Author's Note

Ok... I've been gone for a while... I don't need anyone pointing out how obvious that is... sorry... Anyway... Over the time that I've been gone... my writing style has changed a bit; mostly the use of / and . Those will be for indicating thoughts over actions. For example: (I sit down and contemplate my place in the universe. /I wonder why I'm here...\ I pass it off as one of those things with no answer. "That was easy." I stand up and go into the kitchen, wondering what I will make.)

I know it seems foolish to do... but it is as it is. After about 4 months of doing things differently... it's easier for me.

Chapter 9: Down To Chance

I warp back to my castle, into my bedroom. "It's nice to have a bed... I'll get some sleep in a few hours." I sit down on the floor and meditate a bit. /Time to figure out what is happening.\ I find myself entering my own mind, a large expanse of open space. /Rage! Get your ass over here! Now!\ After a moment, he does so. He forms across from me, an exact copy of my human form, but his body is blood red.

/What do you want Nova?\

I frown at him. /I know you started to leak out earlier. I want to know how and why.\

He nods slowly. /The pony was being bad... she should be punished for it.\

I nod a bit. /While that may be the case, it doesn't answer my questions.\

/Fine... We are taking over a planet... I wanted to get involved too.\

/It isn't your place to be involved. You'd just try to blow up the planet.\

/I... I would do no such thing.\

/Rage... You said that if we ever got free you'd blow up the planet.\

/I was exaggerating. I won't blow it up.\

/Then why are you leaking out?\

/It's... it isn't important.\

/Rage... I'm not stupid.\

/I know...\ He looks down a bit. /It's lonely in here...\

His words catch me by surprise. /You're lonely?\ He nods. /I see... you just want a turn at the wheel...\

/Just for a little while...\

I sigh to myself. /Fine.\

He looks up, surprised. /What?\

/I'll give you a turn every so often.\

/Really?\

I nod. /But there will be rules you will have to follow. If you break one, you'll get a warning. Break another... you will lose this privilege. Understand?\

He nods enthusiastically. /I understand Nova.\

/Good. First off, no excessive collateral damage. No murdering ponies unless they deserve it. Don't permanently hurt our prisoners. Don't over abuse our power. You'll get a few hours to start, then you have to give me control again. If you're good, I'll allot more time for you. If you're bad... I can over power you easily, remember that. You will only have access to base and hyper forms. I may unlock legendary for you another time. Understand?\ He nods. /Good. Now, where are the others?\

/I haven't seen them... but they are probably here somewhere.\

/Alright. I suppose they'd want a turn too...\

/Not really... they're satisfied with each other... But they don't want anything to do with me.\

/I know... But that's what happens when you're evil.\

/It's depressing sometimes... Being evil...\

/I understand, but at least you don't have much for rules to follow. No obligation to save people.\

He chuckles a bit. /Yea... we aren't superman.\

/Nope. But we'd kick his butt.\

/Yes. Yes we would.\

/Too bad we can't test that idea...\

/I wonder... could we use our power to make him exist?\

/No. One of the things we can't do is make life where there was none.\

/Right... that's why we lost earth...\ He frowns.

/Yea...\ I nod slowly. /Anyway... once everything is in order... I'll give you a turn.\

He smiles. /Thanks.\

I nod. /See you around.\ He nods and disappears. I step out of my mind, back into reality. /That went better than I expected... Now to handle the ponies.\ I head down to the throne room, and notice that half of them are missing. /Let's see who's still here. Tia, Rainbow Dash, fluttershy, and Pinkie pie... Which means Applejack, Twilight and Rarity escaped.\ I frown. "Where are they?" RD, Flutters, and Pie look down, likely scared out of their minds at being caught.

Tia shows a bit of backbone though. "You'll never find them."

I shake my head condescendingly. "Oh Tia, Tia, Tia... How big a fool do you take me for? I will find them as soon as I decide to find them. But if you tell me where they went, I will not punish you as harshly as I plan to. For I will not tolerate disobedience."

She glares at me. "You do not scare me."

"Oh really?" I walk up to her. "Look what happened to your horn? Do you really doubt my power over you?" She only glares more. I shaky my head. "You will be good." I place my hand on her stump of a horn, finding that it is slightly hollow, probably for the mana pool. /Perfect.\ I place my finger over the hole and she winces slightly. "Tell me where they are." I press down on the hole.

"Nnn... NO. I will not lead you to them."

I press a big more, and watch the wince of pain I get from her from it. "Tell me where they are now."

She struggles a bit, but stays adamant about not telling me. I can't torture her directly it seems.

I sigh and let go. "You seem to value the lives of your ponies over your own. Admirable indeed. But what if I made you chose?" I step over to fluttershy and create a spear of light, pointed at her. I look back to tia. "Tell me where they are, and I will not kill her." The eyes of all the ponies widen in fear. RD and Pie start groveling, begging me not to. Flutters breaks down into tears. Tia looks terrified. "Tell me where the others are, or I will end her here are now. I will leave her dead body for you to reflect on your actions, and to prevent further disobedience. I will count to three." Tia looks back and forth between the two of us, thinking as she starts to panic. "One." I move the spear closer, touching her chest with it. I see tia realizing that I am not bluffing. "Two." I pull it back, ready the thrust.

"Alright!"

I look to tia, having gotten something out of her. "You give in?" She nods slowly. "Tell me where they are."

She looks downwards, regretting her actions. "They're... at the library..."

I smile at her. "Good Tia." I let the spear vanish and I pet tia on the head; ignoring her glare. "You did as you were told. You all get a treat." I materialize a small pile of carrots. "These are for the four of you. Enjoy." I move to the middle of the room, and teleport outside the library.

