You were laying down on your belly, defeated, your face in the carpet in between the slot machines. It was over, there was no way to beat Jimmy now.
“Anon, we can’t give up! Yak never give up! There must be something!” Yona exclaimed. You had told her what Jimmy told you, that he had gained the ability to see whatever you might have planned through pure contingency and 'out and in the box thinking'. “We still have chip!”
“We have one chip, and the slimy creep told me we only need one more to buy the house back. He’s being cocky on purpose to make me think he can still be tricked…” You said, unmoving.
“Only one? Then we challenge to yak challenge again! Over and over! Until Jimmy says yes! If Yona have to think like human, Yona think like human, even if Yona knows nothing about human! Yona want to try to be like Anon to beat crummy changeling.” Yona said, as she tried to keep yours and hers spirit up.
“He won’t do it, and he’ll just leave us here so we can’t bother him. He’s only out here now to laugh at us.” You said with a groan.
“Then we wait! Wait until he get tired and want Yona and Anon to leave!” Yona said.
“He said he’d wait for us to starve and beg for food and water…” You said, rolling onto your back and looking up at the never ending rise of the spired casino. "Make us pay for it with our only chip"
“...Erm, well, maybe… Erm, Anon and Yona fight Jimmy?” Yona suggested.
“He’d end you, shove my face into your corpse, then laugh about it.” You said, not caring if what you said was dark.
Yona’s eyes went wide, she began to shiver from how cold that sounded. “What if-” But before she could finish her thought, Jimmy appeared from above her, still in changeling form, and spooked her enough to cause her to fall forward.
“What if you tried to trick ole’ Jimmy with some kind of amazing human trick he’d never see coming? Like telling him he never gave Anon a chip so you can ask for another one, or maybe getting him to open up one of his safes or machines so you could secretly pluck one out? Oh oh! I got one! Why don’t we smash Jimmy like a bug when he isn’t looking? Why don’t we do anything? Oh right…” Jimmy got into Yona’s face as he transformed into a twisted version of her with burning yellow eyes. “Because Yakky too soft to do anything! And Anon too dumb to beat Jimmy!”
“Yakky?” Yona, despite having been scared of the threat of being killed, would not buckle under Jimmy himself. She was sick of his dickishness, sick of him making you, her friend, feel bad. And she was especially sick of… “Yona not Yakky! Yona name Yona! Yona should… Yona should charge Jimmy for getting name wrong!”
“ERRRR!” Jimmy said, making a ‘wrong buzzer’ like noise. “Wrong-o! You can’t charge me anything, ‘Yona’. My house, my rules, and maybe you don’t know the phrase, but the house always wins.” He said with a wink towards her. “Hey, Anon, you’re looking a little down. C’mon, I’ll give you the strongest drink I got, just gotta pay onnneeee little chip. I’ll even give you the whole bottle, since I’m such a nice guy.”
You just laid there. Even in your depression, you were trying to think of something, but all you had was… WAIT! You jump up with a smirk as you place your hoof on your ear. “Stupid motherfucker! I still go-... Oh no…” Your codec… It was still there! But… All it was producing was static.
Jimmy just walked over to you, bringing his face down to meet with yours as he gave you a sinister grin. “Something wrong, Anon?”
“N-ngh, how did you… You shouldn’t be able to jam my codec.” You said, backing away slowly from him. There was no way, even if this was his casino, you hadn’t agreed to be his or let him affect any of your belongings.
“Oh, Anon, please. I’m a being of chaos now, I feed on it. And I can still feast on those superb emotions of yours too. See where I’m going with this?” Jimmy said with a low chuckle.
“...You’re eating my signal waves?! You're predicting me through my emotions?!” N-no! Dammit!
Jimmy slowly nodded, his smirk almost leaving his face as his eyes sharpened. “Mhmmmmm, delicious too. Any other ideas, genius?”
You began to shiver. Did you? Could you beat him in a fight if you and Yona jumped him anyway? No, he’d be too ferocious, he’d just take out Yona and mock you, staying out of your range. This bastard, he’s become far crueler than any other villain you’ve faced thus far.
“That’s right, let it settle in. Mmmmm, so delicious, no wonder our dear queen loved feasting on you. Human dread is quite the delicacy.” Jimmy then turned to Yona, pointing towards you with his hoof. “So, you don’t like me all too much, huh? What about him, though? What is he worth to you?”
