//------------------------------// // Gleeful Conclusion // Story: Gleeful Vengeance // by Auto-Buscus //------------------------------// Singer had been on the verge of tears after the final episode of Star Wars The Clone Wars. He sat there on his couch as he and Twilight watched the final moments transition into the credits. Twi had met him in his apartment that morning so they could finally watch it. “Wow, those four episodes alone really added a lot of weight to the Prequel films.” He said. “Was it worth the wait?” Twilight asked as she leaned over onto his shoulder. “I’d say yeah, it was. I thought Spike wanted to watch with us.” “Spike stayed up all night watching them plus some episodes of Darkwing Duck. It would seem your little performance yesterday made him want to revisit the series. We can swing by my place and pick him up when we go.” Twilight giggled at this. “I have to ask though, why Darkwing Duck? Most other people doing something like that would have either gone for a Marvel or DC character or a made up superhero.” “Funny story, I used to dress up as Darkwing all the time when I was a kid, and try to fight back against the neighborhood bullies. I’d always end up getting thrown in the dumpster, but I never gave up. Who knew I’d finally get it right at nineteen?” He chuckled at this. “Plus, the whole Glee Club fiasco practically begged for it. Just seemed like a perfect opportunity to add to the madness. I’d say it did alright.” “Well, as long as you don’t make a habit of it. I don’t want to have to explain to my parents why my boyfriend is dressing up as a superhero and getting thrown into dumpsters.” She nudged him playfully. “You’re right.” He said. “I’m not a kid anymore. It’s time to grow up a bit. I guess that also means no more conventions either…” he said jokingly, looking over at her with a smirk. “Hey now, conventions are fun, and for adults. I think those are fine.” “That’s good because I thought we could go dressed as Anakin and Padme next month at CanterCon.” “Hmmm… that does sound like fun. I can’t wait!” Something else came to his mind before he could move on to their next conversation. “So, Twi, did you study when you got back home last night?” “I fell right to sleep,” she admitted. “I was exhausted.” “Look, I um… wanted to briefly talk about you studying for two days straight. I… well… I don’t like it. I worry about you sometimes. I get your work and studies are important but so is your sleep.” Twi’s eyes shifted back and forth before she took a breath and sighed. “You’re right. And I’m glad you spoke up about it. It does take its toll, and I really should control myself better. After this crazy weekend, I don’t see myself being able to do that ever again if I can help it. I appreciate your honesty, and you actually spoke up without backtracking into something like “if you don’t mind” or anything along those lines. I want you to feel like you can be honest with me. Sure, we might have fights in the future but we can’t avoid that.” “I understand that. I just don’t like feeling like I’m being bossy.” “Trust me, I’m smart enough to be able to discern between genuine concern and bossiness. And I think you are too.” Singer wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. She returned it. “Twi?” “Hm?” She was still smiling with her eyes closed while they held their hug. “Can we just stay like this forever?” “I mean, I have no objection to that, but we’ll miss out on the party if we don’t stop at some point.” “Fair enough.” They both laughed as they stopped their hug, and leaned back simultaneously against the back of the couch. “Hey, back on the subject of sleep, did you sleep okay after everything that happened yesterday?” Twilight asked. “Like a baby. My limbs and my back are mildly sore, but I’m okay. It’s all the sweeter though because I'm not worried anymore now that Miss Reed is in prison where she belongs.” Singer sat up and stretched his arms a bit. “I’m happy to hear it. I’d be willing to bet that things will be back to normal. If there even is such a thing. Oh, look at the time, we’d better be going. We don’t want to be late.” Twilight said, gesturing to her watch. “No we don’t.” Singer said. “I’m driving!” “Dusk? Dusk? Dusk!” Ray said, as he was sitting with Dusk in the seat of a public transit bus. “Hey, you alright? You haven’t spoken a word the whole drive. Is something bothering you?” “Oh, yes. I’m fine. I just have some things on my mind lately.” “Oh? It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I