Kianna looked down at Dwayne's pistol, a lone tear trickling down her cheek as she relished in all the moments they shared together. Taking it all in, she keyed the ignition but the car failed to turn over.

Cursing to herself, she tried again but to no avail. “Typical Ford...” she muttered to herself as she tried for a third time. The car shuddered slightly as the turbocharged motor finally came to life.

Kianna gripped the steering wheel as she gazed off into the distance with a crumby expression on her face. 'At least one good thing came of all this...' she thought to herself as she patted the steering wheel of the muscle car.

Pushing down on the accelerator, the entire car rocked to one side as the engine roared a high note. Revving the car as though she was about to participate in a drag race, the car continued to rock and twist from the engine's torque. “What a car...” she mused to herself, taking pride in her new prize.

Just as she slipped the transmission into first gear, she took one final look to Dwayne's pistol, then noticed something she hadn't before. Leaning over, the woman retrieved the scroll of paper that was resting on the passenger seat. Rolling it open, she took a look at the letter...

'Hey Kianna,

If you're reading this, then you're dead.

Parker'

Kianna laughed to herself. That man was as good as dead, she had seen to that herself...

Derreck leaned back in his seat, sighing to himself as the afternoon sun cast down upon him through Juggernaut's windshield. As he went to close his eyes, a lone hand rested on his shoulder. Turning his head, he looked into the eye of his old friend as time seemed to slow...

Crumpling up the scroll of paper and tossing it out the window, Kianna slammed the accelerator and took off, quickly shifting into second gear and speeding down the paved driveway of the glorious estate.

Suddenly, as the car hit 30mp/h, the vehicle jerked and shuddered. A crunching from the transmission sounded out as the engine revved to its maximum limit. Kianna's body jerked forwards from the screeching halt but didn't manage much else as the car's back end suddenly erupted, jacking the rear end up into the air as the entire vehicle burst into flames from the tremendous explosion...

Evan's hand was embodied with a gentle white aura, himself speaking to Derreck telepathically. 'We deserve this... but she needs to be stopped more than us...'

Their bodies were both bathed in a glistening white flash before they disappeared from the scene just as the once indestructible battle truck finally met its end, going up in a pluming fireball...

Derreck and Evan arrived to the mansion in a flash of blinding light. Grunting painfully as he fell to his knees, the smaller man grasped at the shrapnel still lodged in his forehead. Sick of his self pity, Derreck grabbed hold of the lodged slag and yanked it out, much to the pained yelp of Evan.

“You should've just let her blow us up. She'd think we're dead and we could disappear!” Derreck grumbled.

“We have to finish it... one way or another-” he was cut off by a joyful squeal.

“EVAN! You're back... oh shit, you look terrible,” Lassie commented, having come out to joyfully meet them but now slowly, and most worriedly, approached him. Evan looked to her as his forehead wound slowly healed.

“It's nothing. I can handle it-” he was cut off by the gruffer, older man.

“Oh yeah. Cause that's going real well for you. Okay tough guy, if you didn't want her thinking we're dead, why not just let me just blow her fucking head off and end it right then and there?!” he yelled, Lassie taking a cautious step back as Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon and Trixie arrived to greet their friend but also went quiet upon hearing the argument.

“She has to have a choice. She thinks she's killed us so essentially she's extracted her revenge. If she comes after our family looking for blood, she'll find it. If not then...” he trailed off, Derreck looking at him with a risen brow.

“You're not fucking serious... you are... aren't you?” he asked then shook his head in dismay. “This has got to be the stupidest fucking reasoning I've-” Evan cut him short.

“If we give her a choice, then at least we're better people than her!” he yelled, Derreck stepping closer to the man.

“OH YEAH! We're really good fucking people. Killing just about everypony who ever fucking trusted us, but 'Ohhhh, because we're giving another killer a chance, that makes us better people',” Derreck mocked, Evan taking a step towards his aggressive friend.

“That's exactly what I'm saying. You never once fucking listened to me in this entire, blood soaked, fucking journey, so for once in your life, FUCKING DO AS I ASK!” Evan roared back. Derreck paused for a moment then laughed.

“You know what? Yeah, fine... we'll do it your way. In God's grace, right? Because we're such angels. I guaran-fuckin-tee, that Kianna is gonna come here looking for everypony, and it's just gonna end in more bloodshed. And I'll be the one to say 'I fuckin told you so',” Derreck poked Evan's chest to which the smaller man stood tall against the aggressive behavior.

“It's the choice that matters... and it's better than shooting someone in the back,” Evan shot back, to which Derreck's face twisted into a knotted expression. “Lassie... go write a note on the fridge. Make it seem like we never came home and you're waiting somewhere for us,” Evan told his canine friend. With a look to Nightmare Moon, he sighed in a depressed way. “Take everypony somewhere safe,” he told her, Lassie quickly speaking up.

“The golf course. We're going golfing. I demand it!” Lassie laughed, trying stressfully to bring enthusiasm to the dark situation they were in but to no avail. "Ahhh-ha... ha... yeah, okay, I'll go right that note," she said gloomily.

Evan walked towards the garage and looked to the three vehicles left. The would-be Harley mocked up by Derreck and Scootaloo... Cadance, his first and favorite truck that was all mocked up to show off... and the Gran Torino.

Rooting through the tool cabinets in the shop, Evan quickly grabbed a few things just as Nightmare entered. “Derreck,” she called out in a rather faint voice, the man looking to her as Evan paused.

“I'll be waiting for you... don't be gone long,” she said to him before the two embraced in a loving kiss.

“I won't. Promise,” he told her with a wink. With that, the mare of his life left with the others and the big man turned to his friend. “What are you doing?” he asked, looking to the high explosives the other man held.

“Well... I figure we rig this to the car and wire it so that... when she hits a certain speed it goes up in flames. I figure uhh... she liked this car the most and would want to take it if she came looking to kill our family. I-” Derreck cut him off.

“That is the stupidest plan with the stupidest reasoning I've ever heard,” he grumbled fiercely. Evan looked down to the floor as he swallowed, Derreck rolling his eye with a rather reluctant sigh.

“Alright... just to show you how dumb this plan is, I'll go along with it,” Derreck muttered, the duo quickly going to work on the car and strapping the explosives into place then wiring them into the engine...

The two men watched as the car erupted into a mass fireball, the car flipping completely over from the explosion. “You think that was better than just shooting her in the head? Now she's just as dead as she would be if I had shot her, but now we're down a car,” Derreck grumbled as the two stepped into Cadance and took off, the Harley strapped down in the back. Evan took one last look out the rear view mirror, watching as they left the burning wreck behind to smolder away...

The trip to Canterlot had been completely silent and void of any conversation between the two. Derreck pulled up to the royal castle and shut down the engine. “Coming in? Tia will be happy to see us,” Derreck mentioned, Evan looking away and out the passenger window.

“Will she?” he asked coldly.

“Yeah I know. She's a tyrannical bitch that made us break our moral code for the better of Equestria. But you don't rule for over a thousand years by trying to make everypony happy. Now, you coming in or not?”

Not getting an answer, Derreck made mocking facial gestures as he stepped out of the truck and walked through the entrance of the castle, the guards letting him past without incident. Mingling through the hallways of the castle, Derreck mused to himself, talking about random things to keep himself company.

Walking down one particular hallway, he heard a series of cluttering crashes echo from one of the rooms. With piked curiosity, he moved towards one of the doors and knocked. Just as he knocked however, there was a rather loud crash that made him jump back.

Taking it upon himself to investigate, he barged through the door, only to find Luna flumped over on the floor and The Shadow Blade lodged into a dresser. “You needn't worry... I'm fine, no need to... OH! Mr. Parker. My sincerest apologies. I thought you to be one of the guards. How are you on this lovely night?” she asked, quickly standing up and brushing herself off, swishing her mane to one side with a deep exhale.

Derreck looked to the room which was a complete write off. Upon closer inspection, he took note that there were multiple slash and stab marks all over the room's furnishings. His gaze finally fell to the sword that was lodged in the dresser.

“Practicing?” he asked unsurely, Luna giving a timid giggle.

“If that's what you'd call it. Rather disastrous really. It's been so long since I wielded a long-blade that I... well, the scene speaks for itself. I've asked the guards to train with me but they're... well, rather petrified to step into a sparring ring with a royal princess, let alone actually engage in training. Along with that, my sister is always too busy so alas I have taken it upon myself to train alone,” she spoke triumphantly, holding her chin up high.

“And how's that working out for you?” Derreck mused, looking to the mess that had become of the room. Luna let out a sigh as her head drooped down

“Horribly really,” she admitted, Derreck rubbing his chin.

“Care to show me?” Derreck asked, Luna raising a brow.

“You wish to watch me make a fool of myself? Why, so you can laugh?” she inquired jokingly, Derreck waving his hand in passive defense.

“No, not quite," he chuckled. "Just take a few swings and maybe I can tell you were you're going wrong. Give you a bit of insight,” he offered, Luna smiling at the offer.

“So be it. But I must warn you, I'm not as good as I once was and am rather quite terrible.” Luna plucked the sword from the dresser and spun it around with her hoof in dramatic fashion, Derreck perking a brow as he thought to himself.

