Chapters (The following takes place shortly after the events of the season 4 finale of the animated series My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This story is not canon and all characters excluding the OC Silver Rush belong to Hasbro. Please enjoy)
A light drizzle was falling over Equestria that day, and hardly anyone else was around. Except for one pegasus, that is, who was half-walking, half-walking down the road. This is Silver Rush, and it is him where this story begins.
Silver Rush was a bit of an odd pony. His body was a grayish in color, but he possessed a mane that was blue and teal in color, slicked back but still spiky in places. He would've been flying if it hadn't been for the fact that it was raining and he'd been flying most of the day. While the rain didn't bother him, he was taking great effort to keep his backpack and scroll case full of notes dry. He is a writer, you see, told plainly by his cutie mark with a lightning bolt and a quill crossed over each other. But why would he leave the comfort of his home to wander the roads?
The answer is inspiration. The writing spark had dimmed in him, causing him to gain acute writer's block. That is his bread and butter, writing, so he decided to leave behind Cloudsdale and go out into the world, hoping that something would relight the spark in him.
After a while the rain stopped, which Silver was thankful for. His notes were dry, which were all that mattered to him. He spread his wings and took off into the air, climbing higher and higher, looking out over Equestria and marveling at its beauty. However he knew the spark still wasn't there.
"Darn," Silver said to himself, "I guess I'll see where the road takes me." He landed on the top of a hill, looking out to the horizon for some sign of civilization. He thought he could just make out a town far in the distance, but also something else.
"What is that?" he said, trying to make out the huge structure looming over the town. After a moment he realized that he'd taken his glasses off. Quickly fishing them out and putting them on, Silver could finally make out the structure in the distance; it was a castle.
Silver knew immediately that it was Ponyville in the distance. He was actually excited; he had heard many stories about the princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends. After all, they'd saved Equestria on more than a few occasions. He started galloping down the road again, towards the town, eager to rest after traveling all day.
A few minutes later he arrived on Ponyville's main street. The town was fairly quiet, but ponies were starting to come out of their homes from the rain. Every pony was simply going about their business, running errands and occasionally stopping to have conversations with those around them. It was a nice town; very different from that of Cloudsdale in Silver Rush's opinion, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
After wandering for a little bit, Silver found himself out in a plaza where there weren't very many other ponies around. He still had no idea on what to actually do here in Ponyville.
'If only there were a sign,' he thought. And then it hit him, literally. Well, SHE hit him anyways. All of a sudden a pegasus with blue fur and a rainbow-colored mane came crashing down from the clouds. Both of them went tumbling, and Silver's scroll case full of short stories and notes popped open and papers went flying everywhere. When they stopped tumbling and the papers had settled, the blue pegasus smiled.
"Hehe, sorry," the mare said, standing up.
"Hey, no harm no foul, right?" Silver said, racing to pick up all the pages that were being blown around on the ground. He was generally pretty forgiving when it came to small things.
"Here, let me help you pick these up," she said. "Name's Rainbow Dash, by the way." Silver and Rainbow Dash proceeded to gather all the pages that he'd dropped. They talked as they did so.
"I think I've heard of you before," said Silver.
"Really?" said Rainbow Dash. "I mean, not surprising considering I'm probably one of the best fliers in Equestria."
"Well, I heard how you and your friends saved Equestria from Tirek."
"Oh yeah, that too," said Rainbow, picking up the last page and giving it to Silver. "I assume you saw the castle."
"Of course," said Silver, putting the last page back into his scroll case. "That's where Twilight Sparkle lives, right?"
"Yeah. The place is pretty sweet."
"Do you live there with your friends?"
"Nah, we all prefer our own homes. We go over there pretty often, though."
"Hey, while I'm in Ponyville, do you have any ideas as to what I could do?"
"Why did you come to Ponyville in the first place?"
"Looking for inspiration, I guess. I'm a writer by trade."
"Well, the Summer Sun celebration is coming up soon. Pinkie Pie is planning a heck of a party. By the way, if she sees you, she'll probably throw you a party too."
"Why's that?"
"She throws a party for any pony she sees in town and doesn't recognize. I really shouldn't even be saying that. Try to act surprised if she does throw you a party?"
"Sure," Silver said with a smile.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" said an enthusiastic voice. Both Silver Rush and Rainbow Dash turned to see a pink earth pony with curly pink hair and blue eyes bouncing up the street.
"Hey Pinkie," said Rainbow. "Speaking of Pinkie Pie…" she whispered to Silver Rush.
"Hi there," said Silver. "My name's Silver Rush. You're Pinkie Pie I presume?" He held up a hoof to shake hers. Noticing him, she immediately gasped and bolted in a seemingly random direction.
"I guess I will have to act surprised after all," said Silver. Rainbow Dash chuckled.
"Looks like it," she responded. "I'll see you later then?"
"Definitely," said Silver Rush. And with that they parted.
End of Part 1
So Silver Rush had an idea of what he'd actually be doing on his quote-unquote "visionquest" in Ponyville. After talking to Rainbow Dash and briefly meeting Pinkie Pie, he realized he hadn't eaten a thing all day, and his stomach confirmed this. He started walking to the nearest restaurant, taking him back through the main square in front of the city hall. Now he noticed two ponies hanging a banner in front; a unicorn centering the right portion and an earth pony on a ladder on the right. She was having difficulty reaching, though, and her unicorn friend shouted to her,
"Applejack, are you sure you have it?" she yelled.
"Don't worry, Rarity," said Applejack. "I've got it." But as Applejack reached again, the ladder buckled, and she was quickly falling through the air. But just before she hit the ground, a blur of grey and blue swooped in and caught her.
"Are you alright?" said Silver Rush, setting her down.
"Yeah," said Applejack. "Thanks partner. Glad you showed up in time."
"Indeed," said Rarity. "Not many ponies can move that quickly."
"It mostly comes from experience," said Silver. "Though not necessarily from good ones. Oh, where's my manners? Name's Silver Rush, pleased to meet you both."
"Applejack."
"Rarity."
"So, partner," said Applejack, "what brings you to Ponyville?"
"Visionquest," said Silver Rush, picking up the scroll case and backpack he had dropped to catch Applejack. Suddenly he felt his stomach growl at him again. "Hey, I'd love to strike up a conversation, but right now I'm starving. Either of you know a good restaurant nearby?"
