The Mane Six and Spike embark on one of their darkest missions yet when they are transported to Victorian London where a barber named Sweeney Todd is out for revenge on a corrupt judge who ruined his life.
In fact, the moment Twilight looked down upon her right wrist, she noticed she once again wore a magic cancelling cuff from nowhere. The remainder of the group looked down, noting they too had one as well. Some on the opposite arm, some on her legs… and at least one around the neck like a choker.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow yelled, pulling the ‘choker’ cuff. “How does this keep happening?!”
“By all accounts, this doesn’t make sense even for me!” Pinkie cried.
It would be inevitable that the truth would emerge in some way or now. Whether they discover it firsthand or whether it all comes together in the most unimaginable of circumstances. The truth can be a most painful endeavor, it can either set you free or it could make something snap within you. In the way, truth represents the heart of this very chapter, one of which that expands the story. And even when the truth does reveal itself, there's still more to the story still to come. More of which best reserved for the very ending.
Wow Chrysalis truly felt passion with Todd, and she didn't really kill Flamel, just took credit for it? And poor Spike having eaten a people pie and not even realizing it before.
Well there's definitely some gory and assorted details I certainly didn't need to hear around dinner time, but that's on me there. Credit for capturing the horror elements in detail. I can imagine Pinkie's gut feeling is a shout out to a certain infamous fanfic. I also didn't expect that chivalry on Sweeney's part for Crystalis. Honestly I don't know how clean her hooves were during her reign amongst the Changelings, but who can say for sure.
After seeing the kiss between the two, I feel like something bad is gonna happen to Todd and Chrysalis might get blamed for it…
Because, ANY time a heartwarming moment or anything similar to that happens between two characters, something bad happens soon after to one of the two characters
And I’m getting that same feeling about it right now
Upstairs, the Equestrians, along with Anthony and Johanna, burst into the barber shop at full speed. Johanna was now dressed as a scruffy boy, in dirty trousers, a jacket, and a trim cap so as to hide her hair. Having just broken her out of the asylum, the last thing they needed was for her to be recognized and sent back to that mad house. And yet… the poor girl seems distracted… disturbed even.
“Mr. Todd…?” Anthony called out, upon entry.
“Is he here?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Doesn’t appear so at the moment,” Anthony sighed disappointed.
“Where could he have possibly gone?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“Maybe he went out to get some breakfast?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
“This late at night?” Rainbow Dash asked, sarcastically.
“Sure! That way he won’t have to be up in the morning to eat it!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
Blitz: Oh come on! Breakfast for dinner is an anarchy!
Me: It's fun, Blitz! It's whimsical!
Blitz: It's ridiculous! Pancakes are not a night time food!
Sonata Dusk:You're ridiculous! *punches him in the gut*
Blitz: Oof! *clutches his stomach*
“I’m more concerned about where that girl he was with is,” Twilight butted in. “It’s clear the ‘true’ girl had been locked in the asylum for over a year now, so we couldn’t possibly have seen her a few months back. That only leaves ‘one’ possible explanation: Who else could pull off impersonating as somepony else?”
“… Chrysalis!” Spike realized.
Blitz: Chrysalis?.... You mean that bugpony from Gotham?
Me: The very same.
“If she’s here, where the hay is she?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused her magic into scanning the surrounding area to locate ‘any’ form of life in the building. Unfortunately, apart from herself, her friends, even Anthony and Johanna, she couldn’t find anyone else.
“I’m not seeing anyone else in or around this place,” Twilight replied, opening her eyes. “They must have left when we got here.”
“We must find them and fast!” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Flutters,” Rainbow agreed, cracking her knuckles. “I’ve been dying to squash that bug woman for a long, long time!”
Blitz: I could fill her body with meddle if you want.
Twilight Sparkle: NO!
Blitz: Just a thought.
“But first, I must ask for you to help secure a coach,” Anthony piped in. “If me and Johanna have any hope of escaping, we need a horse and coach to get as far away as possible before we board a ship.”
The Mane Six and Spike looked amongst each other, trying to think of which task required their immediate attention. The discovery of Chrysalis hiding amongst them the whole time was certainly a cause for concern and who knows what more could happen if they don’t stop her? However, as friends they made a promise to Anthony and Johanna to help them escape London, no matter what. In the end, Twilight gave a nod toward Anthony.
“We’ll help you secure a ride out of here,” She promised him. “But we need to be quick. The longer Chrysalis runs free, the more dangerous things become.”
“We shall be no more than half an hour,” Anthony assured her.
Me: Good enough for me.
The young man soon turned back to his disguised lover, placing a comforting hand upon her arm.
“You wait for Mr. Todd here,” Anthony told Johanna. “I’ll return with the coach in less than half an hour. Don’t worry, darling, in those clothes, no one will recognize you… you’re safe now.”
“I agree with Anthony there,” Pinkie nodded. “When we first found those clothes and put them on, I was like ‘Gasp! Who is that guy?’.”
Blitz: So classic. *chuckles*
The two teenagers appreciated Pinkie’s attempt to lighten the mood with a joke, but they were too focused to be concerned. Especially Johanna, who still looked ‘very’ concerned that things would go wrong. As she gently touched Todd’s collection of razors, picking up the largest razor, eyeing it, she could feel the eerie echo of someone… familiar to her. A father’s echo she hadn’t heard in years.
“Safe…?” Johanna questioned, darkly ironic. “So, we run away and then all our dreams come true?”
“I hope so…” Anthony nodded.
“I have never had dreams, only nightmares,” Johanna responded somberly.
Hearing this made the rest of the group frown, knowing full well what this girl had been through her entire life. No wonder she harbored such doubt even now.
Blitz: That's a sh**ty life, isn't it?
Me: Sure is.
“You needn’t worry about that anymore, Johanna,” Twilight assured her. “We promised to make sure your life changed for the better. When we make a promise, we keep it.”
“She’s right, darling,” Rarity nodded. “If it’s the last thing we do, we’ll free you from this nightmare.”
“Johanna… when we’re free of this place, all the ghosts will go away,” Anthony told her.
However, Johanna gave a slight shake of her head as she stared very intensely into her lover’s eyes.
“No, Anthony, they never go away.”
Anthony wished so desperately to go back in time to stop Turpin from taking Johanna to begin with, to save her from all the years of torment. However, all he could do now was help her ‘try’ to forget.
“I’ll be right back to you,” He assured her, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “Half an hour and we’ll be free.”
“We better get going so you guys can get out of here and we can find Chrysalis!” Spike added in.
Blitz: Move it or lose it people!
Soon, Anthony and the Equestrian heroes made their way out the door of the barber shop, racing through the night to secure passage out of London. All alone in the barber shop, as she waited for their return, Johanna turned to the window and watched them go. But instead of relief, her expression was sad: They could never fully comprehend her depth.
Little did she know however, was the Beggar Woman was approaching from just across the street…
<>
It had taken the group at least twenty minutes to cross toward the center of London City just to find one carriage station. In a city this huge, not to mention the law still hunting them down, it was incredibly difficult to get around. They were thankful that they even found a place so they could manage passage quickly and resume their search for Chrysalis.
“Alright, I’m going to go secure safe passage out of London,” Anthony told the group. “You wait here; I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Make it quick, dude,” Rainbow spoke impatiently.
Me: Blitz and I will keep watch.
Blitz: Trust me, nothing gets passed an imp. *cocks his musket*
Anthony quickly raced inside the station, leaving the rest to wait outside in the cold.
“Ooh… maybe one of us should’ve stayed to watch Johanna,” Fluttershy spoke nervously. “I hate being out here in the open with the police still looking for us.”
“I think the police are the least of our worries, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied. “We need to find Chrysalis before she causes any more harm to this world… if not already.”
“I can’t believe how stupid I am!” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “We were in the same room with her… ‘TWICE’, and we didn’t even know it! You’d think with all the times we’ve encountered Changelings that we’d at least tell ‘how’ to spot one.”
“Only goes to show how brainless you truly are.”
Another voice made the group spin on their heels toward none other than Chrysalis standing a few feet away from them, once more in her original form. The former Changeling Queen released a wicked laugh as the group assumed the defensive position.
Blitz: *points his musket at her*
Me: *ignite the magic in my hands*
“What are you doing here, Chrysalis?!” Twilight questioned angrily. “What purpose could you have for this world? Did the Order send you?”
“Well princess, to be truthful, the Order has no idea I’m even here,” Chrysalis replied. “I merely came to this pitiful dimension seeking to clear my head. But the moment I got here, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who shared the same intentions as I have… revenge.”
“Oh, well we’re happy that you actually met somebody while you’re—” Pinkie piped in, till Rainbow covered her mouth.
“We’ve been down this road before, bug breath,” Rainbow retorted. “You cause trouble, we come in, and kick your sorry flank from here to kingdom come! Why don’t we just skip to the flank kicking right now?!”
Blitz: I'm one step ahead of you, Rainbows!
To which the offer merely made Chrysalis laugh harder.
“Yet I’ve been in the same vicinity as you foolish mares, and your stupid dragon friend, and not one of you realized it was me!” Chrysalis laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to snap your necks both times and bake you all into a fresh pie. After all, it’s not like you’d be ‘the first’.”
The statement alone caused the girls and Spike to widen their eyes and reel back.
Blitz: Say what now?...
Me: *tenses as I know what she means*
“What… do you mean?” Twilight asked fearfully.
“Have you truly not figured it out yet, princess?” Chrysalis grinned. “You ever wondered how Mrs. Lovett’s shop went from struggling to prosperous in such a short time? Or how patrons come to Mr. Todd for a shave yet never seem to return? You really are as ‘stupid’ as I believed.”
Sonata Dusk: Wait.... does that mean....?
Blitz: Those pies were...?
It was soon starting to come together for the entire group, especially Pinkie and Applejack. When Mrs. Lovett told them she found a new meat supplier, most of the group hadn’t understood what she’d meant. Even when Applejack knew Lovett was lying about something, only now did it come together.
“Y’all mean… them pies were—”
“People? Yes…” Chrysalis nodded. “People Pies.”
Blitz: *feeling sick to his stomach, throws up on the side*
Words couldn’t possibly describe the horror on their minds as the Mane Six and Spike cringed. Spike held a claw over his mouth trying hard not to vomit, while the rest of the girls couldn’t believe their ears. Pinkie Pie shuddered then hastily put a hoof in front of Chrysalis.
“I-I-I-I-I-I-I KNEW IT!!!” Pinkie Pie cried out.
“Pinkie… you never once said she was even suspicious,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“But I DID… in my heart,” Pinkie held her chest.
Blitz: Now that is just f***ed up!
“Now it all makes a lick of sense!” Applejack realized. “Pinkie Pie offered Mrs. Lovett help tah get her business back, the same as y’all wanted to help out during Apple Buck Season. But that there baker woman had no intent of wantin’ our help. Then Pinkie came back with a pie that got the whole town stir-crazy and somehow Pinkie got Lovett to slip what she had to work with, without actually tellin’ wut was ‘in them pies!”
“The worst part is… I actually enjoyed that pie Pinkie brought in…” Spike cringed, clutching his mouth again.
“… You actually… fed him… the pie?” Chrysalis asked the party pony, slowly.
“I told you that us ‘girls’ didn’t eat the pie,” Pinkie pointed out. “I never said ‘all’ of us didn’t eat it.”
“Well… how very smart for your country bumpkin friend,” Chrysalis sneered evilly. “Too bad you figured it out too late! Heh-heh-heh-heh…”
*Sonata started shaking in horror while I did my best to comfort her*
A retching sound from the side echoed, as Spike finally couldn’t hold it and released chunks off the side. All at once, Twilight Sparkle’s face went from horror… to pure anger.
“You’ve really done it this time, Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted. “I swear by Princess Celestia’s good name, you’ll pay for what you’ve done here!”
Twilight Sparkle raised her hands up and focused her magic to cast a bolt toward the Changeling… but nothing happened. She tried again… and again… and again… but she looked as though she were making an awkward pose.
“What?” She spoke confused. “But… but it was working before!”
Once more, an evil laugh escaped Chrysalis’s lips.
“Magic trouble, princess?” Chrysalis asked mockingly. “Maybe try looking at your arm.”
In fact, the moment Twilight looked down upon her right wrist, she noticed she once again wore a magic cancelling cuff from nowhere. The remainder of the group looked down, noting they too had one as well. Some on the opposite arm, some on her legs… and at least one around the neck like a choker.
Me: Not again!
“Seriously?!” Rainbow yelled, pulling the ‘choker’ cuff. “How does this keep happening?!”
Blitz: Well ya got me.
“By all accounts, this doesn’t make sense even for me!” Pinkie cried.
“Wow… to think you’re supposed to be Equestria’s greatest heroes,” Chrysalis grinned. “You really are pathetic.”
Just then, Chrysalis felt that similar feeling within her again. She could sense another presence making their way to the barbershop. A wicked grin of satisfaction spread across her face; one she’d been looking forward to ‘all’ night.
“Well girls, I truly would love to stay and chat,” Chrysalis declared. “But I have a lamb to lead, or in this case a judge, to the slaughter! Do try and keep up if you can.”
With one last sinister laugh, the Changeling Queen was engulfed by green flames and vanished without a trace. The Equestrian heroes were all left in shock.
“We need to get back to the shop and put a stop to this!” Twilight yelled urgently.
“Stop who?” Spike questioned. “The Changeling or the Judge?”
Blitz: Either way, they're goin down! *grabs his musket*
“What about Anthony?” Fluttershy asked.
“He’ll be fine!” Twilight responded. “We need to get back right now, before another person dies!”
“So… we are saving the Judge?” Spike spoke up.
Blitz: I'd rather he die full of lead!
Me: We'll worry about that later.
“Come on, buddy! Let’s go!” Rainbow yelled, grabbing his arm.
Spike gave a loud yelp as he flung about in the air while the group quickly ran downtown as fast as they could. No sooner had they left, when suddenly Anthony emerged from the station to inform the group of the news. But much to his shock, his friends were gone… every single one.
“Twilight? Spike?” Anthony called out. “Anybody?”
*As we race back to the barber shop, I pray that we're not too late, while also holding Sonata close comforting her from the revelation we learned from Chrysalis*
About an hour or so, give or take a few thirty minutes, Misty had bolted outside of the cinema doors and made a mad dash to Maretime Bay. She made good time and reached the Brighthouse, thankfully with a barren-enough town. This was her perfect enough chance to finally make Opaline proud of her from stealing Sparky.
She paused at the base of the building below a window to catch her breath.
Misty: Alright, Misty. You can do this. Hopefully it won’t be as…crazy as last time. You’ve improved.
Steeling herself, she peered into the window and was surprised at what she saw.
Inside the main parlor of the Brighthouse were the pegasus royal guards Zoom and Thunder playing around with Sparky, who was playing with Tinny while Red danced around with his rubber balls. She ducked under the windowsill, cursing her terrible luck once more.
Misty: Stupid, Misty. Of course Hitch would leave somepony to babysit him. I’m not going in there against fully trained palace guards, they’d beat me within seconds! (sighs) What am I gonna tell Opa…oh, no! Not again! I lost it! It’s probably back at the theater.
Inside the Brighthouse, Thunder was playing with Sparky and Tinny while Red was juggling. Zoom batted an ear to the window in question but saw nothing.
Thunder: Something on your mind, Zoom?
Zoom: Hmm? Oh, nothing. I thought I saw something, that’s all. How is the child?
Thunder: Oh, Sparky’s real good fun to be around.
Sparky: (babbles happily)
Thunder: Oh, you’re a cutsie-wootsie, yes you are!
The only thing that stopped Zoom from groaning was the fact that Sheriff Hitch, her technical superior, gave her an order, and her guard training would not let her betray any order for nothing. That and Sparky was…kind of adorable.
Misty, meanwhile, galloped with all her might back to the cinema. With more than an hour lost, she was missing out on the movie and, more importantly, her intel to Opaline. She could not stand to face her ire and disappointment again for screwing up. Then again, she had a feasible excuse this time around.
She burst into the cinema’s lobby, nearly tripping over her dropped locket. Picking it up, she returned to her seat, playing like nothing happened.
Misty: I’m back! I’m back. What’d I miss?
Me: Not the climax, thank God. Though you missed some wonderful musical songs.
Hitch: (uneasy) Not really.
Later that same evening, back at the barber/pie shop, things started to unravel rather quickly for the terrible trio. Chrysalis was still trying to deal with her conflicting emotions for Mr. Todd, having just discovered his wife’s ring and a vial of arsenic within Mrs. Lovett’s drawer. The latter of which made her question what the baker has been hiding all this time. But as it turned out, she was right about keeping Toby around being a bad idea. Somehow, he started to figure out what had been happening in this shop with every intent on alerting the authorities.
It was for this very reason that Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett, and Chrysalis herself met within the barber shop, to discuss the matter while climbing down the back steps. A razor was firmly grasped in Todd’s hand.
“I told you keeping him here was a stupid idea,” Chrysalis groaned, mid-descent. “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen!”
“Yes, yes, you were right!” Mrs. Lovett sighed, rolling her eyes. “You want a medal or somethin’ for bein’ so clever?”
“Watch it, Lovett!” Chrysalis hissed back.
Me: Ooh, them bitches is gettin’ catty!
Zipp: I swear, they’re gonna kill each other by the end of this.
“This is no time to argue!” Sweeney spoke up. “Where’s the boy now?”
“I got him locked up in the cellar,” Mrs. Lovett responded. “But if he escapes, he’ll go to the law!”
“Which means we’ll either be in jail or dead before dawn,” Chrysalis added.
“Then he can’t escape,” Sweeney declared, with murderous intent.
Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs. However, Mrs. Lovett paused for a moment before turning back to them, a look of hesitation upon her face.
“Mr. T… I don’t know,” She voiced uncertainty. “Maybe we could—”
“Don’t back out on us now, Lovett!” Chrysalis warned. “It was your idea to bring the boy in! You brought this upon yourself!”
Sunny: Oh, no! Toby!
“The Judge will be here soon!” Sweeney added impatiently. “I have no time for this, woman! Come on—!”
They were about to push Mrs. Lovett aside, to turn the corner into the pie shop when the door opened suddenly, causing Mrs. Lovett to yelp with surprise. To their shock, they had walked straight in the Beadle himself, the man standing within the doorway.
Zipp: Woah!
Izzy: (gasps) Run away! You’ve been jinxed!
Hitch: How…exactly?
Izzy: By arriving with the intention of meeting with Mr. Todd, he’s jinxed himself!
Me: Yeah, that checks out.
“Excuse me, sir!” Mrs. Lovett gasped. “You gave me a fright.”
“Not my intention, good madam,” Beadle replied. “Though I am here on official business.”
Sunny: What sort of business.
Before proceeding, Beadle elaborately prepared himself a pinch of snuff to clear his sinuses.
“You see, there’s been complaints,” He continued. “About the stink from your chimney. They say at night, it’s something most foul. Health regulations—and the general public welfare, naturally—being my duty, I’m afraid I’ll have to take a look… at your bakehouse.”
Hitch: Oh, so there are health regulations!
Me: They’re lax compared to today’s standards.
Pipp: He is so~ dead.
The Beadle inhaled the snuff and sneezed before daintily wiping his nose. Chrysalis cringed in disgust internally at the sight of the rotund rat-faced man. But somehow, the Changeling in disguise managed to maintain her persona. Seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Mr. Todd put on a charming smile.
“Of course…” Todd agreed smoothly. “But first, why don’t you come upstairs and let me attend to you?”
“Much as I do appreciate tonsorial adornment, I really ought to see to my ‘official’ obligations first,” Beadle replied.
Hitch: Huh. So he’s actually dedicated to his job? Could have fooled me.
Me: And…cue in Chryssi.
Seeing they were losing the man and knowing full well they couldn’t let him just stroll into the bakehouse, Chrysalis leapt in and attempted her own ‘charm’. Rolling down one strap of her dress and putting on her best sultry face, Chrysalis leaned right up before the Beadle himself.
