I am Ruin

Copper Claws released a wave of ultrasound, the ethereal echo mapping the silent forest. It had been a couple of minutes since the lightning flash, and his vision remained a near-white smear.

The escape from the Everfree was slow-going. Applebloom and Scootaloo moved in careful deference to Copper, who led with a protective instinct in spite of his current visual limitation.

"Scoots," Applebloom’s voice wavered with her anxiousness, "are we in danger?"

Scootaloo ceased her lazy scanning of the forest and looked at her friend through her peripherals. “Huh? Uh, can you be more specific?”

"This weather, it ain't natural," Applebloom elaborated. Her eyes focused on Copper and she added, "Especially that lightning."

Scootaloo non-chelauntly racked her head. "Weird forest, weird weather. It's the Everfree—unpredictability is its only constant."

A metallic ‘shing’ accompanied the slight, telekinetic, unsheathing of Copper’s sword. The gems on his weapon and breastplate pulsed with a subtle luminescence. “No need to worry! You guys got me, okay!” he declared jovially to reassure the fillies.

Scootaloo's retort was immediate. "No offense, but you're blind. Echo-whatever won't stop a timberwolf."

Copper grimaced. “Wrong. The thestrals of old fought blind, and I'm definitely no different. My father and I made sure of that.” The confidence in his statement was palpable.

His ears suddenly twitched. "Wait," he whisper-shouted, cutting through the forest's ambient silence. The fillies stopped on a dime in shock, Scootaloo nearly tripping over herself. He raised a hoof to his mouth and shushed them before beckoning the two closer. They obeyed him, though Scootaloo followed unamused.

After a corduroy glance, Scootaloo whispered, “There's nothing out there.” Her uncertainty betrayed her words.

A bush behind them trembled.

Within a heartbeat, Copper’s sword telekinetically shot and sliced through the foliage. The bush fell away to reveal a rabbit. The creature squeaked—more startled than injured—curling into itself.

With surgical precision, the sword traced a perfect circle around the animal, all while Copper faced the wrong direction.

Copper concluded the show by stabbing the sword into the ground. He approached the rabbit, his posture a strange mix of apologetic and warrior pragmatism. “Sorry, little guy,” he said as he crouched down. “Just needed a demonstration. No hard feelings?”

A glare was all Copper got from the rabbit before it swatted him on the muzzle and scampered off. “I said sorry,” he mumbled as he rubbed his nose.

Okay,” Scootaloo began in disbelief, “that was kinda cool.”

Copper smiled triumphantly. It showed off his pride, but also hid the vulnerability beneath his bravado.

“See, you're safe with me,” he affirmed. “Now, let's get going. Your turn to lead though. Blind eyes sometimes need guidance, you know.”

With a nod, Scootaloo grabbed Applebloom’s and continued the journey. Copper recalled his sword to his side and blindly followed behind.

Silence wove through the forest—a reflection of the hunter's will. The Bramble Wolf moved like a fragment of shadow, trailing the fetishes of his vengeance unnoticed. Years of hunting had taught even a runt like him to be like a specter in the forest—unseen and unheard. He was adept even before his newfound magics; and now his presence was less than a breath, less than a thought.

The young ponies moved through the forest without care, as if their kind were guests in its domain. Once, he would've scared the naive and innocent out of the forest. Scare tactics, not violence, had maintained the delicate balance between wilderness and civilization.

But treaties meant nothing to the equins.

And these children—these innocent trespassers—were no longer protected by the old agreements. They were now fair game.

Pain rippled through Discord's form—a testament to Rainbow Dash's strategic strike. Though he lacked a conventional brain to lose consciousness, the sensation cascaded through his magical essence. Her attack was precise, deliberate.

“Oh! And sorry for dropping you!” Rainbow Dash’s afterthought rang through Discord’s ears.

It embarrassed him to be foiled so quickly—his plan so unexpectedly fragile that all it took was the mistake of a pawn to ruin it. Enraged, he yelled and ignited himself into a torrent of fire that reached out to engulf the mare above.

Rainbow Dash yelped in shock and darted away in a blur.

The flaming visage of Discord rose, a manifestation of pure, directed fury. “You know, I would've let this slide,” he angrily taunted. “Pretend to die and let you believe me gone for good…”

His flaming body cooled off as he swatted off the flames like dust, returning to normal. “But now, you've cornered me like an animal,” he declared, with both begrudging respect and amusement.

Rainbow Dash hovered, unflinching. “Tch, what's that supposed to mean?”

Discord chuckled ominously. “I've got nothing to lose,” he answered with a splay of his arms. “Whether I win or not, there's no going back into hiding—back to gathering magic.”

Phantom Laughter emanated. Around Discord, several clawed paws formed, seemingly gripping the air. The claws grew into wooden marionette bunnies that pulled themselves out of some unseen plane. Each brandished esoteric weapons that defied geometric logic—weapons as chaotic as the Lord that made them.

“So,” Discord’s smile turned predatory, “I might as well use what I've got.”

Rainbow Dash's whispered "Damn" carried the weight of recognition. She understood: this was no longer a simple confrontation, but a conflict with fundamental consequences.

Discord's taloned hand rose. A lesson was coming—one written in chaos and consequence.

"Ready?"

His fingers snapped.

The wooden bunnies jerked into motion, clumsily moving forward. Their motion defied, traversing the air as if it were solid terrain. While the imps began their assault, Rainbow Dash reasserted her position and assessed the situation.

1..2…12 of them. Outnumbered and no magic. This is gonna be a little tough, she thought to herself.

A bunny with a sword that curved like fractured thoughts struck first. Rainbow Dash's response was instinctive and she dodged as best she could, narrowly dodging injury. Another imp followed, twirling with mechanical ruthlessness. A powerful wing-stroke was enough to evade however she still earned a nick on the cheek for her efforts.

So that's how it's going to be…Rainbow Dash thought as she dodged several more swings. Drops of her blood sparsely rained down as she got tagged.

Each swing became a data point. Rainbow Dash wasn't merely surviving; she was decoding. It didn’t take long for her to find a pattern to the madness. The bunnies' attacks reminded her of inexperienced Equestrian Guards, tempo’d strikes that rarely deviated. Discord's control was direct but limited. Two puppets, synchronized. An initial strike and a follow-up. Mechanical. Exploitable.

"Come at me!" Her challenge was both taunt and tactical invitation.

A bunny lunged toward Rainbow Dash’s barrel. She ascended, predicting the complementary attack of a diving bunny from above. Her wings became instruments of precision—allowing her to weave around its misshapen blade, and transform defense into offense. With a roundhouse kick, she sent the wooden monster rocketing to the ground and shattering upon impact.

One down! Rainbow Dash thought.

Discord's mockery rang out. "Well done!"

"Shut it!" she spat back, before quickly refocusing; barely dodging another rabbit’s surprise attack.

The aerial dance continued. Slash, duck, thrust, weave—a choreography of survival where fatigue was her only true enemy. The bunnies could continue infinitely. She could not.

A wooden imp chased Rainbow Dash through the sky—its blunt spear trailing her. Ahead, another bunny waited for her response. Rainbow Dash smirked and she halted abruptly, allowing the spear to miss by calculated millimeters.

In one fluid motion, she seized the spear with her teeth and executed a precise spin. The puppet collided with its companion, both shattering on impact.

The maneuver left her momentarily vulnerable and in her reprieve, a new bunny attacked. Its assault followed the previously established rhythm and so did its companion. But when she went for her blow, another bunny appeared swiftly—off the rhythm they were fighting at before. Its blade found her shoulder with surgical precision.

She gritted her teeth as she felt her blood trickle out of the wound. “Of course, he's figuring me out too,” she self-chastised.

Rainbow Dash needed to figure out how to level the playing field. The fight was inevitably going to stalemate at best. But of course, that conclusion assumed Discord wouldn't join himself.

Several ways to end the assault floated through her mind. One lightning bolt. Celestia! A gust of wind could stop these guys, she complained. But she had no magic.

Another spear flew towards Rainbow Dash’s belly, forcing her to dodge; and she did so with an aerial somersault that led her to look into the sky. There she saw that the clouds were still charged. It was a small charge, far from causing another lightning strike…

but it gave her an idea.

