She's gone. I can't believe it. She just... she just ran... I thought to myself. I blinked several times before moving to call after her. I was too late. She had disappeared out of view.

“She's gone, sweetie,” I heard Coconut say. “She's gone.”

“We need to go after her,” I said. “She won't survive out there alone.”

“Are you crazy?” Velvet Kiss hissed angrily. “She stabbed Rocky. She's fucking nutso.”

“Which is why we need to go after her!” I insisted. “She's my sister. She needs our help. Rocky, can you please back me up here?”

I glanced over at the minotaur, gauging his response. He would think of something. He always did. He would want to help Starry.

Rocky rumbled and nodded. “Lightning is right. We should make sure she's alright.”

“Thank you,” I said. “What are we waiting for then? Let's go after her. I can just dump her PipBuck tag into mine and we can track her from there.”

“I'm afraid that won't work out here,” Dusk said from inside Click's body. The robot stood silent and still, the unicorn's face on the screen. “The Badlands are famous for scrambling radio signal. It's unlikely that the PipBuck can target another.”

“If that's true, then how are you talking to us?” I asked skeptically. Just because Starry trusted this guy didn't mean that I did. I had doubts about his motives.

“My tech doesn't use those kinds of wavelengths,” Dusk said simply. “We don't really have the time for explanation. I can help you find Starry. Rocky, if you will step over here?”

Rocky nodded, his eyes narrowed at the robot as he approached. The robot lifted its arm and carefully grasped where Starry had stabbed him. I grimaced and watched as Coconut stepped up beside me.

“Are you alright?” she asked under her breath.

“I... I just want to find Starry. She's all I've ever had, Coco. If we lose her too... I don't know what I'll do,” I said, meeting her gaze.

Her eyes glistened and she nodded. “Me too. Starry's been my best friend since I can't remember when. We can't abandon her now.”

“I'm finished,” Dusk announced. “In addition to repairing the damage done to Rock Thresher's cybernetics, I've upgraded his tracking system. He should be able to locate Starry's signal.”

“Look, I don't really totally agree with this,” Velvet interjected. “But we can't just go running right after her. We're all exhausted and hungry, and we need to rest. If Rocky can track Starry, then she can't get that far ahead of us. She's going to have to stop too.”

Coconut grimaced next to me. Her stomach growled as if on cue. “Velvet is right about that. We should find someplace to hunker down and get some rest.”

I raised a hoof before she silenced me. “Just a few hours, Lightning,” she said. “Just long enough to get some food and some sleep for those of us that need it.”

I looked down at my hooves and sighed. She was right. We needed to get away from the changeling hive before their queen realized we were no longer a threat, and we did need some food and rest. I thought about how Starry was doing at that moment and grimaced. I glanced up at Coconut and nodded.

“Alright,” I said. “But we should find somewhere away from here.”

“I couldn't agree more with that,” Velvet said.

I fell in line behind the others, giving one final glance off into the Wasteland. Wherever my sister was, I hoped she was alright. She had been with me for so long that I couldn't even begin to fathom something bad happening to her. Something was wrong with her, I knew that much. She needed our help.

I grimaced, thinking of why we'd come on this journey in the first place. Mom. Mom needed our help too, but she also needed both of her kids. If there was any hope to find this Heartmender, she was going to need both of us to do it.

We trudged on for what felt like forever, but in all reality only amounted to a half hour. The sun had begun beating down upon us, the blasted landscape of the Badlands surrounding us. How does anything survive out here? I grumbled to myself.

During our sojourn, Dusk had taken leave of us, allowing Click to take over once more. The robot was understandably confused but had assurance from Dusk's messages that he was alright. Pretty soon he had returned to his jovial happy pony on his monitor. Dusk had advised that he would return soon, that he had something important to take care of.

I still wasn't sure if I trusted him or not, but Mom indicated she knew him somehow, and he had yet to actually lead us into danger, so I chose to err on the side of caution. I would trust him for the time being, at least until I could get some answers from him.

We stopped under the cover of the entrance to what appeared to be an abandoned cave. Rocky confirmed that his tracking showed that Starry was stationary for the moment. I didn't know whether to feel bad or good about that fact. I sat apart from the others at the edge of a nearby cliff, looking out in the direction we were tracking her at.

“What are you doing right now?” I whispered to myself.

“Hey,” I heard a voice from beside me.

I glanced up, seeing Coconut. She sat down next to me and smiled softly. I lost myself in her smile. No matter what, Coconut could make me feel better. She had a way with ponies that just naturally did that. I squeaked out a smile back.

“Hi,” I whispered. “I'm just wondering if we're doing the right thing. What if Starry's hurt? That thing inside that knife...”

“We'll help her, Lightning,” Coconut replied softly. “We won't abandon her. She's family. Whatever is happening with her, we'll figure it out.”

“It just feels like... like we aren't doing enough. We're just sitting around and she's out there... in the Badlands. All by herself,” I said, frowning. “I just hope she's okay.”

“According to Rocky, she's stationary for the time being. We haven't seen anything out here besides those changelings, and if there are more of them, I'm sure that the Queen of that hive will have spread the word about us,” Coconut replied. “Besides, it's not going to do us any good to rush across this place without a plan or being well rested.”

I sighed. “You're right. I just...”

Coconut met my gaze and nodded. She slid closer to me and pulled me into a hug. “I know. I know...”

