-6-
“Slick! You let ‘em go!” Big Mac declared as he burst from the shadows to stand face to face with his former friend. Utter shock lined the face of the red and black stallion as he watched, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie (Unusually serious) rarity, and finally Twilight all emerge from the black surroundings.
“B-BUT HOW!?!”
“Whyyy our little Twilight right here!” exclaimed Applejack as she flung a hoof around the tired magenta unicorns neck. “She’s pretty darn good at magic, ‘specially teleportin’ spells.”
“MY STUDENT!” cried Celestia with joy. “Thank you for coming when you did, all of you, you are needed now more than ever!”
“Student?! I see.” The black and red Pegasus smiled, turning slowly to face the tired unicorn he spoke with a voice as smooth as poison. “6 teleportation spells, all at once, over such a loooong distance. Now you do have talent don’t you? So tell me ‘Twilight’ why do you degrade your superior abilities to serve as this which’s errand pony? You prove my point, that she takes those with exceptional skill and uses them to improve her own power!” he jerked a hoof towards Celestia.
“Uses me? Princess Celestia doesn’t use me...” a faint white glow began to emit from twilights eyes and horn and what seemed like stars popped into existence before her and travelled towards her head. “In fact, she helped me. not only did she train my magic skills, but she also sent me to find friends, and now I have those who will never leave my side!” she looked over to Rainbow Dash, still tied by black shadowy ropes. “And who I will never leave either!”
“YEAH!” cheered Pinkie Pie, a faint light beginning to shimmer around her neck as did the other little fillies, “I’m never gonna quit on Rainbow, or Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, or Applejack!”
“So y’all better back off our pal!” Piped up Applejack, the same light shining round her neck as well. “’Cos whoever you are you’re putting her in danger!”
“AND THAT WE CANNOT ALLOW!” yelled Rarity with gusto. The diamond encrusted necklace nearly complete.
“And if you don’t like it...” Began an infuriated Fluttershy. A grand flash of light exploded from all 5 of the little ponies eliminating the night sky for a few presious moments.
“Tough!” shouted Twilight!
Kydo looked at them for a moment, he began to laugh, it started as a small chuckle, but it grew into a huge maniacal roar. “Very dramatic girls! Worthy of a stage performance I dare say! But even with your pretty jewels, you’re still missing something...” without waiting for a question, he moved his hoof up and to the little multi-coloured filly’s chest. His cold touch made her wince and it parted her fur and touched her bare skin below. “Her.” He finished.
“Rainbow?” squeaked Fluttershy, “Y...You’re going to help us... right rainbow?” Dash looked at her friends then up into the face of Kydo, her brother’s face.
“Yeah, r-r-rr-r-r rainb-b-bb-bow, you’re gonna help them r-r-right?!?!” he mocked the quiet pony. Laughing as he did so. He then pushed his face against Dash’s. “DO IT! Help them! Prove that you’re the murderer I’ve said you are this whole time!”
Rainbow cringed and looked away, a slow sob escaping her lips as she was torn between her brother or friends.
“Sugar cube! Don’t go listening to him, no matter what he says, he sure as hay aint the Slick you or Big Mac knew anymore!”
“I think that’s enough interruptions for one night.” Purred the stallion. The black tattoo like patterns on his coat began to shift, moving with a life of their own against the flexing muscles of the stallion. They began to peel away from the red fur, becoming black tendrils, arms and limbs. “Now then, let’s see what happens with five elements and not the whole set shall we?” For a moment his blue eyes flashed red, and a glow similar to that of a unicorns horn emitted from his black pupils. The long black shapes spurred forward, slamming Big Mac -who had been stood closest- straight to the ground with a heavy CRUNCH as stone splintered beneath him.
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!” screamed Applejack, “H-how could you? H-he was supposed to be your friend!” she began to shout at Kydo, “Even when you threatened Dash, he didn’t hurt you! He tried to help you! You’re....he.... I... I HATE YOU! YOU MAKE ME SICK!”
“Now there’s that legendary honesty!” laughed Kydo. “It’s a shame; the only useful element you have is magic! AND EVEN THAT WON’T SAVE YOU!” He screamed, sending two tendril’s towards Twilight.