In weather training, every pegasus was given emergency situation procedures. One such scenario was running out of magic on duty.

Magic was needed to stay alive like food and water—run out and in hours you'd waste away. Such an end was unheard of, the body having many natural warnings like pain and cravings for sugar. But what if you were in a survival situation? It may have been rare for such a thing to happen in Equestria; but in Ponyville, unfortunate events were common enough to warrant training.

The Everfree Forest was a seedbed for misfortune, and unluckily for pegasi they would have to tackle the weather over it to prevent disaster. It wasn't improbable for a pegasus to make an emergency landing in the forest, just rare.

And so, pegasi were told of a dangerous, last resort method.

Rainbow Dash allowed herself to fall to the ground and she landed on her hooves. Her wings moved with deliberate purpose and rubbed against her side.

Gotta be quick! She told herself as the rabbits followed her from the sky.

A rain of weapons descended upon her. It took extreme precision to dodge the flurry, her side-stepping, flipping, and ducking to avoid the assault. All the while, she kept her wings moving and rubbing against her side.

“I wouldn't try eating anything here,” Copper Claws warned, his tone a blend of protective and playful. The forest's eerie nature weighed on the fillies, and he wanted to ease the mounting tension.

Scootaloo's eyes scanned the surrounding vegetation. "But if you're lost, you've got to eat something." She pointed to a cluster of small, brown mushrooms nestled against a tree trunk. "See those little guys? Perfectly edible."

Copper responded with a drawl so dry it could have turned the mushrooms to dust. "Mhm, yep, totally."

Scootaloo realized her mistake and her blush deepened—remembering blindness. Copper responded with the most exaggerated smile possible, the ends of his mouth warring to touch his eyes.

"They're still edible..." she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

"You can't even identify north as a pegasus," he retorted. "Forgive me if I'm hesitant to trust your fungal expertise."

Applebloom bounded forward, enthusiasm overriding caution. "But ya' can!" she chirped. "Twilight taught us when we tried to get our my-call-o-jist cutie marks!"

Her mouth was inches from a mushroom cap when Copper’s sword handle intercepted her path. "Hey!" she protested.

"Absolutely not," he declared. “I am not risking you poisoning yourself. Aside from the fact they’re unwashed, you guys ate your snacks earlier anyway.” He gave her a gentle but firm nudge away from the ‘caps.

The fillies exchanged a look. “Scaredy cat," they proclaimed in unison.

Copper blew a playful raspberry back.

Poison crisis averted, they pressed onward through the forest's green embrace.

The forest gradually thinned, revealing a defined path. Copper opened his eyes—then immediately shut them again. "Ah, perf—" His exclamation cut short by a sharp "Ow!" as sunlight assaulted his sensitive vision.

Scootaloo glanced back. "That lightning strike was rough. Maybe you should see a doctor."

"Of course," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Suddenly, Copper ceased his nursing. His body became rigid, ears pricked—listening to something beyond the fillies' perception.

Applebloom's worried voice broke the tension. "Are you okay?"
Copper remained silent, his sword floating beside him like a sentinel.

…

“GET DOWN!”

The fillies dropped, the earth rushing to meet them. In one second, the sharp pang of metal rang out; the next, A deep growl saturated the forest, accompanied by Copper’s strained grunts.

Scootaloo risked a glance. Her heart froze from what she saw.

Behind Copper Claws was a timberwolf unlike any she'd seen before. Slightly larger, more menacing—one back leg ghostly and glowing an unnatural green. Its jaws were locked around Copper’s sword, held inches from the back of his head by pure, desperate strength.

In that split second, Copper had transformed defense into survival. His parrying dagger had intercepted the beast's leap and pinned its tail, and his sword had been wedged into its wooden jaws.

"Fin-finally showed yourself?" His breath wavered—a mixture of adrenaline, fear, and pure survival instinct.

The timberwolf tested the stalemate, its jaws relaxing momentarily. Copper pressed his advantage, driving the sword deeper. Wood splintered—barely—as the monster re-trapped the blade.

"Copper!" Applebloom's cry pierced the forest's tension, raw with concern.

Scootaloo's fear transformed into action. She scrambled to her hooves, momentarily slipping, then charged toward the confrontation.

"No!" Copper commanded, freezing her mid-stride. "Run! Get help!"

“But-”

“Leave!” He cut off. “Ponyville is not far from here. Just go get help and let me handle it!”

Conflict warred across Scootaloo's features. Her mind calculated impossible odds—the thestral against the monstrous timberwolf. Fear whispered retreat, while loyalty demanded resistance.

“Scoots! C’mon!” Applebloom insisted with a bump on the shoulder.

Copper Claws opened his eyes, meeting Scootaloo's gaze directly. His smile—confident, reassuring—spoke volumes where words might fail. A silent promise: I will survive.

She ran.

The fillies' hoofbeats faded down the trail. Copper kept his stinging eyes open, tracking their retreat until they disappeared from view. Only then did he allow his eyes to close, surrendering to momentary respite.

“First Miss Zecora, now us! W-was the death of your pack not warning enough?” Copper Claws asked, awaiting an answer he knew would never come. All he heard was the creaking and groaning of the timberwolf's wood as it struggled.

“Or are you from some other pack?” he continued. A further torrent of proclamations and insults followed. His monologue served a dual purpose: distraction and survival. His legs trembled, not just from fear, but also from the strain that coursed through his every muscle. The entirety of his energy was being channeled into the desperate stalemate. The sword and dagger he wielded were extensions of his body and will through the gems they held. Pinning the wolf was consuming his entire physical reserves.

Something brushed against Copper’s hoof. He gasped, reflexively jumping—momentarily breaking his magical hold.

The wolf sensed his weakness, but he recovered instantly—now facing it. His sword slid, targeting the wolf's throat with surgical precision. "Whatever the reason," he declared, voice crystalline with resolve, "you're not hurting anyone!"

A ballet of violence followed as Copper jumped and soared over the wolf. The sword zoomed to him, splitting the wolf’s head in half from the maw up. Splinters rained out like deadly confetti and the monster howled with pain and fury.

Copper transferred his sword to his mouth and landed with calculated grace. With a twist of the head, the sword was flung toward the wolf at high speed.

The beast's pinned tail limited its movement, however it still dodged as far right as it could—something Copper’s ears picked up on immediately.

To compensate, Copper kicked off the ground to the right and the sword mirrored the action. But his momentum betrayed him and he slammed into a tree, sending the sword veering off course. In the end, the sword clattered to the ground, only nicking the wolf on its wooden cheek.

Opportunity bloomed for the wolf. It crouched to the ground and, with all its might, pounced upon Claws. Its tail cut in two as it slid against his dagger, and it let out a guttural roar as it flew through the air.

Copper, hearing its approach, tried to dodge. However, his body did not budge. He found himself bound to the tree by vines—the vile things that had tried to grab him earlier.

“NO!” he yelled as he struggled.

A booming crack razed through the forest as the wolf’s claws splintered bark. But where prey should have been, only scattered wood remained.

Copper had managed to slice free with his dagger, rolling away unharmed—or so he thought. His body crumpled, a grunt of agony escaping him. The steel he wore shielded him from most of the strike, but the leather hide guardian his thigh had been no match for the beast's claws. Blood seeped from beneath the torn protection.

Pain threatened to overwhelm him and tears burned at the corners of his eyes. Suck it up! Father wouldn't crumble from something so small! He thought. His weapons returned to him as the timberwolf wrenched its claws from the tree.

Predator and prey assessed each other with different senses. For Copper Claws, he smelt the rot that the wolf held inside and heard every minor shuffle it made. For the timberwolf, it saw only weakness—a blind, injured pony. Yet this pony had proven clever, dangerous despite its apparent vulnerability.

Keep the opponent moving and direct the fight. Keep control. The mantra of Copper’s training steadied him. He began to circle around the wolf and willed his blades to spin at his sides—sword on full display and dagger hidden behind. The wolf matched his circle, its movements broadcasting its position to his keen ears.

