Elements Change the Dark Hearts

by Nightmare_0mega

Girl Next Door Went A-Walkin'

Twilight slammed shut yet another book in frustration. The peace and quiet of the town helped her get organized and focused enough to continue her research on the anomaly, but even now it yielded no results. She groaned, slamming her head against the useless tome. No matter how much I review these books, she bitterly thought, no matter the notes or cross references I make, I STILL can't find any clues.

Things were rather sour for Twilight today. She dreaded the thought of having to break the news to Ponyville's latest guest, but the circumstances called for no other alternative. She just HOPED Elvis was at least in a decent mood today.

"CABRONA!"

So much for that, she thought bitterly. Raising her head off of the book, she looked towards the door that was suddenly, and violently, smashed open. In stepped the raging Goliath, pushing himself through the comparatively small doorway. To say he looked upset would be a gross understatement.

Approaching the nonplussed unicorn, Elvis pointed directly at her and said in a low, demanding tone. "Take it off."

Confused, Twilight raised an eyebrow to the creature's comment. "Take what off?"

"Don't play dumb! Take off the spell you cast on me."

Shocked for a moment, but bowing her head in defeat, she replied, "So, you found out."

"Understatement of the millennium, puta. You're little pink friend let it slip from her lying mouth." He growled as he approached Twilight, "I will NOT say it again. Take your magic leash off of me you damned dirty caballo!"

"Elvis, I don't-"

"If you don't, I swear by Angra's name that I will crush you slowly." he threatened in a flat tone.

"Elvis?" beckoned a normally lively voice in worry. The creature that was addressed grimaced, but held firm.

"Do it NOW!" he commanded. Twilight, not wanting to fan the rising flames any further, decided it was best to comply. Her horn lit, and a glow surrounded Elvis' neck, where an invisible band around that spot was highlighted by the magical energy. In a moment that felt like an eternity, the band snapped off and dissipated into the ether. Unbound at last, Elvis' body began to glow with flames of lavender, as he felt everything returning. He clenched his fists as tight as he could, and let loose a long, savage roar that shook the library from canopy to roots. Wisps of lavender energy erupted from him, causing objects to fly off their resting spots and scatter about. There was so much chaos in that energy, it would make Discord himself crack. After finally letting that bottled rage loose, he quickly turned around to see the being of his discontent standing in what was left of the doorway.

"You," he stated flatly. Pinkie gulped audibly as Elvis slowly approached. Looming over her, with the day's light casting her shadow barely reaching his belly, he stared down at her with his hands open. He was ready to do serious damage to her, but something fought against that. Something in the back of his mind said it wasn't right. The monster inside him, however, refused to let her go scott free.

Pinkie whimpered, bracing for the worst.

"Cabrona," he addressed lowly, seething with a controlled and unstable rage.

"E-Elvis, I-"

"Shut your blasted mouth, and don't you DARE use my name again. You, and the rest of the bichos are JUST like them. Lying, no es bueno sacks of meat worth NOTHING to beings like me. If I ever hear you, or ever see you again, it will be FAR too soon, cabrona."

"I-I'm sorry, El-"

"SILENCE!"

"B-but, we're f-friends! I-I'll do anything to show you h-how sorry I am!" she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes, ready to fall.

"We are not friends, puta. But don't worry. I'm SURE that you'll BE sorry about this. THAT is a promise."

"I... I..." Pinkie shook with each letter she uttered and each one she heard.

"I despise you."

That was what finally made the dam break. The tears fell free as her pink, poofy mane suddenly deflated right in front of Elvis. He could care less however, even as she turned and fled from the library, eyes closed and streaming with hurt and rejection. She deserves that at LEAST.

"Elvis! That was despicable of you!"

"Despicable?" Elvis scoffed as he turned to face Twilight once again. "Despicable would be lying to my face for days on end and restricting my powers."

"We didn't have a choice!"

"About lying, or restricting my powers? The way I see it, both are pretty optional, cabrona!"

"We couldn't be sure another one of your kind would harm anypony."

"Wait... Another?"

"Yeah. Over a month ago, a giant frog like being named Bael was dumped into our world by a magical anomaly."

"That cabron. You mentioned him when I woke up here, tied to a chair. Did you restrict him too?"

"No. Circumstances allowed his total freedom. He saved me, my friends, and everyone at the crystal empire from certain destruction."

Elvis chuckled, "I've never heard of something like me taking the time out of his important day to save an empire. Maybe destroy it, for the risotada."

"To be perfectly fair, he wasn't entirely willing to do something like helping us out, until Sombra showed up."

Elvis heard that name before, but decided against commenting on it. Still, it started to make sense. Another creature, just as powerful, or even more so, like him exists here. Stranger, but still fitting, said pandejo helped these horses out. The notion Twilight mentioned intrigued him. "Why?"

