//------------------------------// // If Fizzy Isn't Saved, and Villains Are Victorious // Story: Ciderfest 2023 Mane Story Epilogue - "Fin, and Again." // by Nyronus //------------------------------// Suddenly, and without warning, all the light vanished from Marewaukee. Then the shadow lifted, and just like that, the hotel that had vanished three days prior appeared again, a crowd of ponies, afraid and confused, cowering in front of it. Barley and Caramel slowly stood up. Fizzy was already standing ahead of them, her mane ablaze with anxiety. All three of them were waiting with dread for what was coming. There was a second ripple of darkness, and in an unnatural blink, standing in the center of the rapidly parting crowd, was a collection of Equestria’s worst foes. Rushing to the front of the crowd was the Mane 6. With a snap, Discord appeared as well, his allies fanning out behind them. The guests shied away, uncertain what would happen next. “This isn’t over,” Twilight began, flaring out her wings. “As long as there is friendship, as long as there is hope, there will always be a light to oppose you, and even if you stomp it out, it will arise again. Creatures are fundamentally good. You cannot defeat that. Not forever.” “Not to mention,” Discord said, leering at Sombra. “This wouldn’t be the first time you failed miserably in the final act.” “Oh, how droll,” Sombra snickered as he stepped forward, the Book of All Stories floating in front of him. “Unfortunately, this is very much over.” His last words were punctuated with the stroke of a pen. Without warning, tendrils of darkness burst from the earth, snapping taunt across the horns, wings, and limbs of every creature summoned by the book not part of Sombra’s dark alliance. The crowd gasped and backed away. “Augh!” Twilight barked as the shadows dragged her to the earth. Her horn flared, only for dark lightning to course across the tendril binding her horn, causing her to cry out, and then collapse. Discord raised a hand, thumb and finger pressed, only for tendrils to wrap around each finger, pull them apart, and drag him to the ground. “I admit,” Sombra said, walking up to loom over her. “I am going to enjoy our time together, dear Princess.” “Well done, Sombra,” a voice rumbled. “Now, the book.” Sombra turned to see Grogar stride to the fore, the rest of the villains arrayed behind him. “Dear friends,” Sombra began, “I was merely finalizing one last… obstacle, to our ascendency.” The pen he controlled had not stopped writing. “For that, we are most grateful,” Grogar rumbled, a small, loose grin on his muzzle. “Of course, it seems the situation is well in hand. So, of course, you don’t need to hold the book anymore.” A great eyebrow rose. “Unless you intend to keep it.” Sombra glanced around. The rest of his allies were watching him. Tension filled the air. And then Cozy Glow buzzed next to him and smiled. “Golly gee, Mr. Sombra, Mr. Grogar did a lot to help us, and well we like him so much, that it only seems right that he get to do the honors of holding the book,” her bobbing took her close to Sombra’s ear and she finished, barely a whisper, “for now.” Sombra paused for a moment longer, catching Chrysalis’s eye. Out of Grogar’s field of view, she smiled. So did he. “Of course, Emperor,” Sombra said, turning and leaning into a curtsey. “Your power was most instrumental to the success of this alliance. It is only fitting that you should do the honors.” The Book of All Stories floated up from beside him into Grogar’s telekinetic grasp. Sombra’s contempt was disguised, but only just. Grogar didn’t seem to care, turning his attention to the book, and began to write. After a moment, he looked up and addressed the crowd. “Denizens of this world, your… participation in this monumental event is greatly appreciated. You have seen the wisdom of inevitability, and when the time comes, your servitude will not go unrewarded.” He briefly glanced down at the bound creatures at his hooves, before glancing back up, a grin splitting his face. “A new age has begun, one of power and glory. What wonders we shall see now that justice–” his red eyes flickered down at the struggling Twilight Sparkle “–has been served.” As he finished speaking, his pen stopped. With another great rending sound, the streams of shadow burst up from the earth, and began flowing into the Book of All Stories. One by one, Twilight, Starswirl, Discord, Pinkie Pie, and all the other creatures bound by the dark magic were dragged into the book, no matter what they did to resist. Grogar turned from his and Sombra’s handiwork, and frowned. He looked down to see his own hoof had begun to blur and grow indistinct. “The spell ends…” he muttered. “Where is the nirik, Fizzy Glitch?” he called out. “I’m here,” Fizzy said, finally stepping forward. “And you have promised to serve us, from what I understand?” he asked. “Yes, sir. I have. I promise, in one year’s time, Ciderfest will be the greatest celebration of your victory you could image-arrrgh!” And with the stroke of a pen, a tendril of darkness snapped closed around Fizzy’s horn. It went taunt, dragging her forward, as she resisted and snarled. “Fizzy!” Barley and Caramel shouted in panic as one. “You will be coming with us,” Grogar continued. “To better coordinate our… celebration.” “Hold on!” Fizzy growled out as the tendril dragged her before Grogar, her hooves dragging black marks in the asphalt. “This wasn’t part of the deal!” Grogar frowned. The rest of the villains snickered and laughed. He looked up at her. “You promised to serve us–” “Yeah, but I can’t like this!” Fizzy said, the shadow finally dragging her to the ground. She desperately dug in her hooves to try and stay in place. “I can’t make a con happen in this world if I’m in your world. I need–” She glanced at Barley and Caramel. “I need to be able to contact the outside world!” Grogar mulled it over, looking into the middle distance. He then turned down and wrote another note. “Your communication devices will suffice for this task, I assume.” “Yes!” Fizzy said, the shadow jerking hard, causing her to growl. “Very well…” Grogar looked up at the crowd, now. “Know this: In one year’s time, we shall return.” “Our power beyond imagination!” Tirek laughed. “Our control unbreakable.” Chrysalis purred. “And your love for us unquestioned!” Cozy cackled. “Expect us, and prepare for us, for our glory,” Grogar continued, his face twisted into a mocking grin, “shall be eternal.” And with that he turned, and faded into light, disappearing into the book. One by one, the villains turned to join him. Sombra paused to give one last mocking glance at Barley and Caramel. The shadows began to pull in their victims, faster and faster. Caramel and Barley watched, helpless, as it all unfolded. Perhaps unable to stop herself, Caramel reached out to Fizzy, who glared at her. “Just trust me for once!” she barked. And then Fizzy was sucked in as well. The Book of All Stories rose into the air, wreathed in streams of darkness and black lightning. As it reached its apex, once again, all light in the city vanished in a dark flash, leaving everyone within alone in a void for a moment. And then, it was gone, to whatever dark future was left for it. Barley collapsed, looking on at that empty spot of air. Caramel stood beside him, stunned. There was nothing left to do, it seemed. Evil had won. Sometime later, Caramel walked out onto the roof of the hotel. Barley was alone there, looking out on the city. She walked up behind him, and laid down a styrofoam box. “Got you something from the pub, hon,” she said. “Thanks,” he croaked. His face was matted with tears. Caramel’s would have been no better if she hadn’t washed up before coming here. She sat down beside him without saying anything, looking out on the city as well. “What did we do wrong?” he said. “How did we end up like this? We tried everything to make it right, and now she’s gone, and she still hates us.” Caramel grimaced and looked away. “We should have paid more attention,” he went on. “Should have figured out what was going on, done something, said something, and now she’s trapped over there–” “Beating ourselves up won’t fix this,” Caramel said, staring off into the night. He grimaced and looked away. “What do we do now?” he said, finally. Caramel continued to stare, numb. “She said to trust her,” she said quietly. “So… I guess we should give that a try.” “Yeah, I just–” His phone buzzed, startling him. After a moment of numb confusion, he fumbled it out of his vest, and took a look, and barked one, high, desperate laugh. “Look!” he said, and he showed it to her. Caramel looked as well, and a small smile broke out across her face. It was from Fizzy. The grand doors to the Court of Darkness opened wide of their own accord, and