Slowly, the two closed in on each other. Copper rounded his body, shot forth his dagger from its cover and aim to strike his foe's body. However, the maneuver was a faint, his sword on reserve to intercept the wolf’s dodge. But the wolf defied prediction, batting the smaller blade aside with casual brutality.

Shocked, Copper sung his sword only for the wolf to catch the blade between its jaws. Wield hid own sword against him, the beast quickly slammed the pommel into his throat, eliciting a gag. With the pony now defenseless, the wolf pounced, claws securing his barrel in an iron grip.

They hit the ground together and vines wrapped around Copper’s throat, attempting to crush it. Fear and desperation mingled with the sound of strangled breathing, and the whine of ripping metal permeated the air as the wolf slowly tore through his armor.

“Get off me!” Copper rasped as he willed his sword to cut the beast. However, he felt his sword meet resistance—still trapped in the jaws of the wolf. In desperation, he stabbed the wolf in the back with his dagger; each strike earning only grunts of irritation. Over and over Copper plunged the blade.

Then claws broke flesh. Blood soaked his coat. Survival instinct flared.

The dagger shot upward with desperate precision, plunging into the wolf's eye socket. Its howl of pain freed Copper’s sword, which transformed into a lethal arc—decapitating and bisecting the beast in one fluid motion. Wood swiftly fell to the ground.

Copper drew a shuddering breath and struggled to his hooves, his deformed armor grinding against fresh wounds. He shook away tears as he opened his still-blurry eyes and recalled his sword. He stabbed and slashed at the remains, wildly searching for something.

“Where is it!” he growled out as he carelessly ripped the body apart. Splinters replaced what had been solid wood, yet the core—that vital center every timberwolf possessed—eluded him. A shuffle to his left broke his concentration.

"Gah!" He recoiled. The timberwolf's head had reconstructed itself, watching him through the drizzle of rain. His sword rose to stab the head, but the beast was faster. Its maw opened, expelling a mass of putrid moss.

"Ponyfeathers! Again!?" The acidic moss hit Copper’s eyes, drawing out a pained curse. As he struggled with the second assault on his vision, the wolf's body reassembled itself. Its bizarre laughter filled the forest—a mechanical sound, like a dying train engine mixed with grinding stone.

It's mocking me! Copper raged internally. Gritting his teeth, he returned his blades to his sides, spinning them with renewed purpose. The wolf would regret its arrogance.

Yet reality settled cold in his mind. The core remained hidden. Twice he'd barely escaped death. His blindness limited both combat and retreat. Only one option remained—survive until help arrived.

Adam's vision was completely consumed by moss—the moss he was focusing on—half-remembering miscellaneous survival tips.

East or West? He scratched his head in thought. "Maybe north?" The fragments of internet wisdom had dulled with time. Finally, he shrugged. "Whatever." He followed the moss's direction, choosing arbitrary hope over continued indecision.

Walking through the Everfree was somewhat nerve-wracking for Adam. Its reputation had been well painted from his prior reading. How blood-thirsty plants used magic to fuel their poisons to hunt prey. Thankfully, Ponyville's Guard had tamed the flora near town, purging the deadliest specimens. But the wildlife remained untouched, deemed too costly to control.

"Yeah, yeah..." he muttered. "Pick the crazy fucking forest, drop me somewhere random, so you can fight Discord."

A branch snapped overhead. He froze, eyes searching the canopy, but no movement was made.

"I'm gonna die," he chuckled, anxiety threading through his voice. "I get something to look forward to"—he kicked a rock into the forest's depths—"and I'm going to die. No magic for me!" His jazz hands punctuated his sarcasm before letting silence reign.

Fear crept in as Adam's mind cleared of distractions of suitable distractions. A glance every minute evolved into a constant nervous scan, each identical twisted tree offering no comfort in his choice of direction. The pitter-patter of rain, the only noise in the forest, added to his anxiety—drowning out the thumping of his heart. The more his heart sunk, the more sensitive he was to his environment, until finally transforming his unsuredness into dread.

Something was wrong. The air held an unnatural pressure, and Adam felt a looming presence watching him.

When he was little, Jaja always warned him to stay close when a forest was quiet, for a silent forest held a hunt—and the Everfree certainly was quiet. It had been mute even before Rainbow Dash had whisked him into the air. What could silence such vast wilderness?

Was this instinct or paranoia? Was Adam’s mind being possessed by the feelings of his foreign body or was it truly emotion conjured by his mind? Adam pushed the thoughts aside—escape would provide answers.

He quickened his pace, forcing his eyes forward while his feet betrayed his haste. There was no point in giving into his lizard-brain.

Stay calm. Problems need clear minds. The mantra looped in his head, a shield against primal fear.

Until the snap-thump behind him.

His blood went cold. “It's a forest. It could be anything, like a bunny,” he whispered, unconvinced by his own reassurance.

Another thump sounded—then another and another building into a thunderous cascade behind Adam. Hundreds, thousands of impacts melded into a distorted waterfall of sound. He wanted to run, but his body refused to obey the desperate urge. Only when the torrent finally ceased could he force himself to turn.

What he saw was nightmares incarnate.

A wall of void-black feathers stretched before him, countless birds-like monsters stacked upon each other, impossible to discern one from the other. Their reflective eyes shone like cold stars, each one fixed upon him. Though their twisted faces contorted with hunger, and their beaks opened and shuddered with vile need, they made no sound.

“What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck!?” The words tumbled from Adam's lips. His mind screamed at him to run, but some unseen force held him paralyzed. Only when one of the monstrosities wrenched free from its brethren did his body finally—

Adam blinked as a wave of dizziness swept over him. He pressed a hand to his head, feeling as though he'd just jolted awake from a dream. With a shake of his head, he spun around to see…nothing—just empty forest behind him. His jaw went slack as he stared at the ordinary trees and undergrowth.

"Where am I?" The words came out unnaturally calm, devoid of the terror that should have gripped him. He knew, somehow, that his composure was wrong, but couldn't explain why. A dread lurked at the edges of his consciousness, urging him to flee despite the absence of any visible threat.

Bewildered, Adam found himself in a different section of the Everfree Forest. Here the trees thinned out, revealing a clear path marked by a signpost. His memories felt fragmented: Rainbow Dash bringing him to the forest, getting lost, growing increasingly unsettled, and then... suddenly being here.

I…must have blanked out…he reasoned, the explanation ringing hollow even to him. His eyes fell on the weathered signpost:

Timberwolf territory—north.
Zecora's—east
Ponyville—south.

"How convenient," Adam mumbled with a skeptical smile, yet found himself following the path toward Ponyville, trying to ignore the persistent whisper in his mind telling him to run.

After some time of walking, a peculiar sound caught Adam's ear—the sharp crack of splintering wood, labored grunts of exertion, and guttural wolf snarls, all muffled by dense undergrowth. He paused, listening. Common sense told him to ignore it—probably someone tangling with an Everfree monster. Getting involved would only end with him hurt, or more likely, dead. Yet curiosity nagged at him until, with a resigned sigh, he crept closer to investigate.

Parting the brush as quietly as possible, Adam peered through the foliage. What he saw was unexpected, a pony unlike any he'd encountered, was locked in combat with some find of wood-wolf. The navy-colored equin had a copper mane, tufted ears, and bat-like wings sprouting from its sides.

Like someone's first attempt at designing a vampire pony, he thought wryly.

The bat-pony's swordplay was almost painful to watch. Its telekinetically-wielded blade swung in wild arcs, frequently catching on branches or missing the wolf entirely. It was even stumbling over its own hooves, barely maintaining balance.

Why isn't it even using those wings? Adam wondered as he watched the creature fight purely defensively, only striking when the wolf lunged too close.

The grim conclusion Adam came to was the pony was going to die. Sadly, it was best for him to walk away. What good could he possibly do? He had no weapons, barely an amateur at fisticuffs, and the timber wolf could easily pin him down and tear him apart. Even fighting alongside the bat-pony seemed futile—its clumsy swordsmanship made it more a liability than an ally.

Adam turned to leave, but before he could look away—

"COPPER!" A young voice pierced the air, causing everyone to freeze and turn toward the new arrival.