"You might try the cafe at the corner," said Applejack.
"Thank you," Silver replied. "Nice meeting you two, by the way!" With this he flew off towards the nearest source of hay-fries.
"He's a bit of an odd pony, isn't he?" said Rarity. "Not in a bad way, just different."
"Got that right," said Applejack. "Well, let's go ahead and finish this up, and I'll try not to fall off again."
After sitting down at the cafe and receiving a plate of hay-fries, Silver Rush quickly devoured them. He may be polite, but he was incredibly hungry. He sat in the sun for a brief minute, relaxing after his day of travel. After finishing and paying for his food, he took to the streets again. He didn't know what to do next, and he was alright with that. As he strolled, however, he spotted a pegasus with a yellow body and a pink mane bent over a storm drain, seemingly calling down to something.
"Angel, don't worry!" yelled the pony, although it was probably the softest, sweetest yelling in history. "There must be some way to get you out."
"Is there something wrong?" Silver Rush asked, walking over to the storm drain.
"Oh, sir, please, do you think you could get him out of there?" said the pony.
Silver looked in and spotted Angel; a white rabbit, cowering in the storm drain just out of reach. Neither Silver Rush nor the pegasus could fit through to try and get him out. But Silver's scroll case could. Slipping it off, he pushed the scroll case through the gap to where he could reach Angel.
"Come on," Silver said. "Don't be scared. Just grab on and I can get you out." Angel, defiant as he was, grabbed on, and Silver hoisted him out of the drain.
"Angel!" yelled the pegasus. She immediately latched on to Angel, relieved to have him out of danger. "Thank you sir. Who are you?"
"Silver Rush."
"My name's Fluttershy," she said. "That was quick thinking on your part. Thank you so much." With this Fluttershy walked off, lecturing Angel on how he should pay more attention to where he was walking.
"I guess today is a good day for helping ponies out," said Silver Rush. He wasn't normally so chivalrous, but it felt good to help those around him. Now, he realized, it was starting to get late in the day, and the sun was starting to set on the eve of the Summer Sun. He wasn't sure where to stay, so he just started walking again. Answers usually came when he walked or flew, and now was no different. What he didn't expect, though, was an invitation from a princess.
"Princess Twilight?" Silver said, being approached by one of the most famous ponies in Ponyville (in his opinion, at least).
"Twilight is fine, Silver Rush," Twilight Sparkle responded to him.
"How do you know my name?"
"I heard how you've been helping ponies around town. I figured I would meet you myself."
For once, Silver Rush was tongue-tied. "Well, uh, thank you," he said, blushing a bright pink. "I'm flattered you would want to meet me."
"You know, we're having a small gathering at the castle to celebrate the Summer Sun. Would you like to join us?"
"Would I! I mean, yes, if you'll have me." Smooth, Silver Rush thought.
The two of them walked up to the castle doors, pushing them aside and seeing complete darkness, followed by a flash of light and what seemed like hundreds of ponies yelling "Surprise!" Silver just looked at Twilight, totally flabbergasted.
"Okay," said Twilight, "it was less a Summer Sun celebration and more of a welcoming party for you."
Silver smiled. Turns out he didn't need to act surprised for Pinkie Pie's party. "Then what are we waiting for?" he said. "Let's get this party started!"
Over half of Ponyville was partying at the castle that night. Dancing, eating, and socializing were the main forms of entertainment. However, after the initial adrenaline rush from the surprise wore off, Silver Rush backed off a little from the main party, still enjoying himself but not in the center of everything. Spike noticed this, and decided to introduce himself.
"Hey there," he said. "Why you over here off to the side? This is your party, you know."
"Yeah," said Silver Rush. "I know. I'm just not really the social type."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just not a conversationalist."
"Aren't we having a conversation right now?"
Silver thought about this for a second. "Fair enough," he finally said. "Normally though I prefer to be alone with my thoughts."
"Why's that?"
"Just my nature, I suppose." Silver poured himself a glass of punch and drank half in one gulp. He really wasn't used to talking so much. At this point Spike was trying to think of some sort of conversation starter.
"So, how'd you get your cutie mark?" he said, gesturing to the quill and lightning bolt on his flank.
Silver's eyes lit up. "Now there is a good story."
"If anyone likes a good story, it's me."
"Well," said Silver Rush, "it starts back when I was a young colt growing up in Cloudsdale. I really didn't have that many friends, but those I did have were amazing. I was also the last pony in my class to get my cutie mark, and as a result I was always flying around, trying to figure out what my special talent was. I learned quickly I was good at several things, but they weren't necessarily my special talent.
"One day a good friend and I got out of school. Neither of us had anything better to do, so we flew below the clouds, around the edge of the Everfree Forest. We just flew there, doing tricks and messing around. It was one of the few times I wasn't obsessively focusing on finding my cutie mark. Neither of us, though, noticed the storm clouds rolling in.
"By the time we noticed, thunder was booming all around us. My house was closer, so we both started flying towards there, not stopping for anything. That's when I saw it. Everything was in slow motion as I saw the lightning bolt heading straight towards her. I didn't know what to do, so I went with my first instinct, the only thing I could do. I pushed her out of the way, and from there, there was this great flash of light and everything went black.
"When I woke up, I was in the hospital. The doctor told me that I'd pushed my friend out of the way of a lightning bolt and was struck. She had caught me after I blacked out and carried me to the hospital. I was lucky, though. The lightning only had one lasting effect." Silver Rush gestured to his blue-and-teal mane. "Believe it or not, my mane was black before the accident. I could have dyed it black again, but I liked it. Its not a good idea to style your mane with lightning, but it worked for me.
"Anyways, the doctor said he wanted to keep me in for a few days to make sure there was no permanent damage from the lightning. Ponies came and went, making sure I was okay. Then my friend came by. Her eyes were red from tears, but I assured her I was alright. Then the weirdest part happened. She suddenly kissed me and left. That's when it happened.
"It hit me, just like that bolt of lightning, a sudden wave of inspiration washed over me. I noticed the notebook next to my bed and I started writing in it. I wrote and wrote and wrote for three days straight, spending nearly every waking moment either writing or sketching what I couldn't completely put into words. When I finally got out of the hospital, I showed the writing and drawings I made to my friends and family, and as soon as I saw that first pony's face light up, this appeared." Silver nodded to his flank. "That's when I finally realized my destiny was to write and entertain ponies." It was only after finishing his story did Silver Rush noticed the crowd that had gathered around him, listening intently to his tale.
