Chapter 26- By the Dawn’s Early Light

“She just destroyed him… like it was nothing! How is that possible?” Ebon Shard asked me, a little too loudly due to his damaged ears. “I mean every pony in the Watch has heard stories about Agent Shadow, but none of us really believed all of them. I mean, she just took down an alicorn for Celestia’s sake!”

“Not for Celestia’s sake. For Luna’s!” Moonlight says trotting over, causing Ebon to cringe and try to hide behind me like a scared filly. Noticing this Moonlight remarks, “Well at least one of the villains knows their place.”

“Calm down Moonlight. Ebon is NOT a villain. He’s as much a victim here as those poor creatures in the tubes.”

“Sorry. It’s just hard for me to forgive him after he essentially murdered you.” She replies.

Johnny shoots a frantic look back toward the cowering Ebon. It’s obvious from his expression that he had no idea what he and Moonlight were talking about. Johnny moves closer to Moonlight and whispers “Best not to mention who I am under the armor. As far as Ebon knows, Johnny Appleseed is dead. Even though Doctor Double is done away with, all the orders he put in Ebon’s head are still in place. IF he knows it’s me in here, he would be forced to try to kill me.”

“And there’s no way to undo his conditioning without Celestia’s original spell.” Moonlight says worriedly.

“Well, I’m not so sure about that.” Johnny says slowly.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the original changeling machine that the fake Doctor Brass used, wipes the mind clean and forces an imprint of whatever type of slave that Chrysalis wanted into it’s place. But this new technique of Doctor Double leaves the mind intact, but forces the subject to obey Double’s commands. His VERBAL commands.” Johnny adds for emphasis.

“So what are you saying? That you have found a way to undo Double’s efforts?”

“I think so. I want to try it. If it doesn’t work we’ll have too deafen him again, but if it does then we will be able to learn everything he knows about Double’s part in the fake Doctor Brass’s plans.”

“Wait, wasn’t THIS,” Moonlight says gesturing around her at the room full of now deceased monsters, “their master plan?”

“Not from what he was able to tell me during your all to brief fight. He isn’t able to betray Double. At least not yet, but he was able to give me some details about what the fake Doctor Brass has been up to, and that was enough to send chills up my spine. I think it’s worth the risk to try and free Ebon, to see if we can learn more. Trust me, from what I’ve learned, we don’t want to go further downstairs without all the information we can get.”

“Alright,” Moonlight agrees reluctantly. “But if it looks like he is going to try to harm you, I’m going to put him down… hard.”

“If you MUST. But try not to be TOO hard okay? Like I said, he’s a victim.”

During all this, Ebon had come out from behind Johnny. He had tried to follow the conversation as best he could, but lip reading was a skill he never learned. At best he was able to determine they were talking about him. Between the twin shocks of learning that he had been made unknowingly into a puppet, and then having to witness Doubles gristly demise, to say that Ebon’s nerves were on edge would be an understatement.

Johnny said something to Moonlight, and she pointed her horn directly at Ebon. It emitted a brief glow, and suddenly Ebon could here the sounds of their breathing echoing in the still room.

“You restored my hearing? Thank you, thank you very much.” Ebon says, facing the pair.

“Yes, but there's still on more thing we need to do. Ebon, if you could leave the room for just a moment.” Johnny says, gesturing toward a nearby door that led to an emergency stairwell.

“What's this all about?” Ebon asks, confused.

“Nothing that won't take more than a moment. Just please step into the stairwell, and close the door. One of us will call you when it's safe to return.” Johnny says, gesturing once more.

“Well, all right. If it is important.”

“Just trust me Ebon. It is.” Johnny encourages.

The two wait until Ebon has left the room and closed the door.

“All right Johnny, what's the plan?” Moonlight asks.

“I need you to lie down prone on the floor, then I am going to put my hoof on your-”

“Johnny!” Moonlight yelps. “We barley even know each other! I mean if we weren't surrounded my dead mutants, with the fate of the city on the line...”

“What? No! Not THAT way! On your back. Your back Moonlight. Sheesh! I'm going to make it look like I have defeated you.”

Defeated me? I don't understand.”

{Sigh}. “Just hold on a second. Junior? Have you heard enough of Dr. Double's speech to be able to duplicate it?” Johnny asks.

“Sure thing boss. I assume you want the camo to match?

“You know me so well. Do it kiddo.”

A shimmering occurs over Johnny's suit, and a moment later the appearance of Johnny Appleseed is gone to be replaced by that of Doctor Double Helix.