“Oh, won’t you please oblige us by pampering you, Mr. Bamford?” Chrysalis asked kindly, with seduction. “After all sir, if you recall during our last encounter, I did say I was ‘dying’ to see you again. And here you are. Perhaps we could become… ‘better acquainted’?”
Hearing the beautiful young woman speak in such a way caused the Beadle to reward her with a toothy grin.
“I’d certainly love to get better acquainted with you madam… but I really must tend to my business.”
Sunny: Oh…so, he wasn’t…charmed?
Me: Oh, he was charmed alright, but charmness from females off the street doesn’t severely impact his massive pay grade.
“An admirable sentiment,” Sweeney butted in. “But I must ask you, out of professional curiosity you understand, is that a cream or a tallow pomade?”
Having been complimented once more, the Beadle ran a hand through his hair.
“Oh, not a pomade at all!” He smiled. “My secret is a touch of ambergris.”
Me: Is that some kind of herb?
“Mm… such an intoxicating aroma,” Chrysalis smiled seductively. “Though I’d think Mr. Todd could find you something that will surely drive the ladies wild.”
“Indeed, sir, hair that delicate requires a genuine pomade!” Sweeney nodded in agreement. “Come along, let me show you the difference.”
“And while he’s doing that, you and I can get to know each other a little better,” Chrysalis smirked, dragging a finger across the man’s collar.
With a beautiful young girl upon him and Mr. Todd offering him services, Beadle quickly found himself falling to temptation.
Me: Nevermind, I take back what I said.
Zipp: Well…he’s dead.
“Well… you are the expert in these matters,” He grinned, eyeing Chrysalis. “Tell me dear, would a new scent aid in getting to know you and… much more?”
“Why Mr. Bamford, you are a charmer,” Chrysalis grinned, trying not to vomit.
Hitch: She is trying so hard not to vomit from his disgusting personality.
Pipp: *hurp* I’m good!
Chrysalis and Mr. Todd proceeded to lead the Beadle up the stairs toward the barber shop.
“And we’ll finish you off with a nice facial rub of bay rum,” Sweeney added.
“Oooh, bay rum is bracing,” Beadle replied.
“And on the house of course,” Chrysalis winked. “Just for you, Beadle Bamford.”
“Well, I take that very kindly,” Beadle grinned at her. “Lead on, my dear.”
“My assistant and I, sir, are entirely at your… disposal,” Sweeney replied, flitting eyes to Lovett.
Down below, Mrs. Lovett released a sigh of relief when the three entered the barbershop. All she hoped for now was that she stocked up on plenty of dough. No doubt the greasiness of that man was sure to cause her pies to go soggy.
Meanwhile, from across the street, a pair of eyes spied Sweeny and Chrysalis leading the Beadle up the stairs to the shop, chatting with him easily. All from the perspective of the Beggar Woman herself, hunched across the street, watching them very closely. Even in her warped mind, she wondered what dear Beadle could be doing going up them steps to that barber shop. One thing was for sure, she had every intent to find out.
Pipp: That’s the last we’ll see of him.
Sunny: Toby’s going to watch his…c-c-corpse fall down there with him!
Hitch: Oh, that poor kid.
Misty: What’s…he doing there?
Me: He was locked down there by Lovett because he was getting too close to uncovering the conspiracy of the shop.
Misty: C-conspiracy?
Down in the bakehouse, Toby kept himself occupied while waiting for Mrs. Lovett’s return. He thought it odd she was taking such a long time than what she assured. However, he had quickly forgotten the thought when he reached for a fresh pie off the rack. As always, the pies were warm, flaky, and tasty as they could be as Toby sank his teeth into the pie while slowly wandering around the bakehouse. For a brief moment, he stopped to consider the many stained cleavers and bone saws, curiously wondering what goes on in this bakehouse.
Me: I guess I should have figured high end tools were involved.
Suddenly, as he chewed on the delectable pastry, he suddenly bites down on something hard… something different. Reaching into his mouth, the young boy pulled out something that made his eyes widen in both fear and shock. It was a toenail… attached to a human toe. To be exact, it was the severed tip of a toe.
Misty: (screams into hooves)
Sunny: Oh…oh…!
Hitch: *hurp*!
Izzy: AAHH!!! (dives under table)
Sprout: (under same table) Do you min—?
Izzy: (hugs/death grips him)
Toby dropped it in horror, but he hadn’t time to be disgusted by this newfound discovery. As he started back and turned his head to the right, he spotted something far more disturbing. Laying under an old tarp was a large pile of bloodied human bones and an assortment of dismembered body parts. The poor boy stood in complete shock and horror at the macabre sight before him when suddenly, a loud thumping and clanging of the trapdoor mechanics made the boy spin with alarm.
The trapdoor to the barber shop opened up and Toby only managed to turn quick enough to see the newly bloodied body of Beadle Bamford suddenly fall from the mouth of the chute and into the bakehouse. The head crashed onto the hard stone floor, bursting open and his brains fell out.
There was even more screaming in the audience.
Hitch: HOLY HELL!!! THAT’S A LOT OF BLOOD!!!
Pipp: The practical effects of this movie are amazingly realistic.
Zipp: HOW ARE YOU NOT BOTHERED BY THIS?!!
Pipp: (shrugs) Because it’s a fictional movie.
Sunny: WHEN WILL THIS CARNAGE EVER END?!!!
Toby screamed in horror and raced to the door trying to pry it open. But it was no use; the door was locked. He banged on the heavy iron door wildly.
The poor boy tried like hell to open the door, but found it latched shut. The thundering roar from the bake oven seemed to rise to match his frenzy. As he tried to pull the door open, all he could think of was that he had been right all along. He knew something was wrong with Mr. Todd and now it was all too clear what it was. He needed to get out of the room quickly; he needed to alert the law before he’s the next victim.
“Please, let me out!” He begged tearfully.
But it was clear he wasn’t getting the door open, and he knew he needed to find another way out of this room. Just then, in his panic, he remembered Mrs. Lovett talking about the sewers when she brought him down here. Without second thought, Toby raced to the sewer grate, yanked it up and disappeared down into the sewers as the shrill factory whistle screamed above. This would be the boy’s only way out of this nightmare, not realizing it had only just begun…
Sunny: Get out of there, Toby!
Izzy: (under the table) Use the sewers!!
Sprout: Stop squeezing me!
Pipp: Ew! Gross!
Zipp: Anything’s better than being cannibalized!
Up above in the barber shop, Sweeney Todd and Chrysalis looked down upon the hatch where the dead body of Beadle Bamford fell. As Chrysalis stood by the chair, holding Todd’s bloodied razor, she faced the fiendish barber. His eyes were blazing; his face covered in a spray of blood. He was lost in rapture, but not for long. He proceeded to drop Beadle’s top hat, his coat, and his billy club down into the bakehouse before sealing the trapdoor. It felt good to finally put an end to Turpin’s slimy right-hand man, probably more so for a certain Changeling who flicked the razor around her ‘human’ fingers.
“About time!” Chrysalis cringed in disgust. “If I had another minute with that rat latching onto me, I’d take this razor and slit his throat myself!”
Sweeney turned toward Chrysalis, seeing the hate for the man burning in her eyes. Instead of sharing in her hate, his face suddenly turned… soft. While he himself was rid of the man once and for all, he couldn’t bear the thought of her being so sadistic… not like him.
“You can’t,” He whispered.
Me: Huh?
Chrysalis quickly turned to face him, surprised by his words.
“What was that?” She asked him.
“I wouldn’t allow you to kill the man,” He replied. “I can’t.”
Me: Oh. What’s he doing?
Sunny: I don’t…understand.
Chrysalis tilted her head in confusion, as if trying to determine what game this man was playing with her.
“What are you talking about?” Chrysalis asked, confused. “You above all others wanted him dead from the start. How dare you believe I couldn’t kill anybody?! You don’t know what I’ve done!”
“I know… but I’d rather it be me to kill him than allow you to darken yourself further.”
Chrysalis’s eyes widened slightly, taking a step back with shock.
Likewise were the audience.
Me: Woah…
Izzy: (peeking out from underneath the table) Is he, like, actually looking out of her?
Zipp: I…don’t know.
Sunny: So there’s still good in him?
Me: No sodding idea.
“Why?” She asked. “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Sweeney inhaled deeply and exhaled just as slowly, as he flicked out a handkerchief from his pocket, took back his razor, and wiped the blood off as he stood in front of her, his eyes looming toward hers.
“I’ve allowed myself to slip into the darkness for my revenge,” Todd spoke quietly. “I chose to be willing to kill whomever I must. No doubt you believe yourself to do the same; that’s why you’d kill if you had to.”
He then reached a gentle hand up and lightly cupped her cheek.
I reared back in my seat, eyes wide with a fish’s mouth shaped mouth.
“However, no matter what you say, you are no killer,” He spoke genuinely. “What happened to your love was tragic; I have no doubt you wish for those responsible to pay. You may try to hide in darkness, but I know within you still resides a kind heart. I won’t allow you to darken it with murder, not as I have. It’s too late for me… but not for you.”
No words were forthcoming from Chrysalis, as she eyed the barber, a man whom she grew close to these passing months. From the moment she met him, Sweeney Todd was a revenge-crazed madman and this much she knew for certain. And yet, in this moment, she felt genuine care from this man, who’d rather kill and let his heart be further darkened than allow her to do any of it herself.
The truth is… she never actually ‘killed’ anyone before, no matter how much she wanted to. Not even Nicholas Flamel… the man was already dead when she found him. She lied about the trip, choosing to take the credit because she was determined not to appear weak before the Dark One… or to anyone. But no matter how hard she’d talk a good game; she couldn’t truly kill… anybody… or even any pony.
An entire dump of information was left on the audience with so little time to process it all.
Me: Wow. Flamel was already dead when stole the Stone, or was it even the stone considering he was already dead? But…apparently our ex-queen has no murderous tendencies, which explains why she didn’t simply kill Cadence during the Wedding Invasion.
Sunny: I don’t…don’t know what to think of all this…
Zipp: I’m still not gonna forgive her for what she already did.
Me: This info dump definitely changes a lot…(aside), though I’m a bit peeved that it was a case of “Tell, Don’t Show.” However, I can understand the challenge of making it “Show, Don’t Tell.” so I’m okay with it. (to Zipp) Yeah, despite this, I get where you’re coming from, she has done very despicable things.
“I—I don’t know what to say,” She whispered, lost for words.
“You needn’t say anything,” Sweeney replied. “Just know you’ll never have to darken yourself into becoming a monster… not while I’m around.”
Chrysalis could feel a small smirk etching its way onto her face, as well as tears running down her face. In that moment, her emotions finally took control as she quickly leaned up… and planted her lips onto Mr. Todd’s. It was quick and chaste, but a kiss, nonetheless. When she pulled back within a second, she felt her eyes widen as largely as Sweeney’s.
Izzy: Ooooh!!!
Me: (smug) Bold move, Chryssi.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” She stammered. “I don’t know what came over me; I should see to the boy—”
She quickly turned to leave but found herself pulled back by a firm yet gentle grip. She spun back around, and her lips crashed against Mr. Todd’s once more as they both leaned in to embrace one another. Ghosts of victims-past move into the frame with purpose, impatient. Chrysalis’s hands grasped Todd’s face, smearing the blood off his face. Her hands proceeded to remove the barber’s-stained tunic while his jacket slipped down his shoulders. She fell back onto the blood-stained barber chair, the barber’s lips nicked her neck and a sharp cry emerged from Chrysalis herself, echoing across the room, and she felt the room spinning.
More and more of the ghastly specters moved around the room—multiplying exponentially—every last victim Sweeney Todd had slain. The Gentleman, the Banker, the General, the Tourist, the Student, the Priest, among others. Like an engine roaring, as the motor hissed on a twisting road, Chrysalis’s hands were more intrusive than they’ve ever been—touching Todd—eagerly preparing him for the finale of his satisfied hunger. By now, the ghosts are in full fury, demented and threatening, the screeching transforming into a strange symphony of inarticulate moans and howls and chanting, ‘Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeeeeeeneeeeey…’ before taking them back to…
Me: I am so tripping balls right now; it’s like the ghost of Sondheim himself is haunting his own creation. I can just faintly hear the ghostly singing of the chorus lyrics.
Reality…
The kiss was slightly longer yet still brief, as they eventually pulled apart once more and the malicious pair appeared as though nothing happened.
Hitch: What…just happened!?
Me: I don’t know anymore…but God do I feel sorry for Cadence right about now.
Chrysalis stared up at Mr. Todd, who proceeded to clean the remaining blood off his face as he turned to her with a wicked sly smirk on his face.
“Always wanted to do that,” He grinned.
Pipp: Red flag…creep alert.
Zipp: I’m more confused than anything.
Her thoughts raced a million miles in her head, yet Chrysalis couldn’t help but chuckle over his words.
“What does this mean?” She asked.
“We’ll discuss that later,” Sweeney responded. “Right now, we have urgent matters to deal with.”
Me: (deadpan) Of course you do.
Chrysalis quickly nodded her head as she remembered they still had Toby to deal with. Sweeney, with a clean razor in hand, flung the door open before descending the stairs. Chrysalis followed closely behind, eager to see this to the end. As they made their way through the pie shop, down the steps to the bakehouse, Mrs. Lovett had just unlatched the large iron door.
“What took you two so long?” She questioned.
“Killing fat men tends to take time,” Chrysalis retorted.
Lovett just rolled her eyes at the response before pulling the large door open and the three stepped inside. The fire raged within the closed oven, illuminating the otherwise dark room. The remains of the Beadle and the decayed bodies sat in place… but there was no sign of Toby anywhere.
Sunny: He’s gone. (smiles in relief) Thank hoofness!
(stop at 2:00)
“Where is he?” Mrs. Lovett whispered.
“You said you locked him in!” Chrysalis whispered back. “Where would he go?!”
The three twisted individuals searched the room trying to find the young boy. However, he was nowhere to be found.
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Toby! Where are you, love?
“Toby!” Mr. Todd called out.
“Come on out, Toby lad,” Chrysalis encouraged sweetly. “Where are you?”
Me: Oh, yeah. Now here’s that horror aspect.
The trio soon made their way to the left where there was a tunnel leading into the sewers. They began to lurk their way through the horrible, rat-infested catacombs of decaying sewers. Todd carried his razor; their voices echoed bizarrely as they continued their search.
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Nothing’s gonna harm you, Not while I’m around…
Misty squirmed at the creepy singing voice, picturing a certain fiery alicorn in her place within her mind.
Mrs. Lovett’s singing echoed creepily through the sewers as they searched deeper down the sewers. Mr. Todd kept his razor behind his back, ready for when they found that boy.
“Toby!” He called again.
“Where are ya hidin’?” Mrs. Lovett added.
“There’s no reason to be scared,” Chrysalis called out. “Come on out, and we’ll forgive you.”
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Nothing’s gonna harm you, darling, not while I’m around…
At one point, Mrs. Lovett broke away from the group hoping to cover more ground, Chrysalis and Sweeney proceeded down the other way.
“Toby!”
Chrysalis (Sings): Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays…
“Urgh! This is hopeless!” Chrysalis groaned, frustrated. “If that brat escapes, it’s the end for us, Mr. Todd!”
“Worry not, my dear,” He assured her. “He won’t get away, not this time.”
Suddenly, Chrysalis stopped in her tracks as a strange sensation swept over her. All of a sudden, it was though she could feel the presence of ‘others’. Ones she felt were all too familiar. Sweeney quickly spun and saw her just standing there.
“Are you alright?” He asked her.
“I’m fine,” She nodded quickly. “We have visitors at the barber shop.”
Zipp: Oh, dear.
Sunny: (gasps) Oh, no! That’s not good!
“Who?” Sweeney asked hastily. “Is it the Judge?”
“No… but I wouldn’t worry about it,” Chrysalis assured him. “I’ll deal with it myself; you find the boy. Like you said… we can’t let him get away.”
Sweeney merely gave a slow nod of understanding before turning back around and proceeding down the sewers. Chrysalis turned back and made for the bakehouse. Tonight, not only would Mr. Todd get his revenge, but now… it was Chrysalis’ turn.
Me: So, at the revelation, how do you suppose she’ll enact her revenge without, you know, murdering them?
Sunny: I have no idea.
Me: You know, the problem with revenge is that satisfaction is almost never a guarantee, but we’ll see what happens.
Upstairs, the Equestrians, along with Anthony and Johanna, burst into the barber shop at full speed. Johanna was now dressed as a scruffy boy, in dirty trousers, a jacket, and a trim cap so as to hide her hair. Having just broken her out of the asylum, the last thing they needed was for her to be recognized and sent back to that madhouse. And yet… the poor girl seems distracted… disturbed even.
Me: It’s like she’s not even on this plane of existence.
Izzy: Get out of there! It’s jinxie!
Sunny: They don’t know the truth. Oh, no!
“Mr. Todd…?” Anthony called out, upon entry.
“Is he here?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Doesn’t appear so at the moment,” Anthony sighed disappointed.
Sunny: He’ll be back very soon. Well, Chrysalis actually, but you’re all still in danger!
“Where could he have possibly gone?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“Maybe he went out to get some breakfast?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
“This late at night?” Rainbow Dash asked, sarcastically.
“Sure! That way he won’t have to be up in the morning to eat it!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
Zipp: That’s…not how it works.
Pipp: That sounds really dumb.
“I’m more concerned about where that girl he was with is,” Twilight butted in. “It’s clear the ‘true’ girl had been locked in the asylum for over a year now, so we couldn’t possibly have seen her a few months back. That only leaves ‘one’ possible explanation: Who else could pull off impersonating as some pony else?”
“… Chrysalis!” Spike realized.
Zipp: Oh, so now they get it!
Sunny: Well, she had them fooled during the Wedding, remember?
Zipp: Yeah, but that was when they met!
“If she’s here, where the hay is she?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused her magic into scanning the surrounding area to locate ‘any’ form of life in the building. Unfortunately, apart from herself, her friends, even Anthony and Johanna, she couldn’t find anyone else.
“I’m not seeing anyone else in or around this place,” Twilight replied, opening her eyes. “They must have left when we got here.”
Hitch: Right…‘cause they’re in the sewers.
“We must find them and fast!” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Flutters,” Rainbow agreed, cracking her knuckles. “I’ve been dying to squash that bug woman for a long, long time!”
Sunny: Uh…
Me: She’s gonna be up to her old self, which means giving her enemies motivation with her taunting and gloating to want to beat her up.
“But first, I must ask for you to help secure a coach,” Anthony piped in. “If me and Johanna have any hope of escaping, we need a horse and coach to get as far away as possible before we board a ship.”
The Mane Six and Spike looked amongst each other, trying to think of which task required their immediate attention. The discovery of Chrysalis hiding amongst them the whole time was certainly a cause for concern and who knows what more could happen if they don’t stop her? However, as friends they made a promise to Anthony and Johanna to help them escape London, no matter what. In the end, Twilight gave a nod toward Anthony.
“We’ll help you secure a ride out of here,” She promised him. “But we need to be quick. The longer Chrysalis runs free, the more dangerous things become.”
“We shall be no more than half an hour,” Anthony assured her.
The young man soon turned back to his disguised lover, placing a comforting hand upon her arm.
“You wait for Mr. Todd here,” Anthony told Johanna. “I’ll return with the coach in less than half an hour. Don’t worry, darling, in those clothes, no one will recognize you… you’re safe now.”
“I agree with Anthony there,” Pinkie nodded. “When we first found those clothes and put them on, I was like ‘Gasp! Who is that guy?’.”
Zipp: One: she is not even close to being safe. And two: you just said that she won’t be recognized.
Pipp: Oh…yeah, I see what you mean.
The two teenagers appreciated Pinkie’s attempt to lighten the mood with a joke, but they were too focused to be concerned. Especially Johanna, who still looked ‘very’ concerned that things would go wrong. As she gently touched Todd’s collection of razors, picking up the largest razor, eyeing it, she could feel the eerie echo of someone… familiar to her. A father’s echo she hadn’t heard in years.