A pegasus filly emerged from the forest depths, her small frame barely half Adam's height. She stood there panting, her coat dotted with leaves and twigs. What the hell is a child doing here? The thought screamed through Adam's mind.

The distraction was costly. The timber wolf's paw connected with Copper in a brutal swipe, sending him tumbling across the ground. Vines sprung forth from the earth, reaching for the fallen pony. The moment they touched him, Copper spun his sword like a saw blade and rolled clear.

Scrambling back to his hooves, Copper's eyes widened in horror. "SCOOTALOO!?"

The filly drew herself up, standing tall despite her labored breathing. "I came back to help!"

"I SAID LEAVE!" Copper's voice cracked with panic and disbelief.

The wood-wolf seized its chance. In a blur of wooden limbs, it closed the distance to Copper. The bat-pony tried to defend himself, but too late—the wolf knocked his sword away, sending it spinning toward Adam's hiding spot. In an instant, Copper was pinned, the wolf's teeth hovering over his throat. His struggles only made the beast clamp down, drawing tiny beads of blood. The message was clear: move, and die.

Scootaloo went rigid at the sight of blood. She lifted one trembling hoof, but Copper's strained voice stopped her.

"No," he choked out. "I said leave. Do it, and don't come back!"

The filly's eyes darted between Copper and the wolf, torn between obedience and loyalty. Adam felt the same paralysis, his gaze shifting from Scootaloo to the deadly beast before them.

Everything screamed at Adam to leave. The bat-pony was already a liability with his clumsy fighting, and now a child complicated things further—she couldn't even defend herself like Copper could.

Just leave, Adam urged silently as he watched the filly. Do the smart thing and leave!

Scootaloo took a step back, and Adam felt a wave of relief. But as he prepared to retreat, movement caught his eye. Behind the filly, the ground split open. A vine, thin and barbed, rose like a serpent, its sharp tip aimed at Scootaloo's back.

Without thinking, Adam ran.

Discord conducted his puppet show with malicious delight, fingers dancing as he guided his rabbit marionettes through the air on invisible strings. Each subtle twitch sent a wooden bunny slashing, every twist of his wrist launching another in pursuit of Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash had proven frustratingly competent, even after inexplicably abandoning flight. She had whittled his army down to three bunnies, suffering nothing worse than scratches and scrapes for her part. Even Discord had to admit she was impressive.

With a theatrical flourish, he commanded his remaining three bunnies to converge on the pegasus. He watched as Rainbow Dash twisted between them with practiced grace, then bucked the final attacker into a tree where it exploded into splinters.

"Well, well, well, perhaps you are the most awesome pony in Equestria!" He mockingly complimented.

Rainbow Dash flashed him a cocky smirk. "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

"Perhaps," Discord mused, arching his serpentine back and stretching his mismatched limbs. "But neither have you."

Light erupted around Discord's form, peeling away in luminescent flakes that drifted skyward like holy dandelion seeds. When the show of extravagance ended, he was adorned in ill-fitting golden armor—clearly designed for a more conventional body shape. To Rainbow Dash, the ensemble resembled Royal Guard armor.

"This little tussle has gotten me feeling nostalgic," he sighed wistfully, admiring the gleaming plates with exaggerated fondness. After adjusting a gauntlet with unnecessary precision, he flashed Rainbow Dash a predatory grin. "Ready for phase two?"

Rainbow Dash braced herself for Discord's attack. The draconequus maintained his Cheshire grin, casually scratching his neck as if they were having a peaceful afternoon chat. Finally, a sign of attack appeared as Discord twitched one of his fingers; she instinctively moved to dodge, but her muscles seized. The accumulated cuts had taken their toll, and pain shot through her body, momentarily paralyzing her.

A wooden bunny seized the opening, diving toward her with deadly intent. Rainbow Dash forced herself through the pain, twisting away from the attack—but her evasion wasn't clean. Another cut was inflicted upon her, fresh blood staining her coat.

The bunny, having missed its target, mistakenly plunged its sword deep into the earth. Rainbow Dash saw her chance and galloped forward to destroy the construct. But before she could reach it, the rabbit's head rotated completely around like an owl's in an instant. Its wooden jaws snapped open with a click, and from within poured Discord himself—claw extended and launching toward her like an arrow.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in shock. She dug her hooves into the ground, nearly tumbling from the sudden stop. Throwing herself sideways, she barely avoided Discord's charge. He shot past her and landed, his claw embedding itself in the earth—but that wasn't the end of his attack.

From Discord's back erupted a second Discord, armored like the first, his torso elongating as he slithered through the air. He spun at her like a top and she dodged the esoteric attack, only to face another as a third Discord emerged, stretching impossibly further. The two danced across the battlefield, Discord continuously splitting and weaving through the air like a thread through fabric while Rainbow Dash evaded each strike. Finally, after one last dodge, she forced an opening and charged after him.

Her assault caught him off guard; she turned around and delivered a devastating buck. On impact, Discord's head and torso lost all physicality, dissolving into a silvery mass of magic. The liquid Discord flowed backward along his elongated body like mercury, gathering speed and mass as it reabsorbed itself. The magical tide crashed into the wooden bunny he'd long ago emerged from, shattering it into countless splinters.

The clearing fell into silence, only Rainbow Dash's heavy breathing heard within. Her eyes tracked the slowly evaporating silver puddle, muscles tense as she waited for Discord's next move. When no attack came, she located the remaining two rabbit puppets lying motionless on the ground. She destroyed one swiftly—and that's when the laughter began.

From the silver pool, Discord's paw emerged. It stretched upward at an impossible speed, racing toward Rainbow Dash. She could only watch in horror as it expanded to block out the sky itself, growing to the size of a building and still swelling larger as it plummeted toward her.

Rainbow Dash's throat went dry as the true scale of Discord's power dawned on her. She spun and galloped with every ounce of strength she had, the titanic paw pursuing her like an avalanche. She dodged through the trees that remained In the clearing and lept over any boulder blocking her path. Discord's massive claw simply obliterated everything in its path. Upon seeing it gaining ground, Rainbow Dash pushed herself beyond her limits. Her legs screamed in protest as she forced more speed from them, but it worked—slowly, she began to pull ahead.

However, Rainbow Dash’s stride faltered as the last marionette rabbit plunged from above, forcing her to take drastic action. She threw herself into a side roll. The maneuver saved her and she tumbled across the ground before launching herself back to her hooves, galloping slower from being battered by the rough terrain.

Discord's massive paw closed the gap in seconds. Its fingers collapsed inward, reaching to grab her. Using every ounce of strength she had, Rainbow Dash leaped, barely clearing the grasp. The giant appendage slammed into the earth with devastating force, destroying what little vegetation remained and quaking the ground. She landed hard mere inches from the impact, collapsing onto her side. Pain shot forth as her many wounds became agitated, only subsiding after a few shuddered breaths and her forced relaxation.

The closest finger to Rainbow Dash began to pulse, its vibrations growing more intense with each passing moment. She scrambled backward, but her hooves couldn't find purchase on the ground. Before she could steady herself, the finger erupted into a column of flesh that reformed into Discord. He materialized clutching one of his puppet's discarded swords, his fanged grin gleaming as he drove the blade downward.

A scream tore from Rainbow Dash's throat as the sword pierced her wing, narrowly missing her body and pinning her to the earth. The blade severed wing tendons as it passed through, and the appendage fell limp against her side like wilted fruit. She curled inward instinctively as waves of agony radiated from the wound.

“Well done! Well done!” Discord cheered as he retrieved his sword. He examined the blade with casual interest, running a finger along its bloodied edge. "You fought for so long." He then pointed his sword at her wing. “Though you probably could've done better without the handicap. Too late now I guess.”

Rainbow Dash tried to retort, but could only manage a pained grunt. Discord chuckled and said, "No more quips? Good! You were never really good at them." He twirled the sword overhead. "Goodbye!"

“Why!” Rainbow Dash choked out.

Discord's grip faltered. "Why?" he echoed, bemused. "Well... I've heard all those lines many times over. You don't even make speed puns."

"No. Why go through all this? Why make some kid?" she forced out between labored breaths.

