//------------------------------// // Epilogue: The End // Story: Bounty Hunters 3: Genesis // by Jasper77W //------------------------------// Approximately fifteen years ago, Manehattan. Octavia shouldered down the iron door, racing out onto a concrete rooftop. She stumbled a few steps, a little out of breath from chasing an assailant up sixteen floors worth of stairs. Despite that, she still kept her pistol up in alert, the weighted silencer attached to its end tipping her aim down a slight bit. There was a pony sitting on the ledge of the roof, a pegasus, her back facing towards her. She was wearing a light blue hoodie, the hood softly draped over her head. A black shoulder bag was gently set to one side. Based on her getup, she could be just any other slightly older than teenage pony out on the street. Nothing to indicate her affiliation, if she had one at all, and by the rugged look... She didn't belong anywhere. It appeared intentional, too... Like she was lost... And she knew. The assailant Octavia had been chasing lay in halves, baking under the bright sun of day. She gently readjusted her aim on the hooded figure. "Hooves up. Turn around." She said quietly. The figure tilted her head a slight bit. For a brief second Octavia caught sight of a shimmering rainbow mane. "Are you going to shoot me?" A sullen voice murmured. It wasn't a bad sounding voice... Just one that sounded like it hadn't spoken in a long time. "Not unless I have to." Octavia replied. "And you had to shoot fifty three other ponies?" The figure said, with a grim chuckle. Octavia tilted her head. So whoever this pony was, they didn't meet by a coincidence. She knew her. What annoyed her was that she had no idea who she was. "And you had to chop a guy in half. Somehow I don't think he's your first." She retorted. "No. No he isn't." The figure said, and steadily got to her hooves, casting a solemn gaze over the city, letting the wind gently slide across her face. Then she turned, with a sigh. "I know you." Octavia said quietly. Of course she did. Who didn't, at this stage? "We've barely met." "Who you are, I mean." Rainbow Dash gently stepped down from the ledge, and Octavia took a subtle step back. She didn't want to find out how Rainbow'd halved a guy in maybe three seconds before she got to the door. She wasn't that far behind him on the chase. "So what're you now, some psycho murderer?" "I wish the reasons I do what I do were as simple as mental instability." Rainbow huffed, with a bit of a bitter laugh. "But... If you want the short answer... I'm just looking for something. Is all." She sighed and reached over to get the shoulder bag she left to one side. She extracted a black fedora with a white band around it from within. It wasn't very much visible anymore, but it was evident that the hat had been stained with blood before. Sometime long ago. "Do you recognize this?" "Not really. That could be from anywhere." "I see." Rainbow murmured. She looked down at the hat for a moment, nodding to herself. "But I could help you look. It seems... Important, to you." Octavia said quietly. "Heh." Rainbow sighed, with a soft smile on her lips. "Yeah... You could say that. I've been chasing this ghost... This immaterial character... For a long time now. Whoever it was didn't just take a dear life away from me... But it took mine as well... And I've been looking, chasing, running and hiding... For so damn long I just..." She gently shook her head at the fedora. "There's no going back, but... Recently I've realized... There's no reason to go forwards after it either." "And so you're going to stop chasing this... Ghost?" Octavia tilted her head, intrigued. "Nah. I'll find them eventually." Rainbow grinned, then cast her gaze up into the blue abyss above. "If not simply for the satisfaction of accomplishing the task... But for now... I have a deal for you." "Somehow I knew I wasn't tracked down just for a heart felt conversation." "Nah... I've realized how unproductive I've been in the past few years, looking and hiding. Wasting time away and putting a big label of purpose on top of it. What's happened to me has already happened, and there's nothing I can do now... But I still have friends- well, they might not consider me that anymore; but... Ponies I care about. What happened to me hasn't happened to them. Or to others. And I hope it never does." Rainbow whispered quietly, remnants of a hopeful twinkle flashing across her eyes. She looked back down from the skies again, to Octavia. Octavia didn't put the gun away, but it was tilted at a downwards angle now. "Everypony has a reason for doing something. I know that. Nopony does something for no reason. And I know you have a reason. Whoever it was, whatever it was... You don't want it to happen to anyone else... Do you..." Octavia cast her eyes down for a second. "Of course..." "Then I want to offer my help." Rainbow said, brushing off the long-dried blood from the fedora, trying to clear it the best she could. "Octavia... You and I... We want the same thing. To have purpose. To stop bad things from happening. To keep the ones we care about safe." She murmured, standing up and walking towards the cautious grey mare. "Just... Think about it. We could help each other, and to be honest... Personally, I'll need it." She said, face to face with Octavia. Octavia offered a short nod. The weapon didn't go away, however. Rainbow chuckled. "I'm sure we'll get to know each other a little bit better. Hopefully." She snickered. "But... For now..." She gently placed the fedora on Octavia's head. The mare's purple eyes darted up in surprise. "I think it looks good on you. Kinda completes the look." She laughed, and stepped over the assailant's carcass, and quietly left the rooftop. * Octavia's eyes flung open. She scrambled up, trying to clear her mane from her face. Where's Val? Where's Rainbow? Is she in danger again? What happened? The bright morning sunshine that was bombarding her face wasn't helping her answer those questions. She had been laid out on a bed, in an oddly familiar place. Some sort of apartment... Or hotel... No too sure which one. A modern looking analog clock read eight thirty in the morning. The bright panes of floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to prove that piece of information. Octavia quickly went to the bathroom and splattered her face with cold water. Nope, not dreaming. That meant... "She did it." She muttered, slumping on the bathroom floor. She wasn't happy about it. Sure, she saved the world... But... Her being gone... Immediately she could feel some chunk of her own existence just... Absent. Maybe some consistent and annoying remarks, maybe some level of untidiness that she had learnt to tolerate over the years. She could feel Rainbow's absence without even thinking about it, and it tore at her heart. She closed her eyes, burying her face in her hooves, her shoulders shaking. She was gone, she was gone, she was gone. "Tavi..." But there she was. There she was again, standing at the door to the bathroom. Standing right there, her rainbow mane drifting down her shoulders, her features partially concealed by the black fedora she wore on her head. No glowing red eye. No battle scars. No blood. No metal. "Rainbow..." She gasped, taking in a shaky breath, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "Before you do anything... Tavi... She... Rainbow... She's not here anymore." The mare said. "W-what do you mean?" Octavia tilted her head to one side, an emotional roller coaster tumbling inside her, going from one extremity to the other. "I... I'm not Rainbow." The mare muttered, lowering her eyes. "No... No no no, bull, I don't believe that." Octavia sneered a little. "I don't bucking believe that!" She leapt up and grabbed Rainbow around the collar. "Rainbow, if it's another one of your stupid bucking jokes again, I goddamn swear, this is not the time!" But what she saw in those familiar violet eyes was so, so heart shattering. It was hurt, it was true. "No..." She whispered. "No... Please... Please let it be one of your stupid bucking pranks... Please..." She pleaded, but she knew. She goddamn knew, and she hated herself for it. "God... DAMNIT!" She screamed in frustration, burying her face in her hooves as she started crying again. "Why, why, why... Who are you? Why?" "A copy." Rainbow replied, averting her eyes from the broken mare. "The real Rainbow Dash made me before she... Left. I'm just different enough to have it pass through Genesis." "Why are you telling me this... You could've pretended... You could've goddamn pretended..." Octavia weeped. "Because she... She couldn't lie to you." Octavia didn't say anything, just squeezed Rainbow's clone and cried into her chest. "She gave me a message to carry on to you though." Rainbow said, gently stroking her cheek and clearing the tears from her face. Still Octavia didn't look up. Rainbow took her hoof and helped her up off the floor, then gently walked her to the living room. "Come on. Put on your clothes, it'll be windy outside." She said softly, and Octavia