The One
With space to move, Dash hopped away from the wall and took up a stance beside Applejack. “Good to see you looking like yourself again.”
“Get Twilight and Zecora out of here.” Applejack kept her head lowered. “This has nothing to do with either of you.”
“This again?” Dash groaned.
“It’s more than that.” Applejack took a breath and stared ahead. A bit of color swirled in her eyes. “I’m not letting anyone else lose blood on my account!”
“Oh, so you got a little bravado back,” Equality sneered despite the Griffon now sporting a limp and mangled leg. “But you’re right on one thing, this is all your fault!”
Back in her lair, Equality’s horn smoked. In the alley, the Griffon kicked off the ground. Any debris left in the alley was scattered by its powerful wings. It zoomed at Applejack and Applejack rushed at it. When the Griffon struck and Applejack blocked, Equality got a good look at Applejack’s face. The bags under her eyes were still there, but much smaller and her eyes themselves were clear and glistened with color.
Veins throbbed across Equality’s entire body and streaked her own eyes with red. “Already? You have this much of a bond already!?”
“Hay yeah we do!” Applejack nailed the Griffon in the shoulder with a solid kick. “I let revenge get in the way but now I’m throwing it all on the line for my fri—”
The Griffon’s tail lashed out, its tip like thousands of steel wires. It slashed right over Applejack’s eyes and her world turned black and crimson.
“Applejack!” Dash and Twilight cried.
Magic surged off Twilight and she burst off the ground. She and Dash double teamed the Griffon while Applejack tried to stand but staggered.
“That’s it!” Equality hissed while blows rained down on the Griffon. When Dash threw a punch, the Griffon caught some of the blood flying off her in its mouth. “Fall for your precious friends!”
“Never!” Twilight sprung off the ground with enough force to crater it under her hooves. She hit the wall and then ricocheted back at the Griffon. She angled herself to buck with her hindlegs shimmering with rainbow aura. A zing of pain went through them, but Twilight compressed her muscles further and put all her strength into her legs. “Resonance …”
Somehow, through the darkness and the pain, Applejack could see a faint purple light with flickers of other colors. There was also a sickly black and crimson mass that writhed like an inferno just a little ahead and above her. She charged with all her might as she felt tendons tear and muscles burn.
“Barnstorm…” she cried out as she spun right at the perfect point to hit the Griffon.
With her bloodlust solely on Twilight, Equality did not notice and instead braced for Twilight’s attack.
Twilight bucked. “Smash!”
“Raze!” Applejack drove her hooves into the Griffon’s chest.
Its beak cracked and its eyes rolled. Its ribs were pulverized. Rainbow aura exploded over its head and tore through its body. In her lair, Equality was thrown to the ground with her horn blackened and blood streaming from her nose. The viewing crystal went dark and she blacked out.
In the alley, all three combatants fell. A gust managed to catch Twilight and Applejack and guided them to the ground. The Griffon crashed onto the dirt.
“It’s over,” Dash huffed.
“Is it?” Applejack coughed. She swiveled her head around but dared not get up given the state of her eyes.
“If Dash can move again, I think we’re safe.” Twilight limped over to Applejack. Each step sent shocks through her hindlegs and made the gash on her foreleg throb. She lowered her horn to Applejack’s head and it glowed bright alongside Applejack’s face. “I’m pretty spent, but this should help with the bleeding and the pain.”
At the same time, she pulled Applejack’s rope out of its holster and floated it over to Dash. “Sorry to ask this while you’re injured too, but think you can tie up the Griffon?”
Dash clasped the rope. “Can d—”
She froze when she turned toward the Griffon. Its body had shrunk a bit and its fur had gained shades of light brown while its feathers had brightened to a light grey. What truly froze Dash was the scar she noticed on the Griffon’s right foreleg: exactly at the same spot Gilda had a scar from a time they had trained together in Ghastly Gorge.
Dash dropped the rope and rushed over. “Gilda?! Gilda!”
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight yelped. “What are you doing?”
“The Griffon…” Dash gulped. “She’s a friend!”
Twilight noticed that the mark on Gilda’s flank was fading and shuddered. “All this unnatural magic…” She took a breath. “She was still being controlled by Equality and she may try to take over again. We need to restrain her.”