“Anon Yona’s friend. Anon worth lots. Why Jimmy asking? If you make Yona mad, then Yona squash you like bug!” Yona threatened, hoping that he really wasn’t as malicious and unrelenting as you had described.
“Oh? I’d love to see that.” He said as his eyes began to glow a bright yellow. “I’d really love to SEE it. Didn’t Anon tell you what would happen if you tried to fight me? Oh, let me show you, little yak.” Jimmy looked over to one of his slot machines and fired a huge laser blast towards it with his eyes, melting it while also blasting it away into a wall. He then began to cackle madly. “Did you see that?! I still got it! Oh yeah, I’m so glad I got to keep this power, it comes in handy, you know?”
Yona gulped as the machine fell back onto the ground in near liquid form. “U-uhh…” Finally, she was in pure dread and terror.
“That’s right, take it in, that’s what would happen. And it is all thanks to Anon, isn’t it? You ended up here because of him. You had no idea what kind of changeling I am. You probably thought I was like one of Chrysalis’s brood, or just like Chrysalis herself. If you made that guess, you’re pretty wrong about it, obviously. Ahrm…” Jimmy then turned into his human self, and looked towards Yona with a more friendly grin as he waved his hand back through his hair to fix it up. “But we’re getting off track. Look, Anon is, as much as I hate to admit it, the real deal. He’s a human under all that fluff and skin. Now, you may not know it, as I somehow think you haven’t been around him for that long, but humans don’t really care about anyone if they aren’t useful, arousing, or on the best terms with. You’re a girl, for sure, but I don’t see Anon being into you…” Jimmy said as he began to circle Yona, taking in her look. “Tch, no magic, no flight? You’re not useful either. And I somehow have a feeling you both aren’t exactly the best of friends.”
“Anon good friend, just like all Yona’s friends! What Jimmy saying anyway? That Anon bad? Anon not bad! Anon just Anon!” Yona said, trying to speak in your defense.
“‘Anon just Anon’ you say? Hm, but isn’t that the problem? Aren’t you aware of what he does when you’re not around? What he says behind his friends’ back? Hmm?” W-what was Jimmy insinuating? The way he was looking at her, passing glances at you, like… Was he trying to turn Yona against you? That’s fucking stupid, it’d never work.
“What the hell, Jimmy! Are you serious? What are you trying to get out of this?” You slowly stood up, asking him, curious as to what batshit idea he might have… While thinking of a way to exploit it to your advantage.
“Stay out of this, runt!” Jimmy, out of nowhere, kicks you into the slot machine you were next to, causing you to yelp in pain as you fall back down in front of both of them, twitching. The chip you had flies down next to Yona, falling flat near her leg.
“Anon! You, YOU!” Yona had death in her eyes. She couldn’t stand seeing such unnecessary violence being committed, especially to what she perceived was a foal. No friend, and no foal, deserves this!
“Save it, he had it coming. Try attacking me if you want, but you’ll only make it worse for him. Or maybe, that’s what you want deep inside. You do, right?” Jimmy asked, being wary of her horns as he continued his arrogant attitude. “Surely someone has told you what he does. You’re here, right? You know about me. Maybe I’m just not thinking of it right, but you have to know something if you’ve spent time with any of his other friends. Come on, Yakka, testify.” Jimmy said, awaiting her reply as he waved his arms up to emphasize his words like a church pastor would.
“Yona NOT Yakka! Or Yakky! Or anything else! Yona is Yona! And why Jimmy hit Anon?! Yona sick of Jimmy, Yona demand second chip! If Anon guest, then Jimmy s-” But Yona is interrupted. Jimmy waves his hand at her, shaking his head before he waggles his finger.
“Ah ah, I’m telling you, you shouldn’t do that. Listen to what I have to say before you act, alright? But first, answer my question. Do you know anyone, or rather, anycreature who knows Anon well enough to tell you what he’s really like?” Jimmy asked, still being wary of Yona’s actions, ready to strike if he needs to.
