Lloyd ran between the trees and slowed down to a trot as he passed a large knarled tree that appeared to be looming over him. "If these things start moving, I'm burning down the forest." He muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. A small wave left his body and flowed through the forest. He felt the wave reverberate from his goal like sonar. Not far now.
The book was close, he could feel that much, but his mind was still hanging back with Twilight and Rarity. He didn't like sending them off alone. Now that he thought about it maybe he should have gone with them, if Darkside went after them they might not be able to escape. The others had all been in pairs and he had gotten to them, now they might all be dead.
No! Don't think like that! He chided himself. That's not how he works. It's more fun for him to toy with people than to just kill them. As much as he hated the demon he had created he did enjoy that one fact, that Darkside's desire for fun made him less likely to kill indiscriminately, and he would never kill someone he thought was interesting till he had his fun.
Lloyd stopped and closed his eyes, another pulse leaving his body over the trees. The ping was close, right on top of him close. He glanced over the forest floor, at least what he could see in the darkness. He blinked and a bright ball of white light rose from the ground next to him illuminating the dark forest floor in white light. "Where the hell is it?" he cursed scanning the ground. There was no sign of the book on the ground but he knew it was here.
There was a sudden shift in the trees making him jump to the defensive. The branches shook and dropped a large leather bound book to the ground several feet in front of him. The massive book was as thick as a brick, its dark red bindings and worn spine were blending with the dark of the night but easily seen with Lloyd's light. Emblazed in the cover was the image of two warriors crossing swords. One warrior colored white wielding a black sword and the other was colored black wielding a white sword.
Lloyd let out a happy chuckle as he skipped for the book. Thank you whatever god did this. He thanked. The book however vanished from his sight, replaced with a set of large and powerful black legs.
Lloyd dug his hooves into the ground growling as he locked eyes with the new arrival. Darkside had his trademark smile but he also had a few new marks. Dark blood mat into his coat along his back and face seeming from a number of healing slashes along his back and side. It was nice to see him hurt. "Darkside, how are you?" He said with a grin.
"Oh don't be coy," Darkside sneered, his anger showing through. "Someone hurt me, I'm a little pissed. But I'm calming down."
"Oh what a shame." Lloyd mocked. "By that I mean it's a shame you still have a head."
"Cute." Darkside's horn glowed and the book lifted from behind him to hover next to his head. "You seem to have lost something."
"Yeah, thanks for finding it. I'll take it from here." Lloyd made no move towards Darkside but his golden aura glowed from his grey coat.
Darkside looked from the grey colt to the book before him. "No, I think I'll keep it. Might be a fun read." His eyes fell back to Lloyd. "But then again I already know how it ends."
"Why keep it. You can't use the book Darkside, It's mine." He said bitterly.
"Maybe, but I'm learning new tricks all the time, never know I might be able to use it myself, maybe I'll throw you out of this world for a change." The demon said with a smirk.
"Shut it. Hand over the book." Lloyd demanded.
Darkside chuckled again. "So mean. Tell me how are the girls doing? I was worried when I saw their friends." Lloyd drew back his lips in a snarl. "They weren't doing well." The larger male watched his smaller foe tighten in anger with an amused eye. "Now there's no need to be so angry. I promise you I didn't kill any of them, well none of those girls anyway, those guards though, they had it coming."
"Seriously. Shut. The. Fuck. Up." Lloyd spat each word with hate. "Give me the book and I'll let you go here without a fight. We can finish later."
Darkside tried to stifle his laugh making his head shake. "Oh come on!" He giggled. "You can't threaten me Lloyd. Just admit it, you've lost. This world is on the verge of breaking, its gods lost to me and the little heroes you rounded up are broken. Even if you managed to get that weapon of theirs to work what makes you think you have any more chance against me here than you did in Gimel?"
"Enough of this bullshit." Lloyd hissed. The golden aura seeped around him, the grass starting to glow and heat up. The air around him shimmered with power as he took a deep breath. "Me and you right now. I'll end it here. I'm not worried about destroying the book. I don't need the girls to help me, you know that." His power seemed to take form around him readying itself to lash out.
Darkside didn't laugh, his smile however cracked wider. "Do you really think I came here without a plan?" He lifted his head higher. "You smell that?" Lloyd slowly raised his own head cautiously sniffing the air. It smelt like leaves, trees and . . . smoke.
His eyes shot open focused on his grinning foe. "Did you know there is a lovely woman who lives near here? I met her on my way to find the book. Wonderful girl."
