//------------------------------// // The Story of a Broken Heart // Story: The 7th Element // by thunderhawk7865 //------------------------------// Chapter 31: The Story of a Broken Heart A few minutes prior... Fluttershy held her nose as they galloped into the entrance to the cave, clearing the dead body of the zebra Lunar Eclipse had killed eariler. "Oh, calm down, Fluttershy." Twilight Sparkle chuckled. "It's dead. It can't hurt you!" "It's still...dead..." she sniffed sadly, flying after them. "Hey, you!" A voice echoed from behind them. Applejack turned her head and gasped when she saw two zebra guards chasing after them, swords drawn. "Oh no!" Pinkie Pie said, bouncing even faster down the cave. "We've been seen!" "Ah shoot." AJ said, stopping and closing her eyes, "Ah am honesty. Ah. Am. Honesty!" She said to herself. "AJ, run!" Twilight said, stopping as well. The guards were almost on Applejack when a burst of light enveloped AJ's body and her necklace was on when the light faded. The guards skidded to a halt right in front of her, shocked. AJ opened her eyes, smiled, whirled around and bucked the two guards like an apple-tree square in the jaws. While they were still in the air, AJ blasted them with a blast of magic from her necklace, and the guards fell down onto the floor, motionless. "Aaaand stay down, partner!" She barked, crossing one leg in front of the other. "Way to go, Applejack!" Twilight cheered. "Yes, well done, Applejack." Rarity patted her on the back. "Um guys...we're not out of the frying pan yet, everypony!" Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof ahead. They looked in the direction of Pinkie's hoof and saw a group of about five zebras charging towards them down from the inner workings of the cave. Twilight, instead of continuing to run, stopped, causing the rest of the mares to skid to a stop behind her. "No more running!" She smirked. "Do what Applejack did and think about your element! Now!" One by one, the ponies closed their eyes and thought as hard as they could about their element and a blinding light filled the cave, blinding the zebra guards. They screamed in pain, covering their eyes. Before they could look again, they were blasted with magic from the elemental necklaces and Twilight's headdress. "Wow..." Rarity said, feeling her necklace. "The alicorn was right... We didn't need the necklaces!" "C'mon girls..." Applejack smirked. "Let's bust our friend outta prison!" Rainbow Dash lay curled up in a corner, dozing lightly. She sighed and rolled over, looking down at her stomach, and then over at Lightning Strike and Dark Star sleeping in the other side of the cell. Rainbow Dash sighed, "Dan... Where are you?" Like an answer to her question, she heard her zebra guard shout something angrily. She heard the clopping of zebra hooves coming down the hall and more angry shouting. "Aaaah..." Lightning stretched and sat up, "Wazat?" "It would appear that our rescue party is here..." Dark Star said, sitting up as well. "How do you know?" Rainbow Dash said, standing up and walking up to the bars. She screamed in shock when a crippled zebra guard was thrown into the bars so hard the bars bent in before the guard fell to the ground, lifeless. "Just a hunch..." Dark Star shrugged before standing up as well. "Rainbow!" Rainbow Dash leaped forward and clutched the bars at the sound of Applejack's voice, "Rainbow, you there!?" "APPLEJACK!" Rainbow called, "I'm in here!" "She's in here!" Rainbow heard Twilight's voice ring out as her five friends came running into view. "Guys! You came!" Rainbow Dash's voice was shrill with delight as Twilight removed the bars to her cage. She looked around, "Where's Ace?" "Probably fighting, dear. Come quickly, we don't have time!" Rarity said, urging Rainbow and her cell-mates out of the cell, "We need to get you out of here while Ace and Lunar Eclipse distract Anansi!" "Lunar-a-whatta?" Lightning Flash said, confused. "Who is this Lunar Eclipse?" Dark Star said. "Forget that, who the buck are ya'll?" Applejack said. "This is Lightning Flash and Dark Star." Rainbow Dash gestured to each of them, "But we'll introduce each other later. Let's go find Ace!" Rainbow Dash darted out of the prison section of the cave. "Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie yelled after her as Lightning, Dark Star, and the five friends galloped after her, "Wait up!" "Why does she do this!?" Dark Star gritted his teeth. "Well, she's in love, dude!" Lightning took to the air. "And she has the word 'Dash' in her name!" Both Dan and Lunar Eclipse took the the air, flying through the air towards the