How the Mighty can Fall
Chapter 11: One Last Huzzah

Final chapter. Waa waa waa...

This was by far the hardest chapter to start writing.

Josh bowed his head, ready for what he knew was about to happen. Velvet smirked.

"You know, after that little trick the two traitors in the forest pulled, I thought you wouldn't be this easy to kill. But you're hardly a challenge." She laughed. "Ah well. I guess this is gonna be easier than I'd planned."
Josh stepped back and lowered his head. He felt his foot brush something metal, and-

"YOU GO JOSH!"

Velvet had begun to charge a spell, which made Joshabi think of magic missile, and was a faint blue. "No, turquoise." He thought, chiding himself for the thought.

"I'd say it was more a kind of purple." A second voice said into his head, the same one as a few seconds ago.

"Who are you?" Josh thought, stepping back.

"Oh, so shallow minded. In the sky, does what is not there mean nothing?"

Josh paused, stopping in his hesitant retreat to think about the statement. He rolled his eyes. "'Hi Josh, it's Moon', would have sufficed."

"Oh quit whining." The entity chided. "Do you want help or not?"

"Trick question. Protect me from the missile, I'll deal with the rest."

"Consider it done."

Josh nodded, stepping a bit further back. He stopped to think for a minute. "How? And where are you anyway?"

"Just get ready to fight."

Josh looked up at Velvet once more. She opened her eyes and grinned at him again. "Any last words before you end?"

Josh nodded and grinned back. "What cannot kill me..." Velvet frowned, and Josh tensed, ready to spring forward. "Can only make me STRONGER!"
With a roar, Josh sprang forward, claws out to strike, and Velvet unleashed her magic missile, straight towards Josh.

"Angel, I can smell him here!"

"Nice work Winnona. Is it the way we thought?"

"Yep."

"Alright. Tank, cover the sky."

"Mm hm."

The three animals were going through the Everfree as fast as they could, trying to get to Josh as fast as they could. Angel had been planning to go alone, but with the air support of Tank and Winnona's tracking skills, the search was going incredibly fast. They had already established where they were going, and all they had to do now was get there-

"Hurry, he's gone this way!"

Damn.
Angel looked down the path to see Fluttershy and her friends heading much faster in the same direction as they were. He was considering visiting the manticore for a boost of speed-
KRAK-OW!
The skyline was filled with a brilliant light, emanating from the very place that the groups were heading. A second later, there was the sound of an explosion. Angel and Twilight had twin looks of horror on their faces, and turned to their groups, panicking.

"Hurry!"

Velvet coughed, waving her hoof in front of her face. "What idiot throws themselves at someone with a ball of bucking energy above their head?"

"One with protection."

Velvet gasped, but Josh pinned her to the ground by her neck before she could react. He began running one of his claws around the base of her horn.

"I've always wondered, can a unicorn feel through their horn, or is it little more than an ivory wand on your head?"

"It's a wand on my head." Velvet choked. Josh noticed and grinned.

"Aww, is the little pony having problems breathing?"

"Please... Stop... My daughter..."

"As far as I am concerned, Twilight is a lying hag who follows a tyrant. Give me a reason why I shouldn't crush your neck."

"Isn't this unnecessarily cruel?" Moon asked Josh, sounding slightly worried.

"I couldn't kill her; I'm having trouble keeping a grip on her at the sound of her choking. It helps for her to think I'm a sadistic bastard who enjoys this sort of thing." Josh replied. "Can you put her to sleep, I really need to go."

"Give me a minute."

"Celestia... Will kill... you..."

Josh looked at Velvet. She was looking at him out of the corner of her eye. Josh looked to the side slightly, considering the information.

"I thought you said you were kidding!" Moon said suddenly.

"She made a valid point." Josh responded, looking back at Velvet. He moved slightly so he could look at her eye better. "What happens when you cut off a unicorns horn?"

"Forbidden... True cruelty... Same with wings..." Velvet muttered.

"She's not lying." Moon added.

"What happened to that spell?" Josh asked.

"Casting in three..." Moon replied.

Josh grinned at Velvet. "Well, enjoy when you wake up."

The unicorn collapsed, smacking her head on the floor. Josh paused, looking at her.

"How do you do the safety position on a pony?"

"Just lay her on her side." Moon told him in a rush. "Now hurry, there's a pony flying up the stairs!"

Josh carefully placed the pony so she wasn't leaning on anything hard. He turned around to go, and saw the door smash open. Rainbow Dash saw him and glared.

"Listen you, I don't care who you are, but if you don't tell me where my friend is you're finished!"

Josh shrugged, moving towards the door. Rainbow flew into his face and pressed against it.