'Well gee... she's not that bad-' he began to think just as Luna stood to her hindlegs, wobbled to try and gain balance but before she could stabilize herself, instead began swinging erratically. With natural instinct, Derreck ducked his head just in time to dodge an accidental slash as Luna staggered around like a violent sword wielding vagrant.

Her sword sliced through window drapes and lacerated the fine walls and floor. Several vases were executed along with another dresser before Luna finally lost her footing and slipped, falling backwards and letting The Shadow Blade slip from her grasp.

The sword flew up high and glanced off the chandelier hangers, ricocheting off and gliding down towards the man who instinctively lunged aside. The sword jammed into the door behind him and splintered wood chips across the floor.

Groaning to himself as he and Luna stood up, he suddenly caught wind of something a little more dire. The chandelier creaked and groaned from overhead, the partially sliced hangers giving way from the weight.

“Luna!” Derreck yelled as he jumped forwards without thinking, tackling her aside just as the chandelier came smashing down.

With a thunderous smash, the once magnificent ceiling ornament splintered into millions of glass fragments, the door suddenly whipping open. “Your majesty!” called a frantic voice, quickly followed by Luna's own.

“No-no! Everything's alright, no need to panic! Guards I... I was just practicing,” Luna called out with an exhausted exhale, letting the back of her head flump against the floor before placing a hoof over her eyes to hide the disaster from view.

There was a long pause as the night guards looked in awe to the utter destruction before slowly, and most cautiously, closing the partially destroyed door. Luna groaned to herself as she slowly took in the wreck she had inadvertently caused before thunking her head against the floor with a defeated sigh.

Standing up, she looked around to try and figure out what to do next, Derreck still laying on the floor as he rubbed his eyes. “There's no sway in your hips,” Derreck mentioned. Luna stopped and turned to look at him.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“When you're swinging... you aren't taking time to balance yourself and you're not putting sway in your hips. Your hips, your waist... that's your body's pivot point for the technique you've chosen. A lot of the power is going to come from your hindlegs but you can't transfer that energy if your not moving with your entire body... sword fighting is more of a dance than anything... here, I'll show you,” he said, slowly standing up and retrieving the sword from the door.

“If you don't balance yourself and just start swinging wildly like that, you'll probably end up lopping off a leg...” Derreck laughed heartily. “Take a stance, whether offensive or defensive, positioning yourself properly for that style...”

He took a combative stance, holding the sword upright by his side. “I've always believed in the ideal that the shortest distance from one point to another is a straight line, but everypony has their own opinions. Rather than wild arcs, try straight, sharp slashes...”

Derreck slowly began to quarry around an imaginary adversary. “There is no single most important thing in swordplay, but rather a mixture of things. Balance, grace and technique all come into play as one...” Derreck began to slowly swing the sword, displaying his form at a slow pace for Luna to observe.

“Your whole body needs to move in unison fashion. Not letting your body flow with the technique will either throw off your balance or exhaust your body in shorter amounts of time...” Derreck's body moved with elegant grace, as though he had practiced for hundreds of years just to perfect the art of swordplay.

Luna slowly walked over as she admired his finesse. “I had no idea you enjoyed dueling so much,” she mentioned, Derreck shrugging as he stood casually.

“I don't really. It's like exercising. You just get better at it the more you do it,” he noted, Luna smirking.

“Well, you wouldn't have trained to reach this level of finesse if you didn't enjoy it in some regard,” she pointed out, Derreck twitching his lip.

“I suppose... here, you try. Just do like I said,” he told her, handing the sword back to its rightful owner. Luna struck an unbalanced pose but before she could start swinging, Derreck placed his hands on her shoulders as she stood upright.

“Not so tense... relax a little,” he coached her. “Take it slow at first. You won't be able to replicate where you once were right away. It'll take time but it will slowly come back to you. Now, pretend like the sword is just an extension of your body...” Derreck guided her through a few swings before stepping back and letting her do it on her own. For a few minutes, Luna slashed at a slow pace, cutting down imaginary enemies.

“There, see... you're getting the hang of it again,” Derreck complimented, Luna stopping to smile. “Well... I'm supposed to meet with your sister to discuss that thing... but uhh... maybe I'll start coming by a bit more often and we can spar together,” Derreck offered, Luna setting her sword aside as she nodded to the big man.

“I'd like that. Truly I would. It's not often I can relax and enjoy myself with others,” she mentioned to him before they gave their farewells for the time being and Derreck made his way to the throne room, where he suspected Celestia to be waiting.

Stopping just in front of the massive throne room doors, he painfully reminisced on all he had done for Celestia and the country. Killing, and all its aspects, felt terrific to Derreck, like some kind of euphoric high. However much he may enjoy it, he knew the time had come to hang up his guns. His body was starting to wear down and age horrendously, thanks to his healing factor which he constantly abused.

Pushing open the throne room doors, he briskly moved across the room and towards Celestia, whom sat proudly in her throne chair. Stopping just mere feet away, Derreck swallowed as he meet eyes with the regal princess. “It's done,” Derreck informed with a cold tone.

“Indeed it is. I've also heard several broadcasts and news reports that a certain mob family was vanquished and their massed weapons cache was destroyed... you've truly outdone yourself this time, Mr. Parker. And for your valiant-” Derreck cut her short.

“Save it... I don't care. I'm out, done, gone... now, just leave me and my family alone,” he ordered sternly. Celestia sighed in a depressed way.

“My most sincere apologies Mr. Parker. I really wish there was some other way it could have been handled but-” she cut herself off as Derreck turned and left without so much as another word, leaving the white alicorn goddess hanging...

Leaving the palace in a storming fury, Derreck hopped into the truck and keyed the ignition. “Let's get the fuck outta here,” Derreck snarled, quickly taking off like the furious madman he was.

“Fucking Celestia...” Derreck cursed to himself. “Tyrannical fucking bitch...” he continued to swear, feeling begrudged as he thought about how she looked so smug and coy, just sitting there in her throne. As he swore, Evan looked over.

“You chose that path. You have no one to blame but yourself,” Evan said in a defeated voice, Derreck glaring over to him.

“Oh, and let me guess. You're fucking perfect, aren't you, you fucking judgmental hypocrite!” Derreck growled. Whatever the reason, perhaps the way Celestia seemed to Derreck, had set him off.

His thoughts resided on how he and the Liotta family used to be so close. How many operations he had taken part in with Kianna and her crew... and how he just gave them all a dirt nap... on orders of Celestia...

The more he thought about it, the more he resented the princess and everything around him. Evan spoke up rather abruptly with an equally random requisition. “We have to go see mum,” he spoke softly, Derreck looking to him with a baffled expression before quickly snapping his look in another direction.

“What?... no,” he replied bluntly.

“Yeah... we do. We owe her that much,” Evan spoke softly.

“No! We don't. We don't owe her anything! We don't owe her, we don't owe any of her fucking friends. WE DON'T OWE ALL OF EQUESTRIA FUCKING ANYTHING! THEY OWE US! They fucked us! Royally fucked us!” Derreck boomed, Evan just scoffing.

“It's the path you chose,” Evan stated, Derreck fuming as his fists gripped harder against the steering wheel.

“We didn't get a choice! It was that or Nightmare Moon!” Derreck boomed, Evan remaining calm.

“We could've talked it out with the Liotta's. We could've sorted everything out, but you wouldn't listen and now you're disappointed with the results because you took the easiest path,” Evan mentioned calmly, Derreck's temper being cut extremely short.

“OHHHH! Sorry! I didn't realize that all your fucking plans were genius and go exactly as planned. Just like Kianna, how you thought she'd see the error of her ways and fucking leave this life behind. No! I'll fucking tell you what happened. She came, just like I said she would, looking for fucking blood!” Derreck boomed.

“None of that would've happened if you had've just taken it passively. Now... head towards Ponyville,” Evan ordered in a calm voice, Derreck just scoffing in return.

“We're going to meet up with Moon and the others. That's final,” Derreck said in a low voice.

“We... are going to Ponyville... to see my mother,” Evan replied back.

“She's not even your fucking mother! It's just a delusional fantasy you've brought yourself to believe because she, unlike your real, alcoholic, abusive bitch of a mother, showed you compassion. She complimented you on your achievements. She took pride in watching you grow into a better man, she nurtured you! THAT DOESN'T MAKE HER YOUR FUCKING MOTHER! And we are NOT going to see her!” Derreck roared, trying to force Evan into subconsciousness but to no avail.

“YES SHE IS! You can go your own fucking way but I'm going to see my mother! With or without you!” Evan yelled, his own temper starting to rise for the first time in a long time.

“No your not. You're going to sit your ass in that seat and come with me and the others. We're fucking leaving,” Derreck growled, starting to come unhinged.

“NOT YET! Not until I see my mother!” Evan yelled back.

“She doesn't even want to see you! She knows you're a killer and she doesn't fucking love you anymore!” Derreck yelled.

Evan slammed his fists off the dash as he looked to his oldest friend. “I DON'T FUCKING CARE ABOUT THAT! NOW TURN AROUND!” Evan demanded.

