablo. Being pushed away to a further distance, I saw the two of us were no longer alone… and it wasn’t just the butterfly that came here.

“Now, I’m only gonna say this once, big fella.” Applejack warned, placing herself between me and my darker self. “Y’all better back away from my friend, 'fore this gets real ugly, ya hear?”

Both me and Diablo must have mirrored each other in their expressions of shock at this sudden, unexpected arrival. But she wasn’t the only one who appeared to assist as a certain cyan Pegasus joined her from close by.

“Alright, punk,” Rainbow Dash added, slamming one hoof into another, “we can do this the hard way or the even harder way. What’s it gonna be?”

Diablo was still staring, until he recovered himself and snarled. “You think the two of you stand any chance against me?”

“Make that three, you big, growly, snarly, punchy, meanie pants!” a furious Pinkie added, bouncing out from behind me and snarling like a wolf.

“Yeah, um… what she said.” Fluttershy murmured, tentatively joining them and trying to look as ferocious as possible, but only looked more terrified.

“There are many things I can tolerate,” Rarity said, in a low dangerous voice, “but one thing I absolutely cannot stand is cruel, callous, uncouth brutes like you!”

“You dare to lay another hoof on my number one pony assistant and we are gonna have a huge problem!” In a flash of magic, Twilight teleported in at the head of the group, looking utterly beside herself.

I was wide-eyed and staring, still unable to believe what I was seeing. Here they all were, now, right when I needed them the most, more than any other time in my life. Standing between me and my enemy, like an impenetrable wall surrounding me, ready to stop Diablo at the slightest show of hostility. My friends… we’re here… to protect me.

Are you okay, Dusk?" Twilight asked, still keeping her eyes fixed on Diablo, but concern laced in her voice.

“I’ve… definitely… been better.” I replied, pushing myself back to my hooves and claws, my legs and arms shaking from the effort. “How… how are…?”

“You didn’t think we’d just leave you hanging, did you?” Rainbow said in her cocky voice. "Not when we need to teach this jerk a few manners.”

“I… I just…” I felt myself stagger a little, but ended up leaning against something warm.

When I looked up, I saw that Fluttershy had hurried to my side to prevent me from falling.

“You’re welcome.” she said in her gentle voice, when I had trouble getting the words out.

I shared her smile, when I suddenly realized something. "The last fragment… I still need it…”

“That’s why we’re here, darling.” Rarity assured me, flicking her styled mane out of her face.

“You think they can stop me?!” Diablo demanded. “You think you can hide behind them?! I am stronger, more powerful than all of them put together! This is merely a delay to your inevitable destruction!”

“Fluttershy, why don’t y’all take Dusk on up the way we came?” Applejack suggested. “We’ll stay here and have a nice chat with Mr. Nightfall here.”

“Right.” Fluttershy tried to pull me along, but I ended up resisting as I was fraught with worry for them.

“No! I need to beat him! You can’t fight him! He’s too strong!”

“Sorry, Dusky. This is one party you’ll have to miss out on.” Pinkie said, pulling out her party cannon and placing herself behind the barrel.

“Dusk, just go!” Twilight ordered. “We’ll hold him off, long enough for you to get the final fragment. We’ll be fine, don’t worry. Now go!”

“But I…”

“GO!”

I remained for a few moments, staring into Twilight’s shining violet eyes as she turned to face me. In that moment, the respect, admiration, and love I already had for her increased tenfold. She didn’t look scared or fearful, but certainly angry and more than willing to fight. She wasn’t going to be swayed, none of them were. I was still worried about them, but I had no choice. This was my last chance and I had to take it. I had to beat him.

I sighed and nodded, letting Fluttershy support me, and Twilight return her focus to the coming battle.

“As you wish… Miss Sparkle.” I glanced at her one more time, passing over all of them. “Be careful.”

Limping on my legs, but assisted by Fluttershy, I allowed her to lead me to a cave passage that I hadn’t seen, hobbling away as fast as I could, for I had no desire now to try and fight Diablo in the state I was in.

