Special Opening Theme:
The Rutherford's Comment
As you look to the Erised clones and the mind controlled Grey, you think to yourself:
Ok, Selena, what do we know about Erised and his clones?
They seem to be made from his blood. And his blood seems to be responsible for mind controlling the inmates.
They appear to be glass cannons to me and seem to fall apart after a hit or two. Ranged attacks and and strong blows will destroy them chimes in the fallen king. A bit taken a back by his suggestion you ask,
OK, That is good to know and all but how are you so aware with everything going on? Didn't we drug you?
While that moon whorse's shadow is keeping this vile blood at bay, I have been free to observe and think. And your pathetic medication wore off during the fight with the crazy janitor.
Hold your tongue you abomination!Selena growls.
Yeah, we sling the insults and you take them smokey, don't you call her that!
It matters not what I call you wardens, implement my strategies.
And why would I do that? Why would you want me to win?
Did you actually think I took over the Crystal Empire on raw strength and magic alone? I am a strategist. And as for why? I despise your kind and your blood magics! If I can't end you, then I'll settle for seeing these blood echo changelings explode!
Adhering to the whims of the dictator, you use your Telekenisis and throw one of the Eriseds into a wall, causing him to become nothing but a stain.
Ha ha ha ha! Yes, More Blood! Sombra chuckles darkly.
Well that's one down. Several more to go. Though I wish I didn't have to hear Limbo's laugh
I am sorry Bugze, I am still fighting the invading thoughts! Selena strains.
The mind-controlled Grey Rebl sneers at you as he says,
"Oh, drawing first blood are we? Now you're getting it!"
He then charges at you and tries to punch you, but you dodge out of the way. But you can't help but stare at him in shock as you hold up your hooves and say,
Erised the ink-moth's Comment
Kersey's Comment
"Whoa whoa whoa... whoa. I get that you're evil and all, but you're not seriously going to use your buddy to fight me are you? I beat him to a pulp! I'm surprised you can even make him walk in that condition!"
The Eriseds just laugh at you, a hollow, echoing laugh.
Suddenly Grey in right on top of you, shoving you back and grabbing at your throat, his strength somehow even more impressive than before. Yet even as you hold him away, you can hear his bones cracking under the strain of his movements.
"That's where I hold the advantage," Erised's words ooze out of Grey's mouth. "His body isn't mine, so I don't have to hold back. I can keep him fighting to the very end without having him slow down even a bit. You'd better be careful one wrong hit could be the one that kills him."
You hoof freezes right as you are about to punch the possessed unicorn off you.
Bugze, dodge!
Your eyes widen and you jump back right as a spray of ink-blood flies by. You snap your head towards the clone still dribbling the leftovers of its blood vomit, smirking at you as the others continue to circle.
"Hah!" Erised chuckles, "Just like with that traitorous Doctor Nettle, you don't have the stones to take a life, even when your own life is on the line. Quite noble for a soldier of fortune. But we all have that blackness in our hearts. You'll find it sooner or later."
"Who says I haven't already?!" You shout and charge at a trio of clones grouped up, "Falcon PUNCH!"
They swiftly dodge out of the way, but you just got done fighting Grey. Compared to that, these clones might as well be moving in slow motion. "Would you kindly Buck Off!" you send a blast of Bucking Bronco their way and send them into the air.
Before you can finish them while they're vulnerable, Grey jumps on your back and starts to wrestle you away. "Then why do you not embrace it like so many others have done? Isn't that the way?"
"Because I don't want to!" you roll, causing Grey to lose his grip on your face and fall to the floor. You then whip out your air shotgun and blow him away as he's recovering. "Maybe I know how bad I can be! Maybe I've seen what I'm like when I lose control, and I don't ever want to again! And maybe I work every day to do better!"
The clones switch to faster blood-based attacks, and you slide behind some convenient barrels as blood bullets pepper the wall behind you. "So you're in denial then! You can't fight the evil inside yourself forever," they say in unison.
You kick one of the barrels at them, flattening one of the clones and leaving you an opening to stab the other with your Boomstick. Pitch black gore covers you, and you feel Erised's influence exerting itself, slowing your movements and making your vision blurry.
While you try to avoid the rest of the clones closing in on you and spewing more ink-blood, Selena starts purging your system. And this time you're able to help her out.
"Okay... happy thoughts... happy thoughts." you think to yourself, "What are some happy thoughts? I can't think of any..." you blubber.
I can...Sombra chuckles darkly.
Suddenly an image of Fluttershy cosplaying as Bayonetta flashes before your eyes.
*Spurt* "No! Bad Bug! I don't need those kinds of happy thoughts right now!"
You shameless pervert!, you hear Erised's words slowly fade away.
"Wait What?" you say aloud as you realize some of your Midnight Colored blood is tainted black.
*Splash!*
"Oh come on!" you yell as one of the Erised clones suicides all over you, giving you a bigger dose of blood.
"You should keep your thought on your surroundings, and not what's going on inside your head," he chastises. "Someone like me might take that opportunity to land a free hit."
"Hey! You don't know me! You don't know what goes on in my brain!" you counter.
"Oh how I wish that were true you pervert!" Erised sighs.
It's not my fault! An evil king made me see that! you mentally whine as Sombra chuckles.
Ngh...Bugze, I hate to say this, but this could work. Selena says.
What? you think dodging another clone.
Normally I'd discipline you for perverted thoughts, but seeing how these clones are infecting you with their blood, I don't have the time. The best course of action would be to quickly expel the blood.
So... you WANT me to think perverted thoughts?
Within. Reason. she stresses.
Okay then, Zambino, I don't need your help for this one. Spitfire's lingerie shoot *spurt* "Happy ending" massage with Aloe. *spurt* Threesome with Octavia and Vinyl. *spurt* Applejack and Rainbow Dash making out *Spurt* Selena in catmare's- *GONG*
"Gah!" you say reeling from that gong which fortunately causes you to dodge another clone,
I thought you wanted me to think perverted thoughts?!
I said within reason you massive pervert! You know I'm classier than that!
Fortunately Erised decides he's wasting too many clones with this tactic (and is getting kinda jealous/ashamed at your thoughts) and just has them attack you as normal.
Still though, Selena needs less pressure on herself blocking off Erised's voice, and the nosebleeds are giving you a headache. You need something else to make you happy. And then it hits you.
As you dodge more of Erised's attacks, you can't help but feel the urge...
The urge to sing!
SnapDrake's Comment
"Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you," you sing, ducking beneath a shot from one of the clones.
"And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face," you leap between two clones, knocking their heads together.
"Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place," you taunt.
"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you." You twirl around the Boomstick, send out a shockwave- that Grey-Erised doges, hoping to avoid the attack.
"Well, you started off with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self-made man," you sing, aiming a swing of the Boomstick. Grey-Erised slams into the ceiling. You glance behind you and see the rest of the clones creeping up on you.
"And your friends they all come crawlin'
Slap you on the back and say, 'Please, please.'"
As you finish that last lyric, you look at the new ink stains you've made and you can't help but let out a chuckle before saying,
"You know, Erised really should've made these clones more durable. If they could survive more than one hit, it wouldn't be so easy for me to whittle you down to the real one. Why don't you show your REAL self Coward?!"
Your taunt causes them to sneer, but then Grey-Erised chuckles and gets back up.
Grey Rebl's Comment
BrownDog's Comment
“While not true body possession, it’s still quite an effective use of my personal hivemind. The hivemind is what allows me to control my clones and mind-controlled forces, and with such organized efficiency.” Erised then brags, “My own personal drones: Fancy, yes? And I’m not even a changeling queen! But rest assured, the real me IS facing you."
"Oh cut it out with that technicality bullspit!"
“However, for Grey, it’s different. You see, our unfaithful pal here has a problem that I’m sure you've noticed by now: Despite his brutal prowess, he’s so, so weak. One of the weakest of the Generals, in fact. Which is why I decided to arrange something...special for the poor unicorn.”
“Special?” You say apprehensively, “You’re putting your mind-control on your own ally! That’s just...wrong!”
“Hah! Don’t make me laugh. If it suits him, Grey would’ve left the Crimson Knights if he had the chance! He’s no reliable ally, perhaps my most hated ally...but certainly an effective guard dog.”
You’re eyes widen at the term. Guard Dog. Is that what the pony amounts to to Erised?
“I hate him and his disloyalty, he hates my guts and my preaching. I bring him intruders to beat up, he gleefully sates his thirst for blood. And when he loses consciousness---I force him awake, he gets to keep on fighting until he dies!” He then says happily, “A mutual relationship if I do say so myself!”
Startled at the confession, you take a step back. “Cut the bullspit, that’s nothing but Parasitism!” You angrily retort back.
The possessed Grey cruelly smirks back. “Ah, yet it’s symbiosis all the same. It’s the same thing I’m going to use against Celestia.”
You stare angrily at the puppet in front of you and declare in determination,
"I don't care what your idealogy is, how much you two hate each other or how insane you both are. You are going down, on MY terms, not yours!"
"Oh you will will you?" Grey-Erised taunts.
"Yes! And once I'm done with you, all I have left is Mindseye!"
"Mindeseye?" he asks confused.
"Yeah, the final Knight leader! And I'll beat his location out of you both!"
"Um, Mindseye hasn't been with us for over a year," Grey-Erised says matter of factly.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah, the pansy couldn't take the true power and heroism of the Hooded Offender in Fillydelphia and left. Good riddance to him anyway."
"Oh...Well in that case, I'm ending your whole organization tonight!"
"You can try bounty hunter. But I know you don't have the chops to do what's necessary, and neither does that fat flanked false goddess!"
“Okay, what’s your problem against Celestia?!” You shout.
Instead of an answer, the clones shoots forward, as the possessed body shouts back, “Think fast!”
MEANWHILE WITH AQUA AND NIGHTSHADE
Aqua and Nightshade are standing outside the Asylum, watching over as the guards are tying up beaten inmates from the courtyard and Knights. With Aqua's leadership, they were able to hold the line and easily defeat the inmates and Knights who ran from the crumbled entrance. The battle was so one side, that one of the Erised clones forced the others who remained in the building to retreat further in.
"That's clearly not the last of them though..." Aqua moans aloud, while the guards restrain the beaten.
A pegasus guard runs up to her, salutes, and says,
"Ms. Aqua, the perimeter is secured! All inmates and Knight members that entered the courtyard have been captured with no losses on our side! The knight's have refused to give us any information, but from what we can tell, most of them have arrived only recently."
Aqua gains an interested look as she asks,
"How?"
The guard sighs at this before saying,
"There were crystal ponies among the ranks, along with some changelings and minotaurs. Seeing as how the Crystal Empire has only been around for a few months it's reasonable to think that the minions themselves haven't been here long."
Aqua, who's eyes widen at the mention of the Crystal ponies, nods before asking,
"And what about the inmates?"
"No relevant information out of them, they're minds are already fractured, but this mind control has clearly left an impact. But for now at least, the courtyard is secured and we await your orders ma'am.
Aqua starts to think things over, when another voice calls out to her.
The Pony Spartan's Comment
"Ms. Aqua," The same pegasus she sent to get reinforcements flies down beside her." I have notified the guards in Tall Tale of the true situation, and have returned with reinforcements," he says pointing behind himself as an even greater force of guards march up to the gate.
"Great." Aqua says as she looks back to the crumbled building entrance "With enough of us, we can turn the tables on their little ambush plans."
The first guard nods. "By the way, who is that Earth Pony filly that kept kicking all the inmates in the nards?" He says, pointing to the disguised Nightshade.
"She's...the Crimson Vengeance's assistant." Aqua replies.
"And don't take me lightly." Nightshade says before falcon kicking a tied up Minotaur in the nards, which makes the guard wince. "I may be small, but whoever gets in our way will get a falcon kick right to 'em!"
"U-understood." He says before looking back to Aqua. "And Ma'am, the guards in Tall Tale let me know that a messenger was sent to Princess Celestia herself in Vanhoover. Should we not wait till she gets here?"
Aqua and Nightshade's eyes widen at that. "No, that's exactly what those Knights want. It's a trap for her after all. Have everyone group up into formations, breaching teams and a sentry force on all exits. We have to end this before the Princess arrives!"
Grey Rebl's Comment
Erised The Ink Moth's Comment
Within the Asylum itself, Tartarus breaks loose as the Guards pour in in a formation, utterly prepared for anything and anything. Ropes from holes in the ceiling drop down, letting in another group of guards, with different colored uniforms. They land with practiced rolls, standing up immediately back to back, weapons pointed around them as they greet…
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Er, this is SWAT Team Alpha. It’s clear,” one of the special-uniformed guards says.
Another replies exasperatedly. “Oh come one! I thought we could catch em’ by surprise. We even got the formation and the maneuver down pat!”
Aqua, coming from the broken walls, face hoofs. “We've already cleared out this entrance, they retreated further in. And they know we're here why would you use that tactic? It’s literally an all-out swarming strategy with the only good factor being the surprise. What part of mind controlled crazies do you not understand?! Seriously, are all of you in guard just to look cool?”
