Starting Over 3: Return Of Spectra

Spectra rose weakly from his position on the cold stone floor of the cold and wet dungeon the Darkane threw him and his friends in. Aeb and Shadow were sitting next to each other and it looked like they were in idle conversation. Spectra didn't know why they were, but alas. The Blood Hunters had all weaponry removed from them. Edge looked like he was very anxious. I guess being away from his blades makes him uneasy. Spectra walked over to the door to see groups of Darkane marching through the corridors and out of the castle. Cruor saw Spectra looking and walked up to him with his eyes glowing dark red.

"I told you, Speed. I won. Now Equestria will bow to me and my soldiers."

Spectra stared Cruor in his eyes and slowly began to laugh. Cruor looked at him suspiciously.

"Has defeat driven you insane or something?"

Spectra shook his head and grinned at Cruor.

"I bet you can't even use my powers fully. How do you expect to take over Equestria?"

Cruor smiled wickedly. "A combination of Dark Magic and your powers."

Spectra's grin quickly disappeared and turned to one of fear.

"No. No, you can't do that!"

Cruor threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"Oh, but I will. Me and my armies will rule over Equestria! Just try and stop us!"

Cruor turned around and walked out of the castle, leaving Spectra in fear and shock. Spectra slid down and onto the floor. Nitro walked up to him and sat down next to him, watching as the last of the soldiers left.

"Spectra, you're better then this. You can beat him."

Spectra shook his head to the best of his ability and put his hooves on top of his head.

"Even if I am, he still won."

They sat there as they watched the last soldier walk out of the castle and into the Everfree Forest, ready to take Equestria.

-----Cloud House, Rainbow's Perspective, 30 Minutes Later-----

Rainbow sat at the hill with Rose looking around for her husband, calling out his name hoping for a response.

"Spectra? Spectra! Where could he have gone?"

Rose turned to her mother with a sad look on her face.

"Where could daddy be?"

Rainbow shook her head and rubbed her temples.

"I have no idea, Rose."

"Mommy, what's that?"

Rainbow turned to Rose and saw her pointing at Ponyville. Rainbow shifted her attention to the town and gasped. Smoke was rising from Ponyville. She quickly picked up Rose and flew up to her cloud house. She placed Rose in the lounge room and turned for the door.

"Stay here, Rose. Don't answer the door. Do NOT leave, understand? I'm going to get our friends, alright?"

Rose nodded and watched as her mother flew out the house and headed for Ponyville. Rose heard an explosion and ran into her room and looked out the window. What she saw was smoke rising from the Everfree Forest.

-----A Few Minutes Ago-----

Shadow walked up to Spectra's lying form, rolled him over and smacked him across the face. He picked up the shocked and hurt pegasus and held him close to his face.

"Why aren't you doing something!? Go Dark-Red and smash that army to pieces!"

Spectra shook his head. "Why? Cruor has my powers. And an army. It's game over."

Shadow threw him onto the ground and glared at Spectra.

"You have the best bounty hunters in Equestria, a pegasus genius, a changeling, a demonic unicorn and alicorn powers at your hooves! Cruor is NOTHING compared to you!"

Spectra put a hoof to his chin and looked back to the unicorn standing over him and nodded.

"You're right. But how do we get out?"

Nitro walked up to Spectra and repositioned his glasses.

"I believe I know. First, you must invoke Dark-Red. Then you need to stop Cruor. Simple."

Spectra nodded and stood up. "Okay. But how can I get angry enough?"

Aeb ran up to Spectra and slapped him across the face for the second time he's been there.

"You worthless pile of horse manure! You can't defeat Cruor! He's stronger, smarter and better then you ever will be! He's probably got a hold of Rainbow and Rose by now and is ready to kill them! He will sink his fangs into your adorable little filly and you're here wasting time!"

Spectra turned to face Aeb with his eyes glowing an intense shade of dark red. Aeb backed off and so did everypony else. Dark red energy flowed forth from Dark-Red and surrounded him. He raised his head to the ceiling  and roared. All the energy escaped from him and exploded all around him. Brain raised a shield and protected everypony else but the castle was blown from existence. Dark-Red lowered his head and looked to his friends with a grin.

"Let's go fuck shit up."

-----Ponyville, Rainbow's Perspective-----

Rainbow and her friends had retreated to Twilight's Library and hid inside. Hundreds of Darkane soldier's littered the streets of Ponyville. They gathered up all the residents and had them go to Town Hall. A very large group of bruised and blooded ponies filled the hall. The Darkane were checking every house to make sure they didn't miss anypony, and they were getting closer to the library. Rainbow sat in fear, curled up in a ball in the corner, hoping they hadn't found Rose. A loud knock resounded through the Library.

"Come out otherwise we will come in ourselves!"

