Fade Away

As the lights slowly began to shutter, fading to black and back continuously. A familiar raspy yet feminine voice spoke out.

“Hey, I think he’s coming to” observed Rainbow. Lying on the makeshift hospital bed, laid Vortex, unconscious and hooked to several life sustaining devices, managing to keep him stable. The yellow stallion’s eyes drifted open for a moment, finding only but a blurry, darkened image of three ponies in the room and the hoof of a bed. After a split second, they shot open, his wide crimson eyes hinted of confusion.

“Easy, brother, take it slow” consulted the voice of the ever lovable stallion to his right, sitting on a chair by his bed.

“Are you okay, Vortex?” inquired a new voice , the one of the gifted lavender unicorn; Twilight Sparkle, looking at him in concern and relief at the end of the room. The yellow pegasus remained silent as he took in the new surroundings and his condition. In an irritated state, Vortex ripped the tube from his snout, doing the same with the others attached to his chest and forelegs.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on there, buddy” the rainbow maned mare voiced, watching the aggressive scene play out.

“Yeah, dude, that little scrap you had was rough, ya gotta re-”

“What happened?” Shade was cut off by the aggravated Pegasus’s question. Before anypony could answer, Vortex looked ahead to see a small but functional television screen, presenting a horrific sight.

“The beast had just put itself back together and now Hoofington…is dead…our ship had ran for it, fleeing south towards Manehatten”

“I’m so sorry, Vortex” Twilight said, trotting up to the pegasus’s side, the other two remained silent in respect and sorrow. The unicorn placed a hoof upon the pegasus’s shoulder only for a moment as he forcefully shrugged it off, causing a concerned and confused expression to wash over Twilight’s face.

“Don’t be…It’s not your fault…It’s mine” he replied harshly, slowly allowing his eyes to drift to half lidded status, his muzzle framed into a stoic expression. Twilight, Dash and Shade just remained silent, shocked yet understanding at the stallion’s action. Wordlessly, Vortex walked solemnly out through the door to the small room, a look of depression strewn on his face.

“Ponies kept their distance whether from respect or fear…I dunno, anyway I was alone…others kept busy, acting out their routines as if it would make the world right again…but I knew better…I had been given powers to defeat the beast, I was strong, I was ready, I even fought it with EVERYTHING I had…and it wasn’t enough, that needed to change”

Vortex shot up from his bed, still scarred on some areas of his body, bandages covered bloodied patches on his yellow coat. The daylight eased into the room via the small window above him. His breathing was heavy, his pupils were dilated as his eyes went wide, sweat dripped from his fur. After a moment to regain himself, Vortex let out a sigh, slumping forward to ease his head on his hooves, exhausted. Soon, the realisation of everything hit him like a cannon ball hit’s the bow of a ship, without thought, he acted on his rage, violently slamming his hard hoof into a nearby locker, practically crushing it. The banging sound caused by the sheer force was apparently enough to draw attention as his gaze quickly washed over the archway to his room, revealing a certain face was looking at him in a quizzical fashion.

“Hey, bad dream?” joked the cyan pegasus of loyalty. She stood casually outside the room, a smile on her muzzle as she began to trot towards the yellow stallion. Vortex relaxed his muscles, allowing his hoof to slump away from the dented metal.

“Yeah, I guess…what’s up, Rainbow Dash?” he replied nonchalantly, pulling his blankets off him to the side, still sitting on the side of the bed on his haunches, looking up at the blue mare.

“Uhhh, nothing, just bored” she said through a whining tone before lazily throwing herself down on the bed beside him. She rested on her back with her legs spread open to each direction, a look of little content on her face.

“You’re wings aren’t broken, why don’t you go around or something?”

“Don’t you think I’ve done that already? I would but Twilight says I should stay near the boat, I hate limitations” she groaned, rubbing her hooves on her closed eyes in boredom. Vortex let out a slight chuckle at her antics as he turned his head away, not paying attention to the mare shifting her position. She laid on her side, her right hoof supporting the weight of her head while the knee rested on the mattress, her other foreleg draped lazily behind her back as her back legs were crossed slightly. She looked up at his face with interest. Vortex looked down to see her rather adorable stance before he met her gaze.

“What?” he asked, noticing that she had been staring.

“Oh, I was just wondering, how’d you get your cutie mark?” she answered. The yellow colt’s gaze trailed down towards the mark on his right flank, for the first time he noticed something rather disturbing about it. The mark depicted a singular blue lightning bolt that overlapped a red one of the same size that struck in the opposite direction.

“Ahhh, now that’s a story I don’t completely understand”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, just like everypony, I got it when I was just a foal”

“Yeah, go on”

“That’s it…” he replied. Dash’s expression went blank.

“That’s it? So what? One day it just appeared?” she said with little more than a bit of aggression.

“Exactly, I didn’t do anything, I didn’t accomplish anything, just one day it just showed up” he stated blatantly. “I know that everypony has some kind of amazing great story to tell about their cutie marks and what they represent but at the time, that was that, I didn’t know what it meant…” at that, both Tex and Dash’s thoughts took on the same idea.

