Haters Gonna Hate

Chapter Four: Reynolds 3:16

They say no good deed goes unpunished. I'd like to think that's not true, but, unfortunately, I know better.

Good people suffer every day. You can extend a hand to someone, only to have it bitten or cut. Roadside help becomes a mugging, hitchhikers become serial killers, and an invitation to stay the night could end with you robbed blind.

Yes, there is such a thing as a bad person, and a good person.

I believe in the good ones because I hope they never have to know the world that way.

For once, I was being accepting and honest to some(pony) I hated. That was one hell of a good deed for me, and it was hard for me to do.

And that good deed didn't go unpunished for long.

~$~

"Yer kiddin'."

"Nope."

We'd carried on this conversation for at least half an hour. Applejack would still pause to sell apples to costumers who eyed me warily, but, for the most part, the pony and I were left in peace. I suppose if you've the reputation of the Hatesteed, you'll get you plenty of privacy.

But what was the Hatesteed's reputation, anyway? All I had gleaned from the ponies was that he had a similar rep to the Antichrist. I wasn't sure how I felt about being this world's Shadow Link, but I didn't have much choice.

"And then I saw you, and came to make amends," I concluded, swallowing down another juicy apple. When I reached for another, Applejack's hoof smacked it to the side.

"Well, that's mighty decent of you, but—Will you quit that?" She smacked my hoof (FUCK do I hate saying that) away again, as I, again, reached for another apple, "I'd rather you not eat me out of any more sales."

Har har. Do you know what I could do with that, 'sugar cube'? I scowled and rolled my eyes. "I'm still hungry."

"Partner, you've had nine already."

I blinked. That was a surprise. Had I just been grazing on them this whole time? "Seriously?"

"Sure as sunshine, sugar cube," She nodded, and nudged me away from her prized fruits, "Now, we got t' gets you t' Twilight's place. I reckon she's already written to the princess."

I grinned widely. Excellent! Finally, a way out of this wretched pastel pony world! Applejack, you will now and forever be my pony Jesus! "Sounds like a plan. Pretty sure Spike already warned her, though."

"Yeah. He did."

The voice that came from behind me made a chill run down my spine. I turned, and there she was. Hooves apart, purple fur catching the light, TS scowled at me as her horn crackled. Was that what I looked like when I did magic? More to the point, did she look that equicidal last night? I blinked, and turned to face her. "So, he filled you in."

She scowled, and I saw something cold flash in her eyes. Then, it hit me. A near-death experience can certainly change someone, but what could it have done to TS? She snorted, and started moving forward. "He told me the lies you fed him. Shame on you, Hatesteed!" She spat, fury burning in her violet eyes, "How could you lie to a baby?"

What the Hell.

What the ACTUAL Hell.

Applejack moved between her friend and me, giving her a once over. "Twilight, this ain't the-"

"I know what he's told you, Applejack," She said, her voice calm, her eyes with damning certainty, "But he's lying. He's the Hatesteed, no matter what he's said."

"How would you know!?" I snapped, pushing Applejack aside (I heard her wince as I nudged the rib I slammed her in the night before), "You haven't even seen me since I flipped last night! You didn't even mean to summon the Hatesteed or me, to my knowledge!"

And then it hit me. Realization swept over my face, and I started to laugh. Twilight scowled, and her horn glowed. "What's so funny, Hatesteed?"

"Oh, this is too good!" I roared, slamming my hoof down. Thunder rumbled in the clear sky, and I saw Twilight flinch ever so slightly, "You're scared of me."

"What?"

"You heard me, pony," I said, a dark grin warping my features. This was priceless. "You're scared to death of me. So scared, you can't even trust your friends." That seemed to strike something inside her. I saw her take a step back, and I took a step forward. I crackled, and lightning splashed across the ground next to her, to her left, then to her right, pushing her back towards an open square.

I heard Applejack call from behind me. "What in tar-nation—Both of you, cut it out! Hey!"

I didn't hear her. I was laughing again, and it was coming from another part of me, some part deep inside me I didn't even know was there. TS fired a bolt of magic at me, and lightning came down to block the shot. Another shot, another bolt.

There's a rule I keep: Reynolds 3:16; Someone tries to kill you, you try to kill them right back.

With a damning bellow, I directed a lance of lightning at her side and pushed her down to the ground. I don't know when I learned to control lightning, but I didn't care. "You think I'm so good at deceit, I can make even Honest Applejack tell a lie! That I can turn your friends!"

"No," I heard her whimper, raising herself up again, horn sparkling with fresh magic, "NO!"

