CHAPTER 7
RELUCTANT BROTHER
Vindictus flew faster than he ever had before, going until his wings burned and feltas if they were going to fall off. Only then did he descend to the ground and continue on hoof. He was a long way from the Crystal Empire yet and he knew it would be a long time before he got there but he didn't care. He'd heard too many rumors that Cadence was alive and imprisoned by King Sombra, the very unicorn Vindictus had wanted to fight all those years ago. With the Great War over, everyone seemed to be taking a break from battle and polishing up the peace treaty in Canterlot, the capital of Equestria. Vindictus had eft immediately after the battle, however, not even saying goodbye to the mare who's practically save his life. He still didn't know why he had been in his dream; she wouldn't have been alive then, he#d just been a few hundred years old, if that. Maybe the mare just looked like his dream, but the resemblance was very close.
After 2 weeks of flying and galloping, only sleeping twice, the alicorn finally saw the walls of the Crystal Empire in the distance. But... they were different. Darker. Black. Vindictus doubled his efforts and soon arrived at the base of the wall. At the top, with shadows leaking from him, was an armored unicorn stallion, his horn curved and the tip glowing red. His eyes were green and he had a malicious grin on his face. Suspended in a red magic aura, and looking weak and beaten, was Princess Cadence.
“CADENCE!” Vindictus shouted and instantly shot upwards, intending to grab her from the aura. The unicorn anticipated this, however, and created a black, transparent shield around the two of them. He laughed as Vindictus threw himself at the barrier time and time again, trying to break through and get to the pink alicorn who was his only friend. King Sombra was enjoyiing the show of a pony causing himself pain for no reason whatsoever.
Vindictus stopped briefly, panting from exertion, then went at it again. His shoulder was bruised badly but he didn't care. He'd left Cadence making him think he hated her and he was determined to prove her wrong. He threw his whole body at the barrier before finally stopping and glaring at Sombra, who grinnedback. He then roared and flew straight at the unicorn, who was suddenly surprised.
Vindictus burst through the barrier, which was weaker here, and smashed into the stallion, slamming him into the black crystal wall. Cadence fell to the floor, limp. The black alicorn swung a punch and his hoof smashed into Sombra's jaw, how grunted, then threw the alicorn off with magic. He then charged his horn before firing at Vindictus, hwo was throawn back and fell off the side of the wall. He barely knew what hit him before hitting the ground below, his left wing snappping from under him. He cried out and took his weight off the wing, only to have Sombra slam him back down with another burst of magic. The unicorn then disolved into black smok, flew down to Vindictus and reformed into a pony. He put a hoof on the alicorn's chest and forced him down.
“Give up,” He said. “You've lost.”
“No!” Vindictus swung a hoof up again and it caught Sombra in the jaw, forcing him back and giving Vindictus a chance to stand. He drew his weapon and stood ready, the axe blade resting against the ground as the scythe curved in the air. Sombra sniffed, then used his magic to conjure a red sword from the air. He held it with his magic and charged. The alicorn charged as well, his jaw clenched and his lips peeled back to reveal his teeth, which were not sharp from his carnivorous diet. The blades met and they both glared at each other before pulling away and started a fast paced battle with sparks flying from the blades as they clashed and rung out through the cold air. Sombra got several shallow cuts, but that was because of the armor. Vindictus, who was wearing no armour, had a deep gahh on the side of his chest, one across his back and ne down the center of his forehead. His wing was still broken and his right forehoof almost useless due to him attacking the abrrier earlier. He was at a severe disadvantage but didn't care. His friend was in danger and he was going to do everything he could to get her safe again.
Sombra swung and Vindictus ducked, swinging his own weapon and nicking the unicorn's armour, which was then met by a deep cut across the back of his neck. The alicorn warrior grunted nad stood straight again, jumping forward and swinging for the neck but Osmbra stepped back and opened another cut on Vindictus' left foreleeg before headbuting him and stunning the alicorn for a moment. He used this opportunity to jump forward and put the sword half deep into Vindictus' shoulder. He cried out in pain and dropped his weapon, falling to the ground as blood poured form his open wounds. He looked up at Sombra, who was standing over him with the sword raised, breathing heavily. The blade came whistling down and the alicorn closed his eyes and whispered a quiet prayer to Judgement. He suddenly felt a tight squeezing sensation and his eyes flew open. The last thing he saw was the sword blade, and Cadence behind Sombra, her horn glowing and looking at Vindictus with an apologetic expression. Then everything went dark.