"Not quite sure how to follow that," said Spike. "Write anything I might've read?"
"Depends. Ever heard of the Power Ponies?"
Spike's jaw dropped completely to the floor, but he quickly retracted it. "Well then, have I got a story for you."
End of Part 2
"Let me get this straight," said Silver Rush. "You and your friends got sucked into one of my comics and fought the Mane-iac?"
The welcome party had finally died down now, and the only ones left in the castle were Spike, the Mane Six, and Silver Rush.
"That's exactly what happened," said Pinkie Pie. "We got tons of cupcakes there, too! Well, I did, but that's because I was fast enough."
"How did it happen again?" said Silver. "Last I checked the Power Ponies were a figment of my imagination."
"Spike got the comic book from the House of Enchanted Comics in Canterlot," said Rainbow Dash.
"Again, I didn't know they were actually enchanted," said Spike.
"Neither did I," responded Silver Rush. "The name of the store sounds familiar, but I had no idea there was any way to visit Maretropolis. If I did, I would've gone there already!"
"Wait, you want to get sucked into one of your own comics?" said Applejack.
"Of course!" said Silver. "I have always dreamed of fantastic worlds that I wanted to visit but never could. To meet the Power Ponies would be a dream come true!"
"Hmm...," mumbled Rarity.
"What is it?" said Twilight.
"I was wondering, if we had one of those comic books, could there be some spell that might let us travel back there?" Rarity asked.
"And have to fight the Mane-iac again?" said Fluttershy. "No thank you."
"If there was a way, I'd go back in a heartbeat," said Rainbow Dash. "It's super powers for crying out loud!"
"Twilight, what do you think?" said Silver.
Twilight Sparkle pondered this for a moment. "I'll admit, it was fun for a while. What do you girls think?" The rest of the Mane Six thought for a moment as well. They all knew the risks, but they figured if they stopped the Mane-iac once, they could do it again.
"We're in," they all agreed.
"Spike, do you have a Power Ponies comic somewhere?" Twilight asked. Spike immediately ran to his room and came back a moment later with a small magazine with a bold-print title. The colorful cover art showing the Power Ponies staring down the Mane-iac.
"Perfect," said Twilight. "Now let's see; maybe some sort of portal spell, perhaps?" She pondered for a few more moments. "Alright, I think I've got something. Every pony, stay clear." Every pony took a step back as Twilight started to cast the spell. Green and purple energy began to radiate from her horn, and suddenly a beam of light struck the comic, levitating it into the air. There was a bright flash, and the next thing everyone knew the comic was on the floor in front of them. Nothing had changed.
"Is that it?" said Rainbow Dash.
"I don't understand," said Twilight. "That spell should've opened the portal to Maretropolis." But then they realized something had changed. They looked at each other and realized they were in their super hero outfits. The Masked Matterhorn, Mistress Mare-volous, Saddle Rager, Fili-second, Zapp, Radiance, and Hum Drum. They were all there, but they were still in the castle. Every pony walked up to the comic and gasped. All the characters from the front cover were missing, including Mane-iac.
"Not good," said Silver Rush. He was followed by ferocious cackling from the far end of the room, and all looked up to see Mane-iac. Her deadly green mane sparked and glowed with energy, and her red and green eyes gave away the madness in her mind.
"Not sure exactly where I am," said Mane-iac with a grin, "but that really doesn't matter, does it? All that matters is my plan." The ponies tried to rush her, but they were immediately pinned to the wall by locks of hair.
"Pathetic," she said. "Now, if you ponies will excuse me, I have a town to take over." The Mane-iac howled like this was hilarious and burst out the doors into the night.
Every pony got to their feet/hooves, shocked by how quickly these events unfolded. "Spike," said Silver Rush, "what number issue is that comic?"
"Issue 312," said Spike.
"Didn't you read it all the way through?!"
"I haven't had the time. Why?"
"That's the issue where Mane-iac becomes even more powerful to where the Power Ponies can't beat her!"
"Good thing we're not the Power Ponies, then," said Pinkie Pie.
"Even if you aren't actually the Power Ponies," said Silver, "she can still counter all your powers."
"Well who would we be if we didn't try and stop her?" said Rarity.
"I'm not sure I can do this," said Fluttershy.
"Just remember what she did to that firefly," said Applejack.
"Looks like its time to Power Pony up then," said Spike. Then him and the Mane Six rushed out the front gate after Mane-iac.
"What have I done?" said Silver Rush to himself. He could hear the sound of battle outside. It didn't sound good for the Mane Six, and he couldn't do a thing about it. "Why did I bring up the Power Ponies? Why did I ask Twilight to cast that spell? Why did I write that stupid comic?!" He slammed his scroll case on the table and it popped open, sending notes and sketches flying. He sighed and started picking papers back up and spotted something.
It was the notes Silver had for the issue after 312, the issue where he'd started getting writer's block. He was never able to finish it, which meant the outcome of the battle out there in the streets hadn't been decided yet. He had an idea, but whether it would work or not he didn't know.
"Celestia, please let this work," Silver said. "Please let this work." He started pulling out sheets of paper, bottles of ink, and frantically began writing and sticking pages into the comic book. He only hoped it wasn't too late.
Meanwhile the fight outside wasn't going so well. Twilight was firing rays of ice at Mane-iac, but they seemed to just bounce off of her mane. Applejack was trying to string up Mane-iac, but she kept breaking free of the lasso. Pinkie Pie tried to confuse her, but Mane-iac seemed to be moving just as fast. Fluttershy, remembering that Mane-iac had hurt a simple firefly, managed to get angry enough to go into berserk mode, and yet Mane-iac was going hoof to hoof with her. Rarity tried to create a cage, but Mane-iac shattered it like glass. Rainbow Dash even threw an entire tornado at her, and Mane-iac just threw it right back at her. She knew their moves, their abilities, their weaknesses, and how to use them against the Power Ponies.
"Enough of this," said Mane-iac. Suddenly her mane seemed to grow to five times its size, wrapping up and entangling the Mane 6. The more they became entangled, the more their powers seemed to fade, almost as if she were draining them. She cackled maniacally again.