“Safe…?” Johanna questioned, darkly ironic. “So, we run away and then all our dreams come true?”
“I hope so…” Anthony nodded.
“I have never had dreams, only nightmares,” Johanna responded somberly.
Me: I’m very concerned for her mental health.
Hearing this made the rest of the group frown, knowing full well what this girl had been through her entire life. No wonder she harbored such doubt even now.
“You needn’t worry about that anymore, Johanna,” Twilight assured her. “We promised to make sure your life changed for the better. When we make a promise, we keep it.”
“She’s right, darling,” Rarity nodded. “If it’s the last thing we do, we’ll free you from this nightmare.”
“Johanna… when we’re free of this place, all the ghosts will go away,” Anthony told her.
However, Johanna gave a slight shake of her head as she stared very intensely into her lover’s eyes.
“No, Anthony, they never go away.”
Me: (somber) Yeah…
Sunny: (likewise) Right…
Anthony wished so desperately to go back in time to stop Turpin from taking Johanna to begin with, to save her from all the years of torment. However, all he could do now was help her ‘try’ to forget.
“I’ll be right back to you,” He assured her, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “Half an hour and we’ll be free.”
“We better get going so you guys can get out of here and we can find Chrysalis!” Spike added in.
Soon, Anthony and the Equestrian heroes made their way out the door of the barber shop, racing through the night to secure passage out of London. All alone in the barber shop, as she waited for their return, Johanna turned to the window and watched them go. But instead of relief, her expression was sad: They could never fully comprehend her depth.
Little did she know however, was the Beggar Woman was approaching from just across the street…
Me: (fear) Oh, Jesus…
Zipp: That woman is starting to confuse me. I mean, I know she has some importance but—(gasps) Oh…
Sunny: What is it?
Zipp: I just thought of something, but I don’t know how much it will hold up.
It had taken the group at least twenty minutes to cross toward the center of London City just to find one carriage station. In a city this huge, not to mention the law still hunting them down, it was incredibly difficult to get around. They were thankful that they even found a place so they could manage passage quickly and resume their search for Chrysalis.
“Alright, I’m going to go secure safe passage out of London,” Anthony told the group. “You wait here; I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Make it quick, dude,” Rainbow spoke impatiently.
Anthony quickly raced inside the station, leaving the rest to wait outside in the cold.
“Ooh… maybe one of us should’ve stayed to watch Johanna,” Fluttershy spoke nervously. “I hate being out here in the open with the police still looking for us.”
Me: Probably, yeah.
“I think the police are the least of our worries, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied. “We need to find Chrysalis before she causes any more harm to this world… if not already.”
“I can’t believe how stupid I am!” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “We were in the same room with her… ‘TWICE’, and we didn’t even know it! You’d think with all the times we’ve encountered Changelings that we’d at least tell ‘how’ to spot one.”
“Only goes to show how brainless you truly are.”
Me: Guess who dropped in. Though, I can sit comfortably that she doesn't have the heart to kill a being.
Another voice made the group spin on their heels toward none other than Chrysalis standing a few feet away from them, once more in her original form. The former Changeling Queen released a wicked laugh as the group assumed the defensive position.
Me: (bored) Of course she has to laugh.
“What are you doing here, Chrysalis?!” Twilight questioned angrily. “What purpose could you have for this world? Did the Order send you?”
“Well princess, to be truthful, the Order has no idea I’m even here,” Chrysalis replied. “I merely came to this pitiful dimension seeking to clear my head. But the moment I got here, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who shared the same intentions as I have… revenge.”
Me: And a rekindling of love, at that.
“Oh, well we’re happy that you actually met somebody while you’re—” Pinkie piped in, till Rainbow covered her mouth.
“We’ve been down this road before, bug breath,” Rainbow retorted. “You cause trouble, we come in, and kick your sorry flank from here to kingdom come! Why don’t we just skip to the flank kicking right now?!”
To which the offer merely made Chrysalis laugh harder.
“Yet I’ve been in the same vicinity as you foolish mares, and your stupid dragon friend, and not one of you realized it was me!” Chrysalis laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to snap your necks both times and bake you all into a fresh pie. After all, it’s not like you’d be ‘the first’.”
Me: And…here is comes.
The statement alone caused the girls and Spike to widen their eyes and reel back.
“What… do you mean?” Twilight asked fearfully.
“Have you truly not figured it out yet, princess?” Chrysalis grinned. “You ever wondered how Mrs. Lovett’s shop went from struggling to prosperous in such a short time? Or how patrons come to Mr. Todd for a shave yet never seem to return? You really are as ‘stupid’ as I believed.”
Me: The only viable excuse they have is that they were on the run looking for Johanna, so when they reunited in the Shop they had more on their mind than Lovett’s new supplier.
It was soon starting to come together for the entire group, especially Pinkie and Applejack. When Mrs. Lovett told them she found a new meat supplier, most of the group hadn’t understood what she’d meant. Even when Applejack knew Lovett was lying about something, only now did it come together.
“Y’all mean… them pies were—”
“People? Yes…” Chrysalis nodded. “People Pies.”
Words couldn’t possibly describe the horror on their minds as the Mane Six and Spike cringed. Spike held a claw over his mouth trying hard not to vomit, while the rest of the girls couldn’t believe their ears. Pinkie Pie shuddered then hastily put a hoof in front of Chrysalis.
“I-I-I-I-I-I-I KNEW IT!!!” Pinkie Pie cried out.
“Pinkie… you never once said she was even suspicious,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“But I DID… in my heart,” Pinkie held her chest.
Me: I’m getting tired of your cheap copouts, Pinkie! I know you’re just trying to make an excuse so you don’t get all guilt-ridden and all that.
Hitch: Okay, okay. Please calm down.
Me: Sorry.
“Now it all makes a lick of sense!” Applejack realized. “Pinkie Pie offered Mrs. Lovett help tah get her business back, the same as y’all wanted to help out during Apple Buck Season. But that there baker woman had no intent of wantin’ our help. Then Pinkie came back with a pie that got the whole town stir-crazy and somehow Pinkie got Lovett to slip what she had to work with, without actually tellin’ wut was ‘in them pies!”
“The worst part is… I actually enjoyed that pie Pinkie brought in…” Spike cringed, clutching his mouth again.
“… You actually… fed him… the pie?” Chrysalis asked the party pony, slowly.
Hitch: Oh, no! (rushes out again)
Sunny: Oh, why?!
Zipp: Why does that idiot have to eat everything in sight?!
Me: (facepalms) Good, lord, Spike. No one’s ever going to let you live this down.
“I told you that us ‘girls’ didn’t eat the pie,” Pinkie pointed out. “I never said ‘all’ of us didn’t eat it.”
“Well… how very smart for your country bumpkin friend,” Chrysalis sneered evilly. “Too bad you figured it out too late! Heh-heh-heh-heh…”
Me: Oh, shut up with your boring uninteresting villain cliches already!
A retching sound from the side echoed, as Spike finally couldn’t hold it and released chunks off the side. All at once, Twilight Sparkle’s face went from horror… to pure anger.
“You’ve really done it this time, Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted. “I swear by Princess Celestia’s good name, you’ll pay for what you’ve done here!”
Twilight Sparkle raised her hands up and focused her magic to cast a bolt toward the Changeling… but nothing happened. She tried again… and again… and again… but she looked as though she were making an awkward pose.
“What?” She spoke confused. “But… but it was working before!”
Once more, an evil laugh escaped Chrysalis’s lips.
“Magic trouble, princess?” Chrysalis asked mockingly. “Maybe try looking at your arm.”
Me: (frustrated) Oh, don’t tell me…
Sunny: Again?!
In fact, the moment Twilight looked down upon her right wrist, she noticed she once again wore a magic canceling cuff from nowhere. The remainder of the group looked down, noting they too had one as well. Some on the opposite arm, some on her legs… and at least one around the neck like a choker.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow yelled, pulling the ‘choker’ cuff. “How does this keep happening?!”
“By all accounts, this doesn’t make sense even for me!” Pinkie cried.
Me: How did that even happen!? There was no instance at all ever in the entire city where the Order was involved! This is starting to become a pattern and right now I feel like shooting Chrysalis in her stupid face!
“Wow… to think you’re supposed to be Equestria’s greatest heroes,” Chrysalis grinned. “You really are pathetic.”
Just then, Chrysalis felt that similar feeling within her again. She could sense another presence making their way to the barbershop. A wicked grin of satisfaction spread across her face; one she’d been looking forward to ‘all’ night.
“Well girls, I truly would love to stay and chat,” Chrysalis declared. “But I have a lamb to lead, or in this case a judge, to the slaughter! Do try and keep up if you can.”
With one last sinister laugh, the Changeling Queen was engulfed by green flames and vanished without a trace.
Me: (angry) Oh, come on! How can I take you seriously as a villain when you keep pulling stupid stunts like this every single damn time?! You have had various instances where you had the perfect opportunity to enact your revenge and you choose to run away and get lost at every shitting turn! Goddamnit, no wonder you keep losing!
I cracked open a fresh can of lite beer, taking a sip.
Me: It feels very unprofessional of me to go into angry rants like that, but I’ve got it made compared to Phantom. Oh, that poor pony.
The Equestrian heroes were all left in shock.
“We need to get back to the shop and put a stop to this!” Twilight yelled urgently.
“Stop who?” Spike questioned. “The Changeling or the Judge?”
Pipp: I’d go for the Changeling.
“What about Anthony?” Fluttershy asked.
“He’ll be fine!” Twilight responded. “We need to get back right now, before another person dies!”
“So… we are saving the Judge?” Spike spoke up.
Zipp: How about NO!!!
Me: Good idea!
“Come on, buddy! Let’s go!” Rainbow yelled, grabbing his arm.
Spike gave a loud yelp as he flung about in the air while the group quickly ran downtown as fast as they could. No sooner had they left, when suddenly Anthony emerged from the station to inform the group of the news. But much to his shock, his friends were gone… every single one.
“Twilight? Spike?” Anthony called out. “Anybody?”
Me: (laughs) Oh, that is so classically theatrically rich!
Pipp: That poor man, they left him behind. But yeah, that’s very funny.
Hitch: (returns) Okay, I’m back. I swear, the next time I have to throw up, I’m leaving.
Me: You shouldn’t have to worry, because the Final Scene of the movie is just coming up.
Later that same evening, back at the barber/pie shop, things started to unravel rather quickly for the terrible trio. Chrysalis was still trying to deal with her conflicting emotions for Mr. Todd, having just discovered his wife’s ring and a vial of arsenic within Mrs. Lovett’s drawer. The latter of which made her question what the baker has been hiding all this time. But as it turned out, she was right about keeping Toby around being a bad idea. Somehow, he started to figure out what had been happening in this shop with every intent on alerting the authorities.
It was for this very reason that Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett, and Chrysalis herself met within the barber shop, to discuss the matter while climbing down the back steps. A razor was firmly grasped in Todd’s hand.
Sunset Shimmer: Oh no, they're still hunting for Toby.
Ahsoka Tano: I hope he'll be okay.
Postwar: He will be. Call it a feeling.
“I told you keeping him here was a stupid idea,” Chrysalis groaned, mid-descent. “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen!”
“Yes, yes, you were right!” Mrs. Lovett sighed, rolling her eyes. “You want a medal or somethin’ for bein’ so clever?”
“Watch it, Lovett!” Chrysalis hissed back.
“This is no time to argue!” Sweeney spoke up. “Where’s the boy now?”
“I got him locked up in the cellar,” Mrs. Lovett responded. “But if he escapes, he’ll go to the law!”
“Which means we’ll either be in jail or dead before dawn,” Chrysalis added.
“Then he can’t escape,” Sweeney declared, with murderous intent.
Leia Organa: They're really going to kill the boy?
Mando: People would do anything to silence others to make sure that no secrets are spilled, no matter who or what they are, or even their age.
C-3PO: My word. *R2 whining in worry*
They were about to push Mrs. Lovett aside, to turn the corner into the pie shop when the door opened suddenly, causing Mrs. Lovett to yelp with surprise. To their shock, they had walked straight in the Beadle himself, the man standing within the doorway.
Sunset Shimmer *groaning* Oh great, him again.
Postwar: That guy really is a creep.
Galen Marek: Something tells me karma will hit him really hard.
“Excuse me, sir!” Mrs. Lovett gasped. “You gave me a fright.”
“Not my intention, good madam,” Beadle replied. “Though I am here on official business.”
Before proceeding, Beadle elaborately prepared himself a pinch of snuff to clear his sinuses.
“You see, there’s been complaints,” He continued. “About the stink from your chimney. They say at night, it’s something most foul. Health regulations – and the general public welfare, naturally – being my duty, I’m afraid I’ll have to take a look… at your bakehouse.”
The Beadle inhaled the snuff and sneezed before daintily wiping his nose. Chrysalis cringed in disgust internally at the sight of the rotund rat-faced man. But somehow, the Changeling in disguise managed to maintain her persona. Seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Mr. Todd put on a charming smile.
“Of course…” Todd agreed smoothly. “But first why don’t you come upstairs and let me attend to you?”
“Much as I do appreciate tonsorial adornment, I really ought to see to my ‘official’ obligations first,” Beadle replied.
Postwar: More like looking for an excuse to shut down a business establishment that you don't like.
Ben Solo: Are some people always this greedy?
Postwar: Young man, I could tell you stories.
Seeing they were losing the man and knowing full well they couldn’t let him just stroll into the bakehouse, Chrysalis leapt in and attempted her own ‘charm’. Rolling down one strap of her dress and putting on her best sultry face, Chrysalis leaned right up before the Beadle himself.
“Oh, won’t you please oblige us by pampering you, Mr. Bamford?” Chrysalis asked kindly, with seduction. “After all sir, if you recall during our last encounter, I did say I was ‘dying’ to see you again. And here you are. Perhaps we could become… ‘better acquainted’?”
Hearing the beautiful young woman speak in such a way caused the Beadle to reward her with a toothy grin.
“I’d certainly love to get better acquainted with youmadam… but I really must tend to my business.”
“An admirable sentiment,” Sweeney butted in. “But I must ask you, out of professional curiosity you understand, is that a cream or a tallow pomade?”
Having been complimented once more, the Beadle ran a hand through his hair.
“Oh, not a pomade at all!” He smiled. “My secret is a touch of ambergris.”
“Mm… such an intoxicating aroma,” Chrysalis smiled seductively. “Though I’d think Mr. Todd could find you something that will surely drive the ladies wild.”
Everyone gags and feels like needing the urge to throw up.
“And while he’s doing that, you and I can get to know each other a little better,” Chrysalis smirked, dragging a finger across the man’s collar.
With a beautiful young girl upon him and Mr. Todd offering him services, Beadle quickly found himself falling to temptation.
“Well… you are the expert in these matters,” He grinned, eyeing Chrysalis. “Tell me dear, would a new scent aid in getting to know you and… much more?”
“Why Mr. Bamford, you are a charmer,” Chrysalis grinned, trying not to vomit.
Chrysalis and Mr. Todd proceeded to lead the Beadle up the stairs toward the barber shop.
“And we’ll finish you off with a nice facial rub of bay rum,” Sweeney added.
“Oooh, bay rum is bracing,” Beadle replied.
“And on the house of course,” Chrysalis winked. “Just for you, Beadle Bamford.”
“Well, I take that very kindly,” Beadle grinned at her. “Lead on, my dear.”
“My assistant and I, sir, are entirely at you… disposal,” Sweeney replied, flitting eyes to Lovett.
Down below, Mrs. Lovett released a sigh of relief when the three entered the barbershop. All she hoped for now was that she stocked up on plenty of dough. No doubt the greasiness of that man was sure to cause her pies to go soggy.
Postwar: And so the devil invites you to their door, and soon you be trapped in the gates of hell.
Galen Marek: Wow...that's deep.
Postwar: I get by.
Down in the bakehouse, Toby kept himself occupied while waiting for Mrs. Lovett’s return. He thought it odd she was taking such a long time than what she assured. However, he had quickly forgotten the thought when he reached for a fresh pie off the rack. As always, the pies were warm, flaky, and tasty as they could be as Toby sank his teeth into the pie while slowly wandering around the bakehouse. For a brief moment, he stopped to consider the many stained cleavers and bone saws, curiously wondering what goes on in this bakehouse.
Suddenly, as he chewed on the delectable pastry, he suddenly bites down on something hard… something different. Reaching into his mouth, the young boy pulled out something that made his eyes widen in both fear and shock. It was a toenail… attached to a humantoe. To be exact, it was the severed tip of a toe.
Toby dropped it in horror, but he hadn’t time to be disgusted by this newfound discovery. As he started back and turned his head to the right, he spotted something far more disturbing. Laying under an old tarp was a large pile of bloodied human bones and an assortment of dismembered body parts. The poor boy stood in complete shock and horror at the macabre sight before him when suddenly, a loud thumping and clanging of the trapdoor mechanics made the boy spin with alarm.
The trapdoor to the barber shop opened up and Toby only managed to turn quick enough to see the newly bloodied body of Beadle Bamford suddenly fall from the mouth of the chute and into the bakehouse. The head crashed onto the hard stone floor, bursting open and his brains fell out. Toby screamed in horror and raced to the door trying to pry it open. But it was no use; the door was locked. He banged on the heavy iron door wildly.
The poor boy tried like hell to open the door, but found it latched shut. The thundering roar from the bake oven seemed to rise to match his frenzy. As he tried to pull the door open, all he could think of was that he had been right all along. He knew something was wrong with Mr. Todd and now it was all too clear what it was. He needed to get out of the room quickly; he needed to alert the law before he’s the next victim.
“Please, let me out!” He begged tearfully.
But it was clear he wasn’t getting the door open, and he knew he needed to find another way out of this room. Just then, in his panic, he remembered Mrs. Lovett talking about the sewers when she brought him down here. Without second thought, Toby raced to the sewer grate, yanked it up and disappeared down into the sewers as the shrill factory whistle screamed above. This would be the boy’s only way out of this nightmare, not realizing it had only just begun…
Ahsoka Tano: Oh, the poor boy.
Leia holds Ben close to her, with Galen holding Sunset close as she also got worried.
Up above in the barber shop, Sweeney Todd and Chrysalis looked down upon the hatch where the dead body of Beadle Bamford fell. As Chrysalis stood by the chair, holding Todd’s bloodied razor, she faced the fiendish barber. His eyes were blazing; his face covered in a spray of blood. He was lost in rapture, but not for long. He proceeded to drop Beadle’s top hat, his coat, and his billy club down into the bakehouse before sealing the trapdoor. It felt good to finally put an end to Turpin’s slimy right-hand man, probably more so for a certain Changeling who flicked the razor around her ‘human’ fingers.
“About time!” Chrysalis cringed in disgust. “If I had another minute with that rat latching onto me, I’d take this razor and slit his throat myself!”
Sweeney turned toward Chrysalis, seeing the hate for the man burning in her eyes. Instead of sharing in her hate, his face suddenly turned… soft. While he himself was rid of the man once and for all, he couldn’t bear the thought of her being so sadistic… not like him.
“You can’t,” He whispered.
Chrysalis quickly turned to face him, surprised by his words.
“What was that?” She asked him.
“I wouldn’t allow you to kill the man,” He replied. “I can’t.”
Chrysalis tilted her head in confusion, as if trying to determine what game this man was playing with her.
“What are you talking about?” Chrysalis asked confused. “You above all others wanted him dead from the start. How dare you believe I couldn’t kill anybody?! You don’t know what I’ve done!”
“I know… but I’d rather it be me to kill him than allow you to darken yourself further.”
Chrysalis’s eyes widened slightly, taking a step back with shock.
Everyone, minus Postwar, were slowly surprised by where this was going.
“Why?” She asked. “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Sweeney inhaled deeply and exhaled just as slowly, as he flicked out a handkerchief from his pocket, took back his razor, and wiped the blood off as he stood in front of her, his eyes looming toward hers.
