My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season IV

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 22: Truth of the Heartbroken

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO

Esroh Dab stood before the Dark King and bowed to him. “You summoned me, my lord?”

The Dark King glared at him deeply “Esroh Dab, as you know you have been relieved of your post in the past. You will no longer live amongst our enemies. I have grown quite concerned about your recent blunders and behavior patterns. This is no way for a dark creature such as yourself to behave.”

“Fear not, my king. I know where my loyalties lie.” said Esroh Dab “I have every intention to destroy the ponies and conquer the past.”

“You had better…” hissed the Dark King “This is your final chance.”

Esroh winced softly.

“I won’t tolerate another failure like I did with your comrades. Either you destroy the ponies this time, or mark my words, you will suffer immensely.”

Esroh felt a little sick to his stomach with fear, but he bowed graciously “Yes… you majesty. I understand.” His mind then began to wander back to Rarity, and how she told him she liked him. “Rarity…” he muttered softly.

Tnaig could see Esroh was still being skeptical about his mission, and narrowed his eyes shamefully at him.

Meanwhile, it was getting close to sundown, and Lightning, Starla and Krysta were shopping at the market that day. It had been a couple of days since the space adventure, and no word had been heard from the two strangers. “I can hardly believe this…” said Lightning “We travel halfway across the galaxy, barely escape with our lives, both physically and normally, we get the ingredients and nothing happens.”

“Yeah, but there’s not much we can do about it, Lightning.” said Starla.

Lightning sighed “Yeah, you’re right, dear, I’m sorry.”

“We’ll get our answers soon.” said Krysta “Meanwhile; we still have other things to worry about, like when the cardinals will strike next.” The three of them stopped and looked all around, but nothing happened, and they all sighed in relief.

On their way home, they passed by the playground, and saw Spike was all by himself punching and kicking at the air in anger. He really looked steamed. “What’s got him so riled up?” asked Krysta. Lightning and Starla gazed at each other knowing what the obvious answer was.

Spike took a running dash at the tree and leapt up high, ready to break it in half, and he probably would have if Krysta hadn’t halted him in midair with her fairy telekinesis. “Whoa, easy there...”

“Put me down!” Spike thundered.

“Not until you calm down, Spike.” said Lightning.

Spike took a few deep breaths, and he calmed down. So Krysta set him down gently, and Spike revealed that he was upset about Rarity and Thunder Cloud again. No one had seen Thunder Cloud lately, but it seemed that was all Rarity could think about. She would constantly go to his house, only to find he was out, and then she would check again only to have the same results.

She was also supposed to go grocery shopping with him, and maybe even later get ice-cream like they always did together on Fridays, and all she did was spent time in her shrine built to Thunder Cloud, acting like a drama queen, and wondering why he hadn’t gotten back to her about her little confession.

Spike then acted like Rarity and even did an impression of her voice “It’s always “Oh, my dear, Thunder Cloud; why can’t you see how I feel? Do you feel the same about me?”

The others couldn’t help but chuckle at the fine impersonation he was doing. “That’s definitely Rarity.” Starla whispered.

Spike felt a lot better getting all that rage off his chest. “But it’s not all that…” Spike said “I’m still having bad feelings about Thunder Cloud. There’s just something about him that turns my blood cold.”

The others had the same suspicions, and quite a lot of potential evidence, the most recent of all was why the cardinals never seemed to go after him, or why he always seemed to be in the vicinity of a cardinal attacking for that matter. “He’s been scanned over and over again, and he checks out fine.” said Lightning “He also hasn’t committed any serious crimes, or been proven to, but still, I don’t know.”

Spike wanted to stay behind and think by himself a while longer. “We hope you get better soon, Spike. We’re worried about you.” said Starla. “I’m worried about me too.” Spike said, but he said it to himself.

Ever since Rarity confessed to Thunder Cloud, nothing had gone right for him. He was starting to think maybe he’d never get his powers to work again, and that in turn meant his commission would remain suspended, maybe even terminated permanently.

Why did this have to hurt him so much?

Soon, it got dark, and Esroh Dab was contemplating deeply to himself as he stood on a foot bridge, gazing at his reflection over the water; his reflection showed his true colors of his real form, even though he was still disguised as Thunder Cloud.

He thought more about Rarity and all the times they spent together; all she had done for him. He narrowed his eyes in anger and frustration.

Tnaig appeared near him on the bridge. “Don’t even think about it.” he said.

“Don’t think about what?”

“You know perfectly well...”

Spike was on his way home, having spent a long time thinking, and ultimately he felt there was just no other way. He thought it probably best to just let it go, and let Rarity love someone else. After all, it wasn’t his place to tell her whom she could or couldn’t love, but still this was really going to hurt him a lot. “Guess it’s time to bite the blast.” He said softly to himself, and he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Then, as he passed near the footbridge, he swore he could see Thunder Cloud, and he was talking to Tnaig. “What the--” he peeped softly. He moved in closer and hid behind a lamppost, as close to the bridge as he could without being seen or heard, and with his dragon sense of hearing, he could hear their every word.