nodded. A black coat waited for her on a clothes stand near the exit. Beneath were the pants and shirt. A fedora with a white band around it hung loosely from the top. Rainbow waited patiently as she put the items on. Octavia sighed as she shrugged on the coat and placed the hat over her head. "Where are we going?" "You'll see." Rainbow replied, and opened the door. The corridor that waited beyond was equally familiar. She had been here before, but she couldn't quite remember when or where this actually was. Rainbow put an arm around her shoulders and slowly walked her towards the elevators. As the doors tinged open, Octavia looked further down the hall. That door... They had been through it before. Old, slightly rusty, leading to a set of stairs- she knew. She didn't know if she was feeling déjà vu or nostalgia. "Shouldn't we be going down?" She asked as Rainbow punched the button for the top floor. "Nah." She replied. No elevator music played. All she could do was lean back against the elevator wall and try desperately to hide the torment she was feeling. Rainbow stood beside her, looking ahead. She didn't say anything. Finally the doors opened up again. Rainbow led her out into a small concrete room. To one side was a door with sunlight pouring through a tiny window embedded in it. To the other side was the end of a set of stairs. Rainbow led her towards the door, and pushed it open. Octavia gasped. How could she have forgotten? Cloudsdale looked even prettier than before. The cloudy texture of the city of the pegasi floated below, shrouded in morning mist. More clouds floated by above, on the very edge of the atmosphere. Long, drawn out shadows stretched away from the sun as it slowly rose from the horizon. Golden streaks of light shot past darker ambient blue shadows, the contrast in lighting almost far too exaggerated to be real. Octavia cast her eyes further out into the distance. Beyond what appeared to be a normal Equestria, there was a new land... Host to a range of gleaming skyscrapers and hovering space ships. She gaped at the new world in front of her as she walked to the handrails. She could hear distant laughing, and just... Talking... Everywhere. On the streets below, in some shops, in the sky as a few pegasi passed. Life had been restored. "You like it?" Rainbow grinned, joining her at the handrails. "I... What..." She shook her head, and Rainbow laughed. "She thought she'd give science their own little bit of land. The world doesn't need all a hundred percent of its oceans, apparently." She chuckled. Octavia just stared off into the distance, and didn't reply. For a few minutes they just stood side by side, silent. Rainbow started fidgeting a little, playing with the collar of her shirt, like a child that had done something wrong and knew she was guilty. "Did she realize she'd only make things worse by trying to come back?" Octavia asked, and suppressed a sniffle. Rainbow looked up in surprise, and saw that the grey mare was doing her best not to burst out again. "Yeah..." Rainbow looked down again, bringing out the cleaver handle. She twirled it between her hooves, staring into the red light shining through its thin seams. "Yeah... She did." "Then why?" Rainbow didn't speak immediately. "Why would she come back?" Octavia whispered, eyes watering. Rainbow gently reached behind her head and unclipped the pendant around her neck. She held it up by the chain, letting it catch the sun as she peered at it. Relatively well sculpted all things considered, it was her cutie mark. It was her birthday present from Dainty. She wasn't Rainbow. She didn't feel it right to wear it, she knew. But it was still hers, so she pocketed it. "She wanted you to be happy... Plus, she made a promise." She stated simply, feeling the cold chain twirl around her hoof inside her pocket. Octavia's eyes lingered on the exposed chain for a second. Then she took in a deep breath and looked out to the edge of Cloudsdale. "Also she ah..." Rainbow looked down, finding it hard to look anywhere else. "You meant too much to her. She didn't want to just leave you." "Is that it?" Octavia sniffed. "Because it feels an awful like we left her." "I guess that's kinda sorta why I'm here." Rainbow murmured. "It's her only way of staying." Octavia nodded, slowly, still trying to keep herself calm. "I just... I didn't even get to say goodbye..." Rainbow watched her with a pained expression. She had a memory flash back to Genesis, when the real Rainbow was talking to her, amongst that swirling mass of condensed information. "You have my memories. You know how I feel." She had said, eyes downcast. And she had nodded in return. She had looked up again, and that tiny last bit of regret had shone through. "Just... Make her happy, okay? Make sure she's happy. And keep her safe." Rainbow took in a sharp breath. So she never got to tell her herself... "But she did." She murmured quietly. Tavi looked up. "She got to. Say goodbye, I mean." But this was the end, she thought to herself. It was going to be bitter sweet, she knew- they all did. But so far it had been all bitter and no sweet. "Come on." She said, hooking an arm around Tavi's shoulders and gently leading her away. "Wha?" Octavia seemed a little startled as she stumbled around for a bit under Rainbow's guide. "W-where are we going?" "Somewhere a little less depressing." Rainbow shrugged, keeping Tavi close. She led her back down the elevators, and walked out onto the streets. Rays of sunshine shone through the crisp green leaves of trees lining the sidewalks, glimmering off of the asphalt road like a sparkling universe beneath their hooves, shining through the thin cosmic clouds that was the low-rolling morning fog. There was this air of positive energy all around them. Ponies weren't being hysterically cheerful but... It was... Really, it was just sunshine and rainbows. "Things'll never be the same... But..." Octavia looked around them, at all the overwhelming but hidden joy. "Things were never meant to be the same." Rainbow chuckled, tracing her gaze. A group of fillies and colts seemed to be having a game of tag. "After all the grim things we've seen, all the trauma we've been through and all the adventures we've had... What would any of it be if we just ended back up where we started?" She laughed. "For better or for worse... It's all different now..." "For better, hopefully." Octavia sighed, though there was a smile lingering upon her lips, like a pleasant aftertaste. They trotted to the handrails at the edge of Cloudsdale. Equestria was stretched out below them- they could see so impossibly far... It was amazing. "So... What happened to everyone?" Tavi asked, quietly, timidly looking about herself to see if she could spot any other familiar faces; as they softly walked alongside the handrails. "Well... Sweetie Belle's off to a great career as a talented singer... She's partly Rarity's boss now, can you believe that?" They shared a chuckle. "Applebloom and Scootaloo... They've opened up a mechanics workshop and warehouse in Manehattan. Katana's helping them with the workshop as well... She was originally Applebloom's assistant, after all... As for Applebloom herself, she's still a bit shaken up about being dead... A lot of ponies are. Sweetie Belle too... It wasn't something Rainbow wanted to just remove. They'll adjust to it, eventually. She didn't feel it right for her to just remove memories at will... Well, all but for one case... But it's a special case. You'll see." Octavia nodded gently, chin tucked behind the collar of her trench coat as she stared at the ground, watching the stone pavement slowly pass by. "That's good..." She said. Rainbow cast her a worried glance- She wasn't over Rainbow yet, she could tell... And she doubted she ever would be, completely. All she could do now was keep talking. "The Princesses have been reunited... Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity've all got their normal lives back... They just need to slowly ease into it. I'll need to pay them a visit some time." She said, and grinned just by imagining all the sunshine filled smiles they'd share once again at last. God... She hadn't seen those faces in so long. "And, uh... Iris is back to doing whatever shady business he's always been involved in... Shining Armor's back in Canterlot with all his fancy-smancy royal guard captain stuff. Frostbite, he's... Gone back to the Griffon Kingdom... Heh, he probably had enough of Equestria as it is already." Rainbow chortled, and was pleasantly rewarded with a brief smile from Tavi. "But anyway. The Doctor and Derpy... They're back on their crazy adventures as per the norm... Magnum and Zealo are somewhere in Appleloosa right now... Odd place to go on vacation, but... I heard they had some great wines there." She shrugged. "Brandy." Octavia corrected. "Ah." Rainbow nodded. That made a bit more sense. How'd she think there'd be a wine orchard in the middle of the desert? Though... They did manage with apples. "Lightning Dust is back in the Academy with Spitfire and Soarin. I dunno... Maybe she'll make it through this time. Probably. Noteworthy's got some music stuff going in Ponyville." "What about the Wardens?" Octavia asked. There was a soft crunch as she accidentally stepped on a fallen leaf. "They're off doing their thing, keeping Equestria safe... Though, Nightshade's stayed behind as Luna's General of the Army. Honestly, she looks the part." Rainbow offered a nervous laugh. Rainbow had led her to a small one storied building by the edge of Cloudsdale. It was modeled like a diner from the sixties, complete with erratic text written in multicolored neon lights and that typical shiny bright red roof. A giant mechanical ice cream cone outlined in neon gently rocked from side to side behind the fonted logo that Rainbow could barely read properly. "It's moved. And it's not bright pink anymore." Tavi murmured, looking up at the building. "Yeah." Rainbow tilted her head, a look of absolute fascination twinkling in her eyes and her smile as she spied at the subtle changes the ice cream store had suffered from the previous reality. "I wonder what little thing changed..." Tavi let out a short giggle at the look on Rainbow's face. That look... She'd seen it before, and it had become one of the things she loved her for. "What?" Rainbow turned to look at her, with a raised eyebrow. "Heh." Was all the response Tavi gave her, followed by another suppressed laugh to herself. She could feel something building up as Rainbow gently shoved the hefty red metal and glass doors open. Maybe she knew, to some degree, somehow; which explains that little nagging bit of anticipation itching at her chest. Compared to the bright and near-blinding sunlight from outside, the inside of the ice cream shop was relatively dark, but only in comparison. It was still bright enough for her to notice the black shape bolting towards her from her left. Rainbow tilted her head a little with that curious look as the figure darted past behind her and leapt at Tavi. Octavia wrapped a hoof around the figure's wrist, stepped aside, then used it's momentum to fling the figure into a small two seated table to her right. She felt the serenity around her shatter as the figure collided with the table and its two stools with a loud crash and 'BWEH!' in a very familiar voice. "V-Vinyl...?" She gasped. "Oh, sh- Here-" she quickly ran over to her and pulled the bleach white unicorn to her hooves. At least that was the intention, because Vinyl tugged down and made her trip too, right into a big comfy and overdue hug. "You're okay..." She murmured. "Yeah. I'm okay." Octavia replied quietly, then a grim snort of a chuckle escaped her lips. "Mmm..." Vinyl buried her muzzle into her shoulder for a short while, it was so nice to have her here. Nice and warm. "Hey- Rainbow- heh, you're still alive!" She said, looking over Octavia's shoulder and waving at Rainbow. Octavia froze for a moment, then she turned, hesitantly, to look at Rainbow. Their eyes met for a while, and Rainbow waited for her to say something. The silent exchange was grim and painful. Will she tell the truth? Rainbow half expected her too. She didn't know if it was relief or disappointment that she felt when Tavi quietly stifled a tear to hide it from Vinyl, then looked down and away again as she slowly got up. "Yeah. Guess I'm still here." Rainbow shrugged, a convincing and completely cocky-Rainbow-Dash-like grin fashioned upon her face. "Suppose it'd take more than... Well... Whatever the hell Genesis is... To kill you." Vinyl laughed, getting up and giving her a light thump on the chest. "Yeah. I'm a tough sonnuva mule." Rainbow nodded. That grin almost faltered when she caught that pleading look from Tavi. Those bright purple eyes... The desperate look that said 'Don't push it, please...', it almost brought her to her knees. "...But hey! Let's go find the others!" She said quickly, hooking an arm around Tavi's shoulders and letting her shoulders do a sort of battle-fatigued sag. "Right this way, ma'ams!" Vinyl said brightly, performed a comically low bow, and led the way further into the ice cream store. "Tavi..." Rainbow whispered as she went out of earshot, a very obvious look of concern on her face. "I'm sorry I... I didn't realize that I was-" "No. Tavi... Thank you." Rainbow murmured quietly, hugging her close by her side. "I know it's difficult... So... Thank you." Octavia swallowed and nodded. They followed Vinyl around a corner. "You know, I-" Rainbow began, and then disappeared. Octavia looked down to find her in a heap on the floor, a little green shape clinging onto her dearly. "Hey, Dainty... Oh jaysus..." She groaned, struggling a little. Finally Dainty rolled off and giggled, and she got the opportunity to get back up again. "Rainbow! You're alive." Halcyon 'yayed', sitting at a table with Blaze. "The surprise in your voice insults me." Rainbow murmured, watching Dainty bounce in circles around her. There was something different about her... She looked like she had grown a considerable amount... "Dainty... You're-" "I knew you'd be back! I knew it I knew it I knew it!" She squealed, then finally stopped in front of her with this adorable look in her eyes, a little breathless from the hyperactivity. "I mean, they thought you were dead, or gone, or whatever, but I knew you'd come back! Because you promised!" She said, ecstatically. "Yeah." Rainbow said quietly. Then she smiled, a tired but warm and happy smile, and knelt down. "Yeah, I did." She said. She remembered that they'd be eye level whenever she knelt. Now she actually had to look up... "Dainty, you've..." "Yeah. I've grown. A lot. Because I didn't die for, like, five years." She grinned. "Huh." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Six." Melony said, sitting at a table with Nightshade. "Yeah. Six." Dainty rolled her eyes. "I... Wow." Rainbow blinked. So Dainty's suddenly a teenager now? Ain't that great. She was kind of disappointed she didn't get to spend more time with her before she grew... "Hey... I have two big sisters now. That's kinda nice." She grinned, and leapt into another hug with Rainbow. "You can have her. She's too much trouble." Melony said, sipping from a cup of coffee. "Wha! Melony, that's mean..." Dainty looked at her and pouted. "Wait... Don't you guys have important stuff to do?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the four Wardens just hanging out in an ice cream store. "There's a meteor problem. Terra can handle it though. Plus he hates ice cream." Nightshade said quietly and politely dabbed her mouth with a napkin. She still had her eye patch though, however her one-time multi-dimensional teleport worked. "You really trust one pony with an extinction level event?" Rainbow frowned, a bit worried the skies might just collapse on their heads any second now. "Why not? We miraculously trusted you with, well... Everything. It turned out fine." Nightshade shrugged, poking at her honey mellon ice cream with a plastic spoon. "Wha- hey, I'm trustworthy!" Rainbow complained. While Rainbow and Nightshade got into a heated discussion about Rainbow's character, Octavia noticed a little something hiding behind Halcyon's stool as she chatted with Blaze. "Uh..." She tilted her head, kneeling down a little so she could get a better look. "Hmm? Oh!" Halcyon noticed Octavia peering and ushered the little creature a bit. It seemed to want to run away. "Come on now, Archie. Go say hello." Slowly, and very, very hesitantly; the filly hiding behind the stool peeked out from behind it. Maybe it was the lighting, but those eyes... Those brilliant, baby blue eyes... Octavia fell back in shock. There was no mistaking it. The electric mane. The light charcoal coat. It was Val. "H-Hello..." She murmured timidly, head down and barely able to meet Octavia's eyes as she nervously pawed a hoof at the ground. "Cute, isn't she?" Rainbow murmured with a smile, holding Dainty in her arms and gently stroking her mane. Octavia looked at her with a shocked expression. "Does she-" "Nah. One day she'll remember, though. It's a consequence of her actions, and it won't be easy, but... It's a second chance. She- I mean I- thought that... Well, you and I both know the story. I thought she deserved a childhood. A descent one." Rainbow said, tilting her head at the filly. She shrunk behind the stool again, only peeping out a little, and Halcyon laughed. "O-oh..." Octavia said, still a bit concerned. But then she closed her eyes and smiled, then chuckled. "Heh, oh well, I suppose. Not much I can do about it." She murmured with a shrug. "Definitely sounds like something you would do though. But just one question- Archie...?" "Archangel." Rainbow expanded. "One day she'll be just that. A benevolent one this time, hopefully." She grinned, while Archie practically had question marks popping out of her head as she blinked. "Wha- mom-" She complained a bit as Halcyon ruffled her mane. "I know not everyone's comfortable with it. But don't you think it's right? She can help us. Help this world. It's up to us to take care of her now, and not forge her into something we don't