It was dark, as it always was during the night. The sky was sparse on this night in particular; shrouded by dark clouds, the stars were few and far between, only slight pinpricks against the massive dark blanket of the heavens. Contrasting this darkness was a single object in the sky, seemingly dwarfing the stars around it with its proximity. A full, shining moon hung over the land of Equestria, it's surface clear and white, with clouds occasionally visible drifting in front of its massive form. It's enchanting glow illuminated the land in a soft light. On any other night, it would have been beautiful… on this night, though, it seemed to serve as nothing but an ill omen. And for good reason.
The land was in shambles, torn asunder from the struggle taking place on its surface. Many places were aflame, glowing bright red from raging infernos both small and large. Others were barren, devoid of all life in the wake of the destruction wrought. Trees burned. The air was thick with dust and smoke. The earth itself crumbled. And all around, everywhere, were the sounds of… panic. Was that it? The sound of lesser creatures, some attempting to flee from the great force of nature before them, while others scrambled for their contraptions, others standing before the great power only to be crushed with nary a thought. All around, screams, yells… fear.
Another section of the land below, littered with the creatures, caved under the force of his blow. Their shouts silenced abruptly. Debris rose into the air… as well as several other objects of rich scent. Most deaths would have been instantaneous. The rest would not last. So frail, these creatures. Pathetic.
Something large impacted against his head, close to his eye. He almost winced, and looked down. The remains of a burning boulder that had hit him fell quickly to the ground below. Launched through the air by yet another of their contraptions… he saw where it had come from. They thought they were hidden. Insolent fools. He leaped, his great form covering the immense distance in mere seconds. When he landed, he swiped the ground without pause. More screams reached his ears, as trees, rocks and bodies alike were flung away into the near distance or simply crushed. Nearby, he could smell their blood… it was intoxicating. This wanton ruin… this destruction …
It was glorious. And yet still he craved more. More death. More devastation. His power knew no limits… his rage never-ending. These lesser creatures… these mortals… ponies, they called themselves… he could see them, each so diminutive and helpless before him. This grand carnage was their idea of resistance, of defiance. Each of them would know the nature of his power. He would destroy them all. No… he would let some live. They would rebuild their numbers, the parasites that they were. And then he would destroy them again. And again. And again. After all, what fun was there in a land with no competition? With no blood to spill? These mortals… these ponies in particular, would be allowed to exist in the shadow of true greatness. And Wrath would remind them, again and again, what it meant to be helpless against that greatness.
The wind blew, caressing his crimson fur and bringing with it the scent of yet more victims. He took several steps toward his next destination. Something caught his claw as he attempted to bring it up. He looked down- suddenly the land fissured and caved beneath him, resulting in him losing his balance and falling to his side, into the newly formed crevice. He hit the ground with a thud that shook the earth. Slightly disoriented, he growled and looked up. Dozens upon dozens of the ponies appeared around him suddenly. They had either hidden from him somehow, or used their own sorry excuse for magic. The ponies shouted to each other and threw things into the air… then he felt tightness in multiple locations all along his body as he was pulled down. The ponies were gripping something… ropes, he recognized. He paused, and almost laughed. This was their plan? THIS was their idea of a trap?
With little effort, he whipped one of his four powerful tails out of its 'bindings', taking several ponies into the air with it, and brought it back down on the ones nearer his body. He then, almost casually, lifted himself back up, snapping the ropes around him. All the while his tails lashed about, crushing and eliminating the remainder of those who were so naïve as to believe they could so easily restrain him. He continued on.
The battle… no, the slaughter, had been raging for quite some time now, Wrath mused. It had been… what was it the mortals called it? Evening? Their sun had been on the edge of the horizon when it had begun. Now their moon was high in the sky. To think that they would come to claim the sun and moon for their own… though he had to admit, the cycles of day and night were far more orderly than they had been in ages past.
It had been much more exciting at first. The ponies previously been divided into three groups which he'd taken equal pleasure in harassing. Now, though, it seemed as though they'd banded together against him, and when their struggle began they had been great in number. They'd even been surprisingly coordinated. Now, it seemed as though over half that number was gone… no, more than that. Wrath briefly considered stopping, before he accidentally left too few of them to perform their repopulation… he shrugged it off. A little longer would not hurt. Not him, anyways.
There was now an apparent lull in the action. He'd noticed this earlier. The ponies seemed to be… not fleeing. He knew what them fleeing looked like. This was somehow different.
But it mattered not. he would not lose track of them; he could smell them from leagues away. And they were hardly quiet about it. When they weren't wailing in fear or pain, they almost seemed to be yelling at him. If they were so eager to perish into the muck they emerged from, then they needed only to ask.
Something overhead caught his attention. Through the veil of smoke that permeated the sky, he saw something move… something large. The clouds of smoke twisted back and forth, as though some great force of wind was roiling them. A fair distance off, the thick clouds broke away, pierced by a massive drill of air current. Wrath was surprised by its appearance. This was not a natural phenomenon… then, he sensed them. Followed by seeing them, through the darkness. Within the drill, a massive number of the flying ponies… coming right at him. Fast. He only had time to turn and face them before the tip of the 'drill' hit him, smack in the forehead, resulting in a resounding boom. The force exerted on him was staggering… but he would not recoil. He took a step forward against it, looking straight into the whipping airstreams at the ponies within, only vaguely registering an odd sensation where their attack met him. Their drill construct seemed to waver as they were met with returning force, but instead of weakening, only seemed to increase in strength. It pushed him back, his claws and feet skidding slowly across the ground, the tip of the wind-drill digging in between his eyes. This… his eyes glowed with power. He growled, then roared. He pushed back with greater force, refusing to be overpowered. And just as suddenly as it came, the wind-drill shattered; the ponies within it flew out in all direction. One pony at the head of the drill, he was able to look closely at… a female. Her own eyes burning with a hate of her own, before she too disappeared from sight.