"Oh?" The word dripped with venom. Discord bent down until his face was inches from hers, his jovial mask slipping away. Rainbow Dash met his crimson gaze, seeing something ancient and bitter in those eyes.

"I want you to imagine being frozen," he whispered, "unable to feel anything—no warmth, no cold, no pain, nothing—for a thousand years. Completely conscious and unable to sleep it away." His voice grew harsh. "Counting every second, stewing in your own thoughts, watching as the world passes on and changes, becoming unrecognizable. Your memories fade with time. The people you knew? Dead. Your own life? Reduced to legends, then myths, then fairy tales."

He straightened slightly, his expression twisting. "That's what those little gems of yours did to me so long ago. Who would want to experience that?” A tired chuckle escaped him. “Had it not been for your Princess, I would've gone insane. But thankfully, Celly was nice enough to visit from time to time. Little inane talks of her daily life and 'I'm sorry it had to be this way.'" He mockingly spat the last words. "Pft, as if she cared."

Rainbow Dash moved her jaw but did not speak, unable to find words. "But, what about Dizzy?" she managed, the horror of Discord's imprisonment sinking in.

"Well, I can't go around without some kind of vessel. Lest what's left of me evaporate," he replied casually.

"So that's what she is? Some bucket for you to fill?"

Discord nodded. "And insurance."

"You're disgusting!" Rainbow Dash's voice cracked with fury. "You make yourself a daughter just to kill her off for a body!"

Discord gasped theatrically. "How dare you! I'll have you know I do not kill people!"

Despite her injuries, Rainbow Dash met his gaze with defiance. "Don't kill people?" she spat. "An innocent person doesn't earn legends of mass murder like you." The amusement drained from Discord's face, her words striking deep. "You were even about to chop my head off! You're exactly the monster ponies say you are, and that's why I gotta do what I gotta do!"

"Getting yourself beat and battered?" Discord quipped as he tapped her body with his blade's tip. Her uninjured wing twitched in response.

“No, ending you for good.”

A stifled chuckle escaped Discord. "Really now? I never took you for a comedian!"

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Laugh it up, buddy. You think I'm stupid, and maybe I am, but at least I'm smarter than you,” she said, eliciting an incredulous ‘oh’ from Discord. “In all this time, you never bothered to look up.”

Her good wing snapped open. The air grew thick with the metallic taste of ozone as static electricity danced across her fur. Discord felt the shift in the atmosphere and slowly tilted his head skyward.

The last thing either saw before plunging into darkness was a lightning bolt, brighter than the sun itself, racing toward them.

"Fast Pace, slow down!" Twilight called after the galloping stallion. He glanced back, noticed the distance between them, and halted to let her catch up.

Twilight reached him, wheezing. "Oh... wow... whew..."

"We're never going to find them if we keep stopping," Fast Pace said, his glare impatient.

"Running blindly won't help either," Twilight countered between breaths. "If we run into trouble, we'll be too exhausted—" seeing his composed state, she amended, "or at least I will."

Fast Pace's expression softened. "Right...right."

"It's okay," Twilight said as she pressed forward, Fast Pace falling in beside her. "You're worried."

He nodded and sighed, touching the Equestrian emblem on his chest plate. "My duty supersedes being tired, or at least my own."

Twilight smiled. “That's very noble of you.” Fast Pace merely nodded, letting silence fall between them.

Before today's chaos—before Dizzy and Rainbow Dash vanished—Twilight and Fast Pace had been observing the pair. While they sought evidence of Discord's influence, Twilight couldn't deny part of her motivation was keeping Rainbow in check. Was it wrong to not trust her friend's words? Of course, but Rainbow's brash, shortsighted, nature had unfortunately proven her concerns valid.

When the sky had grown cloudy and infused with magic, both she and Fast Pace had known what was to come—a magically charged lightning strike that would blind those who saw it. They had both yelled to look away, and they both followed each other's advice.

After the flash, Fast Pace's discovery of Dizzy and Rainbow's disappearance left him livid, vindicated in his warnings about the Everfree Forest. Meanwhile, Twilight had frantically searched the campsite, finding no trace of either missing pony. At Fast Pace's insistence, they'd begun their search, his urgent pace repeatedly forcing Twilight to catch up until now.

"Is watching Dizzy all you will do?" Twilight asked, breaking the silence.

"Protecting is also part of it, of course."

"And what about taking care of her? As in, being her—like her—no like a..."

"Father?" Fast Pace supplied. Twilight nodded. "Rarity asked the same thing. And, I plan on doing what is needed."

Raising an eyebrow, Twilight parroted, “What is needed?”

“Feeding, housing, hugs, and…talking about awkward stuff?” Fast Pace trailed off, unsure.

Twilight couldn't suppress a giggle at his basic checklist of fatherhood. "Fast Pace, being a father figure is more than a list of obligations. You'll be a central pillar of her life—the one who shapes her into an exceptional and smart mare. You'll guide her when she's lost and lift her when she's down.” Her voice turned stern. “How you treat and guide her will affect every aspect of her future. Do you understand that?"

Something in Fast Pace's demeanor shifted, his posture relaxing though it had shown no previous tension. "I understand perfectly, Miss Sparkle. Her Majesty would not have assigned me otherwise," he assured. "But I will be honest—I'm very unsure how best to do what you and Miss Rarity ask of me."

"Don't discredit yourself. I think the Princess knows you'll learn your role." Twilight tilted her head. "Why not emulate your father? He seemed to have made you into a fine gentle-colt."

"I don't have a father," Fast Pace answered flatly.

"Oh! Um, I'm sorry," Twilight stammered.

He waved a dismissive hoof. "It's fine. I think I understand what you mean; I can emulate my mother instead...though maybe not, she's only recently done such things."

Twilight eyed Fast Pace uncertainly. A flicker of doubt about Celestia's choice crossed her mind, but she pushed it aside. Celestia chose him. She's never wrong.

Fast Pace suddenly halted, frowning at his hooves.

“What's wrong?” Twilight asked.

"The Earth is shaking," he said, scraping the ground.

Twilight focused on the sensations beneath her hooves but felt nothing. "Are you—"

Fast Pace's hoof shot up, silencing her. "There's something big that way." He pointed deeper into the forest. "A hydra probably."

A glint of magic above their destination caught Twilight's eye. “Or, it's Rainbow Dash,” She said confidently. She tracked the subtle movement of power in the clouds, converging at a point hidden by the canopy. Fast Pace followed her gaze, and upon recognizing the magic, reflexively closed his eyes.

"Don't look away," Twilight commanded. Her horn flared with lavender light, conjuring a dark, glassy bubble around them. "This time, we're going to see where that lightning hits."

Adam's chest heaved as he drew deep breaths, his trembling arms letting the tip of Copper's sword, which he now wielded, sink into the earth. Two sets of eyes and a set of ears turned to him: the bat-pony, the timber wolf, and most crucially, the filly Adam now shielded. She stared at him with fear before noticing the severed vine that had nearly claimed her life.

The filly backed away, mouth opening to speak, but Adam cut her off. "You heard him. Run!" After a moment's hesitation, she nodded and disappeared into the forest.

Copper seized the moment, slicing through the wolf's restraining limbs and rolling away with enough momentum to land on his hooves. He released a relieved sigh. "Who are you?"

"Someone who, um, someone who decided to help, I guess," Adam stammered.

"So not a guard..." Copper muttered before adding quickly, "You should leave too, then."

Vines slithered from the wolf's severed limbs, creeping toward its body to reattach. Adam raised his sword in response. "No way, no second thoughts. Either we die together, or we live together."

Copper exploded with frustration. "Listen to me! Leave like—" A growl cut him short as the wolf rose. He spun toward it, summoning his dagger. "Forget it! Defend yourself!"

The three stood silently, waiting for one another to make the first move. The wolf's gaze darted between Adam and Copper, calculating. Adam kept the beast centered in his vision, ready to slice into it. Copper, however, maintained a calm demeanor, his tufted ears flicking at every subtle sound—an awareness that let him detect the wolf's first move.

