Two Brothers

It had been five days since the four ponies began construction of Broken Shard and Light Speed's new house with a little help from Applebloom on certain days. The entire project was going very smoothly and it was beginning to look very nice. The brothers appreciated the help of Applejack and her two siblings greatly. Light Speed however would occasionally sneak away and goof off with Applebloom until Broken Shard would drag him back to the construction site. Sometimes Broken couldn't tell if his brother was still a foal or not.

Despite the low attention span of Light Speed, Broken was impressed with the amount of work that everypony was able to do. Big Macintosh was a great help in lifting the heavy things, Applejack was also very hardy and strong, while Applebloom would help out with the little things when needed. Light Speed could reach up in the high parts of the construction and Broken, himself, would apply his magic when he wasn't helping Applejack form the design.

Today was another day of work, until Light Speed noticed something strange.

"Hey Applejack! How do you get your cutie mark to do that?" Light asked in awe.

"Pardon?" Applejack turned her head.

Everypony looked to see Applejack's cutie mark was glowing.

"Looks like Ah've got to go. Sorry Broken Shard, Light Speed." Applejack sighed. "We'll have to pick up tomorrow Ah'll see y'all later!" Applejack said hastily before dashing away.

"Bye Applejack! Good luck with whatever you have to do this time!" Applebloom called.

Broken Shard just looked at his brother to see that they mirrored the same look of confusion. Then Light spoke up.

"Do we know when she'll be back?"

"Nope." Big Mac replied.

"Is she gonna go do something super important?"

"Yup."

"Oh oh! Wanna play twenty questions?"

"Nope."

Broken covered his brothers mouth before he could ask anymore questions.

"Okay, what's going on?" Broken asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Applebloom asked.

The brothers just looked at the filly in confusion.

"I know you guys are new to Ponyville and all, but this is like basic info. Applejack is one of the elements of harmony an-"

Broken's eyes widened, "What?!"

"Mmff!?" Light Speed repeated.

"Yeah, best friends with the princess of friendship and everything!" Applebloom stated proudly. "So because of her role, she has to go solve friendship problems. When her cutie mark glows, it means she's summoned to the castle to meet with Princess Twilight. There, she finds out where she has to go. Same thing for the other elements."

"Wow..."

"Mmf..."

"So in other words, it's Tuesday." Applebloom finished.

Applebloom said something about meeting with her fellow Crusaders and Big Mac decided to go home leaving Broken and Light to cruse around Ponyville for a while. After all, they hadn't seen much of the town yet.

"So Broken, what do you wanna do first?" Light hopped around his walking brother.

"I'd say we could go to that shop called Sugarcube Corner, but we don't have bits." Broken replied.

"Anywhere we can go without spending bits?" Light asked.

"Don't think so, no. Our only real option would be to browse. We should get to know Ponyville anyways considering ya know, we live here."

"Good point."

The two of them walked around Ponyville for a few hours, taking in all the sights.

" -so when we finally found our house, it was on fi-" Light Speed was talking to another pony before Broken Shard had tackled him to the ground and covered his mouth.

"Eheh, sorry 'bout that. Little brothers ya know." Broken dragged Light Speed away from a very confused stallion. "Always saying crazy things. Ahahaha."

"So you're telling me... That you spent that bit I found on the ground... On ice cream...?"

"Yes." Light smiled before licking his chocolate ice cream cone.

Broken Shard's eye twitched before he raised his hoof in the air and slammed it on Light's cone, causing it to fall on the ground and break.

"Awww..."

"When my brother was a foal, he was really lonely. So one day he started collecting rocks and naming them.  It was so adorably sad." Light Speed chuckled.

The three mares that Light was talking to all let out an endearing 'Awww'.

"LIGHT SPEED!" Broken's cheeks turned a shade of bright red.

"YOU SPENT THAT SECOND BIT I FOUND ON ICE CREAM?!"

"I sure did! And you aren't knocking it out of my hooves this time!" Light yelled as he flew into the air.

Broken Shard used his magic to obliterate the ice cream cone into ashes.

"NO! You killed Kreamy! You bastard!"

"We should probably head back to Sweet Apple Acres." Broken Shard spoke

"I like that idea. I've had enough of you crushing my flavoured frozen dream." Light agreed.

Before Broken Shard could retaliate, the ground started to shake.

"What the..?" Broken mumbled.

Light Speed flew in the air to get away from the unstable ground. Broken Shard braced himself and looked around. Ponies everywhere were alarmed and panicked. It wasn't a big earthquake, but it was still unnerving. Suddenly, ponies began to scream and run away from something ahead. Light Speed flew higher to see what it was.