“Look, you can stop worrying.” Thunder Cloud said “I know what I have to do and I will do it.”

“Really?” asked Tnaig “...And what of the pony who’s infatuated with you?”

Thunder Cloud admitted “It is regrettable, but I will destroy her too. It must be done.”

Spike had heard enough, and he was ever so shocked and rather stung on the inside. "Whoa... I knew that guy was bad news!” He really couldn’t believe how right he was all this time, and yet a part of him didn’t actually wish to be right. “This is going to break Rarity in half.”

He knew he had to tell her, and he dashed off.

Esroh Dab heard him rush off, but didn’t actually see him, yet he recognized the familiar appearance of a footprint in the ground. He knew it was Spike, and knew what he had just been overheard. It didn’t really matter to him.

Rarity had finally come out from her shrine where she had been sitting all day long, now she was sitting on the sofa stroking Opal, but still contemplating about Thunder Cloud. “Oh, Opal… you don’t suppose he doesn’t like me at all do you?”

Opal rolled her eyes and just ignored her, as usual.

“Oh, I haven’t seen him for days. I wonder if something’s happened to him!” Her anxiety was about to burst, when Spike came through his little door. “I’m home…” he called out.

“Spike? Where have you been? It’s getting late.”

“Rarity… there’s something I have to tell you.” He paused a minute, trying to figure out exactly what to say to her “…I saw Thunder Cloud.”

Rarity gasped in hope “Really… you saw him?!” she cried.

“Yes…” answered Spike.

“Oh, joy!” cried Rarity “Then he is alright!”

“Rarity, I have to tell you--” but Rarity was skipping merrily around the room, talking at a hundred miles per hour. “Rarity, listen to me!” cried Spike.

“Oh, I must go to him…”

“Rarity…!”

“This is what I’ve waiting for!”

“Thunder Cloud, he’s…

“I can see it now, maybe he’ll finally tell me how he really feels!”

Spike was growing more and more annoyed and impatient, and finally he yelled at the top of his lungs “…HE’S…A… PHONY!!

HE’S BEEN PLAYING YOU LIKE A BROKEN FIDDLE!!

HEEEEE… IS… EEEEEEEVIIIIIIL!!!!”

He stopped an panting most exhaustively, but furiously too.

Rarity blinked twice in shock at Spike for screaming. “…I beg your pardon?”

“Rarity, it’s the truth I saw him!”

“Oh, Spike, really. Don’t speak such nonsense.”

“I’m not making this up!”

“Look I realize you are upset about me and Thunder Cloud, but listen…”

“No, you listen! You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

“Look Spike, you may be upset, but I deeply care for Thunder Cloud.”

“He doesn’t care about you! He wants to destroy you! He said it himself!”

Rarity’s anger was heating up. She and Spike continued to lash back and forth at one another, and still refused to believe him. “I’ve heard enough!” She tried to walk away from him, but he butted right in front of her each time. “Rarity, don’t you give me that!”

“Spike, enough!”

“That guy is an evil creep!”

“STOP IT...!!”

“No, you need to stop with this stupid crush you have on him and just--”

Blushing furiously, Rarity finally lost her temper. “ENOUGH!!!” and in her blind rage she fired a blast of magic from her horn, hitting him and sending him crashing hard into the wall, and breaking a hole through it.

Immediately, Rarity gasped and felt extreme remorse at what she just did, but it couldn’t possibly compare to the look in Spike’s eyes. The look of extreme hurt feelings, shame, and fear, but most of all… there was no trust. “Spike… I…I didn’t mean--” but Spike was not interested in anything she had to say, “I was just trying to look out for you, because... I loved you.” he said sadly. This hit Rarity deeply, “But if you won’t face the truth, then I can't live here with you anymore.” he headed for the door.

“Spike… no, wait!”

He stopped and turned back to face her one last time, “I’ll send for my things.” Then he was gone-- ran off into the night while Rarity just stood where she was, finally collapsing to her knees. Her tears were cascading down her face, but she was so upset she couldn’t cry. All she could see was her big error and what it had cost her.

Suddenly she snapped upright, and had to call the others. She was so distraught and shaken by her actions she could hardly remember what she and Spike we’re fighting about, but when she told the others what they had done… were they ever surprised, ashamed, and furious enough to want to kick her clear into orbit!

“You shot him in anger?!” snapped Starla “Could you BE any stupider?!”

“I know, it was rotten of me, but I--”

“No buts!” snapped Lightning. He quickly cleared his throat trying to keep calm. “I am very upset with you, Captain. Hitting another officer in a fit of anger, suspended or not, is a serious offense, not to mention child-abuse for hitting your own care-child! You'll be lucky if you don't face a court martial and a demotion for this!”

