You're Not Alone

What you see is darkness after the fight you had with Ardee. You can hear the voices of people which sound familiar. You slowly open your eyes only to see a bright light and after your vision becomes more clear, you are actually in the school clinic. You tilt your head a little and see that Sky Blaze is laying on the other bed to your left as Nurse Redheart is tending to Frostbite. You slowly got out of bed as you wince since your body feels a bit sore, lucky that underneath your jacket you had a protected vest with you. Another thing that is noticeable is that you are missing something as you look down to your left, your prosthetic arm got severed and lucky it didn't go to your flesh.

“Figures…” You said to yourself while checking your missing arm. Until another important thing came to your mind. “...Twilight.”

You see your jacket is hanging on the desk beside your bed as you gently put it on since your body is a bit sore. As you got up, the sound of your boots was heard by Nurse Redheart as she saw you were heading to the door.

“Mr Star, where are you going?” She said as she followed you outside the clinic but you weren't listening. “Mr. Star you need to get back in bed you are in no condition to walk.”

You had a bit of struggle with your walking as you ended up leaning against the lockers. Nurse Redheart pleads with you to get back to the school clinic for you’re not fully recovered yet.

“Night Star?”

You recognize that voice as you look at the opposite end of the hallway and see Twilight who is with one of the boys, Onyx Steel. You are about to walk to her but you then fall to your knees since your body is still sore as Twilight was the one that approached you.

“Night Star, you shouldn’t be out of bed yet.” Twilight said as she helped you back to your feet and she noticed your missing left arm. “About your prosthetic arm, it’s back at the music room with your goggles.”

“Twilight, tell me what happened because the last thing I remembered is me and Ardee were fighting.”

You remembered what happened before you became unconscious as Twilight tells her side of what happened with what her friends also witnessed.

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“...HOW DARE YOU!”

After what you said, Ardee pushed you back as you were thrown off balance. Ardee swung his left arm upwards only for things to go so fast. The shadow’s control over you was broken as your prosthetic arm was cut off by the retractable blade Ardee created on his arm. You dropped your hammer and groaned in pain even though it’s just artificial. You return your focus to Ardee that you couldn’t react fast as Ardee struck you with his frozen fist to your midriff as you were sent flying and crashed through the ice wall Ardee created to protect Rainbow Dash earlier. That is the last that you remembered before you became unconscious.

Rainbow Dash approached Ardee who was still furious.

“Yeah I think you may have gone a bit too rough on him,” She said.

Before Ardee could speak, both of them heard a loud noise coming nearby. The two turned their attention to the source of the noise and saw that jvj is getting back up.

“Are you kidding me? I thought we took that thing down!”

“I saw the Night Star do something earlier, he must have reactivated it.” Ardee replied as jvj turned its attention to Ardee and Rainbow. “...and it looks like he now has it under his control.”

“I’ll go get the others. We stopped it once, we will stop it again.” Rainbow says and sees that Ardee has his other arm shrouded in ice. “Ardee?”

“I’ve started all of this and falsely accused for something he unintentionally did...and I will be the one to end this. Go on! I‘ll hold it off as long as possible.” Ardee said as Rainbow ran back into the building to get her friends.

Meanwhile back inside at the Music Room.

“Oh I just hope Frostbite is okay.” Pinkie said worried while sitting on one spot of the room.

“He’ll be alright Pinkie, Nurse Redheart will be checking on him. A’h just hope Onyx is okay.” Applejack said while walking back and forth about what happened to one of her childhood friends. “A’h just don’t get it, why would our friends go after Micro Chips, they ya’ll should know that he didn;t mean for this to happen?”

“They should have some logical explanation. Once we gather all of them, we will know.” Twilight said then turned her attention to the creator of the robot that got malfunctioned. “Micro Chips?”

“Maybe upgrading him was a bad idea,” Micro Chips regrettingly said to himself. “When I asked NIght Star’s opinion that day before I activated him, I should have listened to his opinion. They were right, this is all my fault.”

“Micro Chips you don’t have to blame yourself for this. You did say this was unintentional, right?”

“I guess.”

A little while later; Fluttershy and Sky Blaze came only to leave for a moment to his place for Eli, then Rainbow Dash arrived only to talk Sky into not forcing himself after he got hit by jvj as they got teleported and soon Rarity arrived leaving Sunset the only one missing.

“Me and Ardee passed Sunset earlier with Dusk, Onyx and Flash after which I couldn’t believe what I heard. The shadow that shows its signs to Sunset took control of Dusk and attacked them earlier. They should be at the school clinic now.” Rarity explained what happened on her end

“Great, now the only one we should worry about is Night Star. I wonder where he is?” Twilight said worried about you.

