Ethereal Chaos

Infernalo looked out at the looming black clouds in the distant capital of Canterlot, still seething with anger and intensity as evidenced by his halo enveloped in flame. He turned to Twilight and Steelmind, his ice blue eyes now white-hot and fiery.

“Infernalo,” Steelmind said. “I-it wasn’t right f-for you…umm…to…” Infernalo’s white hot gaze turned on him. As much as Steelmind loved Frostburn and, if need be, stand up for her, the look in the Darkness Trossel’s eyes immediately caused Steelmind to fold.

“We have to get to Canterlot now,” he said, more urgency in his voice than actual anger. He looked over at Stonebolt, who was still trying to comfort Leafwind. “Are you coming with us?” Stonebolt looked at the door, then out the window, and turned back to the door.

“I'm going to get our sister back,” she said firmly, Leafwind clutching her tightly. Steelmind nodded and joined them. Infernalo snorted in disgust.

“Why bother,” he demanded. “She's caused nothing but trouble and doesn't deserve my time anymore than a common beetle. We'll be stopping the countless fatalities no doubt already imminent.” Leafwind was in a state of complete mental whiplash at the mere thought of the same Infernalo who she'd looked up at the stars with and saw as her own big brother could ever possibly say something like that about Frostburn. He, along with Twilight and Steelmind, vanished into one of his voids, Stonebolt leading the filly to track down her twin sister, Leafwind no doubt wanting to take no for an answer in any situation that could be detrimental or have the possibility of causing harm to Frostburn.

***

Infernalo saw the corruption was slowly starting to move ever closer to the city, ponies galloping and shrieking in fear of the dark clouds. Steelmind finally put his hoof down.

“I should be going after Frostburn,” he said. “She’s the only thing that matters to me more than anything, and you should feel the same.” Infernalo ignored him, Steelmind’s words nothing more than a distant muffled whisper. He gazed at the clouds in a state of almost animalistic rage, as he had the night he'd fought off the manticore in the forest.

“Split up and get everypony to safety,” he ordered. “Steelmind, this is your fight too. Frostburn isn’t going anywhere very far and if you don’t help, there won’t be anything left of her or anything or anypony else; split up.” Steelmind dashed one way while Twilight stood by him.

“What will you do,” she asked, worried about what could happen to him.

“I'll be looking for Rarity,” he said. “You need to defend the Alicorns should the corruption reach the castle. This is far greater than even they can possibly face, if even the Trossels can’t endure the corruption.”

“But Rarity is my friend,” Twilight protested.

“Twilight,” he snapped. He looked into her eyes while slowly seeming to return to normal. “I know what I'm doing. I don't want anything to go more wrong than it is.” she solemnly nodded and dashed off towards the castle while Infernalo went in the direction opposite Steelmind. They passed each other as Infernalo saw him directing the Canterlot denizens away. “Is everypony safe?”

“I couldn't find Rarity,” he said. Steelmind focused his energy before picking a mental image.

“I think I found her aura,” Steelmind said, “Follow me!” They galloped as fast as they could to where Steelmind was picking up the aura before finding the unicorn running from the deadly wave of decay that tracked her. Infernalo stomped at the ground one hoof, blasting a large wave of dark energy, which only seemed to accelerate the mass. Rarity finally stopped and embraced Steelmind.

“I might be able to stop the corruption from spreading any further,” Infernalo said. “But I don't know if I can beat it back enough.” his halo, no longer flaming, began to turn bright white and he fired a massive wave of bright light into the corrupted space, which keeled back. He continued to keep his power stable and the clouds slowly receded further and further back. Eventually, Twilight and Steelmind joined him with their own magic and the clouds vanished. The corruption stopped just short of the Canterlot Gardens, but the darkness that had spread with the clouds had stopped progressing. The citizens of Canterlot cheered, their town saved by Twilight and the mystery heroes.

“We need to get back to where it's safe,” Infernalo said, “The corruption might not be able to be spread further, but we can't risk it.” they left just as quickly as they'd come, vanishing in a blindingly bright flash of white light.

Frarae suddenly collapsed to his front knee, Belzaro tried to help him, but he beckoned her away bitterly.

“Don’t touch me,” he said. “It was nothing. There must be something wrong; our influence isn’t progressing any further. That’s impossible, nopony could possibly…” a shocked look appeared on Frarae’s face for a brief moment before shifting slowly to a wide malevolent grin, chuckling to himself. His chuckling soon gradually became a manic cackle, Galtora accompanying him. Frarae stopped, Galtora still laughing psychotically. “SILENCE!!” he bucked Galtora in the jaw and shattered the metal sculpture of Frostburn and Steelmind, the insane pony’s laugh dying down to a slow giggle before subsiding. “Stay there, you pathetic protoplasm.” Xeviole instinctively flinched in fear as he approached her, cowering in terror as he loomed over her. He patted her on the head with a large black hoof, her puffy dark blue eye gazing up at him with a bit of fear and confusion. Frarae’s tone quickly shifted to a very condescending and relaxed voice, in drastic contrast to his earlier rage. “There, there now, Xeviole. Everything’s alright, and you did nothing wrong. It’s okay, dear.” She slowly stood up, clenching her eyes tightly but Frarae had already walked away.

“Sire,” Belzaro asked, her voice very gravely. Frarae shot a concussive blast of dark magical power at a rotting building, reducing it to rubble.

“The Sixth Elements have returned,” he said, smiling his same wicked smile.