We sat there for a long time until the sun had disappeared below the horizon. I took one last look out there, wondering and praying that we would be finding my sister soon.

I hit the ground hard and I grunted. The pain in my side flared as I struggled to keep my breath. How far had I run? Where was I? I couldn't tell. I struggled to stand to get my bearings.

You hurt him.

I squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn't look. I couldn't breathe. What was wrong with me? Why did I do that? Why did I...?

You HURT him. You stabbed him. You meant to kill him.

No! I thought in response. I didn't mean to... I didn't mean it!

He was going to hurt you. You did what you had to do.

I could have stopped! I could have let them help me! I could have given up.

No you couldn’t have. You’re weak. They wanted to take the only thing that could give you strength… me.

No… I didn’t…

I shook my head and tried to push the thoughts away. I couldn’t let the thing, whatever it was, win. My friends had been right. The thing inside the knife was evil, pushing me to attack my friends. My friends… the only ones that actually cared about me.

Rocky. I hurt Rocky.

I groaned and glanced around me. I didn’t recognize where I was. I was in some sort of stone valley, with wind carved red rock all around me. I was nowhere near where my friends had been. Were they coming to find me? Did I even want them to? I didn’t know if I even wanted them to come. I would just try to hurt them again.

I stared down at the knife. I wanted to throw it, to make it go away. But I… I couldn’t. Why couldn’t I?

Because you need me.

I cringed at the voice inside my head. I didn’t need it! I needed my friends! I needed…

I didn’t know what I needed. I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t know what I needed. I wanted Xerves. He had to be way ahead of us now. He was going to find the Heartmender before we could, and then it would be all over for Mom.

So find him. Find him and make him pay for what he did.

I blinked. Was that even possible? There was no way I could catch up with him. I didn’t even know where I was, let alone where he was. My stomach grumbled. I was hungry. I didn’t have any supplies with me. I was going to die out here because I was stupid, and didn’t listen to my friends when it counted. I glanced down at the knife. Why did this thing even want me again? I wasn’t strong. I was weak.

Yet you keep going. Funny how that is, isn’t it? You keep going, despite everything that’s happened. That’s not strength though. That’s tenacity.

What can I do? I have nothing. I am nothing. I’m pretty sure there’s probably some monster out here just waiting to eat me. I can’t find Xerves, I have no idea where he is, I thought back at the thing inside the knife.

You have a PipBuck with a map. You can use it to navigate towards where Xerves was headed, towards the thing that will save your mother.

The Heartmender. I couldn’t believe it but the thing was right about that. The map was still inside my PipBuck that led to the last known location of the Heartmender. I could use that to find Xerves before the others could, before he could find the Heartmender and end any chance of my mother’s survival.

I grimaced, flipping on the map. I wasn’t far off from the trail. All I had to do was move.

I put my head down and started out. First, at a walk, then a trot, then lurching and stumbling into a full out run across the Badlands.

“She’s on the move again,” Rocky said. “Faster this time. Signal’s stronger.”

“Can you tell where?” Coconut asked, standing from where she had been sitting next to me.

“All indications appear that she is actively moving along the path contained in the map to the last known location of the Heartmender,” Rocky said. His eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand. Why would she continue on?”

“She doesn’t want to let Mom die,” I said softly. “Or maybe she’s managed to free herself from that cursed knife.”

“If that were the case, wouldn’t she come back to us then?” Velvet said, rising from her slumber. “I mean, she’d consider coming back to us, right?”

I grimaced. Velvet had a point. Why would she go on ahead without us if she had been able to rid herself of the knife’s influence? As I thought things through, my eyes widened as I came to a stark realization.

“Xerves,” I said. “She’s not just going to try to find the Heartmender, she’s going after Xerves.”

“If that is the case, we must catch up with her,” Rocky said. “Under that thing’s influence, there’s no telling what she’ll do.”

I nodded and trotted over to where Click had been sitting. The robot appeared to be charging silently. I tapped his shoulder, causing his screen to flare to life.

“CLICK,” he said.

“Click? Can I speak to Dusk?” I asked quietly.

The robot, although it seemed to give no inclination that it understood my request, merely stood there as the screen changed to the black and white of the unicorn I still didn’t trust, but needed to talk to.

“Lightning? What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Starry. She’s on the move again. She’s heading towards Xerves. I think she’s trying to find him before she finds the Heartmender. Starry said that… well she said that you knew things about what was going to happen,” I stammered out. “Well? Do you?”

Dusk sighed on the screen. “I do. I have some knowledge as to what is to happen in the future. Why?”

“What will she do to him?” I asked succinctly.

“Well, there are a number of different permutations, variables to consider,” Dusk said. “Each one changes the outcome ever so slightly so that--”

“Dusk. Does she kill him?” I asked, interrupting the stallion’s scientific talk.

Dusk looked grim. He nodded his head. “Yes. Most outcomes of the timeline point to that fact,” he said.

I sighed and looked down at my hooves. “What if we stop her? Keep her from killing Xerves?”

Dusk blinked and looked down at his console. He furiously tapped the buttons on it and was silent for several long seconds. Finally he looked up at me. I felt my breath tighten.

“I… I don’t know,” Dusk admitted. “I don’t know what will happen if you stop your sister from killing Xerves.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s… that’s good, right? That means we could stop her, help her get back to being herself.”

“I would advise caution, if that’s what you’re thinking of doing, Lightning. Just because I don’t know what will happen, doesn’t mean nothing will. The consequences of your actions could be just as disastrous as they are beneficial,” Dusk said, his voice urgent.