The ensuing silence and the nervous shuffling says it all.
Aqua just sighs. “Never mind then. Listen to my orders like your compatriots from before, and don't let your guard down, and don't go half-assed into danger. Let’s just finish the job smartly OK?"
She then looks to Nightshade walking in through the same wrecked wall.
"Are you sure you want to be coming in here kiddo?" she asks.
“Are you kidding? Of bucking course! If Sun Butt's coming, I'm not just gonna sit around and wait for her!”
"Alright, but stay close to the boys and keep'em in line when we start moving K?"
"You got it!" she salutes.
"But first, we gotta know where they are, can you sense their locations with your earth bending?"
Nightshade closes her eyes and touches the ground tenatively with her hooves.
"No, there's too much metal and wood in the floor. All I can sense is everyling in this room. Sorry," she says sheepily.
"Yeah alright then, no worries kid. You're not at Sensei Maud's level yet, but you'll get there."
Nightshade nods and looks pointedly at Aqua. “So what do we do? Are we helping daddy now?”
“I don't think we can right now kid. We don't know where the rest of the crazies are. We might end up walking into an ambush.”
Nightshade then hums in thought. However, she then lights up, as though an idea came to her. “Then why don’t we help him by not helping him?”
This causes the mare to frown. “Uh, kid, you’re not making any sense.” She then raises a brow, almost a bit annoyed, “Beside, I don’t need a reminder of what we’ve been doing this entire time.”
“Daddy says that Erised is doing all the mind-control, right? Why not beat up the source? That way, we don’t have to be so bored!“
Aqua then smiles. “I like the way you think. If we cut off the source of the mind control, everypony else will be freed. But one problem: Where would he be? He can be with CV for all we know.”
The two just sit there, humming in thought.
“Knowing CV’s luck, Erised would act like a supervillain who would sit in some high place, laughing maniacally. Typical mastermind behavior.” Aqua listlessly points out.
"And somewhere where he can talk on the intercom," Nightshade thinks aloud.
A few seconds ticks by, and revelations dawns on them. The two looks at each other, a sense of urgency and excitement getting to them.
“The Warden's Office!" Aqua declares as the guards look to her.
"The cause of all this pain is most likely in the warden's office. We'll need to clear a path to there. Be ready for ambush at all times!" she announces.
"Ma'am Yes Ma'm!" they salute and get into formation. They then walk through the hallways past the visitor's room, and into a recreation room, and finally into a cafeteria. The rooms are dimly lit with red back up lights, but still, there is no sign of any inmates.
"Stay in formation, we don't have the advantage of open ground in here, and who knows what they'll throw at us..."
"I think you've got bigger problems little pony," comes Erised's voice. Aqua, Nightshade and the guards look up to see Erised grinning down at them from an upper level. "But fortunately for you, I'm a gracious host..." he then gives a whistle, and crying and laughing rings out "Royal Guards of Equestria, welcome to my abode... welcome to your death."
In the blink of an eye the room erupts into something out of Tartarus, inmates start not only charging through the open gateways, but bursting through the walls, clawing their way out of the stonework. These ponies look possessed and in pain, with some black substance dripping from their eyes and mouth.
"Form up everypony! We can take them if we-" while Aqua shouts her commands, a barrage of fireballs flies over her head, causing her to double-take at the inmates.
Plasmids. Erised infused these ones with plasmids. They're burping fire, shivering from the ice forming over their coats and screaming like they're being boiled alive as they blindly smash themselves against the phalanx of guards. They're nowhere near as refined as CV's powers.
Aqua ducks under an assortment of power blasts, and throws up a shield of ice to block more thrown from the inmates. "Shields up! Shields up now!"
Upon hearing her command several unicorn guards group up and start casting a group barrier spell to block any incoming fire.
So it's not the same, Daddy's ignore magic, Nightshade thinks as she stands near the guards, subtly giving her own magic to help boost it.
While the attacks are blocked, the guards are stationary, and the inmates keep battering at them like a horde of zombies.
Realizing she has to keep them moving, Aqua exits the barrier and water whips a group of them away, making an opening.
"We need to keep moving! Don't let them swarm and deadlock u-"
*BOOM*
Suddenly, Aqua is engulfed in noise and dust, before vertigo and gravity sets in and she falls into darkness.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
The guards and Nightshade give gasps of surprise, seeing the blasting hole that Aqua fell into.
Nightshade and the others look up and see Erised as he just stares listlessly down from behind the barrel of a cannon before walking casually away, chuckling to himself as the so-called heroes continue to meet their doom.
Still caught up in shock at what just happened, one of the guards gets blindsided and tackled by an ice splicer-pony. The chilling touch of the mare's skin starts feeling like frostbite as the two tumble and try to get on top of the other.
Some break formation to help out their comrade, and this causes the large group to be separated into several small ones. Separated by a seas of crazies. Panic begins to set in, and they latch onto the only command that is given.
"Group back up you bozos! And keep kicking their nards!" Nightshade screams.
The panicked guards begin kicking the inmates in the nards as best they can as they try to group up again, but that tactic is only giving them slight breathing room. The crazies still don't relent.
"Ah crap!" Nightshade moans as the groups keep fragmenting.
With Aqua
"Crap crap crap crap!" Aqua screams as she flails, falling into darkness, her ears still ringing from that sneak attack. Her legs and water whips flail out trying to catch on something... anything. But there's nothing, and she plunges into the icy coldness of the water below.
"Wait... Water."
...
Back Up Top In The Cafeteria
The guards are fighting a losing battle. Without their impromptu commander to guide them, and only listening to the whims of a filly, they've been forced to come up with a strategy themselves. And well...
"EVERYPONY FOR THEMSELVES!" one guard screams in a panic before running off abandoning his fellows.
The herd instinct picks up enough momentum for that to seem like a good idea, and soon the guards are fighting against a tide of splicer-ponies as individuals, and many of them are overwhelmed. Some are beaten into submission, while others try to flee randomly. Still others fight for their lives.
"No! Group Up! Didn't you listen to Aqua?!" Aqua yells as she keeps downing her enemies, all cradling their family jewels. Even the mares who don't have anything to cradle there go down in pain.
But aside from her, the others begin to lose and she grits her teeth in anger. She then hears a chuckle amidst it all and turns around.
The guard who started it all smirks to himself before a ripple of black washes over him, and the Erised clone ditches the golden armor he stole in the fighting.
"Tck. Undisciplined idiots, all of them. Now for the bloodshed to,"
"Falcon Kick!"