My attempted escape didn't go unnoticed by my darker self, who locked eyes on me and charged with the force of a bull.

“YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME!” he screamed. “I WILL—OOF!”

His advance was halted by Applejack, who kicked him with her strong legs and sent him skidding backward.

“Y’all weren’t plannin’ on leavin’ without sayin’ goodbye, were ya?” she remarked.

“YOU PATHETIC WRETCH!” he roared, going for her now. “YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!”

“All outta change, hon, but how about this!” She dodged his attack and gave him another hard kick into the wall.

“My turn!” I watched as a cyan streak sped towards him

Before he could recover, Rainbow charged in with a battle cry, grabbing him and throwing him towards Pinkie, who blasted him with her party cannon. The impact sent him reeling into the hoof of Rarity, as she smacked him across the face, followed up with a blast of magic from Twilight, making him crash to the ground with a loud thud.

I was once again held transfixed, staring as my foe recovered from the attacks, screeched with fury, and launched into the battle, only to be struck again by multiple, coordinated attacks from the girls. I’d never seen them fight like this before, all of them working together with their unique abilities to keep him held back. Then again, I had never seen them fight before and I was certainly glad I wasn't their enemy.

I only hoped they would be able to keep him at bay long enough for me to retrieve the final fragment. If I had learned one thing from fighting Diablo it was that the more you attacked him, the angrier he became and the more determined he was to defeat you for inflicting pain upon him. He’d been only using his fists on me, but he would resort to his own magic soon enough then… I tried not to think about what he might do…

“Come, Dusk. We need to go.” Fluttershy urged, nudging my side.

I snapped out of my reverie and nodded, limping my way to the passage, listening to yells of the girls and Diablo as they fought each other, the occasional flash of light from Twilight lighting the cavern. As we hurried out, Diablo’s voice was heard clearly above the fighting, singing tauntingly again.

Your so-called friends,
We are agreed,

Cannot protect you,
Now that I am freed.

Your body broken,
Your spirit numb,

Weak and waiting,
For the end to come.

Fall to the shadows,
Just give in to the pain,

Fall to your grief,
And let it grow into your bane.

Rot in the caverns,
Forming down in your soul.

When the night has arisen,
Then the chaos will be whole.

I ignored the voice and pushed on, letting Fluttershy guide and help me along. Diablo was just trying to get into my head, to undermine what little confidence I had to put me in a weak enough mental state to defeat me. Classic psychological warfare, but I wasn't going to let it get the better of me, not while my friends were in danger…

The passage we followed, while still inclining upwards, was a lot easier to negotiate than the steep cliff face had been, with this being much more smooth, less rocky than the other parts of the cave had been, with a gentle upward slope that I could manage relatively well considering my state. The light here also began to get gradually brighter, drowning out the shadows that had previously surrounded me.

The fact I was here with Fluttershy also gave me great comfort. She was a gentle force against my side, just enough so I could remain standing. Not only that, but her presence gave me added strength, assurance that she and the girls were here for me, that they were still fighting and willing to make sure that I kept going as well. I wasn't sure if she was real nor not, but she felt real to me and that was enough… my honorary little sister…

“Come on, Dusk. We’ll make it.” she encouraged gently. “You and me, we’ll get there.”

“I…I hope so…” I lifted my head to look at her. “Thank you… for being here for me.”

Anything for my friends.” she replied. Her smile became a vision of shock when we heard somepony scream. “Oh, my! Who was that?”

“I think it was Rarity, but… I’m not sure…” To me, it had sounded like Rarity, but the truth was I didn’t want to think about it.

“Ooh… that meanie!” she growled. “I’m so mad, I could just hit him!”

“I don’t think that would help.” I said, remembering the last time she’d said that.

“Yeah, you’re right.” She returned her head facing forward and pushed me on. “Just one more fragment and you can show him whose boss.”

“I… I don’t know, Fluttershy…” I said unsurely.

“You can beat him, Dusk. I know you can.”

