Guided by Hate, Fueled by Blood

After what had happened, in turn for hurting them, the Elements decided to teach him each one of their elements, and things that they did, so ponies would like him more. The day everything changed, Rarity was teaching him about fashion, so she took him to Canterlot to meet her boyfriend, Fancy Pants and his group of elite socialites. The sun shone down on them, and the streets were packed with ponies (mostly Unicorns which Gyro didn't find odd in the slightest) dressed in nice clothes, mostly with their heads up, and eyes closed. Gyro didn't understand how they could do that and not run into things or trip. Rarity said that they were meeting her friends at a very fancy restaurant. Gyro hoped they had something besides fancy salad and mushrooms. Gyro hated mushrooms. What could he say? He wasn't a fun guy. He loved pasta though, mostly with butter and parmesan cheese. Or alfredo. It didn't matter what cheese, exactly. Gyro knew the names of only four of the elites. Fancy Pants, Jet Set, Upper Crust, and Fleur de Lis. If Jet Set and Upper Crust began to insult and criticize him, they were in for a whooping surprise. Man, he disliked snooty, pompous, and arrogant fools. Now, from what he remembered about the show, Fancy Pants and Fleur were rather nice. But from what Gyro could gather, this might not be the same universe, so he couldn't know exactly what to expect.

And he did so. But he hadn't expected something like what would soon happen.

The charcoal and alabaster Unicorns arrived at a restaurant called Le Tapis Rouge, which Gyro translated as The Red Carpet. He spoke a little French, mostly the word 'allons-y', a little German, Russian, Swedish (swear words, mostly), and Latin, even though it was a dead language. That had never gotten the girls, not that he wanted one anyway. The restaurant was made of a rosy marble, with gold lettering spelling out the name of it, and a Hollywood star-type red and gold carpet was the logo. Gyro sucked in a lungful of cool air. Maybe he could sneakily play on his phone without Rarity seeing and pretend to listen to gossip and fashion tips. Gyro let out a low whistle when he walked in. Velvet pillows lined each booth, fancy, three-pronged forks lined the tables. At least everyone there wore a suit or dress or something fancy. Gyro glanced down at his worn out denim. So what? He never worried about wearing nice clothes, he didn't even like to! Then again, there were those times when he dressed up as the Doctor, but that didn't really count, did it? Rarity walked in front of him, approaching the waiter at the area where one would sign in for a table. Rarity flashed him a card and a smile, and the stallion at the stand smiled back, then frowned at Gyro's clothes. Gyro shot back a look that said Buddy, I'm much more than I dress like. A large table of snobbish looking ponies was laughing in their annoying way. One of them, a large Unicorn stallion with a white coat much like Rarity's with a dark blue mane and mustache waved them over.

"Rarity dear! So good to see you!" He called, waving over the two. He grinned at Gyro, and the smile seemed sincere.

"And you, lad! I've heard many good things about you!" Fancy Pants said, gesturing at Gyro. All of the other ponies at the table gave him an appraising look, aside from Jet Set and Upper Crust, who sneered. Gyro hated them instantly. Then, he saw Fleur de Lis.

Before now, Gyro had never realized how much more real Equestria was from the show. He'd heard about how some ponies looked, and both Sweetie Belle and Clockwork were pretty, but Fleur was knockout beautiful. A lush, light pink mane cascaded down her shoulder. A white, neatly brushed coat, and magenta eyes. Gyro immediately felt self-concious about what he was wearing. The only thing that probably looked 'regal' was the triangular short sword around his midsection. It had rivets in the blade to make it lighter. If one of these snobs got on his nerves, well, Rarity had warned all of them about his past, so all of them knew the lethal risks of agitating him. Rarity sat next to Fancy Pants, and Gyro (much to his displeasure) sat next to Fleur de Lis, which made him very nervous. And of course, Jet Set and Upper Crust picked up on his nervousness, and used it to taunt him. Gyro glanced down at the leather sheath strapped to the bottom of his wrist. Gyro saw many griffins, so he could only assume meat was on the menu. If meat was what he was served, at least he had something to cut it with.