“I’ve allowed myself to slip into the darkness for my revenge,” Todd spoke quietly. “I chose to be willing to kill whomever I must. No doubt you believe yourself to do the same; that’s why you’d kill if you had to.”
He then reached a gentle hand up and lightly cupped her cheek.
“However, no matter what you say, you are no killer,” He spoke genuinely. “What happened to your love was tragic; I have no doubt you wish for those responsible to pay. You may try to hide in darkness, but I know within you still resides a kind heart. I won’t allow you to darken it with murder, not as I have. It’s too late for me… but not for you.”
No words were forthcoming from Chrysalis, as she eyed the barber, a man whom she grew close to these passing months. From the moment she met him, Sweeney Todd was a revenge-crazed madman and this much she knew for certain. And yet, in this moment, she felt genuine care from this man, who’d rather kill and let his heart be further darkened than allowing her to do any of it herself.
The truth is… she never actually ‘killed’ anyone before, no matter how much she wanted to. Not even Nicholas Flamel… the man was already dead when she found him. She lied about the trip, choosing to take the credit because she was determined not to appear weak before the Dark One… or to anyone. But no matter how hard she’d talk a good game; she couldn’t truly kill… anybody… or even any pony.
“I—I don’t know what to say,” She whispered, lost for words.
“You needn’t say anything,” Sweeney replied. “Just know you’ll never have to darken yourself into becoming a monster… not while I’m around.”
Chrysalis could feel a small smirk etching its way onto her face, as well as tears running down her face. In that moment, her emotions finally took control as she quickly leaned up… and planted her lips onto Mr. Todd’s. It was quick and chaste, but a kiss, nonetheless. When she pulled back within a second, she felt her eyes widen as largely as Sweeney’s.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” She stammered. “I don’t know what came over me; I should see to the boy—”
She quickly turned to leave but found herself pulled back by a firm yet gentle grip. She spun back around, and her lips crashed against Mr. Todd’s once more as they both leaned in to embrace one another. Ghosts of victims past move into the frame with purpose, impatient. Chrysalis’s hands grasped Todd’s face, smearing the blood off his face. Her hands proceeded to remove the barber’s-stained tunic while his jacket slipped down his shoulders. She fell back onto the blood-stained barber chair, the barber’s lips nicked her neck and a sharp cry emerged from Chrysalis herself, echoing across the room, and she felt the room spinning.
Everyone else feels creeped out by what they were seeing.
The kiss was slightly longer yet still brief, as they eventually pulled apart once more and the malicious pair appeared as though nothing happened. Chrysalis stared up at Mr. Todd, who proceeded to clean the remaining blood off his face as he turned to her with a wicked sly smirk on his face.
“Always wanted to do that,” He grinned.
Her thoughts raced a million miles in her head, yet Chrysalis couldn’t help but chuckle over his words.
“What does this mean?” She asked.
“We’ll discuss that later,” Sweeney responded. “Right now, we have urgent matters to deal with.”
Chrysalis quickly nodded her head as she remembered they still had Toby to deal with. Sweeney, with a clean razor in hand, flung the door open before descending the stairs. Chrysalis followed closely behind, eager to see this to the end. As they made their way through the pie shop, down the steps to the bakehouse, Mrs. Lovett had just unlatched the large iron door.
“What took you two so long?” She questioned.
“Killing fat men tends to take time,” Chrysalis retorted.
Lovett just rolled her eyes at the response before pulling the large door open and the three stepped inside. The fire raged within the closed oven, illuminating the otherwise dark room. The remains of the Beadle and the decayed bodies sat in place… but there was no sign of Toby anywhere.
Galen Marek: They're still hunting him?
Mando: Once a predator gets to work, they won't stop until they gained their kill.
“Toby!” He called again.
“Where are ya hidin’?” Mrs. Lovett added.
“There’s no reason to be scared,” Chrysalis called out. “Come on out, and we’ll forgive you.”
At one point, Mrs. Lovett broke away from the group hoping to cover more ground, Chrysalis and Sweeney proceeded down the other way.
“Toby!”
“Urgh! This is hopeless!” Chrysalis groaned, frustrated. “If that brat escapes, it’s the end for us, Mr. Todd!”
“Worry not, my dear,” He assured her. “He won’t get away, not this time.”
Suddenly, Chrysalis stopped in her tracks as a strange sensation swept over her. All of a sudden, it was though she could feel the presence of ‘others’. Ones she felt were all too familiar. Sweeney quickly spun and saw her just standing there.
“Are you alright?” He asked her.
“I’m fine,” She nodded quickly. “We have visitors at the barber shop.”
“Who?” Sweeney asked hastily. “Is it the Judge?”
“No… but I wouldn’t worry about it,” Chrysalis assured him. “I’ll deal with it myself; you find the boy. Like you said… we can’t let him get away.”
Sweeney merely gave a slow nod of understanding before turning back around and proceeding down the sewers. Chrysalis turned back and made for the bakehouse. Tonight, not only would Mr. Todd get his revenge, but now… it was Chrysalis’ turn.
Sunset Shimmer: Oh no, Twilight and the others.
Postwar then held to the side of his head, sensing what was going to happen, but he wasn't sure yet.
Upstairs, the Equestrians, along with Anthony and Johanna, burst into the barber shop at full speed. Johanna was now dressed as a scruffy boy, in dirty trousers, a jacket, and a trim cap so as to hide her hair. Having just broken her out of the asylum, the last thing they needed was for her to be recognized and sent back to that mad house. And yet… the poor girl seems distracted… disturbed even.
“Mr. Todd…?” Anthony called out, upon entry.
“Is he here?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Doesn’t appear so at the moment,” Anthony sighed disappointed.
“Where could he have possibly gone?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“Maybe he went out to get some breakfast?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
“This late at night?” Rainbow Dash asked, sarcastically.
“Sure! That way he won’t have to be up in the morning to eat it!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“I’m more concerned about where that girl he was with is,” Twilight butted in. “It’s clear the ‘true’ girl had been locked in the asylum for over a year now, so we couldn’t possibly have seen her a few months back. That only leaves ‘one’ possible explanation: Who else could pull off impersonating as some pony else?”
“… Chrysalis!” Spike realized.
“If she’s here, where the hay is she?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused her magic into scanning the surrounding area to locate ‘any’ form of life in the building. Unfortunately, apart from herself, her friends, even Anthony and Johanna, she couldn’t find anyone else.
Postwar: Is it my imagination, or is Chrysalis getting better at this?
Sunset Shimmer: Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.
“I can’t believe how stupid I am!” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “We were in the same room with her… ‘TWICE’, and we didn’t even know it! You’d think with all the times we’ve encountered Changelings that we’d at least tell ‘how’ to spot one.”
“Only goes to show how brainless you truly are.”
Another voice made the group spin on their heels toward none other than Chrysalis standing a few feet away from them, once more in her original form. The former Changeling Queen released a wicked laugh as the group assumed the defensive position.
“What are you doing here, Chrysalis?!” Twilight questioned angrily. “What purpose could you have for this world? Did the Order send you?”
“Well princess, to be truthful, the Order has no idea I’m even here,” Chrysalis replied. “I merely came to this pitiful dimension seeking to clear my head. But the moment I got here, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who shared the same intentions as I have… revenge.”
“Oh, well we’re happy that you actually met somebody while you’re—” Pinkie piped in, till Rainbow covered her mouth.
“We’ve been down this road before, bug breath,” Rainbow retorted. “You cause trouble, we come in, and kick your sorry flank from here to kingdom come! Why don’t we just skip to the flank kicking right now?!”
To which the offer merely made Chrysalis laugh harder.
“Yet I’ve been in the same vicinity as you foolish mares, and your stupid dragon friend, and not one of you realized it was me!” Chrysalis laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to snap your necks both times and bake you all into a fresh pie. After all, it’s not like you’d be ‘the first’.”
Galen Marek: I'm surprised they didn't know about the pies sooner.
Postwar: Ponykind tends to be oblivious to the little things from time to time. No offense Sunset.
Sunset Shimmer: None taken.
“Now it all makes a lick of sense!” Applejack realized. “Pinkie Pie offered Mrs. Lovett help tah get her business back, the same as y’all wanted to help out during Apple Buck Season. But that there baker woman had no intent of wantin’ our help. Then Pinkie came back with a pie that got the whole town stir-crazy and somehow Pinkie got Lovett to slip what she had to work with, without actually tellin’ wut was ‘in them pies!”
“The worst part is… I actually enjoyed that pie Pinkie brought in…” Spike cringed, clutching his mouth again.
“… You actually… fed him… the pie?” Chrysalis asked the party pony, slowly.
“I told you that us ‘girls’ didn’t eat the pie,” Pinkie pointed out. “I never said ‘all’ of us didn’t eat it.”
“Well… how very smart for your country bumpkin friend,” Chrysalis sneered evilly. “Too bad you figured it out too late! Heh-heh-heh-heh…”
A retching sound from the side echoed, as Spike finally couldn’t hold it and released chunks off the side. All at once, Twilight Sparkle’s face went from horror… to pure anger.
“You’ve really done it this time, Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted. “I swear by Princess Celestia’s good name, you’ll pay for what you’ve done here!”
Postwar: That's what you said last time.
Sunset Shimmer: And the time before that.
“Magic trouble, princess?” Chrysalis asked mockingly. “Maybe try looking at your arm.”
In fact, the moment Twilight looked down upon her right wrist, she noticed she once again wore a magic cancelling cuff from nowhere. The remainder of the group looked down, noting they too had one as well. Some on the opposite arm, some on her legs… and at least one around the neck like a choker.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow yelled, pulling the ‘choker’ cuff. “How does this keep happening?!”
“By all accounts, this doesn’t make sense even for me!” Pinkie cried.
Sunset Shimmer: Are you kidding me?! Those again.
Postwar: *sends a message to the rest of the CA groups* We really need to find a spell to counter those things, or at least find, teleport and bring them to headquarters for proper disposal.
Just then, Chrysalis felt that similar feeling within her again. She could sense another presence making their way to the barbershop. A wicked grin of satisfaction spread across her face; one she’d been looking forward to ‘all’ night.
“Well girls, I truly would love to stay and chat,” Chrysalis declared. “But I have a lamb to lead, or in this case a judge, to the slaughter! Do try and keep up if you can.”
With one last sinister laugh, the Changeling Queen was engulfed by green flames and vanished without a trace. The Equestrian heroes were all left in shock.
“We need to get back to the shop and put a stop to this!” Twilight yelled urgently.
“Stop who?” Spike questioned. “The Changeling or the Judge?”
“What about Anthony?” Fluttershy asked.
“He’ll be fine!” Twilight responded. “We need to get back right now, before another person dies!”
“So… we are saving the Judge?” Spike spoke up.
“Come on, buddy! Let’s go!” Rainbow yelled, grabbing his arm.
Spike gave a loud yelp as he flung about in the air while the group quickly ran downtown as fast as they could. No sooner had they left, when suddenly Anthony emerged from the station to inform the group of the news. But much to his shock, his friends were gone… every single one.
“Twilight? Spike?” Anthony called out. “Anybody?”
Sunset Shimmer: I don't think he realizes what's going on.
Later that same evening, back at the barber/pie shop, things started to unravel rather quickly for the terrible trio. Chrysalis was still trying to deal with her conflicting emotions for Mr. Todd, having just discovered his wife’s ring and a vial of arsenic within Mrs. Lovett’s drawer. The latter of which made her question what the baker has been hiding all this time. But as it turned out, she was right about keeping Toby around being a bad idea. Somehow, he started to figure out what had been happening in this shop with every intent on alerting the authorities.
It was for this very reason that Sweeney Todd, Mrs. Lovett, and Chrysalis herself met within the barber shop, to discuss the matter while climbing down the back steps. A razor was firmly grasped in Todd’s hand.
“I told you keeping him here was a stupid idea,” Chrysalis groaned, mid-descent. “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen!”
“Yes, yes, you were right!” Mrs. Lovett sighed, rolling her eyes. “You want a medal or somethin’ for bein’ so clever?”
“Watch it, Lovett!” Chrysalis hissed back.
Arctic: You see, moments like this is why I try not to piss off a girl, or get between 2 girls that are fighting…that’s just asking for a punch in the face
Juniper: Well, you’re not entirely wrong about that
“This is no time to argue!” Sweeney spoke up. “Where’s the boy now?”
“I got him locked up in the cellar,” Mrs. Lovett responded. “But if he escapes, he’ll go to the law!”
“Which means we’ll either be in jail or dead before dawn,” Chrysalis added.
“Then he can’t escape,” Sweeney declared, with murderous intent.
Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs. However, Mrs. Lovett paused for a moment before turning back to them, a look of hesitation upon her face.
“Mr. T… I don’t know,” She voiced uncertainty. “Maybe we could—”
“Don’t back out on us now, Lovett!” Chrysalis warned. “It was your idea to bring the boy in! You brought this upon yourself!”
Fluttershy: P-Please don’t hurt him..(she said with a small whimper)
“The Judge will be here soon!” Sweeney added impatiently. “I have no time for this, woman! Come on—!”
They were about to push Mrs. Lovett aside, to turn the corner into the pie shop when the door opened suddenly, causing Mrs. Lovett to yelp with surprise. To their shock, they had walked straight in the Beadle himself, the man standing within the doorway.
“Excuse me, sir!” Mrs. Lovett gasped. “You gave me a fright.”
“Not my intention, good madam,” Beadle replied. “Though I am here on official business.”
Before proceeding, Beadle elaborately prepared himself a pinch of snuff to clear his sinuses.
“You see, there’s been complaints,” He continued. “About the stink from your chimney. They say at night, it’s something most foul. Health regulations—and the general public welfare, naturally—being my duty, I’m afraid I’ll have to take a look… at your bakehouse.”
Applejack: While it’s good you’re worried about Health regulations…. However (she begins to say)
Sci-Twi: Going to the back room will be your last mistake…(she finishes)
The Beadle inhaled the snuff and sneezed before daintily wiping his nose. Chrysalis cringed in disgust internally at the sight of the rotund rat-faced man. But somehow, the Changeling in disguise managed to maintain her persona. Seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Mr. Todd put on a charming smile.
“Of course…” Todd agreed smoothly. “But first,why don’t you come upstairs and let me attend to you?”
“Much as I do appreciate tonsorial adornment, I really ought to see to my ‘official’ obligations first,” Beadle replied.
Seeing they were losing the man and knowing full well they couldn’t let him just stroll into the bakehouse, Chrysalis leapt in and attempted her own ‘charm’. Rolling down one strap of her dress and putting on her best sultry face, Chrysalis leaned right up before the Beadle himself.
“Oh, won’t you please oblige us by pampering you, Mr. Bamford?” Chrysalis asked kindly, with seduction. “After all sir, if you recall during our last encounter, I did say I was ‘dying’ to see you again. And here you are. Perhaps we could become… ‘better acquainted’?”
Hearing the beautiful young woman speak in such a way caused the Beadle to reward her with a toothy grin.
“I’d certainly love to get better acquainted with you madam… but I really must tend to my business.”
“An admirable sentiment,” Sweeney butted in. “But I must ask you, out of professional curiosity you understand, is that a cream or a tallow pomade?”
Having been complimented once more, the Beadle ran a hand through his hair.
“Oh, not a pomade at all!” He smiled. “My secret is a touch of ambergris.”
“Mm… such an intoxicating aroma,” Chrysalis smiled seductively. “Though I’d think Mr. Todd could find you something that will surely drive the ladies wild.”
“Indeed, sir, hair that delicate requires a genuine pomade!” Sweeney nodded in agreement. “Come along, let me show you the difference.”
“And while he’s doing that, you and I can get to know each other a little better,” Chrysalis smirked, dragging a finger across the man’s collar.
With a beautiful young girl upon him and Mr. Todd offering him services, Beadle quickly found himself falling to temptation.
Arctic: Have to admit…she is good at what she does.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, his totality dead
“Well… you are the expert in these matters,” He grinned, eyeing Chrysalis. “Tell me dear, would a new scent aid in getting to know you and… much more?”
“Why Mr. Bamford, you are a charmer,” Chrysalis grinned, trying not to vomit.
Rarity: I do kinda feel sorry, who would want to saying something like that towards him (she said with a bit of disgust)
Chrysalis and Mr. Todd proceeded to lead the Beadle up the stairs toward the barber shop.
“And we’ll finish you off with a nice facial rub of bay rum,” Sweeney added.
“Oooh, bay rum is bracing,” Beadle replied.
“And on the house of course,” Chrysalis winked. “Just for you, Beadle Bamford.”
“Well, I take that very kindly,” Beadle grinned at her. “Lead on, my dear.”
“My assistant and I, sir, are entirely at your… disposal,” Sweeney replied, flitting eyes to Lovett.
Down below, Mrs. Lovett released a sigh of relief when the three entered the barbershop. All she hoped for now was that she stocked up on plenty of dough. No doubt the greasiness of that man was sure to cause her pies to go soggy.
Meanwhile, from across the street, a pair of eyes spied Sweeny and Chrysalis leading the Beadle up the stairs to the shop, chatting with him easily. All from the perspective of the Beggar Woman herself, hunched across the street, watching them very closely. Even in her warped mind, she wondered what dear Beadle could be doing going up them steps to that barber shop. One thing was for sure, she had every intent to find out.
Pinkie Pie: I-I got a bad feeling what’s going happen (she said worried)
Fluttershy: M-Me to..(she said with a little more worry)
Down in the bakehouse, Toby kept himself occupied while waiting for Mrs. Lovett’s return. He thought it odd she was taking such a long time than what she assured. However, he had quickly forgotten the thought when he reached for a fresh pie off the rack. As always, the pies were warm, flaky, and tasty as they could be as Toby sank his teeth into the pie while slowly wandering around the bakehouse. For a brief moment, he stopped to consider the many stained cleavers and bone saws, curiously wondering what goes on in this bakehouse.
Suddenly, as he chewed on the delectable pastry, he suddenly bites down on something hard… something different. Reaching into his mouth, the young boy pulled out something that made his eyes widen in both fear and shock. It was a toenail… attached to a human toe. To be exact, it was the severed tip of a toe.
Everyone started to look a bit green holding their mouth a bit trying not to throw up as Fluttershy hides her face into Rainbow Shoulder
Rainbow Dash: (comforting Fluttershy a bit as she was a little green) W-Well T-Toby is now gonna be traumatized
Fluttershy: P-please let that be it (she said softly whimpering a little bit)
Toby dropped it in horror, but he hadn’t time to be disgusted by this newfound discovery. As he started back and turned his head to the right, he spotted something far more disturbing. Laying under an old tarp was a large pile of bloodied human bones and an assortment of dismembered body parts. The poor boy stood in complete shock and horror at the macabre sight before him when suddenly, a loud thumping and clanging of the trapdoor mechanics made the boy spin with alarm.
The trapdoor to the barber shop opened up and Toby only managed to turn quick enough to see the newly bloodied body of Beadle Bamford suddenly fall from the mouth of the chute and into the bakehouse. The head crashed onto the hard stone floor, bursting open and his brains fell out.
Loud screams were heard from the graphic scene that has been displayed as the Equestrian Girls and Juniper made their way towards the restrooms
Arctic: I-I think we need a short break..(he said before he goes to join everyone else)
Soon everyone started to come back seating down back in their seats having a few pants and bottles of water in hand
Rarity: I-I really hope this is all over soon.. I don’t think I can’t take it anymore
Applejack: E-Eeyup. Same here, Rares.
Toby screamed in horror and raced to the door trying to pry it open. But it was no use; the door was locked. He banged on the heavy iron door wildly.
The poor boy tried like hell to open the door, but found it latched shut. The thundering roar from the bake oven seemed to rise to match his frenzy. As he tried to pull the door open, all he could think of was that he had been right all along. He knew something was wrong with Mr. Todd and now it was all too clear what it was. He needed to get out of the room quickly; he needed to alert the law before he’s the next victim.
“Please, let me out!” He begged tearfully.