Derreck tried with all his might to force away Evan's consciousness, knowing the two shared a body and this was all just in his head. Hard as he tried however, Evan remained, ordering him to turn around.

“Shut the fuck up Evan! We're not going to see her!” Derreck yelled, Evan's glare going icy cold.

“Then get out of my truck,” he ordered in a steely cold voice. It took a moment for Derreck to process what he just heard before slamming on the brakes of the truck and slapping it into park.

“What... did you just say?” Derreck asked in an equally snarly voice.

“I said... get the fuck out of my truck,” Evan ordered, his voice still low and stone cold.

“'Your' truck? This... you wouldn't have this truck if it wasn't for me. Your uncle and his friend would've weaseled it out from under you if it wasn't for me. It wouldn't be all chromed out and flashy if it wasn't for me... fuck, you wouldn't even have a place to call home if it wasn't for me,” Derreck snapped.

“If it wasn't for you...” Evan's entire body stiffened as he became unhinged with anger.

“Oh jeeze, yeah, get tough with me... what are you gonna do? Punch me in the fac-” he was cut off as Evan tackled him out the door of the truck, pinning him to the ground.

“JUST STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE DERRECK! YOU'VE FUCKED IT UP ENOUGH!” Evan roared but his dominance was cut short as Derreck plowed him across the jaw, knocking him off the big man.

Both the men stood up, the only source of light coming from the truck's headlights and the moon above. “Is this how you want it to go?” Derreck asked, Evan wiping blood from his lip.

“I'm giving the choice to you,” Evan stated. “She probably won't even talk to me... but I have to at least try... then we can disappear to whatever shit-hole you have in mind. Probably go kill some more ponies, or maybe some zebras... hell, you've broken most of your morals, why not all of them. Start killing foals too, eh?” Evan taunted.

Like a restraining chain had been snapped, Derreck rushed Evan, tackling him into the ground and punching his head into the gravel road with brutal force. Evan let the big man, his oldest friend, vent his anger into him for a brief few moments, knowing he wouldn't match up well against him if he went head to head.

As one of Derreck's fists came down, Evan blocked it. “Go ahead... beat me to a pulp. It's all you've ever been good for... beating ponies to death who are weaker than you,” Evan challenged, Derreck building all his rage from the comment into a single blow.

Hammering down hard with all his might, Derreck attempted to deliver a finishing blow to shut him up for the time being. However, despite his efforts, Evan shifted his head to the side, letting Derreck hammer his hand into the gravel road.

Shredding the skin of his knuckles apart, Derreck let out a yelp that was all Evan needed. Grabbing the tuff of his shirt collar, Evan pulled Derreck into a straight punch that collided perfectly with his nose, making Derreck wince and brought tears to his eyes.

Pushing the big man off from atop his body, Evan rolled to the side just as Derreck got his footing. “You little-” Derreck began before Evan threw a handful of gravel into Derreck's face, little bits and chunks getting stuck under his eyelid, his other eye protected by the eye patch.

“ARGHHHHH, YOU LITTLE FUCK!” Derreck roared as he stood up, disoriented and grasping his hands over his face, eye sweltering in agonizing pain. Getting a hold of himself, he rushed around the side of Cadance, where he had saw Evan run to just moments ago after throwing the gravel in his eye.

No sooner did he round the corner, did his mind go black...

Evan stood before the unconscious man, rifle held inadvertently in his hands, having just clobbered the side of Derreck's temple with the buttstock of the SKS he called Applebloom. “One way... or another...” Evan huffed before wincing in pain, grabbing his chest as it started to feel constricted.

Staggering to the back of his truck, he crawled up into the back and approached the light rack bar seated just behind the cab. Grabbing it with all his might, he yanked the bar off and tossed it at Derreck's unconscious body. “THIS IS MY LIFE!” Evan yelled before gasping in pain and falling over the side of the box, hitting the ground with an audible THUMP. Groaning in growing pain, he withered on the ground for a few moments before rolling over.

Dragging himself to the front of the truck, he gripped onto the grill bars, which contained a set of fog lamps and a winch. His body was cascaded in a heavenly white aura as he struggled with the grill bars but with one final surge of strength, yanked the once glorious attachment from the truck and heaved it at his friend.

“And I want to live it... GAH!” Evan yelped as his chest further constricted, his heart beating out of rhythm. Struggling into the driver seat, the man took off towards Ponyville...

Evan's perspective...

The truck came rumbling up to the front of The Golden Oak Library, my... what I used to call hom... I fell out of the truck, my chest giving me untold amounts of pain that caused my breathing to be forced rather than natural.

Staggering over to the door, I remembered so painfully that I had promised to see her the other day... and failed to keep that promise... “Mom...” I wheezed. “MOM!” I cried out, falling against the door. “PLEASE!”

Leaning against the door, I started to knock, crying heavily as I begged her name. Just as I thought all seemed lost, the door opened. With my weight having been pressed against the door, I fell to my hands and knees, gasping painfully as I tried in vain to stand back up.

“Evan... what are you doing here?” Twilight asked, in a seemingly disappointed tone of voice.

“I didn't wanna do it!” I sobbed. “I couldn't stop him! He... he killed all those ponies... I tried... I couldn't... I wasn't good enough... I wasn't strong enough to stop him...” I sobbed, my chest tightening up even more than before, causing me to suck in a deep breath of pain. "I wasn't good enough..." I whispered in bitter defeat.

“Evan I... I thought you could change. I thought you had changed. I... I didn't... I could never have thought you to be like that, but I was wrong. Again. Now...” she turned away and I swear I could hear her sniffle but with the agonizing pain in my chest I could barely even hear her speaking.

“If you'll please just leave me alone. Just go,” she said, starting to walk away. My heart suddenly stopped... literally. My eyes shot wide open as I let out one final gasp for air, hand grabbing at my chest as visions flashed before my eyes.

The pony of Death stood before me with his deathly scythe, and standing next to him was Derreck. “Gchagh!” I spat, a bit of blood spitting up from my mouth as I fell forwards and into eternal darkness...

Twilight's perspective...

I kept my emotions held back for the moment, waiting a few agonizing seconds for the door to shut behind Evan... Instead I heard the THUMP of a body hitting the floor. I waited a moment, wondering just exactly what he was doing.

A few moments more and I turned around to see him laying in a heap on the floor. “E-Evan?” I asked softly, getting no immediate response. “EVAN?!” I screamed, noticing how his body wasn't moving. Rushing to his side, I rolled him over and a shiver went down my spine.

Blood was dripping from his nose and a bit was splattered around his lips. “EVAN!” I cried out, giving him a shake as I began to panic.

“Twilight, what's...” Spike began from the top of the stairs, having previously been attending to his chores. “Oh snap!” Spike gasped as he rushed down the stairs and to Evan's other side. “What happened?!” Spike asked, almost as terrified as me.

I couldn't answer but before I could do anything, Spike took Evan from my grasp, laying him down flat on his back and pressing his ear to Evan's chest, shortly there after listening to his mouth. “He's not breathing...” Spike swallowed hard as I stood up and wobbled. Everything seemed to zone out, my world beginning to spin and twirl.

I could hear Spike saying something to me as I saw him start to push down several times on Evan's chest. Looking to me, Spike said something but again I failed to hear it as my back legs began to buckle beneath me.

I watched as Spike put his lips to Evan's and breathed into his mouth before starting to pump Evan's chest again. “TWILIGHT!” Spike yelled at the top of his lungs, the first thing I heard him say since I began to wobble. “We need to get him to a hospital, NOW!”...

Third person...

Several ponies sat in the hallway, all gloomy and all waiting to hear the news. All of Twilight's main group of friends, including herself sat patiently, Spike holding Twilight's hoof as she bit her lip.

Along with Twilight's friends sat some of Evan's friends whom had been informed of the incident. Scootaloo, Sweetiebelle and Applebloom sat with their sisters, Trixie taking a nearby seat and Lassie laying gloomily at the hooves of Derpy.

Chrysalis and Nightmare had not showed up for social reasons but Discord had came along and now sat beside Fluttershy. Twilight's one hindleg jittered as she nibbled on her lower lip. “It's bad isn't it... oh goddess, he's not going to-” Discord cut her short in quick order.

“Oh please, don't be a worry wart Twilight, he's fine!” Discord stated in his usual bubbly voice, much to the annoyment of the others. “I-I-I... I mean that in the most serious of ways, of course!” he tried to reassure everypony there but to a failing effect.

Reasserting himself in a proper manner, he told them all a secret he had been harboring for quite sometime. “Well... my golly. Call me rude but when Freeze took over Baltimore and froze all of you, I accompanied him to Baltimore and... most regretfully, I betrayed him and as a result he took a nasty blast to the face from Freeze's magic that... well, it's the reason he only has one eye... and shortly there after he fell off her ice castle which was the height of a skyscraper. After that we banded together, set our differences aside and defeated Freeze... ahem!” Discord announced. “My point is, if he can survive all that and you think he won't be able to survive this simple setback then you're just stu...” thinking about the seriousness of the situation, he decided to be as polite as possible while still making his point. “Silly... you're just silly!” he announced.

Though their looks were no longer of annoyment, the others still all looked to him with an expression that he should be quiet for Twilight's sake. Lassie let out a loud doggish whine before resting her chin on her front paws.

