//------------------------------// // Act 3 Chapter 8 // Story: Collision Code // by SSJRandomMaster //------------------------------// Act III: Collision of Wills Chapter 8: The Iceberg ------------------------------------------ Truly, the world seems to love throwing material at me. Not too long ago, a new princess had been crowned in Equestria. And then, of course, I’m freed from Tartarus. It almost feels like destiny unfolding, that a new muse has been given to me as I exit. Nonetheless, I do have some business to finish with the other recently crowned princess as well. I hear it has moved into its own country up north by this time. Well, no matter. I’ll still get that material all the same. I won’t be caught again—not that I have a choice, but oh well. I know not what I’ll do to this, “avatar of friendship” just yet, but I do have plenty of tools at my disposal to make sure that she won’t escape from me. I have caught sight of the newest muse a few times by now. I cannot fathom how it got to where it is. Up until I’d come out and learned what had happened during my time away, I hadn’t even known we had another one. In fact, most didn’t seem to know who it was. There’s something wrong with all that; with that much status, it should be known. But that can change if I can bypass her defenses. I’ve already passed part of it not too long ago. I know exactly where she is now. It’s interesting how a simple disguise can fool them all… And once I have my muse in my studio, I’ll be ready to make sure everyone remembers who it was… I wonder what its screams will sound like… Oh, enough pondering. I’d best start making my plans to finish what I started. And if the new muse starts getting in the way, I’ll just use them both. That would certainly be a first—a sculpture of two… Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself… ------------------------------------------ Corey let out what could only be a dry, shuddering heave as he shut the book violently. His glasses, already badly askew on his face due to how badly he had adjusted them after finishing his reading, clattered to the desk as he leaned forward, his head slamming into his hands. The heels of his palms rubbed at his eyes.   “That was the last entry…” Corey snarled, vocalizing the only thought in his mind that wasn’t being drowned out by the crackling and “whooshing” of the blaze that now threatened to consume everything around him, “I’m not…I can’t…”   Corey was too afraid to move beyond standing up. He couldn’t even compose himself enough. He knew that if he could look into a mirror, he’d be horrified at the utterly enraged-looking unicorn staring back at him, but even that didn’t stop him from feeling every last bit of rage that threatened to consume him.   He glowered at the book on the desk, looking at it like he was about ready to start burning not just it, but everything it touched while it was up here. Like it was the book’s fault for his reading it and getting mad about the contents. Corey shook his head violently.   “At least, now I know,” Corey said. Though everyone had their suspicions, he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that they were true. The Slayer did have his sights set on Twilight, and he already knew more than enough about what he had in mind for her if he ever got hold of her, “But I’ll be damned if I let him…” Corey lowered his head, a shadow casting itself over his eyes.   “Oh, Corey,” Corey’s eyes opened wide as he heard her voice. Quickly, he turned to see Twilight standing at the door, “There you—“ The sentence broke off in her mouth. Corey realized that she wasn’t looking at him, but past him, directly to what was on the table.   “Corey… what have you done?” Usually, the sight of Twilight was one of delight; one that soothed the flames in Corey’s heart. But today, it was different. Twilight had just caught him doing something she’d specifically forbid him from doing. It had the opposite effect.   “Twilight, I—“ Corey trailed off, a part of him feeling she already wasn’t listening. Twilight’s horn lit up and her magic wrapped around the book on the table, willing it to her hands. Only after the book was in them did she finally speak.   “How much have you read…?” For the first time, her voice was low, hostile. Finally, Corey managed to stand straight, his body fully turning towards Twilight. Usually, he’d avert his gaze in some way, but strangely, he didn’t.   “All of it.”   His answer didn’t help with Twilight’s mood. She looked down at the cover of the book in her hands. Anyone with half a rational brain left could see the disgust in her eyes.   “It all makes sense now,” she said, “The lashing out, the lack of sleep, it’s all because of this!” The book slammed hard into the ground courtesy of Twilight’s hands, “You knew what this book was doing to you! You even promised me that you wouldn’t! But you did anyway…why?”   “I thought if I could see just how he thinks, then I could get in his head…then maybe I could take him down…” Corey said.   “And now he’s the one inside yours,” Twilight retorted, “Did that ever occur to you?”   “”I can handle it…”   “No, you can’t!” Twilight raised her voice and started to march the rest of the way over to Corey, “You’ve been unfocused, you’re angry all the time, and Celestia only knows what would have happened if I hadn’t stepped in earlier.” Now, Twilight stood mere inches from Corey.   “Of course I’m angry! How could I not be?!” Corey’s own voice raised, much to Twilight’s surprise, “Have you even read what was in that book? The things the guy has done!?” Corey took a step forward.   “Believe me, Corey, I know exactly what he’s done,” said Twilight, “I read the same pages you have; I’ve pictured the pain he caused more times than I wanted. But unlike you, I knew when to stop. I knew when to turn away before the words started to eat away at me, just like it’s doing to you…”   Corey’s breathing began to grow noticeably irregular, the heat of his rage starting to swell.   “I don’t care,” He clenched his fist slightly, “I don’t care what the book does to me…I’m not going to lose to—“   “You’ve already lost!” Twilight snapped back, “Look at you, this book is destroying you from the inside out, and all because you let it. Everything you’ve done until now is only going to hurt you and the ones around you.”   Corey opened his mouth to respond, but closed it and let out an annoyed grunt. He turned his back to Twilight and took a few steps away. Twilight couldn’t help but notice he was trembling.   “He’s going to hurt everyone more,” Corey said, turning back, “I can’t let that happen.”   “That doesn’t justify what you’re doing to yourself, Corey…”   “What about them, Twilight!?” Corey pointed straight at the book, past Twilight, “Where’s their justice?! Everyone he hurt, everyone he’s killed, where’s their justice?”   Twilight faltered for a moment, but she didn’t back down. Instead, Twilight took one more step forward.   “They got theirs, Corey,” she said, “He was captured, he was sent to Tartarus.”   “But it wasn’t enough!” said Corey, “The moment he got out, he was back to his old ways…What’s the point of a punishment if he’s learned nothing!” Corey didn’t even seem to be aware his hand was closed tightly, causing the vein to pop out again.   “The only way someone like him can learn…is if they know the pain that they cause others…Only when they know the suffering that they’ve caused…”   Twilight’s eyes opened wide at Corey’s words. She could not believe what she was hearing.   “Are you even listening to yourself!?” she asked, “What you’re suggesting here—how does that make you any better than him?!”   “I am nothing like him!” Corey’s eyes became sharp, angry, his fist now trembling violently, “I’m trying to stop him! I’m trying to do everything I can to make sure he never tries to hurt anyone ever again! Don’t you dare compare me to him!” Corey’s hand glowed, his runes violently swarming around it.   Twilight backed off a bit. At this point, she really wasn’t sure what Corey was about to do.   John said he’d had trouble with his emotions, but… she shook her head lightly; it somehow escaped Corey’s notice, I didn’t think this was… “I don’t care what it takes…” Corey snarled, “The moment I see him…I’m going to strike him down for good!”   “Corey, you can’t—“   “Shut up!”   Showing he no longer cared to listen, that his rage had deafened him, Corey lashed out. Bringing his glowing fist down, Corey smashed the table near him, shattering it to pieces. An unsettling silence followed, the only sound that could be heard was Corey’s heavy breathing after letting his frustration out. And as the moment passed, Corey’s mind returned to him. He looked down at the table, as if he’d only just realized what had happened to it.   He then looked to his fist, opening it slowly and seeing it shake. It wasn’t from anger, but from something else.   What did I just… He was afraid to look, but he did anyway. Corey looked up at Twilight, and in her eyes he saw something he hadn’t expected to see: fear. But this fear wasn’t pointed at anything. It was all directed at him. Corey slowly extended his hand towards her, but he recoiled when she took a step away from him.   “T-Twilight…I—“   “No, Corey, I’ve heard enough,” Twilight’s voice was painfully hollow, and so quiet for a moment Corey didn’t immediately understand what she said. Lowering her head, Twilight turned her back to Corey and began making her way towards the door, “I’m sorry, Corey, but I can’t allow this. You may not care about what this is doing to you, but I do.”   “W-what are you saying…” Corey asked.   “I’m benching you, Corey,” she said, “Until this is over, you’re not getting anywhere near him. You’re going to stay here and wait,” With that, Twilight left the room completely, magenta flaring around her horn.   “Twilight, wait,” Corey finally moved, trying to follow after her, try to apologize—anything, “You can’t be—“   His trajectory was cut off inches from the door. After getting a good look, he realized what it was: a barrier, one that would prevent him from leaving the room. Immediately, Corey’s mind went into a frenzy.   “Twilight, wait!” His anger was replaced with something else: fear. Complete, white terror. He tried to get her attention, but it was no use. She never answered…   As Twilight walked away, she felt something pierce through her chest like a heated blade. It wasn’t physical, but with how it hurt it might as well have been. The barrier was part of her new plan, but she never thought she’d have to use it on someone she cared for. But it was necessary. At the rate he was going…   “I’m sorry, Corey,” Twilight whispered, feeling a hot tear slide down her cheek. ------------------------------------------ If it wasn’t for the fact his chest felt hollowed out, Corey might have wondered why he wasn’t crying at max volume. With his back to the barrier, Corey sat on the floor, his hands pressed against his face. The tears had already spilled past his palms, running down what remained of his face. In between the gasping for air and the near-silent sobs, Corey’s thoughts found their way to his mouth.   “Twilight…” he said, “I’m…I…I can’t…I was…only…” Corey’s shoulders shook, “I’m sorry…I didn’t…That wasn’t…”   You’ve really done it now… his inner voice came back, Not only did you get found out, you hurt her…   Corey let in a heaving gasp of air, but no words came out. He had never remembered being this upset, this hollow, but it wasn’t exactly something new.   Whenever he took things too far, whenever he felt like he’d given in too much to his rage, he’d wind up doing this—crying to himself alone, fearing that this time, he’d done it. But it hurt far worse now. There was no internet separating him from the person he’d spoken to. There was nothing stopping him from doing something physical he might regret—   You’ve hurt her…     And there was no feeling worse than making the one you knew you loved scared of you, upsetting them, hurting them.   “I’m…s-sorry…” Corey moved to stand, to try desperately to get anyone’s attention. But his leg faltered, and Corey slipped and fell onto his side. Corey tried to lift himself up, but his mind wouldn’t let him.   His worst fear of all was coming true. Worse still, it felt like there was nothing he could do to fix it. Not this time.   “Please…don’t leave me here alone…” ------------------------------------------ Twilight hadn’t made it too far past the end of the hallway that room was located in before leaning back against the wall for support. The tears hadn’t stopped flowing, but why? Hadn’t she done the right thing just now?   Why does it hurt so much… Twilight thought, He wasn’t in his right mind…if he saw Slayer, there’s no telling what would happen…I couldn’t take the risk! So why…why do I feel…   “Why…” she whispered, putting both her hands to her face, the tears still falling. It was hard to believe, but somehow, sealing Corey up in the room to prevent him from doing something else he’d regret only made her feel worse, “I did it because I didn’t want to see him get worse…”   She had heard him calling for her, but the voice had eventually faded away as she made her way away from the room. That was closer to the Corey she knew, for sure. But what scared her was the display of rage she’d seen from him. In that moment, she didn’t think it was Corey anymore.   Twilight put her arm up to her face, wiping away the last of the tears. Whatever happened, the deed was done. She had to hope that Corey would eventually come to terms with the decision before anything worse happened. Yet, as she began to walk the rest of the way to rejoin the others and tell them what had happened, something echoed in her head.   The words of a kind, if reckless, former human.   “… if it means keeping you safe, I’d do it all over again…”   Twilight stopped only a few moments to wonder why those words had stuck with her and why they had only reoccurred to her now, but forced the thought aside. There was still something that needed to be done, and right now Corey wasn’t in the kind of shape to help anyone.   “I’m sorry…” Twilight said again, another burst of tears threatening to come, “Please…don’t hate me for it…” ------------------------------------------ Twilight’s friends had been pulled from their posts and told to meet inside of the throne room. Though they were confused as to why they did what they asked, they also believed that any questions they had would be answered the moment they gathered. As they entered the room, the first thing they noticed was Twilight, and that something was off about her.   