The Blood Feud

by CeasarTwain31

Escape Part 3

Soarin barely had enough time to react as Charger lunged forward at him and his friends. Luckily he had the reaction time to keep everyone alive.

"GO!" Soarin shouted, quickly diving to the side, somehow grabbing both Fluttershy and Scootaloo and landing further down the hall from Nightshade and Charger. He saw Dash and Blaze had jumped the other way, and were now in a standoff with Stratus and Starry Skies. Soarin let Fluttershy and Scootaloo down.

"Get out of here, and don't look back. I promise we'll see you at the farm." Soarin said sternly before turning back to Charger. Scootaloo opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly pulled away by Fluttershy and the two ran back down the hallway to find another way out. Soarin turned back to face Charger, who was recovering from his missed attack. Nightshade was standing idly off to the side as he observed Charger for a second before looking at Stratus and Starry Skies as they stood ready to fight Blaze and Dash.

"What's wrong Nightshade? Gonna sit it out while making your crew fight us?" Soarin snarkily asked. Nightshade simply chuckled.

"I just don't want to end this fight too fast. I want to watch you all die slowly. It's more satisfying that way." Nightshade said as he shivered pleasurably. Soarin growled before turning his attention back to Charger, who was baring his teeth and growling back at Soarin.

"Well, let's get this over with then." Soarin said confidently. Charger then let out a battle cry and pumped his wings, shooting towards Soarin very fast. Soarin managed to side step his attack and delivered a swift kick to the side of Charger's gut.

"Ah, erk." Charger grunted as he got back to his hooves and began to frantically attack Soarin, who managed to dodge each punch and kick. Charger may have been mostly muscle, but he was unrefined, and attacked with too much rage. Soarin didn't like to fight, but using the skills that he learned, he was able to maneuver around Charger, waiting for another opening for an attack.

As Soarin avoided Charger, Blaze and Dash stood facing Stratus and Starry Skies. Starry flipped back open her razor blade and waved it around while Stratus took out a cigarette and lit it.

"Uh, really? At a time like this?" Starry asked. Stratus scoffed.

"I only do it when I'm enjoying myself, and I plan to enjoy this." Stratus said as he took out a switchblade with a longer blade than the usual ones. Dash felt intimidated by the two, but refused to show weakness. Blaze gritted her teeth and glared at the two harshly, ready to do her worst.

"Who do you want Starry?" Stratus asked. Starry eyed the two pegasi up, giving each a teasing gaze that they both responded to with a growl.

"Oh, you gals don't swing this way do ya? Oh well, time to die. I'll take the one that leads to the gold." Starry said as she pointed her blade at Dash. Stratus nodded and looked at Blaze.

"I guess it's you and me flame." Stratus said as he rolled his switchblade over his hoof and charged.

Stratus began to rapidly swipe his switchblade around Blaze, who managed to quickly dodged each attempted strike, waiting for an opening to make a move of her own against him. As Blaze dodged around Stratus, Dash and Starry began to skirmish as well. Dash was a little smaller than an average pegasus, and used this to avoid Starry who was swinging her blade around wildly while giggling to herself.

"You're a slippery one ain't ya?" Starry taunted as she tried to strike Dash again, only for her blade to be wedged in the floor, giving Dash a chance to kick her directly in the snout and away from her weapon. Dash quickly tried to pull the blade from the floor as Starry stood back up.

"You've got a lotta spunk colors..." Starry began as she walked back over to Dash, who was struggling to pull the blade free. "But it can only carry you so far." Starry finished before she grabbed Dash by the back of the neck and forced her to the ground next to the blade.

"AH!" Dash grunted in pain as she was forced down. Blaze looked over at Dash from her fight with Stratus and attempted to fly to her aid, only to be intercepted by Stratus who grabbed her and flung her against the wall.

"Sorry, only two per tango." Stratus sneered.

Soarin noticed the others struggling to fight, but was too busy holding his own against Charger to help them. No matter how many times Soarin punched him, Charger never seemed to budge. Soarin quickly glanced over at Nightshade, who looked like he was inching away towards the stairwell.

