//------------------------------//
// Episode 44: Exploring The Hippie Camp!!! 
// Story: Life of a Wanted Changeling Season 3: Tyrants, Terrorists, and Tiaras, Oh My! 
// by Down with Chrysalis 
//------------------------------//

Opening Theme:


Looking around at all the hippie ponies, you realize there's no good in just randomly yelling. Besides, maybe one of these dazed freaks actually knows something. You turn to Tree Hugger behind the counter and say.

"Alright, we'll question them when they come back, do you mind if we ask around the commune?"

"It's a free world man...like, there's no such thing as private property. Our land is your land..."

"Uh-huh, I'm not gonna argue why that's stupid and just move on,"

"Right on man," she says with a smile.

Rolling your eyes you exit the little shop and into the commune proper.

"Alright, let's see if any of these nuts have any info."


"I don't know CV, it's already the evening, shouldn't we find a place to rest and ask questions tomorrow?" Aqua suggests.

"NO! We've been walking for two weeks while these guys have played bongo drums, we do this now," you snap.

"But the moon's already coming up..." she whines.

"Well that just means we have more light," you say as you walk to a hut that all the hippies seem to be walking towards. The sign above the door reads, Information.



Kichi's Comment



As you walk inside, followed begrudgingly by Aqua and a chipper Nightshade, you find that it is covered in a smoke so thick it might as well be mist.

"What the heck? I thought this was the information hut," you exclaim to the source of the smoke, a bunch of ponies around a fire pit in the center of the room.

"This is the information room man...you mind can awake to all kinds of stuff..." says one of them giggling.

"Daddy... It smells funny around here" comments Nightshade.

"Uh-Oh!" you cry as you see her wobbling.


"Nightshade honey, maybe it's best if you wait outside the door, you know, to alert us if you see them" you say as you push her out of the fumes.

"But why daddy? Everything's funny" Nightshade giggles as she looks up at the sky.

"Err...." you begin before 

"Oh wow, look at all the Pink Elephants on Parade!" she shrieks pointing up to the empty sky.

"Okay... Now I'm beginning to get worried..." says Aqua as Nightshade continues to giggle.

Why did you allow her into that room?! Selena growls.

I didn't know it was half baked central!


"What's that pink elephants? You come from the moon?...No...that's not right..." she says contemplatively as her pupils widen. "Mom did...I came from she who came from the moon...The moon is mine...it's all so clear now!" she says as he horn begins to glow.

"Umm, Honey, do you need some water or..."

Suddenly the ground begins to Quake.

As you try to regain your balance, Nightshade just giggles and says.

"Thank you Pink Elephants, my destiny is nigh..."

"What are you...?" you begin as you look up at the sky and your jaw drops. Aqua follows your vision and she follows suit.

MEANWHILE IN CANTERLOT

"Ummm... Lulu, why is the moon coming towards Equis at an alarming rate of speed?" Celestia asks in worry, staring out her window.

"It's not me, I swear! It could just be orbital wobble," Luna says as she lights up her horn halting the moon.

"Well aren't you going to put it back into place?" asks Celestia.

"I'm trying, but it won't budge! It's as if somepony has hijacked my moon!" Luna says as she grits her teeth. Suddenly, the opposing force is gone and Luna lets out a sigh of relief as she places the moon back into it's normal orbit.

"Well thank goodness for that," sighs Celestia before turning to her sister. "Do you know how this could happen?"

"I'm not sure. Unicorns have not moved the moon since we took rule...I am honestly at a loss for how this occurred," Luna pants.

"*Gasp*MaybewhathappenedwasthatNightmareMoon,aftershemanagedtoenterthe bodyofastupidandunluckychangeling,somehowhadadaughterwithhimforvengeanceonlytocometolovebothofthem,butnotbeforethechangelingbecamethenumberonevillainandherointhelandtryingtofindothervillainsonlytoaccidentallygetdosedwithvisiondrugs,causingthedaughtertowantthemoonforherself?" comes a rapid fire bubbly voice.

Luna and Celestia look at the Pink Pony who wasn't there a second ago as the two guards in the doorway rub their eyes trying to understand how she appeared.

"Pinkie...When did you get here?" asks a confused Celestia.

"Yes, and what in the world did you just say? You spoke to fast to understand," asks the flabbergasted Luna.

