The Sound of Madness

"Twilight," Rainbow asked, stifling a yawn, "why'd you wake us all up? It's like, two in the morning? Well, probably three with how long it took Rarity to get ready." Applejack stifled a laugh, while Rarity just turned her head.

"Well excuse me for wanting to get ready. Although, I have top agree with Rainbow. Why'd you wake us all up? A girl needs her beauty sleep." Twilight was just pacing back in forth trying to think what could be so urgent. Applejack laid a hoof on her, making her jump slightly.

"Twi', I think ya'll need to calm down. I'm sure the princess doesn't want you to worry. I'm sure she'll give us a few days to prepare." Twilight still looked worry. She was about to talk when a loud snore interrupted her. Looking over, she saw Spike sleeping, his claw across his belly.

"Spike, wake up!" Spike just groaned, turning over and covering his head with a pillow. Twilight was about to yell again, when Fluttershy shook her head.

"He's just a baby boy, he needs his rest, you should've just left him to sleep in and leave a note." Fluttershy draped a blanket over him and he snuggled into it. Twilight nodded, before standing on top of a small crate, before coughing into her hoof.

"We're all right here sugarcube." Applejack said, causing Twilight to blush lightly, but continued on.

"Earlier, Spike woke up coughing, and then coughed up a scroll. I've never received one so late into the night, so I was slightly worried. What I thought was weird, was that the scroll wasn't sealed with the Royal Canterlot Seal, and it was barely curled up. Opening it, the words hastily written and sloppy, and said she needed the Elements as soon as possible. So, I can only assume something has been unleashed, and we need to use the Elements-"

"To kick its monster butt?" Rainbow interjected, bopping her hooves together. "Like we did with Discord?" Twilight nodded, but she heard a distant rumble, a the train started shaking for a few moments, knocking her off the crate. Standing up, she noticed that everyone else was on the floor, and along with Spike, who was somehow still sleeping. Running to the window, she lifted it up and looked around. Looking towards Canterlot, she saw that Celestia's tower had a massive whole in it and was smoking slightly. Eyes widening, she backed away from the window, before running through all of the train cars toward the engine room. The others were confused before running after her.

"Twilight, dear, what's wrong."

"Celestia's tower exploded!" They all stopped, tripping over each other in shock. Twilight didn't seem to notice or care, and continued to the engine car. Opening the door, the operator turned around. His voice was gruff, and he towered over Twilight.

"You can't be in here."

"I'm Princess Celestia's personal student," that got his eyes wide, "now, get us to Canterlot as fast as you can!" All he did was nod, before turning around and pulling levers. The train started going faster, bumping slightly on the tracks. He pulled down a chain, a loud whistle blowing out from the top of the train. The others caught up, breathing hard except for Rainbow and Applejack, who only had a light sweat.

"I don't understand why you didn't just fly Flutters, you were born with wings, why not use them?" Fluttershy blushed slightly, before looking at Twilight.

"Um, Twilight, what do you mean by... exploded?" Fluttershy looked nervous, hiding behind her mane when the operator looked at her.

"Exploded? What exploded? Did somepony hurt ma train?" He turned around to face Twilight, who was almost hanging out of the window. Walking over to her, the rest looked out the window, crowding their faces. They all looked towards Canterlot, which they realized was closer then they thought. Looking up, they saw Celestia's tower, a small pillar of smoke coming from a hole in one side of the tower, but the rest was fine.

"I hope Celestia is okay..." The door to the operating car opened, and Spike was there, rubbing his eye.

"Hey, what'd I miss?"

Celestia was pacing in front of her throne, bags under her eyes. Luna was sitting on hers, watching intently as her sister kept pacing, mumbling under her breath. Luna sighed, blowing a piece of her mane out of her face. Looking outside one of the massive windows, guards were scouring the garden, horns lit. She shouldn't be here, waiting for others to find him, she should be out there, finding him, and put an end all of this before it even started. The massive doors opened slightly, and Luna raised her head, along with Celestia, who stopped pacing, her hoof in the air. A guard peeked his head in.

"Excuse me, your Highnesses, but the Elements have arrived. They are down by the train station, getting off of it soon." Celestia felt a wave of relief over her.

"Bring them, but I want them protected.  At least ten of the best guards." The guard nodded, closing the door. Celestia sighed, before feeling a wing drape over her. Looking back, she saw Luna, who had a slight smile.

"I'm sure that thy are safe. How can that... monster," she practically hissed it out, "know that your student exists? Or even the Elements? Last time he saw them, they were with us. If anything, he has ran away, like the scared-" The door got knocked on, heavily. Another guard appeared, breathing heavily. He stumbled, fumbling to bow before them.

"Your Highnesses, something has happened at the train station. The Elements were getting off, and we were walking to greet them, when two of the guards fell over, and whatever was unleashed attacked us, and knocked out another. The rest are protecting the Elements, but th-they sent me to go g-get you." Celestia calmly listened, and when he finished, she walked towards the, walking past the guard, and opened the door, before furiously yelling.

"DEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!!!!"

"-REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!" Derek looked to the sky, noticing a dark shape plunging for him.