Rarity felt really upset now, the guilt burned her insides as if she had swallowed a burning torch. She wanted ever so much to come out and help look for Spike, but Krysta urged her not to, “The last thing Spike needs right now is to see you after the way you behaved!”

“Krysta…” Lightning said stopping her, as much as he and Starla agreed with her, they urged Rarity to stay behind in the unlikely event that Spike would come home. Then they all went off to hitch up the night teams immediately leaving Rarity alone.

She gazed at the Spike shaped break in the wall. Now she didn’t know what to feel. Whose fault was this really?

The night patrols and some of the others got up extra early in the morning to join the search when they heard the news. Fluttershy was ever so worried. Applejack was very annoyed at Rarity and took a moment to berate her for being so stupid.

The Spanish twins joined the search, and they did check at Rarity’s to see if Spike had returned; sadly, he hadn’t, and the twins also refused to fix the wall either, figuring it was her mess to clean up and let it be a reminder of how she acted.

Sadly, there was no sign of Spike anywhere, and they couldn’t even lock onto his signal with their visor scanning. “Poor little guy must be really bummed.” said Buddy Rose.

“I just hope he’s alright.” said Artie “Remember, his powers are still on the fritz. If he runs into danger he won’t have a chance.”

This only alerted everyone to keep on searching.

Meanwhile, Rarity couldn’t just stay cooped up at home all day. She also remembered that she forgot to go grocery-shopping the other day, and just had to head for the market.

Still, all through her shopping, she couldn’t stop beating herself up inside for what she had done to Spike. She still couldn’t remember what it was they fought about as she was so stressed out, and it affected her shopping. She grabbed many scoops of sugar that her bag overflowed. She picked up one apple and just held it as she stared off into space, and at the checkout, she held up the line after freezing up again.

She finally managed to get her act in gear and walked home with her groceries, and along the way, she walked down a lonely path, and whom did she see, but “...Thunder Cloud!”

He turned and saw her. “Rarity… I was actually hoping to see you.”

She blushed softly “You… you were?” Her sadness and woe about Spike seemed to leave her all at once.

“Rarity, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately, about what you said to me before.”

Rarity felt embarrassed.

“…But now, I keep thinking back to when I first came to New Ponyville. I didn’t understand much, and I didn’t really fit in with anyone, and then I met you, and you showed me many things I never experienced before, like warm feelings of friendship and kindness.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ribbon she gave him as a bandage when he cut himself in the flower fields. Rarity was ever so flattered that he had kept it all this time. “I must admit, you were a bit rough around the edges at first, but then I got to see you just needed a helping hand.” she said to him “And this was one of many reasons I… came to really like you.”

Thunder Cloud smiled sadly, but he hung his head low in shame.

“Are you alright?” Rarity asked “Is something bothering you.”

Dark storm clouds were coming in fast and the wind was starting to pick up. “Oh, dear… I hadn’t checked the forecast today.” Rarity said. Rain began to fall as she got out her umbrella, and used her magic to open it and keep it afloat, what with her hands full.

“Here…” She moved closer to Thunder Cloud, sharing the umbrella with him, but he didn’t seem to perk up. “Rarity… there’s something I need to tell you.”

Rarity’s eyes began to twinkle, believing this was it; he would tell her that he felt the same way and liked her back. “I’m listening…” Rarity said, blushing. She really felt her was finally going to confess his love to her, and things could start to get better.

“...You… won’t be seeing me around here anymore.”

“Oh, Thunder Cloud I--” she paused and blinked once “Wait, what did you say?”

“I’m leaving... forever.” he walked away ahead of her. Rarity felt her insides start to grow cold. “What do you mean you’re going away?”

“Seriously?! After all this time, you still haven’t figured it out?”

“Figured out what?” snapped Rarity. Her voice was sounding deeply concerned “I thought you were going to confess your feelings for me.”

“That’s impossible, not to mention ridiculous! You and I can never be a thing!”

Now she really felt worried and a little hurt “What do you mean we can’t? Thunder Cloud, what’s gotten into you? Why are you behaving like this?”

“Rarity, I’m not who you think I am!” he snapped at her “I’m not a resident of New Ponyville. I’m not even a native of this planet, and what’s more: my name is not Thunder Cloud!”

The more and more he talked this way, the more concerned and frightened Rarity became. “I don’t understand all this! Who are you then?”

“Just ask Spike. He knows the truth.”

Rarity gasped in sudden remembrance of what Spike was trying to tell her the other night. She began to feel really uptight, and still confused.

“It’s the truth, Rarity, and I can prove it!” he said to her. He raised his hand to the part of his hair over his face. “I’m sure you’ll recognize this.” and he slowly lifted away his bangs revealing the dark insignia on his forehead.

Rarity gasped, and remembered how all the other minions had the same marks. “No… no, it can’t be. Not you!” but he then transformed right in front of her revealing his true wicked form.

Rarity was so shocked that she dropped her groceries. Cans and tins spilled everywhere, and she even let go of her umbrella letting it blow away in the winds, but her eyes of shock never left the gaze of the other pony gazing straight at her...

