Chapter 13: Why and how.

A/N: Now you might notice that some of Applejacks words may not look right but I am only putting them like that because of her accent to add to the character.

Rarity came running into the room where Twilight had been studying knocking over a stack of books. "oops…" she says "Sorry." Twilight looks over to the unicorn

"What's wrong Rarity?" Twilight asks her as she closes her book.

"Have you seen Rage since the incident a week ago?" she asks

"No I don't think anypony has." Twilight replies "Which I weird since I don't know where he could be."

"You mean he is missing and nopony is looking for him?!" The unicorn yells in shock

"Of course we looked Rarity." Twilight informs her friend "But we couldn't find any trace of him. Which is strange I mean why would he just vanish after defeating a revived Tirek? It makes no sense!"

"You don't think he returned home do you?" Rarity wonders.

"Without telling us?" Twilight asks "Not likely I mean sure he is still pretty closed but even we know him enough to tell that he wouldn't just leave without a notice of any kind." She answers her own question with a heavy sigh. "Still I wonder where he could be after all this time…"

"I dunno Twilight but I bet he will show up soon." Rarity smiles to comfort her friend.

"May I ask why you were looking for him?" Twilight asks.

"Well you know that crude outfit he always wears when he's walking around in that other er…what's the name?" Rarity stops to ask Twilight what Rage's normal self was called.

"You mean his hedgehog form? From Mobius?" Twilight answers still unsure what it was called herself it sounded more like a question of her own.

"Yes." Rarity remarks "That hedgehog form. They look absolutely unfashionable. I mean who in Equestria wears a long coat made of simple cloth that is black with two small red stripes in the center of which he never zips up only to show that "R" shirt? The pants are fine, a good pair of jeans are always good but fingerless gloves, simple shoes? What is he thinking?!"

"Who knows?" Twilight shrugs "I mean for all we know that could just be common attire on Mobius. But that shirt of his… Rage seems to have a real emotional connection to it like someone important made it for him. Besides if he does a lot of fighting which we have seen him he needs the loose clothing because tight clothing would limit his mobility."

"Yeah." Rarity sighs "You're right like usual Twilight. Rage has his reasons for wearing that. But why are you so worried?"

"Well er…" Twilight blushes.

"Dear Celestia you are in love with him!" Rarity says her eyes sparkling.

"Am not!" Twilight argues with a shout.

"It's obvious Twi." Rarity smirks before getting a much more serious look on her face "But don't waste your breath. Rage isn't the kind of guy for love. You know he even told me that he won't ever have any form of loving relationship because it puts them in too much danger."

"How do you know that?" Twilight asks "you say because he told you but it's really because you want him to yourself isn't it?!"

"Why in Equestria would I love a rat like that?" Rarity scoffs "I am not selfish anyway!"

"So is that what you think I am? A rat?" Rage's voice come from behind them and the two look to face him.

"Oh uh Rage…" Rarity says nervously "How long have you been standing there?" she asks.

"Long enough…" Rage replies aggressively "I will have you know that a rat and Hedgehog are completely different. Also Rarity is right Twilight! The last girl who got even remotely close to me was killed in front of my own eyes! So if you really do like me in anyway more than a friend stop. I cannot risk another to be killed like that."

"I am sorry Rage." Rarity apologizes.

"Where have you been thought?" Twilight asks "We have been worried sick about you!"

"I was…sorting things out." Rage sighs looking rather glum.

"What kind of things?" Rarity asks

"I have some bad news…" Rage states "If you could gather the others that would be great."

"Alright." Twilight answers.

Around an hour later the whole group of friends had gathered in The Court of Friendship to hear what Rage had to say. "So what is it you needed to tell us partner?"

"Guys…" Rage begins "I can no longer return home." He admits making the others look rather confused.

"But why not?" Rarity asks "Your Chaos Control thingy can warp you back right?"

"Normally that would be the case but…" Rage then pauses as a tear falls "Mobius is no longer the planet I knew."

"Now you aren't even making any sense!" Twilight says "You said Chaos Control can bend Space Time so why can't you just go back to the point which you first came here!"

"Chaos Control cannot take me into the past of a planet I am not on if I have not been there the whole time since that point. As for if I was to return…Nix has…taken all of Mobius I am not safe there nor are the Chaos Emeralds."

"You act like being stuck with us is a bad thing." Rainbow Dash says "I mean we are your friends so why would that be a problem?"

"I know you are my friends but you also need to remember…I had friends there too but now all they will do is try and kill me." Rage sighs slumping down into the wall he was leaning on "I failed to protect Mobius…I failed!"

"Rage!" Applejack shouts making him look up "That is not true! If somethin' happened while ya'll was here then it ain't your fault. Don't beat yerself up over it! So what if you can't return to Mobius you have your own little home here with us." She finishes looking at him dead in the eye.

Rage took some time to process what the apple farmer had told him before he realized what she meant. "Yeah…" he chuckles "You're right Applejack. Here I am beating myself because my world was lost and I felt like I had no home. But then you reminded me of something my mother once told me… Home is where the heart is…And I sure feel home here with you." He smiles as they all smile glad to know that he had finally opened up some more and understood it wasn't his fault Mobius was lost. In fact he knew that someday he would reclaim it.

"But Rage you mentioned this Nix guy who is he?" Twilight asks

"He sounds scary…" Fluttershy squeaks softly.

"Yeah… he can be even for me. Nix is a ruthless and sadistic creature forged in the darkest abyss. He only cares about covering all worlds in darkness only so that he can gain more power. The more worlds he claims the more power he has. In all of the eons The Chaos Guardians have been unable to kill him. The best we can do is scatter him throughout the darkness and hope he never restores himself. I myself only know of his power from the Chaos Archive entries on him we have never actually met." Rage explains "No doubt at some point he will come for Equestria…when that day comes I know that lives will not be spared by his hand." Rage finishes his story and the others look in horror at him.

"I take that back…Nix sounds just terrifying…" Fluttershy comments shakily as she was shaking in fear from the mere mention of what Nix was."

"Has he no heart?" Rarity asks still trying to understand it all.

"I doubt it." Rage answers her. "What kind of creature with a heart would such things?"

"I bet really, really, really, really, reeeeealy deep down this Nix is only attacking these worlds like that because he is hurt somehow and need closure." Pinkies says jumping up and down

"Not at all Pinkie." Rage says "The Chaos Guardians have tried to fix it with civil ways but he does not care he only kills them. There is no reasoning with Nix…unless he can be killed he will just keep coming back no matter what."

"He sounds like a big meanie." Pinkie states

To be continued