"Oh, I'm just here for cutaway comedic nonsensical purposes, don't think about it." she says not answering their questions at all.

"Ummm"

"Here, have some cupcakes, I gotta go be random elsewhere, Bye!" she yells as she hands them each a cupcake and sprints through a secret passageway that also wasn't there before.

Both sisters sit their flabbergasted.

"Did that happen?" asks Luna.

"Don't question it Luna" Celestia sighs.

"But... How... why... Since when is there a secret passage in there?" 

"I said not to question it! For all we know she was the one pulling on the moon."

Back With You When the Moon Was Still Being Pulled

"Whoah, gnarly light show man..." says a hippie spectator. There are quite a few looking up at the moon in awe.

"Umm, Nightshade, pretty please stop trying to destroy all life on the planet!" you beg as she continually giggles, pulling the moon down till it suddenly stops.

"Awwww, No fair. I want it more..." she moans and continues to try and tug it down.

HOW?! How can she be this strong?!

I truly do not know. I never knew her powers went to THIS extent! This must be the result of Lu...Her Blood...

The Moon is beautiful...it's destruction cleansing and fantastic...Sombra druggedly contemplates.

"Gragh! Nightshade, put the moon back or you're grounded again!"

"Awww, but I just want to put it into my inventory..." she groans.

Dang it! She's dead set. If only there was something we could distract her with...

Just then, from out of the smokey hut comes a familiar red teenaged dragon, his eyes equally red.

"Aha! At last I have found you my nemesis! I have spoke to the world and the world has spoken back!" Garble says with a goofy grin.

Nightshade's horn stops glowing, causing the moon to go back to where it once was as she looks over to Garble.

"Oh! A giant Spike with wings! But not nearly as cute or charming," she giggles. The blazed dragon begins giggling himself.

"That's right nemesis! My mind has been opened, and I have seen things! I will beat you! One day I WILL get Crackle back! I knows it!"

"Yay! Let's go play" Nightshade shouts as she lunges forth, tackling him to the ground before punching him in the nards!

"AAAAAHHHH!!! The visions have lied!" he yells in pain as Nightshade keeps kicking him up and down the road and giggling.

"...Well that works I guess," you say as you watch the spectacle.

Aqua, who has been in shock since the moon think, whips her head to you and asks,

"OK, CV, HOW IN THE BUCK DID SHE JUST DO THAT MOON STUFF?!"

"I...actually don't know. It's the first time she's done it."

"But-I...How do you have an alicorn kid that can do that? Did you knock up Princess Luna or something?!" she asks flabbergasted.

"W-what?! No, of course not! I think I would've remembered something like that," you say with a blush.

And if that whorse ever did try, she would regret it! Selena snarls.

"But...she..."

"Aqua, this is one of those things where you just don't question it OK? Your mind will thank you for it."

Aqua gives you a unsure look before sighing and saying,

"Alright, if you say so..."

"AH! My leg isn't supposed to bend that way!" comes Garble's pained voice

"Not with that attitude it isn't!" Nightshade giggles.

"Alright, now to take your mind off of that world shattering event, why don't you just watch Shade kick that dragon's flanks while I go back in and investigate?"

She looks at you with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, but what about you? Will you be fine in there?"

You ponder this for a second before you say,

"Nah, trust me when I say I've been drugged enough times to be immune to the effect."

Yeah, that'll work. Better then saying I have a mare in my head pushing the drugs from my system into a tyrannical king to keep him in la la land and off my back.

The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction

And la la land is under my rule now. I have usurped it's colorful power...the drug fiend exposits.

"If you say so," Aqua says as she turns around to watch the fight, a group of hippies joining her.

"Usually I'm against violence, but this is awesome," says a ponytail sporting stallion.

With that said you enter and continue to explore the rest of the building. As you explore you notice...



Kersey's Comment



A stallion with a sewing machine making colorful quilts. The thing about the quilts is that they have patterns of cutie marks on them. Some of them pretty familiar to you. Raising an eyebrow, you walk over to him and his pile and take a look.

You see a few of Celestia and Luna, but then you start seeing the marks of all the Deadly 6. Each quilt corresponding to their colors as well.

"Huh, pretty good work you got here," you tell him.

"Thanks bro. I make these for the market. The Elements sure make a groovy penny."