"Well, he had everything he needed while he remained here. Plenty of fish to eat, and a home to stay in. We had no obligation to each other. Then, Sombra tried to use him for his own gain. Bael didn't appreciate that, and stood up against him after we freed him from his mind control."

"I'd like to hear the tale from the horses mouth before I make any calls, cabrona."

"You already are," Twilight deadpanned.

Flustered, Elvis spoke in an upstarted tone, "The FROG'S mouth, then! Don't play games with me. I'm still exceedingly enojado with you! I've even considered burning the town down with everyone in it, then dancing on your charred corpses. I only decided against it because I RESPECT the dead. That, and I don't feel like becoming public enemy numero uno just yet."

"Look, Elvis. I'm sorry we kept it from you, but the fact is, we didn't know how you'd react. We needed to make sure you wouldn't cause any trouble just to blackmail us into letting you go free. We didn't even know if you'd try something horrible once you were. I freed you now, because I can trust you now."

"Don't you DARE lie to me, puta. You were prepared to tell me why you couldn't when I came in!"

"I'm not lying, and I wasn't going to tell you that. I was going to say that might be a bad idea to remove the spell while you're like this, ranting and raving, but that I'd do it anyway. You were in a rage, and I wanted to calm you down by talking to you first, but it was clear the only way to do that was to stay silent and give you back your total freedom. Even if you don't believe me, the fact is I took an enormous risk in giving you what you want. But I'd do I again, Elvis. I trust you. I didn't at first, but I know for certain that you've become a better being this last little while. And, you owe it all to Pinkie."

Elvis grunted, crossing his arms, "I doubt that, Pendeja."

"It's true. Look at what you've become. You're a friendly face in Ponyville. Citizens like you. You've been acting as a kind, well adjusted member of society, and have done service to this town that we can't thank you enough for. In a few short weeks, no less."

"Just an act, puta. Just like the act your friend put on to hide the truth from me!" he spat bitterly.

"You know you're wrong, deep down," Twilight rebutted. "If you were so nasty to the core, then why do you have this sense of betrayal set in your eyes? If it were an act, then you must have bought into it yourself. You would have to. Because it ISN'T, you don't need to buy anything. So stop trying to shift the blame, and look at the facts. Pinkie brought a sense of joy into your life, and you welcomed it... not without some hesitation, but still. You aren't the extremely bad tempered and disgruntled being I met so many nights ago."

Elvis' eyebrow raised, "And why, puta, are you trying to convince me of this?"

"Because I want to help... Look around you. What do you see?"

"Books, a broken lamp, crumpled parchments... a library after I came in like a torbellino." he chuckled lightly.

"No, Elvis. You see research in progress. I've been studying, practically non-stop, for weeks, trying to find a way to get you back home. You can even take a look at the notes I made and the books I looked through to try to find the answer. All we want to do is help you. Help you have a better life, help you get home, and help you laugh at the problems of the world. It was a bumpy road, sure. No one said it would be easy. But we're still trying, because, whether you admit it or not, we're your friends."

Elvis remained silent. He thought about everything she said and everything that happened to him during his stay here so far. Everything he's seen, heard, said, and did, from the moment he got to this land right up until now. He couldn't help but start laughing. It started slowly, but his laughs began to get louder and quicker.

Twilight, somewhat confused, approached the laughing beast, and asked, "Uhm... what's so funny?"

Elvis wiped a tear from his eye. "Everything, caballo. These last few weeks have been the most absurd moments of my life, and I've seen some loco things." His laughter slowed down, and stopped utterly as a frown returned to his face. "Oh, Rosa, what have I done?" He said, sitting down on the library floor.

Twilight placed a hoof against Elvis' shoulder. "There's still time to find her. You can still make it right. She needs you. She needs her friend."

Elvis gazed at Twilight for a moment, but it didn't take much for him to consider things. With a newly lit conviction, he wordlessly got up, and moved for the door, stopping only to turn to Twilight and say, "Thank you."

"Yeah. And, sorry again about the magic restraint."

Elvis knew he chewed them out enough over it, so in a rare act, he decided to let it go. "No hay problema." With that, he squeezed out the door, lingering long enough to say, "I'll fix your door later," before taking off in the direction he saw Pinkie flee to.

Author's Note:

Elvis?!

Comments

[Jack Kellar]

He seriously didn't consider the possibility of the leash messing with his brain?
I don't know, I think this went a little too conveniently well

[Nightmare_0mega]

3506919 It wasn't a leash messing with his mind. Mind control is something monsters like Elvis and Bael utilize on lowly mortal beings, and are FAR above such influences, even against the most talented of spellcasters. However, magic inhibition is a completely different story. Despite it's effectiveness, once utilized, it still comes with risks. The death of the spellcaster would cause the spell to die as well. So, keeping it secret is paramount. Not only that, but it can only be activated and created close range, and have alot of energy pumped into it to make it work. Fortunately, Elvis was out like a light at the time. Trust me, Twilight doesn't take this lightly, and understands what all goes into it.

