Chapter 4: Heart of Fire

Sunset was sitting on the statue of a horse in the courtyard of Canterlot High. "Ugh…first those girls and now that red haired bastard and hid friends!" she growls "Everything was great until he showed up…now what should I do about it?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" a green haired boy asks walking up.

"Who are you?" Sunset asks

"I am Scourge and I know those three boys…Sonic, Shadow and Rage am I right?" he answers

"What do you know about them?" Sunset asks

"They defeated me once…I know everything about them." Scourge says "If you want to get rid of them start by baiting them into a trap. Sonic and Shadow are suckers for them."

"What about Rage?" Sunset asks

"Not so much but take someone he cares about a girlfriend perhaps and he will do anything to keep you from harming them." Scourge smiles

"Hmmm." Sunset thinks "I like the way you think Scourge… and I know just where to do it…"

Meanwhile Rage and Twilight were walking down the hall with Applejack on their way home. "Hay I need to use the restroom real quick," Rage says "I'll catch you at the barn?"

"Okay see ya Rage!" Twilight says with a wave as he walks into the men's restroom. Rage finishes and as he is washing his hands a hand reaches around and covers his mouth with a rag. "mmf!" he stuggles as a familiar voice snickers at him…

"Does this smell funny?" Scourge chuckles as Rage passes out. Scourge then flips open a cell phone and calls Sunset "Alright I got Rage taken care of." He says

"Good keep him locked in that bathroom." Sunset says "I have the girls meet me at the old warehouse as planned."

"What about Sonic and Shadow?" Scourge asks

"I have it covered." Sunset says "Just get over here."

At the warehouse Scourge arrives and see Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Rebecca and Fluttershy tied up. "Well looks like everything is in place." He says looking at Sunset who was on a catwalk.

"You'll never get away with this Sunset Shimmer!" Rainbow yells "Sonic, Shadow and Rage will stop you!"

"Oh I don't think so." Sunset smiles

"Care to find out?" Sonic's voice calls as he and Shadow run inside.

"Awe Sonic and Shadow you're here." Sunset smiles

"Scourge I should have known." Sonic says looking at the green male.

"Long time no see Sonic." He smiles "Now!" he says to sunset and she pushes a button on a console causing a metal cage to drop on Sonic and Shadow.

"Ha ha ha…" Sunset smiles "Finally revenge will be mine!"

"What are you going to do to them?!" Sonic yells

"You know I never gave my ambition of ruling over CHS and Equestria up they are going to be the tools of my conquest!" Sunset laughs

Meanwhile at CHS Rage slowly opens his eyes and looks around. "Scourge!" he yells struggling before seeing his hands were tied "Dammit…" he curses "I can't get lose…" but then an idea came to him "No…I won't Sonic, Shadow and I promised we would not use our powers until we were out of high school." He tells himself but then his phone rings, it was Applejack. Rage using his nose answers it on speaker. "Applejack?!" he asks

"Not quite." Sunset laughs from the other end of the conversation "You might want to hurry down to the old chemical warehouse if you want to see your friends one last time. Oh wait I forgot you're a bit tied up aren't you?"

"Sunset if you hurt any of them I swear I'll-" Rage was cut off by the dial tone Sunset hung up. Rage despite what he and his pals said ignites his hands to burn the ropes and he opens the door to the bathroom before running out of the building. "Hold on guys I am on my way." He says turning the corner from the school.

Back in the warehouse Sunset was looking at the label of a bottle. "Alright…" she says to herself before looking at the girls "Well time to say goodbye to your heroes." She smiles throwing it to Scourge but then a rock hit the bottle knocking it down. "What who the hell did that?!" Sunset yells looking around

"Over here." Rage calls from the entrance of the warehouse and everyone looks at him.

"Rage?!" Sunset and Scourge yell in shock

"Rage!" the other says with gratitude

"I thought I told you Sunset Shimmer to leave them alone." Rage says

"How did you get out of my ties?!" Scourge asks

"Doesn't matter." Rage says "Sorry about breaking the promise Sonic." He says

"It doesn't matter how do you plan to help your friends?" Sunset asks and Rage then draws a sword from a sheath on his back slicing the cage Sonic and Shadow were in "Wh-where did you get that?!" Sunset asks

"It was my father's." Rage answers "It has been hanging up in my home. I never thought I would have to use it but looks like you changed that." He says sheathing it "Give up Sunset I don't want to hurt you." Angered Sunset leaps down and lunges at Rage before everything went dark for her…

The next thing she knew she woke up on a bed. "Glad to see you're okay." She hears and looks to see Rage "After the way you hurt yourself from that jump and all."

"You…helped me?" she says surprised "Why?"

"I am not just going to leave you like you were." Rage answers

"I tried to hurt you and I hurt your friends!" Sunset yells

"True…" Rage sighs standing up "But you've been doing that because something has been bothering you right?"

"You-" she pauses "You wouldn't understand how abandonment feels." Rage replies by tossing her a scrapbook. Sunset opens it to see pictures, family pictures, Rage, his mom, dad and two brothers. "I don't see what this has to do with anything." She says

"Go to the last page." Rage replies and Sunset does so, on that page was a date marked with the word abandoned…written in blood.

"Rage did your parents?" Sunset asks

"Die…" Rage says "They were killed after my freshman year…the man who took their lives was the one who actually bullied my father when he was in high school… I was angry and…I killed that man the only life I have ever taken and the only one I will ever allow on my watch."

"Are you saying that if you left me…" Sunset stops

"You would have died… jumping from a 75 foot cat walk is a dumb choice." Rage sighs "I know what it's like to lose all hope Sunset but you can't take your pain out on others…"

"I didn't know what else to do…" she says "..now what am I supposed to do?"

"You can start over." Rage says "Turn over a new leaf."

"But…I would be alone again…." Sunset responds

"No you won't" Rage says "I'll be your friend."

"But I treated you like crap! Not to mention your friends!" Sunset says in surprise at Rage's offer

"It'll be a thing of the past." Rage answers "The past is the past Sunset."

"Th-thank you Rage." Sunset smiles hugging him making him jump a bit in shock before blushing.

"It's nothing." Rage answer before a know is heard "Oh I think that is Twilight." He sighs "I need to go."

"Okay." Sunset says as Rage leaves the room and opens the front door to see Twilight.

"R-Rage…?" she says with a deep red blush

"What's up Twi?" he asks

"Thank you for saving us." She says "a-and I wanted to know…will you…" she pauses out of nervousness

"Yes?" Rage asks

"Would you like to go to the barn to meet with the others today?" Twilight asks

"Let me finish getting Sunset Shimmer patched up." Rage sighs

"Okay." She says leaving and Rage walks back up stairs

"Who was it?" Sunset asks

"Twilight." Rage answers

"Oh?" Sunset asks "What about?"

"The others want to meet with me." Rage sighs "Can you get home?"

"Yeah." She says "I can…and thanks."

"No problem." Rage says as the leave the house.

Rage arrives and opens the door to the barn where the rest of the group was. "Rage!" Fluttershy exclaims

"Thank you." Applejack says "You really saved us there."

"You were awesome!" Rainbow Dash smiles

"I can't believe you are so brave." Fluttershy comments

"You did great." Rebecca says

"Guys please." Rage says with an embarrassed blush "I know you all think of me as a hero but I am no hero."

"What do you mean?!" Rainbow asks "Of course you are!"

"No… I am not I was just looking out for my friends." Rage answers

"Quick question why did you choose to help Sunset Shimmer out?" Rarity asks

"Yeah especially after all she has done to you?" Applejack asks

"Guys…Sunset Shimmer's been abandoned and she was using others misery to hide how she really felt." Rage answers "I know what it's like…"

"That's right you watched your mom and dad die." Sonic sighs

"Yeah…but that is not the reason I helped her…" Rage responds

"Why did you help her then?" Shadow asks

"You see when my parents died it was only the end of my freshman year, using my father's sword I killed the man who killed my parents in anger… the only life I have ever taken and the only life I will ever take. I promised myself that if my enemy or opponent was going to die if I do not help them then I will help them." Rage explains "That is why I helped her."

"You sure are something Rage," Twilight smiles

"Your care for others burns like an open fire." Rebecca says

"Come on we got a weekend ahead of us why don't we go to the pool?" Shadow suggests

"Great idea." Applejack smiles "It's pretty hot after all."

"You guys have fun." Sonic says

"Why what's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asks "You don't like water?"

"No…" Sonic says nervously

"I think somebody is scared of the water." Rarity says jokingly

"I am not!" Sonic shouts blushing embarrassed

"Dude admit it you have a huge hydrophobia." Rage laughs

"Fine you got me…I hate the water…" Sonic sighs in defeat as the others laugh

To be continued