You then notice how there are several more yellow quilts with butterflies on them than the rest.

Seeing the yellow quilt does it's purpose and reminds you of Fluttershy, and then you feel kind of sad. It's been a few months, and the last time she saw you, you ate Sombrero alive. You sigh at this, because unlike Cadance, you don't have a direct connection with which to apologize to her. Or the rest for that matter.

If I ever see her and them again, it's going to be an awkward apology.

To get your thoughts off this, you ask the stallion,

"So why are there so many Fluttershy's compared to the rest?"

"Oh, well she's Kindness you know? She's my top seller. And who doesn't like Butterflies? Besides, she's kind of my muse ever since I saw her in that Celestia's Secret issue."

"I know right? There were only limited copies, but I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one before-NO BAD BUG!!!" you yell as you stop that conversation before it begins.

"I know right? It was pretty sick. It's almost as sick as the super rare limited edition of Spitfire's shoot that I got at Rainbow Falls," he gloats.

"No freaking way! That exists?! How much did you pay fo-NO BUG! STOP IT!" you yell as you tear yourself away from the stallion and walk through the rest of the hut.

Cut it out Bugze, you got a job to do. No imagining Fluttershy and Spitfire in lingerie, no imagining them together on a bed with linge-STOP IT!

Really? Are you really having those immature thoughts now?

...I plead the Fifth! ....What's the Fifth?

Shaking off that weird thought and ignoring Selena's comeback you continue looking around the building.

And, aside from a lot of them "Opening Their Minds," there isn't much you can gather, except that everyling seems to be having a great time.

"Ugh, is there anyling that can give me any useful information in here?" you groan.

"Well, it is dinner time now man, you can, like...join us," says a mare as she walks past you and out the door.

Looking around at all the shuffling ponies, you shrug and join their exodus from the Information hut.

LATER AT DINNER

After meeting back up with a much more down to earth and clear headed Nightshade, who apparently hit Garble so hard she sent him flying off into the distance, the three of you head off to eat dinner. Thanks to the hospitality of the hippies, or the fact that they're too high to care, you all get to eat free. However....   



BrownDog's Comment




Kersey's Comment



The 'dinner,' if you can even call it that, is just plain reprehensible and disgusting. The "Burrito" is just a leaf of lettuce, with more leaves rolled inside, and the "Pizza" is nothing but Lettuce with a cut tomato on top. Nightshade especially takes it badly.

“HOW CAN YOU EAT THIS GARBAGE?!!! WHERE'S THE REAL PIZZA?! WHERE'S MY ARTERY CLOGGING GOODNESS?! WHERE’S ALL THE DESERT?!!!” she shrieks at the top of her lungs.

“Calm down little missy, sugar and oils are like really bad for you and…” Tree Hugger tries to explain, only to get Nightshade’s plate of “Food” thrown right in her face.

“CHOKE ON MY HATRED!!!” she roars as she runs across the different picnic tables, kicking everyling’s plate into the dirt.

"Not cool bro...not cool," Tree Hugger groans.

The rest of the hippies all give you a glare and you just chuckle and rub the back of your head as you think,

Well...I guess all those anti-hippie lessons Grandbuggy taught me somehow became genetic.

I would argue that genetics don't work like that...but seeing as how she nearly pulled down the moon not too long ago...

"I WILL SPREAD OIL ALL OVER YOUR CROPS FOR YOUR SINS!!!"

Yeahhhh...

Speaking of Grandbuggy's lessons, you can't help but have a flashback to one of his very first ones...

FLASHBACK

"Now *&^%#$, I know I already told you about 'slapping-hippies-until-they-get-a-haircut-and-a-real-job', but that only applies to the stallions. Hippie MARES are another more sensual creature entirely. Don't even need a disguise thanks to that whole 'free love' thing they spout. Heck, I remember one time I banged 5 at once, and let me tell you the things these mares coul-"

"LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!" you yell covering your ears.

FLASHBACK OVER

Need for brain bleach aside, you think with a shudder, At least I know if I get caught they won't rat me out...Unfortunately if I get caught they might be into me...

While you were having a flashback, it seems a shaggy looking pony with a brown Great Dane managed to calm down your daughter. The Great Dane, however, looks like its about to faint from the non-stop petting from her.

