//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16: "Silver Linings." 
// Story: Morning Meir Mysteries: Case 1: A Mad Mare Affair 
// by XombieSlayr 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 16: "Silver Linings."

For a while we just glared at one another, letting the hatred fume from our eyes like fire.

She couldn't kill me, and at the same time I didn't dare make a move against her. As much as I hated it, I had to know more. I had to get her talking again. So I had everything I needed to fill my friends on back at the hotel when I escaped from here.

I decided to play along. If I could convince her I had been won over, perhaps by The Dark Ones influencing me from behind the scenes, and she never knew about it. She just wasn't worth their time of explaining the whole plan to her. It was a serious bluff to pull off, but...I had to try.

Not just Mareposa, but the entire world was counting on me. I wasn't about to give up. It was time to use some of the techniques that I had picked up from watching Rala at work. I only hoped I could do half as good a job as her.

Phantom Techniques: Perfect Mimicry

I slowed my breathing, calmed my nerves and altered my tone of voice, to a scarily calm yet composed and focused version of my own. As if another voice was speaking through me now. I had to make it seem like The Dark Ones were influencing my words now.

I softened my look towards De'belle and...smiled. Not manically, but calmly. She caught it almost instantly.

"Oh? And what seems to have you in such high spirits all of a sudden, Ms. Meir?" She asked mockingly.

I spoke so calmly it came out as if I was asleep. "What makes you think that I haven't been apart of all this from the beginning?"

She laughed jokingly, but I caught the slightest waver of unease in her voice now. "Is that right? Don't think you can outsmart your way of this with that excuse!" she snapped.

I chuckled to make even the most diabolical of movie villains proud. "So naive...you've really had no idea at all have you? This whole time, you were never told by the masters. Pathetic."My voice was now chillingly cold.

I had gotten to her. Her eyes softened a bit, as the slightest bit of fear was now visible on her face. "What are you doing? If your trying to trick me-"

I brought home the performance with a sudden evil laugh that scared even me with how wicked I could truly make myself sound. "You idiot! Don't you get it!? You were nothing but a puppet! A toy, that the masters twisted around in their fingers. You played the part you were given, but now its done. I am the one who The Dark Ones have truly chosen. I am The Catalyst who will bring about their new glorious age, and you....You are nothing!" I snapped at her with manic glee. I heard her henchponies flee in terror behind me.

I wasn't myself anymore at this point. If you weren't me, you would truly have believed I had been the ringmaster behind everything from the beginning. And that's exactly what De'belle was now thinking, in spite of herself. She could act as powerful as she wanted, but the truth was always clear: She was weak and scared, and knew to disobey the Dark Ones meant a fate worse then death. She had no choice but to believe me now.

At long last her perfect and smug voice was shaking with fear. "You....you can't....YOU CAN"T FOOL ME! I-I know what you're doing! IT WON"T WORK!" She screamed with desperation. I returned the favor by upping my "Descent Into Darkness" routine.

"YOU'VE FOOLED YOURSELF! Thinking you were anything more then a tool for The Dark Ones to motivate me. And yet...you continue to deny it. Because you're weak." I said gravely.

De'belle's eyes had tears running from them, as her already broken mind struggled to comprehend what she should believe. She began breathing rapidly as she shook her head in frustration. "No...no, no its not possible! Its-Its a trick, it has to be....I am The Grand Master!" She shouted.

I chuckled evilly again. "Not so Grand anymore now, huh?" I mocked her.

"SHUT UP!!" De'belle screamed hysterically, her eyes glowing hot enough to burn wherever she cast her gaze, as she snarled at me.

"MAKE ME!! SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU!" I screamed back, with a wide evil smile on my face. 

De'belle took a step back as I heard her breath get caught in her throat. She was scared of me now. Good.

She said nothing as she continued to study me, looking for any sign that I was acting. But I had learned well, and covered every inch of my person with this "Dark One Persona" I was using at the moment. Morning Meir was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard she looked.

Debelle now looked at me with absolute fear and also...loyalty. "I.....I shall go to the Arrival Point then. The Eclipse will signal the beginning of the ritual, and then you, My...My Catalyst, shall take your place on the altar and bring our Lords onto our plane." She said in a defeated tone.

I understood none of that, but nodded my head anyways. "That's better. Now leave this place, and I shall meet you at The arrival. We have delayed this event for long enough!"

Debelle hesitated before speaking back. "But...what about her?" She motioned towards Gold digger who, if she could, would have literally pulled up the limestone floor to hide under it at this point. I have never seen a pony so terrified in all my life. I felt horrible for doing this to her, but I would make it up to her after we had escaped.

I chuckled one last time. "She has served her purpose. I will dispose of her personally." I said, feeling shame at the look Gold Digger was now giving me. Utter and complete hopelessness. I felt so bad, that just to reaffirm her that she would be alright, I managed to give the slightest wink to her, without Debelle noticing. At once, her terror faded, but was replaced with bewilderment.

I turned to Debelle suddenly, masking my face in one of rage. "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE, YOU IDIOT!? YOU'VE WASTED ENOUGH TIME ALREADY!" I bellowed.

She jumped back."I was just!-

"NOW!!"

At once, Debelle vanished from the spot, without another word.

With The Grand Master finally gone, I dropped my act instantly. I rubbed my throat as it hurt from all that yelling. "Jeez, how do all those villains do it? Screaming everything all the time." I wondered aloud. "It's really exhausting."

Gold Digger stared at me, with her mouth agape, unable to say a single word. She didn't even blink.

I smiled at her. "What?" I asked innocently.