Discord twiddled his thumbs. “I just thought that maybe... it would help...” he murmured. After a few more long minutes of waiting, which paled in comparison to the hours they had already been waiting, Nurse Redheart stepped out of the emergency room where Evan was.

Twilight sprang up. “IS HE ALRIGHT?!” she gasped, the nurse looking to her with a soft expression.

“Yes... he's... he's stable,” Redheart informed the group.

“Can we see him?!” Derpy blurted out in a still worried voice, Lassie right by her side. Redheart bit her lip before telling the news.

“I'm afraid he's... he had a heart attack which induced massive cardiac arrest and-” she was cut off by a hysterical Twilight.

“I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WAS OKAY!” she cried out, Redheart quickly motioning for her to quiet down.

“He is... in a way. The cardiac arrest put him into a comatose state. He should pull through it but I suggest that if anypony has to see him, it be in order of importance,” she noted, Lassie quickly speaking up.

“Discord, can't you just cast some spell or something to wake him up-” she was abruptly cut short by Redheart who spoke out in panic.

“NO! No, not yet. Not for a few days. His state is very fragile and I wouldn't want to risk anything going wrong. Once his body regains some of its strength and he has had time to rest, then maybe. But for now you all need to leave him be... please, keep visitation to essential importance,” Redheart pleaded as all eyes fell upon Twilight.

“I... I uhh...” she stammered, her emotions a complete train-wreck. She had no idea what to think or how to feel. Before she could even think, a cyan colored hoof rubbed her shoulder.

“Hey... we're all here for you Twilight. Don't worry,” Dash assured her friend with the most genuine of smiles. Looking around, she saw that everypony was smiling to her with nods of confidence.

Walking forwards with a bit of a shake in her step, Twilight approached the door, Redheart allowing her entrance. Stepping into the somewhat dim room, she let the door close behind her.

The rhythmatic bleeping of Evan's heart monitor echoed in the room as his body lay nearly perfectly still on the hospital bed. Only his chest moved, gently heaving up and down in pattern.

Twilight's emotions quickly got the better of her and she began to cry as she neared his bedside. Seeing him like this reminded her of how things could slip away between her hooves in a moments notice.

“I'm s-so sorry,” Twilight sobbed. “I... I... I know you kill ponies... and I know you're not a murderer... I know nopony's perfect... but I should've never pushed you away... I should have talked to you... I should have... please don't leave me... I don't want to... I can't lose you,” she sobbed through heavy heaves of air.

Resting her head next to his body, she continued to cry and whimper as the night went on...

After several days had past, Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Shining Armor arrived to help cope Twilight through the emotional turmoil, her parents arriving a day after that.

“Why is this all happening?” Twilight whispered, holding a cup of tea as she sat with her friends. “Why does he always do this?”

“He doesn't,” Lassie replied before stuffing back a doughnut, everything around her going quiet as she enjoyed the delicious treat and licked her digits clean of the glazed sugar icing. Opening her eyes from the sugary bliss, she noticed everypony was looking to her. “What?” she asked in a dumbfounded way.

Cadance, randomly enough, was the one to ask what was on everypony's mind. “What do you mean he doesn't do what he does?” she asked, Dash speaking up.

"Yeah, isn't that an oxymetaphor?" Dash asked, Applejack speaking up.

"Oxymoron," the farmer corrected her friend, Dash rolling her eyes.

"Whatever, you know what I mean."

“Because it's Derreck... duh?” Lassie said, Trixie speaking up.

“Well... what do you mean it's 'Derreck'? Aren't they the same person? I've always been confused about how he changes,” Trixie asked, Lassie groaning.

“You're not serious are you?" she asked, not taking any of them seriously at first. "Really?” she asked, looking to everypony with a slightly distraught expression. “REALLY!” She groaned. “You're all hopeless... TWILIGHT!” Lassie whined. “I told you to talk to him about this!”

“I was going to but he always-” Lassie cut her short.

“You know what? NO! NononononoNO! NOPE! Fine, since you all obviously still can't figure it out I'm gonna tell you it from the beginning. From the VERY beginning.”

Lassie reached over and grabbed a couple doughnuts and a tall carton of chocolate milk. “Since it's a long story,” she explained. Sitting back comfortably she began to explain it.

“Okay, so Evan's really tormented in the head and he still considers Twilight his actual mother-” Applejack cut her short.

“Yah, we kinda already picked up on that-” but she was abruptly cut short by Lassie whom got slightly irritated from the interruption.

“NO! You don't know! Why? Because if you did know, than you'd know and I wouldn't have to explain it because you didn't know!” Lassie snapped. “Now... where was I? Oh yeah...”

“So Evan's mom... his real mom. The one he plopped out of her... ahem, well she was a drunken, abusive cun...” she trailed off as she noticed that Spike and The Cutie Mark Crusaders were listening and she'd have to keep it PG.

“She was really mean, and she'd constantly berate Evan for everything. You know? Tell him he wasn't good enough and that he was a failure of a son and that she resented him and then she would disown him on a constant basis. Matter of factly, he actually lived with his grandparents because his mother was always out drinking or partying with her friends-” she was cut short this time by Pinkie Pie.

“Wait! What's wrong with partying?!” she asked, Lassie rubbing her eyes in dismay.

“N-nothing... so long as you don't have kids to attend to. Anyway, she always looked down on him, like he was... some grand failure of life, and wouldn't hesitate to tell him so. For whatever reason, it drove him to the desperation of winning her love, by whatever means necessary.” Lassie sucked back one of the doughnuts before continuing her story.

“His truck, Cadance... that's one tricked out ride let me tell you. Enough to impress just about anyone... which was kind of the plan. A truck he bought and put time into to make a head-turner in hopes his mother would be proud. But she just turned around and told him he was stupid for wasting all his money into a piece of shit like that...”

“The academic achievements. His mother, his real one, always told him he'd never amount to anything. He got honor roll in high school, so much so that he was the highest ranking grade of both mathematics AND auto-mechanics... scholarships, medals, free tuition to universities... everything. But you know who it impressed? His drunken step-father that was easily impressed by just about everything. Not his mother. You know what she asked? Why didn't he get the highest grade in all his courses, only two... like he had dismally failed...”

Lassie opened the carton of milk and took a sip before sucking back another doughnut. “Body-building. He reached a heightened physical form, so much so he was top tier in the sports he played. And you wanna know why? He idolized... okay wait, please tell me somepony hear has read his muscle magazines?” Lassie asked, most everypony looking blankly at her but Spike raising his claw.

“Thank goddess... okay Spike, who was Arnold Schwarzenegger?” she asked, Spike blinking.

“I don't know... Arnold Schwarzenegger?” he asked, not sure what she meant.

“I mean... what was he? What did he do?” she asked, Spike perking a brow with a slight chuckle.

“Well... what didn't he do? He won seven times in a row at a world class body-building championship. He became a world famous movie star. He then went on to become a politician...” Spike trailed off and Lassie snapped, pointing to him with a grin.

“Exactly! World champion body-builder... A-grade movie star renowned around the world... eventually a politician. Famous... and where did he come from?” she asked, Spike blinking.

“Uhh... Austria? I don't know where that is,” he mentioned, Lassie wavering her paw as she grabbed yet another doughnut.

“It's cool Spike, I got it from here. He came from nothing... zip, zilch, nadda... his father was, in a way, kinda similar to Evan's mom. Never believed him to amount to much. But then he turned around and he did. He pushed himself beyond limits and became world famous... and that's why Evan idolized him so much. He wanted to be, in every possible way, just like him so that he could impress his mother... so he started body-building. Even once he started reaching new heights of physical performance, he still wasn't good enough...” Lassie sucked back the doughnut in her paw and then what was left of her milk before wiping her lips.

“His mind... so utterly tormented by his supposed failure, started to try and cope with his inner pain. He started to... visualize or... whatever, someone who he believed would fit his mother's criteria. Someone who's nearly unstoppable. Someone who's intimidatingly strong. Someone who can surpass all limits... this person, Derreck, is just a materialization... just an illusion of his mind. A split personality... and that split personality allowed him to push the boundaries because in his mind, it wasn't actually him doing it-” again she was interrupted but this time by Twilight.

“Wait. How come he told you this but not me?” she asked and Lassie groaned.

“I'm his dog. Man's best friend. Plus, at one point he didn't think I could talk so who better to tell all your most depressing, heart-wrenching, soppy stories to than someone who you think can't understand you?” she asked before groaning. “And he didn't tell it to me like that. I just used my brain and figured this shi... stuff, out. When he says 'Me and Derreck worked all weekend to hookup that grill bar and light rack to my truck' what it really means is his mind is playing tricks on him to make him think there was actually a second person there but it was really just himself. When he says 'Me and Derreck stayed up late that one night training for the next day's big football game' it's just another illusion of his mind... but he can't see that, but I did. I figured it out eventually... I figured most of you had the simple capacity to figure it by now... anyway...”

Lassie reached forwards and grabbed some more doughnuts. “So that's it?” Dash asked, a little baffled and not having understood why Evan called Twilight his mother.