Nopony responded, hoping to give the illusion they're not home.

"So be it. We're coming in 3....2....1-AGH!"

Before he could finish saying "1" a loud scream and the sound of breaking bones echoed through the library. Nopony moved, horrified at what they just heard. A moment passed and another knock came through.

"I got him. Don't move. Stay inside. I'll deal with Cruor."

Rainbow's face lit up at the sound of her husbands voice. She got up from her hiding spot and looked through the window. She saw his eyes and her face fell. His eyes were glowing dark red. She sighed and curled back into the corner.

-----Dark-Red's Perspective------

Dark-Red saw Rainbow lower herself back down out of view and sighed. He turned around and ran towards Town Hall. The Blood Hunter's were right behind him. Well, Dead and Edge were, the rest were still taking out soldiers inspecting houses as they passed. Shadow and Aeb stayed behind in the Everfree to recruit some "help". Dark-Red, Edge and Dead arrived at the hall and looked through the windows. He saw Cruor standing in front of the entire population of Ponyville, all battered and bruised. The 3 ponies couldn't hear what he was saying, but knew he was going on about how he was the ultimate force and how they lost. Dark-Red looked to Edge and Dead and tilted his head towards the door.

"Remember the plan. If all goes wrong, intervene and rescue everypony."

Edge and Dead nodded. Dark-Red nodded back and slammed his hooves onto the doors, sending them flying inside the building.

"Oi, Cruor! I challenge you to a fight!"

Cruor took a minute to process what was happening, but glared at Dark-Red. He cleared his throat and continued talking.

"Winner lives, loser dies."

Cruor grinned and his eyes glowed dark red.

"Deal."

-----Rainbow's Perspective-----

Rainbow was running through the streets of Ponyville towards the Town Hall with her friends, The Blood Hunter's, Shadow, Aeb and a giant serpent behind her. She was almost there when she saw 2 ponies outside of the hall.

She quickly recognized Spectra in his Dark-Red form, the other one she remembered as King Cruor. They were racing towards each other with dark red eyes and continuously smashing the other one time and time again. Dark-Red reared back and flew up and tried dive bombing Cruor. He stepped out of the way just in time, making Dark-Red slam into the ground.

Rainbow took her focus off the battle and turned to the serpent.

"Get rid of the soldiers. The rest of us, rescue the ones inside the hall."

Everypony nodded and raced off to do their jobs.

-----Dark-Red's Perspective-----

Cruor and Dark-Red stared at each other after being bashed and bruised beyond belief. Dark-Red sighed.

"Give it up, Cruor. You can't win."

Cruor panted heavily, he was losing. He shook his head and glared at the pegasus.

"Never! I will use my full power!"

Cruor roared as dark magic and a dark red aura surrounded him. A brilliant bright white light exploded from him and when it cleared, his eyes were fully blackened. Dark-Red gasped then stepped back.

"I can do better! Here goes nothing!"

Dark-Red closed his eyes and stood there. After a few seconds, small chunks of rock started floating around him. Eventually, he to started slowly floating up, with his forelegs out stretched. He reopened his dark red eyes and looked to Cruor.

"Get ready to die, Cruor!"

Dark red tentacles erupted from Dark-Red's back, making Cruor break his spell and stagger back in shock. Dark-Red lowered himself down to the ground, eyes fully red and glowing intensely.

"TIME FOR JUSTICE!"

Cruor fell back on his flanks in fear, shaking wildly.

"P-P-Please don't hurt me! I'll change I swear!"

Dark-Red laughed maniacally and leaned his head very close to Cruor.

"TIME FOR DEATH!"

Dark-Red picked up Cruor by his hooves with his tentacles and rose him into the air, looking up at Cruor with an insane look. Cruor shook his head and was violently sweating.

"Please! Have mercy!"

Dark-Red laughed harder then before and looked back up to his captive.

"TIME FOR REVENGE!"

Dark-Red manipulated his tentacles to snap Cruor's hooves in a different direction each, then used two tentacles on the left side to pull and used the ones on the right side to keep him steady. Cruor was screaming in pain the entire time.

"PLEASE! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!"

Dark-Red laughed and gave him another crazed grin.

"TIME TO STOP!"

As Dark-Red said "Stop" he used his remaining strength to pull harder with the tentacles, causing Cruor to be ripped in half. His insides slopped out of him and onto the ground. Dark-Red dropped his halves and laughed like he was the happiest colt in the world.

"DING DONG THE KING IS DEAD! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Dark-Red's eyes flickered back to normal and as he became Spectra, he slumped over on his side and onto the ground, falling unconscious.

Rainbow watched the whole thing unfold before her eyes. She was disgusted at what Dark-Red did. She knew what had to be done. She turned and looked to everypony behind her, who also saw what happened.

"We have to get rid of Dark-Red."