You hear a mechanical humph emerge from your inventory as you turn and see Mangle crossing her arms and glaring at the scene. Rolling your eyes, you turn back as Hippies pick up their plates of food off the ground.

You aren’t sure…but you swear you hear Nightshade talking to the dog and getting answered back…

“Oh great, I’m getting a proximity high!”

No you’re not. If you were, I’d be siphoning it as usually.

“Oh right…but still…”

After the dog escapes from Nightshade's grasp in a cartoony manner, she comes back to the table and chuckles nervously at the glaring Mangle, who gives her the cold shoulder.

It's then that Tree Hugger walks back up to your group.

"So, like, we really think the filly could use some chill. You should totally come join us at the bonfire," she says as you notice the others piling wood in a pile.

To this, you have one question.

"Will there be bongo drums?"

"Of course dude, we'll be playing all night and..."

"Aqua, Shade, we're going camping. Thanks for the dinner!" you shriek as you pick up Nightshade and run as far as you can from the drums.

As you three look back from the outskirts of the commune, Aqua harumphs and asks,

"We've been roughing it for two weeks, that had places to stay there. Probably even some beds."

"Yeah, but I am NOT going to be listening to bongos all night. Besides, it's a nice clear night, we can camp again."

Rolling their eyes, but accepting your reasoning, Aqua and Nightshade set up camp and prepare to go to sleep. However...



Master of Shadow's Comment



Just when you are about to go to sleep a raindrop hits you in the snout. After a couple more times you get up to see a storm cloud hanging directly above you, and only you. Aqua and Nightshade are drier than dirt. When you try to move it follows you and only rains on you. After a quick curse to lady luck you decide to go to bed even with the rain.

"Bullspit...why me?"

Up on the cloud, a tan pegasus with a headband giggles as he makes the cloud storm.

"Dis my bongos will ya?"

THE NEXT MORNING

When questioned why you were soaking wet, you had this to say, 

"Lady Bucking Luck."

As bask in the sun to dry yourself off you can't help but wonder,

Dear Luna, Where are those Goops and Stuff bosses? I just want to know where the buck those Knights are!



BrownDog's Comment




ThePonySpartan's Comment



MEANWHILE…BETWEEN THE TWO WEEKS AND NOW

The former Knight Changer feels the sensation of moving and blinks his eyes open. He sees the inside of a wagon and bottles and bottles of…shampoo?

He groans as he sits up from his resting spot, apparently it’s a bean bag chair. 

What happened? The building collapsed…that Bounty Hunter was there and… he then winces in pain at his left foreleg which is in a cast.

“What the buck happened?!” he growls out.

“Spartan! You’re awake comes the happy cries of some idiot who glomps the injured unicorn, causing him to wince at the bruises all over his body.

“AAGGGHHH!!! I’m injured you idiot!”

“Well yeah,” comes another voice, “you kind of fell out of the sky for some reason. We figured you fell out of the afterlife so we bandaged you up.”

“And boy are we glad you’re not dead Spartan.”

“My names not Spartan! Get off me! Who are you?!” he yells as he tries to push them off.

The two glomping figures get off of him and pull their hoods down, revealing a pony and a diamond dog (who’s wearing sunglasses).

“Heya buddy, it’s your old pals Snap Drake and Brown Dog,” says the diamond dog with a smile.

“Yeah, I mean it seems you’ve forgotten your name, but how could you’ve forgotten about us?” asks Snap.

Changer’s eyes widen in surprise before they squint in anger as he suddenly lunges forward and starts choking Brown Dog with his magic, landing on top of him.

“GRRAAAGGHHH!!!” he yells.

“Oh- Hey-Loos-en-Up-On-The-Throat-Hugs-Spart-An,” the Brown Dog gasps out as he is being throttled.

“I don’t think he’s giving you a throat hug, I think he’s trying to kill you,” Snap says nonchalantly as he witnesses the scene.

“What?-Nah-He-Would-n’t-do-that,”

“DIE YOU SON OF A BITCH DIE!” roars out the angry unicorn.

“Are you sure about that?” asks Snap Drake as he watches on.

“I’m-Gack-Sure-“ he gasps.

"I'll make this quick so NO ONE can interfere!"

