Midnight was still trembling from the horrible experience of watching his daughter vanish and die slowly. Now, there stood an older version of Oracle who looked very menacing. Her eyes were glowing fiercely, her tail beginning to open up. Midnight slowly backed up, his small injuries starting to take effect. Suddenly, several feathers shot out from her tail. They slashed against Midnight's legs, body, and face. Deep cuts covered Midnight's body. Blood began to leak out of each of these cuts. Midnight wanted to run, but the weight of his emotions with the injuries prevented from him even taking a step. He wanted to fight back, but this was Oracle, his love. He couldn't fight her. Wicked Oracle chuckled as she saw Midnight struggle. "What is wrong my love, are you too frightened by my new appearance?" She stood tall over Midnight. Midnight tried to get up, but he could not, he was too weak. Wicked Oracle moved her hooves across Midnight, collecting blood onto her hooves. Midnight shuttered at her starting cover herself with his blood. "Midnight, you have no true idea how good this feels" said Wicked Oracle as she stopped. "However, I need…more…"

Wicked Oracle swung her razor sharp tail towards Midnight, aiming for his neck. Weak and drained from the lack of blood, Midnight closed his eyes and stood there as he prepared for the hit. However the final hit never came. Midnight did not feel the final blow; he never even felt the edge of the blade. Midnight opened his eyes slowly. Wicked Oracle's tail was inches away from his neck. Wicked Oracle was even surprised by this. She grunted and swung her tail again and again. Each attempt was followed by the same result; her tail was always inches from his body. Wicked Oracle slightly panted from the constant attempts but a smile stretched across her face and a chuckle ran through the castle. "It seems that the good side of me still has a slight hold on my actions" she said. "You are lucky; you are one of the only ponies that will not die. But, that does not stand for the others. Soon, you will be the only living among the bloody corpses!"

Oracle's eyes seemed to glow brighter and fog began to roll in through the broken walls and windows. The fog covered Wicked Oracle while she let out a evil laugh. The laugh caused a shiver to flow down Midnight's spine. The fog began to clear, but Wicked Oracle was not there. Midnight's vision began to blurry and fades as he slowly felt his body go cold. The last thing he saw was a blob of purple light.

---

After the entertaining fright on Midnight's face, Wicked Oracle needed to get away. As long as her other side had control, she could not kill him. She could harm Midnight, but she could not kill him. Wicked Oracle walked towards Ponyville but walked slowly. She was in no rush, and she enjoyed the dark more that the light. Although she was blind, she could now see everything with Oracle's…she meant her new aura ability. "It was pleasing to see a pony in that state…" she said to herself.

No it was not!

Wicked Oracle looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. No pony was around her, no anypony was in sight. It was strange, the voice sounded close, almost as if it was…Wicked Oracle laughed to herself, "Oh, you still managing to stay awake in there?"

You horrible monster! You nearly killed Midnight!

"Watch what you say dear, remember that I am you."

You are nothing like me! I care for other ponies, I care for my friends, and I certainly do not kill for the blood!

Wicked Oracle glanced to the side to see where exactly she was. Through her aura vision she could see a hut. This hut was familiar, so familiar that it gave Wicked Oracle a smile and an idea, "Your right, I am nothing like you. And I believe it is time for a certain pony to know that as well. And by pony, I mean zebra…"

---

Midnight groaned in pain as hi eyelids started to open. His vision was still blurry, but he was coming through. Several blobs of color swirled in his eyes, causing his mind to swirl as well. He tried to concentrate, his vision beginning to clear. Voices were beginning to be heard, but they were only muffled messes. Finally, his vision cleared enough to see who he was looking at. It was Ritani and Twilight.

"Oh thank goodness you are alright!" shouted Ritani.

Midnight managed to sit up, still in terrible pain. His body was covered in several bandages and patches. He was still in the abandoned castle. Twilight and Ritani were not the only ponies there. Lightning and his puppets were there, along with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Shard, and almost everypony else he knew. One thing that surprised Midnight was that his brother, Color Burst, was there as well.

"You alright sugar?" asked Applejack.

Midnight rubbed his head and shook it a little. "I think…I think I'm fine."

"Midnight, did you ever rescue Cirria?" asked Twilight.