"Did you really think that you silly ponies could stop me?!" Mane-iac yelled. "As you grow weaker, I only grow stronger! And after I defeat you, nothing will stand in my way!"
"Except me," said a new voice.
Mane-iac paused in her gloating and turned to face the voice. The voice came from a single pony sporting a black trench coat and dark glasses with grey hair and a teal mane.
"Silver Rush?" said the Mane 6.
"Call me Maelstrom," he said.
"Oh, how thoughtful!" said Mane-iac. "Standing up for your friends. How noble! Too bad you will have to suffer the same fate." She lashed out with her mane again, but Silver was ready. He suddenly moved and closed the gap, moving as if he were made of pure electricity. Mane-iac was knocked back by the sheer force of Silver's advance, knocking the rest of the Power Ponies free.
"Silver," said Twilight, "how did you…"
"I'll explain later," said Silver / Maelstrom. He rushed forward again, blinking across the street like a bolt of lightning. Mane-iac met his strike, grabbing Maelstrom's hoof with one of the locks of her mane. But upon his touch, Maelstrom sent volts of electricity down her spine, momentarily stunning her.
"Quick, get the comic book!" Maelstrom yelled back to the Power Ponies.
"What? Why?" said Applejack.
"Just trust me!" Maelstrom yelled. He then grabbed Mane-iac and they both went flying upward into the sky. Storm clouds formed around them. Lightning cracked. Thunder boomed. Both were taking a beating. Then Maelstrom, still holding Mane-iac in a headlock, sailed back down towards the earth. Right towards the open comic book placed by the Power Ponies below. Maelstrom and Mane-iac both careened towards the ground, towards the comic, and at the very last second Maelstrom let go of Mane-iac, pushing himself away from the book and her towards it. He smashed into the ground several feet away and Mane-iac sailed headfirst back into the open magazine. There was a brilliant flash of light, and she was gone.
Immediately the ponies' costumes disappeared, and they changed back to the Mane 6. Their attention immediately turned from the book to Silver Rush, who was badly injured and struggling to stand upright.
"So… did we win?" Silver said. And he then passed out.
When he awoke, Silver Rush was lying in a hospital bed. At first he didn't open his eyes simply because he wanted to rest, but as he began to hear voices around him, he slowly began to open them. To his surprise, the Mane 6 were there.
"Thank Celestia you're alright," said Rarity. "How do you feel?"
"Kinda like I fell thirty feet on my head," said Silver Rush.
"You ain't far off," said Applejack. Suddenly Pinkie Pie burst in with confetti and balloons.
"Defeat of Mane-iac Party!" she yelled. "Woooooooo!"
"Speaking of Mane-iac," said Twilight, "how in Equestria did you get electricity powers?"
"The same way you all got your powers," said Silver Rush. "Do you still have the comic book?" At this Spike ran forward, carrying the magazine in his claws. "I knew that everything I'd written in that comic book would come to pass," said Silver. "So the only way to keep those events from happening was to change them."
Silver opened the magazine, showing the papers he'd frantically stuffed inside. Pages of sketches and notes, full drawings of battle scenes, and one picture of the character he'd transformed into in that fight; Maelstrom.
"How did you do all this?" asked Fluttershy. "I thought you came to Ponyville because you had writer's block."
"Apparently I write better under pressure," responded Silver. They all laughed and smiled at this. "But seriously, though. In those short moments I felt something that I had only felt once before. Back all those years ago when I first got my cutie mark. Something incredibly heroic." His expression was solemn now. "I couldn't let you all suffer for a mistake I made."
"Its not your fault," said Twilight. "You had no idea that Mane-iac would jump out of the book."
"But it was me who convinced every pony to go along with the idea," said Silver. "I'm sorry, I really am."
"There's no need," said Rainbow Dash, flying over to place a hoof on his shoulder. "Besides, those were some pretty sick moves you pulled on Mane-iac. That was awesome!"
Silver smiled at this. "Thank you," he said. "You know, I just might try to find a place somewhere in Ponyville. I'll try not to let this happen again." Every pony met in a group hug, and Silver knew that he'd found what he was looking for. Not inspiration, but friends.
"Alright, alright," said the doctor. "Silver Rush needs to rest. You can come back tomorrow and visit, but for now the best thing for him is to relax."
At the doctor's request the Mane 6 departed, leaving Silver Rush to his thoughts. But then he noticed on the nightstand a journal, a small black book with a bound leather cover, that the ponies brought in for him while he was laid up. As he reached for it, though, a spark shot from his hoof, discharging on the bedside lamp. This startled him greatly and he immediately retracted his hoof. Then the realization kicked in.
"Is it possible?" Silver said to himself. An idea was forming in his mind. He looked at the journal again. A vessel of opportunity, calling to him like a siren's song. He knew what to do and how to do it. All that was left was to put it into words.
End of Part 3
"Hey, Silver Rush," said Rainbow Dash as she flew by. "Need any help with those?"
"Actually, yes," said Silver. "Could you grab that box of papers?"
It's been a few weeks since Silver Rush first came to Ponyville, and he was already moving in. After he got out of the hospital after the incident with Mane-iac, Silver felt like settling down a little, and Ponyville seemed like the preferable place. He'd designed and constructed a house similar to Rainbow's "Cloudominium" and sent for some of his things in Cloudsdale. Now came the long and arduous task of unpacking and actually making Ponyville his home. Luckily Rainbow Dash happened around the right time.
"Wow," said Rainbow Dash. "You sure have a lot of stuff."
"Yeah, I suppose so," said Silver, cracking a smile. "At least half of these boxes are notebooks that I've scribbled and doodled in over the years. I really should go through some of these." As the last few boxes went through the doors, Silver pulled out a few sheets of scribbled notes and read through them. "I don't believe it."
"What is it?" said Rainbow Dash, setting her box down.
"These are notes from when I was trying to write one of my novels that I never published. The Mark of a Champion."
"Sounds interesting. What's it about?"
"It was supposed to be about a colt growing up in Equestria during a zombie apocalypse. I had a bunch of ideas for it but never finished."
"That actually sounds kinda awesome. Why'd you never finish it?"
"I blame laziness. If I don't write an idea down fast enough, I get bored with it and I never write it down." Silver set the notes off to the side and delved deeper into the box.
"Mind if I have a read?" said Rainbow, hovering over to the notes. Seeing this Silver snatched the notes off the table before she could grab them. "Woah! What was that for?"