He woke up thrashing, knocking several ponies unconscious and causing himself great pain. He fell back and roared I pain as he rushed his wing. He finally took the time to look around. The room he was in was white and small, with one window in the far wall and a door in the other wall. He wa sin a soft bed which was nothing more than a metal fram and a matress with some pillows and the top part at an angle. Vindictus thought for a moment, then realized he was in a hospital room. He looked around and only now noticed a mare in the room.
“Welcome back to Equestria, Sunshine,” The mare said. The voice was cold and she spat sarcastically on the word 'sunshine'.
“Wh... where am I?” Vindictus asked suspiciously.
“Emergency hospital rank 1, medical room alpha, bed 7.”
“And who are-” He looked at her cutie mark. “Icicle Wishes?” He knew it was her but she was different. Her coat was paler and her eyes were green instead of red.
“Uh-huh,” she replied, a tad distant and mixing a potion on the table.
“How did I get here?”
“You got hit while in battle,” She replied. “You've got cuts everywhere and don't even get me started on what you're broken.”
He looked around groggily, then remembered.
“Cadence,” he said. “Where is she?” He winced in pain as he tried to sit up. A hoof forcefully pushed him back down.
“She's alright,” Icy said, her voice softening slightly. “My only concern right now is you,”
He grunted as his weight was put on his broken wing. “What do you mean?”
“A lady does not let a valuable stallion like yourself die. Especially not this one.” She hoofed him a thick white potion. “Drink this.”
“Why should I?” Vinny asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He didn't trust the potion.
“It's a special concoction I've perfected over the years,” She replied. “Take your wing for example. It's broken in 3 places. The potion reduces 6 months of healing to 6 hours.”
He looked at the potion, then hesitantly drank it. Wishy put a hoof on his shoulder and pushed him into an upright position.
“Hold still, hun,” She said before she began wrapping bandages around the areas where his bones were broken. Her touch was softer than usual.
“Who are you?” he asked, looking at her. Her green eyes stared at him as she smiled.
“I'm Icicle Wishes. I swear we've discussed this, silly!”
“Icicle Wishes would make me hurt more before healing me,” Vinny replied. “And she would have force-fed me that potion.”
“You clearly have the wrong idea of my other half,” She gazed across him, her eyes darting back and forth. “Mmhmm, I think you'll do.”
“What other half?”
“I'm Wishy, the not-so-nice counterpart to Icy, who you've already met. Though I don't understand her reservations about you, I find you to be a rather fine stallion.”
He just looked at her suspiciously.
She sighed. “How do I explain this...?” She quickly flashed, turning into Icy, then melted back to Wishy.
“Then what do I do now?” Vindictus asked.
“You stay right here, where nopony else can get to you.”
“And if I want to leave?”
“I'll catch you and tie you to the bed. You're not allowed to leave this room without my say.”
“And when I kill you?”
“You can try, hun.” Wishy grinned.
His eyes narrowed. “What do you want with me?”
“For you to get better.”
“Time will do that. I don't need you watching me like a hawk.”
“An unfortunate side effect of being my patient. I watch all of them like a hawk.”
“Then why not get another doctor?”
“Because I'm the only medic you'll let in the same room as you. I've grown rather attached to my exclusive patient.”
“What do you mean?”
“Seriously? Surely you've been through this before, Vindictus?”
“Been through what?”
Wishy's mouth hung open, her eyes wide in shock. “I surely can't be the first mare to have flirted with you, Vindictus.”
“What with me?”
She simply stood staring. “Flirt. F-L-I-R-T.”
“I... haven't heard that word before...”
“How have you never heard of flirting, Vindictus? It's a basic form of communication between a mare and a stallion.”
“If it was that common, I'd have heard of it by now.”
“You've never been interested in a mare before? Which in itself leads to flirting?”
“Interested in a mare? Why would I be?”
“My dear, were you raised in a cave? With no idea of love or affection?”
“I know what they are,” he replied. “I just haven't seen any point in them.”
“To make you happy? To give you purpose? Need I go on?”
“I was happy enough fighting,” He said. “And my purpose is to kill. Why would I need love?”
“I think this is something I need to show you,” Wishy said. “So, the question is, how much do you trust me?”
“Not a lot,” He replied.
“Good enough. Drink this,” She hoofed him a red potion which was giving off a slight mist.
He looked at it suspiciously. “What is it?”
“Drink it and you'll find out. I can't explain this to you, Vindictus, it's something you have to experience for yourself.”
He looked at it, then back to Wishy. He then hesitantly lifted it to his lips and drank it. As soon as he swallowed, he started to feel light headed and drowsy. “Wh... wha...?”