"O-Kay-Now-It's-My-Turn-" Brown Dog gasps as he wraps his paws around Spartan’s horn and neck and squeezes, cutting off the magic pressure allowing him to breathe.

“I guess you’re right, he always did joke around. And your mom is a bitch, so it’s funny,” Snap says as he and Brown Dog start chuckling.

Changer looks at their laughing faces and gasps as he's choked, “The-Buck’s-the-Matter-With-You-Two?”

“Here, grab more brownies, he needs to mellow out after coming back from the dead,” the diamond dog says.

“Get that crap away from me!” he says getting loose from the stranglehold.

“Oh man, this is just like the old times!” Snap says as he’s kicked in the face.

The other hippies in the cart just watch on with amusement.

LATER DURING THOSE WEEKS

Changer, Brown Dog, and Snap Drake are all sitting in bean bag chairs listening to Bob Cartley.

“So Kersey turned into a freaking Kaiju?” asks the Brown Dog.

“Yes. I had him right where I wanted him, but that stupid guard got in the way. I have no idea how I ended up in the sky, but I’m willing to bet he had something to do with it.”

“Oh, well there goes my theory that I had the ability to ironically wish people back from the dead,” pouts the diamond dog.

“Dang, that was kind of my theory on how you got so powerful, afterlife powers and all,” exposits Snap.

“I was never dead! I’ve been over this! I got power and was hunting you guys down, but two Hunters kept getting in my way” Changer says with a  facehoof.

“So wait…you’re telling us, that Kichi, Solarkness, Rutherford and Kersey are now all in custody…and that they all got taken in by the same bounty hunter?” asks Snap as he drinks a cider.

“Yes!” Changer hisses, still holding his leg in a sling. “The Crimson Vengeance and that waterbender Aqua have been getting in my way of revenge over and over again, and I have no idea where they’ve taken them!” 

“Holy Balls. That’s why we haven’t heard from Silver Strange!” Brown Dog says as he slaps both paws to his cheeks.

“You’d think this kind of thing would make news,” says Snap.

“It has made news. How have you two not heard of this? It’s been going on for like 2 months.”

“We uh…don’t really read the papers…” Brown Dog says as he sips his cider.

“That and we’ve been practically partying the whole time,” Snap adds.

“That too.”

Changer facehooves again. “I can’t believe I thought you two were threats…”

“Hey now, don’t knock it. You used to party with us Spartan.”

“CHANGER!!! My name is Changer! You’re all the ones who gave me that name!”

“Well duh! It was a nickname. It meant you were tough like the old warriors. Don’t you remember us giving it to you after you chugged that entire bottle of Jack Spaniels and fought that Minotaur mugger,” Brown Dog admonishes.

“I…actually don’t remember that,” Changer reflects.

“Well I’m not surprised, that dude messed all of us up. Luckily, the lady that was getting mugged bashed him over the head with that bottle,” chuckles Snap.

“I…” he shakes his head.

“Yeah, good times.”

“If they were good times, then why did you all leave me to die?”

“Leave you to…Hey, we didn’t leave you bro,” Brown Dog says.

“Yes you did, all of you!”

“Nuh-uh. After the accident, we tried looking for your body, but there’s not much we can do when everything is on fire,” Snap adds.

“I…”

“Yeah, and then the cops showed up to see why there was so much fire and whatnot, and the others said we had to skedaddle.”

“We thought you were dead man. We didn’t know. There was no way we could. After that, none of us got together in big groups anymore. We kind of just did our own thing,” explains Snap.

“…” Changer just looks down in thought.

“Hey, we all got shook up…well most of us anyway, Kersey is Kersey, and Grey and Erised are just insane, so yeah…”

Changer still looks like he’s in contemplation, so Brown Dog and Snap Drake hold up their drinks to him.

“Now come on bro, if there’s one thing these hippie chicks have taught us, it’s to just ride the waves of life, right Wheat Grass?”

“You got it Dawg…” said mare says.

“Yeah, cheers to the destruction of our once great fan club,” Brown Dog toasts.

Changer rolls his eyes as they drink, but there is a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly, Snap Drake spits out his drink.

“OH CRUD!”

“What?” asks the diamond dog.

“If Kersey’s in jail…how the buck are we getting paid?!”

The dog’s eyes widen and can be seen even under the glasses as the realization hits him.