A near-inaudible rumble beneath Copper's hooves triggered his instincts. He leaped aside as a vine exploded from the earth. His dagger was a blur as he reduced it to fragments. Another rumble, another dodge, another slice. Again and again he danced this deadly pattern, not realizing he was being led into a trap.

The timber wolf seized its moment, charging at the distracted bat-pony. Adam grunted in disbelief before steeling himself. Raising his sword with a war cry, he rushed to intercept—only to be violently yanked to the ground. A scream of agony ranged from his throat as barbed vines constricted his arm, thorns piercing deep into flesh.

With a triumphant howl, the wolf abruptly changed course, launching off a nearby tree toward the now-defenseless Adam. Time seemed to slow as Adam watched death descend, wooden jaws spread wide enough to engulf his head. In that eternal second before impact, the gem in Copper's sword blazed to life. The blade shot skyward, spinning like a lethal windmill, and met the wolf mid-leap. The magical steel tore through wooden flesh, reducing the beast to splinters.

Wood chips rained down on the pain-wracked Adam, his eyes wide with shock as he processed his brush with death. Ragged breaths escaped him as he surveyed the destruction, adrenaline flooding his system with an almost otherworldly high. "Holy shit!" he mumbled, voice trembling between terror and exhilaration.

Across the battlefield, Copper stood panting, the vine assault dying with the wolf. His dagger hovered at his side while his head pointed skyward, the gem of his armor glowing from his manipulation of the distant sword.

"Get away... from it," Copper gasped before his voice rose to a fierce command. "NOW!"

Adam didn't obey the command, too shocked to hear. Only when the spectral leg lashed out with vines did he break out of his stupor. His bloodied arm screamed in protest as he scrambled back toward Copper, watching the scattered wood chips converge. “It's not dead?” he muttered.

“Of course not,” Copper said. “How hurt are you?”

Adam examined his arm; it looked like it had been dragged through a rosebush, with barbs embedded and blood trickling from countless cuts. Every slight movement sent stabbing pain from his shoulder up through his neck, making each puncture wound throb anew. Despite being well acquainted with injuries, he couldn’t contain a shuddering breath. "It fucked up my arm pretty bad," he managed through gritted teeth. "Broken or something."

Worry flickered across Copper's face before he masked it. "Okay, just stay back. I'll keep you safe."

"No way. We kill it together."

"Kill it? That's not happening," Copper countered. "I'm blind, and—and you don't know how to fight."

"Then what? We defend forever in a stalemate?" Adam's voice grew terse. "How was that working out for you?"

“Perfectly fine. How did attacking go?” Copper asked, receiving no reply from Adam. “Exactly! Besides, it's not forever. Just until the Guard arrives.”

"Probably not going to happen," Adam cut in. Seeing Copper's confusion, he added, "Um, they're fighting Discord."

Disbelief crossed Copper's face as he mouthed 'So it's true then.' After a moment's contemplation, he let out an anxious chuckle. "Can you fly?" Adam's simple 'no' deflated him. "So no escape..."

"We either defend till we're dead or fight and maybe die trying."

"Well, we're not dying," Copper declared, passing his blade back to Adam. "So then let's fight it."

"Yeah," Adam smirked, grabbing the sword one-handed.

"But only after I come up with a plan."

"Make it quick," Adam warned, watching the wolf near completion.

“I already got it,” Copper Claws said, “and it starts with this.” As Adam watched, intrigued, Copper drew in a deep breath and then exhaled a dark fog that consumed everything around them. Their patch of the forest became a dark abyss.

The lightning bolt struck before Discord could fully raise his defensive arms, engulfing Rainbow Dash in a blinding corona of light. Her screech pierced the air as electricity surged outward, its hungry tendrils seeking new targets to vaporize. Discord, being the closest, became their focus as electric arcs crackled through the space between them.

The electricity flowed into his raised arms as conductors and channeled straight into his body. His agonized yell joined Rainbow's as his magical form began to disintegrate. Starting from his arms, spreading to his head and legs, his body crumbled to ash—the lightning ruthlessly stripping away the magic that bound him together.

Their screams lasted only seconds, but the lightning's assault continued. Drawing power from the magical clouds looming over the Everfree Forest, the bolt raged on for minutes until it had drained every last spark. As the energy finally dissipated, the threatening storm clouds dissolved, revealing the peaceful blue sky above.

In the strike's wake lay an unconscious Rainbow Dash, her singed coat still smoking; across from a pile of smoldering ash.

From the ash, poked out Discord's head, cackling maniacally—until ash got caught in his throat and sent him into a coughing fit. “Nice try!” he wheezed, clawing his way out of the pile. With a final heave, he burst free, tumbling onto his stomach with an "oof" before dissolving into weak chuckles.

Discord rose, brushing ash from his now-tiny form—barely a foot tall. "Bravo, Rainbow Dash. Bravo!" he mocked, gesturing theatrically at her unconscious form. "A little more power and you might have actually burned me away! I never thought a modern pony like you would have the guts to attempt a suicide attack."

He crept toward Rainbow Dash, a mischievous smirk playing across his face as he raised his arms. With exaggerated slowness, he gripped one forearm with the opposite hand, sliding down until the held limb transformed into a marker.

Most would say this is a waste of magic, Discord mused as he positioned his marker-arm over Rainbow Dash's forehead. "But those of high society would say..." he drawled, tongue sticking out in mock concentration as he sketched. Stepping back, he admired his handiwork—a crudely drawn penis adorning the unconscious pegasus's forehead. "Classic."

Before he could turn away, the ground beneath him lurched. Earth erupted upward, catapulting him skyward. His small form tumbled through the air like a discarded toy, only to have his uncontrolled flight cut short by a hoof slamming him into the ground. The impact forced a strangled yelp from his throat.

Royal Private Fast Pace loomed over him, eyes cold and determined. "Hello, monster," the stallion growled, grinding his hoof down. Thin ribbons of yellow-orange flame materialized, wrapping around Discord's body. Despite his attempts to squirm free, the flames held him still, their magic burning wherever they touched.

"Don't try it," Fast Pace warned. "You can't escape, be it physically or magically."

Discord ignored the guard and attempted to unravel the spell he was under, but his magic refused to respond. He felt perturbed about his helplessness but masked it by flashing his trademark smile. "You really like being on top of people!" he quipped. The guard's only response was to press down harder, drawing a pained grimace from the trapped draconequus.

“Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!" Came Twilight's voice as she burst into the clearing, gasping for breath. Both Fast Pace and Discord watched as she rushed to her friend's side, dropping to her knees beside Rainbow's unconscious form. Her chest heaving, Twilight pressed a hoof against Rainbow's neck, searching for signs of life. Only when she felt steady breathing did she slump in relief. "She's alright!"

Fast Pace's quiet sigh echoed her sentiment.

Twilight's horn lit with a lavender glow as she readied a spell. The same glow began to engulf Rainbow Dash, but before she could start the spell, Fast Pace interrupted her. "You can heal her in a moment," he said firmly, drawing a confused look from her. "I need you to seal Discord first."

"Oh, right!" Twilight scrambled to her hooves and hurried to Fast Pace's side, her expression hardening as she glared down at Discord. Her horn flared brightly as she wove her magic, condensing it into a transparent dome around the diminutive draconequus.

The expanding barrier forced Fast Pace's hoof away from Discord's body. As the connection broke, the binding flames flickered and died, leaving Discord free to move within his new prison. The magical sphere continued to grow until Discord could stand upright, and then lifted into the air, taking a chunk of earth with it.

Discord examined his containment with theatrical interest, running his tiny claws along the barrier's surface when his attempts to summon magic failed yet again. After a thorough inspection, he grinned at Twilight. "Very nice, learn this from Celly?"

"I just don't understand," Twilight said, drawing Discord's full attention. "Why would you rather do all this instead of just being our friend and stopping the chaos?"

"Why? Because I don't want to be stone for another thousand years." Discord answered, his voice turning sharp thereafter. "Besides, why would I want to be 'friends' with people who never wanted to be mine?"

The words struck Twilight like a physical blow. She worked her mouth, thinking of a rebuttal; but both she and Discord knew he was right. Finally, she seized upon a memory after contemplating. "F-Fluttershy did!"