"Hey Broken Shard?" Light spoke.

"Yes?"

"Remember when I was talking to some ponies about your old rock collection?"

"...Yeah.."

"Well, I think Rocky grew up."

Broken Shard heard a loud crash and whipped his head around to see a cloud of dust where a house should've been.

"Graaaaaah!" A loud roar was heard.

Just then, after the dust cleared, a large monster made of stone was in view.

"It's a g-g-golem!" Broken yelled.

"I told you that Rocky would be mad at you for abandoning him all those years ago." Light Speed remarked.

"Shut up!"

The air was filled with the sound waves of screaming citizens;

"Where's the Princess?!"

"She left hours ago with her friends!"

"We're doomed!"

Broken Shard closed his eyes. The elements of harmony were gone. Nobody was left to protect Ponyville. He knew about golems, he read all about their rare species. He took a deep breath and exhaled before opening his eyes.

"Light Speed, I know what to do. Follow my lead."

"Aye aye Cap'n!" Light Speed saluted fearlessly.

The golem's body had glowing plates scattered on it, and the plate on it's head shot a laser at another building.

"You see those glowing discs on it's body?" Broken asked.

"I do." Light nodded.

"Those are its weak points. Shatter them all, and the golem turns to dust."

"Got it, aim for the discs. Anything else I should know?"

"Just be careful."

"Pfft, don't be getting all soft on me Broken, I'm the soft one in this family. And besides, my talent is dodging things. So that helps." Without another word, Light Speed dashed off towards the golem.

"Hey Rocky! Long time, no see buddy!" Light greeted the golem cheerfully.

"GRAAA!"

"Oh I know. I told Broken this would happen."

The golem swung it's arm at Light Speed angrily, but was too slow for the pegasus.

"That block head is going to get himself killed one of these days." Broken muttered before looking around to see if there was anything he could use that might help.

His eyes fell upon a rope that was cast aside in the panic. He galloped towards the rope with all haste and used a strengthening spell on it. It would be ten times harder to break... At least that was the idea. Broken hadn't practiced that spell often.

"Distract it Light!" Broken yelled at his brother.

"So I bought an ice cream cone right?" Light spoke to the golem as it kept swinging at him as if he were a fly. "And he just knocks it out of my hand! What's up with that?!"

"I guess you already are..." Broken muttered before galloping towards the golem's legs. Carefully, he tied the rope around the golem's right leg three times.

"Pssh. Who needs coltscouts now mom?" He muttered before gripping the end of the rope in his mouth and running around the golem's legs.

"Waahhaaahhhaaaa.... I just still can't believe he killed Kreamy.." Light bawled as he continued to dodge the golem's onslaught.

"GrrrraaaaaAAA!" The golem roared in rage before letting loose a laser that took out another building.

"Huh... Violent, aren't you?" Light asked.

The golem roared again.

"I'm starting to think you don't enjoy my company." Light crossed his hooves before dodging a laser.

Broken Shard tied the rope around itself another three times before galloping to a safer area.

"Light Speed! Lead it this way." He called.

"You know, I'm getting antsy just staying in the same spot, wanna go for a walk Rocky?" Light asked as he flew in Broken Shard's direction.

The golem tried to follow the flying menace but as it tried stepping forward, it's leg caught onto something. The momentum was to powerful, and the golem fell forward and onto the ground.

Broken Shard felt the earth under him shake dramatically.

"Attack now!" Broken sped forward, charging a spell.

Light Speed had gripped a shovel from the ground and was jetting towards a disc on the golem's back, "For Celestiaaaa!"

Broken Shard shot spell after spell at one of the discs before it broke and aimed for a new one. Light Speed however was slamming his shovel onto one disc over and over again.

"Why.." Light hit the disc, "Won't..." He hit it again, "You..." He hit it once more, "Break!" He slammed the shovel onto to the disc again, this time shattering the stubborn weak point.

"I need a new weapon." Light panted.

The golem soon recuperated and lifted its arms up before placing its palms on the ground.

"Hurry!" Broken cried as he moved to the next disc.

Light Speed returned from his weapon hunt with a wood chopping axe before unleashing his wrath onto his second disc.

The golem let out a furious roar and pushed against the ground, lifting itself up.

Broken Shard continued bombarding the rock creature with various spells. His energy however was draining rapidly. He was running on fumes at this point. Never before had he used so many spells all at once. He had formed a headache and his vision blurred, but he had to keep fighting!

The golem rose to its knees and looked Broken Shard in the eye.

Broken heard a loud smash followed by an exasperated 'Finally!' from the other side of the golem.