“Ohhhhhh…Balls…” he then turns to Changer. “Did you at least hit him really hard?”

“You’re damn right I did,” Changer says with a dark chuckle.

BrownDog let's out a sigh at this, before his eyes widen and he says



Kersey's Comment



"Wait, I just remembered something!" BrownDog says as he starts looking through his pockets, "Lint... string... crowbar... fireworks launcher-"

"Hey, you said you lost that," Snap Drake cries out, but is ignored.

"Got it!" the dog proclaims before taking out a sheet of paper that looks pretty messy.

"A tissue?" Changer snarks.

"No, don't you remember? Kersey gave us all maps to a 'Secret Emergency Funds Stash'...that he apparently drew on the back of a used napkin."

"Eh, it was probably during one of his rants about 'not keeping up with paperwork' so I probably used mine as toilet paper," Snap Drake shrugs

“Eh, probably got more use out of it that way heh heh…Flax! More Brownies please!” orders Brown Dog.

“You guys are insane…” says a more relaxed Changer.

“Nah, we’re just having fun. Grey and Erised are the insane ones remember?” Snap Drake reminds him.

Changer sighs at this before saying,

"You two are idiots. But... you did save my life."

"So... are we friends?" Brown Dog asks.

"Idiotic friends you two are... but friends nonetheless."

BrownDog and SnapeDrake cheer and raises their bottles, Changer joining them as they have a drink. The rest of the two weeks were pretty fun. 

BACK TO YOU

After lying in the sun for Luna knows how long, Nightshade tugs at your coat.

"Daddy, there's a bunch of wagons pulling in. I think it's those bosses we were waiting for."

You look up and see about 5 wagons with the Goops and Stuff logo on it.

"Alright, let's get this over with," you say in determination.

You put Nightshade in your inventory (No Need For Her To Be Breathing The Air Again) and see several hippie clad ponies unloading.

"Oi! Any of you guys Flax Seed or Wheat Grass?" Aqua calls out.

"Yo, right here dudes," says a mare in bellbottom jeans, standing next to a spaced out stallion with curly hair.

"Hi, I'm the Crimson Vengeance, and this is Aqua. We're bounty hunters. Are you the owners of Goops and Stuff?"

"Whoah, harsh man. Yeah, we're the owners. What's up?"

"We're looking for two wanted criminals, and we have reason to believe they have or will stop by your shop for a money order," Aqua explains.

"Whoa, like...that's heavy..." Flax seed exposits.

"Extremely," you say with a roll of your eyes, "Now, have you seen anyling going by the name Snap Drake or Brown Dog in the last 2 weeks?"

"Oh you mean Drake and Dog? They're right over there with their old buddy," Wheat Grass points out with a smile.

Your eyes widen as you turn and see...

"Gorramn Evee! Quit using up my pokeballs!" 

"It's a high cp, you're going to be losing them anyway,"

"At least let me do it, I got individual digits!"

"Buck off, it's mine!"

A pony with a Joy Boy, surrounded by a diamond dog...and the book guy who's wearing a cast! The one holding the game and the diamond dog have their cloaks on with the hoods off.

You share a look with Aqua, before nodding to each other and running up to them, you flipping the switch on your mask to bear your teeth.

"Crimson Knights BrownDog and SnapeDrake and...Book Guy!" you call out, causing all of them to look up from the game and at you.

"Aw crud, are those the two bounty hunters Spartan?" asks Snap Drake.

"Yes," he seethes, "Always showing up..."

"Really? Man, I thought we'd have more time," pouts Brown Dog.

Ignoring their in talk, you growl out in your menacing voice filter.

"You are all under arrest for terrorist activates, multiple counts of vandalism, public drunkeness, mass destruction and the attempted murder of Michael Beigh not that I would have minded him being severely injured. But still, your path ends here!"

The three figures stare you down, and you prepare yourself for a fight.

Finally! Time to kick some Knight flank!

What do you d-  

"Wait a second man!"

What the!? Who interrupted my ending question!?!?

"Huh?" you say taken aback.

"I said wait a second," repeats the diamond dog wearing sunglasses.

"Um...for what?" you ask.

"You're the guy that took down Kichi, Solarkness, Rutherford and Kersey right?" asks Snap Drake.

