Chapter XX: The Happy Mask Salesman (Halloween Special)
I landed in a small pond of some kind, with just enough water to break my fall, although I did catch my leg on one of the bricks that formed the canal, and twisted my ankle in the process of landing. Catching my breath as I swam to the surface and pulled myself onto the ledge, I quickly took note of my surroundings. The area was surrounded by stone walls, and in one corner of the courtyard sat a wooden bench made out of a halved log. To its left was a stone bridge that went over the far end of the pond, and at the edge of the bridge stood a sign with a green bell hanging from it. On the far end of the courtyard was a small garden on one side, and a door leading into a building on the other. Having nowhere else to go, I tried opening the door, only to notice it locked. It was a safe bet to guess that I wasn’t in Equestria anymore, but clearly in some other town, a city perhaps, given the size of the walls.surrounding me. I went back to the sign with the bell on it, and carefully glanced it over, an ice cold chill running down my spine as I read the words on it.
If I was in some kind of a town, it certainly didn’t feel like it. The air carried a chilling, lifeless feel to it, similar to what I could only describe as an October afternoon - that kind of ‘emptiness’. Even though I was clearly only in one small section of whatever town I was in, something felt off, as if everything was... dead. Dead or gone, at the very least. Collecting myself and stepping away from the sign, I looked at my handgun, which only had one round to its chamber, and slowly walked up the dirt path in front of me, the only exit out of the courtyard. As soon as I turned the corner, the Song of Unhealing began to play, but at a very low tone, and began to gradually pick up in volume. A few steps later, and I came out into a much larger area, still surrounded by walls. The area was clearly a town, although medieval looking in structure given its siege walls, and where I stood appeared to be a large plaza. The creepiest thing about the place, however, was that nobody was here, and from where I stood, the town felt absolutely empty. On top of that, upon further inspection of my surrounding and myself, the appearance had changed again. Where Equestria and my being while there took on the appearance as it was in the show, my body and the objects around me seemed to appear much more distinctly polygonal in form, almost as if it were something out of a 3D game from the early 2000’s.
A game...
Then I stopped, and walked down the small stairwell to my left, only to take notice of a towering monolith of a structure, that went well above the city walls. A structure that I recognized immediately - a large tower with two gigantic wooden doors, with blue and red designs splattered across them. The tower was made of stone, and a few feet up, there was a small wooden platform with another wooden door. Not even five feet above that sat the centerpiece of the tower - a giant wooden wheel, the outer rim of which suddenly moved to the right a few inches with a loud ker-chunk, and a second later the inner face of the wheel followed suit.
Clock Town.
As the freezing air gently danced around me and thrashed my hair about in the wind, I could immediately tell that it was down to BEN and I, with not another living creature within a thousand miles. There were no guards, carpenters, or even a dog, and upon looking up, the moon was nowhere to be found. The only thing that pointed to any sign of life was the giggle of the Mask Salesman overtop the Song of Unhealing, and I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. My first attempt at finding him was inside the clock tower, so, drawing my gun and gently pushing open the gigantic doors with my free hand, I carefully made my way inside, only to find absolutely no one. Turning to go back outside, I was greeted with the statue as soon as I opened the doors again, which forced out a scream. I ran for it up the stairs and took a left, going into the West side of town. As soon as I passed through the small archway, the ground began to morph and change, slowly fading away into nothingness. Just like the game back home, I was walking on air, and all the ‘textures’ of the world had dropped out. Still, I could hear my shoes touching dirt, and I could feel the ground beneath me when I bent down to touch the sky, if only for a brief moment. I passed every door I came across, with the exception of one: the dojo. I don’t know why I walked in, but as I put my robotic hand to the door, the mask salesman laughed again, and the Song of Unhealing died again. Stepping into the dojo, I asked in vain:
“Anybody? Someone here?”
I slowly made my way to the center of the training ring, putting my gun away. The instructor wasn’t there, and there was nothing more to the room other than an eerie silence whose only rival in such a regard would be a completely abandoned New York City. I approached the small wooden sign next to the instructor’s cushion, and like the one before it, the words were written in plain English.
“BEN is getting lonely. I’m so glad you could come back to play, Nick.”
A chilling feeling much like ice flew through my veins as I read the last line, and I made the regretful step of walking into the back room of the dojo, for as soon as I did, the statue materialized in front of me like it did in the game with its green energy funnel, trapping me between it and the stack of crates to my left. As the idol’s freakish gaze pierced into my soul, I screamed in fear and, out of pure panic, ran out of the room as fast as I humanly could, and kicked down the door, the skull kid letting out his deafening scream.
But as the door fell down to the ground, I came to notice that it no longer led outside. On the other side of the archway was a long hall composed of moldy, dark green bricks made of limestone. Stepping through the doorway, the song of unhealing picked up again, and a chilling air accompanied it. The area smelt rank, like raw sewage, and as I made my way down the blindingly dark path I heard the sound of the statue’s formation again, and cringing in fear at the tone accompanying the twisted song. There he was, BEN, standing right behind me.
I screamed in pure, unadulterated fear, and ran farther into the sewer line, only to turn around as the statue materialized in front of me and forced me to sprint back the way I came. I darted out of the dark exit, however, only to be brought to a completely different place once I made my way through the pitch black opening.
Where I stood now was in a gigantic wooden arena of some kind, clearly high off the ground. The footing I was standing on was eerily reminiscent of the face of a clock. The area was lined with large, green pots, and, right above me sat the one creature aside from BEN that haunted my dreams to my dying day.
Skull Kid.
Now, I don’t know what I was thinking, but I instinctively went for my handgun. I gripped hold of it, only to notice that it had a clip in it this time around, and had, including the one in the chamber, exactly three rounds. I took aim, and without even thinking, pulled the trigger.
One shot.
*clink*
Two.
*clink*
Three.
*clink*
Every shot I made simply bounced off of the mask, just like the arrows in the game, and on the third one, Skull Kid spoke to me. Not through some text box, no. He actually spoke, with audible words, his voice sounding like that of a child, but unlike anything in the realm of reality. If I could give an explanation to what his voice sounded like, I would have to say something along the lines of ‘innocently demonic’.
“That won’t do you any good... Heehee!”
At that moment, I felt my feet slowly lifting off the ground, and my pistol fell out of my hand. I was lifted onto my back, into the air, all at the mercy of the Skull Kid. Any minute now, I was going to explode into a ball of flames, electricity, and smoke.
“When I die,”
“Show no pitty.”
“Send my soul to Juggalo City.”
“Dig my grave six feet deep.”
“Put two matches by my feet.”
“Put two hatchets on my chest.”
“And tell my homies I did my best.”
“Oh, quit that praying. It’s not going to help you.”
I opened my eyes, quite shocked to see that the little husk-faced imp floating above me hadn’t obliterated my body out of existence, and as I sat there in suspension, the Skull Kid spoke again.
“When you first came to Equestria, Jadusable, I saw it as a chance to try and kill you. For the first few days, I mustered everything in my power to try and eliminate you, but you had pure luck on your side, and survived every single attempt I made a ending you. In fact, I considered killing you here and now, and watching that worthless waste of flesh you’re carrying with you burn to a crisp.” The masked imp continued to say as my pulse began racing.
“Then, I remembered that you had an anger problem, and used that to my advantage. You see, every time you get angry, you give me power. If you haven’t noticed by now, I feed off of personal weaknesses and extreme emotional bouts. For Pinkie Pie, it was her schizophrenia. For Dash, it was her fear of failure, and for Celestia, I took the stress of her job, and turned her frustration into doctoral anger, putting Equestria into a dystopian police state.” The boy continued to say, a childish glee about his voice.
Ice flew down my body in droves. So here.... here were the bone-chilling answers I had been waiting for.
“With the help of Discord, I used your sadness to make you dig up Sweetie Belle’s grave. You left so much negative energy there, that it literally gave me power to raise the dead. And you killing Carrot and Flim? I did nothing but show you some images, images that you took offense to, and let your anger do the talking, which lead to their deaths. YOU did it. You and the others around you are the cause for the way things have become. All I did was plant a small seed of corruption, and Equestria has run rampant with madness. Everything that had happened, from your murders, to the zombies, to Twilight’s experiments and the ruined economy of Equestria all started because I simply said a few words, and possessed a few weak-willed fools.”
He was right about one thing. Anger. I had so much of it. Every. Little. Thing. It all took a toll on my psyche, and I had very little to spare. So when the rage began to boil again, I let it rip and screamed at the top of my lungs.
“DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GODDAMN GAME, BEN!?”
The imp simply chuckled, setting me down to the face of the clock tower.
“It’s been nothing BUT a game. At first, I was angry at you. I wanted you dead. I-”
“Why...? What did I ever do to you, kid?” I couldn’t help but interrupt, eager to get my answers, since I knew not where the future was going.
The Skull Kid hovered down to me, coming just inches from my person. I shuffled back in a panic, falling to my back and immediately shuffling to the edge of the tower on my hands. The husked imp then hopped onto my stomach, the wicked, infamous mask now touching my face. I was locked in pure panic, almost unable to move. Paralysis had taken my entire being, and I began to quiver and shake.
“Let’s start from the beginning, Nicholas...”
The lost boy hopped off of me, the midget now pacing angrily back and forth at my feet.
“As you life your life in the realm of the living, Nicholas, you exert energies. The more time you concentrate on or in something, the more energy you provide to the object or location in question.”
“H’okay... so what does that even mean?”
Ice continued to flow through my blood, fear starting to encase me as the looming shadow of death drew ever nearer.
“It means, say, if you spend most of your life at a mall, you can expect it, or a portion of it at least, to become haunted with your soul when you die. In theory, you could haunt more than one place at a time.”
“...So, because you had such an attachment-”
“To the game, because it was my pride and joy, I was sealed away. Yes.”
I was confused. “So what? What makes that a bad thing?”
The imp sighed, jumping off my body, now pacing back and forth.
“You aren’t very bright, are you?”
Here, the Skull Kid began to pace in front of me.
“Despite the fact that, when you die, you are tied to haunt certain locations forever, it does not mean you can’t freely move about the universe. Spirits can freely travel between dimensions and worlds when they die.”
“So... does this explain how I can talk to my father?”
The imp came back soft and kind.
“Yes. But I? Because I was trapped INSIDE of an object, I was not given that freedom. I couldn’t even communicate with the program inside of the game... until you turned it on.”
“So you’re telling me that you were unable to do ANYTHING for ten whole years, just sitting in a box of computer chips and wires?”
“Yes. I was never given the freedom most dead had. I couldn’t rest in peace.”
“I still don’t understand. Why are you angry at me? What did I do to you?”
The mask snapped back to my face, the bulging, bloody eyes piercing into my soul like nails as my heart sank into my stomach while a cloud of fear began to engulf me.
“Well, because I was trapped inside of the game for years, I needed you. You were my only chance at freedom. Remember in your first little blog post, how you said ‘something sort of drew me to that house’? That was me, exerting all the power I could, trying to get into your mind - ‘please take me home, please free me, please help me, stranger’... These were the things that I was begging in my head. You were my only way to freedom. I needed your help.”
The imp walked up to me, placing his right hand under my chin playfully, with a childish giggle trailing behind in the air.
“So, when you got home, I tried to communicate with you. I mixed up the file names, trying to say: ‘Hi, I’m Ben. Can we talk, please?”
The imp then drew backwards, looking up to the sky, and avoiding eye contact with me. Now was my chance. I threw my arm outwards for a punch to the boy’s face.
“Bad. Move.”
Skull Kid immediately gripped hold of my incoming projectile, tossing me to the ground with unrelenting force. My face went reeling into the clock tower. I immediately sat up, spitting out yet another tooth and a small ball of blood.
“Are you mad at me about deleting the file?”
The little scarecrow looked at me for a moment, before lifting up the soul-crushing, cursed mask that covered his face. And he laughed. Just.... laughed.
“About deleting the file? Hell no. It’s a game. That’s not what bothered me at all.”
Oh god. This went deeper...
“So... what did?”
At this, the image of the Skull Kid faded away, and with the all-too familiar sound of the statue teleport, I was soon met with that grinning, forest-green idol, it’s mind-crushing smile piercing straight through me.
“The fact that you saw me as a threat, and treated me like one. The entire time I tried to communicate with you, you were retroactively avoiding me. Trying to kill my avatar. Trying to run from me as far as you can.”
“No-no dip, man! You scared me half to death! I was only reacting like any sane man would!”
“Well, regardless, that made me angry. In response, I tried being aggressive - killing Link, threatening you, playing mind games... it’s an eye for an eye, Jadusable. You saw me as an enemy, so I started to treat you like one.”
The statue only stood there, but in one moment, as I blinked, the thing came within inches from my face. I screamed and stood up, nearly falling backwards off the side of the tower.
“Then... that final day... the day you let me out into the internet with your friend and that flash drive? That’s the day you sealed your fate. You destroyed the cartridge and your laptop - You. Tried. To. Exorcise. Me. That moment.... right there...”
My heart racing in fear, I went for one of the large pots lining the tower and immediately chucked it at the bust. I don’t know why; I guess I was just getting desperate and scared.
“The fact that you TRIED to kill me... That put you on my list, Nick.”
“You’re a spirit! How could I even kill you anyway!?” I shot back in anger and uncertainty.
“Through an exorcism, simply. The good thing is, you don’t know how to go about one - if you think fire is all you need, you’re mistaken - sorely. You see, Jad, the thing about an exorcism is, just like killing a living creature in the mortal world, spirits will NOT come back after they’re done. You threatened me. And I’ve taken great lengths to try and kill you for your insolence.”
So there it was - the answer to why he was angry. The answer to our age old rivalry and what it was all truly about.
But it didn’t answer the other questions.
If he wanted me dead, why was he keeping me alive?
How does Equestria exist?
How did he turn everyone into corrupt freaks?
How are spirits capable of leaving their world?
How can spirits communicate clearly in Equestria, but not home?
Why were there copies of real human history in the Canterlot archives?
And of all things....
Why did he choose Equestria to do his dirty work? Why not some other world?
“If you’re going to take me... can I at least have answers?”
I stood up, readying myself for combat as the statue stood there, it’s crushing gaze barreling down on me like a freight train.
“Fair enough... as you know, when you die, you obviously don’t go to a ‘heaven’ or ‘hell’, at least, in your ‘real’ world... and, as you already know, you become a spirit, being given very limited interactions with the living - most spirits can’t do anything more than move a curtain or push a door.”
--
11:00 AM
Meanwhile, back in Canterlot city square...
“Everypony! Everypony, may I have your attention!” Shining Armor’s voice boomed throughout the regal town’s plaza, bringing a swift an abrupt end to the quarreling and unrest that flooded the square. “Thank you. As you already know, Equestria is under attack. In the past few months, we have turned on each other for reasons unknown. It is no doubt that most of you have heard of or met this bizarre statue that has taken Equestria by storm, and seen what it has done to Ponyville.”
A few murmurs among the crowd began as various ponies looked to each other in fear, disturbance, and worry. Just the mere mention of the statue rocked everypony to the very core, and ran chills of ice through their bodies.
“There are rumors going around that this statue, in some form or another, is allied with the changelings, as well as the recently escaped Discord. Whatever the case, we as a nation are under attack. To make matters worse, it seems not only Equestria, but the planet is now at stake.” Armor continued to speak, pointing a hoof up to the porous rock above, which caused various citizens to bring their gazes skyward. Many fell to the ground in fear, screaming as they covered their heads over their hooves. Children hid underneath and behind their parents, and several others attempted to turn tail and run, but were peacefully intercepted by guards.
“To top things off, we have the matter of the human.”
At the mere mention of this, public reaction was sporadic. Some cheered, others booed, and even more cowered. It seemed like even speaking the forbidden word ‘human’ a second time would likely incite a riot here and now. Still, with all the soldiers in the square, Armor was willing to take that risk, it seemed.
“Now calm down! I understand that we all have mixed views of the human that has appeared. For those that have only heard stories and rumors, I can assure you that the existence of this human is as real as Celestia’s own sun. What you saw in the local newspaper speaks the truth. Some of you, for better or worse, have already met him. We’ve heard horror stories of humans before, and while the one in our midst is certainly a frightening character, He is without a doubt an important asset to our survival. Now for those who weren’t there, you may disagree, but without his tactical prowess and capabilities, my men and I as well as hundreds of others would not have survived the undead scourge that took Ponyville. Some of you may disagree with my assessment, but it is the honest, unmistakable truth. Those that have come from Ponyville, step forward now.”
At the stallion’s request, a good four-hundred ponies broke from the crowd, and made their way between the other citizens and Armor’s battalion of troops.
“These ponies have seen, firsthand, how dangerous the statue can be. By the same token, they have also seen how aggressive and unpredictable the human can be.”
“But we have seen how kind he can be.” A female suddenly spoke up from the Ponyville crowd. The others fell silent as a tan mare with a curly pink and navy blue mane walked next to the square fountain. “He saved me as I was about to be eaten alive.”
“Even though he killed my husband out of anger, he made sure that my babies and I went to go see a doctor after Carrot beat us in a drunken rage.” Cup Cake suddenly added, making herself and the babies strapped to her in harness known. “If he hadn’t taken charge of that situation, my children and I would have died on the way to the hospital.”
“He may be right violent, but he is capable of showing mercy.” Two stallions said together, coming to the side of the two mares, slowly adding to the third crowd in the center of the plaza. “He could have easily killed me and left me for dead in my factory.” The first stallion, a red, heavily bandaged pegasus said, coming to the crowd. He was followed by a tan unicorn with a blue and white sweater vest and wide-brimmed hat. This stallion was also heavily bandaged and bruised, who also spoke.
“He could have killed me, but he was merciful enough to let me live. Then, he saved my life in Ponyville, and kept me from being eaten alive by my brother, Flim.”
“He saved my friends and family from a life of servitude at Carousel Boutique.” A brown-coated and sickly looking pony said, with a thick accent, and as he broke from the main crowd to join the other speakers, was accompanied by a good ninety ponies.
“And he and his friends saved us all!” Another pony blurted, stepping forth with a multitude of others, which was a group largely comprised of pegasi, some injured, some sick, and others, clearly mentally deficient. He spared us all a grueling death.”
“He freed us after we were wrongfully accused by the martial law!” the head of another group, that looked like they had just crawled out of a dungeon said and stepped forward with their acquaintances.
“An’ he’s a right hospitable feller! He’s been takin’ care of mah granddaughters and farm since he came here, an’ never asks for nothin’ in return!” Granny Smith added, slowly coming to the crowd with her walker in hoof. “He’s a good boy!”
“Our daughter’s death was the fault of that statue.” Another stallion suddenly interjected, then stepped forward into the group of Jadusable’s supporters, along with his wife. “If the human is fighting against the thing that took Sweetie Belle away from us, that’s enough of a reason for me. to pick up a weapon and stand by his side.”
“Well, that’s perfect.” Armor finished, quelling the impending riot that was likely to break out between the three groups of ponies at any given moment. “Princess Celestia herself has given me an official order stating that, should anypony be willing to volunteer, must intercept and reinforce him at the Everfree Forest.
“Well, let’s get to it!” Flam, Atmosphere, and Magnum Belle said together. “The longer we stay here, the-”
The three stallions were cut off, and the square fell chillingly cold as silence overtook the area. The only thing that could be heard was what sounded like a volley of animals coming this way. And that certainly was the case. Mammals made their way up the mountain’s edge, flooding the square. Most of them were small creatures such as raccoons and bunnies. Birds flew their way into the square and landed around the others. Ponies stared in amazement at the sudden influx of wildlife.
“What is this!?” Shining Armor asked, looking at the many small creatures, sickly malnourished in appearance, as well as clearly physically abused, began to collect in the plaza. a squirrel began chattering wildly, as if attempting to speak.
“Does anypony know what they’re saying?”
“I... I do.” the barely audible voice of a stallion came from the crowd. Armor nodded in the direction of the voice.”
“Step forward, citizen. What is your name?”
The new pony that had made his way timidly through the crowd and revealing himself, shying back a bit, spoke, almost dead silent.”
“I... I”m B-Butterscotch.”
“I’m sorry, son, you’ll have to speak up.”
“My... my name is Butterscotch.”
“Well, Butterscotch, do you know what the animals are saying?”
The butter yellow stallion tilted his muzzle next to the talkative squirrel, and, though frightened of crowds, translated for the officer ahead of him.
“The little squirrel here says a filly saved them from an abusive life, and he says that some of his friends, before they got locked up, saw the filly spending time with the human. If they can trust that filly, they can trust the human. If the little kid likes him, how bad can he be?”
Armor nodded, looking at the group of ponies and animals, which amounted to a good six hundred (out of the thousands that were standing in the area).
“So, you would all be willing to offer him assistance?”
“Yes sir!”
“Absolutely!”
“Si, senior!
“Well then, I’ll have the princess inform him. Anypony else willing to go to Everfree Forest?”
Not another soul stepped forward.
“That settles it then. Those that aren’t aiding the human, begin reinforcing the city with as much improvisational protection as possible. Reinforcements, begin making your way to the forest.”
“Right away!”
“*sigh* I really wished more ponies held faith in that kid. He’s a good man.” Armor thought to himself, disappearing in a pink flash.
---
A few minutes earlier...
“Well, he did lie to me about killing Mr. Cake. You could be right, Rainbow Dash.”
“Of course I am, Pinkie! He’s been nothing but trouble. He’s the reason Sweetie Belle died, remember!?”
“Rainbow, darling, what is all this shouting about? Honestly!” Rarity chimed in, walking up to the three other mares gathered around a tree as the earth was shaken with another quake from the menacing rock above.
“Oh, nothing, just about how Nick is responsible for YOUR sister’s death!”
“How dare you say that! It was that statue’s fault in the first place! Nick showed me everything! Rarity snapped, initially gasping in shock at the statement.
“Rarity, come on. Aren’t you at least worried for your safety around him?” Pinkie suddenly replied.
“Well, he can be quite the rufian at times, and what he did at my boutique was certainly horrific...you know what, you’re right. He’s going to cause more trouble for us.”
“Not to mention that mouth of his. It’s horrible for my Dinky.” Derpy suddenly added as she overheard the conversation of the others.
“Eeyup.”
“An’ he’s the reason Applejack got taken away!” The young filly, Applebloom abruptly reinforced.
Slowly and surely, Rainbow Dash was drawing the attention of all her friends, all of them completely oblivious to the fact that much like their adventures before, the color from their skin and fur were beginning to fade.
“Yeah... he’s um, really scary...”
“I’m just glad he was merciful enough to spare Mrs. Cake.”
“And all those lives he ended at my boutique! What a monster!
“If we kept him around any longer, he could have hurt my little Dinky!”
“Eeyup.”
After rallying the others around, Twilight finally took charge of the group, the shade of her flesh the grayest of all.
“Then it’s settled, everypony. He’s the reason for everything, and we need to undo his evil.”
“I can’t believe you all!” a young voice suddenly shrieked, drawing the attention of everypony to an orange, violet-eyed filly a few feet behind the rest. “You’re just going to turn on him like that? I know he’s got problems, but for the love of Celestia, he means well. Sure, he can be violent, but I know he’s better than he looks. He may have the mouth of a sailor, he may look gruff and violent, and hey, he may even kill others at times, but when situations get desperate, ponies and people change! When he first came here, wasn’t he nice and polite to your family, Applebloom?”
“Yeah, but...”
“But what? He beat up your brother? Big Mac was going to kill him! He HAD to fight back!”
“Scootaloo, aren’t you afraid he’s going to, you know, hurt you some day?” Dash asked, the multitude of eyes now barreling down on the little pegasus. Scootaloo sighed, kicking up a pile of dirt with her front hoof.
“You know what, I do. Some days, I’m afraid he’s going to snap one day, he’s so unpredictable. He’s bi-polar, he’s paranoid, and he’s probably developed some form of PTSD after everything we’ve been through. But I owe him my life, and as far as I’m concerned, he’s a very good person. Some of his aggressiveness may be rubbing off on me, but I know he’s just a young guy that wants to go home. His time here has changed him for the worse. When he first came here, he was afraid, he was scared, and he wouldn’t even think about hurting a soul until his anger took hold. I hold my faith in him, and so does Applejack. She fell in love with him for everything about him, even his bad side. She looks up to him because-”
“Because Applejack lives day after day working her flank off on a farm, and hasn’t had a coltfriend since elementary school.” Big Mac suddenly interrupted. Trust me, I should know. She’s getting desperate for a companion is all.”
“No, Big Mac, because she’s seen what he’s like on a good day. She KNOWS what a good man he can be. Twilight, remember when you, me, and Pinkie were living on the farm after we got out of the hospital? Remember how he’d help Applebloom and I fall asleep with a lullaby when we couldn’t stop thinking of Sweetie Belle? He’d play with us outside, spend time with us, help around the farm without question, help us with our math homework, and take care of Granny Smith. He did all that without wanting anything more than some food and a bed, and he took care of us like his own family. He is a good man, and any good man lives by a set of morals. The biggest one he follows is that ‘Love does not hurt, nor does it seek to destroy. I too, shall not hurt or seek to destroy’.”
“Don’t you see the hypocrisy in that, Scootaloo!?” Dash threw back, pointing an accusing hoof at the filly, who was then backed by Twilight. “If he really followed that saying he taught you, he certainly doesn’t show it!”
“Dash is right, you know. I forgave him for what he did to me, for what he did to Carrot and the FlimFlam brothers. I even forgave him for the four ponies he killed at the boutique, Scootaloo, but lately, he’s gotten unbelievably aggressive. Sure, he’s helping us stop BEN, but he IS the reason BEN is here. Doesn’t that scream that he’s the root of the problem? I mean, let’s look at this scientifically. He CLAIMS to be a peaceful man, but all I’ve seen in his wake is death and destruction.”
Scootaloo brought her head down in shame for a moment, crushed that her friends would turn on her and the immense amount of faith that she had in her father figure, before looking to one last ally, one last beacon of hope.
“Spike, don’t leave me hanging here, please!”
The baby dragon stared quizzically at Scootaloo, then turned his head to the others, repeating this process for about thirty seconds, then looked up to the sky, only to catch a glimpse of the wicked moon above, swallowing a lump in his throat as another earthquake rocked the world. Then he looked back down to the filly in front of him.
“I’m sorry, Scoots, but I’mma have to side with them.”
So that was it. With a sense of betrayal crushing down on her, Scootaloo immediately turned around, and began trekking back through the woods, attempting to go find Nick’s footprints again.
“Scootaloo, wait!”
“Hey, come back!”
“Scoots, I didn’t mean it, I’m just looking out for your safety!”
*BURP*
Spike wiped his mouth as a letter passed through in a bright green flame, and gently fell to the grass. Twilight, before anyone could have a look, took the parchment with her magic, unfurled it, and began to read.
Nicholas,
Captain Armor has prepared a battalion of reinforcements to come and assist you. Unfortunately, they will be unable to intercept you at Everfree Forest in time, and will likely only be at Ponyville by midnight. My sister, despite peaceful attempts, refuses to relinquish the moon, and after numerous failed attempts, I’ve come to the conclusion that I can not stop it.
Frantically trying to save my nation,
Princess Celestia.
“Well, that’s it, we’re done for.”
“Spike, that’s not helping.”
“Come on guys, we can do this without him. We’ve saved Equestria before, we can do it again.” Dash exclaimed, watching as Scootaloo disappeared out of sight, confident that the filly was heading to Canterlot for safety, and began walking deeper into the forest.
And a few miles away, not too far from the border of the forest, sat a lone, Brown Draconequus, with a set of puppeteering strings in hand. hovering just above the group of ponies and one baby dragon.
“This is the last order I’m taking from, you, BEN. I’m not your slave.”
12:00 PM
“You want your answers?” BEN asked me, the air arounds us growing thin and vile with each word that left the corn-husked Skull Kid floating above me. “Very well. Let us start, Jadusable, with spirits and how death works, shall we?” Skull kid inquired with his trademark giggle as the imp disappeared from my field of vision without any trace. Night almost immediately fell, and now I was standing atop this tower in pitch darkness. All I could hear was a low, howling noise in the air around me, and the feeling of cold, sharp metal against my neck could be felt, though no blade was visible.
“You see, death does not mean your end as a spirit. You are, if not trapped in something…” The boy stopped at this remark, the Skull Kid tightening its husk of a fist. “...able to travel among all the different worlds out there. You are not tied to your place of birth or death.”
I simply sat there, allowing the demon to continue its lecture. There really wasn’t much else I could do. And, if I was going to die, at least I could get some answers.
“To answer your first question, spirits are capable of leaving if they don’t have any restraints holding them back, like being sealed away.Spirits are capable of communicating here much easier because of Equestria’s magical properties - more ‘tech-centric’ worlds have lesser vessels for spiritual conversation. Places like, Hyrule, Tamriel, Oz, and Equestria however...”
“So you’re saying more ‘magical’ worlds are spirit friendly, and is the reason it’s easier for communications?” I managed to ask, fear coursing through my veins in a shower of adrenaline.
“Exactly. And it’s the very reason I got my capabilities. Humanity would have died long anogo from angry spirits if the world didn’t have barriers keeping us from lashing out. Do you have ANY idea how many purposeless spirits roam the human world, angry at the living?”
I stopped him then and there, ignoring his rhetoric.
“Wait... you mentioned... Hyrule? As in, Hyrule from Zelda?”
“Yes? What of it, boy?” BEN asked, a tone about him as if I should have known it did.
“Are you... saying it exists?” I managed to squeak, exasperated at the thought of the existence of dead land and prospect of death at any moment.
“Just as much as Equestria does. You see... when I was trapped in the game, it served as a gateway, of sorts, to the Zelda universe. I could interact with the people there like any other, but due to its spirit-friendly properties, I was able to … strike a deal.” BEN finished, with his innocently impish laugh.
“Deal? I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t. You never bothered to pay any attention to me until I was threatening your life.” The kid replied with a wiseass tone about him. “Remember the good old mask man? He offered me a deal where he would help me manipulate the game in such a way - play with your mind in just the right patterns, that you’d set me free. In turn, I’m supposed to give you up to him after we’re done talking here, but in my blind rage in the first few days, I’ve been trying to kill you myself. I just remembered that I have to turn your into him if I want my true freedom....”
Right there was when the true, pure fear kicked in. Death was waiting around the corner for me, and this time around, there didn’t look like a way out. I began to sweat and panic, nearly break out crying, as my life began to flash before me. That was, until the most soothing, angelic voice I had been graced with came to my ears. The fear then, simply seemed to melt away.
“Fear not, my child. The angered on shall not hurt you, so long as your and your friends are under my watch...”
The voice of what I could only describe as a goddess danced across my eardrums, a sweet, soothing voice, as pure and clean as fine silk entwined itself around me. I don’t think BEN heard it as he continued to speak without missing a beat.
“You see, your world gives birth to any fictional world it creates. To put this into perspective, did you ever watch a show called ChalkZone when you were a boy? The properties function very much like that. And those books? The ones with your world’s history? If the world in question has nothing to do with its creators in the slightest, in Equestria’s case, no humans, then everything historical from the parent world becomes THEIR fiction.”
“But what about the spirits? How come my parents can communicate with em from worlds away?
“Why, that’s simple, Jad. You’re their connection.” BEN added with another laugh. Because you’re IN Equestria, your parents have a direct link to travel between the dimensions. You’re fortunate I sent you there, and that was thanks to building up power by feeding off Equestria’s energies. That’s why I spent a good week or so in there before pulling you through - I didn’t have the power right off the bat. I had to feed off Spike and Celestia’s emotional flaws to build up enough energy..”
“Why did you.... you know... send me to Equestria of all places? If your goal is to kill me, why didn’t you just like, send me to some other world that’s thousands of times more dangerous?
BEN’s next answers was perhaps the most chilling, single most terrifying sentences I’d heard in my life.
“Because Equestria meant something to you. You used it as a way to try and escape me - cleanse me from your mind. By sending you here, and twisting it to break your spirit and sanity.... I’ve gotten oodles of fun out of this adventure!” The demonic kid giggled in excitement.
“It was all just to fuck with you. Make you suffer in emotional torment, and make you feel the anguish I’ve put up with for a decade.”
“But... one more question...” I could only ask in fear, unable to show my anger and want to ultimately destroy the imp before me.
“Go ahead, boy...
Here was the big question I had - how did it all work? What was the science behind these other worlds and their existence? Was it possible to travel to these other worlds without spiritual assistance?
“So... if I’m in Termina right now... does that mean... it’s possible to travel dimensions without your help?”
Skull Kid simply laughed at me and hovered to the air, picking me up with him like he did Link. I swallowed in pure fear.
“But of course, Nick. Like I said, any fictional world that your world makes is born, and with that, comes dimensional gates.”
“‘gates’?”
“Oh yes, and they’re everywhere. People and objects slip through them all the time!” The demon ahead of me spoke with such enthusiasm like a scientist discovering and sharing a breakthrough. “The most common of them come from the classic ‘losing things in the couch, never to be seen again’. They come in many different forms, too. Ever wonder what happened to Amelia Earhart and 2Pac? Dimensional gates. They come in many different shapes and sizes. Most are no bigger than a TV remote, which explains why so many people lose them, and missing people are rare. The gates are invisible to the eye, and are often located in large areas, such as open fields or thick forests, so if you walk through one, you generally won’t know right away. Your world is actually home to the biggest one on record - A small chunk of ocean, about five-hundred thousand square miles, off the coast of Florida. I believe they call it the Bermuda Triangle.”
So it all came out. How I got here, how he got his power, how the worlds of fiction came to be, and why he did it. But it left me with only a few more questions.
One: how did he get from the game, to the internet, to Equestria, and...
Two: BEN still said it was the fault of humanity for Equestria turning into what it is. How?
“You know, I would be watching over your friends right about now...” The demonic voice of the statute said, it's vile tones looming in the air about me. “But unfortunately, I’m still not perfect, despite how much power I’ve syphoned; I unfortunately can’t watch multiple things at once, which is why I haven’t killed your friends, wherever they may be... yet.. I would have killed you already if toying with you weren't so much fun, and the only reason I do is simply because you don’t have the object you need to stop me.”
Sadness and fear hit once more. My composure had broken again, and I just let the tears flow without a care in the world. There are some things in life, that no matter how hard you fight them, they are going to win.
BEN was one of those things.
“I just wanna go home, BEN... please...”
“You got the answers you were looking for. Now, it’s time to make sure you don’t use that knowledge against me... I’ve had so much fun with you... but sadly... if I am to continue on, I’m going to have to let you go....
“Just.... please... Send me home...”
“I cannot do that. You are going to die here, Jadusable. The Mask Man is waiting. I must fulfill my end of the bargain. Besides, even if I wanted to keep you alive? You’re too close to ruining my plans. I cannot afford, in good conscience, to let you continue.”
There was another white flash, and the clock tower faded away with BEN’s chilling vocals. I just wanted to break down crying.
“Goodbye, Jadusable... It’s been fun.” I could hear him say, as the curtain of death drew closer and began to encase me.
“Oh, and, when you die, tell my grandfather, the old geezer who sold me to you, that I’ll come for him next. Tell him he shouldn’t have drowned me.”
This was it... it was over. Everything I had fought against, all the ponies and people who died... and.... then it hit me.
Oh. My. God...
All those worlds.... the people and creatures yet to feel BEN’s wrath...
I then came to the realization of what I truly unleashed on the universe.
If I was to die, so be it. I just hoped the others could finish what I could not.
---
The group of ponies and the baby dragon among them continued on their trail, until they came to what could only be described as a gigantic, hollowed out log. The entirety of it was surrounded by a wall of thick coniferous foliage, and so nopony could see around it. There was a small amount of light at the far end, but aside from this, the group could not see what lay on the other side, if anything at all.
“Where do you think this goes to?” Fluttershy asked timidly, falling behind Big Macintosh and hiding in her mane out of fear..
“I don’t know, but we should probably try going through.” Twilight piped up, looking to the others for acknowledgement, who gave nods of agreement. The violet mare looked toward the rotted out formation, and readied herself, standing upright and prepared. “So then we’re stepping in.”
The group slowly made their way to the other side, and as the other end of the log gave way to a small, luscious clearing, a strange, and somewhat chilling song that nopony recognized began to play. The gang continued on its journey, until the clearing they were in gave way to a much larger one. Here, there was a small parting in the forest canopy, allowing some light to shine through to the forest floor. The rays that parted through the canopy leaves gently shone down on a white marble altar. Atop it was a trapezoid-shaped stand, also made of the same material, and on the face of the stand sat the engraved image of a triad. Within the stand itself sat a very apparent blade, and the general appearance of the area (as well as the group at large) came off as a darker, grittier, and more realistic look than that of Equestria. Obviously, they were no longer in their land, but where were they?
“Is that a sword?” Dash asked, flying over to the hilted blade upon the alter, its beacon of light shimmering down upon it. She examined the weapon in question. Starting from the top, the hilt of blade was a dark violet shade, the tip of which balled off in the shape of an octagon. The handle was notched multiple times in half-inch increments. At the end of the grip was the hilt, which spanned out in a somewhat hexagonal curve, and appeared to be carved into, its design very reminiscent of birds’ wings. at the end, and between these two sides of the hilt, on either end of the blade sat a golden jewel, that shone with a vivid brightness. From there, the blade began, starting very thin - for about three inches down, the blade only about four in width. After this, the weapon itself became much broader, widening itself by another five or so inches, before tapering off a very thick and broad point some time later. At the base of the large end of the sharpened blade was the same triad symbol that was engraved in the pedestal. Macintosh, the strongest of the group, walked forward and placed his mouth to the handle. With all of his strength, he pulled, but reeled back in pain as he felt a tooth crack.
“Augh! Ponyfeathers!”
Once again, he attempted, this time wrapping his hooves around the blade and pulling upwards with all his might, though for naught. Minutes later, he collapsed in exhaustion.
“Geez, that sword don’t wanna come out.”
---
The whiteness faded away and the chilling loneliness returned. With a throbbing migraine, my eye opened to beautiful, blue sky, and I sat up to take not that I was in the middle of a lush, green field, one that was surrounded by a small mountain range, and was occupied by several buildings. A thatched roof barn, a colonial-era home, a large chicken coop, and a gigantic brick structure with the image of a dog plastered upon the top.
Romani Ranch.
Out of instinct, I stood, readied myself, and took hold of my gun. In search of any sign of life, I slowly approached the farmhouse, and made my way across the chilling, empty expanse of wheat grass. As I closed the distance to the farmhouse, I noticed the locked fence was home to a small pony, orange in shade, and... Epona?
No. It was orange, but it was a very light shade, and instead of platinum blonde, it's mane-
“Sugarcube? Oh Celestia, Nick, is that you!?”
Ecstatic at the voice I knew to be Applejack, I immediately rushed over to the fence, wrapping my hands around it. She stood upon her back legs, wrapping her hooves around me, a smile running across her tear-soaked face.
“Ah knew ya would come after me... Ah knew ah’d see yah again...”
“How did you know I’d end up here?” I asked her, concerned that she had possibly fallen into delirium as I continued to hold and comfort her to the best of my abilities.
“Ah didn’t. Ah just held faith that maybe, by some freak chance, ya’d show up. Now get me outta here! Yah know, like little Scoots wanted me to.”
I took a look at the padlock upon the fence, and with nothing to cut it down or break it open, I instead readied my weapon, stacked against the house, and kicked the door clean off its hinges. Nobody was there, and taking a look around the small living area, I took note of a rustic set of iron keys being held by a simple nail in the wall. I took hold of them, I walked back outside and opened up the cast-iron fence. Applejack came hobbling out and wrapped her hooves around me. I crouched down to match her height, and gently brought my arms around her, digging my face into her shoulder.
“Ah’m so glad ya came to get me. Thank yah for saving me, Nick.”
“I haven’t saved you, Applejack,” I added, glancing around the ranch built out of digitized, sixty-four bit polygons. “We’re far from free. In fact, I think that-”
“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”
“Oh, God...”
Turning around, I was met with the bane of my existence himself - the Happy Mask Salesman. Applejack screamed in horror at the ever-smiling man that stood in our wake. Instinctively, out of fear and threat, I attempted to punch the man, but he did nothing more than bring his hand up to catch my fist, and then twisted my arm sideways and kicked me to the ground. I fell on Applejack, and attempted to stand, but he grabbed both of us by the necks with swift and violent precision. His smile - oh, Jesus, his smile, wouldn’t go away. Unlike the game, the mask salesman here was much more animated, breathing, sweating, and moving with finite precision. The fact that unlike the game, he was moving and breathing with the reflexes of a normal human made this encounter all the more frightening. As he held Applejack and I on the gently flowing grass, he continued to do so with ease, regardless of what we tried. I kicked, I screamed, I punched and swore, trying in vain to attack the purple-cloaked man on top of me. That’s when things got even worse.
The door to the barn abruptly opened, and out stepped four figures that I knew from just looking at, were going to spell the end of us. I looked over to Applejack, and wrapped her hoof in my hand. She tilted her head over to me, looking deeply into my lone eye with tears overflowing in hers.
“I’m sorry, Applejack. I’m sorry I brought everything here. I’m sorry I killed them all. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through.”
The four figures that had stepped out of the barn, the moon children made their way over to us. two held down my legs and Applejack’s hind hooves, and the other two did the same for my arms and her forehooves. Regardless of what I tried, I couldn’t best them in power, and that meant BEN was holding me in place with some kind of magical force. I was sure it was time for us to die. with Applejack and I out of the picture, the others would have no direction. I just hoped Scootaloo took charge of the situation. That’s what I taught her to do.
“Ah love ya, sugarcube. Thank ya so much for takin’ care of th’ kids an’ mah farm.”
At that moment, the Mask Salesman pulled out a mask from his duffel. The elegy statue materialized then and there, as the skull kid laughed. The first thing the man did was place his mask to Applejack’s face. She yelled and shrieked in fear as the children began to chant, and I continued to try and overpower them all, but to know avail.
“Try the mask! Try the mask!”
That nightmare that I had all that time ago, where the mask salesman and the moon children crafted me into another elegy statue... it was coming true. The salesman dug into his bag again, with one hand, his knees on our chests, and his other hand holding the mast to Applejack’s face. When his second appendage emerged, he was holding a spool and some thread. As the children continued to chant, the Mask Man took his sewing equipment and the finite steel needle slowly went into Applejack’s skin, coming out a few centimeters from its point of entry, where the monstrous freak began to work away. Applejack was screaming in pain and anguish, and all I could do was lie there and watch her suffer, hearing her haunting and blood-chilling screams pierce into my heart. They say when you witness someone suffer physical pain, you mind can feel the same level of anguish and torment they are experiencing, which is why you cringe when you hear about or see such things.
And God damn it, did I ever. As the needle stabbed through her skin, it felt like I had been, repeatedly time and again, the feeling of a constant, repetitive papercut searing through you. No matter how I tried to fight back, I was virtually frozen, unable to move anything but my head. Eventually, Applejack’s hellacious screams became muffled as the mask was melded to her face, and the rest of her body began to stiffen, whereupon her cries ceased. I watched as her body began to gloss over, with an uncanny appearance to terracotta, much like BEN’s statue.