“Mwahahaha. Bow before me lesser beings, for I Doctor Double Helix have returned.” Junior says, perfectly mimicking the voice of the deceased Doctor.

“Dial it down Junior. We don't want Ebon in here just yet.” Johnny says from inside. “Alright Moonlight. Do you see where I'm going with this?

“Clever Johnny, Very clever.” Moonlight says as she slowly abases herself on the ground before the disguised Johnny. “How's this?”

“Too sexy.” Johnny replies. “You need to look defeated. Rub some of that concrete dust on your face, and muss up your mane a bit.”

“Better?” Moonlight asks, after she has finished.

“Hmm, still awfully sexy. But in a defeated way. It'll do,” Johnny says at last.

“You always say the sweetest things.” Moonlight replies, batting her eyelashes.

“Riiiiight. Okay, do you think you can manage to yell for help convincingly?” Johnny asks, as he carefully places his hoof down on the middle of Moonlight's prone form.

In response Moonlight puts a hoof over dramatically to her forehead, and shrilly cries out. “HELP! Ebon please help me!”

“Drama queen,” Johnny mutters as the door behind him crashes open. “Well, time to see if this will work. Junior, here's what I want you to say...”

“Agent Shadow, what's going on? I heard you scream a-” but that was as far as Ebon managed to speak, before the disguised Johnny turned to face him. “D-Doctor Double? But… but you're dead! She killed you!”

“Witless clod! Did you really think that a puny being such as this” Junior says, pressing down lightly with his hoof, causing Moonlight to offer up a fake weak scream, “could ever defeat the likes of me?!?” “I am perfection! The pinnacle of Equine form! No mere unicorn could ever hope to defeat me! Now come to me Ebon Shard. Come and kneel before your master!”

Still in shock, Ebon's body moves as if on it's own, and comes to kneel before the disguised Johnny.

“Now listen closely Ebon Shard. I want you to obey my commands to the letter. Do you understand?”

“Yes… master” Ebon spits the words out reluctantly.

“Excellent. My first command is for you to remember anything that I ever told you to forget.” Ebon's eyes blink for a moment, as previously hidden information rushes back to him. His eyes turn hard, filling with hate. Obviously Dr. Double had made him do something really bad, and then told him to forget about it. “Alright, my second command is to forget any and all commands I have given you before two minutes ago, except for the one about not harming me, and that you must obey me. You can remember what they were, but you will not obey them any more. This includes all the changes that I made to your personality.” The reaction this time takes longer as years worth of manipulations become unraveled. After a few moments, tears leak from Ebon eyes. “My third command and final command is for you to close your eyes, and count backwards from ten to zero. Once you reach zero I want you to open your eyes, and obey no beings commands ever again, unless you choose to of your own free will. Your will will be your own. Forever. Now start!”

Ebon closes his eyes and starts counting backwards. Johnny soundlessly returns to his natural state, and helps Moonlight up.

The two wait patiently until Ebon finishes and opens his eyes once more. He blinks for a moment and looks around.

“Agent Shadow, you're okay? What happened to Doctor Double? I have a burning desire to speak to him!” Ebon says with an edge in his voice.

“Well, time to see if this works,” Johnny says, before retracting his helmet to reveal his features for the first time to Ebon.

“Johnny Appleseed? Ebon says in shock. But you're dead! I killed you.”

“That you did. I remember it well. The question is, do you want to kill me now?”

“What? Ebon asks in surprise. “No, of course not! I want to tell you, I-I'm so sorry about that night. I tried so hard to stop myself, but my hooves moved on their own. I never wanted to kill you! I wanted to talk to you, so badly. But then...”

“Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay.” Johnny soothes. “Moonlight, I think we have our answer. It seems our friend Ebon is one hundred percent cured.”

“What do you mean cured? What's going on?” Ebon asks thoroughly confused.

“Well I think it's now safe to tell you.” Johnny says, taking a step back. “The Double you were just speaking to wasn't Double, it was a double.”

Moonlight facehooves herself, hard. “Oh Celestia, you've been saving that one haven't you? For how long? Dare I ask.”

“From the minute I first heard his name. I knew if I was patient enough I'd get to use it sooner or later.” Johnny says grinning wickedly.

“Okay, I know enough to realize that that was a really bad pun. But you're saying the one I just spoke to was a fake?” Ebon asks.

In response Johnny's form shimmers once more, and his armor once again replicates Double's alicorn form, minus the helmet that Johnny isn't wearing.