"Sorry," said Silver. "Its just that I hate letting ponies read my work before its finished."
"Why's that?"
"It just fills me with anxiety watching them read. I prefer to let the finished product speak for itself." Silver placed the notes back in their box.
"Alright, that's kinda understandable."
"So…" Silver stood in the middle of the room fidgeting awkwardly. "Thanks for helping me with the boxes."
"You're welcome," said Rainbow. "I'm, uh, gonna head back to my place. Nice seeing you!" With that Rainbow Dash was out the door and off into the blue sky.
"Idiot!" Silver muttered to himself. "'Thanks for helping me with the boxes'? You couldn't come up with something better? Maybe make plans or something to talk again?" He was feeling something he'd never felt before, but he still wasn't sure what it was. He couldn't tell if it was something with Rainbow Dash or something that happened with Mane-iac. Thinking about this, Silver paused.
Could it really be possible? Silver thought to himself. He looked at one of the unloaded cardboard boxes nearby and outstretched a hoof towards it. Suddenly lightning shot from his hoof, striking and disintegrating the box in an instant. Silver Rush staggered backward, startled by what he'd just done.
"How?" Silver said to himself. "How could I just spontaneously gain super powers?" But Silver knew exactly how, or he thought so at least. He'd even written out his theories in his journal at the hospital. He went through another one of the boxes and eventually pulled out the black leather-backed book.
"The powers that I've suddenly gained," he read, "have one of two origins. One: my new abilities may be the lingering effects of the magic Twilight Sparkle used on the Power Ponies comic book. Or two: perhaps the lightning strike all those years ago engrained something into me, and only arose when I was faced with that specific situation with Twilight and her friends. Or maybe even some combination of the two, I have no idea.
"I believe everything has for a reason, but why? Why would I gain these powers now of all times? What in Equestria am I meant to do?" That's when the realization dawned on Silver. As he read those words, Silver knew what he needed to do. Actually carrying out what he had in mind, however, would be the difficult part. First, though, he needed a concept. That's what he's best at.
"Are you sure about this?" said Rarity, looking at Silver Rush's sketches.
"I know it seems a bit unconventional," said Silver, "but I'm looking for function over fashion." Silver Rush knew what he needed to do, but he would need help with a few things first.
"Its just that this outfit seems so… so… plain! Yes, the black leather look is interesting, but there's no style to it."
"Simplicity is what I was going for. And besides, the simpler something is, the more recognizable, wouldn't you agree?"
Rarity sighed. "I suppose so. Tell you what I'll do. I'll help you with this, but at least let me add a little flair to this. Deal?"
"Deal," said Silver.
"You want me to teach you karate?" said Rainbow Dash, slightly surprised by Silver's request.
"You're the best fighter I know," said Silver. "And if I'm really going to go through with my crazy idea, I need all the help I can get."
"Hey now, I never said I wouldn't teach you," said Rainbow, smiling slightly. "I'm just a little surprised you'd come to me first."
Silver smiled. "Then what are we waiting for?"
"An enchantment spell?" said Twilight Sparkle, confused on the subject matter as well.
Silver held up the finished costume that he'd commissioned from Rarity. "Just something to make it a bit more durable," he said. "Don't want the back to rip right when I'm in the middle of doing something."
"Does everyone else know about this?" asked Twilight.
"Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were skeptical about this plan, but Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie seemed all for it."
"I suppose that fits their personalities. But I just don't see it," said Twilight.
Silver looked at Twilight. "I only gained these powers now for a reason. I just want to give back, be useful. Be a hero."
Twilight looked back at Silver, understandingly. She'd been in the same mindset as Silver before. Twilight's horn glowed with a faint purple light as she cast the spell on Silver's outfit. The outfit glowed as well for a few moments as well, not changing in appearance but changing all the same. When it was done, Silver thanked Twilight and went on his way.
Now, Silver thought, I'm ready.
End of Part 4
The moon was high and full that night, bathing a light blue glow over Ponyville as it slept. All was motionless in the night. Calm, serene, peaceful. This was suddenly broken by a single pony running through the streets, galloping like her life depended on it, and it very well may. She was followed by three other stallions, all of them looking shady. The mare ran down alleyways, turning left and right, trying everything to try and lose them. She rounded another corner and came face to face with a dead end.
"Well, well, well," said the ringleader stallion, "look at what we have here. A little filly out all on her own. Out for a walk in the moonlight?" The mare simply cowered in fear, knowing she had no way out.
Then a thunderclap rang out in the darkness. Storm clouds gathered overhead, and the stallions stepped back slightly. As they gazed at the clouds in the night sky, a thunderbolt struck the ground in between the group of stallions and the mare. This momentarily blinded every pony, but when their eyes had adjusted, they saw one pony standing where the lightning bolt had struck.
His body was gray and his blue-and-teal mane was slicked back over his head. A black padded-leather trench coat, embroidered with subtle designs that can't be done justice here, flowed down his body. His wings poked out from two holes cut into the back of his jacket, and his look was complete by a pair of dark sunglasses and a look of focus and determination.
"Who the heck are you?!" said one of the stallions.
"I am the one you should be running from," said the pony. "But you may call me Maelstrom."
"Get that greaser!" yelled the stallion ringleader.
The two stallions behind him immediately moved towards Maelstrom, but he was ready. Maelstrom's whole body seemed to dematerialize, transforming into pure electricity. He shot out at one of the stallions who had moved forward. There was a clap of thunder and the other pony was sent flying backward. His friend swung at Maelstrom, but he nimbly dodged the pony's attempts to hit him. A swift right hook and the stallion was done.
Now only the ringleader was left. The stallion proceeded to pull out his switchblade, holding it by the teeth.
"Oh no!" said Maelstrom mockingly. "Its a small knife! My only weakness!" He then proceeded to fire off a bolt of electricity at the knife, electrocuting and stunning the final stallion. Now that they were taken care of, Maelstrom looked at the mare that he'd protected. She looked at him with a mixture of awe and fear.
"Don't worry," said Maelstrom. "I don't want to hurt you. You're safe."
"Thank you," said the mare. "How could I ever repay you?"
"There's no need. I just needed to do what was right." With this, Maelstrom was off, back into the night.