zebra lord, who flung two bolts of magic that looked like lightning bolts at the two ponies. The two stallions swerved to either side of the bolts and charged into the zebra lord, slamming into him with their weapons, Dan with his swords and Lunar with his horn. Anansi roared as he was knocked back slightly, a slight dent appeared on his armor, but he whirled around and aimed a slice at the two stallions. Lunar Eclipse gasped and disappeared in a puff of smoke while Dan gasped as he was hit, sending him flying into the ground. Dan sat up in the small crater that he had made and shook his head, coughing and waving away the dust. Anansi laughed manically as Lunar Eclipse appeared behind him. "Smooth, Dan." Lunar Eclipse growled as he bit down on Dan's armor and lifted him up, "Anansi, though you have the Element now, is still very much more powerful than us." "You're telling me this now?" Dan barked, turning back towards Anansi. "You fools!" Anansi bellowed, his armor glinted as magic pulsated around him. "Even together you cannot best me!" Dan growled and took to the air again along with Lunar, who pointed a hoof. "We can try, zebra!" "Foolish Prince of Death!" Anansi said charging downwards, a golden scimitar appearing in his hooves. Dan growled and was about to charge at the zebra lord again when he heard a familiar voice shout out him that made him freeze in air. "ACE!" All three combatants froze and turned their heads down towards the cave entrance Anansi had vaporized the guard earlier. To Dan's joy, and Lunar Eclipse's and Anansi's horror, Rainbow Dash galloped out of the cave and started flying up towards Dan. "Rainbow Dash, no!" Lunar yelled. "What? ACK!" Rainbow Dash was grabbed out of the middle of the air by Anansi, who had appeared behind her and grabbed her by the neck, wrapping his hoof around it. "ARGH! Let me...ack..." Rainbow Dash put her hooves up to her throat to try and pry him off. "Dashie!" Dan roared, flying forward, teeth bared. "Back off, 7th Element!" Anansi squeezed harder and Rainbow Dash's normal cyan blue coat started getting darker on her face. "One more centimeter, and the mare dies!" Dan growled and again began to edge forward, but stopped when Lunar Eclipse yelled, "Ace, stop! He's not bluffing! Let me handle this!" "You are not interfering anymore, Prince of Death, or she gets it!" Anansi pointed a sword at the alicorn, "Afterall, Dan was supposed to come alone..." "Dan?" Twilight Sparkle said down below. "Who's Dan?" Pinkie said, bouncing up to the group. "Buck.." Dan looked over at Lunar Eclipse, who shook his head sadly. "They were bound to find out sooner or later..." The alicorn's voice echoed through his head. "What does he mean, Ace?" Applejack looked up. "Yes, Ace." Anansi chuckled. "Why don't you tell them what you really are?" He finished with a sarcastic sneer, his grip tightening on Rainbow Dash neck. Beads of sweat slowly trickled down Dan's forehead as he contemplated on what to tell them, "I'll...I'll explain later." "Oh no, you won't!" Anansi roared, who rocketed through the air towards Dan, still holding on to Rainbow Dash. Dan was powerless to do anything as Anansi slammed the hilt of his scimitar into Dan's jaw. He cried out in pain, the helmet flying off his head, and he did a triple flip in the air before landing hard on the ground. "ACE!" The five friends, Lightning Flash, and Dark Star yelled in shock. "Hahahahah!" Anansi cackled, floating down in front of Dan, producing a knife from underneath his cloak and holding it up to Rainbow Dash's throat, "Now, you just stay right there while I finish you..." "Dashie..." Dan looked up at Dash, "Don't worry, I'll be fine, just stay calm." Dash muffled out an acknowledgement of Dan's words as she settled down, Anansi loosening his grip a little. "Now..." he growled, the golden scimitar appearing in his free hoof and raising it over his head, "Any last words?" Dash's eyes widened in horror, a muffled "WHAT!?" could be heard from under Anansi's arm as she struggled to get free. "Calm down, Dash..." Dan said raising a hoof. "I love you, never forget that..." "Oh, do hurry up; I don't have all night..." Anansi growled, his arm twitching slightly, as if his arm had a mind of its own, holding it back. Dan looked up at Anansi with a calm expression and, to everypony's surprise, he smiled and said, "...how about you look up?" "What are you—- ARGH!" Anansi gurgled in pain as he was impaled by one of Dan's Element scimitars through his chest, the blade painted a deep red. Everypony gasped when the Dan that was on the ground turned into Lunar Eclipse, who was grinning