“Just a trick of Junior's here. He also perfectly duplicated Double's voice. I reasoned that if Double was controlling you with verbal commands, that you would accept any commands as long as you thought they were from him. And since those included never obeying any commands again, then once you accepted that, then it wouldn't matter if you knew it was me after the fact because you would already be free of his control.”

“But what if, once I knew it was you, I then rejected everything you told me as Double and returned to his control?”

“That all depended on how his conditioning worked, I gave it about a fifty-fifty chance” Johnny admits. “But I reasoned it was better we found out now, than say ten years later at a picnic when someone said something like, 'remember the time back when Johnny pretended to be Double' and then you suddenly go on a rampage. Also if it didn't work, then me or Moonlight would've knocked you out until Celestia could fix you later on. One way or another Ebon, we WERE going to save you.”

“Honestly, I can't thank you enough!” Ebon enthuses. “The things he made me do… so much. I-I don't know how I can ever atone...”

“Ebon,” Johnny says grabbing him by the shoulders. “The important thing to remember is, that it ISN'T YOUR FAULT! Double was controlling you. As for atonement, I have a few ideas about that, the most important of them at the moment being, what can you tell us about what's REALLY going on here? What was Brass and Double's master plan?”

Suddenly the floor begins shaking beneath their hooves.

“Oh, no!” Ebon cries. “It's too late! He's already begun!”

“Too late? Begun what? Are they self destructing the building?” Johnny asks, trying to maintain his balance.

“No. No, it's much worse than that! Brass Buttons has opened up the hidden access ramp to his underground facility. Listen! Let me explain what they were planning!

See it all started when Buttons and Double first started working together. Buttons never had an original idea in his life, but he was always quick to take advantage of other ponies ideas. Double's plan to make a perfect pony race under his control appealed to Buttons, but he never did agree on how Double went about it. Double was all about trying to 'improve' pony kind with genetic tinkering. Buttons thought this was a waste of time. You see by then he had access to all of his brother's equipment. He was sure that technology was the answer. His assistant Mercy was one of his first successes. He replaced all of her missing limbs with M.I.S.P. motor driven hydraulics, wiped her mind and armed her to the teeth. He had grand plans of making entire armies of cyber ponies, incapable of feeling pain, and totally loyal to only him. Double thought him raving mad, but was willing to let him play his games as long as Buttons was able to supply him with a lab, and all the supplies he needed for his work. Buttons on the other hoof thought Double was a deluded egomaniac with delusions of grandeur, but he tolerated Double so long as he was supplying Buttons with the one thing he needed in quantity.”

“What was that?” Moonlight asked.

“Brains, Agent Shadow. Pony brains.” Ebon replies.

“Ewww.” Moonlight replies.

“Indeed. You see each time Double finished with one of his experiments, he had the remains cut up and sold to the Whinnyappleous black market under his guise as 'The Butcher'. The brains however, Buttons claimed for his own. He had his brainwashed scientists use a combination of the technology used for damaged limb replacement, and the preservation techniques that the real Dr. Brass had been developing for space exploration, to create an army of cyber ponies. All metal, except for the living brain inside. A brain that Buttons had wiped and put under his control.

Then, about half a year ago the two were arguing once more about which of their ideas would bear fruit first and then Double hatched a scheme. He would foalnap key ponies in positions of power and brainwash them as sleeper agents. Then he would unleash his army of failed experiments on the city. The sleeper agents would hinder Luna's Watch at every turn, ensuring that the mutants would run rampant over the city. Then when things looked at their worst, Buttons, assuming the identity of the real Dr. Brass, would reveal his army of cyber ponies. They would sweep the street and eliminate all of Double's failed experiments. Afterwords Buttons would declare Luna and her Watch incompetent and unable to keep the city safe, and would demand she step down. Buttons would then take her place, with Double acting as his chief adviser. The first thing they would do is eradicate the 'Butcher' using me as a scapegoat. (a fact that I only knew about, once you restored my memories). Once he had the people behind him, then he would expand his operations, sending cyber ponies into other cities, replacing their police forces as well. Then he would begin the process of foalnapping and subverting those other cities officials until he had enough control to finally move against Canterlot. It would have been an invasion from within. Inside ten years they had planned to control all of Equestria!”

“Madness! Insanity!” Moonlight says incredulously.

“It… could actually work.” Johnny says in reply. “Insidious. Double's mind was more advanced than I gave him credit for. But, with Double dead, and his monsters all slain, what can Buttons hope to accomplish?”