“No... but I'm just explaining Derreck. Eventually... or... I don't know when, Derreck grew a mind of his own. Began... taking his own life's path... in a way, he became the Evan and Evan became the Derreck. Their positions swapped. Evan the second while Derreck took the reins.”

Stroking her muzzle, Lassie looked to the group. “Derreck still has mental prowess over Evan. If he decides he wants to go out and kill a bunch of ponies, whether or not they're bad, Evan can't do much to stop him.” Lassie patted her stomach before burping. “Wow... those doughnuts are great. I don't know why he's always complaining that hospital food sucks,” he mentioned, Pinkie smiling wide.

“Cause they're not from the hospital. I brought them with me this morning from Sugarcube Corner,” she announced joyfully. “Glad you liked them, I baked them just before I left!”

Lassie nodded. “Definitely an award winning... oh snap! Yeah, award winning. So anyway, Derreck and Evan went on to become near legends in their high school and then it all changed. Being such a toughie, he got a job working at a local dairy farm. And with it, his demeanor quickly changed. He fell in love with tending to the dairy cattle. Working somewhere between fourteen and sixteen hours a day, six, sometimes seven days a week... even sleeping at the barn sometimes, didn't give him much time to think about how to impress his mother or... anything really. His friends were the cows and slowly Evan took hold of the reins again, living selflessly and taking each day with a different outlook... and then it happened...” she trailed off, everypony waiting in anticipation as Lassie bit into another doughnut.

“What happened?!” they all asked in chorus, Lassie choking on her doughnut.

“GPMGH! GAH, ack! Hack!” Lassie coughed, hitting her chest several times and coughing up the chewed doughnut before looking to them. “Geeze... let me finish my doughnut for Celestia's sake...” she trailed off and thought about where she left off. “It happened. He found a new mother-”

Scootaloo cut her off. “How do you find a new mother? Don't you only have one?” she asked, Lassie dipping her face into her paws.

“Can I finish?” she asked, the young filly going silent. “Anyway, with dairy cattle, the calf and the cow are separated because... reasons, so there was this older cow... gosh what was her name... September? August... Fall?... AUTUMN! It was Autumn! Her name was Autumn,” Lassie spoke triumphantly, having remembered her friend's story.

“This older cow, having had its calf taken away, became sorrowful and distressed, in a way similar to Evan. And... well... they just bonded. She gave him the nurturing love a mother gives a child and he returns it with the need a child has for a mother. They fit like puzzle pieces. And after that, even though he wasn't over his distraught abandonment issues, he didn't feel that emptiness inside himself anymore,” Lassie grabbed another doughnut.

“And then, one faithful day, someone snatched him up and brought him here. Now, one thing you may not have known was that, as a child growing up at his grandparent's home, he loved... he just adored, kid cartoons. He thought they were just the greatest thing since sliced bread. He would get up extra early in the mornings just to watch the cartoons on television. Now, low and behold, his abusive mother quickly brought an end to it. She would call him gay and stupid for watching those, as she called them, retarded cartoons-” this time she was cut off by Sweetiebelle.

“What's wrong with cartoons?” she asked, Lassie shrugging.

“Nothing. Who cares if you're a grown adult watching cartoons intended for little kids? Live your life the way you want and don't let anypony tell you otherwise... anywho, so she would berate him on a constant basis, get in his face about it until finally it was drilled in his head that all that was stupid and gay and... ahem... you get the point.” She looked to the young ones and minded to keep herself in line.

“So when he arrived here, against his will... well, what do you think he thought. Flowers, rainbows, talking ponies, princesses... love and friendship. He had it drilled into his head that all that was stupid and dumb and... well, he's gonna think that. So, obviously, at first he is utterly reluctant to accept it. He wants to go home and have nothing to do with any of you. Celestia sees it as an opportunity for Twilight to spread the magic of friendship and enlists him as Twilight's faithful student. Eventually he starts to... I dunno, it's kinda weird and I'm the one explaining it, but because he was ripped away from Autumn, he was feeling that emptiness again and...” Lassie trailed off as she pointed to Twilight.

“Who else but the one who took him in... fed him... kept him sheltered... showed him compassion... eventually, and weirdly enough, he started to feel that bond with you. You loved him back, albeit a different kind of love, but he saw it as motherly compassion so... he took you on as his new mother.”

Lassie rummaged for another doughnut and stuffed her mouth, chewing several times before forcefully swallowing it down. “Now, being that this world is mostly all love and rainbows and flowers and random musical notes... Derreck became rather suppressed in his mind since there was no need for violence. His influence on Evan began to fade and pretty soon Evan was fitting in just nicely. I'm not sure at which point, but when he finally got a taste of blood and action... low and behold, Derreck returned. But now that they both are starting to lay back and take the easy life they're starting to conflict over life choices and... Evan wants to be with you," Lassie said, pointing to Twilight. "And Derreck wants to...” she kept her tongue about Nightmare Moon and spoke a relative lie. “Wants to... just... Derreck things,” she told everypony.

“So what happens now?” Twilight asked, afraid to hear the answer. Lassie shrugged.

“Hey man... I told you the story. I'm friends with both of them. I'm not going to suggest anything but I will say this. They're life choices are going to continue to conflict with one another,” she mentioned honestly.

Twilight waited a moment before speaking. “So what does that mean... in the long run?” she asked, Lassie shrugging.

“It means one of them is going to eventually tell the other how they have to live because they won't have a choice in the matter,” Lassie replied.

“So who is going to choose?” Twilight asked, Lassie shrugging.

“Hard to tell... but if I was to bet on one of them, my money would be on Derreck. He seems a bit more controlling and dominant...” Lassie replied as she got a twisting feeling in her gut. “He uhh... he's really not that bad,” she added in.

Twilight was first to speak after Lassie. “So what do we do?” she asked hesitantly, not wanting to lose the man she loved. Lassie stood up and shook her head.

“No way! Nuh-uhh! I'm not being a part of this. I told you the story, told you what might become of this. I'm not voting on what to do with them. They're both my friends and I wouldn't...” she trailed off and left the room in a hurry, knowing where the conversation was headed.

The others all sat in silence before Celestia spoke up. “I... my sister and I may have an idea-” she was cut short by Luna whom cried out in protest.

“Sister! You wouldn't... no... No! You can't be serious! I only offered that as a possible last resort,” Luna shot. Celestia leaned back as she sipped on her tea.

“And what would you call this, sister? We, Twilight, may very well lose Evan to this-” Luna cut her sister short.

“Don't even try to address him as such. He is a living being just like any of us!” she nearly shouted, Celestia sighing to herself.

“But he's not. He's part of Evan's mind, a conscious being that was created to cope with his mental pain and sorrow,” Celestia replied, Twilight speaking in before they could continue their argument.

“Wait... do what? What are you talking about?” Twilight asked curiously, wondering why Luna was taking such offense to it. Celestia motioned for her sister to explain.

“I can...” Luna trailed off and glared to her sister. “Invade,” she almost snarled the word out. “His mind. His conscious being. While I'm there with him, I can help him mend the mental boundary that his original conscious created... if we can break down the wall that has been set up, than perhaps we can merge their minds and...” she trailed off as she looked to the others before sighing. “If we choose to follow that path, know that we will be killing the entity known as Derreck Parker.”

Celestia spoke up in response. “Sister, he is not a living being like us. He is just-” Luna was quick to cut her short.

“He has feelings! He hurts... he knows sorrows... he feels remorse and pity! He can care for others, shows compassion and love! Is that not what you call 'living'? If he is not real, than how real are we?” she snapped before letting out a defeated exhale.

“So what happens if you do it?” Twilight asked, further deepening Luna's sense of guilt.

“Than their minds are merged together. Evan will remember everything that the two have partaken in and will come to understand they are one in the same. I originally thought up the concept in hopes if I ever began sharing embodiment with Nightmare Moon again that I, or my sister, could vanquish her but... I never thought I'd use it on a friend,” she scowled to herself.

“What if I do it?” Twilight suggested.

Luna shook her head. “Though that would be an ideal thought, helping the one you love to overcome this, his mental realm will feel extraordinarily real. You can feel pain, age in lengths of time and even die. If you were to fail or become lost in his mind, than you would remain as such, your body forever comatose. I'm afraid it would have to be someone like myself who has experience exploring other's dreams...” she replied regretfully.

Twilight stood up. “Please. Luna, can you save Evan?” she pleaded, Luna stepping forth.

“I can... I have the power to do so but... know that I will be killing another, not giving them the choice to live. Is that not what is right? Giving another the chance to live?” Luna asked, trying to promote the moral high route. The others remained quiet, having already made their choice. “So be it...” Luna stated, a tear dripping down her cheek.

Eventually making their way to Evan's hospital room, they followed the blue alicorn to the man's bedside. Luna looked to the others. “Once I start, there is no turning back. This is what you all wish for, correct?” she asked, not getting a verbal answer. Closing her eyes with growing tears, her horn radiated with a blue aura before she pressed the tip to Evan's forehead, her world going blank for just a few moments...

Evan's perspective...

The sun had been clouded over by thick, dark, grey smog. It smelled... yet despite being clouded out, the world was humid... hot... uncomfortable.

