"Comet, choose one now!"

That one phrase bounced around in his mind, echoing with varied intensity as time seemed to slow for him. He saw the larger changeling approaching Angel and wanted to go save her, but Valyrie lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, moaning slightly. Inside Comet's mind, instead of buzzing with the dilemma of who was more important to him or some rather large introspective view of both Angel and Valyrie, it was blank. There was no time to choose. Instead, there was only time to act. If he had to choose one or the other, that would be for later. Right now, they both needed help and as a friend and stallion, he needed to save both of them.

Instead of locking eyes directly with one of them, Comet's stunned gaze narrowed as his red eyes locked onto his target, the changeling. He felt himself start to move before he could think and soon, he was running directly at the changeling. As he ran, he extended his wings and flapped them furiously, hoping to gain more speed. As they both approached the bat pony, Comet leaped into the air, directly over the staggering bat pony and collided with the furious changeling, who seemed to be surprised by his counter attack. Comet felt he knew this changeling, but it wasn't until they had hit the ground did he remember her.

Gorgon landed squarely on her back, surprised by how hard the pegasus had hit her. The next thing she registered was several kicks directed to her midsection, a particularly sensitive area. Growling angrily, she returned a couple kicks and caught Comet in the neck, making him lose his balance flying above her and falling to Gorgon's left, gasping heavily. Gorgon scrambled back to her hooves, ready to attack, but two sharp razors scratched across her face. Screaming in surprise and pain, Gorgon turned and smashed a hoof into Angel's side, sending her backwards.

"ENOUGH!" Gorgon screamed at the top of her lungs, sending out a pulse of air that pushed back the unconscious changelings and ponies around her. Comet and Angel managed to hold up against the pulse, but Comet was still choking as Angel, tried to keep her balance, The spell was wearing off, but it was still hard for her to control all her motor functions. As Gorgon looked down, she glared angrily at the two ponies before her and cast some magic. A sickly green aura surrounded both Comet and Angel at the same time, yanking them off the ground and directly to her. Comet, still struggling to breathe but getting air now, managed a somewhat angry look that, to Gorgon, looked more like discomfort. Angel tried to do the same, but couldn't tell which of the three Gorgons to look at.

The changeling princess pulled them in closer and scowled, baring her rather large fangs at them. "I should kill both of you now," she growled, voice full of hate and malice, "But, luckily for you, Comet, I need you, This one, though," she said, shaking Angel," Is completely expendable." Comet desperately tried to work out a word or two, but he felt himself get smashed into the ground. As a pegasus, he had a naturally thicker and sturdier bone structure for impacts like this, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Gorgon's magic continued to hold him and he looked up helplessly at Angel, who was now directly in front of a wickedly smiling changeling. Angel's limbs suddenly snapped out in all four directions and Angel gave a scream. Comet wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew he had to stop it.

"Angel!" he yelled as he struggled. The changeling shot him a nasty look and returned to the bat pony, whose limbs she was trying to tear out of their sockets. Comet struggled like never before, feeling an intense amount of energy course through his body. The energy, in turn, seemed to amp up his muscles and he pushed even harder against his magical restraints. A wicked laugh began to come from the changeling as Angel's eyes shrunk in fear, staring directly into the changelings. With her concentration on Angel, Gorgon's magical hold on Comet weakened, enough to where he broke loose. Utterly furious and now able to do something, Comet leaped up at Gorgon, who turned to see his hoof collide with her. Gorgon screamed as the pegasus descended upon her, kicking her face and any exposed part of her body. Angel fell to the floor after the magic holding her up instantly faded, but picked her head up to see Comet mercilessly beating down the changeling.

Kick after kick blurred together for Comet. He had never been so furious in his life and now he was lost in it. It didn't matter what the changeling did, he was going to hurt her for what she had done to Angel, Valyrie and himself. She had a tough exterior, but he could feel it start to buckle under his repeated attacks. The changeling was screaming in fear now, desperately trying to stop the barrage by knocking away is hooves. Comet was not to be denied this time, though, as he continued. He bit down on the mane of the changeling while he kicked and pulled up, causing her to scream louder. As he did, though, he made the mistake of stopping his barrage, giving the changeling time to push him off of her. She kicked him directly into the air and made a mad dash out from underneath him, attempting to get away. Luckily for her, she did and backed up to the fountain, staring in fear at the white pony splattered in a turquoise liquid Gorgon knew was her own blood. The pegasus landed and trotted over to her, slowly but deliberately.

"P-p-please," Gorgon stammered in fear, cradling her wounded chest, "P-please. Mercy,"

Comet stopped at her voice and stared at her. Her pleading struck something inside of him, something that made all his rage vanish. He blinked twice and looked at the defeated earth pon-, wait, wasn't he just fighting a changeling? The earth pony looked up at him with sad tangerine eyes, partially hidden under a vibrant green mane. Her golden coat seemed to shimmer in the moonlight and Comet found his breath had left him. Nova was sitting in front of him, pleading for mercy. A cold shiver ran down his back as he stared at his deceased sister, part of him believing it was her. His eyes shrunk in fear and hate, knowing this was a fake. Nova had died years ago and the changeling was using her personage to shield herself from him. Part of him wanted to beat her until she dropped Nova's image, but another part stayed his hooves. He had sworn to himself long ago he would never hurt Nova in any way, living or dead. Paralyzed by the sight of Nova, Comet stood there, unsure of what to do. He ground his teeth, wishing it was just easy enough to shrug off his colthood promise to his dead sister, but he had lost Nova once and it devastated him. Hurting her, or rather the image of her, would scar him more than losing her.

Gorgon breathed a sigh of relief as Comet froze in place, allowing her some time to recover. She had only seen the image of this pony once, but it had to be more important to Comet than Angel. As she looked down and examined her wounds, a hoof shot out and grabbed Gorgon by the neck. The hoof was white and stretched back to Comet, who was glaring at her with tears in his eyes. Gorgon shuddered in fear as Comet stared into her eyes, knowing she would probably die if he attacked her again. Instead, Comet pulled her close and flapped his wings, rising into the air and smashing through the remnants of a broken window.

"Comet, what are you doing?!" shouted Angel as she took off after him. She pursued him, following him to the training compound and to the edge of the forest, where he set down the changeling. Angel dropped to the ground behind a bush not too far away and walked out from behind it to see Comet staring directly at the curled up changeling impersonating somepony.

As Comet looked down at the changeling Nova, he felt a loathing for himself. He should've just finished it by breaking the changeling's neck without looking. He shouldn't have done this, taking her out here. However, the big tangerine eyes that stared back at him told him everything the changeling was feeling since they did the whole quivering pupil thing the real Nova's eyes did when she was terrified. He had seen this twice when Nova was alive, once when she was scared of a lightning storm, the other when a doctor told her the disease was advancing rapidly and if untreated, she would die in two weeks. Ironically, she had died two months after the second incident due to the medicine she was on for the disease. Grimacing at the sight, fresh tears rolled down Comet's cheeks, but he kept his composure.

"Get out of here," he stated in a quivering, but authoritative voice, "Get out of here and don't come back. If I see you again, nopony you imitate will save you." Nova stared at him, unsure of how to react, but reached up a hoof to touch his cheek. Comet viciously knocked away the hoof, causing the Nova-ling to flinch. "Don't touch me," Comet growled, "I know what you are, even if you don't look like it." His eyes, which were a vibrant shade of blue instead of his usual red, locked with the Nova-ling's and she nodded. Picking herself up, she tried to hobble into the forest. Before she could get in, Comet said, "Wait."

Turning around, Gorgon expected another threat, but instead found Comet press his lips against hers. Gorgon was stunned, but she didn't fight back. All sorts of conflicting emotions washed over her like soothing water and fiery lava. She could feel the love he had for this pony pouring out of him, but also the anger he had over seeing her again. Regret, sorrow and contentment were also there, whispering into her mind what he was thinking. He knew he would never see her again, but he knew he had to forget her. Deep down, he had always wanted to do this before she died, to say goodbye his own way. The kiss broke as quickly as it had happened and Gorgon/Nova stood there in shock. Comet looked over the pony once more before looking down and turning around. "Goodbye, Nova," he whispered before trotting away from the forest, over to where Angel was. Gorgon wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. She had enough emotions now to heal and feed herself, so she limped into the forest without another word.

As Comet approached Angel, the bat pony stared at him in silence. She had seen everything and as Comet stood in front of her, she smashed a hoof into his face. Comet gritted his teeth at the pain, but didn't say anything or retaliate. Angel did it again, this time to the other side of his face. Again, Comet didn't respond. The bat pony looked down after that, trying to sort out what she was feeling. She was angry at Comet for what had happened and rightfully so, since they were dating, but at the same time, she didn't want to hurt him anymore. Seeing how he changed when she was being hurt by the changeling and returning to her after seeing what she assumed was his dead sister again, she knew he cared for her as much, if not more, than that pony.

"Angel," Comet started, "I'm sorry. Sorry for everything I put you through, sorry for being the cold and unhappy jackass I have been. Mostly though, I'm sorry for not being a good stallion for you." Angel perked up her drooping ears at that, but didn't meet his gaze. "I had, well, it's just, you and Valyrie, you both remind me of my sister. So much, for a time I wanted both of you. I know that was selfish of me, but being around you two made me the happiest I had been in years. I'm sure my mother told you that, but she wouldn't have told you this. It hurt me, losing Nova. It hurt because I thought I had killed her. Deep down, I knew that wasn't true. I was sad because she left and I didn't get to say goodbye. She was everything to me and then, she was gone. No time to say anything, or tell her I would miss her, or to remind her that I loved her one last time. She just fell asleep watching me, and I was too busy for her."

Angel was quiet as he spoke. Here he was, after everything that had happened, pouring out everything to her. She didn't want him to explain everything, but she felt it was all making sense now. His parents, everything with Valyrie, the first day they met, it was all making sense. Comet, she realized, had stopped talking and she looked up, meeting his vibrant blue eyes, which she knew was actually red. He stared at her, trying to work out things to say, but found himself unable to speak. Those big golden eyes of the bat pony looked back into his own and, as they did, he found his voice again.

"Can you forgive me, Angel? Will you forgive me for being so self centered?"

Her answer took a while, but her hug told him everything.