Yona hesitated, but she decided to answer Jimmy, while trying to find some opening, or even a way to fool him. “...Ocellus tell Yona things, but Yona think she exaggerating. Nocreature act like what Ocellus say.” Yona said, standing firm, trying to figure out a way to save you and defeat Jimmy in her head. Yet… She seemed to be feeling something, some sort of anger, as she began to think of the words Ocellus had told her about you.
“Ocellus? Ocellus?!” Jimmy nearly fell over in hysterical laughter when he heard that name.
“W-what? W-why Ocellus name funny?” Yona asked, confused, and worried over his dark laughter.
“It isn’t, it’s just the fact that it’s her! She was the nicest and wimpiest changeling we had next to that loser, Thorax!” Jimmy zipped over to Yona and held her as he spoke close to her ear. “She would never ever speak bad or even rat out any changeling not doing their duty. She never spoke bad about anything, and boy, did it piss me and the queen off. So to find out even Ocellus talks bad about Anon is a real treat. You know Ocellus enough to know how nice she is, right? For her to talk bad about anypony means they aren’t very nice at all.”
Yona shook Jimmy off and stepped away from him, growing ever more confused. “What Jimmy talking about?”
Jimmy smacked his forehead and shook his head, utterly blown away by Yona’s ignorance. “It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you the whole time! Anon may not be evil, per se, but he’s not a good guy at all! He’s not worth anypony’s friendship! What did Ocellus tell you, huh? Did she mention Anon’s full involvement with my old queen? Did she mention how Anon treats fillies and mares? I knew about her crush on him before, and I promise you Anon told her something along the lines of…” He then transformed into you, as he spoke in a self mocking tone. “Man, Ocellus, I would have totally blown off all the girls and my friends to be with a changeling that could be any girl I want. In fact, if my whole thing with Diamond doesn’t work out, I’d love to show you a whole new form of ‘love’.” He then looked to you with a cruel snicker as he changed back to human form. “Was I close, Anon?”
You were in too much pain from that kick, you slowly stood up and nearly crawled towards him, doing your best to speak. “N-ngh! S-shut up, t-that’s not… That’s not how it-” But he interrupted you as he swiftly gave you a gentler and insulting little kick to knock you back down, hitting you where you were bruised from impact with the machine.
“Yeah, yeah, close enough. What about you, I was close, right? I have to be, and I bet there’s even more she told you, vented to you, right?” Jimmy said, genuinely curious as to what she had to say.
Yona began to shake, she seemed to be at odds with herself. “She say Anon not learn much. Whenever Anon learn something, Anon not follow through. That Anon use friends, that Anon not take them seriously. That Anon always looking at mares he likes, and treats-” But Jimmy stops her once again.
“You and other ugly little things like they’re trash. Don’t say it, I’ve known it for a very long time. I bet Sweetie Belle has had things to say about it too, Twilight Sparkle? Oh, even the princesses have butt heads with him. Why, even Applebloom’s little pet has trouble with him. But then there is poor Yona. He treated you like trash, made fun of the way you talk, insulted the yaks, and I can’t even fathom to figure out what he has said and thought on his own time.” Jimmy said as he slipped behind a slot machine and peer back out, appearing as Ocellus. “Ocellus was right, Anon never learns, he will never learn. No matter how anypony tries to convince themselves he’ll learn his lesson, Anon will go back to thinking of you as trash soon enough. By this time tomorrow, probably.” Jimmy then changes to his human form as he leans against the machine with a softer, yet deceitful smile. “But, you don’t need to stay here, Yona, you really don’t. Give me the chip, and you can leave.” Jimmy reaches over to her, holding his hand out towards her to accept the chip.
Yona stood there, silently, and looked to you for a moment. She then furrowed her brow, and looked back to Jimmy. “Jimmy say he really know Anon. Anon make promise to Yona to respect Yaks. But now Yona want to know, does Anon always break promises? Really?”
“All the time.” Jimmy said with a shrug. “And he could tell you anything he wants, he won’t follow through, ever. Trust me, going back to Ocellus, if she offered herself to him in a certain way, he’d drop his marefriend in an instant, breaking his biggest promise of all, just to be with her.”
“W-what?! Ngh, that’s not true! I’d never do that!” You said, as you looked to Yona with big teary eyes, both from emotional and physical hurt. You wouldn't betray Diamond, even if Ocellus offered 'that'. You weren't like that anymore. You had the 'you' that existed when you first came to Equestria in your head. Before, you wanted to try to get with any pony if it meant sex. Now, you'd never would, you couldn't! “I promise I wouldn’t.”