Josh looked at her. "If you aren't worried about me, why should you be worried about something as dangerous as a human..." He muttered, shoving her out the way. The Pegasus looked and saw Velvet where Josh had been standing before. She flew up to the ceiling on the other side of the room, and flew to barrel into him. Josh heard her, and just avoided getting two hooves in the back. Her turned and glared at Rainbow, who was sitting dazed on the floor a few feet away. She stood up and pointed at him.

"You hurt Twilight's mom!"

"Mum." Josh snapped. "And she hurt me first, she asked for it."

"This is a bad idea." Moon muttered. "Look at her neck."

Josh glanced at it, then snorted. "What, you need an artefact to beat anything now?" He turned and walked out of the door. "I don't need to discuss anything with you right now." He said over his shoulder, slamming it behind him. He heard a click, but ignored it, beginning to make his way out of the castle as quickly as his memory allowed.

"Rainbow!"

"Rainbow Dash!"

"Dashie!"

"Where ARE YOOO!"

The remaining elements of harmony walked through the castle, looking around cautiously. Twilight remained silent, focusing on a seeker spell for the Pegasus. Josh looked around the door carefully, trying to avoid being seen.

Very little escapes the ears of the scared and the observant.

"What was that?" Fluttershy meeped, reeling back from the door Josh had looked round. He cursed inwardly, looking for a place to hide. There was a group of loose stones in the roof which he might be able to use if he was careful...

"One camouflage coming up!" Moon informed him cheerfully. Josh nodded and flew up, using the gaps as handholds. He looked down and saw the elements, minus Fluttershy, looking down the corridor. He saw his body disappear as the spell activated.

"Are you sure you heard anything?" Twilight asked, scanning the room with a detection spell.

"Probably a loose stone, these old places are notorious for it." Rarity put in. Applejack looked at her. Rarity flicked her mane. "It's a profitable enterprise." The unicorn scoffed. Applejack rolled her eyes. Josh shifted his weight a bit to try and stop himself losing his hold.
One of the other stones was dislodged, and smashed down on the floor next to Applejack. In shock, the party looked up. Twilight, still with her spell on, looked up. The spell flashed up a creature near where the rocks had fallen, and the unicorn reacted on instinct.

"MONSTER!"

Josh dropped down, abandoning all pretences, and hit the ground, Moon dropping the camo spell. He growled, and began moving towards the door, which Rarity was blocking. Moon began putting up as many shield spells as she could. Applejack saw the creatures movement and moved to stop it reaching Rarity. "Not happenin'"

Josh bared his teeth. "Can you roar?" Moon asked him.

"Sure, why?"

"Do it. Now."

Josh roared.

Down on the lower levels, Angel looked at the looming set of stairs. "This is bad."

"We have to help him. I'm not going back until I know he's safe." Winona told the rabbit, and began climbing the stairs.

Suddenly, they heard a roar. Angel felt a trickle of dust land on his head. He looked up, and just avoided getting crushed. "Move! Now!"

"Impressive, but a bit of a waste of a monument." Josh thought to Moon as he barrelled through the crumbling relic.

"I was improvising." She replied. "You're nearly out. First left."

Josh ran around the corner. "What about the ponies."

"They'll survive. Spiral stairs ahead."

"Backseat escaper." Josh retorted. "What about AJ and Rarity?"

"They have good friends." Moon assured him. "Run as fast as you can for the door."

Josh lowered his head and smashed the last door between escape. He stopped in the foyer, one of the few parts without a roof, and saw Fluttershy glaring at him. "Oh crud."

"You! That was horrible!" Josh stepped back, as Fluttershy moved closer to him. "You could have killed us! And you locked Rainbow in that room! How could you?"

"She attacked me!" Josh whined.

You call that whining? This is whining!
No! Rarity! Stop it!
What is that... Rarity! Pinkie! Get out of my room!
Run away!

"That could be understandable, but what about us!" Fluttershy said. She'd managed to pin Joshabi against a wall, and had her head pressed against him. "What were you doing then?"

"It was instinct!"

"Instinct! So barging into my house and smashing back out afterwards was instinct as well!"

"I didn't barge in!" Josh complained.

"Oh really? Then why were you in there? Were you planning to EAT SOMEPONY?" Fluttershy yelled. Josh began cowering. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't hurt YOU to find out where my human friend is!" Josh mumbled under his breath, trying to avoid Fluttershy's eye. "SPEAK UP!"

"I AM JOSH!" The wolf roared. Fluttershy went back a bit. She stared at Josh, but at least she wasn't Staring at him.

"What?"