Discord cackled, howling at her flimsy point. "I thought so too! But betrayal makes no friends."

"She only did it because you killed Angel Bunny!" Twilight retorted, her face flushed with anger.

“I didn't mean to kill the little guy,” Discord said with a roll of his eyes, “but I don't think losing a pet warrants stone imprisonment.”

Fast Pace cleared his throat. "It doesn't matter the severity of your crime today. You have been given opportunities time and time again to choose good, but you refuse. At every turn, you've made things difficult. It's clear you don't want to change."

“You assume I could ever become something you ponies would find desirable,” Discord growled before turning away and lazily sitting down, slumping down with his head propped on one hand. "As long as you hate chaos, you'll never find me tolerable. You ponies despise anything outside your 'perfect' system of ideals, unwilling to adapt or understand."

"That's not true!" Twilight protested.

Discord snorted. "Equestria is the greatest country in the world. Nearly free from monsters of legend and hexes of the unknown, the pinnacle of peace and safety—a place everyone would want to be." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "And yet, it's only ponies here."

"T-that's because... because—" Twilight stammered.

"Because they're not ponies," Discord stated flatly.

Twilight recoiled in offense, but before she could respond, Fast Pace stepped between them. "Quiet!" he snapped at Discord, then turned to Twilight. "Don't bother, Miss Twilight. He's just trying to provoke you. Please go heal Rainbow Dash." Twilight hesitated, then nodded, retreating to her friend's side.

Fast Pace glared up at Discord. "How dare you make such an insinuation! Equestria welcomes all who champion harmony. It is not our fault so many have issues adapting."

Discord's smirk widened. "Do you even hear yourself?"

Their argument escalated, words flying back and forth with increasing hostility.

"Rainbow Dash..." Twilight whispered, her horn pulsing with healing magic as she wove intricate patterns of energy into her friend's body. "Why did you do this?"

The silence was broken by a weak groan. "Protect...friends...everyone..." Rainbow Dash managed before declining into violent coughing that ended in a pained whimper, her breathing ragged and strained.

Twilight flinched at the sound. Her horn flared brighter as she scanned Rainbow Dash's body, dread building as she discovered the true extent of her friend's injuries. Beneath the singed patches of fur, Rainbow Dash's tissues showed signs of internal cooking, and her lungs were filled with fluid. "You took on that lightning strike, didn't you?" she breathed.

With the precision of a surgeon, Twilight broke down and forced the phlegm out with her magic. Rainbow Dash hacked violently, expelling the red and green mucus onto the grass beside them.

"Thanks, Twi..." Rainbow Dash managed between labored breaths.

Twilight stared down at her friend, her worry transforming into anger as she watched Rainbow struggle for each breath. "Why didn't you wait?" she burst out. "You promised you wouldn't do this! You said you'd trust my plan, but you didn't. Instead, you kidnapped Dizzy, somehow pulled Discord from her, and picked a fight with him!"

She paused, drawing in a shaky breath to steady herself. "I trusted your word, and you...betrayed me. Do you know how that makes me feel? Awful! Because now you're hurt and I can't even fix it!"

Her words hung heavy in the air as she fell silent, turning slightly away while maintaining the flow of healing magic that kept Rainbow stable.

“I'm sorry,” Rainbow Dash whispered. ‘“I-I just…wanted to protect…everyone. In Daring Doo, the king…took only a day.”

Twilight released a heavy sigh. "Rainbow, that was just a book. The chances of Discord doing the exact same thing were astronomical. That's why I wanted to wait." She cast a calculating glance at their captured foe. "It was a gamble, and I should have mentioned so, but I doubted Discord had enough magic to return so quickly anyway."

"Would've been nice to know," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Yeah..." Twilight admitted sheepishly. She concentrated on maintaining her healing spell, though it did little to stimulate cell regeneration. At least it dulled Rainbow's pain and prevented further damage.

Fast Pace, finished with his dressing down of Discord, approached the two and asked, “Is she alright?”

“No,” Twilight bluntly responded, closing her eyes and grimacing. "The external damage seems limited to her wing, but internally..." She paused, her voice tightening. "That lightning strike was too much for her. It...it partially cooked her insides!"

Fast Pace scowled, his expression unclear as to whether he was silently judging Rainbow Dash's actions or feeling sympathy for the harm done to her. “Can you heal it all?” He asked.

Twilight shook her head. "I'm no empath. The best I can do is keep her stable until we can get proper medical help."

Fast Pace drew himself up, his voice taking on a commanding tone. "Okay. Miss Twilight, maintain your healing, and keep Discord contained. I'll signal the Local Guard, contact Her Majesty, and find Dizzy."

"Find Dizzy? Alone?" Twilight's questioned. "Fast Pace, you can't possibly search this whole forest by yourself. It's enormous and—"

"Dangerous," Fast Pace cut in. "That's exactly why I have to go. If something out there can kill me, it can kill my ward."

Twilight paused, considering his words. "That's true," she conceded, "but you should wait. We have no idea where she is, and it's far too easy to get lost. Going alone could mean we end up with two missing people instead of one."

Fast Pace turned away, tapping his hoof against the ground. A circle of flames spread outward, drying the earth beneath. As he spoke, he reached into his mane, searching. "Ma'am, I was tasked with protecting her, and I will not fail. Right now, I don't know if she's even alive, and that must be rectified immediately." His hoof emerged with a red gem. "Trust me, I can navigate this forest. Just do what I asked and don't worry."

He tossed the gem down and crushed it beneath his hoof. Red vapor rose from the shattered crystal, climbing skyward as a beacon, visible for miles.

Twilight wrestled with the options, finding neither satisfactory. "Okay," she finally relented.

Fast Pace nodded and once more went through his mane, pulling out a notepad and pencil. He settled down on the earth to compose his message to Celestia.

"I know... how to find her!" Rainbow Dash yelled out before dissolving into another coughing fit.

Fast Pace turned, the pencil still in his mouth. "You do?"

Rainbow Dash nodded weakly, prompting Twilight's eyes to widen. "What? How?"

"My element... I gave her my element," Rainbow Dash managed between breaths.

Fast Pace was confused, however, Twilight quickly understood what Rainbow Dash meant. “Rainbow Dash, you're a genius!” she cheered.

Fast Pace spat out his pencil. "Explain."

"When the Princess gave us the Elements, she enchanted them to be untouchable by Discord's magic. It's quite incredible," Twilight explained, her horn glowing as she summoned a quill from the aether. It blazed vibrant red as her magic flowed into it. "But I added my own enchantment—for insurance."

The quill's tip slowly rotated until it pointed deep into the forest. "A simple tracking spell. Wherever this quill points, Rainbow's Element will be."

"I thought this through," Rainbow Dash said smugly.

Twilight and Fast Pace eyed her wing together, the latter saying, “Clearly not enough,” causing Rainbow to flush with embarrassment.

"Miss Twilight," Fast Pace continued, "anything you want Her Majesty to know?"

"...So you're still going," Twilight observed. Fast Pace's silence was answer enough. She considered for a moment. "Tell Princess Celestia that none of this is Dizzy's fault, and request the aid of one of the Royal Physicians."

Fast Pace nodded, finishing his note and tearing it free. He bound it with a gold ribbon, then summoned a golden flame to his hoof. The message burned away into golden smoke, which spiraled briefly before shooting toward Canterlot at the speed of light.

Rising to his hooves, Fast Pace gazed in the direction the quill indicated. "Stay safe."

Twilight watched him, still uncertain of his decision. "You too," she replied as he galloped into the forest. With a heavy sigh, she returned her attention to Rainbow Dash's treatment.

A pitch-black mist shrouded a portion of the Everfree Forest. Though small compared to the vast woodland, inside, the darkness seemed endless. Within lurked three figures: the empowered timber wolf runt that had absorbed its fallen pack, the twice-blinded bat-pony Copper, and Adam, the human-turned-draconequus.

The wolf prowled through the abyss, its footsteps loud against the earth as it crushed the flora beneath. Despite its heightened senses, tracking its prey proved difficult—it seemed the mist did more than just absorb light. Not a sound nor smell could be sensed, but that did not deter the wolf's search.

