I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

Uncle Fine, Miss de Lis, I’m sorry.

I’m just so angry about it. Angry about everything.

I’m still scared. I know you’re both trying, but without her I don’t think I can do it. It’s like my brain is constantly boiling. I just want to lash out and hurt somepony!

Sometimes I wish I could be more like Surprise. At least then I wouldn’t feel so guilty about the blood on my hooves.

Lightning’s gone. I’m still trying, but Lightning’s gone.

I used to think I could be a good pony.

I don’t anymore.

—Gulfstream Dust, Book of Shadows XLVIII,

June 6, 1007

Gulfstream was hungry, he was dirty, and – in the midst of a windy day within one of the most elevated cities in Equestria – he was cold. He’d slept in hay bales and hidden under bushes for the past three nights, most of his food had been taken via theft, and he was pretty sure he’d acquired fleas last night. He spent each night sobbing and each day raging.

None of that mattered.

What mattered was the knife in his hooves, the aching hole in his gut, and the blue pegasus in the street below.

He had perched behind the chimney of one of Canterlot’s many tall buildings just outside the castle. He’d never been to the city, never thought he’d see the castle itself, but he barely paid them any mind. His unkempt wings ached with tension as he worked to keep them close to his body, not daring to spread them lest he give away his presence. He ran the flat of the blade along one forehoof, watching as Rainbow made a stand at the castle gates.

How she had managed to move with her injury, he couldn’t imagine. By the time he’d found out that she’d left Cloudsdale, she’d already had a two day head start – by train. Catching up had been a lot of hard work, and when he did she’d already been in the city for over a day. Somehow, she managed to move about on her own power, but it was at a hobbling pace.

Gulfstream studied his nemesis, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat. Rainbow was nothing short of a mess, most of her body wrapped in bandages. Fresh, from the looks of things; somepony had been caring for her on the journey. He suspected she’d slipped out of a hospital in order to go to the castle.

Her attempt proved futile. No less than five Royal Guards stood before the gate, fully armored and barring her entry. She’d been alternating between talking and yelling, but they wouldn’t budge.

Gulfstream continued to rub the knife, his blood boiling with hatred. He kept seeing Lightning’s pleading eyes. Sometimes he thought she was calling to him. Her voice begged him to reconsider, but that last vestige of her influence grew more and more quiet as his anger simmered. He would strike soon, but not yet. The guards would stop him if he went down there now.

So he waited, ignoring a soft headache and anticipating Rainbow’s screams. Oh, but they would be glorious. A fitting end for such a pathetic pony.

He blinked; the screams weren’t just in his head anymore. Rainbow threw herself at the guards, her furious cries filling the streets.

“I know you can hear me! You can’t do this to me! I needed you, I trusted you, I murdered the love of my life for you! Damn it, let me go, we’re not through! Luna? Luna!”

Her shrieks continued as the guards held her back. She clawed and snarled and raged and bit. She didn’t stand a chance, and had to have known it. With a final thrust, the guards knocked Rainbow to the cobblestones. She lay there for some time, fresh blood seeping through her bandages as she sobbed.

Gulfstream felt no pity.

Seconds passed. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Still Rainbow lay there. Gulfstream grew impatient, his tail lashing back and forth as he silently cursed her. If the stupid mare would just move…

At last, she did. Rainbow’s legs wobbled; she didn’t stand so much as she crouched. She looked to the castle one more time, her head craning back to take in the structure. Her cheeks glistened with tears. Then, head hanging and wingtips dragging in the dirt, she turned away. Gulfstream’s body tensed as he watched her go.

He followed, sticking to the rooftops to avoid being spotted. He had to do this right. Too many guards around and he’d be caught. Gulfstream wasn’t afraid of that. He could spend the rest of his life in prison for all he cared. He just didn’t want them to show up too soon; Rainbow’s death had to be as slow and painful as he could manage.

She moved at a sedate pace, hooves scuffling the ground. The few unicorns who didn’t outright ignore her watched her pass with blatant disdain. None approached, and some eagerly moved out of her way, as if she might be poisonous. She paid them no mind. Gulfstream wasn’t sure she even knew where she was going.

All the better.

The Canterlot weather team had been pulling rainclouds over the city. Now, nearly an hour after her outburst, the sky was overcast and gloomy. Gulfstream hoped a storm would come; it would mask her screams and give him more time.

Rainbow paused in the middle of a random back street. Her entire body shook visibly, and she abruptly turned to shuffle for some dark alleyway.

A thrill ran through Gulfstream as his opportunity presented itself. He glanced around and saw how empty the street and alleyway were. Perfect. With a wicked grin, he opened his wings and dropped to the road below. As quietly as he could, he hurried after Rainbow.

He turned the corner in time to see Rainbow fall sideways against the wall… and begin to weep. It wasn’t loud, but it appeared to be physically overwhelming. Gulfstream’s grin broadened as he approached, the knife low in his hoof. He would come from the side, aim for her wings. One neat slice to cripple her. He could almost see the blood, and her sobs were like a pleasant music.

Yes. His heart pounded, his hoof shook, his wings trembled. Just a few more steps. The knife shined in his mind’s eye like a sun, begging to be fed blood.

