Rise of Ruinous

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: RISE OF RUINOUS

Chapter 30 - The Spirit of Hatred, Hatetrol

The time - One month after the Running of the Leaves.

Nightmare Moon and Twilight Sparkle are standing in the middle of Ponyville a good distance apart, facing each other.

N.Moon: The night... will last... FOREVER!

T.Sparkle: Not if I can help it!

The two mares dash at each other, then launch into a series of attacks at each other, hooves, beams of magic and even a few energy balls flying.  The two ponies ended up flying farther and farther back as they get hit with each successive attack.  Finally, Twilight Sparkle blasted Nightmare Moon with an energy ball that sent the Mare in the Moon rocketing upwards!

N.Moon: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo.....................

SFX: *DING!* GAME!!!

The camera pulls out to reveal that Nightmare Moon and Twilight Sparkle were actually battling each other in a "Super Smash Bros."-style video game in Virtuna's arcade, the two mares smiling at each other.

N.Moon: Nice game!

T.Sparkle: Thanks. Another round?

N.Moon: Yeah!

The two high-hoof, battling again as Virtuna watches, smiling ear-to-ear.  The little earth pony giggles, then resumes looking over her arcade with Pixel.

*INTRO SEQUENCE*

As Nightmare Moon and Twilight Sparkle continue playing, the rest of the Mane 6 rush into the arcade.

T.Sparkle: Heya, girls.  What's up?

Fluttershy: Discord wants to see us, he says it's urgent.

Applejack: *nod* Yep, BIG-TIME urgent.  He was even writing some serious wordin'. (to Virtuna): Ya'll may wanna lock this arcade up fer a spell, too.

Virtuna (uneasy): OK?

After Verdescale helped Virtuna shut the game machines off and lock up, the eight ponies make their way to Canterlot.  In Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia is pacing nervously, a la how she paced when telling the ponies about Discord.  The draconequus himself was standing at the midpoint of Princess Celestia's path, striking a thinker's pose.

Discord: I DID say that Ruinous would strike ANYtime, ANYwhere, ANYhow, did I?

P.Celestia: But like THIS?!  *SIGH*  Has this happened before?!

Discord: Almost as infrequently as Ruinous attacking himself.  When Hatetrol does this, usually whomever's fighting against Ruinous stands down, for fear of hurting whomever Hatetrol did this to.

P.Celestia: This is SO not fair.....

N.Moon (walking into the room with all other Bearers of Harmony): He sent Fryght out during my birthday party, remember?

T.Sparkle: Why's everypony looking so serious?

P.Celestia: It has all to do with your next opponent, Hatetrol.

The ponies wince a bit, some sighing.

R.Dash: *nod* Here comes the first REAL hard one.

Trixie blinks a bit as she noticed the sun goddess give a sad sigh as she nodded.

Discord: For many years, Hatetrol's hatred magic was enough to conquer all who opposed Ruinous' might.  The idea was that Hatetrol's power would cause a mutiny in the ranks, and through a combination of distrust, betrayal or just good-ol'-fashioned bickering-back-and-forth - like I had you at one point - that would do it for the battle.  You'll be locking horns - literally, Hatetrol's a unicorn - with one of Ruinous' top generals.  But he does, however, employ another far-more cruel trick.....

Discord, then the alicorn princesses, then the changeling royals, look at Rainbow Dash, the Bearer of Loyalty uneasily scanning their faces.

R.Dash: Wwwwwhy-is-everyone-here-looking-at-me-like-that?

P.Shiftshape: I'll tell her, I DID catch it. *Princess Celestia motions with her right-front hoof as if to say "Go on."* *looks at Rainbow Dash and kneels by her* Hatetrol possessed a griffon who kept screaming out for a..... "Rainbow Trash"?

As Prince Shiftshape told Rainbow Dash the name the griffon screamed out, her face became contorted in horror.

R.Dash: GILDA!?

Rest of Bearers of Harmony: GILDA?!