And that was when the force of the dispersing wind hit him, pushing him back yet further along the ground. He remained standing upright, but now… the sensation from previously grew enormously, impossible to ignore. Where their attack had hit. It was unpleasant. It made him want to clutch his own forehead and roar. He did so, the sound echoing far into the distance. This was… pain. Searing pain, emanating from the point of his injury…
…injury? These mortals… these scum… had injured him? This was… he felt his anger rising. And with it, his power. The thick, steaming essence dripping from his wound trailed down his face, into his mouth. He tasted it. This was his blood, the fluid itself composed of magic energy. He would not let this stand. All reservations were now gone. He would kill… erase, EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!
Even as his wound quickly healed and closed, he drew on his power, on the power of the surrounding land, and drew it in… concentrated it into a single, great shape above him. The land below grew barren as its life force was sucked away. The surrounding ponies in the air, while immune to the effects, felt the apparent pressure from his attack as it began to rise, the suction it created almost pulling them in. He quickly finished and held the collected energy in his maw, shaping it and imbuing it with his own power. He could see fear in their eyes, as they no doubt saw the absolute fury in his. They attempted to fly away.
There was no escape from their fate. He released part of the energy in a concentrated beam fired into the night, further illuminating the darkness with its bright red glow, sweeping it through the air to target the ponies who had attacked him. He could feel their own life forces ticking off, one by one, as they fell to his power. But he did not catch all of them. Some of the flying ponies had managed to escape his assault. Further infuriated by this, he launched the remainder of the collected energy as multiple spheres, firing them individually into the distance where he sensed the presence of more ponies. He watched, with vast satisfaction, as they detonated, each explosion covering a swath of land, shining in the night and taking a horde of lives with them.
The night went on. He continued his rampage. The ponies attempted to resist, but their efforts crumbled before him. He at last came to a very large collection of them. They were concentrated here in great number… more than that, they no longer seemed to be 'fleeing'. They had, for the most part, stopped. It caught his attention. He swept his gaze around… he felt something. Near the front of the nearest ponies, he sensed several interesting auras… one in particular, shone like golden sunlight. He looked down, searching for the aura in particular… and found it. A single pony, surrounded by many more. Another female, by the look of it. She looked young, with a white body and what appeared to be an ethereal mane of multiple colors floating in the non-existent breeze. He could see, even from where he was… this one looked back up at him… with nothing but pure fear in her eyes.
He grinned, feral and untamed. He raised his claw high into the air above him, and brought it down upon-
Ray shot up from his bed, eyes wide open, panting and sweating heavily. His gaze shot around the room, panicked. His bedroom. It was dark. The blinds were partly open, letting a small amount of moonlight shine through. The floor was littered with crumpled notes and papers. The walls were the same as always. It was normal. This was his room. He'd been dreaming. It was all a dream…
His breathing started to slow as he calmed himself. He looked down, seeing his necklace glowing very faintly before returning to normal. His covers were strewn all over the bed in even messier fashion than normal. He laid back down and blinked sluggishly, not even noticing how damp his sweat had made the sheets.
It had been a while since he'd had that dream… not since after the whole Changeling incident. But then, it wasn't really a dream. He had to wonder if Wrath had a reason for showing him all that. Or if it was even intentional for that matter, as he wasn't hearing anything from the Beast at the moment. Still, was there some sort of message he was trying to impart? Or was he just being a jerk?
Most likely the latter, Ray thought glumly as his eyes drifted to the clock. It was still only a quarter past one in the morning. It would be a while yet before he'd be able to reasonably get up and about. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. It had been hard enough getting to sleep for the past few days with the things going on in his mind. Now he was waking up from demon-induced memory-nightmares in the middle of the night? Wonderful.
Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. He didn't want to have that dream again, but so long as he focused on things other than Wrath or anything anger or stress-related, he should be fine. Nevertheless, the same things that had been plaguing his thought for days began to seep in as he started to fall back into a fitful slumber.
'At least we were honest about it…'
Dusk had many imaginings of confrontations with Discord, ranging from the moment when he’d revealed himself as the Element of Unity to a more fantastic final battle he pictured involving thunder clouds and pouring rain, perhaps an epic choir providing the backing.
The very last thing he imagined doing with the Lord of Chaos, however, was sitting down and having a cup of tea with him at Fluttershy’s cottage. The idea was, now that his reformation was done, that he would stay in Ponyville for a few extra days for a few more ‘lessons’ and would attempt at reparations with the girls after their last encounter. He would then return to Canterlot with Celestia to put his magic to good use.
He’d been lending his talents to a few things. Providing Rarity with new kinds of fabrics to use for dresses that only he would have the power to create. Using his reality bending abilities to provide even more possibilities for aerial performances with Rainbow. Sharing a few recipes for new kinds of desserts with Pinkie. Since he had very little to offer Dusk that he wanted, Dusk had settled on trying to get on friendly terms with him.
The keyword being ‘try’. Fluttershy was present, but she was there mainly as a mediator to keep the peace and largely let Discord and Dusk carry the conversation.
“So, Discord,” began Dusk, in a level tone, “are you enjoying yourself in Ponyville?”
