Cuatro

by Dirty Bit

Capitulo Treinta y Ocho

As dawn broke in Ponyville, Cuatro stirred from his slumber and rose into a sitting position on his bed, thinking back on his dream. Luna managed to save him from a repetitive nightmare and helped him in viewing Las Noches to see if he couldn't find more clues to his past. He remembered the features that were added onto his body and the voice that was heard in his moment of gazing. Cuatro drew a hoof to his chest to see if his hole had remained and felt that it wasn't there. After assessing that his chest was still whole, he moved to feel his head to see if his helmet was there as well, only to feel his mane.

"Nothing...So it was only just a dream..."

Cuatro quietly rose from the bed and trotted to the stairs while his friends were asleep, all while contemplating his dream. There were questions that needed to be answered, but what was gathered from him viewing Las Noches had nearly drove Cuatro to ignore his ambition to retrieve his memories. One thing alone had managed to keep him going to seek the truth: His promise to smile for Luna when he returns to his former self. He couldn't go back on a promise to a friend, and he definitely would not ignore Luna's. Her assistance in Cuatro's dream had been most endearing in his opinion, but it wasn't the highlight of it all; His mind drifted back to when he shared his first kiss with Luna in the dream world.

"I must thank her properly for acknowledging my affection and returning it in kind. But what can I do to please an alicorn princess other than simply sharing my love for her?"

When he reached the main lobby, he continued to think about Luna, but stopped when he looked at some of the picture frames that hung on the library's walls. He scoped out the many times that were spent with Twilight and her friends. His eyes stopped on a picture with Twilight as a filly with a huge smile standing next to Princess Celestia. Cuatro's train of thought shifted instantly.

"...I wonder if Twilight would ever look at Celestia the same way after all that she has done. I worry for her since she unknowingly played a part in all of this until now..."

Cuatro hung his head, not knowing what today might hold for him or his friends, or if it would go accordingly to his standards. Luna stated that Celestia would explain herself to Twilight and her friends today, but he wondered how they would react to her news, or if Celestia would be wise enough to come clean to all of her deeds. He decided to scan the shelves for another book to read in order to pass the time and wait for Twilight and Spike to wake up. When no books came to mind, he turned to the sofa and noticed his list was still resting on the sofa's arm. He trotted over to sit on the couch, levitating his list to look at his newly-documented word in silence.

He couldn't pinpoint it, but the more he stared at the word, the more he felt himself falling into deep thought over it. It almost held a force similar to what was felt in his dreams.

"...Ulquiorra..."

Could it actually be his name? Was it a small mistake to be given the name thought up by his friends now that this new word nearly took over his mind? A small beam of sunlight flashed over the word, and he traced its length to the window of origin to see the sun continuing to rise; While he does not favor Celestia, her spirit was to be commended for raising and lowering her sun after their battle. But then he thought back to her reason for fighting and what was said by Luna.

"I'm considered a threat to her, yet she permitted me to live back when she first examined my past...I hope Luna was correct when she mentioned Celestia actually offering me a second chance while she was cautious of my power..."

He wondered if he could maintain control of his violent nature once he regained his memories; A hopeful theory at best, thinking back to his small memory as a killer. Cuatro stared at his list, then closed his eyes as he raveled it back up with his magic. His eyes opened at the sound of hoofsteps, and he turned to the staircase to see Twilight and Spike making their way down "Ah...Good morning to you both. Did you sleep well?"

Spike turned to Cuatro and rubbed his eyes before he smiled "Well, somepony sounds a lot better today. Morning, Cuatro!" He greeted.

Twilight gave a quiet yawn before she smiled "We did sleep well, thanks for asking. I see you're in better spirits now."

Cuatro nodded "Essentially...I believe I'm another step further to finding out about my past."

"That and other things..."

Twilight woke up from Cuatro's statement "Really? Is it another one of your collected memories?" She asked eagerly.

