The Return of the 7th Element

by thunderhawk7865

Losing Control

Chapter 8: Losing Control

He heard screaming.

Blood-curdling screams of ponies dying.

But that’s all he could hear, aside from that buzzing.

He couldn’t even hear himself think over it.

It was just his consciousness surrounded by buzzing.

Feeling, on the other hoof, was something else entirely.

He felt the blood-stained knife in his hoof, clutching it so hard he wondered if it would ever leave him.

He felt droplets of his victim’s lifeblood roll down his face.

He felt his cheeks ache as a maniacal grin remained etched on his face.

He felt horrified...

Horrified he could not control it...

Finally, he regained his sight. He breathed a sigh of relief that it was back...

But what he saw made him want to vomit...

Littered around him were the corpses of Royal Guards. Slaughtered; butchered in every way imaginable.

The buzzing still in the back of his mind, he fell to his hind legs and dropped the knife.

“No...”

He shuddered and used his forehooves to clench his head, the buzzing causing immense pain.

“No! NO! ARGH!”

He fell to all fours and slammed a forehoof into the dirt. “NOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

His voice echoed around the Palomino Desert. The ferocity of the echo just showed how empty that the previous town of Dodge Junction truly was now that the changelings and their war machine had struck.

“AAAAARGH!!!” He slammed his forehooves into the dirt again and again until they were numb. Finally, he fell backwards, staring at his hooves. “What...what have I become? What have I done?!” He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. “I should never have come back...” He shuddered and leaned forward. “I should NEVER have come back! All these ponies are...are dead now b-because of me...” He leaned forward. “What...”

He tilted his head upwards and screamed. “WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME!?”

Suddenly, the buzzing got louder and louder until the pain was too much to bear. He fell forward, clutching his ears as a seductive female voice with a slight distortion started echoing through his mind.

“My dear Ace...there is nothing wrong with you...you are exactly as you should be...in fact, I would say you’re far better than you used to be....huahahaha...”

Dan was immobilized as changelings started landing on the dirt around him. The same voice could be heard laughing as it approached Dan from the air. Queen Chrysalis, still in her battle armor, stepped forward, laughing still. “Oh yes, this is much better...”

“D...damn you!” His voice was cracked as he attempted to stand up and summon his Element swords, but the buzzing only got more intense.

The changelings around him shook ecstatically as he tried to summon his weapons, cackling in delight at something.

“W-what?! ARGH!” Ace fell at the Queen’s hooves as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Your love for the Element of Loyalty...it’s delicious...” Chrysalis used her magic to lift the writhing Ace off of the ground. “I can taste your love for your family.” She licked her lips and smirked. “A shame they are so far from you...”

Tears came to his eyes as the buzzing got more intense again. “P-please! M-make it st-stop!!! AAARGH!”

“Hahahaha...” Chrysalis laughed. “I think not.” She brought him close to her face and she flashed a toothy grin at him. “You see....we changelings feed off of love....and you, my dear Ace, are the embodiment of love itself...no no, I’m afraid we’ll be taking you with us. I have plans for you, wondrous plans...ahahahaha. As we speak, there are pathogens taking root in your frail pony bloodstream that will keep you in check...you can thank the drone that bit you for that...”

“You....you made me k-kill these guards...” Ace shuddered as more blood from his hooves dripped to the ground. “I...I will make you pay...” His voice was dripping with venom.

Chrysalis was silent. She simply smiled and nodded at her changelings to surround Ace and grab him.

“You...you can’t control me forever! I-I’ll find a way to end you!” Ace growled as the changelings lifted him up into the air and flew him towards the airship in the air above. “I’LL DESTROY YOU, YOU BUG! AAARGH! Guuh...” Ace slumped over, signaling he had lost consciousness again.

Chrysalis chuckled, “Finally, our revenge is at hand. Ace and his element will be our greatest tool against those pony scum...heheheheHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

With that, she whipped around and took flight herself, her insect-like wings lifting her up towards the ship as well.

Redemption groaned and turned over in his unconscious state. Never had he felt that much pain from one kick. Who was that stallion anyway? He looked like Ace, but...something was off about him.

“I think he’s waking up...” A female voice hissed from beside him.