“Well, it’s better than being stuck in stone, I suppose,” he grumbled. “Wouldn’t be so bad if I could add a few of my own little touches. A cotton candy cloud here, a flying pig there…”
“It’s the little things that can eventually pile up, as I see it,” remarked Dusk. He poured himself a cup of tea. “I’m sure Celestia wouldn’t want you getting out of control again.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” he whined. “Oh well, I’ve been finding my own ways to have fun regardless.”
Dusk went to drink his tea, only to discover the cup was empty. He looked up at Discord, who smiled mischievously and sipped his own cup.
“So I can see and hear, for that matter,” replied Dusk, still keeping civil. “I trust Rainbow wasn’t too disoriented when you reversed gravitational pull and had her falling upwards?”
“Well, she did say she wanted to try something new,” shrugged Discord. “I’m only trying to be a good friend, as a way of saying sorry to you all for my previous misdeeds.”
He took another sip, but cried when the tea cup came too far forward and spilled scalding hot liquid over his muzzle. He shot a glare at Dusk, who cancelled the spell for the small colour orb that had nudged his cup further forward.
“And we very much appreciate that,” said Dusk, with a pleasant smile.
“Are you alright, Discord?” asked Fluttershy. She flew up and checked his nose. “That looked like it hurt.”
“I’m… perfectly fine, Fluttershy,” answered Discord with a forced smile. “Just… a little accident, that’s all.” He looked at Dusk. “I’m so thankful to Dusk for understanding my efforts to amend my evil ways. After all, I’m sure he knows how it feels.”
“Now, Discord,” she said sternly, “you know full well that it was because of your magic that he did those horrible things. It was Doom’s fault, not Dusk’s.”
“Details, details,” dismissed Discord. “I must say, I am still surprised at the news of what’s happened to our mutual friend, Dusk.”
“I can understand the feeling. Though I witnessed it.” He shook his head. “I never would have imagined he was capable of anything beyond the potential for malicious deeds.”
“And where do you think I got that potential from and from all the others when I discorded them? So sorry again about that, by the way,” he added to Fluttershy.
“It’s okay, I forgive you,” she said brightly. “We’re friends now and that’s what matters.”
“Exactly! You see? There is potential for harmony and chaos inside everypony. I just happened to bring the latter into the fold. Even you, Dusk, still show that same potential,” he went on. “Control of shadow opposed to light. Using magic to change pony’s minds to what you want them to. All very reminiscent of yours truly, I think. If anything, you should be thanking me.”
His lips curled into that unpleasant smile again. Dusk tried not to show how much the thought of that made him a little uneasy. He remained composed and nodded slowly.
“I completely agree and I do owe you some gratitude, Discord. Really, the same could be applied to Doom, when you think about it.” Dusk felt pleased when Discord’s self satisfied smile flickered. “I like to think that he took a little more than just the better parts of me. Perhaps, along with his shadows and any kind of mind control he may have, he’s also got some of my magic. Light magic, I mean. Maybe, with Trixie’s help, both it and his new emotions will help him become a better pony.”
“That’s a lovely way of looking at it, Dusk,” agreed Fluttershy. “I mean, I find it a little difficult to imagine since I know how horrible he is, but you might be right.”
“Glad you think so. And, as you say Discord, there’s the potential for harmony and chaos in everypony. And every draconequus,” he added. “You even agreed on that note with Fluttershy before. So, in that sense, I do believe you’re right.”
While Fluttershy and Dusk were smiling, Discord seemed a little displeased that his attempt at sewing doubt in Dusk’s mind had rather backfired on him. Sorry, my lord, Dusk thought. I’m far past that. You’ll have to do much better next time.
“Well, this is all very heartwarming, but I can’t help but wonder what somepony else’s thoughts would be on this,” Discord said. “I am curious, where is that walking grass stain these days?”
“Discord, he has a name,” Fluttershy scorned. “We don’t talk about our friends like that.”
“I’m sorry, it’s hard to lose the image. So yes, where is Mr. Ray Strike?” he asked again. “I’m sure he’d have his own thoughts on our little discussion.”
“I think he’s at home. He spends most of his time there, recently.” Fluttershy’s expression was one of concern. “He’s been like that for a while now. Distant and moody, only really coming out to work on the farm and saying he’s too busy whenever we offer to spend time with him. I’m worried about him.”
“I am too,” nodded Dusk. “Applejack says that, even at work, he doesn’t talk much and he insists nothing is wrong when they ask, then teleports off before they can ask again. It’s really unlike him.”
“Really? Oh, how awful,” said Discord with false sincerity.
“I know,” replied Fluttershy, missing it. “He really seems miserable and he won’t tell us why.”
“He’s been this way since a few days ago. When you came here to be reformed, to be precise,” added Dusk, with a look at Discord. “Can you think why that might be, Discord?”
“I’m as clueless as you are. I don’t even really know him well, if I’m honest,” he shrugged, a halo popping over his head. “You aren’t… accusing me of anything, are you, Dusk? I thought we were friends.”
“Not at all, I’m just speculating,” said Dusk. “Regardless of why it’s happened, I think we should find a way to get Ray to tell us what’s bothering him.”
“Yes, we should,” said Fluttershy at once. “He won’t even tell me anything. What should we do…?”
They lapsed into thought, but couldn’t concentrate due to some background music reminiscent of a ticking clock like part of a quiz competition.
“Discord, could you stop that, please? It’s very distracting.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, my dear.” He promptly stopped the music and vanished the black suit and red tie he was wearing, smiling innocently. “Just trying to help.”