“My name is Esroh Dab.

I came from the future.

My allegiance is to the Dark King.

I was sent to gain information about this time so that he can conquer it and rule the entire universe with total darkness.”

Rarity’s tears began to flow “No! this cannot be. I can’t accept this! Please, tell me you’re making this up?!”

He shook his head grimly “Believe me, this is as real as it can be! My orders are crystal-clear: I have to stop you and your friends, and that’s that. I have no alternative. That's just how it is!”

Rarity never felt so hurt in her life “So then, all this time… you were just pretending? You never… really… liked me?!”

Esroh felt tears coming to his eyes as well “That part of me was real, and in a way I did enjoy it, but you have to face the facts. This is who I am. I was created by evil to serve evil, and this cannot be changed no matter what you say or do.”

Rarity said nothing. Just continued to stare at him through her teary eyes and he looked up at the sky as the rain splashed on his face, mixing with his own tears “Still, it seems no matter how much I try to shake these feelings off, they just keep coming back to haunt me.” he said sadly “Maybe if I had been naturally born here in this world, instead of being made from the darkness in the future… things could have been different.”

“They… could have.” cried Rarity.

The two of them said nothing more to one another.

Rarity eventually made it back home, soaked to the bone, many of her friends were there waiting for her to come back, and they saw she was soaked and in tears. They treated her to some hot soup and a warm fire, but Rarity told them what she found out, and the friends were ever so shocked!

“Thunder Cloud’s been working against us this whole time?!” cried Pinkie “Oyi… Oyi… whoa…” she felt herself spinning in circles and plop on the floor.

Lightning felt outraged “He must’ve used his futuristic magic to tamper with our scanning. He certainly did a good job of hiding himself.”

“It also explains everything else.” said Krysta, and the others were inclined to agree…

-The mysteriousness of his appearance
-His confusion and misunderstanding to things like friendship and positivity
-His preferring of dark places
-His strange attitude
-Why the cardinals never went after him

“It all makes perfect sense....” said Applejack “He’s definitely one of the Dark King’s boys.”

Rarity felt worse than ever now. “That’s what really hurts me most. That’s what Spike was trying to warn me about, and I… I…”

Fluttershy tried to comfort her. “Oh, there-there, Rarity; you didn’t mean to do it…” but Rarity didn’t feel any better.

“I guess, this means we have to fight him.” said Dyno. “Si, it’s not as if we have a choice.” added Myte.

Hearing this made Rarity feel sick to her stomach. Even after learning the truth, she still considered him a special pony. “Is there no way to convince him to stop, and change his ways?”

The others felt the same as Rarity deep down, but they knew that was impossible.

“Rarity..." Lightning said "I know how you feel about this, and you how feel about Thunder, or Esroh, but the fact is we'll have to fight him. We may not have any other choice.” He didn’t dare say what was next, and he didn’t have to, as just the thought of it made Rarity feel worse.

...They would most likely have to destroy him as well, just like all the others!

“There must be some other way!” she cried.

“We all understand how you must feel
But I don’t see any way that can be real.” said Rhymey

“He’s right, Rarity.” said Lightning “They aren’t creatures of compassion or redemption. We’ve seen what he and his comrades are capable of. We’ve already tried other methods before and they didn’t work.”

Rarity refused to accept this. “He’s not like the others. He was actually fitting in well with us all, and I know he knows what he’s doing is wrong.”

“Rarity, don’t make this any harder than it is.” said Starla “We have to face the facts: He's working for the Dark King. He’s trying to destroy us, and that’s just what he intends to do.”

Lightning nodded in agreement, “I’m putting this entire area under full scale defense-alert. The second he shows himself, we go after him!”

The others agreed immediately. Even though Spike was still out there, the present situation took precedence. Rarity didn’t know how much worse she could possibly feel.

All the rest of that day, there hadn’t been a single sign of Esroh Dab anywhere. Nevertheless, the entire village was on alert. Krysta’s fairies were standing ever so vigilant. Lightning had even canceled school and some of work that day to give civilians a better chance to run when the time came.

Rarity was maintained her patrol as ordered, but all that day her mind just kept repeating everything-- of Spike trying to warn her, and she losing her temper at him and zapping him so unjustly, which jolted her like a spark of electricity. Then then were was Thunder Cloud, or rather Esroh Dab confessing who he really was and what he had said…

“This is who I am. I am a creature of darkness. I was created by evil to serve evil, and this cannot be changed no matter what you say or do.”

Rarity sighed ever so sadly, and then fluttered back into her house. It felt so empty without Spike around, and the break in the wall was still there, and then she walked to Spike’s abandoned bed. “Oh, Spike…” she cried softly “What have I done?”

