The Black Fogby mlprules537ChaptersChapter 1 The Lost FriendChapter 3 "He" shows himselfChapter 4 RevengeChapter 5 The Black Fog's lairChapter 6 The Truth of The Black FogChapter 7 New-Found Allies Chapter 8 Twilight's CastleChapter 9 The Black Fog's BackstoryChapter 10 Scootaloo Finds her FamilyPrologueChapter 2 FuneralChapter 1 The Lost FriendTwilight stared across the room her gaze blank, not knowing what to expect. Questions and thoughts of revenge were whirling through her head, she felt like killing the pony who did this. The door to Spike's hospital room creaked open and in almost a second she had sprung out of her chair and galloped across the hallway. Twilight anxiously looked him in the eyes. Twilight bombarded Dr. Stable with questions as soon as he walked solemnly through the door. "How is Spike doing? Is he okay? Will he die from his injuries?" she had a whole flood of questions to ask him but he raised a hoof indicating her to stop. She closed her mouth so he could speak clearly. "I don't know if Spike is going to pull through or not, he lost so much blood he may die from blood loss. Another problem is we don't even know much about dragon's in general. What we do know is ponies who investigated your castle found a heat signature on the floor." At this Twilight felt her heart soar. "I can get my revenge." she thought to herself. She must of done something because Dr. Stable shook his head. "We can't follow the trail because at your castle door the heat signature disappears," he informed her with a saddened shake of his head. "Disappears? DISAPPEARS?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN DISAPPEARS?!?!" Twilight felt her voice growing louder with desperation. "You have to find a way to follow it!!!! I could never live with myself if Spike dies and we don't get revenge for him!!" Twilight felt her eyes start to glisten with tears as she weighed the possibility that Spike could actually die. Dr. Stable rested his hoof on her shoulder as Twilight bowed her head in grief. "Don't worry Twilight, the entire hospital is working no less than their best to save him," Dr. Stable stated firmly. "Twilight," his eyes softened, "if Spike does die then we will make sure he feels no pain when his time comes,". He said this just as he lifted Twilight's chin with his hoof and look her in eyes reassuringly. "But I don't know how I could ever live without him......." Twilight croaked her voice fading away. "He-he means everything to me......." Twilight sadly gazed at the wall, memories flitting through her eyes. "It's okay Twilight it's okay...." Dr. Stable murmured sadly. "There's still a chance he'll pull through, Spike's a healthy dragon. He's already fought of the infection in his wound's." Dr. Stable informed her trying to see the bright side of things. Twilight must have taken this statement the wrong way because then her sadness gave way to rage, uncontrollable rage. "QUIT ACTING LIKE HE'S GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Twilight spat, "SPIKE WON'T DIE, HE CAN'T DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she threw her last few words over her shoulder as she cantered into Spike's room and sat down beside his bed. Twilight sat there for a few minutes aware that each shallow breath he breathed could be his last. Then she whispered "Spike, please don't leave us, don't leave me....." her voice cracked as she spoke and hot tears started to flow out of her eyes. "Spike, please......." Twilight murmured, deep in grief. "Twi....light.....?" a voice shakily asked her. Then Twilight recognized it. It was Spike's voice!!! Twilight's head shot up, her grief forgotten. "SPIKE!!!!!!" Twilight called out with joy. "Your alive!!!!!!!!" "What.......happened.....?" Spike asked her even though he felt like he couldn't get the words out. "Somepony almost murdered you in your sleep that's what." Twilight growled angrily. "Don't say..... 'almost'....... yet....." Spike told her with the realization that he could tell he was going to leave Twilight soon. "What do you mean, 'Don't say almost yet'?" Twilight demanded, fearful of his answer. "Twi.... you know that I won't be around for much longer........." Spike breathlessly told her confirming her fears. "SPIKE!!!! DON'T THINK LIKE THAT!!!!!" Twilight shrieked, even though deep down she knew he was right. But she wouldn't believe him. She couldn't. "Spike, please don't leave me! There's still so much we have to do!!" Twilight begged. "I'm sorry........ but it's not my choice......... if I get to live any longer........" His heart monitor started to beep quicker. "I know you don't want me to leave........ but I can't cling on any longer.......... I love you........" Twilight couldn't bear to listen any longer as started to die right in front of her. "I'll get Dr. Stable!! He'll help you!!!" Twilight wailed to her dying friend, and what seemed like, her son. Twilight raced out of Spike's room and called out to Dr. Stable in grief. He came running with some nurses as soon as she uttered his name. Dr. Stable and his nurses called out to each other but Twilight didn't hear them clearly. "Spike is really dying......" she thought to herself, becoming blind by the tears that were streaming out of her eyes in grief to deep for anypony to drag her out of. "He's really dying........" she soberly whispered. "WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY, SPIKE, WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Twilight wailed her grief out to the whole world not caring who heard her. Spike was dead. Author's Note Sorry that I killed of Spike guys, you'll understand that reason later. Chapter 3 "He" shows himselfTwilight stumbled back to her library after the funeral, to lost in thought to teleport herself. She opened the door and sat down in the middle of the room and stared numbly at the wall. "He's really gone...." she murmured in a barely audible voice that cracked with grief. "Why did you have to leave me Spike....?" she questioned his spirit half-hoping for an answer but no voice answered her question. Somepony knocked on Twilight's door. "Come in," she wearily told the pony outside. The door opened but the only thing she saw was a black fog pressed against the door frame. Then she heard the fog whisper. "Hello Twilight," the voice said in way so that she wanted to cover her ears from the flinty voice. "Can you guess who I am?" Twilight could distinguish that the voice was male now. "Come on," he urged her, "You should remember me and what I did to you," his voice got threateningly soft, "What I did to SPIKE,". At this Twilight froze as she remembered the night she woke up to find Spike was dying..... ~*~ Twilight was having a bad dream, she heard someone screaming in pain and shock but no matter how hard or far she ran she couldn't find them. Then she struggled into wakefulness as they let out another wail of anguish. Twilight shot out of her bed as she recognized the cries were coming from Spike. "SPIKE!!!!" she screeched as she reached his side and saw blood pooling around his body. "Help...." he pleaded feebly. "Don't worry Spike, I'll get help!!! Hang in there!!" Twilight said in a voice growing high pitched with panic. "Can't..... need.... help..... now....." he uttered softly his voice trailing off. Twilight called the hospital and told them what happened as fast as she could and they told her they'll be there shortly. "SPIKE!!!" Twilight called out as his eyes started to close,"Stay awake!! Help is on the way!!! STAY WITH ME SPIKE!!!" Twilight's voice was growing hoarse with fear for her injured friend. Just then her door swung open and Dr. Stable with a few nurses came in and dragged him onto a stretcher. They rolled him into their hospital cart and a burly stallion attached to it galloped in the direction of the hospital. Twilight didn't make an attempt to follow them she just stayed at her door thinking about what had happened, the big question on her mind was,"What was that fog, and is it the one who hurt Spike?" she asked silently. With that, Twilight started to walk to the hospital. ~*~ A laugh of pure cruelty jerked out of her depressing thoughts, "Haha! I can see how I have scarred you Twilight. How I enjoy other ponies pain and suffering!" The fog turned into a dark gray stallion with pitch black mane, and his dark green eyes gleamed triumphantly. "Why did you kill Spike," Twilight choked out. "To hurt YOU of course!" he retorted. "I was at first not sure who to kill, but then, I saw how CLOSE you and Spike were," the stallion added smugly. "Then, I chose a moonless night to slip in quietly, make the kill, and move out. While at the same time puzzling you by staying in the door frame. It was the best plan I have ever come up with!" "So why did you not just flat out kill him that night?" Twilight queried, her voice full of the pain she experienced that night while her eyes shone with sadness. "Because I knew how much more it would pain you for Spike to die an excruciatingly slow and painful death," he stated in a knowing whisper. "I KNEW that you held him so dearly to your heart. You shouldn't have shown me that," his voice turned threatening, "Spike would still be alive and well if you hadn't shown me how much you LOVE him. As a son. It's YOUR fault he died, and you know it. Try and find me for your revenge, I dare you......" the stallions voice faded away as he turn into the fog and his softly threatening voice wafted down too her as she stared at him, "I will be waiting........" was the last sibilate he said before drifting into the sky. "WAIT!" Twilight yowled after him her rage bubbling over. "Come down here and fight me you coward!!" she screeched, but found herself calling to thin air. The fog had disappeared. But she still felt his invisible presence, and she heard him murmur, "Call me..... The Black Fog........" and then his presence left, and Twilight was alone in the room once again. Author's Note So, intimidating? I LIKE intimidating, so get used to it........ JUST KIDDING! Hope I didn't freak you out for a second there. Chapter 4 RevengeRainbow Dash was soaring happily through the clouds, not really caring who saw her. Then she heard somepony caterwauling in a mix of fear and anger. She glided to the ground in front of Twilight's castle and knocked, with a pang of grief she reminded herself that Spike wouldn't be coming to answer the door. Twilight burst the door open and Dash noticed a gleam of anger in her eyes, also with a trace of revenge. "Twilight, are you alright?" she asked hesitantly. "Never better," Twilight snapped back. "Get AJ, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie. NOW," she added forcefully. "Okay! Okay! You don't need to bite my head off!" RD grumbled to herself as she zoomed off with Twilight's gaze piercing her back until she couldn't see her anymore. ~20 minutes later~ After everypony was in the main room in Twilight's castle and they had all sat down comfortably Twilight launched into the account of what had happened with the pony calling himself The Black Fog. Rainbow giggled slightly when Twilight go to the part where the fog spoke. "Really?" she asked, "Twilight, fog can't speak," she informed her dryly. "Even a non-egghead like me knows that,". "Well somehow, this can. Probably because it turns out this fog is actually A PONY. He also told me, STRAIGHT. TO. MY. FACE. That he was the one who killed Spike, so, get used to it," Twilight added savagely. "Wait, Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! FOG killed Spike? That makes no sense," RD told Twi confusedly. "Be quiet an' listen to Twi's story!" AJ snapped, silencing her. Twilight cast Applejack a grateful glance and continued her story. When Twilight finished everypony's jaws were gaping in amazement. They sat there for a minute, to stunned to speak. Then, Fluttershy spoke the thought weighing in all of their minds, "If this fog is killing for the fun of it, and since it can come and go like that," as she said that Flutter's clapped her hooves once and then queried, "How do we contain it?" "I don't know," Twilight murmured, her new found vigor swamped by her former exhaustion. The task ahead suddenly seeming very heavy and Twilight feeling very small under it's immense weight. "Wait a minute," Rarity raised a hoof to stop their hopes from plummeting, "I think I have an idea," she stated as the beginnings of a plan started to form in her mind. "Well what is it?" Pinkie asked Rarity excitedly while bouncing around her chair. "Does it involve cake? Or maybe ice-cream? OOHH!!!! I get it now!!" she said thoughtfully, "I must be CUPCAKES!!!" Pinkie reported happily. "No, Pinkie," Rarity said annoyed, "It does use any of those. Or ANY types of sweets for that matter, THIS is the plan," she announced as she drew them into a huddle so no pony could hear them and started to whisper while they nodded to show they understood. When Rarity finished Twilight exclaimed, "This is a brilliant plan!!" then she hung her head sadly as Twilight remembered seeing Spike in his final moments, and how she had been helpless to come to his aid. "Spike must blame me for his death," she murmured, then a new determination sparked in Twilight's eye's. "I may not have been able to save him, but I can avenge him, with this plan," she declared. "Let's just hope it's good enough," Rarity responded grimly. Then they all exited the castle and began fanning out in different directions to search for The Black Fog. The pony who killed their best friend, Spike. Chapter 5 The Black Fog's lairA black mist, no, FOG, swirled around the hooves of a stallion as he slowly trotted to the center of a network of tunnels while his eyes gleamed dark and foreboding in the never ending darkness. He sat down for a minute to catch his breath and took a scan of his surroundings. "It's almost time," he growled under his breath to a mare who had met up with him a few tunnels before. "I know Black Fog," she answered him stiffly. Then they came into a cave where the ceiling arched high above their heads and a three foot long hole in the top of it cast dim moonlight into the pitch black space. Straight under the hole, where the moonlight was brightest, a stallion was sitting on a long couch with a mug of coffee in one hoof while he held a newspaper in the other. All of a sudden he slammed the newspaper onto the table in front of him and started to rip it to sheds just as the pair stepped in front of him and dipped their heads respectfully to him. "Ah, my slaves have arrived I see," he looked mockingly at them as a fragment of moonlight revealed their bones, stark against their rippling skin. Another sign of how poorly he was treating them, they had scars laced across their bodies from muzzle to hooves. Then, Black stepped forward and bowed his head. When he lifted his head and stared steadily into the other stallion's eyes you could see that his eyes actually didn't gleam menacingly. His eyes actually looked haunted, frightened, and even scared. But you can tell he isn't scared for himself. Black looked the other stallion and asked desperately, "How much longer are you keeping my family hostage Dummau?". "I'll let them free them when I feel like it!" Dummau snapped back, "Or, would you rather I dropped them in the vat of acid?" he added threateningly. "NO!! DON'T DROP THEM IN THERE!!!!" Black pleaded, horrified at the thought of them being killed in cold blood because of his own actions. Dummau cackled happily at the power he held over all of his 'slaves'. "Good slave," he said smoothly as he turned away from Black and disappeared into the tunnel in front of him. Black gritted his teeth and spat at the entrance to the tunnel angrily. "I know it hurts," the mare murmured, "But giving him the reaction he wants will only provoke him to do it more," she added forcefully. "I know Icicle," Black closed his eyes as he press himself against her bony, yet, reassuring frame, "I don't what I would do without you," "I don't know what either of us would do without the other," Icicle answered as she pulled him into a hug. "Besides, it's Dummau's fault that we both got our power's and captured us," she added trying to lighten the load of guilt that she know's is there. Black knew that she was trying to do that. "You know I'll ALWAYS, feel guilty for what has happened to us," he sighed unhappily. "The next time that we see our families.......... will be heaven............ if we even go to there instead of the other place.........." Black's eyes started to water up with tears and Icicle wiped them away. "I know that we've been forced to do some very bad things lately. But inside, we both have good hearts. That should be enough for us, and isn't dying better than working for Dummau?" she gently inquired. Black moved out of her grasp and stared at the wall behind Icicle, his eyes glazed with fear and sadness. "I need time to think," he stuttered and fled down a tunnel. "Oh Black," she sighed, "Why can't you let somepony into your life....." she questioned the air he left behind. But she already knew the answer. It's because he's afraid he'll hurt somepony, and one day, he will........ Author's Note HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I TRICKED YOU ALL INTO THINKING THAT THE BLACK FOG IS THE BAD GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT HE ISN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chapter 6 The Truth of The Black FogPinkie was just randomly bouncing around the others of the Main 6 while they were talking about The Black Fog, like she always does. Then Pinkie Pie stepped on a patch of leaves and fell down a hole that the leaves had been concealing. "PINKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they all screeched simultaneously. "I'm okay!!!!" came the excited voice from below. "Hey, you should all come down here. It's really spooky," she added in a playful tone. Twilight and the others shared a look of uncertainty and Twilight shrugged and they all jumped into the hole. Inside the hole it was cold and damp unlike how warm and sunny it was two feet above them. "Celestia's death, it's cold down here!" Rarity exclaimed. "Also, your right Pinkie." Rainbow told her, "It is spooky here. I feeling like something is watching us......." her voice trailed away and Rainbow gasped as if in pain. The others followed her gaze but couldn't see anything. Rainbow started to shake uncontrollably. "Those eyes!" she croaked before falling limply to the floor. "Rainbow!!!!" Fluttershy darted forward to their friends side. After thoroughly checking Rainbow Dash over she concluded, "I think she'll be okay. But she won't be able to go any further." she added with a waver to her voice. The rest of them looked at the two pegasi with concern. "Okay," Twilight said quietly, "But under one condition," Twilight paused and Fluttershy nodding telling Twilight that she would accept the condition. "Both of you have to leave this hole," stated firmly. "Alright," Fluttershy sighed. Then Twilight carefully levitated Rainbow Dash through the hole and Fluttershy flew up after while casting a reluctant glance at her friends that were still in the hole. Twilight watched them leave and then shook herself like she had a flea in her fur and trotted down the tunnel with the rest of them following her. After walking for what they guessed was ten minutes the four ponies heard pained shrieking from up ahead, accompanied with the sound of a rope hitting flesh. Twilight motioned for them to be extra quiet and slowly crept forward until she could see what was happening. As soon as the mares saw the scene in front of them they couldn't believe their eyes. Just ten yards in front of them, a chestnut colored pony held a lash in one hoof and was hitting another pony while snarling harshly. The four mares eyes widen when they recognized that the pony the chestnut stallion was hitting was The Black Fog. The Black Fog let out another anguished wail as the rope connected with flesh yet again. Twilight could tell that this wasn't a trick and The Black Fog was really in a lot of pain. The chestnut stallion kept lashing The Black Fog until his screams lowered to whimpers and until The Black Fog finally went unconscious. The mares felt like they were going to be sick as the stallion whispered in The Black Fog's ear. "Good slave," he muttered, "You can never escape the grasp, of Dammau." he added menacingly. The four mares backed away until Dummau couldn't hear them and they all fled back to the hole where they could get out. When they finally pulled up under the hole, breathless, Twilight spoke what they were all thinking. "The Black Fog isn't actually evil," she murmured in a low voice, "He's being mind controlled by Dummau." then she added, "And there's nothing we can do about it........" Chapter 7 New-Found Allies Chapter 7 New-Found Allies The Black Fog and his companion, Icicle, were slowly walking through a tunnel. The Black Fog was leaning heavily on Icicle and he had fresh scars from muzzle to hooves that still oozed blood. Black let out a moan of pain as Icicle's tail accidentally swished over one of the most painful scars. "Black, are you sure that your going to be okay this time?" Icicle asked her eyes glittering with concern. "I'll manage as far as......... we have to go," he croaked weakly. Icicle frowned at how sick Black sounded and how slow he was walking, compared to his normal brisk pace. Soon the two were