“ARGH!” He awoke with a start, sitting up. He gazed at his rescuers. Both were Pegasi like him, and one, the turquoise female, was injured, wearing makeshift bandages around her torso, head, and foreleg. The other was a white male with electric blue hair. They hidden under a rock outcropping and what looked like the remains of a fire smoldered nearby.

“What...where...my guards...” He grasped his torso.

“Easy, pal...” The white one held up a hoof. “Ace smacked you pretty hard...knocked the wind clean outta you...”

“So that was Ace...” The hoof stood shakily. The injured female, despite her injury, rushed forward and used her good forehoof to support him. “Thanks...” He grimaced. “What...are your names? I must thank you for...grrr...pulling me out of there...”

“No problem...” The stallion gave a small smile. “My name is Fyre Bolt, and I’m a Wonderbolts trainer. This here is Violet. So far as I know, she’s the only survivor of...well...” He looked over at Vio, who was steadily looking at the ground.

“I’m so sorry...” Redemption sighed and shook his head as he sat there. “That’s...honestly, I’ve never seen anything like before...”

“Neither have I...” Fyre Bolt shook his head. “I came out here looking for Ace at the request of Rainbow Dash.”

“The Wonderbolt?” Redemption cocked an eye. “Why is that?”

“Don’t you know the legend?” Fyre Bolt sat down with the Red Hoof. “She was Ace’s lover...” He paused and sighed. “IS Ace’s lover...”

“We never thought he’d...snap like he did...” Vio sniffed and cradled her injured hoof.

“What do you suppose caused him to act out and...” Redemption twitched. “Do that...to my platoon...?”

“I’m not sure...” Fyre Bolt stood and looked around, stepping towards the edge of the outcropping. “All I know is he wasn’t too happy with me...”

“Why?” The Red Hoof questioned.

“I...um...” Fyre Bolt gulped. “I...well...Rainbow Dash...” He paused and looked down. After exchanging a look with Vio, who narrowed her eyes and nodded, he made an “Ah” motion with his mouth and nodded slowly, “Ah...I understand...do you suppose that’s what caused him to snap?”

“Perhaps...” Fyre Bolt shook his head and closed his eyes. “Perhaps this is all my fault...”

Vio perked up when Fyre Bolt spoke. She looked angry. “No...” She tried to mutter, her voice still scathed from the attack.
Both stallions turned to Vio as she spoke, but neither of them could tell what she muttered. “What was that?”

“No...” Vio spoke a little louder, though still remaining quiet. “It’s not because of you...shortly before I went down at Dodge Junction, I...” She paused and scrunched her muzzle, trying to remember. “I saw him...Ace, I mean...fly up to the changeling ship...maybe something happened to him up there...maybe the changelings did something to him...”

“What makes you figure that?” Fyre Bolt asked, unbelieving.

“She may have something there...” Redemption pointed a hoof at Vio. “His eyes were green, not the gold of legend. He also said he wasn’t Ace anymore...” He tapped a forehoof on his chin. “Perhaps the changelings doing something to him is a valid possibility...”

Fyre Bolt slowly nodded, shock evident on his face. “You’re right...if that’s the case, then we need to get back to Ponyville ASAP...” He clenched his teeth. “And warn the Elements. Maybe they’ll be able to snap him out of this...” He turned to Redemption. “Can you fly?”

Redemption shakily stood up and stretched his wings. “Yeah...he only knocked the wind outta me...my wings are fine...”
“Think you can carry Vio?” Fyre Bolt asked straightforwardly.

Vio blushed and Redemption paused. “I...I think so, yes.”

“Good...” Fyre Bolt nodded. “Let’s hurry. And fly low. We don’t want that celestia-damned ship catching sight of us...”

Rainbow Dash flew through the air as fast as she could without tiring herself out. The hot desert air blew through her mane and around the goggles that were strapped around her eyes. Trailing behind her were the best of the Wonderbolts; namely Spitfire, Soarin’, Lightning Flash, and Thunderlane. They were in perfect formation as they flew low over the dunes.