"Alright, it looks like you guys can take it from here, but if you'll excuse me, I've gotta fly!" Nightshade taunted before darting into the stairwell and disappearing. Soarin tried to follow after him, but was stopped by Charger. Soarin tried to force his way past, but ended up butting heads and hooves with Charger. The two pressed against eachother with all their might, waiting to see who broke first. Soarin also glanced at the others. Blaze was getting up after being flung at the wall, and Starry was on top of Dash's back, pressing a hoof sharply into her wing joints.

"AHHHHH! EERRG!" Dash cried out in pain as the muscles in her wings started to pop and strain. Starry was laughing even harder.

"NO! GET AWAY FROM HER!" Soarin shouted as he struggled against Charger, who was beginning to push Soarin back inch by inch. Starry chuckled at Soarin's reaction.

"Oh? The fruitcake really is protective of you. I want to hear more." Starry said as she pressed harder. Dash gritted her teeth and tried to hold in all the pain she felt, but let by many grunts and cries.

"Stop! Please!" Blaze shouted in anger. Starry laughed even harder as she kept hurting Dash.

"GO ON! SCREAM! SCREAM FOR ME BITCH!" Starry shouted before cackling madly, the sounds of anger and pain like music to her ears. She was about to finish the job, when something hit her incredibly hard in the jaw and she was flung back away from Dash and crashed into Stratus, knocking them both to the ground.

Blaze gasped as she saw who had just rushed in and saved Dash. "S-Spitfire?" Blaze stammered out as she rushed to Dash's side and helped her up.

"So, you're the sorry excuses for ponies that Nightstalker sent? I'm gonna kill you." Spitfire said with intimidation and anger in her voice.

Spitfire's sudden appearance was also enough to distract Charger, enough for Soarin to kick Charger's knees out and headbutt him back away from him. Charger turned and growled at Spitfire before turning to the rest of his team. Stratus and Starry both stood back up and scowled at Spitfire.

"Oh, Another One? This is our lucky day!" Starry said sarcastically. Stratus shrugged.

"If that means one more Wonderbolt to kill, then I'm fine with it." Stratus said before taking his switchblade again and launching at Spitfire. As they came to blows, Blaze helped Dash back to her hooves.

"Are you okay? Are your wings hurt?" Blaze asked. Dash stretched out her wings and flapped them a few times, showing that they weren't broken.

"Fine, but they'll be sore in the morning." Dash said, relieving both Blaze and Soarin, who was still in a standoff with Charger, waiting for the beast to make a move. Starry let out a sinister laugh as she approached Blaze and Dash.

"Oh, but you won't live to see the morning, so technically, they won't be sore!" Starry said with fake cheeriness before attacking again.

Blaze and Dash began to move around Starry as she fought them, both tried several times to land hits on her, only to either miss or do little to nothing against her. Blaze was struck in the snout at one point, making her right nostril bleed, but she didn't slow down one bit.

Stratus and Spitfire moved around eachother, with the two also exchanging blows, though Stratus only managed to give Spitfire a small nick on the arm with his blade. Stratus groaned as Spitfire expertly avoided his attacks.

"STAY STILL!" Stratus shouted in anger. Spitfire blew a raspberry in response to his rage boiling over. "What is it about the Wonderbolts that just love to breed ponies that look like candles?!" Stratus taunted, trying to make Spitfire loose her temper as well. Spitfire remained calm and swiftly punched Stratus across the muzzle, making him stumble back and drop the switchblade.

"At least I can land a punch Shittybolt." Spitfire taunted. Stratus narrowed his eyes into a piercing gaze of anger and howled in rage before lunging at Spitfire and tackling her to the ground. He tried to bite and punch her as they rolled around on the ground. Spitfire tried to gain any kind of upper hoof, but eventually ended up on her back, with Stratus over her, his hooves closing around her throat. Spitfire sputtered and wheezed as Stratus began to laugh.

"DIE! DIE! DIE!" Stratus yelled as he squeezed his hooves tighter around Spitfire's neck.

"You go Stratus!" Starry shouted from over where she was fighting Dash and Blaze. Blaze tried to help Spitfire, but was grabbed by Starry and dragged back to the fight. Soarin was also preoccupied with fighting Charger again.

Spitfire glanced around her her breathing became difficult and her vision began to go fuzzy, but she spotted Stratus's switchblade just an inch from her left hoof. She strained and used the last bit of strength she had and wrapped her hoof around the blade and plunged it into the side of Stratus' neck.