want." Rainbow said. "We'll take care of her." Vinyl said with a warm smile on her face and offered Archie a wave. She nodded politely but stayed behind the stool. "I-I-I won't be something bad, right?" She asked timidly. "Course not." Dainty said brightly, then thought about something and looked around curiously. "Weren't we supposed to be having ice cream?" Rainbow blinked, then sprung up. "Hey yeah! Tabs' on me!" They had moved all the tables together to form a big one in the center that they could all sit around, and once the orders were coming up Rainbow started bragging about the last adventure. Some things never change- but Octavia didn't blame her. "And then- Tavi and I, we-" Rainbow was still going when somepony ran into the room, a little out of breath too. "So." Daring Do said, breathing heavily, her hat at an angle. "What'd I miss?" As everypony laughed and then complained as Rainbow started again all the way from the beginning, Tavi gave a laugh- an honest one that she hadn't quite had in a while. THIS is what Rainbow had wanted. This is why. A way at a happy ending when secretly there was none. She knew the other ending. The least she could do was appreciate what transpired. Rainbow wouldn't want her to feel guilty. She had known she would, she must have; but she did it anyway, and Tavi knew she would want her to enjoy this. And so she laughed along with everyone. Smiled like everyone. And made sure that none of it was pretense. Rainbow saw it in her eyes too. She grinned a sincere grin, finally able to let go of that sliver of worry. "So what happened after you guys went into the castle?" Nightshade asked curiously. "Well..." Rainbow thought about the few times they just tripped and fell. No, that won't do as a tale. "We met this... Robot pony... He called himself Fate. I'm assuming Eclipse made him..." "Did he control Genesis?" "Heh... That's the odd thing, because he made it explicitly clear that he only documents things." Rainbow said. "You think that's why Eclipse named him that? Because that's what she believes- we control our own fate?" Blaze murmured. "I'm not a big believer in fate myself, but... Of all the millions of bad things that could've happened... We're here now." Halcyon said with a smile, watching Archie as she stood on her lap and tried to reach a plate of cookies in the middle of the table. She levitated one to her, and she disappeared under the table again. "Well, regardless... I'm happy he's on our side." Rainbow said, and everypony else murmured their agreements. "But what happened to them, though? Eclipse and Fate? And Genesis?" Dainty asked, though her words were a bit disrupted since she was chewing on a spoon. "Genesis is still there, a fallback plan. In case something ever goes wrong, again. Hopefully it never does, though." Rainbow sighed. "As for those two... Fate's probably still where he is. Someone has to maintain that castle. Eclipse... She's off doing her thing. I'm sure there's plenty of crap to clean up after that whole mess." She muttered. Dainty peered under the table and found Archie still nibbling at the cookie. She blinked, and they just stared at each other for a bit. Then Archie looked between her and the cookie, a little confused. Finally she tilted her head curiously and offered the cookie to Dainty. Dainty blinked again, chuckled, then left. She returned a second later with another cookie of her own, and joined Archie under the table(though she had to hunch a little, she wasn't quite as small as she had been anymore). They grinned at each other, for differing reasons, then enjoyed their cookies. As the morning went on Rainbow explained and answered as many questions as she could. About Genesis, about things that had happened. Melody explained what happened to Neon- it had just been a fragment of her, caused by the experiment which turned her into it in the first place. Now that she had control over it, she could turn it on and off whenever she wanted to. Iris had joined the Royal Guard under Shining Armor. He and his wife had moved to Canterlot. The Princesses were back in control, the elements... Five of them, anyway... Restored. Hopefully, it'd be smooth sailing from here on out. As they eventually ran out of ice cream and things to talk about, they slowly left one by one to resume their daily lives, after a hiatus that had gone on for far too long. Albeit most of their daily lives weren't exactly normal in the first place, it was still something they eagerly looked forward to. Some form of regularity was always good. "I'll be sure to visit often." Rainbow murmured, giving Dainty a good close-to-the-heart hug as Melony continued across the street to try and catch a cab. "I don't doubt it." Dainty said, clung onto her neck for a bit, then let go and grinned. Octavia watched Rainbow share a few more laughs with her before sending her off with Melony. She watched her wave as they slowly disappeared from sight, having caught a taxi. For a few moments afterwards they just stood on the empty sidewalk, outside the ice cream store. "Come on, Tavi- let's go home." Rainbow said, adopting a cheery tone as she gently led her towards the Airbus station. It was about a two kilometer walk. It only took twenty minutes. Despite everything that had happened, there was a surprisingly low amount of things to say. Tavi wondered if this would've been different, if Rainbow had really been Rainbow. Maybe she'd be jumping around laughing, hell... Maybe they'd both be. It wasn't bad, per se, it just wasn't the same. "...What was she like..." She mumbled gently, as the station came into view ahead. Rainbow turned around and stopped, tilting her head. "T-The last time you saw her, I mean..." Rainbow looked at the ground for a moment, chewing her lip, trying to find the best word for it. In the end she just shrugged, and laughed little. "Herself." She said, turned back around, and kept on walking. "Course..." Octavia murmured, and smiled to herself. They got to the station, and she raised an eyebrow. "Technology in this world has gone a bit beyond what we were used to." Rainbow sighed. "But... She and I agreed that it was for the better. Come on." The 'Airbus' wasn't a plane at all. It was literally six arcane engines of some sort strapped to where the wheels should be on a bus. Purple rings of fire spilled out of the engines as the flying vehicle slowly glided to a stop by the station, at the edge of Cloudsdale. Tavi was about to step on when Rainbow stopped her. "Whoa, where're you going?" "Hmm? I thought..." Octavia glanced back at the open doors of the bus. "That's the two-forty-seven, Tavi." Rainbow pointed to an LED sign over the doors. Then she pointed to a giant sign on the wall, with a list of numbers and locations. "O-oh..." Tavi said in surprise, as the bus's doors closed and it slowly glided away again. "What will you do without me..." Rainbow chuckled. "Ow-" She grunted as Tavi gave her a light elbow to the stomach. "Shut up. Uh... Manehattan... Manehattan..." She went down the list. "So... We want to get on the... One-thirty-two...?" She said, still a little hesitant. "I dunno Tavi. My brain isn't working right now and we need to go home." Rainbow joked. "I swear, Rainbow, if we end up in Fillydelphia or Appleloosa I will throw one of these buses at you." Tavi punched her on the shoulder, and she quickly hid behind the sign. It took maybe three minutes for a one-thirty-two to arrive. They got on, and there were a few strangers there too. They got off at Cloudsdale without much of a glance at the two. "Interesting." Octavia said. "I thought people'd be recognising you left and right by now." "Maybe. But some just want to forget everything, and I don't blame them." Rainbow sighed. "And, it's US, Tavi. Can't be a dynamic duo without the... Duo..." She mumbled. They both felt that sitting down would be disrespectful, since it would mean facing forwards and basically ignoring the beautiful view outside(plus, it was fun to try and stay upright on a bus). No, this was best enjoyed standing up. And so they stood and clung onto the handlebars, watching the mountains slowly slip behind each other and the land rise to greet them as they descended. "Manehattan to Cloudsdale, Manehattan to Cloudsdale." The driver(pilot...?) said boringly, pulling a chain and making the doors open. It was maybe a twenty minute flight. Wasn't particularly long. For some reason they spent that time talking about cookies and biscuits. And somehow that argument carried on to when they stepped off the bus. "No- they're definitely NOT the same thing!" Octavia was saying. They were drawing a few glances in the station and when they exited out into the streets, but nopony wanted to talk to them because... Well, it was a very heated discussion. "How? How!? How are they not!?" Rainbow yelled. "They're both these small, baked little pastry things! They usually have the same ingredients!" Their argument carried down the street and to an underground parking garage. "Yeah, but- cookies- they're like, for children. And stuff. And biscuits are usually for