Light and Darkness

" That doesn't look good to me! " Twilight was worried.

The group stood on a cloud, that was light and white in its left part, but dark and grey in it's right. The sky on the left was filled with blinding light, and the sky on the right was pitch black.

"  They've united. Dusk And Hellios - the brothers." Stark spoke .

" They are brothers ? " Luna didn't know that.

" Yes. They had a fight once, but now it seems, they've gotten over it. Because of us. And the prophecy. " the stalion replied

" Hey, I thought you left your spear behind! " Dash asked Loky

" I did. Where do you... " now Loky and the whole group saw it.

" You don't hold it! It levitates around you alone! " Twilight replied.

" No, Dash. This isn't my spear. This is my... scepter?" Loky realised everything:

" They found it again. It should of been in Horsegard! "

" What should of been there? " Luna asked

" This scepter! And ... "

"Why does it shine like this ? " Pinkie asked

The scepter had spun. It was curved, unlike the spear. It had the same length, but it's tip looked more like a crab claw with the lower part shorter. Between the two parts of the claw, a bubble stood. It emitted strange blue light.

" No,no,no! " he saw, that Fluttershy was going to touch it. " That could mean only one" he told them and grabbed the scepter with his magic. It let a wave of blue light. " The Tesseract had awakened. "

" The Tesa- what? " Dash didn't quite catch that.

" The Tesseract. It emitts the same light as my scepter. The scepter controls it. Itis the only thing, that can stop it. It is cube with a limitless source of enrgy. One of the few things, that can create a portal between two worlds. "

" That's our ticket to home! " Twilight told him.

" But the brothers have taken it. For what? " Rarity was confused.

" Once, I tried to use the Tesseract to take another world of ponies under my rule. I told the rase, that wanted the Tesseract, that I would take it from that rase and give it to them. All I wanted was their army - the Chitaupi - to help me. I failed. I've hidden myself in this world and since then I don't dare to go back to Horsegard or the world of Chitaupi. If the Light and Darkness brothers have the Tesseract, they could call out the same army. And then we will be hopelessly outnumbered. "

" But why did the scepter come to you? " Celestia asked him.

"It seems to remember me. "

" Put the spear down and surrender! " they heard a voice behind them.

As they turned, they saw two small squads of ponies standing on a weird flying platform.

" It never ends. Tourists. " spoke Stark and his helmet covered his face. The Iron Stalion fired a repulsor ray at the squad. It reflected from a shield.

" The shield is made out of pure energy. It is unpenetrable, sir." Djarvis spoke.

Another bunch of soldiers, flying by their own and another platform appeared. They were wearing two kinds of armours - a light one and a dark one. When they laughed at Pony, he jumped underneath. The pegasi fell, hit by rockets, and the first platform was split in half from a lasor from bellow. The second platform was going to fire at Stark, but Loku swung with his scepter, it started shining and fired a bolt of blue light at the platform. It fell down.

"Only the energy of the Tesseract can penetrate their shields. That means, that they already use it. And I still know how to use this baby! " Loky told them.

" Hale V.I.P.E.R. ! " yelled a half dead soldier. He received a blue bolt and dissapeared.

" An'wha' is V.I.P.E.R ?" AJ looked at the piece of armour, that remained from the soldier.

" No idea. The platform is now free. Let's get down. " Hawk suggested

" Good idea. " Loky approved. He opened a hole in the shield with the scepter and the gang entered it. As soon as they started lowering, they saw, that the sky over them was getting black. Not that black, as the right part, but still dark.

" Storm clouds. " Rainbow Dash noted

" Oh no. " the trickster spoke

" Wha? Afraid of tha' lil' storm? " Applejack asked him.

" I am not a fan of that, what sometimes follows. "

Before the gang could even ask what is so scary, something like a huge rock hit the platform and it fell down.

" My head! " Dash had hit her head very hard.

" Don't worry, miss. I shall take care of your fallen allies, after I take care of my foul brother! " spoke an unfamilliar voice.

" Huh? " Twilight awakened, as she heard that.

It was a strange picture. Hawk and the Iron Stalion were unconcious, Rarity was getting up right now, just as her, Dash's eyes were as big as plates and the others were missing.

" Darling? Pony? " Rarity woke the both of them. it was a picture they didn't want to miss.

Loky was shivering. A stranger landicorn stood in front of him. He was blonde, was wearing a red robe and held a strange looking hammer with his magic.

" Loky! "

" Thorse! I.. I didn't expect to see you here! "

" Don't fool me. Where is the Tesseract? "

" I didn't take it! "

" Only lies get out of your mouth! Stop this madness and come home! "

" Hey, he's telling the truth! " Dash told the one, that Loky called Thorse.

" Look at yourself! He fooled you too! " yelled the newcomer

" Ah, no. I have psionic buffers against hypnosis in my suit. He's telling the truth. I didn't know, that wearing drapes was modern. " Stark replied.

" I don't trust your words, metal pony! " he replied

" Than see this! " Pinkie jumped out of the pile of the parts of the broken flying platform, which lied on the bare rocks. In the darkness, the screen of the gadget could easily be seen. There Thorse saw how Loky saved the group.

" I guess you've changed to good, brother!Tonight we feast! "

" Thanks for giving me the camera, Hase! " Pinkie whispered.

" Wait... You are his brother? " Hawk asked Loky.

" Well, yes. He is Thorse of Horsegard, the god of Thunder.

" The electricity lord! " Twilight spoke.

" And, sir, where are our friends? " the Widow asked him.

