“Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
-Alfred Pennyworth, The Dark Knight
“Does it hurt?” Doubt asked, poking Faith’s shoulder. The male abstract grit his teeth, refusing to give in to the taunts. The wound on his chest continued to pour blood onto the stone floor and it was only his status as an alicorn that ensured he wasn’t dead already. He could feel his skin slowly reforming around the wound but he knew it would be a long time before it was healed and that it would be touch and go until he could get the magic canceller off his horn and perform the rapid healing spell. “Shhhh, you don’t have to answer, little snatcher. I can tell it hurts rather badly.” Doubt lowered her head and tenderly kissed his cheek. “I am glad it does, bandit; it wouldn’t do if you didn’t feel my pain.”
“I… am not a thief,” Faith growled out. He was, by his very nature, not a violent stallion. That didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous; far from it. There were plenty of ponies that, much to Faith’s regret, had died because of him. The lord of the gray simply preferred to focus on defense and mental battles over physical offensive assaults. It just wasn’t in him to brutally attack another living creature unless pushed to his limits. His attack on Sweetie Belle had not been fueled by anger at all and he had sought only to knock her out, not kill her.
Staring at Trixie’s fallen form and feeling his own blood coating the chest, the desire to drive his hooves through Doubt’s eyes until he punched two holes through the back of her skull welled up deep within his soul.
“Oh, so angry, my robber baron,” Doubt teased before kicking him in the side. “So very, very angry. Why not give us a quip or a snarky little reply?” Doubt drove her hoof down onto Faith’s left foreleg, causing him to buck. “Come now… why so furious?” Doubt pressed her hoof against Faith's side, giggling as she felt his ribs slowly begin to crack under the pressure. "I only wish I could let you feel the agony I suffered through for so very, very long."
The silver abstract let out a gasp when Doubt released her hold. "It... it wasn't a picnic for me, you mewling quim!"
Doubt’s hoof lashed out and his head snapped back, striking the wall.
"You got blood on my hoof," Doubt complained, wiggling her right foreleg and sending droplets of ichor raining down on Faith's face. She leaned down and tenderly licked his forehead. "Mmmm... your agony is so yummy. I could lick you for hours."
"Any pony every tell ya you are a bloody crazy bint?" Faith gurgled. He winced, preparing for a strike, only for the blow to never come.
"I"m... I'm not crazy," Doubt said, her eyes wide and tears gathering. "I'm not."
"... apple, cherry, pumpkin, bananna..."
"What are you doing?" Doubt asked, genuinely confused.
"I have a horrible condition known as 'I cannot keep my big mouth shut'. Rather than insult you, I decided to list my favorite pies in order."
Doubt smacked his right leg. "Fool... every pony knows pumpkin is the best." The abstract that was wearing Cadence's face began to pace before him, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "You must take this more seriously... you are going to die soon."
"I've been dying most of my life, love," Faith commented. "Mind if I spit out some of the ichor in my mouth? I normally don't spit in front of a lady-"
Doubt motioned for him to do so, taking sick joy at seeing just how much blood landed on the floor. "Now then, I could either tell you why I am doing this in graphic, mournful detail... or we could discuss the weather."
"There aren't any windows in here, so let’s discuss why you are beating me."
"Wise choice." Doubt turned and sat down right on Faith, causing the battered gray alicorn to whimper. His attacker showed no sign of noticing or caring about his pain. "My life was a wonderful one, pickpocket. I spread doubt through the world, convincing ponies to abandon their friends and family and make oh so delicious mistakes that led them down dark and rather dramatic paths. Ponies that would have stayed home and had such boring, safe lives were driven towards adventure and danger and many times death. Truly I was an artist and this entire world was my canvas."
"And the blood of the innocent wet your paintbrush?"
Doubt patted him on the head. "You are catching on! It is a pity I hate you... I think you and I could have had so much for loving and fighting. Now, where was I?"
"You were causing the death of innocent ponies."
"Ah, yes. Things were going so well for me. I used to dance with fear and terror and I were on a first name basis... though we only had first names-"
"By the Creator, you'd make Pinkie Pie's head hurt," Faith groused, earning another swift kick. "You know, I might be attracted to you if you weren't such a filthy slag."
