Chapter Twenty: Battle

The ponies surged forward, with the exception of Fluttershy, who, even after Twilight's speech on how I must be banished or whatever, didn't think violence was the answer. I saw a blur as Rainbow Dash built momentum, circling the large throne room overhead, and only a few seconds later, the blur connected with my chest, I let go of my backpack-bludgeon, and I was on the ground with a heavy object on top of me. My entire upper body was in immense pain. Rainbow Dash was trying to pin me. I stared into her eyes for a few seconds, and I felt the pain fade away. Adrenaline. I used my temporarily ungoverned muscular strength, triggered by my survival instincts, to throw Rainbow Dash off of me and to the right. I rolled and brought my elbow down on her extended wing. She cried out in pain. I stood up without looking forward. I took two very powerful hits to the abdomen, staggered back, doubled over, and nearly lost my lunch.

Applejack stood off for a moment, and I seized what little advantage I had. I drew the gun, but before I could aim it, she charged. I narrowly dodged her, and I aimed the gun at her as she turned, and then I felt Rainbow Dash jump onto my side, knocking me over again. This time I rolled her onto her back, and used my weight to pin her. She struggled, and I felt another powerful hit, this time to the side of my head. Applejack had kicked me in the head- I was lucky to still be conscious. I was knocked off of Rainbow Dash, and felt very dizzy. I was knocked a distance considerable enough to allow me to raise the gun, which was still in my hand, before they closed with me again. I aimed at Applejack, who was probably going in to finish me off, and fired. She toppled. I took aim at Rainbow Dash, who was preparing a charge, and fired again, downing the pegasus. Twilight yelled as I struggled to rise to my feet.

"No!" She had been exchanging salvoes of magic with Trixie, and Trixie wasn't faring well; her mane had been singed and she had taken some burns. Twilight changed her focus, and turned to aim a spell at me. She took a blast to the flank, courtesy of Trixie, and resumed her magical duel. The spells they were using had little damage potential, as neither wanted to seriously injure the other. Fluttershy yelled from where she had retreated to.

Time Piece was fighting an uphill battle with Rarity and Pinkie Pie, being slowly pushed back by their attacks towards the wall.

"How dare you hurt my friends!" She took flight, and flew at me. I looked at the two ponies I'd just shot. They had no wounds had returned to their normal color, and were breathing heavily. It changes them back to normal, I thought. I aimed at Fluttershy, and then I realized why, in my dizziness, I could aim; the gun was aiming by itself. I fired, and the pegasus dropped. I looked at Time Piece. The two ponies had overwhelmed him, and Rarity had stunned him with a spell. They started toward me. I took aim again, and Rarity screamed. I fired twice more, downing the two. I spun to see Trixie fall from a magical blast, and Twilight stared at me. If looks could kill, I'd have been eviscerated.

I aimed at her, and pulled the trigger. It clicked. I was out of ammuniton. She charged at me, roaring with a ferocity that I had thought impossible from such a creature. Her horn glowed as she came closer. I tried to duck out of the way, but to no avail. Twilight hit me, nicking my side with her horn, causing a gash. The adrenaline had not faded yet, and I could hardly feel anything. I did, however, fall to the ground. Twilight stood over me, and I took what opportunity I had. I grabbed the gun, and pistol-whipped her in the side of the head. The gun didn't hit her, it went into her; she absorbed it. She returned to her regular color, and fell on top of me. I pushed her off, and felt my side. It was bleeding a significant amount. The wound was fairly long, but only about two inches deep. The adrenaline had begun to wear off as I struggled to stand. Pain crept through my chest, head, and gut, and my side felt like it was on fire. I struggled with the pain for a moment, and finished standing up to see Spike and Derpy running toward me.

"Are you alright?" Spike asked.

"No. No I am not," I grumbled weakly. An idea came to me. I knelt, showed him my wound.

"Can you cauterize this?" I asked. He looked surprised at my request.

"I-I don't think I can," he said.

"Try," I urged him. I had to stop the bleeding, or something. I wasn't trained in medicine, not at all, but I knew that burning things made them stop bleeding, at least sometimes.

He blew a puff of his magical fire, cauterizing the wound as though it knew what it was doing. Remarkable. It hardly hurt at all, but that might've been because it hurt so much already.

"Thanks," I said.

"Why did you use the gun?" Spike asked.

"I figured it would turn them back to normal, being an embodiment of the Elements of Harmony." I glanced at Applejack. She was already starting to get up. She looked first at all the ponies lying incapacitated on the ground, and then at the bloodstain and hole in my shirt where Twilight had hit me.

"What the hay is goin' on here?" she asked, to no one in particular. I didn't know what to say. "Well?"

"I think Discord corrupted you and your friends, Applejack. He made you think that I was evil or something. There was a fight, and I shot you and the others with the enchanted gun. It seems like it turned you and the others back to normal. Rainbow might have a hurt wing and Trixie got some burns, and I've got this," I gestured at my newly-cauterized wound, "but no one else seems to be hurt." I was in fairly significant pain, to say the least, and winced often as I talked. Rainbow Dash woke up next.

"Owowowowow! My wing!" She minded her injured appendage, and stood. "What happened?"

"A lot of things happened, Rainbow Dash," I answered. "Let's wait until everyone is awake, then I'll explain."

I examined the throne room as we waited, remaining stationary. I just wanted to sleep now. I had just walked all day, got beaten up by ponies, and it was midnight. I couldn't sleep; we had to stop Discord. Discord had probably thought that this pitting us against each other might weaken or destroy us. No, he was too clever. Most of the ponies were up by then, and only Trixie, Spike, Derpy, Time Piece and I knew what happened. I inadvertently fell asleep, not wanting to think anymore, leaning against one of the pillars of the throne room. It had been such a long day.