formal occasions." Tavi yelled back. "Context!? That's the difference!?" Rainbow exclaimed. "Well, contextually, right now; you are an absolute twat-" they walked down a flight of stairs. "LISTEN- listen-" Octavia said, waving her phone at Rainbow's face. "Definition for cookie- ahem- 'a small cake made from stiff, sweet dough rolled and sliced or dropped by spoonfuls on a large, flat pan and baked.' For BISCUITS-" She had to raise her voice because Rainbow was clearly about to rudely interrupt. "A kind of bread in small, soft cakes, raised with baking powder or soda, or sometimes with yeast." She quoted aloud. They walked past several rows of cars. "Oh! OH! But look at definition two B!" Rainbow jabbed her hoof at the screen excitedly and jumping up and down in a frantic manner. "Definition two-B- a cookie. The bucking definition for a biscuit is a god-damn COOKIE." "But there are still differences in the way they are cooked-" "Tavi, Tavi- it's okay-" Rainbow gently patted her on the shoulders. "You've been believing a lie this whole time. It's okay, but now you see the truth-" She was saying, her words saturated with sarcasm. "Just... Shut up and get in the car." She mumbled. "But I have the keys-" "Okay, well, just shut up then." She snapped, wrenching the keys from a laughing Rainbow's hooves, and unlocking the car. "Your driving is terrible anyway." She muttered. * Nostalgia. It felt like forever since they'd driven these roads. Sunlight rolled over the asphalt like breaking waves on a beach, and trickled between the trees and buildings lining the streets. It wasn't particularly spectacular, what with the crowded sidewalks and roads and lack of cultural significance in the plain old concrete structures along the streets. But it was beautiful, because it was home. Because it was normal. Octavia smiled to herself, peering out the window at the occasional Airbus that glided by, hoof firmly on the wheel. Rainbow watched her for a moment, then closed her eyes, and laid her head back. What now? She asked herself. The big adventure was over. Of course... There were plenty more small ones to be had, a darker life waiting where they left it. But she didn't want to go back to it, not after everything. Life'd be too pointless that way... They had to enjoy it, at some stage, for however long a time. "Hey. Twat. Wake up, we're here." She felt the car slowly drive to a stop, and a light punch on her shoulder. Tavi tilted her head. "What're you smiling about?" She raised an eyebrow. Rainbow opened her eyes, still smiling. "Nothing just... The sun feels nice." She said, and Octavia rolled her eyes and got out. Rainbow got out with her, but stood by the car. Tavi was all the way by the door to their lonely little apartment when she noticed Rainbow wasn't behind her. She turned around. "What're you waiting for? Come on!" She waved. "Sorry Tavi, I gotta go check up on Twi and the others." Rainbow said, opening the driver's side door. Tavi jogged back over to her. "Wha- come on, can't that wait just a little?" "Tavi, you know I have to check on them as soon as I can. I know you understand that." Rainbow cast her a sympathetic look, and ruffled her mane. She pouted. Cue: puppy eyes. "Tavi- Hey, Tavi-" Rainbow said quickly, gently lifting her chin with a hoof. "Oh- don't give me that look, okay? Great. First Dainty and now you." She muttered, and Tavi giggled. "Look... I'll be back as soon as I can, alright?" Tavi looked down and nodded. "Thank you." She whispered. "Heh?" Maybe it was the mood. The quiet street, the lingering autumn amidst the summer in the air. The drifting leaves. The warm, tingly sunlight. Maybe it was after everything they'd been through together. The first time they'd met. The warehouse. Cloudsdale. She had died, and come back. The long journey across an unexpected alternate universe. And finally the emotional roller coaster of Genesis. Or maybe it was just the mere fact that, whether it be friendship or something else, they just couldn't live without one another. Rainbow only had time for one question mark to pop out of her head when Tavi grabbed her around the collar and pulled her close. Their noses were touching, and they could hear each other's gentle breathing. "Tavi..." Rainbow whispered softly, laying a cautionary hoof on her arm. Those brilliant purple eyes had been hidden away behind the rim of her fedora, her head lowered. Rainbow felt her chest tense with a tinge of pain. "...are you sure...?" Octavia nodded quietly. "You said so yourself." She whispered. "You're here to make me happy. So do it." They squeezed their eyes shut. It wasn't a particularly complex kiss, nor physically passionate, but there was an incalculable amount behind it. Of gratitude, of longing, of so many pent up emotions they just hadn't had the opportunity to express. They couldn't live without each other, and that was the simple and undeniable truth. Finally they broke apart, catching their breath, having held it in the fear that it might disturb the amazing peacefulness of it. Tavi rested her cheek against Rainbow's chest, feeling her heart beat, listening to her every breath. Rainbow pulled her close, indulging herself in her familiar but blissful smell. "You never answered my question properly. About why I had to know." Tavi whispered. "Because I need you, Tavi..." Rainbow said, and Octavia could feel the subtle shaking of her hooves as she held her. "I, need you. I couldn't have kept that secret forever. I needed someone that I could talk to, about it. And I know it's selfish, but-" "No..." Tavi said quietly. She smiled. "Just... Come back soon." "I will." Rainbow replied softly, with a relieved grin, and ruffled her mane one more time. Tavi nodded, and left her by the car. She cast one more glance behind her, at Rainbow, when she had reached the apartment door. Rainbow made a goofy face, and she laughed, shaking her head to herself as she disappeared inside. The door clicked closed, and Rainbow sighed. It was a kind of happy sigh. She could still feel a reminiscence of Tavi's sweet lips on her own. She got in the car and closed the door. She didn't start driving immediately, instead she gently rested her hooves atop the steering wheel and rested her cheek on her hooves. "It's all warm and buttery inside..." She said happily to herself. "Can I please have some form of assurance that nothing that is unsafe for work will occur in my interior?" A voice said, with monotoned worry. "We'd get a new car for that, but... You'd just get jealous. Good to see you're still here, EDI." Rainbow smirked. "Were you hoping for otherwise?" "No! God no, of course not." Rainbow grinned, patting the steering wheel. "Flattering." EDI murmured. A moment of silence passed between them. "EDI... Do you think I should've let her..." "She has made her decision, Rainbow." EDI said. "Trust in her that she's ready. She'll miss her, from time to time, of course... But there'll be rough patches anyway, and it's up to you to not smooth them out, but help her through them." "Hmph." Rainbow said. "Yeah... Thanks, EDI." She said with a smile. "And if there's anything you need to talk about... I'll be here. And she'll be there for you, too. She loves Rainbow, and what you have to understand is that that includes you, too. You're not just some temporary replacement. It's genuine, and you know it." "I suppose it's just paranoia, then." Rainbow murmured. A butterfly landed on the windshield. She watched it crawl around for a bit, fluttering and showing off its beautiful golden wings. Then it gently fluttered off to somewhere else again. "Let's go, EDI. I want to get back here as soon as I can." Rainbow grinned, tapping the steering wheel with her hoof. The engines started, that distinct hum, and they slowly drove away from the apartment. The warm and buttery feeling she had... There was one more reason for it, other than the obvious one. She finally had something to look forward to. In the past few years, there had been so little. Small things came along, happy things, sure... But they were always surprises, little unexpected bright spots in a sea of darkness. But now she could see the lights ahead, and so could Tavi. There was finally a goal. A dream, of some kind. Prospects of a happy life. Promises of a mirthful ending. Finally... They'd be able to leave the dark side of Equestria behind. They had been acting as guardians, committing to the act without a thought to themselves. And so it was high time that they did. Maybe it was the sunshine, but... Better days were on their way. She could feel it, and so could Octavia. It was time to stop protecting the important things, and take some time to enjoy them. No doubt there were more hardships on their way along with the better days, but that was just life. And there was only one thing left for them to do if it gave them lemons- -To make each other eat them, and laugh at the resulting scrunchy faces. Bounty Hunters 3: Genesis -End Is there going to be more Bounty Hunters after this? ...course there will be you silly. But you can stop reading here if you want. I