“NO!” yelled two other ponies, Rarity and Fluttershy bounded out in front of Twilight, Rarity used all her magic to push one of the shadowy limbs back as best she could. While Fluttershy proceeded to kicking the other with her hind legs before zipping away through the air, causing the tentacle to follow her. “Twilight Darling, you need to use that magic right now, I can’t hold him very long at all!” Rarity panted through hard grunts as she forced the shadowy mass back.
“But I can’t! Its...it’s not working!” Twilight moaned.
“My student!” yelled Celestia with renewed vigour, “Remember what you needed before you used the magic against Luna! What meant you could use that magic?!?!” Twilight panicked, watching Rarity slowly getting faint due to over exertion, and the dreaded tentacle fast gaining on Fluttershy.
“Uhhhh....” another tendril flew towards her, but this time Applejack threw herself into the fray, kicking her well toned back legs straight into the centre of the tentacle, forcing it to deflect and sail away for a moment.
“Come on sugar cube!” she urged, “Don’t mean to rush yah, but we don’t got much time!” she bounded off after the distracted tentacle to keep it occupied.
“Uuuuhhhhh......” Twilight still was drawing a blank.
“Okie dokie lokie! Looks like I’ll go save Dashie!” cheered Pinkie Pie, suddenly her chipper and happy self once more.
“NO YOU DONT!” screamed Kydo, with a glow of his eyes, three tentacles were sent singularly with the purpose to stop Pinkie.
“OH you wanna play tag? Ok then but I warn yah, I’m preeeetttty good!” the first tentacle reached her, but she simply hopped over it with ease, her eyes closed and mouth spread in a huge smile. The second flew at her but the pink pony seemed to almost disappear, she zipped out of sight for a moment before standing on top of the ghostly limb. The final limb tried to swipe the pony of the other, but she simply ducked under it. Then grabbing hold of it she clung on as it sailed vertically upwards towards the sky. “WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” she squealed as she went ever higher into the air.
“Well, Pinkie really is still sticking to her element isn’t she!” panted Rarity, slowly being pushed back towards twilight, the white unicorn tried to pass off the joke to make it seem like she had it under control but she clearly didn’t.
“Her element....” Muttered Twilight, thinking hard. Suddenly the answer came like a slap to the flank!
“Rainbow Dash! We need you! We can’t use magic without your element of loyalty!” the rainbow pony looked up at her friend, her eyes were red with tears as she tried to drown out what was happening, distancing herself hoping she would never have to choose between the two things that dominated her life, her friends, or the memory of her brother.
“Don’t you see, she is following what her element demands!” cackled Kydo. “She’s merely deciding who she should be loyal to! Either her friends or her family!” Rainbow ashamed that Kydo’s words were true let her head drop again.
“That isn’t your brother.” Whispered a voice to Rainbow’s right. The filly looked up to see Celestia, still trapped like she was, but far more hopeful than her.
“What?” Dash groaned through her cracking voice.
“It isn’t Slick, and that’s how Big Macintosh is able to fight against him. If it was him then he would be in the same situation as you. But where as he is able to forgive himself for what happened so long ago, he can see through the lies. You on the other hand are holding on to the memory of your brother, so this imposter can use his face to keep you from saving your friends. DO NOT LET THIS BE! You are the symbol of loyalty, if u feel terrible being loyal to one person, then you are clearly not being loyal to another. When you feel content, that is when you know you are in balance.” The Alucorn rushed her reasoning under her breath so the Screaming Kydo would not hear them. Dash nodded slowly, she looked back to the battlefield, Big Mac was back on his feet, still hindered by his cut leg. But he fought against a tendril by barging it back with his head. Rarity’s glow was flickering out, and the black limb was approaching her far quicker. With a squeal Flutter shy was finally captured, and as she screamed the tendril began to compress her. Dash began to glower at the scene, realising that seeing her friends like this hurt her so much that it must mean she was still loyal to them. She found herself wanting to see Kydo fall, to see the false brother stop his lies once and for all. The light began to gather around her neck, Kydo didn’t notice, his undivided attention was now on the elements of harmony’s wielders. The necklace was taking longer than usual to form Dash noticed, she frowned and looked to Celestia for help. “You still are in a shade of doubt; you would have the element now if you were completely sure. I swear to you Rainbow, you don’t know everything that has happened and for that I cannot be sorry enough. But I promise when this is over I will tell you everything you will know it all after all these years.” The Alucorn’s ears folded backwards and she looked to the floor in true remorse to the small filly.