Lloyd let a feral snarl tear through his teeth. "What did you do?" He hissed through bared teeth.
"Temper temper Lloyd." Darkside chided. "I haven't killed her, there would no point since you're going to play the hero and go save her before she burns to death. And I know you're going to help her and let me leave because deep down, you're a hero. A simple little predictable hero."
Lloyd quickly reached out with his power. Across the forest floor he found the building where the smoke was coming from. There was still someone inside, whoever it was they were alive, at least at the moment. He opened his eyes and faced the grinning demon. "You're a fucking monster."
"Any other obvious points you want to make? No? Then I'm going to be on my way." Darkside's wings spread wide. "I would hurry, that lady won't last long in those flames." He gave a maddening cackle as with a single stroke of his wings he lifted high into the air.
Lloyd instinctively began to leap after him but stopped before he could leave the ground. He could give chase, catch him, and end it here.
At the cost of a life!
One life for the good of many!
One life you could save!
I can catch him now and get the book! I can't let him get away!
You can't condemn someone to death!
His mind was rebelling as the colt watched his enemy fly higher in the air. He could still catch him, he could still leap after him but He knew the price he would be paying if he did. His teeth ground into each other as he pawed at the ground readying his leap.
"God fucking Dammit!" He shouted turning his back on Darkside and sprinting as quickly as his legs would take him to the source of the fire. A pillar of black smoke was pouring above the tree cover, its tower still visible as it shifted against the black sky. Lloyd's hooves beat the grass beneath him but he knew he wasn't moving fast enough. He leaped across the grass and sucked in a deep breath. When his feet touched ground he let it loose, the power surging under his feet and throwing him forward in a dash so quick he became only a blur in the night for a moment.
When he landed he was outside the house. Flames had already fully circled the tree making no clear way inside. He could see flames burned freely inside as well, but first things first, he had to get in there and save the women Darkside mentioned. A quick check confirmed she was still in there and still alive. He flexed all his muscles for what he was going to do and leaped spinning his back to lead the way through the only window he saw. A shattering of glass and string of curses later he rolled on the floor inside the hut.
Smoke was billowing out from every nook and cranny above him but the low ceiling ensured a thick cloud of smoke was all around. The heat was already blistering outside, now he felt like he was in an oven. He closed his eyes being unable to relay on them in the smoke, and kneeled to the ground to keep away from the smoke. He reached out and felt her, near him. The colt pulled himself over the floor holding his breath as much as he could. He jerked away when he brushed near something on fire. He hastily pat the burning area stomping out his burning fur. I stay here much longer this whole place is going to go up with me in it.
Another feel with his power and another hesitant reach out later he found something warm but not hot. The soft fur felt familiar and safe to him. He opened his eyes, regretting the choice as the smoke burned his eyeballs. Whoever it was was unconscious but she was breathing and that was good enough.
Okay, Now I have to get out of here. He glanced around but black smoke and red flames consumed everything. He could see the flames crawling quickly over the floor nearing them. He didn't have long, only one real idea came to mind. He leaned over the mare. "Sorry." He said as much as he knew she couldn't hear him. His forelegs held her close to his chest while he gathered his power.
Among the burning flames a golden light shown through. A bubble of gold surrounding the two ponies trapped in the flames. Lloyd took a moment before he released his spell. The golden wave exploded outward fast as a bullet. The flames flew back in the force of the blast, the walls they clung to breaking apart and splintering out like a blooming flower. The smoke flew in every direction blown away by the great wind from the explosion.
Lloyd slowly took his breaths in slowly relishing the fresh air. The fire was nothing but a few small embers around of them. The house they had been trapped in was now just a crater, bits of wood marking where's its walls had once been. He roused himself and gave one final look around to ensure it was safe before looking down on his charge.
She was another pony, no surprise there, but she seemed a little different. She didn't have a horn or wings, though her mane was stripped, so was parts of her body. Lloyd brushed at her thinking it was just the black of the soot and while some of it was most seemed to be natural stripes. What was more was the odd jewelry, rings around her neck and one of her forelegs. They were gold under the ash and soot but at least they hadn't been cooked in the fire so he saw no need to take them off. He just blew up her house there was no reason to further her dislike of him.