“HEY GUYS!” Rainbow Dash arrived after getting teleported away earlier.

“Rainbow, where ya’ll been?” The farmgirl asked.

“Sky ended up teleporting to Nurse Redheart’s clinic and I left him there. The big problem is that I found Night Star and Ardee...well.” Rainbow stopped in the middle of her sentence.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

“Ardee took him out.”

“WHAT?!” Twilight reacted, turning her attention to the fashionista. “Rarity, I thought you said you calmed Ardee down?”

“I did. Rainbow Dash, did that really happen?”

“Yeah, he did knock him unconscious.” Rainbow said but quickly shook her head. “But that is not the only reason. Night Star somehow turned the toaster bot to his side and reactivated it and Ardee is holding it off at the soccer field right now.”

“Well what are we waiting for, we need to get there and help him. Come on girls!” Rarity said as she approached the door.

The Rainbooms now head for the door...

“Micro Chips we got this,” Twilight said.

“No,” He replied. “This all started because of me. The least I can do is to shut him off, somehow.”

The girls looked at each other and agreed to let him come. On the way they bumped into Sunset who came from the clinic to regroup with her friends. They were almost to the gym…

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

They stopped as they heard a scream. Then this gets followed by a large boom sound.

“What was that?” Pinkie said.

“Ardee.” Rarity sprinted to the gym as her friends followed from behind. Upon reaching the hole, she was horrified by what she saw. “Oh no.”

Her friends were also petrified on what they saw. Earlier it was just jvj lying on the field after they stopped it, now what they see are ice chunks scattered everywhere and that jvj looks like it was thrown right at the bleachers.

“What in tarnation! Did a hail storm just pass by?” Applejack first reacted to what she is seeing right now. “Did Ardee really do all this?”

“It took all seven of us with Flash’s help and his band, but Ardee...did this all by himself?” Twilight said as she turned to one side to see your unconscious body. “NIGHT-!” Her sentence was cut as she stepped on something by one of the ice chunks. After moving it, she finds your severed prosthetic arm.

Then they heard a sound, from the bleachers something was moving. They see jvj is moving it’s arm that’s covered by the debris of the bleachers.

“It’s still moving!? I thought Ardee-” Rainbow said until she saw her best friend Fluttershy arrived...on a white horse? “Fluttershy, there you are. Where did you get the horse from?”

“Sorry I’m late.” Fluttershy said as she got off her ride. The horse then transformed to be revealed as Eli Blaze. “What’s going on?”

“No time to explain. I need you to help us with that.” Rainbow pointed to where jvj is trying to get back up.

Eli told Fluttershy to go help her friends while he goes to see you. Micro Chips who is standing in front of jvj, was backed away by Twilight and the others.

“Get ready girls!” Sunset said as they braced for what is going to happen next. They thought that jvj was trying to get back up, only to see as the debris got cleared off that his arm was being lifted up and got thrown aside. “Ardee?”

Ardee who was underneath the debris and jvj’s arm got back up but fell to his knees again, breathing heavily. Rarity quickly approached her friend as she helps him get off jvj.

"Are you alright Ardee?" Rarity asked which he nods in response. "Did you do all this?" He didn't answer her second question as coughs while continue with his heavy breaths. "Ardee?"

"I...I had no other choice." Ardee replies between his breaths and coughs. "He wouldn't...listen to me...I had to do something...but I held...myself back and spared him. About jvj, Night Star hacked the poor fella...I wasn't sure...if I could hold him back...until you girls come. I'm sorry, I had no choice."

“But you didn’t have to overdo it.” Twilight said while holding your prosthetic arm. “What if something could have happened to Night Star-”

“I’M SORRY!” Ardee yelled only for Rarity to hold and comfort him. “I...we started this. If I didn’t do it first...then the others wouldn’t have followed.” Ardee placed both of his hands on his head. “Night Star has no right to insult Rarity...She is just protecting you all from jvj...and us. He has no right...I’m sorry Twilight!”

“Ardee, it’s over now. You did what you could.” Rarity pulled him in, comforting her friend. “You were just worried and you didn’t have any bad intentions from the beginning. It’s okay now Ardee”

“What yer mean he was worried?” Applejack asked her best friend.

“He has his reasons.”

“Eli has his own reasons too,” Fluttershy added.

“Same here with Frostbite,” Pinkie added.