mischievously, and the Lunar Eclipse that dealt the fatal blow turned into Dan, who was snarling with anger, as he impaled the zebra lord further. "You lose..." Dan muttered into the dying zebra's ear, before pulling the blade out suddenly and letting the zebra fall down and landed with a heavy thud on the ground, blood still oozing out of his sword wound and mouth. He chuckled and coughed up blood before growling up at Dan, "On...the...contrary..." He weakly pointed his hoof at a part of the plateau a few meters away before rolling his head to the side and dying. Dan followed his hoof and gasped, "No..." Down below was Rainbow Dash's body in a crumpled heap on the ground, blood trickling out of a deep cut that ripped her throat open. "NOOOOO!" Dan bolted down, threw down his swords, and tore off his helmet. He cradled her head in his arms and tried to stop the bleeding, as her breathing became increasingly shallower. "Dan..." she managed to say, her eyes fluttering, as she tried to stay alive. "Dash, I'm here... DAMMIT TWILIGHT!" He roared over in her direction. "Medic, for crying out loud!" "Dan..." Lunar Eclipse's ominous voice said from behind him, "They can't hear you..." "What are you-!" The sudden realization that Twilight, Lightning Flash, Dark Star and the rest of them were frozen in time, all posed as if they were running or flying over to help. His head slowly turned down towards Dash, who was still barely alive, coughing painfully. No more blood trickled from her wound, and the blood that had trickled out no longer flowed. "What...what's going on?" Dan looked up at Lunar Eclipse, tears of confusion forming in his eyes. Lunar Eclipse trotted up to the other side of Dash and bent down, "I have frozen time, Dan." "Really?" "Yes..." the alicorn nodded, gazing at the wound on Dash's neck. "I've frozen time to the moment precisely before Rainbow Dash's soul leaves her body..." "You...you did?" Dan sniffed, blinking away the tears. "You're the prince of Death! Give life and take it away! Can't you..." he gasped out a sob. "Ca't you do something?" "Yes...I can...but the only way to do that is to borrow the life energy from somepony she's related to..." The prince sighed. "I'm sorry to say it, but there is nothing we can do to bring her back at this point..." He closed his eyes in respect, "Say your last words, Dan... Say them while I still have control over the time spectrum... That's all I can do..." Dan gazed down at the gurgling and coughing Rainbow Dash who was trying to tell him something, but could only whisper. "Dash?" Dan sobbed through his tears. "Are-are you t-trying to tell me something?" Tears started forming in her eyes too, as she looked up at him. She weakly held up a hoof and gestured for him to come closer. He did so, and lowered his ear down to her mouth, and she leaned up, her lips tickling the inside of his ear. "I'm pregnant." Dan sat up, his eyes widened. His eyes slowly moved down her body and finally fell on her stomach. "R...really?" Dan sniffed, a slow smile forming on his mouth. Dash nodded, a smile forming on her face too. She mouthed the words 'I love you...' and pulled him into a weak hug. "What?" The alicorn asked. "What did she say?" "She's..." Dan wiped away more tears, "She's pregnant." Lunar Eclipse suddenly smiled, "She is?!" Dan nodded and the alicorn grinned, "Dan, this changes everything! We can save her!" Dan stopped crying and sniffed hopefully, "We...we can?" "Yes! Don't you think I would know?" He stood up straight and closed his eyes, charging up his horn with magic, "There's another, unharmed, not-dying life force growing inside of Rainbow Dash that her own flesh and blood! Of course, if she dies, the child dies. BUT! If we combine my control over life and death with your element of love for Rainbow, the effect would draw from the baby's life energy inside of her, and give her back her life energy! And still save the baby!" Dan hopped to his hooves in an instant, picking up one of his Element scimitars and held it up towards the alicorn's glowing horn, "We don't have much of a choice now, do we?" Dan closed his eyes and concentrated on the hilt of the sword as best he could. "I love Rainbow Dash so much..." he thought. "The fact that she's pregnant doesn't change a thing. I love her. I love her and I'll stay with her if she lives. I will stay by her side and raise the kid! No!" His eyes shot open, his golden eyes glowing intensely. "She WILL live! She WILL survive! I LOVE HER!" At that, bursts of golden energy exploded out of the alicorn's horn and Dan's sword. They flew into the sky, spiraling around each other, before