//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: MLP G5: Want It Need It // by aceotaku //------------------------------// Horseshoes grinned mindlessly as she waited outside Snake Oil's caravan. He had come to her and told he needed her to do something for him. She was eager to do whatever he asked. She frowned at that, halting in her tracks...something...something about that thought didn't feel right...Razzle was right, why DID she trust Snake Oile so much, especially since she was so sceptical before? Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered attacking Razzle...why? She would never do that, not to Razzle Dazzle, her best friend. She remembered being so angry because Razz took the stuff away from her, but...why? She wouldn't hurt her friend over something so petty and trivial... She gasped and clutched at her head as she felt a horrible, stinging pain in her head. She unconsciously took a swig of her last bottle, the mare smiling as the headache dissipated. Her worries vanishing as she forgot what she was even thinking about. She looked up as the caravan door opened and Snake Oil marched out on his hind legs, his forelegs holding up Razzle Dazzle. "Professor, why is Razz in your arms? And why is she unconscious?" Snake Oil smirked. "Ah, she's a friend of yours is she? Well, she did a very bad thing, so I had make sure she wouldn't run away." "Why would she run away?" "She saw something she shouldn't have, and so now I have to get rid of her." Horseshoes blinked as she thought that sentence through. "W-What do you mean?" "I am ordering you to kill her of course." He said blunty, matter-of-factly, frowning in annoyance and disapproval. "I had considered tying her up and keeping her hostage, but there are too many risks involved in that. Better we just kill her and leave no evidence." Horseshoes gasped. "K-Kill her!? B-but why would you...!? Why does she...!? You don't need to KILL her!" He glared, tilting his head. "Is that...defiance? Are you...questioning my authority?" She whimpered and looked away. "N-no sir but...she's...she's my best friend..." "She was going to cause me to lose the cure all, and make sure you won't get any, or anyone else for that matter. And that WILL happen unless you kill her!" She stared, sweating heavily. "N-no...she wouldn't...I-I NEED the stuff...B-but...She's...She's my..." He leaned in close to her, glaring into her eyes. "She will make you go cold turkey, make sure you never can have any more cure all!" She shivered and shook; her lips dry. "M-maybe...maybe I had enough...maybe I drank enough to ensure I get in the knights..." Music that sounded eerily similar to the beat of Snake Oil's previous song began to play, but its tone was lower, darker, imposing rather upbeat and jaunty. "Had enough? Had Enough?" Snake Oil snapped incredulously. Horseshoes' nodded, looking away guiltily. "Yeah, I don't need anymore..." Snake Oil shook his head and began to trot around her, giving her no space to herself as he leaned his head in close to her and sang. "Girl, you do not know what you are sayin' You think you can just up and quit, But let me tell you something! You crave that magic liquid You crave it! You cannot live without it!" "I-I can so!" Horseshoes said defiantly. "Prove it!" Snake Oil challenged. He set down a glass of cure all in front of her. "Now, try walking away You can take your friend Go home And never, ever see me again." She gulped, sweating, lip quivering, staring down at the glass. "However, there is a price For only I can provide you with this elixir That you sooooo desire! Never again can you taste the sweet flavour! The rich aroma! Oh," He grinned wickedly, "And you can say goodbye To Your Dream" "No!" She hurriedly grabbed the glass and downed its contents in one gulp. "You see!" Snake Oil laughed. "You cannot just say no! You are addicted to this potion! You want it! You need it! You can't live without it! So you better shut your mouth And do as I say!" "NO!" Horseshoes fell to her knees, tears falling down her cheeks, clutching her hea din her hooves. "Why can't I just say no!? Why do I feel I need to obey you!? Why do I want this stuff!? Why do I need this stuff!? Tell Meeee Whyyyy!" Snake Oil chuckled. "It's too late for you If I told you the truth, There is not a thing that can be done You were damned the moment You took a sip! You are mine! And you will obey my will! You and every pony you convinced to drink my swill!" He grinned maliciously. "NO!" Horseshoes stared at him, eyes wide in horror. "What have I done!? What did you do to