The clone momentarily feels the worst pain in his entire copied life from that groin shot, before erupting into a mass of ink, which splatters over some of the inmates, who flail about madly, giving some guards a chance to get out, and reform smaller groups, who all retreat with Nightshade.
Back With You
You've destroyed a few more Erised clones, but the others have kept their distance, spamming blood attacks at you, while Grey-Erised attacks with reckless abandon.
"Your fight is for nothing! Listen to the battle in the distance bounty hunter! The guards have walked right into the meat grinder!" he taunts.
"Bullspit!" you declare.
"Yes it's true, and now that your partner is in a watery grave, they stand broken and fractured!"
"Watery Grave?" you deadpan as you stare at the possessed unicorn. "You sent a water bender to a watery grave?"
His eyes widen at that, "Water Bender?"
Suddenly, a loud groan from the pipes is heard throughout the complex.
Back To Nightshade and the Guards
All the progress made into the asylum is quickly being overwritten, as the conscience guards and Nightshade retreat with an army of crazies behind them.
But just as the guards start to think all hope is lost for them, they hear a sound. The pipes lining the walls start to shake... then burst with water that looks like it's alive! The tendrils snake through the air, lashing out at the inmates before snap-freezing into thick icy restraints.
It's not enough to last long against plasmid powers, and soon the splicer-ponies start to melt through their restraints, or for those with ice powers, just absorb it. But it is enough for the guards to finally take back the initiative and either knock out or restrain the downed splicers.
Nightshade, with the now regrouped guards finally get back into the danged formation, as the remaining water in the room coalesces into the shape of Aqua.
"Alright Aqua!" Nightshade cheers.
"Blmmbblmm! Blbb-bl mmmb mlbble blm!" Water Aqua orders, pointing a watery hoof back into the asylum.
"Uhh... what?" one of the guards asks.
Water Aqua facehoofs with a splash before repeating the actions.
"Still lost," the guard replies.
"Oh for, just keep'er goin!" Nightshade yells, and the water Aqua nods.
"Oh, right! Onward, and keep in formation!" the guard orders.
"THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!!! GUGH!!!"
As Nightshade nearly pops a blood vessel, she and the guards take back the ground they've lost, restraining the inmates more easily with the help of the water tendrils.
When the last of the large groups of inmates is finally restrained, and the majority of the Asylum recovered, Aqua emerges from a flooded basement, dripping wet and exhausted.
"Whew. I haven't tried to control that much water in along time," she pants as the guards still well enough to stand gather around her. The floor is covered all over with the water she used in the fight.
"Ma'am, we've recovered the majority of the institution, and I've received word that another unit is prepared and ready to breach the warden's office. What are your orders ma'am?" one of the guards tells her.
Aqua looks to the guards that were wounded in the last confrontation, then to the captured inmates that had since been stuffed into one cell like packaged carrots.
"You boys have had enough action for one day," she decides, "Stay here and watch over the wounded and the prisoners."
With relieved sighs, they nod and agree to stay behind.
"What about me?" Nightshade asks as she hops up to Aqua. "I'm coming too right?"
Aqua rubs the back of her neck awkwardly.
"I dunno kid. This place is pretty crazy, even for a crazy house. And you kind of just went through a big battle, and CV would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you. Maybe just sit back and let the big ponies handle this?"
Nightshade pouts. "But I did great back there! I must've kicked like a hundred ponies in the nards!"
At this, several of the guards wince, knowing they were the victim of some 'friendly fire' from the filly.
"I'm more stallion than any of these pansy guards!" she declares.
Aqua winces, considering everything. "Okay." she finally relents. "But stay close to me. Got it?"
"Got it."
The two then run down the hallway cleared of crazies as they finally find the Warden's Office. Where a small group of guards await them.
“We’re here, Ms. Aqua. What do we do now?” Asks a guard.
“Wait out here and hide out. You’ll be our back up in case any more crazies come. You’ll also be the reinforcements if it gets messy. Follow the Filly's orders," she commands and Nightshade scowls at them to which they wince. Aqua looks back to her. "Stay out here with them kiddo, I'll call if I need back up. Now then…”
The door into Erised’s office slams open.
“End of the line Erised! You're under...arrest?” Aqua trails off from the sight in front of her. “What the buck?”
Erised the pale and scarred changeling is simply standing in the corner of his office with a Golf Putter in his hooves, lazily putting a golf ball into a coffee cup. He sighs blissfully. “Oh no no no! Continue. Just say your piece as I enjoy my game..."
She's a bit taken aback by his callous attitude, but she quickly shakes it off.
“Are you serious? Another changeling? Ugh, pretty ugly too. Might need to get those scars checked.” Aqua deadpans.
“A bratty mouth, I see,” Erised drolls. “Shame, it doesn't quite fit your face. But I'm getting ahead of myself Water Bender. It seems that introductions are in order," he then looks to her with a scowl. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, yes I'm Erised. I'm not surprised you've managed to get up here, with everything that's gotten screwed up today. But this ends now."
“Charmed,” Aqua says sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she takes a threatening hoof forward, “Look, I’ve already have enough bad experiences with changelings, Let’s make this quick.”
“Oh really now?” Erised and his pale chitin rumbles with dark laughter. The hollow and dead song of a voice replies with a rather chilling preposition: “Before you do, would you care for a decent and mature conversation?”
“Nope! No talking! We’re fighting, right here, right now!” She lunges forward, a water whip at the ready.
“Very well then," he responds and claps his hooves together.
Suddenly, the large, viewtiful window behind him explodes into shards of glass as a pair of guards swoop into the room.
Aqua flinches back, ceasing her charge. Just as the guards land, they point their weapons toward her.
“What the--what are you guys doin--” She stops upon the sight of black ink upon their coats “When did this happen?! How?!”
“Your first mistake was letting yourself inside. I have astute control of the happenings in this facility. Your second mistake, was callously using the water within the pipes. I've been bleeding into them for months."
Aqua's eyes widen in shock at this as the changeling continues.
"Although, I am a bit miffed by the lack of bloodshed within my halls you caused in using my water. Still, because of you, gaining a hold of enough of your forces was easy,” Erised answers boredly. “It's not much...but I'll make do."
Behind the mare, she hears the rapid clopping of hooves and clanging of armor. However, she has a feeling that it is not the sound of reinforcements. Judging by the black ink blots on their uniform, the Royal Guard from the breaching team are under mind-control as well, that much is obvious. They enter and surround Aqua, pointing their weapons so that there’s no way else out but through them. She sees their strained expressions and the perspiration running down their brows. It turns out they’re still conscious, trying their best to fight Erised’s influence.