pulverized you in our Smash Bros rematch last night would it?” Ray looked over at him with a smirk. “Nothing to be concerned about. I’m just pondering on some things.” Dusk said with a laugh at the latter part of Ray’s question, he shifted towards the next thing he could think of, hoping to change the subject. “Wow, what a weekend.” “Dude, this weekend was super weird. Even for our group’s standards. I can’t believe we did half that stuff we did yesterday.” “It was definitely one I won’t be forgetting any time soon. I’m just glad that the ordeal is over with and everything is going back to normal for the upcoming week. I couldn’t have handled being a Glee slave forever.” “Don’t you mean a Glombie?” Ray sniggered. “A what?” “Spike kept going on about it. Kept bragging about how he was never a Glombie, or a Glee Zombie. Twilight said not to encourage him, but neither he nor Twilight are here, so… yeah. That’s a word that exists now.” “Well, zombie, glombie, slave, whatever you want to call it, let’s hope that we never become one again.” Dusk retorted. “That goes double for me.” Ray said. “And I hope I never see that woman ever again. “No kidding. She was most unpleasant to deal with.” “That’s an understatement… Oh look, we’re here,” Ray said as the bus pulled up to the park’s bus stop where they’d get out at. “And we’re super early. I told you that we would be early Dusk.” “Better to be punctual than tardy.” “Oh well, might as well get out and enjoy the sights before everyone else gets here.” “Dusk! Ray!” Mr Fabiano called from a picnic table. He appeared to have one other person with him. Upon approaching them, Dusk was able to make out that it was Rarity. Apparently she’d gotten there early as well. Dusk began to feel butterflies in his stomach at the very sight of her. “Dusk, go ahead and have a seat. Ray, you’re going to love this!” Mr Fabiano replied, as he hopped behind a building. “Oh, alright.” Ray said, nodding to Dusk as he went to take a seat. Mr Fabiano returned momentarily, with JP in tow. “Oh my gosh... I had almost forgotten about that!” Ray exclaimed when he’d remembered the awesome (or at least it would have been had it not got him caught by Reed) moment where he got to rock out with JP singing the Pokémon Theme song. “Well Mr Paige has something he’d like to say to you.” JP, now dressed in a suit with a red tie that had some sort of wire inside of it that allowed it to stay up in a goofy pose instead of flopping down like ties are supposed to, walked towards Ray and shook his hand. “I’m mighty sorry about the part I played on you and your friend in Miss Reed’s plan. I had been given false information from Miss Reed who told me it was for a birthday party. And as an apology, I want you to have the Pokémon jacket, and the Pokémon trainer hat I wore the other night. Don’t worry, they’ve been cleaned.” “Oh that’s okay, I didn’t really blame… Wait, really?” Ray was gobsmacked by this. He definitely wasn’t expecting it. JP nodded. JP continued to hold them out for just for a second. “Well go on, take them!” “This is so cool! Thanks JP!” Ray said as he put the jacket and hat on. “Gotta catch 'em all!” JP winked as he walked off. “I must go, you take care of yourself.” “Yeah, uh cool. Thanks again!” Ray still didn’t know what else to say, but JP could tell that he’d made his day. As JP was leaving, Ray was approached by another. Flash Sentry came out of nowhere and bear hugged Ray. “Dude! Thanks for saving Veronica!” “Vero- oh, your guitar. No problem dude. I couldn’t just let it get smashed. Those things aren’t cheap.” “Yeah I know. But thanks again, dude! Oh and for not punching me in the face when I was a Glee Zombie. That was really cool of you too.” “Don’t mention it.” Flash noticed Bulk Biceps standing near where the food had been set out in a pavilion, and walked over to him. “Bulk! Bulkster!” He said as he placed his hand on his shoulder. “So I talked it over with the guys, and we noticed that you have mad skills on a keyboard. We were wondering if you’d like to join ‘The Guardians’. We’ve been missing something for a while, and we think you’re it.” Bulk’s expression was one of surprise, followed by joy. “YOU WANT ME TO JOIN YOUR BAND?!?” he shouted, making Flash rub his ears because of how loud he talked. “Yeah man, we could use your talents. We can work on your inside voice later.” Flash was taken up in a huge bear hug from Bulk that dwarfed the one he had given Ray. “YOU'RE THE BEST!!!” “….can’t… breathe…” As everyone else began to make their way