me!? What did you do them!?" Snake Oil circled around her like a shark, grinning toothily and venomously, his eyes narrowed coldly. "Foolish little girl! You cannot do a thing! You want it! You need it! You crave it! My patented magical cure all Is your addiction! Your damnation! You are a slave to my word A slave to the product You will do anything for more! Even kill your best friend!" "NO please! Anything but that!" "Then no more of that potion for you!" He sneered, turning away from her. "No!" Horseshoes fell on her knees, her forehooves raised pleadingly as she cried. "Don't cut me off!" "Will you obey?" He said softly, turning to her. "..." "WILL YOU OBEY!?" He snarled, pressing closer to her "..." "WILL YOU OOOOOBEEEEEEEYYYYY!?" He shouted, face inches from the mare's. Horseshoes' head sunk, tears falling as she nodded. "Yes, I will I want it I need it I'll do anything for it Even..." She stared up at him, tears gushing down her cheeks in a thick rivulet, her body shaking, and her voice hoarse. "E-Even help you Get rid of my best friend..." "That's good!" Snake Oil grinned triumphantly, eye gazing mockingly at the mare. "You want it, Need it You can'tdo a thing about it! You can't live without it! You are hopeless to deny it! You were a fool to try it!" "I was a fool buy it..." Horseshoes echoed softly, head hung low. "You are enslaved to it! Now, Obey me! Kill her! Kill this pony right here! Kill! Your friend! RAZZLE DAZZZLLLLLLLEEEEEEEE!" At this last part he stood high, his forelegs raised high into the air. As he finished he looked down at Horsehoes and pointed to the tied up and unconscious unicorn behind him. "Pick her up." He grinned as Horseshoes got up, walked towards Razzle Dazzle and picked her up. He started walking and she followed him, her eyes and head low. "Why...?" "Why can't you defy me? Or why do you want the cure all so badly?" The conman chuckled darkly. "The answer lies in the cure all." "What's in the stuff anyway?" Horseshoes asked despairingly. "It's not important." They walked towards the Border Edge of the city, beyond an expanse of farmland. It was a large cliff that surrounded the far eastern edge of the city, the western edge blocked by a tall, steep, rocky mountain and a vast, dense forest where numerous monsters and dangerous animals resided. The two ponies looked over the edge of the cliff, looking down a steep drop into rock and mountain. "This'll do. I was gonna have you drown her, but then the body would remain." Snake Oil smirked. "Drop her." Horseshoes stared at him, her body shakingly moving towards the cliff, Razzle held aloft in her forelegs. She shook and shivered, trying to fight against her body, her addiction and her urge to obey. "Try all you want." Snake Oil smirked. "You cannot fight against my orders, nor my 'cure all'." Her eyes widened as she neared the edge. 'No...I have to stop!' Tears fell as her body continued to slowly walk. "Hurry up and drop her down the cliff!" Snake Oil barked impatiently. Horseshoes gasped as her body picked up speed. 'No! Stop! Please! Stop it!' She froze in place. No, that wasn't right. Her legs were still moving, but she couldn't move forward no matter how hard she tried. "WHAT!?" Snake Oil shouted angrily, eyes wide in disbelief. Razzle Dazzle was breathing heavily, eyes open and conscious, her horn glowing as she used all of her magical power to hold Horseshoes back from the cliff. "Razz!" Horseshoes cried out happily. "Horseshoes!" Razzle cried back, struggling in her bonds. Horseshoes grunted and with all her mental might fought against Snake Oil's command and threw Razzle Dazzle at the conman, but he had already left while they were distracted. The Unicorn tumbled harmlessly along the ground. She was a little hurt, but she was alive. Horseshoes collapsed, sobbing tearfully. "I'm sorry Razzle! I should've...I WOULD have listened to you...but...the...the addiction..." Razzle used her advanced levitation spell, the telekinesis spell, to remove her bonds as she got up and stepped towards her friend. "It's ok...You fought back..." "That took all I had!" Horseshoes got up shakingly. "I...I have to go back...I...I need it...I NEED that cure all..." "But you know its bad! That HE'S bad! Surely you know that!" "I DO!" Horseshoes yelled as she started to walk back to the city. "But...Just because I KNOW doesn't mean I canjust quit just like that..." She stared at her friend despairingly, tears streaming. "Razz...H-Help me..." Razzle Dazzle walked toward her friend, horn glowing as she held the Earth Pony in place. She concentrated