She was averting her eyes from them, but they were still able to see what could have been wrong. Her eyes were red, but it was clear she wasn’t suffering from allergies or anything like that. No, they knew what the most likely cause was. There were still moist-looking trails on her cheeks. Had Twilight been crying?   “Everythin’ alright, Twilight?” asked Applejack. Twilight didn’t immediately respond, only worrying the group more. They’d already noticed that Corey wasn’t present, which left them to guess why.   “There’s been a change of plans…” Twilight finally said, “While the strategy is the same, who is involved will change. Until this is over, Corey is strictly forbidden from helping…”   A collective gasp filled the room. Though everyone wondered what could have happened to cause this change, only one of them had an inkling.   Corey…what did you do…? John thought to himself, his brows furrowed.   “What do you mean?” Rainbow asked, “With what we’re dealing with, we need all the pony-power we can get!” The others all agreed. As it stood, they were dealing with someone else who could use dark magic; they couldn’t afford to weaken their ranks now. They all turned to Twilight for an answer, wanting some kind of explanation as to why she’d done this.   Her eyes were glued to the group, her arms wrapped around herself, as though she were trying to hold herself together.   “You all remember…that book found at the scene of the attack, right?” Twilight asked. When the others nodded, she continued, “That book belonged to the Slayer, and in it, he wrote everything he ever did in graphic detail. I read the book once and I couldn’t get past more than a few pages…” Twilight paused, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. The others could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice; this just wasn’t something she was handling well.   She could have stopped now and the others would have figured it all out, but she didn’t. She kept right on going, her story not over, “Unfortunately…Corey found the book as well…and he read it. All of it. I don’t know what he’d read, what horrible acts he’d seen on those pages, but they definitely took their toll on him.   “He’s found a hatred for this Slayer greater than anything I’ve seen, and I’m afraid of what would happen if they were to end up in the same room,” Again, Twilight paused, looking towards the ground, “I’m sorry if this is an inconvenience, but I didn’t know what else to do…I was just—“   Twilight stopped the moment she felt something touch her shoulder. She looked over, seeing that it was Applejack.   “We can’t change the past, Twi,” she said, “All we can do now is hope for the best.”   Twilight looked to Applejack for a moment and nodded. There would be time for regrets later, but right now, she had a job to do.   “I’m going to get some more guards here to help make up for Corey not being here. Everypony else, you know what to do…and good luck,” Everyone else nodded and began to exit the room; even Applejack, who thought she’d try to find some guards as well.   John would have been the last to exit, but he felt someone tug on his arm. When he turned to see who, he saw that it was Twilight. Already, he could tell she was having a hard time looking him in the eyes.   “I know the others trust me, but…” Twilight looked up slightly, “Corey was your friend longer than anyone’s known him. Please…tell me, did I make the right choice?”   John looked at Twilight and let out a slight sigh, “Whenever Corey gets the way he does, I usually just let him vent. Heaven only knows I’ve had enough patience for it. But sometimes, it just wasn’t enough. Sometimes you have to deal back what he can dish out before he can learn a lesson…”   Placing a hand under her chin, John raised Twilight’s head the rest of the way so she could see his eyes.   “But the fact that this time it was you who did it, I think that it might pay off even  better than everything in the past,” he said.   “What makes you say that?”   “Because there was one thing I noticed since we arrived in this world. The Corey I knew was changing, and for the better. At first I thought it was just because he was here; this world void of the same darkness that he’d seen back home. But after some time, I found out what the real reason is… you.”   Twilight blinked as she felt her heart skip a beat at John’s words.   “The fact is, you do something most others can’t do,” John continued, letting go of her head, but never breaking eye contact, “You make him want to be a better person.”   Twilight didn’t respond, not that she had one to begin with. John shook his head lightly.   