Chapter 16: Back to the Void
Void didn't show up the next day. Nopony had any account of seeing him. Everyone just passed it off and theorized he was sick. He didn't show up on the second day either. Fluttershy suggested that the group of friends check up on him in his apartment, but they thought that he needed his rest. But on the third day of absence, the friends arrived in the apartment complex. They told the desk mare that they were visiting their friend who wasn't well and she gave them the location of his room. When they arrived outside his room they saw a "Do not disturb!" sign covering the mail slot. Nopony answered when they knocked even though they could hear mumbling inside. Twilight moved up to the door, pointed her horn at the lock, and unlocked it with a glow of her horn. When they opened the door they all gasped when they saw the horrific sight.
Void was sitting on the ground, looking completely tussled and ratty, staring at a now dissapearing dark mass on the other side of the room. All the furniture was thrown around and there were sentences painted on the wall.
"Where is he? Corruption is a good thing. Who's to blame? Kindness or Magic?" were some of the things on the walls, but the most disturbing one was, "I will take you back to the void with me." There was a heart with an x in it under this message.
Everypony rushed up to Void and started asking him questions. He didn't respond until he said in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, "Please leave..."
"What?"
He jumped up with a wild look in his eyes and screamed, "Get away from us! Leave us alone!!!"
He charged past the friends into the hall and ran to the end of the hall were the window was. He smashed through it and flew into the sky. Rainbow Dash flew after him and grabbed his back leg. He stopped and hovered for a moment, and then turned towards Rainbow and said, "Let go of me you lecherous whore!" This wasn't Void talking, it was Etherlos. The fire was coming from his eyes. He suddenly kicked at Rainbow Dash and hit her shoulder. She screamed in pain as she felt the bone crunch. She fell and shivered on the ground, and then slumped over, unconscious. Etherlos turned and flew straight up. A rip appeared in the sky. Etherlos flew in, taking Void with him.
*****
Rainbow Dash woke up in the hospital bed. Her shoulder throbbed with pain. But there was more pain in her heart. She knew that it was Etherlos that called her that name, but it still broke her heart watching Void's lips move to the words. Her friends were all sitting around her.
"Are yallright there sugarcube?" said Applejack.
"Yeah..."
"Listen Rainbow, that wasn't Void talking. He would never say such things about you." said Twilight.
"Yeah..."
"Um...ladies I think we need to have a group discussion, if that's all right with you." said Fluttershy.
"Yeah, I have some things to say." said Twilight.
And so they began their planning.