Cuatro turned to his rolled up list "In a way, yes...But I believe I should prepare for today before I can delve into this further." He rose from the couch "I feel that I should try and learn generosity today...I've already been met with lessons from Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy in that order..."

Twilight nodded "Rarity it is then. Hopefully we can catch her at a good time, though, since she usually works on days like this."

Spike pointed up a claw "Breakfast first! THEN we can grace her with our presence!" Twilight rolled her eyes at Spike's not-so-subtle praise to Rarity and made her way into the kitchen with him while Cuatro followed the two shortly after.

Twilight sat down at her own chair while Cuatro did the same. Spike was busy preparing breakfast while they waited patiently. Twilight looked at Cuatro with a frown "About the other day..."

Cuatro nodded "In due time...I'm certain you'll get your answers soon enough."

Twilight held a small smile "I'm glad you're feeling better about this..."

When Spike was finished with making breakfast consisting of hay bacon and eggs, his cheeks puffed before he belched a stream of green fire that vanished to reveal a scroll. Twilight darted her head over and quickly grabbed it with her magic, bringing it towards her "A message from the princess?" She unraveled the scroll and read its contents aloud "Dear Twilight, I would like for you and your friends to visit the castle. There is something that I wish to tell you all that involves Cuatro. I hope for your forgiveness once all has been explained." She stared at the letter before looking at Cuatro "Looks like there's been a change in plans for today."

"So it would seem...It appears I was correct in my statement." Cuatro said in a straight tone.

Spike frowned "We're gonna visit Princess Celestia so early in the morning? But I just made breakfast! And what about Rarity?"

Twilight turned to Spike "We'll eat first before we gather our friends. I don't know what will become of all this, but we're headed for Canterlot today..." She said in a serious tone as she looked down in thought 'Princess...' Twilight hoped she wouldn't be deceived a second time.
_____

Over the skies of the Everfree Forest, all was quiet save for the small gusts of wind and the falling snow. That all changed when a large black mass sped over the forest, flapping his majestic wings as he nearly blew the trees away.

Goldoa had mustered most of his stamina to fly to Ponyville in search of Cuatro to enact proper judgement and show his pride as a dragon. Like many of the elder dragons in Equestria, both his strength and physical prowess knew no bounds. It had been ages since he had found a worthy opponent, be it one of his kin or a pack of hydras; sometimes he would even go out of his way to end ponies that would trespass onto his land or try to claim his precious horde for themselves.

What stifled his lust for battle was the truce between dragons and ponies that had acted as a thorn in his side for generations. He would have no more of it after hearing of Cuatro's actions; It gave him permission to kill one of the ponies that he despised for so long.

Goldoa sniffed at the air while flying, then snarled when he caught the scent of ponies and a view of Ponyville over the horizon "I'm getting close...That impudent pony is mine..." He growled as he flew towards Ponyville.

From Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was ready to plow more snow from last night's snowfall, but looked up to see Goldoa flying towards Ponyville over the Everfree Forest with widened eyes "Land Sakes!!" She abandoned her plow and galloped into town to find and warn her friends.

The dragon was even seen from Fluttershy's cottage when she wanted to feed her outdoor animals. She gasped and flew into Ponyville in search of her friends. Eventually, Fluttershy and Applejack met up on the same trail. She looked down at the farmpony in fright "Applejack! Did you-"

"Yes Ah did! We gotta hurry an' find th' others!" Applejack replied hastily as she did not let up in her pace.
_____

At Ponyville, Twilight, Spike, and Cuatro departed from the library in search of their friends. They walked in the cold snow further into town and stopped at town square to figure out how to gather everypony in little time. Twilight faced Spike and Cuatro "I think we should all split up and meet at the station so we won't be late to see Princess Celestia. Where do you two want to go?"

Spike smiled "I can go grab Rarity!"

Cuatro stared at Twilight "Then I shall seek Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash..."

"Hey! What about me?" Said a familiar bubbly voice.

