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CHAPTER TWENTY: Irony of Fate

I collapsed on the ground.

“Damn it, NO!” I yelled.

I changed back to my regular form and began to cry. “It's all my fault! It's all my fault damn it, I could have stopped him!” I yelled over the cries of ponies running from the destruction.

“So much destruction... so wonderful, is it not?” Luce's voice rang out inside my head.

“Luce! You bastard!” I hissed out loud. At this point I didn't care if anyone else thought less of me by talking to myself.

“I personally enjoy having Jeff with me, he adds that sort of disturbing feeling I just love!” Luce chimed out.

“You know nothing of love!” I yelled.

I didn't hear Luce after that.

I was going to save Lance, no matter what.

I looked ahead, towards the Ever Free Forest, and bolted towards it.

Meanwhile...

“AAGH!” Lance roared out in agony.

Jeff was leaning up against a wall, admiring his knife. His unblinking eyes focused upon his reflection on his most prized possession.

He looked over to Lance, and smirked.

“Soon it will all be over, soon you will finally be able to go to sleep.” Jeff whispered outloud.

Nightmare and Val stopped to face Jeff with grins on their faces.

“We're done here. Come over and finish him off, Jeff.” Nightmare smirked.

Jeff pointed his finger to his face. “Lil' old me? Oh I would be honored!”

He walked over to Lance, and threw his knife into the ground. It become sword sized and stuck out.

Jeff walked over to Lance and smiled at him.

“Fuck... you...” Lance gasped.

Jeff smacked Lance's face, causing him to groan.

“Now listen to me, boy. Face it, you're nothing but a wanna be. You try to protect your friends, and your brother. I tried to do the same, I tried to defend myself. But eventually it gets to you, and you'll end up looking...”

He stopped talking as Lance turned his face away from Jeff's rancid breath. He smacked his face, and forced Lance to look at him.

“...and you'll end up looking... just... like... me.”

“Never!” Lance hissed.

Jeff chuckled. “That's what I thought. Now, I'm beautiful, and you will be to.”

Jeff plucked his knife out of the ground, which returned to it's regular form. He ran the blade of the knife around Lance's mouth, creating a long cut that looked like a smile.

“Now... I'm going to make you beautiful.” Jeff whispered.

He motioned for Nightmare to hold Lance's head, while Val forced Lance's mouth open.

“Now... you're going to be just like me... how ironic...”

Jeff slipped the knife at the edge of Lance's mouth, right at his cheek. But before he could start carving a smile, there was a crash as The Mane Six, Dorchester, Giro/the other Lance, and Frederic all walked in.

Jeff removed his knife from Lance.

“I guess we're the welcoming par-”

“SHUT UP!” Dorchester roared.

Dorchester's POV...

“SHUT UP!” I roared.

Jeff laughed. “Oh hey, Dorchy.”

I shot forward. “I SAID SHUT UP!”

I began to pound on Jeff's stomach, but I felt the knife slide into the exposed cuts on my face. I felt skin began to be removed.

I retreated back, and held the large piece of skin that was hanging onto my face. I glared angrily at Jeff who shrugged, licking the blood off of the knife.

“I guess you're looking for... these.” Nightmare pulled out a box.

The Elements of Harmony!

Twilight took notice of Lance, and began to run towards him. Jeff, Nightmare, and Val all turned away to let Twilight towards Lance.

“Lance! Lance! Look at me Lance!” Twilight gasped.

Jeff grabbed Twilight by the mane.

“You're so pretty... yet I know how to make you even more beautiful...”

I gritted my teeth. “Don't you dare!”

Jeff smirked at me. “I dare.”

We all shot forward, I pummeled Jeff's face until his entire pale white face was covered in blood. I stabbed his stomach with my horn, and threw him against the wall.

We eventually got The Elements of Harmony, and defeated Nightmare.

I looked over to see Jeff, looking down, but his shoulders went up and down as he began to laugh like a maniac.

“Ha ha ha... ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA!” Jeff howled with laughter.

I walked towards him, changing into my regular form.

“Now time to end you, just how you began.”

My horn glowed orange and red as I readied myself to set Jeff on fire.

Fire was the reason Jeff looked like that, by the way.

“By doing the thing that started me... you're only sinking down to not only mine, but Luce Danneggiato's level as well. Are you going to let corruption take hold again? Are you going to kill a human? One of you?” Jeff asked me.

I gritted my teeth. “You are not a human. You are a demon.”

I set Jeff on fire, he looked up at me with eyes full of laughter. I watched his body burn into nothing but ashes.

I turned around to face everyone. Lance was in terrible shape... his wing was torn clean off, the area around his mouth bloody, and a few other things that made him look even worse.

I opened my wings, and flew off without saying a word.

When I returned home, Silvermoon took care of me while I told her the story. When I was all fixed up, I watched Solar squeal with joy as he played with his toys. One time he crawled over to me, and as I picked him up he cried out in joy. I hugged him, putting his head close to my heart.

I closed my eyes, and as a tear dropped upon Solar's head...

I knew I wasn't going to let Luce Danneggiato stop me. Not while my life was just getting better...

Or was it?