“I’m aware, but I can’t let her kill him. If she does… she won’t be Starry anymore. It’ll break her,” I said with a sense of finality. “I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen. You can let Click back in now. We’re going to get going on the road.”

Dusk grimaced and looked like he wanted to say more, but must have thought better than that. Finally he nodded and without saying anything further the screen dimmed and went back to the happy smiling pony that we associated with Click’s default personality.

“CLICK!”

“Yeah, we’re gonna go get Starry, big guy. Come on, let’s get out of here,” I said.

The robot rolled beside me to where the others waited. Coconut’s face looked grim.

“Are we ready to go?” I asked.

“Ready. I’ve got a bead on Starry’s movements,” Rocky said. His eyes narrowed at me. “Why were you speaking with Dusk?”

“I wanted to know something important,” I replied. “We don’t have much time. We need to find Starry before she finds Xerves.”

We started forward, silent and sure, heading in the same direction that Starry was. If we were lucky, we’d catch up to her before she could catch up to Xerves. I sighed under my breath, hoping that Dusk was wrong, that by stopping her we could avoid catastrophe instead of causing it.

I’m coming Starry, I thought to myself. I’m coming.

I moved forward with purpose, much more purpose than I’d had in days. Not since I’d found out about Mom’s condition, and the bottom fell out of my world. In the back of my mind, the thing in the knife nagged on at me. I’d found that the thing’s voice was fairly subdued since I decided to find Xerves. I still couldn’t get rid of the knife, it would not let me leave it anywhere. Any time I managed to set it down, I felt magically compelled to come back for it.

I had seen no signs of anything since I’d been walking. The Badlands was a harsh, unforgiving place, and not somewhere that anypony actually made their home. Eventually however, I found the remains of a caravan that had been travelling back to Equestria. The wagons appeared abandoned, the bodies of ponies scattered about. One of the wagons held a barrel with a logo and a name. Aqua Pura. I recognized it as something the ghouls needed. Irradiated water from outside of radiation free Equestria imported in so that ghouls could live on with the necessary amount of radiation needed to keep their bodies and minds intact.

I approached the caravan cautiously. The pony bodies nearly appeared mutilated until I realized that they were in fact, all ghouls. Still, it wasn’t immediately clear what had killed them. My stomach rumbled again. I needed food. Even any amount of irradiated water that existed in that barrel would suffice. I stopped next to one of the wagons, glancing down at the body of the ghoul next to it. It wasn’t moving.

I grimaced and levered myself up onto the wagon. A quick search revealed a freezer containing some irradiated packages of Cram. I stuffed the disgusting food into my mouth faster than my PipBuck clicked and sighed as my stomach settled to accept it. I was about to search the rest of the wagon for any supplies when I heard the sound of shuffling. A foul smell settled upon my nose.

The ghoul rasped loudly behind me as it lunged. I yelped and jumped out of the way, kicking backwards into the ghoul’s face. It stumbled for a moment and then continued forward. I turned, snarling as I lifted the knife into the air. It glowed, angry and powerful, as I swung it around into the ghoul’s neck. The implement tore through the rotting skin, severing the ghoul’s head instantly. Foul black blood leaked all over the wagon as the head rolled to a stop nearby.

More rasping sounds followed. I quickly realized that the ghouls here hadn’t been dead, that they had all gone feral and dormant, and now something live and fresh had just wandered in their midst. All around me the ghouls rose, interrupting their slumber to feast upon me.

I jumped away from the wagon as one of the ghouls slammed into the wooden surface where I had just been. My eyes widened as I took in my plight. There were ghouls everywhere. This had been a very large caravan. Three of the rotting monstrosities rushed towards me, howling and slobbering like mindless animals. I lifted the knife again. It was the only thing I had to protect myself. To my surprise, the ghouls simply… stopped. They hovered at the bare edge of my perimeter, but never dared to lunge forward. I blinked, feeling very confused.

They recognize the power. Our power.

I glanced at the knife. It was glowing bright red. It must have some control over feral ghouls! I didn’t know how or why, but I lifted the knife further towards them.

“You see this? Huh?! You answer to this!” I shouted at them angrily. “Leave me alone and let me forage in peace!”

The ghouls hovered for a few long moments before apparently deciding that it was not worth messing with me or the power of the knife. They moved away and laid down calmly and quietly. I blinked. What did I just do? I thought to myself.

You used our power to sway them.

I shuddered at the voice inside my mind. I tried to ignore it, ignore what I had done, but I couldn’t. Something deep inside of me knew that I had used the power inside the knife, that I had given into it. That was why I’d attacked my friends, why I’d ran.

Is giving in really so bad? I’ve kept you alive. I’m helping you find Xerves, helping you get your revenge.

At what cost? My soul? What do you even want? Why am I so fucking important to you?

You’re the first to come around in a long time that hasn’t succumbed to the sickness. That makes you special.

I glanced down at my hooves. The sickness? My eyes widened when I realized what it meant. Radiation. I was heavily resistant to radiation. I’d had the knife in my possession for weeks and not been turned into a ghoul yet, like the zebra had been.

The previous owner turned within a day, the voice muttered. It sounded… disappointed.

