//------------------------------// // [FIXED] Episode 69: And That Is How You Go Out With A Bang! (Season Finale Part Final) // Story: The Life of a Wanted Changeling (Comment Driven Story) // by Down with Chrysalis //------------------------------// (Meanwhile, at a local donut shop) "Hey, Pony joe. Another doughnut." "Don't you think you've had enough?" "I said another doughnut! Extra sprinkles!" They both hear the blood curdling laugh. "What was that?" Spike asks. You look around in deranged joy at all the frightened looks that you're receiving. Some of the snobbish (almost all of them) have either fainted in fear or have soiled themselves. Celestia takes a brave step forward and bravely asks, "What are you?!" You chuckle evilly before saying in a distorted, cold-hearted, legion-like voice that sounds like a mix of your voice and the dark whisper, "Ahahahh, 'What are we' she asks! Well, guess we can tell you. We are the monster that hides under your bed at night! We are the boogie stallion that haunts your dreams! We are your deepest, darkest fear! We are...THE NIGHTMARE!!!" MWAHAHAHHAAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAH! Celestia takes a step back as the insane laugh continues as huge amount of (Killer Intent) KI fill the room. Anyling that is still conscious follow her example or try to resist the extreme amounts of KI. Cadance on the other hand, looks at you in determination and thinks This is not the Bugze I know. The Bugze I know is kind, caring, and funny. Not some insane murderous psychopath. Something's not right here, and I'm gonna find out! MEANWHILE: AT THE LOCAL DOUGHNUT SHOT Spike sat depressed in a corner stall of Doughnut Joe's. The awesome song that was coming from the Gala stopped awhile ago, and he really wished that he was there to see who was singing. The song perfectly represented his mood at the moment as he was sick of always being left behind to do chores and stuff while the mares went on awesome adventures. Spike sighed as he ate his 123rd jelly doughnut. Spike smiled sadly and thought At least there's one good thing about tonight, I met El Hunko...and Nightshade. Spike sighs in a in loving way at the thought of Nightshade. I like her as much as I like Rarity! I wonder why? Maybe it's because...Gah, snap out of it! You like Rarity remember, not some random filly you saw that just so happens to be the daughter (I think) of a possible male friend... Spike just sighs at his romantic troubles, he then shouts out, "Hey, Doughnut Joe! Another ten jelly doughnuts." The unicorn stallion behind the counter (who had sap green eyes, a orange mane/tail, and a light amber coat while wearing a chef shirt and a cooking cap and is known as Doughnut Joe) looked over to Spike worried and asks, "Don't you think you've had enough Spike?" Spike just looks at him angrily and says, "I said another doughnut! Extra sprinkles!" Before Doughnut Joe could respond, a bloodcurdling laugh is heard. Spike and Doughnut Joe freeze in fear as a massive wave of KI floods the room with the laugh. So much so that Spike falls out of his chair in fear. Then, almost as soon as it began, it stops. Spike and Doughnut Joe look around in fear, before Spike asks, "Wha... what was that?" Doughnut Joe just shrugs fearfully before teleporting a box of cream-filled doughnuts for him and Spike and says, "I think were gonna need these." Spike just nods his head dumbly while thinking Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, El Hunko, Nightshade... please be safe. BACK AT THE GALA Well, your opponents are synchronizing and are beginning to effectively work together. They're getting creative, too. Two Wonderbolts took jabs at you, flying very low to the ground for some reason. So you shot explosive charges of pure magic at the floor beneath them several times, but you realize the third Wonderbolt waited all this time and used the resulting smoke as a screen and unexpectedly sucker punched you before you could react. While your still disoriented, the Buffalo Chieftain tackled you. Smirking, you reared up, stood your ground, and caught the charge with your bare hooves! However, you failed to notice Braeburn trailing behind the buffalo's hulking figure who bucked your hind legs, and you fell, the Chieftain briefly trampling you before you teleported to the side and swiped them away with your tail. You needed the grounders to be decapitated while you deal with the annoying flyers. You chambered your forehooves, and did a double-Falcon Punch almighty stomp that caused a shockwave that made the entire floor unstable and uneven, and stumbled all those standing on it. It's time to enhance your arsenal! As soon as your evil laugh is almost over… *CRACK* You immediately get bucked into the air by Applejack and Braeburn. Your opponents are beginning to effectively work together as they synchronize their