specifically wrote the ending like that to be conclusive. I will announce that there is only one more fic left in the series for the foreseeable future. The reason for that is that it was originally part of the Genesis storyline, but then... Genesis went on for about 200,000 words too long. Honestly I apologise for that. There will be a cheesy teaser for the next one after all these author's notes though, for those that're interested. I almost cried writing the ending, not so much for the content as much as for the fact that, after about two years, this thing is finally done, and it's been a heck of a journey. When I first started writing the first Bounty Hunters I had no idea it would ever come this far, and while maybe the statistics don't show it the support from you guys has just been amazing, and something I would've never expected. I mean I'm getting comments on dA about it, there's some fan art, apparently Genesis had been featured on FiMFic a few times- that just says to me that BH just isn't a no-namer anymore. It's there, and it hasn't just gone under the raider. Also for those that are curious I was listening to Aviator's remix of Mando and Acoustic pony's 'Loyalty' while writing the epilogue. It was one of the first brony songs I ever did listen to, and it's got that nostalgic ring to it that I kinda wanted. Other things I wanted to talk about included the visual difference between Val and Rainbow near the end, when Val had a blue colour scheme and Rainbow had a red one, and all that talk about being the antagonist as well. That was just a brief perspective shift, letting the reader see things from Val's point of view as well. Both of them were equally motivated towards their own goals. Also in BH, the sunrise and sunsets are very important. In BH1 it was a sunrise, signaling the beginning. BH2 ended with a sunset, signaling the end of a story arc. BH3 concludes with a sunrise, indicating a new beginning after Genesis. Just something I added that I felt the need to point out. And to explain why Val suddenly couldn't regenerate after putting on the amulet- her ideals had become simpler and also weaker, which exposed her to the elements. Her loyalty to her cause had been corrupted by the amulet, and thus Rainbow could actually potentially kill her. Once again going back to the whole antagonist-protagonist thing, Val's resolve hadn't been purely evil, and the elements had recognised that. In other heavier news, Rooster Teeth's Monty Oum had passed away. If you didn't know, Monty was the creator of their RWBY series, and also worked on Red vs Blue and various other shows. I can honestly say watching the stuff he's done is literally THE inspiration for Bounty Hunters, and it's really what got the whole thing started. And so I just wanted to pay my tribute to him and thank him for all the creative works he's done. I can only hope to accomplish half of what he has, it is absolutely incredible. But in relation to inspirations that started BH, you should go listen to the L-Train's 'Rainbow Dash Epic Battle Theme'. That was basically the majority of BH1. Now to finally answer a question I'm sure a lot of you have pondered from time to time about BH- Why Rainbow and Tavi? I knew I wanted Octavia in the fic as a lead character, since she really fits the role quite perfectly. But then I needed someone to wield the cleaver, and of course Vinyl-Tavi was the usual pairing, but I felt that, in the way the fandom has always depicted Vinyl, I just couldn't see her as a character that was as serious as I wanted her to be. And so I went with Rainbow Dash, and it's been working pretty damn well. Also about that ending- romance had been something I've been avoiding in BH, and particularly lesbian romance. Now, I've got nothing against it, being bisexual myself, but I just feel like a guy writing about lesbians would just automatically make him a creep. Or maybe that's just me. I dunno. Thing is, after some four hundred thousand words of adventuring with those two, I felt that it'd almost be a sin not to eventually pair them together. Another thing people comment on a lot is how different Genesis is from the other two. Truth is, Genesis was never meant to go on for this long and even as a concept in my mind it was very experimental. But I went ahead and wrote it anyway- some people like it, others don't. What can I do, it's here now. BH has never been a good fic, I'll admit to that. It's literally me writing whatever I want to, just having fun with it- which was why I was so surprised it did so well. Which leads me to talk about the future of BH, after the next fic- called Revelations. After Revelations, I want to make the series better. No more characters, scenes, or events added just for the heck of it(only to disappear later and not make sense), no more completely veering off track, and no more making it up as I go. The new trilogy will be familiar, with Rainbow and Octavia and the classic outfits and weapons. Tavi will even get her own iconic weapons- not as unique as the cleaver, but just iconic. The antagonists will still be Val and her faction, but the story'll be a lot different. I've been referring to the new trilogy a lot as the 'SvM' trilogy, or: Science versus Magic, and I have actually already planned the structure of the three fics it will feature. Now, I'm speaking of SvM like it's actually going to happen. Truth is I can't make any promises, but I can say that Revelations will definitely be a thing. Really don't want to spoil too much of it, the first few chapters are actually already done. Until I finish the cover art for it it won't be available, so. Also someone said their favourite segment of the entire series was that spat between Rainbow and Magnum, and that talk Rainbow had with Silver. It's that drama stuff that I want to do a lot more of in SvM. Of course while all this is going on, I will still be periodically writing The Drowned, which is my Fallout: Equestria fan fic. Another question which I just remembered that someone asked was how technology in Equestria became so advanced in Bounty Hunters one and two, what with guns and planes and what-not. I didn't quite get a chance to explain since there wasn't that slow reveal of the science faction(which there will be in SvM)- basically they were forwarding tech development in the shadows, laying the base for a world which they intended to conquer. Now that I'm done ranting about things. Thank you to ZealotNightmare and TechX12 for submitting some VERY appreciated fan art- honestly a major factor in keeping the series going(though this was a while ago- thank you so much!). You can find them on their dAs~ http://thezealotnightmare.deviantart.com http://techx12.deviantart.com And thank you to Polaris_Brightstar for this awesome journal entry(which I'll just call an official review for the series from now on): http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/127074/i-must-do-this-it-is-required-of-me Glad you enjoyed the series despite everything! I also wa̴n̢t to̢ ͘th̴ank the people that have been very supportive of the ser̵i͠e͟s͟ ͏up t̕o͜ t̀hi͡s͡ p͏oi͝ǹt͢(a̸nd me as well, whether it's on dA or FiMFic): -NaughtSought(Scorpyyy~ I still find it i̢ņt͝er̀es͡tin̨g how you commissioned a picture of Val from me.) -Miss Jasmine H̢e҉arţ(ų ̕cr̸azy! but I guess you already knew that) -TigerSwirl448(I was pretty thrilled to have spotted BH on your profile paǵe͝ ́a̸t so̶m̀e p̴o̴in̶t a ̶wh͞ile ͠a͢g͘o)̨ -Kronos the Shadow(I'll give this one the frequent commenter award) And ther̨ȩ'̸̷͜s̶ ̸̨a̸ ͘͠f͢e̡w ͞o͟͝͝t̵hèr͜ ͘͢n̡͟a͜͡m͞e̢̛s̴ ̛th̷͠a̶͟͞t́ ̢I ̷̢͘c̵͏à̢͞n͠'́t͢ ͘͠qu̴͘͡ite remember- I think Higgle might've been one- an̷̵͜d̵̕͟ ͜t̛͝͡h̶́͢e͠ ̵͞n̢e̸ẃ͟͠ ͢F̀́iM͞F̛͟͝įç ́t̕h̴at ̸d͘͟ǫe̸̡sn҉͜'t͝ ̛͘l̛͠i͢͟͢s͘͝t ͜͞p̶e̷̡ơ͢p̢lȩ͘ ͏ì̕n̷͢ ͘t͘͡h҉̶é̛ ̡̕҉f͠av̀͢o̴͡͞u҉rites list isn't helping. ͦ̎̒͐ͪ ͑͌̍̃̅͌̒ ͫ̔ͬ́ ͭͧ͟͟ ͫ ̧͑̄̂͌ ̓̓̃̓ ̾̍ ̧̓̍ͯͤ ͊̎ͭ̉̚͡ ͮ͆͑̃̓̽̚̕͏ ̡̢̡͂̂͊ ̢͂̍̔ͫͨ̃̇̚ ̸̈́͜ ̐͌̽̄ͤͧ͐̇ͦ̕͡ ̸̨͊̋͐̈ͮ ̅ͭͪ͊͂͋͠ ̓̐̃̄̓̌́͝ ͩ̇̊ͤ̈͝ ͧͪ̋̊̔͋͝͏ ̷̧͒̋ ͫ̾̍̊̎̈̈́ ̡̐ͦ̀͑̿́ͨ͝ ̓ͬ ̓̄̇ͪ̍͑̂͢ ̨̋̌̆̈́̏͌ ̡͌̈ͪ̆͆́͞ ̵͆̋̈́ͮ͐̿ ̡̎̽ͬ̃ͭ̚ ̈́̌͛ ̢ͧ̈͊̉ͨͥ̓͠ ̶̂͂̀͒̅̑͋͘ ̑̊ͫ̓̂̒̽͏̶ ͐̃̀͒̾̽ͫ ̷̂ͧ̀̏ͤͮͬ ͮ̍͛ͧͫͩ͐̚ ̴̈̓̑͋ͦͯͫ̀ ̵̓̾ͧ̈́ ̏̾̔̓ ͥͪ́ ̧͆̋ͨ̾ ̸̛̍͊ͩͦ ̡̈́̔̒̍͐̈̐̾́ ̒ͧ͟͡ ͣ̐ͤͣ͛̉̄̕͜ ̧̧̈́̀ͮ͂ͫ͒̀̅ ̛ͮ͐͋̽̈́͒͜͠ ͂͏̡ ͮ͒̾̍ͪ́ ̈́̿ͯ͊̚ ̈̈̊̽͑̽̚҉́ ̇͑̿̈͐͗҉͜ ̴̨ͨ̍̈́̇ͤ ̶͋͊ ̵̧̛͒ͮ̑̓̊ͫ ̸́ͧ́̍̀ͣ͟ ͯͫ̑̍҉ ̸ͮ͒̐̉͟҉ ̨̨̒͗̊̐͆̿ ͬ̆̈́͘ ̂͋̂̃̕ ̶̵ͮͪ͂̍́ ̅͂͑ͩ̕ ͣ̊̆̈́̄͑ ͭ̎̇͡ ̴̋ͨ̓͒ͭ̽̆̄ ̨̐̊͗̏̈͗̑͆ ͗̔ͩ̔̿͏ ̴̏ͧ̋̂̚͡ ͒͂͂ͨͪ̉͡ ̛͛̋ͣͥͤͪ̃̏ ̧̾ͮ̆ͣ̚ ͪͩ̏ͤ̈́҉̕ ̴̍͆̿ ͬ͛ͯ̂͛͜ ̨̃ͥͮ̔ͩ̊ ̧̛͂̌̌̀͆̾ ̡ͤ̌ͪͤ̀ ̡́͠͏ ̴̸̓̂̆͌ͬ͐ͤ̚͢ ̧̊͌̒̀ͦͦ͘ ̨̚͢ ̒͂͋҉͢͢ ̡̧̌ͪ̀ ̉̌͐̓͏͞ ̡̿͋ ̾̆ͬͣ͢ ̧̛̎̈́̂̎̔ͪ̚͠ ̸̄͘ ̶̀̄̍̈͊̽͛̋͋̀͜ ̒ͣ͛̈́ͦͣͦͫ͏ ̵̡̇̾̾ͮ͒̄ͪ̽ ̛̈́ͧ̑́̊̚ ͣ̊ͩ̑͑́͜͜ ̌̓̐ͪ̄̀͢͝ ̄͋̆̍͛ͮͭͮ̀ ̊̓̆ͮͭͭ̇̃̑͝͏ ̧ͦ̑̓̀ͥ ͋͋̅̔ͭͭͧ ̛̑̏̌́͡ ̸̐̽ ̷͆̋̏̑ͤ ̶̾̅̋̉ͫ͊̆ ̐̿̈ͭͦ̾̕ ̸̆̍̆̓̾̋͘ ͐̊ͬ ̴͋̽̈ͧ͋͋́ ̵͐̂ͪ͛̾ͣͪ̈́ ͧ̿ͪͬ́̒̿́̚ ̿̃̊̀͘͘ ̂ͧ̅ͧͥ͑̇͞ ̍̾̀̀̀ ͦ ̇̊̑ͭͬͬ͑͐̂͟ ̡ͨ͋̓ͪ́ͫͧ͜ ͣ̔ͧ͂̃ͮ̂̒̒͝ ̷̒͝ ̛̀͟B̴͟͡u͞t͟ ҉͢͡y̛͡e͝͝ah͘.̢́̀ ̸̸M̷a͘͜n͡҉.̀̕ ͏I͞t'ś ̸̕d̡o̸͢n̴e̴.̨ ̧T̨h́a̢͟҉n͟k͜͡ y̧o͏u ̛̀a̛ll̕҉̶ s̢͝o͟͜ ̸̨͢m͠u̕ch for making it to this poin͘t, ͏҉f̸҉̛ǫ͢͟r̡͘͠ ͜͠w̧̕̕ha̸̡t̴͘e̵͝͡v̴͝e̢͠ŕ̵ ̷̢͡r̷̕͢e҉à̶s͝o͟͝n͢҉,͘͜ ͟͠b̸̡͘e͠ća͏͡u̧śe͞ ̧͠i̢t͏͘ h͝a͞ś̷̛ Ŗ͠È̷A̸̸͞L̡L̀Y̧̕ ͜͠t̕͝ak̷͟͠e̡n ͝͏̢i̢͢t͟s͢͡ ͟͞͞ti͡mȩ͜͡.