“Allow me to assist, for all you have done, at least that I insist.” Everyone turned toward Zecora, back on her hooves. She had a gash on her side, but it was slathered with some sort of salve. Reaching into her cloak, she produced two flasks and doused Gilda with their contents. “One of sleep and one of freeze, now we can be a little more at ease.”
“I’ll tie her up too just to be safe,” Dash sighed and got to work. “Sorry, Gilda.”
~~~
Equality flared her eyes open. She tasted iron. She tried to light up her horn to remove her mask and get the blood out of her mouth, but a wave of pain slammed into her head. Grinding her teeth, she tore the lower half of her mask off with a hoof and spat, splattering the floor with crimson.
“Damn it,” she huffed. “Damn it!”
Her bloodshot eyes targeted the viewing crystal. She flailed at it, knocking it off its pedestal and cracking it. She stomped and trampled it even as the shards jabbed into her hooves’ frogs and gashed her ankles.
Seems your little pet project failed.
Equality froze. While Enigma was somewhere in the lair, the voice did not belong to him— it emanated from within Equality’s head.
I recall all the setbacks I faced against Celestia and Luna as well. Goosebumps ran up Equality’s bloodied legs. You may have failed this time. But now it is time for Equestria to once more know: I am here.
~~~
All four of them made it out of the alley and onto the street. They could see smoke rising here and there across Ponyville but it was no longer illuminated by the light of fire. Dash hefted Gilda up with some air and out of striking distance of the others at the front of the group. She, Twilight, and Applejack now had their wounds covered in Zecora’s salve.
Out in the open air, Dash sent up a bolt of lightning. She muttered, “Well, time to see which is worse…”
Applejack leaned against Twilight for guidance.
“I wish I knew where the hospital was,” said Twilight. She glanced up at her horn and felt the slight ache from it and the needles going up three of her legs. “Then again, teleporting might not be my best move right now.”
“I’m sorry…” Applejack whimpered.
“Enough,” Twilight replied, “we’re Heroes and we’re friends s—”
“Twilight!” a voice called out. It was the same as the one that had come from Luna earlier. Hearing it again, Twilight noted it was somewhere between Luna and Tantabus’s vocal range. Noticing Twilight was with others, Tantabus employed its male voice and formed near them. “Is this the Black Griffon? I had my concerns given its attack pattern as of late but I did not expect it to be connected with Equality.”
“Me neither,” said Twilight.
“Teach? What are you doing out here?” Dash asked.
“I will explain later. Getting you to a hospital comes first.”
“What about the Griffon?” asked Applejack. “I don’t exactly have the clearest picture, but it sounds like Equality did something to turn one of Rainbow Dash’s friends into that monster.”
“‘Turn?’” Tantabus stiffened. His eyes materialized to gaze at Gilda. His pupils shrank when they fell upon her chest. “No, it can’t be…”
“Rainbow Dash!” came a roar from above. Shadowbolt slammed into the ground nearby and stomped over to the group. “You may have found some good work, but you still disobeyed orders an— is that the Black Griffon?”
As if spurned by Shadowbolt’s words, red aura crackled from out of Gilda’s chest. Her eyes flared open and she flailed against Dash’s wind and tumbled to the ground. Her piercing pupils were focused on only Shadowbolt. “You!”
“You! You!” Her voice deepened until it sounded like something from the depths of Tartarus. More aura shot off around her. Once more, her feathers and fur darkened. The rope around her snapped. Her body exploded outward with musculature, but this time the transformation tore through her skin. A pair of horns ripped out of her temples. The entire scene filled everyone with dread as Gilda lumbered toward Shadowbolt.
Everyone, even Tantabus and Shadowbolt, were frozen. What radiated off Gilda was something far stronger than bloodlust or killing intent: it was a rage so pure it crushed flight or fight responses and left one in a state of awe and terror.
“Vile,” Gilda bellowed, her voice no longer her own. Tantabus shook upon hearing it. “Equestria is vile. I will burn it. I will burn it! You will all burn! I will devour Sun and Moon! Know I ha—"
The crimson aura surging out of Gilda’s chest exploded in a flash. Her horns cracked off and her muscles wisped off like smoke. The wrathful aura rose off her and for a brief moment resembled what those observing could only call a demon.