Rainbow Dash’s mind was in two places as she flew. On one side of her mind, she was thinking about what she was going to say to repair their relationship. She missed how happy their reunion was and she regretted that it had to go south after revealing she had dated Fyre Bolt for a time. She rationalized that he would forgive her instantly, but she knew that wouldn’t be the case. The other side of her mind was what possessed her to bring the best Wonderbolts with her.

“What was I thinking? Ace is...probably fine...” Rainbow Dash shook her head as she flew.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Night had fallen over Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh looked up at the sky, wiping his brow after a hard days work, pulling a hay-cart into the barn. Papyrus and Applejack were tucking in their foals on the second floor of the Apple house. Next door, Blazing Dawn was leaning on the window sill of the guest room. Since Rainbow Dash had gone after his father, Applebloom got Applejack’s permission to let him stay overnight with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were having a sleepover.

He sighed as he looked up at the night sky. He shook his head, “Why? Why did it take you this long...to come back?”

The sound of a door opening sounding behind him and several hoofsteps signaled the arrival of his Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Hiya Blaze!” Applebloom said as cheerily as she could. “Are ya’ doin’ okay?”

“Same as I was the last time you asked me, Applebloom...” Blaze propped his head up on a forehoof on the window sill. “The same...”

“Awww...still sad about your Dad?” Sweetie Belle said, hopping up on the bench next to him.

“Pretty much, Sweetie Belle...” Blazing Dawn nodded slowly. “I mean...what’s his deal? He disappears when I’m born and doesn’t come back until I’m 15?! Grrr...” He scowled. “I can’t believe he would do that to his own kid...”

“Blaze...” Scootaloo approached him with Applebloom. “You should just be happy he’s back! And that he wants to reach out to you!”

“That’s exactly what makes me angry...” Blazing Dawn growled, tracing stars in the sky absentmindedly. “He came to me in spirit after the Nightmare Incident...he helped me defeat the Nightmare...” he lowered his hoof. “That’s why I don’t buy this ‘he forgot me’ cud...”

Applebloom approached him and sat next to him on the other side. She placed a forehoof on his shoulder. “Blaze...ya’ need to understand somethin’...” She blinked sadly and looked out at the sky. As she did, two bright stars flashed in the sky. “Ah lost mah mom n’ dad in a horrible accident years ago...”

Blazing Dawn gasped and turned to face his ex-marefriend. “But...you’ve always told me that they-”

“Died of natural causes?” Applebloom scoffed and looked at the two stars. “Ah wish they went that way...” Slowly she reached back and removed the bow that held her braided ponytail up, letting her mane fall down. She held the ribbon out in front of her. “This was a gift from mah dad the day he died...he gave it to me before he left for town with mom...before they were hit by an oncoming wagon...” She blinked away a single tear. “The point is, Blaze...yer Dad’s back, and you should be happy he wants to be with ya...”

“She’s right, Blaze...” Sweetie Belle said, smiling. “My dad may be a weiney, but whenever my dad wants to spend time with me, I jump at the chance...now Rarity...that’s a different story...”

The ponies in the room laughed at that, even Blaze. He gave a small smile and grunted, “Yeah...that sounds about right...”
The ponies were silent for a moment before Sweetie Belle leaned on the sill as well and hummed the beginning of a song. (For this song, purple is for Sweetie Belle, Red for Applebloom, and Orange for Scootaloo, and Blue is for Blaze. Bold is everypony).

Blaze looked over at Sweetie Belle as she began to sing in her beautiful alto voice. Applebloom and Scootaloo looked at each other, knowing the song Sweetie Belle was about to start singing.

Sweetie Belle looked over and Blaze.

Blaze was in disbelief. Sweetie Belle was a great singing and all, but this was the best that he had ever heard her sing.
“Sweetie...” Blaze started to speak, but then Applebloom started to sing.

Applebloom turned to look at Blaze, wrapping her forehoof around his neck and pulling him close and into a hug.

She looked up again at the the stars that were shining brighter, and again, they twinkled. She smiled as more tears welled up in her eyes. Blaze was overwhelmed at the emotion of the whole event. He couldn’t believe how silly he was being towards his father. Listening to Applebloom’s story, he felt lucky that he did had even come back.

Scootaloo started to sing from behind him, despite her voice being a little raspy. It still sounded good.