̨́͡ ̶A̸͝n̛d͞ ̢̛̀I͏ ́͠c̛a̕n͏'̸̨t̀ ex̧́p̷̡̧r͜͏e̷̢҉ś͝s͟ ̷͘͏m͏y̛͞ g̛͜͡r̀a̕tit͘ude enough. BH was the first time I felt I ha̡̛d ̀r͢e̡҉àl̷l͏͘y͘ ҉ac̢c̕o͝͝m̢͠p̵l̴ish͡e͟͟͡d͢ ҉any̶̢t͠h̛̛̕i̧n͜g͡, ͏͘a͞n̴̕d͢͝ ͠I͢ ̷de̴f̡͠i̸͞n̷̶̡i҉t͞eļy̶͜ ̵ẁ̢͢o̸͠u҉̴̕ļ͘d͢n̸͞'͜t ha̡͞v̴̨͡e felt th̛͠a҉ţ̸ ̷҉w̶̨͟á̴̛y̧͟͏ ͘͝͏̛͟w̧̨͘͟ì̛͞t̶̕͟ḩ̷̕ơ͠ư̵̸͢͠t̴̡̕ ̷̛̀̕͠ỳ͜͜͠o̷u̢͢͠͝ ͠͏̶g̡̡͞͞u̶̡͝͝y̴̕s͜͞.͏̸̨́҉ ͝͏̶͞S̢̨̕͠o͞͝ ̶̕͘t̵́̀͠h̷̵҉͝a̡̢n̸̷͜ḱ̛̀͘͠ ̧͜͞͏̀y̴͝o̢u̶͘͏͏ ̶͟t̨̧̀h̀à̧̧͢͜ņ̸k̴̢̧͜ ͟҉̷y̵̕͞o̧͞ú̴̶͟͢ ̶́t̸̛̛̕͏h̕͜a͡͡n̶͘͟͠k̶͠ ̡͠҉ỳ̢̛̀͞ǫ̷̀u̶͡!̵̵͢ ̢́ =̶̷̸̢̩̱͇̙̪̦̼̦̀ͅ1̓́͌ͣ̆̈̀͘͝͏2ͮͪ̍̋̈́́̎̌̅͌͐̍ͭ̾̓ͩ̂̅҉̸̨̛͞0̸̧ͯ̑̑ͫ̽ͯ̇ͩ̈̑̈́͂͑͋̓͒͋͗͠9͌̒ͫ͆̉̓̓͒͑̊̂ͥ͘̕͜͜͜0̷ͩ͗ͨ̐ͤ̍̌́͋̅̓̾͘͢͜͡5̇̿̈́ͪ͂̐̌̒͐͗͐̾̒́͛̄ͯ̀̚̚͏ ̓ͤ̉̊̎́͞͠ ̈́̿̉̎͊̀̕ ̡ͧ̆̈́̾͝ ̷̸̡ͣ̃ͬ͒̍͗͑͐ͮ͘͢ ̀̔͛̅ͣ͒̀͒̔̅̔͒̓̽ͬ̍̏̀ ̶͌ͫ̈́̍ͩ͊͂̋͋̔̔͋ͪ̋͘ ̓ͨ̋̄͘͞ ̴͑ͦͬ̑̉̓ͯ̋͜ ̶̧ͥ̔̍ͧ̂̅́ͧͥ̔͋̓͒̐̌͂ͤ́̚͘ ̵̢͛̒ͥ̿̄̎̀ͬ̾̈͆͗̈ͧͪͣ̄͏̷̢ ̛̃ͩ̾̒͊̓ ̶̵͋̌͋ͫͣͮ̊ͮ̽̇͡ ̢̧̒ͬ̋͌ͭ̀͜͜ ̶̧ͪ͆͛ͬ̌̈́̇ͬ́̃̽̅̑͌ͥ́̈̂͟͢ ͫ͋͐͌͂̈́͒̋̇̊̋͌ͣͥ̒͒̈̎̕͝ ̧̆̆̄͂ͭ̽̈́͆̒҉͟ ̨̧̽ͭ͋̔͗̑̎ͫ͊̍͊̂̎͒̍ͯ̀̚͢ ̶̷̀̑͑ͩͪ́͂͠͡ ̡̒̓̆ͦ̀ͩ͌͛̋̈ͯͨ̃ͨ͑͐̐́ͮ͘ ̵͋̈̽̊̅͠ ̶̋̔ͭ́ͥ̐̈́͆̈́ͮ͆̏ͬͥ̿̀͝͝ ̵̡̇ͮ̚̕͘҉ ͧ͊̾ͥ̐͆ͯ̐̎ͬ̾̇̌̑̒̊͟͝҉̀͟ ̡̾̏ͫ̒̉ͨͪ͘͝͡҉ ̸̛̔ͧ̐̃͂͊̾͐ͣͩ̆̈ͤ̒ͬ̋̑ͦ̂͞ ̷ͭͩ̌̃̕͜ ̏̈̓̍̓̓ͫͩ̃ͮ̒̓̈̍ͥͭ͏̢0̶̛́͒̅͛ͧ͗̽̂͑9̶̶ͪ͌͂͌ͧ̽ͨ̿́ͮ̔ͬ̊͗ͮ̈́5̸̴̅̃ͯ̇͌̌̆̔́̃̍̌̌̀7̸̷̡̨͑ͧͪ̓̏̂̀8̴̶ͤͤ̉̍̃̍̂ͫ̃͋ͭ͒̀ͦ̾ͦ̚͘͘8̡̛̛̑ͧͯͣ̏͒̒͋͛ͤͨ͐͗̌6̸̵̅̽͋ͭ͒͘͡2̛ͥͤ͐̋̄͊̉͛̈̇ͭ͘3̷̧̧ͬ̊̓ͧ͐ͧ̀͞0̛̒̈́͒͋ͮ̂͐͑̃́ͮ͌͂ͦ̀ ̉ͬ̎̓̑͂̊͂ͮ͌̒ͣ̿̒̇ͦ͑͟͡҉̷ ̸ͦͬ̓͋ͥ̃͌̊ͩ͆̓̅͘̕ ̧ͧ̓ͪ͋̂ͤ̚̚͘͝҉ ̶̔̐͗ͯͬ̃̂ͧ̚͘͟͠ ̓̎͌͊̀͗͆ͤ̅̾͑ͯ͑̽͂ͧ̀̚͘ ̂͛̅ͭͧ͗ͬ̈͢҉ ̸̶̧͒̌̏͂ͦ̂̋̉ͬͩͫ͛̔ͣͨͬ͠ ͌͐̐̚͘͝҉͘ ̢̨̧͑͒̏̋͘͞ ̵̡̡͒̇ͬ̏͊̓͛ͥͦ̆ͯ̀ͤ̓͠ ̷̧̒͋ͩ͋̉̔ͮ̃̂̚̕͟͠ ̆̊̎̏ͤ̓̑ͦ̽͌͊ͣ̀̉̐͊̐ͮ͜͢͞ ̵̢ͨ̈́͛̚ ̨̊̎̃̓͌͆͆ͩͣ͠ ̴ͥ̿͂̄ͭͫ̾́̂͘ ̛̔͌̐ͩ̒ͨͩ͐͛̏͗̉̾̚͡͠ ̸̷̨ͥ̓̾̋̾͞ ̸̛̅ͥ̾͋̂ͧͬͤ̆̋̐̀̚͜͞ ̧̧͋͊̔ͣ́͒̂ͬ̊ͫ͂̉ͯ͆ͬ̚͠ ̸ͭͪͬͮ̇͋͠҉ ͨ̇̍ͤ̎̓͠͞ ̢ͫ́͌̉̈ͩ͐ͥ̑̐͂͒̔̒͋ͤ͗̌̕͏ ̴̷̸̡̈̑̈́̓͝ ̷̢͋̎̊̑͛͛̍̌ͫͭ̿́ͮͦ̊̽͒͆͌́͘͞ ̋̂͒ͯͨ̌ͬ̃҉̨ ̵̊̿̄̿̓͆ͧ̒̌́̈́̌̇͏̷͜͠ ̃̃́ͪ̓͗ͦ̒̎̑̾ͭ́͜͠҉͘ ̡͐̐͊ͤͭͮͯͮ͆͘҉ ͥͧ̏̓ͩͯ͑ͬͦͫ̉͐̎͑͐ͥ̀̚͏ ̸̃͋̑̈̈́ͤ̂̊ͤͧͫ̀̚͞ ͦͣ͂̉̆ͣ̈͌ͣ̽̆̾̚̚̕҉ ̑ͭ̈́̋͏͟ ̛͂́ͧͧ̍ͩ̂̍͗ͥ̉̀ ̧ͨ͐̔̾ͩ̈́ͮ͆͂ͬ͐ͤ̚̚̚͢͏͘͞ ̵̧̏͒ͩ̓̿̎͆͆̍͒ͦ͋ͯ͑͒̓̓̚ ̷̵̊͊̊ͫ̅̓ͨ͆̌͆͋̔ͪͥ́ ̴̴̧̐ͨ̀ͩ͂̏͂ͧ̈ͨ̐̌̑̓͑͂̀͡ ̴̸̢̔͋ͭͭͥͬ̃̒̅͜ ͂́ͭ͂ͫ̇ͤͤ̀͘̕͠ ̛̅͑̿͛̇̿ͪ́ͣ̒͠ ̡̑ͤ̏̽̔̿ͬ́͛͞͞ ̴̧̔͐̀̎͂̓ͮ̈̂ͫ͌́̀ ̶ͮ̋̑͆͋ͯͣ͒̊̐̅̌̔̅͜͝ ̢̨͑ͯ̏͒̂͛ͨ̋͊͗̃ͯ̃͂́͜͡ ́͋̓ͫ̚̕҉ ̨̛̎ͨ͋̑ͬ̀̚ ̢ͥͪ͒ͪͫ̈́̃ͩ̿́̒̈́ͧ͊̄̎̕͘͟͝ ̶̧̽͗̏̃͂̎͛́͐̌͢͝ ̛̑̄͊̍͆̈̂͒̆̌̄ͥ͆̀̚͠ ̴̧̆̇̇͗ͥ̅̍̒ͫͣ̍̌̚ ̶̧̓̋ͩ̃ͫ̎̽́ ̷̢̛ͬ̽ͨ͋ͨ́4̴̷̡̓̂͋͒ͩ͑̽̓ͦͯ͐͆͌̉͛̎̚̚͜9̸̸́͊̾͌̔ͨ͋͌̏̎̍͂̔̒ͭͫ́̕5̓͊ͪ͛͆ͩ̐͂̑̍̓̊̈̏̊͗̅͠͞-̅͐̓̐ͫ̽̐̎̊̈́̔̚҉͝͞͏7̨̛ͩ͆͛̓͌ͭ̄̃͑̓ͬ̀̅͑̐ͪ̚9̌͂̃̆͗ͩͦ͋ͭͣ̅̾̕͢0̓͗̒ͪ̀̒ͩ̈͆͗̀̀ ̄ͪ̔ͯ̇ͪ͋̀̃̊̇ͪ̃̄͏̷̛ ̢̧̨ͥ͒ͭͭ̈ͪ̔͋͞͝ ̷̶̒͊̐̊͐̆ͦͭ́̎̔͗̃ͭ͐ͣ ̧ͭͭ̆ͥ̏ͥͬͭ̑ͪ̍͞ ̸̸̡ͤͪ͂̑̔͋ͦͣ͊̓̒̓́ ̴͑̎ͮ̂͗ͧ̌̔ͪ͑̽ͯ͒ͫͣͧ͐́ ͤ͑ͪ̏̅̈̀̒̃͑ͯͧ̓͋͆ͬ̅͒ͧ͘͘҉͞ ̛ͯͭ̍̋̓̀͆̈́ͥ̃ͬ͜ ̨̨̽͆͑͌̉͛͂͌̌̍͗͑ͤͧͣ̈͑̋͝͠ ̵̋͆͋ͬͮ̊̑̽́̊̂͏̡͠ ̶̢͑̉ͩͤ̓̇͋ͭ̊͛̒ͪͭͭͩ͟͝ ̢ͤ̐͐͆ͮͬ͂ͩ̌ͦ̚͠ ̏͋ͩ͌͆͐̄͘͞͏̡͠ ̵̨̛ͧ̂̊̍͒̋ͫ ̸̂͋́̊̊͞͠͠͠ ̌͊͑̿̈͆͛͐͌̚͘͜ ̡ͭ͌͆͑̎ͯ̿ͫ̊̊ͤ͂ͩ͞͞ ̵̵ͧ̏̋̔̋ͦͣ̎͒͆̎ͭ̓ͣ̈ͣ͒ͪ̽҉̧ ̄ͩ̽͋̍́ͭ̓̉̂̎ͨͪ̈́͋̓͌͌̀͝ ̈́ͧͤ͗͐͞͝ ̷̌͒ͬ́́͌̍̓͆̓ͧ͋̽͗́̀̚̚ ̢̨̍ͦͤ̏ͦ̒̉̎ͨ͘͠ ̔̉̒̓ͮ̓ͪ̋̄͛̂̈́̆̔ͬ̽ͬ̂̀̚͢͠͝ ̧̧̧̓̋̀ͯ͋͂ͧ̓ͧͭ͋ͦͨ̄ͩ͗̑ ̶ͭͦͮ̈ͥ̄̀̓̏̀̓̂̀̍̊́͢͞͝ ̉̊͐ͥ́̊̓͑̎̽̓̔̌͋́̉ͧ̂͞͏4̴̵̑̀̾̊̀̕3̧̇́̔͒̎̾̾̈́̌ͧ̾̾ͮͤ̑̋́̚͘͞9̶̧̐̓͂͋̑̑̽̓̓̐ͣͯ̉̉́ͣ͞2̷̨̡̅̐̽ͦͩͭ̊̽ͩ̓͆͒͌ͦ͊̓͂̃͜͟6̧ͪͬ̆ͣ͌̆͗̈̋̑̒̑̄ͬ̓ͩͥ͗͟͢͝7ͭ̓̿ͮ̋͏̷́͟͡5̶̀ͣ͗͐̌̉̀̒ͮ͛́̚͟8ͮ́͌͌̓͢͠͝9̨̽ͬ̈͗ͯ͌ͨ͂͆ͩ̌ͪ͂̔͋ͯ̉͞҉̛2̵ͪ̈́ͯ̈́ͨ̏͒ͪ̃̕͠͏ ̴̛͂̆̏ͦ̓̑̓̕͞͏ ̷̛̅̓̈̊̆ͭͧ̃ͨ͑̌̑͌̏̊ͨ̏ͯ̚͠҉ ͑̈́̓͂͛̎̈́̔͊̾ͩ͂͑̈́҉̷̨͞ ̧ͮͯͬ̓ͮ̎̑̐̄̔̅́ͤͥͩ̐́ͦͬ͢ ̨ͮ̏͆ͩ̿̓̀ͨ́͡ ̵̄ͭ͂̆͆ͧ̿̓̌҉ ̵͑̄ͯ̑ͩ̍̃̆̎ͯͦ̊̅̾ͥ͑̾̏͟͠ ͑̉̅̆̈̑́͋ͯ̌̀ͨ̔̚̕͜͟͝ ̶̧̊̎͋͒ͧͫ̅͐ͨ́͟ ̑͗̆̽ͮ̓̒̈́͌҉́͝ ̸̅ͮͦͯͩͫ ̢̍͗̍̋ͥ̃̌̚͜͜͞ ͂́͋̿͗ͭͤ̾̅͛͐ͪ͛͌̀̚͜͢ ̸̡̑ͨ̇̈́̇͜ ̨̈͑͊̒̿̅̊̇̿͑̈́͘͟͠ ͦ̉͌ͧ͂ͪ͗̋͘͟ ̷̅̅͐̀̀̓̃͋̏͏ ̡̍̍͋ͮ̂͊ͦͮ̄̃̌̃̀̈͒̈́͢ ̶̓̍ͨ͆͌̂̋̎̑ͦ̽͑̉ͤ̿̐̚̚͜҉̧ ̸͆͑̾͋̈̈̂ͮ̍ͧ̉͗̈́̇̐̀̃̎̅͜͟ ̄̃ͯͣ̑̄̂̎ͭ͏͡ ̴̡̡̐̂͋̇̑̌̃̊̄̍ͨ͜8̷̸̸ͧ̋͊͛͌̏̋̓̅̅ͩ̅ͦ͑̈́̓́̚͞3̛́̈̈̅̀̏ͪͤͥͥ̐ͨͮͤͣ͟͝6̡̨̊̔̽̃͠9̨ͥ̑̂̃ͬ͌̒ͮ̾͂̆ͣ̽̒͒8̵̶̧̛̃̀͋ͭͧ̆̾ͥ̀̑͞0̧̡͂̏̈́̈́̓͑ͨ̓͑ͨ̕͡9͐͛̓̋ͭ͞͞8̷̈́̎ͩ͑ͤ̒̉ͣ̊͊͠ ̐ͫ̿ͦ̿ͬͧ̍̆ͬͦ̆ͩ̐ͤͮ҉͟͡0̷̿̓̿̅̾͡҉2̵̨̓ͭ̅ͪ̽ͪͬ4̃͋ͬ͊̒ͮ̕̕͜7̴̸̛ͭ̃̎̄̐ͩͣ͠5̢̄ͫͫ̍ͯͪ̓͊̔ͥ͊͋̓̚͡8̴̴̇̓ͯͣ̍ͪ͢͞͝ ̷̛͂̑̍ͣͧ̿ͩ̄͋ͮ̆̑ͣ͆ͪ̑ͥ̕͘7̢̛́̌ͩ͊̄̍̎̈́̚͜͠͞2̴̨̾̈̓̑̿̿̃͊̿̏ͣ͒ͣ͋ͨͬ̎9҉̪̫̳̦̜͎͓͚͔̘̮̘̱̖͎̪̫͉͟͠͠ͅ3̘̝̺̣͖̹̪̰͎͇̀ͅ4̸̴̲̳̬̥̤̣̝̩̙̟͜7̴̸̨̼̠̘̼̻̻̭̝̟͍̩̠ͅ ̸̵́҉̙̪̳5̴̰̖̼ͅ9̷̡͟͝҉̬̖̼͎̲̯̥̮̱̼͙͖̟͓͓̭͇ͅ8̷̸̡̻̱͇͓͔̗̱̘͢2̡͓̣͎͕͙̱̤̭͓̟͕͚͚͖̖ͅͅ 7̬̺͚̦̬̭͔͍̝͎̞͈͚̙̟̥̩̠̀͠9̴̵҉̛̥̻͎͎͍͈͎̀3̢̤̭̜̖̞͉͇̤̮͢͢͟8̨̘̱̫̞̳̲̹͇̳̰̮͙͚̭̺͘͠ͅ ̩̭͖͉͓̼̱̜̮̙̦̞̘̠̹͘̕7͏̺͉̮͕̩̲͓͙͝7̷͓͉͔̪̝̲͚̀ 2̸̼̬͚̥́͞7̧̛͜҉̴̟͓͔͚͓8̨͙̪̮̠͓̟̥̀͝͞3̷̧̡̪̗̱̱͓͈͙̫̘̣̖̦̞̀9̠̻͇̟̹̖̹́͘ͅ5̨̤̼̟̦̹͈͓̠̮̠͖̕7̴̭͇͈̭̭̼̩̕͘͡1̡̜̘͉̦͓̗͎͍̰͙̲̀͘ͅ9̡̛̺̙̘͓̳̲͈̰̭̥̱̣̥̪̝̣̙̕͟ͅ3͟͢͝҉̗̤̺̺̞ 4̡҉͏̪̙̠̮̥̮̪͙̗̝͖̙̭7̧͜҉̞̳͖̳̣͉̼̣ͅͅ5̵̧͓̝͇̱̱̠̖͖͈̫̕͘͠-̡̪͉̺͇͎̺̞͚͙̝͙̯̼̳̥̲͕͙̥2̶̨̤̠̳̻̺̻̣̱̭͉͉9̧͚̱̪̘̟̮͘͜͞ ̻̺̤̗͔̱͘7̴̶͏̟̰͔̞̥̥͎̙̼ 3̶̪̝̜̮̰̰͉̙̀̕͠͞4̛͎̱͎͓̕͟͠9̨̞̗̙͓̟̙̠̗̱̺̗̦̫̝͔̻̙͓͡5̷̷͏̞̘̱̜͚̹͇̦͎̹ ̛̦̹̖͈̙̼͖̤͚̣̲̰̩͇-̷̶̪̤͇͙̰̖̭̹͢͞ 1̢̡̼̲̟̮͍͚͓̩̲̲͉͝3͘҉̶̙̖̝̭̥̳͉̥̀ 7̷̷̧͏̫̗̥͎͉̙͉̖̬̙͖̺͙̟4̨̦̫̘͚̞̘͙̝͍͖͙̹̯̜͖͙͘͠ ̴̼̘̟̻̰͉̲̰̀͟5͡҉̡͖͙̯̯̳͓̟̹̭̼̹̤̩ͅ9̢̟̖̥̭͠2̵̛͚̤͈̣̠͜ͅ ̴̢͈̜̠͎̙̻͕̠̣̤̰̬̹̱͚̰͇̣̀̕͟ -̛̼̳̣͞3̧͏̶̶͍̞̦̹͕̬̙͡7̸͏̶̴̗̭̝͇̻̹̜̞͉͕̘̥͎̞͎̮͇4̵͖̦̤͈̳͔̰̣̦̜͟ ̴̸̤͔̝͈̣͘͘9͙͎̟̱͍̜̥̼̀̕5̮̻͍̤͓̺͖̦͕̭̭͕̫̫̘̪͟ͅͅ7̧͓̘̹̤͕͉̰̞̰̦͓̼̙̖͠0̸̢͢͏̯̲͚͕͚͔͈̦̠̭̜̙2̡̡̹͎̳͕͓̫͈̜̦̭̞̪̼̪̦̭͜ͅͅ3̞̘̪̮͢͜͝͠9̛̟͚̭̰͚̲͉̖ 4҉̡̰̠͔̗̻͚̼̥̦̤̣̪̤̟̪ͅͅͅ7̸̡̝̭̟͉͎̗̬̲͉̼͓̼̭̗͙̺́͢͜ͅͅ5̸̶̨̬̭̫̠̺̲̞̙̫̭̹̯̳ͅ ̴̛̘̹̭̝͠0̛̭͙̯̥̞͔͚̞̠̦̜̩̕2̧̨͓̳͖̭̺̣̥̟̻̮͇̮̬̦͍̣̮̮̦̀͘7͏͎̦̤̘̯͕̠̫̱̮̼͢͡ͅ3̵̨͙͖̹̜͈̫̻4͞҉̛̹͙͎̫̼͕̜̥̤̳̞͍ͅ7̧̢̛͈̺̖̗̻͚͕̮͎̝̜͔̻͕̗͠͠9̛̛͏̤̭͉̣̗̗̀͝ ̠͈̹̭̻͕̭̜̙̘̟̱̮͕̬̹͘͝͞5̧͇̮͚̥͚̺̖̲͕̱̥̥̟͖͘͜͟2̶̛̼̞͖͍͇͓̱͖̞͇̙͍͘͡7̢̡̪̯͈̗̬̬̙̯̝̬̪̬͓͕͘͢3̴̡̧̡̪̯̻͇̬̳̫͖̬͎͚̳ͅ-̴̯̺͚̙̼̘̜͚̙̦̘̤̤̭̳̰̥̕͜͡ͅͅ4̛̙̞̦̯͚̞͔͉̯̜̟͟͞͡ͅͅ9͍͍̦͚̟̜̥̠̗̝̤͎͘͟͠͡ͅ ̢̛̹̝͚̲̹͙͕̙̫̭̠̣͓̭̬̺̤̕͟͠7̷̢͇͎̯̪̖͖̯̫̠͍̤͜5̢͈̟͇̝͇̤̠͕̝̼͈̹͔͚͢0͖̫͕̘̙̼͚͇͉̼͕͈̰̩̜̥̀̕ͅͅͅ2̴̧͓̝̖̺͚̝̮̖̮̖̙̯̣̭͔̼̤͇͞ 3̛̥̖̩͇̞͕͚̹͉̩͇̣͙́̕͞7̵̴̛̛̳̠̰̞̫̠͖̯͡4̣͉̱͖̲̤̖̜̲̣̜̳̭͎͙̘́͠ ̶̷̩̖̻͟͞ͅ5̜̲̞̳͉̳̘̳̱͖̥̕͠͞͠͞ͅ0̷̨̤̗̜͖̯͚͎̦̀̀͟8̶̜̼͙̜̰̬͈͢͜2͏̸̯͙̘̙͍̦̳͉̱͚̪̟̪̣͙͜ͅ7̶̢̪͎͕̬̱͞͡ 3̵̧̟̖̹̺͕̱͇̟͟4̙̩̫̙͈̤͙͇̥̦͕͔̯͉͔̘͟͡͡-̷̸̨̹̫͓͙̞̯̪̺̼̳̭9̷̸̗͕̥̘̩̯̘̦̩̫̖͔̮̯͓ͅͅ ͟҉̫̥̭̦͈̱̼̖͉͘͢͡5̶̢̛̙̜̰̯̦͕̥̪̖̬̜̺̪̻̀͢ͅ2̷̠̝̝̹͕̻͔̩̦̙͇̫̮̪̗͜͢͡0͚͇̰͕͇͙̥͈͖͖̼͔̕3̵̡͍͖̼͍̝͇̳̼̼̟̖͕͎ͅ 4͝͏͓̰͉̣̱̘̱͔́5̷̲͔̬̯͜͞7͘҉͏̶̻͖̫͚̰̤̖̦̝͕̹̩̣ͅ9̶̵̧̧͚̖̫̺̫͓̮̙͇̀ ̷̤̞̪̠͉͕̠͎̺̀́3̴̵̢̱̣̙͎̹̼̭̤̗̤͉̱̫̹̖̜̹̳͜4҉͈̹͉̰̥̹̫̼̻̯͖͇̬͞ͅ0̧̡̰͓͈̼̦̹͓̻ 9͞͏̡̯̮̱̘̩̭̝͜͝5̛̰͕͙̠͉̯̖̪̞̘̜̩́7̛̛̲̳̟̘̝̳͖͈̠̦̗̳͈̲͞͠0̸͔̠̺͔̖̮̻̘̮͈̝̱̻͜͟͞͝6̷̸̢̞̖̖̺̱̠̙̩̘͘͢2͜҉̙̱̲̻͙̪͎̣͇̺̞̬̳̬̤̙̀͘7̴҉̗͉̬̟̘̼̲̟9̧͈̠͕̮̭͈͉̬̠͚̕͡4̧̛̖̣̙̭̮̫̬̗͘͟-̷̸̯͕̩̰͇̼͖ͅ1̸̴̡̹̲̬̟̜̼̪̤͇̞̭̣̗̳̹̳̮7̸̡̜͎̳͍͖́̕3̵̣̦̦̰̹̲̼̮̤͎̪͖̥̮̰́-͕̼̫̤͔̼̪͓͓̕ͅ 5̧̹̟̥̞̗̦̖̥̰͟͢͠9̳̩͇̳̗̬͙̝͚͚̼͕̺̯͓͠͞͝͠ͅ ̧̯̣̻͚̮̺͎̯̦̗̪̫͟͝ͅ7͏̵̧̹̮͚̝̪̱͈͔̱̱̰̥̜̞̦̼̳͖͙͠-̵̸̱͕̠͖͢͝͡9̶̫̼̲̥̯̼̦̰̤̲͉͟͜͢͠3̵̡͉̠̠̟̭͕̞̩̱̺̭̟͍̩̣͟͝4̛̤̬̳̫̠̘̮̰͍͕̀͘͠7̸̜̦̦̞̬͈͉̥̼̗̯͖̼́͜͢ͅ5̣̘̯̬̣͕̫̞͍͔̙̦͝ ̷̧̭͇͕͕͞͠͡9҉̶̡̞͖̜͔̮͕̻͜͡7͎̰̪̠͇̖͍͖͚̺̰͞͡2̸̕͜͏̘̦͔̙̤4̷͏̴̨͈̝͚̩͎̺̩̙̗͓̭̙̯̻̬̕7̴̵̲͖̹̖͖̫̪̬͉̳̰̝͉̟̻̼̜͡5̞̹͇͍̹̝͖͓͙̳̗͎̫̼͟͟͝ͅͅ ͏̢̢͕͚̝̖̼̥̟̻̜̮̪̮̀͢-͖̭̭͎̙̯̭͓̦̥͙̦̘͉̤͓́͢7̴̷̥̭͉̟͕͔̟̳͕̩̻͞9͓͙͙̥̕͟9͖͕̬͈͖̱̩̺̬̳̟͖̪͍̯͇̥͉͝-̢͚̪̜͎̝̤̘̘̻̭̱̤̠̯̥́͜͞͝ͅ2̗͈̦̺̙͇͞͡͠3͏̨̛̣̬̺̦̱̭̞̻͈̝̟̰̕͞ 4̷̵̷̱͈̤͉̪̬̟̼͎̗͚͉̣͇̫̙͎̕̕ͅ-̸̧͚͖̙̙̠̦̰͇̀̕9̸̥̩͕͕̀ 5̶͓̻̝̞͉͙̥͔̹̟̯̖͖͓̘́7̴̧̧̤̪̞̹̮̗͈̲̫̬͘ ̛̬̞̘̗͝9̷̸̨̫͍̲̥̟̤͉̞̹̳͕͓́͢ͅ2҉̶͏̸̘͇͖̟̹͇̹͢7̡̼͙̱̼͔̬̝̩͙͖̬̟͉̹̙̦̭̠͠4̯̞̝̥͈̘̻̞̫͇́́̕5̭̺̼̙̲̤͓̺̣̼̫̘͓̙̘̭̝̥͎́̀͝͝͝9̴͘͠͏̨̗̮̱͚̮̪̻̹̟̙̟͇̩͎̘͕̝̹2̛̪͚͔͚̼̣̕͢-̻̦̘̜̫͠͡3̛͈͙̟̜͎̭̤̞͔̖̫͉͘̕̕ͅ4̡̡͏̘̬̲̭̪̫ 7̢̦͈̻͕̪̠͇̬̩͙̞̀͟ͅͅ5̷̵̗̟͖̰͔̬͖̠̤͕̦̥͘ ҉̴̡̡̝͔͍̰̗͙̮̬̭̰̫̳̻̻͟-͏̸̲̥͚̺̲͈̘͢͢ͅ9̡͚̮͙̺̱͈̹͍̰̀ͅ2̢̧̛̟̬̦̗̼̕͟-̡̛͘͏̠̝̖͉͖̲͔͉̩͓̼̪̣9̸̵̬̯͍̺̺̱͇͇̩̠̟̞̣̬̬̳̪̦͟͡ͅ3̵̛̖̬̘̬̭̘̤̪̣̱̹̠̙̖͙͘ͅ4҉͏̢̹̭͔̪̲͎7̢̪̫̺͙̹̼̺̥̬͠5̛҉̴̱̤̻̬͇̻̠͚̺͉̳͜͠ ̭̬̙̗̀͞-̶͓̤̳̣͓͔̻́ͅ1̡͚͔̞̪̜̣̘̮͇̬̕͞͞͠7̱͎̖͍̘̼͕̞͍̲͘͟͟ -̵͚̮̟̠̮̞̗͢͠3̸̦̮̬̮̀ 9̹͔̖̖͍͚̰̰̭̞͖͔͇̻̹͝͞4̢͓̳͚̯̖̙̫͓̜̪̪͈͙̱̙̕ͅͅ5̨͖̭̼͖͇̪̘͉̀́ͅ ̧̛̺̞͖̘͓̬͔͇̥̺̘̻̪̣͘7͍̫͚̦̫̗̯̥͕̀́͘͠-̸̺͇̯̭̭̤͘ 2̵̪̖̫̟̣̹̭̝̙̼̺͘9̶̶̰̻̯̰͉̫́5̡͙̫̮͙̻̟̮͎̠͇̗̮̬͔̯͖͙́̕ 7̵̛̛̜̭̦͈̪̀ ̢͕̻̫̙ 9̷̡͕̦͖̠̯̻̼̖7̡͡҉͓͇̩̮̠̹̝5̷̧̰͉̝̝ 9̶̴҉͏̖͕̩̝͔̥̱͇͓̦̗̪̭͓̳̠ͅ0̛̲̪͕̥̪̙́͢͢2̧̧̬̭̟̘̟̹͙̻͈͍̳ ̴͏̛̻̺̫̮̖͇̦̀7̧͏̩̙͍̪̙͔̀ 4͓̬̗̖̖̦̙̱̥̳͟0̵̛͙̥̳̜̝̬͜3̛̛̟̯̠̜̞̩͉͕͈̝̦̠̭̳͕̕͡9̸̧̺̫̦͉̜͙̝̦͚̼̪͉̺̝̹̯͜͡ =̹̟̯͎̙̞̠̖̞̩͢͝1̷̧͍̲͍̣̕͠ͅ2̸̛̱̞̲̰̰̲̪̟̝͔̘͢͡͡0̶̧͙͔͇͇͖͚̭̻̫̻̹̬͔͉͞9̴͓̤͔̳͇̻̣̟͢͞ͅ0҉̸̡͔͉͔̘̣͓̜̖̙̕͠ͅ5̶̨̹̣̝̟͕͔͔̬͔̯̩̯͙̠̭̲͟ͅ 0͠҉̻̝̟͍͙̤͟9̢҉̕͏̶̪͇̩̣͙͓͕̝̜̜͈̳͕̰͙̗̦̻̱5̧̢͚̹̤̱̝7҉̶̪͖̻̼̥̼̟͖͚̮̟̭̤͈̺̞̲̤̺8̕҉͚͙̲̝̖̯̜̠̱͝8̶̶̗͍̰̜̮̠͈̹̞̹̭͜͜͠6̸̶͍͖̖̩̠͇̺̟͉̣͓̗̰̞͠ 2̤̲͖̫͔̙͚̤͉̯̙̺̗̹̞̫͓̲̜̕͠3̵͉̪͖̲̮͟0̵̵̪̞̟̱̯̜̤̠̭̹͚̯̠̝͕̟̣͡4̴̡̮̼̘̘̤̩̭̦̲͉̪̩̞͍̯̯̖̱̀͠ͅ9̡̞̯͇͎̩͕͉̱̦̣͓̩̜̕ͅͅ5͎̣̙̫̣̼̘̺̣̼̰̺̳̞̟͉͜-̵̡̢͕̺̰̼͓̣̹̩̫̬7̣̯͙̺̻̥͖̠̟̲͘9̧̘̣̭̝̮̰͈͉̩̣̤̜̘̰͢͝͝0҉͇̦͔͎͉̠͉́͟͞ 4̧̛̛̖̯͓̤͟͝3҉̶̻̭͇͉͎͖̬9̸̸̸͇͎̹̝͖͎͕̭̤͎̳́͟ͅ2̢͞҉͈͖͖̲̦́͠6̧̢̱̰̱̼̀͜7̶̧̕͝҉̻̳͈̣̦̟̹̟͍̞̯̖̙̱̦̭͔ͅ5̷̛̱͕͕̱̜̖̹̲̲̫̪͇͢͜ 8͟҉̰̭̣̺̞̩̮̞͔̪͚̤̥͉͉9̧҉̻͉̱̱̹̲͖̪̜̞̺̖̗̙͈2̢̩̟̪͚͎͍̟̭̘͓͚̺̣̣͍͎͕̲̕͠ͅ8̨̮̰̲̠̯͝ͅ3̴̹̘̯̟͎͍͕̪̦̼͔͞ͅ6̸̘̖͍̺̜̘̱̠̦́́͜͠9̸̧͙͈̫̻͕͈̫̗̰͙͟͞8̵̵̺̺͉̝̼̩͇͉͚̀0̴̴̵͇̻̜̹̮̪̣̲̰͙̀͜ͅ9̛͉̪͕̜͖͓̩̣̤̠̱͖͙̤͓̻̯́8̺̰̩̠̻͉̖͝͞ ̀͟͢͏̧̠̯̜͚͔͍͈ 0̛̭̯͕̣͓̖̱̪́͜ͅͅ2҉̻͇͙͖͞ͅ4̶̸̸̳̞̦̪̩͕̰̬̹̞̳͙̬͍̼̭͢͠ͅ7̡̭̱̣͈̬͙̘̬͔̙̙͍̹͓̙̰̺͝5̛̳̞͉̳̟̼̕͡͡8҉̨͚̙͉̤̭̱̜̫̮ ̵̴̧͜҉͖͖̲̲̼͕̖̺̩̥͖7̷̰̭̱͇͙̕2̧͓̱͍̦̹̭̞̱̩͍̫͚̯̘̤͍͎̰͡9̀͠͏̫̰̰̫̬͕̤͓̤͕̭̩̯̘̻3̨͕̼͙̪̗̖̟͖̝̰͔͜4̸̼̗̱̰7̸̛̬̯̰̪̭̜̖̤̙͍̬̥̫̼̮̪͝ ̨̮̮̠̱͖̝̘̯̥͈̦͔̮̦̪̲̣͢5̡̺̦͍̦͓̤̺̫̗͡9̕͏̵͝҉͍͖͔̜͓̟͔̩̜̣͎̫̟8̸̜̗̟̤̮͇́̕2̛̳̹̺̼̞̖͖͕͙̫͇͍̤̲̺̗̀7̷̡̠̖̭̖̖̠̝̣̙͟9̸̝͚̗̞͍̰̦̩̞̼̀3͖͖̜͖̪̫͕̜͍̙͍̩̭̠͘̕ͅͅ8͏̢̼̦̭̟̹̤̤̦̲̗̥̞̦̟͉͟͠ ̶̸̘͙̺̪̱͙̜̩́͢͠ͅ7̡̦͍̮͔͓̕7̕͢҉̸͙̙͍͔͓̥̹͇̯͉͍2̵̸̡̟̦̙̣̩̫̻͔̙͓̗̪7̶̜̼̻̦̗̻̱̪̲͉̥̖̪̱̥͎͔͘͡8̴̦̥͇̹̣̙͔͉̫̱̥̳͎̹̀́̕͢ 3̷̕҉̙͈̻̘͚̟̦͉͈̩͍̯̙̝̫̳ͅ9͠͏҉̩͎̘͎̗̲̱̖̮̦̩̲̙̭͝ͅ5̨͜͜҉͙̣͓̮̠͓̼̜̖̥̯̞͇͇͍͎7̴͘҉̳̻̥̣̲̥͈1̶͙̳̥͚͔̺̥̭̰͕̯̼͚͍̮̞͢ͅ9̵̛̥̻̞̦̺͔̤̮͕̹̙̟̥͖̳̜͠͞3̡͍̩͙̪̻̀̕4̝̰̖̝̗͉͈͘̕ͅͅ7̷̧̗̩̹̠̹͎̼̠͓̤5́҉͇͔͎̖̺͟-̷̴͏̳͇̰̠̹̭͕̮͓2̨̭̠͖̠̜̠͚̤̕9͉̭̼̰͙̬̭̝̮͙̳̼̱͕͝͞ ̶͙͙͎̪̣̤̟̬̯̹͠7̡̩̭̠̤͔͇̣̦̺̬̙̟̬̠̬̪̝͚̕3͞͏̶̙̰̻̮͙̼̕͟ 4҉̡̨̬̘̯͓̥̼̻̕9̵̸͙̭͉͓̞̣̳͔͖͖͝5̖̖͈̜̤̜̤̥̪̟̯͓͖̭͉͓̘̀͘ ͏͏̞͈͍̼̖̤̪̪͓͓̹̀-̨̹͚̰̤̠̘̼̦̟̩̖͙͎̀́ͅ1̷̼͉̞͚̱̲͓͈͎͙̼̣͓̣̀͟͡3̨̤̗̟̯̰̠̹̦̮͔7̴̡͙̳͍̙͉͍̯̜̥̲̳̦̺̣͘͝4̴̶͉͇͙̼̤͇͈̘͎̩̮̥̀͘ ̧̕͏͕̠̟͔̩̳͉̹̤̟̼5̸̷̧̗̼̺̤͔̟̥̗͔͙͟͢9̸̵̛̝̮̻̘̹̫̤̼͔̪̻̲͘̕2̴̬͚͔̞̳̖͕̱̣̺̩̣͎̕ ̡̧̤͉̞͚̜̖͚̳̮̙͖̀̀͠-̡҉̵̻̱̩̘͙̰͞3͟͏̱̜͈͉̞̣̻̣̥͓̠͉̣̀̀͝7͜҉̝̺̲ͅ4̴͏͏̨̘̺̙͎͎̥̗̳̮̠̯͔ ҉̹̳̖͕̗͙͕̳͟9̢̛̠̟̦̥͙̺̫̗͎̣͈̭̩̲̜́́5̵̺̗̝͔̱̦̗̙̞̺͓̦̹̭̞̱̩̕͘ͅ7͈͚̮̯̭̫̼̠̲̲̀̕0̵̧͚̟̼̫̘̣͈͘͘2̵̮͎̪͍̣͈̭̝̹͘̕͢ͅ3̛̰̮̹͇͇͙͉̱͞͝͞9̶̛̖̩͖̜̞͍͞4̷̸̛̟̯̭͍̞͖̗͕͎̫̩̬͇̯͜7̴̧̧͚̼̲̯͖͔̥̙͎̫̗̰͙5͜҉̡̠̻̤̥̥̯͉̬̹̝͎̗̖̬̩͞ͅ ̸̢̗̜͓̟̗̕͝0̸̛̬̳̭̙̫͚̣̮̥̜̥̳͙͇͢ͅ2̨̨͙̪̯̺͍̭͎̖̹̘̤̻̪̖̣͓ͅͅ7̶̸̖̯̬̩̞̬͓̞̰́̕3̴̀͏̢͍̥̼͚̙̮̤̭͝4͍̗̝̳̲̤̭̭̮͟ͅ7̴̷̞̗͇̪̥̺͇͎̟̱͟͢͝ 9̴͇̹̬͎̺͎̜̻̤̹̮̤̼̺̰͚͔̠͎̕ ̢̹̪̳̥̤̭͙̪̣̬͔̻̤̳̫́͡ͅ5̧҉̣̥͇͇̞̬̩̲̺̲̹̗͙̗͈ͅ2̵̡̛̳̟̤̥̲̝̻̥̮͓̝̮̜̼̹̳̦̣̕͝7̵̡̡̞͕͚̪͓̦͖̮̦̩̫̭̥̩̣͖́͢ 3̝͚̦̹̯͕̫̱̻̞̝̩̀͞ͅ-҉̷̴͎̠̲̩͚̘̥̦̝̤̦̫̥̻̬̬4҉̸̛̱̞͖̞̘̜͔̞͔̩̦̺͓̦̹̯̬̠9̴̢́҉̫̲̞̩̗̰ ̸͎̫̳̞̘̖̘̥͙͔̟̱͝ͅ7̵̶̨̘̩̲̣̫̥̠͢ͅͅ5̢̢̤͉̳͓͚̯͚̫̻͙̝͎̳̰͓̳̥͘͠͠ͅ0̀͘͜͏̛̱͕̮̜͚̰̥͍̪̣̹̰̳̼̳̻̘2̢̢̜̬̳̻̤̦͉̦̳̞̞͢͡ 3̢̛̻͎͎̤̮̩̤̭̕͢͞ͅͅ7̴̴̵̡̨̻̻̜͓̼͕̳̝͍̭̹͈ͅ4̷̸̢̝̣͎̪̘̺̬͙̯ ̴̸͎̗̘̬̘̣̕5̶͔̟͉̠̘̦̦̬̟͜0͏̡͎̭̟̜͕̥̬̜̳̯̦͈͍͉̰͎̜͎8̱̝̩͓͉̳̯̩̯̕ͅ2̸̷̧͙̱̮̞̤̞̣̠͎͉̠̘͚͚̖͡7̴̢̹͍̦͍̩̘̙̩̜̯͚̲̮́3̴̨͖̜̠̝̹̹̱̩̜̗4̡̹̻̟͎̖́͜͟-̨̛̘̣͕̺͓̣͍̺͔̖̗̖͍ͅ9̸͖͓̺͚̠̳̫̥̖̝̬̦͍̺͙̹̜̯̀͢͞ ̪͇̖͓̥̤̱̻͍̯͜5̧͏̢͚̭͇͓̪͎̫̝̞́2̹̠̫͓̭̺͖͍̺͓͕̕͘͠͞͝0͖̗̘̦͍̤̜̭̻̕͢͞3̸̢̢͓̪̰̱͘4̵̧̧̬͍̭̩̝̹̼͙͍̱̱͕͍͚̞̀̕ͅ 5̶̨̨̫̙̺̰̤̬̰͎̟͉̫̺͚̘̲̹̻͈̕͞7̶̧҉͕̥̘̪̱̟̺̜͎͔̫̬̺̫̠͚̜̭͝9̧̘̠̹͙̺̺̟̙̥̗̫ͅ ̴̵̴̷͈̖̲̮͕̠͉̝͈̝͕͓3̶̫̫̯͈̞̀͟4͈̬̟̤̪͈̺͉̜́͘0̷̧̛̰͙̳̯9͏̛҉̡̭̗̯̝̰̼̫̳̫͇͚̺̮5̵̪̣̝̳̝̹͚̬̹͎͉͝7̧̻͙͇̙́͜͜ 