//------------------------------// // Facing The Demon // Story: Goodbye // by Hazel_Hester777 //------------------------------// Autumn stood her ground as the Dollmaker above her let out a final, primal roar. For her another monster in Wonderland was something to remove otherwise it would taint the rest of the realm and those who roamed it. She had been initially hesitant with these duties, but now she had grown accustomed to such savageness. And while she had seen many things in this realm that couldn’t be possible in reality, this creature was the pinnacle of it all. The embodiment of he who murdered her mother. She couldn’t believe it at first when she first found out. But while she may try to deny facts, this realm knew everything. While it cannot give a direct answer, it can always hint, or represent it. And would even be reflected by those around her. She had been called yet again back to Wonderland, even by accident. There, she had met with her old allies, and fought new foes. She gained new abilities, and new weapons, even Hazel’s Butterfly Doge was at her disposal. She had journeyed far and seen the worst damage she had even known, be it form her own experience or that of her mother. Wonderland had truly fallen apart. There were these ink, porcelain doll-headed creatures called Ruin that were servants to something called the Infernal Train. It wasn’t like those cutesy ones her mother had drawn in the show, but something much more sinister. It’s main duty was to prowl each section of the realm, training and killing all its path comes across. She had to fight some old friends, and even put an end to their lives, but could hope for the best that once the dust settled and the magic restores this realm, they would revive back into their old, cutesy forms. Through her travels, it was discovered that the Dollmaker was the main culprit to a point that even the fallen Queen Faust had taken refuge in the ruins of the old kingdom to get away from him, taking whatever minions were hers to salvage and go into hiding. She, Anastasia, and Discord had each given out the truth behind what happened on the night Lauren was murdered. Her psychiatrist in real life, Dr. Omni, had been using hypnotherapy in her recovery from the trauma. But his true intent was to turn all those children he treated into mindless prostitutes after he erased their memories completely. She was unable to forget when she insisted on holding onto it until she knew what was going on. Dr. Omni murdered Lauren that night to try and put an end to the show on account of what it did to his own daughter. He hoped that by removing Autumn’s own memories of the night it occurred would seal the deal and keep it secret forever. Now, she had known the truth. She saw many things that had been touched by Corruption. Sunny Shores and Clementine had succumbed and turned against Anastasia. Flim and Flam were torn apart when the train made it to their section. Discord had weakened to a point where he had to flee to survive. Queen Faust was in hiding. The Children of the Night had been driven mad, but still stable enough to keep themselves from getting harmed, Gari leading them to safety. Twilight and Snowdrop were killed, but their Essences were contained in a necklace Hazel was wearing for until everything was done. It was then she confronted the Dollmaker head-on to free the realm. But as they fought, he constantly summoned various Ruin to set her off track. She couldn’t keep up, but had help from her friends when they stepped in and covered for her, so long as she battled him. With all their combined efforts, he was defeated. She turned her head to the rest of the group. Twilight’s Essence, having used a spell, had taken control of Generation 1 Twilight’s body and was currently atop a melting Common Ruin. For someone who looked squishy and vulnerable, looks can be deceiving. Snowdrop had taken her previous filly form and flew down the moment the Floating Ruins she was battling had dissolved. She still had her crown on, and highly resembled a child playing princess. She didn’t have her cataracts, and never a child looked so deadly covered in the inky mass and wielding a sword while her snowflakes surrounded her. Hester uncovered Hazel’s eyes as their target reduced to a melted puddle. It was still a shock to Autumn when she visited one time to find that the Familiar had been raised back to life. She and Hazel looked the same, but both wore a choker on their necks with their crosses on each. As for why she had her eyes covered, some parts of the battle weren’t ‘safe’ for her Partner to witness. All nodded to each other before the world went white. When Autumn came to, she knew where she was. The underground train station that she and her doctor met up in tonight. She had already declared how she knew his intentions and crimes, hoping to enlist some form of fear from him. But he was proud and arrogant, even mocking her mother and friends. The worst was how he was holding that locket that once belonged to her mother, the one that was given to her after her first trip to Wonderland. Dr. Omni appeared to be in his late forties, with a slim figure and broad shoulders. His face is very long and thin, with a pointy chin and defined cheekbones. His nose and hands are also very bony. His hair is dark brown, and is cut to the nap of his neck, and combed into a side parting to his right-hand side. He also has a full beard and mustache. His eyes are small and pale in color. He wore black trousers, a white shirt and a gray waistcoat with a red tie. Autumn herself wore a lavender sweater and grey pants along with her matching purple shoes. She had dark rims around her eyes from crying and didn’t look too well. Her brown hair still flowed down, but looked as though it needed some care for the full look. If her father had known where she had been roaming these days, he would’ve grounded her for being so reckless. She was only supposed to go to the store for medicine when she found herself staring at a white cat with brown spots playing with a brown butterfly. She went to go pet it when both began to run, and she decided to follow them. Now, that same cat and butterfly led her here to the station. “I’ll see you charged. In