“I'm not sure. I do know that he has camera's set up to monitor Double's work, just as Double was keeping an eye on him. Camera’s connected to the generators in his own lab, separate from the rest of the building. He has to know what happened here today. I have no idea what he hopes to accomplish, but I do know that he wouldn't open the secret access to his lair, unless he was making his move.”

“He must be desperate. With his brother freed, and Double out of the equation, all he can hope for is to try to seize power by force. What can you tell me about his forces? What are we going up against?”

“I don't really know anything specific.” Ebon Admits, rubbing his head. I was Double's right hoof minion, just as Mercy was Button's. I was only ever in his lab when I was running errands for Double.

I got a brief look at a schematic once, which Button's engineers had left out. All I can say for sure is that their bodies are completely machine. And their brain casing is protected from both magical and physical attacks by something called an Oscillating Harmonic Matrix. I remember in Double's lab when they tested one of his creatures against one of Button's cyber ponies. Double ordered his nightmare to focus it's attacks on it's brain. The magic shredded before it even struck the clear dome surrounding it, and when the monster tried to rip it off with one of it's tentacles, (don't ask), it was ripped to shreds as well. I do know that the shield only protects the brain though. I assume that it would require a larger power source than a cyber pony could easily carry to protect it entirely. The monster WAS able to damage the cyber ponies body somewhat before it was slain. But keep in mind that Double's creations were many times stronger than the average pony. And even though it managed to inflict some minor damage, it was still slain in the process.

“Well, fortunately for us, we aren't just any ordinary ponies.” Johnny says flexing an armored hoof. “We need to access his lair. I assume it's on the final floor below this one?”

“Yes, the elevator will take you to the entrance to his lab, and beyond that his production line.” Ebon admits.

“All right, we need to get down there and see what we're up against. If he's about to march on the city, we need to find out a way to stop him, and fast. Let's go!”

The three ponies make their way back into the elevator, and descend to it's lowest level. The door opens to reveal a long corridor lined with doors.

“Follow me, I've been here several times before, I know the fastest way to engineering, any information about Buttons creations will be in there.”

Ebon quickly leads the trio though a maze of interlocking doors and corridors.

“Sheesh, what was this place before Double took over. It's like a maze down here.” Johnny says, as he has Junior map their progress.

“This used to be where Brass Tacks had all of his research and development laboratories.” Ebon says. “Luna spared no expense to recruit the top minds from all over Equestria to come and work here. There were ponies, griffins minotaurs, even a diamond dog or two. But then after Buttons replaced his brother, all non pony scientists were gradually phased out. That was one thing both Buttons and Double had in common, they were both after a perfect PONY race. And they felt all other races were inferior.”

“How incredibly racist.” Moonlight says with derision. “It completely goes against Luna's ideal. When she took over this city, it was to make it a shining example of how all races could live together in harmony.”

“Yeah, that's why they were both targeting Luna. She was the opposite of everything they both stood for. And one of the only things that united them in a common cause. Had they actually succeeded together in toppling Luna, I'm sure it wouldn't have been long before there was an all out war between the two of them. With the innocents of the city caught in the middle. At least with Double dead, we wont have to worry about THAT scenario. Ah, we're here, the engineering wing.”

A set of double doors were opened and the trio rushed in, all sense of stealth discarded.

“Where is everypony? There isn’t a soul to be found.” Johnny said as they made their way past the empty workstations.

“I honestly don’t know. Usually there are dozens of technicians and scientists in here.” Ebon replies, shouldering his sniper rifle.

“What’s down that way?” Moonlight asks, pointing past the rows of cubicles toward an open space at the end of the large room.

“That’s where they have their model decompression chambers. They test what would someday be our space suits, and airlock seals. Beyond them is the doorway to Button’s assembly room.”

“Why is there a yellow light blinking on that one cube shaped room while all the others are dark?” She asks.

“What? Quickly, we have to get down there!” Ebon shouts, as he rushes toward the end of the room, leaving his companions to catch up to him.

“What’s going on? What’s that mean?” Johnny asks, his armor allowing him to catch up to Ebon effortlessly.

“Yellow means that the air is being removed from the chamber. Red will mean that it’s gone. Buttons must be tiding up loose ends. That’s why we haven’t seen any pony else in here!” Ebon pants, as they arrive at the door to the chamber.

Ebon’s theory proves true as all three can see through the thick plexi-glass window dozens of ponies tightly packed inside. Their faces blank, and their eyes empty.

