Act V: The Unseen Prince
Prelude: Decisions
“You bitch!” Scootaloo screamed. “I'm going to rip you out of there and tear you apart, piece by piece!” The enraged pegasus leaped on top of her friend's body and slammed her hoof into her face again and again. “You're going to wish you could die again!”
“Scootaloo, stop!” yelled Sweetie Belle, pulling the furious pegasus off with her magic, “That's Applebloom you're hurting!”
In a flash of amber light, the possessed mare was gone.
“Damn it, Sweetie! You let her get away!” Scootaloo yelled.
“You were hurting Applebloom, not the Nightmare!” Sweetie Belle scolded.
“What happened?!” Rainbow Dash asked as soon as she arrived, touching down nearby.
Applejack came up short, stopping to look at Midnight in disbelief. “Is... is he...”
“Applejack!” Sweetie's voice broke through her stupor. “I'm going to try to lock onto her magic, and hopefully trace her teleport, you understand?” Applejack nodded. “Good, you and Rainbow go after her. You're a lot faster than us, and I'm afraid Scootaloo's anger might make her hurt Applebloom. I'm thinking she doesn't look like Applebloom to Scoot's senses at the moment.”
Sweetie's horn lit up, a trail of emerald magic snaking out to where Nightshade last lay. It began to swirl, Applebloom's amber magic being revealed. Sweetie's magic wrapped around it before shooting of, twisting around the line of amber magic as it headed into the Everfree.
“Come on, AJ,” Rainbow called, struggling to keep her own grief from seeping into her voice. “Let's go get your sister back!”
Anypony could see that leaving Twilight tore her up, but Applejack knew that getting Applebloom back had to take precedence. And so, the farmer tore herself away and ran after Rainbow, hot on the trail of her sister's abductor.
Storm Feather joined Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle as they slowly approached their fallen friend. Twilight had been joined by Fluttershy, holding the distraught mare as she cried with her. Sweetie, however, had a contemplative expression.
In a hushed voice, she spoke to the colt. “Hey, Storm. Is there any way you can help?”
Storm looked at Sweetie in mild surprise. “I... don't know. I mean, something like what happened to Scoots is one thing, but this... I can try, but... I'm going to need a lot more energy than I have.”
Sweetie contemplated that for a moment before gesturing to the two grieving mares. “They'll forgive you.”
“Are suggesting what I think you're suggesting?” Scootaloo whispered harshly. “You know what'll happen, right?”
“Yes, and this is the best way to do so. Save two birds, as it were,” Sweetie replied. “It’s the best way to reveal himself.”
Storm pondered for a moment. “Alright, but as soon as I'm done, Scoots, let it happen.”
“But-”
“Let it happen,” the colt insisted. “It'll be fine.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Applejack and Rainbow moved as fast as their legs could take them, following the green entwined amber trail through the Everfree. Neither spoke. They both knew if they tried, they risked their emotions pouring out, uncontrollably.
So they ran.
Eventually, though, the droning sounds of the forest were interrupted by a crash and a rumble. The two mares ran towards the source of the sound, only to find the last wall of some old ruin topple down.
“Look!” Rainbow exclaimed, pointing towards the sky.
In the distance, a yellow figure arced through the air.
“Fly! Ah'll catch up!” Applejack ordered.
Without further ado, Rainbow dashed into the air, pursuing the runaway. For a moment, when the younger mare landed, Rainbow thought she lost her, but the flash of yellow beneath the canopy got her back on target.
Angling herself down to an intercept course, Rainbow charged the redhead. The crash through the trees stung, but she didn't care. As soon as she tackled her pray, she held her down as best she could, and demanded, “Get outta Applebloom, you leech!”
“Get offa me!” the earth pony said, using her superior strength to roll over, pinning Rainbow beneath her. The pressure on her chest made it difficult to breath and sapped her strength. As soon as her grip loosened, the mare was up.
Luckily, Applejack chose that exact moment to arrive, leaping from behind a bush. The two locked eyes and AJ froze.
“A-Applejack.”
“Applebloom?”
And just like that, the fugitive darted off.