Cuatro turned around to see Pinkie standing behind him "Did you all forget about me or something?" She asked in a comically miffed tone.

Twilight noticed her friend and blinked "Pinkie? I'd figure you would be at Sugarcube Corner. We were about to spread and search for our friends."

Pinkie tilted her head "For what? Does the princess need to see us again?"

"Precisely." Cuatro answered "Since you're present now, that only leaves us to find Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack."

Pinkie smiled "I gotcha covered for finding Dashie!" She arched an eyebrow "But why would the princess wanna see us again? It's only been four days since we've all went to Canterlot!"

Cuatro stared at Pinkie "According to the letter Twilight had received, it appears she wishes to confess to something..."

Twilight nodded "It's true. I'm not sure what she's referring to, but we'll get the full gist of it once we arrive. I'll go look for Fluttershy so we can move things along."

"Then I shall go find Applejack if Spike still wishes to find Rarity..." Cuatro stated. Before the group could disperse, a faint sound reached Cuatro's ears as one of them twitched. He quickly darted his head towards the source of the sound.

Twilight noticed Cuatro's abrupt action and felt tense "Cuatro? What's wrong?"

"A dragon! Another dragon!!"

Distant townsfolk ran around in a panic, some fleeing into their homes if nearby. Cuatro and the others noticed Applejack and Fluttershy headed towards them, then stared up at the sky above them to see an enormous black dragon flying in their direction.

"It seems that those dragons were serious about their threat...This isn't a good time..."

Spike trembled at the sight of the approaching dragon "Look at him! He's huge!"

Pinkie widened her eyes "Quick! Somepony shout at him before he hurts us!" She screamed in fright despite her random words.

Twilight felt a lump in her throat as she watched the dragon descend towards them 'He must be after Cuatro! What do we do!?'

Goldoa finally reached Ponyville, and he narrowed his eyes to slits after catching a glimpse of Cuatro standing with his friends. Stopping Applejack and Fluttershy in their tracks, He descended towards them and landed on all fours in between the two groups as he caused a tremor from his landing. The black dragon inhaled before bowing his head at Cuatro to roar at him.

Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie covered their ears and cringed at the dragon's volume, being carried back from Goldoa's roar, while Cuatro stood still as his mane and tail were carried in the breeze; the fountain behind them crumbled from the roar and turned into a pile of rubble. Goldoa brought down his snout as smoke began to billow from his nostrils "So...you're the alicorn I've heard about." He stated in a leveled tone, though his aggression was detectable.

Cuatro stared up at Goldoa "From your fellow dragons, correct? Yes...My name is Cuatro. If you're aggravated by what was told, I did not wish for myself to get carried away." Applejack and Fluttershy gathered with the others as they also stared up at the black dragon.

Goldoa scoffed "I could care less about what was said involving your loathsome comrades. It is you I'm after! I was told that you carried immense strength for such a puny pony!"

Pinkie piped up "Hey! He's actually one of the biggest ponies when you look at it!" She retreated when Goldoa shifted his piercing eyes towards her.

Cuatro looked at Pinkie, then back at Goldoa "May I ask who you are? Judging by your ire, you won't be leaving us anytime soon..."

Goldoa gave a hollowed laugh "You have nice manners for an alicorn..." He raised up to where he stood on his hindlegs, looking down at Cuatro as if he were a simple ant "I am Goldoa! I'm one of the strongest dragons you'll ever see! My reason for coming to this pathetic settlement was for you and you alone..." He pointed a claw at Cuatro "You've made a mockery of our kind to attack three of our hatchlings! Therefore, you'll have the privilege to fight a real dragon and see if your strength can actually be measured!!" He growled.

Cuatro stared up at Goldoa "In my defense, they wished to harm, if not kill my friends. I couldn't let that happen...Had it not been for my friends' intervention, they would've been lost forever..." He looked back at Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie Pie with invisible gratitude.

