//------------------------------// // This is not the End // Story: You're Wanted: I'll Always Protect You // by SciWriter //------------------------------// A chill went down my spine. I looked forward to see a pair of giant glowing blue eyes in front of me for a few seconds. They vanished, but glancing at the others with me, I could tell they had seen them too. “Scream and she dies,” came Gray’s voice. “Who?” I asked. “Does it matter?” he asked back. I stayed rooted in place, Gray’s threat apparently working on everyone, as no one screamed. I started scanning for his form, knowing it was useless, but I kept doing it anyway out of instinct. Maybe he would slip up, but after all this time, I wouldn’t know what a slip up looked like. “So, you’re leaving, like I asked, wise. But I wonder, are you really done fighting me?” “You’re fight isn’t with me. Look, you succeeded in scaring me, I’m going, isn’t that what you wanted?” I asked. “I want to know you’re not a threat. I- stop struggling! OW!” Gray appeared, falling off his hooves, several burns on his body. I looked across from him to see the reason. “Lightning!” I shouted. I put it together in my mind. He must have grabbed her before threatening us. She had a dark mark above her left eye, telling me Gray had tried to knock her out, but she had come too just now. Lightning growled, spreading her wings, electricity surrounding her form. Gray smiled at her, suddenly Lightning flying right as if struck in the face. She staggered, falling to her knees. I had seen enough. I spread my sore wings and jumped over Lightning, keeping her injured form under me and protected by my legs. I started scanning again for Gray. I got nervous when I didn’t feel Lightning grab me for security and I ventured to look down at her, finally realizing what was going on. Lightning wasn’t there. She had never been there. The frustration started to boil in me. I hated this. I couldn’t tell what was real and it was driving me insane. “Still you refuse to stay out of things,” Gray said. I watched in horror as Scootaloo was lifted off the ground. “RAINBOW DASH!” she shouted, kicking and struggling as she was lifted up. Rarity’s horn glowed, but before she could do much of anything, Scootaloo shot away, Gray’s form now visible holding her. I shot into the air, the pain in my right wing almost completely gone, over powered by fear and rage. Scootaloo was crying and screaming as I shot after her. Two bat ponies flanked me in the air, a third behind me. I was glad for the assistance, shouting at them, “C’mon, he’s not supposed to be that fast.” My wing screamed at me as I beat it faster and faster in the air, speeding towards Gray and- flew right through him- what did I expect? I looked left to see another image of Gray with my daughter and banked to catch up to it. Again I flew straight through the image, my pulse now racing. Another image and I shot towards it. This time I hit something, a bat pony barely recovering his flight path. “Sorry… um…” “Stay out of this!” the bat pony shouted, taking off. Scootaloo’s screams reached my ears again and my wing’s pain disappeared, as I shot towards the sound, closing my eyes, hoping to trust my ears. I flew several feet, but felt nothing. Tears started streaming out of my eyes as I opened them and started looking around, trying desperately to see Scootaloo or Gray. Finally I saw them, shooting over the boundary of the Everfree forest. As I tore off after Gray again, I heard something over my shoulder. Something a lot like thunder. Lightning Strike shot ahead of me, the yellow filly zipping through another image of Gray and Scootaloo, a scream of rage that was starting to match my own coming from her. My heart kept beating faster and faster. I looked down and noticed something moving under me. “Timber Wolf…” I said quietly. A small clearing appeared in the forest, Gray flying over it, the wolf shooting out of the forest. I screamed. Gray dropped Scootaloo. She rolled on the ground and looked right. The wolf grabbed her in it’s jaws. My vision blurred. My daughter’s screams reach my ears again and I shot to the creature, turning in air so I could slam my back hooves into the wolf’s muzzle. Hoof met wood and a loud crunching emitted from both. Scootaloo flew out of the animal’s mouth. Both my hind legs hurt like crazy, but I landed between my child and the wooden dog anyway. The cur tuned to look at me, a huge crack across its face. It growled as I looked back at Scootaloo, who was bleeding from multiple wounds. The wolf ran away, apparently not wanting to deal with me. Gray landed a few feet away, chuckling. My eyes narrowed, looking at Gray, Scootaloo struggling to even stand in the corner of my eye. “That was the last mistake you will ever make,” I said under my breath. A yellow streak shot in front of me, Lightning Strike landing between me and Gray. “He’s mine kid, get out of here.” The look she gave me could have frozen a lake. She turned that gaze to the image of Gray, spreading her wings. Gray moved towards her as electric bolts flew out from her and she screamed in anger. A field of electric energy shot from her body, ripping through several trees and causing them be fall down. The field went around the form of Gray, electric energy sparking in all directions. A HUGE half sphere of electric energy surrounded Gray. “You keep attacking my heroes and my friends,” Lightning shouted. Gray started looking around him, his face changing from confidence to panic. His image stayed stationary, but the electric field was apparently impacted several times. An image of Gray appeared right in front of Lighting, his jaws open like he was going to grab her with them. However the jaws passed through her. Lightning closed her eyes, the field continuing to exist. I walked to Scootaloo as I watched her. “Get clear,” Lighting said. She turned back to Gray. “You think you should be fighting Rainbow Dash? You think I’m afraid of you? You created me, just like my mother and father. They left me in a dumpster. I HATE those who made me. You’re afraid of Rainbow Dash, Luna, Celestia?... I am the one you should fear the most!” “What do you honestly think you’re going to do girl?” asked Gray. “You’ve never killed, you’ve never fought, this is a joke. You’re nothing more than an experiment. Step aside and maybe I’ll spare your brother.” “My brother has a name.” “Dusk?” Lightning froze, her energy continuing to surround Gray. “That… was your last mistake.” She looked up. I grabbed Scootaloo and leaped away, pretty damn sure something big was about to happen. “LIGHTNING PURGE!” “What?” I… I knew what that was… it was a big deal. I turned once I was several feet away, watching as a blue pulse erupted into the field surrounding Gray. Energy erupted out, sending Lightning Strike, myself and Scootaloo flying with it’s sheer force. I got up, staggering, my ears ringing and my breath caught in my chest. I looked back to Scootaloo who’s eyes were closed. She had stopped moving. My heart raced like never before as I grabbed her. “C’mon squirt please,” I said, touching her chest, blood stains all over her fur coat. Her heart was still beating. I held her close, not sure what to do. Her wounds were so bad, she wasn’t even awake, and I wasn’t sure what that blast did to her. Lightning flew over my head. “Please tell me she’s okay…” she said. I looked up at the filly. “I’ll figure that out, just please tell me if he’s really dead.” She flew away to the crater created in the dirt by her attack. Three bat ponies landed around me and about two feet in front of me finally landed the princess of the moon herself. She looked ahead. I couldn’t see past her and the bat ponies, not really sure what kind of destruction Lightning had done. However… I knew what a “lightning purge” was. If she really summoned one… “Ensure he is deceased,” Luna said. She turned to look at me. I looked up at her, all pride and decorum of any kind that I had left was gone. “Please,” I held my daughter close. “Please… there has to be something you can do.” Blue energy surrounded Scootaloo’s injured body. I slowly released my foal as she floated into the air. Several large leaves and tendrils surrounded her wounds and tied themselves off. A dark unicorn emerged from the trees. Luna looked at him, levitating Scootaloo to him. “Honor Guard,” Luna started. “Is there anything you can do?” The unicorn approached her and took her in his forelegs. He gently placed Scootaloo in the grass and leaned over her. “There is a spell I can perform to freeze her in this moment long enough to get to the clinic, they should be able to save her there.” Several green lights surrounded her, suddenly shooting into her. Scootaloo’s body froze. Honor Guard’s magic surrounded Scootaloo and he started walking away. “Yee no doubt wish to go with thy daughter,” Luna said, waving for me to follow. I shook my head, which was probably a dumb idea because it started to throb. “I have to see his corpse with my own eyes, feel it with my hooves. I have to know he’s dead, first hoof.” I walked past Luna and to the crater. Ahead of me the dirt was overturned and all around several trees were burned and fallen. I was still staggering, that blast had messed with me but good. I was starting to feel nauseous, but I continued forward. I was probably going to pass out, but not until I saw and felt his corpse. I was going to know. Gray had to be dead. In the middle of the crater were three ponies. One of them was a black bat pony, looking like a pony of death. He was feeling the chest of a gray pony with freakish features, several… pieces of it missing. I saw Gray’s teeth, no longer glowing. The third pony was Lightning Strike, sobbing openly, her whole body shaking. I felt the body of the gray pony. It didn’t move, it was real. It’s teeth were real. This had to be Gray. He was really dead. I looked up at Lightning Strike. I didn’t faint, in fact my faculties were finally returning to normal by this point. Breathing was still a bit of a chore, but all the same, I was doing better. The stress in my body was declining. “I should have known…” Lightning said. “I don’t get good things.” I was about to leave as I heard her continue. “This is all I get, all I will ever get. I live a nightmare, and by coming to you, all I did was bring it with-“ I could listen to no more, I had to do something. I grabbed her and hugged her to me. “What are you-“ I hushed the crying filly. “Thankyou,” She was still shaking. “Listen to me, it’s over. Everything will be okay. Life goes on, the nightmare has ended.” “I can’t have this.” “Shut up, yes you can.” I held the filly, squeezing her gently. I finally let her go, her walking a small distance from me. A part of me still wanted to go to be with Scootaloo, but I realized I couldn’t help her right now. But Lightning needed me. I stayed. “I love you, all of you. Vinyl, Scootaloo, Apple Jack, Dusk… so many of you... I’m ruining your lives!” “No.” “Yes I am…” she said again and I lost it. “NO YOU ARE NOT!” I shouted. “You saved my life and the life of my daughter and I will not hear this bull shit!” Lightning stepped back, her breath catching. “You’re a hero today. Believe it. You have my respect and my thanks. Now get back over here,” I said, holding out my forelegs for another hug. Lightning just stood there crying. “No… no this can’t be real.” She pointed to Gray. “That’s what I have… that… that…” she ran to me and hugged me. “It’s over.” I closed my eyes, holding her. I felt another pair of forelegs go around me and Lightning. I opened my eyes, seeing white. I crawled out, stepping away as Vinyl took Lightning Strike. Vinyl looked up at me, her notes levitating in front of her. ‘Thanks. I’ll take things from here.’ I nodded, spreading my wings and taking off. (***) I caught up to Scootaloo of course, but she was in a freeze spell so it wasn’t like I could have talked to her. They kept me out of the room while they operated on her, so I wasn’t able to see her until several hours later of course. Finally, there I was in her room, Scootaloo slowly opening her eyes and looking at me. “How do you feel squirt?” I asked. “Like I was hit by a train…” she said. “I know the feeling,” I said. “Next time there’s a big monster in town, I’m just gonna hide under my bed for the week.” She said in a frustrated tone. I smiled, swallowing a laugh, not sure if she was in fact kidding. “Good news, those wounds were mostly superficial,” I said. “You’re gonna be okay.” “Yea I hope so,” she replied. “Just don’t tell any jokes I’m pretty sure laughing will hurt.” She said with a slight chuckle. “Ouch… yep.” “Well I might be the wrong pony to be here then,” came Pinkie’s voice as she and Rarity walked into the room. “I’m not, this is right where I belong,” said Twilight, now following them. “Ah would say… the same.” “Apple Jack!” I practically shouted. She had a walker and even then Fluttershy was helping her, but there she was. She looked down at herself. “It’s not so much painful as ah’m really tired.” She explained. “Happens when ya barely survived a knife to the throat…” she breathed in deep, like she was trying to summon energy just to talk. “The docs say ah’m gettin’ better and eventually ah’ll be walking without this thing… still bucking is out.” She looked up at me and Scootaloo. “But enough on that. Is everyone else gonna live?” Apple Bloom ran into the room and plopped her rump down next to her sister. The two sisters smiled at each other. Sweetie Belle came in next, followed by Dusk. Sweetie sat down next to Apple Bloom, but the look Dusk gave Apple Bloom gave a pretty good impression he was NOT here to be with her. Finally Lightning appeared in the doorway. She slinked back, but a white hoof pushed her in, Vinyl coming in behind her. Lightning looked around, biting her lip. She walked over to her brother. She looked at Apple Bloom. “I’m really sorry about Honest Apple… I didn’t mean for-“ “Shut up,” Apple Bloom said. Dusk stood up and glared at her. “I’m warning you!” he shouted. “Ah’m not gonna be mean, ah swear,” Apple Bloom said. “Yer sister didn’t do any of this. She shouldn’t feel like she did.” She walked around Dusk, the blue colt’s eyes burning with anger. “Ah’m sorry about what ah said. Ah was scared, ah still am, but yer still ma friend, and nothin’ is gonna change that.” I smiled as Apple Bloom sat down next to Lightning, Dusk hesitantly allowing it. Lightning finally grinned. She flew into the air, a huge smile plastered on her face. Pinkie laughed, watching us all, summing up quite a bit saying, “Yea yea, happy ending… we all look like crap.” (***) I slept in Scootaloo’s room that night, watching her and her friends. The five crusaders all had their own injuries save for Dusk. Apple Bloom’s wounds were emotional, Sweetie still had the remains of the black eye I accidentally gave her, Scootaloo was in bed covered in many bandages and unable to move her foreleg and finally Lightning, who was none the less still flying over everyone, was still sporting a nasty looking scar on her face. I say this to explain why the next day this adventurous group of foals was just sitting around playing cards all day pretty much. It’s really all they felt up to. I participated in a few games, but for the most part, I just read a few books Twilight had loaned me. Apple Jack slowly came into the room, assisted by a blue furred bat pony. He helped her sit as Apple Bloom quickly got up. Apple Jack waved her off, “Ah’m okay sis. Like the docs said, ah’m gettin’ better. Go back ta yer game.” I walked over to her. “So what’s up?” I asked. AJ shook her head. “Mostly ah just get tired of staring at those four walls in ma room. No matter how many balloons Pinkie decorates em’ with.” She looked at the