Stratus let out a choked grunt and spit a few drops of blood out of his mouth. His eyes widened and darted around, registering the pain he was now feeling. Spitfire quickly kicked Stratus off of her and stood up, looking over her enemy, now choking and writhing in the middle of the hallway. Stratus let out several more grunts and sputters before his movements ceased and his eyes glazed over.

Starry had stopped fighting Blaze as she witnessed Stratus die, same with Charger. Charger was the first to react with rage. He turned back to Soarin and slammed him into one of the walls, picking up their fight.

"I'm Gonna KILL. YOU. ALL!!" Charger shouted as he continued to grapple with Soarin, who was absorbing as many hits as he could, but didn't know how much longer he'd last.

After Stratus stopped moving, Spitfire rushed over to Blaze's side and checked if her cousin was okay. Blaze nodded and turned to Dash, who was looking worryingly at Soarin's fight. Blaze placed a hoof on Dash's shoulder.

"Go help him, me and Spitfire got her." Blaze said, pointing to Starry, who was glaring back at Spitfire, her eye twitching. Dash nodded and flew over to assist Soarin. Starry didn't even notice Dash fly by as she kept her eyes locked on Spitfire, her inner rage building.

"That wasn't funny.....That wasn't funny at all you bitch!" Starry shouted as she picked up her blade and readied herself to charge. Blaze moved up next to Spitfire.

"You ready cuz?" Blaze asked. Spitfire smirked and nodded.

"Let's wreck her shit." Spitfire said a second before Starry charged straight at them.

---

Soarin was punched in the gut again by Charger, Soarin retaliated with a headbutt and a swift kick to one of his legs. Charger barely flinched though, and grabbed Soarin around the neck.

"You.....you've got some fight in ya colt." Charger said as Soarin struggled in his grip. "But every fight ends, so might as well end it here." Charger said as he moved his hooves to Soarin's neck. Soarin began to desperately struggled against Charger, fearful that it was about to all end, when he heard the sound of a hoof connecting to Charger's face and he was pulled from his grip. He landed on the floor with a grunt and looked at the pony now standing between him and Charger.

"Don't you dare lay a HOOF on him!" Rainbow Dash shouted in anger at Charger, who was still standing, far from being beaten. Dash looked back at Soarin and gave him a confident smile, something that gave him more confidence as well. He stood up and moved next to Dash.

"Dash, you should get out of here. I can handle him, you should get out before you get hu-" Soarin started before Dash pushed a hoof over his mouth. She shook her head.

"I'm not leaving you alone to fight Soarin. I'll stick by your side through thick and thin, even if it's dangerous. I love you." Dash said while looking directly into his eyes. She lowered her hoof and gave him a quick kiss. Soarin smiled back at her.

"I love you too." Soarin said before turning back to Charger. "Are we gonna end this Charger? Or what?" Soarin taunted. Charger chuckled.

"Heh, now I get to kill two of you, just what I wanted." Charger said menacingly before launching forward to attack. Soarin and Dash quickly split apart to avoid Charger and began to attack him from two directions. Soarin continued to attack from the ground, going for Charger's legs in attempts to knock him off balance while Dash attacked from the air, punching him in the head several more times. Charger kept absorbing hits, but began to show a bit of exhaustion and from the constant beating.

Eventually, Soarin managed to get a well placed kick in on Charger's foreleg knee. Charger grunted in pain and fell to the ground for just enough time for Dash to try another aerial attack. But as she moved in for the attack, Charger thrust out his wings and hooves, knocking Soarin away from him and hitting Dash in the face, making her crash in front of him. Charger placed a hoof over the back of Dash's neck and held her while raising his other hoof to fatally strike her.

Soarin looked over and saw Charger raising his hoof to hit Dash's neck. His eyes widened and he felt a quick burst of adrenaline course through his veins. He got back to his hooves and launched himself towards Charger.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Soarin let out a battle cry as he rushed towards Charger. His hoof connected with Charger's snout and the force knocked Charger back first towards the wall, where one of the hallway's many light fixtures were. Charger's body impacted against the wall with a loud crash. However, after the impact, Charger stayed in the spot where he hit the wall, with his back hooves dangling a few inches from the ground.