Five steps left. He held his breath, slowed his approach. Rainbow had her face covered with a cannon, she would never see him coming. Too easy.

He readied the knife.

Rainbow disappeared.

Gulfstream’s jaw dropped. He stared at the space where she’d just been, trying to understand what just happened. Had she noticed him coming? But… Rainbow couldn’t just vanish into thin air!

He looked down the alley and nearly dropped the knife; a wall of pink blocked the exit. He turned around and saw the opposite side of the alley looked exactly the same. “W-what the…”

“I fear I can’t let you do that, little colt.”

That accent…

He spun about to find a familiar pink unicorn standing at the end of the alley. It was Fleur de Lis, in all her splendor. She looked upon him with the air of pity, even as her horn shined brightly.

Gulfstream aimed the dagger at her. “W-what did you do?!”

Fleur’s soft frown didn’t fade. She approached, her every movement graceful and refined. “I am sorry, Gulfstream. We need Rainbow Dash to live. I know you can’t understand, but—”

“I don’t care!” He swung the knife a few times, even though she was much too far away for it to matter. “I’m going to kill her. You can’t stop me. Lightning deserves to be avenged!”

The glow of Fleur’s horn intensified, and the knife melted in his hooves. Gulfstream jumped back, gaping as the silver and gold goop that had once been his method of vengeance fell to the cobblestones and disappeared, seeping through the ground as if it were silt instead of stone. “H-how did you do that?”

He looked up and gasped upon seeing a familiar scabbard hovering just before Fleur, complete with the sun’s insignia. The metallic liquid reappeared above it, formed back into the knife, then slid inside the scabbard. Fleur promptly tucked it into a saddlebag.

Gulfstream stomped with a growl. “That was Lightning’s. Give it back.”

“It belongs to the Archons now.”

“The Arch—” He paused, his brain running over that response. “You’re an Archon?”

Fleur sat, her gaze turning studious. “Indeed. We have been watching your family for some time, mostly due to your relationship with Rainbow. It was inevitable, seeing as of how she caught Luna’s attention.”

He bristled at the mention of the princess. “What does she have to do with this?”

Fleur’s response came in a hushed tone. “Everything, and Rainbow still has a part to play.”

“No!” Gulfstream spread his wings and bared his teeth at her. “I’m going to kill her. Lightning deserves justice!”

“You just want petty revenge.”

“You’re damn right I do!” He scuffed the cobblestones with a snort. “I’m doing this. You wanna stop me, you’ll have to kill me.”

Fleur lifted a hoof to her lips as she observed him, her eyes lidded. “I think I have something better for you. How would you like to earn the right?”

“Earn it?” He stomped a couple times and flapped his wings. “She was my cousin! More than that, she was my guiding light! My heart, my soul, my ticket to a life of good. Rainbow took her away. What more do I have to lose to earn it?!”

The response cracked like a whip. “You are just a foal, and I am not speaking of age.” Fleur flicked her mane and raised her muzzle high. “You think you are suffering, little colt? You do not know what pain is. We can hone your skills, make you into something better, stronger, faster. Lightning was going to be a Wonderbolt. You could be our own special Wonderbolt. You wanted to be a warrior for Princess Luna? Now’s your chance.”

The anger faded as comprehension dawned. He took a step back, one leg raised anxiously. “Are you saying you want to… to hire me?”

“No, little colt. I am offering you an apprenticeship.”

His wings fell to the ground as he gawked. “B-but why would you do that? I’m a monster!”

Fleur’s smile was sad. “Aren’t we all? Lightning would not want you to lash out in anger.”

“You don’t know anything about Lightning!”

“She was trying to help you control the fire inside you,” she pressed, her words soothing. “We will continue the work where she left off. Just because she’s gone, that doesn’t mean you have to fall into violence, Gulfstream.”

The anger broke in a strangled gasp, replaced by all the sorrow and fear that had been pouring out of that hole in his stomach. He fell to his haunches, tears threatening to burst from his eyes. She was right. So right. He’d known it all along, but without Lightning… “You c-can’t help me.”

“Are you so sure?”

He looked away, his eyes burning. “Why would you want to help me, anyway?”

Her words tickled his ears and soothed the flames. “Because we know what it’s like to hurt, and to hurt others. We are the boogieponies, Gulfstream. There’s a difference between being a monster and being a warrior. Let us show you how to tame the beast within you.”

It sounded so… so tempting. This couldn’t be real. But if it was…

His thoughts drifted to Lightning. He recalled her laughter, her smile, her words of encouragement. He could remember cuddling beside her in the bed. He wanted that feeling back. He wanted it so badly…

He saw her teary gaze, pleading for his understand and aid. He saw the blood.

His wings tensed. He stared at his hooves. “And Rainbow?”

That pitying frown returned to her face. “I would hope that we could turn you away from your desire to murder her. At the very least, we cannot permit her to die… yet. But if I might ‘sweeten the pot,’ as they say, you could take comfort in the knowledge that we will always be keeping an eye on her. Perhaps, should a time come when we no longer have need of her, you may take advantage of our information network to exact your revenge.”

Lightning wouldn’t want that. He knew she wouldn’t want that. Somehow, he’d lost sight of everything his cousin had taught him. His thoughts turned to the knife, and a chill ran through his heart.