Goldoa passed off Cuatro's explanation as a taunt and more smoke billowed from his nostrils "You insignificant gutter snipe! You would boast your power to the likes of me!?"

Cuatro shook his head at Goldoa "Never. As I've made mention to you, I got carried away in the middle of our fight. That was nothing more than a mistake on my part..."

Goldoa balled his claws into fists "Then let us see if you wouldn't repeat that mistake!" He pointed down at Cuatro "Come, you impulsive worm! We shall have this fight; a duel to the death!"

Cuatro tensed up from what was said and looked down.

"I can't...I've caused so much trouble whenever I do decide to fight...If my second nature were to be left unchecked..."

Goldoa watched Cuatro silently contemplate his actions and growled impatiently "You're being hesitant? I'd expect you to simply dive into this fight like you have before! Or are you bothered by your life on the line?"

Cuatro sighed, then looked up at Goldoa "I refuse your offer. When I had fought back then, I had no other option since I could not reach a point of compromise with your fellow dragons. I wished to avoid conflict and resolve the issue in a more peaceful matter, but I failed. Will you not accept my words?"

Goldoa snarled "I didn't come all this way to have you brush me aside! If you will not act honorably on this, then perhaps you require proper incentive!" He waved a claw over Ponyville "Either accept my challenge, or your entire village will be torched to ashes!" The ponies that remained outside gasped in fear and trembled at the thought of their homes burning to the ground.

Cuatro was silent. This was the third time he had been forced into confronting an opponent through unescapable circumstances. He couldn't risk losing himself in battle one more time or his friends to be lost by his actions. Cuatro closed his eyes.

"...I have no choice. If I ignore this any longer, Ponyville and everything inside of it will cease to be. Not only that, this confrontation was from my past actions...It would be both irresponsible and cowardly to turn away from this now..."

Cuatro had come to his final decision. He opened his eyes and looked up at Goldoa "I accept..." His friends gasped while Goldoa held a small, but sadistic smile "...Under two conditions..." The dragon's smile had left when Cuatro did not finish.

"Considering that you've come all this way to challenge me to a death battle, I wish to share my final moments with my friends before engaging you in combat. Moreso, it would be dishonorable to fight while you're not at full strength, therefore we both should prepare to give it our best when the time comes." He closed his eyes "My second condition is to hold our battle at a vast area where we won't be bothered by anypony around us." He turned his head and looked over at Canterlot in the distance, then to the far left of it "...That plain near the mountains resting far away from Canterlot would be sufficient, would it not?"

Goldoa paused, then glared down at Cuatro "You lie...You'll only seek help from the princesses, won't you!?" He growled indignantly at the thought of Cuatro pulling an incognito attempt at an ambush.

Cuatro looked back at Goldoa "I will do no such thing. They will not be involved in our fight, nor anypony else...It is clear to me that I've brought this upon myself, so who am I to back down?"

Goldoa stared before he broke into a fit of laughter "Quite daring of you, alicorn! Admirable even! To think that you would be so willing as to acknowledge your life being at stake and even having our battle at full strength, perhaps I've underestimated you!" He spoke with halfhearted respect "Very well then..." He pointed up a claw "You will have one day to make your peace starting now! Then we shall have our glorious battle!" He unfurled his wings "I must warn you...Do not keep me waiting! I shall wait for your arrival at the desired location in search of sustenance!" He said as he hovered into the air, then flew off with a roar.

As the dragon distanced himself. The townsfolk murmured fearfully while Cuatro watched Goldoa leave in silence, then pondered his actions in hindsight. Now he will have to summon all of his magical knowledge in order to hold his own in his fight.

"Cuatro..."

The strange alicorn opened his eyes and turned to Twilight, who frowned despondently "You're not serious about all of this, are you?" She asked in a sad tone.

Cuatro stared at Twilight "I'm sorry you had to witness this, but nothing good can come from this if I said otherwise. Besides, all of this had stemmed from what I've commited back then. This is my burden to bear, not yours..."