“But it’s just…” I sighed at how pathetic I must sound. “Every time I hit him, he just keeps coming back. I’m not strong enough to fight him… I never will be…”

Fluttershy seemed to consider this. “Well… maybe it’s not about who’s stronger than the other and it's not just about fighting on and on. It's when the fighting stops that's important and who's willing to end it."

I gazed up at her in amazement. “Wow… that’s… very profound, Fluttershy.”

“It is?” She seemed quite flustered at the compliment. “Thanks.”

We stopped walking at the sound of cracking stone and magic being cast.

Behind me, I heard Diablo’s voice echo throughout the tunnel again, plaguing my ears like the buzzing of an angry nest of hornets, followed by the cry of somepony being hit, but I couldn't tell who.

I…
Will start a fire!

Watch it rise…
Through your city!

This was then followed by a loud crash and the sound of hooves and claws stomping, echoing through the tunnel. That could only mean one thing.

“Oh, my!” Fluttershy gasped. "Oh, dear! He’s coming…”

“I know… let’s keep going.” I kept staggering on, knowing it was just a little bit further and we had mere minutes before Diablo caught up with us.

We finally reached the end of the cave. I could actually see the sun streaming in through the mouth of the cave, blinding at its intensity. Before this light, floating eerily in the beam, was the remaining fragment, just waiting to be taken.

We made it.” I turned to my companion. “Fluttershy… I need to…”

Fluttershy nodded in understanding and let me go as I staggered over to the fragment, knowing I needed to retrieve it myself, for this one had my fur color on it, the same duke blue as I had. Though this one was different than the others. Instead of having just a bit of color, it was all blue. Seeing this, I smiled as this was confirming more of my theory about it. This was my piece, the remaining lost part of myself in a way. Diablo was getting closer, I could hear the steps of his hooves and claws along with Fluttershy’s terrified squeaks. I had to do this… almost there…

Finally, when I was close enough, I pulled it down with my claw, held it before me, and attached it to my necklace. Feeling the strength surge through me, through my muscles, my limbs, my very mind, I started up my own song, making sure that everypony would hear me. My own personal victory.

Rise from the agony,
That pierces your mind.

Rise from the stigmas,
Of enigmas you’ve designed.

Rise from the chaos,
Of a world turned to dust.

As the faces of harmony,
Are waiting for the Dusk!

Rise from the shadows,
Make a fist of the pain.

Rise from your grief,
Before it grows into your bane.

Climb from the caverns,
Forming down in your soul.

When the sun has arisen,
Then your friendship will be whole!

Bolstered, I turned to face my enemy, ready now for the final confrontation. With that strength came some knowledge, a hint of wisdom that made me stand proud with a smile filled with confidence.

He kept smiling even when the thundering hooves stopped and I looked up to see Diablo, along with the girls galloping after me, had finally caught up. The latter group looked worse for wear, but nowhere near as badly as Diablo, who looked like he could barely stand.

“You found it?!” He stared at me; something akin to fear flickering across his face…no, it was fear. “No matter, I can still destroy you!”

He whipped around to the others and shot magic at their hooves, making the rocks spring to life and hold them in place, fixing around them like manacles and trapping them no matter how much they struggled.

“Come, Dusk! Finish him!” Rainbow called out. “We got him all warmed up for ya!”

“Show that brute what for!” Rarity added.

“Come then, brother. Let us finish this! Your friends cannot help you now, nopony can!”

Diablo stood, ready for another bout, his nostrils flaring and his eyes alive with anger, rage… and that fear, again. It was only now I took a better look at him that he started to notice it. He looked at me, by how confident of what I had to do to truly defeat him.

I shook my head, looking unflinchingly at him. “No, I will defeat you. But I’m not doing it by myself.”

“What?!” Diablo chuckled. “What jest is this? You seem to be all by yourself.”

“No jest, no jokes, because that’s the difference between you and me. You can never be truly happy, sad, relieved, satisfied, or even comforted because you’re alone with your thoughts.” I allowed my expression to soften. “I don’t fear you, not anymore.”

“And why is that?” Diablo asked in derision, but still with that flicker of fear.