they both combined into one brilliantly glowing beam of energy. This glowing beam then crashed down onto Rainbow Dash, her body being lifted up in the air. In a blinding flash of light that sent Dan and Lunar flying backwards a few meters, Dash stood where she had previously laid, her neck cut-free. Dan sat, rubbing his eyes. "Ugh...the light..." He heard the whoosh of something flying through the air toward him. Before he could jump up and prepare for what it was, he was tackled by Rainbow Dash and embraced in an emotional hug as they rolled a few feet in the direction she had tackled him. "Dashie..." Dan looked down at Dash's head, as she buried her it in his shoulder-plate, "Why didn't you tell me?" "I was going to tell you at the Gala..." she leaned up and nuzzled his face, "You know, before the zebras crashed the party, that is." "That's..." Dan gulped and smiled as Lunar Eclipse walked up, smiling, "That's wonderful." Dash nodded in glee as she again buried her head in Dan's shoulder-plate and said, "Oh Dan... I missed you... I missed you so much. I was afraid you wouldn't come for me." "The important thing is that I came for you, and you never forget that..." Dan pulled her into an even tighter hug, tears rolling down both their faces. "ACE!" Twilight's voice was heard as the group that was frozen galloped up. "What the hay just happened?" "Darn tootin'!" Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash. "Next ah saw, RD there had a sliced throat! Ah coulda sworn she was dead!" "It's a long story..." Dan chuckled, stroking a lock of Rainbow Dash's mane. "One that I'll explain later..." "Like you'll tell us why that dreadful Anansi fellow was calling you 'Dan', was it?" Rarity stepped forward, eyeing Dan curiously. "Yes, I would very much like to know why he called you that, if it's alright...it's you're okay, that is...um..." Fluttershy's voice trailed off as the ever assertive Lightning Flash pushed Fluttershy aside and said quite loudly, "Spill the beans, brony!" Dan sighed and exchanged glances with Rainbow Dash, who smiled and nodded. "Ok, first of all..." he patted her tummy and smiled up cheekily at the group. "She's...hungry?" Pinkie Pie said obliviously. Twilight laughed with a big smile on her face. "No, Pinkie! Dash is pregnant!" "What!?" Lightning Flash and Black Star barked at the same time. Dan nodded. "It was because of the child that Lunar Eclipse and I were able to bring her back to life..." "We drew the child's energy, giving Rainbow her life back..." he turned and looked up at the slowly rising sun. "Ah, and just in time for dawn..." Rarity was beside herself with complements, "Oh, that's simply fabulous and I'm so happy for the both of you! We have to throw a shower now! Pinkie, have you got that? I've got making clothes for the pregger mama!" "Rarity!" Rainbow blushed as Dan chuckled. "And...This may seem a little hard to believe, but..." Dan looked up at Lunar Eclipse, who nodded. He turned back to the group and gestured for Twilight to come up so he could whisper something to her. Twilight leaned down and Dan whispered something in her ear. Her pupils shrunk in an instant and her jaw hung down. "Really?" Dan nodded, "Now explain, egghead." "That was so funny I forgot to laugh..." Twilight turned the look of shock still fresh on her face. "Ace, or should I say Dan, isn't really a pony..." "He sure looks like one to me!" Pinkie observed. "Quiet down, Pinkie!" AJ slammed a hoof over her mouth. "Dan is his real name. And he's really a creature called...a human." Twilight smiled awkwardly. "A what-now?" Lightning Flash cocked his head in confusion. "I've heard of them..." Dark Star nodded. "They are creatures that walk on two legs and have apposable thumbs that live on an entirely different world and plane of existence than Equestria." "You lost me at 'apposable'..." Pinkie said dryly. "I'll have to tell you all about Earth sometime." Dan grinned, still holding Dash, "Besides violence being a normal occurrence, it's not so bad..." "It would be best not to tell everypony he is really a human, okay?" Lunar Eclipse said. "Celestia and Luna don't want the populace thinking there's an imminent alien invasion." "Well... ya' told Pinkie Pie... That wasn't very smart..." AJ giggled, and everypony else giggled too. Even Pinkie Pie. Then followed the silence. The group of ponies looking at Dan and Dash as gazed at each other, stroking each other's manes. It wasn't long before Pinkie Pie, as usual couldn't stand the silence anymore. She stepped forward and started singing a slow gentle tune that caused Dan to sit up straight. It was a song he knew from Earth, and Dan was happy she decided to sing this particular song for this moment: Do you mean all the things you are? Are you pleased with the way things are? Fix your mane to protect the scar... That only I have seen. Dan nodded and laughed lightheartedly, pulling Rainbow Dash closer. To Dan's shock, Applejack stepped forward and stood in front of Dan, tears flowing down her cheeks. To his even bigger surprise, AJ started to sing in her adorable southern drawl: Do ya' give just ta' please 'yerself? Do ya' wish ya' were 'sumwhere else? Justified all the things 'ah tried... Said that it was all for you. Dan reached out a put a hoof on the cowpony's shoulder, "You're forgiven, AJ. Don't worry." AJ smiled, closed her eyes, and gently nuzzled his hoof before backing away when Rainbow Dash cupped Dan's head in her hooves and sang as well: And be near, Just for the moment! Stay here, Never go home! "I won't leave, Rainbow." He said gently, "Not anytime soon. I won't leave," he gently lowered her head down to hers and the nuzzled gently while Twilight smiled and started singing the chorus: (bold is everypony singing with her) Did you know... That everything he ever does is for you? So it goes... As the story of a broken heart comes true... It comes true. "You promise?" Dash said suddenly, looking up into Dan's still glowing eyes. "You won't leave?" Dan sighed and smiled; "Now it's my turn..." He cleared his throat and began singing in the sweetest tenor voice he could muster: (bold is RD singing with him) Have you learned all my secrets yet? Were you be burned by the things I've said? Took the dive just to feel alive, But never heard the truth. Dan looked down suddenly when Dash decided to sing with him on that last line. He smiled, taking that as a confirmation that Dash believed him, and then the two began singing again: (bold is again RD and Dan together) Now I'm in love but I don't know how... I'm in pain 'cause I want it now! As I sit watching her eyes close... I slowly open mine. "Oh stop singing one liners, Dashie!" Dan chuckled and playfully ruffled her mane. She growled back playfully and they both began to sing the preamble to the chorus: And be near... Just for the moment. Stay here... Never go home. Touched at the scene playing out before them, Rainbow's five friends, her two cell-mates, and even the Prince of Death began rocking to the steady stream of music that was now emanating from the top of the plateau. Twilight again began the chorus again: (bold with everypony in the background) Did you know... That everything he ever does is for you? So it goes... as the story of a broken heart comes true... Comes true. At the break in the singing when Dan and Dash again began to gaze into each other's eyes, the Prince of Death turned and gazed quietly at the sunrise. Hesitantly he began singing with Dan the next verse: I am so confused by this. I know that life is hit or miss. Days are stung by too much sun, I think that you may be the one. Dan looked over at Lunar Eclipse as he gazed out at the sunrise. "Thanks, Lunar." The alicorn curtly nodded in response, something clearly on his mind. Dan looked down at Dash again, nuzzled her and began singing again: Cover yourself up in me... Shrouded in the love we share. I will listen to your pain... If you listen to me. "Dan..." Dash stroked his cheek, "I love you... And I don't care that you're essentially an alien..." Dan chuckled, "Knock it off..." As Dan and Dash shared their laugh, Twilight again sang the chorus: (bold means everypony) Did you know... That everything he ever does is for you? So it goes... As the story of a broken heart comes true. She and all the other ponies continued to sing the chorus as Dan and Dash looked over at them: Did you know... That everything he ever does is for you? And I know... As the story of a broken heart comes true. Dan and Dash looked into each other's eyes and sang together, Dan singer higher than anypony had ever heard him sing and Dash singer a lower harmony. Comes truuuuuuue! Truuuuue! It comes truuuuuue! Truuuuuue. "I love you, Dash." Dan said, kissing Dash on the lips. Tears gushed from the eyes of mare and stallion alike as they watched the kiss. The lovers closed their eyes, tears of joy rolling down their cheeks as they kissed. Celestia's sun rose even higher into the air, as the sweet scene below played out. Lunar Eclipse nodded up at the sun and crossed a hoof over his chestpiece, "Thy will be done, your highness..." the alicorn muttered, taking a slight bow. OCs: Lightning Flash (c) Lightning Flash Dark Star (c) DarkStar1120 Song: Story, Maroon 5