Soarin helped Dash back to her hooves and the two looked towards Charger and both let out a surprised gasp. Charger was still hanging there. Blood was dripping from his mouth and down his body, turning his green coat and Shadowbolt jacket red. A piece of the light fixture was jutting from Charger's neck and broken glass was littered at his hooves. It was a gruesome sight.

"Are you alright?" Soarin asked as he looked over Dash, who had some bruises and scrapes all over. Dash nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good." Dash said before turning and seeing Spitfire and Blaze trying to fight Starry. Dash gasped and pulled Soarin's arm. "Quick, they need help!" Dash said. They both wasted no time flying over to help them.

---

Blaze landed another punch to Starry's back, who quickly tried to hit back with a swipe of her blade. Starry growled as the two mares flew around her, disorienting her and making her angry. Spitfire moved in for a kick, but Starry managed to block the attack and tried to cut her with the blade, but Spitfire made a quick retreat.

"Okay you two, you're starting to really PISS ME OFF!" Starry shouted in anger. Blaze snickered as she made another passing punch.

"What? Is the big bad Shadowbolt worried she might actually lose?" Blaze taunted. Starry growled and tried to attack them again, only to hit neither again. The game of exchanging blows continued for another moment before a loud crash sounded throughout the hallway. Starry looked over towards the source of the sound and gasped.

She saw the body of Charger, now hanging on the wall with Dash and Soarin getting up. Starry's brain nearly broke at the sight. Now both Charger ad Stratus were dead, two of the strongest Shadowbolts, defeated by these lowlife wretches. Starry knew that she was most likely not going to get out of this alive, but she knew she couldn't go down alone. As she continued being attacked by Blaze and Spitfire, she moved from trying and failing to attack, to dodging and waiting for a perfect moment to strike.

Blaze leaped forward for a quick strike on Starry, but she managed to dodge, but before Blaze could back out of the attack, she was distracted by Dash and Soarin rushing to to help them. Starry noticed Blaze's distraction and quickly wrapped her arm around Blaze's neck and held her blade to it.

"NO!" Dash and Spitfire cried out almost simultaneously. Blaze struggled in Starry's grip as she began to press the blade against her neck ever so slightly.

"Ope, no no no, stop moving or I'll turn your throat into a waterfall!" Starry growled at Blaze before glaring at the rest. "That goes for you too, one step and she's slit open!" Starry threatened. They all froze. Dash and Spitfire both glared daggers at Starry, though in their heads they were terrified, unable to figure out how to get her out of this situation. Soarin was the first to speak after a moment of silence.

"Just....put her down Starry. There's been enough bloodshed. We can all just walk away with no more deaths." Soarin said calmly. Starry scoffed.

"Pff, that's a pretty sermon coming from the traitor! As long as the Wonderbolts breath, there will NEVER be enough bloodshed. Only one group can come out on top, and it's whoever is the strongest." Starry shouted, rustling around Blaze in her arms as she spoke.

"Please! Let her go! She didn't want any of this, neither of us do! We just want to get far away from this conflict!" Dash pleaded, looking at one of her best friends with fearful look.

"Really? You didn't want this? You signed up for this when you joined the Wonderbolts, and these two agreed to it the moment they were born." Starry motioned to Blaze and Spitfire. Starry then noticed that Soarin had taken a few subtle steps forward.

"Starry......if you want to go on and continue fighting in this war, then we won't stop you. Just......let her go, let us go. We're leaving, and getting away from this town." Soarin said with a sense of calm confidence. Soarin gave Starry a pleading gaze and hoped that she would listen to reason. Starry's eyes darted around and she almost looked to be considering his words before stepping away from him with Blaze.

"No Soarin. I'm a Shadowbolt, loyal through and through. No matter where you run, you will never escape this conflict. It will hang over your heads like a ghost, and eat through your souls like rats until the day you die. We are bound to these groups, we took oaths, and now, we shall carry out what we promised." Starry explained in a voice that was much more softer and calm sounding than Starry's usual crazy tone. Soarin tried to understand what she meant, but none of them had any time to comprehend what she had said before Starry pressed the blade hard against Blaze's neck and slid it across her throat.