“Because I understand now.” I let that sink in before continuing. “You are what I would become if I let my bad experiences, beliefs, and fear of being alone get the better of me. You are nothing but anger, hatred, cynicism, cruelty, fury, rage…and fear, most of all fear. All the things I’m not.”

“Fear? I am not afraid of you or anyone!” he roared back.

“Yes, you are. Fear is what drives you most: the fear of pity because it makes you look weak, the fear of happiness for when it will end, fear of me for ending your existence.” I frowned at him. “That’s all you are, Diablo, and I don’t fear you… because I’m not alone as long as I have my friends. You see, friendship can turn even the most negative emotions into something so much better, so much more.”

Diablo was dumbstruck, but only for a moment and he laughed again. “Like what?”

“You already know because my friends showed you examples of it.” As I spoke, I saw him gazed around at the girls as the rock holding them down shatter, letting them stand again, and look to see beside me along with the girls Luna, Dragonis, Gold Star, the Crusaders, Shield, Spike, Silver Blade, Zecora, Dog, Little Strongheart, Leon, and Princess Celestia with the same look I had, before returning to Diablo. “Anger can calm, hatred can become love, and fear… can just fade away.”

“No, no!” Diablo stepped forward desperately. “Fight me, fight me now!”

“I don't need to. You’re already beaten.”

As I stood there, I felt the bond I shared with all twenty of them give me even greater strength, something I’ve never felt before.

No one’s view

As Dusk then closes his eyes, he and his friends began to glow in a shining blue light that made Nightfall want to cover his eyes.

After the light dimmed, he looked again to see everything was turned into a white void, he was alone, and in the group’s place was a huge twister of fire.

“No! NO! WHAT’S HAPPENING TO ME?!” He shouted as his body twitch like a computer glitch and swelled up into a ball, beginning a sequence of him morphing into different versions of himself.

Popping like a balloon, he then put himself back together and turned into a small, stone column with two screaming versions of his head and multiple limbs. He then broke apart and turned into a black puddle before rising up as a malformed version of himself. Then, as if by an unknown force, he lifted a few feet into the air in his original form, but was turning multiple colors, had yellow eyes, and had multiple symbols appear on the front of the plume of his horn. When it was over, his body was pitch black with wings spread out, eyes filled with and glowing violet, and his claws set out in front of him.

“DUSK!” he screamed as he went off to try to attack Dusk.

But, before Diablo could, the fire twister dissipated, revealing Dusk as El Dragon and with a stern glare on his face as the fire elemental then punched Nightfall right in the chest. Like glass, Diablo is turned into multiple shards of himself as he plunges backward, the Kishin disappearing in the void.

Dusk’s view

With his echoing screams of agony fading from the void, I took this chance to take a breather, feeling like I had run a marathon.

After getting all my breath back, I then said “Goodbye, Diablo. I hope our paths never cross again.”

I watched as the void began to change and I was in Ponyville before Discord took over in front of a large golden gate.

Seeing all of this, I truly felt content and victorious. I had done it, I’d actually done it! I’d made it out and I was going to go back and stop Discord’s reign of chaos… somehow. Without Nightfall’s corruption, I heard my friends coming to me, congratulating me on my defeat of Diablo Nightfall.

“Way to go, Dusk!”

“That’s being the better pony!”

“Y’all get on outta here, go on!”

“Whoop-whoop-de-doop for yoop!”

“Yay!”

“Good luck out there! We’ll be here for you!”

Then the gate open and they went through it. Before I could go ahead and follow…

“Well done, Dusk.” A voice said as I turned around to see somepony walking up behind me, a stallion who was giving me a proud smile. “I knew you could do it.”

This was actually somepony I didn’t know or even recognize. He kind of looked like me, but had a white coat, a little ruffled green mane and tail, and emerald eyes. On his flank, I saw his cutie mark was a green eye surrounded by six rings that each had one of the six colors of the rainbow, starting from red as they spread out about half an inch apart from each other.

“Who are you?” I asked him.

“Allow me to introduce myself.” He said to me, standing in front of me. “I am Fore Sight.”