“What if we host an intervention? Or something along those lines?” suggested Dusk. “Get all of us together with Ray present and say we’ve noticed his behaviour, then try and get him to tell us.”
“Good idea. I hope he does tell us.” She turned to Discord. “If you don’t mind, I think it would be better if it were just the nine of us doing it. Sorry.”
“That’s perfectly fine, Fluttershy,” replied Discord. “As I’ve said, I don’t know him very well and I’ve only just begun learning the subtle arts of friendship. You’ll do better without me.”
“Thank you for understanding,” she said sincerely. “Maybe next time?”
“Maybe. But, who knows? I may still decide to follow what happens.” His smile flickered back again. “I’m sure it will be most informative.”
Spike tapped his foot impatiently while he waited with everypony in the main body of the library. For somepony who could teleport, Ray didn’t really seem great with timekeeping. Then again, maybe it was just whatever he was going through.
They’d planned to host their intervention-thing here for when Ray would come for his regular examinations. Hopefully, with all of them present, they’d get something out of him.
Spike felt a sudden ache like a faint burning in his chest and tried to cover up his discomfort. Luckily, with everypony anxiously waiting on Ray, nopony noticed. He sat down and nursed his stomach until it faded away. That one hurt even more than the last one, and they seemed to be getting more frequent. He didn’t know what it meant, but he didn’t want them to worry in case it was nothing, especially with what was happening with Ray right now. Twilight would berate him for complaining about a lousy stomach ache. Maybe he could see Zecora about it…
They all tensed when the library door opened. “Hello folks. Here for my ritual examina-”
Ray stood in the doorway, pausing mid-sentence to take in everypony looking at him on his arrival. He smiled awkwardly and stepped toward them.
“Umm… hey everypony. And also Spike,” he added to the dragon. “What’s up? Am I walking in on something? I can come back later…”
“No, it’s fine.” Twilight gestured to an empty cushion. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
“Uh… okay?” Ray hesitated, looked around at their expectant gazes, and slowly made his way over to the seat they’d made for him. Upon sitting down, he started shuffling uncomfortably. “I’m getting a strange sense of deja vu right now…”
“Ah know yer reminded of when ya wrote yer firs’ friendship letter, but this here’s jus’ as important,” said Applejack.
“Oh gosh, is this the cinnabuns thing for real this time? I’ve cut down on them, I swear,” Ray retorted, attempting to lighten the mood, even though his own tone didn’t carry the same level of enthusiasm. He didn’t get quite the reaction he was hoping for.
“This has nothing to do with cinnabuns,” Pinkie said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. “We’re here because we’re really worried about you. And I mean reeeeally worried. Like, super worried. Like, really, really super-”
“Pinkie, I think he gets the point,” said Dusk pointedly.
“...And what, may I ask, are you all so apparently worried about?” Ray asked, looking around again. His smile was gone now, replaced with a neutral expression.
“Ray, darling, we genuinely are concerned,” said Rarity. “For a while now, you’ve been very distant with us all. We hardly see you and when we do, it’s not for long. You’ve been avoiding us and if there’s something wrong, we just want to know what it is.”
“Yeah, don’t expect us to leave you hanging if you’re in a bind,” put in Rainbow. “So, what’s up with that?”
“There’s nothing ‘up’ with anything, Rainbow,” Ray sighed, rubbing his temples. “There’s nothing wrong. I’ve said this before. I’ve been… busy, is all.”
“Really? Busy doin’ what?” Applejack looked at him skeptically.
“Busy doing my own thing, alright? Look, I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry, Ray, but I don’t think that’s true,” said Fluttershy gently. “This isn’t like you at all. You’re usually so upbeat and loud. In a good way, I mean. B-But recently, you’re just… well, sad. At least, I think so.”
“We all do,” agreed Twilight. “There’s something on your mind, Ray and it’s something really big, from what we can tell. And the other times a certain somepony among us has been been really bothered by something really big, it resulted in him running away.”
“Yes, thank you for reminding me of that,” remarked Dusk.
“It’s a hard truth, Dusk. Live with it,” said Rainbow bluntly. “So basically, we’ve learned our lessons from Dusk and we wanna know what’s eating at you in case you pull the same kind of stunt.”
“I’m sorry?” Ray looked up. “First of all, I’ve only been keeping to myself for a few days now, and you’re all already making a huge deal out of it. Second of all, correct me if I’m wrong, but I have never run off before. What makes you think I’d start now?”
“Forgive me for saying so, but it seemed like you were already running away before you met us,” noted Dusk. “Have you ever returned to Idahoof since you left? And how many other places have you been before you came here? Combine that with your inherent teleporting abilities and it seems like it would be easy if you did decide to leave. It’s not entirely implausible.”
“Oh yeah, sure. And then I’d promptly be hunted down by Celestia and whatever forces she’s got under her wing for breaking my agreement to stay here.” Ray looked at him oddly. “I don’t see what me having been a traveler has anything to do with this. Seriously, it was my decision way back when to stay here instead of moving on like I usually did. And I’ve had plenty of opportunities to run off if I wanted to. I never did. I don’t see what you’re trying to get at.”
“Okay, so maybe you won’t pull a Dusk,” said Spike. “But we’re digressing here. We’re still all agreed that something’s bugging you and you’re not telling us what.”
“Ray, we just want to help. To understand,” insisted Twilight. “We’re your friends. That’s what we’re here for.”
Ray just looked around at them all again, one by one. He was met with resolute expressions. Instead of his gaze becoming softer though, it seemed to harden. Finally he brought his head down and grumbled something inaudible under his breath before throwing his hooves up.