This was something she needed to sort out for herself. With no more than a light tilt of his head, John excused himself and left the room. ------------------------------------------ By now, night had fallen on the Crystal Empire. This didn’t change what their jobs were.   John and Rainbow resumed their position on the roof of the palace. Both focused on the task given to them. John’s resolve was even stronger than before; a resolve to ensure that the Slayer never gets anywhere near Corey or the others. This breakout from Tartarus had already caused his friends both new and old more than enough pain, and not just physically. And it did not sit well with him.   This has to end, before any more pain can be caused. He didn’t know much in terms of going up against magic, especially the magic Slayer was wielding, but it didn’t matter to him. He was fully prepared to put himself in harm’s way if it meant taking him down. He had been prepared for this, even before Corey had started to show signs that the book had an effect on him. But the problem with being prepared for anything is that sometimes, life loves to throw in surprises.   One of them was the sound of screaming; not from one voice, and certainly not from inside the castle walls. It sounded as though dozens of ponies were screaming in fear.   What? John stood up from his position, allowing the fabric to fall off his back. With each second that passed, the screams grew louder, more numerous. Rainbow joined him in standing up. Neither said anything as the screams echoed all around.   No…no… John begged mentally, but just as he did, he was given a second surprise. A loud crash sounded from a far-off block of the empire. Both Rainbow and John quickly saw the dust and debris fly into the air. They watched in shock as a towering building fell over, crashing into the one next to it.   “It’s him!” Rainbow said, her wings flared in anger, “He’s attacking the civilians!”   John would be lying if he said he didn’t care, but he didn’t say anything. He was lost in his own thoughts as he tried to come to a decision.   This is a trap, I just know it! It was an obvious conclusion: the Slayer was trying to draw them away from the castle.   But as clear as that was, as much as John was sure that going over there would be exactly what the Slayer wanted them to do, it didn’t change the fact he was now faced with a hard choice. He could stay, keep watch, and hope that the moment he spots the Slayer, he’d be able to strike him down—and run the risk of every minute that passed resulting in more innocents being harmed.   Or he could charge towards the trap and do everything he could to help save the townsponies and trust that his friends could take care of the Slayer without him…and run the risk of returning to a sight he dared not imagine. John bared his fangs as he grit his teeth, clenching his clawed hands into fists hard enough to risk drawing his own flood.   In the end, John made his decision. Quickly, he jumped off the castle and opened his wings. With Rainbow following close behind, the two followed after the signs of chaos. The choice was made. There was no turning back now.   Good luck, everyone… ------------------------------------------ If there was one thing of the patrol that got to Rarity, it was the unsettling silence that came with it. Well into the night, it would be obvious that ponies would be settling into bed, but this silence seemed almost unnatural for a city like this. Though she might have questioned this more, the truth is that she was far too focused on her task. While the guards held their positions, she instead moved around the area, her eyes scanning every inch of the room around her.   I’ve memorized almost every corner of this room, and the position of every guard, Rarity thought to herself. If there was one thing she knew best, it had to be her attention to detail, something she picked up in her years of fashion design. So if someone was off by even the slightest of margins, she’d know it instantly.   Time continued to pass and for a while Rarity wondered if this night would go by without any results.   How many more nights are going to pass before he decides to show himself, was the thought in the back of Rarity’s mind. Just how patient would this Slayer be if it meant finding the perfect opportunity to make another attempt?   These thoughts and more crossed her mind, but eventually they were silenced. This was due to a sudden break of the silence in the room. All heads turned to its source: the front doors of the castle. They started as light thumps, but with each they began to grow louder, until eventually one thump rattled the door and those inside. And then it was quiet again. This time, however, all guards were on full alert, each of them now facing the door.   