attacks. And they're getting stinking creative too. Flash, Lightning Chaser, and Rainbow Dash along with some Pegasus Royal Guards are flying very low to the ground as they come up in pairs you keep knocking you in the air. Meanwhile Twilight, Rarity, and Shining along with some unicorn royal guards blast you with magic when the Pegasus aren’t hitting you. The combined constant barrage of the Pegasus’s attacks and the Unicorns magic blasts keep juggling you in the air. You don’t even bother dodging their attacks as you smile wickedly, but soon you realize the Wonderbolts haven’t hit you yet and you can’t help but think… Odd… Being Equestria’s elite fliers, you think they would have gotten involved by no- *WHAM* Your thoughts are interrupted as Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Soarin fly in with their right hooves all holding each other’s and spinning around in a blur of blue, orange, and grey as they slam into you sending you hurdling towards Princess Cadance who then blasts you into the wall. Before you can get out of the wall, you get grabbed by Twilight’s magic and repeatedly slammed against the wall and floor before she lifts you high in the air and smashes you into the floor. As you barely get up, you get blasted into a nearby buffet table (that by some miracle hadn't been destroyed during the fight or eaten by Nightshade) by the magic of a few unicorn royal guards along with Pinkie’s party cannon. You get up again only to have Celestia lift you up with her magic and violently send you slamming into a wall, before she, Twilight, Cadance, and Cadance's husband all blast you with magic. The combined blast causes the wall behind you to collapse on top of you, giving a view of the moon. Everyling huffs and puffs, exhausted by the battle before Braeburn asks a question you never want to ask during a fight... "So… Did we win?" Use Nightmare tail to grab some ponies before wildly slamming them around you and at any ponies trying to come at you like you did with the Diamond Dogs a few episodes ago. You throw 2 of the ponies at Celestia to distract her As soon as he said that, the three midnight fox tails lash out of the rubble at Cadance, Twilight, and Celestia. Shining protectively shields his wife with his body and takes the grab for his wife, Flash pushes Twilight and another gala-goer out of the way and gets grabbed and Blueblood... accidentally stumbles in front of Celestia while still whining about his ears. "SHINING!!!" Cadance and Twilight scream, "LIEUTENANT!" some of the Royal Guardsman cry out. "Hey! What about me!" Blueblood whines. "Blueblood... No..." Rarity says in a sarcastically deadpan tone. The rubble is blasted off you in a burst of energy as you lift the three stallions into the air. You look at the crowd with a homicidal grin (which they can now see due to the huge fangs) before saying, "Well! That was fun, but now it's MY TURN!" You quote pony bull saying, "Tonight i'm bringing canterlot to life as i walk on water, through shields of light.You heard the king as the urchins sing, 'revenge solves everything.' And i want REVENGE! THIS IS FOR EVERY BUCKING TIME YOU HAVE ATTACKED ME FOR THE REASON THAT I EXIST! I. WILL. END YOU." You then think to yourself, 'maybe that's a little too far... i'll just beat them up a bit and walk out. Yeah that's a better plan... Cadance would never forgive me if i killed her auntie Celestia.' You then shout out insanely while still holding the three stallions around you like shields, "For tonight we're bringing Canterlot to life (or DEATH in this case) as we walk on water, though shields of light. You have heard the king as urchins sing, 'revenge solves everything' And they're absolutely right as we want REVENGE! THIS IS FOR EVERY BUCKING TIME YOU HAVE ATTACKED US FOR THE REASON THAT WE EXIST! WE! WILL! KILL YOU ALL TO DEATH!!! AHAHAHHAHAHAH!" Deep down inside of you, you think Uh... Maybe that's taking things a little too far... I'll just beat them up a bit and walk out... with some Wonderblots uniforms and Spitfire's sunglasses. Squee Yeah, that's a better plan... Cadance would never forgive me if I killed her husband... Or aunt.... Or- The dark whisper interrupts your mental rambling and growls. Enough babbling! Time to paint this gala red! Use Nightmare tail to grab some ponies before wildly slamming them around you and at any ponies trying to come at you like you did with the Diamond Dogs a few episodes ago. You throw 2 of the ponies at Celestia to distract her before throwing Blueblood into the air and using your tails in a slingshot fashion to hit him with a charged-up midair FALCON, PUNCH! which sends him slamming into Celestia. You run forward as you wildly flail the ponies in the grips of your tails as you use them to swat away any ponies trying to come at you or just unlucky enough to be in your path and even use them as