approaching the hole they used to go in and out of the tunnels when they heard voices whispering in concerned tones. Black pricked his ears and could tell that there were at least four ponies talking. "I don't know," one of them murmured in a low voice, "He could have been trying to trick us." Who in the world is 'he'? Icicle wondered. "I think we should wait and watch," another declared, "When The Black Fog shows himself then maybe we can ask him if that stallion was actually hurting him." Black had to stifle a gasp of horror that they had seen Dummau giving him the daily lashes. Icicle gave Black the 'lets tell them were here so they can help you' look. He shook his head and gave her the 'they know I killed Spike and will kill me as payback' look. Icicle grinned mischievously and The Black Fog knew what that meant. Icicle's going to let the four ponies know that Black and her are there. Black mentally face-hoofed. Black rolled his eyes at her and mouthed 'fine'. Icicle then purposely kicked a stone and it made a loud 'clack' as it bounced further along the pathway. "Who's there?" one of the ponies called out. Black leaned against Icicle again and hoof-step by hoof-step they slowly walked along the stone path until the two reached the other ponies. In the short time it had taken them to get to the hole in the roof, Black had fallen unconscious from the pain in his wounds and the effort of walking. When Icicle became visible to the ponies, practically carrying The Black Fog the four mares gasped in amazement. "Why are you helping him?" a purple colored pony asked Icicle. She recognized the pony as Twilight Sparkle from Black's descriptions. Icicle crouched down to let Black slowly fall off her shoulders and then she stood up straight with her chin lifted high. "I'm helping Black because he's a friend," she glanced back at where he was lying down on the ground, "a good friend." Icicle purposely lingered on the word 'good'. The four mares blinked in surprise. "Why have you shown yourselves to us?" Twilight asked. "Because that stallion that was hurting Black is Dummau. He gave him too many of the daily lashes today and I don't have any medicine to treat his wounds with," Icicle stated flatly. "Wait, DAILY, lashes?" Twilight and her friends gasped, suddenly scared for the number of ponies Dummau was hurting daily. "Yes, daily," Icicle answered them. "Please help my friend," Icicle pleaded again with a note of desperation in her voice. "And you don't even like Dummau?" Twilight questioned Icicle. "You think I do?" Icicle snorted. Twilight mentally hit herself. How could anypony like someone who likes what Dummau was doing? "But," Icicle stopped Twilight before she said anything else, "We will be your allies. None of us who works for Dummau likes him because he mind controls us to do his bidding." "Celestia will kill me for this......." Twilight muttered, her voice trailing away. "Fine. I accept being your ally. Your a brave pony." Twilight told her formally and then said "And I'll help you and The Black Fog defeat Dummau." Chapter 8 Twilight's CastleIcicle watched as two of the four mares carefully lifted The Black Fog out of the hole and as they lifted the others out to. When Twilight and the pony Rarity tried to lift Icicle out she stopped them abruptly with a hoof. "I can get out by myself," Icicle told them stiffly. Twilight shrugged and flew out of the hole and Rarity levitated herself out. Icicle focused her ice blue eyes on the hole two feet above her head, then she sprang and landed neatly next to the hole above-ground. Then Icicle grabbed a few hoof-fulls of leaves and quickly twined them together a placed the cover over the hole and followed Twilight as they began trotting toward her castle in Ponyville. ~Four Hours Later~ The Black Fog slowly opened his eyes, surprised to find that the fresh scratches that Dummau had created weren't stinging as badly. Black slowly propped himself up with a moan of pain on what felt like a bed and wondered if this was another one of Dummau's illusions. The door to the bedroom slowly creaked open and Icicle wearily walked in. Her eyes drooped as though she was to tired to put one hoof in front of the other and her hooves dragged on the sparkling floor. When Icicle saw Black was sitting as upright as he could she rushed over to him, her weariness forgotten. "Black!!!! Your okay!!!!!" Icicle exclaimed joyously. "What happened? How did we get here?" Black murmured groggily. "You remember that pony, Twilight?" Icicle inquired. At this Black's head drooped with shame. Icicle's gaze softened as she continued. "She and her friends brought us to her castle so that we could recover." Black looked closer at his friends pelt and noticed that she had bandages covering her scratches and the stench of infection in both of their wounds had lowered. "So they're going to help us stop Dummau?" Black asked, perking up a little a the thought of slicing knives through his enemy's flesh. "Don't get ahead of yourself," Icicle cautioned her friend, "First your body has to finished fighting off the infection in your wounds then you have to rest for a few days and eat well," she explained. "But Dummau could be killing ponies while we're sitting on our tail's doing nothing!" Black exclaimed indignantly. "We know that, but the only way we stand a chance at stopping him is if we're at our full strength," Icicle informed him with a note a her old weariness in her voice. "But..... But......" Black started to protest but his voice was interrupted with a couple of yawns. "Shh, it's okay" Icicle murmured to Black, stroking his flank as he slowly fell asleep, whimpering slightly. When Black was asleep Icicle stalked stiffly out of the room and trotted toward the throne room of the castle. Just as Icicle got to the door, she heard a raging yell come from Twilight inside the room. "Why am i even letting them stay here?!?!" Twilight was shrieking angrily. "Twilight," a soft voice spoke up, "I think you might want to um.... try to control your rage," Fluttershy whispered uncertainly. "I AM CONTROLLING MY RAGE!!!!!" Twilight screeched back. Icicle heard Fluttershy let out a scared whimper and Icicle could just imagine Fluttershy pressing herself to the castle floors. "Twilight!" an indignant voice piped up, "Why are you yelling at Fluttershy?" Rarity boldly spoke out. "You shouldn't be yelling at anyone," Rarity stated simply. Icicle peered through a crack in the door and saw Twilight's bloodshot eyes begin to relax. Twilight stretched out a hoof to Fluttershy as a gesture of asking for forgiveness and she accepted with a shaky look and Applejack pressed herself against Fluttershy to comfort her. "I just..... I just...... I really just want Spike back....." with that Twilight's knee's buckled and she fell to the floor sobbing. The other five rushed up to her and started a comfort group hug. "I just want Spike back!!!!!!!" Twilight wailed in grieve from the midst of them. "I NEED SPIKE TO COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Icicle started to back away from the door as she realized that this wasn't about her and Black escaping the grasp of Dummau. It's about Twilight's best friend/son, being dead. The ripples of his death touching the lives of hundreds. Icicle could then confirm the one thought in all of their minds: Spike was dead and there's nothing they could do about it. Chapter 9 The Black Fog's BackstoryTwilight and her friends walked solemnly through the twisting paths of her castle. Even the normally bouncing Pinkie Pie was trotting quietly along with the others. The six ponies entered a hallway with many doors and they soon came to a halt beside a very sterile looking white door. Twilight took a deep breath and with as much courage as she could muster, Twilight swung open the doors to the room where The Black Fog was staying. The Black Fog was staring at the wall blankly when Twilight abruptly opened the door and didn't look the least bit surprised that she had came in the room. "What did Dummau do to you? Why did you and Icicle accept our help so easily? Why did you kill Spike?" Twilight blurted out demandingly. "I should have known you would have asked me these questions sooner or later....." Black sighed unhappily. "The best way to answer your questions is for me to tell you my backstory." Twilight looked surprised by this suggestion, but nodded her head indicating for Black to start. Black took a deep breath and started. "Well, when I was a young stallion, I was trotting through a small stretch of the Everfree Forest....." ~*~ A young stallion slowly walked through a meadow and as he made it to the top of the rise his shimmering gold eyes caught the sunlight and his dark chestnut fur glimmered. When he looked at you his gaze felt warm and happy. He could see a small area of the Everfree Forest looming a few yards of in front of himself. He shivered in fear of the animals that lived there. But the stallion knew he was in to big a hurry to go around the outskirts of the area that stretched away from the rest of the Everfree Forest. In a heartbeat he decided to go straight through stretch of land so that he could go to where he needed quicker. He took a deep breath and warily walked into the shadows of the ugly trees. The stallion tried to keep away from the long grasses that were soaked in dew but failed and he shivered with cold as they brushed against his coat, soaking him. Soon the stallion thought he saw the end of the trees, but to his disappointment it was just a small clearing with a sickly fungus that seemed to give off its own light. "Hello," a sinister voice murmured. "Who are you?" the stallion asked shakily. Then he saw the silhouette of a muscular stallion, with piercing ice-blue eyes were the only things the chestnut stallion could make out. "Hello Sunny Sky," the strange stallion whispered menacingly. "How do you know my name?" Sunny Sky whispered back. "Because," the stallion told Sunny raising his voice, "I have been watching you." The stallion swept on ignoring Sunny's gasp of fear. "You could prove.... useful, to me," the stallion hissed, showing his mangled teeth at Sunny. Then the stallion brushed some leaf mulch away from the ground under his hoof and uncover a red button. Sunny, who was frozen in fear, didn't have time to move and a net fell on top of him and forced him to the ground. When Sunny was flat on the ground, the stallion pushed the button again, except this time the net formed a circle around Sunny and lifted him seven feet of the ground and at the same time, electricuting him. When the net had successfully lifted Sunny of the ground, with him inside it, he suddenly felt a dull ache in his head which in a few seconds, had