[Jack Kellar]

3506940 Then, why didn't you say any of that in the story itself?
Seems like you tripped on a "show, don't tell" case here, dude.

[Nightmare_0mega]

3506947 I more or less figured most people would get an idea without the need for, well, needless exposition. Think about it, though. Bael, for most of his part of the story, considered himself MUCH higher than anything he's been near. Humans, ponies, even Sombra to an extent. Even after he got knocked down a peg, he felt he was better than anything, anyone, or anypony. Do you honestly think that another devil, that has power just as destructive, wouldn't see himself just as high as the first?

But such boasting with these creatures ISN'T unwarranted. They have powers beyond even our comprehension, as demonstrated by Bael. Hypnotism is hardly even considered a parlor trick to them.

[Nightmare_0mega]

3506947 Besides, I consider "show, don't tell" better than explaining every little detail. A good writer should only put in enough detail to paint a picture and tell the story effectively, and leave only hints for misc. and side thoughts that add flavor to the overall narrative that don't effect the story as a whole but expand the universe around it...

know what i mean?

[Jack Kellar]

3506982 You want an honest answer?
I don't know, and I don't like to assume.

Hell, I don't know anything about Elvis at all outside this story save for the fact that he appears in God Hand. And while you're comparing him to Bael, well, that toad was such a wimp (comparatively) in DMC4 that he was the only boss that Nero actually killed aside from the final confrontation.

As for power levels, it's unclear how these bad guys measure to someone on Twilight's power level or even nature. You bring up the point of mind control, and I'll give you 2 counter-points:
1. Bael wasn't so above mind control that he wasn't completely immune to it. Sombra did have him do his bidding, even if it was through possession.
2. I assume you've played DMC1, right? Well, let's take Dante. He's obviously leagues more powerful than any of these two Dark Hearts so far even back then, but he was still affected by artifacts like the Guiding Light.

A lengthy explanation wasn't needed, just a quick acknowledgement that he didn't feel any different mentally would be more than enough.

And finally, you're right in that too much detail detracts from the story. However, in this case, it put a shadow on the plot itself, and that isn't good. That means you're doing the exact opposite: hogging details a little bit too much. I forgot the "reverse" on that.

PS: The tone on the previous messages may have been a little dry, but it wasn't negative badgering, I swear. It was all honest questions and constructive criticism, things you can improve on to make your storytelling even better.

[Nightmare_0mega]

3507055 Valid points, but to be fair about some of them in counterpoints in the conversation...

Yes, Bael can be considered a wimp in DMC4, but that's compared to Dante and Nero, whom are more like "super badasses". But, for a wimp, he's still leagues above normal mortals, which, sadly, Equestrian's are, even though they can handle magic. Twilight, pre-alicorn at least, still falls into that catagory, despite her talents, simply because she IS tied to mortal fatigues and needs.

For the two points...
There is a difference between taking direct control (possession), and planting suggestions (hypnosis). Sombra, as a much more powerful being, still probably wouldn't have been able to use hypnosis anyway, as it took so much effort for him to JUST have Bael obey his commands under direct control. Indirect suggestions my not work on a being that believes himself as superior with a high code of conduct.

Also, as for the Guiding Light, that's a completely different league of it's own. That's an ailment attached to an artifact that caused physical damage (or maybe metaphysical, if you consider Vitality as just energy, rather than actual health). Which is vastly different hindrance from mental revision. It's like comparing poison to make one physically ill to telling a well thought out and convincing lie... Both may be deadly in the grand scheme, but both have very different results and symptoms.

to be fair, i figured i did have elvis mention his mental clarity in an off-handed sort of way, but maybe my personal shitty memory is fabricating that illusion... I'll be sure to check through, and see If i did or not, and make the proper adjustments...

And, yeah, i understand this is just constructive critisism. I just prefer to partake in conversation. It's not fun, nor fair, if I don't respond, is it?

[Nightmare_0mega]

3507055 Head's up Jack. You just helped me do this story, whether you know it or not. After you mentioned the whole "hypnosis" thing, which prompted me to investigate my story a bit, i've found no evidence to him mentioning that their kind is more or less super resistant (or outright immune) to it. Though, to edit the story thus far by jerry-rigging the idea in somewhere would probably break the flow. In light of that problem, and since I have many more chapters to go yet, i've decided to make sure i mention it before the end of Elvis' arc, and make sure it flows naturally in the narrative.

Thanks again, Jack. You may have just made the story better.

[Jack Kellar]

3515913 I helped? I helped!
(j/k)

Still, I'm happy that I've reinforced the plot integrity of this story Now carry on, I want to see who the next Dark Heart is!

[nightmaster0]

Great chapter.

[Joey JoJo]

Making Pinkie Cry!?
Christ almighty. That's an offense of the highest degree.

[Nightmare_0mega]

3520074 Thanks man.

3535244 Will he be able to apologize for such a heinous action? Maybe...