“Although I must criticize the Royal Guard: So much skill, yet so little independence. They were so very easy to control that I wonder if they even have any free will at all. Didn’t have to break their minds.” He shrugs uncaringly, as though he's talking about the weather, and lines his golf shot back up. “I suppose it has something to do with Celestia’s doctrine about following orders and maintaining a stoic peace of mind.”
“Hmmph!” Aqua retorts arrogantly, smiling regardless of the situation. “You think a few extra bodies are going to prevent me from beating you? It doesn't matter if your blood is in the water or not, getting hit with a tidal wave of it is still gonna knock you on your flank!" she declares as she starts to breathe in, focusing on the water on the ground.
"So, even being submerged in it, the water is still your ally. No matter, you won't be able to move in a second.
"The heck I-"
One of the guards rushes towards her, and she instinctively lashes out with the whip.
Green flames of magic envelope him revealing a copy of Erised. The copy goes black and explodes in ink splattering all over her.
“Ugh! Gross!” she gags before she starts to lock up. She can’t move. “Grrph!”
At that moment, Erised bursts into laughter. Laughs and laughs and laughs, increasing in volume. He even does a little jig. “Oooh! Yes! Checkmate! Ahaha!” Aqua can only struggle to regain control of her body as the effects of the black ink seeps in, his voice echoing in her mind. When he pauses to take a breath, he gasps, “You know, I used to fear waterbenders. They can practically sense any kind of water when given enough skill. However, I guess they can’t tell the difference between a real-living pony and a mass of blood!”
Still in a fit of chuckles, Erised reach out to a microphone to the side and speaks to it, “Crimson Vengeance~, I would suggest that you’d stop resisting unless you want me to kills your friend.”
“Oh come on! What’s with me, changelings, and being taken hostage!?” Aqua growls.
Back To You
Things have been going relatively well for you. The pipes burst earlier, allowing you to shock a majority of the clones into goo, and even slow down Grey-Erised.
You're even in high spirits because you've heard the triumphant shouts of the guards further in, and the constant snarls of the two remaining clones and Grey.
As always though, (especially for you), good things must always come to an end.
The intercom flares to life, and Grey and the clones freeze, smiling at you. Then comes Erised's voice, almost singing your voice in glee as he says,
“Crimson Vengeance~, I would suggest that you’d stop resisting unless you want me to kills your friend.”
You freeze at that before retorting, "Bullspit! No way you have her! I'm almost positive she wrecked what's left of your asylum!"
Then, against your declaration, you hear Aqua's voice come through the intercom,
“Oh come on! What’s with me, changelings, and being taken hostage!?”
Your face pales at that, as Erised begins chuckling again.
"Well looks like someone has their hoof in his mouth. But yes Bounty Hunter, if you don't submit to my blood now, hers will stain the floor."
You grit your teeth at that, "You're bluffing!"
"Am I? Well let's ask her."
There is a pause before Aqua's strained voice yells,
"Don't do it CV! Don't give in, just kick his-AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Aqua's screams then erupt over the intercoms.
"Aqua!" you shout.
"Grr...C-C-CV!" Aqua's strained voice comes through, "Don't worry... about me. Just make this bucker pay! AAAAHHH!"
"Stop it! Let her go!" you yell.
"There's only one reason I'd stop," Erised tells you as two of his clones come towards you.
"Fine, do it!" you yell to them.
They both embrace you and dissolve into Ink, coating you.
As soon as they do, Aqua's screams stop, but another scream replaces it.
AAAAAAHHHHH!!! BBBBBUUUUUGGGGZZZZEEEEE!!! Selena shouts as though she's overwhelmed.
SELENA! you cry out as you begin to feel the ink spreading.
“I don’t know how you’re resisting, but I know even you can’t take so much! Now, be caged in the blood of sins! Become subservient!” Grey-Erised commands you.
With Erised's blood in your system,your partner in his hooves, and Selena fading out, you have little choice but to agree.
"Very well. Step into my office, would you kindly?"
With that, you are led by the Grey puppet through the halls.
Back In The Office
Erised smiles condescendingly at Aqua and the guards as he speaks into the microphone. “I win. You are now under my control, Crimson Vengeance.”
Aqua and the conscious guards can only look on him in shock and disbelief.
“N-no!” Aqua utters.
“Oh yes!” Erised chuckles darkly, spinning around his golf club animatedly before he looks back at her.
"You all may have screwed up a lot of the glorious plans I had, but the plan can still work. Celestia is going to get educated in the ways of the world.
As he finishes saying that, you and Grey walk into the office.
"Oh good, you're here," Erised gives you an ironic welcome.
"Yeah, now let them go!" You say, pointing to Nightshade, and the guards he's possessing.
Erised just stares blankly at you before ignoring your request entirely, and moving on with his own agenda. "I called you up here because I'm curious about something, and wanted to have a nice talk face to face before I destroy you all so I can get the satisfaction of knowing and all that," he says. You glare at him in response.
"You're a bounty hunter, that much is certain, the stories about you are out there, and yet you fancy yourself a noble hero who never takes a life. You even went out of your way to spare my mad watchdog, Grey. In that way, you're no better than Celestia and her mediocre guards." He fixes you with a hard stare, "Why? WHY?!"
"Why do you hate Celestia so much?!" you shoot back. All this time Erised's gone on about why Celestia is a terrible ruler, and that she's not tough enough. It's about time you got some answers too.
Erised frowns at you and reaches into the top drawer of a nearby desk.
"I want to show you something. The first time I saw it I was going to throw it in the trash. But I decided to keep it instead, to remind myself why I do this." He pulls out a wooden plaque, exquisitely etched with gold letters. "'No one is beyond saving,'" he reads the inscription aloud, then looks at you. "That's there motto, that No one is beyond saving...Not even when they set fire to a library, or tried to blow up a toy store full of families and children. Not even when they kill their ex marefriend in a fit of jealous rage and claim insanity in court. Not even these monsters are Beyond Saving"
Erised shakes his head and lets the plaque fall to the floor with a thud.
"I'm old, bounty hunter. For years I've been hunting down and punishing the wicked. It started with my own kind, who refused to embrace peace and love. Then over time I realized ponies weren't so different, sometimes. We're all monsters inside; the worst thing you can do is ignore that fact, and that's exactly what Celestia does. She ignores the risks, and puts lives in danger! For the longest time I thought I was the only one who understood what needed to be done. Then during the Crimson Hearths Warming, I found out there was another. Another true hero willing to do whatever it took to ensure the world doesn't die, to kill one so that millions can live in peace!"