And then everything came alive.   The door suddenly exploded out of its hinges, flying into the room. Some guards dove out of its path, but Rarity wasn’t able to move as quickly, but fortunately she didn’t have to. Before the door could get too close, Pinkie dropped down from above, a rope tied around her waist. At the last moment, she grabbed Rarity by the shoulders and yanked her off the ground and out of harm’s way.   “Thank you, Pinkie,” Rarity said, sighing in relief. But she didn’t have time to relax, looking down at where the door used to be, she saw what had ripped it off its frame. It was a creature almost as larger as the door itself, its shape unlike anything Rarity had ever seen before.   “Is that what attacked Twilight?” wondered Rarity.   Already back on the ground, Rarity saw two guards rush the strange creature. However, they were knocked aside with relative ease.   “This could be trouble,” said Pinkie, and there was no doubt about it. This creature was obviously bigger than the one Twilight faced and was more than likely stronger as well.   “Pinkie, you know what to do,” she said, “Make sure to slow that down as much as you can.”   Pinkie saluted just as the rope around her retracted, pulling her back up to the ceiling. While Pinkie went to work, Rarity had her own way to help. Even at a range, she could still deal some damage to the creature. Quickly her magic flared around her horn as she charged as much magic as she could for a laser.   But as she charged her laser, something caught the side of her eyes. Though she knew she should be focusing on the creature trying to force its way in, she made a quick glance. What she saw was one of the guards. He appeared to be limping away from the creature. In her mind, Rarity pieced that it was one of the guards that it knocked away. But before she could look away, something about the guard got her attention.   What’s this? She thought to herself, there was something about this guard that just seemed off to her. She continued to stare at him as he limped, unknown to herself that her eyes were beginning to glow the same blue as her magic. In that moment, something in the guard’s appearance changed: his skin, his armor, everything started to go transparent. What she saw caused her to let out a sharp gasp.   From her eyes, there appeared to be something inside of the guard—another body within, perhaps? And in that moment, the guard took notice of Rarity’s gaze and stared back. Every nerve in her body went numb. All she could see were a pair of soulless eyes that seemed to threaten her own soul.   That is not a guard!   Acting on instinct, Rarity turned her body towards the guard just as her magic reached its peak.   “He’s here!” she called out.   Just as she fired her laser towards the odd one out, the other guards heard her scream just in time to see the explosion. They looked on in confusion as to what was happening, but everything soon became clear along with the smoke. At first glance, it had appeared to be another guard. But further inspection showed his body was chipping away like peeling paint.   The guard stood straight up, a long smile spreading across his face as he chuckled.   “Well now, in all my years, I’ve never had someone see through my disguise before,” A piece of his face fell right off as he chuckled, as if it were made of plaster, “I’ll have to keep an eye on you after today.”   All that could be seen was a small part of the true face under the mask—a single indigo-colored eye stared back at Rarity, the soul-rending glare causing her to tremble.   Quickly, the other guards formed around her, prepared to fight off the revealed imposter. But he only looked back and laughed.   “Surely if you all came after me, I might be defeated,” he said, “But tell me, what would happen if my friend over there were to be let loose into the city?”   The guards paused, looking over to the rest of their ranks that were trying to fight it off. If it got outside, there was no telling what kind of panic it could cause.   “That’s what I thought,” the imposter said coolly as he made his way up the stairs leading to the next room. Rarity’s body still trembled even with the imposter’s back to her, but she couldn’t afford to be paralyzed with fear, not now of all times.   Her hand moved, and swung just as hard as it could, slapping her own face. The sudden jolt of pain was just enough to bring her back to her senses, and she was able to function once again.   “We can’t let that creature roam free. The faster it’s defeated, the faster we can go after him!”   The other guards nodded. There were more guards deeper inside of the castle, and the commotion this creature had caused surely alerted them to the danger. So for now, their goal was right in front of them, to take down this creature as quickly as possible.