prison, you’ll meet some brute who beats you to the ground and then you’ll get the electric chair!” she yelled. “Really? A hysterical child, possible young lunatic, roaring outrageous accusations against a respectable social architect and scientist. Call me when the shuttle lands, Autumn” She could hear the cat nearby hiss at him and the butterfly flutter wildly. “Monster! Such evil will be punished!” “By whom? By what? Your madness will be punished. Now leave. I'm expecting your replacement” he then showed the locket once more. She knew deep down, he was right. No one would believe her story and if he went on, his work will continue. Who knew how many more were on the list? Her mother’s guides may have been in the asylum themselves, but that was different. The staff actually cared for them and let them be how they were. This man cared about nothing than himself. She couldn’t let him keep on going, but how? They were alone here in the station, and there was no weapon. She calmly walked over to him, and snatched the locket from his hand, startling him. She had let the precious thing in his grasp for too long. She swore she could feel bits of her mother in the accessory, as if she were still in there, hiding and afraid for so long, but now so happy to be reunited with her daughter. Autumn felt her own strength increase and faced her demon. He was shocked at the sight. Autumn suddenly became healthy, well taken care of, lively, as if the trauma never happened. She gained a bright complexion, and the bags in her eyes were gone. Her hair went straight down with no tangles or damage. She wore her Wonderland attire of lavender dress with collar, purple boots, and mother’s locket. She didn’t have to look to her sides to know the cat was grinning, the butterfly smirked, and a sparkle of light and tiny, non-melting snowflake were at her side. The doctor was stunned. Cats and butterflies don’t even smile. It’s not even dusk yet. And it’s middle of summer. He always thought that those were fantasies of her and her mother, non-existing, a delusion, a thing of the mind with no significance whatsoever. He was wrong. He began to backpedal, forgetting of the danger of falling off the train rails behind him as the girl started to walk to him. For every step he took backwards, she took one forwards. The cat, butterfly, sparkle, and snowflake stood at all sides, leaving him no exit. He took one look into those brown, glaring eyes and recognized a face. That was all he saw before he was pushed off the platform and hit by the train. From her perch, Autumn took deep, liberating breaths. She did it. She avenged her mother. And no one would be hurt by that doctor again, not even her friends. She looked down at the locket now attached to her neck, and swore she could feel just how Lauren felt when she wore it. She turned her head to her group, only to find they had gone. She made her way out of the station, and found a new world. It looked so much like Ponyville with their quaint little houses and nature pieces everywhere, but had scants of her own home. No one seemed to be around at this time, even though it was day. She spotted a familiar trail of pink mist and followed it up ahead. Hazel and Hester were up on a high tree, the former standing on a thick, sturdy branch, using one hand to steady herself. The latter was curled around her, sitting on her shoulder. With them were the sparkle and snowflake. The pair who were still alive stared at her for a moment before regarding the new stained glass window ahead. It was of Autumn herself, the Dollmaker destroyed beneath her. All around her were the weapons she had used in this entire journey. The Dollmaker’s surroundings even included the Ruin destroyed just as much as their maker. Twilight and Snowdrop were there, but seemed see-through, and had their cutie marks on their chests. Hazel and Hester were present as well. ________________________________________ “Can you put that pen down now?” Hazel peeked up from the book she was writing in to find herself looking into the impatient look of her Familiar. They had been writing for quite some time now, but Hester took a deep breath and went to rest after the battle scene. Hazel then went on to make the ending. But it looks like she had been at it for a long time. “I’m sorry, Hester. But you know what happens when I get into that headspace” “I know, you lose track of time” she sighed. “I just fell asleep and you still have the pen” “You took a catnap” “Well, it felt like a long one to me” she stretched. “But come on, love. Put the pen down and the book away until later. It’s not as though you’re going to lose it” “I might” “Have you figured out the ending?” They were trying to write another addition to the Wonderland series. This one was based off the video game Alice: Madness Returns. In this, Autumn was to return to Wonderland due to a new spreading corruption far worse than what happened before, even stated by a Child of the Night. Along the way, she would face deadly enemies crossed from the game enemies and the ones in the show. It was tricky these days as well, however. And the problem wasn’t due to a lack of inspiration. The girl fidgeted. “Not exactly. I can’t find the right words” “Then take a break. You know what they say” “‘Inspiration comes by chance, not by demand’” both said at once. “Besides, we should get ready for the show” “Oh, right” she sighed, getting up. “The last one, huh?” “Last of the last, atleast for this generation” The girl donned her boots, having taken a liking to them after the war. “Seems only yesterday we fell into that rabbit hole, huh?” “It didn’t help it was Fluttershy” she smirked. “Adoration at first sight” “I just thought she was cute! Then when we got to know her, I liked her more!” “Can’t say I blame you. Now, are you ready? Speedy and the rest are probably there by now!” She sighed, closing the book and tucking it away to be resumed later. She was right. She didn’t have the final words on it for now. Perhaps after the finale of the show, they’ll be just waiting to be written down. For now, she had to go. The pair went down and only when they were out of the house did the Pegasister change into her Pegasus form and took to the air, her Familiar on her back.