But it was clear he wasn’t getting the door open, and he knew he needed to find another way out of this room. Just then, in his panic, he remembered Mrs. Lovett talking about the sewers when she brought him down here. Without second thought, Toby raced to the sewer grate, yanked it up and disappeared down into the sewers as the shrill factory whistle screamed above. This would be the boy’s only way out of this nightmare, not realizing it had only just begun…
Sci-Twi: I really hope his able to expect… and perhaps get some therapy as well
Up above in the barber shop, Sweeney Todd and Chrysalis looked down upon the hatch where the dead body of Beadle Bamford fell. As Chrysalis stood by the chair, holding Todd’s bloodied razor, she faced the fiendish barber. His eyes were blazing; his face covered in a spray of blood. He was lost in rapture, but not for long. He proceeded to drop Beadle’s top hat, his coat, and his billy club down into the bakehouse before sealing the trapdoor. It felt good to finally put an end to Turpin’s slimy right-hand man, probably more so for a certain Changeling who flicked the razor around her ‘human’ fingers.
“About time!” Chrysalis cringed in disgust. “If I had another minute with that rat latching onto me, I’d take this razor and slit his throat myself!”
Sweeney turned toward Chrysalis, seeing the hate for the man burning in her eyes. Instead of sharing in her hate, his face suddenly turned… soft. While he himself was rid of the man once and for all, he couldn’t bear the thought of her being so sadistic… not like him.
“You can’t,” He whispered.
Chrysalis quickly turned to face him, surprised by his words.
“What was that?” She asked him.
“I wouldn’t allow you to kill the man,” He replied. “I can’t.”
Chrysalis tilted her head in confusion, as if trying to determine what game this man was playing with her.
“What are you talking about?” Chrysalis asked, confused. “You above all others wanted him dead from the start. How dare you believe I couldn’t kill anybody?! You don’t know what I’ve done!”
“I know… but I’d rather it be me to kill him than allow you to darken yourself further.”
Chrysalis’s eyes widened slightly, taking a step back with shock.
Juniper: That, was very unexpected
Arctic: Very unexpected…
Pinkie Pie: What does this mean? (She ask a little bit curious)
“Why?” She asked. “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Sweeney inhaled deeply and exhaled just as slowly, as he flicked out a handkerchief from his pocket, took back his razor, and wiped the blood off as he stood in front of her, his eyes looming toward hers.
“I’ve allowed myself to slip into the darkness for my revenge,” Todd spoke quietly. “I chose to be willing to kill whomever I must. No doubt you believe yourself to do the same; that’s why you’d kill if you had to.”
He then reached a gentle hand up and lightly cupped her cheek.
“However, no matter what you say, you are no killer,” He spoke genuinely. “What happened to your love was tragic; I have no doubt you wish for those responsible to pay. You may try to hide in darkness, but I know within you still resides a kind heart. I won’t allow you to darken it with murder, not as I have. It’s too late for me… but not for you.”
No words were forthcoming from Chrysalis, as she eyed the barber, a man whom she grew close to these passing months. From the moment she met him, Sweeney Todd was a revenge-crazed madman and this much she knew for certain. And yet, in this moment, she felt genuine care from this man, who’d rather kill and let his heart be further darkened than allow her to do any of it herself.
The truth is… she never actually ‘killed’ anyone before, no matter how much she wanted to. Not even Nicholas Flamel… the man was already dead when she found him. She lied about the trip, choosing to take the credit because she was determined not to appear weak before the Dark One… or to anyone. But no matter how hard she’d talk a good game; she couldn’t truly kill… anybody… or even any pony.
Arctic: He…. He makes a point. She actually never killed anyone.
Rainbow Dash: This.. is honestly too much stuff to process. Like.. this was just dropped unexpected
Applejack: I have to agree, seems like he also cares about Chrysalis, like how she cares about him…
“I—I don’t know what to say,” She whispered, lost for words.
“You needn’t say anything,” Sweeney replied. “Just know you’ll never have to darken yourself into becoming a monster… not while I’m around.”
Chrysalis could feel a small smirk etching its way onto her face, as well as tears running down her face. In that moment, her emotions finally took control as she quickly leaned up… and planted her lips onto Mr. Todd’s. It was quick and chaste, but a kiss, nonetheless. When she pulled back within a second, she felt her eyes widen as largely as Sweeney’s.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” She stammered. “I don’t know what came over me; I should see to the boy—”
She quickly turned to leave but found herself pulled back by a firm yet gentle grip. She spun back around, and her lips crashed against Mr. Todd’s once more as they both leaned in to embrace one another. Ghosts of victims-past move into the frame with purpose, impatient. Chrysalis’s hands grasped Todd’s face, smearing the blood off his face. Her hands proceeded to remove the barber’s-stained tunic while his jacket slipped down his shoulders. She fell back onto the blood-stained barber chair, the barber’s lips nicked her neck and a sharp cry emerged from Chrysalis herself, echoing across the room, and she felt the room spinning.
More and more of the ghastly specters moved around the room—multiplying exponentially—every last victim Sweeney Todd had slain. The Gentleman, the Banker, the General, the Tourist, the Student, the Priest, among others. Like an engine roaring, as the motor hissed on a twisting road, Chrysalis’s hands were more intrusive than they’ve ever been—touching Todd—eagerly preparing him for the finale of his satisfied hunger. By now, the ghosts are in full fury, demented and threatening, the screeching transforming into a strange symphony of inarticulate moans and howls and chanting, ‘Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeeeeeeneeeeey…’ before taking them back to…
Reality…
The kiss was slightly longer yet still brief, as they eventually pulled apart once more and the malicious pair appeared as though nothing happened.
Chrysalis stared up at Mr. Todd, who proceeded to clean the remaining blood off his face as he turned to her with a wicked sly smirk on his face.
“Always wanted to do that,” He grinned
Rarity: (covers her mouth having a bit of a squeal)
Arctic: Woah…
Sci-Twi: a unexpected kiss…
Pinkie Pie: Is..this a good thing? Or a bad thing?
Juniper: I guess we’re going to find out…
Her thoughts raced a million miles in her head, yet Chrysalis couldn’t help but chuckle over his words.
“What does this mean?” She asked.
“We’ll discuss that later,” Sweeney responded. “Right now, we have urgent matters to deal with.”
Chrysalis quickly nodded her head as she remembered they still had Toby to deal with. Sweeney, with a clean razor in hand, flung the door open before descending the stairs. Chrysalis followed closely behind, eager to see this to the end. As they made their way through the pie shop, down the steps to the bakehouse, Mrs. Lovett had just unlatched the large iron door.
“What took you two so long?” She questioned.
“Killing fat men tends to take time,” Chrysalis retorted.
Lovett just rolled her eyes at the response before pulling the large door open and the three stepped inside. The fire raged within the closed oven, illuminating the otherwise dark room. The remains of the Beadle and the decayed bodies sat in place… but there was no sign of Toby anywhere.
Fluttershy: Thank goodness… he escape. (She said with relief)
Where is he?” Mrs. Lovett whispered.
“You said you locked him in!” Chrysalis whispered back. “Where would he go?!”
The three twisted individuals searched the room trying to find the young boy. However, he was nowhere to be found.
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Toby! Where are you, love?
“Toby!” Mr. Todd called out.
“Come on out, Toby lad,” Chrysalis encouraged sweetly. “Where are you?”
The trio soon made their way to the left where there was a tunnel leading into the sewers. They began to lurk their way through the horrible, rat-infested catacombs of decaying sewers. Todd carried his razor; their voices echoed bizarrely as they continued their search.
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Nothing’s gonna harm you, Not while I’m around…
Mrs. Lovett’s singing echoed creepily through the sewers as they searched deeper down the sewers. Mr. Todd kept his razor behind his back, ready for when they found that boy.
“Toby!” He called again.
“Where are ya hidin’?” Mrs. Lovett added.
“There’s no reason to be scared,” Chrysalis called out. “Come on out, and we’ll forgive you.”
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Nothing’s gonna harm you, darling, not while I’m around…
At one point, Mrs. Lovett broke away from the group hoping to cover more ground, Chrysalis and Sweeney proceeded down the other way.
“Toby!”
Chrysalis (Sings): Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays…
“Urgh! This is hopeless!” Chrysalis groaned, frustrated. “If that brat escapes, it’s the end for us, Mr. Todd!”
“Worry not, my dear,” He assured her. “He won’t get away, not this time.”
Suddenly, Chrysalis stopped in her tracks as a strange sensation swept over her. All of a sudden, it was though she could feel the presence of ‘others’. Ones she felt were all too familiar. Sweeney quickly spun and saw her just standing there.
“Are you alright?” He asked her.
“I’m fine,” She nodded quickly. “We have visitors at the barber shop.”
“Who?” Sweeney asked hastily. “Is it the Judge?”
“No… but I wouldn’t worry about it,” Chrysalis assured him. “I’ll deal with it myself; you find the boy. Like you said… we can’t let him get away.”
Sweeney merely gave a slow nod of understanding before turning back around and proceeding down the sewers. Chrysalis turned back and made for the bakehouse. Tonight, not only would Mr. Todd get his revenge, but now… it was Chrysalis’ turn.
Arctic: This is bad… they’re about to encounter Chryslias.
Sci-Twi: Hopefully they’ll be ok..who knows what will happen when they encounter her.
Upstairs, the Equestrians, along with Anthony and Johanna, burst into the barber shop at full speed. Johanna was now dressed as a scruffy boy, in dirty trousers, a jacket, and a trim cap so as to hide her hair. Having just broken her out of the asylum, the last thing they needed was for her to be recognized and sent back to that madhouse. And yet… the poor girl seems distracted… disturbed even.
“Mr. Todd…?” Anthony called out, upon entry.
“Is he here?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Doesn’t appear so at the moment,” Anthony sighed disappointed.
“Where could he have possibly gone?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“Maybe he went out to get some breakfast?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
“This late at night?” Rainbow Dash asked, sarcastically.
“Sure! That way he won’t have to be up in the morning to eat it!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“I’m more concerned about where that girl he was with is,” Twilight butted in. “It’s clear the ‘true’ girl had been locked in the asylum for over a year now, so we couldn’t possibly have seen her a few months back. That only leaves ‘one’ possible explanation: Who else could pull off impersonating as some pony else?”
“… Chrysalis!” Spike realized.
Rainbow Dash: At this point, wouldn’t they realize it is her a long while back? (She questioned)
Arctic: Well, they didn’t know she was there at first. Even if they did, Chrysalis is a good actor herself.
“If she’s here, where the hay is she?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused her magic into scanning the surrounding area to locate ‘any’ form of life in the building. Unfortunately, apart from herself, her friends, even Anthony and Johanna, she couldn’t find anyone else.
“I’m not seeing anyone else in or around this place,” Twilight replied, opening her eyes. “They must have left when we got here.”
“We must find them and fast!” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Flutters,” Rainbow agreed, cracking her knuckles. “I’ve been dying to squash that bug woman for a long, long time!”
“But first, I must ask for you to help secure a coach,” Anthony piped in. “If me and Johanna have any hope of escaping, we need a horse and coach to get as far away as possible before we board a ship.”
The Mane Six and Spike looked amongst each other, trying to think of which task required their immediate attention. The discovery of Chrysalis hiding amongst them the whole time was certainly a cause for concern and who knows what more could happen if they don’t stop her? However, as friends they made a promise to Anthony and Johanna to help them escape London, no matter what. In the end, Twilight gave a nod toward Anthony.
“We’ll help you secure a ride out of here,” She promised him. “But we need to be quick. The longer Chrysalis runs free, the more dangerous things become.”
“We shall be no more than half an hour,” Anthony assured her.
The young man soon turned back to his disguised lover, placing a comforting hand upon her arm.
“You wait for Mr. Todd here,” Anthony told Johanna. “I’ll return with the coach in less than half an hour. Don’t worry, darling, in those clothes, no one will recognize you… you’re safe now.”
“I agree with Anthony there,” Pinkie nodded. “When we first found those clothes and put them on, I was like ‘Gasp! Who is that guy?’.”
The two teenagers appreciated Pinkie’s attempt to lighten the mood with a joke, but they were too focused to be concerned. Especially Johanna, who still looked ‘very’ concerned that things would go wrong. As she gently touched Todd’s collection of razors, picking up the largest razor, eyeing it, she could feel the eerie echo of someone… familiar to her. A father’s echo she hadn’t heard in years.
“Safe…?” Johanna questioned, darkly ironic. “So, we run away and then all our dreams come true?”
“I hope so…” Anthony nodded.
“I have never had dreams, only nightmares,” Johanna responded somberly.
Rarity: Poor Girl…don’t worry, it’ll be over soon enough and you’ll get a happy ending.. I hope.
Hearing this made the rest of the group frown, knowing full well what this girl had been through her entire life. No wonder she harbored such doubt even now.
“You needn’t worry about that anymore, Johanna,” Twilight assured her. “We promised to make sure your life changed for the better. When we make a promise, we keep it.”
“She’s right, darling,” Rarity nodded. “If it’s the last thing we do, we’ll free you from this nightmare.”
“Johanna… when we’re free of this place, all the ghosts will go away,” Anthony told her.
However, Johanna gave a slight shake of her head as she stared very intensely into her lover’s eyes.
“No, Anthony, they never go away.”
Anthony wished so desperately to go back in time to stop Turpin from taking Johanna to begin with, to save her from all the years of torment. However, all he could do now was help her ‘try’ to forget.
“I’ll be right back to you,” He assured her, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “Half an hour and we’ll be free.”
“We better get going so you guys can get out of here and we can find Chrysalis!” Spike added in.
Soon, Anthony and the Equestrian heroes made their way out the door of the barber shop, racing through the night to secure passage out of London. All alone in the barber shop, as she waited for their return, Johanna turned to the window and watched them go. But instead of relief, her expression was sad: They could never fully comprehend her depth.
Little did she know however, was the Beggar Woman was approaching from just across the street…
Juniper: It’s the same women again.. what is she doing?
Sci-Twi: she might be trying to follow them, but… I can’t help but feel she is important in some way.
Arctic: I have to agree, we’ve seen her a good amount times now, she has some importance. But the question is, what is it?
It had taken the group at least twenty minutes to cross toward the center of London City just to find one carriage station. In a city this huge, not to mention the law still hunting them down, it was incredibly difficult to get around. They were thankful that they even found a place so they could manage passage quickly and resume their search for Chrysalis.
“Alright, I’m going to go secure safe passage out of London,” Anthony told the group. “You wait here; I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Make it quick, dude,” Rainbow spoke impatiently.
Anthony quickly raced inside the station, leaving the rest to wait outside in the cold.
“Ooh… maybe one of us should’ve stayed to watch Johanna,” Fluttershy spoke nervously. “I hate being out here in the open with the police still looking for us.”
“I think the police are the least of our worries, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied. “We need to find Chrysalis before she causes any more harm to this world… if not already.”
“I can’t believe how stupid I am!” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “We were in the same room with her… ‘TWICE’, and we didn’t even know it! You’d think with all the times we’ve encountered Changelings that we’d at least tell ‘how’ to spot one.”
“Only goes to show how brainless you truly are.”
Another voice made the group spin on their heels toward none other than Chrysalis standing a few feet away from them, once more in her original form. The former Changeling Queen released a wicked laugh as the group assumed the defensive position.
Fluttershy: O-Oh no..
“What are you doing here, Chrysalis?!” Twilight questioned angrily. “What purpose could you have for this world? Did the Order send you?”
“Well princess, to be truthful, the Order has no idea I’m even here,” Chrysalis replied. “I merely came to this pitiful dimension seeking to clear my head. But the moment I got here, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who shared the same intentions as I have… revenge.”
“Oh, well we’re happy that you actually met somebody while you’re—” Pinkie piped in, till Rainbow covered her mouth.
“We’ve been down this road before, bug breath,” Rainbow retorted. “You cause trouble, we come in, and kick your sorry flank from here to kingdom come! Why don’t we just skip to the flank kicking right now?!”
To which the offer merely made Chrysalis laugh harder.
“Yet I’ve been in the same vicinity as you foolish mares, and your stupid dragon friend, and not one of you realized it was me!” Chrysalis laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to snap your necks both times and bake you all into a fresh pie. After all, it’s not like you’d be ‘the first’.”
The statement alone caused the girls and Spike to widen their eyes and reel back.
“What… do you mean?” Twilight asked fearfully.
“Have you truly not figured it out yet, princess?” Chrysalis grinned. “You ever wondered how Mrs. Lovett’s shop went from struggling to prosperous in such a short time? Or how patrons come to Mr. Todd for a shave yet never seem to return? You really are as ‘stupid’ as I believed.”
It was soon starting to come together for the entire group, especially Pinkie and Applejack. When Mrs. Lovett told them she found a new meat supplier, most of the group hadn’t understood what she’d meant. Even when Applejack knew Lovett was lying about something, only now did it come together.
“Y’all mean… them pies were—”
“People? Yes…” Chrysalis nodded. “People Pies.”
Words couldn’t possibly describe the horror on their minds as the Mane Six and Spike cringed. Spike held a claw over his mouth trying hard not to vomit, while the rest of the girls couldn’t believe their ears. Pinkie Pie shuddered then hastily put a hoof in front of Chrysalis.
Arctic: And now they know the truth.
Applejack: That’s a image they’re never gonna forget…
“Now it all makes a lick of sense!” Applejack realized. “Pinkie Pie offered Mrs. Lovett help tah get her business back, the same as y’all wanted to help out during Apple Buck Season. But that there baker woman had no intent of wantin’ our help. Then Pinkie came back with a pie that got the whole town stir-crazy and somehow Pinkie got Lovett to slip what she had to work with, without actually tellin’ wut was ‘in them pies!”
“The worst part is… I actually enjoyed that pie Pinkie brought in…” Spike cringed, clutching his mouth again.
“… You actually… fed him… the pie?” Chrysalis asked the party pony, slowly.
Sci-Twi: Wait…What?!
Juniper: But Pinkie said they didn’t eat the pie?!
“I told you that us ‘girls’ didn’t eat the pie,” Pinkie pointed out. “I never said ‘all’ of us didn’t eat it.”
Arctic:…not gonna lie. We probably should’ve listened to that part better
Rarity: Poor Spiky…
A retching sound from the side echoed, as Spike finally couldn’t hold it and released chunks off the side. All at once, Twilight Sparkle’s face went from horror… to pure anger.
“You’ve really done it this time, Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted. “I swear by Princess Celestia’s good name, you’ll pay for what you’ve done here!”
Twilight Sparkle raised her hands up and focused her magic to cast a bolt toward the Changeling… but nothing happened. She tried again… and again… and again… but she looked as though she were making an awkward pose.
“What?” She spoke confused. “But… but it was working before!”
Once more, an evil laugh escaped Chrysalis’s lips.
“Magic trouble, princess?” Chrysalis asked mockingly. “Maybe try looking at your arm.”
In fact, the moment Twilight looked down upon her right wrist, she noticed she once again wore a magic canceling cuff from nowhere. The remainder of the group looked down, noting they too had one as well. Some on the opposite arm, some on her legs… and at least one around the neck like a choker.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow yelled, pulling the ‘choker’ cuff. “How does this keep happening?!”
“By all accounts, this doesn’t make sense even for me!” Pinkie cried.
Rainbow Dash: OK HOW?! That’s literally impossible!
Juniper: She was able to get those on them?! And without them knowing!
Arctic: Something definitely up, more of those anti-cuffs and was able to get them on the Princess and her friends without them noticing..
“Wow… to think you’re supposed to be Equestria’s greatest heroes,” Chrysalis grinned. “You really are pathetic.”
Just then, Chrysalis felt that similar feeling within her again. She could sense another presence making their way to the barbershop. A wicked grin of satisfaction spread across her face; one she’d been looking forward to ‘all’ night.
“Well girls, I truly would love to stay and chat,” Chrysalis declared. “But I have a lamb to lead, or in this case a judge, to the slaughter! Do try and keep up if you can.”