“We have to shut this down and get them out of there!” Ebon says frantically. “But I don’t know anything about these controls.”

“Can’t we just smash them, or the door?” Moonlight asks, igniting her horn.

“No, the explosive re-compression might kill the ponies inside, not to mention possibly us.” Ebon says. “We need to find a way to reverse what’s going on safely.”

“I think I can take care of that.” Johnny says confidently. “Junior, I know how much you like all this modern tech stuff. Think you can get inside the controls and undo whatever is going on?”

“Oh heck yes!” Junior says enthusiastically. “Just one second Pop.”

“What the heck kind of armor IS that?” Ebon asks, as Junior’s nannysprites make their way into the control panel. “It talks and acts like it’s alive.”

“Oh, it is,” Johnny replies absently, as Junior whispers a real time play by play as his sprites do their work.

“But why are you even wearing armor? I saw what you did in the park, you were a GOD!” Ebon says in awe.

Johnny chuckles in reply. “A god? Not even close.” he says dismissively. “That wasn’t even one thousandth of the power Celestia or Luna have. That was Twilight level, or Cadence level at best. And that was a one shot deal. You should know, you shot me dead not a minute later.” He adds with a grin.

“Uh yeah… sorry about that. Hey, wait a second. You WERE dead. I shot you six times, and I know I didn’t miss. I NEVER miss.”

“No, you didn’t miss. Six rounds right in the chest. Nice grouping I might add. Nope, I was dead all right. Off on a boat, counting worms, cashed in my chips and bought the farm. Kicked the bucket, took my last bow, and was ready to put on a pine overcoat. I was room temperature.”

“Are you done yet?” Moonlight asks in exasperation.

“With the euphemisms, or the controls?

“BOTH.”

A hiss and a release of expelled air gives Moonlight her answer as the light on the hatchway turns green, and the door slowly swings open.

“Well, looks like these ponies at least won’t be joining the choir invisible.” Johnny says grinning, until he catches Moonlights expression. “Okay, I’m done.”

The three can see that the ponies inside are breathing normally, but they are still standing still with vacant expressions on the faces.

“Hmm. Buttons must have commanded them to get inside and not move. Then he just closed the door, and let the machine do all the work, all efficient like. I hate to say it, but it might be best if we leave them here, at least until we can get Celestia to free them from Buttons control.” Johnny says.

“But can’t you free them the same way that you freed me?” Ebon asks.

“No. Sorry Ebon. But the machine Buttons used on these ponies was different from the mind control that Double used on you and his other victims. Button’s used the original changeling machine. There is literally nothing left of the personality these ponies originally possessed. Even when Celestia removes their conditioning, they will still never be the same again. They will all literally have to start their lives all over. Sure they will retain whatever knowledge they have. But as far as who they used to be, what drove them and made them who they are, all of that is gone forever. They will be blank slates, that will need a lot of love and care before they can grow into whoever they will become.”

“That’s monstrous!” Ebon says in anger. “What kind of pony could do such a thing to another living being?”

“A very sick and twisted one, and one who WILL be brought to justice!” Moonlight says, with steel in her voice.

“You said that through there is his production facility?” She asks pointing to a doorway set between two chambers.

“Yes. It used to be where build prototypes of all sorts of things that Night Industries was working on, but lately all it’s been used for was Button’s cyber ponies.”

“All right, let’s go.” Moonlight says, igniting her horn once more.

Ebon unshoulders his sniper rifle, as Johnny’s helmet reforms around his head.

“Alright, everypony,” Johnny says, his weapons systems coming online, “no telling what to expect inside. Civilians take down in a non-lethal manner if possible. Cyber ponies take down hard. And if you catch sight of Buttons, try to take him alive. Preferably in a LOT of pain. But if you have to take him out, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Agreed.” Moonlight replies.

“All right, here we go.”

Johnny kicks the door open and rushes inside. Junior quickly scanning the room for threats. He manages a few steps before stopping before the glaring light striking him in the face. Moonlight and Ebon come to a stop beside him, also blinded by the light searing into their rapidly blinking eyes.

“Where in Celestia is that light coming from?” Ebon asks, his eyes frantically trying to adjust.

But Johnny, wearing his helmet, has already engaged his filters, and can make out what his companions have yet to be able to adjust to.

“Celestia indeed.” Johnny says, as he looks upwards toward the open ramp leading from the huge empty room up into the heart of the city. “What we are seeing gentleponies, is the first dawn ever to be seen in Whinnyappleous, since Luna took over. And if we fail, it may very well be our last.”