"Well yeah, and you as well! So don't get any bright ideas or-"

"Yeah, alright, we give up," the diamond dog says as he and the other cloaked pony raise their arms in the air.

"...WHAT?!" you growl out in shock.

"We give up. You can take us in," repeats Snap Drake.

You stare at the trio, Brown Dog and Snap Drake look content, while Changer just sneers.
You turn back to Aqua who looks at you and shrugs. You turn back to them.

"Uh-D-D-Don't think we'll fall for that trick! You guys can't outwit us! We're ready for anything you can-"

"Oh for the love of Jack Spaniels, just arrest us already, this is getting boring," Brown Dog groans.

"Yeah dude, we don't have all day here," says Snap Drake impatiently.

You stare at them and realize...they are being absolutely serious.

"Wh-what? Really? You're just giving up?"

"Ugh, finally he realizes it," Snap quips.

"I know right? I bet he's making all kinds of stupid surprised faces under that mask," Brown Dog chuckles.

You look back and forth and the two knights and you are making some pretty stupid faces, but it's because you can't wrap your mind around the situation.

"W-Why? Why are you just giving up?! I don't understand!" you growl.

"Well for one, you've taken in over half our buddies...and Kersey, and every time you have, stuff's gotten wrecked, and we don't want our Hippie friends getting hurt" says Snap.

"Also, we're flat broke at the moment, and with Kersey gone we're kind of not getting paid, so why even give a buck anymore?" adds Brown Dog.

"Yeah, fighting and running away...that sounds like too much effort."

You can hear in their voices that they have no bucks to give. They bleed laziness.

"Soooo...we're NOT going to have a big epic battle causing all kinds of destruction and mayhem, utilizing our surroundings in fun and creative ways?"

"Nah."

"Yeah, that sounds like too much work."

You can't believe, you literally can't believe it. 

"So that's it then? You're just willingly coming with us where you'll be thrown in some jail?" Aqua speaks up.

"Sure, I mean, we were gonna have to go sometime right?" says the dog.

"Besides, it's where Spartan's heading, and we'd rather stick with our good buddy," Snap says as he gives a shoulder hug to Changer.

"It's Changer! How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Apparently a lot more Spartan," says Brown Dog with a smirk.

Changer sighs, "You guys are idiots..."

"What do they mean, 'where you're going Book Guy'? And how are you not dead?" you ask suspiciously.

He sighs and facehooves. "Can no one bucking learn my name..." he growls before looking back up at you in a serious manner.

"I don't have time to be dead..."

"Plus he landed on our bean bag chairs," adds Snap.

"...Yes, that too...Bounty Hunter, You are going for the last of the knights after this, correct?"

You raise an eyebrow at the question. "Yes. I'm putting all of you in jail, it's kind of my thing you know?!"

You watch as Changer thinks for a bit more, anticipating any sorcerer attacks he might throw

"Fine... Then I give up as well. You win, bounty hunter."

Your eyes widen, "H-huh?! You too?"

"See, we told ya so," says Brown Dog.

"Yeah, and we're sticking to our buddy like glue," boasts Snap.

"They're all giving up...just like that..." Aqua mutters.

This seems...way too convenient. I have never, ever seen a situation like this!

Ha ha...they think they'll get mercy...but the filly overlord will not give it to them...

"OK, these guys seem...counterproductive, but why are you giving in so easily? Aren't you all 'REVENGE IS MY FETISH" and all that?"

He chuckles. "If I get sent to jail, then I will be put in the same place as all the other knights, will I not?"

You stare at him in disbelief. "Oh Sweet Luna, it IS your fetish. You'd actually get sent to jail just for you to have your revenge?"

Changer gives a dark smile. "Of course."

You wonder if you should actually let this guy be in prison before he says something that catches your attention.

"We both win in this situation. You get your... bounty, and I get my opportunity to get my revenge."

Money money money...

You sigh. "Alright...jeez, you need help man. And what about them? Aren't they on your revenge list?

"No, not anymore. Idiots and morons they may be...but these two I know are my friends...much as it pains me to admit."

"Oh you're not far behind, get off your high horse buddy," Snap chuckles.

"What?" Flax Seed looks up.

"Not you Flax," Brown Dog calls out. "But yeah, we're all idiots and morons man. Remember that time you walked into that Police Station and peed on the front desk because of that dare?"