The golem suddenly froze and the last glowing disc upon its head seemed to lay dormant.

All was silent.

Light Speed landed softly next to an exhausted Broken Shard.

"Did... Did we win?" Light asked.

"I don't know... I haven't read anything about golems that speak of this occurrence." Broken Shard replied, still dizzy.

Cautiously, Broken approached the creature and inspected it with more detail.

Then a bright blue florescent light shone from the last disc and the gray stone body of the golem turned black.

Broken Shard stumbled backwards and looked up at the awakened golem in fear.

"GRAAAAAAA!" The roar echoed out of the rock monster.

The golem rose to its feet with blinding speed, the rope snapping as easy as floss.

"It- it's faster?!" Light Speed quivered.

All Broken could do was stare at the impending doom before him.

The golem then lashed out its foot, kicking into Broken Shard and launching him a long ways through the air before landing on the ground and skidding a few more feet, finally stopping against a house.

"Broken Shard!" Light Speed wailed in distress and jetted in the direction of his hurt brother. In his carelessness, Light Speed didn't see the the laser beam that was heading straight towards him. The beam collided with his wing, causing Light to cry out in pain and fall to the ground harshly.

Broken Shard opened his eyes. He could feel the crimson warmth run down his mouth. He could barely breath. His chest felt as if it had imploded. He saw how his brother crashed in a very rough manner. He flicked his eyes back at the golem. It had increased speed and was even more enraged then before. How could Broken have forgotten? When you break too many discs, the golem freezes and generates a large amount of energy. It then releases the energy all at once, causing it to have increased speed and a greater rate of attack.

Broken coughed and spit up a bit more blood.

The outraged monster continued to rampage and destroy Ponyville. If Broken Shard didn't finish what he started, Ponyville would be in ruins! Using his last bit of strength, he charged a homing attack spell. It was very complicated, and he had almost forgotten how to use it, but he couldn't risk missing. He had to do this, he had to.

With one last grunt, Broken Shard shot his attack. The blue bolt crossed the sky gracefully before making contact with the last disc that resided on the golem's head.

The disc broke.

The golem halted its previous attack. It swayed in place for a few moments before falling to the ground.

The creature was reduced to dust.

Broken Shard let out another fit of coughs. Movement caught his eye. Light Speed was trying his best to hurriedly make his way towards him. His right wing hung limp from his body and was bloodied. The way he was limping caused Broken to assume that the fall must've hurt him pretty badly.

"Broken... Shard." Light panted.

Broken couldn't respond.

The last thing that Broken Shard remembered was his brother calling for help and the ponies that rushed to aid them before he passed out.

Broken Shard felt his awareness return to him slowly. He remembered what the golem had done to him. He dared not to move for fear of the damage that had been inflicted onto him. Then he heard two unfamiliar voices

"Light Speed will be fine. He suffered minor injury compared to his brother."

"And what of Broken Shard?"

"His rib cage is crushed,  and one of his lungs was punctured. He's also suffered a concussion. Fortunately, he is in stable condition, but we don't know if it'll stay that way. We're doing all we can, but currently have no way of knowing if he'll make a full recovery."

"I understand... Thank you Doctor."

"Of course Princess."

Princess?!

Broken Shard opened his tired eyes slowly. What happened again? He was tired of waking up in a strange place.

He shifted slightly but the pain that surged up his body prevented him from adjusting himself further.

He at least caught on that he was in the hospital.

"Broken Shard?"

Broken carefully turned his head to see Light Speed gazing at him thoughtfully. His eyes lit up with his usual happiness when he saw Broken's eyes.

"L-Light-" Broken croaked.

"Shh. Don't speak. You need to conserve as much energy as possible." Light interrupted.

Broken Shard got a good look at his brother. There was a splint on his wing and a cast on one of his front legs. Despite these things he was sitting next to him. How long had Broken been passed out?

"You've been sleeping for three days now. You took a pretty hard hit there big brother." Light smiled weakly.

"We've been having visitors these past couple days. Funny how whenever Applejack's friends are around, you're passed out." Light laughed. "It's not just them either. All sorts of different ponies have dropped off flowers for us. I guess you do get a little bit famous for destroying a golem that would've crushed a town."

Broken Shard blinked tiredly.

"Anyways, they're all pretty worried about you. You became the big hero that I always admired." Light remarked warmly. "The doctor says you're doing good by the way. You just need as much rest as you can get. "

Broken Shard found it very hard to keep his eyes open.

"Get some good rest brother." Light Speed gently nuzzled Broken Shard before rising from the chair he was in and carefully walking towards his own hospital bed.

And with that, Broken Shard closed his eyes.