One Shall Fall, and One Shall Have Cupcakes

The next morning, Nick came downstairs to find the curtains all shut and everyone hiding.

"All right, what's going on here?"

"Changelings took over Ponyville!", Applejack cried.

"Chrysalis...", Nick growled.

"You know the queen of the Changelings? How?", questioned Applebloom.

Nick sighed. He knew he would have to tell her the truth, Applejack looked worriedly at him.

"Remember how I said Ma and Pa died from an apple bucking accident?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, that's not true. They were killed by Chrysalis. Ugh...you were so young when you first asked, I didn't think you were ready for the truth. I'm sorry."

Applebloom looked at him with disappointment before glaring and screaming, "You lied to me! I don't know why I ever loved you, I wish you never came back! I...I...I hate you!"

Nick looked at her sadly before saying, "I probably deserved that. But right now, Chrysalis has to be stopped, no matter the cost. And if you're lucky, I might not come back alive."

He then ran out the door, while Granny glared at Applebloom.

"Shame on you! Poor Nick trying so hard to keep you happy these past few months, and you go and tell him you hate him! And how about the fact that after he goes out that door, he might not come back, and that was the last thing you said to him. If that doesn't make you feel bad enough, I don't know what will!"

Applebloom went to her room and bawled.

Meanwhile in Ponyville, everyone else was a little tied up. Changelings guarded the main entrance, no problem for Nick, who plowed through three of them with his horns, before jumping in the air and blasting the rest with his fiery breath. Everyone in Ponyville was trapped in sticky goo at town square with Chrysalis guarding them.

Octavia saw him and exclaimed, "Nick! What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to settle an old score.", he growled.

"I thought I recognized that voice.", smiled Chrysalis, turning to face him, "In-The-Nick-Of-Time Braveheart..."

"Try fitting that on an envelope...", snickered Rainbow Dash. Twilight smacked Rainbow with her wing.

"You were that blasted Luck Dragon that wouldn't let me at that confounded family of yours. But I got your parents. Tell me, why do you wish to throw away your life so recklessly?", she smiled cruelly.

"That's a question you should ask yourself, Chrysalis.", Nick glared.

It took Chrysalis a moment to get it, before saying, "I'll crush you with my bare hooves!"

She tackled him, which sent them both crashing into a house. She was then on his back, biting him. Nick grabbed her by the scruff and threw her into another house. As soon as she recovered, she grabbed a sharp piece of debris and threw it at him. It went through his right wing, there was no blood, but it was still painful. He uttered a cry of pain, before ramming her stomach with his head.

Octavia tried frantically to free herself.

Chrysalis then kicked him in the face and sent him flying into the fountain.

"I swear if I get out of this, I'm going to kill her.", Octavia muttered.

Chrysalis then walked up to Nick, her horn glowing as she grinned, "It's all over..."

Nick slowly got up, the pain roaring through his body, he then smiled, "Never..."

Chrysalis then turned to find Celestia, Luna, and Cadance behind her, their horns glowing, before she could say a word, they had banished her and all the changelings to Tartarus.

Nick collapsed, his eyes closed. As soon as Octavia was free, she ran over to Nick, putting his head in her lap, and rubbing his fur against her face sobbing, "My poor Bravey...My poor,dear Bravey..."

Everyone else stood behind her, mourning, Even the princesses shed tears. Applebloom came running up, and when she saw the above scene, she went and sat next to Octavia, sobbing, "I never apologized..."

Then all of the sudden, he coughed and looked around before saying, "What is this? A funeral? Where are all the cupcakes?"

"Bravey!", Octavia cried, squeezing him as she kissed his snout.

"Oh Nick! I'm so sorry about all those things I said back there. I still love you.", Applebloom screamed, hugging him, before he shouted out in pain.

"We better get you to the hospital.", Luna smiled.

By the end of the day, Nick had acquired a punctured wing, 2 fractured knee caps, 3 broken ribs, 4 broken tail bones, 5 missing teeth, and 6000 cupcakes.