"So that's it?" Adam whispered to Copper beside him.

"Mhm. I made the mist so you should be able to see it," Copper confirmed.

Through the darkness, a sickly green glow drifted slowly.

Adam studied the light intently. "Yeah, I see the core, and I think I know why you couldn't find it."

Copper grunted questioningly.

"It's the leg," Adam said.

"Are you sure?" Copper's voice was urgent. "That's not normal."

“Well, there's nowhere else glowing. What do ‘your eyes’ see?” Adam asked sarcastically.

Copper let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Um, nothing..."

"Then trust me—it's the leg," Adam insisted.

"Alright," Copper conceded. "Just remember to wait for the perfect moment."

"Yeah yeah, I know." As Copper slowly inhaled, drawing the mist back, Adam added, "If we die, I'm haunting your afterlife."

Copper rolled his eyes at the quip.

When only a small patch of darkness remained to conceal them, Copper burst forth with a war cry, his knife floating at his side. The wolf's ghostly eyes, which had been tracking the dissipating mist, contracted to pinpoints as they locked onto him. Copper launched his knife, sending it spinning through the air like a saw blade. "Bring it on!" he yelled.

The wolf leaped forward, easily avoiding the blade—but Copper jumped too. As they soared toward each other, their eyes met—savage hunger against fierce determination. The wolf's jaws gaped wide, ready to snap shut on the now weaponless pony.

Adam watched the engagement from within the mist, and all he could think was, What the hell!?

To him, it looked as though Copper had freely leaped into the wolf’s jaws. He gripped Copper's sword tightly, torn between holding position and rushing to strike. But before he could decide, Copper made his move.

The pony’s wings snapped open. With a powerful beat, he shot toward the wolf, spinning to slam his hoof into the beast's head. Half the wooden skull exploded into splinters as Copper connected and sailed past. He quickly approached a tree—one he sensed from his previous yell—and angled upwards. His momentum carried him to its trunk, where he landed and immediately launched himself back into the fray.

The wolf crashed to the ground with a furious snarl. Before it could turn, Copper slammed into its back, driving it to the ground. The beast's scream of pain transformed into a summoning howl as vines erupted around it. Several managed to slash across Copper's body, but he dodged others with growing precision. Even as the wolf called forth more vines, Copper continued to improve, recalling his knife mid-dodge to parry the attacks. Between evasions, he stomped repeatedly on the wolf, preventing it from rising.

Adam recognized his moment—the wolf was completely focused on Copper. He burst from the mist, sword raised high, eyes locked on the beast's leg. But the wolf sensed him coming. Two vines shot toward Adam’s chest and he ducked to dodge. Following his action came Copper's knife like a flash of light, severing the attacking vines. Unfortunately, the evasion threw Adam off balance; he stumbled and fell, crying out as the sword slipped from his grasp.

Copper's attention flickered to Adam's fall. In that split second of distraction, his hoof came down too slow. Wooden barbs erupted through the wolf's body, impaling Copper's leg. His agonized scream filled the forest as tears streamed down his face, his leg trapped by the thorny prison.

Adam, upon hearing the wail, quickly looked up. He stared on in dread, watching as more vines rose around them both, their tips sharpening into deadly points. He lay frozen, watching Copper's torture, who yelped as he was forced to his knees. With the bat-pony's leg trapped, the beast’s vines slowly dragged him into its body.

The wolf turned its attention to Adam and launched vines toward him as well. Adam would have accepted his end without resistance, but Copper's agonized cries stirred something long dormant within him—a flame that had been smothered long ago. He gritted his teeth and rolled away from the attack. In one fluid motion, he snatched up Copper's sword and swept it through the vines that had nearly claimed his life.

Despite Adam’s retaliation, a confident smirk formed on the wolf. Adam met its stare with contempt before letting out a battle cry and charging forward. In an instant, vines erupted from the wolf's body, but Adam never broke stride. His blade flashed in the forest gloom, severing every vine that dared approach.

As he closed in, Adam raised the sword to strike the beast's leg. The wolf, anticipating the attack, sent a final burst of vines from its chest. But Adam was ready—the blade carved through them in one clean arc. With nothing to stop him, he carried the momentum into a spin and brought the sword down with all his strength onto the wolf's glowing leg.

The leg shattered like crystal and the wolf froze in place. Its ethereal green eyes dimmed to mist as its body collapsed into a heap of dead wood. The vines that it had once controlled withered and crumbled, releasing their grip on Copper, who tumbled unceremoniously into the pile of timber.

Adam remained poised, breath held, waiting for any sign of movement from the timber pile. When none came, he sank to his knees with a relieved sigh, chuckling softly. "I did it..."

"You mean we," Copper corrected, rolling to face him.

“Yeah, of course…I'm just amazed I managed that!” Adam replied, a subtle giddiness in his voice.

Copper offered a gentle smile. "Y-you should be! For someone who's not a guard, you're pretty brave."

Adam's cheeks flushed at the praise, but guilt quickly followed. He rubbed his arm anxiously. "Yeah, I just did what was right." The words felt hollow in his mouth as he remembered his initial impulse to abandon Copper.

"If it weren't for you, I would've been fighting that thing for hours... m-maybe even died," Copper said, pulling Adam from his thoughts. The pony attempted to stand but collapsed with a yelp, his legs failing him.

Adam rushed to his side. "You, um, you okay?"

A half-hearted chuckle escaped Copper and he forced out a smile. “I guess not. My leg really is messed up!”

Confused, Adam examined the foreleg in question. His breath caught at the sight—five clean holes pierced through the flesh, blood oozing steadily. A knot formed in Adam's stomach; he'd seen serious injuries before, even life-threatening ones, but nothing quite like this. The injury was deep enough to reveal the muscle fiber beneath Copper’s skin.

"Yeah... yeah it is," Adam managed. "Did you not think it was?"

Copper's facade crumbled, revealing the worry underneath. "I kinda assumed so, but I can't feel any pain right now and just...hoped, you know?" He let out a nervous chuckle. "Dad's gonna be mad..."

With a step forward, Adam asked, “You want me to, uh, help get you up?”

"That would be nice, yeah."

After some awkward maneuvering, Adam figured out how to support Copper, draping the injured leg over his shoulder like a human arm. As they rose together, he asked, "Your dad's gonna be mad, huh?"

"You heard that?" Copper mumbled. "Yeah, no one's supposed to enter the Everfree without permission."

"Then why are you and that other pony here?" Adam asked, a flicker of anger rising as he remembered his own forced presence in the forest.

"It's a long story," Copper said, unexpectedly sliding off Adam's shoulder.

"You're gonna walk on three legs?" Adam asked incredulously.

Copper nodded. "It's only one leg down. I'll manage." He tapped Adam with a wing and turned to face him. Despite his blindness, Adam felt as though Copper really was looking at him. "You really are brave. Thank you for saving my life... uh..."

Copper clicked his tongue. "We never introduced ourselves! I'm Copper Claws, Junior Guard in training. What's yours?"

Adam, caught off by the sudden question, muttered, “Well, uh—URK”

Adam's words transformed into a voiceless scream as white-hot pain erupted in his chest. Looking down, he saw a blood-tipped vine protruding through his feathers as if he'd been impaled through the heart. Beside him, Copper's violent coughing drew his attention. The bat-pony was spitting blood, another vine pierced through his chest. Their legs gave out, but the vines held them suspended like macabre puppets.

Twigs snapped beneath them. Adam's heart dropped as he turned his head—the wolf's wooden skull, which should have been nothing but splinters, had reformed. Its muzzle stretched in a malevolent grin, savoring their shock and fear.

The rest of the beast's body materialized from the scattered timber. It stalked toward Adam and Copper, jaws working in anticipation of the kills. But before it could reach them, the wolf shrieked in agony. Fire erupted out of its chest, racing out from the beasts every crevice—charring the body black. Its pained wails grew louder and louder as the flames that burned it grew darker and darker, until nothing remained but ash and black flame scattered on the forest floor.

Through fading vision, Adam saw Fast Pace standing behind the wolf's remains, his expression torn between fear and concern, before falling into darkness.