For one final time she looked at the fight raging on in front of her. Fluttershy was still screaming but now Twilight was using her usual magic to pull away at the dark limb holding her, therefore stopping her being crushed. But then a new scream emerged from high above, Rainbow looked up to see a tendril smacking Pinkie Pie off of the other, and then drive her towards the ground. The pink pony was screaming out of pure fright as she plummeted to the earth far too quick. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” screamed dash, a flash of bright like exploded from just above her chest. The light burnt away at the dark ropes binding her within an instant, she wasted no time as she soared past Kydo and ascended into the night. She was closing in on Pinkie Pie, who was still screaming not knowing what was happening below her. But within seconds, she fell into dash’s forelegs and the two flew back to the ground as fast as possible. Dash levelled out parallel to the floor, at which point she dropped pinkie, letting her land, and then flew straight back up. She aimed for the shadowy limb holding her fellow Pegasus. Her eyes began to water through the sheer speed she was reaching careful not to reach ‘rain-boom’ speed she plunged herself straight into the shadow arm. Within a second she was through to the other side, severing the part holding Fluttershy which then faded away, letting the filly fall slightly before she began to fly –very gingerly- once more. Dash finally ended with a huge dive, landing hard on top of the tendril trying to attack Rarity which was crushed and began to fade as quickly as the one that had held Fluttershy. Applejack came running back into view, followed closely by her brother, both retreating from two large shadow arms.
Rainbow dash stood strong in front of her friends, chest pushed out proudly as she looked at the angry stallion ahead of her. “I AM LOYAL!” she yelled proudly, “TO MY FRIENDS! NOT TO A CHEAP FAKE LIKE YOU!” Twilight walked up next to her friend, her eyes beginning to glow that ominous white colour as she built up her magic, combining it with her friends powers.
“Now you see Kydo!” the purple pony yelled in a voice distorted from her own. “Friendship can survive anything! Even someone who threatens to change it all! For better or for worse! You may look like Dash’s brother...” She looked to her friend, who smiled at her then looked back to their opponent.
“BUT YOU’RE NOT!” she hollered loudly over the roar of the magic emitting from Twilights tiara. All the friends lifted their heads high, exposing their weapons.
“NO!” shouted Kydo, his own shadowy weapons were dwindling within the unnatural light of the elements. The group of friends began to float into the air, forming a perfect pentagon with Twilight hovering in the centre. “NOOOO!!!!!” he screamed again. Feeling his hold over the dark magic fading. Big Mac looked on from the ground at his former best friend’s defeat, as the girls began to shine bright, Kydo looked at him, his eyes wide with fear and madness. “MAC!” He screamed “HELP ME! HELP ME! HELPMEHELPMEHELPMEEEE!” The sight made Big Mac feel sick, to hear that voice screaming so fearfully and to see those eyes so maddened broke the earth pony’s heart. He looked away to the ground avoiding Kydo’s eyes knowing them to be Slicks.
“No...” he murmured. And with that one word, Kydo’s eyes became as wide as they could be as he looked at the land pony looking away from him, not even watching anymore.
“LOOK AT ME!!!! LOOK AT ME DAMN IT!”
“No...” The stallion still looked away, a tear rolling down his cheek as he whispered the word and his voice cracked completely.
Finally the light built to a climax, and for a moment, nothing could be seen but blinding white. Finally it began to fade away, replaced by the scorched mountain valley. The girls lay on the floor, groggy but not unconscious. They looked up to see the dawn, the grand orange sun just peaking over the mountain walls. And as they followed the path of the light they saw Princess Celestia. Her head was bowed as she stood over, a Pegasus stallion lying on the floor slowly whimpering in pain. It wasn’t Kydo, there was no sign of black markings on his coat anymore, his hoof on one of his back legs jutted out at a terrible angle and his right wing was misshapen and twisted.
