Guided by Hate, Fueled by Blood

Apple Bloom was crying.

She didn't normally cry, but Diamond Tiara had been especially tough on her. They had gone far enough to suggest that she was  so desperate, she spent every night at a whorehouse. Apple Bloom had been tough at first, but when she got to the clubhouse, she had broken down. A soft knock sounded from the door.

"Apple Bloom? You okay in there?" Came a concerned, masculine voice, though not as deep as her brother's.

"Go away." She sobbed. The door creaked as Gyro pushed it open. He put a feathery wing around her, letting her cry on his shoulder.

"What happened?" He asked gently, his stormy eyes unreadable.

        "Whaddya think?" She snapped. Her step-brother winced, then let out a low growl. "I swear I'm going to destroy that horse one day......" Gyro looked down at her, eyes yet again unreadable. Then, without warning, he lifted her muzzle up and kissed her. Apple Bloom didn't know what to do. She was utterly confused. He was a brother to her. But here he was, kissing her. Apple Bloom was ddebating on whether or not to run away screaming, when he broke away from her, face turning into Diamond Tiara, who laughed evily.

Apple Bloom woke with a start.

It had all been a dream, sunlight was streaming through the windows, and a gray Pegasus was watching her, eyes disturbingly like the ones in her dream. The farm filly yelped, pulling her covers up. Gyro Scope was watching her with a stony expression. Apple Bloom was suddenly reminded of a myth that he had told her, about statues that weren't statues, that stood still when you looked at them, but began to move when you didn't. Her brother was chillingly like one of the....were they called Weeping Angels? Except he was more of a fallen angel, who had turned to darkness. Sweetie Belle's coltfriend, Button Mash had talked about many games with "fallen angels", but they were helpers, not what Gyro had explained. He said that fallen angels that had fallen from their highest state, "Arkangel", and had gone over to the devil. Gyro was the opposite of that, he turned from a demon, to a dull angel. He still made mistakes, everypony did, but he tried his hardest to make up for them. The stallion gazed at her reproachfully, as if he could see right through her, and her dreams.

And maybe he could.

And maybe he had.

The stallion opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. His stormy eyes raked over her, then softened.

        "Apple Bloom......." He said softly, walking over to her bedside, "What happened to you? What happened to Equestria?"

It was a quiet dinner that night. Gyro barely touched his food, and neither had Apple Bloom. The former human excused himself early, to go on a night flight. AppleJack and Apple Bloom both offered to go with him, but he refused to go with anypony

The night air was cool and comforting. Gyro disregarded this immediately, He had other problems.

He was surrounded by Night Guards

The guards were armed with lances, or others had spikes or their boots. Gyro reached for his sword, found it wasn't there, and planned to fight hoof to lance or hoof to boot. But the guards lacked a readiness to attack, but they looked as if they were to subdue him, not kill.  Then, their leader appeared.

Luna was unlike anything Gyro had expected, her indigo coat made her regal features look striking. Her blue eyes were filled with sympathy and empathy. An ethereal mane shimmered like the night sky. Gyro let out a feral growl.

        "If you're gonna kill me, get it over with," He snarled, "I don't need a whole retelling of the constitution and the Bible with 'thee' and 'thou' and all of that medieval shit. If you're gonna kill me, make it quick." He lifted up hhis chin and closed his eyes, preparing to feel the cold blades of lances sinking into his body. Instead, he heard the flapping of wings and the clanking of armor as the Guards flew away, ordered by Luna.

        "We know of thy condition. You have our sympathy."

        "Sympathy is the last thing I need. And you don't know anything." Gyro spat venomously.

        "We-I, wish to speak with you..." The night princess replied, looking hurt.

        "Access denied." He snarled, baring his teeth in a feral growl.

        "Please," She begged, "We did everything in our power to stop the guards that killed your family form ever reaching their destination."

Gyro froze.

        "Wha-?" Was all he said, mouth open.

Before Luna could react, the stallion had her in a tight hug.

        "Thank you," Gyro whispered, "Thank you." he pulled away, regarding her with his stormy turquoise eyes. He was grateful, that even if she had failed, that she had tried to save  his family. Very few ponies had hugged her, and even fewer had thanked her when she had failed.

What it means to fail.

The next day, AppleJack went to wake up her adopted brother. To her immense surprise, he wasn't there. She normally had to drag him out of bed. When she looked out of the window, she saw him bucking apples. He looked............different, but the farm pony couldn't put a hoof on what exactly it was. Her brother didn't normally wake up this early, and he certainly didn't work at the farm. She trotted downstairs, where her older brother and younger sister were both watching the stallion, concerned looks on their faces.

        "What in tarination?" AppleJack said aloud.

        "He never was quite right after what happened between him an' Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom suggested. Her older sister shot her a look and looked at his face. A determination she had only seen when he had gone head to head against Button Mash with theories,  mechanics, and rumors of video games, and had been ready to win. The Apples watched in awe as one kick took down half the apples on one tree.  A mail mare with a gray coat and blond mane approached cautiously, for the last time she'd been here, she'd knocked over the barn.

        "Hey AppleJack!" Ditzy Doo called out cheerfully. "What's goin' on?" Apple Bloom turned to the gray Pegasus.

       "Oh, mah brother is doin' somethin' completely out of character." She replied.  Ditzy gazed to the stallion.

       "That's your brother?" Ditzy asked, searching similarities between the two. She found none.

       "Adoptive brother," She explained.  Apple Bloom glanced over and an orange Unicorn with a fiery red and yellow mane was talking to him. Apple Bloom felt a pang of jealousy as she saw that the Unicorn was attempting possibly flirt with him. If he noticed, he did not show it. AppleJack gave the Unicorn a familiar look.

        "Now wait jus' a second, she should be in tha' other world..." AppleJack murmured.

Gyro glanced at Sunset Shimmer, or Sunshet Simmer, or whatever. It'd been a while since he'd watched EG, but names did not desert him. She was obviously getting at something, and he couldn't put a finger on it. He hoped she would cut to the chase. She was distracting him from his work, and he was trying to focus.

        "Look, Miss Shimmer, could ya cut to the chase?" He grumbled.

        "Of course," she replied, nodding, "I was sent by Princess Celestia, since I know more about humans than any other ponies. She requests that you hear a request from her out."

Gyro growled, pausing in his bucking.

        "No deal." He snapped. The Unicorn had a look of grim determination. Damn politicians. Never left you alone.

        "She thought you would say that. She says that she has an offer of redemption."

        "I don't need no redemption."

        "Believe it or not, Equestria is on the verge of war. We need good, seasoned fighters. You are the one who has the most battle experience, even though it is not much."

        "You want a hero? I'm no hero. I'm just that guy who don't give a shit when this comes up. You want a hero? Look somewhere else." He shot back, beginning to back away. Sunset shot out her hoof to stop him.

        "It is not only Equestria at stake. It may seem hard to believe, but all of creation is in danger."

        "Then find the Doctor. He can help. Better than anybody else. If he even exists."

        "I hope when you see this, you will know why we need you." From her saddlebags, she pulled out a strange-looking device. Gyro recognized it immediately.

        "It was taken from him after the battle of Trenzalore. I hope this proves to you that the Doctor is Dead."