Pinkie smiled "I'm sure you can convince that grumpy dragon to not fight you, Cuaty! You have what it takes to make sure Goldoa won't move the tiniest inch!" She grinned brightly. Her grin wavered when Cuatro stared at her in silence "You CAN do that, right?" She asked hopefully. Pinkie's grin instantly vanished when the strange alicorn shook his head.

Rarity was seen galloping into town square. She met up with her friends with a look of fear "So I'm not the only one that saw what has happened! What was that enormous dragon doing in Ponyville?"

Applejack frowned "His name's Goldoa, an' he came fer Cuatro. He wants t' fight him in a one-on-one battle to th' death."

Fluttershy whimpered "Why did this have to happen now? Is there any other way out of this?"

A prismatic blur soared towards town square and revealed to be Rainbow Dash hovering as she looked at the direction Goldoa flew away. She then looked down at her friends "What did that dragon want? Why's he going to Canterlot!?"

Cuatro looked up "He's not particularly going to Canterlot, but the neighboring plains. I'm to fight him by tomorrow..."

Rainbow Dash widened her eyes "Seriously?" She grinned confidently "Something tells me he's not gonna be coming out of this without any injuries!"

"He won't...I've been challenged to a deathmatch..." Cuatro stated in a matter-of-fact tone, causing Rainbow Dash to nearly grow pale while she descended. Cuatro looked around to see that everypony was accounted for "It is good that you're all here. Now we can make for the train station..."

Rainbow Dash shook off her stunned expression "What for?"

Twilight tried to ignore Cuatro's predicament and spoke in a straight tone "We're needed in Canterlot. Princess Celestia wants to see us for a moment."

Rainbow Dash scratched her head "Does she know about that dragon?"

Cuatro shook his head "Not yet...I would say that it is wise she doesn't know, but I doubt this information will be kept hidden forever..."

Spike approached Cuatro, looking up at him with a frown "Cuatro, I-...I'm sorry!" He hugged one of Cuatro's forelegs tight as he started to tear up "You shouldn't have to go through this! This was all my fault! If I didn't tick off Garble and the others, none of this would've happened!"

Cuatro stared down at Spike, then placed his free forehoof over Spike's head, earning the purple dragon's attention as he looked up "What's done is done...You mustn't be acting this way since this isn't your fault."

Spike sniffled "B-But-"

"I've caused all of this, Spike...not you." Cuatro stated tersely, albeit calmly. He caressed Spike's head "This is something I must take care of on my own...It wouldn't be right to have you all placed in harm's way if I were to act differently on this situation."

Cuatro's friends held heavy hearts over his words. It was hard for them to accept his current position, and even envied how he remained calm over it. Rainbow Dash broke the silence with a thin smile "I gotta say, C...You're more brave and crazy than I am to go through with this." She said in a respectful tone with hidden sorrow.

The strange alicorn turned to Rainbow Dash "Bravery and madness had nothing to do with my decision. This was nothing more than an extorted request..." He looked down "Then again, I should know better than to consider it as such; It is my duty to keep you all safe..."

"But this just isn't about keeping us safe! You're going to risk your life to stop a powerful beast!" Twilight stated anxiously "I got a good look at Goldoa, and he wasn't kidding about his strength! He's an elder dragon! Their power is honed through their extensive experience throughout their lives."

Rarity frowned "Then that can only mean that..." She turned to Cuatro with a sad expression "Cuatro might be in for his biggest challenge yet..."

Cuatro turned to Twilight "There was nothing else I can do, Twilight. Please understand...I didn't want it to come to this."

Pinkie frowned "None of us did, but you sure did!" She went up to Cuatro "I never even got the chance to see you smile..." Pinkie whimpered with a genuine pout.

Cuatro looked down at Pinkie "That may be, but it wasn't my intention to make my final moments with my friends full of sorrow. We have one day to bond and reminisce before I partake in my fateful duel."