She was completely out of it and shaking her didn't seem to wake her, but she was still breathing and making a weak moan when he shook her. Lloyd sighed and fell on his flank. "I'll kill that bastard." He hissed. He tried to quell his anger but quickly realized it was pointless. Whatever that bastard was up to he had to get back to Luna, ensure she and Celestia were ok. He looked down at the unconscious pony before him. Leaving her here was stupid and dangerous, but so was bringing her to the library. He bit his lip debating it before kneeling down and carefully lifting her to his back.
"I'm going to regret this, I just know it." He murmured as he slowly trotted through the forest back towards town. He chanced a look at the mare on his back, she was still asleep her face showing no signs of pain or discomfort. "Sorry about your house. I'll pay for that, somehow, maybe, who the hell am I kidding, I'm screwed."
. . .
Scootaloo waited for some response before calling again. "Rainbow Dash! It's me!" She called again to the rainbow tail above her.
"Go away!" A voice came back. Scootaloo winced at the harsh tone in the mare's voice.
The little filly stepped a little closer to the cloud. "Rainbow Dash, are you ok?"
The cloud shuffled and Scootaloo watched the rainbow tail disappear to be replaced by a rainbow mane and a face that made her cringe. The blue coat was stained red around her neck and the blood had moved to smear parts of her muzzle. Dash's eyes were as red and swollen as her neck and all the more terrifying by the way they were narrowed in anger. Scootaloo wasn't scared through because Rainbow Dash looked scary, she was scared because Dash looked scared, and seeing her friend in such shape shook her.
"Just go away Scootaloo!" She yelled down. "Just go away and never come looking for me ever again!" The mare turned away and buried her head back in the cloud.
The orange filly looked up in shock and blinked her eyes trying to understand what happened. "Rainbow dash," Her voice was quieter but she was sure the older mare could still hear her. "I'm scared, what's wrong?"
"Don't you listen ya idiot!" She yelled again. "Just go away! I-I-I failed. I-I lost. Just . . .just. . . leave." Dash's voice trailed off into more tears.
Scootaloo jerked a bit at the word 'idiot.' Rainbow Dash was never this mean, a little bit snappy but never so mean. "Rainbow Dash. . ." The filly's voice fell away, what could she say? "Please, it doesn't matter what happened, you're still okay, you can fix it. You can fix anything!"
"You can't fix everything." Scoot barley heard the quiet words. "Just go away Scootaloo, if you come near me your just gonna get hurt." Rainbow's voice wasn't angry, at least not at Scootaloo.
"Rainbow Dash please come down!" The orange filly said jumping in place. "We all need your help!" She paused for a second and shook away the burning in her eyes. "I need your help, please!" She called.
Rainbow curled tighter on the cloud. She couldn't risk it; she couldn't go back out and try. She failed, it was her fault! All her fault that Big Macintosh died. What if she failed again? What if this time it was Fluttershy who got hurt? Or Scootaloo?
She bit her lip to push back her own tears no matter how in vain it was. "Find someone else to help you kid!" She said before burying her face in the cloud and sobbing. "Cause I'm just a loser." She whispered.
Scootaloo clenched her teeth. She could barely hear Dash anymore and the young filly was getting tired of talking to the bottom half of a cloud. Scootaloo lowered her legs and shook her back, letting her wings flare out. With a heavy grunt she jumped as high as she could and beat her wings madly. Her eyes shut tight in concentration she didn't notice she was only hovering a few feet off the ground till she opened her eyes.
"Horseapples." She cursed falling down again. The little crusader looked around for some way to climb up to the cloud. There was a tree but it was way too low, she couldn't climb it and reach the cloud. She couldn't climb it.
The filly smirked at her plan. It was something Rainbow Dash would do. Daring, fast, and admittedly really dangerous. Scootaloo jumped back to her scooter and kicked off sliding down the road before she turned around. The tree was dead ahead, a short distance but just enough. The filly took a few deep breaths to calm her rapid heart, beating fast in equal parts fear and anticipation. For Rainbow Dash. She thought as she kicked the ground.
Between her kick and her wings the little Pegasus got some impressive speed towards the tree, never changing direction. The dark tree seemed to be taunting her in as she sped towards it. Every fiber of her body screamed to turn away but she kept going straight. As she neared she gripped the handlebars and jerked up while giving a strong beat of her little wings. The wheels left the dirt ground just as planned.
She sucked in air in preparation for the jarring impact but it did nothing to truly prepare her. The scooter hit the tree, riding right up the side, her speed sending her shooting up the side and firing off the side like a rocket.