With one last sinister laugh, the Changeling Queen was engulfed by green flames and vanished without a trace.
The Equestrian heroes were all left in shock.
“We need to get back to the shop and put a stop to this!” Twilight yelled urgently.
“Stop who?” Spike questioned. “The Changeling or the Judge?”
“What about Anthony?” Fluttershy asked.
“He’ll be fine!” Twilight responded. “We need to get back right now, before another person dies!”
“So… we are saving the Judge?” Spike spoke up.
“Come on, buddy! Let’s go!” Rainbow yelled, grabbing his arm.
Spike gave a loud yelp as he flung about in the air while the group quickly ran downtown as fast as they could. No sooner had they left, when suddenly Anthony emerged from the station to inform the group of the news. But much to his shock, his friends were gone… every single one.
“Twilight? Spike?” Anthony called out. “Anybody?”
Fluttershy: A-At least Anthony gonna be safe..
Applejack: I hope so… but what’s gonna happen? Kinda feels weird seeing them trying save the judge.
Arctic: Guess will see… because, I feel like we’re in the final climax of this adventure Next>>
Random Dude: "You have to give credit to Vox. He's been hiding in plain sight the whole time. I mean, he's got a TV for a head. And the entire Cinematic Adventure has been revolving around a magic TV. So...it kinda makes sense. But if he's an imposter...and Discord's an imposter, and they've been working together this whole Cinematic Adventure, then that would mean..."
Alastor: (Still smiling) "...It would seem I've been double-crossed this whole time and that Discord had no intention of having me hosting the Cinematic Adventure..."
Husk: "No duh. This whole Cinematic Adventure has been a fucking shit."
Vox: "Welcome back to another segment of the Cinematic Adventure's commentaries, with me, as your host for this evening's showcase."
Alastor: (To Vox) "For your information, Vox. I've been hosting this Cinematic Adventure's commentaries from the start!"
Vox: (To Alastor) "Ha! That's a laugh! Whoever thought it was a good idea to let the Radio Demon host a cinema inside a movie theater is clearly in over his head. You couldn't even keep your audience from leaving!"
Alastor: (To Vox) "Only because you had to come in and sabotage the entire festivity."
Vox: (To Alastor) "Because you don't know how to work with any of these modern up-to-date technologies you out-of-date static piece of shit has-been!"
Alastor: (To Vox) "I have the advantage of being a classic piece of media! I'll last forever while the screaming citizens will eventually kill you off!"
Soon, Alastor and Vox were chasing after Curtain Calls and Quill Cast.
Curtain Calls: "Quill Cast! Are you out of your mind?! These guys are crazy!"
Quill Cast: (Singing and taunting) "Voxie and Alastor sitting beneath a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
Curtain Calls: "Hold on tight! We're gettin' outta here!"
Atlanta: (Sighs) "Sometimes, I don't know what goes on in my brony husband's head..."
Niffty: "He should've known that shipping Alastor and Vox like that is just asking a death wish..."
Charlie Morningstar: "Well, I guess we're just gonna have to carry on without them." (To Mina) "Hey Mina! Care to assist me?"
Mina: "It would be an honor your majesty!"
“I told you keeping him here was a stupid idea,” Chrysalis groaned, mid-descent. “I warned you, but you wouldn’t listen!”
Vox: "Yeah! Like who the fuck let Alastor host a movie theater? Movies aren't even in his resume!"
Alastor: "These days, they'll just hire anyone, you piece of shit television!"
“Yes, yes, you were right!” Mrs. Lovett sighed, rolling her eyes. “You want a medal or somethin’ for bein’ so clever?”
“Watch it, Lovett!” Chrysalis hissed back.
Husk: "Well, the looney has become the sass master."
Princess Luna: (To Husk) "Who you calling looney?"
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Did someone say my name?"
“This is no time to argue!” Sweeney spoke up. “Where’s the boy now?”
“I got him locked up in the cellar,” Mrs. Lovett responded. “But if he escapes, he’ll go to the law!”
Charlie Morningstar: "That's horrible! Locking a poor innocent kid away like that!"
“Which means we’ll either be in jail or dead before dawn,” Chrysalis added.
Husk: "Might as well start digging your grave and toss yourself into it then..."
They were about to push Mrs. Lovett aside, to turn the corner into the pie shop when the door opened suddenly, causing Mrs. Lovett to yelp with surprise. To their shock, they had walked straight in the Beadle himself, the man standing within the doorway.
“Excuse me, sir!” Mrs. Lovett gasped. “You gave me a fright.”
“Not my intention, good madam,” Beadle replied. “Though I am here on official business.”
Before proceeding, Beadle elaborately prepared himself a pinch of snuff to clear his sinuses.
“You see, there’s been complaints,” He continued. “About the stink from your chimney. They say at night, it’s something most foul. Health regulations – and the general public welfare, naturally – being my duty, I’m afraid I’ll have to take a look… at your bakehouse.”
Vox: "Welp! There goes the neighborhood. Although, this is a do or die time! They kill the snitch before he snitches on them!"
Alastor: (To Vox) "Those were my lines you plagiarist!"
The Beadle inhaled the snuff and sneezed before daintily wiping his nose. Chrysalis cringed in disgust internally at the sight of the rotund rat-faced man. But somehow, the Changeling in disguise managed to maintain her persona. Seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Mr. Todd put on a charming smile.
“Of course…” Todd agreed smoothly. “But first why don’t you come upstairs and let me attend to you?”
“Much as I do appreciate tonsorial adornment, I really ought to see to my ‘official’ obligations first,” Beadle replied.
Seeing they were losing the man and knowing full well they couldn’t let him just stroll into the bakehouse, Chrysalis leapt in and attempted her own ‘charm’. Rolling down one strap of her dress and putting on her best sultry face, Chrysalis leaned right up before the Beadle himself.
Vox: "Hmmm~ I like a sexy bitch who's not afraid to show off her stuff." (Looking at you) "That's right! I'm talking about what you perverts have been seeing and posting on the sites." (Back to the CA) "If she dies, then I'm sure my friend, Valentino, could find some use for her."
Atlanta: "I'm afraid to ask. But who is Valentino?" (Angel Dust whispers into her ears) "EW! No! I know my mom's...twisted and all. But even she doesn't deserve that!"
“Oh, won’t you please oblige us by pampering you, Mr. Bamford?” Chrysalis asked kindly, with seduction. “After all sir, if you recall during our last encounter, I did say I was ‘dying’ to see you again. And here you are. Perhaps we could become… ‘better acquainted’?”
Hearing the beautiful young woman speak in such a way caused the Beadle to reward her with a toothy grin.
“I’d certainly love to get better acquainted with youmadam… but I really must tend to my business.”
Husk: "Ooooh. Tough guy. Isn't he?"
“An admirable sentiment,” Sweeney butted in. “But I must ask you, out of professional curiosity you understand, is that a cream or a tallow pomade?”
Having been complimented once more, the Beadle ran a hand through his hair.
“Oh, not a pomade at all!” He smiled. “My secret is a touch of ambergris.”
“Mm… such an intoxicating aroma,” Chrysalis smiled seductively. “Though I’d think Mr. Todd could find you something that will surely drive the ladies wild.”
On the moon
Loona stuck her tongue out and texted on her phone: "NOT!"
“Indeed, sir, hair that delicate requires a genuine pomade!” Sweeney nodded in agreement. “Come along, let me show you the difference.”
“And while he’s doing that, you and I can get to know each other a little better,” Chrysalis smirked, dragging a finger across the man’s collar.
With a beautiful young girl upon him and Mr. Todd offering him services, Beadle quickly found himself falling to temptation.
“Well… you are the expert in these matters,” He grinned, eyeing Chrysalis. “Tell me dear, would a new scent aid in getting to know you and… much more?”
“Why Mr. Bamford, you are a charmer,” Chrysalis grinned, trying not to vomit.
On the moon
Big Mac: "Nope."
Meanwhile, from across the street, a pair of eyes spied Sweeny and Chrysalis leading the Beadle up the stairs to the shop, chatting with him easily. All from the perspective of the Beggar Woman herself, hunched across the street, watching them very closely. Even in her warped mind, she wondered what dear Beadle could be doing going up them steps to that barber shop. One thing was for sure, she had every intent to find out.
Suddenly, as he chewed on the delectable pastry, he suddenly bites down on something hard… something different. Reaching into his mouth, the young boy pulled out something that made his eyes widen in both fear and shock. It was a toenail… attached to a humantoe. To be exact, it was the severed tip of a toe.
Alastor: "Mmmm! Delicious!"
Audience (except some sinners): "EW!"
Gilda: "I think I'm gonna be sick!"
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "I'm no foot fetish..."
Toby dropped it in horror, but he hadn’t time to be disgusted by this newfound discovery. As he started back and turned his head to the right, he spotted something far more disturbing. Laying under an old tarp was a large pile of bloodied human bones and an assortment of dismembered body parts. The poor boy stood in complete shock and horror at the macabre sight before him when suddenly, a loud thumping and clanging of the trapdoor mechanics made the boy spin with alarm.
The trapdoor to the barber shop opened up and Toby only managed to turn quick enough to see the newly bloodied body of Beadle Bamford suddenly fall from the mouth of the chute and into the bakehouse.
Pharynx: "Welp. He's dead."
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Mission complete."
The head crashed onto the hard stone floor, bursting open and his brains fell out.
Some of the audience all fainted at the squeamish sight.
Charlie Morningstar: (To Vox) "Couldn't you just uncensored that?"
Vox: (To Charlie Morningstar) "What are you complaining about? You see this kind of shit 24/7!"
Toby screamed in horror and raced to the door trying to pry it open. But it was no use; the door was locked. He banged on the heavy iron door wildly.
The poor boy tried like hell to open the door, but found it latched shut. The thundering roar from the bake oven seemed to rise to match his frenzy. As he tried to pull the door open, all he could think of was that he had been right all along. He knew something was wrong with Mr. Todd and now it was all too clear what it was. He needed to get out of the room quickly; he needed to alert the law before he’s the next victim.
“Please, let me out!” He begged tearfully.
But it was clear he wasn’t getting the door open, and he knew he needed to find another way out of this room. Just then, in his panic, he remembered Mrs. Lovett talking about the sewers when she brought him down here. Without second thought, Toby raced to the sewer grate, yanked it up and disappeared down into the sewers as the shrill factory whistle screamed above. This would be the boy’s only way out of this nightmare, not realizing it had only just begun…
Mrs. Cake: "Oh, the poor dear is scared to death!"
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone] "Poor kid..."
“About time!” Chrysalis cringed in disgust. “If I had another minute with that rat latching onto me, I’d take this razor and slit his throat myself!”
Vox: "Too bad for her it won't be the last time she sees that rat, in the upcoming Cinematic Adventure, featuring the Boy Who Lived."
Quill Cast: (To Vox) "Hey! No spoilers!"
Vox: (To Quill Cast) "Don't have too! Most of your viewers have already seen the movies! So, in a technicality, it's hardly a spoiler!"
Sweeney turned toward Chrysalis, seeing the hate for the man burning in her eyes. Instead of sharing in her hate, his face suddenly turned… soft. While he himself was rid of the man once and for all, he couldn’t bear the thought of her being so sadistic… not like him.
“You can’t,” He whispered.
Chrysalis quickly turned to face him, surprised by his words.
“What was that?” She asked him.
“I wouldn’t allow you to kill the man,” He replied. “I can’t.”
Chrysalis tilted her head in confusion, as if trying to determine what game this man was playing with her.
“What are you talking about?” Chrysalis asked confused. “You above all others wanted him dead from the start. How dare you believe I couldn’t kill anybody?! You don’t know what I’ve done!”
“I know… but I’d rather it be me to kill him than allow you to darken yourself further.”
Vox: "What?"
Alastor: "Hmmm?"
Chrysalis’s eyes widened slightly, taking a step back with shock.
“Why?” She asked. “What could you possibly mean by that?”
Sweeney inhaled deeply and exhaled just as slowly, as he flicked out a handkerchief from his pocket, took back his razor, and wiped the blood off as he stood in front of her, his eyes looming toward hers.
“I’ve allowed myself to slip into the darkness for my revenge,” Todd spoke quietly. “I chose to be willing to kill whomever I must. No doubt you believe yourself to do the same; that’s why you’d kill if you had to.”
He then reached a gentle hand up and lightly cupped her cheek.
“However, no matter what you say, you are no killer,” He spoke genuinely. “What happened to your love was tragic; I have no doubt you wish for those responsible to pay. You may try to hide in darkness, but I know within you still resides a kind heart. I won’t allow you to darken it with murder, not as I have. It’s too late for me… but not for you.”
Vox: "Ew! Gag. A moment while I delete all this shit in the trash bin..."
Charlie Morningstar: "Actually...he's got a point. And...I'm actually touched with what he's saying. Sure, he's gone off the deep ends. But at the very least, he's trying to stop her from falling down the same dark path he has!"
No words were forthcoming from Chrysalis, as she eyed the barber, a man whom she grew close to these passing months. From the moment she met him, Sweeney Todd was a revenge-crazed madman and this much she knew for certain. And yet, in this moment, she felt genuine care from this man, who’d rather kill and let his heart be further darkened than allowing her to do any of it herself.
The truth is… she never actually ‘killed’ anyone before, no matter how much she wanted to. Not even Nicholas Flamel… the man was already dead when she found him.
Wait what?
She lied about the trip, choosing to take the credit because she was determined not to appear weak before the Dark One… or to anyone. But no matter how hard she’d talk a good game; she couldn’t truly kill… anybody… or even any pony.
“I—I don’t know what to say,” She whispered, lost for words.
“You needn’t say anything,” Sweeney replied. “Just know you’ll never have to darken yourself into becoming a monster… not while I’m around.”
Octavia: "Is that so?"
Chrysalis could feel a small smirk etching its way onto her face, as well as tears running down her face. In that moment, her emotions finally took control as she quickly leaned up… and planted her lips onto Mr. Todd’s.
Audience: "Ooooh!"
On the moon
Audience: "Whoa-ho-ho!"
Capper Dapperpaw: "Ooooooooh!"
It was quick and chaste, but a kiss, nonetheless. When she pulled back within a second, she felt her eyes widen as largely as Sweeney’s.
“I-I-I’m sorry,” She stammered. “I don’t know what came over me; I should see to the boy—”
She quickly turned to leave but found herself pulled back by a firm yet gentle grip. She spun back around, and her lips crashed against Mr. Todd’s once more as they both leaned in to embrace one another. Ghosts of victims past move into the frame with purpose, impatient. Chrysalis’s hands grasped Todd’s face, smearing the blood off his face. Her hands proceeded to remove the barber’s-stained tunic while his jacket slipped down his shoulders. She fell back onto the blood-stained barber chair, the barber’s lips nicked her neck and a sharp cry emerged from Chrysalis herself, echoing across the room, and she felt the room spinning.
More and more of the ghastly specters moved around the room – multiplying exponentially – every last victim Sweeney Todd had slain. The Gentleman, the Banker, the General, the Tourist, the Student, the Priest, among others. Like an engine roaring, as the motor hissed on a twisting road, Chrysalis’s hands were more intrusive than they’ve ever been – touching Todd – eagerly preparing him for the finale of his satisfied hunger. By now, the ghosts are in full fury, demented and threatening, the screeching transforming into a strange symphony of inarticulate moans and howls and chanting, ‘Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeeeeeeneeeeey…’ before taking them back to…
Vox: "I should record this for Valentino! He has to see this!"
The kiss was slightly longer yet still brief, as they eventually pulled apart once more and the malicious pair appeared as though nothing happened. Chrysalis stared up at Mr. Todd, who proceeded to clean the remaining blood off his face as he turned to her with a wicked sly smirk on his face.
“Always wanted to do that,” He grinned.
Vox: "I'll bet he does."
Her thoughts raced a million miles in her head, yet Chrysalis couldn’t help but chuckle over his words.
“What does this mean?” She asked.
“We’ll discuss that later,” Sweeney responded. “Right now, we have urgent matters to deal with.”
On the moon
Discord: "Even more urgent than killing a police officer?"
Audience: "SHUT UP, DISCORD!"
“What took you two so long?” She questioned.
“Killing fat men tends to take time,” Chrysalis retorted.
Angel Dust: "Plus lovemaking and fucking brains out like there's no tomorrow."
Sweetie Belle: "Ew! TMI"
Niftty" (Sighs romantically) "I wish that was me someday!"
Lovett just rolled her eyes at the response before pulling the large door open and the three stepped inside. The fire raged within the closed oven, illuminating the otherwise dark room. The remains of the Beadle and the decayed bodies sat in place… but there was no sign of Toby anywhere.
“Where is he?” Mrs. Lovett whispered.
“You said you locked him in!” Chrysalis whispered back. “Where would he go?!”
The three twisted individuals searched the room trying to find the young boy. However, he was nowhere to be found.
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Toby! Where are you, love?
“Toby!” Mr. Todd called out.
“Come on out, Toby lad,” Chrysalis encouraged sweetly. “Where are you?”
Husk: "Spoiler alert. He's in the sewers..."
The trio soon made their way to the left where there was a tunnel leading into the sewers. They began to lurk their way through the horrible, rat-infested catacombs of decaying sewers. Todd carried his razor; their voices echoed bizarrely as they continued their search.
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Nothing’s gonna harm you, Not while I’m around…
Mrs. Lovett’s singing echoed creepily through the sewers as they searched deeper down the sewers. Mr. Todd kept his razor behind his back, ready for when they found that boy.
“Toby!” He called again.
“Where are ya hidin’?” Mrs. Lovett added.
“There’s no reason to be scared,” Chrysalis called out. “Come on out, and we’ll forgive you.”
Husk: "No they won't."
Mrs. Lovett (Sings): Nothing’s gonna harm you, darling, not while I’m around…
At one point, Mrs. Lovett broke away from the group hoping to cover more ground, Chrysalis and Sweeney proceeded down the other way.
“Toby!”
Chryalis (Sings): Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays…
“Urgh! This is hopeless!” Chrysalis groaned, frustrated. “If that brat escapes, it’s the end for us, Mr. Todd!”
“Worry not, my dear,” He assured her. “He won’t get away, not this time.”
Suddenly, Chrysalis stopped in her tracks as a strange sensation swept over her. All of a sudden, it was though she could feel the presence of ‘others’. Ones she felt were all too familiar. Sweeney quickly spun and saw her just standing there.
“Are you alright?” He asked her.
“I’m fine,” She nodded quickly. “We have visitors at the barber shop.”
“Who?” Sweeney asked hastily. “Is it the Judge?”
“No… but I wouldn’t worry about it,” Chrysalis assured him. “I’ll deal with it myself; you find the boy. Like you said… we can’t let him get away.”
Sweeney merely gave a slow nod of understanding before turning back around and proceeding down the sewers. Chrysalis turned back and made for the bakehouse. Tonight, not only would Mr. Todd get his revenge, but now… it was Chrysalis’ turn.
Cheese Sandwich: "Ooh! I have a bad feeling about this..."
Upstairs, the Equestrians, along with Anthony and Johanna, burst into the barber shop at full speed. Johanna was now dressed as a scruffy boy, in dirty trousers, a jacket, and a trim cap so as to hide her hair. Having just broken her out of the asylum, the last thing they needed was for her to be recognized and sent back to that mad house. And yet… the poor girl seems distracted… disturbed even.
“Mr. Todd…?” Anthony called out, upon entry.
“Is he here?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Doesn’t appear so at the moment,” Anthony sighed disappointed.
“Where could he have possibly gone?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
“Maybe he went out to get some breakfast?” Pinkie Pie guessed.
“This late at night?” Rainbow Dash asked, sarcastically.
“Sure! That way he won’t have to be up in the morning to eat it!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
“I’m more concerned about where that girl he was with is,” Twilight butted in. “It’s clear the ‘true’ girl had been locked in the asylum for over a year now, so we couldn’t possibly have seen her a few months back. That only leaves ‘one’ possible explanation: Who else could pull off impersonating as some pony else?”