I watch as the monster named Nova leaves the room he left us in. "This monster needs to be stopped." Princess Celestia places a hoof on my shoulder.

"No Twilight... there is no more that you can do. We will simply have to wait till my sister finds a way."

Rainbow Dash stops crying, still sniffling a bit. "What can she do? This monster can't be stopped."

I huff a bit. "We need to get out of here." I fire a beam of magic at the chain holding me, having found no lock to pick, and it being teleport proof somehow. "I'm getting out of here, and you're all coming with me."

"Twilight, dear... do you think we can get out?"

I nod, determined. "Yes."

"Well, I'm staying here..." RD shudders a bit. "He is too strong... You should stay too... he'll kill you if you run away."

I shake my head a bit. "Fine... stay here... I'll come back and free you after." The chain snaps, setting me free. "Who else is coming with me?"

Applejack stands a bit taller. "I'ma coming too. I ain't stayin here for some monkey to boss around."

I nod and start on her chain too. Rarity stands up next. "I will not be the pet of some uncouth brute."

I smile at her. "I'll get you out next. Anyone else coming too?" I look at the others, but get no response. "Really? You're all staying here?" They nod. I move on to rarity, having gotten AJ out. "Fine... I'll come back for you."

Celestia nods slowly. "Be safe twilight."

"We will." I break Rarity free. "We will probably find what we need in the library. Come on." we gallop off, out of the castle, back to ponyville. Once we reach the library, we run inside and look for something to use. I call to Spike. "Spike! Come here!"

He comes down quickly. "TWILIGHT!!!" He runs up to me and wraps his arms around me in a hug. "I was so worried... when that monster showed up and took you away... I thought I'd never see you again."

I hug him back. "It's ok Spike... I'm here now."

He pulls back a bit and looks to the others. "Where's the rest of them?"

I sigh a bit. "Still captured... we will go get them after. We need a book on how to imprison a nearly all powerful monster without the elements of harmony."

He nods. "On it Twilight." He smiles at rarity briefly before running to find a book. I start looking too. I pull several books out at a time, looking through them all at once. "There must be something..."

I can hear the lot of them in there, and decide to see what mayhem I can cause. I make myself invisible, and make a solid light illusion of a white pony unicorn. /This will work.\ I have it knock on the door. After a few moments, the door is opened by a small drake. He sighs in relief when he sees the fake pony.

"Hey, what do you need."

I throw my voice slightly, adding a fake hint of fear and worry. "I need to see twilight. Can I please come in? It's urgent."

He nods. "Ok buddy. Come inside." He moves out of the way.

I have the fake pony shake his hand happily. "Thank you." I walk in with the pony. I see twilight surrounded by floating books. "Hello there twilight."

She nods to the pony. "Hi. I'm a bit busy, what do you need?"

"What's going on around here? What happened?"

"A monster came out of a box and is trying to take over Equestria. I'm trying to stop it."

I nod slowly, along with the fake pony. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"A spell that can imprison him, or kill him, or get rid of him in any way."

"Do you really think that would work?"

She nods. "If I can find one."

I smirk to myself, still hidden. I decide to see how smart she actually is. "There isn't a spell strong enough. Trust me."

She looks at the pony. "How would you know?"

"I checked. You don't have a spell that could stop me."

"What do you mean? Stop you?"

Both me and the fake pony smirk. "You've been a bad pony twilight."

She gets nervous. "What do you mean?"

I drop the disguise, myself taking the pony's place. "You have run off, and taken two others with you. You all will be punished for your disobedience." The ponies and drake gasp at the reveal.

Twilight speaks with an incredulous tone"How did you find us?"

I smirk at her. "It was easy. I asked Celestia, and she told me." /Perfect. Make her lose her trust in the white bitch.\

She stammers a bit. "No... She wouldn't tell you that."

"Oh but she did. She sold you lot out. Now, as I said, you are all coming back to the castle." I pick the three of them up in a ball of light. They all fight against it of course, but to no avail. To my surprise, I get jumped by the drake. He lands on my back and starts hitting me. I sigh a bit and pull him off. I hold him out by his neck. "What do you think you're going to accomplish?"

He glares at me. "I am saving twilight and rarity!" He shoots fire at my face, but runs out of breath after a few seconds. His jaw drops when he sees my bemused look. "What? But how?"

"Well, first off... let me point out that you completely forgot to add applejack to your list of ponies you're trying, and failing, to save. So clearly you don't care much about her. But now for your confusion. I am basically a god. Your fire will never be strong enough to stop me. But you... I could kill you in an instant." The eyes of the four all widen in shock. "Maybe I will kill you. Maybe I won't. Who knows." I pull an old coin out of my pocked dimension. "Tails I kill you, Heads I don't." I smirk at him as I notice twilight and rarity start to cry out, begging me not to. Applejack looks pissed. I don't know if it's at me or the drake. "So, feeling lucky punk?" I flip it in the air.

~~Ok people who read this... I didn't kill spike yet for one reason only. I don't know what you will do about it. I figured it's a safe bet that first blood should be drawn, and spike is not much of a character anyway. Basically humdrum. But I decided to make a vote of it. Leave a comment, heads or tails. I'll tally it up over the next two weeks, and he will either live or die. Now, he isn't getting off as easy as that if he lives. But I just won't kill him. I may do something worse to him. If you put heads, and have a better idea for him, put it in your comment.~~

Looks like it's 8 heads, 11 tails, and 3 side... Thanks for playing.