" I took them to my hideout. It's not too far. Come on! " Thorse told them. He got his hammer in his mouth, spun it and used it's innertia to fly faster than any pegasus. The others followed him, equiped with Stark's PFDs.

" One question. Why do you fly like this, if you have wings? " Dash asked him when they got there.

" Faster. Cooler. "

" Oh, thank you, Thorse! " Fluttershy flew in the room " You are so kind! "

" Ah? " Applejack was confused

" He let me take care of my bunny! " Fluttershy told them.

"You've been carrying this bunny all the way from the Wind kingdom? " Stark asked her.

" Yes. And he even allowed me to take food for it from his supplies! "

" The strong emptional break- up with our friend is the last thing we need in this war! " Thorse spoke.

" It's ready! " an old stalion ran into the room. " The serum is ready! "

" At last! "

" But we need somepony honest! He'll lose all of his powers, but his personality will be the same as before. We need somepony without a drop of evil in his hearth! " the pony spoke

" Guests, meet Dr. Urstalion. he's been developing the Super Soldier Serum for years. " Thorse told them.

" Mr. Stark! " the earth pony spoke

" What? " the pony with the Iron Stalion suit was confused.

" I would never suceed without your vita- rays tech! "

"I thought it was useless! "

" No, it just needed the right formula in addition."

" Ah volunteer! " Applejack told him.

" But AJ, it's dangerous! " Dash was worried about her friend.

" Ya heard the pony! They need somepony honest. That's mah!"  Applejack replied

" Great! This way! " he led them downstairs. In the middle of the room, a very strange gadget stood. It was a kind of container with a window in it's upper part. Nearby, a control plate with the name " Stark" written over it stood.

The Doctor clicked a button and the container opened and lowered to horizontal position to reveal some kind of bed and huge needles around it.

" Creepy! " Fluttershy was horrified

Stark lifted his helmet and went down to the board. AJ lied on the bed. Urstalion injected her with sopmething.

" Tha' wasn't so bad. "

" It was penicilyn"

AJ looked disturbed. The needles lowered and injected her muscles with the real serum. The doctor clicked the same button as before. The container closed and returned to vertical position. The wings and the horn of Applejack dissapeared.

" The serum took hold." noted the doctor " Begin, Mr. Stark. "

Stark started spinning a huge handle

" Vita- Rays:  10%...20%...30%" he counted.

As he reached 70%, Applejack yelled:

" Aaaaaaaargh!"

" Abort! Abort! " Urstalion said Pony

" No! Ah can make it! Continue! " AJ yelled from inside.

Stark got away from the abort button and spun the handle:

" Vita- Rays: Full Power! "

Intense light was getting out of the window of the container. After a minute it stopped. As the container went down, everypony saw a pumped- up Applejack getting out of there. Applejack was strong as she was before, but now, with the help of the serum, she was even stronger.

" How do you feel? " the doctor asked her.

" Stronger. "

Everypony heard something crashing upstairs. As everyony went up, they saw, that a group of ponies were entering the room. They were, without any doubt, enemies. The leader had red skin and was holding a strange pistol, that emitted the same blue light as Loky's Scepter from it, and the soldiers weared strange black suits and held guns, emitting the same light.

When the leader saw Urstalion, he immeadietly shot him.

" Argh!" was the doctor's last word before he dissapeared

" No! " Thorse hit the soldiers with his hammer and they fell down. But the red- skinned pony somehow was much faster and avoided the hits.

" I guess the doctor never said you, that he used the serum on somepony, did he, Thorse? " the pony taunted

" Who are you? " he asked

" I am known as the Red Skin. I am the director of V.I.P.E.R."

" V.I.P.E.R.? " both Hawk and Rarity were amazed.

" The scientific part of the plan of Dusk and Helios. And I am their future general! " he replied

Loky entered the room. As soon as he saw the shining pistol, he fired a bolt of blue energy with his scepter. But the unicorn suceed to dodge it.

" We should thank you, Loky! You gave us the idea! Now, with the power of the Tesseract, we will not only conquer New Equestria, but the old one too! "

Horror appeared in the minds of Fluttershy, Rarity, Dash and Twilight. So, if they lost the final battle, they wouldn't even have a home to return to?

" No! " yelled the Widow and jumped at the pony. Even he wasn't fast enough to dodge her kicks and punches. He just smiled and targeted his pistol at Rarity.

" Leave her alone, Skin! " Applejack just got up the stairs together with Stark.

Applejack looked different. She was wearing a blue suit, which only didn't cover her snout and her eyes. The letter "E" was on her forehead. She had a strange circular shield attached to her front right hoof. It was a bit bunchy to the forward. It was coloured in red, white and blue. I the center stood a very strange symbol: five alicorns to the chest, spread their wings and this way forming a five- pointed star. the same symbol stood under her neck.

" Captain Equestria at ya service! " Applejack said.

" So... I am not the only one? " the Red Skin grinned and shot at AJ insead of Rarity. She protected herself with the shield and the bolt bounced of it. The Red Skin was confused.

" Everything bounces of vybranium. " Stark noted

This was the moment Hawk needed. He quickly loaded an arrow and shot a melting arrow in the pistol. Soon it was just melted iron. Two kicks and a repulsor ray took the Skin near the edge. Thorse spun his hammer in his mouth and threw it at him. He fell down. The hamer returned to Thorse.

" It really looks cooler this way! " Dash said Thorse.

" One dowm, two more to go! " Stark spoke.

The gang looked down the edge to be sure, that the Red Skin is dead, and returned to their rooms.