Joe and Nebula: A Tale of Two Evils

Joe and Nebula: A tale of two evils

Joe hit the ground, hard. His wings crumpled underneath him. He let out a cry of pain as he heard a snap. He looked to his left to see a white pony walking towards I'm.But it wasn't the normal white unicorn. Rather than a black mane, it was am electric blue one. He walked towards him with murder in his eyes and a dagger in his mouth. He stood over him, his blue eyes glinting in the moonlight. He grabbed the dagger with magic rather than his mouth so he could talk.

"You did nothing to save me. You did nothing to comfort my family. YOU DID NOTHING TO CATCH HIM. NOTHING." He said flipping the dagger over to point the metal end down at Joe. He lifted it up and plunged it into Joe's chest. Joe gasped at the pain. He felt the blood well up around the knife. He withdrew it and the blood began to flow freely from the wound. Joe clutched his chest to try and stem the flow. His hooves quickly became drenched in his own lifeblood. He felt it pooling around his wings. His vision started to blur and he couldn't feel his legs. Shining armor lifted a hoof and brought it down on Joe's face.

Joe woke with a start clutching his chest. Applejack looked at him concerned.

"Was it another nightmare." She asked concerned. She sat up and wrapped her hooves around his neck. His heart was racing and he was gasping for breath. His chest hurt for the first time since the surgery. He felt is heart beat slow and the pain in his chest subsided. But was replaced by something else, saddens. It had been three weeks since shining armor had died. He never really knew the captain but had come to learn a lot about him. He had come to respect him. But now he was gone.

"It's been three weeks applejack." Joe said. She just nodded.

"I know Joe, it hurts to see you like this. Are you sure y-"

"No, I'm not going to go to any doctor. I'm not going to an institution." Joe said. Applejack backed off of the subject. Seeing as it clearly hurt him to talk about it.

"So we have the day off. What do you wanna do." Applejack asked as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

"I'm not sure. Wanna go see a movie." Joe said relaxing.

"Sure." Applejack said hopping out of the bed with Joe. She walked into the bathroom and Joe heard her turn on the shower. He walked downstairs and into the kitchen. He opened up the cupboard and pulled out a few ingredients and turned on the stove top. He sprayed some oil on a pan and set it to warm on the stove. He then set to mixing up the batter and cutting up some apples.

Applejack descended the stairs into the kitchen. On the table sat a plate of steaming apple cakes and a note. She walked over to the table and picked it up. 'Go outside for a surprise.' It read. She though it was kind of weird that this all was happening but she followed directions, no doubt from Joe and went outside. She opened the door and saw something that made her smile for the first time in weeks. In the sky the clouds spelled something that even she had forgotten about.

"Happy birthday." A voice said from behind her. She turned to see Joe standing there with a box at his feet. It had been wrapped in a paper that matched her passion, apples. She rushed to him and hugged him fiercely. She then picked up the box and eyed it suspiciously.

"You didn't have to get me anything." She said to him.

"I know, but I did." He said motioning to the small box. She grabbed the now in her teeth and pulled. She undid the paper and opened the box. Inside there was a new pair of work gloves, kind of like Joe's. but without the worn leather and blood stains. She slid them onto her front hooves and held it out in front of herself.

"And the best part." Joe said putting his hoof out to the side and flicked his wrist. Out flew the blade that had always been there. Applejack did the same and out popped a blade like Joe's, again without the bloodstains. She hugged Joe again.

"I completely forgot it was my birthday." She said.

"Come with me." Joe said smiling and leading her off the porch. He led her in front of her house a few feet and nodded his head. He then hit the ground and rolled to the right. Right out of the snow popped five ponies, each armed with a snowball. They all through before applejack had time to react. Applejack stood there, stunned, as she was pelted with snowballs. Her orange coat turned white because of all the snow. All the ponies let out a roar of laughter, including Joe. Applejack finally came to her senses and chucked a snowball at rainbowdash, who was rolling on the ground laughing. It collided with her belly and she shot up. A smirk creased her face as she made another snowball and threw it at applejack. After that it went from a surprise attack to an all out snowball war. So big that even Big Mac and the cutie mark crusaders joined in. It was the most fun Joe had had in nearly three weeks, and the most he had smiled. Now, for the rest of the evening.

Joe had planned to take applejack to dinner at a fancy restraunt and then to a movie. Joe wore a white, button up shirt and a pair of black slacks, kind of like the clothes he would wear back home. Applejack wore her gala dress.

"Wow, you look. Wow." Joe said when she came down the stairs. She smiled at him as they walked out the door. He slid his black suit coat over his shirt and walked out the door. They walked down Main Street to ponyville square. All the while they talked until they heard the clopping of hooves in front of them. They froze on the side walk. Joe motioned for applejack to stay put. He pointed to his hoof where his hidden blade was and she nodded, showing him hers. They looked funny with their formal wear but they were necessary. He spread his wings and took off and landed on top of the building next to the alley way where they had heard the hooves. Joe looked back at applejack and motioned for her to come. She walked over to the building and he dropped down. They resumed their conversation and walked down the street a out five feet in peace.

"Hello, old friend." Joe heard a voice say. He instinctively turned around and got bucked in the face. He heard applejack unsheathed her blades and joe did the same. Joe used his wings to hover over the ground while applejack expertly balanced on her back hooves and used her tail for balance. Nebula seemed surprised by the fact applejack had blades now but also had a few tricks up his sleeve. At first it seemed like body armor but when he stepped into the moonlight out it was revealed to be a crossbow. He nodded and three ponies walked out from behind him. Each had a dark coat with a black mane and blue eyes. Joe am the first move he lunged at one of the dark ponies and shoved his blade right through its skull. Killing it instantly. But instead of dieting it just dissolved into a black sand. Joe looked behind himself to see applejack had taken out two of the dark ponies and was going for nebula. Joe dispatched the other dark pony and looked up to see nebula fire a crossbow bolt at applejack, hitting her in the leg and making her return to all fours. She began to sway and nebula ruche behind her, reared up and put a blade to her throat. Joe clenched his jaw on rage and started to approach nebula.

"No, not one step closer or she dies." Nebula said pressing the blade to applejack's throat making her gag. Applejack unsheathed her right hoof blade, but not without applejack noticing. He took the blade and swiped it across applejack face, leaving a gash under her left eye. She growled and plunged the blade into his right leg. Nebula howled in pain, bringing everypony for a mile out of their homes and to that alleyway. Nebula, who knew he had lost this battle plunged the blade into her back and shoved her towards Joe. Joe caught her as she stumbled and nebula teleported away. Joe removed the blade and his coat and wrapped it around the stab wound. Her eyes glazed over in pain as the crowd began to form around her and Joe. Knowing she would need medical help he picked her up and flew off towards the hospital. The entire way there applejack moaned in pain. And Joe couldn't help but think that this was all his fault.