“You don’t think…?”

“Yeah but that doesn’t quite explain why I got it then”

“But Vortex…if that’s your cutie mark, don’t you think that this was your destiny?” she consulted, leaving the yellow pegasus dumbfounded at the mare’s ignorance.

“You really don’t know much about all of this, do you?” he said with a slight chuckle that sounded forced.

“What do you mean?”

“This destiny isn’t my own, it was forced on me…by myself, what was supposed to happen was I was going to live happily with my wife and best friend until the beast hit”

“How do you know that?”

“Cause that’s what Tesla did…only he went back in time and gave me that package”

“Wait, wait, wait…he was YOU!?!”

“Yep, I gave myself powers before my destined time, it was all preparation for the beast…he even killed her to toughen me up”

“Who?”

“Terra…”

“Was she-?”

“Yeah, I loved her, Dash”

“I’m sorry”

“It’s fine, I live with my mistakes” he said, taking on a much lower tone than previously. The cyan mare placed a hoof on his shoulder, knowing that she hit a sore spot on his conscious, trying to comfort him to the best of her ability.

“The next day I went to work, I helped Shade create a device to focus my powers, Tartarus, he’d do anything to be friends like we used to be. Twilight gathered intelligence on the beast, town after town was lost as it travelled down the coast…she also used her contacts to requisition a smaller boat, Manehatten was in lockdown, wouldn’t let anypony in, we were gonna have to sneak in through the swamp…I dunno if you ever let somepony down, got your flank kicked or straight failed but THOSE are the moments that define us, they push you further than you ever thought possible and force you to make choices…no matter what the cost”

In the early hours of the morning, Celestia’s great sun casted a mild orange glow over the land. Shadows became shortened with each moment as it raised higher into the sky from the horizon. The constant sound of mosquitoes buzzing, searching for their precious, life sustaining blood was the most audible thing in the atmosphere. Capped with the ever annoying mild humming of the boat engine travelling down the river within the swamp lands just outside of Manehatten. Vortex stood at the bow, his yellow hooves rested on the railing as his scarlet eyes scanned the new environment, the place was revolting. Wild moss populated most of the land surrounding the boat, run down cabins occupied the banks. The pegasus’s left wing was bandaged, kept to his side for what little protection could be offered. A large strap, connected to a small backpack draped across his chest, a small pocket on it, allowing his trusted device to easily snag into it. The faint sound of light hoofsteps brought the pegasus out of his daze.

“Hello, Vortex” voiced out the soft tone of the ever lovable lavender unicorn; Twilight Sparkle. The pegasus simply acknowledged her with a tilt of his head in her direction without words. Despite the silence, she continued. “Ya know, when you meet the Doctor, everything it going to be completely-….” she trailed off, apparently spotting something in the distance. She quickly turned around, looking up at the control room, frantically waving her hooves about.

“Shade, Shade! Cut the engines!” she yelled, causing Vortex to turn to her in confusion.

“What’s up?”

“Militia blockade, we get any closer and they will sink us” she stated, pointing a hoof in the direction of several towers in the distance. Vortex turned to see what she was referring to before he looked back at her in confusion.

“Aren’t you like Celestia’s prodigy?”

“Yes but that won’t stop them”

“Why?”

“Manehatten recently branched out from under the Princesses rule”

“Come again…”

“Now some mare named Blaze is running the town” she said with a hint of distaste. Vortex simply smirked.

“I guess it’s time I go introduce myself” he said before turning towards the starboard side of the ship.

“Wait up, Tex!” called out a familiar blue stallion. The pegasus looked back to see his friend, carrying something in his back.

“Here she is” he continued with a grin, his eyes still concealed by his golden shades.

“And you’re sure it’s ready?” Vortex questioned with a chuckle.

“Uhhh, I hope so…” he answered before hoofing it over to the pegasus “…Give her a try”. Vortex initially took the object in his right hoof. The object was metallic, the entire frame of it resembled that of a tuning fork. At the end electrical capacitors, several rings sticking out from the top two poles of the object. The handle was ribbed, the bottom of it was the same metal as the most of the build. Copper wires lapped around parts of it, giving the entire thing a rather homemade look to it. Vortex continued to examine it for a moment before rearing up on his back legs, grasping the object in both of his front hooves. With a slight swing, it made an audible arching sound, the two poles from the handle extended as the pegasus’s forelegs became vibrant with over-lapping electricity. The charge surged into the metal, making the object glow as lightning zapped and cackle all around his hooves, the handle and the capacitors at the end. It was heavy also.

“Whoa” Shade and Vortex let out, impressed at the sight. The pegasus grinned as he swung the metal around with satisfaction, created an audible buzzing sound with each movement.

“What is that thing?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“I call it ‘The Amp’” The blue earth pony stated proudly.

“Good work, Shade” Vortex complimented before stepping towards the railing and spontaneously jumping onto it.