“… Chrysalis!” Spike realized.
Vox: "Well. The ponies have become the detectives...Too bad they're as slow as 1 Frames Per Second."
“If she’s here, where the hay is she?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes and focused her magic into scanning the surrounding area to locate ‘any’ form of life in the building. Unfortunately, apart from herself, her friends, even Anthony and Johanna, she couldn’t find anyone else.
“I’m not seeing anyone else in or around this place,” Twilight replied, opening her eyes. “They must have left when we got here.”
“We must find them and fast!” Fluttershy spoke up.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself, Flutters,” Rainbow agreed, cracking her knuckles. “I’ve been dying to squash that bug woman for a long, long time!”
Atlanta: "Actually...I'd appreciate it if you don't..."
“But first, I must ask for you to help secure a coach,” Anthony piped in. “If me and Johanna have any hope of escaping, we need a horse and coach to get as far away as possible before we board a ship.”
The Mane Six and Spike looked amongst each other, trying to think of which task required their immediate attention. The discovery of Chrysalis hiding amongst them the whole time was certainly a cause for concern and who knows what more could happen if they don’t stop her? However, as friends they made a promise to Anthony and Johanna to help them escape London, no matter what. In the end, Twilight gave a nod toward Anthony.
“We’ll help you secure a ride out of here,” She promised him. “But we need to be quick. The longer Chrysalis runs free, the more dangerous things become.”
Thorax: "You don't know the half of it, Twilight..."
“You wait for Mr. Todd here,” Anthony told Johanna. “I’ll return with the coach in less than half an hour. Don’t worry, darling, in those clothes, no one will recognize you… you’re safe now.”
“I agree with Anthony there,” Pinkie nodded. “When we first found those clothes and put them on, I was like ‘Gasp! Who is that guy?’.”
The two teenagers appreciated Pinkie’s attempt to lighten the mood with a joke, but they were too focused to be concerned. Especially Johanna, who still looked ‘very’ concerned that things would go wrong. As she gently touched Todd’s collection of razors, picking up the largest razor, eyeing it, she could feel the eerie echo of someone… familiar to her. A father’s echo she hadn’t heard in years.
“Safe…?” Johanna questioned, darkly ironic. “So, we run away and then all our dreams come true?”
“I hope so…” Anthony nodded.
“I have never had dreams, only nightmares,” Johanna responded somberly.
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Story of my life in the hellhound shelter..."
Hearing this made the rest of the group frown, knowing full well what this girl had been through her entire life. No wonder she harbored such doubt even now.
“You needn’t worry about that anymore, Johanna,” Twilight assured her. “We promised to make sure your life changed for the better. When we make a promise, we keep it.”
Cheese Sandwich: "As long as it's a Pinkie Promise."
“Johanna… when we’re free of this place, all the ghosts will go away,” Anthony told her.
However, Johanna gave a slight shake of her head as she stared very intensely into her lover’s eyes.
“No, Anthony, they never go away.”
Anthony wished so desperately to go back in time to stop Turpin from taking Johanna to begin with, to save her from all the years of torment. However, all he could do now was help her ‘try’ to forget.
“I’ll be right back to you,” He assured her, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. “Half an hour and we’ll be free.”
“We better get going so you guys can get out of here and we can find Chrysalis!” Spike added in.
Vox: "Not unless she finds you first...Ha ha ah ah ha ha!"
“Ooh… maybe one of us should’ve stayed to watch Johanna,” Fluttershy spoke nervously. “I hate being out here in the open with the police still looking for us.”
“I think the police are the least of our worries, Fluttershy,” Twilight replied. “We need to find Chrysalis before she causes any more harm to this world… if not already.”
“I can’t believe how stupid I am!” Rainbow gritted her teeth. “We were in the same room with her… ‘TWICE’, and we didn’t even know it! You’d think with all the times we’ve encountered Changelings that we’d at least tell ‘how’ to spot one.”
Vox: "Goes to show how brainless you really are."
“Only goes to show how brainless you truly are.”
Another voice made the group spin on their heels toward none other than Chrysalis standing a few feet away from them, once more in her original form. The former Changeling Queen released a wicked laugh as the group assumed the defensive position.
“What are you doing here, Chrysalis?!” Twilight questioned angrily. “What purpose could you have for this world? Did the Order send you?”
Atlanta: "Oh believe me, Twilight. My mother needed a vacation..."
“Well princess, to be truthful, the Order has no idea I’m even here,” Chrysalis replied. “I merely came to this pitiful dimension seeking to clear my head. But the moment I got here, I was fortunate enough to meet someone who shared the same intentions as I have… revenge.”
“Oh, well we’re happy that you actually met somebody while you’re—” Pinkie piped in, till Rainbow covered her mouth.
“We’ve been down this road before, bug breath,” Rainbow retorted. “You cause trouble, we come in, and kick your sorry flank from here to kingdom come! Why don’t we just skip to the flank kicking right now?!”
To which the offer merely made Chrysalis laugh harder.
“Yet I’ve been in the same vicinity as you foolish mares, and your stupid dragon friend, and not one of you realized it was me!” Chrysalis laughed. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to snap your necks both times and bake you all into a fresh pie. After all, it’s not like you’d be ‘the first’.”
The statement alone caused the girls and Spike to widen their eyes and reel back.
“What… do you mean?” Twilight asked fearfully.
On the moon
Princess Celestia: "Twilight. I speak on everyone's behalf that you shouldn't have asked that question..."
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Ain't like she can hear you, princess..."
“Have you truly not figured it out yet, princess?” Chrysalis grinned. “You ever wondered how Mrs. Lovett’s shop went from struggling to prosperous in such a short time? Or how patrons come to Mr. Todd for a shave yet never seem to return? You really are as ‘stupid’ as I believed.”
It was soon starting to come together for the entire group, especially Pinkie and Applejack. When Mrs. Lovett told them she found a new meat supplier, most of the group hadn’t understood what she’d meant. Even when Applejack knew Lovett was lying about something, only now did it come together.
“Y’all mean… them pies were—”
“People? Yes…” Chrysalis nodded. “People Pies.”
Words couldn’t possibly describe the horror on their minds as the Mane Six and Spike cringed.
On the moon
Big Mac: "Eeyup."
Spike held a claw over his mouth trying hard not to vomit, while the rest of the girls couldn’t believe their ears. Pinkie Pie shuddered then hastily put a hoof in front of Chrysalis.
“I-I-I-I-I-I-I KNEW IT!!!” Pinkie Pie cried out.
“Pinkie… you never once said she was even suspicious,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“But I DID… in my heart,” Pinkie held her chest.
“Now it all makes a lick of sense!” Applejack realized. “Pinkie Pie offered Mrs. Lovett help tah get her business back, the same as y’all wanted to help out during Apple Buck Season. But that there baker woman had no intent of wantin’ our help. Then Pinkie came back with a pie that got the whole town stir-crazy and somehow Pinkie got Lovett to slip what she had to work with, without actually tellin’ wut was ‘in them pies!”
“The worst part is… I actually enjoyed that pie Pinkie brought in…” Spike cringed, clutching his mouth again.
“… You actually… fed him… the pie?” Chrysalis asked the party pony, slowly.
“I told you that us ‘girls’ didn’t eat the pie,” Pinkie pointed out. “I never said ‘all’ of us didn’t eat it.”
“Well… how very smart for your country bumpkin friend,” Chrysalis sneered evilly. “Too bad you figured it out too late! Heh-heh-heh-heh…”
A retching sound from the side echoed, as Spike finally couldn’t hold it and released chunks off the side.
Gabby: "If it's any consolation Spike, none of us enjoyed the pies either..."
Alastor: (To Gabby) "Speak for yourself."
All at once, Twilight Sparkle’s face went from horror… to pure anger.
“You’ve really done it this time, Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted. “I swear by Princess Celestia’s good name, you’ll pay for what you’ve done here!”
Pharynx: "Oh trust me, Princess. Sun Butt is anything but good than she seems."
Thorax: (To Pharynx) "Still...what are we going to tell her when she comes back and discovers that we tossed her onto the moon?"
Pharynx: (To Thorax) "I thought we've been over this! We'll just tell her we did everyone a favor by tossing Celestia onto the moon to serve for her crimes!"
Twilight Sparkle raised her hands up and focused her magic to cast a bolt toward the Changeling… but nothing happened. She tried again… and again… and again… but she looked as though she were making an awkward pose.
“What?” She spoke confused. “But… but it was working before!”
Once more, an evil laugh escaped Chrysalis’s lips.
“Magic trouble, princess?” Chrysalis asked mockingly. “Maybe try looking at your arm.”
In fact, the moment Twilight looked down upon her right wrist, she noticed she once again wore a magic cancelling cuff from nowhere. The remainder of the group looked down, noting they too had one as well. Some on the opposite arm, some on her legs… and at least one around the neck like a choker.
“Seriously?!” Rainbow yelled, pulling the ‘choker’ cuff. “How does this keep happening?!”
“By all accounts, this doesn’t make sense even for me!” Pinkie cried.
On the moon
Discord: "UGH! It's MAGIC stupid! MAGIC! That's the answer for everything!"
“Wow… to think you’re supposed to be Equestria’s greatest heroes,” Chrysalis grinned. “You really are pathetic.”
Husk: "Yeah. A bunch of colorful ponies made for a show targeted to little girls aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed..."
On the moon
Discord: "These ponies are embarrassing me..."
Just then, Chrysalis felt that similar feeling within her again. She could sense another presence making their way to the barbershop. A wicked grin of satisfaction spread across her face; one she’d been looking forward to ‘all’ night.
“Well girls, I truly would love to stay and chat,” Chrysalis declared. “But I have a lamb to lead, or in this case a judge, to the slaughter! Do try and keep up if you can.”
With one last sinister laugh, the Changeling Queen was engulfed by green flames and vanished without a trace. The Equestrian heroes were all left in shock.
“We need to get back to the shop and put a stop to this!” Twilight yelled urgently.
“Stop who?” Spike questioned. “The Changeling or the Judge?”
“What about Anthony?” Fluttershy asked.
“He’ll be fine!” Twilight responded. “We need to get back right now, before another person dies!”
“So… we are saving the Judge?” Spike spoke up.
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Better idea! How about you don't?"
Capper Dapperpaws: "I never thought I'd agree with a dog. But he deserves to die."
Gallus: "Yeah! And if the real Professor Snape died, I wouldn't even attend his funeral."
“Come on, buddy! Let’s go!” Rainbow yelled, grabbing his arm.
Spike gave a loud yelp as he flung about in the air while the group quickly ran downtown as fast as they could. No sooner had they left, when suddenly Anthony emerged from the station to inform the group of the news. But much to his shock, his friends were gone… every single one.
Seriously girls, you have to find a remedy against those anti-magic metals. They've taken the truth better than I expected, but I feel like they're not going to eat a cake for a long, long..., LONG time. The one who has been traumatized is Toby. This part is the most bizarre part of the movie. Of course we know what they did, but finding a nail in a pie, and the bones next to the oven makes us visualize the process by which the victims became pie filling. I must say that I am surprised to see that Todd and Chrysalis are using each other as emotional support, and not a relationship out of mutual sadism. Todd shows that if he killed Beadle it was not (solely) for revenge; also so that his friend (or something else) wouldn't have to do it for him. And I've changed my mind about the shapeshifting queen after learning that she didn't kill Nicholas Flamel. With this there are now two villains in The Legion of Doom who are beginning to show a soft and empathetic side. Now all that's missing is Tirek, Johanna begins to remember her past, but will she like to see what her father has become?
Uh oh
Poor Spike….
Man… how was she able to do that so fast?
It would be inevitable that the truth would emerge in some way or now. Whether they discover it firsthand or whether it all comes together in the most unimaginable of circumstances. The truth can be a most painful endeavor, it can either set you free or it could make something snap within you. In the way, truth represents the heart of this very chapter, one of which that expands the story. And even when the truth does reveal itself, there's still more to the story still to come. More of which best reserved for the very ending.
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Simple…magic
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True, though I am surprised she was able to do that without them noticing Chrysalis using her magic.
Then again, they were distracted during the conversation with her
To be honest, Spike, I’d rather let the judge die for the sins that he has committed. If we compare him and Chrysalis, she would be a saint.
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Chrysalis needs to stop cheating!
Well... Now the Equestrians have a lot to worry about. And they finally did it. Sweeney and Chrysalis kissed.
Wow Chrysalis truly felt passion with Todd, and she didn't really kill Flamel, just took credit for it? And poor Spike having eaten a people pie and not even realizing it before.
Gosh dang it Chrysalis, she's an enormous pain in the flank, buck her
I’m hurrying! I’m hurrying!
Well there's definitely some gory and assorted details I certainly didn't need to hear around dinner time, but that's on me there. Credit for capturing the horror elements in detail. I can imagine Pinkie's gut feeling is a shout out to a certain infamous fanfic. I also didn't expect that chivalry on Sweeney's part for Crystalis. Honestly I don't know how clean her hooves were during her reign amongst the Changelings, but who can say for sure.
After seeing the kiss between the two, I feel like something bad is gonna happen to Todd and Chrysalis might get blamed for it…
Because, ANY time a heartwarming moment or anything similar to that happens between two characters, something bad happens soon after to one of the two characters
And I’m getting that same feeling about it right now
To be concluded in:
The Final Scene
...or sequence, or chapter; whichever you prefer.
Ladies and gentlemen, please hold on to your hats, 'cause things are about to go wild.
Mr. E: (To Mina) "MINA! Get back to work!"
Mina: "Aw man!"
Extra Cuts
Blitz: Oh come on! Breakfast for dinner is an anarchy!
Me: It's fun, Blitz! It's whimsical!
Blitz: It's ridiculous! Pancakes are not a night time food!
Sonata Dusk: You're ridiculous! *punches him in the gut*
Blitz: Oof! *clutches his stomach*
Blitz: Chrysalis?.... You mean that bugpony from Gotham?
Me: The very same.
Blitz: I could fill her body with meddle if you want.
Twilight Sparkle: NO!
Blitz: Just a thought.
Me: Good enough for me.
Blitz: So classic. *chuckles*
Blitz: That's a sh**ty life, isn't it?
Me: Sure is.
Blitz: Move it or lose it people!
Me: Blitz and I will keep watch.
Blitz: Trust me, nothing gets passed an imp. *cocks his musket*
Blitz: *points his musket at her*
Me: *ignite the magic in my hands*
Blitz: I'm one step ahead of you, Rainbows!
Blitz: Say what now?...
Me: *tenses as I know what she means*
Sonata Dusk: Wait.... does that mean....?
Blitz: Those pies were...?
Blitz: *feeling sick to his stomach, throws up on the side*
Blitz: Now that is just f***ed up!
*Sonata started shaking in horror while I did my best to comfort her*
Me: Not again!
Blitz: Well ya got me.
Blitz: Either way, they're goin down! *grabs his musket*
Blitz: I'd rather he die full of lead!
Me: We'll worry about that later.
*As we race back to the barber shop, I pray that we're not too late, while also holding Sonata close comforting her from the revelation we learned from Chrysalis*
Oh shit!
Me: Oh this just got real... and getting good!
(Eats his popcorn)
Oh god. This is just one of those days where things go from worse to calamitous!
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Future G5
Discord Memorial Cinema
Meanwhile with Misty
About an hour or so, give or take a few thirty minutes, Misty had bolted outside of the cinema doors and made a mad dash to Maretime Bay. She made good time and reached the Brighthouse, thankfully with a barren-enough town. This was her perfect enough chance to finally make Opaline proud of her from stealing Sparky.
She paused at the base of the building below a window to catch her breath.
Misty: Alright, Misty. You can do this. Hopefully it won’t be as…crazy as last time. You’ve improved.
Steeling herself, she peered into the window and was surprised at what she saw.
Inside the main parlor of the Brighthouse were the pegasus royal guards Zoom and Thunder playing around with Sparky, who was playing with Tinny while Red danced around with his rubber balls. She ducked under the windowsill, cursing her terrible luck once more.
Misty: Stupid, Misty. Of course Hitch would leave somepony to babysit him. I’m not going in there against fully trained palace guards, they’d beat me within seconds! (sighs) What am I gonna tell Opa…oh, no! Not again! I lost it! It’s probably back at the theater.
Inside the Brighthouse, Thunder was playing with Sparky and Tinny while Red was juggling. Zoom batted an ear to the window in question but saw nothing.
Thunder: Something on your mind, Zoom?
Zoom: Hmm? Oh, nothing. I thought I saw something, that’s all. How is the child?
Thunder: Oh, Sparky’s real good fun to be around.
Sparky: (babbles happily)
Thunder: Oh, you’re a cutsie-wootsie, yes you are!
The only thing that stopped Zoom from groaning was the fact that Sheriff Hitch, her technical superior, gave her an order, and her guard training would not let her betray any order for nothing. That and Sparky was…kind of adorable.
Misty, meanwhile, galloped with all her might back to the cinema. With more than an hour lost, she was missing out on the movie and, more importantly, her intel to Opaline. She could not stand to face her ire and disappointment again for screwing up. Then again, she had a feasible excuse this time around.
She burst into the cinema’s lobby, nearly tripping over her dropped locket. Picking it up, she returned to her seat, playing like nothing happened.
Misty: I’m back! I’m back. What’d I miss?
Me: Not the climax, thank God. Though you missed some wonderful musical songs.
Hitch: (uneasy) Not really.
Me: Ooh, them bitches is gettin’ catty!
Zipp: I swear, they’re gonna kill each other by the end of this.
Sunny: Oh, no! Toby!
Zipp: Woah!
Izzy: (gasps) Run away! You’ve been jinxed!
Hitch: How…exactly?
Izzy: By arriving with the intention of meeting with Mr. Todd, he’s jinxed himself!
Me: Yeah, that checks out.
Sunny: What sort of business.
Hitch: Oh, so there are health regulations!
Me: They’re lax compared to today’s standards.
Pipp: He is so~ dead.
Hitch: Huh. So he’s actually dedicated to his job? Could have fooled me.
Me: And…cue in Chryssi.
Sunny: Oh…so, he wasn’t…charmed?
Me: Oh, he was charmed alright, but charmness from females off the street doesn’t severely impact his massive pay grade.
Me: Is that some kind of herb?
Me: Nevermind, I take back what I said.
Zipp: Well…he’s dead.
Hitch: She is trying so hard not to vomit from his disgusting personality.
Pipp: *hurp* I’m good!
Pipp: That’s the last we’ll see of him.
Sunny: Toby’s going to watch his…c-c-corpse fall down there with him!
Hitch: Oh, that poor kid.
Misty: What’s…he doing there?
Me: He was locked down there by Lovett because he was getting too close to uncovering the conspiracy of the shop.
Misty: C-conspiracy?
Me: I guess I should have figured high end tools were involved.
Misty: (screams into hooves)
Sunny: Oh…oh…!
Hitch: *hurp*!
Izzy: AAHH!!! (dives under table)
Sprout: (under same table) Do you min—?
Izzy: (hugs/death grips him)
There was even more screaming in the audience.
Hitch: HOLY HELL!!! THAT’S A LOT OF BLOOD!!!
Pipp: The practical effects of this movie are amazingly realistic.
Zipp: HOW ARE YOU NOT BOTHERED BY THIS?!!
Pipp: (shrugs) Because it’s a fictional movie.
Sunny: WHEN WILL THIS CARNAGE EVER END?!!!
Sunny: Get out of there, Toby!
Izzy: (under the table) Use the sewers!!
Sprout: Stop squeezing me!
Pipp: Ew! Gross!
Zipp: Anything’s better than being cannibalized!
Me: Huh?
Me: Oh. What’s he doing?
Sunny: I don’t…understand.
Likewise were the audience.
Me: Woah…
Izzy: (peeking out from underneath the table) Is he, like, actually looking out of her?
Zipp: I…don’t know.
Sunny: So there’s still good in him?
Me: No sodding idea.
I reared back in my seat, eyes wide with a fish’s mouth shaped mouth.