Doubt preened a bit, which was very disturbing when she wore Cadence's face. Faith wasn’t for sure if he should laugh or roll his eyes at her antics. "Things were going well and I was making quite a name for myself... parents would warn their little foals to always follow the rules set down for them, lest they be dragged away by some faceless monster. That only made my job easier... it is such a breeze to inflict doubt upon a mind that has been told what to do. The more stern the enforcer, the easier it is for me. Oh, so many children were lured away-"
Faith growled and Doubt had to smack him upside the head to keep him firmly on the ground. Doubt's smile fell and her voice went as cold as the top of the Crystal Mountains. "And then YOU came along. You... the spreader of Faith. At first I saw you as of little interest... we actually complimented each other quite well: you would steer ponies to believe in some silly notion and I would bring them back to doubt."
"Or you would corrupt them and I would open their eyes to the strength of faith."
Doubt just shook her head. "Stupid little snatcher." She sniffed and continued. "Then you forgot your name and I celebrated! Soon you would die and a new, weaker Faith would arise. It would make my job so easy, so simple..." The spirit that wore Cadence's form grabbed Faith's head and slammed it into the ground, causing the abstract's vision to blurr. "But you just couldn't die, could you? You were stubborn and had to stay around, first trying to get Luna to aid you... then that little worm Clockwork." She glanced over at Trixie and laughed. The blue unicorn was just coming around, stumbling and trying to find her footing. "You do so love to cavort with pathetic, meaningless thin-"
Faith bucked violently, throwing Doubt from her perch. She blinked in surprise as he rose up, his limbs shaky from bloodlust but his fury still there. "You will respect them."
"I will do no such thing!"
The silver abstract lowered his head, jabbing his horn at her. Doubt let out a hiss of pain, backing away. She brought her hoof up to her cheek and stared at the blood to dripped from the gouge Faith had given her. "You listen to me, you filthy tart, and you listen well...I don't bloody care. I already know the end of your story." Faith took a step forward, ichor oozing down his legs. His head felt light and his limbs were numb but he couldn't bring himself to care; a 1000 years had a way of numbing some to the normal fears of death. "Clockwork gave me a name... your name. And because I was more connected to Equestria because of my time being an element, I was able to more easily slip into the minds of ponies. And here is the rub, you silly little bint: I was a better Doubt than you ever were! You were unfocused and destructive; I had honor and guided ponies towards grand destinies. Were some of them wicked? Of course... but at least I wasn't out there slaughtering the innocent. At least I didn’t murder children for my own sick joy.” Faith swayed but remained on his feet. “I always thought I was a monster but now I thank the Creator I fell, because it meant you were contained!
"I don't know how you survived and I don't bloody care, if I am honest. You survived and now you blame me for something that wasn't my fault. Well, guess what? THAT HAPPENS TO EVERY PONY! We all get a crummy turn sometimes and you have to roll with it! Even at my worst, when I blamed Celestia for everything, I never lost my cool and I worked to help those that were innocent. You, my dear, are nothing but a monster and any sympathy I had for you died the moment you opened that filthy little mouth of yours, you trollop! So how about you just shut up and kill me, then move on because I could care bloody less about you and your moronic sob story!"
Doubt merely stared at him, surprised by Faith's hate-filled words. She blinked, ran her tongue along the inside her cheek... and then let out a giggle.
"Have you gone nutters?" Faith grunted.
Doubt lashed out, raining blows upon him until he was on his belly, unable to even cover his head to protect himself.
"I am not crazy! Stop calling me crazy!" She gave him one final, solid kick, then turned to look at Trixie, who had finally managed to stand up. The blue unicorn's forehead was stained with crimson that dribbled down her temple and along her jawline. "I'm not crazy."
"Sure you aren't," Trixie said, slowly backing away from the fuming pink alicorn.
Doubt shook her head and laughed. "Oh, look at it... it doesn't understand, does it?"
"I am assuming I am it," Trixie stated.
"It is clever," Doubt said with a nod. "Is it much more clever than the thief." Trixie didn't say a word, proving that she at least was smart enough to not egg on the clearly mad pony... unlike a certain silver alicorn. "Does it understand what is going to happen?"
"No... why don't you tell Trixie?" The blue mare began to edge away from Doubt.
The pink alicorn chortled. "Oh, it will be ever so much fun. War is brewing and the two sides of the board are in motion. The thief's accomplice moves the rebellion against my queens while they step up their efforts. Both will clash and Equestria will tremble. Oh, it will be such a long fight, full of betrayal and lost. One will kill the other and when that happens their faith in goodness and harmony will be shattered. Then, and only then, will Doubt reign. I will brew discontent and anger in all the ponies and they will turn on each other likes hungry timberwolves till all are dead dead dead!" Doubt spun around in utter glee as she spoke of her master stroke. "The burglar worked so hard on this land and loves it so... and I will burn it to ashes and bath in the soot made from a thousand dead ponies!"
"That... that is your plan?" Trixie whispered in horror. Her stomach rolled and she felt like she was going to throw up. "You did all this to make ponies feel doubt?"
"Yes! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!" Doubt cheered and danced around, grabbing Trixie's front legs and spinning her about before letting go and sending the blue mare crashing into Faith's broken body. "They will doubt their queens and they will doubt their friends and in the end all will doubt themselves. Then faith will die and all that will be left is.... MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" Doubt suddenly stopped, her mood switching to utter sadness. "Oh... how terrible that you and the robber tried to escape... Cadence tried to stop you but you killed the guards as they killed you... such a pity." Doubt advanced on Trixie would wrapped her forelegs around Faith in an attempt to shield him. “But atleast Cadence survived to tell the tale…”
"I think Faith was right." Doubt turned, staring in shock at a fully recovered Sweetie Belle; the captain stood tall, glaring at the pink alicorn. "You are crazy."
"I AM NOT CRAZY!" Doubt screamed.
"Crazy crazy crazy crazy!" Sweetie taunted. "Crazy flank, crazy flank!"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Doubt howled, charging at Sweetie.
The alicorn let out a yelp when a meaty hand gripped her by the throat, halting her advance.
"While you were rambling on like a bad supervillain I took the time to free the rest of the prisoners," Sweetie Belle said with a grim smile.
Doubt stared at the creature that restrained her. "Who-"
"Iron Will is the name!" The minotaur slammed her into the wall before delivering enough punches to leaving Cadence/Doubt's body twitching. "Beating up crazies is my game!"
Sweetie Belle took one last look at the wiggling form of the pink alicorn before trotting over to Trixie. The blue mare sneered and jabbed her horn at Sweetie Belle while draping herself over Faith's mutilated body, not caring if his blood stuck to her coat or mingled in her wounds.
"It's ok... I'm not going to hurt you," Sweetie said gently.
"You could have fooled me, the way you beat him up before," Trixie snapped.
Sweetie Belle grimaced. "Right... do you know the old saying, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'?" She gestured towards the other prisoners. Behind Iron Will there was a score of other ponies, each watching the captain of the guard carefully. "Whatever the hell is in Cadence is using my sister... and it used me. It wants to kill us all and that goes against everything I believe in. That means, right now, all of you are the best chance I have at harmony."
"So we are just supposed to forgive you?" Trixie snapped. "Maybe Iron Will should give you a few punches, see how you like it."
"No..." Faith croaked. Trixie moved to shush him but he merely shook his head, motioning for silence. Every word hurt and he knew he had to make each letter count. "Not... her fault... my siblings... tricked her... and Doubt... tricked them." He let out a cough, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. "Have... to work together."
A yellow unicorn with red hair nodded. "Indeed! The silver fellow is quite right... we are all of different talents and worlds but we have to put that behind us and help save Equestria!" He puffed out his chest. “Oh, I have always wanted to be a hero… wait till my dear brother hears of this!”
Iron Will nodded. "I agree with Flam! Sweetie Belle was wrong but she wants to help, so I say we let her."
Trixie scowled but, seeing she was outvoted, let out a huff. "Fine."
Sweetie nodded. "Iron Will, please carry Faith and Trixie; I don't think either of them can walk."
"What about the pink alicorn?" one prisoner, a buffalo, asked. "Do we take her?"
"Kill her," Sweetie said darkly. "She is the cause of all of this."
"No!" Trixie shouted. "That's Princess Cadence!"
Another pony prisoner frowned. “That doesn’t matter! She is like the queens, trying to kill all of us!”
“Not… her fault!” Faith gasped out. “Leave… leave her… we’ll… find a way… to save her…”
“You can’t be serious…” Trixie complained. “We-“
“He’s right,” Sweetie said with a sigh. She wanted to destroy the creature that called itself Doubt but realized that attempted to do so would not work and only spill more blood. “We can’t risk taking her with us and we can’t kill her… we have to leave her.” She nodded her head towards the limp body of the abstract. “Iron Will?” Iron Will reached down and gently gathering the two in his arms.
“Let’s go,” Sweetie Belle said, leading the prisoners out of the prison… and leaving a fuming Doubt behind.