heightened to a frightful pain. Sunny screamed in agony as felt something changing inside himself. He looked at his hooves and realized that he could see his blood vessels more clearly than before. Then through all of his pain and shock, passed out. ~ Four Hours Later ~ Sunny felt himself waking up and through a haze of pain, opened his eyes. He was greeted with a bright light two feet above his head and what he thought was restraints keeping him stuck to a table. With a feeling of dread he recognized the table as a surgical table. His stomach felt empty, confirming how much time had passed. Then Sunny Sky felt a jolt of fear as he saw the strange stallion sitting a few feet away, watching him intently. "Who are you?" Sunny whispered in a scared tone. "Don't worry little pony," the stallion told him arrogantly, "I just need you for a certain.... experiment." Sunny's grew round with horror at the thoughts of what 'experiment' could mean for himself. He tried to no avail at tearing his hooves away from the restraints as the stallion came so close that Sunny could feel his breath on his cheek. "Remember this," the stallion whispered to Sunny as he picked up a syringe off of the table Sunny was on, "You will forever be a slave..... of Dummau. Your name and everything about will be about ME. You will be MY slave...... And your name, is The Black Fog...." With that, Dummau plunged the syringe deep into Sunny's flesh and you could hear his horrible tormented screech from a mile away. Then, blackness. It was comforting, Sunny thought. But the quiet didn't last long and when Sunny Sky woke up, he was horribly changed..... ~*~ Twilight and her friends jaws were gasp in fear and bewilderment when The Black Fog finished his complicated story about where he came from. Twilight herself had completely forgotten about her demand of 'Why did you kill Spike?' "Also when I woke up I looked like this," Black added uncomfortably. "But where were you going?" Fluttershy nervously asked. "You mentioned being in a hurry to go somewhere...." her voice quivered hoping he hadn't been going someplace bad. "Oh..... um...." Black stuttered then let out a long sigh, "Before Dummau found me, I had been going to Ponyville....." his voice trailed of and his eyes glimmered sadly and tears threatened to overwhelm him. Fluttershy got up and sat down next to him and pressed herself against his still thin coat. "My only sibling had just gone missing and had been missing for a couple of weeks," Black said in between sobs quietly , so quietly only Fluttershy could hear him. Fluttershy's eyes grew round with shock. "What was their name?" Fluttershy gently whispered to him. "Her name?" Black asked as if he couldn't hear her. Fluttershy nodded concern shone brightly in her eyes. "Her name," he hiccuped, "was Scootaloo." Chapter 10 Scootaloo Finds her FamilyScootaloo watched attentively as Sweetie Bell importantly walked up to the podium in the Clubhouse. "Applebloom," Sweetie called out as she started role call. "Here!" Applebloom responded loudly. "Scootaloo," she called again. "Here!" Scootaloo replied. Then Sweetie's eye sparkled with mischief. "Sweetie Bell," she called and then ran over to Scootaloo and sat next to her. "Here!" Sweetie answered back to an invisible version of herself on the podium. "Great! Everyone's here!" Sweetie told Applebloom and Scootaloo as she walked back to the podium. "Now, we must start our cutie mark trials for today!" she announced to the 'crowd' below her. Just then, Applejack burst through the door of the Clubhouse, panting hard. "Applejack!" Applebloom exclaimed as she trotted to her sister worriedly. "What is it sis? Is everything alright?" she questioned her sister. But Applejack wasn't listening to her. "Scootaloo," Applejack rasped then cleared her throat so they could hear her clearly, "You must get to Twilight's castle immediately!" cried out. "Why do I have to go?" Scootaloo asked warily. "Am I in trouble?" "No not all," Applejack assured her. "Well....... okay..... I'll go........" Scootaloo told her, Scoot's disappointment clearly showing. Then Rainbow Dash came zooming in a window and crashed on the floor next to Sweetie Bell. Sweetie yelped with surprise as the rainbow haired pegasus slammed an inch from her legs. Then RD scooped Scootaloo up and flew her to Twilight's castle in 4 seconds flat. "Told you I could get back here in under 5 seconds!" Rainbow gasped, her flanks heaving. Twilight flicked her tail dismissively at Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. (Applejack is obviously still at Sweet Apple Acres.) When they had all left the room Scootaloo was staring at Twilight nervously, wondering why she would have to had to been brought to Twilight's Castle in such a rush. Twilight took a deep breath and began questioning the orange filly. "Have you ever ran away?" Twilight queried. "Ran away from where?" Scootaloo asked, mystified. "From your......... brother?" Twilight boldly demanded after a pause. Scootaloo's eyes stretched wide with fear as she remembered when she had left her brother, never to return. "How....... how do you know about that?" Scoot croaked. "Because, we found your brother," Twilight gently explained. Scootaloo was on her hooves in a heartbeat looking around wildly as if she expected him to walk out from behind the shadows against the walls. "Is Sunny Sky here???" she asked immediately. "He is........ but you might not recognize him......" Twilight told Scootaloo, her voice trailing off. Scoot's stomach churned with fear for her brother. A door behind Scootaloo slowly creaked open and Scoot had whipped around at the first creak. Much to her horror, Scootaloo soon saw a black stallion walk out of the shadows with pitch black mane and piercing green eyes. But behind the hard outer core, Scootaloo could sense a kind of kindness behind the scary. "........ Sunny Sky?" Scootaloo asked hoarsely. "Scootaloo!!!" he joyously answered her. He ran over to her and hugged his sister so tight that Scootaloo had to scramble out of his grip. When Scootaloo looked into his eyes she suddenly could see her brother as he had been. "Sunny Sky!" she cried back happily. "I thought I'd never see you again," he murmured as he brought Scootaloo into a hug. Then he broke the contact and stepped back a few paces. Scootaloo looked at him fondly then turned to Twilight. "How did you find him?" Scootaloo questioned the purple mare. "Well...." Twilight paused, "He found us more like." Twilight then began her story of what had happened after Pinkie Pie had fallen into the hole, up to the point where they had decided to take Icicle and Black to the castle. When Twilight finished Scootaloo was glaring angrily at the wall. "That Dummau will PAY for what he has done!" Scootaloo declared through clenched jaws. "Oh don't worry," Twilight responded, "He'll get what's coming to him. Mark my words. This villain will suffer GREATLY for what he has done to ponies, and dragons, and there's nowhere Dummau can hide from us. Because our fury gives us strength, and nothing in the world can hide from an ALICORN'S sized fury." Twilight finished her speech with tears running down her cheeks as she remembered her best friend, whom would not see his death's revenge in a physical form, but Twilight hoped Spike would be watching from up above, from the peace of heaven. PrologueIt was 4:00 am at the edge of Equestria. It was completely quiet. Nothing stirred except for the wind whispering through the grass. Fog lay thickly over the field that stretched away from the Equestrian border, but this fog was no ordinary fog. It was black. Blacker than the sky above it. The fog floated and in one smooth movement bundled itself into one point over the field and turned into a pegasus. He had a presence in the field, the kind that would make you shiver despite the warm air. The pegasus's eyes glittered coldly as he gazed around. His inspection of the field finally stopped, and he said to himself. "Yes, this is the place......" His voice sounded like flint rubbing over ice, and when he stared at you your skin would prick and you'd wish you were anywhere but there. "This is the perfect place to find more slaves," he muttered. When he said the word "slaves" a scowl of satisfaction fixed itself on his face. Chapter 2 FuneralThe sky was full of gray clouds pouring down rain when Applejack looked up to see if it was about to stop. It had been drizzling when the funeral had started, now you could barely see three feet in front of you. Applejack felt her eyes water up with tears as she recalled how she had found out about Spike's death, then she relived the memory. ~*~ Applejack was buck at a tree, trying to get a stubborn apple to come down. She heard somepony walking towards her and turned around to see heartbroken Twilight with glazed eyes stumbling down the dirt path to the barn. "Twilight!" AJ called out to her. Twilight lifted her head slowly as if she was moving through water. "Hi Applejack...." Twilight wearily answered her greeting. "What happened?" AJ asked in concern as she trotted to Twilight. "Spike died." she answered dully. Applejack stared at her in astonishment. "How did he die?!" AJ asked confused to how a healthy dragon could just die. "Somepony almost murdered him while he slept then a few days later he woke up told me a couple of things then he just........ left......" Twilight eyes grew round with grief and tears fell onto the ground in front of her. "It's okay Sugercube," Applejack rushed to her side to comfort her though, after she spoke the words she heard how empty they sounded. "Come on, let's go to the barn and you can tell us all how it happened," Applejack let Twilight half lean on her on the way to the barn worrying for deprived friend. "Will Twilight be okay after something like this?" AJ questioned herself. She didn't think Twi would. ~*~ Applejack was jerked back to the present when she heard a "THUMP". She strained her eyes in an attempt to see Spike's coffin one last time before his body was buried. She caught a glimpse of his coffin through the never ending rain and again felt the shock of how quick it all happened. AJ felt one of the Princesses shuffle beside her as the hole Spike was in started to get filled with half-dirt-half-mud. When the priest finished speaking everypony went the pavilion and gave Twilight our sympathy as we all left while she stared blankly ahead. She looked as surprised as any of us at the sudden turn of events. Applejack went home with the rest of her family from Ponyville and they all quietly started their chores, completely aware of the new empty hole in their hearts. Author's Note Sorry for the short chapter. I'm not to good at long chapters.