"So, Mr. Scope, what sets you apart from the rest of ponykind?" Jet Set asked, a small snide undertone to his voice.

"Well, for starters, I have these." Gyro replied, keeping his cool, pointing to his elongated canines. "Humans eat meat, and no, we don't eat monkeys or apes, so we have sharper teeth." He fidgeted with the pommel of his sword, glancing at the other socialites. "I'm much more talented with technology than anybody else, and I change my race every once and a while. Each race has it uniqueness. The feathers as a Pegasus are tipped with green, I have green fetlocks as an Earth Pony, and my horn has a green spiraling design, as you can all see." I shot a cold glare at Jet Set. "And 'Gyro Scope' is a fake name. I would not advise to call me 'Mr.' no matter how polite you might think it is. Just because I look like I'm in my mid-twenties, I'm a teenager still. Not a vandal, not a criminal. I have been through more than all of you combined. Humans are designed for science, while you are designed for magic. Humans , at least sensible ones, don't think magic is real, nor friendship. At the age of twelve, I had lost my faith in humanity. At fifteen, a year after I got here, I disliked your kind. I don't care how wrong it was, I had good intentions. The Royal Guard killed my parents the minute the came here."

"I don't recommend you taunt me. Rarity can vouch for that. When I'm pushed beyond my breaking point..................I'd rather not say." Jet Set smirked at his uncomfortableness. Gyro glanced around. To his surprise, many seemed interested. Fleur looked at him, and he nearly froze.

"Were humans the monsters that we have all heard of?" She asked, her melodious voice unreadable.

"Not all humans. The first.. the first......." Gyro gulped, nervousness reaching a nervous level of 9,001. "The first life I took was a man, a human. He was the reason I brought my mother here, because he nearly killed her. I know humans who would never harm a fly. I knew of some who would turn the world into a holocaust." I reply.                     1, why wasn't talking to rich people as easy as he thought? The food came out, ten of everything. Bread, butter, steamed vegetables, tea, coffee, mushrooms, pasta (yes!),  and, score! They had steak. Gyro had a plate set in front of him, with a loaf of bread, unsliced. Gyro unbuttoned the clasp on his sheath, and pulled out the Buck knife. He began to neatly slice the bread. Gyro (as a human) had been a carbaholic, as his mother had said, so bread suited him just fine. Gyro grabbed a piece of Gouda cheese and put it on the slice of bread, then hesitated. Meat? Nah. Gyro used his napkin to wipe the breadcrumbs off of his knife, and then slid it into the black leather container.

Then, he saw a flicker of gold and brown.

It couldn't be her could it?

No, impossible. He'd held her hoof as her life ebbed away.

But her body had disappeared.

Gyro tried not to cry, it wouldn't be very manly of him. Not in front of anybody.

Not ever.

"Fan, I'm an idiot!" Gyro growled as he smacked the wall of his bedroom in the hotel him and Rarity were staying in. "I can't develop a crush! Not after all that's happened!"

"Dear, are you alright?" The Element of Generosity called.

"Fine." Gyro muttered, nursing his sore cleft. How could he have a crush on one of the most high-class ponies in Canterlot? Growling, the distraught human paced his room. His laptop was running on his bed, his sword lay glinting in the glow of the sunset coming from the window. He couldn't get Fleur de Lis out of his mind. She seemed kind enough, but with him, he didn't know who to trust. Gyro couldn't focus on what he was doing.

"Arrgh!" He growled, smacking his head on the wall. The pain helped clear his mind. "Focus, Autrey, focus." His form and been flickering for the past forty-five minutes, and now, it settled on Pegasus. He touched his wingtips to his temple. He turned his head to the doorway to his room, where Rarity stood in a nightgown, looking concerned.

"Is everything okay?" He bit his lip. Applejack had been teaching him honesty, and Gyro was expected to be so. He gritted his teeth.

"Nej."

"Hmm?"

"No. And I'd rather not say why."