and cast a sleep spell on Horseshoes, who immediately fell asleep. Razzle shook in anger. "Damn that Snake Oil...Because of him, I was forced to use one of THAT person's spells...Damn him for doing this to her..." She sighed, pulling her friend onto her back and running towards the city. She had to stop Snake Oil from destroying the city. ----------------------------------- Green Acres listened intently to the Pegasus, his Commander standing beside him. "Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Minty Breath asked of Lickety Split, her gaze stern and disapproving,her voice steely. The Pegasus looked down sheepishly as Green Acres held up a hoof. "I know why. He wanted to protect Horseshoes. He and Miss Razzle Dazzle thought they were helping her by deciding to take care of it themselves. I'm glad that Razzle reconsidered that notion. Did you really think all it would take is one misdeed for Sis to lose her enrolment?" Lickety Split looked away shamefully and the two knights shook their heads. "Anyway, no use discussing 'should haves' and misconceptions." Minty Breath stated. "Let's head to the square and check out this 'Professor'." Lickety looked at them. "Do you know who he is?" "We don't know a 'Professor Zebediah J. Snake Oil III'," Green Acres admitted, "But we do know a Snake Oil Slick." "Snake Oil Slick?" "A former knight, he was stripped of his rank and dishonourably discharged after he was caught accepting a bribe, forging evidence and embezzling taxes." Minty Breath said disdainfully. "He was a wretched scumbag." The three began walking (hovering in Lickety's case) out the door and down the hall. "Surely he would have known you would recognise his name, even if he did change it, his last name would've been a big tip off?" "It is, but Slick admittedly enjoyed getting attention and showing off." Green Acres said. "Besides, that's why he made sure to strike when the other knights weren't on patrol: during the preparations of the festival. Everyone else was posted near the perimeter, he likely would have used a different alias to get past the front gate. Afterwards he used proxies to spread his 'cure all' around, fleecing people dry with his bogus potion. He even made sure to only sell it to normal citizens." "What I don't get," Minty Breath added, "is why no one else reported him. Or why so many people were willing to buy his elixir. Surely not everyone would've have bought his scam, but by your account he has nearly the whole citizenry hooked." "I guess we'll have to ask him." Green Acres said, his gaze stern and hard. They walked to the front doors of the Knights' Headquarters when one of the lower ranking knights dashed towards them. "Sirs!" The knight called out, giving a quick salute, panting heavily as if he had run a mile. "What is it, corporal?" Minty Breath asked. "The citizens are causing a riot!" The knight answered. "They're wrecking homes, attacking each other and everyone else, demanding we give them...something, I'm not sure what. They're tearing down everything!" The two commanding officers shared a glance and Lickety Split frowned. "That con artist must be behind this." "Agreed." Minty Breath said. "But why? What's the point of causing a riot? And how did he do it?" "Lickety Split, you get anyone who isn't rioting out of harm's way and help anyone who needs it along the way." Green Acres ordered and Lickety nodded and flew off. "Commander, I have a feeling they're going to be attacking the towers, so be sure to offer the wizards some assistance if they require it." Minty smirked, not questioning or challenging the fact that he just ordered her, his superior. "You will stay here and protect the Headquarters?" "No. The Senate is under protected right now, and I can't risk any of the higher-ups getting in danger due to our negligence." She smiled. "Good thinking." They strode towards the entrance doors as they were smashed open and an army of crazed addicts poured in, screaming in anger and those that were able to were brandishing weapons. The two commanding knights got into fighting stance and readied their weapons for non-lethal combat. ---------------------------- Razzle stared at the chaos. She was not expecting such a massive riot. She had no how Snake Oil had managed to cause this, and she didn't care. The monter had to pay. She made sure Horseshoes was still secure on her back and she ran towards the Senate. As she ran, she noticed the rioters were thinning, and she realised that none of them were attacking the senate. She rushed, wondering what Snake Oil was plotting