bat pony. “Saw this guy walkin’ by. He asked where yer room was and ah asked if he couldn’t just help me go with him. He obliged. Guess ah just want ta… hang out.” I smiled. “Maybe ask a few questions.” “Like what?” “Well, ah heard about what went down… exactly what is a lightnin’ purge?” The bat pony looked up at this. “Yes, that’s actually what I’m here about as well.” I regarded the bat pony. “I assume you’re military,” I started. “Yes. Colonel Moon Shade at your service.” he said. “Don’t you know what a purge is?” I asked back. “Technically I do. Tell me what you saw though.” I thought for a moment. “A field of electric energy a good size went up around Gray, and then a huge blue pulse fell through it and obliterated him. I saw the body… half of it was missing and there was a crater under it. Pretty sure that’s a purge right?” “What is a purge?” AJ reiterated. “Essentially?” I asked. “A really, really powerful spell. Military grade, takes three to five ponies to pull one off, usually a multi race affair too.” “Well who helped Lightnin’?” Apple Jack asked. “No one,” said the Colonel. I thought, then quickly spoke up again. “There were bat ponies… Luna… I mean, c’mon, you’ve got to be kidding. One pony doing a purge? That would be like one pony harvesting all of Sweet Apple Acres in a week,” AJ narrowed her eyes at me. “Along with helping other ponies at the same time…” “Ya’ll are never gonna let that go are ya?” Apple Jack asked. “You launched me through a house,” I shot back, smiling even as I said it. We both chuckled, but Moon Shade just looked at us with confusion. “Right… well inside jokes aside,” he said. “Is there anything you can tell me about her knowing how to wield power like that?” “I’m kinda the wrong pony to ask,” I admitted. “I was there, but I don’t know where that came from. Really I had no idea Lightning had that kind of power. Course I don’t know the nature of her power anyway. I’ve only seen her around and maybe watched a few of her rehearsals… well because someone rehearsing for a DJ concert where lightning is used as pyrotechnics is pretty fun to watch. But if you want to know about her and what she can do, there’s a couple ponies you can talk to. Vinyl Scratch, her brother Dusk, Lightning herself… heck there’s her father Torkuda, who’s a dragon, by the way, he probably knows quite a bit.” I looked around the room, thinking. “What’s going on anyway? You all just curious?” “You could call it that,” said Moon Shade. “Luna has expressed interest in knowing the true extent of Lightning’s powers. There is a facility in Dodge City that is equipped to investigate the magic manipulations done on her. The investigation could tell us if Doctor Gray’s experiments could be useful in military application… well to be honest Luna has little interest in military application. She simply wants to know if Lightning’s powers are having an adverse effect on the child, and if so, if they can be altered or removed. Course… well…” “Well what?” I asked. Moon Shade looked at me inquisitively. “Do you really care? What is she to you?” “After all that’s happened, let’s say I’ve “taken an interest” in the filly.” “You did notice her new cutie mark?” Moon Shade asked. Actually I hadn’t. Shows how much I pay attention I guess. I looked over at the filly flying above her friends as Apple Bloom started yelling at her to get down so they could all know she wasn’t cheating. She did have a cutie mark. The rest of the crusaders were still blank, but she wasn’t. All five of the foals turned to look at me and Moon Shade, then all of them stared at Lightning’s flank. “I guess no one noticed in all the chaos-“ I started but Apple Bloom shouted an interruption. “Hang on a second! Ya do have a cutie mark!” she said. “Get down here,” Lightning landed and blushed as the other crusaders gathered around her, even Scootaloo stumbling out of the sheets of her bed. “When did ya get that?” “I don’t know, I think I got it when I killed Gray,” Lightning said. “Why didn’t ya say anythang?” Apple Bloom asked. “It looks so cool.” The other crusaders agreed, Lightning starting to blush. “Um… can everyone stop staring at my butt?” asked Lightning Strike. “I can still be a crusader right? I didn’t want to call attention to it cause you might kick me out.” “Naah, we won’t,” Apple Bloom said. “Still… a blue shield with a lightning bolt. What do ya suppose it means?” The bat pony walked over to them. “Well, a shield often means defense, and I can only guess lightning refers to her powers. If I were to guess, this mark infers Lightning’s unusual magic is part of her very make up now and her destiny is probably one of military service.” “Well… I don’t have any say in what she does,” I said. “Still whatever is best for her, that’s what I’ll want in this. Lightning is a… friend, yea a friend. She’s definitely that after all that’s happened.” Lightning smiled at me. “Hmm,” the colonel said, seeming to think. “Well… would you like to come along if she goes to Dodge?” “If you’ll wait until most of our friends have healed up, why not, I’ve gone further for friends?” “Well then, if all goes well, you all might have a new adventure awaiting you very soon. I’m going to go talk to Vinyl… where is Torkuda anyway?” asked Moon Shade.