"Aidan......" He winced. When one of the Elements called him by his real name, it usually meant it was time to run. They had sort of adopted him as a brother (more like an irresponsible son, Gyro always said) and they treated him kindly, but......

"Just a small, personal issue." Gyro mumbled, his stony turquoise eyes not meeting her sapphire ones. His fetlock scuffed the ground. Rarity smirked.

"It wouldn't have to do with a certain Ms. Fleur de Lis, would it?"

"S-shut up."

"Does it?"

"Yes. No!......Maybe so." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I'm gonna go for a walk." He said, strapping his sword around his waist and storming past his friend. Rarity tried to stop him, but the distressed stallion was already out of the door. He felt his wings go away, and two cords, grappling hooks, shot out from the strap around his midsection, pulling him into the night sky.

Gyro wiped tears from his eyes. He hated when people (specifically ponies) thought they knew everything he went through, and tried to comfort him. It never worked. Maybe for a little bit, but then he got angry all over again. The two cords retracted, and his green fetlocks touched down, clacking against the cobblestone. His eyes scanned his surroundings. Default Canterlot. No ponies in sight or earshot. The dying rays of the sun cast an eerie light of the white buildings. Clockwork would've thought this was romantic. Gyro shook his head vigorously. Don't think about her. It just makes the pain worse. He got ready to take off when a familiar voice called his name. Gyro froze. It couldn't be. Gyro turned around. A brown and gold Pegasus stood behind him.

"You can't be here." Was all Gyro could say.

"I know I can't. But here I am." Clockwork replied. A green glow shone over her and she became a changeling. "The reason I disappeared was because I was done with you. I faked my death. I killed the real Clockwork and became her. I should thank you. You helped me." She said, voice now much different, yet still it held certain aspects of Clockwork's voice, such as the British accent. Gyro Put his right hoof to the handle of his sword. Straps could be heard wrapping around it. He unsheathed the iron weapon, pointing it at the creature.

"Leave. I'll kill you if you don't."

"Ooh! I'm SO scared. You don't have the nerve." Gyro shot forward, sword to her neck.

"Try me."

"I think I will." The changeling said, smirking. She became white with a pink mane. Gyro roared, temporarily becoming Bloodlust. There was the sound of iron stabbing through a body, and then a thump. All that was left was a brown feather. Gyro floated it up to his face and studied it, and then, without thinking, shot it high, so high into the inky blackness, so that it could help him better forget.

Rarity paced the hotel room. Gyro didn't normally do this, not anymore. He became tamer, less likely to lose his temper. A timid knock sounded from the hotel door Rarity rushed to it. Gyro stood in the doorway, sopping wet and crying.

"So she was actually a changeling?"

"Ja." Gyro mumbled, nudging an apple away from him. His head was flat on his mattress. Gyro had already run out of tears to shed, so he just tried to forget everything, which never worked. His sword was lying on the ground, his knife stabbed into the wall. Gyro had never been felt emotion like this as a human, and wasn't used to, and didn't know exactly how to react. He mumbled something under his breath. Al he knew was anger, and hate, and sadness. All he felt, was pain. His ears were ringing painfully, endlessly. It was driving him mad. Gyro whimpered pathetically, pawing at his ears. He hated hurting and not being able to do anything about it. His entire body was uncomfortable or in pain. He was too tired to complain anymore. Gyro fell asleep, Rarity soothing him

When he woke, it was quiet. Gyro's stomach rumbled. He ambled his way to the hotel's kitchen, when a posh voice made him jump.

"Good morning, Gyro." Rarity murmured.

"Javla helveta!" Gyro yelped, "Don't sneak up on me like that! Vad fan is wrong with you?" the stallion recovered his wits, cursing in every language he knew under his breath.

"I thought you might like some breakfast." Rarity said, "Or do you just want some privacy, because of what happened yesterday?"

"I'll take a little bit of food. I might go for a walk. Maybe not. Walks aren't always what a person needs." Rarity nodded.

Nothing was alright with the poor stallion.

Rarity didn't think his heart would ever heal.