“Fine. Fine! You all win. Probe and prod, and you shall be rewarded. You’re right, there’s something on my mind.” He crossed his own legs. “But I’m not talking about it. It’s… personal.”
Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “Why? You don’t trust us?”
Ray appeared to groan. “No, Rainbow, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that I have a personal issue that I can’t talk about.”
“But why not?” asked Pinkie. “We’re not all psychic like Dusk. We wanna help, but we can’t if you don’t tell us what’s weighing down your noggin.” She frowned. “Is it to do with that icky thing on your tongue that made you so tight-lipped about Wrathy?”
“No, Pinkie, it has nothing to do with that!” Ray calmed himself down for a moment. “Believe it or not, I have my own issues that I’d prefer not to talk about. Issues that I’d rather deal with on my own. Is that so hard to understand?”
“No, but we think there’s more to it. Dusk an’ Twilight both noticed that ya started actin’ like this when Discord was gettin’ reformed an’ after we left ya alone with him.” Applejack’s expression was serious. “Sugarcube, if ya ain’t ever listened ta what Ah’ve told ya before, listen now: whatever’s he’s said to ya, it’s gettin’ to ya. That’s what he did with all-a us an’ that didn’t go down well. Fer yer sake, ya gotta tell us what ‘fore it eats you up faster’n a swarm-a Parasprites gobbles up an apple crop.”
Ray scoffed. “Well news flash, I’m not you,” he said quietly. Then he said, louder, “Look, I appreciate the concern, all of you. But I dealt with Wrath living in my head, on my own, for my entire life. I think I can-”
“And you think you’re the only one who’s had to deal with issues on his own his whole life?” interrupted Dusk. “It may not be as bad as a demon in my head, but my bad habit of introversion from before I knew Twilight and the others never served me well. That’s why we’re your friends now, so you don’t have to deal with it on your own anymore.”
“Just because you’re my friends doesn’t mean I have to share every waking detail of my life with you, does it? I’m-”
“We’re not asking for your life story, we just wanna know what’s gotten you so worked up all of a sudden,” put in Rainbow.
“And what has me worked up happens to be something that I’d rather not share, okay? I’m fine, I’ll handle it on my ow-”
“But it seems really, really, really, really bad!” insisted Pinkie. “We wanna help so we can try and turn that frown upside dow-”
“NO!” he suddenly shouted, standing up. “No, no, NO! I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, I’M FINE!” As he yelled, his necklace began to glow faintly. “Day after day of constant questions and poking, and now all of this! If I say I don’t need help, then I DON’T NEED IT! It’s my issue, my problem! So I’ll deal with it! It’s hard enough without all of you butting in! What I did in the past is my concern. It’s NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, SO LEAVE IT ALONE!”
He stopped, panting slightly. His necklace soon stopped emanating light as it too died down. The entire room was shocked silent from his outburst. Until Twilight broke it.
“We… never asked you about what you did before.”
Ray froze. He even stopped breathing for a few moments. Then he looked down. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”
“Oh no, ya ain’t gettin’ off that easy. Whaddya mean about what ya did?” asked Applejack.
“I said it’s nothing, AJ. Leave it alone.” Ray started making for the door. “My accessory is working fine, same as always. No point in me sticking around.”
Rarity stood up as well. “If it’s nothing, then why are you in such a hurry to leave all of a sudden?”
“Because I’m tired of this interrogation,” Ray said bluntly, not even looking at her. As he neared the door, Rainbow darted up and blocked his path.
“Who said you’re going anywhere?” she demanded. “You’re definitely hiding something and we’re not just gonna-”
She was cut off by Ray simply teleporting past her. She was left staring at where he had been, confused for a moment, before whipping around, only to see his backside as he reached the door.
“You all need to mind your own damn business,” Ray muttered as he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Spike, for one, could’ve sworn he felt the whole tree shake… that definitely must’ve been his imagination. Hopefully.
“So… that went well,” Rainbow deadpanned. “Jerk.”
“Rainbow! Don’t be so hard on him!” Fluttershy gazed at the door. “Poor Ray. I… I should have said something more, but everypony was just being so… so…”
“It’s alright, Fluttershy. I suppose we were being too intrusive,” admitted Rarity. “We all know it’s not pleasant to have one’s personal affairs pried into.”
“I don’t really think big personal issues translate to overblown gossip columns,” countered Twilight. “Maybe he did have a right to keep his affairs to himself, but this is clearly something he’s having trouble confronting on his own and he’s outright refusing our help.”
“Maybe… maybe it’s something to do with Wrathy again,” suggested Pinkie forlornly. “That doggie’s a real meanie, so maybe that could be it.”
“It’s certainly possible,” agreed Dusk.
“Well, we can’t really say what it may or may not be, ‘cause he sure as sugar ain’t tellin’ us,” reminded Applejack. “It’s like his birthday all over again. An’ it seems jus’ as big as that, whatever it is.”
Twilight groaned in frustration. “What is it with these stallions and this need they feel that they have to do everything on their own without any help?”
“That’s hardly fair. You all are hardly guiltless when it comes to deep personal problems and being truthful about them, even with each other,” retorted Dusk.
The mares all shifted uncomfortably for a moment.
“A-Anyway,” said Fluttershy quickly, “I-I think we should still try and get Ray to open up. I… I want to help him. I don’t like upsetting him but.. we really can’t help him if he doesn’t tell us what’s wrong.”
“Agreed. Clearly the group approach failed. I think a one-to-one appeal might be more effective,” suggested Twilight. “It has to be somepony Ray really trusts.”
