“Yeah, it was Rabil. And now we’re gonna stop ya.” I said, and the doors slammed. He got off his throne, and he looked directly at me.

“Oh please, Apple Bloom. You don’t have to be so humble.” Something loud roared, and I turned to see blackness emerging from the ground, which engulfed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. I looked back at him. “My sister would never entrust such a task to more than two ponies.”

“You let them go.” I said, and he laughed.

“Oh, Apple Bloom, I won’t, not until we talk.” He said, and I tried charging him, but the sword was thrust out of my mouth, and it hit the ground near Rabil. “Such an uncivil way to deny a conversation, even though you must at least hear my own story.”

“Buck you.” I said, and he ignored it. Darkness surrounded my legs and made me immobile.

“Some ponies are so thick-headed.” He commented, and he walked right up to me. “But, I must insist you listen.” I only responded with a glare, which didn’t phase him. “As you know, eons ago, I became jealous of my sister, and her incessant ignorance to my own capabilities. However, believe it or not, Apple Bloom, I had my own reasons that were never written.”

“Oh, let me guess one of ‘em, that you’re just evil.” I said sarcastically, and he gave a grin that was uncomfortable.

“The concepts of good and evil are just a matter of perspective, Apple Bloom, they are created by the mind to attempt to make some sense of the world.” He said, and he looked me directly in the face. “My other reasons other than my own jealousy was the fact that she planned to abandon the beings of this world, and take me with her.”

“What?” I said, slightly curious as to what he meant.

“After she had finished teaching all that was needed to know, my sister planned to leave, saying that the world would need to shape its own destiny. However, she didn’t seem to realize the fact that the beings of this world would undoubtedly fight over her disappearance, making her existence questionable.” He said as he walked back, looking through a window, “I reminded her several times that the world we had put so much effort in to create would most likely be erased by her own ignorance. What they needed was leadership, or at the very least, the knowledge that their creators were amongst them.” He looked back at me, “I did it to give the world some peace.”

“Bullshit,” I said, slightly surprised at my own language. “Ever since ya came back, you’ve just been causing ruckus!”

“Yes, but conflict occasionally is needed in order to obtain peace, and if I remember correctly, you caused a whole rebellion, Apple Bloom.” He looked at me, as if talking to a friend.

“That was because ya started murderin’, rapin’, and just plain terrorizin’ everypony! If ya don’ think there’s somethin’ slightly wrong about that you’ve seriously got some problems!” I shouted back, and he seemed to be almost, expecting, my response.

“Necessary sacrifices have to be made to achieve harmony, Apple Bloom.” He replied, and I would’ve spat on him if I could.

“There was harmony before ya came along!” I protested, “Ya just had to go and screw it all up!”

“That is where I believe you have a problem, Apple Bloom, don’t you remember Trixie?” He said, “Or the changelings invading, Discord escaping, let me think what else, the war between the buffalo and the Appleloosans?” I tried to respond, but he seemed almost right, although things had seemed on the surface harmonious, they really weren’t. “Your world has had more conflict than your old Princess would ever admit.”

“Nopony remembered anythin’ bout ya or your sister!” I said back, throwing his own words at him.

“True, but they always find reason for conflict, Apple Bloom. Even if I must rule harshly, it prevents conflict, because everyone has no reason to fight. They are all equal to each other.” He said, walking back towards his throne. “So, as I said, I am saving you, Apple Bloom, I am saving every being here from themselves. So I have a proposal, for you, Apple Bloom.”

“And what might that be?” I said, doubtfulness clear in my voice.

“You go and call for everyone to stand down against my rule, and I shall make sure you are not killed. It is the wiser choice, rather than attempting to kill one who is trying to help you.” He said.

Allying with me? He was a bit right, the world did have disharmony... but we always were able to get over it. In the end, we were all able to put aside our differences, I thought back to the changelings. Even though everypony else had mistrusted them, I had seen that they were just like us, and I hadn’t feared the dragons like everypony else had. He was trying to do good, but violence wasn’t the answer. He talked sense, but his logic was corrupted, a cynical view of the world. “No, Ah won’t do it.” I said, looking directly at him.

He sighed, and seemed almost disappointed. “Very well then, Apple Bloom, but I cannot let you leave here alive, so I shall make sure you suffer for your unwise decision.” A armored stallion walked in, and looked over at me. “And what better way to make you suffer your own death, than being killed by the one who loved you, and you loved in return.” My eyes widened, I looked at the stallion under the helmet, and the eyes were the same as Phalanx’s.

“You sick, twisted...” I said to him, and he smiled.

“You once said the same, Apple Bloom, about him. Then, when it came to when I actually first met you, when you had failed to save your Phalanx, I sensed he didn’t want to leave. So, I brought him back, and made sure he would have the opportunity to take his revenge upon the one whom he loved, but never acknowledged their love in return.” Rabil said, as if trying to sympathize with somepony who was possibly dead.

“That’s impossible, nopony can resurrect the dead!” I said, because Twilight had mentioned that several times. It was nothing, not even an alicorn, could do.