Chapter 1 The Lost FriendTwilight stared across the room her gaze blank, not knowing what to expect. Questions and thoughts of revenge were whirling through her head, she felt like killing the pony who did this. The door to Spike's hospital room creaked open and in almost a second she had sprung out of her chair and galloped across the hallway. Twilight anxiously looked him in the eyes. Twilight bombarded Dr. Stable with questions as soon as he walked solemnly through the door. "How is Spike doing? Is he okay? Will he die from his injuries?" she had a whole flood of questions to ask him but he raised a hoof indicating her to stop. She closed her mouth so he could speak clearly. "I don't know if Spike is going to pull through or not, he lost so much blood he may die from blood loss. Another problem is we don't even know much about dragon's in general. What we do know is ponies who investigated your castle found a heat signature on the floor." At this Twilight felt her heart soar. "I can get my revenge." she thought to herself. She must of done something because Dr. Stable shook his head. "We can't follow the trail because at your castle door the heat signature disappears," he informed her with a saddened shake of his head. "Disappears? DISAPPEARS?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN DISAPPEARS?!?!" Twilight felt her voice growing louder with desperation. "You have to find a way to follow it!!!! I could never live with myself if Spike dies and we don't get revenge for him!!" Twilight felt her eyes start to glisten with tears as she weighed the possibility that Spike could actually die. Dr. Stable rested his hoof on her shoulder as Twilight bowed her head in grief. "Don't worry Twilight, the entire hospital is working no less than their best to save him," Dr. Stable stated firmly. "Twilight," his eyes softened, "if Spike does die then we will make sure he feels no pain when his time comes,". He said this just as he lifted Twilight's chin with his hoof and look her in eyes reassuringly. "But I don't know how I could ever live without him......." Twilight croaked her voice fading away. "He-he means everything to me......." Twilight sadly gazed at the wall, memories flitting through her eyes. "It's okay Twilight it's okay...." Dr. Stable murmured sadly. "There's still a chance he'll pull through, Spike's a healthy dragon. He's already fought of the infection in his wound's." Dr. Stable informed her trying to see the bright side of things. Twilight must have taken this statement the wrong way because then her sadness gave way to rage, uncontrollable rage. "QUIT ACTING LIKE HE'S GOING TO DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Twilight spat, "SPIKE WON'T DIE, HE CAN'T DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she threw her last few words over her shoulder as she cantered into Spike's room and sat down beside his bed. Twilight sat there for a few minutes aware that each shallow breath he breathed could be his last. Then she whispered "Spike, please don't leave us, don't leave me....." her voice cracked as she spoke and hot tears started to flow out of her eyes. "Spike, please......." Twilight murmured, deep in grief. "Twi....light.....?" a voice shakily asked her. Then Twilight recognized it. It was Spike's voice!!! Twilight's head shot up, her grief forgotten. "SPIKE!!!!!!" Twilight called out with joy. "Your alive!!!!!!!!" "What.......happened.....?" Spike asked her even though he felt like he couldn't get the words out. "Somepony almost murdered you in your sleep that's what." Twilight growled angrily. "Don't say..... 'almost'....... yet....." Spike told her with the realization that he could tell he was going to leave Twilight soon. "What do you mean, 'Don't say almost yet'?" Twilight demanded, fearful of his answer. "Twi.... you know that I won't be around for much longer........." Spike breathlessly told her confirming her fears. "SPIKE!!!! DON'T THINK LIKE THAT!!!!!" Twilight shrieked, even though deep down she knew he was right. But she wouldn't believe him. She couldn't. "Spike, please don't leave me! There's still so much we have to do!!" Twilight begged. "I'm sorry........ but it's not my choice......... if I get to live any longer........" His heart monitor started to beep quicker. "I know you don't want me to leave........ but I can't cling on any longer.......... I love you........" Twilight couldn't bear to listen any longer as started to die right in front of her. "I'll get Dr. Stable!! He'll help you!!!" Twilight wailed to her dying friend, and what seemed like, her son. Twilight raced out of Spike's room and called out to Dr. Stable in grief. He came running with some nurses as soon as she uttered his name. Dr. Stable and his nurses called out to each other but Twilight didn't hear them clearly. "Spike is really dying......" she thought to herself, becoming blind by the tears that were streaming out of her eyes in grief to deep for anypony to drag her out of. "He's really dying........" she soberly whispered. "WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY, SPIKE, WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Twilight wailed her grief out to the whole world not caring who heard her. Spike was dead. Author's Note Sorry that I killed of Spike guys, you'll understand that reason later.
Chapter 3 "He" shows himselfTwilight stumbled back to her library after the funeral, to lost in thought to teleport herself. She opened the door and sat down in the middle of the room and stared numbly at the wall. "He's really gone...." she murmured in a barely audible voice that cracked with grief. "Why did you have to leave me Spike....?" she questioned his spirit half-hoping for an answer but no voice answered her question. Somepony knocked on Twilight's door. "Come in," she wearily told the pony outside. The door opened but the only thing she saw was a black fog pressed against the door frame. Then she heard the fog whisper. "Hello Twilight," the voice said in way so that she wanted to cover her ears from the flinty voice. "Can you guess who I am?" Twilight could distinguish that the voice was male now. "Come on," he urged her, "You should remember me and what I did to you," his voice got threateningly soft, "What I did to SPIKE,". At this Twilight froze as she remembered the night she woke up to find Spike was dying..... ~*~ Twilight was having a bad dream, she heard someone screaming in pain and shock but no matter how hard or far she ran she couldn't find them. Then she struggled into wakefulness as they let out another wail of anguish. Twilight shot out of her bed as she recognized the cries were coming from Spike. "SPIKE!!!!" she screeched as she reached his side and saw blood pooling around his body. "Help...." he pleaded feebly. "Don't worry Spike, I'll get help!!! Hang in there!!" Twilight said in a voice growing high pitched with panic. "Can't..... need.... help..... now....." he uttered softly his voice trailing off. Twilight called the hospital and told them what happened as fast as she could and they told her they'll be there shortly. "SPIKE!!!" Twilight called out as his eyes started to close,"Stay awake!! Help is on the way!!! STAY WITH ME SPIKE!!!" Twilight's voice was growing hoarse with fear for her injured friend. Just then her door swung open and Dr. Stable with a few nurses came in and dragged him onto a stretcher. They rolled him into their hospital cart and a burly stallion attached to it galloped in the direction of the hospital. Twilight didn't make an attempt to follow them she just stayed at her door thinking about what had happened, the big question on her mind was,"What was that fog, and is it the one who hurt Spike?" she asked silently. With that, Twilight started to walk to the hospital. ~*~ A laugh of pure cruelty jerked out of her depressing thoughts, "Haha! I can see how I have scarred you Twilight. How I enjoy other ponies pain and suffering!" The fog turned into a dark gray stallion with pitch black mane, and his dark green eyes gleamed triumphantly. "Why did you kill Spike," Twilight choked out. "To hurt YOU of course!" he retorted. "I was at first not sure who to kill, but then, I saw how CLOSE you and Spike were," the stallion added smugly. "Then, I chose a moonless night to slip in quietly, make the kill, and move out. While at the same time puzzling you by staying in the door frame. It was the best plan I have ever come up with!" "So why did you not just flat out kill him that night?" Twilight queried, her voice full of the pain she experienced that night while her eyes shone with sadness. "Because I knew how much more it would pain you for Spike to die an excruciatingly slow and painful death," he stated in a knowing whisper. "I KNEW that you held him so dearly to your heart. You shouldn't have shown me that," his voice turned threatening, "Spike would still be alive and well if you hadn't shown me how much you LOVE him. As a son. It's YOUR fault he died, and you know it. Try and find me for your revenge, I dare you......" the stallions voice faded away as he turn into the fog and his softly threatening voice wafted down too her as she stared at him, "I will be waiting........" was the last sibilate he said before drifting into the sky. "WAIT!" Twilight yowled after him her rage bubbling over. "Come down here and fight me you coward!!" she screeched, but found herself calling to thin air. The fog had disappeared. But she still felt his invisible presence, and she heard him murmur, "Call me..... The Black Fog........" and then his presence left, and Twilight was alone in the room once again. Author's Note So, intimidating? I LIKE intimidating, so get used to it........ JUST KIDDING! Hope I didn't freak you out for a second there.
Chapter 4 RevengeRainbow Dash was soaring happily through the clouds, not really caring who saw her. Then she heard somepony caterwauling in a mix of fear and anger. She glided to the ground in front of Twilight's castle and knocked, with a pang of grief she reminded herself that Spike wouldn't be coming to answer the door. Twilight burst the door open and Dash noticed a gleam of anger in her eyes, also with a trace of revenge. "Twilight, are you alright?" she asked hesitantly. "Never better," Twilight snapped back. "Get AJ, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie. NOW," she added forcefully. "Okay! Okay! You don't need to bite my head off!" RD grumbled to herself as she zoomed off with Twilight's gaze piercing her back until she couldn't see her anymore. ~20 minutes later~ After everypony was in the main room in Twilight's castle and they had all sat down comfortably Twilight launched into the account of what had happened with the pony calling himself The Black Fog. Rainbow giggled slightly when Twilight go to the part where the fog spoke. "Really?" she asked, "Twilight, fog can't speak," she informed her dryly. "Even a non-egghead like me knows that,". "Well somehow, this can. Probably because it turns out this fog is actually A PONY. He also told me, STRAIGHT. TO. MY. FACE. That he was the one who killed Spike, so, get used to it," Twilight added savagely. "Wait, Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! FOG killed Spike? That makes no sense," RD told Twi confusedly. "Be quiet an' listen to Twi's story!" AJ snapped, silencing her. Twilight cast Applejack a grateful glance and continued her story. When Twilight finished everypony's jaws were gaping in amazement. They sat there for a minute, to stunned to speak. Then, Fluttershy spoke the thought weighing in all of their minds, "If this fog is killing for the fun of it, and since it can come and go like that," as she said that Flutter's clapped her hooves once and then queried, "How do we contain it?" "I don't know," Twilight murmured, her new found vigor swamped by her former exhaustion. The task ahead suddenly seeming very heavy and Twilight feeling very small under it's immense weight. "Wait a minute," Rarity raised a hoof to stop their hopes from plummeting, "I think I have an idea," she stated as the beginnings of a plan started to form in her mind. "Well what is it?" Pinkie asked Rarity excitedly while bouncing around her chair. "Does it involve cake? Or maybe ice-cream? OOHH!!!! I get it now!!" she said thoughtfully, "I must be CUPCAKES!!!" Pinkie reported happily. "No, Pinkie," Rarity said annoyed, "It does use any of those. Or ANY types of sweets for that matter, THIS is the plan," she announced as she drew them into a huddle so no pony could hear them and started to whisper while they nodded to show they understood. When Rarity finished Twilight exclaimed, "This is a brilliant plan!!" then she hung her head sadly as Twilight remembered seeing Spike in his final moments, and how she had been helpless to come to his aid. "Spike must blame me for his death," she murmured, then a new determination sparked in Twilight's eye's. "I may not have been able to save him, but I can avenge him, with this plan," she declared. "Let's just hope it's good enough," Rarity responded grimly. Then they all exited the castle and began fanning out in different directions to search for The Black Fog. The pony who killed their best friend, Spike.
Chapter 5 The Black Fog's lairA black mist, no, FOG, swirled around the hooves of a stallion as he slowly trotted to the center of a network of tunnels while his eyes gleamed dark and foreboding in the never ending darkness. He sat down for a minute to catch his breath and took a scan of his surroundings. "It's almost time," he growled under his breath to a mare who had met up with him a few tunnels before. "I know Black Fog," she answered him stiffly. Then they came into a cave where the ceiling arched high above their heads and a three foot long hole in the top of it cast dim moonlight into the pitch black space. Straight under the hole, where the moonlight was brightest, a stallion was sitting on a long couch with a mug of coffee in one hoof while he held a newspaper in the other. All of a sudden he slammed the newspaper onto the table in front of him and started to rip it to sheds just as the pair stepped in front of him and dipped their heads respectfully to him. "Ah, my slaves have arrived I see," he looked mockingly at them as a fragment of moonlight revealed their bones, stark against their rippling skin. Another sign of how poorly he was treating them, they had scars laced across their bodies from muzzle to hooves. Then, Black stepped forward and bowed his head. When he lifted his head and stared steadily into the other stallion's eyes you could see that his eyes actually didn't gleam menacingly. His eyes actually looked haunted, frightened, and even scared. But you can tell he isn't scared for himself. Black looked the other stallion and asked desperately, "How much longer are you keeping my family hostage Dummau?". "I'll let them free them when I feel like it!" Dummau snapped back, "Or, would you rather I dropped them in the vat of acid?" he added threateningly. "NO!! DON'T DROP THEM IN THERE!!!!" Black pleaded, horrified at the thought of them being killed in cold blood because of his own actions. Dummau cackled happily at the power he held over all of his 'slaves'. "Good slave," he said smoothly as he turned away from Black and disappeared into the tunnel in front of him. Black gritted his teeth and spat at the entrance to the tunnel angrily. "I know it hurts," the mare murmured, "But giving him the reaction he wants will only provoke him to do it more," she added forcefully. "I know Icicle," Black closed his eyes as he press himself against her bony, yet, reassuring frame, "I don't what I would do without you," "I don't know what either of us would do without the other," Icicle answered as she pulled him into a hug. "Besides, it's Dummau's fault that we both got our power's and captured us," she added trying to lighten the load of guilt that she know's is there. Black knew that she was trying to do that. "You know I'll ALWAYS, feel guilty for what has happened to us," he sighed unhappily. "The next time that we see our families.......... will be heaven............ if we even go to there instead of the other place.........." Black's eyes started to water up with tears and Icicle wiped them away. "I know that we've been forced to do some very bad things lately. But inside, we both have good hearts. That should be enough for us, and isn't dying better than working for Dummau?" she gently inquired. Black moved out of her grasp and stared at the wall behind Icicle, his eyes glazed with fear and sadness. "I need time to think," he stuttered and fled down a tunnel. "Oh Black," she sighed, "Why can't you let somepony into your life....." she questioned the air he left behind. But she already knew the answer. It's because he's afraid he'll hurt somepony, and one day, he will........ Author's Note HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I TRICKED YOU ALL INTO THINKING THAT THE BLACK FOG IS THE BAD GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT HE ISN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter 6 The Truth of The Black FogPinkie was just randomly bouncing around the others of the Main 6 while they were talking about The Black Fog, like she always does. Then Pinkie Pie stepped on a patch of leaves and fell down a hole that the leaves had been concealing. "PINKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" they all screeched simultaneously. "I'm okay!!!!" came the excited voice from below. "Hey, you should all come down here. It's really spooky," she added in a playful tone. Twilight and the others shared a look of uncertainty and Twilight shrugged and they all jumped into the hole. Inside the hole it was cold and damp unlike how warm and sunny it was two feet above them. "Celestia's death, it's cold down here!" Rarity exclaimed. "Also, your right Pinkie." Rainbow told her, "It is spooky here. I feeling like something is watching us......." her voice trailed away and Rainbow gasped as if in pain. The others followed her gaze but couldn't see anything. Rainbow started to shake uncontrollably. "Those eyes!" she croaked before falling limply to the floor. "Rainbow!!!!" Fluttershy darted forward to their friends side. After thoroughly checking Rainbow Dash over she concluded, "I think she'll be okay. But she won't be able to go any further." she added with a waver to her voice. The rest of them looked at the two pegasi with concern. "Okay," Twilight said quietly, "But under one condition," Twilight paused and Fluttershy nodding telling Twilight that she would accept the condition. "Both of you have to leave this hole," stated firmly. "Alright," Fluttershy sighed. Then Twilight carefully levitated Rainbow Dash through the hole and Fluttershy flew up after while casting a reluctant glance at her friends that were still in the hole. Twilight watched them leave and then shook herself like she had a flea in her fur and trotted down the tunnel with the rest of them following her. After walking for what they guessed was ten minutes the four ponies heard pained shrieking from up ahead, accompanied with the sound of a rope hitting flesh. Twilight motioned for them to be extra quiet and slowly crept forward until she could see what was happening. As soon as the mares saw the scene in front of them they couldn't believe their eyes. Just ten yards in front of them, a chestnut colored pony held a lash in one hoof and was hitting another pony while snarling harshly. The four mares eyes widen when they recognized that the pony the chestnut stallion was hitting was The Black Fog. The Black Fog let out another anguished wail as the rope connected with flesh yet again. Twilight could tell that this wasn't a trick and The Black Fog was really in a lot of pain. The chestnut stallion kept lashing The Black Fog until his screams lowered to whimpers and until The Black Fog finally went unconscious. The mares felt like they were going to be sick as the stallion whispered in The Black Fog's ear. "Good slave," he muttered, "You can never escape the grasp, of Dammau." he added menacingly. The four mares backed away until Dummau couldn't hear them and they all fled back to the hole where they could get out. When they finally pulled up under the hole, breathless, Twilight spoke what they were all thinking. "The Black Fog isn't actually evil," she murmured in a low voice, "He's being mind controlled by Dummau." then she added, "And there's nothing we can do about it........"