At that line, everyone, even Blaze, his throat full of emotion, sang along. They all continued to gaze out at the night sky.

Blaze leaned forward on the window sill, tears beginning to stream down his face and the imagine of his Dad, smiling at him while he shot him down, raced through his mind. He couldn’t believe how stupid he had been.

He braced himself on the sill with both forehooves, tears dripping onto the wood of the sill.

“I’m...I’m so stupid...” Blaze sobbed as he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth. “He cared for me while I was a foal...he protected me from the Nightmare...and I was mad...I...I should’ve been...”

Applebloom stroked his long golden mane lovingly. “It’s okay, Blaze...we’re here for ya...and most importantly...”

“Your dad’s here for you, too...” Sweetie Belle smiled, initiating a group hug where all three CMC leaders were hugging the young alicorn.

Once they released the hug, they all began to sing together, gazing out at the night.

After the song was done, Blazing Dawn hugged Applebloom and each of his friends individually. “Thank you all so much...for making me realize what a...a total jerk I’ve been to my dad...”

“We hoped you’d see it our way!” Sweetie Belle bounced once with a smile.

“We’d best get to bed now...” Applebloom said as she started leading the girls out. “But tomorrow, we’ll all go out a-searchin’ fer yer dad so ya’ can tell ‘um how much he means to ya’...”

Blazing Dawn slowly nodded, wiping away the stray tears. “T-Thanks guys...it means a lot...”

Blazing Dawn took one last look at the two mysterious stars before he stepped away from the window and climbed into the guest bed, turning out the light with his magic and closing his eyes.

“I’m sorry Dad...when I find you, I’ll make sure you know how much I really care for you...”

Papyrus and Applejack were snuggled up together in their queen-sized bed. Papyrus had his weapon ready nearby in case anyone tried to come in, as it was his task to defend his wife from any insurrection at all costs.

Applejack, however, was wide awake. She tossed and turned in her bed, but it was no use. Papyrus slept sounding, not knowing his wife was having trouble sleeping. Slowly, and without waking her husband, she slid out of bed and left the room. Trotting quietly down the stairs and through the kitchen, she stepped outside. She closed her eyes and let the wind blow through her blonde mane before opening them and looking up at the sky.

“Consarnit...” She muttered, pawing the ground with a forehoof. “Why’d he have to come back after ah got married?”

Buzzing. More buzzing. That...annoying sound was all Ace could hear in his head in his unconsciousness. Slowly, it got louder and louder until...

“GAH!”

There was a rustling of chains as Ace shot up, panting heavily. He was in a close to pitch-black rusty jail-cell. Upon looking down, her noticed all his hooves were chained to a wall behind him. He felt a mixture of sweat and blood oozing down his face and neck from a wound across his left eye. He reached up and touched some of the blood.

“Wha...what?” Ace looked around. The last thing he remembered was getting knocked unconscious by changelings and being taken to...

“The changeling ship...” He shakily stood up and grunted in pain when his head throbbed. The chains rustled as he lifted a forehoof to his head to massage his temples. “I’ve...I’ve gotta get out of here...”

“You’re not going anywhere...”

Dan whirled around and saw, standing before him in the cell, himself, but slightly transparent.

“The buck...?”

The other Ace smiled and lifted his head up, revealing the evil bright green eyes, both of them small with insanity. The other Ace grinned evilly, revealing eerily changeling-like fangs.

“You are not going anywhere...Ace...”

“YOU!!!” Ace lunged forward in an attempt to attack his evil self, but the chains stopped him, making him fall to the ground.

“Hahahaha...” His evil self walked forward slowly until he was right above Ace. He reached a transparent hoof and lifted Ace’s face up so the Ace was looking at him.

“H....how are you...you doing that? You...you don’t exist...” Ace grunted in pain as his evil self leaned down.

“Oh, but I do...” His evil self cackled before dropping Ace’s head and turning around. “I am you, Ace. Chrysalis’ drone injected a pathogen inside of you...it’s changing your mind...mutating it...” He turned and walked back towards Ace until he was standing right in front of him. “Ace....as you were...no longer exists...” He stepped closer to Ace, who started to back up.

“N....no!” Ace was backed up fully against the wall.

