Cuatro

by Dirty Bit

Capitulo Treinta y Cinco

It has happened now: Cuatro had drawn out his latent potential as a powerful anamoly to Equestria. He continued to stare at Celestia in complete silence while she regained her footing from his exerted power. There was no rationality in his mind; not even any clear emotion of malice. All he did was stare, and it pierced into Celestia's soul without effort.

Celestia grunted while she waited for the shockwave to die down. She stared back at Cuatro and felt herself trembling from both his demonstration of power and the look in his eyes 'I-I've done it...But I have to hurry before it's too late!' She was successful, but was now more than cautious about Cuatro's new form. Celestia activated her horn, but Cuatro instantly blurred out with his Sonido upon detecting her action. She gasped, but was then met with a strong force connecting with the back of her head that sent her forward at an immense speed.

She did not see that Cuatro was flying with his hoof stretched out as he carried her in his punch. He then tossed Celestia forward, causing her to tumble across the badlands and constantly injuring herself with every rock in her way.

Celestia managed to recover onto her hooves and stop her painful travel in a skid. When she looked at the direction she came from, there was no sign of Cuatro. That changed when he instantaneously appeared in front of her. Before Celestia could react, Cuatro spun himself and had brought his tail upward to smack Celestia in the gut. The air escaped from her lungs before she was sent skyward at bullet speed. She flew into the air against her will from Cuatro's hit, and caught a glimpse of him waiting for her to approach him from above. He caught her neck with his tail, and loosened his grip to bring a hoof to Celestia's face, sending her back down.

Blood trailed from Celestia's nostrils as she rocketed towards the ground, and she had never felt so powerless in her time since the changeling invasion. She collided with the ground with the impact taking a serious toll on her back. Celestia had laid there for a moment before she recovered, feeling pain all around her body 'This power...It's too much. If I don't act fast, all hope might be lost...' When she stood on her hooves, she noticed how Cuatro appeared a great distance from her, staring her down with his haunting eyes.

Nothing was on his mind other than the thought of punishing his opponent. When he was certain that the distance between him and Celestia was great, Cuatro's horn lit up with a green aura and a green sphere began to materialize in front of him, expanding in size. It then grew out into a horizontal line, though it wasn't another Luz de la Luna.

It was entirely different from the spears he normally conjured; This one took the appearance of a large arrow that trailed with streams of pure destructive energy. It radiated with more intense light than his other attacks while it floated in front of Cuatro.

Celestia - from Cuatro's hidden memory - knew exactly what it was. Her eyes widened and her heart stopped as she gazed upon his new attack "No..." She whispered as he stared back at her while he readied his weapon "Don't do it..." Her urging fell on deaf ears as he continued to stare. Celestia found the strength to call out to Cuatro with a glare "Cuatro, I command you to cease at once!!" Sadly, her warning was fruitless as he went to strike. Before he tossed it, he uttered his first words prior to his small transformation.

"...Lanza del Relampago..."

With that, he launched the spear as it headed towards Celestia at a remarkable speed. Her heart buckled with fear as it neared her face without pause. Acting fast, she clenched her eyes and lit up her horn when the projectile was close to touching her. There was a bright light, and Celestia managed to teleport the Lanza del Relampago high above her as it trailed off into the badlands. When it had contacted with the ground at a long distance, it had triggered the largest explosion ever witnessed in the history of Equestria.

It expanded greatly with unparalleled force and easily ascended into the heavens, letting off a green shockwave that stretched across the sky. The shockwave was seen even in Appleloosa and Dodge City before cancelling out after passing over both towns.