You glare at his words as you now know where he's going with this.
"If the Hooded Offender were here right now, he'd have slaughtered his way through everypony in here, to protect everypony out there! He would've done what was necessary by purging these insane wrecks to protect innocents out there! He would do what Celestia herself can't, and tonight would have proved that, until you came along..." Erised takes a breath, finishing his rant.
"Ah, but though I love talking about me, I believe I asked you a question. Why do you refuse to do what's right?"
"Buddy, I gotta tell you, you've got a messed up idea of what's right and wrong," you say with a glare, "Being a hero doesn't mean being worse than the things you're fighting. It took me a while to learn that, but it's true. And if the Hooded Offender were here, I know he'd agree with me."
"You claim to think what a true hero like him would think? He who killed a Tyrant and a Terrorist?!"
"Yes I do! Because by your stupid logic, there'd be a lot more blood on his hooves. You're no hero Ink-moth! You're just another villain who thinks they can't be wrong! You claim it's right that the Hooded Offender killed a Tyrant and a Terrorist, but take a look in a mirror sometime ugly, and see your true reflection. And if you weren't holding me and my friend hostage, I wouldn't kill you, but I'd totally buck your face in for all those you've hurt!"
Erised laughs. Laughs! "I never said I was clean. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few skulls. Even Flag Burner realized that, but even he lost sight in the end. But at least I don't unleash beings of chaos on the off-chance they'll be friendly."
"What the buck are you talking about?" you ask.
He leans in and, in a ghastly whisper, he finishes, “She’s setting forth plans to reform Discord.”
That ceases your struggles, it strikes you dumb. You choke. Reforming Discord? They’re giving him a chance of redemption? That crazy guy?!
Through Grey’s shattered mouth, Erised laughs at your reaction and both speak to you in unison.
“I know right?! Discord reformed! Hah! You and I both know that that is nothing more than scenario set up for failure! The Spirit of Chaos, The Ultimate Trickster would never be so readily obedient! In fact, I’m sure they'll forcefully reform him so that he's under their control, exactly like I'm doing now. But oh no, that'd be too logical, that fat flanked whorse might think that that's too easy. She'll probably just grovel before him and ask
‘Discord? Would you kindly not incite chaotic destruction upon us and conform to the magic of friendship?’ Hah hah! I bet there will only be pity in Discord’s heart!”
His mocking aside, you still go through the scenarios in your mind. After everything he did to you and the Deadly 6, how could Celestia even begin to think about letting him go?
Suddenly,Grey-Erised stops talking as Erised’s tone turns dark and serious. “That’s what it comes down to, these three words: Would you kindly? To demonstrate my point...Stand up. Would You Kindly?”
To your horror, you are compelled to obey as you stand up.
“Look left, would you kindly?” You do. “Look right, then down, then right again,” And you do so without hesitation. “On your haunches. Back on all fours. Now walk in a circle. Oh! Stay in the puddle of my ink. In fact, would you kindly roll over?” By each command, you follow to the letter. It makes you sick.
“Now do you understand? I have the same power that the Royal Government holds, and yet, unlike me, they don’t even use it! So simple! So easy...It drives me crazy! Would you kindly lay on your back!”
When you do, you realize the intent as Grey’s possessed body moves towards with a putter in his telekinetic grip. You can’t help but gulp as the body approaches.
“What next? The changelings and the hive? Will she start reforming us then? Help us? No. Nonono!”
Grey lifts the putter up and slams it down on you, and then again. And again. And again and again and again and again...
"CV!" Aqua groans as do a few of the guards.
“No, the changelings can't be saved. Not Chrysalis *thwack!*, not the hive *thwack!*, not me *thwack*, not anyling!”
...until finally, with a final golf ball swing, he throws your body into the Warden's Desk, turning it into a pile of debris. With quick command, you are led back into the black puddle.
“Ugh!” You grunt. You fall into a heap, Erised’s voice, inside and outside, buzzing hellishly into your psyche as you cough from the dust. The more blows come. You try to think of happy thoughts, you even try to think of pervy thoughts, but you can't. You’re movements keep on losing coordination, especially with the black much being reapplied on each hit.
At this point, Erised is at the point of hysterics. “Justice shouldn’t be about making peace talks. A true hero would go in the face of evil and smother it! With this power, I’ll rectify what Celestia did wrong! With this army, I can bring justice down on ALL criminals as I assimilate them into my Arsenal. That's what I will do. This is what Flag Burner would do! And most of all, this is what the Hooded Offender would do! Celestia will be punished for her cowardice!”
Then comes his laughter as Grey continues to beat you. Erised laughs to the heavens, but someway and somehow he’s joined by another.
To Erised’s utter bewilderment, Aqua is laughing. She’s laughing so hard, that tears are brimming around her eyelids.
“W-what’s so funny?! Answer me!” Erised demands as Grey stops hitting you and you look to her.
“Hehe--! Snrk! Celestia’s a coward huh?” Aqua says rhetorically. “Well, says the coward who can’t spill the blood himself! Look around us! You have your underlings do the deed instead while you sit back comfortably! Seriously, you’re such a hypocrite! The biggest coward of them all, is YOU! Ahaha!”
“Youuu! You think I'm a coward?! That I can't get my own hooves dirty?! I’ll show you who the coward is!” he moves forward, snatching a pen and lifting it up menacingly. “I've been doing this longer than you've been alive filly! This’ll teach yo--” He freezes before he can jam the pen into her. “W-what?!”
Aqua just smiles tauntingly. “Normally, I need to move to do my Bloodbending. But since I can’t, I needed you to be in near touching distance. Thanks for falling for the taunt, by the way.”
“Grrrr! You can’t do this! You can’t! Let go of me!” Erised shouts, and his eyes begins glowing, pouring power into his mind control, if only to get himself released.
Aqua visibly struggles, a few beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face. “W-woah there, tiger! You sure have a tight hold in ya. Didn’t think it’d be this, erk, hard...Hey, CV!” She strains out towards you. "Break that puppet, and I'll take out the master!"
“Hah!” Erised laughs through the struggle. “Don't think I'm like that pretender to the crown during the Canterlot Wedding. Even if you usurp my original mind, as long as there are other’s being possessed, the hivemind will still continue running, my voice still imprinted into their very minds. The guards in my possession will still have the urge to kill you, the inmates will run rampant, and even you will be a part of the collection! And most of all, your precious Crimson Vengeance will be under my subconscious control by then. It’s too late!”