shield to intercept magic blasts and thrown weapons (you make sure Blueblood takes most of the hits) while laughing like a maniac the whole time. Deciding to end the torment of the ponies in your grasp you end your rampage and say, "You guys were fun toys to play with, but playtimes over! Bye Cadance's husband! Bye Prince formally known as Charming! Bye waifu-stealer! AHAHAHAHA!" Before violently hurling the unconscious stallions towards Celestia who catches them with her magic as she thinks, This monster is too powerful! I need to end this NOW, but there're still too many of my little ponies that could get hurt if I use my full pow- However, while Celstia is distracted by her thought, you teleport in front of her and grab her horn with one of your tails to negate her magic before you wrap one of your tails around your arm and scream, "SHADOW SHORYUKEN!" Your tail-covered hoof slams into Celestia face in a rising uppercut followed by midnight-colored afterimages that launch her into the air at high speed, but you grab her with your tails and yank her back down towards you and yell, "NO SHADOW BARRAGE!" Before you jump straight up and hit Celestia with a flurry of kicks and nightmare tail hits that push you both straight up towards the ceiling before your final kick sends her hurtling into the ceiling, but you grab the solar monarch with your tails before she hits, spin her around yourself to build up more momentum (and incidentally knock away Cadance, Rainbow Dash, and the Wonderbolts when they fly in to assist Celestia) before violently slamming her into the ground with enough force to leave a large crater. As everypony gasps and is frozen in stunned in horror at this brutality, you yell, "You slobbering fools are doomed! I am the one and true god..." Your nightmare side is boiling with a sentence that will scare the buggy droppings out of them. "You are are merely puppets that I play with and animate. None of you can match me..." You realize that this is getting out of hand. "My weak creation Celestia is here to protect you... I know all the weaknesses that will bring about her demise." Uh-oh... "Now, drop at my knees if you wish to live." Several random ponies(including snobbish rich ones)actually get down and crawl to her, asking for forgiveness. This is getting REALLY out of hand! "No more?!" The creature that claims to be a god begins a mad cackle.(No link to the laugh I knew would fit, but Adachi's laugh from persona 4) "I SHALL TAKE YOU TO TARTARUS!!!" "You slobbering fools are doomed! WE are the one and true god! For you are are all merely puppets that we play with and animate. None of you can match us..." You realize that this is getting out of hoof as you say, "Look at what you hold up as your false goddess! See how she is nothing but another broken puppet whose strings were sliced by US!" Many ponies look at the unconscious alicorn in fear and Celestia as "you" continue, "Now, drop at our knees if you wish to keep your worthless lives!" You mentally gasp as several random ponies (including snobbish rich ones) actually get down and crawl to her, asking for forgiveness. Okay, This is getting WAY out of hoof! You think in panic. You try to take control of your mouth to say "No more?!", but noling seems to notice the change in tone you speak in, as it is no longer a mixed voice but yours, except for Cadance who thinks, That's strange, his voice was back to normal just then. And it wasn't all combined voices and all that, it was the real him! Something... something must be controlling Bugze! As Cadance marvels at her discovery, you spot many ponies (Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Braeburn, Lightning Chaser, the Wonderbolts, and the remaining Royal Guardponies) readying to charge at you as Blueblood cowers and pathetically tries to hide behind Celestia's unconscious form. This causes the creature that claims to be a god to begin to cackle madly (think Adachi's laugh from persona 4) "DON'T THINK I'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU PRINCE. AND AS FOR THE REST OF YOU WHO CONTINUE TO DEFY ME, I SHALL TAKE YOU ALL TO TARTARUS!!!" And with that you both attacked. throwing Blueblood into the air and using your tails in a slingshot fashion to hit him with a charged-up midair FALCON, PUNCH! which sends him slamming into Celestia. You lash out and grab Blueblood with your tail as you charge up your voice before screaming, FUS RO DAH!!! The roar of power sends everypony slamming into the walls behind them as it blows out all remaining glass in the gala area. You then throw Blueblood into the air as he screams like a filly. With a cruel smile, you smash two of your tails into the ground in front of you to your left and to your right before using the third tail to launch you backwards away from the embedded tails as you insanely scream, "HEY BLUEY, I'M COMING FOR