“Fore Sight?” I was shocked to hearing that name. “As in, ‘Fore Sight the Uncanny’?”

“That is correct.”

“I can’t believe it! I’m truly honored to meet you.”

“As am I to meet you. I have been watching you for a long, long time. You certainly have come a long way, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. I guess I have.”

“You’ve done a lot too, much like sharing the talent you inherited from me and defeating a Paraserpent. Truly, you are a descendant of mine to be proud of.”

“I didn’t do it alone. Honestly, I don’t know where I would be if it weren’t for my friends.”

“Yes, you’re friends have proven to be excellent companions. Though I sense they’re more than that. Is that true?”

“Yeah. They’re more than that, they’re…my family. Every last one of them.”

“Of course. Now I see.”

“See what?”

“There’s a reason I failed in my search. Unlike you, I decided to take that journey alone and I let my worries lead me astray from my friends. I tried to force the lost to be found. Seeing you, here and now, I finally understand. The very thing of which I knew would be needed the most was not something to be found, but earned.”

“Earned?”

“Yes. And you earned it through your friendship with others.” He then motioned to me. “Those signify as proof.”

Looking down, I realized what he was talking about as I gazed upon the stones around my neck. Hearing all this had confirmed my suspicious about them, especially as to how important they were.

“Dusk,” I then looked to my ancestor as he spoke to me again, “the courage and leadership you have shown along with the bonds you made are what make me proud of you.” His horn then gained a rainbow aura before I then looked to see Husk and my father (light forms made from my memories of them), the two smiling proudly at me. “Even with all the pain from your past, you still kept your heart pure and allowed it to be filled with hope and love. You might have doubts on your own abilities, but just know that you’ll never be alone as long as you have your friends. Do you see that, Dusk?”

With a smile and tears at his kind words, I then said “I do.”

“Good. Now go. Return to your friends.” He told me. “Help them defeat Discord and save Equestria. It is and always has been your destiny.”

“Before I go, tell me,” I said to him, “these powers I got from you, what exactly can I do with them? Can they work like yours? Or can they do something else than that?”

“All good questions with answers I’m afraid you’ll have to find on your own.” He told me as the light forms of my father and brother stood beside him. “Just remember: through fearful day and raging night, keep your strong heart full for hope burns bright.”

“I will. Thank you.” I said before I turned and strode to go through the gate.

Now, it was time to end this once and for all, to do whatever I could for my friends and my home. As I strode out, I could hear Princess Luna, whispering closely, like she was walking out with me.

Why do we fall?
Learn to...

Why do we fall?
Learn to...

“Rise.” I finished, stepping out into the light.


No one’s view

Roaring out in absolute, sheering pain, Diablo stood there as his headache was at its peak. The roaring lasted for a few minutes before Diablo stopped. With his eyes losing their violet glow, he then collapses on the ground. After he does, his cutie mark fades away as his body begins to morph, becoming the black blob he once was with Dusk’s necklace being absorbed into him. A moment after this happened, the blob stayed still as silence filled the air. After a moment, a light forms within the blob, one of midnight blue. As the light grows, the blob begins to swell up until it was as big as a house in Ponyville. A moment of shaking like it was under extreme pressure, the blob popped and was scattered around the area. Lying there on the ground, the black substance was consumed by a blue aura and, like water applied with focused sunlight, began to evaporate until there was nothing left.

Dusk’s view

Groaning like I had just escaped a boa constrictor’s wrapping grip, my eyes feeling heavy as I opened them, I looked to see my necklace in front of me. Using my magic to pick it up, I felt my strength return as I lifted myself up back on my hooves and claw, rubbing my head with my right claw like I just recovered from some injury or something traumatic.

Seeing my necklace, now bearing black stones except for one that bared the color of my fur, my eyes widen and I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face. It seemed impossible, incredible… but I’d actually done it.

“I’m… I’m back.” I said, returning to the waking world at last. “I’m back!” My mouth fell open as I saw the state Ponyville was in. “By Celestia! What has he done… what have I done?”