Chapter 7 New-Found Allies Chapter 7 New-Found Allies The Black Fog and his companion, Icicle, were slowly walking through a tunnel. The Black Fog was leaning heavily on Icicle and he had fresh scars from muzzle to hooves that still oozed blood. Black let out a moan of pain as Icicle's tail accidentally swished over one of the most painful scars. "Black, are you sure that your going to be okay this time?" Icicle asked her eyes glittering with concern. "I'll manage as far as......... we have to go," he croaked weakly. Icicle frowned at how sick Black sounded and how slow he was walking, compared to his normal brisk pace. Soon the two were approaching the hole they used to go in and out of the tunnels when they heard voices whispering in concerned tones. Black pricked his ears and could tell that there were at least four ponies talking. "I don't know," one of them murmured in a low voice, "He could have been trying to trick us." Who in the world is 'he'? Icicle wondered. "I think we should wait and watch," another declared, "When The Black Fog shows himself then maybe we can ask him if that stallion was actually hurting him." Black had to stifle a gasp of horror that they had seen Dummau giving him the daily lashes. Icicle gave Black the 'lets tell them were here so they can help you' look. He shook his head and gave her the 'they know I killed Spike and will kill me as payback' look. Icicle grinned mischievously and The Black Fog knew what that meant. Icicle's going to let the four ponies know that Black and her are there. Black mentally face-hoofed. Black rolled his eyes at her and mouthed 'fine'. Icicle then purposely kicked a stone and it made a loud 'clack' as it bounced further along the pathway. "Who's there?" one of the ponies called out. Black leaned against Icicle again and hoof-step by hoof-step they slowly walked along the stone path until the two reached the other ponies. In the short time it had taken them to get to the hole in the roof, Black had fallen unconscious from the pain in his wounds and the effort of walking. When Icicle became visible to the ponies, practically carrying The Black Fog the four mares gasped in amazement. "Why are you helping him?" a purple colored pony asked Icicle. She recognized the pony as Twilight Sparkle from Black's descriptions. Icicle crouched down to let Black slowly fall off her shoulders and then she stood up straight with her chin lifted high. "I'm helping Black because he's a friend," she glanced back at where he was lying down on the ground, "a good friend." Icicle purposely lingered on the word 'good'. The four mares blinked in surprise. "Why have you shown yourselves to us?" Twilight asked. "Because that stallion that was hurting Black is Dummau. He gave him too many of the daily lashes today and I don't have any medicine to treat his wounds with," Icicle stated flatly. "Wait, DAILY, lashes?" Twilight and her friends gasped, suddenly scared for the number of ponies Dummau was hurting daily. "Yes, daily," Icicle answered them. "Please help my friend," Icicle pleaded again with a note of desperation in her voice. "And you don't even like Dummau?" Twilight questioned Icicle. "You think I do?" Icicle snorted. Twilight mentally hit herself. How could anypony like someone who likes what Dummau was doing? "But," Icicle stopped Twilight before she said anything else, "We will be your allies. None of us who works for Dummau likes him because he mind controls us to do his bidding." "Celestia will kill me for this......." Twilight muttered, her voice trailing away. "Fine. I accept being your ally. Your a brave pony." Twilight told her formally and then said "And I'll help you and The Black Fog defeat Dummau."
Chapter 8 Twilight's CastleIcicle watched as two of the four mares carefully lifted The Black Fog out of the hole and as they lifted the others out to. When Twilight and the pony Rarity tried to lift Icicle out she stopped them abruptly with a hoof. "I can get out by myself," Icicle told them stiffly. Twilight shrugged and flew out of the hole and Rarity levitated herself out. Icicle focused her ice blue eyes on the hole two feet above her head, then she sprang and landed neatly next to the hole above-ground. Then Icicle grabbed a few hoof-fulls of leaves and quickly twined them together a placed the cover over the hole and followed Twilight as they began trotting toward her castle in Ponyville. ~Four Hours Later~ The Black Fog slowly opened his eyes, surprised to find that the fresh scratches that Dummau had created weren't stinging as badly. Black slowly propped himself up with a moan of pain on what felt like a bed and wondered if this was another one of Dummau's illusions. The door to the bedroom slowly creaked open and Icicle wearily walked in. Her eyes drooped as though she was to tired to put one hoof in front of the other and her hooves dragged on the sparkling floor. When Icicle saw Black was sitting as upright as he could she rushed over to him, her weariness forgotten. "Black!!!! Your okay!!!!!" Icicle exclaimed joyously. "What happened? How did we get here?" Black murmured groggily. "You remember that pony, Twilight?" Icicle inquired. At this Black's head drooped with shame. Icicle's gaze softened as she continued. "She and her friends brought us to her castle so that we could recover." Black looked closer at his friends pelt and noticed that she had bandages covering her scratches and the stench of infection in both of their wounds had lowered. "So they're going to help us stop Dummau?" Black asked, perking up a little a the thought of slicing knives through his enemy's flesh. "Don't get ahead of yourself," Icicle cautioned her friend, "First your body has to finished fighting off the infection in your wounds then you have to rest for a few days and eat well," she explained. "But Dummau could be killing ponies while we're sitting on our tail's doing nothing!" Black exclaimed indignantly. "We know that, but the only way we stand a chance at stopping him is if we're at our full strength," Icicle informed him with a note a her old weariness in her voice. "But..... But......" Black started to protest but his voice was interrupted with a couple of yawns. "Shh, it's okay" Icicle murmured to Black, stroking his flank as he slowly fell asleep, whimpering slightly. When Black was asleep Icicle stalked stiffly out of the room and trotted toward the throne room of the castle. Just as Icicle got to the door, she heard a raging yell come from Twilight inside the room. "Why am i even letting them stay here?!?!" Twilight was shrieking angrily. "Twilight," a soft voice spoke up, "I think you might want to um.... try to control your rage," Fluttershy whispered uncertainly. "I AM CONTROLLING MY RAGE!!!!!" Twilight screeched back. Icicle heard Fluttershy let out a scared whimper and Icicle could just imagine Fluttershy pressing herself to the castle floors. "Twilight!" an indignant voice piped up, "Why are you yelling at Fluttershy?" Rarity boldly spoke out. "You shouldn't be yelling at anyone," Rarity stated simply. Icicle peered through a crack in the door and saw Twilight's bloodshot eyes begin to relax. Twilight stretched out a hoof to Fluttershy as a gesture of asking for forgiveness and she accepted with a shaky look and Applejack pressed herself against Fluttershy to comfort her. "I just..... I just...... I really just want Spike back....." with that Twilight's knee's buckled and she fell to the floor sobbing. The other five rushed up to her and started a comfort group hug. "I just want Spike back!!!!!!!" Twilight wailed in grieve from the midst of them. "I NEED SPIKE TO COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Icicle started to back away from the door as she realized that this wasn't about her and Black escaping the grasp of Dummau. It's about Twilight's best friend/son, being dead. The ripples of his death touching the lives of hundreds. Icicle could then confirm the one thought in all of their minds: Spike was dead and there's nothing they could do about it.
Chapter 9 The Black Fog's BackstoryTwilight and her friends walked solemnly through the twisting paths of her castle. Even the normally bouncing Pinkie Pie was trotting quietly along with the others. The six ponies entered a hallway with many doors and they soon came to a halt beside a very sterile looking white door. Twilight took a deep breath and with as much courage as she could muster, Twilight swung open the doors to the room where The Black Fog was staying. The Black Fog was staring at the wall blankly when Twilight abruptly opened the door and didn't look the least bit surprised that she had came in the room. "What did Dummau do to you? Why did you and Icicle accept our help so easily? Why did you kill Spike?" Twilight blurted out demandingly. "I should have known you would have asked me these questions sooner or later....." Black sighed unhappily. "The best way to answer your questions is for me to tell you my backstory." Twilight looked surprised by this suggestion, but nodded her head indicating for Black to start. Black took a deep breath and started. "Well, when I was a young stallion, I was trotting through a small stretch of the Everfree Forest....." ~*~ A young stallion slowly walked through a meadow and as he made it to the top of the rise his shimmering gold eyes caught the sunlight and his dark chestnut fur glimmered. When he looked at you his gaze felt warm and happy. He could see a small area of the Everfree Forest looming a few yards of in front of himself. He shivered in fear of the animals that lived there. But the stallion knew he was in to big a hurry to go around the outskirts of the area that stretched away from the rest of the Everfree Forest. In a heartbeat he decided to go straight through stretch of land so that he could go to where he needed quicker. He took a deep breath and warily walked into the shadows of the ugly trees. The stallion tried to keep away from the long grasses that were soaked in dew but failed and he shivered with cold as they brushed against his coat, soaking him. Soon the stallion thought he saw the end of the trees, but to his disappointment it was just a small clearing with a sickly fungus that seemed to give off its own light. "Hello," a sinister voice murmured. "Who are you?" the stallion asked shakily. Then he saw the silhouette of a muscular stallion, with piercing ice-blue eyes were the only things the chestnut stallion could make out. "Hello Sunny Sky," the strange stallion whispered menacingly. "How do you know my name?" Sunny Sky whispered back. "Because," the stallion told Sunny raising his voice, "I have been watching you." The stallion swept on ignoring Sunny's gasp of fear. "You could prove.... useful, to me," the stallion hissed, showing his mangled teeth at Sunny. Then the stallion brushed some leaf mulch away from the ground under his hoof and uncover a red button. Sunny, who was frozen in fear, didn't have time to move and a net fell on top of him and forced him to the ground. When Sunny was flat on the ground, the stallion pushed the button again, except this time the net formed a circle around Sunny and lifted him seven feet of the ground and at the same time, electricuting him. When the net had successfully lifted Sunny of the ground, with him inside it, he suddenly felt a dull ache in his head which in a few seconds, had heightened to a frightful pain. Sunny screamed in agony as felt something changing inside himself. He looked at his hooves and realized that he could see his blood vessels more clearly than before. Then through all of his pain and shock, passed out. ~ Four Hours Later ~ Sunny felt himself waking up and through a haze of pain, opened his eyes. He was greeted with a bright light two feet above his head and what he thought was restraints keeping him stuck to a table. With a feeling of dread he recognized the table as a surgical table. His stomach felt empty, confirming how much time had passed. Then Sunny Sky felt a jolt of fear as he saw the strange stallion sitting a few feet away, watching him intently. "Who are you?" Sunny whispered in a scared tone. "Don't worry little pony," the stallion told him arrogantly, "I just need you for a certain.... experiment." Sunny's grew round with horror at the thoughts of what 'experiment' could mean for himself. He tried to no avail at tearing his hooves away from the restraints as the stallion came so close that Sunny could feel his breath on his cheek. "Remember this," the stallion whispered to Sunny as he picked up a syringe off of the table Sunny was on, "You will forever be a slave..... of Dummau. Your name and everything about will be about ME. You will be MY slave...... And your name, is The Black Fog...." With that, Dummau plunged the syringe deep into Sunny's flesh and you could hear his horrible tormented screech from a mile away. Then, blackness. It was comforting, Sunny thought. But the quiet didn't last long and when Sunny Sky woke up, he was horribly changed..... ~*~ Twilight and her friends jaws were gasp in fear and bewilderment when The Black Fog finished his complicated story about where he came from. Twilight herself had completely forgotten about her demand of 'Why did you kill Spike?' "Also when I woke up I looked like this," Black added uncomfortably. "But where were you going?" Fluttershy nervously asked. "You mentioned being in a hurry to go somewhere...." her voice quivered hoping he hadn't been going someplace bad. "Oh..... um...." Black stuttered then let out a long sigh, "Before Dummau found me, I had been going to Ponyville....." his voice trailed of and his eyes glimmered sadly and tears threatened to overwhelm him. Fluttershy got up and sat down next to him and pressed herself against his still thin coat. "My only sibling had just gone missing and had been missing for a couple of weeks," Black said in between sobs quietly , so quietly only Fluttershy could hear him. Fluttershy's eyes grew round with shock. "What was their name?" Fluttershy gently whispered to him. "Her name?" Black asked as if he couldn't hear her. Fluttershy nodded concern shone brightly in her eyes. "Her name," he hiccuped, "was Scootaloo."