"NOOOO!" Spitfire cried out. Blood began to creep out of Blaze's neck wound and Starry tossed her to the floor, where she began to squirm. A smirk appeared on Starry's face, and Spitfire lost it.

She fired at Starry and the two clashed in another close quarters fight. Soarin and Dash were both caught heavily off guard by Spitfire's sudden attack, but quickly rushed to assist Blaze. She was clutching her neck and letting out choking and gagging noises as her eyes darted around in terror. Dash was the first to reach Blaze, and she immediately placed her hooves on Blaze's neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Soarin looked down at the two, wanting to try to help, but deep down, knowing that unless they could get her to intensive care in a very short time, Blaze wasn't going to make it. Soarin watched as Dash desperately tried to help, but to no avail.

"Blaze, Blaze, just look at me, you'll be fine, just stay with me, please." Dash stammered out as she tried to stop the bleeding, but Blaze was actually shaking her head, denying what Dash was saying. Dash stopped and looked into Blaze's eyes, who were actually....calm, and Blaze had a slight smile. Dash saw that Blaze was looking past her. Dash turned and saw Soarin behind her, with a hoof placed on her shoulder. She looked back at Blaze as she opened her mouth. Using that last of her life, Blaze managed to choke out her last words to her friend.

"G--get.....O-out." Blaze managed to say with a strangled choke. Tears began to fall from Dash's eyes as Blaze reached her hoof up and brushed some of her mane out of her eyes. Dash managed to smile back. Blaze's hoof then slide across Dash's cheek as it fell back to her side limply, and Blaze's smile faded, and her eyes glazed over. Her her chest stopped moving up and down and the last of her breath left. Blaze was dead.

The world around Dash felt like it had froze. She looked back at Soarin, who had a sorrowful look on his face as he kept his hoof on her shoulder. She looked over at Spitfire and Starry Skies who were still brawling in the middle of the hallway. Dash felt the tears fall from her eyes and land on Blaze's blank face, and the anger began to quickly build.

A growl escaped Dash's throat as she turned back to the fight between Starry and Spitfire. Starry landed a strong punch against Spitfire's gut and propelled her into the wall, leaving quite a mark in it. Starry then raised her blade to attempt to finish her off, and Dash acted.

She flew and slammed her front hooves directly into Starry's head and sent her to the ground. Starry barely had enough time to react before Dash continued to attack her viciously. She growled and snarled as she attacked with both her hooves and even tried biting her.

Dash's sudden attack made Starry drop her blade, which Spitfire quickly noticed and grabbed. Dash and Starry were now locked into a similar fight that Spitfire was just in. Soarin moved up beside Spitfire.

"I'll knock her into a good position. When she's vulnerable.....go for it." Soarin explained. Spitfire nodded and Soarin lunged forward into the fray. He wrapped his hooves around Starry's neck in an attempt to wrestle her away from Dash.

"Oh CAN YOU JUST PISS OFF FRUITY!?" Starry shouted in frustration. Starry stumbled away from Dash and was left in a vulnerable position in the middle of the hallway. Spitfire noticed the opening and thrust forward. Soarin quickly unlatched his grip from Starry and moved out of the way. Before Starry could move, Spitfire drove the blade into Starry's gut and it emerged out her back and blood poured from the wounds.

"Ack!" Starry grunted and staggered back. She gripped the blade as she looked at the situation she was in. She looked up at the others surrounding her and chuckled.

"Well, I hope Nightshade does better." Starry managed to say, followed by a few coughs before she fully collapsed to the floor. Spitfire and Dash both walked up to her crumpled for and glared down at her.

"That's for Blaze." Spitfire said quietly. Dash spat directly into Starry's face, but she barely flinched. Instead Starry started to chuckle again.

"What the fuck is so funny?" Spitfire asked angrily. Starry simply looked up at Spitfire and grinned.

"You can't win. None of you. The Shadowbolts will crush you, and burn you with all the fires of Tartarus." Starry choked out. Before any of the others could retort, a loud bang was heard throughout the building and a tremor shook the hallway. Dash, Spitfire, and Soarin all looked at eachother worryingly. Starry then began to laugh even harder despite the pain.