YOU, AND WHEN I DO, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA WALK AGAIN!!! AHAHAHAH!" When your tails reach their maximum stretch, you slingshot yourself towards Blueblood and charge up a Falcon punch, which is now midnight colored instead of fiery color. When you finally reach the falling unicorn prince you smile insanely and scream, "FALCON! PUNCH!" Your hoof slams into (we can't say exactly where Prince Blueblood got hit, but lets just say he'll NEVER walk right again or be a father... EVER as every stallion in Equestrian unconsciously winces in sympathetic male pain as tonight will go down in legend as The Ultimate Nutshot) and a sickening crack is heard throughout the room as Blueblood smashes into the floor at high speed leaving an even deeper crater. Deep down you think in worry, Uh... that was REALLY excessive, why did I do that?! As you land, "you" start to laugh insanely again before you look at Celestia... The dark whisper has crept out of the corners of your mind and is now speaking to you clearly. Yessss. Let the hate flow through you. Snuff out the light, embrace the dark side! Kill them all! Then the chibi Nightshade pops up. "No, don't do this! This isn't what you want, this cant be what you want. You were going to be a hero, Remember?" "Why should he be their hero when all they've tried to do is maim him? C'mon you spineless grub, destroy them! The darkness shall-" "You're not helping! Bugzy, they only hate you because they don't know how good you can be; they never even gave you a chance! But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a chance." Evil nightmare scoffs Like anyone would be give you a chance. I'm your only friend, and I'm ordering you to kill them! Bugzy: "Hmm... nope." What, what do you mean 'nope'? ... I kind of forgot what exactly came after that. Something along the lines of "You can't do this to me! I am darkness! I am hate! I am the greatest nightmare and the bane of all that live and breathe! YOU WILL OBEY ME! The dark whisper has now crept out of the corners of your mind and is now speaking to you directly (you can also tell that the dark whisper is a female..go figure). When she (you're gonna call it a she for now) saw you looking at Celestia, she chuckles evily before saying, Yessss. Let the hate flow through you. Snuff out the light, embrace the dark side! Kill that accursed Celestia! You would have wondered how she knew Celestia, but you're under evil influence at the moment so you don't care. You're about to attack Celestia, when suddenly chibi Nightshade appears wearing a crossing guard uniform and holding a stop sign in front of you and says, "No, don't do this! This isn't what you want, this cant be what you want. You were going to be a hero, Remember?" You look at her surpised before you slowly nod, which goes unnoticed by all besides Cadance, who looks at you strangely and thinks, Why is he nodding? I need to get a closer look. And with that she starts to sneak her way towards you. Meanwhile (back with you) the dark female voice is now saying to you "Why should he be their hero when all they've tried to do is maim, kill and humiliate him? C'mon you spineless grub, destroy them! The darkness shall-" Chibi Nightshade interrupts her by saying, "You're not helping! Bugzy, they only hate you because they don't know how good you can be; they never even gave you a chance! But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a chance." The dark female voice scoffs and says "Like anyone would be give you a chance. I'm your only friend, and I'm ordering you to kill them!" You just smile smugly and say "Hmm... nope." You feel somehow the dark female voice nod her head as she says, "Good, now go and kill- What?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOPE!" The mini-Nightshade cheers as you shake your head and say, "I may be hated by these ponies, but that's only because they haven't given me the chance to prove myself. I may beat them or show off to them or stuff like that, but I won't kill them. If I do I'll never get the chance to prove to them that I'm good. Besides, what few friends I have would never forgive me if I did." Just as you think you are about to regain control, the dark female voice (I'm now gonna call her DFV for now) suddenly shouts, "NO, I'M YOUR ONLY FRIEND! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER FRIENDS. YOUR ONLY FRIEND IS ME! YOU CAN'T TREAT ME LIKE THIS! I AM THE DARKNESS! I AM HATE! I AM THE GREATEST NIGHTMARE AND THE BANE OF ALL THAT LIVE AND BREATHE! I AM THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU ALL THIS POWER AND YOU WILL OBEY ME!" You can't help but think during her whole rant, This mare in my head has a very twisted version of friendship... Flutershy tries to calm you down and even resorts to using "The Stare", but in your state you just barely manage to avoid hurting her. Fluttershy then walks into the gala (she was in the garden singing to calm the animals in the gardens and came in when the noises stopped) as she says, "Um... If you don't mind me asking... What's with all... the... noise..." She stops and looks in shock at all of the destruction and unconscious/cowering ponies before commenting, "Oh my..." Suddenly you loose all control of your body as it shakes involuntarily and mini-Nightshade disappears in a puff of smoke as your voice says, "Assuming direct control." This gets Fluttershy's attention and she looks over at the monstrous creature and says, "Is that... Hoody! What happened to you!?" Struggling to maintain any control, you manage to look over to her before saying, "Fluttershy... Run... Get... away... Can't... control... Nightmare-" But before you can finish, DFV takes over with a maniacal laugh and turns to Fluttershy before shouting (sounding like you and her voice combined, but with her voice a little louder), MY... AREN'T YOU A PRETTY LITTLE THING. LET'S SEE HOW PRETTY YOU ARE IN PIECES! She then charges at the yellow pegasus, but she flies right in her face with "The Stare" and yells, "How dare you! How dare you take control of MY friend! His reputation is bad enough, and you're just making it worse! Hurting my friends! Ruining this gala for everypony! What do you have to say for yourself!" The DFV tries to say something, but can't due to the power of "The Stare", but she's starting to break through. You take advantage of this opportunity and temporarily take back control before you look at Fluttershy and desperately say, "Fluttershy... I can't control her much longer... So you need to listen to me... Reach under my coat..." Fluttershy sticks her hooves into your coat and pulls out two fancy bottles full of red liquid. "Zecora made them... Healing potions... Heal injured... After that... get them out... okay..." Fluttershy looks at you with worry in her eyes and says, "Hoody..." "GO!!!" you scream as the last of your control slips. She recoils in shock before she gives a firm nod and whispers, "Good luck Hoody." and then flies off to help others, "Potion Sash" -Current Reserve: 2 Healing Potions Cadance, who heard the whole thing gasps in worry and thinks, Oh no, this isn'tt good! Whoever is controlling Bugze is now in full control! If I don't do something soon, Bugze will be lost forever and the controller will kill everypony! And whoever has control of Bugze has a very twisted version of friendship. For some reason she can't help but feel that Bugze agrees with her. Then, to both parties dread, Celestia weakly says... The mares decide to grab the Elements of Harmony, but this triggers a dark instinct inside of you which leads to you leveling the gala with Meteor Impact (and a cameo from a certain cowboy party pony...) "Twilight... Gather... Elements of Harmony... Quickly... I fear this is the only way... that we can stop this monster..." Twilight dislodges some rubble off of her as nods her head and says, "Yes, princess. Girls! We have to grab the elements." But before the others could go and grab the elements, DFV screams in anger, "NO! NOT AGAIN! I WILL NOT BE BESTED AGAIN BY THOSE BLASTED ELEMENTS!" DFV raises the three nightmare tails into the air before slamming them straight down into the ground with earth-shaking force, knocking down the the mares and anyling nearby that had just gotten up around you and launches you into the air at high speed, effortlessly smashing through the ceiling. Now Prince Blueblood obviously can't speak right now due to the fact that, A. He's unconscious B. Even if he was awake, he'd be crying/whimpering in massive pain But if those weren't factors, this is what he would say, "Hah! The Hooded Offender has fled like a coward from the fearless, the mighty, the handsome, the incredibly well-endowed, Prince. Motherbucking. Blue... blood?" He would then trail off in horror as he sees a midnight-colored meteor coming straight at him... MEANWHILE... On a hilltop far away from Canterlot, a party pony in a cowboy hat and poncho looks toward the castle before turning to the rubber chicken on his back and saying in a serious tone, "Well Boneless... Another Bland Boring Ball has come and gone and once again we've dodged another really boring-" "METEOR IMPACT!" Suddenly part of the castle explodes outwards, with a trail of midnight colored smoke trailing behind the rubble. The party pony blinks before he says, "Boneless... I think we just missed out on one of the greatest parties ever..." He then takes his cowboy hat off and holds it across his chest reverently in memory of the great party he missed. BACK AT THE GALA When the dust settles, the gala looks devastated. There are holes in the ground, ceiling, and walls, unconscious creatures and rubble are strewn everywhere, in fact from the looks of it, most of the gala