Out of Your Elements

by Kagemoon

First Blood

“How are you feeling Mr. Wonderbolt?” Fluttershy asked the bandaged Masquerade.

Mask for his part was annoyed at the simpering pegasus’s care and even more annoyed at the hyper pink earth pony hopping around the room.

“I can’t believe that mean unicorn was able to beat you up. He must be really tricky. If we wasn’t evil I bet he’d be great at pulling pranks,” Pinkie said as she poked Masquerade’s cast.”

“He’s not the only tricky one,” the green pegasus thought remembering back to just after he had left Nightshade at the café. Instead of leaving for Canterlot he had had an epiphany on how to separate and dispose of some of the Elements. Simply by outing Nightshade as the Element of Deceit he covered his own back for any of the unicorns allegations, but first he needed to make a believable story. Purposefully he had crashed into a nearby tree causing a majority of his injuries. He punctuated the wounds by flying above the same tree and falling through the branches causing the various cuts. Once presentable he flew toward the library and reported to Princess Celestia.

“Hello, Equestria to Masky. Did he hit you in the head to? Are you in a waking coma? Don’t go into the light,” Pinkie shouted.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Masquerade grunted. “She goes first.” He thought darkly. “Just hoping Princess Luna can break that stallion. I wish she had taken him to Canterlot though.”

“She probably wanted to stay close by encase any more of his friends show up,” Fluttershy mused as she looked over Masquerade’s medical chart. She noticed him staring at her and blushed. “At least that’s what I think. I could be wrong.”

“I’m sure that’s it. Excuse me could I get a glass of water?” he asked the yellow pegasus.

“Of course, on moment.”

When she had gone into the bathroom and out of sight he slipped the scalpel he had been able to hide in his cast into his hoof. “Miss. Pie, I think I dropped my flight goggles under the bed. I feel wired without them.”

The pink pony’s smile beamed. “No porblemo. I’ll get them.” With that she jumped across the room sliding almost completely under the bed, much to Masquerade’s chagrin. He simply decide to wait for her to come out and he’d stab her. “Um… I can’t see them.”

“I must have left them with my uniform then. Sorry. Come on out from under there,” he told he readying the blade.

Instead of backing out the way she had gone under, like a normal pony, Pinkie slithered all the way beneath the bed and started to come out the other side. Masquerade pulled the scalpel back and as a millisecond away from striking. Suddenly there was a loud Boom from outside and the sky filled with arcs of multicolored waves.

“Dashie?” Pinkie asked quizzically. As soon as the word left her lips the blue pegasus in question burst through the window and slammed into a shocked Wonderbolt.

“Pinkie, get Fluttershy and get out of- Argg!” Rainbow was cut off by the knife kissing her chest.

Pinkie was shocked to see her best friend wrestling with someone she thought Dash idolized. Her mind blanked at the confusing sight. Fluttershy however moved with speed that would have made Rainbow proud as she grabbed the pink party pony and flew out the window. Setting her catatonic friend on the ground she spoke sternly but softly. “Pinkie, I’m going back for Rainbow. You have to warn Celestia. I know it’s scary and everything feels wrong, but I need to you do this. Please, Pinkie,” the butter colored pegasus cooed as she stroked the pink pony’s mysteriously straightened hair. Without a word Pinky nodded and broke off in a run toward Ponyville’s library. Fluttershy nodded and flew back to help her oldest friend.

Rainbow for her part had done a fair job standing hoof to hoof with the military trained green pegasus, but she had suffered a few cuts despite her mobility.

“You lied to us,” she snarled at the sneering Wonderbolt.

“I betrayed you. There’s a difference. Lying is just a small part of breaking off allegiances Dash. Somepony’s got to have a bond, a connection worth breaking.” He swiped at her chest only to have her dance out of the way and kick his cast to the second time since they started fighting, causing pain to shot through his arm.

“You’ll pay for trying to hurt my friends,” she swore.

“Not before I make you pay for getting in my way.” He swiped at her again, this time feinting at her chest while truly aiming for the tendons in her wing. Dash misread his attack, and watched in horror as the blade closed in on her precious wing. Suddenly the scalpel’s direction changed and it missed her entirely. Dash looked up to see Masquerade encased in the wall and Fluttershy breathing heavily over the Wonderbolt.

“You won’t lay another hoof on her,” Fluttershy warned.

Masquerade groaned. “I will make you wish you had stayed with your annoying friend.”

“Shy, get back. He’s…” Rainbow wavered. The various cuts and blood loss were catching up to her now that she wasn’t in combat.

“Listen to your fillyfriend, just walk away and hide.”

Fluttershy stood her ground, never moving from in front of her friend. A familiar buzz filled her temples and flowed toward her eyes. “Put the knife down,” she demanded.

Masquerade was about to laugh when he looked into the mare’s eye. They were forceful, broking no insubordination, he felt compelled to drop his weapon. He felt his hoof disobey his brain as the scalpel fell to the ground. He wanted to run, to fly out the decimated window, but the pegasus’s stare held him in place.

A bright flash unexpectedly filled the room, momentarily blinding Fluttershy and breaking Masquerade from whatever she had used to hold him. He didn’t wait to see what the flash was, instead he bolted of the window and into the sky, his wings carrying him as far from Ponyville as he could manage.

When the light subsided Luna, Celestia, and Twilight surveyed the chaotic scene in front of them. Fluttershy cradled a bleeding Rainbow Dash in her arms, the bed and walls had deep gashes in them, and part of the wall where a window once was was nothing more than a hole. Twilight rushed over to the fallen Dash.