To his surprise, the water bending unicorn just chuckles. “Sorry, sweetie, but I know for certain that my good friend CV is just too crazy for you to control. Bad luck for you, bud. Plus, we've got an ace in the hole...CV, eyes shut! Nightshade! The plushie!”
“Surprise motherbucker!”
"WHAT?!" Erised shouts in shock.
Nightshade, makes her entrance from the air vents above. She holds up the Luna plushie, and you avert your gaze. Immediately, every one of the guards, and Erised collapses to the floor, falling into a heap.
"Buck Ya Kid!"
"You should have called for back up sooner!"
"This was your only opening. Now come on let's...What?!"
"What is it?" Nightshade asks.
"I still can't move!"
"Cheap trick, but it will do you no good!" comes Erised's voice from Grey's mouth. He still stands above you, glaring at the Aqua and Nightshade.
"How?!" you declare.
"Grey's body still seems to have it's own flight or fight response. He looked away...and now all my other puppets are sleeping. No matter, I still have two good ones. Would You Kindly kill that mare and filly?"
Aqua and Nightshade gasp at this...but you don't move.
He frowns.
"I said, kill that mare and filly, would you kindly?"
Still you do nothing.
Growing Frustrated, he shouts, "KILL THEM! WOULD YOU KINDLY?!"
You then stand up, and he begins to smile, until you turn your gaze to him.
“I don’t think so.”
To his astonishment, you effortlessly exit the puddle of black ink, as if there’s no effect of his influence whatsoever. Eyes wide, Grey’s possessed body stumbles back looking at you as though you in bewilderment. Well, it’s not you exactly.
"Mommy?" Nightshade asks in happiness, while Aqua looks very confused as to why CV is speaking with a dark female voice.
“Would you kindly stop?!" he shouts, but Instead, she uppercuts him backwards. "W-what?! How can this be?!”
“During your preaching, my little bounty hunter was able to reach me,” Selena says. “We came to an interesting conclusion. You're controlling him, Not Me!" She then backhooves Grey into the wall. "Honestly, it’s embarrassing that I’ve been having such a hard time against such weak mind-control magic. Something that I’ll rectify soon enough.”
“Hehe,” despite himself, Erised chuckles through the body he’s holding. “So you were just a puppet? Are you telling that, I, Erised the Ink Moth, the master of puppets...I’m being beaten...by one?!" You’ve thwarted my plans so much thus far! I refuse to believe that I’m being beaten by my own tricks!”
Don’t put me down on your level, because unlike you and Grey, WE are doing this mutually and by choice. We trust each other more than anything.
She then picks up Grey-Erised in her magical grasp.
“So what?! Think that trust is going to save you?! My magic won’t be bested in this manner! Would You Kindly Put Me Down?!"
"I'm afraid not pale cockroach. Because now is the time for you to fall."
"Would you ki-"
She shuts his mouth with her magic.
"And you were wrong. When it comes down to everything, those are not the three magic words. My hunter and I, we know the true three words that hold the most power. The three sweetest words in the Equish language...care to guess?" she taunts as her eyes begin glowing orange.
Grey-Erised confused and bound sputters out...
"I love you?"
She smirks at this, "Close, but no cigar," she makes your eyes glow even more,
"Assuming Direct Control..."
Suddenly, Grey's eyes briefly flash orange, and he screams.
You, Aqua, the inmates, the conscience guards still under Erised's control can all hear the scream in their heads as it fades into nothingness.
Aqua finds that she can finally move again and lets out a sigh of relief, as Grey-Erised still wriggles in your grasp.
Erised looks around, seeing the ink from his clones drying up, feeling his power over the guards draining away. "No..." then to everyone's surprise, the main Erised starts to melt away too. "NOOOOOooooooooo..." he lets out one last defiant scream through Grey's throat before going limp, as the main body dissolves into muck.
You feel a ten ton weight lift off your mind, and your body is once again yours to control.
Selena! You did it! Thank you! you cheer to the mare who relinquishes control to you.
Oh, was there any doubt? she asks coyly with a chuckle. And you're welcome my bug...
Why did you go and do that? His body was nearly dead and I would've been freed! Sombra growls.
Quiet you!,you shut the king up as you look over the group in front of you.
Aqua and the guards, are glad to be free as well, stretching out and letting out sighs of relief.
You immediately run over and give Nightshade a big hug. "Are you okay Sweetie?" you ask and check her over.
"I'm fine Daddy. I'm tough, just like you," she tells you. "I just wish I jumped in sooner and you wouldn't have been hit so hard." You don't know if she's just putting on a brave face for you or not, but you're glad she's okay. You shudder to think about how much worse it could have been. Aqua then walks over and ruffles Nightshade's mane before bopping your shoulder
"Is that it? Is it finally over?" Aqua asks.
No. I can still sense the Ink-moth's presence. It is weak and holds no power over us, but some part of him is still alive... and he is nearby.
At this you look around, wondering where that rotten changeling could still be hiding. The "Main Body" wasn't even his main body after all.
"Hold onto that thought Aqua, he's still around. In the meantime, You Boys tie this piece of filth up!" you declare throwing Grey's unconscious form over to them.
"Sir Yes Sir!" they declare and restrain the Crimson Knight Leader.
Then out of the corner of your eye you notice a shiny red button you didn't see before. Approaching it you see it's lined up with a bookcase, some kind of secret door. Selena confirms that Erised, the real one, is on the other side.
You signal to the everypony in the room with you and prepare your own arsenal for whatever's on the other side, and push the button. The bookcase slides up, along with a plate of reinforced steel wall, but nothing could have prepared you for what's on the other side.
*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
The sound of a heart rate monitor dominates the room. Strapped to a medical bed, hooked up to all sorts of tubes and wires and breathing through an oxygen mask... is Erised. If you thought his scarred doppelgangers from before looked bad, this one looks downright awful. So thin, so weak and pale... surrounded by buckets collecting his blood, draining him dry. This was the one controlling those clones, conducting everything from behind the scenes with his magic? This decrepit old thing?
You lower your weapons. He can't fight back, you doubt he could even sit up on his own power. Erised is as good as bagged.
"...You..." Erised moans faintly, his eyes creaking open. "You found me. Good work." he says before closing his eyes, resigned to his fate. "...Finish it."
You cock your head to the side.
"Dude, you're already finished. Your weapon factory is toast, all your clones are gone, every inmate in Arkhay has been pacified, and you're going behind bars for a long, long time. If that isn't finished, I don't know what is."
Erised opens his eyes to glare at you, somehow managing even in his condition.
"Don't be coy. I want you... to kill me. Prove that you have what it takes... to pick up the mantle, hero," he wheezes.