Rainbow Dash struggled to her hooves, gasping for the air need to yell at her friend. “What the heck, AJ? You just let that monster get away! I thought you wanted to save your sister?!”
“That was Applebloom...”
Rainbow stared, uncomprehendingly, for a moment. “Well, yeah. She took her body, remember?”
Applejack shook her head. “No, Ah mean that was Applebloom. Ah could see it in her eyes. Ah think she beat that thing outta herself.”
“Then why did she run?”
AJ had to think about that one.
“Maybe... she's scared? Scared of what'll happen. Kinda like how Luna was.”
“Well, let's go after her!”Rainbow turned and started towards the direction the former crusader ran in.
“Wait...” Applejack said, hesitantly. “Ah... Ah want to go after her, but right now Twilight needs us most. Applebloom 'll be fine for now.”
“But-” Rainbow began, but pulled up short. “Yeah, you're right. Let's get back before something bad happens.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Storm Feather walked up, to stand behind the grieving mares, and took a deep breath to steel his nerves. Starting from his hooves, a yellow fire ignited, and quickly traveled up his legs, burning away the dark gray fur. In it's place, black leather-like hide was left, perforations dotting the leg. As the flame traveled across his back, his downy wings vanished, replaced by translucent membranes, reminiscent of a wasp. Finally, as the flame passed his head, a smooth, slightly curving horn emerged from his mane.
His eyes opened, still the same yellow as before, and he looked at the Twilight and Fluttershy.
“I'm sorry,” he uttered before a beam of caustic green energy shot out from his horn and struck the two mares. Their bodies seized, their eyes and mouths open in a silent scream. Storm grunted as the spell took hold, flooding him with power. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in years, the rush, the adrenaline, the ecstasy... He hated every moment.
It was something he swore he'd never do again.
Finally, when he drained every drop he could without risking long term side effects, he released them. Their limp forms were caught in Sweetie Belle's aura, and levitated away, where they could be laid gently out of the way.
Storm shuddered at the sensation.
“Storm,” Scootaloo said firmly. “Finish it. Hurry.”
“Y-yeah.”
The colt trotted to Midnight's side, wincing at all the blood, and sat beside him, lifting the body to his hooves. He just hoped that this worked.
Storm focused every drop of his stolen power into his horn, lighting it up in a yellow fire. Both Sweetie and Scootaloo winced, one from the brightness of the light and the other from the dense magical content.
With the sound of thunder, the spell was released, lancing into Midnight's chest. A whirlwind picked up, causing both observing mares to shield their faces from debris. Before Storm's eyes, bone, tissue and muscle seemed to break and tear in reverse. It was excruciatingly slow, but it seemed to be working.
Sweat poured down Storm's face at the exertion of so much magical energy, but he had to continue. Midnight's lungs were finished, and all his rib fragments were extracted from his organs. The heart was nearly mended and as soon as the ribs and skin were at least mostly done, he should be able to pull through.
Unfortunately, fate wouldn't make it easy.
“What in tarnation!”
Sweetie and Scootaloo turned to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash emerge from the Everfree, shock written all over their faces.
“Applejack, Rainbow, you have to tru-”
“Changeling!” Rainbow announced and shot towards Storm.
Before she even reached him, though, Scootaloo intercepted, slamming her adoptive mother to the ground.
“He's helping!” the blind mare shouted.
“Yeah, right!” Rainbow shot back. “He's mind controlling you, Scoots! It's what they do!”
“N-no! He's not!” Sweetie said through gritted teeth as she struggled to hold Applejack back with her magic.
“Almost done!” Storm called. “Just a little... Done!”
In an instant, Storm's spell faded and the colt collapsed. Just as quickly, Sweetie released Applejack.
“Scootaloo, enough!” the unicorn yelled, sternly.
Reluctantly, said pegasus released her mother. Rainbow then immediately leaped up and tackled Storm, knocking him out with a strong jab.
“R-rainbow! Midnight...” Applejack's stunned voice drew Rainbow's attention to their fallen comrade over whom the farm mare stood. “He's breathin'.”