For a few majestic seconds Scootaloo was flying, high in the air, actually getting just above the cloud Rainbow Dash was on. A second later gravity caught up to her. Scoot dropped her scooter so as not to be weighted down and beat her wings with all her might. The scooter's fall was foreboding as it hit the tree and spit apart to tiny pieces but Scootaloo never looked down, her eyes trained on the cloud before her. It was only a few more feet and her wings were keeping her up, at least a little. It took all her strength to keep herself from plummeting below.
The fluffy edge was in so close, she reached out, her hoof inches away when her wings started to slow. The filly closed her eyes to focus, she was so close, just a little further. Finally her hoof felt the fluffy edge of the cloud. Her wings finally give out in relief. The moment her wings stopped so did Scootaloo, her rump falling quickly leaving only her front hooves clinging desperately to the edge of the cloud.
"Rainbow Dash!" She grunted trying to pull herself up but her strength was faded. She huffed and pulled again but only succeeded in tearing off a piece of cloud. "Rainbow Dash! Help!" She cried urgently as her legs moved closer to the edge taking bits of the cloud with her. Her rear legs trying to reach up but she couldn't manage to find anything to catch them..
"Sccot?" Rainbow looked up and saw the orange filly clawing at the edge of the cloud trying to pull herself up. "What are you doing?" She shouted jumping to her feet and jumping to help her.
Scootaloo tried to reach up but the move was sudden and caused a light poof sound. Rainbow's eyes shot wide as saucers as Scootaloo disappeared over the edge of the cloud with a whimper and a scream from below.
"Ahhhhhh!" The little Pegasus screamed as the cloud fell from her hooves and she plummeted down. She tried to flapping her wings but they were sore and weak from her last stunt barley making anything more than weak flailing.
"Scoots!" Rainbow Dash screamed over the edge. Dash kicked the cloud to bits as she rocked down, barley even visible as she darted straight towards the ground. Scootaloo was still trying to flap her wings with her eyes wrenched shut when Rainbow caught up. With a quick spin the blue mare snatched the smaller filly in her forelegs. The ground was too close for anything else so she did the only trick up her sleeve.
A quick barrel roll sent the two drifting just over the ground, but the earth was still coming. Dash held the filly tightly to her chest and wrapped her wings around them both before the ground hit. The cyan mare tumbled and rolled a dozen times over the rocks and dirt before finally grinding to a painful stop with a pained grunt.
Her flank felt like it just ran into a lightning bolt and her whole body was aching in pain from going so fast to crash but nothing felt broken, a feeling she was familiar with. She opened her wrenched eyes and looked down to her charge. The dark pink mane was covering Scoot's face but the filly had her legs wrapped tightly around the body of the larger mare. Dash could feel the little filly shaking in her grasp. Slowly she pulled her hooves away.
"It's okay scoot, you're okay." She said patting the filly's head. Dash fell back when the little furry creature leaped up and wrapped her forelegs tightly around her neck throwing her to the ground in an intense hug.
"Rainbow Dash your back!" She sobbed into the mare's ear. Rainbow Dash stared wide eyed at the sky as the filly sobbed into her mane.
"Back? I've always been here kid." She said with a smile hugging the little filly back.
She felt the tiny head shake into her neck. "No. Earlier, that wasn't you. You weren't acting like you, you were scaring me. You weren't cool Rainbow Dash, you were mean and scared Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow Dash's eyes lowered. She remembered what she had said to Scootaloo, all those mean things, she even remembered why she said it, but for some reason she wasn't as sad as she was before. She still blamed herself for Big Mac, but somehow she felt better than before, she didn't feel useless and weak she felt . . . needed.
She slowly pulled Scootaloo from her chest and looked her in the eye as the small filly wiped her tears away. "Are . . . are you okay Rainbow Dash?" She asked with a whimper.
Dash smiled and nodded. "I'm better now scoots, thanks to you." Rainbow was the one to hug her this time making Scootaloo blush a bit and return the hug.
"How did I help you?" She asked, a shy smile on her lips.
Rainbow pulled away and ruffled the little one's mane. "You saved me from myself, from staying on that cloud and crying myself silly. You showed me that there's still someponys who need me." She smiled wider. "And who still care about me."
Scootaloo couldn't contain the happy smile or the high pitched squeak that came from her mouth as she bounced in place.
"Calm down." Rainbow laughed catching the filly. She looked from her to the tree a ways away and up where the cloud had been. "How did you get up there anyway?"
Scootaloo bounced happily as she explained the exact details of her incredible stunt from before all the way up to landing on the cloud, well almost, and how amazing it felt. During the whole description Rainbow sat with a smile her tail wagging but her eyes were slowly getting wider. When Scootaloo finished Dash had a massive grin and her eyes were threatening to pop out her head.
"Well, two things." She dropped her hoof on Scoot's head making the filly yelp and grab her own head. "That's for being so reckless." She scolded filly. Before Scootaloo could object Rainbow leaned down and kissed the spot she had just hit. "And that is for being so awesome." She giggled rubbing her head gently.
Scootaloo's breathing quickly turned to rapid huffs threatening hyperventilation before Rainbow Dash got her to calm down.
"I know your happy Scoot but we have to hurry." Rainbow said her tone changing to serious on a dime to which Scootaloo nodded firmly mimicking her hero's stern face. "That mean monster went after Fluttershy. I have to go help her, but I can't leave you out here so you have to come with me."
"Sure Dash."
"But you can't keep up with me, so you have to climb on." Rainbow Dash turned and lowered her back. "Think you can hold on tight enough squirt?" She smirked over her shoulder.
Scootaloo let out anther happy squeak before clamoring onto her hero's back. "I betcha I can." She squealed, tightening her hooves around Dash's neck. It wasn't the first time Scootaloo had ridden with Dash, but it would be the first time they would be going fast.
"Then hang on tight, cause we're going to be hauling some serious tail." She said with a smile digging her hooves into the ground. "Here we go." Without any other warning she shot from the ground like bullet, a rainbow blue blur her only trail as she rocketed into the sky and darted towards the Everfree Forest. Scootaloo clung on for dear life as the wind threated to rip her off but the adrenaline of going so fast on the back of her idol gave her strength enough.
Rainbow Dash wasn't paying any more attention than ensuring she was still on her back. Her thoughts were ahead, with Fluttershy. Darkside had left a long time ago, if he really went after Fluttershy. . .she stopped before her mind could form the images but pictures were already in her head, weak little Fluttershy broken and bloody, motionless, forever still. Her beautiful face empty of life, just like Big Mac.
Tears burned her eyes but she blinked them back letting the wind wipe them away. She wouldn't let that happen. Rainbow Dash was back, and if that monster laid one hoof on Fluttershy she would tear his beating heart out!
. . .
Blood dripped freely to the floor. Its red color stinging and seeping into the hungry wooden floor, blended in the blood was a mixture of salty water flowing and swirling with it. The mare, no longer a yellow but a deep crimson with yellow strips looked down on her scarred legs.
She had tried, so many times she had tried, but she was too scared. She was too scared of the pain; every time the knife touched her she would lose her resolve and let it fall. She sobbed harder and wailed into her hooves. Even when she was trying to kill herself she was weak! The blood was everywhere, her legs making a pool under from the many failed attempts. Despite all the blood and pain she had already created she was still here, and still away from Dashie.
Dashie.
Just thinking about her made her grab the knife again and make a quick slash. The edge found the flesh of her hind leg and cut deep making her scream again and jerk, the knife falling again into a pool of her own blood. She failed again. All this and she was still going to keep failing. The pink manned Pegasus sobbed, into her hair, blood staining her pink hair as well as she coat.
She looked up from and slowly hobbled across the floor leaving a trail of blood behind her smeared over the floor. Her legs were weak so she more dragged herself and then really walked, but the pain it brought felt like something else she deserved.
She finally reached her goal and reached up with her wing bringing the frame to her hooves. She ran a bloody hoof over the glass frame and smiled. A picture of Rainbow dash and herself, taken only a few weeks ago. Dash had both hooves around her neck and their heads were pressed together side by side. Rainbow Dash was never scared, never afraid of a little pain if it was the right thing to do. But she was so afraid of a little pain she couldn't even put herself out of everypony's misery.
The blood on the frame dripped away as another large tear slid over the glass. Just one more time. She hoped. I just wish I could see her one more time. She sucked back another sob as she set the picture down in her lap. Her wing reached out and pulled the bloody blade back to her. "For you Dashie. I'll see you soon." She whispered kissing the glass over Dash's face.
"I'm sorry." She said as she had a thousand times before while she drew the blade across her leg one last time.
I feel bad about this one, I've proofread this a dozen times and I still feel I could have done better, I just can't quite hammer it down. As always please review. Tell me if you can see how this chapter could have been better.