with their centre of power and politics. She ran into the building, growing more confused. There was no sign of him anywhere. She searched high and low, and even gave the senators a scare when she searched the main conference room. "What is a wizard student doing here!?" A unicorn senator demanding. Razzle flinched. "I-I thought that a dangerous criminal was here..." "We know about the rioting." Another, calmer Earth Pony senator replied. "You think the one responsible was going to be here?" "Y-yes I did...I was wrong?" "Perhaps...why would he be here?" Razzle looked away. "I-I had managed to sneak into his...his hideaway...I...I found his plans...it didn't have a lot of details...jut showed he was going to make everyone attack the senate...I figured if this was his goal...then he would be here..." The other unicorn senator considered this. "Then where could he have gone?" ------------------------------ Snake Oil smirked to himself. The central wizarding tower was a large building that the other towers surrounded and was where the highest ranking wizards and scholar hid away, along with their central library and...the treasury. Only the Master Merlin, The Union Senate and the Knights knew about the treasury. It was the safest place to keep anything the Kingdom wanted hidden, hidden. Of course, ordinarily it was impenetrable, but if one knew where to look, there were certain backdoors so that anyone could come and go as they please, without drawing attention. Perfect for his needs. Snake Oil walked silently down the halls leading to the treasury, smirking as he found his prize. Hanging on the left-hand wall of the treasure was a large, black scythe. He slowly reached for it... "So, a thief decides to take advantage of a sea of chaos to sneak into the night and steal an accursed treasure." Snake Oil blinked and turned, seeing the most powerful and influential wizard in the Kingdom, The Master Merlin himself, Hocus Pocus. The elder Unicorn stood at the open entrance into the treasury, his long black mane and beard thick and luxurious, his pale blue coat hidden under his long white robes, the symbol of his status as the Master Merlin. His light yellow eyes narrowed at the sight of Snake Oil skulking about like a common thief in the night, and the elder pony walked slowly towards the con-artist. "How did you get in here? How did you even know to come here?" His gaze was cold and steely. "Tell me, how many of my fellow ponies have you hurt today? Well!? You reek of one who harmed my little ponies, so don't try to lie to me!" Snake Oil stared, then slowly smirked toothily. "Well, I guess I should've expected you to show up sooner or later, old man. You don't remember me, but I remember you. How could I forget? The most important man in all of the Kingdom, the Master Merlin himself. I met you many times, whenever I was sent to patrol this place and count the itinerary." Hocus Pocus glared. "Ah, I recognise you now. You were that former knight who was caught stealing from the treasury, lining your pockets with tax payer money as well as making an assortment of deals and accepting bribes from the criminal element." He snarled. "Of course I remember you." "And I you." Snake Oil chuckled, spinning his cane. "After all, you were the one who had me banished from the Kingdom, forcing me to wander a wretched lifeless wasteland...or at least, that was your plan." "So there ARE other lands inhabited besides our own." Hocus Pocus breathed in disbelief and shock, staring wide eyed. Snake Oil frowned. "Senile old geezer, getting distracted." Snake Oil suddenly dashed swung his cane upon the unicorn, which made Hocus Pocus fall to his knees, eyes wide. His horn began to glow, and Snake Oil responded by stamping a hoof on the old stallion's face, rushing back to grab the scythe from the wall and thenhe began to run away as fast as he could. He knew that attack would only be enough to distract and disorient, and the old man wouldn't allow himself to be caught off-guard again. Snake Oil grinned. At least he got what he came for; now all he had to do was make a clean getaway to his caravan. ---------------------------- Razzle Dazzle ran out into the rioting crowds, searching desperately for Snake Oil. As she exited the senate, she saw Green Acre fighting the rioters, using the staff-handle of his halberd to knock anyone away without hurting them. From the way he was sweating and breathing heavily, as well as the many bruises covering his body, he had been fighting for quite a while. "Lieutenant!" He turned to her, panting heavily. "Miss