Celestia would have been blown away by the display of power had she not sent the Lanza del Relampago to such a far distance. But when she looked back to see Cuatro, he wasn't there. Before she could pinpoint his exact location, she was brutally sidechecked by the strange alicorn onto the base of a canyon. Celestia's body was limp and decorated with injuries while Cuatro held her in place with a magical aura. She tried to avoid it, but she couldn't stop looking into Cuatro's eyes. He conjured another Lanza del Relampago with ease and held it up to Celestia's neck.
_____

Luna trotted along the halls of her castle, bitter with the responses she received from the guards on the topic of Celestia and Cuatro's whereabouts. She decided to go back to her chambers to look out on her balcony while waiting for their return. She heaved a sigh as she thought to herself about Celestia claiming to restore Cuatro's memory 'We do hope Tia is successful in her endeavor to aid Sir Cuatro. The way she had been acting was most unsettling for us all, and yet she chooses to keep to herself? It is most confusing...'

Feeling as if she were overthinking about her sister, Luna decided to change to the subject of Cuatro if he actually did get his memories back 'Imagine if Sir Cuatro's name were actually correct once he rediscovers his past...' A chuckle escaped her lips as she continued to think 'His smile would be a spectacle to behold once he returns...'

She was happy to finally share feelings with another alicorn that appreciated her night to no end. Luna was particularly curious on where Cuatro was born, or how he had come to be in Equestria. It was confusing to realized that there existed another alicorn aside from herself, Celestia, and Cadence. Nonetheless, she couldn't wait for his return. As she stared out to the vast horizon in thought, a distant gleam of green light caught Luna's attention 'What is-...??' She studied the light and where it had stood 'It must be far south from the castle, but why is it so familiar?'

Then she realized that she bore witness to a similar sight as her eyes widened 'Sir Cuatro!? But he was with-...' A gasp escaped her lips as she shouted "Guards!" Two of her night guards instantly bolted into her room on command. She turned to them with narrowed eyes "We're to be gone for a short while! Defend this castle in our absence!"

The two night guards bowed in reverence "Yes, your majesty!" They replied simultaneously.

Luna stared back out into the towering green light and squinted her eyes while her horn lit up 'Hopefully we won't be too far from the light before it vanishes...' She then winked out using teleportation magic.
_____

After utilizing her magic, Luna reappeared over a vast canyon in the southerm badlands, a small distance away from where the light began to recede 'There! We must hurry!' She flapped her wings and flew vigilantly towards the light. Many thoughts swam in Luna's head: Why was Cuatro way down south with Celestia? What was her sister planning? How much power does Cuatro possibly have to cause such a display of magic and why did he do it?

When the large green light vanished completely, Luna hovered over the sky and looked around the area below her for any sign of Cuatro and Celestia. When she spotted two figures north of her location at the base of a canyon, she swooped down to investigate. She descended to the ground and looked ahead, seeing what appeared to be her sister being held by an entirely different Cuatro pointing a large magic spear at her. At that point, her mind nearly shut down; the same alicorn that admitted his love to Luna appeared to be holding her sister and was about to issue the final blow. She regained her senses and channeled the Royal Canterlot Voice "CUATRO!!"

Before Cuatro went to strike, he turned to the direction the voice came from and spotted Luna staring with a shocked expression. He stared dispassionately before his eyes widened slightly upon seeing her "Lu...na..." He whispered as he gradually came to his senses; his eyes slowly reverted back to their normal colors while the black tear lines on his cheeks faded out; his ears receded to their regular length.

He went to ask why she was here, but Cuatro did not anticipate a blue magic beam shot at chest, sending him a few feet away from Celestia as he recovered in the air. It did not hurt physically, but the pain was clear as day to Cuatro to know who fired that beam. He noticed how Luna knelt at Celestia's side after gently laying her on the ground, and instantly carried the largest amount of regret for his actions.

"What have I done? To have acted so rashly, I've lost control of my senses once again..."

Luna held one of Celestia's hooves "Sister! What hast happened to thee!?" She asked with lush concern.

Celestia's vision cleared to see Luna staring down at her and she struggled to speak while she took labored breaths "Luna...I-...I'm sorry..."

Luna shushed her sister as she gently stroked the hoof in her grasp "Please, strain thyself no further...We'll get thee back to Canterlot posthaste! Worry not!" She spoke in attempt to rekindle hope upon witnessing her sister's condition, but ended up hanging her head down and biting back tears for what has happened.