I glanced at the ghouls littering the caravan around me. They’d gone silent, accepting of the fact that I was here, that I wasn’t a live meal. I was one of them, maybe not in body, but in mind. I walked forward and rummaged through the rest of the caravan’s supplies. There wasn’t much more food, but I did find a saddlebag I could toss things into and to continue on. I also had managed to find a working .45 pistol with some ammo.

I looked down at the rest of the caravan and moved on. I had no time to waste. If Xerves was getting further ahead of me, then I needed to get to him, and soon. I checked my PipBuck to make sure I was on the right trail, and once I had determined that I was, I started forward, letting determination carry me towards my destination.

“She’s moving erratically, stopping and going every few seconds, but we’re close,” Rocky said. “We should catch up with her over the next ridge.”

I grimaced. I hoped that Starry was alright. I didn’t know what I would do if she wasn’t. She had to be okay. She just had to be!

“It’ll be alright, Lightning,” Coconut said from beside me. “I know it will.”

“I hope so,” I muttered under my breath. I cleared my throat and looked forward. We were coming down into a valley where there had once been the remnants of what appeared to be a wrecked caravan.

“A caravan? All the way out here?” Coconut said. She cocked her head in confusion.

“Ghouls,” Velvet chimed in. “It’s one of the ghoul caravans that get irradiated water and bring it back to Equestria. Look, I can see a drum of Aqua Cura on the one wagon.”

I narrowed my eyes at the caravan in question. Something felt off about the whole thing. The pony bodies laying around the caravan all appeared to be dead, but there was one on the wagon. It looked like its head had been separated from its body. The caravan had also been ransacked, at least what was left had been taken.

“Something’s not right,” I said. I flicked on my E.F.S., but the signal was so scrambled, it couldn’t give me any actual readings. “We should go around.”

“It’s just an abandoned caravan,” Velvet said. “It’s not like those ponies are getting up and walking around any time soon.”

“My scanners indicate that Starry passed through this area and out the other side,” Rocky said. “If we go around, we may not be able to catch up with her.”

I grimaced, but nodded. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off as we started heading down towards the caravan. As we walked into its midst, I realized I could smell the stench of decay all around us. I knew immediately that I’d been right. I didn’t have any time to ponder how Starry made it through this area without being attacked.

The first of the ghouls arose from next to the wagon containing the Aqua Cura barrel. It lunged at Coconut, screeching loudly. It made a meaty urk as Rocky snatched it out of the air with his massive claws. He launched the ghoul across the valley and into another ghoul that had been getting up to attack. They slammed together with such force that their bodies splattered on the ground.

“So, is it too late to say I told you so?” I shouted as I unleashed two bolts of fire from each of my guns into the nearest ghoul.

“Okay fine, you were right!” Velvet Kiss called back as she shapeshifted into a large male pony. With a quick turn and buck she knocked the heads off of two of the ghouls.

I felt Coconut’s presence next to me. Her rifle swung off the back of her battle saddle, firing several shots into some of the approaching ghouls. They dropped to the ground instantly.

“There’s so many of them!” she exclaimed. “Where are they all coming from?!”

“Doesn’t matter, just keep shooting!” I yelled. “We have to get through them to get to Starry!”

Rocky roared, using his massive weight and cybernetics to destroy ghoul after ghoul. There seemed to be no end to them. Velvet Kiss fought by his side, using a combination of her shapeshifting abilities and her gun to kill them. Click stood there, as the ghouls just couldn’t seem to damage him whatsoever. His lasers melted scores of them. For all of our skills however, it felt like we were fighting a losing battle.

“We have to run!” I shouted. “To the end of the valley!”

Coconut growled, using her forelegs to bat at a ghoul that had managed to get past her rifle’s defenses. She slammed both forehooves into the ghoul’s head, turning it into a black paste that left residue on her power armor. She turned to me. “Lead the way. I’m right behind you.”

“Rocky, Velvet! Follow us, we’re getting out of here! Grab Click!” I called out.

Rocky nodded as he motioned to Click to follow. The robot, completely oblivious to the fact that the ghouls hadn’t stopped coming, just moved forward, running over several of the rotten beasts in the process. Velvet followed closely behind him and jumped up onto his back to get a better view of things.

As we made our way to the edge of the valley, the ghouls stopped coming. A few stragglers appeared, and then nothing. I stopped and huffed, my eyes drifting back up the route towards the caravan. It sat there as it had when we first walked into the valley, lifeless and unmoving. I couldn’t understand it.

“Is… is everyone alright?” I asked, taking deep breaths.

“I think we’re alright,” Coconut said as she lifted her visor. Her face appeared sweaty and hot. “What in the fuck was that all about?”

“Crazy fucking ghouls, is what that was,” Velvet said as she jumped down from Click’s back.

“Yeah but… why’d they just… stop?” I said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Nothing in this forsaken place makes any sense,” Rocky said. “However, I want to apologize for not listening to your instinct, Lightning. It was… foolish of me. I too, want to see Starry’s return. I feel blinded by that slightly.”

I blinked. Rocky was apologizing to me? Since when did that happen? I decided to take it as it was and nodded.

“It’s fine. We really couldn’t have known what was going to happen,” I said. “We’re going to have to be prepared for anything out here. Now… about Starry, do you have a bead on her now?”

Rocky’s yellow eyes narrowed. “Unfortunately, I do, but she’s not close. She’s now several hours ahead of us it seems. It’s the best I can ascertain with the data that I have.”

“Is she still moving?” I asked.

Rocky shook his head. “For the moment, she is stationary. But I fear that may change, soon enough.”

I sat up and groaned. The Cram, although it hadn’t done much to me in terms of radiation poisoning, was giving my stomach the fits. I had to stop briefly to sit down and collect my breath before moving on again. I had no idea if I was getting any closer to Xerves, but the map on my PipBuck showed that I was close to the location marked on it.

I decided to press on. Standing, I started forward, taking step after step along the rocky route. The wind howled across the Badlands. This place was inhospitable, and I had yet to see any true living thing other than the ghouls and the changelings we had met when we arrived in this place. I surmised that there were likely more changelings underground, and that news of me and what I could do had circulated around. Or they just weren’t interested in me, I wasn’t sure.

I made my way down a ridge, nearly stumbling over myself. I stopped at the foot of the ridge and gasped.

It was the remnants of a town. Crumbled buildings spread out for miles and miles. A heavy thick mist settled on the town. What is this place? I thought as I started down the rocky ridge towards the place. This can’t be where the Heartmender is, can it?

And yet, the PipBuck map pointed directly to this place. I double and triple checked it over and over before deciding that it was right. My heart leaped into my throat. What if the Heartmender had been here? What if… what if they were dead? Destroyed by whatever it was that decimated this town? I couldn’t face that reality.

As I descended, I noticed that the town was eerily lifeless. There were virtually no signs of life, not even any vegetation. Who had lived in this place? Ponies? The skeletons that I did see did appear to be vaguely equine. I started walking into the town proper, glancing side to side as I tried to follow the PipBuck marker. Despite how lifeless the place felt, I didn’t feel alone.

I stopped in the middle of a broken street, peering at the buildings around me. Most of them were broken, hollow, things. Only a few were intact. I grimaced, moving forward. I had to find out what had happened to the Heartmender, and to find Xerves.

Xerves. I figured that maybe he had decided to leave after he realized the Heartmender was gone. Perhaps he’d figured that would be a big enough blow to me that he didn’t need to kill the Heartmender, that the Heartmender was already gone and so too would my mother. He was right though, if the Heartmender didn’t exist, then I’d made this journey for nothing more than pure unadulterated misery and pain. Not to mention that I’d managed to alienate myself from my friends in the process.

I pressed forward with rapid determination. The closer I got to the mark on the map, the more my stomach began to turn. I looked up and saw the area where the marker led. It was a dark alley in the center of the town. I started to walk down it, but stopped and took a deep breath.

This is what you wanted. Closure. Once you have it, then we can return to Equestria, and take back what belongs to us.

I tried to ignore the voice, the very sound of it grating and pounding inside my head. I shook my head and moved on autopilot, each leg placed in front of the other. I didn’t see the trip wire until it was too late.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

My eyes widened as I leapt backwards and tried to duck for cover. An explosion erupted from the wall where I’d been standing, showering me with rock and dust debris. I coughed as I moved to sit up.

“Pity, I had hoped that would have killed you,” a voice from above me somewhere said.

I looked upwards immediately. Through the haze and thick mist I could see the form of an equine, and not just any equine, standing on top of a nearby building.

“Xerves,” I said angrily.

“The one and only,” the zebra said. He stepped forward more so that I could clearly see him. His green eyes shined in the dark light. “I must admit, you are a persistent one, Starry Night. However, why are you alone?”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, ignoring his question.

“Oh, a little of this, a little of that. Mostly waiting for you. You are at a loss here. This Heartmender you’re looking for, they don’t exist,” Xerves said casually. “Figured it might be more fun to kill you instead.”

“Not if I kill you first,” I shouted, pulling the .45 out of its holster. I fired two shots that should have hit the zebra, but instead he ducked out of the way of them. “Hold still, while I make you pay for what you’ve done!”

Xerves’ eyes glimmered. “You’re going to have to catch me first. Oh, and I should warn you. I set quite a few of those little traps all around this city. Good luck getting around all of them.”

With that, he leaped to the next building and zipped off into the darkness. I cursed under my breath and thought about squeezing off another round at him, but I couldn’t see him enough to aim properly. Doing that would be wasteful of ammo. I stood instead and charged off into the alley, heading towards where Xerves was headed.

I moved carefully and quickly through the network of streets and buildings, unsure as to how Xerves had managed to get around from top of building to top of building like he was. I hadn’t managed to go very far when I’d found the second of his little tricks. A mounted flamethrower sat inset on a wall, along with a tripwire mixed into the dirt. Merely stepping onto it would have been enough to trip it. Suspended across the alley above it was another tripwire, one that made it very difficult to get through without tripping either or both of the cunning traps.

I glanced around, looking for a way around. In the distance, I could see Xerves closing the distance between us. I had to move fast. A nagging thought in the back of my mind told me that this what he wanted, to make me tire myself out so he could take me down easier, but I didn’t care.

Show him our power. Use me to destroy the traps. I cannot be harmed.

I grinned fiercely, unsheathing the knife and letting it float into the air in front of me. It glowed an angry red as I thrust it at the tripwire in the air, cutting it in two. The trap sprung to life, spewing fire forth from the lip of the flamethrower. It didn’t take long for the fire to die down and for me to grab the knife out of the air and run.

Every step I took I was beset upon by Xerves’ traps. He had managed to spread them around the whole of the ruined settlement. He must have had a massive amount of time to do so. How long had he been here? I didn’t have much time to think as I disabled or destroyed each one, using the power of the knife.

I ducked around the next corner, panting hard. Xerves stood, leaning casually against a wall, studying one of his forehooves. The zebra appeared to just be waiting for me.

“Are you enjoying this? You seem to be getting tired,” he called out.

“Go… go fuck yourself!” I called back.

“Highly eloquent, to say the least,” Xerves replied casually. “I’m rather surprised you have been able to get past my traps. I think I hid them very well, don’t you?”

“I think I’m gonna shove one of them up your stupid ass!” I angrily shouted. “Why are you doing this?! Why?!”

“Well, at first it was because I needed to escape the city. Seeing as how your mother didn’t actually die, I needed to get out before the Cult of Iron Fucks got wind of that,” Xerves said, his gaze narrowing at me. “But once I found out about your little quest, about the Heartmender, and the fact that you brought my mother into this mess… well… it got personal.”

“What the fuck does your mother have to do with this?” I said, breathing harder and harder.

“She has everything to do with this! Do you really think I could be anything else other than what I am?! I’m a monster, and it’s all because of her! Your mother is the same, don’t you see? You know exactly what I mean,” Xerves said loudly. “You’re just too stupid to see that.”

“My Mom is everything to me!” I called out. “And you are going to pay for what you did to her! I swear I will make you pay!”

“Come on then, little Starry Night,” Xerves said. “Get on with it.”

I could hear the explosions from up ahead. The map marker on my PipBuck pointed down the ridge at what appeared to be some sort of settlement. In the darkness, I could see the flashes of light amidst the crumbling buildings.

“What in the hell is going on down there?” Coconut said from beside me.

“Nothing good,” Rocky said.

“Is Starry down there?” I asked.

The minotaur’s eyes narrowed. “As best as I can tell, yes,” he said. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I, but we’d better get down there and find her before anything else happens,” I said.

“CLICK.”

I grimaced and started down the ridge. My heart beat heavy, I could feel it with every hoof step. What would I find down there? Was Starry alright? I pushed myself forward, needing to know just how far south things had gone.

I tore the knife through another bomb trap and dived backwards. The resulting explosion shuddered all around me as I coughed up more and more rubble dust. Xerves seemed to just be watching me from his vantage point. I couldn’t figure out how in the world he managed to stay up there. He had to have ran out of buildings to run along eventually.

Still, it seemed as if his plan was working. I was getting sluggish, slow. If it hadn’t been for the knife and it’s power, I’d have been dead ten times over. I mostly wanted to lay down and die. But yet, I kept going. Something deep inside drove me forward.

Hate. Pain. Rage.

The voice in my head shouted for blood, and I was more than willing to let it. I wanted Xerves to pay for what he had done, and I wanted to be the one to mete out that punishment. I wanted to be judge, jury, and executioner. I wanted to take all the pain he had caused and return it upon him three thousand times more. There was no way to explain the feeling other than that I hated him, and I wanted him to die a painful death.

“You’re getting slow,” the bastard of a zebra said with a cocksure smile. “I’ve only broken a sweat.”

“Why do you keep… keep running?” I stammered out. “Are you afraid I’ll beat you? Is that it?”

“No, I rather enjoy the chase, to be honest,” Xerves replied casually. He grinned widely and his eyes shimmered in the darkness. “I’m just biding my time, waiting for you to exhaust all of your strength.”

I stood there, panting hard. I growled under my breath. He was right. I was stupid to have given into the chase, but he was right that this had all been a ploy to get me to wear myself down.

Show him your strength. Make him understand how strong you really are.

The voice pounded in my ear. It, too, was right. I had strength still. I had power that I could draw on. I released the knife from its sheath and snarled angrily. The magic within it tore into my body and filled my life force up with power like I’d never known before. All I had to do was let it. I realized what a fool I’d been. I’d been avoiding this, and all I had to do was let it in. It was so easy to just let it do what it wanted.

I let it. I let everything in, let the power fill me with hate and rage. I was done being weak. I wanted the power the knife was willing to lend me.

“I’m going to show you strength,” I said with a hiss. “And then, I’m going to make you pay for what you’ve done! I’m going to tear your limbs apart and make you suffer!”

Xerves’ gaze narrowed. His eyes flickered to the knife. I could see his uncertainty.

Fear.Good… good… he can feel fear, I thought, feeling confident and strong. I felt as if I could do anything.

My horn flared, sending a blast of telekinesis at the building that Xerves was standing on. It began to crumble from its foundation. The zebra’s eyes widened as he stumbled to jump to the nearest one. I was ready for him. My magic reached out again, striking at the building he was jumping to. It began to crumble as well. Xerves yelled as he went tumbling to the ground in a massive crash.

“Not so confident now, are you?” I said venomously. I grinned as I stalked towards him. I held the knife in the air beside me. “You know, to think… I was scared of this thing. I didn’t want what it offered, but now I realize… it’s not so bad. I’ll show you, of course, right after I’m finished gutting you like a fish with it.”

Xerves popped up from his prone position, flicking out with his hooves. Two metal star-like projectiles flew through the air towards me. I grinned and stopped them with a wave of telekinetic energy, letting them fall to the ground. I hadn’t realized just how strong my telekinesis could be before that point. It had just been another tool. I hadn’t realized that it was also a weapon.

“Something’s changed,” Xerves hissed. “Where is this coming from? You should be on your knees in exhaustion.”

“Nothing’s changed, Xerves. I’ve just finally come to accept what I’ve been denying for some time now,” I crowed. “That I am stronger than you, and I will end your life for what you did to my mother.”

“You will try,” Xerves replied angrily. With one swift motion, he pulled his own knife out of his cloak and into his mouth. His eyes nostrils flared in anger.

“Oh, you have a toy too? Let’s compare,” I said as I stalked forward in determination.

The explosions stopped. I heard rumbling closer to the center of the ruined settlement. With all the dust and debris, I couldn’t see or hear anything. The settlement around us shook.

“What was that?” Velvet whispered.

“I don’t know, but I don’t like any of this,” I said as I tried to flip on my E.F.S. The scanning on it was still broken. I couldn’t tell if there were two targets up ahead or thirty.

“Rocky, can you see anything?” Coconut asked.

The minotaur stopped for a moment and let his eyes scan our surroundings. His gaze narrowed. “This whole town is riddled with traps. We need to be careful.”

“Is that what caused all those explosions?” Velvet said.

“CLICK,” the robot behind her said. His screen changed to the face of a scared pony.

“It’ll be alright, Click. We’ll find Starry,” Coconut said, placing her hoof on the robot’s shoulder. It seemed somehow to calm it.

“Can you identify where these traps are?” I asked, glancing up at Rocky.

“Yes… With some difficulty,” Rocky said. “We’re going to have to be careful.”

Another explosion rocked the foundation around where we’d been hiding from up ahead. Dust and debris kicked up all around us. Something big was happening. I could feel my coat tingling. It felt… horrible. It was anger and pain all wrapped up into one.

“The magic… I can feel it,” Velvet said. “Can’t you? Holy shit… that’s strong.”

“What are you talking about? I can’t feel anything,” Coconut said, raising an eyebrow.

“I can…” I said softly. “It feels… wrong.”

“It’s that… that thing. That knife. It has to be,” Velvet said. “Starry’s in trouble. I can’t… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we have to stop her. We have to help her.”

“Rocky, lead the way. We’ll be on your tail,” I said. I glanced forward, gaze narrowed in fierce determination. I’m coming, Starry.

I roared, lunging at Xerves, the knife in tow as he tried to dodge my strike. He was starting to falter. Every attack left him looking more and more ragged. I grinned deeply, exulting in my newfound power. I didn’t know why I hadn’t just let the knife in before. It was power beyond all belief and reason!

My next strike caught the zebra in the side, slicing a gash that began to bleed profusely. Xerves howled as he dropped the knife clenched in his jaws. He jumped back and placed a hoof to the wound.

“How… how are you?” he stammered out, panting hard.

I wiggled my knife in the air. “Oh, you know… this little trinket. It’s magical, and it contains an evil entity that wants to wipe out all of known civilization,” I said. “But right now, we’d be happy with just killing you.”

Xerves narrowed his gaze at me. I could tell by the way his eyes shifted back and forth, he was gauging whether or not he could escape. Indeed, he tried to run off to the side to get away. I didn’t let him. A blast of telekinesis cut off his avenue of escape as another building crumbled in front of him.

“Ah ah ah,” I said. “You don’t get to run away this time.”

That’s right, Starry. He hurt you. He hurt your family. Make him suffer. Make him pay. Once it is done, then we can return to Equestria and begin our work once more!

I chuckled at the voice. It sounded sweet in my head. I enjoyed hearing it. It comforted me in many ways that the real world could not. I would finish this, and then I would go back to my home and save my mother from her condition myself. The knife’s power would be sufficient to help me with it.

“In fact, you won’t be harming anyone ever again, Xerves,” I said, stalking closer towards him. “You said you were a monster? You’re nothing. I’m a true monster, and you will soon find out what that means.”

Xerves stumbled backwards, clutching his side in pain. “Stay back. I’m warning you.”

“That’s rich, coming from you. You’re nothing but a scared little zebra. That same scared little zebra I took pity on, the one I saved from Rock Thresher’s bullets,” I taunted, waving the knife back and forth. It glowed angrily in the air beside me. “You’re weak. A weak little momma’s boy. Not even that… a bastard.”

“You don’t scare me,” Xerves said nervously. “I’ve killed more ponies than you can count. It’s what my mother trained me to do. That’s why I killed your mother. Because I was trained to do it. And you know what? I enjoyed every minute of it.”

I grinned. I could literally smell the fear wafting from him as I got closer and closer. He tried to scramble backwards to get away, but he was blocked in from the debris. There was no more tricks. No more escaping this time. I had him right where I wanted him.

“You didn’t kill my mother though,” I said. “You failed.”

“Did I? She has a condition that’s going to kill her, that I accelerated with my poison,” Xerves said. “She’s as good as dead. What you’re doing out here, trying to find the Heartmender and all that… it doesn’t mean anything. She’ll be dead by the time you get back.”

“SHUT UP!” I roared as I lunged forward, slamming into him and knocking him to the ground. “No more games, Xerves! It’s time for you to face the music.”

Xerves coughed up what looked like blood. “Killing… killing me won’t stop the inevitable. It won’t bring… bring your mother back,” he said.

“No,” I said with a growl as I slammed my hoof into his face, knocking him out cold. “But it’s going to feel very good.”

We ran swiftly, trying to dodge the insane number of traps that had been laid in this place. I didn’t have much time to even fathom who had done that, but my gut told me I already knew. Xerves was here, which meant that Starry and him and were fighting. I had to get to her. I had to stop her from doing it. She couldn’t kill him, she just couldn’t.