goers (including most of the mares, Lightning, Flash, Braeburn, the Wonderbolts, etc.) are knocked out while the few remaining conscious gala-goers are hiding. The only ones conscious and not hiding are Cadance, Fluttershy (who was protected by Cadance), some of the gala goers, and you. DFV smiles wickedly as she lets out a evil laugh at the sigh of all the unconscious ponies. She then sees the knocked-out Celestia and she says... After a battle... "The ponies lie broken before me. I have done it. I have thrown down their sun goddess. There is no one to stop me. First Equestria, then the world!" Wait, what? Stay down, worm! I could not have done this without your help, but do not presume your continued presence is welcome. You don't understand what is happening, but- I understand perfectly! You were weak, and I am strong. "You... you're still in there, aren't you?" Princess Celestia struggles to stand. "The cloak... it isn't you. You aren't a monster." Is she trying to help you? Even if she was, what good would it do? A god holds you, insect! A GOD! See the power I wield! A tail lashes out and slaps Celestia across the room. No! Their goddess is nothing but a plaything to me. What good does your denial do? Celestia stands again. "What do you want?" "You fool! I want-" "Not you," she snaps. "You. Inside. What do you want?" You... you wanted to be the good guy... Yes, and see how that turned out? "I promised to help others..." Celestia laughs. "I heard you!" "No!" "Your daughter. Think of your daughter! You helped her! You protected her!" Nightshade... Celestia continues. "But there were others, weren't there? Fluttershy helped you. You were looking for Cadance the first time I saw you. You have other friends, don't you?" "Yes. Apple Bloom. Zecora. Derpy." "SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!" Tails wrap around Celestia, one around her throat, and she is pulled to hang in the air in front of you. She smiles. "The cloak didn't earn you your friends. Only a heart can do that." "SHUT! UP!" The tail around her throat tightens, choking her. Celestia struggles to breathe, but her smile remains. "Let her go!" The tail evaporates, and Celestia breathes again. No... no it isn't possible! You wretch... you can't control me! Watch me, you think. Your horns begin to shrink down, and the tails begin to loosen. Celestia drops to the floor. "Impossible! I am hate! I am eternal!" "You are a nightmare," Celestia says. You grit your teeth. "And it's time... I... woke... UP!" "I've done it... I have thrown down their sun goddess! There is no one to stop me! First Equestria, then the world!" No, stop! This isn't want I wanted! You think in defiance. DFV sneers and says, Stay down, bug! I could not have done this without your help, but do not presume your continued presence is welcome. Although it will be kept because of our friendship and the fact that she isn't ready yet... She isn't ready...? You think in confusion before you shake off the thought and think/say, Look lady, if we were friends then you would let me understand why you took over my body. I mean wh- DFV interrupts you as she says, "I understand perfectly! You were a weak little monster and I am an all-powerful goddess! And you will forever stay by my side, as I take over the world AHAHAHAHAH!" You can't help but shiver in fright at the laugh, and you are about to give up, when... "Offender... you're still in there, aren't you?" Cadance asks as she struggles to stand up from the attack. "That cloak... it isn't you. You aren't a monster. The cloak is." She looks at you with determination. And you can't help but think, Why is she trying to help me? After all I did when I was still in control... DFV give a evil chuckle as she says, Even if she was, what good would it do? A goddess holds you, insect! A GODDESS! Behold the power I wield! A tail lashes out and slaps Cadance across the room. No! Leave my friend alone! DFV growls and shouts "FOOL! You're nothing but a monster and I am your one and only friend! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!?" Cadance stands again with a confident look as she asks, "What do you want?" The DFV sneers and shouts, "Isn't it obvious you pink cupid wannabe! I want-" "Not you," she snaps glaring at you- no the DFV as she says "You Offender. Inside. What do you want?" I... I wanted to be the good guy... Yes, and see how that turned out? Hated by all and the only pony who cares for you is me! Somehow, you managed to take control of your mouth again and you say "I promised to help others..." Cadance laughs and says, "I heard you! And I know for a fact that you have done a good job helping others so far!" NO!The DFV screams as she tries to take control of your mouth. Cadance looks at you determined and says "Your daughter... Think of your daughter! You helped her! You cared for her! The only reason this