It dawned upon him just how close he’d come to leaping over the edge. Lightning had kept him safe all those years. Now that she no longer held the lifeline, was he really that eager to jump off the cliff?

No. No, he wasn’t.

Fleur regained that pretty smile. “I take it you’ve made a decision?”

He took a tentative step closer. “I… I don’t know what I want to do with Rainbow. A big part of me still wants to kill her.” His eyes narrowed. “That will remain an option?”

She nodded. “Should there come a time when we don’t need to keep her alive, then yes.”

He closed his eyes. Lightning’s life flashed in the darkness; every laugh, every tear, ever stunt, all flowing by in a beautiful and depressing montage.

“What do I have to do?”

Gulfstream sat on a large red cushion. Next to a cloud, it was probably the softest thing he’d ever touched. Fleur stood at his side. Across the desk sat a unicorn stallion of mottled brown hues and a black mane, adorned in a black and red vest. He gazed at the colt in a way that made Gulfstream think of a wolf. Despite his attempt to show confidence, Gulfstream felt uneasy at the harsh attention.

Not taking those sharp eyes off him, the stallion finally spoke. “Little Miss, why is there a colt in my office?”

Gulfstream bristled.

“Not just any colt,” Fleur replied confidently. “This is Gulfstream Dust, cousin of the late Lightning Dust.”

An eyebrow rose. “The question stands.”

She blinked, clearly taken aback by his deadpan manner. “I… I found him in Canterlot. He was going to kill Rainbow Dash.”

“And?”

Though his teeth ground together, Gulfstream kept his lips firmly sealed. She’d told him to keep quiet unless directly spoken to and, though he wasn’t sure if any of this was worth it, he felt determined to keep his cool.

Fleur hesitated, but then set a hoof to Gulfstream’s shoulder. “I want to make him my apprentice.”

“I don’t see a horn on his head. What, exactly, did you plan on teaching him?”

This time Fleur’s tone was firm. “Control. Strategy. Combat. I know you’ve read his file. He has skills we could use. You can’t tell me the scenario didn’t pass through your mind at some point or another.”

The corner of the stallion’s lip twitched into a smile. “Maybe I did. But he’s pretty young.”

Her muzzle rose, accompanied by a prim sniff. “I was younger.”

The smile grew. “So you were.”

Gulfstream felt the heat rising. He wanted to remind them that he could hear them. He fought the urge down by thinking of Lightning and how this might be something she’d approve of. It was the only thing keeping him going.

“Do you know who I am?”

It took him a minute to realize the question had been aimed his way. He glanced at Fleur, who nodded. “Not really. Should I?”

The stallion shrugged and replied with a carefree, “I’m Fine Crime, the Mane Archon.”

Despite the laid back manner of the statement, Gulfstream could have sworn a jolt of electricity passed through him. He straightened up, tucked his wings in and tried to appear as confident and firm as he could. In his mind, however, he was doing a little dance. Fine Crime, Celestia’s dark hoof. Fleur hadn’t been lying; this was his chance to be a warrior for Princess Luna, and he was not going to pass it up!

Fine gained a grim smile at the physical response. “I see you’ve heard of me.”

Gulfstream tried to think of something important to say, something that might impress the second most powerful pony in the world. To his chagrin, all he managed was a dumb “Yep.”

Fine raised an eyebrow. His stare shifted from Gulfstream to Fleur and back. “There’s two things that need to be made clear to both of you.” His gaze locked on Fleur. “First, if this happens, you’re taking full responsibility. His mistakes are your mistakes, and you will be held accountable. You’re the one wanting this, so you’re the one taking the risks.”

Fleur pursed her lips. Her expression, once confident, shifted to severe. “I… understand.”

“You better, because that leads into my second point.” He set his eyes on Gulfstream. “If you intend to be directly associated with him, that means he’d be a junior member of the Order. I’m not the one who decides who gets in.”

Another flash of hesitation in Fleur’s expression. “But you always pick the members of the Order. Nopony joins without your go ahead.”

He nodded, yet his expression was hard. “And every pony I’ve approved of had to gain the acceptance of one other, and her tests are… dangerous.”

Fleur swallowed audibly, but said nothing.

Gulfstream looked between them, taking in their grim faces. His wings trembled with excitement… and worry. “Who?”

Her response was quiet. “Celestia.”

Gulfstream gave the hall an incredulous look. “She wants us to meet her down here?”

They were in, for lack of a better description, a dungeon. Judging by the stoic guards, that's probably what it was. He wanted to fly in order to look through the barred windows of the many doors they passed, but Fleur had expressly forbade any flying while down here. He couldn’t imagine why, but her fevered insistence was enough to tell him to obey.

Her response to his query was little more than a jerk of a nod. Though her every step was graceful, there was a faint wobble to her knees and a twitch in her eye. Something about the coming meeting had Fleur terrified, but Gulfstream couldn’t imagine why.

Then again, this was Celestia they were going to see. The knife – the very thing that screwed with Lightning’s head and led to her death – had supposedly come from the princess. That alone was enough to keep the fire burning, and containing it wasn’t easy. Still, he had no choice but to hold back. He knew well enough to know that he’d never be able to kill the Goddess of the Sun, and he wasn’t going to waste his life like that when he could be doing something to make Lightning proud.

But he still had every intention of asking about it.

They turned a corner, and movement immediately caught his eye. Between the doors ahead was a familiar white pegasus. She bounced in place with a grin, her curly blonde mane and tail rising and falling to her movement. She waved excitedly mid-bounce as the two approached.

“Hey, Fleurry, hey Gulfie! I’ve been waiting for you to show up because Celestia told me to and so here I am and she said I could play once you went in so could you please please hurry because I haven’t played in ages and I’m hungry and I hear we’ve got a screamer in cell twelve so if you’d just hurry that would be great!”

Gulfstream paused. “You’re that pony that was following Rainbow Dash!”

The pegasus literally screeched to a stop in her bouncing, her eyes going wide.

Gulfstream felt a hoof tap his shoulder. He turned to find the pegasus’s eyes filling his vision, suspicion set upon her muzzle. “How’d you know about that?”

He blinked, then looked to the hall. No pegasus. He looked to his side… and she wasn’t there, either.

“Nice call picking this one, Fleurry!”

He turned to discover the pegasus leaning against Fleur’s side opposite him, a broad grin on her face.

“He’s good.”

Fleur sighed, her brow furrowed and her eyes closed. “I’m sorry, Surprise, but I don’t have time for your antics right now. Where is—”

“Celestia’s in cell eighteen, the big one.”

Gulfstream froze, paying close attention this time. Surprise still leaned against Fleur, but the voice had come from down the hall. He kept his eyes on the pegasus for as long as he could while turning his head forward, but she hadn’t moved. When he finally shifted them forward, Surprise was back in her original spot, grinning at them and bouncing like before. He gawked, then looked back to Fleur; Surprise no longer stood at her side.

“H-how… What…”

Surprise paused in her bouncing to stare at him, her smile a little smaller. There was something odd about her eyes, like they weren’t seeing him so much as seeing inside him. Her head tilted one way, then another.

“Sorry, Gulfie, but you’re not gonna make it.”

He sputtered, an abrupt worry making his stomach churn.

Then Surprise was bouncing again, her smile back in full force. “But you’ve got a long time before that happens, and we’re gonna have a lot of fun together in the meantime. I’m finally gonna have somepony to play with!”

Fleur’s eyes opened in a heavy-lidded stare. “Surprise, what do you—”

“Reallyhungrydidmypartgottagobye!” Surprise ran into a nearby room, slamming the door behind her.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Fleur said, “That pony is so random.” She had the tiniest of smirks.

“H-how does she do all of that?” Gulfstream asked her, turning a circle and half expecting the pegasus to appear wherever he looked.

“When you figure that out, be sure to let us know.” Fleur cast a thoughtful look his way.

Her gaze lingered long enough that he started to fidget. “What?”

“Surprise has something akin to a sixth sense,” she replied, her tone curious. “If she claims something is going to happen… I would advise that you keep it in mind.”

He frowned as he considered this. “So you think I’m ‘not going to make it?’ Like, I’m gonna die?”

Fleur shrugged and resumed walking. “That’s one interpretation. There could be others. You’ll soon learn about Surprise’s gifts for yourself.”

Gulfstream followed, anxiety nipping at his heels and making his wings twitch. He realized that Fleur had assumed he would be accepted by Celestia. An oversight… or faith in Surprise’s words?

A shriek rose from the door Surprise had entered, the sound lingering as they passed. Gulfstream eyed the bars above the door but, as the screamed increased in pitch, decided he’d rather not know.

The cries faded as they went on, but never quite stopped. The shaking in Fleur’s legs had ceased, but her grim expression still spoke of worry. “Now remember, Gulfstream; Celestia will test you. It’s not about passing or failing. It’s about appealing to her tastes. Whatever it is she plans for you, it won’t be pleasant.”

He shrugged. “I doubt she set up something that hard in the few hours since she found out I was here. How bad can it be?”

Fleur jerked to a stop. Her lips pulled back in a silent snarl as she glared at the hall ahead of them. “Let me make this perfectly clear to you: Celestia planned this days, maybe even weeks ago. She is clever, ever-prepared and cruel. You will not be tested based on your physical abilities, but on your mental fortitude.”

Her head twisted about to center her fiery eyes upon him, and he couldn’t help backing away at their intensity.

“Celestia is going to try to break you. How you handle that will determine if you can be an Archon. Prepare yourself, Gulfstream Dust, or be crushed.”

He raised his hooves as if to ward off a blow. “Okay, okay. I get it.”

“I find that highly doubtful.” With a toss her her mane, Fleur continued down the hallway. “But you will learn quickly.”

Releasing his breath in a long, slow exhale, Gulfstream took a moment to steady his freshly frayed nerves before following. Her warning – and her eyes – repeated in his head several times. How could Celestia know of his coming? That didn’t make sense. He didn’t know he would be here until a few hours ago.

Yet the ferocity of Fleur’s words remained with him. Somehow, he knew it wasn’t an idle statement. He focused less on the walk and far more on keeping a firm grip on the spark in his mind. Now would be the absolute worst time to lose his cool.

Fleur knocked on a cell door like any other. By the third strike, the door came open in a golden glow. Gulfstream’s insides danced as, for the first time, he really grasped what was going on. He was in Canterlot Castle. He was going to meet Princess Celestia herself. Why hadn’t the enormity of this moment hit him earlier?

Fleur noticed his wobbling legs. Without so much as a word of encouragement, she entered the cell.

Gulfstream struggled to reclaim control of his body. His brain was drowning in a flood of uncertainty. His situation seemed to grow more dire by the minute; not only was he meeting the Goddess of the Sun in pony, but it was for a job interview! An interview to work with one of the most dangerous, feared and powerful ponies in the world! He was just a colt with an anger problem, not even able to protect his cousin from death. How could Fleur possibly believe he deserved to be here?

But he was here. She’d brought him to this dungeon to face a test. If he passed…

“For Lightning,” he whispered, taking slow and shaky breaths. It proved enough to get his trembling legs to move. Gradually, his head low but his eyes up, he passed through the cell.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Celestia faced away from him, her brilliant mane wafting to an unseen wind along her pristine back. Her face remained hidden, directed to a wall of bars. Doubting the truth of his eyes, Gulfstream looked to see her flanks adorned with the brilliant golden sun that was her cutie mark.

It was her.

It was really her.

Fleur had knelt in a deep bow behind Celestia. She said not a word, but Gulfstream decided it would be best to emulate her example; he stepped forward and imitated her low pose. Her eyes were closed, so he closed his own.

The door shut behind them.

Hoofsteps.

“So,” a pleasant, gentle voice said, “this is the candidate. I did not expect one so young.”

“Your majesty,” Fleur replied, her tone submissive. Gulfstream didn’t know if he should speak, so he leaned to the side of caution and kept his lips firmly sealed.

“Fine Crime tells me that you, Miss de Lis, wish to make an apprentice out of this colt. Rise, and tell me why.”

Gulfstream started to rise, but a touch from Fleur warning him to stay down. He chewed his lip, wishing he could open his eyes and look upon the face of the pony who may have manipulated the death of his cousin.

No. He had to keep the fire under control.

“I believe Gulfstream will make an excellent addition to the Archons and the Order.” Fleur paused, but Celestia said nothing. “He is a talented flier, more than he knows. His aggression can be channeled for combat, his small stature can be purposed towards stealth. He has a fire in him, a desire for revenge that will fuel him in his training and missions. He—”

“He’s a powderkeg.”

Gulfstream winced at Celestia’s harsh tone. He could feel her eyes boring into his backside.

“You think I didn’t read the reports? He’s likely to attack just about anypony. Without his cousin to keep a leash on him, he’ll fall to barbarity.”

Barbarity?

He couldn’t stop the fire from igniting. Before he knew it, he was hovering a few feet off the ground and glaring at the princess. “You’re one to talk! You’re the one who gave the knife to Lightning. It’s your fault if my leash snapped!”

“Gulfstream!”

“No!” He waved Fleur away, not taking his eyes off Celestia. “I’m not going to let her insult Lightning’s hard work, not after what happened. She’s partly responsible!”

Celestia’s eyes were ominous, but her lips curled into a smirk. “It’s okay, Fleur. He’s right.”

The fire nearly winked out. His legs fell limp as he stared at her. “Wait… You’re not denying it?”

“Fleur, the knife?”

Fleur responded instantly, hurrying to pull out the scabbard from her saddlebags. Celestia took it in her magic, eyes not leaving Gulfstream’s, and let the sheathed weapon hover between them.

“I have an important question for you, Gulfstream,” she cooed. “Who do you blame?”

He bristled, opened his mouth—

Celestia’s hoof rose. “Not. So fast. I wasn’t finished.”

Gulfstream’s teeth clicked closed. He glared, but waited.

Celestia sat and raised her left hoof as if to hold something in it. “On the one hoof, you have me. I gave the knife to Lightning, and I had it cursed to heighten her aggression and ambition to obsessive levels. Had I never given Lightning the weapon, she would probably still be alive.

“But what about my sister, hmm?” She chuckled at his uncertain frown before raising her other hoof so its position mirrored the first. “Did you forget? She visited Rainbow Dash in her dreams. She encouraged Rainbow, gave her hope, instilled passion within her. Luna rekindled Rainbow Dash’s dreams for glory, and that led to her joining the tournament. Had she not done that, Rainbow would not have entered at all, and she would not have murdered Lightning in cold blood.”

Celestia’s smile turned coy as she tapped her chin. “Of course, she did abandon Rainbow right before the tournament. Rainbow was determined to catch Luna’s attention once again, which is why she fought so hard. I can only imagine how delightfully crushed she must have been when my sister didn't even show up to watch.”

“Whoa, wait.” Gulfstream leaned closer, his eyes wide. “Princess Luna… dumped Rainbow?” He recalled the night he and Summer went to ask for Rainbow’s help. He could still see her bloodshot eyes.

Why hadn’t he noticed that before? They seemed so obvious now.

“So tell me, little colt,” Celestia asked pleasantly. “Who holds the blame in your heart? Me, or my sister?”

Was this the test? He knew his answer was important, but this didn’t seem as soul crushing as Fleur had made it out to be. In fact, he already had an answer.

“Neither of you.” He crossed his legs and raised his head in confidence. “I went to Rainbow for help. She might have been hurting, but she was still Rainbow. She didn’t have some bucked up curse warping her mind. She betrayed me and the pony she once claimed to love more than life itself, and I’m suppose to just let that go? Not a chance.”

“My answer is Rainbow Dash. I blame her.” His eyes narrowed and his voice lowered. “And I’m gonna kill her for it.”

Celestia’s smirk returned. Her horn began to glow. “Now is your chance.”

Torches lit up along the walls, illuminating the parts of the cell that had been shrouded in dark. Gulfstream squinted – more from the light of her horn than the torches – and looked around the room for the first time. His heartrate climbed as he saw four prisoners. Three were chained to the walls, two on his left and one of his right, with their forelegs raised high over their heads. The fourth was chained spread-eagle to a table beyond the bars behind Celestia.

“Fleur, leave us.”

“But I—” Fleur’s words died in her throat as Celestia shot her an ominous frown. “V-very well.” She turned and left the cell, closing the door behind her quietly.

Gulfstream turned a circle, taking in the four prisoners. One was blindfolded. All three of the ones on the wall were gagged. The pony on the table, a pegasus, had no such restrictions. All four squirmed and jerked against their bonds, the two ponies on the left watching the scene with wide eyes.

“Look, Gulfstream.” Celestia pointed to the blindfolded pony.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he did as he was told. She was about to test him for real, this he knew. He stared at the pony, took in her muffled protests. Why was she here? A criminal, perhaps?

The knife floated past his vision, coated in Celestia’s golden aura. As it moved by, the pony on the wall was transformed before his eyes. The silver coat turned blue. Wings appeared. The mane and tail went from black to a brilliant rainbow of colors.

Rainbow Dash. The pony had become Rainbow Dash.

Now he knew what the test was.

“Take the knife, Gulfstream.”

His heart seized, his hover wobbled. He could hear Lightning’s voice, screaming at him to say no.

But it was Rainbow. She was right there, and at his mercy. It would be so easy…

“Take it. Take it and do what you want.”

His hooves rubbed together. The knife appeared before him again. He was almost desperate to grab it… but equally desperate not to. “L-Lightning… Lightning wouldn’t want…”

Celestia’s voice was like satin in his ear. “Lightning is dead. Rainbow Dash murdered her.”

“M-murdered…” The flame tried to ignite. He could almost see Lightning’s ghost trying to stomp it out. “I’m… I’m good…”

“And is revenge really the sign of a bad pony?” Celestia whispered, her lips tickling his ear. “Don’t you think Lightning would want to be avenged?”

No. No, she wouldn’t. But he wanted it. Rainbow had it coming, didn’t she?

The Lightning in his head turned her face away in shame. His heart broke at the image.

“Look at her, Gulfstream,” Celestia insisted, pointing from over his shoulder. “She took everything from you. She’s always taken everything from you.”

That… that was true.

The fire grew stronger. The Lightning in his head tried to stomp it down.

“She held Lightning's attention, didn’t she?”

“Y-yeah…”

His legs shook. The knife seemed to call to him.

The little Lightning beat frantically at the flame.

The poisonous words continued. “How many nights did Lightning ignore you for her? She is so selfish, right?”

He knew her words were venom. He knew Lightning was begging him to ignore them. But… but they were true, weren’t they?

The flame grew higher. He ground his teeth.

“Even after she abandoned Lightning, leaving her a shattered husk of a pony…”

“Y-yes…”

“…Lightning still fawned over her.”

“Shut up.”

“She only paid attention to you because she needed a substitute.”

“B-be quiet.”

“And you knew it all along, didn’t you?”

His entire body trembled as he began to hyperventilate. He felt like he was going to explode! And there, prostrate before him… Rainbow Dash.

The bitch.

“Rainbow would never let her go.”

Never.

“You would always be…”

Unwanted.

“Unwanted.”

The flame finally hit a breaking point, flashing wild and knocking away all efforts to put it out. The little Lightning in his mind retreated even as Gulfstream shrieked. He grabbed the knife out of the air and felt the comforting coolness of it fan the heat of his mind into an inferno.

He flew forward, his blade glinting in the torchlight like a hungry beast before it was buried in the pony’s chest. Blood leaked from the wound as a muffled scream tore through the cell. Gulfstream relished in it, for it was Rainbow’s, and she deserved it.

He flew back, staring at the hilt of the knife sticking out of the Rainbow’s chest. Blood continued to seep out. She squirmed against her bonds, tears streaming from beneath her blindfold.

“Die,” he whispered. “Die, you bitch. Hurry up and die!”

“It would go faster if you took the knife out.”

He had the knife in his hooves before she finished speaking, jerking it out of Rainbow with a powerful pull. Blood seeped out, spilling down Rainbow’s chest as she twisted in pain. Gulfstream smiled.

He barely acknowledged the Lightning in his head. She’d turned away from him entirely, her disappointment apparent. It didn’t matter. She would understand in time. Rainbow wasn’t worth her tears. Seeing her body fall limp, watching as her breaths grew ragged filled him with an intense pleasure he’d never known before.

“Are you satisfied, Gulfstream?”

He turned to Celestia. She studied him from over her muzzle, her teeth showing in a wicked grin. Stepping aside, she gestured to the two ponies on the other wall.

They were both Rainbow Dash.

“What do you want to do?”

With a snarl, he flew for the two Rainbows. Their eyes went wide and they screamed through their gags. He relished the sounds even as he loathed her selfishness. She had the gall to want to live? After everything she’d done to Lightning?

The knife carved a line into the first Rainbow’s throat. She gagged and sputtered, her chest heaving as she fought to suck in air. He turned to the other, saw the tears streaming from her eyes.

“Don’t cry,” he hissed. “Don’t cry! You don’t have the right!”

The Lightning in his head stood terrified at his inner flame.

The blade jammed into Rainbow’s eye at a high angle, driving down towards her neck. He jerked it out, blood splattering across his face. Her muffled shrieks sent a delightful shiver down his spine. He wanted more.

“Scream, you filthy pony, scream!”

He stabbed, again and again and again.

“She was mine, do you hear me? Mine!”

He pulled back, watching as the remaining eye began to dim. His shoulders heaved, his brain felt like it was on fire and submerged in ice at the same time.

He liked it.

“More.” His turned the bloodstained blade to the other Rainbow, just in time to see her last convulsive trembles before her body fell limp. “No… more!”

He spun about to the Rainbow on the opposite wall. She still bled profusely, but she was breathing. He dove across the room and plunged the knife into her barrel once, twice, three times, screaming with each hit, then stabbed it directly between her eyes. Her skull resisted and the knife got stuck.

The blindfold fell off her face, revealing her wide, crossed eyes as blood trickled between them and around her muzzle.

Then she too went slack against her bonds.

“No, not yet!” He pulled on the knife; it remained stuck. With a snarl, he pressed his hind hooves to her shoulders, wrapped his teeth around the bloodied blade and pulled with all his might. It broke free with a loud crack and he hit the floor, knife clattering to the ground at his side.

His entire body felt heavy. He gazed at the stone ceiling, taking in slow breaths. The elation, the desire, the anger, the fury continued to simmer within, making his head throb with combined fire and ice. In his mind’s eye, Lightning stared down at him, her face pained and disappointed. She didn’t understand.

Maybe she never would.

Clang.

Slowly, he turned his head to the sound. The metal gate to the other half of the room swung wide. There, still lying on the table, was the last Rainbow Dash. She shrank back from his gaze, twisting against her shackles.

He lunged to his hooves, the knife already in his mouth, and galloped for the pony. She screamed and pleaded. Another delightful sound.

He jumped onto the table, straddling her, and watched as she frantically shook her head. Tears streaked down her blue cheeks.

“N-no, please! Why are you doing this? I didn’t do anything!”

The inferno exploded.

As the knife tore into her shoulder, a moment of clarity came upon Gulfstream. The world seemed to move in slow motion as the blade rose up, shifted direction and came down in her other shoulder. Her screams pierced his ear… no, his soul.

In his head, the screams belonged to Lightning. He watched in mute horror as the flames engulfed her, scorching and boiling her beautiful flesh and mane.

A coppery taste came to his tongue. His hooves were sore. He realized he was punching Rainbow’s face with both hooves, over and over and over again. His shriek joined hers, uncontrollable, unintended, wild like an animal.

Terror swept over him. He tried to stop, but his legs moved of their own accord.

Lightning fell, the flames tearing into her as she shrieked and rolled.

He leaned down, bit down on Rainbow’s ear and pulled. He pulled and pulled, taking in her howls and sobbing as Lightning begged for it to end.

Blood spilled into his mouth as a chunk of ear broke loose. He sat up and spit the flesh to the floor. His tears mixed with the blood on his face as he fought against his own hooves. They gripped the knife tightly, jerked it out of her shoulder. It plunged into her leg and twisted, eliciting a frighteningly loud snap.

He begged. Rainbow begged. Lightning begged.

Stop it.

End it.

No more.

He was good.

This wasn’t him.

Lightning… he was killing Lightning!

Why couldn’t he stop?

His hooves pressed down on Rainbow’s throat. He had to end it now, before Lightning burned to death.

“Die. Die. Die. Die!”

Rainbow killed her. He was killing her. He was killing who?

He thought his ears would bleed from the volume of the shrieks.

“Hate you. Hate you! Hate you!”

Rainbow’s squirming slowed.

Lightning began to convulse in the flames.

“No!” He pressed down even harder. “Not again! You can’t do this! Die, you stupid bucking bitch!”

Lightning, her body black and blistered, flames still dancing across her form, stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“No no no no no!” He began thrusting against the throat. “Why. Won’t. You. Bucking. Die?!”

Snap.

Eyes went wide. Gulfstream’s heart shattered, transformed into tiny needles and pierced every part of his body. His head throbbed with the intensity of the flames.

Lightning went still.

The world went quiet.

He sat there, hooves still on her throat, mind blank, shoulders heaving with his heavy breaths. Tears blurred his vision. He blinked them away, unwilling to move his heavy hooves.

Green. Amber.

The fragments of his heart turned to ice as he stared down at the corpse. It wasn’t Rainbow.

“N-no.” The word came out as a faint whisper. His shaking hooves reached up to brush the mane away from the face.

Lightning’s face.

He fell off the table like a rock, hitting the stone floor on his shoulder. The pain hardly registered. He could only stare ahead, at the corner, at that bar, at the dirt. At anything that wasn’t… her.

He killed Lightning.

“I k-killed…”

He closed his eyes tightly, seeking her out in his head. Where was she? His guidance, his heart, his anchor?

She was nowhere to be found.

He curled into a ball and sobbed.

Laughter filled his ears.

Humming.

Somepony was humming.

Gulfstream stirred. He was nestled against a warm body. He snuggled against it, trying not to think about the terrible dreams. Somepony nuzzled him.

The humming continued. It sounded nice.

He lay there for some time, still feeling the urge to cry. Though he made no attempt to fight it, the tears wouldn’t come. He felt so… exhausted. Would it be too much to ask to fall back to sleep?

No. Sleeping brought dreams. Dreams brought Lightning.

He didn’t want to see her and her cold, angry eyes. Watching her walk away from him was the worst thing imaginable.

No… watching her burn was worse.

Another nuzzle, gentle and pleasant. He pressed against it. Were he a cat, he might have purred.

Though he feared what might confront him, he forced his eyes to open. He was curled beside a pink mare. A large one. Slowly, he forced his head up.

Fleur offered a sad smile. She didn’t stop humming.

They were still in that cell.

He jumped to his hooves with a yelp, head swiveling around to take in his surroundings. Rainbow Dash still hung from the walls. His heart pounded in his throat, he opened his mouth to scream—

Fleur caught his face before he could properly begin. She turned his head so that he was looking at Rainbow’s limp form.

“Look, Gulfstream! It’s not her!”

He gasped; indeed, it wasn’t Rainbow. It was a unicorn with a sawed off horn, his body covered in dried blood.

“B-but…” He turned to look at the other two hanging bodies. Neither was Rainbow Dash. “But I saw her. I killed her. I… I…”

Dreading what he might see, he turned to the back room. The table remained… with the corpse of a purple pegasus.

No Rainbow.

No Lightning.

“It was an illusion, Gulfstream,” Fleur said, slowly pulling him back to her side. She carefully forced him back to his barrel before nuzzling him. “Only an illusion. She was messing with your head.”

He buried his face in her mane and sobbed, even though tears still wouldn’t come. “I st-still did it. I murdered Lightning. I murdered my own cousin!”

She shushed him, one hoof pressed to his back and her neck curled over his withers. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Gulfstream. It wasn’t real.”

“But it felt real!”

“I know. I know it did. It’s alright, Gulfstream. You didn’t kill Lightning.”

“She’ll never forgive me,” he whispered, clinging tightly to her neck. “I… A-after what I just did, sh-she’s going to hate me!”

“Lightning could never hate you, Gulfstream.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!”

“You’re a good pony. I promise.”

“No I’m not! I’m evil, mean, brutal, angry! I’ll never be the pony Lightning wanted me to be, not now and not ever!”

She caught him by the shoulders and held him away so that she could look him in the eyes. “Listen to me, Gulfstream Dust: this is all Celestia’s fault. She manipulated you, pushed you into your worst nature. But that doesn’t have to be you. Lightning trusted you to be a good pony. Are you going to betray that trust now? Or are you going to rise above it and prove to her that you’re better than Celestia?”

“I… I…” He hiccuped a few times, but the urge to cry was going down. He closed his eyes and tried to see Lightning. She didn’t appear in his mind’s eye. She was nowhere to be found.

His heart lay in a sloppy mess at his hooves.

“Let me help you, Gulfstream. You will overcome the darkness inside of you.”

His looked into her eyes. There he saw hope, eagerness… determination. They reminded him of Lightning.

He sniffed and rubbed his nose. “Do you… do you really think I have a chance? Why would you help me?”

Fleur’s sad smile returned. “Because somepony taught me that the greatest joy and pleasure in life is in helping others and watching them grow. Because you don’t deserve to be toyed with. Because you got caught in the crossfire of what the gods think of as nothing more than a game, and it’s not right.”

She sat up, looming tall over him. Her smile broadened. “And yes, Gulfstream, I do think you have a chance.” She offered her hoof. “Will you join us, and let me help you?”

He stared at the hoof, mind too blank with misery to process exactly what she was offering.

Then it hit him. “Wait… you mean I passed the test?”

Fleur’s smile became strained. “ ‘Passed’ is a strong word. It’s more like you… satisfied her interests. But either way—” she moved her hoof a little closer, “—the offer is open. You can join us and become an Archon. I will train you. Hopefully, with us working together, you can become a pony Lightning would be proud of.”

Lightning.

He close his eyes and thought of her. He still couldn’t see her.

If this gave him his chance…

“I can’t do this alone.” He reached out with a trembling hoof, taking hers. He slipped closer and pressed his forehead to it, fighting back a fresh sob.

“P-please… help me be good again.”

Author's Notes:

And so end Gulfstream's story. Next will be another intermission, then we move on to character #4. I've made my decision on who it will be, although I prefer to keep quiet on that for now.

Gulfstream's book went longer than I intended, and I don't see the next one being short. This series may go on longer than even I anticipated.