to the park, they filed in and began to mingle among themselves. Dusk had been sitting and talking to Rarity for a good fifteen minutes already. And they appeared to be having a good time. “So I noticed you’re still reading that romance novel you started last week. Is it good?” Dusk asked her. “It’s been a pretty average read so far. Nothing spectacular. Though I do like the dynamic between two characters. Rachel and Dennis. They’re in one of those ‘will they, won’t they’ storylines. Though it’s a bit overdone, especially in stories like these, I still admittedly find myself charmed by them if they’re executed correctly.” Rarity said, as she flipped the book over on its cover and looked at the art on it. “They can be engaging if the characters are written well enough for sure.” Dusk said as he smiled at her, and she returned it yet again. “Whatever has made you so joyous today, Dusk?” She noted his cheerful demeanor. “I would have thought that the events of yesterday would have left you, as well as the rest of us, tired and cranky.” “I’m not sure. I think it’s the fact that this is the first time in a bit that we’ve actually gotten to sit and talk to each other. I’ve missed our chats. The only thing missing is the tea.” He chuckled. “Oh, I’ve got you covered there.” She pulled a teapot and a couple of cups out of a picnic box she had sitting behind her. “You really are full of surprises.” “I know!” She giggled as she poured both of them a cup of tea. “So are you, apparently. Who knew you had such a way with those… lightsabers, was it?” “Oh goodness! I don’t even want to talk about that.” Dusk laughed. “That was just pure insanity. Everything from Ray dressed as Shrek, to Singer fighting Miss Reed. And not to mention all of the shenanigans we went through.” “And Twilight with the save at the end.” Rarity threw in. “I don’t think any of us expected that. But given the situation, I don’t blame her. I would have most likely done the same if the situation called for it.” “Indeed. Oh Dusk, I really do apologize for anything that happened under the Glee Club’s influence on my part. I wish I had gone into that situation with a bit more of a level head.” “You have nothing to apologize for as far as I’m concerned, Rarity. I, however, feel like I didn’t take the matter as seriously as I should have. I kicked myself for not offering to go with you when you mentioned going to speak to Miss Reed. The reality of the situation hit me when I was surrounded by our friends, under the control of the Glee Club. Or rather, Miss Reed. Come to find out, the Glee Club isn’t so bad now that the proper leadership is back in place.” “Dusk, don’t blame yourself. I fell for the snare just like everyone else. In spite of Singer’s best efforts to warn us, I have a feeling that the outcome was inevitable either way. I hope I didn’t do or say anything too embarrassing after I was…infected.” Dusk looked back in his memory of what had happened before he too was taken. Slightly distracted by Rarity’s appearance in that dress she was wearing, but also lost in his confusion of what was really going on before it had dawned on him too late. He had memories of events after that, but they were fuzzy. It was something he’d rather forget. However, one thing was on his mind, and he’d finally gotten the chance to talk to Rarity about it alone. “I wouldn’t say embarrassing as much as I would say… interesting.” Dusk replied. “Well we can leave it at that, I suppose. No sense in dwelling on it any further.” “No, I suppose not.” Dusk agreed. At this point in time, though he’d remembered how he’d felt about her. It wasn’t just recently, but he’d felt this way for quite some time now. Only recently, had he felt an urgent beckoning to act upon his feelings instead of silently holding onto it. He felt like she deserved to know. The worst she could do was say no. “Dusk?” She snapped him out of his thoughts. “Is everything alright?” “Y-Yes, quite.” He replied as he felt himself starting to get nervous. “I’ve just had something on my mind lately. S-Something that I feel that needs to be addressed.” Rarity’s eyes locked into his with genuine concern. “Is everything alright, darling?” “I think so, I…” he trailed off. He hadn’t thought about what he’d say or how he’d say it, but he’d already begun. It was finally time. “Rarity, I, for quite some time have been feeling…” She didn’t say anything. Her attention was on him, even as he struggled with his words. He snapped out of it and continued. He decided to not prolong this any further. “I have feelings… for you… feelings that I don’t feel like I can hold in any longer. I have been holding onto them for a while, but I hadn’t had the nerve to express them until now. But, I understand if you don’t feel the same way. I just hope in light of this, we can continue on as friends.