“Thanks, brother, go have some fun!”

“This is gonna make a Tartarus of an impression” and with that, the pegasus dropped down onto the small dock protruding from the river bank. Vortex quickly sheathed the Amp into the open socket in of his bag and instantly took off further into the swamp before a slight beep emitted from his chest. “Hey, Twilight, does Celestia even know what you’re up to with me?”

“Uhhh, no”

“Why? I mean you seem pretty ‘by the numbers’” he said as he came up to a run down, old bridge that crumbled into the water as soon as he made his way up to it.

“No, I decided that it be best to not inform her about you yet”

“Okay why?” he inquired as he hovered over towards the second island.

“Well, you do kind of have a reputation…mostly a bad one”

“Ahhh, I see, good call” he responded, getting a satisfying beep sound. Without warning, a unicorn popped out from behind a tree, she was clothed in some form of an orange and black uniform that draped from her neck to her hooves.

“It’s the demon!” she shouted before her horn lit up in an intimidating fashion. Vortex noticed just in time to dodge the burst of lethal magic firing form the unicorn. In a state of self defence, the pegasus reached a hoof behind him, grasping the handle of his newly forged weapon and violently ripped it from it’s sheath. Without words, the metallic frame was enveloped in surging charges of cyan lightning. Vortex quickly galloped over to the mare, Amp in hoof before rearing up on his back legs, gripping the handle in both hooves and violently swinging the blazing metal. The stallion swung the weapon upwards, the sound of discharging electricity cackling in the atmosphere. The mare was sent flying, she staggered, trying to get to her hooves as another pony galloped over to them, this time, a stallion. He came rushing over towards Vortex, malice in his eyes as he charged him. The yellow pegasus gave it no second thought and viciously swung at the colt, the electrified metal coming in contact with the stallion muzzle. The mare tumbled over to the moss coated ground with a thud, unconscious as the stallion groggily began to rise to his hooves. Vortex quickly sheathed the weapon before dropping to all fours once more, relentlessly, he raised a singular hoof, pointing the stallion’s direction. With an audible discharging cackle, the broken colt was violently shot at by three cyan electric bolts, fired from the pegasus’s hoof. He smirked as he watched the  earth pony fall into unconsciousness.

“Hey, Shade, look’s like this Amp is gonna work out just fine” he said after hearing the same beep.

“Yeah, awesome put a few notches on it for me, brother”

“Expect more resistance, the Militia now control almost everything in Manehatten these days”

“Oh, how can they let a bunch of fascists take over their city?”

“…ponies do strange things when they’re afraid”

Vortex made his way up to what looked like a bridge control. On the other side was a large generator, most likely connected to the bridge itself. There also seemed to be a small village surrounding the machine however several ponies in the same uniform trotted about the area aswell.

“Vortex, it looks like you could lower that bridge if you give it some power” Twilight observed.

“Beats swimming”

“Just don’t over charge it, the fire could burn out the entire village”

“Yeah it could, I could take all these ponies out at once”

“Oh yeah and the mares, the foals and the pets” she stated blankly before the line was cut. At that moment, Vortex felt something, a familiar tugging in his mind, the option. He had grown accustomed to that word, every now and again, he had to face something, a choice. There was always at least two, there was the selfish one and the selfless one.

Good or Evil

Heroic or Infamous

Vortex raised a single hoof, pointing it at the generator, his foreleg was enveloped in lapping electricity. Wordlessly, a barrage of bolts escaped his form, firing directly at the machine. It began to emit an audible humming sound as the lights started to flicker, indication of success.

“Keep it up!” Shade voiced out from the speaker before the light on the generator turned green.

“That did it” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. At that moment, Vortex felt something else, a feeling of…he couldn’t describe it. It was a feeling of making a difference, one of responsibility and doing the right thing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a thought popped up, like a new voice in his head. The voice was his own but more malicious, devilish…evil. It spoke to him in a way, telling him to do something, something terrible, it told him to kill, to be selfish, to not care. However there was another, a softer tone, telling him that he did good this day, that he will be rewarded for his actions, that everything will turn out alright thanks to his selfless acts. The pegasus put a single word to that; Karma.

Eventually, despite all the turmoil that dwelled within the swamp, the Militia ponies, the water. Vortex eventually made his way to small platform just off the coast of Manehatten, a long power line ran form the edge up to a tall poll protruding form the water. The pegasus jumped onto the line and as if on contact, his four hooves flared with lightning, blazing around his form with intensity as it carried him up towards the wooden pole. Vortex was released with a forceful push as he jumped off the line. The pegasus dropped onto the second line, the lightning carrying him along the surface towards the docks. With a leap, he landed onto the wooden surface.

“Alright, guys, clear to dock”

“Nice, we will come to you and then head up to the Doctor’s lab”

*Beep*

“What took you so long?” called out a voice from above. The pegasus looked up to find none other than Rainbow Dash, lying atop a cloud, munching on a rather delicious looking apple.

“How long have you been-…never mind”