Discord: *nod* VERY rarely does Hatetrol do this, but I guess he found one whose hate was sufficient enough for him to use as either a vessel - which means Hatetrol himself resides in the body of his target - or as a puppet - one sent to do his evil bidding as an unwitting stand-in.  In either case, you have to beat BOTH Hatetrol AND his target.

R.Dash: Both?

Discord nods, uneasily looking at Rainbow Dash.  The cyan mare bows her head, eyes shut, leaving all to wonder if she'd actually do it.  After a while,.....

R.Dash: Discord..... *Her eyes snap open, determination radiating from her body as she slowly looks upwards* .....Hatetrol is NOT getting away with this!  I WILL free Gilda from his evil hold, and I hope Ruinous is watching, because the smackdown I will give that unicorn will be NOTH-THING compared to the one HE'S gonna get!! GOT ME?!

P.Celestia: *smile* I KNEW you'd come through, my Spirit of Loyalty.

The two nuzzle, then Rainbow Dash puts her Element of Harmony necklace on. The others do the same and head out to battle Hatetrol.  En route, the ponies spot others hating each other for being different.  Twilight Sparkle shivered a bit.

Virtuna: What, Twi?

T.Sparkle: Do you feel a bit cold?

Virtuna: .........*shrug* Must be because we're running.

Twilight Sparkle shrugs it off, keeping pace with the others.  Rainbow Dash's eyes were narrowed as she lead the rest of the Bearers of Harmony towards Hatetrol.  Spotting the dark unicorn, the cyan mare snorts angrily at him.

Hatetrol: Ah, so they arrive.....

R.Dash: Can the cheesy rhetoric and hooves off my friend!

Hatetrol: Ah, your friend, the griffon, I trust?  She is too far gone to hear you.

R.Dash: I don't believe that for a wing-flappin' second!

Hatetrol: *evil laughter* Do not take MY word for it, see for *steps to the side* yourself.....

Rainbow Dash gasps.  Seeing Gilda under Hatetrol's influence was like looking at a total stranger.  The two glared at the Wonderbolt with the same glowing red eyes reflecting total hatred, so much so, in fact, a cold wind swirled around the ponies and griffon, making Twilight Sparkle shiver.  Hatetrol chuckled.

Hatetrol: Feel the cold wind blowing..... MY power has brought back Equestria's greatest threat.....  With the power of the wendigoes at my disposal, Equestria will FREEZE!

R.Dash: Not if WE have anything to say about it!

Hatetrol laughs, setting a barrier around Gilda and Rainbow Dash!

Hatetrol: Show me if you can reach her!

Fluttershy: You BIG..... DUMB..... MEANIE!!!!!

As the other Bearers of Harmony went all out against Hatetrol, Rainbow Dash looked at the hulking monster that used to be Gilda.

R.Dash (between dodging Gilda's attacks, mainly claw swipes and harsh pecks): Gilda!  Snap outta it!  Hatetrol's.....!

Rainbow Dash gasps, dodging a particularly vicious swipe from her former best friend.

R.Dash: Gilda, stop it!  Hear me, PLEASE!  Hatetrol's influence has turned you into a monster!

Gilda hisses at Rainbow Dash, pouncing right at her!

R.Dash: GILDA, STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Rainbow Dash screamed at Gilda to stop, her Element of Harmony glowed and sparked up almost angrily.  Her armor was colored in all the colors of the rainbow, gold tinged and Spartan-like, just like her friends'.  With one mighty flap of her wings, the barrier Hatetrol made dissipated, much to the surprise of the dark grey unicorn.

Hatetrol: What is THIS?

R.Dash: Your worst nightmare.....

As Rainbow Dash hovered overhead, the rest of the Mane 6 armored up.

R.Dash: Attacking during Nightmare Moon's birthday party was one thing, but this is going too far.  You can NOT expect to just taint somepony's friendship and get away with it, especially MINE!  I... am the Element of Loyalty, which means YOU... do NOT... HURT... MY... FRIENDS!!!

With a growl, Rainbow Dash flew right at Hatetrol, breaking the Equestrian record for the shortest distance to get up to speed for a Sonic Rainboom!  The massive spectral shockwave was devastating to the Element of Darkness of Hatred, slamming him around all over Ponyville like a pinball!  The Wonderbolt then flew in a reverse loop, smashing Hatetrol with a series of Volt-Tackle-like air-tackles that end with the hateful unicorn being sent straight up, screeching in agony!