“Somepony he relates to in many ways,” added Rarity.
“Somepony who’s really close to him and who has been since they met him,” put in Spike.
Inevitably, every eye turned towards the one candidate who fit every description. Dusk appeared to note this with only mild surprise.
“Well, I appreciate your confidence in me. And Ray has been there for me at times when I’ve needed him and really helped me pull through. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t do the same for him.”
“Thank you, Dusk,” said Twilight sincerely. “If anypony can get Ray to open up, it’s you.”
“I will do my best, my love,” he vowed and stood up to go. “And I believe I know somepony who can help.”
Ray had thought of teleporting back to his home. It would have been the fastest option, and he really hadn't wanted to risk the chance of his friends running out after him and making a scene in public. But he knew that his ability to teleport had a habit of getting… a tad screwy, when he was really upset or distracted. He could have just as easily ended up in somepony's bathroom - or worse, into the same location as somepony - as inside his own living room. So he'd taken the long way home and walked. He must have had a veritable storm cloud over his head, because any ponies he'd come across had made a point to move out of his way without provocation.
Even if none of them knew about Wrath, Ray must have still had a reputation around town back from the changeling invasion, when he'd apparently let loose on a bunch of bugs for threatening Fluttershy. They probably thought it best to stay away from him when he was agitated. Ray was silently grateful, but at the same time it concerned him that even the townsfolk here were wary of him to a degree.
When he'd gotten home, he'd locked the door and gone straight up to his room. It had still been late morning. Fortunately today had been a day off for him anyways; he would have ended up skipping work otherwise. He had hoped on relaxing, maybe using today to take his mind off things… yeah, so much for that plan.
Now he was in his room again, laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his fore hooves crossed behind his head. Unmoving, for the most part. He'd been in this position for a long time now. In fact, the sky outside was now dark, the sun already pretty close to setting. His joints were stiff. His stomach rumbled loudly. He didn't care about that though. He was too busy thinking. About what? A lot of things. For one, the way he'd barged out on his friends… again.
Had he been too harsh? This strategy hadn't exactly worked out fantastically for him last time… well, that had been different. He wasn't having a mental breakdown, he was just… something. Confused, worried, irritated, were the words that came to mind. Still, should he have told them..? No, no he shouldn't have. This was his own issue. And it wasn't something he could just up and spill to them. Not like he could just say 'oh, by the way, guess what guys?'. They'd never look at him the same way again.
But should he have been so rude about it? They were being especially pushy, so he really hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. But no doubt they were even more concerned about him in the wake of his outburst. Not to mention possibly suspicious now, after his slip-up. Would they be able to figure it out on their own? What they had still wasn't much to go on… but they'd been able to figure things out with less evidence in the past. If they came to the right conclusion on their own, their reaction would be much worse than if he simply told them. But at the same time, if they never figured it out, then it wouldn't be a problem. Except that now, the chances that they'd just forget about it were… very, very slim…
Why was this even a problem now? It was hardly anything new. Periodically in his life, after realizing the existence of Wrath, there had been… incidents. Incidents where, rarely, Wrath got out a bit. Some worse than others.
Wagon wheels turning upon the cliffside dirt road, churning up loose gravel. Quiet. Calm. Then a loud noise from above. The sound of falling rocks. A pair of screams. Panic. Pain.
The first time it had happened, he'd decided to leave his 'home'. He hadn't been back since. He had no idea what sort of effects, if any, he'd had on the residents there. Every time after that was… disjointed. There was no pattern to when they happened.
"What the heck, dude?! Look what you did! You were supposed to block them off, not… not-!"
"I know, alright?! I can see it very clearly!"
"What do we do?! Crap, I knew this was a bad idea-"
"We've been doing this for months now, and you've been fine with it. Now suddenly you're panicking?"
"We just rob folks! We don't do… this!"
"Just shut up, let me think… okay. We go down there, we go through their stuff, and-"
"You can't be serious!"
"Look, we still need supplies, and unless you see any other merchants on the road, this is our only option. Now, we go down there, take what we need, and leave. Let's go."
All Ray tended to remembered of those times was feeling extremely angry. It didn't happen often, and usually only when he was on his own in the wilderness or something… usually.
…gone. One of them beneath the rocks. Another… in front of him. Stopped breathing. His chest… hurt. Two figures approaching the wreckage. Their words… they did this. Confusion. Pain. Then rage. Anger.
This was an old issue for Ray. One he'd grappled with, and moved on from. It had taken a while to get over, sure… and he still remembered from time to time.
"Damn it, the rocks smashed almost everything."
"Well what did you expect? This is all your fault anyways."
"I know! Now shut it and go check over there. Find them and see if they have anything on them."
"What?! No way, why do I have to-"
"JUST DO IT!"
"Agh… can't believe I'm doing this… hey, hold on a second… Hey! One of them is still-"
The feeling… the sensation…
More screams. This time, not of fright. Pure terror. He snarled at the figure. Lashed out. One was done quickly. Flung against the rocks. Tried to get up, but then the sound of an impact. Something cracking. Bone. There was one strained cough, then nothing. He roared. The second tried to run. Took a single step. Then that one screamed as well. Another sound. Something ripping. Something felt… warm. Wet. It was quiet. He looked down at his hooves. They were red.
…red…red…red…another scream. This time, it was his.
Ray took a sharp intake of breath and instinctively brought both of his fore hooves in front of his face to see them. They were green… the same color as his fur. The same as always. He took several more deep breaths, calming down.
This was Ray's problem. These memories, and the emotions associated with them, would not leave him alone. This hadn't been a problem before. After a while, he'd been able to move on from it… he'd moved past the unrestrained anger he felt then… and the guilt, the horror he'd felt afterwards. It was behind him. Nothing to be gained from dwelling on it now. And yet, the thoughts persisted. Ever since-
"We may have been rotten, but at least we were honest about it."
Again, for the umpteenth time, those words played over in Ray's head. They'd come from Discord. That alone should have been enough indication not to take them to heart. But regardless, the meaning of those words struck something within Ray. A sliver of lingering doubt, that had since grown and multiplied in the time since. Now Ray was left wondering.
Ray had justified it all with the knowledge that it was Wrath's doing, not his. He would never do things like that on his own, not in a million years. Wrath though, he didn't care. All he cared about was getting out and destroying everything in sight. And whenever these incidents occurred, it was when Wrath got out, however slightly. So of course, Wrath was responsible for it all. No way the two things weren't connected.
But then Discord's words came into the picture… and Ray hesitated. The trigger for Wrath coming out, he'd determined, was anger. Anger seemed to be what gave Wrath a hoofhold… or a foothold, as the case would be. But then… wasn't it Wrath who made him feel so angry? He wasn't so naïve as to think that he would never get angry at all if it weren't for Wrath, but he wouldn't have gotten so incredibly angry as often as he used to if it hadn't been for Wrath's passive influence… right? It raised the question… was it Wrath who influenced Ray, and managed to claw his way out at different intervals? Or was it Ray who got angry… and let Wrath out?
This question alone had plagued his mind for days. He did not yet have an answer. As much as he wanted to continue believing the former, as he had for a long time now, he could not ignore the possibility of the latter.
He groaned. You'd think somepony so good at reading others would be better at figuring himself out, he thought to himself humorlessly. Tiredly, he reached down and pulled the crystal of his necklace into view. It dangled above him, reflecting the light from his nearby lamp with a mixed purple shine, but did not give off any light of its own at the moment. He looked out the window again. Now the sun had long since disappeared, and the sky was dark and littered with stars. He could not see the moon yet from the angle of his window, but he knew it was there somewhere. He looked at his clock. Nine thirty-five. Funny. He didn't realize that the day had gone by so quickly. And he hadn't heard anypony at the door all day. He'd expected at least one of his friends to try coming by… he wouldn't have responded, but still. They must have mercifully decided to leave him alone for now.
Getting frustrated, he returned his gaze to the ceiling. Clearly, trying to figure this out on his own wasn't working. He had too much doubt in his own mind to come up with a solid, definitive answer. He could try to ask for help… but from who? The girls and Dusk? HECK NO. Going to them would not only be awkward in its own right after his display today, but it would require him giving details on the reason he was having these doubts. Saying that Discord told him something wouldn't be enough on its own, they'd want more information. That ruled them out. Maybe Celestia? He found it difficult to believe that she wasn't aware of his… problems, to some degree. If it really was Wrath's fault, then perhaps some of the previous hosts had encountered similar difficulties themselves. If so, then Celestia might know something. But then… if it really was just him, and she somehow didn't know about this… Ray wanted to trust Celestia. He really did. He understood that what she'd done was for the safety of everypony… well, almost everypony. The majority. But still, his own paranoia held him back. Besides, he'd have to either buy a train ticket to Canterlot or request a chariot by letter, either of which the others would no doubt pick up on. Then he'd be back at square one.
That left… only one option remaining. If it could even be considered an option. Ray really didn't want to consider it, but he eventually decided there was nothing for it. With the two big possibilities ruled out, now there was only one other being with sufficient knowledge, of both Ray himself and the subject at hoof, to give him an answer. It was getting late anyways. By now most ponies would be getting to sleep if they weren't already, and he was getting tired himself. He'd probably regret it, but he didn't have any other choice.
He closed his eyes. He'd memorized the process by now. Just as he'd done several times before, he slipped into his own subconscious. He wasn't exactly used to it by now, per say… it was still a slightly odd sensation, but like the last time, he was able to shrug it off and continue. Last time he'd done this, Wrath had been bothering him incessantly on the night before his birthday. Now Ray was going in to ask some questions. He had to admit, he never thought he'd be doing this willingly… first time for everything.
When he opened his eyes, he was in that same place again. The same unpleasant smell, the same uncomfortable lighting, the same cold grimy stone floor and walls. Though he was pleased to see that it was a tad brighter this time. The 'torches' on the nearby sections of the wall weren't quite so dim… of course, it was still plenty dark. Much of the room, including most of the area behind the bars and the upper reaches of the walls beyond the reach of the torches' light, remained shrouded in shadow. And it continued to hurt his eyes a tad trying to make out details in the red light. Still, it was better than last time. Maybe the lighting in here reflected his mood… he was hardly in a good mood now, but the last time he'd been thoroughly depressed and anticipative. Otherwise, he had to wonder if Wrath just preferred being in darkness.
On that note, he could just make out the massive figure stirring in the shadows beyond the massive metal bars. A single giant red eye appeared in the darkness, as though peering to see what the disturbance was, before the second eye soon followed. A low growl reverberated through the chamber.
"…what is this? Ray?" Wrath sounded genuinely surprised, on top of his usual agitated undertone. "Well now, this is rare… You came to see me of your own volition? To what do I owe this… unexpected pleasure?" he asked, sarcasm now also dripping into his tone.