"Oh, she remember my name, how romantic. So," he turned around to face the Elements, "how's your day been going?" Behind him were six unconscious guards, tied up to a street post. The Elements stared him down, wondering what to do, Rainbow and Applejack looked like they wanted a fight, Fluttershy hid behind Twilight, Rarity had a look of disgust on her face, and Pinkie was, well, she was barely paying attention. Spike was on Twilight's back, and was slightly shaking, his eyes turning into slits. Derek noticed this, and smiled, showing off his canines, and then Spike did the same, sliding his tongue over his teeth. "Seems that one of you knows who I am." Spike hissed, drawing all of their attention.

"Spike, what's wrong?" He twisted and squirmed, before his eyes going back to normal. He was staring into Twilight's eyes, looking at him curiously?

"Hm, what? What did you say?" Twilight was about to answer when something slammed down behind the bipedal creature, who didn't seem to notice. Celestia was behind him, a massive bow held in her magic, and she drew the string back, an arrow appearing.

"Back away from them, or you'll be locked back in stone!" He didn't seem to care, making Twilight slightly angry by itself. "I said-"

"I know what you said, do you have to be so dramatic?" He rolled the R in dramatic, making Pinkie giggle. "See? Someone's having fun, oh, sorry, somepony." He used what appeared to look like Spike's claw, but slightly longer, and rounded at the end, and moved the first two up and down. "Also, none of you have answered my question? How are all of you? Me? I'm doing fine, so, Celestia, put down the bow, you don't murder no more." Celestia twitched, an ever so slight one. Somehow, he seemed to notice it, without looking at her. "Oh, right sorry. Forgot about that, did that sting a little? Here, let me give it a kiss." He spun around, his jacket lightly twirling, before grabbing Celestia's hoof and kissed it. She reeled back from the sudden motion, furious.

That was all the time he needed. Running forward, he slid past the Elements, the arrow whizzing past him, only to fly upwards, and rocket back towards him. He didn't expect it, honestly. The arrow only got closer, and then time seemed to slow down. He analyzed everything around him, from the smell of the nearby flowers, to what color a nearby house's roof was. His brain churned, trying to find an answer that wouldn't get anyone hurt. Grabbing on of the elements was a risk, and if the arrow didn't stop, it would slam into one of them, or it would just curve around them, shredding his shoulder or some other bit he deemed important. Celestia would know he would try to use his magic, and would cast a spell while he was getting his ready. Instead, he took the most logical answer; and did nothing. The arrow slammed into his shoulder, spending him spinning. Thing is, Celestia wasn't prepared for it, he spun to the floor, before rolling and slamming his fist into her jaw. She stumbled backwards, trying to get the lights out of her eyes, before a hard kick knocked her to her side. Derek winced in pain, and felt his blood practically pour from his shoulder, but the arrow was gone. Turning around he saw the Elements, who eyes were wide as saucers, except for Twilight's who looked like she popped a blood vessel in her eye. Derek smirked, only to see Twilight lift five amulets and a crown, putting the crown on herself and the amulets on the others.

"And why, dear Twilight, would you use the Elements on me?" Derek just guessed that they were the Elements, they had the same coloring, somewhat, or that he could remember. Twilight looked in confusion.

"Y...YOU JUST HIT MY TEACHER! Not to mention, she said she needed the Elements, and I'm guessing you're why we were called her."

"Wow, she called the Elements, just for me? Man, she must truly care about me." He fluttered his eyes in fake romance, before softly laughing to himself. "Heh, I'm going insane... well, I suppose that left me years ago." He muttered under his breath, before hissing, putting his hand back to the wound. 'Pressure, must keep pressure on the wound, can't fight, wounded, surrounded by the Elements and... wait, the hell's Luna?' Dropping to the floor, his head slammed against the concrete, and he dug his fingers into his shoulder, making the pain flare up. However, his instincts were right. Luna missed her mark, sliding across the ground until she faced Derek and Celestia, who was starting to get up. 'Bad, very bad, options... what are the options... Run, Hide, Fight, those are the options. Running only lasts for a while, so does hiding, unless your very good at hiding... fighting isn't an option, wound too great, Luna too strong. Grab one of the elements and then run? Worthwhile, gives me time, and they can't use it against me til they get it back which probably wont be long. Always could go out in a blaze of glory, I like that idea... I mean, it'll be the coolest things I've done.' Opening his eyes, he felt something slam into him, sending him crashing to the cobblestone, hard. 'Or, I could always just die, that's technically an option.' Whatever slammed into him was grinding a hoof into his shoulder, causing searing pain to shoot up his arm.

"We've waited so long to do that beast, now then, prepare yourself for a lifetime in stone." He squinted at Luna, who had a slightly mad glint in her eye.

"Not even a parole? I'll do community service, promise." Luna looked confused, then furious. She grinded into his shoulder harder.

"WHY DO THY JOKE? THEE THINK THIS IS A GAME!?!" Luna yelled into his face, causing him to wince. Suddenly, the weight of his shoulder was lifted, and Luna moved away, and Celestia appeared in front of his face. Derek grinned like a madman.

"Hey, how's it going? So, how's life been around the castle." All he got was a punch in the face, the hoof breaking his nose, and then again, and again. Celestia stopped after the third, before spitting in Derek's face. She walked away, and he could hear magic being gathered. Tilting his head, he saw the elements floating a bit off the ground, with Twilight at the center. Grabbing a rock, he got to one knee before hearing Luna laugh.

"Any last words, beast?"

"Yeah," he lifted the rock up, "go to hell." And then he chucked the rock right to Twilight's crown, and just before all of the beams could come together into it, it fell off her head.

"NO!" Was all Derek heard before everything went white.