“Princess, is there anything you can do?” the lilac unicorn begged her teacher. Celestia nodded and lowered her horn and pressed it against Rainbow’s chest, a golden glow spread over the pegasus’s body, closing the wounds and leaning the blood from her coat.

“She’ll still be weak, but she’s out of danger for now,” Celestia told them. She saw Luna gazing out the hole in the wall. “What now, sister?”

Luna felt both a sense of pride and a pang of guilt that her sister was looking to her for advice. “Send a letter to the Wonderbolts, all of them, and warn them of their teammates betrayal. Also sending one to Shining Armor and the other guard captains would be wise. Tell them to make a wanted poster and littler the city with them. Did you finish the locater spell?”

Celestia shook her head. “We’re close. Another day or so. Your prisoner will be a useful test subject. I still can’t believe he betrayed his own friend.”

“Which one betrayed which, sister. Nightshade was given to us by Masquerade and he in turn told us of Masquerade’s true intentions. I think my first theory has more merit than we gave it credit for. The Elements of Chaos do not work together. They work for the same goal, but not in tandem.”

“Can the Element of Deceit be trusted?” Celestia asked.

Luna chuckled. “My apologies Tia, you just asked is a pony who is the embodiment of lies is trustworthy. No, and yes at the same time. We cannot trust him to tell us the truth, or tell us everything, but I don’t think he wishes to work for Discord.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a feeling, I think he’ll work with us, or at the very least not against us.”

Celestia’s gaze wondered over to the other Elements who had managed to get Rainbow Dash into the bed. Fluttershy held onto one of the pegasus’s hoofs while Twilight held the other. “An ally is an ally, despite their motives.”

“Perhaps,” Luna nodded. She noticed Celestia's worried look directed at Twilight and her friends. “We should let them rest. I’ll head back to Canterlot after I raise the moon to rally our troops. We must be ready.”

Celestia hugged her sister. “I couldn’t do this without you Luna. I would be so lost right now. Too much is happening at one time, Discord, chaotic elements, losing three of my Wonderbolts. It’s all so, so…”

“Heavy,” Luna ventured. “I’m here for you Celly.” She motioned to the other mares. “So are they. You aren’t alone, you never were. I may be been secluded on the more, but you imprisoned yourself here to far too long. You’ve put up so many walls between you and your subjects. I know this may be a bad time to say this, given the circumstances, but you must start trusting ponies again.”

A tear slid down the white alicorn’s cheek and she hugged her sister tighter. “Thank you Lulu.” She released he grip. “By the way, if you’re here, and you left Applejack with Rarity and Pinkie Pie then who is watching your prisoner?”

Luna’s eyes went wide. “Um… I’ll be right back.” With that she flew out the window/hole back toward Sweet Apple Acres.

.....

“Who knew that the princess could tie such good knots,” Nightshade mused to himself as he failed in his latest attempt to free himself. “Make’s ya wonder where she learned.”

He cursed the magic nullifier Luna had placed on his horn. As he struggled a shadow fileted over the floor. Nightshade looked up and saw a the outline of a pony against the sun. “Whatcha doing down there?” a thick country accent asked, though different from the orange pony from earlier.

“Playing a game with you sister, she won by the way,” he hoped his guess to the newcomer’s relation to his former interrogator was correct.

The filly slowly made her way down the stairs. The sun still made it hard for Nightshade to make of any of her features. “But why are ya’all tied up?”

Nightshade attempted to shrug. “Like I said, I lost the game. She thought a proper punishment would be to keep me here until she got, back. It’s been a while though. I’m getting a bit hungry.” He hoped the filly lacked the common sense her sister seemed to possess.

The little filly laughed. “That silly pony. Here let me help ya.” She walked to the other side of the chair and was able to quickly loosen Nightshade’s bindings.

The unicorn stood and stretched. “Thanks um…”

“Applebloom,” the filly said with a bright smile.

“Applebloom. Please tell your sister it was a fun game but I really should be leaving.”

“Ah, can’t wait to tell ma brother and Granny Smith Applejack left somepony tied up in the basement for a game.”

Nightshade imagined the looks on anyponies face if a filly said that over dinner and laughed at the image. “You do that. Thanks again Applebloom, I’ll see myself out.”

“You are not going anywhere,” a familiar royal voice warned.

“Princess Luna,” Applebloom cheered as the Night Princess entered the basement. “Are you playing the tying up game with my sister and this stallion too?”

“Wha… No. I mean, yes, yes we are. We won last time,” she shot a glare at Nightshade. “And plan to win again.”

“That sounds like fun, can ah play?” the filly asked.

“We’re afraid not. It’s a game only for adults.”

Nightshade doubled over laughing despite Luna’s stare.

“Aw, okay. Maybe the Crusaders can come up with a fun game we can play. Bye Princess, bye weird stallion.” He waved as she ran toward the nearby woods.

“Lying to a filly, how cruel,” Luna said as she levitated the rope.

“It’s what I do.” He shrugged. It worked, kinda. I don’t suppose we could skip the tying up part and go straight to the ‘we’re all friends’ part can we?”

“No.” Luna’s smile caused Nightshade to back up against the wall.

Comments

[Inferno demon Dash]

Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy? SHIT....count me in! And Nightshade was so close to, I thought that Mask would want to kill his light half before anyone else, but I guess a death is a death....this is getting more and more bad ass! Poor Apple bloom.