Fizzy strode into its cavernous hall. All around her were monuments to the self-importance and pettiness of her new masters. Tirek was boasting about the latest fan-art she’d found for him, while Chrysalis gloated about the latest humiliation she’d conjured up for Starlight Glimmer. In the corner, Cozy held court with the gaggle of foals she’d “saved” – that is to say, manipulated and lied to, all pets to be discarded at the instant she displeased – and in every shadow were Sombra’s eyes and ears, never willing, but always able. It had not been… pleasant, these last few months in this new Equestria, but Fizzy had survived. In some ways, she’d thrived. She didn’t care for the implications of that fact. She strode out onto a balcony where Grogar, the once and current Emperor, looked out upon the land, cast in eternal night. Two ponies flanked the balcony, waiting in attendance for whatever he wished. “Mmmm,” he rumbled at her approach. “A pleasant night out, is it not?” “Of course,” Fizzy said. She levitated a stack of documents up to the old goat. “Things are going to plan. The community is showing a lot of excitement for what we’ve discussed so far.” “As they should,” Grogar muttered absentmindedly. He took the documents from her and began looking them over, grunting occasionally. “You know, Fizzy Glitch, I find it strange.” “What is that, sir?” “I took some time to look into your past. Your world was wretched and cruel to you. In the end, even your sycophants and friends turned on you, did they not?” Fizzy looked away, grimacing. “In a way, sir.” “Yes,” Grogar said, slowly looking up from her reports. “Which makes it all the more bizarre that you would plot with those who used you to betray us.” Fizzy could feel them. The eyes in the court beyond the balcony bore into her with malicious glee. They’d known this was coming, and eagerly awaited her getting taken down a peg. Fizzy just leaned into the railing and flashed a lazy grin. “It’s funny,” she began. “Those two ponies over there? Sombra’s got them under mind-control – which is really funny, given one is a changeling in disguise. The other, Cozy makes sure to give extra food to and talks with on the regular, and I bet she takes careful note of every word he says. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Tirek has some kind of leverage on him, and I’m sure the rest of them have their own ways of getting the info they want, presumably by spying on each other as much as they do you.” Fizzy shrugged and looked away. “I just kind of assumed it was a thing we were all gonna betray each other at some point. I just wanted to fit in, sir.” Grogar stared at her for a moment, and then let loose a great, bellowing laugh. Those eyes still bore into Fizzy, this time with humiliated anger. “It is the nature of things.” He turned away. “Hunger only stays sated for so long. A reckoning is coming. Still,” he glanced down at her. “You are just an entertainer, arraying yourself against powers both ancient and spiteful. What do you have, pitted against forces like us?” “My charming good looks and razor wit?” Fizzy said with mock, pleading cheer. Grogar snorted. “Your betrayal at least amuses me with its audacity.” He let out a sigh. “You are dismissed for now.” He glanced down at her one last time as she gathered up the report she’d given him. “I do hope, for your sake, your friends don’t betray you.” A slight mocking sneer crossed his face. “...again.” Fizzy winced, but kept gathering the pages. “Yeah. Me too.” She turned away and made it back through the court. The gazes of the villains continued to weigh on her as she left. Some with fury, some with dismissive contempt, some with naked calculation into how she could be of use. Still, she strode out, head held high, and gaze fixed ahead. Fizzy Glitch was not a simple kirin, of course. She had many interests and talents. Many honest expressions and hidden scars, but in her heart was one simple joy; to love and be loved.  That joy had been betrayed, yes, neglected and abused, but Fizzy remained unbroken. She had set down upon this path in defiance of the hand fate had dealt, and she would not relent. Not now, not ever. There was a kind of faith in rebellion. The storm would pass. The darkness would recede. She held onto that notion. She… and the rest of them, would exit the other side of this, she vowed to herself. One way, or another.