And do you know what that felt like? Accidentally laminating your hand - fifty times over, a searing burn that cracked your skin and stung like fresh alcohol in a wound.
Around her hooves, a strange wooden-looking substance began to form, and I came to watch said wood slowly form into a stand. My mind could only cringe at the view, registering the pain of walking barefoot upon a bed of perfectly sharpened pencils. With the children still cheering, the two next to Applejack slowly set her up. The two children then went to their friends, and assisted in holding me down.
“The only thing that brought some sense of calm was the angelic woman’s voice again, letting everything melt away.
“My child, hold strong. For you shall not be harmed by the angered one. He shall not take your life this day.”
But I couldn’t believe that. Thought they sounded sure of themselves, these words, I did not know their owner. But I knew for certain the owner of some speech, quite opposite in tone, speak against the woman.
“It is time to die, Jadusable. I’ll miss you, buddy...” I could hear BEN mock with a smarmy tone about the air. Everything I had worked for, up to this point... To stop him, was finally over.
But...
Is death really so bad? Why would you fight it when it will get you eventually? Maybe it was time to give up. Because I knew.... I’d never get what I want.
To wake up and have none of this ever happen.
The mask salesman loomed over me with a demented, twisted grin that sent shivers down my spine in droves. The children pinned me down by my limbs, and I held onto my faith again that someone would get me out of here. But I knew that would never happen. The Happy Mask Salesman did not do what I expected, sewing me into a statue, but instead, drew a blade. A knife, about six inches long, rusted out all the way through, and serrated. He placed the tip against the edge of my upper lip, and began to carve into me, separating the flesh from my skull in slow, agonizing increments.
“So I finally get to meet you... Oh, your face will make a niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice mask, boy.
The cutting pain, as my gumline tore away from my teeth with pain not even your most excruciating toothache could ever hope to match, began to make me cry, and I did nothing more than pray some freak thing... would save me now.
“When I die,”
“Show no pitty,”
“Send my soul to Juggalo City.”
“Dig my grave six feet deep,”
“Put two matches by my feet,”
“Put two hatchets on my chest,”
“And tell my homies I did my best.”
And as death began to take hold...
...everything disappeared in a white flash.
My head, once again, hurt something wicked. I couldn’t see anything in my blurred vision, but I felt as if I had been knocked unconscious. I slowly sat up, my sight gently returning to me. Then I looked up, only to see a gigantic, six foot thick oak log. The same one I remember running into when I got lost. Was it only a dream? Did I just run because my mind was playing tricks on me, and knocked myself into a coma after hitting this thing for not watching my steps? Certainly seemed that way, because when I felt myself I had no new injuries. Not even that peeled back face I remember so vividly as the Mask Salesman... wait.
Wallet? Check.
Phone and charger? Yep.
Degree? That was there.
CD? Still here and unscathed.
Pistol? That and one magazine.
But...
Crossbow? Shotgun? Sword? Knife? Where the hell did they go?
Maybe... it wasn’t a dream. But I was alive. I rolled over into the grass, tearing clumps of the green blades out, and showering myself in the commonplace plant life, laughing, smiling, and enjoying the fact that I was well.
But what was it that saved me? Who or what was that voice? And more importantly, where was AJ!?
Well, before I can even answer that question, I’m going to have to get my priorities straight. First, stand up and use this terracotta pillar as a support.
Wait, what?
Still on my stomach, I slowly ran my hand up along the column of pottery, bringing my face to view ith the thing, and as I looked up...
My hand slowly came off the support and I began to tremble and shake.
Then I screamed.
Nope. It was all real. I reeled back in shock and disgust, falling to my back and quickly scurrying away from the idol that mocked the once lovely Applejack. This... thing that stood in her place... It was indeed the Applejack I knew, the Applejack I owed my very life to many times over. But it was a disgusting, perverted bust that was nothing but a soulless shell of the friendly and hardworking farmer. Its eyes were cold and unfeeling, gazing into my soul as it stood upon its hind legs, and a deathly wicked, twisted smile on its face. Out of fear and shock, I ran like hell.
And as I turned around to run away from the ever grinning Applejack remains, I was cut short as I parted through some bushes in a panic and was met face to face...
...with something much worse.
“BAWKAWK!”
In fear and desperation, I immediately drew my pistol, the circulation to my legs beginning to fade as a thick concrete or stone like casing began to slowly dance its way up my body. I had just pulled back the action and taken aim by the time the rock cocoon had engulfed my elbows, freezing any hope of retaliation I had. And in due time, I was up to my neck in the blanket of hardened minerals.
As the stone made its way across my face, I locked my gaze with the hybrid freak that caused this, uttering the only words I could, letting out a scream, and hoping someone heard me.
“GOD DAMN IT!”
But would I really be free? Probably never. I still had to hold onto something, though. Perhaps one freak chance would come save my skin one more time. As the concrete form slowly worked its way through my open mouth and across my face, I was met with BEN, one final time.
“So, Jadusable... how does it feel to be a statue- no... wait, don’t answer that! Not what I planned, but hey, at least you can’t stop me like that! It’s a good look for you, too!”
And with the laugh of Skull Kid, my mind slipped into nothingness, BEN escaping to the comfort of his mad vision without me in his way.
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very nice. but im guessing this one is a non canonical bad end huh.
5208362 You don't know that yet... keep watching.
Holy shit, you're alive?
HOLY FUCKING SHIT IT'S ALIVE
Good to see you back, man.
Allow me to ruin this chapter by the singing of the following song:
Shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your penis! Shake your penis!
5211153 God damn you Xana.
5211973 Actually it's from Adamwestslapdog's Majora's Mask Abridged.
5212986 I keep getting those two confused for some reason.
For anyone who still remotely gives a flying fuck....
It's done. The beast is finally done.
Thanks to a loyal reader, Gyrofest96, I've gotten out of the blank spot. Coverart will be updated with his credits as well. I must wait for him to get out for summer before we can do mass editing, but all in all, the actual story and its flow is finally finished.
This WILL be done before next Halloween, I swear on it.
Thank you for your support, and thank you all for staying with this story.
Nick
5926713 Good to know, boss. Glad you like it.