Dazzle, I am glad to see you are alright." He grunted as a rioter kicked him and he kicked them back, pushing them back. "Damn, there is so many, and they're stronger and more resilient than normal." "It's Snake Oil's cure-all, I am positive." Razzle Dazzle used her telekinesis to push the rioters back, and used her magic to toss rocks to scare them off, trying her best to not harm anyone even as the ponies tried to push forward and ignored the rocks hitting them. "I think there's something in the cure-all, something addictive...something that makes them want it so bad, they would do anything for it." "It's called Witchweed, my friends, a very potent 'poison', though rather than kill, it makes one stronger, resistant to damage, and all at the cost of their free will and sanity." Snake Oil chuckled as he walked in from behind. "Slick!" Green Acres roared angrily, spinning his halberd to knock his attackers at bay. The rioters continued to attack the knight and the unicorn, who were forced to fight back, but none of the maddened ponies even spared a glance at the con-man. Snake Oil smirked. "Ah, Green Acres. When I was a knight, you were a simple corporal, now you're second-in-command. Well done." Snake Oil looked around, smiling contentedly. "It really is quite something, isn't? What a little weed can do to a whole Kingdom when used right. A little charm enchantment to make people more willing to listen to me and trust me, an addictive potion that makes them want to buy more and more, and, oh yes, a dash of my own blood to ensure they are obedient to me and me alone." He waved a hoof in front of a rioter's face, making her freeze just as she was about to charge forward and bite Razzle Dazzle's hair. "See, the poison won't let them attack me. And why should it? Supply and demand. They demand more Witchweed, more 'Cure-All', and I supply it. Even have a trusted member of the community spread the word, so that any stragglers will get reeled in." "Horseshoes." Razzle breathed, her eyes narrowing angrily. "You sick monster! You hurt Horseshoes, made her, nay, the whole CITY into your slaves! And you did it all for money!?" Snake Oil chuckled darkly. "Why yes, I was paid quite handsomely for this little...revolt. The money I earned through selling the Witchweed was a little bonus." Green Acres snarled angrily, eyes widening in shock at the same time. "Someone PAID you to do this!?" "OH yes," Snake Oil nodded, "QUITE handsomely. Half to enact the plan, the other half I'll receive once I go back and give him this." He pointed to the scythe hanging on his back. Green Acres paled, eyes widening in realization. "Wait...how did you get past the other wizards, and the commander?" Snake Oil gave him a withering look. "Just because I'm businessman, doesn't mean I can't fight. Remember, former knight here." Razzle Dazzle snarled and leapt at him, horn glowing. Snake Oil dashed to the side with a showy flourish, tripping the unicorn with his cane, grabbing her horn in the crook and twisting her down onto the ground. Green Acres charged, swinging his halberd, however it was sliced in half as Snake Oil pulled the long end of his cane off, revealing a long, narrow sword. Snake Oil spun his sword around as the Lieutenant charged, thrusting the long spike on the end of his halberd towards the con-man, who parried with his sword, pushing the halberd back, dashing past and slashing across the stallion's torso, causing Green Acres to collapse in pain. Snake Oil smirked and walked off, but not before reaching into his vest and throwing several bottles of Cure-All, Witchweed Poison, at the two beaten ponies, the rioters freezing in spot, staring as some bottles shattered and spilt the contents onto the knight and the unicorn. As the rioters closed in Snake Oil turned and fled, chuckling and smirking to himself as the addicted ponies began to mutter softly, looking as if possessed or mad. "Cure-All." "Want it, need it." "Cure-All." "Give it to me." "Need it." "Thirsty." "Need." They surrounded the two of the them, growing more desperate with their attacks than before. Razzle groggily got up, her horn glowing as several rioter's fell asleep. She turned to Green Acres as more addicted ponies marched over, groaning and mumbling tonelessly like zombies. "Lieutenant! There are too many for me to put asleep all at once and its difficult enough for me to perform this spell at all! Go after Snake Oil, stop him before he escapes! I don't want that man running free, not after what he did to Horseshoes, to everyone!" Green Acres nodded, getting