all happened is because you were protecting her!" The other gala goers who are still conscious gasp at the information of you having a daughter, while you only think, Nightshade... Fluttershy comes running out of the crowd with a bold look on her face as she says, "Cadance is right Bugze, you helped me. You saved me so many times! You're not a monster, you're a hero!" Cadance nods her head at what Fluttershy said as she continues, "But Fluttershy isn't your only friend is she? You have other friends, don't you?" You somehow managed to nod your head as you whisper, "Yes. Zecora. Derpy. Braeburn..." Suddenly you lose control as DFV screams, "SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU!" Tails lash out and wrap around Cadance and Fluttershy's throats before lifting the ponies and hanging them in front of you. NO! Cadance smiles confidently and says, "The cloak... didn't earn you... your friends. Only a heart can do that... And Offender... you have a big one." Fluttershy manages to nods her head in agreement from her noose, "SHUT UP! I COMMAND IT!!!" The tails around their throats tighten, choking them. Even as they struggle to breathe, but their smiles remain. Let. Them! GO!!! GAH! The tail suddenly evaporates, and Cadance and Fluttershy drop to the floor gasping for air. No... no it isn't possible! You can't... you can't control me! Just watch me honey... you think. Your horns begin to shrink down, and the tails begin to loosen as the DFV cries out in despair, desperately trying to maintain control, "Impossible! Grr... I am hate! AH! I AM ETERNAL!" Cadance gives her a cold glare as she says, "You're nothing but a nightmare." You grab your head tightly as you grit your teeth and declare. "And it's time... I... woke... UP!!!" As you try to take control, you suddenly hear ponies...cheering? "Come on Hoody, you can do it!" "Beat that nightmare down!" "Offender! Offender! Offender!" The cheers from all the ponies give you the extra strength, but the DFV is still fighting back hard and it looks like she may regain control when suddenly, Nightshade calms you down (or at least tries to...) Daddy! Daddy can you hear me! Your eyes shoot open in shock and you say, "Nightshade?! Why are you out of the Inventory!?" Nightshade giggles and says I'm still in my bed Daddy. I can't get out because this mean smoke thing is blocking the way out, but that doesn't matter. What matters is this. You! Are! My! Daddy! You are a kind, lovable, sweet, cool, and awesome Daddy who has done nothing but save ponies and kick bad guy butts. So...you can beat this meanie nightmare, and be my daddy again. Promise me, okay daddy, that you'll be my awesome daddy again. You cry tears of joy and say. I promise sweet heart... I promise. Yay! With that boost, you are able to beat back the DFV's influence as the DFV makes one last pained plea, "No no NO! YOU NEED ME! I AM YOU! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT YOU FOOL! TOGETHER WE COUL-" "GET OUT OF MY HEAAAAAAAAD!!!" With that one last powerful scream, you take control of your body as you hear DFV cry out in agonized anguish as you return to your normally hooded self. The crowd that was cheering looks at you nervously and wait to see if you did it. You shake your head like a wet dog before jump into the air and shout, "YEAH BABY! THE HOODED OFFENDER IS BACK!" Cheering is heard throughout the gala from those who are awake. They...really think that I'm a hero... YESSS! You think to yourself excited. Just as your about to express your joy, you look up to see... that the ceiling is coming down! Also, please, let him make some more progress in being considered good in the eye of ponies. *snap* Thinking quickly, your three fox tails lash out to hold up the ceiling, but you can't do it for long. You look at Fluttershy and shout, "FLUTTERSHY! GIVE CELESTIA THE POTION!!!" Nodding quickly, she flies to the fallen sun goddess as pieces of the building continue to crumble and fall and she pours the potion into Celestia's mouth. She wakes up and gets up in confusion and spots you, but before she can say or do anything you yell, "HURRY SOLAR-FLANK! THIS PLACE IS COMING DOWN AND I CAN'T HOLD THIS UP FOR LONG! TELEPORT EVERYLING OUT OF HERE!!!" The ponies who now realize that your a hero nod there heads, as both snobs and non-snobs grab as many ponies and creatures as they can and gather around Celestia. Soon Rainbow wakes up and asks, "Ah... what did I....miss..." She stops talking as she sees the devastation of the gala and of you holding the ceiling up. You look over to the ponies and yell, "WHAT THE HAY ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR!!! I CAN'T HOLD THIS BUCKING THING UP FOR MUCH LONGER!!!" Parts of the walls start to fall apart to emphasis your point. Celestia steps forward and looks at you determined as she asks, "Why are you doing this monster? You