The ground was covered in soot... rough sand... debris. The world around me had ended. Towers leaned to one side, threatening to fall without a moment's notice. Buildings burned through and through, now only the skeletons of their former selves.

I remained still for the most part, sitting on the ground with my back against what used to be some kind of bakery. My view just gazed into the nothingness that the world had become... so bleak and colorless.

The was some cluttering nearby followed by hoof steps. My handcannon was drawn in an instant, the 'CLICK' of the hammer being cocked back very audible and distinctive. My eye widened in shock.

Luna... the only color I had seen in... a long time. Everything else was grey or black or... but here she was... what could once be considered a 'dark' blue... now so bright in this bleak new world.

“Evan!” she called out, my head nodding from side to side in a defeated way as the gun wavered in my hand before letting my hand fall to the ground, the gun clacking down with it. The alicorn goddess rushed over, hunching down as she got close. “Evan... oh my... oh my... what happened?” she asked, seemingly dazed and utterly confused.

I waved my loaded handcannon carelessly. “It's...” I choked back my emotions. “It's all gone,” I replied bluntly, remembering so vividly the colorful world that used to be. All those years ago. It seemed like just yesterday.

“What do you mean it's gone?” she asked frantically.

“It... it ended. The world just... stopped.” My hand fell again, the gun coming with it. Looking around, she shivered before reasserting herself.

“No! No, Evan, it's just a dream! You're in a coma,” she insisted, myself looking to her with what must have been a bleak expression. “Please, you have to wake... no! No, we have to find Derreck!” she announced. I just shrugged.

“Why? It doesn't matter anymore... everypony's gone... not that they wanted me anymore anyway,” I whispered softly, remembering the last few days the world stood proud. Luna knelt down closer to me, shaking her head.

“No... no, they did love you. They DO love you, with all their hearts! Please, you have to believe me. This is just a dream and they're waiting for you to wake up!” she told me. I stifled a laugh at her and picked up some rubble, taking her hoof and putting the rubble in it.

“So this is a dream?” I responded. She nodded to me, throwing away the rubble. "If this is a dream then how are you here with me?" I asked

"Because I can walk amongst other's dreams. You have to believe me," she informed me, myself chuckling.

"That's some pretty good reasoning but... explain how it is that I've been here for the last... however many years. Is it still just a dream?"

“It is! It just feels real Evan, please. We have to find Derreck, it's very important,” she announced.

“Why?” I asked, curious as to why we just 'had' to find him.

“Because... because...” she trailed off then bit her lip. “He is you... you are him. He's your alter ego. You've been mentally suffering from a coping mechanism your mind created and we have to make it right,” Luna stated, to which I laughed heartily.

“I'm dreaming... my mother loves me... and Derreck and I are actually the same person... pfftahahaha... alright,” I snickered. “So... let's pretend for a moment that this was all true... what's your plan? We go to see him and... we make up? Hug it out and... kiss? What a joke,” I laughed in her face.

“Please Evan... I did not want to do this but it was the only way. I'm not sure how you will have to confront him, but when the time comes you will know,” she informed to which I just pushed the whole idea away.

“Oh! Oh I get it. First it was 'we', now it's just 'me'. You want 'me' to go up there and fight him alone because... let me guess, I am the only one that can do it and need him dead for some reason,” I snarked, Luna shaking her head frantically.

“NO! No, not at all... please, you have to believe me. These were not my intentions but in the end it was the voted consensus that Derreck needed to...” she trailed off and I huffed a laugh.

“You want him dead... and you want me to do it for you,” I noted but she shook her head.

“It's not like that, I promise. You're one in the same. When you confront him, your mental barriers will be torn down and your conscious minds will merge. Everything will become clear to you,” she told me. I didn't answer for a long time before looking to her.

“Bullshit. This isn't a dream... and Derreck...” I pointed my handcannon to the giant obelisk of a building. “He and I aren't... whatever excuse you've conjured up to try and convince me to kill him,” I snarled.

“Please... you have to trust me,” she pleaded and I just looked at her with a cock eyed expression.

“Trust you? Why should I?” I asked and she fumbled with her words before I brushed her off. “Forget it...” I said, looking away and to the grey expanse of emptiness that was once the world.

“So this is it? You're just going to sit here and... do nothing?” she asked, myself not answering. “Fine... but I'm not leaving you,” she mentioned as she stepped through the massive gap in the wall and sat behind me. I could feel her weight behind me, pressed up against the burned, nearly fallen over, wall.

Hours... maybe days, passed. She'd speak up every now and then but nothing would catch. She was always trying to persuade me to kill Derreck in one way or another. Hell, I'll admit it. We weren't exactly friends anymore, but I'd still have his back in a fight, as he'd undoubtedly have mine should the time ever come.

I heard dry coughing from Luna followed by a rather harsh swallow and exhale. “You alright?” I asked.

“Yes... ack,” she let out a powerful cough before clucking her tongue. “I'm a little... parched, is all,” she spoke in nearly a whisper. Reaching into my tattered old brown duster coat, I retrieved my canteen and handed it over my shoulder.

“Here... it's warm but it's clean,” I offered, Luna grasping it with her magic and graciously taking it from my hand.

I could hear her drinking it. She must have been dehydrated. After a minute or two she let out a content sigh. “Thank you... thank you so much,” she panted, ever grateful for my kind deed.

“Yeah, no problem... you're the first... I haven't seen many folk in a long time,” I said honestly.

“She misses you... with all her heart. So much so that words cannot explain,” Luna told me.

“No. No she didn't. She... told me herself, she didn't want to see me anymore. Told me to leave,” I replied, knowing full well whom she was referring too.

“The heart can make us do funny things. But she... she really does love-” I cut her off.

“I gave you the goddamn water. Can we just... not?” I asked, Luna becoming quiet for a fair while. We just sat there, watching the dust roll by until eventually she came and sat beside me.

“I would be so proud to have a son like you,” she said, making me role my eye.

“No... you wouldn't. I'm a failure... I always have been. I break my promises... I hurt ponies... I'm not good enough,” I stated looking away, making Luna shake her head.

“But you are. You grew into a respectable stallion... err, person. You... became so strong and powerful, your physique is one that some only ever dream about. You not only succeeded in your schooling but did so with honorary degrees. Your vehicle... that... Cadance. She's immaculate. And you did it yourself,” she complimented. I kinda knew where she was going, trying to butter me up and make me feel soft.

“With Derreck's help,” I commented. She sighed and dipped her head.

“Irregardless. If I ever have a foal... I hope them to grow up to be just like you. I would be so proud,” she mentioned, to which I just laughed.

“You'd be proud for them to grow up to be murderers? To be killers? To be walking nightmares?” I asked, Luna placing a hoof on my hand, shaking her head.

“You're not a killer. I know it. The others know it. You just have to look deep down and know for yourself.” I pulled my hand away.

“I know... I know that I've blown a pony's head off with this cannon... I know that I've stabbed a pony to death... strangled another... and I won't deny it anymore or try and hide it.”

“But you never did it willingly. You never woke up in the morning hoping you'd get to kill somepony. You were always forced into it. Told what to do... ordered,” she told me, which kept me silent. “You mother, your real one, may not have accepted you. She may have disowned you, beaten you, berated you... but that doesn't mean nopony else loves you,” she said, a sudden realization coming to me.

“Lassie told you... didn't she?” I asked, chuckling to myself as I looked over the horizon with a sigh. “So you either remembered it all these years or...” I looked up to Derreck's obelisk palace. “Fine... we'll pretend for a while that this is all a dream. Come on, let's take a walk...” I said, grunting as I stood up, Luna following suit...

We arrived to the massive tower... in all it's eerie glory. Stepping up the stairs, sandy clouds puffed up from each of our steps. I was a bit staggered, as was Luna, from the few days it took us to get here. It looked so close before... pushing open the doors, we arrived into a...

“It's an oasis...” Luna swallowed dryly as we looked around. Despite the absolute horror of apocalypse outside... the inside of this building was overgrown and teeming with life. Flourishing greenery, small ponds of crystal clear water...

I staggered forwards and fell face first into one of the crystal clear ponds which was soothingly cold, Luna following my action. We sipped on the water, so delicious and...

Everything seemed to flash and I found myself coughing and gagging on soft sand that sifted through my fingers. I looked around and saw that everything was just as dead as it was outside. Looking down, I saw Luna shoveling sand into her mouth.

Grabbing her by the hide of the neck, I yanked her onto her back. “Luna! Luna, it's not real! It's... it's a...” she began to cough and wheeze violently, spewing up all the sand before gagging.

“B-but... but I could taste it...” she heaved, nearly puking. A gust of wind blustered past, followed by a spine shivering voice.

“See how easy it is to decipher real from illusion? Taste, sight, sound, smell, feeling...” I drew my handgun and waved it in all different directions, trying to figure out the source but to no avail.

Luna continued to cough and gag. Cradling her in my arms, I pulled out the canteen and twisted off the cap. “Hey... hey, Luna,” I said, gently slapping her face until she looked me in the eye. “Hey listen... it's warm but... you need it,” I told her, carefully bringing the nozzle to her lips.

Tilting the canteen, she began to slowly drink the remainder of the contents, stopping just short. “What about you?” she asked, myself shaking my head.

“You need it more. I've been out here a lot longer and can handle this. Trust me,” I told her with a faint smile.

“Trust you?” she asked and I nodded. “Alright... I will.” With that, she sipped back the last bit of water we had before we both stood to our full heights, Luna wobbling slightly. Slipping my left arm under one of her forelegs, I supported her weight and helped her walk on her hindlegs.

“I ain't leavin' you here... come on...” I said with a dry swallow, internally wishing to myself that I had taken some of that water.

As we walked through the abandoned hallways of the tower, I could hear creepy noises... like ghosts. Groaning, howling endlessly. “You hear that too right?” I asked, Luna too weak to answer at the moment. “Shit... I hope that's a yes,” I muttered.

“Ahh... old friend,” came a haunting voice as a cloaked figure came around the corner. I stopped dead in my tracks as he let out a long, painful groan, lifting his cloaked head so that just his bony muzzle could be seen behind the masking black fog. “What's wrong? No hugs for your old buddies? Or perhaps you've forgotten about us?”

Floating ghosts appeared behind him. “Some you may remember...” he mentioned as I saw the ghosts of Kianna... Dwayne... Mr. Leone... “Others, were just nameless faces to you,” he said as other ghosts came forwards, all slowly hovering towards Luna and I.

Most of them I didn't know, but a few... Freeze, Liquid Emerald and-

As if hearing my thoughts, the cloaked figure of Death laughed. “So you do remember?” I drew Belladonna and fired multiple times and with that, everything flashed back to the way it had been just prior their arrival. "What's wrong?" Luna asked, startled from my sudden outburst.

"Didn't you see them?" I asked but before she could speak, another voice spoke up.

The hissing voice from before returned. “So... the faces haunt you... the skeletons in your closet keeping you up at night, scratching at the door... your sleep eluding you...” Looking around, I took note that again, I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

Continuing on our trek, we were eventually faced with a dark hallway... I didn't know how long it was but... it was the only way. Slowly walking along with Luna weighted on my shoulder, I kept Belladonna in hand, her chrome finish starting to glow for the first time in ages, the engravings brighter than ever...

“YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT!” Boomed a voice that startled me.

“A FAILURE! SOMETIMES I WONDER WHY I DIDN'T HAVE AN ABORTION!” Screamed another, making me turn to the second voice. Another, yelling from behind me.

“What a piece of shit. Why the fuck are you spending all your money on that red piece of junk?” screamed the third and it quickly dawned on me whom it was... only one person ever asked me that about Cadance... in that demeanor anyway.

My heart began to thump as I tried to pull Luna and myself along quicker before we were suddenly shoved to the ground by a rather large woman. I backpedaled as she began taunting me, berating me...

“What are you? Fucking gay? Get up! GET UP!” she screamed, kicking at me again. Scurrying back, I grabbed Luna and heaved her up, the woman laughing as she pushed us both over, Luna falling from my arms as we tumbled to the floor. “What's wrong? Can't stand up for yourself? Some kind of man you are,” she said in a disgraced voice.

I tried to crawl over to Luna but was met by a boot to the gut that flipped me over onto my back. “You're never going to go anywhere in life. Just get over yourself. You're not smart, you're not strong, you're just a fucking idiot!” she yelled as I took a kick to the side of the head that dazed me.

I watched Luna try to get up, her horn surging with energy before she was kicked in the gut, sending her crashing over beside me. “Nice friend. What is she from? Some gay, delusional fantasy of yours? Oooh, look at me, I like little ponies!” she cackled before going to kick Luna again. With a last bout of strength, I threw myself over my only friend, letting the woman take it out on me instead. I felt myself being relentlessly beaten, kicked several times as I was dragged off her...

My eyes remained clenched shut but before long, I realized I was no longer being beaten. I felt a mouth grabbing the hide of my duster and pulling me along in strained effort. Finally collapsing, the figure pulling me began to gasp and wheeze. I twirled around to find it was Luna, whom looked worse for wear than me. "Luna... Luna, goddess, what happened?" I asked, cradling her in my arms and making me wish I had more water to offer.

"Y-you... you collapsed... and began to... to scream and were... rolling in the dirt..." she panted before laying flat on the ground. Her breathing was heavy and I realized... it was just another illusion... and she had dragged me through it. "I... I can't go... anymore..." she panted heavily. I went to thank her but a voice cut in just before I could speak.

“Still unable to stand up to your fears?” it asked and, like always, simply vanished without a trace. I looked ahead and saw a flight of stairs... they probably went to the top. "Come on... we're almost there," I told her but Luna just waved a hoof.

“Just go... I'll... I'll wait here. I'm only weighing you down,” she stated in a defeated voice.

Goddess alive... everything we did just exhausted us more than it should have... add that to the fact we were both severely dehydrated. But I wasn't going to leave her behind. As exhausted and thirsty as I was, she didn't leave me behind...

Grabbing her in both my arms, I heaved her up and began to ascend the stairs. “I'm not leaving you behind... I can't... I won't...” I grunted, slowly climbing flight after flight of the dreaded stairs.

Luna reached up and stroked my old, battered face. “You were wrong...” she whispered.

“What?” I asked, my face scrunching slightly.

“You're a good person. You are... and I would be proud to have you as a son. Anypony would,” she assured me. “I'm so... so proud to just be your friend,” she whispered. “We are friends, aren't we?”

I nodded. “Yeah... yeah we are. And I'm proud to be your friend,” I said, to which she gave me a teary eyed look.

“Why?” she asked and my answer was quite simple.

“Because you've stood by me after all that I've done. You've still got my back and cared enough about me to help me through this. You've given me hope that at least somepony out there cares enough about me to-” I cut myself short as I came to the final steps.

Stopping dead in my tracks, and mid speech, I came face to face with... myself. My bloodier, more deranged self. He stood just in front of the last door, blood dripping from the nasty piece of slag in his forehead, gunshot and stab wounds scattered across his body. “Oh... you took yours out,” he commented, noting how the slag was no longer in my head. "We looked just like twins."

I stayed weary as I slowly set Luna down onto her hooves, supporting her weight with my left arm like I had been previously. “Oh jeez... look at at you. Mr. Noble, huh?” he asked, poking at me for having not left Luna behind.

“You know, the more you deny it, the harder it is to handle the truth. You and me... we're the same. I'm just not covered in all the lies and false truths that you are,” he began before looking at Luna. “And why are you here? Who in their right mind would help this piece of shit?” he asked her, Luna giving him a glare. “Oh... oh I get it. I'm the bad guy here. Well let me ask you this... do either of you know how many ponies, zebras, Griffons, dragons and other sentient beings you've slaughtered? Three hundred?” he asked interrogatively.

I didn't answer as he laughed. “No, ha-ha... no that number is wayyyy to low and is closer to the amount of ponies you killed in Manehatten... the first time!” he laughed whole heartedly. “How about five hundred?” he asked, Luna going slightly wide-eyed, her mouth partially gaped. “Nah... you could handle that number in a month or two... more like eight... or nine hundred... that sound right to you?” he asked, myself swallowing.

“I know, so hard to keep count when it gets that high... nine hundred and ninety nine?” he asked. “Maybe it's reached quadruple digits?” he asked, Luna looking to me with a shocked face and the other me simply howling in laughter.

“Oh goddess... your expression is priceless. You didn't seriously believe he only killed a mere few ponies? BWAHAHAHAHA!” He cackled maniacally. I stood tall and let out a deep exhale. “So what have you say, Princess Luna. Still proud to stand by him? Wish you had a kid just like him?” he laughed. At first she was hesitant but quickly mustered all her strength and stood proudly beside me.

“Yes. Yes I am proud to be his friend. And I hope that one day I have a foal who grows up to be like him,” she announced, making my clone laugh even harder.

“HA! Are you sure you're not Nightmare Moon in disguise?” he taunted, making Luna take a cautious step back. "Yeah that's right. I know about you're past... all the ponies you hurt, all the-" Finally having enough of it, I stepped forwards and cut him off.

“Yeah... I may be a killer... yeah, I may have broken promises... and yeah, I might not deserve the life or loving companionship I have... but you know what I think?” I asked him, my clone smiling rather smugly.

“No. Please, do elaborate and try to justify yourself.” My nostril twitched slightly.

“I shouldn't have to. If you're me, than you should know exactly what I'm thinking, isn't that right?” His smile faded slightly. “And you know what else? I don't care what you think, because I have friends who care about me... who I care about just as much. Ponies like Trixie, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo, Ms. Cheerilee... Luna and...” I hesitated on the last name that came to mind but said it anyway. “Twilight.”

My reflection went to speak but I butted in. “And I don't give two shits about what you think, because I know that's the truth. We may have our differences but at the end of the day we'd still have each other's back... but you wanna know what's most important?”

He blinked, stepping back with slight fear and hesitation. Belladonna was up and leveled with his head in an instant. “Yer one ugly mutha fucka,” I quipped before squeezing the trigger. No sooner had I done so however, did his body simply vanish into a plume of dust.

The voice... that goddamned voice, decided to take another round at me. “Perhaps it is time we meet, face to face...”