“Yes...” The evil Ace kept walking towards him. “You...WE...are now Poison Bass...and we serve the Queen Chrysalis and the Legion....”

Before Ace could say another word, Poison Bass stepped into Ace.

“AAAAARGH!!!!” Ace dropped to his knees and grasped his head as the buzzing came back worse than before.

His eyes snapped open. If anypony were watching, they would see his eyes shifting color rapidly, back and forth from gold to green, and back again. They also shrank and grew according to what color they were.

Ace resisted as best as he could. Slowly, he reached forward with his hooves as Poison Bass tried to take over again.

“R....R....” Ace groaned in pain as he tried to call out to something or somepony.

“R...R....AAAAARGH!!!” He yowled. “DASHIE!!!!”

“NO!” Poison’s voice reverberated through his head. “You will not resist me! Ace is no more! Your love for Loyalty is no more! There is only Poison Bass!”

“AAARGH! DAAAAASHIIIIIE!!!” Ace reached forward before he started to do the thing he would always do when confronted with a great trial or test or any kind. He started to sing a song.

He shakily stood up and looked around, his eyes still shifting colors. The buzzing in his head and the evil promptings from Poison Bass still wrapping themselves around his mind.

“SHUT UP!!!” Poison roared inside his head, causing Ace to fall to his knees again. “OBEY!”

Ace reached his head upwards and yelled at the ceiling.

He fell to all fours and howled in pain.

He stopped shaking suddenly and chuckled a very un-”Dan”-like chuckle. Slowly, he looked up, revealing his little green eyes and fangs from his demonic smile.

Ace was in his head again. He could not see, hear, or feel anything except the buzzing. Ace took this as an indication that Poison had taken over. He tried to continue to sing, but to no avail. Several changeling-like voices started swirling around him.

“AAAAAARGH!!!!” Dan cried out and, surprisingly, that dispersed the changeling voices.

Poison gasped as Ace tried to take his body back.

“NOW YOU ARE MAKING ME ANGRY!” Poison roared. “YOU. DO. NOT. EXIST!” Poison began to fight for control again, his eyes rapidly shifting again.

Poison Bass took control again and shook his head. “Silence...” He muttered under his breath before he chuckled again and muttered:

The changeling voices again began to circle Dan in addition to the buzzing.

“Dashie...” Dan muttered as he floated in space, still surrounded by the voices and buzzing. “I’m sorry...” He lifted up his head in the space he was in and yelled, “I’M SORRY!”

“What the-!?” Poison Bass said before his eyes started flashing again and Ace again tried to breach the surface and reclaim his body. He sang to Rainbow Dash, wherever she was, in a higher. More tenor voice than before.

Ace fell to all fours again as the buzzing and Poison’s voice got louder and louder.

“AAARGH!” Again, Poison Bass took over just as the door to the cell opened.

A changeling drone flew in and lifted up Poison’s chin. “Who are you?” The changeling buzzed. “And who do you serve?”

Slowly, Poison lifted his head and chuckled, giving a smirk. “My name is Poison Bass. And I serve Queen Chrysalis with all my heart, soul, and...” He licked his lips. “Love.”

The changeling grinned. “Welcome to the hive...” He flew over and undid the chains that kept Poison to the wall.

“Follow me...” The changeling guard said.

Poison nodded and followed the drone out, cackling maniacally at having defeated Ace.

He grunted as Ace’s whispered voice sounded in his head:

Poison tapped his head and grunted, accidentally getting some blood from his eye wound on his hoof.

“Something the matter, sir?” The changeling asked as they walked down the steel hallway of the ship.

Poison Bass grunted before cackling and smiling, “Just....a little headache...he...it...shouldn’t be a problem for much longer...”

With that, Ace again descended into the depths of the mind that was previously his, the buzzing was all he could hear. All could could feel.

He whispered one more time before fading out.

John leaned back in his seat on the couch, his eyes wide. “Whoa...”

Twilight Sparkle and her friends, save Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who had to go home to her kids, had just finished telling John and Wheatley about the exploits of his brother in Equestria.

“That...that’s amazing!” Wheatley leaned forward. “He killed a bloody God of Chaos, John!”

“I...I know...” John said, breathing in and out slowly.

“I know...it may be a little hard for you to take in...” Twilight Sparkle held up a hoof.

“No...no...” He nodded and slowly sat back up, shaking his head and blonde mane. “I’m...I’m fine...”

“It’s like bloody God of War, in’t it?” Wheatley looked over at John. “Killing Gods, n’ all that...”

“Yeah...well...down to business...” John brushed off Wheatley’s comment. “So, lemme get this straight...your Princess...Celeste...”

“Celestia.” Twilight corrected him.

John stared. “Right. Celestia. Brings him here because he was depressed, but it was really because he had an Element inside him needed to defend your world against this...Discord guy?”

“Yepper doodles!” Pinkie bounced with a smile.

“And...he fell in love with this...this...Rainbow Dash horse and...and...” he slapped his forehead. “Oh boy...mom and dad would’ve killed him...”

“They also had a child.” Fluttershy said timidly. “An alicorn named Blazing Dawn.”

“So...my brother fathered a bastard horse child and left for fifteen years only to return now?” John asked in disbelief.

“Ooooo I know...this just gets better n’ better...” Wheatley’s core blinked excitedly.

“Pretty much.” Twilight said, putting a hoof up to her chin. “Except...I haven’t the faintest clue as to why he would come back now...maybe the disappearances of those towns...”

“Well, regardless...” John stood. “I need to find a way home...”

“That’s another thing.” Twilight stood with him and walked over to him. “I’m surious as to how exactly you got here without the help of the Princess...”

John tapped a hoof to his chin sitting back down, careful to avoid sitting on a still unconscious Rarity. “Well, I was in Dan’s building-top penthouse...I fell asleep aaand...the place started shaking...” He shuddered as he remembered. “A voice came down from the sky and storm clouds appeared...it said it was happy it found Earth and...” His eyes widened.
“Damn...something bad could be happening...”

“A voice from the sky?!” Twilight Sparkle gasped.

“Yeah...next thing I knew I woke up here...” John finished quickly. “Now c’mon, take me to your Princess right now! Earth could be in danger!”

“Whoa whoa whoa...timeout!” Twilight said as John made for the door. “First of all, you have no idea how to fit in around here. If ponies saw you acting like this, you’d be toast. Secondly, you can’t just storm in to see the Princess! It’s late, and everybody goes through the hierarchy now...”

“Great...” Wheatley sighed. “The government here sucks as much as it does on Earth...”

“Shut up, you dumb-ass robot!” John hurled a pillow at Wheatley with surprising force, knocking him out of his chair. He turned back to Twilight. “I apologize...he has a smart mouth...”

“So do you, apparently...” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’ll file an inquiry with the hierarchy tomorrow. Don’t worry...um...Shining Badge...” She winked. “I’ll get you in to see the Princess in no time!”

“Shining Badge?” John cocked an eye as Wheatley struggled up.

“I believe that’s your pony name, mate...” Wheatley’s core blinked.

Twilight smiled, “Indeed it is. Don’t go by John while you are here. It’s not a very...pony-like name.”

John was silent for a moment before he slowly nodded, “I...I think I get it.”

“Good!” Twilight smiled. “I’ll keep you notified if we find your brother or if you can see Celestia. OH! And...uh...” She pointed at Rarity. “it’s getting late. Could you take her home? You can stay here for now if you’d like when you are done. It’s the clothes shop down the road...you can’t miss it.”

Wheatley and John exchanged glances before looking at Rarity.

“Um...”

“Well...”

“Thanks so much you guys!” Twilight said as she ascended her stairs. “G’night, everypony!”

“Night Twilight!” Pinkie and Fluttershy both said as they left the treehouse.

John and Wheatley both stared at Rarity. Wheatley looked over at John.

“Well...you’re the police officer, mate...”

“Hey, Wheatley?”

“Yea-? OOOF!”

Wheatley was flung against the wall as John bucked the robot in the face.

John chuckled, “Wow, pony legs are strong...” He bent down and angled himself so Rarity would fall onto his back as Wheatley fell onto the floor.

“Yeah...” Wheatley stood shakily and shook his core. “You can say that again, mate...”

With that, the two ponies and the robot left for Rarity’s boutique.