0̴̝̦͇̮̝̘͇͔̦̤̘͓͙̫̣͖͔̘͖͟͠6̹̹͖̭̩͇̗͎̣̠̤̞̰̤͞͞2̢̖̱̬̦͚͈͖͡7̧҉͉͈̪̩̳̪̬͉͉̩͎̲͓̬͉͉̀͟9̴̧̖͙̟̫̘̣̝̩̲͚͈̩̻̜̻̤ͅ4̷̡̨̨̨͔̳̦̜̪͚͖̥͈̠-̛̣̝̜̜͞͝1̶̝͎̠̹͎͈̻͔͕̩̱̠̹̣̥̝͜ͅͅͅ7̷̫̟̜͕̤̠̯͜͟͞ͅ3̶̛̯̗͓͈͎̭̻̫̳̪̯̝̘̞͇̕͠ -̢̪̤̳̟͙̩͘5̶̴̦̻͖̺̣͚̹̜͉̲̠͉̝̪͟͜͟ͅͅ9̴͏̡̗͇͚̫͎͚̻̭̻͙̼ͅ ̶̫͖͈̥̪̘̯̟̳͕͙̀͞͠7͏̸̴̛̱̜͕̻̟̜̲̜-̸̧͟҉̜̩͇̼̣͓͎̫̩̬͍͕̪̝̫̥ͅ9̵̴͎͖̙͇̻̟͘͟͠3̨̛͈̻̭̦̫̭̪̩͕̲́́ͅ4̢͏̦̝͖̟̣͍7̶͙̻̺͉͕̼̘̩̹͖̫͖̩̻̝͚̱́̀͡5̧͓̗̦̗̣̪̼͜͞͡ͅ ̸͡҉̸͏̹̣̣̪̘̠̖̹͖̞͈9̩͎͎͎͢͝7̵̴̬̺̮͈͎͍̰̙̪͍̮͉̱̼͜͝ͅ2̴͘͘͏̰̤̻̳̩̳͎̯̻̝̱͎̖͉͙̠̱̪͞4̵̮̭͉̖̬̭̤͙̺̰̰̥̞̬̙̜̲́͞7̧͎͈̻͈̤̤̬́͞ͅ5̷́͝͏̩̱̜̜̭̳͠ ͖͙̙̦͖̹̜̞̗̙̘̣͘͜-̢҉҉͇̠͇͉̟̩͔͕ 7҉̵̢̛̭̻͇̰͚̻͢9̷̡̳̗̩̤̲͍̭̭̫̟̦́͘͟9̡͇͔͚̘̦͚-̷̕͜͏̖̹̜̟̠͈2̷̧̢̩̥̻̗́3̕҉͉̠̻̪͉̘͕̜̲̗̟͈͓͈̟̹̕͡4͠҉͎̩̳̼̤̞̜̝̝̝͙̟-̛̀͘͏̸͉̰̰͓͇͎͕̹͈̟̪͖͖̮̳̖̫9̨̥͖́̀ͅ5̢̡̪̩̟͇́͟͝7̮̖̝̭̹͔̗͈͇̯̤͔̱̮͉̳̳͢͡ͅ ̴̴̦̠̲̭͖̰͚̖̗̼̲̙̮̘̫͘͘͟9̨̡̰̦̖̮̼͇͚̙͇̫̙͕̥̹͢͠͞ͅ2̩̹͙̰̦̀͟7̢͔͖͔͈̯͉̘͍͕͓̀͘͟4̦̥̖̬̤̜͚̭͍̗͚̳̘͘͞5̶̷̶̦̪̪ 9̶̨̭̹̦̟̜͔̘̺̺̮͇͖̦̭̻̦̠̪͘͜ͅ2̸̘̞̝͎̲̺̩̟-̵̶҉̡̫̪͓͈̜͚͕̜̘̘͇̼̮̭3̷̰̥̰̟̟̱̺͈̠͕̀̕4̸̡̟͚͍̪̳̪͇̙̜̙̳͓̺ͅ7̛͚͕̘̱͜͢5̶̡̞̪̜̹̲̮̘̱̱͟ ̢̢̕҉̯͇͍̜̙̜͎͔͎̞̥͔̟͇͓-̤͙̯̫̭̺͙̯̠̦̰̜̕͢9̬͉̩̪̠͚͕̹̀͟͝2̴̡͚̤͈̹̻̰̳́-̴̛̛̯̳̝̩̟9̢̻͖̤͍̦̥͉̱͟͡3̡̠̠̘͕̞͟4͏̩̜̻̦͟7̣̝̞̣̝̫̦͉̺̣͔̖̝͇̦͉͙̹̥͡͝5̨̢͉̰̮̙͎̹̟̫̹̯̲͙͎͔͇̰͖̀͢͠ ̧̧̛̖͕̜͓̟͝-̴҉̷̫̦̥̪̪̘͖̙͎̥̫̘1̬̙̙̮̼̦̭͕́͘7̥͉̘̥̼̱̲̺̯̰͔̻̯͇̗͇̬͟͝͡ͅ-͚̼̙̖̰̮͡͝͝3҉҉̡̥̬̙͔͈̲͢͝9̰͓̩͖̹͎̣̤͙͕̥͈̪̮̳̖͘4͕̦͍̭̳͇̞͔̗͙̜̬̮̩̟̬͉̀͟͡5̧̕͜͏̣̼̼̟̭̭͇͙̟͙̖͎ ̷̛̗̻̖͉͍̲̠̭͍̗̞̫̼͢͟7̨͇̳̩̱̻̖̬͉̲̜̻͙̝͡-̡͍͔̹͓̻͉̗͢͝2̩̣̪̮̗̞̖͓̙͚͕̭̜̫̟͕̬͔̀͢͜͝9̷̪͎̮̲̳̳̕5̸̨͔͎̜̻̮̫̗͔͚̲̼͙̼̗͘ 7̵̸̙͔͎̹̥̀ ͏̵̮̝̺̟̩̳̳̝̖̝͉͈̕͠ͅ9͝҉͙̜̭̮̝̲̫͙͇͕͕̫7̶̢́͜͏̜͕͈̹̰̺̱͎̗̪̗͕͓͖̬̗̣̗5̡̢͓͙̫̪̠̘̦͕̻͚̰̰̞̝̻̥̗̕͡͠ͅ9̢͈̟͙̜̭̜̣͔̼̤̥͔͠ͅ0̞̪̼̤͠͞͡2̢̢͇͎͍̹̝͚̗̹̭ ̩͓̦̞̫̥͙̬̳̭́͘7̴̵̜͕̺̳͇͕͓͔͖̤̦̰̰̟̀̕4҉̛̭̫̠͉̬͜ͅ0̧̢̫̲͉̗̝̭̣̮̘̭̺̲3̨̹̘͚̞̥̼̰̠̭̞̼̲̕͢͞ͅ9̷̨̠̣̯͎̞̦̰̲̩͙̞͓̦̠̯̲̹̣ ̀͞͠҉̨̼̬͍̗͇̱̻ "̟̻̙͙̮̬̮̾S͔̟͚̳͋͐̔ͬ̄ó̮̯͖̂̓̃͊̚.̣͙̪̞͈̉̏̚.̫̹͕̱̐̄͋̉̋͐.̊̉̿͛ ̌̾ͩI͉͋ͪ͒̽s̼͓̘̼̰̎̃͑̈ ̞̝̦͇͎̻̘̏ͫͫͥ͂t̤͔̥̣̟͙̋ͤ̿ͅh͍͉̳̠̮͊ͫͯ̌ͩ̚i͙̓ͪͪͯ̑s͖̹͚̬̮̔̐ ̹̜̓ͩi͍̰̠̜̻̓͐̽͑͂ť͈̣̣̙̟̓?̉ͦ̑ ̭̯̹͆͆ͥ̀ͬ̋̓I͔̦̙͍͒̈́ͮͅs͈̱̘̙͎̯̦ͮ ͇͈̻̈́ t͊ͤh͚̟̭̔͂̆ͯ̈͊i͚̣͍͓͖̺͍͊ͩ̋s̙͕͙̊ͪ.̙̼̣̺͊̏̋͂ͭ.̈ .͍̱͚̈́̌̆̾ ̟̯̖͇̙ͫ̾͊̽͐I̦ͭͪ̐̉̌ ̼̘̘̬̣͇̅̈́ͭ̇ͤg͔̩̫͕̻̰̻̑u͎̤̳͑̎͗ͣ͂e̘͐̈s̩̻̹̻͉̄ͤ̍̏ͫs̝̩͉̞͖̊͊ͭ̓̓.͇̳͚̝̠̝̹̅̋̇͒̍̽͊.̯̩̼̻̯͓̬ͦ̏͛́ͫ.̞͛ͦ̇̅̎ ̼̱̺̇ͧ̋ͭ̉ H̟̗̖̠͙ͣo͎̱ͫw̲͉͎̣̱̥̬̏̿ ̱̭̱̼͔͒̎ͧ̊͛í̥̾̋̉̓͂ͅt͖̱ͅ ̹̤̍͌̾̾͑̋e͚͂ͪn̯͓̞̠̘̝̞d͉̠̝̝̯̑ͨs͎͎̱͇̮̬̿ͣ ?̭̥͙́ͦͪ"̙͇̋̄ͫ̌ͦ̍ͩ ͚͈̤̯̺ "Tͤ͋̈̓̏̈́h͔͔̯̱͈̭ͣ̇̃̀̚a̠̓̌͌͛̅̿ͣͅt͇͙ͧ̃̏ͦ̇̅ͣ'̰̳͈͇̖ͮ̌s̖̬͔̥͈͓̯ ̰̫̪̠̳̩ȗ̟͔̥̬̓̔ͅp̖ͩ̾͒́̂ͨ ̩̬̫̝̂̌ͅ ṱ̯͇͖̉̒̇o̬̫͍ ̟͍ͯ̒̂̏ͣͥy̲͎̟͇̜ͤ̔͂ͤ͊̂óͥ̽̂ͭu̦̣̜̯͓̐ͪ̐̒.̹̮͍̰̦̒̾̐͋ͨ "͔̫͇̘̤͇͛ͩͭ̎ ̯̟̼̜̱̹̥ ͇̯̮̼̝̟ ͙ ̸ ̤͢ ̗̖̼̙̭̙̹͝ ̛̠̺̥ ͚̲̩̲̜͢ ͓̩͓̹̙̝͢ ̗͈̳͙̻̕ ͎͎͔́ ̴͎ ̫̺̠̜͕̰ ̵̣̱̼ ̣͉̭̣ ͖̣ͅ ̤ ̘͟ ͏ ̮̙̹ ͈̩̺͍̫̤ ̨̗̻̤̫ ̜ ̗͉̙̺̼ ̵͎̞͚̠̭ ̪̳͕͙̩̤ ̛̥͙̼̫͖̞ ͇̥̟̗ ̠̲̙̙̠ ͉̮̼͇͉̖ ͈͉ ͉ ̲͎͖ͅ ̤̤ ͇ ͔͈̲͎ ̯̮͈̤ ͖ ͏̝ ̛͔ ̖̪̫́ ͍̞̘̤̝͖̕ ̛̯ ͈ ̷̹͈ ͉͍͎̜̠ ̸̙ ͔̥ ̭̭͍ ͈͉̪̯̘͕ ̵̺ ̴̞ ̘̤ ̦ ̺͎̻̱ ̬̜͢ ̳̠͠ ͜ ̸ ̛̯̼ ̗̮͝ ͉͇̖̠̤͚͈ ̤͇̱̦̰͈̮ ̱̲̫̮̞ ̭̞͇̫̭̠̼͠ ͕̲ ̶̹͍̟͇̫̼ ͖̭̲̜͙ͅ ̸͕̜͓̘̬͍ ̛̟͓̯͙͖ ͏̲̳̖ ̢ ̟̝͖̭͈̳ͅ ̷͕͔͕̜͔̤ ̛͎̺̯̰ ͔̭̫̻̲͘ ͚͖̰̙̣̺ ̢̮̰̲ ̛̘̻͕̹ ͇̼̜͇͕͓̮͟ ̦̩ ̮̬̮̪ ͉ ̱̭̬̖͟ ͎̖̺͟ ̡̹̯͚ ̹͈ ͏̙͉̱̘̩͓ ̶̬̼̙̘ ̼̻̗ ͏̘͇ ̖ ͉̩͚̝͓ ̥͇̖̖͕ ̝͈̻̙̘̯̜ ̴͔̠͍ ͈ ̵͖̹̯̼̗ ̟̖̘̹̩̬ ̵̩̣̲ ̸̬̰̺̘ ̮̝̱̫ ͎͚͙̜̲͖͉ ͚̭ ҉͎ ̡͈͕̱̞̝ ͇͇̙͇̬̙ͅ ̴̙͇̗͕̙ͅͅ ͕̼ ̵͙͙̼̭ ̣̲͎͍̺̗̀ ̲̠̭͜ ̖̜̭͖̠ ̢̤̠̦̪̩ ͚̮ ̨͎̱ ̥̤ ͟ ͎̦̥͡ ̹ ̤́ ̗͚̖̣̖̖̜ ̝͖̦̜͕̺͓ ͔ ͘ ͢ ̷͓̭͈ ̝̱̬͓̤̠̕ ̗̺̣͍̣ ̯̗̞ ͈̣̮͖̜ ͏̘ ̵̭̘̲ ҉͇̦ͅ ̘̲̯͉͇̟͝ ̢͍̫̫̗̝̜ ̹̟̥̰̬́ ̦̻ ͙͎͎͕̮̦͔ ̫͙͎̮͟ ̣̥̳̥͕͔ ̼̭͎̥ ̨͔̩̦ ̢̫͉̩̯͍͚͍ ̘̩̺̤̱̯ ̰̬ ͚̮͉͢ ͕̟ ̰͙͇͍̺̺͞ ̸͙̖̮̼̥̥̪ ͉ ̣̪̰̻̬ ̶͙͈͍̳̭ ͞ ͖̘̖ ̬̜͢ ̳̠͠ ͜ ̸ ̛̯̼ ̗̮͝ ͉͇̖̠̤͚͈ ̤͇̱̦̰͈̮ ̱̲̫̮̞ ̭̞͇̫̭̠̼͠ ͕̲ ̶̹͍̟͇̫̼ ͖̭̲̜͙ͅ ̸͕̜͓̘̬͍ ̛̟͓̯͙͖ ͏̲̳̖ ̢ ̟̝͖̭͈̳ͅ ̷͕͔͕̜͔̤ ̛͎̺̯̰ ͔̭̫̻̲͘ ͚͖̰̙̣̺ ̢̮̰̲ ̛̘̻͕̹ ͇̼̜͇͕͓̮͟ ̦̩ ̮̬̮̪ ͉ ̱̭̬̖͟ ͎̖̺͟ ̡̹̯͚ ̹͈ ͏̙͉̱̘̩͓ ̶̬̼̙̘ ̼̻̗ ͏̘͇ ̖ ͉̩͚̝͓ ̥͇̖̖͕ ̝͈̻̙̘̯̜ ̴͔̠͍ ͈ ̵͖̹̯̼̗ ̟̖̘̹̩̬ ̵̩̣̲ ̸̬̰̺̘ ̮̝̱̫ ͎͚͙̜̲͖͉ ͚̭ R̻͕̯̬̖͔ͦͭ̉̃a̯i̡̩̖͖̤͒̓n̗͔̪̯̝̬̿̏ͨb͇̬̈́̃̑ͭo̺̼ͧ̅ͭ̄̐ͫw͙̗̯̼ͫͭ awoke with a start, her hoof ramming into the ringing alarm clock beside her. It b̢̦̜̯ȑ͎̔́o͎k̮̎̐e͉̖͇͙̫̦͎̒̊ͤ, then she screamed a terrified s͚̰ć̨͓͎̘̳̉̒ͯ̐r̗̺͚ͦ̋e̯ͧ̌ͬ͢ã̰̭̤͟m̶͔̌̇ͥ and clawed at her face. No cyber eye. No robot arm. No cuts, no bruises... N̖̊ͩ͗oͣt͌̒͏̯̱̙̯̖̣h̨i̋͑̒̒ͥ͗̄n̻͆̋̇̒͐̇ğ̢͓̠͗ͥ. It was a dream... It's okay... It was all just a dream... G̨̭̙̼͕͍ͩ̃́͛͑e̶̔͑n̸͌̐e͕̹͖ͥ̓́s̹͍̥̳̾̅i̝͉̥̟̔̅ͦs̠͉̤̯͉͑̎̈͑... All that... But it wasn't. She knew, because she had no recent memory of ever being in this room. It was dark, the windows beside the bed she lay on were sealed by blinds, only letting small slivers of golden light through its seams. This bed... These sheets, all this... She could distinctly feel that this was all her stuff, but... How? She quickly flicked the sheets aside and got up. The carpet under her hooves... It was familiar. She quickly õ̩̘͚p̳͍͍̯ͣ̾ͨe̱̓ͧ̈́͞n͏ḛ͖͚̩̘̦̥ͮ̐͑d̦ͣͬ́ the door to the room with a few panicked breaths, emerging into the living room. Somehow she knew the exact layout of this place. The places on the walls where the paint had peeled... The locations of the power plugs... The kitchen area... The clothes hanger, or at least the corner it should be in... This was the apartment. She slowly trudged on to the center, where the coach was. None of this seemed right. It was all... Newer, but... Older... Than she had r͚̠̭ͅe̬͖̤ͥ̽̏͌m̬͇̖͆̇̓͆͐̔e̪̟̱̓͑̉ͪ͒͘m̧b̡͉̗͇ȩ̖ͩ͗̒r͖̞̫͓͍ͅé̦̯̼͕͔͙̙d̞͚̫͉̟͉̦ͤ͒̍̎̋... There was a knock on the door, and she jumped a little. She instinctively hid behind the coach, looking around for some sort of weapon. She grabbed a bronze candle stand, then slowly and carefully moved towards the door. It felt good to have her entire body back, again. She hadn't realized how much she missed the missing bits till now. She could feel the weight of the stand in her hoof, and it was a good feeling. She peered through the hole in the door. No one. Nothing but the stairwell outside. Just to make sure, she slowly opened the door. It squeaked, and she flinched. Still, no one. She didn't let her guard down, though, as she proceeded up the four steps leading to the exit to the building. She checked the stairs leading further up first. Still nothing. Then she jumped as someone knocked on the exit. She wasn't about to let them get away this time, and so she ran up to the door and s̷̮ͭ̒͂h̭̤o̗̯̰ͫͫͣ̀̚ů̴̝̭̣ͦ̇̓ļ̳̓̄ͨ͐ͩ͑d͑̈́͆̏ͪe̺̮̪̩͕̊͒ͮ̇͒͌͐r̰̔ͪͩ͟ë̢̫͖̺́̓͋͊̍̀̓d̵̾̐ it open with all her might. It swung open and crashed against the wall, and she tumbled out into the world, stumbling to a stop with the candle stand raised, ready to beat up whoever it was that was messing with her. But there was no one there. Nothing but the passing cars that looked several decades older than the ones she's used to(though, oddly, in shining new condition), and the passer-bys that were giving her odd looks. Breathing heavily, she slowly set the candle stand down. As she did so, she spotted something on the floor. A clean white box, elegantly fashioned with a single red butterfly knot with a rose inserted through it. There was a post-it note attached to it which had her name on it. Beside it was a newspaper, a recent one by the looks of it. She frowned, peeked her head out to scan the sidewalks. No pony suspicious, or... Visually s͘i̸g͞҉ņ̵i̶͝f̴ic͏͡a̧͝n͘t͢͟, really. Something bad was coming. She could feel it. She picked up the newspaper first, and read the headline: "Four Years of Marriage: Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadence." She murmured. No, this... This can't have been recent... Shining Armor and Cadence had been together for almost f̢ift́e̵en̛ y̸ea̴ŗs, as far as she was concerned. She checked the date. It was some eleven, maybe twelve years older than her last memory of a year. Had she gone back in...? No, she can't have. She was supposed to be dead, right now. Deader than dead. Then she spotted somepony at the bus stop across the road, holding the exact same paper. Then some else walking by with it under his arm. "Hey! You!" She yelled. "Where'd you get that paper?" "Came in the mail this morning!" The guy yelled. Rainbow thought for a moment, waited for the guy to pass, then waved and ye̛lled͡ at someone else. "HEY! Do you know what year it is?" The answer made her mind go blank for a second, and she sat down hard against the wall. It matched the newspaper. No, no... There was no way... Tavi... If this were true, she'd never even know she was here... Then it dawned on her. Maybe this was what G̽̍ͨͯ҉ȩ̔ͥ͋̈̎ņ̙̗͕̲̱͉̦ͣeͧ̂͐҉̮̤̞̖̺̥s̥̱̖̠̘̈̈i̛̖s̝͕͙̮̫̝͒ͥ meant, about no longer existing. As far as the rest of the world was concerned... She was gone. She clutched her face in her hooves and screamed a muffled scream. Her breathing quickened, she could feel the panic etching away at her chest. But then the box caught her eye again. No, no... Somepony knew she was here... Somepony knew. She scrambled over to the box, removed the rose and tore through the knot. But then she hesitated, right as she was about to lift the lid. Did she really want to know...? No, she didn't. But she had to. She flung it open, and it took her a second to recognize what was inside. Amidst the pile of shadows, there was a n̶o̕te̵. She picked it up and read it. Her eyes widened as she did so. Then she dropped the note and frantically dug through the pile of black fabric, a crazed look in her eyes. For a brief moment she found something, which lit her face with a faint r҉e̢d͠ glow, and she abandoned the box and sprinted inside again. The white banded fedora slowly drifted to the floor, as the box hit the ground. A silky black trench coat spilt out of it, and from further within something rolled out. A shiny metallic hoof-sized ca̢p̛s͠ule, with a strongly archaic red light pulsing from within. It rolled and rolled, until it slowly came to a stop beside the dropped note. "W̵a̶ķi͏e w̛akie͞, ͠Ra͟i͢nbow̢.̧..͡" It read. "...͞The͞r͟e's̨ mo͢re ҉work to ̧d͡o͢."