up on his hind legs, charging past the rioters, pushing them back as he dual wielded the broken halves of his halberd, gazing at the running form of Snake Oil as the swindler ran into his caravan and stared fearfully at the charging stallion. Snake Oil's fear morphed into anger. "Why can't any of you people just give up like normal saps!?" He gripped the wheel of his caravan and the engine hummed as he drove off, grinning in triumph. He gasped as he looked back and saw a black Pegasus dropping bombs at him, and Snake Oil barely managed to dodge and weave past the onslaught as several knights approached from the sides, firing arrows at him. Snake Oil snarled, reaching down and throwing explosive bottles of liquid at his pursuers as he tried to drive at the same time. Green Acres jumped onto the front of the caravan, bashing the axe-end of his halberd at Snake Oil, who countered and parried using his sword, both stallions snarling with rage at each other. "You hurt my sis!" Green Acres raged. "I will make sure you rot in prison for the rest of your life, Slick!" "To the Dark with you, Acres!" Lickety Split managed to strike one of the caravan's wheel with a bomb, causing the two stallions to lose balance for a few seconds and the caravan fell, its momentum causing it to crash and roll along the ground, heading towards the cliff. Green Acres quickly grabbed Snake Oil and pulled him out as the caravan crashed, upside down, a few feet away from the Cliffside. Green Acres got up as several knights ran to his side and pointed their weapons at Snake Oil. "You're under arrest." A bruised, battered and tired Lieutenant Green Acres spat coldly. ---------------------------- Snake Oil Slick was marched into the high security prison, at the far end of the city, the closest building to the point where the Cliffside and forestside meet. He glared balefully at the knights who flanked him on each side, ensuring he wouldn't escape, his forelegs tied behind his back to ensure he wouldn't try anything else. He continued to glare as he was pushed into a prison cell, his clothes in tatters from his fight with the Lieutenant, all that was intact was his top hat. They locked the cell, locking him in with a few other prisoners, and he just kept glaring. As soon as they turned away, he smirked. ----------------------------- The medical wizards were working around the clock; casting detox spells to force the narcotics out of the townspeople's systems, the work slow due to the sheer number of victims. There were even talks in the senate about cancelling the festival, but Hocus Pocus had demanded they keep ahead, arguing that it was a crisis like this that the people needed the festival to help take their minds off their problems and simply have a day of fun and relaxation. Razzle Dazzle and Green Acres stood by Horseshoes' side as one of the wizard's began work on detoxifying her. "I'm so sorry..." The brown-coated mare croaked, tears falling. "I messed up so bad...worse than I usually do..." "It wasn't your fault." Green Acres reassured her. "You and everyone else had fallen under Snake Oil's charm enchantment. We're...still trying to figure out how he managed to use magic like that, considering he's an earth Pony..." "So what? I was still susceptible, weak enough to fall under its influence. And I hurt so many people..." Razzle Dazzle gazed down at her friend. "You weren't the only one he was using. All that matters is that it's over now, and you can rest." She turned to Green Acres. "Any leads on who hired Snake Oil to do all this?" "No, but we're looking into it." Green Acres answered. "Whoever they are, they seem to be interested in the scythe that black...creature held." "We still have that thing!?" Horseshoes snouted in shock. "The Master Merlin is investigating it, so that we can find out more about this 'Devourer' and if there are others like it." Green Acres gave Horseshoes a stern glare. "Now, just relax, it'll make it easier for the medics to heal you." "What about Lickety? Didn't he build a healing machine?" Razzle Dazzle shook her head. "Groger destroyed the only one, and Mr Split is still working on manufacturing a new one." She looked down. "This is the best we can do..." Horseshoes grumbled, slumping back. "Great. I'll be here for so long healing I'll miss all my training AND the festival." Green Acres chuckled. "Don't worry, you won't miss the festival, AND we'll work on the mental portions of your training in the meantime." "Awww man!" Green Acres laughed and Razzle tried to hide a snide smirk. All was normal again.