"This again?!" you wave your arms. "I already told you, I don't do that! It's sick and wrong! If you think that's what a hero does, then you need to redefine what hero means to you, or better yet, have someone else define it for you!"
"But he would have done it...The Offender would have...It's the only way to win..."
"No it is not. Look at what we and the royal guards have done. What we've all done through determination. You claim that there's only two ways to act, Kill or Be Killed. And that's bullspit! There is a third option. And option to be better than the monsters. It's the harder path, and it's exhausting in the face of overwhelming odds, but it is the option of a hero! And look around you. It can work!"
Erised lets out a raspy sigh. "It doesn't make any sense.... I guess I can only pray... that the real Offender is still out there... and he'll step up when we're all gone."
His eyes are lost but then they harden one last time "You may have forced me out. But I still have one last trick to play. See you all in Tartarus."
With that, Erised's horn is enveloped in a black light. It last less than a second before vanishing in a muted pop.
You then notice the buckets of his Ink Blood begin boiling, and he starts convulsing. You feel a faint burning sensation within your body, and you even see Aqua and the guards shake a bit, but nowhere near as bad as the changeling in the bed.
"How?! How aren't you all burning with me?!" he gasps in pain.
"What part of 'Assuming Direct Control' do you not bucking understand?! Now would you kindly give up?!" you angrily say to him.
Through his pain, he briefly smiles at that, "Would I Kindly?...As you wish..."
Suddenly, his body goes limp, and the heart rate line goes flat.
You and everyone else gasp in shock at this as his heart stops beating.
"Oh No You Don't! Would You Kindly jolt that heart!" you yell as you zap him in the chest, causing the heart rate to blip a few times, before flatlining again. So you repeat the process, keeping his heart beating.
"This scumbag doesn't deserve to die peacefully for all he's done. The living world still isn't done with him!" you yell.
You keep him alive somewhat till the guard EMT's come with their own medical spells and equipment and take him away, even as Erised is wheeled out though, you still hear him continually being flat lined and resuscitated.
You pant angrily at this, but both Aqua and Nightshade place a hoof on your shoulder to calm you down.
"That psycho had better make it. He's got a lot to answer for," you grumble.
With both Erised and Grey out of your hooves, you three walk through the hallways, where the inmates and doctors seem to come out of a haze. Royal Guard EMT's check all their vitals. And the patients, with non mind controlled doctors, are led back to their rooms. You even see Quacksalver on a table as they put a gas mask over his face.
"Oh, I smell gas. Lovely gas...Night Night Gas..." he then promptly passes out.
As you walk, you and Aqua continually get salutes and appreciation from the guards.
"Ma'am, Sir," says one of the guards. "We'd have all been toast if it weren't for you. You are the truest heroes we've ever me. The Royal Guard will never forget. We'll sing your praises all over Equestria Aqua and Crimson Vengeance."
You three eventually sit down on the steps at the front of the asylum and look over the guards as they set things in order.
"Actually getting thanked for saving the day is...weird. I think I like it though," Nightshade says aloud.
You smirk at this, "You can say that again honey..."
"Heh. So did we find out where the last guy is?" Aqua asks.
"Nah, turns out in this wor...I mean, that the last guy isn't even with the Knights anymore. Grey and Erised were it," you answer.
"So...we're done then?" Nightshade asks.
"Yeah...yeah Shade. I think we are."
You smile at this and hold her tight.
"So...what does that mean then?" Aqua asks.
"I...don't really know right now. I'm kind of still caught up in the fact that I was committed, drugged, mind controlled, and still came out on top in one day."
"Heh, yeah. You've had a heck of a day CV. Thank Celestia we were here to stop it from getting worse," Aqua sighs.
"Yeah, Thank Cele-" you suddenly freeze as you realize something.
"Oh Crud! Is Celestia still coming, or did you stop the letter?" you ask.
Aqua's own eyes widen as she realizes this.
"Oh Crap! In all this madness I forgot, she'll be here any minute no-" she is interrupted as the guards begin cheering and looking at the sky in the distance.
Through the fading day light, you can see a white winged figure getting closer and closer.
"Ah! It's Sunbutt! What do we do Daddy? What do we do?!" Nightshade panics.
Leave Immediately!
No, stay and end her!
"I don't know! If I stick round for the payment, she'll try to talk to me. And crud! The guards are talking up as heroes! We did just take down all the Crimson Knight leaders. What if she tries to pin a medal on me or something?! She'll eventually figure out who I am! AAAAAHHHH!!!"
*SLAP*
Your head jerks as Aqua shakes her hoof from the slap.
"CV, calm down. Take Nightshade and slip out of here, I'll meet you at the Tall Tale Train Station tomorrow."
"What? Where are you going?" you ask.
"I'm gonna buy you some time to slip out," she answers.
"How are you going to do that? You're not going to attack her are you?" Nightshade asks.
"No, nothing that stupid kiddo. I'm just gonna distract her by accepting hers and the guards praises."
"What?"
"You're right CV, they do view us as heroes. I was seen by more guards today, so her focus will shift to me, and I'll keep it on me."
"Aqua I don't know..." you start, but she shakes her head.
"Just get going you two, a little praise never killed anypony," she then winks at the both of you. "See ya tomorrow."
She then stands up and walks to the forefront of the cheering guards, who raise her on their shoulders.
Taking the hint, you grab Nightshade and you exit stage left, heading towards the woods to sneak back to Tall Tale.
From your distance you see Celestia land as everyone bows. You can't hear what they say, but you do see her congratulating Aqua in some manner as the guards cheer.
You smile at this.
Wow, It seems she is channeling the Filly Fooler for that level of attention whorseing Selena quips.
You chuckle at this before looking back down to your daughter.
"Come on Shade, let's go to a motel. Daddy's had a long day."
She nods and follows your lead.
As you walk, you think upon Erised and his twisted views on heroics, how he was willing to die for those ideals even when proven wrong. For all you know he is dead, but if he is, it's out of your hooves, although You do hope that his heart still beats.
You then think about the months you've spent in the wilderness, all the cuts and bruises and madness you endured hunting these leaders down...and now it's over.
They've all been turned over. Soon their entire organization will fall apart without leaders.
You accomplished something as The Crimson Vengeance that you never achieved with your other personalities. You were finally recognized as the hero you've always claimed to be. You won.
And now that you've won, you can get your life back on track.
Although, it still will be the Life of a Wanted Changeling. But at least there will be one less obstacle in the road. It's time to leave the Bounty Hunting life behind...for now at least.
TO BE CONTINUED
Special Ending Theme:
