You'll Never Find Out

by Lupus

The End

"You'll never get away with this."

"So you keep saying, Ms. Bomb," the stallion flipped a switch in front of him causing the wire binding the mare to lift her.

"I mean it, you won't."

"Yes yes yes, 'my darling will save me, and you will be punished for your evil deeds,'" the mare was lifted to where he stood on the steel rafters of the large warehouse. "We've done this dance so many times, dearie, that I've memorized your lines." The pale red maned, grey coated unicorn stallion tipped his beaded black top hat at the mare before flipping a second switch on the console in front of him. The mare, a cobalt blue coated, silver maned unicorn, was slowly pulled back while the stallion used his magic to create a platform that glowed with a sickly green energy, one of the only light sources in the dark warehouse. Both he and his console of many buttons a switches followed the mare's path.

Ms. Bomb's horn was encased in a green, sticky substance that blocked her own magic. When she asked about it, the stallion just laughed and said a changeling owed him a favor. She didn't want to know more. Bomb was then pulled into what she assumed was an alcove in the side of the wall of the warehouse. What she didn't know, however, was that the two of them were nowhere near any of the warehouse walls. The wire unwrapped itself from around her, but from within the alcove her hooves became bound by metal shackles.

She struggled a bit before fixing the stallion with a glare, "What is this, Cliff Hanger?"

The stallion laughed before he pushed a button on the levitating console. A glass screen closed in front of him, trapping Bomb in the small space. "This? Well you see, Ms. Bomb, you are both bait, and the tool with which I'll rid myself of your special somepony once and for all!" With that, Cliff Hanger pressed another button on the console. From tiny unseen holes in Bomb's prison, and from them a bluish flowed around her. Bomb understandably began to panic, "No no no, do not worry, dearie. I need you alive after all, so no need to worry about drowning," the liquid rose to Bomb's neck before it stopped flowing.

"What are you planning, Hanger?"

The stallion moved his platform closer, "Ah, Ms. Bomb, you are still unaware of your own potential. The power within you lies dormant, but with a little...stimulation," he trailed off as he pulled away from Bomb, "Now relax, this won't hurt a bit."

On his console, Cliff pressed a big red button. The liquid began to glow, illuminating the area around Bomb. She had only a few moments to notice that the chamber she was in was not made of the same material as the warehouse, before she began screaming as she felt her magic being forcefully pulled from her body.

"I lied," small screens appeared above Cliff Hanger's console and he watched with a growing smile at what they were showing. "Yes yes yes, Ms. Bomb, as I suspected you have great potential! I have not seen this much power since our dear Princess of Friendship pre-ascension!" With another press of the big red button, the liquid around Bomb dimmed and she slumped silently in her restraints. Cliff moved his platform closer and leaned against the glass separating the two ponies, "Do not worry yourself, dearie, I will make good use of your power. We are going to change the world, yes yes yes."

Bomb, despite being exhausted, weakly looked up at him. Through her tears, she glared and said, "You'll...you'll never..."

"Oh but I will, dearie! I have been planning this for far too long to let your special one and friends stop me now! And you," stroked the glass in a loving manner, "are the crucial piece. But for now," Cliff Hanger pulled away and raised his voice, "I didn't hear you come in, dearie!"

He raised the platform and turned in the air to face a pale yellow pegasus mare glaring at him from the warehouse rafters. She brushed aside her long black mane and said, "You left a window open," she pointed above to where a skylight was indeed hanging open.

Cliff Hanger blinked once at the night sky before clearing his throat, "So how can I-," his eyes widened as the mare launched herself at him with a speed rivaling the best Wonderbolt. On instinct his horn lit with the same glow as the platform beneath him, and he vanished just as the pegasus shattered the platform with a single strike. The mare turned sharply as Cliff reappeared on a catwalk. Cliff was ready for her however and conjured a large shield between him and the raging pegasus. The sound of metal striking metal echoed throughout the warehouse as the mare struck Cliff's shield, but she continued to push against it.

"Where is she?"

Cliff Hanger grinned, "No no no, you need to be more specific, dearie!"

The mare pushed harder against his shield, "I'm not in the mood for your games, Hanger!"

"Awww, but we never talk anymore. It's always straight to business," with another flash, Cliff Hanger teleported into the open space behind the pegasus, and conjured another platform. With another surge of magic a large bow appeared before him, and he pulled the string to the side of his face. Several arrows of light appeared in the bowstring before Cliff loosed them towards the mare. The pegasus took wing out of the path of the arrows, only for them to curve and follow her.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance and sped around the warehouse in attempt to shake the arrows while ignoring Cliff Hanger's cackling laugh. Despite her speed, the arrows were beginning to gain on her. Twisting in the air, she managed to avoid the lethal projectiles, only for her to smack head first into a large metal object in the center of the warehouse. Shaking of the daze the impact caused her quite quickly, the mare flew straight up as the arrows impacted where she was mere moments ago. When they hit, they let off a brief brilliant glow and illuminated what seemed to be the head of a large, metal pony.

The pegasus could only stare at what she thought she saw, but was pulled out of her thoughts by a small, weak voice, "Res...,"

Looking around, the mare called out, "Drama?"

"Res...please."

Following the sound of the weak voice, the pegasus flew lower until she found herself staring at Bomb, "Drama!" The pegasus rushed to the imprisoned mare, only to be stopped by the glass separating them. She struck at the glass with all her strength, but was unable to even scratch it.

"Res...you have to...get...out of here," Bomb pleaded with a shaky voice.

"NO, I'm not leaving you here!"

"No no no, that would be bad," Cliff Hanger lifted himself level to the pegasus on his glowing platform. He looked at her from under his hat with a wide smile, "For you see, dearies, everything has played out exactly as I planned." Cliff Hanger then pushed the big red button. Once again the liquid surrounding Bomb began to glow, and she screamed again for a short time before slumping inside her prison, unconcious. The pegasus briefly beat against the glass futilely before turning to Cliff Hanger with murder in her eyes. Cliff however was nowhere to be seen.

"Now is the time!" his voice echoed through the warehouse. "Now is the time where our little rivalry ends, my dear Resolution!"
With a click, the warehouse was flooded with light. Resolution looked around the mostly empty warehouse before her attention was drawn to the structure that Drama Bomb was imprisoned in. Gritting her teeth at being unable to break the glass that imprisoned her love, Resolution flew back, and could only stare at what she saw.

Cliff Hanger smiled and tipped his hat at her before disappearing inside the head of a large, metallic pony. Drama Bomb's prison was embedded into the chest of the monstrosity. Several grooves spider webbed across the things body, all connecting Drama's prison. A glow the same color of the liquid surrounding Bomb flowed through these grooves, and soon after it's eyes sparked to life. The hole Cliff Hanger vanished in opened again only for a large horn to push its way out. The beast opened its mouth and threw back its head and laughed in Cliff Hanger's voice.

Resolution was dumbfounded, "Hanger...what...?"

Cliff's laugh fell to a light chuckle and he said, "Do you like it? I've been working on it long before our little 'encounter' two years ago. Sure it was difficult, but you are worth it!" Inside the head, Cliff Hanger stood facing several large monitors, each showing Resolution's shocked face. Around his head rested a device that was connected to several wires that were connected to various points inside the head. Directly in front of him in hooves reach was another console with another big red button.

With a smile, Cliff lifted a hoof and the mechanical pony lifted the same hoof at the same time. Cliff then took his first step in his new body. The hoofall of the behemoth shook the warehouse to its foundations. Resolution flew back and up to eye level with the beast.

"What do you think?" he asked again, "And be honest. It was after all made with the blood sweat and more blood of several dozen ponies," his tone then became mocking, "Not to mention being powered by love."

Resolution glared and grit her teeth, "You've finally lost it. What do you hope to accomplish in this...thing?"

Cliff Hanger tutted and waved a hoof back and forth, "No no no, I'm afraid that that portion of my plan is reserved for those who will live past tonight."

Resolution scoffed, "Do you really think...," she yelped as the beast's hoof came hurtling towards her. She flew above its swing, only just managing to avoid being swatted out of the sky like an insect. Unfortunately she didn't see the beast's tail until it collided with her body, sending Resolution crashing through one of the warehouse walls. She bounced on the pavement outside twice before she caught herself in the air. Had she been a normal pegasus, such a fall could have been fatal, but Resolution had been fighting Cliff Hanger for years. She knew how to take a spill or two.

Shaking herself out of a slight daze, Resolution turned in time to see the warehouse become enveloped in a sickly green aura. A second later the walls and ceiling burst outward. Luckily Resolution made sure that every building in the surrounding area was empty before she confronted Cliff Hanger, as their conflicts tended to lead to damaged property. For example, the former walls of the warehouse crushed the nearby buildings. Cliff Hanger's mechanical monster stood at the blasts epicenter with his horn glowing.

"Still alive? No no no, you are much to tenacious for your own good, dearie."

Wiping a bit of blood from her lip, Resolution smiled, "You're gonna have to try harder than that!"

"I agree," Cliff's horn stopped glowing and for a while, everything was silent. Soon Resolution noticed her shadow growing under the moonlight. Looking up, her pupils dilated at the sight of the warehouse's roof falling towards her. With another yelp, Resolution flew as fast as her wings could carry her. She managed to pull out from under the roof just as it exploded on the pavement behind her, only to find herself incased in Cliff Hanger's green aura.

Cliff raised the struggling Resolution to eye level, "It's almost sad. Quite anticlimactic, wouldn't you agree?"

Resolution ceased her futile squirming and glared at the mechanical pony, "You'll never..." her mouth was closed by Cliff's magic.

"Shhh, let's not spoil the moment, dearie." With another surge of magic, a colossal sized, twin headed battle ax appeared above Resolution, and Cliff used his magic to bend Resolution's body over, and placed her head on a conjured chopping block. "Now my dear, Resolution," the ax raised, poised to strike, "as much as I've enjoyed our time together, I'm going to enjoy this far more! Goodbye, dearie!" With that the ax came down towards her neck.