Twilight and the others stared at Cuatro, then smiled at his words. A single tear dropped down Twilight's cheek "You're very considerate, Cuatro..." She said in a quiet tone.

Cuatro nodded "And I have you to thank for that." He looked at his friends "All of you have taught me lessons that I've taken to heart since the day I've met you." He looked at Applejack "Applejack, you took me in despite me being a stranger, and have taught me how to be honest and trustworthy towards those I consider friends..." He received a tip of Applejack's stetson and a warm smile in response.

He turned to Pinkie next "Pinkie Pie, you've taught me the value of laughter and happiness, even if I wasn't able to laugh myself..."

Pinkie giggled "That doesn't mean won't get you to someday!"

Cuatro faced Fluttershy "Fluttershy, back then you had feared me, but have come to accept me with your unending kindness, and even teaching me that I, too, need to be compassionate towards others..." Fluttershy smiled at Cuatro with trembling pupils.

He then faced Rainbow Dash "You, Rainbow Dash, taught me that I should remain loyal to those I hold dear, though your method of education could be questioned..." Rainbow Dash merely chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

Rarity was next for Cuatro "Rarity, though I haven't been able to properly learn generosity from you yet, I believe that you've also helped me learn about friendship as well."

The fashionista nodded with a smile "In due time, darling. This may be your biggest ordeal, but we all have faith in you." Rarity stated in a kind tone.

Cuatro turned to Twilight and Spike "The both of you were kind enough to let me stay with you and refresh my memory in learning magic." He closed his eyes as he continued "But what I'm grateful for out of all of you combined..." Cuatro opened his eyes "Is that you've let me discover the true meaning of a heart...For that, you all have my deepest gratitude. I'm happy to have you all as friends..."

Rainbow Dash felt her eyes water from Cuatro's words "C-C'mon, Cuatro! Don't try and get sappy with us now!" She said with a fake smile and a faltered tone.

Pinkie Pie had a river of tears trail from her eyes as she sniffled, then blurted out "Group hug, everypony!" The element bearers and Spike gathered around Cuatro and held each other together in a nearly crushing hug. Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash tried their best not to cry; Pinkie and Fluttershy both felt their eyes flow with more tears; Rarity and Applejack embraced their friend without having to shed any tears despite their feelings towards Cuatro's predicament.

Rarity broke the embrace and took a deep breath "Well, now that we've shared this sentimental moment, aren't we supposed to be headed for Canterlot?" She looked at her friends.

Twilight nodded and wiped her eyes "Yeah, that's right." She looked back at the townsfolk around her and the others; they were still shaken from Goldoa's arrival "I don't think everypony's gonna sleep soundly knowing that Ponyville's in danger..."

Cuatro looked at Twilight, then at the frightened ponies around him "Indeed..." He broke the embrace and calmly trotted up a few steps to stand by the ruined fountain. Thankful for not having to raise his voice, Cuatro gradually earned the attention of the townsfolk around him "Attention, everypony..." He took a deep breath before he gave his speech.

"Ever since I've arrived, I never thought myself to belong here in Ponyville or the rest of Equestria due to both my appearance and shaded background, but with the help of my friends, I was lucky to be accepted by you all. To show you all my gratitude, I won't back down from this challenge. I will do my best to ensure Ponyville's safety and make it to where all of you won't be subject towards Goldoa and his destructive nature. This I swear to you all..."

The townsfolk stared before some of them began to cheer; The Cutie Mark Crusaders were the ones to start it while they stood in the crowd. Eventually, the entire town cheered Cuatro for his speech, putting him and his friends at ease.

After they relished their applause, Cuatro turned to his friends "Let us make for Canterlot now. We should make the best of our time together."

Rainbow Dash nodded "And how! Let's get moving!" She proclaimed vigorously as her spirits lifted. Cuatro and his friends made for the train station with their destination set. Now all that remained for Cuatro was to endure what Celestia would tell him and the others, and prepare for his greatest battle yet.