Yona stood there silently, she looked to be getting angry, she looked like she was becoming furious even. She then began to speak in a low and stoic voice. “Anon lie, Yona know from Ocellus that you look at Ocellus like marefriend.”
Wut?! “NO! I wouldn’t! I-NGH!” Before you could plead with Yona, Jimmy leans down and holds your face down onto the carpet, and then looks to Yona with a smirk.
“Don’t listen to him. If Ocellus said it, then you know it’s true. You should know just by looking at him that he’s a big liar. You know that, don’t you? I can taste it now, your hate and anger, the chaos boiling inside you. Is it because of what I’m doing to him right now, do you hate me? Or am I finally getting through to you?” Jimmy asked, awaiting her answer as he held you down.
Yona stayed silent for moments longer, her anger seemed to be building, as indicated by Jimmy’s growing arrogance. Finally, she moved her right leg… And slid the chip towards Jimmy. “Yona go home, Yona not be friend with pony who hate goodness.”
“Alright!” Jimmy exclaimed as he used his free hand to grab the chip and throw it in the air, causing it to burn out in green flames. “It’s done! Almost…”
“Y-Yona… YMNGHH!” Jimmy pressed your face harder into the carpet. What the?! No, she wasn’t actually betraying you, she was going to get help! She was just trying to trick him! R-right?
“Shut up!” Jimmy growled, before looking at Yona with a delighted smile. “That’s a lot of hate in you right now, Yona. The best kind of hate. Looks like Anon has rubbed off on you like he has on me… Good. But you can’t go just yet. You’re going to have to show me how much ha-Wha?!” To Jimmy’s surprise, Yona rushes him, shoving him back and onto his ass.
“Yona? Yona?! I knew it! C-c’mon, we can s-SDMGDFGSD” Suddenly, you let out a blood curdling scream as Yona rises up on her hind legs, and smashes your back with her right front hoof. The stomp was bone crushing, as you could actually feel your spine snap in half. Yona just stood on you, remorseless, as she stared at Jimmy while you screamed in pain.
“Yona show, now Yona go. Yona hate Jimmy… And Anon.” Yona said as she finally removed her hoof off of you as you whined in terrible pain, twitching and shaking on the ground, the situation now being in haze due to the horrific pain you now felt.
Jimmy rubbed his chin as he patted himself down, checking himself. “I can tell… Wasn't expecting that.” He whispered to himself as he stood up and looked upon you, more astonished than anything else at Yona’s handiwork. You couldn’t move your hind legs, and you were crying as you reached out to nothing. “Can’t get more hateful than that, yeesh. I’d say you overdid it, but there’s nocreature in Equestria capable of this without human influence.” Jimmy at first seemed almost wary of Yona's actions, but then he let out a breath of air, and grinned at her as he pointed to the stairs. “Alright, you proved yourself. All of Anon and Discord’s crap is on the top floor. Just find the door with a dial on it and you can leave. No tricks, promise.”
Yona said nothing, she retained her anger and hate even as she stepped away from you, never giving you another glance as she gave a death glare towards Jimmy, and went on her way.
Jimmy watched her walk off, looking for any signs that she could have been faking it. But it seems her hate, that impossible hate, was genuine, he could taste it. He then clapped his hands together and rubbed them against each other as he looked down to your whining form. “Well, that was fun! On to the next step of my plan!”
“Y-yona… Y-yona… Why?” You said, unable to crawl away, feeling a deep betrayal as hope to escape immediately leaves you. What happened?! How could she let Jimmy get in her head like that?! How was she capable of that much hate?! Ngh… How could she just…
Jimmy transforms back into his changeling form as he plucks you from the ground with his magic, and brings you over to stare at you at eye level. “Just you and me now, buddy. Wow, you look like you’re wishing to just be destroyed. But I meant what I said, I can’t end you. Which is why I’m going to use you instead. Oh yes, once the Staff of Sacanas is in MY hands, Equestria will know true pain and chaos!” Jimmy boasted as once again he began to laugh maniacally.
How…? Yona… She didn’t believe you…
Where did you go so wrong?