That was the voice of the TS I'd seen the night before, the one so scared, so frightened, so vulnerable and weak. The wave of magic slammed into me, and I stumbled, but all it did was feed my hate, feed my fury and rage. I crackled, and lightning slammed down behind her. She lurched forward, and her hear pressed to my neck, and I saw her recoil. TS collapsed on the earth, and I stood over her, smiling darkly.

"I'm stronger than you," I whispered, my smile suddenly fading, damning gaze never leaving TS, "I'm faster than you. I'm also not the Hatesteed. What makes you think you're in the right? What makes you think you can take me?"

I could see the way her chest contracted and expanded. She was trying to catch her breath. There was something in her eyes; a ruthless determination you can't do in animation. Was she always like this? Was TS always so unrelenting, so unyielding, in the name of friendship? "Well," She said, coughing slightly, giving me a grin of absolute triumph, "I really wasn't trying to. I was just stalling."

And then a shadow passed over me, and it hit me. Both the realization, and the beam of holy sunlight.

I read somewhere that a professional heavyweight boxer can hit with the same force of a speeding car. At that point, I felt like the car would've hurt a lot less.

It slammed into my side like a freight train, and I was thrown off of my hooves. I rolled and stumbled, dragging across the ground as I got to my feet, and shook the earth off. I looked up, and felt fresh hatred flood my veins.

Whenever people talk about someone or something divine, they mention resplendence. It is defined as "attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous". There was nothing attractive to me about a pony playing Goddess, but I was sure as Hell impressed.

Her whole body seemed to shine, pure white fur glistening in the sunlight. Vast wings spread, dwarfing most small planes. Sunlight seemed to soak into her figure, and then erupt, as her horn glowed with her own potent magic. At her side, landing as she did, was her sister, the opposite. Everything about her was dark and mysterious, blues, purples, and blacks melting in and out with all the glory and beauty of the blackest midnight. Her eyes watched mine, and, instead of the righteous fury that was in her sister's gaze, she seemed sad.

I said earlier I couldn't stand the fact they were called Princesses, but, at that moment, I realized it wasn't about a hierarchy; It meant power.

"Celestia, Luna," I purred, and, I realized suddenly, my voice was changing. It wasn't my own. There was a sandy feel to it, as my tongue began to wag words I didn't mean to say. "So glad you made it. You almost missed Twilight being taught a serious lesson. You're failing as a teacher, your grace." I spat the words before my body crackled, and lightning arced through the air towards them. Twilight shouted, Applejack barked something at me—

And Celestia didn't even blink before the bolt crashed into a glowing golden shield, translucent, but strong. It shivered and rippled as electricity cascaded over it, and I watched with a mixed sense of idiocy and horror. I scowled, and snorted. "We sealed you once, Storm," She said, a look of pure hatred in her eyes, "And we will do it again."

Storm. Okay, that was new, and it made more sense. I narrowed my eyes, and, again, my tongue spoke without me, with words I didn't mean to say, in a voice that wasn't mine. "Oh? Being the protective sister you never were? My, how you've grown, Princess Celestia."

I saw Luna flinch, and Celestia's eyes flash. "BEGONE!" Her horn erupted a ray of golden light, and I readied myself to fire another bolt of lightning—

-And suddenly, the silhouette of Applejack was between me and Celestia. "Yer highness, hold on just a-…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence. There was a light like the sun had erupted in front of me, and, when I lowered my leg and looked, Applejack had been turned to stone.

There was silence, and shock on Celestia's face. TS was speechless, gaping with teary eyes at her friend's sacrifice.

And me…I was mad, far more furious than I'd ever been since I was dragged to this stupid fucking world. I roared righteous vengeance, and raised my head, directing a bolt of lightning out of the sky. It crashed down between the princesses. I didn't hear Twlight call of Applejack, or Luna call to her sister.

I was too mad to care, anyway.

A blast of golden light erupted the earth near by feet, and I blasted a bolt out like a Tesla Coil to the source. The world seemed to be muted, muffled like if someone had thrown a blanket over a speaker. I saw Celestia's lips make words, and felt my throat vibrate with a reply, but didn't hear it. Another bolt, and then another, and then another. Each one slammed into the Princess and made her stagger ever so slightly. Luna shot a bolt of darkness, I jumped to the side to avoid it, a golden beam touched to my right, and I jumped aside from that...

And then I wasn't moving. Purple energy seemed to be surrounding me, holding me in place. I looked around, and my eyes fell on Twilight, tears staining her coat as her magic kept me in place. Then, I saw her teacher land at her side, closer her eyes, and her horn glowed a brilliant light that could outshine the sun.

All I saw was another blast of golden light, and I didn't see anything else.

At that point, I was hoping I was dead.

Unfortuantely for me, I knew better.