By the time Gilda collapsed, her limbs had withered to skeletal husks. The only color that returned was in her feathers and fur but the rest of her was pale as death.
“Gilda!” Dash cried.
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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GILDA NO!
Ol Smoky there needs a decent vaccuum cleaner.
Preferably one with excessive gravitational tides and particle flux?
Yet another Ultimate Evil that screams its defiance at being refused Ultimate Power, because as its throwing a paddy again, it keeps having its toys taken off it?
#StrengthofHercules
#FlameHyenard
Hmm. Reminds me of
images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0e46d022-484f-4f32-9875-7fc8358cf8f2/d4id1sd-7c11ded8-3c5f-4fea-80a1-0f4b88f8c512.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3sicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMGU0NmQwMjItNDg0Zi00ZjMyLTk4NzUtN2ZjODM1OGNmOGYyXC9kNGlkMXNkLTdjMTFkZWQ4LTNjNWYtNGZlYS04MGExLTBmNGI4OGY4YzUxMi5qcGcifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6ZmlsZS5kb3dubG9hZCJdfQ.g5h7hZdqbo7egdV3au5P04TYxoshXMhb1_VdJ9HBiEk
At least she's at peace, now.
10270340
At least she's at peace. Hopefully Equality will pay DEARLY for that, but that's for a future chapter. Gilda is no longer suffering, anyway.
clipart-library.com/images/ki8nMB5ir.jpg
10270545
*CRIES*
I FINALLY GET A STORY INVOLVING HER WHERE SHE'S NOT A SUPER-VILLAIN BY CHOICE AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS! MY HEAAAAAAAAART!
10270547
10270545
Well I'm sure they will get better eventually.
10270547
*Passes towel*
#dramaqueen
10270692
*Yanks towel*
I pride myself on that.
That being said this did hurt to read and I am sad at the loss of one of my favorite redeemed characters from the show.
If this is indeed a kind of possession, I wonder if there is any method of dealing with it? Like, someone with exorcism ability?
This was interesting for sure. I can't wait to see the fall out from this. Tho I think it just being Gilda possessed we lose something here. No matter how much we are suppose to agree and share the views of the heroes, the hero killer DID bring up a point that the system in My Hero is broken. In this story Gilda wont inspire a wave of anti-hero or anti establishment that took place in the canon. I think seeing that called out would be amazing, showing that the system isn't perfect and there are some major flaws with it even if the ones showing it aren't doing it in the greatest way. I also kinda hope Twilight doesn't follow the path Deku is doing right now in the canon. Where he is becoming more and more op, when even before he started to reach that point he has NEVER lost a fight or lost a friend. It takes all the drama out of it when we so far haven't felt any stakes from any conflict. I hope this story shows us that Twilight isn't a walking god who can win anything by just ' pushing herself harder'. There are so many fun and interesting places this story has left to go and I can't wait to see more. ( Still keeping my fingers cross for some Sparity in this lol)
SHIT!
GET FUCKED, LADY!
Smart.
So Starlight is our Shigaraki and we have our All For One. And I think I know who it is. One of two beings. One fits the artificial Draconequus we saw back in "season 1" better, the other fits AFO's power set a bit better-
Oh hell.
That's worse.
Didn't expect that one! :O Oh shit. Is she gonna be blind like Law?
I got goosebumps from the dual attack. Resonance is a good alt word for harmony. :)
I know from experience how hard it is to get Zecora's rhyme and rhythm down perfectly and you did it well!
This made me laugh and I don't know why. It's an amazing little thing. It was just so sudden I didn't expect it. Which is strange given it's exactly how BNHA happened, more or less. Though this raises an important question.
Will Dash also be visiting Gilda AS WELL AS Scootaloo from now on?
Poor Applejack and Gilda
10270509 Burn to the ground! BURN!
10274553
That one. I prefer the version from Tatsurou's Melody of the Future.
10274565 That was a funny chapter
Good news Builds won't have to worry about mysterious transfomations any more. Bad news she barely survived and got disfigured!