Cuatro looked at the damage that was caused during his black-out period, then at the last pony he had hoped to bring misery towards. He cautiously approached the two alicorns with invisible anxiety looming inside of his heart "Luna...I...I-"

"Take not a step further..." Luna spoke through gritted teeth. Cuatro instantly stopped and watched a single teardrop sail down her cheek as she trembled in a mixture of anger and sadness "Why? Why would thou do such a thing?" She asked in a low tone.

Cuatro found it hard to respond upon seeing his beloved alicorn in such a mood "Luna...I can explain...She wanted me to do this..." He felt as powerless as Celestia back when they had fought.

Luna brought her head up before she jerked her head towards Cuatro and shot him the most vicious glare imaginable "We're to believe that our sister wanted this from the likes of thee!? Is that it!?"

Cuatro flinched at her tone of voice and continued to defend himself "I didn't want to from the start, believe me...But, about Celestia...She knows-"

Luna bared her teeth as she snapped "Withhold thy precarious explanation! If thou didn't wish to harm Celestia in the beginning, what hath she done to convince thee to mortally wound her!?" She was blinded by anger over what Cuatro had done to her sister.

After she had attempted to quell Cuatro's dark side, Celestia now felt that she had her plan to protect Equestria from his power had blown out of proportion. She was now laying injured, with Luna considering Cuatro to be the monster that she wished to contain 'I've made a mistake...' She lightly moved her head to grab Luna's attention "Luna...Don't-" She grunted in pain, unable to finish her sentence.

Luna instantly turned back to Celestia and held back her rage as her tone softened "Tia...We'll get thee back on thy hooves soon enough. Just please hang on..." She closed her eyes as she held her sister.

Cuatro could not take seeing Luna like this as he instinctively approached her. Luna narrowed her closed eyes when she heard his hoofsteps "Go..." She stated firmly as Cuatro stopped in his tracks "Just go away..."

Cuatro stared and braved himself to speak up "Please, Luna...I did not mean for all of this to happen..." He took another step.

Luna bared her teeth again "We will not repeat ourself again. Take to the skies and be out of our sight..."

Cuatro could not believe what Luna was saying; He willed himself not to. How else would he make amends to the one he loved "I beg of you...Hear me out...I never-"

Luna instantly faced Cuatro as her eyes glowed brightly with white light "LEAVE US AT ONCE!!" She bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice, shaking the area around her.

Cuatro's eyes widened as he stared at Luna's ire. It was as if his heart were torn asunder by his own actions fueled by Celestia's incentive. He could have ignored her request to fight, but was too caught up in wanting her to reveal his past to him. After a moment of glancing at Luna hyperventilating in fury, he managed to retain his usual expression, though he was not at ease. He unfurled his wingspan and slowly hovered into the air as Luna's glare continued to chip away at his inner defenses. After one last look at what he had caused, he blurred out with his Sonido, leaving Celestia and Luna by themselves in the badlands. A thought had crossed Cuatro's mind before he left the regal sisters behind.

"...I'm a monster..."
_____

Back in Ponyville, the element bearers were gathered in the library's main lobby for Twilight and her explanation regarding her possession of the elements. After she gave her side of the story (Even if it was a half truth), she heaved a sigh "So that's the whole deal. I'm very sorry to have kept this from you all for so long; especially since you're the best friends a pony could ask for!"

Applejack shook her head "T'ain't nothin', Twi. We understand that y'all were mighty flustered about this. Jus' try not t' leave us out of it next time!"

Rarity moaned with displeasure "I wouldn't imagine if we actually DO end up facing a dire threat that could put all of Ponyville on the line!"

Twilight felt a lump in her throat upon Rarity's scenario and fought the urge to gulp and make her anxiety known. She forced a smile "We don't wanna tempt fate at all, do we, Rarity?"

Rainbow Dash nodded "Yeah! It's not like we can't beat whatever comes our way, right?"

Fluttershy frowned "I'm still scared to think that we'll end up using the elements soon if the princess brought them to Twilight back then..."

Spike waved a dismissive claw "I wouldn't worry about that! Besides, if we do end up in trouble, we have Cuatro on our side! If anypony could protect us in our time of need, it's him!"

Fluttershy whimpered when Spike accidentally brought up how Cuatro handled the dragons "B-But what happens if he goes too far?" The entire room fell silent on this thought.

Pinkie was the one to break the silence "Hey now, everypony! Cuaty's not one to repeat the same mistake twice! He's about as smart as Twilight!" The others calmed down and took in Pinkie's optimistic response.

Twilight gave a warm and hopeful smile to Pinkie's words "Yeah. We know Cuatro cares about us, even if it means learning from his past actions."

Rarity rubbed her chin with a hoof "Speaking of the past, how long before Cuatro regains his memories and meet up with us? The anticipation is nearly tearing me apart!"

Spike scratched his head "Something tells me he'll still act like himself once he does. Anypony else feel the same way?"

Pinkie snorted "No way, jose! I'd say he'll act loads different once his memories come back! In fact, I think he'll be super duper happy to be himself again!" She grinned to herself at the though "Just wait! Cuatro will be at the front door and greeting us with a smile from ear-to-ear because his day turned out to be swell!!"

On cue, the front door swung open to reveal a certain pale alicorn, though he did not carry the facial features Pinkie had described. Cuatro's expression was unreadable; he wore a small frown, and his eyes were hidden under his mane. The others, save for Pinkie, were startled by both Cuatro's return and how he had looked "Hey! That's not how I pictured you coming back! Shut the door and try again!" Pinkie complained in a pout before she cocked her head to the side "Or are you playing a prank on us?" She asked inquisitively.

Her answer came in the form of silence as Cuatro stood for a brief moment before dragging himself into the library, passing his friends as if they weren't even there. Each mare grew more curious as he made his way up the stairs. Pinkie turned to her friends "Was it something I said?" She asked innocently.

Twilight followed Cuatro up the stairs and watched him lay on his bed, curling himself up. Anypony would pass it off as making themselves comfortable, but Twilight and the others knew it was something else. The group gathered next to Cuatro as he laid down, then Spike was the first to break the silence "Yo, Cuatro! You alright?" He looked away awkwardly when he received no response.

Fluttershy frowned "Oh dear...Did something bad happen to you? Please tell us..."

Cuatro had finally spoke for the first time he had arrived back in Ponyville "...I wish to be alone..." He stated in a withered tone.

The others traded glances that ranged from confusion to concern. Rainbow Dash spoke up, trying to ignore the downcast atmosphere Cuatro was basking in "Did Princess Celestia help with your memories at all? I'd figure you'd be more happy about that..." She rolled her eyes "Well, more like Pinkie, but you know..." She muttered nonchalantly.

"It was a failure..." Cuatro replied instantly, paying no attention to the looks of shock and sympathy on his friends' faces "Please...I don't want to bother you all with my presence...Just leave me here..."

Rarity frowned "Cuatro, you know you can tell us what's bothering you. We're your friends! We'll help you out in any way we can!"

Pinkie chimed in "Am I gonna have to throw another party to put some sunshine on your dark and lonely day?" She asked with a chipper smile, hoping to cheer up Cuatro.

They awaited a response from Cuatro, and he slowly shifted himself to where he turned his head and faced his friends. Each of their spirits were dampened when they gazed upon his face; It was surprising for them to see his eyes eliciting a different emotion for once, but it was not one that they had hoped for.

Profound sadness.

His eyes were lidded in a somber display and his friends took in his image with discontent. Each of them felt their ears flatten the longer they had stared at him. Pinkie, however, did not choose to let Cuatro's mood bring her down as she approached him with a grin "Come on, Cuaty! So today wasn't the day! That doesn't mean that there's no hope left! Maybe you can get your memories by tomorrow! And just think of what Princess Luna would say once you do!" At that moment, Pinkie noticed how he had shut his eyes and turned away after stifling a light grunt. She blinked at the reaction she received.

Twilight knew that Cuatro's mood had involved Celestia somehow, but she doubted that the entire reason for his depression rested on how the princess had failed to help him once again. She turned to her friends with a solemn frown "Girls, I think we need to give Cuatro some alone time..." Twilight urged in a soft tone.

Pinkie was flabbergasted "What? But he's already spent enough alone time with the princesses and now he's acting twice as sad as we usually see him! We should-" She felt a hoof on her shoulder and turned to Applejack, who closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. Pinkie finally frowned at this.

Rarity approached Cuatro and gave him a light pat while he faced away from his friends "Take care, darling. I'm sure you can get over whatever is bothering you..." She said with a hopeful smile.

Fluttershy inched towards Cuatro to give him a brief and reassuring nuzzle on his cheek before going back with her friends as they left the library. When the others were gone, Twilight requested Spike to brew some tea in the kitchen while she chose to remain at Cuatro's side. She took a deep breath "I know you want to be alone, Cuatro...But can you please tell me what's wrong with you?" She frowned "What happened with the princess?"

Cuatro gave a sideway glance to Twilight before he looked away "I've harmed them..."

Twilight perked up "What!?" She hissed, holding back a shout for Spike to hear.

"I've harmed Celestia...And in doing so, I harmed Luna as well...She wished to help with my self-control in combat rather than restore my memories, and I've ended up repeating the same mistake by going too far without any awareness of my actions...This is all I can say for now..." Cuatro stated in a straight tone, though was still depressed.

Twilight looked down with her mind in turmoil 'The princess lied to me? And now Cuatro has nearly killed her as well...What do we do now!?' She felt that Equestria was more than vulnerable with Celestia being put out of commission for a short time, but she was conflicted upon how she should feel about what Cuatro has done. It did not help that her friends were not fully aware of the elements' purpose of containing Cuatro the moment he would go rogue in Equestria.

But when she looked at the alicorn in front of her, her last thought had vanished completely. To her, it was as if Cuatro lamented his entire life while coping with his amnesia. Twilight held nothing but sympathy for her friend over what has happened, and hoped that he would recover and make things better for himself in the near future. She gave Cuatro a small hug with no exchanged embrace and trotted down the stairs to join Spike in the kitchen.

Spike readied the boiling teapot and noticed Twilight trotting in with a frown. He hopped off of the stool that granted him enough height to reach the stove and waddled up to Twilight "How long do you think he'll last before he gets better?" He asked.

Twilight sighed and looked back towards the stairs "I don't know, Spike. Hopefully, it won't carry on after this day is over. We'll just have to wait and see what happens..."

Spike crossed his arms "So cheering him up's out of the question?" He looked down "Actually, nevermind. I don't even know what would cheer Cuatro up. This is the first time he's ever acted like this!" The purple dragon stated incredulously.

Twilight turned to Spike "Maybe we can try something later today. A little time to himself would be healthy for him since it'll give him time to think. He'll end up talking to us about his problems soon!" She regretted her last sentence, wondering how her friends will react to Cuatro's folly.

Spike shrugged "Works for me. Anything to help out our Moon Shield, right?" He quipped to lighten the mood. The teapot whistled, signalling for the tea ready to be prepared "Well, why don't we have a cup or two while coming up with ways to cheer Cuatro up?"

Twilight smiled "That sounds good. I should probably get him a cup as well since he enjoys it, too." She looked back at the stairs once again and held a sad expression 'Cuatro...If only we could take away your pain...None of this is your fault...'

Cuatro only curled himself up in his bed and thought to himself about how he was born with such power and why he was struggling with his control over fighting. Was he not destined to have any friends? Did he even have any in his hidden past? Did he not deserve to be loved? These questions did not matter when a familiar topic flickered in Cuatro's mind.

"Emptiness...Maybe-...Maybe I'll be nothing more than a hollow shell of a pony..."