Chapter 10 Scootaloo Finds her FamilyScootaloo watched attentively as Sweetie Bell importantly walked up to the podium in the Clubhouse. "Applebloom," Sweetie called out as she started role call. "Here!" Applebloom responded loudly. "Scootaloo," she called again. "Here!" Scootaloo replied. Then Sweetie's eye sparkled with mischief. "Sweetie Bell," she called and then ran over to Scootaloo and sat next to her. "Here!" Sweetie answered back to an invisible version of herself on the podium. "Great! Everyone's here!" Sweetie told Applebloom and Scootaloo as she walked back to the podium. "Now, we must start our cutie mark trials for today!" she announced to the 'crowd' below her. Just then, Applejack burst through the door of the Clubhouse, panting hard. "Applejack!" Applebloom exclaimed as she trotted to her sister worriedly. "What is it sis? Is everything alright?" she questioned her sister. But Applejack wasn't listening to her. "Scootaloo," Applejack rasped then cleared her throat so they could hear her clearly, "You must get to Twilight's castle immediately!" cried out. "Why do I have to go?" Scootaloo asked warily. "Am I in trouble?" "No not all," Applejack assured her. "Well....... okay..... I'll go........" Scootaloo told her, Scoot's disappointment clearly showing. Then Rainbow Dash came zooming in a window and crashed on the floor next to Sweetie Bell. Sweetie yelped with surprise as the rainbow haired pegasus slammed an inch from her legs. Then RD scooped Scootaloo up and flew her to Twilight's castle in 4 seconds flat. "Told you I could get back here in under 5 seconds!" Rainbow gasped, her flanks heaving. Twilight flicked her tail dismissively at Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. (Applejack is obviously still at Sweet Apple Acres.) When they had all left the room Scootaloo was staring at Twilight nervously, wondering why she would have to had to been brought to Twilight's Castle in such a rush. Twilight took a deep breath and began questioning the orange filly. "Have you ever ran away?" Twilight queried. "Ran away from where?" Scootaloo asked, mystified. "From your......... brother?" Twilight boldly demanded after a pause. Scootaloo's eyes stretched wide with fear as she remembered when she had left her brother, never to return. "How....... how do you know about that?" Scoot croaked. "Because, we found your brother," Twilight gently explained. Scootaloo was on her hooves in a heartbeat looking around wildly as if she expected him to walk out from behind the shadows against the walls. "Is Sunny Sky here???" she asked immediately. "He is........ but you might not recognize him......" Twilight told Scootaloo, her voice trailing off. Scoot's stomach churned with fear for her brother. A door behind Scootaloo slowly creaked open and Scoot had whipped around at the first creak. Much to her horror, Scootaloo soon saw a black stallion walk out of the shadows with pitch black mane and piercing green eyes. But behind the hard outer core, Scootaloo could sense a kind of kindness behind the scary. "........ Sunny Sky?" Scootaloo asked hoarsely. "Scootaloo!!!" he joyously answered her. He ran over to her and hugged his sister so tight that Scootaloo had to scramble out of his grip. When Scootaloo looked into his eyes she suddenly could see her brother as he had been. "Sunny Sky!" she cried back happily. "I thought I'd never see you again," he murmured as he brought Scootaloo into a hug. Then he broke the contact and stepped back a few paces. Scootaloo looked at him fondly then turned to Twilight. "How did you find him?" Scootaloo questioned the purple mare. "Well...." Twilight paused, "He found us more like." Twilight then began her story of what had happened after Pinkie Pie had fallen into the hole, up to the point where they had decided to take Icicle and Black to the castle. When Twilight finished Scootaloo was glaring angrily at the wall. "That Dummau will PAY for what he has done!" Scootaloo declared through clenched jaws. "Oh don't worry," Twilight responded, "He'll get what's coming to him. Mark my words. This villain will suffer GREATLY for what he has done to ponies, and dragons, and there's nowhere Dummau can hide from us. Because our fury gives us strength, and nothing in the world can hide from an ALICORN'S sized fury." Twilight finished her speech with tears running down her cheeks as she remembered her best friend, whom would not see his death's revenge in a physical form, but Twilight hoped Spike would be watching from up above, from the peace of heaven.
PrologueIt was 4:00 am at the edge of Equestria. It was completely quiet. Nothing stirred except for the wind whispering through the grass. Fog lay thickly over the field that stretched away from the Equestrian border, but this fog was no ordinary fog. It was black. Blacker than the sky above it. The fog floated and in one smooth movement bundled itself into one point over the field and turned into a pegasus. He had a presence in the field, the kind that would make you shiver despite the warm air. The pegasus's eyes glittered coldly as he gazed around. His inspection of the field finally stopped, and he said to himself. "Yes, this is the place......" His voice sounded like flint rubbing over ice, and when he stared at you your skin would prick and you'd wish you were anywhere but there. "This is the perfect place to find more slaves," he muttered. When he said the word "slaves" a scowl of satisfaction fixed itself on his face.
Chapter 2 FuneralThe sky was full of gray clouds pouring down rain when Applejack looked up to see if it was about to stop. It had been drizzling when the funeral had started, now you could barely see three feet in front of you. Applejack felt her eyes water up with tears as she recalled how she had found out about Spike's death, then she relived the memory. ~*~ Applejack was buck at a tree, trying to get a stubborn apple to come down. She heard somepony walking towards her and turned around to see heartbroken Twilight with glazed eyes stumbling down the dirt path to the barn. "Twilight!" AJ called out to her. Twilight lifted her head slowly as if she was moving through water. "Hi Applejack...." Twilight wearily answered her greeting. "What happened?" AJ asked in concern as she trotted to Twilight. "Spike died." she answered dully. Applejack stared at her in astonishment. "How did he die?!" AJ asked confused to how a healthy dragon could just die. "Somepony almost murdered him while he slept then a few days later he woke up told me a couple of things then he just........ left......" Twilight eyes grew round with grief and tears fell onto the ground in front of her. "It's okay Sugercube," Applejack rushed to her side to comfort her though, after she spoke the words she heard how empty they sounded. "Come on, let's go to the barn and you can tell us all how it happened," Applejack let Twilight half lean on her on the way to the barn worrying for deprived friend. "Will Twilight be okay after something like this?" AJ questioned herself. She didn't think Twi would. ~*~ Applejack was jerked back to the present when she heard a "THUMP". She strained her eyes in an attempt to see Spike's coffin one last time before his body was buried. She caught a glimpse of his coffin through the never ending rain and again felt the shock of how quick it all happened. AJ felt one of the Princesses shuffle beside her as the hole Spike was in started to get filled with half-dirt-half-mud. When the priest finished speaking everypony went the pavilion and gave Twilight our sympathy as we all left while she stared blankly ahead. She looked as surprised as any of us at the sudden turn of events. Applejack went home with the rest of her family from Ponyville and they all quietly started their chores, completely aware of the new empty hole in their hearts. Author's Note Sorry for the short chapter. I'm not to good at long chapters.
