//------------------------------// // Shrewd Negotiation // Story: I Dream of a Genie with a Light Brown Mane // by Metool Bard //------------------------------// Chapter 11: Shrewd Negotiation "I-I can't believe this!" said an aghast Twilight. "Orthrus is your real master?!" "I know. I'm just the luckiest genie in the world, aren't I?" said Misty sardonically. The great hound knelt down towards Misty, stroking her chin with his enormous paw. "You have performed well," Orthrus's right head said in earnest praise. "It took a bit longer than I expected, but I suppose you can't rush perfection." "Oh, and how perfect this is," the left head added, looking over at Twilight. "We've heard many stories about you, Twilight Sparkle. Oh yes, many stories indeed." The great hound left Misty and began circling around Twilight like a wolf circling its prey. "You are the one who purified our mistress, Nightmare Moon. You are the one who saved Equestria from the likes of Discord, Queen Chrysalis, and His Royal Eminence King Sombra. And now, here you are. Reduced to a mere slave at the whim of another slave. It has been centuries since we have been so amused." "I'm glad you're amused," Misty grumbled. The ears of Orthrus's right head perked up. "What was that?" he asked, turning his attention back to the djinn. "You seem somewhat, disappointed." "I'm not going to gain anything by complaining to you," said Misty with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "Let's just say there's a reason it took so long." "Oh? And what would that be?" asked the left head, glaring intently at Misty. "We would love to hear what the delay was." "It doesn't matter," said Misty flatly. "Not to you, anyway. Now, unless I'm mistaken, we had a deal. I freed you just like you wanted me to. It's time you upheld your end of the bargain." "Misty, wait," Twilight interjected. "Is this what you really want?" Misty sighed. "I'm only going to say this once, kiddo, so listen up. There's only one thing I want more than anything else, and that's my freedom. And if I have to put my heart in a vice to get it, then that's the sacrifice I have to make. Maybe I will cry myself to sleep at night. Maybe I will hate myself for a while. But at least I won't be trapped in some stupid little lamp forced to bend over backwards for some stupid master. This is the way it has to be." Orthrus's right head smirked. "Ah. So that was the delay," he mused. "Like I said, it doesn't matter," said Misty, turning back to the twin-headed hound. "Not as long as you keep your promise." "Oh, and I shall," said the right head. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you unrewarded." He then stood at his full height and cleared his throat. "I wish for this genie to be free." As the right head talked, Twilight saw the left head mutter something under its breath. She gasped. "Misty, wait! Don't grant that wish!" she called out. Misty shook her head. "It's too late, Twilight Sparkle. You can't talk me out of it. I'm sorry." She then turned back to her master. "Your wish is granted, Master Orthrus." Misty spread her arms out and closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of freedom to wash over her body. Suddenly, the golden reins around her muzzle changed to a black ebony color, and became more sinister in design. When she looked down, she was shocked. And that shock quickly turned into rage. "Hey! What gives?!" she snapped. "Why, I wished for you to be free, of course," said Orthrus's right head. "Yes," the left head chimed in nefariously. "Free of your guilty conscience. Free of your sympathetic heart. Free of everything preventing you from enjoying this victory as our eternal servant." Misty howled in pain as she felt a fire in her chest. She looked down, and saw her coat begin to turn as black as soot. "This is not what I wanted!" she cried. "You traitor! You snake! You cheated me!" "Cheated you?" said Orthrus's right head, appearing offended. "You don't really have a leg to stand on for that one. Did you think I wouldn't notice?" "Notice what?" "Oh, don't play innocent, you underhanded wisp of vapor," the left head snarled. "You made Twilight Sparkle your servant instead of bringing her to us. You were planning to wish us back into Tartarus if we didn't give you what you wanted!" "Well, the point is moot now," said the right head. "Because now you have your freedom. The freedom to follow my will, simply because you want to." Misty squirmed and writhed as blackness spread all over her body. She sounded as though she was in unbearable pain. Twilight glowered at Orthrus, intense hatred in her purple eyes. "You are not going to get away with this, Orthrus!" she shouted at the large hound. "I won't let you!" Orthrus's two heads looked at each other, and then burst out laughing. "You?! You plan to fight against us?!" the left head guffawed. "You little foal! You won't even be able to cast a single spell against us! Not while you are enslaved to our servant! Face it, Twilight Sparkle! All hope is lost!" Twilight stood in silence, continuing to stare into Orthrus's red eyes. Deep in her heart, she held onto a small fragment of hope and didn't let go. Everything seemed hopeless, just as Orthrus said. But things were hopeless before, and she made it out okay. There was no reason to give up now. As if to prove her point, a loud, angry roar shook the night sky. Recognizing the sound, Twilight's ears perked up as she strained herself to look behind Orthrus. Sure enough, another large black dog with multiple heads was standing there, looking absolutely livid. Orthrus snickered. "My, my! You are quite shrewd!" the right head said to Misty, who was still writing in pain. "I had not noticed that you summoned me just a heartbeat away from Tartarus. You were counting on my inferior brother to notice that I was gone. Very clever indeed." The twin-headed hound then turned to face his three-headed brother. "Well, it seems you caught me at a disadvantage, Cerberus," the right head said. "I have only been free from Tartarus for a few minutes. I have yet to recover my full power." "It matters not," the left head growled, a gleam in its eyes. "You are still inferior to us, dear brother, and we can overpower you even at our current strength!" Cerberus roared in response, arching his back and snarling. "Eager for a real fight after all these centuries, brother?" said Orthrus's right head. "Well consider yourself lucky, for so am I. Have at thee!" The two great hounds charged for one another. Twilight tried to gallop away during the commotion, but felt a sharp tug from her reigns. She looked back and saw Misty, using her magic to hold the reins and grinning evilly. Her coat was now completely black, and her eyes were bright red. "Where do you think you're going, pet?" the djinn asked, a devious undertone in her voice. "It's time for us to play..."