Black was currently being dogpiled by Shining Armor, Applejack, and Rarity, who were trying to keep the sadist pinned.
“Get off!”
Black used his magic to push Shining, Applejack and Rarity off of him, lifting all three ponies off of him. As they hit the floor hard, Black’s magic ceased soon after. He stood up from the ground and dusted himself off, ruffling his new wings on his back. “Now that’s useful there.”
Shining groaned as he got up, helping Rarity and Applejack to their hooves and looking back at Black. “I took care of your friend Blue back at the castle, I can take care of you also. Surrender now or else!” he shouted out to Black, as he charged his magic.
Black grinned at the words spoken to him, “Typical from a Captain, always thinking you can win. Oh well, nice knowing ya,” he said to Shining, as he charged his horn too and jumped into the air. Black projectiles were being shot at the three ponies as they huddled together with Shining, who seemed to cast a shield just in time to stop the black projectiles from hurting them.
“What do we do, y’all?” Applejack asked as she started to panic from the attack, something that a pony did not see everyday.
Shining stood quiet with the shield held, “I got an idea but it’s a long shot,” he said to the mares as he poured all his concentration into his magic.
“Anything will suffice!” Rarity shouted out as her eyes started watering as clutched herself to Shining for protection.
“Applejack, do you have rope on you?” Shining asked her with his eyes on Black.
Applejack pulled out the length of rope with her mouth, “Eeyup!”
“Rarity, there should be a blue bottle in my bag where you’re standing. Take what’s in there and pour it all over the rope, ok?”
“Right!”
Rarity had her hoof in the bag and search its contents, before finding a bottle with glowing blue liquid in it. “Applejack, the rope now!” she ordered her friend to give her the rope, which she did. Rarity used her magic to open the bottle and pour the watery substance on the rope. The rope suddenly began to glow the same blue as what the substance did and Rarity handed it to Applejack.
“Applejack, how fast are you on your hooves?” Shining asked her as his magic began to waver under the pressure Black’s projectiles.
“Ah can outrun Angel Bunny!”
“Who?” Shining asked her curiously, just as a crack was forming on his magical shield. “Nevermind!” Shining’s shield began to glow brightly, and a surge of magic propelled from it.
The magic shaped itself into a giant spear, that flew straight for Black’s levitated self. The magic he was casting stood no chance against the colossus, that showed no sign of slowing down. The magical spear did not pierce Black, but instead went through as he covered himself with his hoof and new found power. However, he suddenly felt numbness take hold of his body, ceasing his wing movements. He fell to the ground, emitting the sounds of bones break from the collision.
“Now, Applejack!” Shining ordered Applejack to do what he requested.
Applejack took hold of the rope and ran as fast as she could to Black, who was starting to recover from his fall. Applejack clenched her teeth hard as she held the rope, doing a lasso as it travelled to a surprised Black. Once the rope was around him, she tugged at it hard, binding Black.
Black tried to get out of the rope, but he realized his wings were not working, due to the fact of them being smashed thanks to the magical spear earlier. What startled him even more was his magic did not want to respond to his will.
“What did you do to me?!” he demanded to Shining Armor, as he saw the stallion him with three of the mares. “Wait until I get this bucking rope of me you little p-” he was silenced by Applejack, as she bucked him hard in his face, with a few of his teeth coming out of his mouth as he fell unconscious.
“What horrible language to use in front of a lady!” Rarity commented as she looked down on the fallen black as raised her head high fast releasing a ‘hmph!’ that was not noticed by the others. “Though is it safe to keep him like this?” she asked Applejack.
Applejack just sighed as she dusted her stetson, “He been knocked out cold sugarcube, ain’t hurtin’ none of us now,” she said calmly as she placed her stetson back on. “Curious though Shining, what was in that bottle ya gave Rarity?”
Shining picked up the bottle and showed it to them, the bottle read “Magic Be Gone” and the mares looked at him with confused eyes. “The princess often uses this for her pranks on unicorns, works fine on alicorns too, apparently.” he answered them bluntly as he stowed to bottle away. They weren’t out of the woods yet, as Shining saw his sister fighting against Bloodwing. “Let’s go!”
A few feet away, Twilight and Blaze were handling their final obstacle, the mastermind behind the whole mess.
Normally, Twilight would be approaching a situation like this logically, calculating the best plan of attack. But Spike was just beyond this pony, and seeing him suffer was causing her motherly instincts to override her more logical senses.
Fortunately, this was balanced out by Blaze, who was keen on relieving years of hatred and aggression on his previous employer. And with him being immune to the mad doctor’s powers, he provided plenty of cover.
“How annoying,” Bloodwing muttered as he blocked another blast of fire. “This is becoming too bothersome.”
“So why don’t you just give it up?” Twilight snarled angrily. “You can’t keep blocking us forever!”
“Hmm...” the pegasus rubbed his chin. “I suppose you’re right...”
At that point, his wing reached out and picked up a scalpel. Twilight just about burst out laughing at such a weak weapon.
And then the blade was lodged directly into his side.
Blood flowed freely from the wound, far more freely than it should have. Twilight had to hold back the urge to vomit. Blaze widened his eyes.
“No... he figured it out... I never thought he would...”
“Now, now, Red,” Bloodwing shook his head, sounding genuinely disappointed, “you should know I always figure everything out.” He then mutilated his other side, allowing blood to flow.
“Wh... what?” was all Twilight could manage.
“Move, move, move!” Blaze yelled, moving to the side.
A moment later, Twilight could see why. The blood flowing out of the mad pony suddenly lifted, like a gory whip, and lashed forward. Terrified, Twilight ducked just in time to avoid the weapon. It hit the wall, leaving a cut dripping in blood.
“H... how?”
“Oh, come now, Miss Sparkle,” Bloodwing said. “You of all ponies should know nothing is impossible with the right research.” The blood tendrils filed into points and shot at the pair. Blaze dodged, then tossed two fireballs at his opponent. It was blocked easily, serving only to amuse Bloodwing. Twilight brought up a shield that blocked the other attack, then pushed her shield forward.
It was not a move that Bloodwing had predicted. He began to move, but was too slow, and only succeeded in getting knocked on his back.
Twilight took advantage of this and charged forward. Which is why she was easy to catch in Bloodwing’s grip again.
Bloodwing dragged Twilight over to him and levitated her up to face his muzzle, “I got you now, my pretty,” he said as he smiled deviously at Twilight as he licked his lips.
Twilight glared at Bloodwing with hateful eyes, she began to remember everything that had happened. From Scootaloo to being abducted, to the discovery of the first lab, the encounter with White, her battle with Blue. The last memory that came to her was that of Spike being taken from her and brought to this Celestia-forsaken place to be killed all in the name of magic and science. She gritted her teeth as more rage began to flow in her. She closed her eyes and began to mumble words.
Bloodwing looked at her with a grin, “What you trying to say, my dear?”
The words came out clearer and her body began to glow slightly as an aura engulfed her. “You will pay for this!” she yelled out her body burned brightly, turning herself into a living pyro and opening her eyes to reveal nothing but white.
“What in Tartarus?!”
Twilight began to shout out as she fought Bloodwing’s hold, breaking free from the mad scientist’s bond and landing on the floor that as the flames bounced off from it.
“Y-you broke away from my blood hold! Impossible!
“Like you said,” she began to speak in whisper. “Nothing is impossible with the right research.”
Bloodwing backed off and started to propel his blood towards her in the shape of small cannon balls. The blood did not reach her as it evaporated upon reaching the flames.
For the first time Blaze had ever seen, Bloodwing looked terrified. He continued lashing out, hoping that at least one attack would connect, to at least distract his opponent, but it was all in vain.
He tried to run, a futile effort. He felt himself encased in Twilight’s magic. Suddenly, he was picked up and slammed head first into a wall. He felt his forehead get hot and sticky. He was pulled back up and slammed into the ground. His wing gave a snap. Blaze, for all his hatred of the doctor, winced. Up he went again, and this time straight into the ceiling.
For a few seconds, Twilight tossed him around like a rag doll, breaking his limbs and causing him to cry in pain and for mercy. But the mare wouldn’t have it. She wasn’t even aware.
Until a hoof came down roughly on her shoulder.
“Hey, Twi?” Blaze called. “I think you’re forgetting something...”
Then reality crashed through Twilight’s rage. Spike was still in trouble.
She dropped the pegasus, moaning and bleeding, and ran for the machine. She immediately took hold of the orb Spike was in and used her magic to shatter the glass. The red substance flooded the floor they were standing on and Spike flopped lifelessly in front of Twilight.
He hardly resembled a dragon anymore. He looked like a large mess of unfocused unicorn magic, which for all intents and purposes was what he was now. The form shifted and cried, it still sounded vaguely like her son.
She ran up to him and kneeled down to gather her son in her hooves, caring not that he was now painful to touch. Even as the magic stung her fur, she tightened her grip.
“Spike! Wake up, Spike! Spike!” she shouted to Spike, but no answer came from him. She started tearing and sobbed into his shoulders, cradling him. “Listen, you need to focus! Try and pull yourself together! Spike? Spike! Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike!”
“...and if you ever do something so stupid again, you are going to drill, drill, drill for days, you got it?”
To Light, the lecture was just a typical mother whining, but to Scootaloo, Pinkie, and Fluttershy it was downright surreal. Seeing the brash and immature pegasus act like a worried mother was a level of strangeness that even Discord would be hard pressed to top.
“...Well?”
Scootaloo jumped. “Yes, Rainbow Dash,” she said, actually feeling guilty, but at the same time happy. She had always wondered what it would feel like to have a parent that cared, and here it was.
“Ok, now I want you and Light to stay close to Fluttershy and Pinkie, ok?” she ordered the two foals as both nodded their heads slowly. “I need to take care of Bloodwing before he does something to Twilight and Spike and-” she stopped abruptly as she saw Scootaloo tearing in front of her.
Rainbow rubbed her hoof behind her head as she came closer to Scootaloo body, “Hey kid, I didn’t mean to yell at you like that. Just that I was-”
Scootaloo jumped at a surprised Rainbow and held onto her as she was sobbing into her shoulders. Her crying was muffled as her tiny head was deep in the shoulders of Rainbow. She held tighter the cyan mare’s body as she released all the tears she could.
Rainbow looked at Fluttershy and Pinkie with concern as she held onto Scootaloo’s small frame firmly, yet gently.
“... not real...”
Rainbow’s ears perked as she heard Scootaloo’s words from her shoulder. She leaned her head closer to the filly’s to hear her properly.
“What’s wrong Scootaloo?”
“I’m not real...” she answered Rainbow Dash as she slowly lifted her head to reveal her red crying eyes.
“What?” Rainbow asked her as she tilted her head in confusion to the filly’s statement.
“I’m not real! I just a freak! I am not a real pony!” she yelled out to Rainbow as she cried out more. “I’m just some lab test gone wrong... I’m not even supposed to exist!”
Rainbow decided to tighten her hold on Scootaloo and drape her wings over the filly’s shaking frame.
“Kid... what happened to you? You knew you were made by Bloodwing back in Ponyville...”
“No... I... I always thought... I always thought I was born once... Bloodwing just did something to me so I couldn’t remember...” Tears began to well up. “I’m... I’m not real...”
There was a silence. Then, Rainbow Dash carefully kissed the child on the top of the head. “Could you feel that?”
Scootaloo looked at the elder mare, confused. “Y... yes...”
“And I can feel you. I can have a conversation with you. I’ve spent time with you since you came to Ponyville. Don’t tell me I imagined all that...”
“You didn’t...”
“That’s because you’re real. You exist. Who cares if you were born or came out of a tube?”
“But...”
“No, no more of that. I’m not going to raise anypony who just dumps on themselves, especially for something so trivial. You’re a cool kid, that’s why I like you, and I’m not going to let you keep this up. Promise?”
“I...” Scootaloo trailed off.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Listen, kid... we can talk more about this once we’re out of here. But right now, Bloodwing and his goon could still be fighting, and we can’t afford to wait on that. I promise... tonight, we’ll talk more about what’s bothering you. Until then, I need you to be strong. For me, okay?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Okay...”
“Good, now stay with Pinkie and Fluttershy. I’m going to go up and...”
And then Rainbow Dash was struck.
Yellow had managed to pull one hoof out of the rubber gunk and had used it to get a clean hit on the cyan pegasus.
Seeing this, Pinkie jumped and lunged for her party cannon, but Yellow anticipated this. “Not this time,” she sneered, striking the earth pony in the chest. At this point, she had gotten both her hooves free. “When I get out, I’m going to...”
Rainbow lunged at her, but she fired, again and again. Rainbow dodged, but in the close quarters Yellow inevitably hit her.
Unfortunately, she also hit some of the equipment too. Several of the tanks were destroyed, with the experiments mutilated. When Yellow’s reckless firing shot on the tanks, a whistling sound emitting from it, releasing a gas that soon filled the room.
Pinkie sniffed the gas carefully as she closed her eyes to concentrate, which shot open fast and she turned to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “We gotta get out of here now!” she panicked and took hold of Light, galloping out of the lab fast. Fluttershy followed suit with Rainbow flying out fast holding Scootaloo close to her.
Yellow growled at the fleeing ponies, “Come back here you!” she shouted out as she shot another lightning bolt at them. This would be the final mistake of her existence, as the lightning lit up the gas in the room. An explosion followed with Yellow caught in the blast radius, and everything that was in the lab was reduced to ash thanks to the flames.
The shockwave of the blast hit the three mares, as all three of them flew across the hall, with Pinkie holding onto Light and Rainbow doing the same for Scootaloo. When the hallway was silent, the group lifted themselves from the ground and looked back to what was the lab. All three were at a loss of breath, save for the two foals who looked at each other before looking up to their elders.
“You think she’s gone?” Scootaloo asked Rainbow as she let go the cyan mare and stood on her four hooves again.
Rainbow dusted herself off and ruffled her feathers as she looked at Scootaloo, “She won’t be bothering us anymore,” she said to Scootaloo as she looked back to the others. “Everypony ok there?” she asked the others as they got to their hooves.
“I-I’m okay,” Fluttershy answered Rainbow softly, though she felt her hoof was slightly a sore from the experienced, she did not want to worry her friend any further.
“We’re okay here!” Pinkie merrily answered Rainbow as she helped up Light, “Are you ok though Lighty?” she asked the white pegasus.
Light was flushed slightly, “Lighty?” he asked her and saw her nodding fast at him. “I’m ok, thanks Miss,” he answered her and he turned to Rainbow, “What about your other friend though? Miss Sparkle?”
Almost on queue, a tremor shook the ponies as they looked to where the disturbance was coming from and all of them looked terrified at what might have caused it.
Twilight kept calling Spike’s name, despite how futile it seemed. The dragon simply wouldn’t respond.
“...Twi...” Shining Armor began. “Let’s get out of here. We can take Spike to a hospital or to the Princess and see if she can do anything for him.”
Hiccuping, she nodded. She placed Spike onto her back and began to sprint for the outside.
“Meanwhile, I can call a team to arrest this piece of... what the?”
Bloodwing wasn’t there anymore.
“What? How... he must have had every bone in his body broken!”
“Look, he left us a trail,” Applejack pointed out. Indeed, Bloodwing had left a bright red streak on his floor as he had crawled away. Shining had simply missed it in his surprise.
“Well, he’s not getting away from me,” the Captain said sternly. He began following the trail, with Applejack, Rarity, and Blaze following right behind him.
“Oh, I do hope this comes to an end soon,” Rarity moaned, careful not to actually step in the blood.
“Relax, this fella was givin’ a real beat down. What could he do...”
“No!”
Blaze’s cry made the other’s jump, but it was justified.
Bloodwing, indeed battered, was just behind his machine, standing on a strange platform. It stood under a metal top that connected to the machine that had held Spike earlier. A glass orb was beginning to close around him.
“No!” Blaze flew toward the container. He was too late, it snapped shut, causing the pegasus to smash against the glass. Desperately, he pounded against it. “Help me break this, before...”
And then Bloodwing turned it on.
From the top, Spike’s energy shot down and into the mad doctor, causing him to cry in pain. he twisted and contorted, but through the pain came laughter. Laughter that just got bigger as the changes happened.
His bones reset, healing in a clip. His wings grew longer and more elegant. His legs longer, thicker. A unicorn horn grew out of his head. His mane turned into fire, dancing. And he grew, bigger, and bigger.
“Everypony get out!” Blaze told the others as he saw the metamorphosis taking place, but before anypony could react, the glass orb shattered.
Bloodwing rose from the shattered glass and opened his eyes slowing, showing only red. He then observed himself thoroughly and began to chuckle softly. The chuckle turned into maniacal laughter as he was literally prancing around on the spot in merriment of what had happened to him.
“I did it! I finally ascended!” he exclaimed as he opened his wings wide and hovered himself from the ground and looked down upon the crowd of bewildered ponies. His gaze fell upon Black, who woke up in rope binding and looked confused for a brief moment before looking up to him.
“You’ve done it boss, you’ve done it!”
Bloodwing just waved his hoof and he smiled smugly, “Indeed so, my little Black,”
Black jumped around to get closer to the group as their gaze was only upon Bloodwing, “Alright! Now get me out of this thing!”
Bloodwing’s merriment turned grim as he looked down on Black, “I think not.”
“What?”
Bloodwing closed his eyes as he flew higher, “You’ve done me a great service my boy, but you’re usefulness has come to an end,” he raised his hoof, lifting Black from the ground and bringing him closer to him. “Goodbye,” he brought his hoof higher as Black rose higher too.
“Why you little rat-bucke-” Black’s words stopped abruptly and the others below him gasped at what was happening to him.
“In the name of all things sacred!”
It looked like the life was being sucked out of the sadistic alicorn. He shriveled up, his skin wrinkling and his frame becoming thinner. A wisp of energy left him and flew into Bloodwing, causing him to moan in pleasure.
Finally, it ceased, and Black was tossed onto the ground, lifeless.
“Well, that was fun,” Bloodwing smiled, licking his lips. “Now let’s see what this form can really do!”
And then, he summoned all the energy he could into one deafening explosion.