Considering what he was here for, Ray decided that, for once, he would try to be at least relatively civil. "Hello, Wrath," he replied impassively. "You're right, it is unusual for me to come down here on my own. I came down here to have a chat."
"Chat? With me?" Wrath seemed to sneer. "Whatever is the world coming to, that you would come to me to 'chat'." He huffed. "In fact, I believe this is the first time you've visited me of your own accord. I know you would not break your streak for something so petty. Of course, I could be wrong… mortal flights of fancy never cease to surprise me…"
Ray frowned. He was already regretting coming down here, but he continued regardless. "Alright, fine. I'm here because I want to ask you something."
"And what could you have to ask of me that is of such importance that you disturb my slumber?" the Beast responded hotly. "I'm of a mind to send you out of my space right now. However… I admit I'm intrigued by your willingness to see me. Speak then, whelp. We shall see if I do not launch you back into your body when you are done."
The order was terse, and didn't entirely convey overall interest.
"You know, considering that you claim to know so much about me, and that you live in my head, I'd think you would already know what I want to ask you."
"Hrmph," the Beast scoffed and closed his eyes. "I am not so desperate for entertainment that I deign to observe every minute of your life story, meaningless as it is. All I am aware of is the great amount of unrest you have felt of late. No doubt the work of that infernal draconequus…" Wrath's growl came again, louder than previously and very clearly made with animosity.
"You seem to have a bit of an issue with Discord. Why is that?" Ray inquired.
"It is none of your concern, brat," Wrath brushed off his question. "Now tell me this question of yours. My patience wears thin."
"Geez, alright already." Ray sighed and walked a bit closer to the bars separating him from Wrath. "I want to know, right now, the answer to something that's been bothering me for a few days. You're the only one who can give me a definitive answer. So tell me; when you come out, if it because of you or because of me?"
Wrath did not respond immediately. Instead, he stared at Ray for several long moments, almost… perplexed.
Then the entire chamber filled with the sound of the demon's animalistic laughter. It bounced off the walls and floor before grating against Ray's ears. He was not nearly so amused, but he remained stone-faced and waiting for Wrath to finish. When he did, it was sudden and abrupt, as he matched Ray's gaze with his own.
"You are experiencing revived concerns over those who have fallen at our touch," Wrath observed. "You truly are pathetic, you understand that? You come to me, Wrath, the Demon Beast, expecting conciliatory answers to your own doubts? What do you think I am, you insolent pup? Your caretaker? I care not one wit about your identity concerns."
"Yeah, I kinda figured you wouldn't. After all, like you said, you're Wrath. When have you ever cared about anything other than blowing us all to kingdom come?" Ray said evenly. "Look, I'm here, I'm disturbing you, and I'm asking you a question. You listened to said question because you were curious. Well there it is. Now you can go ahead and answer it, at no cost to yourself, and once you're done, I'll be on my merry way. Otherwise, I'll go right on being distressed, and probably keep coming in here to 'disrupt' you until you eventually do decide to answer me. So what'll it be, big guy?"
Wrath glared at him, likely angered at being spoken to in such a manner. Too bad, Ray thought. My house, my rules. You don't get to be a prick and expect kind treatment in return.
"Gah…" he grumbled. "Very well. You wish to know, I will tell you. But first, tell me this; when you and I fought against the one called Chrysalis, how did you feel? What emotion was at the forefront of your mind?"
"Anger," Ray said easily. "Your point?"
"SILENCE, brat. I am answering your concerns out of my best interest, but I shall do so in my way. Now then," he blinked slowly. "What was the cause of your anger? Was it me, forcing you to be angry for my own benefit? Or was it that Chrysalis had harmed your friends and countless others, and you wanted her to pay for it?"
Ray paused. He knew the answer. he considered lying for a moment, but that wouldn't get them anywhere. "It was… the latter," he admitted.
"Yes. And how about all of the instances prior? When the changelings were threatening your precious mate. When your once-called-townsfolk made their disgust toward you clearer than ever. When you saw an atrocious act committed and the perpetrators stood before your very eyes, without any shame for what they'd done. And many, many other times. Was it my anger you felt? Or was it yours?"
"It was… mine."
"Very good. Now use your little brain for this next one," Wrath chuckled. "Are you under the impression that I would still be in this prison in the first place if I could exit whenever I chose?"
Ray was silent.
"Anger is what constitutes me; to dumb it down enough for you to understand, rage is the definition of my existence," Wrath continued. "There is more to it than that, but your mortal mind could not comprehend the full scope of it. Instead, know this: anger is the prime conduit for my power. I could try to influence you, yes, but this seal prevents me from having any lasting effect in that regard. I could attempt to force my way out, as I have done many times, as you may recall. Most often that backfires." He lowered his head somewhat to look closer at Ray. "When I 'get out', as you term it, it is when you yourself are angered. The strength of your anger is what allows me to escape temporarily. I am not responsible for it myself; if I were, I'd have escaped this blasted prison long before your ancestors were even conceived. I am the effect… but you are the cause."
Ray did not say anything. He just blinked a few times with a blank expression, trying to register these words. Before him, Wrath hummed, whether in thought or in pleasure he could not say.
"With that, your question is answered. Now then, lea-" He stopped abruptly, sniffing the air. The sound of it, along with the demon having cut himself off, made Ray curious enough to lift his head and look at him.
"Something up?"
"I… sense something," Wrath said slowly. "Something is approaching this space… and quickly. Where, however…" he trailed off, his eyes falling on something on the floor. The stallion followed his gaze, seeing a strange distortion in the 'air' a short distance away from himself. It began to shimmer, and with no other warning-