"I... I need to go." Josh muttered.

"Oh no you aren't you're-"

"Fluttershy! Look out!"

Josh looked up to see Twilight and Velvet readying Magic Missiles. He grabbed Fluttershy and pulled her to his chest, curling into a ball. Fluttershy and Rarity both yelled as the missiles flew at the balled up werepyre, and Josh felt the energy smash into him, sending him flying into the wall and out the other side. He looked up, slowly uncurling. He slowly stood up, Fluttershy standing like a shield in front of him. "Don't you dare hurt him! You've scared him now!"

"Fluttershy, it's a werewolf! It just grabbed you!" Twilight yelled, moving forward. Fluttershy stepped back a bit further. Josh looked behind him, where Rainbow had decided to pick up a large stone to chuck at him. He looked at his wings and coat. Moon's shield hadn't prepared him for it, and his wings seemed to be badly burnt. His coat was badly scorched.

"You can't say you were doing any better! He protected me! And he's not just a monster!" Fluttershy yelled back. Rainbow snorted.

"What is he, your coltfriend?"

Josh collapsed suddenly. "'M not 'er coltfrnd..." He muttered.

Fluttershy looked at him and gasped. "Oh no. Get up Josh, you're too strong to die now, come on!"

Rainbow blanched. "Josh? But he refused to tell me who he was!"

"Velvet..." Josh muttered. Fluttershy glared at the older unicorn.

"What do you have to do with this?"

"I've done nothing!" Velvet gasped. "He's trying to frame me!"

"Spylight sappin' mah story..." Josh chuckled, moving so he could stand with the support of a stone nearby.

"Stop framing me!" Velvet yelled. She could see his wounds healing- something that shouldn't have been possible for a werewolf. "We need to deal with him now!"

"I wasn't talking about you that time." Josh replied calmly, smoothing out his fur. Twilight and Rainbow blanched.

"Whaaa?" Josh looked at Twilight pointedly. Rainbow stared, mouth open. Rarity shook her head.

"You must be mistaken darling, Twilight would never-"

"I'm sure Twilight wouldn't point me towards the forest in the hope of me getting lost and killed by something." Josh said blandly. "However I will say that Velvet over there is an assassin and killer, and would have killed me had I not have help."

Velvet gritted her teeth. "You had HELP?"

Josh nodded and began walking to the edge of the ridge. He checked his wings for holes, but they had healed over incredibly well. "And with that, I bid you, adieu." He jumped off the cliff, and began to fly over it, making his was away from Ponyville. Twilight turned to Rainbow.

"Rainbow, we need to-" She stopped. Rainbow was staring at Velvet, a look of fury on her face.

"Help? You tried to kill him, and you're worried that he had HELP? I'M GOING TO REPORT YOU TO THE PRINCESS!"

"There's no point." Twilight told Rainbow, pulling her to the ground. "She's been orchestrating the whole thing, there's no way we'll get mum killed."

"Charming." Velvet snorted. Fluttershy glared at her. "Well, I have a report to make. I'll be sure to leave out the parts where you accused me of crimes, but I have to go after him later. Tara." The unicorn disappeared.

"Josh!"

"Damnit, we missed him."

The party turned at the sound of a barking dog, to see Winonna and Angel. A few seconds later they saw Tank fly around.

"Angel!" Fluttershy cried. "You could have been hurt."

"We were fine Fluttershy, we had to help Josh."

"You knew?"

"Well, he did visit the cottage, but I didn't tell you that." Winonna said. Angel glared at her. "What?"

"Fluttershy... What are you talking about?" Applejack asked.

"These three knew about Josh and didn't tell me." Fluttershy said. "That could have saved a lot of time."

"Can't be helped." Twilight said. "We'll just have to give up and go home now."

"Gi- Give up!" Rainbow yelled. "We aren't giving up!"

"And why not?" Rarity asked. "Josh's run off, we'd be opposing the princess – it'd be hopeless."

"We have Winnona, and we have the elements." Rainbow pointed out. "Now we just need to go home, pack our bags, then get back here. MINUS TANK." She finished, glaring at the tortoise.

"I..." Twilight looked down at the ground. "I don't think I should go... I mean, I'm just a liability, all I'll do is slow you down, and-"

"Not a chance." Rainbow said, grabbing her and pulling her back to their method of entry. "Now come on, we've got bags to pack, and we leave in the morning."

Applejack chuckled. "A proper Daring Doo adventure, huh Rainbow?"

Rainbow glared at her. "Hey, let's leave my fandom out of this. Now git."

Worst. Chapter. Ever. This took me soo long to write.

Epilogue coming up! Don't miss it!