Pushing open the door to the final room, Luna and I stumbled upon a rather luxurious dining room. 'No... no it can't be...' I thought quietly.

“No, no it is. You can 'trust' me, can't you?” the voice asked. Fuck it... even if it was a mirage...

I stumbled over to the table and grabbed the pitcher of water, helping Luna first and bringing it to her lips. “Hmm... still as selfless as ever?” the voice asked as Luna chugged away at the pitcher's cold contents.

Finally content, she moved her lips away and spoke to me. “Thank you... thank you for not leaving me behind... for taking me along. For everything.” I gave her a wink, or at least tried to on account of only having one eye, before pounding back the rest of the water. Stopping finally, I gave her a nod.

"I'd never leave a friend behind. Especially a good one like you, Luna," I informed her.

Feeling refreshed, the two of us managed to stand proper and began looking around. “You know... I'm surprised it wasn't Twilight... but I guess that would've have made it all too easy, right?” the voice asked, Luna and I following it. “But... now that we're all here...”

As we rounded a corner, we spotted a set of stairs and followed it up. Near the end of the room was a balcony leading to the outside world where a lone man stood. Walking out to him, we were befronted by my oldest friend, whom was working away at a painting. “What do you think?” he asked, moving aside so I could see the picture. It was... both of us... kind of.

One half of the person's face was me, the other, Derreck. We were soaked in blood and standing triumphantly above a mass pile of dead bodies. Looking at us, he sighed. “Yeah, I need a bit more practice I guess, but it's the moral of the picture that counts right?” he joked.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked, demanding answers.

"It hurts doesn't it. Having your eyes opened for the first time and having to see the truth..." he mentioned as my fists tightened.

"What... the fuck... is happening?" I asked, Derreck laughing.

“Oh, literally. Well... I figured that to be obvious. Luna, under orders from... probably her sister, has brought you here to kill me,” he said in a rather calm voice.

“What?” I asked. I knew it was kind of the concept of this whole journey, but how did he know.

“Well... simple really. I'm no longer needed and may become a threat to Equestria one day... isn't that right, lady Luna?” Derreck asked, both of us looking to the princess, and she to me.

“It's not quite like that,” she defended, Derreck laughing before speaking my mind.

“Than, in your own version, how is it?” he asked.

“Evan, you have to trust me. You are him, and he is you. This is all just an illusion of your mind,” she told me, myself looking back and forth between the two, Derreck chuckling.

“Who are you going to trust with your life Evan? The one who's stood by you for near your entire life, or this princess who is just using you to complete a task to kill me?” he asked, Luna stepping back.

“Evan, it's not like that. You have to believe me. This is just your mind playing tricks on you. You must confront him. Confront your fears,” she... she wasn't ordering me to do it, she was just-

“Your fears? What fears? What do you fear when your with me? Nothing, that's what. And why? Because I've always protected you. I've always been there, and I will always be there, for you... you know that,” Derreck told me in an assertive tone.

“Evan, you have to fight it. Know that he isn't there... it's just you,” Luna tried to usher me.

“Look at her. She can't even make up an effective lie. She's stuttering. How many times have I been right? Huh? Every time,” he told me and visions began flashing through my head.

Manehatten... the futuristic railguns... how we...

I watched as he fired off the canon, blasting away multiple ponies, myself soon joining in. Then it stopped and all rewound. It was just one man, a canon in each arm, firing wildly and wreaking havoc among the gangsters...

On Mount Tia... just as all seemed lost but suddenly Derreck arrived just in time to save the day... my head throbbed and it all changed. There was no Derreck... just me, with a changed mentality...

Fighting Freeze... the picture that was taken of Lassie, Discord, Derreck and myself... burned into my mind... no... just Lassie, Discord and me... only three of us... the picture seemed to burn away one of the figures...

Rescuing Lassie from Milf and Malf with Felix, Derpy and... no one else... it was just us...

I nearly fell to my knees as everything was burned into my head. Steadying myself, I looked to Derreck before drawing Belladonna on him, the big man stepping back. “What the fuck do you think you're doing?!” he boomed.

“That's just it isn't it... you always did make the right choice, didn't you?” I asked, himself nodding.

“Yes, I fucking did, NOW LOWER THAT FUCKING GUN!” he roared, a tweaking pain striking the side of my neck and traveling all down my arm, nearly making me lose the grip on Belladonna.

“Yeah... exactly... you were always right because I never got to choose. It was never my choice. Always yours. And when I finally got to make my own choices, those were all dictated by you anyway, weren't they?” I snapped, Derreck taking another step back. “Oh yeah... yeah it's all to clear to me now... the killing... the violence... the destruction... I couldn't have stopped it even if I tried... right? My eyes are open Derreck!”

“Think about this!” Derreck yelled, my head thumping in pain before I battered through it.

“No! No I am... I'm just not letting you do the thinking for me...” I cocked the hammer back on Belladonna.

“So this is it huh? All those years? All the things we did together? It's all gonna end here because some fucking alicorn princess talked you into betraying me?” he asked. I stopped for a moment and thought about it... what if I was wrong... what if he was right? What if this was just some mind manipulation Luna was playing on me?

I looked over to Luna, whom looked to me. I brought my cannon over to her which made her gasp and leap back in fright. “What are you doing?!” she cried out in panic.

“How do I know he isn't right?” I asked, Luna's eyes going wide.

“I... I don't... I...” she stammered frantically. In that instance, I noticed Derreck also had a handgun drawn on Luna.

“Let's take her down man. End this shit. Right fuckin' now!” Derreck ordered. I hesitated for a moment, seriously considering it. In that moment, I spotted a tear trickling down Luna's cheek.

“Would you still be proud to be my friend?” I asked aloud, everything still and silent for a moment. Luna paused before Derreck shouted.

“What? Yeah sure, just fucking shoot her already,” he demanded.

“No,” Luna said, making me pause. “Your mother.”

My gun lowered and Derreck yelped, his gun lowering with mine. “What?!” he roared as I turned to him.

“Do it yourself for once,” I spat. Derreck's face twitched as he struggled then gasped and nearly fell over. “That's what I thought.” I stepped beside Luna. “Sorry for pointing a gun at you... my badness,” I apologized before leveling my gun on Derreck.

“So this is it? You'd choose the ponies over me?!” he shouted.

“It was never about me. It was always about you... in one way or another.”

“If that's your idea, then explain to me all the times you went out to dinner with Twilight, or how you considered her your mother... was that me?” he asked. I thought back on everything... he wouldn't really force me to do something like that... and it snapped. He didn't force me to do it. He just allowed me to do it.

“To nurture my need to be perfect... to nurture my need for you...” I stated in a low voice. Derreck stepped back, glaring at me with his hands held up in surrender.

“You know what? Fine. Go ahead. Shoot me. Put one in my skull. Finish me off. Put an end to me. Just know... when your time comes... I'll be waiting at the gates of hell to royally kick your fucking ass, you scumbag piece of traitorous shit,” he scowled.

My finger began to squeeze tighter around the trigger as Luna came up to my left side, taking my free hand with her hoof and holding it. “Oh... isn't that cute?” Derreck snarled. Time seemed to slow as I gradually squeezed back on the trigger. Finally there was the release. The hammer slammed down and set the gun off.

The thunderous gunshot went off as the large .50AE round rocketed towards Derreck's head. The heavy slug slammed into him but as it did the world around me shattered like a broken mirror, everything going dark...

Third person...

Luna shot up with a gasp, looking around frantically as the others all looked in shock to her sudden and erratic movement, the princess stumbling about and a few of the others rushing to help her stand.

“Princess, are you alright?” Rarity asked in worry, Luna holding her own head.

“Fine... I'm just...” she let out a deep sigh of defeat. “It's over... he should wake soon and...” she pushed passed the others, utterly traumatized by what she had partaken in, and left the room, some of the others following her in worry.

Looking to the others whom still remained, Celestia gave them a nod. “It was hard for her I'm sure. I suppose we should all let Evan get his rest now,” she suggested, the others eventually all leaving the room. Just as everypony had left, Celestia trotted back to the resting man and leaned down to whisper into his ear.

“Thank you for all your services to me, Derreck. It was well appreciated,” she said quietly with a faint smile and twinkle in her eye before planting a kiss on the man's forehead...

Author's Notes:

Just before anyone says "So does that mean Luna is gonna be Evan's new mom?" No, she's just telling him... uhh... cause she was telling him earlier she'd be proud to have a child like him and was happy to be his friend. Then when they confronted Derreck and Evan considered shooting her, he asked if she was still happy to be his friend, hoping to decipher whether or not she was lying, to which Derreck kinda butted in and was just like "I don't care, just fucking shoot this bitch already" whereas Luna said "Proud to be your mother" in a way that's she not saying "I'm your mom" but rather telling him everything she told him earlier was true and that regardless of his actions she was still proud of him.

It took me a while to get this chapter all sorted out because... dude, Derreck's frickin dead! He was awesome. He may have been a controlling ass, but he saved Evan and Daring on Mount Tia, he came to his aid during the first Manehatten incident... he helped save Lassie, he... dammit, I already miss him... shit...

Welp, cheers everybody