She plopped down on her bottom by the basket, jiggling it softly, and something fell out from the sheets-- the HMI disk. “Huh? What’s this?” She never had known Spike to keep HMI’s. she was very tempted, and was about to activate it, when suddenly a beam of light came through the window, flying past Opal like a shooting star frightening her, and landing in front of Rarity. It was a note. It wasn’t even addressed to her and had no name on it. All it said was…

“Come to the flower fields after sundown. I’ll be waiting!”

Rarity had a sick feeling she knew who it was from.

It turned out that all the friends had received the same letter, and they all met up in the fields outside the village after sundown. “Is everyone here?” asked Lightning.

“Sure looks like it.” said Applejack.

“But why are we here?” asked Buddy Rose.

They suddenly got their answers when they heard the sounds of sinister snickering. They all looked up and saw him standing up in a tree. “Good, you’re all here.” he hissed at them “It’s time for me to do what I should’ve done a long time ago.”

The Space ponies narrowed their eyes at him.

Rarity came forth, “Thunder Cloud, please, don’t do this!” she begged.

“Yeah, aren’t we all supposed to be good ol’ pals here?” added Pinkie.

Esroh only sneered at them “I already told you, my name is not Thunder Cloud... and I only made you think all that stuff so I could get closer to you. My loyalty is to the darkness; always has been and always will be.

The Dark King sent me here to get rid of you all, right here, right now in the past, so we don’t have to put up with your interference in the future.

Of course, if you don’t feel like fighting, that’s perfectly understandable. Just surrender willingly and things will go easier for you. Perhaps I can even persuade his majesty to take you all as his slaves.”

None of the others like that idea all. “You know we won’t give in.” said Fluttershy.

Rhymey nodded and said…

“We swore to fight for all that’s good and true;
…to protect our world from evil such as you!”

Everyone, even Rarity was inclined to agree.

Esroh was not impressed “Oh, well… so be it.”

Rarity, still not willing to give in pleaded him, “Please, won’t you think about this? What you fight for is wrong.”

“Wrong with a capital W.” snapped Rainbow “All you care about is you and your precious Dark King with little regard for what else you destroy.”

“Silence!!” shouted Esroh “...You dare insult the motives of the Dark King in front of me?!!” He leapt down form the tree, and then fired a powerful blast form his horn. “Look out!” shouted Lightning, and everyone was barely able to dodge the explosion that sent them all crashing about.

“Whoa! What a shot!” cried Krysta.

Rarity was weeping softly, and Esroh marched straight over to her, and gazed down upon her nastily.

“Thunder Cloud, please…!” Rarity sobbed “Look in your heart. Look in your soul!”

He just picked her up and yelled right in her face “My name IS ESROH DAB!!”

POW!! He punched her hard in the face sending her rolling down a small slope. “Rarity!” cried Lightning.

Esroh’s gaze never left Rarity as she lay at the bottom. “You have no idea who or what I am. I am not flesh and blood like you are. I am a creature made of the very darkness itself, with dark magic holding me together and giving me life. I have neither a heart nor a soul. Such things are as useless to me as you are!”

This was all anyone had to see “Let’s go!” shouted Lightning.

“STARFLEET MAGIC!!”

“HARMONY HOUR, FRIENDSHIP POWER!!”

Everyone transformed except Rarity, still feeling too upset and unable to bring herself to harm him!

“Let’s get him!” shouted Lightning, but just as they all charged forth, something attacked them all with big blasts of energy, and a huge ape-like monster slammed down from above. He had a large head with super strong jaws, a masculine body and a smaller head with teeth just as dangerous at the end of his tail.

“Meet my cardinal, Chompanzee.” hissed Esroh and he ordered his monster to destroy the others. The big ape roared and opened his huge jaws, firing a barrage of projectiles at all the others, which they dodged. “We’ve got to help Rarity!” cried Applejack.

Lightning agreed, and gazed at the girls. “You go; we’ll handle this big brute. Krysta, you get back into town and prepare for emergency evac in case things get too ugly.”

Everyone nodded and dashed off leaving the space ponies to face the monster.

Esroh gazed at Rarity as she struggled to get up. “Don’t take this personally. We’re all doing what we feel is right.”

“But… what you’re doing isn’t!” cried Rarity.

He clenched his fists angrily. “You’re wrong! You don’t understand at all. How could you anyway!” he powered up his horn to blast at her…

“No!!” shouted Rainbow as she, Pinkie and Applejack came soaring in and bashed him hard, sending him skidding across the ground. He got up and growled angrily at the ponies.

“You are one sick pup, ya know that!” snarled Applejack.

“Yeah, what she said!” added Rainbow.

Esroh leapt over and engaged in a combat fight with the girls, punching and kicking all over the place. While Fluttershy helped Rarity up “Are you alright?” she asked. “All considering…” replied Rarity, but she still wouldn’t’ transform.

Ersoh managed to kick both the girls right into the others. “You twits; I’ve been observing all your battles. I know your every move!”

Pinkie angrily snarled “You lie!”

He sneered sinisterly “Do I?”

The girls angrily glared at him, but Rarity stepped forth, again in desperation to get through to him. “Aren’t you even going to transform?” he asked gruffly.