***

Frostburn had been stumbling around the dark, creepy Everfree Forest for a long while, crying and using a small circle of will-o-wisps she created to see and protect herself. She finally tripped over a root and lay crying in the dirt.

“I-I never met to do it,” she protested to nopony, “It's all my fault.” Those words echoed in her mind just as clearly and bluntly as Infernalo had said them to her face. She looked around at the gnarled trees and blinking eyes around her before realizing she was lost. She continued crying, lying down on a stump she came across and looking down at herself in a reflection of her tears. “I didn't mean to do it.”

“He doesn't need you anyway,” her reflection said. Frostburn looked at it, thinking she was delusional.

“What?”

“He said it himself. He only has one sister, and it isn't you.”

“But he's all I have.”

“He’s all I have,” the reflection repeated mockingly. “Y'know what? Forget it. Infernalo was right. You should just go crawl in some hole and wait to die.” with that, Frostburn's reflection vanished. “Wait, please! Don’t go.” She looked around and sobbed into her hooves. “I’m all alone.” an unwelcome set of shapes emerged from the woods: the Cursed Trossels. She gazed at them in silent fear, her will-o-wisp circle going out. Frarae approached her and extend a hoof to her.

“Room for one more,” he inquired. His voice was dark and curled like a dead leaf, and smoothly slipped from his mouth as each word almost felt like it was dripping toxic ooze. She could even see his breath when he spoke or breathed, something that was even shocking to an Ice Trossel such as herself. He didn't run, she couldn't but look into his glowing yellow eyes as he removed his hood slowly.

“Frosty, are you okay?” Frostburn was bolted awake by the sound of Leafwind’s voice. Frostburn had been lying curled up in a fetal position on the ground next to a dead log and crying.

“Infernalo didn't mean any of that, Frosty,” Stonebolt said in an effort to comfort her, “You know that he loves you.” Frostburn didn't even know if that sentence was true anymore.

“No he doesn't,” she said. “Nopony loves me, not even Steelmind.” Leafwind hugged the Ice Trossel, causing Frostburn to actually notice her for the first time.

“I always wanted to be like you when I grew up, Frostburn,” Leafwind said. “I still do.”

“Of course Infernalo loves you,” Stonebolt said. “Everypony loves you.” There was a bright flash of light not too far away as Steelmind used his magic to pull briars and thorns out of his coat, rushing over to embrace her as she kissed him. “I was so worried about you, Snowflake,” Steelmind said in relief. Frostburn started crying again, Stonebolt lifting her up. “Are you hurt?” Frostburn shook her head, Leafwind still hugging her tighter than ever as Stonebolt led her out of the forest with Steelmind right behind. After leaving the forest, Frostburn insisted on walking the rest of the way. They saw the sun slowly starting to set, deciding to fly the rest of the way. Twilight and Infernalo were waiting around, Spike leaping at Frostburn when she got into the door, Twilight followed.

“Frostburn, you aren't hurt are you,” Twilight asked. Frostburn gave a small smile and shook her head. Leafwind jumped off her back and Infernalo ran to his sister to hug her as well.

“I never meant anything I said to you,” he said, almost on the verge of tears. It was something Frostburn had never seen from her big brother. He was the most emotionally strong pony Frostburn had ever met and Infernalo had never seemed so happy or relieved to see her in all the time she'd known him.

“You forgive me,” Frostburn said, crying tears of joy. He nodded. “Big brother, I don’t really hate you. I’m sorry.” She looked down at the locket on the floor, which Infernalo restored with his magic and refastened around her neck. “Infernalo, thank you so much! I love you, big brother.”

“I love you too, baby sister. Go get some rest; it's been a very long and stressful day—for all of us.” Stonebolt followed her sister upstairs. Infernalo looked over at Leafwind, who'd fallen asleep close to his hooves.

“I suppose I should probably put Leafwind to bed too,” Spike said. He lifted the small filly up. “She's a lot heavier than she looks.” he walked with her upstairs, while Steelmind left for Rarity's just before the light rain outside started to increase, along with thunder. Infernalo stopped him with a force field of light.

“Steelmind,” he said. “It’s not looking good out there. Why don’t you stay with the girls tonight? I’m sure Rarity will understand.” He smiled and trotted upstairs, tossing a ‘good night’ over his shoulder. Twilight nuzzled up against Infernalo and met his icy blue eyes.

“Why don't you come up to my bedroom,” Twilight said to Infernalo. Initially, even given the circumstances of the day, Infernalo would have declined the offer and stayed in his own bed. However, the look on Twilight's face suggested that he should for her moral support. The unicorn did seem a bit rattled after what had happened in Canterlot earlier. He nodded and followed her upstairs. The thunder got even louder when they reached the bedroom. “Sounds like a pretty bad storm out there. I always get scared of these at night, but it's a good thing you're here.” she got into bed and patted the mattress eagerly as he got in. She snuggled up next to Infernalo and hugged him.

“This is just like all those times with Aquashine,” he said. “She always did say I had a way with beautiful girls.” Twilight blushed.

“Who's Aquashine,” she asked.

“Just somepony I used to know,” he said absently. “Looking back on it, I don't think we were ever right for each other. Maybe I could find somepony better here.” Twilight snuggled closer; her fur felt very warm against his.

“Maybe.” she blew out the candle of the nightstand and fell asleep. Infernalo stayed awake, something still eating away at him in the back of his mind. He shrugged it off as something to deal with in the morning, and drifted off. He rested his head on Twilight’s as he closed his eyes and his halo faded before vanishing completely.