With dawning comprehension Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh realised at the same time. “SLICK!” they both screamed in unison as they charged forward to be next to the suffering Pegasus. Dash fell to her knees, and skidded the last 2 feet to her brothers side. She stretched out her hooves quickly and took the Stallions head into her grasp. He was breathing...but barely. Dash looked up at Celestia desperately pleading silently that there be a way to save him. But the Alucorn looked on with tears in her eyes as she shook her head slowly. Fresh tears began to fall from Dash’s eye’s now, they fell onto the muzzle of the Pegasus in her arms slowly.
“Urrghhh...” the Pegasus moved slightly in his sisters forelegs, and looked up into her crying face. “K-Kiddo... you’re... ok”
“SLICK!” She cried miserably, “D-d-don’t worry, w-we’ll get help. If we can...” she looked around herself, trying to find any sign of hope, but all that was before her were the cold stones of the valley and her friends slowly gathering around them. “If...we...can....” she stopped, finally giving in to the truth, she closed her eyes and wept.
“Hey...” the weak Slick whispered. “No tears, ok? Not from my little sister.” He raised his foreleg and brushed the tears from her face, Dash pushed her face hard against his hoof. Not wanting to ever lose the feeling of his touch against her fur, not now his hoofs were warm and loving, like all those years ago. “No tears,” he repeated weakly. Above the face of Rainbow Dash, Big Mac’s miserable visage swam into view. “Hey”- he burst into a fit of coughs and splutters, scaring everypony around him as they feared the worse. But his fit settled down eventually, and he tried again “Hey Mac...*wheeze* not the reunion.... *Wheeze* I really wanted for us old friend.” Big Mac’s eyes began to brim with pearly tears as well, “Oh come now! *Wheeze* I don’t have to wipe yours away too do I?” smiled the dying stallion.
“No...” the work pony muttered looking away for a moment and dabbing at his eyes. He felt like that was all he could say now.
The Pegasus looked up at the goddess above him for a moment, Princess Celestia did not look away, but simply met his gaze, a great sadness welling up within her. “Your majesty,” the stallion began, “...Disregard all I have said here today, that beast within me was just all my bitterness burying my true thoughts and feelings... you are the only person fit to rule Equestria... and no one can dispute how kind, thoughtful and true you are to your subjects.”
“Thank you Ky- I mean Slick. It truly helps to know that was not what you really believed.” The princess bowed her head to the Pegasus and fell silent once again.
“Well Kiddo...” Slick looked back up to his sister. “Looks like that place is all your’s now.” He tried to laugh. “Then again I guess it has been for ten-” Another fit of coughing, this time it was more severe and took longer to stop. “-years.” He finished.
“S-Slick, don’t go.” She slowly begged, “I only just got you back!”
“I know, but maybe it’s...just better like this.”
“How is it? How is it better if I don’t have you back?” she moaned, “I can’t lose you. Not again!”
“You’ll be fine...” he looked around at all the tear filled faces around him, “After all you have them... and that’s all you need.” He looked into Big Macintosh’s eyes one last time he smiled.
“Yeah... but, they’re my friends, but YOUR my family! They are important but you are just as much!” she shook her brother slightly at that, his head bounced slightly side to side. He ignored his sister’s pleas to him him and continued to look into his friends eyes.
“Promise... promise you’ll keep an eye on her,” he looked into Dash’s eyes and lifting his heavy hoof stroked her face with it slowly. This time Dash took the hoof in one of her own, nuzzling her muzzle into his soft red fur. “We don’t want her getting into too much trouble now.” He smiled gently, with obvious difficulty he raised his head each strain showing in his pained expression. He carried on reaching further forward, he placed a soft kiss on the rainbow mane of his sister whose face was still buried in his foreleg. He then came back down to rest his head on her lap once again.
“Don’t go...” Dash murmured softly, “Don’t, please, no! Don’t go! DOOOOON’T!” she began to cry in earnest now. As she looked down past the foreleg she held and looked down at the frozen expression of the red stallion.
Big Mac placed a hoof on Dash’s shoulder as she cried. Everypony began to sob as the soul of the deceased Pegasus moved on to whatever lay next. Rainbows tears poured unceasingly, as she wept for her brother, for what he had become, for had he had never become, and for what they never had together. A full long life as brother and sister. Which they so both deserved.
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