She shook her head “I’m not going to fight you.” she said.

Esroh was shocked, and so were the girls. “I could never hurt you.” said Rarity “You’re my friend.”

Esroh jeered at her “We’re not friends, we’re enemies!”

“No!” snapped Rarity “Haven’t you forgotten all the times we spent together, and all the things I showed you. You even said yourself that you were starting to enjoy it, and to me that’s a good thing. It means you feel you can change what you live for.”

“Who cares what you feel!” snarled Esroh, and he zapped at her, but the girls stood before her taking the hit. “By not fighting, all you’re doing is making my job all the more easy.”

Hearing him say this continued to eat away at Rarity’s heart, but still she refused to fight, but the girls all lunged at Ersoh to combat him again.

Meanwhile, the others were struggling with Chompanzee. They rushed him hard, and jumped all over him, but the ape flung them all off of him.

Lightning fired small blasts of uniforce…

“STAR SHOWER”

“LEAF SWARM”

Starla and Buddy Rose fired their attacks, but Chomp just chomped right down on the barrage like it was a stream of jellybeans. “No effect!” groaned Lightning.

“Let’s try our weapons.” Artie.

Everyone agreed and got their weapons out.

Starla armed her bow ready. “STARLIGHT ARROW” and she fired three arrow shots, but each one got chomped.

Artie and Rhymey both charged at Chomp with their weapons poised, but the second they collided with Chomp’s huge teeth, they were broken in two pieces each. The boys gasped and whimpered in shock.

“He snapped your staff,
Broke my sword in half!
He chomped them as if they were chaff!” cried Rhymey.

The monster growled and rushed his huge jaws at the boys to chomp their heads; only to have his jaws lassoed shut by Buddy’s whip “Get out of the way guys!” he shouted.

The second the boys leapt out of the way, the Spanish twins stepped forth. “BOOM-BOOM FIREBALLS!” and they launched their fireballs at the monster, damaging him, and exposing his weakness. “That’s the answer… aim away from his mouth!” shouted Lightning.

The others nodded in acknowledge, but suddenly Chomp broke free, and began to attack them all again. Bashing and blasting them all over. “Let’s try and get behind him!” cried Dyno. He and Myte dashed round back, and fired their magic, but they forgot Chomp’s tail had a mouth on it too, and actually chomped on the flames! “What now?!” cried Myte.

Chomp swung round and bashed the twins hard, right into the others.

“Don’t give up, we’ve got to keep going.” cried Lightning.

As they kept brawling, Esroh continued to attack the girls, and they managed to strike him several times, only for him to strike them back. The girls stood together staring him down. “You know, it’d be a lot easier if you just gave up.”

“Enough!” cried Rarity “Just let us help you. We can work something out together.”

Ersoh clenched his fists, “Don’t you realize that’s impossible?!" He paused and then stood with his hands in the air “If you don't believe…then try. Go ahead. Try and change me! Turn me good! Redeem of this "Oh-so-horrible" evil that I am!”

Rarity didn’t know what to think at first, but she didn’t want to miss this chance. The girls were skeptical about this, but they backed her up on it and with their remaining power, they all changed into their Valkyrie forms, and held their swords together.

Esroh refused to move. “I warn you, this is pointless.”

Rarity said nothing, she and her friends just concentrated on all the power they could into the elements, hoping this would help him. The swords began to glow, and the magic beam of friendship and harmony fired straight at Esroh, bathing him in a beautiful rainbow glow. He roared and shouted as the light shrouded him, as he couldn’t stand it.

The girls continued to blast at him with as much power as they could until finally they were exhausted. Some of them felt woozy and could barely keep their balance, yet when they looked on.

“What the--” cried Applejack.

“No way!” snapped Rainbow.

Rarity gazed in, whimpering ever so horridly, dropping her sword to the ground…

Esroh just stood there, slightly bruised, but not changed a bit.

Just as Esroh promised them, this wasn't like the time the ponies beat Nightmare Moon and turned her into Princess Luna. They were only able to do that because she still had some goodness in her heart and her soul that could be purged of the evil that poisoned her.

Esroh on the other hand, “You see…” he snarled “One-hundred percent pure darkness. No heart, no soul... NO WAY!! I told you it was pointless!”

Rarity fell to her knees, and she didn’t say a thing at all, overcome by complete and total devastation.

“Rarity…! Rarity!” cried Fluttershy.

“No, this can’t be!” cried Pinkie “There’s got to be a way.”

“Stop... SAYING THAT?!” snarled Esroh “I've told you enough time, there IS no way!

Either I defeat you…

...OR I PERISH IN THE LIGHT!!”

Rainbow and Applejack were furious “Fine… if that’s how you want it…” snarled Applejack.

“We’re going to have to take you down for good.” added Rainbow, and they both dashed straight for him, forgetting that they just used up all their power. Esroh blasted them hard, and they fell to the ground, all weak and sore, and their suits powered down.