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them up to see Rarity’s smile had grown with tears in her eyes. “Dusk, I… you don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I must admit, I too have felt the same way about you for a considerable amount of time, myself.” Elation suddenly arose in Dusk. He did not expect to hear that. He only wished he’d have more time to talk with her about this as everyone else appeared to be moving in their direction. “I would love to talk more about this. Maybe over tea tonight? Or perhaps a coffee shop? I know a nice, calm, quiet one in town where we can discuss this further.” She said eagerly as she placed her hand on his. “I would love nothing more.” Dusk replied. They both arose from their respective sides of the picnic table and shared a hug before their friends arrived on the scene, though they were focused on food and didn’t pay Dusk and Rarity’s hugging any mind. This didn’t bother them any. They’d tell everyone in due course. For now it was nice to finally have their feelings known, and Dusk looked forward to being able to discuss things further with her. After everyone had eaten their meals, they once again began to mingle amongst themselves as they waited for the announcement from Mr Fabiano, which was part of the reason they were all called out here. Among them were Vinyl and Octavia, who’d finally reunited after the Glee Club fiasco. “Tavi, you can’t be seriously considering staying with the Glee Club after all this can you?” Vinyl asked her cello playing friend. “I see no reason why not.” Octavia replied. “I simply adore the concept, and having Fabian as the instructor certainly helps.” “Wait, wait, wait… Fabian? First name basis? Tavi, do you like Mr Fabiano?” Her cheeks flushed red. “Wha- how could you imply that? What do I look like, a flirty high school… girl… that does that sort of thing?” “I dunno… I was just asking.” “I’ll have you know that Mr Fabiano is a fine teacher. I’ve known him for years and he’s twenty times the teacher that old Miss Reed witch was.” “Technically she wasn’t really a teacher.” “That’s beside the point.” Her cheeks continued to blush. “I just appreciate him for his teaching skills and how well he works with his students. Nothing more.” “Okay, chill Tavi. I was just messing around. Hey, is that Fabian now?” Octavia quickly turned around to see what she halfway expected to be a cruel trick from Vinyl, but he actually was behind her. A ways away, standing on the platform of a stage set up in the park for various performances, but still. She composed herself and walked towards the stage along with everyone else. Vinyl couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at the implication that Octavia might have a bit of a crush on Fabian. It would be something for her to tease her about for a while. Though, she’d made a mental note not to push it too far. Everyone had gathered in front of the stage. The crowd wasn’t that big, so the use of microphones and sound systems wouldn’t be needed for this. “Everyone,” began Fabian. “I want to thank you for coming out this afternoon and participating in this social event. After yesterday’s events, I felt obligated to reach out and do something for everyone. There are some people that I wish to acknowledge for their efforts in saving me and allowing me to reclaim my Glee Club. I meant every word yesterday in my apology. And I truly mean the thanks I’m bestowing upon you all today. Starting with Vinyl. If not for you finding me, I’m not sure if I would have been freed from that closet until much much later. So thank you Vinyl.” Vinyl shot a peace sign with her fingers at him in response to this. “I would also like to thank the group of exceptionally talented students who helped me take the Glee Club back and expose Miss Reed for the insane person she is. Vinyl Scratch, who I just mentioned, as well as Ray Strike, Applejack, Dusk Noir, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, and Singer Case. As well as non-student, Spike. All of you displayed great courage in challenging our mutual foe and bringing her to justice. And for that, I commend you all.” They all were smiling at the praise they’d received. It didn’t rectify