R.Dash: THIS..... IS..... *Elements charge up!* FOR-GILDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Elements of Harmony seem to respond to Rainbow Dash's anger, blasting Hatetrol stronger than anyone they nailed before!  The hateful unicorn seemed to explode into a supernova of tiny lights, the fallout breaking Hatetrol's spell on everypony.  As the lights fell around them, the realization of their victory over one of Ruinous' generals slowly hits them.

Fluttershy: Oh, my!

The ponies start cheering as everypony soon acts normal, a round of apologies following.  Rainbow Dash perks up, her armor going back into her necklace as she looks frantically around for Gilda.  The other ponies follow the cyan pegasus, helping her look.  When Rainbow Dash does find Gilda, the scene is heart-breaking.  The griffon was laying motionless on the ground a good distance away from where the fight against Hatetrol took place.

T.Sparkle: Oh.....

Trixie: She must've..... gotten nailed with the Elements as hard as Hatetrol did.

R.Dash: NO!

Rainbow Dash ran to Gilda, hugging her and calling her name.  The scene was so emotional, Applejack took her hat off, but then.....

Gilda: *grunt* mmmmm..... Dash?

R.Dash: ...........Gilda?

Gilda: What the hey happened?  *looks at the other ponies*  Who're they?

Corinne: W-w-what the.....?

Trixie: Is it just Trixie, or.....?

Gilda: Do you ALWAYS speak in the third person, dude?

Virtuna: Hold on, hang on!  You don't remember when ya made a fool of yourself at the Running of the Leaves?

Gilda: *head cock to her right*  No, dude, ain't that event only for ponies?

Zecora: You mean, in your memory

is not the greatest day for me,

when I got my Element of Harmony?

Gilda: *looks slowly at Zecora, then blinks* Uh, no way, dude!  A rhyming zebra and a stuttering giraffe?

Fluttershy: Do you even remember the FIRST time you came to Ponyville?

Gilda: No, dude.  Look, why is everypony asking me this stuff?

R.Dash: Uh, G, during your three visits here, you, uh, weren't exactly the best friend in the world.....

Gilda: How-bad-was-I?

Delicately, every pony relates their experiences to the progressively-shocked griffon.

Gilda: Dude, that's..... Any pal of Dash's is a pal of mine, I would NEVER.....

R.Dash: See, G?!  My friends are WAY cool enough!

Gilda: *chuckle and blush* So I see now, Dash.

Everypony chuckles, reintroducing themselves to Gilda.  That night, a party was going on in Canterlot, the royals stunned to hear what happened.

P.Celestia: Really? Nothing?

Gilda: Not an inch of it, Your Highness.  Dash told me EVERYthing and it was a total shock.

P.Shiftshape: That is rather bizarre.

Discord: It COULD also be indicative of Hatetrol influencing her long-term, possibly the day after you graduated from the Junior Speedsters.

N.Moon: Were you approached by anypony you didn't recognize from the academy?

Gilda: .............Not really, dude.  I just felt..... normal.....

Discord: Sneakier than I thought..... *Gilda looks at him, and he looks back at her*  He used a much more subtle way of changing you into that rude, obnoxious, borderline-hateful griffon you were by the time you came here the first time.

Gilda: Changed me by inches, not miles.....  That IS sneaky.

R.Dash: Well, I'M just glad he's OUT of your system, G.

Gilda: Right back at'cha, Dash.

Rainbow Dash and Gilda hug up, smiling widely.  As this was going on, in her cavern, Queen Chrysalis sighs, watching the celebration below.  She crosses to the other side and looks out.  The sight would break even the blackest of hearts: A huge chunk of Transforma devastated, changelings laying all around motionless, a scene straight out of an apocalypse movie.  The former monarch dashes to the Equestria side and looks out again, repeating one phrase:

Q.Chrysalis (whispering): Don't let it happen again.....

TO BE CONTINUED