“Hey!” snarled Pinkie “Now you’re going to get it!” she charged forth roaring like crazy, and he charged straight at her, and socked her hard, and sent her flying backwards right into Fluttershy, sending them both rolling down the hill.

The space ponies could see. “The girls!” cried Starla.

“We’ve got to help them!” snapped Lightning, but the monster blocked their way, and knocked them all back hard, refusing to let them pass.

With the space ponies all tied up, and the girls down for the count, Esroh thought this was the perfect chance to finish the job, starting with Rarity! He stepped a little closer to get a clear shot of her while she was still out of it.

“There’s no turning back now.” he said to himself “I have to do this. The Dark King is counting on me!”

He powered up his horn, ready for the kill.

“Rarity!” screamed Rainbow.

“Get out of the way!” cried Fluttershy.

Rarity finally snapped out of her trance.

“Sorry, Rarity…” said Esroh “But I have my orders.” And he fired the blast straight at her. She’d never be able to dodge it in time. “RARITY!!” shouted Lightning as the blast neared Rarity. Her life was flashing before her eyes.

KAPOW!! The explosion hit, but everyone gazed up… at Rarity… in the arms of the Dragon Knight.

He leapt in and scooped her up, flying her to safety just in time. Esroh was shocked at what he saw, but Rarity was surprised as she gazed into his eyes within the darkness of his helmet, and he gazed at her.

“It’s Spike!” cried Buddy Rose.

“His powers, they’re working.” cried Artie.

Spike brought Rarity down safely, but her eyes never left his. “Spike… I thought…”

Of all the things Spike wanted to say, he chose “I guess… I just can’t stay mad at you.”

The space ponies thought that was sweet, but the moment for them was cut short when Chomp began to rush them again.

Esroh couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was well aware of Rarity and Spike’s quarrel, he even knew Spike had feelings for Rarity, but what he had just seen now brought on those same feelings he had deep down. “He saved her, and after all that went on.”

“We all would have done that for her.” groaned Rainbow as she struggled to get up.

“Ee…Eeyup!” groaned Applejack “You see, that’s what we folk call real friendship, trust, not that a guy like you would ever understand that. You’re all so busy just thinkin’ of yourself!”

“Huh...?!” Esroh felt himself go numb inside.

“Rarity really thought of you as a special friend!” growled Pinkie “And believe me, friends like this are not easy to come across!”

“She opened her heart to you, and look what you’ve done.” said Fluttershy.

Rarity gazed at him from afar. Just looking into her frightened, tear-brimming eyes, it really hit him hard inside. Despite not physically having a heart, he felt he was a change of one. “You’re right.”

He walked towards Spike and Rarity, and Spike glared at him ready for anything.

At that very second, Lightning punched Chomp hard and sent him way up, up, up into the air, and as he came crashing down again, a giant blast of dark magic hit him, exploding him, and destroying his card in the process.

“What?!” snapped Lightning, and everyone else was just as shocked as he-- Esroh had destroyed his own cardinal. Everyone completely lost the ability to speak right then, but he gazed down at Rarity…

“I may not have the what it takes to go against what I was created for, but now… when I see all that’s happened, what you’ve done for each other… it really is powerful. I’ve never seen or felt anything like it before.”

He held out the ribbon that Rarity gave him, and placed it in her hands. “Esroh Dab…” she peeped, finally having said his name right.

He stood upright but his head hung low “But… even still… I can’t change what I am, and I can’t run from it anymore.”

“What are you saying?” cried Rarity.

“I’m saying that it’s time for me to really go… away.”

That’s when Tnaig appeared in the fields.

“What’s he doing here?” cried Artie.

Rhymey felt a chill run up his spine and rhymed “It can’t be good I fear.”

Everyone else got the idea of what was coming, and Esroh too one last look at Rarity “I’ll leave you with this advice, since you’re fighting for what you feel is right and it doesn’t matter to me anymore…” he paused “Strike where the heart would be, both in and out.”

Nobody could understand what that meant.

“...Goodbye.” He peeped, and he began to walk away, right towards Tnaig.

“No…!” cried Rarity “No, Esroh! Don’t do this! Please, just let us help you. I know you can change!”

She tried to rush over but Spike held her back. “Rarity… stop.” His voice sounded almost as tearful as hers. Rarity tried to used her magic to telekentically grab Esroh and pull him back towards her, but the magic was blocked by the powerful Darkness Tnaig had cast to make sure that no one would interfere.

“Rarity...It’s no use!” cried Spike.

“Lightning, we have to do something!” cried Starla

“Spike’s right, Starla…” Lightning regretted to say “There’s nothing we can do. We can’t stop this.”

The others all began to have regretful looks on their face. Some were even fighting back their own tears of pain, and others were still trying to convince Esroh not to give up, but he wouldn’t listen and stood before Tnaig.

“You’re not going to run?”

Esroh shook his head “No.”

