I took the rounds, pocketing two but loading the other two into the breach of the Dragon Bane. Before I turned to leave, I threw my arms about Apple Jacks waist and planted a hard, closing kiss heavy with finality. Her eyes fluttered for a moment but closed after a moment. Once I broke contact, my gaze fixed in hers I whispered.

“I’m sorry.”
That was the moment Big Macintosh chose to burst into the room, waving his hooves about like a madstallion.

“Sweetie Belle is missing!!” he cried frantically.

“Relax, Mac. I know where she’s going.”
He stopped immediately, his deep yellow eyes growing solemn.

“Think you can beat her?” he asked.

“With this,” I gestured to the rifle in my hands, “It’ll be a cinch.”

“Good. Go get ‘em.”
Fifteen minutes later, I was back in my room at home, rifling through my wardrobe for something that could conceal the weapons the Apple family had so graciously given to me. After a fourth pass, I settled on my old frock coat. Within the midnight-hued stitches laid many a dark memory, as well as my finest times… It was a gift to me from none other than my dear mistress, Alice.

I should call her…
The sweet sound of the youthful dormouse’s voice made me melt inside as she gave a very cheery greeting.

“Hello~!?”

“Alice.” My voice came across as more business-like as I meant, and she caught on immediately.

“You’re going to do something dangerous, aren’t you, Sebastian?” she asked, the cheer in her voice that I so loved hearing being replaced by a solemnity that didn’t suit her beautiful face at all.

“Yes, M’lady… I’m sorry… But Pinkie must be brought down. No longer can I allow her to trot about Equestria killing whomever she pleases. The royal guards are scared stiff of her, and the local police are even more useless than they are. I killed her once, Lady Alice. I just have to kill her again.”
A long silence passed between us before Alice spoke again. Her voice was thick as though she was fighting back tears.

“Sebastian… Please be careful.”
The request was simple, yet I knew there were millions of imperatives within it.

“I will. But Alice… If I don’t come back-”

“Don’t say that! You will come back!! I know you will!!” she was on the verge of a total breakdown, it was clear.

“I love you.” I stated as cooly as I could manage.
A gasp came from my mistress followed by a long silence. Once it was clear she wouldn’t speak, I began again.

“I just thought you should know that… Would you pray with me?”

“O-oh!” she stammered. “Yes…”
I bowed my head then and closed my eyes.

“God? I know I’ve been a very carnal Baptist in my time, but I need you now… You allowed me to live after Pinkie and my last encounter, and I never thanked you. I’m sorry… But this time, I’m not stumbling in blindly… I know exactly where I’m going… What I’ll see… Who I will send you to judge… What they’ve done is something I cannot bring myself to forgive… I know in your Word, it states that forgiveness is a Godly virtue, but it’s not one I posses when it comes to people such as these… But if I don’t succeed in my endeavor… I ask you to take care of Alice… And… If I come to your gates soon… Take me into Heaven… Forgive me my trespasses… Save my soul… And please keep my hand steady and my aim true…” with a shuddering breath I finished. “Amen.”
Alice was the first to hang up. No doubt, she was throwing herself into the arms of Marin, a trusted servant of the Ravensdale household to sob her heart out… I looked in the mirror in search of potential hiding places for the guns, however, the dark-furred rabbit I saw looking back at me was not the one who came to Equestria. No, this was a man who’d seen too much. Who was about to do something terrible. My deep onyx fur seemed a shade darker, my hollow, silver eye filled with hate, and the scowl that was plastered on my face seemed to have been etched there my whole life. This was the Sebastian Cornelius Cooper that fought Professor Q. This was not the real me. Not that happy, floppy-eared bunny from Terra All Boys. No… This was the rabbit they called the “Biohazard Bunny”.