Silver Rush awoke the next morning, his mane in a tangled mess. Most of last night was a blur for him, but he remembered a few key things. Fighting the stallions in the alleyway, saving that mare, that was all perfectly clear for him. The real question for him, however, was how his actions were reverberating through Ponyville right now. He decided to run a comb through his mane and fly down to Ponyville to find out.
Silver flew down and walked through the streets. No one seemed to be gawking at him, so that meant his true identity was safe. As he walked, though, he did pick up on a few side conversations:
"Did you hear about that Maelstrom character?" said one pony.
"He saved some mare from three gang bangers last night," said another.
"I heard his body is made out of thunder!" exclaimed one young colt.
Silver smiled at this last comment. His body wasn't made from lightning, but it didn't seem to hurt him either. Suddenly however he heard a cry ring out from somewhere in Ponyville. Silver ducked into an alley nearby, doned his costume, and Maelstrom shot up into the sky and off toward the cries.
"What is with this town and construction projects gone ary!?" yelled Rainbow Dash, pausing her weather duty to help the construction workers.
The entire structure was shaking, and the workers both on and below the scaffolding were paralyzed with fear. Six ponies, all of them trapped in a web of steel bars. Rainbow Dash was fast, but only fast enough to pull one worker from the scaffold. But as she was doing this, the bolts on one piece of steel snapped and gave way, sending it soaring down toward her and the pony worker she was trying to save. She closed her eyes and… nothing. She then opened her eyes to find the bar of steel in midair, suspended by a field of electricity.
"Guess I arrived at just the right time," said Maelstrom.
"A few seconds earlier would've been better," said Rainbow, flying out from under the steel bar and carrying the worker to safety.
Maelstrom knew he had to act fast. His body took on the likeness of a lightning bolt, and he moved as such, darting and grabbing the five remaining workers that were still underneath the steel death trap. Once they were safe, though, Maelstrom did one last thing. Looking at the mess of steel bars and scaffolding that were still standing, his eyes began to glow a deep blue. Electricity crackled in the air as the metal ascended into the air, aligning and conjoining themselves together. In a few moments, the original structure had pieced itself back together, even sturdier than it was before.
When all this was said and done, Maelstrom looked back to see a crowd had formed, who had watched him save the workers and piece the structure back together. The crowd cheered, calling out his name, praising him for the miraculous things he'd just done. Maelstrom simply bowed his head to them and soared off back into the sky. Once he was out of sight, however, Maelstrom slipped into another alleyway, walking back out as Silver Rush once again. Smiling, Silver continued his amble stroll through Ponyville, walking through the crowd unnoticed, as if nothing happened.
Silver was, in reality, quite pleased with himself. He was putting his gifts to good use, helping ponies whenever he could. Everything seemed to be going well so far; he'd further honed his powers since their discovery, kept his true identity a secret (except from the Mane 6), and the public seemed to like Maelstrom. All seemed okay, but something was still nagging at Silver.
Maybe I should just relax a little, thought Silver Rush. Things have been moving pretty fast lately.
"Silver!" called out a familiar voice. Silver looked up to see Twilight Sparkle flying in.
"Hey Twilight, what's up?" Silver responded.
"Just saw the commotion at the construction area," said Twilight. "Do you mind if we talk in private?"
"Sure," said Silver. The two ponies walked back to the castle, with Silver wondering all the while Twilight wanted to speak with him so urgently. Obviously it had to do with the Maelstrom thing, but what about it? When they arrived at the castle and were behind closed doors, however, Twilight elaborated.
"I've been doing research into your newfound abilities," Twilight said, the two of them now standing in the castle's throne room. Twilight's throne was surrounded by stacks of books, one of which now began to float in front of her.
"Have you found any definite cause?" asked Silver Rush.
"No, not yet. But it seems you might not be the only pony out there whose able to do these things." Twilight showed the book to Silver. "An old pony legend tells of an individual, born once or twice a generation, able to access potentially unlimited power. A power that, for much of their lives, lays dormant within them. But when faced with a great or terrible event, their powers are revealed, allowing them to become champions of justice and good. According to this book, they are simply called the Champions."
"How have I never heard of this legend?"
"It used to be history," said Twilight. "The Champions used to serve Princess Celestia and the royal houses, but there hasn't been one in centuries."
Silver Rush was taken back by this flooding of information. "But how would I be one of these so-called 'Champions'? What kind of powers do they have? Why would I discover my powers now of all times?"
"The book doesn't say how Champions are born, only that there hasn't been one in a long time. Their powers varied with each incarnation, everything from power over flames to controlling the forces of nature, and now apparently power over electricity."
Silver was propping himself up against one of the thrones now. "This is all so strange," he said. "At least when I was lying in that hospital bed for a week I had time to think, but all this is so sudden."
"Believe me, I know how you feel," said Twilight. "My information is limited as it is, but maybe Princess Celestia knows more. Maybe she can help."
Silver was starting to calm down now. It all now started to make sense; him surviving the lightning strike as a colt, his man-of-action attitude, how he could never hold still and focus - these things all made sense to him now. But now that the question of where his powers came from was answered, he had even more questions with even less clues as to what the answers were. But he knew that Twilight was right.
"When can we see Celestia soonest?" said Silver.
Twilight and Silver left toward Canterlot almost immediately, but not before they informed the rest of the Mane 6 and brought them along. They send a message to the princess ahead of them, saying that they needed to speak with her urgently and that they would explain upon arrival in Canterlot. Silver Rush couldn't remember the last time he'd ran so fast to get somewhere. He was panting by the time they reached Princess Celestia's throne room, and this made him realize he should really get into better shape.
"Princess Twilight," said Celestia, seeing Twilight and her friends barge in, "what is so urgent that you needed to see me on such short notice? Not that I'm complaining, of course."
"Princess Celestia," said Twilight, "do you remember anything about-"
"Silver Rush is a Champion!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, unable to hold her words any longer.
"A Champion?" said Celestia. A look of surprise came over her face. "At this time of all times, a Champion has been revealed?"
Silver Rush stepped forward and bowed humbly. "Princess Celestia, my powers have only recently been revealed to me," he spoke in a calm and contained voice. "I still don't fully understand them. That's why we came here, to ask you for guidance."
Celestia just sat there for a moment. "Silver Rush," she said, "there hasn't been a pony like you in a long time." Now Celestia stood, walking up to Silver. "For the longest time, the Champions were the only thing standing between Equestria and the forces of evil. Their powers were unequaled, beyond measure. But when Equestria entered a time of peace, the Champions faded."
"But how?" asked Rarity, standing with Twilight and the rest behind Silver Rush.
"None is known for sure," said Celestia. "But I believe that Champions stopped being born when there was no great evil for them to fight. Which is why I wonder why one would be revealed to us now of all times…"
As Celestia spoke, a large clamor came from outside the throne room. Suddenly, two Royal Guards burst through the doors, nearly falling over each other to reach the Princess.
"My princess!" they yelled, both of them kneeling at Celestia's hooves. "we bring urgent news from the far edge of Equestria!"
"What is wrong?" asked the princess, alarmed by the two guards suddenly appearing.
"It is Tirek!" one guard yelled. "We believe he has made a second escape!"
The ponies, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Silver Rush, just stared at the two guards.
"Princess," said Silver, "I think your question may have just been answered."
End of Part 5
"How in Equestria could Tirek just escape?" said Twilight Sparkle.
After receiving the news from the Royal Guard, Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Silver Rush, and the Mane 6 convened in the war room. Every pony was still completely baffled by what was happening; Tirek, who was rendered completely powerless by Twilight and her friends, somehow found a way out of Tartarus and back into Equestria. It seemed impossible…
"Nothing is impossible," said Celestia, "but I share your shock completely. But there must be a reason as to why he was able to escape."
"Pardon me, but why are we still standing here?" Rainbow Dash spoke up. "We need to stop him before he can do any damage."
"The mere fact that Tirek has escaped again," said Luna, "means that something has changed. The only way we might be able to figure out how to stop him is to figure out how he got out again."
"Maybe he had a spare key," said Pinkie Pie. Every pony just looked at her.
"Actually, that might be possible," said Silver Rush.
"How in tarnation could Tirek get a spare key?" said Applejack.
"From the warden," said Silver. "Think about it; the overseer of Tartarus is Hades, right? Could it be possible that Tirek made a pact with the lord of the Underworld to allow his escape in return for a share of the magical power Tirek steals from the ponies of Equestria?"
Now every pony looked at Silver Rush. "That… actually makes a lot of sense," said Celestia. "But if that is the case, that might mean…"
"That it might not be possible to send Tirek back," said Rarity.
Every pony stood silent for a moment. "So what do we do?" Fluttershy finally spoke up.
"We finish the fight," said Silver Rush. "One last bout with Tirek, and only one walks away."
"Do you realize what you're saying?" said Twilight. "You're basically saying we need to destroy Tirek."
"Exactly."
"I'm sorry, Silver Rush," said Princess Celestia, "but we cannot risk that many ponies against Tirek. It would take half the ponies in Equestria to even remotely hold him back."
"Then don't," said Silver. "Just send me."
Again all the ponies around that table fell silent. "Now I know you're crazy," said Rainbow Dash.
"Or hopeful," responded Silver. "I'm a Champion, remember? And frankly I'm not afraid of Tirek."
"You can't face him alone," said Luna. "What you're talking about is suicide."
"Look," said Silver, "if there's one thing that I've learned since I met you all, it's that I can always believe in you. Now I'm asking you all to believe in me. It may sound hopeless, but hope is one of the most powerful things we have right now. So don't let any pony else risk their lives except me."
"But…," Twilight started to say.
"No," said Silver. "No more buts. No more planning. No more standing around." Silver now walked towards the balcony adjacent to the war room. He stood at the railing and looked back at every pony. "Now is the time to act."
With this, Silver Rush flung himself over the balcony railing. Every pony gasped, but Silver immediately soared upwards back into view. Storm clouds had begun to form in the sky above the castle, and Silver zoomed straight towards them. A bolt of lightning came down to meet him, and in a flash he was gone.
Tirek was on the other side of Equestria at that moment, and moving fast. Not only was Silver Rush's theory correct, Hades had temporarily loaned Tirek some of his dark powers. Now Tirek was stomping around the countryside, stealing the power and energy of any and every pony he caught sight of. He felt invincible.
Then a mass of storm clouds began to gather over him. Tirek could hear lightning crackling on that otherwise clear day. Suddenly, the clouds opened and lightning rained down from the heavens, and where the fire of the heavens met the earth, Silver Rush, aka Maelstrom, appeared.
"What is this, a joke?" said Tirek. "Who sent this Matrix wannabee to fight me?"
"The name's Maelstrom, and if this were a joke would I have this look on my face?" Maelstrom gestured to his blank but serious expression.
"Enough of this," said Tirek. He began to open his mouth to absorb Maelstrom's energy, but he was met by a flash of white hot electricity. Tirek stumbled back, caught off guard.
"What kind of power is that?" said Tirek.
"It's called 'being a Champion' Mr. Big-and-Tall. Comes with quite a few perks."
Tirek's immediate reaction was tossing a ball of energy at Maelstrom's face. Maelstrom nimbly dodged out of the way, continuing to fire bolts of electricity at Tirek. Tirek met each of these with his own energy blasts, but now Maelstrom had closed the gap. Thanks to those lessons with Rainbow Dash, he knew exactly where to place his kicks. The trick, however, was executing them. Tirek caught Maelstrom in a suspension field and flung him off towards the mountains.
"Good riddance," Tirek said. But the fight was far from over. In an instant Maelstrom came flying in back from the mountains and, with his hooves charged with electricity, slammed into Tirek with enough force to send them both flying in opposite directions in a massive explosion.
Now Maelstrom lay in a part of the Everfree Forest, the explosion sending him far away from Tirek, or so he thought. Almost completely spent, he opened his eyes to see Tirek standing over him.
"Those were some fancy tricks," said Tirek. "It's a shame you won't be doing anything like that anytime soon." He then opened his mouth wide and began to drain Maelstrom's energy. Maelstrom could feel it all fading; his strength, his ability to fly, and every ounce of power was leaving his body. Soon Tirek's work was done, and he left Maelstrom lying there, broken and powerless.
'No…,' Maelstrom thought, '… this can't be the end….' He tried to stand, but all his power seemed to be gone. He glanced around frantically, at Tirek walking away, at the blue sky, at the trees bearing their colorful fruit.
'Wait,' thought Maelstrom. 'Are those…,' Zap Apples. The entire clearing him and Tirek were in was surrounded by Zap Apple trees. Now an idea was starting to form, and as Maelstrom thought, storm clouds began to gather overhead again.
"What?" Tirek said, looking back at Maelstrom now. "What is this?! All your power is gone! I took it all!"
Maelstrom, using every ounce of energy left in him, managed to stand. "You may have drained my strength and taken my flight. But my power comes from something even greater. My spirit. And not you, nor any pony else, can ever take that away from me!"
Now the storm clouds opened again, their lightning coming down to hit Maelstrom. His whole body surged with power, and he began to ascend into the air. More lightning came down now, this time striking the Zap Apple trees. All the trees now glowed with energy, connected in a ring of electricity around Tirek and Maelstrom. Suddenly the electricity shot out from these trees, striking Tirek from all sides, releasing their energy upon him.
"Ghaaa!" Tirek yelled. "Who are you!?"
"I'm just some dude from Ponyville," Maelstrom said. Then the final bolt of lightning struck, and Tirek disappeared in a flash of light. All his stolen power, released in shockwaves that echoed across the land, returned to their correct owners. And Maelstrom collapsed on the ground once more.
"I can't believe Silver Rush just flew off like that!" said Twilight, her and the Mane 6 galloping towards the storm clouds.
"He said it himself," said Rainbow Dash, "his powers were revealed now for a reason. More importantly, it was his choice to go after Tirek."
"That may be true," said Applejack. "But he didn't need to fight him alone. We had plenty of…." This last part was cut off by a massive explosion rocking the earth, and a massive dust cloud forming over the Everfree Forest.
"There!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "Come on, girls! Let's go!" Rainbow Dash then proceeded to fly off towards the dust cloud, with the rest of the Mane 6 right behind her. But when Rainbow reached the clearing, she stopped short. Silver, aka Maelstrom, was laying in the very center of the massive crater that was once the clearing. He laid there, motionless and not breathing, his sunglasses broken and flung off to one end of the crater. Rainbow Dash flew to him, lifting his head off of the ground.
"Oh man oh man oh man!" she yelled. "Silver, come on! Wake up dude, wake up! I know you can hear me, now wake up! Please!" Tears started to form in Rainbow's eyes. She loved him; her stubborn pride wouldn't let her admit it, but she'd had a crush on him since they first crashed into each other a few seconds after he arrived in Ponyville. Rainbow kissed Silver on the lips, her tears falling upon his face. Then Silver Rush slowly opened his eyes to find an angel standing over him in the form of one blue pegasus with rainbow-colored hair.
"Rainbow Dash?" he said, his voice barely audible.
"Silver!" she cried. Rainbow Dash hugged him even tighter, with Silver Rush hugging back now. They were locked in embrace, unable to let each other go, for Silver felt the same about Rainbow as she him. But eventually they did let go, and Rainbow Dash helped Silver Rush to his feet. Now the rest of the Mane 6 hugged him, nearly knocking him to the ground again. They all laughed together, all happy to be standing there with each other.
Now, a few days later, every pony was back in Canterlot. Princess Celestia, alongside Luna, Cadence, and Twilight, stood before a great crowd of ponies. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity all stood with Twilight. As soon as the crowd was settled, Celestia spoke.
"Fillies and gentlecolts," she began. "Just a few days prior, it was discovered Lord Tirek had escaped from Tartarus again." This prompted some murmoring from the crowd. "However, one brave pony, by the name of Silver Rush, came forth, displaying great and extraordinary powers. It was him who confronted Tirek alone and stopped him once and for all. His valor and self-sacrifice, his willingness to risk his life for us, is monumental. So without further ado, I present to all of you, the new Champion of Equestria, Silver Rush!"
Now the great double doors into the hall opened, and Silver Rush stepped through. Every pony cheered as Silver walked down the center aisle to Princess Celestia. He bowed his head to the princesses and Celestia placed a golden medal around his neck. Silver walked over to his friends and turned to faced the audience again, which was still cheering for him.
"This is the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever done," whispered Silver to the Mane 6. "How do you all do it?"
"Years of practice," Rainbow Dash whispered back. Silver Rush did his best to stifle a laugh in the middle of the ceremony. Celestia continued to speak, a speech about bravery and self-sacrifice, but her words alluded Silver Rush and the Mane 6, who had listened to Celestia rehearse the speech multiple times.
"You know," whispered Twilight, "as a princess, I have the ability to form my own royal guard. Of course, I'll need a guard captain. Would you…."
"Say no more," whispered Silver. "I'd be honored. As long as I can still work on my writing on the side."
"Deal," whispered Twilight.
A few hours later every pony was back in Ponyville. The moon had risen, and every pony had begun to settle in. But not Silver Rush. His windows were still lit, and he was bent over a writing desk, sketching and taking notes, unable to sleep. Silver's mind was still alert, and for the first time in a while he was able to write and draw and put his thoughts and imagination into a form others could enjoy. He was so focused that he didn't see the blue pegasus standing in the doorway.
"So, how does it feel to be a hero?" Rainbow Dash asked. Silver Rush flung his pencil and sketches everywhere, startled by Rainbow's sudden appearance.
"How long were you standing there?" asked Silver.
"Not long. I saw that your light was still on and figured you were having trouble sleeping."
"Well, I can't sleep and write at the same time," Silver said, placing the papers back on top of his desk. "So what's up?"
"I believe I asked a question first," said Rainbow Dash.
"Honestly, I don't really feel different. In fact, I feel more like myself now than I have in quite a while."
"Because this craziness has finally toned down?"
"Exactly. Now I can move forward."
"I was surprised when you accepted Twilight's offer as guard captain," Rainbow Dash said, stepping farther into the room.
"Yeah. I didn't want to just sit around and not use my powers."
"No offence, but I really don't see many situations as Captain of the Royal Guard where your powers would be necessary. It's not like Twilight's getting attacked every other day."
"I guess you're right," said Silver Rush, turning to face Rainbow Dash again. "But then what should I do?" As he said these words, a scream sounded from below. Both Rainbow and Silver turned to the window, but Silver then turned to his closet door. He stood and walked to the door, immediately flinging it open to reveal the black trench coat that was his costume.
"Hey," said Rainbow Dash once Silver was dressed. She gave Silver a single peck on the cheek. "Go beat up some bad guys for me."
Silver Rush smiled, and he took off into the night to fight evil wherever it may rear it's head.
The End?