Midnight's good feeling vanished once she said those words. His ears dropped and his tail drooped. He slowly held up the gray necklace that was once around her neck. Everypony gasped and some looked devastated. Color Burst trotted up and quickly hugged Midnight. "It's alright brother…it's going to be alright…"

The beating of insect wings was heard behind the group. Everypony turned to see Shia. Shia landed roughly on the ground with an audible thud. She seemed exhausted and was breathing very quickly. Rarity and Applejack helped her up. Shia's tears were visible when she looked up at the group, "Zecora was attacked!"

No gasps were heard, and no pony stood there. Everypony was now running out of the broken castle, across the strangely fixed bridge, and ran towards Zecora's. Fluttershy, Shia, and Shard hung back with Midnight. He was struggling to run. The combined pain of his injuries and the reminder of his daughter dug into him.

"So…uh…" mumbled Fluttershy, "I know you are…uh…uncomfortable with questions like this but…uh…what happened to…Cirria…?"

Midnight began to slow down but he sped up again. He was not going to let this affect him that much. Cirria would want her father to be strong. "The Changeling that took her shot a spell on her" he explained while trying to fight back tears. "The spell slowly turned Cirria back into what she originally was, weather."

As they ran, he could feel a wing in his back. Shard was somehow managing to pat his back with his wing while running. "If we get through this, I will try everything to get her back."

Shard's statement made Midnight smile and caused him to gain confidence. He ran faster from the boost, but was still hurting from his injuries. The others were grouped ahead of them, signaling that Zecora's was there. However, Midnight stopped in horror when he saw the results. Zecora's once beautiful hut was split open. Blood splattered everywhere inside and outside the hut. Several sharp feathers stuck out of the ground and in the tree. Shia and Fluttershy shuttered at the scene while the others just had a look of disgust. A horrible moan of pain sounded inside the hut, indicating someone still alive. Lightning and a few of his puppets walked inside. They were not afraid of the blood, so they could easily walk over it. Gently and slowly, they walked out holding Zecora. Her striped coat was painted with the color of her own red blood. Her mane no longer stood up in its original place. It hung down, covering her eyes a little. Her mane could not be fixed at the moment for it has been dried with her own blood. She moaned in pain and shook a little. Twilight began to try and clean up her wounds, "Zecora…who did this to you?!"

Zecora's eyes slowly opened, her releasing a grunt while doing it. "M-Midnight…" she said. "Oracle is the one who did this deed…" Everypony gasped but Zecora managed to raise her hoof to silence them, "P-Please Midnight, Oracle must be freed…"

Midnight nodded and took off down the path. Everypony else was unsure what they were talking about, they were still stunned when Zecora mentioned Oracle. However, only a few ponies followed Midnight. Shard, Color Burst, and Rainbow Dash followed, as well as a few of Lightning's puppets. Midnight knew where to find Wicked Oracle. The trail was covered with a trail of blood. And if guessed correctly, Wicked Oracle would not was the blood off. So wherever the trails of blood lead, is wherever Wicked Oracle was.

---

Wicked Oracle smiled as she walked down the trail. Getting the blood from that zebra was too easy. But her nice side still prevented her from finishing her off. But, Wicked Oracle knew she couldn't keep a hold on everypony. At the crest of the hill is when Wicked Oracle could see Ponyville in all of its glory. However, that glory would only last as long as she stayed in there. "STOP!" shouted a voice. Wicked Oracle turned around to see Midnight. She laughed at seeing his bandages, "Hello there dear…come to join me?"

"Oracle…I know you're in there" he said. The other ponies that followed him were now approaching. "I know you are stronger than her, so fight her to get out!"

Wicked Oracle sneered at Midnight, "Do you honestly think she can fight her way out?! She is locked up inside, not all of the good and love in her heart can free her now! And you will die if you think you can free me!"

Suddenly, the gray necklace around Midnight's neck glowed. Clouds above started to darken and merge together above them. Everypony looked up, including Wicked Oracle. Then, it strangely began to rain and hail at the same time. What was even stranger than that, the hail was only falling around Wicked Oracle. Midnight was confused on what was happening, and he was about to get more confused. The necklace that was around Midnight's neck began to levitate and rose towards the sky. Midnight did not want his only memory left of Cirria to disappear, so he quickly grabbed it. However the pull was stronger, it pulling Midnight up as well. Shard and Rainbow Dash flew up with him, "Midnight let it go!"

"No, I will not let my only memory of my daughter leave me!" he replied with some tears. "Cirria may be gone in body, but she lives in spirit!"

"You are more right than you think Midnight." Everypony looked to see Princess Celestia. Wicked Oracle was the one most surprised. "Midnight, let go of the necklace" said Celestia. Midnight struggled to, but Celestia was giving him a stare of certainty. With a painful motion, Midnight let the necklace go. The gray light intensified as it shot into the sky. The clouds soon began glow the same color. Wicked Oracle stopped watching the necklace and charged towards Midnight. A streak of lightning came down in front of her before she made contact with Midnight. More lightning struck around her, causing her to back up each time. A column of clouds began swirl down from the storm above. The column formed into a sphere that condensed and shrank into a tighter sphere. A blast of gray light blinded everypony for a few seconds before it died down as fast as it started. Midnight gasped as his eyes opened. Standing in front of him, was his daughter Cirria. She looked like the day she was first formed, only she wore the necklace she had this time. Cirria gently turned her head, her yellow eyes landing on Midnight. "Daddy…" is all she said before Midnight ran up to her. He quickly hugged her with tears streaming from his eyes. Although this moment was sweet, it was cut short when Midnight and Cirria screamed.

Wicked Oracle could not stand a sweet moment like that. She felt like hurling the moment they hugged. So, she decided to end it in a way that made her smile. She threw her razor-sharp feathers towards the hugging pair. Several cuts reformed on Midnight over his bandages, releasing more blood. Several cuts formed across Cirria's body, head, legs, and wings. Cirria cried in pain but then cried tears when she saw who did it. "M-Mommy…?" she said in disbelief.

Wicked Oracle chuckled as she walked forward, "No Cirria, your mommy is not here right now." Her tail feathers then spread out evenly, "However you won't have a mother or a father when I'm done!"

"NO!"

Wicked Oracle was suddenly knocked back away from the pair. Shard stood in her way, and was soon accompanied by Rainbow Dash and Color Burst. Then one by one, the others came and joined them. They formed a wall between Wicked Oracle and Midnight and Cirria.

"Oracle, you need to take control again" said Twilight. "You're hurting the ones you love."

"Please Oracle, we know you're in there" said Ritani.

"You're not the friend I know…" said Shia with a few tears.

Wicked Oracle looked in disbelief at the ponies protecting the father and son as well as the others caring for her good side. Her feathers shot out again, leaving cuts on all of the ones making the wall. She laughed evilly, "You really think she can hear you?! She was silent ever since I attacked that zebra! I am the new Oracle, so you might as well get used to it!"

"NO YOUR NOT!"

Wicked Oracle crouched like she was hit in the stomach. She looked around for the source of the voice and the source of the blow. She could not see anypony that was not injured and bleeding. Oh how she wanted the blood on her body. She rose to finish the task, but another blow was felt.

"You will not hurt anypony any longer!" she shouted.

Wicked Oracle gasped, "You…you have…"

Her glowing eyes faded and returned to the ones that everypony recognized before, the ones that belonged to Oracle. "You can hurt my friends, and you may can hurt Zecora, but when you hurt Midnight and Cirria, that was the last straw! Let me OUT!"

This fight continued the same way. Wicked Oracle's eyes changed from hers to Oracle's, fighting internally for control. She was literally fighting with herself. Midnight could not watch this. Every argument that passed was hurting Oracle's body; her feathers were actually piercing her body. Midnight, despite his injuries, left Cirria and leapt over the others. He tackled Wicked Oracle to the ground. Now it was two against one. Midnight held her down, fighting the current pain along with the constant slashes of Wicked Oracle's tail. Blood splattered across her body and his, but he remainded still. His center spike glowed black as he pointed it to Wicked Oracle's head. "What…what are you doing…?!" she shouted in fear.

"I'm getting Oracle back" he said coldly.

A black beam fired into Wicked Oracle's head. Her eyes suddenly glowed black, her body twisting and turning as she screamed in pain. Midnight needed to keep this spell up, if he did it right he could bring her back and banish Wicked Oracle deep in her mind. His spike's light intensified, blinding the others around him. Twilight, Celestia, and Lightning all formed a barrier around the large group to protect them from anything.

The light dimed down around the two. The light revealed a large crater, but no Midnight or Oracle. The shield was dropped and Cirria ran out to see if her parents were still alive. To her and everypony's else relief, Oracle and Midnight laid at the bottom of the crater. It wasn't Wicked Oracle, it was just Oracle. Her body was still stained with blood, but she was back to normal. Oracle's eyes gently rose as she turned her head to Midnight. She gently kissed his cheek, "Thank…you…"