know you will not survive the collapse. So why are you saving my little ponies and my life? " Fluttershy and Cadance gasp in worry at that, but you just give a humorless chuckle as you say, "Yah...so what. A hero is not afraid to give their life to save others, so neither am I. And if you forgotten solar-flank...I am the hero from the darkest abyss! I am the turned changeling! I am the stallion of colts. I! Am! The HOODED OFFENDER! AND NOLING DIES ON MY WATCH, SO GET!" Celestia nods her head dumbly as she charges up a teleport spell, but suddenly Fluttershy flies over and hugs you and whispers, "I'll never forget you Bugze..." You smile in her embrace and say, "Thanks Fluttershy... Now get out of here." With tears in her eyes, she flies back to the others as Celestia teleports everyling out. Your life flashes before your eyes (along with the sounds of your ex-Queen weeping which you still can't understand) as you think, And that folks... Is how you go out with a bang... *CRASH!!!* BACK AT DOUGHNUT JOE'S Spike and Doughnut Joe heard the loud crash, but they just figured that someling crashed into a building or something. Spike was about to eat his 800th jelly doughnut, the doors of the store open, and a pony walks in. Spike doesn't bother to look up, but as the hoof steps get closer, he starts to get a feeling that the pony is walking towards him. The hoof steps stop in front of his table, and a voice asks, "Sir, may I inquire of the seat adjacent to the seat you currently occupy is currently held by another party?." Spike looks at the pony angrily and says, "Listen bub-" He stops when he sees that he actually knows this pony. After the battle, change back into the "El Hunko" suit and hat and pay a visit to Spike at Doughnut Joe's before getting on the next train to Appleloosa. "El Hunko!" You smile and nod your head as you take the seat across from him as you say, "Ah, Sir Spike, so nice to see you again. I told you I'll take up your offer. I would have been here sooner, but something popped up and I had to stay at the gala for longer then I thought I had to." After that you and Spiked talked for half an hour, eating donuts and sharing tales about your lives (omitting any details about Nightshade, the Hooded Offender, the fact that you're a changeling, and even the fact that you sang that song at the GGG). Apparently he has more bad luck then you, if not more so. He laughed at all your painful mistakes and you can't blame him. Just as you are about to tell him about the time your grandbuggy started a war between your clan and a griffon village over who should marry you cause your grandbuggy made the terrible mistake of betting you on a poker game (the one time he loses... Strange thing is, the bride from the village disappeared and the war ended then and there), the doors to the store open and you see a less-than-pleasant sight. You see the battered and bruised mares and Celestia walk in. While a crying Fluttershy is being supported by a grieving-looking Cadance. Spike looks at them and asks, "Woah, what happened to you guys?" They all looked at each other and said at the same time, "The Offender happened." Spike looks super sad as he says, "What! I missed him again!? Why can't I ever meet that super cool rebel? I mean come on. I just want his autograph- I... mean boo he sucks... yeah..." Spike stops fancolting when he notices the glares he gets from five of the mares and Celestia, but looks confused when he sees Fluttershy and Cadance smiling at him. Spike then remembers his guest and says, "Oh yeah, guys let me introduce you too... huh?" I note sits where El Hunko once was and it said... Sorry I couldn't stay Spike, but my mare troubles came so I had to bail. I hope to see you again sometime in the future, but until then, I bid you adu adoo adieu See ya. P.S. My funds are depleted at the moment so would you kindly pick up the tab? Spike's eye twitched in annoyance when he saw the bill (you ordered all the gourmet hoof-crafted donuts like "Key Lime Pie", "PBJ", and "Strawberry Cheescake" and stuffed the ones you didn't eat yet into The Inventory for Nightshade)... ON A TRAIN HEADING TO APPALOOSA You sigh as you begin to sleep in your suit, ready for a nice dream after today's events. The last thing you think before you fall asleep is... Thank Luna that's all over with. I can't wait to get home to Appaloosa with Nightshade. Maybe "The Salt Block" will have some freshly-baked Apple Crisp a la mode... *drool* All I know for sure is nothing bad can happen now... As you drift off, you swore you heard a dark whisper... I may be gone for now, but I will return, and when I do, EVERYPONY WIL- The whisper is drowned out by the train's whistle and with a shrug... you fall asleep. If only you knew what sort of chaos was heading your way... TO BE CONTINUED IN SEASON TWO OF "THE LIFE OF A WANTED CHANGELING!"