Wishy took Vinny's head in her hooves and looked him straight in the eye. He tried to shake back to reality but he found Wishy getting more and more attractive.
“Wh... what did you do?” he mumbled.
“Showing you love, Vindictus,” She let him go and walked over to her desk, picking up another potion. Vindictus shook his head and blinked. Wishy's flank suddenly seemed to attract his eyes very well.
“Feeling the effects yet?” Her green eyes were surveying him carefully.
“Wha...” he looked into her eyes. They were so green and beautiful.
“Yeah, I think you get the point. Would you like the antidote or are you going to explore this idea a little further?”
“You're so beautiful...” he mumbled. She stopped halfway to the desk. Nopony had ever said that to her before and it completely knocked her off guard. She turned back into Icy. Vinny stood and walked over to her. “You're eyes sparkle more beautifully than fine cut rubies,”
Icy was clearly confused. “You said what, now?” She saw the empty bottle on the bed. “Oh, Celestia... WISHY!”
He gently turned her head with his hoof. “Don't worry, I'm here now...” he said with a softness that did not suit him one bit. Icy pulled away and turned into Wishy again.
“Vindictus, this isn't real for you, it's just a potion.”
“I thought so, too,” he replied. “Then I saw the most beautiful mare I'd ever seen.” he stepped towards her again, his eyes glazed over. Wishy looked at Vinny. She knew this wasn't real but the potion had affected him more than she thought.
“Vindictus, I need you to drink that,” she pointed to a potion on the table.
“Why would I want that? All I need is you...” He leaned in.
“Because I asked you to,” She pulled away again.
He stepped towards her again. “All I want is you...” He said.
“That's enough, Vindictus. You're scaring her.” Celestia was standing in the doorway. Vinny turned to her.
“I would never scare such a delicate-” he stopped, blinking a few times. His eyes cleared and he winced as the pain from his wounds returned. “Wha...”
“There we go,” The princess said. “Welcome back to your own mind.” She frowned at him. “Trying to kiss your sister is highly inappropriate.”
He shook his head, trying to clear it. “Of course it is, but what has that got to do with-” He stopped. “Wait, what?”
Icy was standing with her mouth open. “He's my WHAT!?”
Celestia simply smiled and chuckled. “My sister and I ave had our suspicions for a while, we had comparative blood samples done and, well... Icicle and Vindictus, you are siblings.”
“No I don't think so,” Vindictus said. “I don't have any family.”
“Yes, you do. You've just never met them but before you stands your little sister.”
He shook his head. “No, you're wrong. If I had family, I would have met them them by now. The only person I considered as family was torn limb from limb before my eyes!”
“You've said it yourself, Vindictus, you spend most of your life in battle. I spend all my time in hospital. You'd never know if you had family.”
“I do know,” He protested. “We don't even look alike! I don't have any parents anyway!”
“There's no use in fighting,” Celestia said. “Whether or not you accept this, you're related.”
“You wouldn't know.”
Celestia pulled a scroll from hoer pack and placed it on the table. “Read for yourself.”
“No,” he grabbed the scroll. “I don't care what you or this says, I have NO family!”
“Then leave, now,” Icy said. “You don't have to accept me as your sister although it's clear that I am. If you refuse to accept what is, then just go.”
“Fine,” he began limping towards the door. Icy stood firm, her eyes blazing with anger.
“Fine. I don't need another brother, anyway.”
He walked down the hall for a while before sighing and leaning against the wall. He looked at the scroll in his hoof. "I don't need family," He muttered. "I'd end up dying on them," He opened the scroll and read it nonetheless. The scroll was fairly empty, is simply contained a diagram of two DNA profiles, showing them to be sibling matches. The names by the samples were clear: Vindictus Vulnere and Icicle Wishes. He closed his eyes and sighed before scrunching the piece of parchment up into a ball. He threw it over his shoulder before continuing to limp down the corridor, trying to force the thought from his head.
Icy sat at her desk. She couldn't believe what Celestia had said, not 10 minutes before she'd been flirting with this stallion, a stallion who turned out to be her brother. Shame washed over her. As he walked further away from the castle, Vindictus began to think. If Icicle really was his sister, then that must mean that his parents were still alive... He stopped and turned to look at the castle. He was mentally fighting as to whether or not to ask about it but decided not to. He continued walking away from it, his mind still troubled. Icy stood up and sighed, walking to her other patients. There was no point thinking on this, her brother didn't want anything to do with her.