“And I suppose you’re well-aware of the fate that awaits all those who betray the Dark King?”

“Yes. I know.”

“Esroh, please don’t!” cried Rarity.

Tnaig’s eyes glowed, and he zapped Esroh with dark magic, dispelling the magic that held Esroh together. His body began to vaporize into darkness. He gazed over his shoulder at Rarity one last time “Goodbye, Rarity, and thank you… for showing me what friendship is like.”

Rarity screamed with all her sadness “…ESROH DAB!!” but he had already been completely vanquished.

Fluttershy burst into tears. Starla embraced Lightning and he held her tightly, but no one was as upset as Rarity as she gazed down at the ribbon in her hand as her tears splashed all over it.

Tnaig, not caring as usual, simply and deeply sighed “It’s tragic, really… but that's what happens when you work for the Dark King: No one is irreplaceable. No one."

Then, as he had no orders to do battle as he was only told to destroy Esroh, he vanished and was gone

Rarity felt so cold, so down. Spike could only hold her close and comfort her, and she cried into his chest armor. Though Esroh was the enemy, everyone felt more like they had lost a real friend!

Everyone returned home. Rhymey stayed with Fluttershy as she was still overcome by it all. “He didn’t have to go!” she sobbed “So why did he?”

Rhymey felt as badly as she did. He had never faced any enemy quite like this before.

“He could have been happy, he could have had friends
But some things can’t be changed… that’s sometimes how it ends.”

He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his fists as the sadness plagued him.

Krysta was shocked and a little disheartened for everyone when she was told. “Couldn’t you have stopped him or anything?” she asked.

Lightning shook his head, “You saw it yourself, it wouldn’t have mattered. There was just nothing we could do for him. They probably would have just dragged him back to the darkness anyway, no matter what we tried.”

Starla agreed, “In the end, he did help us all when he realized his errors, and he did what he thought was right...

...even though he knew it meant he’d be destroyed.”

She looked up at the stars, or rather at the darkness in between them all. She could feel it staring back at her. Her husband walked up to her and comforted her. “We’ll avenge him. That's all we can do.”

She smiled sadly.

As for Spike, like he promised he couldn’t stay mad at Rarity, no matter what she did. “After I had some time to cool off and think, I remembered what Esroh Dab was planning. I couldn’t let him hurt you or the others, and that’s when I felt my powers coming back, like I had a reason to fight again.”

Rarity couldn’t have been more thankful. “You really are something, Spikey-Wikey.” She said and she gave him a big kiss on the head, which he really liked. Then he snuggled down into his bed, ready for a long rest. “Rarity, are you going to be okay?”

She was obviously still very distraught from what had happened, and Spike couldn’t blame her at all. “I will be Spike. Thank you so much for caring.” She said sweetly, and then she left him to adjourn to bed herself.

“I care more about you than you think.” Spike muttered softly, but then he noticed his HMI disk was missing.

Rarity had left the disk upstairs on her nightstand beside her bed. She sighed miserably, still thinking of Esroh’s redemption, or if you could call it that. She would never forget him.”

She felt she needed a glass of water, and as she reached her pitcher she noticed the HMI disk was still there. She still couldn’t resist and activated it.

As Spike was still searching through his bed for his disk, he could see bright lights flashing from upstairs, and then he heard his song playing, and gasped long and hard in shock. “Oh… no….!” he peeped.

As for Rarity, she could hardly believe what she was seeing. The first images she saw were of her, with stars twinkling around her, and the dedication read “Dedicated to Rarity, with love from Spike.”

Next, images Spike standing in a spotlight, looking very nervous, but he sang a very beautiful song; the one he had been working on for a long time. His voiced sounded so beautiful thanks to the magic in making the disk.

There were also images from past events, with Rarity in them of course conjured up by his memories.

Rarity could hardly believe her eyes and ears. Even when the song ended and all was quiet. No one had ever done anything so wonderful for her before, but this of course meant that Spike’s crush on her had evolved-- it was the real thing now.

This really felt strange to her…

…as for Spike, he didn’t know what to think or feel, other than a little embarrassment and fear now that she saw it.

What would become of them both now?

(Promo)

In our next episode; all is finally revealed when the two hooded figures introduce themselves to the team. It is then that they reveal the awful truth and show images of the future of their world and lives.

The time for the final battle is drawing near, but are our heroes ready for it?

Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”

(Next Episode: “Future Sight”)

Author's Note:

Of all the episodes, all the actsin my entire Starfleet Franchise, this is indeed the NUMBER ONE episode that I treasure the most.

-Rarity gets hurt, humiliated and shamed (Like the retard she is)
-Friendship fails (They could not save Esroh Dab)
-Spike sings a song for Rarity (A great Sparity moment)

It should also be noted that even IF there was some way they could protect Esroh Dab from the Dark King (which they can't) At the end of this all, the future will be changed; Esroh will never be originally created and he'll just cease to exist like that.

I don't believe in paradox duplicates.