"He got it! Yes! Haahahahahahahah!" Starry began laughing maniacally. Spitfire reached down and pulled up Starry's head, making her wince in pain, but kept laughing.

"What do you Mean!" Spitfire angrily asked. Starry kept laughing.

"You'll all burn, and the Shadowbolts will stomp on your ashes." Starry simply said before breaking down into a fit of insane laughter. Spitfire turned back to the other two with a terrified look on her face.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Spitfire said frantically. Soarin and Dash nodded in agreement.

"Lead the way." Soarin insisted. They took off quickly, entering the stairwell and going down, leaving Starry, bleeding out and laughing in the hallway beside her dead comrades.

---

The trio emerged from the stairwell and quickly flew through the first floor, passing by several bodies as they made a break for the main entrance. As they made their way though, they began to feel a heat, and eventually noticed the flames beginning to spread throughout the mansion.

Flames began to engulf the walls around them, and smoke began to fill the air, making it hard to breath and see. But they continued to press on. They eventually reached the main entrance area, which was still free of fire, but not for long. They quickly made for the front door, but were stopped in their tracks by Nightshade.

"Well, if it isn't the Pathetic Posse. Where's my crew?" He asked. The just glared at him, giving him the answer.

"Oh? I see. Looks like I underestimated you. But no matter. I won't allow you to leave alive." Nightshade said as he blocked the door. Dash and Soarin exchanged frightful glances. Suddenly, the flames began to engulf the area around the ceiling above them, and a large piece of burning supports broke away and fell. Dash noticed it just in time to get out of the way. She moved even closer to Soarin, who placed a wing around her to calm her. Flames erupted all over from behind them, forcing them closer to Nightshade.

"That's it, make your choice. Die to the flames or to me." Nightshade said menacingly.

Spitfire glared at him before looking back at Dash and Soarin. The two looked terrified, they were holding onto eachother, trying to defend the other from the danger around them. Spitfire knew what she had to do now. Her home was destroyed, her cousin was dead, and she was about to die, but she had to give them a chance, a chance that this feud was about to take from them....unless she did something. Spitfire stepped toward Nightshade, glaring at him.

"Do we have a volunteer?" Nightshade asked as he reached for his blade. Spitfire didn't let him get any further before she launched from her spot and began to fly quickly around Nightshade. He was left disoriented as he tried to figure where Spitfire was going to go, when she suddenly attacked him from the side, latching onto his neck and knocking him to the side of the entrance. She lifted her head up and opened her jaws wide....

She bit down on Nightshade's ear.....HARD!

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Nightshade howled out in pain. Dash and Soarin went to assist her, but she quickly put up a hoof to stop them and looked at them with pleading eyes. Shaking her head as she held Nightshade's ear in her mouth. Soarin and Dash still hesitated though and Spitfire let go of Nightshade's ear.

"GET OUT OF HERE! GO!" Spitfire shouted as Nightshade began to flail around. Spitfire retaliated by biting into the ear again, this time, deep enough to severe it, making Nightshade howl in pain again.

Soarin and Dahs glanced at eachother before listening to Spitfire and quickly moving out the front door. They burst through it into the yard and turned back just in time to see Spitfire close and bolt the door behind them.

"NO!" Dash shouted as she flew back to the door. Dash looked through the door's window at Spitfire, pleading for her to come with them. Spitfire calmly shook her head as the flames grew behind her.

"Go Dash, with him. NOW!" Spitfire said sternly. Dash felt more tears squeak out of her eyes and she nodded.

"Thank you.....Spitty." Dash said before turning and flying away from the compound with Soarin. Spitfire watched them fly away before turning back to Nightshade who had recovered from his ear bite.

"Suicide Huh? You are a coward." Nightshade said. Spitfire growled back at him.

"My family's legacy is ending tonight, if I die along with it, then I'm taking you with me, and we're going down all the way to Tartarus!" Spitfire said as the flames grew in intensity around them. Nightshade cleared his throat and cracked his neck.

"Well then, let's finish it then." Nightshade said before lunging at Spitfire. She lunged back at him, as the flames grew around them, engulfing the mansion.....

Author's Note:

We're almost done guys, just two more chapters after this one...

Comments

[CeasarTwain31]

10134828
eh, Kinda.
Have you ever read the book The Outsiders? Or seen the Movie?