An entire dump of information was left on the audience with so little time to process it all.
Me: Wow. Flamel was already dead when stole the Stone, or was it even the stone considering he was already dead? But…apparently our ex-queen has no murderous tendencies, which explains why she didn’t simply kill Cadence during the Wedding Invasion.
Sunny: I don’t…don’t know what to think of all this…
Zipp: I’m still not gonna forgive her for what she already did.
Me: This info dump definitely changes a lot…(aside), though I’m a bit peeved that it was a case of “Tell, Don’t Show.” However, I can understand the challenge of making it “Show, Don’t Tell.” so I’m okay with it. (to Zipp) Yeah, despite this, I get where you’re coming from, she has done very despicable things.
Izzy: Ooooh!!!
Me: (smug) Bold move, Chryssi.
Me: I am so tripping balls right now; it’s like the ghost of Sondheim himself is haunting his own creation. I can just faintly hear the ghostly singing of the chorus lyrics.
Hitch: What…just happened!?
Me: I don’t know anymore…but God do I feel sorry for Cadence right about now.
Pipp: Red flag…creep alert.
Zipp: I’m more confused than anything.
Me: (deadpan) Of course you do.
Sunny: He’s gone. (smiles in relief) Thank hoofness!
Me: Oh, yeah. Now here’s that horror aspect.
Misty squirmed at the creepy singing voice, picturing a certain fiery alicorn in her place within her mind.
Zipp: Oh, dear.
Sunny: (gasps) Oh, no! That’s not good!
Me: So, at the revelation, how do you suppose she’ll enact her revenge without, you know, murdering them?
Sunny: I have no idea.
Me: You know, the problem with revenge is that satisfaction is almost never a guarantee, but we’ll see what happens.
Me: It’s like she’s not even on this plane of existence.
Izzy: Get out of there! It’s jinxie!
Sunny: They don’t know the truth. Oh, no!
Sunny: He’ll be back very soon. Well, Chrysalis actually, but you’re all still in danger!
Zipp: That’s…not how it works.
Pipp: That sounds really dumb.
Zipp: Oh, so now they get it!
Sunny: Well, she had them fooled during the Wedding, remember?
Zipp: Yeah, but that was when they met!
Hitch: Right…‘cause they’re in the sewers.
Sunny: Uh…
Me: She’s gonna be up to her old self, which means giving her enemies motivation with her taunting and gloating to want to beat her up.
Zipp: One: she is not even close to being safe. And two: you just said that she won’t be recognized.
Pipp: Oh…yeah, I see what you mean.
Me: I’m very concerned for her mental health.
Me: (somber) Yeah…
Sunny: (likewise) Right…
Me: (fear) Oh, Jesus…
Zipp: That woman is starting to confuse me. I mean, I know she has some importance but—(gasps) Oh…
Sunny: What is it?
Zipp: I just thought of something, but I don’t know how much it will hold up.
Me: Probably, yeah.
Me: Guess who dropped in. Though, I can sit comfortably that she doesn't have the heart to kill a being.
Me: (bored) Of course she has to laugh.
Me: And a rekindling of love, at that.
Me: And…here is comes.
Me: The only viable excuse they have is that they were on the run looking for Johanna, so when they reunited in the Shop they had more on their mind than Lovett’s new supplier.
Me: I’m getting tired of your cheap copouts, Pinkie! I know you’re just trying to make an excuse so you don’t get all guilt-ridden and all that.
Hitch: Okay, okay. Please calm down.
Me: Sorry.
Hitch: Oh, no! (rushes out again)
Sunny: Oh, why?!
Zipp: Why does that idiot have to eat everything in sight?!
Me: (facepalms) Good, lord, Spike. No one’s ever going to let you live this down.
Me: Oh, shut up with your boring uninteresting villain cliches already!
Me: (frustrated) Oh, don’t tell me…
Sunny: Again?!
Me: How did that even happen!? There was no instance at all ever in the entire city where the Order was involved! This is starting to become a pattern and right now I feel like shooting Chrysalis in her stupid face!
Me: (angry) Oh, come on! How can I take you seriously as a villain when you keep pulling stupid stunts like this every single damn time?! You have had various instances where you had the perfect opportunity to enact your revenge and you choose to run away and get lost at every shitting turn! Goddamnit, no wonder you keep losing!
I cracked open a fresh can of lite beer, taking a sip.
Me: It feels very unprofessional of me to go into angry rants like that, but I’ve got it made compared to Phantom. Oh, that poor pony.
Pipp: I’d go for the Changeling.
Zipp: How about NO!!!
Me: Good idea!
Me: (laughs) Oh, that is so classically theatrically rich!
Pipp: That poor man, they left him behind. But yeah, that’s very funny.
Hitch: (returns) Okay, I’m back. I swear, the next time I have to throw up, I’m leaving.
Me: You shouldn’t have to worry, because the Final Scene of the movie is just coming up.
Hitch: …oh. Okay, then.
Sunny: (worries) Oh, Johanna…
Yeah, seriously, how the heck does that keep on happening?!
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They're bad guys, you honestly expect them to play by the rules? Not all of them have any sense of dignity and being fair you know.
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Discord's Theatre, Galaxy Branch
Sunset Shimmer: Oh no, they're still hunting for Toby.
Ahsoka Tano: I hope he'll be okay.
Postwar: He will be. Call it a feeling.
Leia Organa: They're really going to kill the boy?
Mando: People would do anything to silence others to make sure that no secrets are spilled, no matter who or what they are, or even their age.
C-3PO: My word. *R2 whining in worry*
Sunset Shimmer *groaning* Oh great, him again.
Postwar: That guy really is a creep.
Galen Marek: Something tells me karma will hit him really hard.
Postwar: More like looking for an excuse to shut down a business establishment that you don't like.
Ben Solo: Are some people always this greedy?
Postwar: Young man, I could tell you stories.
Everyone gags and feels like needing the urge to throw up.
Postwar: And so the devil invites you to their door, and soon you be trapped in the gates of hell.
Galen Marek: Wow...that's deep.
Postwar: I get by.
Ahsoka Tano: Oh, the poor boy.
Leia holds Ben close to her, with Galen holding Sunset close as she also got worried.
Everyone, minus Postwar, were slowly surprised by where this was going.
Everyone else feels creeped out by what they were seeing.
Galen Marek: They're still hunting him?
Mando: Once a predator gets to work, they won't stop until they gained their kill.
Sunset Shimmer: Oh no, Twilight and the others.
Postwar then held to the side of his head, sensing what was going to happen, but he wasn't sure yet.
Postwar: Is it my imagination, or is Chrysalis getting better at this?
Sunset Shimmer: Glad I'm not the only one who feels that way.
Galen Marek: I'm surprised they didn't know about the pies sooner.
Postwar: Ponykind tends to be oblivious to the little things from time to time. No offense Sunset.
Sunset Shimmer: None taken.
Postwar: That's what you said last time.
Sunset Shimmer: And the time before that.
Sunset Shimmer: Are you kidding me?! Those again.
Postwar: *sends a message to the rest of the CA groups* We really need to find a spell to counter those things, or at least find, teleport and bring them to headquarters for proper disposal.
Sunset Shimmer: I don't think he realizes what's going on.
Postwar: He will, sooner or later.
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Hmm... so Random Dude just 'happened' to report a crime when Ember was electrocuted to unconsciousness.
I wonder...
Random Dude: Aw come on, man! You're not seriously thinking it's me, are you?
I certainly wasn't suspecting the Random Chick.
Random Dude: Well, that's stupid... wait! We have a Random Chick?
Offscreen: Duh!
*Random Dude shrieks at a Random Chick was standing beside him*
Random Dude: Where'd you come from?
Random Chick: What do you mean? I've been sitting with you guys since the theater opened.
*Random Dude's face was blank apart from the occasional blink*
Random Chick: We sit in the same row? We carpool here? We're cousins?
Random Dude: Ohh... okay! You're just so quiet, I didn't even know you were even here.
Random Chick: *Frowns in annoyance* You're sleeping on the couch.
Go get Chysalis, girls and Spike!
<<Previous
Canterlot Mall Theater, Discord's Branch
Arctic: You see, moments like this is why I try not to piss off a girl, or get between 2 girls that are fighting…that’s just asking for a punch in the face
Juniper: Well, you’re not entirely wrong about that
Fluttershy: P-Please don’t hurt him..(she said with a small whimper)
Applejack: While it’s good you’re worried about Health regulations…. However (she begins to say)
Sci-Twi: Going to the back room will be your last mistake…(she finishes)
Arctic: Have to admit…she is good at what she does.
Rainbow Dash: Yeah, his totality dead
Rarity: I do kinda feel sorry, who would want to saying something like that towards him (she said with a bit of disgust)
Pinkie Pie: I-I got a bad feeling what’s going happen (she said worried)
Fluttershy: M-Me to..(she said with a little more worry)
Everyone started to look a bit green holding their mouth a bit trying not to throw up as Fluttershy hides her face into Rainbow Shoulder
Rainbow Dash: (comforting Fluttershy a bit as she was a little green) W-Well T-Toby is now gonna be traumatized
Fluttershy: P-please let that be it (she said softly whimpering a little bit)
Loud screams were heard from the graphic scene that has been displayed as the Equestrian Girls and Juniper made their way towards the restrooms
Arctic: I-I think we need a short break..(he said before he goes to join everyone else)
Soon everyone started to come back seating down back in their seats having a few pants and bottles of water in hand
Rarity: I-I really hope this is all over soon.. I don’t think I can’t take it anymore
Applejack: E-Eeyup. Same here, Rares.
Sci-Twi: I really hope his able to expect… and perhaps get some therapy as well
Juniper: That, was very unexpected
Arctic: Very unexpected…
Pinkie Pie: What does this mean? (She ask a little bit curious)
Arctic: He…. He makes a point. She actually never killed anyone.
Rainbow Dash: This.. is honestly too much stuff to process. Like.. this was just dropped unexpected
Applejack: I have to agree, seems like he also cares about Chrysalis, like how she cares about him…
Rarity: (covers her mouth having a bit of a squeal)
Arctic: Woah…
Sci-Twi: a unexpected kiss…
Pinkie Pie: Is..this a good thing? Or a bad thing?
Juniper: I guess we’re going to find out…
Fluttershy: Thank goodness… he escape. (She said with relief)
Arctic: This is bad… they’re about to encounter Chryslias.
Sci-Twi: Hopefully they’ll be ok..who knows what will happen when they encounter her.
Rainbow Dash: At this point, wouldn’t they realize it is her a long while back? (She questioned)
Arctic: Well, they didn’t know she was there at first. Even if they did, Chrysalis is a good actor herself.
Rarity: Poor Girl…don’t worry, it’ll be over soon enough and you’ll get a happy ending.. I hope.
Juniper: It’s the same women again.. what is she doing?
Sci-Twi: she might be trying to follow them, but… I can’t help but feel she is important in some way.
Arctic: I have to agree, we’ve seen her a good amount times now, she has some importance. But the question is, what is it?
Fluttershy: O-Oh no..
Arctic: And now they know the truth.
Applejack: That’s a image they’re never gonna forget…
Sci-Twi: Wait…What?!
Juniper: But Pinkie said they didn’t eat the pie?!
Arctic:…not gonna lie. We probably should’ve listened to that part better
Rarity: Poor Spiky…
Rainbow Dash: OK HOW?! That’s literally impossible!
Juniper: She was able to get those on them?! And without them knowing!
Arctic: Something definitely up, more of those anti-cuffs and was able to get them on the Princess and her friends without them noticing..
Fluttershy: A-At least Anthony gonna be safe..
Applejack: I hope so… but what’s gonna happen? Kinda feels weird seeing them trying save the judge.
Arctic: Guess will see… because, I feel like we’re in the final climax of this adventure
Next>>
Random Dude: "You have to give credit to Vox. He's been hiding in plain sight the whole time. I mean, he's got a TV for a head. And the entire Cinematic Adventure has been revolving around a magic TV. So...it kinda makes sense. But if he's an imposter...and Discord's an imposter, and they've been working together this whole Cinematic Adventure, then that would mean..."
Alastor: (Still smiling) "...It would seem I've been double-crossed this whole time and that Discord had no intention of having me hosting the Cinematic Adventure..."
Husk: "No duh. This whole Cinematic Adventure has been a fucking shit."
Meanwhile, back at Discord's Theater
Vox: "Welcome back to another segment of the Cinematic Adventure's commentaries, with me, as your host for this evening's showcase."
Alastor: (To Vox) "For your information, Vox. I've been hosting this Cinematic Adventure's commentaries from the start!"
Vox: (To Alastor) "Ha! That's a laugh! Whoever thought it was a good idea to let the Radio Demon host a cinema inside a movie theater is clearly in over his head. You couldn't even keep your audience from leaving!"
Alastor: (To Vox) "Only because you had to come in and sabotage the entire festivity."
Vox: (To Alastor) "Because you don't know how to work with any of these modern up-to-date technologies you out-of-date static piece of shit has-been!"
Alastor: (To Vox) "I have the advantage of being a classic piece of media! I'll last forever while the screaming citizens will eventually kill you off!"
Quill Cast: "JUST FUCKING KISS ALREADY!!!"
*Disc scratch SFX*
Alastor: "WHAT?!"
Vox: "Wut?!"
Soon, Alastor and Vox were chasing after Curtain Calls and Quill Cast.
Curtain Calls: "Quill Cast! Are you out of your mind?! These guys are crazy!"
Quill Cast: (Singing and taunting) "Voxie and Alastor sitting beneath a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
Curtain Calls: "Hold on tight! We're gettin' outta here!"
Atlanta: (Sighs) "Sometimes, I don't know what goes on in my brony husband's head..."
Niffty: "He should've known that shipping Alastor and Vox like that is just asking a death wish..."
Charlie Morningstar: "Well, I guess we're just gonna have to carry on without them." (To Mina) "Hey Mina! Care to assist me?"
Mina: "It would be an honor your majesty!"
Vox: "Yeah! Like who the fuck let Alastor host a movie theater? Movies aren't even in his resume!"
Alastor: "These days, they'll just hire anyone, you piece of shit television!"
Husk: "Well, the looney has become the sass master."
Princess Luna: (To Husk) "Who you calling looney?"
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Did someone say my name?"
Charlie Morningstar: "That's horrible! Locking a poor innocent kid away like that!"
Husk: "Might as well start digging your grave and toss yourself into it then..."
Vox: "Welp! There goes the neighborhood. Although, this is a do or die time! They kill the snitch before he snitches on them!"
Alastor: (To Vox) "Those were my lines you plagiarist!"
Vox: "Hmmm~ I like a sexy bitch who's not afraid to show off her stuff." (Looking at you) "That's right! I'm talking about what you perverts have been seeing and posting on the sites." (Back to the CA) "If she dies, then I'm sure my friend, Valentino, could find some use for her."
Atlanta: "I'm afraid to ask. But who is Valentino?" (Angel Dust whispers into her ears) "EW! No! I know my mom's...twisted and all. But even she doesn't deserve that!"
Husk: "Ooooh. Tough guy. Isn't he?"
On the moon
Loona stuck her tongue out and texted on her phone: "NOT!"
On the moon
Big Mac: "Nope."
Next>>
4,264 words left for this chapter. Then I'm moving to the next one.
I need more time, Mr. E and Drama.
Meanwhile, back at Discord's Theater
<<Previous
Alastor: "Mmmm! Delicious!"
Audience (except some sinners): "EW!"
Gilda: "I think I'm gonna be sick!"
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "I'm no foot fetish..."
Pharynx: "Welp. He's dead."
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Mission complete."
Some of the audience all fainted at the squeamish sight.
Charlie Morningstar: (To Vox) "Couldn't you just uncensored that?"
Vox: (To Charlie Morningstar) "What are you complaining about? You see this kind of shit 24/7!"
Mrs. Cake: "Oh, the poor dear is scared to death!"
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone] "Poor kid..."
Vox: "Too bad for her it won't be the last time she sees that rat, in the upcoming Cinematic Adventure, featuring the Boy Who Lived."
Quill Cast: (To Vox) "Hey! No spoilers!"
Vox: (To Quill Cast) "Don't have too! Most of your viewers have already seen the movies! So, in a technicality, it's hardly a spoiler!"
Vox: "What?"
Alastor: "Hmmm?"
Vox: "Ew! Gag. A moment while I delete all this shit in the trash bin..."
Charlie Morningstar: "Actually...he's got a point. And...I'm actually touched with what he's saying. Sure, he's gone off the deep ends. But at the very least, he's trying to stop her from falling down the same dark path he has!"
Wait what?
Octavia: "Is that so?"
Audience: "Ooooh!"
On the moon
Audience: "Whoa-ho-ho!"
Capper Dapperpaw: "Ooooooooh!"
Vox: "I should record this for Valentino! He has to see this!"
Next>>
Meanwhile, back at Discord's Theater
<<Previous
Vox: "I'll bet he does."
On the moon
Discord: "Even more urgent than killing a police officer?"
Audience: "SHUT UP, DISCORD!"
Angel Dust: "Plus lovemaking and fucking brains out like there's no tomorrow."
Sweetie Belle: "Ew! TMI"
Niftty" (Sighs romantically) "I wish that was me someday!"
Husk: "Spoiler alert. He's in the sewers..."
Husk: "No they won't."
Cheese Sandwich: "Ooh! I have a bad feeling about this..."
Vox: "Well. The ponies have become the detectives...Too bad they're as slow as 1 Frames Per Second."
Atlanta: "Actually...I'd appreciate it if you don't..."
Thorax: "You don't know the half of it, Twilight..."
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Story of my life in the hellhound shelter..."
Cheese Sandwich: "As long as it's a Pinkie Promise."
Vox: "Not unless she finds you first...Ha ha ah ah ha ha!"
Vox: "Goes to show how brainless you really are."
Atlanta: "Oh believe me, Twilight. My mother needed a vacation..."
On the moon
Princess Celestia: "Twilight. I speak on everyone's behalf that you shouldn't have asked that question..."
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Ain't like she can hear you, princess..."
On the moon
Big Mac: "Eeyup."
Gabby: "If it's any consolation Spike, none of us enjoyed the pies either..."
Alastor: (To Gabby) "Speak for yourself."
Pharynx: "Oh trust me, Princess. Sun Butt is anything but good than she seems."
Thorax: (To Pharynx) "Still...what are we going to tell her when she comes back and discovers that we tossed her onto the moon?"
Pharynx: (To Thorax) "I thought we've been over this! We'll just tell her we did everyone a favor by tossing Celestia onto the moon to serve for her crimes!"
On the moon
Discord: "UGH! It's MAGIC stupid! MAGIC! That's the answer for everything!"
Husk: "Yeah. A bunch of colorful ponies made for a show targeted to little girls aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed..."
On the moon
Discord: "These ponies are embarrassing me..."
On the moon
Loona: [Texts on her phone]: "Better idea! How about you don't?"
Capper Dapperpaws: "I never thought I'd agree with a dog. But he deserves to die."
Gallus: "Yeah! And if the real Professor Snape died, I wouldn't even attend his funeral."
Vox: "Somebody's been friendzoned."
Seriously girls, you have to find a remedy against those anti-magic metals. They've taken the truth better than I expected, but I feel like they're not going to eat a cake for a long, long..., LONG time.
The one who has been traumatized is Toby. This part is the most bizarre part of the movie. Of course we know what they did, but finding a nail in a pie, and the bones next to the oven makes us visualize the process by which the victims became pie filling.
I must say that I am surprised to see that Todd and Chrysalis are using each other as emotional support, and not a relationship out of mutual sadism. Todd shows that if he killed Beadle it was not (solely) for revenge; also so that his friend (or something else) wouldn't have to do it for him. And I've changed my mind about the shapeshifting queen after learning that she didn't kill Nicholas Flamel.
With this there are now two villains in The Legion of Doom who are beginning to show a soft and empathetic side. Now all that's missing is Tirek,
Johanna begins to remember her past, but will she like to see what her father has become?