“Correct, but when you are a god, the rules do not apply the same way.” He stated. “Now, I believe that Phalanx wishes to take his own revenge.” With that, the armored-stallion/Phalanx walked slowly up to me, grabbing the sword I had attempted to use.

His eyes weren’t entirely the same, I noticed, it seemed like blackness would streak into his pupil occasionally... A memory flashed by.

“Not all that appears corrupted is evil, and not all that appears pure is good.”

I realized what it had meant, it had not only meant the guards weren’t who we thought they were, but that Phalanx may still have a chance of coming back. With renewed confidence, I looked at the slowly approaching stallion, focusing on the pupils. “Phalanx, remember, it’s me, Apple Bloom.” I said, trying to get whatever part was the Phalanx I knew to the surface.

“So it is, you are the one who never gave a damn about me.” Armored Phalanx replied, whose expression turned to a scowl.

“That ain’t true, Phalanx, that ain’t true at all.” I replied, my vision once again starting to blur. I blinked, and cleared it out.

“Lies, Apple Bloom, lies and deceit. That’s all you ever did, did you ever give a damn about the ponies who sacrificed their lives for you?” He asked, now he had to be at most fifty hoofsteps away.

“Phalanx, Ah never meant tuh lie tuh ya, we both know that Ah didn’t know what to think of the whole thing for a while.” I replied, he was now maybe 30 hoofsteps away.

“Right, then why wouldn’t you ever say anything?” He asked sarcastically.

“Ah never realized it, until Ah saw ya did care about me a lot more than Ah had seen, both in Manehattan and when ya stopped Blueblood.” I replied, looking at the now probably 15 hoofstep away Phalanx. “Phalanx, Ah love ya.” I admitted, finally acknowledging what I had denied for so long.

“Sure you do, Apple Bloom, just like all your other lies.” He was now right in front of me, his face less than a hoof away. “Goodbye, Apple Bloom.” He snarled, his blade rising. The next thing I did, I don’t think, Hay, I know I didn’t for my own survival. I think it was to at least give a goodbye of sorts to a loved one, a last action before death. I kissed him, right on the lips. For a moment, I expected pain as a blade would inevitably hit my neck, but instead, I heard a clang of something dropping to the ground. Then, he kissed me right back. I looked at his eyes, they no longer had darkness streaking in, instead they seemed normal.

I smiled, the Phalanx I knew was back, but the moment was cut short by Rabil. “Argh, why can’t you ever make things simple?” He asked irritably. Phalanx’s eyes widened as he turned around, and he probably looked furious.

“How dare you nearly make me murder her?” Phalanx shouted.

“Oh, I didn’t, you just realized some of your own darkness.” Rabil said, looking at him, “But, no matter, you shall not interfere.” Darkness surrounded him like it did Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. I grabbed the sword and Rabil looked amused. “A duel? If you so wish.” A blade similar to the one he used on Discord appeared, and he gripped it. “Though your efforts will be futile.”

“Ah think yer goin’ down, Rabil.” I said, knowing that he was now screwing up, he could easily kill me with his magic, but he was resorting to melee combat, against somepony who knew the sword like a master.

“Prove it.” He said as he dashed forward, the blade almost hitting me, but mine blocked it. I rolled back past where Scootaloo was being held and Rabil jumped landing behind me. I flipped around him, striking the sword, and he barely blocked it. He frowned for a second, then returned to his neutral look. He kicked me back, and I barely missed smashing through a window. He dashed forward, swinging his sword down, and I rolled, barely avoiding the blade that stroke where my head had been less than a second before. I took the opportunity to kick him with my hindlegs which knocked him back into the darkness surrounding Sweetie Belle.

“Come on, think.” I demanded from myself, trying to figure out how to kill him. He threw his blade at me, which I ducked under. Another blade formed, and he charged me. Then, an idea hit me. I waited until the last possible second, and got out of the way, and he smashed through the window. I ran right after him, wincing as I felt a shard go into my leg, and he was on his back when I got to him. I thrust the blade towards his head, but he ducked, swiping the blade from my hand. He slammed my face, knocking me over. He was audibly panting, and I saw through blurred vision him picking up the blade I was using.

“I must admit,” He coughed, “You are quite the adversary, but you must die now.” He pinned me down with a leg.

An old part of me would have said, “This is it.” But I knew I still had a way to end this. “Look me in the eye,” I said, “And say that.”

Sure enough, I was levitated up, and he smirked at me. “My face will be the last thing you ever see.” He taunted, and I responded by pushing the shard buried in my leg with my hoof, which slashed it as well, directly into his eye. “ARGH!” He bellowed as I crashed down into the ground, the blade following suit.

I took the blade and thrust it through his head, instantly killing him. “Don’t ya ever, ever, think ya can mess with me easily.” I said, and I fell onto the ground. I felt the ground shake, and somewhere in the area of the throne room, something white appeared. I also heard an odd noise, a sort of “VRWOP! VRWOP! VRWOP!”. I tried crawling back to the throne room, but my legs refused to move. Then, unconsciousness came over me.