He gives a perplexing look at the diamond dog.

"WHY would you say that out loud right now?"

"Because it's funny?"

"Shush!" he admonishes.

"Well it is kind of funny," you chuckle.

"You shut it too!...But yes, we will all be turning ourselves in."

"Well...if that's the case then...wow. Thank you," you say as you relax. "But before you do, I have some questions about..." 

"And we know where Grey Rebl and Erised are," he finishes.

"This can't be that easy!" you shriek.

"Dude, don't look a gift horse in the mouth...or rather, two ponies and a diamond dog," Snap Drake chuckles.

"I...fine. Where are they?"

"The loony bin," Brown Dog answers.

"Where?" you ask confused.

"The nuthouse," Snap responds.

"What does that mean?"

Changer sighs, "They're in Arkhay Asylum."

Your eyes widen, "They're literally in a crazy house? Why? What are they doing there?"

All three of them just shrug.

"Don't know red guy, just where they've been," Brown Dog answers.

"They always were kind of nuts, and coming from us that says something," Snap adds.

"Quite so. Now you have your information. Let's hurry along... I'll be waiting for them," Changer smirks.

"Yeah, then we'll all be together again," Snap smiles.

"Good times...Good times," Brown Dog agrees.

"Uhh... okay then," you say to the three cooperating Knights

1 Week Later

Okay...so that happened. You traveled with the three knights to the nearest town to turn them in. Changer refused hoofcuffs since they were cooperating, and Brown Dog and Snap Drake followed suit. Since they were cooperative, you let it slide. You turned them in and received 3,000 bits for all three, which you split. It was weird how nonchalant and...happy they seemed to be going to prison. For different reasons most likely, but still, they didn't put up much of a fuss. Also Brown Dog handed you a greasy crumpled up tissue map that he said came from Kersey. When asked why, he responded,

"It'll probably piss him off that I gave away money to the guy that captured all of us, and that will be hilarious."

Sooo, yeah. The Crimson Vengeance's fame had increased once again, and you and Aqua hit the road once more. Along the way, you did come across Kersey's "Secret Stash" but...

"What the buck is this?" you cried out as you opened the unearthed chest.

Dear treasure seeker, greedy/financially-incompetent CK leader, or somepony I don't like,
I bet you're wondering where the "Emergency Fund Stash" or treasure is. The truth is THERE IS NONE YOU DUMB BUCK! If you're wondering why, that depends on what you are;
-Treasure Hunters: Haven't you heard of what curiosity did to the cat.
-Crimson Knight Leader: It's your own gorram fault for being reckless with your finances
-Somepony I Don't Like: Buck you from beyond the grave (or at least from behind the safety of my safehouse)
Burn in Tartarus you son of a c...

"Okay, I'm not saying that aloud," you winced at the curse word and continued reading.

-Kersey

P.S. This note has been magically modified to cause the bomb to explode as soon as you've reached the trigger-swear... but if it did explode then you wouldn't have reached this part anyway so HA!

"Well this is a bust!" you yell as you froze the chest with the bomb in it and threw it into the river.

With that time taken away, you traveled onward to the outskirts of Tall Tale, where the eponymous Arkhay Asylum resides. As if to punctuate that, a bolt of lightning strikes behind the complex ominously.

After the lightning bolt, Aqua looks to you.

"OK CV, two more names are in there somewhere. How we gonna handle this?"

You look at the massive Asylum, and it's sheer size could put a stadium to shame. But you don't have any other information about Grey Rebl and Erised. What they're doing in there, if they have plans. If they'd be on the look out for a certain red clad bounty hunter with all their friends gone. You simply have no other info.

"Well Aqua, as of right now, we need to gather intel. And we can't exactly do that by asking around, they might catch wind. We need to know what's going on inside."

"Alright, so how are we going to do that?"

"You, are going to stay out here and keep an eye on Nightshade, I am going to go gather the intel," you say as you start taking off your Crimson Vengeance disguise.

"What? And how are you going to do that?"

You take off your hat and say,

"Well it's an insane asylum right? They won't just let anyling in. I'm gonna go and commit myself," you say nonchalantly causing Aqua's eyes to widen.

Oh for the love of me, Selena punctuates with an audible facehoof.

WHAT DO YOU DO?...FOR REALS THIS TIME!

Outro: