All five of them stood outside the Everfree forest. Fluttershy gulped.
“Are you sure he went in here?” She asked shakily, Rainbow Dash nodded.
“I’m positive, we have to find him before .” Rainbow Dash spread her wings and prepared to take off.
“Hold on a minute.” Twilight said and Rainbow Dash slouched over.
“What?” She demanded.
“We’re going to need more than us five to find Tag. Pinkie, I need you to go into town and try to get as much help as possible, start with Rarity, I know she might be a little… troubled right now but this could end badly.”
“Okie dokie lokie.” She said and shot off in the direction of Ponyville. Twilight turned to the rest of them.
“Okay, now we go in.” She said. Rainbow Dash was gone in a flash while Fluttershy slowly flew up after her. “Let’s go, Applejack.” Twilight said and they too, rushed off into the darkness.
Tag stopped running when he couldn’t hear the crickets anymore. The silence was painful. Tag sat down beside a tree and cried. I thought that my problems were over… he thought. The clearing around him was dimly lit by the moonlight that struggled between the foliage. I’ll have to go back to wandering. Tag thought. They threw me out just like in Manehattan. He realized. Tag sat there and cried for a long time. This had hurt much more than when they threw him out of Manehattan; they befriended him then tossed him out like a rag. He heard his name being called.
“TAG? TAG ARE YA THERE?” It was Applejack.
Why is she here?! Haven’t I suffered enough? He thought. In his panic his horn lit up. He could feel nothing, no air passing by him and no wind in his mane. He looked at his hoof quickly and realized he had turned invisible. He didn’t have time to dwell on it as Applejack came into the clearing. Tag stopped breathing and waited for her to run by. When she had disappeared Tag released his breath.
I must be tagging shadows… He thought. It isn’t as hard as I thought it would be. He heard the bushes rustle again. Tag drew in his breath and waited. To his surprise Rarity came into the clearing. She looked horrible; her makeup was ruined and her mane was in tangles. Tag’s concentration failed him and he let go of the shadows. They slid away and revealed his hiding place. Rarity did not notice him immediately and he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Rarity…” He breathed. She jumped and spun around. They stared at each other for a long time. Rarity’s eyes were red as if she had been crying. I must have hurt her more than I realized… he thought. “I’m so sorry…” His voice died in his throat and he couldn’t say anything else. Rarity sniffed and trotted over to him, taking a seat beside him and looking into the darkness. Tag couldn’t bear to look at her.
“Don’t be.” She said at last.
“I hurt you, why shouldn’t I be? You took me into your home and that was all I could do; run off.” Tag choked out.
“You had to save your brother.” She said. Her voice was almost void of any emotion.
“But I left you, after you kissed me… it wasn’t right.” Tag exclaimed.
“I kissed you so that you wouldn’t kill Princess Luna.” Rarity said flatly. Tag was shocked, but he still didn’t look at her.
“But…”
“Enough!” Rarity’s eyes flared with a purple fire; as soon as she finished she broke into sobs. Tag was stunned into silence. Rarity leaned on his shoulder and he let her, he let her cry and cry until she was too tired to cry anymore.
“It’s okay.” Tag said comfortingly his shoulder was damp but he pushed the mild uncomfortable feeling away. “It’ll all be okay…” No it won’t. Tag said mentally. They sat for a while longer before Rarity spoke.
“They’re looking for you…” Rarity trailed off.
“They probably want to put an end to me after I almost killed Applejack. I don’t think they want me back.” Tag said flatly.
“I want you back…” Rarity whispered.
“Really?” He asked.
“I really enjoy your company, your they only person who understands the way I work… and I think that it would be hard for me to go on without you.” She said.
“I’ve only been here for three days though.” Tag pointed out. Rarity shook her head; she was still leaning on him.
“I don’t believe it myself, but-“ She was cut off by a fit of snarling from a nearby bush.
“LOOK OUT!” Tag yelled and pushed Rarity out of the way just in time to avoid a large stinger that struck the ground where she had been sitting a minute ago. Tag jumped between her and the bush. Slowly a large cat-like creature emerged from it.
“That’s a manticore!” Rarity cried.
“Rarity! Go find one of the others!” Tag shouted without turning away from the manticore.
“But-“
“GO!” Tag yelled and Rarity was gone in an instant. Tag drew Tagia and took a step forward. “It’s just you and me now.” He said calmly.
The manticore replied by jumping forward and swiping at Tag with its claws, Tag dodged nimbly and jumped in to slash with Tagia, the blade could not pierce the manticore’s thick fur. Tag jumped back and avoided another smash from the tail. I can’t keep this up forever! He realized and avoided another swipe.
----
Tag was beginning to tire after dodging so many swipes and the manticore showed no signs of slowing down. The manticore feinted to the right and struck Tag with his claws. Not wasting a second the manticore slashed Tag with his tail opening a large gash on his side. The pain was enormous. Tag’s vision blurred but he saw his opportunity. Only got one shot. He jumped onto the manticore’s back while it pulled back its tail and dug his hooves in as it bucked wildly; his strength was beginning to drain. With all of his remaining strength Tag drove Tagia into the manticore’s head right behind the mane were the fur was thin. The manticore went limp and fell over without a sound. As it did Tag went flying off, he was barely conscious, he hadn’t even felt it when he hit the ground at full force. The last thing he remembered was Rarity crouching in front of him and her voice telling him to hold on.
----
Tag slowly regained consciousness, his head was pounding, and his vision was swimming. He could barely move his eyes, so all he was looking at was the ceiling. Eventually he could hear voices, but they sounded far away.
“We’re losing him again!” but he was already gone.
----
Tag was regaining his consciousness again; he could see a little bit better but he still couldn’t move his eyes. His head was not pounding anymore. In the corner of his vision he could make out a pony but he couldn’t see whom it was. He tried reach out to her but he still couldn’t move his forelegs and when he tried to move his hind legs a wave of pain flowed from his right hind leg. Is my leg broken? He asked himself. If only I could see it! Tag’s eyelids grew heavy again and soon he was out.
Tag’s eyes suddenly opened all the way. The light blinded temporarily and he shut them quickly. He groaned and was surprised by his own voice.
“Hello?” his voice was hoarse, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time. There was no answer. Tag tried to get up and was met with a pain so fierce that his forelegs flailed around. Eventually it died away leaving Tag gasping for breath. He looked down at his body and saw that his entire right hind leg was covered in a thick cast. He could hear beeping, to his right was a machine similar to the one next to Tor, it beeped every second or so. I guess that means I’m good. He thought. He looked around the room; it was a room similar to the one that Tor was in, there was a door at the far end of the room and a window into the hallway beside it. Otherwise the only source of light came from a fixture overhead. Tag slunk back into the bed, he could feel something around his neck a quick check with his hoof confirmed that Tagia was still stuck around his neck. Great. He moaned inwardly. I stuck here with the thing that caused all this trouble to start with.
It could be worse. Came a voice from inside his head.
“Who said that?” Tag asked, looking around.
The thing that caused all the trouble. Said the voice.
Tagia? Tag thought. No…
Yes, this is Tagia. Said the voice sarcastically.
“How did you do that?” Tag asked.
Do what? Said the voice.
“You know, read my mind.” Tag explained the voice sighed.
I’m connected to you, fool. It said.
“How so?”
I’m attached to your neck, looking at your jugular. It explained. Also you can just think instead of talking out loud because people are going to think there’s something wrong with you if you say that it’s your knife talking to you. It said.
Like this? Tag asked it.
Yes. You have just proven that you can think; use that to do other things. Like start up a conversation or something. It said.
Very funny. Tag thought. Are you really Tagia? Because the last time I checked inanimate objects couldn’t talk. He continued.
Are you implying that I’m an inanimate object? The voice sounded hurt. You shouldn’t talk to yourself like that. Tag’s blood turned to ice.
What do you mean by that? He asked.
There is a very long story to go along with it. Tagia said.
We got time. Tag deadpanned.
Good point. The voice sighed. Started a long time ago, back when Discord was fighting the Princesses. You know that you and Tor were created to assassinate the princesses, and for that he needed some bodies for you and Tor to occupy.
I thought that Discord created the bodies… Tag interrupted.
That is a lie fed to you by Celestia; she just wanted to avoid telling you to avoid making you feel even worse. What really happened is that Discord kidnapped two ponies and took their souls. He programed the bodies with you and Tor’s mindset; he then used the souls to enchant Torais and I with the ability to remove souls then devour them.
Devour? Tag shivered.
The idea is that me and Torais take the soul and absorb it’s energy, Discord was going to get you and Tor to kill the princesses and then Torais and I would devour their would. Discord would then… remove you and Tor to claim us as his own.
You mean to say that Discord would kill us and take all-powerful weapons from our cold dead hooves and rule all of Equestria? Tag summed up.
Give the pony a carrot. Said the voice.
I prefer cookies. Tag said, a little bit of his humour returning.
Whatever. The voice muttered.
Do you have a name other than Tagia? Something I could call you? Tag asked.
It has been a long time since I used my name, if I can remember it I’ll let you know. Until then just call me Tagia. Tagia sighed.
What did you do before you were kidnapped? Tag asked him, his mind was full of questions. Tagia was silent for a moment.
I used to work in the Canterlot royal library, I was a librarian, of course and I loved every minute of it. Books upon books upon books! Tagia was getting giddy in Tag’s mind.
Calm down you're giving me a headache. Another question; did you know Tor before you were kidnapped?
Yes he was my brother. That reminds me, there is another important detail concerning the fact that you’re alive right now. Tag raised an eyebrow.
Not because I’m awesome?
This is serious, and it affects the rest of your life. Nopony can survive manticore poison; one drop is enough to kill a full-grown colt.
So why am I alive then? Tag asked nervously.
Because of Tor. Way back when you were released from Discord your body began to fail. That was because you need didn’t have a soul to keep your body together; it started to fall apart. When Tor was released his end of the connection connected to yours and you helped each other by sharing a small pool of energy. Of course this small pool of energy is getting smaller and you needed a connection to a real soul to supply real energy; filled in by me.
Does that mean Tor is going to get weaker? Because he doesn’t have a connection to Torais? Tag asked worriedly.
Yes, but quickly; the reason that your alive is because you took a large amount of energy from the pool that I was able to augment; that was what saved your life. That also overloaded the connection and cut it off. That leaves Tor with a limited energy and life span. Tag’s eyes bulged.
Is there anything that we can do to save him? Tag asked.
I have an idea. I can disconnect from you and if you will let me connect to him I can sustain him for a while. We need Torais though, so get Twilight to call the princess and have her send it over. But right now we need to MOVE! Tagia roared in his head. Tag jumped in surprise and fell out of the bed and immediately shrieked as his leg crashed onto the floor. His vision was swimming again.
Come on! Tagia encouraged him from his head.
Not… helping… Tag stammered. He started to pull himself forward with his forelegs. He got to the door and opened it with his magic. Crawling into the hallway he could see that his room was right beside Tor’s. He dragged himself to the door and pushed it open.
Where are the doctors?! He screamed mentally; he didn’t have the energy to talk. Tor was lying in the bed. The machine beside him beeped at a much slower rate than Tag remembered. He pulled himself next to the bed.
Now would be a good time to get off of me… Tag could feel his consciousness fading.
Good luck. Tagia said and suddenly Tag couldn’t feel his presence anymore. Tagia was connected to the band on the floor. Tag struggled to pick up the band with his magic. He could feel himself bleeding from where Tagia had anchored and the blood was getting all over the floor. His vision was becoming red around the edges and with one final push he dropped Tagia onto Tor’s arm. Tag fell to the floor; his vision was darkening and he could hear a scream from the doorway.
About… …time… He was gone.