the situation, but it definitely made them feel better. But the fact remained, they’d beat Miss Reed together, and order was restored to the Glee Club once again. “Over the last couple of hours, a few of you have volunteered to join the club and it will only help us grow. I'd like to introduce to you our new Glee Club roster moving forward. If you don’t mind, please file onto the stage.” After only having the likes of Bulk Biceps and Derpy in the Club prior, they grew stronger with their lineup which included, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Octavia, Fluttershy, Flash Sentry, and Sunset Shimmer. “With Pinkie as our Glee Club captain, we’ve also had a last minute volunteer to help us at least get to regionals, and that is co-captain Singer.” Singer walked up on stage, and shook Mr Fabiano’s hand and then shook Pinkie’s before they evolved it into a fist bump. “Thank you all, have a good evening, and enjoy the rest of this beautiful day. There was a metal garbage can sitting beside the stage that had been filled with the ‘Miss Reed’ outfits that she’d forced on them. One by one, they threw them in. Since Ray had been in a Shrek costume for that show, they’d let him throw the remaining ones that were never used in there. It seemed like a waste, but the look was tarnished and nobody wanted anything more to do with it. The girls of the group that were on stage came down to meet their friends and joined in a group hug that included all of the girls, Spike and Dusk and Ray as well. Singer stood by, smiling at the whole thing, feeling happy for them. However, Sunset noticed him standing there. “Hey, this includes you too. Get over here!” “Oh, really? I-…” he had little time to respond before Pinkie’s hand pulled him in and set him by Twilight as he joined the group hug. “This is nice.” As the sun hung high in the sky, they went about the afternoon playing various games. With classes resuming the next day, they’d get as much fun as they could before dark. After what they’d been through, they owed themselves that much. What I’ve done I’ll face myself To Cross out what I’ve become Erase myself And let go of what I’ve done Gleeful Vengeance “Miss Reed, you’ve got a visitor…” a lanky police officer said to her as she lay down on the bed in her cell. “Oh great, if it’s my lawyer again…” she muttered after getting up and following the officer to the visitation area. She was escorted into a room with a window and a phone on each side of them. And it was there she saw him. Golden Record meeting her gaze with a piercing glare. “Oh great…” She sat down and picked up the phone, and begrudgingly waited to get yelled at. “Listen to me,” Record told her sternly. “Coming after my son was a huge mistake. You’d best be glad you got caught and thrown in jail. Because if you get out and terrorize my son and his friends again, I will make your life a living…” he stopped. “You betrayed my trust and made me look like a fool. You’d best steer clear of me as well.” “Hey you gotta do what you gotta do” she shrugged unrepentantly. This only further angered him. “We’re done here. Don’t expect to be invited to the next class reunion.” He got up and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. “Temper, temper… beginning to see where his son gets it.” She said to herself. “Yesss… it’s an unfortunate family trait, I’m afraid.” Miss Reed’s attention was averted into a dark shadowy room where a fellow inmate slowly emerged out of. Her eyes widened as she noticed something oddly familiar about this guy. He looked an awful lot like… Singer… the only difference was, his skin color was dark purple and his hair was burnt orange, as well as his eyes. “No! Back away from me!” Miss Reed said. “I hear you had a brush up with my cousin. Most unfortunate.” “C-Cousin?” Miss Reed trembled. “Look… just stay back! I don’t want any trouble.” “Neither do I. I offer only a simple proposition.” Miss Reed’s apprehension didn’t cease completely but her curiosity peaked. “What kind of… proposition? And who are you?” “They call me… Nut Case… and I have big plans for Canterlot Town, and I could use your help. What do you say?” He reached his arm out to her. Miss Reed’s reluctance melted away into intrigue. Knowing she had nothing else to lose, she reached back out to Nut Case and shook his hand. “Once we have escaped, Canterlot Town will be our canvas for a beautiful painting… of chaos!” He descended into a deep sinister chuckle, leaving Miss Reed standing there for a moment before she joined in.