****************************************************************************

"...That is what happened after we heard each reason on why each one of you went berserk.”

You and Twilight are at the Music room with the others as you are reattaching your prosthetic arm, but you have to surrender your steampunk goggles for Twilight and the girls decide to confiscate your items for the meantime. Rarity was the only one missing as she arrived after a while. She couldn’t get the pendant she gave to Ardee for how depressed he is and will get it tomorrow. They saw in her hands a mini ice sculpture of her and a small note for her.

After explaining the plans on raising money after what happened. You only nod and will help with the fund raising. What they didn’t know is that you are having some past memories and dreams flowing through your mind right now.

“What do you want, traitor?”

“Your life. I’m thinking about taking it.”

“Even if it means using my own students and threatening them just to make sure the reputation of this school never dies and I will not be stopped by the likes of you!”

“You should have expelled me a long time ago.”

You exited through the school doors and went to the parking lot and looked at the direction of the soccer field where it all started.

“There will be no one to save her.”

“Look, Everton doesn’t matter anymore.”

“...but your friend will become like me only stronger, ruthless, more violent.”

You started your ATV and before leaving the parking lot, you saw your flare gun laying on the soccer field and remembered using that on Ardee. You parked your ATV by the soccer field as you got off and took the flare gun in your hand.

“Your mind and body...ARE MINE!”

“Anyone who gets in my way, I will trample them...ESPECIALLY YOU!”

“You called Rarity a hindrance?...HOW DARE YOU!”

You never knew that a pesky little shadow could manipulate you to do the wrong thing. You were worried if something like this could happen again. For the people you’ve hurt before and now, while you still have your morality you need to do what needs to be done.

“Twilight, you already have your friends by your side. You don’t need me anymore. I will not let evil take me again.” You thought as you fell to your knees. The next thing is that you pointed the flare gun to the side of your head. “I’m sorry...Goodbye Twilight.”

After closing your eyes you decided your fate as you pulled the trigger. Now you await if you will succumb to the darkness or go into the light. They did help others who misused Equestrian magic the wrong way, at least that is one trouble out of the way for her and her friends. Strange that you still feel consciousness. You slowly open your eyes and see you are still kneeling on the soccer field. As you look to your right, you see a purple aura surrounding your hand as the flare gun is instead facing upwards. The aura disappears as your hand falls.

You can hear footsteps approaching as you are met by your friend as she took the flare gun from your hand and cast it aside. You see Twilight staring daggers at you while also crying as she knelt in front of you.

“What were you thinking!?” Twilight tugged on to your jacket. “Why would you do something like that? Why?!”

“Why did you stop me?” You replied with a dead tone.

“What do you mean why? I mean after what happened this is what you will do to yourself?”

“This is my fate Twilight. I decided to do this to myself as long as I still have my morality so evil won’t consume me again. This is why I chose death before dishonor-”

“NO! Dying is never the answer...not in your case.” You were stunned after Twilight raised her voice. Then you can see her sobbing as tears start to run down. “When I became Midnight Sparkle, I was afraid after what I did during the Friendship Games and if I may turn into her again. But as time goes by even though I still get nightmares about her, I learn to forgive myself and I have my friends by my side.”

“But what about-”

“I forgot to mention something,” Twilight interrupted you. “As we took off your mask to see you’re breathing and about to bring you to Nurse Redheart, you started coughing. Then all of a sudden, you begin to flail like you’re in pain. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Eli and Ardee had to hold you down. I was afraid why you’re doing like that until Rainbow mentions about some movie that a scene like this that something burst from the chest. I never wanted something like that to happen as you scream and some sort of black mist came from your mouth and disappeared, which you became unconscious then. Sunset recognizes which is the same substance as the shadow that controlled Dusk Eyes which disappeared already after she, Flash, Onyx and Dusk defeated it.” Twilight wipes away the tears from her eyes. "You never wanted this to happen and it controlled you against your will. Please Night, don’t throw your life away like that.”

“Like you said, you already have your friends. You don’t need me anymore.”

“Yes I do.” Twilight pulled you in for a tight embrace. “You were my only friend back at Crystal Prep. When I transferred to Canterlot High, I was sad that you were left there. But I was happy when you transferred the week after only for Dean Cadence to speak with Principal Celestia. Please, don’t leave me alone again. I need you.”

You didn’t say anything after all those memories Twilight brought up. It felt strange but you shrugged it off as you wrapped your arms around Twilight, comforting her.

“Of course not, you won’t be alone again.” You thought as you caressed her hair with your right hand. “I’m sorry I made you worry.”