Rocky roared as he ripped through the debris and rubble, attempting to clear a path through the dust. With his enhanced cybernetic eyes, he was able to identify which paths to take to get around Xerves’ traps. I only hoped that the extra time spent wouldn’t be too late.

“I’m going to try and get a good look from above!” I shouted as I took to wing. I flapped hard and rose into the sky. It didn’t really matter. I couldn’t see much at all through the dust. I soared back down to meet the others. “I can’t see anything. There’s too much dust and haze.”

“We’re getting closer,” Rocky said. “We have to keep going.”

I nodded, following as closely behind Rocky as I could without getting bashed in by the debris he was crushing through. Soon, we broke into what appeared to be a large clearing of buildings. At first glance, I thought it was a town square of some sort. I quickly realized it was because most of the buildings had been practically leveled by something.

That something was up ahead. Below an outcropping of buildings lay Xerves, struggling with Starry Night, my sister. My fur stood up on ends once more. I could feel the power, the anger and hate radiating from that knife that she held in the air.

I rushed forward as Starry lifted the knife into the air.

“Starry, NO! Stop!”

“Starry, NO! Stop!”

I faltered for a brief moment. Of course, my friends. My brother. I had not quite anticipated that they would actually try to come after me. They were fools. They didn’t understand what this meant to me. I heard Lightning trudging towards me amidst the dust and debris.

“Starry…”

“Stay back,” I called out. “Come no closer.”

“Starry, what are you doing? This isn’t you. Please, listen to me,” he said.

I paid no attention to him. I was only focused on the zebra below me. He quivered in his unconsciousness. There were no words to be had from him now. The anger welled up inside of me. I growled loudly.

“Lightning, step back. I’m going to stop this once and for all,” I heard Velvet Kiss’ voice echo. Poor, poor, stupid Velvet. Pity. I’d thought she was the smart one of the bunch.

“No! Don’t. I can do this; just let me talk to her!” Lightning replied.

“CLICK.”

“Starry, you don’t have to do this. Let us help you. You don’t have to kill him,” Lightning said. He took a step forward.

I responded by flashing the knife. “I said, no closer. Come any closer, and I’ll kill you. All of you. Hell, maybe I will just for fun. But this fuck? He’s as good as fucking dead, and you know it. He poisoned our mother, Lightning. Don’t you get that? He fucking poisoned her… for… for money! He’s the entire reason we’re out here in the first place!”

“I… I know, but killing him won’t save Mom,” Lightning said. “Letting that thing control you won’t save her either. We have to find the Heartmender. They’ll be able to save Mom.”

“THE HEARTMENDER DOESN’T FUCKING EXIST!” I roared. “It’s a myth, Lightning! A myth that we were all stupid enough to believe! We gave into it because we thought it gave us hope! Well, it doesn’t. We’re not going to save Mom that way!”

“Then… let’s go home. Be with her. Accept what we can’t change,” Lightning said. “I love Mom too, Starry, but she wouldn’t want to see you like this. Please. Don’t kill him.”

Kill him. Fulfill your destiny.

Xerves coughed below me. “He’s right…” he whispered. “You can’t save anyone now. You’re a fool, Starry Night. A Luna-damned fool.”

“Go to hell,” I said angrily.

“I’ll see you there…” Xerves said.

I roared, lifting the knife into the air. It hung there for several long seconds.

“Starry, stop! Don’t kill--”

I interrupted him by bringing the knife down into Xerves’ throat. The wicked blade cut nicely into the zebra’s flesh, splitting it apart in a mess of blood and sinew, causing him to cry out in intense pain. I lifted it upwards again, blood dripping from it as I brought it back down into his face, hitting his left eye and ripping it out entirely as I brought the knife up again. I slammed down hard again and again, ripping chunks of flesh from the zebra’s face and neck. There was no mistaking his final breath of life as I lowered the knife over the base of his skull and pressed in hard.

I snarled and roared, bringing the knife to bear across his neck once more. So easily the knife cut into his flesh and bone, severing his head from his body. It rolled to the side, and I exulted in my power. I looked down at myself, covered in zebra blood.

Something inside me snapped. My eyes widened, and I realized I was crying and screaming.

What… what did I just do?! I thought frantically. I’d murdered someone. No, not just murdered. I’d executed him, bloodily and without a single thought. And then I’d ripped his head from body to make a point. The shock of it was too much to bear. I looked at the knife, dripping and stained from Xerves’ blood. It had done all of this. It had brought me to this point.

I felt sick to my stomach. I lurched over and vomited. I couldn’t bear the stench of it. When I was finished, I stood shakily. I left the knife where it had fallen on the ground, still drenched in the blood of the zebra I’d hated so much. And yet, I realized in that moment, that he was right about one thing. Killing him wasn’t going to bring Mom back.

I couldn’t bring Mom back. I couldn’t save her. I was a failure, a weakling. I couldn’t even face my friends. Why were they still here? Didn’t they know that they were looking at somepony who couldn’t resist power? Somepony who gave in to her base desires, and used that power to eviscerate another.

You did it because you wanted to, the voice inside the knife said.

No! I didn’t want this… I didn’t… Leave me alone! I don’t want your power… I thought back at it. Tears flowed freely down my face. I didn’t have the strength to keep going. I wasn’t strong. I was weak.

And thus, I slumped over just as quickly as I had gotten up, and passed out.

Author's Notes:

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